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Delhi will host its first 'Human Library' wherein one can 'borrow' real people for 30 minutes who will share their experiences with them.

By India Today Web Desk: Come June 18, Delhi will host its first 'Human Library' in Connaught Place. During the event, people can 'borrow' real people for 30 minutes who will share their stories. The idea behind this concept is to learn through these conversations, get information and dispel misconceptions.

The concept was first introduced in 2016 at IIM Indore campus and then Hyderabad and Mumbai adopted it. But the 'Human Library' movement was started in Denmark by Ronni Abergel and now has expanded to around 80 countries.

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So, as in a library one can choose from a set of books, participants belonging from various backgrounds can be selected to have a productive conversation with. The idea is clear misconceptions by asking any number of questions and they will provide information.

Through this, a social change can be brought by breaking stereotypes, changing perceptions just with help of a friendly conversation. These 'Human Books' will be selected based on their understanding of the subject and personal experiences.

The debut event will display 'human books' from 11 categories. From a drug abuser, cancer survivors to female solo travellers, people from various backgrounds will be present.

The event will take place at Innov8, Connaught Place from 2pm to 7pm on June 18.

Know more about the concept of Human Library here:

--- ENDS ---
Sanjeev Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 13

Indian Oil Corporation, the countrys largest fuel retailer today assuaged dealers concerns over daily revision of petrol and diesel prices from Friday and said the fear of dealers about inventory loss is unwarranted.

Petrol pump dealers have threatened a No sale, No purchase protest on June 16 when the daily price revision is to be rolled out across the country after a pilot in five cities.

IndianOil Chairman Sanjiv Singh, along with BS Canth, Director (Marketing), also held a video conference session on daily price change with retail outlet dealers of 11 states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Bihar.

They also received firsthand feedback from dealers of five pilot cities where daily pricing implemented from May 1 is in progress.

IndianOil said the fear of dealers about inventory loss is unwarranted as the change of prices will happen both upwards as well as downwards, and thus both gain and loss would compensate each other. The pilot has been successful in the 5 cities where the price change has been implemented smoothly. Prices are communicated to dealers by 4 modes (customised SMSs, e-mails, mobile app and web portal for dealers). These means of communication are also available to dealers of automated petrol pumps. There is no technical issue with regard to flow of information about daily price change to dealers or customers, it added.

IndianOil is holding regular awareness sessions pan-India with dealers to ensure their cooperation for smooth rollout of daily price change and to enable working of the automation system at the retail outlet.

Although daily price revision is effective from midnight, IndianOil said the dealer is not required to be present at the retail outlet every day to change the price at midnight. In case of automated petrol pumps, there is a provision for dealers to schedule the price change at 8 pm for price change to take effect at midnight.

It said in case of non-automated outlets, manual change of price has to be done. Retail outlets operating during the night have already employed manpower. No additional manpower is thus required for the change of price. Changing of the price in the dispensing units consumes very less time. Moreover, as the same is effective at midnight when the rush of customers is minimum, inconvenience caused to customers will also be minimised.

IndianOil said it has stepped up efforts to ensure convenience to dealers and customers on daily price revision of petrol and diesel. The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association said oil companies have jumped into this decision without checking the ground reality that the automation system installed at most of the pumps in Delhi is not supporting the automatic price change in the dispensing machines.

Petrol dealers said a stringent fine of Rs 5 lakh and suspension of sales and supplies for 60 days has been implemented in the amended guidelines for not operating the petrol pump in the automation mode.
Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 13

Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make in India slogan seems to have evaporated into thin air for over four crore workers engaged in the countrys textile and mink blanket manufacturing units, as these industries are staring at a bleak future due to the Central governments decision to cut the levy of import duty and GST from 29% to 16% on all imported blankets and fabrics.

The GST Councils decision to decrease the customs duty and other taxes under the GST regime is set to result in shutting down of over 50 largescale mink blanket manufacturing units in the country, as these units wont be able to compete with cheap imported mink blankets after the GST rollout.

These units produce nearly 1.5 lakh mink blankets every day, out of which 15% are exported to North America, Europe, Russia and Australia.

How can we compete with mink blankets imported from China as these would be cheaper by at least 13% due to decreased duties on imported blankets from July 1. We will be left with only two options. Either, we will be forced to shut down our units or we will have to import blankets from China and stop domestic production. This will lead to unemployment of thousands of workers currently engaged in the mink blanket manufacturing industry, said Abhishek Vij, Director of Jalandhar-based Shital Fibres Ltd., a mink blanket manufacturing unit that contributes around 70% in Indias mink blanket exports. The company produces nearly 45,000 blankets daily.

Cutting down of import duty, cess and GST on imported blankets from 29% to 16% will be disastrous for domestic textile and blanket manufacturing units. We will raise the issue with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley soon and request him to review the decision, said Ramesh Jagota, president, All India Mink Blanket Manufacturers Association. He said the textile industry employs nearly six crore workers. Under the GST regime, not only mink blanket industry will suffer huge losses but the textile, yarn and fibre industries, too, will also incur losses, he added.
London, June 13

Indian-origin MP Alok Sharma was on Tuesday appointed minister of state in the Department for Communities and Local Government in the UK government.

The Conservative Party MP had held on to his Reading West seat by 2,876 votes in the June 8 general election.

I am absolutely delighted to be elected as MP for a third time and I will do my very best for the people of Reading West, Sharma, 49, said in reference to his victory.

His win was precarious as he was contesting a marginal seat  constituencies with a very slim majority for the sitting MP  leaving it up for grabs for any party.

With any election in a marginal seat, which Reading West has been for a number of years, theres always an amount of nerves, he said.

Over the past seven years, the big issues I have tackled include securing more spaces at schools, getting more business investment and securing more standard class seats on trains from Reading into Paddington. Those are the big issues and thats what matters to the people of Reading West, Sharma said.

In his new ministerial post, Sharma will serve as a junior minister under Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid, who was re-appointed secretary of state for communities and local government last week.

In the previous Theresa May led Cabinet last year, Sharma had been parliamentary under-secretary for Asia and the Pacific in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and was effectively the FCO minister in charge of India.

His latest appointment marks a step up in the UK ministerial ranks.

Meanwhile, the senior-most Indian-origin minister Priti Patel attended her first Cabinet meetings this week after being re-appointed secretary of state for international development.

Britain got its first female Sikh MP and first turban- wearing MP as the UK general election results threw up a small increase in the number of Indian-origin MPs in the House of Commons.

The Labour Party improved its record from five to seven MPs, with the Tories retaining their five Indian-origin MPs taking the total up from 10 in the 2015 general election to 12.  PTI
Melbourne, June 13

Two Indian-origin men are among 900 Australians who have been recognised by British Queen Elizabeth II in her annual Birthday Honours list for their contributions to the community.

The Queensland-based Professor Rajiv Khanna was honoured with Order of the Companion of Australia for distinguished service to medicine in the field of immunology, through contributions to the development of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, infectious complications and chronic diseases.

Unnikrishnan Velayudhan Pilla from Queensland was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in the general division (OAM) for service to the Malayalee community in the state.

The list for this year released on Monday recognised a diverse range of people, including scientists, entertainers, lawyers, designers, community workers, performers and a psephologist.

To all recipients, I offer my deepest congratulations, admiration and respect for your contribution to our nation, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said.

Khanna is the founding director and group leader at the Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development at Brisbane-based QMIR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and also the senior principal research fellow at National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Khanna, born in India, came to Australia 27 years ago and has authored and co-authored more than 200 scientific papers.

Velayudhan Pilla, founder of Jvala Charitable and Cultural Society, has been a recipient of several community awards in the past, including Bharat Gaurav Award, Lord Mayors Australia Day Award, and Multicultural community award for services to the Malyalee community in Queensland.

Others who received the award this year were Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, eminent scientist Antony Colman and well-know economist Ross Garnaut.

The honours are awarded for service to the country to mark the Queens official birthday in June each year. PTI
THE Special Task Force, constituted by the Congress government in Punjab to tackle the drug menace in the state, is showing some positive results. It has arrested a CIA Inspector, known in police circles as a drug recovery specialist, posted at Kapurthala. Small-level arrests have been made but big fish have escaped the net. Results are inadequate and unsatisfactory. A few days ago the Bathinda SSP and a DSP were accused of facilitating the release of a drug trader. The detention of an SP-rank officer after the Pathankot air base attack suggested a police-drug-terror nexus but the NIA clean chit came without offering a convincing explanation for his activities close to the border with Pakistan.

Then there is the all-important 2014 case of ex-DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola, which hinted at political involvement in drug trade. The case has dragged on and seems to be proceeding in favour of the accused. Last year a Jalandhar court acquitted him in one of the cases, which points to weak prosecution. Now his case is being handled by junior-level ED officials. It is hard to believe that drug business could have flourished in Punjab without the knowledge of the police. The fragile law and order situation, the unsolved high-profile murders, the rise of gangsters, the pathetic condition of jails and an abysmal rate of conviction in cases involving politicians do no credit to the Punjab Police and urgently call for its overhaul and depoliticisation.

When Capt Amarinder Singh swore with his hand on a holy book to remove the drug affliction from the state within a month of coming to power, people believed him. The expectation was, regardless of the offenders position or political colour, none would be spared. Even though three months have passed and impatient opposition parties have started protests, all that the government has to show up by way of result is a litany of promises and an expression of resolve. Low-key submissions have replaced pre-poll thunderous declarations. The Captains well-wishers are willing to give him more time but there is a limit to patience.
Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, June 13

Employees of the Yamunanagar depot of the Haryana Roadways went on a strike today in protest against bus permits to private operators in the state.

The strike caused inconvenience to thousands of passengers as they had to depend on buses of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh Roadways plying via Yamunanagar on different routes. Besides, 35 private buses also ply on local routes in the district.

Leaders of Roadways unions Ratan Singh Kalanaur and Ravinder Singh said they were forced to go on strike because the government failed to honour the compromise reached with the unions to scrap the transport policy of 2016-17. The employees also staged a dharna at the gate of the Roadways workshop and raised anti-government slogans.

Karnal: Employees of the Karnal depot parked their buses at the depot and protested at the bus stand. Ishwar Singh, roadways union leader, said the government assured them twice that their concerns would be addressed, but to no avail. People had to face inconvenience due to the strike.

Sources said the buses of the Karnal depot earn a revenue of around Rs 13.5 lakh every day.
The Delhi University has initiated the process to start the Delhi School of Journalism and will offer an integrated course in journalism from the upcoming academic year.

Delhi University will also start a postgraduate diploma in cyber security and law from the upcoming academic session

By Arpan Rai: Giving private colleges a run for their money, the Delhi University has decided to offer an integrated course in journalism from the upcoming academic session.

The country's revered central university will open its gate for journalism aspirants and offer them a unique degree course called Bachelors and Masters in Journalism.

"Delhi University has initiated the process of starting Delhi School of Journalism which will allow students to pursue a Bachelors and Masters degree in journalism," confirmed Maharaj K Pandit, chairperson of Delhi University's admission committee.

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Bachelors and Masters in Journalism will be a five-year-long course which will allow multiple exits to a student.

"Unlike any other course in journalism offered across India, a student can leave after three years with an Honours degree in the programme and if he/she wishes to continue, she can complete the five-year integrated programme and will be awarded a Masters degree," said Pandit.

SUBJECTS

In major takeaways of this programme introduced by the varsity, a student will be taught subjects on political thinking, business journalism, data analysis, statistics among other disciplines the committee is deliberating on.

Along with disciplines which will enable critical thinking, the students will be taught foreign languages comprising Arabic, Spanish, French and Mandarin.

In addition to providing better access and understanding of South Asia, the students will also be taught Tamil and Bengali in the later stages of the course.

Through this course, the university is set to give a major blow to private universities currently offering this course at undergraduate and postgraduate level at a plush price.

"The fees for studying this course stands at Rs 30,000 per semester," confirmed admission committee officials.

The intake for the programme will be 60 and admission to the programme will be through entrance exams.

In addition to this, Delhi University is also slated to start a Postgraduate Diploma in Cyber Security and Law from the upcoming academic session.

PG ADMISSIONS BEGIN

Delhi University also kicked off its admission process to 72 postgraduate level courses on Monday. The aspirants will have to appear for offline entrance examination for pursuing MPhil, PhD and postgraduate diploma.

Owing to maximum applications the university officials have received in the past, the university has restricted examination centres to six cities - Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Nagpur and Varanasi.

We get over 90 per cent of applications from Delhi, followed by Chennai and Kolkata. This precisely why we have not introduced entrance centres in other parts of the country," said admission committee officials.

In its two-way route for admitting students, the university will admit 50 per cent of candidates who have been a student of Delhi University on the basis of merit. The remaining seats will be filled by the method of entrance exams.

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According to Maharaj K Pandit, around 650 seats would be announced for MPhil course and around 850 seats would be alloted for PhD courses.

"The exact number of seats will be finalised soon. However, based on professors' freedom of choice -whether to offer a seat this year or not - the seats have been calculated roughly," Pandit added.

ALSO READ | DU introduces change in reservation policy, increases categories for admitting students with disabilities

--- ENDS ---
Ravi S.Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 13

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced to launch an agitation against the Centre and state government from June 16 to press for acceptance of a charter of pro-farmer demands, including waiver of agriculture loans.

The decision was taken during a meeting of farmers representatives from across the state and Congress workers, which was convened by him. Representatives of social and various caste organisations also attended the meeting.

Some of the other demands are round-the-clock supply of electricity, MSP for vegetable crops and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report on the MSP.

The meeting was attended by 12 sitting MLAs, MPs Deepender Hooda and Shadi Lal Batra and nearly 60 former MLAs, ministers and ex-chairpersons of boards and corporations.

Phool Chand Maulana and Dharampal Mallik, both former presidents of the state Congress, also addressed the gathering.

The proposed agitation, which would be in the form of holding kisan panchayats would commence from June 16 in Kurukshetra. The panchayats would be held in Sirsa on June 21, Rewari (June 25), Sonepat (July 5) and Nuh (July 7).

In the midst would be a mahapanchayat in Jind on July 5. It would be a state-level agitation in which farmers from all districts would take part.

Hooda also announced that a memorandum christened Adhikar Patra (memorandum of farmers rights) would be submitted to the Governor.

Addressing the gathering, Hooda said he had no ambition for any post. He said the meeting was convened to discuss about issues of farmers who were in deep distress.

I am not angling for any post. I have had them all. The issue at hand is much larger which concerns farmers who form the backbone of the country, he said.

Condemning the police firing on agitating farmers in Madhya Pradesh in which seven of them lost their lives, he said unrest in farming community was emblematic of country-wide distress in farming community.

Exhorting Congress workers to be ready for a struggle for the cause of farmers, he cautioned the Centre and the state government not take the farmers for granted. They are stoic, but not dumb, he said. He alleged that the Centre and the state government were systematically denigrating and weakening the farmers.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 13

The BJP today appealed to Shimla residents to give a chance to the party to rid the capital of the Congress and CPM.

Chief spokesman of the BJP Rajiv Bindal, who held a roadshow to muster support for BJP-backed candidates in the fray for the SMC polls, said huge funds would be required for restructuring the civic amenities and solving the chronic problems of drinking water, parking, traffic woes and decongesting the town which would be possible only under the Modi government at the Centre and the BJP, which is bound to return to power in the state.

Bindal took out the road show from Sher-e-Punjab to Central Telegraph Office(CTO) through the busy Lower Bazar and stressed that the BJP alone could solve the problems of Shimla and restore its pristine glory.

We are not contesting the SMC polls for winning the elections but fighting for the rights of the residents of Shimla who had suffered under the 31-year rule of the Congress and CPM on the civic body and facing perennial water crisis, congestion, parking and traffic jams, Bindal said, adding that the situation turned from bad to worse.

Bindal asked the voters to make a choice in the larger interest of the town and its residents. Proper coordination between the Centre and the state government and the SMC was crucial for speedy development, he asserted.

Give us a chance and we will give you a city worth living, Bindal said taking a jibe at the Chief Minister for his comments that the water problem would be solved in next 3-4 years.
Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 13

Notwithstanding the recent verbal duel between them, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today jointly hit the election campaign, presenting a united face of the Congress in the elections to the prestigious Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC).

Even as both the leaders have remained engaged in hectic campaigning for the last two days, the two shared dais at New Shimla, Patyog, Kangnadhar and Dhalli. Today was the first day when the two leaders jointly addressed public meetings in support of the party-backed candidates. The two will tomorrow jointly release the Congress vision document for Shimla called Shimla Sankalp. Virbhadra and Sukhu undertook joint campaign in a bid to dispel the notion that the Congress is a divided house.

Congress has always worked towards maintaining the glory of Shimla which has remained the erstwhile summer capital of the British and we remain committed to this resolve, said Virbhadra. He said his government had cleared several schemes and projects to ensure that Shimla retained its glory and attracted tourists from world over.

The Chief Minister today campaigned in Totu and Majhyaat wards along with his son and the state Youth Congress president Vikramaditya Singh. Virbhadra visited more than 10 of the 34 wards that form part of Shimla MC.

Addressing the gathering in support of the Congress-backed candidate Kusum Thakur (New Shimla) Mahima Thakur (Patyog) and Monika (Kangnadhar), Sukhu said the Congress remained committed to providing the best facilities and living conditions to the people of the state capital. Our motto remains kaam hi pehchaan and it is on the basis of the development work done by the successive Congress regimes and the Congress-dominated SMC that we are seeking votes, he remarked.

The Congress chief said Shimla has had a BJP legislator for the last 10 years and the corporation was under the control of the CPM. Both have failed to fulfill the promises they made to the people of the town during the election and now they are once again trying to make lofty promises to take the people for a ride, he said.

He said the Congress was committed to restoring the lost glory of Shimla while the Mayor and Deputy Mayor had failed to utilize the money released by the state government for the SMC. Sukhu said providing adequate clean drinking water to the residents was the top priority of the Congress regime. He added that it is with the support of the public that Congress will take Shimla to even greater heights.
Azhar Qadri & Suhail A Shah

Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Anantnag, June 13

For the first time in recent years, militants carried out a series of near-simultaneous attacks in four districts of Kashmir valley on Tuesday, injuring 16 security personnel and looting four rifles.

The first attack took place in Tral sub-district in the evening and by the night-fall, the militants had carried out a total of six attacksfive in south Kashmir and one in north Kashmir.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

DGP SP Vaid said there was prior intelligence about possible escalation in attacks to commemorate the anniversary of Battle of Badr, the first battle fought by a Muslim army in the seventh century. Today was the 17th day of Ramazan, it is also the day of Battle of Badr. We had inputs on escalation of their activities and grenade attacks, he said.

In Tral, located in volatile south Kashmir, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in which 10 paramilitary personnel were injured.

Zulfiqar Hassan, IG (Operations), CRPF, said the injured were rushed to Army 92 Base Hospital in the city and were reportedly in a stable condition. Following a brief lull, the militants carried out five attacks within a span of an hour, targeting a guard post at the residence of a retired judge, a police station, CRPF camp and two Army camps.

At the guard post securing the residence of retired Justice Muzafar Attar in south Kashmirs Anantnag district, militants injured two policemen and looted four self-loading rifles.

A police official said the militants opened indiscriminate fire at policemen guarding the house, injuring two of them. Attar, who is now affiliated with a political party, and his family were not at home.

Both the injured have been shifted to Anantnag district hospital. While one of them is stable, another is in a critical condition, the police official said.

In Pulwama district, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in Padgampora locality. Minutes later, militants fired a rifle grenade at the police station in Pulwama town and opened fire at the policemen. A police spokesman said two of their personnel sustained minor injuries. The fifth attack of the day targeted an Army camp in north Kashmirs Sopore sub-district. The DGP said a rifle grenade was fired at the camp.

Later in the night, the militants also attacked an Army camp at Lurgam village of Tral. Two personnel were injured in the attack. A police spokesman said the militants fired a rifle grenade at the 42 Rashtriya Rifles camp.

Meeting on security

New Delhi: After holding meetings with CMs of Naxal-affected states and those having boundaries with Pakistan, China and Myanmar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called a conference of state Home Ministers on July 3 to discuss internal security.
Pervin Malhotra

Q.Ive just appeared for my board exams. Please tell me how I should apply to universities in Canada? Do they require SAT or ACT scores? I have not prepared for either.  Pradeep Rawal

A.No written test is necessary for obtaining admission to Canadian universities or colleges.

But while the SAT is generally not required, a few universities (e.g., McGill University) may consider SAT scores when reviewing applications.

The basic requirement is a strong academic record demonstrated through secondary and senior secondary results (CBSE or ICSE).

Popular programmes and universities typically require marks in the higher 80s, but this will vary across programmes and institutions.

English language proficiency: As English is not the first language in India, Indian applicants must provide an English proficiency test score. An IELTS score of 6.5 and above or TOEFL (internet based) score of 90 and above is required.

Although universities and colleges will accept either of the two, the Canadian High Commission in India highly recommends proof of your IELTS score.

If youre applying to a Quebec-based university where the medium of instruction is French, you need to provide French proficiency test scores.

What are the job prospects in urban planning?

Q.I am doing my masters in geography. Ive heard that, postgrads in geography can go into Urban Planning. What are the career prospects? Tarun Horo

A.In 2000, only 40 per cent of the population in developing countries lived in cities. This is expected to increase to 56 per cent by 2030. Half of all Indians would be living in urban areas by 2050.

Our future, therefore, hinges on the sensitivity, expertise and speed with which this urban transition is handled.

The chief impediment is not technology or capital, but the availability of sufficient numbers of professional urban change-makers.

We have only 5,000 registered urban planners in India: i.e. just one planner for 75,000 people.

Urban planners are big-scale thinkers. Whether developing a local park or a whole cosmopolitan city  they juggle the realities of the here and now with the possibilities of the distant future to create, revitalize and grow vibrant communities.

Before creating a plan, urban planners assess and evaluate all available information. This involves research, surveying the area and consulting with the health, sanitation and transport departments in the government.

Besides a fair amount of administrative and managerial skills, writing reports, addressing meetings, youll closely work with other professionals such as architects, lawyers, civil engineers, statisticians, sociologists and economists.

Once youve completed your MPlan degree from a reputed institution, diverse career paths will open up for you. You could work with government agencies, private consulting firms and MNCs, non-profit agencies or international organizations such as the World Bank, UNESCO, WHO, etc.

Tourism boards, health authorities, construction companies and environmental organizations also require the services of planners.

Find your true interest

Q. I have so many and varied interests that when people ask me what career I have finally chosen I feel very confused and pressured. They ask me to stay focused on one particular field and not waver? I like science and dancing and law and history and Spanish language, to name just a few. I also tend to get bored of things soon. Please suggest how to resolve this dilemma. I am in my final year of BSc.  Kaveri Rathod'

A.While its always good to do something you love, its also OK not to think of your career as your whole life. The important thing in such a situation is to believe in yourself, and delve into your interests one by one  initially picking something that can easily translate into a monetary benefit.

You know, we often fear the consequences of failing if we focus on just one thing. But succeeding in a specific area will give you the confidence to focus on the next one. Be open to doing multiple things throughout your life if you don't feel like sticking to one specific job. There are no hard and fast rules here.

But if you have multiple interests, do also remember that not all of them can, or need to translate into careers. So, instead of merely focusing on your various interests, do also factor in your inherent talents  the tasks you can do effortlessly. Another thing that may hold you in good stead while keeping your options open is to develop some transferable skills  youll discover that the expert knowledge youve gained in one field is often transferrable to other fields. In fact, now most careers are inter-disciplinary. So having a wide range of interests will afford you greater flexibility when it comes to finding a job in another field. Now, you may not become an expert fashion stylist without practice, but if you know how to creatively solve problems, communicate with others, quickly learn new things by training your brain to do so, these skills will apply to fashion styling as well. And if you keep an open mind, youll be delighted to find that an interest in one often connects you to your other interests. It may take a while. Im not saying youll be able to master them immediately, but if you keep learning, youll gather all sorts of cross-disciplinary insights. After that, its mostly about whom you know and how you can sell it to them.

A good career aptitude test would give you a fair understanding of your skills and interests  regardless of whether you pick those specific careers or not.
Usha Albuquerque

For those of you for whom college education begins and ends at Delhi University, there is good news and some hope. The university has started several new courses and has also increased the number of seats this year.

With cut-offs crowding around 95-100 per cent, most aspirants feel distressed even thinking about the possibility of making the grade for their favourite college, or any college for that matter. But if one were to go by the final cut-off list of last year (the percentage of marks at which the admissions closed), there were many college courses which admitted students with as low as 68-75 per cent marks for some courses.

If your heart is set on a particular subject then you may have to be prepared for considering alternative options to Delhi University if your marks do not measure up. But if you do not have a particular course in mind and are willing to consider a variety of subject options, then it is likely you wont be disappointed. Often the best option for the undecided is to take up graduation in an arts, commerce or science subject of their choice which may be a good base for further study. So a BA, BSc or even the general programme courses can be the starting point leading to further studies at post-graduation, in any specialised field.

While a majority of students seeking admission target the more popular courses such as the commerce and business studies, some science courses and a few social sciences, there are so many other courses worth a second look.

In the past couple of years several new courses have also been introduced in several colleges, as well as a couple of new courses in the university. These include Political Science (Hons) at St Stephens College; Sociology (Hons) at Indraprastha College for Women; Mathematics (Hons) at Gargi College and Delhi College of Arts and Commerce; as well as Computer Science (Hons), History, Psychology and Mathematics (Hons) at Aryabhatta College; and several new courses at Bharti College, Ramanujan College and Daulat Ram College.

In addition, a new course being introduced is the BSc in Forensic Science which will be started at SGTB Khalsa College.

Also a new five-year integrated course in journalism will make its debut this academic session under the Faculty of Social Sciences  a big relief for male students interested in journalism and mass communication. The only other college offering this course being the all-girls Indraprastha College.

Some interesting courses at DU that deserve special mention include :

Faculty of Arts/Social Sciences/ Applied Social Sciences & Humanities

BA and BA Hons in Indian and foreign languages, including Bengali, Punjabi, Persian, Arabic, Spanish and Italian.

In todays globalised world language fluency can open doors to a range of jobs with corporate organisation based in or dealing with foreign countries, international organisations, and in jobs related to travel, and communications.

BA (Hons) in Hindi Patrakarita (Hindi Journalism) offered at Aditi Maha Vidyalaya College, Dr BhimRao Amedkar College, Ram Lal Anand College, Ramanujam College, is another good programme for anyone looking for a career in journalism.

Bachelors degree in Vocational studies (BVoc) which covers a range of interesting skill based courses in Healthcare Management, Retail Management & IT, Web designing, Printing Technology, Banking Operations, Software development, and TV programme and News production.

Each course provides job -oriented training that can lead to direct employment on graduation.

Admission will be given on the basis of cut-offs which are expected to be much lower than those for the regular Honours programmes, with a 2 per cent advantage given to those who have passed related vocational subjects to be included in the best of four subjects.

Colleges offering B Voc courses include  Maharaja Agrasen College, Kalindi College, Jesus and Mary College, and College of Vocational Studies.

In addition, College of Vocational Studies continues with seven vocational courses that it has been offering for several years. These include tourism management, office management and secretarial practice, management and marketing of insurance, small and medium enterprises, materials management, human resource management and marketing management and retail business.

Faculty of Science/Inter-disciplinary & Applied Sciences

BSc Food Technology: Requires physics, chemistry, mathematics/biology or biotechnology. The course is being offered at Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Science, Institute of Home Economics, and Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women.

The course which covers food and nutrition, food processing and packaging, food chemistry, new product development, and so on can lead to jobs in food processing industries, dairy industries, distilleries, packaging units, research laboratories, catering establishments etc.

Lady Irwin College and Institute of Homes Economics offer the BSc Home Science (Hons) course which requires any one science subject, and programme course, which is open to students of any stream can also lead into careers related to this field.

BSc Biomedical Science: Offered by Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women requires students to have taken up physics, chemistry and biology/ biotechnology in Class XII. Students with maths as the additional fourth subject get a 3 per cent advantage. This is an inter-disciplinary science course covering biological chemistry, immunology, biotechnology, pharmacology and toxicology as well as bioinformatics, IPR, and human physiology and includes hands-on training in medical lab techniques, epidemiological data analysis, and with tools used in forensic science.

Good opportunities for further study and jobs in scientific research and development, bioinstrumentation, medical imaging, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment manufacturing and healthcare await the pass outs.

Two good courses to start this year include the five- year integrated Journalism programme and a BSc ( Hons) Forensic Science course at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (SGTB) Khalsa College.

Journalism, five-year integrated course To be offered at a new Delhi School of Journalism, this is a much sought after course being introduced this year. The course will lead to a masters degree in journalism, with an exit option after three years with a bachelors degree.

The course will cover reporting and editing, media studies, social media, operations of mobile broadcast stations, as also study of foreign languages and regional languages.

It will also include hands-on learning through internships and project work, print and media work and film documentary making.

The B Sc (Hons) Forensic Science programme will require physics, chemistry and mathematics or biology, and cover subjects such as criminal law, forensic psychology, forensic chemistry, forensic biology, forensic anthropology, forensic medicine.

Good prospects with forensic labs, detective agencies and the police department are envisaged after such a course.
Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 13

For the hype about the vastly-improved healthcare facilities at the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana, the ground reality is apparently different.

From the account of patients and their attendants, the hospital healthcare services remain inaccessible to poor, uneducated patients from lower socio-economic background. Mostly, these patients/attendants are uninformed about their rights and are ignorant about the medical facilities that they can rightfully avail themselves of.

No time for treatment

She is a migrant woman who had to run from pillar to post for her treatment. She was told that she had swelling in her stomach and stones in her gall bladder. She visited the Civil Hospital, hoping for a quick and reliable treatment. Her first visit was followed by second and third and yet more visits. The visits were more painful than the pain of the disease she was suffering from. The hospital visits drained her of time, energy and finances  a visit would gulp down a day and a days earnings. Finally, she was told that she should consult a private practitioner who could operate upon her. The doctors at the Civil Hospital were too busy and short-staffed to perform surgeries, she was told.

Treatment unavailable

A Class-IV employee working as a safai karamchari recounts how the Civil Hospital refused to provide medical aid to her sick husband. She said she was told that the hospital did not have the provision for the required treatment (unable to specify, she said the treatment pertained to a respiratory problem). The woman took her husband to a private practitioner who informed her that her husbands BP was dangerously low. Financial constraints made the woman delay her husbands treatment.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 13

Amid calls for a nationwide shavasana on International Yoga Day on June 21 and a Shaheed Kisan Mahapanchayat in Mandsaur on July 6, the issue of farming distress and protests in Madhya Pradesh gained momentum as two more farmer suicides were reported from the state in the past 24 hours.

Makhan Lal in Hoshangabads Bhairopur village allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. His family said he was deeply distressed as he had many outstanding loans and had even sold off land to repay some of the debt.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Hari Singh Jatav of Jirapur village in Vidhisha, who allegedly consumed poison on Monday, passed away at a hospital in the night. With this, the number of suicides by MP farmers has risen to four in the past one week.

Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kantilal Bhuria and supporters, meanwhile, were detained on way to Mandsaur today. Also, Gujarats Patidar movement leader Hardik Patel was arrested in Neemuch district while heading to meet the families of farmers killed in police firing last week.

The man behind the MP protests  Shiv Kumar Sharma or Kakaji of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh  plans to take on the ruling BJP by asking farmers to perform shavasana (corpse pose) to portray their current state on the International Yoga Day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs yoga with people.

The sangh  a group of 62 farmer unions  will hold nationwide protests wherein farmers will lie down wherever they can to suggest that the farming community has been driven to its deathbed because of the agrarian crisis.

On June 16, farmers will block national highways across the country for three hours, while on June 19, the Kakaji-led Mahasangh will meet to decide whether or not to take political support for their cause, which the BJP claims they already have  from the Congress. This Kakaji denies vehemently.

The farmer organisations are demanding a one-time waiver of all loans coupled with remunerative prices.
Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, June 13

The BJP government in Gujarat has been caught distributing schoolbags with pictures of former Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

The faux pas causing a major embarrassment to the BJP has come to light in the tribal-dominated Chhota-Udepur district carved out of the Vadodara district and is not immediately known if similar bags have been distributed in other districts too.

The schoolbags, as part of the state governments scheme to encourage people from backward classes to send their kids to schools, are distributed every year during the Shala Pravesh Utsav (school admission celebrations), which began with the reopening of the schools after summer vacation in the state yesterday.

Over 12,000 bags were distributed in Chhota-Udepur district with the sticker Jilla Shikshan Sakha (District Education Department). But on suspicion when the stickers were pulled out, out came another sticker with the picture of smiling Akhilesh and UP slogan Khub Padho, Khub Badho. An embarrassed Education Minister Bhupendra Chudasma has ordered an inquiry. The bags were purchased online from a Surat-based private company at Rs124 each, he said.
By Press Trust of India: ships records

Kochi, Jun 13 (PTI) Officers from the Director General (Shipping) and the Mercantile Marine Department today seized all records, including digital data, of a foreign cargo ship suspected to have hit an Indian fishing boat off the coast here, killing two fishermen.

Inquiry officers inspected the Panama-registered cargo ship Amber L, suspected to be involved in the incident.

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The officers took the documents into custody in the presence of officials including those from coastal police, Indian coast guard and lawyers representing the owners of the vessel, the Mercantile Marine Department said in a statement here.

Customs, Immigration and Cochin Port Trust officials were also present during the inspection.

"Further scrutiny of these documents for the purpose of inquiry will be undertaken by the investigating officers, after obtaining necessary concurrence in this regard from the High Court of Kerala," it said.

The Court had yesterday directed the two agencies to take safe custody of the original official log book, voyage data recorder, original log abstract, night order book and bell book, original GPS log and navigation chart for voyage of the vessel Amber L, suspected to be involved in the incident.

Justice P B Suresh Kumar had passed the order on a petition by a co-owner of the boat who apprehended that digital records of the ship could be destroyed if they were not impounded.

Two fishermen were killed and 11 injured when the cargo ship allegedly hit their fishing boat off Kochi coast around 2 AM on Monday.

Out of the 14 crew members on-board, 11 were rescued by fishing boats operating in the vicinity and two bodies were recovered.

One fisherman Motidas from Assam is missing after the collision.

Coastal police authorities said a coordinated search and rescue operation by the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard is on to locate the missing fisherman.

The ship along with its crew was detained soon after the incident. PTI TGB BN IKA

--- ENDS ---
Bhubaneswar, June 13

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh today demanded an apology from the Congress for its leader Sandeep Dikshits comment likening Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to a goon on the street.

Apologies and regrets expressed by individual leaders are not enough, said Singh, a former Army Chief himself. Congress as a political party should apologise for his (Dikshits) remark, which is inappropriate and condemnable.

The Minister said the Army does not indulge in politics in any form and works for the nation with complete dedication and commitment. Dikshit, an ex-Congress MP and son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had yesterday said: Ours is not a mafia army like the Pakistani army which makes statements like goons. It looks bad when our Army Chief gives a statement like a sadak ka goonda (goon on the street).

Dikshit later withdrew his statement.  PTI
Ahmedabad, June 13

Police arrested a man for allegedly throwing bangles at Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani on Tuesday while she was addressing a Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' rally in Amreli town.

Irani later blamed the Congress for this incident and said that she was expecting this.

"With elections soon to happen in Gujarat, I was expecting such tricks, Irani said.

She said, "A man has been sent to attack a woman. This strategy of the Congress is absolutely wrong.

According to the police, the man was identified as Ketan Kaswala, a resident of Mota Bhandaria village in Amreli district.

Reportedly, ahead of the function, the police detained around 25 Congress workers for staging protests against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government outside the venue, Agriculture University Hall.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders resorted to hunger strike demanding the release of the detained man.

This is not the first incident when a union minister has been insulted publicly. On June 10, the Bhubaneswar Police arrested five persons, including Youth Congress President Lokanath Maharathi for allegedly hurling eggs at Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh's vehicle near the State Guest House.

They also showed him black flags in protest against the killing of six farmers in firing in Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident occurred soon after Singh left the State Guest House and was on his way to Jatni to attend a programme.

Singh was here to attend the mega 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' event.

On May 28, a member of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti had allegedly hurled a shoe at Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Bhavnagar district. ANI
Ratlam, June 13

Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kantilal Bhuria and several Congress supporters were detained while they were on their way to Mandsaur town  the centre of last weeks farmer protests  on Tuesday.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Congress leaders were detained at the Nayagaon-Jaora tollbooth while they were on their way to the town to meet families of farmers killed in last weeks police firing.

Ratlam Superintendent Amit Singh said, "We have already informed the Congress leaders that section 144 has been imposed in Mandsaur and therefore, they would not be allowed to visit the town".

The Congress leaders and their supporters staged a sit-in at the tollbooth demanding that they be allowed to visit Mandsaur before they were detained. Scindia insisted on going to Mandsaur, alone in view of the ban against assembly.

"Why the police is preventing me from going to Mandsaur? This is Hitlershahi," he asked.

Meanwhile, Scindia's supporters burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Guna, the constituency of the Congress leader, and courted arrest.

The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6, when five of them were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.

Subsequently, bandhs and arson were witnessed as the agitation spread to other districts of western Madhya Pradesh including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Scindia is among the several political leaders and social activists who made their way to the site that saw six people being killed in police firing during farmer protests last week.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was also detained last week when he went to visit the farmers days after the violence.

Patidar leader Hardik Patel, social activists Medha Patkar, former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav and Agnivesh were among others who were detained at Mandsaur.  PTI/Agencies
Bengaluru, June

A special court on Tuesday refused to extend anticipatory bail of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who faces corruption charges.

Janata Dal (Secular) Party state president Kumaraswamy has been accused of having illegally granting permission to Janthakal Enterprises for illegal mining projects.

With his anticipatory bail application now rejected, he could face arrest. Agencies
New Delhi, June 13

Pregnant women should control lust, hang beautiful pictures on the wall and shun non-vegetarian food if they wish to have a healthy baby, a booklet released by the governments AYUSH Ministry says.

The booklet  Mother and Child Carewas distributed at a recent function here, presided over by the Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, ahead of the International Day for Yoga observed on June 21.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Pregnant women should detach themselves from desire, anger, attachment, hatred and lust. Avoid bad company and be with good people, the tract, issued by the government-funded Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, says.

Minister Naik told PTI that the booklet, published three years ago, is a compilation of yoga practices that are believed to help pregnant women.

The Booklet does not contain any advice on abstaining from sex, he said.

The booklet has a list of items that it believes pregnant women should steer clear of.

Avoid tea, coffee, sugar, white flour products, garam masala, fried and oily items, egg and non-veg etc, it says.

It advises them to have spiritual thoughts and read the life histories of great personalities.

The booklet recommends hanging good and beautiful pictures on bedroom walls, which, it says, will also have a positive impact on the foetus.

The booklet puts together relevant facts culled out from clinical practice in the fields of yoga and naturopathy. It also contains wisdom accumulated over many centuries of yogic practice, Naik says.  PTI
GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 13

The SGPCs participation in the SAD-BJPs statewide protest against the Congress government has not gone down well with Akal Takht.

Criticising the move, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the SGPC should have refrained from participating in any political programme. Personally, I feel that the SGPC president and other office-bearers should have avoided being part of a political protest. SGPCs jurisdiction should be restricted exclusively to religious matters, he said.

The SAD-BJP combine had staged protests against the Congress over the alleged impropriety in sand mine auctions and its failure to fulfil pre-poll promises, including farm debt waiver.

While SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar addressed political gathering at the Patiala DC office, several prominent SGPC members were present in the protest held at the Amritsar DC office.

The SGPC chief had maintained that the apex body was compelled to join the protest against the Congress as various issues related to the Sikh religion were being overlooked. He cited the example of encroachment of the SGPC-owned gurdwara land at Bhai Rupa in Bathinda at the behest of Congress leaders.

SAD (Delhi) general secretary and former DSGMCpresident Harwinder Singh Sarna emphasised that the SGPC presidents presence at the SAD protest testified that the existing body of the SGPC had surrendered itself before the Badals.

Badungar should put in his papers and become an OSD to the SAD president, he said.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

Three members of Punjabs Devinder Shooter gang allegedly committed suicide when cornered by Punjab and Haryana policemen in Sirsas Asakhera village in the wee hours today.

Sirsa SP Satender Kumar Gupta said Punjab Police had a tip-off that gangsters Bunty Dhillon, Jaspreet alias Jumpy and Nishan Singh were hiding in Asakhera village. A police team from Faridkot arrived in Sirsa and, accompanied by the Dabwali police, surrounded the hideout. The SP said the gangsters fired 14 to 15 rounds and the Punjab cops three.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

When the firing stopped, the police teams climbed the terrace of the house where the gangsters were hiding. They found two bodies, which were identified as that of Bunty and Jaspreet. Nishan Singh, who had a bullet injury in the chest, died while being taken to hospital. Gupta said while Bunty and Jaspreet shot themselves in the temple, Nishan was perhaps shot by one of them. Two more accomplices of the gangsters were arrested, he said. While most villagers were tightlipped on the issue, Krishan Kumar, a former sarpanch of nearby Chautala village, said he had information that the gangsters were killed in the encounter.

The police killed three of the five youths inside the house and detained two more, he alleged.

Sources said Bunty and Jumpy had lately established links with the notorious Vicky Gounder gang. They were involved in the Tarn Taran shootout, Ravi Khwajka murder, Chautala killings, the shootout at Paonta Sahib on June 6 and other heinous crimes. Two pistols, a .32 revolver, a .315 bore rifle and 150 rounds of live cartridges were found at the encounter site. A Scorpio used by the gangsters was impounded, the police said.

Award for 16 cops, says Punjab DGP

Faridkot: Suresh Arora, Punjab DGP, announced that 16 Faridkot police officials who took part in the joint operation in Sirsa village, leading to the death of three gangsters, would be given promotions and appreciation letters. He said gangsters Bunty Dhillon and Jaspreet Singh were both proclaimed offenders. TNS

Living dangerously
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

Israeli envoy to India Daniel Carmon has invited Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to visit his country in September to take forward their discussion on cooperation across a wide range of subjects, including defence, agriculture, horticulture and water conservation.

This was disclosed here by an official spokesperson after the Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon met the Chief Minister here on Tuesday morning.

The two sides explored enhanced cooperation in several areas that are critical for the development and progress of Punjab, said the spokesperson, adding that the Chief Minister had suggested that his delegation to Israel could include some progressive farmers.

The Israeli delegation said they looked forward to the Chief Ministers visit, which could follow the Prime Ministers visit to their country, and offered to prepare a tailor-made agenda to ensure a continued meaningful dialogue.

The delegation invited the Chief Minister to coincide his visit with WATEC Israel, an international professional exhibition to be held in Tel Aviv from September 12-14, which would offer a platform to showcase latest technologies in water and environment.

While defence is on top priority for cooperation between Israel and Punjab, the Chief Minister is also keen to use Israeli expertise to promote horticulture, dairy farming, bee-keeping, irrigation and water conservation in the state.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

The SAD-BJP alliance today asked Governor VP Singh Badnore to direct the Congress government to get the sand mining scam investigated by national agencies.

A delegation led by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and state BJP chief Vijay Sampla submitted a memorandum to the Governor at Raj Bhavan here today.

The delegation also asked Badnore to direct the Capt Amarinder Singh government to fulfil its poll promises, ensure the rule of law and protect the rights of the Dalit community.

On the Rs 26-crore bid for a mine by Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singhs former employee, Sukhbir said it was an open-and-shut case of a benami transaction, which needed an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax (IT) authorities. He said the one-man commission of a retired judge, JS Narang, formed by the government to probe the issue was just an eyewash.

The SAD chief also asked the Governor to instruct the government to fulfil its promise to waive farmers loans completely in the Budget session itself. He said farm suicides had increased tremendously in the past three months with 70 farmers taking the extreme step.

Sampla urged the Governor to ask the Congress government to take firm action to stop repression of the Dalit community. He said the SC community was being systematically targeted across the state for supporting the Akali-BJP alliance in the Assembly elections.

While interacting with mediapersons outside Raj Bhavan, when the delegation was told that the Congress government was coming out with a white paper on state finances, Sukhbir said the SAD-BJP alliance would come out with a super-white paper on development done during the past 10 years.

Probe all auctions in past 10 yrs: Cong

Jalandhar: On the demand for an inquiry against Rana Gurjit Singh by Central agencies, PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar said here on Tuesday, Let us wait for the finding of the judicial commission first. Commenting on the silence over unearthing the money trail, the PPCC chief said, I am for an inquiry into all sand mining auctions during the past 10 years. Let there be a consensus on an investigating agency that satisfies the ruling and Opposition parties, he added. TNS
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, June 12

The Special Task Force of Punjab Police today arrested Inspector Inderjit Singh on charges of drug trafficking and seized drugs, arms and ammunition from his official quarters.

Raids were carried out this morning on Inspector Inderjit Singhs Jalandhar Police Lines residence and his Phagwara quarters. While drugs were seized from the Phagwara house, weapons were found from the Jalandhar residence, the STF chief, Additional Director General of Police HS Sidhu, said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The police seized 7 kg of narcotics, including 4 kg of heroin, an Italy-made .9 mm, live cartridges of various calibers and Rs 16.50 lakh in cash during the raids.

The Inspectors involvement in drug trafficking came to light when the STF was studying cases pertaining to large recoveries of narcotics in the past five years. It was found that Inderjit, as Inspector, had seized large consignments of drugs in 2013-14 but there was a pattern  most of the accused were acquitted in cases where he was the investigating officer (IO).

The accused were acquitted on the grounds that the Inspector was not competent enough to investigate the case as he held the rank of Head Constable. Under the NDPS Act, the minimum rank to investigate such cases is Assistant Sub-Inspector, Sidhu said. Holding the rank of Head Constable, Inderjit was given charge as Inspector under the own rank pay (ORP) system.

The modus operandi that he adopted was simple  he would nab smugglers along with drug consignments and in return of favours pave the way for their acquittal.

Sources claimed Inderjit ran a drug trade under the garb of recoveries. Interestingly, Inderjit was the Investigating Officer in 10 drug cases registered in Tarn Taran between June 2013 and August 2014 when he was in charge of the districts CIA wing. Sidhu said they had definite information that Inderjit had links with smugglers. During 2013-2014, he not only provided protection to smugglers operating in Tarn Taran, but also ran a drug cartel through various associates, he said.

Gangster Prince, arrested by the STF two months ago, is said to have given information against the Inspector. Already, a case filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under Sections 7, 8 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is pending against the accused cop.
By India Today Web Desk: Former Bigg Boss contestant Diandra Soares took a jibe at Katrina Kaif for allegedly having some cosmetic procedure done. In a Facebook post that has now been deleted, Diandra used a photo of Katrina from the recently-held Jagga Jasoos press conference and wrote how women should not "mess with nature" but instead, "mature naturally."

Hair for Katrina at the Jagga Jasoos song launch #danielbauermakeupandhair @danielbauermakeupandhair #katrinakaif @katrinakaif #tanyaghavri @tanghavri #artistfactoryindia @artistfactoryindia A post shared by Daniel Bauer Makeup And Hair (@danielbauermakeupandhair) on Jun 9, 2017 at 11:05pm PDT

A screengrab of Diandra Soares's now-deleted post

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Diandra also clarified that it was not a hate post for Katrina, but rather a piece of advice to all women. "Its just that I happened to see this pic n her interview n it got me thinking...as to why women are doing this all over the world (sic)."

Diandra has deleted the post after being attacked by Katrina's fans online. She seems to have slyly responded to the outrage with her tweet, "Has everybody untwisted their panties???"

Has everybody untwisted their panties???- Diandra Soares (@diandrasoares13) June 13, 2017

Meanwhile, Katrina has not commented on the issue. She had earlier said (at the same press conference, in fact) that she chooses to ignore the negativity that comes her way on social media, and focuses instead on the love that she gets from her fans.

ALSO READ: Jagga Jasoos aka Ranbir Kapoor responds to Katrina Kaif's claim of being a better dancer

ALSO WATCH: Ranbir and Katrina's awkward Jagga Jasoos press meet

--- ENDS ---
Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 13

PPCC president Sunil Jakhar today warned his SAD counterpart Sukhbir Badal that the presence of SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar at a dharna in Patiala could be an attempt by the committee chief of turning the tables on the former Deputy CM.

It seems that Badungar is taking a shot at doing what former SGPC presidents Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Jagdev Singh Talwandi could not accomplish. The former wants to subvert the Badals who have been at the helm of SAD affairs for the past many decades. His presence there is being construed as a challenge to Sukhbirs authority, Jakhar quipped at a workers meeting here today.

As Sukhbir Badal had yesterday issued a statement saying that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should educate Jakhar on Sikh ethos and governance, the Congress chief countered it by saying, Sukhbir should first stop playing with the sentiments of Sikhs by mixing religion with politics. The biggest example was for everyone to see at his partys protest in Patiala.

My father Balram Jakhar taught me Manas ki jaat, sabhe ek hi pehchaan bo. Sukhbir evaded a reply on my query as to how both bidders for the LED advertisement contract at the Heritage Walk site in Amritsar were from Jaipur and none from Punjab, he questioned.
London, June 13

A 21-year-old British man, who travelled to the Islamic State-controlled area of Syria in 2014, says he has escaped from the clutches of the dreaded terror group and he now hate them more than the Americans do.

Jack Letts from Oxford, dubbed Jihadi Jack, is suspected of going to Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State.

But he claims he is opposed to IS and has left their territory and is now being held by Kurdish forces fighting the group.

Letts spoke to the BBC via text and voice messages.

Speaking about leaving IS territory, Letts said: I found a smuggler and walked behind him through minefields. He said he and the smuggler eventually made it near a Kurdish point where we were shot at twice and slept in a field.

He said he is now in solitary confinement in a jail in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Letts converted to Islam while at Cherwell comprehensive school in Oxford.

He travelled to Jordan, aged 18, in 2014, having dropped out of his A-levels. By the autumn of that year he was in IS- controlled territory in Syria.

His family denies he went there to fight and instead say he was motivated by humanitarian reasons.

He married in Iraq and now has a child.

He said that he had been injured in an explosion and had gone to Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in Syria, to recuperate.

He claimed he became disillusioned with the group about a year ago after it killed its former supporters.

I hate them more than the Americans hate them, he said.

I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me.

He claimed he had escaped from low-security detention and had been in hiding when he managed to find a people smuggler to take him out.

His parents have pleaded not guilty to charges of funding terrorism after being accused of sending cash to their son.

John Letts and Sally Lane told the BBC that, having not heard from their son for several weeks, they suddenly received a message saying he was in a safe zone.

It was the news weve been waiting for three years  ever since he went out there  and now we just want to get him home, said Lane.

They believe their son is not being treated badly but are concerned about his mental health.

Letts parents are calling on the British authorities to do whatever they can to help him.

The government had told them that they could only help if he left IS territory but now he is out no-one wants to take responsibility, said Lane.

Letts, an organic farmer, acknowledges that his son will have to account for his actions once he returns to Britain, but the family is not convinced he has done anything at all, from what he has told them.

The UK government advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq and a number of people who returned from these areas have been prosecuted.

Asked by the BBC why the UK government should help him, Jack said: I dont want anyone to help me.

Ill just chill here in solitary confinement till someone decides its easier to kill me, he added.  PTI
Dhaka, June 13

Landslides triggered by heavy rain buried hillside homes in Bangladesh on Tuesday killing at least 43 people with dozens missing, officials said.

The landslides hit the hilly districts in the southeast, killing 10 people in one village, eight in another and seven in a third, said police official Rafiq Ullah.

The death toll could go up as rescuers were searching for bodies and dozens of people were missing, he said.

Densely populated Bangladesh is battered by storms, floods and landslides every rainy season.

The latest fatalities came weeks after Cyclone Mora lashed Bangladesh's southeast, killing at least seven people and damaging tens of thousands of homes.

In 2007, about 130 people were killed in a landslide in Chittagong in the southeast.  Reuters
Washington, June 12

They came to praise President Donald Trump, not focus on the controversies engulfing him.

One by one, Trumps Cabinet members assembled around the table spoke effusively about the President as he sat beaming, soaking it all in at the first formal gathering of his most senior officials at the White House on Monday.

The lavishing of praise and adulation contrasted with the storm enveloping the president as he struggles with myriad crises, including an investigation into possible ties between his election campaign and Russian meddling in the race.

For him, the meeting was a welcome rendering of what he feels are major accomplishments ignored by his detractors, even though major legislative achievements have eluded him thus far.

There was no one more gushing than White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who is frequently the target of criticism from long-time Trump advisers and is often see as just one misstep away from being ousted, even though rumours of his departure have all proved to be premature.

Trump used the meeting to try to show a sense of momentum for his agenda after weeks of being engulfed in controversy over his May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was heading the Russia investigation.

Weve been about as active as you can possibly be and at a just about record pace, he said. In just a very short time we are seeing amazing results. People are surprised. Its kicking in very fast.

But one of his greatest adversaries, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, put together a mock video of a meeting with his staff with aides praising Schumer.

Michelle, howd my hair look coming out of the gym this morning? Schumer asks, turning to one staffer.

You have great hair. Nobody has better hair than you, Michelle said.

Priebus was not alone in using the opportunity to praise Trump.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president. The president is keeping his word to the American people, said Vice President Mike Pence.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, noting the comments from other officials who said they had recently been abroad, noted wryly: While we are bragging about international travel I just got back from Mississippi and they like you there. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who as governor of South Carolina had endorsed Trump opponent Marco Rubio last year, called it a new day at the UN with Trump in power.  Reuters
New York, June 13

A senior Bangladeshi diplomat here has been indicted on charges of forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay, with prosecutors saying he tried to cover up his actions after an Indian diplomat faced visa fraud charges and accused of exploiting her maid in 2013.

Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds limited immunity which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport.If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amins arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the familys home.

However, Islam sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions after Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then Indias Deputy Consul General in the city, was indicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker, Brown said.

Khobragade too was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family.  PTI
DHAKA, June 13

Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned a United States diplomat on Tuesday to express dismay over the arrest of the country's deputy consul general in New York on charges of labour trafficking and assault.

The deputy consul general Mohammed Shaheldul Islam was indicted on Monday on charges of using threats and intimidation to force his servant to work without pay, a New York City prosecutor said.

Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared in court, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement.

He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash and was due to be posted on Tuesday.

According to the indictment, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Ruhul Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as household help.

Mahbub Uz Zaman, Dhaka's acting foreign secretary, summoned the US diplomat to the foreign ministry to ask for an explanation. "We have urged the US to release Bangladesh's deputy consul general," he said without elaborating.

Shameem Ahsan, the Bangladeshi consul general in New York, told Reuters over the telephone from New York that Amin disappeared on May 17, 2016 but only made these allegations recently.

"It is surprising for us that after 13 months he has appeared with these allegations. Why did he not raise this issue earlier?" he said.  Reuters
New York, June 13

A senior Bangladeshi diplomat here has been indicted on charges of allegedly forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay, with prosecutors saying he tried to cover up his illegal actions.

Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds limited immunity which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned on Monday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at USD 50,000 bond or USD 25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport. Islams next court date is June 28 and if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amins arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the familys home.

Even though Amin had a contract which outlined his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work and if he disobeyed Islams orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the diplomat, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe.

The Bangladeshi diplomat allegedly forced Amin to work for his family in their Queens home without financial compensation from approximately 2012 through May 2016, when the victim was able to escape.

According to the charges, the victims only source of income came from tips from guests when he was a server at parties and a minuscule amount of money that Islam sent to Amins family in Bangladesh.

However, Islam sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions after Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then Indias Deputy Consul General in the city, was indicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker.

Khobragade, too, was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family. Manhattans former top federal prosecutor Indian-American Preet Bharara had brought the charges against Khobragade, setting off a major diplomatic crisis between Washington and New Delhi.

However, in 2014, shortly after there was local news coverage of an Indian diplomat being charged with labour trafficking, the defendant allegedly sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions by taking most of the victims cash tip money which he gave back in the form of a cheque.

It is alleged that the victim then had to deposit the cheque into his bank account, thereby creating the appearance that the employee was receiving a paycheque, the Queens District Attorney statement said, referring to the Khobragade incident without naming the Indian diplomat.

Finally, according to the criminal charges, when Amin asked to leave his job on several occasions, Islam in response, allegedly hit him or threatened to harm his family back home in Bangladesh. It is alleged that Islam specifically threatened to kill the mans mother and young son and, on occasion, stated he would have Amins college-age daughter shamed if he did not continue to work as his servant.

In May 2016, Amin was able to escape from the residence and reported his experience to the police.

The allegations in this case are very disturbing. A diplomat is accused of using both physical force and vile threats to control a person in his employment and whom he refused to pay, Brown said, adding that Islam seized his domestic helps passport and, from the first day on the job, refused to pay wages due the employee. PTI
Washington, June 13

The visa ban is about national security and not against any religion, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said after a US appeals court upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trumps revised executive order imposing a travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations.

President Trump knows that the country he has been elected to lead is threatened daily by terrorists who believe in a radical ideology, and that there are active plots to infiltrate the US immigration system--just as occurred prior to 9/11, Sessions said in a statement on Monday.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

He was reacting to Mondays ruling by a three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit against the revised travel ban.

The bench had unanimously ruled against the ban, saying the executive order signed by Trump exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress to oversee immigration.

The President is committed to protecting the American people and our national security, and we are proud to support his mission to put America first by defending his right to keep us safe, Sessions said, adding, This is the reason why the Department of Justice will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court.

Sessions said the Presidents executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe. We disagree with the Ninth Circuits decision to block that authority, he said.

The recent attacks confirm that the threat to the nation is immediate and real, he said.

Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states, he said.

Sessions cautioned against placing our nation at risk until we have the have the ability accurately and responsibly to vet those seeking entry here.

The President was clear in his landmark speech in Saudi Arabia: this is not about religion; it is about national security. In fact, he called upon leaders in the Muslim world to join the United States in protecting religious freedom for all, including the freedom to be free from violence and terror, Sessions said.

He said the executive branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the constitution but unfortunately, this injunction prevents him from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall.

Mondays ruling was the latest in a string of judicial blows to Trumps efforts to prohibit the entry of citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the US government reviews their screening procedures.

The executive order also called for a 120-day ban on all refugees. PTI
Beijing, June 13

In a diplomatic coup for China, Panama today cut long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with Beijing as the cash-rich Communist giant exerted its economic clout to wean away handful of allies of the self-ruled island.

Regarded as big blow for Taiwan, China and Panama signed a joint communique here formally establishing full-fledged diplomatic relations. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panamas vice president and foreign minister, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

They signed the joint communique in which Panama has recognised One China, meaning that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China. Im convinced that this is the correct path for our country, Varela said.

Taiwan expressed anger and regret over the very unfriendly diplomatic turn by Panama that yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities.

It accused Panama of bullying Taiwan while ignoring the many years of friendship between the two countries, and added it would not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy.

Last June Taiwans leader Tsai Ing-wen, a strong advocate of Taiwans independence from China visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as President.  PTI
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) A state-of-the-art technology centre of tyre manufacturer Michelin India was inaugurated by French envoy Alexandre Ziegler in Manesar near here today.

The sprawling 3,800-sqm Michelin Indias Research and Development Laboratory in Haryana seeks to expand the French majors research and innovation capacity and strengthens its commitment to the mobility industry in the region.

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This technology centre is focused on radial truck and bus tyre research and development, and will provide technical support to the companys manufacturing facilities in Chennai, China and Thailand.

"Our vibrant economic partnership with India is boosted by Frances leading companies such as Michelin which actively contribute to Make in India and bring research and development technology expertise here.

"Along with providing innovative products to India and other emerging markets in the region, this technology centre will also help augment skilling, thus contributing to the Indian governments National Skill Development Mission, a key parameter for global competitiveness for India," Ziegler was quoted as saying in a statement by the French Embassy.

With an annual research and development budget of more than 700 million euros, Michelin has over 6,000 employees engaged in research, development and process engineering at technology centres in Europe, North America and Asia, it said. PTI KND SMN

--- ENDS ---
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 ...
Three Girl Scouts were murdered on June 13, 1977, at a camp located near Locust Grove. Gene Leroy Hart was arrested on April 6, 1978, after the largest manhunt in state history.

The anticipated trial furthered divisions among Hart supporters and those convinced of his guilt, and by the time it finally kicked off in March 1979, emotions were running high, with national media attention only adding to it.

The prosecution in the State of Oklahoma vs. Gene Leroy Hart called 32 witnesses in making its case. Among them:

 Larry Dry, a convict and former associate of Hart's

 Carla Wilhite, Dee Elder, Susan Emery and Karen Mitchell, Camp Scott counselors

 Ann Reed, forensic chemist

 Neil Hoffman, Oklahoma state medical examiner

 John MacLeod, Cornell University professor of anatomy and expert on human reproduction

Breakdown of the major prosecution evidence:

 Sperm: MacLeod, flown to the trial from New York, testified that sperm taken from the bodies and from Hart's underwear were "quite similar."

 Hair: Hair samples taken from the bodies and from Hart's head were "exactly the same," according to Reed, an OSBI chemist. She said they came either from Hart or from someone's hair "with the same microscopic characteristics." It's important to note: As of 2015, with the FBI's admission of problems with it, microscopic hair analysis has been discredited as a forensic technique.

 Items discovered in a cave three miles from Camp Scott: That cave, which witness testimony said Hart had used while on the run, was situated just 100 feet from Hart's onetime boyhood home, of which a foundation and cellar were all that was left. Items found included a pair of sunglasses alleged to have been stolen from a Camp Scott counselor; a roll of tape that matched tape found at the death scene (the tape was on a flashlight presumably left behind by the killer); and photos reportedly developed by Hart, who'd once worked in a prison photo lab.

 Items recovered from the shack where Hart was captured: These included a mirror and toy pipe, which another Camp Scott counselor testified had been taken from her tent.

 The flashlight: Left behind at the crime scene, it had been modified in a specific way that emitted only a slice of light  a way that Hart was known to use to modify flashlights, according to testimony from an associate of Hart's.

Among witnesses called by the defense to try to undermine prosecution claims, three of the most important included:

 Allen Little, former Mayes County Sheriff's jailer. He testified of the photos linked to Hart that he saw them in the sheriff's office after the prisoner's escape in 1973, which the defense cited as evidence they must have been planted in the cave.

 Sam Pigeon, an older Cherokee man at whose shack Hart had been captured. With help from a Cherokee interpreter, he testified that he'd never before seen the items in his home that were later recovered there by OSBI agents.

 Joyce Paine, an Okmulgee woman who gave testimony implicating Kansas convict Bill Stevens in the murders. Paine was charged with perjury for this, before ultimately pleading no contest to a reduced charge.

Related content

The complete Girl Scout Murders series

Chapter 1: Tulsans react to the stunning news that three area girls have been murdered at a Girl Scout camp near Locust Grove.

Chapter 2: The largest manhunt in Oklahoma history kicks off in pursuit of two-time prison escapee Gene Leroy Hart, who, despite being charged with the murders, has a growing number of supporters.

Chapter 3: One of the state's most-anticipated and sensational trials pits a seasoned, successful district attorney from Tulsa County against a scrappy, young Oklahoma City defense attorney in a battle over evidence and accusations that Hart is being framed.

Chapter 4: Officials stop pursuing the case despite a not-guilty verdict, and Hart dies unexpectedly while in prison for unrelated crimes.

Chapter 5: In the years following the murders, the survivors and others affected continue trying to make sense of it all, while maintaining hope that advancements in DNA testing may ultimately bring answers.

Chapter 6: After 40 years, the victims' families show their resilience, undeterred by the mystery that still surrounds the case.
The local Congress leaders claimed that the man, by throwing the bangles, had actually raised the demand for a complete farm loan waiver in the state.

By Press Trust of India: A man was detained by the police on Monday for throwing bangles at Union minister Smriti Irani while she was addressing a function at Amreli town in Gujarat.

The man, in his mid-20s, was identified as Ketan Kaswala, a resident of Mota Bhandaria village in Amreli district, the police said.

The incident happened in the evening when the Union textile minister was addressing a gathering as part of the celebrations of the completion of three years of the Narendra Modi government, said Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel.

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"As the minister was addressing the crowd, Kaswala, who was sitting far from the dais, suddenly got up and threw two or three bangles towards the stage and shouted 'Vande Mataram'. Due to the distance, the bangles did not reach the stage and the policemen quickly took him away," he said.

DEMAND FOR COMPLETE FARM LOAN WAIVER

While the local Congress leaders claimed that Kaswala, by throwing the bangles, had actually raised the demand for a complete farm loan waiver in the state, the police denied it.

"Kaswala is not associated with the Congress or any other organisation. While throwing the bangles, he had shouted 'Vande Mataram' and no other slogan," said Patel.

He added that when the policemen were taking him away, Irani urged them to let Kaswala take part in the event.

"The minister even told the policemen to let him throw the bangles which she would send them to his wife as a gift," said Patel.

25 CONGRESS WORKERS DETAINED

Ahead of the function, which was held at the Agriculture University hall, the police had briefly detained around 25 Congress workers for staging protests against the ruling BJP outside the venue.

Local Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani claimed that Kaswala was a farmer who raised the demand for a complete farm loan waiver in Gujarat by throwing the bangles at Irani.

"As per my information, Kaswala is a farmer who wanted the government to announce a farm loan waiver. He expressed his anger as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, both BJP-ruled states, did that recently. But, the BJP government here is yet to announce a farm loan waiver," he said.

This is the second such incident in the recent past in which a Union minister was targeted in Modi's home state.

On May 28, a member of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti had hurled a shoe at Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Bhavnagar district, alleging that the BJP government was not doing anything for the educated youth of the country.

Also Read:

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1 of 4 DU students accused of 'stalking' Smriti Irani apologises to the minister

4 DU students detained for allegedly chasing, trying to overtake Smriti Irani's car

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
OKLAHOMA CITY  Gov. Mary Fallin on Tuesday ordered a special election to fill the vacancy in Oklahoma Senate District 37 caused by the irrevocable resignation of Sen. Dan Newberry.

Newberry, of Tulsa, announced his resignation earlier this month to take a position in senior management with TTCU The Credit Union. The resignation will become effective Jan. 31.

The filing period for the special election is June 26-28.

The special primary election is set for Sept. 12, and the special general election is scheduled for Nov. 14.

In the event a special primary election is not necessary because no more than one candidate has filed in each party, the special general election will be Sept. 12.

Senate District 37 covers part of Tulsa County.
Police are looking for a 24-year-old woman who was charged with first-degree murder Monday in the shooting death of another woman in north Tulsa on Sunday.

Ashley Good, also known as Sevyn, is charged in the death of 31-year-old Jade Jones, also known as Jade Thomas, who was found shot near Latimer Street and Delaware Avenue just before 2 p.m. Sunday.

Sgt. Dave Walker said in a news release that Good, who had not been arrested by Monday evening, has been violent in the past and should be considered armed and dangerous.

A witness to the shooting told police he saw Good carrying a .38-caliber revolver, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Officers were called at 1:51 p.m. and found Jones lying wounded in a gravel lot. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she died.

Sgt. Marcus Harper said police believe that Jones and Good knew each other but that a motive for the shooting had not been determined.

The affidavit says a witness told police she heard Jones yelling at a woman before she heard Jones say she had been shot.

The witness said she had called Jones to figure out who had her husbands phone, as he was not answering her calls. Jones then went outside a residence and confronted Good, who is accused of shooting Jones once in the chest before fleeing in a white GMC Yukon.

Jones boyfriend, according to the document, said he heard a gunshot and ran to the front of the residence to see her on the ground.

He said Jones identified Sevyn as the shooter before slipping out of consciousness. He said he believed that Sevyns first name is Ashley, which helped officers identify Good as the suspect, according to the affidavit.

The first witness husband told detectives that he drove the SUV to pick up Good at a home just north of Interstate 244 and Xanthus Avenue and then went to the house on Delaware to pick up another friend and take him to the store. He said he told that person upon his arrival that Good would take him instead.

Police said the husband identified Good out of a photo lineup as the person who had a .38-caliber revolver at the house and the person who drove away in the Yukon.

Anyone with information may contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 918-596-COPS (2677), online at p3tips.com/918 or through the Tulsa Tips app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or iTunes stores. The homicide tip line can also be reached at 918-798-8477 or emails sent to homicide@cityoftulsa.org.
The trial for a former Rogers County commissioner accused of conspiracy to defraud the county has been moved to July.

Meanwhile, another former commissioner reached a plea deal last month in which he received a one-year suspended sentence and will pay $2,000 in restitution to Rogers County.

The deal was reached for former commissioner Mike Helm, who pleaded guilty to an amended charge of embezzlement to obtaining property by false pretenses.

Former commissioner Kirt Thacker will go to trial July 24 on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the county. His trial was to begin Monday but was postponed.

The developments are the latest in a case that dates to 2013, when a grand jury began investigating claims of misconduct within Rogers County after residents took their concerns to the state Attorney Generals Office.

Helm was indicted on an amended 2015 charge by the grand jury in 2016. He allegedly sold a county pickup truck component in May 2014 to a resident while serving as a Rogers County commissioner but did not give the county the money from the sale.

Thacker was also indicted in 2015 on two counts of embezzlement based on claims he ordered county employees to use county equipment for improvements to his property.
President Donald Trump nominated the district attorney of four northeastern Oklahoma counties on Monday for the vacant U.S. attorney post for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Trump selected Brian Kuester, the district attorney for District 27 in Oklahoma, for the position, according to a news release provided Monday evening by the White House.

Oklahoma's District 27 consists of Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties.

The U.S. Eastern District of Oklahoma, which has its headquarters in Muskogee, includes 26 counties that are primarily south and east of Tulsa County, including the four counties that make up District 27. It spans as far south as McCurtain and Pushmataha counties and as far west as Carter and Love counties.

U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, both Republicans, issued statements Monday evening in which they congratulated Kuester on his nomination and said they expect him to be confirmed by the Senate.

Brian Kuester, President Trumps nominee for US Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, is a great candidate to serve in this role, Inhofe said. Since 2011, Mr. Kuester has served as the district attorney for Oklahomas 27th District and has a proven track record that is fair and ethical while upholding the highest standard of the law. Mr. Kuester is a good and honest Oklahoman and I look forward to confirming him in the Senate and working with him in his new role.

Lankford said: Brian Kuester has dedicated his career to public service. He has served in his community as a police officer, district attorney and now future US Attorney. I congratulate Brian on his nomination, and I look forward to his confirmation in the days ahead.

A phone call to Kuester seeking comment wasn't returned Monday evening.

If confirmed, Kuester will replace Mark Green, who was U.S. attorney for the district from October 2010 through this March as a nominee of former President Barack Obama. Green held the position until U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested his resignation and that of 45 other U.S. attorneys across the country in March. Doug Horn, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, was named interim U.S. attorney at that time.

U.S. attorneys are political appointees, and it is typical for them to resign when there is a change in which political party holds the White House. The 46 attorneys at issue in Sessions' request had not tendered their resignations beforehand.

Danny Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Tulsa-based Northern District of Oklahoma, also resigned in March after Sessions' request. Loretta Radford has been the Northern District's interim U.S. attorney since then, and Trump hasn't yet offered a nomination to fill that post.

Kuester has been the top attorney for District 27 since being elected in 2010 and again in 2014. He was previously an assistant district attorney in Tulsa County and staff counsel for Allstate Insurance Co., and he served on police agencies in Springfield and Fulton, Missouri, before earning his law degree from the University of Tulsa in 2000. He obtained a bachelor's degree from Central Missouri State University in 1990.
A former Savanna police officer was arrested Tuesday on complaints of forcible sodomy, two counts of sexual battery and accepting a bribe, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

The complaints against Jerry Jay Lynn Gragg Jr., 40, stem from an investigation of a Jan. 21 traffic stop in Pittsburg County.

A female driver alleges Gragg pulled her over and said he would take her to jail unless she could pay the fine in full. The woman did not have enough money, according to an OSBI report.

The woman alleged the officer then made sexual advances and forced her to perform oral sex. She later came forward with a complaint and provided a stained blouse that allegedly matched a DNA sample provided by Gragg.

Savanna Police Chief David Spears said Gragg was terminated March 30 for policy and procedure violations. Spears said his agency had no knowledge of an investigation into the traffic stop at the time of Graggs firing.

Gragg is in the Pittsburg County Jail.

Jarrel Wade

918-581-8367

Twitter: @jwprairiedog
Tulsa County deputies trying to get Joshua Barre to drop two butcher knives followed him for about a mile Friday morning before he was fatally shot by them and a Tulsa police officer as he entered a convenience store.

Family members and the stores owner question why authorities didnt or couldnt act sooner to safely detain Barre, who was mentally ill. The Sheriffs Office and Police Department responded that they gave Barre every opportunity to follow commands and attempted to subdue him by Taser  and held off on using deadly force until he became an imminent threat to the public.

Barre, 29, stopped taking medication for his schizoaffective disorder in April, sending his mental health into decline, according to his family.

The Sheriffs Offices Mental Health Unit had made three earlier attempts to detain him since a court order was signed May 31 for him to receive a mental-health evaluation or treatment. In two instances, authorities say, Barre threatened deputies, and in the third deputies were unable to locate him.

Nyesha Barre said her brother, whom she described as a devout Christian who loved to draw, began exhibiting symptoms of mental illness in 2013 after the death of their father.

Their mother provided deputies with Joshua Barres keys earlier this month so they could get him help, but deputies left empty-handed.

She also questioned why, as deputies followed Barre for several blocks Friday, they didnt back down and call someone specifically trained to help mental-health patients or handle it in a way that doesnt end with him being dead.

Basically, they failed him as a mental illness patient. If they would have done their part, he would still be with us today, Nyesha Barre said. They had ample opportunity to handle the situation before it escalated to his death. They failed to handle the situation in a matter of knowing he was actually mentally ill.

Sheriff Vic Regalado told the Tulsa World on Monday that the two deputies  who are in the agencys trained Mental Health Unit  showed restraint in the encounter, trying to de-escalate the situation. Regalado said a deputy attempted to use a Taser  a less-lethal option  on Barre in the business parking lot but that its two barbs didnt make successful contact to complete the electrical circuit.

Regalado said Mental Health Unit deputies also exhibited patience by not entering Barres home during previous attempts to serve the court order despite the familys having given the Sheriffs Office the keys to it.

Yes, we could have entered into that house. But understand this is a civil action with an individual who has mental-health issues that is more than likely in psychosis, Regalado said. If we escalate by entering into his house, he may not know that we are there to put him into custody to get him help.

At that point in time I believe we are escalating that issue, and if we have to use deadly force because weve entered into his house on a civil action where hes not a threat to the general public, I think thats where we would have serious issues.

Muhammad Javed expressed concern to the Tulsa World that authorities fired into his occupied business, saying he thinks they could have handled the situation better.

Javed is a 50-year-old co-owner of the Super Stop convenience store where Barre was killed. He was working the cash register when he noticed police cars pull into the parking lot with their lights activated.

Javed walked to the glass door, which the only customer in the store was about to exit, and saw that multiple officers had their guns raised at a man approaching the door. He said he tried to lock the entrance but that he couldnt quickly find the right key among the many on his keychain.

Javed then ran toward his office and told the customer to follow him.

They didnt get far before the shots rang out.

It was so quick. I didnt know what was going on, he said. I got scared when I saw the guns and moved away from the door. When I was just a few feet away, that guy entered inside and the police shot.

He soon headed back to the entrance and saw the man lying on the floor as officers tried to resuscitate him.

Javed said it was lucky that nobody inside the store was hurt. He and the customer had just moved out of the line of fire, and the only other employee was working in the kitchen.

Although he was too afraid at the time to count the shots, he said he found six bullets that penetrated the door. Two rounds damaged the glass door of a cooler in the back of the store.

Javed said he believes that the officers could have handled the situation better, adding that they had plenty of time to detain the man before he reached his business.

They were shooting from all sides, he said. They were shooting, and they didnt know where our positions were inside the store. That also put our lives in danger, too. I was so scared.

Javed said he and his colleagues will consider filing some kind of complaint.

Surveillance video from the store shows a Tulsa police officer firing shots at Barre, but neither deputy appears to be in the footage. Regalado said a deputy was on either side of the entrance, putting the two deputies and single police officer in a triangle configuration.

Regalado said its his speculation that they could clearly see inside the store, based on his past law enforcement experiences at that business and how visible the officer is on video from the inside looking out. He added that its his assumption that all three were fairly certain there was no risk posed to those inside when deciding to shoot.

Sgt. Shane Tuell, a Tulsa Police Department spokesman, said officers are trained to know their backdrop, or, in other words, what is behind a person they might shoot. Officers do target practice with a dirt berm behind to stop the rounds in a controlled environment.

Unfortunately, Tuell said, at some point a suspects actions will dictate what the backdrop is in an uncontrolled environment. He said he guarantees that the deputies and officer were thinking, I have to be as accurate as possible because there could be other people in there.

Tuell said an officer must draw a line on how far a person can go or act before using deadly force and hope to God they dont cross that line.

If Mr. Barre entered the store and just started attacking people, then did we not do our job? Tuell said. It becomes that question.

Tuell said law enforcement officers focus was entirely on Barres safety until his actions threatened the occupants of the business.

The poor young man had mental health issues, and we wanted to get him that help, he said.
Authorities say five people taken out of a Rogers County house in handcuffs Tuesday afternoon are not related in any way to four men who recently escaped the Lincoln County Jail.

The house is east of Catoosa near County Road South 4130 and 570. A neighbor saw an SUV broken down on the side of the road Tuesday afternoon and knew the occupants weren't from the neighborhood, according to Rogers County Sgt. Kyle Baker.

Authorities converged on the home about 5:10 p.m. Four men and a woman were removed in handcuffs. Baker said the woman was arrested on a felony fraud warrant, but the men were to be released.

Baker said it was a case of mistaken identity when a passerby reported individuals running from a broken down SUV on County Road South 4130 near 580 Road. Baker said the men in the home matched the neighbor's description but weren't the four jail escapees.

"We thought they were maybe trying to avoid arrest or police when OHP showed up on scene," Baker said.

The woman lived in the residence, while the four men were visitors, Baker said.

Authorities have been searching for four men who escaped from the Lincoln County Jail, one of whom is charged with first-degree murder.

Jeremy Tyson Irvin, 31; Trey Goodnight Glenn, 27; Brian Allen Moody, 23; and Sonny Baker, 41, escaped early Monday by climbing through the ventilation system, according to the Sheriffs Office in Chandler.

Irvin was charged with first-degree murder last September and is scheduled for trial Oct. 16.

Moody and Baker, who authorities say escaped by the same method in March and were recaptured, were in the jail on property crimes, as was Goodnight.

Irvin was described as 5-foot-2, white and about 100 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Those with knowledge of the escapees whereabouts are encouraged to contact the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office at 405-258-1191.
The incident was reported in a tribal village in Chhota Udaipur district of Gujarat.

By India Today Web Desk: Schoolbags with former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's photograph were distributed in Gujarat.

The incident was reported in a tribal village in Chhota Udaipur district of Gujarat. As part of an enrolment initiative, the government distributed schoolbags to 12,000 children.

The schoolbags carried a logo which came off and revealed the photograph of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav with the slogan 'Khub Padho, Khub Bahdo' on them.

#WATCH Bags given to students at govt school in Chhota Udaipur reveal photo of Ex UP CM Akhilesh Yadav under stickers put on bags #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/hwIIUil7mK; ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

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The education department has ordered a probe into the incident. According to local officials, the schoolbags were distributed through a Surat-based firm. As per rules, the schoolbags should have carried the logo of the Gujarat education department.

While most bags carried the logo of the Gujarat education department, at least 5 per cent of the bags carried the photograph of Akhilesh Yadav.

According to officials, the firm which supplied the schoolbags to the Gujarat education department had also supplied bags to the Uttar Pradesh government.

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh distributed schoolbags with Akhilesh Yadav's photograph on them in 23 districts.

The Yogi government decided against wasting the schoolbags and directed the state administration to distribute them in time for the new academic session.

ALSO READ:

One Akhilesh Yadav project that may be spared Yogi Adityanath's axe

Yogi Adityanath distributes schoolbags with images of Akhilesh Yadav's face

Man throws bangles at Union minister Smriti Irani in Gujarat

ALSO WATCH: Man who threw bangles at Smriti Irani during Amreli rally in Gujarat detained

--- ENDS ---
Update: Tulsa fire marshals determined the condo fire that seriously injured a 10-year-old girl was an accidental fire.

Tulsa Fire Department Capt. Stan May said a juvenile in the condo started the fire accidentally. A 10-year-old girl was injured through smoke inhalation. She was transported to a local hospital in serious condition Monday night. Her condition was unavailable Tuesday.

A child was in serious condition after being rescued from an east Tulsa residential fire Monday evening.

The girl, whose age has not been released but was estimated at about 10, was in serious condition at the Childrens Hospital at Saint Francis Hospital, authorities said.

Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Stan May said no burns were visible on the child, so smoke inhalation is the likely cause of her injury.

The fire at the Oakbrook Village condominiums, in the area of 13th Street and 110th East Avenue, was reported just after 7 p.m., a dispatcher told the Tulsa World. The blaze was fully involved when firefighters arrived.

Besides the child who was taken to a hospital, medics treated four other patients at the scene, the EMSA spokeswoman said.

May indicated that the patients were firefighters and that they were being examined for heat exhaustion after fighting the blaze from inside the building.

The girls grandmother was also being evaluated, he said.

Andrew Fulton said he was driving by when he saw smoke and stopped to make sure any residents got outside. He climbed onto the roof and kicked in a window before firefighters arrived, he said.

He found an elderly woman inside and yelled repeatedly for her to get outside, but she couldnt hear him, he said. She did manage to get outside, he said. Firefighters rescued the girl from an upstairs room, he said.

Four families will be displaced from their homes in the quadplex.
When a restaurant opens on tribal land in Broken Arrow this summer, a principal in its holding company says gaming machines wont be part of the development  although they could be someday.

The Embers Grille is set to open Aug. 1, said Luis Figueredo, principal with Red Creek Holdings LLC. The restaurant will be located on a Muscogee (Creek) allotment south of the Creek Turnpike, just off 129th East Avenue.

The restaurant is described as new American-country chic and will serve cocktails, beers, appetizers and wood-fired specialty dishes.

So far, the restaurant hasnt received a liquor license from the Oklahoma ABLE Commission, although a representative of the office said an application was submitted May 24.

It normally takes 30 to 45 days to render a decision on applications, the representative said.

Since developers proposed the restaurant, located near the same Creek Turnpike interchange as the thwarted Red Clay Casino project, theyve said it might one day host Class II gaming machines.

The allotment belongs to Steve Bruner, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Though Figueredo said the prospect of gaming on the site was only a possibility, the holding company posted two positions on job website Indeed for openings at Red Creek Casino.

Before being named The Embers Grille, the planned restaurant was referred to as Red Creek Dance Hall and Restaurant.

When asked about the job postings, Figueredo said the company wanted whomever they hired  in this case a finance manager/director and an information technology supervisor  to have the skills to work for the casino if the transition to gaming at the facility is eventually made.

We thought about just saying a financial person, but if at some point we decided to expand and put Class II games on  which we told everyone we are considering it  we want to make sure whomever we hire has that skill set, he said.

Figueredo said hed been in contact with the Kialegee Tribal Town, a federally recognized tribe based in Wetumka, about providing gaming oversight for the development, but he could not confirm whether it has submitted a letter of intent to the National Indian Gaming Commission to license a new gaming facility at the site.

Calls to the National Indian Gaming Commission and the tribe were not returned Monday.

The Kialegee Tribal Town sent a similar letter of intent to the commission in April 2011 in conjunction with the Red Clay Casino project.

The project was ultimately abandoned amid an outcry from residents and an injunction that halted the casino plans in 2012, despite the Kialegee tribes successfully appealing the injunction.

In October, Broken Arrow city officials and residents discussed the development at a City Council meeting. There, officials discussed the restaurant and the potential for gaming on the site in the future.

Three residents spoke at the meeting and expressed concerns about potential gaming at the location.

City Attorney Beth Ann Childs  then Wilkening  spoke about the proposed development at the meeting when site representatives declined an invitation to do so.

On Monday, Childs reaffirmed what she believes is the citys role in the project.

I see the citys role as maximizing transparency with regards to this development. Although the city doesnt have any jurisdiction on this particular parcel, we still recognize the potential impact that it could have on surrounding properties, which are located within the city, she said.

The citys jurisdiction ends at the propertys access point on 129th East Avenue, she said. The restaurant will use a well for water and a private anaerobic sewage-treatment system rather than city utilities.
GROVE  Authorities are investigating after a woman was found fatally shot in her back yard in a Grove subdivision, the police chief said.

Authorities are not looking for a suspect, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said.

Family members found the woman's body on Monday in the Quail Run subdivision, Grove Police Chief Mark Morris said.

State and local law enforcement are investigating the fatal shooting, said OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown.

Agents are still on the scene investigating, Brown said.

The woman's identity has not been released, pending notification of next-of-kin, authorities said.
Eleven emerging directors, six screenwriters and ten online creators will travel to LA this month taking part in masterclasses, professional development activities and industry networking.

Talent LA is funded by being funded by Screen Australia with the screenwriters delegation is being co-sponsored by the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and Scripted Ink.

The online creators will perform and host workshops at the worlds largest online video conference  Vidcon.

Given the burgeoning international demand for distinctive and engaging screen content, it is more important than ever for Screen Australia to promote and profile both our best creatives as well as production companies to the international sector, said Richard Harris, Head of Business and Audience.

This Talent USA mission will showcase some of Australias most exciting emerging creative talent across feature film, TV and online to the American industry, while at the same time offering them a unique opportunity to access some of the most plugged-in creative and commercial minds in the business.

The emerging Australia directors selected are:

Sarah Bishop  known for comedy trio Skit Box, Sarah co-wrote/directed and starred in the sketch comedy series Wham Bam Thank You Maam and is currently in development on webseries Plus Ones for ABC iView and Public Relations for Revlover.

Corrie Chen  writer/director of AACTA nominated short film Reg Makes Contact, director of ADG award- winning documentary Suicide and Me, a director on upcoming teen series Mustangs FC and currently co- writing/directing her first feature film Strangers and directing the SBS webseries Homecoming Queens.

Victoria Cocks  writer/director of ADG award-winning webseries Wasterlander Panda, Victoria is currently directing her first feature film In The Blood.

Beck Cole  director of AACTA award-winning series Black Comedy, as well as The Warriors and Redfern Now Series 2, Beck is also the writer of childrens series Little J and Big Cuz and drama Plains Empty, writer/director of feature film Here I Am and documentaries Wirriya; small boy, First Australians and Making Samson & Delilah.

Sophie Hyde  writer/director/producer of feature film 52 Tuesdays which was awarded the Crystal Bear at Berlinale and best directing for world cinema at Sundance. Sophie produced Sam Klemkes Time Machine and Shut Up Little Man!, and is currently directing feature Animals and TV series F**king Adelaide.

Tim Marshall  writer/director of award-winning short films Gorilla which won the Iris Prize, and Followers which screened at Sundance and SXSW. Tim is currently developing a feature version of Followers and a second feature The Love Division.

Jennifer Peedom  BAFTA nominated writer/director/producer of documentary feature Sherpa, writer/director of Life at 9, Life at 7 and SOLO, and producer of the Camera DOr nominated David Stratton: A Cinematic Life. Jennifers latest feature Mountain will premiere at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival.

Claudia Pickering  writer/director/producer of feature film Frisky and short film Potluck, writer/producer of feature Winning Formula and short film Quit Yer Lion!, Claudia is also co-creator of a series of online videos as part of comedy trio Frothpocalypse.

Damien Power  writer/director whose debut feature Killing Ground screened at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Damiens short film credits include Peekaboo, Bat Eyes and Boot which have screened at film festivals around the world.

Luci Schroder  writer/director/producer of short film Slapper, Luci was nominated for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and awarded Best Emerging Australian Director at Melbourne International Film Festival, Best Short Film at Sydney Film Festival and the ADG Award for Best Direction in a Short.

Nicholas Verso  writer/director of award-winning debut feature Boys in the Trees which was selected for Venice, Toronto and Busan Film Festivals, Nicholas is also the director of shorts Hugo, Apocalypse Bear, Flight, AACTA award-winning The Last Time I Saw Richard as well as episodes of teen drama Nowhere Boys and Grace Beside Me.

The below six Australian screenwriters will attend Talent LA with the support of the AWG, Scripted Ink. and Screen Australias Enterprise program:

Shelley Birse  co-creator/writer of Love Is a Four Letter Word, Shelley has a long history in TV including Satisfaction, Rush and Wildside. Shelley is best known as the creator and producer of multi- award winning series The Code.

Kristen Dunphy  Kristen has 25 years of experience writing television drama and has received three Australian Writers Guild Awards  for East West 101, The Straits and White Collar Blue. In 2015, she co-created and co-wrote The Principal and is currently creating her own eight-part drama series.

Matt Ford  an experienced television writer, producer, show-runner & story editor. His credits include the US series Farscape.

Chris Lee  having held several senior roles on TV series Police Rescue, Big Sky, Love My Way and The Secret Life of Us, Lee has most recently written ratings hit mini-series Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and Howzat! Kerry Packers War.

Michael Miller  co-creator of the upcoming ABC series Pulse, Michael also wrote critical and audience favourites Cleverman (series one) and Peter Allen  Not The Boy Next Door.

Sue Smith  with over 30 years in the industry, Sues work includes feature Peaches, co-writer for Saving Mr Banks and television series including Mabo, Temptation and Brides of Christ.
By Press Trust of India: Panipat (Har), June 13 (PTI) Three persons are believed to be trapped under the debris of a gurdwara which collapsed on the National Highway 1 here and a team of NDRF and Haryana Police are carrying out operations to pull them out.

The gurdwara collapsed yesterday, killing a 30-year-old man hailing from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh.

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Police today said that they were assisting a NDRF team in carrying out rescue operations. "Three persons are believed to be trapped under the debris and we are trying to trace them," a police official said.

After the incident yesterday evening, some of the injured had been referred to various hospitals including at Delhi and Karnal.

Panipat DSP (City) Atma Ram said that rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident.

Police said fire department officials were also at the incident spot as the rescue operations were still going on.

The gurdwara, where some construction work was going on, is located on the busy GT road. PTI SUN DV

--- ENDS ---
When Abdul Kader first returned to the ruins of his home in Homs Khalidiya neighbourhood after five years of displacement, the scale of the destruction left him numb. At first I didnt react at all. I was in shock. I went in for five or ten minutes, then left. I just couldnt stand it, he said.

After a couple of weeks, the softly spoken former Arabic teacher found the strength to return. Working alone in the rubble of his house and the flattened neighbourhood beyond, he slowly began to clear the debris and fill the gaping holes in the walls left by years of shelling.

Abdul Kader is among more than 11 million Syrians who have been driven from their homes by more than six years of brutal conflict. More than five million people have fled to neighbouring countries since the start of the crisis in 2011, with a further 6.3 million displaced inside Syria.

In total, Abdul Kader and his family were displaced five times, moving from one neighbourhood to another inside Homs as the fighting closed in around them. The experience left them afraid and exhausted, but was particularly hard on the children, who had to leave their school and friends behind.

Every time we moved, I fell further behind in school. So many days were wasted, Abdul Kaders 12-year-old son Saleh explains. Like his father, Saleh was pained to see what remained of his former school.

Regardless of the circumstances, there is no place like home."

This is the school where I spent my days, my life, he said, looking up at walls scarred by bullet holes, with rows of brightly painted classrooms visible through bombed-out windows. It used to be so beautiful, and to see it like this he added, his voice trailing off.

Despite the destruction, Abdul Kader was determined to return and take his family back home. With financial assistance from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the family has been able to renovate much of what remained of their home, replacing doors and windows and repairing the water and electricity networks.

Under UNHCRs Owner-Oriented Shelter Support scheme, more than 9,405 people in Homs received support to rehabilitate their homes last year, with plans to support up to 15,300 people through the programme in 2017.

Though currently one of only five families that have returned to the devastated Khalidiya neighbourhood, Abdul Kader and his family are determined to finish rebuilding both their home and their lives.

For Saleh, after years of displacement and conflict he is raising his sights to the heavens, where one day he hopes to travel himself. I want to continue studying and become an astronaut, he explained. Whats happening now will not stop me. I want to focus on my education and not give up.

Abdul Kader is content with trying to reclaim his old life, and feels he has made a difficult but important first step. Regardless of the circumstances, there is no place like home. The feeling of coming back is great. I feel like a bird that has returned to its nest after being away for so long.
A nurse in Qamishli, Syria, holds two children who survived a mine explosion as their family tried to escape the embattled city of Raqqa. Their mother was killed, their father, Mustafa, badly injured.  UNHCR/Areej Kassab

QAMISHLI, Syria  Terrified of being caught up in the fighting currently engulfing Raqqa, Syrian father Mustafa Yousef loaded his wife and three young children onto the back of his motorcycle and headed north, in a desperate bid to escape the northern Syrian city that has been under the control of armed groups since 2014.

The family, originally displaced from Aleppo five years ago, had almost reached the safety of a military checkpoint when a mine exploded beneath them, claiming the lives of Mustafas wife and eldest son.

I was relieved when I saw the checkpoint and thought that we had finally managed to escape, said Mustafa, badly injured and still shocked. Only a short distance away from the checkpoint the explosion happened. I started waving and screaming for them to come and rescue us.

Mustafa and his two surviving children were taken to the border city of Tal Abyad, 100 kilometres north of Raqqa, before being transferred to the Qamishli National Hospital in Syrias far north-eastern Hassakeh governorate.

"I started waving and screaming for them to come and rescue us.

The explosion left Mustafa with a broken right arm and leg, and shattered his left wrist. His three-year-old son Abdul Karim suffered a broken jaw and shrapnel in his left eye, while surgeons had to remove the toes on his left foot. We did our best here, but he needs urgent specialized ophthalmological surgery, which we cant provide, said one of the doctors taking care of the family.

Despite having no visible injuries, Mustafas one-year-old daughter Lailas condition is the most serious. She needs chest surgery and paediatric surgery, both of which are not available here, the doctor said. She has suffered a bruised right lung, and without urgent surgery she could lose her life.

Thousands remain stranded inside the city amid rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions, which aside from the fighting include acute shortages of essential commodities such as food, medicine and fuel.

Armed groups controlling the city have threatened to kill any people found attempting to leave, while many of the roads out of the area have been heavily mined, those fleeing the city say. Despite the dangers, more than 160,000 people like Mustafa and his family are estimated to have fled fighting across Raqqa governorate since April 1.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with other UN agencies and humanitarian partners, is doing what it can to provide life-saving assistance to the displaced. This includes providing shelter and relief items in camps established in Raqqa and Hassakeh governorates.

But with only sporadic access in some areas due to the challenging security environment, an effective humanitarian response is more difficult to mount. UNHCR is calling on all parties to the conflict to allow greater and sustained humanitarian access.

With needs growing and displacement rising, access on the ground is challenging.

With needs growing and displacement rising, access on the ground is challenging, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic told a news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday (June 13), noting that relief items are being airlifted from Damascus to Qamishli  a costly and complex undertaking.

Until now, there were no viable land routes available to move supplies. With partners we continue to explore all possible supply routes and are working with the authorities to secure greater access to those in need.

Having paid a terrible price to make his escape, Mustafa was told that without evacuation and urgent medical treatment, his two surviving children could die or suffer lifelong complications. As a result, UNHCR in coordination with other UN agencies, humanitarian partners and governmental departments arranged to transfer the family to Damascus, where they will get the specialised medical assistance they need.

It is not the first time that we facilitate such evacuations, said Roupen Alexandrian, the head of UNHCRs field office in Qamishli. Our priority is to make sure that all medical cases are being referred to medical facilities and that evacuation pathways are available for those in critical conditions.

People fleeing for their lives are in urgent need of support to survive, Alexandrian added. We are working tirelessly to make sure that they receive relief items and have access to a safe place as soon as they reach us.

(Writing and additional reporting by Qusai Alazroni)

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Hardik Patel was on his way to meet farmers, six of whom were killed in police firing last week.

By India Today Web Desk: Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel was arrested today in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district when he was on his way to Mandsaur to express his solidarity with the agitating farmers, six of whom were killed in police firing last week.

Patel was accompanied by Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha General Secretary Hannan Mollah. "The farmers gave their lives for their rights. It will not go waste. Hardik will meet farmers and will ask them to continue their protest," Patidar Navnirman Sena General Secretary Akhilesh Katiyar told IANS on Monday.

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Hardik Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch to prevent the commission of cognisable offences, City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said.

NOT A TERRORIST

Lashing out on authorities after his arrest, Hardik Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country."

He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.

Hardik Patel was later released on bail and transported out of Madhya Pradesh in a police vehicle, SP Abhishek Diwan said.

TINDERBOX MANDSAUR

Farmers' protests, that started in the state on June 1 for better prices for their produce and debt relief, turned violent on June 6 when six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur.

The violence spilled over to several other districts, including the Malwa-Nimad area and even reached the state capital. Angry farmers blocked roads, vandalised property and set fire to vehicles.

After the farmers' killing, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial probe.

ALSO READ:

Madhya Pradesh: Mandsaur farmers, traders say demonetisation doomed us

Mandsaur heat touches Punjab, farmer unions to go ahead with protests

Farmers will fire bullets at government under our leadership: Madhya Pradesh Congress leader

ALSO WATCH: Mandsaur: Congress leader Dilip Mishra incites public for violence

--- ENDS ---
It was Rahman's off-cutters that did the trick against India two years back when he bagged five-wicket hauls in two consecutive matches rattling the Indian batting order.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is hoping his off-cutters, which are not working in England as much they used to at home, come good against India in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final here on Thursday.

According to a report in Bangladesh newspaper Daily Star on Tuesday, the 21-year old left-arm fast bowler said he is ruffled a bit by the fact that his famed off-cutters are not coming good here and that he is working hard on it.

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It was Rahman's off-cutters that did the trick against India two years back when he bagged five-wicket hauls in two consecutive matches rattling the Indian batting order.

Rahman has so far got only one wicket from three matches in the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Bangladesh players looked very relaxed on Monday ahead of their first semi-final in an ICC event.

According to the paper, some headed for shopping while others returned after doing a gym session. It was an optional day for practice and only the bowlers turned up to have some fitness drills at the ground.

At home in Dhaka, excitement is reaching a crescendo as fans have started planning where they will catch the action on Thursday and the city is also decking up for that.

Bangladesh, led by Mashrafe Mortaza, defied all odds to make it to the last-four stage after beating New Zealand and then seeing England get past Australia in Group A.

--- ENDS ---
June 13 2017

Student accommodation provider Watkin Jones is to press ahead with a 199-bed build in Aberdeen after securing the financial backing of institutional investor Europa Generation.The deal saw Watkin Jones forward sell six UK developments for 153m, all payable during construction, providing it with the confidence to plough ahead.Located at the junction of Garthdee and Auchinyell Road on the site of the former Caledon House the accommodation will serve students of Robert Gordon University in accommodation designed to respect its residential context with the upper two floors employing projecting dormer windows to take best advantage of high level views.In their concept statement ICA wrote: The building will be set on a levelled platformed site to reinforce ease of access for pedestrians and vehicles from street level off Auchinyell Road and bed the building on the site to an appropriate level to the neighboring residential buildings.A cut and fill strategy will limit spoil from excavation and contribute to a newly formed landscaped embankment on the Garthdee Road edge.With planning permission already in place construction could complete by September 2018.
Two immigration officers posted at the Mumbai airport were arrested for helping a gang of three men illegally transport people out of the country.

By Saurabh Vaktania: The Mumbai Police arrested two senior officers posted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for allegedly letting people pass through immigration without due process.

The officers - identified as Anil Surse (35) and Harshal Patil (33) - were arrested after a major case of illegal transportation of humans was busted last month. Mumbai Police's Sahar unit made the arrest.

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According to police officials, they uncovered the racket after arresting a woman who was travelling to Vancouver, Canada under a fake name and passport. During interrogation, the woman provided information on the racket and named three men believed to be the masterminds.

Mumbai police then arrested the three men - Gaurav Singh, Mukadam Gulam Ali and Mustakil Hussain. The three used to arrange the illegal passage of people out of the country. During their interrogation, the police stumbled upon the involvement of the immigration officers, who later confessed to their crime.

A police officer said, "The officers would let people (through immigration) without checking them. They would not check whether (the) passport is legal or not, all details are right or not." The officer said that senior airport officials have launched a separate inquiry into the matter.

According to the police, as many as 50 people without proper documentation were able to leave India under the two officers' watch. A senior officer said, "This is a very serious and dangerous incident. The security of the Mumbai international airport is on risk (sic). I am shocked."

Mumbai Police believes more officers may be involved in the racket.

ALSO READ | Mumbai: 2 women arrested at airport for smuggling gold

ALSO READ | Major transfer racket busted by Mumbai crime branch, four arrested

--- ENDS ---
SBDC Webinar Explores Government Contracting for Disadvantaged Businesses

Government agencies have annual goals to award contracts to companies participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) program. Obtaining this designation can be a great way to set your business apart from the competition in the government market.

A Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) webinar, titled The SBA 8(a) Program: Government Contracting for Disadvantaged Businesses, is scheduled Thursday, July 6, from 11 a.m.-noon. This webinar will cover what the SBA 8(a) program is and how this designation can help socially and economically disadvantaged businesses win government contracts.

The SBDC is a partnership among the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council and the SBA. The SBDC focuses on educating small-business owners and potential owners on how to successfully start and operate small businesses. The SBDCs main office is located at UW.

Topics to be addressed include eligibility requirements, the materials you will need to apply and the application process. Participants also will learn how the Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) can help them throughout the entire application process.

Brett Housholder and Andrea Lewis have more than 10 years of experience helping businesses with government contracting. Their training in the government procurement process includes required government registrations, finding government contracting opportunities, marketing to government agencies and applying for government certification programs such as SBA 8(a), Woman-owned Small Business, HUBZone and Veteran-owned Small Business.

The webinar is free of charge. However, attendees must register to obtain the link to the webinar at www.wyomingsbdc.org.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. For more information, call Housholder at (307) 234-3203 or Lewis at (307) 772-7372.

The Wyoming SBDC Network is a business advising group of the Wyoming SBDC, PTAC, Market Research Center and SBIR/STTR Initiative. The networks mission is to help Wyoming entrepreneurs succeed. Advising and most market research activities are free of charge to Wyoming residents.

The SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the SBA. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and UW.

For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org.
Sheridan Start-Up Challenge Fills WTBC Incubator

Five local entrepreneurs, vying for access to a $50,000 seed fund, recently pitched their new business ideas to a panel of judges and 150 people in attendance at the WYO Theater in Sheridan. As a result, the Sheridan Start-Up Challenge helped launch six new high-growth-potential companies in Sheridan, filling the Wyoming Technology Business Centers (WTBC) Sheridan incubator.

The Pitch Day event, which took place May 23, was the culmination of the WTBCs Sheridan Start-Up Challenge, a program designed to encourage and stimulate more entrepreneurial activity in the Sheridan area. The event was sponsored by the Sheridan Economic and Educational Development Authority Joint Powers Board, the Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation, First Interstate Bank, Davis and Cannon, and the WTBC.

As a local business owner, I am very encouraged by the work of the WTBC, says Jesus Rios, COO of Ptolemy Data Systems. I cant think of a single resource in our community that has spawned this level of creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and flat-out risk-taking among Sheridan County entrepreneurs.

Three of the five teams qualified for access to the $50,000; a $5,000 prize; a free year in WTBCs Sheridan incubator; and pro bono legal counsel from Davis and Cannon.

-- K-Driven, founded by Justin Koltiska and Garrett Kron, has created the K-Drive, which is a new, patented oil field tool designed to make the process of raising and lowering rod strings much safer, less expensive and quicker for only a single person. Created by Koltiska and Kron, the K-Drive will significantly reduce the cost of maintaining and servicing wells while allowing companies to ensure maximum efficiency of the pump.

-- Oatware, founded by Anne Gunn and Mark Thoney, is a new platform designed for existing media companies that can reunify local advertising for both local classifieds and commercial advertisers. It marries free, categorized, searchable private ads, which drive traffic, with paid commercial advertising, providing value to sellers, buyers and the marketplace provider.

-- Old Army Records was founded by Kevin ODell and Jim Powers. Genealogy research in the U.S. is a $3 billion market, with annual growth of more than 12 percent. One of the current trends in the industry is to make new historical records available to the growing number of researchers. Old Army Records is developing a web platform that will allow users to easily search and access the immense government database of detailed records from the 19th century military.

Two other finalists and a third semifinalist from the Sheridan Start-Up Challenge also have taken space in the WTBC Sheridan incubator. These include:

-- Clinical Trials Project, founded by Lekan Ajayi, is developing a web-based platform that allows health care providers to easily connect cancer patients with available drug trials.

-- RS Water Drill, founded by Rick Shelton, is commercializing a machine for thawing frozen water pipes.

-- Cypher Software, founded by Steve Butler, is developing a new host and service-monitoring software solution for IT departments.

These additions have filled the incubator with 10 client companies. Existing incubator companies are Advanced Waterflooding Technology, Edge Exteriors, Jenae Neeson Creative and Sheridan Programmers Guild.

As a Sheridan city councilman, I am extremely pleased to learn that the WTBCs business incubator is at capacity, Rios says. The demand in services and the overwhelming response we saw from the Start-Up Challenge continue to emphasize that the city of Sheridan has made a good investment in our partnership with Sheridan County and the University of Wyoming.

The WTBC is a business development program of UW that was launched to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Wyoming and encourage the development of more high-growth companies within the state. The program has business incubators in Laramie, Casper and Sheridan that offer comprehensive business consulting as well as programs designed to stimulate new business activity.

Administered by the University of Wyoming Office of Research and Economic Development, the WTBC is a not-for-profit business incubator that provides entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools necessary for success.
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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) India to be a co-partner in a global food and beverages trade ANUGA to be held in Cologne, Germany from October 7-11, this year.

The 34th edition of ANUGA is being organised by Koelnmesse GmBH and 7,200 exhibitors from more than 100 countries are likely to participate in the event.

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"Being the largest producer of food in the world, India cannot remain distant from such mega events, and to become global food market and global food factory, representation of India needs to grow by many times in the years to come," Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said after signing the memorandum of understanding for participation in ANUGA.

She said that foreign investment and interest in India will also grow many times and therefore the country has to become an important partner of these events.

Indian exhibitors at ANUGA have been on rise since 2005 and around 135 companies and individual traders had participated in the event last year.

Badal also invited Germany to participate in the forthcoming global food investors trade fair to be held in November this year in the national capital. PTI LUX SRK

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Dubai, Jun 13 (PTI) An Indian man in Kuwait has committed suicide by jumping from a bridge after his girlfriend broke-up with him and married another person, a media has report said.

The man, in his early 30s, left a suicide note saying "life makes no meaning without you" before jumping to his death from a bridge on Maghreb Motorway.

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A team of rescuers went to the scene and discovered he was dead, the Arab Times reported.

The Interior Ministry received a distress call from a motorist saying a person had jumped off the bridge and fallen on his vehicle, the report said.

They went ahead to check CCTV footage at the location and discovered he had committed suicide.

The team also found the suicide note addressed to his lover saying life makes no meaning without you", it said.

The remains have been sent to forensic examination and a case has been registered.

The identity of the Indian was not disclosed. PTI MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, Jun 13 (PTI) Punjab Chief minister Amarinder Singh has been invited by Israeli envoy to India Daniel Carmon to visit his country to discuss about enhancing cooperation in the various areas.

The Israeli Ambassador met the chief minister today and invited him to visit his country in September.

During the meeting, the two sides explored the areas critical for development and progress of Punjab and on which they both can cooperate, an official spokesperson.

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Singh suggested that his delegation to Israel could include some progressive farmers, to which the Israeli delegation said they were looking forward to the chief ministers visit, he said.

The CMs visit could follow Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to that country and they offered to prepare a tailor-made agenda to ensure a continued meaningful dialogue, he added.

The delegation invited the chief minister to coincide his visit with WATEC Israel - an international professional exhibition to be held in Tel Aviv from September 12-14, which would offer a platform to showcase latest technologies in water and environment.

While defence is on top priority for cooperation between Israel and Punjab, the chief minister is also keen to use Israeli expertise to promote horticulture, dairy farming, bee-keeping, irrigation and water conservation in the state, the spokesperson said.

Beside working on a strategic partnership on water conservation and agriculture, the two sides also decided to set up a joint working group on agriculture, horticulture and dairy farming, he added.

This was the second meeting between Singh and the Israeli envoy since the former took over as Punjab chief minister.

At their last meeting in April, the two sides had agreed to explore the possibility of setting up a Punjab-Israel working group for continuous dialogue on issues of mutual interest, with the concurrence of the Government of India.

The two decided today to put in place a robust mechanism to set up the working group, said the spokesperson.

The Israeli envoy evinced keen interest in setting up more centres of excellence to promote agriculture diversification across the state after the success of its two such existing centres at Kartarpur (Jalandhar) and Hoshiarpur.

He said these centres had been instrumental in introducing high yielding varieties of fruits, vegetables, new farm practices under controlled conditions, net farming, drip and sprinkler irrigation.

Carmon informed the chief minister that two more such centres were in pipeline, one in floriculture and another in bee-keeping, to boost allied farming in the state.

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He sought the CMs personal intervention to get both these projects expedited from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The two also agreed on the need to incentivise private companies to collaborate on such projects, with the chief minister urging the Israeli delegation to showcase their technology to Indian private companies to motivate them to join in the government efforts.

Private companies could be engaged initially to work on a pilot project, which could pave the way for large-scale engagement and funding of such projects, Singh suggested, underlining the need for a quantum shift in technology to promote farming as a viable source of income for the government.

He asked his chief principal secretary to rope in key players in agritech for value addition to supplement the income of the farmers, who were passing through acute financial crisis due to squeezed margins and low returns on account of the near stagnant minimun support price (MSP).

Expressing concern over the depleting water table, Singh sought Israeli support in helping farmers adopt innovative techniques in drip irrigation and hydroponics to tackle the water problem. Model farms should be created to help create awareness for farmers, he said, emphasizing the need for promoting vegetables and floriculture marketing as a means of boosting agriculture income.

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The chief minister suggested exploring the possibility of converting the Mandi Board building into a market to enable seamless marketing of produce by the farmers.

Responding to the request of the visiting envoy to join MASHAV- Israel?s Agency for International Development Cooperation programme, Captain Amarinder asked the chief secretary to explore the possibility to chalk out an action plan for training in different short term courses offered by the Israeli government to further augment Human Resource Development, besides enhancing capacity building programmes. PTI VJ SMJ

--- ENDS ---
The ADCs estimated wire rod and coil import dumping margins are 20.9 per cent for Viet Nam. - Photo VnMedia

According to the Viet Nam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nams products targeted by the investigation bear the HS codes of 7213.91.00.44, 7227.90.90.02, and 7227.90.90.42. Those products are currently not subject to tax when exported to Australia.

The probe was triggered by a complaint filed by Australian steel producer OneSteels Company that took effect on May 31. The period subject to the anti-dumping investigation was from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, while the period under damage inquiry was from January 2013 to the present.

The dumping margins calculated by the plaintiff are 30.6 per cent for Viet Nam, 30.6 per cent for Indonesia, and 43.3 per cent for the RoK.

However, the ADCs estimated dumping margins are 20.9 per cent for Viet Nam, 29.8 per cent for Indonesia and 20.9 per cent for the RoK.

The applicant claimed that due to a market situation with regard to taxes on the two main inputs, the domestic selling price for Viet Nam is not appropriate for use in determining the normal value.

The Viet Nam Competition Authority said ADC could adopt temporary anti-dumping measures but not earlier than 60 days, since the launch of the investigation.

ADC is due to issue Essential Facts on September 25, 2017, and the involved parties will have 20 days to give opinions on this document.

In 2014, ADC carried out anti-dumping investigation for this product imported from Indonesia, Chinas Taiwan and Turkey, following an application lodged also by OneSteel Company.

OneSteel alleged that the imported wire rods were sold at prices lower than their normal value, and the dumping has caused material injury to the Australian industry.

After terminating the investigation in 2015, ADC announced that it had imposed anti-dumping duty against imports of wire rod in coil from Indonesia and Taiwan. However, in 2016, ADC removed the anti-dumping duty imposed on Indonesias products, as the association found there had been no dumping of goods.

In April 2016, ADC launched an anti-dumping investigation of wire rod in coil imported from China and soon after, it announced levying anti-dumping duty against Chinas products.
The Australian Consulate General in the southern metropolis of HCM City worked with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Monday to explore co-operation in hi-tech agriculture in the coming time. - Photo dwrm.gov.vn

Cao Thi Thanh from the Consulate General said Australia had developed hi-tech agriculture, while Viet Nam and the Mekong Delta particularly boasted large potential in this sphere.

She cited Australian statistics that only 1 per cent of land in the country is suitable for agricultural production with the involvement of 4 per cent of the population. However, Australia has the highest proportion of self-supplier of farm produce in the world. Averagely, an Australian farmer could produce farm produce for 190 people. Apart from domestic provision, 80 per cent of the farm produce is exported. The income of an Australian farmer amounts to US$100,000 per year.

She noted that Australia wanted to seek co-operation opportunities with the Mekong Delta in technology and human resources training.

Vice rector of Can Tho University Le Viet Dung said the delta had recorded significant strides in the field of high technology with many products receiving good feedback.

Such partners as Japan and China are stepping up investment in agricultural machines. Thereby, Australia should conduct fact-finding trips to produce highly competitive machines.

Professor Le Van Hoa said the weakness of the Vietnamese agriculture lay at post-harvest losses, especially for rice, animal husbandry, vegetables and fruits.

This was attributed to the countrys limitations in processing, preservation and transport, he said, adding that Australia is strong in technology, harvest chain, processing and transport of farm produce.

He hoped Australia would introduce the latest machines to increase the regions post-harvest efficiency, quality of products, and farmers income.

This would be a key factor to help Vietnamese farm produce meet Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP), he added.

Dung also suggested exchanging experts and opening training courses and workshops as well as expanding effective production and processing models.
Appearing in front of US Congress, Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday denounced suggestions that he had colluded with Russia to help Donald Trump win the presidency. Sessions also refused to detail the discussions he has had with President Trump.

By Reuters: US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday denounced as a "detestable lie" the idea that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, and he clashed with Democratic lawmakers over his refusal to detail his conversations with President Donald Trump.

Sessions, a senior member of the Republican Trump's Cabinet and an adviser to his presidential campaign, had a series of tense exchanges with Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee during about 2-1/2 hours of high-stakes testimony as they pressed him to recount conversations with the president.

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"You raised your right hand here today and said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich said. "Now you're not answering questions. You're impeding this investigation."

Sessions refused to say whether he had discussed FBI director James Comey's handling of the FBI's Russia probe with Trump before the president fired Comey on May 9.

Similarly, he did not answer whether Trump had expressed concern to Sessions about the attorney general's March decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Sessions previously offered to resign because of tensions with Trump over his recusal decision.

Sessions also refused to answer whether any Justice Department officials had discussed possible presidential pardons of individuals being looked at in the Russian investigations.

Russia has denied repeatedly that it interfered in the US election, and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign with Moscow.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden told Sessions, "I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged."

"I am not stonewalling," Sessions replied. Sessions said he was following Justice Department policy and would not discuss confidential communications with the president.

Senator Angus King, an independent, questioned Sessions' legal basis for refusing to answer. Sessions said Trump had not invoked executive privilege regarding the conversations.

Executive privilege is a power that can be claimed by a president or senior executive branch officials to withhold information from Congress or the courts to protect the executive branch decision-making process.

"It is my judgment that it would be inappropriate for me to answer and reveal private conversations with the president when he has not had a full opportunity to review the questions and to make a decision on whether or not to approve such an answer," Sessions said.

The committee's Republican chairman, Richard Burr, asked Sessions to ask the White House if there were areas officials there would be comfortable with him answering and provide written answers if so.

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US intelligence agencies concluded in a report released in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to interfere in the election to help Trump in part by hacking and releasing damaging emails about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The testimony by Sessions marked the latest chapter in a saga that has dogged Trump's first five months as president and distracted from his domestic policy agenda including major healthcare and tax cut initiatives.

"I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected with the Trump campaign," Sessions said.

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," he said.

Sessions is the most senior member of Trump's administration caught up in the Russia controversy.

In his opening remarks, Sessions said he knew of no conversations between Trump campaign individuals and Russian officials about interfering in the US election. But under questioning, Sessions acknowledged that Trump's campaign foreign policy advisers "never functioned as a coherent team" and there were members of that group he never met.

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SPECIAL COUNSEL

Even before Sessions testified, attention in Washington swiveled to whether Trump might seek to fire Robert Mueller, named last month by the Justice Department to head a federal probe into the Russia issue.

Sessions told the senators he has confidence in Mueller but said he had "no idea" if Trump did because he had not spoken to the president about the matter. Asked whether he would ever take any action to remove Mueller, Sessions said, "I would not think that would be appropriate for me to do."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the person who would be responsible for carrying out any such dismissal, told a different congressional panel he would not fire Mueller without good cause and he had seen no such cause.

Sessions, a former Republican US senator and an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign, testified just five days after Comey told the panel Trump ousted him to undermine the agency's investigation of the Russia matter. Sessions had written a letter to Trump recommending Comey's firing.

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In March he acknowledged he met twice last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Sessions said he did not mislead Congress because the encounters were part of his job as a US senator, not as a Trump campaign representative. Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March after the revelations of the two Kislyak meetings.

The abrupt dismissal of Comey prompted Trump's critics to charge that the president was trying to interfere with a criminal investigation.

Asked about media reports that he had met with Kislyak on a third occasion at a Washington hotel last year, Sessions testified that did not remember meeting or having a conversation with the ambassador at the event. Sessions said he "racked my brain" and had no meeting with any Russian in his capacity as a Trump campaign adviser.

Sessions said he did not recuse himself because he felt he was a subject of the investigation himself but rather because he felt he was required to by Justice Department rules.

ASLO READ | US Attorney General Jeff Sessions asks 46 Obama-era US attorneys to resign

ALSO READ | Ex-FBI chief Comey tells US senators Trump pressured him on Russia probe

--- ENDS ---
Ater a successful first seven years, the Brighter Path scholarship programme enters its second stage

The schoolgirls, all of whom come from ethnic minorities across Vietnam, will be selected based on academic records and their passion for personal and social development. Over seven years, each recipient will receive approximately VND220 million ($9,697) to cover her tuition fees, books, accommodation, food, and uniform costs.

Every year, the girls will also attend a summer empowerment programme titled Dream Meeting, where they learn about soft skills, computing, and personal finance. In these meetings, the schoolgirls will meet with prominent female leaders from corporations and government agencies.

The scholarship is intended to help ethnic girls finish high school and college. We want to empower exemplary girls from ethnic minority tribes and help them escape poverty through education, said Robin King Austin, CEO of VinaCapital Foundation.

46 ethnic girls in the first phase of Brighter Path, which started seven years ago, have completed high school. Almost everyone in the programme continued to further their education in law, medicine, economics, and other fields. About 70 per cent of these college graduates have already found a job.

The Brighter Path scholarship receives donations from VinaCapital Foundation and REE Corporation. Both organisations have pledged to continue their support for the second phase.
Theresa May. (Photo: AFP/Adrian DENNIS)

May's Conservatives unexpectedly lost their majority in parliament in Thursday's snap vote, causing political chaos ahead of Brexit talks with the European Union set to start next week.

She is due to face MPs later Monday, where she could face demands to quit over her lacklustre campaign and decision to call the election in the first place.

The chaos has weighed on the pound, which has plunged almost two per cent since Thursday, and the government may have to delay the announcement of its policy plans to parliament.

May however has vowed to stay on, and on Sunday unveiled a largely unchanged new cabinet, which met for the first time on Monday.

Foreign minister Boris Johnson, who was reported by British media to be lining up a leadership bid, insisted May should stay.

"The people of Britain have had a bellyful of promises and politicking," he wrote in The Sun tabloid. "Now is the time for delivery - and Theresa May is the right person to continue that vital work."

May's party fell eight seats short of retaining its parliamentary majority, and is now in talks with Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Union Party (DUP) - which won 10 seats - to forge an informal alliance.

DUP leader Arlene Foster is due to see May on Tuesday for crunch talks, which could force the delay of the government's presentation of its legislative programme to parliament by Queen Elizabeth II, due on Jun 19.

"Obviously until we have that we can't agree the final details of the Queen's Speech," said May's deputy Damian Green, referring to a DUP agreement.

'WALK AWAY' WITH NO DEAL

Brexit minister David Davis insisted the government still aimed to take Britain out of the EU single market.

"The reason for leaving the single market is because we want to take back control of our borders, they're not compatible," he told BBC Radio.

He also said the government would "walk away" with no deal if talks broke down on ending Britain's 40-decade membership of the bloc.

But Ruth Davidson, the pro-EU leader of the Conservatives in Scotland, called on May to "reopen" the government's Brexit plans.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May's government lacked the credibility necessary for Brexit talks and should delay the negotiations.

"The idea that the UK led by this prime minister and this government can just blunder into negotiations starting one week today, I just don't think it's a credible proposition," she told reporters in London.

UK election winners and losers AFP/Kun TIAN

'DEAD WOMAN WALKING'

May has a busy schedule on Tuesday, hosting a cabinet meeting and talks with the DUP leader before travelling to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

Brexit will likely be on the agenda at the Paris meeting, after May confirmed she will stick to the negotiating timetable.

"Going abroad and being seen to be the prime minister and talking to the president of France ... is a classic move to shore up authority at home," said Colin Talbot, professor of government at the University of Manchester.

May tried to reassert her shattered authority at the weekend by announcing her new cabinet - with no changes among her top team.

In a surprise move, Michael Gove was appointed environment and agriculture minister less than a year after the prime minister sacked him as justice minister.

After the opposition Labour party made hefty election gains by focusing heavily on national issues, May listed areas such as education and housing as top policy priorities.

May has shown little public contrition for the electoral gamble that backfired spectacularly, but was forced to accept the resignations of her two top aides - reportedly a requirement by cabinet colleagues for allowing her to stay in office.

On Monday, she faces members of the Conservatives' 1922 Committee, which can trigger a vote of confidence in a party leader if it receives letters from 15 per cent of the party's MPs.

They are expected to make demands on Brexit negotiations and any deal with the DUP.

CONCERN OVER DUP DEAL

DUP leader Arlene Foster said there had been "positive engagement" so far. "We are going into these talks with the national interest at heart. The union as I've said before is our guiding star," she said.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the government was not looking at a formal coalition but would seek assurances that the DUP would vote with May "on the big things".

He stressed he did not share their ultra-conservative views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, which have caused disquiet among many Conservatives.

The deal has also caused consternation in Dublin, with Irish premier Enda Kenny warning such an alliance could upset Northern Ireland's fragile peace.

London's neutrality is key to the delicate balance of power in Northern Ireland, which was once plagued by violence over Britain's control of the province.
General Electric's Jeff Immelt who led the US giant since 2001 will hand his chief executive position over to John Flannery on Aug 1. (AFP/SAJJAD HUSSAIN)

Immelt, 61, will step down as chief executive on Aug 1, handing the reins to GE Healthcare president John Flannery, a 30-year veteran of the company whose previous roles included country chief in India.

During a conference call with analysts, Immelt said the transition was first discussed in 2013 and GE leadership had targeted summer 2017 to make the change.

But the announcement also comes after activist investor Nelson Peltz, one of the most influential voices on Wall Street, invested in GE, which has been hit hard by the plunge in oil prices. Peltz has pushed GE to deepen cost cuts to boost profits.

Questioned by analysts on the merits of GE's conglomerate model, Flannery, 55, pledged he would undertake "a comprehensive review of the portfolio," with an update in the fall.

But he said he had seen firsthand the benefits of GE's diverse structure while leading the health care division, during which he "borrowed" from the company's technology and global supply chain.

"I see the reality of this in a very tangible way all the time," Flannery said.

The GE transition comes three weeks after Ford abruptly changed chief executives. Others, including Honeywell International and Caterpillar, also have announced new leaders over the last year as traditional industrial companies seek new chiefs to help them adapt to an increasingly digital economy.

MIXED LEGACY

Immelt's 16-year tenure began shortly before the Sep 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and was also roiled by the 2008 financial crisis.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, he oversaw a spate of large divestments from GE Capital to unload what was effectively the fifth biggest US bank.

Immelt, who succeeded the legendary Jack Welch, also led GE through the 2015 purchase of the power assets of French industrial giant Alstom, and a proposed merger with oil services company Baker Hughes engineered to better manage the effects of a two-year slide in oil prices that has dented GE's oil services earnings.

On Monday, US antitrust officials ordered GE to divest a unit that sells chemicals to oil refineries as a condition of winning regulatory approval.

Immelt also has taken steps to beef up GE's technology businesses, including by investing in the 3D printing, which is seen as a growth area.

Despite these efforts, analysts have a mixed views of Immelt's tenure.

"We continue to believe that any new leader here needs a material reset," said JPMorgan Chase analyst C. Stephen Tusa, Jr.

"We are all ears on the new narrative," Tusa said, adding that Flannery will be constrained from making radical changes that could threaten the company's dividend.

CFRA analyst Jim Corridore said while Immelt "should get credit for transforming GE away from consumer finance," the pace of change "has been slow and the company has had execution challenges."

Still, he added, "We think GE remains on the right track with its strategy and expect share performance to improve in the coming year."

Flannery praised Immelt's leadership, saying the changes he made took "courage" and the company now is "clearly better positioned" in its markets because of the outgoing leader's efforts to simplify operations.

Even so, there are "clearly areas where we need to be better," Flannery said. "There are clear areas of concern around cost structure."

GE shares had been down nearly 13 per cent in 2017, but Monday they rose 3.6 per cent to close at US$28.94.
File photo of police officers responding to a situation in Munich, Germany. (Photo: AFP/Christof Stache)

"Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded," Munich police tweeted.

Authorities reported that a handgun was fired during a police operation at an S-Bahn station in Unterfoehring, a northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city, and that the scene was now secured.

Police later ruled out any political or religious motive in the incident, saying the attacker acted out of "personal" reasons.

"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons. There is no political or religious background here," police spokesman Marcus da Gloria Martins told reporters.
Singaporean company Keppel Land spent VND845.9 billion ($37.3 million) to acquire 16 per cent of Saigon Centre

Stephen Wyatt, country head for Jones Lang LaSalle Vietnam, said that in 2017 M&A in real estate may increase very sharply and reach record levels. As the company observed, billions of dollars are just waiting to be poured into the market in most segments, with a focus on apartments, offices, hotels, and industrial real estate.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been several big M&As in the field. In March, Singaporean company Keppel Land bought the entire stake (16 per cent) of Southern Waterborne Transport Corporation (Sowatco) in Saigon Centre for VND845.9 billion ($37.3 million) through subsidiary Krystal Investments Pte., Ltd.

Also in the same month, Hong Kong Land from Hong Kong became the strategic partner of Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company (CII) in developing residential housing in Thu Thiem New Urban Area.

Japanese investors are also increasing involvement in Vietnam. Last September, Kajima, one of the four biggest contractors in Japan, set up a 50:50 joint venture with Indochina Capital to invest $1 billion in 10 years. At first the joint venture is going to focus on residential units, hotels, and resorts in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang. Keisuke Koshijima, senior executive officer and general manager of the overseas division at Kajima Corporation, called Vietnam Kojimas key market in the region.

Besides the residential and commercial segments, industrial real estate also attracted heavy interest from foreign investors. CFLD Vietnam Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. (CFLD Vietnam), a subsidiary of China Fortune Land Development Co. (CFLD), said it plans to build dozens of industrial cities mostly in Southeast Asia, where Vietnam is an important destination.

In January last year the company worked with the Dong Nai Peoples Committee to find investment opportunities. In September, CFLD Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding with Tin Nghia Corporation to build a New Industry City (NIC) in Ong Keo Industry Park, which is located in Dong Nai, east of Ho Chi Minh City.

In April 2017, the company spent $65 million through subsidiaries CFLD Investment 27 Pte., Ltd. and CFLD Investment 28 Pte., Ltd. to buy over 70 per cent of Dai Phuoc Lotus, also in Dong Nai, from VinaLand Limited and VinaCapitals Vietnam Opportunity Fund.

Masataka Sam Yoshida, senior executive for Vietnam at Tokyo-based M&A consultancy company Recof, said that Japanese investors are now more interested in the Vietnamese real estate market and are more willing to accept associated risks. Many experts said that the newfound propensity to take risks is due to the optimistic macroeconomic outlook of the country. Also, political stability and the stable currency are further incentives.

Meanwhile, the profitability of commercial projects is higher in Vietnam than in other countries. For example, office space rental in Vietnam can return a profit of 8-10 per cent a year, while the figure is 4-6 per cent in Singapore.

Duong Thuy Dung, CBRE Vietnams head of market research, said that the most popular way for foreign investors to join the Vietnamese real estate market is through setting up joint ventures with domestic companies to take advantage of their land reserves and connections in the field.

They will contribute to the joint venture with their financial capabilities and experience gained in more developed markets. Another method is to set up a 100 per cent foreign-owned subsidiary then buy a project or stake in a Vietnamese real estate developer.

Observers say that M&A is the way to increase liquidity for the market as well as save costs and time for investors.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc lauded VNPT's successful restructuring

Substantial revenue

During the three years between 2014 and 2016 VNPT carried out vigorous restructuring in accordance with Decree No. 888/QD-TTg dated June 10, 2014 issued by the Prime Minister. The company was asked to rearrange its apparatus of 3600 staff members and promote professionalism, originality and efficiency. VNPT was also ordered to change units, apply new business models and management methods, as well as establish three main corporations in network infrastructure (VNPT-Net), telecommunications services (VNPT- Vinaphone), and communications (VNPT- Media).

At the same time, VNPT had to ensure that business remains stable, keeping its market share and ensuring the lives of its workers. VNPT had not only successfully completed the restructuring of the entire company in accordance with the demands and timeline proposed by the government, but has produced impressive performance in its manufacturing and trading activities that many state corporations aspire to achieve.

In details, in the past three years (between 2014 and 2016), VNPT Corporations consolidated revenue reached $6.8 trillion, increasing by an average 4.3 per cent annually, while reporting a consolidated profit of $450 million, increasing by 25 per cent annually. These revenue and profit figures do not include figures from MobiFone, VNPost, Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, and Central Post Office, because these agencies had been separated from VNPT.

Profit before tax was $115.6 million in 2014, $155.9 million in 2015, and $182.2 million in 2016.

Previously, during 2011-2015, the total profit was $538 million, with an average growth rate of 2.1 per cent per year. Between 2013 and 2015, the average growth rate was 17.9 per cent per year.

In conclusion, during the last three consecutive years (2014 to 2016), VNPTs total profit increased by more than 20 per cent per year. The corporations total profit has tripled thanks to restructuring in the right direction, said Pham Duc Long, VNPT general director.

The positive results of VNPTs restructuring have been acknowledged by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a meeting in August 2016. The prime minister was highly appreciative of the restructuring process, saying in a short period of time VNPT had produced spectacular results and conjured up a great business management apparatus, improved service quality, as well as increased revenue and profit.

Rookies take the lead

Contributing the most to the corporations impressive manufacturing and trading operations were the products of the restructuring process: core, specialised, and professional businesses operating according to the new business model. It was these companies that brought about new energy, more revenue, and huge profit for VNPT.

The most typical example is VNPT VinaPhone. In 2016, the company earned a revenue of $1.6 billion with a profit of $48.3 million. Newbie VNPT Technology achieved impressive results from exporting telecommunication products with a revenue of $141.6 million and profit of $12.1 million. VNPT Media earned a revenue of $64 million with $5.2 million in profit in 2016.

VNPT has also divested from non-core businesses. However, the stagnating stock market, along with low liquidity and the lack of interest from investors, influenced the pace of divestment.

By the end of 2016, VNPT has divested entirely from 15 subsidiaries, with a divestiture value of 31 per cent of the target ($26.5 million from $88.1 million). The revenue earned from the process was $46 million, which is 174 per cent of the initial investment in VNPTs ledger.

Long said that VNPTs divestment from non-core or inefficient businesses have faced many difficulties and challenges due to the lack of flexible regulations on divestiture and the bleak conditions in the financial market. For example, VNPT has five item categories that have completed the procedures for public auction but failed to garner sufficient interest from investors.

In essence, VNPT has finished the restructuring process and is operating with much higher efficiency. These positive results will be both the foundation and the motivation for VNPT to continue with the divestment process, while simultaneously equitising the parent company by 2020.

Production and trade results of VNPT during 2014-2016

(Source: Document No. 2836/VNPT KHDT dated June 1, 2017, disclosing the results of the implementation of the production, trade, investment, and development plan in the last three years. Unit: million USD)
Justice Karnan, who has been missing since May 10 after the Supreme Court's order to arrest him, had asked for various Dalit leaders' support across the country.

By Pramod Madhav: Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi, a pro-Dalit party's leader Thol Thirumavalavan has levelled grave allegations against the Indian legal system while extending his support to Justice Karnan.

Justice Karnan, who became an outlaw after the Supreme Court's order to arrest him, has asked for various Dalit leaders' support across the country. Justice Karnan has been missing since May 10 after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six months in jail. Karnan's arrest orders were issued after he sentenced Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and six other Supreme Court judges to five years in jail under the SC/ST Act.

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Thol Thirumavalavan claimed that the order against Karnan is against the Constitution. "I request and demand President Pranab Mukherjee to recall the sentence given against Justice Karnan by the Supreme court. It is totally unconstitutional and against human rights," he claimed.

JOINING HANDS AGAINST CORRUPTION

Thirumavalavan wants the president to intervene in the matter using powers under Article 72 (1)(B) by which he can supersede the Supreme Court's order. He stated that along with Karnan, they are joining hands to protest against corruption and save the Constitution while as he made clear that he was not providing asylum to Karnan.

When asked why Karnan was running away from the judicial system, Thirumavalavan said that Karnan had to do so as legality was followed in his impeachment. "He had to run away as no law was followed. Without questioning the accused, how can punishment be pronounced," he questioned.

NO CONTACT WITH KARNAN

Thirumavalavan, however, made it clear that he has no contact with Karnan but is only supporting him to save the democracy. For Karnan, he is also planning to bring various Dalit movements from across the country together and go on a mass protest at Jantar Mantar.

"I don't think he has any plans to surrender and the Supreme Court is treating him like a terrorist where he has no other option. Like someone who is on waiting for capital punishment and filing plea with the president, Karnan's condition has deteriorated," he claimed.

The Dalit leader was also of the view that Karnan was treated in such a way because he is a Dalit. "Our former CM J Jayalalithaa was convicted by the court but the court waited till her death and didn't take any action till then. However, in case of Karnan without giving time or any chance immediate action was taken against him and punishment was declared," he added.

Also read: Justice CS Karnan: First High Court judge to retire while absconding

Also read: Curious case of Justice Karnan: A history of controversies and mystery

--- ENDS ---


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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
Scindia was arrested by the police when he was on his way to meet the relatives of the farmers who were killed in police firing during the Mandsaur violence.

By Supriya Bhardwaj, Rahul Noronha: Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia was today arrested from near Ratlam of Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia was arrested by the police when he was on his way to meet the relatives of the farmers who were killed in police firing during the Mandsaur violence.

Scindia and his aides were adamant on meeting the farmers' relatives. The Congress MP's convoy was stopped near Dhodhar toll in Ratlam district.

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"I wanted to go alone to Mandsaur. I wasn't allowed. Rather they arrested me. Tomorrow they will come, roll out red carpet for Shivraj Singh. Section 144 will be removed from Mandsaur," Jyotiraditya Scindia told India Today.

He alleged that the rule of law has not been followed in the state.

Scindia is accompanied by Ratlam MP Kantilal Bhuriya and former Mandsaur MP Meenakshi Natarajan.

Immediately after the arrest of Scindia and his aides, Congress workers present at the spot turned hostile.

Police have been deployed at the spot to prevent any untoward event. Rapid Action Force has been kept on standby.

Earlier today, Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel was arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district when he was on his way to Mandsaur to express his solidarity with the agitating farmers, six of whom were killed in police firing last week.

Patel was accompanied by Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha General Secretary Hannan Mollah.

"The farmers gave their lives for their rights. It will not go waste. Hardik will meet farmers and will ask them to continue their protest," said Patidar Navnirman Sena General Secretary Akhilesh Katiyar.

Also read:

Madhya Pradesh farmers protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi arrested outside Mandsaur, confirms Neemuch top cop

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh farmers are demanding what Narendra Modi had promised in 2014

WATCH | Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia arrested on way to Mandsaur

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During colonisation and throughout the Cold War, the imperialist powers used religions in order to gag all protest against their domination. So, France, which in 1905 adopted an important law about the secularism of its institutions, immediately decided not to apply them in the colonised territories.

We know today that the  Arab Springs  were a British initiative aimed at putting the Muslim Brotherhood in power and thus reinforcing Anglo-Saxon domination over the  Greater Middle East .

For 16 years, the Western powers have been rightfully accusing the Muslims of not cleaning up their own house, and of tolerating terrorists. However, it is clear today that these terrorists are supported by the same Western powers in order to enslave Muslims by means of  political Islam . London, Washington and Paris have no problems with terrorism until it spills over from the  Greater Middle East , and they never criticise  political Islam , at least as far as the Sunnis are concerned.

By giving his speech in Riyadhh, on 21 May 2017, President Trump intended to put an end to the terrorism which is consuming the region, and is now spreading to the West. The words he spoke did indeed act as an electroshock. His speech was interpreted as an authorisation to finish with the system.

What had seemed unthinkable over the last few centuries suddenly took shape. Saudi Arabia agreed to cut off all contact with the Muslim Brotherhood, and raged against those who continue to pursue their collaboration with the British, and particularly against Qatar. Riyadh gave the signal for a cleansing which will sweep much frustration along with it. In a spirit of Bedouin vengeance, diplomatic relations have been interrupted, and an economic blockade was organised against the Qatari population  while in the Emirates, a sentence of 15 years of imprisonment was established by law for any individual who showed as much as a little compassion for the inhabitants of accursed Qatar.

A gigantic displacement of forces and alliances has begun. If this movement is to continue, the region will organise itself around a new fissure. The question of the struggle against imperialism will wither and give way to the struggle against clericalism.

The Europeans lived with this cleavage for four hundred years, from the 16th to the 19th centuries, but not the United States, because their country was founded by the Puritan cult who were fleeing from this cleavage. The struggle against political Christianity was first of all a combat against the pretensions of the clergy of the Catholic church, who sought to govern their faithful all the way into their bedrooms. This only ceased with Paul VI, who abandoned the pontifical tiara. This triple crown was supposed to symbolise that the Pope was a higher authority than kings and emperors.

Like original Christianity, which had no ministers (these only arrived in the 3rd century), original Islam and current Sunnism have none. Only Chiism has been structured like Catholicism and Orthodoxy. As a result, political Islam today is incarnated by the Muslim Brotherhood and the government of Sheikh Rohani (the title of Shiekh indicates that President Rohani is a member of the Chiite clergy).

Currently, a clerical alliance is in the process of formation, with the help of the United Kingdom. It could constitute a block including Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Idleb to the North-West of Syria, and Gaza. This group would become the protector of the Muslim Brotherhood, and consequently the defender of the use of terrorism.

In two weeks, the Arab Press, which until now had viewed the Muslim Brotherhood in a favourable light, as a powerful secret organisation, and jihadism as a legitimate engagement, has suddenly made an about-turn. Everywhere, everyone is publishing denunciations of the pretension of the Muslim Brotherhood who want to regulate peoples lives, and the cruel folly of jihadism.

This flood of commentaries, the centuries of frustration that they express, coupled with their violence, makes any back-pedalling impossible  which does not, however, mean that the alliance Iran-Qatar-Turkey-Hamas will go all the way. This revolutionary tsunami is happening in the middle of the month of Ramadan. Meetings between friends and families, which should be consensual celebrations, sometimes turn into arguments about what until now had been perceived as the basic truths of Islam.

In case the cleavage for or against clericalism should continue, we will be seeing a general recomposition of the political landscape. For example, the Revolutionary Guard, which was created to stand against Anglo-Saxon imperialism, has accumulated resentment against the Iranian clergy. Many of them remember that during the war forced on them by Iraq, the mullahs and the ayatollahs manipulated ways of hiding their children, while the Guard was dying on the battle-field. But, weakened during the first Rohani mandate, it is unlikely that they would dare to rise against the civil-religious power. On the contrary, the Lebanese Hezbollah is commanded by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (here the title of Sayyed indicates that he is a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad), a personality who promotes the separation of the public and private spheres. Although he has a religious function and another, political, function, he has always been opposed to blending them both, while accepting the Platonic principle of Velayat-e faqih (that is  goverment by a wise man). It is therefore unlikely that Hezbollah will follow the Rohani government.

Meanwhile, the whole region is buzzing - in Libya, the Muslim Brotherhood have left Tripoli, leaving a militia to liberate Saif el-Islam Kadhafi, and General Haftar to expand his influence. In Egypt, the General-President al-Sissi has asked his opposite numbers in the Gulf to draw up a list of terrorists. In Palestine, the political directors of Hamas have fled to Iran. In Syria, the jihadists have stopped fighting against the Republic and are awaiting orders. In Iraq, the army has redoubled its efforts against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Order of the Naqshbandis. In Saudi Arabia, the Muslim World League has excluded from its administrative council the Brotherhoods star preacher, Sheikh Qaradawi. And Turkey and Pakistan have begun the transfer of tens of thousands of soldiers towards Qatar -which can now only feed itself with the help of Iran.

A new dawn seems to be rising over the region.
The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods.
Corinne Olympios and Demario Jackson. Photo: Getty Images; ABC

Since Warner Bros. announced on Sunday that the studio had shut down production on the Bachelor spinoff Bachelor in Paradise due to allegations of misconduct, more and more disturbing details about what happened on set in Sayulita, Mexico, have emerged. This morning, the Daily Mail published a horrifying account from an anonymous BIP crew member who said they witnessed producers filming an alleged sexual assault.

The crew members story is the most complete account of the alleged misconduct published to date. Before we get to the details, lets recap whats been reported so far: Several media outlets have reported that BIP contestant DeMario Jackson allegedly had a nonconsensual sexual encounter with contestant Corinne Olympios in a hot tub during filming. Sources connected to Jackson told TMZ that Jackson had oral sex with Olympios, that he was too drunk to have penetrative sex, and that the next day everything was fine. Sources close to Olympios told TMZ that Olympios said she does not remember and did not consent to the sexual encounter. Warner Bros. is investigating the incident and wont comment on specifics for now.

The BIP crew member told the Daily Mail that the incident occurred after producers suggested Jackson and Olympios hook up. Corinne and Demario found out when they arrived in Mexico that the story line would involve the two of them hooking up so they decided to hang out and get better acquainted over drinks, the source said. Soon they decided to go swimming and when they climbed into the Jacuzzi, they were both loaded. Corinne proceeded to remove her bathing suit and things got increasingly sexual.

The crew member then provided a disturbing account of the encounter, during which Olympios seemed to go limp:

There was hugging and kissing and touching, but before long, she seemed to go limp and was sliding under water. DeMario kept trying to hold her up and at the same time he appeared to be having intercourse with her. After he finished  which only lasted a few seconds  he lifted her out of the water and laid her on the cement, where he proceeded to have oral sex with her. She appeared to be unconscious. At that point some of the crew came out and carried her off to her room. She was limp and seemed unable to walk on her own.

The crew member was obviously disturbed by what they saw and by the production teams response to the alleged assault. One of the things that really disturbed people was that no one called a doctor or paramedic, which some felt they should have, the source continued. Instead someone made the decision to just let her sleep it off. When Corinne awoke the next morning, people began filling her in on what happened the night before, because she claimed to have absolutely no recollection of what transpired.

Our sister site the Cut has reached out to Jackson and representatives for Warner Bros. and Olympios. We will update this post as more information becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any information youd like to share about Bachelor in Paradise, please contact allie.jones@nymag.com.

Update, 2:20 p.m.: Jackson has not officially commented on the allegations against him, but The New York Post just published some of his text messages that seem to outline his strategy going forward. In the texts, sent to an unknown party, Jackson writes that he wants the footage of his encounter with Olympios. i just want the footage, he wrote. we all know what happened and the tape will prove it. Jackson has yet to explicitly state that he believes Olympios consented to the encounter.
Bill Cosby and Andrea Constand. Photo: Getty Images

Bill Cosbys words were used against him this afternoon at the Montgomery County Courthouse in suburban Philadelphia. After the defense shocked the court by resting its case after only one witness, the prosecution made closing arguments focused on Cosbys statements to investigators more than ten years ago. Though the 79-year-old comedian denies drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004 when she worked at Temple University, he could face up to three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault with a maximum sentence of ten years, and fines of up to $25,000 per count.

Since the trial started one week ago today, Cosby never took the stand. Instead, his attorneys spent most of the trial painting Constand as an unreliable witness, a troubled person, and a woman seeking to ruin the comedy legends reputation, even after dozens of other women have come forward accusing the entertainer of rape spanning at least four decades.

This aint right! yelled defense attorney Brian McMonagle, who accused Constand of telling a stone-cold lie. He delivered his closing statements with the vigor thats come to be expected from the brash Philly attorney, suggesting that Cosbys accuser was a lover and not a victim.

By the afternoon, prosecution hammered home the glaring consistencies between both Constand and Cosbys stories up to but not including the type of pills that were administered by Cosby on the night Constand says he sexually assaulted her. According to testimony, Cosby referred to the pills in question as friends, and encouraged Constand, an athlete whos normally averse to taking medication, to try them. Theyre your friends, he allegedly told her.

Constand told the court last week that after she ingested the drugs she was unable to move or fight back in Cosbys suburban Philadelphia home. The comedian later told investigators that he remembers giving the then-33-year-old over-the-counter Benadryl tablets to help her relax. He said that after she took the pills, she and Cosby engaged in heavy petting on the sofa in his living room.

Cosby admitted in a sworn statement that Constand neither objected nor gave permission for the sexual activity that he admitted occurred that night. Constand said she awoke to Cosby inserting his finger repeatedly into her vagina and putting his penis in her hand, and that she had rebuffed him twice before. The prosecution says that if someone is unconscious or unable to react to sexual advances of this kind, its rape.

He has told you what he has done, the prosecution said today. Its about as straightforward as youre going to get in a sex crimes case. D.A. Kevin Steele also told the jury that Constand, who was sitting in the front row of the court today, had courage to come forward, even after she had been painted as a liar.

But what could perhaps be the most revealing statement that prosecutors spotlighted again and again to the jury came from Cosbys sworn statement to investigators. When Cosby was questioned about the night of the alleged assault, he told police that he did not have sexual intercourse with Constand, either awake or asleep.

Who says that? asked Steele, who proceeded to critique the comedians attempts to pay off Constand after he got worried that she may go public. During a taped phone call that was broadcast in the courtroom, Cosbys recognizable voice can be heard offering to pay for graduate school in addition to travel expenses and a meeting with a talent agent. Constand did not accept any of the gifts.

Citing a settlement between Cosby and Kelly Johnson, a former William Morris assistant who accused the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1996, Steele said that Cosby has a history of trying to cover up his assaults. When Johnson testified last week, she broke down on the stand, saying the pills Cosby furnished made her feel like she was underwater. She was later fired from the agency and no charges were brought against Cosby.

Throughout the closing statements, Cosby leaned forward a few times and shook his head, but mostly he maintained his poise, seated and sometimes staring off at the judges bench and ceiling. He occasionally whispered to his defense team as his wife, Camille Cosby, looked on from the courtroom with a clenched smile. Today is the first day she has appeared by his side in court since the case started last week.

Steele was adamant that the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Cosby is guilty of raping Constand. Based upon [Constands] testimony alone you must convict, he said. He is definitely guilty of all three aggravated indecent assaults.

In a surprising move, Steele also admonished the Montgomery County D.A.s office for not bringing charges against Cosby sooner, saying it was a failure. Cosbys fate now rests in the hands of the jury, as they begin deliberating.
By Press Trust of India: By Aditi Khanna

London, Jun 12 (PTI) Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, made a surprise visit to London terror attack victims at a hospital in the city today.

The wife of Prince William arrived at King?s Hospital, south-east London, hospital for a visit that was not publicised in advance to enable staff to continue to treat those affected without disruption.

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In total 14 victims were taken to the hospital, one of whom was "walking wounded" and able to leave quickly after being seen by emergency staff.

The remaining 13 required treatment for stab wounds of varying severity. Seven were in a critical condition and are still receiving round-the-clock treatment.

The Duchess of Cambridge met staff who were on shift in the emergency department at the time of the terror attack, as well as those working on the trauma ward.

She spoke to six patients who are still being treated at the hospital and also to doctors and nurses who were working on the night of the atrocity.

Eight people were killed in the London Bridge terror attack when three men - Pakistan-born Khuram Shazad Butt, Moroccan-origin Rachid Redouane and Moroccon-Italian Yousef Zaghba ? drove a white van into pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing bystanders.

Almost 50 people were injured in the attack, which took place in London Bridge and Borough Market area of London on June 3.

Armed police marksmen descended on the scene and shot the three suspects dead.

Nurse Kirsty Boden, 28, and au pair Sara Zelenak, 21 - were among the eight killed in the attack. The other victims were identified as Canadian national Christine Archibald, 30, French nationals Sebastien Belanger, 36, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Xavier Thomas, 45, Spanish national Ignacio Echeverria, 39, and Londoner James McMullan, 32.

The Islamic State (ISIS) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Scotland Yard are currently questioning seven suspects in connection with the investigation into the attack. PTI AK NSA

--- ENDS ---
After Bachelor in Paradise recently suspended production, reportedly over an alleged sexual encounter in which a contestant was too drunk to consent, a former producer for the Bachelor franchise who talked to People shed some light on how alcohol plays into filming the show. The whole point of the show is that to succeed you need to make friends, and people feel its advantageous to drink and hook up and find a boyfriend or girlfriend, he said. Its par for the course that there is a drunken hookup that went too far, he added. That certainly goes on all the time.

In the incident that launched the investigation, producers allegedly filmed cast member DeMario Jackson engaging in a sexual encounter with Corinne Olympios, a female contestant. Olympios, according to TMZ, says she was too drunk to consent. Warner Bros. and ABC havent commented on the specifics of the allegations  neither contestant has filed a lawsuit  while host Chris Harrison has said that theres a lot of misinformation out there about what happened on the show.

The former producer who spoke to People said that contestants having sex that ends up being filmed isnt a surprise. Theres a lot of sex on the various shows that happens that never airs, he said. There are cameras everywhere and theres nowhere to hide, so when cast members behave outrageously, they allow themselves to forget there are cameras  and just get caught up in the moment. The producer characterized the show as having a party vibe like summer camp or spring break. He added that producers, the majority of whom are women, will absolutely step in if they think there is something bad going on. If someones had a few drinks, but seems to know what theyre doing, youre probably going to let that go, he said. If someone is passing out or slurring, youre going to take care of them.
Johnny Depp. Photo: The Weinstein Company/IMDB

When did you forget about The Libertine, the 2004 historical drama starring Johnny Depp and Rosamund Pike? Was it as soon as you left the theater, or as soon as you read about Depps other Libertine movie? In the Libertine were talking about, Depp played John Wilmot, a rogue who is threatened with exile after he pens a play that offends King Charles II (John Malkovich). If you havent seen the movie, youre in luck: As Glastonburys first Cinemageddon stage guest of honor, Johnny Depp is bringing it back, according to the Guardian. (The Hollywood Vampires are staying home for this outing.)

The Pirates star will introduce three movies  The Libertine, Jim Jarmuschs Dead Man, and Withnail and I  for an audience seated in 100 American and Cuban cars from the 1960s, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis told the Guardian. Depp will also chat about the selections with filmmaker Julien Temple. The Libertine, which flopped when it was released, is sure to be the nights crown jewel. This is one of those films that got lost in the shuffle, Depp said in a statement. Its a film on which a lot of people worked very hard, and one that I am very proud of. Feel free to revisit the trailer for yourself.
Anyone who doesnt understand rape culture, how the patriarchy normalizes sexual assault, and/or the ways that men can be so incredibly awful in their pursuit of women should watch this episode of Southern Charm. The behavior of Shep and the other men as they tried to excuse what is simply inexcusable behavior shocked me repeatedly. My jaw dropped to the floor and then it dropped lower and lower each time he talked about his incident with Chelsea at a bar, so low that my jaw has now traveled all the way through the Earth and is currently inhabiting a one-room apartment somewhere in Shanghai.

The story is that Shep went out drinking with Austen and Chelsea. Shep previously had one night of making out with Chelsea, but then he moved on and she moved on to Austen. Chelsea and Austen have been dating for several weeks, though not in an official relationship. Okay, the scene is set. Shep, Chelsea, and Austen are at the Commodore and Austen leaves them alone to get drinks. According to Chelsea, Shep grabbed her, took her outside, and repeatedly tried to force himself on her by kissing her even though she made it clear his advances were unwanted. That, in and of itself, is gross. Chelsea is there with another dude, ostensibly a friend of his, and he tries to put the make on her in the back of the bar? She obviously doesnt want to be with him. What kind of girl does he think would want to do that?

Chelsea tells this story to Austen and I really wish that the cameras had been there so that we could see some objective footage of what happened. (Why the hell werent they there?!) Instead, we have to rely on what Chelsea and Shep say about the matter. That is also a good primer for what its like in a real-life allegation of sexual assault. As usual, I tend to believe the woman, especially because Shep admits that he was so drunk he doesnt remember.

We hear this story again when Austen does the right thing and confronts Shep about his awful behavior. Shep doesnt even deny it! Not for a second! He doesnt think that hes even done anything wrong. It was a test, he says. I was doing it on your behalf. I would like to do that annoying thing and say that I just threw up a little bit in my mouth, but in reality, I actually threw up everywhere and now all of the storm drains in a ten-block radius are clogged with chunks of the entire box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch I ate for lunch.

Then it gets worse. Craig, a law-school graduate who does not know the meaning of the world Lothario and thinks you are ridiculous for thinking he would know what that word means, tells everyone that Shep tried to sleep with Naomie the first night he introduced them. Yes, this is a pattern. Craig later admits its so prevalent that he just had to accept that Shep is always going to try to sleep with his dates. That grosses me out more than thinking about what the drain looks like after Josh Gad manscapes in the shower.

In this instance, Whitney is really the awful enabler. After hearing this story, he says, It seems like late in the evening, [Shep] made an inappropriate advance, but not really and like youre overreacting. Wait, wait? Is he saying that a man who moves a woman out back and repeatedly tries to kiss her after she expresses she isnt interested is an inappropriate advance  but not really? But not really? In what disgusting Penthouse Forum world do these guys live where they think that is actually appropriate? Ugh, that is grosser than a quiche made out of dick cheese.

Austen is by no means overreacting. His friend just tried to make out with his girlfriend when he got up to get more beers. I think he is exactly the right level of mad and I think that we need more men like him to stand up to jerks like Shep if this behavior is ever going to stop. Especially when there are people like Whitney telling him to just drop it because God forbid Austen upset their disgusting world order of privilege.

The conversation that Cameran and Chelsea have about this incident is totally different from the one the guys have. Chelsea tells Cameran what happened and she believes her immediately  not only because everyone who has ever been close enough to Shep to smell the day-old hops on his breath knows he is probable to behave that way, but also because she is a woman in America and has probably been in the exact same position more than once. I know so many guys who act like that and are entitled because of the way theyve grown up and at some point that cant happen, Chelsea tells Cameran. She is 10 hundred billion percent correct.

Luckily, Cameran is the kind of southern belle who is strong enough to blow a rape whistle in Sheps face until he understands why what he did was wrong. However, this was the worst of all the conversations. This is when we see the monster behind the mask. Shep tells Cameran the reason he did it was because he was wasted. That is a problem. If you cant calm that primal urge of yours, you need to stop drinking, she tells him. Amen, sister. Amen. A rosary of amens. A mole of amens. (I dont remember what that is, but from chemistry class I remember that its a lot.)

Shep then blames Cameran for getting in his ear about how Shep and Chelsea should be together. Hes not wrong, she should have let that bullshit drop a long time ago, especially because it is clear that Chelsea doesnt seem to be interested in any relationship so Cameran shouldnt be pushing her on anyone. But that is no excuse for Shep being a total asshole to her. Thats entitlement. Youre not entitled to go kiss any girl you think is hot, she says. Wow. How am I agreeing with Cameran? How is she the one who is standing up for women everywhere? How is it that a crappy Bravo reality show is the best thing Ive ever seen about white cis male privilege and how it erodes everything in its wake like a tooth left in a bottle of Coke for three weeks? This is not even happening.

Then we finally get to the Access Hollywood tape of it all. It usually works, he says to Cameran about just kissing any girl he thinks is hot. It usually works. Luckily, there isnt any Cinnamon Toast Crunch left for me to barf up. Whats sad is that hes right: We live in a world where dudes think this is acceptable and they dont even know any better. They dont even know that its wrong and that makes me want to rip off my eyelids and feed them to a brontosaurus. It takes all of the Chelseas and the Camerans and especially the Austens of the world to stand up to these guys on an individual case-by-case basis to tell them that it doesnt work, it is wrong, and there will be consequences if they keep behaving like that. That is how we dismantle rape culture. We rip it apart by watching shows like this where we see it, we say that it is awful, and we let the world know that no woman should ever be dragged into the back of a bar and be beset by a drunk, privileged man who expects to walk away blameless.

There is a lot that happens in this episode  Kathryns ridiculous photo shoot, J.D.s ridiculous bow tie, Landons ridiculous tears over her ridiculous website with its ridiculous name, Craig and Naomies ridiculous attempts to try to save their doomed relationship, whatever the hell sad store where Kathryn goes shopping  but its so rare when reality gets real. Its so rare when there are these moments, these small little incidents that show who all of these people are and expose them for the monsters (or victims or heroes or attackers) that they really are. We need to honor those moments. We need to listen to Chelsea, believe her, and be willing to stand up for her and what is right. We need to tell Shep that no one will ever sleep with him again if he keeps running around thinking he can just grab women because hes famous. Every day, thanks to pop culture like this, more and more people are willing to stand up and fight back, and thank God were finally in a time when that happens.
You might already feel like youre living in a museum dedicated to Donald Trumps tweets every day of your life, but this weekend The Daily Show invites you to take that feeling to the next level  plus free air-conditioning, on them. Located at 3 West 57th Street in Manhattan, a block and a half from Trump Tower, The Daily Shows Donald J. Trump Presidential Tweet Library memorializes our first social-media-obsessed POTUS. The pop-up memorial offers interactive exhibits like a complete timeline of Trumps constantly evolving Twitter presence, testimonials from actual people directly targeted by Trump on Twitter, and, of course, a golden toilet from which you can issue your tweets. The museum will only physically exist from Friday through Sunday, but to quote Hotel California, you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.


A brief clip of remarks from Oskar Eustis before the show begins. Happy opening, JULIUS CAESAR. pic.twitter.com/84zx8KgvxN  The Public Theater (@PublicTheaterNY) June 13, 2017

Before Monday evenings opening night of Julius Caesar, the artistic director of the Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, addressed the controversy surrounding their Shakespeare in the Park production. The play, he said, warns about what happens when you try to preserve democracy by non-democratic means. Again, spoiler alert: it doesnt end too good. As Eustis explained in part to a supportive audience, Like drama, democracy depends on the conflict of different points of view. Nobody owns the truth. We all own the culture. Both Delta Air Lines and Bank of America withdrew their sponsorship of the yearly free outdoor Shakespeare festival in response to a negative backlash received by the Public Theaters version of the show, which depicts Julius Caesar as a blonde, modern-day Trump-like tyrant. Not exactly crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of war, but the theaters stance on the whole debacle is pretty clear nonetheless.
By Saurabh Vaktania, Mayuresh Ganapatye: Police investigating the death of 27-year-old model-actress Kritika Choudhary are banking on CCTV footage and the autopsy report for clues on what transpired in the suspected murder.

There are four CCTV cameras near Bhairavnath Co-op Society, where Choudhary was found dead, and Mumbai police are collecting footage from cameras at a temple and a grocery shop close by.

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In mysterious death case of model-actress Kritika Choudhary on one hand Mumbai police is waiting for autopsy report where on second hand they have not obtained CCTV footage from nearby temple and grocery shop. ?. They have obtained footage of one month.

"We have known for the last six months. She used to come to the temple and feed dogs here. Last I saw her outside the building 5-6 days back. I had been to her house to perform a pooja. I never heared any complaint about her from society members," said Abhimanyu, a pandit at a Sai Mandir near the society. "Police asked me for temple's CCTV which I have given to them," he said.

The police has, meanwhile, detained two people and is questioning them. They have also infomred her family, which is on their way to Mumbai.

"Our investigation is on. We will abale to tell you the reason of death after we get the autopsy report only. We are observing CCTV footage," said ACP Chavan. Encounter-specialist Daya Nayak, who recently resumed duty, is also part of investigation team.

Kritika was found dead in mysterious circumstances at her flat in Andheri today morning. The incident came to light when Kritika's neighbours complained of a foul smell emanating from her flat and informed the police. Authorities suspect it to be a case of murder.

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By Press Trust of India: Washington, Jun 13 (PTI) Scientists have invented a bio- sensor technology - known as a lab on a chip - that could be used in hand-held or wearable devices to monitor health and exposure to dangerous bacteria, viruses and pollutants.

"This is really important in the context of personalised medicine or personalised health monitoring," said Mehdi Javanmard, an assistant professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in the US.

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"We are talking about platforms the size of a USB flash drive or something that can be integrated onto an Apple Watch, for example, or a Fitbit," said Javanmard.

The technology, which involves electronically barcoding microparticles, giving them a bar code that identifies them, could be used to test for health and disease indicators, bacteria and viruses, along with air and other contaminants.

In recent decades, research on biomarkers - indicators of health and disease such as proteins or DNA molecules - has revealed the complex nature of the molecular mechanisms behind human disease.

That has heightened the importance of testing bodily fluids for numerous biomarkers simultaneously, researchers said.

Bulky optical instruments are the state-of-the-art technology for detecting and measuring biomarkers, but they are too big to wear or add to a portable device, said Javanmard, senior author of the study published in the journal Lab on a Chip.

Electronic detection of microparticles allows for ultra- compact instruments needed for wearable devices.

The new technique for barcoding particles is, for the first time, fully electronic. That allows biosensors to shrink to the size of a wearable band or a micro-chip.

The technology is greater than 95 per cent accurate in identifying biomarkers and fine-tuning is underway to make it 100 per cent accurate, Javanmard said.

The team is also working on portable detection of microrganisms, including disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

"Imagine a small tool that could analyse a swab sample of what is on the doorknob of a bathroom or front door and detect influenza or a wide array of other virus particles," he said.

That kind of tool could be commercially available within about two years, and health monitoring and diagnostic tools could be available within about five years, Javanmard added. PTI SAR SAR

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The former Chilis building at North Valley Mills Drive and Bosque Boulevard has hit the market again, and a real estate agent said it has attracted attention from two national restaurant chains hoping to enter Waco.

Dallas-based Fin Development had placed the 5,111-square-foot structure under contract after Chilis closed there and relocated to a new mixed-use center at South Valley Mills Drive and Interstate 35. But that deal collapsed, said commercial agent Pat Farrar, who is listing the property.

Farrar said during an interview Monday the owner of the building, RexCo Development of California, would prefer to lease the building. Farrar is quoting a rate of $22 a square foot triple net, meaning the lessee also would cover the cost of taxes, maintenance and insurance.

Im in the early stages of discussions with two restaurant chains, Farrar said. I get a lot of inquiries from prospects wanting to buy the place, but were not even quoting a price. The owner wants a lease.

Real estate agent Josh Carter represented Fin Development in its negotiations to acquire the former Chilis building. He said company officials grew tired of dealing with delays and obstacles to getting a deal done.

The group that owns the shopping center where the building is located would not respond to requests to view our architectural plans, though we asked them to do so on several occasions, Carter said. There were some architectural restrictions and deed restrictions that had to be dealt with, and we fought tooth and nail to make it happen, but we could not.

Carter said Fin Development was prepared to spend multi-millions of dollars to take that building down to its shell and give it an entirely new look. What they had planned would have done nothing but enhance Parkdale Shopping Center. And while we were talking, another group acquired the vacant Johnny Carinos building nearby, and beat us to the punch as far as placing a privately operated emergency room on North Valley Mills Drive. We thought the two locations were too close to one another for both to operate successfully, so Fin Development withdrew.

Atlanta-based Core Property Capital, which owns nearly all of Parkdale shopping center except for the former Chilis building, could not be reached for comment on the negotiations. The center includes such tenants as Hobby Lobby, Drug Emporium, Dickeys Barbecue Pit and 99 Cents Only, among other retailers and restaurants.

Farrar said Core Property had approval rights to changes made in the Chilis building, though the structure has a separate owner. He said Parkdale and Chilis once shared the same ownership group.

Express ER opened June 3 in the former Carinos space at 1411 N. Valley Mills Drive. Company officials said it represented an alternative to the Premier ER and Urgent Care locations that have opened in Woodway and on Interstate 35 near University Parks Drive.

Five physicians partnered with an investment group to open Express ER, which offers laboratory services, X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds. They spent about $3 million to convert the vacant restaurant space into a 6,500-square-foot, full-service emergency facility, said Paula Hatfield, regional administrator for Express ER, which operates other emergency facilities in Temple and San Antonio and plans another in Harker Heights.

Construction of private emergency centers without hospital affiliation has exploded since the Texas Legislature in 2009 passed the Texas Freestanding Emergency Medical Care Facility Licensing Act.

Such facilities are comparable to hospital ERs and can deal with medical crises including heart attacks, strokes and major accidents.

Chilis decided to close for business in Parkdale shopping center more than a year before its lease was to expire in July of 2017. A new Chilis went up in the development at South Valley Mills Drive and I-35 anchored by a Gander Mountain outdoors store that will close following a quitting-business sale prompted by the retailers bankruptcy filing.
A new construction project at Rapoport Academy will soon allow elementary students flexibility to work on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics projects in one designated location at the charter school systems North Elementary campus.

The nearly $300,000 project will transform the campus basement into a STEAM lab for second- through fourth-grade students by this fall, Rapoport STEM coordinator Clay Springer said.

The facility will allow the school to expand the campus by turning its current reading, science and art rooms on its upper level into three other classrooms and add a new STEAM and science teacher, he said.

The lab will also improve how elementary education directly ties into higher-level STEAM education within the school system and across the U.S., Superintendent Alexis Neumann said.

In recent years, there has been a nationwide push for STEAM education to be a priority, with former President Barack Obama urging students to move from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

[The lab] brings it more from being just a part of the class to a focused, dedicated curricular space. For us at Rapoport, every student, every day has exposure to STEAM-related industries, content, projects and problems, Neumann said. Thats what this is going to help us do for second- through fourth-grade students.

Rapoport Academy has been a T-STEM school district since about 2006 for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school system offers hands-on, creative engineering projects and target STEAM curriculum with learning opportunities on and off campus, school officials said.

But most of Rapoports individualized STEAM classes, certifications and endorsement opportunities dont begin to take off until middle school, Neumann said.

This expansion will place a unique focus on STEAM with designated lab time to each area throughout the school week, something that hasnt been done before, she said.

Were pulling science out of the classroom and moving it down here for our classroom teachers, and allowing them to focus on two subjects at a time instead of four, Springer said. Weve also changed our whole schedule to fit around this. We changed it to where students come down here in blocks.

The facility, once used for storage only, will have two classrooms and a reading area near an older fire place that hasnt been used in years. One classroom will house computers and 10 to 12 tables, while the other will have a work space for art, including a large sink, a 3-D printer or two and a kiln, he said.

The districts also making changes to its middle and high school facilities because, starting this year, all Rapoport students will be required to take a STEAM 1 course, Springer said. The new lab will make the transition from elementary-level STEAM work to middle school work easier, he said.

The three free rooms upstairs will then transform into a resource room, and two second-grade classrooms. Right now, second- and fourth-grade students are split between two buildings on the campus, he said.

The new lab will now allow the campus to keep both grade levels together in their respective buildings, and open another room in the second building for an intervention specialist, Springer said.

Im excited about having more space and for them to have all that space down there to create, dean of academics Amy Taylor said. Weve been doing STEAM in the classrooms, and here theyre going to be able to spread out and flow from room to room. Im looking forward to that for them.
A woman traveling on a Greyhound bus through Bruceville-Eddy was arrested early Monday morning after she stabbed a woman on the bus four times, Bruceville-Eddy Police Chief Bill McLean said.

Reshundra Denise Pickens, 31, was arrested after police were called to mile-marker 317 on northbound Interstate 35 at about 12:30 a.m. McLean said Pickens was on the bus when she moved seats and sat next to another woman whom she apparently did not know.

"(Pickens) sat down and started asking the other woman questions, but (the second woman) just looked at her funny," McLean said. "Pickens didn't get a response because the other woman only speaks Spanish, so Pickens got upset and pulled a knife."

Pickens allegedly stabbed the woman four times in the torso, McLean said. Police were called and found Pickens in possession of a knife with a 4 1/2-inch blade.

McLean said the injured woman was taken to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center for her injuries. Her condition was not available Monday evening.

Pickens was arrested on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault. She remained in McLennan County Jail on Monday evening with a bond listed at $10,000.
Rudolph Wesley Scott, Jr.

July 20, 1927 - June 9, 2017

Mr. Rudolph Wesley Scott, Jr., 89, passed away Friday, June 9, 2017 in Kingwood, Texas. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 15, 2017, Waco Memorial Park with the Rev. Josh Pruett officiating. Family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, Cole Funeral Home, McGregor.

Mr. Scott was born July 20, 1927 to Rudolph and Pearl (Breeding) Scott in Falls County, Texas.He married the love of his life, Annie Bea Gent, on December 24, 1949. Mr. Scott proudly served in the United States Merchant Marines. After his service in the Merchant Marines, he worked as a power station operation supervisor with Texas Power and Light for 40 years.

Rudolph was preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife, Bea, on August 9, 2016.

Survivors include his son, Randy Scott and wife, Lynn, of College Station; grandchildren, Emily Rickman and husband, Chris, of Spring, Heather Pulaski and husband, Scott, of Springboro, Ohio, Brad Scott and wife, Brook, of Montgomery, and Andy Scott of College Station; six great-grandchildren; brother, Harvey Scott of Kerrville, TX; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
When Waco Today took a look back at the Miss Waco Pageant from its beginning in the 1960s to the mid-1990s, it wasnt able to contact many of the past winners in time for the story.

Deanna Williams Bracciale, the Miss Waco winner in 1987, wanted to get a chance to share how much she enjoyed her time in her role.

The China Spring High School graduate attended and earned her degree from Baylor in radio, TV and film, going on to work at KWTX 97.5 FM as a disc jockey.

She said she competed in pageants for a few years, especially because she figured it could help in her career in radio, TV and film.

These days, however, she is busy as a regional trainer for H-E-B pharmacies in the North Central Texas area (Editors note: the May story incorrectly listed her as a pharmacist for H-E-B).

She continues to have fond memories of her time as Miss Waco.

I got to meet a lot of really nice people and have made lifelong friends through it, she said.

She remembers trying to always be available to represent the pageant and the city as Miss Waco at various events during her title reign in 1987-88.

There could be appearances with the Mayors Committee on Disabilities to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Sickle Cell Anemia Association, American Heart Association, local boat races on the river, to name just a few.

She was busy, she said, adding that shed often have appearances about four days out of every week, sometimes without a lot of advance notice.

I kept my crown and banner in the back seat of my car, just so I could be ready, she said. I wanted to do as much as I could do as Miss Waco.

When she competed the pageant occurred the same time as Celebrate Waco, which resulted in large crowds attending the local pageant

Bracciale said she also won the Peoples Choice Award at the pageant, which gave her even more incentive to represent her hometown well.

I hoped to show that this is what Waco is about, she said.

She enjoyed getting to represent Waco at the Miss Texas USA Pageant in 1989 in San Antonio.

It was a great experience, she said. Im glad I did it. I wouldnt trade those days for anything.

Reunion Event

DiAmore Fine Jewelers is hosting and sponsoring a Miss Waco Reunion cocktail event from 5 to 8 p.m. June 15 at its business, 4541 W. Waco Drive, to honor former contestants and winners of the Miss Waco pageants

All contestants and winners are invited to RSVP to DiAmore Fine Jewelers by calling 776-9877 to secure an honorary gift and official invitation.
The government aims to develop Lahaul-Spiti as part of the Buddhist tourism circuit.

By India Today Web Desk: A hilly terrain with trekking trails, monasteries, diverse flora and fauna, and a rich Tibet-influenced culture--the twin districts of Lahaul and Spiti boast of a wide variety of attractions to woo tourists.

To tap its tourism potential, these destinations in Himachal Pradesh have now been identified to be developed as new tourist spots.

Union Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma assured that the Centre has approved Rs 250 crore to develop the much-talked-about Buddhist tourism circuit in parts of India, including Lahaul-Spiti. The minister said this while visiting the district on the occasion of Chandra-Bhaga Sangam Parv.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/deepakkoundal

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The trans-national Buddhist circuit from India to Nepal has been one of the most important tourism projects envisioned by the government. With Buddhism having originated in India, the government is looking at bringing more of Buddhist pilgrims to India.

Also Read:4 of the least populated Indian villages you must travel to

Mahesh Sharma also added that the Tandi Sangam, where Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet, would be developed for tourism purposes, as per the demand of people, as there was no dearth of funds to execute the project, reported The Tribune.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/mayank16196 Picture courtesy: Instagram/mayank16196

Besides, the Centre has reportedly approved Rs 100 crore to develop four museums in Himachal Pradesh, as part of its endeavour to promote tourism in the state.

Revamping Lahaul-Spiti as a tourist destination would also mean added employment opportunities for otherwise-deprived inhabitants.

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Hit by a massive farmers' protest over mounting debt and better crop prices, Madhya Pradesh witnessed at least 2 more farmer suicides in the last 24 hours. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is likely to visit Mandsaur tomorrow.

By India Today Web Desk: Hit by a massive farmers' protest over mounting debt and better crop prices, Madhya Pradesh witnessed at least two more farmer suicides in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is expected to visit Mandsaur tomorrow, his first visit since police firing killed six farmers in the violence-hit district.

Makhan Lal Digolia, 68, killed himself by hanging from a tree in Hoshangabad's Seoni Malwa. News channel NDTV reported that another farmer Dhulichand, 52, allegedly committed suicide last night in Sehore, which happens to be the hometown of Chief Minister Chouhan.

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The two suicides continue to headline the plight of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, which saw a violent protest in Mandsaur and other places last week, resulting in the death of at least six farmers in police firing. On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh government also appointed Justice JK Jain (retd) to head the one-member judicial commission to probe the June 6 police firing in Mandsaur.

Chouhan later sat on an indefinite fast in capital Bhopal to placate the protesting farmers, which he ended with a few announcements to benefit the farming community in his state. On Sunday, Chouhan ended his day-old fast.

The farmers in Madhya Pradesh are on strike since June 1 demanding loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce.

According to a report in the Times of India, the latest national crime record bureau (NCRB) claims that 11,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state in the last nine years.

Also read | Shivraj Singh Chouhan asks collectors not to be casual towards issues concerning farmers

Also read | Farmers will fire bullets at government under our leadership: Madhya Pradesh Congress leader

Also read | Madhya Pradesh: Mandsaur farmers, traders say demonetisation doomed us

WATCH VIDEO

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James Packer's Crown Resorts says all its staff who have been detained in China since October have now been charged with offences relating to the promotion of gambling.

Employees who had been released on bail had also been charged, it said in a statement to the ASX. Their cases have been referred to the Baoshan District Court.

Crown said no further comment would be made as the matter was now before the courts.

A total of 18 Crown employees  including Australians Jason O'Connor, Jerry Xuan and Pan Dan, Malaysian Alfread Gomez and 14 Chinese nationals  were detained in a co-ordinated police operation across several Chinese cities on October 13 and 14 targeting the gaming giant's marketing activities in China.
The appointment of administrators could give the broadcaster a chance to extract itself from onerous supply contracts with US networks CBS and 20th Century Fox. Lachlan Murdoch (left) holds 7.5 per cent of Ten and has formed an alliance with Bruce Gordon. James Packer still holds 7.7 per cent of shares. Credit:Rob Homer A lengthy administration process would also give parliament time to pass proposed media reform laws that would lift ownership restrictions and scrap broadcast licence fees (costing Ten about $23 million annually). But the new laws have not been introduced yet and parliament has just nine sitting weeks left this year. Mr Murdoch and Mr Gordon are both prevented from owning controlling stakes in Ten by the two-out-of-three and reach rules in media ownership laws. They are currently overseas, but are being represented in meetings by advisors. Masterchef is rating well, but Ten has entered a trading halt as it sorts out debt problems. Credit:Martin Philbey

In late April, the board warned there was material uncertainty about the group's ability to continue as going concern unless it was able to cut costs, renegotiate contracts with US suppliers, and secure licence fee cuts. It was also reliant on the three shareholders guaranteeing the next loan. Back in 2013, directors also warned the cost and risk of other funding sources "made them unpalatable", raising questions about Ten's ability to find palatable sources of debt in coming months, especially given shareholder support was necessary to clinch an affordable and acceptable loan from Commonwealth Bank. Logical buyer Network Ten has often struggled since it was launched in the 1960s, according to Mark Westfield, author of a history of Australia's media industry called The Gatekeepers. "Every time Ten gets into trouble, the many times it has struck financial trouble, it has found a buyer," he said.

He sees Foxtel, which already owns 14 per cent of Ten, as the logical buyer, but this would require it to work around existing media ownership laws or wait until the reforms pass. The current chairman, David Gordon, is a former corporate adviser and lawyer. Other directors include Debbie Goodin, former trade minister Andrew Robb (who represents Gina Rinehart's 8.2 per cent), Andrew Lancaster, chief executive of Win Corporation and representative for Mr Gordon's 15 per cent, and Foxtel chief executive Peter Tonagh. 'Unsettling time' In a brief email to staff on Tuesday, Mr Anderson told staff he would keep them updated.

"Whilst this is an unsettling time for us all, we must assume that our operations continue as usual," he wrote. But employees have expressed disappointment in Ten's management to Fairfax Media. Some say that communication from senior executives has been infrequent and evasive. "We're pretty much being kept in the dark," one worker says. "We learn what's happening by reading stories in other news outlets." Programming improvement Meanwhile, Ten's struggles are not explained by ratings alone. In March, the network axed its failed weight loss series The Biggest Loser: Transformed.

It could scarcely afford another flop. More than ever, it needed its new season of MasterChef to work - and it has. Last week, the Tuesday and Thursday episodes of the long-running cooking show attracted more than 1 million capital city viewers each. (These figures include repeat and catch-up ratings). Slow-burn success Have You Been Paying Attention did even better, with an audience of nearly 1.2 million. Still to come this year are new seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Offspring and Australian Survivor. All punch above their weight in the lucrative under-55 demographics. Ten will also debut Common Sense, a spin-off of the successful Gogglebox (which also airs on pay TV provider and partner Foxtel). Just a few years ago, the network endured a string of expensive flops: The Shire, Being Lara Bingle, Everybody Dance Now, I Will Survive, Breakfast and Wake Up. Last week, however, it captured almost 30 per cent of prime time viewers aged 25-54.

So why can't Ten turn a profit in 2017, given the considerable improvement in its programming? Growing competition Partly to blame is growing competition from online behemoths. As Google and Facebook take an ever-increasing slice of advertising budgets, the price of TV commercials has dropped. In early 2016, for instance, a 30-second prime time ad cost around $60,000. Just a few months ago, similar spots were selling for $50,000. Loading Meanwhile, Ten is encumbered by expensive content deals with US studios Fox and CBS (rumoured to cost a combined $120 million annually). Yet the value of American programs to Australian broadcasters is dwindling. Most attract smaller audiences than they used to, thanks to competition from pay TV, streaming services - and piracy.
Gonski Review panel member Kathryn Greiner says it would be a "disaster" if the Senate voted down the Turnbull government's new school funding model, making her the second panellist in two days to throw their support behind the changes.

On Tuesday, former NSW and South Australian department of education boss Ken Boston said Parliament was on the "threshold of a new deal of historic national importance" and it would be a "tragedy" if the opportunity were allowed to pass.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham and Senate kingmaker Nick Xenophon seized upon Dr Boston's comments as evidence the current funding system needs to be overhauled.

Ms Greiner, who recently conducted an internal review of the NSW Catholic school system, told Fairfax Media: "I agree 100 per cent with what Ken said - it would be a disaster for Australian education if this doesn't pass.
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak Credit:AP In his opening statement, Sessions said any suggestion that he participated in or was aware of any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to undermine the democratic process "is an appalling and detestable lie." Sessions also denied talking to any Russian official in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington at an event in April 2016, rejecting reports that he may have had an undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, at that event. Jeff Sessions appearing before the Senate committee on Tuesday. Credit:Washington Post livestream He said he recalled no private conversations with any Russian officials at that reception and "if any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador, I do not remember it."

The Huffington Post reported March 8 that Sessions and Kislyak had attended that event, at which Trump was also present, but that it was not clear whether the two had spoken. CNN has more recently reported that there continue to be questions about whether there was such a meeting. The issue matters because Sessions testified at his confirmation hearing that he did not communicate with the Russians in 2016, but it later emerged that he had at least two contacts with Kislyak; the question is whether there was a third. (Sessions has said his answer at the hearing was accurate in context.) Communications with Trump

Sessions refused to talk about direct communications with Trump, saying, "I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect the confidential communications I have with the president." Pressed by Warner, though, Sessions clarified that Trump had not invoked executive privilege -- a constitutional doctrine that permits a president to shield his confidential communications with subordinates. Rather, he said it was a matter of longstanding Justice Department practices to keep those discussions secret. "I'm not able to comment on conversations with high officials in the White House," Sessions said, denying that he was "stonewalling." As the testimony unfolded, that played out in several ways. For example, at one point, Sessions refused to say whether he had discussed the FBI investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election with Trump. At another, asked by Senator Marco Rubio about the account the account of James Comey, the former FBI director, that Trump had cleared the Oval Office after a February 14 meeting -- including asking Sessions to leave -- Sessions said that would be a White House communication he could not comment on.

But when Rubio asked if Sessions remembered seeing Comey stay behind, Sessions replied, "Yes." Sen. Martin Heinrich criticised Sessions for refusing to answer questions about his conversations with Trump. The senator argued that since the president had not invoked executive privilege, Sessions had no legal basis for declining to provide answers, accusing him of "obstructing" the congressional investigation. Sessions said he believed it would be inappropriate to discuss confidential communications with the president that were potentially subject to executive privilege before Trump had an opportunity to decide whether to invoke it. "I have consulted with senior career attorneys in the department," Sessions said. "I believe this is consistent with my duties." Sessions contradicts Comey

Sessions offered a different account of what he said when Comey approached him following a meeting February 14 in the Oval Office with Trump. Comey recounted that after a routine counterterrorism meeting, Trump cleared the room of everyone else -- including Sessions -- and then made comments that Comey interpreted as an improper request to drop an investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser. Afterward, Comey said, he "implored" Sessions never to leave him alone with the president again, but Sessions did not respond. After Comey's testimony last week, the Justice Department released a statement contesting Comey's account that Sessions had merely remained silent, and Sessions himself on Tuesday said directly and under oath that he did respond. "While he did not provide me with any of the substance of his conversation with the president, Mr. Comey expressed concern about the proper communications protocol with the White House and with the president," Sessions said.

"I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policies regarding appropriate contacts with the White House." He added: "I was confident that Mr Comey understood and would abide by the department's well-established rules governing any communications with the White House about ongoing investigations. My comments encouraged him to do just that, and indeed, as I understand, he did." Robert Mueller's tenure Under questioning from Warner, Sessions said he would not have anything to do with any effort, should one emerge, to fire Robert Mueller as special counsel, since he is recused from the Russia investigation Mueller is leading. "I wouldn't think that would be appropriate for me to do," he said.

As things stand, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is the acting attorney general for the purpose of overseeing the Russia investigation, and so oversees Mueller. Still, Sessions was involved in recommending the firing of Comey -- a decision Trump said he made while thinking about the Russia investigation -- despite being recused from it. Sessions defends his recusal Sessions defended his involvement in the decision to fire Comey, explaining that his recusal did not prevent him from having a say in his department's management decisions. "It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation would render an attorney general unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations," he said. He argued that he recused himself not because of "any sort of wrongdoing," but in accordance with department regulations regarding his involvement with Trump's presidential campaign.

"This is the reason I recused myself," he said, holding up a copy of the rule. "I felt I was required to under the rules of the Department of Justice." But Sessions made it clear that would not stop him from defending himself. "I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honour against scurrilous and false accusations," he said. Misleading senators? Sessions sent a stand-in to the Appropriations Committee, Rosenstein, but that did not stop Democrats there from venting their frustrations at him.
The Maharashtra government is set to release advance of Rs 10,000 to farmers to help them sow in Kharif season.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: The Maharashtra cabinet today decided to disburse Rs 10,000 to farmers ahead of the sowing season to take off their monetary burden to some extent.

Marginal farmers that comprise almost 80 per cent of the total agrarian population will be benefited from the advance.

The demand made by Shiv Sena in the Cabinet meet and was unanimously accepted.

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HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Farmers were worried about missing the sowing season due to monetary constraints and hence the demand made by the Shiv Sena was to facilitate farmers in buying seeds.

"The loan waiver package is being worked out... But in the meantime farmers need money for seeds for the Kharif sowing... Loan waiver will happen but till then we demanded that an advance of Rs 10,000 be paid to them, so that they do not miss the deadline," said Diwakar Raote, Maharashtra Transport Minister.

However, there was a fallout between BJP and Shiv Sena over who raised the loan advance issue.

"It was unanimously decided in the earlier meeting that advance should be paid to farmers as immediate relief," Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said.

He further said that if the district banks are unable to disburse loans, then nationalised banks will give crop loans.

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By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Adding to the already existing set of woes of the state, 16 lakh employees of the Maharshtra government have threatened to go on a three-day strike in July demanding the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. The state government Employees Union has been demanding immediate implementation of the pay commission and had even threatened a similar strike in January, earlier this year.

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Speaking to India Today, secretary of the employees union, Avinash Daund said, "Apart from the 7th Pay Commission, our demand is also to extend the retirement age to 60 years. But that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. So if our demand is not met, we will go on a strike on July 12, 13 and 14, and if the government doesn't budge then we will go on an indefinite strike."

STATE REELING UNDER FISCAL DEFICIT

According to rough estimates, Rs 24,000 crores are required to implement the 7th Pay Commission. The state government is already reeling under severe debt and fiscal deficit. Maharashtra has a debt of Rs 3,85,000 crores for the financial year 2016-17. A sum of Rs 25,000 crores is paid only as an interest over the debt.

Till the end of next financial year, the figure is likely to cross Rs 4,00,000 crores. Presently, the state has a fiscal deficit of Rs 5,511 crore.

After scrapping the LBT, an additional burden of Rs 7 thousand crore has been put on the state. The recent decision by the Supreme Court to ban liquor shops and bars on highways has also added a burden of Rs 7 thousand crores on the state.

The demand coming at such a crucial juncture has only added to the worries of the government.

Also read: 7th Pay Commission: Central government employees likely to get revised allowances from July

Also read: 7th Pay Commission: Narendra Modi-led cabinet may decide on revised allowances for govt employees tomorrow

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Following an invitation by school teachers from a primary school in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, a representative of Cyprus Customs met with 6th grade students on 6 June 2017 to brief them during a lesson that was being given on the illicit trade in antiquities.

After a brief introduction on the role of Customs today and the challenges it faces, as well as the structure and organization of Cyprus Customs, Customs Officer Georgios Constantinou explained what was being done to control the movement of cultural objects and the main results achieved in this field so far by his administration.

He also showed the students several photos during his talk, including one of a holy icon that was ordered through E-bay and later seized at the post office. In addition, the students were shown various awareness-raising videos on the prevention of illicit trafficking and the protection of cultural heritage from destruction.

The students were very focused during the presentation and actively participated in the discussion. Answering a question aimed at assessing their knowledge on what Customs actually does, one of the students responded that since ancient times Customs has been responsible for collecting taxes.

Asked by a student whether Customs checks all imported parcels in Cyprus, Mr. Constantinou said that, due to the increasingly high volume of imported parcels and the need to facilitate legal trade, it is not possible to check all of them. He went on to say that for this reason, Customs used risk analysis as a tool in the fight against trafficking.

The initiative taken by Cyprus Customs to participate in such a course, which was well received, was a start in cultivating students consciousness when it comes to the protection of cultural heritage and, according to the administrations Head of Education and Training, may lay the foundation for a comprehensive awareness campaign targeting schools in the coming years.
At the invitation of the G20 German Presidency, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya attended the G20 Africa Conference, held in Berlin, Germany on 12 and 13 June 2017. The Conference was opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the presence of a number of Presidents and Ministers of Finance of African countries as well as heads of international organisations. The main points that emerged from the keynote speeches in relation to Customs work were economic growth, domestic resource mobilisation, peace and security and capacity building.

At the panel session on macroeconomic stability and developing strong tax systems, Secretary General Mikuriya explained the Customs operational model of transaction-based real time actions and its significance in capturing commercial data at the borders, fighting effectively against fraud, and tackling the issue of illicit financial flow. The Secretary General pointed out that building on this operational model, Customs major functions have evolved to include, inter alia, the following : efficient collection of revenue, with Customs contributing, on average, to around 40% of tax revenue in African states; provision of an enabling environment for private investment by the development of soft infrastructure for trade and transport through simplification, digitisation in collaboration with other regular agencies and a risk-based approach that is required by the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation; and contribution to security through a continuous and relentless fight against illicit trade. Dr. Mikuriya, therefore, urges political leaders in Africa, G20 partners and the international organisations to provide sufficient resources and support for capacity building in institution building while understanding Customs strength and potential contribution.

At the Ready to Trade breakout session, Secretary General Mikuriya emphasised the need for ownership approach by political leaders by applying best practices that the WCO offers towards regional integration in Africa, involving the African Union and regional economic communities in a more collaborative manner.
At the invitation of Mr. Alwyn Nicely, Permanent Secretary of CCLEC, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the 39th CCLEC Conference held in Miami, United States, from 23 to 25 May. Twenty-six Heads of Customs and senior delegates participated in the Conference, as well as representatives of several regional and global international organizations. The meeting was organized under the theme Digital partnerships in a connected world.

WCO Deputy Secretary General Mujica made a keynote address at the opening of the Conference, highlighting the key priorities the WCO is currently working on, with special focus on digital Customs and data analysis, which is the WCO theme for the year 2017. Mr. Mujica also recognized CCLEC as a key partner for the WCO in its efforts to modernize Customs administrations in the Caribbean region, and invited CCLEC Members which have not yet joined the WCO to do so.

CCLEC Permanent Secretary Alwyn Nicely reported on the main activities developed by CCLEC over the past year, particularly in the area of engagement with key stakeholders, IT and capacity building. The Conference also agreed on the main strategic priorities for CCLEC, including ratification of its Treaty by 2018; improving the automated Customs clearance service provided to yacht operators; data sharing; and the development of a strategic threat assessment for the region.
The weather this year has been perhaps the worst in the past 50 years bringing the entire area to a standstill. Several houses have collapsed in the hills and dead livestock is seen floating in the river.

By Manogya Loiwal : Mizoram is facing one of its worst fury in past few years due to bad weather. Buildings have collapsed and at least have died in the region due to incessant rain. The weather this year has been perhaps the worst in the past 50 years bringing the entire area to a standstill. Several houses have collapsed in the hills and dead livestock is seen floating in the river.

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Heavy rains and thundershowers in Mizoram have caused the largest recorded flooding of the Tlawng river in the last 50 years. Damage has been so extensive that even a rough estimate of the damages due to landslides and mudslides across several districts is difficult.

The landslides had already destroyed several houses this morning, and also took down the main road. Locals are currently helping evacuating people from buildings in parts of Mizoram.

In one part of Siarang, approximately 15 houses have been destroyed and more than 50 have been evacuated. More houses were destroyed by a landslide in Changpui, which is situated in the Lunglei district of Mizoram.

While no fatalities have been reported yet, there have been some close shaves. Lalchhuanmawia, a local resident of Changpui, was rescued alongwith two of his children, but suffered severe injuries. His wife and youngest daughter, however, are still missing.

The rains have completely blocked the road between Aizawl and Champhai, and at one point has caused a 30-feet collapse on Tuirial Airfield Road, which also called NH 54.

In Tlabung, which falls under the Lunglei District, more than 80 families have been evacuated from their homes, and close to 70 houses have been submerged by the floods. In Serhmun, over a 100 houses have been swept away by the floods.

While locals are doing their best to cope with the natural disaster, it has permanently destroyed the livelihoods of many who live in the state.

With Hmingmawia in MizoramWATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) With a focus on natural history, environment and spirituality, the eighth edition of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival is to be held in August this year in Thimphu, Bhutan.

An initiative of India-Bhutan Foundation along with literary consultancy Siyahi, the three-day festival will begin from August 25.

A celebration of literature, art and music, the festival will host guests like Australian author Markus Zusak, American television host and author Padma Lakshmi and fiction-thriller writer Ashwin Sanghi.

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"Over the last eight years, Mountain Echoes has established itself as one of the most thoughtful, moving and evocative celebrations of literature anywhere on our planet.

"The shared narratives of Bhutan and India, and of mountain regions everywhere, expand the space for insights across cultures and geographies," Namita Gokhale, co-director of the festival, said.

The event will also explore globally-relevant issues such as conservation, spirituality and evolution of textiles and design traditions.

Presenting a view on this years theme, founder of Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, Siok Sian Dorji said, "The vision of the festival is to present a confluence of literature, art and music from both India and Bhutan.

"This year is a specially-designed programme that will enable the audiences to engage in the form of storytelling that inspires them. Masterpieces on canvas, through music and performances, or literature. Theres something for everyone. The festival as always is free for everyone to attend."

The festival will set a pace for discussions on ancient cultures while presenting an insight into philosophy of both the nations.

Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik will share the stage along with author Jerry Pinto and Sharanya Manivannan, author of the book The High Priestess Never Marries: Stories of Love and Consequence, among others.

Presented by Jaypee Group, the festival will also hold discussions on Bhutanese arts and fashion with photographer- filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji and designers Chimmi Choden and Chandrika Tamang at the event. PTI RJS MAH BK

--- ENDS ---
A shocking CCTV footage surfaced where a leopard was seen barging into a girls hostel in Mumbai.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Humans invading the wildlife day by day has created a conflict between the man and the wild. It might be a survival tactic for animals but for humans it can prove to be dangerous.

In a recent case near Mumbai, a shocking CCTV footage surfaced where a leopard was seen barging into a girls hostel. The leopard wandered off into the Aarey jungle area of Goregaon inside the Bombay Veterinary College and started attacking two stray dogs.

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In the video, when the leopard attacks the dog, another dog comes to his rescue but fails to save him and runs away. The leopard being stronger than a stray, took away the dog inside the jungle as his meal.

The hostel officials are, however, concerned that the dogs attract the leopards. Hence, students are advised not to feed stray dogs.

Here's the exclusive CCTV footage:

--- ENDS ---
Paducah City Commission sees three retain seats and one return
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 12, 2017 | 04:19 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A second music retailer in Paducah was recently named as one of the top 100 music merchants by a worldwide association.Symphony Supply was named as a Top 100 dealer by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the global association of music products and music retailers.They will receive the award on July 14 at the dealer awards event held as part of the 2017 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee.In a press release, Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO, said, Symphony Supply is dedicated to the pursuit of creating a more musical world, shared.The Top 100 Dealer award underscores their commitment to create a space which welcomes and inspires music makers through their products and services," he said.An independent panel of judges reviewed hundreds of submissions before compiling the top 100 list. Stores were rated on customer service, music advocacy, store design and promotions.

Sarah Story from Symphony Supply reacted to the news, saying, "We are thrilled about the recognition and are proud to serve the people of western Kentucky, southern Illinois, southeast Missouri and northwest Tennessee."

In addition to the Top 100 Dealer award, Symphony Supply could receive a Best Of award in one of seven individual categories, including Emerging Dealer or Rookie of the Year, Store Design, and the Music Makes a Difference award. The Dealer of the Year award will also be awarded at the event.To learn more about Symphony Supply, please visit symphonysupply.com or visit 734 Kentucky Avenue in downtown Paducah.To learn more about NAMM and the Top 100 Dealer Awards, please visit https://www.namm.org/summer/2017/top-dealer-awards
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jun. 13, 2017 | LYON COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 13, 2017 | 01:55 PM | LYON COUNTY, KY

A Missouri man was seriously hurt Tuesday morning in a crash on Interstate 24 in Lyon County that shut down traffic for more than two hours.



According to Kentucky State Police, 55-year-old Ronald Irick of Springfield, MO was traveling east on Interstate 24 at around 7 a.m. when he struck a guardrail. Irick's tractor trailer then struck the rear of another semi driven by 62-year-old Miguel Esparza of Laredo, TX.



Irick's vehicle overturned in the median, where he was trapped until fire and rescue units were able to free him with mechanical means. Irick was treated on the scene by Lyon County EMS, and later airlifted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville for life threatening injuries.



Esparza was not injured in the crash. I-24 was shut down for more than two hours after the crash, and restricted to single-lane travel for several hours.




Her post-mortem, which was conducted today, revealed that she died of a serious head injury, police said. Police is suspecting that a person known to her may have killed her by a knuckle.

By Saurabh Vaktania: A case of murder was today registered against an unidentified person in connection with the mysterious death of actress Kritika Chaudhary at her flat in suburban Andheri, police said.

Her post-mortem, which was conducted today, revealed that she died of a serious head injury, police said. Police is suspecting that a person known to her may have killed her by a knuckle.

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According to an official, Kritika's family members, friends and her acquaintances were being questioned.

"Police have received the post-mortem report some time back and after going through it, we have filed an offence of murder," Paramjeet Dahiya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-IX) said.

According to another officer, the autopsy report attributed the serious head injury as the cause of her death.

"Initially, the Amboli police had registered a case of accidental death in this connection. Now, an offence of murder against an unidentified person has been registered and the probe is on," the officer added.

He said police are checking the Call Data Record (CDR) of Kritika's cell phone along with the CCTV footage of her residential building as well of the surrounding area.

Kritika's body was yet to be handed over to her family members, the official said.

The decomposed body of Kritika (30) was found at her residence in Andheri (west) last evening after police broke open the door of her flat on the complaint by neighbours that foul smell was emanating from inside, police said.

PERSONAL LIFE

Investigations have revealed that Kritika had a love marriage and came to Mumbai. But eventually she got divorced and started staying alone. Earlier husband was suspected in the case, but as of now, he is let off.

She got opportunity of acting in one film Rajjo, Kangana starrer and also few balaji telefilms serials and few south Indian movies, but her acting career never took off.

--- ENDS ---
CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE ANNOUNCES "TRASH TROUT"

ON MUD CREEK

Aquatic trash has become a pervasive problem in freshwater environments, presenting a challenge to

water quality and habitat protection, in addition to causing aesthetic blight, ecological effects, economic

impacts, and possible public health risks.

Mud Creek has been listed as impaired on North Carolinas 303(d) list since 2006 and is the largest

conveyor of water borne trash to the French Broad River in Henderson County. After a heavy rain, the

creek can explode in volume as it sheds over 200 square miles of urban and rural areas. To address the

trash in higher flowing creeks, Asheville GreenWorks developed a device capable of withstanding

greater volumes of water, while not impairing the local ecology.

City stormwater staff, in partnership with non-profit organizations Asheville GreenWorks and Mountain

True have installed a trash collection device on Mud Creek in an effort to reduce floating trash in Mud

Creek. This project will offer opportunities for public education and outreach as well as generate public

involvement in water quality and stormwater management.

The device, named the "Trash Trout" was designed and built by the Asheville GreenWorks organization.

Its purpose is to sit in a flowing waterway and collect floatables as they move downstream with the

current. Similar devices have been successfully installed in other municipalities including Waycross,

Georgia, Evansville, Indiana and several locations in Washington D.C. This device aids in reducing the

amount of trash in our waterways and improving overall water quality for our community. Mountain

True, Asheville GreenWorks, This City of Hendersonville Stormwater Department, and various

community groups are partnering to maintain the device located at Balfour Bridge on Mud Creek.

Help us keep the Trash Trout in the water. Asheville GreenWorks is seeking volunteers to maintain this

device. Contact Eric Bradford / 828-232-7144 or Michael Huffman / 828-458-5693,

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you're interested in helping out with the Trash Trout device.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) An NDMC delegation, led by Mayor Preety Agarwal, today met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and sought release of the "amount pending" to the cash-strapped civic body under the Fourth Delhi State Finance Commission, besides discussing the issue of desilting.

"Since 2012-13, Rs 1,616 crore is due from the Delhi government, which needs to be released immediately as the corporation is facing a financial crunch," she said.

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"Even funds which is due to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) as per the Third Delhi Finance Commission, have not been fully released," Agarwal claimed.

The other members of the delegation were deputy mayor Vijay Bhagat and coucillors Jayender Dabas, Jai Prakash and Tilak Raj Kataria.

The mayor also discussed the issue of desilting with the chief minister and plans for combating vector-borne diseases, like dengue, chikungunya and malaria as the monsoon is approaching.

She told the chief minister that the Delhi government should join hands with the NDMC in the interest of the citizens.

Agarwal said the drains whose maintenance is the responsibility of the Public Works Department and, Irrigation and Flood Control Department "need to be desilted".

She today inspected PWD drains at Britannia Chowk, Wazirpur Industrial area, Azadpur and Jahngirpuri areas.

In a press conference at the Civic Centre, the mayor alleged that the situation of the drains was the same as last year because desilting work has not begun.

"The PWD has still not completed desilting of its drains which may lead to waterlogging," she was quoted as saying in an NDMC release.

The delegation apprised Kejriwal about steps being taken to tackle vector-borne diseases.

Yesterday, an SDMC delegation led by Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat had called on Kejriwal and sought release of "amount pending" to it under the Third Delhi State Finance Commission, besides discussing desilting and vector-control issues. PTI KND NSD

--- ENDS ---
The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the Rs 500 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.

By Devina Gupta: The Reserve Bank of India has issued a new batch of Rs 500 denomination notes, an official said here on Tuesday.

"In continuation of issuing of Rs 500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (new) series from time to time which are currently legal tender, a new batch of banknotes with inset letter "A" in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India; with the year of printing '2017' on the reverse, are being issued," an official statement said.

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The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the Rs 500 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, which were notified on November 8, 2016.

With inputs from IANS

Also read:

Your new currency is not 100 per cent 'Made in India'

Watch | RBI turns 'Reverse' Bank of India with old currency exchange being denied at various offices

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jun 13 (PTI) In a major blow to Taiwan, Panama today broke off diplomatic ties with it and established relations with China as cash-rich Beijing exerted its economic clout to wean away handful of allies of Taipei.

Regarded as a diplomatic coup for Beijing, China and Panama signed a joint communique here formally establishing diplomatic relations.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panamas vice president and foreign minister, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

They signed the joint communique in which Panama has recognised One China, meaning that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.

Taiwan expressed "anger and regret" over the "very unfriendly" diplomatic turn by Panama that "yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities".

It accused Panama of "bullying" Taiwan while "ignoring the many years of friendship" between the two countries, and added it would "not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy".

Last June Taiwans leader Tsai Ing-wen, a strong advocate of Taiwans independence from China visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as President.

The switch by Panama leaves Taiwan with a handful of allies around the world.

Few months ago, Sao Tome and Principe has switched sides. Taiwans foreign ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation had demanded a huge amount of financial support.

The move by Panama comes as China began construction of a container port with natural gas facilities in northern province of Colon last week.

For long, Panama has maintained that it has commercial ties with China and diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan, which broke away from China in 1949, is coming under immense pressure from Chinas push with huge funds of Belt and Road Initiative. Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan has left with few allies, mostly small countries. They include Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia In Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland, The Holy See, Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau.

Panama did not give any reason for changing its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic co- operation with China in recent years, BBC reported.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year.

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The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road infrastructure-building initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the US is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing, the report said. PTI KJV AJR AKJ AJR

--- ENDS ---
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte violently assaulted a reporter in Montana last month, the most-searched term on Merriam-Websters online dictionary was body slam.

During James Comeys testimony last week before the U.S. Senate intelligence committee, some of the former FBI directors folksy turns of phrase caused an upswing in searches for Lordy.

Of course, there were also people looking up his less-homespun utterances: exfiltrate, defame, vindicate, salacious and collusion.

Michael Lionstar Kory Stamper

Few of those people probably stopped to think about the fact that the online dictionary is not some magical clearinghouse of accumulated knowledge, but a place where people actually work  lexicographers, to be precise  crafting precise definitions for words, sweating over etymology and usage, both for wrestling terms from the 20th century and for words derived from the Latin vindicatus, in use since 1571.

Kory Stamper is one of those lexicographers, whom she admits are a very particular breed. If you like solitude and Old English, we have a spot for you, she says with a laugh.

An editor at Merriam-Webster, she is also the author of the new non-fiction book Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries (Pantheon, $40), a fascinating and funny look at how these taken-for-granted reference tools are created and the constant struggle to keep them updated  much to the chagrin of people who would prefer the language to stay static.

Every generation feels like the new technology is ruining English; we have people dating back to the 12th century complaining that the French are ruining English, says Stamper, reached after a long day of answering emails and tweeting some of the more hilarious requests, including one from an adamant reader who believed the word should be teethpaste, since we brush more than one tooth.

People have always lamented technology and the allegedly detrimental effect of progress on language. Back in the fifth century BC, Greek philosopher Socrates railed against writing things down, claiming it would lead to intellectual and moral decay. (He thought everything should be committed to memory.)

Today its the Internet, texting and social media that bear the brunt of disdain from people who believe the dictionary should protect the purity of English, which is a bit of a mongrel to begin with. (English is such a whore, Stamper says. It just takes languages from all over the world and pilfers them of vocabulary.)

Even those who long ago gave up on forcing everyone to use the literally accurate use of literally or to write decimate only in situations where one-tenth of something is destroyed can agree that we must be saved from the OMGs and LOLs weaselling their way past lexicographers and into the dictionary.

These people believe the dictionary has a prescriptive role, rather than the descriptive role it actually has, which is to document the way a language is being used, rather than the way we might wish people would use it.

Prescriptivists can sit in the status quo  or what they perceive to be the status quo, because the actual status quo is not at all what they perceive it to be, Stamper says, but the platonic ideal of the status quo, they like to sit in that because I think they use it as a gauge: this is what marks an educated person from an uneducated person.

Word by Word

This is an easy shorthand for them to say, I understand English and that person doesnt. It makes them feel better about themselves.

Theres no denying the Internet has had a huge impact on lexicography. However, Stamper says, contrary to how it might feel, the World Wide Web is neither causing language to change more quickly, nor corrupting it beyond repair.

I think the Internet is making us see language change more quickly, she explains. I dont know that its making language change any faster than it already changes. I think the difference is there is no lag time on the Internet between when a person writes something and when it gets edited and when it gets published.

We also have access to a lot more different types of English, which, as a lexicographer, is very exciting. The thing thats really great about the Internet is instead of showing us just this really narrow slice of language development and movement, it shows us a huge swath instead. And thats super-exciting for lexicographers and also super-intimidating, because theres just no way you can keep up with it.

The narrow slice she refers to includes the longtime required reading material for lexicographers, such as newspapers, journals, books, magazines and other edited sources. But now, especially as those credible sources are increasingly edited with less fastidiousness and adherence to in-house style (the New York Times, for instance, quietly dissolved its copy editing desk recently), lexicographers turn  with a careful eye  to online sources that include blogs and social media.

Contrary to what the-sky-is-falling language scolds believe, this does not mean a nonsense word like U.S. President Donald Trumps covfefe is going to take up residence before cow in the dictionary, just because it was used a lot after he tweeted it (although see the phrase on fleek for a bizarre example to the contrary).

But it does mean lexicographers can more easily monitor the way and frequency with which words are being used, especially in communities beyond those traditionally served by mainstream media.

We definitely chart the blips, because you never really know when one of those words is going to be a blip and when its going to last Stamper says, pointing to chad as a word that underwent a huge surge during the 2000 U.S. election. Were charting woke, were charting lit, were charting T-H-O-T thot, were charting all of these slang words that youre seeing a lot on Twitter and on the Internet.

Woke is an interesting example of a word that is bubbling to the surface. Indicating an awareness of social injustice, its used to refer to those who actively question the dominant paradigm  shes woke  and became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement. Its part of an activist hashtag (#staywoke) but it has also turned up in scholarly debate of racism.

Woke has sort of gone mainstream, but its been used in African-American Vernacular English since the 60s, Stamper says. So even if woke doesnt stay mainstream, it will still be used in AAVE because it has been for almost 60 years now.

In that way, even the idea of blips of usage is a complicated thing, because its much more like a word moves up and down through different layers of language. It might have its origin in one layer and then an event pushes it up through the surface. And then it falls back down.

Luckily, we have the lexicographers to document its rise and fall, because Lordy/OMG, its tough to keep track on your own.

jill.wilson@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @dedaumier

If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more.

Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The University of Manitobas multi-year, multi-million dollar climate change study has been put on ice for a year  because of climate change itself.

David Barber, the universitys renowned Arctic researcher, and chief scientist of the BaySys project, said 40 scientists on the Canadian icebreaker CCGS Amundsen made the decision to postpone the $17 million project until next year after two weeks onboard because they realized the ship was needed elsewhere due to the continued extreme ice conditions in southern waters around Newfoundland and Labrador.

The icebreaker, formerly known as the Sir John Franklin, is a scientific research ship, but it can be redirected by the Canadian Coast Guard if its icebreaking capabilities are needed.

SUPPLIED The BaySys project, the University of Manitoba's multi-year, multi-million dollar climate change study has been put on ice for a year  because of climate change itself.

Its the second most powerful icebreaker in the country and we had trouble getting through the sea ice, Barber, the Canada Research Chair in Arctic Systems Science at the university, said on Monday.

Theres a lot of people who rely on it. They were helping fishing boats, supply ships bringing fuel oil to communities, oil tankers. We ended up doing a lot of this during the two and a half weeks in total we were there.

I realized it would be dangerous for us to leave the area because it would put people at risk so we cancelled the study this large scale climate change study was cancelled because of climate change.

Just last week, while Barber and the scientists were still on the Amundsen, the ice breaker was tasked with rescuing fishers on four fishing vessels from La Scie Harbour that were stuck in sea ice off Newfoundlands Baie Verte Peninsula.

But, within sight of the boats, the Amundsen was called off from helping after it was discovered the ice was two metres thick  too strong for it to get through.

Some of the fishers were finally rescued by helicopter  after one of the vessels sunk  while the rest made it back to port on their own.

Barber said the scientists had already left on the Amundsen almost a week earlier than planned when the Coast Guard warned them the sea ice was moving and could cause them problems getting to Hudson Bay where the research study was to take place if they didnt leave earlier.

SUPPLIED The BaySys project is looking at what effects having more fresh water from rivers flowing into Hudson Bay due to climate change is having on the salt water marine environment.

But Barber said once out on the water the scientists realized this wasnt the usual sea ice, which would be relatively easy for the icebreaker to plow through, but thicker ice from further north which had broken off because of climate change.

Barber said it would also have been difficult and potentially dangerous for the scientists to try to do five weeks of scientific work in the three-week window left to them.

For me it was easy to see the ice conditions werent just difficult, these were unprecedented ice conditions, he said.

The research project is looking at what effects having more fresh water from rivers flowing into Hudson Bay due to climate change is having on the salt water marine environment.

But just because the main scientific project was postponed, it doesnt mean the trip was wasted.

We had our scientific equipment so we did a detailed scientific analysis of the ice conditions, Barber said.

SUPPLIED The icebreaker being used by the arctic researchers of the BaySys project is a scientific research ship, but it can be redirected by the Canadian Coast Guard if its icebreaking capabilities are needed.

This will be very useful scientifically, but it is just a small piece of it. Its a consolation prize for us.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dont expect to see Tim Hortons doughnuts showing up at a Burger King anytime soon.

Restaurant Brands International  the fast-food empire that owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and now Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen  plans to keep the divisions separate, with no mixing of menu items.

Despite Restaurants Brands reputation for scooping up businesses and squeezing costs, it doesnt see product synergies between the chains, said chief executive officer Daniel Schwartz.

Everything isnt about synergy, the 36-year-old said in an interview.

These are iconic brands  it doesnt make sense to mix and match products.

The approach is a break from how other fast-food conglomerates have been run over the years.

Yum! Brands tried melding Taco Bell and KFC, while Dunkin Brands Group put Baskin-Robbins inside its doughnut shops.

It also belies the broader philosophy of 3G Capital, the private equity firm that created Restaurant Brands and is famous for streamlining operations.

The company most recently acquired Popeyes, a fried-chicken chain that competes with KFC. But products from that business wont be migrating over to Burger King, even though it serves chicken as well.

Instead, Restaurant Brands is focused on building up sales of each division and sharing talent across the company, Schwartz said.

The separation also applies to marketing: Burger Kings brash advertising strategies, which include sending its King mascot to high-profile sporting events and tricking Google Home devices into reading a description of the Whopper, arent well-suited to Tim Hortons less aggressive Canadian identity, he said.

Schwartz got his start working for 3G in 2005 after co-founder Alex Behring moved to New York to build the firms U.S. operations. Schwartz, a former M&A analyst at Credit Suisse, was tasked with finding an American consumer brand that 3G could buy. The aim was to boost profit by applying 3Gs aggressive meritocracy culture.

Over the last year, shares of Restaurant Brands International have surged 35 per cent, more than double the gain in the S&P 500 index.

The stock slipped 0.4 per cent to close at US$57.03 Monday in New York.

 Bloomberg News
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating with fresh inputs)

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jun 13 (PTI) In a diplomatic coup for China, Panama today cut long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with Beijing as the cash-rich Communist giant exerted its economic clout to wean away handful of allies of the self-ruled island.

Regarded as big blow for Taiwan, China and Panama signed a joint communique here formally establishing full-fledged diplomatic relations.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panamas vice president and foreign minister, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

They signed the joint communique in which Panama has recognised One China, meaning that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China.

"Im convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Varela said.

Taiwan expressed "anger and regret" over the "very unfriendly" diplomatic turn by Panama that "yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities".

It accused Panama of "bullying" Taiwan while "ignoring the many years of friendship" between the two countries, and added it would "not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy".

Last June Taiwans leader Tsai Ing-wen, a strong advocate of Taiwans independence from China visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as President.

Taiwans foreign ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation had demanded a huge amount of financial support.

The move by Panama comes as China began construction of a container port with natural gas facilities in northern province of Colon last week.

For long, Panama has maintained that it has commercial ties with China and diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan, which broke away from China in 1949, is coming under immense pressure from Chinas push with huge funds of Belt and Road Initiative. Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

In December last year, the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe made a similar move. Now only 20 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Taiwan has left with few allies, mostly small countries. They include Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia In Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland, The Holy See, Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau.

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Panama did not give any reason for changing its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic co- operation with China in recent years.

Chinas foreign ministry also released a statement saying that "the Chinese government and its people highly appreciate and warmly welcome" the move by Panama.

The United Nations in 1971 switched diplomatic recognition to Beijings Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and most countries have since followed that lead in order not to antagonise the economic giant which is the worlds second largest economy.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year, media reports said.

The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road infrastructure-building initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the US is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing, the report said. PTI KJV AJR AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Following the deaths of about 3,500 hogs in a fire near New Bothwell on Thursday, Hog Watch Manitoba is calling on the Pallister government to reinstate fire regulations the province changed this year.

In January, the provincial government announced its repeal of the Manitoba farm building code, which effectively reduced regulations for fire alarm systems and fire-rated separations in buildings with low-human occupancy.

Humans might not live in those buildings, but about 3.5 million hogs in Manitoba do, and Hog Watch thinks the changes are inhumane and will lead to more tragedies like the one in New Bothwell.

GRANT BURR / THE CARILLON About 3,500 hogs died after a fire ripped through two barns last Thursday at a large commercial farm near New Bothwell.

These awful, fiery deaths for these animals are preventable, said Vicki Burns, a member of Hog Watch and the former executive director of the Winnipeg Humane Society. Any barn holding live animals should have appropriate fire prevention measures.

Thursdays fire was reportedly burning for several hours before the fire department was notified and able to respond. Because it was built before a new building code was introduced in 2011, the barn didnt have an active fire alarm system, fire extinguishers or fire-rated walls. With proper preventative measures, Burns thinks the situation could have been avoided.

For Burns and her Hog Watch colleague, Janine Gibson, its an issue of animal rights.

If this were happening at dog shelters, people wouldnt tolerate it, Burns said.

According to statistics provided by the province, 64,063 Manitoba hogs have been killed in barn fires since 2007, an average of nearly 3,800 per year. In 2008 alone, 30,569 burned to death.

Because the barns that have burned are generally family-run, Gibson thinks the lack of regulatory requirements will ignore the fires impact on farmers and local fire departments.

The animals suffer the most horrifically, but the people suffer too, Burns agreed

Hanover fire chief Paul Wiebe said 45 firefighters responded to the fire and prevented the blaze from spreading to the three other hog-filled barns on the property. When they arrived, it was clear there wouldnt be any surviving animals.

Any time you go into a barn like that, you know theres nothing you can do to change it, Wiebe said Monday. We do what we can to save any human and animal, but we have to be safe in doing that. Whether its humans, animals, one dog or 3,500 hogs, we respond the same.

Wiebe said the hogs in the fire likely didnt burn to death, but rather suffocated from smoke inhalation long before.

Its obviously tragic, he said. I know the farmer is devastated by it.

A statement provided on Monday by the province said the adopted changes to farm building requirements are based on standards that align with the National Farm Building Code of Canada, a common standard with other jurisdictions.

When the intention to change the regulation was announced in January, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler said the old code had unnecessary regulatory requirements.

Our government is listening to Manitobas farm families and other stakeolders, who have clearly shown how the current code for farm buildings is impractical and costly, Eichler said.

But with damages to the farm near New Bothwell estimated at $2.53 million, and with 3,500 hogs dead, Burns and Gibson believe the costs of fire prevention are clearly justified.

I think a lot of people find what happened horrific, but they may not understand that it does not have to be this way, Burns said.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An early morning break in at Butlers Compound on Sunday has left both the managers of the company and a customer frustrated by repeated thefts at the storage facility.

A number of cargo trailers were broken into during the incident, although the company declined to specify what was stolen as the matter is still being investigated by the Winnipeg Police Service. A storage container was also targeted, but the perpetrators were unable to successfully break into it.

Theyre looking for tools, anything they can sell really, said Dave Craig, a manager at Butlers Compound. Its basically like having your home invaded. You dont know when you come to work whether youve been broken into again. Its very unnerving and you wonder if you should stay in business or not.

Supplied

This is not the first time the company has been hit by thieves and Craig says theyve taken precautions.

They currently employ a security service that monitors the 45-acre compound at night and have employees present during the day.

heyve also set up a number of cameras, an electronic gate at the entrance and security lights.

However, Craig admits with such a large property it can be difficult for the on-duty security guard to effectively deter thefts.

Before Sunday, the most recent break-in at Butlers compound was last year, although theyve had previous incidents.

One of the trailers targeted on Sunday is owned by Jay Michno, who has rented storage space at Butlers Compound since 2015.

Following the break-in, he says he removed his trailer from the property and is currently searching for a storage space he feels has better security and is less secluded.

You pay for a storage service and you expect that your property will be secure, said Michno.

I dont believe they do enough to combat the theft problem they know they have. Ive come and gone at all times, on different days of the week, and never once witnessed any security in the yard or at the gate.

Michno went on to say the latch to his trailer was cut, which bypassed his padlock. He says he asked employees of Butlers Compound if they would reimburse him for the damage and was told the company would not.

In my opinion, he has a responsibility to his customers to do so, said Michno.

If his customers things are getting damaged he should be responsible for some of those costs.

In response to Michnos comments, Craig said all customers are informed when renting storage space that the company cannot be held liable for any damages to their property and the only person who can take insurance out on the property is the owners themselves.

He went on to add the security guards employed are only on-duty overnight, which would explain why Michno has never seen them while the business is open.

Craig says that Butlers Compound is far from the only company in the area to have break-ins, as thieves target storage facilities due to the amount of valuable property stored at the locations.

He said Butlers Compound is currently in the process of setting up more security cameras and lighting on the property. The increased security has cut into the companys bottom line, but Craig says it has become a fact of doing business.

I know other companies in my area here have been targeted, said Craig. Its usually the same thing where they come in at night and cut the fence.

They are very sophisticated. Its almost as if they know where all the cameras are.

They dont break into anything in sight of a camera.

The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed it received a call in relation to the incident at Butlers Compound, but could not provide further details due to it being an ongoing investigation.

Were doing absolutely everything we can, said Linda Craig, who also manages Butlers Compound.

Its very upsetting for us as we dont want any of our customers to have their property damaged or taken. We value them and a lot of them have been with us for 20 or 30 years.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canadian Reserve Force will increase by 1,500 members and its initial recruitment process will be reduced from eight months to four weeks in accordance with the new federal defence policy.

Kevin Lamoureux, MP for Winnipeg North and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader, announced the changes Tuesday at the Minto Armoury in the West End.

[This] reinforces that the government believes in the reserves in a very real and tangible way, Lamoureux said. No doubt Winnipeg will get both direct and indirect benefits from todays announcement.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux announces investments in the Canadian Armed Forces' Reserve Force, as part of Canadas new defence policy, at the Minto Armoury in Winnipeg Tuesday.

Lamoureux stressed the changes are intended to show a long-term commitment to both the reserve and regular armed forces. By easing the intake process and simplifying the transition system for regular force members who want to move to the reserves, Lamoureux hopes the boundaries of joining will become less significant.

The changes, which take effect in the fall, will allign remuneration and benefits of primary reserve force members with those of the regular force with similar demands of service. Reservists deployed on named international operations will also be exempt from federal income tax up to the pay level of lieutenant-colonel.

In recent years, recruitment and retention within the reserve has proven to be a challenge, but Lamoureux thinks the changes could help reverse that trend by providing flexibility and job security to part-time reservists.

Not only are we investing in having more reservists, were also going to make sure that they are properly equipped so the money is flowing along with this, he said. Its not just some dream in the sky. We are increasing numbers and seeing a tangible increase in budgetary dollars.

By 2026, the federal defence budget will increase to $32.7 billion, a 70 per cent increase over last years budget of $18.9 billion.

Sgt. Peter Montgomery, a reservist for 18 years, believes the changes Lamoureux outlined could give the reserves a serious boost.

If the proposed changes actually happen, it will be great to see them, Montgomery, 35 said. The reality is weve seen defence policies before, and the implementation of them is always the stumbling block.

When Lamoureux asked a group of reserves how they felt about local interest in joining, there was a long pause before Montgomery spoke up.

Locally, about half of all reserve recruits will drop out within six months, he said.

A lot of people dont know what theyre signing up for, he added later.

Col. Barry Burns said the quota for his 38 Signal Regiment is 411 people, but the regiment only currently employs 130. Burns would like to see that number grow closer to 250.

With the new policy expanding the reserves, allowing more people to join, and also making it easier for regular force people, we hopefully anticipate a surge in our Signal Regiment, and in other regiments as well, he said.

An increase in recruits makes it easier for the reserves to do their job, which is to provide support to the regular force in deployment and in domestic operations, Burns said.

While the intake process will be accelerated, Burns emphasized that primary checks and detailed background checks will still be completed as before for all recruits.

The government consulted with academics, experts and military members in the development of the new policy, Lamoureux said, and he considers the new policy to give appropriate, sustained support to both full and part-time reservists.

Its an ambitious plan, but it is achievable because it is backed by the resources both human and financial, Lamoureux said. We need to make it a reality.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City police have charged a 22-year-old man in connection with a hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian last month.

Daniel Bembenek of Winnipeg was arrested Monday and is charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of a collision involving bodily harm. He has been detained in custody.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The 18-year-old male pedestrian was transported to hospital in critical condition after the crash on Jefferson Avenue near McPhillips Street on May 28.

The 18-year-old male pedestrian was transported to hospital in critical condition after the crash on Jefferson Avenue near McPhillips Street on May 28.

He remains in hospital after surgery for both internal and external injuries, which the Winnipeg Police Service described as life-altering.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Many refugee families are unable to find adequate housing in Winnipeg, forcing them to overcrowd small homes two or three to a room and leaving their children unable to sleep at night.

Phil Hossack / Winnipeg Free Press Files Abdikheir Ahmed, Director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, is a panelist at an interactive discussion on the state of refugee housing being held by the city this Wednesday.

Thats according to Abdikheir Ahmed, Director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg and a panelist at an interactive discussion on the state of refugee housing being held by the city on Wednesday, June 14.

The housing portfolio in Winnipeg does not respond to the needs of refugees, said Ahmed.

Many have large families and many have low incomes. They are unable to afford housing in the private market and the social housing component is designed for traditional Canadian families of three or four. Many of these families are struggling and compacted in small units, with kids struggling to sleep at night and struggling to concentrate at school due to the conditions of their homes.

The discussion, which will be held at the Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library between 6 and 8 p.m., will provide information on efforts towards assisting refugees transition to Canadian life, as well as how organizations and citizens can assist in the process.

All panelists are individuals currently involved in issues surrounding refugee housing and services.

Seating is limited for the event and a question and answer period will follow the panel discussion.

Overall the province has been quite supportive of refugee claimants, but my goal for events like this is that individuals in the community or private sector will step up to help the refugee claimants, said Ahmed.

He went on to say the recent decision by the provincial government to cut funding for the Rent Assist program will have a negative impact on refugees, many of whom rely on that funding to afford housing and basic necessities.

Azarias Butariho of New Journey Housing will be another panelist at the event.

We really hope that the government will look into all these issues and instead of cutting the Rent Assist program, the government should think about increasing it, said Butariho. I understand the challenges of the government, but newcomers are really struggling.

At the panel Butariho plans on speaking about the challenges he faced coming to Canada in 2007, after fleeing the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and spending 10 years in a Kenyan refugee camp.

Following his arrival in 2007, Butariho spent time living at Welcome Place, IRCOM House and Manitoba Housing, before purchasing his own home. He has worked as a housing advisor with New Journey Housing since 2011.

The event is part of the ongoing Housing Speaker Series organized by the city. Each series aims at raising awareness of a particular housing issue and addressing the challenges surrounding it, in order to ensure the diversity of housing needs in the city are being adequately met.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A seven-year-old female Boxer will be euthanized after being labelled as exceptionally dangerous for its second vicious attack on a person in two years.

Councillors on the City of Winnipegs community services committee Monday voted to reject an appeal by the dogs owner to spare its life.

Derek Forsyth disputed allegations his dog, Boss, is a threat, saying the most recent attack was the victims fault.

Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg Free Press Files Animal services COO Leland Gordon

Jim Robson, a retired police officer, told the committee he was attacked by the dog in April after going to Forsyths Transcona home enquiring about purchasing a lawn mower at a yard sale.

Robson said while he waited at the back door, the dog charged out of the house and attacked him, biting him several times on his hand, shoulder, buttocks and leg.

He said he was treated in hospital for the wounds and required several repeat visits to doctors to treat a subsequent infection.

If this had happened to my wife or a child, it would have been pretty bad, Robson told reporters Monday after the meeting.

Leland Gordon, chief operating officer of animal services, said he decided to label the dog exceptionally dangerous  which is a death sentence  as the attack on Robson was the second such incident in two years. In August 2015, the dog attacked a young girl after it ran into a home.

The girl was bitten repeatedly on the face and arm, and was taken to hospital for her injuries.

Gordon said animal services seized the dog following the attack on Robson and held a hearing in May, where Forsyth described Boss as a model dog and blamed the victims for the attacks.

Gordon said Forsyth had failed to take any precautions to ensure his dog wouldnt hurt anyone, adding he wasnt acting like a responsible dog owner.

There is definitely a need to ensure owners are responsible with their pets, committee chairman Coun. Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) told reporters following the meeting. There was enough evidence before us to show us the dog was exceptionally dangerous.

Gordon said he exercised his discretion not to seize the dog following the 2015 attack, explaining the girls parents did not want to pursue the matter.

At the meeting Monday, Forsyth described Boss as his child, and said he couldnt explain why the attacks happened.

Forsyth was visibly upset following the committees ruling, storming out of the meeting and yelling obscenities at Robson and Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona), who said the dog should have been euthanized after the first attack.

Wyatt said he was concerned Gordon had failed to seize the dog and hold a hearing following the 2015 incident, adding he wonders how many other dangerous dogs animal services has allowed to remain the community.

Pagtakhan agreed with Wyatt in his belief the dog should have been seized two years ago, adding the committee will want a followup report from Gordon on other similar situations.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of two men from Ghana who made international headlines when they nearly froze to death walking into Canada goes before the federal immigration and refugee board Tuesday.

Less than 24 hours before his hearing, Razak Iyal was on an emotional roller-coaster.

Im feeling so good, Iyal said Monday in Winnipeg. His optimism was buoyed by the decision his travelling companion, Seidu Mohammed, received last month allowing him to stay in Canada. His fellow Ghanaians hearing was held in March.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Razak Iyal said his spirits were boosted when his travel partners application was approved, but his wait has still been worrisome.

When Seidu was successful, I was very happy to hear that, said Iyal, whose hearing was supposed to happen in March as well. The hearing was delayed because authorities were conducting background checks, he said. Ive been waiting for this for a long time.

Iyal said he doesnt know if the board member will make a decision at the end of Tuesdays hearing or if hell have to wait to find out whether or not Canada will grant him refugee protection.

Nearly six months after he and Mohammed trudged through -30 C conditions into Manitoba and spent seven hours trying to flag down a passing vehicle  both men lost their fingers to frostbite  Iyal said hell be relieved to finally have the hearing behind him.

At the same time, the possibility his refugee claim will be denied haunts him. Im very worried, he said.

Iyal is asking to stay in Canada because if hes forced to return to Ghana, his life is in jeopardy because of family and political issues. Hes being careful not to make public any information that could put him in greater danger should Canada reject his refugee claim and send him back to Ghana.

He said he is now a public target because of media reports in Ghana that falsely identified him as a gay man because sexual orientation formed the basis of Mohammeds refugee claim. Because Im with Seidu, the media back home has reports accusing me of being gay, said Iyal, who has a wife in Ghana.

Mohammeds refugee claim stated, as a bisexual, it wasnt safe for him to be returned to Ghana. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada agreed, ruling Mohammed had a well-founded fear of persecution should he be returned to Ghana. In that country, an act of unnatural carnal knowledge can lead to imprisonment for six months to 10 years, the board members decision said.

Iyal said the Ghanaian media reports accusing him of being gay have been submitted to the board by his lawyer. His wife and friends are now asking about his sexual orientation. Even though hes straight, being publicly outed as gay makes him vulnerable to attack if hes returned to Ghana, he said. Im going to lose my life.

Iyal said he met Mohammed in December at the Minneapolis bus depot while they waited for the bus to Grand Forks.

The two Ghanaians learned they both were held in American immigration detention cells for close to a year before their hearings in the United States. Neither received legal guidance filling out the maze of paper work involved. Both were facing deportation from the U.S. and were desperate to seek asylum Canada.

They agreed to share a hefty cab fare from Grand Forks to just south of the Canadian border.

In the dead of night on Christmas Eve, they overshot their targeted destination of Emerson and walked for seven hours until they were able to flag down a trucker near Letellier. The two men spent several weeks in the hospital undergoing surgery and treatment.

Iyal has been staying at Hospitality House Refugee Ministrys residence and has received legal aid, as well as assistance and support from the Ghanaian community. He volunteers at the Canadian Muslim Womens Institute, using whats left of his thumbs to help sort through bags of donated clothes.

Once his refugee claim is decided, Iyal said he can plan for the future. Until he was forced to flee and leave his wife and everything behind in 2012, Iyal said he ran a successful appliance business in Ghana.

I have a business mind, he said. I want to make sure I use that business mind and contribute to the community.

Whatever happens, he said he is grateful to have made it this far and to have been received so warmly by Canadians.

I thank the people of Canada and the province of Manitoba. Its my province and Winnipeg is like home to me.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Police suspect that the actress was murdered by an unidentified person.

By India Today Web Desk: Actress Kritika Choudhary was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her apartment in Andheri on Monday. Police suspect it to be a case of murder.

The incident came into view when Kritika's neighbours complained of foul smell coming from her flat and informed police.

The police broke open the door which was locked from outside for the last three-four days and found a decomposed body of a woman, who was later identified as Kritika Choudhary.

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As per the reports, initially, police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), but during the investigation it came out that Kritika was murdered by an unidentified person.

Kritika hailed from Haridwar and was seen in Ekta Kapoor's Parichay that starred Sameer Soni and Keerti Nagpure in the lead. She was also a part of Kangana Ranaut starrer Rajjo.

--- ENDS ---
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba politician says a pervert slid a camera under the door of a public washroom she was using on Tuesday morning in the Johnston Terminal at The Forks.

Nahanni Fontaine, the NDP MLA for the city riding of St. Johns, complained to management, which said theyre looking at installing a surveillance camera outside the washroom to safeguard womens privacy in the future.

I had just sat down and it was not more than 10 second later when I noticed a shadow under the door and I thought somebody was waiting but then I noticed the shadow was literally in the shape of a square and up pops this camera, almost like a web camera.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine

It kind of looked like an Apple product. It was all white, a square with a camera in the middle of it. It fit under the door, flat, Fontaine said in a phone interview.

The bathroom, located steps from the back exist of the building, is a single unit behind a locked door, not the kind of public bathroom that leads into a set of stalls.

When I realized what was happening, I was enraged and I screamed. I was so mad. Soon as I did that, the camera went out from under the door, Fontaine said.

Fontaine said she, along with her assistant and a Quebec film crew shooting a documentary on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, gave chase but didnt find anyone who looked suspicious.

As a result of the commotion, Fontaine said her assistant told her at least one shop owner confided there have been previous problems with that particular bathroom, to the point that management reinforced the wall which had been drilled through for peep holes.

Heres the thing. . . even though theyve had previous incidents, theyve not installed cameras before. Why havent they? Fontaine asked.

Im not concerned with what happened to me. It was over in seconds. And all the camera saw was me on the toilet swearing. Im concerned with all the women, the little girls, the teenagers, our international guests who dont know they being filmed, Fontaine said.

She posted a blistering report of the incident on Facebook almost immediately afterward, under the caption BEWARE.

I want folks to be aware some pervert idiot is going around filming women while theyre in the washroom,she wrote on Facebook.

Fontaine is perhaps best known for her national advocacy around the issue of missing and murdered indigenous woman and girls. She played an instrumental role in the provinces decision to erect a monument at The Forks that pays tribute to the victims and their families and Tuesday she had arranged for the documentary crew to film an interview there.

Fontaine said she also called police.

Johnston Terminal is part of The Forks but a spokeswoman referred media to a separate property management company, Marwest Management, which oversees the building. The Forks, as a national historic site is run by The Forks North Portage Partnership.

Site manager John Bruce said a fellow staff worker at Marwest took Fontaines complaint and called him almost immediately.

He said he tried to speak to Fontaine in person but they missed each other. He was on the phone outside the washroom when she left through the back exit.

Bathroom voyeurs are nothing new in public spaces like the Johnston Terminal, Bruce conceded.

Weve had freaky people trying to see into the womens bathrooms and now were looking at a security camera, Bruce said

That said, Bruce expressed some scepticism.

He said the clearance under the door cant be much more than one centimetre high and any camera would have to be very small to fit and even then, the lens would point to the ceiling, not the toilet.

I have a hard time believing it happened, Bruce said. But it is a high traffic area. Taxi drivers at the hotel (Inn at The Forks) use the bathroom and we have trades here (doing construction). Theres a lot of traffic going in and out.

For someone to take a chance like that, and not get caught, its a fluke, Bruce said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/06/2017 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAKE ST. MARTIN  A new community is rising not from the ashes but from the murky waters of the Assiniboine River.

Six years after Assiniboine River waters were rerouted north by the Portage Diversion, contributing to the flooding of homes in Lake St. Martin First Nation, the rebuilding here is taking shape.

The site looks surreal  a sparkling new urban subdivision going up in the bush and farm fields of the northern Interlake, 250 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Workers place a new home on a lot in the Lake St. Martin First Nation housing development under construction.

The first four prefab homes had arrived by the end of last week. Two had been placed on their new lots, one was still on blocks, and the other was still on the flatbed trailer it arrived on.

Much of the infrastructure is completed and waiting for houses to arrive. Yards are surveyed and the driveways have been neatly gravelled. Most of the sewer and water pipes are in place and giant water- and sewage-treatment plants have been built.

Interestingly, the new community is set out in the style of a newer suburban residential development, with street names, uniform-sized, large (200-foot by 200-foot) lots, lawns and houses on every lot. There are even cul-de-sacs.

On the former Lake St. Martin reserve, houses were scattered, spaced well apart. People will now live in what looks like a modern urban subdivision.

Thats the only way to make it affordable  to put in water and sewer systems, said Chief Adrian Sinclair. Its state-of-the-art infrastructure thats going there.

With street lights already up, spaced 30 to 40 metres apart, the reserve is expected to literally glow at night and be visible for kilometres around.

Ditches have been dug along the streets, with culverts in place beneath driveway approaches. Sinclair expects there will be sidewalks and, eventually, paved roads.

About 190 new homes are scheduled to be in place by November on the south side of Highway 513, just off Highway 6.

Another 130 are slated for the north side of Highway 513 in 2018. There will also be a school, recreation centre, nursing station and band office. The nursery-to-Grade 12 school is expected to open by August 2018.

The new reserve site is on parcels of land purchased from two brothers who farm in the area. The land north of 513 was just converted to reserve land last week. Lake St. Martin has a population of about 2,000.

The first houses to arrive have three bedrooms and are about 1,250 square feet. Some four- and five-bedroom homes will arrive later, Sinclair said.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Temporary street signs in the Lake St. Martin First Nation housing development under construction.

Construction for Operation Return Home, as it is called by government, is largely funded by Ottawa with some cost-sharing by the province. Most of the approximately 1,400 evacuees have been living in private and rental housing in Winnipeg, but as of last fall there were still more than two dozen living in city hotels.

The prefab homes are being built in Headingley by Matix Lumber, Inc. Anderson Building Movers are delivering the houses.

A grand opening is scheduled in July when its hoped residents can move into the first 25 homes.

Sinclair said the First Nation is also planning to build its own strip mall, and have a few basic commercial outlets, such as a store, restaurant, hair salon, etc.

Were very pleased and very anxious to move home, and our members are very excited. This has been in making for six years, he said.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Administration from the Winnipeg School Division will produce a report about what is being done within the division to improve students attendance at school.

Trustee Chris Broughton hopes the report may provide a starting point for discussion on improving ways the Winnipeg School Division can partner with the community to reduce absenteeism, according to minutes from the May 15 WSD board meeting.

Broughton requested the board release the finished report publicly to allow a discussion with the community, partners and schools to improve student attendance.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

On May 8, a delegation had appeared before the board expressing concern that absenteeism is higher at inner-city high schools than in more affluent areas of the city. As an example, the delegation used attendance numbers provided by the WSD during a one-month period in 2016 to compare absentee rates at St. Johns High School with those at Kelvin High School, which is located in a more affluent area.

The delegation included chairman Sel Burrows of the North Point Douglas Residents Committee; Kent Dueck, executive director of Inner City Youth Alive; and Kyle Mason, executive director of the North End Family Centre.

The delegation said in May 2016, there were 161 students at St. Johns who were absent four or more times that month. At Kelvin, the comparable number was 38. St. Johns has 300 fewer students than Kelvin.

Burrows said a good start to addressing absenteeism would be connecting students with supports already in place, such as linking community support workers for children in feeder schools with older siblings in high school.

He said solutions can be found by members of the community, families, government and the school system working together.

Broughton indicated many of the thoughts and recommendations that came from those presentations (by the delegation) to be problematic and troublesome, the minutes said.

However, he stated in the minutes suggestions made by the delegation are part of the WSDs existing programs.

Burrows will email further recommendations to the trustees, Broughton said.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you are planning a famine, dont hold it in summer  were on vacation then. Also, avoid U.S. election years.

That old and sad joke is one relief workers used to tell years ago to explain the lack of media attention for some disasters in the developing world. It came back to me as I thought about how little coverage the terrible hunger crisis in parts of Africa and Yemen is getting today.

And it is terrible: an estimated 20 million people face starvation in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and parts of Kenya and Nigeria. Its the largest humanitarian food crisis in 70 years, according to the United Nations.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES An estimated 20 million people face starvation in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and parts of Kenya and Nigeria.

And yet, there has been very little news about it in the Canadian media.

Sure, theres been a bit of coverage here and there; the CBC did a good job in early May. And the May 29 announcement of the governments matching Famine Relief Fund generated a bit of attention. But, in general, there has been mostly silence.

Why is this the case? I can think of a number of reasons.

First, journalists cant get into the most-devastated areas  even NGOs have trouble getting to places of the greatest need due to fighting. Its hard to get stories of people affected by the crisis.

Second, media outlets also have fewer resources and staff to cover stories than they once did. Even if they wanted to do more, it would be hard to find the funds to do it.

Third, its hard to tell the story of a famine. Compared to an earthquake or hurricane, which happen quickly, famines take months to develop. Until all the food runs out and people are actually dying, there are few dramatic images to show.

Fourth, theres the Trump effect; the new U.S. president has sucked up much of the medias oxygen. Throw in terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, plus all the other news competing for attention, and it can be hard to find time and space for the famine  especially when newspapers, in particular, have fewer pages to report the news.

This lack of media coverage isnt new, as a 2007 study of major U.S. TV network coverage of international disasters discovered.

Titled News, Droughts, Floods, and U.S. Disaster Relief, the study looked at 5,000 natural disasters between 1968 and 2002 that affected 125 million people.

The study found that the amount of coverage a disaster received was affected by whether it occurred at the same time as other newsworthy events, such as the Olympic Games, along with where it happened and how many people died.

It showed that while the media covered around 30 per cent of the earthquakes and volcanic disasters, less than five per cent of droughts and food shortages were covered  despite many more people dying from droughts and food shortages.

The authors even came up with a numerical comparison: for every one or two people who dies in an earthquake or volcano overseas, 32,920 people must die of food shortage to receive the same media coverage.

The study also revealed geographical bias. It found that 45 times more Africans have to die in a disaster than Europeans to get the same kind of media coverage in the U.S.

But when the American media did pay attention to a disaster in the developing world, the study found that people responded. Media attention spurred governments and people to action.

A lot has changed in the world of communications since that study came out.

Today, a growing number of people get their news from social media, not from newspapers or broadcast media.

For the media, this a challenging time as they try to figure out what their role can be  how can they show people they are still relevant and worth supporting? Stepping up to help save the lives of millions of people would be one good way to make that case.

John Longhurst directs communications, marketing and fundraising for Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/06/2017 (1976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Churchills 2017 ordeal started in the first week of March, with a powerful storm that dumped something like 50 centimetres of snow on the region. Rail and air service was interrupted and the town was shut down. Then came the thaw, raising the Churchill River discharge to a peak of 200,000 cubic feet per second at the end of May. Flood damage to the rail line stopped the trains again.

Last Friday came the latest blow: Omnitrax engineers have looked at the state of the rail line between Gillam and Churchill  it wont re-open before the fall. Freight, including food, will have to come by air from Thompson at great expense.

But will rail service resume in the fall? Omnitrax  or a new owner, if the line is sold  will have to calculate whether the revenue generated by the rail line will cover the cost of construction work to repair all the washouts and replace the damaged bridges. Meanwhile, residents and business operators in Churchill are left wondering: do we have a town here or not? If there is no surface access, its hard to keep it going.

FACEBOOK Hudson Bay Railway under water

If determination and adaptability could solve the problem, Churchills people could handle it. They have been putting up with harsh conditions and unreliable transport more or less forever. They have found ways to operate a town and live their lives in an environment that could seem impossibly hostile for people used to milder climates. But beyond the character of Churchills remarkable people, the economic equation also has to be solved.

The Manitoba government will have to lead the research and planning to answer basic questions about Churchills future. Can ocean shipping traffic through Churchill return? The port formerly kept the rail line open, but now the port is mothballed. Will tourists keep coming for the polar bears and the whales if all consumer prices are raised to cover air transport? Was this years sequence of March storm and May flood a one-off, or does it warn of a new normal in a warmed northern climate? Can floating airships operate economically where trains and winged aircraft cannot?

The answers to these questions will emerge from a combined effort of private investors, academic researchers, local government and federal and provincial departments. The key role, however, will be played by the province, in terms of planning, strategic analysis and some form of financial support. If Manitoba comes up with a sound plan and decides to keep Churchill going, others will pitch in. If Manitoba stands aside to wait and see what others will do, then residents and businesses will slip away and the long dream of a northern ocean gateway will fade to a memory and a might-have-been.

The Golden Boy atop Manitobas legislature looks north because Manitoba has believed for a century and more that hope lay in the north country. Our licence plates show the river running northward through the forest to the inland ocean of Hudson Bay because that is where Manitoba locates itself on this continent. Indigenous people of Manitoba made their first contact with Europeans in the Hudson Bay lowlands, long before an overland route from Montreal was found.

Sustaining Churchill will require a huge effort of will on the part of Manitoba.

It is worth a huge effort. If we abandon Churchill, we abandon our northern origins, our proud boast of toughness  we abandon ourselves.
The Army Corps of Engineers might have to reconsider a preliminary draft plan for trucking and disposal of dredged Mississippi River spoils to farmland in Buffalo and Wabasha counties.

A 40-year proposal that identified 7 new permanent and on-shore transfer sites in the Wabasha, Nelson and Alma areas has caused an uproar among landowners and people worried about increased trucking.

An estimated 175 people turned out at a recent Buffalo County Board of Supervisors special session in Nelson where the Corps of Engineers outlined planning and got an earful from people opposed to it.

The Wabasha area would take the brunt of a long-term Corps solution to getting rid of river channel sand dredged from Lower Pool 4 in the Alma and Wabasha areas.

Upwards of 11 million cubic yards of dredged sand would be permanently deposited at 5 placement sites identified in a tentative Corps management plan.

Two of the sites are in Buffalo County, both privately owned agricultural zoned property on the north side of Nelson and south of Alma near Cochrane.

Opposition to the proposal was fierce and steadfast at the meeting in Nelson where numerous people pleaded with the Corps of Engineers to do more thorough study of options and alternatives to its plan on the table now.

Buffalo County Board Dist. 1 Supervisor Bernie Brunkow of Nelson said the proposed sand plan was a mess.

Theres got to be a better way, Brunkow told the Corps. I could show you 40 other sites more suitable for the Corps to dump its sand.

No one spoke in support of a first-draft plan only recently made public by the Corps. The proposal emerged from sand management studies the Corps says it began in 2014.

The Corps says it normally dredges 270,000 cubic yards of silt from the river channel bottom every year in Lower Pool 4.

While most of it would end up in the Wabasha area under the proposed draft plan, the Nelson area would see increased trucking of sand from new off-shore transfer sites in Minnesota.

Over the decades the Corps would move 1.9 million cubic yards of sand to some 75 acres of agricultural land it proposed taking from Weisenbeck family farm adjacent to state highways 35 and 25.

About 1.5 million cubic yards would be spread out on agricultural land in the Town of Belvidere along Highway 35 that the Corps described as Flury East property.

The Corps says an estimated 90 days trucking would be needed to move sand annually to the proposed permanent placement sites.

A hauling plan impacting the Alma area said trucking would be limited to 11 summer days a year using 20 trucks back and forth daily to dump sand at the Flury East site.

A 40-year preliminary plan said 7.1 million cubic yards of sand would be permanently spread out on farmland owned by Willard and Nora Drysdale on the north side of Wabasha.

Some 650,000 cubic yards would go to Wabasha Sand & Gravel 2 and new off-shore transfer sites at locations described as Carrels East, Carrels West and Southside Fitzgerald would have temporary capacity for 800,000 cubic yards.

The Weisenbeck and Drysdale family farm owners made it clear to the Corps that they opposed selling their land willingly to the federal government.

Under pressure, the Corps recently extended its public comment time on sand management plans from June 9 to June 23.

Another public meeting on the plan was scheduled at 7 p.m. this Thursday at Wabasha-Kellogg High School.

A financial technology company ranked Buffalo County first among the top 10 counties in Wisconsin in best overall value index.
The BJP with allies, is presently comfortably poised to see its candidate assume the highest office of power in Rashtrapati Bhawan.

By Poulomi Saha: The BJP is off the block building consensus for a presidential nominee of their choice.

The party president Amit Shah on Monday constituted a committee of the party's senior most leaders Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, who will liaise with leaders of other parties to bring them on board with BJP's choice.

The day started early when Amit Shah paid a visit first to Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

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Rajnath Singh, who is not in Delhi, is expected back this evening.

The committee members spoke to each other too and are expected to start paying visits to top political party leaders in order to arrive at the name of a consensus candidate.

When asked if the BJP will reach out to opponents like the Congress and Left too, Venkaiah Naidu, at a press conference, said, "We will speak to all political parties. We have to take everyone on board and we will evolve broad consensus. We will seek their support."

While he did strike a democratic note, Naidu was also quick to add that all political parties should be aware that the people's mandate is with the Central government.

The BJP with allies, is presently comfortably poised to see its candidate assume the highest office of power in Rashtrapati Bhawan. The power corridors are likely to witness some hectic activity in the coming days, as the Election Commission of India gets all set to notify the Presidential elections tomorrow in New Delhi.

Also read: Presidential election process starts tomorrow: 10 things to know

Also read: Presidential election: Amit Shah's 3-member team to select NDA's candidate

Also read: Why BJP may surprise again with its pick for President of India's post

Also read: How PM Narendra Modi can now have a president of his choice

Also watch: Person of Interest: The rise and fall of LK Advani

--- ENDS ---
Beaver Dam School Board approved renewing Taher Professional Food Service Management to provide meals at district schools.

District director of business services Anne-Marie Woznicki said that the district entered a food service contract with Taher in 2012.

Before that, the district had an in-house service.

Woznicki said 17 different food management companies were contacted, with six coming to the district to tour schools and learn about the needs of the district.

Of those six, four sent in proposals, Woznicki said. The bidding companies were Aramack, Arbor, Chartwells and Taher.

Five people, including Woznicki, two elementary principals and two school board members assessed the proposals.

The school lunch program is regulated by the National School Lunch Program so many factors have to be considered, she said.

Aramack and Taher were close rivals in the scoring, but there was one thing that put Taher ahead, Woznicke said.

Taher provides fresh vegetables and fruit and Aramark doesnt, Woznicki said.

The board approved a one-year contract, along with four possible extensions which could be offered.

Taher is a contract food service management company providing K-12 school lunch management, campus dining, senior dining, business dining and catering, summer camp dining, and vending and office coffee services to clients.

The company has contracts with several area school districts.

In other business, the board approved a 1.26 percent pay increase for the administration and support staff. The district is still in negotiations with the teachers union.

The board amended the 2016-17 school district budget to reflect the borrowing and spending that has been done since the referendum passed in November for the district. The budget had to be updated before being sent into to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
The Columbus Public Library will host a Manga Club for fans of Japanese-style comics, with the first meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Each month there will be a discussion of a different series. The June read is Volumes 1 to 5 of the "Skip Beat" series: "Kyoko Mogami followed her love, Sho, to Tokyo to support him in his dream of becoming a star. After overhearing Sho say he's using her as a maid, she vows to get revenge by beating him in show biz!"

For those new to manga, you don't need to read Japanese. The group's picks will all be written in English. But you will have to remember to hold the books "backward" as they're made to be read from right to left.

Teens and adults are welcome.
MADISON  A former Kendall man who allegedly took $420,000 from a construction company he co-owned was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to five months in prison and fined $3,000 for tax evasion.

Jeffrey L. Overton, 57, now of McGregor, Iowa, co-owned Four Bears Construction, of Elroy, with three other men. While his partners worked as project managers, Overton alone kept the books for the firm. However, between tax years 2008 and 2011, Overton used company funds to buy trucks, tractors, an all-terrain vehicle, and guns and ammunition for himself. Then he changed company financial records to make the purchases appear to be legitimate business expenses, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.

Overton also did not report the stolen money as income amassing an unpaid tax liability of $127,000.

Overtons scheme was discovered when the firm hired a new bookkeeper in 2010 who found that Four Bears had incurred almost $600,000 in accounts payable, with $366,000 past due at least 30 days, Wegner wrote the court.

When confronted about the stolen money, Overton said he believed he was entitled to it because he worked harder than the other owners, Wegner wrote.

Due to its financial problems, Four Bears dissolved in the summer of 2013, according to Wegner.

Four Bears co-owner Elmer Hanson blamed Overton for the companys demise. He told District Judge William Conley on Tuesday that Overton was motivated by greed and dishonesty and it resulted in Hanson losing his home, filing bankruptcy and divorced.

Ive personally lost everything Ive worked for, Hanson said. His actions are reprehensible and no sentence is too stiff.

Under questioning by Conley, Hanson acknowledged that another owner had concluded that the company was not going to make it due to the recession and other owners taking money out of the firm, too.

Theres not enough evidence to say the company failed due to the defendants malfeasance, Conley told Hanson.

Wegner asked for a sentence within the 18-24 guideline range which was based on the amount of revenue loss to the government, the duration of the offense, the delay in prosecution, Overtons lack of prior convictions and his entering a timely guilty plea. Conley told Wegner that he could not sentence Overton for stealing $400,000 because the government charged him with tax fraud and not embezzlement.

He didnt plead guilty to defrauding his partners but to not paying taxes on the money he took from the company, Conley said.

Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth dropped theft from a business charge against Overton in 2012 saying the evidence showed other people also had access to the companys funds.

Overtons attorney, Paul Schwartz, asked Conley for a probation-only sentence contending that his client had otherwise lead a crime-free life and is now working as a grounds supervisor at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution.

The sentencing goal should be to allow him to keep his job and pay off his tax debt, Schwartz said. Overton has paid it down by $16,000.

Overton said he regrets what happened to Four Bears Construction attributing his offense to bad judgment and bad decisions.

I will not be making that mistake again, he told Conley.

Others also took money out of the company, Overton said but when he told the judge that he did not know if he took more than others, Conley replied, You maintained the books, you were in the best position to know what others took.

In sentencing Overton to prison, Conley said it sends a message to would-be tax evaders and embezzlers that there are consequences when they are caught. However, he did not impose any supervised release, saying the IRS can collect the tax debt without the courts supervision.

I dont pretend its the perfect sentence, Conley said.

After court Hanson agreed.

I feel it was too light. (Overton) didnt take full responsibility for (his offense) and didnt show any remorse, Hanson said.
On behalf of the Wisconsin Dells School District, the 4K teachers would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our Outreach Program this school year. The 4K students in our district have been able to enrich their education through hands-on activities and develop knowledge about the world around them by attending a variety of Outreach activities.
By Press Trust of India: candidate

Eds: Incorporates related stories

New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) The ruling NDA and a loosely knit group of opposition parties would soon intensify efforts to zero in on a "mutually acceptable" presidential candidate, and go their separate ways if a consensus proves elusive.

After a prolonged silence on the issue, BJP chief Amit Shah today constituted a three-member committee comprising union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu which will hold consultations with the NDA allies and the opposition on the issue.

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"This committee will consult leaders of different political parties over the presidential poll and try to evolve a consensus," a BJP statement said.

Meanwhile, the 10-member team set up by the opposition for finding a consensus nominee will meet here for the first time on June 14.

They have already held several rounds of talks on the issue but have not yet announced a joint opposition candidate.

Sources in the opposition said they were waiting for the ruling dispensation to come up with its candidate and will discuss if the name proposed by the NDA is acceptable to them.

A senior leader said if a consensus proved elusive during the talks with the NDA, the opposition would put up a joint candidate against the ruling dispensations nominee.

The sources said Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge represent the Congress in the 10-member group, which also includes other senior opposition leaders such as JD-Us Sharad Yadav, RJDs Lalu Prasad and CPI-Ms Sitaram Yechury.

DMKs Rajya Sabha member R S Bharathi, Samajwadi Partys Ram Gopal Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Partys Satish Chandra Misra, TMCs Derek OBrien and NCPs Praful Patel are also on the panel.

While the ruling party is holding its cards close to chest, the opposition has already discussed the names of possible candidates and has held talks with one-- former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. A retired bureaucrat and an euridite scholar, he is a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

Among the other names doing the rounds are those of former Speaker Meira Kumar and former Defence Minister Sharad Pawar, though the NCP strongman has said he is not in the race.

The BJP, on the other hand, has maintained silence on the issue.

However, a strong section within the BJP is of the view that it should pick a nominee who is strongly wedded to the partys ideological moorings as it now has the numbers to ensure a victory in the poll if the opposition parties put up a candidate. In that case, it looks certain that the opposition parties would reject its nominee and field its own.

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Though the BJPs committee of three veterans will consult political parties across the ideological spectrum, the final decision on the nominee will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.

The opposition, in all likelihood, will make public the name of its presidential candidate only after the NDA has announced its nominee.

It became abundantly clear when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, said in Patna that the opposition parties were waiting for the BJP to come out with a consensus candidate, and if there was none, it was the oppositions duty to put up a candidate.

The Centre should take initiative in this regard, Kumar told a press conference and added that it will not take the opposition much time to decide its candidate as its leaders have discussed the issue several times.

The polling to elect the next president will be held on July 17 and counting will take place on July 20.

The term of incumbent Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24. PTI KR/SKC BDS SK SK

--- ENDS ---

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The three gangsters, wanted in several cases of murder, decoity and loot in Punjab and Haryana were cornered in Asakhera village near Dabwali, Haryana.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Three dreaded Punjab gangsters on early Tuesday morning committed suicide to avoid the police action after being cornered, police sources told India Today.

The three gangsters, wanted in several cases including murder, decoity, loot and other heinous crimes, registered in Punjab and Haryana were cornered in Asakhera village near Dabwali, Haryana.

"The trio belonged to Faridkot town of Punjab and escaped to Haryana as Punjab Police were chasing them. The Faridkot Police also informed Dabwali Police which joined them to nab the gangsters. The gangsters were identified as Bunty Dhillon, Jaspreet Singh alias Jumpy, both A category gangsters and Nishan Singh, a B category gangster.

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Fearing police action, the gangsters killed themselves. While Bunty and Jaspreet died on the spot, Nishan Singh succumbed to his injuries in the hospital," SSP Sirsa, Satender Gupta said.

GANGSTERS COMMITTED SUICIDE

Police sources said that the gangsters belonged to Bunty gang and had later joined the Vicky Gaunder gang, the dreaded gangster responsible for Nabha, Patiala jail break who is still at large. All the three were sleeping on the roof of a house when the police on a tip off challenged them. The gangsters started firing which was retaliated by the cops.

The gangsters suddenly stopped firing. The police officials after reaching at the spot found bodies of Bunty and Jaspreet were lying on the roof and Nishan Singh was bleeding heavily. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The police claimed the gangsters committed suicide. They were also wanted in a double murder case reported in Chautala, Haryana besides a shootout in Tarantaran and Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh. The police have recovered 5 weapons, other ammunition besides an SUV from the possession of the gangsters.

According to Suresh Arora, DGP Punjab, "57 criminal gangs are active in the state and a special task force (STF) has been created by the police to counter these gangs."

Also read: Gangster Chhota Shakeel's aide detained by special cell in Delhi

Also read: Gurgaon: How gangster Satish murdered 9 people while on parole for 'good behaviour'

--- ENDS ---
The split between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has forced a Qatari businessman to plan the biggest bovine airlift in the history to fight the dairy needs of the country.

By India Today Web Desk: After Saudi Arabia left Qatar isolated post accusing the country of supporting the Islamic terrorists, Qatar is forced to open and look for new trade routes for food, construction and more to support its natural gas industry.

World's richest country by capita, Qatar is forced to fly dairy goods from Turkey for the time being while Iran is supporting Qatar by exporting fruit and vegetables.

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The split between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has led to a great disruption of trade and geopolitical alliances and has forced the country to depend on local products.

But amid the hustle bustle, one Qatari businessman thought of handling the dairy drama on his own. Moutaz Al Khayyat, Chairman of Power International Holding, decided to fly 4,000 cows back to Qatar for a constant supply of fresh milk in the country. Al Khayyat is one of Qatar's biggest businessmen in the construction industry and has even built the biggest mall of Qatar.

Also read: Iran sends planes of food to Qatar amid concerns of shortages

Seeking air routes, Khayyat decided that it would be better to airlift the cows while the transport routes are blocked. Qatar Airways would be able to fly the 590 kg bovines which are 4,000 in number in a total of 60 flights.

"It's time to work for Qatar", Khayyat told Bloomberg.

Photo: Reuters

The Qataris are also trying to promote local goods by placing signboards in front of their shops saying "Together for the support of local products."

Earlier Doha's 1 million population and their dairy needs were facilitated by Saudi Arabia but after the split, the transport routes were cut off by UAE and their two other allies.

Al Khayyat's company is taking a huge risk by importing cows as the shipping cost for the bovines hit 5 times than the usual which calculates up to $8 million.

--- ENDS ---




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As Rahul's latest foreign visit came amid hectic politics over farmers' protest or the upcoming Presidential election, the BJP took some quick jibes.

By India Today Web Desk: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today said he will be taking a break from politics to visit his grandmother abroad, triggering taunts from the opposition BJP which called the visit the "picnic" of a "kid during his summer vacations".

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," Rahul Gandhi tweeted today. He did not mention how many days will he be out and where in Italy was he headed to.

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Rahul's grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy. In March, Rahul had visited the US, where his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had gone for a health check-up. Earlier, during the New Year Celebrations, the 46-year-old leader had gone to London for a short break.

As Rahul's latest foreign visit came amid hectic politics over farmers' protest or the upcoming Presidential election, the BJP took some quick jibes. "When we were kids, then we used to go to the nanihaal (maternal grandmother's place) during our summer vacations," senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

"You can't expect Rahul ji to be worried about the country or the farmers. He does politics to enjoy his picnics," he added.

The Congress hit back, calling it Indian culture to visit ageing grandparents. "Rahul ji is going to meet his 93-year-old grandmother. It is Indian culture to take care of your ageing parents and grandparents," Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said.

ALSO READ:Power of truth replaced by truth of power in India: Rahul Gandhi

WATCH VIDEO: Rahul Gandhi to visit grandmother in Italy, BJP calls it a 'summer vacation picnic'

--- ENDS ---
Rolls-Royce elaborates on its SMR plans

13 June 2017

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Small modular reactors (SMRs) offer the UK socio-economic benefits that would last 100 years, said John Molyneux of Rolls-Royce, but today's government must make its mind up how it wants to proceed.

Rolls-Royce's director of technology and engineering, John Molyneux gave more details on Rolls-Royce's new reactor design and the next steps in its development when speaking to the European Young Nuclear Generation Forum event in Manchester, organised by the European Nuclear Society and the UK Nuclear Institute.

Still without a publicised name, Rolls-Royce's design is a pressurized water reactor in a close-coupled four-loop configuration. A team of about 150 people have been working on it for around two years. The first months were taken with major design decisions including the use of a light-water as coolant and moderator and to select the close-coupled arrangement of steam generators as opposed to integrating them into the reactor vessel, or adopting a more spread out design similar to today's large reactors. At 450 MWe the output is higher than other innovative designs, and actually outside the usual range considered to define the SMR market of up to 300 MWe.

Molyneux said, "I do not believe light water reactors have got to the end of their evolution" and it is not necessary to move beyond them to find improvements. "It's easy to get swept away with technology, and as an engineer I'd love to. But as an industry we have to look at economics. The challenge for the industry is how you get a 40% cut in the levelised cost of electricity, to get down to what gas is at."

To complement Rolls-Royce's team, a group of ten UK companies have been recruited over the last year, including operators, turbine island designers, civil engineers, researchers and engineering consultants. Molyneux said it was "difficult to reveal who they all are, but ten organisations." Their goal is "to succeed from day one and reduce the overall cost of the station."

Rolls-Royce is prepared to lead a national design consortium, and invest accordingly, said Molyneux, but the units "would have to sell, and sell internationally". Industry needs government support funding to get to the "critical design stage where the design becomes easily investable from a straight commercial perspective", he said. Having been on track to declare a strategy and select technologies for development funding, the UK SMR program stalled in the face of the Brexit vote a year ago, while uncertainty has continues even after last week's general election. "Government needs to decide whether it wants SMRs; if they do, what technology solution they are after."

For Rolls-Royce, the primary market would be the UK where up to about 7 GWe of small units could be deployed, probably at existing nuclear power sites. "The UK market is important," Molyneux said "but to really make them fly you have to look internationally so support from the UK government to international markets becomes really important" requiring further long-term political commitment. Molyneux said he expects strong competition from Chinese, Russian and US offerings to mean that Europe and the Middle East would be more likely sales targets for Rolls-Royce. According to a study by the UK National Nuclear Laboratory, those areas could see 4400 MWe and 5200 MWe of small units, respectively.

Should the UK succeed in becoming a reactor vendor again, the socio-economic benefits are enormous, said Molyneux. Up to 40,000 jobs could be created in the years 2030-2050 and a total benefit to the UK economy of GBP 188 billion ($239 billion) spread across a century.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
IAEA fuel 'bank' on course

13 June 2017

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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Yukiya Amano yesterday updated the agency's board of governors on recent developments including the IAEA's storage facility for low-enriched uranium (LEU) - known as the LEU Bank - which will be inaugurated on 29 August and should receive its first uranium in 2018.

Yukiya Amano delivers his introductory statement to the IAEA board of governors

(Image: Dean Calma/IAEA)

The facility, at the Ulba Metallaurgical Plant in Oskemen in Kazakshtan, will host a physical reserve of up to 90 tonnes of LEU suitable for making nuclear fuel and will act as a supplier of last resort for IAEA member states should they find themselves unable to obtain the material on the global commercial market or otherwise. This, the IAEA says, will enable countries interested in using nuclear power to be confident they will be able to obtain LEU for nuclear fuel in the event of unforeseen, non-commercial disruption to their supplies. The facility is seen as an important part of international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, dissuading countries from building uranium enrichment facilities by guaranteeing access to LEU for fuel use should other sources fail.

SCK-CEN designated an ICERR



The IAEA has designated Belgian nuclear research centre SCK-CEN as an "International Centre based on Research Reactors" (ICERR), Amano said yesterday. It joins France's CEA and Russia's RIAR centres as designated ICERRs under an IAEA scheme launched in 2014 to help member states to gain access to infrastructure for capacity-building as well as for nuclear research and development. Two US laboratories have also submitted ICERR applications, Amano said.

Amano said construction of the facility was proceeding on schedule, with an inauguration ceremony - which he plans to attend - on 29 August. "We continue to work on the LEU Procurement Plan and aim to have an LEU acquisition contract in place before the end of 2017. Our goal is that all the LEU acquired will be transported to the storage facility in 2018. The IAEA LEU Bank will then have been established," he said.

The bank will be owned and controlled by the IAEA and has been funded by the European Union (24.4 million, $26 million), Kuwait ($10 million), Norway ($5 million), the United Arab Emirates ($10 million), the USA ($49 million) and US-based organisation Nuclear Threat Initiative ($50 million). Kazakhstan has contributed funding of $400,000 plus in-kind contributions.

Safeguards and verification

Amano also told the board of governors that its safeguards agreement with Pakistan concerning units 2 and 3 of the Karachi nuclear power plant, approved by the board in March, had entered into force in May. The two Chinese-designed Hualong One units are planned to enter commercial operation in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

A total of 182 states now have safeguards agreements in force, and 129 have additional protocols, Amano said, and called for parties to the international Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty without comprehensive safeguards agreements in force to bring such agreements into force without delay. "I hope that States which have not yet concluded additional protocols will do so as soon as possible," he said.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Court ruling clears path for restart of Genkai units

13 June 2017

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A court in Japan has dismissed a request for an injunction against the restart of units 3 and 4 of Kyushu Electric Power Company's Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture. The court sided with the utility in deciding the units are safe to operate.

The four-unit Genkai plant (Image: Kyushu)

A group of some 230 residents from Saga and neighbouring Fukuoka Prefecture filed a lawsuit with the Saga District Court in July 2011. They claimed the safety of the Genkai plant is not secured. Kyushu, they said, had inadequate measures in place against earthquakes at the plant and a serious accident could occur due to degradation in pipe work.

However, in a ruling today the court said it had found no issues with the plant's earthquake resistance or steps taken against serious accidents. It said there was no specific danger of radiation exposure at the plant.

Kyushu welcomed the court's ruling, saying it was a "reasonable decision".

The plaintiffs are expected to appeal the decision to the Fukuoka High Court.

Kyushu submitted applications to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in July 2013 to restart Genkai 3 and 4. In January this year, the NRA confirmed the two 1180 MWe pressurised water reactors meet new regulatory standards. The Saga prefectural governor gave his approval in April for the restart of the units following the adoption of a resolution by the prefectural assembly approving their restart.

Genkai 3 and 4 are expected to resume operation later this year, once the NRA has completed remaining safety inspections.

Of Japan's 42 operable reactors, five have so far cleared inspections confirming they meet the new regulatory safety standards and have resumed operation. These are: Kyushu's Sendai units 1 and 2; Shikoku's Ikata unit 3; and, Kansai's Takahama units 3 and 4. Another 19 reactors have applied to restart.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Over the course of the 20th century, the sea level rose globally by around 7.5 inches. The UN warns that it could rise three feet more by the end of the 21st century. Not only is the rising ocean an escalating challenge for the low-lying, small island states, but violent weather patterns, including increased frequency of unexpected storms, are beating down on these already-vulnerable nations and further submerging them underwater. Rising sea levels and changing climate are effects of global warming, primarily caused by the human hand of the most-polluting countries.

Many island nations lack protection against natural disasters and share the fragility of a subsistence economy based on tourism and financial dependence on international trade. Violent natural forces also hinder communications and infrastructure development, putting basic human survival into question. Some of the low-lying Pacific Islands are home to a protective barrier of coral reefs, now quickly waning under the rising ocean, leaving people and land increasingly vulnerable to climate change and the rising sea each day. These eight countries helplessly pend global warming effects, with a grim future of being literally washed off the map entirely.

Read More6 US Regions That Could Disappear Underwater By 2050

Marshall Islands

Aerial view of the atolls of the Marshall Islands.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a tiny Micronesian state with an area of 181 square kilometers over five islands with 29 atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Captain John Marshall discovered the isles in 1788, while they only gained independence from the United States in 1990.

Presently, with its population of 60,000, some residents are facing impending submergence by the sea level rise that has already begun. It is most visible in some of the atolls and tracts of land swallowed by the ocean in the capital city of Majuro. It is likely that within the next century, irrevocable consequences of global warming will threaten the very existence of the country.

Kiribati

Villages in Kiribati are highly vulnerable to sea level rise.

The Republic of Kiribati covers three million square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia, over 33 coral atolls, and one island. The Spaniards first discovered these atolls. Later, the British ruled here, with the independent country of Kiribati emerging only in 1979.

Today, Kiribati authorities are highly concerned by the rising sea level that is slowly submerging the nation's coasts and forcing people to relocate. The country has an average elevation of only three meters above sea level and is already losing its villages under the rising sea. The saline water is also inundating the freshwater resources of the atolls, leading to crop failures. According to estimates, this densely populated island nation could be underwater by the end of the century, leaving thousands of helpless climate migrants behind.

Fiji

A home in Fiji completely ravaged by a cyclone. Such extreme weather events combined with sea level rise worsen the chances of survival of such nations.

The tourist-paradise destination Republic of Fiji covers 1.3 million square kilometers of territory over 330 islands in the Pacific. The islands were originally colonized by Southeast Asians, settled by the Europeans in the 17th century, and under British ownership until 1970 when Fiji declared independence. Fijian Islands are daunted by a double force, slowly pushing the isles to the bottom of the ocean. Despite this, the islands' population increased by 0.56% from the previous year to 929,766 residents in 2022.

Along with sea level rise, extreme weather conditions are also hitting Fiji hard. Inclement weather put Fiji under mercy in 2009 with a rainstorm that resulted in 19 human casualties and 9,000 evacuees. The cane plantations were also significantly damaged, along with the cities' infrastructure that provided for tourism, greatly hindering Fiji's other main source of income.

In 2016, Fiji was hit by Tropical Cyclone Winston, which impaired industry and left residents scrambling for food. The former home to over 100 locals, the village of Vunidogoloa is now a tropical forest, with a town square covered in tropics, rotting rodents in abandoned houses, and salt water seeping up from the earth as far as 300 feet away from Natewa Bay.

It was the first village to relocate to a newly-built town nearby due to the effects of climate change, and Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama knows that it won't be the last. He says that at least 40 more villages will be forced to face the consequences of rising sea levels in the next few years. The changing climate of intense storms and floods that pounded Fiji makes the government anticipate losing at least 5% of assets in GDP, and more with each year.

Samoa

Tourist cottages along the sea in an island in Samoa. Tourism, the mainstay of the economy of Samoa, is threatened by rising sea levels.

The Independent State of Samoa comprises seven islands covering under 3,000 square kilometers, with many surrounding coral reefs. It was settled by the Europeans in the early 18th century, with the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom sharing parts of the territory in the 19th century, and Samoa gaining independence from New Zealand in 1962.

Today, global warming is playing a cruel card on this small nation. Rising water temperature has wasted large sections of the coral reefs here through a process called coral bleaching. The loss of these protective barriers has allowed the rising sea to inundate the land of Samoa, adversely affecting the country's tourism and agricultural sectors.

Read MoreWhat Is Coral Reef Bleaching?

Solomon Islands

Villages like the one in the image in the Solomon Islands can easily disappear during a natural disaster like tsunami or cyclone.

The Solomon Islands is an extensive chain of 990 isles spread through the Solomon and Santa Cruz archipelagos in the Indian Ocean. The islands were discovered early on in 1568 by the Spaniards, then owned by Britain, and received independence in 1978. Altogether, they comprise some 30,000 square kilometers of scenic paradise that could soon find itself underwater.

Six islands have already sunk below the surface, with more following suit. Despite this, Solomon Islands' population has been steadily increasing over the years to almost 728,000 inhabitants at the present day. The authorities are alarmed by the disappearing country and the future of its residents, as it appears that global warming will seriously impede their survival within just the next few decades.

The Maldives

Coral bleaching due to warming sea in the Maldives makes the islands more susceptible to rising sea levels due to the absence of the protective action of the coral reefs.

The Maldives is a famously-affordable tourist destination, officially known as the Republic of Maldives, with the capital city of Male. The nation occupies an area of 298 square kilometers south of India with incredible scenery. Few know of its rich history, having changed hands multiple times, and shared between the Portuguese, Dutch, and British until independence in 1965 while retaining vibrant culture from each nationality.

The low-lying Maldives, with a maximum "peak" at 2.3 meters and "boasting" the lowest average altitude in the world of just 1.5 meters, is most threatened by rising sea levels. It is very likely that many of the 1,200 islands will start dipping into the ocean soon, which will halt its economy's mainstay, tourism. The rising sea level, at alarming rates around the nation, is also endangering the coastal livelihood of the 562,335 residents and forcing many to relocate.

The Maldives partnered with another vulnerable nation, the Bahamas on an international campaign to alert others and save themselves. It focused on the moral issues regarding suffering by the mostly-poor nations with little hard power, which made the campaign victorious and shaped the global 2015 Paris Agreement.

Tuvalu

The vulnerable island nation of Tuvalu as seen from aircraf.

The small country of Tuvalu is composed of four coral reefs, five atolls, and three islands in the Pacific Ocean. Despite its meager size, the nation is a perfect candidate to represent those who do the least harm and suffer the most. The country is one of the lowest pollution producers in the world, home to just over 12,000 residents, and falling victim to global warming caused by the more emission-producing countries. Tuvalu is set comparatively low to the sea level and lacks natural boundaries, making it helpless against storms and sea level rise.

The archipelago was discovered by the Spaniards around 1568, owned by the British, and achieved independence in 1978. Together with its neighbor Vanuatu, Tuvalu suffered-through Hurricane Pam, which worsened its precarious situation and alarmed the government of its near-future survival. In fact, the authorities are very demanding with the Kyoto Protocol compliance, accentuating the "innocence" of the hindered island through the fault of most-polluting countries.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu low elevation threatens this island nation's very existence.

The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago of 12,000 square kilometers in area, set in the South Pacific Ocean. Vanuatu was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1606 and obtained independence from Britain and France in 1980 as a new state. According to the UN, the nation holds "the most vulnerable" "world record" in terms of natural disasters. The forces of nature persistently threaten to wipe Vanuatu off the map, making it highly likely that the 83 volcanic islands of Vanuatu will disappear soon.

Cyclone Pam was responsible for destroying nine of each ten buildings in the capital. Vanuatu's high rate of cyclone formation is burdened further by the main threat of rising sea levels that quickens the disappearance of the already-vulnerable state. Its rising population today faces forceable relocation after a turn disaster proves "doomsday" to all.

Read MoreThese 9 Cities Could Disappear By 2030

With so many nations, human lives and well-being under threat, it becomes clear that there is a need to take immediate action to address such threats. However, since climate change is a global problem, every nation needs to make commitments and keep the same if the issue is to be resolved. Else, world maps will have to be constantly modified to omit nations lost to the sea in the coming decades.
Equatorial Guinea is located on the west coast of Central Africa. It consists of both a mainland and island regions which cover an area of 11,000 square miles. This country has an interesting history and a unique current situation. Below is a look at 10 interesting facts about Equatorial Guinea.

10. It is the smallest African country to be a member of the United Nations.

Most African countries cover an extremely large area with the exception of some island nations, coastal nations, and Equatorial Guinea. On November 12, 1968, this country became a member of the United Nations. At the same time, according to total land area, Equatorial Guinea became the smallest African country to be a UN member.

9. It is considered to be one of the

The government of Equatorial Guinea is considered authoritarian and has one of the worst records of human rights abuses in the world. According to the yearly Freedom in the World survey which measures political and civil rights, Equatorial Guinea has a ranking of 7. The scale is 1 (most free) to 7 (least free).

Additionally, human trafficking is a significant social issue in this country, targeting women and children to work in the forced labor and sex industries. Treatment of prisoners here is often cruel as well, with mistreatment including beatings, abuse, torture, unsubstantiated imprisonment, and unexplained deaths. In an attempt to reduce these human rights violations, President Obiang banned abuse and torture in Equatorial Guinea and funded a remodeling project for the Black Beach prison in an attempt to modernize the facilities in 2007. However, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have continued to report human rights violations despite these changes.

8. Fewer than one million people live there.

Equatorial Guinea is 1 of 10 African countries with a population of less than one million, based on projected estimates. The 2015 projected population for this country is listed at only 845,060, however, 2015 census results claim over 1.2 million individuals live here. This conflicting information is common in countries with unstable governments.

7. Right now, they are building a new capital expected to be completed in 2020.

The current capital of Equatorial Guinea is Malabo, which is located in the Bioko Norte province on the island of Bioko, just 25 miles from the coast of Cameroon. This city has a population of over 187,000. The economy here is based on public administration and the fishing industry.

The government of this country is planning a new capital city, however. This city is known as Oyala and is located in the Wele-Nzas province of the mainland region. This site was chosen for its central location, which is near the Mengoyemen airport and between the cities of Bata and Mongomo. Oyala will become the new headquarters location for the police, military, president, administration, government, and Congress. It is expected to cover an area of 20,139 acres that will include several presidential villas and a new Congress building. Estimates suggest it will have a population of around 200,000 once complete.

6. It is one of the only nations in the world to not has its capital on the mainland.

Its current capital, Malabo, is one of the only capitals in the world that is not located within the continental region of a country. Portuguese colonists were the first to land here and unsuccessfully attempted to organize a sugarcane industry. Control was later given to the Spanish, although colonization attempts were largely unsuccessful. Control of this city was then given to the British, who used the area to fight the continued African slave trade. Its population grew as a result of British efforts to free slaves. Many of the descendants of these freed slaves have stayed on the island. The city went on to become the capital of the Spanish colony, which was established here in 1855. It retained its importance as a capital center after Equatorial Guinea gained independence.

5. It is one of the richest countries in Africa.

Equatorial Guinea is one of the largest oil producers in Africa. It has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $31.769 billion (adjusted for purchasing power parity), which makes it one of the richest countries in Africa. When compared to the population size, this country has a GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity, of $38,699.

4. However, the vast majority of its residents live in poverty.

The wealth in this country is not distributed among the population. In fact, the majority of its residents live in poverty and live without access to clean drinking water. Approximately 20% of its children die before reaching the age of 5 and only 25% of newborns are immunized against polio and measles (one of the lowest rates in the world). Only 50% of children complete primary school and less than 25% of them go on to secondary school. According to the UN Human Development Index, Equatorial Guinea ranks number 144.

Researchers offer an explanation for this uneven wealth distribution: government officials have benefitted most from the wealth of oil production. The government has a high level of corruption and investigation into fraudulent money handling has pointed to local construction projects.

3. The president of Equatorial Guinea has been serving since 1979.

Teodoro Obiang is the current President of Equatorial Guinea and has served since August of 1979. As President, he holds a significant amount of powers and serves as both Head of State and Head of Government. His son holds the position of Vice President. Since Obiang has held presidential power, at least 12 attempts have been made to overthrow the government.

Human Rights Watch considers his presidency to be equal to a dictatorship and several organizations claim that the elections held here are fraudulent. Obiang has been at the center of a number of investigations, including those managed by the government of France. He has been accused of using public funds to purchase luxury homes and vehicles in France.

2. It is the third largest oil exporter in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As one of the largest oil producers in Africa, Equatorial Guinea relies on this product to keep its economy moving. Crude petroleum makes up 69% of its total exports at a value of $4.1 billion. This is followed by petroleum gas, which makes up 23% of total exports at a value of $1.39 billion. These exports help the country maintain a positive trade balance of $4.28 billion with $5.92 billion in exports and $1.64 billion in imports.

1. It is the only country in Africa to have Spanish as an official language.

Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish colony on 2 separate occasions: between 1778 and 1810 and from 1844 to 1968. Because of its long influence over the country, Spanish has remained an important language. In fact, Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa where Spanish is an official language. Approximately 67.6% of the population can speak it. Spanish is the language used for public administration and education.
By Press Trust of India: By Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Jun 13 (PTI) A series of landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 87 people, including several army officers, in Bangladesh with the majority of the deaths reported from a remote hill district close to the Indian border, officials said today.

The worst affected Rangamati hill district alone has witnessed 58 deaths, including four military personnel, who were on duty to remove the rubble to clear a major highway.

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According to local media reports, the death toll has touched as high as 87.

The death toll could rise as many people remain buried under tonnes of rubble.

"We could so far confirm 51 deaths . . . the toll could be higher with confirmation of more deaths," Disaster Management Ministry secretary M Shah Kamal told PTI referring to the landslide casualties in southeastern Chittagong, Rangamati and Bandarban.

The reports said that over 100 people were injured, many of them critically, while searches were underway for more bodies even as many remote areas were difficult to reach due to inclement weather.

"Most of the casualties were caused by landslides, but some died of electrocution, drowning and collapse of walls," said an official at the southeastern port city of Chittagong.

While 18 people were killed in Rangunia and Chandanaish upazilas of Chittagong, in Bandarban, six people were killed and five others injured due to landslides, officials were quoted as saying in the local media.

A military spokesman in Dhaka said an army major and a captain were among four of their dead personnel who were called out to remove landslide rubble from a highway linking port city of Chittagong with Rangamati.

"A fresh landslide at the scene buried the detachment killing the four while one soldier is still missing . . . ten personnel were wounded in the (fresh) landslide," he said.

Many of the victims belong to the ethnic minority or tribal groups in Rangamati and Bandarban who live in makeshift structures along the hills, officials said.

The officials said many people were asleep when the landslides hit, causing more casualties, especially among children.

"The rescue campaign is underway. We can get a clearer picture of the casualties later," a spokesman at the Disaster Management Ministry said, adding that the casualty figures could rise as many remain missing.

The landslides triggered by the monsoon rains came two weeks after Cyclone Mora hit Bangladesh, leaving eight people dead and damaging hundreds of homes. AR/NSA MRJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---

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In some nations, legislative actions and legal proceedings have given public recognition to same-sex marriage. Although not legally recognized, there was an increase in cases of same-sex marriages in the 20th century. The first law enactment that provided for same-sex marriage took place in the Netherlands in 2001. Despite the question of same-sex marriage being a widely debated topic, some countries have passed laws accepting it. The countries leading in legalizing same-sex marriage are western countries and countries of the Americas including the United Kingdom and the United States among others. Some countries have stood firm in opposing the same-sex marriage citing it as unreligious, uncultured, and unacceptable. Leading in rejection of the practice are African and Asian countries. Below is a look at some of the countries that are least accepting of same-sex marriage.

Countries Opposing Same-sex Marriage

Armenia - 96%

Armenia does not have any legal or social legislations that govern same-sex marriages. Despite the legalization of homosexuality in 2003, not much has changed. Due to discrimination from family and friends, many gay people have been isolated. Many parts of Armenia recognize same-sex marriage as taboo and different studies have shown that Armenians find same-sex lovers strange. However, there is no legal protection for people in same-sex relationships despite their right's constantly being violated. Armenia is ranked 47 out of the 49 European countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights.

Georgia - 95%

Georgia is among the few nations in the former Soviet Union that has criminalized discrimination against LGBT individuals. Despite this protection, locals consider same-sex marriage as being against Christian values. Gay people are constant targets of abuse and even physical violence. According to a social attitude questionnaire in the country, homosexuals are the most disliked people in society. The same study showed that 91.5% of people from Georgia think that same-sex marriage is unacceptable. According to research by Pew Research Center, 95% of Georgians are opposed to gay marriage.

Moldova - 92%

The Constitution of Moldova bans same-sex marriage or civil unions. The Orthodox Christian Church which dominates the country influences this prohibition by law. However, homosexuality between consenting adults has been legal in Moldova since 1995. The society in Moldova has remained homophobic as evident by statements by politicians that discriminate against LGBT individuals. According to research by Pew Research Center, 92% of the people of Moldova do not accept same-sex marriage as they say it undermines Christian values.

Conclusion

Despite laws prohibiting discrimination of individuals who have same-sex relationships, the practice to legalize same-sex marriage has not been widely accepted by most people in our society. Some factors have led to discrimination by friends and families including cultural and religious beliefs. To some, same-sex relationships are unacceptable. Many nations are still debating the subject of same-sex marriage but there seems to be a long way to go before marriage is accepted and legalized.
Gay marriage remains a controversial matter in some regions of the world. The Netherlands was the first nation to institute a law recognizing the marriage between same-sex couples. Other countries followed suit, most of which are in Europe. Polls show that support for the legal recognition of gay marriage is increasing in Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Taiwan recently made history as the first Asian country to recognize gay marriage. Different opinion polls rank the following countries as the most accepting of gay marriages:

Countries Most Accepting of Gay Marriage

Europe

Numerous countries in Europe have legalized gay marriage. 90% of Sweden's population supports gay marriage. Sweden became the seventh state to provide legally for same-sex marriage on May 1, 2009. About 87% of both the population in Denmark and Iceland is for gay marriage. Since 1989 in Denmark, same-sex couples could get a registered partnership. The nation adopted gay marriage laws on June 7, 2012. Germany recognized registered same-sex partnerships on August 1, 2001, but all marriage rights are yet to be granted to gay couples. Norway has 78% of its population in support of gay marriage. Norway was the sixth nation to legalize gay marriage on January 1, 2009. Belgium made history as the second nation to legalize gay marriage on June 1, 2003, and 77% of its population is for same-sex marriage. On May 15, 2015, Luxembourg became the first of the EU member states to have a prime minister in a gay marriage. 75% of Luxembourg's population supports same-sex marriage. 69% of Switzerland's population supports gay marriages. The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland has been at the forefront to oppose gay marriage in the country. France has 67% of its population for gay marriage. Other European countries with significant population supporting gay marriage are Finland (66); Czech Republic (65); Malta (65); Netherlands (64); Ireland (64); Spain (64); Italy (56); UK (56); Austria (55); Portugal (53).

Americas

In Uruguay, gay marriage is supported by 70.6% of the population. Same-sex couples acquired marriage rights in a law passed by the President of Uruguay on May 3, 2013. The 2005 Civil Marriage Act of Canada recognized same-sex marriages. 70% of the Canadian population supports gay marriage. Same-sex marriage in Mexico is supported by 69% of the nation's population. However, not all states in the country recognize gay marriages. In the US, 64% of the population is in favor of gay marriages. Same-sex marriage is legally carried out in all of the US States, and in Washington D.C. 64% of the population of Chile supports gay marriage. A bill approved by the Argentine Senate on July 15, 2010, granted marriage rights to gay couples. Gay marriage has the support of 59% of Argentina's population.

Australia and New Zealand

Although 69% of the Australian population supports gay marriage, it is yet to be legally recognized on a federal level. Gay couples can, however, acquire registered domestic partnerships or Civil Unions in different territories. Gay marriage has been legal in New Zealand since August 19, 2013. The law is only enforceable in New Zealand proper as well as the Ross Dependency in Antarctica. The rest of New Zealand's territories including Tokelau and Cook Islands do not recognize same-sex marriages.

Asia Opening up to gay unions

Thailand has 59% of its population in favor of same-sex marriage. While gay couples cannot legally wed in Thailand, they are largely and publicly tolerated particularly in urban metropolises. 54% of the Taiwanese population supports gay marriage. Two gay marriage bills were tabled before the Legislative Yuan in October 2016 which triggered a wave of protests both in opposition and those in support. The Constitutional Court of Taiwan granted marriage rights to gay couples on May 24, 2017. 49% of Israel's population support gay marriage. While same-sex marriage is illegal in the country, the state has registered gay marriages performed abroad starting in 2006.
Bangladesh, as the name suggests, speaks Bengali or Bangla. It is the de facto national language of the country. Bengali is also the official language of Bangladesh and serves as the nations lingua franca. The country also has several indigenous languages that are spoken by the different indigenous groups living in the country. English is often regarded as the de facto co-official language of the country.

The Official Language Of Bangladesh

Bengali is both the official and the national language of Bangladesh. Bengali is the worlds seventh most spoken native language. The language belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family but its vocabulary is also influenced by languages of the Austroasiatic, the Dravidian, and the Tibeto-Burman language families. Bengali acts as a binding force between the two separated Bengali communities living in Bangladesh and India. The national anthems of both Bangladesh and India were composed in Bengali. Bengali literature and folk heritage are well known across the world for their rich quality. In Bangladesh, 98% of Bangladeshis speak Standard Bengali or one of the many Bengali dialects fluently as their first language.

The Aryan Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

The Aryan languages are spoken mainly in the lowlands of Bangladesh. The Bengali language is also an Aryan language and the most widely spoken language of this class in the country. There are several other Eastern Indic languages spoken here which might be treated as dialects of Bengali or as separate languages themselves. These are:

Bishnupriya

The Aryan language is spoken in some parts of northeastern India, Burma, and Bangladesh. It is spoken in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. Bishnupriya is written with the Bengali alphabet.

Chakma

The Chakma language is spoken by Chakma and the Daingnet people. About 310,000 Bangladeshis living near Chittagong City of southeastern Bangladesh and 300,000 people living in northeastern India speak this language. The languages use the Chakma script for writing.

Chittagonian

The Chittagonian language is spoken widely in the southeast of Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong. Although the Bengali and

Chittagonian are not mutually intelligible, the latter is often treated as a nonstandard dialect of the former. Chittagonian is spoken by about 13 million people in Bangladesh.

Hajong

The Hajong language is spoken in parts of northeastern India and in the Mymensingh District of Bangladesh. The language is written in the Latin and the Assamese script.

Rohingya

Rohingya is the dominant language spoken in the Arakan State of Burma but is also spoken by refugees from Burma in Bangladesh. It is regarded as one of the main immigrant languages of Bangladesh.

Sylheti

Sylheti is spoken by the Sylheti people inhabiting Bangladeshs Sylhet Division. This language is also spoken in parts of northeastern India. Some consider the language to be a dialect of Bengali while others treat it as a distinct language since they lack mutual intelligibility. However, the languages share about 80% vocabulary. Most Sylhetis can also speak Bengali.

Tangchangya

Closely related to Bengali, this language is spoken by the countrys Tanchangya people.

Rangpuri

The Rangpuri language is spoken by about 10 million Rajbongshi people in Bangladesh. Many of these people are bilingual and also speak either Bengali or Assamese.

Others

Assamese, Oraon Sadri, and Bihari are some other Aryan languages spoken in Bangladesh. Bihari is spoken in Bangladesh mainly by the Muslim refugees from Indias Bihar state.

The Non-Aryan Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

Austroasiatic Languages Of Bangladesh

Smaller languages of the Austroasiatic family of languages are spoken in Bangladesh and some parts of India. Here is a list of these languages:

Khasi

Khasi is the major language of Indias Meghalaya state and is spoken by the Khasi people living here. It is also spoken by a significant number of people in Assam and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, it is spoken near the border areas of the country with India.

Koda

Koda is an endangered language spoken in some parts of Bangladesh and India. As of 2005, there were 1,300 speakers of the Koda language in Bangladeshs Rajshahi Division.

Mundari

A Munda language, Mundari is spoken by people in parts of eastern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, it is spoken by the Munda tribal people.

Pnar

Pnar is another language of the Austroasiatic family that is spoken in parts of India and Bangladesh.

Santali

The language is spoken by about 6.2 million people in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

War-Jaintia

This language is spoken by about 26,000 Indians and 16,000 people living in Bangladesh.

Dravidian Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

Indigenous communities living in the western parts of Bangladesh speak two Dravidian languages, Kurukh and Sauria Paharia.

Kurukh

Nearly 50,000 people in northern Bangladesh speak the Kurukh language. The language is also spoken in parts of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The UNESCO's list of endangered languages classifies the language as endangered.

Paharia/Malto

Malto, a Northern Dravidian language that is spoken in East India is also spoken by small pockets of population in Bangladesh.

Tibeto-Burman Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

The communities speaking the Tibeto-Burman Languages live in the eastern, northern, and southeastern parts of the country. Some of these languages include the Chak, A'Tong, Koch, Garo, Megam, Pangkhua, Tripuri languages, Chin languages, Rakhine/Marma, Mru, etc.

Immigrant Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

Bihari, Burmese, and Rohingya are treated as the main immigrant languages spoken in Bangladesh. Bihari is spoken mostly by the Muslim refugee community from Indias Bihar state. Burmese and Rohingya are spoken by the refugees from neighboring Burma.

Foreign Languages Spoken In Bangladesh

Even though English has no official status in Bangladesh, the language is frequently used in government administration, educational institutions, courts, business, and media of the country. There is high demand for English education in the country as knowledge in the language is considered to broaden the scope of employment opportunities available to the youth of the nation.
Djibouti is a small country located in the horn of Africa and gained independence from France in 1977. The system of government practiced in Djibouti is based on a semi-presidential system where the President is the head of state while the Prime Minister is the head of government. Legislative authority is vested on the Executive as well as the National Assembly.

Constitution Of Djibouti

The Constitution of Djibouti is the supreme law in the country. The current constitution was ratified in 1992 and was amended in 2010. The Constitution of Djibouti is made up of 13 titles and 97 articles. Title 1 of The Constitution of Djibouti dictates the sovereignty of Djibouti and ordains Islam as the official state religion. Title 1 of the Constitution also dictates French and Arabic as the official languages in Djibouti. Article 2 of The Constitution recognizes Djiboutis national flag and also establishes the nations capital city as Djibouti City. The rights and freedoms of Djibouti residents are also outlined in Title 2 which defines the citizens as sacred.

The Executive Branch Of The Government Of Djibouti

The powers, privileges, and composition of the Executive are set out in Title 3 of the Constitution. The President of Djibouti is the head of state and is elected during democratic elections through popular adult suffrage to serve a six-year term. The President is also the Commander in Chief of Djibouti Armed Forces and has the power to issue a pardon to convicts. The President is responsible for the appointment of principal government officials including the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the head of the government and has the mandate to appoint members of the cabinet (also known as the Council of Ministers). The Cabinet is tasked to conduct government operations and to implement government policies.

The Legislative Branch Of The Government Of Djibouti

Title 4 of the Constitution indicates the powers, composition, and privileges of the Legislature. According to the Constitution, Djibouti has a unicameral (single-chamber) parliament which, in conjunction with the executive, wields legislative authority. The National Assembly of Djibouti is made up of 65 members who are all democratically elected during general elections through a popular vote to serve five-year terms. 35 members of the National Assembly are Somali while 30 members are Afar. The President of the National Assembly is the leader of Parliament and is mandated to moderate parliamentary proceedings. The members of the national assembly are also known as Deputies, and all enjoy legal immunity.

The Judicial Branch Of The Government Of Djibouti

The Judiciary is the arm of government in Djibouti responsible for the administration of justice. The judicial system is based on French codified law, the local customary law as well as Islamic Sharia law. The lowest judicial levels in Djiboutis judicial system are the courts of the first instance which are spread all across the country. There are also five customary courts, one for each of the five administrative districts in the country. The highest court in the country is the Supreme Court followed by the high court of appeal. The Constitution also recognizes the Constitutional Council which is mandated to check the constitutionality of existing laws. The Superior Council of the Magistrature is a judicial body mandated to offer legal advice to the President. The Judiciary of Djibouti is entirely independent of the executive with the President presiding over the Superior Council of the Magistrature.
Gambia is a small west-African country that it is a presidential republic where the president of the country is the head of government as well as head of state. The country exercises democratic elections every five years. The executive wields both executive authority and legislative authority. The country has had several periods in its history where military coups imposed the dictatorial governments.

Constitution

In Gambia, the Constitution is the supreme law, and other laws are subordinate to the constitution. The sovereignty of the country is enshrined in the Constitution of Gambia as well as the rights and freedoms of the citizens. The first Constitution of the Republic was promulgated after the country gained independence from Britain in 1965. However, a 1994-military coup led to the suspension of the Constitution. When the military regime ended in 1997, a revised Constitution was adopted. The ousting of former President Yahya Jammeh in 2016 who initially refused to vacate the office caused a tremendous constitutional crisis until he was forcefully ejected by ECOWAS-led forces. The Constitution indicates that the government is comprised of three branches the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary.

The Executive

The Executive is the arm of government empowered to look into government interests both locally and internationally. According to the Constitution of Gambia, the president is the head of the Executive and wields executive authority. The president is elected through democratic elections using a popular vote to serve a five-year term with no restriction on the number of terms he can serve. Other members of the Executive include the vice-president, the attorney general, and cabinet ministers. All cabinet ministers are appointed by the president and cannot be members of the Legislature. The role of the cabinet ministers is to advise the president as well as to supervise the activities of their respective ministries.

The Legislature

The Legislature of Gambia is the branch of government mandated to create new laws and amend existing laws. Also known as the National Assembly, the legislature is comprised of 53 elected members as well as five members who are appointed by the president. Gambia has a unicameral parliamentary system with only one chamber of parliament that is the National Assembly. The speaker is the leader of the National Assembly and is mandated to moderate the proceeding of parliament as well as presiding over voting by members of parliament during the passing of bills. The speaker and his deputy are selected from the appointed members of parliament and not the elected members. Elected members of Parliament are elected through democratic process to serve a five-year term.

The Judiciary

The Judiciary is the arm of government whose mandate is the administration of justice where such administration is supposed to be impartial and fair. The chief justice is the head of the judiciary and is appointed by the president after consultations with the Judicial Service Commission. The highest office in the judiciary is the supreme court, and its judges (who include the chief justice) are all appointed by the president.
Nigeria is a country in West Africa. The nation's first president was Nnamdi Azikiwe, a former governor general who rose to power with the declaration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in October 1963. A Coup in 1966 established military rule in Nigeria and triggered the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). The Nigerian Second Republic was established with a new constitution in 1979 after which a presidential system modeled in American style was implemented. A subsequent constitution was adopted in 1993 establishing the Third Nigerian Republic, but the military coup took power until 1999 when another constitution was passed and is still in use today.

Executive

The Nigerian president serves as both the chief of state as well as the head of government. Nigerians go to the polls after every four years to elect the president. The president undertakes all required duties as the commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces. The Nigerian president assents to and signs bills and can return a bill to Parliament for reconsideration or can refer it to the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of the bill. Other duties of the president include appointing commissions of inquiry, summoning the Parliament to hold sessions on extraordinary business, calling a referendum, pardoning offenders, conferring honors, receiving foreign dignitaries, and appointing ambassadors, consular, and diplomatic representatives. The Nigerian president appoints the ministers who are confirmed by the senate. Ministries have permanent secretaries and also oversee various parastatal organizations.

Legislature

Both the House of Representatives and the senate undertake legislative duties in Nigeria. A total of 360 members currently sit in the House of Representatives representing single-member constituencies. These legislators are elected every four years using the simple majority. Sessions of the House are presided over by the speaker who is indirectly elected in the chamber. 109 senators sit in the upper chamber. Three senatorial districts in every state elect one senator while the Federal Capital Territory is represented by only one senator. Sessions of the Senate are guided by the President of the Senate assisted by a deputy.

Judiciary

The Judiciary system of Nigeria is headed by the National Judicial Council, an independent executive institution. The Chief Justice chairs Nigeria's Supreme Court with the help of thirteen associate judges. These judges receive their appointments from Nigeria's President, acting on the advice of the National Judicial Council and are further approved by the Senate. Courts of the first instance in Nigeria include district or magistrate courts, customary courts, and Sharia courts. Sharia and customary courts only have jurisdiction if the defendant and the plaintiff agree although they are often chosen due to delays and legal costs in the regular courts. Nigeria also has High Courts as well as Courts of Appeal.

Administration

There are a total of 36 states and one territory (Federal Capital Territory) in Nigeria. Some of the nation's states include Abia, Kano, Yobe, Benue, Kebbi, Kaduna, Edo, Imo, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, Enugu, Anambra, Adamawa, and Lagos. Each Nigerian state is further subdivided into Local Government Areas or LGAs. As it stands, Nigeria has 774 LGAs. The most LGAs found in one state are in Kano at 55. Six LGAs exist in the Federal Capital Territory.
After Tamil Nadu government officials were attacked by around 50 to 60 cow vigilantes late on Sunday night in Rajasthan's Barmer, cops have arrested 8 people in connection with the case.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: After Tamil Nadu government officials were attacked by around 50 to 60 cow vigilantes late on Sunday night in Rajasthan's Barmer district, police have arrested 8 people in connection with the case.

The officials of the Animal Husbandry department of Tamil Nadu have also written a letter to their state government seeking protection. They have cited risk to life and property from cow vigilantes in the letter.

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In the attack on Sunday night, the officials - which included five assistants and a veterinarian - were carrying cattle in five different trucks. The miscreants stopped the vehicles, attacked the staff members and set one of the trucks on fire. The officials were believed to be carrying valid with them.

OFFICIALS TAKING CATTLE AS PART OF GOVERNMENT PROJECT

Officials of the animal husbandry department of the Tamil Nadu Government were taking the cattle of a special variety - namely the Tharparkar variety - which is usually found in Rajasthan. The officials were doing so in accordance with a special project of the Tamil Nadu Government, called the National Cow Breeding Programme.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Barmer Superintendent of Police Gagan Deep Singla sent seven cops, including a Station House Officer (SHO), a sub inspector, two head constables and two constables to the Police Lines after they were accused of dereliction of duty. An inquiry has been ordered into their conduct. A case in the matter has also been registered against 50 people for creating ruckus.

Also read | Delhi BJP leaders debating on farmer protests, cow slaughter face central leadership's ire

Also read | Beef ban: Plea challenges Centre order in SC, says it would lead to increase in cow vigilantism

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Currently, nearly 39 million people live in apartments, and the apartment industry is quickly exceeding capacity;

In the past five years, an average of one million new renter households were formed every year, which is a record amount; and,

It will take building an average of at least 325,000 new apartment homes every year to meet demand; yet, on average, just 244,000 apartments were delivered from 2012 through 2016.

Delayed house purchases. Life events such as marriage and children are the biggest drivers of home ownership. In 1960, 44 percent of all households in the U.S. were married couples with children. Today, it's less than one in five (19 percent), and this trend is expected to continue.

The aging population. People ages 65-plus will account for a large part of population growth going forward across all states. The research shows older renters are helping to drive future apartment demand, particularly in the northeast, where renters ages 55-plus will account for more than 30 percent of rental households.

Immigration. International immigration is assumed to account for approximately half (51 percent) of all new population growth in the U.S., with higher growth expected in the nation's border states. This population increase will contribute to the rising demand for apartments. Research has shown that immigrants have a higher propensity to rent and typically rent for longer periods of time.

Demand is expected to be especially significant in Raleigh, N.C., with a 69.1 percent increase in new apartment units between now and 2030, Orlando, Fla. (56.7 percent), and Austin, Texas (48.7 percent). Also notable, the demand in the New York City metro area will call for an additional 278,634 apartment units, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas (266,296 new units), and Houston, Texas (214,176 new units).

Propensity to rent is higher in high-growth and high-cost states.

Hundreds of thousands of new rental units will be needed by 2030 in states such as California, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

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According to a new study commissioned by the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association, delayed marriages, an aging population and international immigration are increasing a pressing need for new apartments in the U.S., to the tune of 4.6 million by 2030. It's important to note that:Based on research conducted by Hoyt Advisory Services and commissioned by NAA and NMHC, the data includes an estimate of the future demand for apartments in the United States, the 50 states and 50 metro areas, including the District of Columbia. For the purposes of this study, apartments are defined as rental apartments in buildings with five or more units."We're experiencing fundamental shifts in our housing dynamics, as more people are moving away from buying houses and choosing apartments instead. More than 75 million people between 18 and 34 years old are entering the housing market, primarily as renters," said Dr. Norm Miller, Principle at Hoyt Advisory Services and Professor of Real Estate at the University of San Diego. "But renting is not just for the younger generations anymore. Increasingly, Baby Boomers and other empty nesters are trading single-family houses for the convenience of rental apartments. In fact, more than half of the net increase in renter households over the past decade came from the 45-plus demographic.""Apartment rentals are on the rise, and this trend is expected to continue at least through 2030, which means we'll need millions of new apartments in the U.S. to meet the increased demand. The western U.S. as well as states such as Texas, Florida and North Carolina are expected to have the greatest need for new apartment housing through 2030, although all states will need more apartment housing moving forward," said NAA Chair Cindy Clare, CPM. "The need is for all types of apartments and at all price points."There will also be a growing need for renovations and improvements on existing apartment buildings, which will provide a boost in jobs (and the economy) nationwide. Hoyt's research found that 51 percent of the apartment stock was built before 1980, which translates into 11.7 million units that could need upgrading by 2030. The older stock is highly concentrated in the northeast."The growing demand for apartments - combined with the need to renovate thousands of apartment buildings across the country - will make a significant and positive impact on our nation's economy for years to come," explained NMHC Chair Bob DeWitt. "For frame of reference, apartments and their 39 million residents contribute $1.3 trillion to the national economy. As the industry continues to grow, so will this tremendous economic contribution."
Thalaivar Rajinikanth will not be seen romancing Huma Qureshi in his upcoming film Kaala Karikaalan.

Huma Qureshi will be seen in Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala Karikaalan

By India Today Web Desk: Huma Qureshi, who is making her Tamil cinema debut with upcoming gangster drama Kaala Karikaalan, will not be seen playing superstar Rajinikanth's heroine in the film, an informed source said.

"Huma is not playing Rajini sir's love interest in the film. Actress Easwari Rao plays his pair, while Huma will be seen in a pivotal role," the source from the film's unit told IANS.

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In the Pa Ranjith-directed film, Huma plays a character called Zareena.

"Huma helps Rajinikanth take on Nana Patekar, who plays a ruthless politician. Contrary to rumours, she doesn't play his pair," the source added.

In Kaala Karikaalan, Rajinikanth plays a slum lord-turned-gangster and it's his second successive collaboration with director Ranjith after last year's Kabali. Earlier, there was speculation that Anjali Patil was playing Rajinikanth's daughter in the film, but in an exclusive interview to IndiaToday.in, the actor refuted the rumours.

The film, which is being produced by Dhanush, also stars Anjali Patil, Pankaj Tripathi and Samuthirakani.

Santhosh Narayanan is composing the tunes.

ALSO READ: Not playing Rajinikanth's daughter in Kaala Karikaalan, says Anjali Patil

ALSO READ: Huma Qureshi plays Zareena in Rajinikanth's Kaala Karikaalan

PHOTOS: Rajinikanth spotted shooting for Kaala Karikaalan in Mumbai

ALSO WATCH: Thalaivar Rajinikanth speaks to India Today about fan meet-and-greet, politics

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91% of GP Training Places in Wales Filled  100% Of Places In Wrexham

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 13th, 2017

91% of GP training places in Wales have been filled following a highly successful campaign to promote Wales to doctors  with a 100% fill rate in Wrexham.

The This is Wales: Train, Work, Live campaign, was launched by the Welsh Government and NHS Wales in October 2016 in a bid to promote Wales as an excellent place for doctors, including GPs, and their families, to train, work and live.

In April 2017, the Health Secretary Vaughan Gething announced the fill rate for GP training places at the end of round one was 84%, which compared to 68% at the same stage in 2016.

Today the Health Secretary announced that following the round one re-advert, the fill rate has increased to 91% for 2017 (124 out of 136 posts filled) across Wales. This compares to a 75% fill rate in 2016.

The new financial incentive scheme in targeted areas of Wales has resulted in 100% fill rates in the following GP training schemes:

Ceredigion

North Wales West

Pembrokeshire

North Wales East

On the last bulletpoint we are also told that there has been 100% fill rate for Wrexham specifically and Flintshire.

Trainees will begin their training in August 2017.

Round two, which aims to recruit GP trainees to take up post in February 2018, will open in August 2017.

Vaughan Gething said that improving access to GP and other local health services remains one of his top priorities.

He said: Ensuring we have the right staff in place in the right places is crucial.

So Im really pleased our This is Wales: Train, Work, Live campaign has resulted in a significant increase in the number of trainee GPs coming to Wales  with 91% of training places filled already after round one.

Im particularly pleased our financial incentives have resulted in all training places being filled in some of the areas that have traditionally found it difficult to recruit.

The Health Secretary added: Were continuing to reform our primary care services  with GPs working with pharmacists, nurses, therapists and other professionals as part of a wider team to ensure people receive the right care, at the right time, by the right person, as locally as possible. We are committed to working with our staff to develop the local healthcare team for the future.

Peoples access to these services will increasingly improve as we recruit more GPs and other healthcare professionals to fill roles across Wales.

Last month, the Welsh Government and NHS Wales launched the second phase of the This is Wales: Train, Work, Live campaign, targeted at nurses in primary care, secondary care and the care home sector.

Future phases of the campaign will target pharmacists and allied health professionals.
Wales To Get Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru In Assembly Name Change

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 13th, 2017

The Assembly Commission has agreed to legislate to rename the National Assembly for Wales as the Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru before the end of this Assembly.

Last year Wrexham.com sat down with the First Minister Carwyn Jones and he spoke about a possible name change,  I am very much in favour of calling our Assembly a Parliament, which is what it is. Scotland is a Parliament, there is a UK Parliament, in reality it is a Parliament and I think it is important as people understand what a Parliament does but dont quite know what an Assembly does.

Today the intention to get that aim into a reality has taken a step forward with the Assembly Commission stating it will now highly likely become a reality by 2021. In theory in the next Assembly election, people will be electing Welsh Parliament Members, WPMs.

The Commission agreed to consult with the people of Wales on the issue following a unanimous Assembly vote in July 2016 in favour of a name which reflects the institutions constitutional status as a national parliament.

The Assembly Commission is has published a summary of the consultation responses. In total, 2,821 survey responses were received from people of all ages and from all across Wales. 61 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the Assembly should change its name and that the name that best described the institutions role and responsibility was: Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru (73 per cent). 60 per cent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that the role of the Assembly is well understood.

The preferred title for elected representatives wasnt as clear cut. On balance, the most popular choice was Members of the Welsh Parliament. However, the Commission agreed to put forward a proposal to call them Welsh Parliament Members, in keeping with the current title of Assembly Members.

The change will be taken forward as part of a wider programme of reforms being considered following the transfer of the relevant powers by the Wales Act 2017.

The Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, Elin Jones AM, said: The change will I hope play a part in ensuring that more people more fully understand the powers of the Assembly and the role it plays in their lives. Our role today is as a full parliamentary body, with the power to pass laws and agree taxes, and we must continue to work hard to inspire the confidence, trust and pride in the people we serve.

A change of name alone will not do that, but it is part of a wider package of reforms that I believe will play an important role in improving understanding of our national democratic legislature. The Commission intends to publish the legislation to give effect to those reforms next year

Assembly Commissioner with responsibility for budget and governance, Suzy Davies AM said: We recognise that some people who responded to the consultation were concerned about the potential costs that any name change may cause. I want to reassure them that we do not intend to rebrand completely or waste resources by rushing to make the change.

We will legislate in the near future but, until then, the institution will continue to be known officially by its current statutory name, the National Assembly for Wales, in order to avoid confusion and to minimise cost and disruption.

Top pic: The Assembly, soon to be Parliament, at work today
Four years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh in April 2013, none of the fundamental issues that led to the disaster has been resolved. More than 1,135 workers were killed and almost 2,600 injured, many seriously, when the eight-storey building, which housed a number of apparel factories, caved-in, trapping hundreds under tonnes of concrete and rubble.

Rana Plaza survivors face a desperate situation. A recent survey by ActionAid revealed that 42 percent of the survivors remain jobless and 30 percent are too traumatised to work. About 48 percent are physically weak and 33 percent are psychologically weak.

Shilpi Begum, who lost an arm in the tragedy, said she and her chronically ill husband had to stop the education of their three daughters because of financial problems. Factories, she said, were reluctant to hire physically disabled workers. Begum, who wants to return to work and send her kids to school, asked: How can I ensure that? Most of the compensation the family received for the disaster was eaten up by medical costs.

While the government has feigned concern about the Rana Plaza disaster, its real attitude is indicated by its response to a peaceful protest by about 500 people at the site on the anniversary of the collapse. The government deployed police, armed with a water cannon, to prevent the rally occurring. According to protest organisers, the police prevented those in attendance laying floral wreaths.

Anwara Hossain, the mother of a deceased Rana Plaza worker, said she was forcefully pushed away by the police. She shouted at police: If you had a son, you would know my misery. On this day when my son was taken away from me, you keep me away from the one place I can come to remember him  This day might be just another day of duty for you, but for me this is a day when I cannot bring food to my mouth.

Savars Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Mahbubur Rahman justified the police operation, declaring that his officers only asked people to not create any chaos. He claimed that the presence of the water cannon was part of a regular deployment.

The governments callous indifference to the plight of the Rana Plaza victims is reflected in the long-delayed legal actions against those responsible for the disaster.

Charges were not filed against the building owner, Sonel Rana, and 40 others, including local government officials, for three years. Three of these cases are still pending in court, due to so-called legal errors and a series of reinvestigations.

While Rana, a regional leader of the ruling Awami League, is still in custody, 16 others are on bail and 24 defendants have fled.

There are close connections between the political establishment and the apparel industry. The main concern of the Bangladeshi ruling elite and international retailers is to ensure that the sector continues to expand.

The countrys garment industry produces low-cost items and massive profits for a range of international brands, including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Gap. The industry employs about 4.5 million workers, 80 percent of whom are young girls from rural areas. In fact, one in every eight Bangladeshi directly or indirectly depend on the textile industry.

Bangladeshs garment workers are the lowest paid in the world, receiving just 5,300 takas ($68) per month. While hazardous roads and chronic power shortages are a serious problem for the garment industry, international retailers and investors are attracted by the countrys poverty-level wages.

Despite many promises from employers, wages have not improved in the past four years. A recent report from dw.com cited the example of a married couple. Ashik and his wife Rahinur, who worked in a factory producing clothes for international retailers such as H&M and Zara, were sacked for joining demonstrations demanding increased wages last December. They worked 14 hours a day but earned only $193 a month between them. Ashik told dw.com their wages were just enough to cover food and rent but not health care. Having lost their jobs, they could now only afford rice and some dried fish.

The Awami League government and garment industry employers are determined to keep the countrys cheap labour competitive internationally. In 2014-15, clothing provided almost 82 percent of Bangladesh $31 billion export earnings.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Siddiqur Rahman said the government raised wages in 2013 and another pay increase was not possible for at least five years, if ever.

Promises by the international retail sector to improve safety conditions in Bangladeshs apparel sector are a fraud. Many retailers are unwilling to sign even the limited Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge, which was drafted and endorsed last year by a nine-member coalition that included Human Rights Watch (HRW), the International Labor Rights Forum and the International Trade Union Confederation.

The pledge, which has no enforcement mechanisms, requires its signatories to disclose details twice a year about the manufacture of their products, including addresses, types of products made and number of workers at each site. According to HRW, only 17 of out 72 companies contacted have agreed to implement these toothless demands by the end of this year.

Walmart refused to sign the pledge, claiming it had its own initiatives to improve transparency in its supply chain.

Health and safety in Bangladeshi workplaces have not improved, and this is not only in the apparel factories. A comment in Dhakas Daily Star newspaper reported on May 1 that 294 workers were killed while 101 workers were grievously injured in the first three months of 2017.

The newspaper noted that 1,240 people were killed and 544 injured in workplace accidents in 2016 and 951 died in 2015. It also revealed that the Bangladesh Occupational Safety Health and Environment Foundation discovered that 33 workers from the 101-strong workforce at one shipbuilding company had acute asbestos poisoning.
The special election taking place in Georgias Sixth Congressional District has now become the single most expensive congressional race in history, with more than $40 million poured into the campaigns of Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel.

Ossoff, 30, is a first-time candidate who is a former congressional aide and documentary filmmaker, while Handel, 55, was secretary of state of Georgia after two unsuccessful races for statewide office. After placing first and second in a primary election April 18, the two candidates are on the ballot for the June 20 runoff vote to fill the seat of Republican Tom Price, Trumps choice as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ossoff fell just short of winning the seat outright in the primary, where he gained 48 percent of the vote. Handels share was only 20 percent, but the most among the nine Republicans who combined for 51 percent of the vote. Polls show the runoff is closely contested, with perhaps a slight lead for the Democrat.

Ossoff alone has raised $23 million, the bulk of it from small online contributions from around the country by supporters who saw the race as an opportunity to show opposition to the Trump administration, although the candidate himself rarely mentions Trump and is running a thoroughly conservative campaign. The national Democratic Party has pumped in about $6.7 million.

Handel has raised only $4.2 million since the primary, but the national Republican Party has poured more than $12 million into her campaign in an effort to save the seat, in an upscale suburban area, which has been held by Republicans for 38 years, half of that time by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The combined total in spending, now well over $40 million, eclipses the previous record for a congressional seat, the $30 million spent for a Florida race in 2012. If that figure were projected over the 2018 campaign as a whole, when 435 House seats are contested, total spending just on the House of Representatives would total more than $17 billion.

The Georgia race is the highest profile contest in a series of special elections occasioned by Trumps selection of four House Republicans for cabinet positionsCIA Director Mike Pompeo, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, in addition to Price.

Republicans won narrow victories to succeed Pompeo in Kansas and Zinke in Montana, in contests that were much closer than previous races, but showed little effort by the national Democratic Party to appeal to the growing popular opposition to the Trump administration. The contest to succeed Mulvaney in South Carolina takes place on June 20, the same day as the Georgia runoff, with just as little attention from the national Democrats.

The Georgia special election, by contrast, has become the occasion for a considerable effort by the national Democratic Party apparatus, including newly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez, for money and manpower.

The Ossoff campaign fits the profile desired by the DNC and the congressional Democratic leadership. Unlike the Democratic candidates in the special elections in Kansas and Montana, who were more aligned with the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, Ossoff has disavowed any association with supposedly progressive politics, claiming to advocate fiscal responsibility and what he called sense over nonsense. Sanders, in return, has given Ossoff only tepid endorsement and has not campaigned with him.

A long report on his campaign in Mondays New York Times included the following description of Ossoffs essentially anti-ideological political views: Bucking the left, Mr. Ossoff said in an interview that he would not support raising income taxes, even for the wealthy, and opposed any move toward a single-payer health care system. Attacked by Republicans for his ties to national liberals, Mr. Ossoff said he had not yet given an ounce of thought to whether he would vote for Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, in a future ballot for speaker.

He told the Times, Theres a coalition of folks here in Georgia who want representation thats focused on local economic development and on accountability  and not on the partisan circus in Washington.

Ossoff has largely avoided mentioning Trumps name, which did not deter Trump from mentioning Ossoff in a tweet posted in April, when he wrote that Democrat Jon Ossoff would be a disaster in Congress. VERY weak on crime and illegal immigration, bad for jobs and wants higher taxes. Say NO. Vice President Mike Pence declared that Karen Handel will partner with President Donald Trump to make America safe and prosperous again.

Handel has embraced the full range of ultra-right positions advocated both by Trump and the congressional Republican leadership. At a debate last week, she declared her opposition to raising the state or national minimum wage, saying at one point, I do not support a livable wage. She also declined to say whether she believes human activity is a cause of climate change, saying, I am not a scientist.

Ossoff has supported the anti-Russian campaign mounted by the congressional Democrats, which aligns the Democratic Party with the military-intelligence apparatus in unsupported charges that the Russian government intervened in the US presidential election to support Trump.

Ossoff has said that there should be a firm response and a transparent, independent investigation into the Russian role in the presidential election, but added that were still not there yet on the question of whether Trump should be impeached. This is nearly word for word the position of Democratic Minority Leader Pelosi.
Greeces parliament passed further austerity measures last Friday prior to the Eurogroup meeting of finance ministers on June 15.

These come on top of a series of savage measures that were enacted last month, including additional cuts to pensions of between 9 and 18 percent, the reduction of the tax-free allowance from 8,636 to 5,681 as well as cuts in heating allowance, unemployment insurance and other benefits. The bill included measures designed to facilitate mass sackings as well as further sell-offs of public assets.

Fridays measures were added to a draft bill on fishing regulations in an attempt to fast-track them through parliament. They included an amendment to last months legislation, which will see freezes on pension increases extended by one year until the end of 2022. This amounts to a cut of 250 million on pensions on top of the 500 million cut voted in last month. Another amendment specified that collective bargaining will not be automatically resumed after the European Unions (EU) current 86 billion austerity for loans programme ends in 2018.

All these measures140 in totalare demanded by Greeces creditors as a precondition for the release of a 7 billion tranche it needs in order to pay off liabilities due in July. Greeces overall debt burden remains at around 300 billion or 180 percent of GDP.

Additional measures demanded by the EU, such as the lifting of administrative restrictions on the privatisation of Hellenikon, the site of the former Athens international airport, will be enacted through a series of government decrees.

Passing the measures Syriza Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos justified their fast-tracking, declaring the government needed to counter the danger that some of our opponents are deliberately trying to turn the Eurogroup meeting into a discussion about the prerequisite measures rather than a discussion about the debt.

This is a reference to the ongoing stalemate between the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the second assessment of the current austerity programme, which should have been finalised last November. This has brought the prospect of a Greek debt default to the fore again, especially after talks over debt relief, which the German government opposes, broke down at the last Eurogroup meeting.

The IMF has not joined the current loans programme, maintaining that Greeces debt is not sustainable in the long run and that a haircut is necessary in return for even more draconian cuts. In fact, the bulk of the measures enacted last month and on Friday are based on demands by the IMF that it says are a precondition for it joining the programme.

According to the minutes from the Eurogroup meeting that were leaked to Greek news site Euro2day, the head of the IMF in Europe, Poul Thomsen, insisted: [We] would need something considerably more specific [on debt relief] or you will not be able to get us to agree to this.

German Federal Minister Wolfgang Schaubles reply was: I dont have a mandate [to agree debt relief measures]. If this is the way, then good luck. We will not find a solution.

While Schauble considers the formal participation of the IMF politically necessary for austerity to continue, he considers debt relief as especially detrimental to the German elite, which is Greeces chief creditor within the EU.

By the start of last week, the IMF had softened its stance with IMF Director Christine Lagarde telling German financial journal Handelsblatt: If the creditors are not yet at that stage where they can agree on and respect our assumptions, if it takes them more time to get there, we can acknowledge that and give them a bit more time. At the same time, she maintained that disbursement will only take place once debt relief is clearly articulated by the creditors.

According to reports, Lagarde will be attending this weeks Eurogroup meeting, which has been taken as a sign that an agreement will be reached.

The rush to reach a compromise underscores the nervousness in ruling circles that the prospect of a Greek default could trigger mass protests and strikes by the working class in Greece, as expressed by the wide participation in last months 24-hour general strike. Called by the trade union bureaucracy to coincide with the passage of last months measures, it brought the country to a standstill.

While there are differences between the IMF and the EU on the handling of the Greek debt crisis, expressing the increasing divergence between Washington and Berlins geopolitical interests, on the question of stepping up the offensive against the working class there is full agreement.

The compromise was initially proposed by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who appealed to the IMF to take a big step and take the programme to the [IMF] board even if it cannot disburse before the debt question is resolved.

In response, the IMFs Thomsen declared, this is an interesting proposal which we can consider.

In response Tsakalotos balked that such a compromise is the worst of all worlds for [Greece], adding that we have negotiated a tough programme with the IMF on the proviso that it comes with a plan saying that the debt is not sustainable so we can turn a page. The IMFs participation must be based on its stating that the debt is sustainable. All the same Tsakalotos assured that his government remains as reliable as ever in implementing the EU and IMF diktats stating that you have my personal commitment that the work to complete the prior actions will continue.

This is just the latest evidence of Syrizas role as a tool of the financial elite. It was swept into power in January 2015 winning mass support on an anti-austerity ticket. Just a few months later, the pseudo-left party fully capitulated to Greeces creditors by signing a new bailout package, thus betraying the overwhelming rejection of Greek workers and youth of austerity in the July 2015 referendum.

Like its social democratic and conservative government predecessors, Syriza relies on undemocratic means to fast-track the austerity measures demanded by the EU/IMF within parliament and on riot police units to put down opposition by workers and youth outside.

Syriza is now widely despised, polling around 16.5 percent according to a recent survey. Some 40 percent of Greeks believe that the measures voted in last month are the most brutal since the first bailout package was signed in 2010.

Greeces private sector and public sector trade union federations, GSEE and ADEDY, issued statements condemning the latest measures. Referring to the way the measures were passed, ADEDY stated, last minute amendments have been used in the past by all pro-austerity governments in order to avoid a social backlash. This did not however contribute to their longevity, nor to the lessening of a backlash and of popular anger.

Such bluster seeks to conceal the trade union bureaucracys own complicity in facilitating the passage of the measures. Countless 24-hour general strikes have been called since 2010, the sole purpose of which has been to allow workers to let off steam while the measures are enacted unopposed.

GSEE also verbally condemned the latest measures and vowed to militantly continue the struggle through our unions. Nonetheless, it had no qualms about inviting Finance Minister Tsakalotos and Bank of Greece Governor and former Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras to speak at an upcoming event organised by its Labour Institute. Both are directly responsible for implementing measures that have pauperised and impoverished the Greek working class.
In a series of raids Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested as many as 100 Iraqi immigrants in the Detroit metro area, including Muslims and many Chaldean Catholics, some of whom were reportedly captured while leaving church services.

Family members of the arrestees told the World Socialist Web Site that the detainees were sent to a for-profit prison four hours away near Youngstown, Ohio, from where they face immediate risk of deportation to Iraq.

Protesters held a demonstration at the Mother of God Catholic Church in Southfield yesterday, where friends and family of the arrestees wept and screamed denunciations of Trump and immigration officials.

Relatives say that deportation will be a death sentence due to the ongoing war and sectarian strife that has enveloped Iraq since the US invasion of 2003. While ICE claims they are only deporting dangerous criminals, relatives say some of the arrestees were convicted for crimes as minor as marijuana possession and that many of the convictions are decades old.

The decision by the Trump administration to deport refugees to Iraq explodes the claims that the US wars in Iraq and Syria are humanitarian interventions aimed at protecting the population. In violation of international law, the US government is sending the arrestees into an active warzone in a region that it continues to bomb. Iraq has been laid to waste by 25 years of permanent US-led war. The death toll is in the millions.

As the ICE raids were taking place Sunday, the Department of Defense issued a press release announcing that the US military launched seven air strikes in Iraq, hitting Bayji, Kisik, Mosul, and Tal Afar in recent days.

Family members were informed that their relatives could be sent to the Iraqi city of Erbil, located less than two hours by car from Mosul, a city under active siege where the US has killed thousands of civilians and where the US-backed invasion force has been accused of using the chemical white phosphorous against the population.

Mosul, which has been largely demolished by the US siege, is the seat of a leading Chaldean Catholic Church diocese and the home of ethnic Chaldeans, an Assyrian population whose roots in Iraq date back over 5,500 years.

Although the Chaldean minority in Iraq was not targeted by the secular regime of Saddam Hussein, persecution grew after the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91 as the US stoked sectarian conflict in the countrys northern Kurdish region in an effort to destabilize the Baathist government.

Conditions drastically worsened after the US invasion, which fueled sectarian warfare as the US military mobilized Shiite forces against insurgents in the majority Sunni areas, and both Islamic factions persecuted religious minorities like Yazidis and Chaldeans. Over 80 Chaldean churches have been bombed since the US occupation began.

Since the 2003 US invasion, Iraqs total Christian population has fallen from 1.5 million to 400,000 due to death and emigration. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to Syria after the US invasion, only to now find themselves trapped in the conflict raging there.

In order to stoke civil war and force the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria, the US has backed an opposition dominated by Syrias Al Qaeda affiliate, the Al Nusra Front, which has also carried out atrocities against Chaldeans in both Syria and Iraq. Al Qaeda is believed to be responsible for the 2008 assassination of Mosuls Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahno.

In the last three years, ISIS has routinely destroyed Chaldean churches, killed religious officials, and desecrated ancient ruins. The Islamist group developed in Iraq and emerged in Syria under conditions where the USs deliberate policy was to fuel violent religious conflict. In Iraq, the purpose is to keep the population divided and more easily dominated by Washington. In Syria, the aim is to bring down Assad.

Sundays round-up is the product of a deal made in March by the Trump administration with the Iraqi government that removed the country from the administrations revised executive order barring travel from seven predominantly-Muslim nations. Under the terms of the deal, Iraq agreed to take deportees from the US, something the country has not done for years.

Many Chaldeans at Mondays demonstration told the WSWS they voted for Trump because he claimed he would protect Christians in Iraq and Syria. An older Chaldean man whose brother was arrested said, I voted for Trump, its not fair. This is our home, where are we to go in Iraq? We have no country, thats why we came to America!

Steve, another Chaldean protester whose brother was arrested, said, Trump lied, he said he would go after people without legal papers, but everyone they arrested had papers. My brother went in for a regular check-up with immigration authorities, and he got picked up at home one week later. If they took your brother, father, sister, or mother, how would you feel? What would you do?

Scenes like the one that played out in a church parking lot in Michigan on Monday afternoon are becoming increasingly common in the US. In the first three months following his inauguration, Trumps administration arrested over 40,000 immigrants, an escalation from the already high numbers deported under Barack Obama.

Across the country, parents of all backgrounds are being torn from their children and from one another. Many, including those from the Middle East, Central America and Southeast Asia, will be sent back to impoverished disaster zones suffering from the impact of US imperialist intervention.

The number of lives shattered by these policies is in the tens of millions, and yet there is near total silence from the Democratic Party on Trumps mass deportation program.

Instead, the Democratic Party is throwing its entire political energy behind advancing unsubstantiated neo-McCarthyite claims that Trump is an agent of Russia, amplified by highly publicized Senate hearings.

But the Democrats attempt to whip up public hysteria over foreign meddling may exacerbate xenophobic confusion, further poisoning the political climate and creating conditions in which foreigners and immigrants may find themselves the victims of physical attacks. The Democrats anti-Russian campaign is providing right-wing paramilitary groups and the Bannon-Miller faction of the Trump White House with a springboard to direct social anger against immigrants.

If public hearings were held on Trumps deportation program, facts would emerge that would shock tens of millions and educate them on the horrific conditions immigrants face.

For example, the government is setting up a network of camps to house hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including those who have committed no crimes. The government has considered mobilizing 100,000 National Guard troops across 11 western and southwestern states to incarcerate millions of immigrants. ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are filled with thousands of fascistic officers who describe beating and arresting immigrants as fun. Violations of immigrants due process rights are so routine they are treated as par for the course by immigration attorneys and judges.

The Democrats have not and will not demand hearings to investigate these widespread violations of democratic rights, in part because Barack Obamas administration carried out similar crimes and deported 2.7 million immigrants. The task of bringing the Trump administration to justice for the attacks on immigrants therefore falls to the working class.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi today lauded the government for ratifying two fundamental global conventions on combating child labour, saying the move would help the country end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking.

India today ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour and Convention 138 on the minimum age of employment at the United Nations.

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"This remarkable moment provides with an opportunity for the country to make renewed commitment for ending forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. Let this be the last generation that has been exploited in the name of illiteracy, poverty or helplessness," Satyarthi said.

The child rights activist said India is an emerging world leader and therefore in order to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030, children must be put at the centre of the agenda.

Satyarthi, who at present is in Brazil for his upcoming mega campaign 100 million for 100 million, is the honourary president of Global March against Child Labour, which has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the need for India ratifying the ILO conventions since 1998.

With 180 countries having already done so, it has also become the fastest ratified convention in the history of ILO.

The involvement of these countries in the Convention clearly shows that support for the movement against child labour is gaining momentum worldwide, he said.

"Now after nearly two decades, I am overjoyed that India has also decided to ratify the Convention. I congratulate our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The decision to ratify Convention 182 and Convention 138 was overdue in providing justice to our children. After the total prohibition of child labour, this is an important step in protecting all our children from exploitation and abuse," he said in a statement.

"It is now the collective responsibility of everyone to ensure its implementation," he added.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said ratification of the two ILO conventions reaffirmed Indias "commitment to a child labour-free society," according to an ILO statement.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder welcomed India among the member states party to the two fundamental conventions.

"We all recognise the great progress India has made against child labour in recent years and the major role played by its convergence model of coherence between public policies and services, which was strongly supported by the ILO," he said.

India, the second most populous country in the world, is the 181st member state to ratify Convention No 182, which calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking, the use of children in armed conflict, the use of a child for prostitution,pornography and in illicit activities (such as drug trafficking), andhazardous work.

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India is the 170th ILO member state to ratify Convention No 138, which requires states party to set a minimum age under which no one shall be admitted to employment or work in any occupation, except for light work and artistic performances. PTI KIS KUN

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On June 7, US Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced the withdrawal of joint employment independent contractor informal guidance, effectively removing what are called administrator interpretations implemented under the Obama administration designed to create employer liability. The decision will serve to further empower the major corporations while reducing their accountability and restricting the rights of workers.

The decision of the Obama administration to implement the regulation in 2016 grew out of legal problems over the question of employee and employer definitions in the context of the growth of third-party labor providers, gig-economy platforms, and franchise relationships.

The new legal interpretation was designed to provide some form of basic representation to workers employed by companies that refuse to recognize themselves as employers while still maintaining the level of control over the worker that an employer would have.

Following the 2007-2008 economic crisis and the subsequent recovery under the Obama administration, such forms of employment have been on the rise. Since the recession, small businesses have accounted for 67 percent of net new jobsmost of them low-wage, temp or contract work. From 2012 to 2016, franchises accounted for 10.9 percent of new private sector jobs. Franchises now account directly and indirectly for over 13 million jobs in the United States.

For example, drivers for car hailing services such as Uber and Lyft have been declared contractors and not employees. In the fast food industry, workers frequently have to report to a franchise operation rather than the corporation itself. Some workers also may be removed from employment at a large firm and told they now work for a third party.

A particular concern raised by the union bureaucracy is over their right to unionization and collective bargaining in this section of the economy, which they see as a growing and potentially lucrative pool of dues money. If workers such as these are not considered full employees, they have no legal basis for any form of representation.

Furthermore self-employed individuals are not allowed to organize or be involved in collective bargaining of any sort. In fact, for such employees to work together on pricing and conditions would be considered illegal price fixing.

In cases where issues concerning labor law compliance have arisen, companies often attempt to shift liability onto another business and vice versa. Under Obama, the Department of Labor at times used an interpretation that major corporations could be effectively considered to be joint employers who are therefore legally responsible for their employees. The Trump administration has put an end to this.

In a press release, Acosta stated: Removal of the administrator interpretations does not change the legal responsibilities of employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, as reflected in the departments long-standing regulations and case law. The department will continue to fully and fairly enforce all laws within its jurisdiction, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

This means that the Department of Labor will not establish any new interpretations of regulations, regardless of changes within the economy. Furthermore, this in effect represents a change in how employer legal responsibility is defined. The rolling back of the joint employer provision means that major corporations which profit off of the labor of contract or third party employees will no longer be liable.

Companies that do not directly employ the workers argue that questions regarding labor law compliance and working conditions are not applicable because they are self-employed contractors or their concerns are a matter for the smaller third-party employer.

Workers under third party employers likewise face many problems. Employees of third party employers may not be entitled to file a class action lawsuit against the central company through which the third party is employed. Fast food workers, for example, may not be able to sue the chain itself because they are technically employees of the local franchise only.

The decision to redefine labor law by the Trump administration is made all the more significant when taken in the context of a series of legal disputes in which workers have been fighting to be recognized as employees.

Uber drivers have filed class-action lawsuits seeking to be entitled to benefits, gas reimbursement and other expenses. Three drivers in the Amazon Flex program have sued Amazon on identical grounds, arguing they are owed back benefits, overtime pay and money for gas and vehicle maintenance. In 2014, McDonalds franchise workers sued the company over wage theft. The National Labor Relations Board ruled that the workers should be considered full-time employees of McDonalds.

For the ongoing lawsuits, the decision by the Department of Labor to reverse this will undercut the legal standing of workers claims, paving the way for further cuts to living standards and working conditions on the part of the companies. Furthermore, it will provide a legal precedent further normalizing wage theft and lack of oversight of working conditions.

The rise of contract, subcontract, third party or otherwise gig labor points to the overall destruction of the living standards of the working class and the inability of capitalism to provide any relief to the growing social crisis.

It is clear the Obama administrations guideline did not drastically change conditions for workers that fall into this category. However, with its reversal, the Trump administration has made clear that it is committed to a renewed and ruthless onslaught to destroy any of the meager legal protections left for workers that may stand in the way of the insatiable drive for profit by the large corporations and big banks.
This declaration by the Kronstadt Soviet was written by Trotsky after he met with the Kronstadt sailors in June to discuss how to respond to the many attacks by the Provisional Government and the bourgeois press against the naval base. It was originally published in Pravda, No. 69, June 13 (May 31) 1917. [1]

Citizens, comrades, brothers!

The name Kronstadt, borne on the glorious pages of the history of the Russian revolution, is now vilified and defamed on the pages of all bourgeois newspapers. The malicious pens of counterrevolutionary slanderers write as if we, Kronstadters, invite the people to despotism, lynch law, and anarchy, as if we carry out the torture of the tyrants and servants of Tsarism arrested by us, and finally, as if we have refused to acknowledge the authority of the Provisional Government, seceded from Russia, and established the independent Kronstadt Republic.

What a senseless lie, such pitiful and disgraceful calumny!

In Kronstadt we have not anarchy, but a sincere and firm revolutionary order. Our Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies has taken into its hands authority with regards to all local Kronstadt affairs.

We are against lynch law, against all forms of unwarranted vengeance inflicted on the captive servants of Tsarism. But we are for honest, free, impartially-organized revolutionary judgment of the criminal enemies of the people. The officers, gendarmes, and policemen arrested by us in the days of the revolution themselves declared to representatives of the Government that they cannot object to their treatment at the hands of the prison system. It is true, the Kronstadt prison buildings are awful. But these are the very same prisons that were built by Tsarism for us. We have no others. And if we have detained enemies of the people in these prisons, then this is not out of revenge, but considerations of revolutionary self-preservation. We arrived at an agreement on a relatively swift and impartial trial of the Kronstadt prisoners with representatives of the Provisional Government, ministers Tsereteli and Skobelev. And this agreement remains in full force.

To say that we do not acknowledge the authority of the Provisional Government is a pitiful fabrication! Thus far, while this government is acknowledged by the will of the organized revolutionary people, we, Kronstadters, are unable to not acknowledge the authority of the Provisional government in all general state affairs. We have stated this firmly and clearly in our resolutions, in articles in our leading publications, and, finally, in the agreement with the ministry representatives. This agreement, in which we achieved important concessions to principles of democracy, popular self-rule (the election of local representatives of the civic authority and control of military leaders) remains in full force to this day.

Have we seceded from Russia? Here is the basest, most foul slander.

Have not in the name of Russia, we Kronstadters, revolted against the old authority?

Have not the Kronstadt fighters together with the fighters of Petrograd and all Russia spilled our blood in the name of the freedom and happiness of the entire Russian people? And now, when we have overthrown the power of the Tsar and embarked on the path of the overthrow of all oppression and all forms of violence, the brotherly tie of all peoples, of all the working masses of Russia, is dearer and nearer to the heart of the Kronstadters than it has ever been.

We are for the unity of revolutionary Russia, for the unity of the working people in the struggle with its oppressors. We think, however, and this is a firm conviction of our revolutionary conscience, that the current Provisional Government, its majority made up of representatives of the landlords, factory owners, and bankers, does not want and cannot be a genuine representative of democracy, the authoritative will of the peoples revolution, and that if in the country expressions of anarchy are indeed observed, then the guilt for this lies in the bourgeois policy of the Provisional Government, which in questions of production, land, workers, diplomacy and war does not serve the genuine interests of the people, but the cause of the possessing and exploiting classes. We feel that the Petrograd and several other provincial Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies are making a mistake in supporting this government.

We fight for this, our conviction, with the honest weapon of the revolutionary word. And the bourgeois cliques, feeling that the ground is more and more slipping from underneath their feet, foreseeing that power will have to pass from the hands of the landlords and capitalists into the hands of the peoplethese cliquescarry out dishonest counterrevolutionary agitation in the country, abusing, trampling on, and defaming all the leading forces of the revolution and, in particular, our red Kronstadt. For these cliquesour revolutionary scorn. We oppose their poisonous word with the word of truth. But we, at the same time, express our deepest regret that the minister-socialists, and together with them the majority of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, have fallen under the influence of those slandering us and declared us, in their unjust and insulting resolution, to have broken with the Russian revolution. No, comrades, the Kronstadters have not betrayed and are not betraying the banners that wave on their forts and their courts. They accuse us of violating the agreement that we concluded with representatives of the Provisional Government. We can explain such a monstrous misunderstanding only as the product of an artificially created atmosphere of thick slander and malicious suspiciousness.

We clarified in the press that the agreement we reached on May 24 was not for us a rejection of the principles of revolutionary self-rule, but, on the contrary, a decisive step along the path to securing their victory. But this clarification, from our standpoint, did not have anything to do with a renunciation of the obligations we took upon ourselves. Only trouble-makers, who would benefit from tearing up the agreement reached with the representatives of the central authority in order to destroy Kronstadt as a revolutionary seat and facilitate the work of the counterrevolution, can accuse us of treachery. Comrades and brothers, no one dares throw insulting accusations of dishonorable actions at the Kronstadters. We are not breaking our word. We, revolutionaries, are honorable people, and we are firmly convinced that our current appeal completely dispels the lies, slander, and suspicion, and reestablishes between us an indestructible bond of mutual trust.

We, Kronstadters, remain at our post, on the left flank of the great army of the Russian revolution. We hope, we believe, we are convinced that every new day will ever more open the eyes of the most backward layers of the Russian people, the most shrouded in darkness, and that the hour is near, when the working masses are united, all power in the country will transfer into the hands of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies. To you, brothers of the revolution in Petrograd and in all Russia, we extend our hand, we, sailors, soldiers, and workers of Kronstadt. Our bond is indissoluble. Our unity is indestructible. Our loyalty is unshakeable. Down with the slanderers and dividers of the revolutionary people! Long live the Russian revolution!

Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies D. Lomanov.

Secretary Priselkov.

June 9 (May 27) 1917.

Kronstadt Fortress

Notes:

[1]

From the editors of Trotsky's Works in the 1920s:

The fact that we attribute this declaration of the Kronstadt Soviet to comrade Trotsky is based on the following two indications: The Declaration of the Kronstadt Soviet about events in Kronstadt, in which is expressed confidence that the hour is near, when the working masses are united, all power in the country will transfer into the hands of the Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, is according to the newspapers (unfortunately, we were not able to find the corresponding place in the newspapers. Ed.), authored by L.D. Trotsky. (Maksakov and Nelidov, Chronicle of the Revolution. I, 1917., pg. 50.)

In Sukhanovs Notes of the Revolution we read: This is an extraordinarily written, fiery and entirely worthy proclamation. I believe that it was written by Trotsky, who was closely involved in the Kronstadt affairs. It bears a very moderate style and expresses well the conception at that time of the Bolshevik groups around the Leninist periphery. (Notes on the Revolution, book 4, pg. 164).
Guardian columnist Paul Mason has issued what he describes as [a] five-point plan to bring about a Labour victoryand soon.

Written on the day after Labour under Jeremy Corbyn secured major advances that left Prime Minister Theresa Mays Conservatives as a minority government, Mason offers a programme for political betrayaland soon.

No one would guess from reading the article that Mason was one of those who backed a Progressive Alliance in the election. This was a campaign for Labour to stand aside in certain areas to ensure a pro-European Union candidate won against pro-Brexit Tories.

Mason is a former member of the Workers Power group. He campaigned for a Remain vote in last Junes referendum on British membership of the European Union (EU), along with Labours Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. He is also a leading light in Another Europe in Possiblethe pro-EU grouping led by Yanis Varoufakis, the former finance minister in Greeces Syriza government. Mason has even adopted the posed louche style of his mentor Varoufakis, complete with leather jacket, musings on economics and contempt for the working class, Marxism and hostility to social revolution.

His Progressive Alliance was to comprise Labour, the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, Greens and others, predicated on support for the overturning of the Leave referendum voteeither through a second referendum or winning a deal for Britain remaining in the single market.

He insisted that this Alliance should be based on the promotion of cultural values, specifically support for identity politics based on race, sex and sexuality. Aside from this, it must be a comfortable berth for those who support nuclear deterrent or want restrictions on free movement post Brexit.

This encompassed the political right, with Mason insisting, [I]t is not enough for liberal Conservatives from the Cameron-Osborne generation [a reference to the former Conservative prime minister and chancellor] simply to move on to better jobs. They should now lend their votes to the progressive parties.

Masons model, as with all supposedly progressive liberals and the pseudo-left, was Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain. His particular complaint with Corbyn and those backing him was the fact that on occasion they could resort to using the classic, old left rhetoric that parties like Podemos and Syriza represent a break from. Any attempt to pose as socialists and condemn capitalism in even the mildest terms would alienate the free market elite, who largely backed Remain and whose support was vital, Mason insists.

Corbyn, who for years has been a columnist for the Stalinist Morning Star and whose leading advisers are Stalinists, also claimed Syriza as his model. But rather than one that would displace the Labour Party, he set out to construct a similarly broad social alliancetying the working class to capitalismwithin the framework of the Labour Party. In the process he has accepted all the demands placed on him by the partys right wingon retaining nuclear weapons, support for NATO, membership of the Single Market, implementing 7 billion in welfare cuts, more money for the police, army and secret services, etc.

This has earned him both Masons gratitude and a series of helpful hints on how much further to the right Corbyn must now go in order to prepare for a government role.

His Guardian column begins by hailing the coalition of voters won by Labour as uniquecomprising the young, former UK Independence Party (UKIP) supporters and Remainers. He argues that Labour is now confronted with a historic opportunity to solidifying that accidental coalition into a progressive majority.

Mason cautions that, so far, Corbyn has only won voters because he told a story that was vague enough to allow a million Greens and possibly a million ex-Ukippers to believe they could be part of it, before warning, that wont cohere into a single story unless Corbyn and the Labour bureaucracy are prepared to make compromises.

What are these compromises?

Some of his suggestions are anodyne nonsensesuch as Concretise the anti-austerity programme, Understand the power of data and Learn how to campaign in a modern way. But he gets down to the real business at hand when he insists that the first condition for Labour to govern is to Neutralise the issues of defence and security that is, to reassure the ruling elite that Corbyn is serious in abandoning his pacifist squeamishness about Trident nuclear weapons and his newfound commitment to NATO and strengthening the armed forces.

This means beginning a strategic defence and security review that takes particular account of Russian diplomatic brinkmanship.

This cannot be entrusted to anyone vaguely left: Put both home affairs and defence in the hands of capable shadow ministers from the soft and centre left, and let technocrats handle the redesigns needed.

In April last year, Mason was already making what he described as the left-wing case for nuclear weapons. His video demanded that Labour adopt a new NATO Strategic Concept, including threatening nuclear war to confront a newly aggressive and unpredictable Russia.

Masons second imperative is that the pro- and anti-Corbyn groups within Labour should be rebuilt as an alliance. To this end, the pro-Corbyn Momentum must be affiliated to Labour alongside the Blairite think-tank Progress and Labour First, which declares its mission to be to ensure that the voices of moderate party members are heard while the party is kept safe from the organised hard left.

Momentum, by posing as a supposedly grassroots network independent of the party machine, was able to build up significant support for Corbyn among youth in particular. Having fulfilled this mission, Mason urges that it is brought into Labours apparatus to help discipline any members who oppose Labours lurch to the right.

Mason concludes by insisting, Corbyns compromise should be the one Nye Bevan made in the 1950s, and which Alexis Tsipras made in Greece in 2015: you do the radical economics firsteverything else you do cautiously.

He warns, To attack the elite networks of the oldest imperial power in the world is to invite failure. Corbyn should find shadow ministers who will enthusiastically engage with modernising and equipping the police, intelligence and military, and leave the rest to experts. Dismantling the economic power of the UK elite will be hard enough, without trying to bust up their political power networks at the same time.

To cite Bevan is to reinforce Masons pro-militarist message. Credited with the formation of the National Health Service under the 1945 Labour government, Bevan was the acknowledged leader of Labours left before 1957, when he abruptly reversed his long-standing support for unilateral nuclear disarmament, arguing, It would send a British Foreign Secretary naked into the conference-chamber.

To cite Alexis Tsipras has the same significance for Corbyns anti-austerity rhetoric.

Masons claim that you can somehow dismantle the economic power of the elite while leaving its political power unchallenged could only be made by a political scoundrel of the worst stripe.

As he knows full well, Syriza did neither. Having won the election in January 2015, and an even larger anti-EU austerity mandate in the referendum it called in June that year, Syriza betrayed its supporters completely. That is what earns the fulsome praise of someone who believes attacking the elites is to invite failure and why Mason recommends Tsipras as a model for Corbyn and Labour to emulate.

Paul Mason is a man with a highly developed sense of his own self-importance. But the truth is that nothing he says is very original. He is only one among many bourgeois media pundits and policy advisers who are presently directing Corbyn along the route he must travel to be acceptable to the powers-that-be as Britains future prime minister. And having begun his long march to respectability, Corbyn will need very little persuading to go the extra mile.
Doubts surround the financing of Indian billionaire Gautam Adanis plan to construct Australias largest coal mine in central Queensland, despite both the state Labor government and the federal Liberal-National government anxiously promoting the project.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuks Labor government last week claimed that the $16.5 billion Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin would go ahead after Labors cabinet provided Adanis company with a revamped royalty plan.

In recent weeks, state cabinet members from Labors left faction made a show of opposing the subsidising of the mine because that would blatantly breach a 2015 election pledge not to do so.

Moreover, it would mean handing hundreds of millions over to a billionaire, when Labor leaders, federal and state, are demagogically objecting to the federal governments proposed millionaires tax cuts for big business.

Factional leaders were also nervous about too openly assisting a project, involving six open cut pits and five underground mines, that poses potentially serious environmental and economic problems. These include the impact on the tourism industry of coal being shipped through the offshore Great Barrier Reef.

Nevertheless, the cabinet agreed to a lucrative handout, negotiated with Adani behind closed doors. It will reportedly allow Adani to pay just $5 million a year for five years before supposedly starting to pay back the deferred royalties, with interest. The Labor government has refused to confirm any details of the deal, hoping to keep the public in the dark.

Opening the projects headquarters in Townsville last Tuesday, Palaszczuk said Adanis decision would deliver jobs right across the state. She claimed it was a vote of confidence in Queensland that would make it the investment choice state of the nation.

Palaszczuks statement underscores the thoroughly pro-corporate character of her government, and of the Labor Party itself. Tax concessions are handed to some of the wealthiest people on earth, in order to attract globally-mobile investment, at the expense of social spending and working class conditions. According to Forbes rich list, Adani and his family are worth more than $8 billion.

The Adani company and its boosters, notably the trade unions, claim that the project will directly and indirectly create 10,000 jobs, partly offsetting the wholesale destruction of mining jobs throughout central Queensland over the past few years.

In reality, according to Adanis own expert witness when the Queensland Land Court granted environmental approval for the project, it would create only 1,460 jobs in net terms. Moreover, these jobs are certain to be lower-paid and on worse conditions than those eliminated.

Speaking from India, Adani said his board had approved the financial investment decision on the project. This is the largest single investment by an Indian corporation in Australia, and I believe others will follow with investments and trade deals, he said.

However, on the same day the Australian Financial Review reported that the Adani company still had a $3.3 billion funding shortfall for the $6.7 billion first stage of the project.

Adani also said it would look at its options if it did not receive an almost $1 billion concessional loan from the federal governments $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to build the mines proposed 388-kilometre railway to Adanis coal terminal on the coast at Abbot Point, near Bowen.

No decision on that loan is due until December, despite the federal Liberal-National government backing the project. Resources and Northern Australia Minister Matthew Canavan admitted it was a potential risk that the Adani mine was relying on a government loan to proceed.

There are conflicting interests over the mine. Freight hauler Aurizon has applied for NAIF funding for a rival rail link to the Galilee Basin, where other coal projects are mooted. Aurizon is reportedly seeking about $350 million for its line, which would join its existing network, allowing coal haulers to export via other coal terminals further south at Hay Point, near Mackay.

Both Palaszczuk and Turnbull have travelled to India in recent months, and spent time with Gautam Adani to encourage his investment.

The Australian Financial Review, however, has editorialised against subsidising Adani, and reported growing doubts about whether the project will ever get off the ground. The newspaper said commercial intelligence firm Wood Mackenzie estimated Adani would need global coal prices to rise substantially to make the 15 percent rate of return that financiers require.

The Indian conglomerate is reputedly carrying a large debt burden and facing pressure to cut debt and divest assets, including the Abbot Point coal terminal. Adani recently told authorities its power station at Mundra, Gujaratwhich is meant to take 60 percent of the Carmichael mines coalmay not be commercially viable because of rising costs for imported coal.

The trade unions are among the most vocal backers of the Adani project. Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) Queensland president Stephen Smyth said the union supports the mine because of the jobs it would create, provided the unions have coverage over the employees.

Spouting the nationalist line of the unions, Smyth said: We dont want workers coming in who are foreign workers or the mine being set up with labour hire. Such nationalism only serves to divide the working class in the face of the global assault of the mining companies.

While claiming to oppose cheap labour, the CFMEU and other unions have a decades-long history of enforcing the demands of the mining giants for cuts to conditions, including the imposition of 12-hour shifts, in order to bolster profits in the name of being internationally competitive.

Scientists have expressed serious concerns about the Adani projects environmental impact, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef, because the seabed would be dredged in nearby waters to make way for coal ships and the expansion of the Abbot Point port. This dredging could be detrimental to the reef, which is already endangered by global warming.

Adani currently faces possible fines for discharging coal sediment water eight times the official limit from its Abbot Point terminal, which is adjacent to the World Heritage-listed reef.

In addition, Adanis environmental impact statements, approved by the state and federal governments, have revealed that the mine would require large amounts of water each year from local rivers and underground aquifers. The huge mine also raises the broader issue of the contribution of coal to global warming.

What is urgently needed is a rational global plan for energy production and usage, including decisions on the future use of coal and other fossil fuels. This cannot be developed if social needs, including the jobs and livelihoods of mine workers, remain subordinated to the profit demands of giant energy conglomerates and financial institutions.

The authors also recommend:

Trump, the coal miners and the environment

[6 June 2017]
On Sunday, June 11, a non-binding referendum took place in Puerto Rico, polling Puerto Ricans on the political status of Washingtons Caribbean colony. Voters were asked to choose between three alternatives for the island: US statehood, independence (and an improved association with the US), or the current systema US territory with a measure of political control over its internal affairs since 1952 (an associated free state) but no representation in the US Congress.

The polling was either ignored or repudiated by more than 2.1 million out of the 2.6 million eligible voters (nearly 80 percent).

The overwhelming majority of those who did vote, 97.17 percent, or 466,000, chose statehood, the option favored by Governor Ricardo Rossello and his pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP). Some 7,600 voted for free association/independence; about 6,700 opted for the current territorial status.

The total number of pro-statehood votes fell by 300,000 compared to a similar referendum that took place in 2012. PNP leaders attribute this drop to the mass exodus taking place from this financially crippled territory. A decade-long economic collapse is forcing the emigration of thousands of Puerto Ricans every month to Miami, Chicago and other cities on the US mainland.

In a speech on Sunday evening, announcing the results, Rossello applauded the pro-statehood victory, ignored the mass abstention, and declared his intention of convincing the US Congress to initiate the transition to US statehood for Puerto Rico.

Governor Rossello had organized the referendum and campaigned for statehood as a so-called alternative to colonial status, mostly as a distraction from Puerto Ricos economic debacle, with the island territorys debt reaching $120 billion, its poverty rate 46 percent and its schools, health care and pension systems in a state of collapse.

For his part, Hector Ferrer, president of the second largest party, the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party (PPD), which is more closely aligned with the Democrats in the US, declared that Rossello had been the big loser in the referendum, because of the record abstentionism, the largest since 1967.

The PPD, together with the pro-independence PIP, had called on voters to boycott the election, as had the striking University of Puerto Rico student body.

At the same time, neither the PPD nor the PIP organized any rallies or protests against the referendum, undoubtedly preferring that potential voters go to the beach, a phrase chosen by Ferrer.

Undoubtedly none these forces, or for that matter, the Puerto Rican trade unions, well aware of the explosive conditions that are affecting Puerto Rican workers and youth, would risk mobilizations that could rapidly get out of control.

There was one act of protest in San Juan. As the results started to come in about 500 independentistas rallied at the Electoral Commission in San Juan, rejecting statehood. The demonstrators waved Puerto Rican flags and burned those from the US, while chanting fire, fire; the Yanquis want fire! The demonstration included members of the pseudo-left such as Se Acabaron Las Promesas (No more promises), The Revolutionary Puerto Rican Workers Party Macheteros, the Feminist Collective, as well as groups that reject US financial supervision over Puerto Ricos budget. For all its bluster, the rally presented no alternative to resolve the crisis gripping Puerto Rican society.

The historically low voter turnout did not just result from the boycott calls by the PPD and PIP; it follows a low voter turnout of 55 percent in November 2016, when Rossello was elected, down from turnouts of 70 or even 80 percent in the previous elections.

This growing mass abstention reflects popular disgust with all of the capitalist political alternatives on offer and the prevailing view among Puerto Rican workers, students and the lower middle class that the real power is in the hands of the Financial Oversight Board that is managing Puerto Ricos bankruptcy and in those of the US Congress.

Another issue affecting the low turnout is that many Puerto Ricans are critical of the $8 million cost of the election, at a time when schools, hospitals and pensions are under attack.

Whether the formal status of the island is changed to that of a US state or sovereign nation, or it continues as a colonial free associated state, the brutal capitalist exploitation of Puerto Rican workers will continue as will Wall Streets demands for draconian austerity policies to meet payments to billionaire bondholders.

In the past, the US Congress has shown little interest in changing Puerto Ricos status, while President Donald Trump has made clear his administrations opposition to a bailout. Given the likelihood that as a state Puerto Rico would send five more Democrats to the House and two to the Senate, there is no support within the Republican congressional leadership for acting on the dubious results of Sundays referendum.

The Trump White House issued a statement Monday washing its hands of the matter: This referendum is nonbinding and only Congress can change Puerto Ricos status.
Personal finance disclosure forms submitted by Bernie Sanders, and widely reported in the media, reveal that Sanders income was more than $1 million last year. This figure includes both his $174,000 annual salary as a senator and $858,750 from book royalties, including a nearly $800,000 advance for a book, Our Revolution, about his 2016 presidential primary campaign.

The threshold for the wealthiest 1 percent by annual income in the United States is $389,436, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Sanders income would put him somewhere in the top one-fifth of one percent, according to US Census data.

The wealth of the average US senator and representative has skyrocketed in recent years, earning Congress a reputation as a millionaires club. In 2014, the average personal wealth across both houses of Congress surpassed $1 million for the first time in history, with the median net worth of the Senate surging from $2.5 to $2.7 million.

However, few members of Congress are able to amass as much wealth in a single year as Bernie Sanders did last year. Opensecrets.org shows that Sanders book royalties alone would have been the third-highest outside income in the Senate in 2014, the last year for which the site has figures. At $1.2 million, first place that year went to fellow progressive Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who parlayed her brief tenure as a rubber-stamp banking regulator during Obamas first term into a Senate seat.

We at the World Socialist Web Site would like to tell Sanders: welcome to the millionaires club!

Opensecrets.orgs records show that, for years, you have been forced to subsist on income levels at or around the threshold of the top 1 percent, in the low-to-mid six figures. This, no doubt, is what you had in mind during a primary debate last year when you described yourself as one of the poorer members of the United States Senate.

But 2016 was a turning point in your career. The $1 million payday you received last year is payment for services rendered during your intervention in last years Democratic primaries. Your fraudulent claims to be leading a political revolution against the billionaire class were designed to corral popular anger and promote illusions in the Democratic Party, one of the two parties of the American corporate-financial aristocracy, as a party representing the interests of working people.

And while you attracted considerable interest from left-leaning workers and young people with your false claims to be a socialist, you rejected basic socialist measures such as the nationalization of key industries, endorsed American imperialisms wars of conquest, and defended a truculent nationalism which pitted American workers against their brothers and sisters internationally.

Your intervention was all the more crucial as the Democratic Party was preparing to nominate Hillary Clinton, who was widely and deservedly hated as a stooge of Wall Street and the military. You threw your support to her in the Democratic National Convention and presented her candidacy as a continuation of your so-called political revolution. You declared that electing Clinton was an urgent necessity to defeat Trump, in spite of the fact that her pro-war, anti-working class agenda was no less reactionary than Trumps.

But your work was not yet done. When this produced a debacle for the Democrats in the November election, you were elevated to a more responsible position within the Democratic political hierarchy, working closely with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, whose election campaigns have received tens of millions of dollars in funding from Wall Street. You crossed the country stumping for Democrats with the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, former Obama cabinet member Tom Perez.

You have even emerged as a de facto leader of a wing of the Democratic Party concerned that the partys focus on the right-wing campaign over Russia against Trump at the expense of posturing over social issues could open the door to the emergence of a mass popular movement outside the control of the Democrats, a potential threat to capitalism. Nevertheless, you have supported the Democrats unsubstantiated accusations of Russian collusion with Trump, which are designed to force a confrontation with the worlds second largest nuclear power.

In your campaign to corral social opposition behind the Democrats, you have received the crucial aid of the middle class, pseudo-left organizations which function as satellites of the Democratic Party. They all presented as good coin your calls for a political revolution and either endorsed your candidacy, as in the case of Socialist Alternative and the Democratic Socialists of America, or, like the International Socialist Organization, issued mildly worded tactical criticisms of your decision to run as a Democrat rather than continuing the charade of running statewide in Vermont as an independent. As with your own campaign, their goal was to prevent the emergence of a genuine socialist movement within the working class capable of challenging American capitalism. Many of them made the trek to Chicago this weekend to hear you speak at the Peoples Summit, an annual gathering of what passes for the Democratic Partys left.

The pseudo-left is also being handsomely rewarded for their services to capitalism. Last year, the Ford Foundation announced that it was donating $100 million to Black Lives Matter; it has since cashed in through such investments as a black debit card and other projects promoting black capitalism.

Last years million, you have reason to hope, will be the first of many. Given the explosive character of the political and economic conditions in the United States, and the broad hostility workers feel towards both the Trump administration and his Democratic opponents, the ruling class will very likely continue to value your political services.
The US Senate working group drafting the chambers version of the bill repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) appears to be moving closer to a vote on the Senate floor. The Senate leadership hopes to bring it to a vote before the July 4 recess or shortly thereafter.

House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) early last month. That legislation guts Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor jointly administered by the federal government and the states that currently covers 74 million people.

The AHCA would cut $834 billion from Medicaid over a decade. The bill would effectively end Medicaid as an open-ended entitled program, by shifting federal funding to per capita caps or block grants, resulting in people who qualify being denied enrollment or having their benefits slashed.

The AHCA would also end the expansion of Medicaid under the program popularly known as Obamacare. The Congressing Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 14 million people would lose coverage under the AHCA by 2018; this figure would reach 23 million in 2026.

It would slash taxes for the rich, disproportionately taking aim at health coverage for the poor, older Americans and those with preexisting conditions.

Senate moderates, who originally signaled their opposition to ending the Medicaid expansion, are now indicating they could agree to phase out the program, but over a seven-year period. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has proposed three years.

The bill will be sent to the CBO to score before the vote. In a major break with Senate protocol, Republicans say there will be no committee hearings or mark-ups for the bill, but it will be brought straight to the floor for a vote. Democrats argue this is a strategy for minimizing time for opposition to the bill to build.

Senate conservatives are still concerned about the longer Medicaid expansion phase-out, as well as moves to dial back the waivers in the AHCA that would allow states to repeal various Obamacare regulations.

The Senate bill is expected to allow states to seek exemptions from ACA rules on what insurance companies are required to cover, known as essential health benefits. These waivers would allow states to allow the sale of policies that dont include benefits such as maternity care, prescription drugs, emergency room visits, substance abuse treatment, and other vital health needs.

As the Senate bill now stands, however, states would not be allowed to seek waivers preventing people with preexisting conditions to be charged more for coverage. There has to be a give and take, and right now it seems like conservatives are being told just to take it all and not get anything, Dan Holler, a spokesman for the conservative group Heritage Action for America, said on Thursday.

Also on the table is retaining some of the ACA taxes on the wealthy in place at least for a while to reach the $133 billion savings goal that is required under Senate rules. As the Senate bill is shaping up, however, it will retain the majority of the AHCAs reactionary features.

In a conveniently timed move, more health insurance plans across the country are beginning to exit the Obamacare marketplace, citing uncertainty around the ACAs future. This has prompted continual calls from the Trump administration and Republicans that Obamacare is exploding and collapsing and is in urgent need of repeal and replacement.

According to Vox, in the past week the number of US counties with zero health insurers signed up to sell coverage in 2018 has doubled. There are now 38,000 Obamacare enrollees across 47 counties where no insurers want to participate in the ACA.

Last week, Anthem announced that it would exit the Ohio marketplace, leaving 20 counties and 15,000 Obamacare enrollees with no 2018 plan options. If Anthem were to exit the rest of the states where it currently sells ACA plans, 300,000 Obamacare enrollees would be left without coverage.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City quit the exchanges on May 24, citing the uncertain direction of the market.

Andy Slavitt, who served as Medicare administrator in the Obamacare administration, spoke the truth when he told Vox, We elected to have a system that is completely market-based so companies get to make individual decisions.

In other words, the ACA relies on the insurance companies to volunteer to sell their products on these public marketplaces. Just as they are virtually unhindered in the premiums they can charge, they are free to exit the marketplaces when it is not in their best profit interest.

These insurance market conditions are making passage of the Senate bill, and its reconciliation with the House version, an easier process for Trump and the Republicans. While congressional Democrats have made a few protests, the repeal and replacement of Obamacare is for the most part flying under the radar.

While they concentrate on Trump administration ties to Russia and whether or not the president has taped recordings of his conversation with fired FBI Director James Comey, the Democrats and mainstream media have had little to say about legislation, in whichever form it emerges, that will result in millions of Americans losing their health care coverage, or being plunged into poverty due to high premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

This is because they agree in principle with the subordination of the health needs of the vast majority of the population to the profit requirements of the corporations that control the giant hospital chains, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical industries and the Wall Street banks that dominate the economy.
Mass strikes and protests in Colombia

Latin America

Colombia:Tens of thousands of striking teachers march in Bogota, Colombia.

On Tuesday, June 6, some 60,000 striking teachers marched through downtown Bogota. Joining them were thousands of students and workers, plus an organized contingent of rice farmers. The enormous number of demonstrators nearly paralyzed traffic in this city of 8 million inhabitants, nearly 9,000 feet above sea-level (2.6 thousand meters).

Joining the teachers were rice farmers striking over collapsing prices. Though the teachers marched peacefully, police at several locations attacked them with tear gas spewing armored vehicles.

The gigantic mobilization included thousands of educators from other Colombian cities. Three hundred thousand public school teachers have been on strike since May 11. At issue are wage increases and improvements in health benefits that were promised by President Santos during his election campaign.

End of Buenaventura protests in Colombia

Twenty-one days after they began, strikes and demonstrations ended in Buenaventura, the city that surrounds Colombias most important port, also a major South American port on the Pacific. The main issue of this civic protest and strike wave was that little of the revenues and profits generated by the port reaches the inhabitants of this city, one of the poorest in Latin America. Eighty percent of its population (350,000) lives in poverty and relies on informal and part time employment.

To end the protests, the central government promised a series of concessions, including an investment in Buenaventura infrastructure projects of a paltry 500,000 US dollars and legislation that promises that a 20 percent of business taxes be spent locally.

Pressuring the Santos administration into reaching a deal, the port remained closed for the duration of the strikes, causing a daily loss of three million US dollars in revenue. Through Buenaventura passes sixty percent of Colombian trade.

Department store workers strike in Chile

Employees at the H & M chain of department stores in Chile, voted 95 percent to 5 percent, on June 8 to reject a company offer and extend their strike, which began on May 30.

The workers are demanding a wage hike of 193 percent. Management has offered 17 percent above whatever is negotiated across the industry. Workers are also demanding a wage scale based on employee seniority and better vacation pay.

H & M,headquartered in Sweden, is a highly successful firm in Chile, with daily sales of between 140 and 180 million dollars.

Educators walk out in Costa Rica

Costa Rican teachers and education workers, members of the High School teachers union (APSE), announced a one-day protest strike for June 27, having been unable to reach agreement with the government. APSE represents 38,000 education workers. In addition to their one-day strike, the teachers plan to rally in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose.

The educators demands include elimination of unpaid and irrational administrative duties, not related to teaching, improved pensions and higher wages.

The United States

Salinas, California wildcat strike erupts

Workers at Taylor Farms processing plant in Salinas, California, returned to work June 7 after the company and a committee of striking workers and Teamsters officials held rapid negotiations to bring a wildcat strike by some 1,500 to 2,000 workers to an end. The new contract calls for an immediate $1.50 an hour wage increase with another $1.00 hike due on January 1, 2018.

Many employees are satisfied with the agreement and others are not, admitted Eufronio Alba, a striking worker who sat in on negotiations. Workers are dissatisfied with working conditions, company discipline and health insurance. Last year, Taylor Farms increased health insurance costs for workers.

Taylor Farms is the worlds largest supplier of cut vegetables and salad. Their products are sold by Safeway, Walmart, Costco, McDonalds, Chipotle, Subway and Starbucks. Company CEO Bruce Taylor is also chairman of Western Growers, the trade association which has amassed untold profits from the exploitation of migrant and immigrant workers over the decades.

Canada

Quebec brewery workers strike

80 workers employed by Japanese owned Sleeman-Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec, east of Montreal went on strike June 8 after they overwhelmingly rejected the final company offer presented to them by their Teamsters local bargaining team.

With over 200 grievances currently outstanding the work environment has become increasingly acrimonious, but according to union negotiators the main issues in dispute are seniority rights and overtime pay, with the company demanding the right to replace full-time experienced workers with temporary workers. Facing what they characterized as unacceptable offers, the union asked for a mediator just prior to the expiration of the last contract but that was in November of last year.

Tentative settlement ends Toronto zoo strike

The four-week old strike by over 400 workers at the Toronto zoo was brought to a halt on June 8 after negotiators for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) elected to accept a contract offer.

No details of the proposed deal are yet available but zoo management has called it a fair and reasonable offer. Non-union workers have been allowed to care for zoo animals during the strike but union leaders have expressed concerns that animal welfare may have been jeopardized as a result.
I recently attended a showing of Wonder Woman exclusively for women and women-identifying viewers  While there was a man in attendance who began to ruin the experience for me and those around me, the hurt feelings got lost once the movie started. We were in this together, and we all united over our shared excitement for this amazing female-led and -directed superhero movie that means so much to us for so many reasons (Carrie Wittmer, Business Insider).

Wonder Woman offers what no other superhero can: an essentially female-power fantasy. Close your eyes and imagine an island with achingly gorgeous vistas in which a diverse group of intelligent, strong women have created an immensely more advanced society. No men. No sexism. No capitalist burden to perform that leaves women, especially women of color, vulnerable (Angelica Jade Bastien , Slate).

These comments were presumably written by adults.

Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, is a trite, often tedious, special effects-laden film based on a comic book. The story involves an Amazonian princess/demigoddess who makes her way, in the company of an American Allied spy, from her island paradise to Europe and the Western Front toward the end of the First World War.

Appalled by German brutality, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) intervenes on the side of the Allies and prevents the dastardly Hunsand a fascistic Gen. Erich Ludendorff (Danny Houston) in particularfrom developing a new and devastating weapon. In the course of things, she also has to take on and defeat her half-brother, Ares, the god of war, who is bent on destroying the human race.

Wonder Woman passes along a considerable amount of undigested American and British World War I disinformation. A portion of the film takes place in Belgium and it echoes the official Allied claims of the time about German aggression against poor little Belgium. Terrified survivors in a small town tell Diana and her American colleague, Capt. Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), that the Germans have enslaved their fellow villagers. Ludendorff and the German forces subsequently murder the remaining townspeople with a new, deadly poison gas.

In short, the film is not antiwar, it is anti-German. The Americans and British, for the most part, are high-minded and peace loving, although they end up massacring more Germans than the latter do Americans and British. Capt. Trevor says he wants to stop the war, but, in fact, he wants to win it for his side. And his side is identified with normalcy and civilization. Wonder Womans supposed contributions to peace, including liberating the Belgian village by almost single-handedly wiping out a German battalion, are contributions entirely to the Allied cause. She says, I will fight, for those who can not fight for themselves, but, in fact, she fights on behalf of the British ruling elite and its interests.

Piercing through a lot of the nonsense and bombast, this is pretty crude nationalist and pro-war propaganda. Does the sudden reemergence of Germany (and not the Nazi regime) as the bestial, sadistic enemy have an ideological significance in the given climate of increased tensions between the US and Europe? Only time will tell.

The dialog and characterizations here are banal and perfunctory in the extreme. If they are less banal and perfunctory than the dialog and characterizations in other comic book films, and this is one of the chief arguments being made in Wonder Womans favor, that seems like faint praise.

The relationship between Diana and Capt. Trevor is as lifelike and convincing as one might expect, given the circumstances: a mythological creature and a heroic, self-sacrificing American fighter taking on the forces of darkness in wartime Europe, in the peculiar company of a heavy-drinking Scottish former sharpshooter (Ewen Bremner), a French-Moroccan con artist (Said Taghmaoui) and a Native American smuggler (Eugene Brave Rock). This is the level of the dialog:

Diana Prince: Youre a man...

Steve Trevor: Yeah ... I mean ... do I not look like one?

* * * * *

Steve Trevor: Have you never met a man before? What about your father?

Diana Prince: I had no father. My mother sculpted me from clay and I was brought to life by Zeus.

Steve Trevor: Well thats neat.

* * * * *

Steve Trevor: [to Diana] I can save today. You can save the world.

Diana sums up the films wisdom at the end: I used to want to save the world, to end war and bring peace to mankind. But then I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. I learnt that inside every one of them there will always be both. The choice each must make for themselvessomething no hero will ever defeat. And now I know... that only love can truly save the world. So now I stay, I fight and I givefor the world I know can be. This is my mission now, for ever.

Insofar as one takes this last bit at all seriously, it is reactionary twaddle.

The actors are not to blame, but there is nothing much to be said about them. But what is British actor David Thewlis, who has appeared in serious films such as Mike Leighs Naked (1993), doing here flying around in Ares giant-warrior armor?

The comments cited at the top of this article are typical of the overheated praise for and excitement surrounding Wonder Woman.

In certain (quite confined) quarters, the appearance of a female superhero film is one of the major cultural events of the year, or perhaps in recent years.

The critics either share this excitement or are intimidated by the clamor.

Richard Brody of the New Yorker writes that Wonder Woman is a superhero movie, and it fulfills the heroic and mythic demands of that genre, but its also an entry in the genre of wisdom literature that shares hard-won insights and long-pondered paradoxes of the past with a sincere intimacy.

In the Guardian, Zoe Williams headlines her review, Why Wonder Woman is a masterpiece of subversive feminism.

What lingers ... is the feeling of hope that the movie brings, that it someday might be possible for female rationality to defeat male brutality, comments Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle .

And A.O. Scott of the New York Times suggests that Wonder Woman briskly shakes off blockbuster branding imperatives and allows itself to be something relatively rare in the modern superhero cosmos. It feels less like yet another installment in an endless sequence of apocalyptic merchandising opportunities than like  whats the word Im looking for? A movie. A pretty good one, too.

The critical consensus, according to one review aggregator web site? Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadots charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.

I wonder, when I read these comments, whether Ive seen the same film.

This is not the occasion to go into the question at any length, but there must be a connection between how upper middle class layers have made large amounts of money in recent decades and the terrible intellectual laziness that prevails.

The reliance on an apparently endless upward movement of stock prices and, in many cases, real estate values, the extreme parasitism of the economy, the almost automatic character of money-making in certain spheres, the relative ease with which, frankly, a great number of extremely limited human beings (in some cases, downright imbeciles) have made fortunes  to all this correspond certain retrograde moods and sentiments.

To many, it has seemed as though critical, painstaking thought no longer had any value. Identity politics plays its own role here too. The validity of ones positions is no longer determined by rational argumentation, by objective facts, but instead by biology or ethnicity, sexual orientation. I am a woman  an African American  a gay person, therefore what I have to say is a priori valid or true. Its an extremely harmful approach for all involved.

Or take the anti-Russian hysteria that has seized not merely the American political establishment, but certain sections of the comfortable middle class.

Settling on the Russian nemesis, which also involves sneering at the need for proof of Putins interference in the elections, absolves certain layers of the need to seriously take stock of the right-wing character of the Democratic Party, the advanced decay of the economic and political system, the wretched conditions under which tens of millions of people live in this country. The Russians did it!

There are good reasons why these quite disparate phenomenathe identity politics mania, the excitement over Wonder Woman and other such cultural trivia, the anti-Russian frenzyexist on the same historical plane.

It is not the same for the working class. Whatever the ideological difficulties, workers, like the residents in Flint, Michigan, have had to go on making continually more painful and difficult decisions. They do not have the luxury of the empty-headedness and self-indulgence of the upper middle class. They are objectively driven toward the truth about society.

I attended a public screening of Wonder Woman. There was occasional amusement, some interest in the spectacle, some disappointment too that the film did not live up to the media buildup, but none of the thrilling and shared excitement that the official commentators report.
The four-year-old Aam Aadmi Party is carrying out a number of changes in its organisation structure as part of the convenor Arvind Kejriwal's promise of course correction. The party is also looking to frame a more pronounced ideology.

The changes were long pending but the party leadership chose not to disturb the system ahead of assembly polls in Punjab, Goa and Delhi civic polls

By Mail Today: In what is expected to be a crucial metamorphosis of the Aam Aadmi Party, the four-year-old political outfit is silently ushering in a slew of changes in its organisational structure and agenda in a bid to give its national ambitions a new direction.

Right from key positions in the national headquarters to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's political secretariat, a new team of leaders is replacing the old order as part of the 'course correction' that the party supremo had promised volunteers and leaders.

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In terms of the party's ideology, a group of leaders are working on framing 'a more pronounced' political ideology for the party that so far has ridden only the anti-corruption plank.

Sources in the party told Mail Today that the organisational changes were long pending but faced with a series of elections the party leadership did not want to disturb the existing system ahead of the assembly polls in Punjab, Goa and Delhi municipal polls.

Two young Turks of the party - Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bhardwaj - who were working mostly behind the scenes for the party, have now been appointed as the official spokespersons for the party in Delhi.

Marlena had been working closely with deputy CM Manish Sisodia on revamping education under the Delhi government and also the party's ambitious mohalla sabha project. Even as Marlena will continue to steer the two projects in the government, her role in the media interface in the national Capital will be her prime responsibility.

Bhardwaj, a sitting MLA from Greater Kailash, recently enthralled his audience at the Delhi legislative assembly with a demo of how an electronic voting machine can be hacked. Apart from his responsibilities as the sitting MLA and to keep up the party's protests against vulnerable EVMs, Bhardwaj will emerge as one of the prominent faces of the party in the Capital.

RAGHAV CHADHA TO OVERSEE LITIGATION

With an ever-increasing number of legal cases against the party and its leaders, former national treasurer Raghav Chadha has relinquished his position to oversee the litigation. Chadha, who is also a popular face defending the party on television debates on prime time, has made way for erstwhile national media coordinator Deepak Bajpai, who has been appointed new national treasurer.

Kejriwal's political secretariat comprising advisors to the CM, too has been witnessing change. Political advisor and former Delhi prabhari Ashish Talwar is set to be moved out and given charge of Karnataka instead.

Rakesh Sinha, former party Lokpal, has been assigned a key role in the party's national expansion.

Even as structural changes are taking place, the party is also working on building a more 'well-defined' ideology. While all its elections so far have been fought only on an anti-corruption plank, the party is now posturing itself in a pro-poor, pro-farmer stance.

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The party has sought ground reports from all state units on the status of farmers and is set to launch a nationwide stir on farmers' issues.

"When we were in Punjab contesting the elections, our footprint there was primarily rural. We were seen as a party strong in the rural belts. Even in Delhi, our support base lied in the JJ clusters, unauthorised colonies rather than the kothis and DDA flats. As we move forward, we are trying to reach out to farmers. While the BJP has never been viewed as a pro-poor party, these sections have traditionally voted for Congress. Now, with the AAP in that similar space, there will be an alternative," explained Bhardwaj.

ALSO READ | MCD election results 2017: Here's why AAP lost Delhi civic polls so comprehensively

ALSO READ | AAP gets that sinking feeling

ALSO WATCH | Live test of AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj's EVM hacking claim

--- ENDS ---
MIDWAY, Fl. (WTXL) -- There is no active tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or Caribbean Sea.

There is, however, an area southeast of the Yucatan Pensinsula in the Western Caribbean that may see some slow development. Currently, it has a 20% chance of developing within the next five days.

This bears watching as model guidance hints that this disturbance will push into the Western Gulf of Mexico by this time next week.

For more information on your local forecast, click here.

You can catch the forecast on WTXL Sunrise starting at 5:00, as well as WTXL Midday at Noon. Chief Meteorologist Casanova Nurse has your forecast at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and 11:00 this evening.

Plus, you can get the Storm Team Forecast every 10 minutes on Channel 27.3 Weather NOW.

Remember to follow the ABC 27 Storm Team on Social Media.

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Ceasefire violations have dramatically risen compared to numbers from last year. Similarly, figures for the number of infiltration attempts too have seen a drastic increase.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Sources in the Indian Army have already predicted a long "bloody summer" in the Kashmir Valley. The figures have proved them just right. Cease Fire Violations (CFV's) and infiltration attempts, both have shown a drastic increase as snow melts in the high passes of Himalayas.

In April 2016, there was one CFV reported, while in April 2017, there were 26 CFV. Similarly, in May 2016, there were 2 CFVs reported,while on the other hand, the number reached 73.

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In the latest provocation from Pakistan, forces started firing across the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. This was the sixth violation in the last 72 hours.

Minister of State for PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, told Mail Today, "The people of the country are indebted to the army and security forces. Pakistan's army gives cover fire to the terrorists attempting to infiltrate in India. I was there at the border with our forces, the morale of the forces is extremely high and they are giving a befitting response to Pakistan's Army."

According to the army sources, 22 infiltration attempts have been foiled this year and 32 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control while 54 terrorists were gunned down in hinterland by the security forces.

In the last three months, the army has successfully foiled one infiltration bid in April, four in May and four in June. Army said, the relentless operations have defeated desperate attempts from Pakistan to spread terror in the state during the holy month Ramzan.

There is an increase in the number of attacks, gun snatching, bank loots indicating desperation by terror groups.

Last month, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there has been a 45 per cent fall in infiltration since surgical strikes were carried out by the army across the Line of Control in September last year.

ALSO READ | Pakistan violates ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu, India hits back

ALSO READ | Pakistan's ceasefire violations: Mass evacuation begins on border

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jun 13 (PTI) The general strike called today by Rastriya Janata Party Nepal to press for the demands of citizenship and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary evoked mixed response in the countrys Madhesi-dominated Southern districts.

Madhesi parties in Nepal are divided over participating in the second phase of local body polls be held on June 28, with one faction insisting on taking part in the process to foil the reactionary forces conspiracy against federalism while other announcing fresh protests to disrupt elections.

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Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) announced to boycott the second phase of local body elections yesterday.

Life in Biratnagar and Birgunj municipalities came to a grinding halt due to the strike as public transport services, market places, educational institutions remained closed due to the shut down in the main city areas.

However, in Morang and Parsa districts in Southern districts, the strike had a mixed response.

The impact of the strike was less in other peripheral parts of the city with rickshaws and motorbikes plying freely on main roads.

According to police, no untoward incidents was reported from anywhere.

Despite the poll boycott call by RJPN, two other Madhesi parties Federal Socialist Party Nepal and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic have decided to participate in the second phase of local level elections.

President of Federal Socialist Party Nepal Upendra Mahato has said that the campaign launched by the RJPN to boycott the local election would deprive the Madhesi people of their rights.

Federal Socialist Forum Nepal led by Upendra and Naya Shakti Party Nepal led by former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai issued a joint statement calling all Madhesi and ethnic parties, including the RJPN to participate in the elections.

"It is necessary to participate in the local level polls to foil the conspiracy hatched by reactionary forces against federalism and to consolidate the rights gained through past movements," the joint statement said.

The two parties also urged the government to honour the three point agreement reached between the Madhesi parties and the previous government led by CPN-Maoist Centre chief Prachanda to create a conducive environment for all to participate in the elections.

Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections until the Constitution is amended to accommodate their views: more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

The Nepal government has tabled a new Constitution amendment bill in the Parliament to address the demands of the agitating Madhesi parties ahead of the local elections.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a prolonged agitation between September 2015 and February last year against the implementation of the new Constitution which they felt marginalised the Terai community. PTI SBP MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---

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Gaza's militant Hamas rulers warned of renewed violence Monday if Israel acquiesces to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' wishes and reduces its electricity supply to the isolated territory.

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Gaza's 2 million residents already get by with only four hours of electricity a day. In an effort to push his Hamas rivals out of power, Abbas says his West Bank government will stop paying Israel to provide electricity.

Protests in Gaza over electricity supply

X

Gaza's Khan Yunis under darkness (Photo: Reuters)

Residents of the Gazan city of Khan Unis during a power outtage (Photo: AP)

That has put Israel in the tough spot of having to choose between siding with Hamas in the internal Palestinian struggle or risking a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished coastal strip.

A Gazan woman washes dishes in the dark (Photo: Reuters)

An Israeli official confirmed that Israel is preparing to reduce the amount of power it supplies to Gaza, at the request of the Palestinian Authority. The official estimated that the reduction would limit power in Gaza to three hours a day.

The official said that Israel was searching for international donors to make up the difference, but that Israel would not itself pay for Gaza's power. It was not clear when the reductions would take effect. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record and spoke on condition of anonymity.

"This Israeli decision is dangerous and catastrophic," said Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou. "This virtually speeds up the deterioration and explosion of the situation in the Gaza Strip."

Gaza without power (Photo: Reuters)

Most recently, he asked Israel to reduce Gaza electricity by 40 percent. The Israeli decision appears to be seeking a compromise.

"Let's not forget, this is Abu Mazen's decision," Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Army Radio Monday, referring to Abbas by his nickname. "Should Israeli citizens pay the electric bill of the residents of Gaza? Of course that doesn't make sense."

Gazans have been trying to cope with the lengthy outages. The poor have been relying on battery-operated lights, the middle class on communal generators and the few wealthy families have turned to solar energy.

Photo: Reuters

But authorities warn of an impending crisis in health care and the environment. Each day, 120,000 cubic meter of untreated sewage are discharged into the sea.

The Gaza electricity distribution company stated it has not yet been informed of the Israeli decision to slash electricity, but warned of "serious deterioration" if the cuts went into effect.

"We barely provide four hours of electricity in Gaza, and in some neighborhoods they get three," said Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the company. "We can't predict how many hours people can get if the electricity is reduced."

Gisha, an advocacy group pushing for increased movement of people and goods across Gaza's borders, sent a letter to Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, warning of a severe crisis if the cuts went through. It said reducing the supply to Gaza was a "red line that must not be crossed."
Warsaw's city mayor and other officials will be summoned this month to testify before a special state commission investigating questionable restitution of private property that was seized under communism, the deputy justice minister said Monday. The committee may eventually decide that the mayor must return her home to the Jews it was taken from during WWII.

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The commission was formed recently in response to growing outrage at the returns, which concern highly valuable plots and buildings, in Warsaw and some other cities, that were seized by the state from private ownersPoles, Jews and othersunder a 1945 communist-era decree.

Warsaw

Democratic Poland opened the possibility of the return of property, but in many cases the process has gone wrong, the rightful heirs have been tricked out of their rights and the tenants evicted by the new owners, sometimes with nowhere to go.

The commission led by Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki will review cases. It has the power to take wrong decisions to court to seek their reversal or compensation for the rightful inheritors. It is beginning with restitutions in Warsaw.

Jaki said Monday that the first hearings will be June 28-30 and will concern a building in Twarda street from which a renowned high school was evicted.

Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz refused to appear and had questioned the commission's authority. The panel wanted to know to what extent she was aware of the irregularities that had been described in the media.

A house returned to her family was among those investigated.

Some other city officials have been put under arrest on suspicion of helping in the irregular restitutions and will be brought before the panel.
A collection of letters written by Albert Einstein is set to go to auction next week, offering a new glimpse at the Nobel-winning physicist's views on God, McCarthyism and what was then the newly established state of Israel.

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The five original letters, dated 1951 to 1954 and signed by Einstein, reveal a witty and sensitive side of the esteemed scientist. They were sent to quantum physicist David Bohm, a colleague who fled the United States for Brazil in 1951 after refusing to testify about his links to the Communist Party to the House Un-American Activities Committee.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Bohm's widow's estate put the documents on the block after she passed away last year. One of the yellowing pages, bearing Einstein's signature and embossed seal, and a handwritten general relativity equation, opens at $8,000 and is expected to sell for at least twice that. In all, the collection is expected to fetch over $20,000.

Einstein and Bohm became friends when they both worked at Princeton University. Their letters touch on quantum physics, the nature of the divine and Bohm's miserable time in Brazil.

"If God has created the world his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us," Einstein assured Bohm in February 1954, a year before his death.

In another letter from February 1953, Einstein compares "the present state of mind" of America gripped by McCarthyist anti-Communism to the paranoia in Germany in the early 20th century under Kaiser Wilhelm II. Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s led a hunt for alleged communist traitors he believed worked in the government and the army.

Bohm, who left the United States in the midst of the so-called Red Scare, conveyed dismay and displeasure about living in Brazil, where he was working at the University of Sao Paulo. He said he had trouble adjusting to the local food.

Einstein, then 75, offered sympathy to his younger colleague for the "instability of your belly, a matter where I have myself extended experience." He suggested getting a good cook.

Einstein said the foreseeable future didn't portend a "more reasonable political attitude" in the United States, and that Bohm ought to hold out in Brazil until he gets citizenship before leaving for a more "intellectual atmosphere."

One idea that came up was relocating to Israel, which had declared independence in 1948. But despite Einstein's ties to Israel's Hebrew University, he believed the country offered limited opportunities. Einstein himself declined an offer in 1952 to become Israel's president, though he served remotely on the Hebrew University's first Board of Governors and left his papers to the school in his will.

"Israel is intellectually active and interesting but has very narrow possibilities," the Nobel laureate wrote. "And to go there with the intention to leave on the first occasion would be regrettable."

(Photo: courtesy of the Albert Einstein Archive)

Despite Einstein's counsel, Bohm, who was Jewish, left Brazil for Israel in 1955, where he taught at Haifa's Technion Institute of Technology for two years. There he met his wife, Sarah Woolfson. They married in 1956. A year later the couple moved to the United Kingdom, where Bohm taught at Bristol University until his death in 1992.

Mrs. Bohm returned to Israel after her husband's death and resided in Jerusalem. She died in April 2016 and her estate put her husband's letters from Einstein up for sale at Winner's auction house in Jerusalem.

Roni Grosz, curator of the Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, home to the world's largest collection of Einstein material, said copies of the Bohm letters were already in the archive and that there was "nothing extraordinary" about them. But he said anything connected to Einstein tends to generate interest.

"There's today tremendous interest in all things Einstein. Einstein documents, letters, drafts are being on sale all the time," he said. "There's barely a month that passes with no Einstein documents in auction or in sale."

The auction, which includes copies of other letters sent by Einstein and correspondence by fellow Nobel laureate Louis de Broglie, will be held on June 20, though early bids are being accepted online.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering closing down the Israeli offices of Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

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The prime minister held an initial discussion on the topic on Monday, and the Government Press Office (GPO), the Foreign Ministry, the Shin Bet and the rest of the security establishment have all begun studying the issue.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have already shut down Al Jazeera's offices as part of an Arab boycott against Qatar. Israel likely wants to take advantage of the situation to pull the plug on the Doha-based network's activity in the country.

There have been numerous calls to close Al Jazeera's offices in the country over the last few years because of the network's negative coverage of Israel.

However, concerns such a move would be a PR disaster for Israel along with the fact most of Al Jazeera's 34 employees are Israeli Arabs have so far stayed the government's hand on the matter.

"Israel, along with the Arab states, sees Al Jazeera as a danger, a media body similar to those in Nazi Germany," Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday.

Walid al-Omari, Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Jerusalem, defended the network, telling Ynet on Tuesday, "We don't incite against Israel or anyone else."

"We convey the news. It's not our fault if the news is ugly," al-Omari added. "We convey everything that happens to our viewers and to our target audience. In Israel, we put on air people from the government and the opposition, the right and the left, and even settlers... Even the prime minister himself was on our channel when he was the head of the opposition in 2009."

Al Jazeera's Jerusalem bureau chief Walid al-Omari

He said the fact Israel is considering closing down the network's offices in the country is a form of incitement. "I don't know why Israel needs to be dragged after everything that happens in the Arab world... Al Jazeera is a media body that operates lawfully and legally in Israel and in other country in the world," al-Omari claimed.

Al Jazeera is expected to petition the Supreme Court against such a move. "We've been in this type of situation many times, be it in Israel, in Arab countries, or in other places," he said.

"The Israeli government can't force itself on the world... and behave like a dark dictatorship. This is unacceptable," al-Omari added.
By Press Trust of India: Lucknow, Jun 13 (PTI) Road safety norms should be made a part of the syllabus, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suggested today as he lamented that a large number of accidents were occurring due to traffic rule violations.

He also directed the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) and other departments to formulate plans to ensure safe travel.

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"It is a matter of concern that everyday we see that due to violation of traffic norms, accidents are taking place," Adityanath said.

It should be seen as to "how road safety norms can be made a part of the syllabus", so that ordinary citizens can be made more aware, he said. "The accidents which are happening, are taking place due to lack of awareness about traffic rules. UPSRTC and other departments working in the field of road transport should formulate plans to ensure passengers enjoy safe journey," he said.

He was speaking at the signing of an agreement between the transport departments of UP and Rajasthan here today.

Adityanaths comments come in the backdrop of several major accidents taking place in UP in recent days.

On June 5, 25 passengers were charred to death and many others were injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck and burst into flames on National Highway 24 in Bareilly.

In another accident on June 11, ten people, including five women, of a family drowned after their car fell into a canal at Makera area in Mathura.

Scores of other accidents have also taken place.

Speaking at the event here, Adityanath said the agreement between the transport departments of UP and Rajasthan would help in strengthening the cultural roots.

The agreement will improve the connectivity Delhi-Jaipur, Ajmer-Haridwar-Meerut, Bikaner, Ganganagar, Jodhpur, Aligarh, Firozabad, Kota, Bhilwara, Bareilly, Rupaidiah, Sawai Madhopur, Alwar and other places, he said.

"This will strengthen the political and cultural roots of the country," he said.

"Can there be any resident of Uttar Pradesh, who will not be interested in associating himself with the soil of Mewar. At the same time, can there be any resident of Rajasthan who will not be curious to come to the oldest city of the world Kashi (Varanasi) and Prayag (Allahabad) and also have a glimpse of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya and witness the leela of Lord Krishna in Mathura," Adityanath said.

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He said that whenever there is a strain in the inter- state ties, it is the people who are most affected. The job of the government is to work for the welfare of the public and not indulge in populist measures, he said.

Referring to Aadi Shankaracharya, the chief minister said, "A saint from Kerala established a sanskritik peeth (cultural bench) in the four corners of the country. This is the strength of our country. Transportation provides strength to our cultural roots."

Adityanath also mentioned that a part of the chaurasi kosi parikrama lies in Rajasthan. The chaurasi kosi parikrama refers to a circumambulatory trek across several religious places.

Adityanath said that he had spoken to Union minister Nitin Gadkari about the comprehensive development of the Braj region of UP comprising seven districts -- Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Aligarh, Etah, Hathras and Kasganj. "The state government will build a new circuit for development of the region," he said. PTI NAV ADS

--- ENDS ---
A man and a woman were found unconscious at a Tel Aviv hotel room on Tuesday morning.

The man, in his 60s, was taken to the Ichilov Medical Center in the city in serious condition. The woman, also in her 60s, was declared dead on the scene.

Police launched an investigation into the incident.
The secretary-general of the Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates accused Hamas on Monday of attempting to prevent the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

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According to Secretary-General Mohamed Ateeq Al-Falahi, the Red Crescent's staff was stationed at a UAE field hospital in the strip during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge when Hamas fighters began provoking Israeli forces by firing rockets from that hospital.

This led Israel to attack the hospital as the launch point for the rockets, thus sabotaging the distribution of the humanitarian aid.

Hamas rockets (Photo: Reuters)

"This shows (Hamas's) wicked intentions and how they scarified us," said Al-Falahi. "They always claim the enemy targets humanitarian envoys, but the betrayal came from them."

When the Red Crescent team was leaving Gaza, Hamas "accused us of being spies, undercover foreign intelligences who were escaping."

When they left the strip through Sinai, Al-Falahi said Hamas had apparently informed "extremist militias in Sinai... that there was a group making their way there, so prepare for jihad against them... as we stopped at a grocery store to buy something to eat, they started shooting at us."

In addition, he said, the Red Crescent team learned those extremist militias had also planted landmines a few kilometers down the road.

"What hurts is that the betrayal came from our own people," Al-Falahi lamented. "Muslims fighting Muslims, who were giving humanitarian aid to Muslims."
RABAT - Morocco said it would send plane-loads of food to Qatar to boost supplies there after Gulf Arab states cut diplomatic and economic ties with Doha.

Qatar, which imported 80 percent of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbours before the diplomatic shutdown, has also been talking to Iran and Turkey to secure food and water.

"This decision was made in conformity with Islamic precepts that call for solidarity and mutual aid between Muslim people, notably during this holy month of Ramadan," the Moroccan foreign ministry statement said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain accuse Qatar of supporting militants - an allegation dismissed by Doha. On Sunday, Morocco said it would remain neutral in the dispute, offering to mediate between the Gulf countries, which are all close allies to the North African kingdom.
JAKARTA - Indonesia says it's looking to set up joint patrols with the Philippines and Malaysia to prevent Islamic militants who have laid siege to a city in the southern Philippines from entering its territorial waters.

Indonesia's military chief, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, said late Monday that he and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu would meet next week with their counterparts from Malaysia and the Philippines on Indonesia's Tarakan island in northern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia. He said they'll discuss increasing security and signing an agreement to step up joint patrols.

The conflict in the city of Marawi has raised fears that the Islamic State group's violent ideology is gaining a foothold in the Philippines' restive south, where Muslim separatists have fought for greater autonomy for decades.
If what the New York Times reported Monday is trueUS President Donald Trump disclosed to the Russians that Israel had penetrated the Islamic State through a cyber attack and found out about the plan to bring down planes using sophisticated bombsthis is an intelligence catastrophe. Its neither a mishap nor a passing crisis involving the loss of information, but an across-the-board collapse of intelligence abilities that were acquired with a lot of hard work and at great risk.

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According to the American newspaper, the president told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting at the White House last month that about half a year ago, Israeli cyber experts (he attributed the information to an ally in the Middle East) had managed to penetrate a cell of bombmakers in Syria who were working on innovative explosives that could fool airport X-ray machines by looking exactly like batteries for laptop computers. The information led to a ban on large electronic devices in carry-on luggage on flights from Muslim countries to the United States.

Ever since the revelation that Trump had shared information with Lavrov about an Israeli intelligence source in ISIS, the Washington Post and the New York Times have been competing who will shame the president more, while exposing Israels secrets in a bid to intensify his stupidity. At first, they talked about an agent Israel had recruited in Syria . That was enough to cause serious damage, as ISIS likely closed ranks and made it difficult to keep collecting information. Even if this agent managed to get out, regardless of whether he actually operated there or not, this report puts a lid on a rare source of information.

Trump and Netanyahu. US papers have been competing over who will shame the president more, while exposing Israels secrets in a bid to intensify his stupidity (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The New York Times leak, that the sensitive information was a result of a cyber attack, could create a different kind of intelligence-related damage and to a much larger extent. ISIS knows there is not a single intelligence agency in the world that isnt trying to infiltrate it, which is why it has likely ordered its members to use covert communication techniques. They avoid using computerized communication, and if they doits encrypted. According to past reports, the organization contacts its members through PlayStation or Xbox games.

Penetrating ISIS, even by hacking into its computers, often involves mortal danger. Each penetration requires classic intelligence work, which includes setting goals, studying the system and locating its weak spots, and developing functions to hide the trojan horse that is inserted for the purpose of collecting secret intelligence.

But then the New York Times comes along and informs ISIS it has been subject to an Israeli cyber attack. Now, all the organizations members have to do is to try to expose the system that penetrated their computers. And they are not alone: Countries that are interested in Israels abilities will also dig into ISIS' computers to seize that virus/trojan/worm or God knows what. As soon as the cyber tool is found, it is very likely that the weak spot that allowed it in will be exposed as well. And that weak spotwhich is most probably present in the computerized systems of other countries and organizations hostile to Israelwill be blocked. As a result, the attackerwho invested years in developing the tool and inserting it into different placeswill see his entire enterprise crumble.

An intelligence organization inserting a malicious software into enemy computers disguises its activity by using servers around the world. This exposure, therefore, makes it easier for any intelligence service that has figured out the cyber tool to access the involved computers. And even worse, if the attacker is unaware he has been exposed, he can be loaded with false information and his logarithm might be used to attack other countries.

There are huge advantages to waging a cyber war over conventional intelligence operations. It does, however, involve risks and possible long-term damages for the attacker. If there is even a grain of truth in the recent reports, it means someone is waging their war on Trump at Israels expense, intentionally causing serious damage to Americas allyverging on treason.

Tzipi Shmilovich contributed to this article.
Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, an extremist religious leader from the settlement of Yitzhar, was indicted on Tuesday for incitement to violence in opinion articles he wrote.

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Elitzur co-authored a controversial book titled The King's Torah, which details the conditions in which Jews are allowed to kill non-Jews. An investigation against Elitzur over the book was closed in 2012 due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit decided to indict Elitzur for the allegedly inciting opinion articles he wrote in light of a petition filed by the Reform Movement and NGO Tag Meir to the High Court of Justice against the rabbi, accusing him of incitement to racism and violence.

Rabbi Yosef Elitzur (Photo: Avi Mualem)

Elitzur was charged with inciting to violence against Arabs in two opinion articles he published in May 2013 following the murder of Evyatar Borovsky in a terror attack at the Tapuach Junction in the West Bank.

At the time, the rabbi was a senior teacher at the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the settlement of Yitzhar and was also teaching teenagers in other education institutions at the Samaria Regional Council. He was also writing a regular column on the Jewish Voice internet site.

According to the indictment, on May 1, 2013, a day after Borovsky's murder, Elitzur published an op-ed titled "Don't despair, just grow," in which he wrote, among other things, "There is a growing and expanding phenomenon of actions taken by warm and caring Jews against the enemy. One can consider these the desperate actions of a public backed into a corner, but those who look closer would see these are the first signs of a growing public that takes responsibility over Jews' security."

On May 28, 2013, as the 30-day mourning period over Borovsky was coming to a close, Elitzur published an op-ed titled "How to 'catch' price tag perpetrators," in which he wrote, "I'm not trying to diminish the talents of the anonymous price tag perpetrators and their operational abilities. And yet, I believe the reason for the security forces' resounding failure in catching those who carry out what they call 'price tag' attacks also has to doif not mostlywith the variety of statements speakers in the media and the political systems tend to add to discussions on the matter. For example: 'How is it possible security forces are unable to catch the handful of radicals carrying out these heinous acts?'

"These acts, born of warm caring of Jews, are not the aim (even though one can definitely understand such acts in the current climate). At the end of the day, no one wants to live in anarchy. Even if there is a time in which we have to live by the rules of the jungle, we can show the wicked in the world's nations that Jews can play this game too."
BUDAPEST -- Hungarian police say they have handed over to German authorities a neo-Nazi who fled Germany to avoid a prison sentence for Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic incitement.

Horst Mahler was detained in the western Hungarian city of Sopron on May 15 based on an international arrest warrant, and a Budapest court ordered his extradition to Germany last week.

Police said Thursday that Mahler was transferred into German custody at Budapest's Ferenc Liszt Airport.

Mahler, 81, was a founding member of the left-wing Red Army Faction militant group. He later turned to the far right and has had numerous neo-Nazi-related convictions.

Mahler fled Germany after being allowed to leave prison two year ago due to serious illness. He was serving a 10-year sentence.
The most striking thing about the Haaretz Peace Conference, which was held Monday, and about the ethical code affair is that most people who oppose the Rights products in the name of freedom of speech find it difficult to watch and listen to anything that conflicts with their opinion.

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If they had read what Prof. Asa Kasher defined as an educational document, they would have sensibly argued whether it does any good or not, whether its necessary or not. If they were capable of arguing, they would also listen to the things Minister Naftali Bennetts political plan is based on.

Instead, we received a batch of Pavlovian reactions with outcries about the end of democracy and dark times. A lovely professor, who I interviewed about the ethical code, argued that her lessons would now be controlled by committees. The police are on their way. This is North Korea. Because I deal with these rows on an almost daily basis, I have to ask myself who is enjoying this more: The one who trolls or the one who is being trolled? The perpetrator who pretends to be the victim, or the perpetrator who learns that he is a perpetrator from the reactions?

Tel Aviv University. Dont silence people by using the silencing slogan (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Lets start from the end of the ethical code row: The academia is not a sanctuary. There are real lecturers there, human beings who make mistakes, and there is a lot of politics as well. Unlike in the current debate, most of the politics has nothing to do with right or left; it has to do with friendships, cliques and schools of research. Ink-stained battles. The academics could use, however, an ethical code that will occasionally remind them where they come from and what they are they going to leave behind when they retire. They could also use a lesson in healthy common sense. For example, a thought exercise: What should be the fate of a factory worker who is working to make the factory lose money and shut down? Probably dismissal. And what about a lecturer who calls for a boycott on the institution that pays his salary? Is that okay, because there is academic freedom for foolishness?

It wont hurt to set out some rules in the political area. As Asa Kasher asserted, an institution or a department cannot be affiliated with a party, otherwise well establish an academic institution for every party, and one cannot receive academic credit points for political activity. The objection to these and other rules and ideas, I believe, is simply the result of the fact that the opponents have failed to read the document.

Having said that, there is one significant problem in the overall issue of the ethical code, regardless of whether the lecturer is left-wing or right-wing: The fear of controversial issues. Perhaps a mirror image of the ethical code initiated by an education minister from the Bayit Yehudi party. If the Pavlovian critics would only go to the trouble of separating the wheat from the chaff, they would say that section 3 of the what is political activity explanation is unclear and will therefore not be implemented.

Several months ago, I discussed Breaking the Silences introduction into the state educational system. A Zionist educational system must encourage significant military service and contribution to the state, rather than encourage doubts and present different narratives and post-modernism. I wrote at the time that philosophizing about nationality and the narrative battle is reserved for higher education, and I still stand behind those comments today.

Its impossible to prevent politics from being part of the academic world. When I used to lecture at a university, I would use controversial issues to illustrate the study material. Bar Kochbas digging system was compared to the Viet Cong and Hamas digging system, and the Romans victory was compared to the Israeli failure to defeat Hamas. It could have been seen as a right-wing attack. Some of my students accepted the equation, and those who didnt argued with me.

During my time at the academia, I never met coward Israeli students. Are there radical left-wing professors who have turned the classroom into a reeducation arena? The answer is yes. There are a lot of complaints about one-sided preaching. But if I were a student, I would go there to listen and argue. If they discriminated against me, I would wage an all-out war against them. And if I didnt have the energy, I would simply choose a different course.

There isnt a single answer in social sciences and humanities, and there is no studying and education with polemics. I find US professors political correctness method weary and harmful. They have a liberal thought police there, which produced Donald Trump and the Tea Party movement as a counterreaction.

Asa Kasher did some serious work on a document for the purpose of recommendation and education, thats it. It can be discussed and it can be argued. Please read it, and suggest an ethical code dealing with the foolishness of boycotts and with a definition of politics that can be dealt with rather than imposed. Let us argue, and listen. Dont silence people by using the silencing slogan.
The Israel Police arrested a 24-year-old illegal migrant from Guinea on suspicion of sexually assaulting his Israeli girlfriend and infecting her with the HIV virus.

He is also suspected of forging Israeli work visas for other illegal migrants for money.

He faces charges of posing as another individual, forgery, committing an act that could lead to the spread of a disease, and illegally staying in Israel.
Labor leader Isaac Herzog's political rivals and other party officials assert he would attempt to bring the party into the government if he wins the upcoming primary election.

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Party officials claimed Herzog, who has been trying unsuccessfully over the past two years to restore the party to its former glory, believes he could only do so by joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.

"(Herzog) is trying to explain that the talks over the past year on joining the Netanyahu government have been genuine and out of a desire to promote a diplomatic move. With this, he's trying to prepare public opinion for a possible move to join the government if he wins the primary," said one of the other primary candidates. "If (Herzog) wins the primaries, we'll see him as Netanyahu's foreign minister in a matter of months."

Labor leader Isaac Herzog

Reports surfaced on Monday of a secret meeting between Netanyahu, Herzog and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in April 2016 to discuss the possibilities of a unity government in Israel and the resumption of the peace process with the Palestinians.

One Labor primary candidate claimed Netanyahu hasn't taken the option of forming a unity government off the table, and that the prime minister was waiting for the results of the Labor primary election to see if he could form such a government with the winner.

Labor officials said Herzog hasn't taken the option off the table either, and does not rule out joining the Netanyahu government and serving as the foreign minister.

Herzog's rivals, meanwhile, rejected the possibility of forming a unity government with Netanyahu out of hand.

"Netanyahu is a false messiah," said primary candidate MK Omer Bar-Lev. "His circle of lies grows and expands. In the latest round, he lied to al-Sisi and the king of Jordan, and he continues by lying to the Labor party."

MK Omer Bar-Lev (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

"That is why the answer is no, we will not join a government led by him," Bar-Lev added. "If there is a diplomatic effort, we would be willing to give our support from the opposition, but we will in no way take part in Netanyahu's policy of lies."

MK Erel Margalit, also a candidate for the Labor leadership, asserted that "Anyone who pushes to join the Netanyahu government is giving him political capital that would go to waste. We must not give (Netanyahu) a safety net. We need to declare him bankrupt and take the reins from him."

MK Erel Margalit (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Candidate Avi Gabay, formerly the environmental protection minister in the Netanyahu government, called on Herzog not to join the coalition, adding, "Since Netanyahu has been prime minister for eight years and has yet to go for a peace agreement, he's not going to. It's better to support the diplomatic process from the Knesset and not from the government."

Avi Gabay (Photo: Shaul Golan)

Herzog's office dismissed the other candidates' claims, saying in response, "As soon as the candidates realized Herzog was going to round two and winning, a smear campaign had begun by candidates like Avi Gabay and Omer Bar-Lev, who are trailing behind and have turned themselves into fortune tellers who know what would happen in the future.

"As soon as he is reelected, Herzog will lead a move to disperse the Knesset in light of the investigations into Netanyahu and his many failures and work to go to elections and form a central Zionist bloc that already has the support of most members of the Labor party."
By Press Trust of India: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jun 13 (PTI) Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and violent extremist organisations are the key challenges before America, Defence Secretary James Mattis has said insisting that the US military requires a balanced inventory of advanced capabilities to act decisively.

"In todays strategic environment, five key challenges - Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organisations - most clearly represent the challenges facing the US military," Mattis told members of the House Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing last night.

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"They serve as a benchmark for our global posture, the size of the force, capability development, and risk management," he said.

Over the past several decades, each of these state actors have developed capabilities and operational approaches to counter US strategic and operational centres of gravity, he said.

"For Russia and China, specifically, the lessons-learnt spurred dramatic tactical, operational, and strategic adaptations," he said.

"Today, Russia continues to invest in a full-range of capabilities designed to limit our ability to project power into Europe and meet our alliance commitments to NATO,? said Mattis.

Similarly, Mattis said, China has embarked on a significant programme to modernise and expand strategic and conventional military capabilities.

"North Koreas nuclear weapons development, combined with efforts to develop a nuclear-capable ballistic missile capability, is specifically intended to threaten the security of the homeland and our Allies in the Pacific. Over the past year, North Korea conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests. Moreover, North Korea has demonstrated a willingness to use malicious cyber tools against governments and industry," he said.

Observing that Iran seeks to assert itself as the dominant regional power in the Middle East, he said Tehran continue to support international terrorist organisations like Hezbollah, and support proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen to assert influence and counter the influence of the US and its Allies.

"Finally, violent extremist organisations such as ISIS and al Qaida remain a threat to the homeland, our Allies, and our way of life,? Mattis said.

A review of these five challenges demonstrates that the US military requires a balanced inventory of advanced capabilities and sufficient capacity to act decisively across the range of military operations, Mattis said. PTI LKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
What started with a picture of the prime minister's wife with her friend Nicol Raidman, turned into a scathing post by Noa Rothman in which she compared Sara Netanyahu to her grandmother, Leah Rabin. The comparison led to hundreds of reactionsincluding an array of profanities directed at the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and death threats for his granddaughter.

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"Almost 17 years ago, the wife of a prime minister died, a woman who did not gallop like the unpopular girl in school who finally got a little bit of attention. And when there were problems in the oncology departmentmuch less the pediatric oncologyshe gathered all her connections and skills to work out the crisis there or everywhere around the country.

Sara Netanyahu with Nicol Raidman (Photo: Anat Mosberg)

"And she did a lot of public relations but only for charity, and never had she taken a selfie with an age-defying Botox injector (see picture for illustration), but actually did something. For the people who elected her husband. And also for those who hadn't," Rothman wrote on her Facebook page.

Rothman then continued: "And when an American president met her, she did not talk about the media, on the contrary, she boasted about our country and people, and God knows, she had quite a mouth on her, but she used it wisely, and she wasn't even a psychologist."

Noa Rothman and her grandmother, Leah Rabin

This post brought forth a slew of comments and shares. Many right-wing activists reacted angrily, reminding Rothman of her grandmother's Dollar Account affair and the soldiers sent by their commanders to look for the pin she had lost after the signing of the peace treaty with Jordan.

Comments about the post contained a fair share of profanities and death threats for Rothman, but also more supportive reactions, with some identifying with her words.

Rothman told Yedioth Ahronoth on Monday: "There's nothing to get excited about fake profiles on Facebook that spit out the same message. They shall pass, the problem is here to stay."

The Netanyahu family refused to comment.
Reserve soldiers under the command of Maj. (res.) Manny Eitan are requesting a unit transfer in protest of Eitan's dismissal by superiors for refusing an order that would have given his men fewer hours of sleep.

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Three weeks ago, Eitan had refused to wake his soldiers up in the middle of the night for a unit exercise because he was worried that their lack of sleep would lead to injuries or traffic accidents on their way home. The IDF decided to remove Eitan from command as a result of his refusal.

Reservist training (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Rubi Hazoni, a platoon commander and officer in Eitan's company told Yedioth Ahronoth that "in previous exercises, at the end of 2016, we had a battalion exercise at night. Nobody worried that the men sleep six hours; we got three hours of sleep and two soldiers fell asleep behind the wheel on the way home. One of the men totaled their vehicle and the other woke up before ramming into the guard rail. As a result of that, there was a decision to put an emphasis on sleep before soldiers go home."

Currently, more than ten soldiers have already requested a transfer from the unit and sources say another 20 are expected to make a similar request in the coming days.

Asaf Azulay, a commander in the unit, said, "They don't feel safe with the decisions that the brigade commander is making. When you think about it, these are civilians who are leaving their regular lives and the minimum they expect is that someone will have their backs and take care of them at the moment of truth."

Eitan, who lost his sister in a car accident and therefore places great importance on road safety, said, "Two years ago they wanted me to be a battalion commander, and now to dismiss me because I said something is not safe? How is that proportional? It's not a crisis about some kind of issue where the men are being spoiled. We are talking about managing safety."

The IDF issued a statement in response, saying, "The decision to terminate the position of the company commander after he refused the order was taken seriously and from a moral and command perspective. There is no place in the IDF for refusing an order (such as the one refused)."
Israel said on Tuesday its ambassador to New Zealand will return to his post, ending a six-month rift in relations over a United Nations resolution against Israeli settlements on territory which Palestinians seek for a state.

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Israel recalled the ambassador in December after New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal sponsored a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement activity .

United Nations Security Council (Photo: AP)

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders spoke on the phone earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michal Maayan said in a statement.

"I regret the damage done to Israel-New Zealand relations as a result of New Zealand proposing Resolution 2334 at the Security Council," English wrote, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.

The UN resolution passed in the 15-member Security Council because the United States, under the administration of former President Barack Obama, did not wield its veto power and instead abstained, breaking with its long-standing tradition of diplomatically shielding Israel at the international body.

US abstaining during vote (Photo: EPA)

Continued settlement building on land Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War and which Palestinians hope will eventually form part of an independent state has drawn criticism from the United Nations and most of the international community. Palestinians cite it as a major obstacle in now-stalled peace talks.

On June 4 Israel said it was returning its ambassador to Senegal, after recalling him over the UN Security Council resolution. Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela.
Some 200 disabled people demonstrated Tuesday evening to raise the disability pension to the same level as minimum wage.

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During the demonstration, which was approved by the police, protestors blocked the exit to the Ayalon Highway from Arlozerov Street, as well as Namir Street in Tel Aviv. At one point, the demonstrators advanced towards the Ayalon freeways, but they were blocked from reaching the main road.

(Photo: Itay Blumental)

(Photo: Itay Blumental)

MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz), who came to support demonstrators, said, "I call on you to be united and go all the way. This is the war of independence for all the disabled. Knesset members have to look here and understand that their chair depends on their support of the bill." The protesters even waved signs and had a mock coffin reading: "The government is burying us alive."

(Photo: Yogev Atias)

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

One of the demonstrators said, "As a son of two disabled parents, why does my father have to beg? Why do the disabled people have to beg in the State of Israel? We came here and we will go to the home of Finance Minister Kahlon and fight until we win. We demand social justice and not charity. My mother has epilepsy, my father is an amputee; the time has come for the people of Israel to wake up. It's not a struggle for the handicapped. Handicapped people can be both right-wingers and left-wingers. This is a struggle for the entire people of Israel."

Another demonstrator said: "We don't want incentives, we want money to buy food." Another participant in the demonstration said, "It seems that someone is very comfortable leaving us in poverty, with the disability allowance that is not even enough for crumbs. People collect bottles and beg for handouts. The disabled people flock to the polls and on Election Day we will remember who put us in a deep freeze for 10 years, we will recall those who time after time blocked the law of Ilan Gilon."

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

It appears that the Committee for the Examination of Disability Allowances, headed by Prof. Avi Simhon, will recommend increasing the allowances by hundreds of shekels only. It appears that the committee appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will recommend an increase in the allowances at a rate significantly lower than that recommended by the Zelekha Committee, which submitted its conclusions last month. Another recommendation will be that only people defined as 75% disabled and upwards, who are defined as poor will receive the increase in the pension.

Netanyahu did not accept the recommendations of the Zelekha Committee, whose main recommendation was to increase disability allowances to NIS 4,000 in several stages, and appointed another team headed by Simhon. The heads of the disabled organizations expressed strong opposition to the recommendations of the committee and demanded, as stated, to equalize the disability benefits to the minimum wageNIS 5,000.

MK Ilan Gilon (Photo: Yogev Atias)

(Photo: Itay Blumental)

According to Alex Friedman, the leader of the struggle said, "Unfortunately, and to my disappointment, the 'social' Minister Moshe Kahlon threw the disabled at the mercy of the prime minister who decided not to make a decision. The rumors about Simhon's recommendations are proof that in the eyes of the finance minister, the disabled are simply waste, otherwise he would intervene and not allow it to happen. I hope that the High Court of Justice supports our struggle to raise the allowances to the minimum wage, and we will continue to act with all our might until the disabled in Israel can live with dignity."

MK Itzik Shmuli (the Zionist Camp) said in response: "Simhon's recommendations are a mockery to the poor and an insult to the disabled who have been demonstrating for months for the right to live in dignity. The prime minister is simply crowding the finance minister's decision, and instead of silence, I call upon Kahlon to struggle and if necessary, to rock the government on its foundations. The allowances must be raised to at least the minimum wage level, and we will fight for that."
Two officers were dismissed and two others are expected to stand trial following the investigation into the death of reserve Cpt. Elhanan Brezner, who died during a military race three months ago. The deputy brigade commander was reprimanded by the OC Central Command.

The commission of inquiry found that there was a gap in preparing the exercise files for the race and in the manner in which they were written, as some of them were written in retrospect and one of the officers lied about the date of their writing. At the same time, the findings of a Military Police investigation into the matter were handed over to the State Prosecutor's Office.
When Shlomo Lipman, an IDF soldier who comes from an ultra-Orthodox family, went to buy books in Mea Shearim , he did not imagine that his life would be in danger, and that his rescuer would be none other than a Haredi who is a member of an anti-Zionist faction.

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The following pictures illustrate what happens to soldiers in the ultra-Orthodox communities every day. What was once expressed by street blocking and demonstrations against the draft has recently become a general offensive against the soldiers themselves, who are perceived by extremists as "agents of change" recruited by the army to legitimize recruitment from within.

The scenes documented are reminiscent of scenes from other places, Palestinian villages and lynch attempts on nationalistic grounds. This is what happened to Lipman, a soldier in the Golani Brigade who on Friday was the target of dozens of angry Haredim who wanted to take out their anger on him, broke into the store, threatened him, and attacked him with stones.

On his escape from the store, a Haredi wearing a 'Zebra' uniformsignifying the extremist factionsnamed Shimon Dov Goldfarb, was waiting for him and offered to accompany him until he left the neighborhood. Later on, other Haredim escorted the soldier to safety.

Former Knesset member Rabbi Dov Lipman, the father of the Golani soldier who was attacked, called Goldfarb "an angel." "This person saved my son," he said in an interview with Ynet. "I find it hard to look at these pictures. I look at them and get angry. But I do want to focus on people like that Haredi, who are the moderates and the majority, and the need to find a way to lower the influence of these extremists."

Lipman said his son did not believe such a scenario was possible. "He thought he would be shouted at, and unfortunately this happens in Beit Shemesh too. He had not seen the videos of the last few months. He has no time for this, he serves in the IDF. "

Goldfarb himself told associates that he is afraid of being exposed to fear of what will happen to him, "and this is also something that needs to be fought," Lipman said.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson revealed Tuesday that the Trump administration has demanded that Mahmoud Abbas stop transferring payments to families of suicide bombers.

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In a hearing at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Tillerson said he had received a report that the Palestinians "have changed that policy and their intent is to cease the payments to the families of those who have committed murder or violence against others. We have been very clear with them that this is simply not acceptable to us."

Tillerson at the hearing (Photo: AP)

Republican Senator Jim Risch raised the issue during the hearing. Tillerson responded by saying that the issue "was discussed directly with (Palestinian) President Abbas when he made his visit to Washington."

"The president (Trump) raised it, and I had a bilateral meeting with (Abbas) later and I told himyou absolutely have to stop this," Tillerson said.
I cant believe its summer already. Let me catch you up on some of the activities YCDC has been involved in.

Over the last few years, weve collaborated with citizens to identify priorities for York County through our Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) interviews, the Marketing Hometown America (MHA) Initiative, the labor study and the housing study. Its become very apparent that housing development, workforce development, workforce recruitment, the creation of high paying jobs, and the improvement of Liour quality of life are all priorities for our employers and residents alike.

What does that mean for YCDC? In order to meet the needs identified by our research, we hired Bre Goben. As development coordinator, Bres goals are expanding the workforce and creating new housing initiatives. She is also involved in the YCDC BRE program and will lead the ongoing MHA Initiative. More information related to MHA can be found here: http://www.yorkdevco.com/york/life/marketing-york-county-people-recruitment.

YCDCs newest addition is our partnership with the York Chamber and the University of Nebraskas Rural Futures Institute (RFI). RFI interns, Emily Coffey and Shelby Riggs, will assist the Chamber and YCDC for nine weeks. One of their responsibilities is to collaborate with Bre and the MHA steering committee and facilitators to finalize the MHA strategic plan and create marketing materials. Additionally, they will work with a joint YCDC/City of York committee to tailor an LB840 plan that meets Yorks needs.

What is LB840? It is an economic development plan that can be used for both community and economic development activities. State legislation first approved LB840 in 1991. This created an opportunity for municipalities to develop a plan and select a funding source with which to fund the plan - an option that had not existed previously. According to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, 68 communities in Nebraska have passed and are reaping the rewards of LB840. State legislation allows those communities to utilize the program revenue for many uses including but not limited to housing, workforce development, workforce recruitment, business development and facade improvements.

Some communities utilize the funds to update or install infrastructure for housing. Other communities elect to create job training credits, matching businesses contributions for continuing education and employee training. Holdrege uses the LB840 funds to attract new people and former residents to the community, matching up to $2,500 for new employee bonuses. The City of Wayne uses a portion of its funds to incentivize downtown businesses to make greater facade and code improvements than wouldnt be possible without the funds. They also used the funds in a new housing subdivision to help with the infrastructure cost. To clarify, YCDC will not use these funds for current activities or operating funds. The beauty of LB840 is that the plan can be adapted to meet the needs of the community as it grows and changes.

Theres a lot to this program, so over the next six to nine months we will be providing educational materials to ensure the plan is clear to all residents before it goes to a vote. A committee including myself, Tony North, Jim Ulrich, Mike Lucas, Amie Kopcho, Wally Byrne, Daryl Wilton, Orval Stahr, Joe Frei, Barry Redfern, Ron Mogul and Matt Spanjers are crafting a plan to meet Yorks needs. Weve been analyzing data from surveys and the MHA project. We still need to decide on the funding source, dollar amount and timeline. Once the plan is finalized, the York City Council must approve the plan before it can go to a public vote. Projects require an application and will be selected by the program administrator, loan committee and citizen advisory review committee; budgeted for and approved by the City Council; and overseen by the city attorney. The city council will also approve an annual budget throughout the year to allocate the resources generated by the program.

As we continue to work on these strategies, please feel free to reach out to the YCDC office with comments and feedback. We would like to include your thoughts as we move forward, or address any concerns you might have. In the meantime, please enjoy your summer!
The BJP's Yuva Morcha reached the former MP's residence in Central Delhi to deliver a "get well soon" card, and were stopped by the police.

By Poulomi Saha: Two days after Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called Army Chief General Bipin Rawat a 'sadak ka gunda', the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was unwilling to let him get away with a minor rap on the knuckles from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

BJP's Yuva Morcha reached the former MP's residence in Central Delhi to deliver a "get well soon" card, and were stopped by the police.

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Sandeep Dikshit's remark had provoked widespread condemnation, not just from political opponents but from within the Congress party too, which officially distanced itself from his comments.

Rahul Gandhi, too, distanced himself from his party member's comment.

BJP DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM SONIA GANDHI

But the BJP wasn't be satisfied. They demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi herself, and strict action against Sandeep Dikshit.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "The Congress has developed a pattern of attacking the Army's credibility. It started with 'khoon ki dalali'. Now it is 'sadak ka gunda'."

This is the latest personal attack against the Army Chief.

Gen Bipin Rawat has come under fire from the Congress and the Left on a few recent occasions, after he referred to the volatile situation in Jammu and Kashmir as a "dirty war", and sent a commendation certificate to Major Leetul Gogoi for demonstrating presence of mind in rescuing polling officials and ITBP personnel when they came under attack from stone-pelters in Budgam district during the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypolls.

ALSO READ | Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit calls Army Chief Gen Rawat a 'sadak ka gunda,' apologises

ALSO READ | In Army chief a 'goonda' row, Rahul's terse message to Dikshit: don't politicise army; BJP wants apology

ALSO WATCH | I apologise and I withdraw my statement: Sandeep Dikshit to India Today on comment about Gen Rawat

--- ENDS ---
YORK  York County Attorney Candace Bottorf has announced her intention to resign with a letter to the York County Commissioners.

Bottorf will be leaving her position in order to pursue another career opportunity.

Bottorf has been the York County Attorney since February, 2012. Prior to that, she was the deputy county attorney in York County for two years.

Bottorf was born and raised in Sutton and was licensed to practice law in Arizona in 1999. She said she practiced there in domestic relation law until she moved to Las Vegas, Nev., being licensed there in 2005.

She practiced in Nevada in the area of product liability and insurance defense. She relocated to Nebraska in 2006, became licensed in this state and opened her own firm in 2008.

Bottorf became the Deputy York County Attorney in April, 2010, and was appointed as the county attorney less than two years later. She then ran unopposed for her position in the 2014 election cycle.

Upon the pending vacancy, the county commissioners will be tasked with choosing an attorney to fulfill the county attorneys duties through this year and the next. That person will then have the option to run for election in the 2018 election cycle.

The county commissioners will consider Bottorfs letter of resignation and discuss the process of appointing someone to the position, when they meet in regular session on Tuesday, June 20.

Also on the commissioners agenda for next Tuesday:

 The board will consider an agreement between the county and York General Hospital regarding emergency protective custody situations.

 They will meet with representatives of Region V Services and Region V Systems who will make their annual report.

 Carrie Rodriguez, chief probation officer with District 5 Probation, will speak with the commissioners regarding the current office space the county provides.

 Aging Partners representatives will make their annual report and budget request.

 Tire disposal fees, for the county, at the landfill, will be revisited.

 Lisa Hurley, executive director of the York County Development Corporation, will make the agencys annual report and budget request.

 Carol Knieriem from CASA will present her fund request and annual report.

 In the afternoon, the board will begin to hold property valuation protest hearings, starting at 1 p.m.  these are by appointments that have already been arranged.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will officially begin at 8:30 a.m., in the basement of the courthouse.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

Happy shootin' my friends!

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Zabka, Warszawa, 166 m2

Lokal znajduje sie w budynku apartamentowym Unimax Development w inwestycji Viva Vitolin, przy ul. Grochowskiej 87 w Warszawie. Bedzie dostepny w 4Q 2023 roku (podpisanie umow przeniesienia wasnosci).
Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said that the incident occurred this morning when police were carrying out a check at the Unterfoehring subway station.

An ambulance stands near a subway station in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

By AP: German police say shots have been fired at a subway station in a suburb of Munich.

Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said that the incident occurred this morning when police were carrying out a check at the Unterfoehring subway station.

He says during the check a weapon was fired but could not immediately say whether it was fired by police or by a suspect.

Suburban train station #Unterfhring Several persons wounded by gunshots. Police woman seriously wounded. One person has been arrested.- Polizei Mnchen (@PolizeiMuenchen) June 13, 2017

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He says he had no immediate reports of injuries but that ambulances were being sent to the scene. Some reports said a few people have been injured in the firing.

Riehlein says there is no danger to the wider public.

Situation on the spot secured by police forces. The area around the suburban train station #Unterfhring is being cordoned off.- Polizei Mnchen (@PolizeiMuenchen) June 13, 2017

More details awaited.

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--- ENDS ---
The incident came to light at around 3:45 pm when Choudhary's neighbours complained of foul smell emanating from her flat.

By Press Trust of India: Small-time actress Kritika Choudhary (30) was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence in suburban Andheri today, police said.

Police suspect it to be a case of murder, an investigating official said.

The incident came to light at around 3:45 pm when Choudhary's neighbours complained of foul smell emanating from her flat and informed police.

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Choudhary was a resident of Bhairavnath Society in Char Bungalow area in Andheri West.

After getting the information, Amboli police rushed to the spot and broke open the door which was locked from outside for the last three-four days, an official said.

After entering her flat, police found a decomposed body of a woman, who was later identified as Choudhary, he said.

Initially, Amboli police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), the official said, adding that it came to fore during the investigation that Choudhary was murdered by unidentified person(s).

--- ENDS ---
Washington: The Trump administration notified Congress last week that it soon plans to begin delivering precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia under a 2015 weapons deal, congressional officials said on Tuesday.



The US Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution to block portions of a new, separate arms sale to Saudi Arabia, agreed during a visit there by President Donald Trump in May.



Arms sales to Riyadh have become increasingly contentious in the US Congress, where some lawmakers object that American weapons have contributed to widespread civilian casualties in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.



Republican Trump`s predecessor Barack Obama, a Democrat, suspended the planned sale of precision-guided munitions in December because of concerns over civilian casualties in Yemen, where the civil war pits Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.



Trump, however, has said he wants to encourage weapons sales as a way to create jobs in the United States.



Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration had notified Congress about the start of deliveries on the 2015 sale. He said in a statement that Trump`s decision was another reason for the Senate to disapprove the new sale.



"We need to send a message to both the Trump Administration and the Saudis to work much harder to avoid civilian casualties, expedite humanitarian relief, and push for a peaceful end to the war through a negotiated political settlement," Cardin said.



Republicans control both chambers of Congress.



A senior congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the notification was received last Thursday. The decision to move ahead with deliveries was first reported by Bloomberg.



The 2015 sale included more than 8,000 Laser Guided Bombs for the Royal Saudi Air Force. The package also includes more than 10,000 general purpose bombs, and more than 5,000 tail kits used to inexpensively convert "dumb" bombs into laser or GPS-guided weapons.



Some of the weapons systems included in the sale were made by Raytheon Co and Boeing Co.



The arms deal announced in May was for $110 billion, with options running as high as $350 billion over 10 years.



Tuesday`s Senate vote, which would block about $500 million of that sale, including precision-guided munitions and other offensive weapons, coincides with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other officials in Washington.
Florida: Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli -- accused by his country of corruption and spying on political opponents -- was arrested at his residence near Miami late on Monday, local media reported.

Martinelli, detained at his home in Coral Gables south of Miami, is being held in federal prison and faces extradition to Panama, the Miami Herald quoted the US Marshals Service as saying.

Martinelli will appear in federal court Tuesday morning, the newspaper said.

Panama`s Supreme Court ordered his arrest in 2015 over accusations that he used public funds to illegally spy on telephone calls and emails of more than 150 prominent opponents.

Martinelli denies the accusations, saying they are politically motivated. A supermarket tycoon, he governed from 2009 to 2014.

Panama made a request for his extradition last year.

The international police agency Interpol issued a "red notice" on the government`s request last month.

Panamanian authorities have opened some 200 investigations into Martinelli`s administration, according to Transparency International.

Allegations include accusations that he helped embezzle USD 45 million from a government school-lunch program, as well as other cases of extortion, bribe-taking, misappropriation of public funds and abuse of power.

Martinelli has lived in Miami since January 2015 after leaving Panama days before the Supreme Court launched a corruption investigation against him.
Seoul: President Donald Trump will host his new South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In at the White House late this month for talks on containing North Korea's nuclear programme, described by Washington as a "clear and present danger."

"President Trump and President Moon will discuss ways to further strengthen the ironclad US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance" during the June 29-30 talks, a White House statement said on Tuesday.

The leaders will seek to "advance cooperation on economic and global issues" and "will also coordinate on North Korea- related issues, including countering the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats," it added.

The center-left Korean leader, who was sworn in last month after a landslide election win, favors engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, rather than the hardline stance taken by the conservative government of his ousted predecessor Park Geun-Hye.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis warned US lawmakers Monday that North Korea poses the most urgent threat to international peace and security.

In written testimony, Mattis said North Korea is increasing the pace and scope of a nuclear weapons program that leader Kim Jong-Un has stated will one day be capable of striking the United States.

"The most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security is North Korea," Mattis said.
Washington DC: The United States has announced sanctions on two Islamic State (IS) chemical weapons experts, in the first such effort to specifically target the terrorist group`s chemical weapons leadership.

The new sanctions, which would bar access to any property or interests under the US jurisdiction, target Attallah Salman `Abd Kafi al-Jaburi and Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi, two ISIS leaders involved in the development of chemical weapons, according to a State and Treasury Department`s statement on Monday.

Al-Jaburi was a senior ISIS leader, who oversaw some of the terror group`s improvised explosive device factories while also being involved in the development of chemical weapons in Iraq, according to the statement.

A member of the al-Qaeda since 2003, al-Jaburi received chemical weapons training in Syria before returning to Iraq in 2015, the statement said.

It added that al-Azawi is involved in the ISIS` development of chemical weapons for use in the ongoing combat against the Iraqi security forces.

"Today`s actions mark the first designations targetting individuals involved in the ISIS` chemical weapons development. Defeating the ISIS is a top priority of this administration, and today`s action highlights why this group must be defeated," the statement quoted Treasury Department`s Office of Foreign Assets Control`s director, John E. Smith, as saying.

CNN reported that according to military officials, there have been more than 15 chemical weapons attacks since April 14 in or around West Mosul, a stronghold of the ISIS in Iraq.

Military officials have downplayed the effectiveness of ISIS` chemical weapons, saying they have less battlefield effect than conventional explosives.
Washington: The US Senate has approved new economic sanctions on Russia and placed restrictions on President Donald Trump`s ability to lift them without being assessed by the Congress.

The deal, sealed on Monday night, imposes new sanctions on those carrying out "malicious cyber activities" on behalf of Moscow, those supplying arms to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or people linked to Russian intelligence and defence, reports Efe news.

The measure also gives Congress 30 days to review or potentially block Trump in case he decides to lift or ease the sanctions.

Moreover, the deal also complicates the lifting of sanctions already imposed on Russia by the administration of former President Barack Obama, and allows the present administration to extend them to sectors of the Russian economy.

The senators presented the deal as a separate Iran sanctions bill, under debate by the Legislature.

Both proposals could be voted this week, a significant shift from last month, when the Republican leaders seemed reluctant to move forward on sanctions against Moscow.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the deal and urged the House of Representatives to pass it as soon as possible.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring Congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilising actions," Schumer said.

"These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia," he added.

The Senate deal comes amid a crisis afflicting the Trump administration aver a possible attempt to obstruct justice in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
New Delhi: Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan enjoys a massive fan following which includes people of all age groups, especially children, all thanks to his on-screen stints as a superhero. The 43-year old actor is now most likely to take the silver screen by storm with 'Krrish 4' pretty soon.

Even since the reports of 'Krrish 3' sequel went viral on the social media, it was being said that an A-lister will be roped in this time as a superheroine. Recently, Duggu opened up about the same and gave us a fair idea about the possibilities.

I have liked the idea that my dad told me about. So lets see, a DNA report quoted Hrithik as saying.

He will next be seen on the big screen in a cameo appearance in Vikram Phadnis' Marathi film 'Hrudayantar'.
Sulabh International founder and chief has announced to name one Indian village after US President Donald Trump. The village is being developed in Rajasthan's Mewat region.

US President Donald Trump dances with a sword as he arrives to a welcome ceremony by Saudi Arabia's King Salman at Al Murabba Palace in Saudi Arabia. (Photo :REUTERS)

By Press Trust of India: A top Indian sociologist and social worker has announced to name one Indian village after US President Donald Trump, as part of his efforts to strengthen India-US relationship.

"I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village," Sulabh International founder and chief, Bindeshwar Pathak, announced at a community event organized in the suburbs of Washington DC.

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The village is being developed in Mewat region of Rajasthan and is a part of Pathak's effort to enhance India-US relationship.

Giving a presentation to local community and political leaders, Pathak said he is working to provide affordable sanitation and toilets to the masses and end the practice of manual scavenging.

Also read: Donald Trump's White House date with Narendra Modi fixed for June 26

In his address, he urged the Indian-American community to help realize the goal of sanitation and cleanliness in India.

The cost of one toilet ranges from USD 25 to USD 500, depending on nature of construction. Technology remains the same, he said.

Republican leader from Virginia, Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia Governor, highlighted the role of Indian-American community in the US, adding "the US has a very strong relationship with India."

Also read: Melania Trump finally moves in with husband Donald Trump at White House

He and other local politicians also explored the option of adopting the technology of Sulabh international in Virginia and Maryland.

"Rural areas of Virginia have a problem in building toilets and its maintenance cost is very high. Several officials from both Virginia and Maryland have expressed their interest in adopting it locally so as to bring the cost down," said Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia.

Also read: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain welcome Donald Trump's scolding of Qatar

Welcome to Donald Trump Village where 120 toilets are being made in name of Trump

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has a huge Twitter family of over 25 million followers. King Khan believes in keeping his handle quite active by often posting interesting stuff.

Recently, Shah Rukh started off a chat session with #AskSRK on Twitter and gave some witty replies to his fans. Twitterati asked him various questions such as who is his favourite Hollywood actor besides Tom Cruise, to which he replied by sayin Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep https://t.co/enwhq0UPKE  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 13, 2017

Then came the most interesting stuff, one of the Twitter users asked SRK out for a movie and it happened to be Salman Khan's 'Tubelight'. The superstar gave an epic reply saying,  Nahi uss din main Salman ke saath hoon.

Nahi uss din main Salman ke saath hoon: https://t.co/KgSbA2cpwn  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 13, 2017

Hmm...looks like SRK and Salman will be watching 'Tubelight' together. Interestingly, King Khan also has a special cameo in the film which is releasing on June 23, 2017.
Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has provisionally attached around 50 kg of gold ingots/bars worth over Rs 13,96,88,246 crore of businessman J Sekhar Reddy and his associates in connection with new-for-old currency notes scam.



The action has been taken under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the ED said.



In a statement issued here, the ED said following demonetisation, the Income Tax Department searched various places belonging to Reddy, Managing Partner of SRS Mining, and seized about Rs 97 crore in old currency notes, Rs 34 crore in new currency notes and 177 kg of gold bars.



Following that, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against Reddy and his associates for converting demonetised currencies into new currency notes in a fraudulent manner, the ED said, adding it had also initiated investigations under PMLA against Reddy and others.



According to the ED statement, Rs 10 crore in old currency, Rs 34 crore in new currency, 6.5 kg of gold bullion, and 30 kg of gold seized in its raids has already been attached provisionally.



During the searches, 49.480 kg of gold bars valued at Rs 13,96,88,246 were recovered and seized by the Income Tax offficials from a flat belonging to SRS Mining.



Reddy has stated that cash seized by the Income Tax department belongs to his SRS mining Company and admitted that it was unaccounted money.



"However, he has not divulged the actual source of new currencies other than stating that it is from the sand mining business," the ED said.



According to ED, Reddy and his associates converted a part of such unaccounted monies into gold bars through M. Premkumar, who used to receive money from K.Srinivasulu, an associate of Reddy, for their purchase.



Between November 20 to December 7, 2016, Premkumar purchased about 80 kg gold, using cash provided by various persons on behalf of Srinivasulu.



The purchases were made without bills or vouchers.



According to ED, Srinivasulu has stated that he used to receive money from SRS Mining and used to use a part of the same for converting into gold bars through Premakumar as per the instructions of Reddy.



The ED said the two partners of SRS Mining - Ramachandran and Rethinam - had stated that they used to transport huge amounts of cash by road without any accompanying accounts and neither maintained any accounts against collections, expenses, etc. so as to conceal the illegal earnings from accounted income but had never sought to buy gold bars.



"However they stated that they never instructed to purchase gold bars and this may be on the instructions of Sekhar Reddy only," the ED said.



With the attachment of these gold bars, the total attachments in the case has gone up to about Rs 68.5 crore.
New Delhi: For the first time, the NDA government is planning to conduct a study for assessing the impact of corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by various public sector firms.

The study, to be carried out by the Department of Public Enterprises, will cover 134 central public sector enterprises including BHEL, BPCL, Coal India, ONGC and NTPC, among others.

It will identify the lack of initiative and implementation gaps by CPSEs in the projects and the reasons for such acts, besides tracking the status of unspent CSR funds in a year.

Based on the study's findings, a report will be prepared by the Department of Public Enterprises that will recommend measures to be taken by defaulting CPSEs for bridging the gaps.

"Under the present government, such a study is being carried out for the first time," Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises Seema Bahuguna told PTI.

The report will assess the CSR practices being followed by few leading private sector companies in India and some leading overseas companies and conclude whether they can be emulated by state-run firms in India.

"We are carrying out the study to assess the on-ground impact of CSR activities being undertaken by CPSEs and whether the funds earmarked by them for the purpose are being utilised in the right direction or not," a senior official said.

Besides, the study will assess development of areas around CPSE projects, units, factories and other parts of the country, including the North East.

It will also document the best CSR projects which are sustainable in the long run.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in a particular fiscal.

In case of non-spending, the company concerned has to clarify for the same to the ministry.

The norms came into effect from April 1, 2014.
New Delhi: The government will soon clear the US retail giant Amazon's proposed USD 500 million investment in retail of food products in India, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

"There was some delay due to abolition of FIPB. It (Amazon's proposal) will soon be cleared," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

With the abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), the Amazon's proposal will now be vetted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Commerce Ministry.

Badal said that more investment in food processing sector is the need of the hour to reduce the huge wastage during post harvesting and transportation.

Despite India being the world's largest producer of vegetables and fruits, the processing level is very low at 10 per cent, she said, adding that foreign investment will bring new technologies, products, processes and markets.

The government had received investment proposals from three companies - Amazon, Grofers and Big Basket - worth USD 695 million for retail of food products.

While US-based retail giant Amazon is one of the major e-commerce players in India, Grofers and Big Basket are into online grocery space. Amazon has proposed to invest around USD 500 million in retail of food products.

The government last year allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) through approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured and produced in India.

In 2016-17 (April-December), the food processing sector in the country received FDI of USD 663.23 million.

The Union Cabinet last month decided to wind up the 25- year-old FIPB, which had been vetting FDI proposals requiring government approval, to expedite the clearance process.

Under the new mechanism, the proposals will be approved by the ministries concerned as per the standard operating procedure approved by the Union Cabinet.
Delhi: Vijay Mallya, the embattled tycoon who is wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks, was granted bail by a UK court until December 4 on Tuesday. The court has set the next hearing on July 6, 2018.

The 61-year-old former chief of erstwhile Kingfisher airlines appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court here today for his extradition case hearing. Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot granted bail to Mallya.

Earlier today, the hearing on the issue of embattled Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya's extradition from the UK was scheduled at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The beleaguered liquor baron while talking to the reporters, before entering the court premises, denied the allegations that he eluded the court. He also claimed that he holds enough evidence to prove his innocence and media can keep dreaming about billion pounds.

Also Read: Vijay Mallya's extradition hearing to begin shortly in UK court; absconder liquor baron says he is not guilty

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agued on behalf of the Indian authorities when the fugitive businessman's extradition case comes up for hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

The hearing was earlier scheduled for May 17.

"I have not alluded any court...I have enough evidence to prove my case," Mallya told reporters outside the court.

Also Read: Necessary steps taken to bring back Vijay Mallya: V K Singh

Chief Magistrate Emma Louise Arbuthnot presided over what is referred to as a "case management hearing".

Mallya's defence team was led by the firm Joseph Hague Aaronson LLP. They have instructed barrister Clare Montgomery, a specialist in criminal, regulatory and fraud law,to argue in court on their behalf.

The CPS have instructed Mark Summers to act as barrister for the CPS Extradition Unit and the Government of India.

Summers is a leading expert in extradition and international law matters.

"There might be a few more hearings in this case in the coming months to deal with case management or any issues that arise, before the final hearing takes place, at which the full arguments from both sides in this case will be heard by the Judge, explained Jasvinder Nakhwal, partner at Peters and Peters Solicitors LLP and member of the UK's Extradition Lawyers Association.

Also Read: Vijay Mallya could face further charges, UK court told

The CPS had met a joint team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in London last month to thrash out details of the case.

"Our aim is to build a strong, infallible case and these meetings will help resolve issues across the table. The CPS will be arguing based on documents provided by CBI and ED, therefore a joint team is here to address queries they may have," official sources had said after the meeting held in early May.

With PTI Inputs
New Delhi: A month after taking on the JNU Vice Chancellor with a rap that went viral, varsity student Rahul Rajkhowa is back with another angry number.

This time, the subjects of his ire are rape jokes and fake nationalism.

Angered by Internet trolls and "some 50-year-olds" who called him a "rape artist" after his first video came out, Rajkhowa, in his song, says it is "abysmal" that one can crack and laugh at rape jokes in this day and age.

In the 3 minute 12 second number, he lists out the recent cases of horrific gang-rapes in Gurgaon, Rohtak and Meerut.

He also takes a dig at the "intolerant right-wing", bringing up the rape threats allegedly made online to Kargil martyr's daughter Gurmerhar Kaur.

On the imposition of nationalism, he says, "Just because you keep the Indian flag as your facebook and twitter display picture, does not show any real love for the country. Instead do something for the poor and the hungry."
New Delhi: In a massive breach of Parliament's security, the authorities on Tuesday recovered a fake Rajya Sabha ID card from a close aide of controversial AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran.

According to the Times Now, the fake ID card was recovered from a close aide of Dinakaran, who is under scanner in a connection with a bribery case relating to AIADMK's now frozen two leaves symbol.

The identity of the man has not been revealed and the authorities are trying to ascertain how he obtained the ID cards for entering the highly secured Rajya Sabha.

According to Delhi Police, the man has been charged under various sections of the IPC including Section 467 (forgery).

Dinakaran, Tamil Nadu's ruling party AIADMKs controversial deputy general secretary and Sasikalas nephew, is accused of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials in a bid to win a bitter battle with the rival AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam over party's frozen election symbol.

Dinakaran faces charges of using illegal means to obtain a favourable verdict from the poll panel so that the now frozen "two leaves" party symbol could be restored to Sasikala's faction of the AIADMK.

He was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for having tried to pay Rs 50 crore in bribes to the poll officials through middleman Chandrashekar to ensure the "two leaves" poll symbol was allotted to the AIADMK faction led by Sasikala.

Dinakaran was lodged in Delhis Tihar Jail and recently released on bail.
Jerusalem: Letters from Albert Einstein giving colleagues his thoughts on physics, God and Israel in the 1950s go under the hammer at a Jerusalem auction house on June 20.

The website of Winners auction house describes five signed letters written in English between 1951 and 1954.

The site gave current estimates of their combined value as between USD 31,000 and USD 46,000.

In a 1951 letter to eminent physicist David Bohm, Einstein discusses Bohm's linkage between quantum theory and "relativistic field theory".

"I must confess that I am not able to guess how such unification could be achieved," Einstein writes.

The typed letter includes an equation added in neat handwriting and the writer's signature.

Bohm, born in the United States to Jewish immigrant parents, had worked with Einstein at Princeton University before fleeing to Brazil after losing his post in Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts.

In a 1954 letter to Bohm, who was living in Sao Paulo, Einstein empathises with his friend's struggles in his complex theoretical work.

"If God has created the world his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us. I feel it strongly since fifty years," he writes.

Winners said the letters came from the estate of Bohm's late widow.

Another 1954 letter refers to the possibility of Bohm moving to Israel, which had been founded in 1948.

Einstein, who had turned down an offer to be the fledgling country's president, believed the time was not ripe for such a move.

"Israel is intellectually alive and interesting but has very narrow possibilities and to go there with the intention to leave on the first occasion would be regretable," he wrote.

Bohm did, in fact, take up a visiting professorship at Israel's renowned Technion technological institute in 1955.

"Two years later, he moved to England where he worked in the Universities of London and Bristol," Winners' online catalogue said.

Einstein had earlier served as a non-resident governor of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, and when he died in 1955, he left it his archives -- making it the world's most extensive collection of his documents.
Frankfurt: The European Union's door remains open if Britain changes its decision to leave the 28- member bloc, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said today, while acknowledging such a move is unlikely.



"If they wanted to change their decision, of course they would find open doors, but I think it's not very likely," Schaeuble told Bloomberg Television in his first public comments on last week's election in Britain which saw Prime Minister Theresa May lose her parliamentary majority.



He noted a pro-European surge in France for President Emmanuel Macron and a youth vote in Britain that swung sharply to the left-wing Labour Party, in favour of closer post-Brexit ties, as proof of greater EU support among the young.



Nevertheless, "Brexit is a decision we have to accept by the British voters," he said.



"It would not be helpful if we started speculation. We take it as a matter of fact, it's a matter of respect."



The British government has been in disarray since a snap election last Thursday, called by May in an effort to boost her majority but which resulted in a hung parliament.



May is scrambling to strike a deal for the support of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) 10 lawmakers, but the clock is ticking on the two-year EU exit talks period she triggered in late March.



"My preoccupation is that time is passing -- it's passing quicker than anyone believes... That's why we're ready to start very quickly. I can't negotiate with myself," Michel Barnier, the EU's Brexit negotiator, told European newspapers including The Financial Times.



"Let's start the negotiation," Schaeuble told Bloomberg today.



"We will minimise the potential damage and maximise the mutual benefit. At the end we will always come to reasonable decisions."
London: A 21-year-old British man, who travelled to the Islamic State-controlled area of Syria in 2014, says that he has escaped from the clutches of the dreaded terror group and he now "hate them more than the Americans."

Jack Letts from Oxford, dubbed "Jihadi Jack", is suspected of going to Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State.

But he claims he is opposed to IS and has left their territory and is now being held by Kurdish forces fighting the group.

Letts spoke to the BBC via text and voice messages.

Speaking about leaving IS territory, Letts said: "I found a smuggler and walked behind him through minefields."

He said he and the smuggler "eventually made it near a Kurdish point where we were shot at twice and slept in a field".

He said he is now in solitary confinement in a jail in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Letts converted to Islam while at Cherwell comprehensive school in Oxford.

He travelled to Jordan, aged 18, in 2014, having dropped out of his A-levels. By the autumn of that year he was in IS- controlled territory in Syria.

His family deny he went there to fight and instead say he was motivated by humanitarian reasons.

He married in Iraq and now has a child.

He said that he had been injured in an explosion and had gone to Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in Syria, to recuperate.

He claimed he became disillusioned with the group about a year ago after it killed its former supporters.

"I hate them more than the Americans hate them," he said. "I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me."

He claimed he had escaped from low-security detention and had been in hiding when he managed to find a people smuggler to take him out.

His parents have pleaded not guilty to charges of funding terrorism after being accused of sending cash to their son.

John Letts and Sally Lane told the BBC that, having not heard from their son for several weeks, they suddenly received a message saying he was in a safe zone.

"It was the news we've been waiting for for three years - ever since he went out there - and now we just want to get him home," said Lane.

They believe their son is not being treated badly but are concerned about his mental health.

Letts' parents are calling on the British authorities to do "whatever they can" to help him.

The government had told them that they could only help if he left IS territory but now he is out "no-one wants to take responsibility", said Lane.

Letts, an organic farmer, acknowledges that his son "will have to account for his actions" once he returns to Britain, but the family is not convinced "he has done anything at all", from what he has told them.

The UK government advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq and a number of people who returned from these areas have been prosecuted.

Asked by the BBC why the UK government should help him, Jack said: "I don't want anyone to help me.

"I'll just chill here in solitary confinement till someone decides it's easier to kill me," he added.
Taiwan today slammed Panama after it established diplomatic relations with China and cut ties with Taipei, accusing Beijing of using "money diplomacy" to sway the island nation.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Taiwan today slammed Panama after it established diplomatic relations with China and cut ties with Taipei, accusing Beijing of using "money diplomacy" to sway the island nation.

Foreign Minister David Lee told the media that Taiwan expressed "anger and regret" over the Monday night move, and will sever diplomatic ties with Panama and terminate all cooperation projects, reports Efe news.

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Lee accused China of using "money diplomacy" to influence Panama in cutting ties with the island nation in favour of closer relations with Beijing, adding that the move amounted to an offence to the Taiwanese people.

He also accused Panama of cheating Taiwan by not telling Taipei about its intention to open ties with Beijing, calling it "very unfriendly".

The Presidential Office also held a news conference to denounce Panama and China.

Joseph Wu, secretary-general to the President, said the development would force the Taiwan government to re-assess cross-Strait ties.

"Taiwan is willing to help our allies in economic development, but we do not want to join in the race for money diplomacy," he said, hinting that China had paid huge sums of cash in an effort to distance Panama from Taiwan.

Panama's termination of bilateral relations with Taiwan means there are only 20 countries that recognise Taiwan.

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Miss your childhood sand castles? Head to this place in Taiwan

--- ENDS ---
Chisinau: Moldovan intelligence believes five Russian diplomats expelled from Moldova last month were spies who were recruiting fighters for the Moscow-backed insurgency in neighbouring Ukraine, a government source and two diplomatic sources told Reuters.



Moldova, a former Soviet state that has long been the focus of a struggle for influence between Russia and the West, expelled the diplomats on May 29. It did not explain the decision, with Prime Minister Pavel Filip saying only that his government had "good reasons".

According to the sources, who are familiar with the case, the five were ejected because of their alleged activities as undercover officers with the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU.



They said Moldovan officials believed the Russians were recruiting fighters from Gagauzia, an autonomous southern region home to an ethnic Turkish population that is pro-Russian and opposes closer integration with the European Union.



The Moldovan government source and Chisinau-based diplomatic sources all spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. They did not say how the Russians allegedly recruited the fighters, how many were recruited or the reason for their recruitment.



Reuters could not independently verify the allegations about the activities of the five Russians.



The Russian foreign ministry declined to comment. The Russian defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.



Asked by Reuters if the five Russians were GRU officers, a spokeswoman for the Moldovan foreign ministry said they were diplomats and declined to comment further.



More than 10,000 people have died in fighting in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels since the conflict began in 2014 following Moscow`s annexation of the Crimean peninsula. While Moscow politically backs the insurgents, it has repeatedly denied Western accusations that it is arming them and sending fighters to aid them.



Moldovan intelligence believes fighters recruited from Gagauzia were first sent to a paramilitary training camp in the Rostov region of southern Russia, according to the sources.



The sources did not identify the camp. Russia has used at least two military camps in Rostov to train volunteers for fighting in eastern Ukraine, according to evidence collected by Reuters and the Russian media.



A former member of a Russian army artillery unit told Reuters that he saw about 200 people in camouflage fatigues, not Russian military uniforms based in a camp near a Russian army position at the Kuzminsky firing range in Rostov in 2014, at the time of fierce battles in eastern Ukraine.



This was corroborated by a member of a unit of the Cossacks - a Russian paramilitary group - who told Reuters in early 2015 that volunteers to fight in Ukraine were training alongside the Russian army in that area.



According to Russian media outlet Gazeta.ru, fighters bound for eastern Ukraine were also training at the Kadamovsky firing range in Rostov.



The three sources said some information about Gagauzians fighting in eastern Ukraine was brought to the attention of Moldovan authorities by Ukraine`s state security service, the SBU, which gathers intelligence on people fighting with the separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.



With information from the SBU, the Moldovan authorities were able to track, arrest and interrogate Gagauzian fighters returning from the conflict, according to the sources. Some became informers, they added.



The SBU did not respond to a request for comment.



Relations between Moldova and Russia have been bumpy under a succession of pro-Western governments. Russia halted imports of Moldovan produce in retaliation for Chisinau signing a trade and political deal with the European Union in 2014. Moldova and Russia have also feuded over the treatment of Moldovan officials travelling to Russia.



But Russia has forged direct ties to Gagauzia.



Irina Vlah, elected the head of Gagauzia in March 2015 on pledges of closer ties with Russia, visited the Kremlin in January this year and attended a reception hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.



"The people of Gagauzia view Russia with affection," Vlah said at the reception.
Bavaria: Several people were wounded when shots were fired at a commuter rail station near the southern Germany city of Munich on Tuesday and one person was detained, police said.

"Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded," Munich police tweeted.

Authorities reported that a handgun was fired during a police operation at an S-Bahn station in Unterfoehring, a northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city, and that the scene was now secured.
Panaji: A day-long workshop was held here for Goa Assembly MLAs to train them on legislative proceedings besides maintaining discipline and decorum on the floor of the House.

"Delhi-based private agency PRS legislators research held an orientation for Goa MLAs yesterday on their conduct in the legislative assembly. They were also trained about the proceedings in the House," a state government spokesman told PTI today.

Out of total 40 legislators in the Goa Assembly, 27 participated in the day-long session yesterday which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"The program was held in the run up for the upcoming monsoon assembly session which would be held sometime next month," the spokesman said.

The private agency interacted with MLAs on matters related to the State Legislature, Parliament and how to table or raise questions, bills and motions.

The workshop, held in two sessions, highlighted the importance of legislator's activism to bring to fore issues pertaining to the people through right mechanism like calling attention, zero hour mention or seeking for special debate.

The second session was a training programme to MLAs on E-assembly, a concept which was introduced by the Goa in 2014.

Goa became the first Assembly to go paperless in the country during the tenure of Speaker Rajendra Arlekar. The state government is said to have saved Rs 10 crore since then, which would have been spent on papers.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Tuesday notified rules for the new stringent prohibition law with provision of up to ten years jail for manufacturing, purchase, sale and transportation of liquor in the dry state.

The Gujarat Prohibition (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed by the state Assembly in February this year and subsequently became an Act in March after the state Governor OP Kohli gave his assent.

As per the rules issued today for the Act, the state government would constitute a monitoring cell to enforce the liquor ban in the state, a government release said.

Now, citizens can directly inform the state government about any liquor-related illegal activity by dialling the toll-free number- 14405. People can also inform the state monitoring cell on its mobile number- 9978934444, the release said adding that the identity of the caller would not be revealed.

For the effective implementation of the Act, the government will use social media to spread awareness. People can also share details with the monitoring cell on its Facebook page 'SMC Gujarat', the release said.

The Act provides for stringent action against bootleggers, tipplers as well as officials who help culprits to escape during raids on liquor dens.

As per the Act, those found guilty of manufacturing, purchasing, selling or transporting liquor would face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs 5 lakhs. In the previous Act, punishment for this illegal activity was just 3 years, said the release.

Similarly, liquor den operators as well as those helping them would face imprisonment of up to 10 years.

The Act says that people who create ruckus or harass others in an inebriated condition, will face a jail-term of up to three years, not less than one year.

Police officials found guilty of helping bootleggers in escaping during the raids would attract a punishment of seven years in jail and Rs 1 lakh in fine.
Ahmedabad: The authorities in Gujarat detained a man who threw bangles at Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani while she was addressing a function at Amreli town in Gujarat on Monday.

The incident happened in the evening when the Union Textile Minister was addressing a gathering as part of the celebrations of the completion of three years of the Narendra Modi government.

"As the minister was addressing the crowd, Ketan Kaswala, who was sitting far from the dais, suddenly got up and threw two or three bangles towards the stage and shouted 'Vande Mataram'. Due to the distance, the bangles did not reach the stage and the policemen quickly took him away," Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel said.

The man, in his mid-20s, was identified as Ketan Kaswala, a resident of Mota Bhandaria village in Amreli district, the police said.

While the local Congress leaders claimed that Kaswala, by throwing the bangles, had actually raised the demand for a complete farm loan waiver in the state, the police denied it.

"Kaswala is not associated with the Congress or any other organisation. While throwing the bangles, he had shouted 'Vande Mataram' and no other slogan," Patel said.

He added that when the policemen were taking him away, Irani urged them to let Kaswala take part in the event.

"The minister even told the policemen to let him throw the bangles which she would send them to his wife as a gift," said Patel.

Now that elections are approaching fast, I was expecting such drama, Irani said.

Ahead of the function, which was held at the Agriculture University hall, the police had briefly detained around 25 Congress workers for staging protests against the ruling BJP outside the venue.

Local Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani claimed that Kaswala was a farmer who raised the demand for a complete farm loan waiver in Gujarat by throwing the bangles at Irani.

This is the second such incident in the recent past in which a Union minister was targeted in Modi's home state.

On May 28, a member of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti had hurled a shoe at Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Bhavnagar district, alleging that the BJP government was not doing anything for the educated youth of the country.

(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: Nearly 30,000 paramilitary personnel besides the local police will be deployed to ensure proper security for the Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir beginning June 29.



The security personnel will be deployed along the two routes during the pilgrimage to the high-altitude shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.



"Proper security arrangements will be put in place for the Amarnath yatra," a home ministry official said.



Nearly 30,000 paramilitary personnel will be deployed besides the local police, the official said.



The pilgrimage will begin on June 29 and conclude on August 7. The shrine is located in the Himalayas at an altitude of 12,756 feet and a distance of about 141 km from Srinagar.



The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which conducts the annual pilgrimage to the shrine, has issued advisories for the pilgrimage which involves a trek at an altitude of 14,000 feet.



People who wish to trek to the shrine must furnish medical certificates, it said, adding those below 13 or above 75 years of age will not be allowed to join the pilgrimage.



Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi are likely to to pay obeisance at the shrine on the first day of the pilgrimage.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday took a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who announced on Twitter that he would be taking a break from politics to visit his grandmother abroad.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," said Gandhi announced earlier today. He, however, did not mention how many days he will be out and where he was headed to.

Taking a jab at the Congress leader, BJP's Vijayvargiya told news agency ANI said that when he was a child, he also used to visit his grandmother's place during summer vacations. He later tweeted:

Rahul`s grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy.

Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them!  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) June 13, 2017

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala defending Gandhi, said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture."



"Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers` agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights," he added.

Rahul Gandhi had in March visited the US, where his mother Sonia Gandhi had had gone for a health check-up.

Earlier, during the New Year Celebrations, Gandhi had gone to London for a short break.

His latest foreign visit comes in the midst of hectic politics over the coming Presidential Election and other developments like the farm crisis.

(Wth Agency inputs)
Mumbai: It was an emotional moment for Nilakshi Elizabeth Jorendal, the India-born Swedish national, as she met her ailing biological mother in Yavatmal.



Nilakshi (44), who was adopted by a Swedish couple when she was three-year-old, had managed to trace her biological mother through Anjali Pawar of Pune-based NGO - Against Child Trafficking.



"It was an emotional reunion on Saturday at the government hospital in Yavatmal. The mother-daughter duo broke into tears," Pawar told PTI.



"Nilakshi, who was on a mission to trace her biological parents, had met her mother briefly earlier but this was a more elaborate, public reunion," she said.



Nilakshi biological father, a farm labourer, had committed suicide in 1973, the year she was born at Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission's shelter-and-adoption home in Kedgaon near Pune.



Nilakshi's mother had left her there and later remarried and has a son and daughter from the second marriage. They too were present at the hospital on Saturday, Pawar said.



The centre gave Nilakshi in adoption to a Swedish couple in 1976.



"Nilakshi had been visiting India since 1990 to trace her biological mother. She visited India six times for this," Pawar said.



Both the mother and daughter suffer from thalassemia, she said, adding, "During the meeting on Saturday, she assured her biological mother's kin of all help in her treatment."
New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the US later this month, a new book promises to unravel the "method" behind the apparent "madness" of President Donald Trump.

"Indian Foreign Trade: Trumped up or Down" by veteran bureaucrat Amiya Chandra hopes to demystify the man and his business minded approach to the job of governing arguably the most powerful country in the world.

"To predict Donald Trump actions you need to get into his psychology," said Chandra, joint director general of foreign trade, whose book was launched recently with President Pranab Mukherjee getting the first copy.

As he sees it, Trump is putting his theory of "keep the balls in the air" to use.

"According to him, politics is deal making, and that is why he says the principles he applies as a realtor he will apply to politics also.

"He has this theory of being flexible. He says that every time he has over 100 balls in the air? he will catch at least one and if a few of them fall into his lap that's a bonus. So he says keep the ball in the air. And that's when he says he tries to rattle a nation by 30 options or 30 statements," Chandra said during the recent launch of the book at Nehru Memorial Library.

Chandra, who has a doctorate from the School of International Studies, JNU, and has worked in several ministries, said everybody believes Trump is a bully and a person you cannot talk to.

"But if you see him closely there is a method to his madness, and in this book I have tried to see that very method."

Is the apostle of free trade turning protectionist, desperate for jobs to come back to America? Will America's foreign trade policy create ripples in International trade too? Is it time for India to hear the warning bells?

As the questions circle the air, particularly as Modi heads to the US June 25 for his crucial meeting with Trump, Chandra said patience is the key.

"My conclusion is that Donald Trump's basic strategy is to muddle the waters, then allow them to settle down.

"You have to be patient in dealing with him, you have to be personal in dealing with him and you have to be clever in dealing with him...Where he must get this feeling that America is going to gain out of this deal as well... It should be a win-win game for both the countries."

The business magnate and now president has co-authored a book called ?The Art of the Deal?, said Chandra.

"His book that he says is 'next to Bible to him' allowed me to decode his psychology. And he is doing exactly what he said in his book."

Chandra said "Indian Foreign Trade: Trumped up or Down?, published by the Pentagon Press, is "extremely topical" as it suggests what India should do to handle the phenomenon called Donald Trump.

"I have recommended things by keeping his psychology in mind... Now two deal-makers of two biggest democracies will soon be meeting each other. Let us see what pans out."
Mumbai: Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday stated that the State Government on Tuesday decided to give Rs.10, 000 to farmers owning less than five acres of agricultural land for purchase of seeds.



Former Rajasthan chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot earlier in the day accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to live up to the promises he made to the people of the nation.



His statement comes when farmers from across the country have been protesting and demanding loan waivers.



Bouyed by the spontaneous farmers strike, that started from Maharashtra and spread to Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, farmers across the country are trying to unite to address various farmer issues, with remunerative prices being the key demand.Meanwhile, Gujarat`s Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel was detained in Madhya Pradesh`s Neemuch district while en route to Mandsaur to meet the kin of farmers` killed in police firing during an agitation.



Hardik led a violent movement in Gujarat last year over a demand for quotas for Patidars.



Mandsaur has become the epicenter of a farmers` agitation over a demand for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.



During the agitation, six farmers were gunned down by the police, thereby drawing criticism from political parties.



The situation forced the district officials to impose Section 144, and restricted prominent personalities from visiting the violence-hit district.



A number of political leaders, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, and social activists tried to visit Mandsaur but the police didn`t let them enter the area.



The curfew has been lifted from Mandsaur, but prohibitory orders remain.Meanwhile, the state government has issued a notification for the judicial probe of the Mandsaur violence.
Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack on CRPF camp.

By Shuja-ul-Haq , Ashraf Wani: In a spate of militant attacks in the Kashmir Valley, terrorists carried out at least eight attacks after which a red alert was sounded by the security forces.

Two grenade attacks were reported from Pulwama district - on a police station and a CRPF camp. Militant attacks were also reported from Anchidora, Sarnal, Padgampora, Sopore, Pahalgam and Gopalpora.

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Intelligence inputs had suggested that after Iftaar there would be multiple attacks. Sources said Jammu and Kashmir Police had warned of attacks to CRPF and Army.

"We had inputs about possibility of such an attack today in Ramzan and that is why we had alerted our installations," said Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid.

In the last couple of weeks, the attempts of infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) have gone up. Last week, the Army claimed to have killed 14 infiltrators in north Kashmir and said that the situation was crucial.

Ten Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were injured when militants hurled a hand grenade at their camp in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district, sources said.

The grenade attack incident took place at Laryar area of the south Kashmir town in Pulwama district.

The injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment and the area has been cordoned off to search the attackers, they said.

Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack on CRPF camp.

Terrorists fired upon Army camp of 22 Rashtriya Rifles at Pazalpora in north Kashmir and fled after retaliation by the Army. No injuries were reported in the attack.

A grenade attack was reported on a police station also in Pulwama. In Pahalgam's Sarnal, terrorists lobbed a grenade at a CRPF camp. Grenade attacks were also reported from Awantipora.

In yet another incident, the house of a retired High Court judge in Anantnag was attacked. Weapons of two Jammu and Kashmir police personnel outside retired Judge Md Athar was snatched in Anantnag district's Anchidora. Both policemen are injured.

Also read:

Major terror attacks on Indian Army, CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir: A timeline

Kupwara: 3 soldiers martyred, 2 terrorists killed in fidayeen attack on Army camp near LoC

Also watch:

Kashmir on high alert after militants carry out multiple back-to-back strikes

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: The HRD Ministry will soon call a meeting of officials from CBSE and 32 other boards to discuss the way forward on scrapping of the moderation policy.

Moderation policy refers to a practice in which students get extra marks in subjects regarded 'unusually difficult', or if there have been differences in the sets of question papers.

CBSE and 32 other boards had developed a consensus on scrapping of the moderation policy in a meeting on April 24. However, the Delhi High Court had asked CBSE to not scrap the policy, saying it is not advisable to implement the change mid-way.

CBSE was earlier believed to have been considering challenging the high court order but was advised against it by legal counsel that moving the Supreme Court may be counter- productive and could also delay results.

"The court had directed that the decision should not be implemented in middle of an academic session so to implement it from next academic session a decision has to be taken and the modalities need to be finalised before November when registration for the board exams takes place," a senior official said.

"Boards have been asked to disclose their moderation policies and the HRD Ministry will convene a meeting of CBSE and other boards to discuss the way forward," the official added.

The Centre has also set up a panel to ensure uniform marking for students giving the Class XII exam in 2018 by asking schools boards across India to stop "inflating marks" under the "often abused practice" of moderation leading to unusually high scores.

The panel -- Inter Board Working Group (IWBG) headed by CBSE chairperson Rakesh Chaturvedi with members from Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Manipur and ICSE boards -- will address issues arising from the decisions taken in the April 24 meeting.

HRD minister Prakash Javadekar had recently said that the states had mutually agreed on the scrapping and the ministry will not interfere in its implementation.
Neemuch: Gujarat`s Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, who was detained by the police when he was heading to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh to meet family members of those killed in the police firing during a farmers` agitation, has been released.



Talking to the media after his release, he said his work is to serve people and he is doing the same.



"The farmers should get the appropriate value of their crops. My duty is to work for the society and I am doing that. To maintain law and order in the state is Shivraj Singh Chouhan`s work, and, if he is not able to do that, then he should leave the government. He should have faith in his police force. Make good arrangements and make people meet," he added.



Patel was detained in Madhya Pradesh`s Neemuch district while en route to Mandsaur to meet the kin of farmers` killed in police firing during an agitation.



Hardik led a violent movement in Gujarat last year over a demand for quotas for Patidars.



Mandsaur has become the epicenter of a farmers` agitation over a demand for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.



During the agitation, six farmers were gunned down by the police, thereby drawing criticism from political parties.



The situation forced the district officials to impose Section 144, and restricted prominent personalities from visiting the violence-hit district.



A number of political leaders, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, and social activists tried to visit Mandsaur, but the police didn`t let them enter the area.



The curfew has been lifted from Mandsaur, but prohibitory orders remain.Meanwhile, the state government has issued a notification for the judicial probe of the Mandsaur violence.



Retired Justice J.K. Jain will head the one member judicial commission.



The single member commission will probe under what circumstances the farmers were killed in the agitation.The commission will also probe the action taken by the administration and police to control the situation was appropriate or not.
New Delhi: An NDMC delegation, led by Mayor Preety Agarwal, today met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and sought release of the "amount pending" to the cash-strapped civic body under the Fourth Delhi State Finance Commission, besides discussing the issue of desilting.



"Since 2012-13, Rs 1,616 crore is due from the Delhi government, which needs to be released immediately as the corporation is facing a financial crunch," she said.



"Even funds which is due to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) as per the Third Delhi Finance Commission, have not been fully released," Agarwal claimed.



The other members of the delegation were deputy mayor Vijay Bhagat and coucillors Jayender Dabas, Jai Prakash and Tilak Raj Kataria.



The mayor also discussed the issue of desilting with the chief minister and plans for combating vector-borne diseases, like dengue, chikungunya and malaria as the monsoon is approaching.



She told the chief minister that the Delhi government should join hands with the NDMC in the interest of the citizens.



Agarwal said the drains whose maintenance is the responsibility of the Public Works Department and, Irrigation and Flood Control Department "need to be desilted".



She today inspected PWD drains at Britannia Chowk, Wazirpur Industrial area, Azadpur and Jahngirpuri areas.



In a press conference at the Civic Centre, the mayor alleged that the situation of the drains was the same as last year because desilting work has not begun.



"The PWD has still not completed desilting of its drains which may lead to waterlogging," she was quoted as saying in an NDMC release.



The delegation apprised Kejriwal about steps being taken to tackle vector-borne diseases.



Yesterday, an SDMC delegation led by Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat had called on Kejriwal and sought release of "amount pending" to it under the Third Delhi State Finance Commission, besides discussing desilting and vector-control issues.
Lucknow: Keen to shed what it calls a "colonial tradition", the prestigious IIT Kanpur has directed its students to don ethnic attire like kurtas, pyjamas and churidaars during their convocation ceremony, in place of the ceremonial black robes and head gear.



The convocation ceremony will be held on June 15 and 16 in which some 1,600 students of graduate and post graduate levels will receive their degrees from chairman of Tata Sons, Natarajan Chandrasekaran.



"For the first time, students will receive their degrees in the institute not in the British-time gowns and headgear but in kurta pyjamas (boys) and kurta-churidaars (girls) along with stoles in different colours to mark their specific courses," IIT-K Director, Professor Indranil Manna told PTI over the phone.



He added that the students will be required to wear Indian clothes during all future convocations.



Coinciding with the golden jubilee of the institute, the ceremony will also see professors donning golden coloured robes fully covering their suit.



They will also not be needed to wear black leather shoes and will be free to go in for Indian footwear in leather, Manna said.
New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to meet US President Donald Trump on June 26 at the White House.

PM Modi will on June 26 hold talks with President Trump on a range of issues, including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H1-B visa rules, in their first bilateral meeting after the new administration took over in the US.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed the scheduled Modi-Trump meet.

"The President looks forward to discussing ways to strengthen ties between the United States and India and to advance our common priorities: fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region," Spicer said in a statement.

The two leaders "will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," he added.

He said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership "in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people."

The External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi said on Monday that their meeting would provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement "on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership."

Modi's US visit would begin on June 25, it said.

Modi`s visit will come while Trump is under political stress because of alleged Russian interference in US elections last year and contacts by member of his inner circle with Kremlin-connected figures.

A special prosecutor is looking into the allegations and a Senate committee has been holding hearings.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her annual press meet last week, however, said Modi would also raise the issues surrounding the US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers.

Almost 1.8 million H-1B visas have been distributed in fiscal years 2001 through 2015, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. From fiscal years 2001 to 2015, workers from India received the largest share (50.5 per cent) of all H-1B visas for first-time employment.

Despite the recent hiccups over the issue, US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, according to the White House. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has already made it clear that his country recognises India as a major defence "partner partly out of respect" for New Delhi's "indispensable role" in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.

The US was exploring "new ways" to address new challenges as well from maritime security to the growing threat posed by the spread of terrorism in Southeast Asia, Mattis has said.

Regional security situation including Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and other international issues are expected to figure prominently during the meeting of the two leaders.

Modi's visit also comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries.

Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

"India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said.

Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations.

(With PTI/IANS inputs)
New Delhi: On the backing of its numerical strength and widening political footprint, the BJP on Tuesday gave enough indications that it would pitch for its own choice for presidential candidate, though it said it would try to evolve a consensus among all political parties, including the Opposition.



Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, speaking to reporters, appeared to indicate as much when he said, "It will be done in the true spirit of democracy going by the mandate of the people - and the mandate of people is for the government. I appeal to all to understand that spirit and try to cooperate. We will be discussing with them to try to find out what their suggestions are."



His comments came after BJP President Amit Shah held discussions with him and senior ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley, who comprise the three-member team set up by Shah to evolve consensus with other parties on a presidential candidate, a day ahead of the Election Commission issuing notification on the issue.



Party sources said the three-member team will evolve a consensus among NDA constituents so that the entire coalition could authorise Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a call on a candidate.



This will be followed by attempts to evolve a consensus with the opposition.



According to sources, a popular thinking is emerging among party members on why it should not have a candidate of its own choice because it has the numbers - unlike during the term of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when he headed a coalition.



A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the consensus candidate of the NDA and the opposition in 2002.



Naidu said: "We have today (Tuesday) begun the process by discussing within. We had a discussion with party President Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. We also talked to (Home Minister) Rajnathji, who is in Mizoram. In the coming days, we will be talking among ourselves and then to other political parties. We will meet them and discuss with them and will try our best to garner their support," Naidu said.



He said the government side will talk to all political parties and make all efforts to evolve a "broad consensus" on the candidate and sought the cooperation of the opposition parties in this regard.



Naidu was replying to a question whether the government would reach out to opposition parties to evolve a consensus on the presidential candidate.



"We have just started the process because we are the ruling party and we have the responsibility to take every one on board. So, we will make our efforts in the direction to evolve a broad consensus and then also try to seek support... that is what we are going to do," he said.



The term of President Pranab Mukherjee gets over on July 24 and the process of electing a new President gets under way from Wednesday with the issue of notification in this regard.



Though BJP veteran LK Advani's candidature appears to have fallen by the wayside, on Tuesday disgruntled party MP Shatrughan Singh tweeted extensively in his favour.



"I sincerely hope, wish and pray that good sense prevails on one and all and the Pitamah of BJP (Advani) is bestowed upon with the honour. He is clearly the most suitable, learned, respectable, experienced, desirable and deserving candidate for the most prestigious post," Sinha tweeted.


Gurugram: A 60-year-old quack was arrested by the district administration`s Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) team on charges of selling medicine to "guarantee" the birth of a male child, police said on Tuesday.



Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Hardeep Singh said a team, headed by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), raided a clinic in Kherki Daula village on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway.



The team, including Deputy CMO Saryu Sharma, Drug Control officer Amandeep Singh and Red Cross Secretary Shyam Sunder, sent a dummy customer to the clinic of Baldevraj Bhardwaj, who gave "guarantee" that a woman would give birth only to a male child after having his medicine.



The dummy customer purchased the medicine for Rs 2,000.



Sunder told IANS that Bhardwaj claimed he was a Registered Medical Practitioner practitioner but failed to show his certificate.



Sharma said that a few ultrasound centres might be involved in Bhardwaj`s gang.



An FIR was registered against the accused under Section 23 of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act and Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC at Kherki Daula police station.



The Deputy Commissioner said the PNDT team has conducted 22 successful such raids in the last two years and that 60 doctors and their agents besides others were arrested.
Thiruvananthapuram: Congress in Kerala today accused the LDF government of creating 'a smokescreen' of graft over the Vizhinjam seaport project awarded to the Adani group and dared it to scrap the project if indeed there was corruption.



The CPI-M led government was creating a 'smokescreen' of corruption only for 'political gains', Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President M M Hassan told reporters here after a Political Affairs Committee meeting of the KPCC.



The Rs 7,525 crore Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport project, taken up by the state government, has come under a cloud after some adverse findings by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).



In its report tabled in the state assembly recently, the CAG has observed that interests of Kerala were not protected in the agreement inked with Gujarat-based Adani Ports and SEZ Private Ltd for implementing the project.



The LDF government has already ordered a probe by a retired judge of the Kerala high court in the light of the CAG findings but made it clear that it would go ahead with the project irrespective of the controversies.



Raising questions over the stand, Hassan said: "While on the one hand the government has raised corruption allegations against the project, it was going ahead with it. This shows the government's double standards'" Hassan said.



He also claimed that the CAG report was "not based on facts" and added former chief minister Oommen Chandy, during whose term the project agreement was signed, had already written to the CAG against the findings.



The project should be scrapped if corruption was involved and a new project can be implemented. There were clauses in this regard in the agreement, Hassan pointed out. Vizhinjam was a dream project of the state which was implemented by the previous UDF government nearly 25 years after it was first mooted.



Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had recently made it clear that if there was any corruption it would be probed.



Inaugurating the construction work of the Port's berth, he, however, had said the probe would in no way affect the project work and it would be completed on a war footing.



Replying to a question, Hassan said Congress membership drive in the state had ended and the district units were in the process of preparing the initial list.
New York: General Electric has announced a leadership shakeup as it faces scrutiny after a corporate makeover executed by outgoing chief Jeff Immelt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis failed to ignite strong growth.

Immelt, 61, will step down as chief executive on August 1, handing the reins to GE Healthcare president John Flannery, a 30-year veteran of the company whose previous roles included country chief in .

During a conference call with analysts, Immelt said the transition was first discussed in 2013 and GE leadership had targeted summer 2017 to make the change.

But the announcement also comes after activist investor Nelson Peltz, one of the most influential voices on Wall Street, invested in GE, which has been hit hard by the plunge in oil prices. Peltz has pushed GE to deepen cost cuts to boost profits.

Questioned by analysts on the merits of GE's conglomerate model, Flannery, 55, pledged he would undertake "a comprehensive review of the portfolio," with an update in the fall.

But he said he had seen firsthand the benefits of GE's diverse structure while leading the health care division, during which he "borrowed" from the company's technology and global supply chain.

"I see the reality of this in a very tangible way all the time," Flannery said.

The GE transition comes three weeks after Ford abruptly changed chief executives. Others, including Honeywell International and Caterpillar, also have announced new leaders over the last year as traditional industrial companies seek new chiefs to help them adapt to an increasingly digital economy.

Immelt's 16-year tenure began shortly before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and was also roiled by the 2008 financial crisis.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, he oversaw a spate of large divestments from GE Capital to unload what was effectively the fifth biggest US bank.

Immelt, who succeeded the legendary Jack Welch, also led GE through the 2015 purchase of the power assets of French industrial giant Alstom, and a proposed merger with oil services company Baker Hughes engineered to better manage the effects of a two-year slide in oil prices that has dented GE's oil services earnings.

Yesterday, US antitrust officials ordered GE to divest a unit that sells chemicals to oil refineries as a condition of winning regulatory approval.

Immelt also has taken steps to beef up GE's technology businesses, including by investing in the 3D printing, which is seen as a growth area.

Despite these efforts, analysts have a mixed views of Immelt's tenure.

"We continue to believe that any new leader here needs a material reset," said JPMorgan Chase analyst C. Stephen Tusa, Jr.
New Delhi: National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman Gairul Hasan Rizvi on Tuesday favoured according the minority community status to Kashmiri Pandits and said he would take up the matter with the Centre.

Rizvi said that it would enable governments to extend various benefits to Kashmiri Pandits, which is in minority in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NCM does not have jurisdiction in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants it the status of special autonomous state.

However, Kashmir Pandits can enjoy due benefits in the rest of the country if the community gets the minority status.

At present, there are six notified minority communities in the country -- Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi and Jain.

"Kashmiri Pandits should get the minority community tag, mainly because they are in minority in their state, Jammu and Kashmir," Rizvi said.

Rizvi said he would take up the matter with Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and stakeholders involved.

The NCM chairman, however, said his view on the issue should be seen as personal.

Community members welcomed Rizvi's comment on the matter, which they said had taken a back seat over the past five years.

The members said they would take up the issue again with the authorities.

Manoj Bhan, the general secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch, said the organisation and others would provide the authorities with whatever documents they would require in according the Pandits minority community status.

"We had raised the issue with the authorities two-three times (during UPA-II regime), but nothing happened then...We deserve the status," Bhan said.

According to Bhan, the population of Kashmir Pandits is between 4 lakh and 5 lakh in the country.

Some of the key benefits the community members stand to gain if accorded the minority community tag:

* Students whose family's annual income is below Rs 4.5 lakh are eligible for scholarships

* Educational institutions managed by them will be recognised as minority institutions. At such institutions, up to 50 per cent of the seats will be reserved for community students

Some key welfare schemes the Centre implements for minority communities:

* Scholarship schemes (pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means)

* Padho Pardesh (scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies for community students)

* Free coaching and allied schemes

* Skill training such as learn and earn, Nai Manzil

* Prime Minister's New 15-point programme which aims at ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities besides their educational empowerment.
Travis Kalanick, the chief operating officer of troubled taxi hailing app Uber, will be taking a leave of absence. In a memo to employees, Kalanick accepted responsibility for the company's current state and said he needs to become a better leader.

By AP: Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will take a leave of absence for an unspecified period and let his leadership team run the troubled ride-hailing company while he's gone.

Kalanick told employees of his decision Tuesday in a memo, saying he needs time off to grieve for his mother, who died in a May boating accident. He also says he's responsible for the company's current situation and needs to become a better leader.

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The announcement comes as former US Attorney Eric Holder released a list of recommendations to improve Uber's toxic workplace culture, which condoned sexual harassment, bullying and retaliation against those who reported problems.

Holder recommended that Kalanick be relieved of some leadership responsibilities, shifting them to a chief operating officer and other senior managers. The COO, yet to be hired, would be a partner with Kalanick.

Uber should use performance reviews to hold senior managers accountable by setting metrics for improving diversity and responsiveness to employee complaints, the report says.

ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Holder's firm, Covington & Burling LLP, and a second firm, Perkins Coie, conducted separate examinations of Uber's workplace culture after a former engineer levelled charges of sexual harassment.

Susan Fowler posted a blog in February that detailed harassment during the year she spent at Uber, writing that she was propositioned by her manager on her first day with an engineering team. She reported him to human resources, but was told he would get a lecture but no further punishment because he was a "high performer," she wrote.

Holder's investigators conducted more than 200 interviews with current and former employees, including people who had knowledge of Fowler's allegations, according to the law firm's recommendations .

Liane Hornsey, Uber's chief human resources officer, said implementing the recommendations "will improve our culture, promote fairness and accountability, and establish processes and systems to ensure the mistakes of the past will not be repeated."

UBER NOT DOING ENOUGH

The report makes it clear that Uber was not doing enough to protect workers from sexual harassment and retaliation, noting that company policies need to state directly that such conduct is prohibited.

In addition, Uber must require that managers immediately report discrimination, harassment or retaliation, and ensure that codes of conduct apply to offsite events and conferences.

Uber's board said it would review Kalanick's responsibilities and reassign some to others. The board will continue its search for a chief operating officer with a background in diversity and inclusion.

The board also recommended adding independent directors and replacing its chairman, co-founder Garrett Camp, with an independent chairman.

The board currently has eight voting members, three from within the company. The board also called for appointment of a senior executive to oversee implementation of Holder's recommendations.

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ISSUE OF DIVERSITY

Holder recommends that Uber make sure its workforce becomes more diverse from the top down. Uber's diversity figures are similar to the rest of Silicon Valley, with low numbers for women and underrepresented minorities. In the US, less than a third of the company's workers are female.

In addition, the report says that diversity and inclusiveness should be a key value for Uber that's included in management training. The word diversity appears 42 times in the 13-page recommendations document.

While Uber released Holder's recommendations, his full report was kept private to protect the privacy of those filing complaints. The company's board unanimously adopted all of the recommendations Sunday.

After Fowler posted her blog, Uber Technologies Inc. made changes in human resources and opened a 24-hour hotline for employees. Last week, the company fired 20 people including some managers at the recommendation of Perkins Coie, which probed specific complaints made to the company about sex harassment, bullying, and retaliation for reporting problems. That firm checked into 215 complaints, with 57 still under investigation.

Under Kalanick, Uber has disrupted the taxi industry in hundreds of cities and turned the San Francisco-based company into the world's most valuable startup. Uber's valuation has climbed to nearly $70 billion.

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KALANICK: 'NEED TO GROW UP'

But Kalanick has acknowledged his management style needs improvement. The 40-year-old CEO said earlier this year that he needed to "fundamentally change and grow up."

Besides the sexual harassment complaints, in recent months Uber has been threatened by boycotts, sued and subject to a federal investigation over its use of a fake version of its app to thwart authorities looking into whether it is breaking local laws.

Kalanick lost his temper earlier this year in an argument with an Uber driver who was complaining about pay, and Kalanick's profanity-laced comments were caught in video that went viral.

The company has faced high turnover in its top ranks. Jeff Jones resigned as Uber's president after less than a year on the job. He said his "beliefs and approach to leadership" were "inconsistent" with those of the company.

Experts interviewed this week by The Associated Press said Kalanick should step aside or at minimum change his behaviour for the company to make progress.

ALSO READ | Uber doubted Delhi rape happened in its car, investigated rape victim before firing exec

ALSO READ | Uber fires 20 employees over harassment issues, hires 1 Apple marketing executive

--- ENDS ---

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Srinagar: Militants on Tuesday night carried out a series of attacks on security forces in South Kashmir.

They also looted four service rifles of the security personnel.

Pakistan-based militant groups Al-Umar Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad have claimed responsibility for the attacks, as per PTI.

CRPF camp attacked:

On the one hand, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in Pulwama district, injuring 10 personnel.

The camp housed troops of the force's 180th battalion at Ladiyar village of Tral, 35 kms from here, a police official said.

A senior CRPF official in Delhi said the grenade exploded in the area where the troops had gathered for a meal, causing splinter injures to 10 of them. They were rushed to the 92 base hospital, he said.

The area around the camp was cordoned off to nab the unidentified militants, the police official said.

In another attack, a CRPF camp at Padgampora in Pulwama was targeted, but no one was hurt in it as the grenade hurled by the militants exploded mid-air.

The ultras also threw a grenade on Pulwama police station, resulting in minor injuries to a cop.

Yesterday, two CRPF troopers were injured in a grenade attack by militants on their camp in Tral town yesterday. A sub- inspector of the force and three policemen were injured in a grenade attack on a security picket at Saraf Kadal in downtown Srinagar on Sunday.

"We have told all our units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to remained extra vigilant against such attacks and continue to launch operations against militants," the CRPF official said.

Army camp fired upon:

On the other hand, terrorists fired upon Army camp of 22 Rashtriya Rifles at Pazalpora in North Kashmir.

They fled after retaliation by the Army.

Militants attack retired HC judge's house, decamp with rifles:

In another incident, militants attacked the residence of a retired high court judge in Anantnag district of Kashmir tonight, injuring two cops and decamping with four rifles.

The ultras opened fire on the police post guarding the residence of Justice (retd) Muzaffar Hussain Attar at Anchidora in Anantnag at around 8.30 pm, official sources said.

The sources said two cops were injured in the firing. The militants managed to take away four service rifles of the policemen before escaping.

(With PTI inputs)
Ratlam/Neemuch: The Congress' Madhya Pradesh heavyweight Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gujarat's Patel quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel were on Tuesday turned back by the police before they could enter Mandsaur, the hub of the recent farmers' agitation.

Three farmers, meanwhile, were reported to have ended their lives, allegedly due to indebtedness, in the last 24 hours, including one in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's home district Sehore.

As politicians continued to make a beeline for Mandsaur, dramatic scenes unfolded at Nayagaon-Jaora toll booth in Ratlam where Scindia, his party colleague Kantilal Bhuria and a large number of their supporters were detained. They were proceeding to neighbouring Mandsaur where prohibitory orders barring assembly of more than four people are still in force.

Scindia, the suave and sophisticated face of the Congress party, was seen seated atop the anti-riot 'Vajra' vehicle, clenching his fist and chanting slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". For some time, a large Congress flag fluttered atop the vehicle, with the lawmaker from Guna Lok Sabha seat frantically waving it.

A convoy of vehicles followed the Vajra van as hundreds of Congress supporters ran to keep pace with the automobiles.

"All rules are being torn to shreds. Dictatorship and Nazism (Hitlershahi) prevails in Madhya Pradesh," he told the media amid cries of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' by agitated Congress supporters.

When told by a police officer that prohibitory orders were in place in Mandsaur, Scindia said he was prepared to go there alone. "Why are you not allowing me to go there alone?" he angrily asked the officer, before being detained.

Earlier in the day, Hardik Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch.

The Patidar quota agitation leader, heading to Mandsaur to meet the kin of five farmers killed in police firing on June 6, was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest.

Patel was arrested to prevent "commission of cognisable offences", City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said. They were released on bail later and taken out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles.

Lashing out at the authorities, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country."

Patel, who has been trying to carve out a political space for himself in Gujarat, also criticised the Narendra Modi government and claimed 50 crore farmers have come together against the BJP.

Before Scindia and Patel, several opposition leaders including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, were denied permission to visit Mandsaur, the epicentre of a violent farmers agitation, where five cultivators were killed in police firing, causing the stir to spill over to some other districts of the state.

Political leaders and social activists have continued to make futile attempts to visit Mandsaur despite peace having returned there.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who came under severe attack from the opposition following the agrarian unrest, had called off the indefinite fast on Sunday, 28 hours after its launch, claiming peace had been restored.

Though the stir has ebbed away, three farmers have ended their lives in the state in the last 24 hours, taking the number of farmer suicides in the state in the past one week to five.

While two allegedly debt-ridden farmers committed suicide in Sehore and Hoshangabad district, another such death was reported from Vidisha.

In a related development, Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik was booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station, amid violent protests by farmers last week.

A video, which went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on June 8 when Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment in Shivpuri district, was holding a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Karera's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others early today.

They were booked under the IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.
Ratlam/ Neemuch: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia was on Tuesday arrested along with some party leaders while on way to Mandsaur, the epicentre of the agrarian unrest in Madhya Pradesh, where prohibitory orders are in force.

Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh said Scindia was arrested along with Congress MP Kantilal Bhuria and other party leaders at Dhodar checkpoint in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Before their detention, the Congress leaders and their supporters staged a sit-in at the toll booth demanding that they be allowed to visit Mandsaur.

"Section 144 has been imposed in Mandsaur and, therefore, this makes it absolutely clear there is no peace there. I want to go alone but still the police is not permitting me," Scindia told media prior to his arrest, as per IANS.

The farmers' agitation in the state over loan waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6 when five protesters were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.

Subsequently, there was a bandh and several incidents of arson and stone-pelting as the agitation spread to Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua in western MP.

Congress leader booked for inciting people:

In a related development, Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik was booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station.

A video, which went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on June 8 when Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment in Shivpuri district, was holding a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Karera's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others early today.

They were booked under the IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.

Meanwhile, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a slew of measures to end farmers' woes in the state.

Chouhan sat on an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace.

He ended his fast on Sunday, saying peace had returned, and assured people that those responsible for the death of farmers would be punished severely.

A high-voltage political drama was also witnessed on June 8, when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing.

(With Agency inputs)
Bhopal: Hardik Patel, who had led the agitation for Gujarat's Patel community, and his supporters were detained in Madhya Pradeshs Neemuch district while on their way to Mandsaur, the epi-center of last weeks violent farmers agitation.

They were released outside the state's border.

Patel had announced his decision to visit Mandsaur with his supporters on Monday.

"I will do my work and police and administration will do their job," he had told reporters.

Patel has grown into an influential Patidar leader after he led a mass agitation seeking reservation for Patidars in Gujarat in 2015.

And since then hes constantly built upon the anti-BJP sentiment among Patels or Patidars as theyre known in central and north-west part of the country.

Hardik, who had spent six months in exile in Udaipur after a Gujarat High Court order, had returned to his hometown in January this year.

He was staying at a former Congress MLA's house during this period.

He was released from jail in Gujarat after nine months in confinement in July last year.

The Mandsaur-Neemuch region, about 300 km from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, became the nerve centre of the storm of farmer distress, as protests over low prices for crops and heavy farm debts started on June 1 and snowballed into a widespread agitation.

As many as seven farmers were killed in two incidents of police firing during the protest on June 6.

Five of them were Patidars.

Meanwhile, state's Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced that he will visit Mandsaur on Wednesday where he will met the kin of the deceased farmers.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh authorities on Tuesday registered an FIR against Karera Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik who was caught on camera inciting a mob to set on fire a police station in protest against killing of five farmers in police firing in Mandsaur.

According to ANI, along with Khatik, one more person 'Venus Goyal' has also been booked by the Karera police station for inciting mob under various sections.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had on Friday posted a video which showed the Congress lawmaker urging her supporters to burn a local police station in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress MLA in question - Shakuntala Khatik - represents the Karera Constituency in the Shivpuri district.

In the video, she is surrounded by her supporters and local residents and can be seen instigating them to burn the local police station.

The MLA was leading a protest march during which his supporters burnt the effigy of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the recent killing of farmers in police firing in Mandsaur.

In a bid to douse the fire, local police party poured water on the effigy during which the MLA was partially drenched.

Irked with this, the lawmaker sat on a protest and clashed with the policemen.

With the incident getting media attention, the Congress lawmaker later denied any wrongdoing and even blamed the police for misbehaving with her.

Reacting to the incident, BJP leader Nitesh Bajpai said the incident shows the dirty politics of Congress in the state.

Bagga, who had posted the brief video, also termed the incident as ''shameful''.

This comes days after a controversial video surfaced showing Congress MLA Jeetu Patwari indulging in altercation with sub divisional magistrate Sandeep Soni in Indore.

In the video, Soni was seen telling Patwari that he had promised him peaceful protest.

Will you now take responsibility for the flared-up violence, Soni could be seen asking Patwari in the video.

All this comes at a time when the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is desperately trying to restore peace in the aftermath of tragic killing of five farmers in police firing in Mandsaur.

Watch the 11-seconds-long video here.
Latur: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old-girl was beaten up and made to eat cow dung in Maharashtra`s Latur.

The incident occurred in Dhangarwadi village, near Chakur in the district on June 6 and came to light after a villager lodged a complaint with the local police. The video of the proceedings has gone viral on a messaging app.

Reports claim she was force fed by a `Mantrik' (quack) as a remedy for her sickness and to ward off evil spirit.

IANS quoted sources as saying that the girl and two other women relatives were accused of being haunted by evil spirits as they regularly quarrelled with the menfolk in the household.

Their relatives forcibly took them to a Mantrik who assured he could exorcise the evil spirits from the women. When the girl protested, the tantric became furious and ordered her to be tied down.

Meanwhile, Vikas Naik, deputy superintendent of police, Chakur, told news agency PTI that an elderly woman is also an accused in the case.

A case has been registered against six persons including the girl's father and the `Mantrik' at Chakur police station in Latur district.

Police today arrested Prabhakar Kesale (35), Gangadhar Shewale (65), Pandit Kore (37) and Dagadu Shewale (40), while a team has been sent to Bidar district of Karnataka to nab the quack.

The girl, a first year BA student, suffered from perennial stomach ache, DSP Naik said. Family members suspected that she was a victim of some black magic, and took her to a quack in Bidar district on June 04.

Another woman from the same village, who suffered from from epilepsy, accompanied her.

At Bidar, as a part of so-called treatment, both were beaten up mercilessly and forced to eat cow dung.

One of the accused shot video of the proceedings on mobile phone. Police took action after some senior police officers received forwarded video on their phones.

Latur police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman Evils and Aghori Practise and Black Magic Act, 2013. (With Agency inputs)
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Board SSC Class 10th Examination Results 2017 were declared on Tuesday.

LIVE updates:

11:57 am: Over all passing percentage 88.74%, (Girls: 91.46%, Boys 86.51%).

11:55 am: Girls outperformed boys in the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education class XII examinations.

11:52 am: Maharashtra board class X results declared

11:00 am: Students who fail to clear Maharashtra class 10th exams would be offered Skill Development courses.

10:40 am: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education will release the Maharashtra Examination Results 2017, MHSBSHSE Board SSC Class 10th Result 2017. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, conducts the HSC and SSC Examinations in the state of Maharashtra through its nine Divisional Boards located at Pune, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nasik, Kolhapur, Amravati, Latur, Nagpur and Ratnagiri.

10:15 am: The Maharashtra SSC Result 2017, Maharashtra Class 10th Result 2017, MSBSHSE 10th Maharashtra Board Result 2017 will be available on mahresult.nic.in.

9:40 am: The Maharashtra Class 10 exams 2017 were held from from 7 March to 29 March, 2017.

Maharashtra Class 10 Results 2017 update at 9:30 am: Around 17.66 lakh students are waiting for the Maharashtra Board Results 2017, Maharashtra SSC Result, SSC Maharashtra Board Result, Maharashtra Board SSC results 2017.

9:25 am: In order to check Maharashtra Board Results the candidates should have their roll number and other details ready.

Maharashtra Class 12 Result 2017

Girls had outperformed boys in the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Class XII examinations, the results of which were declared on May 30, 2017.

The results for all the nine divisions - Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Amravati, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Latur and Konkan - were simultaneously declared.
New Delhi: Chinese smartphone-maker Huawei, under its Honor brand, will soon launch "Honor 8 Pro" in India which will come with 4th generation dual camera.

"Our focus is to bridge innovation and technology, create an elite ecosystem of industry visionaries and offer products that significantly enhance the way people connect with one another," said Allen Wang Director, Product Center, Huawei India Consumer Business Group, in a statement on Monday.

In the upcoming Honor 8 Pro, Huawei aims to bring together best-in-class hardware and software, from optical lenses to sensors, to image processing algorithms, empowering users to capture the highest-quality images, the company said.

Here are the key specs of the Honor 8 Pro

Two 12-megapixel sensors

4K video recording

5.7-inch QHD display

Kirin 960 4 Cortex-A53 cores clocked clubbed with 1.8GHz

4 Cortex-A73 cores clubbed with 2.4GHz

6GB RAM

64GB inbuilt storage, expandable upto 256GB

EMUI 5.1 OS based on Android 7.0 Nougat

8-megapixel front shooter with f/2.0 sensor

Rear fingerprint sensor
Bengaluru: A Special Lokayukta (Ombudsman) Court here on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Karnataka`s former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in a mining case in which he is alleged to have taken bribe for favours.



"I need not panic because my anticipatory bail plea has been rejected. I have to follow my advocate`s advice. My future course of action will be decided by my advocate," Kumaraswamy, a Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) lawmaker, told reporters here.



The anti-graft watchdog court had granted a seven-day interim bail to Kumaraswamy on May 17 in the Janthakal mining case.



The former Chief Minister is accused of misusing office, corruption and illegal grants of permission when he was the Chief Minister of the state`s first JD-S-BJP coalition government in 2006-07.



"They are raking up an 11-year-old case. It is political vendetta," he said.



Though state Revenue Principal Secretary Gangaram Baderia was arrested on May 15 in the same case, he secured bail on June 3.



Meanwhile, former BJP Minister G Janardhana Reddy appeared before the anti-corruption watchdog (Lokayukta) SIT on Tuesday.



The SIT had, in May, asked Reddy to furnish evidence to support the bribery allegations he levelled against Kumaraswamy in 2007.



Reddy has alleged that Kumaraswamy and his family received Rs 150 crore in kickbacks from various mining companies.



Kumaraswamy said: "The SIT has asked Janardhana Reddy to produce documents. How can Reddy produce documents on an alleged corruption deal which has not taken place at all? I will come out unscathed."



But the SIT chief, K.S.R. Charan Reddy, on Tuesday said Janardhan Reddy`s statement was recorded but refused to disclose its nature.



Kumaraswamy is alleged to have given permission to extend the lease to Janthakal Enterprise for extracting iron ore from the mineral-rich Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru districts and export it.



The license was extended for 40 years (1985-2025) on August 23, 2007. The company is owned by jailed mining baron Vinod Goel.



The extension on license was granted by Baderia, who was former Mines and Geology Department Director, on the basis of two forged letters from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Chandigarh: Three wanted criminals from Punjab owing allegiance to notorious gangster Vicky Gonder allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday in Haryana after they were surrounded by police, officials said.

The gangsters were identified as Kamaljit Singh alias Bunty Dhillon, Jaspeet Singh alias Jumpy and Nishan Singh.

While Dhillon and Jumpy both category A gangsters died on the spot, Nishan died on his way to the hospital.

Acting on a tip-off, Punjab`s Faridkot police along with its counterparts in Haryana surrounded a house in a village near Dabwali town in Sirsa district early in the morning and asked them to surrender.

In retaliation, the gangsters fired at the police and there was crossfire.

Superintendent of Police Satinder Gupta told reporters the gangsters committed suicide after being cornered by police.

Police found Dhillon and Jumpy dead with bullet injuries in their heads while Nishan was alive with bullet injuries.

Police recovered five weapons from the encounter spot.

Gonder had escaped from Punjab`s high security Nabha jail in November last year.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) The Home Ministry is examining a mercy petition of realty baron Gopal Ansal, convicted in the Uphaar fire tragedy case, and has sought opinion of the ministries concerned before conveying its decision to the President.

The mercy petition was submitted by senior advocate and Member of Parliament Ram Jethmalani to President Pranab Mukherjee, who forwarded it to the home ministry for its opinion.

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"The mercy petition was received about two weeks ago and the home ministry is examining it. We have also sought views of all ministries concerned," a home ministry spokesperson said.

On February 9, the Supreme Court had refused to review its earlier order allowing another accused Sushil Ansal to avoid further imprisonment because of his ill-health.

However, it had modified its similar order for Gopal Ansal and ordered him to undergo remaining part of the one- year imprisonment.

Both Ansal brothers were also asked to pay Rs 30 crore each for setting up of a trauma centre in Delhi.

As many as 59 cinema-goers died when a fire broke out at Upahaar cinema hall in South Delhi on June 13, 1997. PTI ACB SMN

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: Global star Priyanka Chopra--- who has had a hectic week in Mumbai juggling between brand commitments, reading scripts and spending quality time with her family and friends--- now seems to be too tired to even smile for a picture.

PeeCee, who is heading to Prague, recently shared a picture on Instagram and wrote alongside, "Sometimes you're too tired to smile. #Prague here I come"

The 34-year-old, before leaving for her next destination, made sure to have a gala time with 'Team PC'. She took to social media to share a picture with her team and mother Madhu Chopra.

"Team PC!! #india you are my heart! @madhuchopra @natashapal @mrinster @rohiniyer @chanchal_dsouza @parekhashni @stylebyami @anushreekirtikar #ChandMishra U were missed Vinita Chetna @hairbypriyanka," she captioned the snap.
Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has reminisced about the times when he was working in Yash Chopra's "Kaala Patthar", says being on the late filmmaker's set was like a picnic.

"Working with Yash-ji was always a picnic... Informal, relaxed and filed with humour and eating delicious food. He encouraged the families of artists to accompany them at the shoot destination... Whether it was Pune or Kashmir or Amsterdam or Delhi, it was always the same," Amitabh posted on his blog on Monday night.



He recounted how evenings were spent at a common place where everyone chatted, played games and enjoyed each others' company.



"Antakshari was the favourite, along with dumb charades... Haha... What wonderful moments shared," added the actor, who is currently in Malta to shoot "Thugs of Hindostan".



Big B, 74, particularly mentioned how shootings in Kashmir, where he shot for Chopra's romantic drama "Silsila", were a delight.



"After pack up, we would all migrate to the Dal Lake, where several dongas' - boat platforms - would be tied together to make one floating large boat and all of us would spend the evening, moving about in the lake, eating, singing... Music by local folk musicians, until the late hours.



"Now all forgotten... And in memories... Sad. Time waits for no one... And neither must we," he added on an emotional note.
Jaipur: Around 50 cow vigilantes targeted officials of the Tamil Nadu government transporting cows from Jaisalmer to their state, pelted stones at a truck and blocked National Highway 15 on suspicion of cattle smuggling in Rajasthan's Barmer district, police said on Monday.

Four persons have been arrested and action against seven policemen including a police inspector has been taken for allegedly not taking the matter seriously and reaching the spot late, a senior police official said.

The officials of the Animal Husbandry Department of Tamil Nadu government had purchased 50 cows and calves from Jaisalmer and were transporting them in five trucks with NOC and all required papers and permission from authorities and police when the cow vigilantes attacked them.

"The accused tried to beat the officials.They also tried to set a truck on fire but police reached the spot and prevented them. The officials, drives and cleaners were rescued and taken to local police station.

"In the meanwhile, several people gathered there and blocked National Highway 15, SP, Barmer, Gagandeep Singla told PTI.

The officials had purchased the cows of a good quality breed from different places in Jaisalmer. They had NOC and permission from the SDM and local police station to transport the cows.

"The accused pelted stones at trucks and damaged one truck. The cows were rescued and taken to a local cow shelter for the time being," he said.

A case against 50 persons has been registered for voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty and for assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and also under the National Highway Act.

Chainaram, Kamlesh, Vikram and Jaswant have been arrested in the matter.

"The officials informed the police station immediately and sought help but the policemen reached late. On this dereliction, the SHO of Sadar Police Station and six other policemen were shunted to police lines today," he said.

SHO Jairam, Sub Inspector Dhruv Prasad, Assistant Sub Inspector Majid and two head constables and as many head constables were shunted to police lines, the SP said.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has flayed the BJP after the incident came to light, saying the ruling party's "divisive" politics is detrimental to the country's social fabric.

"BJP's divisive politics, the environment of hate fostered by it and no governance, spells hell for our social fabric (sic)," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Twitter.
New Delhi: A proper square meal is hard to come by and relish for astronauts who spend months of their time in space, aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

While their dining experience is something that many of us would like to indulge in, it goes without saying that it is not even close to normal and is just a part of the numerous list of challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.

Come 2018, however, all that may just be about to change for the better. A German company has offered to serve baked bread to astronauts in space to help them satisfy their 'earthly' cravings.

It may sound normal, but bread comes with crumbs, which may float around the space station, infiltrating the expensive and not to forget, crucial space equipment, which could be concerning.

With Bake in Space  an experiment that aims to create crumb-free bread for astronauts  the German company hopes their unique recipe and oven will create a mess-free version of the goodness that everyone can enjoy without the fear of imminent death.

The experiment will include ingredients and equipment for a German bread roll  which astronaut Alexander Gerst, who's heading to the ISS in April 2018, will carry with him.

In addition to providing an alternative to dehydrated astronaut food, Bake In Space hopes to provide our friends in space with a taste of home.

"In order to improve astronauts' well being on long-duration missions such as on a Moon base or on Mars, food plays an essential key role," the company wrote on its website. "Besides a source for nutrition, the smell of fresh bread evokes memories of general happiness and is an important psychological factor," Gizmodo reported.

"I feel like baking anything in space would be really awesome," New York-based baker Miranda Bucciero told Gizmodo. "I do mostly cake decorating so the concept of trying to frost a cake in space is really cool to think about (and would probably be really funny to watch) but brownies would probably work the best  the dense fudgey/chewy type of brownie."

According to the New Scientist, the first and last people to enjoy bread in space were the two astronauts on NASAs 1965 Gemini 3 mission, who shared a corned beef sandwich one of them had smuggled on board. The crumbs flew everywhere in the microgravity and could have got into their eyes or into the electrical panels, where they could have started a fire. Bread has been banned ever since  tortilla wraps are the accepted alternative.

Bake In Space will test various approaches on board the ISS during the European Space Agencys Horizon mission in April 2018. The team plans to control the entire baking process from the ground via video feeds from inside the oven  that way the astronauts wont have to worry about burning their loaves on top of their other duties. To see how microgravity affects a finished loaf, initial batches will also use dough pre-baked on Earth. Bread could have a completely different structure, says Sebastian Marcu, founder of Bake In Space, the company behind the project, based in Bremen, Germany.
New Delhi: Being the largest planet of the solar system, Jupiter has caught the fancy of scientists and astronomers compelling them to study the gas giant better by delving into its interiors.

The Juno spacecraft was therefore developed to help scientists in this endeavour. However, a new study has made an incredible discovery that apart from establishing Jupiter as the largest planet, also shows it to be the oldest one!

Yes, astronomers have finally found how old Jupiter is. The study suggests that the planet's core had already grown to be 20 times more massive than Earth just 1 million years after the sun formed.

"Jupiter is the oldest planet of the solar system, and its solid core formed well before the solar nebula gas dissipated, consistent with the core-accretion model for giant planet formation," lead author Thomas Kruijer, of the University of Munster in Germany and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, said in a statement, Space.com reported.

By looking through a telescope, you cannot precisely date something, says Kruijer. This is the first time we have been able to do this using an empirical approach.

According to Popular Science, the researchers analyzed meteorites molybdenum content and found that their natural variation divided them into two discrete, pre-existing groups: carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous meteorites. The former were thought to originate from beyond Jupiter, while their non-carbonaceous peers formed from material closer to the sun.

A different isotope  tungsten  was used to figure out the age of the two groups. With time, larger tungsten isotopes decay into smaller ones, so seeing more of the smaller isotope means that the meteorite has been around for a while.

"The most plausible mechanism for this efficient separation is the formation of Jupiter, opening a gap in the disk and preventing the exchange of material between the two reservoirs," the researchers wrote in the new study, which was published online on June 12 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Space.com further reported that Jupiter's core would have to be about 20 times more massive than Earth to keep the two reservoirs from mixing, Kruijer and his team calculated. So, the results suggest the nascent gas giant was already that big within the first 1 million years of solar system history, the researchers said.

Jupiter's growth rate slowed thereafter, they said. The gas giant didn't reach 50 Earth masses until a minimum of 3 million to 4 million years after the sun's formation, the researchers determined. (Jupiter is currently about 318 times more massive than Earth.)

"Our measurements show that the growth of Jupiter can be dated using the distinct genetic heritage and formation times of meteorites," Kruijer said in the same statement.

Knowing that Jupiter has been around since (almost) the very beginning of the solar system helps explain the way the rest of the solar system has developed.

"Jupiter forming can change the distribution of rocky material throughout the entire Solar System... or, as discussed in this work, by serving as a roadblock for the migration of small material," Walsh says.

This could even be the reason that there is only one, relatively small Earth. Kruijer acknowledges that this theory is somewhat speculative, but once Jupiter formed, it could have blocked more matter from getting within a habitable range of the sun, Popular Science concluded.
New Delhi: NASA has scrapped the launch of a sounding rocket scheduled for June 12 from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia due to cloudy skies.

The launch of a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket is now scheduled for Tuesday night, June 13, with a launch window from 9:04 to 9:19 p.m. EDT.

According to the US space agency, the June 12 attempt was the sixth for this mission, which will create glowing, artificial clouds in the night sky to track particle motions in space.

Tuesday's launch was delayed due to clouds impacting the ability to test a new ampoule ejection system designed to support studies of the ionosphere and aurora.

Several attempts have been scrubbed due to a variety of issues, such as high winds, clouds, and boats in the hazard area.

The multi-canister ampoule ejection system flying on this mission will allow scientists to gather information over a much larger area than previously able.

Canisters will deploy between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch releasing blue-green and red vapor to form artificial clouds. These clouds, or vapor tracers, allow scientists on the ground to visually track particle motions in space.

If skies are clear at the time of the launch, the clouds may be visible along the mid-Atlantic coastline from New York to North Carolina.

Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. on the NASA Wallops Ustream site.

A Facebook live is also planned beginning at 8:50 p.m. on www.facebook.com/NASAWFF.
Beer, fries, waffles, and chocolates are probably the first few things that spring to your mind when thinking about Flanders and yes, they are one-of-their-kind here! But did you know there is so much more you can add to your culinary platter here?

1. For the munchies on the go

Fries are part of Belgian culinary and cultural heritage. Even though they are referred to as 'French Fries' there is nothing French about them! The name is alleged to have originated due to a linguistic misunderstanding, because in old English to French meant to cut into sticks.

The other favorite are of course the waffles! In Belgium, most waffles are served warm by street vendors and dusted with confectioner's sugar though in tourist areas they might be topped with whipped cream, soft fruit or chocolate spread

2. For the food connoisseur

On this modest patch of land, there are close to a ton of Michelin-starred restaurants. No region is the world can offer that density of top level restaurants if you follow the Michelin and Gault&Millau guides. The triple starred Hof van Cleve and Hertog Jan are surely the culinary spearheads, but the Belgian gourmet restaurants are there for everyone. In more alternative gourmet spots such as Publiek, L'epicerie du Cirque or la Paix one need not have to dress up a simple jeans and t-shirt also works.

3. For the vegetarians

Ghent serves the largest number of vegetarian restaurants in the whole of Belgium. It is considered as the organic haven for vegetarians with dozens of unique little restaurants, shops and even an organic market at Groentenmarkt. In 2009, Ghent also introduced the concept of Thursday Veggie day, a campaign developed by EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative). This campaign made Ghent the first city in the world to officially stimulate people to go vegetarian one day in a week. It is also the first city in the world to have an official veggie day.

4. Beer lovers

Flanders is the home of the richest beer culture in the world. With over 1500 different original beers, the list is quite exhaustive to last more than a year. Hundreds of different beers, in numerous styles; Belgian ales, cherry beer, white beer, Flanders 'Old' red and brown, lambic, geuze, Abbey and of course the famous Trappist. Other countries have those as well, but nothing compares to the Belgian varieties. That long history turns this region into a beer Valhalla. The new generation of exciting craft breweries such as De Dochter van de Korenaar, De Ranke and Brasserie de la Senne is making sure it stays that way.

5. For the ones with the sweet tooth

Did someone say Chocolate? Yes, the Belgians pretty much-invented chocolate or at least perfected it. Names such as Godiva, Leonidas and Neuhaus might ring a bell. Aside from those, there are more than 320 chocolatiers throughout the country, selling a historically great product. That product is the basis of innovation. Some fine examples are the Shock-o-latier Dominique Persoone from the renowned chocolate store - The Chocolate Line and the artist Marijn Coertjens, who stunned at the World Chocolate Masters. They form the front line of a new generation of cocoa craftsmen.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath might not host an Iftar party at his official residence, 5 Kalidas Marg.

Chief Minister Adityanath will be the second BJP chief minister after Ram Prakash Gupta to skip hosting an Iftar party.

Earlier, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh hosted Iftar parties at their official residences during Ramzan, but according to sources, this time the current chief minister is not going to do so.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Uttar Pradesh`s former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav hosted the Iftar party at their official residences.

During Mayawati`s tenure, once the event was held at Hotel Taj, in which only selected people were invited.

However, the Muslim wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) - the Rashtriya Muslim Manch (RMM) - has announced Iftar parties all over the country, where those are in fast will break it with products made from cow milk.

An Iftar is a meal which Muslims have to break after a day-long fast (Roza) in the month of Ramzan.

Till now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also not hosted an Iftar party.
New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday dispatched 600 paramilitary personnel to assist the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy in violence-hit Darjeeling hills which witnessed incidents of stone pelting on the second day of GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh.

The Centre also sought a detailed report on the prevailing situation in the hill district from the state government.

A Union Home Ministry spokesperson said that as many as 600 paramilitary personnel, including 200 women, were sent to Darjeeling.

Around 400 personnel, already stationed in West Bengal, have also been deployed in the hill areas along with additional forces.

The Home Ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and was ready to offer all assistance to the state government to restore normalcy there.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata that the situation in the hill district was 'peaceful'.

She, however, said that the Centre did not seek any report on the Darjeeling situation from the state government.

As their indefinite shutdown entered its second day today, protesters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland hurled stones at the police at Chowkbazar area in Darjeeling after they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.

Senior police officers were seen leading large police contingents in various parts of the hills.

Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills, while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed.

Shops downed shutters as the violence broke out.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership, however, accused the police unprovoked lathi-charge on its procession.

"The police resorted to unprovoked lathi-charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.

Yesterday too, Gorkhaland supporters vandalised government offices as the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown forced tourists out of the picturesque hill station due to threat of violence.

The GJM, which controls the GTA, has called a shutdown of all state and GTA offices to press its demand for creation of a separate state.

Giri said that a meeting of six political parties, including GJM and Gorkha National Liberation Front during the day, decided to strengthen the movement for a seperate Gorkhaland.

Their next meeting has been scheduled on June 20 to discuss the future course of action, he said.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and was hopeful that its ally the BJP would consider its demand for a separate state "compassionately".

"I am constantly in touch with the central government and various ministers. I am very hopeful that they will understand our pain and struggle and will consider our demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

"The government at the Centre is our ally and they will surely consider our demand compassionately," Gurung said.

BJP, he said, has always been in favour of small states.

The GJM chief slammed West Bengal chief minister for calling out the Army to control the situation in the hills and advised her to stay away as "the people of Darjeeling are well equipped to take care of themselves".

"My advice to Mamata Banerjee is please stay away from the hills. We don't need your charity. The people of the hills will not accept TMC's hegemony," he said.

Hitting out at the chief minister for calling the Army to control the situation in the hills, Gurung said, "Mamata Banerjee is just pursuing opportunist politics.

"In December last year she had accused the Army of trying to attempt a military coup. She can do anything for the sake of cheap politics," he alleged.

"We are not like her. We respect the Indian Army. Every year hundreds of youth from the hills join the Indian army," he said.
Sameer Patel, who worked in a departmental store, was shot by unidentified men. The entire incident was captured on CCTV.

By India Today Web Desk: An Indian-origin man was shot at in Atlanta, United States. The victim identified as Sameer Patel was shot in the head and his condition is stated to be critical.

Patel was working in a department store. Two unidentified persons barged into the store and opened fire at Patel.

After attacking Patel, the duo stole cash box and fled from the spot.

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The entire incident was caught on camera. Sameer's family has been sent a copy of the CCTV footage.

Sameer is a native of Gujarat's Patan district.

ALSO READ:

Another Indian killed in US, businessman Harnish Patel shot dead near his home

Third attack on an Indian in 10 days in US: All you need to know about 'climate of hate'

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he was not seeking an "escalation" in the Gaza Strip after his government moved to reduce electricity supplies to the Hamas-run enclave.



Israel`s security cabinet decided on Sunday to reduce the daily amount of electricity supplied to Gaza by between 45 and 60 minutes, Israeli media reported.



Gazans currently receive only three or four hours of electricity a day, delivered from the territory`s own power station and others in Israel and Egypt.



Israeli authorities said the move was taken after funding cuts by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who has reportedly been seeking to further pressure his rivals in Islamist movement Hamas.



It has raised fears of a new upsurge in violence, with Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza having fought three wars since 2008.



"Israel has no interest in an escalation and anyone who says otherwise is mistaken," Netanyahu said at a public event on Tuesday.



He said the issue was related to an "internal Palestinian dispute", adding that Abbas`s Palestinian Authority was refusing to pay for electricity provided to Gaza.



Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Monday that Abbas recently decided to "significantly reduce" payments.



"It would be illogical for Israel to pay part of the bill," he said.



Hamas also said the cut was made on Abbas`s orders and termed it "a catastrophe".



"This decision aggravates the situation and risks an explosion in the Gaza Strip," it said in a statement on Monday.



Hamas has run Gaza since 2007, when it seized the territory in a near civil war from Abbas`s Fatah in a dispute over parliamentary elections won by the Islamist movement.



Abbas runs the Palestinian Authority (PA), the internationally recognised Palestinian leadership based in the occupied West Bank.



Multiple attempts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah have failed, but the PA had continued to pay Israel for some electricity delivered to Gaza.



Hamas is considered to be a terrorist group by Israel, the European Union and the United States.



The Gaza Strip is home to some two million people, more than three-quarters of whom depend on humanitarian aid.
Doha: To meet the dairy products demand in his country, a Qatari business man has decided to airlift 4,000 cows from Australia and the US to the Gulf desert.

The Qatar Airways will have to make 60 sorties to help chairman of Power International Holding Moutaz Al Khayyat's ambitious plan to become a reality, Bloomberg reported.

Undeterred by the challenge, Khayyat' said, This is the time to work for Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain announced on May 5 they were cutting diplomatic ties and closing all connectivity links with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Libya, Yemen and the Maldives followed suit. The charge has been denied by Doha.

A week ago Doha was importing fresh milk and dairy products for its 1 million population from Saudi Arabia. However, after Qatar was ostracised by the Gulf nations, the things have changed.

However, Al Khayyat is convinced that his governmnet is doing enough to tackl ethe crisis and not a single citizen has been affected by the ban.

US President Donald Trump on Friday accused Qatar of funding terrorism "at a very high level", urging the Gulf Arab country to stop the funding. The US President's remarks came amid a diplomatic row in the Middle East.
Cairo: A controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.



Parliament`s legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.



The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament told AFP.



Parliament`s defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general vote.



Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.



The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.



The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.



Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.
Chittagong: Heavy monsoon rains and landslides have killed at least 134 people in southeast Bangladesh, burying many in their homes as they slept, authorities said Tuesday.



Three young children from the same family were among those killed in the disaster, which comes just weeks after a cyclone battered the region and destroyed camps housing thousands of Rohingya refugees.



Police warned the death toll would likely rise as emergency workers reached remote parts of the Chittagong Hills, where telephone and transport links had been cut.



Manzurul Mannan, the government administrator of the worst-hit Rangamati district, said at least 98 people were killed in the hilly region alone.



"The death toll might rise," Mannan told AFP.



At least 30 people were killed in neighbouring Chittagong and another six in Bandarban, officials told AFP, adding about 15 people were missing, feared buried under chunks of mud.



Many of the victims were from poor tribal communities in the remote hill district of Rangamati, close to the Indian border, where mudslides buried hundreds of homes.



One woman described the ground sliding from beneath their family home in the dead of night, sending them fleeing to a house next door.



"A few other families also took shelter there, but just after dawn a section of hill fell on the house. Six people are still missing," Khatiza Begum told local news website Bangla Tribune at Rangamati hospital.



District police chief Sayed Tariqul Hasan said most of the landslides happened before dawn Tuesday.



"Some of them were sleeping in their houses on hillsides when the landslides occurred," he said.



Police and local authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of people living in slums at the base of hills in the neighbouring district of Chittagong, where 30 people have been confirmed dead.



At least 126 people were killed in that district when a massive landslide buried a village a decade ago.



In the latest incident six people were killed in the nearby district of Bandarban, among them three children buried by a landslide as they slept in their home.



Authorities have opened 18 shelters in the worst-hit hill districts, where 4,500 people have been evacuated, disaster management and relief minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya told reporters.



Head of disaster management department Reaz Ahmed said disaster response teams had been deployed but had not yet been able to reach all the affected areas.



"Once the rains are over, we`ll get a full picture of the damage and get the recovery work in full swing," he added.



The monsoon rains came two weeks after Cyclone Mora smashed into Bangladesh`s southeast, killing at least eight people and damaging tens of thousands of homes.



Rohingya leader Mohammad Anam said the latest rains had further worsened conditions in camps that were badly hit by the cyclone.



"We`re living in constant fear of landslides," he told AFP.



Around 300,000 Rohingya, a mainly Muslim stateless ethnic minority, are living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.



Heavy monsoon rains also pounded the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong in the district of the same name, disrupting traffic for hours and flooding key roads and business districts.



A ferry sank in the River Buriganga in Dhaka on Monday evening with an estimated 100 passengers aboard, police said, adding all the passengers had managed to swim ashore.



Among the victims in Rangamati district were at least four soldiers who had been sent to clear roads after an earlier landslide.



Thousands of troops are stationed in Rangamati, where a tribal insurgency raged for two decades, and which still suffers sporadic violence.



"The soldiers were sent to clear roads hit by landslide in Manikchhari town when they were themselves buried by a second landslide," armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Rashidul Hassan told AFP.



"They fell 30 feet (nine metres) from the main road," he said, adding one soldier was missing and 10 injured, five critically.
Oslo: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia was supporting militants inside Iran, days after hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed attacks in Tehran.



Relations between the two neighbours are at their most tense in years. Last week Riyadh, along with other Arab governments, severed ties with Qatar, citing its support of Iran as one of the main reasons for the move.



Two days later, the suicide bombings and shootings in Tehran killed 17 people. Iran repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia funds Islamic militants including Islamic State. Riyadh has denied involvement in the attacks.



"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups on the eastern side of Iran, in Baluchistan," Zarif told a news conference held on the sidelines of a conference on peace mediation in Oslo.

Baluchistan province is home to a Sunni population who form a minority in majority Shi`ite Iran.



Iran and Saudi Arabia accuse each other of subverting regional security and support opposite sides in conflicts including those in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.



"On the Western side, the same type of activity is being undertaken, again abusing the diplomatic hospitality of our other neighbour," he said, without elaborating.



Iran also accuses the United States for Islamist militancy in the region.
Beirut: A spokesman for the Islamic State group praised jihadist attacks in the Philippines and Iran, in an audio recording broadcast Tuesday.

The recording broadcast by jihadist accounts on social networks was part of a general appeal to extremists around the world to continue their attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"Children of the caliphate in eastern Asia, we congratulate you for taking Marawi," IS spokesman Aboulhassan al-Mouhajer said, referring to the Philippine city seized by Islamist militants last month.

Thousands of Philippine troops are battling hundreds of insurgents who overran the southern city on May 23, flying black IS flags and using up to 2,000 civilians as human shields.

Fierce fighting in the city has left a total of 58 soldiers and police and more than 20 civilians dead, according to the military which estimates that almost 200 jihadists have been killed.

The IS spokesman also congratulated the perpetrators of last week`s attacks in Iran.

Seventeen people were killed and dozens wounded when armed men and suicide bombers attacked Tehran`s parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on June 7, the first strikes claimed by the group in Iran.

The five attackers were killed.

Mouhajer urged "caliphate soldiers" to continue their actions during Ramadan in Iraq and Syria.

He also called for attacks in Europe, America, Australia, Russia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.
Jerusalem: Israel and New Zealand will restore ties after a row over Wellington`s backing of a UN resolution in December condemning Israeli settlement building, a statement said Tuesday.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his New Zealand counterpart Bill English decided to end the dispute following a phone conversation, a statement from Netanyahu`s office said.



Israel`s ambassador to New Zealand will return to Wellington, it said.



The row came after New Zealand was among the countries calling for a vote at the UN Security Council in December on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement building.



The measure passed after the United States refrained from using its veto, enabling the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.



After the resolution passed, Israel recalled its ambassadors to Senegal and New Zealand for consultations.



It has no diplomatic relations with Venezuela or Malaysia, the other two countries that called for the vote.



Israel and Senegal announced earlier this month they were normalising relations after the dispute.
Washington: North Korea has released Otto Warmbier, a US university student who has been held captive there since January 2016, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.



Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from suburban Cincinnati, was on his way back to the United States after being released while serving a 15-year prison sentence with hard labor for alleged anti-state acts, the AP said, citing Tillerson.
Beijing: In a diplomatic coup for China, Panama on Tuesday cut long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with Beijing as the cash-rich Communist giant exerted its economic clout to wean away handful of allies of the self-ruled island.

Regarded as big blow for Taiwan, China and Panama signed a joint communique here formally establishing full-fledged diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

They signed the joint communique in which Panama has recognised One China, meaning that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China.

"I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Varela said.

Taiwan expressed "anger and regret" over the "very unfriendly" diplomatic turn by Panama that "yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities".

It accused Panama of "bullying" Taiwan while "ignoring the many years of friendship" between the two countries, and added it would "not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy".

Last June Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen, a strong advocate of Taiwan's independence from China visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as President.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation had demanded a huge amount of financial support.

The move by Panama comes as China began construction of a container port with natural gas facilities in northern province of Colon last week.

For long, Panama has maintained that it has commercial ties with China and diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan, which broke away from China in 1949, is coming under immense pressure from China's push with huge funds of Belt and Road Initiative. Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

In December last year, the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe made a similar move. Now only 20 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Taiwan has left with few allies, mostly small countries. They include Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia In Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland, The Holy See, Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau.

Panama did not give any reason for changing its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic co- operation with China in recent years.

China's Foreign Ministry also released a statement saying that "the Chinese government and its people highly appreciate and warmly welcome" the move by Panama.

The United Nations in 1971 switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing's People's Republic of China (PRC) and most countries have since followed that lead in order not to antagonise the economic giant which is the world's second largest economy.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year, media reports said.

The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road infrastructure-building initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the US is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing, the report said.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia insisted on Tuesday that its neighbour Qatar was not under blockade as a Gulf diplomatic dispute escalated amid increasing international concern over its effects on ordinary people.



The gas-rich emirate`s only land border is with the Saudi kingdom, and the closure of both it and Saudi, Bahraini and Emirati airspace to Qatar Airways flights has caused major disruption.



Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, insisted that moves to isolate Qatar were reasonable.



Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies accuse Qatar of supporting "terrorism" in the region, while Doha`s supporters have warned of a humanitarian crisis.



"There is no blockade of Qatar. Qatar is free to go. The ports are open, the airports are open," Jubeir said alongside a silent Tillerson who had called last week for the embargo on Qatar to be "eased".



"The limitation on the use of Saudi airspace is only limited to Qatari airways or Qatari-owned aircraft, not anybody else," Jubeir said.



"The seaports of Qatar are open. There is no blockade on them. Qatar can move goods in and out whenever they want. They just cannot use our territorial waters."



But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a Doha ally, denounced Qatar`s economic and political isolation.



"Taking action to isolate a country in all areas is inhumane and un-Islamic," Erdogan said in televised comments Tuesday.In his strongest remarks yet on the crisis, Erdogan added that "a death sentence had in some way been pronounced" on Qatar.



Turkey is in a delicate position as Ankara regards Qatar as its chief ally in the Gulf, but it is also keen to maintain its improving relations with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.



Ankara also is eager to maintain workable relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia`s foe with whom Doha`s critics say Qatar maintained excessively close ties.



Erdogan was to hold three-way phone talks on the crisis later Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Qatar`s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.



Doha`s ambassador to the European Union, Abdul Rahman Al Khulaifi, said Tuesday Qatar was "astonished and surprised when we hear voices who say we are supporting terrorism".



"These accusations... it doesn`t have any base, any logic to it," he said.



"You can disagree politically with your neighbours, but why do you get the people of the region involved in it?" the envoy asked.



The Gulf states on June 5 ordered Qataris to leave within 14 days and also banned their own citizens from travelling to the emirate.



The knock-on effects of the crisis are not confined to the Gulf.



Al-Udeid, the largest US airbase in the Middle East, is in Qatar and is a key facility in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.



Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman discussed the crisis on Tuesday, with Putin warning that isolating Qatar would make finding a peaceful end to the war in Syria more difficult.Their talks "touched on the aggravated situation around Qatar, which unfortunately does not help consolidate joint efforts in resolving the conflict in Syria and fighting the terrorist threat," a Kremlin statement said.



Saudi Arabia`s regional rival Iran called for a permanent mechanism in the Gulf to resolve issues such as the current crisis.



Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking in Norway, said it was "absolutely imperative" to resolve the row through dialogue and to "establish a permanent mechanism for consultation, conversation and conflict resolution in our region."



He said this could be along the lines of the 1975 Helsinki accords signed during the Cold War to reduce tensions between Western and Communist nations.



As the crisis simmered, Washington`s envoy to Doha tweeted on Tuesday that she was leaving her post.



Dana Shell Smith did not say why she was stepping down, but in Washington officials said she had made a personal decision to leave earlier this year after a normal three-year tour.



Smith was appointed ambassador by US President Donald Trump`s predecessor Barack Obama in 2014.



Last month in another tweet she appeared to express dissatisfaction with political events back home.



After Trump`s dramatic sacking of FBI director James Comey, she wrote: "Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions."
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to make marriage registration mandatory for all in the state, an official said, today.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to make marriage registration mandatory for all in the state, an official said, today.

A proposal has been drafted by the women's welfare department and is likely to be brought before the state cabinet in its next session.

According to sources with the knowledge of the proposal, the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government has decided to include everyone in the proposal, including the Muslims following the Supreme Court's order for compulsory registration of marriages.

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A committee of ministers was formed during former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's regime but its was protested by the Muslim community.

The Samajwadi Party government had also decided to exclude the Muslims but the rule book was never released.

The couples who are not registered will be deprived of benefits from government schemes, the sources added.

Many states like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan have already made marriage registration mandatory. There are also penalties for not adhering to the rule.

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--- ENDS ---
Seoul: A North Korean soldier escaped to South Korea Tuesday evening by walking across the Demilitarised Zone that bisects the peninsula, Seoul`s defence ministry said.



The soldier, who has not been publicly identified, approached a South Korean border guard post and expressed a wish to defect, the ministry said in a statement.



"We are holding him to investigate the motive and the process of his defection," it said without giving further details.



There was no exchange of fire during the incident, Yonhap news agency cited a military official as saying.



Over the decades since the peninsula was divided, dozens of North Korean soldiers have fled to the South through the zone which extends for two km either side of the actual border.



The most recent such case was in September last year. Prior to that, a teenage North Korean soldier defected in June 2015.



In 2012 a North Korean soldier walked unchecked through rows of electrified fencing and surveillance cameras, prompting Seoul to sack three field commanders for a security lapse.



More than 30,000 North Korean civilians have fled their homeland but it is very rare for them to cross the closely guarded inter-Korean border, which is fortified with minefields and barbed wire.



Most flee across the porous frontier with neighbouring China.
Mosul: The bullets of jihadists rain down outside the Mosul kindergarten, where dozens of terrified Iraqi civilians are sheltering from fighting in their northern city.



Confused, scared and exhausted, the civilians mostly women, including one in a wheelchair huddle in the pre-school after Iraqi forces brought them in for protection.



The sounds of sniper fire, air strikes, and shelling echo all around them, as Iraqi forces fight to dislodge Islamic State group fighters from a nearby building.



Iraqi forces are fighting to retake Mosul from IS, after the jihadist group overran the city in 2014, imposing its brutal rule on its inhabitants.



Naja Abdallah, 70, says she didn`t dare leave her house until Iraqi forces arrived in her district of west Mosul, and even then fled with family members under heavy fire.



"We had no more electricity, no water, no medicine -- nothing but God`s mercy," she says, as sniper and artillery fire continue unabated in the Al-Shifaa district outside.



Iraqi forces have managed to retake most of Mosul since launching the battle for IS`s last major Iraqi stronghold seven months ago, but the advance has slowed in the last districts under jihadist control.



IS`s grip on Mosul has been reduced to the Old City and several nearby areas, but the jihadists are putting up significant resistance and up to 200,000 civilians may be caught in the fighting.



Iraqi fighters inside the pre-school have led women to one room, while they check the identities of the men young and old somewhere else.



The anti-IS forces thoroughly screen fleeing civilians in a bid to make sure no jihadists escape among them.Omran, a 24-year-old who has grown his beard long like all men under IS rule, is one of those who is separated from his family for vetting.



"We`ve lived through tough, terrifying days. We`ve really been through a lot," he says, just before he is whisked away.



The fighting intensified around his home in recent days, he says, and his family escaped to their neighbour`s house after their own was hit in the fighting.



"I hope to God it all gets better," Omran says.



Women quietly break down into tears after the men are taken away, as an Iraqi commander shouts coordinates over the radio for warplanes and artillery gunmen to target the jihadists.



Sniper fire intensifies around the building, where civilians are holed up with journalists and members of the interior ministry`s elite Rapid Response force fighting IS.



Sniper fire hits and gravely wounds a reporter for a local television station, and Iraqi forces intervene to evacuate him to a medical point.



"The sniper will either be killed or flee," says Rapid Response officer Hussein Ali.



The jihadists are putting up a fight but it`s a weak one, he says, an assault rifle in his hands and another slung over his back.



"They have nothing left but snipers and the mines they have been planting."



"We won`t let the Dawaesh sleep," he adds, using an Arabic name for IS members.



When the gunfire subsides after about three hours, the Iraqi forces hold up a curtain across the road to block off the view of any jihadist snipers and gradually lead the civilians out of the pre-school to a nearby building.



Iraqi fighters accompany them from building to building all the way to the city`s medical school, where the soldiers rest for a few minutes before returning to the frontline.
Islamabad: A drone attack in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region today killed a top commander of the dreaded Haqqani network, blamed for the attack in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that killed nearly 150 people.



Two missiles fired by a pilotless aircraft targeted a house in Speen Tal, a semi-tribal area located on the border of Orakzai district and Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.



A security official said militant leader Abubakar, who had links with the Haqqani network was killed in the strike.



The house targeted by the drone was completely destroyed.



The drone operation was yet to be officially confirmed.



The drone attack comes days after Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network of carrying out the bombing in Kabul on May 31 in which 150 people died.



The attackers detonated a tanker packed with explosives near the German embassy.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Fugitive former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, wanted by the Central American nation on charges of political espionage, was arrested by U.S. authorities on Monday near Miami, officials for the U.S. Marshals Service said, Reuters reports.

Martinelli was taken into custody without incident as he emerged from a home outside Miami on Monday evening, according to Manny Puri, assistant chief of the agency's district office in Miami.

The former Panamanian leader is accused of using public money to spy illegally on more than 150 political rivals during his 2009-2014 term as president.

Martinelli was transported to a federal detention center in Miami and was due to appear in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to face an extradition hearing, Puri said.

Interpol also issued a notice for Martinelli's arrest last month.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Estonia have great potential for development of cooperation in a number of fields, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan on June 13, reports Armenpress.

We have close and friendly bilateral relations. We have revealed a potential in terms of economic, trade cooperation which is still not utilized. There are some fields where we recorded significant achievements. Both sides give priority to information technologies field, especially in the context of public service provision. I must state with pride that Estonia has significant experience in this field. We can achieve great results by boosting the cooperation, the Estonian FM said, adding that Armenia and Estonia successfully cooperate in education and business spheres.

He informed that in the second half of this year Estonia for the first time will assume the presidency of the EU Council in a six-month term.

Estonia has ambitious presidency agenda, we aim to reach many things at very important fields, and one of our priority directions is the Eastern Partnership with the European Union, he said, expressing hope that the Armenia-EU new agreement will be signed at the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels in November.

We should have tangible, visible results in accordance with the expectations of Eastern Partnership countries, Sven Mikser said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Ashot Manukyan, Armenias minister of energy infrastructures and natural resources participated June 9-10 in the informal ministerial conference of the energy community in Austria, the ministry told ARMENPRESS.

A number of issues regarding the planned changes in the energy community agreement were discussed.

The meeting also touched upon cooperation in the field.

On the sidelines of the conference, minister Manukyan had several meetings, including with Johannes Hahn - European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner, and Janez Kopac  director of the Energy Community.

The minister and Janez Kopac discussed cooperation with the energy community and prospects of development of green energy in Armenia.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Sven Mikser, Foreign Minister of Estonia, wants to see facilitation process of movement of people between the European Union and Armenia, he said at a joint press conference with Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian on June 13, in response to a question whether it is expected that the visa liberalization process with Armenia will take place under Estonias this year presidency at the EU Council, reports Armenpress.

I think free movement of people is a very important factor on making countries and peoples closer. It would be better that it takes place sooner than later. Estonia is interested to see the quick end of that process, but I cannot mention the dates of its completion. I hope we will give new impetus to it, he said.

Sven Mikser visited Armenia on June 13 at the invitation of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. The FMs already held talks. In the morning of June 13 the Estonian FM visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial. He is also expected to meet with President Serzh Sargsyan, Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan and Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Three people, including two children have been injured in a bus crash en route Moscow-Yerevan in Russias Voronezh Oblast, the Russian interior ministry reported.

Russian authorities said the 35 year old driver of the Mercedes-Benz bus lost control while traveling on the M4 Don highways 717th km in the Verkhnemamonsk region in the morning of June 13, and as a result crashed into the roadside ditch.

The bus was carrying 39 passengers en route Moscow-Yerevan. Three people have been injured.

According to Russian authorities, two of the three injured are children  one 7 year old boy from Krasnoyarsk, and a 10 year old girl from Kostroma.

The injured have been hospitalized in the Bogucharski medical facility.

Currently police are cooperating with the local government agencies for accommodating the passengers of the bus in a hotel until the next bus arrives and takes them to the point of destination, the interior ministry said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on June 13 held a meeting with Estonias Foreign Minister Sven Mikser who arrived in Yerevan on official visit, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

Firstly they held a private meeting which was followed by an extended format meeting with participation of delegations.

Welcoming the guest in Armenia, FM Nalbandian said during the 25 years of diplomatic relations Armenia and Estonia have established productive cooperation at bilateral and multilateral formats, and there is a readiness to further deepen it through joint efforts.

The two FMs attached importance to organization of high-level mutual visits, expansion of legal framework, holding regular consultations between the Ministries, as well as intensifying the mutual partnership in international structures.

During the talks the Ministers highlighted the necessity to further develop the trade-economic relations, reveal new spheres for mutual partnership, strengthen business ties between both countries. A special emphasis was attached to opportunities to expand cooperation in IT sector. The Ministers also touched upon the mutual partnership in education, science and culture spheres.

In the context of Estonias upcoming presidency at the European Union, FM Sven Mikser presented the priorities of Estonias presidency. During the meeting the sides also discussed Armenia-EU relations. Minister Nalbandian said it is expected to sign the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership agreement during the upcoming Brussels summit in November.

FM Nalbandian presented to his Estonian counterpart the joint steps of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing states aimed at creating respective conditions to move forward the peaceful settlement process of the Karabakh conflict. Minister Nalbandian attached importance to Estonias balanced stance on the Karabakh issue and the unconditional support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The FMs also discussed international and regional urgent issues, such as the situation in the Middle East, in particular, in Syria and Iraq, as well as the fight against terrorism and migration flows.

Edward Nalbandian and Sven Mikser signed the protocol between the Governments of Armenia and Estonia on the implementation of Agreement between Armenia and the European Union on readmission of persons residing without permission.

The meeting was followed by a joint press conference.
Mallya, the former boss of now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, was arrested by the Scotland Yard in April but was released on bail.

Vijay Mallya was arrested by the Scotland Yard in April but was granted bail. (File Photo/PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: The extradition case of former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya will be heard in a London court today. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will argue the matter on behalf of the Indian government.

A four-member joint CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) team visited London earlier this month to discuss Mallya case with British agencies.

FROM INDIA TODAY MAGAZINE: The flight and fall of Vijay Mallya

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Mallya, the 61-year-old chief of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines who owes over Rs 9,000 crore to various Indian banks, has been living in self-imposed exile in Britain since March last year.

He was arrested by Scotland Yard in April on fraud allegations, triggering an official extradition process in the British courts.

Westminster Magistrates Court where Mallya extradition case is being heard.

He attended a central London police station for his arrest and was released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

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--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani officials have a unique talent to focus on something and constantly repeat it by devaluing the meaning of what they said and doing the opposite, Armenias Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said during a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser in Yerevan on June 13, commenting on the statement of Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov who said its time to change the status quo, Armenpress reports.

In fact, Azerbaijan hinders and doesnt implement the agreements reached at the meetings which would enable to move forward the negotiation process and change the status quo. Azerbaijan speaks about human rights, freedom of speech, but it does the opposite. It seems Bakus brand is to say something and do the opposite, Edward Nalbandian said.

He said it was Azerbaijan that didnt maintain the agreement to publish the content of press release agreed between the Foreign Ministers in Moscow with participation of the Co-Chairs.

The different between the approaches of Armenia and Azerbaijan is that we speak with facts, but they with impressions based on imaginations, the Armenian FM said.

Commenting on Bakus constant reference to UN Security Councils resolutions, which, according to the Azerbaijani side, serve basis for the conflict settlement, Nalbandian said they are 4, and it is Azerbaijan that always refused to implement the previously adopted resolutions.

When the UN Security Councils resolutions were adopted, Azerbaijan after each resolution was refusing to implement the previous ones. Moreover, the talk was not about the negotiation process, they were directed towards ceasing military operations and establishing ceasefire, Nalbandian said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Special Forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey are holding the joint military exercises entitled Eagle of Caucasus 2017.

The Georgian defense ministry said the military personnel of the three countries have carried out medical extraction, hostage release and enemy neutralization drills in a base outside Tbilisi.

Aviation equipment was used in the exercise.

The joint drills have been launched on June 4 and are held for the third time.

Earlier drills were held in Turkey.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. A man, identified only by his initials K.P., has been shot dead in Alaverdi, a town in the province of Lori, Armenia.

Alaverdi police department is currently investigating the shooting.

Law enforcement agencies told ARMENPRESS the shooting happened on Tumanyan Street in the city. The man died while being rushed to the hospital.

An unidentified individual has gunned down 39 year old K.P. Police officers have apprehended the gunman, police said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenias expert, academic and research community will provide assistance to the parliamentary diplomacy, reports Armenpress.

On June 13 the first meeting of experts of Analytic Council working group formed by the initiative of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was held in the Parliament.

Armen Ashotyan, Chairmen of the Committee, said the goal of the working group is to provide assistance to parliamentary diplomacy by the expert, academic and research community.

The main objective is to help the parliamentary bodies to receive relevant information from academic-expert sphere which can be applied in this or that platform of parliamentary diplomacy, Armen Ashotyan said.

He informed that the Council will operate in two ways: ongoing and planned. The ongoing works suppose certain hearings, panel discussions, and the planned works suppose to discuss the existing diplomatic threats.

The expert community in Armenia has quite great potential, they are known not only in Armenia, but also abroad, the expert analyses of many of them are being published abroad, all are guest lecturers abroad, they are taking part in different scientific, political conferences. Thus, I think this potential must not be ignored, and we need to serve it at best for our countrys development, Ashotyan said, adding that the Council will be formed for a 5-year term until the end of powers of 6th convocation parliament.

In order to be included in the Council, the first meeting was attended by political scientists Richard Giragosian, Stepan Grigoryan, Alexander Iskandaryan, Gagik Harutyunyan, Manvel Sargsyan, Aram Safaryan, Alexander Markarov, former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan, expert on Georgian studies Joni Melikyan, expert on Turkish studies Ruben Melkonyan, political analyst Davit Shahnazaryan, expert on Oriental studies Ruben Safrastyan, expert on Arabic studies Sargis Grigoryan, political analyst Stepan Safaryan, former Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan, expert on Iranian studies Vardan Voskanyan, former MP Tevan Poghosyan.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Ambassador to Bulgaria Armen Sargsyan on June 12 met with Bulgarias Deputy Prime Minister of Economic and Demographic Policies Valeri Simeonov, press service of the Armenian MFA told Armenpress.

During the meeting the Armenian Ambassador congratulated Valeri Simeonov on assuming the post of the Deputy PM and wished success in his responsible position.

Issues related to bilateral economic and scientific-technical cooperation were discussed. The Ambassador briefed the Bulgarian Deputy PM on the possible directions for developing Armenian-Bulgarian trade-economic ties, in particular, mentioning the fields of transport, energy, tourism, agricultural food processing.

The Ambassador presented the free economic zones operating in Armenia, calling on the Bulgarian government to assist the companies that want to make investments in Armenia.

The Deputy PM was provided with materials on Armenias business environment, free economic zones and numerous investment programs with the request to transfer them to interested structures and companies.

Valeri Simeonov highlighted the need to deepen bilateral cooperation and utilize the existing great potential. He emphasized the necessity to establish Yerevan-Sofia direct air communication and intensify mutual partnership between the companies of both states aimed at boosting tourism.

The Armenian Ambassador said several Armenian and Bulgarian cities and provinces have established friendly ties, however, its necessary to intensify the cooperation.

Agreement was reached to contribute to activating the bilateral ties through local self-government bodies.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Vice-Speaker of Armenias Parliament Mr. Eduard Sharmazanov held a meeting on June 13 with H.E. George Saganelidze  Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia.

Sharmazanov was pleased to note the traditional friendship of the Armenian and Georgian peoples and attached importance to developing and enhancing the Armenian-Georgian ties even more in all possible directions.

In this context the Vice-Speaker found it necessary to boost parliamentary ties between the two countries not only on the level of friendship groups but also committees.

The Ambassador congratulated Mr. Sharmazanov on being re-elected to the post of Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament. He expressed confidence that the Armenian-Georgian relations will be further strengthened and developed, with the parliaments being an important platform for it.

The sides touched upon regional issues and the foreign policies of the two countries, highlighted cooperation and mutual understanding in various platforms.

Speaking on the issues of the two countries, the sides emphasized the necessity of solving problems exclusively through a peaceful way, and importance of friendly relations with neighboring countries.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Estonia have low rate of trade turnover, but there is huge potential to increase it through joint efforts, Armenias Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser in Yerevan on June 13, reports Armenpress.

There is a good opportunity to continue the discussions on bilateral cooperation. The visit of Estonias Foreign Minister provides good chance to review the existing legal framework between the two countries. Today we added also one more agreement which is 14th and relates to readmission. 7 more documents are also expected to be signed. As for the commercial cooperation, the trade turnover volume between the two countries comprised 10 million last year which is quite low figure, however, there is potential to increase it, the Armenian FM said.

He said during the meeting with Estonias FM they discussed issues related to fight against terrorism, refugee issues, as well as the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

The development process of Armenia-EU relations were also discussed at the meeting. We have repeatedly stated that we ended the talks on framework agreement and we plan to sign it in November on the sidelines of Eastern Partnership summit, he said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian made opening remarks and answered the questions of reporters in a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser on June 13. Armenpress presents the full text of the remarks and answers of Minister Nalbandian.

Ladies and gentlemen,



I am glad to welcome in Yerevan my Estonian colleague Sven Mikser, who is in Armenia on an official visit.



Our last meeting was in December, in Hamburg, within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council, and today it is a good opportunity to continue the exchange of views about expanding, developing and strengthening our cooperation both on bilateral and multilateral formats.



Today, Foreign Minister of Estonia will be received by the President of the Republic of Armenia. Mr. Mikser will have meetings with the Chairman of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister. Estonian Foreign Minister started the visit by paying tribute to the Armenian Genocide Memorial.



We have had an opportunity to exchange views on expanding the legal framework. There are 13 documents signed between the two countries, today we have added the 14th, on Readmission. Seven more documents are in the preparatory stage.



We touched upon the development of inter-parliamentary relations, promotion of decentralised cooperation and expansion of trade and economic ties. Our trade turnover has not been high - about 10 million US dollars for the last year. It is a very low rate. I think our potential is much bigger. I am confident, that with joint efforts we can do much more.



We also touched upon the cooperation in the fields of culture, science and education.



We agreed to intensify our cooperation within international organisations, as well as to hold regular consultations between the two Foreign Ministries. We discussed a number of regional and international issues, such as the fight against terrorism, refugees, migration flows, which are being faced not only in Europe, but in other regions, too. We also touched upon the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Syria.



I have informed my colleague about the joint efforts of Armenia and Co-Chair countries towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



It is important, that Foreign Minister of Estonia visits Armenia on the eve of the Estonian EU Presidency. Estonia will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1st of July. During that period, Armenia expects to sign a new framework document with the European Union. It is known, that we have finished the negotiations and we are going to sign it in November, in the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership Summit.



We also touched upon the issues of development of Armenia-EU cooperation in different areas. Foreign Minister Mikser presented the priorities of the Estonian EU Presidency.



Now I have a pleasure to give the floor to my colleague, and after, we will answer to your questions. Please, Sven.



Question: My question is addressed to Foreign Minister of Armenia. Minister, yesterday your Azerbaijani colleague presented his impressions from the recent meetings over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue by stating that the time has already come to change the status-quo and to start substantial negotiations based on the documents discussed in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. He also reiterated the thesis of Baku that the settlement should be based on the resolutions of the UN Security Council. What will you say in this regard?



Edward Nalbandian: From the outset, I would say that it is a matter of imagination rather than an impression. First, in Moscow the Ministers of Foreign Affairs did not negotiate on any document. The only text discussed was the text of the press release, which was agreed between the Foreign Ministers in the presence of the Co-Chairs, and was afterwards released without changes by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Russia. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan published its own version of the press release, in which they did not mention that the Ministers emphasised the importance of implementation of the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg, but instead stated that the Ministers negotiated over the Vienna and St. Petersburg negotiations. This nonsense was published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.



As for the claims that some document was allegedly discussed in St.Petersburg, then the issues discussed at the St. Petersburg Summit were reflected in the joint statement of Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which included the details of what had been discussed. Following that summit Baku tried to come up with its interpretations. You know what was the reaction. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia qualified those interpretations as perverse. I think it is a very comprehensive assessment and I do not think that there is anything to add. This is the difference between the approaches of Armenia and Azerbaijan - we talk about facts, they talk about some impressions based on imagination.



As for the status-quo, there is an impression that the Azerbaijani officials have a special talent to focus on something and continuously repeat it, thus devaluing the meaning of what was said, especially by doing the opposite. This is true also for the status-quo. Who impedes the implementation and fails to fulfill the agreements reached during the meetings between the Presidents, Foreign Ministers, the very agreements which would allow to advance the negotiation process and change the status-quo? It is Azerbaijan. Likewise Azerbaijan speaks about the freedom of speech, protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights, while does the very opposite. A new brand has been developed by Baku - to say something but to do totally the opposite.



As for the UN Security Council resolutions. What was the rationale for the UN Security Council to adopt four resolutions? Since after each resolution adopted in 1993 Azerbaijan refused to implement them. The only aim for the adoption of those resolutions was the secession of armed hostilities. There was nothing regarding the essence of the negotiation process, those resolutions were aimed at establishing a ceasefire.



Unfortunately, Azerbaijan impeded and it became impossible to do that. Later, Azerbaijan appeared in a situation when it began pleading to sign a ceasefire agreement. As you know, in 1994 two agreements were signed, followed by another agreement on the consolidation of ceasefire signed in February 1995. However, for years Azerbaijan has been questioning even those agreements, and recently, last April, when it unleashed aggression against Artsakh, the Azerbaijani side once again tried to question the validity of those agreements. The Co-Chairs had to remind Azerbaijan, even in the written form, that those agreements are valid, their terms do not expire and the sides should strictly adhere to and implement those agreements. This is the reality, and not what the Azerbaijani leadership tries to present to its public, based on their imagination or assumptions.



Question: Mr. Minister, I have two questions. On Saturday, during the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs you mentioned that it is time for the Co-Chair countries to undertake concrete steps to restrain Azerbaijan. Do you think that it is time for the international community, the Co-Chair countries to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan, for example, for the ceasefire violations? And my second question: does Armenia undertake any steps in that direction, so that in the end the international community impose sanctions against Azerbaijan, as I said, for example for the violation of ceasefire regime? Thank you.



Edward Nalbandian: The Co-Chair countries have stated on numerous occasions and on the highest level, on the level of the Presidents, that the side which will use the force and violate the ceasefire, will be harshly condemned by the international community. And when such a statement comes from the Presidents of the Co-Chair countries, who are the permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, France, what does it mean? Is it merely a statement? I think not just.



Nonetheless, Azerbaijan pretends that these calls have nothing to do with it, Azerbaijan pretends that it can ignore those statements and calls. Azerbaijan spares no efforts to impede the establishment of mechanism for investigation of ceasefire violations. Although it is clear to everyone who is the initiator of the violations even without the mechanism. Simply, the Co-Chair countries are mediators, and the mediator countries are doing their utmost to be balanced to enable the continuation of the negotiations. But even the Co-Chairs were already compelled to issue targeted statements, which was the case couple of days ago, when they stated that it is Azerbaijan who violated the ceasefire, and there was a retaliation from the Armenian side. It also happened when the Co-Chairs criticized Azerbaijan urging it to refrain from the attempts to shift the discussions on the settlement into other formats and to cease criticism directed against the Co-Chair countries and to agree to the establishment of mechanism for investigation of ceasefire violations, as was done by Armenia and Artsakh.



Targeted statements have been issued on numerous occasions. But how many statements still should be issued so that it becomes clear that statements alone are not enough, and that the international community should undertake all the steps as implied by this notion of will be harshly condemned in order to curb Azerbaijans continuous attempts to destabilise the situation in the region with all its consequences not only for the region, but in a much broader context?



I think the international community is finally coming to exactly this understanding that relevant steps should be undertaken towards the country which is against peace, always threatens to use force and to solve the issue through the military means.
YEREVAN, 13 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 13 June, USD exchange rate is down by 0.06 drams to 482.56 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 0.36 drams to 540.85 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.03 drams to 8.48 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 0.45 drams to 613.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is down by 4.77 drams to 19647.77 drams. Silver price is down by 3.44 drams to 265.77 drams. Platinum price is up by 75.76 drams to 14645.84 drams.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan receives Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser on June 13,Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office.

During the meeting the interlocutors mutually recorded with satisfaction that the relations between the two states based on deep-rooted friendship between the people of Armenia and Estonia and mutual trust and respect have developed during the 25 years of diplomatic relations between two states. President Sargsyan stressed that Armenia is ready to further activate and deepen political dialogue both on bilateral and multilateral formats, as well as develop cooperation on inter-parliamentary and inter-governmental levels in various spheres of mutual interest.

Sharing the opinion that new impetus should be given to the partnership, since the expectations and potentials are rather promising, the Armenian President and Estonian FM also referred to the development prospects of Armenia-EU relations.



Foreign Minister Sven Mikser hoped that in the sidelines of Estonias coming presidency of the Council of the EU, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU will be signed. During the meeting Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser presented to President Sargsyan the priorities of Estonias presidency of the Council of the EU.

The sides exchanged ideas over regional issues and challenges, including the settlement process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Foreign Minister of Estonia emphasized that Estonia fully supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs aimed at the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Posing this challenge to Nitish, he further said BJP too would get all the its 55 legislators and all MPs to resign and go for midterm polls.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: Bihar BJP President Nityanand Rai has dared Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dissolve the Assembly by seeking resignation of all the 178 legislators of the "Mahagathbandhan" and go for fresh polls. Posing this challenge to Nitish, he further said the BJP too would get all the its 55 legislators and all MPs to resign and go for midterm polls.

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"I dare Nitish Kumar to get his legislators to resign and hold fresh elections. We will also take similar step and then we will find out which party is more popular today to win elections", said Nityanand Rai, Bihar BJP President.

Rai's comments have come a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar posed a similar challenge to the BJP to hold snap polls in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh together by dissolving the Assemblies in both states.

"I am willing for elections tomorrow if BJP wants but then elections should simultaneously be held in Bihar as well as Uttar Pradesh", said Nitish Kumar.

This politics of "resignation" was triggered just days ahead of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's maiden to Bihar when his deputy and Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya kicked off a row when he dared Nitish Kumar to dissolve the Bihar Assembly and seek fresh mandate if he was so confident of the good work his government was doing in the state.

"If Nitish Kumar is so confident of good work then I challenge him to dissolve the Assembly and hold fresh elections in the state. I am confident that BJP will win this time", said Keshav Prasad Maurya, deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh during his visit to Patna on 11the June.

Yogi Adityanath is schedule to visit Bihar for the first time on 15th June when he will address a rally in Darbhanga.

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. A number of international flights are conducted over Artsakhs airspace or very near to it and its not ruled out that airplanes from Turkey could also fly over Artsakhs airspace, spokesperson of Artsakhs President Davit Babayan told Armenpress, commenting on the information in social networks that according to Flightradar24.com website, Airbus A321-231 airplane belonging to the Turkish Airlines flying from Istanbul to Baku flew over the airspace of Artsakh on June 12.

Its not ruled out that it is disinformation. But I would like to note that a number of international flights are conducted over Artsakhs airspace or very near to it and its not ruled out that there can be some flights from Istanbul as well. For example, flights from Yerevan to Lebanon, Paris, Germany or Austria are conducted through Turkish airspace. I think we should not speculate over this issue. In fact, even if a flight from Istanbul to Baku through Artsakhs airspace was conducted, we are not Azerbaijan to make terrorist actions. Its the style of Azerbaijan, Islamic State terrorist organization or Al-Qaeda. Even if such a flight is conducted, its no problem for us. This shows that Artsakh is a normal and civilized country, Babayan said.

To the remark that Azerbaijan calls on the airlines of other countries to bypass the airspace of Artsakh for security reasons, Davit Babayan stressed that those are false and fabricated calls.If a Turkish airplane really flew over the airspace of Artsakh, this documents that the mentioned calls are false. They are used to saying something, but doing something else. If its dangerous to fly over Artsakh, why do they fly over Artsakh themselves? Artsakh Presidents spokesperson said.

He added that the international community should pay attention to and condemn the threats of the political leadership of Azerbaijan, according to which Azerbaijan will down any airplane taking off from Stepanakerts airport.
YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan receives on June 13 NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, Serzh Sargsyan greeted the guest and stressed that similar visits are a good opportunity to discuss NATO-Armenia partnership agenda, as well as to exchange views on regional and international developments. President Sargsyan recalled with warmth his productive meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on February 27, 2017 at NATO Headquarters and asked the Special Representative to convey his warm greetings to the Secretary General and the reaffirmation of the invitation to visit Armenia.

James Appathurai thanked the President of the Republic for the reception and conveyed the warm wishes of NATO Secretary General and his readiness to meet again.

At the beginning of the meeting the Special Representative of the NATO Gen-Sec expressed gratitude to Armenia on behalf of the organization for its participation in ensuring peace in Afghanistan and Kosovo and the contribution of Armenia to peacekeeping missions, emphasizing that during these years Armenia-NATO relations developed in an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. James Appathurai noted that he will leave Armenia with resolve to continue the productive cooperation.

At the request of the guest President Sargsyan introduced the transition process to the new governance system following the Constitutional changes and the importance of the reforms, developments over Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and the Presidents assessments to the situation. The sides also touched upon Armenia-Iran relations, regional issues and security challenges.
New Defra chief Michael Gove has been told farmers need certainty that the Government will make Brexit a success for British food and farming.

In an open letter to the secretary of state for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Farmers Union (NFU) offered Gove its sincere congratulations on his appointment and said it looked forward to working with him.

Written by NFU president Meurig Raymond, the letter said the NFU is aiming to work with Defra to champion farming within the Government.

Our shared aim is to ensure a productive, progressive and profitable future for British farmers and assurance to British consumers. With farming arguably the sector most impacted by Brexit, NFU members need certainty as soon as possible that this Government will make Brexit a success for British food and farming, the letter said.

To achieve our potential, we need a future post-Brexit trade arrangement that delivers the best possible access to the vital EU market, as well as continued access to a competent and reliable workforce. With your experience in reforming policy environments we look forward to working with you to create a new wider policy framework that better delivers for British food and farming - and for our nation.

In addition, the NFU suggested the following measures for the new Government to support British Farming:

That the Governments 25-Year bovine TB Eradication strategy is implemented in full.

Licensing and access to plant protection products.

Regulation based on robust, scientific evidence to the reauthorisation of glyphosate.

The impact of issues such as fly-tipping, theft and hare coursing for farms and rural communities.

In May 2017, the NFU urged farmers to speak with MPs on neonicotinoids ban.
Birds Bakery has raised 10,000 for the British Red Cross Manchester fund following the re-introduction of the salted caramel doughnut across its 58 stores.

Priced at 1 each, ten thousand limited-edition doughnuts were sold between 6-10 June to raise funds for those affected in the Manchester Arena bombing last month.

The mayor of Derby John Whitby also visited Birds Albert Street shop on Wednesday to support the fundraising.

Everyone was really pleased to see the mayor coming down to support us and we are pleased how the four days have gone for this important fundraising initiative, Mike Holling, head of retail at Birds Bakery, told British Baker.

All of our customers were very pleased that we were doing something to help.

The popular doughnut was also used during National Doughnut Week in May to raise more than 9,000 for The Childrens Trust.

Holling added that due to the popularity of the doughnut, it could be here to stay.

On this occasion, we had a large amount of requests for the salted caramel doughnut, we are going to rest upon it for a couple of weeks and Im sure its going to come back.
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.
Before Gov. Roy Cooper and his surrogates accuse the N.C. General Assembly ofthe governor might want to reflect on his own actions in connection with legislative electoral redistricting.The best place to start involves a question: What is the North Carolina governor's constitutional role in the redistricting process? The answer: None.Sure, Cooper has a right to comment on redistricting. He can criticize the General Assembly as much as he wants. With the bully pulpit of the state's top elected executive office, his comments and criticism are bound to attract attention.But, as governor, Cooper plays zero role in creating North Carolina's election maps for the General Assembly or Congress. Neither the constitution nor state law calls on him to draw maps, to order others to draw maps, or to review maps once they're completed. In fact, laws spelling out legislative and congressional election maps face a clear exemption from the governor's review. You can find that exemption in Article II , Section 22 of the state constitution.Unlike other recent disputes pitting the Democrat Cooper against the Republican-led legislature, disagreement about election districts has no direct impact on the governor's ability to exercise executive authority. Legislative districts help determine the composition of the legislative branch alone.So Cooper's decision last week to insert himself into the redistricting debate falls outside the governor's traditional role in the system of government set out within the N.C. Constitution.It's also worthwhile to examine the specifics of Cooper's actions.He is absolutely correct in asserting his constitutional authority under Article III , Section 5 to call an extra session of the General Assembly. But relying on that provision of the constitution, he must abide by its prescriptions.One of them limits the governor's extra sessions to those convened "by and with the advice of the Council of State." The word "consent" does not appear after "advice," so it's not clear that the state constitution requires a vote or even a meeting of the Council of State.One suspects, though, that those who crafted the constitutional language did not anticipate a governor would seek "advice" about an extra session in an email sent at 3:37 p.m. Wednesday, seven minutes after the scheduled starting time for his news conference announcing the session. In addition to that questionable timing, the governor's notification to Council of State members asked only that they acknowledge receipt of his email, not that they provide recommendations or other "advice."One might reasonably conclude that the governor and his team thumbed their noses at that constitutional provision.The constitution also limits the governor to calling extra sessions "on extraordinary occasions." Supporters argue that the U.S. Supreme Court's June 5 ruling throwing out 28 legislative districts as examples of illegal racial gerrymandering represents a clear case of an "extraordinary" occasion.While it's unclear whether courts would agree with that assessment, it's quite clear that legislators are meeting in a regular session. That session started in January and has no adjournment date. Nothing prevents lawmakers from addressing redistricting issues during their regular session. Nothing prevents Cooper from urging them to take action during that session.Also clear is language in the original court order throwing out disputed legislative districts because of racial gerrymandering. The order called on lawmakers to draw new districts in a regular session - not an extra session.Lawmakers cited all three concerns about Cooper's extra session - the questionable nature of the Council of State's "advice," the fact that lawmakers are meeting in a regular session, and the court order requiring redistricting revisions to be made during a regular session - in declaring Cooper's action neither valid nor constitutional.One can argue with their interpretation. But it's clear that rather than "thumbing its nose" at the state constitution, the General Assembly specifically relied on language within the constitution to reject Cooper's plan.Lawmakers didn't even address a clearly unconstitutional portion of Cooper's planned extra session. The governor set a two-week time limit for the session. He has no constitutional authority to place such a constraint on lawmakers.Once again, a reasonable observer might conclude that the governor and his team had thumbed their collective noses at the N.C. Constitution. Yet it was Cooper spokesman Ford Porter who used that analogy to describe legislators' actions. And Porter extended the accusation to the General Assembly's response to the U.S. Supreme Court.The facts paint a different picture.No one disputes that the U.S. Supreme Court, without comment or dissent, upheld the trial court ruling against North Carolina's legislative districts in. The single line, "The judgment is affirmed," appears at the top of a 12-page Supreme Court order list issued June 5.Perhaps Cooper's lawyers failed to read the rest of the document. If they had, they would have noticed that the last three pages of the order list offered more detail. Those three pages featured the Supreme Court's unanimous opinion that the trial court in Covington had failed to make a compelling case for holding special legislative elections in 2017.After chiding the trial court for the "most cursory fashion" in which it addressed arguments for and against special elections, the justices addedThe Supreme Court threw out the special elections and ordered the case sent back to the trial court for "further proceedings."This order arrived on a Monday. Cooper announced his extra legislative session in a news conference the following Wednesday. The Supreme Court had not yet returned the case officially to the trial court, nor had the trial court scheduled any hearings or submitted any orders based on the Supreme Court's ruling.Cooper made no reference to the Supreme Court's concerns about a special election. Nor did he mention the fact that any additional action from the trial court must withstand the scrutiny of a united Supreme Court.Instead Cooper and his team wanted the public to believe that the two days that had elapsed between the Supreme Court's order and his news conference represented an unreasonable delay in action on the part of state lawmakers.One could conclude just as easily from the same set of facts that lawmakers had been waiting to see how federal courts resolved all outstanding redistricting disputes before taking action on new election maps. That wait-and-see approach displays deference to the legal process, not defiance of it.Why did the governor step into the redistricting debate when he did? Calling a constitutionally dubious extra session of the General Assembly and ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous order spelling out concerns about the potential impact of special legislative elections in 2017?A federal trial court order issued Friday evening offers a clue. In it, the three-judge panel in Covington reveals that the challengers of North Carolina's legislative election districts, challengers who are also Cooper's ideological allies, filed new paperwork Thursday. Those challengers are asking the court to proceed with briefings and hearings that could pave the way for a special election in November.The court order says Cooper's allies argue that legislative leaders oppose the idea, that the N.C. State Board of Elections holds no position, andWhat evidence exists that the "State of North Carolina" wants a prompt decision about a special election? Official discussion of the Supreme Court's June 5 decision has been limited to Cooper's news conference calling for an extra legislative session. That news conference took place the day before Cooper's ideological allies filed their latest court documents.It's interesting timing, to say the least.
Syndicated mortgage investors still out tens of thousands, say Ontario's new regulations won't help

The mortgage agent who solicited nearly $9 million in syndicated mortgage investments from members of the Greater Toronto Area's Chinese community has had his licence suspended by the provincial regulator after becoming the target of more than a dozen complaints.

Dominic Ha's mortgage agent licence was suspended on May 31 by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) as part of an ongoing investigation.

In April, a CBC Toronto investigation revealed that more than 120 investors have likely lost nearly $9 million in syndicated mortgage investments solicited by Ha, who then loaned the money to a convicted fraudster.

The loans went towards a number of syndicated mortgages, which are investments where a borrower finds more than one private lender to invest money in a property instead of going to the bank.

In this case, the borrower was Black Bear Homes, a developer in Fort Erie, Ont., run by convicted fraudster Gary Fraser. Most of the projects involved renovating or building houses or townhomes in the Crystal Beach community on Lake Erie.

Normally in a syndicated mortgage an investor would lend less than what the property is worth, so that their investment can be recouped from the sale of the property. But in the investments Ha solicited, investors were collectively lending much more.

According to the contracts that investors signed, Ha received 10 per cent of the funds for each syndicated mortgage he solicited for "mortgage orientation, referral, management and consulting fees."

That means that on a $300,000 syndicated mortgage, Ha would receive a $30,000 commission.

All of the investors CBC Toronto spoke to filed complaints against Ha with FSCO, but back in April the regulator would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation into the mortgage agent.

Ha still selling syndicated mortgage investments: FSCO

Now FSCO has ordered an interim suspension of his licence because it believes that in addition to these complaints, Ha is still selling syndicated mortgage investments "in his personal capacity as a mortgage agent."

Story continues

According to the enforcement order, FSCO received one complaint about Ha in October 2016 pertaining to the syndicated mortgage investments CBC Toronto has investigated.

The complaint alleged that Ha "provided false or deceptive information in the course of selling syndicated mortgage investments," according to the regulator's enforcement order.

In this first case, Ha provided information to FSCO relating to the complaint and denied any wrongdoing.

Then, in February, the regulator received approximately 17 more complaints about Ha with the same allegations.

In the enforcement order, FSCO says they have obtained "information that the complainants may have been misled about the investments and may have been provided with a guarantee about the return on investment."

Several investors, like Kwanny Lam, told CBC Toronto that Ha told them syndicated mortgages were safe and secure.

"Dominic said 'Don't worry about it,'" said Lam, who invested $50,000. "He said 100 per cent guarantee, don't worry about it, get the money back. That's what he promised me."

Despite two summons for information from the regulator, Ha has failed to provide any documentation in response to the 17 complaints, according to FSCO's order.

Nicole Brockbank can be reached at 416-205-6911 or at nicole.brockbank@cbc.ca
Coding and Robotics

Apple Swift Draws Support from Robotics, Drone Makers

Alongside other companies that have picked up integration with Apple's Swift coding language, Lego Education has announced its own support for the iPad programming app for beginners. The company said it would be pairing Mindstorms Education EV3 with the Swift Playgrounds learning platform to allow students to program their Lego Mindstorms robots and other creations with motors and sensors.

Mindstorms already comes with its own programming app, which is controlled by dragging and dropping icons into a line to form commands. Swift is a highly visual programming environment that allows the user to tap on assorted options for creation of runnable code.

"Today we're combining efforts with Apple to provide even more students around the world with the opportunity to learn how to code," said Esben Strk Jrgensen, president of LEGO Education, in a press release.

Other devices that respond to Swift programming include:

Sphero SPRK+, a robotic ball that rolls, turns, accelerates and changes colors. Sensors provide feedback when Sphero hits an obstacle.

Parrot's Mambo, Airborne and Rolling Spider drones, which can take flight, turn and perform aerial feats;

UBTECH's Jimu Robot MeeBot Kit, which can walk, wave and dance based on coding; and

Skoog, a tactile cube that lets students create and play music with Swift code.

Swift Playgrounds 1.5 is available as a free download on the Apple App Store. It runs on all iPad Air and iPad Pro models and the iPad mini 2 and later running iOS 10 or later.
C-Level View | Feature

Hobsons' Predictive Analytics Integration: From the PAR Framework to Holistic Tools

A Q&A with Ellen Wagner

It's been a year and a half since Hobsons acquired the PAR Framework and began integrating PAR's predictive modeling into its product offerings. Is predictive analytics well-established now, in our common workflows and tools? Here, VP for Research Ellen Wagner talks about how Hobsons' integration of predictive analytics, including the PAR Framework, has provided the education sector with tools to approach a myriad of issues more holistically  from college and career planning, to recruitment and student matching, to admissions, advising, and student success.

"We'll see analytics as more of a standard tool in everyone's workflow  a tool that ultimately produces more decision-making, and more action, at more levels. And so much will come from all that to benefit students."  Ellen Wagner

Mary Grush: I want to ask you about how we are starting to use predictive analytics today in higher education, but let's approach that using an example from your own work. Let's start with your current passion  your interest in the holistic use of predictive analytics, in areas which you describe as spanning from recruitment, through enrollment management, and on through advising and ongoing student support. Could you explain a little about your own journey that brought you to your current fascination with areas such as admissions and enrollment management?

Ellen Wagner: I've been thinking a lot about enrollment management since I joined Hobsons a year and a half ago. It's been an eye-opening experience for this former professor. You know, those of us on the academic side of the house typically didn't think much about where our students came from. We just knew they would be in our classes, and that we would be responsible for making sure they learned in our classes and programs. In my time at Hobsons, I have come to understand just how much effort goes into enrollment management, student support, and student affairs.

Hobsons is well-known for its great work with college and career readiness, and the tremendous support provided to high school counselors, students, and their families. We are also tightly connected to the world of college recruitment, enrollment management, and admissions. We've known for years that helping students and their families develop college and career aspirations, along with the ability to research options deeply, isn't something that happens in the weeks before high school graduation. The earlier we start, the greater the probabilities of giving our young people opportunities for dreaming bigger and for seeing ways to realize their dreams.

It's always striking when my higher ed colleagues speak of the moral imperative we have to support the students we admit into our higher education institutions. Given my new awareness of just how much work goes on before students ever cross the college threshold, I have been wondering: What if we considered connecting all the support those students get before they go to college with the support they get once they have arrived at college? We can do this by collaborating more actively with our K12 colleagues to build the pathways we know are essential to doing a better job of supporting students along their entire learning journey.

Grush: Where in that storyline would you especially want to do a better job of supporting students?

Wagner: There is a large ecosystem built around getting K12 students to think about colleges, including recruitment, college visits, admissions  it's an entire enrollment management industry.

In all my experience over the years in academic affairs, of course I knew what was going on there, but I don't think I actually realized just how much of a business engine enrollment management has to be for a college or a university, and what a large piece of institutional operations it is.
STEM

P-TECH 9-14 Schools to Blossom to 80 by Fall

Six years after the launch of the first Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) school in Brooklyn, yet another cohort of students is graduating  each walking away with a high school diploma, an associate's degree in a STEM field and related work experience. Most P-TECH participants have two things in common: They come from low-income families and they've completed their six-year programs in five years or less. Many have also gone on to take jobs within IBM, the corporate partner that helped launch the P-TECH idea.

P-TECH began in 2011 when IBM collaborated with the New York City Department of Education, the City University of New York and the New York City College of Technology to open the first 9-14 school. A year later, five schools opened in Chicago backed by IBM, as well as Cisco, Microsoft, Motorola and Verizon. Schools in both cities will have graduated a combined 100 students since their founding.

The model P-TECH follows is to impose lofty expectations on students and to help them see themselves on a career pathway from the time they enter ninth grade. Students participate in mentoring, workplace visits, job shadowing and internships. Corporate partners commit to making sure the young people gain sufficient experience in their given fields to be considered as "first in line" candidates for new jobs.

As of September 2016, there were 60 schools, not just in New York and Illinois, but also in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island and Australia. They'll number 80 by this fall, according to IBM, and have 300 different companies  large and small  signed on as industry partners.

"Our graduates and young IBM hires show that American STEM talent can be grown, pointing the way to what is possible, with more black and Hispanic students completing high school and college without the need of remediation," said Rashid Davis, P-TECH's founding principal, in a prepared statement. "Providing equal opportunity to underserved youth in our community is what success looks like. Starting in Brooklyn, this new education paradigm has spread across the country, helping recharge economies. P-TECH's efforts from industry, post-secondary and secondary professionals show that together, we can continue to improve public education."

Graduates have already joined IBM, working as front-end web developers, organizational developers, coders and analysts. Many are also continuing college in pursuit of bachelor's degrees.

The P-TECH website offers case studies, tools and other resources to help school districts, colleges and universities and businesses begin the establishment of new schools that follow the same model.
Arizona's death chamber

PHOENIX (AP)  Lawyers for a group of condemned prisoners who sued over how Arizona conducts executions told a federal judge Monday that they have reached a tentative settlement with the state.





The agreement between the state and the prisoners contains a series of provisions to address the prisoners' arguments that the state's execution procedures violate their constitutional rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment and have due process.





The agreement limits the power of the Department of Corrections' director to change execution drugs at the last minute, requires that drugs be tested before use and bars the state from using expired drugs.





It also increases transparency in the execution process.





The Department of Corrections officially published the new execution rules late last month, and the settlement would make those provisions binding.





The agreement still needs approval by the prisoners. But one of their attorneys, Josh Anderson, told U.S. District Judge Neil Wake he expects that to happen as soon as next week.





If the settlement falls through for some reason, Wake has set a bench trial for September.





"That trial will not move - there is no place to move it," Wake told the attorneys. "I'm inclined to hold my breath for 10 days."





Arizona to cut paralytic drugs in execution overhaul: lawyer

(Reuters) - Arizona has agreed to scrap paralytic drugs from its lethal injection mix and allow witnesses to see more of the execution procedure under an overhaul of the state's death penalty practices, a lawyer for death row inmates said on Monday.





The changes are part of a settlement announced on Monday in federal court in Phoenix in a 2014 lawsuit brought by seven death row inmates who argued Arizona's lethal injection practices were experimental, secretive and caused inmates prolonged suffering.





Dale Baich, a lawyer for the litigants in the case, said the settlement agreement must be approved by a federal judge.





Representatives for Arizona's attorney general and the state Department of Corrections could not be reached to comment.





Baich said the agreement, if approved, would mark the first time a U.S. state had agreed to such major changes in its drug protocol and execution procedures because of prisoners' complaints.





"The state is taking appropriate steps to decrease the risk that prisoners will be tortured to death," he said.





Under the settlement, Arizona agreed not to use paralytic drugs, which lawyers for the inmates argued hid signs of consciousness and suffering during executions.





The state also agreed to limit the authority of the director of the department of corrections to change execution drugs, and allow a prisoner time to challenge any drug changes, Baich said.





States have been scrambling to find chemicals for lethal injection mixes after U.S. and European pharmaceutical makers placed a sales ban in recent years on drugs for executions because of ethical concerns.





In December, Arizona agreed in the same case to stop using the valium-like sedative midazolam, or related products, as a part of a drug protocol for lethal injections.





Midazolam has been used in troubled executions in Arizona, Alabama, Ohio and Oklahoma. In some instances, witnesses said convicted murderers twisted on gurneys before dying.





It was also used along with a narcotic in Arizona's last execution, which was for convicted murderer Joseph Wood in 2014.





Wood was seen gasping for air during a nearly two-hour procedure where he received 15 rounds of drug injections. Lethal injections typically result in death in a matter of minutes.





Arizona also agreed under the settlement to allow greater transparency by letting witnesses view more of the execution process, including the moment the executioner administers the drugs intravenously, Baich said.

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: Associated Press, June 12, 2017: Reuters, June 12, 2017
Kuwait court overturns death sentence for father and mother who tortured their child to death





Manama | Kuwaits Court of Appeals has overturned the death sentence for father and a mother who tortured their four-year-old daughter to death and kept her body in a freezer.





The court in its new ruling sentenced the father to 10 years in jail and acquitted the mother.





The reasons that made the appeals court abolish on Monday the verdicts pronounced by a lower court were not reported.





According to the case documents, the 26-year-old father in May last year beat his daughter Isra with an electrical wire and poured hot water on her in front of her mother, 23, and three younger siblings.





Security sources said that the investigation department received a tip about a suspicious murder in a flat in the Salmiya area in the capital Kuwait City.





Investigators searched the flat and found a bag in the freezer in which they found the frozen body of a young girl, the sources said





Forensic doctors reported that the body had burns on the shoulders and feet and traces of torture.





During his questioning, the father, reportedly a drug addict, said that his daughter took one of his pills and died.





However, he later admitted that he tortured her with hot water and beat her up with an electrical wire for her negligence in the flat. He added that when he saw her condition, he went down to a pharmacy and bought her medicines, but she passed away.





The father then went to the market and bought a freezer and placed Isra's body inside it.





His wife, a foreigner, refused to stay in the flat where the body was hidden, and he was forced to take her and their three children to another location.





However, they complained that the place was unbearably hot and that they could not stay there.





He took them to the flat of his mother and asked her to accommodate them for a few days, the sources added.





The father told his mother that the eldest daughter had been hospitalized and that he would stay with her at the hospital.





Upon hearing the details, investigators headed to the flat where they arrested Isra's mother for her complicity in the murder of her daughter.





Further investigations revealed that the father and mother consumed drugs and that the father had been fired from work for showing up in an abnormal state.





The parents were also found to be extremely negligent in the upbringing of their children and that their flat was disorganized and dirty.





In its statement, the interior ministry said the parents were on drugs at the time of the murder.





The investigations indicated that the father bought the freezer on the same day he killed his daughter and that he was the one to put her in a bag.





The statement confirmed that the girl's body had traces of torture.





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Cities today face a myriad of challenges, from crises of inequality to inadequate funds and services. But that doesnt faze Sidewalk Labs CEO Daniel Doctoroff. His aim: To transform urban environments through technologies that can drive efficiency, raise accountability, and foster a deeper sense of community.

To Daniel L. Doctoroff, chairman and CEO of Sidewalk Labs, cities are more than just aggregations of people and buildings. Theyre opportunities for innovations that can improve the quality of urban life for everyonecitizens, governments, and businesses alike. Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet, combines technology, data, policy, and capital to develop products to address big urban problems around the world. Its an ambitious goal, but Dan is no stranger to tackling big-city issues: Prior to founding Sidewalk Labs, he was president and CEO of Bloomberg LP and served as deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding for the City of New York in the Bloomberg administration.

I caught up with Dan as Sidewalk Labs was in the midst of relocating its headquarters to Hudson Yards, a longtime industrial area of New York City, which is being transformed into one of Americas largest mixed-use developments. Its a place where cutting-edge construction sits atop century-old railyards. Dan conceived of the project as deputy mayor, and fittingly, our conversation covered cities history and their future, and how technology could be poised to remake urban life.

Scott Corwin: From your perspective, where are cities today?

Dan Doctoroff: On one hand, if you look at cities today, you see the extraordinary challenges that most face. In the most successful cities, there are massive supply and demand imbalances that are producing crises of affordability and inequality, and, at the same time, many cities are wrestling with deep financial problems. In the less successful cities, youre seeing depopulation and a massive reduction in services, which are leading to crises like what happened in Flint, Michigan. So you can look at cities today and say, for the best cities, its tough, and for cities that are suffering, its worse. This is cause for real concern.

On the other hand, I believe there is a very powerful case to be made for optimismI think that were actually on the threshold of a rare era of technological innovation in cities that has the potential to fundamentally alter quality of life across almost every dimension.

I believe there is a very powerful case to be made for optimismI think that were actually on the threshold of a rare era of technological innovation in cities that has the potential to fundamentally alter quality of life across almost every dimension.

SC: Can you put this era of technological innovation in historical context?

DD: Well, when you look back over the past 200 years and you think about the formation of the modern city, there have been three previous periods where weve seen the kind of impact that we may be beginning to experience now.

The first was the invention of the steam engine, which brought people and goods to cities across long distances, enabled them to become industrialized on a scale that was not possible before. The steam engine also made modern sanitation possible. This all occurred in the early 1800s and played out over the course of a couple of generations.

Second, in the late 1880s, the electric grid was rolled out. That made it possible to light up cities 24 hours a day, and to get around more easily on streetcars and subways. It also verticalized cities with the elevator, and ultimately enabled modern communications.

The third, which really began in the early part of the 20th century, was the automobile. That forced cities to completely reconceive space. They had to accommodate a separation of roadways, provide for parking, and, obviously, the automobile made it easier to flee cities, which, in many cases, hollowed out the urban core.

In each case, there were positives and negatives, but each invention fundamentally altered city life. If you look at the city in 1880, when the fastest vehicle was pulled by a horse and the best lighting was produced with kerosene, and compare it with 1940, by which time the automobile was fully integrated into urban life, the two would be almost unrecognizable.

Now the interesting thing is that if you compare 1940 with today, its clear that we really havent had a revolution in cities since. The way we move around, where we get our energy and water, even the way we live in apartments (other than TV and the Internet)none of it has fundamentally changed. So the question is, what happens now? I think were on the verge of a fourth technological revolution, which will be the result of a combination of digital networked technologies.

SC: What are these technologies, and have they already started coalescing to produce change?

DD: The first is ubiquitous connectivity, which we are rapidly approaching. The second is sensingand by sensing, I mean things like location services, specialty sensors, cameraswhich gives us the capacity to measure whats going on in real time. The third is social networks. The reason social networks are important is that they increase our capacity to trust wider and wider circles of people, places, and things, not just because we can get information about them, but also because people are rating them. The next one is computing power, which helps the average person understand the implications of data and gives them the ability to understand it in new ways through artificial intelligence and machine learning. And the fifth is a set of technologies, like 3D printing and robotics, which will enable us to rethink the design and fabrication of buildings and spaces. So we believe that the combination of those five technologies will make the city of today unrecognizable when we look back from the vantage point of 2050 or 2060.

You begin to see the combinational power of four of these technologies in Uber. Think about what makes Uber possible. Ubiquitous connectivity allows everyone to connect to vehicles through the Uber app on her smartphone. Through sensing, the driver knows where you are, and you know where the driver is, which creates a sense of confidence in the service. Social networks also give you the confidence to get into a car with a driver you dont know, because you see the drivers rating. And its the same for the driver. If you have a bad rating, you are less likely to get picked up, so you have an incentive to actually behave better. The last is computing power: Uber is continually learning about passengers to improve the customer experience. It is the combination of these technologies that has fundamentally disrupted a monopoly that we thought to be impregnable as recently as five years ago.

But I would argue that what Uber has not done is fundamentally produce meaningful growth. Uber, for the most part, is a substitution play. The real opportunity will come when these technologies get integrated into the physical environment. Thats when we will begin to see real growth in productivity and meaningful change in quality of life.

However, full integration is hard. It took 30 to 50 years for each of the three previous technology revolutions to be integrated into the urban environment. Those were also simpler eras where regulation was not nearly as complex as it is today.

SC: So youre arguing that once you integrate this set of foundational technologies, you would be able to provide the same quality of life at a lower overall system costfreeing up capital dollars for reinvestment and, in turn, leading to greater productivity and quality of life. Is that right?

DD: Yes, I believe the integration of these core technologies will have five core impacts on urban environments.

The first is greater efficiency from sharing assets: space, infrastructure, but also less tangible ones such as knowledge and time. The second is a more personalized world: Our environment will learn about us, and we will learn about it in many different ways. The third is a greater sense of community: As we pool and share community resources, the feeling of belonging to a community grows stronger. The fourth is using real-time monitoring to get a better sense of whats happening and to hold people accountable, so that we can potentially understand the real cost of externalities. Last, more adaptability: Cities can become more flexible and adapt to the needs of their residents.

Let me give you an example of adaptability in zoning laws. Why do we have zoning laws? Because there are uses of buildings that are incompatible with other uses of buildings. We dont typically put factories next to schools, and, for the most part, we dont put residences next to commercial buildings. There is little transparency about what is going on inside these buildings, so we classify them crudely. We do the same thing with building codes: We over-engineer buildings because we cant actually monitor them over time.

Now imagine the digital networked age where technologies such as sensors and social networks help us better understand whats going on. Cities can say, You can do whatever you want in that building as long as your decibel level doesnt go above X, and well be monitoring it. The ability to change uses and space quickly becomes possible, enabling the emergence of a whole set of new industries around flexible buildings that can be monitored, lowering cost and creating economic growth.

The biggest change in the digital networked age is likely to be centered on mobility. Deloitte has done some of the best research on the economics of shared autonomous vehicles (AV).1 An average vehicle is used 3 percent or 4 percent of the time, and it is the second-highest expense for an average American family making $55,000 a year. Now imagine a place that has only autonomous vehicles. At Sidewalk Labs, weve actually modeled an all-autonomous environment, and we expect that an average family would spend about half as much money on transportation as it does today. And putting $5,000 back into the pocket of a family could be the difference between struggling to get by and being able to afford things that seem out of reach today.

However, it isnt just about money. AV-only environments will be safer, meaning the time-starved parent can feel confident allowing her child to get home from school safely, potentially saving precious time. We will also be able to save on space. Parking and separated roadways take up 30 percent of a citys available land, but we think we can dramatically reduce that, creating more open space and, ultimately, improving health outcomes.

In just these two examples, it is pretty clear how profoundly we can change urban life.

SC: How do you see all of these foundational technologies and impacts converging over time? What is the catalyst for change for this new era? It obviously wont be the same in every single city.

DD: I think we are going to seeand this is the approach that we are taking at Sidewalk Labsthat initially you dont need an idea to be successful in every city. Instead, you need to make something a success in one city. Once it is proven to be successful there, other cities are far more likely to adopt the idea.

I saw this happen with the High Line when I was deputy mayor of New York. We opened the High Line in early 2009, and, within a year, there were 36 high lines under development around the world.2 Bike-sharing started in Paris in 2007, and today I believe its in more than 800 cities worldwide. You dont need to get something adopted everywhere; a good idea will follow its own path to adoption. Whats important is that we have cities, entrepreneurs, and others who are willing to try an idea.

For example, in New York we created PlaNYC, our sustainability plan that featured 127 initiatives looking to answer two questions: How can we accommodate growth of 1 million more people in New York over the next 25 to 30 years? And how can we dramatically reduce carbon emissions generated by the city at the same time? The 127 separate initiatives looked at transportation, land use, energy, water quality, air quality, water reliability, brownfields, parks, housingessentially every aspect of the physical environment. Out of the 127, only a handful of the ideas were original. Mostly, we simply chose what was working in other cities around the world.

The key point is that city leaders and citizens are trying very hard to improve the quality of life in their cities, and they are willing to look anywhere for good ideas. If cities experiment enough, in partnership with the private sector, youre going to see innovation flower and spread around the world.

SC: What are the hallmarks of success looking ahead 50 years from now? How will we measure progress?

DD: One of the questions Sidewalk Labs has spent a lot of time thinking about is, How can we accelerate progress? We conducted a detailed thought experiment in which we asked what would happen if you built a new city or district from the Internet up. We looked at innovation around mobility, infrastructure, governance, and even social and community policy. And we explored what those innovations on an integrated basis would produce. In reality, cities are not a set of separate subsystems but an integrated set of activities where everything has an impact on everything else. You learn that when you pull one strand, theyre all interrelated in some form.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that the benefits are not about technology but, rather, better quality of life. The technology is an enabler. Increasingly, we have come to the view that there can be great value in attempting to create a place that makes possible the integration of innovation in all of these realms on an accelerated basis, perhaps in the form of a new district at scale, as a way of pulling the future forward.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that the benefits are not about technology but, rather, better quality of life.

SC: Given the thought exercise weve just run through, what is Sidewalk Labs doing now?

DD: In a nutshell, our mission is to embrace the power of ubiquitous connectivity to improve urban life. We plan to do that by developing a whole set of products and services that can improve the quality of life in cities, and its important for us to really understand what the benefits and issues are with ubiquitous connectivity. Two projects were involved with, LinkNYC and Flow, are our initial experiments in this space.

Believe it or not, there are still 7,000 payphones in New York City, 4,000 of them in Manhattan below 96th Street. The idea of LinkNYC is to replace all of them, in all five boroughs, with super-fast, free Wi-Fi hubs. The service, which is expensive to roll out, will be paid for through digital advertising on the large hub displays. We saw this as an interesting business proposition that would allow New York City to provide an incredible public service and reduce the citys digital divide.

The second company, Flow, is a data and analytics platform we created to improve mobility. Congestion in every city is a massive problem and, in general, is getting worse. Increasingly, we see that the poorest people in our communities are getting pushed further out and having less access to opportunity because of their lack of mobility. Flow will ingest all sorts of data (from Google Maps, cameras, sensors, and the citys own data) to give us as complete a picture of real-time traffic conditions on the streets as possible, on which we can build applications that we hope will meaningfully increase mobility. Our objective is always to improve quality of lifein this case, by helping people get where they want to go less expensively and in less time.

At Sidewalk Labs, we have taken great pains to build a team that crosses what I would call the urbanist-technologist divide. When I talk about the future of cities, the people I talk to fall crudely into two categories, the technologists and the urbanists. Overwhelmingly, they do not speak the same language. The technologists are generally insensitive to the complexities of cities, and the urbanists generally dont understand technology. As more cities hire chief digital and technology officers, the situation is getting better, but the number of people who really combine both sets of skills are low. Sidewalk Labs has tried to bring in people who speak both languages.

SC: So how do you see that friction playing out between urbanists, preserving some vision of what life in cities is supposed to be like, and technologists, looking at what the technology can do? Where do they run into each other?

DD: The greatest danger to preventing the transformation of cities is the issue of data and privacy. Ubiquitous connectivity is at the center of this opportunity, because how you harvest that datawhile protecting peoples privacyis ultimately the key to the system, right?

Currently, we do not have a set of agreed-upon principles or protocols to manage this issue. We all recognize that in our private lives, we are giving out lots of data in exchange for services. Sometimes we do it knowingly, sometimes we do it tacitly. Some places make it easier, some places make it harder, but we really havent begun to confront the issue of data privacy in public spaces. So this integration of physical and digital resting on a foundation of data will create a debate, and thats a good thing. Weve got to be able to have those conversations as a society.3

SC: Your optimistic view of the future of cities depends upon integrating technologies to create the digital network era. Can you really see that coming to pass?

DD: Yes, I am truly optimistic about the future of cities. When I think about a fully connected city with integrated data, I start thinking about the implications on health care, education, public safety, and many other parts of urban life. I think were going to see transformative change because cities will be able to better understand whats happening around them and then apply those insights to better anticipate and prevent problems than we cant even see today.
June marks the 70th anniversary of the European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan. It was one of the most successful U.S. foreign policy initiatives of the 20th century, praised by Winston Churchill as the most unselfish act by any great power in history.

In the late 1940s, recovery from the devastation of the Second World War proved to be extraordinarily difficult for the economically devastated countries of Europe. Two years after the war ended, Europe still had a long way to go just to catch up to pre-war agricultural and industrial output. Unemployment was high and food shortages persisted, further slowing down the recovery.

In an effort to stabilize Europe and restore its industrial and agricultural production, the United States initiated the Marshall Plan, named after then-Secretary of State George Marshall. Between April 1948 and December 1951, the United States poured $13 billion in direct investment into 17 Western European countries, including former foes Germany and Italy. In todays money, thats around $130 billion. East European countries were also offered aid but had to decline it on orders of the Soviet Union.

The investment jump-started Western Europe's heavy-industry base, provided jobs for millions of people, stabilized the economic and political systems and raised the Gross National Product of the Marshall Plan countries by 15 to 25 percent. By 1951, it was clear that the initiative had met its objective of restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole, and Western Europe was well on the way to a bright future.

The Marshall Plan not only helped Europe recover and spurred rapid economic growth; it laid the foundation for the long-term peace and prosperity that both the United States and Europe have enjoyed for nearly three-quarters of a century, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Perhaps more importantly, the Marshall Plan laid the foundation for the transatlantic bond and partnership that has helped Europe remain whole, free, at peace, and prosperous. Today, as we face new threats to our security, unity, and prosperity, the Marshall Plan reminds us of what is possible when the United States and Europe work together.
On June 6th, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and their Syrian Arab Coalition partners launched an all-out assault on the ISIS-occupied Syrian city of Raqqa.

The importance of Raqqa cannot be overstated. ISIS captured the city in 2013, and a year later declared Raqqa to be its capital in Syria. The assault on the city begins just as Iraqi forces, with support from the U.S.-led, anti-ISIS combined joint task force, make the final push of a six-month long campaign to clear the last ISIS forces out of Mosul, the groups Iraqi capital. The loss of either city would be a hard blow to the terrorists. Now they are faced with the probability of losing both.

Indeed, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led anti-ISIS combined joint task force have been preparing the ground for the assault on Raqqa for many months, ensuring the best possible conditions for the attacking forces. With the support of countless bombing raids by the joint task force, the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Arab Coalition have seized control of the terrain north of the Euphrates River and the strategically important town of Tabqa.

In the meantime, in anticipation of the attack on Raqqa, the anti-ISIS combined joined task force has been conducting air raids on ISIS targets within and around the town. On the day before the assault began, 24 air strikes hit over a dozen groups of fighters, destroying equipment, booby traps such as houses rigged with explosives, and a weapons storage facility.

The fight for Raqqa will be long and difficult, and it will not be the last. But the offensive will deliver a decisive blow to the idea of ISIS as a physical caliphate, said commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS, General Steve Townsend.

The International Coalition and our partner forces are steadily dismantling the physical caliphate of ISIS.Once ISIS is defeated in both Mosul and Raqqa, there will still be a lot of hard fighting ahead, but this Coalition is strong and committed to the complete annihilation of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria.
In an address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States is looking carefully at the Council and U.S. participation in it.

Ambassador Haley made clear that the U.S. considers the protection and promotion of human rights crucially important. Respect for human rights, she said, is deeply intertwined with peace and security, andhuman rights violationsoften serve as triggers for instability and conflict.

Strong resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Haley stressed, can give hope to people who are fighting for justice, democracy, and human rights, and they can pave the way for accountability.

In a speech later in the day to the Graduate Institute of Geneva, Ambassador Haley pointed out that when the Council fails to act properly  or fails to act at all-- it undermines its own credibility and the cause of human rights.

The United States does not seek to leave the Council; but, Ambassador Haley said, critically necessary reforms must be enacted to reestablish its legitimacy.

The first is the UN must take steps to keep the worst rights abusers from sitting on the Council. To do this, election procedures must be changed. Now, regional blocs nominate slates of pre-determined candidates that never face any competition for votes, Ambassador Haley observed. We must change the elections so countries are forced to make the case for membership based on their records, not on their promises.

Secondly, the Councils biased Agenda Item Seven, singling out Israel for automatic criticism, must be removed. This relentless pathological campaign against a country that actually has a strong human rights record makes a mockery not of Israel, but of the Council itself, said Ambassador Haley. These changes are the minimum necessary to resuscitate the Council as a respected advocate of universal human rights.

Ambassador Haley urged all like-minded countries to join in making the Human Rights Council reach its intended purpose. She emphasized that the United States will never give up the cause of universal human rights in the Council or anywhere.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt recently severed relations with Qatar over allegations of tolerating or supporting extremist groups, including al-Qaida's Syria branch.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said, [the situation] is troubling to the United States, the region, and to many people who are directly affected."

"As we combine efforts to defeat the military, financial, and ideological support of terrorists," said Mr. Tillerson, "we expect to see progress in the Arab world toward greater political expression."

The Gulf Cooperation Council offers member states the opportunity to engage in open dialogue. There should be "no further escalation by the parties in the region," said Secretary Tillerson. "We call on Qatar to be responsive to the concerns of its neighbors. Qatar has a history of supporting groups that have spanned the spectrum of political expression, from activism to violence. The emir of Qatar has made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorist elements from his country, but he must do more and he must do it more quickly."

The U.S. calls on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt to ease the blockade against Qatar. There are already food shortages that can and should be addressed immediately.

The blockade is also impairing U.S. and other international business activities in the region and has created a hardship on the people of Qatar and the people whose livelihoods depend on commerce with Qatar.

The U.S. supports the emir of Kuwaits efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to this agreement and progress toward eliminating all forms of support for terrorism  military, financial, moral, or ideological.

The Gulf Cooperation Council must emerge united and stronger to show the world its resolve in the fight against violence and terrorism.

"Our expectation," said Secretary Tillerson, "is that these countries will immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation and put forth a good-faith effort to resolve their grievances they have with each other."
KYODO NEWS - Jun 13, 2017 - 14:56 | World, All

Panama said Tuesday it has established diplomatic relations with China, breaking off its long-standing official contact with Taiwan, as Beijing increasingly attempts to isolate the democratic self-ruled island from the rest of the world.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation for Panama's decision to sever its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and for its recognition that "there is only one China in the world."

"This is a historical moment," Wang said when he met with his Panamanian counterpart Isabel de Saint Malo, who also serves as vice president of the country, in Beijing to sign a joint communique on the establishment of new diplomatic ties.

The communique said that China and Panama will form friendly ties on the principles of "mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual nonaggression, nonintervention in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence."

The agreement confirmed that Taiwan is "an inalienable part of China's territory" and Panama pledged that it will not have any more official relations or exchanges with the island, which now has only 20 diplomatic allies.

The switch is a major victory for China which has been trying to marginalize Taiwan on the international stage after Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party became the island's president about a year ago.

China also suspended official contact with Taipei after Tsai took office.

Taiwan's government, meanwhile, reacted sharply to Panama's change in position. In a hastily-arranged press conference in Taipei, Foreign Minister David Lee said he believes Panama "gave in to Beijing" for economic benefits while voicing strong anger and disappointment over the decision.

On the back of China's growing economic and political clout, small countries in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific with years of diplomatic ties with Taiwan have started moving toward the Asian power.

China is the world's No. 2 client of the Panama Canal. On his Twitter account, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela wrote that he made a "strategic decision," in the best interest of the country that will bring more economic, political and social benefits.

Late last year, after cutting off official contact with Taiwan, the tiny African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe re-established diplomatic relations with China.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split amid a civil war in 1949. The two sides have since then gone their separate ways, politically. However, Beijing still regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited with China, by force if necessary.
A video of a blindfolded man picking out his wife from a line-up of women has gone viral.

When you fall in love with someone, the both of you share a deep physical, mental and spiritual connection that is very powerful.

READ ALSO: Love Nwantinti: This lovely couple met at a wedding 7 years ago and you will adore their magical love story (photos)

In a recent viral video of a blindfolded man searching for his wife, the man is only allowed to hold each person's hand and tell if the person is his wife. Watch love work its magic in the video:

READ ALSO: Top actress flaunts her new boyfriend on social media (photo)

The man went through a line-up of women to find his wife.

Women of different ages and sizes took part in the little game. The man walked round patiently, touching each lady's hand.

Once he reached his wife, he lingered on her hands and eventually pulled her into a loving embrace, to the pleasure of the crowd.

The man eventually found his wife and pulled her in a loving embrace.

WANT MORE? Download Legit.ng Wedding app for android to get the latest posts

The power of love is a great one and here it brought the man straight to his love even though he could not see her.

Watch the video below of Nigerians telling Legit.ng who lies most between men and women:

Source: Legit.ng
A beautiful young Nigerian couple named Barinua Violet and Onengiyeofori Fyneface, promoted their beautiful Ijaw culture in newly released pre-wedding photos.

The Ijaw foundation website reports that Ijaw people are indigenous to the Niger Delta such as Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states in Nigeria. It also says the culture is The cultural heritage is kept alive by passing it down through children.

READ ALSO: Love Nwantinti: This lovely couple met at a wedding 7 years ago and you will adore their magical love story (photos)

The tradition was passed down well in the case of this young Ijaw couple, Barinua Violet and Onengiyeofori Fyneface, who are about to get married. They had a range of themes to choose from for their pre-wedding photos but they decided to stick to their roots.

Violet and her husband-to-be Onengiyeofori promoting their Ijaw culture in their pre-wedding photos.

READ ALSO: Man poses with huge python he saved from being crushed by cars (photo)

The couple dressed in Ogoni/Ijaw cultural wear and told their love story though their pictures. It is no wonder that their photos went viral and have been receiving so much love online.

READ ALSO: Top actress flaunts her new boyfriend on social media (photo)

WANT MORE? Download Legit.ng Wedding app for android to get the latest posts

The couple will be getting married later in the year.

Will you stick to your tradition for your pre-wedding photos?

Watch the video below of Nigerians telling Legit.ng if they can marry outside their tribe:s

Source: Legit.ng
- Billionaire Mike Adenuga's son Paddy has revealed that he isn't leaving bachelorhood anytime soon

- According to the ambitious man, his current active relationship is with his work

- Paddy subtly informed ladies to step aside as he is not looking to settle down in the next 10 to 12 years

Paddy Adenuga exercised his power of freewill recently when he opened up about his current relationship status and what he intends to do about it. In a statement, the son of billionaire, Mike Adenuga informed ladies who might be admiring him, he isn't ready to settle down or see anyone.

READ ALSO: 11 HOT aso ebi styles from last weekend

Paddy is a wealthy man by birth and earnings. His lifestyle is built on luxury and independence and it comes as no surprise that his view of life and marriage is different from many average Nigerians.

Legit.ng earlier reported how Paddy looked handsome when he was much younger.

Paddy Adenuga

READ ALSO: Actress Maryam Charles shows off her new man

Paddy shared the notice on his social media page informing ladies that he is single and frankly not searching. He said: " I am married to my job, my mistress is the hustle, my girlfriend is my ambition. No wife or kids for the next 10 to 12 years...#truths #facts"

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app

Watch Legit.ng video on who tells more lies between men and women:

Source: Legit.ng
Popular night club owner and boss of Aquila records, Shina Peller, recently went to the holy city of Medina and shared the photo on his Instagram.

Medina (in Saudi Arabia) is the second holy city of Islam, after Mecca, and it is an important religious site for Muslims.

READ ALSO: Top actress flaunts her new boyfriend on social media (photo)

Philanthropist and Quilox club owner Shina Peller shared the the photo of his visit there on his Instagram and said: "Allihamdulilah to the uncreated creator of all creatures."

Shina Peller at the holy city of Medina.

PAY ATTENTION! Never miss a single gist! Download Legit.ng news app for android

"As I arrived at the holy city of Medinah and as we approach the night of majesty may God's blessing be on you all!"

Watch the video below of Legit.ng giving you the hottest gist on THE SCOOP:

Source: Legit.ng
Couples who are undergoing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in order to avoid transmission of inherited diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or cystic fibrosis, should also have their embryos screened for abnormal numbers of chromosomes at the same time, say Italian researchers.

By doing this, only embryos that are free not only of the genetic disease, but also of chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy), would be transferred to a woman's womb, giving her the best chance of achieving a successful pregnancy, and avoiding the risk of implantation failure, miscarriage, or even live births that could be affected by conditions such as Down syndrome (in which there is an extra chromosome) or Turner syndrome (in which a girl has only one x chromosome rather than the normal two).

In a study reporting on the world's largest series of double genetic tests, which is published today (Tuesday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals, the researchers carried out simultaneous PGD and pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) on cells taken in a single biopsy.

They took between five and ten cells from the outer layer of 1122 blastocysts (the early collection of cells that begin to form about five days after an egg has been inseminated with sperm and which go on to develop into an embryo) and, after PGD and PGS, 218 blastocysts were transferred to the women's wombs, resulting in 99 pregnancies and the birth of 70 healthy babies by January 2017, when the paper was written. This is a pregnancy rate of 49%, which is higher than the average clinical pregnancy rate of between 22-32% reported in the general population of couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). At the time of writing the paper, 13 further pregnancies were ongoing and now 12 have resulted in the birth of healthy babies, while one miscarried. This gives a delivery rate of 38.6%. A total of 91 healthy blastocysts remain frozen awaiting transfer.

Dr Maria Giulia Minasi, laboratory director at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, European Hospital, Rome, Italy, and first author of the study, said: "Importantly, we found that while 55.7% of the biopsied blastocysts did not carry a genetic disease or changes in the structures of chromosomes, only 27.5% of them also had the right number of chromosomes. Without performing pre-implantation genetic screening for aneuploidy, 316 blastocysts, which appeared to be healthy but had abnormal numbers of chromosomes, could have been transferred, leading to implantation failures, miscarriages or sometimes live births of babies affected by aneuploidy. For the couples involved, and particularly the women, these outcomes can be emotionally devastating."

As a result of their findings, Dr Minasi and her colleagues believe that when couples undergo PGD, they should also have PGS.

Co-author, Dr Ermanno Greco, director of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, said: "Patients who have the risk of transmitting genetically inheritable diseases to their offspring need to have preimplantation genetic diagnosis and therefore a biopsy of the blastocyst has to be performed. We strongly believe that in these cases it should be mandatory to analyse also the chromosomal status of the blastocyst, because it is possible to perform both analyses on the same biopsy sample, without performing other dangerous and invasive procedures on the embryo, or, indeed, on the growing foetus in the womb."

Both PGD and PGS are techniques that are carried out in fertility centres already, and so it would be possible for clinics to implement the researchers' recommendations now.

However, Dr Minasi said that couples should be counselled carefully so that they understand that by screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, there will be more occasions when it is not possible to transfer an embryo.

"We found a higher than expected rate of cycle cancellation, with 40% of cycles not having transferable blastocysts available. This can happen when there is a poor fertilisation rate or poor embryo development, and also when there are no healthy blastocysts available for transfer after PGD and PGS," she said. This cancellation rate compares with a rate of 12.2% in 2016 when the combination of PGD and PGS was not performed.

Performing PGD and PGS is not technically difficult. The woman's egg is inseminated with sperm via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and then cultured in the laboratory. When the blastocyst has started to form and the inner cell mass, which eventually develops into the foetus, has become clearly identifiable, the fertility specialists extract 5-10 cells from the outer layer (the trophectoderm). This procedure does not impair the implantation potential of the developing blastocyst, unlike more invasive biopsies. In this study, the researchers sent the cells from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, where they were treating the women, to the GENOMA Molecular Genetics Laboratory in Rome for the genetic analysis.

"Performing the analyses on cells taken from only one biopsy avoids the need for a second biopsy that can be potentially dangerous to the blastocyst and could influence the embryo's developmental and implantation potential," explained co-author, Dr Francesco Fiorentino, who is director of the GENOMA laboratory.

Dr Minasi concluded: "The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology PGD Consortium has reported that only 28% of embryos transferred after PGD lead to pregnancy. Our study demonstrates that PGD/PGS-based IVF is able to increase the embryo implantation rate up to nearly 48% and in this study we obtained an overall clinical pregnancy rate of 49% per embryo transfer."

###

[1] "Genetic diseases and aneuploidies can be detected with a single blastocyst biopsy: a successful clinical approach," by Maria Giulia Minasi et al. Human Reproduction journal. doi:10.1093/humrep/dex215.
Using mathematics in a novel way in neuroscience, the Blue Brain Project demonstrates that the brain operates on many dimensions, not just the 3 dimensions that we are accustomed to

For most people, it is a stretch of the imagination to understand the world in four dimensions but a new study has discovered structures in the brain with up to eleven dimensions - ground-breaking work that is beginning to reveal the brain's deepest architectural secrets.

Using algebraic topology in a way that it has never been used before in neuroscience, a team from the Blue Brain Project has uncovered a universe of multi-dimensional geometrical structures and spaces within the networks of the brain.

The research, published today in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, shows that these structures arise when a group of neurons forms a clique: each neuron connects to every other neuron in the group in a very specific way that generates a precise geometric object. The more neurons there are in a clique, the higher the dimension of the geometric object.

"We found a world that we had never imagined," says neuroscientist Henry Markram, director of Blue Brain Project and professor at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, "there are tens of millions of these objects even in a small speck of the brain, up through seven dimensions. In some networks, we even found structures with up to eleven dimensions."

Markram suggests this may explain why it has been so hard to understand the brain. "The mathematics usually applied to study networks cannot detect the high-dimensional structures and spaces that we now see clearly."

If 4D worlds stretch our imagination, worlds with 5, 6 or more dimensions are too complex for most of us to comprehend. This is where algebraic topology comes in: a branch of mathematics that can describe systems with any number of dimensions. The mathematicians who brought algebraic topology to the study of brain networks in the Blue Brain Project were Kathryn Hess from EPFL and Ran Levi from Aberdeen University.

"Algebraic topology is like a telescope and microscope at the same time. It can zoom into networks to find hidden structures - the trees in the forest - and see the empty spaces - the clearings - all at the same time," explains Hess.

In 2015, Blue Brain published the first digital copy of a piece of the neocortex - the most evolved part of the brain and the seat of our sensations, actions, and consciousness. In this latest research, using algebraic topology, multiple tests were performed on the virtual brain tissue to show that the multi-dimensional brain structures discovered could never be produced by chance. Experiments were then performed on real brain tissue in the Blue Brain's wet lab in Lausanne confirming that the earlier discoveries in the virtual tissue are biologically relevant and also suggesting that the brain constantly rewires during development to build a network with as many high-dimensional structures as possible.

When the researchers presented the virtual brain tissue with a stimulus, cliques of progressively higher dimensions assembled momentarily to enclose high-dimensional holes, that the researchers refer to as cavities. "The appearance of high-dimensional cavities when the brain is processing information means that the neurons in the network react to stimuli in an extremely organized manner," says Levi. "It is as if the brain reacts to a stimulus by building then razing a tower of multi-dimensional blocks, starting with rods (1D), then planks (2D), then cubes (3D), and then more complex geometries with 4D, 5D, etc. The progression of activity through the brain resembles a multi-dimensional sandcastle that materializes out of the sand and then disintegrates."

The big question these researchers are asking now is whether the intricacy of tasks we can perform depends on the complexity of the multi-dimensional "sandcastles" the brain can build. Neuroscience has also been struggling to find where the brain stores its memories. "They may be 'hiding' in high-dimensional cavities," Markram speculates.

###

Full, open-access research article:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fncom.2017.00048/abstract

Other references:

http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(15)01191-5?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867415011915%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

About Blue Brain

The aim of the Blue Brain Project, a Swiss brain initiative founded and directed by Professor Henry Markram, is to build accurate, biologically detailed digital reconstructions and simulations of the rodent brain, and ultimately, the human brain. The supercomputer-based reconstructions and simulations built by Blue Brain offer a radically new approach for understanding the multilevel structure and function of the brain. http://bluebrain.epfl.ch

About Frontiers

Frontiers is a leading community-driven open-access publisher. By taking publishing entirely online, we drive innovation with new technologies to make peer review more efficient and transparent. We provide impact metrics for articles and researchers, and merge open access publishing with a research network platform - Loop - to catalyse research dissemination, and popularize research to the public, including children. Our goal is to increase the reach and impact of research articles and their authors. Frontiers has received the ALPSP Gold Award for Innovation in Publishing in 2014. http://www.frontiersin.org.
NEW YORK (AP)  Delta Air Lines and Bank of America have announced that they are pulling their sponsorship of a Manhattan-based theater company's portrayal of Julius Caesar as a Donald Trump look-alike in a business suit who gets knifed to death on stage.

Atlanta-based Delta released a statement on Sunday saying it was pulling its sponsorship from The Public Theater "effective immediately."

"No matter what your political stance may be, the graphic staging of Julius Caesar at this summer's Free Shakespeare in the Park does not reflect Delta Air Lines' values," the statement said. "Their artistic and creative direction crossed the line on the standards of good taste."

Later Sunday night, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America said it was withdrawing its funding for the production.

"The Public Theater chose to present Julius Caesar in such a way that was intended to provoke and offend," the bank said in a tweet. "Had this intention been made known to us, we would have decided not to sponsor it."

Performances at Central Park's Delacorte Theater began in late May, just days before comedian Kathy Griffin was widely condemned for posing for a photograph in which she gripped a bloodied rendering of Trump's head.

Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater's artistic director who also directed the play, said earlier in a statement that "anyone seeing our production of 'Julius Caesar' will realize it in no way advocates violence towards anyone."

Messages seeking comment from The Public Theater weren't immediately returned.

Earlier Sunday, Donald Trump Jr. retweeted a Fox News story about the play and wrote, "I wonder how much of this 'art' is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does 'art' become political speech & does that change things?"

"Julius Caesar" tells a fictionalized story of a powerful, popular Roman leader who is assassinated by senators who fear he is becoming a tyrant. It is set in ancient Rome, but many productions have costumed the characters in modern dress to give it a present-day connection.

Story continues

The production runs through June 18.

Related Video:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.
Sale totals for Sears have been declining for years -- and a former executive is pointing a finger at both the corporations strategy and current CEO Eddie Lampert.

During a recent interview with TheStreet, former Sears Canada CEO Mark A. Cohen said the retailer has no viability on a forward basis following disappointing first quarter sales and swirling conjecture of a future bankruptcy. Cohen doesnt believe the retailer can be saved at this point, adding that they have sold off almost all of their best stores, they have no cash flow, they have ruined their market share.

Cohen, who was fired from Sears in 2004 and is now director of retail studies at Columbia Business School, also gave a scathing assessment of Lampert, who he doesnt believe has a strategy to make the company profitable.

Sears is like an ATM machine for Lampert; he has his hands on it. Eddie Lambert is either dishonest, delusional and disingenuous or some combination of the three, Cohen said.

The overall state of affairs at Sears is like a capsizing ship, where managers are barely keeping afloat by throwing everything that will burn above the waterline into the boiler, Cohen said. In the end, he predicts the ship will sink.

MORE: Sears Sales Plunge Yet Again

A Sears spokesperson declined to comment to TheStreet in response to the interview, but pointed out that Cohen had been fired before Lampert became CEO.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Kristin Charlton, a manufacturing salesperson in Eau Claire, Wis., hears from recruiters all the time, about jobs all over the countryusually with deep skepticism. I hear about these labor shortages, and I think, thats a crock, she says. When I compare salaries to what they were 10 years ago, theyre not significantly higher. Its not enough for me to move across the country.

The US economy is in a peculiar phase in which millions of Americans remain out of work, even as employers report the most job openings in at least 16 years. Some companies are losing business because they cant find enough workers. Businesses complain about job applicants who cant pass a drug test or dont want to work hard, along with new hires who turn out to be unreliable. Data shows Americans are far less willing to move for a job than they were in the past. And President Trumps vow to bring back lost American jobs resonated so strongly among voters last year that it helped him get elected.

But theres another important factor contributing to labor shortages: workers distrust of companies, driven by punishing trends in the labor market for more than a decade. In a recent online poll, Yahoo Finance asked more than 9,000 people whether they trust American businesses. More than 54% said no. Of those, 69% said employers care more about profits than anything else. Those findings reflect a long-term erosion of trust in American institutions, including business. According to Gallup, for instance, the portion of Americans saying they have confidence in big business has dropped from 30% in the late 1990s to 18% today.

Below are some of the findings from the Yahoo Finance poll, which we conducted on

SurveyMonkey from June 9-12. (Full results are available here.)

Its not news that American workers have become jaded after years of offshoring, outsourcing, stagnant wages and doing more with less. Globalization, digital technology and other factors have given employers more tools than ever for moving work to lowest-cost locales and streamlining operations. Since employers can control labor costs more easily than commodity prices or other factors they must contend with, its no surprise theyve squeezed workers.

Story continues

But the distrust that behavior has engendered may now be limiting some companies ability to get workers, amid a relatively strong economy and tight labor markets in some areas. Companies dont value skills, says Art Wheaton of the Worker Institute at Cornell University. They post jobs with unrealistic expectations. They require 5 years experience but wont pay a reasonable rate. There are a lot of incentives for them to be less than honorable.

Many workers think that if they move for a better job, theyre likely to end up laid off or discarded anywayafter bearing the cost and hassle of a move. Yahoo Finance conducted a separate poll in May, asking respondents why theyre not willing to move for a job, among other questions. Heres a roundup of answers:

The jobs Ive moved for dont last long enough to have made the move worthwhile.

I have seen that you can move and still be laid off.

A new job offers no stable career, just a temporary paycheck until the next layoff.

No security in jobs. Makes it a constant-move mentality.

Why move when the job you move for may disappear as quickly as it appeared?

Why should I move just so you can lay me off whenever you want?

If a job is secure for at least 5 years, I definitely will move.

Companies treat you like a throwaway. When things slow down you are gone!

No confidence the job will last

There are other reasons people wont move for a jobthey cant afford it, dont want to leave family or refuse to uproot their kids from school, for instance. About 2.4% of respondents in our poll said they dont need to move for work because they draw enough money from government benefits (which is probably lower than some critics of welfare might have expected). In general, however, distrust of employers and worries about job security are among the top reasons workers arent willing to go where the work is.

One 56-year-old pharmaceutical worker in the Northeast told Yahoo Finance hed love to relocate to the South, and has received job offers there. But hes turned them all down because he doubts the work will last. He said one of his friends moved recently for a pharmaceutical project that was shut down within a year. And pharmaceutical firms are increasingly moving work to India, Turkey and other places where costs are lower and regulation looser. Id relocate if somebody gave me a firm offer with a company I thought was stable, says the worker, who asked that his name not be used, to protect his job prospects. I dont have confidence it will last. They offer you contract work for 6 months, maybe with benefits, maybe without. Theyre addicted to cheap labor.

Some workers, such as Kristin Charlton, doubt there are labor shortages, because they dont see pay shooting up. But sometimes pay goes up and theres still nobody to take the job. Nicholas Parks owns a Ford/Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership in Jasper, Ala., that he says has perpetual openings for salespeople and mechanics. Hes running ads guaranteeing $10,000 per month in pay for salespeople who can sell 20 cars per month, a target most of his salespeople hit. No takers. And he has enough work for 5 diesel technicianswho can earn $70,000 per year, or morebut can only find 2. So hes losing sales each month and referring mechanical work to other shops. Nobody is showing up from anywhere else, he says. I think the labor exists. But unfortunately, theres not a good education program that helps people understand you can have a labor job that pays well.

Trumps plan to bring back jobs lost during the last several decades focuses on lower-paid manufacturing work displaced by new technology and cheaper factories overseas. Economists think theres little chance the jobs of the past will return. But if Trump could bring back trust between workers and employers, he might not have to worry about that, because the jobs are there, and both sides need each other more than they may realize.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com

Read more:

 Trumps grade on the economy rises to B+

 Americans who need jobs arent going where the jobs are

 The message from Trumps budget: Get a job!

 If Obamacare fails, itll be bad news for Trump

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman




kim jong un

Experts have long suggested that North Korea intends to develop a thermonuclear bomb that can reach hold targets in the US mainland at risk as a deterrent, for possible diplomatic concessions, and now to prove wrong a tweet from President Donald Trump.

A statement from North Korean state media on Monday directly addressed a Trump tweet from January that said an intercontinental ballistic missile launch from North Korea "won't happen!"

"The DPRK is about 10,400 km far away from New York. But this is just not a long distance for its strike today," the statement said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name, and hinting it has ICBM capability.

"Trump blustered early this year that the DPRK's final access to a nuclear weapon that can reach the US mainland will never happen," the statement continued. "But the strategic weapons tests conducted by the DPRK clearly proved that the time of its ICBM test is not a long way off at all."

North Korean media often spreads propaganda and inflated claims about North Korea's weapons' capabilities. However, several experts who spoke to Business Insider have said the country could test an ICBM by the end of the year.

The US in May successfully tested a ballistic-missile defense system meant to intercept a nuclear attack from North Korea, but it did so in conditions short of an actual combat situation.

Meanwhile, the US and the international community haven't succeeded in curtailing Kim Jong Un's regime, which now conducts tests on a nearly weekly basis.

The intermediate-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2's launch test. KCNA/via REUTERS

Under increased pressure from the US and China, North Korea made a sole concession in the past year by hesitating to test another nuclear device.

After North Korean military provocations, Trump has increasingly looked to Beijing, as China is responsible for 90% of North Korea's outside trade and could collapse its economy in a matter of days.

Story continues

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

NOW WATCH: Here's why the American flag is reversed on military uniforms





More From Business Insider
* Half a dozen firms specialise in dismantling reactors

* Turning to robots, new tech to tackle perilous task

* This trend is transforming engineering in the industry

* Also helping companies cut time and costs in tough market

* Nuclear power in graphics: http://tmsnrt.rs/2n69ZIr

By Christoph Steitz and Tom Kackenhoff

MUELHEIM-KAERLICH, Germany, June 12 (Reuters) - As head of the Muelheim-Kaerlich nuclear reactor, Thomas Volmar spends his days plotting how to tear down his workplace. The best way to do that, he says, is to cut out humans.

About 200 nuclear reactors around the world will be shut down over the next quarter century, mostly in Europe, according to the International Energy Agency. That means a lot of work for the half a dozen companies that specialise in the massively complex and dangerous job of dismantling plants.

Those firms  including Areva, Rosatom's Nukem Technologies Engineering Services, and Toshiba's Westinghouse  are increasingly turning away from humans to do this work and instead deploying robots and other new technologies.

That is transforming an industry that until now has mainly relied on electric saws, with the most rapid advances being made in the highly technical area of dismantling a reactor's core  the super-radioactive heart of the plant where the nuclear reactions take place.

The transformation of the sector is an engineering one, but companies are also looking to the new technology to cut time and costs in a competitive sector with slim margins.

Dismantling a nuclear power plant can take decades and cost up to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), depending on its size and age. The cost of taking apart the plant in Muelheim-Kaerlich will be about 800 million euros, according to sources familiar with the station's economics.

Some inroads have already been made: a programmable robot arm developed by Areva has reduced the time it takes to dismantle some of the most contaminated components of a plant by 20-30 percent compared with conventional cutting techniques.

Story continues

For Areva and rival Westinghouse, reactor dismantling is unlikely to make an impact on the dire financial straits they are mired in at present as it represents just a small part of their businesses, which are dominated by plant-building.

But it nonetheless represents a rare area of revenue growth; the global market for decommissioning services is expected to nearly double to $8.6 billion by 2021, from $4.8 billion last year, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets. Such growth could prove important for the two companies should they weather their current difficulties.

"We're not talking about the kind of margins Apple is making on its iPhone," said Thomas Eichhorn, head of Areva's German dismantling activities. "But it's a business with a long-term perspective."

When reactors were built in the 1970s, they were designed to keep radiation contained inside at all costs, with little thought given to those who might be tearing them down more than 40 years later.

First, engineers need to remove the spent nuclear fuel rods stored in reactor buildings  but only after they've cooled off. At Muelheim-Kaerlich this took about two years in total. Then peripheral equipment such as turbines need to be removed, a stage Muelheim-Kaerlich has begun and which can take several years.

Finally, the reactor itself needs to be taken apart and the buildings demolished, which takes about a decade. Some of the most highly contaminated components are cocooned in concrete and placed in iron containers that will be buried deep underground at some point.

ROBOTS UNDER WATER

While the more mundane tasks, including bringing down the plants' outer walls, are left to construction groups such as Hochtief, it's the dismantling of the reactor's core where more advanced skills matter  and where the use of technology has advanced most in recent years.

Enter companies such as Areva, Westinghouse, Nukem Technologies, GE Hitachi as well as GNS, owned by Germany's four nuclear plant operators. They have all begun using robots and software to navigate their way into the reactor core, or pressure vessel.

"The most difficult task is the dismantling of the reactor pressure vessel, where the remaining radioactivity is highest," said Volmar, who took charge of the RWE-owned Muelheim-Kaerlich plant two years ago. "We leave this to a specialised expert firm."

The vessel  which can be as high as 13 metres and weigh up to 700 tonnes  is hidden deep inside the containment building that is shaped like a sphere to ensure its 30-centimetre thick steel wall is evenly strained in case of an explosion.

The 2011 Fukushima disaster and the Chernobyl accident of 1986 are imprinted in the world's consciousness as examples of the catastrophic consequences of the leakage of radioactive material.

France's Areva recently won the contract to dismantle the pressure vessel internals at Vattenfall's 806 megawatt (MW) Brunsbuettel nuclear plant in Germany, which includes an option for the Swedish utility's 1,402 MW Kruemmel site.

There, the group will for the first time use its new AZURo programmable robot arm. It hopes this will help it outstrip rivals in what is the world's largest dismantling market following Germany's decision to close all its last nuclear plants by 2022, in response to the Fukushima disaster.

AZURo operates under water because the liquid absorbs radiation from the vessel components  reducing the risk of leakage and contamination of the surrounding area. The chamber is flooded before its work begins.

Areva's German unit invests about 5 percent of its annual sales, or about 40 million euros, in research and development, including in-house innovation such as AZURo. By comparison, the world's 1,000 largest corporate R&D spenders, on average, spent 4.2 percent last year, according to PwC.

The robot arm technology helped Areva beat Westinghouse by winning tenders to dismantle pressure vessel internals at EnBW's Philippsburg 2 and Gundremmingen 2 blocks, industry sources familiar with the matter said.

Areva and EnBW both declined to comment. Westinghouse  whose U.S. business filed for bankruptcy in March  did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

TIME AND MONEY

Britain's OC Robotics has built the LaserSnake2, a flexible 4.5-metre snake arm, which can operate in difficult spaces and uses a laser to increase cutting speeds  thus reducing the risk of atmospheric contamination. It was tested at the Sellafield nuclear site in west Cumbria last year.

This followed France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), whose laser-based dismantling technology generates fewer radioactive aerosols  a key problem during cutting  than other technologies.

The complexity of the dismantling process is also giving rise to modelling software that maps out the different levels of radiation on plant parts, making it easier to calculate the most efficient sequence of dismantling  the more contaminated parts are typically dealt with first  and gives clarity over what safety containers will be needed to store various components.

GNS, which is jointly owned by E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall, is currently helping to dismantle the German Neckarwestheim 1 and Philippsburg 1 reactors, using its software to plan the demolition.

The company also hopes to supply its software services for the dismantling of PreussenElektra's Isar 1 reactor, which is being tendered, and aims to expand to other European countries. "Two things matter: time and money," said Joerg Viermann, head of sales of waste management activities at GNS.

"The less I have to cut, the sooner I will be done and the less I will spend."

($1 = 0.8921 euros)

(Additional reporting Emma Thomasson in Berlin; Editing by Simon Robinson and Pravin Char)
Here are four stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, March 9th:

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC): This major chicken company in the U.S. has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 2.5% over the last 60 days.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price and Consensus

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Price and Consensus | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Quote

Pilgrim's Prides has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 10.09, compared with 13.80 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation PE Ratio (TTM)

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation PE Ratio (TTM) | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Quote

Unilever PLC (UL): This manufacturer of branded and packaged consumer goods has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings advancing 3.2% over the last 60 days.

Unilever PLC Price and Consensus

Unilever PLC Price and Consensus | Unilever PLC Quote

Unilevers has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 21.11, compared with 23.60 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Unilever PLC PE Ratio (TTM)

Unilever PLC PE Ratio (TTM) | Unilever PLC Quote

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (UEPS): This transaction processing services and payment solutions provider has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.2% over the last 60 days.

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus | Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Quote

Net 1 UEPSs has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 7.61, compared with 10.50 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. PE Ratio (TTM)

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. PE Ratio (TTM) | Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Quote

Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. (SHG): This major Korean financial services companyhas a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings advancing 16.7% over the last 60 days.

Story continues

Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd Price and Consensus

Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd Price and Consensus | Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd Quote

Shinhan Financial Groups has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 9.53, compared with 13.10 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.

Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd PE Ratio (TTM)

Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd PE Ratio (TTM) | Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd Quote

See the full list of top ranked stocks here

Learn more about the Value score and how it is calculated here

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2017

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2017?

Who wouldn't? Last year's market-beating Top 10 portfolio produced 5 double-digit winners. For example, oil and natural gas giant Pioneer Natural Resources and First Republic Bank racked up stellar gains of +44.9% and +44.3% respectively. Now a brand-new list for 2017 has been hand-picked from 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank.See the 2017 Top 10 right now>>



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Unilever PLC (UL): Free Stock Analysis Report



Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (UEPS): Free Stock Analysis Report



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Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.




US Syria missile strike President Barack Obama's options in Syria were limited by his efforts to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump doesn't have those limitations and is free to strike Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime and Iranian-backed groups.

Trump has called Iran's bluff but risks Iranian-backed militias striking US forces.

As US President Donald Trump enjoyed chocolate cake with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in April, he ordered the military to do something his predecessor hadn't dared: directly strike Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

Trump, a political neophyte then inside his first 100 days in office, attacked an ally of Russia and Iran after intelligence services concluded that Assad's forces had used chemical weapons on Syrian civilians, many of them children.

But Syria never fired back. Neither did Russia. And so far, Iran hasn't either. The salvo of 59 cruise missiles that took out a handful of Assad's warplanes went virtually unpunished.

The incident typifies the difference in Trump's and President Barack Obama's Syria policy, in which Trump seems to have successfully called Iran's bluff.

Obama was pressed by a similar situation in 2013, after evidence surfaced that Assad violated Obama's "red line" by using chemical weapons. Instead of following through on his threat to hit Assad in response, Obama agreed to let Russia step in and deal with the chemical-weapons stockpile.

Toward the end of Obama's term, it became clear why he had shied away from striking Assad: He was focused on the Iran nuclear deal.

"When the president announced his plans to attack [the Assad regime] and then pulled back, it was exactly the period in time when American negotiators were meeting with Iranian negotiators secretly in Oman to get the nuclear agreement," Wall Street Journal reporter Jay Solomon told MSNBC last year.

Story continues

"US and Iranian officials have both told me that they were basically communicating that if the US starts hitting President Assad's forces, Iran's closest Arab ally ... these talks cannot conclude," Solomon continued.

Iran nuclear deal

But Trump has patently different ideas about Iran. He vocally opposed the Iran deal and campaigned on tearing it up. While Trump hasn't followed through, his administration has moved to put additional sanctions on Tehran, as the deal has freed up over $100 billion of Iran's funds.

And importantly, Trump has shown he'll hit Assad if needed and even hand over power to battlefield commanders to hit Iranian-backed forces if they threaten US troops.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Obama's refusal to enforce his red line or punish Assad militarily for a host of war crimes Assad has been accused of committing under his watch "was never about fear of World War III," said Jonathan Schanzer, an expert on the Middle East from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

"The fear for Obama was upsetting the nuclear deal. That was what they were protecting. It wasn't about sparking some wider confrontation," said Schanzer, alluding to Russia's 2015 entrance into the conflict on Assad's behalf.

Revolutionary Guard IRGC Basij

So while Obama walked on eggshells with Iran to preserve his deal, apparently believing Iran would exit if he acted against it, Trump has had the benefit of entering office post-deal.

Every review of Iran's nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency since Trump took office has shown that Iran is complying with the deal's terms. To outside observers, Iran appears in line with the letter of the deal, even after the US's April 7 strike on Assad's airfield.

But the tension between the US and Iran hasn't resolved  it has shifted. Nick Heras, an expert on Syria with the Center for a New American Security, told Business Insider that Iran's attention had settled on eastern Syria, where a US-led coalition is getting ready to dislodge ISIS.

"In eastern Syria, Iran is trying to box the US out," Heras said. "The Iranians don't want the US to open up shop in eastern Syria. Iranians have sent columns of militias to try to force out the US in eastern Syria. The Iranians assess that there's a threat that the Trump administration would build up a presence to try to stabilize eastern Syria."

Syria map june 2017

Iran has not taken kindly to the idea of increased US influence or presence in Syria. Since May, the US-led coalition has responded three times to what it perceived as attempts by pro-Assad, Iranian-backed forces to attack it. And each time, US air power has devastated Iran's proxies.

"I believe that Trump's instincts on the Middle East are not bad," Schanzer said. "He understands that he needs to project strength to these actors, and he is. That's giving us more leverage with actors that in the past Obama was fearful of challenging, and that's positive."

But while the US is no longer being coerced into walking an Iranian-approved path in Syria, clashes with Iran could put the about 500 US troops in Syria at risk, as the US closes in on ISIS's final strongholds and the fight for the future of Syria shapes up.

NOW WATCH: Watch a US Navy assault ship fire at an inflatable 'killer tomato'





More From Business Insider
FILE PHOTO: Workers stock shelves in a newly built Walmart Super Center prior to its opening in Compton, California, U.S., January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Jet.com is ending its two-year relationship with Costco.

The ecommerce company, which was acquired by Costco rival Walmart last year, is dropping hundreds of Costco products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand from its website, Bloomberg reports.

The move could be a setback for both Jet and Costco.

Jet was the third biggest seller of Costco products online in the first half of 2016, according to Bloomberg.

But it also makes sense for Walmart, which is trying to drive business to its own warehouse chain, Sam's Club, and its private-label brand, Member's Mark.

Sam's Club says it recently "reinvented" its Member's Mark brand by consolidating a number of other private-label brands under that name and adding 300 new products to the label.

"At one point, we had 21 private labels," Chandra Holt, vice president of private brands at Sam's Club, said in a news release from April. "So the first thing I set out to do was to simplify for our members."

NOW WATCH: 7 colors that might get you sued





More From Business Insider


OTTAWA, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (Cornerstone or the Company) (TSX-V:CGP) (Frankfurt:GWN) (Berlin:GWN) (OTC:CTNXF) announces the following project update for the Cascabel copper-gold porphyry joint venture exploration project in northern Ecuador.



Figures referred to in this news release can be seen in PDF format by accessing the version of this release on the Companys website (www.cornerstoneresources.com) or by clicking on the link below:

http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/i/pdf/NR17-16Figures.pdf.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Rig 4 commences testing of extensions at Alpala Northwest.



Rig 5 and 6, scheduled to arrive on site in late July 2017, to expand the growing resource potential at Hematite Hill and Alpala Southeast.



Rig 7 scheduled for mobilization in August for drill testing of the Aguinaga porphyry copper-gold prospect.



Cascabel fleet expanding to 8 drilling rigs by year-end, which will also see drill testing of the Tandayama-America prospect.



Recent drilling at Alpala Southeast in Hole 24 and Hematite Hill in Hole 25 discovered previously unknown mineralization, extending the mineralized corridor at Alpala to approximately 1300m from Hole 13 in the northwest to Hole 24 in the southeast.



Hole 23R (Rig 1) assay results imminent. This hole intersected high grade copper sulphide mineralization over 853.9m, leaving a large portion of the high-grade core of the Alpala deposit open to the east.



Hole 24 (Rig 3) at Alpala Southeast was completed at 1665.7m depth on May 12, 2017, and intersected the upper portion of previously unknown mineralization. Assay results are imminent.





Hole 25 (Rig 2) at Hematite Hill, was completed at 1681.6m depth on 12th May 2017. Assay results are imminent.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Cascabel Project is located within the gold-rich northern section of the Andean Copper belt (Figure 1). The project area hosts mineralization of Eocene age, the same age as numerous Tier 1 deposits along the Andean Copper Belt in Chile and Peru to the south. The project base is located at Rocafuerte, in northwestern Ecuador just west of the City of Ibarra, approximately 3 hours drive north of Quito and close to water, power supply and Pacific Ports (Figure 2).

The arrival of Rig 4 in May 2017 commenced testing of Alpala Northwest strike and depth extensions to mineralization initially located in Holes 11 and 13 which returned 672.2m grading 0.57 % copper and 0.39 g/t gold, and 430.0m grading 0.49 % copper and 0.21 g/t gold, respectively.

The arrival of Rig 5 and Rig 6, scheduled for late July 2017, will see increasing productivity from the Alpala Central, Hematite Hill, and Alpala Southeast areas, where drilling continues to expand on the growing resource potential along the Alpala trend.

Rig 7 is scheduled for mobilization in August 2017 for drill testing of the exciting Aguinaga porphyry copper gold prospect, some 2km to the northeast of Alpala, where classic porphyry style B-type quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite stockwork veining occurs within potassic altered porphyritic quartz diorite. The outcropping mineralization at Aguinaga returned rock-saw channel sampling results over the exposed outcrop of 9.0m @ 1.01 % Cu, and 0.79 g/t Au, which remains open to the north where creek sediments and jungle limit further surface exposure (Figure 3).

The drilling program at Cascabel is planned to expand to 8 drilling rigs by year-end, which will see Rig 8 drill testing of the Tandayama-America prospect.

Hole 23R (Rig 1) results from Alpala Central are imminent Hole 23R was completed at 1560.3m depth on 23rd May 2017 and intersected 853.9m of high grade copper sulphide mineralization from 859.m to 1417.6m), leaving a large portion of the high grade core of the Alpala deposit open to the east.

Hole 23R-D1 (Rig 1) started on 1st June 2017, and is currently undergoing cementation prior to deviation from the parent hole (Hole 23R) at 710m depth with a planned depth of 1500m. This hole is the first of several daughter holes planned to test the eastern extensions to the high-grade core at Alpala Central.

Hole 24 (Rig 3) at Alpala Southeast was completed at 1665.7m depth on 12th May 2017, and intersected the upper portion of previously unknown mineralization.

Hole 24-D1 started on 21st May 2017, and is at a current depth of 774.2m. Hole 24-D1 is a daughter hole leaving the parent (Hole 24) at 768m depth with a planned depth of 1600m, testing for deeper extensions to the mineralization discovered in Hole 24.

Hole 25 (Rig 2) at Hematite Hill, was completed at 1681.6m depth on 12th May 2017. Assay results are imminent.

Hole 26 (Rig 4) started on 24th May 2017, testing Alpala Northwest strike and depth extensions. Hole 26 continues at a current depth of 451.1m, within hydrothermal breccia containing trace chalcopyrite, towards a planned depth of 1800m.

Hole 27 (Rig 2) started on 24th May 2017, from the same location as Hole 25, and is at a current depth of 511.61m, testing approximately 250m southeast of intersections achieved in Holes 16, 19 and 22.

The recent drilling at Alpala Southeast in Hole 24 and Hematite Hill in Hole 25 discovered previously unknown mineralization, extending the mineralized corridor at Alpala to approximately 1300 from Hole 13 in the northwest to Hole 24 in the southeast (Figure 4)

SolGold now believes that several targets clustered within the Alpala area may coalesce. Recent composite interpretation of detailed cross-sections and level plans through the Alpala deposit show a series of quartz diorite intrusions that have contributed to form large volumes of high-grade mineralization (Exploration Target 250Mt >1.5% CuEq). These early intrusions and their related zones of multi-directional quartz vein stockworks generated extensive mineralization that is inferred to coalesce into a larger Exploration Target of approximately 2Bt > 0.7% CuEq along the greater Alpala system (Figure 5).

The bounds of the greater Alpala system (or the Trivino - Alpala Southeast Trend) remain untested and SolGold expects to rapidly grow the size of the copper-gold orebody at Alpala, as well as the copper-gold mineralization at Aguinaga, through subsequent drilling. This planned drill program will be expedited by the use of Devico Directional Core Drilling Technology, which allows for steerable drill hole paths, increased drilling accuracy and faster acquisition of results through drilling multiple holes from each parent hole, achieving more drill metres within the orebody.

Upgrade and expansion of site facilities include a new 300m2 site office and core logging facilities at Rocafuerte, as well as kitchen and dormitory facilities completed at Alpala base camp (Figure 6).

An increasing understanding of the deposit is now leading to much larger step-outs in drilling as SolGold directs its program towards the copper and gold at a predicted large and rich heart of the Alpala system. The presence of magnetite with chalcopyrite and bornite with potassic alteration endorses the predictive nature of the 3D Magnetic model at Cascabel. The magnetic bodies at Alpala, Moran and Aguinaga envelope approximately 15 billion tonnes of untested magnetic rock. SolGold is encouraged by the strong correlation between magnetic signatures and copper mineralization in this system.

About Cascabel:

Exploraciones Novomining S.A. (ENSA), an Ecuadorean company owned by SolGold Plc and Cornerstone, holds 100% of the Cascabel concession. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including SolGolds fully funding the project through to feasibility, SolGold Plc will own 85% of the equity of ENSA and Cornerstone will own the remaining 15% of ENSA. SolGold Plc is funding 100% of the exploration at Cascabel and is the operator of the project.

Cascabel is in northwestern Ecuador in an under-explored northern section of the Andean Copper Belt, 60 km northeast of the undeveloped inferred resource of 982 million tons at 0.89% Cu Llurimaga (formerly Junin) copper project (0.4% Cu cut-off grade; Micon International Co. Ltd. Technical Report for Ascendant Exploration SA, August 20, 2004, pages 28 & 29). Mineralization identified at the Llurimaga copper project is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Cascabel Property.

Qualified Person:

Yvan Crepeau, MBA, P.Geo., Cornerstones Vice President, Exploration and a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for supervising the exploration program at the Cascabel project for Cornerstone and has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release.

Logging, sampling, assaying and reporting

Holes referred to in this release were or are being drilled using HTW, NTW, NQ and BQ core sizes (respectively 7.1, 5.6, 4.8 and 3.7 cm diameter). Geotechnical measurements such as core recovery, fracturing, rock quality designations (RQDs), specific density and photographic logging are performed systematically prior to assaying. The core is logged, magnetic susceptibility measured and key alteration minerals identified using an on-site portable spectrometer. Core is then sawed in half at the ENSA core logging facility, and half of the core is delivered by ENSA employees for preparation at ALS Minerals Laboratories (ALS) sample preparation facility in Quito. Core samples are prepared crushing to 70% passing 2 mm (10 mesh), splitting 250 g and pulverizing to 85% passing 75 microns (200 mesh) (ALS code CRU-31, SPL21 and PUL-32). Prepared samples are then shipped to ALS in Lima, Peru where samples are assayed for a multi-element suite (ALS code ME-MSP61, 1g split, 4-acid digestion, ICP-MS finish). Over limit results for Ag (> 100 g/t) and Cu, (> 1%) are systematically re-assayed (ALS code Ag-AA62, 4-acid digestion, AAS finish). Gold is assayed using a 30 g split, Fire Assay (FA) and AA finish (ALS code Au-AA23).

Drill hole intercepts are calculated using a data aggregation method, defined by copper equivalent cut-off grades and reported with up to 10m internal dilution, excluding bridging to a single sample. Copper equivalent grades are calculated using a gold conversion factor of 0.63, determined using an updated copper price of USD3.00/pound and an updated gold price of USD1300/ounce. Copper equivalent calculation assumes 100% recoveries of copper and gold.

All reported drill core intervals from the Cascabel Property are core lengths, unless otherwise indicated. At present the true thicknesses of all the holes has not been calculated by SolGold. True width of down hole intersections is estimated by SolGold to be approximately 25-50% of the core length.

Quality assurance / Quality control (QA/QC)

The ALS Laboratory is a qualified assayer that performs and makes available internal assaying controls. Duplicates, certified blanks and standards are systematically used (1 control sample every 15-20 samples). Rejects, a 100 g pulp for each core sample and the remaining half-core are stored for future use and controls.

About Cornerstone:

Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a well-funded mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, and a proven ability to identify, acquire and advance properties of merit. The companys business model is based on generating exploration projects whose subsequent development is funded primarily through partnerships.

Further information is available on Cornerstones website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter. For investor, corporate or media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations:

Mario Drolet; Email: Mario@mi3.ca; Tel. (514) 904-1333

Due to anti-spam laws, many shareholders and others who were previously signed up to receive email updates and who are no longer receiving them may need to re-subscribe at http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/s/InformationRequest.asp

Cautionary Notice:

This news release may contain Forward-Looking Statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of Cornerstones plans, objectives, strategies, intentions and expectations. The words potential, anticipate, forecast, believe, estimate, expect, may, project, plan, and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes that its expectations reflected in these Forward-Looking Statements are reasonable, such statements may involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our regulatory filings, viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets, predicting natural geological phenomena and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of an environmental, climatic, natural, political, economic, business, competitive, or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes the facts and information contained in this news release to be as correct and current as possible, Cornerstone does not warrant or make any representation as to the accuracy, validity or completeness of any facts or information contained herein and these statements should not be relied upon as representing its views after the date of this news release. While Cornerstone anticipates that subsequent events may cause its views to change, it expressly disclaims any obligation to update the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein except where outcomes have varied materially from the original statements.

On Behalf of the Board,

Brooke Macdonald

President and CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Washington, D.C., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Five national business groups representing diverse renewable energy technologies, developers, financiers and Fortune 500 buyers released a letter today requesting that Congress fund programs that have helped support job creation, economic growth and our countrys dominant technological position in electric power and renewable energy research and development.

The letter conveys support for energy programs at the Department of Energy (DOE)s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Advanced Research Programs Agency  Energy (ARPA-E).

The proposed cuts would seriously jeopardize Americas leadership position in cutting-edge research on clean energy technologies and harm the United States overall competitiveness in a rapidly growing global industry that presents a multi-trillion-dollar business opportunity, said Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council On Renewable Energy. The work done by EERE, NRE, and ARPA-E fills a critical gap in research and development programs. These cuts would put our country at risk of falling behind other countries that are investing in this area, such as China.

Modern American wind turbines are among the most productive in the world thanks to research efforts housed in the DOEs Office of EERE and National Labs, as well as manufacturing innovation, said Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO. Our industry will invest $85 billion and create 8,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by 2020. Maintaining these vital research programs at current levels will help America stay at the leading edge of innovation, accelerating investment and job creation into our nations future.

The dramatic funding reduction in geothermal research, from $71 million to $12 million, will have significant, negative impacts on technology development for the U.S. geothermal industry, dramatically reducing the ability to achieve the economic benefits of tapping the vast geothermal resource base of the United States, said Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association. Additionally, if the budget cuts are adopted then valuable benefits for the U.S. economy will be lost. For example, rather than developing domestic production of critical minerals from geothermal resource for high-tech applications, imports from China will continue.

"Working closely with NREL, academia and industry, EERE is fostering innovation and accelerating the development of hydropower, pumped storage, marine energy and conduit technologies, Linda Church Ciocci, executive director of the National Hydropower Association. The proposed funding cuts would put the Energy Departments waterpower research programs in jeopardy; stifling advancements such as new turbines and the deployment of wave and tidal technologies.

"At a time when the United States must innovate in order to hold onto its competitive advantage, now is not the right time to stop funding key research and development programs," said Abigail Ross Hopper, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "The SunShot initiative is one example of an Energy Department program that has helped bring American technologies straight to market, paying off on the government's investment many times over."

See full letters regarding DOE funding to House and Senate appropriators, available here.

###

ABOUT THE GROUPS:

American Council On Renewable Energy at www.acore.org

American Wind Energy Association at www.windworksforamerica.awea.org

Geothermal Energy Association at www.geo-energy.org

National Hydropower Association atwww.hydro.org

Solar Energy Industries Association atwww.seia.org



MEDIA CONTACTS:

ACORE, Anna Hahnemann, hahnemann@acore.org, 202-777-7548

AWEA, Evan Vaughan, evaughan@awea.org, 202-431-4640

GEA, Karl Gawell, karl@geo-energy.org, 202-454-5264

NHA, LeRoy Coleman, LeRoy@hydro.org, 202-750-8405

SEIA, Alexandra Hobson, ahobson@seia.org, 202-556-2886

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba8764d1-03f0-4030-a7ae-84f1416ff97a
MONTREAL, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Honorable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, made the announcement at the tenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP) thats being held at the United Nations, in New York, today. This statement was prepared in coordination with her colleague, the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c3b6ebe-038f-42d0-acc1-9a66783dc3e8

The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action was developed for the World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul on the 23th and the 24th of May 2016. Handicap International organized and co-hosted a special session on disability.

By endorsing the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, stakeholders commit to:

Non-discrimination and respect of the diversity of people with disabilities;

The participation of people with disabilities in the design of humanitarian programs;

The provision of inclusive services;

The implementation of inclusive global policies;

The cooperation and coordination among humanitarian actors to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities.

A delegation from Handicap International, a worldwide NGO, co-owner of de 1997 Nobel peace prize, is present to participate in the workshops surrounding the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP).

Jerome Bobin, Executive Director of Handicap International Canada, said: "Today, Canada has transformed words into reality by endorsing the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which aims to ensure that the most vulnerable people are no longer forgotten and invisible in the midst of the crises that are shaking the planet. With this charter and the various commitments made in recent months, Canada is clearly positioning itself as the champion of the inclusion of people with disabilities in Canada and around the world and invites the rest of the international community to double their efforts in this matter".

About Handicap International

Handicap International is an independent international aid organisation. It has been working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 30 years. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Handicap International has set up development programmes in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of eight national associations works constantly to mobilise resources, jointly manage projects and to increase the impact of the organisations principles and actions.

More information : www.handicap-international.ca
I did my undergrads in Monash and I can assure you what bb said is really true.It is not impossible to get jobs in Australia as a non PR/citizen, but the odds getting jobs with good career prospects is another different matter. Out of 20 non PR graduates that I know, who some of them did Masters as well (2014 Batch), 18 has returned to their own respective due to either being unable to secure jobs/the jobs that they obtained have almost 0 career progressions. The other two gets a career in Crown as an accountant, but they obtained this job without any involvement of Monash, and apparently they obtained it through social connections.Another important thing that you might want to look at is the quality of the students in Australian university in general. With the amount of tuition fees that these Australian unis charged (apparently rivals those of top US B schools) coupled with how difficult it is to obtain jobs as non PR/citizen makes you wonder what kind of international student wants to go there since the ROI will not be good if these students return to their home country or SG for work (SG entry level job salary is much lower than Aussie's entry level job salary). Apparently a lot of these people (Asian in general) are either misinformed about the situations there or are rich kids that who do not have to care about securing a job after graduation. You should notice that education sector is the third on Australia's exports, and I have seen enough to conclude that the quality majority of international students in Australia is sub-par in terms of motivation and communication skills (their English is a big issue here).I heard UNSW is the most reputable university in Aussie that has the least of the issues I have mentioned, but of course I have no credibility as I have never attended the university myself.Regarding how employers perceive MBA there, what bb said is completely true as they generally value WE more, and what makes things worse is a degree from Australia is not very well received by MNCs in general ,even in Asia. Companies tend to prefer the likes of NUS, HKUST and NTU as these companies are well aware of the quality of the students and how easy to enter Australian unis (even UoM).My suggestion is not to go Aussie at all for MBA if your goal is to secure a decent job post-MBA, their universities are too commercialized at the moment.Sent from my SM-G935F using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
- A picture has emerged showing the chair provided for visitors at the Magistrate Court in Wuse II

- The chair which is in a terrible state is a reflection of the court itself

A Facebook user identified as Sunday Akoji has shared a photo on his social media page showing the kind of seat provided for visitors to sit on at the Magistrate Court in Wuse II, Abuja.

One would expect that a prestigious court like the Magistrate Court would be furnished with beautiful furniture and accessories that will put the visitors at ease and remind them of their environment.

Instead, the seat prepared for the visitors is an old, tattered piece of furniture that ought to have been repaired a long time ago or carted off as a waste.

The tattered seat left for visitors to sit on at the Magistrate Court in Wuse II.

Most offices in Abuja are expected to be classy as the city itself is the seat of power. However, seeing the tattered old seats left for visitors to sit on at the Magistrate Court in Wuse II is bemusing.

READ ALSO: Meet Kenyan female mortuary attendant who cannot stay away from the dead

Check the initial post made by Sunday Akoji below:

PAY ATTENTION: Install the latest android app to get updates from Nigeria's number one online news platform

Perhaps, not finding a seat in the office may have been permissible but finding one in a sorry state is indeed a true reflection of the state of our union according to the poster.

It does seem like the government is not paying attention to the things that should be taken care of immediately. Rather, mundane things have become a focal point of attention.

What are your thoughts on this? Talk to us in the comment section.

Watch the Legit.ng TV video below to see how Nigerians are lamenting over the state of things. According to these set of people, there is no hope for the nation:

Source: Legit.ng
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 ...
Credit: University of Nottingham

Potential new ways of understanding the cause of cognitive impairments, such as problems with memory and attention, in brain disorders including schizophrenia and Alzheimer's are under the spotlight in a new research review.

The review has just been published in a special 'Pharmacology of Cognition' issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology. In the paper, Tobias Bast, Stephanie McGarrity and Marie Pezze from the School of Psychology at The University of Nottingham highlight recent evidence, which suggests that too much uncontrolled activity in specific brain areas may lead to the cognitive impairments characterizing these conditions.

Neurons in the brain interact by sending each other chemical messages, so-called neurotransmitters. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is important to restrain neural activity, preventing neurons from getting too trigger-happy and from firing too much or responding to irrelevant stimuli. In the extreme, impaired inhibitory GABA transmission can cause epileptic seizures. In addition, as highlighted in the review, more subtle impairments in inhibitory GABA transmission, which are below the threshold to cause seizures, have recently been linked to a range of brain disorders characterised by cognitive impairments, including schizophrenia, age-related cognitive decline and early stages of Alzheimer's. However, until recently it was not clear if and how such subtle impairments in inhibitory GABA function affect important cognitive functions, such as memory and attention.

Two recent studies by Dr Bast and his colleagues have combined experimental reductions in inhibitory GABA transmission in specific brain regions with behavioural tests of memory and attention in rats.These studies focused on two brain regions that have long been known to be important for memory and attention, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus (a brain region in the temporal lobe). The studies found that faulty inhibitory neurotransmission and abnormally increased activity in the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus impairs memory and attention.

Dr Bast said: "Traditionally, memory and attentional impairments in conditions like ageing, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia have mainly been thought to be caused by reduced neural activity or damage in brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus. However, more recent evidence shows that actually too much activity can be just as detrimental for memory and attention.

We reviewed recent studies in animal models, including our own research, which show that some important cognitive functions, including memory and attention, can be impaired if neural activity in brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, is not under sufficient inhibitory control, which is normally mediated by the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

A key finding is that increased activity of a brain region, due to faulty inhibitory neurotransmission, can be more detrimental to cognitive function than reduced activity or a lesion. Insufficiently restrained activity within a brain region can disrupt not only the function of the region itself, but also the function of other regions to which it is connected. For example, our studies revealed that faulty inhibitory neurotransmission in the hippocampus does not only disrupt aspects of memory typically supported by this brain region, but also impaired attentional function, which is highly dependent on the prefrontal cortex, a region that is strongly connected to the hippocampus.

We hope that our findings and a deeper understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying impairments in memory and attention will help to develop new treatments for these debilitating problems. Our review highlights potential pharmacological treatments to re-balance aberrant neural activity and restore memory and attention, which we aim to test in future research."

The review is part of a special issue concerned with the Pharmacology of Cognition, on the British journal of Pharmcology which is co-edited by Dr Paula Moran, Associate Professor and Reader in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Nottingham. She explains the significance of this issue for understanding cognitive conditions: "We urgently need new strategies to treat cognitive problems.These problems occur not only in Alzhiemer's disease and ageing, but also in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. It is often overlooked, but the functional outcomes of these disorders can depend on how well people can learn, remember and concentrate. New treatments are most likely to come from deeper understanding of brain circuitries that are involved. This special issue adresses new approaches to improving cognition from rebalancing abnormal neural activity to cannabinoids to exercise. It also highlights the importance of not only using information from animal models to translate to human studies but also taking that information back to animal models to improve their accuracy to to predict new treatments."

More information: Tobias Bast et al. Cognitive deficits caused by prefrontal cortical and hippocampal neural disinhibition, British Journal of Pharmacology (2017). Journal information: British Journal of Pharmacology Tobias Bast et al. Cognitive deficits caused by prefrontal cortical and hippocampal neural disinhibition,(2017). DOI: 10.1111/bph.13850
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The first patients in a clinical trial at Roswell Park Cancer Institute have begun receiving monthly doses of CIMAvax-EGF, a Cuban lung cancer vaccine that U.S. researchers say shows promise in preventing the recurrence of lung cancer - the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

The Roswell trial, which was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last fall, is the first time that a Cuban-made therapy has been tested on U.S. patients. CIMAvax has already undergone extensive clinical trials in Cuba and around the world and is an approved therapy for treatment of lung cancer not only on the island but also in Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The unique partnership between Roswell Park researchers and Havana's Center of Molecular Immunology began in 2011, well before the Obama administration's rapprochement with Cuba, and had its genesis in a cold call from Gisela Gonzalez, a Cuban researcher who was visiting her family in Pittsburgh.

She offered to give a talk about the Havana center's work to researchers at Roswell, an internationally recognized cancer treatment and research center. "It really came out of the blue, and we, like many others, thought Cuba was stuck back in the 'I Love Lucy' days and their technology was probably on par with their 1950s cars," recalled Dr. Kelvin Lee, chairman of Roswell's Department of Immunology.

"She comes up and gives this really great talk," said Lee, who previously worked at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "I recognized something really exciting, but I didn't appreciate the magnitude of it until several months later."

Gonzalez invited Roswell researchers to an international immunology convention in Havana. Lee said he came away impressed. "We saw this remarkable amount of innovative scientists and remarkable research they were doing," he said.

When he returned to Roswell, Lee said he told the institute's senior leadership: "If there's a 20 percent chance that what (Cuban scientists) are seeing in lung cancer patients is actually true, then we need to get in on the ground floor."

What makes the Cuban lung cancer vaccine so exciting to researchers is that instead of attacking cancer cells themselves, as most immunotherapies do, it generates an immune response against EGF, a growth factor circulating in the blood that cancer cells need to grow and thrive.

"By generating that immune response, it neutralizes the circulating (epidermal growth factor or EGF), starves the cancer and the cancer stops growing," Lee said.

Because of the way it appears to work, the vaccine could potentially be effective against other cancers such as colon and head and neck cancers that also rely on EGF to grow. "There's a hint, a hope here that we might be able to develop a vaccine for these other cancers," said Dr. Igor Puzanov, director of the clinical trial program and Roswell's chief of melanoma.

Unlike other cancer therapies, which may cause serious side effects, patients treated with CIMAvax tolerate the vaccine well. "Side effects for Cuban patients on the vaccine have been very minimal," said Dr. Grace Dy, chief of thoracic oncology and the chief investigator in the CIMAvax trial.

The vaccine, which has been administered to more than 5,000 patients worldwide, is also cost-effective.

On the island, where 1,000 Cubans have received the vaccine, the therapy is free. Foreigners who go to Cuba in search of the vaccine can see a doctor and get a year's supply for around $12,000, Lee said. That compares to the cost of treatment with Opdivo, an immunotherapy in use in the United States, that costs $12,000 to $15,000 per month.

Americans not accepted for the U.S. study who might want to go to Cuba to get the drug need to check U.S. travel regulations. Medical treatment does not fall into 12 categories of Cuba travel that the U.S. government permits without prior approval. Roswell also points out U.S. health insurance is very unlikely to cover CIMAvax acquired in a foreign country.

The Phase I trial is qualifying patients on a rolling basis. The goal is to enroll 60 to 90 patients for the trial, which is expected to be completed in three years. The first group of qualified patients, all of whom have previously been treated for lung cancer, began receiving the vaccine in January. It's being administered in combination with Opdivo, a second-line therapy that's been shown to be comparatively effective in treating lung cancer recurrence.

To be eligible for the clinical trial, patients must have advanced lung cancer that was treated initially with chemotherapy. Newly diagnosed lung cancer patients who were given Opdivo (also known as nivolumab) as their first line of treatment aren't eligible for the study.

There's plenty of data on the CIMAvax vaccine alone, said Puzanov, but the Roswell trial is the first time the two therapies have been tested in combination. The goal is to assess whether two immunotherapies given together are more effective.

Initially patients enrolled in the study get the combined therapies every two weeks for four courses and then once a month.

Roswell researchers will gradually increase the dosage of CIMAvax and Opdivo, trying to achieve the optimal combination and studying overall response and survival rates. The most recent trial conducted in Cuba showed that patients treated with CIMAvax had significantly improved quality of life and overall survival rates, according to Roswell researchers.

"We want to tease out the information about why patients respond. It's part of the mosaic of the comprehensive approach of attacking cancer here," said Puzanov. Potentially, the vaccine might even be administered to patients such as chronic smokers who are at high risk of developing lung cancer, according to Roswell researchers.

"This Phase I trial really feels like throwing a stone in a pool to see what type of ripples happen," Lee said. But his hope is that the trial shows the FDA enough that it will fast-track the sale of CIMAvax and other Cuban biologics - medications that rely on biotechnology for their manufacture - in the United States.

While in Cuba recently, Lee met a female lung cancer survivor who had been on the vaccine for 12 years.

"Lung cancer doesn't get the attention it deserves," Dy said. "The No. 1 cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States is lung cancer. Actual deaths from lung cancer are more than prostate, breast and colon cancers combined."

Since Roswell and Cuban researchers began collaborating, four Cuban doctorate students have spent six-month stints at Roswell, and Cuban scientists have visited Buffalo to plan the pre-clinical and clinical trials.

"This is a day we have been working toward for many years," Dr. Agustin Lage, director of CIM - the Havana center's Spanish acronym - said last October when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the FDA authorization of the clinical trial. "Our partnership with Roswell Park will allow us to learn things about our vaccine faster than what we could achieve working on our own, and we believe it is the best and quickest path for helping a great number of people both in Cuba and the U.S."

Roswell first obtained a license from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to pursue research, development and potentially manufacture and marketing of biotech products in 2013, and it was renewed in 2015.

The December 2014 rapprochement with Cuba and Cuomo's 2015 trade mission to the island helped fast-track FDA approval, said Lee. "Before, it was just two institutions trying to do something important for our own patients, but we weren't on anybody's front burner," he said. "The state's involvement really pushed us over the finish line."

Asked why a small country with limited resources was on the cutting edge of biotech research, Dy responded: "They were forced to become innovative; they were separated from the rest of the world in a sense. People in Cuba also are very well educated and there are lots of scientists and doctors."

Lee said the emphasis on universal healthcare and trying to come up with very cost-effective treatments also has contributed to Cuban breakthroughs.

"The really exciting thing about CIMAvax is the possibility that it might be used to prevent lung cancer," said Lee. The Havana center also has a portfolio of other interesting biologics, he said, and "there are about seven we are working on to see if we can move them into clinical trials."

2017 Miami Herald

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(HealthDay)Medical students frequently do not achieve mastery of the skills necessary for accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP), according to a study published online April 28 in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

Michael K. Rakotz, M.D., from the American Medical Association in Chicago, and colleagues assessed 159 medical students from medical schools in 37 states on an 11-element skillset on BP measurement. The students were attending the American Medical Association's House of Delegates Meeting in June 2015.

The researchers found that only one of the students showed proficiency in all 11 skills. There was a mean of 4.1 elements that were properly performed.

"The findings suggest that changes in medical school curriculum emphasizing BP measurement are needed for medical students to become, and remain, proficient in BP measurement," the authors write. "Measuring BP correctly should be taught and reinforced throughout medical school, residency, and the entire career of clinicians."

One author disclosed financial ties to Cordex.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay)A host of new medications that appear to prevent migraine headaches are in the final stages of testing and approval in the United States, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society, held from June 8 to 11 in Boston.

The new injectable drugs work by targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). One, erenumab, works by blocking the receptor CGRP acts on, while other drugs (fremanezumab by Teva; eptinezumab from Alder Biopharmaceuticals; and galcanezumab from Eli Lilly and Co.) work by blocking CGRP itself.

In one phase 3 trial funded by Amgen, nearly 1,000 patients with episodic migraine were randomly assigned to one of two doses of erenumab or placebo for six months. Half the patients receiving monthly injections of the higher dose of erenumab experienced a 50 percent reduction in number of migraines, Peter Goadsby, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurology at King's College London and the University of California, San Francisco, told HealthDay. In separate phase 2 trials testing erenumab's safety in chronic migraine patients, the medication was also tied to fewer attacks.

For the other three medications, researchers reported results of phase 2 trials that tested the drugs' safety. In each case, patients reported more headache-free days. Side effects, such as changes in blood pressure or potential liver damage, were found not to be a problem, researchers said. In addition, the drugs started working the first week of treatment. In some cases, patients were also able to cut back their other medications.

Funding from drug manufacturers was disclosed.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Private health insurance allows you to choose which hospital to go to for treatment. But are some safer than others? Credit: www.shutterstock.com

The recent jailing of British breast surgeon Ian Paterson after performing multiple unnecessary operations has highlighted the issue of hospital safety.

Paterson's unnecessary surgeries included some performed in private hospitals, which prompted UK doctors to call for private hospitals to report similar patient safety data as public hospitals, including unexpected deaths and serious injuries.

This example shows how little we know about patient safety and quality in our private hospitals, not only in the UK, but also in Australia.

What do we know about hospital safety and quality?

In Australia, one of the best places to look for information on hospital safety and quality is the MyHospitals website, a commonwealth department site run by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is provided with data about every patient treated in an Australian hospital, both public and private. Using that data, you can look up measures of safety and quality, as well as emergency department performances. You can compare public hospitals on all the performance measures, but private hospitals are excluded from the performance reports.

Another good source is the New South Wales Bureau of Health Information, which allows you to compare information about the safety and quality of public hospitals in NSW. Private hospitals are not included.

Private hospitals are not all the same

Private health insurance allows you to choose your treating doctor and the hospital at which you're treated. But how do you choose the right hospital, or the safest one? As our research shows, not all private hospitals in Australia are equal.

In 2009, the Australian Health Insurance Association (now called Private Healthcare Australia) asked me and my colleagues to look at the outcomes of care in private hospitals. We looked at death rates and the numbers of people who died during their stay in hospital, and a range of other safety and quality outcomes.

We were given access to three years of detailed data from a national sample of patients treated in 58 private hospitals. We did not know the names of the hospitals, nor patients' names.

Many kinds of hospital outcomes, such as the likelihood of dying in hospital, or contracting a serious infection, are influenced by factors such as a patient's age, and the range of conditions that brought them to hospital. We tried to take those factors into account and published our findings on the Private Healthcare Australia website.

We found a group of hospitals that, each year, seemed to have much lower death rates than average for all the private hospitals. Those, or other hospitals, also had lower than average rates of a variety of non-fatal incidents. There was also a group of hospitals that each year had higher than average death and adverse event rates. The greater than average death rate group included hospitals where death rates were consistently up to 90% higher than average.

If you are choosing a hospital, you'd want to know which hospital was which. But that information is not publicly available. You'd also want to know if there were more recent statistics, but there is no reported follow-up study. Without better public access to such facts and figures, we're still in the dark.

What do other countries do?

Other countries do things differently. In the US, several groups provide extensive and detailed information on a range of hospital safety and quality outcomes for almost all US hospitals, including private hospitals. The groups, which do not always agree, include commercial (Healthgrades) and not-for-profit organisations (The Leapfrog Group), and public and government bodies (such as Medicare Hospital Compare).

And in England, it is easy to look up the Care Quality Commission's detailed reports about public and private hospitals. The reports provide an easy to read, "blow-by-blow" account of their inspections of all types of hospitals, and make a variety of judgements on what they find. They are backed up by detailed statistical reports, but only for public hospitals.

Why don't we do this in Australia?

A representative from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner tells me that, provided individuals are not identified, there would be no breach of privacy if private hospital safety and quality data was made public. And no-one from a state health department has yet been able to say whether such a publication would be against any law.

Private Healthcare Australia, the peak body for health insurers, says it represents over 12.9 million Australians who choose better quality health care services and to put their health care needs first.

Private hospitals and private health insurers are in competition with each other for the 12 million or more Australians covered by some form of health insurance. So, it is in their commercial interests to avoid bad publicity.

Surely it is the role of both state and commonwealth governments to balance these commercial interests against the public's right to know which hospital is providing safe, high-quality care.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Countries accounting for around 85 per cent of the worlds population are largely overlooked. Credit: University of Queensland

Lack of diversity in psychological research is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, according to an Australian academic.

A study led by Associate Professor Mark Nielsen from The University of Queensland School of Psychology found an overwhelming sampling bias in developmental psychology towards research conducted in Western cultures.

"Over the last decade there has been an increasing call for psychological studies to move away from what we call a WEIRD-centric approach  that is, using research participants from a Western, educated, industrial, rich, and democratic background," he said.

To investigate the extent of this problem, Professor Nielsen and colleagues, Daniel Haun (University of Leipzig), Joscha Kartner (University of Munster) and Cristine Legare (The University of Texas at Austin) surveyed articles published between 2006 and 2010.

They focused on the journals Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and Developmental Science, and analysed the geographical region of the participants, where data were collected, and the affiliation of researchers.

"What we documented was alarming  90 per cent of papers published relied on data drawn only from WEIRD participants," Dr Nielsen said.

"Countries in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Israel contain around 85 per cent of the world's population, yet contributed less than three per cent of participants.

"This is a real problem, as quite often researchers will draw conclusions about their results stating 'This study shows that children of X age will' without clarifying that their findings might not apply to all children or indeed anything more than a minority of the world's children.

"Taking data collected only among children from privileged WEIRD backgrounds and assuming it represents the psychology of children growing up in any environment would be like a biologist studying a domesticated tabby cat and suggesting it tells them everything about a wild lion  it may reveal some things, but a lot will be missing.

"It is important to ensure that findings are replicated with participants of different cultures in order to explore whether results can be generalised, as these outcomes are not just used by scientists, but by parents, educators, and policy makers too."

The research team analysed developmental psychology journals, but Professor Nielsen suspected that biased sampling would be found in other sub-disciplines of psychology.

"The onus is now on other sub-disciplines to demonstrate that they are different in their sampling strategies or to acknowledge that their conclusions and theories must be treated as tenuous until tested among less homogenous and globally unrepresentative participants," he said.

Professor Nielsen said that although there is widespread acknowledgment of this problem within the psychological research community, there is little evidence of procedural change being implemented.

"Psychology, as a field, has in recent years become rightfully self-critical with crises of replication and statistical inadequacy.

"To continue ignoring the possible impact of environment and culture is both neglectful and bad science, and should be seen as great as these other crises which the profession is taking efforts to combat."

The research is published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
The body language of pride. Credit: vectorfusionart/Shutterstock

The Greek philosopher Aristotle described pride as the "crown of the virtues". It's after all an emotion we experience when we've achieved something great, or when someone close to us has. It usually has a recognisable physical expression  a slight smile, the head tilted back, the chest expanded, with arms raised or akimbo. Think Superman after he's defeated a villain.

Yet pride often gets a bad rep. While it can help us feel dignified and aware of our self-worth  ensuring that others do not walk all over us  it can seemingly interfere with empathy and make us come across as arrogant and egocentric. Pride comes before a fall, goes the saying. It is also one of the seven deadly sins, sitting alongside terrible traits such as envy, greed and arrogance.

So would it be better if we didn't feel pride at all? Let's take a look at what modern psychologists think.

Beware of hubris

Much of the research in this area has focused on determining whether pride is good or bad for us. A solution has been to split it into two emotions: hubristic pride and authentic pride. Some researchers argue that hubristic pride is what leads to states of arrogance and smugness, while authentic pride is what promotes confidence and fulfilment.

However, others say that this splitting of prides may be too simplistic. In fact, some argue that hubristic pride doesn't really qualify as an emotion at all. It's not that arrogant people are feeling a different emotion than non-arrogant people. The emotion of pride is present in both cases. Hubris is mainly about how someone communicates their pride to others. This is when pride might become problematic.

According to this research, people who express their pride in a hubristic or arrogant manner are those who tend to score high on narcissism, and who are less conscientious about how they present themselves socially. Consider US president, Donald Trump, who is often accused of narcissism. Many people thought he came across as hubristic when hitting back against reports that his inauguration drew significantly fewer people than his predecessor Barack Obama's.

Meanwhile, when Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the British Labour Party, said he was "very proud" of his party's 2017 general election results it seemed more understandable. Corbyn dramatically outperformed expectations, overcoming seemingly insurmountable hurdles. But to many people he comes across as a more humble individual. However there is no reason to assume he is experiencing pride to any less degree than Trump.

Moral emotion?

When you look at the causes and consequences of pride, it emerges that pride may be a core moral emotion. Moral emotions encourage pro-social behaviour and group harmony. But how could pride  an emotion that seems so self-focused  be considered a moral emotion?

In a forthcoming review of the literature, Jared Piazza and I found that pride is often elicited by actions that are considered socially praiseworthy. That is, we often feel proud about actions we think others will admire. For example, adults don't tend to feel pride when they lace up their shoes in the morning, but a young child might if they think their parents will praise them for it. Pride therefore is quite socially oriented.

A study conducted outside of the lab by Jeanne Nakamura obtained experiences of people feeling pride at work and at home. This research found that most situations that elicited high levels of pride were "social" in nature. That is, pride was experienced most strongly when others were around, such as family members or work clients.

Another study demonstrated the social aspect of pride beautifully. Participants were told that they had performed exceptionally well on a difficult task. Some of the participants were also praised for their performance ("great job!"). The participants that received this additional praise reported feeling more pride and tended to persevere longer in subsequent similar tasks. The study demonstrates that pride can motivate behaviours that are likely to bring us social praise.

That pride is experienced in response to achievements associated with social or moral value might encourage people to "stand their ground" to a greater extent than people who don't experience pride about a topic. Of course, in such instances, such pride  accompanied by the increased self-esteem and confidence associated with pride  might simply come across as stubbornness.

From an evolutionary perspective, the tendency to experience pride likely benefited our ancestors in a number of ways. First, by motivating people to achieve socially approved goals, pride can motivate us to contribute to society. By doing so, it can enhance the social status of the achiever  granting them greater influence over group resources and decision making. This can be especially effective depending on how we communicate that pride to others. For instance, raising one's hands in the air after winning a sporting event might be considered appropriate, but raising one's hands in the air after winning an argument with a romantic partner might be deemed as slightly less appropriate.

While pride can certainly lead to arrogant displays, this may be more about personality than the emotion of pride itself. Pride as an emotion seems to be quite functional and exist to encourage people to engage in socially valued behaviours more likely to bind people together than to separate and divide.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Boeing 737-700 jet airliner. Credit: Wikipedia/Arcturu

Long term exposure to aircraft noise, particularly during the night, is linked to an increased risk of developing high blood pressure and possibly heart flutter and stroke as well, suggests research published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

The research team drew on data from 420 people living near Athens International Airport in Greece, where up to 600 planes take off and land every day.

They formed one of six groups of people living near six large European airports who had taken part in the HYENA study, which assessed the potential health impacts of aircraft noise in 2004-6.

The aircraft and road traffic noise exposure levels estimated for their postcodes at that timeless than 50 decibels to more than 60 dBwere used for the current study in 2013.

Daytime aircraft noise was defined as that occurring between 0700 and 2300 hours, and that occurring between 2300 and 0700 hours was defined as night-time aircraft noise.

Around half of the participants (just under 49%) were exposed to more than 55 dB of daytime aircraft noise, while around one in four (just over 27%) were exposed to more than 45 dB of night-time aircraft noise. Only around one in 10 (11%) were exposed to significant road traffic noise of more than 55 dB.

Between 2004-6 and 2013, 71 people were newly diagnosed with high blood pressure and 44 were diagnosed with heart flutter (cardiac arrhythmia). A further 18 had a heart attack.

Exposure to aircraft noise, particularly at night, was associated with all cases of high blood pressure, and with new cases.

When all cases of high blood pressure were included, every additional 10 dB of night-time aircraft noise was associated with a 69% heightened risk of the condition. When only new cases were included, every additional 10 dB was associated with a more than doubling in risk.

Exposure to night-time aircraft noise was also associated with a doubling in risk of heart flutter diagnosed by a doctor, but this only reached statistical significance when all cases, not just new ones, were included in the calculations.

A heightened risk of stroke was similarly linked to increasing aircraft noise exposure, but this was not statistically significant, possibly because of the small number of cases involved, suggest the researchers.

The associations between road traffic noise and ill health were much weaker and less consistent, the findings showed.

This is one of the first long term follow-up studies of aircraft noise so it's not possible to draw conclusions about cause and effect at this stage until more evidence/studies become available, say the researchers.

They point out that they were unable to look at specific causes of death among the 78 people who died between 2004-6 and 2013. The numbers studied were also relatively small, and it wasn't possible to account for the potential effects of air pollution.

Nevertheless, a growing body of evidence links noise exposure to ill health, they emphasise.

More information: Is aircraft noise exposure associated with cardiovascular disease and hypertension? Results from a cohort study in Athens, Greece, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2016-104180 Is aircraft noise exposure associated with cardiovascular disease and hypertension? Results from a cohort study in Athens, Greece,
Digital subtraction angiography images show partial UFE. (a) Catheter is placed into right internal iliac artery with catheter tip in initial part of uterine artery (arrow); hypervascularization of fibroid is shown (arrowheads). (b) After partial UFE, uterine artery (arrow) is patent and there is some reduction of fibroid vessels, although some vessels are still shown (arrowheads). (c) Catheter is placed into left internal iliac artery with catheter tip in initial part of uterine artery (arrow); hypervascularization of fibroid is shown (arrowheads). (d) After partial UFE, uterine artery (arrow) is patent and there is some reduction of small fibroid vessels, although some vessels are still shown (arrowheads). Credit: Radiological Society of North America

A minimally invasive treatment can help restore fertility in women with uterine fibroids, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

Uterine fibroids, abnormal masses of fiber and muscle tissue in the wall of the uterus, are considered one of the most common causes of infertility and complications related to pregnancy. Previous research has found that one out of every four women with fibroids has problems related to fertility. The standard treatment option for such women is myomectomy, or surgical removal of the fibroids.

However, myomectomy is not always possible or effective and can result in major complications including hysterectomy, according to study co-author Joao Martins Pisco, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Interventional Radiology at Saint Louis Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal.

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a less invasive option that involves injection of an embolic agent, typically made up of very small beads, into the uterine arteries to block the blood supply to the uterus and fibroids. As the fibroids die and begin to shrink, the uterus fully recovers. UFE can be performed in patients with a prior myomectomy or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Despite its less invasive nature, UFE has yet to be fully embraced in the medical community as a fertility-preserving treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids due to concerns that the procedure may cause inadequate blood flow to the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, and the ovaries.

For the new study, Dr. Pisco and colleagues assessed pregnancy rates in 359 women with uterine fibroids who were unable to conceive and who underwent either conventional or partial UFE. In conventional UFE, all uterine artery branches are embolized. However, the partial procedure requires treatment of only the small vessels to the fibroids, leaving the corresponding larger vessels unaffected. Partial UFE may help reduce the risks of infertility associated with conventional UFE.

Graph shows cumulative probabilities of spontaneous pregnancy (solid line) and of live birth after spontaneous pregnancy (dotted line) after partial UFE in patients who wish to conceive. Credit: Radiological Society of North America

After an average follow-up of almost six years, 149 of the 359 women, or 41.5 percent, had become pregnant one or more times, and 131 gave birth to a total of 150 babies. It was the first pregnancy for more than 85 percent of the women who gave birth.

The procedures had a clinical success rate of approximately 79 percent for fibroid-related symptoms. Complication rates were 14.6 percent for partial UFE and 23.1 percent for conventional UFE. The procedure was repeated in 28 patients whose fibroids had not been fully treated, as shown by MRI, and 11 of those patients subsequently got pregnant.

"Our findings show that UFE is a fertility-restoring procedure in women with uterine fibroids who wish to conceive, and pregnancy following UFE appears to be safe with low morbidity," Dr. Pisco said. "Women who had been unable to conceive had normal pregnancies after UFE and similar complication rates as the general population in spite of being in a high-risk group."

Dr. Pisco suggested that UFE may become the first-line treatment for women with fibroids who wish to conceive, particularly for those with numerous or very large fibroids. Such patients have a fibroid recurrence rate of more than 60 percent after myomectomy, making UFE an important option.

The researchers are continuing the treatments and compiling data. Since the time of writing, there were 12 additional pregnancies.

"In our study there are now almost 200 newborns following UFE," Dr. Pisco said. "Our next step will be a randomized study comparing the results of partial and conventional UFE."

More information: "Spontaneous Pregnancy with a Live Birth after Conventional and Partial Uterine Fibroid Embolization." Radiology (2017). Journal information: Radiology "Spontaneous Pregnancy with a Live Birth after Conventional and Partial Uterine Fibroid Embolization."(2017).
If Sanral fails as a result of the e-toll boycott, the countrys economy will be in a worse position.

This is according to Vusi Mona, general manager of communications at Sanral.

He said it is concerning that organisations like Outa appear to relish in the current situation that Sanral finds itself in.

Despite Outas efforts, the courts have found that the e-toll project was implemented legally, said Mona.

Sanral is confident that the current matters before the courts will find this to be the case. Road users follow Outas advice at their peril.

Mona said the road infrastructure maintained by Sanral carries the bulk of freight traffic in the country, and services its citizens. If Sanral fails, the economy will become worse.

Highway improvements reduced traffic

The expansion and improvement of the highways in Gauteng provided several benefits, said Mona:

For individuals  lower fuel costs, accident rates, and time wasted. Savings in tyre, suspension, and steering repair costs.

For business  more turnarounds per day, resulting in higher turnover, productivity, and appointments met.

For the last four years, commuters in Gauteng have reaped the benefits of the project, said Mona.

While we may continue to disagree on many things surrounding the project, I think we can all agree that it has already helped to improve the lives of Gauteng citizens.

Mona warned most of the upgraded freeways will reach their capacity within the next 3 to 5 years, and that more phases of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project must be executed.

With insufficient funding, phases two and three are unlikely to be implemented.
The National Department of Health has warned against unscrupulous companies and individuals who are defrauding unsuspecting businesses, disguised as representatives of the Department.

The scam involves fraudsters using departmental letterheads to send fake tenders to companies and request them to supply equipment and goods.

The companies targeted are asked to supply specific products to the department.

When you search for the products online, there is usually only a single company listed in South Africa which offers them.

While the company providing the products may look legitimate, it is part of the scam  and it is here where the victim loses their money.

The victim purchases and pays for the goods, and they are then told by the fake company that the products have been delivered to the Department of Health.

This is a con  the tender, the company selling the products, and the departmental officials listed in the tender documents are all fake.

The department said it has alerted law enforcement to the scam to protect legitimate businesses as well as its name.

How to spot a fake tender

The department and Carte Blanche have provided guidelines on how to spot a fake tender:

The contact persons name and telephone number on the letter is not the same as the departments listed official contact people.

When searching on the Internet for the address of the company that has sent the fake tender document, the address does not exist.

The banking details are in a private name and not a company name. Government will never ask you to deposit funds for any business transaction.

Check the email address of the sender. If the address contains a .org it is not from the government  government emails end in .gov.za.

Look out for impersonation addresses, such as: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]

Check the contact number provided on the tender letter. Government warns that although the numbers look valid, they are often not connected to a property. Call the number to check.

Look for the purchase or order number. Government will never send an email asking you to supply equipment and goods without a purchase or order number.

Now read: Beware of Post Office customs parcel delivery scam
YEREVAN.  Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on Saturday met with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Georgia, Dimitry Kumsishvili.

They discussed Armenian-Georgian relations, especially economic cooperation, the press office of the government of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Karapetyan and Kumsishvili reflected on the ongoing joint projects, gave a positive assessment to their process, and conferred on future steps.

Also, the interlocutors recorded that the Armenia-Georgia trade is growing steadily in recent months, and consistent work is needed to increase this pace.

In addition, they reaffirmed their mutual readiness to continue collaboration in promoting ties between the business circles, attracting investments, cooperating within the framework of free economic zones and tourism industry, strengthening of intercultural ties, and in several other domains between Armenia and Georgia.
YEREVAN.  On June 9 and10, during the 10th anniversary DigiTech Business Forum, Armenian Ucom and PicsArt companies initiated a roundtable discussion, entitled The Development of Artificial Intelligence in Armenia and the Use Thereof in Business.

During the discussion the participants spoke of the top trending topic worldwide, stating that the development of artificial intelligence in Armenia is still in its embryonic stage. Ideas were expressed that along with machine learning, provided by higher education institutions preparing specialists of the sector, it is also necessary to invite professionals, who are capable of not only providing theoretical knowledge, but also boosting the development of practical skills among students.

PicsArt together with Ucom shared its experience, noted Michael Vardanyan, Technical and General Director at PicsArt Armenian headquarters. PicsArt has acquired great experience in the artificial intelligence field and machine learning. Within the framework of this meeting weve discussed the ways of developing Armenia and making it competitive in this area, the staffing, the delivery of trainings and educational events.

Presently this education gap is filled by each company individually. Ucom and PicsArt together have initiated courses with total duration of five months. Thirty participants selected from 600 applicants are mainly winners of international Olympiads, doctors of science, who happened to be taught by specialists having studied abroad. Among such specialists are alumni of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), those having worked at Google, engineers working at leading IT companies in Russia, etc. Three months are left for completion of the mentioned intensive courses.

Still many years ago we understood that for advancement of modern technologies and development of innovative products, we need to have specialists, who still in their school years have been taught to think and analyze, develop and create and not just consume, said Hayk Yesayan, Director General at Ucom. Having this in mind, we greatly support the education process of students in Armath engineering laboratories starting from 5th grade. Its the children with engineering mindset, who will be capable of understanding the challenges of digital era, and as a result of persistent learning will become specialists that Armenian companies like Ucom and PicsArt are strongly in need of these days.

At the end of discussion, the participants were still exchanging ideas about potential business projects aimed at developing the sector.
Amazon becomes world's first public company to lose $1 trillion in market value

EU's odd couple: Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel can't stand each other

US, China set first benchmarks ahead of presidents' meeting

Iranian MFA summons Azerbaijani ambassador to carpet in connection with anti-Iranian propaganda

Washington to resist any attempt by new Israeli government to annex West Bank

Biden thinks Elon Musk's relations with other countries are worthy of being looked at

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister tells Polish senator about consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Armenian deputy in Vilnius talks about goals of Azerbaijan's aggressive policy

Taliban bans women from gyms

U.S. to send Ukraine another $400 million in military aid

Ursula von der Leyen announces EUR 250 million support package for Moldova

Biden and Jinping meet on sidelines of G20 summit in Bali to be held on November 14

Riches of world get poorer suddenly

State Duma deputy: Interparliamentary format Yerevan-Baku-Moscow will be included soon to solve issues

IMF sees growing risk of economic fragmentation

Armen Gevorgyan to visit Strasbourg, Brussels and Paris

State Duma deputy: Upper Lars border crossing capacity has increased fivefold

UK government freezes over 18 billion pounds worth of Russian assets

State Duma deputy on Zatulin's ban on entering Armenia: These issues must be resolved

Borrell calls for retooling EU infrastructure for rapid transport of military equipment to East

European Parliament clears way for Croatia's admission to Schengen Area

European Council President Michel calls on EU member states to jointly purchase gas to reduce fuel prices

Alen Simonyan congratulates scientists on their professional holiday

Armenian President meets with leaders of several countries in Egypt

Greece accuses Turkey of profiting from the suffering of other countries under sanctions

USAID official says she personally saw how democracy, economic development are progressing in Armenia (VIDEO)

Spain court sentences civilian to prison for spreading fakes

Armenian Embassy in Russia issues statement on Azerbaijan's actions

Indian company to supply 155mm self-propelled artillery guns worth $155mln to Armenia

Japanese minister caught in scandal for talking about death penalty

France changes its ambassador to Azerbaijan

UN General Assembly draft resolution requires Russia to pay reparations to Ukraine

Belarusian State Border Committee: Poland creates tense situation on border

Joint meeting of Armenian National Assembly and Russian State Duma Committee takes place

Iranian President says attempt to destabilize country fails

Deputy: Russian side is informed about importance of withdrawal of Azerbaijani units from the territory of Armenia

State Duma deputy: We can't imagine Russia without Armenia

Georgian PM and Armenian Ambassador discuss cooperation issues

Bali is short of armored limousines for G20 summit participants

FLYONE ARMENIA to start flights between Yerevan, Dubai

Kyodo: Emperor of Japan revealed to have prostate hyperplasia

Iranian intelligence urges Saudi Arabia not to test Tehran's strategic patience

Kazakhstan intends to ship 1.5 mln tons of oil via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline

Former Ombudsman: 2,700 ha of Kapan community of Armenia's Syunik Province are under occupation by Baku

Armenia to ratify cooperation agreement with China

Japan and the US begin major joint exercise

Armenia soldier sustains gunshot wound from Azerbaijan shooting

Armenia legislature speaker receives deputy chair of Russia State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration

PM: If anyone thinks peace agenda is peaceful annihilation of Armenia or Karabakh Armenians, they are sorely mistaken

Armenia Premier: We have 16 missing persons since September 13 military aggression by Azerbaijan

Bitcoin is trading just above $16,000

Armenias Pashinyan: Spreading of fake news by Azerbaijan becomes prelude to new aggression

Armenia PM: Azerbaijan, with its practices, reminds of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, which discredit Islam

PM: Armenia, Karabakh propose Azerbaijan to create demilitarized zone

Pashinyan: There is no Armenia army in Karabakh

All 10 fallen soldiers transferred on October 27 by Azerbaijan to Armenia are identified, buried

Pashinyan: Armenia is going to present new proposal to Azerbaijan

$25M allocated to Armenia MOD

Biden says he will discuss Ukraine conflict at G20 summit

Pashinyan: Armenia has no obligation to construct new roads

Pashinyan: Aliyev not only threatens but is already preparing genocide of Karabakh Armenians

Armenias Pashinyan: Azerbaijan president is attempting to create invented grounds for closing Lachin Corridor

Erdogan tells what relations between Turkey and Armenia depend on

Iran says it has developed first hypersonic ballistic missile

Armenias Pashinyan: Russia peacekeepers are deployed in Karabakh indefinitely

FM Lavrov to head Russia delegation at G20 summit

Erdogan: Ankara continues mediation efforts to resolve Ukrainian crisis

Armenia to get 100mn loan to fund budget deficit

IAEA head: Talks on Iran's nuclear program ended inconclusively

Armenia PM: Aliyev grossly violated tripartite written agreement of Sochi

This year 320 people seek asylum in Armenia, 213 are from Ukraine

Erdogan speaks on trusting relationship with Putin

Gold prices remain stable

Ombudsperson in Brussels, reflects on top Azerbaijan leaderships policy of Armenophobia

Indonesian authorities: Putin won't come to G20 summit in Bali

World oil prices falling

Washington demands part of Israeli Arrow 3 for sale to Germany, be produced in the U.S.

Armenia Security Council chief meets with Lithuania officials

Armenia FM heading for Paris

Egypt launches Tax Free system for foreign tourists

Washington, Brussels don't approve German plan to resume transatlantic trade talks

Newspaper: Armenias Mirzoyan makes it clear to Blinken that wording Artsakh should be included

Newspaper: Armenia parliamentary opposition decides to return to legislative body

Polar and brown bear hybrids may appear in Yakutia due to climate change

Volkswagen releases office chair with electric motor and klaxon

Israel reveals Pulcinella secret, admitting that it used drones not only for surveillance

Chinese woman makes dresses for her daughter out of trash bags

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

France National Assembly speaker reaffirms solidarity with Armenia, Armenians

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
YEREVAN.  Armenia-Estonia bilateral relations are close and friendly.

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, who is in Yerevan on an official visit, on Tuesday stated the above-said at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Mikser noted that they have discovered unused potential, especially in the economic sector. He added that there are accomplishments and that the parties give priority to the development of the information technology (IT) sector. Also, the Estonian FM stated that his country has s significant track-record which it stands ready to exchange with Armenia, and added that some respective steps already have been made.

To note, Estonia will become the President of the Council of the European Union (EU) for six months. As per the Estonian, they have an ambitious presidency agenda, including regarding the Eastern Partnership program of the EU. Mikser said the summit will take place in November in

Brussels, and they hope that the talks on an agreement between Armenia and the EU will be completed with success.

When asked about Armenia-EU visa liberalization, the Estonian FM noted that his country was interested in the progress of this process; but he refrained from noting the possible dates for the completion of this process. In his words, this depends on Armenias ability to meet with the corresponding requirements and standards.
YEREVAN.  Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries have repeatedly said that the party to Karabakh conflict that will aggravate the situation will be condemned by the international community, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

However, Azerbaijan pretends not to hear the calls, refuses to introduce mechanisms, although it is clear to everyone who violates the ceasefire, Nalbandian said during his joint pressers with Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser.

The mediators are trying to react in a balanced manner, not to specify the party. But they are forced to make targeted statements, which happened recently. How many more calls should be made to make it clear that they are not enough and more effective measures are needed to curb Azerbaijans attempts to destabilize the situation. I think the international community is coming to a conclusion that appropriate steps are necessary towards a party that is constantly threatening to use force, the minister said.

Answering a question about Baku's interpretation of the meeting in Moscow, the Armenian minister stressed that the meeting did not discuss any other document besides the text of the message for the media, which was discussed by the ministers in the presence of the mediators. Moreover, the Armenian and Russian Foreign Ministries published the agreed version, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan maintained that the ministers discussed not the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg, but discussed the talks in Vienna and St. Petersburg, which is absurd. As for the content of the meeting in St. Petersburg, a joint statement was made, detailing the content of the meeting. After that, Nalbandian noted, Baku tried to make comments, which the Russian Foreign Ministry called distorted.

Commenting on the statements from Baku that the status quo is unacceptable, Foreign Minister noted that Azerbaijani officials are focused on some points and repeat them all the time, thus devaluating the meaning, but at the same time they act in an opposite way.

They talk about the status quo, but who is behind ceasefire violations? Who hinders creating an atmosphere for the advancement of talks? They talk about freedom of speech and do exactly the opposite. They say one thing, they do something else. As for the UN resolutions - there are four of them because after each of the documents was adopted, Azerbaijan refused to fulfill them. The purpose of the resolutions was to stop the military actions, Nalbandian said, adding that last April Baku tried to call into question the ceasefire agreement, and the mediators had to remind Azerbaijan that the agreement was unlimited and it must be implemented.
Materials of the criminal case initiated against blogger Alexander Lapshin, who is under arrest in Azerbaijan, were sent to court, Trend reported quoting a source in Azerbaijans law enforcement.

The materials were submitted to judge of the Baku Court on Grave Crimes Alovsat Abbasov for consideration.

After his visits to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2011 and 2012, blogger and journalist Alexander Lapshinwho is a citizen of Russia, Israel, and several other countrieswas blacklisted by Azerbaijan.

In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan--but with a Ukrainian passport--and, subsequently, he published several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities.

Afterward, Azerbaijan issued an international search for this famous blogger. On December 15, 2016, Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk, and based on this search.

On January 26 of the current year, the Minsk city court dismissed the blogger's appeal of the Belarusian General Prosecutor's Office decision to extradite him to Azerbaijan.

On February 7, the Supreme Court of Belarus dismissed the appeals that were filed into this case, and upheld the aforesaid decision by the General Prosecutors Office.

And on the evening of the same day, Belarus extradited Alexander Lapshin to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody.
Even if NATO is not involved in the Karabakh conflict settlement process, the conflict will have negative consequences on the countries, which are very far from the region, also influencing the Alliance.

NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai, told the aforementioned to Armenian News  NEWS.am on Tuesday.

In his words, like everyone, the NATO allies see that the level of violence in the conflict zone has risen. Appathurai noted that the April events indeed took them by surprise, being also unexpected for many Armenians. But the violence level rose after this as well, which is a serious reason to worry about, he added.

According to the official, the political process aimed at the settlement of the conflict seems not to manage to reduce the level of violence or achieve a specific solution to the issue despite the regular high-level meetings between the parties.

Although NATO doesnt wish to interfere in the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement within the OSCE Minsk Group framework, it supports the peaceful process and the co-chairs, Appathurai noted, stressing that there is a serious concern about the high level of violence. He also noted that saying who is responsible for what is outside the scope of his authorities, this being within the scope of the Minsk Group authorities. NATO doesnt have observers in the zone of conflict but the situation arouses concerns, he concluded.
A small cableway, one of many, leads from the lively, densely populated plain, bisected by the Yangtze River, high up into the realm of the wind. It carries passengers over plunging gorges and dark, thickly wooded cliffs that look like Chinese paintings of light and darkness against the backlit sky. The gondola ferries hikers and day tourists up to an elevation of thirteen hundred meters, a bit closer to the dazzling sunlight with each passing second. Its the most comfortable connection between the valley and the summitand the guarantor that no visitor is obliged to stay any longer than desired in the realm of the spirits. Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain, is a natural setting of timeless beauty but has also been the domain of spirits for thousands of years. Such is the legend, in any case. The tourists wouldnt have it any other way. A bit of harmless fright adds an extra touch of excitement.

Driving the Huangshan mountains with the Macan



An ice-cold wind floods into the opening door of the cable car, whipping the jackets and hair of the passengers. The mountain-top air is wonderfully clear, gentle and always in motion. In its dance between the peaks, it whistles striking songs. The inhabitants of the valley attribute the sounds to the spirits of their dead ancestors. Down on the Yangtze River, everyone knows that the ghosts of the past seek the freedom of the summit. On the summit, however, visitors quickly gather that the pine, spruce, and ginkgo trees, as well as bizarre rock formations, are the instruments on which the wind orchestrates its melodies. The sounds are not always harmonious: a shrill yelp suddenly changes to a soft whisper. The rhythmic swelling and ebbing of the underlying soundscape is drowned out by a whistling solo on a rock outcropping. Just a few steps away, a low-frequency hum dominates the sounds of the Yellow Mountains. Contemplative mystics find spiritual explanations for each of these natural phenomena. Yet even for agnostics, this auditory encounter with nature is overwhelming.

A winding road parallel to the highway

The Huangshan scenic landscape is a nature reserve in the southeastern province of Anhui. The range encompasses more than seventy peaks at more than one thousand meters. The highest point in the range, Lianhua Peak, is precisely 1,864 meters high. UNESCO has named Mount Huangshan a World Heritage Site. The range, which covers nearly 154 square kilometers, is just five and a half hours from Shanghai. Given the Chinese excursion culture, its subtropical allure makes the nature reserve a popular destination for city dwellers escaping the hustle and bustle of the metropolis for a few days.

The route to the Huangshan range goes through the Shanghai district of Songjiang before joining westbound traffic on the modern highway. Those seeking a more idyllic and dynamic route can opt for the twisting and turning rural road that runs parallel to the highway. The small city of Tangkou is the starting point for hikes through the national park. Buses leave for Mount Huangshan almost every minute, their destination being the valley station of the cableway. Visitors wishing to avoid the gondolas stomach-churning heights can also scale the mountain by foot. On paths that can get quite steep, the march to the top takes roughly as long as the drive from Shanghaiabout six hours.

Sixty thousand steps in the mountainside

Once at the top, visitors are treated to a picturesque mixture of pristine natural beauty and a colorful festival atmosphere. Solitude is not the idea herecommunity is the operative concept. Amid the sounds of the winds, which are amplified by the alleged mystical forces of the spirits, visitors are all too happy to view the spectacle in larger groups. All of the paths are well paved and well-worn. The oft-invoked existence of related souls confers upon locals and visitors in equal measure a responsibility to make their world accessible to all, particularly to the generations to come. In Buddhism, belief in reincarnation plays an extremely important role. Karma, too, is an important conceptgood deeds bring rewards.

This positive mindset is an expression of the harmony between humanity and nature. So its no surprise that there are many paths in these mountains, including amazingly adventurous passages cut into the walls of the cliffsnot to mention a multitude of bridges and tunnels and more than sixty thousand stairs. The oldest of the mountain paths is said to have been built over fifteen hundred years ago. Popular with children and the elderly as well, Mount Huangshan attracts some fifteen million visitors every year.

Many guests stay the night, sleeping in simple mountain hotels. As the cableway is reserved for transporting visitors, the hotels are supplied by traditional means. Day after day, porters trudge up and down the mountain trails, carrying food, construction materials, and luggage. At times, they even carry exhausted tourists up the mountain in chairs affixed to carrying bars. Word has it that farmers from the valley earn a bit of extra cash this way. The rhythmic clacking of the shoes of dozens of porters all around mingle with the songs of the wind on the ascent.

The Huangshan mountain range is among the most important tourist destinations in China

Atop the mountain, beneath the wide-open sky, the light creates ever-changing color patterns on the sea of leaves and rough surfaces of the oddly shaped rocks. The never-ending sequence of new, breathtaking views is nothing short of spectacular. Most impressive, perhaps, is the mountain panorama at sunrise or dusk, and of course when dramatic cloud formations bring forebodings of stormy weather. At such moments, one is reminded of James Camerons Avatar and its Hallelujah Mountains, which were modeled on Mount Huangshan.

You dont have to be a mystic to hear the beating wings of the ikran in the howling windthe flying mountain banshees that carried Camerons heroine, the blue-hued warrior Neytiri, through the film with the deftest of mid-air maneuvers. Indeed, Mount Huangshan is said to have directly inspired Camerons vision of the floating mountains of Pandora. A sign at a viewing platform named Where the monkey chases the sun points out the similarity between the actual mountains and Camerons rendering. The peaks seem to float above the clouds as if above a sea with no beaches.

Harmony with nature

Since ancient times, the power and beauty of Yishan, as the mountainous region was known until the year 747, have inspired the imaginations of artists. Chroniclers tell us of Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, who is said to have lived here more than four thousand years ago. Huangdi is revered for his contributions to Chinese medicine. Ever since Mount Huangshan took on his moniker, its said that the good spirits have made the peaks their own. The scenery serves as inspiration for Chinese artists, who still paint their pictures in the fine brushstrokes of their forebears in the line of traditional Chinese landscape paintingtheir depictions focused on the panoramic view of the Yellow Mountains.

Scenes from the Huangshan mountains are increasingly popular in the new and very fast-paced life of contemporary China, says Yang Songyuan. The brush maker is renowned among local painters for the quality of his brushes, which are made of goat or rabbit hair. The animal hairs are attached to the bamboo shafts by hand using traditional methods. Ten brushes per day. And we even have customers abroad, he reveals. Artist Li Zhigung explains that animal motifs, and particularly horses in the style of the Tang dynasty painters, are frequently commissioned nowadays by car brands. Landscapes, by contrast, are very popular among private customers, he says, returning the conversation to the souvenir images of Mount Huangshan laid out before him.

That popularity points to the fact that consumers, although they increasingly store their everyday lives in smartphones, still live with a deep sense of connection to nature. And that is why, even today, the realm of the winds above the sea without beaches is the center of the world for many Chinese. An inscription at the cableways valley station states: He who has seen Mount Huangshan need not see another mountain.

Huangshan mountain The Huangshan mountain range is among the most important tourist destinations in China, particularly for Chinese visitors. In 1990, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is listed under the name Mount Huangshan. The most popular time to visit is from April to October; in April, flowers and herbs are in bloom. More details can be found at: www.chinahighlights.com
On Easter Sunday, Milwaukee musician Matthew Thomas Gonzales  aka "Matty Gonzales" or just "Matty G"  passed through Abu Dhabi to board a Royal Caribbean ship because he works for Waveguide Communications and was planning to provide cabling and wiring services on the cruise ships.

Gonzales was detained in the Abu Dhabi airport for having a prescription medication called Tramadol. He had the pharmaceutical due to chronic back and shoulder pain, but did not have the prescription with him, nor did he register the medicine prior to entering the country which is a requirement.

He was unaware of this requirement, but Gonzales was sent to prison in the desert of Abu Dhabi. Although he was able to provide a prescription and a doctors letter  as well as an endorsement from a court-ordered doctor in Abu Dhabi  he was declared innocent for possession and usage.

However, Gonzales was still sentenced to two years in prison. Gonzales appeal date in July 30, but it is believed he could be released on or before June 25, which is the last day of Ramadan. Ramadan is a holiday that judges will take a month-long break afterwards.

Because Donald Trump welcomed Mohamed Bin Zayes Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince, it is believed he or someone from his staff could make a phone call to request his deportation.

Contact senators, state representatives and the US embassy in Abu Dhabi to request they litigate on Gonzales behalf.

Contact here, and use the hashtag #freematty
Radio color image of an area of the COSMOS field containing several large radio galaxies.An image of the VLA is overlaid. Credit: Astronomy & Astrophysics (VLA image courtesy of NRAO/AUI)

Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing a series of six articles presenting the results of the VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. Led by researchers at the University of Zagreb, the team used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) telescope to observe a two square degree patch of sky called the COSMOS field, for a duration of 384 hours. The astronomers obtained one of the clearest (highest angular resolution) and deepest (most sensitive) radio images ever produced over such a large region of the sky. In the radio ''skymap'', the team detected nearly 11000 galaxies. The new radio data have been combined with optical, infrared, and X-ray observations from worldwide leading telescopes.

Radio light is not blocked by the large clouds of interstellar dust that often resides in galaxies. This means that radio waves can be used to detect newborn stars within galaxies, as these stars are hidden at other wavelengths. The astronomers used the new survey to examine how the amount of radio light coming from a galaxy relates to the rate at which the galaxy is forming new stars. They also studied how this rate has changed over the history of the Universe. They found that galaxies produced the most stars when the Universe was about 2.5 billion years old, a fifth of its current age. During this period, about a quarter of all newborn stars were being created in massive galaxies. The astronomers also found that 15-20% more star formation was occurring in galaxies in the early Universe than was previously thought. This means that dust clouds are indeed likely to be hiding many newborn stars.

The new radio survey has also provided a unique insight into galaxies containing actively growing supermassive black holes in their centers. These galaxies are called active galactic nuclei (AGN). Matter orbiting around and falling into the black hole can release huge amounts of energy. Using the new radio data, the astronomers discovered more than 1000 AGN that appear to be "normal" galaxies at every other wavelength. Only their radio emission signatures betray their hidden black hole activity. These radio-detected AGN are particularly interesting as they may represent a population of AGN that can influence the eventual fate of their host galaxies. Physical processes associated with the feeding supermassive black hole may heat the gas in and around the galaxy, preventing the formation of new stars and halting the runaway growth of galaxies. The astronomers compared the AGN heating process assumed in cosmological simulations to what they detected in the new radio data. They found a strong similarity between the two. The quality of the new data allowed this test to be conducted out to a cosmic time at which the Universe was only about 2.5 billion years old.

The scientific findings of this new radio survey are important because they give more information about how and why galaxies have evolved since they were formed after the big bang up to the present day. This survey will also serve as the basis for large-scale, next-generation radio surveys, including the upcoming VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) and the planned surveys that will use the international Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope.

Enlarged images from the VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. The mosaic contains images of large radio galaxies (top nine panels) and of compact radio objects (bottom panel). Credit: Astronomy & Astrophysics

Provided by Astronomy & Astrophysics
New research from the University of Auckland has shown that pupils in kura kaupapa Maori-language immersion schools who have English introduced to their lessons gain a better grasp of both languages.

The research was conducted by Dr Sophie Tauwehe Tamati of the Te Puna Wananga School of Maori and Indigenous Education at the Faculty of Education and Social Work.

Dr Tamati's research was conducted for her PhD thesis, Transacquisition Pedagogy for Billingual Education: A Study in Kura Kaupapa Maori. She says the thesis has cleared the way for teachers and kura kaupapa Maori to use a type of pedagogy which she created called "Transacquisition".

Under her theory, instead of kura kaupapa Maori students having English introduced at secondary school level, it should start when the pupils are aged 11 and 12.

"The introduction of English is better placed when the children are in years 7 and 8," she says.

"This could stop the current pattern of many parents pulling their children out of kura kaupapa Maori schools at year 8 and sending them to mainstream high schools to start learning in English."

Dr Tamati carried out her research in two kura kaupapa Maori and used her Transacquisition teaching approach with 24 year 7 and 8 students over an 8-week intervention programme.

For one and a half hours in weeks 1, 3, 5 and 7 the students read story books written in te reo Maori to retell using their own reo Maori. Then they would revoice their reo Maori story in English. Some even managed to rewrite the original reo Maori story in English. In weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 the students did the opposite. They read English story books to retell in English. Then they revoiced their English stories in te reo Maori to then rewrite in Maori.

After the 8-week programme, the kura students had improved their English literacy at a rate that was 5.87 times faster than a similarly abled group in a decile 10 English-medium school.

"Ms Tamati's dissertation has the potential to radically re-align pedagogical approaches currently in place in the education of emergent bilingual students," says Professor Jim Cummins who is a one of the world's leading authorities on bilingual education.

Despite the positive results Dr Tamati's research has met with some resistance from Maori.

"At first, my PhD topic was very, very unpopular. It challenged the need for the Maori language to be used exclusively in kura kaupapa Maori in order to revitalise the language. It addressed the reality of kura children who don't live in an exclusively Maori world. Most kura children go home to English and Transacquisition helped them to lift their academic achievement in both their languages.

"It stands out internationally because it proves that bilingualism and biliteracy development can be accelerated," says Dr Tamati.

She is now in the process of publishing her thesis as a book for teachers here in New Zealand and overseas to use Transacquisition to raise the academic achievement of bilingual children in their classes.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticized by the energy sector this year for suggesting a need to "phase out" oil sands production in January, which is Canada's top single fastest-growing source of CO2

Oil companies said Tuesday they planned to ramp up their output in Canada, throwing a wrench in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently the world's sixth largest oil producer, Canada expects to hike production by 32 percent to 5.1 million barrels per day by 2030, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

The additional output will come entirely from the Alberta oil sands.

Trudeau was criticized by the energy sector this year for suggesting a need to "phase out" oil sands production, which is Canada's top single source of CO2 and its fasting growing.

"We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels," he said in January, two months after approving two new pipelines to the United States and to Pacific tidewater.

Environmental activists have been unrelenting in their dislike of the oil sands and calls to shut down extraction of heavy crude and bitumen, which is harder, more polluting and more expensive to extract than typical light crude.

But Trudeau instead gave a boost to the sector by approving the refurbishment of two existing Canadian pipelines to increase capacity.

US President Donald Trump's approval of the Keystone XL pipeline connecting the oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries was also welcomed by the industry.

More, bigger, better pipelines

Still the current pipeline capacity to transport about four million barrels per day is insufficient, said the CAPP, which pointed to an "urgent need for pipelines heading east, west and south."

The CAPP represents about 240 oil, gas and affiliated companies and estimates the industry will need to boost pipeline capacity to more than 5.5 million barrels per day to meet rising demand.

But increased oil output would undermine Trudeau's commitment to slash Canada's CO2 emissions by 30 percent compared with 2005 levels, by 2030.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna on Monday welcomed her G7 counterparts' appreciation of Canada's newfound "leadership and concrete actions to implement the Paris Agreement."

But it remains to be seen if measures such as a national carbon pricing scheme and a patchwork of regional cap and trade and other measures will be enough to meet that commitment.

A Senate report released in March concluded that Canada required a "Herculean shift" to meet its target, for example, the removal of "all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships" from the country, or a complete shutdown of its oil and gas sector.

The Trudeau government's proposed Can$10 carbon price rising to a maximum of Can$50 per tonne in 2022 will not be enough.

If the oil and gas sector ramps up as predicted, the increased pollution would outpace any reductions from his climate policies.

The CAPP has noted that despite the approval of the three pipelines in the last few months, more are "still needed to further connect Canada's growing supplies to diverse markets."

Next year, Canada will take over the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations.

In a statement Greenpeace Canada said: "New pipelines have no place in a just, green Canada and are an obvious misfit in a G7 presidency agenda focused on climate action and clean growth among its top priorities."

 2017 AFP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, left, for a meeting at the chancellery as part of the 'G20 Africa Partnership  Investing in a Common Future' conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, June 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Egyptian authorities have intensified their blocking of critical websites and expanded their focus to so-called VPN sites that help users bypass such restrictions, a watchdog said.

Five additional sites were blocked late Monday, bringing the total number of obstructed sites to 62 since a censorship campaign began in late May, The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression said in a statement.

"We noticed the beginning of blocking websites that provide VPN services," it said, referring to virtual private networks that can be used to access blocked content by routing connections through servers outside the country. "Such practice points to the intent of the government to continue blocking and filtering the content that Egyptian users could access."

On May 24, Egypt's official news agency reported that the government ordered internet service providers to block access to 21 news websites, alleging they supported terrorism or reported "false news."

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has presided over a widespread crackdown on dissent since leading the military overthrow of his predecessor, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, in 2013.

Among the blocked sites were those of Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Egypt has joined Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations in seeking to isolate Qatar over allegations it supports terrorist groups, charges Qatar denies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, left, for a meeting at the chancellery as part of the 'G20 Africa Partnership  Investing in a Common Future' conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, June 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Egyptian authorities also blocked sites linked to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, now outlawed as a terror organization, and those linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

However, most of the blocked addresses are news websites, including prominent investigative platform Mada Masr and other publications such as Daily News Egypt. VPN service Tunnelbear, which describes itself as providing "really simple computer and mobile apps for private browsing and to experience the internet as if you are in another country," has also been blocked.

El-Sissi was in Germany on Monday and Tuesday to attend a conference on partnership between the G20 group of major economies and African countries, and to drum up trade and investment. He took part in a panel discussion but did not take any questions.

After meeting with el-Sissi, German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said Berlin wants to strengthen its economic relations with Egypt, its most important trading partner in North Africa, but that adherence to the rule of law is essential, as "companies need reliable conditions for investment decisions." El-Sissi did not respond to the comment.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This ceramics workshop on the Greek island of Paros was preserved beneath a modern residence. Credit: Eleni Hasaki

In ancient Greece, people relied on their friendly neighborhood ceramics workshop for everything from dishes to perfume bottles to roofing materials.

A new project, led by University of Arizona associate professor Eleni Hasaki, aims to map these critical centers of ceramics production across nearly 5,000 years of Greek history in a first-of-its-kind online database, designed to support archaeologists working in Greece today.

The Web Atlas of Ceramic Kilns in Ancient Greece includes information on 600 Greek kiln locations, dating between 3000 B.C. and A.D. 1820. Each uncovered kiln represents the location of a ceramics workshop.

The idea for the database grew from Hasaki's dissertation on ceramic kilnsthe ovens used to fire potteryin ancient Greece. As part of her work, Hasaki sifted through stacks of hard-copy archaeological reports in Greek, which were not available online, and traveled to Greece to collect information about kiln excavations that had not yet been formally published.

The resulting lengthy list of 450 kilns made Hasaki think there should be an easier way for archaeologists and scholars like herself to access information about these sites, and so the idea for a searchable database was born.

"My major hope for the online database is that it will help archaeologists on the ground who uncover kiln sites to quickly find similar cases in the same region or of the same period or of the same type, without having to wait for the final publication of a kiln site, often several years after its discovery," said Hasaki, a UA associate professor of anthropology and classics.

"Then they can complete their own reports much faster," said Hasaki, who also co-directs the UA's Laboratory for Traditional Technology, which focuses on the study of traditional technologies such as ceramics.

The Web Atlas of Ceramic Kilns in Ancient Greece maps 600 kiln locations. Credit: University of Arizona

Hasaki teamed up with Greek archaeologist Konstantinos T. Raptis, an expert on Roman and Byzantine kilns, to compile information on the 600 kiln locations mapped in the database. They created the site with technical support from UA classics alumna Lauren Alberti, UA professor of geography and regional development Gary Christopherson, and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences tech employees Tawny Lochner and Lizeth Mora.

Archaeologists can now search the database, narrowing results by criteria such as geographical area, time period, kiln type and size. Each record contains additional information about the kiln site, as well as bibliographical references. The hope, Hasaki said, is that archaeologists will use the online submission form to update the database with new discoveries of kilns sites, making the information available to colleagues faster.

"I hope the database will be a two-way street," said Hasaki, a Mediterranean archaeologist and native of Greece. "I have put out what I have collected so far, but there are also sites I don't know about, and so I have a separate area in the database where the archaeologists themselves can make a submission to help themselves and others."

Kilns Help Answer Bigger Questions

Ceramic production in Greece was a labor intensive, male-dominated family business, with fathers typically handing workshops down to their sons or sons-in-law. Each workshop typically had one or two kilns, and although they came in different shapes and sizes, the most common type across all time periods and regions was the round, clay variety, measuring 1 to 1 1/2 meters in diameter, Hasaki said.

Greek potters conducted business with low-risk investment strategies and no long-term stockpiling; the kiln capacity was optimally designed both to bring profit from successful firings and to help the workshop recover quickly from unsuccessful ones, Hasaki said.

For archaeologists, kilns can provide information about the local production, in terms of clay recipes, shapes, styles of decoration and scale of operation. The ceramics found in association with a kiln can help date the kiln, but in other cases, Hasaki said, an empty kiln can be sampled and dated through archaeomagnetism, a method for dating burnt archaeological materials.

Hasaki uses an experimental replica of an ancient Greek kiln, housed at Tucson's St. Augustine High School, to test hypotheses of kiln design and operation. Credit: Eleni Hasaki

In her own research, Hasaki has published articles on kilns that fired utilitarian wares, on archaeomagnetic dating of ancient kilns and on preservation of kiln sites under modern residences. She also has built and fired an experimental replica of a Greek kiln in Tucson, testing hypotheses of kiln design and operation.

Her work highlights the richness of kiln studies and the critical importance of ceramics in Greek communities.

"Every household would need utensils and containers, and almost all of them would be out of clay. Whether you had to store your olive oil to cook your food or needed a place to put your perfumes or wanted to decorate with something pretty, you would have to go to a workshop," Hasaki said. "If you had to go to a sanctuary to thank the gods for something, or to ask for help, you would bring a ceramic item. If you wanted to put a roof over your head, you would need roof tiles. For civic projects to do sewers, they would need terracotta pipes, so everyone relied on ceramic works. You couldn't have a city, town or village without some kind of local potter."

Many of the kilns on the database's mapwhich was created using Google Mapswere uncovered during residential or road construction and have been lost to development, making it even more important to have an easily accessible record of their existence, Hasaki said.

She said the database serves as a jumping-off point for researchers to answer larger questions about ceramics production in Greece across five millennia.

"It's more than just a map with spots," she said. "If you keep going through more complex questions, people who study craft production in an area have the exact locations of kilns, and they can ask questions about craft production and even about scale of economy or scale of trade. It starts as a little dot but then goes very quickly to the bigger picture."
Tunisia on Tuesday launched a special "green police" unit aimed at dealing with the proliferation of waste, a scourge that has worsened dramatically since the 2011 revolution.

"May God help youit's a very difficult mission," Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said at the launch of the unit, with their new uniforms and GPS-equipped pick-ups.

The North African country's rubbish woes have worsened because municipalities are not dealing with the problem in advance of local elections slated for December.

There is also a lack of equipment, treatment centres and landfills, Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher said.

"Even municipalities themselves sometimes dump their waste in public spaces," he told reporters.

But he also pinpointed a lack of awareness among the general public.

For a month, the environment police will be responsible for raising that awareness, Mouakher said.

After that, from mid-July, throwing trash outside dumpsters or burning waste will incur fines of between 40 and 60 dinars (14.5 and 21 euros).

And if an offence is deemed to be damaging to the public health, a prison term can be or higher fines of between 300 and 1,000 dinars can be imposed.

Initially, the new force will deploy 163 officers in 34 municipalities across greater Tunis.

In mid-July, an additional 136 officers will patrol another 40 municipalities across the country.

The "green police" will come under the authority of municipalitiesbut will also be monitored by the environment ministry.

In another measure taken in March this year aimed at ending "visual pollution", Tunisia banned plastic bags from supermarkets.

 2017 AFP
This memorial was erected in Berlin in 2008 to honor homosexuals persecuted under Nazism. Credit: Samuel Clowes Huneke

Lesbians may have enjoyed limited toleration during the Nazi regime in Germany, according to new Stanford research.

Samuel Clowes Huneke, a doctoral candidate in history, examined police investigation files from the 1940s involving alleged violations of same-sex relations laws. His findings and analysis were recently published in the Journal of Contemporary History.

"These files add a new level of nuance to existing scholarship," Huneke said. "They hint at a more normal existence that was the daily experience of some lesbians in the Third Reich."

Moreover, Huneke said, "the experiences of lesbians in Nazi Germany can help shed light not only on how gender operates in multivalent ways, but also the complex negotiation of both repression and toleration on which authoritarian regimes depend."

Lack of evidence

The systematic persecution of gay men under the Nazi regime has been well documented by historians. The regime's laws explicitly criminalized homosexual acts between men. About 50,000 men were convicted for being homosexuals and between 5,000 and 15,000 were imprisoned in concentration camps, where up to 60 percent of them died, according to scholars.

But how lesbians fared is less clear. Females were excluded from the law that made homosexual acts illegal. Aside from a few cases that have been uncovered by a handful of scholars in the United States and Germany, little documentation exists describing how the Nazis treated lesbians.

This lack of evidence has led historians to debate whether lesbians had it easier than gay men during the Nazi period. Some scholars argue that the Nazi government did not persecute lesbians to the same degree because women in general were not seen as sexual beings or as threatening to the regime's policy of pronatalism, which encouraged reproduction. Huneke, while agreeing with those views, also argues that Nazi officials believed lesbians posed less of a political threat to the regime because women were barred from most spheres of politics and public life.

"In light of both the fearsome persecution of homosexual men and scholarship that places it in the context of National Socialist pronatalism, the regime's seeming lack of interest in female homosexuality is startling, for in other respects the government placed considerable burdens on women," wrote Huneke, who is working on a dissertation about the history of homosexuality in postwar Germany.

Expanding scholarship

The German criminal police, also known as the Kriminalpolizei, or Kripo, investigated eight women as part of four separate cases that Huneke examined.

The files, which Huneke discovered in 2015 at the Landesarchiv Berlin, or Berlin state archive, included signed statements from witnesses and the accused women.

In each case, the women were denounced for allegedly violating the laws against same-sex relations by someone they knew - a neighbor, coworker or parent.

"That these eight women were denounced to the Berlin criminal police in the early 1940s is striking on its own, given the archival silence when it comes to female homosexuality," Huneke wrote.

In each case, the police, a judge or a state's attorney determined that the women could not be prosecuted for same-sex relations under the criminal code. There is no evidence that any of the eight women investigated were punished as a result of the denunciations, Huneke said.

"To scholars accustomed to seeing in the Nazi state a jungle of overlapping jurisdictions, personal initiative and law based solely on the Fuhrer's wish, this is a curious portrait of the Nazi justice system, one marked by an unexpected concern for the strict interpretation of statute," Huneke wrote.

The case of Margot Liu nee Holzmann, whose lesbian relationship was also documented in a recent German monograph, struck Huneke as particularly strange. Holzmann was a Jewish lesbian who lived in Nazi Berlin. In 1941, she married a Chinese waiter and received Chinese citizenship, which the police insisted shielded her from deportation to a concentration camp. Once Holzmann's husband became aware of her lesbian relationship, he filed for divorce and contacted the police.

Yet, as in the other three cases, the police opted not to intervene. "It is frankly bizarre that the criminal police would insist, in multiple documents, on the protections conferred a German Jewish lesbian by virtue of her de jure Chinese citizenship," Huneke wrote.

Huneke emphasized that his analysis is limited in scope. For example, the same detective was responsible for the findings in all four cases, and Huneke said that particular officer could have just been less zealous than other officers.

"But the fact that they were so persnickety in following every detail of the law in these cases - it suggests a level of toleration," Huneke said.

Tolerance for some lesbians

Huneke said the police files he examined are evidence that there was a limited degree of tolerance for lesbians in Nazi Germany.

In addition to each woman eluding punishment, the files showed that many of them led fairly open lesbian lives, sometimes for years, before finally being denounced to the police. "The files ironically show that there was a significant ability on the part of ordinary Germans to witness lesbianism and not go ahead and denounce the person," Huneke said.

But Huneke added that this apathy toward lesbianism may have come about because of the Nazi regime's non-threatening view of women.

"Gender is perhaps why lesbians weren't persecuted in the same ways," Huneke said. "But simply because there was a tolerance for female homosexuality doesn't mean that these women led enviable lives." In his article, he wrote that "these files throw into sharper relief the duplicity of tolerance that has characterized societies' views of female sexuality for centuries."

Huneke said his work demonstrates that dictatorships often rely not only on overt oppression but also on limited tolerance of certain groups.

"It is a divide-and-conquer approach," Huneke said. "One of the most important takeaways from this research, to my mind, is to break the popular idea that authoritarian governments maintain their power only through repression."
Rif1 is shepherding DNA ends. Crystal structure of the conserved N-terminal domain of Rif1 reveals an extraordinarily elongated shape resembling a shepherds crook. Within the hook, Rif1 contains a DNA binding domain forming a protective sheath. This activity of Rif1 underpins telomere homeostasis, checkpoint suppression at chromosome ends, and DNA double-strand break repair, a function now identified as conserved in eukaryotes. The molecular gating of DNA ends offers a unified mechanism for the diverse genome stability functions of Rif1. Credit: Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research

All cells are confronted with DNA damage, for example by exposure of the skin to UV rays, chemical byproducts of nerve cells consuming sugar, or immune cells destroying bacteria. If these DNA lesions are not - or badly - repaired, they may initiate tumor formation. Thankfully, cells have evolved an elaborate control system to correct these DNA anomalies. Uli Rass and Nico Thoma at the FMI, together with colleagues at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), have now discovered the key role of a protein called Rif1 in the protection, stabilization and repair of damaged DNA. This study, published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, uncovers a DNA maintenance function likely to be present in all eukaryotes because the region of Rif1 that enables the formation of a protective sheath around DNA lesions is similar in humans and yeast.

A multi-faceted protein

Cells have developed a complex control system to repair the DNA breaks that occur every day. This system includes patrolling proteins, molecules that set off an alarm, as well as damage-repairing enzymes. The teams of Nicolas Thoma and Ulrich Rass at the FMI and the group of David Shore at UNIGE are interested in a protein called Rif1. Rif1 is involved in many processes, some of which are related to DNA replication and repair. Certain activities of Rif1, a protein present in both humans and yeast, vary from one type of organism to another, while others remain similar. It was not clear why that was the case.

The scientists thus examined the molecular structure of Rif1. "This protein is made of divergent functional elements depending on the species studied, which may explain the diversity of its activities. But there is also a common part whose function was hitherto unknown", says Stefano Mattarocci, co-first author of the study and member of the Geneva group.

A ubiquitous repair module

By studying the 3-D structure of this common region, the biologists have discovered that it is intimately involved in the protection and the repair of deteriorated DNA. "This region of Rif1 binds to the damaged strands and then recruits more Rif1 proteins that assemble to form a protective sheath around the weakened segment", notes Julia Reinert, co-first author and member of the Basel team.

This molecular plaster gates access of repair enzymes to the protected strands, while restricting access of enzymes responsible for degrading the ends of damaged DNA. All eukaryotes, that is to say organisms whose cells have a nucleus, appear to benefit from the sheath formed by Rif1, since the protective region of this protein is similar in humans and yeast.

This study has revealed the molecular mechanism allowing Rif1 to preserve the integrity of the genome. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how cells avoid the accumulation of DNA lesions, which would otherwise lead to senescence, cell death, or cancer.

More information: Stefano Mattarocci et al. Rif1 maintains telomeres and mediates DNA repair by encasing DNA ends, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3420 Journal information: Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
This composite image shows a dead female Anopheles gambiae mosquito covered in the mosquito-killing fungus Metarhizium pingshaense, which has been engineered to produce spider and scorpion toxins. The fungus is also engineered to express a green fluorescent protein for easy identification of the toxin-producing fungal structures. Credit: Brian Lovett

Malaria kills nearly half a million people every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In some of the hardest-hit areas in sub-Saharan Africa, the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite have become resistant to traditional chemical insecticides, complicating efforts to fight the disease.

A new study from the University of Maryland and colleagues from Burkina Faso, China and Australia suggests that a mosquito-killing fungus genetically engineered to produce spider and scorpion toxins could serve as a highly effective biological control mechanism to fight malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The fungus is specific to mosquitoes and does not pose a risk to humans. Further, the study results suggest that the fungus is also safe for honey bees and other insects. The study was published online in the journal Scientific Reports on June 13, 2017.

"In this paper, we report that our most potent fungal strains, engineered to express multiple toxins, are able to kill mosquitoes with a single spore," said Brian Lovett, a graduate student in the UMD Department of Entomology and a co-author of the paper. "We also report that our transgenic fungi stop mosquitoes from blood feeding. Together, this means that our fungal strains are capable of preventing transmission of disease by more than 90 percent of mosquitoes after just five days."

The researchers used the fungus Metarhizium pingshaensei, which is a natural killer of mosquitoes. The fungus was originally isolated from a mosquito and previous evidence suggests that the fungus is specific to disease-carrying mosquito species, including Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti. When spores of the fungus come into contact with a mosquito's body, the spores germinate and penetrate the insect's exoskeleton, eventually killing the insect host from the inside out.

On its own, however, the fungus requires fairly high doses of spores and a large amount of time to have lethal effects. To boost the fungus' deadly power, the researchers engineered the fungus with several genes that express neurotoxins from spider and scorpion venomboth alone and in combination with other toxins. The toxins act by blocking the calcium, potassium and/or sodium channels required for the transmission of nerve impulses.

The researchers then tested the engineered fungal strains on wild-caught, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. Each engineered strain killed mosquitoes more quickly and efficiently than the unaltered fungus. But the most effective strain used a combination of two toxins, one derived from the North African desert scorpion Androctonus australis and another derived from the Australian Blue Mountains funnel-web spider Hadronyche versuta. The scorpion toxin blocks sodium channels, while the spider toxin blocks both potassium and calcium channels. Both of these toxins have already been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for insecticidal use.

"The WHO has identified insecticide resistance as the major threat to effective mosquito control, which is relevant not only to malaria but to a number of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, viral encephalitis and filariasis," said Raymond St. Leger, a Distinguished University Professor in the UMD Department of Entomology and senior author of the study. "Unlike chemical insecticides that target only sodium channels, many spider and scorpion toxins hit the nervous system's calcium and potassium ion channels, so insects have no pre-existing resistance."

When Lovett, St. Leger and their colleagues inserted the toxin genes into the Metarhizium fungus, they included an additional failsafe: a highly specific promoter sequence, or genetic "switch," which ensures that the toxin genes can only be activated in the blood of insects. As a result, the fungus will not release the toxin into the environment.

To further ensure the safety of non-target insect species, the researchers also tested the engineered fungal strains on honey bees. Working in Burkina Faso, the team deliberately infected local bees using both passive methods (exposing the bees to spore-coated fabric) and direct methods (spraying the bees with spores suspended in liquid). After two weeks, no bees had died as a result of the toxin-boosted fungus.

"The toxins we're using are potent, but totally specific to insects. They are only expressed by the fungus when in an insect. Additionally, the fungus does nothing at all to bees and other beneficial species," St. Leger said. "So we have several different layers of biosecurity at work."

Encouraged by the results of the current study, the researchers plan to expand their on-the-ground testing regimen in Burkina Faso. Currently, the team is testing the spores on mosquitoes contained in a custom-built enclosure that resembles a greenhouse, with walls made of netting instead of glass. The researchers are also testing the fungus on insect species that are closely related to mosquitoes, such as midges and gnats, to ensure that the fungus is completely safe for non-target insects. Eventually, the team hopes to deploy the spores in the field, on wild mosquito populations.

"This is our first in-depth study of the effects toxin-expressing fungi have on mosquitoes, beyond their ability to kill faster. This is also our broadest characterization of our arsenal of insect-killing spider and scorpion toxins," Lovett said. "Our results directly extend our understanding of how these technologies may be used in the field against mosquito pests."

More information: "Improved efficacy of an arthropod toxin expressing fungus against insecticide-resistant malaria-vector mosquitoes," Etienne Bilgo, Brian Lovett, Weiguo Fang, Niraj Bende, Glenn King, Abdoulaye Diabate and Raymond St. Leger, Scientific Reports, June 13, 2017. Journal information: Scientific Reports
Glacier front subject to calving, Lake Palcacocha. Credit: Jeff Kargel

In the last week, calving events at Lake Palcacocha in the Peruvian Andes released masses of ice from a glacier on Mount Pucaranra. The ice fell into the lake, sending waves across the lake that destroyed infrastructure designed to prevent dangerous outburst floods. Fortunately, the waves were not high enough to overtop the moraine dam and send floodwaters downstream, where they could have taken many lives and damaged urban infrastructure. A glacial lake outburst flood from Palcacocha devastated Huaraz, the largest city in the region, in 1941, killing about 5,000 people. Other, more recent, glacier floods in the region have also been very destructive.

Marco Zapata, the director of glacier research at INAIGEM, the Peruvian National Institute of Research on Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems, spoke about the events recently in a press conference reported in the Peruvian daily El Comercio. A Spanish-language video of the full press conference is available online.

Zapata indicated that the calving event occurred around 8 p.m. on May 31. The resulting waves, three meters in height, were strong enough to move and damage ten large pipes, rendering them inoperable. These pipes, known locally as "syphons," are designed to draw water from the lake at times when its level is high; in this way, they were thought to reduce flood risk significantly. They had been a point of local pride, seen as a successful application of modern technology to protect against the dangers to which the region has long been subject.

Zapata mentioned that the waves also destroyed several gauges and a sensor which measures lake levels. And the event was not an isolated one, at least according to a regional newspaper, which reported a second calving event at 5:40 a.m. on June 2.

Representatives of INAIGEM and two other organizations, the National Water Authority and the local municipality of Independencia, visited the lake a few days later. They found that the workers on Pucarthe site had restored two of the drainage pipes. These officials anticipated that the other eight will soon be functional. Zapata and the other authorities called for increased investment in infrastructure at the lake to reduce the risks of a flood. They estimated that an expenditure of US $6 million would prevent about $2.5 billion in potential damages, including a hydroelectric plant and irrigation facilities on Peru's desert coast; it would also protect the lives of the 50,000 people who live in the potential flood zone.

Pucaranra Glacier, Lake Palcacocha, and syphons at the moraine. Credit: INDECI

The Causes of the Calving Events

These events were not entirely unexpected. Marcelo Somos Valenzuela, a postdoctoral fellow at the Northeast Climate Science Center at the University of Massachusetts, is the lead author of a study, published last year in the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, which concluded "there is consensus among local authorities, scientists and specialists that Lake Palcacocha represents a glacier lake outburst flood hazard with potentially high destructive impact on Huaraz." This paper also stated that a "small avalanche" like the ones that recently occurred are "the highest likelihood event" and that they would "produce significantly less inundation." Somos Valenzuela wrote to GlacierHub, "There are empirical models and hydrodynamic models which provide estimates of the height of the wave in the lake In this case, it seems that the ice-fall was small, and 3 meters is a reasonable estimate of the wave height."

Moreover, several sources indicated high risks at this time of year. Noah Walker-Crawford, an anthropologist at the University of Manchester, spoke recently with the workers at the drainage site at the lake. He wrote to GlacierHub, "According to the people who work at the lake, the icefalls were likely due to unusually strong fluctuations between cold nights and warm days." He mentioned that they said "there is a block of ice that is ready to fall, but we hope that that won't happen."

Jeff Kargel, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, told GlacierHub that both calving events and avalanches at Palcacocha "dump energy into the lake, and if they are large and sudden enough, a big wave can form. As with other more classical tsunamis, the shoaling in Palcacocha toward the south end of the lake where the syphons are can cause a relatively small displacement wave to build up to a much larger size when it nears the shore. Avalanches and calving events are frequent occurrences at this lake, and both should be especially active in the late May-July period, which tends to be the dry season, hence mainly sunny, thus allowing high solar radiation. The air temperature doesn't vary much throughout the year, this being deep into the tropics, so variations in sunny versus cloudy days are the main seasons."

The weather data indicate some warm days in May at Palcacocha. The data also demonstrate that May had less rain than usual, particularly toward the end of the month. Such dry weather is typically associated with less cloud cover, supporting Kargel's suggestion and a report in a regional newspaper, Ancash Noticias, which stated that "intense solar radiation" in recent weeks had been the cause of the calving events. The data also support the observations of the local residents about the temperature fluctuations between day and night, since cloudless nights in this region are colder than ones with overcast skies.

Weather data at Palcacocha, May 2017. Credit: INAIGEM

Responses to the Calving Events

What can be done to protect Huaraz and neighboring communities from floods, now that the syphons are damaged? Mark Carey gave a long-term view to this question. "Palcacocha has its history of death, destruction, and near misses," he wrote to GlacierHub. "The issue is partially one of climate change and ever-shrinking glaciers that have caused the lake to expand and fill with more water, creating a hazard waiting to morph into a disaster if Palcacocha's dam ruptures. Avalanches provide the trigger to help destroy dams." Referring to Peruvian activities, starting in the 1940s, to lower the lake level and to reinforce the moraine, he added, "The story is also one of engineering and technology. Since the 1990s, funds and political support for actual glacial lake engineering projects have been extremely limited. Now we have regular declarations of states of emergency at Palcacocha, but no engineering projects to provide a more long-term solution." He also pointed to the need for "an early warning system, and educational programs to train the population how to respond in the event of an outburst flood or alarm system."

It might be thought that the damage to the syphons would generate support for such solutions. However, obstacles still limit effective responses. Barbara Frazer, a journalist based in Peru for many years, offered a note of concern, linking these events with other disasters in Peru. She told GlacierHub, "Peru's response to natural disasters is improving, but the country still clearly lags in prevention. The most recent flooding on the coast was an extreme reminder, but every year, there are also landslides on the Central Highway, and children die of pneumonia during the cold snaps high in the Andes. And every year, there's an emergency response, but little or no long-range planning. Part of that is due to the way responsibilities and budgets are divided among the various levels of government, part to turnover of government staff, and part simply to a lack of a culture of prevention and planning."

A recent online exchange in Huaraz shows awareness in the region of these issues raised by Carey and Frazer. Most discussants call for greater investment in infrastructure to protect the areas below Palcacocha. However, others suggest that self-interested government agencies play up the risk in order to increase their budgets, which they will divert to personal ends. A scientist, Sonfia Gonzalez, commented that the regional government lacks the skills needed to manage risks. Others expressed a concern that publicizing the risks would harm the region by reducing tourism. These disagreements point to a lack of confidence, at least on the part of some local residents, in the agencies whose task it is to protect them from natural hazards.

The calving events confirmed scientific research in the area. They also showed the weakness of the existing infrastructure, designed to protect the region from floods. And the discussions in Huaraz show a second, equally serious deficit: the limits of the trust between society, experts, and public agencies, even in ones of the areas of the world most familiar with glacier risks.

More information: Marcelo A. Somos-Valenzuela et al. Modeling a glacial lake outburst flood process chain: the case of Lake Palcacocha and Huaraz, Peru, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2016). DOI: 10.5194/hess-20-2519-2016

Provided by State of the Planet

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University: blogs.ei.columbia.edu .
ARS scientists found that pigs preferred to be in pens with mirrors and rubber mats. Credit: Shelly Deboer

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are looking for ways to improve housing for farm animals, including pigs. Enhancing the animals' environment can help reduce stress, which in turn can improve growth and efficiency and decrease disease susceptibility.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, animal diseases cause losses of at least 20 percent in livestock production globally. That represents more than 60 million tons of meat and more than 150 million tons of milkvalued at around $300 billion per year.

At the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, scientists study animal behavior, stress, immunity, and other factors related to animal well-being and productivity.

To find ways to improve pigs' well-being and productivity, animal scientist Jeremy Marchant-Forde, former Purdue University graduate student Shelly DeBoer, and their colleagues examined the types of pens in which the animals spent most of their time. In the study, pigs had access to a standard rectangular pen with a metal floor and solid sides (the "control" pen, used for comparison), a pen with a rubber mat on the floor, another with a mirror on the wall, and a fourth that had a barred gate with a view of another pig across a passageway.

"Pigs preferred to spend about 40 percent of their time in the pen where they could see the other pig," Marchant-Forde says. "They spent about 10 percent of their time in the control pen and 20 and 30 percent, respectively, in pens with the mirror and the mat."

In a second analysis, each pen was categorized as "social" or "nonsocial." The pens with the mirror and view of the other pig were in the social category, and the control and rubber-mat enclosures were in the nonsocial category. The scientists examined which of these pens the pigs preferred when a person was present or absent.

"When undisturbed, pigs only slightly preferred the social over the nonsocial pens, and the pen across from the other pig was clearly used more than the pen with the mirror," Marchant-Forde says. "When a person was present, pigs spent nearly 90 percent of their time in one of the social pens, and the mirror was as popular as the companion."

The pig's own reflection in the mirror may be perceived as a companion pig, offering support at stressful times. The mirrored pen may also be useful in improving a pig's ability to cope with stress when housed alone, he adds, but more research is needed for confirmation.

In commercial farming, using a mirror becomes less important because pigs are kept in groups, Marchant-Forde says. However, rubber mats could help improve the pigs' environment, which may help reduce stress and thereby enhance production efficiency.
Lake Kanas. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

(Phys.org)An international team of researchers has found that levels of phosphorous found in Chinese lakes have fallen on average over the past nine years. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the group describes how they examined data from government sources and what they found by doing so. Jessica Corman with the University of Wisconsin offers a News & Views article covering work done by the group in the same issue giving some opinions regarding what she believes still needs to be done.

Phosphorous can cause increases in algae blooms in lakes, which in turn can cause reductions in oxygen levels, making it difficult for fish and plants to survive. The whole process is known as eutrophication. As phosphorous levels rise, the problem becomes worse. Officials in China recognized the problem in lakes throughout the country, and several years ago, adopted measures to reduce levels by improving sanitation efforts. In practice, this meant building waste treatment plants that cleaned water before pumping it into lakes or streams. This effort, the researchers report, has led to a reduction in the average amount of phosphorous in China's lakes.

After studying 850 datasets collected over the years 2006 to 2014 the researchers found a decline in phosphorous levels in approximately 60 percent of those listedmedian concentrations declined from 80 g l1 to 51 g l1. The researchers noted that the highest level they found was 200 g l1. They also noted that the biggest declines occurred in the lakes with the highest concentrations during the early years of the cleanup effort. The declines in many of the lakes studied were enough to stop eutrophication from occurring.

But, as Corman notes, the problem of phosphorous buildup in Chinese lakes is not solved. There are still other sources that need to be reduced, most notably runoff from agriculture. The researchers also found that phosphorous levels were actually higher in some sparsely populated areas, which they suggest could be due to increased rainfall and erosion of soil due to global warming.

More information: Yindong Tong et al. Decline in Chinese lake phosphorus concentration accompanied by shift in sources since 2006, Nature Geoscience (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2967 Abstract

Domestic wastewater and agricultural activities are important sources of nutrient pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Upon reaching freshwater, these nutrients can lead to extensive growth of harmful algae, which results in eutrophication. Many Chinese lakes are subject to such eutrophication, especially in highly polluted areas, and as such, understanding nutrient fluxes to these lakes offers insights into the varying processes governing pollutant fluxes as well as lake water quality. Here we analyse water quality data, recorded between 2006 and 2014 in 862 freshwater lakes in four geographical regions of China, to assess the input of phosphorus from human activity. We find that improvements in sanitation of both rural and urban domestic wastewater have resulted in large-scale declines in lake phosphorus concentrations in the most populated parts of China. In more sparsely populated regions, diffuse sources such as aquaculture and livestock farming offset this decline. Anthropogenic deforestation and soil erosion may also offset decreases in point sources of pollution. In the light of these regional differences, we suggest that a spatially flexible set of policies for water quality control would be beneficial for the future health of Chinese lakes. Journal information: Nature Geoscience

 2017 Phys.org
Wild animals, such as elephants, have long been used in circuses in Romania, but will now be banned

Tigers, lions, bears and other wild animals will be banned from circuses in Romania after the country's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday in a move welcomed by animal rights groups.

Any animal "born in captivity or captured in the wild", regardless of how tame they are, will not be allowed to be used in public shows, the bill states.

Circuses will have 18 months to comply with the law and transfer animals to reserves or zoos.

"No tiger, lion, bear or elephant will suffer any more in Romania for the amusement of people," Magor Csibi, director of WWF Romania, said in a statement.

"Our society is evolving."

President Klaus Iohannis must sign the bill into law before it comes into effect.

Circus owners could face criminal chargesand a one year prison sentenceif they fail to comply with the new rules.

Circuses will still be authorised to use some animals though, such as dolphins and exotic birds, in certain situations.

The decision in parliament comes after 11 animals, including two tigers, were killed in a fire in January at a building housing animals for Romania's Globus Circus in Bucharest.

Following the incident, a public campaign to ban the use of trained animals in circuseswhich garnered more than 60,000 signaturesalso put pressure on the authorities to act.

Six EU countries have already implemented bans on circuses that use wild animals, while about 15 other countries have partial restrictions.

 2017 AFP
Credit: Zoriah

New research suggests that firms with a good reputation for ethical sourcing in the fashion industry are judged more harshly than their peers when child labour is discovered in their supply chain. Meggan Caddey, a final year PhD student, and Johanne Grosvold and Stephen Pavelin, all from the Centre for Business, Organisations and Society at the University of Bath, explain their findings.

Child labour remains a major societal challenge. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 168 million children are involved in child labour today, which the United Nations (UN) defines as "work for which the child is either too young  work done below the required minimum age  or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited". Many of these children work in the garment and fashion apparel industry.

The drive for child labour

According to the organisation Stop Child Labour, fast fashion has resulted in high demand for children who are willing to work for very low pay and in dangerous conditions. Some have suggested that their employment is tantamount to modern day slavery. Some of our best known high street brands including Adidas, H&M and Nike have relied on manufacturers who have subsequently been exposed as using children to work in unsafe conditions.

Increasingly, global firms are recognising that failure to address the challenge of child labour can seriously impact on their corporate reputation. However fashion supply chains are complex, relying on numerous suppliers, sub suppliers and manufacturers. According to H&M's Head of Sustainability Helena Helmersson, these supply chain networks are so complex that "it is impossible to be in full control".

Corporate responsibility and corporate reputation

Prior research indicates that, by going above and beyond the basic requirements for fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities, proactive firms can engender goodwill that acts as an insurance against potential damage to their reputation. The theory goes that if news of wrongdoing emerges from the supply chain of such a proactive firm, its reputation will suffer less because people will give it the benefit of the doubt - 'surely, this good firm must not be to blame'. Other firms that have no such record of exemplary behaviour would be more readily blamed and, as a result, their reputations would suffer more. According to this theory, H&M would suffer less of a reputational impact if child labour was uncovered in its supply chain, as it is now working strategically to become the most ethical fashion chain on the high street. We set out to test this theory in relation to supply chains in the apparel industry.

Research findings

Our study used an experimental vignette method. This involved presenting study participants with carefully constructed, lifelike scenarios, to evaluate their attitudes, opinions and views of a firm's actions regarding child labour in the fashion supply chain. Over 800 participants took part in our study, and our initial results are surprising. We found that a firm that had taken steps to address child labour and unsafe working conditions in its supply chain enjoyed a better reputation than a firm that had not. However, when something went wrong, people judged these firms more harshly than they did the firms that had previously behaved less responsibly. So, while firms that are more socially responsible tend to benefit from an improved reputation, such goodwill is accompanied by greater reputational risks - specifically, such a firm experiences greater harm to its reputation if unsafe labour practices are subsequently discovered in its supply chain.

Our findings imply that it is in firms' interests to address unsafe practices in their supply chains, as doing so results in a better corporate reputation. However, our results also suggest that steps taken to stamp out child labour and poor working conditions tend to strengthen the imperative for a firm to maintain a consistent commitment to responsible sourcing. If they don't, they risk particularly stringent reputational punishment. In effect, this can create something of a virtuous cycle, which gives momentum to firm's steps towards stamping out child labour and unsafe working conditions. Careful reputation management implies that firms setting high standards must continue to live up to them.

The business case for doing good

There is an increased policy emphasis from both governments and NGOs to reduce the use of child labour and unsafe working conditions in the supply chain. There is also evidence that firms are increasingly taking the problem of child labour seriously, with some estimates suggesting that reliance on child labour was reduced by 30% from 2002-2012. As our research shows, tackling this issue can bring benefits for both children and firms.

We provide distinctive new evidence that guides us towards a more detailed understanding of the business case for being good and doing good. By illustrating the reputational benefits of sustainable supply chain practices, our research findings can help motivate firms not already on board, and inspire those who have already taken action to sustain and expand their efforts. This may in turn encourage them to sign up to independent initiatives such as GoodWeave, which awards companies the right to carry the GoodWeave label if they can show that no child labour or bonded labour was used in the production of their goods. With 11% of the world's children still sacrificing school in order to work, this is no time for business to be complacent.

More information: Herman Aguinis et al. Best Practice Recommendations for Designing and Implementing Experimental Vignette Methodology Studies, Organizational Research Methods (2014). DOI: 10.1177/1094428114547952
Two of the sky's more famous residents share the stage with a lesser-known neighbour in this enormous three gigapixel image from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the right lies the faint, glowing cloud of gas called Sharpless 2-54, the iconic Eagle Nebula (Messier 16) is in the centre, and the Omega Nebula (Messier 17) to the left. This cosmic trio makes up just a portion of a vast complex of gas and dust within which new stars are springing to life and illuminating their surroundings. Credit: ESO

Two of the sky's more famous residents share the stage with a lesser-known neighbour in this enormous new three gigapixel image from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the right lies Sharpless 2-54, the iconic Eagle Nebula is in the centre, and the Omega Nebula to the left. This cosmic trio makes up just a portion of a vast complex of gas and dust within which new stars are springing to life and illuminating their surroundings.

Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle and Omega Nebula e are located roughly 7000 light-years awaythe first two fall within the constellation of Serpens , while the latter lies within Sagittarius. This region of the Milky Way houses a huge cloud of star-making material. The three [nebulae] - indicate where regions of this cloud have clumped together and collapsed to form new stars; the energetic light from these stellar newborns has caused ambient gas to emit light of its own, which takes on the pinkish hue characteristic of areas rich in hydrogen.

Two of the objects in this image were discovered in a similar way. Astronomers first spotted bright star clusters in both Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle Nebula, later identifying the vast, comparatively faint gas clouds swaddling the clusters. In the case of Sharpless 2-54, British astronomer William Herschel initially noticed its beaming star cluster in 1784. That cluster, catalogued as NGC 6604, appears in this image on the object's left side. The associated very dim gas cloud remained unknown until the 1950s, when American astronomer Stewart Sharpless spotted it on photographs from the National Geographic-Palomar Sky Atlas.

The Eagle Nebula did not have to wait so long for its full glory to be appreciated. Swiss astronomer Philippe Loys de Cheseaux first discovered its bright star cluster, NGC 6611, in 1745 or 1746. A couple of decades later, French astronomer Charles Messier observed this patch of sky and also documented the nebulosity present there, recording the object as Messier 16 in his influential catalogue.

As for the Omega Nebula, de Cheseaux did manage to observe its more prominent glow and duly noted it as a nebula in 1745. However, because the Swiss astronomer's catalogue never achieved wider renown, Messier's re-discovery of the Omega Nebula in 1764 led to its becoming Messier 17, the seventeenth object in the Frenchman's popular compendium.

The observations from which this image was created were taken with ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST), located at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The huge final colour image was created by mosaicing dozens of pictureseach of 256 megapixelsfrom the telescope's large-format OmegaCAM camera. The final result, which needed lengthy processing, totals 3.3 gigapixels, one of the largest images ever released by ESO.

Provided by ESO
Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

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Its not just US families who look to the citys highly rated, and free, public schools

Barack Obama gave a speech at Benjamin Banneker high school when he was US president

By Caroline Thorpe

With its many embassies and global institutions, there is certainly a market for international schools in Washington DC. But could students, especially US nationals, be better off attending one of the citys highly rated  and free  public schools?

Look for a strong principal if going down this route, advises the Good Schools Guide International (GSGI). It adds that it is not just US families who consider this option, given the education and savings on offer.

However DC-based Edward Smallwood, of Quintessentially Education, the consultancy, favours international schools that follow the international baccalaureate syllabus.

Compared with their American-educated counterparts, IB students arguably graduate with a depth and breadth of knowledge and an ability to think critically and logically that surpasses even [US curriculum] Advanced Placement coursework, he says.

Students from schools such as the Washington International School or the British School of Washington also find that their transition abroad is much easier.

Some public schools are getting in on the IB act, as our selection for something different, below, shows.





International Baccalaureate

Learn The GSGI calls Washington International School one of the few truly bilingual schools. From pre-school through to graduation, its 900-odd students learn to understand, speak, read and write in English plus either French or Spanish. Class sizes average 10 students, and in 2016 the average IB score was 34.1/45 (compared with the 30.2 global average).

Pay* $43,320

Live A short walk from the WIS high-school campus in north-west DC, a six-bedroom, detached house has views of Washington National Cathedral.

Available through TTR Sothebys International Realty, $6.5m

British (national curriculum of England)

Learn The British International School of Washington is run by Nord Anglia, a company that operates 44 schools in 15 countries. British is slightly misleading: the schools youngest pupils study the international primary curriculum, 11-14 year olds the international middle years curriculum and final-year students take the IB. Only its 14 to 16-year-olds, who take international GCSEs, are rooted in the UK system. Last year, 78 per cent of the schools IB candidates scored at least 30/45 in their diploma exams. A few students graduate to the Ivy League and Oxbridge, which generally require IB scores of more than 40.

Pay $33,540

Live A five-bedroom Victorian townhouse in Georgetown is a 10-minute walk from the school.

Available through Christies International Real Estate, $2.6m

Lycee Francais

Learn At Rochambeau, students are immersed in the French national curriculum from age two, when they begin with the maternelle early-years programme. Eleventh graders take the US high school diploma, followed by the French baccalaureate  with an optional international course  in 12th grade. Its 1,000 students come mainly from France, the US and Canada and are spread across three campuses in Maryland. Shuttle transportation from DC costs up to $2,215 a year.

Pay $23,000

Live Splurge on a six-bedroom, 11,000 sq ft house in Bethesda (about eight miles north-west of central DC). With Rochambeaus senior campus just 2.5 miles away, you will save on the school bus.

Available through Zillow, just under $10m

Something different Located about three miles north-west of Capitol Hill, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School has made a name for itself. It consistently ranks as one of Washington DCs top-three high schools, its head is currently DC principal of the year and President Obama visited it twice during his tenure. It is also authorised to offer the IB. Admission is selective, tuition is free.

*Fees typically increase as the child moves up the school. The figure given is the average annual cost of tuition for final year students, and does not include additional payments such as registration fees.

Photographs: Brooks Kraft/Corbis/Getty Images; Dreamstime
Uche's real journey had yet to begin but he had already spent four days in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after travelling on public buses and potholed roads from Imo state in the southeast. He planned to go to Agadez, a transit town on the southern edge of the Sahara desert in central Niger, take a truck to Sebha, in southwestern Libya, and from there to the capital Tripoli, and then to Italy or Spain. But his contact, who was supposed to drive him and three women across Nigeria's northern border, was arrested on suspicion of people smuggling. "His house had been under surveillance," explains the 38-year-old electrician in Kano's bustling Sabon Gari district. "The movement of the three women in and out of the house heightened the suspicion of the security agents who raided the house." Uche, a stocky man in faded jeans, white sneakers and a white and blue striped T-shirt, appears unfazed by the setback. "I'll hang around in Kano until I find another facilitator who can link me up with a contact in Agadez," he says. - Little deterrent - With its market, blocks of overcrowded flats, beer parlours and brothels, Sabon Gari is a chaotic place that is becoming a frequent target for raids against smugglers who transport human cargo to the Mediterranean Sea that laps Africa's northern shores. Europe, though, is pushing back against undocumented economic migrants from west Africa like Uche, or the young women trafficked to sell sex in its major cities. Numbers are down on 2015, when more than a million irregular migrants and refugees, most of them fleeing Syria's brutal civil war, risked their lives at sea to reach Europe. From January 1 to May 24 last year, 193,333 people crossed to Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain in rickety fishing boats and overloaded inflatable dinghies, the International Organization for Migration says. This year, only 60,521 have made the journey in the same period. But the central Mediterranean smuggling route from Libya is now the busiest after a 2016 deal with Turkey to tackle the Aegean route. A total of 50,267 have made it to Italy, up from 36,184 last year, the IOM says. The route has also become more deadly: 1,442 people have been lost at sea so far compared with 982 in the same period in 2016. "There's no longer a 'migration season'," says Fathi al-Far, who runs a reception centre in the Libyan coastal town of Zawiya. "People are now leaving at any time, even in winter." - Speaking out - Africa has long viewed irregular migration as Europe's problem and acceptable as long as remittances flowed. But Africa's leaders are increasingly speaking out, as Europe's diplomats and politicians try to stop the boats from coming. There has been talk of deals with the nomadic tribes policing Libya's lawless desert frontiers and plans to build holding centres for Africans sent back after reaching Europe. Nigeria has announced a crackdown on illegal immigration and people smuggling; Niger has threatened smugglers with 30 years in jail and raided "connection houses" in Agadez. Some see a link with a European Union offer of 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) in economic development funding for countries that show they are tackling irregular migration. For Richard Danziger, the IOM's regional director for west and central Africa, the "large shift in attitude and policies" among African governments has been significant. "Now there's a real realisation that the human cost is not something that's acceptable, whether it's drowning in the Mediterranean or dying in the desert," he says. - Security threat - Last year, 37,724 undocumented migrants registered in Italy and Greece were Nigerian, nearly three times more than the next biggest group from Guinea. Uche's profile is typical: he wants a better life, away from an economy deep in recession and where decades of oil profits and corruption have benefited few. The flow of migrants, undeterred by the arduous journey and risks involved, is unlikely to stop unless conflict, poverty and other root causes such as population pressures are addressed. Many of those who end up in Agadez in Niger, either bound for Libya and dangerous sea crossings, or after aborted attempts to reach Europe, are physically exhausted, sick from malaria and hunger, and suffering psychological problems. Law enforcement agencies see irregular migration and people smuggling as a security threat because of the increasing involvement of criminal networks, and the money at stake. The EU law enforcement agency Europol has said criminal networks made between 3 and 6 billion euros from migrant smuggling in 2015. But revenue dropped by nearly 2 billion euros in 2016 because of the drop in numbers of irregular migrants arriving in the EU and a fall in fees paid to smugglers. The head of the EU's border and coastguard agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, believes communication is key to debunking the myths that smugglers tell migrants about a new life in Europe. "Either you die in the Mediterranean or you arrive in Europe under extremely deplorable conditions," he tells AFP. "It's not the El Dorado that the smugglers describe." But despite the increased efforts, from border police to maritime patrols, there is concern that not enough is being done. The sea crossing is now even seen as the least risky part of the journey given the number of EU vessels on patrol, which pick up migrants and take them to Europe to be processed. Migrants are being sent back to their home countries from Libya as part of a more regular, assisted-return programme but officials concede many of them will try again. At the same time, there is recognition that where it exists, there is poor enforcement of anti-trafficking legislation and little deterrent in source countries. Conviction rates are low and agencies such as Nigeria's National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons are under-funded and under-staffed. Africa's priorities are often elsewhere. - 'Delivery men' - Ahmad used to drive migrants in his truck in the searing heat across the dunes from Agadez to Sebha twice every month. The 30 passengers each paid him 50,000 naira (about 150 euros). "I have made good money from the business. I own a house and other possessions. But in recent times things have changed. The authorities have come down hard," he says. Drivers now risk being spotted by aerial patrols, having their vehicle impounded and going to jail, he says. But he maintains he has not done anything wrong. "We are just delivery men paid for our service," he says. Others involved in smuggling along this route do it out of necessity in a desperately poor, remote region where there is little or no alternative employment. The bribes paid to the military escorts of the convoys that leave Agadez, as well as to police and army checkpoints through the desert, boost meagre or non-existent salaries. In Libya, where law and order has broken down since dictator Moamer Khadafi was toppled in 2011, former policemen have skippered migrant boats. - Gritty determination - Security analysts who study the Sahel say people are just another commodity for those who have long been involved in smuggling drugs, weapons and other goods. But while there is no clear evidence that extends to any of the violent extremists, there are fears about what may happen if peoples' only source of income is taken away. Poverty is a major factor in radicalisation and Islamist groups operating in the region, such as Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, willingly accept the disaffected. Above all, the biggest fight is against the determination of desperate people with nothing to lose. "Maybe I'll die but it's better to try to cross (the desert) than to stay in the Gambia," says Ibrahim Kamara, recovering in Agadez after breaking his leg in a road accident on a previous attempt. "I've got no job there and no wife because I've got no money," the 37-year- old adds. For Uche, in Kano, the rewards are worth the risk. "People keep saying it (the route) is dangerous but I'm ready to try my luck," he says. burs-phz/txw
An Australian nurse denied running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia when her trial began Tuesday, the first case of its kind in the country that recently banned the practice. Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, was arrested in late November with two Cambodians and accused of recruiting foreign couples and Cambodian surrogate mothers to a clinic in the capital Phnom Penh. The detentions came just two weeks after Cambodia moved to outlaw the surrogacy industry, which critics say exploits poor women, after a similar ban in neighbouring Thailand pushed the business across its borders. The trio were also charged with faking documents to obtain birth certificates for the newborns. In court on Tuesday Davis-Charles said she played no part in arranging surrogacies. Instead she said her role was limited to providing medical care to a total of 23 surrogate mothers who carried babies for 18 Australian and five American couples. "They find the clinic" by themselves, she said of the would-be foreign parents, adding that she was also not involved in the recruitment of Cambodian surrogates. The nurse said she received $8,000 from each couple while surrogates received around $10,000. All of the infants were born and moved out of Cambodia before her arrest, she added. Davis-Charles, who is from Melbourne, told the court she left Thailand more than a year ago after Bangkok outlawed commercial surrogacy and moved to Cambodia, which at the time lacked regulations on the industry. Two surrogate mothers testified in court on Tuesday to receiving $10,000 from Tammy. Surrogate mother Hor Vanday said she gave birth to a baby girl who was whisked away for a foreign couple. "I did not see the face of the baby, but I know her father took her away," she recalled. She added that she did not miss the child as she knew it was never hers. Thailand for years hosted Southeast Asia's most thriving unregulated surrogacy industry that was particularly popular with same-sex couples. But several scandals in 2014 -- including tussles over custody -- spurred the government to bar foreigners from using Thai surrogates. Surrogacy consultants say Laos, a poor and opaque communist country to the north, has since emerged as the next frontier for the "rent a womb" business in the wake of the recent bans by Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and India. A number of Laos-linked surrogacy agencies and IVF clinics have cropped up in recent months, according to consultancy group Families Through Surrogacy. A Thai man was recently arrested for smuggling frozen sperm between the two countries. Some offer to carry out the embryo transfer in Laos and then provide pregnancy care for the surrogate in Thailand, a wealthier country with vastly superior medical facilities.
At Yemen's Sabaeen Hospital, code black is an understatement: patients sleep three to a bed, on the bare floor or outside in tents as cholera brings a country torn by war to its knees. Six weeks into the second outbreak of the deadly disease in less than a year, at least one patient checks in at Sabaeen every 60 seconds, leaving staff unable to cope. "Over the past two weeks, we've been receiving patients at a rate of one or two, sometimes even three, per minute," said Ismail Mansuri, a doctor treating cholera patients at Sabaeen. The situation is nearly indescribable in Yemen, where a long-running conflict escalated in 2015 as regional powers joined the fight for control over the country, the poorest in the Arab world. Two years later, less than half of Yemen's medical facilities are functional as the war has killed 8,000 people, displaced millions and seen port blockades push the country to the brink of famine. - 'Beyond troubling' - Cholera re-appeared on April 27 after an initial outbreak in October 2016, and the United Nations says it is now spreading at an "unprecedented rate". British charity Oxfam estimates the waterborne disease now kills at least one person per hour in Yemen. Hospitals have been overwhelmed, with cholera cases putting emergency rooms in constant code black -- when a hospital is unable to cope with the number of patients. Official figures show more than 920 people have died and 124,000 have been taken ill with cholera since late April, with the rebel-held capital Sanaa hit the hardest. Few areas remain untouched, with the disease affecting 20 of the country's 22 provinces. Experts project at least a quarter of a million people will contract cholera in the next six months. "The hike in contraction is beyond troubling," said Maher al-Hada of Yemen's Center to Fight Cholera. "We have a good 300 patients come through our doors every day". Like other medics, Hada struggles to secure access to electricity, clean water and basic medical supplies as Yemen's Saudi-backed government remains locked in a war with Huthi rebels allied with Iran. Damage to sewage systems, the electricity grid and piping have left Yemen's main water supplies contaminated with the bacteria, and the crisis is only expected to escalate as the rain season approaches. - 'Die on the spot' - In the southern province of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based, foul-smelling stagnant water has turned black, attracting mosquitos and insects that experts warn are a potent means of transmitting contagious diseases. Majid al-Daari, head of the cholera treatment centre at the Al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aden, said his facility has seen more than 200 cases this week alone. Umm Hisham Munir, the superintendant at a school in Aden, rushed her two sons to hospital when they began to show symptoms of cholera, a bacterial infection which can be deadly if not treated immediately. "We're terrified that the disease will just keep spreading. People are poor here. They can't afford medical care. They can't afford to move," Munir told AFP in Aden. Ammar Abdelmalek, a resident in the rebel-held central Ibb province, said the streets were "flooded" with garbage and sewage. "This is why we have cholera," said Abdelmalek. In the northern province of Lahj, Mazen al-Sayed said the privilege of having a car saved his mother's life. "Honestly it's because I have a car that my mother is still alive. Others die on the spot," said Sayed. The message from aid agencies is unequivocal: more aid is needed to stem the disease from turning into an all-out epidemic. The World Health Organization and International Committee of the Red Cross are two of the groups leading the fight against cholera, but even they face an uphill battle. "WHO is working to access remoted areas heavily affected to reach as many patients as possible," said Omar Saleh, a member of the WHO mission to Yemen. "The humanitarian situation is alarming," Saleh told AFP. "We are looking at a real disaster. The disease has nothing to do with political affiliations". burs-tm/ny/dv
The EU launched legal action Tuesday against Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic for refusing to take in their share of refugees under a controversial solidarity plan. The move shows the frustration in Brussels over the slow response to the scheme, which aimed to relocate 160,000 migrants from frontline migrant crisis states Italy and Greece but which has so far seen only 20,000 moved. "I regret to say that despite our repeated calls, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have not yet taken the necessary action," EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news conference. "For this reason the (European) Commission has decided to launch infringement procedures against these three member states," he said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Brussels last month set a June deadline for Warsaw and Budapest to start accepting migrants under the plan to ease the burden on Italy and Greece, or risk sanctions. Prague also came under pressure after effectively dropping out. - 'Illegal decision' - The three eastern European states all reacted defiantly to the decision after having led resistance to the plan since its outset in 2015 at the height of the migration crisis, when more than one million refugees landed on Europe's shores. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said his government had been active on the crisis but tweeted: "Quotas are not working." Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski hit out at the "illegal decision", insisting that most of those being relocated were migrants who should be sent home and not refugees needing international protection. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his government would "not give in to blackmail". Brussels is already at odds with Budapest over rights issues, including a crackdown on foreign-backed civil society groups approved by the Hungarian parliament on Tuesday. Avramopoulos, who is Greece's European commissioner, insisted those selected for the relocation scheme had all been carefully screened and identified as needing international protection. He also criticised the three countries for expecting the benefits of EU membership while not taking on responsibilities. "Europe is not only about requesting funds or ensuring security," Avramopoulos said. "Europe is also about sharing difficult moments and challenges and common dramas." UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi expressed "disappointment" that the lion's share of protecting refugees on such a wealthy continent should fall on so few countries, such as Italy, Greece, Germany and Sweden. Amnesty International hailed the EU decision, with the rights group's European head Iverna McGowan saying it "makes it clear that countries will not be allowed to get away with dragging their feet to avoid accepting refugees." - Stiff penalties - Under "infringement" proceedings the European Commission, the 28-nation EU's executive arm, sends a letter to national governments demanding legal explanations over certain issues, before possibly referring them to the European Court of Justice. EU states can eventually face stiff financial penalties if they fail to comply. Avramopoulos said Hungary and Poland were targeted because they had failed to admit one single person under the plan to redistribute among other member states 160,000 mainly Syrian, Eritrean and Iraq asylum seekers from Greece and Italy by September. He said the Czech Republic was targeted for having relocated nobody in the past year and failed to issue any new pledges to admit asylum seekers. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania opposed the scheme two years ago but were overruled by a majority vote that is legally binding. Poland reluctantly agreed to the plan but took an even harder line when a new right-wing government assumed power weeks later. Hungary and Slovakia have since taken their case to the EU's top court. In the latest EU figures, just over 20,000 people have been relocated under the plan, which was in response to Europe's biggest ever migration crisis. European sources have blamed the delays on a series of factors: governments trying to screen jihadists in the wake of terror attacks, a lack of housing and education for asylum seekers, and logistical problems. They said some countries were setting unacceptable conditions by refusing Muslims, black people or large families, with Eastern European states the worst for discriminating on religious or racial grounds.
Singapore Supreme Court building (Photo: Yahoo Singapore)

Barely a few hours after meeting an online pal from Malaysia for the first time in Singapore, he raped the woman and sexually assaulted her.

The attacks in 2013 left the then 20-year-old woman from Sabah, whose identity cannot be revealed due to a gag order, deeply traumatised. Her attacker also threatened to kill her during the incidents.

The rapist, Yap Jun Cheng, 26, was sentenced on Tuesday (13 June) to 14 years in jail and given 22 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one count of rape, and one count each of using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman and sexual assault by penetration.

Yap, who is currently unemployed, had 11 other charges against him taken into consideration for sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) David Khoo told Judicial Commissioner Pang Khang Chau in the High Court that Yap had befriended the woman on Facebook some time in 2011. The two corresponded intermittently via Facebook.

Victim came to Singapore to look for a job

Some time in February 2013, the woman decided to look for a job in Singapore and rent a flat. As she was unfamiliar with Singapore, she contacted Yap through Facebook to seek his help to show her around. Yap agreed and they exchanged telephone numbers.

The woman arrived in Singapore at about 9.30 am on 4 March and promptly met up with Yap at Paya Lebar MRT Station. The woman had previously told Yap that she needed to view a flat at about 10.30am.

At the train station, Yap, who was then serving his National Service with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, told the woman that he wanted to go home to change his clothes before the flat-viewing appointment. The woman agreed and they headed to Yaps flat at Tampines.

Yap, who was staying in the flat with his parents and grandmother, told the woman to wait as he took a shower after they arrived at the flat. Yaps grandmother was at home and the woman greeted her and waited for Yap in the living room. The woman was surprised to see Yap wearing his home clothes after his shower.

Story continues

After telling the woman that he wanted to show her his room, Yap pulled her in and locked the door. He told the girl to leave her current boyfriend and that he could support her financially.

Yap also professed that he liked the woman and hugged her. The woman rejected Yap and pushed him away lightly.

Broken door knob

Yap unbuttoned her shirt and pulled her back forcefully. The woman managed to reach the doorknob and tried to open the door. She was unable to do so as the knob was broken.

The woman then called out to Yaps grandmother but did not get a reply. Yap then covered the victims mouth and told her to stop being noisy.

Yap proceeded to touch the womans breasts before raping her. He also threatened to kill and rape the woman again, and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

The woman then told Yap that she needed to go for her flat-viewing appointment. Yap tried to open the bedroom door but was unable to do so at first but eventually was able to do so using a cloth hanger.

At this point, Yaps grandmother came to the door but did not see the woman, who dared not call out for help as she was afraid of Yap.

Yap then used his mobile phone to take a photo of the two of them sitting on the bed. The woman then asked for permission to go to the toilet. Yap insisted that she leave the room unclad from the waist down. While the woman was in the toilet, she realised that there was no one in the house.

Yap then insisted that the woman cook for him. Out of fear, the woman agreed and cooked some dishes while still not wearing her shorts and panties. But Yap allowed her to wear them after she was nearly scalded by oil while cooking.

Second rape in the living room

Shortly after, the woman distracted Yap by asking him to sit in the living room. While they were in the living room, Yap raped her for a second time but stopped after a while when the woman said that she needed to go to the toilet.

When the woman returned, she lied to Yap that she was having her period in an attempt to deter him from raping her again. Yap laughed and said it was like he had struck lottery.

The two then went to a food centre in Bedok to eat before taking a train to Boon Lay where they parted ways. The woman decided not to go for her flat-viewing appointment, which was rearranged, and returned to Malaysia.

The woman arranged for a cousin-in-law to pick her up in Malaysia. The cousin-in-law realised that the woman was pale and shaken, and asked her about what had happened to her. The woman told her cousin-in-law about the rape incidents. She returned to Singapore with her cousin-in-law on the same day and lodged a police report.

Pressing for a jail term of 16 years, DPP Khoo pointed out that Yap had raped his victim twice and threatened to kill her. The episode had left her scarred and is affecting her current relationship with her boyfriend.

Yaps lawyer, Ramesh Tiwary, argued that the incidents were not pre-meditated and that Yap was overcome with temptation. Tiwary pointed out that Yap was remorseful for his actions and had pleaded guilty from the onset.
Venezuela's attorney general on Monday said intelligence officials had threatened and harassed her family after she openly challenged President Nicolas Maduro over the country's political crisis. A staunch figure of the ruling party, Attorney General Luisa Ortega has been branded a traitor for becoming the highest public official to break ranks with Maduro. She has accused him and his allies of acting unconstitutionally in their standoff against the opposition in recent months of deadly anti-government protests. Last week, she filed a challenge against his effort to rewrite the constitution, branding it undemocratic. The court dismissed the appeal on Monday. Ortega said members of her family had received threatening telephone calls and had been harassed and pursued. "I hold the executive responsible for any injury or attack that my family might suffer," she said in an interview with Union Radio. "This is a matter that must be resolved with me, not with my family," she said. "They are being pursued by patrols that appear to be from SEBIN," she added about the state intelligence service. "They are sending them messages directly from SEBIN, which answers to the government." Although Ortega, 59, said she herself had not received threats, some government officials have said on television that she should be imprisoned. - Constitutional struggle - Maduro is accused of controlling the Supreme Court, which has fended off numerous legal and legislative moves against him over the past year and a half. Clashes at daily protests by demonstrators calling for Maduro to quit have left 67 people dead since April 1, prosecutors say. The latest casualty was a 49-year-old man who died Monday night in the Caribbean city of La Guaira, prosecutors said, without clarifying the circumstances. The opposition deputy Jose Manuel Olivares said he died after being suffocated by tear gas. Violent riots also occurred in the afternoon in Caracas, where hooded protesters partially set off an administrative building of the TSJ. Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food and medicine in the oil-rich country. Maduro says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy. He has launched moves to set up an elected assembly to reform the constitution in response to the protests, but his opponents say that is a ploy to cling to power. A survey by pollster Datanalisis indicated that 85 percent of Venezuelans opposed that plan. The president retains the public backing of the military. - Legal battles - Analysts said last week that Ortega's suit could build bridges between the opposition and disgruntled officials and widen divisions in Maduro's camp, making it harder for him to stay in power. But the court on Monday rejected her appeal as "incompetent." That ruling "removes any doubt about the absence of judicial remedies" for the political crisis, said constitutional law expert Jose Ignacio Hernandez. "It is a clear attempt to discredit the attorney general." Ortega responded to the ruling by upping the ante -- and the political tension. She presented a further legal challenge aiming to fire 13 of the court's judges, who she argued were named without her approval. Her motion challenges a controversial decision in 2015 to name the judges, whom the opposition says are biased in favor of Maduro. A dozen countries expressed "deep concern" about Ortega's "harassment," prosecutors said, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Portugal and Paraguay. - Scuffles outside court - The president is resisting calls for elections to replace him, vowing to continue the "socialist revolution" of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez. Opponents of Maduro had gone to the court earlier to try to add their names to the list of plaintiffs in Ortega's lawsuit, but were kept away by military police. Anti- and pro-government activists exchanged blows outside the court in the latest in more than two months of street unrest. Parliament is set to discuss procedures for appointing new judges to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, while opposition leaders are calling for a return to the streets on Wednesday. "They do not want the people to demonstrate against the constitutional assembly. Look at how many people reject it," said one young demonstrator, Maria Rodriguez. "Get away, the streets belong to the people, not to the bourgeoisie," yelled a rival supporter dressed in the traditional red of Chavez supporters and holding a copy of the constitution in his hand. "What there is here is revolution."
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The results of the November 2016 election have inspired many Americans to take a stand either for or against the Trump administrations policies. From Hobby Lobby CEO David Green who has outspokenly supported the president to Nike President and CEO Mark Parker who emailed employees expressing opposition, many corporations are taking a stand, too. Should your small business take a political stand?

Should You Mix Business and Politics?

While coming out in support of political issues may be trendy, a new study by the 4As suggests its not necessarily a smart move. Although more than half of consumers in the survey (51 percent) believe the current administrations policies have made businesses more vocal about their political opinions, taking a stand is riskier than business owners may think. Companies that mix business and politics in a negative way are likely to face consumer backlash, the report says, while businesses that take a positive tack generally dont see much of a lift in sales as a result.

A couple of caveats: Being blatantly racist or homophobic will definitely hurt you. Seventy-two percent of consumers in the survey say they are not at all likely to purchase from a brand they consider racist, while 50 percent of consumers say they are not at all likely to buy from a brand they consider anti-LGBTQ.

However, taking the opposite stance doesnt have an equally positive impact on purchase intent. For example, just 21 percent say they are very likely to buy from a business that brands itself as inclusive. The majority of consumers (28 percent) say it wouldnt make a difference to them.

Consumers are even clearer about their preferences for brands taking a stand in a Sprout Social survey that asked what they want (and dont want) to see from businesses on social media. More than seven in 10 (71 percent) consumers dislike it when brands talk about politics on social media. They also find it annoying when businesses are snarky, try too hard to be cool, make fun of their competition, or make fun of their customers.

What do consumers want from your business? Theyre not asking for much, really. Some 86 percent of respondents want businesses to be honest on social media; 83 percent want businesses to be friendly and 78 percent want them to be helpful. They like it when businesses use social media to respond to their questions and join conversations. In other words, they want you to be nice.

But what should you do if you feel passionately about a political cause  so passionately you just cant keep quiet about it? Here are a few things to consider.

Can you afford to lose customers over the issue? While big corporations may be able to alienate some customers without much ill effect, small businesses are likely not to have the same wiggle room.

How does your customer base feel about the issue? If 90 percent of your target market shares your views, taking a stand could be a no-brainer.

Do you walk the walk? When you criticize political or social actions, people will start to examine what you do in your own business more closely. Make sure you can withstand the scrutiny.

With politics so prevalent in American life right now, it seems consumers prefer brands that provide a break from the conflict. Being helpful, friendly and nice may not be trendy, but it is a better recipe for business success than mixing business and politics.
Fundbox, the platform providing small businesses credit of up to $100,000 dollars, has announced Direct Draw. This new offering allows small businesses to apply without using personal credit using just a business bank account. The new advance is possible because of the companys investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and its Small Business Graph incorporating 12.8 million enterprises.

Small Business Trends spoke with Prashant Fuloria, CPO at Fundbox, about the new product. A company press release states there are 18 million U.S. small and medium sized businesses underserved by existing funding options. These businesses rely on personal credit, often the credit of the business owner. The AI developed by Fundbox feeds the companys Small Business Graph, a collection of data used to calculate credit worthiness.

Circumventing Personal Credit

This is a big deal, Fuloria said. The new product not only circumvents personal credit, it bypasses the accounting software which had been necessary before to get one of these loans.

Any other financial institution that extends credit to a small business relies in some way, shape or form on personal credit.

Personal credit scores like FICO are often good benchmarks for how you handle credit as a consumer. However they arent always the best way to judge a businesses health. Besides, many business owners prefer to keep the two separate or have already leveraged personal credit for non business uses. According to Fuloria, theres quite often a disconnect between the two.

Fundbox Direct Draw Means No FICO Score Needed

Their FICO scores can be less than stellar while their business is actually very robust, he says.

Fundbox clients using Direct Draw only need their business bank account to get started. Company algorithms look at the numbers there to make a decision. In Fundboxs case, multiple data sources are used to collect information which in turn goes into the Small Business Graph.

These latest innovations allow Fundbox to reach a much wider swath of small businesses looking for credit. A press release from the firm states they currently work with over 50,000 small businesses but can see the activities of 12.8 million on the Small Business Graph.

Underwriting Replaced by Data at Fundbox

We dont have a traditional underwriting team, Fuloria says. There are no traditional underwriters at Fundbox.

In their place, the company has the combination of data scientists and credit analysts. These analysts look at the credit models the company has put together and how well it is performing. They then go back to the data scientists to tweak their machine learning (AI) models.



No Business is an Island

We look at each business in the context of the work they operate in, Fuloria says.

For example, Fundbox would look at how a construction company invoices all its clients and at its interactions with vendors and suppliers. Its a macro approach highlighting trends in important areas like frequency of payments. Financial transactions with associates like accountants and suppliers also play a big role.

The result is a proprietary data asset.

In the same way the Facebook graph connects you and your friends, the Fundbox Small Business Graph reflects an understanding of our customers and how they work with the businesses around them, he says.

What Is Fundbox?

Fundbox was founded in San Francisco in 2013. The technology company uses predictive modeling, big data analytics and engineering to offer small businesses financial advances to solve cash flow issues.

The companys website says small businesses can get money as quickly as the next business day. A charge of 4.6 percent is divided over a 12 week period. But businesses can repay these advances over a 12- or 24-week period through a series of auto debits and the remainder of the charges are waived.
Residents of Puerto Rico voted to become the 51st state in the Union Sunday. That doesnt necessarily mean it will come to pass. But if it does, it could lead to some interesting opportunities for businesses large and small.

In the referendum, 97 percent of voters supported statehood. But only 23 percent of Puerto Ricans actually participated in the vote. And since it was a non-binding referendum, Congress is not under any obligation to actually act on the results.

Another vote is needed later in the year, after which Congress will ultimately decide if the status of the U.S. commonwealth is going to change. But theres been momentum building for Puerto Rico to become an official state for decades. And a struggling economy seems to have jump started that desire for many on the island. So at some point, it seems possible that the results of this weekends vote could make an impact.

For businesses, this could present some unique opportunities. While the Puerto Rican economy is currently struggling, the tourism industry does bring in roughly $4 billion annually. And there are currently some tax breaks available for non-residents who do business on the island, as well as tax exemptions for residents  though this last part will likely change.

Potential Small Business Opportunities in Puerto Rico

Statehood for Puerto Rico could lead to more federal dollars headed to the island to help the economy stabilize. It could also potentially lead to even more incentives for businesses to relocate or open new operations there. So while its certainly no guarantee that the status of Puerto Rico will change overnight, it could be worth monitoring small business opportunities in Puerto Rico if youre interested in relocating or expanding operations.
International Relations, War/Peace  June 13, 2017  Marty Hart-Landsberg

USA-North Korean relations remain very tense, although the threat of a new Korean War has thankfully receded. Still the U.S. government remains determined to tighten economic sanctions on North Korea and continues to plan for a military strike aimed at destroying the countrys nuclear infrastructure. And the North for its part has made it clear that it would respond to any attack with its own strikes against U.S. bases in the region and even the U.S. itself.

This is not good, but it is important to realize that what is happening is not new. The U.S. began conducting war games with South Korean forces in 1976 and it was not long before those included simulated nuclear attacks against the North, and that was before North Korea had nuclear weapons. In 1994, President Bill Clinton was close to launching a military attack on North Korea with the aim of destroying its nuclear facilities. In 2002, President Bush talked about seizing North Korean ships as part of a blockade of the country, which is an act of war. In 2013, the U.S. conducted war games which involved planning for preemptive attacks on North Korean military targets and decapitation of the North Korean leadership and even a first strike nuclear attack.

I dont think we are on the verge of a new Korean war, but the cycle of belligerency and threat making on both sides is intensifying. And it is always possible that a miscalculation could in fact trigger a new war, with devastating consequences. The threat of war, perhaps a nuclear war, is nothing to play around with. But  and this is important  even if a new war is averted, the ongoing embargo against North Korea and continual threats of war are themselves costly: they promote/legitimatize greater military spending and militarization more generally, at the expense of needed social programs, in Japan, China, the U.S., and the two Koreas. They also create a situation that compromises democratic possibilities in both South and North Korea and worsen already difficult economic conditions in North Korea.

There is a Choice for Peace

We dont have to go down this road  we have another option  but it is one that the U.S. government is unwilling to consider, much less discuss. That option is for the U.S. to accept North Korean offers of direct negotiations between the two countries, with all issues on the table.

The U.S. government and media dismiss this option as out of hand  we are told that (1) the North is a hermit kingdom and seeks only isolation, (2) the country is ruled by crazy people hell bent on war, and (3) the North Korean leadership cannot be trusted to follow through on its promises. But none of this is true.

First: if being a hermit kingdom means never wanting to negotiate, then North Korea is not a hermit kingdom. North Korea has been asking for direct talks with the United States since the early 1990s. The reason is simple: this is when the USSR ended and Russia and the former Soviet bloc countries in central Europe moved to adopt capitalism. The North was dependent on trade with these countries and their reorientation left the North Korean economy isolated and in crisis.

The North Korean leadership decided that they had to break out of this isolation and connect the North Korean economy to the global economy, and this required normalization of relations with the United States. Since then, they have repeatedly asked for unconditional direct talks with the U.S. in hopes of securing an end to the Korean War and a peace treaty as a first step toward their desired normalization of relations, but have been repeatedly rebuffed. The U.S. has always put preconditions on those talks, preconditions that always change whenever the North has taken steps to meet them.

The North has also tried to join the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), but the U.S. and Japan have blocked their membership. The North has also tried to set up free trade zones to attract foreign investment, but the U.S. and Japan have worked to block that investment.

So, it is not the North that is refusing to talk or broaden its engagement with the global economy; it is the U.S. that seeks to keep North Korea isolated.

Out of Control Militarism

Second: the media portray North Korea as pursuing an out of control militarism that is the main cause of the current dangerous situation. But it is important to recognize that South Korea has outspent North Korea on military spending every year since 1976. International agencies currently estimate that North Korean annual military spending is $4-billion while South Korean annual military spending is $40-billion. And then we have to add the U.S. military build-up.

North Korea does spend a high percentage of its budget on the military, but that is because it has no reliable military ally and a weak economy. However, it has largely responded to South Korean and U.S. militarism and threats, not driven them. As for the development of a nuclear weapons program: it was the U.S. that brought nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula. It did so in 1958 in violation of the Korean War armistice and threatened North Korea with nuclear attack years before the North even sought to develop nuclear weapons.

Third: North Korea has been a more reliable negotiating partner than the USA. Here we have to take up the nuclear issue more directly. The North has tested a nuclear weapon 5 times: 2006, 2009, 2013, and twice in 2016.

Critically, North Korean tests have largely been conducted in an effort to pull the U.S. into negotiations or fulfill past promises. And the country has made numerous offers to halt its testing and even freeze its nuclear weapons program if only the U.S. would agree to talks.

North Korea was first accused of developing nuclear weapons in early 1990s. Its leadership refused to confirm or deny that the country had succeeded in manufacturing nuclear weapons but said that it would open up its facilities for inspection if the U.S. would enter talks to normalize relations. As noted above, the North was desperate, in the wake of the collapse of the USSR, to draw the U.S. into negotiations. In other words, it was ready to end the hostilities between the two countries.

The U.S. government refused talks and began to mobilize for a strike on North Korean nuclear facilities. A war was averted only because Jimmy Carter, against the wishes of the Clinton administration, went to the North, met Kim Il Sung, and negotiated an agreement that froze the North Korean nuclear program.

The North Korean government agreed to end their countrys nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid and normalization. And from 1994 to 2002 the North froze its plutonium program and had all nuclear fuel observed by international inspectors to assure the U.S. that it was not engaged in making any nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, the U.S. did not live up to its side of the bargain; it did not deliver the aid it promised or take meaningful steps toward normalization.

In 2001 President Bush declared North Korea to be part of the axis of evil and the following year unilaterally canceled the agreement. In response, the North restarted its nuclear program.

In 2003, the Chinese government, worried about growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, convened multiparty talks to bring the two countries back to negotiations. Finally, in 2005, under Chinese pressure, the U.S. agreed to a new agreement, in which each North Korean step toward ending its weapons program would be matched by a new U.S. step toward ending the embargo and normalizing relations. But exactly one day after signing the agreement, the U.S. asserted, without evidence, that North Korea was engaged in a program of counterfeiting U.S. dollars and tightened its sanctions policy against North Korea.

The North Korean response was to test its first nuclear bomb in 2006. And shortly afterward, the U.S. agreed to drop its counterfeiting charge and comply with the agreement it had previously signed.

In 2007 North Korea shut down its nuclear program and even began dismantling its nuclear facilities  but the U.S. again didnt follow through on the terms of the agreement, falling behind on its promised aid and sanction reductions. In fact, the U.S. kept escalating its demands on North Korea, calling for an end to North Koreas missile program and improvement in human rights in addition to the agreed upon steps to end North Koreas nuclear weapons program. And so, frustrated, North Korea tested another nuclear weapon in 2009.

And the U.S. responded by tightening sanctions.

In 2012 the North launched two satellites. The first failed, the second succeeded. Before each launch the U.S. threatened to go to the UN and secure new sanctions on North Korea. But the North asserted its right to launch satellites and went ahead. After the December 2012 launch, the UN agreed to further sanctions and the North responded with its third nuclear test in 2013.

This period marks a major change in North Korean policy. The North now changed its public stance: it declared itself a nuclear state  and announced that it was no longer willing to give up its nuclear weapons. However, the North Korean government made clear that it would freeze its nuclear weapons program if the U.S. would cancel its future war games. The U.S. refused and its March 2013 war games included practice runs of nuclear equipped bombers and planning for occupying North Korea. The North has therefore continued to test and develop its nuclear weapons capability.

Here is the point: whenever the U.S. shows willingness to negotiate, the North responds. And when agreements are signed, it is the U.S. that has abandoned them. The North has pushed forward with its nuclear weapons program largely in an attempt to force the U.S. to seriously engage with the North because it believes that this program is its only bargaining chip. And it is desperate to end the U.S. embargo on its economy.

We lost the opportunity to negotiate with a non-nuclear North Korea when we cut off negotiations in 2001, before the country had a nuclear arsenal. Things have changed. Now, the most we can reasonably expect is an agreement that freezes that arsenal. However, if relations between the two countries truly improve it may well be possible to achieve a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula, an outcome both countries profess to seek.

New Possibilities and Our Responsibilities

So, why does the U.S. refuse direct negotiations and risk war? The most logical reason is that there are powerful forces opposing them. Sadly, the tension is useful to the U.S. military industrial complex, which needs enemies to support the ongoing build-up of the military budget. The tension also allows the U.S. military to maintain troops on the Asian mainland and forces in Japan. It also helps to isolate China and boost right-wing political tendencies in Japan and South Korea. And now, after decades of demonizing North Korea, it is difficult for the U.S. political establishment to change course.

However, the outcome of the recent presidential election in South Korea might open possibilities to force a change in U.S. policy. Moon Jae-in, the winner, has repudiated the hard-line policies of his impeached predecessor Park Guen-Hye, and declared his commitment to re-engage with the North. The U.S. government was not happy about his victory, but it cannot easily ignore Moons call for a change in South Korean policy toward North Korea, especially since U.S. actions against the North are usually presented as necessary to protect South Korea. Thus, if Moon follows through on his promises, the U.S. may well be forced to moderate its own policy toward the North.

What is clear is that we in the U.S. have a responsibility to become better educated about U.S. policy toward both Koreas, to support popular movements in South Korea that seek peaceful relations with North Korea and progress toward reunification, and to work for a U.S. policy that promotes the demilitarization and normalization of U.S.-North Korean relations.

I discuss this history of U.S.-North Korean relations and current developments in South Korea in a May 8 interview on KBOO radio. To keep up on developments I encourage you to visit the following two websites: Korea Policy Institute and ZoominKorea. 
The USA and Slovakia face similar challenges, and when they tackle them together they can be more effective.

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On my recent trip to the United States I met with people across the country, from New York to Pittsburgh to San Francisco, who care passionately about Slovakia. I met descendants of 19th century immigrants, Czechoslovaks who left in the 1960s, Slovaks recently arrived in Silicon Valley, and Americans long committed to strong partnerships with Slovaks. In their own way, each embodies the multi-faceted relationship between the United States and Slovakia as friends, partners, and allies.

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Our citizens share a long history tracing back to the American Revolutionary War when a Slovak Major, Jan Ladislav Polerecky, fought alongside George Washington to win Americas independence. Then in the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Slovaks immigrated to the United States in search of new opportunities. I spoke in Pittsburgh to a large group of their ancestors, including university students who are studying Slovak today. It was an honor to be in the city where Czech and Slovak immigrants signed the 1918 Pittsburgh Agreement that paved the way for the first Czecho-Slovak state. I was impressed by the strength of Slovak-Americans continuing ties to Slovakia, even after several generations. The first-generation immigrants in America are likewise giving back, even after half a century. In New York, the preeminent biomedical researcher Dr. Jan Vilcek told me about his philanthropic foundations, which seek to raise awareness of the contributions of immigrants to American society and to support medical research.

For their part, younger Slovaks in New York and Silicon Valley are partnering with Americans to realize innovative new technologies. Juraj Holub and Kristina Kralikova, who represent the Slovak firm Sli.do in New York, told me how their companys technology allows audience members to interact at meetings and events in real-time. I also met with Slovak entrepreneurs working for many of the best-known firms (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Google) and on startups in Silicon Valley.

I also stopped in Indianapolis to visit the Indiana National Guard, which has cooperated with our allies in the Slovak military for over 20 years through the State Partnership Program. I explored ways that we can leverage this partnership to build even stronger ties between the United States and Slovakia, including in civilian areas such as education.

Our countries face similar challenges, and when we tackle them together we can be more effective. In Indiana, I visited two universities to discuss ways that the United States experts could support Slovakias education reform efforts. This could take the shape of establishing faculty exchanges or assisting Slovak universities in tailoring their recruitment and programs to better align with the needs of the Slovak job market. Reform of the U.S. educational system remains a passionately debated work in progress. But our experience grappling with education reform could prove useful in preparing workers for a knowledge-based economy. It might also better prepare citizens to reject extremism and rally behind the liberal values that underlie successful democratic societies.

Now that Ive had a chance to learn more about the experiences of Slovaks in my own country, Im eager to develop the new ideas I heard and the connections I made.

Adam Sterling is US Ambassador to Slovakia
The financial group has submitted altogether 10 lawsuits against the daily.

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The Dennik N daily officially won its first legal dispute with the financial group Penta.

The Bratislava Regional Court confirmed that the daily did not have to acknowledge to the financial group the right of reply in connection with the story describing its dispute with the Hospodarske Noviny daily.

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It is the first victory for Dennik N, while there are another nine lawsuits against the paper submitted by the financial group, the daily reported on its website.

We are very glad that the courts, whose work positively surprised us, accepted our claims and that this dispute, which was absurd since the very beginning, has been definitively closed, said the dailys publisher Lukas Fila, as quoted by Dennik N.

He believes that the courts will issue similar verdicts also in another nine cases, and that it will be confirmed that journalists can write about Pentas scandals, and that journalists and entrepreneurs will see there is no reason to be afraid of the financial group.

Lawsuit for the story published elsewhere

The story in question concerned the purchase of Black Hawk helicopters, and the financial group was offered a space to comment. The statement on which Penta complained was not a factual claim, but rather an evaluation, the judges claimed.

Moreover, they said that the story mentions financial group Penta, which is not the official name of the corporate entity, so the complainant, Penta Investments Group Limited, in fact was not mentioned in the story. Moreover, since it was the name of the financial group which is not a corporate entity and thus does not have a legal personality, the statement could not damage its reputation, Dennik N wrote.

The dispute between Penta and the daily was a bit strange since it concerned the story about the text originally published in Hospodarske Noviny, according to Dennik N. Penta asked for publishing the reply to the story published in June 2015, in which reporter Monika Todova described the ongoing legal dispute between the financial group and the other daily, which had been sued for the story about the purchase of Black Hawk helicopters.

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Read also: Dennik N wins its third court dispute with Penta Read more

Penta did not like the sentence that stated that the Defence Ministry has not said yet who will service the helicopters, and it is not ruled out that after some time it will also be Aero Vodochody, owned by Penta.

The court however claimed this cannot be considered a factual statement as it is not possible to prove its veracity, Dennik N wrote.

Moreover, both the district and the regional courts dismissed the lawsuit because Penta had not explained why the statement damages their reputation. They claimed that the legal representative of the financial group could comment on the case in the story and disproved all claims concerning the service of the helicopters.

The right of reply should secure that the second party will be given space to comment on the issue, which had already happened in the published story, Dennik N wrote.

Disclaimer: Penta financial group has a 45-percent share in Petit Press, the co-owner of The Slovak Spectator.
The flights will begin on June 25.

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The Kosice regional council approved a subsidy of 60,000 to introduce flights between Kosice and Cologne, Germany as of June 25.

The subsidy will support the development of tourism by increasing the number of visitors to Kosice Region and boosting the regions accessibility to other tourist, business and economic centres in Europe, reads the document approved by the regional council, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

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The connection will be operated by low-cost airline Wizz Air twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays for the summer schedule, and on Mondays and Fridays for the winter schedule.

In the summer, departures from Kosice are scheduled for 6:00, with planes returning from Cologne at 8:30, TASR wrote.

Wizz Air, which has a hub in Kosice, is due to launch a regular connection to Tel Aviv beginning June 23.
Slovenska Posta tries to secure its premises and operations after bomb warning.

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The customer service of the main postal service operator Slovenska Posta received an anonymous warning of a bomb placement at its premises on June 12, in the evening hours.

We subsequently contacted the police, who decided to search the premises of Slovenska Posta in Banska Bystrica and later also across Slovakia, spokesperson Martina Mackova confirmed to the TASR newswire.

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The inspections are being carried out gradually, Mackova added, asking people for patience.

We are trying not to disrupt the operation of the post offices, she said, as quoted by TASR.
Astronomical data is designed specifically for the geographical location of Stara Bystrica.

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More information about travelling in Slovakia

Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide

The Slovak astronomical clock located in the village Stara Bystrica near Cadca in the north of Slovakia is the biggest wooden sculpture in Slovakia, according to village information. It originated in 2009 with Slovak sculptor Viliam Loviska, Dobre Noviny wrote.

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The composition represents a sitting Madonna, Our Lady of Sorrows. The skeleton of the clock is made of 80 wooden arms. In its niches are six bronze statues  Prince Pribina, King Svatopluk, Anton Bernolak, Ludovit Stur, Milan Rastislav Stefanik and Andrej Hlinka, Dobre Noviny reported

video //www.youtube.com/embed/t6etdvg6iLE

Statues of saints are also on the clock, made by Peter Kunik from Tvrdosin. However, the heart of the astronomical clock is an astrolabe, an instrument used since antiquity to measure angles of bodies in the sky. Astronomical data is designed specifically for the geographical location of Stara Bystrica, Dobre Noviny stated. Moreover, the village claims that this astronomical clock is the only clock in the world with accurate sun time.
The vote for the top post at the public-service broadcaster is scheduled for June 15.

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While the ruling coalition managed to reach agreements on the nominees for ministerial posts (though some were opposed to the current Interior Minister Robert Kalinak) and even the scandal over energy prices, the parties have failed to agree on a single candidate before the vote for the new head of the public-service broadcaster RTVS scheduled for June 15.

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As a result, relations between the parties may worsen, the Sme daily reported.

MPs for the Most-Hid party are ready to support either the former head of the private broadcaster TV Markiza, Zuzana Tapakova, or Michal Ruttkay, known from the advertising sector. The other two coalition parties, Smer and the Slovak National Party (SNS), want Jaroslav Reznik, current head of the state-run news agency TASR, to lead the broadcaster.

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Two most professional presentations were prepared by current RTVS head Vaclav Mika and TASR director Jaroslav Reznik, said Culture Minister Marek Madaric (Smer), as quoted by Sme.

There is, however, only a small chance that Mika will successfully defend his post, Madaric admitted.

It will be the first time that we have voted without agreement, Bela Bugar, chair of Most-Hid, told Sme.

A few weeks ago, he claimed that his party would do everything to select one coalition candidate, as the disagreement might impact the relations between the coalition partners in the future.

Smer also fails to agree on one candidate

Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer), some of the partys deputies, and the Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko (SNS) have been criticising Mika for some time. Fico even claimed that he would give his MPs orders to support a change in the RTVS top post. He dislikes, among other things, the critical questions of RTVS journalists concerning Smer.

Since Smer disagrees with Mika, Most-Hid decided to accept its reservations. Bugar however said they would not support anybody they disagree with. This is also the case with Reznik, whom the party criticises for closing the deal between TASR and the pro-Kremlin news agency Sputnik, which spread conspiracy news and for the plans to stop the broadcast of minority radio Patria, Sme wrote.

Reznik is supported mostly by the SNS, which has been frequently featured in TASR stories at the times it was outside parliament, according to the daily.

The deputies of Smer are also inconsistent in their opinions on the new RTVS head. While some support Reznik, the others told Sme they would rather support Mika, Ruttkay or Tapakova. The members of the parliamentary media and culture committee however will vote unanimously.

It is a political election and a green card for MPs would only complicate the situation, said chair of the committee, Dusan Jarjabek, as quoted by Sme. He however failed to say whom they will support.

To elect the future RTVS head, the candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes of MPs present. If no candidate receives enough votes, the two with the highest number of votes will advance to a second round, which will take plane on June 22.
He will be honoured for his fight against extremist forces in society.

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Blogger, Jan Bencik, will become one of 50 laureates of the European Citizens Prize 2017, granted by the European Parliament to people who help their environment.

Bencik is a pensioner, civic activist and blogger from Ruzomberok. For his courage in opposing extremists despite various threats he has already been granted the White Crow award for whistleblowers. He has been monitoring and revealing the behaviour of Slovak neo-Nazis, extremists, conspirators and mercenaries fighting in the Ukraine for several years, the EP informed in a press release.

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Bencik deserves the award for his persistent actions to reveal the extremist forces in society at times when the will to verify the sources of information is missing, said Slovak MEP Ivan Stefanec, who submitted a proposal to award the blogger.

The EP reward on an annual basis, individuals or groups who have particularly distinguished themselves in strengthening European integration by the expression of European cooperation, openness to others and practical involvement in the development of mutual understanding.

The public ceremony will be organised by the EP Information Office in Slovakia, while the laureate can also attend the main event held on October 11 and 12 in Brussels.

Among the Slovak laureates, who received the award in previous years, are the community Theatre from the Passage, photographer Symon Kliman, head of the League against Cancer association Eva Siracka and the Csemadok Hungarian association .
The plan is to reduce the volume of existing liquid radioactive waste and costs linked to its storage.

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The Mochovce nuclear power plant is to become more eco-friendly as its operator, Slovenske Elektrarne (SE) plans to install a device to purify and process existing liquid radioactive waste.

We want the limits for releasing the radionuclides into the environment to meet the requirements of the legislative change that is currently being prepared based on the rules of IAEA Safety Standard, GSR, reads the SEs statement, as quoted by the SITA newswire.

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The planned investment is expected to result in a significant reduction of the volume of existing liquid radioactive waste to about 8 percent of the original volume. Moreover, the environmental risks resulting from storing the waste, as well as the operational costs should be lower.

About 65 percent of the operational costs linked to treatment and storage of the radioactive waste should be saved, SE added, as quoted by SITA.

The company will use the technologies developed by US company Advantech. It will enable them to process the radioactive liquid concentrates in a way that will separate the radioactive nuclides from the dissolved salts in the concentrate. The purified concentrate will then be dried and the product (a granulate) will be released into the environment, SITA reported.
Gaulieder was unlawfully expelled from parliament for his firm stance on the Meciar amnesties and was recently killed by a train after receiving death-threats.

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A suspicious substance was found during the autopsy of Frantisek Gaulieder, Jan Foltan the lawyer for the Gaulieder family, told the TASR newswire on June 13, citing an unofficial and preliminary result of the forensic post mortem. The final PM report should be ready within a few days, he added.

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Now the question is how, when and in what amount the substance got into the body, Foltan said. He refused to specify the substance, as the investigation is still ongoing. He did not exclude narcotics. The lawyer only said that the substance was found in in the urine and not in the blood.

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Read also: Former MP Frantisek Gaulieder killed by train Read more

It is ever clearer and clearer that Frantisek Gaulieder did not decide on his own to end his life under a train. I unambiguously say it was not a suicide, Foltan said, adding that it was not a frontal crash but rather, Gaulieder was hit by the steps which lead up to the engine.

The lawyer also stated that the police still do not know Gaulieders whereabouts on the day of the tragedy. He was last seen at 1400 when CCTV cameras recorded him on the street. He was hit by the train at 0200 the following morning.

Gaulieders wife Zuzana said she was shocked by the police who now want to order a post-mortem psychological profile to shed light on whether or not he could have committed suicide. She considers suicide impossible. I think now, after his death, which police are not able to investigate, they also want to trample on his human dignity," Foltan read from the statement of Zuzana Gauliederova.

Gaulieder died after being hit by a cargo train on March 25, between Trnovec nad Vahom and Sala.

Gaulieder became an MP in 1994 for the HZDS party of Vladimir Meciar. In 1996, he was stripped of his mandate, which violated his rights, according to the Constitutional Court. Since 2014, he was a Galanta town councillor. In 2012 and also in 2015, he found a gun cartridge in his post box. Shortly before he died, he received death-threats, his lawyer told TASR.
Free College

Boston and Massachusetts Go All In with Free College Program for Pell Students

The city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts have expanded their respective free college programs and teamed up to encourage eligible students to take advantage of the "bridge" they want to build between high school and college completion. Mayor Martin Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker announced the new pilot program, the "Boston Bridge," which will be open to all 2017 high school graduates who live in Boston, including those who attended public schools, charters and parochial schools.

The new initiative builds on the city's "Tuition Free Community College" project, which launched a year ago. In the program, low-income public school graduates could attend one of three local community colleges and pay no tuition. Since launching its tuition-free community college program, 50 Boston students have participated by attending community colleges, and 94 percent are on track to finish the first year.

The state's "Commonwealth Commitment" offered deeply discounted tuition and fees to state residents who earned an associate's degree at one of Massachusetts' two-year schools and then went directly into any public four-year institution while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average throughout.

Under the newest program, students from Boston who qualify to participate in the Commonwealth Commitment will be able to earn their bachelor's degrees without having to pay any tuition or mandatory fees after considering Pell grants and discounts and credits from the state program.

Eligible students need to meet federal Pell grant income standards and need to enroll as full-timers in one of the three community colleges that participated in the earlier program: Bunker Hill Community College, Roxbury Community College or Massachusetts Bay Community College. To be eligible to continue to a four-year school, they must complete their associate's degree within 30 months, maintain that same 3.0 GPA, move directly into any one of the state's public universities and agree to pursue one of 16 degree programs (with a few variations) that articulate with transfer pathways developed by the community colleges:

biology

business

chemistry

communications & media studies

computer science

criminal justice

early childhood education

economics

English

history

liberal arts

mathematics

political science

psychology

sociology

STEM natural/physical sciences

Graduation must take place two years after they've transferred to the four-year school.

Participants will also receive a financial contribution equal to 10 percent of the school's tuition and mandatory fees, to help with school-related expenses each semester.

"College affordability too often serves as a barrier for students in the Commonwealth seeking to complete a degree, and this program is intended to provide more opportunities for a quality education," said Governor Charlie Baker in a prepared statement.

"We built the Boston Bridge to take students all the way from high school to college commencement," added Commissioner of Higher Education, Carlos Santiago. "Our message to students is clear. If you commit the time and do the work, we'll be beside you every step of the way to help you complete your college journey while avoiding burdensome debt."
Statistics

Data: Education Isn't Free Everywhere

Children at the village school in the Buikwe region of Uganda. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

While the United States is taking a divided stance regarding the use of public funds for private education, families in many countries in the rest of the world that lack ready access to public education struggle to come up with the fees for their children's education, so the kids may not go to school. In Uganda and Nepal, households provide a half of the education funding (57 percent and 49 percent, respectively); in Cote d'Ivoire the coverage is a third (33 percent); and in Vietnam it's 24 percent.

These figures come out of a database recently made available by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, which has committed to increasing the amount of information it makes available. Data users can download more than 3,785 indicators and data from 1970 and onwards. The new UIS Data Centre covers global education statistics related to entry, participation, progression, completion, literacy, financial resources and other subsets of data. The overall goal is to allow people to track UNESCO's progress toward its "Sustainable Development Goals" in numerous areas, including education (goal No. 4).

The institute is the official source of international education data, which surfaces in references by the World Bank as well as UNICEF's The State of the World's Children, UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report and other official publications.

The latest data dump covers expenditure per student by level of education and source of funding (government and households), which exposes the extent to which families shoulder the expenses of education  including tuition, textbooks, uniforms and other costs. Out-of-pocket expenses for families remain high even at the primary level in many countries. In Ghana, households spend about $87 per child in primary education each year; in Cote d'Ivoire it's $151; and in El Salvador it's $680. The concern, according to the institute's researchers, is that such costs can prevent children in the poorest families from going to school.

The data suggests that the education expense rises when students head into secondary grade levels. Family spending per student at those levels in Ghana is $228 per year and $637 in Cote d'Ivoire. Households in Africa's Benin spend more per secondary student ($402) than the government ($259).

According to the UES, families in many developing countries spend a much higher proportion of their income on education than those in developed countries. Whereas households in almost every "rich" country spend no more than five percent, secondary education amounts to 20 to 25 percent on average in Benin, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Niger.

The database is updated twice yearly. To access the latest statistics, visit the data center here. From there, click on "Data by theme," choose "Education," select the data table for viewing and choose "Customise" to specify indicator, country and year.
Accessibility and Disability

New Department of Ed IDEA Site Live and Generating Heat

The newly redesigned IDEA website.

Feedback is trickling in on the U.S. Department of Education's new website dedicated to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was the same website that drew such concern for its disappearance shortly after Betsy DeVos, head of the department, took charge. Special education advocates were especially troubled about DeVos' possible attitude towards students with special needs after she fumbled questions related to the topic during her confirmation hearing. The department was quick to assure the public that the previous site had gone down due to server glitches.

Since February, the site has been undergoing a redesign, based at least in part on comments from 130 people who provided feedback during the design process. The new site went live June 1.

Among the changes, according to the department: improved navigation, more "robust" content and better search. For example, feedback from users encouraged the department to keep statute and regulation search capabilities, but also to include a policy document search. The search was kept but also updated to highlight the most recent statute and regulations. The search also includes policy documents, such as "Dear Colleague" letters, memos and frequently asked questions. New resource pages are targeted to specific audiences, including families, educators and service providers and grantees.

"The launch of this new and improved site is a big win for children with disabilities, their families and the entire IDEA community," Secretary DeVos said in a prepared statement. "It is incumbent upon the government to provide accessible and accurate information to our citizens. That's why one of my first actions as secretary was to order the department to fix and revitalize its woefully outdated IDEA site so that parents, educators and service providers could readily access the resources they need.

DeVos added that the department would continue "to improve upon the new site by seeking and incorporating feedback from IDEA stakeholders in the coming months." Those comments have been solicited through an article on the agency's blog site. While several current messages from users note slow downloads for certain pages and documents and at least one respondent said the site wasn't accessible enough, others are using the comment area to take DeVos to task for her focus on private school vouchers.

The new IDEA site is located on the department's website here. Until the site has been finalized, the previous website is still live as well.
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.
Click farms  where low-paid workers are paid to spend their days clicking on content  have become a problem across the globe. Sometimes these farms manifest as rooms with hundreds if not thousands of phones, all at the ready for when a company pays for traffic.

SEE ALSO: How to protect yourself when social media is harming your self-esteem

Click farms are very adaptable. Companies can use them for everything from acquiring LinkedIn connections to make themselves look better on the job market to influencing record labels on SoundCloud to simple web traffic. And they make millions doing so.

Motherboard reports a gigantic click farm in Thailand is latest to be caught. The click farm had over 500 cell phones and 350,000 SIM cards. The setup also included nine computers and 21 SIM card readers.

click farm rigs are so wild lookinghttps://t.co/Q00fl5UCiN  Louise Matsakis (@lmatsakis) June 12, 2017

Three Chinese workers were arrested at the rented Thailand house for working without a permit.

According to the Bangkok Post, a Chinese company gave the men 150,000 baht ($4,403) along with the phones to pull off the operation for a month. The men told the police they were operating to boost engagement for Chinese products sold in Thailand because of the low mobile phone fees. They were generating "fake" page views, likes, and shares through the social media app WeChat.

The men are probably going to be deported back to China, rather than facing any time behind bars, according to one of the police officers involved, the Nigerian newspaper The Nation reported.

This isn't the first IRL click farm to be busted. Just last month, a massive click farm with over 10,000 phones was discovered in China. And in today's online-driven world, it almost certainly won't be the last. Just remember where the online popularity might be coming from next time you're checking out companies and products online.
A blast at a British base on the southeast coast of Cyprus has injured a police officer.

The explosion struck the Dhekelia garrison before dawn on Tuesday.

The Cyprus Mail reported a grenade had been thrown by a man on a motorbike.

Police spokesperson Kristian Gray said investigations were ongoing and authorities are viewing the explosion as a criminal case.

"The building suffered no structural damage, just a broken window," he added.

A source told the AFP news agency that the attack could be related to the involvement of the base's police in a crackdown on illegal bird trapping.

It reported it came after bird trappers had been handed a "heavy fine" by a court.

More than two million migratory birds are slaughtered each year on the island.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence told Sky News that Sovereign Base Areas Police were investigating an explosive incident which took place in the early hours of the morning at the Dhekelia base.

"At this stage the Police are treating this as a criminal investigation. Until the initial investigation has concluded we will not be in a position to make any further comment," they said.

Cyprus became an independent republic, free from British colonial rule, in 1960, but the UK retains two bases which remain British sovereign territory and house military headquarters.

The sites, at Dhekelia and Akrotiri, cover some 98 square miles of territory and allow the UK to conduct military and humanitarian missions from the eastern Mediterranean.
Layla Moran is one of a number of MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds

The 2017 General Election has result in the most diverse parliament ever with a rise in the number of women, LGBT and ethnic minority MPs elected.

Among those taking a seat in Westminster include Layla Moran, Britains first ever MP of Palestinian descent.

Moran gained Oxford West and Abingdon from Nicola Blackwood following a swing of almost 15 points away from the Conservatives.

The former physics and maths teacher also became the first female Liberal Democrat MP from a minority background.

She said: Politics was always at the dinner table, it primed me to engage.

De facto, I will be a representative of our community in parliament, and it will be a great honour, which I take humbly.

GENERAL ELECTION RESULT 17: MORE POLITICAL ANALYSIS FROM YAHOO UK

Preet Gill became the first female Sikh MP after winning Birmingham Edgbaston for Labour, while Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi became Britains first turbaned Sikh MP after being elected to Slough for Labour.

Labours Afzal Khan is also Manchesters first Muslim MP.

There are now 45 MPs who openly define themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)  a 40 per cent increase on 2015.

There are 52 MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to think tank British Future (32 Labour; 19 Conservatives; one Lib Dem).

Steve Ballinger, director of communications for British Future, said: Its got to be good for politics that gradually Parliament is getting closer to looking a bit more like the electorate that it serves.

Story continues

He added: I know there are calls within the Conservative Party to do better in that respect.

The new intake also includes five disabled MPs, an increase of three on the last term.

Labours Marsha de Cordova, who in Battersea, is registered blind, and Jared OMara, who has cerebral palsy, won Sheffield Hallam from Nick Clegg.

Robert Halfon, who has cerebal palsy and osteoarthritis, and Paul Maynard, who also has cerebal palsy, were reelected for the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd, who is deaf, has returned to parliament after losing his seat in 2015.

There are also a record number of female MPs in the House of Commons after 208 women were elected.
Throughout the summer, each of the five University of North Georgia campuses host orientation events for incoming freshman and transfer students to better prepare them for college life. Orientation gives these students (and their parents) the opportunity to learn more about UNG and all it has to offer.

A typical daylong schedule features a dizzying array of events: meet-and-greets with professors, administrators and college staff, as well as tours of the campus.

Orientation leaders are an integral part of freshman and transfer orientation. They understand what these students are going through, as attendance at orientation for incoming freshmen and transfer students is mandatory, and they want to ease the transition for their peers.

On an unseasonably cool June morning, about 275 incoming freshman students and 175 family members streamed into the Hugh Mills Physical Education Center on the Gainesville Campus. Ready to welcome them was a small army of Orientation Leaders, each with a memory about their own orientation experience.

Orientation leader Chandler Alligood, a 21-year-old senior majoring in business management, remembers attending freshman orientation on the Dahlonega Campus with more than a bit of apprehension. She was from the small north Georgia town of Toccoa and not used to large crowds of people. Although Alligood tagged along with her two older sisters when they went to their college freshman orientations, she attended hers alone.

"It was hard for me, because Im on the introverted side," she said. "Fortunately, the [orientation] leaders brought me out of my shell. They were very encouraging because they were students themselves and wanted all of us to succeed at UNG. I stayed in touch with a number of them even after orientation."

Alligood says she enjoys being a mentorthis is her third year as an orientation leader--and advises the incoming students not to "sit in your dorm room studying day after day." She tells them UNG does a great job at offering different events where students can mingle and get to know each other.

"Get involved, take advantage of as many of the opportunities to socialize and learn new things outside of the classroom, invest some of your time in the lives of your fellow students," is Alligoods advice.

As the first member of her family to attend college, another orientation leader, Andrea Zarate, didnt have the advice of siblings or her parents as to what to expect the first time she set foot on the Gainesville Campus for her freshman orientation.

"It was all very intimidating because it was all on me to find out everything about college," said Zarate, a 21-year-old senior from Alpharetta. "I was extremely nervous because I didnt have that point of reference, of knowing what to expect."

Zarate said the student orientation leaders were very welcoming, patiently answering her many questions about college life at UNG. In the end, she was so impressed with the way the orientation leaders conducted themselves that she became one as a sophomore. Zarate tells incoming students in her groups to get involved in college life.

"The Gainesville Campus is a commuter school and I know its easy for students to just come to class and then just go home or do their own thing," Zarate said. "I tell them to attend as many on-campus events as they can, to join clubs, or at the very least have conversations either before or after classes with their fellow students." A listing of orientation events on all of the UNG campuses can be found on the Orientation and Transition Programs webpage.
One of the problems with having alike Donald Trump as President of the United States is that he gets played like a harmonica every time he tries to engage in foreign policy.No, Vlad Putin isn't the only virtuoso. Nor is China's Xi Jinping . We have just seen a performance which demonstrates beyond question that Saudi Arabia also is somewhat accomplished. That nation is the seat of the fanatical Wahabi sect of Islam responsible for so much of Islamic extremism. It doesn't like the fact that Qatar serves as a kind of regional counterbalance to it, a rival for leadership in the region. So when Mr. Trump tweeted a call upon the nations in the region to stop funding "radical ideology," the Saudis agreed that yes, Qatar is really terrible. So terrible, in fact, that shortly thereafter they broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar because of its encouragement of Islamic terrorism.To be fair, Qatar is the home of al-Jazeera, which might be thought of as the Fox News of radical Islam and is profoundly unfriendly to the Saudis as well as to the United States. It also has ties to Hamas- ties which it has used in the past to influence that organization to moderate its position on a theoretical two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and its neighbors. For economic and geopolitical reasons, its relations with Iran are considerably warmer than one might expect from an American ally. None of these make Qatar quite the devils the Saudis would like to pretend. And a case can be made that none of them implicate Qatar in Islamic extremism not nearly as deeply as Saudi Arabia itself is implicated, despite its generally friendly attitude toward the United States. Both nations are among America's closest allies in the region, Qatar, you may recall, was the base from which Operation Desert Storm was launched. Its cooperation with the United States in the war against terror has on the whole been exemplary enough that Mr. Trump himself recently singled it out for special praise.Clearly, the smart move for the United States would be to pour oil on troubled waters and to try to ease relations between two such close American allies. Instead, as Secretary of State Tillerson worked to do precisely that, President Trump took to Twitter again to side with the Saudis and attack Qatar!The easiest way to fix the mess Mr. Trump's impulsive ignorance created would be for him to apologize. That, of course, is not going to happen, because by the president's own admission he never does anything he needs to apologize for.So it's left to the grownups who are more or less his caretakers to try to sort the mess out, for the Saudis to join the Russians in laughing at our president behind his back, and for the rest of us to wistfully remember the days when the President of the United States had some clue of what the hell he was doing.
* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
Ill never lie to you.

 Jimmy Carter, 1976 presidential campaign

All politicians lie, because they are human and all humans lie. The question before us is this: If President Trump lied to FBI Director James Comey, should that lie, lead to impeachment? Did he obstruct justice when he allegedly hoped that Comey would not pursue an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn? Many Democrats think so. Most Republicans do not.

Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that President Trump lied about him after his dismissal. The assertion was based on what the president said of him (a real nut job) and on his belief that Comey misled the public about the alleged lack of support among Comeys FBI colleagues.

Trumps newly hired attorney, Marc Kasowitz, returned fire. Speaking at the National Press Club, Kasowitz effectively accused Comey of lying about his recollection of a private dinner at which, according to Comey, Trump said, I need loyalty. Kasowitz accused Comey of leaking privileged communications to the media, which Comey admitted he did for the purpose of obtaining a special counsel to investigate Russian influence in the 2016 election.

Recordings of the Comey-Trump meetings would clear this up. The president has suggested they may exist and Comey said he would be happy to have them released. They should be, but even if they corroborate Comeys recollections, House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said recently that he still believes there is no credible evidence that there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government.

Everyone seems to agree that the Russians attempted to interfere, but no one claims that attempted interference affected the outcome. Hillary Clinton lost and so did Democrats  at all levels across the country. They need to get over it and figure out why.

The word hypocrisy was invented for such moments. The left is suddenly aghast about lying, but was fine with Barack Obamas numerous lies, from If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, to Benghazi, Fast and Furious, the red line in Syria and the list goes on.

Lets not even get started with the Clintons. Theyre serial liars.

Media reaction swiftly followed Comeys testimony.

The New York Times and Washington Post seemed to favor Comey. A Wall Street Journal editorial even said that Comey should have resigned if he believes what he now says.

Charles Hurt, editorial page editor of the conservative Washington Times, summarized his view of Comeys testimony: The only verified leaker exposed: Jim Comey. The only person we know is not and never was under investigation for ties to Russia: Donald Trump. The only person exposed for trying to influence an election: (Obama attorney general) Loretta Lynch. The only paper accused of publishing fake news: The New York Times. The only person who attempted to obstruct justice: Loretta Lynch and probably Bill Clinton.

Even the reliably liberal Chris Matthews of MSNBC said: The assumption of the critics of the president, of his pursuers, you might say, is that somewhere along the line in the last year the president had something to do with colluding with the Russians  to affect the election in some way. And yet what came apart this morning was that theory.

Do I wish the president would conform just a little to the traditions most Americans expect of a White House occupant? I do. But for me and many other conservatives, policy overcomes deportment. Last week the president nominated 11 solid conservatives to federal benches. His policies on border security, repealing and replacing Obamacare, cutting taxes and reforming the tax code, strengthening the military, among others, are why he was elected.

Democrats have nothing, other than more of the same failed policies, which have contributed to their recent election losses. They are banking on undermining the president by accusation and insinuation.

The major media  which Trump regards as the mother of all liars  are in bed with his Democratic critics, while dismissing the lies of Democrats past and present. And thats no lie.
WASHINGTON  There will be much for special counsel Robert Mueller to unpack after last weeks momentous testimony of James Comey: Did President Trumps actions amount to obstruction of justice? Did Attorney General Jeff Sessions violate his recusal from the Russia probe? Should Comey have acted sooner?

But such legal considerations, though important, miss the real significance of Comeys testimony heard round the world.

In the three hours I sat transfixed in Room 216 of the Hart Building, 15 feet behind the fired FBI director, the line that chilled me more than any other was Comeys account of why he wrote extensive, real-time notes of his conversations with Trump. The nature of the person, Comey explained in part. I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document.

The nature of the person.

This was the essence of Comeys testimony: that the president of the United States is, at his core, a dishonest and untrustworthy man. It was a judgment on character, not a legal opinion, and even Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee made no real attempt to dispel it.

By itself, its neither a high crime nor a misdemeanor for a president to be dishonorable. But its a stain on the country, and it defines this moment. This is why Trump cant get legislation through Congress or get allies to cooperate, and why so many worry he will disregard constitutional restraints. The president is not to be trusted.

The founders did not anticipate this, a defect not just of private misconduct (which weve seen before) but of public character.

The process of election affords a moral certainty, Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 68, that the office of president will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single state; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of president of the United States. It will not be too strong to say, that there will be a constant probability of seeing the station filled by characters pre-eminent for ability and virtue.

But the moral certainty of the Enlightenment broke down with the election of something more medieval.

When Sen. Angus King, the Maine independent, asked Comey whether he took as a directive Trumps expressed hope that Comey drop the FBIs probe of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn, Comey reached back to the words of 12th-century autocrat Henry II that led to the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. Yes, Comey said, it rings in my ear as kind of, Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'

The former FBI chief and top official in the George W. Bush Justice Department was unsparing in his challenge to Trumps character, saying that Trumps administration chose to defame me and the FBI with lies  plain and simple. Comey noted that he never felt the need to document his conversations with Presidents Bush or Barack Obama, telling Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that he got a gut feeling about Trump and the nature of the person that I was interacting with.

Republicans on and off the panel largely accept Comeys assessment of Trumps character. House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that the presidents new at this and probably wasnt steeped in the long-running protocols. But, he added, Im not saying its an acceptable excuse.

Republicans on the committee defended Trump on some technical points but not on matters of integrity. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, called Comeys testimony as good as it gets for legal writing and accepted that we know exactly what happened between him and Trump. Collins said Trump never should have cleared the room, and he never should have asked you, as you reported, to let it go  to let the investigation go.

Trump is growing lonely in his protestations of his own probity. Friday morning, he inexplicably claimed total and complete vindication. Trumps spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders vouched that the president is not a liar. I think its frankly insulting that that question would be asked.

No, whats insulting  to America  is that the question doesnt need to be asked. Comey, until last month the nations top lawman, confirmed what we already knew.

Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group
Dominique Perez, one of two Albuquerque police officers who stood trial for the controversial shooting death of homeless camper James Boyd in March 2014, has survived a three-year ordeal you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy.

After being charged with murder, fired from APD, enduring a 15-week trial that ended in a hung jury and nearly going bankrupt, the decorated Iraq war veteran fought tenaciously to get his job back. That finally happened on May 30.

As it should have.

During the October 2016 trial, it became clear that Perez  who arrived at the hourslong standoff with Boyd in the Sandia foothills just three minutes before the fatal shots were fired  was far less culpable than fellow officer Keith Sandy, who fired the first shot and stood trial with Perez.

Testimony showed that Perez was following orders, employing his SWAT training and protecting fellow officers after Boyd, who had a history of diagnosed mental illness, pulled out two knives as he was being attacked by a police dog. Still, APD protocol led to Perezs firing when charges were filed.

Sandy, whom prosecutors claimed escalated the situation, retired within months of the shooting and receives a $37,000 annual pension.

Perez isnt getting a free walk back into APD. Hes on administrative assignment and will not respond to calls with the tactical unit or provide any type of patrol services for one year.

During that time, he must complete all of APDs new training, which has been revamped under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department spurred in part by the Boyd shooting; undergo state-required training; and pass a psychological exam. Perez will receive $143,159 in back wages and benefits.

The controversy of the Boyd shooting and subsequent trial were inconsistent with Perezs history of public service. The Albuquerque native and Del Norte High School graduate joined the Marine Corps in 2000 and served two tours in Iraq. He was injured in 2003 when a convoy he was leading was hit by an improvised explosive device, and he was awarded a Purple Heart. He joined APD in 2006.

Time will tell whether Perez and APD  which paid Boyds family a $5 million settlement, and continues to implement training and policy reforms after the DOJ found a pattern and practice of excessive force and a culture of aggression  can successfully move forward from the Boyd shooting.

But both deserve that chance.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
SANTA FE  The state Republican Party had some sad news to share Monday: W. Tucker Keene, the partys communications director, has died.

Keene, 25, was an enthusiastic advocate on the partys behalf, and he had a great sense of humor.

He was a brilliant writer, tenacious promoter of our cause, keen political communicator and, most importantly, a wonderful person, said Ryan Cangiolosi, chairman of the state Republican Party. Tucker approached his work with great passion, enthusiasm and with a witty sense of humor.

Keene was a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and he worked on the 2014 campaign of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Keene started working at the state Republican Party as its top spokesman in January 2016.

Tucker will be greatly missed by everyone at the Republican Party of New Mexico and by all those he touched in our state and beyond, Cangiolosi said in a written statement.

Albuquerque police were called to check on Keene over the weekend. Officers didnt report any obvious signs of foul play and medical investigators were trying to determine the cause of death.

LT. GOV. RACE: Rick Miera  a Democrat who served for 24 years in the state House, representing an Albuquerque-based district  is running for lieutenant governor.

He announced his campaign Monday, joining Jeff Carr, a former member of the Public Education Commission, in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Theres still plenty of time for other candidates to emerge. The primary election is next June.

Whoever wins will serve on a ticket with the Democratic nominee for governor. In other words, it isnt like a presidential race in which the top candidate picks a vice president to work with.

Miera is a former House majority leader and former chairman of the House Education Committee. He has worked as a therapist and drug counselor.

I will fight for policies that support our families, our communities and hardworking individuals, and will put facts ahead of political party or ideology, Miera said in a written statement. I know that I can bring these solutions to state government and help make it more responsive to the needs of everyday New Mexicans.

Dan McKay: dmckay@abqjournal.com
WASHINGTON  U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended Monday that the White House scale back the size of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, the first in what could be a series of such suggestions for monuments across the U.S., including in New Mexico.

In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Zinke to review national monuments of more than 100,000 acres designated since 1996, saying some of them amounted to a massive federal land grab. In early May, Zinke produced a list of 27 monuments for possible alteration, including the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, in southern New Mexico, and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, in the northern part of the state.

The Bears Ears decision announced Monday prompted fierce protests from environmental groups and some Democrats in Congress, including Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, who questioned the White Houses authority to alter an established national monument. The Interior Secretary is expected to announce proposals for other monuments on his list, including the two in New Mexico, by August. It is possible he wont recommend any action for some of those monuments. But he said Monday that the 1.3 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument is too sprawling and should be right-sized. Zinke said Congress should craft legislation to determine how parts of the reduced monument would be managed.

I spent a lot of time on the ground in Utah, talking with people and understanding the natural and cultural significance of the area, Zinke told reporters on a conference call Monday. There is no doubt that it is drop-dead gorgeous country and that it merits some degree of protection, but designating a monument that  including state land  encompasses almost 1.5 million acres where multiple-use management is hindered or prohibited is not the best use of the land and is not in accordance with the intention of the Antiquities Act.

The Antiquities Act allows for monument designations by presidents but also says that the monuments should contain the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the sites.

Zinke said the Bears Ears site, considered sacred by Indian tribes, should be designated for conservation or recreation, categories that are less restrictive than monuments. He did not specify any pending recommendations for monuments in New Mexico or elsewhere.

Opponents of the decision said presidents can designate monuments under law but not shrink them or rescind their status. A national monument designation under the Antiquities Act of 1906 has never been rescinded.

If the administration moves forward with that plan, this decision will be challenged in court, Udall told reporters Monday, referring to Zinkes decision on Bears Ears. And if they put this plan before Congress, I will fight him every step of the way.

Rep. Steve Pearce, the only Republican in New Mexicos congressional delegation, said, We must do everything we can to preserve the natural beauty of New Mexico for our children and grandchildren. The Presidents review of monuments is just that  a review. I am not asking for the designation of our Organ Mountains, or any national monument in New Mexico, to be rescinded. I do believe, however, the Department of the Interior can do more to protect our national treasures for future generations, while also protecting local economies and the rights of local communities.
Mindy Tapia spends her days teaching second-grade students in Las Cruces Public Schools, but her nights and weekends are devoted to studying accounting, data analysis, fiscal planning and other graduate-level business classes.

Tapia, 43, and 38 other teachers and school administrators enrolled a year ago in a Master of Business Administration degree program intended to teach skills needed by public education leaders in New Mexico.

Its like learning a new language, Tapia said Monday of her business classes at New Mexico State University. This is like nothing you are going to get in a college of education.

The program, developed by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, funded by a $2 million-a-year state appropriation, provides students with a classic MBA education with a focus on the needs of public school administrators.

Called the Woodrow Wilson New Mexico MBA Fellowship, the degree program was launched in 2015 in partnership with NMSU, the University of New Mexico and the state Public Education

Department. State and university officials discussed the fellowship program Monday at UNM Anderson School of Management at an event that recognized students and graduates of the program.

We know what the research shows; we need strong, effective leaders to drive school achievement, said Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, told students and school officials. The foundation has created similar MBA educational leadership programs in Indiana and Wisconsin, and more programs are planned, he said.

We have some of the leading universities in the United States that are eager to follow in your footsteps, Levine said. I want to thank you for creating a pioneering program. It is a model we will see all over America.

The first class of 25 students was admitted in 2015 and completed their MBAs this year. An additional 39 students were enrolled last year and will complete their degrees in summer 2018. The most recent class of 46 students were admitted earlier this year.

Admission to the program is a competitive process that begins when students are nominated by their school districts. Applicants must apply for a fellowship with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation for admission into the expense-paid program.

Andrea Fletcher, assistant dean of NMSUs College of Business, said the program fills a vital need in public education for administrators who are trained as business leaders.

Leadership matters, said Fletcher, who served 18 years with the Las Cruces Public Schools before joining NMSU. An MBA is about leadership.
Three Albuquerque Police Department officers on Monday received the Bill Daniels True Blue Award for individual acts of compassion that went above and beyond the scope of their normal duties.

Receiving the award during a ceremony at the Albuquerque Police Training Academy on North Second Street were Thomas Nadas, Paul Haugh and Ladio Canales.

Detective Nadas has been with APD for four years. He was providing security at a South Valley homeless shelter as part of a chiefs overtime arrangement when the shelters electricity went out, leaving 20 hungry people missing out on a meal. Nadas went to a nearby McDonalds restaurant and bought food for the entire group.

Haugh, with APD for 10 years, was on patrol in Southeast Albuquerque when he came upon two young boys who were upset because their locked bicycles had been stolen from outside an area Walmart. Haugh, who was familiar with the two children, said he knew it would be a long summer without their bicycles. He had the boys accompany him inside the store, where he let them pick out two new bikes, which he paid for with his own money.

Canales, a 12-year APD veteran, was working graveyard shift when he encountered a woman panhandling near Coors and Quail NW. The single mother of two young children said she was hungry and trying to feed her family. Canales had the woman and her family meet him at a local restaurant, where he bought them a meal and sat with them long enough to learn their circumstances and what the woman needed to get back on her feet. He subsequently bought and delivered groceries and other necessities to the family and guided the woman about where to go to apply for social services, including Medicaid.

The True Blue Award is sponsored by the Daniels Fund, which was founded 17 years ago and has since provided $800 million in educational scholarships and grants to nonprofits in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The first True Blue Awards were presented last year in Denver. The Albuquerque officers received a plaque and a $100 gift certificate good at a number of area restaurants.

The fund was established and named for Bill Daniels, a decorated naval pilot of World War II and Korea, and a cable television pioneer.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
WASHINGTON  Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday having an undisclosed meeting with Russias ambassador to the U.S. and declared it was a detestable and appalling lie to suggest he was aware of or took part in any collusion between Russia and the election campaign that sent Donald Trump to the White House.

Testifying at a packed Senate hearing, Sessions, who was a close Trump adviser during the battle for the presidency, also rejected any idea of misconduct in the ouster of FBI Director James Comey and vowed to defend his honor against scurrilous and false allegations.

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Sessions contradicted a contention made by Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week. Comey told the intelligence committee that, after an encounter with President Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Comey implored Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again  but Sessions didnt respond.

He didnt recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy regarding appropriate contacts with the White House, Sessions said.

The former Alabama senator also defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing when he said he hadnt met with Russian officials during the campaign. Sessions argued that in the context of that hearing, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it.

The attorney general stepped aside from the Justice Department probe into Russian meddling in the campaign on March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Days after that, Sessions also corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about his two meetings with Kislyak.

Ahead of the hearing there had been suggestions that Sessions might have had a third, unreported encounter with Kislyak in April 2016, at Washingtons Mayflower Hotel, where candidate Trump was giving his first major foreign policy speech.

Sessions was adamant that he did not have a private meeting with Kislyak at that event. He did allow for the possibility that he encountered him in a reception that he said was attended by a couple dozen people, though he said he had no specific recollection of that.

Democratic senators have seized on the possibility of a third meeting to suggest that Sessions has not been forthcoming about the extent of his communications with the ambassador. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont have sought an FBI investigation.

Sessions testified Tuesday that he recused himself from the current Russia investigation only because of a regulation that required it because of his involvement in the Trump campaign.

Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong, Sessions added. That was not so, he said.

And while he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions insisted, I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon aggressively asked Sessions about suggestions arising from Comeys testimony last week that there was something problematic about his recusal.

Wyden asked Sessions what problematic issues existed.

Why dont you tell me? There are none, Sen. Wyden, there are none, Sessions insisted, his voice rising. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I dont appreciate it.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters later that Trump thought Sessions did a very good job and was especially strong on denying any collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia.

During the hearing, Sessions lent his support to the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is now in charge of the Trump campaign-Russia investigation. I have confidence in Mr. Mueller, he said.

At a separate hearing Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein declared hed seen no basis for dismissing Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel after Sessions recusal. A friend of the president suggested a day earlier that Trump was considering such an ouster.

Rosenstein said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so, and an order from the president would not necessarily qualify.

Mueller also won votes of support Tuesday from the top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both of whom said they have confidence in him.

As for Comeys firing, Sessions told senators that his recommendation had nothing to do with the Russia probe, that he and his second-in-command, Rosenstein, had a clear view  that we had problems there, and it was my best judgment that a fresh start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And when asked I said that to the president.

Sessions criticized Comeys handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which the White House had initially cited as the ostensible reason for his firing. Comeys decision to announce last year that Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a usurpation of the Justice Departments authority, Sessions said.

Asked about Trumps own contention that the president fired Comey with the Russia probe in mind, and regardless of any recommendation from anyone else, Sessions said: I guess Ill just have to let his words speak for themselves. Im not sure what was in his mind specifically.

Sessions refused to say whether he had ever discussed the Russia investigation with Trump, arguing that he could not disclose private communications with the president.

Democratic senators pressed him on the legal rationale for his refusal to discuss those private conversations, as Sessions acknowledged that Trump had not asserted executive privilege around the hearing. He asserted that I am protecting the right of the president to assert if it he chooses and there may be other privileges that may apply.

Sessions maintained that he had not been briefed on the Russia investigation between the time of his February swearing-in and his March 2 recusal.

As such, he said, I have no knowledge about this investigation, as it is ongoing today, beyond what has been publicly reported. I dont even read that carefully. And I have taken no action whatsoever with regard to any such investigation.

On another hot-button issue, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked Sessions whether Trump records his conversations in the White House. Trump has suggested there might be tapes of his encounters with Comey; Comey said last week that lordy he hopes there are.

I do not, Sessions said when asked whether he knows whether the president records his conversations.

Would any such tapes have to be preserved? I dont know, Sen. Rubio, probably so, Sessions replied.

___

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann, Sadie Gurman and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed.
LONDON  The European Union moved Tuesday to tighten its oversight of a key financial market based in London, threatening tens of thousands of jobs in Britain once the country exits the bloc.

Draft regulations published by the EU executive Commission would force any clearinghouse considered important to the EU financial system to accept direct oversight from the bloc and, if requested, relocate to inside the EU.

Clearinghouses act as intermediaries to reduce the risk of default by ensuring funds are delivered to the seller  a way of undergirding the financial system.

Even though Britain is not part of the euro, it is the home to the vast majority of clearing of euro-denominated financial contracts, which amount to almost $1 trillion every day. One report suggests that losing the market could cost the country 83,000 jobs, mostly in London, one of the worlds top finance hubs.

Experts say it may not be so simple because there are legal hurdles to requiring the businesses to relocate, and that the Commissions move is mainly an effort to gain an edge in the upcoming Brexit talks.

The Commission says the proposals are part of the EUs drive to strengthen regulation of the financial industry after risky practices fueled the global financial crisis that began in 2008. Clearing firms are systemically important, it says. So while current EU rules allow the Bank of England to regulate Britains financial markets, the countrys departure from the bloc raises the possibility of new scrutiny from EU authorities.

The continued safety and stability of our financial system remains a key priority, Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said. As we face the departure of the largest EU financial center, we need to make certain adjustments to our rules to ensure that our efforts remain on track.

While European authorities say they want euro-clearing to be handled inside the EU to ensure proper oversight, financial services firms around the continent would also benefit by prying the business away from London.

Representatives of Britains financial industry immediately cried foul, arguing the EU was playing politics with a critical part of the international financial infrastructure.

This kind of currency nationalism is likely to lead to less competition, higher costs and market fragmentation, said Miles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, an industry lobby group. These are dangers that the U.S. watchdogs and international bodies have also underlined, and they should not be ignored.

Simeon Djankov, director of the Financial Markets Group at the London School of Economics, said the commission is making the same argument it used in 2014 when it last attempted to pull euro-clearing away from London. In that case, the U.K. successfully argued that the rules should be rejected by the European Court of Justice.

If the court were to rule that euro-clearing must take place in a eurozone state following Brexit, then those rules would also apply to transactions in the U.S. New York has the second-biggest market for euro-clearing after London, with some $200 billion a day in business.

And if these rules were applied to the United States, the U.S. government could take tit-for-tat action against the EU, arguing that dollar-denominated trading cannot take place in Europe.

Normally that would not be likely, but under the current administration, it is very likely, Djankov said.

Simon Gleeson, regulatory partner at the law firm Clifford Chance, said that none of the proposed legislation would come into force until after the U.K. has left the EU.

I think what is really going on here is the EU trying to create a bargaining chip that it can employ to get a more substantial say in the way that London clearing is regulated post-Brexit, he said.
CRAIG, Colo.  One of two large wildfires burning in northwestern Colorado has grown to more than 17,000 acres (6,879 hectares) but firefighters have managed to contain 10 percent of the fire.

Wind gusts of over 70 mph (113 kph) on Monday fueled the growth of the Dead Dog Fire 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Rangely.

The Craig Daily Press reported (http://bit.ly/2rtvVL4 ) that about 50 workers at an underground coal mine were evacuated Monday night, but officials announced Tuesday evening that the mine would re-open Wednesday.

Officials also announced Tuesday that the fire was human-caused and is under investigation.

Fire lines helped keep the 1,000-acre (405-hectare) Hunter Fire near Meeker from spreading despite the strong winds. The fire, which was started by lightning, is 70 percent contained.

___

Information from: Craig Daily Press, http://www.craigdailypress.com
However, this is not the case. During Rouhanis first term in office, he presided over more than three thousand executions. He deceived world leaders and the people of his own country. He presided over numerous test-firings of ballistic missiles. He advocated cruel and inhumane punishments for petty crimes. He ordered crackdowns on dissent. He allowed the suppression of the people.

Now that he is president for another term, he is on a path of no hope when it comes to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). During the nuclear deal negotiations, Rouhani made several concessions that will not be forgiven or forgotten by the IRGC. And neither will the fact that the IRGC does not want any transparency in the economy as suggested by Rouhani.

For the people of Iran, Rouhani completely failed during the first four years in office. The people are still living in poverty and social conditions have not improved. Young people are still faced with high levels of unemployment. Getting increasingly fed up, the Iranian people are making their dissent heard more than ever, and the Iranian regime, the IRGC, Rouhani and the Supreme Leader, despite their differences and the internal disputes, have this one huge fear in common.

Rouhani, even though he is president, has very little control when it comes to foreign policy matters. This is determined by the Supreme Leader who uses the IRGC to realise his goals. Because the IRGC receive orders from the Supreme leader himself, it will never hesitate to challenge Rouhani. In fact, the IRGC has already vowed to ignore Rouhanis wishes to improve relations with the West.

So Rouhani who was up against Raisi in the elections is now up against the IRGC. And this is another situation where nether could be described as the lesser of two evils. They are both, quite simply, evil. Neither have the interests of the people in mind.
PCM, a California-based IT services provider that celebrated its first year in Rio Rancho Tuesday has hired 201 employees, well ahead of its hiring target.

PCM had anticipating creating 75 jobs in its first year and now says it will meet its 2020 hiring target with 224 jobs by the end of this year, according to a news release from Gov. Susana Martinez office. The company so far has hired 37 veterans.

PCM announced it was opening a sales center in the Hewlett-Packard building last year.

PCM has been awarded $1,665,696.67 in Job Training Incentive funds to help train new employees. The state is also providing $700,000 in Local Economic Development Act funds for infrastructure improvements to accommodate PCMs expansion.

PCM provides IT products, services and solutions to businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.
WASHINGTON  Senators sharply criticized Pentagon leaders Tuesday for not completing a new strategy for the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged that the enemy is surging right now.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., demanded that Mattis wrap up the plan now, threatening that, unless we get a strategy from you, youre going to get a strategy from us. He said he had expected the plan in the first 30 to 60 days of the new administration and snapped, we want a strategy. I dont think thats a helluva lot to ask.

Mattis, in response, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he will provide details on the new strategy for the war in mid-July.

Were putting it together now and there are going to be  there are actions being taken to make certain that we dont pay a price for the delay, he said. But we recognize the need for urgency and your criticism is fair, sir.

Mattis did not say what those steps are.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has told Congress that he could use an infusion of U.S. and allied troops to bolster support for the Afghan army.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon was considering a request for roughly 3,000 more troops, mainly for training and advising. That decision, however, has been stalled by the broader administration review of Afghan policy and a push for NATO to contribute more troops.

Mattis, when pressed again about the plan, said getting a government-wide strategy cant be done quickly, and that there are ongoing efforts to ensure NATO participation so that its not all on the backs of American taxpayers.

He added: We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible.

The Talibans resurgence has been coupled with a growing threat from Islamic State militants trying to establish a foothold in the country. The increased fight has led to a recent string of American deaths.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed and another wounded on Saturday when they were attacked by an Afghan soldiers, who was then killed. And two U.S. Army Rangers died in a April 27 raid on an IS compound in eastern Afghanistan. Officials were investigating whether they were killed by friendly fire in the opening minutes of the three-hour battle. Their deaths came just days after a U.S. Army special forces soldier was also killed in the region.

The Afghanistan war has been dragging on since October 2001, and the U.S.-led coalition ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014 but they are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.

Asked what he hoped the situation in Afghanistan would look like a year from now, Mattis said violence would be down, government corruption would be reduced and the Taliban would be rolled back, with less freedom of movement on the battlefield.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that he hoped Afghan troop casualties would be lower a year from now. And he said a key to that will be the need for the U.S. to assist the Afghans in planning operations and providing aviation support while Kabul works to increase its combat air power.

McCain, however, listed the names of the three 101st Airborne Division soldiers who were killed Saturday and said, Lets not ask these families to sacrifice any further without a strategy which we can then take and implement and help you. Im fighting as hard as I can to increase defense spending. Its hard when we have no strategy to pursue.

On separate issues, Mattis and Dunford were asked about the Mideast diplomatic rift and alleged Russian meddling in last years U.S. presidential election.

On Russia, Mattis said: This sort of misbehavior has got to face consequences, and not just by the United States but more broadly. He added that the Trump administration is working on a comprehensive cyber defense strategy, but in the meantime the U.S. has enough understanding of Russias cyber actions to defend against them.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, asked Dunford whether the diplomatic rift between Qatar and several of its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, is impeding U.S. military operations, given that the U.S. uses Qatars al-Udeid air base as a critical air operations center for the wars.

It is not, Dunford said.
The attorney for 6th Judicial District Attorney Francesca Martinez-Estevez in southern New Mexico says the dangerous driving and ethics charges against his client are a political attack and payback for publicly talking about irregularities found in a regional drug task force evidence storage.

Martinez-Estevez, who serves Grant, Luna and Hidalgo counties, was the subject of an investigation after a traffic stop in June 2016 in which she was suspected of being drunk while driving, but was not given a sobriety test and instead released from the scene without charges.

The state Attorney Generals Office last week filed reckless driving, ethics and misuse of office charges against her, saying she misused her state vehicle for private business the day she was stopped and that she then harassed the officers investigating the incident. All the charges are misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors.

Her attorney, Jim Foy of Silver City, released a statement Tuesday saying Martinez-Estevez was targeted for publicly discussing the drug task force irregularities just months before the stop. The irregularities were reported in an audit of the Region VII Drug Task Force and Estevez said publicly the finding could jeopardize many cases she was prosecuting.

This is a shameful political attack against Ms. Estevez when it is undisputed that she cooperated with all requests of every officer and did not ask for any special treatment, Foy said in his statement.

Charges were never filed by the Silver City Police Department, Grant County Sheriffs Office or the New Mexico State Police. That sparked outcry from police agencies and from politicians in the state who asked Attorney General Hector Balderas office to investigate. The AGs Offices charging documents list Francesca Martinez-Estevez as just Francesca Estevez.
Police have identified the man found dead in a southeast Albuquerque apartment two weeks ago as 31-year-old Leon Wauneka.

Fred Duran, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said on May 31 police found Wauneka dead in an apartment on the 6000 block of Anderson SE, near Wilson Middle School.

Waunekas death is being investigated as a homicide, Duran wrote in an email.

He did not respond to questions about how Wauneka died, why detectives believe he may have been killed, or if other residents in the area are in danger.

Tips: Police ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP.
Albert Einstein himself believed it couldnt be done.

A few decades after he published his theory of general relativity, a colleague asked the famous physicist whether the concept could be used to calculate the weight of a star. Theoretically, yes, was his reply. If one star passed in front of another, the closer stars mass would distort the light of the star behind it. A savvy scientist could then figure out how much the forward star weighed by measuring the degree of that distortion.

But good luck actually trying to do this experiment. There is no hope of observing this phenomenon directly, Einstein wrote in a December 1936 issue of the journal Science. He doubted that two stars would ever line up so perfectly. And even if they did, it was beyond the capability of the eras best telescopes to bring such an event into focus.

That may have been true 80 years ago. But Einstein had no way of knowing that people would one day build a telescope so powerful it can see galaxies in the making 10 billion light-years away, or that we would launch this instrument into space. With the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers had a hope of proving Einstein right about light bending but wrong about our inability to see it.

The stars finally aligned in March 2014, when Stein 2051B, a white dwarf about 18 light-years from Earth, passed in front of a more distant background star. White dwarfs are the cooling remnants of dead stars  extremely dense spheres of matter that form when a star has run out of fuel for nuclear fusion and collapses.

As predicted by Einsteins theory, the gravity of a massive object like Stein 2051B makes the star act like a lens, bending the light that passes by it. This effect, called gravitational lensing, is minuscule. Stein 2051B appears 400 times as bright as the background star (which is 5,000 light-years from Earth), so measuring the deflected light is as difficult as detecting a firefly hovering near a lightbulb from 1,500 miles away.

But Hubble was up to the challenge. When Stein 2051B eclipsed the background star, gravitational lensing made the background star appear to move by milliarcseconds (the unit used to measure distance in space). The researchers used this tiny deflection to calculate that the mass of Stein 2051B is about 68 percent the mass of our sun  or 1.4 octillion tons (thats 14 followed by 26 zeros). Their results were published in Fridays issue of the journal Science, (81 years after Einstein wrote in the same journal that such a feat was impossible) and presented at an American Astronomical Society meeting last week.

Poetically, it was this same phenomenon  gravitational lensing  that first demonstrated the validity of general relativity almost 100 years ago. In 1919, just two years after Einstein published his theory, astronomers used the apparent movement of stars around the sun during a total solar eclipse to determine that massive bodies like the sun do warp space-time, causing light to bend. A century later, even the most outlandish-seeming aspects of Einsteins theory are still being proved right: the expansion of the universe and gravitational waves.

Aside from offering a rare opportunity to contradict Einstein, the study of Stein 2051B offered important insight into the physics of white dwarf stars. They are the fossils of the universe, astrophysicist Terry Oswalt wrote for Science, and like fossils, they offer important insight into the evolution of stellar generations past. In 1935, Nobel Prize-winning astronomer Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar predicted that the mass of a star as it died would determine whether it collapsed into a white dwarf or evolved into a different kind of stellar remnant  a neutron star or black hole.

Previously, the mass of a white dwarf could only be measured if it orbited close to another star, allowing scientists to gauge the celestial bodies gravitational influence on one another. Calculating the effects of gravitational lensing lets astronomers measure the mass of any white dwarf they can find.
&pictures - Naye India Ka Blockbuster Movie Channel partners with Eros International and Next Gen Films to bring to you Main Hoon Michael a unique, nationwide contest just ahead of the theatrical release of Eros and Viki Rajanis upcoming dance-action film, Munna Michael. One of the most influential artists of all time, Michael Jacksons career spanned over five decades of music, and he was continually at the top of showbiz world with hits like Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller. His groundbreaking music changed the music landscape and inspired countless artists across the globe.

&pictures and Eros International have collaborated to present a unique Main Hoon Michael dance bonanza to celebrate dance in all its glory. B-towns latest dancing sensation and one of MJs biggest fans, Tiger Shroff will travel to different cities across India to identify the biggest dancing fans of the legendary Michael Jackson. Tiger Shroff and the leading lady of Munna Michael, Nidhhi Agerwal will visit Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Indore between the 18th to 25th June to participate in the auditions for the biggest dance enthusiasts of the country. The actor will shortlist participants from each city who will travel to Mumbai in July for the Grand Finale which will be the biggest dance concert of the year. To participate in 'Main Hoon Michael', whatsapp your dance video on 7506706904.

The final dance extravaganza in Mumbai will have Tiger Shroff showcase his stunning dance moves along with Nidhi Aggarwal. Joining them would be the supremely talented participants of Dance Indian Dance along with the winners of Main Hoon Michael talent hunt. To ensure that the audience do not miss out on the fun, the exclusively curated mega finale and the talent hunt will soon telecast on &pictures and &picturesHD.

Speaking on the dance face-off,said When it comes to Michael Jackson, I like to call myself his biggest fan. Andis an opportunity for me to meet people who share the same passion for MJ as I do. I appreciate &pictures and Eros International for initiating this one-of-a-kind opportunity for talented dancers in India and wish all the best to the dancers for the auditions. It will be great to witness so much talent and shortlist nine lucky winners who will travel to Mumbai for the final face-off.

Produced by Eros International and Viki Rajanis Next Gen Films, directed by Sabbir Khan, Munna starring Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and debutante Nidhi Aggarwal will release on July 21.

~To particpate in 'Main Hoon Michael', whatsapp your dance video on 7506706904~

~Put on your dancing shoes and get set for Main Hoon Michael presented by &pictures and Eros International~
INDIANAPOLIS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WGU Indiana, the state's online, nonprofit university, celebrates its seventh anniversary this week, having helped more than 4,700 Hoosiers achieve their dream of completing a college degree. Another 5,000 students are currently enrolled.

"The past seven years of WGU Indiana's history prove that a college education can be affordable, convenient and accessible to Hoosier adults," said WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber.

WGU Indiana works closely with business and academic leaders to develop course offerings and degrees that address current and future workforce needs for a rapidly changing economy. According to Lumina Foundation, more than 750,000 Hoosiers have attended college, but have no degree.

"Advanced education is a key factor in meeting Indiana's pressing need for an expanded, qualified workforce," Barber said. "We're eliminating unnecessary barriers for Hoosier adults who want to further their education and we are committed to offering innovative solutions to the workforce development challenges our state faces."

For many WGU Indiana graduates, degree completion has opened up new professional opportunities. Dawn Hanson, a registered nurse from Greenfield, was among the university's first seven graduates in 2010. As a WGU Indiana student, she worked tirelessly on her coursework while she was employed at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Soon after earning her bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN), she noticed a job posting for a corporation nurse position in her local school district. A BSN was one of the stated job requirements. She applied for the position, interviewed and accepted an offer of employment.

"Had I not earned my BSN, I would not have been an eligible candidate," Hanson said. "I have just completed my fifth year at Greenfield-Central as the corporation nurse. I love my job. I love working in my own community."

WGU Indiana has responded to Indiana's focus on STEM-based education and tech sector employment growth over the past seven years by developing new degrees; from a B.S. in health information management to bachelor's and master's degrees in cybersecurity and information assurance and data analytics. The university's online software development degree was recently named the best in the nation by College Choice.

For information about WGU Indiana's degree programs and scholarships, visit indiana.wgu.edu.

About WGU Indiana

WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs in business, education, information technology and healthcare, including nursing. The non-profit university's competency-based model allows students to accelerate through coursework at their own pace. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana for its contributions to the Commission's "Reaching Higher, Achieving More" agenda for excellence in academic quality. The university was also recognized as one of Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2013. In 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) ranked WGU's secondary teacher preparation program first for quality, among 2,400 schools. According to a 2014 Gallup study, WGU graduates are more likely than graduates from other U.S. universities to have the jobs they want, feel engaged at work and have an emotional attachment to their alma mater.

Media Contact:

Lisa Abbott

Lisa.abbott@wgu.edu

317-532-7891

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/after-seven-years-wgu-indiana-touts-growth-offers-workforce-solutions-300472643.html

SOURCE WGU Indiana
LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds gathered Saturday, June 10, at the Asian Culture Center for Nevada's Immigrant Heritage Month Dedication Ceremony + Cultural Showcase to celebrate the fourth annual Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM), a nationwide effort to gather and share the inspirational stories of immigrants in America. Attendees were also encouraged to give back to the community by volunteering to help local immigrant-serving organizations.

The evening included performances by Latin musicians, the Comparsa Fiesta Morelense dance troupe of Las Vegas and Korean and Polynesian dance groups. U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada's 4th congressional district was the event's keynote speaker and spoke of his family's journey to the U.S. and his pledge to stand with immigrants.

"My family came here in pursuit of the American dream," Kihuen said. "And the simple fact that a former undocumented immigrant is serving in Congress is a testament of the greatness of this country."

"We are overwhelmed by the turnout and support that was displayed on behalf of Immigrant Heritage Month," said FileRight.com Founder and CEO Cesare Alessandrini. "So many great folks came out to help celebrate their immigrant heritage and take part in an event that celebrated cultural diversity. We were delighted to partner with IAmAnImmigrant.com and the team at FWD.us to help put together and sponsor such an incredible event. Additionally, we are excited to see support for IHM coming from more than 250 companies and nonprofit partners, including Facebook, Verizon, Snapchat, Refinery29, MTV, HBO and Airbnb."

For more information about the event and Immigrant Heritage Month, please visit fileright.com/IHM or facebook.com/fileright.

About FileRight.com

FileRight.com is an online software company dedicated to setting immigrants on the path of success by focusing on one thing: getting immigration paperwork filed right. FileRight.com's software (available in English or Spanish) guides applicants through the process step-by-step and checks for errors or problematic entries along the way. Popular application filing packages also include an immigration lawyer consultation and a review of applications prior to filing. FileRight.com offers 24/7 support and a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Learn more at www.FileRight.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/filerightcom-and-community-organizations-stand-with-immigrants-at-nevadas-immigrant-heritage-month-event-300472713.html

SOURCE FileRight.com
MIAMI, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- GBS International Inc. has made a name for itself in the travel industry, becoming a trusted name for people to depend on when they want to experience the vacations of their dreams. GBS International has become a shining company in the industry for many reasons, but one of the most prominent reasons that it stands out is its commitment to excellent customer service, which GBS International offers its members through its unique personalized concierge services. Through GBS International, jet setters can access a vacation ownership program that allows them to enjoy stunning resorts in destinations across the globe, with concierge services that make vacation planning easy and fun.

The secret behind GBS International Inc.'s excellent customer service is its highly trained customer service representatives. This skillful team of employees operates from the company's official call center office in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and the team has seen great success at this location. This success has encouraged GBS International to expand its proficient customer service team and to take an exciting new step. Now, GBS International Inc. is excited to announce that the company will be soon opening a second call center location in the Dominican Republic.

This second call center location will be opening in the city of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic and the largest city in the country. This new location will soon open with an initial crew of 20 new employees, and GBS International Inc. hopes to expand the team from there, creating new jobs in the city and expanding the valuable customer service team at GBS International.

With this expansion the company will be able to better assist its members and customers, and even further improve the exceptional experiences that GBS International members enjoy when they choose to vacation with the company. The new office and the expanded staff will make it easier for GBS International to quickly and efficiently serve its members and ensure that they are enjoying carefree travel to their favorite destinations.

With the help of GBS International Inc. and its ever expanding team of excellent customer service representatives, having the vacation of a lifetime is easier than ever. GBS International's concierge service will ensure that guests are helped with every aspect of their vacation planning, from the moment they choose a destination, until they return home. In the meantime, guests will enjoy memorable trips to worldwide accommodations and will be able to benefit from a number of membership perks including a flexible vacation ownership experience. With continuing efforts and expansions from GBS International on the horizon, members are sure to have the vacations that they have so long been dreaming of.

GBS International is excited to be starting this new chapter for the company, and looks forward to continuing to expand the business. To learn more visit www.gbsinternationalinc.com.

Media Contact: GBS International Inc, GBS International Inc, (786) 441-2146, info@gbsinternationalinc.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE GBS International Inc.
TUCSON, Ariz., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to North Korean missile tests and threats to Hawaii, state officials are looking at nuclear preparedness plans that have not been updated since 1985, according to the British newspaper Express.

The plans include "reviewing existing procedures for mass casualty and fatality management," in addition to "conducting in-service training for key staff regarding weapons effects."

A strike on Honolulu, which is now within reach of North Korean missiles, could kill around 40,000 people. Los Angeles is also within range.

Additionally, the whole U.S. could be affected by the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a high-altitude explosion of a single nuclear warhead. The electrical grid could be destroyed, crippling the entire nation and resulting in massive deaths. Replacing critical large transformers could take decades. "Congress and the Administration need to take immediate action to harden the grid against EMP," states Physicians for Civil Defense president Jane M. Orient, M.D.

U.S. nuclear preparedness is not simply outdated, she adds. "The rudimentary program we had in the 1950s is virtually gone." Radiation monitors suitable for measuring the high doses that could result from a nuclear detonation were destroyed or given away and not replaced. A few are still available on the private market, along with superior technology that the federal government has ignored. "We also lack a nation-wide fallout-monitoring net."

Much could be done at minimal cost, as demonstrated in a project that trained and equipped rural Arizona fire stations. But today, American civil defense is "self-help."

Physicians for Civil Defense distributes information to help to save lives in the event of war or other disaster.

Contact: Jane M. Orient, M.D., (520) 323-3110, janeorientmd@gmail.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hawaii-responds-to-north-korean-threat-others-must-also-states-physicians-for-civil-defense-300473143.html

SOURCE Physicians for Civil Defense
The holy month of Ramadan is mostly associated with fasting, prayer and piety but those living under the Iranian Regime mostly associate it with brutal crackdowns under the guise of religion.

So far, the Regime has arrested 590 people in Fars Province, 90 in Qazvin, and 50 in Urimia for breaking their fast or breaking cultural norms.

It is worth noting that the Regime also considers it to be a crime to eat (or pretend to eat) in public during Ramadan, even if you are on or in private property (such as your vehicle) but can be seen by others.

A brigadier from the Iranian Regimes personal terror squad, the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Taqi Mohri, said: Inside the car is not considered as a private place; therefore any attempt for breaking fasting inside the car is considered a crime, and the police will arrest and then hand them over to the judicial authorities.

The Regime has also made clear that any woman not veiled properly will also be subject to arrest, although it was strange of them to bring it up considering that this is how the Regime conducts itself all the time, not just during Ramadan.

Taghi Mehri, the head of the regimes traffic police force said: Mall-veiling and unveiling is a crime too, and against the religious norms. [members of the]police force, in the case of observing such things will transfer those people, who committed such crimes to judiciary.

It is more likely that following the sham elections, which the majority of Iranians boycotted, the Regime leaders are looking to prevent a full-scale uprising by suppressing the people and making them scared to defy the mullahs.

If anything, it proves that the Iranian Regime is scared of the people and their organised, democratic, resistance forces, who seek to provide Regime change in Iran.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, spoke against the enforcement of religion at the Interfaith Solidarity Against Extremism conference on June 3.

She said: The spirit of Islam abhors all forms of compulsion, coercion and forcible prohibition, ranging from imposing the compulsory veil to the forced observance of fasting and prayers by flogging and terror, to preventing the construction of Sunni mosques, and especially to imposing the rule of a government under the name of God and Islam.
The Company adds a fifth building in California to expand R&D capabilities

Irvine Scientific, a world leader in the development and manufacture of cell culture media, today announced the expansion of its Orange County, California offices and laboratories, with the addition of a 40,000 square foot purpose-built R&D center at 17112 Armstrong Ave, Irvine, California. The growth of the company is in response to increased customer demand for Irvine Scientifics cell culture and media reagents, and follows the significant expansion of its R&D facilities less than 5 years ago.

The new building will also contain other departments that currently reside within its southern California based headquarters enabling the Company to expand other capabilities, such as media customization for customers, conducted at its headquarters in Santa Ana. Along with the other facilities in Santa Ana, CA this increases the total space occupied by Irvine Scientific in Orange County to over 140,000 square feet.

This addition allows us to continue our expansion of R&D, which supports our longer-term strategy of maintaining a leadership position of innovation in cell culture media and reagents said Tim Mullane, Chief Operating Officer. Additional capacity will allow us to expand our space and staff dedicated to advancing cell culture technology important to our customers. Along with this growth we will continue to advance our analytical capabilities and services to our customers.

Customers producing biologicals, vaccines, and cell-based therapies often require expert assistance from the Companys scientists and experts to modify and optimize the cell culture conditions during various stages of a programs development. With the opening of the new facility, Irvine Scientific plans to expand the laboratories and staff located in its main Headquarters that are dedicated to providing these services to customers.

Tim Mullane added, While the R&D capability expands, the space dedicated to our Express Media Services within our corporate HQ location will expand. This group currently supports our biopharmaceutical and cell therapy customers and has experienced dramatic growth in the last several years.

As the Company continues to grow, it intends to continue to expand its offering products and services to biopharmaceutical, stem and immune cell therapy companies and medical devices for the IVF laboratories worldwide.

For more information please visit www.irvinesci.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006272/en/

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Lori Serles

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BOCA RATON, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Israel Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council has appointed Matthew Maschler of Boca Raton, Florida as the newest Council member. Israel Bonds underwrite securities issued by the State of Israel in the United States and ranks among Israel's most valued economic and strategic resources with a record of proven success spanning sixty-six years.

The Advisory Council was developed several years ago to focus on guiding campaigns, national events, and leadership delegation, and to provide vital contacts to the business and Jewish community to introduce new leaders and purchasers to the organization.

IBNCAC members meet quarterly and includes a group of officers with specific portfolios, the chair of each local council throughout the United States, and additional persons who each serve a 3-year term on the Council. It is a diverse group of nationally recognized leaders representing different demographics, industry sectors and geographic regions to provide a balanced viewpoint on all issues. Each member is nominated and appointed after demonstrating experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, moral leadership, and support of the Jewish community.

"It is an honor to be asked to serve on the National Campaign Advisory," said Matthew Maschler. "Sales of the Israel Bonds have helped Israel evolve as a leader in technology and other sectors, and I do not take this responsibility lightly. I am dedicated to continuing the success and support of the global Jewish community."

Matthew Maschler is a real estate investor living in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife and two children. He is passionate about the State of Israel and the Jewish people. His support of these causes brought him to the attention of Israel Bonds national leadership at a dinner hosted by Warren Buffett last fall.

To learn more about the Israel Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council please visit http://israelbonds.com/.

For more information on Matthew Maschler, please call 561-289-1000 or visit http://realestatefinder.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/matthew-maschler-appointed-to-israel-bonds-national-campaign-advisory-council-300473271.html

SOURCE Matthew H. Maschler
The Xiaomi Mi 6 had been announced back in April, and it seems like the sales have been better than expected, as a China-based analyst is predicting that Xiaomi will cross the 80-million sales mark this year. Just to be clear, the company is not expected to sell 80 million Xiaomi Mi 6 units, but 80 million smartphones in general, and the Xiaomi Mi 6 will definitely help them get there, as its in high demand at the moment, and chances are it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

This information comes from a China-based industry analyst, Sun Chungxu. He claims that H1 shipments are actually a problem for most OEMs, but Xiaomi seems to be doing great in that department. Not only is the Mi 6 doing really well, but Xiaomi apparently managed to attract interesting from really good investors. Mr. Changxu also mentions Yuri Milner, who is one of Xiaomis top investors, and Xiaomis valuation is currently over $80 million. Now, on top of really good Xiaomi Mi 6 sales, Xiaomi had already introduced some Redmi-branded devices and is expected to introduce more by the end of the year. Not only that, but the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 and the Xiaomi Mi Note 3 are all expected to arrive, and the company is expecting really good sales for all of those devices, not to mention that the Mi 5 is still selling well for them in some areas.

Having said that, its worth noting that Xiaomi sold around 58 million smartphones in 2016, at least according to predictions, as the company never confirmed that info. Needless to say, 2016 was not a great year for the company, but it seems like Xiaomi is back. For comparisons sake, Xiaomi managed to sell 61 million smartphones in 2014, while they moved around 70 million units in 2015, and thanks to that, Xiaomi was the first-placed OEM in China at the end of that year. Xiaomi is facing really tough opponents in China at the moment as Huawei, OPPO and Vivo are doing great, and have enjoyed brilliant 2016, so it remains to be seen if Xiaomi will be able to counter them this year.

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Google poached a top mobile system-on-chip (SoC) architect from Apple and intends to manufacture in-house chipsets for its future Pixel devices, industry sources said on Tuesday. The Alphabet-owned tech giant reportedly hired one Manu Gulati, Apples micro-architect thats been working for the Cupertino, California-based consumer electronics manufacturer for almost eight years, having originally joined the firm in the summer of 2009. Gulati was hired by Google in recent weeks, industry sources said, with the architects LinkedIn profile seemingly confirming as much, listing him as being employed by Google since April. Gulati is now the leading SoC Architect at the Mountain View company and will reportedly be joined by a number of other industry experts that Google is planning to hire in the near future. Apart from Gulatis update to his LinkedIn profile, none of the involved parties have commented on the matter in any official capacity as of this writing.

Gulati is personally listed as an inventor of 15 SoC patents held by Apple and is said to have played a large role in the development of the companys custom chips powering numerous iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV lineups. The fact that Apples devices rely on its own chips allows the firm to join its mobile hardware and software efforts to a degree that wouldnt be possible if it used a third-party SoC supplier like most other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Google do. The original Pixel and Pixel XL were powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 821 and their successors are said to feature the Snapdragon 835, neither of which can be used by other phone makers as efficiently as Apple uses its in-house chips. With Google being well-aware of that fact, the Mountain View, California-based tech giant is now seemingly adamant to follow in Apples footsteps and start designing its own SoCs in the future.

Even if the Alphabet-owned firm is currently ramping up its efforts to manufacture in-house mobile chips, that technology is unlikely to be commercialized next year in time for the Pixel 3-series devices, with Google still having no other option in the short term but to make the most out of Qualcomms silicon for the Pixel 2, Pixel XL 2, and its other upcoming handsets. An update on the firms hardware endeavors is expected to follow in the coming months.
Google has opened up a branch of the Google Digital Academy in central London, where Googlers with experience in a wide variety of industries will be on hand to help teach a broad range of topics pertaining to the digital world to customers. This academy does not center on the technical aspects of whats being taught, such as how to program or implement a search engine, but on how those technologies can be used in marketing, communications, logistics, and other outside ventures. Essentially, the aim is to make professionals whose jobs regularly put them into contact with technology and the web more tech-savvy and creative in their approach to the integration of modern technology with their duties.

The Academy offers master classes on topics like mobile, search, brand solutions, and even more specific things like a special Squared program that grooms industry veterans of eight to 12 years into all-around digital gurus. Google staff and industry experts in markets like communications, marketing, and creative fields teach classes that are specifically tailored to individuals or groups, and some, such as the Squared program, are even restricted to those who are invited. Classes can take many forms, from part-time programs stretching across months, to intense workshops akin to the ones featured annually at Google I/O events, where eager learners can pack in as much of the Academy staff members knowledge as possible within a short time. All of the full-time academy staff are Googlers from various backgrounds with experience in fields relevant to the academys material. Google did not say exactly who else may be on hand to teach its classes.

The Academys various programs have varying availability throughout the UK and Germany, with two central campuses that offer the full spectrum of available programs; one in Hamburg, Germany, and the new one in London. Classes are taught exclusively in person, and learners cannot just show up to an in-session class. Anybody who wants to join a class has to get in touch with a local Google sales representative to make the necessary arrangements. Google has not announced the costs of its various programs and classes, nor has it announced if or when more campuses could pop up.
HTC is gearing up for the launch of the HTC U11 in India, as the electronics company recently started sending invites for the handsets unveiling event scheduled to take place on Friday, June 16, at 11:30 AM local time. Pricing details for the Indian market have not yet been revealed, however, the smartphone launched in the United States, Canada, and the UK for the equivalent price of roughly $650 to $700, meaning that the HTC U11 in India should cost between 42,000 and 45,000 rupees.

The HTC U11 was officially announced in May and released in China later the same month. It also launched in the US market last week where the flagship phone seems to have attracted enough buyers to reach an out of stock status in just a couple of days of market availability. The handset is now officially heading towards India where it will be introduced later this week; however, whether or not the smartphone will become available for purchase on the same date remains to be seen. Its also possible that the company might offer the HTC U11 on pre-order terms for a while before actually releasing it in the following days or weeks.

As for what the HTC U11 has to offer, this is the companys first flagship to promote the new Squeeze for the Brilliant U tagline, which is supposed to reflect the pressure-sensitive technology employed by its chassis. The technology adds an extra layer of gesture control, allowing users to squeeze the edges of their smartphone in order to issue certain commands. Another characteristic specific to the HTC U11 is the inclusion of USonic active noise-cancelling earbuds that are bundled with the phone. As for its hardware internals, assuming that the HTC U11 in India will share the same characteristics with the variant launched in the US and other regions, the smartphone should make use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip (SoC) manufactured using Samsungs 10nm FinFET LPE process nodes, housing eight Kryo 280 CPU cores and the Adreno 540 graphics chip. However, unlike the HTC U11 launched in the United States, the flagship in India is expected to be released in two main variants, housing 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM or 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. More details about pricing and availability of the different variants of the HTC U11 should follow shortly.
HTC has officially released the full kernel source for its new U11 flagship, meaning that community development for the device promises to be active so long as it proves popular, since HTC will presumably keep up its tradition of offering an official bootloader unlock for its devices with the U11. The kernel source is available for the unlocked variant, as well as versions of the phone from T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone, EE, and Voda-Hutch. Only the European models had their source codes released so far, but more will presumably come as the device sees wider release worldwide. The kernel sources are available from HTCs website as ZIP files, making it easy for developers to pull them apart and modify them.

Custom ROM enthusiasts will certainly be giving the device a hard look because of this move, but releasing a full kernel source has development implications far beyond just keeping the device alive and updated beyond its shelf life, or installing LineageOS the day you buy the phone. Giving developers full access to the phones kernel source means it will be easy for them to optimize apps for the HTC U11, or even build exclusive apps for it by creating them from the ground up with the U11s hardware and software core in mind. This goes double for apps like VR experiences and machine learning solutions, and any other types of software that harnesses the full power of the device and has to integrate closely with its hardware and software in order to run at its very best.

HTC has been unlocking bootloaders of its devices and occasionally releasing kernel sources since all the way back in 2011, giving its phones some of the strongest development communities of all the major global OEMs. This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the way that Samsung and some other phone makers run things. While Samsungs devices are more popular, there exists a large community for which an unlockable bootloader and a fully open kernel source are key features, and can be a strong selling point. HTCs current standing in the global smartphone market is less than ideal, but the firm remains one of the most recognizable OEMs out there thanks to things that make its devices different from the competition, including this very policy.
Motorola is holding an event on June 27th as it seems to have begun sending out invites telling people to save the date and that they should wait for an update. While the invite doesnt mention anything specific about what the event is for, there are a few pieces of information to be grabbed from the invite. For starters, beyond the date, the time is listed as 19:00, and the wait for update likely refers to people waiting for more information on the event and perhaps what will be unveiled.

The invite also states that Motorola is back, and perhaps this is a reference to the old Motorola that customers knew and loved before the Lenovo buyout. While Lenovo will still be the owners of Motorola, it seems this might be signifying a return to Motorola branding of devices and such. The last piece of information that can be picked up is the phone being held in the persons hand that appears in the image. While its not exactly clear which phone is being pictured here, the device does have a dual rear camera, which means its not the Moto Z2 Play, and is likely the Moto Z2 or Moto Z2 Force. Its not likely that the phone is the Moto X4, as that device showed up in a leaked video back in the beginning of May, and in that video you can see the phone shown off in slides, where the dual rear cameras are present, but the LED flash is above the sensors, where the LED flash in the image below is clearly below the camera sensors. This suggests that the Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 Force are likely the device in question.

Another interesting detail is that this event is also a week after the Motorola event thats to be held in Brazil on June 21st. Though it isnt known what the June 21st event is about either, each event probably has its own agenda as it wouldnt make sense for Motorola to unveil the same set of deices for two separate events a week apart from each other. That being said, Motorola has kept things under wraps, but perhaps more information will leak out leading up to these two event dates.
An official, speaking anonymously to Al Arabiya, said that five Iranians had been arrested after they were found with incriminating equipment near the area where the blast happened. He said: After the explosion and during the investigation and inspection on Friday night, the Iraqi intelligence forces arrested five Iranians who had explosives and remote control devices at the area near the blast site, in the eastern Abbasid.

He added that the arrestees were taken away for interrogation, but the intelligence headquarters were surrounded by Iran-backed militia groups.

He said: The security forces transferred the Iranian detainees to the Karbala intelligence headquarters for interrogation. But minutes later dozens of Brigade Ali Akbar and Badr Organization militias supported by Iran surrounded the headquarters of the intelligence of Karbala.

According to the source, members of the militia groups ordered that the five Iranian people who were arrested were released immediately. However, the head of intelligence refused their demand and said that he would return the men to authorities in Baghdad, emphasising that this was not going to be negotiated.

Faced with this news, the militias then proceeded to force their way into the intelligence buildings and took the 5 men that were being held. They also forcefully took the head of the intelligence department that refused to release the detainees.

Although they released the head of intelligence in the early hours of Saturday morning, it is still unknown what has happened to the five Iranian men. For this reason, many have suspicions about Irans involvement in the bombing in the city.

Irans media was very keen to emphasise that Iranian nationals were nowhere near where the blast happened, but apart from this there has been a general media blackout with regards to the attack.

Suspicions have also been raised with regards to the timing of the bombing that look place in Tehran last week. On Wednesday, the shrine to the founder of the Islamic Republic Khomeini and also the citys parliament building came under attack. Many believe that the attacks were orchestrated by Iran so it could portray itself as a victim of terrorism.

In international news, numerous Arab powers have severed ties with Qatar which has been a big supporter of terrorism. It has sent huge sums of money to the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces  an umbrella organisation of militias.
Nokias chief technology officer, Hossein Moiin, has stated that carriers and network vendors in Europe may be a bit behind their counterparts in other markets, especially Asia and the US, but local elements Orange and Vodafone, among others, do not seem to share that sentiment. While Moiin feels that investment and development in 5G could use a boost in Europe, some local carriers are insistent that the opposite is true; other places need to slow down on their 5G rollouts, since the standard has not even been made official by the 3GPP yet.

According to Moiin, European authorities could help to move 5G investment along by essentially letting operators conduct mergers and acquisitions as they please. Even if the European Commission went through with this plan, however, a number of key players may not be willing to play along. Orange, one of the biggest carriers in Europe, specifically said that it would have no intention of participating in efforts of such a nature, should they come to be. On a similar note, the European Commission reportedly received word earlier in the year from some larger carriers essentially saying that the 5G plan it had laid out was not feasible. That plan called for major investment, and acceleration of development and rollout in a manner not unlike what the United States has done. In the US, most wireless carriers are promising to roll out 5G solutions as quickly as possible, with T-Mobile promising to get full 5G coverage across their network by the end of 2020. The American wireless scene at large, with few exceptions, is pushing for the 3GPP to complete the standard ahead of schedule to allow for earlier development and rollouts.

Nokia, for its part, has been working diligently at rolling out 5G services alongside partners worldwide, as well as 4.9G designed to serve as an incremental rollout, and provide fallback coverage so that customers who wander out of 5G coverage areas still have higher speeds and better signal than todays typical LTE networks provide. It has been testing 5G solutions in Europe that use unusual frequency bands, among other strategies. The company has even partnered up with Chinese chipmaker MediaTek, whose products are used by the majority of OEMs worldwide in at least some of their products, to help roll out 5G on a global scale faster.
Introduction

As Sonys latest offering, the Xperia XZ Premium, goes on sale officially in the U.S., we compare it against the reigning king of the premium smartphone segment this year, Samsungs all-conquering Galaxy S8, to see if the new Sony handset has what it takes to displace the popular Samsung device from the top. Can Sony finally take the fight to its Asian rival after years of trying unsuccessfully? After all, the Xperia XZ Premium is the device that won the title of the Best New Smartphone at MWC 2017 at the GSM Alliance Awards earlier this year, so it is certainly something to watch out for, but can it really convince iPhone and Galaxy users to switch allegiance? Is the Japanese consumer electronics giant offering enough bang for the buck with the $799 price-tag on its all-new handset, especially considering that flagship devices from not just Samsung, but also other tier-1 vendors like LG and HTC cost significantly lower? Theres only one way to find out.

Specifications

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

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The Xperia XZ Premium is unquestionably one of the best-looking smartphones in the market today, and thats saying something in a year when most manufacturers have stepped up their game considerably in terms of their design. The device also boasts of really some impressive hardware, on par with the very best on offer right now. It features an IPS LCD Triluminous display with 4K pixel resolution (3840 x 2160). That gives the 5.46-inch panel a massive pixel density of 807dpi, which is higher than any mainstream smartphone in the market today. Thankfully, the display is also scratch resistant, seeing as it is protected by Cornings Gorilla Glass 5.

The rest of the hardware spec-sheet of the Xperia XZ Premium is also equally impressive, including the Snapdragon 835 chip that powers the device. The chip comes with eight custom Kryo 280 cores, four of which are clocked at 2.45GHz while the other four run at a maximum frequency of 2.19GHz. An integrated Adreno 540 GPU takes care of all the graphics processing needs. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded by a microSD card of up to 256GB in capacity. Like most Sony flagships before it, the Xperia XZ Premium is also fully waterproof and dust resistant, and comes with an IP68 certification, meaning, it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes at a stretch.

In terms of optics, the Xperia XZ Premium bucks the dual rear-camera trend, and comes with a single 19-megapixel sensor with 5-axis electronic image stabilization (EIS), PDAF and laser autofocus along with the customary LED flash on the back. The camera has an f/2.0 aperture, a 25mm focal length and a 1/2.3 sensor size, with software features that include geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR and panorama. The camera can record 4K videos at 30fps and 720p videos at an astonishing 960fps, although only for very short bursts (just about 0.15 seconds). The front facing camera is a 13-megapixel sensor that can record 1080p videos at 30fps and, comes with an f/2.0 aperture, a 22mm focal length, a 1/3-inch sensor size and 1.12m pixel size.

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As is to be expected from top-end smartphones, the Xperia XZ Premium also ships with a whole host of sensors including, an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, barometer, magnetometer (e-compass) and color spectrum sensor. The device carries a non-removable 3,230mAh Li-ion battery with support for Qualcomms Quick Charge 3.0, while cellular connectivity includes support for 4G LTE, 3G HSPA and 2G GSM standards. The Xperia XZ Premium features USB Type-C connectivity, but also includes a 3.5mm audio port, something thats going the way of the dinosaurs in modern-day smartphones. In terms of software, the device comes with pre-installed Android 7.1 Nougat and will very likely receive the Android O update going forward.

While all of that sounds well and good, theres one very important point that simply needs to be noted if youre thinking of buying the device in the U.S. Sony hasnt been including fingerprint scanners in its newer devices in the country because of reasons the company is yet to explain fully, and this particular device isnt an exception either. So in spite of a rather hefty price-tag of $799, the device doesnt come with a standard biometric sensor thats become de rigueur in most smartphones around the $100 price-point and above these days. Whether that becomes an obstacle towards the Xperia XZ Premium becoming a success remains to be seen, but the Japanese giant will do well to sort out this mess as soon as possible if it truly wants to give Samsung a run for their money going forward.

Samsung Galaxy S8

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The Galaxy S8 has proven to be runaway hit globally for Samsung this year. The South Korean consumer electronics giant would have been hoping for some good news after the controversies and scandals that rocked the company in 2016, but it couldnt possibly have hoped for the overwhelming response its latest smartphone received from the media and the public alike. The device is, quite simply, one of the most stunning looking gadgets ever, but it also offers some of the very best hardware money can buy right now. Theres really very little to say about the device that hasnt already been said by somebody somewhere, and with over five million units of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus sold in just the first month after their launch, chances are, they will become two of the best-selling smartphones of all time, although not if the likes of Apple, Sony, HTC and LG can have their say.

The Galaxy S8 comes with some really impressive hardware, but the first thing that strikes you when you take a look at it is how futuristic it looks compared to all its rivals in the market today. Thats because it is completely devoid of bezels on its sides, and even the top and bottom bezels have been trimmed down to a minimum. The trademark physical Home button has been done away with and the fingerprint scanner shunted to the back, right next to the camera housing. The capacitive hardware navigation buttons have also given way to on-screen software navigation keys, much like Googles Pixel and Pixel XL. The only hardware that remain on the front are the earpiece, the front-facing camera, the notification LED and the proximity sensor, all of which lie on the ultra-thin top bezel, while the bottom bezel is devoid of any clutter whatsoever.

The Galaxy S8 features a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display that comes with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and a pixel resolution of 2960 x 1440. Samsung also makes use of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect the glass panels on the front and the back. While that remains constant for all Galaxy S8 units sold around the world, the device actually comes in two different variants in terms of what lies under its hood. While the U.S.-spec Galaxy S8 is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC from Qualcomm, the model sold in most regions around the world is powered by an Exynos 8895 SoC thats designed and developed in-house by Samsung. The Qualcomm chip is exactly the same one used by Sony in the Xperia XZ Premium, although, the CPU cores are clocked slightly lower in this device with four of them running at 2.35Ghz and four others at 2.19 GHz. As for the Exynos chip, it comes with an integrated octa-core CPU with four cores clocked at 1.7GHz and four cores at 2.3GHz. The SoC also has a Mali-G71 MP20 GPU that takes care of all the graphics processing needs.

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The Galaxy S8 packs 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and has 64GB of built-in UFS 2.1 storage that can be expanded by a microSD card. Imaging options on the Galaxy S8 include a rear-facing Dual Pixel 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, phase detection auto focus (PDAF), LED flash, auto HDR and optical image stabilization (OIS). On the front, theres an 8-megapixel auto-focus sensor with a wide-angle lens that also employs the same f/1.7 aperture. The battery on the Galaxy S8 is a 3,000mAh unit with support for Quick Charge 3.0. Like the Xperia XZ Premium, the Galaxy S8 also comes with IP68 certification, denoting its resistance to water and dust. The device measures 148.9mm in length, 68.1mm in width and 8mm in thickness, while weighing in at 155 grams.

In terms of software, the Galaxy S8 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. The device is expected to receive Android O going forward, although, going by Samsungs record, that might not happen this year. The South Korean tech giant also introduced its own AI personal assistant called Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus in a bid to take on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Bixby can not only answer simple search queries, but you can actually use it to get detailed information about architectural landmarks just by pointing the phones camera at buildings and monuments in many cities around the world. The device also comes with the Samsung Connect software that allows users to hook it up to other, connected Samsung devices.

 And The Winner Is 

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The Final Word

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is an excellent all-round smartphone with a build quality thats second to none. It packs the latest hardware, offers comprehensive protection from the elements and, comes with a striking, yet elegant design thats unmistakably Sony. On paper, its got pretty much everything youd want from a modern-day smartphone, so this should really be an interesting tussle between these two, at least in theory. However, in reality, it was difficult to ignore a couple of key issues while deciding the winner in this contest. First and foremost, theres the curious case of the missing fingerprint scanner that admittedly, is an annoyance only for U.S. residents, but it still doesnt auger well for Sony when its claiming to be the very best. Especially so in a critical market like the U.S. where other brands are including the fingerprint scanner in their handsets.

Secondly, theres the question of price. At $799 unlocked, the Xperia XZ Premium takes its name way too seriously for its own good, and with a price thats higher than pretty much everything else in the market today, the device would be a hard sell, with or without its full complement of biometric sensors. Make no mistake, the Xperia XZ premium is an extremely good smartphone in its own right and will certainly provide a good ownership experience. However, several other devices from tier-1 brands currently offer similar features at lower price-tags, which makes it somewhat difficult to recommend it right now. A $200 price correction and a reintroduced fingerprint scanner will go a long way towards the Sony Xperia XZ Premium becoming a recommended buy, but right now, all things considered, there are better options available in the market.
A new report claims Samsung is preparing to release the Galaxy Note FE next month with the Bixby virtual assistant on board. Its been known for some time now that Samsung has been preparing a relaunch of the Galaxy Note 7 under a different name in order to reuse some of the old devices that were recalled. Original rumors pointed towards a launch towards the end of this month but, according to todays report, the company has pushed the release back to July 7th in order to offer a higher number of units.

The report claims that Samsungs initial offering was going to be 300,000 units, but has now decided to increase this by 150,000, therefore taking the total set to be on offer up to 450,000 which are said to be shipped to three carriers in South Korea. Now, other than the name and the size of the battery, the rest of the internals of the new Galaxy Note FE are set to be identical to the original Galaxy Note7. The report does claim, though, that Samsung is set to bring the device in line with the newer Galaxy S8 line. Its set to do this by releasing the device with the Bixby virtual assistant on board, due to the fact that the exterior of the device is that of the Galaxy Note 7s, though, this model will not offer a dedicated Bixby button, which may even please a few customers due to the fact that many dislike the dedicated button on the Galaxy S8 line. Now, considering the model is a refurbished device, Samsung will be offering the phablet at a cheaper price than the original, with this report claiming it will be somewhere between $650 and $670, compared to the originals $875 at launch. Considering the relatively high price for the model, as well as the negative views surrounding the original model, its likely that demand for the model wont be too high, but considering the Galaxy Note 7 was considered to be one of the best devices on the market at the time of release, its likely the company will have no problem shifting the 450,000 units that its set to make.

For the time being, Samsung has still not made a statement regarding the model, but considering the reported launch is less than a month away, it wouldnt be surprising to see an announcement within the next couple of weeks. In case anybody outside of South Korea is interested in the Galaxy Note FE, unfortunately, it appears that Samsung has no plans to launch the device elsewhere, with the existence of the model simply being a way of reducing the amount of waste produced as well as the losses incurred because of the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S8 Active made a visit to Geekbench, with its latest listing seemingly confirming a number of details about the device. Its been rumored for some time now that Samsung has been preparing a Galaxy S8 Active for an exclusive release on AT&T. The South Koreans Active line goes all the way back to 2013 with the Galaxy S4 Active and, since then, an annual model to match its flagship device has been announced as an exclusive on AT&T and this year appears to be no difference.

Looking at todays Geekbench numbers, it appears that the Galaxy S8 Active will be no different to the regular Galaxy S8 as it will sport the Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM, in addition to running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Regarding the rest of the specs, the majority are expected to remain largely the same, meaning 64GB of internal storage, a rear 12-megapixel camera along and an 8-megapixel selfie sensor. The model will also feature large 5.8-inch Infinity Display with a 1440 x 2960 resolution, just like the regular Galaxy S8, though its not identical. Due to the model being a more rugged device overall, Samsung has opted to remove the curved edges in favor of a completely flat screen, which should improve the smartphones resistance to mechanical damage. As is usual with Samsungs Galaxy Active models, the device will feature water and dust resistance, just like the original model. Finally, the battery present inside the device has been increased to 4,000mAh and is significantly bigger than the 3,000mAh one powering the regular Galaxy S8.

Its currently unknown when exactly the Galaxy S8 Active will be announced, though AT&T is expected to unveil it later this month, with the device expected to go on sale in July. Last years Galaxy S7 Active and 2015s Galaxy S6 Active saw their announcements take place in June, so its likely Samsung and AT&T will stick with this release schedule. While the South Korean original equipment manufacturer (OEM) never talked about specific sales of the Galaxy Active lineup, these models are likely relatively popular given how a new model is introduced on a yearly basis.
Verizon announced today that its acquisition of Yahoo has finally completed. This comes after Verizon announced that it was buying Yahoo in July 2016. The company then attempted to go back and lower its price, or even get out of the deal, due to the various security hacks that Yahoo had made public. But now, Verizon is the proud owner of about 50 brands, thanks to Yahoo. Verizon is combining Yahoo and AOL into a new company called OATH, which will house many different publications and brands, including Yahoo Sports, The Huffington Post, Engadget, TechCrunch, Tumblr, Flickr and more. Combined, these brands and publications engage with over a billion people around the world.

Yahoos CEO, Marissa Mayer has also decided to resign from her role at Yahoo following the acquisition. This is likely due to the number of hacks that were made public after Verizon announced the acquisition last year. In Verizons press release, the company announced that Mayer had chosen to resign and that it wishes her well in her future endeavors. Theres no word on where Mayer may appear next, but itll likely be another tech company, after all, she has been an executive at many of the bigger names in Silicon Valley, including Google, and HP.

Verizon bought AOL and then Yahoo so it could use the ad services from both companies for its Go90 service. Verizon offers up Go90 for free, but its ad-supported. And Verizon also wants to compete with Google, who is still king in the ad space. Surprisingly, AOL and Yahoo were Googles only true competitors, as they did hold a decent market share, although pretty small comparatively. Of course, the amount of content that both companies have under their umbrella is definitely good for Verizon, especially with Go90 and their future streaming TV service, which the company has said that it wants to use exclusive content to differentiate its service from other services on the market. And since it is already a pretty competitive market  with Sling TV, PlayStation VUE, and YouTube TV  thats a pretty good idea. Although many would love to get a true cable TV package without a cable box.
Waymo has made a post on Medium officially announcing the retirement of its cute, podlike self-driving Firefly prototype cars. The point of the vehicles was never mass production, according to the post; rather, the Firefly units were meant to help Waymo to get over many of the more subtle humps of self-driving development right from the start by having them design self-driving hardware from the ground up. According to the post, Waymo will be applying what its learned from building the Firefly units in working with Chrysler to mass produce self-driving Pacifica minivans, building on a partnership that was minted last year.

The design started out as a simple piece of paper art, as seen in this articles featured image. It evolved over time to accommodate the changing technology that eventually became Waymos current implementation, and formed into the Smartcar-esque pod seen today. That pod may now be in the process of being supplanted by the Pacifica units, but it did manage to deliver Waymos first iconic ride on public roads, granted to Steve Mahan, an unassuming non-Googler who just happened to be legally blind. The ride took place in October of 2015, and its second anniversary will see a Firefly unit heading to Austin, Texas, where the ride took place, to be displayed at The Thinkery. The Arizona Science Center in Phoenix will be visited by a Firefly in August. A few units will take up permanent residence at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, and the Design Museum in London.

The Pacifica units that will be taking up the Fireflys mantle will have a few perks besides being mass-produced and potentially being the first commercial self-driving vehicles. They will also have Waymos latest tech on board, integrated top to bottom, and will be able to reach full highway speeds, compared to the 25 mile per hour limit imposed on the Firefly units. The interior will also be outfitted with most of the same accouterments and comforts that the stock Pacifica has. The plan is to build 600 of them in an initial run, and use them for a public early rider program, an open beta of sorts that those interested can apply to through the source link, so long as they happen to be in the Phoenix area. Specifically, Waymo is looking for riders in Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, and Gilbert for now.
As the UK braces for Brexit, a London-headquartered international firm has announced plans to open an office in Dublin and has scored three partners from other firms to lead the new outpost. Pinsent Masons will establish an office in Dublin, which will initially focus on the financial services and technology sectors. The outpost will be fourth international office the firm opens in less than 18 months.The firm said that it has already identified a 50-strong batch from its top 250 clients who have business in Ireland as the initial clients of the new office. The new office will bring the firms headcount in Ireland to 12 partners and more than fifty lawyers.The firm has appointed partners Gayle Bowen, Andreas Carney, and Dennis Agnew to establish the office. Bowen specialises in investment funds with a particular focus on cross-border mergers. He joins from Walkers and heads the legal and regulatory committee of Irish Funds.Carney, who joins the firm from Matheson, specialises in outsourcing, data protection, and IT. A fluent German speaker, he has particular expertise in IT infrastructure projects.Agney, who is a corporate law expert, joins the firm from Byrne Wallace, where he established the firms New York office. He is recognised in the industry for his work advising domestic and international clients on inward investment matters.We have operated in Ireland for some time on a range of matters and Dublin has long been in our thinking as a key global hub for the financial services and technology industries. That status has only become even more significant in the context of Brexit, said Richard Foley, Pinsent Masons senior partner. The feedback we've had from our clients as we developed our Ireland strategy was that they would welcome a disruptor coming into the market.The news comes after Pinsent Masons recently acquired Brook Graham , a diversity and inclusion consulting company, expanding the firms efforts beyond the traditional business of law. In April, the firm also announced the launch of its office in Madrid.
The four-ringed brand has decided to place several models in selected parts of the upcomingMarvel blockbuster. Audis new A8 will be shown in the long-wheelbase version, referred to as the A8 L, and it will be driven in the film by Happy Hogan, played by Jon Favreau.Peter Parker, the main character of the franchise, will be played by Tom Holland, and he will be chauffeured in the A8 L at a point in the movie.Spectators will get to see the front and side of the flagship from Ingolstadt, but a different scene will also show the car driving with the Audi AI traffic jam pilot.Peter Parker will also drive an Audi in the film, in the form of the TTS Roadster, but its big brother, the R8 V10 Spyder, will also be shown as the car driven by Tony Stark. The latters role will be played by Robert Downey Jr., who will be the mentor of the young superhero.Los Angeles was selected as the city to host the premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is scheduled to be first played in a theater on June 28, 2017.The director of the movie is Jon Watts, while the screenplay is made by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers.Audi has already explained that the new A8 will be publicly revealed during the Audi Forum Event, which will be organized in Barcelona (Spain) on July 11.The latest flick from the Spider-Man franchise will be in theaters across the world. The new flagship from the four-ringed brand will be available in dealerships soon after its world premiere, and the first deliveries should take place before the end of this year.
SUV

NVH

FWD

AWD

The 2018 B-segment model will be placed in the same segment as the Nissan Juke, Toyota CH-R, Ford EcoSport, and Honda HR-V, among others.Hyundais latest product comes with new technologies for the South Korean brand, which include a revamped infotainment unit, along with a new head-up display.The companys home market will be the first to get the Kona , followed by the USA, and it will then reach Europe. Except for Portuga l, all markets will use the Kona name, while the country will get a different name because of its meaning in Portuguese slang.Just like other recent models from the brand, Kona is meant to take the company as close as possible to its goal of becoming Europes number one Asian automotive brand, which is an ambitious objective.Named after a coastal region in Hawaii, the newfrom Hyundai will share its platform with the Kia Stonic. While it is a global model, it will receive minor adjustments for each market, which range from suspension settings, engine options, and other changes in feel and handling.These modifications are routine, and they happen to most cars sold in a global form, even though they may not be observed at a glance. Some markets will get a 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, while others get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter Atkinson motor.A 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct injected unit seems to be universal, and selected markets will also get a diesel of the same displacement.You may have already observed that the new B-segment crossover from South Korea comes with an unusual design, which blends the trapezoidal grille of the company with thin and sharp headlights that look like they come from Citroen.Just like the Juke, the front of the car has three sets of lighting elements. The fog lights are located in the lowest position on the bumper, as it is normal, the DRLs are at the highest position, the dipped beam and high beam sits in the middle.The side does not bring any surprises, and it can be easily mixed digitally with almost any model from this class without anyone noticing. The rear looks like it belongs on a car from this brand, as its lighting signature is visible and stands out of the off-road inspired ornaments.Hyundai claims it will have best-in-class tire trace for enhanced comfort and reduced. The front suspension is a McPherson strut configuration, while the rear depends on the drive system that is chosen.models will get a torsion beam, whileKonas get a dual-arm multi-link setup. Three driving modes are available, and Hyundai has fitted this product with its latest driver assistance technologies.Customers will benefit from an infotainment unit that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the diagonal of the display ranges from five to eight inches, depending on markets and optional equipment. Some countries will get 4G telematics, DAB digital radio, rear view camera display, smartphone wireless charging (a segment first), and much more.
EV

kWh

The first electric vehicle built by Hyundai was the Soul, which, as the name suggests, was based on the hard-to-classify model that was controversial enough with the added alternative powertrain. It had a decent range at the time compared to offerings from other traditional carmakers, but ultimately it fell short of the market's needs.The second and more recent one is the Ioniq EV, a $29,500 base price d sedan that made its name by becoming the most efficient electric vehicle sold in the US. Sadly, while that might make the headlines, it's no substitute for the lousy 124-mile maximum range obtained thanks to a 28battery pack.But just as the Ioniq EV was announced, a Hyundai official said that "124 is not enough, and we have a plan to extend that to more than 200 by 2018." Well, it seems like the Koreans are on schedule as rumors claim that the recently introduced Kona crossover will spawn an electric version with a range of over 200 miles.242 to be exact (according to AutoGuide ), which would be enough to place it above the Chevrolet Bolt, the current leader in the reasonably-priced EV sector. The all-electric Kona should enter production sometime next year, and given its attractive design and Hyundai's great leaps in build quality over the past decade, there's no reason why it shouldn't be a hit.Those who prefer a more liquid fuel for their zero emissions vehicles should get the option for a fuel cell model as well, even though there isn't any official confirmation yet.If the rumors turn out to be true, it would mean Hyundai was true to its word and delivered the promised range in the specified timeframe. In today's times, that's a very rare feat.
SUV

The prototypes being driven over in Denmark feature the uber-heavy camouflage we've seen in the previous spy material, but there's one cladding detail that caught our eye.Zoom in on the quarter panel on the right side of the XC40 and you'll notice a fuel filler port, while the fender on the left side of the vehicle might just accomodate a charging port.Whether this is just a camo trick or an actual clue towards the gas-electric powertrain of the crossover, we can be almost certain that the XC40 lineup will involve a plug-in hybrid version ( Volvo enjoys calling such gas-electric setup "Twin Engine"), while all-electric versions are also rumored.Nevertheless, the XC40 will be launched with an engine lineup consisting of a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo and a four-cylinder diesel.The fresh CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform developed by the Swedish automaker has been designed to accommodate green motoring solutions.With the compactmarket being on the rise, the Swedes are making sustained efforts to fight the German premium rivals, while brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Infiniti and Lexus are also among the competitors.When it comes to the cabin of the small SUV, we're expecting this to replicate the atmosphere we found on the XC90 , since the flagship SUV of the company has proven to be a hit. Speaking of which, we added a previous series of spyshots to the image gallery, with this involving interior shots of the high-riding model.Once the 2019 Volvo XC40 makes its debut, the automaker will use the said platform to introduce a new V40 hatchback, while an S40 sedan could also be a possibility.
Boeing plans to start flight tests next year of an artificial-intelligence system that would be capable of flying a commercial jet, Mike Sinnett, vice president of product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said at a recent press briefing. Sinnett said his team will fly a simulator later this year with the AI system making some of the piloting decisions, and they will test-fly it next year on a real airplane. Theres going to be a transition from the requirement to have a skilled aviator operate the airplane to having a system that operates the vehicle autonomously, if we can do that with the same level of safety, Sinnett said, according to the Seattle Times. Thats a really big if, he added.

The standards that airplanes must meet are much higher than for cars, where fatality rates are high. Autonomous cars can easily improve on the accident rate compared to human drivers. Yet U.S. airlines have not had a fatal accident since 2009. That means the accident rate of autonomous airplanes will need to be as good as zero, Sinnett said. Sinnett said Boeings interest in autonomous flight is driven by a concern that the supply of qualified pilots may not be adequate to meet the needs of airlines. In the next two decades, Boeing forecasts sales of about 40,000 new commercial jets. Where will the experienced pilots come from? Sinnett asked. Sinnett plans to talk more about the autonomy project next week at the Paris Air Show, according to the Times.
Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein told senators Tuesday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has "full independence" to investigate the ongoing Russia probe, although he can be fired at any time.

Rosenstein said there was "no basis" for firing Mueller, and he would only dismiss him if there was "good cause"  even if Trump ordered him to do so. Rosenstein later confirmed he is the only person who could fire Mueller, but noted there was "no secret plan" to remove him, or at least, "no secret plan that involves me."

The quote: "I appointed him. I stand by that decision... I am going to defend the integrity of that investigation."

Live updates from the hearing:
13 June 2017 14:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Dreams of the Armenian government of a bright future of the national economy are continuously fading out, as the real facts and statistics show the true economic situation.

Armenian media outlets, economists and experts, who can soberly assess the seriousness of the situation, have long ago stated that the future of Armenia is at high risk. Judging by the state debt of Armenia, which is steadily increasing, it is clear that the economic program presented by the government is crumbling, and there is no reason to hope that the situation will change for the better.

The latest data by the National Statistical Service of Armenia show that the state debt of Armenia, by late May 2017, amounts to $6.095 billion. A month earlier, this figure was 6.039 billion, that is, the debt has increased by 56.3 million in just a month.

Economists keep warning that the default is not far off, but the government continues to deceive the population by telling fairy tales about Karabakh and about how well Armenians will live in near future.

Because of it aggression policy and the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia has no economic relations and transport links with Azerbaijan and Turkey. There are also difficulties in relations with Georgia that separates Armenia from its main economic partner  Russia.

The withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani lands would be a real step towards a peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the improvement of Armenias economic situation. However, the longer Armenian government refuses to do so, the more Armenian society will split, while the socio-economic stagnation, and a sharp decline in living standards of the country will continue.

Famous Russian expert Dmitry Verkhoturov has commented on the current economic situation in Armenia in his recent interview with Day.az.

It was predetermined that Armenia would start 2017 with many unresolved problems, because the Armenian economy was just one step away from recession in recent years, and it was clear that a significant slowdown in the economy would be inevitable, Verkhoturov said.

The expert stressed that the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and consequently the isolation of the Armenian economy from numerous regional projects, are the core of economic problems of the country.

Short-sighted policy of the ruling elites of the Armenian leadership has brought the country to the red line, to poverty and inevitable default. I believe that economic stagnation is likely to continue, as well as the outflow of population from the country, Verkhoturov said.

Thus, the Armenian economy will continue to move into a hopeless abyss as long as the Armenian government pursues its desperate policy in the country and refuses to free the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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13 June 2017 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The European Union will help Azerbaijan to strengthen the accreditation system in the country, said Sabig Abdullayev.



The head of the Accreditation Center at the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent of Azerbaijan told Trend that the EU-funded twinning project called "Strengthening the accreditation system in Azerbaijan" has been launched this month.

"The German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) will carry out the project," Abdullayev said, noting that the project aims to contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani economy and expand access of local exporters to the world markets by creating an accreditation system that meets the European requirements.

Accreditation plays an important role in increasing competitiveness of the Azerbaijani national economy, as well as in promoting exports, he said.

Abdullayev emphasized that currently Azerbaijan Accreditation Center has a number of tasks within the framework of the project.

"The main task is to analyze the legislative framework, which governs the activities of the Center, and bring it in line with the requirements of international organizations, or create a new draft law," said Abdullayev. "In addition, it is necessary to improve the knowledge of the Centers staff, as well as external evaluators and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Center."

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to improve management in the areas of metrology, accreditation and protection of patent rights on February 11, 2017.

Under the decree, Azerbaijan Accreditation Center was established, aiming to ensure compliance with the principles and rules of accreditation, accredit structures for conformity assessment (confirmation), and carry out representation in international structures in this field.

The Center will become an associate member of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) soon, and an appropriate decision will be made during the next meeting of the EA General Assembly, which will be held in Berlin in November.

The Center further plans to become a full member of EA, which is an association of national accreditation bodies in Europe that are officially recognized by their national Governments to assess and verifyagainst international standardsorganizations that carry out evaluation services such as certification, verification, inspection, testing and calibration.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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13 June 2017 17:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is interested in financing the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, said Ihsan Ugur Delikanli.

The BSTDB President made the remarks at an event dedicated to presentation of the banks opportunities for business and banking sector of Azerbaijan on June 13.

I hope that the Azerbaijani government and other partners will consider our participation in the SGC project and a positive decision will be made, said Delikanli.

The SGC, worth about $40 billion, envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian Sea region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

Delikanli further stressed that the BSTDB is interested in funding projects in Azerbaijan in manats.

Such funding can be implemented through the issuance of manat bonds by the bank, according to Delikanli.

We are already carrying out similar work in three countries. We are currently working on this issue jointly with Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Body. The bond issuance volume will depend on the demand. I think we will proceed straight to the issuance right after completing the preparatory work, he said.

He also noted that BSTDB offers medium- and short-term project funding, corporate loans, participation in companies capital and various guarantees.

Our main proposals are aimed at supporting the development of non-oil sector of Azerbaijan. In addition, we intend to support small and medium enterprises in the country through cooperation with local banks. It is a priority for us, Delikanli said.

In turn, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov noted that the BSTDB since the start of its operation has allocated loans worth 360 million to Azerbaijans private sector

Azerbaijan's share in the bank's loan portfolio is 8.3 percent, according to Sharifov.

Azerbaijan also participates in the bank's share capital, where the share of our participation is 5 percent. We are the seventh largest shareholder of the bank, he noted.

The minister went on to say that in total, the BSTDB has allocated loans worth $4.3 billion for projects in the countries of presence since the start of its activities.

Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov, for his part, stated that Azerbaijan demonstrates resilience to external shocks and adverse processes thanks to the implemented reforms.

Diversification of the economy and development of the non-oil sector and entrepreneurship are among the basic constituents of the economic policy, pursued under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. In this context, it is very important to cooperate with international financial organizations, he said.

Mammadov reminded that Azerbaijan has recently adopted strategic decisions aimed at improving the business environment in the country.

The BSTDB is a multilateral development bank serving 11 countries (Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia) that are members of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

It supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing trade and project financing, guarantees, and equity for development projects. The Bank supports both public and private enterprises in its member countries and does not attach political conditionality to its financing.

The BSTDB commenced its operational activities in June 1999.

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13 June 2017 12:43 (UTC+04:00)

Azercell Telecom LLC has provided its next support to NETTY 2017. Thus, the company acted as the chief partner of the 13th NETTY Award, Azerbaijans first professional award in the field of information technologies, which was established to promote the national segment of the World Wide Web and the IT market as a whole.

The award ceremony was attended by representatives of major IT companies in the country, NETTY award nominees, media representatives and numerous guests. The winners of NETTY Academy comprising of the representatives of IT field in the country were selected among 117 projects and resources.

The contest announced the best sites in Azerbaijan in the following nominations: "Azerbaijan", "The state website", "Education and science", "Art and culture", "Society", "Information and news", "Service website", "Corporate website", "The best website in the field of e-commerce", "Sports", "Personal website", "Virtual Jurys choice", and awarded presents under honorary nominations ("Program of the Year", "Enrichment of development of national information technologies" and "IT Event of the Year").

Green Baku project, the resident of Barama Center of Azercell Telecom LLC, was one of the winners of National Internet Award NETTY 2017. Thus, www.greenbaku.az site presented by Green Baku, a start-up offering green office materials, was the best project in the nomination Society.

The nomination "IT Manager of the Year" was included in this years contest in order to identify the best managers of IT departments in the country. The list of the winners of Azerbaijan National Internet Award NETTY 2017 includes http://prospectacademy.az/ in the nomination "Education and science", http://sputnik.az/ in the nomination "Information and news", http://www.ferdiders.az/ in the nomination "Virtual Jury's Choice", and Baku Airport in the nomination "Mobile Device Program of the Year". The project "Public Internet" launched by Baktelekom at the initiative of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies was announced a winner in the nomination "IT Event of the Year". Information Manager of ADA University Rahid Alekberli received an honorary award in the nomination "Enrichment of development of national information technologies".

Azercell constantly supports Azerbaijani youth in improvement of their knowledge in the field of IT and ICT, as well as the projects which help them become world-recognized professionals. The company also contributes to all endeavors aimed for the development of content in Azerbaijani language.

For more information, please contact [email protected]



The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan.

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13 June 2017 14:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The situation with approval of voluntary restructuring plan of foreign obligations of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) by foreign creditors will be clarified by mid-July, Azerbaijans Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said on June 13.

We have already informed the public about the negotiation process. The situation should clear up by the middle of next month," the minister said.

Among the major foreign creditors of the IBA are the American company Cargill, Citibank, Rubrika Finance Company Limited, Credit Suisse AG. The total debt to foreign creditors amounts to $3.3 billion.

The bank appealed to the New York court for support in the process of their restructuring. Foreign creditors will not be able to make claims against IBA assets in the process of voluntary restructuring of the bank's foreign obligations, according to the court decision adopted on May 12, 2017.

The London court also took a positive decision on the IBA to prevent lawsuits in the UK from foreign creditors regarding the bank's assets.

The restructuring plan contemplates a restructuring process to be effected through an exchange of IBAs senior and junior foreign currency obligations for direct sovereign obligations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Pending the implementation of the planned restructuring process, and to ensure equal treatment of all affected creditors, IBA has suspended payments of principal and interest with respect to all obligations to be included in the operation (other than interest under trade finance facilities).

In July 2015, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the measures for rehabilitation related to the preparations for privatizing the state-owned shares of the IBA.

IBA has been operating since 1992 and is one of the country's two state banks.

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13 June 2017 16:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) under the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan started receiving investment projects on priority development areas of Goygol region.

Following the business forum in Goygol, the NFES has started accepting entrepreneurs' proposals for financing investment projects on creation of livestock, vine and beekeeping farms, milk and fruit processing enterprises and a hotel.

Some 150 million manats ($88 million) will be issued for granting preferential loans to entrepreneurs in 2017.

The Fund was created in 1992 and grants loans to entrepreneurs through authorized banks and non-bank lenders, the total number of which is 59.

The main goal of the Fund is to provide preferential loans from the state budget for small and medium business, in order to develop entrepreneurship in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Allocation of funds by NFES is aimed at the mitigating of the impact of global economic crisis to the national economy and minimization of its dependence on the oil sector. The country takes steps in its bid to diversify the national economy and provide for the development of entrepreneurship in the country.

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13 June 2017 17:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

An exhibition entitled "Glorious samples of Azerbaijani folk art" will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 14.

The event to be co-organized by the Azerbaijani embassy in Bulgaria is timed to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Report.az reported.

During the exhibition, rich and colorful samples of Azerbaijans traditional handicrafts, such as carpet weaving, jewelry, embroidery, textiles, ceramics and copper will be presented to art lovers.

The exhibition will showcase the models of leading carpet weaving centers in Azerbaijan - Guba, Shirvan, Karabakh, various utensils made of copper from the 19th - early 20th centuries from a private collection, as well as a variety of silk scarves - "kyalagai".

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria have developed friendly relations after Bulgaria recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in January 1992. The embassy of Bulgaria in Azerbaijan was opened in December 1999.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria over the past five years amounted to about $1 billion.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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13 June 2017 13:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Materials of the criminal case initiated against blogger Alexander Lapshin, who is under arrest in Azerbaijan, were sent to court, a source in Azerbaijans law enforcement agencies told Trend on June 13.

The materials were submitted to judge of the Baku Court on Grave Crimes Alovsat Abbasov for consideration.

The time of the preparatory trial will be known in the coming days.

Lapshin illegally visited Azerbaijan`s Armenia-occupied lands and now is charged under the articles 281.2 (appeals directed against state) and 318.2 (illegal border crossing) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. He violated Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012.

Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin paid a number of visits to Azerbaijan`s occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016.

The blogger was arrested in Minsk in late 2016 and transferred to Baku in February 2017.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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13 June 2017 17:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has called on foreign states to take measures to prevent the participation of their citizens in an event planned to be held in the countrys occupied territories.

Foreign Ministrys Spokesperson Hikmat Hajiyev said that Armenia plans to hold an event on September 14-17 with the participation of experts in the occupied Azerbaijani territories allegedly to discuss the problems and prospects of recognizing the illegal regime created on the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

Usually, Armenian citizens and representatives of Armenian origin from other countries take part in such events, Hajiyev noted.

He went on to add that the real goal of the Armenian side is political provocation, propaganda of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and the use of the invited persons as a tool for political propaganda.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry urged foreign nationals invited to the event not to succumb to such a lie, not to become a tool for Armenian propaganda and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan,.

Hajiyev reminded that illegal visiting of the occupied Azerbaijani lands entails legal responsibility.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's "black list".

Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of illegality of visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.

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.

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13 June 2017 16:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The State Housing Construction Agency (MIDA) under the President of Azerbaijan plans to attract investors, who have the potential to build three dwelling-houses in the territory of the housing complex in the Yasamal district of Baku.

The Competition Commission reported that selection will be conducted on a competitive basis.

The cost of participation in the contest is 300 manats ($176.2), which can be paid by 5:00 p.m, June 17. Proposals from potential investors will be accepted until 5:00 p.m on June 29, reads the report published in the official press on June 13.

For the construction of this residential complex, a land plot of 11.6 hectares was allocated last year. The complex is planned to be completed in mid-2018.

The town will consist of 29 multi-apartment residential buildings: 17 of them will be two-block and nine-storey and 12 - one-block and 12-storey. Some 301 of 1854 apartments in these buildings will be one-room, 1110 - two-room, 443 - three-room. The area of one-room apartments will be from 31 to 33 m2, two-room apartments - from 50 to 58 m2, three-room apartments - about 70 m2.

The MIDA has already started registration of persons wishing to purchase subsidized housing from. The monthly payment for the purchase of a three-room apartment in a mortgage will not exceed 300 manats ($176.2) and for a one-room apartment it will amount to 130-150 manats ($76.4-$88.1).

The second project on construction of social houses will also be implemented in the capital city. Within the second project, houses are planned to be constructed in Surakhani district, near Hovsan settlement and cover an area of some 20 hectares.

The State Agency for Housing Construction under the President of Azerbaijan was established on April 11, 2016 by the decree of President Ilham Aliyev.

The main essence of preferential terms is that the cost of apartments will be lower than the average market value. In addition, citizens will be able to monthly pay the cost of the apartment through a soft mortgage loan of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund for a period of 3 to 30 years. The apartments will be completely renovated and equipped with kitchen furniture.

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13 June 2017 12:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser met with Azerbaijani top-officials within the framework of his visit to Baku.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Artur Rasizade on June 12, the sides noted that cooperation on joint projects in non-oil, agricultural, transport, IT, trade, tourism and humanitarian spheres, as well as collaboration within the EU is in the best interests of the two countries.

Rasizade said that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to mutually fruitful cooperation with Estonia, Azertac reported.

The two countries have political will and necessary legal base for strengthening friendship and expanding economic and cultural relations, he said.

During discussion of international and regional problems, Rasizade also touched upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He spoke about the efforts of the republic's leadership to resolve the conflict, as well as the double standards shown by some countries in this matter. He once again reminded that the solution of the issue is possible only within the framework of legal norms, based on the principles of territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of Azerbaijan.

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.

Earlier on this day, Estonian FM held a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, where the sides said the two countries enjoy great potential to deepen relations.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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13 June 2017 12:37 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria Sotir Tsatsarov in Baku on June 13, Azertac reported.

Sotir Tsatsarov extended Bulgarian President Rumen Radev`s greetings to the head of state.

The Bulgarian Prosecutor General commended the Azerbaijani people for their work under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Sotir Tsatsarov said he was deeply impressed with the ongoing development processes in Azerbaijan.

He hailed successful cooperation between prosecution bodies of the two countries, adding that this cooperation was carried out at a highly professional level and in a friendly atmosphere. Sotir Tsatsarov described his Baku trip as a continuation of the current ties.

President Ilham Aliyev praised a very good level of Azerbaijan-Bulgaria relations, saying they are successfully developing in political, economic, energy, cultural and other fields.

President Ilham Aliyev recalled his visit to Bulgaria as well as the Bulgarian Prime Minister`s trip to Azerbaijan, and stressed the importance of these visits in terms of strengthening ties between the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the significance of elevating Azerbaijan-Bulgaria ties in all fields to the level of current cooperation and mutual support between the leaderships of the two countries.

The head of state said good cooperation between the prosecution bodies contributes to the expansion of bilateral relations. President Ilham Aliyev noted that this visit created a good opportunity for discussing the issues relating to prospects of relations.

The head of state thanked for Rumen Radev`s greetings and asked the Prosecutor General to extend his greetings to the Bulgarian President.

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13 June 2017 17:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Some political parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use the funding received from abroad for other purposes.

Siyavush Novruzov, Deputy Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and Chairman of the committee on public associations and religious organizations, made the remark while addressing an extraordinary meeting of the Parliament on June 13.

The meeting participants were discussing the Law "On the Legalization of Monetary Funds or Other Property Acquired by Criminal Means and the Fight against the Financing of Terrorism."

Novruzov noted that the issues of funding of political parties, as well as NGOs should be reviewed.

Some non-governmental organizations and political parties do not submit reports on financial revenues to the relevant structures. We have improved the legislation on political parties and NGOs funding. A number of European institutions, local organizations tried to direct it to a different point, but time has shown that we took the right step, he said.

Novruzov also reminded that NGOs should submit reports to the Ministry of Justice and political parties to the Central Election Commission.

"Recently, a deputy of one of the political parties visited the foreign country 41 times within a year and brought to the country funds in various currencies. This can not serve a healthy purpose. If this party is doing the right job, then why is it not financed in Azerbaijan? We need to reconsider this issue. If some structure violates the charter and the received finances serve other purposes then we must take action. For us, the safety of citizens is above all. We need to toughen this issue. In its financial report, the party shows a poor activity, but in the asset it has cars, bodyguards and personnel. The financial source of this organization should be found and presented to the public, "Novruzov said.

Over 40 political parties operate in Azerbaijan. In order to get registered, a party needs at least the membership of 1,000 citizens of Azerbaijan.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 NGOs registered in the country, and an estimated 300 unregistered groups carrying out activities.

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13 June 2017 16:09 (UTC+04:00)

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited the tomb of late Energy Minister, Honored Engineer, holder of Shohrat Order Natig Aliyev on June 13, Azertac reported.

President Aliyev put flowers at the grave of Natig Aliyev in the Alley of Honors. The President once again offered his condolences to Natig Aliyev's son Farhad Aliyev.

Farhad Aliyev thanked the head of state for paying tribute to his father.

Natig Aliyev died on June 9, several days after being transferred to the Florence Nightingale Clinic in Istanbul for treatment of a heart complaint.

The 69-year-old veteran executive in the energy sector of Azerbaijan served as president of the state energy company SOCAR and chaired the company's board of directors in 1993-2005.

He was the Minister of Industry and Energy in 2005-2013, and became the Energy Minister afterwards. He represented Azerbaijan in its negotiations with foreign companies over major energy contracts and took part in talks with OPEC members on global oil production cuts.

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Kony Announces New Chief Revenue Officer

Kony, Inc., the leading enterprise mobility company, today announced the appointment of Bruce Dahlgren to the newly created position of EVP and chief revenue officer. In this role, Dahlgren will focus on helping Kony achieve its growth agenda by further expanding its global presence and market leadership.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006042/en/

Former HP and NCR Executive Bruce Dahlgren Joins Kony as Chief Revenue Officer to Drive Global Growth Strategy (Photo: Business Wire)

Dahlgren brings over 30 years of experience in the IT industry to Kony, leading both emerging businesses and large-scale multi-billion-dollar enterprise teams. His background includes significant global business management experience, leading teams in every key function and region.

Dahlgren joins Kony after a long successful career at HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) where he most recently served as senior vice president, Enterprise Services and managing director of the Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region. In this role, Dahlgren was responsible for driving a unified vision and team serving the customers in the APJ region. He was also responsible for accelerating market expansion and driving revenue and profitable growth across one of the industry's broadest IT services portfolio.

Prior to this role, Dahlgren served as the senior vice president of the Enterprise Sales and Managed Services global business unit within the HP Printing and Personal Systems Group (PPS). Under his leadership, PPS Managed Services grew to become a recognized industry leader in Managed Print Services by notable analyst firms such as IDC (News - Alert) and Gartner.

Prior to joining HP in 2006, Dahlgren served in key executive roles at high tech companies Lexmark International, AT&T and NCR. He has held senior management positions in finance, planning, operations, marketing, sales and services.

"Bruce Dahlgren is an outstanding executive with a proven track record of success and results," said Thomas E. Hogan, chairman and chief executive officer, Kony, Inc. "Bruce brings a range of high-impact and relevant skills to Kony; deep international experience, specific depth in financial services with his NCR background, 30+ years in technology with responsibility for software and managed services, and a reputation for the highest levels of integrity and leadership. I am thrilled to partner with Bruce and know he will be a fantastic addition to Kony's leadership team."







"As the digital trend continues to gain momentum with mainstream adoption across all major industries, Kony is well-poised to capture the growing market opportunity and demand," said Dahlgren. "Kony has all of the key ingredients necessary to drive exponential growth, with its unmatched portfolio of industry-leading enterprise mobility and application solutions, commitment to innovation excellence, and successful track record of delivering customer value. I am very excited to join Tom and the Kony leadership team to drive this growth agenda."

Kony is recognized as a Leader for the fourth consecutive year in the Gartner June 2016 Magic Quadrant for Mobile App Development Platforms (MADP) report.

In addition, Kony was named a "Leader" and earned the highest score in the current offering category by independent research firm Forrester (News - Alert) Research, Inc. in the following reports: The Forrester Wave: Mobile Infrastructure Services, Q3 2015 report, The Forrester Wave: Mobile Development Platforms, Q4 2016 report, and The Forrester Wave: Mobile Low-Code Development Platforms, Q1 2017 report.

Kony has also been named a "Leader" in the IDC MarketScape: 2017 North American Mobile Banking and Payments report, with the highest rating for Mobile Banking capabilities.

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 industry's leading digital platform, Kony provides the most innovative and secure omni-channel applications, with exceptional user experience and app design. Kony's 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 CTIA's (News - Alert) MobITs Awards in the Mobile Applications, Development & Platforms category and included on the Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America.

For more information, please visit www.kony.com. Connect with Kony on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006042/en/
13 June 2017 17:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Mexico's Ambassador to Baku Rodrigo Labardini and Chief Executive of Naftalan City Natig Aslanov discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the countries during a meeting in Naftalan.

Aslanov briefed the ambassador about the features of Naftalan and talked about citys great potential in the field of medical tourism, the Mexican Embassy in Baku reported on June 13. The chief executive also noted that the health resorts of Naftalan attract many foreign tourists.

Labardini, in turn, spoke about the development of tourism in Mexico, which is one of the nine most visited countries in the world. The ambassador noted that Mexican cities and regions are popular destinations for a romantic, luxury, health tourism and ecotourism.

Both sides expressed interest in developing cooperation in tourism and exchange of experience, which will contribute to the development of the tourism sector of both Azerbaijan and Mexico.

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. The majority of tourists came from Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Iran making up 33 percent, 22.5 percent, 13.9 percent and 10.9 percent, accordingly.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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13 June 2017 09:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake off the western coast of Turkey and between the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios shook buildings from the Aegean Turkish province of Izmir to Greece's capital of Athens on Monday, Reuters reported.

The epicentre of the quake was about 84 km (52 miles) northwest of the Turkish coastal city of Izmir, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on its website.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in either Turkey or Greece, according to preliminary information from local authorities, although the quake was felt as far away as the Greek capital of Athens.

Greek television stations reported some structural damage in the town of Plomari on Lesbos.

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13 June 2017 11:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

U.S. senators will consider a bill stipulating the expansion of sanctions against Russia this week.

The exact substance of the Russia sanctions senators hope to attach to the Iran bill is not yet clear, but according to senior Senate aides, talks have focused on the substance offered by a set of bills already on offer, addressing everything from Russias aggressive activities in Ukraine and Syria to allegations that Russian hackers tried to swing an American election, the Washington Post reported

A group of leading senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is negotiating a way to pass more stringent sanctions against Russia in the coming week, according to the report.

In general, supporters of tightening of the measures directed against Russia divide them into three large blocs, TASS reported.

First, issuing funds for development of "civil institutions", "independent media" and non-governmental organizations in European countries, among other reasons to fight against Russian influence. Second, introducing new mandatory sanctions, legislatively consolidate those already in force. Third, banning the US administration to withdraw any sanctions against Russia without the approval of the Congress.

"This will be a very comprehensive bill, it addresses all issues," the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican, Robert Corker said.

When asked whether the White House supports the measure, Corker hesitated, noting that I have to believe that the administration has to at least strongly consider supporting this.

The question of new Russian sanctions has been raised by a number of senators in both parties after the intelligence community announced in January its conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of President Donald Trump.

The White House has been silent on the proposal and administration officials have been unclear on what the official position is. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in April that the current Russian sanctions would remain until the country gives up control of the Crimean peninsula.

Earlier, Trump has indicated he is skeptical about additional sanctions and has been dismissive about the role of Russian interference in the U.S. elections.

The American sanctions specifically target Russias energy sector, which makes up more than half of the countrys Gross Domestic Product. No U.S. oil company can do business with Russia, nor can any companies sell drilling technology needed to access oil and gas reserves. U.S. banks cannot issue long-term loans to Russian businesses for energy-focused projects.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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13 June 2017 12:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Two Arab countries softened the air blockade of Qatar, which was accused of supporting terrorism and extremism.

The UAE authorities have allowed airlines from third countries to use their airspace and airports for flights to and from Qatar, RIA Novosti reported citing the WAM news agency.

Earlier, a number of Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, closed their airspace to all international flights to and from Qatar.

The ban "does not apply to airlines and aircraft not registered in the UAE and Qatar and wanting to cross the country's airspace, heading to and from Qatar," the agency said on June 13.

Private and charter flights, except those that are made by Qatari aviation, can enter the airspace of the UAE en route to and from Qatar, subject to prior authorization not less than 24 hours in advance, according to the changes.

A similar decision was made by the Civil Aviation Authority of Saudi Arabia.

The decision by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE to suspend ties with Qatar hit Qatar Airways, the state-owned carrier that has risen to be considered among the best airlines in the world.

Yemen, Libya and the Maldives have also joined Saudi Arabia and Egypt in entirely banning Qatar Airways from their airspace. Bahrain has permitted just one route through its airspace, according to aviation tracking website Flightradar24.

Meanwhile, the World Association of Muslim Scientists has called for a dialogue with Qatar and the prompt lifting of sanctions against this country.

The Association sharply criticized the decision of several Arab countries to include a number of well-known theologians and charitable organizations in the list of terrorists.

Previously, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt formed a single list of terrorist organizations, which included well-known charitable foundations of Qatar and Shiite groups.

The list included 59 people and 12 organizations for financing terrorism and receiving support from Qatar. The Arab countries announced that the list of people and organizations supporting terrorism will be updated.

Doha denied allegations over its support to terrorism and extremism adding that the diplomatic rift was based on "baseless fabricated claims."

Qatar announced that it will not take any counter-measures and expressed its readiness for a dialogue to solve the crisis.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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13 June 2017 13:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The United States will sooner or later have to recognize the need to comply with the terms of the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a joint news conference with Norway's Foreign Minister Brge Brande in Oslo, TASS reported.

"The actions of the new Washington administration do not seem promising yet, but we are convinced that in the end they will recognize the need to comply with the terms of the nuke deal. We are also confident that the international community, as it has already done, will clearly indicate to them [the U.S.] that the nuclear deal should be regarded as a multilateral agreement, not a bilateral one, between the United States and Iran," Zarif said.

Touching upon the situation in Syria, the Iranian minister said that the Astana process is currently the only effective format for peace talks.

The Astana process is still the only one that brings results. This must be taken into account, due to the tragic situation in the region, where conflicts and bloodshed continue, the minister said adding that we are confident that Iran, Russia and Turkey should continue their work in order to strengthen the Astana process by contributing to international efforts aimed at bringing peace and stability to Syria and putting all parties at the negotiating table.

Thanks to the Astana process, much has already been done to stabilize and improve the situation in Syria, according to Zarif.

These results should be consolidated by creating conditions for the work of observers, humanitarian assistance, as well as participating in the political process, Zarif added.

Brande, in turn, noted that the main topic of the talks held on June 12 with the Iranian Foreign Minister was the situation in the Middle East region, including Syria, Iraq and the Gulf countries.

Russia, Turkey and Iran are the main sponsors of the talks on Syria 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.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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13 June 2017 16:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The delegation of Uzbekistan held a meeting with Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder in Geneva, the Uzbek Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations reported on June 13.

Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Tanzila Narbaeva and the countrys Labor and Employment Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov informed Ryder about the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan in the sphere of social and economic development and ensuring decent employment of the countrys population, the report said.

Ryder thanked the Uzbek authorities for ratifying the ILOs Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention (No. 87).

He expressed hope that work on studying the issue of other ILO conventions compliance with the Uzbek national legislation will continue.

Ryder stressed the need to expand cooperation between the ILO and Uzbekistan by including the issues of further improvement of the legal framework, ensuring employment, including among women, as well as labor and social protection of the population in the agenda, and called on the Uzbek side to further develop the cooperation.

It was reported that in early 2017, Uzbekistan and the ILO signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the Decent Work Country Program (DWCP) in 2017-2020.

Measures to improve the Uzbek national labor legislation, raising public awareness on labor rights were successfully implemented within the DWCP in 2014-2016.

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13 June 2017 17:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

While the United States accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism, Washington itself provides military support to terrorists from the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Unit) and PYD (Democratic Union), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara, addressing members of Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Erdogan noted that if the United States considers Turkey its ally in NATO, then why do they fight against ISIS terrorists with the help of YPG and PYD.

The head of state noted that a teleconference with participation of the French President and Emir of Qatar will be held today to solve the Qatari crisis.

Seven Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain broke off diplomatic relations with one of the richest and most influential states of the world, accusing it of supporting ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. They cut air, sea and land links and ordered Qatari officials and nationals stationed in their countries to return home.

Qatar denied allegations over its support to terrorism and extremism adding that the diplomatic rift was based on "baseless fabricated claims."

The country expressed its readiness for a dialogue to solve the crisis that has recently occurred in Qatars relations with a number of Arab states.

Turkey has declared its full support to Qatar by offering food supplies and deploying its military troops in Qatar.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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13 June 2017 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who arrived on a working visit to Ashgabat within the framework of the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistans membership in the United Nations, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary news agency reported.

Berdimuhamedov underlined that the full-scale, long-term cooperation with the UN stood as an invariable strategic choice of the country.

We are willing to continue cooperating with the UN on the energy security and sustainable energy issues, he said.

Guterres, in turn, expressed his gratitude to Turkmenistan for helping refugees and stateless persons.

"In difficult times, there was a very large number of refugees and stateless persons in the country, and Turkmenistan successfully integrated these people into society, positively solving their problems," he added.

The Law on Refugees in Turkmenistan was adopted in 1997. In April 2011, Turkmenistan was admitted to the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) program.

Over the past ten years, Turkmenistan, together with UN specialized agencies, has implemented more than 260 projects in various spheres in accordance with the previously adopted framework programs.

A number of specialized UN organizations and institutions, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN International Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) among others successfully operate in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan was elected to the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development for the period of 2017-2020, the UN Commission on Population and Development for the period of 2016-2020 and the UN Commission on Social Development for the period of 2017-2021.

Turkmenistan cooperates with the UN in such spheres as security, sustainable development, energy, transport, environment, development and the establishment of democratic institutions.

This year, Turkmenistan is a chairing country in the Energy Charter Conference. In the end of May, Ashgabat held representative Forum of International Energy Charter on the subject Toward the Bilateral Framework Agreement of Transit of Energy Carriers.

The Central Asian Nation has put forward a number of international initiatives on the issue of ensuring reliable energy supplies to world markets, saying that the legal mechanism could allow taking into account the interests of producers, buyers and transit countries.

Following the meeting, the two sides also plan to sign a set of documents aimed at further boosting mutually beneficial partnership between the UN and Turkmenistan.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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13 June 2017 16:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

This year, the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment and 10th anniversary of its inclusion into the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

Roughly 100,000 people visited the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve, a home to the worlds most important petroglyphs  stone and iron-age figures carved thousands of years ago, in 2016.

Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev said that the number of tourists visiting Gobustan, which has already turned into the interesting touristy spot, has increased significantly compared to previous periods.

"The paleolithic rock carvings are rarely found in the world. A network of such places exists in the world. Azerbaijan through Gobustan joined this network, showing the world that the country is home to one of the earliest human settlements in the world," said the minister at an event on June 13.

Garayev further stated that the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve has been included into the list of best European Museums.

Gobustan is home to one of the world's largest ancient petroglyphs collections. Settled since the 8th millennium BC, the area contains more than 600,000 distinct paintings, going as far back as 20,000 years to as recent as 5,000 years ago.

The pictures dating back to 8 millenniums reflect different hunting scenes, ceremonial and ritual processes of the habitants of these places.

Gobustan petroglyphs were repeatedly investigated by the famous Norwegian explorer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl, who recognized local boats petroglyphs as the oldest known images of pirogue in the world.

Most of the rock engravings depict primitive men, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars.

The Gobustan National Historical-Artistic Reserve, meeting modern requirements, applies innovative methods to make a visit to Gobustan more interesting as well as works out new projects. In this way stage adaptation and games for tourists and visitors are organized.

Beginning since ancient times up to middle ages, the way of life, economy, occupations of ancient peoples, as well as landscape, climate, variability of environment, flora and fauna of that epoch found their reflection in the halls Natural environment, Archaeology of Gobustan, Time-scale table, Ancient epoch , Primitive art, Petroglyphs of centuries and others of the modern museum created here.

Rock images of Gobustan are the pride of Gobustan residents. Since ancient times, people that have lived in neighboring territories considered mountains with rock images holy. On the territory of Gobustan there still exist worship places and sanctuaries of local residents (Sofi Khamid, Sofi Novruz, Garaatli and so on).

Gobustan, as a part of rich heritage of the World Rock Art, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2007.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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13 June 2017 18:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan recorded the highest growth among the CIS countries in terms of the number of Russian tourist trips in the first quarter of 2017.



Azerbaijan left Georgia behind in this ranking, according to the analytical agency TurStat, which analyzed the statistics of Russias outbound tourism for the first three months of 2017.

Up to 6.7 million tourists have traveled from Russia in the first three months of 2017, and this is 24 percent more in the first quarter of last year, when the figure was than 5.4 million trips.

Azerbaijan and Georgia remain as the most popular destinations for Russian tourists. The number of trips to Azerbaijan was 139,000 an increase of 31 percent compared to the first three months of 2016 and to Georgia 135,000, an increase of 27 percent.

Dominican Republic, Cuba, Turkey, Vietnam, the UAE and Thailand became the most popular beach destinations among Russians in the first quarter of 2017.

Popular sightseeing destinations such as Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and France also showed a high growth in visit this year.

Unique culture and history, delicious food and wine and plenty of adventures are awaiting travelers in Azerbaijan.

The capital Baku is on the Caspian Sea, but also home to oil drilling derricks and futuristic skyscrapers. The Caucasus Mountains are as earthy as you can get, peppered with traditional elevated villages such as Lahic, where subsistence farming and traditional art forms still alive. And then there is fire everywhere. From the permanently alight natural gas flaming mountain of Yanardag to fire worshippers temple Ateshgah, both on the Absheron Peninsula. And as for air, just head to the omnipresent mountains, ideal for visiting any time of year, whether summer or winter.

But beyond its nature, which is key reason for the tourism, the people of Azerbaijan are wonderfully welcoming and hospitable.

Neighboring Russians choose Azerbaijan as their travel destination for many reasons. First of all the Land of Fire does not require visa for Russian tourists to enjoy the country.

Azerbaijan is also a perfect destination for Russian tourists, because of its peoples very friendly attitude towards Russia. Here Russian-speaking tourists have no problem with communication, as Azerbaijanis speak Russian well enough to help with any difficulties.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
[June 12, 2017] ProfNet Experts Available on Facebook's Anti-Terrorism Pledge, Artificial Intelligence

NEW YORK, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network  it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Facebook's Anti-Terrorism Pledge Invites a Slippery Slope

Not All Robots Are out for Your Job MEDIA JOBS Reporter  Debtwire Middle Market

Technology Reporter  Dow Jones

Reporter - Private Equity / Restructuring  The Wall Street Journal OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES How to Create the Ultimate Style Guide for Your Blog

Everyone's talking about the Paris climate agreement. Here are 11 environmental news sites to watch now.

climate agreement. Here are 11 environmental news sites to watch now. Are Your Messages Safe? The Basics of Encryption and How Your Favorite Apps Measure Up ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS: Facebook's Anti-Terrorism Pledge Invites a Slippery Slope

Wendy Moe

Professor of Marketing

University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

[In response to a Facebook executive saying, "We want Facebook to be a hostile environment for terrorists," following the June 3, 2017 London terrorist attacks] "Self-regulation puts social media platforms in a tricky ethical position. On the one hand, they are aiding in the fight against terrorism. On the other hand, they are censoring. When they censor content that promotes terrorism or other criminal activity, this contributes to public welfare. But where do they draw the line? This could easily lead to a slippery slope where these organizations start censoring content that tries to influence the political climate  if they believeit is in the best interest of public welfare. The decision of what to censor and what not to is important and has far-reaching implications. It should not be made by a small number of executives at a given company."







Bio: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/directory/wendy-w-moe

PR Contact: Greg Muraski , [email protected] Not All Robots Are out for Your Job

Ron Selewach

CEO and Founder

HRMC (Human Resource Management Center)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) summons dystopian visions of a labor force crowded out by machines that work 24/7, don't take breaks, or demand a competitive benefits package. But intelligent automation is an essential new co-worker for the digital age. However, HR (human resources) may be among the last holdouts, which is understandable -- no one knows better than HR the threat machines pose, to the jobs of the people they manage and to the core of what they do, which is use their judgment and expertise to engage, evaluate and hire the best talent. Says Selewach: "The challenge is not overcoming/mastering the technology, but in overcoming HR's concerns and perceptions, and coming to understand the ways in which this technology can augment and elevate their role in the organization. It brings more objectivity, science and rigor to the selection process, significantly shortens time-to-fill, and allows HR to select the great from the good in making the final hiring decision."

Selewach is a widely acknowledged pioneer in applying AI to candidate selection. He has been published and quoted in and a wide range of HR and business publications on topics related to candidate assessment and screening.

Website: http://www.hrmc.com

Contact: Charles Epstein, [email protected]

**************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board:https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Reporter  Debtwire Middle Market

Technology Reporter  Dow Jones

Reporter - Private Equity / Restructuring  The Wall Street Journal ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] How to Create the Ultimate Style Guide for Your Blog. If you want to take your blog to the next level, it's time to make decisions about your style  and stick with them. Here's a handy guide to create your blog's style guidelines once and for all. http://prn.to/2sXgfkj

Everyone's talking about the Paris climate agreement. Here are 11 environmental news sites to watch now. In this golden age of climate change denial, here are 11 more environmental news sites we're watching. http://bit.ly/2rst5r3

climate agreement. Here are 11 environmental news sites to watch now. In this golden age of climate change denial, here are 11 more environmental news sites we're watching. http://bit.ly/2rst5r3 Are Your Messages Safe? The Basics of Encryption and How Your Favorite Apps Measure Up. With data breaches and other scams on the rise, you've probably asked yourself this question  whether you're protecting sensitive information from a confidential source, or just keeping a close eye on your personal account. And, with so many new messaging apps and platforms available, it's easy to fall into the assumption of privacy. Here are some things to keep in mind. http://bit.ly/2rlzLdB **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-facebooks-anti-terrorism-pledge-artificial-intelligence-300472505.html SOURCE ProfNet

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[June 12, 2017] Artificial Medical Intelligence Introduces Hierarchical Condition Category Abstraction Using EMscribe Artificial Intelligence Technology

EATONTOWN, N.J., June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial Medical Intelligence (AMI) today announced the release of its full version of HCC Coding as part of the EMscribe suite of tools in support of medical records processing and abstraction. The new completed HCC Coding Solution is built on the automatic generation of ICD10 codes and supporting demographic data for reimbursement which includes V22 HCC, the latest version from CMS. HCC is a payment model mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1997. Implemented in 2003, this model identifies individuals with serious or chronic illness and assigns a risk factor score to the person. At present, there are more than 9000 ICD-10 codes that map to 79 HCC codes in the Risk Adjustment model. AMI's unique HCC module is offered as an integrated and automated component of its EMscribe coding and clinical abstraction suite which is able to support the requirement of HCC code submission. EMscribe automatically generates the individual's health conditions using ICD10 diagnoses and demographic data directly extracted from the medical record and assigns the riskadjustment attributes to the case based upon a combination of the individual's health conditions and demographic details. An HCC score is then generated by the EMscribe system and is either displayed in AMI's Graphical User Interface or provided through an AMI's Application Protocol Interface.



"AMI continues to lead with its innovative technology designed to mitigate the constant stream of new and more difficult administrative pressures and requirements on the healthcare system", stated Stuart Covit, Chief Operating Officer. "We are focusing on providing Artificial Intelligence to abstract information from the medical record, so when new mandates like MACRA come up we can adjust our technologies to address the required data elements." AMI will showcase this at Booth # 1940 at the upcoming HFMA (Healthcare Finance management Association) ANI conference, taking place from June 25th June 28th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida.

About AMI AMI is a leading software developer of health technology solutions since its incorporation in 2002. Initially targeting medical coding with its proprietary Natural Language Processing solution, EMscribe, AMI has continued to evolve to meet changing market needs with innovative AI data abstractions. For more information, please contact: Kerry Fagan

Artificial Medical Intelligence

Tel: (908) 902-1825

Email: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artificial-medical-intelligence-introduces-hierarchical-condition-category-abstraction-using-emscribe-artificial-intelligence-technology-300472519.html SOURCE Artificial Medical Intelligence

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Fast application processing, enhanced customer service now available for companies

June 12, 2017Toronto, ON  When companies in Canada can thrive and grow, they create more jobs. The Government of Canadas new Global Skills Strategy will give employers a faster and more predictable process for attracting top talent and new skills to Canada, creating economic growth and more middle-class jobs for Canadians.

Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains and Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced that employers and highly-skilled workers can now benefit from the Global Skills Strategy.

As part of the Strategy, which includes four pillars, high-skilled workers coming to Canada on a temporary basis are now able to benefit from two-week processing of applications for work permits and, when necessary, temporary resident visas. Open work permits for spouses and study permits for dependants will also be processed in two weeks when applicable.

Employers can now benefit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadas new dedicated service channel and the new Global Talent Stream. This will help them access temporary, high-skilled, global talent, scale up or expand their knowledge of specialized skills so that they can be more innovative and build their expertise.

Two new work permit exemptions have also taken effect today. Highly-skilled workers who need to come to Canada for a very short-term assignment and researchers taking part in short-duration research projects being conducted in Canada will not require a work permit.

First announced in November 2016, the Global Skills Strategy helps promote global investment in Canada and supports the Government of Canadas Innovation and Skills Plan. It recognizes that by facilitating the faster entry of top talent with specialized skill sets and global experience to Canada, we can help innovative companies grow, flourish and create jobs for Canadians.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

In Nairobi, Don Bisson, don.bisson@cartercenter.org or +254 (0) 741 768 354

ATLANTA  Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and former Prime Minister of Senegal Aminata Toure will co-lead the Carter Centers election observation mission in Kenya. The mission will deploy more than 50 observers throughout the country on election day.

Each and every time Ive visited Kenya, Ive been reminded of its remarkable culture, strengthened by diversity and dedicated to democratic principles, Kerry said. Kenya matters to Africa, and it matters to the international community. I look forward to returning later this summer to observe an important election.

Kenya has come a long way since the elections of 2007. It is now up to leaders on all sides to ensure that the violence that followed that election isn't repeated, and those of us who will be on the ground observing the elections also have a responsibility to help every citizen feel confident that the process is fair and just. I urge all political parties and candidates to support a fair, orderly, credible, and nonviolent electoral process; respect the electoral code of conduct; and keep faith with the Kenyan people.

Toure said that she is honored to co-lead the mission: It is my hope that the election will be peaceful and reflect the spirit of democracy that persists in Kenya. To that end I join Secretary Kerry in urging all election stakeholders to act responsibly and call on their supporters to do the same. I believe that Kenyas democracy can emerge from this process stronger than ever and serve as an inspiration to the rest of the continent.

The Carter Center has had a core team and group of long-term observers in Kenya since April. Kerry, Toure, and the Carter Center leadership team will arrive in the days leading up to the election to meet with key stakeholders  including political party candidates, civil society organizations, government officials, domestic citizen observers, and other international election observer missions, before observing polling and tabulation on Aug. 8.

The Carter Center is observing Kenyas general election at the invitation of Kenyas Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

###

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Coeur Mining, Inc. explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. It holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,296 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada. In addition, the company owns interests in the Crown and Sterling projects located in southern Nevada; and the La Preciosa project located in Mexico. Further, it markets and sells its concentrates to third-party customers, smelters, under off-take agreements. The company was formerly known as Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation and changed its name to Coeur Mining, Inc. in May 2013.Coeur Mining, Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Harris Corporation provides technology-based solutions that solve government and commercial customers' mission-critical challenges in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Communication Systems, Electronic Systems, and Space and Intelligence Systems. It designs, develops, and manufactures radio communications products and systems, including single channel ground and airborne radio systems, multiband manpack and handheld radios, multi-channel manpack and airborne radios, and single-channel airborne radios, as well as wideband rifleman team, ground, and high frequency manpack radios. The company also offers vision-enhancing products; wireless communications systems; and Internet protocol based voice and data communications systems, as well as single-band land mobile radio terminals and multiband radios comprising a handheld radio and a full-spectrum mobile radio for vehicles. In addition, it provides electronic warfare, avionics, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions for defense and classified customers; and mission-critical communication systems for civil and military aviation and other customers. Further, the company offers intelligence, space protection, geospatial, earth observation, exploration, positioning, navigation and timing, and environmental solutions using advanced sensors, antennas, and payloads, as well as ground processing and information analytics for national security, defense, civil and commercial customers. Harris Corporation was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.
HDFC Bank Limited provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in India, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai. It operates in Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Other Banking Business, and Unallocated segments. The company accepts savings, salary, current, rural, public provident fund, pension, and Demat accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; and safe deposit lockers, as well as offshore accounts and deposits, overdrafts against fixed deposits, and sweep-in facilities. It also provides personal, home, car, two wheeler, business, educational, gold, consumer, and rural loans; loans against properties, securities, rental receivables, and assets; loans for professionals; government sponsored programs; and loans on credit card, as well as working capital and commercial/construction equipment finance, healthcare/medical equipment and commercial vehicle finance, dealer finance, and term and professional loans. The company offers credit, debit, prepaid, and forex cards; payment and collection, export, import, remittance, bank guarantee, letter of credit, trade, hedging, and merchant and cash management services; insurance and investment products. It provides short term finance, bill discounting, structured finance, export credit, loan syndication, and documents collection services; online and wholesale, mobile, and phone banking services; unified payment interface, immediate payment, national electronic funds transfer, and real time gross settlement services; and channel financing, vendor financing, reimbursement account, money market, derivatives, employee trusts, cash surplus corporates, tax payment, and bankers to rights/public issue services, as well as financial solutions for supply chain partners and agricultural customers. The company operates 6,378 branches and 18,620 automated teller machines in 3,203 cities/towns. As of March 31, 2022, it had 21,683 banking outlets. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is based in Mumbai, India.
As persecution continues, the families of Egypt's martyred Christians endure as a 'living Bible'

Two years have passed since 21 Egyptian Christians were beheaded by ISIS on a beach in Libya. As persecution in Egypt continues, the families of those martyred in 2015 have continued in faith and hope.

The news comes from the Christian group Focus on the Family, whose Middle East team have been supporting the families of those murdered by ISIS since the February 2015 atrocities took place.

Even at the time, staff reported that: 'We saw a living Bible in how these precious men and women responded to their pain, loss, and adversity.'

In a more recent update via email, the team wrote: 'The great news about the families of the martyrs of Libya is that even after more than two years they still live in the condolences of the Holy Spirit and they stick to their faith that their martyrs showed to the whole world; how the real Christian should live and die for the glory of Christ.

'While we have been visiting the families regularly we met with some of the wives of the martyrs and asked them about their kids and how they live right now, a common answer was, "Our kids in their new nice private school have been so proud of their fathers among their friends and they have worked hard to match with studying the new curriculums to stay up to that new level of education."'

The legacy of those killed in Libya lives on; the team said, 'Most of these families hang in their homes a banner with all the martyrs' photos', in which each martyr has a crown over their head.

The past six months have seen four major terror attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt: a December bombing of a church in Cairo, two Palm Sunday bombings of Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria, and a mass shooting of Christian pilgrims on a bus in Elminia last month.

Egypt's Coptic Christian community represents about ten per cent of the majority Muslim country. The report said that the Christians grieved in 2015 have shared their pain with those killed in more recent attacks.

It said: 'One of the great impressive signs of faith we witnessed very recently in the lives of those families, after the several attacks on Christians in Cairo, Tanta, Alexandria, and the most recent bus in Elminia, is that some of the families' members went to give condolences to the new victims and share a real example of how God has been faithful to and strengthened them in such tough painful experience.'

The report concluded: 'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.'
Church allowed to keep modern chairs described by heritage society as 'crude' and 'dumpy'

A church in Norfolk has won a battle to keep its new, modern chairs despite the objections of a leading heritage group that says they are 'cheap' and 'dumpy'.

St Nicholas Church in Fundenhall illegally spent 3,053 last September on 50 chairs which are made of brown faux leather with brushed gold-coloured frames. The chairs were described as 'crude' by the Victorian Society.

The church council had previously been allowed to remove the church's pews as part of a refurbishment, but it did not have permission to buy the chairs.

Now it has been allowed to keep them for ten years, after a church court found that it would take too long to fund-raise for replacements.

The Victorian Society criticised the decision, saying that the court had enabled 'unjustified harm to historic churches'. Thesociety said that the chairs were similar to those used as a 'banqueting chair in marquees'.

It added: 'The design of the frame is crude, with the extruded aluminium sections lacking any elegance, and the simple large radius curves of the design having a child-like quality. The thick upholstered seat pads, and the way in which they curve down at the front of the seat, make the chairs appear very dumpy. The matt-'gold effect' finish is a cheap one in a church with a palette of high-quality natural materials.'

The Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich, Ruth Arlow, said that she had learned of the church's decision to buy the chairs with 'concern and disappointment'.

However, she added that parishioners 'like their appearance and the comfort that they afford' and had made an effort to choose chairs of 'high durability and wipe-clean finish of an appropriate shade'.

She also praised the work of the council in repairing the church and said that it badly needed the refurbishment.

Following the ruling, the Victorian Society said it would have appealed the result except for the 'excellent work' done by the parish in rescuing the church.

The society's director, Christopher Costelloe told Telegraph, 'This is not the first occasion in we have intervened in a case in which the parish has ignored court rules, and the response of the church court has been to allow them to get away with it. The legal reasoning in the judgment for accepting the parish's damaging choice of chair seems gossamer-thin.'
Semiconductor Memory IP Market - Global Forecast and Opportunity Assessment by Technavio

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global semiconductor memory IP market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 11%.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006108/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global semiconductor memory IP market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This research report, titled "Global Semiconductor Memory IP Market 2017-2021," provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes up-to-date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

The demand for memory IP is rising because of digitization. The growing use of electronic devices in homes, industries, and schools for exchanging information in digital format is driving the development of high-speed, high-performance, and low power consumption SoCs. The increasing automation across industries is resulting in a larger number of electronic devices being connected with each other.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

Technavio's analysts categorize the global semiconductor memory IP market into five major segments by the application. They are:

Networking

Industrial automation

Automotive

Consumer electronic devices

Mobile computing devices

The top three segments based on the application for the global semiconductor memory IP market are discussed below:

Global semiconductor memory IP market for moile computing devices







The mobile computing devices segment dominated the global semiconductor memory IP market in 2016, accounting for a revenue share of 60%. The growth in this segment is expected to be driven by the proliferation of mobile computing devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Chinese manufacturers such as OnePlus, Huawei, and Xiaomi are providing mobile computing devices with upgraded technologies at competitive prices.

According to Raghu Raj Singh (News - Alert), a lead semiconductor equipment research analyst from Technavio, "IoT is an ecosystem of connected physical objects that are accessible through the Internet. It is a multiplatform architecture that supports multiple applications that run at the same time. Vendors are integrating several wireless technologies in their devices to support IoT architecture."

Global semiconductor memory IP market for consumer electronic devices

The consumer electronic devices segment was the second-largest contributor to the global semiconductor memory IP market in 2016. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 8% during the forecast period. Consumer electronic devices include DVD players; cameras; gaming consoles; and home automation devices such as dishwashers, smart thermostats, and smart TVs.

"The growing adoption of IoT and connected devices will create a considerable demand for memory IPs. This is because connected devices require memory chips that can store large amounts of data generated through M2M communications," says Raghu.

Global semiconductor memory IP market for automotive

Automotive OEMs are adding more safety features to their vehicles because of the increasing demand for safety features in vehicles. Automotive OEMs are providing connectivity solutions in their vehicles by incorporating communication technologies to create an automatic system.

There is an increasing demand for connected cars with incorporated augmented navigation, including heads-up displays, intuitive and multimodal user interfaces, multimedia support, and a new generation of automotive cloud services.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's research analysts in this report are:

ARM (News - Alert)

Rambus

Cadence Design Systems

Synopsys

Browse Related Reports:

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like embedded systems, computing devices, and displays. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading-edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected].

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006108/en/
Controversial article likens child sex abuse in the Church to 'terrorism' and 'Catholic extremism'

A leading Australian writer and former politician has likened child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church to 'terrorism' and extremism, arguing that it is responsible for many deaths, mainly by suicide.

Kristina Keneally, a former Australian Labor party leader and premier of New South Wales, wrote in the Guardian that the label 'institutional sexual abuse' was inadequate and 'too bland to confront us with the terror and deadly impact on the victims'. She added: 'It allows abusers  individually or as a class  to continue hiding behind the institution.'

Instead, Keneally wrote: 'The end result of this flawed theology and ecclesiology is the nauseating, terrifying, grotesque, ritualised and repeated violent assaults and rapes of children by Catholic clergy and religious.

'Should we label this "Catholic terrorism"? The Australian victims of sexual abuse have been terrorised by the Catholic church, no doubt. Is it "radical Catholic ideology" or "extremist Catholic belief" to cover up the sin of sexual abuse for "the greater good"? It's hard to deny it. As a Catholic, I shudder at the thought. But I know that such labels would be truthful. '

The former politician is known as a staunch critic of the Catholic Church, though she herself is a practising Catholic. Her husband is the nephew of the prolific Australian writer Thomas Keneally, best known for his work about the Holocaust, Schindler's Ark, which was adapted by Stephen Spielberg into the Academy Award film Schindler's List.

'The current royal commission into institutional sexual abuse has heard thousands of submissions from victims and their families. Too many victims' stories include suicide,' she wrote for 'comment is free' in the Guardian.

'In Ballarat, one police officer compiled a dossier of 43 deaths  suicides, overdoses and others  attributable to sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests and brothers in that diocese alone... "Institutional sexual abuse" is a phrase that describes where the abuse occurs rather than who perpetrated the abuse and who the victims are. But the label "institutional sexual abuse" is too bland to confront us with the terror and deadly impact on the victims. It allows abusers  individually or as a class  to continue hiding behind the institution.'

More than 4,000 cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic church were reported to the royal commission in Australia.

'These reports showed wilful ignorance by church leaders, systematic shielding of abusers and a continual preference for the perpetrator and the institution over the victim,' Keneally wrote in the controversial article entitled, 'Let's call child sexual abuse in the church what it is: Catholic extremism'.

Abuse, she wrote, comes from 'a warped, extreme and deeply flawed interpretation of the Catholic faith...And we should not comfort ourselves that this distorted theology and these crimes are necessarily a thing of the past. If anything, seminaries are becoming more orthodox and traditional. Little has changed in structure or governance of the Catholic church.'

Responding to the article, Jack Valero, the co-ordinator of Catholic Voices, told Christian Today: 'Kristina Keneally is right to be very angry at the extent of child abuse in Catholic institutions and by Catholic priests uncovered by the royal commission. All Catholics are very angry. She is also right to point out that we need to establish where it came from, so we can achieve the three things we all want: for the abuse never to happen again, for the victims to be properly recompensed and helped and for the perpetrators to be punished.

'However, it seems to me misguided to link orthodoxy and evangelical fervour with abuse. If anything the contrary is true: the closer one follows Christ and his teachings, the less chance that institutional abuse will be able to occur. The word "extremism" sounds frightening enough, but it doesn't get us any closer to the source of the problem, which lies in clericalism, abuse of power and loose sexual mores.'
Holy See condemns detention of migrant children as a 'grave error'

The Vatican has called on the international community to protect the rights of unaccompanied migrant children and condemned their detention as a 'grave error'.

The Holy See's Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, made the remarks to the Human Rights Council panel discussion on the rights of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, Vatican Radio reported.

'The grave error of the detention model is that it considers the children as sole, isolated subjects responsible for the situations in which they find themselves and over which they have little, if any, control. This model wrongly absolves the international community at large from responsibilities that it regularly fails to fulfill,' the Archbishop said.

He also appealed for the international community 'to protect the dignity and fundamental rights of every person and to implement, without reserve, humanitarian law, principles and policies in response to people on the move, especially unaccompanied children: they must be considered children first and foremost, and their best interest must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning them.'

Archbishop Jurkovic went on to denounce the concept of detaining migrant children. 'Children should not be criminalized or subject to punitive measures because of their own migration status or that of their parents,' he said. 'The practice of detaining migrant children should not be an option, and the best interests of the child should always prevail.'

Instead, he said: 'The possibility of authentic integral human development should be guaranteed for all children.'
John Hagee Ministries cancels two London conferences following UK terror attacks

Two London conferences led by the pro-Israel, evangelical megachurch pastor John Hagee and due later this month have been cancelled following the recent terrorist attacks in the UK.

Hagee, 77, is the controversial senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, and also founded Christians United for Israel. He is well-known for his frequent interventions in public affairs, especially his unwavering support of the Israeli government and, more recently, his support for Donald Trump.

Now, the John Hagee Ministeries website announced that its 'Night to Honour Israel' on 22 June and the John Hagee Ministries London Conference on 23-24 June in Westminster, London, have both been 'postponed'.

'The safety of our supporters is paramount at all our events and we always ensure that security is taken very seriously. Following recent attacks in central London and Manchester, a number of foiled attacks in recent weeks and the on-going terror threat, we had already increased planned security to a much higher level than usual,' the website said.

'However, having assessed the current situation and received independent advice we have taken the difficult decision to postpone these events. Islamic extremists have called for the specific targeting of Christians and Jews during the month of Ramadan, during which our events were set to take place. Although no specific threat has been received, we have been advised that our events could be targets.

'It is with wisdom and not fear that the leadership takes this responsibility for the protection of those that would attend, bearing in mind the Night to Honour Israel would be the largest pro-Israel event of the year with both Christians and Jews meeting at a location just a short distance from the two recent London attacks.

More than a thousand people had already booked for these events, and we were expecting hundreds more to register in the next few weeks, making them two of our largest events. We are sure this will disappoint those planning to attend, as it has disappointed us, but after much prayer and consideration we feel this is the right decision.'

The cancellations came after it emerged that Vice President Mike Pence will address Christians United for Israel (CUFI)  the largest pro-Israel group in the US  at its annual conference in July.

Chaired and founded by Hagee, CUFI has more than 3.5million members and is expecting thousands to gather for its annual summit in Washington.

In 2008, John McCain was forced to reject Hagee's endorsement of him as Republican presidential candidate after a recording emerged of Hagee saying Hitler was fulfilling God's will be quickening the Jews' return to Israel.

The Texas-based pastor has also described the Catholic Church as the 'Antichrist', a 'false cult system', and 'The Great Whore'.

Pence is due to speak at the CUFI annual conference which runs from July 17-18 in Washington.

The John Hagee Ministries website added: 'Our commitment to spreading the Gospel is as strong as ever and we will continue to boldly proclaim Biblical truth in this nation. Only the love of Christ can conquer the darkness that drives these terrorist acts.

'The root of the threat currently facing this nation is the same that Israel has faced for years. And our standing with Israel against radical Islam is crucial at this time, as is standing with our country as it comes to terms with its impact.

'The relevance of our work is crucial during the days in which we are living. Although we are not meeting in June, let us continue to show the love of Christ to Britain and stand with Israel and our Jewish brethren.

'Let us stand for truth and righteousness at a time when our nation is in need of both clarity and hope.'
Pope Francis' smackdown: Obey me or lose your jobs

An extraordinary row has culminated in Pope Francis laying out a harsh ultimatum: obey me or lose your jobs.

A group of Catholic priests from the Ahiara diocese in Nigeria have refused to accept their bishop since he was appointed in 2012 by then Pope Benedict XVI.

There was no hint of diplomacy or conciliatory tone as the pontiff met with them last Thursday and laid out the options.

Seeking to crush their disobedience the Pope them he was 'very sad' at their behaviour that has blocked Bishop Peter Okpaleke from taking up his post in the area.

He said those blocking Bishop Okpaleke taking up his office 'want to destroy the church, which is not permitted', he said, adding 'the Pope can't be indifferent' in this case.

The 'people of God are scandalised' by the rebellion, Francis told them in an unusually harsh rebuke.

He has given them until July 9 to formally write to the Vatican, repent and 'clearly manifest total obedience to the Pope'.

If they do not each priest will 'lose his current office' and be suspended from the priesthood, Francis warned.

It isn't clear how many will comply.

The row centres around a tribal dispute with the priests coming from a different clan of the Igbo ethnic group to the bishop.

The Ahiara diocese is dominated by the Mbaise ethnicitywho are the most Catholic of Nigeria's different people groups  amounting to 77 per cent of the area's 670,000 population.

But Bishop Okpaleke is an outsider from the nearby diocese of Awka in the Anamra State.

Before the appointment in 2012 the clergy held protests and organised petitiions, calling for a bishop to be chosen from their own area.

They claim a coordinated campaign is being run against them by their opponents but Pope Francis was uncompromising in his meeting with them last week.

Africa is the continent with the fastest church growth and Pope Francis move to crush the disobedience shows how dangerous he sees any action against his authority.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which President George H. W. Bush signed into law in 1990, was noble in intention. Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down, Bush declared, invoking the rhetoric of civil rights to describe Americas disabled as victims of segregation and discrimination. Bush dismissed opponents fears that the ADA is too vague or too costly and will lead to an explosion of litigation; the statute, he assured, was carefully crafted to provide clear guidance to the business community.

Hindsight reckons otherwise. The ADAs laudable objectives were to ban employment discrimination against the disabled and eliminate unnecessary physical barriers to access in commercial and government buildings. But in the ensuing quarter-century, the measure has spawned countless unintended consequencesmutating definitions of what constitutes a physical or mental disability, senseless mandates, abusive litigation, and astronomical compliance costs. Having vanquished common sense in the workplace and unleashed greedy trial lawyers to sue unsuspecting firms for accessibility violations, the ADAs nextand potentially most destructivecampaign is fixing e-commerce, which few people think is broken.

Bushs estimate of the number of disabled Americans43 million, or 16 percent of the U.S. population in 1990was absurdly high. The actual number of traditionally disabledthe blind, the deaf, and wheelchair userstotaled fewer than 3 million two and a half decades ago. The presidents comparison of the ADA with 1960s-era civil rights legislation was wide of the mark, too. Businesses never posted signs saying, No Wheelchairs Allowed; the disabled never found themselves shunted off to separate lunch counters or denied employment opportunities because of a general unwillingness to associate with them; our society has never demonstrated animus toward the disabled per se. After all, Founding Father Gouverneur Morris was an amputee. Lake Powell is named after John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Civil War veteran who explored the Grand Canyon. Thomas Edison was deaf. Senator Bob Dole, a disabled World War II veteran, served as Senate minority leader and was the GOP nominee for vice president (1976) and president (1996). Helen Keller was revered as a role model for overcoming her multiple challenges. Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Jose Feliciano, and Ronnie Milsapall have had enormously successful careers as blind musicians in different genres. Charles Krauthammer, a paraplegic, is a respected television commentator, columnist, and best-selling author.

Previous discrimination bans sought to eliminate artificial distinctions between people of equal ability due solely to their race or sex; the ADA tried to overcome clear disadvantages imposed by nature. Radical proponents of rights for the handicapped contend that disabled people arent oppressed by their physical limitations so much as by societys unwillingness to cater to those limits. The ADA sought to right this perceived wrong by mandating that employers, businesses, and governmental entities make the adjustments needed to ameliorate the physical limitations of the disabled. Disability activists, such as University of California at Berkeley law professor Linda Hamilton Krieger, concede that the ADA, unlike earlier civil rights statutes, requires that disabled individuals be treated differently, arguably better [than the nondisabled], to achieve an equal effect.

The ADA has produced tangible benefits to our society, such as curb cuts on public sidewalks and wheelchair ramps at government buildings, which improve accessibility for the relatively small number of wheelchair users. But at whatand whoseexpense? As it happens, the ADAs mandates are largely oblivious to costoblivious even to the notion of cost-effectiveness. Employers and businesses must pick up the tab for the required accommodations. That bill has grown larger every year. Yet with few legislators willing to appear insensitive, the statute has thus far remained impervious to reform efforts.

The notion that the ADA would not lead endlessly to litigation was also wrong. (See The ADA Shakedown Racket, Winter 2004.) ADA claims against employers filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), now numbering more than 26,000 per year, have become as common as sex-discrimination claims. And the volume keeps rising, as does the number of ADA lawsuits against employers filed in federal court yearly. Indeed, one of the ADAs primary flaws is its reliance on private litigation, rather than agency action, as an enforcement mechanism. Litigation under the ADA was not only inevitable; it was intended. (Investigative journalist James Bovard jokingly suggests that the acronym ADA really stands for Attorneys Dreams Answered.) Worse, the ADA (like most other civil rights statutes) allows plaintiffs to recover their attorneys fees if they prevail in litigation but denies the reciprocal right to prevailing defendants, a perverse incentive to the filing of meritless lawsuits.

Attention has often focused on the growing volume of employment and workplace claims under Title I of the ADA, which has become an employers nightmare. The malleable definition of disability requiring accommodation by employers has swollen to include obesity, depression, mood disorders (and other mental illnesses), alcoholism, gambling addictions, asthma, back problems, narcolepsy, ADD/ADHD, allergies, sleep apnea, phobias, and similar common ailmentseven correctable impairments of hearing and vision familiar to many middle-aged workers. Almost any physical or mental condition can invoke ADA coverage.

Though forbidden to inquire about disabilities in job interviews, or to demand preemployment physicals before a job offer is made (once a matter-of-fact requirement), employers must reasonably accommodate their workers for any disabilities they manifest after theyve been hired, even if theres a host of them. Accommodation sounds innocuous, but it can beand often isa costly, disruptive, and time-consuming undertaking. Employers are expected, generally at their own expense, to equalize the workplace, so that a disabled employee can perform as if he werent disabled. This can mean restructuring job duties, granting leaves, providing technological support, hiring assistants, granting reassignments, making individualized determinations, and entering into interactive dialogues, all while ignoring discriminatory customer preferences and, of course, traditional stereotypes.

The ADAs nebulous provisions get exploited by underperforming employees invoking a torrent of excuses.

Under Title I, employers must ignore the economic burdens imposed by disability accommodations unless they constitute an undue hardship, an amorphous standard that most medium-size to large firms will rarely be able to satisfy. To comply with the ADA, or to avoid the risk of litigation, employers often must make personnel decisions that diminish efficiency, and sometimes go so far as to jeopardize public safety. As Title I leads employers to relax hiring and performance standards, examples abound of one-armed public-safety officers, alcoholic pilots and truck drivers, deaf lifeguards, one-eyed and one-legged firefighters, and un-fireable drug-addicted employees. Accommodation trumps merit.

The exact price tag of employers compliance with the ADAs accommodation requirementsin terms of out-of-pocket expenditures and lost productivityis unknown but undeniably substantial. More visible is the degree to which the ADAs nebulous provisions get exploited by underperforming employees invoking a torrent of excuses, a subject that Walter Olson explored in his late 1990s book The Excuse Factory. Alas, most performance deficienciessleeping on the job, tardiness, absenteeism, customer complaints, conflicts with coworkers, lack of productivity, and inattention to detailcan easily be blamed on an ADA-protected condition.

Disciplining and terminating employees for doing unsatisfactory work has become a form of legal roulette, in which the employer may routinely find its business judgment second-guessed in a costly lawsuit, governed by unpredictable rules and the one-sided recovery of attorneys fees. An employer who guesses wrong and inadvertently violates the ADA can be liable to the employee for back pay, lost future earnings (so-called front pay), emotional-distress damages, punitive damages, and two sets of attorneys fees.

In many cases, the ADAs Title I has short-circuited common sense and, in the process, become the ultimate refuge of mediocre employees and predatory litigants. Thankfully, Title I covers only those firms with 15 or more workers; small businesses are exempt. Moreover, employers generally face exposure under the ADA only if an employee has made an accommodation request and been refused. Even then, before bringing a lawsuit under Title Is enforcement scheme, employment claimants must first file an administrative charge with the EEOC, which investigates and tries informally to resolve the situation. These matters, numbering more than 400,000 to date, currently account for about 30 percent of the EEOCs overall administrative caseload. Most employment claims get resolved administratively and dont result in litigation. In about 60 percent of all ADA claims filed with the EEOC, the agency determines that theres no reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred, and another 15 percent to 18 percent wind up closed administratively for reasons such as the charging partys failure to cooperate.

Despite this winnowing of approximately 75 percent of EEOC charges under the ADA, an overwhelming percentage of Title I lawsuits are unsuccessful. For example, an American Bar Association study found that employers prevailed in a staggering 92 percent of Title I cases filed in court. While this strongly suggests that most ADA lawsuits are unmeritorious, many Title I cases are nonetheless settled out of court by employers wishing to avoid the considerable expense (often exceeding $100,000) and disruption of litigation, the risk of an unpredictable damage award, and the fear of being ordered to pay the plaintiffs attorneys fees.

The accessibility provisions of ADAs Title III encourage even greater abuse than does Title I. Title III deals with physical accessibility to the disabled in public accommodations and commercial facilitieswhich covers virtually every business and public entity in America, including hotels, restaurants, retail establishments, museums, auditoriums, and exercise facilities. And Title III doesnt have a 15-employee coverage threshold. By some estimates, 6 million privately owned businesses are subject to Title III, many times the number of employers subject to Title I.

Several factors are responsible for the greater extent of predatory litigation under Title III. First, Title III requires no advance review of claims by the EEOC, so plaintiffs can proceed directly to court. Second, Title III requires no prior warning to, or interactive dialogue with, the business to trigger a violationplaintiffs can simply ambush an unsuspecting business with a lawsuit. Finally, in contrast to Title I, which limits claims to actual employees and applicants for employment, courts have held that any member of the public can bring Title III claims, including testers who arent even patrons of the allegedly noncompliant businesses.

Title III does have one thing in common with Title I: it, too, awards attorneys fees to prevailing plaintiffs but not to prevailing defendants, incentivizing litigation and settlements. Unsurprisingly, thousands of Title III lawsuits get filed each year, and countless more are threatened in pre-litigation demand letters from ADA lawyers. Tom Scott, executive director for the California office of the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocate for small business, estimates that pre-litigation threats result in several times as many settlements as those resulting from filed lawsuits.

The technical requirements for Title III, set forth in voluminous federal regulations, resemble a labyrinthine building code, specifying in overwhelming detail every aspect of how facilities and infrastructure must conform: the size and location of handicapped parking spaces, width of doorways, placement of elevator buttons, height of paper-towel dispensers and mirrors, layout of restrooms, and so on. The U.S. Department of Justice, a federal agency not generally known for its expertise in architecture or engineering, promulgates these regulations. Critics have charged that the DOJs Technical Assistance Manual, intended to guide businesses, is confusing and filled with conflicting provisions.

Few small businesses are even aware of these arcane rules, and fewer still fully comply. A Phoenix plaintiffs lawyer quoted in The Economist estimated that only 5 percent of Arizona businesses were in full compliance with the DOJs overwhelming accessibility requirements, leaving the other 95 percent fair game for lawsuits. Violations require no intent, good faith is no defense, and no prior notice of violation is required before someone can sue. No grace period exists; fixing a defect after a lawsuit is filed is not a defense for the violation. Accordingly, suing businesses for not having the correct size, number, and location of handicapped parking places; improperly configured restrooms; inexactly located (or missing) signage; poorly designed (or missing) wheelchair ramps; and similar technical violations have all become a cottage industry for lawyers specializing in ADA claims.

Finding violators is like shooting fish in a barrel. ADA plaintiffs and their lawyers often troll for noncompliant businesses by driving around and noting violations (such as misplaced handicapped parking spaces) visible from their car at strip malls, gas stations, convenience stores, nail salons, and similar mom-and-pop retail establishments. Some claims, such as for missing grab rails and insufficiently capacious stalls in restrooms, do require a personal visit, but no actual harmor even demonstrated lack of accessto a disabled person is required. Businesses that have never had a disabled customer can be sued under the ADA if their facilities dont conform perfectly to the latest technical standards.

Money damages arent available under Title III for accessibility claims, but plaintiffs can recover their costs and reasonable attorneys fees if they prevail (and merely proving technical noncompliance is sufficient to win). A noncompliant business, if sued, will be liable for the plaintiffs attorneys fees, even if it quickly remedies the violation. Perversely, defending the case only increases the amount of the plaintiffs legal fees, so a strong incentive exists for the business to capitulate promptly. Unlike the medium-size and large employers subject to Title I, which are well capitalized and accustomed to litigation, the small businesses that Title III targets tend to be unsophisticated, averse to litigation, and unable to afford a lawyer, in any event. A disproportionate number of small retail firms are owned by ethnic minorities, who can feel intimidated by an unfamiliar legal system. Facing a federal court lawsuit, or the threat of one, they typically settle out of court.

Exploiting this dynamic, ADA lawyers often bring cookie-cutter lawsuits against small businesses, which frequently will pay a few thousand dollars to make the suits go away. While a few thousand dollars in a settlement may seem inconsequential, its not a bad payday for serial litigants filing a template complaint with boilerplate allegations. Lawsuit mills handling these cases depend on volume, filing hundreds of ADA lawsuits each year, or even more. The rewards are sufficient to generate a growing docket of ADA claims.

Some statesnotably, California, Florida, and New Yorkhave enacted laws piggybacking on the ADA that do allow the recovery of money damages for Title III violations. For example, Californias Unruh Act provides for a recovery of at least $4,000 (reduced to $1,000 in certain circumstances, due to 2012 reform legislation). Because of the increased potential liability, the settlement value of ADA claims is increased for California businessesup to $20,000 per case instead of a norm elsewhere of $3,500 to $7,500. The volume of ADA litigation is predictably higher in California than in any other state, accounting, by some estimates, for 42 percent of all such lawsuits nationwide.

A handful of lawyers (some representing themselves as clients) file most of the Title III lawsuits. The most active frequent filers account for thousands of cases each. When laws create a rent-seeking racket, unsavory elements are invariably attracted. One serial ADA litigant from California, Dan Allen Jones, was shot while attempting a robbery, rendering him paraplegic. Prolific ADA litigants rarely face sanctions for unleashing a blizzard of lawsuits, and even when they are punished, enterprising lawyers will just find another disabled client to represent. California attorney Thomas Franko- vich netted an estimated $10 million from hundreds of ADA cases he filed on behalf of Jarek Molski, before courts curbed his litigious client. Similar patterns of ADA abuse are now emerging in New York.

The mass filing of Title III lawsuitswidely reported by local news outlets as well as major national (and even international) mediahas become a dreary spectacle, generating substantial negative public reaction and a judicial backlash. Frustrated federal judges have disparagingly characterized mass-produced ADA lawsuits as a sham and an ongoing scheme to bilk attorneys fees from the defendant. ADA reform activist David Warren Peters, a San Diego attorney, thinks that were the laughingstock of the world. Other countries dont use lawsuits to get businesses to comply.

Advocates for the disabled shrug away the horror stories by noting that businesses should just complythen the problem goes away. Not everyone is so sanguine, however. Widespread criticism of Title III litigation has prompted even liberal stalwarts such as Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to demand reforms of state law to prevent shakedown tactics threatening the viability of small businesses.

Sadly, these litigation abuses, though widely condemned, have not led to any reforms of the ADA. Critics of shakedown accessibility suits have long advocated a notification requirement, or grace period, prior to suing under Title III, but influential disability groups oppose such reforms. When Congress has amended the ADA, it has made the statute even worse, as it did in 2008 when it overrode sensible Supreme Court decisions that declined to recognize as disabilities impairments (such as poor eyesight) correctable through medication or technology. Politicians of both partiesunwilling to incur the wrath of advocates for the disabledrefuse to challenge the assumptions and structure of the ADA.

The most troubling wave of ADA litigation is just beginning to crest. The ADAs next frontierand next target of litigationis the most innovative segment of the domestic economy: e-commerce. The latest trend in ADA litigation is suing commercial websites that arent sufficiently accessible to the disabledbecause, for instance, they lack assistive technologies for the blind or hearing-impaired. Even though the ADA was enacted before websites became ubiquitous, many courts have interpreted the term public accommodation in Title III to encompass the Internet, and will entertain suits applying to it.

In 2008, Target paid $6 million to settle a class-action suit brought by the National Federation of the Blind charging that the retailers website was allegedly insufficiently accessible to blind customers. Target also paid nearly $4 million in costs and attorneys fees to the plaintiffs. Why would Target pay $10 million to settle a case when the law is unsettled and its culpability far from certain? Class-action lawsuits are particularly expensive to defend, and because the potential liability is aggregated to reflect the entire class (all blind consumers, in this example), the financial exposure for a firm if it loses in court presents an unacceptable risk to most corporate defendants.

In fact, upon their certification, virtually all class actions are settled, for a sum approximating the defendants anticipated defense costs and the risk-adjusted amount of its potential exposuretypically tens of millions of dollars. Plus, an image-conscious national retailer like Target presumably wanted to avoid the unfavorable publicity of getting sued by disabled customers. The plaintiffs bar understands this dynamicand exploits it. Bank of America signed the first web-accessibility settlement agreement in 2000. Prior to Target, other large firms entering into web-access settlements included Safeway and Charles Schwab.

The courts are divided about whether all commercial websites are subject to the ADA, or just those associated with a brick-and-mortar business. The Department of Justice under President Obama took the broader position, but it didnt issue any actual regulations providing specific guidance to businessesthose are slated for 2018. Meantime, millions of businesses with websites have the worst of both worlds: mandates without directions. As one law firm explained, with conflicting appellate precedents, statutory silence, and no DOJ regulations, businesses with websites are left to try and figure out how to avoid the onslaught of future DOJ enforcement litigation and private-sector litigation in this quickly evolving area. Walter Olson, a leading observer of the legal system, calls the DOJs rudderless campaign against websites the single most underreported and alarming regulation that I know of in the federal pipeline.

Frustrated federal judges have disparagingly characterized mass-produced ADA lawsuits as a sham.

Similar accessibility litigation has also been brought against universities providing free online courses on the grounds that the content isnt captioned for deaf users, and against ride-sharing services because their smartphone apps lack text-to-speech capability for blind users.

To be considered accessible, at least according to the demands of disabled users, websites must, among other things, use fewer pictures, employ text in a format compatible with text-reading software, and utilize designs that allow for simpler navigation. Determining the correct solution to demands for accessibility generates Hobsons choices among technical alternatives, each bound to be objectionable to someone. Designing features to aid certain disabled groups, in other words, may make a website more difficult or less efficient for other users. Consider bank websites. They often use timers that will shut down an online session for security reasons if a particular time period is exceeded. Such timeouts could present problems for some disabled users. But eliminating them in the interest of accessibility could impair security for all. Some businesses, fearing litigation, may suspend their websites entirely, inconveniencing everyone.

Questions proliferate. Do color combinations on websites violate the ADA because they confound the colorblind? Are certain layouts inaccessible if theyre confusing to users with a limited field of vision? Do the accessibility requirements apply only to the websites themselves, or also to web content, such as advertising on a third partys website? Will website hosts be responsible for compliance by third-party sites that are linked? Will the accessibility rules apply prospectively, or must archived web content be revised to comply? What standards represent a safe harbor? Are mobile apps covered? Are temporary technical bugs in an otherwise compliant website a violation of the ADA? Will the same rules apply to all websites, regardless of size? Will U.S. users be blocked from accessing offshore websites that dont meet ADA standards? What physical and mental conditions will require accommodation? So far, the litigated cases have focused on vision and hearing impairments, but future cases could include dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, narcolepsy, cognitive impairments, paralysis, and many other conditions. Will all this be determined on a case-by-case basis?

Further, guidelines that make sense for a Fortune 500 company arent necessarily appropriate for a small or medium-size business. Reconfiguringor even auditinga website using a knowledgeable consultant could be prohibitively expensive for many small businesses. Merely reviewing a websites coding and metadata to determine its compatibility with a blind users screen-reading software can cost $50,000.

Applying Title III to websites (and online content generally) is obviously highly problematic. Unlike individualized workplace modifications or structural requirements for the millions of individual business premises throughout the United States, websites constitute the universal portal to the global economy. An employer accommodation generally affects just the disabled employee and possibly a discrete group of coworkers. Accessibility requirements for buildings do not generally alter the functionality for nondisabled customers, as they easily could with websites.

Regulating the format and content of websites to ensure that certain categories of disabled consumerssay, the visually impaired and deafcan use them, if it is to happen, is also a technologically sophisticated mission, better suited to enforcement by a specialized agency, following formal rule-making, in which affected stakeholders receive advance notice and have an opportunity to comment. It is essential that any regulations be specific, reasonable, prospective in application, and cost-effective. The private-litigation model that has developed under Title III of the ADA is a proven disaster and one that should not be inflicted on the burgeoning digital economy.

Unhindered by government regulation, technology has shown a nearly miraculous capacity for innovation, aiding all of society, including the disabled. Stephen Hawking extols the benefits of technology, which permit him to synthesize speech, deliver talks, and write books and papers (including the best-selling physics book of all time)all without the dictates of the ADA. The prospect of inhibiting further technological advance through litigation and regulation should be preposterous in a free society. Does anyone seriously believe that the federal governmentor our legal systemcan micromanage the Internet to produce better outcomes than the free market would deliver?

More than 26 years after its passage, critics of the ADAand there are manymust resign themselves to the fact that the law is here to stay. In addition to requiring the now-ubiquitous curb cuts, wheelchair ramps, and designated parking places, the ADA has undeniably increased societal awareness of the challenges that many Americans struggle to overcome every day. But good intentions dont guarantee sound public policy. Sympathy for the less fortunate is no substitute for common sense, and society cannot ameliorate every disadvantage. The ADAs beneficent legacy is being threatened by the sleazy, quasi-extortionate model of private litigation that it has given rise to.

Lawmakers and regulators need to recognize that predatory litigation under Title III of the ADA accomplishes nothing except the enrichment of a small number of opportunist plaintiffs lawyers and their serial clients. Title III should be amended to provide for administrative enforcement instead of relying on mercenary private litigation; or, at a minimum, accessibility claimants should be required to provide notice of alleged violations and give businesses a reasonable opportunity to comply, prior to bringing a lawsuit. Advocates for the disabled will oppose such reforms, but responsible legislators must not cower before vocal special-interest groups when the public good is at stake.

The issue of online accessibility calls for bolder action. Congress should act, either to exempt websites and related content from the requirements of the ADA entirely, or to enact detailed guidelines regarding the precise accommodations that the law requires. If Congress wont act, the DOJ (or another federal agency) should promulgate reasonable regulations for accessibility. In the interim, courts should hold in abeyance all lawsuits under the ADA based on allegedly noncompliant websites. Exposing businesses to potentially ruinous litigation in the absence of specific rules is an affront to the rule of law. And regardless of who develops the rules, or what those rules (if any) turn out to be, enforcement should be administrative in nature. If a quarter-centurys worth of experience under the ADA teaches us anything, it is that Title IIIs private-litigation model is an abject failure.

The well-intentioned Americans with Disabilities Act has produced endless litigation, at astronomical cost. The record of lawsuit abuse under the ADA is indisputable. And we cannot allow our most innovative form of technologye-commerceto be sacrificed on the same altar of wishful thinking. The statute could use some accommodation of its own.

Photo: President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, opening a Pandoras box of unintended consequences. (BARRY THUMMA/AP PHOTO)
The Charity Commission has warned the RSPCA to bring its governance up to the standard that the public would expect in the wake of the departure of the charity's latest chief executive.

Yesterday it emerged that the charitys chief executive had left with immediate effect shortly before publication of a review of the charitys governance, which was started last March on the recommendation of the regulator.

A Commission spokeswoman said that the regulator has been working with the charity.

We have been engaging with the charity, both about this review and more generally about its administration and management, the spokeswoman said.

The RSPCA is a significant institution and it is important that its governance is brought up to the standard that the public would expect."

An RSPCA spokeswoman said yesterday that the results of the review would be published soon.

Troubled charity

Jeremy Cooper is the second chief executive to have left the RSPCA in recent years. In 2014 its chief executive, Gavin Grant quit, citing health reasons, and was followed within months by his deputy, John Grounds. It then took two years to find a new chief executive. At least three trustees have resigned in protest.

RSPCA has been criticised by national media titles over its prosecution activity and has been the subject of scrutiny from a Commons committee.

It was also fined by the Information Commissioner's Office for breaching the Data Protection Act. It received the largest fine of any charity.

However its latest accounts for the year ending December 2016, recently published on its website, show the charitys income rising by 20m to 144m, largely down to an increase in legacy income.

Civil Society Media is hosting its Charity People & Culture Conference on 20 September 2017. For more information, and to book, click here
Credit union professionals from across the country are gathering today to kick off the NAFCUs 50th Annual Conference and Solutions Expo in Honolulu. The conference is NAFCUs largest annual event and it runs through Friday, June 16.

We are excited to be celebrating NAFCUs 50th anniversary and the associations accomplishments in Honolulu, said NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. NAFCUs Annual Conference and Solutions Expo brings credit union leaders together to learn the latest on important industry issues and trends. This years program is designed to help credit unions strengthen their operations and grow their bottom line.

Today, Berger will lead a member-only Private Conversation with other NAFCU senior staff. Also slated are the Defense Credit Union Summit, sponsored by Allied Solutions, where attendees will learn about the impact of the Military Lending Act and network with other credit union leaders invested in defense issues; and the popular pre-conference workshop, where credit union board and supervisory committee members learn the ins and outs of the credit union industry and earn the NAFCU Certified Volunteer Expert certification.
Talking Points:

Most Asian markets scored gains, with only the Nikkei down among the majors

It didnt slip far however, losing just 0.05%

Investors are increasingly fixated on the US Federal Reserve and its June policy conclave

Give your Asian market trading strategy a tune-up with the DailyFX trading guide

Most Asian stock markets managed small gains Tuesday despite ongoing pressure on US tech stocks in the previous session.

Caution still appears to reign, however, as well it might with a two-day US Federal Reserve monetary-policy meeting kicking off later. It's expected to result in another, quarter-percentage-point interest-rate rise. The Nikkei 225 ended down by a whisker, losing just 0.01%. Australias ASX 200 added 1.2% as markets there reopened after Mondays holiday break. Other regional markets were up, by about 0.5% apiece.

The US Dollar was broadly steady against Asian currencies. However it rose once more against a British Pound still dealing with election fallout. The Canadian Dollar meanwhile managed its highest level against its US cousin for nearly two months on Tuesday, lifted by hawkish commentary from the Bank of Canada on Monday. Local economic numbers didnt have much currency impact. Sentiment at large Japanese businesses hit lows not seen for a year according to official figures. Australian confidence slipped back too but it remains at comparatively high levels and surveyors at National Australia Bank said business overall was still upbeat.

Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins said that first-quarter growth had been pretty impressive and that the central bank would in consequence consider whether current low rates are still needed.

Gold prices went nowhere through the Asian session, gaining a little less than 0.1% per ounce. Crude oil added about 12 cents/barrel on news that Saudi Arabia was making significant supply cuts to major consumers. However still-rising US output levels are ensuring the endurance of high overall supply levels.

The rest of the global session offers plentiful economic data. From the UK will come consumer-price and retail-sales numbers. Therell also be Germanys ZEW sentiment survey and US producer prices.

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research

Contact and follow David on Twitter: @DavidCottleFX
[June 12, 2017] Internet of Things to drive the digital transformation of businesses and organizations in ASEAN

SINGAPORE, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia IoT Business Platform series will be returning to Southeast Asia for the fourth consecutive year. The programs, which are organized by Industry Platform Pte. Ltd, will take place in major cities across the region, including in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Jakarta, in July and August. The programs will continue to facilitate the digital transformation of enterprises and organizations in Southeast Asia. It will also have an additional focus on addressing challenges and issues that organizations face in adopting and implementing Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The prestigious programs will involve Government officials, senior business leaders in the IoT and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) sectors, as well as local enterprises that are looking to explore business growth and improved business efficiency with IoT. "We are excited to return to major cities in ASEAN this year, after many successful editions in the past couple of years. Since 2014, we have seen business partnerships among stakeholders being forged to drive the IoT adoption growth in the region. IoT developments are also apparent, especially in the different smart city initiatives, and the different IoT projects implemented by local enterprises. We are glad to witness these promising developments," Irza Suprapto, Director at Asia IoT Business Platform, said. The rapid technological developments in Southeast Asia have led to great demands for IoT technologies. A recent survey conducted by Asia IoT Business Platform on local enterprises shows that more than 70 per cent of local enterprises and organizations are currently in the process of exploring or finding possible IoT solutions to be deployed or implemented. However, only 7 per cent of them report benefitting from any IoT implementation. These enterprises and organizations cite cost, legacy systems, and complexity as the top three concerns in adopting IoT. Following the great interest in IoT technologies but low benefits from implemntation, Irza noted that it is now important to understand the challenges that enterprises face in trying to deploy IoT in their businesses.



"The challenges that enterprises face in implementing IoT will determine how they view the benefits of IoT implementation and in turn, affects the demand for IoT technologies. Therefore, this year, we are inviting IT leaders of local enterprises and organizations to share more about their IoT projects or their digital transformation vision, as well as the challenges that they face in deploying IoT. This is to ensure that their concerns and challenges will be addressed and IoT adoption rates in the region will continue to grow, instead of being stunted," Irza added. The Asia IoT Business Platform series across ASEAN will feature a line-up of esteemed speakers comprising IT leaders from local enterprises such as Sampoerna Strategic (Indonesia), Garuda Indonesia, Bank of Thailand, Charoen Pokphand (Thailand), Petronas (Malaysia), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia), Philippine Ports Authority, Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (Philippines), and many more.

The programs include keynote address and panel discussions covering a wide spectrum of topics including industry trends and outlook, industrial IoT, transport and logistics, public services, smart city, banking, finance and retail, and next generation technologies. The programs are supported by the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF), Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fujitsu, Dassault Systemes, PCCW Solutions, Atilze, Nosairis, Maxis, AST Group, Axiros, Adlink, S3 Innovate, Halodata, Indosat Ooredoo, Robustel, Advantech, NTT Communications, Eluon, Nable Communications, Parasoft, DRVR, Hitachi, Cytech, Aerial Communications, and Accrete. For details regarding the programs, tickets, and registration, visit http://bit.ly/2rlQwAP. About Asia IoT Business Platform With a focus on local government agencies and enterprises across different industry sectors, the Asia IoT Business Platform is a premier business program crafted by the industry for the industry, with the aim of addressing key issues facing the adoption of IoT technologies in ASEAN. The program drives enterprises to understand and learn about the adoption of IoT technologies for their business. Since its inception in 2013, the event has secured strong support from local governments and telecommunication companies. The 2017 series will focus on engaging IoT solution providers and enterprises to address pain points and key challenges in implementing IoT in businesses. 13th edition Asia IoT Business Platform  Bangkok, Thailand; 24  25 July 2017 14th edition Asia IoT Business Platform  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 27  28 July 2017 15th edition Asia IoT Business Platform  Manila, Philippines; 1  2 August 2017 16th edition Asia IoT Business Platform  Jakarta, Indonesia; 7  8 August 2017 About Industry Platform Pte Ltd Industry Platform Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore incorporated firm focused on the global telecommunications sector. We are Southeast Asia's leading organizer of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) conferences and exhibitions. We work with local and global businesses, as well as public sector bodies and associations who are looking to expand their reach in Asian markets. We provide the best platforms for industry professionals to network and shape developments. For further details, please contact: Abdullah Zaidani

Marketing and PR

Tel: +65 6733 1107

Email: [email protected] SOURCE Industry Platform

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Cantel Medical Corp. provides infection prevention and control products and services for the healthcare market. The company's Medical segment offers automated endoscope reprocessing systems; disinfectants and sterilants; detergents; leak testing and manual cleaning products; storage cabinets and transport systems; manual cleaning products; endoscope process tracking products; other consumables, accessories, and supplies for use in disinfect rigid endoscopes, flexible endoscopes, and other instrumentation; and technical maintenance services. Its Life Sciences segment provides dialysis water purification and bicarbonate mixing systems; hollow fiber filters, and other filtration and separation products; liquid disinfectants and cold sterilization products; dry fog products; room temperature sterilization equipment and services; and clean-room certification and decontamination services for the dialysis and other healthcare, research laboratories, food and beverage, and commercial industrial customers, as well as microbiological testing services. The company's Dental segment offers hand and powered dental instruments, instrument reprocessing and sterility assurance products, towels, bibs, tray liners, sponges, nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation equipment and related single-use disposable nasal masks, face masks, and shields. It also provides hand sanitizers, germicidal wipes, disinfectants, surface disinfectants, waterline treatment products, saliva ejectors, evacuator tips, plastic cups, prophy angles, and prophy paste. The company's Dialysis segment provides hemodialysis concentrates and other ancillary supplies; medical device reprocessing systems; and sterilants and disinfectants. The company sells its products through its direct distribution network in the United States; and directly or under various third-party distribution agreements internationally. Cantel Medical Corp. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Little Falls, New Jersey.
NovaSparks Voted Best Hardware Data Feed Handler

NovaSparks, the leading field programmable gate array (FPGA) market data company, today announced that the Readership of Intelligent Trading Technology selected NovaTick as best high-performance hardware data feed handler at the Intelligent Trading Technology Awards 2017 Ceremony. The awards presented during this ceremony acknowledged excellence in trading technologies within capital markets, focusing on specialized suppliers of trading operation technologies.

"We are pleased to offer our congratulations to NovaSparks on their prestigious Intelligent Trading Technology Award win. Our readership of 15,000 senior trading technology executives clearly voted NovaSparks as the leading provider of Best High Performance Data Feed Handler - Hardware," said Andrew Delaney, president of A-Team Group, which hosts the ITT (News - Alert) Awards.







NovaTick's design is based on a pure FPGA architecture where all real-time market data processing functions are performed in hardware resulting in the lowest and most deterministic latency. This FPGA-centric architecture is augmented with tightly integrated Intel (News - Alert) processors to support non-latency sensitive tasks such as exchange recovery functions.

About NovaSparks, Inc.

NovaSparks is the leader in FPGA-based high performance and ultra-low latency market data solutions for the financial industry. NovaSparks unique FPGA centric approach delivers sub microsecond processing latency including book building, even during market peak periods. Available for over 50 feeds among the major Equity, Futures and Options venues across North America, Europe and Asia, the feed handlers are packaged in easy-to-deploy appliances offering an extensive fan-out capability for market data distribution. Founded in 2008 and backed by well-established investors, NovaSparks' offices are located in Paris, France and New York, USA.

For more information, please contact Barbara Rizzatti at 971-998-9404 or [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @NovaSparksFPGA.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006364/en/
SPRINGFIELD -- To help revive the shrinking populations of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators, the Illinois Department of Transportation is adjusting its mowing routine along state highways this spring and summer. The approach, part of IDOTs overall effort to encourage green and sustainable practices in all its programs and projects, will help to re-establish types of plants that are food sources for bees, butterflies and other insects that are native to Illinois.

As one of the largest land owners in the state, IDOT appreciates its tremendous responsibility to act as stewards of the environment, said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. This simple change in our maintenance obligations will have little impact on the traveling public, but will give a big assist to Mother Nature at no cost to the state.

Although their numbers are on the decline, pollinators play a vital role in agriculture and the states ecosystem by fertilizing and aiding in reproduction of flowers, fruits, vegetables and seeds. The official state insect of Illinois since 1975, the monarch butterfly is at risk of being declared endangered, with a population thats declined by 80 percent the last 10 years.

Starting in May IDOT will only mow 15 feet of right of way beyond the edge of the roadway. Exceptions will be made in certain areas to preserve sightlines for motorists and to prevent the spread of invasive plant species.

Prior to this initiative, mowing widths varied by location. By reducing the amount of land being mowed, IDOT hopes to encourage the growth of critical plant species, such as milkweed, the only food source for monarch caterpillars. In the coming months, IDOT will be monitoring roadsides to determine if the approach is working.

In recent months, IDOT has taken other measures to restore native habitat along state highways, including a prairie restoration project on U.S. 45 near Champaign.
URBANA -- In the primordial soup that was early Earth, life started small. Elements joined to form the simple carbon-based molecules that were the precursors of everything that was to come. But there is debate about the next step.

One popular hypothesis suggests that ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules, which contain the genetic blueprints for proteins and can perform simple chemical reactions, kick-started life. Some scientists refute this idea, however, saying RNA is too large and complex a molecule to have started it all. That group says simpler molecules had to evolve the ability to perform metabolic functions before macromolecules such as RNA could be built. This idea is appropriately named metabolism-first, and new evidence out of the University of Illinois backs it up.

All living organisms have a metabolism, a set of life-sustaining chemical transformations that provide the energy and matter needed for the functions of the cell. These metabolic transformations are assumed to have occurred very early in life, in primitive Earth. Organisms probably replaced chemical reactions already going on in the planet and internalized them into cells through development of enzymatic activities, says Gustavo Caetano-Anolles, bioinformatician and professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at U of I.

Caetano-Anolles and Ibrahim Koc, a visiting scholar in the department, found evidence for the metabolism-first hypothesis by studying the evolution of molecular functions in organisms representing all realms of life. For 249 organisms, their genomes -- or complete set of genes -- were available in a searchable database. Whats unique about this particular resource, known as the Gene Ontology (GO) database, is the fact that for each gene product -- a protein or RNA molecule -- a set of terms describing its function goes with it.

You can take an entire genome that represents an organism, like the human genome, and visualize it through the collection of functionalities of its genes. The study of these functionomes tells us what genes do, instead of focusing on their names and locations. For example, we can find out what kinds of catalytic, recognition, or binding activities a gene product has, which is much more intuitive, Caetano-Anolles notes. The best way to understand an organism is through its functions.

According to Caetano-Anolles, the number of times a function appears in a genome provides historical information. So the team took the GO terms describing all of the molecular functions in each organism and counted them up. The idea was that an ancient function, such as the catalytic activity of metabolism, is likely shared by all organisms and will be found in large numbers. On the other hand, more recent functions are found in lower numbers and in smaller subsets of organisms.

The team used the information and advanced computational methods to construct a tree that traced the most likely evolutionary path of molecular functions through time. At the base of the tree, close to its roots, were the most ancient functions. The most recent were close to the crown.

At the base of the tree, corresponding to the origin of life on Earth, were functions related to metabolism and binding. It is logical that these two functions started very early because molecules first needed to generate energy through metabolism and had to interact with other molecules through binding, Caetano-Anolles explains.

The next major advancements were functions that made the rise of macromolecules possible, which is when RNA might have entered the picture. Next came the machinery that integrated molecules into cells, followed by the rise of functions allowing communication between cells and their environments. Finally, as you move toward the crown of the tree, you start seeing functions related to highly sophisticated processes involving things like muscle, skin, or the nervous system, Caetano-Anolles says.

The research doesnt just shed light on the past. Knowing the progression of these molecular functions through time can help predict where life on Earth is headed. People think of evolution as looking backwards, Caetano-Anolles says. But we could use our chronologies and methodologies to ask what novel molecular functions will be generated in the future.

The work has applications for bioengineering, an emerging field that uses biological information and computation to produce novel molecules. Engineered molecules could combat disease and improve the quality of everyday life, according to Caetano-Anolles. The best way to reengineer biological molecules with novel and useful molecular functions is to learn principles from clues left behind in their past, he says.

The article, The natural history of molecular functions inferred from an extensive phylogenomic analysis of gene ontology data, is published in PLoS One.
Atlantic margin-focussed oil and gas exploration company Chariot Oil & Gas was set to hold its annual general meeting in London on Tuesday, with chief executive Larry Bottomley preparing to provide a brief portfolio and strategy update to the assembled punters.

Bottomley said that, while the challenging business environment in 2016 resulted in subdued industry activity, Chariot used that as an opportunity to mature and de-risk its portfolio by shooting seismic surveys at favourable rates.

It participated in extensive 3D seismic campaigns in Namibia and Brazil, with additional 2D and 3D seismic acquired in early 2017 in Morocco.

The processing and interpretation of those data sets was allowing the Company to develop, de-risk and mature its drilling inventory.

Chariot continues to focus on partnering for risk management, Bottomley said.

The approval of the Rabat Deep Offshore farm-out to Eni is demonstrative of that strategy in action and will lead to the drilling of the RD-1 well, expected Q1 2018, targeting the JP-1 prospect which is estimated to hold 768 mmbbls gross mean prospective resources.

Partnering processes are underway in Namibia and Morocco, and will start in Brazil on completion of the interpretation of the data from the 2016 3D seismic campaign.

In Morocco, Bottomley said Chariot had continued to expand its portfolio, securing first the Mohammedia Offshore Permits and then, in early 2017, the Kenitra Permit, leveraging existing knowledge and understanding of the petroleum systems in Morocco.

Those permits captured material prospectivity that had the potential to be significantly de-risked by the drilling of the RD-1 well.

Chariot has continued to illustrate its strategy in the management of risk and the allocation of capital by its election in June 2016 not to enter into the next phase for the C-19 licence in Mauritania.

In Namibia, the company has continued to mature its portfolio with the evaluation of the 2016 3D seismic data in the Central Blocks delineating five structural prospects ranging from 283 - 459 mmbbls gross mean prospective resources as described in the Competent Person's Report undertaken by Netherland Sewell and Associates.

A partnering process has been initiated in the Central Blocks with the aim to undertake drilling in H2 2018, for which preparations are underway, [and] farm-out discussions are also proceeding in the Southern Blocks.

Seismic interpretation was continuing in Brazil, according to Bottomley, with encouraging early results.

Upon completion, the dataroom on those licences would open in H2 2017.

Chariot maintained focus on financial discipline, ending 2016 with $25m in cash, well in excess of its commitments.

In H1 2017 the completion of the seismic programme in Morocco and the partnering with Eni in Rabat Deep, delivering a capped carry on the RD-1 well expected Q1 2018, means there are now no unfunded work commitments throughout the portfolio.

Overhead costs remained tightly controlled, whilst the management has been successful in leveraging the overall industry downturn to negotiate favourable seismic rates, thus allowing for counter-cyclical investment in the portfolio.

The focus for H2 2017 was to continue building and maturing the portfolio to deliver further funded drilling inventory, the board said, whilst continuing to screen the market for potential value-accretive opportunities.
US President Donald Trump will face a lawsuit from the attorney generals of Maryland and Washington, who claim that he has not done enough to separate his business interests from his role in the White House.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Maryland on Monday, with the states top legal official Brian Frosh and DCs Karl Racine alleging that Trump has committed unprecedented constitutional violations in the continuation of his private empire.

According to the US constitution's emoluments clauses, a president may not benefit financially from holding the Oval Office.

Trump is still the owner of his vast business empire, despite having taken over as President in January of this year. While retaining ownership, he gave control of his businesses to sons Eric and Donald Jnr.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Maryland on Monday

Frosh told reporters on Monday that Trump must face the consequences of such actions.

The emoluments clauses are a firewall against presidential corruption, Frosh said in Washington. And the one thing we know about the president is he understands the value of walls. This is one he cant climb over and its one he cant dig underneath.

It is unprecedented that the American people must question day after day whether decisions are made and actions are taken to benefit the United States or to benefit Donald Trump, he added. The presidents conflicts of interest threaten our democracy.

Trumps presidency has been plagued by several ongoing scandals in the first five months, including allegations of links between his campaign and the Kremlin, while doubts still surround his private empire.
Markets bounced back at the start of the session, with investors apparently recovering their calm following Monday's sharp drop in technology stocks and ahead of the US central bank's policy announcement due the next day.

"The quiet start to the week in terms of news flow and economic data combined with the UK election result didnt provide much reason for optimism on Monday, although it was the sell-off in tech that appeared to be the greatest drag. Whether this is a temporary correction in a sector that has performed extraordinarily this year or something more is yet to be seen but nothing suggests to me that the latter is the case," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda.

As of 0817 BST, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was higher by 0.36% to 388.0, alongside a rise of 0.35% to 12,735.67 for Germany's Dax and a gain of 0.20% to 5,251.23 in Paris's Cac-40.

Movements in the other main asset classes were largely muted early on Monday morning, with front month Brent crude oil futures edging higher by 0.23% to $48.40 a barrel on the ICE, while the euro was up by 0.06% to 1.1208.

On the political front, in an interview with the FT Europe's lead Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned the UK not to "waste" more time.

Next week would mark three months since Article 50 was triggered and no negotiations had yet taken place, he said.

Acting as a backdrop, investors were looking out to the US Federal Reserve's policy announcement on Wednesday, with rate-setters in Washington DC widely expected to hike their main policy rate by 25 basis points to a range of between 1.0% and 1.25%.

As expected, Spain's national statistics office confirmed a preliminary estimate that consumer prices in the Mediterranean country were unchanged last month, having risen by 2.0% year-on-year during the previous month.

French non-farm payrolls grew by 0.4% or 89,700 quarter-on-quarter during the first three months of 2017, according to INSEE.

Still on the economic calendar for Tuesday, Germany's ZEW institute was set to publish its economic confidence index for the month of June.

Meanwhile, Germany's Fraport indicated that airport passenger numbers grew by 5.7% year-on-year in May, as cargo increased 5.1%.

In parallel, Air France reported a 6.1% increase in its May traffic.

France's Engie announced its intention to sell its 10% stake in India's Petronet LNG for a value of 410.0m.
The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping awarded himself another five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party and called for self-reliance in technology, a stronger military and protection of core interests abroad. At a party congress, Xi gave no sign of plans to change the "zero-COVID strategy that has frustrated Chinas public and disrupted business and trade. He called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that strain relations with Washington and Asian neighbors. Xi is tightening control at home and trying to use Chinas economic heft to increase its influence abroad.
Fashion retailer Ted Baker reported a 14.2% rise in revenue for the 19 weeks to 10 June as it presses ahead with its global expansion, with openings in Los Angeles, Paris, and Shanghai.

Total retail sales for the period were up 8.4% at constant currency, while wholesale sales for the period increased 8.9%, reflecting good performances from both its UK and North America business. The group said its e-commerce business has continued to perform well, with sales up 32.3% thanks to good growth across the e-commerce sites and the strength of its retail proposition.

In addition, Ted Baker continues to expect to achieve high single-digit growth at constant currency in the wholesale business for the full year. It said the company was positioned to meet the board's expectations for the full year "despite the current uncertain macro environment".

Found and chief executive Ray Kelvin said: "This continued good performance across all of our distribution channels is a reflection of the strength and appeal of Ted Baker as a global lifestyle brand. The continued expansion of the brand remains underpinned by an unwavering focus on quality and attention to detail as well as the passion, skill and Tedication of our team.

"We are very pleased with the customer response during the period and, despite an uncertain macro environment, we remain positioned to deliver further progress and our expectations for the full year."
The global credit impulse has fallen as dramatically over recent months as it did during the onset of the Lehman crisis, signalling serious headwinds for the world economy and asset prices just as the US Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy. A key UBS tracking indicator shows that the impulse has plummeted by 6pc of GDP since peaking last year, driven by powerful swings in China and the US. - Telegraph

The start of formal Brexit talks has been delayed in the wake of the political uncertainty caused by Theresa Mays disastrous election result. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, yesterday met Oliver Robbins, the most senior civil servant in David Davis's Brexit department, but the two men failed to reach an agreement on a start date for talks. - Telegraph

Senior Cabinet ministers are engaged in secret talks with Labour MPs to secure cross-party backing for a soft Brexit, it has emerged. Some of the most senior members of Theresa May's team have been discussing how to force the Prime Minister to make concessions on immigration, the customs union and the single market. - Telegraph

Theresa May is poised to bring to a close seven years of austerity after Tory MPs warned that they would refuse to vote for further cuts. The prime minister spent the day apologising to her cabinet and backbenchers, saying that she took full responsibility for losing the partys Commons majority and running a poor campaign. - The Times

Employers in Britain are planning to take on new workers over coming months despite looming Brexit negotiations and slower economic growth, according to a survey. A poll of 2,109 employers by recruitment agency ManpowerGroup found that a net balance of 5% were planning to increase staff levels rather than cut them over the July-to-September quarter. - Guardian

Allied Irish Banks is set to join the FTSE 100 as one of its biggest listings in two decades with a valuation of about 12 billion. The lender, which had to be rescued by Irish taxpayers during the financial crisis, will be priced at between 3.90 and 4.90 a share with conditional dealing due to start on June 23 with expected admission to the London and Irish Stock Exchanges around June 27. - The Times

Donald Trump has committed unprecedented constitutional violations by failing to appropriately disentangle his public responsibilities as president with his private interests as a businessman, according to a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington on Monday. The lawsuit, filed by DC attorney general Karl Racine and Maryland attorney general Brian Frosh in a Maryland federal court, alleges that Trump has violated the emoluments clause of the US constitution by failing to relinquish ownership of his vast business holdings. - Guardian

The National Trust is facing a legal challenge after forcing a fracking company to divert around its land when surveying for shale gas. Ineos Shale is beginning seismic testing for gas this week across 250 square km of the east Midlands. - The Times

Ineos has set out a plan to spend about 2 billion bumping up its chemical processing capacity across Europe. The privately owned petrochemicals business run by the billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has earmarked half the cash for a propane dehydrogenation unit that is expected to be built on the Continent. - The Times

The Competition and Markets Authority is continuing its probe into the takeover of Amec Foster Wheeler by rival Wood Group. The 2.2 billion deal has raised concerns about competition in the North Sea, as the group has a combined share of around 60 per cent of the market. - Mail

Oil and gas companies are ploughing on with job cuts but many now feel more confident that the worst of the downturn in the UK is over, according to an industry survey published today. The research found that 52 per cent of contractors and operators believe the bottom of the cycle has been reached. - The Times

Motoring giant Ford is building an innovation centre for driverless cars to take advantage of Britains world-class digital talent and academic institutions. The hub, due to open later this year, will house about 40 specialists in the Here East campus on the Olympic Park in east London. - Mail

Technology companies that fail to remove extremist content from the internet would face hefty fines under laws proposed by Britain and France. Theresa May and President Macron of France plan international sanctions to force internet companies to take action over jihadist propaganda and attack guides for would-be terrorists. - Telegraph

Cut-price supermarket chain Aldi is seeking to conquer the US market  building on its unprecedented success in Britain. The German firm already has 1,600 American stores but plans to expand this to 2,500  which would make it the third-largest US retailer. - Mail

Firefighters are investigating whether a severe blaze at one of Rick Stein's flagship Cornish restaurants was started deliberately. A major investigation was underway on Monday after the celebrity chef's upmarket eatery in the tiny port of Porthleven came within minutes of being completely destroyed. - Telegraph

The former chairman of Just Eat has died after a short illness. Takeaway industry pioneer John Hughes, 65, took a leave of absence less than two months ago to undergo medical treatment. - Mail
Is this what Donald Trump meant when he campaigned on being the greatest jobs president that God ever created?

The president celebrated the 70 whole jobs created by the Acosta mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the nations newest coal mine.

When I ended the war on coal, I said I would put our incredible minersand thats what you are, incredibleback to work, Trump said after the mine opened last Thursday, likely forgetting that his budget slashes 40 percent, or about $1 billion, from federal job training programs.

Corsa Coal Company CEO George Dethlefsen said 400 people applied for the 70 positions available at the new mine.

Dethlefsen said the mine will help the areas struggling economy but as Quartz pointed out thats significantly fewer than the 92 jobs created by the opening of one American supermarket on average.

Most of the coal isnt even staying in the country. According to PennLive, as for where the coal ultimately ends up, as much as 85 percent could be exported overseas to make steel in countries such as South Korea, Turkey, Egypt and Brazil, Corsa officials say.

Even though Dethlefsen praised Trump for easing regulations and encouraging fossil fuel exploration, FactCheck.org reported that the administration had nothing to do with the Acosta mine opening as development began in September, or before the 2016 election.

The opening of the Acosta mine has nothing to do with U.S. federal policy, Trevor Houser, a partner with the economic research company Rhodium Group, told FactCheck. Thats because the mine produces metallurgical coal, which is used for iron and steel-making, whereas thermal coal is used for energy generation.

As FactCheck explained, about 90 percent of U.S. coal production is thermal coal and it has not been doing well at all in recent years, with coal consumption down nearly 18 percent between 2012 and 2016. And while Trump has added about 1,000 total coal jobs since taking office, the current number of coal mining jobs, 51,000, is 43 percent lower than in January 2012.

Meanwhile, Americas clean energy jobs have soared, with solar employment expanding 17 times faster than the overall economy and wind turbine technicians are expected to be the fastest-growing occupation over the next 10 years.

However, its unclear how long this growth might last with Trumps proposal to cut about 70 percent from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energys budget.
By Anna Bachmann

The 16 tall puppet Enki, Iraqs Sumerian God of Water, was forced to stand in for Iraqs Upper Tigris Waterkeeper, Nabil Musa at the Waterkeeper Alliance conference in Utah last week.

Musa, who was born and currently lives in Northern Iraq also carries a British passport and has attended several Waterkeeper conferences in the past under a U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This program permits citizens of 38 countries (including the UK) to travel to the U.S. without a visa. Nabil was denied the visa waiver to attend the 2017 conference after the Department of Homeland Security changed the rules with the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015.

This act states that nationals of VWP countries who have been present in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, at any time on or after March 1, 2011 will be denied the visa waiver. As a result Nabil, who works to protect rivers in Iraq, missed an important opportunity to connect with this vital network of water advocates from around the world.

Anna Bachmann is the founder of Waterkeepers Iraq.
By Molly Taft, Laura A. Shepard and Monika Sharma

Alongside Highway 401 in northern North Carolina is a 21st-century twist on a classic rural scene. A few miles outside of Roxboro, sheep graze among 5,000 panels at the Person County Solar Park, keeping the grass tidy on the rural installation.

Fields like these arent just scenic settings for roadtripping tourists to snap photos. Solar has been some of the only economic development to happen in rural North Carolina in the last 30 years, explained Richard Harkrader, CEO of a local solar company.

For companies like Harkraders Carolina Solar Energy, the Tar Heel State is a great place to do business. Abundant sunshine, ample support for clean energy and smart public policy have spurred the rapid growth of solar. Today, North Carolina boasts more solar capacity than every state except California. In the first quarter of 2017, North Carolina added more solar than any other state, and its solar industry employs more people than Wake Forest University.

North Carolina solar jobs by county. Solar Foundation

But, despiteor perhaps because ofits success, solar is facing a battle in the state.

North Carolina solar companies owe much of their success to an obscure federal law passed in the wake of the 1973 OPEC oil crisis, when shortages produced lines around the block at gas stations and tipped the U.S. economy into recession. At that time, Americans got about one-sixth of their electrical power from burning petroleum, much of it imported from the Middle East. In a bid for greater energy independence, lawmakers approved The Public Utility Regulatory Policy of 1978, known as PURPA.

Among other things, PURPA required utilities to buy renewable power from independent producers if it cost no more than electricity from the conventional power plants owned by the utility. The aim was to source more power from small renewable facilities, like the Person County Solar Park, easing demand for electricity from coal, gas andin particularpetroleum-fired power plants.

In the 1970s, PURPA didnt do much for renewables. In the era of bellbottoms and disco, cheap solar power was a distant dream, and the fledgling solar industry was peddling clunky technology at sky-high prices. But solar has taken off over the past decade, and PURPA has become far more importantespecially in North Carolina. Some 92 percent of the states solar projects have been supported by the decades-old law.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/872567612072394754 shouldnt have to pay for power from existing solar installations under PURPA, said Chris Carmody, executive director of North Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance. But theyll turn around and establish a 10-year contract to buy natural gas, which is volatile and has heavy fluctuation. Utility-scale solar has no fluctuationonce the project is built, thats it.

Duke also claims that solar farms are flooding the grid with power on sunny days. This forces the utility to ramp down and then ramp up coal- and gas-fired power plants, which is less efficient than letting generators run at a constant rate. Complicating matters, developers are mostly building solar farms in the rural, eastern part of the state, far from hydroelectric storage systems that could bank surplus solar power.

But renewable-energy advocates say this isnt a problem with solar. Its a problem with the aging power gridsome places havent seen an update in more than 50 years. North Carolina, they contend, needs better transmission lines and more energy storage.

Solar companies are hopeful they can reach an agreement with utilities. Steve Levitas, a lawyer for Cypress Creek, said Dukes proposed changes would certainly make it harder to develop projects in North Carolina. He noted that the solar industry has been trying to work toward consensus with Duke, and is open to new policies that allow solar to continue its impressive growth. Cyprus Creek does not support Dukes current proposal.

Last week, the state House passed a sweeping, bipartisan, Duke-backed energy bill that would curtail PURPA while creating new incentives for solar. The bill would shorten contracts for solar installations, cap the volume of renewable energy that utilities are required to buy from third parties and create a competitive bidding process for new solar projects. At the same time, the bill allows ratepayers to buy power directly from community solar arrays, and it would establish a rebate program for rooftop solar, among other changes. On balance, the bill appears to favor the utility. Solar firms have largely kept quiet on the measure.

Solar companies say they are accustomed to the sweeping changes in public policy. Harkrader said that, for small firms, new challenges and new markets are a normal part of the equation. We call it the solar coaster.

Reposted with permission of our media associate Nexus Media.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt may have skipped the G7 climate meeting more than a day early, but he has certainly kept busy staffing his agency.

POLITICO reported that Pruitt has named energy industry attorney Patrick Traylor as a deputy in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

The office, which the Trump administration reportedly tried to cut, enforces key anti-pollution laws such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to protect the environment and vulnerable communities.

Traylor, whose LinkedIn profile indicates he started the job in June, was a longtime partner of the international law firm Hogan Lovells and has represented companies owned by the Koch brothers and other energy industry giants.

Per POLITICO, clients include utility Southern California Edison; Venture Global LNG, a natural gas exporter; Flint Hills Resources, a Koch subsidiary refiner; Koch Nitrogen, maker of synthetic fertilizer; and several wind companies seeking Endangered Species Act permits.

Traylor has also defended Dominion Energy and TransCanada, as New York Times reporter Eric Lipton tweeted. Dominion is behind the highly contested Atlantic Coast Pipeline and TransCanadas is responsible for the Keystone XL.

Pruitt names lawyer who defended Koch Industries, Dominion Energy & TransCanada,etc., as a top EPA enforcement boss. Welcome to the new EPA. pic.twitter.com/xYL8aLyB54  Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) June 12, 2017

Clients have turned to Traylor to support tens of billions of dollars worth of projects at refineries, petrochemical and fertilizer plants, LNG export terminals, coal- and gas-fired power plants, coal mines, and bulk materials terminals, according to Hogan Lovells website.

For almost 20 years, clients have relied on Patrick to conduct some of their most sensitive internal compliance investigations and represent them in Clean Air Act enforcement cases, the site adds.
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A couple of blog posts ago, I wrote that the decision to go to ESC Boston ended up being a great one for many different reasons. I came back from the conference energized and really happy that I went.

These feelings were amplified a few days after my return when I received an email from Rolf Segger, the founder of SEGGER Microcontroller (check out their very new website), asking if I would be interested in visiting their headquarters in Germany to produce a few videos for them. Needless to say that I said yes with enthusiasm, which means that I am going back to Germany (Dusseldorf this time) for the second time this year (and second time in my life!).

The seed for this opportunity was planted at ESC Boston when I had a short conversation with Shane Titus, Managing Director of SEGGER in the U.S.. I told Shane about my new passion for producing tradeshows / corporate videos and he mentioned that he would introduce me to the managing team in Germany as he had overheard that they were looking at making more videos and the timing might work out well. To Shane's credit, he followed-through and less than a month after ESC Boston, I had my plane tickets booked for this new adventure (thank you Shane!).

My first impression of the people at SEGGER is very positive and I am very much looking forward to meeting the team in person. It so happens that I will be there the week that SEGGER will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and I believe all (or most) worldwide employees will be converging to the main office to celebrate the milestone. If they allow me, I will try to capture with my camera some clips of the celebration to be shared with the EmbeddedRelated community.

I will try to blog from Germany about my experience while I am there for those of you who might be following my mid-life videographing crisis.

If you've been to Dusseldorf and would like to recommend any attraction and/or restaurant not to be missed, please do so! I will try to find a few hours to enjoy the area. (Not so much interested in the so-called 'tourists-traps' but more what the locals enjoy most in the city)

And if you are a customer of SEGGER and would like me to transmit for you and in person any question / concern / comment that you may have, I will be happy to do so (please use the comments space down bellow).

Thanks for reading!
BEER-SHEVA, Israel...June 13, 2017 -- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) will construct and operate an advanced dark matter detector. The initiative is partly funded by a joint grant from the American National Science Foundation and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation.

Dark matter is hypothesized to be one of the basic components of the universe, and five times more abundant than ordinary matter. It has yet to be detected, although several astronomical measurements have corroborated its existence, leading to an international effort to observe it directly.

The detector will be based on the theory that some types of dark matter produce a signal imitating a magnetic field and may therefore be detectable by extremely sensitive magnetic sensors. The project will bring together experts in the fields of atomic spectroscopy, magnetic sensors, lasers and optics, atomic clocks, and advanced electronics.

BGU Prof. Ron Folman, the Ruth Flinkman-Marandy and Ben Marandy Chair in Quantum Physics and Nanotechnology, will lead the project in collaboration with Prof. Derek Jackson Kimball of California State University East Bay in Heyward.

"Astronomical observations have brought the scientific community to the conclusion that a very large portion of the mass in the universe does not emit light and is therefore invisible to our telescopes," says Prof. Folman. "This has led to the dark matter paradigm. The essence of this project is to find new methods to detect this material."

Prof. Folman also heads BGU's Atom Chip Lab. Among the BGU researchers involved in the project are Prof. Reuben Shuker, head of the quantum magnetometry group; Dr. David Levron; Dr. Andrei Ben-Amar Baranga; Dr. Asaf Gross; as well as Dr. David Groswasser and Dr. Meni Givon from the Atom Chip Lab.

###

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, headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins comprise the Polycomb complexes PRC1 and PRC2 that regulate gene expression levels through histone modification. Although PRC1 and PRC2 are emerging as having important roles in cancer stem cells, their functions in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) are largely unknown.

In a recent study published in Stem Cell Reports, a team led by Drs. LIU Changmei and TENG Zhaoqian from the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found a novel epigenetic signaling axis (composed of PRC1, microRNA, and PRC2) that regulates self-renewal and proliferation of NSPCs.

The researchers generated an Ezh2 (a key PRC2 component) conditional knockout mouse model, and found that Ezh2 loss of function results in decreased self-renewal and proliferation ability in NSPCs.

They then discovered that Ezh2 represses the expression of miR-203, which negatively regulates self-renewal and proliferation of NSPCs, but promotes their neuronal differentiation capacity.

In addition, they demonstrated that Bmi1 (a PRC1 component) is a direct downstream target of miR-203, and ectopic overexpression of BMI1 can rescue the self-renewal and proliferation deficiency exhibited by miR-203 overexpression in NSPCs.

As PcG proteins and microRNAs are usually co-expressed, these findings might have significant implications for other cell types or cancer tissues.

###

This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China, National Science and Technology Major Projects, the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, and the Hundred Talents Program of CAS.
A Dartmouth study finds that "Big Food" companies are striving to make food more sustainable from farm to factory but have less power than you might think. In fact, most Big Food companies have little knowledge about or control over the farmers who supply their raw materials. The study's findings were published in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers. (A pdf is available upon request).

As Big Food companies have grown increasingly concerned about climate change and other forms of environmental degradation, many have set ambitious goals to reduce emissions, energy and water use across their supply chains. Reducing on-farm impacts is an especially high priority, because these generally account for a larger share of food's environmental footprint than transport or processing. But most Big Food companies know little about the sustainability of the farms supplying their corn, wheat and soy, because they procure these staple ingredients not directly from farmers but rather from commodity trading companies such as Cargill or Archer Daniels Midlands. As the Dartmouth study shows, the commodity traders also know remarkably little about the farms they buy from, despite their unparalleled access to other forms of market intelligence.

Many major food companies are pursuing agricultural sustainability as members of multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Walmart-backed Sustainability Consortium and Field to Market. Alongside nongovernmental organizations such as WWF and The Nature Conservancy, they have developed a variety of tools for collecting data about on-farm emissions, energy and natural resource use. The challenge is getting farmers to cooperate. Few companies offer to pay farmers for this information, despite the time required to compile it. Guarantees of confidentiality have also not reassured farmers about how companies might use their data.

Conflicting priorities inside Big Food companies can also slow progress toward more sustainable supply chains. "A lot of the people who work on sustainability for these companies are really committed to changing things for the better," says study author, Susanne Freidberg, a professor of geography at Dartmouth, "but they don't always have the resources and buy-in that they need to push the industry as far and as fast as it needs to go."

###

Freidberg's two-year long study was funded by the National Science Foundation. It draws on in-depth interviews inside some of the world's biggest food companies, as well as attendance at industry conferences and meetings.

Susanne Freidberg is available for comment at: susanne.e.freidberg@dartmouth.edu.
MATTOON -- Lake Land College is set to establish a Dr. William L. and Margaret Podesta Park in an area between the campus pond and Podesta Drive.

The Board of Trustees voted on Monday to name and create this park, which will include a memorial to veterans who attended the college.

Trustee Robert Luther said the Lake Land Foundation has received $193,000 in donated funds designated for creating the park. He said approximately $110,000 will pay for landscape architecture, about $50,000 will pay for a paved walking path, and the rest will help with the veterans memorial.

"I think it's a very worthwhile project and a very generous donation," Luther said. In addition, he said the park will enhance the appearance of Lake Land to prospective students.

Jacqueline Joines, executive director for college advancement, has reported that much of the funding was given by Willie Podesta Young in memory of her parents.

Dr. William Podesta, who operated a dental practice in Mattoon for many years, served in the Army Dental Corps during World War II and retired from the Army Reserves in 1976 as a lieutenant colonel. Mrs. Margaret Podesta served in various supporting roles during World War II, including working with first aid units and the USO.

The Podestas promoted the establishment of Lake Land. The college was developed on land previously owned by the Podesta family. Dr. Podesta served on the Lake Land board in 1970-76 and 1978-81. He was responsible for the establishment of the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at the college.

"I think (the park) is a great way to honor the veterans and it's also a great way to honor the Podestas," said trustee Doris Reynolds.

In other matters, the board approved entering into a one-year contract with the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide post-secondary vocational educational services at the Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center. The contract is valued at $262,033 for Lake Land.

Jim Hull, vice president for workforce solutions and community education, said the contract provides for the offering of commercial custodial maintenance and restaurant management programs. He said a horticulture program could be added to Lake Land's services at Kewanee in 2018-19.

Hull said Kewanee could then be added to Lake Land's existing contract to provide educational services at 18 Department of Corrections sites and two Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice sites.

Other actions taken by the board included:

-- Placing a Resource Allocation Management Program funding request on file with the Illinois Community College Board. The request identifies needs for renovations at the Kluthe Center, Luther Student Center, Northwest Building, Field House, Neal Hall, and Child Care Lab.

-- Renewing Lake Lands lease of space at the Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. East, to the Local Workforce Investment Board and the CEFS Economic Opportunity Corp.; and renewing the colleges lease of property in Marshall for the Pathways Program.

-- Accepting the donation of 100 New Holland service factory manuals, valued at a total of $10,000, from Birkeys Farm Store Inc. for Lake Lands agriculture power technology program.
Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle and Omega Nebula e are located roughly 7000 light-years away -- the first two fall within the constellation of Serpens , while the latter lies within Sagittarius. This region of the Milky Way houses a huge cloud of star-making material. The three [nebulae] - indicate where regions of this cloud have clumped together and collapsed to form new stars; the energetic light from these stellar newborns has caused ambient gas to emit light of its own, which takes on the pinkish hue characteristic of areas rich in hydrogen.

Two of the objects in this image were discovered in a similar way. Astronomers first spotted bright star clusters in both Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle Nebula, later identifying the vast, comparatively faint gas clouds swaddling the clusters. In the case of Sharpless 2-54, British astronomer William Herschel initially noticed its beaming star cluster in 1784. That cluster, catalogued as NGC 6604 (eso1218), appears in this image on the object's left side. The associated very dim gas cloud remained unknown until the 1950s, when American astronomer Stewart Sharpless spotted it on photographs from the National Geographic-Palomar Sky Atlas.

The Eagle Nebula did not have to wait so long for its full glory to be appreciated. Swiss astronomer Philippe Loys de Cheseaux first discovered its bright star cluster, NGC 6611, in 1745 or 1746 (eso0142. A couple of decades later, French astronomer Charles Messier observed this patch of sky and also documented the nebulosity present there, recording the object as Messier 16 in his influential catalogue (eso0926).

As for the Omega Nebula, de Cheseaux did manage to observe its more prominent glow and duly noted it as a nebula in 1745. However, because the Swiss astronomer's catalogue never achieved wider renown, Messier's re-discovery of the Omega Nebula in 1764 led to its becoming Messier 17, the seventeenth object in the Frenchman's popular compendium (eso0925.

The observations from which this image was created were taken with ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST, located at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The huge final colour image was created by mosaicing dozens of pictures -- each of 256 megapixels -- from the telescope's large-format OmegaCAM camera. The final result, which needed lengthy processing, totals 3.3 gigapixels, one of the largest images ever released by ESO.

###

More information

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

Photos of the VST - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/search/?adv=&subject_name=VLT%20Survey%20Telescope

Contacts

Richard Hook

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6655

Cell: +49 151 1537 3591

Email: rhook@eso.org
The news story made a big splash: in January 2016 ETH researchers Professor Raffaele Mezzenga and his senior researcher Sreenath Bolisetty published a study in the journal Nature Nanotechnology about an innovative type of membrane developed in their laboratory.

They showed that this membrane could effectively filter out heavy metals, radioactive waste, other toxic substances, and bacteria from polluted water. The filter can also trap ions of gold, platinum and palladium, allowing the recovery of precious metals. What's more, the composition of the membrane is extremely simple: a mixture of denatured whey proteins and activated charcoal applied to a filter paper as a substrate.

Inundated with enquiries

The story was taken up by the global media and soon the researchers were inundated with queries: from a housewife in Hong Kong worried about her family's health to mining companies searching for a solution to treat polluted wastewater from mines, the researchers still find themselves slightly overwhelmed by the number and variety of the enquiries they receive.

In May 2016, Mezzenga and Bolisetty therefore founded the ETH spin-off BluAct Technologies GmbH, with the financial backing of the investor Keith Boonstra. Bolisetty is both CEO and Chief Technical Officer for the new company. Mezzenga has more of a background role as shareholder and scientific advisor.

BluAct itself has just produced its first batch of prototype membranes at the industrial scale. The spin-off has used the start-up capital to nationalize patents for the membrane in 90 different countries. "That was very complicated and expensive, as it's not possible at the nationalization step to simply have one legal protection covering all these countries," Mezzenga explains. But because the technology is relatively simple, they had to protect it from copycat products.

Licensees produce the membrane

For the time being, the production of the membrane is outsourced to external partners. Here BluAct ensures that the quality of the product meets the relevant specifications. As Chief Technical Officer, Bolisetty will monitor and screen the producers on site. "It looks like I'll be travelling a lot in future," he grins.

BluAct is able to supply all the necessary equipment to bring this technology to the real world. The plan is to fit the membrane into already existing filter press systems to replace the current filters. The ETH entrepreneurs have already notched up their first success, by signing a contract with the ISL Group, for the distribution of bottles for drinking water that exploit the technology developed by BluAct.

Through NGOs and state authorities, these bottles will be distributed in Asia, Africa and Latin America to people without access to clean drinking water. "This is purely a humanitarian project that is very close to our hearts.," stresses Professor Mezzenga. To make sure the hybrid filter also reaches the poorest people, BluAct is working with the local authorities at any levels. In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, for example, land has already been made available to build a production facility.

The two young entrepreneurs aim to earn money from the much bigger interested parties, such as mining or industrial companies, as there are virtually no limits on the potential uses of this membrane for water treatment.

The prototype membrane is only 3 mm thick, but in principle can be made to any size, from the size of a large coin for household filters up to a square meter for industrial applications. In addition, several membranes can be placed on top of each other or arranged in series for processing large volumes of water. In this way, it should be possible to build a filtration plant capable of treating 100,000 litres of water per hour.

Many potential uses

The BluAct founders are currently in contact with mining companies that have noted an interest in acquiring the revolutionary technology to capture heavy metals. The membrane is currently being tested by an operator for decontamination of European nuclear plants, as the filter can trap not only heavy metals, but also radioactive uranium. It could therefore be used to decontaminate radioactive water as well.

Other lines of business being targeted by BluAct include heavy metals and electroplating industry (for recovering valuable metals), agriculture and, last but not least, water treatment for private households. In their latest study, Bolisetty and Mezzenga have demonstrated that the membrane is also extremely efficient at removing arsenic from water. The ground-breaking filter is therefore a low-cost option for many parties in areas where this toxic substance is a threat to human health.

To develop and expand their new enterprise, Bolisetty and Mezzenga need more investors. Neither Bolisetty nor Mezzenga are prepared to make a guess about the potential for BluAct in general. "Clean drinking water is immensely important worldwide, but we can't tell at the moment just how big our company will grow," Bolisetty says. " I'm currently focusing my best efforts on BluAct, as we work very hard to bring the technology in all possible water sectors".

Arsenic removal

In a new study just published in the journal Chemical Communications, Bolisetty and Mezzenga show that the hybrid filter they have developed is able to trap both arsenite and arsenate efficiently and remove virtually all traces of it from water. Furthermore, the membrane can be reused over several filtration cycles without losing efficiency.

The ETH researchers were able to prove the efficacy of their method by testing real contaminated drinking water taken from the area around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. This region is characterised by volcanic rock, and the groundwater naturally contains high levels of arsenic and mercury. Samples of the local drinking water may contain up to 80 micrograms of arsenic per litre. This is eight times the threshold of 10 micrograms of arsenic per litre recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The next steps include adapting this new technology to domestic filters in Guatemala, through a collaborative project between Prof. Mezzenga's laboratory and the Center for Atitlan Studies at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), headed by Dr. Monica Orozco. Providing a relatively low-cost solution for these families will considerably reduce the risks associated with chronic exposure to Arsenic.

###

References

Bolisetty S, Reinhold N, Zeder C, Orozco MN, Mezzenga R. Efficient purification of arsenic-contaminated water using amyloid-carbon hybrid membranes. Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 5714-5717. DOI: 10.1039/C7CC00406K
Boulder, Colo., USA: One of the main types of fossil used to understand the first flowering plants (angiosperms) are charred flowers. These charcoals were produced in ancient wildfires, and they provide some evidence for the types of plants that grew millions of years ago. However, when fires burn they not only produce charcoal, but they also destroy it.

This has led scientists to consider whether some types of flowers in Earth's past were more likely to be destroyed during fires, rather than preserved as fossil charcoals in rocks. In their study published this week in Geology, Victoria Hudspith and Claire Belcher show that different types of plants caused fires to burn differently (some hotter and some cooler) and that the different shapes and forms of certain flowers made them more likely to be entirely burned away by fire and turned to ash, whereas other types were more likely to remain as charcoal.

This is important because if scientists are trying to use charred flowers to understand the diversity of the earliest angiosperms then they also need to consider that some flowers may have been turned to ash in these ancient fires and not preserved as charcoal at all. In other words, paleontologists must now consider that the charcoal fossil record of flowers is unlikely to preserve all types of flower equally, and as a result, they may be missing information about the early evolutionary history of angiosperms.

###

FEATURED ARTICLE

Fire alone creates a bias in the production of charred flowers: Implications for the Cretaceous fossil record Victoria A. Hudspith and Claire M. Belcher, wildFIRE lab, Hatherly Laboratories, Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PS, Devon, UK. Contact: Victoria Anne Hudspith, v.a.hudspith@exeter.ac.uk. Article link: http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2017/06/09/G39093.1.abstract.

GEOLOGY articles are online http://geology.gsapubs.org/. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org.

http://www.geosociety.org/
WASHINGTON (May 15, 2017) -- Male mice have much greater brain distress in the week following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) than female mice, including skyrocketing inflammation and nerve cell death, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

The study, published in GLIA, is the first to specifically examine how sex alters the time-course of inflammation in the brain after TBI, and their findings suggest that sex is an important factor to consider when designing and testing new drugs to treat TBI.

Previous research has shown that male animals have worse outcome after TBI than female animals, and recent clinical trials have studied female sex hormones as a therapy for TBI.

Sex differences are understudied in preclinical research, and the National Institutes of Health has recently issued guidelines to ensure that sex and other biological variables are included in research design.

"It is really important to include both sexes in preclinical research in order to design better human clinical trials," says Mark Burns, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience at GUMC and senior author of the study.

"When we looked to see if female mice had been included in TBI studies, we were surprised at what a blank slate we found," Burns says. "Up to now, most preclinical studies of drugs to treat TBI have been conducted with young male mice -- with variables such as age and sex being overlooked. You can't develop a future of personalized medicine if you don't include females in your research," he adds.

The researchers focused on how sex alters key neuroinflammatory responses that follow TBI. They specifically looked at microglial cells, which are the resident immune cells of the brain, and movement of macrophages from the blood into the injured brain. Macrophages, which are also immune cells, offer the first line of defense against infection.

They found that the sex response was "completely divergent" up to a week after injury -- there was a rapid activation of immune cells, along with robust neuron cell death, in males, but female mice experienced a markedly reduced response.

"It appears that female mice have more protection against brain trauma in the first week after TBI, and if that is true in humans it provides us with a much larger time-period to treat female patients following TBI. It will also help us design new treatments for TBI in males," says Burns.

Burns also says that although the female mice have less of the negative effects of neuroinflammation such as neuron cell death, there are also positive aspects to neuroinflammation that are missing in female mice such as waste removal and wound healing. Understanding how to minimize the negative effects while maximizing the positive effects of inflammation is an important goal in TBI research.

"It is clear that further research is needed on sex differences in response to TBI -- and now we have interesting leads to follow," Burns says.

In addition to Burns, other authors include Sonia Villapol, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience at GUMC and an expert on brain injury and neurodegeneration, and David Loane, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Maryland and an expert on neuroinflammation after brain injury.

###

The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study.

This work was supported by NIH grants (R01NS067417, R01NS082308 and R03NS095038). The Georgetown University chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma also donated funds to support brain injury research.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. Connect with GUMC on Facebook (Facebook.com/GUMCUpdate), Twitter (@gumedcenter) and Instagram (@gumedcenter).
Associate degree students from Bergen Community College (BCC) will be able to seamlessly transfer into appropriate and/or corresponding bachelor's degree programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), beginning fall 2017.

According to a joint agreement signed by both institutions June 8, 2017, BCC students who are admitted into the Joint Admissions Program will be guaranteed admission into NJIT upon completion of their BCC degree. They must meet the criteria set forth in their admission letter to maintain their offer from NJIT.

"Today is a reaffirmation of our intent to work even closer with Bergen Community College," remarked Dr. Fadi P. Deek, NJIT provost and senior executive vice president, at the signing ceremony. "This partnership is tremendously important to NJIT, and we are fully committed to building pathways that facilitate the transfer of BCC students to our university."

"We are extremely excited about partnering with NJIT to increase academic opportunities for our 'shared students,'" added BCC President Dr. B. Kaye Walter. "We want our students to have a place to go after earning their associate degree at Bergen Community College that is high level and that will engage them and help them to grow. NJIT is that place."

Students can apply for joint admission to BCC and NJIT through BCC's admission application. They will be able to apply to the program at any time from their date of enrollment at BCC to completion of 30 college credits. Students wishing to apply beyond their first 30 credits will be considered on a case-by-case basis by NJIT, which will review all applications in accordance with its customary freshman admission standards.

High school students are strongly encouraged to apply to the Joint Admissions Program during their college application process, as the program offers an affordable alternative to obtaining a four-year college degree.

###

About NJIT

One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of 11,400 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT is among the top U.S. polytechnic public universities in research expenditures, exceeding $130 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com. NJIT has a $1.74 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey. (njit.edu)

About BCC

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College, a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 15,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The college offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state. (bergen.edu)
In each life a little rain must fall, but in space, one of the biggest risks to astronauts' health is radiation "rain". NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is simulating space radiation on Earth following upgrades to the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. These upgrades help researchers on Earth learn more about the effects of ionizing space radiation to help keep astronauts safe on a journey to Mars.

Radiation is one of the most dangerous risks to humans in space, and one of the most challenging to simulate here on Earth. The risk to human health significantly increases when astronauts travel beyond Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) outside the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere shields Earth from solar particle events (SPEs) and radiation caused by the sun and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) produced by supernova fragments. Radiation particles like ions can be dangerous to humans because they can pass through skin, depositing energy and damaging cells or DNA along the way. This damage can increase the risk for diseases later in life or cause radiation sickness during the mission.

Radiation may cause damage to the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and circulatory system of astronauts. There is evidence that humans exposed to large doses of radiation from radiotherapy experience cognitive and behavioral changes, and recent studies suggest these risks may occur at lower doses for GCR creating a possible risk for operating a space vehicle. Space environment variables (Ex. microgravity, CO2, lack of sleep, etc.) which produce stress could interact with radiation in a synergistic fashion exacerbating the impacts.

With the recent upgrades to the NSRL, NASA is improving its ability to understand the effects of radiation on the body. The most notable upgrades were made to the GCR simulator, which was recently highlighted in ScienceDirect.

"There is ample research on acute effects of radiation exposure but very little on latent effects, and the latter more closely resembles the health effects expected from long duration space flight," Lisa Carnell, Ph.D., Medical Countermeasure Lead for NASA Space Radiation said. "Imagine ion trajectories to be similar to rain; sometimes there is a downpour (solar particle event) and sometimes there a light drizzle or heavy, sparse droplets (similar to galactic cosmic radiation). With the upgrades we can simulate different types of ion rain with multiple types of ions sequentially versus only one type of ion at a time."

The GCR upgrades enable researchers to rapidly switch ion types and energy intensities. To support these improvements, software controls were added to permit smooth movement from target to target. The cooling system in one of the Electron Beam Ion Source, or EBIS magnets was upgraded to handle higher energy currents. In addition, new probes were installed in two of the beamline's magnets to speed up setting changes.

Before these upgrades, switching radiation beams was not an easy or efficient process in the NSRL. The lab was originally designed to harness ions from Brookhaven's Booster accelerator, which produces all species of ions within a range of energies. Now switching ion species and energies can be done in minutes. More realistic studies and radiation countermeasure tests are conducted because investigators can better simulate the space environment.

The improvements in beam energy enable coverage of a greater part of the GCR spectrum. The larger beam makes it possible to radiate numerous samples at once and increase throughput and efficiency. Precision control also increases the accuracy for dose delivery. Uniformity of the radiation field intensity also reduces uncertainties in dose deliveries.

This results in a more accurate testing environment for NASA researchers who are developing various types of shielding materials to protect astronauts from radiation. HRP investigators can use the technology to test tissue samples leading to health countermeasures to protect against molecular damage. Cancer researchers also can explore various heavy ion therapies to eradicate tumors. The NSRL is one of the few labs in the United States capable of contributing to heavy ion radiotherapy research. Users from NASA, national laboratories, and more than 50 institutions and universities in the U.S., Europe, and Japan test medical, biological, and physical samples using the NSRL ion beam line.

As NASA prepares for sending humans farther and longer than ever before, space radiation research continues to advance our understanding of the risks to the human body. It takes innovative research on the Earth to support innovative research in space. And if the rainy day does come, NASA will be prepared.

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is dedicated to discovering the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. HRP enables space exploration by reducing the risks to human health and performance using ground research facilities, the International Space Station, and analog environments. This leads to the development and delivery of a program focused on: human health, performance, and habitability standards; countermeasures and risk mitigation solutions; and advanced habitability and medical support technologies. HRP supports innovative, scientific human research by funding more than 300 research grants to respected universities, hospitals and NASA centers to over 200 researchers in more than 30 states.

###

Amy Blanchett

Laurie Abadie

NASA Human Research Engagement & Communications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtp9zjvNWw8

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-radiation-nasa-studies-simulated-radiation
COLUMBUS, Ohio - New research has uncovered details about subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion that could one day lead to improved treatment.

Researchers at The Ohio State University examined the effects of laboratory-induced mild traumatic brain injury on rodent brain tissue and found rapid microscopic swelling along the axons - the long and slender part of the nerve cell that sends vital messages to other parts of the brain. Similar swellings are seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

"We think based on our study in an animal model and in the lab that it's highly likely that when a person has a concussion some of the neurons swell within a few seconds, much more rapidly than we expected," said study author Chen Gu, an associate professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology.

The good news: These swollen spots along the axons are reversible, Gu and his collaborators found. Their study appears in the Journal of Cell Biology.

"When we stop the mechanical stress, the swelling actually disappears within minutes and the axon can recover. This is critical, because the axon is where important signals happen - for our senses, motor skills, cognition, emotion and all kinds of neurophysiological functions," he said.

"This is probably highly relevant to mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion, and corresponds to what is seen in the clinic - that most people recover fully with time."

The researchers also discovered a likely mechanism for the swelling, which could be important information for those looking to prevent, treat and better understand concussions in people.

The stress applied to brain tissue in the lab was designed to mimic a blow to the head. The researchers hit the tissue with blasts of liquid delivered through a pipette - a method they called "puffing."

And that stress activated a protein called TRPV4, which causes a chain reaction that prompts a pause in content exchange along the axon.

"It's like having a highway with a lot of cargo running in both directions. After the concussion, the highway closes and there's a major traffic jam," Gu said. "If the stress to the brain stops, the highway opens back up and the cargo slowly starts to move again."

When Gu and his colleagues suppressed TRPV4 in the lab, swelling did not happen.

It remains unclear how exactly this plays out in humans, and the degree to which people may respond differently to blows to the head and other neurological problems, Gu said.

"In some cases, for example Alzheimer's disease, there may be irreversible changes - where the axon is broken," he said.

"We are trying to better understand the difference between reversible damage and irreversible damage and if we can gain a better understanding of this, it could help with development of new treatment strategies."

###

The National Institutes of Health supported the study. Other Ohio State researchers involved in the work were Yuanzheng Gu, Peter Jukkola, Qian Wang and Yi Zhao.

CONTACT: Chen Gu, 614-292-0349; Gu.49@osu.edu

Written by Misti Crane, 614-292-5220; Crane.11@osu.edu
ODON, Ind., CRANE, Ind. and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - WestGate Authority, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane), Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation will combine strengths to advance educational, research and development, and technology commercialization across Indiana and elsewhere, officials announced Monday (June 13).

The agreement will provide educational opportunities from Purdue's Krannert School of Management and Purdue Polytechnic Institute; startup creation assistance from Purdue Foundry; increased tech transfer support from Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization; and company incubation space and amenities from WestGate@Crane Technology Park and Purdue Research Park. A dedication to launch the partnership is slated for July 24.

"The collaboration with WestGate establishes a valuable asset adjacent to the world-renowned Crane facility from which many Indiana residents can benefit," Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said. "Combining the vast strengths of WestGate, Crane and other outstanding economic entities in Southern Indiana with Purdue's educational, tech transfer and startup creation programs will provide many immediate and long-term educational and economic opportunities for people in the entire region."

Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation have a history of partnering with NSWC Crane in technology commercialization including a technology transfer showcase in 2014, technology transfer collaboration in 2015, and a 2016 award for its technology transfer partnership.

As part of the agreement, Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation will provide:

Staffing, including a program manager and programming, at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park.

Intellectual property support and a WestGate Express License to expedite Purdue and NSWC Crane IP commercialization.

Entrepreneurs-in-residence to assist with startup creation.

FireStarter program to guide entrepreneurs through the "Ideation" and startup development process.

Support amenities offered to Purdue Foundry clients and Purdue Research Park tenants.

Krannert School of Management NSF Midwest I-Corps Node.

Purdue Polytechnic Institute educational services and classes in the business and technology sectors.

The Purdue Foundry will bring its successful entrepreneurial programs to encourage startup creation from Purdue and NSWC Crane innovations.

"Our footprint at this site is already strong, but bringing the full compendium of what we do in West Lafayette will do much to increase commercialization and startup creation," said Greg Deason, senior vice president of Purdue Research Foundation and director of innovation and commercialization for the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Purdue University's Discovery Park. "In addition to the programming we plan to provide, we will establish popular networking events like our Foundry Grounds and Spirited Entrepreneur to the area. We believe the collaboration between Purdue and WestGate can move the economic development needle for the whole region."

Expanded collaborations are in the works as well.

"Recognizing that many other fine Indiana universities are offering complementary initiatives, we encourage them to participate in this non-exclusive partnership," said Dan Hasler, Purdue Research Foundation chief entrepreneurial officer. "Our hope is that the site will become a collaboration space for our other state university partners who wish to work from WestGate on an extended basis."

Purdue is actively exploring opportunities to collaborate with Indiana University at WestGate.

"Indiana University will be pleased to partner with our Purdue colleagues at WestGate, as we both recognize the importance of our state's two public research universities working together to support education, research, economic development and related technology commercialization efforts in the region," said Bill Stephan, IU's vice president for engagement. "Moreover, we look forward to establishing an Indiana University office at WestGate to more effectively and regularly engage with our colleagues and partners."

WestGate Authority President John Mensch said the collaboration is far reaching.

"This agreement enhances our outreach opportunities to a much higher level and enables us to offer a fully embedded ecosystem of technology education, innovation and commercialization for WestGate@Crane," he said. "We are very excited to have Purdue take a bigger role at WestGate and look forward to collaborating with them while continuing to offer the great amenities and opportunities to our community and other partners."

WestGate Authority covers the WestGate@Crane Technology Park, a certified tri-county technology park located in Greene, Daviess, and Martin counties; which includes the Battery Innovation Center. WestGate Authority already works closely with NSWC Crane Division, I-69 Innovation Corridor, Indiana Office of Defense Development, WorkOne and other local and state economic development entities. WestGate is the only multi-county tech park in Indiana.

Purdue Research Foundation already has ongoing collaborations with NSWC Crane.

"We have worked in partnership with the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization for the past three years with strong success in our technology commercialization areas," said Capt. JT Elder, Commanding Officer of NSWC Crane. "Having Purdue establish a physical presence in our area will increase our collaborations in these activities and across the broader innovation eco-system."

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization will increase commercialization and startup programs already established at NSWC Crane.

"We plan to offer a 'WestGate Express License," which is something modeled after a license we have offered to Purdue entrepreneurs with great success since 2013," said Brooke Beier, executive director of the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization. "The WestGate Express License reduces the time and process of obtaining a license for Purdue intellectual property as a template license with favorable terms and will be available for those companies that are basing their business out of WestGate."

Educational opportunities through Purdue Polytechnic Institute and Purdue Krannert School of Management include classes for degree or continuing education.

"We currently have satellite locations across Indiana. Adding new offerings at WestGate will provide a valuable ongoing opportunity for professionals in the area," said Gary Bertoline, dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. "We plan to provide various courses, seminars and workshops as part of this collaboration."

Purdue Krannert School of Management will launch an NSF Midwest I-Corps Node program at WestGate in the fall of 2017.

"We will focus the program on startups that are translating defense technologies and applications to commercial application," said Matthew Lynall, Purdue associate professor of management and director of Deliberate Innovation for Faculty. "The program will be based on the existing I-Corps program offered at the Purdue Foundry and at other university entrepreneurship centers across the Midwest."

Other partners with WestGate include the University of Southern Indiana's SwISTEM Resource Center, an equipment lending service located in the technology park, and Radius Indiana, a regional partnership encompassing eight counties in South Central Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington.

"The agreement between Purdue, WestGate and Crane is really an agreement for all those involved in tech transfer, startup creation and economic development in Southern Indiana," said Becky Skillman, chairman of the board for Radius. "Posting Purdue at the front door of Crane is a significant step for the region."

"The timing is right," added Hasler. "The WestGate Authority has done a super job getting WestGate to this point. Purdue is honored to add one more shoulder to the effort."

###

About WestGate

Many professionals, elected officials, business leaders, and civic figures have worked for the development of a technology park adjacent to NSWC Crane Division. WestGate@Crane Technology Park partners with a variety of organizations and businesses such as local and state economic development corporations, NSWC Crane Division, I-69 Innovation Corridor, Indiana Office of Defense Development, and WorkOne. WestGate@Crane Tech Park is the ideal location for business to grow and thrive.

About NSWC Crane

NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with focus areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's warfighter.

The Warfare Center's research and development efforts support the Warfighter by providing capabilities and resources to advance technologies for the military. The mission of NSWC Crane is to provide acquisition engineering, in-service engineering and technical support for sensors, electronics, electronic warfare and special warfare weapons.

About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at innovation@prf.org

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. Managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Foundry received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340, casequin@prf.org

NSWC Crane contact: Pamela Ingram, 812-854-3239, pamela.ingram@navy.mil
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC - With funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RTI International is responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Ebola, a severe, often fatal illness in humans, was first discovered in DRC (formerly Zaire) in 1976. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The average Ebola case fatality rate is around 50 percent. There have been 11 confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States, originating from outbreaks in Africa. This is the eighth outbreak in DRC since the disease was discovered.

On May 11, 2017, The Ministry of Health declared an Ebola outbreak in the Bas-Uele Province of Northern DRC, based on one laboratory-confirmed case and a cluster of patients with Ebola-like symptoms. The latest World Health Organization update reports two confirmed cases, three probable cases, and 14 suspected cases of Ebola, with another 101 contacts under daily monitoring. As the leading surveillance partner for CDC's Global Health Security Agenda activities in DRC, RTI rapidly mobilized to support the Ministry of Health's Ebola response activities.

As one of the first responders to the outbreak epicenter, RTI is part of the Surveillance Coordination Committee, working with epidemiologist and lab specialists from the Ministry of Health, WHO, Medecins Sans Frontieres, and other partners to strengthen local capacity to detect, report, and manage information about suspected Ebola cases and their contacts.

"Strengthening a country's ability to prevent and respond to epidemics like Ebola is essential not just for the affected country, but for everyone around the globe," said Pia MacDonald, Ph.D., senior epidemiologist at RTI. "We saw in 2014 just how fast an Ebola outbreak can spread worldwide. It's essential that we work together to stop this threat as quickly as possible."

RTI is supporting the outbreak response and continuing its longer-term work to strengthen the Democratic Republic of the Congo's health surveillance system to more quickly identify and respond to public health threats.

RTI researchers will use the experience and knowledge gained from supporting efforts in 2015-2016 to halt the spread of Ebola in Guinea, one of the hardest-hit countries, to stop the spread of Ebola in the DRC.

Learn more about RTI's work in global health security.

###
OAK BROOK, Ill. - A minimally invasive treatment can help restore fertility in women with uterine fibroids, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

Uterine fibroids, abnormal masses of fiber and muscle tissue in the wall of the uterus, are considered one of the most common causes of infertility and complications related to pregnancy. Previous research has found that one out of every four women with fibroids has problems related to fertility. The standard treatment option for such women is myomectomy, or surgical removal of the fibroids.

However, myomectomy is not always possible or effective and can result in major complications including hysterectomy, according to study co-author Joao Martins Pisco, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Interventional Radiology at Saint Louis Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal.

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a less invasive option that involves injection of an embolic agent, typically made up of very small beads, into the uterine arteries to block the blood supply to the uterus and fibroids. As the fibroids die and begin to shrink, the uterus fully recovers. UFE can be performed in patients with a prior myomectomy or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Despite its less invasive nature, UFE has yet to be fully embraced in the medical community as a fertility-preserving treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids due to concerns that the procedure may cause inadequate blood flow to the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, and the ovaries.

For the new study, Dr. Pisco and colleagues assessed pregnancy rates in 359 women with uterine fibroids who were unable to conceive and who underwent either conventional or partial UFE. In conventional UFE, all uterine artery branches are embolized. However, the partial procedure requires treatment of only the small vessels to the fibroids, leaving the corresponding larger vessels unaffected. Partial UFE may help reduce the risks of infertility associated with conventional UFE.

After an average follow-up of almost six years, 149 of the 359 women, or 41.5 percent, had become pregnant one or more times, and 131 gave birth to a total of 150 babies. It was the first pregnancy for more than 85 percent of the women who gave birth.

The procedures had a clinical success rate of approximately 79 percent for fibroid-related symptoms. Complication rates were 14.6 percent for partial UFE and 23.1 percent for conventional UFE. The procedure was repeated in 28 patients whose fibroids had not been fully treated, as shown by MRI, and 11 of those patients subsequently got pregnant.

"Our findings show that UFE is a fertility-restoring procedure in women with uterine fibroids who wish to conceive, and pregnancy following UFE appears to be safe with low morbidity," Dr. Pisco said. "Women who had been unable to conceive had normal pregnancies after UFE and similar complication rates as the general population in spite of being in a high-risk group."

Dr. Pisco suggested that UFE may become the first-line treatment for women with fibroids who wish to conceive, particularly for those with numerous or very large fibroids. Such patients have a fibroid recurrence rate of more than 60 percent after myomectomy, making UFE an important option.

The researchers are continuing the treatments and compiling data. Since the time of writing, there were 12 additional pregnancies.

"In our study there are now almost 200 newborns following UFE," Dr. Pisco said. "Our next step will be a randomized study comparing the results of partial and conventional UFE."

###

"Spontaneous Pregnancy with a Live Birth after Conventional and Partial Uterine Fibroid Embolization." Collaborating with Dr. Pisco were Marisa Duarte, M.D., Tiago Bilhim, M.D., Ph.D., Jorge Branco, M.D., Ph.D., Fernando Cirurgiao, M.D., Marcela Forjaz, M.D., Lucia Fernandes, M.D., Jose Pereira, M.D., Nuno Costa, M.D., Joana B. M. Pisco, M.D., and Antonio G. Oliveira, M.D., Ph.D.

Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://pubs.rsna.org/journal/radiology)

RSNA is an association of over 54,600 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on uterine fibroid embolization visit RadiologyInfo.org.
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- A merger between two special education programs housed within the Mattoon school district might be in the cards for the 2018-19 school year.

Armstrong Special Education Program based out of Hawthorne School and Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education Developmentally Disabled Center Program based out of Franklin School serve some of the same functions and people in the region, and the consideration of a merger between the two is making its way to the Mattoon School Board today.

Mattoon Superintendent Larry Lilly is scheduled to speak on the potential merger between the special education programs at the school board meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Mattoon schools administrative building, 1701 Charleston Ave.

Lilly said the merger would combine the best of what each program does currently.

We think we can serve them better together, Lilly said.

The new program would serve the 120 3- to 21-year-old students covered under these programs. With the merger, educators would build upon services in these programs like the community-based activities, Lilly said. The curriculum would also be expanded in the combined program, he said.

The board will not vote on the measure until sometime in the fall.

Also on the docket this evening, the board will vote on whether to approve a resolution with the Regional Office of Education that would give some access to sales tax money to the regional office for facilitation.

The board approved an almost identical measure in February in Coles County. This time around, the board will vote on two measures covering Cumberland and Shelby counties in the same way.

Lilly said the agreement essentially allows the regional office to keep the interest collected from the Cumberland and Shelby counties facilities tax money coming down from the state for the short period it is in the regional office's "bank account."

Cumberland and Shelby partly fall under the Mattoon school district.

Lilly explained that the state collects the tax money and that money is sent to the regional office to be sent to the school districts. For the short period of time that the regional office has the money, interest grows on it.

The agreement would allow them to retain that interest. Lilly said it will essentially offset facilitation costs for the regional office.

The board will also vote on a two-year contract Tim Condron starting July 1, 2018, to take over as the Assistant Superintendent for Business. Tom Sherman is in the position now and is expected to retire a year from now.
DENVER, Colo. - Pancreatic cancer is associated with bleak five-year survival rates and limited treatment options, but new research is offering hope. A first-in-human study presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates the feasibility and safety of the novel human monoclonal antibody HuMab-5B1 with highly specific targeting for the cancer antigen (CA) 19-9, which is expressed on pancreatic tumors and a variety of other malignancies, including small cell lung cancer and tumors of the gastrointestinal system.

It holds the promise of better identifying tumors and directing treatment.

"This new agent is intensely accumulated in pancreatic cancer and finds very small metastases with PET/CT imaging," explained Christian Lohrmann, MD, lead author of the study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. "There are promising data that HuMab-5B1 could become a theranostic drug used in both targeted imaging and therapy, which could eventually improve the prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients."

The researchers evaluated the antibody with and without radiolabeling with zirconium-89 (89Zr-DFO-HuMab-5B1). With further validation, 89Zr-DFO-HuMab-5B1 could lead to a host of improvements in pancreatic cancer management--more accurate staging of tumors, better surgical guidance, restaging of metastases and potential drug selection for CA 19-9 targeted therapies. The high uptake of the antibody alone suggests that it could be used by itself, or radiolabeled, or coupled with another molecular compound to treat high-risk pancreatic tumors that are inoperable or metastatic.

For this study, nine patients with CA 19-9-positive metastatic malignancies underwent a series of four whole-body PET/CT scans--one the first day of injection with the imaging agent, then again on day two and around days four and seven. Subjects also received a diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis within the four weeks leading up to baseline PET/CT. Results of the CT scan were used to verify the results of 89Zr-DFO-HuMab-5B PET/CT imaging.

Maximum standard uptake values normalized for body weight were analyzed for agent uptake in tumors. The agent was well tolerated and led to no serious side effects. Significant uptake was detected in local tumor recurrences as well as in metastases (for example in the lymph nodes, lungs, bone and peritoneum lining of the abdominal cavity). Uptake was analyzed for a total of 52 lesions. Highest uptake was shown on day seven in the lymph nodes. Results of the study showed that PET/CT imaging with the monoclonal antibody led to the detection of tiny tumors in the peritoneum and mesenteric lymph nodes that were not found by CT alone.

###

Scientific Paper 385: "First-in-Human Study of 89Zr-DFO-HuMab-5B1 (MVT-2163) PET/CT imaging with and without HuMab-5B1 (MVT-5873) in patients with pancreatic cancer and other CA 19-9 positive malignancies," Christian Lohrmann, Eileen O'Reilly, Joseph A. ODonoghue, Kenneth H. Yu, Neeta Pandit-Taskar, Serge Lyashchenko, Shutian Ruan, Jiong Wu, Phillip DeNoble, Jorge A. Carrasquillo, Charles R. Schmidtlein, Rebecca Teng, Maeve A. Lowery, Anna Varghese, Hayley Estrella, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y.; Wolfgang W. Scholz, Paul Maffuid, Jason S. Lewis, Wolfgang A. Weber, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y., MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc, San Diego, Calif., SNMMI's 64th Annual Meeting, June 10-14, 2017, Denver, Colo.

LINK TO ABSTRACT

Please visit the SNMMI Media Center (http://www.snmmi.org/Media.aspx) for more information about molecular imaging and personalized medicine. To schedule an interview with the researchers, please contact Laurie Callahan at (703) 652-6773 or lcallahan@snmmi.org. Current and past issues of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to raising public awareness about nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, a vital element of today's medical practice that adds an additional dimension to diagnosis, changing the way common and devastating diseases are understood and treated and helping provide patients with the best health care possible.

SNMMI's more than 17,000 members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org.
In a study involving simulated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, drones carrying an automated external defibrillator arrived in less time than emergency medical services, with a reduction in response time of about 16 minutes, according to a study published by JAMA.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the United States has low survival (8-10 percent), with reducing time to defibrillation as the most important factor for increasing survival. Drones can be activated by a dispatcher and sent to an address provided by a 911 caller and may carry an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the location so that a bystander can use it. Whether drones reduce response times in a real-life situation is unknown. Andreas Claesson, R.N., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues compared the time to delivery of an AED using fully autonomous drones for simulated OHCAs vs emergency medical services (EMS).

A drone was developed and certified by the Swedish Transportation Agency and was equipped with an AED (weight, 1.7 lbs.) and placed at a fire station in a municipality north of Stockholm. The drone was equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) and a high-definition camera and integrated with an autopilot software system. It was dispatched for out-of-sight flights in October 2016 to locations where OHCAs within a 6.2 mile radius from the fire station had occurred between 2006 and 2014.

Eighteen remotely operated flights were performed with a median flight distance of about two miles. The median time from call to dispatch of EMS was 3:00 minutes. The median time from dispatch to drone launch was 3 seconds. The median time from dispatch to arrival of the drone was 5:21 minutes vs 22:00 minutes for EMS. The drone arrived more quickly than EMS in all cases with a median reduction in response time of 16:39 minutes.

"Saving 16 minutes is likely to be clinically important. Nonetheless, further test flights, technological development, and evaluation of integration with dispatch centers and aviation administrators are needed," the authors write. "The outcomes of OHCA using the drone-delivered AED by bystanders vs resuscitation by EMS should be studied."

Limitations of the study include the small number of flights over short distances in good weather.

###

For more details and to read the full study, please visit the For The Media website.

(doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3957)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Related material: Also available at the For The Media website, images of a drone with an AED, and a video of a drone delivering an AED.

To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story This link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2017.3957
Many neurological diseases are malfunctions of synapses, or the points of contact between neurons that allow senses and other information to pass from finger to brain. In the brain, there is a careful balance between the excitatory synapses that allow messages to pass, and the inhibitory synapses that dampen the signal. When that balance is off, the brain becomes unable to process information normally, leading to conditions like epilepsy.

Now researchers at Jefferson have discovered a molecule that may play a role in helping maintain the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The results were published in the journal eLife, a project of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Wellcome Trust and the Max Planck Institute.

Timothy Mosca, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience of Thomas Jefferson University, discovered that a molecule called LRP4, was important in creating excitatory synapses -- the ones that keep a message passing from one neuron to the next. When the researchers knocked out the LRP4 gene in fruit flies, they saw a 40 percent loss of excitatory synaptic connections in the brain, but no such loss of inhibitory synapses, suggesting that the molecule was specific to one kind of synapse.

The researchers used a new technology called expansion microscopy to get a better view of the fruit fly neurons. In most cases, if you want to see very small things with better resolution, you get a better microscope, says Mosca. The other option is to make the small things bigger. By infusing the neurons they were studying with the chemical in diapers that swells as it absorbs water, they were able to make the neurons and their synapses enlarged enough to see them more clearly.

Most molecules involved in synapse biology are vital to both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, says Mosca. The idea that we now have a molecule that appears to be specific to excitatory synapses suggests there is probably a parallel molecule that exists that helps form inhibitory ones, that we just havent found yet.

A better understanding of the unique biology of excitatory and inhibitory synapses may go a long way in helping researchers untangle the many diseases that are thought to be related to synapse dysfunction such as epilepsy, but also autism and schizophrenia.

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Article reference: T.J. Mosca et al., Presynaptic LRP4 Promotes Synapse Number and Function of Excitatory CNS Neurons, eLife, 6:e27347, 2017.

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, NIH K99/R00-DC013059 and R01 DC-005982. Author Liqun Luo is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

About Jefferson

Jefferson, through its academic and clinical entities of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, including Abington Health and Aria Health, is reimagining health care for the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey. Jefferson has 23,000 people dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educating the health professionals of tomorrow, and discovering new treatments and therapies to define the future of care. With a university and hospital that date back to 1824, today Jefferson is comprised of six colleges, nine hospitals, 35 outpatient and urgent care locations, and a multitude of physician practices throughout the region, serving more than 100,000 inpatients, 373,000 emergency patients and 2.2 million outpatients annually.
Research conducted over more than a decade indicates that loneliness increases self-centeredness and, to a lesser extent, self-centeredness also increases loneliness.

The findings by researchers at the University of Chicago show such effects create a positive feedback loop between the two traits: As increased loneliness heightens self-centeredness, the latter then contributes further to enhanced loneliness.

"If you get more self-centered, you run the risk of staying locked in to feeling socially isolated," said John Cacioppo, the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor in Psychology and director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience.

Cacioppo and co-authors Stephanie Cacioppo, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the UChicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, and Hsi Yuan Chen, a researcher at the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, published their findings in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin on June 13.

The researchers wrote that "targeting self-centeredness as part of an intervention to lessen loneliness may help break a positive feedback loop that maintains or worsens loneliness over time." Their study is the first to test a prediction from the Cacioppos' evolutionary theory that loneliness increases self-centeredness. Such research is important because, as many studies have shown, lonely people are more susceptible to a variety of physical and mental health problems as well as higher mortality rates than their non-lonely counterparts.

The outcome that loneliness increases self-centeredness was expected, but the data showing that self-centeredness also affected loneliness was a surprise, Stephanie Cacioppo said.

In previous research, the Cacioppos reviewed the rates of loneliness in young to older adults across the globe. Five to 10 percent of this population complained of feeling lonely constantly, frequently or all the time. Another 30 to 40 percent complained of feeling lonely constantly.

Their latest findings are based on 11 years of data taken from 2002 to 2013 as part of the Chicago Health, Aging and Social Relations Study of middle-aged and older Hispanics, African-Americans and Caucasian men and women. The study's random sample consisted of 229 individuals who ranged from 50 to 68 years of age at the start of the study. They were a diverse sample of randomly selected individuals drawn from the general population who varied in age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Early psychological research treated loneliness as an anomalous or temporary feeling of distress that had no redeeming value or adaptive purpose. "None of that could be further from the truth," Stephanie Cacioppo said.

The evolutionary perspective is why. In 2006, John Cacioppo and colleagues proposed an evolutionary interpretation of loneliness based on a neuroscientific or biological approach.

In this view, evolution has shaped the brain to incline humans toward certain emotions, thoughts and behavior. "A variety of biological mechanisms have evolved that capitalize on aversive signals to motivate us to act in ways that are essential for our reproduction or survival," the UChicago co-authors wrote. From that perspective, loneliness serves as the psychological counterpart of physical pain.

"Physical pain is an aversive signal that alerts us of potential tissue damange and motivates us to take care of our physical body," the UChicago researchers wrote. Loneliness, meanwhile, is part of a warning system that motivates people to repair or replace their deficient social relationships.

The finding that loneliness tends to increase self-centeredness fits the evolutionary interpretation of loneliness. From an evolutionary-biological viewpoint, people have to be concerned with their own interests. The pressures of modern society, however, are significantly different from those that prevailed when loneliness evolved in the human species, researchers found.

"Humans evolved to become such a powerful species in large part due to mutual aid and protection and the changes in the brain that proved adaptive in social interactions," John Cacioppo said. "When we don't have mutual aid and protection, we are more likely to become focused on our own interests and welfare. That is, we become more self-centered."

In modern society, becoming more self-centered protects lonely people in the short term but not the long term. That's because the harmful effects of loneliness accrue over time to reduce a person's health and well-being.

"This evolutionarily adaptive response may have helped people survive in ancient times, but in contemporary society may well make it harder for people to get out of feelings of loneliness," John Cacioppo said.

When humans are at their best, they provide mutual aid and protection, Stephanie Cacioppo added. "It isn't that one individual is sacrificial to the other. It's that together they do more than the sum of the parts. Loneliness undercuts that focus and really makes you focus on only your interests at the expense of others."

The Cacioppos have multiple loneliness studies in progress that address its social, behavioral, neural, hormonal, genetic, cellular and molecular aspects, as well as interventions.

"Now that we know loneliness is damaging and contributing to the misery and health care costs of America, how do we reduce it?" John Cacioppo asked. That is the next big question to answer.

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Developing a superconducting computer that would perform computations at high speed without heat dissipation has been the goal of several research and development initiatives since the 1950s. Such a computer would require a fraction of the energy current supercomputers consume, and would be many times faster and more powerful. Despite promising advances in this direction over the last 65 years, substantial obstacles remain, including in developing miniaturized low-dissipation memory.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new nanoscale memory cell that holds tremendous promise for successful integration with superconducting processors. The new technology, created by Professor of Physics Alexey Bezryadin and graduate student Andrew Murphy, in collaboration with Dmitri Averin, a professor of theoretical physics at State University of New York at Stony Brook, provides stable memory at a smaller size than other proposed memory devices.

The device comprises two superconducting nanowires, attached to two unevenly spaced electrodes that were "written" using electron-beam lithography. The nanowires and electrodes form an asymmetric, closed superconducting loop, called a nanowire 'SQUID' (superconducting quantum interference device). The direction of current flowing through the loop, either clockwise or counterclockwise, equates to the "0" or "1" of binary code.

The memory state is written by applying an oscillating current of a particular magnitude, at a specific magnetic field. To read the memory state the scientists ramp up the current and detect the current value at which superconductivity gets destroyed. It turns out that such destruction or critical current is different for the two memory states, "0" or "1". The scientists tested memory stability, delaying reading of the state, and found no instances of memory loss. The team performed these experiments on two nanowire SQUIDS, made of the superconductor Mo75Ge25, using a method called molecular templating. The results are published in the June 13, 2017 New Journal of Physics (v.19, p.063015).

Bezryadin comments, "This is very exciting. Such superconducting memory cells can be scaled down in size to the range of few tens of nanometers, and are not subject to the same performance issues as other proposed solutions."

Murphy adds, "Other efforts to create a scaled-down superconducting memory cell weren't able to reach the scale we have. A superconducting memory device needs to be cheaper to manufacture than standard memory now, and it needs to be dense, small, and fast."

Up to now, the most promising supercomputing memory devices, called 'single-flux quanta' devices, rely on manipulating circuits composed of Josephson junctions and inductive elements. These are in the micrometer range, and miniaturization of these devices is limited by the size of the Josephson junctions and their geometric inductances. Some of these also require ferromagnetic barriers to encode information, where Bezryadin and Murphy's device does not require any ferromagnetic components and eliminates magnetic-field cross-talk.

"Because the kinetic inductance increases with decreasing cross-sectional dimensions of the wire, nanowire SQUID memory elements could be reduced further, into the range of tens of nanometers," Bezryadin continues.

The researchers argue that this device can operate with a very low dissipation of energy, if the energies of two binary states are equal or near equal. The theoretical model for such operations was developed in collaboration with Averin. The switching between the states of equal energy will be achieved either by quantum tunneling or by adiabatic processes composed of multiple jumps between the states.

In future work, Bezryadin plans to address the measurements of the switching time and to study larger arrays of the nanowire squids functioning as arrays of memory elements. They will also test superconductors with higher critical temperatures, with the goal of a memory circuit that would operate at 4 Kelvin. Rapid operations will be achieved by utilizing microwave pulses.

###

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research.
In a new study, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcome and Policy Research and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia examined the factors influencing the likelihood of missed nursing care in a pediatric setting. Their findings indicate that pediatric nurses with poor work environments and higher patient loads are more likely to miss required care.

"It's a complex and provocative subject when we talk about a health-care professional to be unable to give the care that's needed," said Eileen T. Lake, the Jessie M. Scott Endowed Term Associate Professor of Nursing and Health Policy at Penn Nursing. "There has been a lot of research on this topic but very little in pediatrics. Given that children are a particularly vulnerable population, our question was, To what extent do nurses in pediatrics miss care and how does it relate to levels of staffing and their work environment?"

Lake was first author on the paper, published this week in the journal Hospital Pediatrics, an official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She collaborated with Penn Nursing's Linda H. Aiken, the Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor in Nursing and the senior author on the paper, and Chief Nurse Paula D. Agosto and researchers Kathryn E. Roberts and Beth Ely at CHOP, as well as several colleagues now at other institutions.

To address their questions, the researchers relied on a survey data collected from 2,187 pediatric registered nurses in 223 hospitals between 2006 and 2008. Among other questions, nurses were asked whether they had omitted any required or necessary care activities due to a lack of time. They were also asked which activities were missed.

More than half of the nurses, which included staff from neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care and general pediatrics units, reported having missed at least one care activity. As has been found in other settings, care such as planning, comforting, teaching and counseling were missed most frequently, while pain management, treatments and procedures were missed rarely.

Notably, the fraction of nurses who said they failed to complete at least one activity varied considerably from hospital to hospital.

"Seeing that, we say, Okay then, there are some places where nurses can complete required care and others where they don't; that's a fundamental finding," said Lake, "The next question is, How does this relate to the nurses' work environment?"

The quality of the environment was determined from survey responses regarding nurses' relationships with physicians, whether they had a capable and supportive nurse manager, whether a nursing philosophy formed the basis of their care, whether their resources and staffing were adequate and the extent to which nurses participated in decision making at the hospital.

Categorizing hospitals into poor, mixed and better work environments, Lake and colleagues found that, while 61 percent of nurses in poor environments missed care, only 46 percent of those in better environments reported a missed care activity. Nurses in better environments also missed fewer care activities: 1.2 compared to 1.9 in poor environments.

Work load made a difference as well. For every additional patient, nurses were 70 percent more likely to miss care.

"The implications are that quality of care differs pretty significantly across institutions and that if we can either provide better staffing or better work environments or both that nurses can get their care completed," Lake said.

She noted that not only would ensuring that nurses have supportive work environments and manageable workloads improve care quality, but it could also improve care efficiency for hospitals.

"Completing tasks like providing education and discharge instructions helps parents have what they need to leave the hospital and feel comfortable doing so," Lake said.

Such attention to quality care is particularly significant in pediatric nursing, where patients have specific vulnerabilities.

"They're vulnerable developmentally, cognitively and in terms of their ability to express their symptoms and advocate for themselves," Lake said. "One of nursing's roles is an advocacy role, so offering quality care is especially key in this population."

###

In addition to Lake, Aiken, Agosto, Ely and Roberts, coauthors included Pamela B. de Cordova of Rutgers University, Sharon Barton of the University of Louisville and Penn Nursing doctoral fellow Shweta Singh.

The work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NR007104 and NR014855) and from CHOP.
Clusters of a sticky protein -- amyloid plaque -- found in the brain signal mental decline years before symptoms appear, a new study finds

Older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques -- but otherwise normal cognition -- experience faster mental decline suggestive of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC that looked at 10 years of data.

Just about all researchers see amyloid plaques as a risk factor for Alzheimer's.

However, this study presents the toxic, sticky protein as part of the disease -- the earliest precursor before symptoms arise.

"To have the greatest impact on the disease, we need to intervene against amyloid, the basic molecular cause, as early as possible," said Paul Aisen, senior author of the study and director of the USC Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) at the Keck School of Medicine. "This study is a significant step toward the idea that elevated amyloid levels are an early stage of Alzheimer's, an appropriate stage for anti-amyloid therapy."

Notably, the incubation period with elevated amyloid plaques -- the asymptomatic stage -- can last longer than the dementia stage.

"This study is trying to support the concept that the disease starts before symptoms, which lays the groundwork for conducting early interventions," said Michael Donohue, lead author of the study and an associate professor of neurology at USC ATRI.

The researchers likened amyloid plaque in the brain to cholesterol in the blood. Both are warning signs with few outward manifestations until a catastrophic event occurs. Treating the symptoms can fend off the resulting malady -- Alzheimer's or a heart attack -- the effects of which may be irreversible and too late to treat.

"We've learned that intervening before the heart attack is a much more powerful approach to treating the problem," Donohue said.

Aisen, Donohue and others hope that removing amyloid at the preclinical stage will slow the onset of Alzheimer's or even stop it.

The amyloid problem

One in three people over 65 have elevated amyloid in the brain, Aisen noted, and the study indicates that most people with elevated amyloid will progress to symptomatic Alzheimer's within 10 years.

If Alzheimer's prevalence estimates were to include this "preclinical stage" before symptoms arise, the number of those affected would more than double from the current estimate of 5.4 million Americans, the study stated.

Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association on June 13, the study uses 10 years of data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, an exploration of the biomarkers that presage Alzheimer's. USC ATRI is the coordinating center of this North American investigation. Aisen co-directs its clinical core.

USC plays a leading role in the only two anti-amyloid studies focused on the early, preclinical stage of sporadic Alzheimer's: The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's study (the A4 Study) and the EARLY Trial, Aisen said.

"We need more studies looking at people before they have Alzheimer's symptoms," Aisen said. "The reason many promising drug treatments have failed to date is because they intervened at the end-stage of the disease when it's too late. The time to intervene is when the brain is still functioning well -- when people are asymptomatic."

Although elevated amyloid is associated with subsequent cognitive decline, the study did not prove a causal relationship.

For years, researchers have acknowledged age is the biggest risk factor when it comes to Alzheimer's. For more than 90 percent of people with Alzheimer's, symptoms do not appear until after age 60, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2014, about 46 million adults living in the United States -- 15 percent of the population -- were 65 or older. By 2050, that number is expected to expand to 88 million or 22 percent of the population.

The tipping point

Researchers measured amyloid levels in 445 cognitively normal people in the United States and Canada via cerebrospinal fluid taps or positron emission tomography (PET) scans: 242 had normal amyloid levels and 202 had elevated amyloid levels. Cognitive tests were performed on the participants, who had an average age of 74.

Although the observation period lasted 10 years, each participant, on average, was observed for three years. The maximum follow-up was 10 years.

The elevated amyloid group was older and less educated. Additionally, a larger proportion of this group carried at least one copy of the ApoE4 gene, which increases the odds that someone will develop Alzheimer's.

Based on global cognition scores, at the four-year mark, 32 percent of people with elevated amyloid had developed symptoms consistent with the early stage of Alzheimer's disease. In comparison, only 15 percent of participants with normal amyloid showed a substantial decline in cognition.

Analyzing a smaller sample size at year 10, researchers noted that 88 percent of people with elevated amyloid were projected to show significant mental decline based on global cognitive tests. Comparatively, just 29 percent of people with normal amyloid showed cognitive decline.

Alzheimer's disease research worldwide

Alzheimer's was recently a disease that could be diagnosed only after death with an autopsy.

Aisen and the researchers at USC ATRI have developed ways to identify early signs of Alzheimer's by creating a set of cognitive tests called the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite. This battery of tests and variations of it are widely used to detect Alzheimer's before dementia symptoms emerge, Aisen said.

"Our outcome measures are becoming the standard for early Alzheimer's disease intervention studies," Aisen said. "Drug companies will not invest in early intervention studies without a regulatory pathway forward. ATRI and USC are building a framework for drug development in Alzheimer's disease."

As a research institution devoted to promoting health across the life span, USC has more than 70 researchers dedicated to the prevention, treatment and potential cure of Alzheimer's disease.

###

Reisa Sperling at Harvard Medical School, Ronald Petersen at the Mayo Clinic, Chung-Kai Sun at USC ATRI and Michael Weiner at the University of California, San Francisco also contributed to this study.

ABOUT THE USC ALZHEIMER'S THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE

The USC Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute of the Keck School of Medicine of USC is an academic institute committed to advancing the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's disease through innovative clinical trials. USC ATRI's mission to accelerate the field of AD therapeutics aligns with USC's mission to prevent, treat and find a potential cure for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Located in San Diego, the institute is a leading hub of translational and clinical research in neuroscience. ATRI works with public and private partners, including the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's Association, Department of Defense, pharmaceutical partners and advocacy groups to develop novel methods and to conduct innovative Alzheimer's therapeutic trials.

Since 1991, ATRI faculty and staff have worked on more than 50 Alzheimer's clinical trials and are currently involved in 14 studies, six of which are currently enrolling worldwide. Alzheimer's disease affects 1 in 3 seniors and costs $236 billion a year in health care services.

ABOUT THE KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC

Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is among the nation's leaders in innovative patient care, scientific discovery, education, and community service. It is part of Keck Medicine of USC, the University of Southern California's medical enterprise, one of only two university-owned academic medical centers in the Los Angeles area. This includes the Keck Medical Center of USC, composed of the Keck Hospital of USC and the USC Norris Cancer Hospital. The two world-class, USC-owned hospitals are staffed by more than 500 physicians who are faculty at the Keck School. The school today has approximately 1,650 full-time faculty members and voluntary faculty of more than 2,400 physicians. These faculty direct the education of approximately 700 medical students and 1,000 students pursuing graduate and post-graduate degrees. The school trains more than 900 resident physicians in more than 50 specialty or subspecialty programs and is the largest educator of physicians practicing in Southern California. Together, the school's faculty and residents serve more than 1.5 million patients each year at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, as well as USC-affiliated hospitals Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. Keck School faculty also conduct research and teach at several research centers and institutes, including the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at USC, the USC Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, the USC Roski Eye Institute and the USC Institute of Urology.

In 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Keck School of Medicine among the Top 40 medical schools in the country.

For more information, go to keck.usc.edu.

FUNDING

The study was supported by a Biomarkers Across Neurodegenerative Disease (BAND-14-338179) grant from the Alzheimer's Association, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Weston Brain Institute, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), National Institutes of Health (U01 AG024904), U.S. Department of Defense (W81XWH-12-2-0012), National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, AbbVie, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Araclon Biotech, BioClinica, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CereSpir, Eisai, Elan Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, EuroImmun, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Genentech, Fujirebio, GE Healthcare, IXICO, Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Lumosity, Lundbeck, Merck, Meso Scale Diagnostics, NeuroRx Research, Neurotrack Technologies, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Piramal Imaging, Servier, Takeda, Transition Therapeutics, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The study used data from ADNI, which is 100 percent NIH-funded at $56 million.

Donohue is the principal investigator for two grants to develop data analysis methods for Alzheimer's, which is related to this work. One grant is Biomarkers Across Neurodegenerative Disease, which is supported by the Alzheimer's Association, Michael J Fox Foundation and Weston Brain Institute (0 percent NIH at $149,872). The second is a NIH R01 grant (100 percent NIH at $1,620,934).
The 3-D crystal model of a muscle-slowing disease shows how it attacks and destroys proteins in a neuromuscular receptor that is in charge of physical movement

As a molecular biologist, Kaori Noridomi gets an up-close view of the targets of her investigations. But when she began studying the molecular structures of a rarely diagnosed autoimmune disorder, myasthenia gravis, she decided to step out of the lab for a better view.

Noridomi said she thought she needed to know more than what she saw on a microscope and decided she should meet patients who have myasthenia gravis. She went so far as to attend a fundraising walk that supported research of the disease.

"Patients are just waiting for breakthroughs in research and better treatment," said Noridomi, a researcher in Professor Lin Chen's Molecular and Computational Biology lab at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "They may also, because the disease attacks their immune system, end up with other diseases. I met one patient who had myasthenia gravis and had also dealt with four different types of cancer."

Motivated by the patients' stories, Noridomi and a team of scientists, including Chen, developed a 3-D, crystal structure of the disease's molecular interactions to fully view its molecular interactions with a neural receptor that is the regular target of the disease. It is the first, high-resolution visual display of the molecular interactions.

The development of the crystal structure gives scientists a clear view of how exactly the disease behaves and interferes with brain-to-muscle signals. The ability to see these interactions will likely accelerate research of the disease and could possibly lead to new disease-targeting therapies, said Lin Chen, the study's corresponding author and a USC Dornsife College professor of biological sciences and chemistry.

"Because of this finding, we may also find a better quantitative way to identify patients," Chen said.

An estimated 36,000 to 60,000 Americans (around 20 per every 100,000) are affected by myasthenia gravis each year. At least, that is the estimated number of patients who receive the diagnosis. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America believes far more have the disease but they are not diagnosed.

Diagnosed patients may end up on therapies that treat one or some of the symptoms - but not the disease itself, said Noridomi, a Ph.D. candidate. The symptoms may range from weakness in the facial muscles and eyes to slurred speech.

Chen, Noridomi and their team of researchers noted in the study that myasthenia gravis is "the first, and so far, only autoimmune disease with a well-defined autoantigen target," alluding to the "nicotinic acetylcholine receptors" that the disease's malfunctioning antibodies attack.

These are the same kind of receptors that respond to drugs such as nicotine. In the muscles, though, these receptors have a specific job: receive and transmit the brain's orders to contract muscles.

The brain sends those orders in the form of a chemical neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, directing it to the receptors on the skeletal muscles. In a healthy body, once the acetylcholine reaches the receptors on the destined muscle or muscles, it binds with them and causes them to contract.

In a patient with myasthenia gravis, though, the disease's antibodies jam this process, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The antibodies attack the receptor and try to destroy a protein within it, according to the study.

Myasthenia gravis is most frequently diagnosed by detection of those distinct, rogue antibodies. Scientists first identified myasthenia gravis as a condition in 1877. The USC scientists noted that the disease's pathology wasn't understood until the 1970s when researchers realized that disease's antibodies were, for the most part, attacking a specific receptor in the muscles.

With the crystal model, the scientists were able to see the disease's interactions with the receptor as if it were frozen as a moment in time. They also saw that it had cross-linked with several receptors to accelerate the degradation of their proteins.

"Our studies suggest it is possible to develop drug molecules to inhibit the binding of a large fraction of MG antibodies" to the receptor," the scientists wrote.

However, scientists remain unsure why some patients experience more severe or widespread symptoms than others.

"It's a little bit of disease and a little bit of heredity that cause this," Noridomi said. "In some people, the level of symptoms may be so slight and varied that they may not even go to the trouble of finding out if they have a disease. By that, I mean, maybe they just don't feel good one day, like they don't feel like going to work. They don't know that ultimately they are suffering an attack."

Noridomi said she believes the team's findings will lead to greater scientific understanding and may give patients long-awaited hope.

"It has been very touching to hear their difficulties," Noridomi said. "Since there is no good treatment right now, they are really waiting for more research to come."

###

The study co-authors were Go Watanabe of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center of Keck Medicine of USC, as well as Melissa N. Hansen and Gye Won Han, both from the USC Dornsife College.

The study was funded by two National Institutes of Health grants awarded to Lin Chen. The Chen lab at the USC Dornsife College is funded by NIH grant R01GM064642 (50 percent). The five-year, $1.5 million grant was awarded in 2011. The remaining 50 percent was funded by NIH grant R01AI113009. The five-year, $2.1 million grant was awarded to the Chen lab in 2014.
A piece of research by the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has concluded that designating Urdaibai as a protected area has improved the life quality of the citizens, despite placing certain restrictions on them

Initially, protected areas had a single, major aim which was to protect the biodiversity; today, by contrast, the promotion of people's well-being is also one of their aims. The relationship between the conservation of an environment and its socioeconomic and cultural development has been fiercely debated in society. In actual fact, since Urdaibai was designated a Biosphere Reserve and the Use and Management Steering Plan was approved (1993), various activities have been banned and various types of exploitation have been restricted, and that has been hotly debated among the inhabitants. Many Urdaibai inhabitants do not agree with the restrictions imposed, whereas others feel that the measures imposed do not go far enough to guarantee conservation.

To shed light on this debate, Nekane Castillo, a researcher in the UPV/EHU's Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, has conducted research into the socioeconomic evolution of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. "To find out whether the designation of Biosphere Reserve has been an advantage or disadvantage for the Urdaibai population," she explained. In her research she analysed and compared the evolution that has taken place in several variables in Busturialde and Uribe Kosta ever since the Steering Plan was approved, "because these two districts are close to each other and because they share similar features". Specifically, three types of variables have been tackled: variables relating to land use (agricultural land, urban land, pine plantations, eucalyptus plantations, autochthonous forest, etc.), socioeconomic variables (employment and unemployment, GDP, population, etc.) and cultural ones (use of the Basque language, level of education, etc.). In addition, an environmental sustainability index was calculated on the basis of the water consumed, the waste materials produced, etc. The socioeconomic and cultural variables of the two districts are the same

After making a statistical examination of all these variables, the researchers concluded that the two districts have seen a similar trend. "Firstly, traditional agricultural activities have been abandoned and the pine plantations that are so detrimental to the environment have diminished, and in their place, urban lands and local species have expanded," explained Nekane Castillo. Secondly, the researchers have noticed that the tertiary sector linked to tourism has grown and so have well-being (income, gross domestic product, further education and employment) and sustainability. However, the researcher pointed out that "on the whole, despite the fact that half of the surface area of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve consists of pine plantations, it offers better conditions for conservation and better rural area conditions than Uribe Kosta, while the socioeconomic and cultural variables remain similar".

In Castillo's view, "that means that the designation of Biosphere Reserve has not been detrimental for the citizens, it guarantees the conservation of the district and that may have boosted the socioeconomic and cultural development of it. Even though some changes need to be made to replace the pine forests by autochthonous ones and to encourage agricultural activity, the designation of protected area has achieved the aims in terms of sustainability, and we can say that the life quality of the population in the district is increasing".

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Additional information

This research is part of the PhD thesis by Nekane Castillo (Bilbao, 1988). She is a graduate in Environmental Sciences, and is doing her PhD in the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology of the UPV/EHU's Faculty of Science and Technology. Her supervisor was the UPV/EHU professor Miren Onaindia. The thesis is part of the project to Assess the Ecosystem Services in the Basque Autonomous Community and has funding through a Basque Government grant.

Bibliographical reference.

Castillo-Eguskitza, N., Rescia, A. J., Onaindia, M. 2017. "Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain): Conservation against development?". Science of the Total Environment 592, 124-133.
People whose minds tend to wander are less likely to stick to their long-term goals, according to new research led by the University of Waterloo.

The research found that those who could sustain focus in day-to-day life were more likely to report maintaining perseverance and passion in their long-term objectives.

"Those who often can't keep their minds on their tasks -- such as thinking about weekend plans instead of listening to the lecturer in class -- tend to have more fleeting aspirations," said Brandon Ralph, the study's lead author and a PhD candidate in psychology at Waterloo. "We've shown that maintaining concentration over hours and days predicts passion over longer periods."

The researchers' findings resulted from three separate studies. In the first two studies, surveys measured the mind wandering, inattention and grittiness of 280 participants. In the third study, 105 post-secondary students were asked to report on their mind-wandering habits during class and then fill out questionnaires to measure their grittiness.

Grit is a personality trait involving sustained interest and effort toward long-term goals and is purported to predict success in careers and education independent of other traits, including intelligence.

Next steps in the research involve determining if people who would like to mitigate the impacts of mind wandering can do so with mindfulness training exercises, such as meditation.

"It's clear that mind wandering is related to the ability to focus in the moment as well as on long-term goals," said Ralph. "As we move forward in this work, we'd like to see if practices such as meditation can assist people in achieving their goals."

The study, done in cooperation with researchers at Sheridan College, appears in the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology.

###
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- The Mattoon Police Department arrested a local man Saturday afternoon on a Shelby County warrant.

A Mattoon Police Department press release reported that Jon A. Fitt, 36, of Mattoon was arrested at 1:55 p.m. Saturday in the 1400 block of Broadway Avenue.

Fitt was wanted on a Shelby County warrant of arrest for disorderly conduct. He was subsequently charged with resisting a peace officer after struggling with the arresting officer. Fitt was taken to the Coles County jail.

In other matters, Russell W. Foerster, 25, of Edwardsville was arrested at 1:27 a.m. Sunday at Illinois Route 16 and the Lerna Road. Foerster was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The charge alleges that Foerster was found to be in possession of prescription medications without a prescription for said controlled substances. Foerster was taken to the jail.
DALLAS  June 12, 2017  A new strategy for treating brain tumors may extend or save the lives of patients diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of cancer, according to a study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The research demonstrates in mice that a combination of medications  traditionally used separately to treat lung cancer and arthritis  can destroy glioblastoma, a difficult-to-treat brain tumor that is lethal to most patients in little more than a year.

Brain Cancer Extras

The combination of these medications disables two proteins responsible for helping the cancer cells survive, providing a therapy that UT Southwestern is working to fast-track for clinical use.

This could be a groundbreaking treatment. If it works in patients, then it will be an important advance, said Dr. Amyn Habib, a member of UT Southwesterns Peter ODonnell Jr. Brain Institute and the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The research published in Nature Neuroscience answers a decades-old question of why a treatment that disables a protein common in various cancers has been effective in some forms of lung and colon cancer but not in glioblastoma.

The protein, known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), resides in the tumor cells membrane and has been a traditional target for fighting malignant tumors. Dr. Habibs team found that when doctors use a medication to disable the receptor, a second protein is produced in the brain that takes over the receptors function to keep the cancer cell alive.

The study shows that blocking both the receptor and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) destroys the glioma tumors.

The medications used to disable these proteins are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including TNF inhibitors used to treat arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions. Dr. Habib said this could speed the effort at UT Southwestern to organize a clinical trial to test the treatment on lung cancer and glioblastoma patients.

This is a terrific example of research that can be relatively quickly carried into the clinic, said Dr. Habib, Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics.

Glioblastoma is the most lethal and common type of brain cancer, accounting for 17 percent of malignant brain tumors. The disease aggressively spreads through the brain and can prove fatal within months, though surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments can often help patients survive more than a year.

UT Southwestern is testing an array of other approaches to improve the prognosis for patients, from protein-inhibiting medications to immunotherapy that uses the bodys immune system to fight the cancer.

Dennis Kothmann, a retired math teacher with glioblastoma, hopes one of these approaches will work for him. While Dr. Habibs treatment strategy is still being prepared for clinical use, Mr. Kothmann is participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial at UT Southwestern.

Chemo hasnt worked very well for other people with this disease, he explained as a nurse prepared to deliver his latest infusion through his arm. Why not try something different, give yourself a chance?

The 71-year-old Fort Worth native was diagnosed with glioblastoma in November after seeking medical treatment for his headaches and vision problems. Mr. Kothmann tells his story with an inspiring air of positivity, his jovial smile belying the grim prospects for beating such a disease.

Theres no sense in getting down, Mr. Kothmann said, his wife Candace nodding in agreement next to him. Thats not going to make me better.

Dr. Habib is encouraged by the initial success of his protein-disabling strategy. But he acknowledges a cure may not be imminent because cancers tend to adapt to treatments and find other pathways to thrive if one is blocked.

For example, disabling the EGFR protein initially showed success in lung cancer patients, but over time the cells develop resistance to the medication.

But if we can provide a remission or slowing of the disease and extend survival, thats a big advance in fighting this devastating disease, said Dr. Habib, also a staff physician at the North Texas VA Medical Center.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Medical Research, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Other pcollaborators at UT Southwestern include Dr. Gao Guo, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Habibs laboratory, and Dr. Edward Pan, Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics, Neurological Surgery, Dr. Sandeep Burma, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Kimmo Hatanpaa, Associate Professor of Pathology, Dr. Bruce Mickey, Vice Chairman and Professor of Neurosurgery, and Dr. David Wang, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine.

The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas and one of just 47 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation. Simmons Cancer Center includes 13 major cancer care programs. In addition, the Centers education and training programs support and develop the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians. Simmons Cancer Center is among only 30 U.S. cancer research centers to be designated by the NCI as a National Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Participating Site.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institutions faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.

###

This news release is available on our website at www.utsouthwestern.edu/news.

To automatically receive news releases from UT Southwestern via email, subscribe at www.utsouthwestern.edu/receivenews.
A Melbourne study is set to improve treatment options for patients with the second most common type of lung cancer, lung squamous cell carcinoma, a disease for which new anti-cancer drugs are urgently needed

A Melbourne study is set to improve treatment options for patients with the second most common type of lung cancer, lung squamous cell carcinoma, a disease for which new anti-cancer drugs are urgently needed.

The researchers demonstrated a better way to recruit the right participants for promising new anti-cancer drugs called FGFR (fibroblast growth factor receptor) inhibitors, which are being investigated for treating lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Using a research tool that mimics the complexity of human tumours, the researchers identified a 'biomarker' that would better categorise the patients who would respond to the treatment. They also showed that combining the 'targeted' FGFR inhibitors with chemotherapy had the potential to improve treatment outcomes.

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers Dr Marie-Liesse Asselin-Labat, Dr Clare Weeden and Dr Aliaksei Holik worked closely with medical oncologist Professor Ben Solomon and Richard Young from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on the study, published today in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Dr Asselin-Labat said the teams discovered a better biomarker for identifying those lung cancer patients who were most likely to respond to FGFR inhibitors.

"We found that high levels of the anti-cancer drug's target - FGFR1 - in a patient's tumour RNA were a better predictor of their potential response to the drug than the current tests that are used," Dr Asselin-Labat said.

Professor Solomon said the finding could improve the design of future clinical trials by selecting the right patients to participate.

"Fewer than 10 per cent of new cancer drugs make it past phase 1 clinical trials. In many cases this isn't because of the drug itself, but because of a limitation in clinical trial design," he said.

"Understanding which patients are most likely to respond to certain drugs in clinical trials is crucial both for patients to receive the best treatment, and for new drugs to make it to the clinic.

"Hopefully these data will help to improve trial outcomes by recruiting patients who otherwise might not have been matched to the right trial for them," Professor Solomon said.

In addition to identifying which patients would respond to the targeted therapy, the study found that FGFR inhibitors could be 'turbo-charged' when combined with chemotherapy, Dr Weeden said.

"FGFR inhibitors stop cancer cells from growing and adding in chemotherapy kills the cancer," she said. "Our research shows combining FGFR inhibitors with chemotherapy should be looked at in future clinical trials".

Dr Weeden said lung cancer tissue samples donated to the Victorian Cancer Biobank by patients were key to the research.

"Our laboratory models - known as patient-derived xenografts (PDX) - are the most accurate representation of real patient tumours that can be used for testing," Dr Weeden said.

"These models, using samples donated to the biobank by people with lung cancer, were crucial to define which tumours responded best to FGFR inhibitors."

The researchers hope to apply their findings to other forms of non-small cell lung cancer, which together account for 85 per cent of people with lung cancer, Dr Asselin-Labat said. "This research is a great example of the benefits of collaboration between basic scientists and clinical specialists," she said.

###

The research team was comprised of researchers and clinicians from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent's Hospital - all partners in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), an alliance of 10 of Melbourne's leading institutions working together to accelerate the control and cure of cancer.

The research was funded by the Viertel Foundation, the Cancer Therapeutics CRC, the Victorian Cancer Agency, the Harry Secomb Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation, the Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIISS.
Our society is in need of ammonia more than ever.

Chemical fertilizers, plastic, fibers, pharmaceuticals, refrigerants in heat pumps, and even explosives all use ammonia as raw material. Moreover, ammonia has been suggested as a hydrogen carrier recently because of its high hydrogen content.

In the Haber-Bosch process, which is the main method of ammonia synthesis, nitrogen reacts with hydrogen using a metal catalyst to produce ammonia. However, this industrial process is conducted at 200 atm and high reaction temperatures of nearly 500C. Additionally, ammonia production requires using much natural gas, so scientists have been looking for alternative methods to sustainably synthesize ammonia at low temperature.

In a recent study, researchers from Waseda University and Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd. achieved a highly efficient ammonia synthesis at low temperature, with the highest yield ever reported.

"By applying an electric field to the catalyst used in our experiment, we accomplished an efficient, small-scale process for ammonia synthesis under very mild conditions," says Professor Yasushi Sekine of Waseda University. "Using this new method, we can collect highly pure ammonia as compressed liquid and open doors to developing on-demand ammonia production plants that run on renewable energy."

This research was published in Chemical Science.

In 1972, ruthenium (Ru) catalyst with alkali metals was found to decrease the reaction temperatures and pressures necessary for Haber-Bosch processing, and different methods have been suggested since this discovery. Unfortunately, the ammonia synthesis rate was hindered by kinetic limitations.

"We applied direct current electric field to the Ru-Cs catalyst for our ammonia synthesis and obtained remarkably high ammonia field of approximately 30 mmol gcat-1h-1 with high production energy efficiency. Not to mention, this was done at low reaction temperatures and pressures from atmospheric to 9 atm, which is kinetically controllable. The energy consumption to produce ammonia was very low as well."

The researchers were able to obtain such results by a mechanism called surface proton hopping, a unique surface conduction triggered by an electric field.

"Our experimental investigations, including electron microscope observation, infrared spectroscopy measurements, and isotopic exchange tests using nitrogen gas, prove that proton hopping plays an important role in the reaction, as it activates nitrogen gas even at low temperatures and moderates the harsh condition requirements," explains Professor Sekine.

The new technique also addresses obstacles in conventional ammonia synthesis, such as hydrogen poisoning of Ru catalysts and delay in nitrogen dissociation. Furthermore, the research results suggest that smaller-scale, more dispersed ammonia production could be realized, and building highly-efficient ammonia plants that run on renewable energy will become possible. Such ammonia plants will be expected to produce 10 to 100 tons of ammonia per day. Professor Sekine believes that their findings will be important for future energy and material sources.

###

Reference

Published in Chemical Science

Title: Electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia by surface proton hopping

Authors: Authors: R. Manabe, H. Nakatsubo, A. Gondo, K. Murakami, S. Ogo, H. Tsuneki, M. Ikeda, A. Ishikawa, H. Nakai, and Y. Sekine

Link to this study in the Waseda University News

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 20 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.
BROOKLYN, New York - The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $500,000 to New York University's Tandon School of Engineering to attract, instruct, and mentor student entrepreneurs -- particularly women -- in ways to use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

The first cohort of students from across NYU has already been identified, and they will spend the summer enhancing the efficiency of fuel cells for electric cars; creating a fully functional, self-supporting polymer 3D printer; exploring ways to lessen food waste; analyzing urban geography through big data; and more. More than half the student teams in the first cohort will be led by women -- a departure from national STEM trends. The most recent U.S. Census data revealed that although women make up nearly half of the working population, they represent only 26 percent of STEM workers. The percentage of those in computer careers - one of the fastest-growing segments -- actually declined since the 1990s.

"We know that STEM entrepreneurship holds great appeal to all of our students but that misconceptions and apprehensions sometimes discourage women from participating," said Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Jin Kim Montclare, who directs the new NSF I-Corps Site. "We believe that the chance to engage in STEM-based entrepreneurship and drive sustainable change through their ideas and inventions will attract aspiring female entrepreneurs, thereby helping to redress the gender imbalance we regularly see in STEM."

The five-year grant comes from the NSF I-Corps National Innovation Sites Program, which nurtures a national innovation ecosystem that builds upon research and moves scientific discoveries closer to the actual output of technologies, products, and processes that benefit society.

The grant recipient is NYU Tandon's Convergence of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Institute, which will work with the NSF I-Corps New York City Regional Innovation Node (NYCRIN), a multi-university collaboration that helps scientists and engineers expand their focus beyond the laboratory. NYCRIN helps researchers turn their discoveries into economically viable products and startup ventures, educates academic inventors, and connects them with entrepreneurial and business partners.

The NYU Tandon CIE's multidisciplinary faculty and staff members, too, have track records of translating research into commercial products. They will aid up to 30 student teams per year from across NYU in doing the same. Teams will undertake a summer program based on Lean LaunchPad methodologies and will then begin prototyping their products and services. Class for the first cohort will begin July 17.

Among the CIE's goals is to support diversity in STEM entrepreneurship, and to that end, teams with a desire to connect meaningful social change to innovation were encouraged to apply.

"We are excited by the opportunity to nurture our students' enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and help meet the demand for inclusive education that will increase the number of female STEM entrepreneurs," said Vice Dean for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Kurt H. Becker. "We feel particularly honored to have Chandrika Tandon, whose name our school bears, as a member of our leadership team. She is a stellar role model for any student determined to use their skills and talents to better the world."

The new NSF I-Corps Site is part of a holistic approach to diversity that dramatically increased the proportion of women at NYU Tandon; last year, a record 37 percent of freshmen were female, well above the national undergraduate average of 20 percent.

###

Becker and Montclare are joined by other of NYU Tandon's most entrepreneurial faculty members as part of the new program: Associate Professor of Technology Management and Innovation Anne-Laure Fayard; Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Nikhil Gupta; Industry Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Michael Knox; and Technology, Culture and Society Lecturer Christopher Leslie.

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, the country's largest private research university, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.
Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

Instant News Wire
Monday, June 12, 2017

The respected writers organization SouthWest Writers recently posted an interview with Gail Rubin about her latest book, KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

Here is a portion of the Q&A related to KICKING THE BUCKET LIST:

Whats your elevator pitch for Kicking the Bucket List?

Kicking the Bucket List is two-thirds about downsizing and one-third about organizing for end-of-life issues. Were more inclined to deal with our material goods than our mortality, and this book helps get the conversation started.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?

At first, it seemed like coming up with 100 items for this particular Bucket List was going to be a stretch. It turned out I had to pare down and combine items to make everything fit. Each item needed a photo or other artwork. I found a great resource for free Creative Commons images at Pixabay.com, and I took my own photos around the house of my own junk and my cats.

How did the book come together?

Barbe Awalt and Paul Rhetts, the publishers at Rio Grande Books, have published a series of Bucket List books since 2015. It started with Barbes The Basic New Mexico Bucket List: 100 Things to Do in New Mexico Before You Die. Each bucket list item has one page, with a paragraph or two of description, a link to a website for more information, and a color photograph. By the time Barbe approached me about doing a book for the series, other titles in the pipeline focused on hot air ballooning, cowboy life, space buff activities, and other New Mexico topics. This was the first of the books to focus on a practical issue everyone will eventually face.

We met to discuss the book in August of 2015, and signed a contract in September. I first focused on doing an outline of tips that went from why downsize to how to downsize to creative ways to downsize to organizing for end-of life issues. Once I started the writing, found appropriate website links and gathered photos, it came together within three months. Paul said the editor commented this was the most polished manuscript shed ever seen, so the editing process didnt take long. I thank my critique group for helping make it so polished. And we have SWW member Steve Brewer to thank for the title. I believe alcohol was involved.

What was the most rewarding aspect of writing Kicking the Bucket List?

As a professional speaker, the book has given me a new way to speak about mortality issues. I now have a PowerPoint presentation with photos from the book that I can customize to focus more on downsizing or on end-of-life issues, depending on the emphasis desired by the organization having me speak. The talks have been very well received, and Ive sold a number of books after these presentations.

Do you have a favorite quote from the book youd like to share?

I love the promotional blurb provided by Caitlin Doughty, YouTube Ask a Mortician star and author of New York Times bestseller Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons From the Crematory: The connection between downsizing and death acceptance has never been more obvious. Clear your mind and conscience by sucking it up and doing the things Gail suggests.

How many of the 100 items from the list have you checked off?

You would think The Doyenne of Death would have completed all of the items, but no, Ive still got drawers, closets, shelves and rooms that have excess goods that need to go. I have done a number of the end-of-life organizing items, though.

Any Oh, wow! moments while doing research for this book?

Oh, wowI still have a lot of stuff to get rid of.

The interview continues: how Gail became The Doyenne of Death, her top marketing tips, and why authors need to be good speakers. Read the entire interview at SouthWest Writers website.

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Around 29,000 people have signed up to a Facebook event which encourages trespassing through fields of wheat in Norfolk.

Ever since Theresa May's confession that she used to run through fields of wheat as a child, many anti-Conservative protestors have used this as ammunition against her and Conservative policies.

May, for ITVs Tonight programme, was asked to reveal the naughtiest thing she had ever done.

The Facebook event, hosted by Whats On?  Norwich, is scheduled to take place between midday 23 June and 24 June at 3pm.

The event says: "Feeling naughty? Been selling arms to Saudi Arabia? Privatised the NHS recently? Come join us for a cheeky frolic through fields of wheat, the farmers will love it xoxo"

A further 59,000 people have expressed interest in going to the event.

The page has already attracted hundreds of comments, with some posting footage of people tresspassing on farmland and fields of wheat.

'Defend the wheat fields'

Facebook user Ruth Chohan has decided to counter the event with what she has called "Defend the wheat fields".

She told FarmingUK: "You don't have to go anywhere, just post any suspicious activity, so that farmers and the police have a heads up that this is happening in their local area.

"The reason I set this up was to allow farmers an easy way to communicate that this vandalism is occurring."

"At the protests, they are running through the wheat fields, damaging crops and dropping their rubbish. I have actually had one person admit they left their tobacco packet behind.

"These protests are happening in Cambridge, Lancaster and Norwich, and have been occurring since the 9th of June and will end on the 23rd, some of these have also stated any wheat field.

Ruth said the impact for farmers would be a rise in prices for wheat: "It would deliver a damaging blow for arable farmers whose livelihood will be affected.

"It would also cause a rise in feed prices if they damage enough wheat fields, so this will also hit livestock farms too."
A Qatari businessman will airlift 4,000 Holstein cows on 60 flights to create a local dairy industry.

It is part of efforts to maintain milk supplies during the blockade by Qatars Gulf Arab neighbours, who have cut diplomatic ties with the small, but rich, Gulf state.

The cows will come from Australia and the US to the farm, which is north of Doha, the country's capital city.

Before, Qatar had imported most of its dairy products from neighbouring countries  including Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's isolation has disrupted trade, and forced Qatar to open new routes to import food, building materials and equipment.

On Sunday, Iran had sent five planes of vegetables to Qatar

So far five planes carrying... vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent on Sunday, Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi had told AFP.

The UK has pushed its exports towards Gulf states recently, as the potential market for British produce is huge.

The Gulf is the UKs third largest export market  worth more than 1.5 billion  and is already home to more than 5,000 UK companies and 4,000 British brands.
New figures show the potentially devastating impact of a ban on glyphosate to the British economy and the agricultural sector, warning that it would lead to a reduction in farm output of 940m.

The figures also show tax revenues from agriculture and its supply chain could fall by 193m.

The stats, released by leading economic research house Oxford Economics and agriculture specialists The Andersons Centre, in partnership with the Crop Protection Association, also predicts wheat production would fall by 20%.

Ian Mulheirn, Director of Consulting, Oxford Economics, commented: Our reports findings are very clear, a glyphosate ban will negatively impact UK GDP and agriculture, at a time of real uncertainty for British farmers.

If glyphosate was not approved for use in the UK but remained available in the rest of the world, this would place domestic production at a considerable disadvantage. An EU-wide ban could even push up food prices for consumers.

Glyphosate is an active substance in the production of herbicides, and has been used by the majority of British farmers for weed control over the past 40 years.

The glyphosate row

However, it is embroiled in a bitter row over health and safety aspects.

The European Commission will propose extending by 10 years its approval of glyphosate.

A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in the U.S. and in Europe has forced a delay to a re-licensing decision for Monsantos big-selling Roundup herbicide.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans.

UK farming unions have also been active on the issue, and have said they will continue to work to ensure the facts about glyphosates safety and its importance are 'fully understood' in the run up to the European Commission confirming its decision on the licence.

'Ghost-writing research'

Among those who have criticised glyphosate is the Green Party. They have backed calls for the EU to ban glyphosate, and accuses Monsanto of ghost-writing research.

A Green MEP, Molly Scott Cato, has thrown her weight behind a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) calling for a ban on glyphosate.

Dr Scott Cato has called for EU regulatory approval of pesticides and herbicides to be based on studies commissioned by public authorities rather than the pesticide industry.

Molly Scott Cato said: The Monsanto papers highlight the undue influence agri-chemical corporations have on assessments of toxic chemicals like glyphosate. It also shows the urgent need for assessments of harmful substances to be based on fully independent and public studies so that they are fully impartial, transparent and open to proper scrutiny.

But many farmers are hopeful for a lengthy approval. FarmingUK spoke to an arable farmer from South Yorkshire about the looming decision on glypgosate. He said that if glyphosate was not re-authorised it would totally change our farming system.

Recently, the Canadian government re-evaluated glyphosate to be safe and confirmed the product's importance to Canadian farms.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 Welcome To The Stolen Car Capital Of America; Why Is The City Still Asleep At The Wheel? Plus: Martinez Ship Jumping Gets Underway Berry and Eden Forget about the economy. Forget about that sick leave ordinance. Forget about ART.



There is one and only one issue in the 2017 race for mayor of Albuquerque--the lawlessness that has beset the city and the continuing destruction of its police force. The crime wave here is jarring, relentless and long ago scotched any hopes for major economic development in the foreseeable future. The



More than 27 vehicles a day. More than 10,000 for the year. Thats how many vehicles were reported stolen from Albuquerque and neighboring counties in 2016, according to a recent report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bureau reported the Albuquerque area had the highest per-capita rate of auto thefts in the country.



Worst



The soaring murder rate, the auto theft epidemic, the freeways run amok, the constant break-ins at area businesses and homes and the widespread vandalism have given this city a damnable reputation.



The blame is everywhere but still there is no accountability for:



---The mayoral administration of Richard Berry and Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry presiding over the mayhem while evading responsibility for the disintegration of law and order.



--The police department led by an ineffectual Gorden Eden and cordoned off by an upper command staff at war with its own citizenry and stifling accountability to the bitter end.



--The flaccid, fearful and forlorn nine member city council which has not a member on it that has stepped forward to lead the way out of this jungle, even as the mayor has abdicated.



--The see-no-evil business community represented by the Economic Forum, the ABQ Chamber of Commerce, NAIOP and the like which join with the agenda driven newspaper to prop up the Republican mayor at all costs--no matter the cost to the welfare of this once on-the-go metropolis.



Newsman Dan Rather



In about 90 days early voting will get underway in the ABQ mayoral election. It will be our last, best chance to turn this city around, but only if the candidates are subjected to the accountability that we have so maddeningly allowed to elude those currently in power.



WHERE THEY GOING?



In the wake of the news that we are the stolen car capital of the USA, a comment from James Uberman on Facebook scolding the media stood out:



This is reporting?? Where are all these cars going. This is not a few individuals, this is an industrial operation. Are the Mexican Cartels involved? Notice the #2 city is just up I-25. There is a major organized crime ring behind this but no reporting on that.



Good question, James. Maybe the media, along with the district attorney, mayor and police chief might want to start asking the same?



The relationship between APD and the various oversight panels watching over the troubled agency continues to plumb new lows with police stonewalling the order of the day. And APD's war room mentality now extends to the media. Take



An important editor's note: Ordinarily, KOB would reach out to APD for comment on this sort of story prior to a newscast, or prior to publishing on KOB.com. However, in recent months, that courtesy has resulted in KOB content being distributed to other news outlets by the Albuquerque Police Department. To maintain the integrity of our content, our management has decided to reach out to APD for comment at the first opportunity on Saturday. We will share the department's response with you then.



What in the name of Harry Kinney is going on in this town? If any of the eight mayoral candidates refuses to pledge to oust the current chief and all of the APD upper command staff, they ought to be taken over to Old Town Plaza where spectators could throw leftover enchiladas at them.



SHIP JUMPING



Sanchez Watch for the splashes from the ship jumpers to get even bigger. NM Education Secretary Hanna Skandera, who lost out recently on a high level job in the federal education department, announces that



Skandera will be remembered as contentious, abrasive, bullying and an ideologue. The same goes for Sanchez but worse. He debased the communications office and the political dialogue by calling legislators "disgusting" and other such niceties as he refused to talk to news organizations critical of the Governor. At least Skandera took public policy seriously. For Sanchez, the campaign never ended as Jay created an attack dog with only one switch: attack and vilify. Sanchez says he's moving out of state but the media did not report where. Yeah, spread that joy around.



THAT WAS HANNA



Skandera is getting some credit for increasing graduation rates in the state but the weight of the evidence goes against her, asserts reader Phil Parker:



Skandera prioritized (politically useful) data over kids' basic needs, and told teachers who asked for her help that they were wrong about their own students. When teachers told her about problems they faced in their classrooms - kids who were hungry, or pregnant, or on drugs, or skipping school because they felt degraded for many different reasons - her responses were always pure weaselspeak. She never gave a straight answer in public, and I think that's because she was prioritizing the interests of private education companies. There was always something to hide, some issue her department wouldn't comment on. She was a pure ice-cold politician, and possibly a profiteer, and her kind is taking over everything.



THE BOTTOM LINES



Former ABQ State Rep, Rick Miera makes it official and becomes a candidate for the '18 Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. More on his campaign



The NM Republican Party was jolted Monday when it learned of the death of party spokesman--25 year old



He was a brilliant writer, tenacious promoter of our cause, keen political communicator and most importantly, a wonderful person. Tucker approached his work with great passion, enthusiasm and with a witty sense of humor.



Keene, a Massachusetts native, was found dead in his ABQ apartment. The cause is being determined by the medical examiner.



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( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017 Forget about the economy. Forget about that sick leave ordinance. Forget about ART.There is one and only one issue in the 2017 race for mayor of Albuquerque--the lawlessness that has beset the city and the continuing destruction of its police force. The crime wave here is jarring, relentless and long ago scotched any hopes for major economic development in the foreseeable future. The latest Worst in the nation for auto theft and the city in second place isn't even close! The shock is that the citizenry is still not yelling from their rooftops over the colossal failure and incompetence of the city's leadership to reign in the thieves, murderers, drag racers and meth heads that have made the city something akin to a dusty border town with a corrupt police department and a puppet mayor and city council.The soaring murder rate, the auto theft epidemic, the freeways run amok, the constant break-ins at area businesses and homes and the widespread vandalism have given this city a damnable reputation.The blame is everywhere but still there is no accountability for:---presiding over the mayhem while evading responsibility for the disintegration of law and order.--and cordoned off by an upper command staff at war with its own citizenry and stifling accountability to the bitter end.--which has not a member on it that has stepped forward to lead the way out of this jungle, even as the mayor has abdicated.--represented by the Economic Forum, the ABQ Chamber of Commerce, NAIOP and the like which join with the agenda driven newspaper to prop up the Republican mayor at all costs--no matter the cost to the welfare of this once on-the-go metropolis.Newsman Dan Rather opined over the bizarre politics in DC: "We are failing to be outraged by the outrageous." That could be the bumper sticker for the current state of politics in our state's largest city. It's as if everyone is overdosing on Xanax.In about 90 days early voting will get underway in the ABQ mayoral election. It will be our last, best chance to turn this city around, but only if the candidates are subjected to the accountability that we have so maddeningly allowed to elude those currently in power.In the wake of the news that we are the stolen car capital of the USA, a comment from James Uberman on Facebook scolding the media stood out:Good question, James. Maybe the media, along with the district attorney, mayor and police chief might want to start asking the same?The relationship between APD and the various oversight panels watching over the troubled agency continues to plumb new lows with police stonewalling the order of the day. And APD's war room mentality now extends to the media. Take a look What in the name of Harry Kinney is going on in this town? If any of the eight mayoral candidates refuses to pledge to oust the current chief and all of the APD upper command staff, they ought to be taken over to Old Town Plaza where spectators could throw leftover enchiladas at them.Watch for the splashes from the ship jumpers to get even bigger. NM Education Secretary Hanna Skandera, who lost out recently on a high level job in the federal education department, announces that she's resigning from the Martinez administration this month. She's joined by the Governor's press aide Chris Sanchez . Martinez's term doesn't conclude until the end of next year but with the news ahead looking bleak, the ship jumping seems to be starting earlier than usual.Skandera will be remembered as contentious, abrasive, bullying and an ideologue. The same goes for Sanchez but worse. He debased the communications office and the political dialogue by calling legislators "disgusting" and other such niceties as he refused to talk to news organizations critical of the Governor. At least Skandera took public policy seriously. For Sanchez, the campaign never ended as Jay created an attack dog with only one switch: attack and vilify. Sanchez says he's moving out of state but the media did not report where. Yeah, spread that joy around.Skandera is getting some credit for increasing graduation rates in the state but the weight of the evidence goes against her, asserts reader Phil Parker:Former ABQ State Rep, Rick Miera makes it official and becomes a candidate for the '18 Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. More on his campaign here . Taos educator Jeff Carr is the other announced lt. gov. candidate. ABQ State Senator Michael Padilla is also expected to run. There are no announced GOP lt. governor hopefuls. . .The NM Republican Party was jolted Monday when it learned of the death of party spokesman--25 year old W. Tucker Keene . Said GOP Chairman Ryan Cangiolosi:Keene, a Massachusetts native, was found dead in his ABQ apartment. The cause is being determined by the medical examiner.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Links HOME

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Michael Gove has told BBC Radio 4 he will 'listen and learn' from the farming community after being appointed Defra secretary on Sunday (11 June).

It comes as news that his previous comments and views on trade have alarmed some farmers' leaders.

Mr Gove was asked by the BBC about concerns farmers have raised surrounding Brexit, including EU subsidies and migrant labour.

He also reiterated the Conservative manifesto commitment to keep subsidy levels for farmers until the end of least 2022.

Mr Gove was then asked if there would be a future visa scheme for unskilled migrants.

"It's early days. One thing the Prime Minister wanted was as we bring migration down to sustainable levels we will do so in consultation with industry and one of our most important industries is agriculture," he said.

"We need to make sure the workforce is there and the support is there."

High quality food

When pressed on what kind of visa system would be in place to support seasonal labour such as fruit pickers he said he will talk to farming groups later today (13 June).

Labour and skills shortages are starting to bite in UK sectors

"In the past we've had a variety of schemes to ensure the agricultural workforce is in place to ensure the farmers produce high quality food.

"Of course I've given this issue some consideration. I want to make sure I can listen to the farming secretary, the NFU later today and others because I think the right approach to take in a new department is to listen and to learn and be clear about overall principles. Mine are to enhance the environment and continue to produce high quality food in this country.

"But the means by which we do so is for me to exercise appropriate humility, and listen and learn."

Starting to bite

Labour and skills shortages are starting to bite in UK sectors which employ a high number of migrants, according to research.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that despite a near record number of vacancies, 748,000 according to the latest Office for National Statistics data, UK employers are struggling to fill roles.

As many as one in four employers have seen evidence to suggest that non-UK nationals from the EU were considering leaving their organisation in 2017.

Non-UK nationals from the European Union almost halved from an average of more than 60,000 per quarter in the nine months to June 2016 to just 30,000 in the three months to September 2016.

'Significant experience'

Numerous farming and rural organisations have given their thoughts on Gove's appointment.

Rural organisation the CLA, which represents landowners and farmers, said Gove will bring 'significant' experience.

CLA President Ross Murray said: He brings significant experience, a reputation for robust challenge of the status quo and a reformers zeal. These are all qualities that will serve the land based sector well.

Defra has a major role to play in both the negotiations and in preparing for life after the UK exits the EU.

The National Farmers Union president Meurig Raymond has written an open letter to Gove, giving him the wants and needs of the farming industry ahead of uncertain times.

The Tenant Farmers' Association has also written to Gove, welcoming him into his new position and to seek an early meeting to discuss the priorities for agriculture and its tenanted sector in the context of Brexit.

"The Prime Minister has placed a political heavyweight and prominent Brexiter in DEFRA and we look forward to working with Michael Gove in the weeks and months ahead," the TFA said.
Michael Gove has been named the new environment secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Theresa May's post-election reshuffle.

Andrea Leadsom, who was appointed environment secretary on 14 July 2016, has now been appointed as leader of the House of Commons.

Theresa May continues to build her new Government after a slew of key appointments today (11 June).

The weakened Prime Minister has reshuffled her cabinet in an attempt to stay in power following Thursdays disastrous election result for the Conservative party.

Former Chancellor George Osborne called her a dead woman walking while other former ministers said her position was untenable and she would never lead the party into another General Election.

For Michael Gove, DEFRA faces some of the toughest challenges of any Government department as Brexit looms.

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which many farmers rely on, will have to be replaced with a UK-focused system.

'Significant experience'

Rural organisation the CLA, which represents landowners and farmers, said Gove will bring 'significant' experience.

CLA President Ross Murray said: I am pleased to welcome Michael Gove to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs brief.

He brings significant experience, a reputation for robust challenge of the status quo and a reformers zeal. These are all qualities that will serve the land based sector well.

Defra has a major role to play in both the negotiations and in preparing for life after the UK exits the EU.

I look forward to working with him and his team and we are eager to get on with addressing the big challenges ahead.

No previous experience

Michael Gove has no agricultural, farming or environmental experience in any of his previous political offices.

As education secretary, Gove was criticised for trying to remove climate change from the national geography curriculum.

He has previously voted in favour of badger culling.

Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen and attended Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, where he took a BA in English, graduating with a 2:1, after which he began his career as a journalist.

Michael Gove was Secretary of State for Education from 2010-14 and Secretary of State for Justice from 2015-16.

He has been the Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath since 2005.

In 2016, Gove played a major role in the UK's referendum on EU membership as the co-convenor of Vote Leave and along with Boris Johnson, became a key figurehead of the campaign.

Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in 2016, May did not appoint him to the Cabinet.

This page will continue to be updated
The National Farmers Union president Meurig Raymond has written an open letter to new Environment Secretary Michael Gove to give him the wants and needs of the farming industry ahead of uncertain times.

Michael Gove has been named the new environment secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Theresa May's post-election reshuffle.

The NFU's open letter congratulated Mr Gove and said farming is of enormous value to the economy.

Mr Raymond said: On behalf of the 55,000 members of the NFU, may I offer you my sincere congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

British farms grow the raw ingredients for the UK food and drink manufacturing sector, the UKs largest manufacturing sector, worth 109 billion and providing 3.8 million jobs. Farming is of enormous value to the economy - for every 1 invested, farming delivers around 7 back to this country.

British farmers are proud to provide over 60% of the nations food and manage 70% of UK landscape. We do this all while focusing on producing safe, nutritious and high-quality food for people at home and abroad.

And we can and want to deliver more. We are looking to Defra; to work with us and our members, to champion farming within the Government and to work closely with the devolved governments across the UK. Our shared aim is to ensure a productive, progressive and profitable future for British farmers and assurance to British consumers.

'Best possible a access'

Mr Raymond described how farming will be the most impacted industry by Brexit, and how farmers need certainty to move forward.

He continued: To achieve our potential, we need a future post-Brexit trade arrangement that delivers the best possible access to the vital EU market, as well as continued access to a competent and reliable workforce.

With your experience in reforming policy environments we look forward to working with you to create a new wider policy framework that better delivers for British food and farming - and for our nation.

We are also calling on the new Government to support British farming through a number of other measures; Bovine TB continues to blight the UKs livestock sector which is why it is so important that the Governments 25-Year TB Eradication strategy is implemented in full.

'Robust, scientific evidence'

The NFU President then talks about how licensing and access to plan protection products in another concern for farmers.

The NFU has consistently advocated for regulation to be based on robust, scientific evidence and consequently I very much hope you will be able to give your support to the reauthorisation of glyphosate which is a very important product for British farmers to have access to.

Later this summer, the NFU will launch its Rural Crime Manifesto where we highlight the very serious impact of issues like fly-tipping, theft and hare coursing for farms and rural communities.

I look forward to tackling these challenges and meeting you at the earliest possible opportunity.
International Business Machines (IBM 2.79%) fell well short of revenue expectations when it reported its first-quarter results, prompting the stock to tumble. The culprit behind the disappointing numbers was a delay in signing a few major deals. A few services deals that were originally expected to close during the first quarter got pushed back, hurting the company's results.

At least one of those deals has now closed. IBM announced on June 8 that it had signed a 10-year cloud services agreement with Lloyds Banking Group (LYG 6.32%) in the United Kingdom, a financial institution with over $1 trillion of assets. IBM will provide dedicated cloud offerings hosted in both Lloyds and IBM data centers, and it will manage the application migration process to the new cloud. The total value of the deal is about $1.65 billion.

This news comes soon after reports emerged that IBM lost a major public cloud customer. Facebook is moving its WhatsApp service from IBM's cloud to its own data centers. WhatsApp uses 7,000 high-performance bare-metal servers provided by IBM's SoftLayer infrastructure-as-a-service business, and Facebook reportedly spent as much as $2 million each month with IBM.

The Lloyds deal dwarfs the WhatsApp loss, and as I argued in a previous article, the social titan would have moved WhatsApp to its own data centers regardless of what cloud it was running on. The public cloud is a part of IBM's cloud strategy, but deals like the agreement with Lloyds are the core.

How IBM will grow its cloud business

The Lloyds deal is exactly the kind of deal IBM is well positioned to win. Lloyds is a large enterprise, with a market cap of $64 billion and annual revenue of around $50 billion. It's an existing IBM customer, with the two companies having a long-standing relationship. And it's looking to embrace cloud computing.

Transitioning to the cloud is not trivial, especially for a large enterprise, and doubly so for one in a highly regulated industry like banking. While the ongoing shift to cloud computing has forced IBM to adapt, signing deals with less hardware and more cloud services, the need for such deals hasn't diminished. As IBM CFO Martin Schroeter said during a recent earnings conference call, IBM is shifting from being a systems integrator to a services integrator. The Lloyds deal is a reflection of that shift.

One important thing about this deal, especially for those worried that lucrative hardware deals are being replaced with lower-value cloud deals, is that this agreement represents a new revenue stream for IBM. It's an expansion of the relationship, with IBM set to play a greater role.

Large organizations comprise IBM's core customer base. As those organizations begin thinking about shifting to the cloud, IBM is the logical choice to manage that transition. The value of IBM's existing customer relationships should not be underestimated. Hot start-ups may be unlikely to choose IBM's public cloud offerings over AWS or Azure, but IBM has an advantage when it comes to large organizations with complex IT infrastructures.

IBM's cloud business generated $14.6 billion of revenue over the past year, with cloud delivered as-a-service currently at an $8.6 billion annual revenue run rate. The latter number grew by 59% year over year during the first quarter. The Lloyds deal, and other similar deals in the future, will help keep the cloud business growing.

When this cloud growth, and growth in IBM's other "strategic imperatives," will ultimately drive revenue growth for the company as a whole is still unclear. Parts of IBM are growing quickly, but other parts are shrinking, and the net result has been five years of declining revenue. IBM expects per-share adjusted earnings to grow this year, but a return to revenue growth has yet to materialize.
Traditionally, the gold sector is not where investors rush when looking for dividend-paying stocks. Gold mining is capital intensive, and companies must continually reinvest in their businesses to ensure they remain profitable amid volatile gold prices. Consequently, many companies are uninterested in returning cash to shareholders.

Gold streaming and royalty companies such as Royal Gold and Franco-Nevada offer some of the higher yields among gold stocks, but for now, we'll limit ourselves to only those companies pulling the yellow stuff out of the ground. So let's dig in and look at some of the best opportunities.

Come for the yield; stay for the longevity

Investors may initially be drawn to Agnico Eagle's stock because it offers one of the higher yields, but the more compelling factor should be its long commitment -- 35 consecutive years -- of returning cash to shareholders in the form of dividends. Payouts can rise and fall; in fact, they may disappear altogether in challenging times. Kinross Gold, for example, suspended its dividend in 2013 and has yet to reinstitute it. For investors, Agnico Eagle's history of returning cash to shareholders is worth its weight in gold.

Based on management's outlook, Agnico seems well positioned to extend its streak of consecutive years paying a dividend. Targeting fiscal 2017 gold production of 1.55 million ounces, management expects production to rise to 2 million ounces in 2020. Moreover, it forecasts all-in sustaining costs (AISC) from $850 to $900 per gold ounce in fiscal 2017 (declining even further as production grows through 2020), providing an adequate margin to grow its cash position.

Company Market Cap Fiscal 2016 Revenue Dividend Yield Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. AEM 7.83% ) $11.1 billion $2.14 billion 0.83% Barrick Gold GOLD 7.04% ) $19.0 billion $8.56 billion 0.61% Goldcorp GG) $11.5 billion $3.51 billion 0.60% Newmont Mining Corp. NEM 7.11% ) $18.3 billion $6.71 billion 0.51% Yamana Gold AUY 4.86% ) $2.5 billion $1.79 billion 0.76%





The industry's big dog

The largest gold miner by market cap, Barrick Gold is a formidable force in the sector. Operating some of the largest gold-producing mines in the world, Barrick excels at keeping its expenses low. In fiscal 2016, Barrick -- the best performer in this peer group -- reported AISC of $730 per gold ounce. For context, the closest to Barrick here is Agnico, which reported AISC on a by-product basis of $824 per gold ounce in fiscal 2016. Excelling at keeping costs low, Barrick is able to generate significant cash. In fact, Barrick's free cash flow breakeven was below $1,000 per ounce in 2016 -- even if gold fell to $1,000 per ounce last year, Barrick would have still been churning out cash. In fiscal 2017, Barrick forecasts AISC between $720 and $770 per gold ounce and maintains a free cash flow breakeven of $1,000 per gold ounce.

Barrick's debt-reduction achievement further suggests it's well positioned to continue dividend distributions since it will save money on interest payments. In fiscal 2016, the company, simultaneously, reduced its debt by $2 billion and increased its dividend 50%. It plans to reduce its debt even further -- about $1.45 billion -- in fiscal 2017, maintaining a goal of bringing its total debt down to $5 billion by the end of fiscal 2018.

Digging into Goldcorp

Announcing an ambitious three-pronged, five-year plan last year, Goldcorp aims to grow gold production 20%, to grow gold reserves 20%, and to reduce AISC 20% by 2020. In addition to expansionary activities at Penasquito, Musselwhite, and Red Lake, Goldcorp foresees new operations at Coffee, Cerro Casale, and Caspiche as playing prominent roles in helping the company achieve its targets.

Controlling expenses, in any business, is important; however, it's critical for gold miners. Consequently, companies that excel at keeping costs low should be prime candidates for dividend investors, as they can grow cash flow and return it to shareholders. In Q1 2016, Goldcorp announced a $250 million target in "sustainable annual mine site and corporate efficiencies" that it sought to achieve by 2018. With more than 100% of that target identified, management is looking to identify even more efficiencies in 2019 and beyond.

Cranking out cash

Although its yield is nothing to write home about, Newmont Mining Corp. is a name that should be on one's watchlist. For what it lacks in a large yield, Newmont makes up for with cash flow. For example, it reported it has more than doubled its free cash flow over the past three years -- from $383 million in fiscal 2014 to $784 million in fiscal 2016. In fact, Newmont is the most adept among these peers at turning gold to green. According to Morningstar, the company converted 24.63% of its revenue to free cash flow in fiscal 2016. For context, Barrick is second best at 17.69%, while Goldcorp trails the group at only 3.11%.

Investors may also be attracted to Newmont's circumspect approach to its payout, for it maintains a dividend policy linked to the London Bullion Market Association's price of gold. When gold rises, so does the dividend. This affords great clarity and suggests that management has a good read on how much it can safely return to shareholders.

A gold stock for those with iron stomachs

Although Yamana Gold disappointed the Street last February when it announced its intent to forgo acquisitions in favor of organic growth, investors shouldn't disqualify it from consideration. According to a recent investor presentation, construction of Yamana's next cornerstone mine, Cerro Moro, is slightly ahead of schedule and remains on budget. Expected to commence operations in early 2018, Cerro Moro is forecast to produce 80,000 and 130,000 gold ounces in fiscal 2018 and 2019, respectively, averaging AISC below $600 per gold ounce.

Growing operational cash flow 26% from fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2016, Yamana is poised to increase it even further as Cerro Moro and expansionary projects at Chapada and Canadian Malartic come online.

Trading less than 1.4 times sales and 4.2 times cash from operations per share, Yamana Gold -- thanks to the current bearish sentiment -- now provides an excellent entry point for long-term investors who are willing to withstand some volatility.
Two stocks. One price. Any buys?

Currently, shares of Apache Corporation (APA 3.18%) and Anadarko Petroleum (APC) are both sitting just below $47/share. Earlier this year, though, Apache's per-share price was above $60, and Anadarko's was above $70! Let's look at which one of these beaten-down energy industry stocks is likely to have better performance for investors.

Performance

Apache and Anadarko each released their first-quarter 2017 earnings report in early May. Both companies performed better than the prior year, which is hardly surprising considering how much oil prices have increased since then. The companies' biggest rival ConocoPhillips (COP 3.35%), for example, saw a billion-dollar year-over-year improvement in earnings in Q1. Despite these improvements, all three companies' stock prices have suffered since.

Anadarko saw impressive sales volume growth during the quarter -- up a divestiture-adjusted 20% year over year. It was also able to enhance its product mix to 61% liquids versus 53% in the year-ago quarter. Because liquids command higher prices, this improved the company's overall margins. In spite of that, though, the company still didn't manage to turn a profit during the quarter, posting an adjusted $330 million loss.

Apache, on the other hand, posted a small profit, but on lower volumes than in the year-ago quarter. (although that wasn't unexpected). Revenue and cash flow were both up, and the company is seeing better-than-expected results from its Alpine High play (more on that later). Nevertheless, the market had hoped for more, sending shares downward after the announcement.

Both companies are clearly benefiting from an improved oil market, although there's still a long way to go. However, a profit beats a loss, so this one goes to Apache.

Winner: Apache

Dividend

Especially in the current environment, when stocks across the industry are down and with no clear recovery on the horizon, a dividend can be a godsend for investors. The regular payout a dividend provides can reward investors for their patience as they wait for share prices to recover. Both Anadarko and Apache pay a dividend, although Apache's is much more robust.

In early 2014, both companies increased their dividend payouts. Anadarko upped its dividend to $0.27/share, while Apache raised its to an even $0.25/share. Of course, shortly thereafter, the bottom fell out of the oil market, and the entire industry started to suffer.

Anadarko held its dividend at that level for nearly two years, but eventually, Anadarko's management -- wisely, in my opinion -- bit the bullet and slashed its dividend to just $0.05/share, where it remains today. Apache, on the other hand, has been able to keep its dividend steady at $0.25/share and doesn't seem likely to cut it -- or, for that matter, raise it -- anytime soon.

That gives Apache an attractive current yield of about 2.1%. Which is close to best-in-class ConocoPhillips' 2.4% yield. Of course, some of the integrated majors, like ExxonMobil or Royal Dutch Shell yield far more or have a longer history of increases, but 2.1% is not bad, especially compared to Anadarko's tiny 0.4% yield.

Winner: Apache

Outlook

The importance of past earnings and current dividend yield, though, pale in importance to a company's future prospects and performance. And both Apache and Anadarko are undergoing some changes that could have a big impact on their upcoming operations.

For Anadarko, the changes stem from an April explosion at a home in Colorado, which killed two people. Investigators discovered that an abandoned return flowline connected to a nearby Anadarko-owned well hadn't been properly capped. Gas from a cut in the pipeline seeped into the home, causing the blast.

As a result, Anadarko -- Colorado's largest gas producer -- was ordered to inspect all of its wells located within 1,000 feet of buildings. Anadarko wrapped up those inspections in early June and submitted a report to the state, but it's still unclear what further actions -- if any -- Anadarko might have to take. And of course, there are almost certain to be legal ramifications.

Apache, on the other hand, is busily developing the infrastructure at its monster Alpine High find in the Delaware Basin of Texas. The area around the find had been ignored by the industry until recently, so Apache is basically starting from scratch, but it's currently ahead of schedule and under budget. The company estimates production won't be able to start in earnest until the second half of 2017, and it won't really take off until 2018. In the meantime, the infrastructure development coupled with some scheduled maintenance downtime in the company's North Sea operations is going to make for lackluster performance.

The near-term outlook is uncertain for both companies -- particularly with oil prices dropping again. However, there's still a lot we don't know about Anadarko's Colorado operations and how the company will be affected overall. Apache's position -- sitting on a huge oil and gas find and just needing to build out some infrastructure -- seems much more secure.

Winner: Apache

And the winner is

Apache may not have had the best performance so far this year, but it pays a nice dividend and has excellent prospects for growth once its Alpine High find comes online. In fact, these factors convinced me to put my own money into the stock in May.

However, if things in Colorado can be resolved quickly for Anadarko, and if it can start turning a profit from its record production, it could still be worth a look. Today, though, Apache is the clear winner.




Haiti - Economy : First direct flight between Havana and Port-au-Prince





Although direct flights between Haiti and Cuba have been operating since last February https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20202-haiti-economy-inaugural-flight-of-sunrise-airways-pap-havana.html , Friday 9 June the Haitian company Sunrise Airways officially opened the new direct line between Havana and Port-au-Prince, bringing the number of direct weekly flights to Cuba to 6.



Philippe Bayard, President of Sunrise Airways, said the flights will increase according to demand and will be managed by the tour operator Explore Caribbean.



Pescale B. Hilaire, the co-owner of Explore Caribbean, said the new roads will allow to "show this other image of Haiti little known, the beauty of its beaches and its mountains, the uniqueness of its cuisine and its culture and its hotel infrastructures [...] We have come to reaffirm the love and the respect for Haitians for Cuba, who have extended their hand to us in difficult times and we are happy that the Cuban tourists travel to Port-au-Prince [...] The intention is to unite the multi-destinations, to work for the complementarity of services and products, without any rivalry in what differentiates each Nation, its traditions and customs, it is an incentive for the visitor and we will work together."



About Sunrise Airways :

The first and only Haitian-owned airline to be awarded a Part 129 Foreign Air Carrier Certificate from the Dominican Republic, Sunrise Airways (IATA: S6, ICAO: KSZ) is rising to meet the progressively expanding demand for safe, reliable, and affordable air travel throughout the Western Caribbean. From its hub in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian-owned carrier operates daily scheduled passenger service connecting key gateways across the region with the world. Sunrise Airways currently serves Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ and JBQ); Havana (HAV), Camaguey (CMW) and Santiago de Cuba (SCU) in Cuba; and Cap Haitien (CAP). New flights to/from Kingston, Jamaica (KIN); Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI); Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (PLS); and Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS) are planned for 2017-2018, pending government approval. In line with the expansion of its route network, Sunrise Airways has initiated service aboard a 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. Headquartered in Port-au-Prince, Sunrise Airways is a privately owned corporation with registered offices in Haiti.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20202-haiti-economy-inaugural-flight-of-sunrise-airways-pap-havana.html



SL/ HaitiLibre




























Haiti - FLASH : Guyana expels some Haitians





Several Haitians, who arrived in Guyana several weeks ago, were asked to leave the country because investigators suspect they have come for another destination, the immigration authorities said on Monday.



Winston Felix, the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, said that already 8 adults and 6 children were sent back to Haiti last Thursday after upgrading their return tickets. He said efforts were being made to return 8 others, including some children, who have no money to pay for their plane tickets, explaining "The rationale for having them depart is based on a police investigation and the advice given by the Police Legal Adviser," while refusing to give details of the evidence "We were advised that they should be sent back, based on the investigation, and that is the rationale," stating that no anomalies had been found with their documents, but "a collection of circumstances" did that it was decided that they should be removed. Asked whether trafficking in persons was suspected, he said that "trafficking has not been fully established but it might be lurking somewhere on the horizon."



For his part the Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud said the investigation revealed that "some of the Haitians are entering Guyana for other destinations and that its organised." He stated that all suspected smugglers are on bail pending further investigations by the Guyana Police Forces Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). Recalling "After Suriname last year introduced visas for Haitians who were transiting that country to neighbouring French Guiana https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18549-haiti-flash-suriname-visa-mandatory-for-haitian.html , they then opted to land here and move on to their final destination."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18549-haiti-flash-suriname-visa-mandatory-for-haitian.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diplomacy : Chancellor of Venezuela met Jovenel Moise





Monday, the Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodrigue arrived in Haiti to meet with President Jovenel Moise.



This meeting is part of the celebration of 153 years of bilateral diplomatic relations initiated at the time of independence, when Alexandre Petion bring his support to Simon Bolivar for the expedition of Keys in 1816, which allowed him to enter Venezuela and contribute to the victory of the Republicans on Margarita Island and other parts of the East.



Following her meeting with President Moise, Chancellor Rodriguez, declared "I met President Jovenel Moise this morning. We had a very good meeting, we talked about cooperation. He was very specific, he knows all the projects very well and he knows very well what he wants to do. He wants to move forward on the modernization of agricultural infrastructures. He also wants to work on water projects, on asphalt and many other projects."



"I am completely satisfied with the cooperation with Haiti. We are going to improve it and we will keep the path of cooperation [...] We have always been together and we will stay together and continue to walk along the same path of dignity and independence [...] With the new Government of Haiti, we have extraordinary relations because it can not be otherwise between Venezuela and Haiti."



Relationships that continue today through such mechanisms as PetroCaribe and the training of Haitian medical students in Venezuela.



SL/ HaitiLibre


















The Islamic State group has called for more terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan by sending an audio message through secretive messaging app Telegram.

In the audio message circulated on Monday, Islamic State official spokesman Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer praised the attack in the Iranian capital last week when suicide bombers and gunmen left 17 people dead, after targeting the parliament building and a mausoleum in Tehran.

He said the country is weaker than a spiders web, and called for more assaults.

O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates, and fight them with the strength of one man, al-Muhajer was quoted as saying.

Al-Muhajer also called for attacks in other parts of the world, saying heaven is reached under the shadow of swords.

To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others, your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done, he said.

In 2017, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks in Britain, Egypt, Iran and the Philippines that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.

Telegram Messenger has become a favoured tool of terrorists to disseminate propaganda due to its impenetrable security.

Source : Firstpost
Pestana Hotel Group publicly presented a new Pousada de Portugal located in the historic centre of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, in the most eastern area of the region (Sotavento), thus continuing its investment in the Algarve. This investment will provide the historic heritage building with 57 rooms, 114 beds and create 30 new jobs. The official opening is scheduled for the beginning of next year"s Summer.

At ceremony, where the agreement was signed with the local authorities, Luis Castanheira Lopes, highlighted the historic nature of the new Pousada. "The Pestana Hotel Group will restore the buildings in full harmony with its architectural relevance allowing visitors to experience its very rich cultural legacy, a core characteristic at the heart of the Pousadas de Portugal brand DNA that celebrate 75 years in 2017".

According to Jose Theotonio, "The Pestana Hotel Group is highly committed with its national expansion alongside its international growth. This new Pousada is a good example of our long term persistent commitment in the Algarve with a qualified investment that will generate growth in travel inflows, contributing to put Vila Real de Santo Antonio in the map of world tourism, generating more economy for the local communities".

The unique Southern location of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, on the border with Spain, makes it one of the most secluded regions with some of the best beaches, with warm weather and tepid waters in the Algarve. The new hotel is due to open in the Summer of 2018 but reservations will open in the beginning of the year.

This will the be the fourth Pousada de Portugal in the Algarve and the 17th Pestana unit in the region. There are currently 16 Pestana units in the Algarve, 13 Pestana Hotels & Resorts and 3 Pousadas de Portugal (Palacio de Estoi in Faro, Fortaleza de Sagres and Convento de Tavira).

Hotel website
Manhattan's Marriott Marquis once again welcomed the most prominent leaders in the hospitality industry for the 2017 NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, held June 5 and 6. Over the two-day event, industry experts gathered to share their opinions on a wide variety of ownership, management, branding, lending, and economic topics. Despite uncertainties in today's global political and economic climates, the overall tone remains one of cautious optimism.

Key Takeaways: 2017 NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference | By Chris Fernandes Photo by HVS

A Call to Action

No time was wasted skirting around discussion of the current White House administration, with conference chairman Jonathan M. Tisch's keynote discussion addressing the industry's primary concerns head on. Mr. Tisch initiated a call to action for industry participants to become actively engaged in the current political discourse, citing the threat of "A Second Lost Decade."



Leading contributors to this threat include the United States' lagging infrastructure and outdated airports, compared to other leading nations, as well as foreign policy issues such as the widely publicized travel ban. Although travel statistics usually lag several months, Mr. Tisch cited anecdotal evidence that the perceived travel ban has already had an impact on foreign travel counts, and pointed to the fact that the United States ranks outside the top 20 in nations with the highest perceived "openness to travel." The largest contributor to this threat, however, is the Trump administration's proposed budget, which would eliminate all funding of Brand USA.



Brand USA is the United States' travel marketing organization, with an estimated total economic impact of $8.9 billion per year and a $1.2-billion tax revenue contribution annually. Sentiments that the current policy propositions of Washington stand to hurt the travel industry were reverberated throughout morning sessions of day one. Katherine Lugar of AH&LA and Katie B. Fallon of Hilton also took strong positions on the importance of maintaining Brand USA's funding, while industry CEOs also spoke to the importance of infrastructure improvements going forward and the importance of maintaining that America is "open for business." Ms. Fallon, a former White House Director of Legislative Affairs and head of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs under President Obama, remained optimistic that Brand USA stands to regain its stake in the White House budget, citing it as a bipartisan issue with undisputed ROI in the face of the numerous partisan issues that presently challenge Washington.

The State of the Current Cycle

Amanda W. Hite, President and CEO of STR, presented the latest available year-to-date data on the U.S. lodging industry, highlighting that the nation has experienced 86 consecutive months of positive RevPAR growth. In the trailing-twelve-month period through April 2017, nationwide RevPAR increased 3.1%. Demand growth outpaced supply increases only modestly through this period, however.

Following up Ms. Hite's presentation was HVS's own President and CEO, Stephen Rushmore, Jr. Mr. Rushmore spoke to expectations in value trends, citing that no significant market-influenced appreciation in value is expected for several years. Thus, owners that are looking for the market to give them significant value appreciation will need a holding period of another eight to ten years. Rushmore noted "It's too risky to assume the market is going to give you upside, so owners need to think about ways to create value at the asset level." He also spoke on HVS's updated Hotel Valuation Index. Overall, U.S. hotel values are forecast to remain relatively flat in the three-year period from 2017 through 2019. Cities anticipated to register above-average value increases are largely the tertiary markets like Wilmington, DE, and Cleveland, OH, where supply growth has been restrained. Below-market performers are affected by oversupply, and that includes Portland, Seattle, and Denver. HVS forecasts overall U.S. RevPAR growth of 2.5% in both 2017 and 2018, followed by an increase of 2.8% in 2019.

Following a U.S. overview, Mr. Rushmore reflected on the market climate in New York City, specifically, which is expected to register the largest increase in supply for the U.S. over the next few years. Although demand levels in New York City continue to grow in line with supply increases, average rates have declined in recent years given operators' response to increased competition. HVS predicts RevPAR recovery for the New York City market in late 2020. While supply continues to grow at record levels in select top-25 markets, such as New York, many secondary markets are poised for continued strengthening and RevPAR growth given solid demand fundamentals and a lack of similar supply increases.

Throughout the conference, hotel operators were tasked to provide their prediction on the remaining length of the upcycle, but challenged that we may continue to experience a state of prolonged, modest recovery for many months to come. It remains difficult to point to any one indicator for industry performance, whether it be CPI, GDP, number of travelers, or the likes, though a consensus existed among many panelists that corporate profits maintain the strongest correlation to the performance of the hotel industry.

The transaction market continues to be strong, and the select-service product remains at the forefront of investor interest. Although challenges exist in the current market for construction financing, debt remains available in large quantities and at competitive prices for existing assets, with lenders readily available to leverage stable, positive cash-flow hotels. Industry experts anticipate a return in select-service portfolio sales for 2017 and 2018, as these products continue to deliver high margins with relatively low volatility for investors. REITs are also expected to return to the buying market over the next 12 to 18 months, after a largely dormant period in 2016.

Continued Brand Expansion

As has become customary in recent years, NYU served as a platform for several new brand reveals. The continued expansion of brands is largely viewed by leaders as a mitigation strategy for the next down-cycle, which brands seeing the benefit of scale in diversifying risk.



After its reveal of a new four-star brand (Scion) at last year's conference, Trump Hotels announced the addition of a three-star hotel chain, American Idea, to its portfolio. The brand is expected to fall into STR's midscale or upper-midscale chain segment, and is anticipated to target flag conversions for existing midscale hotels. Trump Hotels also announced Cleveland, Mississippi, as the first location of its Scion brand, with plans to announce four additional locations in the following months.



InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) also teased at the upcoming reveal of a new midscale brand, which will be formally announced at the company's upcoming IHG Americas Conference, to be held in Las Vegas June 1921. The brand is expected to fill a void in the company's transient portfolio down the chain scale from the Holiday Inn Express, serving as a counterpart to the extended-stay Candlewood Suites.



Wyndham Hotel Group and Hard Rock Hotels also announced brand expansions. Wyndham will launch a soft brand, Trademark Hotel Collection, following the success of other hotel companies in recent years, such as Marriott and Hilton. Hard Rock's brand, known as Reverb, will operate on a select-service platform. The brand is anticipated to play off the company's existing music-centric-themed properties.

Conclusion

The tone of the event can be summed as comforting with modest, steady growth projected to continue. Although the growing supply pipeline remains at the forefront of concerns for front-line operators, industry leaders reiterated the importance of other more macro-oriented factors that could affect the health of the long-term landscape, particularly surrounding the current domestic and international political environments. Overall, however, the long-term industry outlook remains healthy.

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Kalahari Resorts and Conventions announces plans to expand convention facilities at the companys Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin Dells locations. The $65 million investment will double the convention space at both properties and allow for enhanced meeting facilities that are on-par with Kalahari Resorts Sandusky location, which currently offers 215,000 square feet of meeting space. For nearly two decades, the Kalahari Resorts convention teams nationwide have leveraged more than 400 years of combined meeting experience to host more than 22,000 groups, resulting in more than 1.4 million group rooms booked.

When we first opened Kalahari, we definitely had our work cut out for us to encourage adoption of the idea that a convention center and indoor waterpark could exist in the same business model, said Todd Nelson, owner, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions. We were steadfast in our vision, and its been incredible to see the demand grow exponentially for an unparalleled group experience paired with award-winning amenities and attractions. The expansion of our convention centers nationwide will help meet this demand.

Coming Soon to the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

Located 90 minutes from New York City and two hours from Philadelphia, the Pocono Mountains area is a scenic location away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In late 2019, Kalahari Resorts newest location will open an additional 134,000-sq. ft. of space, bringing the total size of the convention facility to 234,000-sq. ft. The expansion will feature 21 new meeting rooms  resulting in 39 total meeting spaces. The resort will also be adding a 38,000-sq. ft. ballroom and an additional 9,000-sq.ft. junior ballroom to the existing 25,000-sq. ft. ballroom and 9,000-sq. ft. junior ballroom. New amenities will include an exclusive executive conference center for up to 400 guests, giant, sun-drenched, prefunction spaces, enhanced load-in and load-out capabilities, and substantial registration and client office areas. The Pocono Mountains resort recently opened phase two of the property  bringing the on-site accommodations to nearly 1,000 rooms of various styles and two additional restaurants  Kalaharis signature steakhouse experience, Double Cut Charcoal Grill, and Sortinos Italian Kitchen.



Advertisement

A short drive from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, the Wisconsin Dells is a popular and highly regarded destination for groups of all sizes. In September 2019, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Wisconsin Dells will expand an additional 130,000-sq. ft., bringing the total available meeting space to 230,000-sq. ft. The space will include a new 56,000-sq. ft. ballroom, which will join the facilitys existing 20,560-sq. ft. and 17,200-sq. ft. ballrooms. The resort does not plan to expand its current 756 rooms  a decision that will provide an additional boost for other lodging options in the area.

The Midwests Largest Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio, boasts 215,000-sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event space. The facility features 38,232-sq. ft. and 17,200-sq. ft. ballrooms, breakout rooms, junior ballrooms, prefunction space and executive centers. On-site accommodations include 890 guest rooms in various styles.

Coming Soon  Round Rock, Texas

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions has announced plans to expand the companys beyond-expectations experience to the Southwest, with its fourth property to be located in Round Rock, Texas. Slated to open in 2020, the Texas offering will include 990 guest rooms and a 200,000-sq. ft. convention center.

Hosting an event at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions includes top-of-the-line meeting experiences, delicious dining options and an ability to personalize meetings to suit the needs of any group. Guests can access Kalaharis award-winning amenities such as Spa Kalahari and Salon, Kalahari Fitness Centers, Americas Largest Indoor Waterparks, outdoor waterparks and more.
European aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus (NASDAQOTH: EADSY) got off to a very slow start in 2017. During the first 11 months of the year, it booked just 333 net firm orders -- roughly half the order intake of archrival Boeing (NYSE: BA). That left Airbus in danger of posting its worst full-year order total since 2009.
Ellucian Opens New Global Headquarters in the Dulles Technology Corridor

Posted by Press Releases on Tuesday, 06-13-2017 3:04 am

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Higher education technology provider creates collaborative workspace in Reston, Virginia June 8, 2017 RESTON, Va. Ellucian, the leading global provider of higher education software and services, today announced the official opening of its new global headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Ellucians new office positions the company alongside other technology and business leaders in the growing Dulles Technology Corridor. Occupying three floors and approximately 98,000 square feet, the open-office was designed with the goal of facilitating collaborative thinking amongst employees while also providing the flexibility to accommodate meetings and personal working space. Ellucian develops technology that is purpose-built for higher education, and our new home is purpose-built for that all-important mission, Ellucian President and CEO Jeff Ray said. This state-of-the-art space creates an atmosphere just like that of the campuses we serve, where enabling student success is a unifying ...

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Indiana Bill Stopping Ban-the-Box Ordinances May Dramatically Alter Employment Screening Laws; Opines CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

Posted by Press Releases on Tuesday, 06-13-2017 7:14 am

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The State of Indiana became the first in the nation to prohibit all local ban-the-box laws (1); an action that could significantly alter laws governing pre-employment background screening and the subsequent use of criminal records. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com states: The Indiana law greatly alters how ban-the-box laws are enacted insomuch as the law bans local municipalities from enacting their own local law, subsequently reminding hiring managers to work closely with a pre-employment background screening agency.A recent law in Indiana, Senate Bill 312, outlaws city and county legal entities from enacting localized ban-the-box legislation in order to unify ban-the-box legislation at the statewide level. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com offers an opinion: The new law in Indiana will create an easier legal environment for businesses to operate regarding governance of pre-employment background screening and the...

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More Than 200,000 Americans Rank the U.S.'s Top Employers

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Morning Consult's Most Admired Employers Gives an Unprecedented Look Into the Companies Americans Would Most Be Proud to Work For Plus: How Men & Women Differ;Baby Boomers vs.Millennials;The Political Divide (June 12, 2017) - Morning Consult, a media and technology company, today unveiled the Most Admired Employers in America. The rankings use more than 220,000 survey responses to provide an unprecedented look at which companies Americans would be most proud to work for.                     SEE THE FULL RANKINGS HERE Highlights from Morning Consult's Most Admired Employers: Top 10: 1) Google 2) Walt Disney 3) Amazon 4) Apple 5) Microsoft 6) Harley-Davidson 7) Tesla Motors 8) BMW 9) UPS 10) Hershey | Plus: Here's the top 30 State of the Workplace Poll: In a special State of the Workplace Poll (methodology below), Morning Consult asked Americans to reveal their thoughts on finding jobs, leaving jobs and what's most important to them when looking for...

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The Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation and The Council of State Governments Offer Educational Programming on Autonomous Vehicles

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The Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation is collaborating with The Council of State Governments, or CSG, to provide policymakers with non-advocative, nonpartisan educational programming that examines insurance issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, including the potential shift in liability from drivers to auto and tech companies, which is just one of the issues that policymakers may face as self-driving car technology evolves.The Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation is collaborating with The Council of State Governments, or CSG, to provide policymakers with non-advocative, nonpartisan educational programming that examines insurance issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, including the potential shift in liability from drivers to auto and tech companies, which is just one of the issues that policymakers may face as self-driving car technology evolves.On June 13, a select group of the nations transportation policymakers will attend two sessions organized by...

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The Canadian citizen began the job in January 2014 and was the first woman to take up the role. She previously worked as resident and humanitarian coordinator in Bhutan, Bangladesh, and China.

Lok-Dessallien faced criticism in November last year for forbidding journalists from recording a press conference held after the UN and foreign ambassadors visited Rakhine State amid accusations of human rights abuses by government security forces.

Internal UN documents prepared for the new UN Secretary General described the Myanmar office as glaringly dysfunctional with strong tensions between different parts of the UN system, BBC News reported on Tuesday.

She will be ending the role a year and a half before the usual term of five years, had been criticized for not doing enough regarding human rights abuses in Myanmar.

The position has been advertised, information officer U Aye Win told The Irrawaddy, though he refused to comment on the reason behind Lok-Dessalliens departure.

YANGON  The UN confirmed on Tuesday that its top official in Myanmar, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien, would be leaving the post.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien at a Yangon press conference in Nov. 2016. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien at a Yangon press conference in Nov. 2016. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy

Mandalay Journalists Join Armband Campaign to Oppose Use of 66(d) Against the Media

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Dateline Irrawaddy: Those in Power Have Given the Wrong Message by Using This Law

FBR Medic: It Was a Great Privilege to Be Able to Help

Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week (June 12  June 18)

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Commentary Calling Media Crows is Insulting

Illustration by Kyaw Thuyein.

YANGON  Last week was a time of mixed feelings for local journalists. They were saddened by the news of a military plane crash with 122 people on board, and both insulted and bemused by comments made by members of the countrys ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Lets start with the comedy.

During a Q&A session at a three-hour press conference at the Yangon Division government office, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein lectured reporters and took credit for freedom of the press as it stands today (doubtful!) instead of answering questions about reforms his government has undertaken in the city. To the amusement of the reporters, he said:

You journalists should not project your anger. We are the ones who went prison to make way for the strong press you enjoy today. At that time, no paper dared to write about politics. We paid a big price for the current situation, referring to his 14 years as a political prisoner.

As far as I know, the chief minister is the first person, among the hundreds of political prisoners across the country, who publicly took credit for his sacrifice. Even the late veteran journalist Hanthawaddy U Win Tin, who spent 19 years in prison for his political activism, never uttered a word about his jail time contributing to media freedom in the country. I wonder what Uncle Win Tins reaction would have been if he were alive today.

Nobody can deny the fact that the changes seen in Myanmar today are a result of collective popular movements since 1988. But those involved in the activities have not come out to say: We did this. It was a labor of love and the participants had no need for self-praise.

Even Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she felt embarrassed to say that she had sacrificed [for the country] when choosing what she wanted to do.

What journalists found even more entertaining was that U Phyo Min Theins comments came while the controversial Article 66(d) of the countrys Telecommunications Law threatens Myanmars media. Ironically, as the chief minister praised his sacrifices, the editor and a contributor to The Voice Daily were both in detention after the military filed a lawsuit against them for a satirical piece it claimed was defamatory.

On the same day, Myanmars media industry was insulted by the NLDs spokesperson.

NLD spokesman U Win Htein called journalists crows when asked for why the party refused to allow a party lawmaker to question the government over Article 66(d) in Parliament last week.

This issue is not big enough to damage the country. Dont have a crow mentality, the partys spokesperson said, seemingly teasing the reporters about flocking to campaign against 66(d) now that the law had affected journalists.

But this wasnt a joke. It was the third attempt by U Win Htein to verbally abuse journalists in two consecutive years. The first and second attacks were toward individuals, while this one was directed at the entire media industry.

Since the arrest of The Voice Dailys editor and columnist, journalists across the country have embarked on a campaign condemning the government and military for using Article 66(d) to sue the media when they are not happy with its reports. The journalists went to U Win Htein to do their job  to ask questions  which the party blocked.

But the solidarity of the journalists seems to upset U Win Htein. In his eyes, they are crows, campaigning against 66(d) because their colleagues are in distress. He lectured reporters about the failings of this mentality without commenting on the rise of politically motivated cases filed under 66(d).

It was an insult to call local journalists crows. It was the local media that followed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the then-NLD leader, throughout her campaigns in the 2012 by-election and the 2015 general election. They stood by the NLD to the extent that onlookers wondered whether they would have the guts to criticize the party when it came to power.

It is okay that U Win Htein does not acknowledge the journalists long-standing party support. But he does not have the right to call them crows, comparing them to animals. Even the former junta did not insult journalists in this way. It is shameful for the NLD and its government that the partys spokesperson fails to respect the media and in turn, the democratic norms that the party champions.

At the same time, it is also disappointing to see Myanmars ruling party spokesperson behave like a man on the street. Last month, he recklessly commented that some military organizations might be behind spreading rumors of President U Htin Kyaws resignation. When the military condemned this, he retreated by saying it was just a slip of tongue. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should either temper him or replace him for the sake of the partys reputation. Either action could save her from future embarrassment.
Over the past year, legacy carrier United Continental (NYSE: UAL) has become a giant thorn in Spirit Airlines' (NASDAQ: SAVE) side. Under the leadership of its new president, Scott Kirby, United has set out to regain share in its hub markets. Among other things, this strategy has involved an aggressive campaign to match the fares of ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
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By Golnaz Esfandiari. | ( RFE/RL) |  

Judging women by the degree to which they respect the compulsory hijab is nothing new in Iran.

In the past, hard-liners have accused so-called badly veiled women of being responsible for everything from social ills to natural disasters.

But recent comments by the Friday Prayer leader of the central Iranian city of Saveh, who likened women who dont fully respect the Islamic head scarf to prostitutes, appear to mark a new low.

Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Hosseini reportedly made the comments during his Friday Prayers sermon on June 2. He criticized those who are against compulsory veiling while defending it as one of Islams most-pressing issues.

The white veil, like those green and purple wristbands  they all smell of sedition. Theyre all like flags that prostitutes would hang over their roofs in the [Dark Ages], Hosseini said, according to an audio recording of his comments posted online.

Hosseini appeared to be referring to a campaign called White Wednesdays, in which some women have been wearing white veils in public for one day each week. They have also recorded antihijab messages and posted them on social-media platforms such as Instagram.

The movement was launched by exiled Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, who has been campaigning against the compulsory hijab from outside the country.

Hosseinis reference to green and purple wristbands appeared to target both supporters of Iranian President Hassan Rohani, who chose purple as his campaign color, as well as backers of Irans opposition Green Movement, which was formed to protest alleged fraud in the 2009 presidential vote and which was violently suppressed by authorities.

At some of Rohanis campaign events held before the May 19 presidential vote, loosely veiled women were seen holding signs criticizing the hijab and the morality police who enforce the law. Many Rohani supporters also wore purple and green wristbands and other items.

The hijab became compulsory following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the creation of the Islamic republic. For nearly four decades, tens of thousands of women have been harassed because of their appearance. Those who fail to fully observe the hijab are fined, detained, and publicly harassed by the countrys dreaded morality police, which launches regular crackdowns, especially in summer.

Hosseinis comments have been condemned by several lawmakers and activists, who have accused him of insulting Iranian women and of being overly sensitive about their political activism.

Lawmaker Hojatoleslam Abdollah Mazani blasted Hosseini in a post on the popular Telegram app used by millions of Iranians. Those who wore green and purple wristbands were 24 million Iranians who voted for Rohani, he wrote, adding that if Hosseini was worried about women wearing the hijab, he should guide them while also respecting Islamic ethics and manners.

Based on what religious, moral, and legal right do you allow yourself to accuse millions of Iranians of depravity from the sacred tribune of Friday Prayers? he asked.

Lawmaker Parvanhe Salahshouri was also critical of Hosseinis comments. I dont understand why some are so concerned about womens political participation. And such concerns aside, why the insults? she was quoted as saying by the reformist Sharq daily.

She said Hosseini should apologize to women to preserve the dignity of Friday Prayer leaders.

Womens rights activist Minou Mortazi Langaroudi said relevant authorities should interfere and prevent a repetition of such insults.

Sharq journalist Ameneh Shirafkan wrote on Twitter that several different womens rights groups are considering launching a formal complaint against Hosseini.

Hosseini has not publicly commented on the controversy sparked by his comments.

Friday Prayer leaders are said to receive their talking points from the office of Irans highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Friday Prayers are often used as a platform to sends messages to Irans enemies, usually the United States, and critics of the establishment.

The physical appearance of Iranian women, and their hijab habits, have been a recurring theme at Friday Prayers.

In an episode that made international headlines in 2010, Tehrans temporary Friday Prayer leader, Ayatollah Kazem Sediqi, suggested that women who dont respect hijab rules fully and who wear revealing clothing instead increase the risk of earthquakes.

Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She can be reached at EsfandiariG@rferl.org

Via RFE/RL

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

The National:  Iranian women add fashion to hijab
The Economist | (Video report) |  

Donald Trump is pulling America out of the Paris climate agreement. But if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, cities such as New York and Mumbai will have to defend themselves from flooding by the end of the century as sea levels rise.
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TeleSur |  

The rate of refugee resettlement has also seen a sharp decline.

Despite federal courts halting Trumps restrictive and discriminatory travel ban executive order on six-Muslim majority countries for the third time on Monday, the number of visas issued to travelers from these six predominantly Muslim countries has plummeted, U.S. State Department data revealed.

According to Roll Call, the drop in numbers is partly attributed to the denial of visas in cases where they were processed without issues earlier. The discrimination against the travelers from these Muslim countries seems to be taking place without a travel ban in place. As a result, the travelers from the six majority-Muslim nations targeted by the executive order appears to be slowing down dramatically.

There were 2,551 non-immigrant visas issued to nationals from these countries in March while in April, there were only 2,013 visas issued to travelers from these countries. The six Muslim-majority countries targeted by the Trump administrations executive order are: Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. During the same time in 2016, the number of visas issued on an average was 4,454 visas per month for foreign nationals from the six countries.

Its not just the banned predominantly Muslim nations that have seen a decline in the number of visas issued, Pakistan saw a staggering decline too.

According to Times of India, Pakistanis were only issued 3,973 visas in March and 3,925 in April, which is 40 percent less compared to the Obama administrations monthly average of 6,553 visas issued to people from Pakistan.

David Lapan, the Department of Homeland Security press secretary, said the DHS has implemented some new vetting procedures in accordance with a section of the March 6 order that was not affected by the courts, Roll Call reported.

Section 5 allows us to continue to work on uniform vetting and screening procedures for all countries, including the six named in the second EO, he told Roll Call, in reference to the revised executive order. We have made some changes under that section of the order and weve identified other possible improvements. The changes have not been made public, Lapan added.

The rate of refugee resettlement has also seen a sharp decline.

According to the State Department figures, U.S. has admitted 46,607 refugees in fiscal 2017 as of June 5, out of which an estimated two-thirds arrived before Trump signed the first travel ban on Jan 27.

An estimated 6,225 Syrians were expected to come into the United States since Oct. 1, but only 1,341 have entered ever since Trump took to the office. The New York Times reported that part of the reason was due to budgetary constraints but the quota has been lifted since May this year.

As part of Trumps extreme vetting measures for the visa applicants, starting May 25 a new State Department rule has given officials authority to seek five years worth of social media profiles and 15 years worth of biographical information as an additional scrutiny measure during the visa screening process for all immigrant and nonimmigrant visas applicants who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities, according to ABC news.

It is not known that whether the additional scrutiny caveats will be based on nation of origin or religion, but the department will not use social media profiles to discriminate based on nationality, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or political views, ABC reported.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

CAIR-Florida Responds to Trumps Latest Muslim Ban Twitter Storm
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Giyani Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE:WDG) (FRANKFURT:KT9) ("Giyani" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that our initial surface sampling program conducted at the historic Kgwakgwe Hill Manganese Mine located in the Kanye Basin, Southeastern Botswana confirms high grade mineralized shale grading 58-61% MnO.

A complete table of all sample results is included in Appendix A.

Highlights of all sample results:

Sample No Description MnO% Fe2O3% K2O% SiO2% KAN/01/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 58.4 13.2 3.14 4.12 KAN/02/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 58.2 13.3 3.04 4.21 KAN/03/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 60.7 10.3 3.88 3.47 KAN/04/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 60.9 10.5 3.92 3.53 KAN/05/20017 Hanging wall 2.28 1.84 0.61 90.5 KAN/06/20017 Hanging wall 2.34 1.84 0.63 90.9 KAN/07/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 57.8 13.0 3.25 3.74 KAN/08/20017 Overlying mineralized Shale 57.6 13.3 3.24 3.92

Wajd Boubou states, "These results prove the effectiveness of our due diligence process that focuses on identifying and researching properties with a strong probability of containing high grade manganese deposits. Our strategy of selecting undervalued high potential assets is working well as the results of this first phase of sampling confirm."

Giyani's geological team collected eight chip channel samples, considered to be representative, from surface outcrops along the northern face of Kgwakgwe Hill.

Samples KAN/01/2017 and KAN/02/2017 were collected from a surface outcrop in an unexploited mineralized zone to the north west of the Kgwakgwe open pit called the "Quarry Zone".

Samples KAN/03/2017 and KAN/04/2017 were collected from a mineralized outcrop 120 m to the south west of the Quarry Zone called the "Crushing Pad".

Samples KAN/07/2017 and KAN/08/2017 were collected from a mineralized section in the west wall of an old quarry to the south east of Kgwakgwe Hill Open Pit.

Samples KAN/05/2017 and KAN/06/2017 taken from the hanging wall in the pit.

Photos of these sample areas and the associated maps can be seen on Giyani's website by following this link:

http://giyanigold.com/2017/06/12/giyani-confirms-high-grade-manganaese-at-kgwakgwe-hill/

The phase I sample results exceeded our initial expectation as they graded well above those found in other manganese projects currently being investigated by the Company. The low percentage of deleterious elements is an indicator that the manganese found in this deposit could be ideal for use in the battery industry.

Giyani is also pleased to announce the commencement of phase II regional sampling and mapping of our extensive property in an initial attempt to estimate the potential size of this high-grade manganese deposit. Our geological team started phase II on June 9th and is currently sampling and mapping an area that stretches 74 Km diagonally from Kgwakgwe Hill to the north east

The Kgwakgwe Hill high-grade manganese project, is an ideal asset that continues to expand the Company's high quality pipeline of manganese projects in Botswana and Zambia. In addition, this project continues to advance Giyani's strategy of acquiring high grade mineral assets that are targeted for the growing battery industry.

All samples were packed in plastic sample bags, labelled and securely stored prior to shipping to SGS laboratories in Randfontein South Africa. Samples were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for manganese and 13 other major elements (see table below).

Roger Moss, Ph.D., P.Geo, is the qualified person, as that term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, on behalf of the Company and has approved the scientific and technical content contained in this press release.

Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on the Giyani website: www.giyanigold.com.

Appendix A: Major element analysis by borate fusion, XRF. Full table
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:AOT) - The Premier property covers more than one hundred square kilometres near the town of Stewart in northwest BC, and includes the old Premier Mine, a past producer of 2.1 MOz Au and 44.9 MOz Ag.

Highlights of Release:

In this second set of results for 2017, many of the drill highlights are coming from a new portion of the Northern Lights Main zone. A number of results in this release are from this new zone and include P17-1269 with 1135.00 g/t Au over 0.50 meters within a wider interval grading 36.31 g/t Au (uncut) over 16.15 meters. Another hole in this target area, P17-1271, returned 84.2 g/t Au over 1.50 meters within a broader zone of 4.45 g/t Au (uncut) over 32.00 meters. Present drilling shows this gently northwest dipping zone to have continuous higher grade mineralization over a present strike length of 450+ meters with a typical dip length of 200+ meters. This zone remains open in all directions and several visible gold intersections have been obtained, presently three Ascot drill rigs are testing and expanding this central area.

Recent drilling has extended the Northern Lights Main zone updip into an area covered by old waste dumps. Drilling to date has been encountering more complex sulphide rich quartz breccias in a more focused structural setting. These early holes have extended this mineralization a further 200 meters updip and the new extension remains open on strike. Assays for this area are pending.

Good results are also coming from the unexplored down dip extension of the 602 zone. An example in this release is hole P17-1278 which returned 17.60 g/t Au over 2.00 meters within a broader zone of 3.68 g/t Au over 12.00 meters.

Recent in-house modelling indicates much of the Premier area drilled to date would be amenable to a large scale open pit operation. Although this would result in a lower overall grade it would contain a significantly higher gold/silver resource compared to just selectively mining the higher grade underground targets. This new modelling demonstrates the flexibility of the Premier system as either a high grade underground target or as an open pit target or a combination of both. Further studies will be needed to determine the optimum approach moving forward.

New drill highlights include:

Hole # Zone From

m's To

m's Width

m's Au

(g/t) Au Cut*

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) Zn

% P17-1269 NL Main 270.20 341.25 71.05 8.54 0.79* 6.8 0.19 incl. 312.40 328.55 16.15 36.31 2.23* 20.6 0.23 incl. 312.40 312.90 0.50 1135.00 34.29* 577.0 0.10 P17-1271 NL Main 331.00 398.00 67.00 2.27 1.15* 4.8 0.15 also 341.00 373.00 32.00 4.45 2.11* 5.4 0.15 also 341.00 342.50 1.50 84.20 34.29* 59.6 0.13 P17-1274 609 & 602 124.05 158.00 33.95 1.34 1.34 6.7 0.98 incl. 127.50 151.00 23.50 1.73 1.73 7.7 1.32 incl. 127.50 132.50 5.00 2.85 2.85 7.0 0.47 also 304.30 344.40 40.10 0.72 0.72 3.4 0.33 incl. 324.50 339.50 15.00 1.21 1.21 6.5 0.24 incl. 336.50 339.50 3.00 2.20 2.20 13.7 1.00 P17-1275 NL Main 179.86 268.50 88.64 1.88 1.88 6.1 0.26 incl. 179.86 216.00 36.14 2.33 2.33 7.1 0.30 incl. 179.86 190.00 12.14 4.02 4.02 8.9 0.48 incl. 184.00 186.00 2.00 12.35 12.35 21.8 0.96 also 240.50 262.60 22.10 3.06 3.06 8.6 0.40 incl. 245.00 254.00 9.00 5.98 5.98 13.7 0.76 incl. 246.50 248.00 1.50 19.65 19.65 33.9 1.31 P17-1278 609 & 602 125.30 167.30 42.00 1.25 1.25 3.0 0.29 incl. 153.30 165.30 12.00 3.68 3.68 3.8 0.22 incl. 163.30 165.30 2.00 17.60 17.60 10.9 0.18 also 175.80 180.25 4.45 4.81 4.81 7.5 0.32 incl. 177.00 178.25 1.25 12.90 12.90 8.9 0.17 also 305.30 322.50 17.20 0.73 0.73 2.4 0.18 also 357.35 367.00 9.65 0.71 0.71 2.1 0.20 P17-1282 Premier Main 158.30 204.5 45.19 0.67 0.67 23.7 0.04 incl. 162.00 174.00 12.00 1.91 1.91 19.9 0.04 incl. 162.00 163.68 1.68 8.85 8.85 15.6 0.02 also 224.36 258.00 33.64 1.01 1.01 21.0 0.67 incl. 243.00 247.20 3.60 7.37 7.37 124.6 5.45 incl. 246.06 247.20 1.14 10.85 10.85 104.0 4.18 P17-1283 Premier Main 130.15 163.68 33.53 1.17 1.17 47.6 0.03 incl. 151.00 163.68 12.68 2.13 2.13 86.2 0.04 incl. 161.00 163.68 2.68 6.00 6.00 227.7 0.08 P17-1285 NL Main 310.50 343.50 33.00 1.05 1.05 3.7 0.20 incl. 327.70 338.60 10.90 1.75 1.75 3.9 0.25 incl. 334.40 335.80 1.40 6.86 6.86 8.4 0.23 P17-1287 609 & 602 96.50 113.90 17.40 2.05 2.05 3.8 0.11 incl. 101.05 104.9 3.85 8.58 8.58 11.3 0.16 incl. 104.00 104.90 0.90 12.65 12.65 13.2 0.46 also 162.90 183.50 20.60 1.28 1.28 6.5 0.26 incl. 173.50 179.50 6.00 3.24 3.24 5.2 0.41 also 265.65 281.00 19.70 1.52 1.52 7.8 0.65 incl. 270.25 273.80 3.55 4.30 4.30 9.0 0.41 P17-1290 NL Main 266.00 355.40 89.40 1.31 1.31 4.5 0.24 incl. 291.60 345.00 53.40 2.00 2.00 5.1 0.33 incl. 291.60 311.70 20.10 3.96 3.96 9.9 0.60 incl. 297.50 298.50 1.00 12.00 12.00 12.4 0.34 incl. 309.45 310.65 1.20 28.70 28.70 84.6 6.21

True widths are believed to be 70-90% of intersected widths in the Premier area. (*) samples cut to 1opt or 34.29 g/t Au.

This release is the second for the 2017 season reporting 22 holes P17-1268-25-1290 (excluding P17-1273 in the 1st release). At present, six Ascot owned drill rigs are operating on the property. To date 112 holes have been completed in 34,893 meters of drilling. 46 drill holes are presently pending results and results will be released as they become available. Detailed results table, locations and figures can be viewed at the following Ascot link: www.ascotgold.com

Graeme Evans, P. Geo and Lawrence Tsang, P. Geo provide the field management for the Premier exploration program. Graeme Evans, designated as the Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 has prepared the technical information in this news release.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Analytical work is being carried out by ALS Lab Group. Quality assurance and quality control programs include the use of analytical blanks and standards and duplicates in addition to the labs own internal quality assurance program. All samples were analyzed using multi-digestion with ICP finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold. Samples over 100 ppm silver were reanalyzed using four acid digestion with an ore grade AA finish. Samples over 1,500 ppm silver were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Samples with over 10 ppm gold were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Identified or suspected metallic gold or silver are subjected to "metallics" assays. Also for extreme high gold grades a concentrate analysis is performed with a fire assay and gravimetric finish accurate up to 999985 ppm Au limit (ALS Au-CON01) method. Sampling and storage are at the company's secure facility in Stewart with bi-weekly sample shipments made to ALS Labs Terrace prep site.
TORONTO, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:ELO) (FSE:P2Q) (Eloro) is pleased to announce that the ongoing reconnaissance geological mapping and sampling program has outlined a major new mineralized trend in the Victoria South area of the La Victoria Gold-Silver Project, Ancash Department, in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru. This mineralized area appears to be closely associated with the Puca Fault, a major northeast-southwest striking regional fault that is a likely feeder structure for multiple stages of epithermal gold-silver mineralization on the property (Figures 1, 2 and 3). Geologically the style of mineralization is similar to that of Rufina located approximately 1.7 kilometres to the southwest (Figures 1 and 3) and is the likely northern continuation.

Assays from an initial twenty-two rock chip samples returned encouraging results (Figure 2; Table 1):

33.02 grams gold per tonne (g Au/t) over 0.30 metres across a quartz vein with arsenopyrite and pyrite, in intrusive diorite;

8.02 g Au/t over 0.20 metres, in the intersection of a series of low-angle structures;

5.46 g Au/t Au gold across a 0.30-metre-wide quartz vein in altered diorite, with disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite.

In addition to the higher-grade bonanza-style gold mineralization, significant results were also returned from limited sampling of the host breccia zones including 13.66 g Au/t over 1.10 metres, 2.73 g Au/t over 0.20 metres and 1.10 g Au/t over 0.60 metres. Much of the mineralized breccia is not well exposed and has been heavily oxidized hence trenching will be required to more accurately assess its potential.

The new mineralized zone at Victoria South is approximately 170 metres wide and strikes northwest-southeast extending for at least 1 kilometre along strike (Figure 2). It appears likely (see Figure 1 and 3) that this zone is the southern continuation of the mineralized zone at San Markito which is marked by strong induced polarization anomalies that also trend northwest-southeast. This would suggest the potential strike length may be more than 3 kilometres. A second target at Victoria South, the breccia zone, that trends northeast-southwest for approximately 850 metres, is up to 200 metres wide and is a potential target for bulk tonnage mineralization. Trenching is required to better expose this zone for sampling.

Tom Larsen, President & CEO of Eloro commented: We are very encouraged by the results of the geological work which continues to expand our known mineralized zones and outline additional targets for diamond drilling. Our Peruvian-based team lead by Vice President, Exploration Luc Pigeon, P.Geo., is working on completing the final details for permitting of the planned diamond drilling program. In addition, a new DIA will be filed for proposed drilling in the Victoria South and Ccori Orrco target areas based on the new promising results.

Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor to Eloro commented: Our geological work continues to show that there is an extensive multi-phase epithermal gold-silver mineralizing system on La Victoria property centred around the Puca Fault and environs (Figures 1 and 3). Gold mineralization occurs in a variety of structural settings both parallel to the northeast trending Puca Fault as well as perpendicular along likely tear faults related to this structure. Mineralization has been identified vertically over 1 kilometre from elevation 3100 metres at Rufina to elevation 4200m at San Markito as well as along strike on different structures for up to 3+ kilometres. We are continuing to focus our work on outlining the best targets for diamond drilling.

Table 1: Results of Reconnaissance Chip Sampling, Victoria South Sample ID Easting Northing Elev(m) Width(m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Description C001520 173835 9081780 3757 0.40 0.036 <0.2 Silicified microdiorite dyke C001521 173831 9081769 3779 0.60 1.10 2 Hydrothermal breccia C001522 173829 9081756 3775 0.12 2.59 4.3 Quartz vein C001523 173826 9081754 3774 0.40 0.016 2.7 Hydrothermal breccia C001524 173825 9081750 3773 0.30 0.16 1 Hydrothermal breccia C001525 173820 9081742 3770 0.30 0.41 1.7 Quartz vein C001526 173819 9081736 3769 1.00 0.03 0.5 Stockwork in altered diorite C001527 173816 9081732 3766 0.12 2.84 22.2 Quartz vein C001528 173816 9081731 3766 0.30 5.46 5.4 Quartz vein C001529 173806 9081719 3758 0.50 0.38 1.6 Hydrothermal breccia C001530 173805 9081718 3759 0.25 0.75 2.1 Hydrothermal breccia C001531 173802 9081715 3757 0.10 2.42 3.7 Quartz vein C001532 173800 9081708 3755 0.10 0.26 3.5 Quartz vein C001533 173777 9081687 3747 0.30 33.02 28 Massive arsenopyrite vein C001534 173769 9081679 3744 0.25 0.14 2.3 Vein stockwork C001535 173728 9081660 3730 2.00 0.082 1.6 Altered diorite dyke C001536 173726 9081661 3730 2.40 0.30 1.6 Altered diorite dyke C001537 173724 9081662 3730 2.40 0.20 1.9 Altered diorite dyke C001538 173302 9082070 3912 0.10 0.006 <0.2 Quartz vein C001539 173555 9081788 3874 0.20 8.02 5.4 Stockwork C001540 173324 9081411 3608 0.20 2.73 33.9 Hydrothermal breccia C001541 173554 9081786 3847 1.10 13.66 7.9 Hydrothermal breccia For all samples, width equals true width; m = metres; g/t = grams per tonne; Au = gold; Ag = Silver

Samples were analysed for Au and Ag by fire assay and 31 element ICP analysis at SGS del Peru S.A.C.

In Lima, Peru. In addition to the standard laboratory QA/QC procedures Eloro employs a system of external blanks and standards.

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company which holds a 100% undivided interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the prolific North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru. The La Victoria Gold/Silver Project covers 80.4 square kilometres and is within 50 km of several large, low-cost producing gold mines, with three producers visible from the property. Infrastructure in the area is good with access to road, water, and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,100m to 4,200m above sea level. Eloro also holds a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in northern and western Quebec. For additional technical information on the La Victoria Project, the reader is referred to the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the La Victoria Au-Ag Property, Ancash, Peru filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Jim Steel MBA, P.Geo., a Qualified Person in the context of NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Cordoba Minerals Corp. ("Cordoba" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CDB) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX"), whereby Cordoba will acquire (the "Transaction") HPX's 51% interest in the San Matias Joint Venture ("San Matias") through the acquisition of HPX Colombia Ventures Ltd. ("Ventures"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HPX, for consideration of 92,681,290 Cordoba common shares (the "Consideration").

In connection with the Transaction, Cordoba has entered into an agreement with BMO Capital Markets, acting as bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase for resale, on a bought deal private placement basis, 12,346,000 subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") of Cordoba at a price of C$0.81 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds to Cordoba of approximately C$10 million (the "Concurrent Financing"). The net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will be used to fund exploration expenditures at San Matias, to repay up to C$1.5 million of HPX expenditures that are not being converted into Units, and for general corporate purposes.

Transaction and Concurrent Financing Rationale

Cordoba to become the operator and 100% owner of the highly prospective San Matias copper-gold project in Colombia;

Transaction allows Cordoba and HPX to simplify the current investment and shareholding structure to unlock value;

Transaction is neutral for HPX from the perspective of its current San Matias ownership - HPX will exchange its current ~69% controlling economic interest in San Matias (consisting of a 51% direct stake in San Matias and a 36% ownership interest in Cordoba) for a ~69% ownership interest in Cordoba (pre-financing);

Concurrent Financing will broaden Cordoba's shareholder investor base, fund Cordoba's work program for the next 12 months, and result in a pro forma ownership interest of approximately 67% for HPX;

Increased market capitalization and improved capital markets profile is expected to enhance Cordoba's trading activity and liquidity; and

Cordoba to benefit from the continued support of Robert Friedland, and from HPX as the controlling shareholder.

Mario Stifano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordoba stated, "The consolidation of San Matias is a unique opportunity for Cordoba shareholders as it positions the Company favorably to continue advancing the highly prospective San Matias district as the 100% owner of the project, rather than as a minority joint-venture partner. We believe this transaction has the potential to unlock significant value for shareholders both in the near-term and longer term."

Robert Friedland, Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of HPX, added, "We are delighted to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Cordoba as the company embarks on realizing the promise of the San Matias Copper Gold Project for all stakeholders. We see tremendous mineral potential in Colombia, and Cordoba now is better positioned to explore its extensive land package and to acquire additional prospective projects in Colombia in keeping with its goal of becoming the leading copper-gold exploration company in the country."

Transaction Overview

The Consideration will be paid to HPX on closing of the Transaction and will consist of the issuance by Cordoba of 92,681,290 Cordoba common shares, such that HPX will convert its existing 51% direct economic interest in San Matias to a 51% direct economic interest in Cordoba. Combined with HPX's existing 36% ownership interest in Cordoba, HPX will hold a combined 69% ownership interest in Cordoba prior to the Concurrent Financing. In addition, Cordoba will issue 12,364,623 Units (as defined below) to HPX at a deemed price of C$0.81 per Unit, that being the same price as the Concurrent Financing, to compensate HPX for approximately C$10 million of HPX joint venture expenditures incurred by HPX in connection with the San Matias property since November 10, 2016, when HPX earned a 51% interest in San Matias.

Cordoba's board of directors (the "Board"), with certain interested directors abstaining, has unanimously approved the Transaction and recommends that Cordoba shareholders vote in favor of the Transaction. All of the directors and officers of Cordoba who are not interested in the Transaction or related to HPX, who own approximately 2.1% of Cordoba's issued and outstanding shares, have agreed, among other things, to support the Transaction and vote their Cordoba shares in favor of the Transaction.

As required by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, Cordoba will seek minority shareholder approval of the Transaction, including the issuance of the Cordoba common shares and Units in connection with the Transaction. Further information regarding the Transaction will be contained in a management information circular that Cordoba will prepare and file in due course in connection with an annual and special meeting of Cordoba shareholders, which is expected to be held in July, 2017. Closing of the Transaction is expected to occur shortly thereafter.

The Board, with interested directors abstaining, based in part on the recommendation of the Special Committee (as defined below), has unanimously determined that the proposed Transaction is fair and in the best interests of the Company and will recommend that disinterested shareholders vote in favor of resolutions supporting the Transaction.

Copies of the Agreement, which includes the form of Investment Agreement (as defined below), and the form of support agreement, and certain related documents will be filed with securities regulators and will be available under Cordoba's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Investment Agreement

Upon closing of the Transaction, subject to certain conditions set out in an investment agreement (the "Investment Agreement") to be entered into between Cordoba and HPX, HPX will have certain Cordoba board nomination rights (described below) and the right to participate in any future equity offerings completed by Cordoba in order to maintain its pro rata ownership in Cordoba.

Following completion of the Transaction, the Board is to be comprised of seven directors with HPX being entitled to nominate four of those directors, with at least one of such nominees being independent. The Investment Agreement provides for HPX's nominees to the Board to be reduced to less than a majority of the directors if HPX's ownership interest in Cordoba is diluted to below 50%, with further proportional reductions thereafter.

HPX has also agreed to not sell or transfer any of the Consideration or the securities comprising its Units for a period of at least 180 days following the closing of the Transaction.

HPX's entitlements under the Investment Agreement will remain in place as long as HPX's ownership interest in Cordoba remains at or above 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Cordoba.

Concurrent Financing

In connection with the Transaction, Cordoba has entered into an agreement with BMO Capital Markets, acting as bookrunner on behalf of the Underwriters, to complete the Concurrent Financing.

The gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, less the expenses of the Underwriters, will be deposited and held in escrow and shall be released immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction upon the satisfaction of certain conditions (the "Release Conditions") or upon the termination of the Agreement.

Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the holder thereof to receive one unit (a "Unit"), with each Unit consisting of one Cordoba common share and one-half of one Cordoba common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant") for no additional consideration or further action on the part of the holder thereof upon satisfaction of the Release Conditions. Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Cordoba common share at an exercise price of C$1.08 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Concurrent Financing.

If the Release Conditions are not satisfied prior to September 29, 2017, or the Agreement is terminated pursuant to its terms, the escrow agent will return to the holders of the Subscription Receipts an amount equal to the aggregate purchase price paid for the Subscription Receipts held by them, together with a pro rata portion of interest earned on the escrowed proceeds and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled and be of no further force or effect.

The Subscription Receipts will be distributed by way of a private placement in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and may also be sold in the United States pursuant to applicable exemptions.

The Company has also granted the Underwriters an option, exercisable until 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Concurrent Financing, to purchase at the offering price up to an additional C$3 million of the Subscription Receipts purchased in the Concurrent Financing.

Closing of the Concurrent Financing into escrow is expected to occur on or about July 11, 2017 and is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including approval of the TSX-V.

Conference Call

Cordoba will host a conference call on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 1:00 pm EDT to discuss the details of the Transaction.

The telephone numbers for the conference are toll-free 1-800-319-7310 and 416-915-3227 and the Guest Code is 25381#.

Advisors

The Board appointed a committee of independent directors (the "Special Committee") to review and assess the Transaction. Haywood Securities Inc. ("Haywood") is acting as a financial advisor to the Special Committee. Haywood has provided the Special Committee with an opinion, subject to the assumptions and limitations contained therein, that the consideration to be paid by Cordoba pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to Cordoba. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP was retained as legal advisor to the Company and the Special Committee. Stikeman Elliott LLP acts for HPX.

About High Power Exploration (HPX):

HPX is a privately owned, metals-focused exploration company deploying proprietary in-house geophysical technologies to rapidly evaluate buried geophysical targets. The HPX technology cluster comprises geological and geophysical systems for targeting, modelling, survey optimization, acquisition, processing and interpretation. HPX has a highly experienced board and management team led by Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland, President Eric Finlayson, a former head of exploration at Rio Tinto, and co-chaired by Ian Cockerill, a former Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields Ltd. For further information, please visit www.hpxploration.com.
Unfair contracts and practices are posing a grave threat to the livelihood of cultural artists operating in Seoul, a survey conducted by the metropolitan government said Monday.



In the poll of 315 cartoonists and webtoon writers and 519 illustrators from last December to February this year, four of five illustrators, or 79 percent, and 37 percent of cartoonists and webtoon writers said they were forced to sign unfair contracts.



Among the unfair contracts signed by illustrators, demand for excessive modification accounted for 23.6 percent of complaints, followed by non-payment of draft work at 20.2 percent and copyright transfer agreement at 15.2 percent, the survey found.



The poll also said that among cartoonists and webtoon writers who were forced into unfair contracts, 31.4 percent cited facing a copyright transfer agreement, with another 31.4 percent pointing their fingers at unfair profit distribution.



The amount of financial damage caused by unfair profit distribution averaged 7.66 million won ($6,800) for cartoonists and webtoon writers and 3.4 million won for illustrators.



About 55 percent of illustrators and 36 percent of cartoonists and webtoon writers said they received an unreasonable notice of contract cancellation.



According to the Seoul government, one webtoon writer was paid merely 4 million won though his work became a huge hit and generated sales of 100 million won a month. As the writer attempted to terminate his contract, his company filed a lawsuit for damages of 400 million won.



An unidentified illustrator also complained of being once asked to modify a textbook illustration 20 times but was not paid for the additional labor.



The survey also found that human rights violations are another serious problem in the cultural art sector, with around a third of cartoonists, webtoon artists and illustrators subject to such violations.



By type of human rights violations, 22 percent of cartoonists and webtoon writers cited insults and abuse, followed by private work instructions at 16 percent and sexual harassment at 9.5 percent.



The Seoul government said it will ask the relevant authorities to investigate all companies suspected of legal violations and other wrongdoings based on the results of the latest poll.



"The local pop culture business could be dealt a blow if the unfair business practices persist amid the poor creative conditions. We'll expand the investigation to the fields of movies, broadcasting and art and design," said Seo Dong-rok, director of the Economic Promotion Department of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. (Yonhap)




The United States and China have agreed on final details of a deal to allow beef imports for the first time in 14 years, and Nebraska is not wasting any time getting things started.

The Agriculture Department said Monday that rules had been finalized for sending U.S. beef to China. The agreement is one part of a bilateral agreement reached following President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April.

The USDA said that China is requiring that any beef imported from the U.S. must have been born, raised and slaughtered in the United States or imported from Canada or Mexico and raised and slaughtered here. It could also be imported from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the U.S.

The beef also has to be derived from cattle less than 30 months old and traceable to the U.S. birth farm or first place of residence or port of entry. All of the precautions lessen the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

At a Wednesday news conference, Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach and Gov. Pete Ricketts are expected to join officials from the Greater Omaha Packing Company to load the first shipment of the company's beef destined for China.

China imposed a ban on American beef in 2003 after a case of mad-cow disease, a ban that remained in place despite extensive efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations to get it removed. Before the ban, the United States was China's largest supplier of imported beef.

In exchange for China opening its borders to U.S. beef, the U.S. will allow the sale of cooked Chinese poultry.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer called the finalization of the deal "welcome news for families across our state who can now compete in a new market that is estimated at $2.6 billion."
By Michael Breen





The decision by President Moon Jae-in to reconsider the deployment by the U.S. forces Korea of a THAAD battery has prompted commentary in some quarters about how South Korea should re-position itself in relation to the two superpowers.

But the link between the specifics of this missile defense issue to broad strategic questions is fraught with distractions.

The THAAD matter involves three moving parts, each with its own logic. The first concerns the tactical ability, or lack thereof, of the defense system to protect us folk in South Korea against North Korean missiles.

Second is how to respond to the strong objection of China. Given how close we are to Chinese airspace, the Korea-based THAAD tracking system will be able to spot Chinese missiles as well. It is possible that full deployment  what we have now is just the beginning  might do this so well as to remove China's first strike capability, thereby neutralizing its nuclear deterrent. Indeed, China sees this as the main U.S. intent. As a measure of its determination to persuade its South Korean friends not to go along with it, Beijing has retaliated economically. This is the diplomatic equivalent of punching below the belt

Third, South Korea is a close military ally of the United States. If the two countries' strategic planners say THAAD is a necessary shield here, civilian leaders in Seoul have to take note. They must also not forget that, as the system is operated by U.S. troops (and is also for their own protection), South Koreans get protected free of charge.

With such tactical and strategic elements, how may we approach this issue without getting into Fox TV-style yelling matches? How to consider what is truly in South Korea's national self-interest?

Many people, it seems to me, think that this country's interest lies in a kind of la-la land where stronger powers are happy. By that, I mean the discussion often consists of strategizing about how to respond to superpower anger and maintain harmony.

If that's your thing, the solution is easy. It's to do what China wants. If China is happy, trade will pick up again, and the U.S. will just swallow its annoyance and say, "The alliance is stronger than ever." Job done, or as we say in England, "Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt." (Don't ask, I've no idea).

This is a common approach in Korea. It explains that odd feature of Korean diplomacy  bad faith towards allies and obsequiousness towards strong non-allies.

To be fair to them, though, a lot of South Koreans sincerely believe that China is its natural and desired ally over both Japan and the U.S., because it is less culturally foreign and geographically distant. They see the U.S. alliance as historically temporary.

Many of these people consider themselves to be progressive. But actually, their position is conservative to the point of being behind-the-times.

The way to figure out who are and are not your friends is to look at core values. What are South Korea's core values? Filial piety, harmony, nationalism, race? If you pick those, or even two of them, the chances are you are living in the past. That is because South Korea's values have changed. Now that it is a democracy, its core values are now those of a democracy  freedom, justice, fairness, equality.

Korea's natural allies do not depend on history. They are those that share the same values, regardless of race, history, religion and physical appearance or proximity. From this perspective, guess who is the best natural ally of South Korea in this part of the world? Yes, it's Japan. And, guess what? It wasn't in 1941, but in 2017, Japan actually is South Korea's closest ally in East Asia.

The anti-Japanism of the handful of protestors who turn out every Wednesday in front of the Japanese embassy and the bile that spews into editorials in this and other newspapers from time to time is just froth on the waves. Underneath is an ocean of common interest.

That is not the case with China. It is a good economic partner for Korea but not a friend. It is like Korea under Chun Doo-hwan. I am convinced it will have its democracy moment as Korea did, but it hasn't had it yet and for this reason is not yet qualified to be best friends.

So, now that we've cleared that up, how to address THAAD? Actually, I don't know. But switching friends over it, as I have seen people suggest online, is not in keeping with South Korean national interest as an ally of the world's democracies.

That doesn't mean Seoul has to accept THAAD. President Moon may decide that the military benefit to South Korea does not merit the animosity generated with China. Provided he remains committed to Korea's real allies, he has every right to reach that decision.

Michael Breen is the CEO of Insight Communications Consultants, a public relations company, and author of "The Koreans" and "Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader."
Lydia Loveless grew up on a farm in Indiana and shell be playing at one Friday when she headlines the Nebraska Folk & Roots Festival.

And soon she'll be making a home at one.

Im about to be a farm girl again, she said in a phone interview from Minneapolis. In August, Im moving to a little homestead in North Carolina. I'm like, Oh my God, do I have the constitution for this?

Getting out of the city, Loveless said, is a move prompted by lifestyle changes, including a divorce. Some of those changes, she said, sent her spiraling into depression when last years non-stop touring came to an abrupt halt.

As a musician, youre touring all the time and not always paying attention to whats going on with you, she said. Then you get into the real world and it hits you. I think thats what happened to me. I had so much time off this year, I went into a huge depression.

It took a few months for Loveless to pull out of her depression and start writing songs again.

When that finally lifted, I've been able to write, she said. Its hard to be creative, at least for me, when youre depressed. Its not what people think. They think the songs come out of the depression. They dont. ... Im definitely writing more now. Pretty much everything can go wrong and if Im creative, I'm OK. Ive got like three new ones that are kind of typically schizophrenic.

So will the new songs be like those on Real, the album she released last August that added Replacements rock n roll and Britney Spears pop to her Richard Hell-meets-Hank Williams country-punk mix?

Who knows? she said. Its more about what kind of mood youre in when you get into the studio. I know one thing, Im trying to get out of the old, white man, Americana scene. I probably just alienated 800 people. But Ive got to shake things up.

I'd always rather be seen for what I am, for what the songs are rather than how country is something, she said. How many country points do I get? I don't care. It's a really rough scene to be in, especially as a lady.

Real started her Americana rejection. It resulted in a younger audience and far more women attending her shows.

But Loveless had never intended to get pigeonholed into a genre, even one as amorphous as Americana, and never wanted to keep her music the same from year to year or album to album.

All the artists I admire are chameleons, she said. Thats why we've all been so sad about Prince and (David) Bowie. They changed and explored and took chances. For me, it was 'Indestructible Machine.' ... Lets make 'Indestructible Machine 2.'"

Indestructible Machine from 2011 was Lovelesss first album on Bloodshot Records. But she started making music years before that. Growing up on an Ohio farm in a musical family, Loveless began playing piano at 8, became the bassist in her sisters band at 13, started writing songs and singing at 15.

She began writing songs for The Only Man, her 2010, independently released album when she was 17. Thats led her to reflect on the perils of being a direct, brutally honest songwriter at a young age.

Every day I do that, Loveless said. When you have the concrete proof of what you were going through at 17, its like, Really, did that have to be preserved?

That said, Loveless has no regrets about what she's said in song, be it brash or vulgar. She has points to make and a direct way of making them.

I think the thing I despise most about society is the amount of lying that goes on, she said. I can come across as the harsh, judgmental jerk. But I have to be brutal.

That said, dont expect Loveless to bring that raw brashness to everyday conversation, be it after a show or in an interview.

Offstage, Im really kind of shy, she said. Im a really private person I would say. Music, it gives me a chance to get stuff out there. People expect me to be the same way. No. Thats why I made a record.
A mother and daughter from Phoenix, two brothers and a third man in Omaha face federal charges in connection with the 35 pounds of meth found in a traffic stop near Lincoln last week.

Blanca Avila De Vega and Melissa Vega, Alejandro Buendia-Ramirez, Carlos Alberto Valquier and Alfredo Valquier appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday on criminal complaints accusing them each of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

In an affidavit for their arrests, Andrew Vincik, a special agent with Homeland Security, said based on his training and experience he believes they were all members of a significant meth-trafficking and money-laundering organization based in Mexico.

"Based on the large quantities involved, I conclude that this organization has done this many times before, as most drug-trafficking organizations increase volume only when comfortable with their couriers and distributors," he said.

Vincik said the scheme also showed a level of sophistication.

It started with a Lancaster County Sheriff's deputy stopping a rented SUV on Interstate 80 on the morning of June 7.

Avila De Vega, 43, and her 18-year-old daughter, Melissa Vega, ended up arrested after a search turned up 35 one-pound bags of crystal meth hidden in suitcases in the cargo area.

The drugs have a street value of $1.5 million.

Investigators came to believe 15 pounds of the meth was headed for Omaha, and that Avila De Vega had transported meth from Phoenix to Omaha several times since the spring of 2016, according to court records.

Vincik said Avila De Vega and Vega agreed to continue on to Omaha as scheduled in an attempt to do a controlled delivery with drug investigators watching.

He said Buendia-Ramirez was arrested leaving a hotel room along L Street in Omaha after exchanging $92,500 for what he thought was 15 pounds of meth, but was mostly sham.

Vincik said officials also arrested Carlos Alberto Valquier, who had been paid $500 to drive Buendia-Ramirez there, as well as his brother, Alfredo Valquier, at a rental house in Omaha near Interstate 80 used to stash drugs and drug money.

A search of the house turned up $19,000.

The rest of the meth was to be taken to Minneapolis, according to court records.
The regenerative power of flatworms  which can regrow into complete individuals after they've been cut into pieces  is well-known among scientists. But a group of flatworms that recently visited the International Space Station (ISS) had a few surprises to share when they returned to Earth.

Scientists sent the worms into space to observe how microgravity and fluctuations in the geomagnetic field might affect the worms' unusual ability to regenerate. This was done to better understand how living in space could affect cell activity.

Compared with a group of flatworms that never left Earth, the spacefaring worms showed some unexpected effects from their time off the planet: most notably, the rare sprouting of a second head in an amputated piece of a worm, the researchers documented in a new study. [In Photos: Worm Grows Heads and Brains of Other Species]

Planarian flatworms (Dugesia japonica) are very flat and tiny, measuring about 0.2 to 0.4 inches (0.5 to 1 centimeter) in length, study co-author Michael Levin, a professor of biology at Tufts University in Massachusetts, told Live Science in an email. (Levin is also the director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology.)

One flatworm could result in multitudes, under the right conditions. Individuals can perform fission  dividing to form two distinct individuals  and severed flatworms can grow new heads or tails, depending on where the body was cut. To find out how factors such as gravity and Earth's magnetic field affect the worms' ability to regrow themselves, scientists sent sets of whole worms and amputated worms to the ISS for five weeks, the study authors wrote. Researchers sealed the worms inside tubes with varying ratios of air and water, and then observed the animals when they came back, the authors wrote.

Return of the regenerating space worms

After the worms returned, the researchers tracked changes in the animals' bodies and in their microbes, comparing the test worms with flatworms that had never left Earth. And the researchers continued observing the worms over 20 months, to see whether any changes were long-lasting.

The scientists found several significant differences between the flatworms that went to space and the Earth-bound worms. For instance, during the first hour of immersion in containers of fresh spring water, the spacefaring worms appeared to experience "water shock"; they curled up and were "somewhat paralyzed and immobile," the researchers wrote, suggesting that the worms underwent metabolic changes while in space. The space-y flatworms exhibited normal behavior after about 2 hours, but further analysis revealed that their microbial communities had changed, hinting at metabolic shifts caused by the unusual conditions the worms encountered on the ISS, the study authors wrote.

Worms returning from five weeks in space curled up and were immobile when transferred to petri dishes containing fresh spring water. By contrast, stay-at-home control worms moved rapidly and fully extended themselves. (Image credit: Junji Morokuma/Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University)

Spacefaring worms also demonstrated a change in behavior. When both groups were introduced to illuminated "arenas" in petri dishes, the worms that went to space were less inclined to seek out the dish's darker portion, the scientists found.

But the most dramatic difference was a type of regeneration observed in one of the 15 worm fragments sent to the ISS. That worm returned to the scientists with two heads (one on each end of its body), a type of regeneration so rare as to be practically unheard of  "normal flatworms in water never do this," Levin told Live Science. When the researchers snipped both heads off back on Earth, the middle portion regenerated into a two-headed worm again.

"And these differences persist well over a year after return to Earth!" Levin said. "Those could have been caused by loss of the geomagnetic field, loss of gravity, and the stress of takeoff and landing  all components of any space-travel experience for living systems going to space in the future," he said.

At first glance, these tiny regenerating worms may not appear to share much in common with the human astronauts currently on board the ISS. But the worms offer valuable insights into how living in space can affect cells and microbial communities in organisms, which could help scientists understand the impacts of space travel on human bodies, Levin explained.

"Scientists know a lot about biochemical signals that allow cells to cooperate to build and repair a complex body. However, the physical forces involved in this process are not well-understood," he said.

Studying flatworms could offer insights into how biological systems in living creatures interact with gravity and the geomagnetic field, "which in turn will not only help us optimize future space travel, but will [also] shed light on basic mechanisms that will have implications for regenerative medicine therapies on Earth and in space," Levin added.

The findings were published online today (June 13) in the journal Regeneration.

Original article on Live Science.
A newly discovered treasure trove of more than 10,000 colorful glass beads, as well as evidence of glassmaking tools, suggests that an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria was one of the first places in West Africa to master the complex art of glassmaking, scientists reported.

The finding shows that people who lived in the ancient city of Ile-Ife learned how to make their own glass using local materials and fashion it into colorful beads, said study lead researcher Abidemi Babalola, a fellow at Harvard University's Hutchins Center for African & African American Research.

"Now we know that, at least from the 11th to 15th centuries [A.D.], there was primary glass production in sub-Saharan Africa," said Babalola, who specializes in African archaeology. [The 25 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth]

Ancient city of IIe-Ife

The ancient city of Ile-Ife was the ancestral home of the Yoruba, an ethnic group of people who live in Africa today. The Yoruba people view Ile-Ife as the mythic birthplace of several of their deities, Babalola and his colleagues wrote in the study.

Ile-Ife is also widely known for its copper alloy and terracotta heads and figurines that were made between the 12th and 15th centuries A.D., the researchers said.

Some of the figurines are decorated with glass beads on their headdresses, crowns, necklaces, armlets and anklets, the researchers said. Moreover, archaeologists have found glass beads at Ile-Ife's ancient shrines and within unearthed crucibles  ceramic containers that were used to melt glass.

Where did these glass beads come from? Most researchers speculated that the beads arrived from afar through trade, possibly from the Mediterranean area or the Middle East, and that artisans in Ile-Ife used crucibles to melt and refashion some of them into new beads, Babalola told Live Science.

But Babalola and a handful of other researchers suspected that the answer was closer to home. To find out, Babalola traveled to Igbo-Olokun, an archaeological site within Ile-Ife, and excavated several places from 2011 to 2012, searching for evidence of local glass production, he said.

Ile-Ife is in southwestern Nigeria. (Image credit: Antiquity Publications Ltd.)

Crystal clear

Babalola discovered a treasure trove during the excavation, finding almost 13,000 beads, 812 crucible fragments, 403 fragments of ceramic cylinders (rods that were possibly used to handle the crucible lids), almost 7 lbs. (3 kilograms) of glass waste and about 14,000 potsherds, the researchers wrote in the study.

Babalola didn't find any furnaces that would have helped artisans heat the crucibles, but "the abundance of glass-production debris and the presence of vitrified clay fragments [clay with melted glass on it] indicate, however, that these areas were in, or very near, a zone of glass workshops," the researchers wrote in the study.

The majority of the beads are less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) across, and are colored blue, green, red, yellow or multicolored, Babalola said. [How 8 Colors Got Their Symbolic Meanings]

Ancient beads found at Ile-Ife. (Image credit: Babalola, A.B.)

The researchers found that many of the beads, primarily the blue ones, were made "almost exclusively" from materials that are found near Igbo-Olokun, they wrote in the study. For instance, these beads had a high aluminum-oxide (also known as alumina) content, and previous researchers have pointed out that there are high-alumina sand deposits near Ile-Ife, Babalola said.

What's more, artisans might have used local ingredients, such as feldspar, to lower the heating temperature needed to melt glass in the crucibles, he said.

Glass world

The beads Babalola and his colleagues studied are called drawn beads, meaning artisans used a special technique that included using an air bubble to make the beads' holes. Craftspeople in India were making drawn glass beads as early as the fourth century B.C., but given the distance between India and modern-day Nigeria, Babalola and his colleagues propose that the West Africans developed the technique independently, he said.

However, more research is needed to support this claim, Babalola noted.

Photos showing (a) crucible fragments; (b) vitrified clay; (c) ceramic cylinders; and (d) glass bead production debris. The blue likely came from cobalt. (Image credit: Babalola, A.B.)

After the West African people made these beads, they traded them far and wide. Beads with the same components have been found in the upper Senegal region, including in Mali, and along the Niger River, the researchers wrote in the study.

The findings also show that West Africans were more technologically advanced than previously thought, Babalola said.

"We are talking about very sophisticated crafts," he said. "It takes someone who knows what he is doing and someone who has a very good understanding of science and technology to make this glass."

The study was published in the June issue of the journal Antiquity.

Original article on Live Science.
Apple has spent years working on a car project that has been kept shrouded in secrecy  until now.

During an interview with Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the auto industry is experiencing disruption from three avenues: electric cars, ride-sharing companies and self-driving technology. And driverless cars, Cook revealed, is something that Apple has been focusing on. Cook said the artificial intelligence (AI) behind autonomous systems is an important "core technology" for the company moving forward.

"We're focusing on autonomous systems, and clearly one purpose of autonomous systems isself-driving cars [but] there are others," Cook told Bloomberg. "And we sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects  it's probably one of the most difficult AI projects actually to work on." [Photos: The Robotic Evolution of Self-Driving Cars]

Though Cook did not say what will come from the AI project in terms of future products, he noted that autonomy in general is "incredibly exciting" for Apple.

Many companies in Silicon Valley and beyond are refining autonomous vehicle technologies, ranging from Tesla's auto-pilot mode to the robotic car challenge put on by the U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

One recently announced self-driving system comes in the form of a portable robot chauffer. The IVO (short for intelligent vehicle operator) uses cameras, motion sensors and a few mechanical devices to depress the brakes and turn the steering wheel.

Original article on Live Science.
Investigators believe a man who shot into a car on Interstate 80 near Lincoln Sunday thought the vehicle was following him, according to a court document filed Tuesday.

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Habacuc Quintero-Chairez, 48, of Bellevue, with four assault and weapons offenses.

Just after 12:30 p.m., a driver in a Toyota Rav4 fired multiple shots at a car while both were driving west on I-80 near the U.S. 77 south exit, the Nebraska State Patrol said.

Neither occupant of the victims' car, a father and son from Nebraska, was injured, said State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas.

The victim found two bullet holes in the passenger side of the car after pulling off the interstate at a gas station, an investigator wrote in an affidavit.

Troopers searching the interstate found a Rav4 matching the description two miles from the reported incident and pulled over the SUV.

The driver, identified as Quintero-Chairez, displayed a handgun out the driver's window, the affidavit said.

He complied with commands from troopers, who seized a silver handgun and took him to jail, the investigator said.

Thomas said Quintero-Chairez didn't know the victims.

Quintero-Chairez faces charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, discharge of a firearm near a vehicle, attempted first-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

If convicted, he faces a minimum of 13 years in prison on the weapons charges.

He appeared in Lancaster County Court Tuesday afternoon, and a judge set his bond at $1 million.

State Patrol investigators said Quintero-Chairez is a convicted felon who has been deported three times.
by Jess Nelson , June 13, 2017

Huffington Post partnered with Campaign Monitor to develop a targeted email newsletter campaign around Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, garnering open rates averaging between 30% and 60%.

Alexandra Sanders, newsletter editor at Huffington Post, describes the email campaign as one newsletter project with five newsletters.

Huffington Post structured its email campaign by focusing on five communities that were most impacted by Trumps rhetoric and suggested proposals: Women, LGBTQ+, African-Americans, Immigrants, and Muslims. Users could opt-in to one, some, or all of the community-based newsletters.

We made it hyper-niche to really serve the people in those communities and enrich the conversation, says Sanders. It highlighted how you can tie yourself into these conversations, as well as how you can join these communities as an ally and talk about whats going on in more informed ways.

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Huffington Post took a multi-pronged approach to advertising its Trump First 100 Days newsletters. Beginning prior to inauguration Day, the publication advertised the upcoming newsletter across social media, on-site, and within related email newsletters, such as the politics or morning news digest emails.

The publication acquired 100,000 email subscribers in fewer than 100 days, with consistently high open rates throughout the entire campaign. Sanders asserts that open rates ran between 30% and 60%, an average email open rate that even on the lower side, far outranks industry averages.

A big part of this was not just the push aspect of email, but pull, says Sanders. Were allowing users to take action and join conversations.

The newsletter always had a set timeline, but Huffington Post then gave subscribers a pathway into alternative email newsletters at the end.

It was almost an onboarding step, says Sanders, explaining how 46% of subscribers became long-term Huffington Post readers, with many signing up for the publications politics and In(formation) newsletters. Huffington Post currently offers 16 standard newsletters in the United States, varying from a daily news digest to more lifestyle-oriented subscriptions.

Sanders says Campaign Monitor was key in building out the creative email campaign, particularly with internal links.

Campaign Monitor made it easier for Huffington Post readers to subscribe to any of the publications community-based newsletters. As opposed to being directed to multiple landing pages for each newsletter, subscribers could instead opt-in to multiple communities with a click of a button.

Sanders says that Huffington Post plans to continue working with Campaign Monitor, with the overall goal of creating a more focused journey for our email readers.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, June 13, 2017

In just her third week on the air, Megyn Kelly has accomplished something that was so avoidable, you wouldnt think it was even possible.

But Kelly, the new face of NBC News, achieved it anyway. She managed to anger the parents of small children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut in 2012.

To accomplish this feat, Kelly interviewed a man named Alex Jones, who is apparently a loony radio personality and conspiracy theorist who bloviates about 9/11 and other terrible events -- providing alternative scenarios to describe what he says really happened.

On the subject of 9/11, he believes the American government was involved in the plot to crash airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This point of view is reportedly held by a number of other people too.

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Where the unimaginable Sandy Hook massacre is concerned, Jones has reportedly put forth his theory that the entire thing was staged with actors. Until I read about this point of view this week, I had never heard of it before. For all I know, Jones is the only person on Earth who believes this.

Well, thats his story and hes sticking to it. Naturally, this upsets parents and relatives of the children and educators who were shot to death on that terrible day.

However, Kelly and her handlers have chosen Jones to be a high-profile interview subject for this Sundays edition of her new NBC magazine show called Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly. The show premiered two Sundays ago (on June 4) on NBC with Kellys pointless interview with Vladimir Putin.

This week, with the Jones interview scheduled to air this weekend, and NBC already putting out teaser videos to promote it, the expressions of anger have been fast and furious, particularly on Twitter.

Among the ways this anger is being expressed: Tweets with photos of the Sandy Hook victims displayed and accompanied by words such as 26 reasons NOT to watch Megyn Kellys interview on NBC w/Sandy Hook denier & liar Alex Jones (this one had a montage of all 26 massacre victims).

Among the problems with this interview is its timing. Kelly was scheduled to host a fundraiser in Washington tomorrow night being put on by a group called Sandy Hook Promises, described as an anti-gun-violence group founded by Sandy Hook parents.

The fundraiser is a gala that will give out awards to people who have been active in the fight against gun violence. The group has now dropped Kelly as host.

It really makes you wonder whos making the decisions at NBC News this month. Its possible someone thought Kelly would actually be applauded by the Sandy Hook group for shining a light on this conspiracy theorist, and possibly debunking him.

Kelly herself put out a tweet on Monday in which she defended the interview for doing just that. Many dont know him, she said of Jones. Our job is 2 shine a light.

Even with the relatively small audience Kelly will draw early on a Sunday evening in June, many more people will know Alex Jones than knew him before by the time the interview and all the pre-show promo spots air this week.

To apply a metaphor here: Shining a light on cockroaches might make them scurry for the baseboards, but theyre still cockroaches.

In addition to this hosting gig being canceled, at least one major advertiser has apparently pulled itself out of Sundays Kelly show -- JP Morgan Chase. Since this is only Tuesday, more will likely follow this week. Then the decision has to be made at NBC about whether to air the interview at all.

I realize the month of June is high vacation season for network TVs top brass, but surely there must be some grownups still on the job at NBC News this month who can step in and make the mature and necessary decision to yank this interview.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 13, 2017

About half of consumers surveyed for a study released Tuesday said they would think twice before purchasing products or even boycott a brand's products and services if they learned their ads ran near offensive content.

Some 37% of the 2,000 adult consumers surveyed in the United States, Canada and the UK said objectionable content or fake news sites would change the way they think about a brand when making a decision to make purchases, according to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council.

The study confirms that when consumers find the content to be objectionable, 11% said they would not do business with that brand, and 9% would become vocal critics of the brand.

Using Pollfish's platform to conduct the study, the CMO study found that 48% of consumers will even abandon brands they love if their ads run alongside offensive online content.

Dave Murray, VP with the CMO Council, said serving ads next to objectionable content make consumers lose respect for the brand. Marketers also have concerns about their content serving up next to content that doesnt align with their "brand values."

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Murray also said consumers are concerned about offensive political rhetoric or showing a bias toward one point of view or another. "What's objectionable for one viewer is not objectionable to another," he said. "In a world in which there is so much political separation, it's a difficult terrain to negotiate."

The report also found that content on social media platforms is still not trusted. Although they listed social media as the source of the second-highest volume of ad messages they receive  behind television  consumers ranked social media last among their five most trusted channels.

Some 63% of consumers respond more positively to the same ads when they find them on established media channels. In fact, they ranked friends, TV, search engines and newspapers as more trusted sources.

About 60% of consumers participating in the study said offensive context had already caused them to find more content from trusted, well-known news sources and established media channels.

Marc Pritchard, P&G CMO, notes that recently the industry has seen "more crappy advertising accompanied by even crappier viewing experiences."

Respondents said they either already had or planned to install some form of ad-blocking software to their mobile devices or PC browsers. Slightly more than 40% have already installed ad-blocking software on their devices, while another 13.7% said they planned to add these features.

Meanwhile, 86% of consumers are either extremely concerned, very concerned or moderately worried about how easily they are directed or redirected to hateful or offensive content.

Some 22% said the most annoying digital advertising formats were intrusive pop-up ads, and 17% pointed to auto-playing video ads.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, June 13, 2017

Effie Worldwide has appointed Traci Alford President and CEO. The group is best known for presenting the marketing effectiveness awards, The Effies. She will officially join the organization at its New York headquarters and will report to the Effie Worldwide Board of Directors.

Alford succeeds Neal Davies, who indicated he would be stepping down earlier this year. He is returning to his native UK and was recently appointed chief executive at Irish International BBDO.

Alford has spent her career in marketing around the world, from her native Australia to the US, France, UK and, most recently, Singapore as the VP External Relations, Asia Pacific at Shell International.

Prior to joining Shell in 2013, she spent 13 years at Cadbury Schweppes in a variety of marketing and business roles, lastly as Global Business Development Director for the company.

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In the early 1990s, she spent three years at Walmart in a senior national sales role for Dr. Pepper and 7Up.

Traci has an impressive global marketing track record and will bring a strong client-side perspective to her role and the organization, stated Daryl Lee, Global CEO, Universal McCann and Chairman of the Effie Worldwide Board of Directors. Shes inheriting a powerful brand and a dedicated team.

As president/CEO, Alford will oversee Effie Worldwides 48 Effie Awards programs and strategic partnerships and will develop and evolve the nonprofits education initiatives, including the Effie Index, and a voluminous case study database.

MediaLink handled the search for Davies successor at Effie Worldwide.
by Gord Hotchkiss , Featured Contributor, June 13, 2017

So, heres the question: Could Sears -- the retail giant that has become the poster child for the death of mall-based retail shopping -- have saved itself?

This is an important question, because I dont think Sears' downward trend is an isolated incident.

In 2006, historian Richard Longstreth explored the rise and fall of Sears. The rise is well chronicled. From the store's beginnings in 1886, the team of Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck grew to dominate the catalog mail order landscape. They prospered by creating a new way of shopping that catered specifically to the rural market of America, a rapidly expanding opportunity created by the Homestead Act of 1862.

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The spread of railroads across the continent through the 1860s and '70s allowed Sears to distribute physical goods across the nation. This, combined with its quality guarantee and free return policy, allowed the retailer to grow to rapidly to a position of dominance.

In the 1920s and '30s, Robert E. Wood, the fourth president of Sears, took the company in a new direction. He reimagined the concept of a physical retail store, convincing the reluctant company to expand from its very lucrative catalog business.

This move was directly driven by Sears foundation as a mail-order business. In essence, Woods was hedging his bet. He built his stores far from downtown business centers, where land was cheap. And, if they failed as retail destinations, they could always be repurposed as mail-order distribution and fulfillment centers.

But Wood got lucky. Just about the time he made this call, America fell in love with the automobile. They didnt mind driving a little bit to get to a store where they could save some money. This was followed by the suburbanization of America. When America moved to the suburbs, Sears was already there.

So, you could say Sears was amazingly smart with its strategy, presciently predicting two massive disruptions in the history of consumerism in America. Or you could also say that Sears got lucky and the market happened to reward it -- twice. In the language of evolution, two fortuitous mutations of Sears led to it being naturally selected by the marketplace.

But, as Longstreth showed, the company's luck ran out on the third disruption: the move to online shopping.

A recent article looking back at Longstreths paper is titled Could Sears Have Avoided Becoming Obsolete?"

I believe the answer is no. The article points to one critical strategic flaw as the reason for Sears non-relevance: doubling down on its mall anchor strategy as the world stopped going to malls. In hindsight, this seems correct, but the fact is, it was no longer in Sears' DNA to pivot into new retail opportunities. it couldnt have jumped on the ecommerce bandwagon, just as a whale cant learn how to fly.

Its easy for historians to cast a gaze backwards and find reasons for organizational failure, just as its easy to ascribe past business success to a brilliant strategy or a visionary CEO.

But the fact is, as business academic Phil Rosenzweig shows in his masterful book "The Halo Effect," were just trying to jam history into a satisfying narrative. And narratives crave cause and effect. We look for mistakes that lead to obsolescence. This gives us the illusion that we could avoid the same fate we're smarter.

It's not that simple, though There are bigger forces at play here. And they can be found at the Edge of Chaos.

Edge of Chaos Theory

In his book, "Complexity: Life at the Edge of Chaos," Roger Lewin chronicles the growth of the Santa Fe Institute, an academic think tank dedicated to exploring complexity for the last 33 years.

But the big idea in Lewins book is the Edge of Chaos Theory, a term coined by mathematician Doyne Farmer to describe a discovery by computer scientist Christopher Langton.

The theory, in its simplest form, is this: On one side you have chaos, where there is just too much dynamic activity and instability for anything sustainable to emerge. On the other side you have order, where rules and processes are locked in and things become frozen solid. These are two very different states that can apply to biology, sociology, chemistry, physics, economics -- pretty much any field you can think of.

To go from one state -- in either direction -- is a phase transition. Everything changes when you move from one to the other. On one side, turmoil crushes survivability. On the other, inertia smothers change.

But in between is a razor-thin interface, balanced precipitously on the edge of chaos. Theorists believe that its in this delicate interface where life forms, where creativity happens and where new orders are born.

For any single player, its almost impossible to maintain this delicate balance. As organizations grow, I think they naturally move from chaos to order, at some point moving through this exceptional interface where the magic happens.

Some companies manage to move through this space a few times. Apple is such a company. Sears probably moved through the space twice, once in setting its mail-order business up and once with its move to suburban retail.

But sooner or later, organizations go through their typical life cycle and inevitably choose order over chaos. At this point, their DNA solidifies to the point where they can no longer rediscover the delicate interface between the two.

Its at the market level where we truly see the Edge of Chaos theory play out. The theory contests that adaptive systems in which there is feedback continually adapt to the Edge of Chaos. But, as in any balancing act, its a very dynamic process. In the case of sociological evolution, its often a force (or convergence of forces) of technology that catalyzes the phase transition from order back to chaos.

This is especially true when we look at markets. But this is an oscillation between order and chaos, with the market switching from phases of consolidation and verticalization to phases of chaos and sweeping horizontal activation. Markets will swing back and forth but will constantly be rewarding winners that live closest to the edge between the two states.

We all love to believe that immortality can be captured in our corporate form, whether it be our company or our own body. But history shows that we all have a natural life cycle. We may be lucky enough to extend our duration in that interface on the edge of chaos, but sooner or later our time there will end. Just as it did with Sears.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, June 13, 2017

Dentsu Aegis Network US CEO Rob Horler is stepping down after a 17-year run with the group to pursue new opportunities, the company confirmed today.

Nigel Morris, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network Americas, will assume the role of Interim CEO of DAN USA in addition to his Americas responsibilities as the network searches for a permanent replacement.

Horler joined the group through Carat Interactive in 2000 as Managing Partner and was promoted to Managing Director in 2002.

In 2004, he founded Diffiniti, which became one of the largest standalone online planning and buying companies in the UK. In 2009, Diffiniti became part of the iProspect network.

In January 2011, Horler was named CEO for Aegis Media UK, and then CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Northern Europe in 2013. He was appointed to his current post in January 2015.

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Under Horlers leadership, the networks U.S. unit grew significantly through a combination of new business and M&A. In 2016, Dentsu Aegis US acquired seven US-based companies, including Cardinal Path, Accordant, gyro, C2C Outdoor, and Gravity Media.

Throughout his career with the group, Rob has been a key driver of our success and a hands-on, operational leader, stated Morris.

Added Horler: I joined the U.S. team in 2015 with the goal of doubling the size of our business, and we have done that, with a particular focus on scaling our data capabilities. as well as specialized services, including B2B and multicultural marketing.

"With the U.S. business in the hands of great people and strong talent, we are well set up for future, and after 17 years, this felt like the right time to step back and do something different. It has been an incredible journey.
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

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Lincoln police have arrested three people on suspicion of robbing the Pinnacle Bank branch near 70th and A streets last month.

Kiana Stabler, 20; Kaylene Stabler, 22; and Julian Huffman, 22, were all arrested Monday at Huffman's apartment in the 5000 block of Vine Street, Officer Angela Sands said.

According to records, Huffman is also wanted in Missouri.

Prosecutors charged Huffman on June 8 with robbery and accessory to a felony. According to a warrant for his arrest, the plates seen on the getaway car were stolen about 10 days before the robbery.

Investigators were able to tie the plates and vehicle seen at the bank to the group, the document says. Officers searched the car and found a BB handgun, similar to the one used in the robbery, the document says.

He's being held on $100,000 bond.

Both Stabler sisters were charged Wednesday with robbery and were given $200,000 bond.

Two women entered the branch at 1776 S. 70th St. just before May 26, according to court documents. One had a gun and another had pepper spray, but neither weapon was used and no employees or customers were injured.

The alleged robbers left with cash and fled northbound in a silver car, which police believe was driven by Huffman, documents say.

The same bank branch was robbed on March 16, but police say the robbery in May might be related to an armed robbery of Great Western Bank, 6424 Havelock Ave., on April 13.

Scheinost said in April that a man showed a gun, demanded cash and used pepper spray, injuring two Great Western Bank employees. No shots were fired. The employees were treated on the scene.

Police didn't say what the three suspects' involvements were in the Pinnacle Bank robbery, or specifically who was inside the branch. The investigation is ongoing, Sands said.
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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Actor Burt Ward, who played Robin alongside Adam West's Batman in the hit 1960s TV series, has paid tribute to his co-star who has died aged 88.

Ward, 71, told the BBC that the two had enjoyed "an amazing friendship", describing the actor as "a lot of fun".

He said they had played the Dynamic Duo "on multiple levels" to please the show's varied audience.

West died in Los Angeles on Friday after a short battle with leukaemia, his family said.

The TV series, with its kitsch costumes, comic book fight scenes and corny one-liners, drew a cult following.

Tributes to West have flooded in from the acting world and also from thousands of fans.

"This is a wonderful man who I've spent 75% of the time on this earth working with, who has been a pleasure, just amazing talent, a great father, a great family man, a wonderful human being, just a lot of fun and I'm going to miss him incredibly. In fact it's very difficult to really believe that the end has come," Ward told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Adam and I have had the most amazing friendship, just for whatever reason we instantly got along.

"We share a similar type of humour, we had the best time on Batman and it really showed through."

Batman stars Burt Ward, Adam West, and Julie Newmar appeared together on stage in 2014

Ward said he and West knew the show was being enjoyed by all age groups.

"We were playing it on multiple levels, we were playing with our audience, we used to say that we put on our tights to 'put on' the world."

He added: "For the kids it was serious hero worship, for the adults it's the nostalgia, the comic book, and for that very difficult audience at that time to capture - the teenagers and the college kids - it was the insinuations, the double entendres, all the things that nobody had ever done with an audience."

Fellow actor Julie Newmar, who played the Caped Crusader's arch enemy Catwoman, described West as "stellar, exemplary, he was a king to the end".

"He was bright, witty and fun to work with. And I'll miss him in the physical world and savour him always in the world of imagination and creativity," she told the BBC World Service.

"Adam West was the best Batman of all time. I don't think there'll be one to compare with him. He was, of course, the original, but still all in all the best, not only for that time but for all time."

Flowers were left on Adam's West's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

On Saturday, actor Val Kilmer, who played Batman in a later movie, tweeted: "Ah dear Adam West. He was always so kind when we met. A real gent. Once when I was a kid we found ourselves in front the Batmobile. I got in."

After the TV series and a Batman movie in which he also starred, West struggled to find big acting roles.

However, he won a new generation of fans in more recent times after joining the cast of the animated comedy series Family Guy.

He voiced Quahog's eccentric Mayor Adam West, described by series creator Seth MacFarlane as an "alternate universe", satirised version of the actor.

MacFarlane paid tribute to the star on Twitter, saying he had "lost a friend" and described West as "irreplaceable".
13.06.2017 LISTEN

How will it feel when a mechanic snatches the wife of a wealthy man? What happens if the mechanic who is married succeeds in getting the wealthy mans wife pregnant? Again what happens when the rich man catches his wife red handed cheating on him with the mechanic?

All these answers will be known when Gyapson Films premieres its latest movie Ultimate Betrayal on Saturday June 24 at the Silverbird Cinemas.

Directed by Solomon Frimpong, Ultimate Betrayal features some of the nations finest actors Nana Ama McBrown, Bill Asamoah, Bernard Bishop Nyarko and Bridget Adusei Ampofo.

In the movie, Bill Asamoah (Nana) plays the mechanic, who snatches Tilly played by Nana Ama (Tilly) from the rich man, Bernard Bishop Nyarko.

Speaking in an interview, Bill Asamoah, said Ultimate Betrayal is one of the challenging movies he has featured in.

According to him, there was no way he could cheat on his wife with another married woman in real life. I was actually contemplating whether or not to do the movie because people judge you by what they see on the screen.

 However, I accepted to play so that married people who cheat on their partners would learn how such actions have negative impact on their unions he said.

He asked Ghanaians especially married couples to come in their numbers to see the movie. There are lessons in the movie and anyone who makes it to the premiere will not regret it he added.
The Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI), the umbrella executive producers association in the country, will on Wednesday, June 14 organise a one-day forum for its members and all the industry players from the southern sector of the country.

The forum which will be held at the GNAT Hall in Accra is being organised by GAPI under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts, with funding support from the Ghana Cultural Forum.

The forum will feature renowned professionals in the music industry who understand the importance of music as an art form and the incredible force it carries globally.

According to the national executives of GAPI, the forum will provide music publishers and other stakeholders with insight and knowledge about how music is created, effective leadership and decision-making process, copyright law, among others.

It will also deliberate on development in the music industry and help chart a collective way forward.

GAPI has been a founding member of the Ghana Culture Forum. In an interview, the chairman of GAPI, Seth Amponsah, told BEATWAVES that his outfit, in collaboration with Copyright Office and the Ghana Music Right Organisation (GHAMRO), will soon embark on a massive anti-piracy exercise to arrest all those involved in music piracy.

He pointed out that most Ghanaians do not understand copyright issues and there is the need to educate and sensitise them in a more sustainable manner to enable them to appreciate the effects of piracy and solicit their support to reduce the canker in the Ghanaian society.

Seth Amponsah disclosed that the anti-piracy project which is expected to take off soon would educate and sensitise the public on the adverse effects of piracy on intellectual properties and musical works, and create the necessary awareness in order to help reduce it to the barest minimum.

He added that by the end of the project, patronage of original music works and other intellectual properties would increase to about 70 percent from its present level of about 10 percent.

By George Clifford Owusu
12.06.2017 LISTEN

The eight suspected killers of Major Maxwell Mahama who were arraigned last Friday included the snail seller who allegedly gave a false alarm that led to the lynching of the army officer.

The snail seller, whose name was given as Akosua Takyiwaa, aka Maame Bono, is said to have raised the false alarm by calling the Assembly Member for the Denkyira Obuasi, who mobilized people to allegedly kill the soldier.

The arrest of the eight has brought the number of suspects picked up by the police in connection with the gruesome murder to 52

They have all been remanded in prison custody.

Captain Mahama had reportedly stopped to buy snails, and when he took money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the trader saw the pistol and reportedly informed the assemblyman of Denkyira Obuasi that the young military officer was an armed robber.

This was made known two weeks ago at a joint press conference by the Ghana Armed Forces and Ghana Police at the Police Headquarters in Accra.

According to the police, without verifying the identity of Captain Mahama, the assemblyman and armed townsfolk accosted the military officers, gave him a chase, shot at him, and eventually pounced on him using cement blocks, clubs, among others, until he died around 10am on Monday, two hours after he had started the jogging.
Nairobi (AFP) - Fraud in the mining sector since 1998 has cost Tanzania 75 billion euros ($84 billion), an investigating commission said Monday, blaming foreign companies failing to declare revenues.

The conclusions of the study, conducted by Tanzanian economists and legal experts and seen by AFP, were approved by President John Magufuli.

The report attributed much of the loss to foreign companies, including mining giant Acacia Mining, also accused of operating for several years in the country without being registered.

The London-listed company immediately rejected the claims.

Magufuli, referring to Acacia Mining, said: "If they admit that they were stealing from us and if they reimburse what they stole, only then can negotiations over registration begin".

"Even the devil is making fun of us. God gave us these ores, these many natural riches and we remain poor while others enrich themselves at our expense. We cannot continue like this," he added, after receiving the report in a ceremony broadcast live.

Last month Magufuli dismissed the country's mines minister after receiving a report from geologists that said mining companies had underestimated their mineral exports in order to pay lower taxes.

The report had said that poor management of the sector meant officials were not able to tell how much or what kind of ores were being exported.

On Monday, Magufuli ordered a revamping of the laws governing mining contracts, telling the justice department to question and if necessary prosecute officials responsible for attributing operating contracts in recent years.

Acacia Mining Monday said in response to the report that the accusations were unfounded and that it has operated in Tanzania in full accordance with the law.

Tanzania is rich in minerals including gold, ranking fourth among gold producers on the continent.

Gold is the country's leading mineral export and one of its primary sources of revenue.

Tanzania also exports copper, nickel, silver, diamonds and other precious stones such as tanzanite.

In March, Tanzania said it was banning exports of non-processed ore in a bid to promote the development of the mineral processing sector, create new jobs locally and increase revenues generated by the sector.
12.06.2017 LISTEN

Accra, June 12, GNA - The downstream Oil Marketing sector picks up gradually in second quarter of the year after marginal turbulence in the first quarter, Mr Gyemfi Amanquah, Chief Operating Officer of GOENERGY Company Limited stated on Monday.

Mr Amanquah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that trading in the second quarter had started with marginal hinge up due mainly to international market price of the product, which was on the decline as well as the positive trend of the local currency against other currencies.

The GOENERGY Chief Operating Officer explained that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Bulk Distributing Companies (BDCs) were at their wit's end during the first quarter as transaction was bad and attributed it to the volatility of local currency, economic shake-up of the new government and international trading pattern.

He said GOENERGY which is a subsidiary of the Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL), the nation's foremost indigenous OMC, is now the country's major supplier of Gasoline, Gasoil, Marine Gasoil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Domestic Kerosine, and Aviation Turbine Kerosine (JET-A1). 'We will continue to ensure stability in the supply of products'.

Mr Amanquah said development in the second indicated that business in the quarter would bounce back as there were signs of prices and cedi stabilisation as well as effort by stakeholders to combat Black Market Petroleum Dealers, which endangered the market.

Mr Amentor Aziakor, Goenergy Operations and Marketing Manager also noted that GOENERGY would continue to undertake prudent ventures to attract investment in order to expand the capacity of existing storage infrastructure and increase the number of depots and storage infrastructure at strategic locations across the country.

He explained that GOENERGY seeks to dominate the sector to protect the national economy from being manipulated by foreign multinationals.

Analysing the BDC sector, Mr Aziakor said the increased mining activities coupled with a vast influx of vehicles and machinery into the country, had improved the demand for petroleum products.

He said the oil field especially the Tano Basin had also boosted exploration activities along the coast of Ghana thereby resulting in increased consumption of marine gasoil, 'Ghana therefore needs an indigenous BDC with capacity to meet demands and eliminate the potential shortage of any products.

'As shortage of any petroleum product at this point in the nation's development agenda will derail the marginal gains and set us backward. In the midst of energy volatility, Ghana cannot add shortage of petroleum products'.

GOENERGY was established in February 2014 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GOIL as a BDC to source for and secure the petroleum products requirement for the company.

GOENERGY started operations in September 2014 by securing and supplying petroleum products for the sole use of GOIL and in May 2015 it extended supplying of products to other OMCs.

GOENERGY therefore seeks to establish an active supply infrastructure network and channels that lead to competitive lower cost and ensure product availability as well as improvement of quality throughout the supply chain.

GNA

By Francis Ameyibor, GNA
Accra, June 12, GNA - The Civil Society Coalition on Youth Development (CSCYD) has commended the new Management of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) for taking bold steps to rid the agency of corruption.

According to a statement issued by the Coalition, which was copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, the revelations made by the internal audit were stunning, given the background of the agency.

'It is sad that after what happened to GYEEDA in 2014, we still wake up to such stories," said Ms Theodora W. Anti, CSCYD Coordinator.

"It is particularly heartbreaking that 9,442 beneficiaries were above the age requirement despite the teeming numbers of unemployed youth in the country."

The Coalition urged the Management of YEA and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to ensure that all those implicated in those acts were prosecuted and justice served for the youth of Ghana.

"We are also calling on the new management to be more transparent and avoid politicising recruitment of beneficiaries. Let us ensure that all Ghanaian youth have an equal opportunity to benefit from the modules no matter their political affiliation," it said.

According to the Coalition, some studies indicate strongly that politicisation of some of these government led initiatives was the root cause of such corrupt acts.

"We hope that the current management would be vigilant enough to avoid some of these mistakes."

The statement said the Coalition was also calling on the YEA Management to establish the District Committees as stipulated by the Act.

"This will improve transparency at all levels and public confidence in the Agency.

"It is also very important that the Agency publishes the criteria for selection of beneficiaries. That will also help the youth and minimise corruption," it added.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
12.06.2017 LISTEN

A GNA Feature by Cecilia Diesob , GNA

Accra, June 12, GNA - It was the early part of May, a period when many farmers in the three northern regions go about with joy as the planting season has began and the dusty north-eastern trade winds are at rest together with the less hostile sun.

This was the period two years ago when I first visited Kormo, Duu and Bawisibelle as a data collection official for a United Nations sponsored project for the rural poor.

As a pillion rider with a colleague social worker, we journeyed through the rugged and fairly motorable path on a three hour journey from Tumu to the south- eastern hinterlands of the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region.

It was the rainy season and the rains though intermittent, was continuous so we had to seek shelter at a certain stage of the journey in a farm hut. And with this respite, the only thought on my mind was the extent of the poor road network in many parts of the Sissala East District.

At various stages of the journey, my colleague and i had no option than to take our shoes off and wade through extensive ponds. It was a scary experience as snakes abound in such areas but with some luck, we journeyed on through other valleys and waterways till we arrived at Kormo, my study destination.

Naa Bening Juan, the chief of Kormo No.1, on our arrival, explained to us that the heavy rains often cuts off their community from the rest of the region.

'Only strong young men who can swim brave the deep waters of these valleys' he said adding that in the past, there were two bridges on the Funsi route which have been washed away by the usual heavy rains and flooding.

The poor nature of the roads in the Sissala East District, it seems, has become a huge obstacle to development and agriculture, the main occupation of the indigenes, has been hindered.

Currently only two major routes lead to Kormo; and this is either on a motorbike from Tumu or by using the less rugged but equally hazardous route through some parts of the Northern Region through Funsi.

Mr Amidu Channia Issahaku, the Deputy Minister of the Upper West Region in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said communities in the Sissala East District from have been ignored for far too long. 'Members of these communities lack access to basic amenities and the poor road network was not helping the situation'.

The administration of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, he said, has the right policies to help rural communities to improve livelihoods.

Access to health care and malnutrition

On my second visit to the area again in May this year as a journalist with the Ghana News Agency, the situation it seems has worsened for inhabitants of Kormo and its surrounding communities including Duu and Bawisibelle.

And though the road network is a major concern, in a community like Kormo with a population of about 1100 inhabitants, there is no a health facility and residents have to trek for over an hour and a half to Bawisibelle, the nearest village with a Community based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound.

A report by the World Bank (2015), states that growing inequality in household consumption, regional disparities in welfare and a deteriorating macroeconomic environment are some of the challenges hindering the progress of Ghana.

The report said by 2012, poverty had become intense in rural areas and the northern parts, with one out of three poor people living in rural areas.

For the week i lived in Duu, a village which also relies on Bawisibelle for access to health care, i witnessed an incident where the wife of a mechanic went into labour one dawn and was quickly rushed to the CHPS compound only to meet an empty facility.

While we combed through the village looking for any of the three nurses of that facility to no avail, we came back to meet his wife holding the first twin on the veranda of the health facility. And it took the intervention of other elderly women to get the second twin delivered and this saved the life of the mother.

Madam Jemila, an indigene of Kormo and a mother of seven grown children, said all her children were delivered at home with the help of experienced elderly mothers in the community.

She said much as she has seven children the experiences of many expectant mothers in the community are very difficult to bear.

Madam Sherifa, another mother of three, recounted how she lost one of her twin babies a few months prior to my visit.

'I was able to deliver one baby but the second one would not come out so we had to call on the services of a tricycle to send me to Bawissibelle. On arrival it was too late. I was told that the baby had died in my womb. I went through so much pain but I still lost my baby,' she said.

Another report by UNICEF (2013), said malnutrition is a significant indirect cause of child mortality, contributing to one-third of all childhood deaths in the country.

It said although levels of malnutrition in Ghana have dropped, 23 per cent of children are stunted and 57 per cent are anaemic.

The report said nutrition is particularly poor in the northern parts of the country, where almost two in every five children are stunted and more than 80 per cent of cause of mortality for children under five is due to malnutrition.

Kormo, Duu and Bawisibelle are typical communities where malnourished children are evident. The malnourishment of many of these children can be attributed to high levels of poverty as many families rely solely on subsistence farming as their source of livelihood.

Farming, the major source of livelihood in these communities is a preserve for men. Women are not allowed to own land. They help on the farms of their husband and can only use portions of land given by their husbands to grow vegetables.

During the dry season however, women pick Shea nuts, which are then processed into Shea butter and sold in nearby markets for extra income. Women in the Shea butter business often move to nearby towns to get the nuts processed for the butter.

Education

A three unit classroom block was found close to the Kormo River, a tributary of the Volta Lake which divides the community into two halves. Naa Basugle Amoa Abubakari, chief of Kormo No.2, explained that the three unit classroom block serves about 300 school pupils from pre-school to the JHS level.

Forms 1-3 have classes in the main block whilst the lower primary and pre-school children have theirs in a neighbouring wooden shelter. Classes five and six study under two mango trees on the compound and a small hut on the same compound served as the kitchen and canteen for the school until its eventual collapse.

Many girls in the three communities are out of school and many also marry young. Some girls interviewed by the GNA expressed regret for dropping out of school early and a few other expectant students with some conviction said they would return to school after delivery.

Seibatu Bukari, a former student, said she dropped out of school in class six and has three children at the age of 21. She said going back to school was no longer a possibility owing to the overwhelming tasks of being a mother of three children.

'I help my mother-in-law prepare Shea butter for sale on Tumu market days. I have always thought of learning a trade and when I raise enough money to fund my training, I intend to learn soap making,' she added.

Way forward

Mr Issahaku lauded the 'one village, one dam' initiative saying it would greatly help improve the lives of many in the northern parts of the country.

In this regard, he said, the existing cotton factory, located at Tumu, would be revived to encourage the youth to venture into cotton production and help create more jobs in the area.

The Deputy Regional Minister said the construction of a poultry feed factory should be located at vantage point to absorb farm produce, encourage livestock production and thereby help improve the lot of many in the various communities.

The concerns of the Sissala East District are numerous. But just like other improved communities in many parts of the country, i believe the situation in Sissala East is also surmountable.

GNA
Those who were playing the Trump Twitter drinking game -- take a drink every time President Donald Trump tweets -- during James Comey's Senate committee testimony came away surprisingly sober.

For two days, the president maintained Twitter silence, causing surprised followers like me to wonder if he had dozed off, or worse.

But at 6:10 a.m. on the morning after former FBI Director Comey appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Trump reappeared in the Twittersphere with this: "Despite so many false statement and lies, total and complete vindication ... and WOW, Comey is a leaker!"

Oh, really? As often happens with Trump's tweets, this one fiddles with facts. That's not an extraordinary development for our serial-exaggerator president, who has never backed off his ludicrous claim to the biggest inauguration crowd ever.

In similar fashion, Comey's testimony raised more questions than vindication, except for those who -- like Trump -- dismiss inconvenient facts as "fake news." He cannot shrug off ongoing investigations by the Senate committee and special counsel Robert Mueller of ties between Trump's campaign and Russian officials.

Mueller's investigation followed what, so far, is the most pivotal tweet of Trump's presidency. On May 12, he typed: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"

That was the tweet, according to Comey's account to the Senate Intelligence Committee, that spurred him as a private citizen to make a special request to a friend, Columbia law professor Daniel Richman.

Comey asked Richman to tell the New York Times about the memos he had written to describe his interactions in private meetings with President Trump. The memos described why Comey thought the president had asked him, as FBI director, to drop the FBI's criminal investigation into Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

The Times story appeared seven days after Comey was fired.

Was that a "leak," as Trump calls it? Comey was passing his own memos, not classified documents, to the Times. As he told the Senate, he hoped the disclosure would lead to the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russia's involvement in the 2016 election and possible collusion with associates of the president's campaign. It did.

On May 17, the day after the Times piece ran, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named former FBI Director Mueller, a longtime friend of Comey, to the post.

Trump was apparently declaring victory because Comey wouldn't say whether he believed the president obstructed justice by saying he wished Comey would "let" the Flynn investigation "go." Comey told the senators that he was confident that Mueller would make that determination.

Indeed, if Trump should be angry at anyone, it is himself. By needlessly firing Comey and tweeting recklessly about it, Trump single-handedly turned his Russia problem -- a "cloud" over his administration, he reportedly told Comey -- into a much bigger problem.

Now it's an investigation into possible obstruction of justice charges, the same charge that forced Richard M. Nixon to resign his presidency for cover-ups during the Watergate scandal.

Yes, here comes the old Watergate era line once again: It's not the crime; it's the cover-up that counts.

Were it not for the rising investigation into a possible cover-up, Trump would have reason to celebrate Comey's debunking of a February New York Times article as "in the main ... not true," although he didn't say in the open hearing what specifically wasn't true.

So, as the story about Team Trump's possible collusion with Russians took a hit, suspicions about a possible Trump cover-up got a big boost from Comey's testimony.

No, this investigation is only beginning. For those who appreciate history, it's important to note that the Watergate investigations went on for more than two years. Bill Clinton's Whitewater scandal lasted for seven of his eight years in office.

But the big question on everyone's minds -- Will Trump be impeached? -- depends largely on the partisan makeup of the House and Senate. Legal scholars argue about it, but impeachment is a political process more than a legal one. It all comes down to how many votes the president has in Congress, which Trump's Republican Party currently controls.

Still, there are danger signs on the horizon. A Politico/Morning Consult poll at the end of May found 43 percent of voters want impeachment proceedings to begin. Most of those cite political reasons, not criminal offenses. Still, that's up from 38 percent the previous week.

Vindication is just one of Trump's challenges.
Power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has blamed Monday evening's blackout that hit parts of the country on technical challenges at the national grid.

In a short announcement on its Facebook page, the power distributor said the Ghana Grid Company Limited )GRIDCo) was, however, working to restore the power.

No further details were given about the nature of the said technical challenges.

The abrupt incident on Monday at approximately 8pm plunged many parts of the country, Accra especially, into darkness, with many on social media fearing the situation could signal the beginning of another era of load shedding -- a situation that has come to be known as 'dumsor'.

Photo: ECG blamed the power outage on technical challenges at GRIDCo.

Although power has been restored in some parts of the country as at 10:30 pm, Joy News, social media monitoring suggests that many parts of the capital, especially, remain in darkness.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]
Warsaw (AFP) - The migrants pouring into Europe have changed routes: the crossing between Turkey and Greece is practically closed, but ever greater numbers are risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy.

A criminal industry has flourished, while the European Union has beefed up its border agency Frontex to try to check the mass migration.

Frontex is at once both good cop and bad cop, rescuing migrants from sinking boats but also dropping them off at welcome centres where they risk being sent back home.

Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri summed up the situation in an interview with AFP.

Who are the migrants?

On the shores of Greece there are now "80 or 100 people who arrive every day, whereas we had 2,500 a day" before the agreement with Turkey, said Leggeri.

Among those who arrive from Africa via the central Mediterranean and Libya, whose number is up by more than 40 percent, most come from west Africa. They are Senegalese, Guineans, Nigerians. In 2016 they totalled 180,000.

They are mainly economic migrants and include many young men but also families and young women. Nigerian women are often exploited as prostitutes in Europe.

"It's not the poorest who leave, because they have to be able to pay the smugglers," said Leggeri.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of the more than one million people who made it to Europe in 2015, 850,000 crossed into Greece via the Aegean Sea. More than half came from Syria and most of the rest from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Following a landmark EU-Turkey accord in March 2016, the total number arriving in Europe by sea fell that year to around 363,000, IOM figures show.

But as the number of arrivals in Greece dropped, the figures arriving from north Africa started to grow.

By mid-April 2017, "some 36,000 migrants had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, or an increase of 43 percent over the same period last year," according to Frontex.

Who are the smugglers?

A criminal industry has flourished as hundreds of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are smuggled between Libya and Italy.

At the beginning of the most dangerous leg of the trip across the Sahara, the migrants are transported by Tuareg or Tebu nomads, for whom it is a traditional commercial activity, Leggeri said.

The Mediterranean crossing however is run by criminal networks, both big and small, as well as lone smugglers.

At the bottom of the ladder there are petty crooks, sometimes migrants themselves, who become the skippers of the small overloaded boats to pay for their own crossing, according to Leggeri.

Then there are the middlemen who collect the money and organise the trip but who do not board. Their bosses are the network chiefs who "likely include people who previously worked in the police force" in Libya, Leggeri said.

How much money is involved?

Coming up with an estimate is not easy but according to a recent report by the EU's law enforcement agency Europol, gangs smuggling migrants to or within Europe raked in 4.7 billion-5.7 billion euros ($5.1 billion-$6.1 billion) in 2015.

But those profits dropped by nearly two billion euros last year.

The major traffickers use money earned smuggling migrants to undertake other criminal activities that require an initial investment, "be it drug trafficking, arms trafficking, or even terrorism financing -- we can't exclude it," Leggeri said.

The funds are sometimes moved openly through money transfer service Western Union, especially in west Africa. In east Africa, traffickers more often use "hawala", an informal system of payment based on trust that is far more difficult to trace than bank transfers.

What are the main routes?

Migrants from west Africa begin by taking the bus, Leggeri said. The territory of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is somewhat similar to the visa-free Schengen zone, as individuals can travel freely within it for a modest fee of around 20 euros.

Once the migrants arrive in Niamey, capital of Niger, the illegal activity begins and they must fork out up to 150 euros each to reach the north of the country and the Libyan border.

Then comes the crossing which can cost up to 1,000 euros, depending on the boat. Individuals can, for example, pay 300 euros for a place on an inflatable boat, but those journeys are particularly risky.

The east Africa route -- which originates from the Horn of Africa and is taken by Eritreans, Somalians and Ethiopians -- is more expensive.

The journey is organised by national criminal gangs that work together, so a Sudanese network, for example, will hand over its clients to a Libyan network at the border.

"There, the fee can run to 3,000 euros, from the Horn of Africa all the way to Italy," Leggeri said.

How is the problem being tackled?

The turning point came in 2015, when the migrant crisis hit Greece, leading Europe to reinforce Frontex.

Sea rescues paradoxically encourage migration and benefit smugglers who load up rickety boats and abandon them once in international waters.

"In early 2015, we were able to deploy around 300 to 350 border guards at any given moment. Today, we're able to have 1,300 to 1,400 border guards deployed at once across several fields of operation," Leggeri said.

In 2016, Europe established a rapid reaction pool of 1,500 border guards who can be deployed within five working days if necessary.

At the same time, Frontex is looking to work upstream to stop the migration influx before it reaches the Mediterranean. The agency recently opened an office in Niamey to reinforce its collaboration with authorities in Niger.

Paradoxically, the sea rescues encourage migration and benefit the smugglers who load up their rickety boats with more and more people while assuring the migrants that once they leave Libyan waters they will be taken care of.

"There have never been as many boats patrolling the Mediterranean as in 2016... and unfortunately there have never been as many deaths, 4,000 deaths most probably according to the IOM," Leggeri said.

He has a message for any country with potential migrants to Europe: the paradise expected "is a lie".

"Either you die in the Mediterranean, or you arrive in Europe under extremely deplorable conditions. It's not the El Dorado that the smugglers describe," Leggeri said.

"And on top of that the EU is reinforcing a return policy, a repatriation policy, so what risks happening is that the migrants lose their savings to pay the smugglers and at the end of their journey there's a plane that takes them back to their country of origin."

Long-term outlook?

Even if the great crisis that hit the Greek islands appears to be over, migratory pressure at Europe's borders shows no signs of evaporating.

Frontex rescues migrants from sinking boats but also deposits them at centres where they risk being sent home.

Geopolitical instability, like the conflict in Syria or the chaos in Libya and Iraq, will continue to lead asylum seekers to Europe. Others will come because of poverty or for demographic reasons.

As long as the countries of origin are unable to offer their residents a suitable quality of life and suitable prospects, "men and women will move, as they always have in human history," Leggeri said.
The Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called on Muslim community in Sunyani to pray hard and support President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for him to work assiduously to fulfill all the promises pledged.

Being President is not easy, the work you have given to Nana Akufo-Addo is a great task, and you should help him to execute that task, As a president all your vision is to give your people more development. You can have the vision but without Gods strength and guard you cant do it, thats why am pleading to you to continuing praying and support to help the government deliver for us to be free and happy he added.

Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on a nationwide Ramadan Tour speaking at the Sunyani Central Mosque last Sunday to break fasting and pray with Muslims recalled that he was in the region and mosque last year to ask for their support in the run up to the elections and it is only proper that he comes in person again to thank them for helping the NPP win.

Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said " we came here to thank you our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers who helped us so much to vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president of Ghana, we are also extending the same thanks to all Ghanaians of all religions especially Brong Ahafo region people for massive votes during 2016 elections ".

According to Dr. Bawumia, "I know Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and worked with him from 2008, 2012 and now 2017, Nana is a man of his words. He is a man who keeps his promises. He is a man who has sympathy for the suffering of the Ghanaian masses. He said that if given the opportunity he would establish the Zongo Development Fund to help the people in the Zongos, he has done exactly that. He has allocated Ghs 219 million for the Zongo development fund and the passage of the Zongo Development Fund law this year will make sure that every year funds are allocated from the budget for this fund and we will see a lot of development in the Zongos.

He said the fund is the first time in the history of Ghana a government has instituted in the interest of Zongo development.

" Free Senior High School education, restoration of Teaching and Nursing Training allowances, One Village-One-Dam, and One District One Dam,I( Bawumia) assure you that the President is a man of his word he will fulfill every pledge".

Speaking on 2017 Hajj package for prospective pilgrims, vice Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said some innovations had been introduced to reduce the burden and stress of pilgrims both in Ghana and Saudi Arabia including identifiable accommodation tags, transport service , feeding on arrival at Madina and feeding before departure in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.

"We have put everything in place for your well safety and health conditions in this year Hajj pilgrims, that makes 2017 Hajj special" he added

Vice President, Dr Bawumia visited similar facilities in Kintampo, Techiman and ended at Sunyani Central Mosque.

Sheikh Umar Abdul Kadiri, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chief Imam,expressed his profound gratitude to Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for his visit and assured him that they( Muslims) will continue praying for Nana Addo and him for them to fulfill all the promises he made to Ghanaians.

He pleaded to Nana Addo and Bawumia to help the only Islamic training college school in Ghana which is located in Wenchi to stand on its feet well,by providing them with learning materials and others needed things for training college.

Vice President, Dr Bawumia was accompanied by senior party executives and government officials including Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Lawyer Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh, Sunyani East MP Hon. Akwasi Ameyaw - Cheremeh ,Minister for Business Development, Kamal-Dean Abdulai, National Nasara Coordinator, Regional Director of Youth Employment Agency, Mr. Micheal Boateng and some MCEs and DCEs in the region.
As the rate of animal poaching continues to rise, conservationists have begun calling for stronger laws and deterrents to wildlife crimes. African governments and non-governmental organizations are starting to take wildlife crimes as seriously as other transnational crimes such as drug smuggling and human trafficking. In recent years countries have strengthened anti-poaching laws and stepped up prosecutions.

Conservation groups have begun backing new ways to deter poachers. The newly created Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), for example, gathers evidence to disrupt and help dismantle transnational, organized wildlife crime. The WJC is based in The Hague, The Netherlands, near the International Criminal Court and several UN tribunals that try genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Commissions intelligence unit has since 2015 been gathering information to create tactical, operational and strategic intelligence assessments in support of current investigations, as well as disseminating information to law enforcement agencies and other non-governmental organizations on wildlife criminals.

The WJC team of experts in law, criminology and wildlife conducts field investigations worldwide to identify the people behind the poaching, trafficking and trading of wildlife products. In what they call Maps of Factsconsisting of hundreds of pagesthey list the names and whereabouts of high-profile perpetrators. They publish this information on social media, along with audio and video evidence and incisive intelligence analysis.

Because it was not set up by an international treaty, the WJC cannot enforce laws itself or hand down binding verdicts. After an investigation, the commission starts a period of dialogue and diplomacy to increase awareness, put the topic on the political agenda and push for prosecutions. However, if national authorities are taking no action, the commission can hold public hearings before an accountability panel.

I firmly believe that law enforcement can change the behaviour of people, says Olivia Swaak-Goldman, the commissions executive director.

Poaching is rampant because the probability of being caught is extremely low, Ms. Swaak-Goldman told Africa Renewal in an interview at her office in The Hague.

The WJC aims to encourage the prosecution of these crimes, increase risks for perpetrators and, in the long run, generate a deterrent effect.

Arrests and the disruption of wildlife smuggling networks in various African countries have resulted from this approach. However, challenges still remain. In recent years, the number of animals killed reached historic heightsa development with far-reaching consequences. For example, nearly 1,400 African rhinos were poached in 2015. In 2010 the number was about 400.

Poaching and illegal trade not only present real environmental dangers, but ultimately undermine the rule of law by potentially fueling conflict, reports the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its first World Wildlife Crime Report, published in May 2016.

Poaching has damaged the wildlife population in Kenya, with fears that some species could be pushed into extinction, Julius Kamau, executive director of the East African Wildlife Society, told Africa Renewal.

Historically, Kenya has treated poaching as a petty offence, but a law introduced in 2013 requires high minimum penalties for wildlife crimes, including imprisonment for the killing of endangered species.

Penalties for wildlife crimes in Kenya are now the harshest in the world and even include life imprisonment in some cases, explains Paula Kahumbu of the Kenyan conservationist action group, WildlifeDirect.

Since then the number of elephant deaths from poaching in the country has decreased by 80% and the number of rhino deaths from poaching by 90%. The decline can in part be attributed to the strengthening of the laws, Ms. Kahumbu wrote in an article for the Guardian, a British daily.

In its report, UNODC notes that gaps in legal enforcement are facilitating wildlife crimes. Illegal trade could be reduced if each country were to prohibit, under national law, the possession of wildlife that was illegally harvested in, or illegally traded from, anywhere else in the world, UNODC writes.

States and the international community are both increasingly recognizing the need for better laws and law enforcement.

The United Nations General Assembly in July 2015 adopted a resolution (69/314) intended to tackle illicit trafficking in wildlife. It urged member states to take decisive steps at the national level to prevent, combat and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife.

Several African countries have already adopted new laws or increased penalties. Mozambique enacted a new conservation law in June 2014 that makes wildlife poaching a serious crime.

In Tanzania, the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU), an elite task force, is increasingly called in to prosecute wildlife crimes. One of NTSCIUs major successes was the arrest in August 2015 of a Chinese woman known as the Ivory Queen, one of Africas most notorious smugglers of ivory to Asia. She is said to have led a smuggling ring that killed animals in Africa and sold several millions of dollars worth of tusks to East Asia.

Conservationists say they cant underscore enough the necessity of law. Swifter prosecution with heavy penalties could play a significant role in helping deter wildlife criminalsespecially if those near or at the top of the criminal hierarchy are caught, says Richard Thomas of the wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, a global non-governmental organization based in the UK.

And African countries are enacting and enforcing such laws. In March 2016, a Tanzanian court sentenced two Chinese men to 35 years in prison for smuggling ivory. A few months earlier it had sentenced two men to 20 years in jail for smuggling rhino horn.

In South Africa, 414 poachers were arrested between January and September 2016. This marked an increase in arrests from 317 for the whole of 2015, according to Edna Molewa, the minister of water and environmental affairs.

Heavier penalties arent a cure-all, though. One of the major challenges of deterring poaching activities via convictions is weak evidence gathering, which has resulted in weak prosecution and lack of evidence or proof, says Mr. Kamau, the Kenyan conservationist. This means that many offenders have gone unpunished.

In a move to address this issue, Kenya and South Africa have set up laboratories that collect DNA information in a database that links stolen ivory and game meat to specific animals. The DNA information can be used in court as watertight evidence. It can prove the link to a suspect, for example, through hairs at the crime scene or a knife with blood. Moreover, most animals appear to have been killed in few specific hotspots in Africa.

Sometimes suspects are never caught, their cases fail to come to trial or they receive penalties that are far too weak. This can be due to corruption, weak investigations or a lack of judicial appreciation of the seriousness of wildlife crime, according to Mr. Thomas of TRAFFIC.

There are cross-cultural challenges as well. If Asians are arrested, African investigators frequently struggle with interrogation due to language barriers. Mr. Thomas prescribes better collaboration between Asian and African authorities. For example, Asian countries could strategically station law enforcement personnel and let investigators call them in to support interrogators and get information from seized documents, laptops and cell phones.

Another possibility is for more countries to adopt an equivalent of the American Lacey Act, enabling them to prosecute their own citizens for wildlife crimes regardless of where the crimes were committed. If arrested, nationals could be extradited and prosecuted in their home countrythat would certainly be a game changer, says Mr. Thomas.
13.06.2017 LISTEN

When disaster strikes in Africa, humanitarian aid can take months to reach people on the ground. By then a lot of damage may have been done. During a drought, for example, small-scale farmers facing a sequence of harsh dry seasons may sell their cattle and pull their children out of school. A quicker response could minimize the long-term effects of such a crisis.

To address the problem of slow response to disasters, international development practitioners are advocating for resilience building, a term that refers to efforts to help communities brace for extreme events before they happen.

The goal is to move away from disaster response and shift the conversation to one that is more proactive, says Dolika Banda, a Zambian economist who was recently named chief executive officer of African Risk Capacity, Limited (ARC Ltd).

The continent needs to move from an ex post humanitarian response to ex ante preparation and disaster management plans, says Ms. Banda.

ARC Ltd is the private-sector arm of the ARC Agency, established as a specialized agency of the African Union (AU) to help Member States improve their capacities to plan for and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters, therefore protecting the food security of their vulnerable populations, according to their website. It was launched by a 2012 treaty with 32 signatories and joins a small but growing group of risk pooling initiatives around the world (others are the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility and the Pacific Risk Pool).

ARCs plan works like orthodox insurance; think of homeowners who must install smoke detectors to get fire coverage. If the detectors prove insufficient and everything goes up in flames, a system is in place for prompt payouts.

As a technician, my message is that we cannot depend on nature, said Hastings Ngoma, the government coordinator for ARC Malawi. We need risk management.

ARC promotes the value of insurance coverage to national leaders, advising countries to develop contingency plans before they purchase coverage. This encourages preparedness and makes sure countries know what to expect as they pay for the premiums.

ARC uses a straightforward, novel system called parametric insurance to determine payouts. Under the parametric insurance policies, payouts are made when a predetermined threshold is reachedfor instance, if rainfall falls below a certain level.

Customized policies

You need to reach the trigger, says Ms. Banda. ARC and countries have to jointly develop customized policies that assure a payout when one is needed, she added.

The organizations original capital infusion was a loan. Opening shop in 2014 with drought coverage, ARC marked its inaugural period with $26 million in payouts to Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. More recently, Malawi has qualified for $8 million in cash.

The ARC brain trust has calculated that a dollar in premiums translates into at least five dollars worth of traditional responsewith quicker delivery. ARC aims to cut down its current payout response time of six weeks, but even six weeks outpaces the United Nations response in providing relief supplies for the Sahel.

Eight countries, including Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe, have taken drought insurance in ARCs first three years in operation. Total coverage in the second year for seven nations was $178 million. Six countries (Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal) are currently on board for the annual period that runs through mid-2017.

ARC emerged partly in response to concerns about the often delayed and high cost of response of the UNs World Food Programme (WFP) and donor countries when providing humanitarian relief. The German development bank KfW and a UK aid agency, the Department for International Development, laid down a $200 million interest-free, 20-year loan as seed capital.

Donor and WFP support for ARC is expected to continue. During the COP21 climate summit in December 2015, ARC announced more than $150 million in new pledges from countries including Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States.

Last year the WFP announced collaboration with ARC to extend disaster insurance coverage to more African countries, partly thanks to European donors. The WFPs replica insurance programme will match outlays for countries that consistently invest in insurance premiums via ARC. The UN agency hopes that by 2030 insurance will finance half its natural disaster aid expenditures in Africa and Asia.

WFP is transforming the way we assist vulnerable communities to cope with natural disasters, from disaster response to risk management, said WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul last year. Countries themselves need to own and manage their disaster risk, first and foremost.

To make sure that it can make good on any and all claims, ARC has its own insurance, spreading its risk among many of the world`s top reinsurance companies, including such big names as Munich Re.

Reinsurance companies

The number of reinsurers that back ARCs portfolio stands at 24, twice the number that signed on at the beginning in 2014. They needed us more than we needed them, says Simon Young, former head of ARC, Ms. Bandas predecessor. Mr. Young remains in an advisory capacity.

Big insurers have been trying to tap the African market for years, without much success. ARC is a really nice vehicle for them to get a lot of risk in a nicely packaged way, says Mr. Young.

Using this leverage, ARC Ltd. can negotiate favorable prices, Mr. Young noted. The appetite among reinsurers is sufficient to cover ARC Ltd.s needs many times over, observes an insurance industry insider who preferred to remain anonymous.

ARC Ltd. hopes to provide up to $1.5 billion of coverage for 150 million people against drought, floods and cyclones in 30 countries by 2020. Sixteen countries have signed memorandums of understanding, a key step toward obtaining coverage.

Cyclone and flood programmes are in the research and development phase, a process that includes number crunching to make sure that necessary parameters and triggers are fairly calculated and correctly measured.

Indian Ocean countries such as Madagascar have expressed interest in cyclone coverage, notes Ms. Banda. It is due to be rolled out later this year. Several donors appear ready to help launch the flood scheme.

To ensure that payouts are used for disaster-mitigation purposes, ARC Ltd. plans to establish parameters for aid distribution and a monitoring system. We need a foolproof methodology for the traceability of payouts, says Ms. Banda, adding that one of her goals is to have African governments feel that the programme is theirs.

Beyond its current drought coverage, ARC Ltd could be well placed for expansion. But in an era of ever-tightening public budgets, national leaders also need to be convinced to shell out cash for premiums.

We need to work with host countries in terms of financial trade-offs with respect to premium affordability, said Ms. Banda.

The lack of deeply-rooted insurance markets also seems to present a barrier to many African countries. Of all premiums in sub-Saharan Africa, 80% are concentrated in South Africa. Insurance is a relatively new sector, observes Mr. Ngoma. We dont have a culture of insurance.

However, South Africas dominance is set to be challenged by a number of promising countries. Nigeria tops the list, with Kenya and Ethiopia showing significant growth in insurance markets on the continent.

This is something [leaders] never considered paying for before, according to Mr. Young.

Malawi was among the first countries to sign on, partly due to its experience with a World Bank pilot programme for drought insurance in 20082011, noted Mr. Ngoma. Our current minister of finance is an economist. He understands the advantages.

To prime the pump for those not yet convinced, international donors and institutions such as the African Development Bank may be willing to subsidize premiums for a while, Ms. Banda notes, while cautioning the need to gradually reduce the role of outsiders. The original concept behind ARC was that over time it would be mutually owned by the sovereigns of Africa.
As the results of The Gambias presidential election trickled in last December, incumbent President YahyaJammeh realised his power was slipping away. Indeed, final results showed that a newcomer, 51-year-old businessman Adama Barrow, had garnered 45.5% of total votes, while Mr. Jammeh received 36.6%.

Mr. Jammeh unexpectedly conceded defeat and informed Mr. Barrow in a congratulatory telephone call that the Gambian people have spoken and I have no reason to contest the will of the mighty Allah. He promised guidance on your transition and when selecting a government, and signalled the beginning of the end of his 22-year rule.

To the surprise of many, a president who once boasted he would rule for a billion years if Allah decrees it was presiding over a peaceful election and transition.

The Gambias election indicated that African democracy and obedience to the law was coming of age, analysts said. Regional bodies, the Africa Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) jointly congratulated the people of The Gambia for peaceful, free, fair and transparent presidential elections.

In a joint statement, ECOWAS, AU and the UN also commended President Jammeh for gracefully conceding defeat, and also congratulated Mr. Barrow for winning the presidential election.

Nic Cheeseman, a professor of democracy at the University of Birmingham, UK, and the author of Democracy in Africa: Successes, Failures and the Struggle for Political Reform, summed it up: The news out of The Gambia is a boost for African democracy. It reinforces important principles about leaders standing down after losing power.

But excitement soon evaporated, as days later, on 9 December, Mr. Jammeh cited irregularities in the election and called for its annulment. Fear of unrest, intimidation and arrest forced citizens to flee to neighbouring Senegal. One of those who fled was Mr. Barrow, the president-elect.

Human Rights Watch, a US-based nongovernmental organization that promotes human rights globally, accused Jammeh of human rights abuses and urged the international community to stand by Mr. Barrow.

Why Jammeh capitulated

There were fears that the already muddled political and security situation could deteriorate further after Mr. Barrow was sworn in at a hastily arranged ceremony without the usual fanfare in the Gambian embassy in Dakar. This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime, Mr. Barrow said in a speech immediately after being sworn in. Violent change is banished forever from the political life of our country. All Gambians are therefore winners.

Intense international pressure from ECOWAS that threatened military force to bring stability to the countryfrom key national institutions, from Jammehs own armed forces and from citizens who insisted on a peaceful transfer of powerprompted Jammeh to agree to vacate office. He left the country on 22 January for Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea.

Experts are still debating the factors that influenced Jammehs capitulation, and what lessons, if any, can be learned.

Despite security problems in many African countries, from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Sudan, the peaceful transfer of power can be seen in a few exceptional casesa development that may have inspired Gambians to hold the line, experts say.

Some examples: In 2015, Nigerias Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat after voters chose opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential poll. In December 2016, Ghanaian opposition politician Nana Akufo-Addo prevailed over incumbent President John Mahama, and a peaceful handover transpired.

Peaceful elections took place in Tanzania in November 2015 when President JakayaKikwete handed over power to John Magufuli. In Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a former prime minister, defeated sitting president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and assumed the presidency, following two rounds of voting in the capital citys heavily fortified airport. The country doesnt have universal suffrage, so the president was picked by the countrys 329 lawmakers.

In The Gambia, citizens had begun mobilizing against the 55-year-old Jammeh, who seized power in 1994 in a bloodless coup. His government censored the media and was intolerant of the opposition. Journalists who dared criticise the president were jailed, while others fled into exile. International journalists were rarely given permission to enter the country.

Mr. Jammeh did not see that his repressive practices had gradually generated a mass of popular anger, anguish, discontent and defiance, writes Baba GallehJallow, a Gambian journalist, who escaped to the US.

The ex-president, a homophobe, once threatened to slit the throats of gays and lesbians, and later promoted a law that dictated a life sentence for homosexuals. He referred to himself as a miracle worker with powers to cure AIDS, and left some 21,000 HIV-infected Gambians without lifesaving antiretroviral drugs.

In the three previous presidential elections, in which he managed to whip the opposition, Jammeh was accused by the opposition of widespread rigging and voter intimidation.

Regional economic and political groupings, particularly ECOWAS and the AU, as well as international organisations such as the United Nations, helped force Mr. Jammeh to relinquish power, analysts believe.

The UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the United Nations Office for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, stressed that for Mr. Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president.

Of greatest concern was the threat by ex-president Jammeh to withdraw Gambia from the International Criminal Court. However, after his victory at the polls, Mr. Barrow took a different tack, announcing that the country would remain in the ICC and hinting that criminal charges could soon be pressed against Mr. Jammeh himself.

Lessons learned

A last-minute agreement brokered by ECOWAS suggests Mr. Jammeh may have been concerned about his post-presidency life. The final agreement guarantees the dignity, respect, security and rights of former President Jammeh.

In an interview with Africa Renewal, Professor Cheeseman listed three lessons that countries can learn from The Gambia. The first lesson is that opposition unity is critical to opposition success.

As the elections approached, two parties, the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress and the Gambia Moral Congress, combined to form the Peoples Alliance, led by Mr. Barrow. This allowed the coalition to successfully wrestle power from Mr. Jammehs Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction Party.

The second lesson is that fashionable biometric election technology is not required to remove an authoritarian government from power. Gambians voted with marbles, yet Jammeh lost. But Mr. Jammeh had anticipated victory, and his rejection of biometric voting, which uses biometric identifiers such as fingerprints to minimize election fraud, could have been a ploy to avoid a free and fair process.

The third lesson, continued Professor Cheeseman, is that it is very dangerous to start talking about prosecuting leaders before they have actually left power, alluding to Mr. Barrows publicized threat to bring charges against Mr. Jammeh before the ICC.

Mr. Barrow himself rode to power on a wave of populist messages: he has vowed to respect human rights, media freedom, civil societys right to free expression, and judicial independence. Last February he was spotted wearing a T-shirt reading, Free Press for a New Gambia. Some interpreted this as a symbolic show of support for a free press and, perhaps, a dig at his predecessor.

Hopes brighten for the future

It may take time before Gambians begin to enjoy the economic dividends expected in a functioning democracy. Because Mr. Jammeh strained The Gambias relations with the EU, the country lost millions in precious aid money. As a result he looked to the Middle East and obtained a financial bailout. In 2015 he renamed the country the Islamic Republic of The Gambia, a move that Gambians saw as an attempt to curry favour with his new allies.

The Gambia ranks 172 out of 186 countries in human development, according to the UNs Human Development Index report of 2016. The Index rates countries based on their progress in education, health and the environment, among other areas.

The Gambias current administration has accused Mr. Jammeh of emptying state coffers and siphoning $11.4 million of state funds just before fleeing the country.

In light of the countrys precarious financial situation, donors seem ready to respond positively. The EU recently pledged about $238 million towards a rescue package for the country. Even before donor funds flow in, Gambians are grateful that an electoral crisis that appeared poised to degenerate into civil strife was averted.
The second International Conference on the Emergence of Africa (ICEA) was held in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, in March 2017. Since the first conference in 2015at a time of robust economic growth on the continenthopes for economic progress have dimmed because of a crash in the price of commodities, volatile global financial markets and a slowdown in global growth.

Before departing New York to attend the second ICEA conference, jointly organized by the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and head of UNDPs Regional Bureau for Africa Abdoulaye Mar Dieye sat down for an interview with Africa RenewalsKingsley Ighobor to talk about Africas economic development opportunities and challenges.

Africa Renewal: Why have you organized the International Conference on the Emergence of Africa?

Mr. Dieye: In 2015, when the first conference took place in Abidjan, Africas GDP was growing at around 5% since 2000. The Economist in 2000 had called Africa the hopeless continent. Ten years later it apologetically referred to Africa as the rising continent. Then the [economic indicators] were changing in terms of growth rate, poverty reduction and human development. I had a discussion with President AlassaneOuattara of Cote dIvoire, and we agreed to capitalize on the emerging new spirit and organize a conference to study the reality of the narrative. How do we consolidate and sustain that emerging trajectory? That was the rationale behind the conference.

Given current economic headwinds, triggered mainly by the crash in commodity prices, can you still say Africa is emerging?

Yes. The analysis shows that one-third of the 5% growth was triggered by the emerging middle class and one-third by better economic and political governance. Only one-third is explained by the rise in commodity prices. The average growth rate from 2000 to 2015 was 5% in real GDP terms. Now it is between 2% and 3%. Dont be fooled by the tyranny of the average. Some countries are still growing at more than 5%, for example Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Cote dIvoire and Uganda. Some have been badly affected by the commo-dity prices, especially those producing oil, for example Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Those are the ones whose growth rates have decelerated substantially, particularly Equatorial Guinea. Countries in conflict such as South Sudan and the Central African Republic also contributed to the continental economic growth downturn. But some countries are continuing on the path of emergence. Cote dIvoire is almost growing at double digits. Rwanda and Senegal are growing at more than 6%. Therefore, the narrative is still right, but you have different situations in the growth path.

How do you achieve the equilibrium when countries with varying growth rates sit to discuss common economic issues?

They have some commonalities. Even countries like Ethiopia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal that have high growth rates still see areas for more investment to sustain growth.

Such as?

Such as structural economic transformations. For instance, the cocoa value chain has an average of 15% retained in the continent, while 85% is outside the continent. You cant sustain development on that path. So how do you improve transformation of raw materials in the country before export? And you cannot do structural transformation without an increase in productivity.

Many conferences take place on the continent. Critics call them talk shops. How is this one different?

In Abidjan [in 2015] we wanted to test the model that we offered: a developmental state that helps change the pattern of production and consumption but also impacts human development. We have done some calculations on elasticity. The Abidjan OneI call it the Abidjan One modelseeks to enforce a developmental state through a wider fiscal space to drive development and to rely on internal resources, instead of ODA [official development assistance]. You cannot sustain a development path if you dont consume what you produce locally, if you do not expand the value you retain internally, and if growth is not impacting human development. You need regional cooperation because our economies are extremely narrow in size. In the longer term you need to have inclusive dialogue. In Africa, whenever you have a change in leadership, theres a change in plan. These are the main messages sought to pass across to top-level policymakers in Africa, in addition to bringing experts from all over the world to share experiences on how to consolidate and sustain emergence.

Do you believe in what some experts refer to as sophisticated protectionism, which is basically formulating policies that protect local industries?

I dont think so. Protectionism is in the past. I believe in economic patriotism, which is completely different.

How do you ensure economic patriotism, which I presume is patronizing locally produced goods and services, if the local population prefers imported items?

The government should start economic patriotism. I am mystified that some ministries in Africa import furniture from Germany, France or the UK. We have to use our local enterprises.

Where has economic patriotism worked?

Nigeria and Kenya have local content policies, both in the procurement of goods and in giving preference to local entrepreneurship.

How can there be enhanced levels of regional cooperation when intra-Africa trade is only about 11%?

Some regions are doing better, like ECOWAS [the Economic Community of West African States]. SADC [the Southern African Development Community] is getting better lately. There are barriers you have to deal with, including in infrastructure. The market is booming between Ghana and Togo in West Africa, although the facilitation is not there. The people are yearning for integration but the states and governments are lagging behind. Where we have a better climate of peace and security, the people trade and cooperate with one another more than in situations where you have insecurity, like in the central African region.

Does Africa have enough domestic resources to mobilise for development? If so, which ones?

Absolutely! Most of Africas developing economies were funded in the past by ODA. Today even the remittances are trumping ODA. ODA in Africa is below $60 billion per year and remittances are up from $62 billion to $65 billion. We have a study by former South African President Thabo Mbekis group [the African Unions High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa] that shows that the continent is losing yearly between $50 billion and $60 billion due to illicit financial flows. That is 3% of GDP lost. Now, if we enhance good governance, stronger control of corruption, we will retain that amount.

What is the impact of climate change on African economies?

There is a huge impact. Africa is the least polluting region, but we are bearing the pollution burden. Africa deserves more resources for adaptation. Im glad that African countries have identified their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). UNDP is supporting countries to implement INDCs and plans for adaptation that came out after the Paris Agreement. Most African countries are also candidates for the green climate fund.

How do you convince a government dealing with acute poverty to spend money on climate change?

Climate change is a global public good. It means everyone has to foot the bill. And the greatest polluters have to spend more, including the US, China and others.

A lack of financial inclusion disproportionately affects African women, experts say. Whats the solution?

Our latest Africa Human Development Report shows that by not including women in the development process, Africa lost an annual average of $95 billion, peaking at $104 billion in 2014. Thats 6% of GDP. The paradox is that our banks have money. We are not using it. UNDP and the AfDB are advocating for countries to invest in women to cure this syndrome of exclusion, which is also bad economics. Investments in women easily double GDP growth rates and improve the wellbeing of the society at large.

There is a sociocultural subtext, including barriers associated with patriarchy. How do you break such barriers?

Economic policy can only work when you get the political economy right. And youre correct to say that in Africa we have some cultural norms that are barriers to womens development. In some countries, women cannot access or possess land to use as collateral for loans. So we need to work with community leaders, civil society and others to break these cultural barriers.

Is there a country where womens empowerment has led to economic development?

Seychelles, Rwanda and Senegal are some examples. In these countries you see improving economic development.

How is UNDP supporting Africas development?

Africa is the heart of opportunity and home to about 60% of our investments [UNDP invests about $5 billion a year in Africa] and my greatest pride is that when we were preparing for Agenda 2030, [the UNs development framework], UNDP supported the African Union Commission in formulating the African

Common Position. Africas Agenda 2063 [the AUs regional development blueprint] is 90% in congruence with the Agenda 2030. I would recognize a modest credit to UNDP for supporting the African Common Position.

Whats your vision for the African economy?

The centre of global economic gravity is tilting slowly but surely towards Africa. Countries like China, India and Turkey and others sense that Africa is the future of the world, where you can get the highest returns on investment. I bet that if we manage to deal with insecurity in the Sahel, in the Great Lakes, in the Horn of Africa, Africa will be the new El Dorado.
Zenith University College (ZUC), is set to introduce the Ghana Bachelor of Laws programme in the 2017/18 academic year in line with the colleges philosophy.

Hitherto, the college had been offering only the University of London Diploma in Law and Bachelor of Laws programmes.

The Rector of ZUC, Professor Stephen Takyi-Asiedu said the affiliation process with the University of Cape Coast has been completed and awaiting the final report from the National Accreditation Board.

He told the Daily Express on the sideline of the universitys first Congregation ceremony for this year in Accra. The university had decided to hold two separate congregation every year.

The ceremony saw a total of 222 students graduating with honours in Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and the figure is made up of 121 females and 101 males.

Out of the figure, 14 students represented 6.3 per cent obtained First Class with honours; 96 representing 43.2 per cent had Second Class Upper; while 105 representing 47.7 per cent obtained Second Class Lower Division.

Seven students, representing 3.2 per cent obtained Third Class. The next congregation is scheduled for December, this year.

Professor Takyi-Asiedu also announced that the university has begun the Diploma in Business Administration in February this year and the programme intends to offer opportunity to students, who do not have all the requisite passes to enrol in the BBA programme, to use the Diploma in Business Administration pathway as an entry qualification into the BBA programme.

He indicated that the university has collaborated with Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport so as to introduce certificate, diploma and advanced diploma in Chartered Institute of Logistic and Transports International Qualification in Logistics and Transport.

He said application for accreditation has provisionally been approved pending the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

Commenting on staff development, he said the university has given scholarship awards to members of staff to pursue BBA programme at the College and Master in Business Administration and Master in Philosophy at the University of Ghana Business School.

Professor Takyi-Asiedu challenged the graduands to be reputable ambassadors for the college wherever they find themselves in the society.

The next set of students are expected to graduate in December this year.
The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe Constituency who doubles as Deputy of Health, Hon. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah has donated 195 pieces of quality dual desks to Oblogo M/A 2&3 Primary Schools with a pupil population of 682. The dual desks which cost over Ghc 50,000 are the best so far supplied to schools in the Municipality.

This kind gesture, demonstrated today Monday, June 12, 2017. was greeted with joy by pupils and teachers of the schools as a sign of relief.

The donation was received on behalf of the school by Mrs. Felicia Agyeibea Okai, the Municipal Director of Education in charge of schools in the Ga South Municipality.

The Education Director expressed her appreciation to the MP who doubles as Deputy Minister of Health for her short response and commended the sense of urgency she attached to the need to assist the schools with desks.

She remarked, " I thought the MP will supply the desks in September, but has supplied it so early". She added that, the MP has agreed to supply 400 dual desks in total, hence she is hopeful she will supply the rest.

The two schools which are among nine other schools in Weija Circuit have had serious challenge with desks. The situation which has persisted for over a year, has attracted several media houses to put the situation in the public domain for a solution which did not materialise until the timely intervention by the Honourable Member.

On 26th February, 2016, Hon. Jerry Akwei Thompson, the former Municipal Chief Executive under the estwhile NDC administration handed over the Oblogo M/A 2&3 primary school structure to the Education Directorate for use without furnishing the six-unit classroom block with desks. The unavailability of desks have affected teaching and learning.

In an interview with the Honourable Member, she stated among other things that, she has to supply the dual desks urgently because the desks situation at the schools was very abhorring and therefore need serious attention.

She concluded by saying that, she will do everything within her powers to assist all schools in her constituency.
Admittedly, communication especially good communication is an agent of development. When Ghana's airwaves became characterised and saturated with a legion of radio stations, the general view has been that the oportunities being created for discourses and information sharing can advance the course of the communities in particular

In the various regions of the country , the local radio stations filled in the void created by the then radio Ghana in terms of the lack of adequately providing space in meeting the needs of local people in their participation in the discussions of matters of local interest

Programmes and news items are delivered in the specific local languages, which address the concerns or what matters to the local people ,as the indegenous local languages are used to drive the agenda

Indeed there are more than one local radio or FM stations in all the other regions but for the volta region, which can only account for the Volta Star FM

Initialy, Star radio provided programmes in the local Ewe language and was reflecting the cultural richness of the language of the people ,their music ,traditions and way of life

Undoubtedly, Ewes living in the diapora have had something to listen to ,eespecially in their own Ewe language , providing them with the missing link far away from home

Star radio was a good source of local news ,music ,culture and programmes which was educative ,entertaining and informative ,just as those many others in the various regions aimed specifically at their people

The station like those in the other regions , provided the space in promoting the language and culture of its target audience- its people

Sadly though ,the important opportunity Star radio had offered our brothers and sisters living in the other regions and in particular the dispora, who had found solace in identifying with their mother tongue has shamelessly got lost if not buried

For clearly, the Ewe language and programmes have been thrown into the dust bin of history , much to the detriment of the values ,relevance and importance of such a rich language which is widely spoken in the international arena

The worrying trend and development concern ,,presents a tacit silent grand agenda to undermine the Ewe language and its culture so as to achieve its extinction and hegemonise another Ghanaian language.

May be the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education should be in the position to explain why only so little or nothing is done to promote the teaching of Ewe language in the Basic level of teaching and learning at the expense of other local languages within the region.

Clearly the story is far different in some other regions, where people from other regions are assimilated into the learning and speaking of the language of their hosts.

For now, most Ewes living outside their regions and especially the diasporians who treasure listening to local news and programmes in their indegenious language have been short changed given the betrayal of Star radio ,the one and only FM station that hitherto made it possible for them to identify with their language, music ,culture and heritage.

The proprietor(s) and management of Star radio owe us a duty of explanation to the secret and coy agenda of a betrayal and subjudication of our Ewe language

The writer lives in the diaspora.
Some Nebraska prison staff members say to combat the problems of drugs in prisons, they'd like to see stricter visiting policies, more drug dogs, and more and better searches of anyone coming and going at the state's prisons.

Inspector General for Corrections Doug Koebernick sent out a survey Thursday to staff members asking their opinions on how to decrease the flow of illegal drugs into Nebraska's prisons.

The survey came after inmate Daelan Lamere, 22, was found unresponsive in his cell and later died at Bryan West Campus in Lincoln. He tested positive for methamphetamine and ecstasy.

Koebernick, who will investigate Lamere's death, as will the Nebraska State Patrol, sent out 500 emails Thursday asking staff what additional steps should be considered to decrease the flow of illegal drugs into Nebraska's prisons and decrease the amount of liquor or "hooch" that is made in prisons.

He got at least 100 responses in the first several days.

He shared the answers with policymakers and the department, he said. Senators on the Legislature's Judiciary Committee and a Corrections oversight committee (LR127) received a report on the survey from Koebernick.

Anonymous responses to the inspector general's questionnaire suggested the department move toward having no-contact visits, in which visitors and inmates are separated by glass and use a phone to talk to each other.

They also had these suggestions:

* Purchase more drug dogs and use them to a greater degree;

* Conduct more searches of staff when they enter the prisons. One staff member responded he or she had been working with the department three years and had never been searched;

* Increase prosecution or discipline for those that were caught bringing in illegal drugs or other contraband.

Staff members said searches of inmates and cells should be more thorough, and discipline for inmates found with homemade alcohol should be increased. A substantial amount of it was found recently in a unit in Tecumseh.

Sen. Laura Ebke, chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, said a heightened state of vigilance is probably called for on the drug and alcohol issue. Friends and family members who work in the prisons have told her more thorough staff searches should be conducted.

"The safety and the potential for something getting out of hand is what a lot of staff members are worried about," Ebke said.

There are numerous ways for contraband, such as drugs, to enter a prison, Koebernick said. They are mailed in, brought in by visitors and staff, thrown over fences and brought in by prisoners returning from work release. Some states have seen the use of drones flying over prison walls and dropping off drugs.

Someone has even shot arrows with drugs attached over the wall of an Omaha prison, he said.

"Every single person that enters a correctional facility is considered a potential source of contraband," he said.

On Friday, Corrections Corporal Sarah Murillo was suspended without pay from Tecumseh State Correctional Institution following an arrest by the Nebraska State Patrol for unauthorized communication with a prisoner. Details are not known, but in a press release announcing Murillo's arrest, Corrections Director Scott Frakes said the introduction of contraband can lead to a variety of security breaches and would not be tolerated.

Department officials have said they are diligent in their efforts to keep drugs from entering the prisons. They search visitors, staff and mail, and they strip-search inmates coming to and from visits. They use drug dogs, do cell searches and conduct prison area searches.

Staff members said their ability to carry out their duties is impacted by staff shortages. A recent vacancy report for the department showed 148 unfilled positions, and money was appropriated in the 2017-19 budget to help solve some of the staff shortages.

When there's not enough staff, or many are inexperienced, it's hard to keep eyes on everything going on, and to do the quality and quantity of searches that are needed, staff members said.

The newly formed Nebraska justice system oversight committee will visit all the prisons in the months over the interim, Ebke said, and talk to staff and inmates to tease out more ideas on the contraband issues.

The department needs to listen to what the men and women on the front line are saying, she said.

"Ultimately, the administration makes the decision, but it ought to be an informed decision," she said.

Frakes said he appreciated the staff's perspectives and would bear them in mind as the department reviews security measures and day-to-day practices. The introduction and detection of contraband is a priority issue and is taken seriously.
The Ghana-Turkey Corporation and Development Association (TUDEC) on Thursday 8th June, 2017 honored six gallant Ghanaians for their role in championing peace in the country at a Dinner held in Accra.

The annual dinner themed, Peace and Dialogue If tar, is organized during the month of Ramadan to bring members of all religious affiliations together to discuss matters of peace in the country in particular and the world in general, whilst observing the fast breaking.

The Managing Director of TUDEC, Mr. Yusuf Temizkan in his welcoming address, congratulated those present on the advent of the Holy month of Ramadan which is a time of spiritual renewal and a reminder of ones duty to his fellowman to serve one another and lift up the less fortunate.

He went on to say that the most basic doctrines of all religious beliefs are values bestowed upon us by God such as equality, freedom, dignity, peace and justice and that by honoring these values, we affirm that whatever our faith, we are all really just one family.

He explained that the peace award is meant to encourage individuals to use dialogue as means of achieving peaceful co-existence. He added that we need a constant reminder that together we can overcome ignorance and prejudice, conflict and injustice, not just by words but with deeds.

He congratulated all the awardees for the hard work and expressed the need for their commitment to peace to continue. He described he awardees as individuals in the community who have the courage to reject discriminations and overcome adverse environments even though they are often tested by external circumstances. He went on to say that the awardees remain steadfast in their spirit and remain committed to the greater good.

The awardees for this year were the Most. Rev. Palmer Buckle, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic-Accra, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu who is the National Chief Imam and Major General Obed Boamah Akwa-Chief of Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. Others were Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye-Chairman National Hajj Board, Mr. Francis Azuimah-Executive Secretary at the National Peace Council and Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso- Director/Dean of Academic Affairs, Ghana Armed Forces Command & Staff College (GAFCSC).

The award recipients thanked management for acknowledging their contribution and promised to continue with the hard work in promoting peace and unity. They emphasized the need for love and tolerance among all people of the world, and were happy that TUDEC is committed to creating platforms for dialogue on peace, love and tolerance.

On his part, the Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle praised TUDEC for organizing such an event and stated such events must be organized to emphasize the relationship between Christians, Muslims and all other religious affiliations.

The dinner drew various people from all walks of life including current and former Members of Parliament and Ministers, clerics, educators, businessmen and a host of others. It was indeed a beautiful atmosphere as people gathered went round shaking hands and exchanging messages of peace and love.
13.06.2017 LISTEN

Yendi (NR) June 12, GNA - The Yendi office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has ended its 2017 Citizenship Week Celebration after covering 35 Primary and 25 Junior High Schools in the Yendi Municipality of Northern Region.

Their target of 6,872 school children comprising of 3,621 males and 3,056 females were directly contacted.

Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan Iddi, the Yendi Municipal Director of the Commission said during the Citizenship Week Celebration in some schools, it was discovered during discussions at the schools that most parents do not take care of the basic needs of girls.

Alhaji Sulemana said the issues were uncovered when the girls were advised to stay off child prostitution and pre-marital sex to avoid teenage pregnancies.

He said a large percentage of the girls complained that their sex partners provided all their basic needs including; school uniforms and other educational materials.

He said the situation had resulted in high level of child marriages, teenage pregnancies, child mothers as well as high female school drop-out rates in the area.

Touching on high level of delinquency and patronage of night life among children in basic schools, Alhaji Sulemana said during the discussions it also came out that most children loitered about in town at night other than staying at home to study and sleep.

He said most of the children mentioned some popular areas of the Municipality that hosted their night activities.

He added that the children also patronised activities organised during weddings and naming ceremonies where internet fraudsters broadcast bank money for the children to scrumble to pick.

Alhaji Sulemana stated that the activities did not only keep the children out of school, but also introduced them to internet fraud popularly known as 'Scamming or sakawa.'

He said the sub-theme for the celebration 'Restoring Our Ghanaian Values, The Role of the Child' was appropriate adding that some of the schools visited included; Yendi Municipal Assembly (YMA) Junior High School, Na-Yakubu JHS, Yendi M.A. clusters of primary schools in the Yendi Municipality with the aim of inculcating in the children the values of good citizenship.

A Resource Person Gumpali-Lana, Naa Shei Sumani Sadick a retired educationist and Chief of Gumpali Division in Tatale/Sanguli District on his part advised the pupils to be honest, humble and aspire for excellence.

He urged them to be decent and use decorous language when speaking to their teachers, parents, and elders in the society.

He urged them to be disciplined in both their private and public life.

Speaking at Yendi Presbyterian JHS, the Yendi Municipal Police Commander DSP Patrick Kwampong advised the pupils against indulging in acts that would place them in conflict with the law.

Mr Kwapong advised them to respect the laws and school rules and study in school.

The Yendi Municipal Director of Health Service, Hajia Hajara Harunah advised the pupils to put the interest of Ghana first in all their dealings and respect national symbols such as the National flag, Coat of Arms and National Colours.

Hajia Hajara urged them to protect and safeguard the environment by properly disposing off plastics and other wastes, desist from setting bush fires and constantly clean their school compounds GNA
Accra June 12, GNA - The United Nations (UN) on Monday articulated its willingness to support the Ministry of Interior and the Small Arms Commission in Ghana to tackle the increased circulation of small arms and light weapons.

Madam Christine Evans-Klock, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, speaking in Accra to mark the end of the observation of the 'Global Week of Action against Gun Violence', said the proliferation of illicit small arms and lights weapon was a global phenomenon.

The campaign, launched in 2003 by International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), the official coordinator of civil society for the UN small arms process, addresses the issue of armed violence.

This year's observation spanned from June 5-June 12, and was on the theme 'The Road to Development and Peace Begins with Silencing the Guns'.

Madam Evans-Klock noted that a survey in 2015 by the Small Arms Commission of Ghana estimated that there had been an increase in the circulation of unregistered arms in the country of 850 per cent from 2004.

Quoting a record from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, she said 'these illicit arms are the main weapons used in conflicts over chieftaincy and land rights and that 'there is a new concern about their use in the politically-related vigilantism that we have seen in Ghana since the December election.'

Madam Evans-Klock said if the country was determined to maintain the push towards creating a resilient and robust economy to propel national development, there was the need to deal with the menace of small arms as well as light weapons to curb potential violent conflicts in communities.

She said the connection between peace and development was spelt out clearly in the Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which called on all countries to strengthen effective, accountable and inclusive institutions as a foundation for development.

Madam Evans-Klock identified youth unemployment as one of the key factors of insecurity across the West Africa region with failed expectations of good jobs and opportunities for starting businesses, which make them vulnerable to political exploiters.

On his part, Mr Henry Quartey, the Deputy Minister of Interior said Ghana was committed to the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and the Sustainable Development Goals in addition to other arms control instruments such as the UN programme of Action, International Tracing Instrument and the Firearms Protocol.

Mr Quartey said: 'These instruments will help deal with gun violence issues. Proliferation of small arms and light weapons put all of us at risk and the time act is now.'

The Deputy Minister, who demonstrated distastefulness to mob action, said the ministry would ensure that acts of mob justice was thoroughly and impartially investigated and the perpetrators would be arrested and put before the court.

He said the Ministry would also improve police coverage and effectiveness in responding to crime in areas where mob justice was more prevalent especially in the rural areas.

Mr Quartey said: 'The Government is very much committed to equipping the Police Service with the tools needed to effectively deal with this menace'.

Mr Baffour Dokyi Amoa, the Chairman of the International Advisory Council of IANSA said there were approximately one billion small arms in circulation worldwide today, and thousands of manufacturers around the world produced approximately eight billion more annually.

Mr Jones Borteye Applerh, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons said the destabilising impact of violence and insecurity on development had severely degraded people's access to basic services and human rights.

Mr Applerh said the impact of gun violence on the health and safety of Ghanaians especially women was a great concern to the Commission.

He said: 'while we acknowledge that gun violence in Ghana cannot be fully prevented through gun safety measures alone, we believe that increasing the number of guns in the hands of civilians presents an increased risk to our communities.'

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh/Julius K. Satsi, GNA
Johannesburg (AFP) - Credit ratings agency Moody's on Tuesday said it had downgraded a slew of top South African banks, insurers and local authorities prompted by fears over the country's worsening financial position.

It slashed the creditworthiness of the five largest banks -- FirstRand, Standard, Nedbank, Investec and Absa -- to just one notch above junk status, all with a negative outlook.

"The primary driver for today's rating downgrades is the challenging operating environment in South Africa, characterized by a pronounced economic slowdown, and weakening institutional strength," Moody's said in a statement.

Insurers Old Mutual, MMI Group, Guardrisk and Standard Insurance were all downgraded one notch to either Baa2 or Baa3 -- the lowest investment-grade level.

"Recent political developments suggest a weakening of the country's institutional strength which casts doubt over the strength and sustainability of the recovery in growth," said the statement.

Moody's was likely referring to President Jacob Zuma's shock purge of critical ministers in March, including respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

The move prompted Fitch and Standard and Poor's, the other two main global ratings agencies, to downgrade South Africa's sovereign debt to junk status.

It also led to outrage amongst the opposition and part of Zuma's own ruling African National Congress (ANC), with tens of thousands taking to the streets to demand the president's resignation.

Moody's currently has South African government debt rated at Baa3 -- one notch above junk status -- with a negative outlook.

On Tuesday Moody's also announced that it had downgraded the creditworthiness of 10 South African regional governments and local authorities by one notch -- including the cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

"While (the cities) have comparatively rich economic bases, sound financials and good governance practices, Moody's expects that reduced growth prospects in the medium-term will put pressure on their overall financial performances," it said.

Moody's announcements will pile pressure on Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba who is facing criticism after the economy entered recession -- its first since 2009 -- with an unexpected 0.7 percent contraction in the first quarter.

He has also been dogged bv corruption accusations in the media in recent days.

South Africa has had sluggish growth for years, with record unemployment of more than 27 percent.
The Ghana Police Service has placed 12 principal actors on its wanted list over the heinous murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central region.

Fifty-two persons are currently on remand for their alleged roles in lynching the 32-year-old military commander who was allegedly mistaken as an armed robber in late May, 2017.

According to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the 12 suspects on the run were spotted wielding guns as well as firing at the young military officer while being pursued by the marauding mob.

The Director General of the CID, DCOP Bright Oduro, said some were also seen in the video evidence rushing to buy petrol and subsequently setting the body of the soldier ablaze.

Their names were given as Yaw Amankwa, alias Bulla; Akwesi Asante; Nana Kwadjo, alias Nana Edjo; John Boakye, Unit Committee Member, and a trader whose name was given only as Sarah, married to Kwaku Brefo, a motorbike rider in the town.

The others, according to the State-owned Daily Graphic, are Kwaku Diesel, Kaya Rasta and the rest whose names were given only as Daddy, Boadu, Ahinkra, Tikwa and Attipar.

DCOP Oduro said apart from the fractures on the head of Major Mahama, there were bullet wounds on his body, giving a clear indication that the suspects fired shots at the deceased before setting his body ablaze.

The police is entreating the suspects at large to turn themselves in at the CID Headquarters or the nearest police station.

Major Mahama was given a state burial on Friday, June 9, 2017.
Nigeria, Abuja, 12 June 2017  The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed agreements for a corporate loan to finance the expansion of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.

The expansion plan consists of construction of new facilities - including a 400-bed teaching hospital, an industrial research park, a post-graduate school, student hostels, a central library, and a small scale hydro power installation. The signing ceremony was held at AfDB premises in Abuja with representatives of the University and other lending partners (WEMA Bank, Sterling Bank, UBA, Union Bank and legal partners Templars) in attendance.

The Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Micheal Oluwafemi Ajisafe explained that the expansion will improve access to high quality education to over 10,000 students, create 250 new staff positions as well as about 1000 temporary jobs across the construction, supplies and consulting in the value chain. In addition, full/partial scholarships and other forms of substantial financial aid will be provided to over 500 student beneficiaries.

With emphasis on life skills, leadership skills and entrepreneurial skills, the University will generate over 12,000 high quality and employable graduates by the end of the loan life, in addition to over 2,400 trained farmers who will benefit from the Universitys farmers training and entrepreneurial programs. The industrial research park is expected to galvanize the interest of industrialists and investors to establish SME industries in Ekiti State, and improve the States revenues by over NGN 50 million annually.

In his closing remarks, the AfDB Nigeria Senior Director, Ebrima Faal commended the design of the project which he said thoroughly fits into the Banks High5 priorities by contributing to improve the quality of life for the people of Africa through high-quality tertiary education, job creation and health service provision; fostering industrialization through its industrial research park, powering Africa through its off-grid renewable Small Hydro Power (SHP) scheme and feeding Africa through its support to local farming businesses. Faal also highlighted the alignment of the project with two core focus areas of the Banks Ten Year Strategy, namely skills & technology and private sector development.

Pastor Modupe Babalola, the Universitys Bursar assured AfDB and other lenders of the Universitys commitment that the project funds will be administered with honesty, transparency and accountability. These, he said, were amongst the core values of the University.

The loan will be repaid within eight years after a three-year grace period.
13.06.2017 LISTEN

For me, most of our leaders in Africa only realize power resides in the people only when they lose political power or when its time to go place ballot boxes in polling stations.

Certain political actors in the erstwhile administration triggered the change Ghanaians anticipated, supported by your thoughtful and fine policies projected during the political campaigns.

Barely six months into government, you seem to be repeating similar mistakes which triggered the changetreating the public sector worker with no respect!

Sitting in the comfort zones of your air-conditioned offices at Accra [a place most Ghanaians misconstrue as Ghana] to delete the names of public sector employees, relying solely on data of a third-party, was needless, lazy, harsh and something else I wouldnt want to put out here.

I have always referred to this recent move and approach to cleaning the payroll as easy approach to problem solving. You dont solve a problem by scratching the surface; you deal with it from the root! If you care to know, the real ghosts you intended taking out of the payroll are out there, conniving with Directors and other Heads of government institutions robbing this country of unearned salaries, at the expense of poor diligent workers.

Recently, the Youth Employment Agency [YEA], upon suspecting that their payroll might have been bloated, came down to Districts and sub districts, conducted headcounts and had real ghosts deleted from their payroll. It makes a lot of sense! What stops government from taking similar step? What happened to the Controller and Accountant Generals Biometric data collected on public sector employees some time ago?

To Whom It May Concern, you may have to vacate your air-conditioned office and come to the ground to see how some District Directors and so called IPPD/CAGD coordinators in various Districts are taking advantage of the mess you caused. You have no clue how some of these officials at the district level are taking undue advantage of the situation to engage in corrupt practicescharging unapproved fees from poor employees, all in an attempt to get their names reinstated on government payroll. Quoting from one District IPPD/CAGD coordinator: ..if you dont pay the GHC 50, your document will lie here and get rotten.if you are not willing to pay, take your document to Accra. In an attempt to take refuge in the District Director, he said: yes, we are charging those monies to enable the IPPD/CAGD coordinator take the documents to Accra, because GOG does not come. Rot!!

We have always perceived the politician as being corrupt [which in most cases are true], but I can tell you that most heads of institutions and small offices in the public sector are more corrupt. The level of confidence they exhibit in their open corrupt acts beats my imagination. Its fast becoming normal and institutionalized, such that when you are different and question these corrupt acts, you are victimized, labeled and suffer all kinds of abuse.

As for the position of the various labour unions on this matter, the least said about them the better.

Im wondering if whoever thought of cleaning the payroll using data from a third-party is aware of some of these corrupt practices on the ground. Thousands of existing public sector workers are still battling to get their names reinstated. These are employees who have families and several mouths to take care of. Has it now become a crime to serve your country in return for something to sustain you and your family? You dont treat your employee like a trash and expect something else in return.

Until we stop the lazy and comfort zone approach to solving problems, trust me, we are mere jokers in a business of developing this country.

Author: Gbolu Samson

Email: [email protected]
Nairobi (AFP) - At least four people were missing after the collapse of a seven-storey building in the Kenyan capital Nairobi overnight, the Red Cross said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in a very poor neighbourhood near Nairobi's international airport southeast of the capital, Red Cross spokeswoman Noellah Musundi told AFP.

"The information is still scanty (about) the exact number of missing people, but at this stage, a mother and her three children are missing," she said.

Police and local residents said the authorities had been alerted on Monday evening after cracks appeared in the building, prompting an urgent evacuation before it collapsed two hours later, at around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT).

"The collapse was not completely unexpected, which allowed us to evacuate most of the people," said Musundi of the incident which occurred in the Kware area of Mukuru Kwa Reuben, one of the biggest slums in Nairobi.

According to Pius Masai, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Unit, 128 tenants had been rescued and accounted for by midday.

"Most families cooperated and (were) evacuated safely. However, it is believed that some people may have been trapped. Rescue efforts are ongoing," he said.

He said the rescue operation was difficult since space was limited and the adjacent seven-storey building also appeared unstable.

"It is a very delicate operation but we hope to finish it safely," he said.

Tenants in the adjacent building were asked to evacuate.

No planning permission

Images posted on Twitter by the Kenyan Red Cross showed work to clear the rubble with the help of an excavator, with parts of the building's red roof clearly visible.

A fire engine was also on site as well as a number of soldiers.

The seven-storey building which collapsed in Nairobi was reportedly built in 2007 without planning permission or approval

Masai also appealed for anyone with cutters or drilling equipment to join the search and rescue operation.

Quoting City Hall, The Star newspaper said the structure was built in 2007 without planning permission or approval.

"Kware area was unplanned. No developments are allowed there. But you find that most of these developers were brought by politicians," Nairobi Lands executive Christopher Khaemba told the paper.

Police are reportedly looking for the owner of the building.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with little regard for regulations.

Such incidents have raised questions about the quality of building materials and construction standards in a country where rampant corruption has seen unscrupulous developers using bribes to avoid regulations.

In April 2016, 49 people died when a six-storey building collapsed in a poor neighbourhood northeast of the capital following days of heavy rain which caused floods and landslides.

The building, constructed two years earlier, had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.

Although around 150 families were living there in tightly-packed conditions, an order to evacuate the building and demolish it was ignored.
The Young Peoples Guild (YPG) of the Kotobai Presbyterian Church in Accra has organised an evangelism float as part of activities marking the 25th anniversary celebrations of the YPG.

The guilders used the float to trumpet key salvation messages and highlight the need for Ghanaians to repent from their wrongdoings.

Clad in their anniversary T-shirts, members paraded some principal streets in Accra, dancing and displaying placards.

Some of the placards inscriptions read: Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ, Life has two choices: Heaven and Hell, choose one, The cross of Jesus Christ is the supreme evidence of Gods love, Will Christ be proud of your life? and Its all about Jesus Christ.

The YPG officially launched their 25th anniversary celebrations on May 28, 2017 to outline a series of activities to commemorate the occasion.
A purported self-styled doctor, Daniel Dankwah, 34, is currently in the grips of the Suhum police assisting in investigations, for allegedly defrauding his girlfriend, Mabel Ofosua, an amount of GH63,000.00.

The suspect, who claimed he is a gynaecologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, was busted at a funeral in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, Sunday afternoon.

The Suhum police commander, Supt Joseph K. Owusu, briefing DAILY GUIDE, said the suspect in February this year, proposed to Mabel Ofosua, 34, and told her he is a medical doctor by profession and had been invited by a client in the United Kingdom for an urgent business.

Supt. J K Owusu narrated that Daniel Dankwah asked his girlfriend to lend him money to the tune of GH63,000.00 to process his visa and ticket to embark on the trip.

The lady, as gathered, went to the Suhum Agricultural Development Bank to borrow the money with an interest of 32% and gave it to her boyfriend who promised to pay back the money when he returned from the business trip in three weeks' time.

After taking the money the suspect reportedly went into hiding and informed the girlfriend that he had gone to the United Kingdom, using a Burkina Faso number to call her (girlfriend).

According to Supt. Owusu, in three weeks' time, the suspect came back from his hideout and told the girlfriend that he was going to Barcelona.

After the so-called trips, the suspect failed to pay the money and allegedly started playing hide-and-seek with the girlfriend.

The victim, upon a tip-off, gathered that the suspect was a fraudster who had duped a lot of girls and had been declared wanted.

Mabel Ofosua reportedly went to Thank U FM at Suhum to announce the fraudulent deals of Daniel Dankwah. But the radio station managers directed her to the police where she launched a complaint, leading to the arrest of Dankwah at a funeral at Koforidua Old Estates.

Supt. J K Owusu said upon a search in the suspects room at Brother Emma, a suburb of Suhum, his outfit found some medical equipment, doctors' gowns and ID cards.

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Suhum


President Akufo-Addo wants the African continent to chart a new course devoid of overdependence on aid.

He stated that the demands of global stability and equity require the urgent, rapid development of the African continent. There are many constraints to this possibility  domestic and external  which we need to deal with, including the vast amounts of illicit flow of capital out of the continent.

He also prescribed some solutions to ending Africa's overdependence on foreign aid.

Making a case at the G20 Africa Partnership Summit, which was opened yesterday by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, under the theme, 'Investing in a common future,' President Akufo-Addo said, Of the three themes for Germany's presidency of the G-20, i.e., Building Resilience, Improving Sustainability and Assuming Responsibility, I believe one, above all, resonates most strongly with Africa's current status.

Belief

According to him, If we, Africans, are to transform our stagnant, jobless economies, built on the export of raw materials and unrefined goods, to value-added economies that provide jobs, to build strong middle-class societies and lift the mass of our people out of dire poverty, then we must take our destinies into our own hands and assume responsibility for this.

Assuming responsibility means that we must, firstly, facilitate the building of a new, sustainable African civilization, where there is accountable governance, where there is respect for the rule of law, individual liberties and human rights, where the principles of democratic accountability are guaranteed, and where we mobilise the immeasurable, vast resources of Africa to resolve Africa's problems of poverty and development, and free ourselves from a mindset of aid, dependency, charity and handouts.

Solutions

Apart from that, he emphasized, We must initiate and implement policies that will encourage and empower the private sector to grow our respective economies within frameworks of macroeconomic stability.

His justification was, When the private sector flourishes and when our enterprises become competitive, not just on the continent, but also in the global marketplace, then can we create the thousands and thousands of jobs our teeming masses of unemployed youth crave for.

He averred, We can no longer remain producers and exporters of raw materials. We must add value to our commodities and create wealth for our peoples. Our dependence on raw materials has, in fact, increased in the past century; it is this dependence that feeds our dependence on foreign aid.

Way Forward

President Akufo-Addo, therefore, told his colleague African leaders who had gathered at the summit that We cannot be doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. We have the resources and means, material and human, with our women and youth in the forefront, to transform the structures of our economies and be part of the international division of labour at the high end of the value chain.

The Ghanaian leader insisted, This process of economic and industrial transformation has to go along with ensuring that the most basic elements of social justice are met  making quality basic education and healthcare accessible to all, to promote a culture of incentives and opportunities.

He was confident that the premise on which the conference was held would make room for a new era of cooperation between the respective various economies, and inspire investing in a common future.

Nana Akufo-Addo said, The reforms being that Ghana is currently undertaking the management of our economy and in our governance structure, and these should entitle Ghana to be a suitable candidate for inclusion in the investment compacts that are to be the substantive outcomes of this conference.

This will enable us to maximise our possibilities of economic growth to deal with the huge problem of unemployment, the major social issue of our times in Africa, insisting that Young people, busy with their lives and earning a living, would hardly be tools for wrecking havoc on society.

Considering the fact that the youth are willing to risk everything to earn a decent living, President Akufo-Addo indicated, We have seen and continue to see in recent times the high numbers of young people taking harrowing risks around the Mediterranean, trying to reach a better life.

Charge

For him, What this means is that, if we provide them the right environment in Africa, which enables them to enhance their skills, receive appropriate vocational training and have access to digital technology, they will make our continent great.

If these youth are allowed to realise their full potential, Africa could see huge economic gains in the shortest possible time.

He therefore charged his colleague presidents, Let this serve as the impetus for re-shaping our countries and charting a new path of growth and development in freedom, which will lift the long suffering African masses out of poverty into the realms of prosperity and dignity. We can make life meaningful and worth living for our own people, like others have done.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Berlin, Germany
Two workers of Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) in Tema, Greater Accra Region, reportedly burnt to death following an explosion which occurred at the premises of the company.

Five other workers of Ghana's largest processor and exporter of tuna products sustained various degrees of injury and are currently battling for their lives at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The Sunday incident was said to have occurred when a steam boiler of the company exploded.

Though the cause of the explosion is yet to be established, maintenance workers say they heard an explosion at the steam boiler  the major machine that provides steam for almost all the machines leading to the fire.

Immediately the incident occurred, workers on night shift were asked to go home; and some of the workers feared being laid off as a result of the incident.

Divisional Officer (DO) Osafo Effum, Tema Deputy Regional Fire Service Commander, explained that his outfit received a distress call from the company at about 1:30 pm about a fire incident.

According to him, fire personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, adding that the fire was brought under control after some few minutes.

He said after the fire was put off, two charred bodies were found at the scene and handed over to the police.

According to him, four other injured persons were rushed to the Tema General Hospital before being referred to another health facility.

However, management of the company was tight-lipped over the incident.

According to a management member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, they were waiting for police report before they would come out with any information.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema




Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia has said that government is reviewing the Hajj policy to put in measures that will help ease problems Ghanaian Muslims go through both in Ghana and in Saudi Arabia, regarding the pilgrimage.

Dr. Bawumia revealed this on Sunday at the Sunyani Central Mosque when he joined the chiefs and people of the Zongo communities to break the day's fast and asked Allah to see them through the long month of Ramadan  being the holy month.

He was accompanied by the National Nasara Coordinator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and other dignitaries, including the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwaku Asomah Cheremey.

Speaking to the congregation, the vice president said his decision to worship with them was to thank them for voting Nana Akufo-Ado and the NPP party into power and for that matter, giving him the opportunity to become the vice president.

Touching on what Nana Addo's government is doing to alleviate poverty in the Zongos, the vice president said government had allocated GH219 million to the Zongo Development Fund as promised by the now president during the 2016 electioneering campaign. He asked the Zongos to identify their priority areas in terms of needs and access the fund for development.

Dr Bawumia said among the measures is the use of information technology (computer) at the hajj village to process pilgrims' information to determine who qualifies to embark on the pilgrimage so that people don't go and waste time at the place and at the end don't go at all. By this, those who qualify to go will be communicated to beforehand as to what day and time to catch a flight to Madina.

He also said a lot of Muslims face the problem of lack of food when going on the pilgrimage. As a result, government is planning to give free meals to pilgrims both here and in Saudi Arabia, especially the elderly, to reduce the stress of getting food.

In addition, government will provide free transport to Ghanaian pilgrims from Madina to Mecca where the actual ritual of hajj is performed. This is because according to Bawumia, the long walk embarked upon by pilgrims make them tired and so needs to support them with free transport to reduce the stress.

He asked the Muslim community to pray to Allah to give strength and wisdom to the president to lead the country into prosperity.



FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani

[email protected]


The Accra Regional Police Command has begun investigation into the gruesome murder of a development chief of Ardeyman in the Ga West municipality of Accra.

Nii Tettey Sarbah was discovered dead in his room last Friday at dawn with gunshot and machete wounds.

There were spent pump action and AK 47 cartridges scattered in his room when the body was first seen by the family members, according to the police.

It is alleged that the development chief was murdered as a result of land dispute.

The body has since been sent to the Police Hospital for autopsy.

No arrest has been made yet by the police.

Family sources said the day before Nii Tettey Sarbah's death, he was among other custodians of the area who conducted some purification rituals in the town for the celebration of the Homowo festival.

That Friday, some family members said, they heard some gunshots at about 1:00 am in the area but did not suspect it was being pointed at their house.

The following morning they said they went to the chief's room only to find him lying in a pool of blood dead.

The deceased was reportedly lying supine on a mat, arms up and with a deep and wide cut on his forehead while two cuts were said to have been curved out on his stomach and with blood all over the room.

There were pellets of ammunition scattered in the room and so they immediately locked the place and reported the matter to the police.

The Amasaman police visited the place to pick the body to the morgue.

Confirming the story to DAILY GUIDE, ASP Efia Tenge, Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, said the police received the information that Friday morning.

She said preliminary investigation indicated that the assassins shot the victim before butchering him in addition.

She said the police believed the shooting was done sporadically and aimed at the victim as some bullets pierced though the concrete walls of the room.

She confirmed that no arrest had been made but investigation was ongoing and appealed to residents to help the police with information that would lead to the arrest of the culprits.

This is the second time a chief has been killed in the Ga West municipality.

Sometime in February 2011, some people reportedly shot and killed the chief of Achiaman, Nii Kwartey Ajan, but more than five years down the line, no arrest has been made.

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey

([email protected])


Luanda (AFP) - Angola's ruling party has bowed to public criticism of a proposed law banning all abortions and instead accepted a revised bill allowing terminations in cases of rape or maternal health risk.

The about-turn follows a rare rally in March when roughly 200 demonstrators protested against the proposed bill under heavy police surveillance in the capital Luanda.

"We have decided to listen to the pressure from society," the president of the ruling MPLA party's parliamentary caucus, Virgilio de Fontes Pereira, told reporters on Monday.

The initial draft penal code brought before parliament in February would have punished anyone who had an abortion or performed one with up to 10 years in jail -- with exceptions in cases of rape or risk to the mother's health.

But the draft code was strengthened after lobbying by church leaders led to the removal of the limited exemptions, triggering a fierce public debate. Ninety percent of Angolans are Christian.

The harshest version of the law was sharply criticised by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' daughter Isabel, reported to be the richest woman in Africa.

Isabel dos Santos used her Instagram social media account to denounce the "criminalisation of women".

Angola, which has been ruled by Dos Santos since 1979, is updating a penal code which dates back to 1886 -- the Portuguese colonial era.

"When the life of the mother is at stake... when there is a rape, we can imagine lifting the law's ban," said De Fontes Pereira.
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's main opposition party Tuesday removed former leader Helen Zille from all party leadership roles after a disciplinary hearing over a controversial tweet in which she praised aspects of colonialism.

Zille also apologised 'unreservedly" Tuesday for the tweet, which she posted in March.

Mmusi Maimane, the current leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, said Zille "has agreed that it is in the best interests of the party for her to vacate her position on all decision-making structures of the party,"

Zille told a news conference that she was "genuinely sorry" and that she realised that her comment was insensitive to South Africans who suffered under colonial oppression.

She said she "apologise unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this tweet and my subsequent explanation of it."

On March 16, Zille wrote: "For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water."

The tweet was followed by a series of comments justifying her stand, including the comparison between South Africa and Singapore which she said had managed to build a strong state after coming out of colonial rule.

The party then suspended her pending a disciplinary hearing and said Zille's action had damaged DA, which is still battling to shake off its image as a "white" organisation.

The colonialism comment had threatened to divide the party.

Mmusi told journalists that he had been "personally angered by the tweet" and that the party had no room for those who seek to sow divisions.

Zille, 66, is credited with growing support for the DA among black people, whose votes helped it take control of key cities, including the capital Pretoria and Johannesburg, from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) after local government elections last year.

Maimane said the party risked a protracted legal battle with Zille if the matter was not settled before the 2019 election.

Zille, who has a large twitter following, is no stranger to controversial tweets.

She will remain premier of the Western Cape province.
Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI (left) hands over cement allocation letter to representatives of a beneficiary institution

GHACEM Limited has donated a total of 15,000 bags of cement to selected health and educational institutions in deprived communities in the Greater Accra, Central, Western, Eastern and Volta Regions.

The donation, valued at GH480,000, would support institutions which are currently undertaking various infrastructural projects.

Managing Director of GHACEM, Morten Gade, attributed the challenging times to unfair trade practices which have affected this year's donation.

The company, he said, was unable to meet the huge volumes of applications.

Manufacturing companies play a huge role in supporting government's developmental agenda through the payment of duties and taxes as such needs to be protected by frowning on players, who do only imports, he said, disclosing that GHACEM alone in 2016 paid GH250 million in duties and taxes.

Chairman of the Foundation, Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI, disclosed that for 15 years running, the Foundation has donated over 500,000 bags of cement valued at GH16 million to health and educational infrastructure in about 4,451 communities, a demonstration of the company's pledge towards supporting development in Ghana.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the cement for the intended purpose, noting that any institution found to have abused the noble objective shall forever be blacklisted by GHACEM.

The company said although FOB value on international market stood at $34 per tonne, the valuation by Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) stood at $44 per tonne.

That, he said, had increased the company's cost of production.
From left to right: Ike Ofuani, GR Manager WA, Tolu Habib, GPS Manager WA, First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Mehdi Squalli, MD P&G Ghana, Mosala Phillips, Director Marketing and Tope Iluyemi

Management of P&G Ghana, led by Mehdi Squalli, recently met some key members in government to introduce the company and reinforce P&G's position as a strategic partner with long-term plans for Ghana.

The delegation also met the First Lady to discuss P&G's brands and the projects of the First Lady.

P&G, in a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, used the opportunity to convey its long-term investment plans for Ghana.

The team also highlighted strategic partnership opportunities with key stakeholders to further reflect the company's desire to build a Better Ghana with the consumers as its focus.

P&G Ghana Trading Limited (P&G Ghana) started commercial operations in Ghana on February 1, 2016.

P&G Group expects that the establishment of a dedicated and focused team in Ghana will improve its ability to distribute P&G branded products to 26 million Ghanaians.
Ethiopian Airlines has announced it will inaugurate its state-of-the-art Cargo Terminal-II during the Second ICAO Global Air Cargo Development Forum, which it's hosting from 27-29 June, 2017.

Covering a total area of 150,000 meters square area of land, the new Cargo Terminal includes facilities such as Dry Cargo Terminal warehouse; Perishable Cargo Terminal with cool Chain Storage; fully automated with latest technology ETV (Elevating Transport Vehicle); G+2 office building, apron area which accommodates 5 additional big freighter aircraft; sufficient truck parking apron, as well as employees canteen and wash rooms.

The new Cargo Terminal is also fitted with different climate chambers for storage and handling of temperature sensitive products such as fresh agricultural products, pharmaceuticals and life science products, among others.

Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked: Infrastructure development being one of the four pillars of our fast, profitable and sustainable growth strategic roadmap, Vision 2025, we have been making massive investments in infrastructure projects to modernize and expand our cargo facilities at a total cost of USD 150 million. The new Cargo Terminal-II, combined with our existing Terminal-I, will give us a total tonnage capacity of around 1 million per annum, which is the largest in the continent of Africa.

The CEO stated that upon completion of the second phase, which adds 600,000 tones annual uplift capacity, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services will have one of the world's largest cargo terminals, a capability equivalent to cargo terminals in Amsterdam Schippol, Singapore Changi or Hong Kong.

This investment and the resulting massive cargo facilities along with the 6 modern B-777F fleet and 2 B-757F will create adequate air cargo transporting capacity for the fast growing export and import demand of the continent, which is critically essential in the socio-economic development of African countries.

Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services operates eight dedicated freighters to 39 global freighter destinations in Africa, Gulf, the Middle East, Asia and Europe with an average daily uplift of 650 tons on top of the belly hold capacity, 150 tons, to over 95 destinations globally.

Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services recently won 'Cargo Airline Award for Network Development in Brussels, 'African Cargo Airline of the Year' and many more.
Karim Zakaria spokesperson for residents of the Savelugu- Nantong municipality protesting against the nomination and confirmation of Hajia Ayishetu Seidu and an executive of the NPP in the area has provided an insight into how Hajia Ayishetu in connivance with some top NPP executives paid thousands of Ghana cedis as bribes to assemblymen to endorse Hajia Ayishetu as MCE for the municipality.

According to the spokesperson, an amount of Ghc 75,000 was paid to some fifty (50) out of the 54 assemblymen in the municipality with each receiving 1,500ghc.

Speaking on an Accra Radio Station ( Accra FM), Mr Zakaria told the host that when the group petitioned the Regional Chairman of NPP Mr Bugri Naabu to intervene, he told them the people of Savelugu behave like cockroaches so will not waste his time on what he described as "useless petition".

The Spokesperson ,Mr Zakaria, claimed that Hajia is unknown to the municipality and never participated in any party activity ahead of the 2016 polls to warrant the position.

Mr Zakaria told the host that corruption which they campaigned on against and used as the main campaign message against the NDC is gradually becoming an accepted practice in the NPP.

He warned that the NPP risk losing the two constituencies ( savelugu/Nantong) and other constituencies in the country if the emerging bribery and other corrupt practices in the party are allowed to thrive.

Mr Sulley Salifu the Regional Secretary of the party who responded to allegations levelled against the party by Mr Zakaria appealed to the later to stop talking to the media to save the image of the party.

He did not refute the allegations levelled against the party's regional and national executives.
Highlights:

 33% higher conversion rate

 50% lower bounce rate

 12X more users versus native apps (Android & IOS)

 5X less data used

 2X less data to complete first transaction

 25X less device storage required

Jumia Travel in collaboration with Google has released a case study on the adoption of the Progressive Web App (PWA) as compared to the use of native apps (android & IOS).

The Jumia team has rebuilt its mobile website using PWA technologies and this research showcases new achievements attained in key areas pertaining to storage space, battery life, and data consumption. The integration of the PWA on Jumia mobile ecosystem has resulted to better user experience, growth of conversion rate and notably, lower bounce rate on the ecosystem.

CEO of Jumia Travel Paul Midy said, We operate in a market highly characterized by a "mobile-first" adoption, thus aims at bringing the latest technology customized to accommodate all markets even where internet speed is still limited.

He further expressed the Groups focus on leveraging on technology and continuously investing resources to enrich the user experience, Africa is a mobile-intensive market, we are just getting started, and believe that creating more conducive and friendly ways to experience mobile is a great stride in meeting customer needs.

Giovanni Clavarino, Chief Product Manager at Jumia Travel, highlights that, About 95% & 80% of our mobile users are using the browser to check our website in Nigeria and Kenya respectively. This is why we have come up with the PWA technology to give our customers the same fast and content rich experience on browsers as they have on Android and IOS apps, but at a fraction (5 times less) of data usage.

Following the optimization on all the elements of the PWA experience, the company revealed a remarkable 33% increase in conversion rates compared to the previous mobile website. It is also notable that traffic to PWA has eclipsed that of the native app by more than twelve times and is still growing, while the bounce rate has gone down by half.

A report by IDC (International Data Center) indicates that Africa has steadily recorded an increased shipment of smartphones in every quarter, and the market is expected to double in volume, accounting for a third of all handset shipments by end of 2017. This will further bolster the number of customers preferring to make their purchases via the device, again reiterating on the need for ecommerce players to adapt a mobile first strategy into their operations.

Jumia Travels PWA uses 80% less data than the native app to complete the first transaction. The PWA consumes 25 times less storage, and is much easier to keep up-to-date. The ability to work offline-first also makes a lot of sense given the erratic mobile-network service experienced by users.

Considering that Jumias main market in the Sub-Saharan Africa majorly consists of mobile-originating customers at 75%, it was imperative to adapt a highly engaging ecosystem. PWA combines high-converting features of native apps with the wide-reach abilities of the web, hence overcoming the issue of 2G networks most common in SAA (Sub-Saharan Africa), intermittent connectivity and data limitations.

Jumia showcased part of their 2016 mobile strategy in Progressive Web App (PWA) journey , illustrating increased conversions through push notifications, which as Jeremy Doutte, the Group CEO explained is a more personal way to communicate with customers and get closer to the customers.

About Jumia Travel

Jumia Travel ( travel.jumia.com ) is the N1 Pan African Online Travel Agency, which simplifies the travel booking experience by allowing users to compare prices and amenities in a fast and secure manner.

With more than 30,000 hotels in Africa (+300,000 hotels around the world) and more than a hundred flight companies as partners, Jumia Travel aims to democratize travel by reducing travelling cost, providing the largest inventory of properties and granting local & high-quality services to become the one stop travel shop in the continent.

Jumia Travel is active in over 40 countries in Africa, with 10 local offices, and more than 400 travel specialists constantly in touch with our customers. Our main hubs are in Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Algiers (Algeria), Douala (Cameroon), Kampala (Uganda), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Nairobi (Kenya) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Before June 2016, Jumia Travel was known as Jovago. It was founded in 2013 by Jumia and is backed by MTN, Millicom, Rocket Internet, Orange, Axa and other financial partners.


Plans are underway by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by Nana Akufo-Addo to construct airstrip for the people of Central Region.

In view of that, the Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, on Tuesday, paid a working visit to the proposed site in the company of officials from the ministry and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The 3,000-acre land earmarked for the proposed Cape Coast Airstrip at Ataabadze in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality has been encroached upon by developers who have started undertaking their projects.

Madam Dapaah expressed concern about the level of encroachment, adding that the project would be compromised if adequate measures are not adopted to halt encroachment on the land.

The minister could not give a definite time for the commencement of project, but she revealed that the airstrip, after its completion, would accommodate light aircraft in the country.

Ms Dapaah noted that the current administration had focused on the aviation sector in order to open up the country for investment from the international community and develop the economic and tourism potentials of the nation.

The project is dear to the heart of the NPP government, and efforts are being made to ensure the execution of the project, she said

She reiterated the need for the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for KEEA, Nana Appiah Korang, to work hard to retrieve the land from encroachers to make government's vision a reality.

Email:[email protected]

From Joseph Annan, Atabaadze


The victim of the alleged $1.3 million gold scam that led to the interdiction of the Legon Police Commander is accusing the police administration of cover up.

Director of Green Global Resources Ltd. the company at the center of the scandal, James Barbieri says three months after the interdiction, police investigation has stalled.

He also says the company has not been able to recover the cash nor the gold in question.

Addressing a media briefing in Accra, Tuesday, Mr Barbeiri is calling on the police administration to appoint a new investigator since he can no longer trust Inspector Lohdonu who is currently presiding over the case.

He said the seeming corrupt posturing by the security services is driving away investors from the country.

Background

In March, 2017, the commander-in-charge of the East Legon Police Station, DSP Emmanuel Basintale, and six other junior police officers were arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for their alleged involvement in a gold fraud.

The seven police officers, according to police reports, connived with seven civilians to defraud some gold buyers to the tune of GH1,666,000.

The other suspects are RSM John Sovor, Corporal Baleto Buafuor, Lance Corporal Ignatius Asamoah Mensah, Detective Lance Corporal Cyrus Conduah, Detective Corporal John Maloni Juaba  all stationed at the East Legon Police Station and Detective Sergeant Charles Owusu Boateng of the Achimota School Police Station.

Their civilian counterparts are suspects Anthony Yaw Osei aka Wofa Osei, George Yeboah, Frederick Kofi AppIah aka Nana Adjei and William Hanson.

The rest are Nana Kofi Mensah, Joseph Boakye and Nana Adjei. Four others, including a supposed queen mother of Tarkwa, are said to be at large and on the wanted list of the police.

The then Director of Police Public Affairs, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, confirmed the arrest saying the police personnel and their civilian counterparts were arrested for their involvement in two separate gold fraud cases being investigated by the CID.

Three months after the arrest and interdiction of the suspects, the victim said nothing has been done in terms of prosecution.

In a statement read during the briefing, James Barbieri said attempts by his lawyer to get the previous IGP to get to the bottom of the matter failed.

"A lot of top senior officers and some other junior ranks including some BNI officers are alleged to be protecting the scammers and Mr Courage is allegedly bragging about his immunity from the whole police service and the courts, the statement said.

He does not understand why the police service is still holding on to the gold.

How come the gold which was tested before buying as real gold then in the hands of DSP Basintale turned to be fake when DSP. Basintale sent them for testing without Green Golden Resources Ltd. representatives at the Police Headquarters after weeks in his possession?

Why did they only arrest the buyers of the gold and leave the sellers?

If according to the police, the gold were stolen, why was the money not returned to the buyers, (Golden Resources)?

Why were the buyers processed for court the next day, Monday and charged for buying stolen gold but the sellers were not arrested? he demanded explanations.

He pleaded with the president and the new IGP to intervene in the matter.

We are also pleading with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director General of CID to change the Investigator handling the case, Inspector Lohdonu, for a new Investigator to take over because we have lost trust in the way he is handling it when we last met with him and the CID Boss a fortnight ago at the CID Headquarters,

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
This past Thursday, the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan organization dedicated to sustainable development, and the Mimouna Association, a Moroccan organization aspiring to preserve the history of the Moroccan ancient Jewish community, joined together to find lasting project solutions for the Mellah community. Over a traditional Iftor meal, HAF and Mimouna brought together community members throughout the Mellah at the Salat Lazama Synagogue to collectively discuss the communitys needs and their hopes for the future.

What we are talking about are not luxuries, they are simple human rights. We want to have access to water to drink, we want a school for our kids to attend, we want a hospital that we can go to when we are sick, and we want police in our neighborhood that ensure our security. I do not think that this is asking for too much, all other neighborhoods in Marrakesh have these things; why dont we? asked one community member. Community members highlighted that while there was once no difference between the Jews and the Muslims who lived here, the community now struggles with a significant lack of resources. Fatiha, a local mother said: The kids here dont have many choices; the schools are nonexistent, and they do not trust the local authorities. There are no jobs and they are in the streets all day, they all are turning to drugs and alcohol to forget their struggles. I do not know what we can do.

In order to attempt to mitigate some of these significant problems, Amina, a facilitator with the High Atlas Foundation, led a series of community activities aimed at mapping what the community looks like now, how it once was, and what it requires to improve for the future. Community members presented their plans to the rest of the group, focusing around the lack of renovation and the need for social services.

In particular, community members emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements: We have a hospital, but there are no beds in it, and further they emphasized, our houses are full of mold and they are falling apart. Without this infrastructural renovation, the Mellah is suffering. Moreover, community members also highlighted that, every other neighborhood in Marrakesh has a police force, they stop drugs from being given out, and they also arrest thieves. Here both of those things run wild. As the Mellah has become more marginalized in Moroccan society, it has lacked the most basic resources to provide for its citizens.

Conclusively, these conversations continued to lead back to the need for the most basic infrastructure amelioration. With little access to running water, the discussions continued to return to the notion that they must first and foremost increase access to water and establish standards that ensure the hygiene of water. Yet, this prioritization just touches at the surface of the Mellahs needs. While they hope to establish a system of clean water, they are also adamant that the community needs renovations that can bring it back to the center of vitality that it once was.

The High Atlas Foundation is moved and inspired by the conversations occurring at the Mellah and hopes to truly help increase the living standards with the people living in the Mellah. Moreover, HAF ensures that any help it offers to human development occurs through the participatory approach, empowering the community members of the Mellah to implement their solutions to their problems, rather than offering a top-down approach. In order to continue this participatory approach to mitigate the pressing problems facing the Mellah, HAF will carry out three more workshops in the Mellah this holy month of Ramadan.

Richard Bone is student of International Relations who currently works with the High Atlas Foundation in Morocco. He has extensive international experience, particularly in Africa and Latin America.
Staff of Mobile Telecommunications giant, MTN in the Brong-Ahafo region, have donated reading and text books to the St Francis Of Assisi Junior High School at Kootokrom in the Sunyani Municipality.

The event is an annual staff volunteer programme that runs across the MTN group from 1st to 21st June with the aim of giving mandate to their staff to brighten lives through volunteering works.

It was instituted 10 years ago and has grown to become one of the key activities on the MTN calendar and for the past five years has focused on "Investing in Education For All" as their theme.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of MTN Ghana, Akwasi Kwarteng, speaking at the presentation ceremony, said an aspect of their theme is focused on education driven by technology.

He noted that infusing technology into the educational system can help bridge the development gap and extend educational opportunities to students in underserved communities.

Mr Kwarteng said one other motivating factor for the project is empowering learners to read, write and draw to tell stories that affect their lives

The Sunyani Branch Head of MTN, Mrs Irene Abiila, pointed out that development and diffusion of ICT, increasing demand for new educational approaches that transform learning and reorientation of educational curricula to address sustainable development (SD) are critical areas that stakeholders must urgently address.

The Head Teacher of the St Francis of Assisi JHS, Mr Ballu Philip, commended staff of MTN for the gesture adding that the future of the country depends on the quality of education we give to our children now.

The Head of the Inspectorate Division of the Sunyani Municipal Education Directorate, Peter Yaw Boakye, appreciated the volunteerism efforts by staff of MTN to promote education and called on stakeholders to assist in raising standards of education in the country.
Residents in low income communities in the Greater Accra region are set to benefit from a grant which will make it possible for them to construct toilet facilities in their homes, for half the price.

The Sanitation and water project, which is being funded by the World Bank with a grant of $150 million will be used to support households who depend on public toilets.

The project is being facilitated by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and funded by the World Bank through the International Development Agency.

Since its inception in 2014, the project has seen to the construction of some 1,000 toilets for households across the country.

Ghana has been ranked the second in Africa in open defecation with 19 percent of the countrys population resorting to this unhealthy practice.

Governance and Accountability Specialist for the Accra Metropolitan Area, Frederick Danquah says the project is ready to support thousands of households in the Region.

He said the project is dubbed Toilet at Half Price.

The strategy was to sensitise the community to appreciate the need to have a toilet in their homes because not having it is against the by-laws of the assembly.

So any toilet you want to build in your home, we will pay 50 percent, he added.

He, however, bemoaned the low patronage the project has been plagued with since its inception and urged residents in low-income communities to take advantage of the project.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
The Assin South District Directorate of Ghana Education Service is annoyed about media reports of a teacher who was compelled to improvise the use of stones for a mouse, at an Information Communication Technology class (ICT) due to unavailability of a computer.

The District Director, Shirley Coleman says she is unaware the Assin Asamankese D/A Primary School in the Central Region, lacked computers.

Her reaction followed a Joy News report by Richard Kwadwo Nyarko which highlighted the struggles 191 students of the school face to learn ICT.

Taught by Augustine Kusi, pupils in the ICT class make do with stones because the only computer in the school broke down about four years ago.

The teacher who has a laptop and a mouse explained, he draws a computer mouse on the board to help students visualise the device which costs about 30 cedis.

But the Assin South District Director Of Education is unhappy about the disgrace brought to the district through the Joy News report.

She revealed the school was the best in the district during the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and expressed concern this reputation has been battered by the report.

She told Richard Kwadwo Nyarko, the school authorities should have at least written a letter to draw the attention of the district.

Alternatively, the teacher could have bought a few more computer mice to help the pupils learn better, Kwadwo Nyarko reported the Director of Education's comments.

Shirley Coleman said the District has run out of stock of mini-laptops distributed by government years ago.

The lack of basic school items and teaching materials is an open secret in Ghana's education system. It has taken news reports to get philanthropic attention for supplies sometimes as basic as chalk.

In July 2015, the Kukurantumi Presby Primary School received national media attention after its headmistress requested the Second Lady for chalk.

Photo: Second Lady (2015) Matilda Amissah-Arthur speaking to Julie Oppong (left)

Then Second Lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur who had gone to present five computers to the school was shocked basic chalk was in short supply.

Even before Head of the School, Madam Juliet Oppong could resume her seat, the Second Lady hit back: I wont give you the chalk; I wont give you the chalk today or tomorrow. Your teachers and PTA should go and buy it".

Mrs. Amissah Arthurs controversial response to a request sparked an unusual show of public philanthropy.

In March 2016, the Kperisi M.A. Primary School in the Upper West Region made the news after Joy News' Rafiq Salam reported an acute lack of furniture. The pupils had to lie on the bare classroom floor to write.

Photo: Vice-President Dr. Bawumia, then running mate for the NPP ahead of the December elections visited the school.

In the heat of the political campaign season, NPP Vice-presidential candidate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, rushed to present 250 dual desks for 500 pupils at the Kperisi primary school.

A fear of victimisation often discourages school heads from publicly complaining about resources.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe has banned the import of corn after enjoying a bumper crop that authorities hope will be enough to feed the nation and stimulate home-grown production, state-owned media reported Tuesday.

Zimbabwe was once known as the "breadbasket" of Africa for its fertile land and modern farming practices. But a programme of seizing farms from white owners begun in 2000 seriously damaged productivity, causing the country to become heavily dependent on food imports.

"Government stopped issuing grain import permits about four months ago and no maize imports are allowed at our borders," Davis Marapira, the deputy agriculture minister, told the state controlled Herald newspaper.

The paper said Zimbabwe is expecting to produce two million tonnes of corn in 2017 -- enough to meet domestic demand.

The southern African country has set aside $200 million (180 million euros) from the Treasury and private coffers to purchase the crop from farmers at the increased price of $390 per tonne in a bid to encourage domestic production, the paper added.

The Herald raised fears that corn from Zimbabwe's neighbours sold closer to the market rate -- around $160 per tonne -- could be smuggled in illicitly by criminals to cash-in on the agricultural stimulus.

Last year the country declared a state of disaster after a regional drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon ravaged crops, left tens of thousands of cattle dead and reservoirs dry.
Cairo (AFP) - A controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.

Parliament's legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.

The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament Mostafa Bakry told AFP.

Parliament's defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general vote.

Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.

The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.

The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.

Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.
Over the weekend, the outgoing United Kingdom High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, underscored the need for teachers and parents to encourage children to engage in reading because it is a fundamental skill set which contributes to the success of individuals.

The British diplomat, who volunteered to read with children drawn from the Ablekuma South constituency as part of Raising Readers initiative by Tigo Shelter for Education programme and Raising Readers Foundation at his residence in Accra, noted that reading is vital for childrens development.

Any subject you study in school or later work on professionally is based on reading and acquiring information so it is absolutely fundamental that right at a young age, we give children the opportunity to hone this skill set, he remarked.

Commenting on the initiative, he noted that he was impressed by the work done so far and hoped it grows from strength to strength with the needed support from stakeholders in the educational sector.

Im incredibly impressed by the reading skills of the children who came today, including a few of them who were extremely young, but read a whole book very well, clearly and made no mistakes.

A voluntary project like this needs volunteers  people who are motivated, willing to give up their time and maybe a little bit of money to make it happen. It is also important that in the state sector the schools are funded to provide basic education because there is nothing basic than being able to read well, he said.

Speaking at the session also was the Honourable Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South constituency, who expressed profound thanks to the organisers for extending the initiative to his constituency.

I would like to thank the team, the volunteers and everyone behind it for providing an opportunity for our children to develop the habit of reading. This is a wonderful initiative. If our children would be successful in school, they will need to read since reading is a tool for success in education, he noted.

The community reading sessions will continue this Saturday at Kojo Ababio Millennium City School in Mamprobi.
RACINE COUNTY  A man who believed he was meeting a 15-year-old girl for sex was arrested in Waterford as part of a sting operation, authorities say.

Scott A. Nesbitt, 48, of Monroe, was charged Monday with attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and possession of child pornography.

According to a release from the Racine County Sheriffs Office: Nesbitt allegedly traveled from Monroe with the intent to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex. Arrangements were made for Nesbitt to meet the girl on Saturday morning at the McDonalds in Waterford. He reportedly made plans to pick the girl and drive to an undisclosed location.

Authorities say Nesbitt had been chatting online with a Racine County Sheriffs investigator, who was posing as a 15-year-old girl, since April.

During their conversations, Nesbitt allegedly said: I cant stop thinking about how much I want to corrupt your innocence, according to a criminal complaint file in Racine County Circuit Court.

Nesbitt, whose screen name was MoxyMan, further described his attraction to young girls, allegedly saying age of consent laws are arbitrary, according to the complaint. He also allegedly made multiple statements relating to wanting ownership over the girl.

With enough aggressive training and psychological games, I will fashion you into a perfect little slave, according to the criminal complaint. He eventually disclosed his name was Scott and that he was married.

Evidence collected

After he was taken into custody at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nesbitt allegedly admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conversations, making arrangements to meet a girl and having child pornography videos and photos on his cellphone and laptop, the complaint states.

Reportedly, hundreds of photos of suspected child pornography were later found on Nesbitts computer.

The Sheriffs Office said that before moving to Wisconsin, Nesbitt lived in Dubuque, Iowa, where he had been employed at several area churches.

Although challenging and labor-intensive, the arrest of this pedophile is a shining example of our ongoing effort to keep the children of Racine County safe, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said.

The incident remains still under investigation by the Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Bureau.

A cash bond of $50,000 was set at Nesbitts initial court appearance Monday, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22. He remained in custody as of Monday night at the County Jail.

The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
London (AFP) - The Islamic State group is launching fewer chemical weapons attacks in Syria as their Iraqi stronghold in Mosul, where the arms are made, comes under pressure, according to a report out Tuesday.

IS has allegedly used chemical weapons in one attack in Syria this year, on January 8 in Aleppo province, according to global market intelligence firm IHS Markit.

The figure marks a significant fall in such attacks in Syria, where there were 17 allegations of chemical weapons being used by IS in 2016.

By comparison, so far this year the jihadists have carried out 10 chemical weapon attacks in Iraq, of which nine were in Mosul, on a par with the 21 attacks in the country last year.

The focus of 2017 attacks in Mosul suggests that IS has not yet established chemical weapons production sites outside of the city, IHS Markit said.

"Although it is likely that some specialists were evacuated to Syria and retain the expertise," said the firm's analyst Columb Strack.

Iraqi forces launched the battle to retake Mosul in October last year and are now on the cusp of success.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by fighting since IS overran the city in June 2014.

The jihadists' chemical weapons manufacturing was centred in Mosul and production has been dented by Iraqi forces' campaign to drive IS out of the city, IHS Markit said.

"Nevertheless, the Islamic State probably retains the capability to produce small batches of low quality chlorine and sulphur mustard agents elsewhere," the report said.

Since July 2014, IHS Markit has recorded 41 allegations of IS using chemical weapons
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's competition commission said Tuesday it had launched investigations into pharmaceutical giants Roche, Pfizer and Aspen for suspected overpricing of cancer drugs.

The commission said it had initiated probes into US firms Roche and Pfizer for suspected "excessive pricing" of breast and lung cancer medication, respectively.

"The commission has reason to believe that Roche and its USA-based biotechnology company, Genentech Inc. (Genentech) have and continue to engage in excessive pricing, price discrimination ... in the provision of breast cancer medicine in South Africa," it said in a statement.

It said it had information to reasonably suspect that Roche may be engaging in unfair competition conduct, prolonging its "hold on breast cancer drugs".

Roche is also accused of charging different rates to private and public sector patients, which may be in contravention of the country's competition laws.

"We have also initiated an investigation against pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer Inc, for suspected excessive pricing of lung cancer medication in South Africa," the statement added.

The commission is also investigating South Africa's Aspen for overcharging three drugs used in the treatment of various strains of cancers including leukaemias, myeloma and ovarian cancer.

The commission suspects Aspen of "abuse of dominance by charging excessive prices in the provision of lifesaving cancer medicines in South Africa."

Aspen is already under investigation in the European Union over suspicions that it abused its dominant market position in breach of EU antitrust rules.

The EU probe was announced last month.
13.06.2017 LISTEN

Accra, June 12, GNA - Dr Sheikh Amen Bonsu, National Chairman of the Ghana Muslim Mission, (GMM) has called on Ghanaians especially Muslims to desist from taking the law into their owns hands and engaging in mob justice.

He said justice was only to be administered by the law enforcement agencies and not individuals, condemning the act, especially when the Holy Quran preached against taking the lives of other human beings.

He said Islam was a religion of peace and the Holy Quran enjoined Muslims to be law abiding people and should live in peace with everyone, wherever they found themselves.

Dr Bonsu made this observation at one of the Ramadan tefsir series organised for members of the GMM in the Greater Accra Region over the weekend.

He said Ramadan was a period where Muslims were to submit totally to Allah, through continuous prayers as well as supplications, recitation of the Holy Quran and dig righteous deeds.

He said Allah when he created man breath into him his spirit which later became the human soul, and as such every Muslim must ensure that the God given soul in him or her was in a pure state.

Dr Bonsu said 'let us ensure that our hearts are always pure, in order to always be close to our maker. Let us worship Allah in all we do, and be mindful of our deeds wherever we are, having in mind that we would be accountable for our deeds one day.'

Fasting in the month of Ramadan as part of the five pillars of Islam also seeks to boost the immune system since science has also proven that keeping fast also helps reduce toxic substances in the body.

Dr Bonsu encouraged members to try and keep fast to help their immune system.

He encouraged them to ensure to keep and apply the good morals that Ramadan brings, and abstain from all acts of evil even after the month of fasting was over.

He also urged Muslims to keep on praying for the nation, in this holy month.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Accra, June 13, GNA - The Revival Restoration Centre (RRC) Assemblies of God has presented six motorbikes to some churches it planted during its 2017 Missions Outreach.

The beneficiary churches are located in Apradan, Aweregya, Pra River and Dadieso all in the Kwahu West District of the Eastern Region.

The others are located in Salaga in the Northern Region and the other in the Volta region.

A statement signed by Mr Richard Kwasi Adjei Agyapong, the Media Relations Officer of the Church and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said a colourful ceremony was held on Sunday, June 11, to officially handover the motorbikes to the beneficiary pastors.

Lead Pastor of the RRC assembly, Apostle Dr Alex Kweku Nkrumah, noted that the church started embarking on missions outreach some 25 years ago and had given out 16 motorbikes so far.

He said the decision to donate the motorbikes to the churches was as a result of the very bad nature of roads in those areas coupled with distance between the residence of the pastors and the churches.

'Some of the pastors travel several kilometres culminating into hours before reaching the church. This makes life difficult for them and their families. Only the strong-willed will stay to continue the kingdom work,' he said.

Dr Kwabena Duffuor, the Chairman of the Welfare Committee of the RRC Assembly, said giving to support God's work had immeasurable rewards.

He charged Christians to give towards God's work irrespective of their income levels citing Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna who were ardent supporters of Jesus' ministry and the widow who supported Elijah's ministry.

'You don't have to have enough in order to give towards God's work or support society. No matter what you have, it is enough for something somewhere,' he said.

Receiving the motorbikes on behalf of the pastors, Rev. Peter Abenneh, the General Secretary of Assemblies of God Church in the Eastern Region, expressed the gratitude of the pastors and the members for their benevolence and assured that the motorbikes would be used for the intended purposes as well as serviced regularly to ensure that they lasted.

He prayed God's blessings on the entire congregation for their support for the missions.

Some 5, 240 people benefitted from RRC Assemblies of God 2017 Missions Outreach held in the Kwahu West District of the Eastern Region. Of this number, 2,462 were saved.

GNA
Kumasi, June 13, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, has expressed concern about poor supervision of government projects resulting in shoddy job by contractors.

He has therefore asked the Architectural Engineering Services Limited (AESL), the agency responsible for the supervision of government projects, to sit up and make sure that there was value for money.

Addressing the staff of AESL in Kumasi, he warned of their readiness to crack the whip on engineers who failed to live up to expectation and allowed the state to be short changed.

The visit was part of his tour of government institutions in the region to familiarize himself with their operations and the challenges.

Mr. Osei-Mensah underlined the need to see to it that contract specifications were met and the right materials and quantities used.

'I am not enthused about what has been going on with contractors, especially the materials that they use, the doors and fittings which are of poor quality and the cost is also high, we are not getting value for money.'

'Our colonial buildings have been in existence for over 100 years but most of them are still very strong and their structural integrity intact. This cannot be said to buildings that were constructed two years ago. I do not think we can continue with this, we need to solve this problem once and for all', he added.

The Minister indicated that he would only sign the certificate for contractors to receive payment for job done after projects had been properly inspected and found to be of the required standard.

The Regional Consultant of AESL, Mr. Joseph Kwadwo Boamah, said they had taken note of the concerns raised and gave the assurance that the engineers would be doing due diligence.

He appealed the government to increase the volume of consultancy work for the company to make it more viable to stay in competition.

GNA

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah GNA
Luanda (AFP) - Five Angolan Muslims who have been in detention since December for spreading radical views online and allegedly planning an attack, have denied swearing loyalty to the Islamic State group, their lawyer said Tuesday.

"The accusation that these young Muslims have sworn allegiance and obedience to the Islamic State is based on assumptions," lawyer Sebastiao Assurreira told AFP.

Arrested in December, they were charged in April with creating a radical movement as well as pledging loyalty to IS. Two women arrested at the same time were later bailed.

Prosecutors say the men were preparing an attack and using face-to-face meetings and social media to radicalise others.

But one of the defendants denied they were seeking to inspire violence.

"Our goal was to preach and spread the Islamic faith without inciting violence. We had a Facebook group of 1,500 members to discuss Islam," Ahmed Nladu Jose told AFP from his prison cell.

Angola, where 90 percent of people identify as Christian, is not thought to have suffered a jihadist attack.

Seen by AFP, the charge sheet claims that information obtained from the suspects' computers, phones and books suggested "radical tendencies".

Under Angolan law, they could face between five and 15 years behind bars if convicted of creating a "terrorist organisation" -- and between three and 12 years for belonging to a terrorist organisation.

Assurreira said it was not unusual for people to discuss their faith on social media.

"It is quite normal that they talk about Islam on social networks, they have no weapons and have never been in Syria or Iraq," he said.

"They read and sold books on Islam. I have the right to read Machiavelli and not to apply his principles."

No date has been set for their trial.
Owners of the land on which the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS)has been built in Ho in the Volta Region, have picketed at the entrance of the campus demanding their compensations from the government.

Owners of the 702-acre land have made known their intention to picket at the entrance of the university every day until their compensations are fully paid.

According to them, several attempts to get the government to pay their compensations have yielded no positive results though the "Solicitor General at the Attorney Generals Department in Accra confirmed to them that $29.3 million was set aside for payment of their compensations" before the 2016 general elections.

Speaking to Joy News, the consultant for the land owners, William Dafeamekpor explained documents covering payment of the compensations were processed at the Lands Commission and forwarded to the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry for clearance for the claims to be paid.

"The documents have been lying there for over two months now, today it is at stage two, the next time we check it goes back to stage one. We have made several attempts to see the Minister but we never met him, even if he was in the office, we would be told he is not around", he narrated.

Mr Dafeamekpor added that "the landowners are in the process of seeking an injunction on the school and if this happens, it is an embarrassment to the government and the country."

Secretary for the land owners, Dr Winfred Kwame Narccor-Tse, emphasised they would continue to picket on the campus until their compensations are paid because the government has failed to honour its promises.

"About 10 of our colleagues have died and we don't want all to die to leave this thing behind. We were the ones who suffered and want to spend the money ourselves", he said.

Patricia Dogbey, lamented life has been difficult after the government took away her 15-acre family land which they used to farm on to support the education of their wards and the family.

"I'm here to ask the government to pay me my money, my husband and I are now retired and providing for the family has been challenging. Why won't they [government] pay us our compensations? The first batch of students have graduated and still our money has not been paid", she narrated.

The government, through an Executive Instrument (EI), compulsorily acquired the lands for the first public university in the Volta Region, which was established by an Act of Parliament in 2011.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Lusaka (AFP) - Zambia's parliament on Tuesday suspended 48 opposition lawmakers who boycotted President Edgar Lungu's address to legislators in March to protest his contested electoral victory.

The lawmakers from the United Party for National Development (UPND) avoided Lungu's address claiming he was not the legitimate winner of the contested August 11 elections.

Parliament Speaker Patrick Matibini said they should quit if they did not accept Lungu as the head of state.

"I challenge you to resign on moral grounds if you do not recognise that there is a legitimately elected government," said Matibini.

"I have, in exercise of my powers, decided to suspend the 48 members of parliament from service for a period of 30 days with effect from today."

Matibini said that the lawmakers would not be paid or have access to the parliament building or lodgings during their suspension.

Tuesday's decision is the latest in a long-running battle between Zambia's government and the principal opposition.

The UPND's leader Hakainde Hichilema has been in custody since April accused of treason over allegedly putting the president's life in danger when his motorcade failed to make way for the head of state's limousine during a high-speed incident.

Hichilema has claimed that he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.

The alleged motorcade incident, which occurred on the weekend of April 8-9 as they were both travelling to the Western province for a traditional ceremony.
The Hague (AFP) - Bosco Ntaganda will give a full account of his role as a Congolese rebel commander in 2002-03 when he takes the stand at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, his lawyer has said.

Almost two years after his trial opened, the man once dubbed "The Terminator" will take the stand to recall events in 2002 and 2003, when his rebel forces rampaged through the vast central African country's gold-rich Ituri province, murdering and raping civilians and plundering their possessions.

"Mr Ntaganda will describe everything he did in the conflict. Step-by-step and day-by-day and give a full description," his lawyer Stephane Bourgon said.

"What Mr Ntaganda wishes to establish by testifying is to explain exactly who he is and to ensure that people perceive him as a human being. He wants to speak personally with the judges," Bourgon told AFP in an interview on Monday.

Ntaganda, 43, has denied 13 charges of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity committed by his Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), a militia drawn from the Hema ethnic group which prosecutors say targeted the Lendu and other non-Hema groups.

Fighting in Ituri has left some 60,000 dead since 1999 according to rights groups, in a conflict exacerbated by the wealth of regional resources including gold and other minerals used in electronic products.

Ntaganda has been charged with ordering hundreds of deaths through savage ethnic attacks by the FPLC, which was then the armed wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.

Harrowing witness testimony

During the prosecution's case, which took 64 days to complete, a witness told the tribunal in The Hague of seeing "tied-up bodies" left in their underwear, "their heads crushed."

Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda, seen here at the opening of his trial in 2015, was once known as 'The Terminator'

Ntaganda "was one of the most important commanders" involved in the savage ethnic attacks carried out by the FPLC, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said at the opening of the trial in September 2015.

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired for two decades in ethnically-charged wars, as rebels battle for control of mineral resources.

The unrest spiralled to encompass armies from at least six African nations, claiming an estimated three million lives in one of the world's most deadly recent conflicts.

At the start of his trial Ntaganda, known for his trademark pencil moustache, and his penchant for cowboy hats and fine dining, told the judges he rejected being called "The Terminator".

The ICC issued two arrest warrants against Ntaganda who evaded capture until unexpectedly walking into the US embassy in Kigali in 2013 and turning himself in.
13.06.2017 LISTEN

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Dr. Prosper Akambong, yesterday refused to hand over office to a newly-appointed replacement, Dr. David Zawumya Kobila.

The handing over ceremony, which was getting to the climax, was abruptly aborted after Dr. Akambong had allegedly received a call from an unknown source.

The supposed outgoing CEO insisted that he could not hand over office to the new CEO, because he was yet to receive any formal letter from the Ministry of Health, suggesting he had either been dismissed or transferred to a different facility.

But his action stirred up the anger of some foot soldiers of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), who had come in their numbers to witness the ceremony and to usher the new CEO into office.

They insisted that Dr. Prosper Akambong should hand over immediately or incur their wrath. But for the timely intervention of the incoming CEO, and the Special Aide to the Northern Regional Minister, Shani Bawumia, a different story would have been told.

Dr. Akambong, who turned down an interview with The Chronicle, quickly left the scene to apparently avoid any confrontation with the angry NPP youth.

Dr. David Kobila also declined to comment but rather charged the youth to restrain themselves. Dr. Prosper Akambong, who assumed office in 2013, has come under intense pressure and attacks in recent times.

There were allegations of prescription of expired drugs, looting of essential drugs by some senior doctors to stock their private hospitals, and frequent shortage of oxygen, among others.

No official report has implicated the embattled Chief Executive Officer in any of the allegations. The development, however, resulted in a series of attacks, demonstrations, and criticisms, especially, from some vigilante groups of the NPP, who, at some point, barricaded his office and handed over the keys to the Northern Regional Police Command.

It took the intervention of the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, and some chiefs in Tamale, to get Dr. Akambong back to office.

In ensuring efficiency, proper management and transparency at the TTH, the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has now appointed a new CEO, Dr. David Kobila, to take over from Dr. Prosper Akambong, but not without some controversies.

The Chronicle gathered the NPP 'Kandahar Boys' stormed the Kaladan Park in Tamale to foil a planned demonstration by some perceived supporters of the outgoing CEO against the incoming CEO.

From Edmond Gyebi, Tamale
13.06.2017 LISTEN

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani, the only major referral health facility in the region, is plagued with problems, including the use of obsolete machines and equipment, which is impeding the smooth administration of the facility.

The multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art health facility is gradually losing its adorable status, with many stakeholders admitting that the facility is in serious crisis. This compelled the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, to visit the hospital to assess the situation.

It emerged, after taking the Minister round the facility, that the incinerator, which is used to burn clinical and other waste, has, for over some years now, been shut down due to the breakdown of its chimney.

The development has compelled the workers to burn waste in an open pit, resulting in smoke being released into the atmosphere, which raises another health concern to people living around.

The Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), which is supposed to treat liquid waste and pump it back to the facility to be used for laundry and other services, is also not working satisfactorily, due to a minor fault.

At the laundry department, only one out of the five washing machines was working. One out of the three dryers was also working. As a result of this, the hospital has to carry dirty clothes to the Goaso Government Hospital for washing.

The autoclave machine for the sterilisation of medical equipment takes two hours, instead of thirty minutes to sterilise medical equipment.

This, according to managers of the facility, is thwarting effective and rapid healthcare delivery, particularly, during an operation at the theatre.

But the Regional Minister indicated that all hope was not lost, and that the government had the intention to upgrade the facility to the status of a Teaching Hospital, which idea had already been mooted by the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR).

He said his working visit to the hospital was to acquaint himself with the challenges of the place, saying: It is urgently prudent for some of the equipment which are obsolete to be replaced.

Mr. Asomah-Cheremeh disclosed that a group in France was prepared to assist the hospital, while Ghanaians based in Chicago-USA have also promised their readiness to assist.

He said the information gathered would also be passed to the Health Ministry, for them to act adequately on it.

The Hospital Administrator, Mr. Asare-Bediako, on his part, explained that before the introduction of the Health Insurance Scheme, the government was supporting the repairs and maintenance of some of the equipment, but the support had now stopped.

According to him, the money from the health insurance is for recurrent expenditure, and not to be used for capital investment, such as repairs and maintenance of laundry machines, dryers, autoclave machines and incinerators among others.

He said if the health insurance money was used for repairs and maintenance of such capital investment activities, then there would be regular shortages of drugs and other clinical consumables.

From Michael Boateng, Sunyani
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's competition commission said Tuesday it had launched investigations into pharmaceutical giants Roche, Pfizer and Aspen for suspected overpricing of cancer drugs.

Swiss firm Roche and US company Pfizer are being probed over "excessive pricing" for breast and lung cancer medications respectively, while South Africa's Aspen is being investigated for overcharging over three different drugs.

"The commission has reason to believe that Roche and its USA-based biotechnology company, Genentech, have and continue to engage in excessive pricing, price discrimination... in the provision of breast cancer medicine in South Africa," it said in a statement.

It said it suspected Roche of engaging in anti-competitive conduct, prolonging its "hold on breast cancer drugs" and preventing cheaper generic alternatives from reaching the market.

Roche is also accused of charging different rates to private and public sector patients, possibly in breach of local competition laws.

The Swiss giant said it had not yet been notified of the investigation.

If notified, "we will be cooperating with the authorities and will provide all required information while responding to the potential allegation," said Roche.

The South African commission said it had "also initiated an investigation against pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, for suspected excessive pricing of lung cancer medication in South Africa".

The commission is also investigating South Africa's Aspen for overcharging for three drugs used in the treatment of various strains of cancer including leukaemia, myeloma and ovarian cancer.

It suspects Aspen of "abuse of dominance by charging excessive prices in the provision of lifesaving cancer medicines in South Africa".

Aspen denied the allegations saying that pharmaceutical prices in the country are approved by the health ministry which establishes a universal fixed price for each drug.

"Aspen has not increased pricing of its products outside of this regulatory framework and has clearly demonstrated its commitment to providing quality medicines affordably over many years," it said in a statement.

"The supply of the oncology products in question is no exception."

Aspen is already under investigation in the European Union over suspicions that it abused its dominant market position in breach of EU antitrust rules.

The EU probe was announced last month.
Bamako (AFP) - Mali's anti-corruption office launched a crackdown on tens of thousands of civil servants Tuesday, setting them an end of August deadline to prove they earned their income honestly.

Those who fail to do so will be sacked and could face fines and even jail terms, Moumouni Guindo, head of the Central Office against Illicit Enrichment (OCLCEI) told AFP.

Top government officials have until the end of August to declare their assets, as have another 55,000 civil servants across the country, including contract workers, he added.

"Any civil servant who fails to declare his assets before the end of August 2017 will be relieved of his functions...," said Guindo. They would be banned from public sector work for five years, he added.

"Investigations for illicit enrichment will be launched against any civil servant under suspicion," he added.

The onus was on the officials to prove their assets had been honestly acquired, he said, and anyone trying to hide their assets "will be in for a surprise."

The 12-strong OCLCEI was set up in 2014. It has the power to take officials suspected of corruption to court.

Anyone found guilty of corruption risked up to five years in jail if the sum concerned was sufficiently large, said Guindo.

Pressure groups and campaigners in Mali regularly denounce corruption and poor governance in the country.

Mali has since 2002 been struggling against a jihadist insurgence, which in 2013 led to a French-led military operation to drive them out of strongholds in the north of the country.
The ICT tutor of Assin Asamankese D/A Primary School in the Assin South District of the Central Region, Augustine Kusi has incurred the wrath of the District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Mrs Sally Nelly Colman who claimed his conduct has disgraced the school and the district as a whole.

A viral video making the rounds on various social media platforms shows students in of school in a classroom improvising a computer mouse by using stones. The video shows the students clicking and double-clicking the stones on instructions by their teacher.

But Mrs Sally Nelly Colman disclosed that the teacher could have applied to her office for the devices if he required them for teaching and learning of ICT which is part of the curricular for basic education.

According to her, improvising stones as mouse for that purpose has made the district a subject of ridicule worldwide and indicate that she may institute sanctions against him in view of the fact that there are some in stock at the GES office which he could have applied and received for the purpose.

Meanwhile Augustine Kusi, says for years the school has had no access to a single computer system after the only desktop given to them became faulty.

Since I came here those who were in class two are now in class six and we havent had anything like a computer that we can use to teach, he said in the interview.

The teacher says he tries his best to bring the theoretical aspect of the subject (ICT) to the students. This he does to help the students in writing the exams especially the BECE.

He directs students on how to use the computer mouse by using stones and teaches them how to right click and left click in the video that went viral on social media.

Though the children appear happy to learn with the stones, they appeal to the government to get the school some ICT tools for much easier learning.In the interview Mr. Augustine says that they have been pleading for learning materials for long but they fall on deaf ears.

It was however uncovered that lack of basic learning tools aids is not peculiar to the Asamankese D/A as many schools in the rural areas in the district are faced with similar problems.
Barbara Mahama, widow of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama could be interrogated as part ongoing investigations by the Criminal and Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to unravel the true killer of her husband.

ASP Olivia Turkson, on Accra-based Asempa Fm, said it is part of steps to give investigators leads that help police apprehend the main culprits behind the dastardly act.

She disclosed that Barbara disclosed she interacted with the deceased via text at 9am on the day he died after they spoken on phone at 6am stating that it could be part of an important ingredient of investigations.

She also denied claims that some of the suspects have been granted bail insisting that all 52 are in prison custody and scheduled to appear in court on June 21, 2017.

Police investigators have revealed that the man who shot the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama severally leading to his death has still not been apprehended.

Yaw Amankwa, alias Bulla, is said to be the one who fired severally at soldier and when he fell down residents descended on him with life-threatening objects including the cement block that was used to hit his head by thirty-Six (36) year old Kwame Tufour.

Police also reveal that other suspects currently on the run include; Akwesi Asante; Nana Kwadjo, alias Nana Edjo; John Boakye, Unit Committee Member, and a trader whose name was given only as Sarah, married to Kwaku Brefo, a motorbike rider in the town. The others are Kwaku Diesel, Kaya Rasta and the rest whose names were given only as Daddy, Boadu, Ahinkra, Tikwa and Attipar.

Meanwhile postmortem report on the late Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama who was buried on June 9, 2017 has been released revealing that the slain soldier sustained several gunshots moments before his death

Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Bright Oduro according to a graphic.com.gh report revealed that several bullets were removed from his body which confirms that he was shot by the suspects before his body was set on fire.

Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, who was the Commander of a military detachment stationed at Denkyira-Boase in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region, was lynched by residents after they suspected he was a robber.

52 suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the incident with the latest being 7 who were on Friday remanded by an Accra Central District Court including; Akwasi Baah, Solomon Sackey, Kwame Agyei, Joseph Appiah Kubi (aka Kum Dede), Akosua Takyiwaa (aka Maabono), Esther Dauda (aka Asha) and Michael Kumah (aka Kojo Anim) to reappear on June 21, 2017

All suspects have been provisionally charged with two counts of murder contrary to section 46 of the criminal code and other offences act of 1960, Act 29 as well as conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder: contrary to section 23(1) and 46 of the criminal and other offences act 1960 (Act 29).
The Tumu Kuoro and Member of Council of State, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton has disclosed that residents of Denkyira-Boase in the Upper Debkyira West District of the Central Region, should count themselves lucky times have changed.

He disclosed that if it was in the olden days, they would have tasted the wrath of Sissla warriors after gruesomely murdering their kinsman they claimed was an armed robber.

The way he was killed, if we had our own power or we were in the olden days, we would have gone there to show them who we are. Let them know that the slain soldier ( Major Maxwell Adam Mahama) is a son of men, but now that we are in a democracy.You cannot do that ,you cannot apply instant justice as government is working on and arresting all involved, so lets have hope in the security services the Tumu kuoro advised on Tumu-based Radford Fm.

Ahead of the arrival of the funeral Major Maxwell Mahama to his paternal hometown, the chief asked all and sundry particularly his kinsmen not to seek revenge over the killing but allow the laws of Ghana to deal with the perpetrators.

I am sure some of the members of the community where the incident took place may be here in Tumu or some of our communities. Dont harass or attempt to do anything in the form of revenge to them as such acts will not be accepted by the laws of the country and you will be made to face the law that alone, he cautioned.

He called on all the Sissala paramouncies to come help him organise the final funeral rite in Tumu next Saturday but reiterated the need for all to be law abiding during the occasion to show to the world they are not violent as many perceive.
The University of Education Winneba is appealing to students not to be disheartened by a High court decision ordering the shutdown of the school.

PRO for the University, Steve Van Kamasa told Evans Mensah on Joy FMs Top Story Tuesday the injunction ordering the closure is temporary and will expire on Friday.

The University is battling a court case brought against it by a former Assemblyman of Donkoryiem, Supi Kofi Kwayera over the continuous stay of the schools Council.

Related Article: High court shuts down University of Education

The Councils mandatory four year term expired in 2013, but the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government directed it to act until a substantive one is appointed.

The then Education Minister, Professor Naana Opoku Agyemang in her justification cited the protracted election petition in 2013 and some challenges facing the education sector for the central governments decision.

We were all aware of a number of challenges that were going on legally regarding the electionsso the directive came that all councils whose terms were going to expire should hold on, she told Parliament on June 23, 2016.

Related Article: Former Assemblyman drags UEW to court over expired Governing Council

But displeased by the development, the businessman in a suit filed at a Winneba High Court wants all the decisions taken by the Council to be declared null and void.

Mr Kwayera is also seeking the declaration that the extension of the mandate of the Governing Council by the University and Education Ministry was in breach of Section 8 of Act 972.

At a hearing at Winneba, the presiding judge, Justice Ato Graves Mills granted an injunction request by the former Assemblyman for the closure of the school. He also asked for the current Vice Chancellor of the school and other senior members to be restrained from exercising their duties.

The news has been received with mixed feelings especially by students who are expected to graduate in 2017. The injunction affects over 46,000 students in all the four satellite campuses of the university located in Kumasi, Mampong, Winneba and Ajumako.

A would-be graduate who spoke to Joy News on condition of anonymity said he will organise his colleagues to petition the government to intervene for their graduation to be held.

"We are devastated by the news [because] the fact is that we were due for graduation in April and we did everything possible [but] we later heard the case has been sent to court," he said.

"We have realised that the only thing the government understands is the choo boi method and we will do that."

But Mr Van Kamasa explained the graduation did not take place as scheduled because government is yet to appoint its four representatives to constitute the new University Council.

"We are waiting for the government to bring us those four names," he said, adding the university has been communicating with the Ministry to submit the names.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
13.06.2017 LISTEN

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has stated that politics is not about pretty looks as many would want it appear like.

He said if it had been so, Former President John Dramani Mahama would have easily won the 2016 general elections because he appeared more handsome than the other contenders on the ballot.

In 2016, the most handsome of the race did not winpeople claimed he was more handsome than Nana Addo but still, Nana Addo wonask yourself why people didnt even vote massively for John Mahama though he is a handsome man, it should tell you that they didnt vote per physical features, he revealed.

Responding to comments from former President Jerry John Rawlings at the partys 25th Anniversary Rally held at Ashaiman Mandela park in Accra to the effect he was ugly and light he was naturally born ugly and cannot do anything about it.

It is a pity he (Asiedu Nketia) is uglyIf he were handsome, we would put him on a horse to go and help. Considering how light he is like air, the horse will run faster,the NDC founder joked.

But in response Asiedu Nketia affectionately called General Mosquito said God gave everyone what fits them and thats why Im proud of myself. God gave me those features and I cannot be held accountable for that, I did not beg for those features he said.

According to him, the former president might have made those comments because he arrived at the events grounds late.

I was very late for the event because of heavy traffic on the Tema road but when I got there and saw all the big men on the stage, I quickly apologized. But I realized that when I got there, the crowd were all over me and thats why JJ decided to make fun of me saying Im even popular than Mahama but for my weight and handsomeness, I could qualify as flagbearer of the party he said on Okay fm.

Rawlings knows what I have done and what I can do for my party and thats why he wanted to give me that huge position he stressed.
At least five police officers with the Legon Police in Accra are on interdiction for allowing 11 kilos worth of gold valued at GHS1.3million to, somehow, turn into fake gold.

In a story similar to the cocaine turned baking soda scandal which twice hit the police administration, the five men are undergoing internal service enquiry.

Deputy Director of Police Public Relations, DSP Shiela Packman told Joy News Evans Mensah the officers were clearly in breach of police procedures.

According to her, the East Legon police officers seized the gold from officials of Global Resources Ltd (victims of gold scam) after arresting them in a hotel trying to buy the gold.

The gold was initially tested and confirmed it was real gold but somehow when it was later tested by officials of the police head quarters, the gold had suddenly become fake.

Five officers of the Legon Police face possible trial, she said, adding, a duplicate case docket has been sent to the AG to find out whether the AG will prosecute the matter or the police should go ahead, DSP Packman said.

The cash amount of GHS1.3 million which officials of Global Resources Ltd paid for the original gold cannot also be traced, DSP Packman admitted, explaining that two other persons are on the police wanted list for bolting with the money.

Background

On 12th November 2016, officials of Global Resources Ltd, met Mr. Courage Gegepe Kobby, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Union Investment Agencies, a supposed gold dealer to transact business.

Mr Gegepe had in his possession 13 kilos of gold which was tested by the buyers and found to be real gold.

The buyers being officials of Global Resources Ltd paid for the gold but before they could seal the transaction police officers from Legon raided the hotel and arrested them for buying stolen gold.

They were sent to the Legon Police station put in police custody with the 13 kilos of gold taken away from them by the East Legon Police Commander, DSP Mr. Emmanuel Basintale. The gold was supposed to be exhibit.

DSP Basintale

The victims were later sent to court and charged with buying stolen gold. They were later released.

Whilst in custody, the victims claimed to have witnesses who saw the police commander return to his office at 4:00 am ostensibly to take away the gold.

Later on the same commander was reported to have brought the gold for testing but this time it was fake.

Director of Strategic & Business Development at Global Resources has described as ludicrous claims by the police that the gold paid for by his company was fake.

James Barbieri, at a press conference in Accra Tuesday said in all, the buyers paid for eleven kilos of gold but were in possession of thirteen (13) kilos which they paid for since the quality of two (2) were tested and found to be below their standard. They used their own technical gold testing equipment and were very convinced of the quality before the payment was made.

In a subsequent interview with Joy News, Barbeiri said he does not understand how real gold will turn fake in the hands of the police.

He is also accusing top police officers of trying to cover up but the Deputy Police PRO insists nothing will be put under wraps.

DSP Shiela Packman said the police administration is vigorously investigating the matter and have only recently published pictures of some of the suspects.

The police will not hide anything, she assured, adding all the officers found culpable will be dealt with.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
13.06.2017 LISTEN

Hohoe, June 13, GNA - Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Transport projects financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2016 would have a positive impact on the living conditions of close to 20 million Africans over the next few years.

The AfDB made this forecast in the Annual Report of the Infrastructure, Cities and Sustainable Development Department of the AfDB, published on June 9, 2017, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency.

The report cites US$ 1.6 billion as the total amount of loans and grants provided by the Bank in transport and ICT in 2016.

This amount is allocated to 15 countries to finance a wide range of projects such as international roads systems, railway lines, urban infrastructure and projects related to new ICTs.

It said with these new projects, the global portfolio of transport and ICT projects under implementation rose to 118 in 47 countries, cumulatively valued at US$ 11.8 billion.

Mr Amadou Oumarou, the Director of the Bank's Infrastructure, Cities and Sustainable Development Department, said: "Transport and ICT play a pivotal role in the pursuit of the Bank's five operational priorities, particularly in supporting industrialisation, regional integration, agricultural modernisation and the overall improvement of the living conditions of Africans."

The report features the various projects using infographics and maps to help explain how each project is integrated into its specific geographic and economic context.

He said, for example, that the Trans-Saharan fibre optic backbone will connect Chad and Niger with their neighbours, strengthening internet access in remote areas.

This year, the approved projects will finance the paving of 1,120 km of roads and laying 2,060 km of fibre optic cable.

The document also describes the Bank's holistic approach to financing each infrastructure project and measures designed to stimulate economic activity and improve the wellbeing of the people in the project areas.

The report, for instance, said: 'A road project connecting Rwanda and Uganda includes launching a training programme for 1,600 women who make their living through cross-border trade, the construction of two markets near the border crossing and support to seven local associations.

'Also of note are projects to provide better access to isolated areas of Cameroon and southern Ethiopia, accompanied by strong support for agricultural development and construction of health and education infrastructure.

'The Bank's role in 2016 has evolved in such a way as to emphasise urban mobility and the development of sustainable cities.'

The report cites the creation of a "Cities and Urban Development" division which would assist the Bank in tackling challenges posed by Africa's rapid urbanisation.

The past year was marked by significant infrastructure projects in Accra, Abidjan, and Kampala amounting to over 500 million dollars, an unprecedented bank investment in the urban transport sector.

The projects reflect how the Bank accompanies its partners and clients, especially in capacity building. The 2016 operations include the training of 250 local staff and administrative managers.

It said in the long-term the Bank was committed to financing the elaboration of local, national and multinational infrastructure development strategies including the establishment of an urban development plan for Accra and the creation of an agency dedicated to coastal protection in Togo.

Others are to design a development plan for Lake Victoria involving three neighbouring countries and coordinating preliminary studies for the construction of a highway corridor between Abidjan and Lagos to connect the five countries.

In doing so, the Bank would strengthen the level of expertise and coordination of its member states' administration thereby opening the way for future development projects.

GNA

By Maxwell Awumah, GNA
The Racine area's population is not growing, and construction costs are rising. Those factors are guiding how the Racine Unified School District is planning to spend the funding from its 30-year, $1 billion referendum. The district's long-term plans have been somewhat changed in the past two years. Here's where they sit now (and yes, inflation plays a big factor)...
Accra, June 13, GNA - The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, on Tuesday organised a press briefing on the commemoration of the Day of the African Child (DAC), an event observed on June 16 each year.

The 2017 celebrations highlight the need for accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunity for children in Africa by 2030.

Ms Gifty Twum-Ampofo, the Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, said the day presented an opportunity for all stakeholders working with and on behalf of children, including government, non-governmental and international entities, to reflect on issues affecting children in the sub-region.

She said the DAC was also an opportune moment to take stock of the progress made and the outstanding challenges towards the full realisation of the rights of children on the African Continent.

Ms Twum-Ampofu, who gave a little background to the occasion, said it was initiated by the then Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, and had been commemorated since 1991 to, among other things, honour the memory of the gallant children who were killed by security forces in Soweto, South Africa for protesting to demand for their rights to quality education in 1976.

She said the African Committee decided to highlight and give attention to the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, hence the theme: 'The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Children in Africa: Accelerating Protection, Empowerment, and Equal Opportunity'.

Ghana, she said, had achieved a lot in terms of accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunity for children and cited interventions including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and investments in physical and social infrastructure which played a considerable role in ensuring a reduction in poverty and achieving better human development outcomes especially for children.

Ms Twum-Ampofu said fortunately, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) had evolved into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and any unfinished business could be addressed within the new context.

Ghana, in line with the MDGs and other international protocols, had strengthened the child protection arena with the formulation of the Child and Family Welfare, as well as the Justice for Children Policies.

It has also started the processes to review its domestic child laws in the light of the SDGs and the African Charter to ensure child rights-based policies, practices and programmes, that did not in any way undermine the equality of children, particularly the girl-child and other vulnerable groups.

She said gender equality was also crucial for achieving all other SDGs including eradicating hunger and poverty.

Ms Twum-Ampofu said as a treaty body the African Committee was also seeking to draw attention to the fact that the so called 'priority SDG targets and indicators for children' should be brought closer to the African Charter reporting cycle.

She said ensuring empowerment and equal opportunity required targeting all socio-economic groups in order to ensure that no child was left behind with particular focus on prioritising the rights and needs of the poorest and most marginalised.

Ms Twum-Ampofu said in line with this interventions programmes such as the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, the Free Senior Secondary Education, School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grant, as well as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty interventions were being pursued by government.

She said although a lot was being done, there was still more to be achieved and called on stakeholders to join hands to make the continent a fitting place for all children to live.

Mrs Emilia Allan, a Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, said there was more that could be done for children and pledged UNICEF's commitment to work with governments and civil society organisations on accelerating their protection, empowerment and ensuring their equal opportunities.

GNA

By Christabel Addo, GNA
Accra, June 13, GNA - The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has urged all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to comply with the 'Fee Fixing Guidelines' document in their revenue mobilisation.

She said the 'Guidelines' comprehensively describe local revenue items to enable the MMDAs properly define them for comparison and analysis across districts.

She said MMDAs were not supposed to exceed the upper limits of the fees in the guidelines unless approval has been sought from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Hajia Mahama made these remarks on Tuesday at a one-day Validation Workshop on the 'Draft Fee Fixing Guidelines' in Accra.

The final draft 'Fee Fixing Guidelines' has been developed by the Ministry in collaboration with the Fiscal Decentralisation Unit of the Ministry of Finance and some selected MMDAs

The revised guidelines for charging of Fees for the provision of services and facilities and granting of licences and permit by MMDAs are contained in a 77-page document.

The United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DFID) provided funding for the review of the 'Fee Fixing Guidelines' as well as the validation of the document at the regional and the national levels.

Hajia Mahama said the local revenue items embedded in the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System were also currently being reviewed, in line with the items in the 'Guidelines', to enable Assemblies easily identify these items in the Chart Accounts.

She said the importance of local revenue generation could not be overemphasised, if MMDAs were to effectively carry out their major function of service delivery to citizens; devoid of over-reliance on Central Government transfers.

'In order to increase local revenue generation, there is also the need for an increase in the sources of Internally Generated Funds apart from the current ones being explored by the assemblies; namely licences, fees, fines, investment, rate, land and rent.

'In this vein, the MMDAs are being encouraged to identify new revenue sources that would enhance local revenue generation to meet the needs and aspirations of the citizens,' she said.

She said fines to be charged by the MMDAs include building offences such as development without permit, occupying newly completed houses without Occupancy (Habitation) Certificate, unauthorised placements and refusal to obtain permit.

She said to enable the MMDAs generate revenue within the areas of their jurisdiction, the Local Government Act 2016, Act 936 empowers them to charge fees/rates for the provision of services, facilities and businesses in the districts.

However, the Act also empowers the Ministry to regulate the fees charged in order to ensure uniformity in the rates and also discharge the issuance of outrageous fees.

She said the MLRD was therefore, mandated by law under Sections 150, 137 and 141 of the Local Governance Act (Act 936), to issue Guidelines on fee-fixing and rate impose, with proposed ranges, to serve as the basis on which MMDAs were to pass their Fee-Fixing Resolutions from time to time.

The Minister said a Mathematical formula had also been prescribed within the draft document for use by all MMDAs for the annual review of their fees.

She lauded the DFID for the support to the Ministry in the implementation of the Business Enabling Environment Project, an intervention which seeks to reduce the time and cost of doing business at the district level with regards to the issuance of building/construction permits in four MMDAs.

Ms Nathalie Bouchez, Component Manager, Internally Generated Fund, GIZ, said the 'Fee Fixing Guidelines' document was a very crucial and would serve as a key cornerstone in the process of revenue mobilisation at the local levels.

Mr Isaac Kojo Hagan, DFID, said the Department was working with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on improving tax payer services particularly for small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs).

He said as part of this effort, the GRA was developing a self-help software for taxpayers; which provides a convenient, simple and accurate means for taxpayers, especially SMEs, to compute their tax returns and liability, before filing taxes.

GNA

By Iddi Yire/Amadu Kamil Sanah, GNA
Accra, June 13, GNA - Child Right International (CRI), a child centred civil society organization, says the inhumane incident that claimed the life of Major Mahama has exposed children to a high degree of violence which may become traumatic for some in the future.

According to the Executive Director of CRI, Mr Bright Appiah, investigations conducted by CRI indicated that women and children were camped, and such act could affect them emotionally and psychologically, therefore the need for a rehabilitation programme.

The Executive Director was addressing the media in Accra on the need to protect children during conflict and violence situations.

The Late Major Maxwell Mahama, buried on June 9th 2017 was on May 29, a Monday morning lynched by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi while he was on his early morning jogging.

He was allegedly stoned and burnt by the youth of the area who mistook him for an armed robber.

Mr Bright Appiah, the Executive Director of CRI, said in accordance with section 2 (2) of the Children's Act 1998, all actions must be taken in the best interest of the children and therefore pleaded that the citizenry desisted from sharing the deceased children's and other children's images as it may have some repercussions on their future development.

Mr Appiah said: 'Exposing these children in relation to the incident may affect their social interaction and access to their rights in future.'

Commenting on the 12 year-old boy who allegedly took part in the lynching of the late Major Mahama, Mr Appiah called on the Juvenile Justice System to take charge of the trial.

'In spite of the painful nature of this incident, justice must be served in accordance with the Juvenile Justice System where the rights of the child are respected, services provided and dignity upheld,' he said.

Mr Appiah noted that, this was important as such situations make children more vulnerable and expose them to all forms of abuse.

He, however, commended President Nana Addo for setting up a fund for the care of the family and expressed appreciation to him for supporting the family with GHE50,000.00, adding that 'We also appreciate the former President Mahama for his commitment to support the family,' he said.

Mr Appiah also called on the stakeholders to protect the interest of children while he charged appropriate institutions to block any further interaction with children in the media.

GNA

By Elsie Appiah-Osei/Samira Larbie, GNA
Cape Coast, June 13, GNA - Osabarima Kwasi Atta II, the Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, has called for the support of Ghanaians, particularly the media, to promote the ideals of the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST) and 'Emancipation Day'.

This, he indicated, was essential to preserve the nation's cultural heritage and project Africa's unique cultural values and norms to attract the desired investment to stimulate economic growth.

The festival was mooted in the mid-1980s as a cultural vehicle to bring Africans both home and abroad to work together to overcome barriers that sought to impede the growth of the continent and its people.

Similarly, the commemoration of the Emancipation Day was introduced in Ghana in 1998 and celebrated on August 1, every year, to mark the abolishment of the chattel slavery in the Caribbean.

Speaking at a stakeholder's forum in Cape Coast on Tuesday, Osabarimah Atta said series of exciting activities earmarked to climax the twin celebrations included international and local arts and craft exhibitions, food bazaar, cultural dances and procession by Asafo groups.

In addition, there would be a re-enactment of the crossing of River Prah and a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of Assin Manso, the acclaimed site of the 'Ndokonsuo' (Slave River) where the slaves transported from the Northern part of the country were bathed before they were taken to the Cape Coast Castle.

Osabarima Atta, who doubles as the co-Chairman of the PANAFEST Foundation, said this year's celebration would go beyond ceremonial events to put in place systems and structures that would bond all people of black descents.

He said it was imperative for all to be forward-thinking to identify 'modern slavery' that included racial and economic exploitation by pooling resources together to help build a better future for the continent.

'As Africans it is important that we work together as one people who have been traumatized by slavery and suffered discrimination because of racial differences.

'We should not easily forget our common bond of brotherhood and tragically tear each other apart in the name of differences in political ideologies, ethnicity, colour or race.'

Nana Amba Eyiaba I, Krontihemaa of Oguaa Traditional Area, said the Emancipation Day ceremony was in honour of the departed leaders and ancestors whose toil, sacrifice and struggles paved the way for the emancipation of the black man from the shackles of slavery.

The commemoration, according to her, was truly significant to rekindle the flame of unity among black people everywhere and heighten the inter-connected nature of their struggles on the continent, Europe and America.

She said people who did not know their history to appreciate and understand the events that had forged their present realities, risk having a bleak future adding; "we cannot hide from the harsh truth of our history.'

Nana Eyiaba charged Ghanaians to rise to the challenges of the time, saying 'our destinies are inextricably linked and the strength of our unity is necessary to overcome the tremendous odds and challenges we have to confront.'

GNA

By Isaac Arkoh/Grace Darko, GNA
- Osita Chidoka one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain has dumped the former ruling party

- The former minister is one of the aspirants for the November 2017 Anambra governorship election

- Chidoka in a statement said he would join the United Progressive Party (UPP) on Wednesday, June 14

Former minister of aviation Osita Chidoka, is the latest chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to dump the former ruling party.

Chidoka in a statement signed by Bright Nebedum, who is the Director General of his campaign organisation on Monday, June 12, said he would join the United Progressive Party (UPP) on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: 21 things Acting President Osinbajo said after signing 2017 budget

Legit.ng gathered that the former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is one of the aspirants for the November 2017 Anambra governorship election.

The former minister further said that the move is to enable him to realise his governorship aspiration in Anambra state and restore its lost political and economic glory.

Chidoka would register in his hometown, Obosi, Idemili North local government area of Anambra state.

It was gathered that Chidoka already commanded overwhelming support from various segments of Anambra citizenry.

The governorship in Anambra has been fixed for November. 18 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ugbene community, Awka North local government area of Anambra state, welcomed into its fold, 3000 persons defecting from other parties.

Legit.ng gathered that the defectors were from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

The defectors, led by the national chairman of Ugbene Great Ambassadors Club, Chief Aaron Onwelukwue, disclosed that their defection was informed by Governor Willie Obianos sterling performance in office which they crave its continuity.

Below is a Legit.ng video in which an APC official speaks on the possibilities of having the ruling party ousted in 2019.

Source: Legit.ng
RACINE  Music is something that comes naturally to Horlick High School junior Emily Seeger and Walden High School junior Chandler Nennig, and the two of them brought home major recognition from the Wisconsin State Music Association.

Seeger won gold in solos with flute, alto flute and bass flute, and silver in piccolo. Nennig won silver for his B-flat contra bass clarinet solo. The students competed in the state competition in May on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus.

For both of them, a love of music started at a young age.

I decided to teach myself (flute) before we were allowed to start playing in band, Seeger said. I like being able to make people happy or give them emotion just by playing an instrument.

Seeger said she was nervous when playing her bass flute at the competition because one key wasnt closing all the way.

We had to change a little of my solo because I had written it myself, Seeger said. I was absolutely terrified. The change we made brought my instrument to an upper octave  I didnt expect the score I got.

Horlick music teacher Josh Sherman taught Seeger from the time she was in middle school and said shes a leader in his class.

Its been great to see her grow and grow into an exceptional musician, Sherman said. You can tell (music) means a lot to her.

Seeger said music helps calm her nerves when she feels stressed out.

Any time Im struggling with a class I come down here (to the band room) and play, Seeger said.

Although she plays only classical music, her personal music tastes are varied.

I listen to country and heavy metal, Seeger said. I grew up listening to country and I was introduced to some friends freshman year who got me into a lot of heavy metal and rock.

Since picking up the flute, Seeger has tried her hand at clarinet, guitar and piano. She hopes to play music professionally when shes adult.

Best forced decision

For Nennig, his mother played the oboe and really pushed him in to music in the beginning.

In fourth grade my mom made me, Nennig says with a laugh. And it turned out to be one of the best forced decisions she made upon me.

His father, Christopher Nennig, said Chandler showed an affinity right off the bat.

Nennig said he chose the clarinet because it was the only instrument I could make a sound with.

After that I realized I was good and that I actually enjoyed it, Nennig said.

During state, Nennig said he was nervous because only played the B-flat clarinet for basically six months and was pleasantly surprised on how well he did.

In the future Nennig said he would consider teaching music or being involved with music in some way, but he is still finding his way.

Id like for music to be an option, Nennig said.
Are you interested in the Peace Corps of Nigeria ranks structure? Do you want to be a member of something very significant? Its an important life experience! Join the Peace Corps!

Peace Corps of Nigeria

Peace Corps (English Peace Corps) is an irrespective federal organization of the US government. It was formed on March 1, 1961. The US Congress approved the institution on September 22, 1961, by the adoption of the Peace Corps Act. It is an humanitarian agency. Peace Corps dispatches volunteers to poverty-stricken countries to provide assistance.

What is Peace Corps?

According to the principal law, the purpose of the Peace Corps is the following:

The world peace and friendship must be promoted with the help of the Peace Corps. It should send men and women from the USA. They must be qualified to serve abroad and will have to minister if it is needed, in difficult circumstances to assist people of the countries and regions to fulfill their need for trained personnel.

John Kennedy is the founder of Peace Corps

The program of the Corps officially has three tasks:

to assist people of interested countries and regions in satisfaction of their need for trained staff;

to help in the promoting a better comprehension of Americans among the nations being rendered the services (Peace Corps);

to assist in development of a better comprehension of other nations about Americans.

The Peace Corps guides the volunteers to various worlds countries, in more than seventy countries, to cooperate with the government institutions, schools, non-profit institutions, non-governmental agencies and entrepreneurs in the fields of education, business, technologies of information, agriculture and the environment.

Originally, the Peace Corps declares its accessibility to other governments. The governments designate the territories in which the Corps can operate. The Corps then verify the assigned tasks with its human resources and guides volunteers with the necessary skills to the other countries that previously sent requests.

Volunteers of Peace Corps

The Volunteer Service improves the lives of people in communities all over the world. The volunteers get practical benefit, study new languages, receive guidance and international development experience, and work with host countries as partners and friends.

Data:

The total number of volunteers and trainees to date is more than 215,000.

The total number of serviced countries is 139.

The current number of volunteers and trainees is 7209. Among them are 63% of women and 37% of men.

The Marital status is 93% single, 7% married.

The average age is 28.7 years old. The volunteers older than 50 years are 8%.

Peace Corps Logo

The current number of countries served is 65 countries.

Volunteers in working area:

Education: 40%

Health: 22%

Environment: 12%

Economic development of local communities: 11%

Young people in development: 7%

Agriculture: 5%

Other: 3%

The Acting Director of Peace Corps is Carrie Hessler-Radelet.

How to join the Peace Corps?

If you decided to join the Peace Corps, you have made an important decision. The volunteers from Peace Corps live, study and work abroad for 27 months of their lives. Volunteers are directed to developing countries where they have to live without any of the comfort they have been used to. Nevertheless, it is an invaluable experience, and you will never forget it. You can make the world a little better, change someone's life and make your resume more attractive to employers. The application process takes about six months. If you are patient, it may be the best decision in your life.

You should go to college. If you want to increase your chances of participating in this program, you should get a higher education. In fact, 90% of the positions require an education. In most cases, the degree of junior specialist may be sufficient if you have the necessary work experience.

If possible, get knowledge in the field of agriculture, forestry or ecology. Having work experience in these areas can make you a worthy candidate. It should be noted that the above industries are not sufficiently staffed, so you have great chances.

Get a volunteer experience. The Peace Corps is looking for people who like to help others. If you have experience working as a volunteer in a hospital, in a canteen, or in the field of education, this is only a plus. The work experience will show that you are a worthy candidate for the position proposed to you.

It does not matter what it is! Do activities that help you acquire the necessary skills to participate in the Peace Corps program! Whatever you do, remember that you must help others. It is the meaning of the volunteer work.

You should look for opportunities to show leadership. If your achievement list has a couple of completed works, where you showed yourself as a leader, you would only increase your chances of being selected for participation in the program. Be sure to include a mention of experience in your application when you have shown yourself as a leader. Perhaps you organized a women's club or some other society or were the head of a school orchestra.

Do a job in which you can show your independence. The Peace Corps appreciates two qualities in its volunteers: the first is independence; the second is the ability to take care of a person.

READ ALSO: Peace corps will bolster Nigerias current security capabilities - Dogara

Nigerian Peace Corps

Now a few words about Nigeria Peace Corps:

- The founder of the Nigerian Peace Corps is Dr. Dickson A.O. Akoh

- The Nigerian Peace Corps has the same aim as the head office to Promote Social and Economic Development. For this purpose, the Members and Volunteers must be involved in the scheme of cooperation with Government, Schools, Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Organizations, and so on. The Nigerian youths should be interested in this activity.

- The membership of The Nigerian Peace Corps ultimately consists of Nigerians. It is open to all young people, men, and women, within the ages from eighteen to thirty-five years old in particular. The youth must be involved independently of their political and social status, ethnic group, and state of origin as well as religion. There are three branches of The Nigerian Peace Corps membership.

Peace Corps' members

Constant Staff Officers

One of the main tasks of The Nigerian Peace Corps is to take assist the youths with the help of the Alternative Employment Scheme for those without any job. The aim is to prevent young people from taking part in some kind of crime and anti-social activities. The Corps organizes the services of the youths with a low academic qualification of Secondary School Certificate Examination. These young men and women, after the special initial training and orientation, receive the status of Staff Officers. They can get monthly stipend paid to the direct recipients of their services.

Volunteers of Peace Corps

The Nigerian Peace Corps also provides specialists to be employed in a variety of fields. They are eager to serve as Volunteers of Peace Corps. They do not get a salary, but they receive an identity card, uniform, kits, T-shirts, and fez-caps. When the Volunteers are involved as resource persons in programs and events, they get the honorarium. The Peace Corps Volunteer Cadre also receives a Form from the National Headquarters or any other of the State Commands, as well as the FCT. Volunteers of Peace Corps should serve as Ambassadors of Peace in their different fields professional activities. They work as mediators between warring parties when it is required according to the Multi-Track Disciplinary Approach to Resolution of Conflict.

Student Membership

According to the PCN laws, membership is voluntary. The Nigerian Peace Corps is open to all students of Educational Institutions. As a rule, you need to fill the application form to confirm the membership in any of the branches. The form is checked and verified by PCN.

The Nigerian Peace Corps has its specific rank scale

The Peace Corps of Nigeria ranks structure

Commandant General

Deputy Commandant General

Assistant Commandant General

Commandant

Deputy Commandant

Assistant Commandant

Chief Superintendent

Superintendent

Deputy Superintendent

Assistant Superintendent 1

Assistant Superintendent 2

Inspector 1

Inspector 2

Inspector 3

Corper Assistant 1

Corper Assistant 2

Corper Assistant 3

Private Corper

As you see, being a member of Peace Corps is an outstanding experience for youths. It is an opportunity to be useful for your country and to help people, as well as a great ability to visit other countries and promote world peace and friendship.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Police arraigns Peace Corps boss in Abuja court

Source: Legit.ng
- Femi Falana has opened up on how Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, blocked late Pope John Paul, from convincing Abacha to release MKO Abiola

- Falana called Al-Mustapha a liar for claiming that he had tapes of how the late MKO Abiola was murdered

- Al-Mustapha claims that some Yoruba leaders know who really killed late Moshood Abiola

Femi Falana has opened up on how former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late head of state, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, blocked late Pope John Paul, from convincing the ex-military head of state from releasing MKO Abiola.

Legit.ng gathered that the Human rights lawyer on Monday, June 12, also called Al-Mustapha a pathological liar for claiming that he had tapes of how the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, was murdered.

READ ALSO: Osinbajo visits Anambra state, blame federal government for ethnic agitation (Photos)

Falana at the June 12 anniversary organised by the Ondo state government said the former CSO was trying to act as if he was nice to Abiola even when he made sure the latter was kept in detention.

When the Pope Paul, visited Nigeria, he had almost persuaded Abacha to free Abiola and other prisoners, Al-Mustapha who was watching the meeting through a CCTV, entered the room and said oga yakari, enough, and that was the end of the meeting.

Secondly, Dr. Falomo, Abiolas personal physician, was allowed by the government to visit Abiola. When Al-Mustapha learned that he was waiting to see Abiola, he got him arrested. He was already taken to Kaduna prison, it took the intervention of Abacha to free Dr. Falomo.

Three, Chief Abiola fell down in the bathroom in one occasion, his legs were swollen and Arch Bishop Tutu confirmed this when he visited, Al-Mustapha did not allow him to have any medical treatment.

If the fellow now comes around saying he was the best friend of the late Chief MKO Abiola, he is a liar, he is now talking because the witness is no longer alive, he said.

Reacting to claims by Al-Mustapha that he had tapes on how Abiola was killed, Falana said the former CSO's claims were not true.

Falana added that Al-Mustapha was feeling guilty conscience over the death of the wife of MKO, Kudirat Abiola following the confessions of Sergeant Jabila Rogers at the Oputa Panel that he was ordered by Mr. Al-Mustapha to kill her.

In a previous report by Legit.ng, Al-Mustapha, revealed that some Yoruba leaders know who really killed late Moshood Abiola.

Al-Mustapha, who was only released from detention some months ago over allegation of being behind the death of Kudirat, the wife of Abiola, categorically said some Yoruba leaders, led by Chief Ayo Opadokun, knew what killed the alleged winner of the election.

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Speaking in Kaduna on Monday, June 12 shortly after he met with stakeholders from the north and the south-easter, Al-Mustapha said the Yoruba leaders received bribe in dollars from killers of MKO Abiola.

Watch as former President Olusegun Obasanjo speaks about Nigeria:

Source: Legit.ng
RACINE  A home on Athens Avenue incurred $3,500 in damage in a fire Monday afternoon, according to a release from the Racine Fire Department.

At about 3:30 p.m., fire crews were called to 5413 Athens Ave. after reports of smoke coming from the homes basement electrical panel. Upon firefighters arrival, all members of the home were accounted for as fire crews searched for and confirmed that fire had not spread beyond the immediate area, according to the release.

No one was injured in the blaze, according to the release. Due to the heavy smoke damage and loss of power, the family will be working with Red Cross for accommodations, fire officials said.

Athens Avenue is located east of Highway 31, south of Washington Avenue and north of 16th Street.

The fires cause remains under investigation remained under investigation as of Monday afternoon.
If youre tired of the simple mundane clothing you wear every day, its time to change your style to something different, something brighter and more colorful.

Ankara tops are just the right choice for this change, as there is a variety of them, and you can always choose one that suits you and your style. If youre not sure, which style of ankara fabric top to choose, here are a few of the most popular of them that you should definitely try.

Find Ankara clothes for the best price on Jiji! Shop for clothes easily in a matter of minutes with the Jiji app!

Ankara tops differ not only in types of fabric and ornaments, but also in the way theyre cut. Look at these tops and decide, which one suits best for your outfit:

1. Ankara blouses

Blouse is a loosely-fit shirt that looks especially great with different types of skirts. Ankara works great with blouses, you can safely wear it with medium-short and short skirts for a more casual look and with long Ankara fabric skirts for any big event. This combination is a great alternative to buying an expensive dress  it looks as elegant and beautiful, yet you dont have to pay as much and you will be able to wear it for every day too.

2. Ankara crop tops

These short tops are definitely a hit of this season. They look playful, colorful, light and fun. Crop tops are an ultimate summer clothes, so you should pair them with mini skirt or short shorts to amplify this lighthearted feeling. Nevertheless, they work with jeans too, so choose whichever outfit you like.

3. Off-shoulder tops

Another playful version of Ankara fabric tops. These tops are great for a night out. Off-shoulder Ankara blouses look great with anything, from jeans and pants to skirts and gowns. With right pairing, they can be made into an evening dress with open shoulders, which is a very elegant, yet flirty outfit.

4. Sleeveless tops

Being sleeveless doesnt really define these tops styles  there are still different variations of them. They can be casual and formal, loose and fitted, but all of them are comfortable and beautiful. They look the best when paired with jeans or pants, but shorts work well with them too.

5. Ankara peplum tops

Peplum tops have confidently occupied their rightful place in Nigerian fashion. Ankara fabric peplum tops are gorgeous, they work great with anything, especially with tube skirts, and you can wear them to both formal events and as a casual outfit  you will still impress everyone around you.

If you want to try one of the Ankara fabric tops, but dont know where to find them, visit an online marketplace. For example, on Jiji, you will find a great selection of both new and used Ankara fabric clothing for the best price.

Visit Jiji to find the clothes of your dreams! Install the Jiji app to follow all the updates and be first to get the most fashionable clothes for the best price!

Source: Legit.ng
UNION GROVE  Area residents packed into the Union Grove Village Board chambers Monday night and clashed over a a call for a pit bull ban.

Jeff Borchardt of East Troy in Walworth County, whose 14-month-old son, Daxton, was mauled to death by his babysitters pit bulls in 2013, made an impassioned plea to the Village Boards Administrative Committee to ban pit bulls in Union Grove. No motion was made Monday regarding drafting such an ordinance. Village Trustee Alan Jelinek said if there is an ordinance up for consideration in the future, there would be a public hearing beforehand.

No other breed needs political action committees, Borchardt said in reference to organizations such as the American Pit Bull Foundation and BADRAP, which seek to change the negative stigma surrounding pit bulls.

Since his sons death, Borchardt started Daxtons Friends for Canine Education & Awareness, an organization to serve the public by providing education about various canine breeds, proper canine safety, as well as by providing emotional support and counseling to victims of canine related incidents, according to its website.

Pit bulls have historically been a topic of debate, with some cities and countries around the globe passing breed-specific legislation, placing restrictions on pit bulls and other breeds dubbed dangerous in an attempt to stop attacks.

Dog supporters

out in force

On Monday, however, the village chambers literally overflowed with pit bull supporters  some had to stand in the doorway and out into the hallway. Protesters and advocates held up No ban for Union Grove signs and spoke in support, including Corey Bloemers..

Union Grove has always been an accepting place, said Jill Davidson, assistant director of Woof Gang Rescue, a volunteer dog rescue organization. If the village decides to ban one breed, where does that stop?

Breed-specific legislation has been found to be largely ineffective by the National Canine Research Council. The NCRC cites countries such as Italy, Netherlands and Spain, all of which have had breed-specific legislation repealed or dubbed unsuccessful.

Still, other cities and countries have continued to pass pit bull bans. Last December, Montreal controversially banned pit bulls to much online backlash.

Megan Starr, a volunteer with Woof Gang Rescue who brought her own pit bull and stood outside the village office passing out no ban signs, said she would fight (the ordinance) tooth and nail should it be considered.

Id move over getting rid of my dogs in a heartbeat, Starr said.

Borchardt said he advocated for current pit bulls being grandfathered in to a possible village ban. The proposed ban, he said, would only restrict future owners. Borchardt also admitted he used to like pit bulls before his son was killed.

I wouldve been with you guys holding those signs in 2013, Borchardt said to the pit bull advocates.

Union Grove already has ordinances in place to regulate vicious animals, so that should be enough, Davidson said.

Any breed can bite, Davidson said. Any breed can attack at any time. No breed as a whole should be punished for what one animal could do.
- President Donald Trump's administration has said that it will reveal Boko Haram plan

- Trump's administration decision to unveil its Boko Haram plan was contained in a notification letter

- The notification was said to be addressed to the congresswoman by the U.S. Department of State

The Donald Trump administration is expected to reveal to lawmakers its five-year plan to address the Boko Haram rebellion in North-east Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, June 13, this is pursuant to a law signed by former U.S. President Barack Obama last December. The law arose from a bill proposed by Congresswoman Fredericka Wilson.

Indication that the Trump administration will unveil its Boko Haram plan that was contained in a notification letter addressed to the congresswoman by the U.S. Department of State.

Trump administration set to release Boko Haram plan

READ ALSO: Fashola asks federal government to extend whistle blowing policy to power sector, gives reasons

Last month, U.S. Senator Susan Collins and Wilson led a bipartisan group of 50 members of Congress in writing to the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defence James Mattis, and Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, requesting an update on their efforts to counter Boko Haram.

In December 2016, legislation introduced by Collins and Wilson was signed into law requiring the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive plan to help the Nigerian government and its partners combat Boko Haram and address the legitimate concerns of affected, vulnerable populations.

Collins and Wilsons legislation, which responded to the terrorist organisations kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria in 2014, directs the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence, and the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a five-year anti-Boko Haram strategy by June 12, 2017.

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While we were encouraged by the release of 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls, it is imperative that we remember that many of the girls remain in captivity along with untold hundreds of other women, men, and children who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram, Collins and Wilson wrote to members of the administration.

We look forward to receiving an update on your efforts to develop an anti-Boko Haram strategy and beginning the process of dismantling Boko Haram and reuniting all of the Chibok schoolgirls with their families.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the chief of the Air Staff (CAS) together with the Branch Chiefs at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday June 13, toured to operational facilities at the Nigerian Air Force Bases in Makurdi and Kainji.

The importance of the visit was to monitor the state of the facilities, most of which are critical to the maintenance of the fighter aircraft being employed in the ongoing counterinsurgency operations against the Boko Haram insurgents and other subversive elements in Nigeria.

Air Marshal Abubakar was said to have found most of the equipment to be in a good condition and commended the personnel for their dedication to duty.

Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of the United States worshiping on the order of President Donald Trump:

Source: Legit.ng
- Legislative aides of federal lawmakers protest over the death of their colleague which they attribute to his inability to pay his hospital bill

- The aides blame the death of their colleagues on the irregular payment of salaries and allowances by the National Assembly Management

- A representative of the Senate president tells the workers that Bukola Saraki will look into the issues raised

A protest by leaders of over three thousand legislative aides of federal lawmakers over the non-payment of salaries and allowances has forced the Senate president, Bukola Sarki to call a meeting with the management of the National Assembly.

READ ALSO: Police chase accomplices of notorious richest kidnapper

The protest by the aides was triggered by the death of their colleague which they attributed to his inability to pay his hospital bill.

The deceased, until his death was an aide to deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Yusuf Lasun.

Their protest was triggered by the death of one of their colleague

He reportedly died after he could not raise the sum of N165,000 to pay for his appendicitis operation.

He was scheduled to undergo surgery on June 5, 2017, his colleagues said.

But Abiodun reportedly died from ruptured appendicitis on June 9 after been unable to raise the funds for the surgery.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

The aides blamed the death of their colleagues on the irregular payment of salaries and allowances by the National Assembly management.

They took their protest to the entrance of the Senate chamber where they accosted Senate president, Bukola Saraki.

The Senate president later mandated his deputy chief of staff, Gbenga Makanjuola to listen to them.

The aggrieved aides where later assured by the representative of the Senate president that the issue would be resolved by Saraki.

See some photos of the protest below:

The aides complained over the irregular payment of salaries and allowances by the National Assembly management

The aides took their protest to the entrance of the Senate chamber

Abiodun reportedly died from ruptured appendicitis on June 9

The aides were assured that their grievances would be attended to

In other news, Senator Dino Melaye has called on the Nigerian Senate to declare a state of emergency in Kogi state following the violence that has occurred in parts of the state.

Legit.ng learnt that Senator Melaye made the call during plenary on Tuesday, June 13, in Abuja.

The senator who represents Kogi west alleged that there was a satanic and wicked manifestation by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state and his cronies against him.

The Melaye said the breakdown of public order in Kogi needed extraordinary effort as a state of emergency, noting that security in Kogi had deteriorated since Bello became governor.

In the video below Charles Oputa popularly called Area Fada led a group of Nigerians to stage a protest on the streets of Lagos against the government.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council called for an Igbo presidency in 2019

- The group said Igbos would leave Nigeria in 2020 if their wishes are not granted

- They insisted they cannot continue to play second fiddle in the country

The Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council has called for an Igbo presidency in 2019 which it describes as the one condition to support One Nigeria and discard the Biafra agitation.

The Punch reports that the youth wing of the apex Igbo group gave this condition in a statement on Tuesday, June 13.

READ ALSO: Police chase accomplices of notorious richest kidnapper

The group spoke after a meeting in Enugu where it insisted that if an Igbo person is not allowed to be president in 2019, the Igbos would leave the country by 2020.

It said its position was informed by the quit notice issued to Igbos in the north insisting that it will not continue to play second fiddle in Nigeria.

The group said: A situation where no Igbo has been allowed close to the seat of power for decades is sheer injustice and hatred, whereas other geopolitical zones have been taking turns either as military or civilian presidents.

More annoying is the fact that the North, a major beneficiary in this direction, has bluntly refused to heed the call for restructuring, which has been identified as the panacea to the many socio-political problems plaguing the nation.

Besides, they (North) have also not only continued to express disdain over the demand for Biafra by IPOB and MASSOB but have also ordered Ndigbo out of the North based on these agitations.

Remember that former President Olusegun Obasanjo have urged Nigerians to beg the Biafra agitators  only a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction will appease Igbos. Otherwise, Biafra agitation will be inevitable.

If there is any conspiracy against Igbo presidency, it will bring Biafra into existence.

One now wonders why Ndigbo will continue to be treated in this manner.

Two days ago, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, re-echoed the fact that Nigeria is in a marriage. He was quoted as saying Our nation has been in marriage for a while now. Sometimes there are quarrels within that marriage. Sometimes there is disagreement. What is important is that you must remain together. You must remain united.

It does appear from the above that Ndigbo has perpetually remained the sacrificial lamb to keep this forced marriage together. They have remained victims of an abusive marriage, often beaten and cheated by the husband.

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We have resolved today that this grave injustice cannot continue.

It is Igbo Presidency in 2019 with a Vice President from the North or nothing.

We are not ready to be treated with levity and disdain in this country any longer, and for that we are calling on all Igbo sons and daughters, both at home and in the Diaspora, to key into this project.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Peoples Movement for a New Nigeria (PMNN) lashed out at the Ohaneze Ndigbo for asking Igbos in the north to defend themselves from attack.

The apex Igbo group had called on Igbos in the north to be vigilant and ready to defend themselves following an ultimatum issued by Arewa youths to them to vacate the region.

PMNN said if Igbos could not defend themselves in their states from killer herdsmen, how would they do it in the north.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nnamdi Kanu speaking about his release and plans for Biafra.

Source: Legit.ng
Synthesizing life at the genetic level has reached new heights, where companies can send DNA sequences to a third party to create organisms from scratch. These organisms can then be fermented and duplicated, and added to products, such as supplements, fragrances and flavors. And, according to Jim Thomas, program director, Etc. Group, companies are using this technology and labeling their products as natural, even though these ingredients were not made in nature.

In this podcast, Thomas and Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief of INSIDER, discuss synthetic biology, a.k.a., GMOs 2.0, as it applies to the supplement industry. They cover:

How synthetic biology works, and why its easier than ever before to obtain synthetic DNA.

Why, according to Thomas, companies who use this technology feel justified in using natural on their labels.

The implications this technology could have on farmers and ecosystem in the natural product supply chain.

Check out the GMOs 2.0 Ingredients Database (Beta Version) at database.synbiowatch.org.

This podcast was recorded in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as part of the annual United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) member retreat. Hear Almendarezs wrap up of the event in the Healthy INSIDER Podcast 74: Supplement Ruminations in Santa Fe. And hear a podcast with UNPA member retreat speaker Peter Reinecke, principal, Reinecke Strategy Solutions in the Healthy INSIDER Podcast 80: Expectations in the New U.S. Political Climate.
GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
PEWAUKEE  President Donald Trump announced Tuesday during a visit to Wisconsin that he and Gov. Scott Walker were negotiating to bring a major, incredible manufacturer to the state.

Trumps second visit to the state this year was to promote apprenticeships and attend a $1,000-per-ticket fundraiser that Walker billed as one of the biggest events weve ever had for a statewide elected official.

During a panel discussion with Walker, cabinet secretaries, students and CEOs, Trump mentioned that he and Walker were negotiating with the manufacturer behind the scenes.

We have a lot of companies moving into the United States and we are negotiating with a lot of companies, Trump said. I think theyre going to give the governor a very happy surprise very soon.

It wasnt immediately clear to which company Trump was referring, but Walker recently traveled to Japan for a trade mission. Trump said the company made phones, computers and televisions.

A Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. spokesman said the agency doesnt comment on pending opportunities.

Walker thanked the president for putting a focus on workforce issues, something the governor raised as the top issue in Wisconsin during a meeting earlier this year with all governors from across the country. He noted Wisconsins unemployment is at its lowest level in 17 years.

We have jobs, Walker said. We need to find more people to fill those jobs.

Just after disembarking from Air Force One, Trump met with four Wisconsin residents  Michael and Tammy Kushman, of Marinette, and Robert and Sarah Stoll, of Burlington  whom he described as victims of Obamacare.

Obamacare is one of the greatest catastrophes that our country has signed into law, Trump said. We will come up with a solution, and a really good one to health care.

Trumps health care replacement plan has passed the House and is moving quietly toward Senate passage, though details of changes to the House bill have not been made public.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, who is considering a run for governor, said the Affordable Care Act has dramatically reduced the ranks of Americans without insurance, established key protections for those with pre-existing health conditions, reduced uncompensated care costs for hospitals and expanded access to preventative health care services.

He said most people want both parties to work together to improve the law, not destroy it.

What the vast majority of us want is to start with the existing Affordable Care Act and make it better, and address what needs improvement, Soglin said.

Tour of Waukesha Tech

Trump toured Waukesha County Technical College with an entourage of White House staff.

Trump toured several training classrooms, including an integrated manufacturing center classroom, with Walker, U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and daughter Ivanka Trump.

Other participants in the panel discussion included White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, of Kenosha, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, Wisconsin Secretary of Workforce Development Ray Allen, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Mark Hogan, Mike Shiels, dean of the WCTC School of Applied Technologies, WCTC board chairwoman Mary Wehrheim, Waukesha School District Superintendent Todd Gray, three students, and the CEOs of Rockwell Manufacturing, Oshkosh Corp., Briggs & Stratton, Mercury Marine and Quad Graphics.

Wisconsin has been at the forefront of creating apprenticeship programs to help workers prepare for technical fields. Its registered apprenticeship model began in 1911 and became a model for the nation. Last year, the program had more than 2,400 participating employers and more than 11,000 participants, a 6 percent increase over 2015, according to the Department of Workforce Development.

Walker has made workforce development a priority since failing by nearly half to make good on his pledge to help create 250,000 jobs in the state during his first term. There are nearly 100,000 job openings in the state.

Walkers signature program has been Wisconsin Fast Forward, which has provided more than $19 million in grants to local businesses supporting more than 18,000 workers. It also has provided $35.4 million to school districts and technical colleges to reduce wait lists in high demand fields, as well as offer employment skills training for persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans.

Mike Rosen, president of the American Federation of Teachers Local 212, called Trumps visit a photo op show and real hypocrisy. Trumps budget proposal cuts workforce training programs by 40 percent, including a $1.5 million cut to Wisconsins $20 million in federal career and technical education grants.

Rosen also criticized Walkers support for eliminating the prevailing wage for public construction projects and project labor agreements, in which local governments require companies bidding on projects to be unionized.

If we want to attract people into the field, the last thing you should be doing when theres a shortage is reducing wages, Rosen said. When there are shortages, the way you address shortages if you use a market mechanism is to raise the price, not to lower them. Theyre moving us in the wrong direction.

Walkers fundraiser

After the tour, Trump attended an early evening fundraiser for Walkers campaign at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Milwaukee where tickets were $1,000 apiece and photos with the president cost an extra $10,000.

Walker told a national conservative talk radio host Monday that he advised Priebus recently that people in Wisconsin and around the country still support Trump, despite polls showing his approval rating sinking into the mid-30s.

People outside of Washington still like his policies, still very much want him to move this country in the right direction, Walker said.

Democrats sought to tie Walker and Trump together, saying Walkers policies of tax cuts and austerity government have benefited the wealthy at the expense of workers.

The one thing President Trump got right about a year ago is when he said Wisconsin is a disaster under Gov. Walker, said Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, referring to the GOP primary campaign.

Though Walker and Trump clashed during the primary, Trump previously supported Walker during his recall campaign and Walker has been a Trump defender during his tumultuous first four months in office.

The visit to Wisconsin is Trumps second since his inauguration. In April, he signed executive orders aimed at helping U.S. workers compete in the global marketplace at Snap-On Tools Inc. in Kenosha. He also visited the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in West Allis in December for a victory tour rally.

State Journal reporter Mark Sommerhauser contributed to this report.
Another Kansas Professor Resigns

Over Campus Carry Law

By Erika Haas. June 8th, 2017

After much "soul-searching," a professor at Wichita State University has decided to resign because of a state law that will soon allow concealed weapons on campus.

In her resignation letter, Deborah Ballard-Reisch, a tenured professor in WSU's Elliott School of Communication, wrote that she has personally experienced gun violence -- she was robbed at gun point in a her own home three years ago -- and does "not feel safe with guns in the classroom."

She added that permitting concealed carry weapons will "dampen open, frank conversation, so necessary for promoting intellectual growth and an informed citizenry" and "put the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff at risk." .......

We reported on the first case last month. So, this professor ''has experienced'' gun violence but seemingly has not seen the potential benefits of being armed, and presumably also favors a gun-free-zone. She further considers guns in the classroom as "putting the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff at risk" - presumably much more so than the potential ''health'' effects from an armed attack on an unarmed classrooom!

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In the latest legal setback for the Trump administration, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Monday (June 12) upheld an earlier decision by a federal judge in Hawaii to block President Donald Trump's executive order known as Muslim Ban 2.0.

Today's unanimous ruling noted, "The President's authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints," but that Trump's revised executive order "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."

The ruling also states: "A reasonable, objective observer - enlightened by the specific historical context, contemporaneous public statements and specific sequence of events leading to its issuance - would conclude that the executive order was issued with a purpose to disfavor a particular religion."

The three judges ruled unanimously that the president's overhauled travel ban "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress" under federal immigration law, because the executive order did not contain "a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality."

According to the ABC News, at the heart of the 9th Circuit opinion Monday is the panel's determination that the president failed to show in his executive order that there were specific national security justifications for excluding nationals of the six designated Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen).

The circuit court also held that Trump failed in the executive order to "reveal any threat or harm to warrant suspension of [refugee admissions] for 120 days and does not support the conclusion that the entry of refugees in the interim time period would be harmful."

As in previous rulings, the appeals panel cited remarks by Trump that seemed to contradict his administration's attorneys, who had argued that the order, despite the president's rhetoric, was narrow in scope and not discriminatory in nature. They went on to cite the president's most recent tweet on the ban, from June 5:

"That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!"

Interestingly, in a filing with the Supreme Court Monday, the plaintiffs in the Maryland case argued that the controversy is about to become moot because the entry ban was meant to last for only 90 days and that period ends two days from now.

White House remains defiant

In the face of yet another courtroom defeat, the White House remained defiant. Press secretary Sean Spicer dismissed the ruling, and said the White House remained confident it would be vindicated by the Supreme Court.

"Frankly, I think any lawyer worth their salt 100 percent agrees that the president is fully within his rights and his responsibilities to do what is necessary to protect the country," Spicer told reporters at the White House. "I think we can all attest that these are very dangerous times and we need every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed to press the Supreme Court to take up the issue. He also denied that the travel ban has any relation to religion.

"President Trump's Executive Order is well within his lawful authority to keep the Nation safe. We disagree with the Ninth Circuit's decision to block that authority," Sessions said in a statement Monday evening. "The President was clear in his landmark speech in Saudi Arabia: this is not about religion; it is about national security ... Unfortunately, this injunction prevents the President from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall."

4th Circuit Court

It may be recalled, on May 25, a federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, refused to lift a nationwide injunction that halted a key provision of President Donald Trump's revised travel ban on six Muslim nations.

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When Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, the only real surprise to me was the question of why didn't they do it sooner? It seemed long overdue, but that was my anti-Establishment bias in me at work, so I was grateful and appreciative of this distinction. It didn't surprise me (well, maybe a little?) when he declined to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremony. This lecture makes amends for not flying to Stockholm, and it was released only 8 days ago with little fanfare. I am honored to be the first to present it on OpEdNews.

He begins the lecture with a long and reverential reference to Buddy Holley, whose music he heard live a few days before his plane went down:

I wanted to learn this music and meet the people who played it. Eventually, I did leave, and I did learn to play those songs. They were different than the radio songs that I'd been listening to all along. They were more vibrant and truthful to life. With radio songs, a performer might get a hit with a roll of the dice or a fall of the cards, but that didn't matter in the folk world. Everything was a hit. All you had to do was be well versed and be able to play the melody. Some of these songs were easy, some not. I had a natural feeling for the ancient ballads and country blues, but everything else I had to learn from scratch. I was playing for small crowds, sometimes no more than four or five people in a room or on a street corner. You had to have a wide repertoire, and you had to know what to play and when. Some songs were intimate, some you had to shout to be heard.

As his thoughts drifted on to folk music and its impact:

You know what it's all about. Takin' the pistol out and puttin' it back in your pocket. Whippin' your way through traffic, talkin' in the dark. You know that Stagger Lee was a bad man and that Frankie was a good girl. You know that Washington is a bourgeois town and you've heard the deep-pitched voice of John the Revelator and you saw the Titanic sink in a boggy creek. And you're pals with the wild Irish rover and the wild colonial boy. You heard the muffled drums and the fifes that played lowly. You've seen the lusty Lord Donald stick a knife in his wife, and a lot of your comrades have been wrapped in white linen. I had all the vernacular down. I knew the rhetoric. None of it went over my head -- the devices, the techniques, the secrets, the mysteries -- and I knew all the deserted roads that it traveled on, too. I could make it all connect and move with the current of the day. When I started writing my own songs, the folk lingo was the only vocabulary that I knew, and I used it.

He has a comparatively long soliloquy on Moby Dick, which would appear to be the most important of his literary references.

He then moves on to All Quiet on the Western Front and his rhapsodic pacifist extrapolations are quite moving:

Once upon a time you were an innocent youth with big dreams about being a concert pianist. Once you loved life and the world, and now you're shooting it to pieces.Day after day, the hornets bite you and worms lap your blood. You're a cornered animal. You don't fit anywhere. The falling rain is monotonous. There are endless assaults, poison gas, nerve gas, morphine, burning streams of gasoline, scavenging and scabbing for food, influenza, typhus, dysentery. Life is breaking down all around you, and the shells are whistling. This is the lower region of hell. Mud, barbed wire, rat-filled trenches, rats eating the intestines of dead men, trenches filled with filth and excrement. Someone shouts, "Hey, you there. Stand and fight." Who knows how long this mess will go on? Warfare has no limits. You're being annihilated, and that leg of yours is bleeding too much. You killed a man yesterday, and you spoke to his corpse. You told him after this is over, you'll spend the rest of your life looking after his family. Who's profiting here? The leaders and the generals gain fame, and many others profit financially. But you're doing the dirty work. One of your comrades says, "Wait a minute, where are you going?" And you say, "Leave me alone, I'll be back in a minute." Then you walk out into the woods of death hunting for a piece of sausage. You can't see how anybody in civilian life has any kind of purpose at all. All their worries, all their desires -- you can't comprehend it. More machine guns rattle, more parts of bodies hanging from wires, more pieces of arms and legs and skulls where butterflies perch on teeth, more hideous wounds, pus coming out of every pore, lung wounds, wounds too big for the body, gas-blowing cadavers, and dead bodies making retching noises. Death is everywhere. Nothing else is possible. Someone will kill you and use your dead body for target practice. Boots, too. They're your prized possession. But soon they'll be on somebody else's feet.

He ends with a stirring homage to Homer and to the Odyssey:

When Odysseus in The Odyssey visits the famed warrior Achilles in the underworld -- Achilles, who traded a long life full of peace and contentment for a short one full of honor and glory -- tells Odysseus it was all a mistake. "I just died, that's all." There was no honor. No immortality. And that if he could, he would choose to go back and be a lowly slave to a tenant farmer on Earth rather than be what he is -- a king in the land of the dead -- that whatever his struggles of life were, they were preferable to being here in this dead place. That's what songs are too. Our songs are alive in the land of the living. But songs are unlike literature. They're meant to be sung, not read. The words in Shakespeare's plays were meant to be acted on the stage. Just as lyrics in songs are meant to be sung, not read on a page. And I hope some of you get the chance to listen to these lyrics the way they were intended to be heard: in concert or on record or however people are listening to songs these days. I return once again to Homer, who says, "Sing in me, oh Muse, and through me tell the story."

The lecture ends, and the might words of Robert Zimmerman go on and on, unlike T.S. Eliot's Mermaids on the Beach: They never stop singing to me!

Special thanks to the Nobel Prize Committee and the Nobel Foundation for publishing Dylan's immortal lecture and for the Prize itself.

>>>>>

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"We are in the midst of a profound change of paradigms: from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network. Rob Kall has interviewed many of the leaders, both thinkers and activists, of this global cultural transformation. In this eminently readable book, he weaves their statements, values, and ideas into a coherent and inspiring whole. Bottom-Up is a joy to read!"



Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life and The Hidden Connections, coauthor of The Systems View of Life
I watched this entire uber-historic meeting of Donald Trump's Presidential Cabinet. A truly amazing meeting.

First of all-- get it out of the way-- I must disagree with comparisons to Kim Jong-Un, who is a bloodthirsty killer. HIS cabinet and military all know he might give orders to have them liquidated any time, for any thing.

Trump isn't even THAT crazy, though quite as amoral.

And he doesn't begin to have a killer's brass cojones. Never killed anybody in any more intimate way than ordering a cruise missile strike.

Trump would have been eaten by the Gambinos if he hadn't played along with them in New York when he was a builder there.

By the way, if you didn't see it, the Mafia has warned ISIS to stay away from New York, or they'll have to fight the Mob. The Mafia spokesman(!), a distant relative of Carlo Cambino and son of John Gambino, says they can guard New York better than the government because they have the "human intelligence" on the ground.

So far, General Mattis is going to emerge from this with his reputation intact. Maybe none of the rest of these sycophants will.

Well, I don't want hawks running my foreign policy, and Mattis is a hawk. I don't know that Russia and China want to talk with a hawk, should he suddenly be playing even a larger role in leading America than he presently is.

But I got to say, if there is another US government and Presidential Administration after this one (after all, democracy is truly at risk in the US), I want Mattis to be part of that Administration. Might as well have an honest man I don't agree with than a yes-man or yes-woman (Betsy DeVos practically bought her Cabinet seat) who'll promise me something that will not be delivered.

In fact, it is time for General Colin Powell to come out of retirement. Powell for President in 2020, unless Bernie or someone like him (Kamala Harris?) is running. Powell will ask for help, and understand it when it is offered, unlike Trump, who doesn't begin to have the requisite experience for being President, who has never run anything but a private, family-held corporation.

COLIN POWELL. Enough time has elapsed since he was fooled, partly by his own patriotism, partly by a pack of misinformation told by liars, into first declining to run for President and then taking the top Cabinet job for a far, far lesser man, and then being on the wrong side of the decision to invade Iraq, that he will be able to explain it to the American people.

He would be the most credible candidate the Republican Party has run since George H.W. Bush, please pardon me Robert Dole, and that's a long, long time.

Running as a moderate conservative-- or, just a moderate, I think he can avoid getting caught up in the "more-conservative-than-thou" ideological factionalism in both People and Congress-- he might expect to be at least a match for a bright and economic-third-path climate-and renewable-energy-oriented, democratic socialist of any age.

Bernie really isn't THAT far to the left, but he's at least on the left side of the political spectrum, and that spectrum has been wholesale shifting to the right ever since the Reagan Administration and the first major moves toward deregulation; hence, he stands out.

But Powell must be acknowledged to be the only Republican of real gravitas who has remained completely above the Trump fray. I'm hard put to think of anyone not totally in the grip of The Race For What's Left* (of the complete expenditure for profit of all planetary non-renewable resources) with that gravitas.

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No Master No Slave

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Warning! Before proceeding to even review further, you are about to be exposed to information that the majority of the gaggle you know may not be ready for. If you are fidgety like a chicken or sheepish like most any institutionalized group, move along.

Now here is the death sentence, a sentence the likes of which has gotten people killed for millennia than any other: there is no God as monotheistic systems dictate.

Apparently, most people are killed right about when they say 'there is no God"' and they do not finish the sentence and so most people only hear the half. There is the potential that any monotheistic interpretation of God is correct, but there is not only that potential, for God is limitless. Limitlessness is not limited to just one interpretation. The idea of monotheism is actually entirely silly if you examine monotheistic religious constructs as an idea for a moment.

God is limitless, monotheism limits God to a certain quantity with specific qualities. The idea that monotheism is spiritual is also ridiculous, though hardly funny, for monotheism breaks the Spiritual Golden Rule. Your own path is your own path, only. Dictating how others proceed breaks the spiritual golden rule.

The Golden Rule is essentially do no harm to others and treat others mutually respectfully and compassionately. The Spiritual Golden Rule extends the same understanding to allowing others to pursue spirituality however they see fit. The Spiritual Golden Rule implies we have to openly distribute spiritual information of humanity to all humanity.

Spiritual Golden Rule: Do no spiritual harm. You shall not force spirituality, religion, or dogma on others. Treat all pathways to the peak with kindness, so long as it is a practice embracing The Golden Rule.

We ought to teach people spirituality and not enforce religion, and dogma. And at the very least we need to allow others to explore spirituality and individuation openly.

Monotheism breaks the Spiritual Golden Rule. We all can climb to the mountaintop using our own route. Dictating otherwise is wrong, is harsh, and causes harshness.

There is no outside intelligent being watching over the entirety of creation. God is creation, creation is God. God is the intelligence inside of creation. God is an intelligence emanating from all creation, not an overlooking entity beyond creation, but creation itself, here and beyond. The intelligence imbued in all of creation is God. God is everywhere.

The intelligence of God is energy. Everything is energy, the most outstanding loving energy coursing through everything and all of us, uniting everything. There is no detectable God, but there is godliness, and this godliness, this holy wholeness, is expansive both inwardly and outwardly. God is energy both cosmic and atomic, here and now, but there is no God as monotheism most ardently puts forth, there is no outside intelligence in charge, there is rather intelligence/godliness everywhere charged.

God is the underlying, unifying, unspeakable intelligence that connects you to everything. God is not an outside entity, but holiness, wholeness, the purity of entirety. God is energy, the energy of expansion, the energy of all knowing and all loving intelligence. What most call God is godliness, knowingness, lovingness and expansion. While most religions and monotheism bases itself on one God, they are wrong completely there is no one God, but there is one infinite god, there is infinity God. God is infinite energy. If you believe that you know God, you really do not, if you seek to know you God, you really might.

Of course, I could be totally wrong about this. There very well might be the exact figure you believe in as God. God is limitless and timeless and beyond our understanding, like energy. So indeed I don't know. I do know limiting God to one form, limiting God to one interpretation, ensures that the interpretation will be wrong and potentiates that the interpretation will be used for wrong.

God is infinite, not finite. Simply put, God is capable of being in infinite forms in a singular moment, thus every speck of dust in the universe has a God as the Hindu traditions sometimes celebrate. American Indian traditions and cultures elsewhere also celebrate the idea that the center of the universe can be in your heart and the mountaintop. This does not negate supreme creator God consciousness, but more importantly does not rule out that some systems which claim God are very much not operating in line with godliness, and walking in the dark rather than the light, in stagnation of godliness and disconnection, instead of amplification of godliness and connection.

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UK-based Carl Barat & the Jackals have just released a music video for "Sister", a track off their upcoming EP Harder They Fall.

This marks the band's most recent material since 2015 debut Let It Reign, that brought us favorites like "Glory Days" and "March of the Idle." It was an album that received generally favorable reviews but sorely missed it's due, as we consider it one of the best solo works to come from a Libertine. Barat is harsh around the edges whereas co-frontman Pete Doherty is much softer, using words to pierce his listeners instead of battling guitars.

The Libertines frontman had prior taken a break from fronting the Jackals to focus on the Libertines reunion and subsequent shows in 2015. However, with Doherty gearing up to release another solo album and bassist John Hassall prepares to release his first album with new band The April Rainers, it seems Carl Barat & the Jackals have reunited for the time being. Is there any hope for a new Libertines record, then, you ask? "We're looking to bed in together," Barat told NME. "We want to get our own place, which is a bit of a long and convoluted project. There's a lot of planning and maybes which I can't say too much about, but we're looking at getting our own factory."



Speaking of the Jackals' sound, Barat told NME: ""With The Jackals, I can get a lot heavier stuff under the radar than with The Libertines. I look for that, to do something different. There's no point having the same band twice with one of them little and one of them massive  like a penny farthing. There's a different chemistry and the boys are from a heavier music background so it's great to let rip a little. We've toyed with different directions but we want to keep it organic and free."

The video for "Sister" shows Barat and the band star alongside a cast that includes the Skinner Brothers, who hail from Barat's hometown in Hampshire, UK. The song is a guitar-driven descent into organized chaos, with Barat yelling the chorus ("Everybody's wasted") into the mic over and over.

Barat recently spoke about the concept behind the video as well: "We [The Jackals] grew up in small British rural towns and all felt alienated with no sense of belonging. The videos for 'Sister' and 'Burning Cars' [which will be released on May 26] allude to that feeling of being  isolated, lonely and trapped and for a lot of people its an accepted norm to feel that way."

Find Carl Barat & the Jackals on Twitter, Facebook or official website.



Harder They Fall is out May 26 - pre-order it here.
When you think of a dinner party, you don't usually think of hard guitar.

The guys of Vast Robot Armies are here to tell you otherwise. After premiering boisterous hard-rock banger "Dinner Music" on IMPOSE, the Toronto rockerslead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Jason Thomson and John Agee, guitarist/bassist Joseph Wells, and percussionist Chris Metcalfare getting set to take on the world, as their name might very well suggest. If any band can save us from the coming robot invention, it's probably these rockers from the Great White North.



We caught up with the band to talk about "Dinner Music," dinner parties with dead heroes, and their very torrid origin story.

How did the premiere with IMPOSE come about? Did they reach out to you?

The IMPOSE premiere came about by ways of our Publicist Adam Bentley at Auteur Research. Adam has been working with us for over 4 years now. I first met him when I released our Debut record "Goodnight Myopia" in 2013.

Adam deserves the credit for making the connection with IMPOSE who were kind enough to show enthusiasm with our record and premiere the first single "Dinner Music".

When I think of a dinner party, the music is relatively relaxed; how do you reconcile the very hard rock sound

in "Dinner Music" with that image?

Well, that's the thing with the song and it's title. I was a party/dinner party when one of my friends uttered the phrase. I was in a ironic setting, and for some reason it really just stuck with me in that moment. When I listen and think about some of the theme's on this record there is a bit of a thread or at least themes of aging and certain check points in life. When my friend made that comment I kind of drifted off right there at the table and started thinking about how people really had music as a big part of their family dinner/gatherings and then the memories of being much younger and out with my friends in my suburban neighborhood, doing whatever, and that was cool. So long as I was home by "dinner time". The phrase my friend said kind of took me far away, for like 2 mins.

So I excused myself. Grabbed a guitar and hammered out the bones to the song with those thoughts running through my head. The groove of the verses gave it playful base I thought at the time, and the chorus pay-off (which really wasn't fully realized until John Agee put his vocals to the song) sat really well as a juxtaposition. So the song title *(which in theory was a "working" title really felt at home with the music in an ironic way.

How did the band form?

The band initially started with me as a one man band. In Feb 2013 I went to Chicago to work with Allen Epley & Eric Abert at their studio Electronical, on the record "Goodnight Myopia". I had 10 songs demoed and wanted to try and record them in a proper setting with me playing all the instruments. Aside from me realizing I'm not great bass player (Eric Abert played bass on half the record).

After that record was done. I realized, that though a solid record, it really missed the organic and natural life that came from a band recording a record together. As luck and fate would have it. Shortly after the release of my record, a guy named John Agee made a quick acknowledgement of it on social media. Which was funny, because I had just become a big fan of John's Missouri based band "Sundiver". At the time i was sitting on 4-5 demos for the next record (Little Creatures) and I thought "Fuck it. I'm going to reach out to this dood and see if he's into collaborating on stuff." It turns out he was as big of a fan of what i was doing, as i was of what he was doing. So the conversation quickly evolved from collaborating, to him asking his other guitarist in Sundiver, Joseph Wells, if he was into working on this next record. Joe was in as well.

So over the next 6-7 months I would send demos of song and they would put their spins and vocals on them until we had 10 solid tunes. They came up to Toronto for a 5 day "meet and rehearse" session, in which all kinds of hell broke loose. But that was great as it made us become a band that much faster. When it came time to record "Little Creatures" in 2015, I decided I was done with being the drummer in bands (that's my background) and thought the record would be far better served with a better drummer. That's when our Producer Allen suggested we enlist his drummer from The Life and Times, Chris Metcalf to play drums. Chris was into it. So we all met in Chicago. Rehearsed (basically learned the songs together) for 2 days, and then made that record over the next 8.

With that blueprint established, it made it easier for this last record to follow a similar working structure. It also makes it really interesting and challenging as we are so spread out, that once we are all together we get to focus solely on the task at hand.

Have you started work on any new projects since "Dinner Music?"

During the course of demoing "Dinner Music" I scored a feature film called Elsewhere NY which was an amazing experience as I grew up as a fan of cool movie scores. I'm also almost halfway through demoing the follow up to "Dinner Music."

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F17553767_1266725596775634_66005289509405498_n.jpg%3Foh%3De2ac6e300ed3e01766a5cd25a41496e6%26oe%3D599C280F&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net&s=217&h=dd41abf2b9b5867817df45c2deaa402fecfb9f2824c9dcb90df5687378ef96cc&size=980x&c=156330884 image-library="0" caption="" pin_description="" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fv%252Ft1.0-9%252F17553767_1266725596775634_66005289509405498_n.jpg%253Foh%253De2ac6e300ed3e01766a5cd25a41496e6%2526oe%253D599C280F%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fscontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net%26s%3D217%26h%3Ddd41abf2b9b5867817df45c2deaa402fecfb9f2824c9dcb90df5687378ef96cc%26size%3D980x%26c%3D156330884%22%7D" expand=1 photo_credit="via Facebook"] via Facebook

Your following is still relatively small; how does the current musical landscape look for a small rock band still

starting out?

The thing about our following is it's incredibly loyal and informed, and it's comprised with some of our peers (guys like Jordon Zadorozny from Blinker The Star and Allen from The Life and Times). Sure I'd love a scenario that sees us with 10K plus fans on Facebook or what have you, but I feel really fortunate to have the base we do, in that I talk to almost all of them and they turn me onto great music. The fact we don't tour definitely cuts into out numbers and makes spreading the word a bit more of a challenge. But I feel the fact we have the fans do speak volumes about the opportunity technology has provided us and the quality of our music.

Tell me about the Toronto rock scene as you've experienced it.

The Toronto rock scene, as I've witnessed it is very vibrant and full of talented bands. I do feel there is sometimes a bit of Canadian nonplussed attitude at live shows sometimes. But the music, and musicians are inspired.

As you continue to grow, where do you want to take Vast Robot Armies?

As we grow, i just want to create more music and deeper footprint with our catalogue. I am figuring out ways to add performing/touring into the mix. it s tough as the band is based in 2 countries and 3 cities (Chris in Chicago), me (in Toronto) and John and Joe (in Kansas City, Missouri)

And why the name? It's very....idiosyncratic.

The name came by way of the show Futurerama. There was a line that referenced Vast Robot Armies. It was one of those moments where you hear something in the distance and your mind goes and extrapolates counterpoint or relatable analogies. The concept of how automated our everyday lives are becoming makes an analogy with the band name, in that our everydays lives are impacted by vast robot armies. Whether they be big manufacturing warehouses or the tiny computer boards running your phone or car.

Name five people, living or dead, that you would invite to a dinner party and why.

Paul McCartney, because I'd like to hear his stories, especially the ones where it started going to shit with The Beatles and he was about to branch off on his own.

My deceased Grandfathers, as i never got a chance to talk with them in any capacity and would have loved to. Especially as an adult.

Christopher Walken. Just to hear him order food.

John Bonham. For THAT evening out, and to talk drums.

My band. Because I don't see them nearly enough.

Follow Vast Robot Armies on Facebook and Twitter.

E.R. Pulgar is a music writer, poet, image-maker, and once cried reading Virginia Woolf. Follow him on Twitter.

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June may be the best month of the year - temperatures soar above 90, the city's energy is palpable, and Netflix brings back some of their best shows. Sounds like a win/win all around, right?

So for those of us who like to stay in along with our AC these days, we've compiled a list of all of the films and TV coming to the streaming service this month. Orange is the New Black fans will be pleased to find out season 5 is now available, continuing the storylines that shocked us all last time around. Scandal, Arrow, and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are just some of the few series making their highly anticipated return to Netflix. Some other not-so-new but always oh-so-good gems include 13 Going On 30 - I can safely say I've already binge-watched it twice - and the critically acclaimed The Stanford Prison Experiment.

Here are some of this month's highlights, including what you'll be streaming all summer long:

13 Going On 30 (June 1)

Some consider this the best rom-com of the past decade. They're not wrong. The 2004 Gary Winick-directed film brought us one of Jennifer Garner's most genuine performances, as she's suddenly faced with being thirty, flirty and thriving way before she anticipated it. Not only is it one of the most comforting, feel-good films to hang out to, the soundtrack is equal parts amazingly curated and executed in all it's glory (Michael Jackson, Pat Benatar and Madonna are just some of the highlights). Bonus: Mark Ruffalo. Always.

Orange Is the New Black: Season 5 (June 9)

The last season of Orange is the New Black shocked us all into caps-lock tweeting about it for months. Now, the story continues, picking up right where it left off with an unexpected character death and the aftermath that remains. Beloved stars Uzo Aduba, Laura Prepon, and Dascha Polanco make their on-screen return. TV Guide has already written a shockpiece indicating we're not ready for this season whatsoever.

Scandal: Season 6 (June 16)

Scandal captured our hearts since it's premiere, and now it's time to come to terms with the fact that it's story is almost over. The president of ABC confirmed that Shonda Rimes' political drama will come to an end next year with it's seventh season. "Shonda has decided the series needs to come to a close, and while this is definitely a bittersweet moment for all of us gladiators, I have no doubt what she has in store for the final season will be as powerful as what's come before, and we will be sure to honor that every step of the way," Dungey said. However, it's sixth season has so far delivered all the juiciness we regularly tune in for.

The Stanford Prison Experiment (June 16)

This Kyle Patrick Alvarez-directed film made headlines for it's depiction of the controversial psychological experiment that took place at Stanford University in 1971. Students played the role of prisoners or security guards under the supervision of psychology professor Philip Zimbardo before things quickly get out of hand. It features strong performances from Jack Kilmer, Ezra Miller and Billy Crudup. Not an easy watch, but a good one.

June 1

1 Night (2016)

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Amor.com (Love.com)

Arrow: Season 5 (2016)

Burlesque (2017)

Catfight (2016)

Catwoman (2004)

Chingo Bling: They Can't Deport Us All

Days of Grace (2011)

Devil's Bride (2016)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Intersection: Season 2 (2016)

Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson (2016)

Little Boxes (2016)

Mutant Busters: Season 2 (2016)

My Left Foot (1989)

Off Camera with Sam Jones: Series 3 (2015)

Playing It Cool (2014)

Rounders (1998)

Spring (Primavera) (2016)

The 100: Season 4 (2016)

The Ant Bully (2006)

The Bucket List (2007)

The Queen (2006)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Vice (2015)

West Coast Customs: Season 3 (2013)

Yarn (2016)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Zodiac (2007)

June 2

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 5, Part 2 (2016)

Flaked: Season 2  Netflix Original

Inspector Gadget: Season 3  Netflix Original

Los Ultimos de Filipinas (2016)

Lucid Dream  Netflix Original Film

Saving Banksy (2014)

The Homecoming: Collection (2015)

June 3

Acapulco La vida va (2017)

Blue Gold: American Jeans (2017)

Headshot (2016)

Three (2016)

Tunnel (2016)

War on Everyone (2016)

June 4

Turn Washington's Spies: Season 3 (2016)

June 5

Suite Francaise (2014)

June 7

Disturbing the Peace (2016)

Dreamworks' Trolls (2016)

June 9

My Only Love Song: Season 1  Netflix Original

Orange Is the New Black: Season 5  Netflix Original

Shimmer Lake  Netflix Original Film

June 10

Black Snow (Nieve Negra) (2017)

Daughters of the Dust (1991)

Havenhurst (2017)

Sword Master (2016)

June 13

Oh, Hello On Broadway  Netflix Original

June 14

Quantico: Season 2 (2016)

June 15

Marco Luque: Tamo Junto  Netflix Original

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 4 (2016)

Mr. Gaga: A True Story of Love and Dance (2015)

June 16

Aquarius: Season 2 (2016)

Counterpunch  Netflix Original

El Chapo: Season 1 (2017)

The Ranch: Part 3  Netflix Original

World of Winx: Season 2  Netflix Original

June 16

Grey's Anatomy: Season 13 (2016)

Scandal: Season 6 (2016)

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

June 18

Shooter: Season 1 (2016)

June 20

Amar Akbar & Tony (2015)

Disney's Moana (2016)

Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time  Netflix Original

June 21

Baby Daddy: Season 6 (2017)

Young & Hungry: Season 5 (2017)

June 23

American Anarchist (2016)

Free Rein: Season 1  Netflix Original

GLOW: Season 1  Netflix Original

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press  Netflix Original

You Get Me  Netflix Original Film

June 26

No Escape (2015)

June 27

Chris D'Elia: Man on Fire  Netflix Original

June 28

Okja  Netflix Original Film

June 30
[Note: the following opinion is entirely the editor's own. Read at your own discretion.]

Last Friday, the world awoke to news that Taylor Swift's entire discography had returned to streaming services in celebration of 10 million global sales of 1989.

Swift had pulled her music from streaming in 2014, starting a war with Spotify with disputes and claims that the platform did not pay it's artists enough. "I'm not willing to contribute my life's work to an experiment that I don't feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music," she said in an interview with Yahoo at the time. (This statement is surely questionable, as Swift herself has been accused of making it impossible for freelance photographers to make a living with a harsh photo policy that prevents them from using images taken of her more than once, but I digress.)

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fimage%2Fthumb%2FMusic5%2Fv4%2F15%2F04%2Fbe%2F1504befe-8ec2-69c6-f6d0-e22dc6ec3909%2Fsource%2F1200x630bb.jpg&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fis4-ssl.mzstatic.com&s=986&h=767086d2b9dc5747d0d3f662117a4f52bbe4993e0a6859c920a0c2ffc990cd22&size=980x&c=2635733833 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fimage%252Fthumb%252FMusic5%252Fv4%252F15%252F04%252Fbe%252F1504befe-8ec2-69c6-f6d0-e22dc6ec3909%252Fsource%252F1200x630bb.jpg%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fis4-ssl.mzstatic.com%26s%3D986%26h%3D767086d2b9dc5747d0d3f662117a4f52bbe4993e0a6859c920a0c2ffc990cd22%26size%3D980x%26c%3D2635733833%22%7D" caption="" pin_description="" image-library="0" expand=1 photo_credit=""]

Now, every Swift album from her 2006 self-titled to 2014's 1989 is available via Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play. It was hailed as a revolutionary move - Swift had reentered herself into the world of pop culture without saying as much as a word. Forbes called it "her most brilliant move yet."

In the midst of the 2016 election, more celebrities than ever got involved in the conversation taking place. Beyonce and Jay-Z joined Hillary Clinton in Cleveland. Katy Perry worked hard to generate interest in voting with her millennial audience by joining in Clinton campaign rallies. George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Madonna are only a few names of a long list of celebrities that endorsed the presidential candidate most obviously fit for this country.

So why did Swift keep quiet? Her one and only acknowledgement of the election was this vague Instagram of her hitting the voting polls:

This isn't to say that a celebrity's place is in the political sphere - hell, if I had it my way, we wouldn't have a celebrity best known for firing people on a reality TV series as our president at all. There is no obligation whatsoever that comes with having your name in headlines that requires you to voice your political beliefs. However, it is the nature of Swift's silence that is most disturbing - for someone who profits off "feminism" (while still publicly feuding with another successful woman, Katy Perry) and all that entails, why keep quiet about an election that affects the entire world in and of itself? It's surprising that someone who advocates equal rights for women as much as Swift does had nothing to say about 45's public "grabbing" comments, or the allegations of sexual abuse.

"Who is Taylor Swift voting for?" was one of the highest searched queries of the 2016 campaign season, according to the Daily Beast. Why does it matter so much? Well, to be honest, it doesn't. Now that we know what we know (we had no chance of a non-biased, sans-voter-fraud election anyway), it wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference whether or not Swift spoke out to her millions upon millions of fans. But the indisputable fact that she didn't still keeps me, a Latinx immigrant woman, incapable of listening to Swift's music without being reminded of everything she did not say.

The platform Swift stands on is her biggest asset as well as her biggest downfall. It's an asset because she has the power to influence change - she already did so, with her public letter to Apple Music that made them re-evaluate their artist payments. It's her biggest downfall because she does not use it. With the ability to reach a significant number of the world's population at her disposal, it's disconcerting that the only thing Swift is interested in is self-promo - and that is something we will not forget.

Taylor, we will not forget your silence because it proves that you didn't find it important or beneficial enough to yourself to say anything at all. We will not forget your silence because, believe it or not, a big majority of your fanbase includes immigrant, disabled, and LGBTQ+ kids who look up to you for your voice, who were bulled into that same silence without choice by the many, many offensive remarks made by 45 against their communities. We will not forget your silence because while the world burned, you pretended like it wasn't.




Priority: Well-being

While the whole world is celebrating World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14, which is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin alo Read moreIntegrate diabetes education into workplaces and schools
PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 15:39:40

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17 HK-listed corporates together with Capital Market Elites gathered at the event;For business opportunities and Leaping into Investment Golden AgeHONG KONG, June 13, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Bo Cai Jing, the Investor Relations brand under Greater-China professional Financial Communications and Investor Relations Consultancy LBS Communications Consulting Limited ("LBS Communications") partnered China leading media, CNFOL Limited ("CNFOL"), and cooperated with Gelonghui, Sina Finance, and Yuediaoyan successfully organized its second "Good Fortune" series Investor Summit in Shenzhen Jinmao Shenzhen JW Marriott Hotel on June 1, 2017, followed by the Roadshow Week. The Summit and Roadshow Week enabled investors to explore opportunities for leaping into the new investment era.A number of important guests were invited to make speeches at the event. Senior Vice President of China Customer Relations and Marketing Department of Hong Kong Stock Exchange Mr. Joe Zhou presented an In-depth analysis of the interconnection between the two places how they gradually integrate into the "common market". Vice President of Gelonghui Mr Ren Min shared thoughts on three hot topics in the capital markets, including the impact of overseas investors on the market, the significance of Southbound Investment and shortselling. Investment Director of Dongxing Securities (Hong Kong) Asset Management Co., Ltd. Mr. Aaron Yeung, Managing Director of WanHai Securities Mr. Howard Zheng, and Investment Manager and writer Mr. He Min analyzed trends, updates and experiences related to capital markets.17 benchmark companies from the Hong Kong capital market including Anta Sports(02020.hk), Lifetech Scientific (01302.hk), First Cap GP (01269.hk), Kingdee Int'l (00268.hk), Huiyuan Juice (01886.hk), Q Tech (01478.hk), HMV Digit China (08078.hk), Modern Dental (03600.hk), BJ Properties (00925.hk), Anton Oilfield (03337.hk), Perfect Group (03326.hk), New Ray Medic (06108.hk), Silver Base (00886.hk), ShenzhenExpress (00548.hk), Tsaker Chem (01986.hk) and Wai Chi Hold (01305.hk) were invited to join Bo Cai Jing Roadshow Week. Participating firms shared great times together and Sina Finance was responsible for on-site live broadcasting.Ms. Joanne Chan, Managing Director of LBS Communications Consultants Limited, commented in an interview, "Our Shenzhen Investor Summit 2016 received high recognition from the market and our event returned with pride in 2017. We up-scaled our event by inviting a larger group of capital market experts and more Hong Kong stocks listed companies to participate. Just as Mr. Charles Li, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, commented earlier, China's global allocation of assets will be the future trend, Hong Kong is committed to becoming the next phase of the common market linking China and the world. Upon the general trend of interconnection between China and Hong Kong, we are glad seeing our clients and outstanding listed companies actively interacting with China and Hong Kong investment elites. We also hope that the investment values of quality listed companies will be explored, to create two-way communication, and to achieve win-win situation! "As the sponsor of the LBS Investor Summit, the recognition received by guests and media was well reflected through the successful completion of the event. By leveraging the rich public communications and investor relations experience accumulated over the past years serving Hong Kong and overseas companies, LBS Communications has established a huge investor database covering Hong Kong, China and many other regions to effectively promote the information exchange. Hong Kong stock market has entered the prospering age, global investors all eyed on Greater China, in addition to the concept of the new economy, the key to success is to grasp long-term investment values from a basket of shares. LBS Communications will make good use of its global network for value exploration." For event highlights, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/y9azr8ym About LBS Communications Consulting LimitedLBS Communications is a professional financial communications and investor relations consultancy firm, and is the Hong Kong representative for one of the world's four major public relations association PRGN. LBS' investor network covers Hong Kong, China, Singapore and many other regions across the world.LBS Communications is committed to serving Hong Kong and overseas listed companies and large financial enterprises by providing a full range of investor relations and financial and public relations services, covering broad categories including environmental protection energy, health care, science and telecoms, retails and consumers, new materials and chemicals, education and tourism etc. LBS Communications was awarded the "Excellence of the Year for Leadership and Communication Advisory, Hong Kong" in 2016 and 2017 by International Alternative Investment Review Award (IAIR) in terms of its global network and local wisdom.About Bo Cai JingBo Cai Jing is the Investor Relations brand name under LBS Communications used in Greater China, and is dedicated in doing investors matching and roadshow activities for mainland-listed and corporates looking for financing opportunities in China. Bo Cai Jing currently has business network in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan etc.For more information, please visit: www.lbs-comm.com For inquiries, please contact:Ms. Joanne ChanManaging DirectorTel: (852) 3679 3671Email: info@ lbs-comm.com Topic: Press release summarySectors: Daily NewsFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright  2017 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
Compact Power Equipment Rental Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 08:49:16

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





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# 560 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Compact power equipment includes all tools required for lighter construction jobs. The equipment is small in size and used in developing products with more ease and convenience. These compact power tools are of several types, such as engine-driven power tools, electric power tools and pneumatic power tools. They are used for various operations, such as drilling, polishing, woodwork routing and screw driving.Compact tools are primarily used for construction related jobs. These tools are used at construction sites for activities like drilling, hammering, cutting, grinding, washing and blowing of the equipments. Compact power tools are light-weighted, small in size, easy to handle and transport. However, they are more complex to handle than the commonly used hand tools, requires skilled labour, and regular maintenance to avoid tool wear.Global compact power tools rental market is expected to grow at a steady rate, as the demand for power tools are on the rise in developing countries. Drivers responsible for the growth of power tools rental market include an increasing demand for fast accomplishment of projects and increasing infrastructural development activities at developing regions like Asia, where construction companies rent the tools from power tool companies as they cannot afford to invest in power equipment. The challenges ahead include continuous maintenance and high cost of equipment. Many a time, clients who borrow equipment from companies, damage the tools, which is also a major concern for the power tool rental market.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-116 Segmentation of compact power tools market is done on the basis of types and geography. Compact tools are of various types like electric power tools, engine-driven power tools and pneumatic power tools. Wherein electric power tool includes cordless tools, drilling & demolition, screw-fastening tools, direct fastening tools, cutting/sawing/grinding tools, dust extractors, glue and heat guns, high pressure washers and blowers . Key geographic segments for compact power tools market include North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East & Africa) region. Asia-Pacific is the most prominent region for compact power tools companies owing to increasing construction and infrastructural development activities in countries like India, Japan and China.Key trends in compact power tools market are an increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers as Chinese vendors are penetrating this market with their tools with competitive prices as compared to other vendors.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-116 Of the many players in the compact power tools market, Makita Corporation, Bosch, Stanley Black & Decker and Techtronic Industries are the dominant leaders. Other important players include Hilti Group, Panasonic Corporation, Emerson Electric Company, Snap-on Inc., etc. Mergers & acquisitions of key players provide opportunity to expand their product portfolio. In North America, Bosch acquired SPX Corporations Service Solution business which manufactures, develops and sells service equipment and repairs workshop accessories. In Europe, Techtronic Industries acquired Ryobis power tools business and Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company, a market leader in North America which develops, markets and assembles cleaning appliances such as vacuum cleaners for domestic as well as commercial use. Emerson Electronics decided to focus on acquisitions and divestitures in order to increase investment in technology and also have a strong focus to acquire the market in developing countries. This is also because of decreasing demands of their products in Europe and market saturation in the U.S. and China.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 08:39:01

Amsterdam, 13 June 2017 - HEINEKEN N.V. (EURONEXT: HEIA; OTCQX: HEINY) notes today's decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (the 'CMA') to refer the proposed acquisition by Heineken UK Limited ('HEINEKEN') of Punch Securitisation A ('Punch A') for a Phase 2 investigation unless HEINEKEN offers acceptable undertakings to address points raised by the CMA.

HEINEKEN intends to offer acceptable undertakings and is confident that these will enable the transaction to be approved by the CMA without a Phase 2 referral.

David Forde, Managing Director for HEINEKEN UK said:

"We welcome this positive step towards completing our acquisition of Punch A. This decision by the CMA acknowledges that there are only a small number of local areas where competition may be diminished due to our acquisition of the pubs in Punch A. We are confident we can offer the CMA suitable undertakings to satisfy their concerns."

ENDS

Press enquiries

John-Paul Schuirink

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Michael Fuchs

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Investor and analyst enquiries

Sonya Ghobrial

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Chris MacDonald

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Note to editors:

Further information is available in a section 2.7 Announcement which is available

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/other/13068712.html

Information relating to HEINEKEN UK and HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN UK

HEINEKEN UK is one of the UK's leading cider and beer producers and the company behind brands such as Strongbow, Bulmers, Heineken, Foster's, John Smith's and Desperados. HEINEKEN UK is the HEINEKEN Group's main operating entity in the UK and employs around 2,000 people across seven sites in the UK with offices, breweries and cider production facilities in Edinburgh, Tadcaster, Manchester, London, Hereford and Ledbury. HEINEKEN UK operates the Star Pubs & Bars business with a UK-wide estate of 1,049 pubs which has delivered an attractive profit margin and cash return to HEINEKEN UK.

HEINEKEN UK is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business and delivers value for all stakeholders. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 73,500 employees and operate more than 165 breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp.

Information relating to Patron Capital and Vine Acquisitions

Vine Acquisitions Limited is a newly incorporated company formed at the direction of Patron Capital. Established in 1999, Patron Capital has invested approximately 2.4 billion of capital across several funds and related co-investments, investing in property, corporate operating entities, credit-related businesses and debt-related instruments whose value is primarily supported by property assets. The investors in the Patron funds represent a variety of prominent universities, major institutions, private foundations and high net worth individuals located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since inception, the Patron funds have made more than 69 investments in 17 countries and together with its partners have owned and controlled over 10bn in gross assets. Patron is based in London with associated offices in Barcelona, Milan and Luxembourg and a team of over 75 people, with over 42 investment professionals.

Patron aims to combine an institutional approach to fund management and reporting, while continuing to embrace an entrepreneurial culture. Patron favours the backing of management teams and co-investing with its pan-European network of local partners who are familiar with the local market through joint venture structures. Many of Patron's private equity investments have backed existing management teams and achieved significant growth of the investee businesses and their employee bases.

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: Heineken NV via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 01:44:12

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Organto Foods Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, B.C. (FSCWire) - Organto Foods Inc. (TSX Venture:OGO). has issued a press release with the following headline:Organto Closes Convertible Debenture FinancingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Organto Foods Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Organto Foods Inc.Source: Organto Foods Inc. (TSX Venture: OGO, OTC Pink: OGOFF)Date: June 12, 2017Time: 7:44 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Organto Foods Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Bikini killer Sobhraj undergoes heart surgery

Yes! He has a heart and I just fixed valves inside. Recovering normally. #Charles #Sobhraj.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 13:00:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Theralase Technologies Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture:TLT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Theralase Presents Dosimetry Planning at International World CongressTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Theralase Technologies Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Theralase Technologies Inc.Source: Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture: TLT, ISIN: CA88337V1004, WKN: A0DLB7, OTCQX: TLTFF)Date: June 13, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Theralase Technologies Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-06-13 07:32:01

's-Hertogenbosch, 13 June 2017



In the period from 7 June 2017 until 12 June 2017 Van Lanschot Kempen has repurchased 4,000 of its own shares. The shares were repurchased at an average price of 25.14 per share for a total amount of 100,563.



These repurchases are part of the share buy-back programme for at most 150,000 of own shares, which was announced on 7 June 2017. The total number of shares repurchased to date is 4,000.



More information, including a detailed overview of the repurchase transactions under this programme, is available on corporate.vanlanschot.nl/sharebuyback.

Media Relations: +31 20 354 45 85; mediarelations@vanlanschot.com

Investor Relations: +31 20 354 45 90; investorrelations@vanlanschot.com

About Van Lanschot Kempen

Van Lanschot Kempen, a wealth manager operating under the Van Lanschot, Kempen and Evi van Lanschot brand names, is active in Private Banking, Asset Management and Merchant Banking, with the aim of preserving and creating wealth for its clients. Van Lanschot, listed on Euronext Amsterdam, is the oldest independent bank in the Netherlands with a history dating back to 1737.

Disclaimer

This document does not constitute an offer or solicitation for the sale, purchase or acquisition in any other way of or subscription to any financial instrument and is not an opinion or a recommendation to perform or refrain from performing any action.

This document is a translation of the Dutch original and is provided as a courtesy only. In the event of any disparities, the Dutch version will prevail.

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: Van Lanschot 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.




Business Oxygen gets $7.3m from IFC

Business Oxygen (BO2), Nepals first private equity fund, is receiving another $7.3 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.
Candidate selection delayed in Province 2

Major political parties, which had claimed that they would finalise their candidates for the local level elections before the Election Commissions nomination date, are struggling to pick the party representatives in Province 2 even as the task has been over in the other three provinces.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

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Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife.
Stores to close in California and Singapore; expanded bookstores coming to Baltimore and Chicago; an Ohio bookstore reopens; and more.

California Genre Bookstore is Closing: Dark Carnival, a science fiction and fantasy bookstore in Berkeley, is shutting its doors after 41 years in business.

Singapore's Booktique to Shutter: The bookstore that began as a pop-up is going out of business next week.

Baltimore Art College Store Moves: The bookstore at the Maryland Institute College of Art is moving three blocks west of its current location into a larger, 4,500 sq.-ft. space.

Chicago Library Expands Bookstore: The Newberry Library in enhancing its bookstore as part of an $11 million renovation.

Ohio Store to Reopen After Fire: Browse Awhile Books in Tipp City, Ohio, will reopen this weekend after a year of repairs.

Arkansas Bookstore Has New Owners: Little Rock's 35-year old Wordsworth Books & Co. was bought by two customers.
Swedish Novel Snapped Up in Pre-empts

The womens fiction novel The Red Address Book has sold in a succession of preempts to Goldmann (Germany), Cappelen Damm (Norway), Calmann-Levy (France) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (in the U.S.). The book, written by Sofia Lundberg and represented by the Salomonsson Agency, will be published by Forum in Sweden in the fall. The novel follows a 96-year-old woman named Doris, who lives alone in Stockholm, and finds her greatest joy Skyping with her grandniece, Jenny. With Jenny in mind, Doris decides to write down her memories of the people she has loved throughout her life.

German's Debut Moves to U.K., and Beyond

The Spirit of Montgomery by Daniela Tully, represented by the Pontas Agency, has just sold to Legend Press for U.K. and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada). Deals have also been made with Thomas Dunne/St. Martins Press (U.S.), Fayard (France), and Garzanti (Italy). The novel, which the agency compared to the work of Kate Morton (The House at Riverton and The Lake House), is Tully's debut. (Tully, who works in the film industry and has an American husband, wrote the book in English.) In the novel, a German woman whose grandmother disappeared decades ago is pulled back into the mystery surrounding the disappearance when her grandmother's body is discovered in New York. The book has not yet sold in Germany.

South African 'Spy' Novel Draws Bids

In another deal for the Pontas Agency, the South African novel A Spy in Time, was acquired by Indian publisher Speaking Tiger (for the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia). Random House South Africa, the originating publisher, will be releasing the book in 2018. A literary time-travel-dystopian novel, Pontas said the work depicts a world in which fair-skinned people are a rarity." In this future world, the fair-skinned work "as acrobats and jugglers, or apply skin-darkening creams to conceal their condition.

Spanish Book on Refugees Sells in Poland

We Are Not Refugees by Agus Morales has just sold to Polish publisher Wydawnictwo Poznanskie. The book is represented by Ella Sher of the Ella Sher Literary Agency and was originally published in Spain in March by Circulo de Tiza. The agency said the book is a work of personal reportage about the new world of exodus. The author traveled to Syria, Afghanistan and other places marked by violence to create portraits of displaced people and their plight.
A locally produced version of Viacoms kids brand Nickelodeon will premiere this month on Turkish pay-TV platform Digiturk.





The Hey Nickelodeon format, produced by FSAP Creative Content Services, is aimed at preschool children, educating and entertaining them with an onscreen host and English-Turkish lessons. The slot will comprise four two-hour long segments, integrating host Aybike Turans live adventures with four episodes of Dora the Explorer in Turkish.In this local production, Aybike Turan plays Bora, an explorer who travels the world in a hot-air balloon sharing her experiences with kids on the show. She will explore child-friendly themes including birthdays, dinosaurs, vehicles, treasure, games, animals, dancing and music, in line with the accompanying Dora the Explora episodes.Producing glocal formats that combine Nickelodeons internationally recognised programming expertise with localised shows that appeal specifically to regional audiences is a cornerstone of our content production strategy, said Raffaele Annecchino, president & MD, Viacom International Media Networks in Southern & Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East. We are excited to announce the first Nickelodeon formats for Turkey and we look forward to creating more great local content for Turkish audiences.This is the first local production by Nickelodeon for Digiturk. A second show is scheduled to follow later this summer onto the beIN Media-owned TV platform, which has around 3.5 million subscribers.
South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice has welcomed the Constitutional Courts order to stop the encryption of five million Government-subsidised set-top boxes (STBs) to enable digital TV reception.





Last year a judgement by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled in favour of encrypted decoders.We trust this will pave the way for the long-awaited migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT), said MultiChoice, after the court upheld an appeal by former communications minister Faith Muthambi against the SCA ruling.The STBs will be manufactured locally and distributed to low-income households that cannot afford the converter needed to receive a digital TV signal.MultiChoice said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoengs statement on the case allays any fears about the implications of the non-encryption policy. None of the broadcasters, including free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters, would be required to do any more than they have previously been required to do.This outcome is good news for consumers and it will serve as a stimulus for the growth of the electronics manufacturing sector and the broadcasting industry, said MultiChoice in a statement.The policy of non-encryption will ensure poor households benefit from and are included in the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television and that taxpayers are spared millions of rands in unnecessary costs associated with encryption, it added.The applications for leave to appeal by Muthambi, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), and MultiChoice-owned M-Net were opposed by e.tv, SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa.South Africas new Minister of Communications Ayanada Dlodlo said she is pleased the department can now proceed with the implementation of the DTT programme, bringing SA a step closer to meeting its December 2018 switch-off deadline.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have banned tourist facilities such as hotels and restaurants from airing channels from Qatars Al Jazeera TV network, as the regional dispute continues.





Those found violating the decree could face hefty fines of up to SR100,000 (US$26,665) a revocation of tourism licences and even imprisonment. Individual Saudi subjects now face fines of up to $2,700 if caught watching Al Jazeera.All channels from the Al Jazeera Media Network must be removed and replaced with official Saudi television ones, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said in a statement.The decree follows one from the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) that was circulated to all tourism establishments in the Kingdom.The BTEA mandates that all television receivers available to tourism facilities must be reprogrammed to remove all channels related to Al Jazeera Network.The violation of this circular is punishable by law either by imprisonment, fine or both. Facilities who fail to comply with the circular will face closure and their tourism licence will be revoked immediately, it said.The opposition to Al Jazeera follows the severing of diplomatic relations, trade and transport links on 5 June by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to Qatar, over alleged support of Islamist militants and the Iranian regime.As a result, Jordan last week revoked Al Jazeeras licence and Saudi Arabia closed the Qatari broadcasters bureau in Riyadh. Amman said it is downgrading, though not severing, its diplomatic ties with Qatar after examining the reasons behind the crisis.
MINSK -- Valery Vakulchyk, the head of the Belarusian KGB, says Belarusian authorities have arrested eight suspected terrorists since the beginning of 2017.

Vakulchyk told reporters in Minsk on June 13 that preliminary investigations have uncovered evidence suggesting one of the suspects was involved in plotting a terrorist attack in a Western European country.

He did not specify the country where the attack had been planned or whether the attack had been carried out.

Vakulchyk said that, in 2016, 17 people suspected of being involved in terrorist activities had been detained in Belarus.

He said 21 alleged terrorists were apprehended in 2015.

"Those were individuals involved in terrorist and extremist activities and are on international wanted lists for their activities in Syria," Vakulchyk said.
The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday. Viewers can suggest topics via Twitter @PowerVertical or on the Power Vertical Facebook page.

A transcript of today's Daily Vertical can be found here.

NOTE TO VIEWERS: The Daily Vertical will not appear on June 14-15 because I will be speaking at a conference in Sibiu, Romania.
Ask a Russian official what is a terrorist, and you are likely to get a very interesting -- and a very revealing -- answer.

In a recent televised interview, Russia's Ambassador to Israel Aleksandr Shein said that Moscow does not consider Hamas and Hizballah to be terrorist organizations.

Why not? Well, this is where it gets really interesting.

According to Shein, Hamas and Hizballah aren't terrorists because they aren't attacking Russia.

Yeah, you heard that right. I'm not making this up. He actually said that.

It's pretty remarkable when officials get caught telling the truth.

It's pretty amazing when a regime's double standards are exposed live on the air.

And the double standard is not restricted to terrorists.

Take one of the Kremlin's favorite words: the ubiquitous "fascist" slur.

Judging from the rhetoric coming out of Moscow, anybody who opposes Vladimir Putin's regime risks being labeled a fascist.

It could be Aleksei Navalny. Or it could be Ukraine's pro-Western government.

But what about violent right-wing extremists who would normally qualify for the fascist label, but who are pro-Kremlin?

Well, those aren't fascists, you see. Those are patriots.

Likewise, anybody who opposes Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea is a separatist.

But those who actually separated Crimea from Ukraine -- they're freedom fighters, or "polite people."

Welcome to the dizzying world of the Kremlin spin machine. Welcome to a world in which language has absolutely no meaning.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
EC cant accept third-phase elections

Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has ruled out the possibility of holding the local elections in the plains in a third phase.
BRUSSELS -- The European Commission launched a legal action on June 13 against the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland for refusing to take in their share of refugees under an EU-wide solidarity plan.

The bloc in 2015 agreed to relocate 160,000 refugees, mainly from Italy and Greece, across its member states -- a legally-binding decision that was met with resistance by several countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Poland and Hungary have not yet taken in a single refugee while the Czech Republic accepted 12 refugees last year but announced earlier this month that it would withdraw from the scheme, citing security concerns.

The relocation scheme remains widely unpopular among the public in all three countries.

"I regret to say that despite our repeated calls, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have not yet taken the necessary action," EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news briefing in Strasbourg.

"For this reason the (European) Commission has decided to launch infringement procedures against these three member states," Avramopoulos said.

The infringement procedures are likely to pave the way for several months of legal disputes before any possible monetary sanctions are imposed.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka immediately rejected the Commission's move.

"The European Commission blindly insists on pushing ahead with disfunctional quotas which decreased citizens' trust in EU abilities and pushed back working on conceptual solutions to the migration crisis," Sobotka said in an emailed statement.

Separately, both Hungary and Slovakia have challenged the relocation mechanism in the EU's top court where a first opinion on the matter will be presented next month.


Ukrainian forces have liberated 41 settlements in the south of the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 10 but noted the "brutal struggle" and the "lives given for freedom for Ukrainians."

In his nightly address Zelenskiy said: "Today we have good news from the south. The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place within the framework of the ongoing defense operation is already dozens," he said, adding that 41 settlements have been liberated.

But he stressed that even as Ukrainians rejoice, they must remember that "every step by our defense forces represents...lives given for the freedom of Ukrainians. Everything that is happening now has been achieved by months of brutal struggle. It was achieved through courage, pain, and losses."

Zelenskiy spoke a day after the Russian defense minister announced the withdrawal of Russian troops from the west bank of the Dnieper River, the latest in a number of setbacks for Moscow on battlefields in Ukraine's east and southeast.

Zelenskiy did not specify the number of Ukrainian troops killed in the effort to reclaim the settlements, where he said stabilization measures have begun.

He noted the Russian troops left behind thousands of land mines and ammunition as they retreated from Kherson.

Presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said the land mines turned Kherson into a "city of death" and predicted they would shell it from occupied areas across the Dnieper River.

Vitaliy Kim, the regional military administration chief in the Mykolayiv region, said Ukrainian soldiers had already entered the outer suburbs of Kherson. He declined to give further details to avoid revealing the military's plans.

Russia said it began withdrawing troops on November 10 from Kherson city. The Ukrainian military's General Staff said the withdrawal was taking place slowly to allow the Russian forces to reinforce positions on the other bank of the Dnieper River.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said it will take Russia at least a week to withdraw from the city of Kherson. He told Reuters Russia had 40,000 troops in Kherson region and it still had forces in the city, around the city, and on the west bank of the Dnieper River.

"It's not that easy to withdraw these troops from Kherson in one day or two days. As a minimum, [it will take] one week," he said.

Ukrainian Army chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy said earlier that Kyiv could not yet confirm whether Russia was indeed pulling out from the southern Kherson region but said Ukrainian forces were continuing their advance.

"We continue to conduct the offensive operation in line with our plan," he wrote in a post on Telegram.

Ukrainian officials said Moscow's forces had no choice but to flee Kherson, yet they remained cautious, fearing an ambush.

"The enemy had no other choice but to resort to fleeing," armed forces chief Zaluzhniy said, because Kyiv's army destroyed supply systems and disrupted Russia's local military command.

Kherson is strategically important, as it controls both the only land route to Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper, which bisects Ukraine.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south, including Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in late September celebrated the annexation of Kherson and three other Ukrainian regions and vowed to defend them by any means, has not commented on the withdrawal.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
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.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says Kosovo's snap parliamentary elections were held in an "orderly" manner and took place "without major irregularities or incidents."

The Vienna-based organization, whose teams provided technical assistance and support to the conduct of the June 11 elections in the northern Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities, made the assessment in a statement issued late on June 12.

It noted irregularities related to the "nonacceptance of Serbian IDs for some voters and instances of double and multiple voting," but added that these issues were later resolved.

Preliminary results suggest the ruling center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the most votes in the election, but it appeared unlikely to have won enough seats to govern even with its planned coalition partners.

The vote also confirmed the strong rise of the nationalist Self-Determination Movement (VV) party, which nearly doubled its support since the last election and looked set to finish second in the overall vote.

With 99 percent of the ballots cast on June 11 counted, the coalition headed by the PDK of President Hashim Thaci had 34 percent, according to the Central Election Commission. The PDK coalition includes former prime minister and rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).

The nationalist VV had 27 percent, just ahead of a coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which had 26 percent.

Turnout was put at 41.5 percent in Kosovo's third elections since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The country is recognized by 114 other countries but not by Serbia and Russia.

The preliminary results mean no single group will be able to govern alone, and Kosovo could be heading toward lengthy talks on forming a coalition government.

"The outcome is definitely one which is not creating immediately a clear majority for a government, and I hope that it doesn't take again up to nine months as it was the case last time [in 2014], because it is so important for this country to stay committed to reform," EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on June 12.

"For us it is crucial that the country and its representatives are committed to the European perspective," Hahn said, adding that "better living conditions [are] only achievable embedded into the European Union."

Kosovo's next government will have to tackle unemployment running around one-third of the workforce despite solid economic expansion of about 4 percent annually in one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Other key priorities include establishing better control over privatization and creating a functioning war crimes court and prosecution office, which would start the process of sidelining wartime leaders from political and public life.

Yet the biggest issues surrounding the vote are a pair of agreements signed in 2015 -- one setting the border with Montenegro and another with Serbia that increases powers held by ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

Those issues have helped stalled reforms in the legislature and angered the electorate in a country where about one-third of the population is under the age of 15.

With reporting by Reuters
The United States is "not winning" in Afghanistan as the Taliban surges there and a new strategy to change the situation will be presented by mid-July, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress on June 13.

The Pentagon came under fire from lawmakers for not completing a new strategy for the 16-year-old war, to which Mattis responded in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that "we recognize the need for urgency," and criticism over the lack of a new plan was "fair."

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible," he said, adding that the Pentagon was likely to seek a 3-5 percent increase in its budget from 2019 to 2023.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan and army officials have told Congress that they could use an infusion of forces to bolster support for the Afghan Army.

'Regional Approach'

On June 12, Mattis said a new U.S. strategy would take a "regional approach" rather than addressing the country's long-running war in isolation.

U.S. media have reported that the Defense Secretary will recommend sending another 3,000-5,000 U.S. troops to break what he has called a "stalemate" between U.S.-backed government forces and the Taliban.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon was considering a request for roughly 3,000 more troops, mainly for noncombat duties such as training and advising. That decision, however, has been stalled by the broader review by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump of Afghan policy and a push for NATO to contribute more troops.

Mattis, when pressed again about the plan, said getting a government-wide strategy can't be done quickly and that there are ongoing efforts to ensure NATO participation so that it's "not all on the backs of American taxpayers."

Growing IS Threat

A resurgence by the Taliban has come amid a growing threat from Islamic State militants trying to establish a foothold in the country and the upturn in violence has led recently to the deaths of several Americans.

The war in Afghanistan has dragged on since October 2001. A U.S.-led coalition ended its combat mission against the Taliban in 2014, but they have become increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.

Mattis said in his June 13 testimony that recent strikes against pro-Syrian forces were in self-defense as the United States takes all necessary measures to protect its soldiers on the ground.

Last week the United States shot down a pro-Syrian government drone that fired toward U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria, but "hit dirt" and caused no injuries. On the same day, the U.S. hit two pro-Syrian government pickup trucks near the southern town of At Tanf.

Russia said on May 10 that it had told the United States it was unacceptable for Washington to strike pro-government forces in Syria.

With reporting by CNN, AP, and Reuters




Russias liberal opposition has long been plagued by infighting. And fresh fissures have emerged over chief Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny's decision to move an anticorruption protest in Moscow to the city center, where hundreds were detained by police on June 12.



Kremlin critics have accused the opposition leader of deflating the momentum of antigovernment forces by altering the site of this week's protest less than 24 hours before the event.



Authorities made good on their warning that they would intervene in any "unsanctioned" protest on the central Moscow thoroughfare where Navalny had urged his supporters to gather rather than at a site just outside the center that City Hall had authorized.

Police detained more than 800 people, including scores of young people, drawing censure from Washington and Brussels.

Navalny was detained at his apartment building ahead of the protest and later sentenced to 30 days in jail after being found guilty of violating laws on public gatherings and resisting police.

The last-minute change of plan left a weakened turnout at the original site, where a few thousand people ultimately gathered for the rally, which state TV covered as a subdued, lightly attended, and disorganized affair.



I will say just a few words: Navalny has weakened the protest movement, veteran human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov, a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin, told the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper at the authorized rally on June 12.



Andrei Zubov, a prominent historian once fired as a professor at an elite Moscow university for his criticism of Russian expansionism in Ukraine, echoed that sentiment on June 13, saying both the originally planned rally and the protest on Moscows central Tverskaya Street "failed."



Compared to substantial protests in other Russian cities, "Muscovites turned out to be disconnected, disoriented, and demoralized," Zubov wrote on Facebook. "And city authorities are not responsible for this, alas, but rather the organizers of the rally."



Jail Time 'At Best'



Navalny is seeking to run in the 2018 presidential election, which is expected to hand Russian President Vladimir Putin a fourth term. The June 12 protests in more than 100 cities were aimed at further galvanizing Navalny's base after nationwide anticorruption rallies in March that rattled Russia's ruling elite.



Both Navalny and his key associates said they were pleased with ample turnouts in major cities across the country on June 12 that included many young people who have grown up knowing no other government than Putin's.



"I rate todays actions very well," Navalny told reporters just before midnight on June 12 in a Moscow courtroom, shortly before he was handed his jail sentence. "We had an excellent geographic reach. A lot of people came out...There were rallies in cities where theyd never happened before."

But the focus of the protests was undoubtedly Moscow, where Navalny said on the eve of the event that organizers were unable to secure sound and stage equipment for the original rally at Prospekt Sakharov due to alleged pressure on contractors by city authorities.



Such official pressure on private firms doing business with opposition groups is not unusual in Russia, and Navalny cited organizers' inability to rent the equipment as the reason for changing the rally site.



He insisted the law was on the side of the protesters, noting that Russias constitution guarantees citizens' rights to gather peacefully. Several Kremlin opponents, however, accused Navalny of goading his followers into a guaranteed confrontation with police.



"Navalny drummed up some more PR for himself, and those who hit the streets for him will earn some jail time at best," Roman Roslovtsev, an activist who has been repeatedly jailed for one-man protests in which he wears a Putin mask, wrote on Facebook.



Other prominent anti-Kremlin activists, meanwhile, said they backed Navalny's decision. Ilya Yashin, a veteran opposition politician detained during the protest, said, "You cant just allow authorities to treat protesters like sheep and herd them into a pen."



"You cant play these games with authorities forever," Yashin told RFE/RL in an interview following his detention. "At some point, you have to stand firm and show that we have rights, that we know our rights and are ready to defend them."



Mystery Stage



In the end, a stage and a sound system were set up for the rally at the original rally site, where attendees largely vented their anger over a Kremlin-backed plan by city authorities to raze Soviet-era housing.



Navalny's top deputy, Leonid Volkov, said on the opposition leader's YouTube channel on June 13 that he and his associates have no idea where the equipment came from or who procured it. He suggested authorities secretly brought it in to discredit Navalnys justification for moving the protest.



Moscow authorities and the Kremlin accused Navalny of a "provocation" in moving the rally site, while state-controlled media and Kremlin loyalists suggested the presence of the stage and sound system proved that Navalny and his fellow organizers had lied.



Sergei Sharov-Delaunay, a rights activist and head of the nongovernmental advocacy group Russia Behind Bars, told Current Time TV that Navalny, like any politician, makes mistakes but that "his overall approach is correct."



"His goal is to become the exclusive opposition leader and the only possible opposition presidential candidate in the next political cycle," Sharov-Delaunay told the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "And he is working toward this goal consistently and rather successfully."



The unsanctioned protests, Sharov-Delaunay added, show Navalny as "a decisive leader who is not prepared to cave to authorities."



Andrei Loshak, a prominent opposition-minded journalist, said that, while he did not completely understand Navalny's decision to move the rally, he was deeply impressed by young protesters who flooded to Tverskaya Street -- a demographic Navalny has courted with his irreverence and new-media savvy.



Loshak wrote on Facebook that he heard one young woman tell her boyfriend after witnessing riot police wrench protesters from the site: "Thanks for dragging me here. I learned a lot today."



"There will be more and more like her -- and thats a very bad sign for authorities, and a very good sign for the rest," Loshak wrote.
A suspected U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan has killed a commander of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, local officials say.

A security official said on June 13 that the commander, identified as Abubakar, died in an overnight strike in the Speen Tal area of the Hangu district.

A resident of Dewal village, Behram Khan, said three more people were injured in the strike, including a boy.

Khan said Abubakar was from Afghanistan's Khost Province and that his original name was Omar.

He added that the slain commander moved to Dewal from Pakistans North Waziristan tribal district after the Pakistani military launched a counterterrorist operation there in 2014.

The drone strike comes after a May 31 truck bombing in Kabul killed more than 150 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for the blast.

However, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Afghan Taliban's second-in-command and head of the Haqqani network, denied any involvement in an audio message distributed to the media late on June 11.
A journalist has just fled Kyrgyzstan to avoid being arrested, and the Moscow-based website for which he works, which has been posting articles about Central Asia for nearly two decades, has been ordered blocked by a Kyrgyz court.

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (SCNS) is charging Fergananews journalist Ulughbek Babakulov with inciting ethnic hatred for one of his articles, which the website posted on May 23.

Babakulov and Fergana say they were doing the country's security services a favor by revealing material that was being posted on Facebook that did constitute inciting ethnic hatred.

In his article, Babakulov notes there was a fight, involving knives, in the Nooken district of Kyrgyzstan's southern Jalal-Abat Province on May 18. Several people were injured.

"It became clear," Babakulov wrote, that "those who were hurt were representatives of the Kyrgyz [people], and the suspects in this were Uzbeks."

Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations in southern Kyrgyzstan are a sensitive issue. A very sensitive issue.

Interethnic Violence



The interethnic violence between the two peoples in 2010 is rarely discussed publicly, but it is never far from the minds of the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks of southern Kyrgyzstan.



Babakulov, himself Kyrgyz, translated Kyrgyz-language posts on Facebook from Kyrgyz in the Jalal-Abat area after the May 18 fight.



As translated by Babakulov, these posts calling for violence against Uzbeks would indeed seem to qualify as inciting ethnic hatred.

Posts suggest "exterminating" Uzbeks; "burning them alive," a particularly troublesome call since many people were beaten and set on fire during the 2010 violence; and calls for expelling all ethnic Uzbeks from Kyrgyzstan.



Babakulov said in the article that his purpose for writing it was to alert Kyrgyzstan's law-enforcement agencies to these posts.



Others did not see it that way.



On June 1, deputy Muradyl Mademinov addressed parliament saying, "I consider this journalist's [Babakulov's] article to be a provocation."



Mademinov called on law enforcement to investigate the article and the author and said those who stoke interethnic conflict should be stripped of their citizenship.



RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Azattyk, interviewed Babakulov on June 2 and the journalist said: "I just exposed the problem, I didn't create it."

Six People Detained



The SCNS did investigate the offensive posts on Facebook and by June 6 said it had identified several of the people responsible for the offensive posts. It also clarified that the May 18 incident was between people from the same village -- one person had cut four others with a knife and fled, and was later apprehended near the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

There was no mention of ethnicity.



On June 9, the SCNS press service said it had detained six people on charges of inciting ethnic hatred but provided only the initials of those held.



Five of the six sets of initials match names in Babakulov's May 23 article and most appear to be women.



On June 9, the SCNS filed a criminal case against Babakulov and the Oktyabr Court in Bishkek ordered that the Fergana website be blocked.



The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released a statement that same day. CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nine Ognianova said: "Lawmakers and pro-government media have tried to smear Babakulov as a traitor and a villain for warning about the dangers of nationalism."



Ognianova added that "we call on Kyrgyzstan to cease harassing the journalist immediately and to restore access to his outlet, the website Fergana."



Fergana released a statement on June 11, complaining that the website had not been informed about a court hearing to block the site.

'Enemies Of The People'



The statement also said in recent weeks that in "the pages of print media in Kyrgyzstan and on main television channels there were many articles and reports in which our correspondent and our agency were named as 'enemies of the Kyrgyz people.'"

By June 12 it was clear Babakulov was out of Kyrgyzstan.

Babakulov posted a message on his Facebook account saying that he had ceased working for Fergana of his own volition.

Babakulov said in the May 23 article that he was seeking to bring the social-network posts to the attention of the authorities.

However, comments in the article -- particularly those suggesting that security services were occupied with "following political opponents of the president" and that "when people criticize the president on the Internet" security services seem to act quickly to find and detain the culprits while they ignore nationalist comments on the same social networks -- might have more to do with the problems Babakulov faces than his translations of hate posts on the Internet.

Kyrgyz authorities have not reacted well to criticism from the media in recent months and several media outlets and their journalists are facing charges that some call politically motivated.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL


Relatives of a Chechen man convicted of organizing the 2006 murder of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya say he has died in prison.

Lom-Ali Gaitukayev's relatives told the Caucasian Knot website on June 13 that they thought he most likely died as a result of being beaten at a maximum-security penal colony in Russia's western region of Vologda.

Gaitukayev's nephew, Temirlan Gaitukayev, said his uncle always had bruises on his face when he would visit him in the penal colony.

Gaitukayev's lawyer, Yelena Kharionovskaya, said she tried to file a lawsuit against the prison for the alleged beating of her client in 2015.

But she said the authorities refused to accept the lawsuit on the grounds that the beatings had not been proven.

In November 2015, Gaitukayev was placed in a prison hospital with a severe liver condition.

Kharionovskaya said Gaitukayev's body will be delivered to his relatives on June 13.

In 2014, Gaitukayev and Rustam Makhmudov, also from Chechnya, were sentenced to life in prison over the 2006 shooting death of Politkovskaya in front of her Moscow apartment.

Three other defendants in the case -- former police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, and brothers Ibragim and Dzhabrail Makhmudov from Chechnya -- were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 20 years.

With reporting by Caucasian Knot
The United States, the European Union, and human rights groups have condemned the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters across Russia.

An estimated 1,560 supporters of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny were detained during the June 12 anticorruption demonstrations in cities and towns nationwide, including 866 detained in Moscow and 548 detained in St. Petersburg.

OVD-Info, a Moscow-based nongovernmental organization that monitors police actions at protests, said most of the detainees had been released by early on June 13.

However, France's AFP news agency reported that "many people still awaited processing while others were shuttled to court for hearings" on June 13.

"We've left the station. They are taking us to Tverskoy district court," tweeted opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who was among those detained in Moscow.

Russia's Investigative Committee said one protester "sprayed tear gas into the eyes of a riot-police officer" and would be charged.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on June 13 criticized the actions of the demonstrators as "dangerous for the public" and defended police action against them.

"Their actions were dangerous for the public and the police take adequate measures against such individuals," Peskov told journalists in Moscow.

Navalny himself was detained before the unauthorized demonstration in the capital started, and sentenced to 30 days in prison for staging unsanctioned rallies.

Speaking to journalists in the Moscow courtroom where he was sentenced late on June 12, Navalny said the protests had been "good" and that "very many people came out" across a "wide geographic area."

"We have seen amazing things: in Saratov, 6,000 people came out, there was a huge rally in Penza," Navalny said. "There have been rallies in cities that haven't seen them for ages. For example, the previous protests in Norilsk happened [in the 1950s], when there was a prison uprising. So the geographical reach of the these protests is unmatched, and that was our primary goal. So we think it was a successful event."

The White House on June 12 called on Russia to release all of the demonstrators, saying their detention was "an affront to core democratic values."

But Peskov said Moscow would not listen to the calls from Washington to release detained protesters.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said the detention of peaceful demonstrators "threatens the fundamental freedoms of expression," while rights watchdog Amnesty International said the crackdown "demonstrates the authorities' utter contempt for fundamental human rights."

Meanwhile, Russia's presidential Council for Human Rights said on June 12 that police in Moscow acted "calmly" and in a "correct" way "despite attempts of teenage protesters to provoke them to violence."

However, witnesses and media reports said that police violently dispersed the protesters and in some cases detained activists were severely beaten in police vehicles.

Navalny called for the nationwide rallies to protest what he alleges is a system of corruption and cronyism presided over by President Vladimir Putin.

The opposition leader was hoping to build on momentum gained by a national anticorruption protest on March 26, which ended with more than 1,000 people detained in Moscow alone.

Navalny was detained amid those demonstrations -- the biggest antigovernment rallies since a wave of protests that he helped lead in 2011-12 -- and served 15 days of administrative detention in jail.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time TV, and AFP
Its all a ruse: Landless peoples take on polls

The election candidates of Kamal Village Council-5 in Jhapa have promised food, shelter and clothes to the landless people in exchange for their votes.
Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny said the nationwide anticorruption protests which he called for were successful. Speaking at a hearing on June 12, where he was sentenced to 30 days in prison for staging unsanctioned rallies, Navalny said he was particularly pleased that protesters in several cities outside of Moscow took part. Navalny was detained before the unauthorized demonstration in the center of the capital, along with more than 1,500 protesters across the country. The first two questions in the impromptu interview came from RFE/RL's Russian Service.
The retrial of two former Serbian state security officials accused of crimes committed during the 1990s Balkan wars has begun at a United Nations court in The Hague.

Prosecutor Douglas Stringer told the three-judge panel at the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals on June 13 that Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic played key roles in facilitating atrocities by Serb paramilitaries in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Stringer said Stanisic, 66, and his deputy Simatovic, 67, "made these crimes happen through their direction and unflagging support to the Serb forces used to commit them."

The two were acquitted in 2013 of war crimes by judges who ruled that there was insufficient evidence linking them to the crimes.

But appeal judges quashed that verdict in 2015, saying several legal errors had been made in the trial.

Stanisic and Simatovic were ordered to be retried on four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of war crimes committed by Serbian death squads in Bosnia and Croatia after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Based on reporting by AP


The Power Vertical is a blog written especially for Russia wonks and obsessive Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It offers Brian's personal take on emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today. Check out The Power Vertical Facebook page or Follow @PowerVertical
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said ties between Washington and Moscow were continuing to deteriorate, telling senators that the U.S. administration was still trying to stabilize the relationship.

Tillerson's June 13 comments to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee came one day after Congress moved closer to cementing existing sanctions on Moscow, and imposing new ones for Russia's alleged interference in last year's election, among other issues.

At a hearing on the State Department's new 2018 budget, senators grilled Tillerson on the department's priorities, not only Russia, but also China, North Korea, Syria, and other places.

Tillerson told senators that bilateral relations with Russia were at an all-time low. But he also ducked questions about whether he, or the White House, would support the new sanctions, or if the White House might try to veto it.

"We would like the flexibility to turn the heat up on Russia," he said. "We have some channels where we're starting to talk, but what I wouldn't want to do is close the channels off."

Russia Threatens Retaliatory Measures

President Donald Trump has voiced support for a more conciliatory approach to Russia, and immediately following his election, the Kremlin sent messages that suggested it was hoping for some sort of sanctions relief.

In recent weeks, however, as it became clear that the White House was not moving to lift existing ones, and as Congress moved to impose new ones, Moscow's tone has sharpened.

Last week, Russian officials threatened retaliatory measures, including seizing a U.S. Embassy property in western Moscow. That appeared targeted at the U.S. seizure of two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, which U.S. law enforcement said had been used for intelligence gathering purposes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 13 that Moscow is "closely following" the new sanctions legislation. Asked about the bipartisan initiative, Peskov said the Kremlin's impression was "negative."

The new measures targeting Russia, agreed to by Republican and Democratic senators on June 12, were contained in an amendment to be attached to a pending Iran sanctions bill. A vote is expected before the end of the week.

The measures would cement into law existing sanctions over Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, which were imposed by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. That would make it harder for Trump to lift them unilaterally.

They would hit Russians accused of human rights abuses, supplying weapons to Syria's government, and conducting cyberattacks on behalf of Russia's government.

They would also sanction Russian mining, metals, shipping, and railway companies, going beyond the energy and financial firms previously targeted.

"The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria," a group of Republican and Democratic senators backing the amendment said in a statement released on June 12.

Tillerson's comments echoed earlier comments by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who told House lawmakers on June 12 that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't appear to want an improvement of relations with Washington.

"At this time  I do not see any indication that Putin would want a positive relationship with us," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee. "Thats not to say we cant get there as we look for common ground. But at this point, he has chosen to be competitive, a strategic competitor with us, and well have to deal with that as we see it."

More Questioning

Tillersons testimony also comes as other administration officials faced more questioning from lawmakers on the issue of ties between associates of Trump and Russian officials, an issue that has dogged the White House since before Trump's inauguration.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who heads the Justice Department and nominally oversees the FBI, was set to testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee later on June 13, about his interactions with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Along with committees in the House and Senate, the FBI has been conducting a criminal investigation.

Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on May 9, and bragged to Russian officials a day later about it, according to a document of the meeting read to the media by a U.S. official.

During his June 8 Senate testimony, Comey suggested possible conflicts of interest or even obstruction of justice.

Sessions, meanwhile, had recused himself from oversight of the FBI's Russian probes, owing to his meetings with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

However, he ultimately co-signed the letter recommending Comey's firing, something Comey suggested was unusual.

Another former FBI director, Robert Mueller, was then appointed by the Justice Department to conduct the Russian investigation. That probe continues.
13 Russian police officers detain a participant at an opposition rally on Tverskaya Street in central Moscow on June 12. Opposition leader and anticorruption blogger Aleksei Navalny called on his supporters to hold a protest on Tverskaya Street, which leads to the Kremlin, instead of the site authorized by Moscow officials. Navalny was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 1,150 protesters were detained. (epa/Yuri Kochetkov)
Ukraine's Kazakh Embassy has lodged a protest over maps near an international energy exposition in Astana that show Ukraine's occupied Crimean Peninsula as part of Russia.

The maps are part of decorative statues on Nurzhol Boulevard outside of Expo 2017, a three-month exposition that began on June 10 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance.

One statue is holding a map of Ukraine that does not include the territory of Crimea. Another holds a map of Russia that includes Crimea.

The Ukrainian Embassy wrote on Facebook on June 12 that the map of Ukraine was shown "with elements in violation of the country's territorial integrity," and the map of Russia was shown "with elements that violate Ukraine's territorial integrity."

The Ukrainian Embassy said it expected explanations from Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry.

Russia seized control of Crimea in 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum considered illegitimate by Ukraine and more than 100 other countries in the United Nations.
A United Nations report says hostilities have been escalating in eastern Ukraine in recent months because parties to the armed conflict there have "repeatedly failed to implement cease-fire agreements."

The report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on June 13 says cease-fire violations on both Ukrainian armed forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have allowed "hostilities to escalate and claim more lives as the conflict moved into its fourth year."

The report says that since the conflict began in mid-April of 2014, at least 10,090 people have been killed -- included 2,777 civilians. It said at least 23,966 people have been injured and more than 1.6 million people displaced by the fighting.

The report says the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recorded 36 conflict-related civilian deaths and 157 injuries from February 16 to May 15 -- a 48 percent increase on the previous three months.

It also says people continue to be abducted, unlawfully deprived of freedom, and held incommunicado -- particularly in districts controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

It also says torture has persisted, with new incidents recorded on both sides of the contact line.

The OHCHR also expresses concern that, after three years, none of the senior officials responsible for deaths during antigovernment protests in Kyiv and violence in Odesa have been brought to account.
U.S. senators have announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia over human rights abuses, for arming Syria, and for allegedly meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

Democrats and Republicans on the Foreign Relations and Banking Committees late on June 12 agreed to an amendment, to be attached to a pending Iran sanctions bill, that would also cement into law existing sanctions over Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, which were imposed by executive order.

It would also give Congress the power to review, and potentially block, any effort by the White House to ease existing sanctions.

The new sanctions would be imposed on Russians found to be guilty of human rights abuses, supplying weapons to Syria's government, and conducting cyberattacks on behalf of Russia's government, among others.

The measure would also allow new sanctions on Russian mining, metals, shipping, and railways, going beyond the energy and financial firms previously targeted by sanctions.

U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced support for a more conciliatory approach to Russia, and immediately following his election, the Kremlin sent messages that suggested it was hoping for some sort of sanctions relief.

In recent weeks, however, as it became clear that the White House was not moving to lift existing ones, and as Congress moved to impose new ones, Moscow's tone has sharpened.

Last week, Russian officials threatened retaliatory measures, including seizing a U.S. Embassy property in western Moscow.

And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 13 that Moscow is "closely following" the situation. Asked about the bipartisan initiative, Peskov said the Kremlin's impression was "negative."

The measure is expected to be voted on as an amendment to the Iran sanctions bill in coming days. It is backed by both Republicans and Democrats, and is expected to easily pass the Senate.

To become law, the legislation would have to pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump.

If Trump objected because the bill would tie his hands on Russian sanctions, some of the legislation's backers said they expected enough congressional support to override a veto.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said he discussed the bill with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and while he thinks a veto is unlikely, he would be "stunned" if the agreement didn't get enough support to override any veto.

"I've got to believe that the administration has to at least strongly consider supporting this," he said.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring Congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President [Vladimir] Putin for his reckless and destabilizing actions," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.

Schumer added that the new sanctions would "also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished."

Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia's intelligence agencies during his final month in office, citing their attempts to interfere in the election. Those sanctions, imposed by executive order, would be codified under the legislation.

The legislation also authorizes "robust assistance" to strengthen democratic institutions and counter disinformation in European countries that might be targeted by what the legislation's sponsors described as Russian aggression

With reporting by AP, The Hill, Politico, and Reuters
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said he will present options on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump "very soon," and the new U.S. strategy will take a "regional approach" rather than addressing the country's long-running war in isolation.

"We are taking a regional approach to this.... We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee on June 12.

Media have reported that Mattis will recommend sending another 3,000 to 5,000 U.S. troops to break what he has called a "stalemate" between U.S.-backed government forces and the Taliban.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's hope of improving U.S. relations with Russia, Mattis told the committee he didn't see any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a more positive relationship with the United States.

"Mr. Putin has chosen to be a strategic competitor," he said, although he added that ties could improve "as we look for common ground."

Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told the committee the relationship between Russia and the United States was "adversarial."

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
A few months ago, a strange case had been reported. ABullet rider in Goas Ponda district had a brush with the law for not wearing a seatbelt while riding a Bullet. He was challaned by the Goa Police and the accompanying challan is proof of this error.

Bullet rider Satish S Naik was on his Bullet  GA 05 K 2432, opposite Agarim Police Station on 7th June 2017 at 17.55 hrs when he was stopped by a traffic constable. He was charged with not wearing a helmet and was fined INR 100 for the crime but challan issued to him listed the offence under section 129 of Motor Vehicle Act as Riding without Seatbelt. See the copy of the challan below.

Now, another similar incident has come to light. This time from Rajasthan. India Today reports that Vishnu Sharma was driving his Maruti van from Agra to Bharatpur. He was stopped by a local cop near Chikasna Police station. He was issued a challan by the cop, for not wearing a helmet. Yes. Below is a copy of the receipt.

Vishnu was made to pay Rs 200 for not wearing helmet while driving a car. And now, whenever Vishnu is driving a car, he makes sure that he wears a helmet. I wear the helmet while I drive so that Im not issued any more challans, Sharma said.

A senior Bharatpur police official claimed he was not aware of the incident. No such thing has come to my knowledge so far. If it does, then we will investigate, Suresh Kumar Khinchi, additional Superintendent of Police, Bharatpur.

Both these challans have happened by mistake and nothing more. The traffic cop on duty meant riding without helmet (as bikes do not have seat belts) in the first case, whereas in the second case, the cop probably meant do not drive without seatbelt.
Limit ministries at central level to 16

Chief Secretary Som Lal Subedi has called for limiting the number of ministries at the central level to 16, stating initiatives taken so far to empower local bodies will not yield desired results unless the big network of governments administrative organisations is dismantled.
Ladakh Bikers Cooperative Limited (LBCL) Leh and Ladakh has issued a circular to all its members that in future no Leh registered bikes should enter Manali. Conversely, no HP registered bikes will be allowed to enter the Ladakh region for any commercial activities.

This circular and action there from was prompted when Manali Bikers Association captured and held around 40 bikers from Ladakh captive on June 3rd and 5th 2017. These hostages were forced to load their bikes onto trucks and were sent back to Leh without any explanations given or questions asked.

These bikers were subjected to immense mental torture and it was only after the intervention of LBCL and the local government headed by Shri Dr. Sonam Dawa that the issue was finally resolved.

A circular to this effect, No LBCL/02/2017 dated 9th June 2017 has issued. In future no bikes registered in Leh Ladakh will enter Manali while conversely no HP registered bikes will be permitted inside the Ladakh region for conducting any commercial activities.

This new ruling will affect thousands of bikers who head to Leh every year. These tourists rent bikes from Manali, Himachal Pradesh and then head north towards Leh, Pangong, Khardung, Nubra, etc. It was a flourishing business for those who were renting bikes to such tourists.

But with this new ruling now into effect, hundreds of such businesses will go dry this season. Those who are planning on riding to Leh this season, make sure you are not riding there on a motorcycle registered in Himachal Pradesh. This new ruling only applies to commercial (rented) motorcycles of HP.
Maruti Suzuki houses its Research and Development (R&D) wing at Rohtak. Car manufcaturing is undertaken at the Gurgaon and Manesar plants. With 16 vehicles across segments offered in over 1000 variants, production is at an all time high at both plants to cater to Marutis market share dominance in the Indian automobile industry. Both Maruti plants are working at 98% utilization level over two shifts.

Facts: 7 process shops. 5 assembly lines. 1,700+ robots. 3 stage inspection. Maruti Suzuki is able to roll out a car every 12 seconds.

Working within the structured Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement and feedback, and One Operator, and One Step Reduction, Maruti Suzuki saves on scarp reduction, timely brainstorming, green practices, and overall cost reduction, which isnt always quantifiable to the penny.

The 600-acre Manesar plant tour presented a visual delight with an endless line of new Dzires in a range of trims and colour being rolled out in continuity. The Manesar assembly line is also responsible for Swift and Ciaz production. The Dzire, Swift and Ciaz roll out from the same line as is fed into the system. Work begins at the press shop, moving to the weld shop, and then paint shop before being brought to the assembly line.

A strategic work pattern between 1,100 robots and 7,000 workers results in a whopping 3,100 cars being manufactured each day. The smaller Gurgaon plant rolls out 2700 cars. Collectively, MSIL manufactures 5,800 cars over two shifts (16 hours) every day. Plant workers put in two eight hour shifts. Maintenance work at both plants is carried out through two planned shutdowns spanning a week each, twice in a year (every six months).

On a daily basis, 2,500 vendors supply components, and more than 3,000 trucks enter the facility. Production logistics is fixed five days in advance. This ensures vendor supplies are in accordance to scheduled vehicle-build-sequence.

Maruti Suzuki focuses manufacturing around safety, quality, ergonomics and flexibility. Safety parameters vary across shop floors. Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes Kevlar gloves, and arm covers, helmets, and safety goggles. Safety sensors detect human presence in automated work stations.

Zero defects is prioritized by building perfection before inspection. Manual inspections check for faulty manufacturing. The assembly shop pika pika process is designed to prevent errors by alerting the technician if an incorrect component is handled. The production line is topped upon signalling. Tablets at stations automate inspection as per information process thats fed in the system.

Rapid entire body assessment (REBA) stidies the shop floor assistants body dimension so the machine adjusts as per operators height to reduce fatigue. To reduce walking around to fetch appropriate components and to lift heavy objects, synchronised trolleys, turn tables, and power-assisted lifters assist workers.

Flexible robotics facilitates working on different car models on the same production line in quick time. While robotics assistance is paramount, fitment of features is a manual process at the plant.

Maruti Suzuki exports made in India cars to 110 countries. Export volumes account for about a tenth of overall production in Haryana. To match increased demand, MSIL has set its production target for 2017 at 17 lakh cars, and then moving to 20 lakh units by 2020. In 2016, production was pegged at upwards of 15 lakh units, of which more than 1.20 lakh cars were exported.

Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) Hansalpur plants first assembly line is contributing to production. Work is ongoing on the second assembly line, with plans for a third line as per need. Production for 2017 is planned for about 1.5 lakh units, especially the Baleno to mitigate high demand, and correspondingly, high waiting period. Combined capacity at the newest plant can be scaled up to 7.5 lakh units pa.

(Disclosure: My visit to the Maruti Suzuki Manesar plant was sponsored by MSIL)
Imagine if a dense thicket didn't obstruct your path but instead picked you up and shuttled you through the forest. That's what tightly packed DNA might be doing with important life molecules to get them where they're needed on time.

New simulations of DNA as a transport conduit could shatter the way scientists have thought about how large molecules called transcription factors diffuse on their way to carry out genetic missions, according to a study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The simulations add important brush strokes to our picture of elusive inner mechanics of cells.

The simulations strongly support the hypothesis that, in a live cell, DNA is in constant motion, making it the dominant mover of transcription factors, to their target sites on DNA. There, the factors regulate the transcription of genetic code into life-sustaining action.

DNA gorilla cage

How transcription factors travel through DNA has been a mystery, because the protein molecules are so large, and natural DNA is so tightly tangled. Spaces inside the windings are usually much smaller than the transcription factors that need to pass through them.

"If the thicket is so thick, and on top of that doesn't move, then it should be impenetrable. So, how do you get stuff through to the right site?" asked Jeffrey Skolnick, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Biological Sciences.

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If DNA were indeed immobile, the protein molecule would appear jammed into the DNA thicket like a gorilla into a dog cage.

DNA watch springs

But Skolnick and collaborator Edmond Chow, a computer scientist specializing in algorithms that tackle very large scientific questions, believe the widely held assumption that naturally occurring DNA is rigid like bars is false. Their simulations turn the bars into wires, tense like watch springs, that flex and rattle around with snake-like motions.

"The DNA motion is far and away the dominant force moving molecules through its thicket," Skolnick said. "DNA is a bully."

Skolnick, who directs Georgia Tech's Center for the Study of Systems Biology, and Chow, an associate professor at Georgia Tech's School of Computational Science and Engineering, published a paper on their simulations on June 6 in Biophysical Journal.

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Chow and Skolnick modeled the simulation on a transcription factor called LacI moving through the DNA of an Escherichia coli bacterial cell. LacI is an inhibitory molecule that depends on lactose, but that function played no role in the study. The well-known transcription factor is a mainstay in many experimental studies on transcription factor movement.

Slide, hop, and hopscotch

In the simulations, DNA strands flex out of LacI's path and also juggle the large molecule forward into the next pocket in the thicket, and so on.

Hypotheses based on rigid DNA would leave transcription factors moving more slowly than they actually appear to. But Chow and Skolnick's wiggly simulations square with rates of diffusion established in lab experiments and explain why they're so fast.

Transcription factors have been known to slide along DNA strands, like magnets down slippery wires, until they click into a specific groove where they fit perfectly, which is where they do their work. And they've been known to hop off the DNA strand and then reattach.

"But the sliding and hopping combined still don't account for the speed of diffusion," Chow said.

Reattaching after a hop can actually reduce the transcription factor's speed through the DNA, by putting it back on a place on the strand where it's been before. The simulated wobble of the DNA thicket flicks transcribers to make them hopscotch more and farther, increasing their speed of diffusion.

Herculean computations

The simulations will aid other researchers' understanding of important cell processes and potentially help boost speed and accuracy in biological and medical research. The computation behind the simulated dynamics was herculean.

"These simulations are unique to this problem because of their enormity and the advanced computing techniques used. Very efficient algorithms ran in parallel on powerful computers, and, still, it took three weeks for the simulations to complete," Chow said.

Parallel computing chops a problem into pieces that can be run simultaneously, or in parallel, instead of in one long, time-consuming process. This allows programs to exploit many processors at the same time, multiplying the speed of computation.

Even with that power, to make the simulation computable at all, the researchers had to slim down the model of the DNA and LacI to reveal motion dynamics without dressing up all the details of cellular DNA. "You have to choose which parts you ignore and which parts you put in," Skolnick said. "If you put everything in, you can't do it, even with the fastest codes."

Cellular toy land

The researchers want to take on much tougher challenges that could, years from now, lead to a toy-like, simplified model of a complete cell.

"The ultimate goal is to put a whole cell on a computer. Let it live. Let it divide, and understand the processes," Skolnick said. "Maybe even let the cell mutate and evolve."

The computer science behind that would be aspirational. "When the size of a problem grows, the computing costs to solve it can grow disproportionately," Chow said. "You have to build algorithms that can run efficiently even when you scale up the problem size."
Anyone following forecasting polls leading up to the 2016 election likely believed Hillary Clinton would become the 45th president of the United States. Although this opinion was the consensus among most political-opinion leaders and media, something clearly went wrong with these prediction tools.

Though it may never be known for certain the reasons for the discrepancy between public perception and the electoral reality, new findings from the University of Pennsylvania's Damon Centola may offer a clue: the wisdom of a crowd is in the network.

The classic "wisdom of crowds" theory goes like this: If we ask a group of people to guess an outcome, the group's guess will be better than any individual expert. Thus, when a group tries to make a decision, in this case, predicting the outcome of an election, the group does a better job than experts. For market predictions, geopolitical forecasting and crowdsourcing product ideas, the wisdom of crowds has been shown to even outperform industry experts.

That is true -- as long as people don't talk to each other. When people start sharing their opinions, their conversations can lead to social influences that produce "groupthink" and destroy the wisdom of the crowd. So says the classic theory.

But Centola, an associate professor in Penn's Annenberg School for Communication and School of Engineering and Applied Science and director of the Network Dynamics Group, discovered the opposite. When people talk to each other, the crowd can get smarter. Centola, along with Ph.D. candidate Joshua Becker and recent Ph.D. graduate Devon Brackbill, published the findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The classic theory says that if you let people talk to each other groups go astray. But," said Centola, "we find that even if people are not particularly accurate, when they talk to each other, they help to make each other smarter. Whether things get better or worse depends on the networks.

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"In egalitarian networks," he said, "where everyone has equal influence, we find a strong social-learning effect, which improves the quality of everyone's judgements. When people exchange ideas, everyone gets smarter. But this can all go haywire if there are opinion leaders in the group."

An influential opinion leader can hijack the process, leading the entire group astray. While opinion leaders may be knowledgeable on some topics, Centola found that, when the conversation moved away from their expertise, they still remained just as influential. As a result, they ruined the group's judgment.

"On average," he said, "opinion leaders were more likely to lead the group astray than to improve it."

The online study included more than 1,300 participants, who were placed into one of three experimental conditions. Some were placed into one of the "egalitarian" networks, where everyone had an equal number of contacts and everyone had equal influence. Others were placed into one of the "centralized" networks, in which a single opinion leader was connected to everyone, giving that person much more influence in the group. Each of the networks contained 40 participants. Finally, Centola had several hundred subjects participate in a "control" group, without any social networks.

In the study, all of the participants were given a series of estimation challenges, such as guessing the number of calories in a plate of food. They were given three tries to get the right answer. Everyone first gave a gut response.

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Then, participants who were in social networks could see the guesses made by their social contacts and could use that information to revise an answer. They could then see their contacts' revisions and revise their answers again. But this time it was their final answer. Participants were awarded as much as $10 based on the accuracy of their final guess. In the control group, participants did the same thing, but they were not given any social information between each revision.

"Everyone's goal was to make a good guess. They weren't paid for showing up," Centola said, "only for being accurate."

Patterns began to emerge. The control groups initially showed the classic wisdom of the crowd but did not improve as people revised their answers. Indeed, if anything, they got slightly worse. By contrast, the egalitarian networks also showed the classic wisdom of the crowd but then saw a dramatic increase in accuracy. Across the board, in network after network, the final answers in these groups were consistently far more accurate than the initial "wisdom of the crowd."

"In a situation where everyone is equally influential," Centola said, "people can help to correct each other's mistakes. This makes each person a little more accurate than they were initially. Overall, this creates a striking improvement in the intelligence of the group. The result is even better than the traditional wisdom of the crowd! But, as soon as you have opinion leaders, social influence becomes really dangerous."

In the centralized networks, Centola found that, when the opinion leaders were very accurate, they could improve the performance of the group. But even the most accurate opinion leaders were consistently wrong some of the time.

"Thus," Centola said, "while opinion leaders can sometimes improve things, they were statistically more likely to make the group worse off than to help it.

"The egalitarian network was reliable because the people who were more accurate tended to make smaller revisions, while people who were less accurate revised their answers more. The result is that the entire crowd moved toward the more accurate people, while, at the same time, the more accurate people also made small adjustments that improved their score."

These findings on the wisdom of crowds have startling real-world implications in areas such as climate-change science, financial forecasting, medical decision-making and organizational design.

For example, while engineers have been trying to design ways to keep people from talking to each other when making important decisions in an attempt to avoid groupthink, Centola's findings suggest that what matters most is the network. A group of equally influential scientists talking to one another will likely lead to smarter judgments than might arise from keeping them independent.

He is currently working on implementing these findings to improve physicians' decision-making. By designing a social network technology for use in hospital settings, it may be possible to reduce implicit bias in physicians' clinical judgments and to improve the quality of care that they can offer.

Whether new technologies are needed to improve the way the groups talk to each other, or whether we just need to be cautious about the danger of opinion leaders, Centola said it's time to rethink the idea of the wisdom of crowds.

"It's much better to have people talk to each other and argue for their points of view than to have opinion leaders rule the crowd," he said. "By designing informational systems where everyone's voices can be heard, we can improve the judgment of the entire group. It's as important for science as it is for democracy."
A new study offers a beacon of hope for a cease-fire in the Golden State's persistent water wars.

"Floodplain Farm Fields Provide Novel Rearing Habitat for Chinook Salmon," published in the journal PLoS ONE, is based on the work by scientists from nonprofit group California Trout, UC Davis, and the California Department of Water Resources. The study provides further evidence that Central Valley farm fields that remain in active agricultural production can have environmental benefits for the state's salmon populations.

This surprising synergy runs counter to the usual California narrative where conflict over management of water and endangered species is the norm. This is particularly true in the State's Central Valley, where more than 95 percent of former wetlands -- critical habitat for native fish populations -- have been leveed, drained and developed, primarily for farmland.

Food for Fish and People

"This study demonstrates that the farm fields that now occupy the floodplain can not only grow food for people during summer, but can also produce food resources and habitat for native fish like salmon in winter," said lead author Jacob Katz of California Trout. "Our work suggests that California does not always need to choose between its farms or its fish. Both can prosper if these new practices are put into effect, mimicking natural patterns on managed lands."

Approximately 10,000 small, hatchery-reared salmon, averaging less than 2 inches and weighing about a gram, were transplanted to a 5-acre field for several weeks between the fall rice harvest and spring planting. A subsample of the fish were tagged uniquely with electronic tags (similar to chips used to ID pets) to allow tracking of individual growth rates, which were among the highest ever recorded in freshwater in California.

"By reconnecting rivers to floodplainlike habitat in strategic places around the Central Valley, we have the potential to help recover endangered salmon and other imperiled fish populations to self-sustaining levels," said Ted Sommer, lead scientist for the California Department of Water Resources and a co-author on the study.

Rice Fields as Floodplains

Since 2012, a team of scientists has been examining how juvenile salmon use off-channel habitats, including off-season rice fields. The experiments provide evidence that rice fields managed as floodplains during winter can create "surrogate" wetland habitat for native fish.

The team suggests that shallowly flooded fields function in similar ways to natural floods that once spread across the floodplain, supplying extremely dense concentrations of zooplankton -- an important food for juvenile salmon. Foraging on these abundant and nutritious invertebrates, the young salmon grow extremely quickly, improving their chances of surviving their migration to sea and returning in three to five years as the large, adult fish.

Since this original study, the team has continued to investigate how rice fields and other managed habitats could be improved to support salmon rearing.

"This study shows that we can start focusing on solutions that support fish and people, instead of one or the other," added Carson Jeffres of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, the second author on the report. "It's a huge win-win."
When understanding a country's climate -- especially vast countries like the United States or China -- to protect food security, biodiversity and human health, the devil is in the details.

Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) show that examining the daily minutia of climate, not just temperature, but also sunshine, precipitation and soil moisture simultaneously all over a country gives a better understanding of how variable a land's climate can be. That information is crucial when countries are setting policies aimed at growing food, protecting water supplies and the environment and stemming disease outbreaks. The findings were reported in this week's Scientific Reports.

"There is much talk about how climate is changing and what should be done about it, but in reality, it is the variabilities -- those many changes above and below the norm -- that can have a great impact on coupled human and natural systems," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, MSU's Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability and director of the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability. "A holistic view of our world gives us the most useful information."

The team examined the daily variability of four climatic factors simultaneously with data from 1960 to 2013 across China. From this they learned that the climate in the northern regions of China, including the province that grows much of the crops that feed big cities in the south, has the more dramatic swings. Yet that's also an area in which farmers are shifting crops to corn over soybeans, even though corn is dependent on a long growing season.

"Our study shows that it's not enough to say 'a nation is experiencing climate change' because the reality is that climate is made up of several daily factors," said Zhenci Xu, the PhD student who is the study's lead author. "It is variability that indicates the degree of fluctuation and uncertainty of the climate change process."

It's the chaos of climate change that can wreak havoc with growing plants or the survival rates of bacteria and viruses. Climate variability also weighs heavily on agriculture and economic development.

This study is the first time the variability and trends of four climactic factors have been analyzed.

Northern China's monthly and seasonal variability of the climate systems is generally larger than that of south China. The report also singles out more subtle differences in climate events across the country.

Xu also said countries should consider more meteorological stations in areas known to have more complex climate dynamics along with human interests that are sensitive to the vagaries of weather.

And Liu said countries would be wise to examine how local climate events can have a global impact through telecoupling processes, as a monsoon in one corner of the world can blanket another country with moist air and heat.

"Climate can't see borders, but people can and we must learn to look at the big picture with a very small lens," Liu said.
Research conducted over more than a decade indicates that loneliness increases self-centeredness and, to a lesser extent, self-centeredness also increases loneliness.

The findings by researchers at the University of Chicago show such effects create a positive feedback loop between the two traits: As increased loneliness heightens self-centeredness, the latter then contributes further to enhanced loneliness.

"If you get more self-centered, you run the risk of staying locked in to feeling socially isolated," said John Cacioppo, the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor in Psychology and director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience.

Cacioppo and co-authors Stephanie Cacioppo, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the UChicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, and Hsi Yuan Chen, a researcher at the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, published their findings in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin on June 13.

The researchers wrote that "targeting self-centeredness as part of an intervention to lessen loneliness may help break a positive feedback loop that maintains or worsens loneliness over time." Their study is the first to test a prediction from the Cacioppos' evolutionary theory that loneliness increases self-centeredness. Such research is important because, as many studies have shown, lonely people are more susceptible to a variety of physical and mental health problems as well as higher mortality rates than their non-lonely counterparts.

The outcome that loneliness increases self-centeredness was expected, but the data showing that self-centeredness also affected loneliness was a surprise, Stephanie Cacioppo said.

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In previous research, the Cacioppos reviewed the rates of loneliness in young to older adults across the globe. Five to 10 percent of this population complained of feeling lonely constantly, frequently or all the time. Another 30 to 40 percent complained of feeling lonely constantly.

Their latest findings are based on 11 years of data taken from 2002 to 2013 as part of the Chicago Health, Aging and Social Relations Study of middle-aged and older Hispanics, African-Americans and Caucasian men and women. The study's random sample consisted of 229 individuals who ranged from 50 to 68 years of age at the start of the study. They were a diverse sample of randomly selected individuals drawn from the general population who varied in age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Early psychological research treated loneliness as an anomalous or temporary feeling of distress that had no redeeming value or adaptive purpose. "None of that could be further from the truth," Stephanie Cacioppo said.

The evolutionary perspective is why. In 2006, John Cacioppo and colleagues proposed an evolutionary interpretation of loneliness based on a neuroscientific or biological approach.

In this view, evolution has shaped the brain to incline humans toward certain emotions, thoughts and behavior. "A variety of biological mechanisms have evolved that capitalize on aversive signals to motivate us to act in ways that are essential for our reproduction or survival," the UChicago co-authors wrote. From that perspective, loneliness serves as the psychological counterpart of physical pain.

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"Physical pain is an aversive signal that alerts us of potential tissue damange and motivates us to take care of our physical body," the UChicago researchers wrote. Loneliness, meanwhile, is part of a warning system that motivates people to repair or replace their deficient social relationships.

The finding that loneliness tends to increase self-centeredness fits the evolutionary interpretation of loneliness. From an evolutionary-biological viewpoint, people have to be concerned with their own interests. The pressures of modern society, however, are significantly different from those that prevailed when loneliness evolved in the human species, researchers found.

"Humans evolved to become such a powerful species in large part due to mutual aid and protection and the changes in the brain that proved adaptive in social interactions," John Cacioppo said. "When we don't have mutual aid and protection, we are more likely to become focused on our own interests and welfare. That is, we become more self-centered."

In modern society, becoming more self-centered protects lonely people in the short term but not the long term. That's because the harmful effects of loneliness accrue over time to reduce a person's health and well-being.

"This evolutionarily adaptive response may have helped people survive in ancient times, but in contemporary society may well make it harder for people to get out of feelings of loneliness," John Cacioppo said.

When humans are at their best, they provide mutual aid and protection, Stephanie Cacioppo added. "It isn't that one individual is sacrificial to the other. It's that together they do more than the sum of the parts. Loneliness undercuts that focus and really makes you focus on only your interests at the expense of others."

The Cacioppos have multiple loneliness studies in progress that address its social, behavioral, neural, hormonal, genetic, cellular and molecular aspects, as well as interventions.

"Now that we know loneliness is damaging and contributing to the misery and health care costs of America, how do we reduce it?" John Cacioppo asked. That is the next big question to answer.
A minimally invasive treatment can help restore fertility in women with uterine fibroids, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

Uterine fibroids, abnormal masses of fiber and muscle tissue in the wall of the uterus, are considered one of the most common causes of infertility and complications related to pregnancy. Previous research has found that one out of every four women with fibroids has problems related to fertility. The standard treatment option for such women is myomectomy, or surgical removal of the fibroids.

However, myomectomy is not always possible or effective and can result in major complications including hysterectomy, according to study co-author Joao Martins Pisco, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Interventional Radiology at Saint Louis Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal.

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a less invasive option that involves injection of an embolic agent, typically made up of very small beads, into the uterine arteries to block the blood supply to the uterus and fibroids. As the fibroids die and begin to shrink, the uterus fully recovers. UFE can be performed in patients with a prior myomectomy or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Despite its less invasive nature, UFE has yet to be fully embraced in the medical community as a fertility-preserving treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids due to concerns that the procedure may cause inadequate blood flow to the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, and the ovaries.

For the new study, Dr. Pisco and colleagues assessed pregnancy rates in 359 women with uterine fibroids who were unable to conceive and who underwent either conventional or partial UFE. In conventional UFE, all uterine artery branches are embolized. However, the partial procedure requires treatment of only the small vessels to the fibroids, leaving the corresponding larger vessels unaffected. Partial UFE may help reduce the risks of infertility associated with conventional UFE.

After an average follow-up of almost six years, 149 of the 359 women, or 41.5 percent, had become pregnant one or more times, and 131 gave birth to a total of 150 babies. It was the first pregnancy for more than 85 percent of the women who gave birth.

The procedures had a clinical success rate of approximately 79 percent for fibroid-related symptoms. Complication rates were 14.6 percent for partial UFE and 23.1 percent for conventional UFE. The procedure was repeated in 28 patients whose fibroids had not been fully treated, as shown by MRI, and 11 of those patients subsequently got pregnant.

"Our findings show that UFE is a fertility-restoring procedure in women with uterine fibroids who wish to conceive, and pregnancy following UFE appears to be safe with low morbidity," Dr. Pisco said. "Women who had been unable to conceive had normal pregnancies after UFE and similar complication rates as the general population in spite of being in a high-risk group."

Dr. Pisco suggested that UFE may become the first-line treatment for women with fibroids who wish to conceive, particularly for those with numerous or very large fibroids. Such patients have a fibroid recurrence rate of more than 60 percent after myomectomy, making UFE an important option.

The researchers are continuing the treatments and compiling data. Since the time of writing, there were 12 additional pregnancies.

"In our study there are now almost 200 newborns following UFE," Dr. Pisco said. "Our next step will be a randomized study comparing the results of partial and conventional UFE."
Most business and leisure travelers in the United States can't identify a bed bug, and yet the tiny pest evokes a stronger response in hotel guests than any other potential room deficiency -- putting the hospitality industry in a difficult spot.

In a survey of U.S. travelers conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, 60 percent said they would switch hotels if they found evidence of bed bugs in a guest room. Meanwhile, no more than a quarter said they would switch hotels for factors such as signs of smoking or dirty towels or linens. In the same survey, however, just 35 percent of business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers correctly identified a bed bug in a lineup of other common insects. The results of the research are soon to be published in American Entomologist, the quarterly magazine of the Entomological Society of America.

"Considering all the media attention paid to bed bugs in recent years, the fact that most travelers still have a poor understanding of them is troubling," says Michael Potter, Ph.D., extension professor in UK's Department of Entomology and co-author of the study.

It is particularly problematic given the central role that online reviews play in travelers' selection of where to stay. More than half of survey respondents said they would be very unlikely to choose a hotel with a single online report of bed bugs.

"From a hotel industry perspective, it's worrisome that a single online report of bed bugs would cause the majority of travelers to book different accommodations, irrespective of whether the report is accurate. Furthermore, the incident could have involved only one or a few rooms, which the hotel previously eradicated," says Jerrod M. Penn, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar in UK's Department of Agricultural Economics and lead author of the study.

Other findings in the survey include:

Despite a highly negative impression of bed bugs, more than half (56 percent) of respondents said they either never considered the threat of bed bugs while traveling or considered it but were not worried.

If a hotel were to proactively provide information on the steps it takes to prevent bed bug infestations, 46 percent of respondents said they would stay at the hotel and would appreciate knowing about those measures. The second most common response, however, was "do it, but don't tell me" (24 percent).

An overwhelming majority (80 percent) of respondents said hotels should be required to tell guests if their room has had a prior problem with bed bugs. Among those who wanted such a disclosure, 38 percent of business travelers and 51 percent of leisure travelers said they would want to know of prior infestations going back a least one year or more.

Responses to bed bug concerns were generally consistent across various demographic cross-sections in the survey.

Potter notes that the public's lack of understanding of bed bugs "contributes to their spread throughout society as a whole." But the hospitality industry must deal with both the pest itself and consumers' strong, if ill-informed, attitudes about bed bugs.

"Hotels and others in the hospitality sector should develop a reputation management plan to prudently respond to online reports of bed bugs in their facility. Hotels should also train their housekeeping and engineering staffs to recognize and report bed bugs in the earliest possible stages, when infestations are more manageable. Similarly important is training front desk and customer service employees to respond promptly and empathetically when incidents arise within the hotel," says Wuyang Hu, Ph.D., professor in UK's Department of Agricultural Economics and senior author of the study.
Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle and Omega Nebula e are located roughly 7000 light-years away -- the first two fall within the constellation of Serpens , while the latter lies within Sagittarius. This region of the Milky Way houses a huge cloud of star-making material. The three [nebulae] -- indicate where regions of this cloud have clumped together and collapsed to form new stars; the energetic light from these stellar newborns has caused ambient gas to emit light of its own, which takes on the pinkish hue characteristic of areas rich in hydrogen.

Two of the objects in this image were discovered in a similar way. Astronomers first spotted bright star clusters in both Sharpless 2-54 and the Eagle Nebula, later identifying the vast, comparatively faint gas clouds swaddling the clusters. In the case of Sharpless 2-54, British astronomer William Herschel initially noticed its beaming star cluster in 1784. That cluster, catalogued as NGC 6604 (eso1218), appears in this image on the object's left side. The associated very dim gas cloud remained unknown until the 1950s, when American astronomer Stewart Sharpless spotted it on photographs from the National Geographic-Palomar Sky Atlas.

The Eagle Nebula did not have to wait so long for its full glory to be appreciated. Swiss astronomer Philippe Loys de Cheseaux first discovered its bright star cluster, NGC 6611, in 1745 or 1746 (eso0142. A couple of decades later, French astronomer Charles Messier observed this patch of sky and also documented the nebulosity present there, recording the object as Messier 16 in his influential catalogue (eso0926).

As for the Omega Nebula, de Cheseaux did manage to observe its more prominent glow and duly noted it as a nebula in 1745. However, because the Swiss astronomer's catalogue never achieved wider renown, Messier's re-discovery of the Omega Nebula in 1764 led to its becoming Messier 17, the seventeenth object in the Frenchman's popular compendium (eso0925.

The observations from which this image was created were taken with ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST, located at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The huge final colour image was created by mosaicing dozens of pictures -- each of 256 megapixels -- from the telescope's large-format OmegaCAM camera. The final result, which needed lengthy processing, totals 3.3 gigapixels, one of the largest images ever released by ESO.
Natta hosts sales mission in China

The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Natta) hosted the Nepal-China Sales Mission 2017 in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Friday.
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Nevada first included sex as a protected category in 1967. That year, the legislature passed A.B. No. 7, which included for the first time sex discrimination as an unlawful employment practice. Twenty-one years later, in 1989, Nevada passed legislation that required employers to provide pregnant employees the same benefits provided to other employees due to sickness or disability related to a medical condition. Fast forward another 28 years. On June 2, 2017, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law S.B. 253, which greatly expands the legal protections for pregnant employees.

The new law, the Nevada Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act, is actually much broader than the name implies. The act makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to provide a reasonable accommodation to a female employee or applicant for a condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition.

It is also an unlawful employment practice to take adverse action against or deny an employment opportunity to an otherwise qualified female employee or applicant due to a request for or the use of a reasonable accommodation.

An employer, however, may take action in relation to the employee or applicant based on a bona fide occupational qualification.

Condition Relating to Pregnancy

The terms "condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition" are defined to include a "physical or mental condition intrinsic to pregnancy or childbirth." This specifically includes lactation and the need to express milk for a nursing child.

As such, it arguably provides broader protections for lactating employees and imposes potentially greater requirements on the employer than the Affordable Care Act's amendments to section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

"Related medical condition" is also defined to mean "any medically recognized physical or mental condition related to the pregnancy, childbirth or recovery" from the same. The act states that this includes: mastitis or other lactation-related medical condition, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and post-partum depression. It also includes the loss or end of pregnancy and the subsequent recovery. This list is not all-inclusive.

Interactive Process

Similar to requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 6 of the Nevada Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act requires the employer and employee to engage in a "good faith and interactive process" to determine an effective and reasonable accommodation.

This process is triggered when a female employee or applicant "requests an accommodation" for a protected condition. The employer is permitted to require a statement from the employee's physician concerning the specific accommodation recommended.

Section 6 gives examples of some possible reasonable accommodations: modifying equipment, revising break schedules and providing space other than restrooms for the expressing of milk. It also provides examples of job modifications that may be reasonable, such as assistance with manual labor (if manual labor is incidental to the employee's primary work duties), light duty and temporary transfer to less strenuous or hazardous positions. Other reasonable accommodation examples include restructuring the position and providing a modified work schedule.

The act clarifies that, in accommodating the employee, the employer is not required to create a new position or discharge or transfer any employee with more seniority unless the employer has or would take similar action to accommodate other classes of employees.

In addition, an employer may not require a female employee or applicant affected by a condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition to accept an accommodation that she did not request or choose.

While the employer clearly cannot force an unwanted accommodation on the employee, both have a duty under the act to engage in "good faith" in the interactive process. Exactly what this means is unclear and will probably be the subject of future litigation.

Reasonable Accommodation

In addition, the accommodation must be reasonable. Section 7 of the act creates a burden-shifting test. If the employee or applicant makes a prima facie showing that she requested a reasonable accommodation, the burden shifts to the employer to prove undue hardship.

The bottom line is if the accommodation requested by the employee or applicant is reasonable, the employer will have to accept it.

Employers are also prohibited from requiring female employees who are affected by a condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition to take leave from employment if there is a reasonable accommodation that would allow the employee to continue to work.

That said, it is clear the act contemplates leave as a reasonable accommodation. In fact, Section 5 of the act includes in its definition of adverse employment action "refusing to reinstate the employee to the same or equivalent position upon return to work."

Covered Employers

The Nevada Pregnant Worker's Fairness Act applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Employers who are contractors licensed under Chapter 624 of the Nevada Revised Statutes have a partial exemption from the act's requirements. Such employers are not required to provide a place other than a restroom to express milk if the employee is performing work at a construction job site that is located more than three miles from its regular place of business.

Contractors are also exempt from the prohibitions against requiring an employee whose work duties include manual labor to accept an accommodation or take leave from employment.

Notice Requirements

Employers subject to the act are required to provide employees three distinct written or electronic notices.

The notices must inform employees that they have the right to be free from discriminatory or unlawful employment practices pursuant to the NRS 613.335 and Sections 2-8 of the act.

The notice must also include a statement that a female employee has the right to a reasonable accommodation for a condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition.

The first notice must be provided to new employees on commencement of employment. The employer must provide a second notice within 10 days after the employee notifies her immediate supervisor that she is pregnant. Finally, the employer is required to post notice of these rights in a conspicuous place at its place of business and in an area accessible to employees. The notice provisions of the act are effective on June 2. The act is effective Oct. 1, for all other purposes.

Rick Roskelley is an attorney with Littler in Las Vegas.  Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.


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West Virginia employers that may have hesitated in the past to implement and enforce robust drug and alcohol testing policies may now do so without fear of running afoul of prior state court decisions limiting employers' flexibility to test thanks to the newly enacted West Virginia Safer Workplace Act.

Through the act, which will go into effect on July 7, the state legislature has trimmed expansive privacy rights and cleared the way for certain employer actions relating to drug and alcohol testing.

Liability Under the Act

While it does not mandate that employers implement a drug and alcohol testing policy and/or program, the act does establish the legality of testing prospective and current employees and provides attractive liability protections and limitations for employers that conduct testing in compliance with the act's provisions.

For example, employers that establish a policy and testing program that complies with the act's accuracy and fairness safeguards will be protected from claims arising from:

Actions the employer takes based on the results of a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test or an individual's refusal to submit to a test.



Failure to test for drugs or alcohol or for a specific drug or other controlled substance.



Failure to test for (or if tested, for failure to detect) any specific drug or other substance; any medical condition; or any mental, emotional or psychological disorder or condition.



The termination or suspension of any substance abuse prevention or testing program or policy.



In addition, establishing and adhering to a policy in compliance with the act limits defamation, libel, slander and damage to reputation causes of action against employers; bars liability for actions taken as a result of false negative tests (e.g., negligent retention claims); and limits liability for actions taken in reliance on a false positive tests in circumstances in which the claimant could show that the employer had actual knowledge that the result was false and ignored the true test result in disregard for the truth and/or with the willful intent to deceive or be deceived.

Other benefits of implementing a compliant drug and alcohol testing program include limitations on unemployment insurance and workers' compensation claims where the employer's written policy puts employees on notice that it is a condition of employment for an employee to refrain from reporting to work or working with the presence of drugs or alcohol in his or her body.

In order to qualify for the limitations on unemployment and workers' compensation liability, the written policy must also state that if an injured employee refuses to submit to a test, the employee forfeits eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits, and if injured, for indemnity benefits under the state's workers' compensation laws.

Written Policy

To be compliant with the act, an employer must have a written policy that is distributed to every current employee and made available to prospective employees to review. The act sets forth a broad array of permissible purposes for drug and alcohol testing current and prospective employees, defines safety sensitive employees, and provides for a number of legally permissible disciplinary and rehabilitative actions that may be taken as a result of a confirmed positive test or a refusal to submit to a test. Employers may want to address these matters in their written policies.

The act contains no requirement to provide counseling, employee assistance programs, rehabilitation or any other drug abuse treatment programs. Employers that do so, however, must provide employees with information regarding those programs as requested or otherwise appropriate. As a best practice, this information can also be included in the employer's written policy.

Testing Requirements

To ensure fairness and reliability, the act sets forth various requirements for testing procedures and the treatment of drug testing samples. Employers are required, among other things, to pay for testing (which must be done during, right before or directly following a regular work period) and to compensate employees for time spent submitting to tests. If testing is done away from the worksite, the act requires employers to transport or pay for reasonable transportation to and from the testing site.

Individuals also have certain rights under the testing procedures outlined in the act. For example, all positive tests must be confirmed by a second test.

In addition, current and prospective employees have the right to voluntarily provide information relevant to the test, like the use of prescription drugs, which can be accomplished by setting up procedures for review of the test by a qualified medical professional.

Finally, individuals who want to challenge the results of an initial sample test have the right, at their own expense, to have a split sample tested by another lab.

Other Drug and Alcohol Laws

Employers are still obligated to adhere to additional requirements under other state and federal drug testing statutes to which they are subject. For example, an employer that has employees subject to federal Department of Transportation's drug and alcohol testing requirements must still adhere to those requirements.

Confidentiality Protections

Finally, employers must treat communications concerning drug and alcohol test results as confidential. Such information is expressly prohibited from being used or received in evidence, subject to discovery processes in litigation, or disclosed in any public or private proceeding, with the exception of actions against the employer under the act itself.

On balance, the act provides West Virginia employers an important tool in advancing safety and ensuring quality in the workplace. Employers may want to carefully review the requirements of the act in crafting a written policy and implementing testing procedures so as to ensure receipt of the maximum protections provided under the new law.

Karen L. Vossler is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Washington D.C.  Ogletree Deakins. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
Motions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy in the next 400 thousands years based on data from the European Gaia mission.

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy around 13.6 billion years old with large pivoting arms stretching out across the cosmos.

Milky Way quick facts:  Galaxy type: Barred spiral

 Age: 13.6 billion years (and counting)

 Size: 100,000 light-years across

 Number of stars: about 200 billion

 Rotation time: 250 million years

Our home galaxy's disk is about 100,000 light-years in diameter and just 1000 light-years thick, according to Las Cumbres Observatory (opens in new tab).

Just as Earth orbits the sun, the solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way. Despite hurtling through space at speeds of around 515,000mph (828,000kmph) our solar system takes approximately 250 million years to complete a single revolution, according to Interesting Engineering (opens in new tab). The last time our planet was in this position, dinosaurs were just emerging and mammals were yet to evolve.

If the center of the Milky Way were a city, we would be living in suburbia, about 25,000 to 30,000 light-years from the city center. Life in the outskirts is good; we find ourselves nestled in one of the smaller neighborhoods, the Orion-Cygnus Arm, sandwiched between larger Perseus and Carina-Sagittarius arms. If we were to travel inwards towards the city center, we would find the Scutum-Centaurus and Norma arms.

Related: How to photograph the Milky Way: A guide for beginners and enthusiasts

On a clear night, void of light pollution, we can catch a glimpse of the bright lights of the galactic city streaking across the night sky. Our window into the universe, this milky white band of stars, dust and gas is where our galaxy gets its name.

Lying at the very heart of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*. About 4 million times the mass of the sun, this beast consumes anything that strays too close, gorging on an ample supply of stellar material enabling it to grow into a giant. In 2022, we imaged this glutton at the core of our galaxy for the very first time , through an innovative technique allowing us to view the shadow of the black hole.

Why is our galaxy called the Milky Way?

According to the American Museum of Natural History (opens in new tab) (AMNH), our galactic home is called the Milky Way after its apparent milky white appearance as it stretches across the night sky. In Greek mythology, this milky band appeared because the goddess Hera sprayed milk across the sky.

Around the world, the Milky Way is known by different names. For example in China it is called "Silver River" and in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa it's called the "Backbone of Night".

Milky Way galaxy type and the great debate of 1920

The Andromeda Galaxy is on a collision course with the Milky Way. (Image credit: Yang Hanwen and Zhou Zezhen )

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We are constantly building on our wealth of knowledge of the Milky Way, though up until relatively recently astronomers believed that all the stars in the sky belonged to our galaxy.

"The Great Debate" in 1920 saw astronomers Herber Curtis and Harlow Shapley argue the scale of the universe and the prospect of "island universes" (galaxies), according to the National Academy of Sciences (opens in new tab).

On one side of the debate, Shapley believed the Milky Way was much larger than previous estimates and that we weren't at the center. He also claimed that "spiral nebulae" such as Andromeda were a part of the Milky Way. On the other side of the debate, Curtis did not dispute Shapley's claims of a far larger Milky Way, he did however argue that there were large island universes (galaxies) such as Andromeda, that lay beyond the boundaries of the Milky Way.

The dispute was resolved when Edwin Hubble's measurements of Cepheid variable stars proved Andromeda was located far outside the Milky Way. Modern estimates suggest the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest galaxy neighbor is 2.5 million light-years away.

More recently, astronomers have been trying to figure out what type of galaxy the Milky Way is. Our best estimates these days suggest that it is a barred spiral, meaning that there is a bar structure across the center. Astronomers can estimate the shape of the Milky Way by looking at its population of stars, as well as their movements across the sky.

A future collision of galactic proportions

Studying other galactic collisions provides insight into the future Andromeda and Milky Way merger. (Image credit: NASA Hyperwall)

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We now know that the Milky Way resides within the Local Group of galaxies, made up of over 30 galaxies including Andromeda, Triangulum and Leo I to name but a few. It turns out that it's pretty good to know who your neighbors are, as they may be closer than you think. The Milky Way is currently hurtling towards Andromeda at 250,000mph (400,000 km/h). Though there is no need to worry just yet, this crash of cosmic proportions is not due for another 4 billion years.

NASA and other space entities have been observing distant galaxy collisions for decades now to get a sense of what we might be facing when Andromeda and the Milky Way collide. The short story is there is little to worry about; the longer tale is the process is an interesting one as it shows how galaxies may evolve.

For example, observations of a three-way galactic collision in 2022 using the famed Hubble Space Telescope gave some intriguing insights. The largest of the group, as it got into a tight orbit with the other two, snagged some material with its relatively stronger gravity. This created an intriguing streak of gas, dust and other materials flowing into the larger galaxy, visible even from Earth.

While the arms of the Milky Way will surely be ripped up by this process, individual stars are relatively safe as the spaces between them are quite large. In other words, don't look for star collisions, as they will be practically non-existent. Starbirth, however, will accelerate due to the amount of gas being pumped into our galaxy, causing our galaxy to brighten and for its population to expand in the coming millions of years following the collision.

Our own solar system, therefore, should be relatively safe due to the low risk of star collision. That said, we may find ourselves thrown into a completely different path around the new galactic center as the merger pushes through.

One practical effect is that the constellations we observe from Earth may change as star orbits alter or new stars are added into the mix; that said, the collision is happening so far in the future that the constellations we see today may be altered in any case, due to natural starbirth and star death outside of the collision. This Milky Way timelapse shows how the night sky will shift over time.

The Milky Way: Size, structure and mass

The Milky Way's mesmerizing glowing band has had humankind star-struck for eons. (Image credit: Photo by Kendall Hoopes from Pexels)

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Studying the Milky Way used to be notoriously difficult. Astronomers sometimes compare the effort to attempting to describe the size and structure of a forest while being lost in the middle of it. From our position on Earth, we simply lack an overview. But two ground-breaking space telescopes launched since the 1990s have helped usher in the golden age of Milky Way research. Major strides have been made, especially since the 2013 launch of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia mission.

Telescopes enabled astronomers to distinguish the basic shape and structure of some of the closest galaxies before they knew they were looking at galaxies. But reconstructing the shape and structure of our own galactic home was slow and tedious. The process involved building catalogs of stars, charting their positions in the sky and determining how far from Earth they are.

Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, sometimes dubbed the master of the galactic system, was the first to realize that the Milky Way isn't motionless but rotates, and he calculated speeds at which stars at various distances orbit around the galactic center. It also was Oort who determined the position of our sun in the vast galaxy. (The Oort Cloud, a repository of trillions of comets far from the sun, was named after him.)

The structure of the Milky Way galaxy as seen from above the galactic disk. (Image credit: NASA/Adler/U. Chicago/Wesleyan/JPL-Caltech)

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Gradually, a complex picture emerged of a spiral galaxy that appears quite ordinary.

At the center of the Milky Way sits a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*. With a mass equal to that of four million suns, the black hole, discovered in 1974, can be observed in the sky with radio telescopes close to the constellation Sagittarius.

Everything else in the galaxy revolves around this powerful gateway to nothingness. In its immediate surroundings is a tightly packed region of dust, gas and stars called the galactic bulge. In the case of the Milky Way, this bulge is peanut-shaped, measuring 10,000 light-years across, according to ESA. It harbors 10 billion stars (out of the Milky Way's total of about 200 billion), mostly old red giants, which formed in the early stages of the galaxy's evolution.

Related: 'Weird signal' hails from the Milky Way. What's causing it?

Beyond the bulge extends the galactic disk. This feature is 100,000 light-years across and 1,000 light-years thick, and it's home to the majority of the galaxy's stars, including our sun. Stars in the disk are dispersed in clouds of stellar dust and gas. When we look up to the sky at night, it's the edge-on view of this disk extending toward the galactic center that takes our breath away.

Stars in the disk orbit around the galactic center, forming swirling streams that appear to emanate like arms from the galactic bulge. Research into the mechanisms that drive the creation of spiral arms is still in its infancy, but the latest studies suggest that these arms form and disperse within relatively short periods of up to 100 million years (out of the galaxy's 13 billion years of evolution).

Inside those arms, stars, dust and gas are more tightly packed than in the more loosely filled areas of the galactic disk, and this increased density triggers more intense star formation. As a result, stars in the galactic disk tend to be much younger than those in the bulge.

"Spiral arms are like traffic jams in that the gas and stars crowd together and move more slowly in the arms. As material passes through the dense spiral arms, it is compressed and this triggers more star formation," Denilso Camargo, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, said in a statement (opens in new tab).

The Milky Way currently has four spiral arms, according to the National Science Foundation (opens in new tab) (NSF). There are two main arms  Perseus and Scutum-Centaurus  and the Sagittarius and Local Arm, which are less pronounced. Scientists still discuss the exact position and shape of these arms using Gaia data.

The Milky Way disk is not flat but warped (opens in new tab), according to ESA. As it rotates, it precesses like a wobbling spinning top. This wobble, essentially a giant ripple, circles the galactic center much more slowly than the stars in the disk, completing a full rotation in about 600 to 700 million years. Astronomers think this ripple may be a result of a past collision with another galaxy.

The structure of the Milky Way with its rotating warped galactic disc. (Image credit: Stefan Payne-Wardenaar; Inset: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Layout: ESA)

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Sprinkled around the disk and the bulge are globular clusters, collections of ancient stars, as well as approximately 40 dwarf galaxies that are either orbiting or colliding with the larger Milky Way according to a statement from ESA (opens in new tab).

All of that is surrounded by a spherical halo of dust and gas, which is twice as wide as the disk. Astronomers believe that the entire galaxy is embedded in an even larger halo of invisible dark matter. Since dark matter doesn't emit any light, its presence can only be inferred indirectly by its gravitational effects on the motions of stars in the galaxy. Calculations suggest that this puzzling stuff makes up to 90% of the galaxy's mass.

The mass of the Milky Way, dark matter included, equals 1.5 trillion solar masses, according to recent NASA estimates (opens in new tab). The galaxy's visible matter is distributed between its 200 billion stars, their planets and the massive clouds of dust and gas that fill the interstellar space. Astronomers aren't quite sure how many planets are in the Milky Way, given we have only found a few thousand all told, but one NASA estimate suggests it's more than 100 billion planets . How many solar systems there are in the Milky Way is also a mystery, as we are still looking for the planets.

Where is the sun in the Milky Way?

The sun is one of 200 billion stars making up the Milky Way galaxy. (Image credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO)

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The sun orbits about 26,000 light-years from the black hole Sagittarius A*, roughly in the middle of the galactic disk. Traveling at the speed of 515,000 mph (828,000 kph), the sun takes 230 million years to complete a full orbit around the galactic center.

The sun sits near the edge of the Local Arm of the Milky Way, one of the two smaller spiral arms of the galaxy. In 2019, using data from the Gaia mission, astronomers found that the sun is essentially surfing a wave of interstellar gas that's 9,000 light-years long, 400 light-years wide and undulates 500 light-years above and below the galactic disk according to ESA.

Planets of the solar system do not orbit in the plane of the galaxy but are tipped by about 63 degrees.

"It's almost like we're sailing through the galaxy sideways," Merav Opher, an astrophysicist at George Mason University in Virginia, told Space.com.

What is the black hole in the Milky Way?

Sagittarius A*, taken by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. (Image credit: NASA/CXC/Caltech/M.Muno et al.)

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The black hole in the Milky Way is called Sagittarius A* . The black hole is mostly dormant, which makes it very challenging to observe. Sagittarius A* has a mass 4.3 million times that of the sun, astronomers Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez discovered it in 2008. The approximate diameter is 14.6 million miles (23.5 million kilometers) . By comparison, the Milky Way itself is roughly 100,000 light-years wide and 1,000 light-years thick.

A huge disk of gas around Sagittarius A* billows out as far as 5 to 30 light-years from the supermassive black hole. It is this huge, but tenuous, area of gas that gives a bit of material for Sagittarius A* activity. The region is known to emit X-rays due to feeding on the gas, or because of friction within the disk as temperatures soar to as much as 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (10 million degrees Celsius).

Scientists would love to have more information about this supermassive black hole to figure out more about how it was formed and the conditions that made its growth possible. A couple of possibilities include smaller black holes getting quite large as they eat up dust and gas in the environment nearby; alternatively, smaller black holes may merge together and create something more monstrous.

An image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, a behemoth dubbed Sagittarius A*, revealed by the Event Horizon Telescope on May 12, 2022. (Image credit: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration)

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Generally, scientists do have improving models for stellar-mass black holes and intermediate-mass black holes. These objects form when huge stars, many times the mass of our sun, collapse after stopping nuclear fusion. Since they are no longer able to stop the gravitational collapse, they shrink to a gravitationally powerful object that can warp time and space around it so much that light no longer can escape.

We're gradually learning more about Sagittarius A* through efforts such as the first-ever image of the black hole , which was obtained on May 12, 2022. The image captured faint amounts of light caused by heated matter moving super-fast towards the center of the black hole; the image is a high-definition shadow. This imaging required a big set of observatories around the world, approximately the size of Earth  which was possible through the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).

Related: Here's How Scientists Turned the World Into a Telescope (to See a Black Hole)

Mapping the Milky Way's history

The evolution of the Milky Way began when clouds of gas and dust started collapsing, pushed together by gravity . First stars sprung up from the collapsed clouds, those that we see today in the globular clusters. The spherical halo emerged soon after, followed by the flat galactic disk. The galaxy started small and grew as the inescapable force of gravity pulled everything together.

The Milky Way is approximately 13.6 billion years old. (Image credit: Future)

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The galaxy's evolution is, however, still shrouded in mystery. A discipline called galactic archaeology is slowly unraveling some of the puzzles of the Milky Way's life thanks to the Gaia mission, which released its first catalog of data (opens in new tab)in 2018.

Gaia measures (opens in new tab) the exact positions and distances of more than 1 billion stars, as well as their light spectra, which enables scientists to understand the stars' composition and age, according to ESA. The position data allow astronomers to determine the speeds and directions in which the stars move in space. As things in space follow predictable trajectories, astronomers can reconstruct the paths of the stars billions of years into the past and future. Combining these reconstructed trajectories into one stellar movie captures the evolution of the galaxy over eons.

There is also evidence (opens in new tab) that the Milky Way collided with several smaller galaxies during its evolution. In 2018, a team of Dutch astronomers found a group of 30,000 stars (opens in new tab) moving in sync through the sun's neighborhood in the opposite direction to the rest of the stars in the data set. The motion pattern matched what scientists had previously seen in computer simulations of galactic collisions. These stars also differed in color and brightness, which suggested they came from a different galaxy.

Contrary to expectations, dwarf galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way have only just arrived. (Image credit: ESA)

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Remnants of another, slightly younger, collision were spotted a year later. The Milky Way continues devouring smaller galaxies to this day. A galaxy called Sagittarius (not to be mistaken with the black hole) currently orbits close to the Milky Way and has likely smashed through its disk several times (opens in new tab) in the past 7 billion years. Using Gaia data, scientists found that these collisions triggered periods of intense star formation in the Milky Way and may even have something to do with the galaxy's trademark spiral shape. The study suggests that our sun was born during one of those periods some 4.6 billion years ago.

Photographing the Milky Way

Photographing the Milky Way requires a dark sky. (Image credit: Getty)

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Photographing the Milky Way requires a dark sky, a good "season" (generally between February and October), some distance from light pollution, and the ability to use photographic equipment to catch its faint light. Luckily, the Milky Way is visible in both the northern and southern hemispheres and it is possible to capture it using standard amateur photography items.

If you can, get to your site in the daytime as you will likely want to scout the area for the best angles. Good Milky Way images tend to make use of the landscape in creative ways, so look for interesting and prominent natural features like mountains, boulders or rock shapes.

Next comes the photo shoot. Generally speaking, use a tripod, set your equipment for a timelapse mode and be prepared to experiment with different focuses and different lenses. For beginners, we also have a full guide on how to photograph the Milky Way (opens in new tab).

The future of the Milky Way research

Since the beginning of its operations, the Gaia mission has provided three updates to its massive stellar catalog. Astronomers from all over the world continue analyzing the data in search of new patterns and revelations.

Gaia data currently generates more research papers than even the famous Hubble Space Telescope. Gaia will continue charting the galaxy until at least 2025, as long as the spacecraft remains in good health, and the catalog it has compiled will keep astronomers busy for decades to come.

Before Gaia, the largest dataset about positions and distances of stars in the Milky Way came from a mission called Hipparcos, after an ancient Greek astronomer who began charting the night sky 150 years before Christ. Hipparcos only saw about 100,000 of the brightest stars in the sun's neighborhood, compared to Gaia's one billion. The data was also less precise.

Even though Gaia sees less than 1% of stars in the galaxy, astronomers can expand their findings and model the behavior of the entire Milky Way.

Additional resources

Discover more about the Milky Way and other galaxies with this free learning material from the Open University (opens in new tab). Explore the Milky Way in virtual reality (opens in new tab) with ESA's Gaia mission. Tour the Milky Way with Gaia Sky (opens in new tab), a real-time, 3D, astronomy visualization software that uses ESA's Gaia mission data. Learn why it was so difficult to study the Milky Way before Gaia in this article from ESA (opens in new tab).

Bibliography

Xiang, M., Rix, HW. "A time-resolved picture of our Milky Way's early formation history (opens in new tab)". Nature 603, 599603 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04496-5

Robin, Annie C., et al. "A synthetic view on structure and evolution of the Milky Way. (opens in new tab)" Astronomy & Astrophysics 409.2 (2003): 523-540.

Dehnen, Walter, and James Binney. "Mass models of the Milky Way. (opens in new tab)" Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 294.3 (1998): 429-438.

Helmi, Amina. "Streams, substructures, and the early history of the Milky Way. (opens in new tab)" Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 58 (2020): 205-256.
Artist's illustration of colonists on Mars. Scientists don't yet know how babies would develop and grow away from Earth, and this lack of knowledge poses a possible hurdle to establishing sustainable space settlements, experts say.

If humanity is serious about colonizing Mars, we need to get busy studying how to get busy in space.

We just don't know enough about how human reproduction and development work in the final frontier to confidently plan out permanent, sustainable settlements on the Red Planet or anywhere else away from Earth, said Kris Lehnhardt, an assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

"This is something that we, frankly, have never studied dramatically, because it's not been relevant to date," Lehnhardt said May 16 during a panel discussion at "On the Launchpad: Return to Deep Space," a webcast event in Washington, D.C., organized by The Atlantic magazine. [The Human Body in Space: 6 Weird Facts]

"But if we want to become a spacefaring species and we want to live in space permanently, this is a crucial issue that we have to address that just has not been fully studied yet," he added.

Off-Earth reproduction isn't a completely ignored topic, of course. Just last month, for example, a group of researchers in Japan announced that freeze-dried mouse sperm that was stored on the International Space Station for nine months gave rise to healthy pups.

Those results suggest that the relatively high levels of radiation experienced in space don't pose an insurmountable barrier to reproduction.

But the mouse sperm was brought back to Earth to produce embryos, which grew here on terra firma. How a human embryo would fare when away from Earth  in the microgravity environment of orbit or deep space, or on Mars, whose surface gravity is just 38 percent as strong as that of our planet  remains a mystery, Lehnhardt said.

"We have no idea how they're going to develop," he said. "Will they develop bones the way that we do? Will they ever be capable of coming to Earth and actually standing up?"

And there's a lot to think about beyond the nuts-and-bolts developmental issues. For example, people who are born and grow up on Mars, or in huge Earth-orbiting space habitats, "are going to be vastly different from what we are," Lehnhardt added. "And that may be kind of a turning point in human history."

The panel discussion also featured former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria; Sheyna Gifford, a member of the HI-SEAS IV simulated Mars mission in Hawaii; and journalist Alison Stewart. You can watch the entire discussion on the AtlanticLIVE YouTube channel.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
An astronomer thinks he's pinpointed the source of a mysterious radio signal from space: a passing comet that nobody knew about. But his colleagues said they're still skeptical of the explanation, noting that comets don't emit radio waves in the right way.

Antonio Paris, an astronomer at St. Petersburg College in Florida, recently published a paper in the Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences saying the mysterious "Wow! signal," a truly bizarre radio signal detected almost 40 years ago, seems to match up with the location of a comet called 266P/Christensen that hadn't been cataloged at the time. (The comet was discovered more recently, in 2006. Originally, Paris' hypothesis was that a second comet might also be the culprit, one called P/2008 Y Gibbs.) Explanations for the Wow! signal have ranged from intermittent natural phenomena, to secret spy satellites, to, yes, aliens.

Others aren't so sure. "We do not believe the two-comets theory can explain the Wow! signal," Jerry Ehman, the astronomer who discovered the Wow! signal in 1977, told Live Science. [5 Times We Thought We Found Aliens]

Wow! signal

The Wow! signal's name comes from just how striking and strange it was. The radio signal appeared on the night of Aug. 15, 1977, when it was picked up by the Big Ear radio telescope at The Ohio State University. It lasted 72 seconds. It was "loud"  more intense than anything in the background sky that night. It was also a narrow-bandwidth signal; the range of frequencies it covered was small, similar to those of artificial signals. AM radio, for example, has channels that are only 10,000 cycles above or below the designated frequency on the dial. Further, the signal was at a frequency of about 1,420 megahertz (MHz), also called the 21-centimter line. That's the same frequency as radio waves emitted by neutral hydrogen gas in space. It's a region that is relatively free of noise from other objects, and one researchers involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence have been interested in for a long time because it could be used for interstellar transmissions.

The signal did not repeat, and subsequent attempts to find it proved fruitless. Ehman marked "Wow!" in red pen on a printout that shows the numbers representing the signal.

Back in 1977, the now-dismantled Big Ear telescope was looking for alien signals, in an early iteration of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI. But no one expected to see anything like the Wow! signal, and the Big Ear telescope heard nothing like it again.

Without a repeat signal, it was impossible to tell what it was; even getting a precise location wasn't easy because the signal was short-lived. Ehman, now retired, told Live Science that, beyond a certain distance, it's hard to tell how far away a radio signal is coming from.

Comet signature

In his paper, Paris wrote that comets will, under certain conditions, emit radio waves from the gases that surround them as they zoom closer to the sun. According to the study, Comet 266P/Christensen was in about the right position on the right day in 1977. Paris first floated the idea in early 2016, and proposed a program of using radio telescopes to listen for the emission of such radio waves. [Face on a Comet: Ghostly Faces in Space]

The comet project had three phases. "The first phase was the hypothesis, which led to the second phase: Do comets emit 1,420 [MHz signals]? It appears yes, they do," Paris told Live Science.

In the third phase, set for 2018, Paris plans to explore the mechanisms of the emissions why comets should generate radio waves at that particular wavelength. Paris said little research has been done on the topic.

"There have been a handful of studies, but I suspect we are the first to specifically build a 10-meter radio telescope to specifically look at this type of solar system body," he said.

To see if a signal could have come from comets, Paris first used a radio telescope to look at the sky in the region of the Wow! signal. With this step, he wanted to see what the background looked like at the relevant frequency. He also checked two other comets to be sure that they did, in fact, emit radio signals at the 1,420-MHz frequency, and found that they did.

Then, in January, Paris directed the radio telescope to point at Comet 266P/Christensen as it passed through the region of the sky where the Wow! signal was seen. (Comet 266P/Christensen has an orbital period of about 6.65 years, and its apparent location in the sky will vary depending on where Earth is in its own orbit around the sun. The comet passed near, but not exactly, where the Wow! signal was  about 2 degrees north of the Wow! signal location.

Skepticism abounds

Yet several astronomers, including Ehman, think Paris is wrong about the comet. Ehman looked at Paris' study with Robert Dixon, who directs the radio observatory at The Ohio State University (Big Ear was destroyed in 1997). Two big issues are that the signal didn't repeat, and it appeared for such a short time. Ehman noted that the Big Ear telescope had two "feed horns," each of which provides a slightly different field of view for a radio telescope. [5 Huge Misconceptions about Aliens]

"We should have seen the source come through twice in about 3 minutes: one response lasting 72 seconds and a second response for 72 seconds following within about a minute and a half," Ehman told Live Science. "We didn't see the second one."

The only way that can happen, he said, is if the signal was cut off abruptly. A comet wouldn't produce that kind of signal, because the gases that surround them cover large, diffuse areas. Nor would the comet have escaped from the radio telescope's field of view that fast.

But Ehman isn't convinced it's aliens, either. There are many phenomena that show sudden appearances and disappearances of radio signals, including fast radio bursts (FRBs), which are mysterious radio bursts with hotly-debated astrophysical origins that generate irregular signals that last only milliseconds. If the the Big Ear picked up only the tail end of such an emission, the data could look similar to the Wow! signal, Ehman speculated.

"The issue with the feed horns is something no one can explain, including me," Paris said. "There is some data out there to suggest the issue is at the telescope end and not the phenomenon itself." So it's possible that the signal could have been caused by a glitch in the Big Ear telescope.

The other issue is the frequency of transmission. Paris said he has shown that comets can emit in that range, but Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, is skeptical. Shostak used to study emissions from neutral hydrogen in the 1,420-MHz range, and is less sure the emission would look right. Comets may not generate enough hydrogen to make a bright enough signal like Wow!.

"I don't think anyone ever found such emission from comets," Shostak told Live Science.

Originally published on Live Science.
Nustar

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Today marks the five-year anniversary of NASA's NuSTAR mission. To celebrate the occasion, the project's principal investor selected her five favorite images from the probe's history.



NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) is the first satellite mission to explore the universe in high-energy X-rays. This range of light reveals energetic phenomena like supernovas, or exploding stars; neutron stars, or nuggets of material left after a stellar explosion that contains the densest form of regular matter in the universe; and regions of fast-moving matter, swirling around the periphery of massive black holes.





A buried black hole

NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

Harrison's first choice is an artist's concept of a spinning black hole that has created a whirlpool of matter around itself. The piece was created to illustrate an early discovery made by the NuSTAR team that wouldn't have been clearly resolved in an image from the satellite's data.



Black holes are difficult to study largely because they don't reflect or emit light. Astrophysicists think a monster black hole lies at the center of most galaxies, but these beasts are typically obscured by clouds and dust, which creates another barrier to studying them. But X-rays radiated by material swirling around those monster black holes can penetrate gas and dust. NuSTAR made the first definitive measurement of a black hole's spin. This finding confirmed some theories about black holes, and helped scientists better understand these mysterious cosmic monsters.



"NuSTAR's high-energy X-ray vision allowed us to distinguish between models that explain what produces black holes' X-ray emissions, and this information led us to conclude that the observed black hole is rapidly spinning," Harrison said.

A radioactive explosion

NASA/JPL-Caltech/CXC/SAO

This colorful image shows Cassiopia A, a star that exploded as a supernova 350 years ago, as seen from Earth. The blue indicates regions of radioactive material, imaged by NuSTAR. While other telescopes could detect signs of radioactivity coming from Cassiopia A, they lacked the ability to pinpoint the source of those signals and create a map of how the material was distributed in the supernova remnant.



"This is a beautiful image, and one of the things we built NuSTAR to do  to make the first-ever map of emission from radioactivity in the remnant of an exploded star," Harrison said. "We spent years developing specialized detectors to have the capability to make this image. From the image, we were able to determine the mechanism that caused the star to explode."



The distribution of radioactive material imaged by NuSTAR (as well as nonradioactive material imaged by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory) "supports a theory referred to as 'mild asymmetries' [in which] material sloshes about at the heart of the supernova, reinvigorating a shock wave and allowing it to blow out the star's outer layers," according to NASA.

A bright pulse

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SAO/NOAO

"This result was one of the biggest surprises from NuSTAR," Harrison said of the magenta object in this image of Messier 82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy.



"We detected pulsing from an object in a galaxy that everybody had assumed was a black hole, thereby showing it was actually a stellar remnant called a pulsar," Harrison said. "At the time, it was by far the brightest pulsar known. At first nobody believed it, but the signal was so strong and clear."



Pulsars are a type of neutron star that, while spinning rapidly, radiate bright beams of light, like a lighthouse. If those beams sweep across the field of view of astronomers on Earth, the pulsar appears as if it is pulsing on and off. This pulsar was bright enough to earn the title of ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX).



"Previously, all ULXs were suspected to be massive black holes up to a few hundred times the mass of the sun," according to another statement from NASA. The discovery of the ULX pulsar in Messier 82 changed things, and two other ULX pulsars have been found since.

The sun in color

NASA/JPL-Caltech

This sensational snapshot of the sun was created using data from three missions: NuSTAR's high-energy X-rays are in blue, showing regions where "microflares" erupted; low-energy X-rays from the Japanese Space Agency's Hinode spacecraft are in green; and extreme ultraviolet light from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is yellow and red, according to NASA.



"With NuSTAR, we see flaring, active regions of the sun where high-energy particles are being created. NuSTAR was built as an astrophysics mission, not to study the sun," Harrison said. "People thought we were crazy at first to study the sun. But now, by studying the sun with much greater sensitivity in high-energy X-rays, we are contributing to the field of solar physics."

Buried treasure

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey

"This image illustrates another job NuSTAR was designed to do  to find hidden black holes buried by dust and gas," Harrison said.



The image shows galaxy NGC 1448 captured in optical light by the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The X-ray light coming from the center of the galaxy was captured by NuSTAR, and revealed the presence of a monster black hole, hidden by thick clouds of gas and dust. The material close to the black hole radiates X-rays that can penetrate the clouds even though many other wavelengths of light cannot.



Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+.
NC mayoral candidate vehicle vandalised in Nepalgunj

A vehicle belonging to the Nepali Congress (NC) mayoral candidate was vandalised in Nepalgunj on Tuesday.
On Nov. 10, 2013, Europe's GOCE satellite fell to Earth. GOCE is short for Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer. Its mission was to map Earth's gravitational field. GOCE did this for four years. Then it ran out of fuel.

Controllers weren't sure where GOCE would fall back to Earth or linger in orbit. Some people worried that it might crash into a populated area. However, the small spacecraft broke up in the atmosphere and didn't cause any property damage.

This photo of the GOCE satellite reentering the atmosphere was taken from the Falkland Islands on Nov. 11, 2013 by Bill Chater. (Image credit: Bill Chater)

It disintegrated about 50 miles above the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. The European Space Agency called the mission a success. GOCE lasted far longer than expected.

It showed small variations in Earth's gravity, mapped the structure of Earth's crust and mantle, and tracked ocean currents.

On This Day in Space Archive!

Still not enough space? Don't forget to check out our Space Image of the Day, and on the weekends our Best Space Photos and Top Space News Stories of the week.

Follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Update for June 16: NASA's next attempt to launch a small sounding rocket to create glowing clouds in the night sky will occur no earlier than Sunday night (June 18). Liftoff from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility from Wallops Island, Virginia is scheduled for some time between 9:05 p.m. EDT and 9:20 p.m. EDT (0105-0120 GMT).

Original story: A small NASA rocket is once again poised to launch tonight (June 13) on a mission to spawn artificial glowing clouds over the U.S. East Coast after a series of frustrating delays due to cloudy weather and stray boats.

The booster, a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket, is scheduled to launch between 9:04 p.m. EDT and 9:19 p.m. EDT (0104 to 0119 GMT Wednesday) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch, however, is extremely dependent on weather conditions.

You can watch the launch live here, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT). It will be streamed live by NASA Wallops on Ustream here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops. At 8:50 p.m. EDT (0050 GMT), NASA will also offer a Facebook Live video feed at the NASA Wallops Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF.

This NASA map shows the range of visibility for a sounding rocket launch from the agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia on June 13, 2017. Vapor trails from the launch may be visible from New York to North Carolina, NASA officials said. (Image credit: NASA)

If all goes as planned, the rocket will create brilliant red and blue glowing clouds when it releases gas-filled canisters high above Earth that may be visible from New York to North Carolina, and as far inland as Charlottesville, Virginia, NASA officials have said. The mission is a technology demonstration flight to test a new ejection system for the canisters, which will aid future studies of Earth's ionosphere and auroras, they added.

But NASA has been trying to launch this potentially dazzling mission all month, only to be foiled by unacceptable weather and other details. The launch window opened on June 1 and closes on June 18.

Several attempts to launch the rocket between June 1 and June 4 were called off due to high winds, cloudy weather or boats in the offshore hazard area where parts of the rocket will fall back to Earth. A new round of attempts began Sunday (June 11), when stray boats again prevented launch. Then came last night's try, where clouds at two ground-based camera sites  one at the Wallops center and the other in Duck, North Carolina  forced mission scientists to stand down for the night.

To observe the glowing clouds created by the rocket launch, clear skies are required at both camera sites, NASA officials said.

And while those many delays may be frustrating (especially for the science team), they're sometimes necessary.

"When conducting rocket science missions, delays are to be expected because of the often stringent requirements for the flight to occur," Wallops News Chief Keith Koehler told Space.com via email. "While delays due to weather or marine traffic is frustrating, the launch team will maintain its focus to conduct a safe launch."

The Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket to launch June 13 undergoes tests ahead of launch. Its canister-deploying doors are seen open here. (Image credit: Berit Bland/NASA)

During tonight's launch try, the sounding rocket launch will last about 8 minutes before splashing down 90 miles (145 kilometers) offshore from Wallops Island. The mission will create glowing clouds by releasing vapor tracers of barium, strontium and cupric oxide at altitudes of between 96 and 124 miles (155 to 200 km) above Earth, NASA officials said, adding that the vapor tracers pose no hazard to the public.

"Canisters will deploy between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch, releasing blue-green and red vapor to form artificial clouds," NASA officials wrote in a status update late Monday. "These clouds, or vapor tracers, allow scientists on the ground to visually track particle motions in space. The clouds may be visible along the mid-Atlantic coastline from New York to North Carolina."

If you live near the Wallops Island area, you can visit NASA's Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center to watch the launch. The center will open to the public at 8 p.m. EDT for launch viewing.

Smartphone users can also download the "What's Up at Wallops" app to learn when and where to look to see the launch from their location. Leading up to the launch, Wallops officials will also post updates on Twitter and Facebook.

Editor's note: If you capture an amazing image of the sounding rocket launch or the colorful artificial clouds that you would like to share with Space.com and its news partners for a story or photo gallery, send photos and comments to: spacephotos@space.com.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Last week, I was privileged to spend an entire day at CIO Perspectives Virginia, a one-day single-stream seminar series hosted by CIO.com. In this two-part blog series, Ill recap the common themes that arose as speakers explored digital transformation and technology innovation.

Transformation is Not Optional

CIO advisor and author, Peter High, started the day off by warning that ignoring disruption and transformation is not an option. With the average tenure on the S&P 500 shrinking from 61 years in 1958 to just 16 years today, High showed how the decline of once-iconic brands like Circuit City, Blockbuster and Borders were emblematic of the consequences of ignoring transformative forces.

CarMax CIO Shamim Mohammad took up this theme in his presentation, warning that in todays environment, every company is a digital company and every business is a technology business. "If you don't disrupt your market," he said, "someone else will."

Make Change a Core Competency

As High pointed out, innovation requires technology leaders to make change a core competency. Mohammad similarly explained how the "I" in CIO should stand not only for "Information," but also idea, instigation, innovation, integration and improvement. Mohammad went even further, explaining that "business strategy is technology strategy"innovation must be a company-wide imperative.

Disrupt Yourself  Radically or Incrementally

In one of several fireside chats, General Dynamics CIO Kristie Grinnell noted that IT leaders should embrace and celebrate "rogue innovation," like skunkworks. "Elevating experimentation and learning," Grinnell explained, "helps to develop an entrepreneurial mindset," noting that "this is where innovation really happens."

Ferguson Enterprises CIO Kevin Barnes, however, cautioned that it is also important to demystify innovation. "While innovation can sometimes be radical and transformational," he said, "it doesnt have be."

"Hitting singles, doubles and triples is okay," Barnes said. "You don't need everything to be a home run."

The closing panel (CIOs and CISOs from Wolseley, USDA, ARC and First Guaranty Mortgage) echoed this, advising IT execs to speak in business terms while noting that business people must learn to speak in technology terms too.

Download your complimentary copy of "Digital Transformation Trailblazing: A Data-Driven Approach" to learn more about the top drivers for digital business transformation, and get additional key takeaways and themes from the event in part two of this blog series.

*Fair disclosure  Splunk was a sponsor of CIO Perspectives

----------------------------------------------------

Thanks!

Andi Mann
A taco restaurant at the epicentre of the London Bridge attack has said staff are "emerging from a tough time as a stronger family" as they prepare to go back to work while Borough Market businesses prepared to "reclaim" it from terror.

Staff at El Pastor in Borough Market were hailed as heroes for hurling objects at the terrorists when they burst into the Stoney Street restuarant brandishing 12-inch (30cm) ceramic knives, shortly after ploughing into pedestrians in a white van.

Customers were forced to take cover during the horrific attack while staff - said now to have been brought closer by the atrocity - bravely fought to protect them.

In an Instagram post, owners of the restaurant - a stone's throw from where police shot dead the three attackers - wrote alongside a picture of smiling staff giving thumbs-ups that they would open tomorrow with even greater determination to serve their community.

It said: "We are proud to announce that El Pastor will reopen from tomorrow lunchtime.

Heroes of London Bridge attack - in pictures 1 /9 Heroes of London Bridge attack - in pictures Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, clinical director and consultant in emergency medicine at Kings Malcolm Tunnicliff featured in TV programme 24 Hours in A&E Ex-police officer Darren Jaundrill Matt Writtle Joe Palermo, a bouncer from Italy Joe Palermo helped people to shelter in Bill's Matt Writtle Baker Florin Morariu Journalist Geoff Ho was stabbed in the neck while trying to help others Twitter

"We are emerging from a tough time as a stronger family, a tighter Borough community and more committed than ever to serving those who value the pleasures of eating and drinking and coming together."

"The kindness and bravery shown by individuals and groups on the the night of 3rd June and afterwards has been awe-inspiring. Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families for the senseless loss of life," the post added.

"We hope to see you for tacos and mezcal at El Pastor and myriad other delights at our friends' places in Borough Market soon, as we all get back to business," it said.

Supporters praised staff in comments on social media, with one writing: "You'll return better than ever. Good food and good people triumphing over evil - what could be better?"

"Inspiring, strong & full respect to everyone. Will be down to support you," wrote another.

Other businesses in Borough Market were also back to work as usual after the nightmarish scenes of the attack, posting to social media with hashtags such as "loveborough" and "businessasusual" as they prepared to "reclaim" the market from terror.

The reopening of the market comes as inquests into the deaths of the eight victims of the attack are held at Southwark Coroner's Court over two days.

Eight people were murdered during the rampage when three terrorists mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge using a white Renault van before stabbing diners and revellers in Borough Market on Saturday, June 3.

All of the victims have since been named by authorities, including Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, who died in her fiance's arms after being struck by the speeding van.

London Bridge terror attack: All murder victims named

Xavier Thomas, 45, who was knocked into the River Thames, was one of three Frenchmen who died, along with Sebastien Belanger, 36, and restaurant worker Alexandre Pigeard.

James McMullan, 32, from Hackney, and Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, 39 and Australians Kristy Boden, 28, and Sara Zelenek were also killed in the attack.

It was revealed on Friday by the Standard that every victim of the attack who made it to hospital has survived their injuries.

Staff of the businesses around London Bridge, including bars and restaurants caught up in the horror, have been widely praised for acts of heroism from throwing objects at the terrorists to locking down premises and simple acts of kindness at a time they were personally at risk themselves.
A nother election is likely to be held in the autumn, Jeremy Corbyn has told people while tending his vegetables on his allotment.

The Labour leader spent a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon on his East Finchley allotment, near his home in north London, after his party pulled off a surprise result in the general election.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, he told other allotment holders that he expected an election in September or October, according to one source.

Mr Corbyn was not keen to discuss his allotment when approached by the Evening Standard. It is a very private place, he explained.

I do enjoy working on my allotment and growing things, he added. It is a good way to relax.

The MP for Islington North has grown maize, beans and pumpkins as well as fruit to make jam on his allotment.
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In early 2017 the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) announced that it has ordered two more Type 218SG submarines from a German firm. The first two were ordered in 2013 and will be delivered in 2021 and 2022. The two additional boats are expected to be in service by 2025. The growing threat from China is a major reason for ordering two more of these subs.

The Type 218SG is a variant of the Type 216 that the manufacturer proposed in 2012. A Type 218SG is 70 meters (230 feet) long, displaces 1,800 tons on the surface, has AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) and a lot of electronics built in Singapore and customized for local conditions. These boats are highly automated and thus require a crew of only 28. There are also modifications to improve maneuverability in the shallow waters common in areas adjacent to Singapore. AIP (underwater) endurance is up to 25-30 days and total endurance as much as 80 days. Other modifications make the subs easier to maintain and upgrade. Armament consists of eight forward firing 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes and 18 torpedoes or anti-ship missiles. Mines can also be carried. These boats will cost at least $900 million each and this includes training and tech support.

One of the primary local features the RSN shares responsibility for is the Malacca Strait, the busiest shipping choke point on the planet. Most of the world's oil exports pass through the Strait of Malacca as well as much non-tanker cargo. Over 50,000 large ships moved through each year. Thats 120-150 a day. In addition its a vital to East Asian economies. The 800 kilometer long strait is between Malaysia and Indonesia and is 65 kilometers wide at its narrowest and depth are generally 27-37 meters (90-120 feet). The shallow and tricky waters in the strait forces the big ships to go slow (under 30 kilometers an hour) to avoid collisions that could easily block the waterway and reduce the flow of traffic.

Singapore has the most effective armed forces in its neighborhood despite being one of the smallest nations in the world. It is a tiny (633 square kilometers) island city state. Defense spending is only about $12 billion a year for a population of 5.2 million. The armed forces consists of 71,000 active duty troops, of which 55 percent are conscripts. But on a per-capita basis, Singapore spends more on the military and has more people in uniform than the United States. The troops are highly trained, not easily replaced and the obvious solution is better weapons and equipment.

Because of this policy the RSN has the most modern ships and the best trained crews in the neighborhood. Currently that fleet consists of four submarines, six frigates, six corvettes, 19 patrol boats, four amphibious ships, four mine warfare ships and one submarine rescue ship. Singapore builds the patrol boats locally and the major warship come from European builders. Singapore has long served as a major naval base, especially for the United States.

Singapore constantly modernizes its warships and replaces them with new models regularly. The current submarine force consists of two recently (2011 and 2012) refurbished Vaastergotland class submarines and four older Challenger class boats, all from Sweden. The Vaastergotland refurb was really a rebuilding of these boats, as their size was increased by a third. The rebuilt boats were renamed the Archer class. The 1,400 ton Archers are 60.5 meters (198.5 feet) long, carry a crew of 28 and are armed with six 533mm and three 400mm (15.75 inch) torpedo tubes. The 400mm torpedo is for other subs, while the larger torpedo is for surface ships. These tubes can also carry mines.

The two Swedish subs were sold to Singapore in 2005, and spent six years being rebuilt and upgraded. For example, the boats now have air conditioning and other mods useful for subs spending all their time in tropical waters. In addition to new electronic systems, the boats have AIP, which accounts for most of the added size. Surface speed is 15 kilometers an hour, while submerged speed is 28 kilometers an hour. These two boats replaced two of the older Challenger class subs. These were purchased in 1995 from Sweden where they were Sjobjornen Class subs that entered service in the late 1960s. For Singapore the Challenger class were refurbished for tropical conditions as well as weapons system and sensor upgrades. These submarines performed very well in exercises against American and Australian warships, proving that these old boats, when handled well in littoral conditions, are quiet and maneuverable subs that are able to give a pretty good account of themselves.
NRNA assured environment for investment in KTM

Kathmandu Metropolitan Citys newly-appointed Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya has assured a conducive environment for non-resident Nepalis willing to work for the prosperity of Kathmandu.
China has a grand strategic plan and its no secret. For the last few years Chinese officials have been describing their economic and military expansion plan as Obor (One Belt, One Road). A new PR campaign for Obor describes it as a revival of the ancient Silk Road but thats not accurate as the ancient Silk Road was only partially run by the Chinese. Most of it was operated by other major powers (Iranian, Indian and Arabs) and was largely put out of business after the 16 th century by European innovations in ship building and management of sea routes that presented a safer and cheaper way to move goods worldwide. Moreover, until the late 20 th century Chinese leaders never encouraged (and often banned) foreign trade. For most of Chinese history the leaders believed China had all it needed (largely true) and considered all non-Chinese and their products as inferior. The big change now is that China needs international trade and Obor is the Chinese plan to control as much of it as possible. This is essential for a prosperous economy because without that the communists are in big trouble. Obor means China owning or otherwise controlling as many of the new roads, railways, ports, pipelines and sea routes as possible. China is investing nearly $200 billion in Obor construction. This includes land routes through Central Asia to Europe and the Middle East, another through the Himalaya Mountains to the Indian Ocean (soon to be under new management if China has its way) and new land connections into Southeast Asia. The key to Chinas new sea routes is asserting ownership of the South China Sea.

Another feature of Obor is that it offers business relationships that are more acceptable (than Western ones) to most of the nations Obor is investing in. The Chinese can, as they like to put it, be more flexible and respectful of local customs. In other words the Chinese dont see bribes and corruption as a defect but an opportunity. This is great for the foreign political and business leaders but less so with most of the others and this is causing problems. Africans and Asians living near many Chinese foreign operations complain that China is the major investor in illegal extraction of raw materials and keeping local gangsters and corrupt politicians in business. The Chinese also violate local labor laws with impunity and often hire their own armed security personnel who will shoot to kill if threatened by angry workers or local residents. Keeping local tyrants in power serves Chinese interests when it comes to things like establishing new military bases or preventing other nations from doing so. Corrupt locals also make it easier to carry out espionage operations (locally or in nearby areas). Helping to keep unelected leaders in power also serves to maintain the legitimacy of the current Chinese government which is basically a communist police state and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) wants to keep it that way. All this is nothing new. For example once China got its seat in the UN back (from Taiwan) in 1971 it has been notorious for encouraging and using corrupt practices in the UN. Many nations play along and as China became wealthier they were willing and able to buy whatever they needed inside the UN. The latest example of this is how Chinese pressure has caused the UN to withdraw investigators (responding to local complaints of serious crimes) looking too closely at Chinese owned operations in Africa.

China and Pakistan are heavily publicizing the revival of the Silk Road. In Pakistan the city of Peshawar, on the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, was a major gateway of the ancient Silk Road between China and the Middle East. But that version of the road went through the pass and into Afghanistan. The new Silk Road is not just Obor, in Pakistan it is officially called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and is a complex piece of work. In 2013 China agreed to spend $18 billion to build a road from Gwadar and into northwest China. This will require drilling long tunnels through the Himalayan Mountains on the border (in Pakistani controlled Kashmir.) The road and a natural gas pipeline are part of the $46 billion CPEC project. This will make it much easier and cheaper to move people, data (via fiber optic cables) and goods between China and Pakistan. China also gets a 40 year lease on much of the port facilities at Gwadar, which India fears will serve as a base for Chinese warships. This is how China would like all of Obor to be but the rest of the world does not always cooperate.

Korea

Ever since the North Korean economic collapse in the 1990s (and a famine that killed over five percent of the population) China has been trying to avoid a collapse of the North Korean government, something that suddenly became a possibility in the 1990s. It was between 1989 and 1991 that all the communist governments of East Europe suddenly (at least to believers in communism) collapsed, including the Soviet Union in 1991. That led to the disintegration of the Russian empire and an end to four decades of generous economic aid to North Korea (and Cuba). Both these long-time Soviet clients were never the same after 1991 but North Korea is a major concern for China.

For over 500 years Koreans have tried to establish and sustain a united Korea. But with aggressive and powerful neighbors like China, Japan and, for the last few centuries Russia, it has been a struggle. There have been a few periods when all of modern Korea, and sometimes a bit more, were ruled by Korean aristocrats. The Koreans have proved to be tough and persistent despite their stronger and sort tempered neighbors constantly coming in and destroying Korean unity. The last unified Korea state lasted 13 years and disappeared in 1910 in the aftermath of a war between Japan and Russia which Japan won. Japanese rule was harsh and lasted until 1945 when Korea was again divided because Russia would not comply with a post-World War II agreement to remove the Japanese occupation forces and then leave. The United States did so but the Russians refused and created the current North Korean police state and equipped it lavishly with modern weapons with orders to invade and take over South Korea in 1950. The UN responded with uncharacteristic unity and resolve and authorized an international force to deal with the situation. Russia then persuaded the newly established communist government of China to invade and rescue the North Koreans from certain defeat three months after the initial invasion. Russia was technically not involved because Russia and the U.S. were the only ones with nuclear weapons and Russia knew it would come out second best in any nuclear war with the Americans because the Russian nuclear arsenal was more propaganda than reality. The secret deal Russia used to end the fighting involved assurances that they would continue financing a North Korean communist government and compensate communist China for its sacrifices in North Korea (where over half a million Chinese died). The Russian assurances ended with the Soviet Union dissolving in 1991.

Russia (as the Soviet Union) faithfully kept promises to North Korea but China felt it had been played by Russia and the two countries almost went to war with each other in the 1970s. China still considers Russia a longer-term problem (China has ancient claims on most of what is now the Russian Far East) but sees another mess in Korea as a more immediate problem. If the North Korean government collapses China takes it as a given that they will have to go in and maintain North Korea in order to avoid another united Korea with democracy and powerful allies in the West. While this is something most Koreans would prefer it is something China is willing to go to war over to prevent, or at least make some serious moves in that direction.

The new Korean threat to China goes beyond a united Korea. Even divided Korea has become a threat. The aggressive and heavily armed North Korea now openly threatens China. This is especially real if North Korea has nukes and ballistic missiles to deliver them. North Korea shows no signs of halting its efforts to develop a reliable nuclear weapon and a reliable ballistic missile to carry it. This, North Korea leaders believe, will solve their economic and political problems. So far in 2017 there have been eight ballistic missiles tests and preparations for another underground nuclear test. In 2016 there were 24 ballistic missiles tests and two nuclear tests. The first nuclear test occurred in 2013 and despite the fact that the test was not a complete success, the nuclear bomb program continued and the sixth nuclear test up there seems imminent.

For China South Korea is also a military threat, given it has more modern armed forces and defense industries that are even more advanced than anything China has. South Korea also has Western allies and recently installed an American THAAD anti-missile system that is there to protect South Korea from North Korean attack but has also proven to be a threat to China because THAAD can diminish Chinese missile effectiveness as well and gives South Korea a powerful radar system that enables the South Koreans to more carefully monitor aerial activity in North Korea and adjacent areas. Chinese public opinion generally supports the government, especially when it comes to North Korea, which is seen as ungrateful for the Chinese sacrifices to keep it going.

The Religious Threat

In the northwest Xinjiang province the government announced more new laws intended to curb separatist attitudes among the Moslems who dominate this region. The new rules mandate that all Moslem children (those under age 16) have their names changed if local government officials determine that the name is too Moslem. That would include names like Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, Medina or Arafat. Children receive their national ID cards at age 16 and must now have non-threatening name. The government is also collecting DNA samples from all non-Han residents of Xinjiang.

The government has also been watching local (non-Han) members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and expelling those found to be Moslems. Technically, CCP members are not allowed to belong to any traditional religion (communism is not considered one despite the similarities) but enforcement is generally lax unless you belong to a group that is considered anti-Chinese. Islam qualifies although Christians are increasingly considered guilty of dangerous (to CCP rule) thoughts.

There is a growing list of things (like Islam and the Internet) that disturbs the communist government in China. The scariest trend is the increasing number of Communist Party members who are secretly (or openly) becoming religious and believers in capitalism. That is a trend among Chinese in general. Even religions (like Islam, Christianity and Falun Gong) that are increasingly persecuted, continue to grow. Communist true believers are still recovering from the 2001 decision to allow businessmen to become Communist Party members. Now, to see party members attending religious services and celebrating alternatives to socialism is, if nothing else, bad for morale at the highest levels of the party. But the CCP adapts to survive and earlier in 2017 that meant prohibiting the use of Islamic veils (that conceal the face) in public as well as excessive beards and other items worn or carried by conservative Moslems. There was no definition of what excessive was. It was also illegal to refuse to watch state run TV or listen to radio. Many conservative Moslems have TVs and radios but only use them for religious material. Individual towns and cities in Xinjiang have already enacted bans like this but now it is province-wide. This new Xinjiang provincial law basically bans practices seen as purely Islamic. In early April police began searching the homes of some Moslems, looking for the now forbidden items. That now includes anything that points to a CCP member being a Moslem.

The Taiwan Threat

Despite the obvious improvement in Chinese military capabilities compared to Taiwan, the Taiwanese have become more determined to maintain their independence. Taiwanese understand what the Chinese are doing now because it is considered an ancient and proven Chinese strategy of wearing down a weaker opponent and avoiding a risky battle or war while still getting your way. Until about a decade ago many Taiwanese were willing to consider union with China but the more Taiwanese became familiar with what is really going on in China, and especially Hong Kong, the more Taiwanese backed away from union with China. Hong Kong rejoined China in 1999 and after a few good years it has been downhill ever since. As Taiwan became less receptive to reunification China made threats and showed its displeasure in other ways, like discouraging Chinese tourists from visiting Taiwan. So far in 2017 year Chinese tourism has been down 50 percent (to about 150,000 a month). Many Taiwanese are fine with this because lots of Chinese tourists meant a lot of ill-mannered Chinese treating Taiwanese like inferiors. Compared to other tourists from Asia the Chinese were cheap and hard to deal with.

It was not supposed to work out like that. After 2008 China began making it easier for Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan and soon millions were doing so each year. Many Taiwanese saw this as another ploy to take over their island nation one way (economically) or another (militarily). In response to that Taiwan has been expanding and upgrading its armed forces. This annoys the Chinese leaders who are seen (by Chinese able to get around the Internet censors) as all talk and little more. To make matters worse Taiwan has publicly offered to assist China is moving to democracy. That is a popular idea with many Chinese, but the CCP leadership of China was not amused.

The Philippines Reconsiders

Chinese efforts to buy the cooperation of the Philippines in the South China Sea dispute have failed as Filipinos realized that there was little gain in the long run by giving in to Chinese demands. Although China became the largest trading partner with the Philippines this year most Filipinos did the math and realized the Chinese dictatorship could turn that around without warning. It now seemed that the Americans were a better long-term ally because the Americans have no old territorial claims in the neighborhood, are a democracy and have a long history of good behavior. All the other major Filipino trading partners (Singapore and South Korea) are also democracies. Moreover the Americans are the only Filipino treaty ally that is obliged to aid the Philippines if the islands are again attacked (as they were by the Japanese in 1941.) Meanwhile China is displeased with the increasingly frequent visits of American warships to the Philippines (for leave and maintenance) and the South China Seas (to challenge Chinese claims.) So far China has not been violent but with more and more Chinese warships, warplanes and troops showing up in the South China Sea there appears to be increased risk of someone opening fire. There are a growing number of offenders for the Chinese to shoot at. In addition to ships from the nearest countries (mainly Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan) there are the more powerful allies of these countries (mainly Japan and the United States). Now the Philippines is daring China to make an aggressive move at a time when China is busy with several similar situations from Africa to Korea and the Japanese islands.

June 11, 2017: Anti-corruption investigators have found yet another province (Outer Mongolia) where there has been widespread falsification data provincial officials are supposed to collect and pass on to the national government. This makes the third such province where this practice has been documented. Earlier Jilin and Liaoning provinces were found to be issuing fake data. In January the governor of Liaoning province admitted, in the state controlled media, that provincial officials had falsified economic data between 2011 and 2014. This was not news, as anti-corruption officials had publicized this during a 2014 investigation. What this official statement did indicate was that it is now safer to discuss the problem of falsified data in public and on the Internet. Bad news like this coming out of heavily industrialized Liaoning province is a big deal because the province has a population of 44 million and a GDP of about half a trillion dollars a year. Liaoning has long been portrayed as one of the most corrupt provinces and the only one that officially suffered a decline in GDP in 2016. There is more, as Liaoning borders North Korea, an area where corruption and false data are the norm.

Even more damaging are the very wealthy (billionaires) Chinese who are accused of corruption and flee the country. More of these exiled tycoons are going public with details of how they were forced to operate by corrupt CCP officials. These confessions are in part an effort to persuade the country they took refuge in to refuse Chinese demands that the corrupt businessmen be extradited to China for prosecution and punishment. This has slowed down the extradition process a great deal.

June 8, 2017: In the South China Sea two American B-1B bombers (based in Guam) flew through air space over the South China Sea that China claimed was Chinese but that the rest of the world does not recognize. China complained to the United States and was ignored. Meanwhile satellite photos reveal to the world that China is building military installations on newly created (by dredging sand onto reefs) islands.

In southwest Pakistan ISIL revealed that they had kidnapped the Chinese couple that was taken on May 24th. The two Chinese were then murdered for being non-Moslem. Pakistan later found that the two were actually Christian missionaries who entered Pakistan without revealing their intentions. The killers were actually from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Sunni Islamic terror group that had been around for a while and regularly carried out terror attacks against Pakistani Shia. Iran has been pressuring Pakistan to crack down on these groups. That crackdown was more of an emergency once it became apparent that that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami recently joined ISIL, a group that has had a difficult time establishing itself in Pakistan (and an even harder time in India and Bangladesh). Pakistan had assured China that the thousands of Chinese coming to Pakistan to build roads, a new port and other improvements, would be protected. As embarrassing as this incident was, the two victims were not part of the construction effort and China did not make a lot of it. Pakistan tracked down the group responsible and appears to have killed or captured most of them. Pakistan also said it would work more closely with China to improve the visa process for Chinese wishing to enter Pakistan.

June 4, 2017: In the southwest, on the Indian border, two Chinese army helicopters flew across the border into India (Uttarakhand State) and remained for about five minutes before flying back to China. India protested and China said it wasnt intentional and was no big deal. The Indians disagreed, largely because China has been sending troops across the border with increasing frequency. The border is actually called the LAC (Line of Actual Control). Also known as the MacCartney-MacDonald Line the LAC is the unofficial border between India and China. The LAC is 4,057 kilometers long and is found in the Indian States of Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal, and Arunachal. On the Chinese side it is mostly Tibet. China claims much territory that is now considered part of India. There have been hundreds of armed confrontations over the last few years as one side or the other accuses foreign troops of crossing the LAC.

June 2, 2017: The UN approved new sanctions on North Korea which included sanctions against organizations and individuals connected with ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. China will apparently go along with these new sanctions.

May 31, 2017: Wang Baoan, the head of the National Statistics Bureau was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to life in prison. The prosecution was mainly about with crimes committed earlier (1994-2016), mostly before he became Bureau chief in 2015. Wang Baoan, a career bureaucrat, became a very wealthy man (over $22 million in all) by accepting bribes and other favors. Most worrisome was his last post, running the scandal plagued National Statistics Bureau, which is believed to knowingly distribute falsified economic data for decades.

May 27, 2017: North Korea once more quietly annoyed China as they declared its locally developed KN-06 air defense system had passed its final test and was entering mass production. First displayed publicly in a 2010 parade KN-06 is believed to be an attempt to clone the Chinese FT-2000 (which is a clone of the Russian S300). China may have quietly provided some data on KN-06 recently along with other intel on the capabilities of North Korean air defenses. It appears that no one has actually seen any successful tests of the KN-06 system or if they have they are keeping quiet about it. In terms of technical and manufacturing resources it is highly unlikely that North Korea has successfully cloned the FT-2000 and even if they had all the tech given to them (along with equipment samples) North Korea has demonstrated no capability to manufacture it in any quantity. The recent North Korean KN-06 announcements are seen (by South Koreans and Chinese) as a response to recent South Korean comments describing and disparaging the capabilities of North Korean air defenses. This was a side effect of South Korea recently starting production of its new KM-SAM (Iron Hawk) surface-to-air missile systems. The first batteries will enter service in 2018. KM-SAM is what North Korea implied they had with KN-06 but KM-SAM is real, developed and manufactured in South Korea and has numerous successful tests to its credit. News like this spreads quickly to North Korea these days and North Korea will often respond with some bizarre (t0 knowledgeable outsiders) claim that is mainly intended for the shrinking number of North Koreans who support their government.

May 26, 2017: Over the South China Sea an American P-3C maritime patrol aircraft encountered two Chinese J10 fighters. All this was in international air space but the Chinese fighters proceeded to fly dangerously close. The Chinese ignored the protest, as they did for a similar incident in the East China Sea last week where an American reconnaissance aircraft collecting air samples (to check radiation levels) was threatened. Chinese warplanes increasingly intercept aircraft like the P-3C and attempt to force the American aircraft to change course.

May 25, 2017: Another American warship (the destroyer USS Dewey) carried out a FONOP (freedom of navigation operation) in the South China Sea and came closer than 22 kilometers to Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands. Chinese media reported it differently and insisted that two Chinese warships forced the USS Dewey to leave the areas. In reality China did what it usually does and did not oppose the American destroyer. These exercises are meant to affirm that many of the Chinese claims to the entire South China Sea are invalid and that the right to free passage through Chinas EEZ is assured.

May 24, 2017: In southwest Pakistan a Chinese couple was kidnapped near Quetta, the provincial capital. The two were operating a Chinese cultural center and learning how to speak the local language (Urdu). Local Islamic terrorists saw the two as Christian missionaries operating in an area full of groups that go after non-Moslems or Moslems considered heretics (usually everyone who is not Sunni). It was later revealed that the two were there to do missionary work.

May 20, 2017: President Duterte says China threatened war if the Philippines went ahead with plans to drill for oil in offshore areas that international law recognizes as Filipino but that China claims actually belongs to them. Duterte openly criticizes other nations for not confronting China. All the South China Sea nations facing territorial losses because of Chinese claims have backed down. He points out that even the United States is unwilling to go up against China. Meanwhile the Chinese are openly moving more weapons to bases in the South China Sea as well as their main naval base in southern China (Hainan Island). When pressed a few Chinese officials would admit that in recent talks between Duterte and Chinese leaders it was mentioned that war was a possibility if other nations sought to take possession of Chinese territory. In other words (that non-Chinese can understand). Back off or die. Duterte later said he may have exaggerated a bit.

May 19, 2017: In the west (Qinghai province) a Tibetan Buddhist monk burned himself to death to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet. This makes 150 such protest deaths since 2009, after China had suppressed widespread unrest in Tibet. There was a major uprising in 2008 which was quickly and brutally put down. Areas where Tibetan resistance is most active have since been flooded with additional police and the Chinese troops stand ready to crush anymore insurrections. The decades old Chinese plan for cultural assimilation of the Tibetans proceeds. This is how the Chinese empire has expanded for thousands of years, and all around the periphery of China there are unassimilated groups, most of them too small to bother with. The Tibetans are numerous enough to target for cultural assimilation.

May 16, 2017: China has agreed to provide financing, special equipment, materials and skills to work with Pakistan to modernize 1,600 kilometers of the main Pakistani north-south rail line.

May 15, 2017: the JF-17B, a two-seat version of the Sino-Pakistani JF-17, made its first flight. The B version is built to be either an advanced trainer or, when equipped with a few million dollars worth of additional sensors and upgraded fire control electronics, an advanced fighter-bomber. The B version is also an effort to generate more export sales, the lack of which threatens the entire program. Since the JF-17A entered service in 2007 Pakistan has been aggressively seeking customers for its new jet fighter. By 2017 there were only 90 JF-17s built, all of them for Pakistan. There are orders from Burma for 16 and Nigeria for three but these two sales are more about diplomacy (and bribes) than military necessity.

May 13, 2017: Chinese government controlled mass media featured stories about new combat UAVs and ballistic missiles with an emphasis on being able to destroy large enemy warships and evade defenses. That means the main target is the U.S. Navy. This media effort included mention of a jet powered UAV similar to the American Sea Avenger and a DF-26 ballistic missile that can find and hit large warships over a thousand kilometers away. Neither of these systems is known to work, even though the carrier-killer ballistic missile has been under development for over a decade. This sort of media offensive is usually aimed at American efforts to dispute Chinese claims in the South China Sea. But this time its mainly about American naval forces headed for Korea and the implied threat to North Korea and its nuclear program. Its also about the South Korea anti-missile systems, which the new Chinese systems were described being able to defeat. China is sending a message to the new South Korean president who took power today. Since 2010 (when North Korea actually attacked South Korea but tried to deny it) South Korean leaders have been less willing to follow the Chinese lead on North Korea and demanded that North Korea back off on its nuclear and other military threats to South Korea. China prefers both Koreas do what China wants and for South Korea this means no anti-ballistic missile systems. The new South Korean leader is believed to be less hardline and has agreed to meet with Chinese leaders to discuss the North Korean threat, and whatever else China is concerned about.
Three arrested for running clickfarm of 347200 SIM Cards and 474 iPhones

Its common knowledge that a significant amount of internet traffic comes via bots. Artificial accounts and bots are used to boost up traffic artificially for services and inflate likes and view counts on numerous social media platforms. When the Thailand police raided a house situated close to its Cambodian border, the world got a little glimpse into the mysterious world.

Chinese Connection

The police unearthed a fake click racket that was being run by Wang Dong, Niu Bang, and Ni Wenjin this past sunday. The 3 individuals were arrested by the Thai police on charges of working without a permit and smuggling SIM cards into the country. The setup that they discovered included 500 smartphones, 350,00 SIM cards, 21 SIM card readers, and nine computers that were being used in the operation.

Initially though, the police didnt suspect a fake click farm, rather, they suspected the operation to be a fraudulent call center  a very common scam in the country. Later the trio spilled the beans that they were actually running a network of so-called sock puppet accounts on Chinas largest social network, WeChat. The men were reported paid around 150,000 baht ($4403) by a company based in China for the operation. The operation was said to be based in Thailand owing to the countrys smartphone usage charges being relatively lower.

Another reason for the scam could be the increasing level of difficulty in gaining bulk of SIM cards in the Peoples Republic of China. The Chinese government have recently begun asking users to provide identification before registering a SIM card. Thailand also has similar requirement however, therefore, the source of the huge number of SIM cards will remain uncertain until the authorities reveal more information.

The Zombie Fan Problem

The setup though surprising to us, is much more common than one would think with reports of several such farms across the country of China. Talking about WeChat in particular, it is very hard to identify how much of a problem such fake clicks are since the company is very private in its dealings. Created in 2010, the platform is designed for small groups of people to message each other  similar to WhatsApp  and boats of 880 million monthly active users.

The reason behind the fake clicks being a problem is less to do with the company and more with the design of the application. The chat groups in the app are visible only to individuals who have been invited to it, thus making it extremely hard for anyone to verify such zombie fans with credible evidence. That doesnt mean the problem is being blown out of proportion however. A 2015 investigation conducted by The Bejinger showed its startlingly easy and inexpensive to manipulate likes and views on the messaging platform.

However,charges related to working in Thailand illegally can come with a sentence of up to five years in prison and the culprits are also expected to pay a fine before being deported to China . Neither WeChat nor its parent company Tencent have made any public statements regarding this story as of this moment.

Source: MOTHERBOARD
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Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

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Over 100 nabbed over illegal network business

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has arrested 102 people for their alleged involvement in illegal network business.
WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates through two segments, Corrugated Packaging and Consumer Packaging. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. It also provides structural and graphic design, engineering services and custom, and proprietary and standard automated packaging machines, as well as turn-key installation, automation, line integration, and packaging solutions; distributes corrugated packaging materials and other specialty packaging products, including stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes; operates recycling facilities that collect, sort, grade, and bale recovered paper; and provides lithographic laminated packaging products, as well as contract packing services. The Consumer Packaging segment manufactures and sells folding cartons that are used to package food, paper, beverages, dairy products, tobacco, confectionery, health and beauty, other household consumer, and commercial and industrial products; and express mail packages for the overnight courier industry. It also offers inserts and labels, as well as rigid packaging and other printed packaging products, such as transaction cards, brochures, product literature, marketing materials, and grower tags and plant stakes for the horticultural market; and secondary packages and paperboard packaging for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. In addition, this segment manufactures and sells solid fiber and corrugated partitions, and die-cut paperboard components principally to glass container manufacturers and the automotive industry, as well as producers of beer, food, wine, spirits, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. WestRock Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: APM Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Cryo Intermediate Inc., Acme Cryogenics, Acme Cryogenics Inc., Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o., Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Audax ECII Blocker Inc., Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, AvaLAN Wireless Systems Incorporated, BELVAC CR spol s r.o., BSC Filters Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Blue Bite LLC, Blue Bite LLC, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CDS Visual Inc., CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., Cryogenic Experts LLC, DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dositec Sistemas SL, Dosmatic U.S.A. Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. 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Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover Switzerland Participations GmbH, Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ECI - IGT Holdings LLC, ECI Holding Company LLC, ECI RegO S. de R.L. de C.V, ECI RegO Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., ECII (Mexico) LLC, EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty Ltd, Em-Tec, Engineered Controls International LLC, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, LIQAL B.V., Liquip, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Germany GmbH, Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Service (Taiwan) Ltd., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Macro Technologies LLC, Malema, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty. Ltd., Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn. Bhd., Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A., Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Midwest Cryogenics Inc., Mouvex, Northeast Services Inc., Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OK International Ltd., OPW Engineered Systems LLC, OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, Quantex Arc Limited, Quantex Patents Limited, RAV France, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, RegO (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., RegO Holding GmbH, RegO Products, RegO Valve (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Rego GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd., SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP France, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Shanghai RegO Flow Technology Company Ltd., Shine Bloom - ECI A Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI S Blocker Corp., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Soft-Pak, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana S.R.L., Superior Holding LLC, Superior Products LLC, Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Espy Corporation, The Heil Co., Tokheim, Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, WellMark, and em-tec GmbH.

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Lets dispel with the fiction that Bill Cosbys defense didnt know what it was doing. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

Bill Cosbys criminal trial began on Monday, June 5, with powerful opening statements from both Cosbys lawyer, Brian McMonagle, and prosecutor Kristen Feden. It continued for five days, during which the jury heard from Andrea Constand, the woman accusing Cosby of sexual assault, as well as 11 other witnesses, including Constands mother and another of Cosbys alleged victims. And on the sixth day, after calling just one witness, Cosbys defense team rested its case.

The approach seemed to catch the media (including New York) off guard. Many news outlets expressed surprise that the defenses argument would focus solely on impugning Constands credibility  rather than, say, attempting to bolster Cosbys by calling big-name character witnesses, or doing anything else to depict him as the harmless mentor figure his lawyer described on day one. Had the defense had simply given up?

But among experts in criminal defense, the actions of Cosbys team have been much less controversial  in fact, the consensus view is that his lawyers did more or less what was expected. The jury has yet to reach a decision in the case, but in the aftermath of the trial, we asked four legal experts to explain why Cosbys narrowly tailored defense strategy made more sense than the first wave of headlines may have suggested.

Often, the defense decides less is more.

I wasnt surprised that the trial ended when it did. If theres no one else present when the incident happens, youre not swimming in likely defense witnesses. Most people who practice criminal defense were not at all surprised that Bill Cosby didnt take the stand  that wouldve been an extraordinarily difficult cross-examination to navigate. I dont have the sense that he is at the height of his faculties, which wouldve made it even more difficult, and there was the chance it couldve opened him up to questions about dozens of other women. The other powerful reason not to let him anywhere near the witness stand is his deposition  that deposition was very harmful to him and very difficult for him to explain, and when that happens, you often decide that less is more.

I think they didnt call character witnesses for the same reason: The prosecution would have been able to ask the character witness, Have you heard about the fact that 60 other women have accused him of essentially the same conduct? The jury may know that already because they, you know, live in the world, but its been kept from them as an evidentiary matter. And if I was a defense lawyer, I would not prefer that question to be asked.

So you rule out character witnesses, you rule out eye witnesses, you rule out him, and you wind up with very little in the way of a defense case. This is a high-profile case, and I think a lot of people think, well what does the other side say? And the answer here is that what the other side had to say, they said in cross-examination.

 Paul Shechtman, former New York State Director of Criminal Justice

Bill Cosbys testimony couldve been disastrous.

Bill Cosbys testimony couldve been disastrous. The events happened a very long time ago, the deposition testimony happened a long time ago, and hes not a young man. If hed said anything on the stand that was inconsistent with even a minor detail of a prior statement, that wouldve been grist for cross-examination. Inconsistency couldve been taking the stand and flat-out denying that he had provided quaaludes to partners. But even minor things, like an account of how many times he believed hed spoken to the victim, or if he characterized their interaction differently, wouldve been grist for cross-examination. And eventually a witness can just start to look bad, even if theyre only being cross-examined about relatively minor aspects of their account.

Whats more  and I think this is something the public can sometimes miss  sometimes the fact that the defendant has not called witnesses is made to suggest that there isnt a defense. And thats just a real misunderstanding of what the defenses burden is. The defense doesnt have a burden; its the prosecution that has to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. So equating no defense as a weak defense case misses the fact that a lot of the defenses work happens in cross-examination.

In sexual-assault cases, its not uncommon for the states case to rest very heavily on the credibility of the alleged victim. And its something that prosecutors are very aware of when theyre deciding whether to bring a case. They know that the victims account is going to be at the center of the case, and its typically where the defense launches its attack.

 Jennifer Laurin, professor, University of Texas School of Law

If the defense does not put a dent in the credibility of the accuser, theyre going to lose. Other than that, they have nothing to add.

It would be very unusual to put the client or defendant on the stand. Defendants who take the stand tend to do very poorly; they tend to hurt themselves more than they help themselves. Thats because, first of all, its very hard for anyone to testify, period. And secondly, you dont know how people are going to react to someones personality and credibility. So if youre counting on putting the client on to make a good impression, thats a huge risk to take. And here you dont need that, because Bill Cosbys reputation precedes him.

Right now, the jury only has Andrea Constands truthfulness to consider, and the prosecution needs to prove her truthfulness beyond a reasonable doubt  a very high standard. The defense only needs reasonable doubts about her truthfulness  they only need one person to have some questions about whether shes telling the truth or not. That makes sex crimes very difficult to prosecute precisely because of this type of strategy: The defense prefers to keep all the scrutiny on the complainant testifying.

The only kind of evidence that wouldve been worth putting on for them wouldve been very blatant evidence that would undercut the complainants version. But its very rare to have evidence in a consent case thats a quote-on-quote slam dunk. Basically, all of the defenses work was done in the cross-examination of the complainant and the secondary witness. If the defense does not put a dent in the credibility of the accuser, theyre going to lose. Other than that, they have nothing to add.

 Shan Wu, former federal prosecutor specializing in sex crimes

The question is whether she can be believed beyond a reasonable doubt.

To me, the defense was entirely predictable. When defense lawyers see a risk that the defendant testifying will open the door to damaging evidence, they keep the defendant off the stand. And there was no way that Cosby could either testify or call a character witness without opening the door for the prosecution to bring in all the other women whove accused him.

Instead, the question is whether [Andrea Constand] can be believed beyond a reasonable doubt  thats Cosbys entire defense. And here it appears that his lawyer has a very good argument about the credibility of the complaining witness. Hes got her inconsistencies on the date, hes got her accompanying him to the casino after the event, hes got some discrepancies in her account to law-enforcement officers, so obviously hes resting his case entirely on that.

In sexual-assault cases, this is probably more common than any other defense. In fact, in any one-witness case, the most common defense is to attack the credibility of the prosecution. These are difficult cases, and theyve taken certain precautions to try to protect the complaining witness. But theres really no way to have a criminal case where a persons freedom is at stake if you limit the ability of the defendant to challenge the truthfulness of the evidence against him.

 Bill Jeffress, trial attorney
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There is a growing tendency among leaders to switch from one party to another in the places where second phase of local level elections are due to be held on June 28.
J.Crew is planning on closing some stores. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Under its recently named new CEO Jim Brett, J.Crew is making some changes. Cosmopolitan reports that on a conference call yesterday, the retailer said it plans to close about 20 stores. And its famous catalog  the one you may well have thumbed through in college, making note of the creative color names  is also changing. While its not going anywhere, the Style Guide, as they call it, will be reinvented, with fewer pages, and more money going to digital initiatives, according to Racked.



Its one of several changes for the brand in recent months. Longtime CEO Mickey Drexler stepped down to become chairman last week, and Brett has taken over. In April, longtime chief design officer and de facto face of the brand Jenna Lyons announced that she would be stepping down from the position. (Though shes staying on through the end of the year in a creative advisor role.)


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The Nepal Police is experiencing the most fundamental change to its structures, policies and practices in recent history. As the country moves ahead in adopting a federal political system, the police will also undergo a federalisation process in accord with the Constitution of Nepal.
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RJP-N strike disrupts life in Tarai, eastern hill districts

Normal life has been hit hard in various districts in the Tarai and eastern hills on Tuesday due to the general strike called by Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N).
WINNIPEGThe U.S. is setting the stage to heighten one of its most-contested trade battles with Canada this month as a decision over lumber duties nears.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is scheduled to announce whether it will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber by the end of June. The U.S. already escalated the row in April by slapping tariffs of up to 24.1 per cent on Canadian shipments. This months decision may bring the combined duties to more than 30 per cent, according to RBC Capital Markets. The fees would be levied against companies such as West Fraser Timber Co. and Canfor Corp.

While the spat between the worlds two largest trading partners goes back decades, tensions have intensified amid U.S. President Donald Trumps tough talk on the North American Free Trade Agreement. The dispute over softwood lumber was reignited in November when the U.S. lumber industry filed a petition asking for duties. The group alleges Canadian wood is heavily subsidized and imports are harming U.S. mills and workers. Lumber futures in Chicago have surged amid concerns that the trade battle will disrupt supplies.

I think its the consistent U.S. position and probably pumped up with Trump, to hit the Canadians hard off the bat, force them to the negotiation table by hurting them financially, said Paul Quinn, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Vancouver. Youre going to see less shipments out of Canada as a result of a 30-per-cent tax.

Canada has pledged to fight the duties and announced it will assist lumber producers with a $867-million aid package. While talks with the U.S. are continuing, the two sides are still quite far apart, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in Montreal on Monday.

Canada is the worlds largest softwood lumber exporter and the U.S. is its biggest market. The dispute has contributed to a more than 18-per-cent surge in wood prices from the end of January to mid-May as companies raised prices to compensate for potential duties, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report. The most-recent deal between the countries expired in October 2015, and Canada was given one year to ship lumber tariff-free while both parties were negotiating a new accord.

If we have no deal it will be years, years of litigation, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said Monday. We were ready to defend our workers and the softwood lumber industry before Mr. Trump was elected, and this is what we are doing as we speak.

Read more:

Hundreds of Quebec lumber workers among first to lose work after Trumps softwood tariffs

United States softwood lumber duties to cost 2,200 jobs, report says

Canada braces for tough times in U.S. lumber dispute

Anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber may reach 10 per cent to 15 per cent as the U.S. tries to hurt producers financially, Quinn said.

That rate would put combined duties in line with the 32-per-cent duties imposed during a previous softwood trade battle in 2001, CIBC analyst Hamir Patel said in an April 24 report. After a previous trade pact expired, anti-dumping duties reached as high as 12.6 per cent from 2001 to 2006, according to the report.

The additional tariff will probably further lift lumber prices as Canadian companies raise quotes to offset the cost, said Kevin Mason, managing director of Vancouver-based ERA Forest Products Research.

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CARTAGENA, COLOMBIAYou cant go to Colombia without experiencing great coffee. We found a java philosopher in old Cartagenas Getsemani, as well exotic birds, ice-pop rainbows and an island escape.

Cafe philosopher:

Cafe del Mural, down a narrow Getsemani street, is where David Arzayus, 46, shares wisdom and knowledge toiling amid beakers and burners in his coffee laboratory, to craft the best coffee youve ever had. The former Bogota civil engineer and industrial designer sought a life change, coming here to roast, blend and create brews like the velvety, slightly sweet peasants coffee, served in a gourd cup. Open 3 p.m. til 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Tastings are available, including How can I do that? for about $28 (Canadian).

Island time:

White sand beaches and warm, turquoise water fulfil Caribbean fantasies on a trip to Islas del Rosario, about an hour by boat from Cartagena. We spent the day lounging on the beach at San Pedro de Majagua Hotel, an eco-stay and restaurant built on the site of the former home and studio of French painter Pierre Daguet. Youll need to take a dive boat to do any snorkeling, but returning swimmers said it was worth it; theyd seen plenty of marine life on the reef.

Handy and crafty:

Brilliantly coloured woven work by Wayuu Indigenous craftspeople of Northeast Colombia comes in a variety of designs, sizes and styles, including bucket-shaped bags and backpacks. Vibrant woollen pom-poms are on everything, from flip-flops to earrings. Intricately woven traditional black-and-white sombreros are great souvenirs, as are handbags made from the same materials. Buy from street hawkers or in shops. El Centro Artesano on Calle de la Universidad is more expensive but has excellent quality wooden pieces, pottery and woven decor items.

Get refreshed:

Indulge in a rainbow of delicious fresh fruit juices and blends, served icy cold to help manage the humidity and constant heat. Not-too-sweet coconut lemonade is a popular refresher and I fell hard for deep burgundy-coloured corozo, a sweet-tart palm tree fruit used in drinks and desserts. There are gelato shops all over the old city and I was a regular at La Paletteria, with its gorgeous selection of handcrafted ice-pops made from fruit, chocolate, caramel and other flavours blended with water, yogurt or cream.

Take flight:

The newly opened National Aviary is about an hour from Cartagena on Baru Island and home to more than 130 species, including the Andean Condor, Colombias national bird. Walk through seven hectares of created ecosystems  some enclosed, others open, where birds fly free  to see a stunning array of tropical species, including scarlet macaws, blue-winged mountain tanagers and toucans. Book a taxi or take a tour to get there and bring water, sunscreen and a hat.

Linda Barnard was hosted by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, which did not review or approve this story.

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A little-known federal rule has caused a Pride flag to be removed outside an Ontario high school.

The flag at Wellington Heights Secondary School in Mount Forest was raised at the request of the schools social equity committee, Georgia Mills, 17, told The Star. She said the Pride message was felt to be particularly important in their small town, with a high school population of only 569 students.

Shortly after it was raised, however, Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) received complaint from a community member, pointing to the federal governments rules on flying the national flag. The Pride flag was hung on the same flagpole as the Canadian one, they pointed out, meaning Wellington Heights was in violation of the Dignity of the Flag subsection.

The cited rules arent governed by any legislation, but by established practice. The Canadian government webpage on the subject clearly cites that the rules applied by the federal government are not mandatory for individuals or organizations; they serve as guidelines.

But the board still elected to remove the flag from Wellington Heights.

The response to the flag coming down was crushing to some of the students and staff who have worked so hard to create an atmosphere of equality and acceptance, Mills told The Star.

Other schools in the board have flown secondary flags on their poles, UGDSB Communications and Community Engagement Officer Heather Loney told The Star  but theyve never received a complaint.

Wellington teacher Jessica Rowden, who runs the student equity group, pointed out that the complaint wasnt originally based in policy; rather, it only came after several complaints about the flags political weight.

After reading the federal rules, the board said they were faced with an uncharted question. Its not legislation, but it is there, Loney explained.

Like most UGDSB schools, Wellington Heights only has a single flagpole  and the board requires the Canadian flag to be flown outside daily. UGDSB did float the idea of purchasing secondary poles, but such a decision would require incorporation into their budgets. For now, the board has decided to look at their own policies in consultation with the federal government. No other schools have been directed to remove their secondary flags, while at Wellington Heights, the Pride flag has stayed indoors.

Rowden says that for LGBT-identifying students, the incident has led to insecurity and tough conversations about their local community.

In 2014, a similar incident raised ire in Fredericton, New Brunswick, when then-Premier David Alward barred Leo Hayes High School from raising a rainbow flag for Pride Week. At the time, Alward also argued that the question was one of protocol for government buildings as a whole, not the specific flag.

While boards like Waterloo Region District have recently announced their decision to fly rainbow flags at all public schools throughout June, UGDSB doesnt currently have any board-wide directives beyond the Canadian flag.

Mills noted that many students took the chain of events as indicative of how backwards our smaller community can be. However, she said she sees the flags removal as a perfect illustration of its importance.

We cant be dismayed with our efforts as a committee and student body in terms of moving Wellington Heights and Mount Forest into the accepting world of 2017, she said. Our efforts in raising a Pride flag can not go unnoticed.

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OTTAWACanadas top general says he was horrified by images revealed by the Star of an elite Iraqi squad torturing and in one case, executing a detainee.

The actions of the Iraqi Emergency Response Division make it no better than Daesh and undermine efforts for lasting peace once extremists have been defeated in Iraq, Gen. Jonathan Vance told the Star in an interview.

It doesnt even fall into the category of understandable. In fact, it mirrors what Daesh is doing, and you lose if you dont maintain the moral high ground in this kind of a war, said Vance, the chief of defence staff.

Vance didnt mince words in his reaction to the disturbing images captured by photographer Ali Arkady during time he spent embedded with the unit.

The veteran officer said he was horrified and sickened by the photos that show knives held to detainees heads, fingers pressed into eye sockets and beneath tongues with muscle-crushing force, detainees beaten while suspended from the ceiling by their arms.

The abuse was meted out not by extremists but rather the ERD, a special forces branch that reports to the Interior Ministry.

One shocking video clip, provided by the soldiers themselves to Arkady, shows an execution in which a barefoot suspect tries to flee, arms bound behind him, as two Iraqi officers shoot him in the back.

It goes to show you  we dealt with this, of course, in Afghanistan  that some parts of the world have been lawless, ungoverned, ill-governed for so long that theyve got a long way to come back, Vance said.

Read more:

Bound. Tortured. Killed: The investigation into the murder and torture of Iraqi detainees

Will Iraqi special forces get away with murder?

Canada must help to stop torture: Editorial

How the Star vetted hundreds of torture photos

But Vance said such actions cost the Iraqi soldiers not just their moral authority but also the support of the local citizens.

Its wrong, and its not going to work. It will not result in the kind of clean, pure celebrated victory that that country needs as it rids itself of this menace. It will just generate something else, he said.

It makes me sick on a number of levels. But just my sense of professionalism and how I understand modern warfare, it doesnt work. It is not a valid way of conducting military operations. It is in fact counterproductive.

Non-governmental organizations have expressed similar concerns that once Daesh is defeated in Iraq, the unifying force of fighting a common enemy will give way to internal retribution and score-settling that will set back efforts to bring lasting peace to the country.

Canada deployed special operations forces soldiers to northern Iraq in 2014 as part of coalition efforts to assist Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers in their battle against Daesh.

While the Canadian troops have more recently begun working with Iraqi security forces around Mosul, theyve had no direct involvement with the ERD unit implicated in abuse of detainees, according to the Defence Department.

Yet Vance concedes that some people would see the abuse of the Iraqi unit as a reason that Canada should be not involved in the country at all.

Other people, like me, would look at it and say, Theyre horrible. They need training, advice and assistance,  he said.

The fact is the mission has to succeed, the country has to succeed. They are not going to succeed. They are operationally going to be impeded by this type of thing. They wont be able to re-establish norms in their country and be a civilized state once all the bad guys are gone if ... they have treated people like this, Vance said.

We dont want them to fail. We want Iraq to be stable. Thats why were there.

Indeed, Vance said the laws of armed conflict and proper treatment of prisoners are among the lessons Canadian troops are trying to impart to Iraqi security forces as part of their advise-and-assist mission.

Were very good at that. Its not corny stuff. Its not bringing a fuzzy set of imprecise Canadian values to bear. Those Canadian values are values which actually underpin the law of armed conflict, that underpin the Geneva Conventions, he said.

That is one of the fundamentals of professionalism, the righteous, judicial application of force. We all have it in common, everyone in uniform thats a professional, he said.

Those who are not, those who fall into the category of ragtag militia... theyre on your side, theyre armed, but theyre not professional.

After the abuse was revealed, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canadian diplomats in Baghdad and Ottawa raised their concerns with senior Iraqi officials and sought assurances that the ERD unit would be investigated.

The task force overseeing Operation Inherent Resolve  the coalition effort against Daesh  said it provided all information about the allegations to the Iraqi government. It said the Ministry of the Interior had struck a committee to lead the investigation impartially and, once complete, take legal actions in accordance with the law.

But the coalition had no update last week on the status of the Iraqi investigation.

With files from Mitch Potter and Michelle Shephard

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EDMONTONPolice in Edmonton have a suspect in custody following a womans complaint that she was pulled over by a man who impersonated a peace officer and sexually assaulted her.

The woman told police she was driving home early on June 4 when she was directed to pull over by a vehicle with flashing lights.

She said a man, who was dressed in what appeared to be a police uniform, got out and told her he wouldnt proceed with criminal charges if she performed sexual acts on him.

The woman alleged she was driven to another area and sexually assaulted before being driven home.

Paul David Derksen, who is 50, has been charged with kidnapping and sexual assault, and is to appear in court on Wednesday.

Police say Derksen was contracted by the city to supervise automated enforcement such as photo radar and wears a uniform as party of his job.

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A group of Cambridge, Ont., students are charged up after winning the chance to test their nuclear physics experiment in Switzerland.

Pere-Rene-de-Galinee high schools Charging Cavaliers will visit CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, with their co-winners from Italy.

The two sets of students will visit the nuclear research organizations Geneva headquarters in September to test CERNs high-tech accelerator beam.

The group of 13 students won the Beamline for Schools competition after 180 teams  from 43 countries  submitted applications.

They will search for elemental particles with fractional charges by observing their light emission  current understanding of particles is incapable of measuring electrons and protons in fractions.

We thought it was very innovative. Its a fun proposal, said Charlotte Warakaulle, the nuclear research organizations director of international relations.

We dont know whether they will actually be able to prove what theyre setting out to prove but we like when people have ambition and they have ambition, she added. Theyre really taking on the big theories and trying to put them to the test and we love that level of ambition, the way that theyre trying to tackle the big questions in physics.

The Charging Cavaliers are the first North American group to win the Beamline for Schools competition since its inception four years ago on CERNs 60th anniversary. Previous winners hailed from Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa, Netherlands, Greece and Poland.

If the groups experiment is successful, it could be groundbreaking, according to Dr. James Pinfold, an internationally renowned particle physicist.

Pinfold, 65, served as the groups advisor throughout the application process and worked at CERN with George McKarris, the father of one of the students. He credits the students for their energy and judgment.

I presented a few ideas to them and they chose this one because theyre excited by the possibility of discovery and the possibility of getting involved in fundamental research, said Pinfold. Its blue sky stuff but whats exciting about it is its asking fundamental questions, its very well based in the theory and theres a possibility of course that some discovery may be made and if a discovery was made it would be a monumental discovery.

There are currently 175 Canadians scientists working on experiments at CERN. Pinfold hopes the students trip to Geneva will inspire them to continue their nuclear physics research.

I think thats one of the great challenges of big science is to involve the public and also the youngest possible students at the earliest age to make the greatest impact in the excitement and the importance of curiosity-driven basic research, he said.

Grade 12 student Paul McKarris, who moved from Switzerland to Canada to pursue an application to the University of Waterloo, led the group after learning about Beamline for Schools while interning at CERN. Still, despite his early experience in the field, McKarris was shocked when he found out theyd won.

No one believed that we won, he said. Its going to be huge for me. Physics (has been) my life since I was a kid, I love physics. Its a very big opportunity for me to run an experiment with a team and its very big for Canada too because were the first team out of North America who won.

McKarris tried to get female students involved because he believes women are underrepresented in the physics community. The Charging Cavaliers are composed of six boys and seven girls.

Beyond working with some of the top physicists in the world, Pinfold also hopes to arrange for the students to build a detector, like the one theyll work on at CERN, in Geneva.

Jacques Denis, the students teacher at Pere-Rene-de-Galinee, says he hasnt seen anything quite like these students.

Ive been teaching for almost 20 years now and the fun part about being a teacher is being around kids that are really focused and when the heart and the smarts and the gut and perseverance comes together you can do a lot of things and this is just an example, he said.

We encourage them to come up with cutting edge proposals that go through the same scientific checks that other proposals do, which is really inspiring for them and its not just something we do just do it. Its really to give them that sense of scientific curiosity and for them to understand scientific method, added Warakaulle.

For their win, Pere-Rene-de-Galinee high school will also receive a Cosmic-Pi detector, which allows for detection of cosmic-ray particles coming from outer space.

Together, Denis thinks his 13 students can make a difference.

When you believe, when you work together, when you persevere, anything can happen. Theyll become important leaders for our community. I have a very remarkable group of students with me, he said.

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After surviving 11 years in a residential school with art as his only escape, 19-year-old Alex Janvier was ready for freedom. But in mid-1950s Canada, freedom still depended on the colour of ones skin. Janvier was offered a spot at what is now the Ontario College of Art and Design.

But his destiny lay in the hands of the Indian agent from his home reserve in Alberta. The agent said no  the man who would become one of Canadas most celebrated indigenous artists wasnt smart enough to go. A chance to study in the United Kingdom was similarly denied. Under Canadas pass system  a vestige imposed during the failed Northwest Rebellion to prevent others from leaving reserves to join the uprising which lingered into the mid-20th century  there was no appeal, no recourse.

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Brampton taxpayers and councillors are demanding a police investigation into a secretive program authorized by senior staffers who paid non-union employees $1.25 million without councils knowledge or approval going back to 2009.

The whole administration in Brampton has become a joke, said Regional Councillor John Sprovieri, as questions mount about who was behind and benefitted from the secretive fund revealed in a report delivered to the audit committee last week. The fund handed out discretionary salary increases to 167 non-union city employees  including bonuses for favouritism  between Jan. 1, 2009, and May 14, 2014, the report found.

Council did not authorize these payments and staff took the money without proper approvals and that to me is no better than someone taking money out of the cash (register) when nobody is looking, Sprovieri said in an interview.

The bombshell news last week led to a flood of calls and emails to the Brampton Guardian and social media posts by taxpayers demanding a police probe. Responding to the outcry, Sprovieri said, I think we should call in the cops to see if this was fraud and whoever was responsible for approving this should be brought to justice.

Sprovieri said he will seek councils support for a police force other than Peels (to avoid any appearance of a conflict) to conduct the investigation.

The audit report delivered to councillors June 7 focuses on a practice that became common among the citys non-union staff called Outside Policy Requests (OPR).

Payments to individual staff ranged from as little as $123 to more than $95,000, the audit report said. A total of $316,000 was paid to just eight employees.

Councillors will vote next week (June 21) on staffs recommendation to immediately abandon the OPR practice.

Bramptons auditors said the bonuses were not authorized under relevant rules and that, over time, OPR requests were approved for reasons beyond its initial intention. They added that with no oversight or formalized processes the OPR practice became mismanaged.

The report notes that favouritism was listed as one of the top 10 reasons to allow an OPR bonus in documents never shared publicly or with council.

After the reports release, Mayor Linda Jeffrey stepped up her previous calls to have an outside set of eyes look further into the citys finances. She has even suggested a permanent, independent auditor general for Brampton, similar to the oversight of council and administrators in their stewardship over public funds that Torontos AG provides.

This is at best serious negligence and at worst corruption, she said in an email last week. I will continue to explore any and all avenues available to us.

With residents screaming for an investigation, Jeffrey said Monday she would support any third-party investigation ... residents are demanding that we get to the bottom of this and respect their tax dollars.

Many taxpayers agree.

Brampton taxpayers deserve answers, said resident George Startup, who attends most city council meetings and has been highly critical of staff mismanagement in the past.

Asked who was responsible for initiating and approving the program and payments, and for the names of staffers that received the secret bonuses, Brampton spokesperson Natalie Stogdill said, The city will not be citing specific individuals.

We are committed to the recommendations and action plans to strengthen our internal controls moving forward, read a statement provided by the city.

Regional Councillor Elaine Moore, who chaired the audit committee for much of the period identified in the audit report, said she knew nothing of the practice and would throw her support behind a police investigation.

Regional Councillor Gael Miles, who has been on council for three decades and is the former budget chair who directly oversaw city budgets during much of the secret OPR program, defended the practice last week, denying that the secretive payments amounted to a slush fund.

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WARNING: This column contains graphic content.

How fortuitous indeed to have a friend when in blotto-faced need.

Const. Sameer Kara, one of three Toronto cops charged with sexual assault against a female parking enforcement officer, was unquestionably booze-blitzed to the gills on the evening of Jan. 15, 2015.

Serially up-chucking he was, spewing hither and yon as a group of 51 Division off-duty officers wound their way from bar to bar on Rookie Buy Night.

So decent and arm-around was Officer Elias Tissawak that he volunteered to take Kara back to the hotel room reserved by a colleague earlier in the day, after helping the inebriate off his knees in the washroom, where Kara had been communing with a toilet bowl.

I said, Ill take care of him,  Tissawak told court Monday. I waited till he finished throwing up, then I helped him up. I helped him wash his face and hands. He couldnt keep his eyes open.

Leaning heavily for assistance, the weight of Kara swayed me left and right, almost like dancing.

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Defence tells trial officer cant recall sex acts she willingly took part in

Outside the Pravda Vodka Bar, taxis refused to stop for them. Finally, Tissawak propped Kara against a car and flagged down a cab.

Arriving at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, Tissawak had to race around to the other side of the vehicle to get Kara safely onto the sidewalk and through the revolving doors. Before they could make it through the lobby, Kara puked again on a counter. But Tissawak got his buddy into an elevator and up to the room.

Unlaced Karas shoes and removed them. Pulled off his sweater. Tried to get him under the sheets. The minute I did that, he was on the pillow snoring.

His task fulfilled, Tissawak returned to Pravda and shortly thereafter the gang tootled up to the Brass Rail.

Tissawak recalled walking along with the parking enforcement officer, who complained about the heels on her high leather boots. She was able to walk on her own, Tissawak testified Monday. But asked to review the statement he gave to investigators with Professional Standards, Tissawak quoted himself thusly: It looks like she wasnt feeling too good.

If theres a good guy in the sordid events which ensued, it was Tissawak, who was sipping Coke when the party got to the strip joint.

Whether the sex assault complainant (her name protected by a publication ban) was, as shes testified, forced into having oral sex and intercourse later with three cops at the hotel, too drunk or perhaps drugged to fend them off; or, as the defence asserts, a consensual and eager participant in the menage a quatre, actually the maestro behind all those sex acts, it was either-way a sordid encounter.

But Tissawak had gone home by then, he and another cop making their goodbyes at the Brass Rail as the complainant and two remaining cops got into a cab, headed for the Westin.

Under cross-examination, Tissawak agreed that he never heard the complainant being invited back to the Westin. I didnt understand why she would jump in the cab.

Constables Kara, Leslie Nyznik and Joshua Cabero have all pleaded not guilty to the single charge of sexual assault.

If, as she has insisted, the complainant suddenly felt ill during that cab ride, her vision blurred, and once in the hotel room was so weirdly incapacitated  beyond routine drunkenness  that she couldnt halt the alleged assault or get herself out of there until some two and a half hours later  then its a shame those present took less considerate care of the woman than Tissawak had earlier with Kara. One might expect such solicitude from friends and colleagues.

The complainant testified last week that she went to the hotel intending to rouse Kara  its unclear whose idea that had been  so they could venture out again. Kara was the officer she knew best, her pal.

Nobody from among the high-powered defence roster has yet claimed that any of the cops in that room  Kara (after he woke up), Nyznik and Cabero, declined to have sex with the complainant. Although Patrick Ducharme, who represents Cabero, suggested the woman may have confused his client, mistaken his voice, for one of the other accused.

From swabs taken at a hospital three days later, only Caberos DNA profile could be ruled out as a match with excretions found on the alleged victims body and clothing, the prosecution told court in their opening address. For Kara and Nyznik, the astronomical odds of not being the source of the semen varied ranged from 1 in 440 million to 1 in 68 trillion (Kara) to one in 490 quadrillion (Nyznik).

Meanwhile, the complainants memory of the alleged assault ranged from firm (Nyznik placing his penis in her mouth) to sketchy, more of a sensation of being vaginally penetrated by someone (apparently Cabero). It was at that point, she testified, that an awakening Kara said: Guys, stop. Josh, stop. Come on, stop. And then Kara allegedly had intercourse with her as well.

The defence has banged on about the unreliability of the complainants memory and inconsistencies in her testimony when compared with original statements made to investigators.

Having elicited from the complainant that she was clearly wrong in some details  they hadnt walked to the Brass Rail, for instance, theyd taken a cab  Karas lawyer, Alan Gold, on Monday challenged the witness on the rest of her recollections. You voluntarily participated in an act that you simply do not remember, why is that not possible?

Witness: Because the parts I do remember, I definitely was not consenting.

Ducharme tilled the same furrows. How are we to tell your memories apart, some that are so detailed and some that are so inaccurate?

The complainant finally got off the stand midday, after which Tissawak was sworn in.

Under cross-examination by Nyzniks lawyer, Harry Black, Tissawak appeared taken aback  had no recall  of texts he exchanged with the complainant the following day.

Hows the hangover?, Tissawak had asked.

Pretty bad . . . I remember now why I dont do that more often.

Tissawak: Hahah! I feel bad for you. You were all right yesterday. You looked buzzed but not drunk!!

Complainant, after saying she had the cab pull over  this when she left the hotel, around 3:40 a.m.  because she was feeling sick: I must have had like 10 drinks in the first hour with you guys being that I was doing Sameers shots too. I have no idea what was even said last night. So no worries! Lol

If hed had that many drinks, Tissawak replies, hed be flat on the floor.

Complainant: Funny you say that. Thats exactly where I woke up!! . . . Passed out on my bathroom floor. Im classy like that. Hahaha

The judge-alone trial continues.

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Ruling parties firm on polls on June 28

A day after the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) announced fresh protests, the governing parties on Monday said that the second phase of local polls would take place on the scheduled date of June 28.
The Ontario government is injecting almost $15 million into local efforts to fight the opioid crisis and reduce needless deaths from fentanyl and other drugs.

Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins told reporters in Toronto on Monday the funding will be offered to local health units to hire frontline staff, as well as the distribution over the next year of an extra 80,000 kits for naloxone, an easily administered antidote that can save the lives of people overdosing.

For Toronto Public Health, the funding will add five new health workers, four of them full-time, in education, planning and addiction outreach. All health units will all be able to hire up to four full-time staff.

Hoskins called Ontarios multi-pronged effort the most forward-looking and advanced strategy to deal with the opioid crisis of any jurisdiction across the country.

He made the announcement with Mayor John Tory, two city councillors involved in the fight against opioid abuse and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the citys director of communicable disease control and associate medical officer of health.

New data from the Public Health Agency of Canada found that an estimated 2,458 people died from opioid overdoses last year, a national death rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people.

Ontario is expected by fall to have released provincial overdose figures for 2016 and part of this year.

While saying one overdose death is too many, Hoskins added it appears Ontario has not been hit as hard as British Columbia and Alberta where fentanyl in particular has taken a horrific toll.

I have confidence that by all of us working together that we may actually prevent that escalation from taking place, and then flatten the curve and bring it down, he said.

Tory commended the Liberal government for its work with local governments fighting the crisis, saying the new funding could help save many lives.

The mayor also lauded Torontos public health team and councillors Joe Cressy and Joe Mihevc for previously bringing him to The Works needle exchange, where the announcement was held, so he could personally hear from frontline public health workers and the people with lived experience saved by their efforts.

The clinic, on Victoria St. beside Ryerson University, will host one of Torontos three safe-injection sites.

Yaffe said overdose deaths are having a devastating impact on individuals, families and on communities but efforts including naloxone kits  at least 640 of the 4,300 distributed by Toronto in recent years have been used  are saving lives.

At Queens Park, MPP Jeff Yurek, the Progressive Conservative health critic, accused the government of allowing opioid abuse to reach a crisis point over the past 14 years, with little action.

The (Premier Kathleen) Wynne Liberals have failed to act swiftly, leaving our communities, frontline staff and service providers to address this challenge alone, said Yurek (Elgin-Middlesex-London).

The Ontario PCs have called for immediate measures, including a ban of illegal pill presses that fuel Ontarios opioid crisis and for the creation of a public awareness campaign that informs Ontarians about the dangers of opioids.

He called Monday's announcement a positive step but added the opioid crisis requires comprehensive, urgent action to combat opioid abuse and stop more preventable deaths from occurring.

With files from Kristin Rushowy

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A popular women-only spa has generated controversy after a transgender client was allegedly refused service.

Recently, Body Blitz Spa, which operates two locations in downtown Toronto at 471 Adelaide St. W. and 497 King St. E., allegedly refused to admit a transgender woman to one of its facilities.

Weronika Rogula, who is friends with the transgender individual who was allegedly denied entry, wrote on their personal Facebook page that theyll no longer be patronizing Body Blitz because of its policy.

They do not welcome trans women in their women-only spa and so I am done giving them my money (benefits) and encourage you to do the same, Rogula wrote on Friday, June 9.

Women-only spaces should not be for cis (someone who identifies with the sex they were born as) women only, but all women including trans women who are women. We know this and so should they. Bye bye blitz.

A request to speak to the person who was allegedly refused service was turned down.

The management of Body Blitz provided the following statement late Monday afternoon to Metroland Media Toronto.

We support the LBGTQ community and recognize that this is a sensitive issue. However, because Body Blitz Spa is a single-sex facility with full-nudity, we are not like other facilities. We recognize that this is an important discussion for single-sex facilities to have and we will seek to find a satisfactory resolution.

When Metroland Media called the spa on Monday afternoon, the person on the line would not confirm or deny the allegation.

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A baby raccoon that was rescued from a water-filled garbage can last week is back to his old self  growly towards humans.

The animal was found by police in the back yard of a home in the area of Eglinton Ave. W. and Dufferin St. after reports of what sounded like an animal in distress.

Police said the animal was inside a trap that had been placed in a garbage can filled with water and weighted down with rocks.

Related story:

Man charged after baby raccoon rescued from near-drowning in water-filled trap

The raccoon was dehydrated when police brought him to the Toronto Wildlife Centre, said executive director Nathalie Karvonen. After being put in an incubator and given oxygen, he is now eating on his own and has gained weight, she said.

Hes still on antibiotics because we suspect that he might have aspiration pneumonia, Karvonen said.

When he is fully recovered, he will join a group of wild raccoons in the centre that were found in the same area, she said.

The wildlife centre has received reports of a mother and sibling but Karvonen said there are no plans to reunite the family.

The raccoon will be released in early fall.

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Tears come to Rose Monos eyes when she remembers her long-distance conversations with her younger brother. Hed call her just to chat, or sing carols over the phone at Christmas.

Remembering the last time she saw Andrew Loku alive, when he took a trip to visit her in Saskatoon in 2012, she breaks down.

I dont know what Im going to do, she said. I lost my brother.

Mono and her son, Mono Alam, flew to Toronto from Saskatchewan this week to attend the ongoing coroners inquest into Lokus death. It was important to the family to learn about his final moments, though it has been difficult to sit and listen, Alam said.

He was just a happy person who just got pushed too far, and couldnt handle it any more, said Alam, saying he knew little about his uncles mental health challenges.

Loku, 45, was killed by a Toronto police officer in July 2015, after he advanced on two officers while holding a hammer. Police had been summoned to Lokus apartment building by a 911 call reporting he was threatening to kill another resident.

The inquest has heard Loku struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after being tortured in whats now South Sudan. At the time of his death, he had three times the legal driving limit of alcohol in his bloodstream.

Loku had been hoping to bring his wife and five children, aged 12 to 20, to Canada from Uganda, where the kids were all attending school. Mono and Alam said they are worried about Lokus children, some of whom are now living in a camp in Juba, South Sudan.

Once this happened, it shut down everything. Their world ended, Alam said. Their only hope was to to come here.

Asked what the family wants to gain from the inquest, Alam said they are hoping for an apology and learn the name of the officer who killed Loku.

Weve been hearing more about the mental issues than who shot him, said Alam.

The officers involved in the shooting, Toronto Consts. Andrew Doyle and Haim Queroub, are expected to testify this week.

Taking the witness stand Tuesday was Insp. Peter Moreira, a senior Toronto police officer who responded immediately after Lokus shooting to help arrange scene management while the SIU investigators were en route.

Moreira told the jury that, in consultation with an SIU liaison officer, it was decided that he would take on the critical task of ensuring any pertinent video evidence was collected  my experience with video is that it is short-lived, said Moreira, who has been an investigator for much of his 26-year career.

He and another police officer spoke with the building superintendent and attempted to gain access to the video, first in the superintendents own unit then in the basement of the building, but met with some difficulties including that the superintendent no longer had the correct password.

Moreira ultimately instructed the other officer to stay on scene with the express purpose of ensuring the preservation of the video evidence.

This attempt to access and download video was called improper by SIU director Tony Loparco in his director's report on Lokus death  a criticism later made public when a redacted version of the report was released.

In his report, Loparco said that except in situations of overriding public safety concern, police should never attempt to view or download video without first getting consent of the SIU, adding that the case was an example of post-incident conduct that could publicly compromise the credibility of the SIUs investigation.

But Moreira  who was not approached by the SIU to explain his actions that night  said he believed it was his duty to preserve the scene.

Everything I did was above board. There was no intent in my part to do anything malicious, he said. I think I did what was right.

Under questioning by Howard Morton, lawyer for Across Boundaries and a former director of the SIU, Moreira was asked for his understanding of Police Services Act regulations laying out the expectations of police when its clear the SIU will be called in to investigate.

Under those regulations, the affected police service must secure the scene, while the SIU is the lead investigator.

Morton pressed Moreira on the definition of securing the scene, suggesting that officers should have simply been stationed in key places to ensure no one touched any possible evidence.

Moreira disagreed, saying he would be neglectful of his duties if I didnt take every step to identify every possible piece of evidence. Police would similarly be criticized if officers did nothing to preserve evidence then it was lost before SIU investigators could arrive on scene.

Im comfortable with the decisions I made that night, Moreira said. The actions I took that night I would consider taking again.

Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca

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The duck stops with Premier Kathleen Wynne, who has run afoul of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation over the governments $121,000 in funding for a July long-weekend tourist attraction.

This giant rubber duck isnt all its quacked up to be, the federations Ontario Director Christine Van Geyn said outside Queens Park on Monday, where she brought her familys pool-sized rubber duck, filled with almost 800 bath toy ducks, to protest the waste of taxpayer money.

You rented it for Canada Day celebrations, she said, even though it has no connection to Ontario, to Canada or to our history.

While the money was actually provided to the Redpath Waterfront Festival, which then arranged and paid to host the worlds largest rubber duck, Van Geyn said I know the Premier didnt write the cheque for the duck herself, at the end of the day, the buck  or the duck  stops with her.

The flap over the duck  which is nearly 19 metres tall and weighs 13,600 kilograms  erupted late last month. It will also be featured at festivals in Owen Sound, Sault Ste. Marie, Midland, Amherstburg and Brockville.

Have your say

The government has said it supports local festivals, which often look for quirky attractions to boost visitors, and that for every dollar spent there are about $20 in spinoff benefits.

Its a really important marker for this country and this province, our 150th birthday, and we have as a province invested in festivals all across the province to allow communities to celebrate in the way that they deem to be appropriate, to allow them to draw tourists and to have fun during this celebration, Wynne told reporters at a press conference when asked about the fowl fuss.

And you know we have allowed festivals to determine what that means in their communities. So I look forward to those celebrations.

Van Geyn said her organization received a number of calls and emails and set up a website for people to donate $5 to have a duck sent to the premier in protest. The fee covered the cost of running the website as well as for the rubber ducks  of varying size and ranging anywhere from 75 cents to just over $3 each  and transportation to the legislature.

This is the duck that broke the camels back, added Van Geyn.   Its the absurdity of it  its that this government has such a track record with waste  (and is) willing to shell out money without a lot of accountability associated with it.

The duck coming to Toronto also landed in hot water with a Dutch artist, who calls it a counterfeit. However, the company here has trademarked the worlds largest rubber duck and called Studio Florentijn Hofmans complaints factually and legally incorrect.

The 2017 Redpath Waterfront Festival is an annual event in the city. Partners of the festival include the Toronto Star, CTV and Porter airlines, among others.

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U.S. President Donald Trump plans to scale back his predecessors effort to open Cuba to U.S. tourism and trade, and his advisers are preparing options including new limits on American travel to the island and restricting partnerships between U.S. companies and entities with ties to the Cuban military, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Final options havent yet been presented to Trump, though a decision is expected before a visit by the U.S. president to Miami on Friday. The people familiar with the plans, both outside the White House, spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions are ongoing.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Monday declined to describe Trumps plans for president Barack Obamas Cuba liberalization policy. When we have an announcement on the presidents schedule well let you know, he told reporters.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Trump has criticized Obamas deal-making with Cuba as one-sided, and has said it allowed the Castro regime to continue human rights abuses. Obama re-opened the U.S. embassy on the island, relaxed travel restrictions on American citizens, and allowed U.S. airlines to establish direct flights and U.S. cruise lines to make ports of call in Cuba.

If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal, Trump said in a tweet less than a month after his election.

Read more:

Obama to Cuban people  you do not need to fear U.S.

Obama lands in Cuba for three-day visit, calls it a historic opportunity

Donald Trump aides say Cuban government will have to change

New sanctions aimed at cutting off flows of money that benefit the Cuban military could affect U.S. hotel partnerships in Cuba, including the Four Points by Sheraton in Havana. The Cuban military had a stake in the hotels Cuban partner.

Other ideas under discussion, the people familiar with the matter said, include guidelines that would require Americans to formally explain how their travel to Cuba benefits the U.S. and the Cuban people, as well as increased scrutiny of travellers and the frequency of their visits.

Travel restrictions could impact U.S. airlines with direct flights to Cuba as well as the cruise industry. One advocate of Obamas policies said a change would have less impact on a vacationer than on people seeking to do business or on Cuban-Americans who want to visit family on the island on a regular basis.

Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who backed Obamas Cuba policy, said lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are concerned about what Trump will do.

Any additional restrictions on travel will go over like a lead balloon, and it should, Flake said in an interview on Monday. Under the travel limits in place preceding Obama, he said, Cuban-Americans with aging parents in Cuba might have been forced to decide which parents funeral to attend.

He also said he does not want to see curbs on Cuban entrepreneurship or the U.S. more focused on Cuba sanctions than on sanctions against North Korea or Iran.

Sanctions targeting the Cuban military could have widespread effects, given its large role in the country  perhaps touching even on remittances and agriculture. The impact would depend on how sanctions are structured.

James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, a Washington-based group lobbying to end the 55-year old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, said that changes to Obamas policy could have unintended consequences for U.S. businesses and jobs. The idea that this is just some kind of modest step back is only true if its done extremely carefully in the end, he said.

A report prepared by his group found that major airlines including American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., JetBlue Airways Corp., Southwest Airlines Co., United Continental Holdings Inc., and Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. have all taken advantage of Obamas relaxed travel restrictions.

The island has not been as promising a business opportunity as U.S. airlines once expected, however. Two smaller carriers, Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. and Silver Airways Corp., have discontinued flights to Cuba entirely, and American, the largest carrier with service to Cuba, scaled back flights 25 per cent earlier this year.

Flake said he and two Democratic senators, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, met last week with Trumps national security adviser H.R. McMaster to share their concerns but that McMaster did not signal the administrations plans.

The presidents advisers have sought input from across his Cabinet but also have been working behind the scenes with critics of the Castro administration, including Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican.

I am confident the president will keep his commitment on Cuba policy by making changes that are targeted and strategic and which advance the Cuban peoples aspirations for economic and political liberty, Rubio said in a statement.

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DHAKA, BANGLADESHHeavy rain triggered landslides that killed at least 68 people in southeast Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday, as police and soldiers struggled to reach the remote districts with aid.

It was not immediately clear if any villagers were still missing after large chunks of mud swept over thatched homes and settlements in three hilly districts on Monday.

Reports said scores of people were injured and the death toll could rise.

Military spokesman Rezaul Karim said several soldiers were killed while clearing debris and mud from a highway. Five injured soldiers were flown to a military hospital in Dhaka.

Two officers and two soldiers have died, and two others remain missing in the incident, Karim said by telephone.

Rains that began early Monday had cleared by Tuesday, allowing rescuers to work faster in searching for survivors. But the firefighters, police and soldiers deployed to help were having trouble reaching some affected areas, said Reaz Ahmed, a senior disaster management official.

The death toll could rise since many areas remain cut off, he said.

Bangladesh is in the middle of monsoon season but Mondays downpour was caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Officials said at least 35 were dead in Rangamati, one of the worst-hit districts, and 23 were killed in Chittagong. At least 10 others died in Bandarban, according to fire official Tarikul Islam.

Extensive devastation was reported in the region.

In Rangamatis remote Kawkhali area, one of the worst-hit, about 5,000 homes were either destroyed or damaged, police chief Addul Karim said. He said authorities opened six temporary shelters.

Bangladesh, a delta nation of 160 million people, is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides. Many people in hilly regions ignore authorities calls to avoid constructing homes on slopes.

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A Canadian man facing 20 years in an Algerian prison based on intelligence he alleges was provided by Canadas security services, was found not guilty of terrorism offences Tuesday.

According to Gary Caroline, the Canadian lawyer for Abderrahmane Ghanem, the Algerian court rejected evidence provided from outside sources in releasing the 30-year-old.

Im tremendously happy hes going to be released, Caroline said Tuesday morning in a telephone interview from Vancouver.

But on one hand, its a celebratory moment, and on the other hand, it makes one ask deep questions about the role our national security service played in this affair, said Caroline.

Ghanems family spoke with the Star from their home in Muscat, Oman earlier this year, breaking their silence to implore Ottawa to fight for the release of their son and brother.

He has done nothing wrong. He hasnt hurt anyone, but if Canada has information on him they should try him in Canada, not Algeria, his 62-year-old father, Mohamed, told the Star.

The familys allegations were damning at a time when Ottawa is spending millions of dollars to settle cases where other Canadians who were detained and tortured based in part on information provided by the RCMP or Canadas spy service, CSIS.

While not speaking specifically about Ghanems case, CSIS has maintained that information-sharing is tightly controlled. If we do so, it is after careful consideration of all legal obligations and associated risks, spokesperson Tahera Mufti said, adding that the agency has a duty and a responsibility to share threat-related information with its foreign partners.

Caroline said Ghanems defence lawyers argued in court that the only evidence in the case was a confession  which Ghanem said he was forced to sign  and information from Canada based on Ghanems life in Calgary. The prosecution did not dispute that claim, according to Caroline.

On Tuesday, the judge specifically asked Ghanem about the five Calgary men mentioned in the indictment, all of whom left for Syria.

Ghanem has never denied being friends with what became known as the Calgary group, and include Damian Clairmont, a troubled convert to Islam who died in Syria fighting for Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, Clairmonts roommate, Wassem Al Haj Youcef, a mechanical engineer who left Canada in late 2012 and whose whereabouts are unknown, brothers Collin and Gregory, also converts and also killed, and Salman Ashrafi, who became a suicide bomber and killed 46 people in Iraq in 2013.

But the Algerian-born Canadian says he never travelled to a conflict zone and left Calgary, where he grew up, to leave that past behind and try to find work in Oman or Algeria, where he had relatives.

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BRUSSELSThe European Union warned the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland on Tuesday that they have 24 hours to start taking in refugees under an EU migrant sharing plan or face legal action.

But the three countries immediately rebuffed the threat and appeared ready to go to court.

The European Commission said in a statement that it has repeatedly urged them to relocate refugees or at least pledge to do so under the legally-binding refugee plan agreed two years ago.

But it said they have failed to take action in breach of their legal obligations, and that it has decided to launch infringement procedures.

The plan to share 160,000 refugees in overwhelmed Italy and Greece among other European countries over two years was endorsed in September 2015 by a qualified majority vote.

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It was seen as a major plank of the EUs migration policy, and was lauded as a pan-European show of solidarity in 2015 when more than a million people arrived in Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs.

But just three months before the September 2017 deadline, fewer than 21,000 people have been relocated. Its unlikely that even a quarter of the refugees originally foreseen under the plan will be moved by then.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against the scheme. Hungary and Slovakia had previously launched their own legal action against it.

EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have until Wednesday to change their minds.

There is still time ahead. Lets hope that not only reason but also the European spirit will prevail, Avramopoulos told reporters, lamenting that the three have not done anything for more than one year.

But Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said his country is not ready to change its view of the migrant sharing plan.

Sobotka said in a statement that the Czech Republic doesnt agree with the relocation system based on migrant quotas. And given the worsened security situation in Europe and also that the quota system is not functioning, it wont participate in it.

He said his government was ready to defend our view at the EU level and at the relevant court institutions.

The Czech Republic was supposed to accept some 2,600 refugees but so far has taken only 12, all of them from Greece.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski said Poland is ready to defend its standpoint before the Court of Justice.

He warned that the Commissions action may deepen the divisions within the EU.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his government considers the infringement procedures to be blackmail and un-European behaviour.

Speaking in parliament ahead of the warning, Szijjarto repeated the government position that even the European Commission cannot take away the member states right to decide who it wants to let into their country.

The executive Commission is watchdog over the EUs treaties and enforces agreements made between the 28 member states.

Avramopoulos praised Austria and Slovakia for recently pledging to do more. But as of June 9, Austria had still not relocated a single refugee. Slovakia had taken in 16.

Germany, France, the Netherlands and Finland have so far been the countries taking in the largest number of refugees  Germany received more than 5,600, France around 3,500.

Rights group Amnesty International said it hopes the Commission action will spur others to do more.

Amnestys European office director Iverna McGowan said the move makes it clear that countries will not be allowed to get away with dragging their feet to avoid accepting refugees. Solidarity is the key to a fair and humane response to refugees in Europe.

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WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trumps defenders would like you to know that he doesnt know important things.

Theyre not saying hes stupid. Theyre saying he is somewhere between ill-informed and clueless. To hear some Republican members of Congress tell it, Trump did not attempt to obstruct justice in his Oval Office words to James Comey in February  he just didnt understand how a president is supposed to interact with the director of the FBI.

The presidents new at this, House Speaker Paul Ryan said last week. Hes new to government, and so he probably wasnt steeped in the long-running protocols ...

Legal experts say this argument  what former Watergate assistant prosecutor Nick Akerman called the idiot defence  would have trouble succeeding in a court of law. But heres the key thing: it doesnt have to.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly prohibit the prosecution of a sitting president, and there are a few scholars who say that prosecution is allowed. The overwhelming view of scholars of constitutional law, however, is that prosecuting a president is indeed unconstitutional.

The remedy for offences committed by the president, they say, is the impeachment process.

Which means that politicians could conceivably decide Trumps fate. Which means that arguments designed for the court of public opinion matter more than arguments designed for judges and juries.

Donald Trump is not going to be indicted. Hes not going to be tried. At least, those things are not going to happen while hes president; they probably will never happen, said Louis Michael Seidman, a constitutional law professor at Georgetown University. So the technical legal definition of obstruction of justice  the instructions that a judge would give to a jury about convicting him  just dont matter. Because theres never going to be a judge and theres never going to be a jury.

Comeys testimony last week, in which he alleged that Trump improperly attempted to get him to shut down the FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, has added new urgency to the impeachment drumbeat among Democrats. On Monday, California Rep. Brad Sherman released articles of impeachment proposing to impeach Trump on the grounds of obstruction of justice.

The evidence we have is sufficient to move forward now, Sherman wrote. And the national interest requires that we do so.

For the time being, as Sherman acknowledged, there is essentially no chance Trump can be forced out of office. Trump-backing Republicans control the House, which decides on impeachment, and also the Senate, which gets to hold a kind of trial to decide whether an impeached president actually gets booted.

The political situation could change a bit after the Nov. 2018 congressional elections, in which Democrats may have a chance to take back the House. But even if Democrats earned a House majority and voted to impeach, it would be difficult to force Trump out. The Constitution requires that two-thirds of the Senate vote in favour of removal, and the Democrats currently control only 48 of 100 seats.

The case for impeachment could get an eventual boost from the investigation being conducted by a special counsel, former FBI director Robert Mueller. Clinton was impeached in 1998, in part over alleged obstruction, after the independent counsel who probed his affair with an intern submitted a report to the House.

That counsel, Ken Starr, was originally appointed to probe a failed Clinton real estate deal, then started digging into other controversies. Mueller has a far tighter leash than Starr had, but his probe might too become broader than its initial focus. Muellers mandate gives him the authority to pursue not only any links between Trumps campaign and Russia but any matters to emerge directly from his investigation.

Comey hinted to Congress that Mueller is now considering the question of obstruction.

This is just the beginning of the story. Although Comeys testimony was very sort of gripping and almost cinematic, the fact is the investigation is just beginning. And there is undoubtedly a host of sources of additional information and evidence that theyre going to be exploring  including, potentially, the tax returns of the president and others, said Dan Petalas, a lawyer who formerly worked in the section of the Justice Department tasked with prosecuting corrupt public officials.

After visiting the White House on Monday, a friend of Trump, Newsmax chief Christopher Ruddy, told PBS that the president was considering firing Mueller. The Trump administration would not comment directly on Ruddys claim.

Trump does appear to have the power to fire Mueller in a roundabout way  by ordering his deputy attorney general to do the firing. Such a move would be reminiscent of Richard Nixons Saturday Night Massacre, in which Nixon terminated the Watergate special prosecutor, and would almost certainly strengthen the cries for impeachment.

Trump would not have to do anything criminal to be impeached. Under the Constitution, impeachment is an option for three kinds of things: treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanours.

There has never been a consensus on what high crimes and misdemeanours actually are. But University of North Carolina constitutional law professor Michael Gerhardt, among other experts, say an act doesnt have to be a criminal offence to qualify: it can be a political crime of some sort.

Impeachment is not limited to what we call indictable crimes. It focuses on abuse of power, breach of trust. And some people could argue, and maybe are arguing, that we would trust the president not to abuse his authority here to try and influence an investigation thats ongoing, said Gerhardt, who testified before Congress during the Clinton impeachment process.

Still, the case for impeachment might appear stronger to the public if Mueller, not just Democrats and outside analysts, concluded that Trump did commit the crime of obstruction. And this is where the questions get technical.

The federal obstruction law makes it a crime to obstruct a pending proceeding. It is not clear, Petalas said, that an FBI investigation qualifies as a pending proceeding.

Even if it does, the obstruction law says that intervening in the proceeding is only a crime if it is done corruptly. The big issue, then, is Trumps intentions.

What did he mean when he allegedly told Comey in February, I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go? Why did he allegedly force everyone else out of the Oval Office before he did so? Why did he fire Comey in May?

Akerman, a lawyer who served as an assistant special Watergate prosecutor, said Trumps public statements  such as his declaration on NBC that he was thinking about the Russia probe when he fired Comey  offer an unbelievable amount of evidence of a corrupt intent, far beyond what a prosecutor would normally be able to obtain.

Akerman scoffed at the Republican argument that Trump may have acted inappropriately but innocently, merely new to the presidency and a little lost. Obstruction law, Akerman noted, does not only apply to presidents.

People get charged with this crime all over the country, he said. Its no defence to say Im stupid, Im naive. Thats got nothing to do with it  inexperience as president? Zero. The only issue is corrupt intent.

Trump argues that there was no collusion, no obstruction, saying Comeys testimony gave him complete vindication. But the notion of impeachment appears to have crossed even his mind.

In an unusual kind of post on Twitter on Monday, Trump effectively mentioned the I-word himself  sharing a Fox News video in which Geraldo Rivera declared that Comeys testimony had sent the probability of him being impeached plummeting from 3 per cent to nil.

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SC turns down govt request to vacate its interim order

The Supreme Court (SC) has turned down the government request to vacate its May 26 interim order against a Cabinet decision to increase the number of local level units in Tarai districts.
WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump says apprenticeships could match workers with millions of open jobs, but hes reluctant to devote more taxpayer money to the effort.

Instead, Trump and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta say the administration is focused on getting universities and private companies to pair up and pay the cost of such learn-to-earn arrangements.

The president has accepted a challenge from Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff to create 5 million apprenticeships over five years. Now, as part of a weeklong apprenticeship push, he is visiting Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin Tuesday with his daughter, Ivanka, as well as Acosta and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Apprenticeships are going to be a big, big factor in our country, Trump said during his first-ever full Cabinet meeting Monday. There are millions of good jobs that lead to great careers, jobs that do not require a four-year degree or the massive debt that often comes with those four-year degrees and even two-year degrees.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Many employers and economists  and Republicans and Democrats  welcome the idea of apprenticeships as a way to train people with specific skills for particular jobs that employers say they cant fill at time of historically low unemployment. The most recent budget for the federal government passed with about $90 million for apprenticeships, and Trump so far isnt proposing adding more.

But the Trump administration, like president Barack Obamas, says theres a need that can be met with a change in the American attitude toward vocational education and apprenticeships. A November 2016 report by Obamas Commerce Department found that apprenticeships are not fully understood in the United States, especially by employers, who tend to use apprentices for a few, hard-to -fill positions but not as widely as they could.

The shortages for specifically-trained workers cut across multiple job sectors beyond Trumps beloved construction trades. There are shortages in agriculture, manufacturing, information technology and health care.

There arent enough people to fill the jobs and the people applying dont have the skills necessary, said Conor Smyth, spokesman for the Wisconsin Technical College System, where President and Ivanka Trump, Acosta and Walker were visiting.

Thats where apprenticeship comes in.

Participants get on-the-job training while going to school, sometimes with companies footing the bill.

IBM, for example, participates in a six-year program called P-TECH. Students in 60 schools across six states begin in high school, when they get a paid internship, earn an associates degree and get first-in-line consideration for jobs from 250 participating employers. It relies on funds outside the apprenticeship program  a challenge in that the Trump budget plan would cut spending overall on job training. The program uses $1.2 billion in federal funding provided under the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act passed in 2006, said P-TECH co-founder Stan Litow.

This really demonstrates what you can do with apprenticeships with existing dollars, Litow said.

Eric Haban, 35, started as a youth apprentice junior in high school and then completed a four-year program at Lakeshore Technical College in Wisconsin, the first state in the country to pass a law establishing apprenticeship programs in 1911. At the school, Haban learned to be a machinist for LDI Industries, which makes hydraulic components and lubricating equipment.

It really gave me a jump start to get into a field that I had no prior experience in, Haban said.

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Apprenticeships are few and far between. Of the 146 million jobs in the United States, about 3.5 per cent  or slightly more than a half-million  were filled by active apprentices in 2016. Filling millions more jobs through apprenticeships would require the government to massively ramp up its efforts. Scaling is the big issue, said Robert Lerman, a fellow at the Urban Institute.

Another complication: only about half of apprentices finish their multi-year programs, Lerman said. Fewer than 50,000 people including 11,104 in the military completed their apprenticeships in 2016, according to Labor Department.

The Trump administration has yet to spell out how it would close the completion gap.

Acosta said Monday that the policy would revolve around encouraging more partnerships between business and schools rather than increasing the $90 million the federal government currently devotes to apprenticeships.

I want to challenge the assumption that the only way to move policy is to increase government spending, Acosta said at the Monday White House news briefing. We should measure success based on outcomes and not simply based on spending.

Susan Helper, former chief economist at the Commerce Department, said it would likely require more than $90 million a year to cover the administrative costs of increasing the number of apprentices.

But Helper, currently a professor at Case Western University, noted that how federal funds are spent on apprenticeship programs also matters. Tax breaks might do little to expand the number of apprenticeships, since the major barriers involve the upfront costs of starting an apprenticeship program that helps groups of smaller employers and the community colleges often involved in apprenticeship programs.

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NEW YORKA former journalist from St. Louis accused of threatening Jewish organizations in the United States and Canada as a way to harass his ex-girlfriend pleaded guilty Tuesday to cyberstalking.

For this, I deeply apologize, said Juan Thompson, 32, who also pleaded guilty to a charge of conveying false information and hoaxes.

Federal prosecutors said Thompson sometimes used his girlfriends name while making threats against Jewish community centres, schools or other facilities. They said one message claimed he had placed two bombs in a Jewish school and was eager for Jewish Newtown, a reference to the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut.

The government collected evidence from about two dozen laptops, tablets and cellphones seized from his home.

Sentencing was set for Sept. 15. Thompson agreed not to appeal any sentence at or below 46 months  nearly four years  in prison.

Thompson was fired from the online publication The Intercept last year after being accused of fabricating story details.

Since Jan. 9, there have been more than 150 bomb threats against Jewish community centres and day schools in 37 U.S. states and Canada, including in Toronto and London, Ont., according to the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that battles anti-Semitism.

The threats led to evacuations and sent a chill through local Jewish communities. Acts of vandalism on Jewish targets, including cemeteries, have added to those concerns.

In April, Israel indicted an 18-year-old American-Israeli and called him the primary suspect in a wave of over 2,000 threats against U.S. Jewish centres, airports, malls, police stations and other institutions.

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WASHINGTONU.S.senators sharply criticized Pentagon leaders Tuesday for not completing a new strategy for the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, as Defence Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged that the enemy is surging right now.

Sen. John McCain demanded that Mattis wrap up the plan now, threatening that, unless we get a strategy from you, youre going to get a strategy from us. He said he had expected the plan in the first 30 to 60 days of the new administration and snapped, We want a strategy. I dont think thats a helluva lot to ask.

Mattis, in response, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he will provide details on the new strategy for the war in mid-July.

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Were putting it together now and there are going to be  there are actions being taken to make certain that we dont pay a price for the delay, he said. But we recognize the need for urgency and your criticism is fair, sir.

Mattis did not say what those steps are.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has told Congress that he could use an infusion of U.S. and allied troops to bolster support for the Afghan army.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon was considering a request for roughly 3,000 more troops, mainly for training and advising. That decision, however, has been stalled by the broader administration review of Afghan policy and a push for NATO to contribute more troops.

Mattis, when pressed again about the plan, said getting a government-wide strategy cant be done quickly, and that there are ongoing efforts to ensure NATO participation so that its not all on the backs of American taxpayers.

He added: We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible.

The Talibans resurgence has been coupled with a growing threat from Daesh militants trying to establish a foothold in the country. The increased fight has led to a recent string of American deaths.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed and another wounded on Saturday when they were attacked by an Afghan soldiers, who was then killed. And two U.S. army Rangers died in an April 27 raid on an IS compound in eastern Afghanistan. Officials were investigating whether they were killed by friendly fire in the opening minutes of the three-hour battle. Their deaths came just days after a U.S. army special forces soldier was also killed in the region.

The Afghanistan war has been dragging on since October 2001, and the U.S.-led coalition ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014 but they are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.

Asked what he hoped the situation in Afghanistan would look like a year from now, Mattis said violence would be down, government corruption would be reduced and the Taliban would be rolled back, with less freedom of movement on the battlefield.

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that he hoped Afghan troop casualties would be lower a year from now.

McCain, however, listed the names of the three 101st Airborne Division soldiers who were killed Saturday and said, Lets not ask these families to sacrifice any further without a strategy which we can then take and implement and help you. Im fighting as hard as I can to increase defence spending. Its hard when we have no strategy to pursue.

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Serafina Paul works at a radio station in Juba, South Sudan. Like so many of her female colleagues, Paul lacks confidence in her news judgment. She is interested in how certain practices, such as the paying of dowry, or bride price, affect peoples ability to marry in South Sudan.

Forcing men to pay bride price has implications both for power relations between the genders and for social and economic stability. However, Paul didnt think of the concept as a legitimate story idea.

Journalists for Human Rights sent a trainer, Sierra Leonean journalist Mustapha Dumbuya, to work with journalists such as Paul. The goal, among others, is to provide mentorship, build confidence, foster leadership and ensure that womens voices and issues make it into headlines.

Dumbuya urged Paul to investigate dowries. Despite her reluctance  People will not talk about these issues, she said  Dumbuya worked with the news editor to convince Paul to give the story a try. She headed out  and came back with a full reel.

Paul had hit on a story that affected everyone, viscerally, but had not been told in the media. Much of the response focused on how to ease the requirement for dowries in order to make it easier for people to marry on more equitable terms  and, in so doing, access the emotional and economic stability that marriage can bring.

Putting these kinds of issues in headlines represents a transformative shift for women in environments such as South Sudan, where an adolescent girl is three times more likely to die in childbirth than to complete primary school.

Getting journalists to report on the reasons why women are systematically disempowered helps validate womens concerns and sparks discussion  and implementation  of solutions.

Such stories show why Canadas recent announcement of a feminist international assistance policy offers such extraordinary potential.

On Friday, Development Minister Marie Claude Bibeau announced that, from this point on, women and girls are to be at the heart of Canadian international assistance.

Immediate changes include the repurposing of allocated funding to a $150 million fund to support womens leadership and womens voice through working with female-led local organizations. By focusing on women and girls, traditionally among the most marginalized in already marginalized populations, Canada is working to go where the need is greatest.

Within five years, investments in programs that will specifically target gender equality and the empowerment of women will represent 15 per cent of Canadas $2.6 billion bilateral development assistance, up from 2 per cent in 2015-16.

A truism of development is that investing in women and girls is an investment in the well-being of entire communities. And when women are more engaged in peace-building, their input can stabilize the entire society.

The long-term development side of foreign affairs is often described as the soft power of international work. It is those who provide the skills and training to help doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, teachers and journalists learn and grow in their jobs.

As with those in the military, development workers are frequently sent to war zones. They are mandated to build capacity and goodwill in profoundly complex, hostile environments, and face innumerable dangers in doing so  often with the most minimal of security supports.

Bibeau and her team are to be congratulated on a bold approach, one that puts Canada in a global leadership position, with implications for change throughout Canadas overseas assistance.

Even so, any analysis of a feminist policy includes discussion of pay equity  equal pay for equal work. And in this respect, the government has fallen short.

Last week, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced a massive expansion in spending on the Canadian military  an additional $13.9 billion over the coming decade for this indispensable tool in our foreign policy tool box. If we are serious about Canadas role in the world, then we have to be serious about funding our military, Sajjan said.

Yet there is no new spending for the bold new feminist international assistance policy. Mindful of Sajjans comments linking policy priorities to funding, a little pay equity is in order. After all, it is 2017.

Minister Bibeaus chief of staff, Geoffroi Montpetit, clarifies that the priority, for his team, was to get the policy right first, and then work on a funding framework. The policy represents a radical cultural shift for the department, he said Monday.

The larger first challenge, in his view, is ensuring the policy is properly implemented. The department has to be fit for purpose, he said. I would say its not quite there yet.

Such criticisms aside, the policy has grabbed headlines  and rave reviews  all around the world. Consider whats at stake. Focusing training on women not only improves their skills, it also ensures sector leaders start to change their approach to hiring and promoting women.

And in JHRs case, well trained women in media are able to choose between bending to antiquated ideas of a womans role in society  or using their skill of journalism to bend the arc of history.

Canadas new policy is designed to help millions of other women do the same. Lets ensure they are truly set up to succeed.

Rachel Pulfer is the executive director and Grant McDonald is the program manager with Journalists for Human Rights.

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Is it possible that were wrong about Donald Trump?

Is it possible that hes not a crude, unhinged, dangerously unqualified, ignorant president of the United States?

I ask because when theres a stampede of critics headed in one direction, maybe its time to stand back from the herd. When an overwhelming consensus builds in serious academic, media, and political circles, and when comedians can make a good living mocking the man in the Oval Office, it makes sense to wonder if perhaps everyone is wrong. Because it wouldnt be the first time people have been wrong about a president.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

In South Dakota, there are four presidents forever immortalized on Mount Rushmore. It is recognition, by Americans at least, that the four were outstanding presidents who made profound and lasting contributions to their country.

George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. They are literally presidential giants.

But it wasnt always so. Each of them was criticized in their time, with words that could be used today by those who criticize Donald Trump.

Thomas Paine, who managed to communicate the sense of the American Revolution to ordinary people, once wrote of Washington, The world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor; whether you have abandoned good principles, or whether you ever had any.

In 1808, Thomas Jefferson got a letter from a citizen that said, You have set aside and trampled on our most dearest rights, bought by the blood of our ancestors.

During a graduation speech in May at the Coast Guard Academy in Conn., President Donald Trump complained about the coverage of his administration, saying no politician "has been treated worse or more unfairly."

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During the American Civil War, the governor of Missouri, Hamilton Gamble, was exasperated with Abraham Lincoln. In a letter to Lincolns attorney general, Edward Bates, Gamble called the 16th president a mere intriguing, pettifogging, piddling, politician.

After Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, the Chicago Times wrote, The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the filly, flat, and dishwatery utterances of a man who had to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.

It was a British diplomat, Cecil Spring-Rice, who wrote to a friend about Theodore Roosevelt: You must always remember that the president is about six.

The Mount Rushmore memorial was completed in 1941. So the longest-serving president is not represented. That would be Franklin Roosevelt. Hes the man who led the United States out of the Great Depression and through the Second World War. Yet the renowned journalist H.L. Mencken once called FDR somewhat shallow and futile.

The point is made, then. Contemporary critics of American presidents can be dead wrong. We should remember that when todays president is routinely buried under scathing commentary about everything from his policies, to his vocabulary, to the way he wears his tie.

I dont think we are wrong about Donald Trump. He is no Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln or Roosevelt. He makes George W. Bush look good. And Bush had not a dash of either eloquence or strategic brilliance. Im pretty sure Trump is in way over his head. I have no confidence he can solve any of the problems he says he will solve because I dont believe he even understands the problems. He is a childish, boorish, egomaniacal man without even the slightest self-awareness.

Still, all that name-calling amounts to nothing. We can take smug satisfaction in it, but the criticism we should pay attention to is the criticism that uses evidence to make its point. Dont just make jokes about Donald Trump. Dont just tell me hes inept and unworthy. Prove it.

Mark Bulgutch is a former senior executive producer of CBC News. He teaches journalism at Ryerson University and is the author of Thats Why Im a Journalist.

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The City of Toronto is on the right track with its proposal to rein in the explosive growth of short-term rentals like Airbnb.

Its easy to understand why theyve become so popular: instead of checking into an expensive hotel or imposing on friends or family, you can go online and quickly rent a place to stay for a few nights.

For most Airbnb operators its a modest sideline: the company says 80 per cent of Airbnb hosts in Ontario are renting out their primary residence and take in just a few thousand dollars a year.

But a minority have been turning their Airbnb operations into substantial businesses. Theyre competing with regular hotels and, some fear, taking scarce rental units out of an already tight market.

Recommendations from city staff  which must still be debated by council  are aimed at allowing the benefits of short-term rentals to continue while fighting the excesses that can come with them.

The main proposal is to limit such rentals (lasting less than 29 days) to a persons principal residence. Simply put, youd be able to rent out rooms in your home, or the whole unit if youre away, but you wouldnt be allowed to convert another apartment or house into accommodation for tourists.

The city estimates that would allow 7,600 properties that were rented out through Airbnb (by far the biggest short-term rental company in Toronto) to continue to operate. But another 3,200 units would not be allowed because they dont appear to be the principal residence of the renter.

Its far from clear how big an impact Airbnb and the like have actually had on the rental market. The company argues its a very small factor in such a huge city. But there has been anecdotal evidence here and in cities like San Francisco that landlords have evicted tenants to convert apartments to Airbnb units, so theres understandable frustration among people struggling to rent a decent places at an affordable price.

The city is right to resist such a trend, however big. Aside from taking units out of the rental market, over-use of short-term rentals can change the character of neighbourhoods by driving out permanent residents in favour of a stream of temporary visitors.

Requiring homeowners to demonstrate that the space they want to rent out actually is their primary residence would stem the rise of big-time operators. And its along the lines of what some other cities (including Vancouver) have done to bring order to the short-term rental market.

The city is also right to contemplate bringing in a tax on income from such operations. Under its proposed rules, short-term rental companies would be required to pay a licensing fee, and the city is also considering a new tax on hotel rooms and Airbnb-style rentals.

The Wynne governments most recent budget contained a measure that would allow Toronto to impose such a tax for the first time. The city would be well-advised to go ahead with that and make sure it levels the playing field between hotels and short-term rentals, which have been getting a free ride up until now.

Toronto has dragged its heels on coming up with a way to regulate a sector that has been growing by leaps and bounds in the past few years. But the regulations now being proposed seem to strike a good balance by keeping the benefits of short-term rentals while curbing the worst excesses.

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When Beverley McLachlin steps down in December, after 28 years on the Supreme Court and 17 as chief justice, she will leave a jurisprudential puzzle for legal scholars looking for a pattern where one has been famously difficult to discern. Her legal legacy will long be debated, but the contribution she leaves to democracy is clear and profound.

Appointed to the top court by Brian Mulroney, and elevated to top judge by Jean Chretien, McLachlin has in her rulings reinforced an impression of non-partisanship, in turn pleasing and irritating ideologues of every stripe.

Her decisions have been marked most profoundly not by any apparent political philosophy, but by a commitment to empathy, to put yourself in the shoes of the different parties, and think about how it looks from their perspective, as she told the National Post in 2015.

This act of imagination led the ranchers daughter from Pincher Creek, Alta., to write in favour of overturning the ban on assisted dying, to assert that Indigenous peoples were the victims of a cultural genocide, to strike down prostitution laws and strengthen labour protections and otherwise guard the vulnerable from undue government harm.

But pigeonhole her at your peril. McLachlin also argued against the criminalization of hate speech and, in one of her most controversial rulings, wrote a decision for the majority overturning a law that shielded rape complainants from being questioned in court about their sexual histories. She maintained the law was unfair to the accused.

McLachlin will leave her post with a reputation for being an even-handed and rigorous judge, but her most enduring legacy may well prove to be democratic rather than legal. Her judicial career was born around the same time as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which gave Canadian courts the power to overturn legislation. With this power, she understood, came grave responsibility. If unelected judges were going to overturn the decisions of the peoples representatives, they would have to work hard to maintain the public trust.

In this, McLachlin was a maven. As chief justice, she managed to maintain a harmonious court, avoiding the schisms and factions that had cast a shadow on previous iterations. She encouraged judges to be less aloof, to explain their decisions and help media cover the technical complexities of the law. She started to broadcast Supreme Court proceedings on the Internet as a gesture of openness. Her public image was strengthened, too, by her status as Canadas first female chief justice  a source of inspiration to many, though she said her role as symbol never ceased to surprise her.

McLachlin was right that the public standing she worked hard to earn was invaluable. After her court delivered a series of rebukes to the Harper government on key aspects of its agenda, the Tories engaged McLachlin in an unprecedented and unseemly feud, claiming the chief justice had sought to meddle with the appointment of a new Supreme Court judge. When McLachlin disputed the governments story, the legal community and much of the country took her side.

In our untrusting moment, McLachlin understood the importance of holding the court up as an institution to believe in. Thats the legacy, above all, her successor should work to preserve.

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Re: Ending the occupation is the path to Palestinian and Israeli freedom, June 5

Ending the occupation is the path to Palestinian and Israeli freedom, June 5

Israel is not to blame. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership is responsible for the so-called occupation. For one, it seems to enjoy the status quo having been enriched and corrupted through international financial assistance programs. The strategy of keeping Palestinians stateless  as a thorn in Israels side  has been an Arab League policy for nearly 70 years, which is why all peace overtures by Israel have been rejected by the Palestinians. Furthermore, Izzeldin Abuelaish and Michael Dan eloquently ignore the elephant in the room  Hamas  a Palestinian terrorist group which rules Gaza and is in discord with the recognized Palestinian Authority. If it is freedom the Palestinians strive for, they must renounce terrorism, incitement of violence and anti-Semitism. They must begin with installation of democratic systems that will govern their nation. Let us note that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005 and has cancelled all elections since  is this how you win your freedom? Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are occupying their own people  by withholding peace and freedom under a theocratic rule imposed by themselves.

Avi Benlolo, President & CEO, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center

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Time to branch out

Energy is central to nearly every major opportunity and challenge the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy is essential.
These are curious days for Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

A week ago, CEO Tim Cook unveiled HomePod, its first new piece of hardware since the Apple Watch was introduced to a skeptical public two years ago. Normally, there would be lots of oohs and ahhs and genuflecting before the Apple alter, prompting its stock price to fly ever higher. closer to the clouds.

But that was then.

The reality of the here and now is that the public and would-be buyers of its stock harbor greater doubts about Apple's ability to innovate than in many years. Certainly more than at any time since Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. HomePod may look great, but doubts remains about its underlying voice-activation technology, known as Siri. Though Apple embraced voice-activation well before Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Get Free Report or Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOGL) - Get Free Report Google, Siri finds itself in the unusual position of having to play catch-up.

One often-cited problem is that Apple chose to keep its Siri platform relatively closed to developers whereas Amazon in late 2015 opened its Alexa voice assistant to developers. Third parties were able to use its so-called Alexa skills Kit to support a wide range of applications. the kinds of applications that appeal to consumers and over time, can improve the product.

"Amazon built a really good voice recognition and then really opened it up to developers," Roger Entner, president of Recon Analytics, a Boston-based technology consulting firm, said in a phone interview. "Apple didn't do that, and even though HomePod will probably get better with time, Apple is like a lion that gets run over by an army of ants, because there are so many developers."

Apple's decision to tightly control Siri's applications fits with the company's history of producing expensive high-margin products and services that historically came to dominate their respective markets. The iPhone, of course, is exhibit No.1, but so is the iPad and iTunes and iPhoto. When Apple touches something, it has often turned to gold.

But voice recognition is one area where Apple may have fallen behind. Another appears to be in the download speeds of its iPhone. Apple didn't immediately reply to request for comment.

To be sure, Apple has a long history of playing catch-up and then overtaking the competition. And that might happen with Siri. For the moment, though, Amazon's Echo and Google's AI-powered Home have taken the lead in the race for the best-functioning voice-activation device, said Robert Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, a consultancy.

Alexa's superiority is partly a result of a business model that less concerned with technology than in selling products, Kay said. Whereas Apple focuses on tightly controlling the user experience within its universe of products, Amazon is more interested in making it easier for the average consumer to use its online marketplace. Google has a totally different business model of selling eyeballs to advertisers.

Of the three, Amazon is most likely to capitalize on voice activation, he said.

"When you use the Echo, you may be buying products from Amazon," Kay said. For the other two, Google and Apple, neither one of them is going to get a penny every time you use their device."

And that gets back to how the companies view the role of developers. Amazon reported earlier this year that over 10,000 so-called skills were available on Alexa, a product of making its conversational applications, known as chatbots, easily accessible. Apple has made no such proclamations, subtly arguing that so many functions make for a lousy user experience.

That's not keeping consumers away from making Alexa a best-selling product. RBC estimates that by 2020 Alexa could have 500 million active customers worldwide.

"Amazon has been able to generate a tremendous library of functionality with Alexa so that there's a usefulness to the platform because of the way they opened it up to developers," Kay said in a phone interview. "Apple, conversely, has restricted access to Siri, which gets back to their DNA. Apple just prefers to do things themselves and keep other people out of the inner workings of its technology."

There are signs that Apple is beginning to loosen its tight grip. Apple agreed to make Amazon accessible on its AppleTV, ending something of a Cold War between the two global technology companies.

HomePod is Apple's push to overtake Echo, or at least reassert its products among those willing to spend more for products that at least seem to be of higher-quality. At $349, Home Pod is far more expensive than amazon's Echo at $180 or its Dot at $50 or even Google Home at $129. But true to form, Apple's focus remains on its existing customers. HomePod is meant to be the device that pulls together all of their other Apple products amid its overarching race for control of the so-called connected home.

"HomePod is a sign that Apple is committed to improving Siri but for mass adoption, it's just priced too high," Entner said. "It all comes down to a battle for control of the home, and right now Alexa is beating Siri."

Apple and Alphabetareholdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPLandGOOGL? Learn more now.

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Editors' pick: Originally published Jun. 13.
Following the demise of its two drug programs, Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (RGLS) - Get Free Report is down to offering one clinical treatment.

Regulus Therapeutics announced on Monday, June 12 that it will cease development of its hepatitis C developmental drug RG-101 along with RGLS5040, a preclinical treatment for cholestatic liver disease.

Regulus' competition are presumably celebrating the news. Sovaldi and Harvoni are the blockbuster duo from Gilead Sciences' (GILD) - Get Free Report while Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) - Get Free Report Olysio and Incivo also populate the hepatitis C treatment market. The departure of Regulus' treatment will likely improve the sales of the aforementioned treatments.

But when it rains, it pours.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca (AZN) - Get Free Report added to Regulus' woes by curtailing distribution of RG-125, a drug licensed from Regulus in a collaboration effort circa 2012. RG-125 treats nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or steatohepatitis, and began early-stage testing in 2016.

"Investors should like [that] management that doesn't waste time and money on programs that they feel are not that competitive, whatever stage of development, and that's what they're [Regulus and AstraZeneca] doing," said Wedbush Securities, Inc analyst Liana Moussatos. "Investors should like that instead of punishing them."

Shares of Regulus closed at $1.18 per share on Monday and traded down 4% on Tuesday to $1.12 per share. The company has a market cap of $49 million. The company's all-time high was reached on Nov. 7, 2014 when shares $22.08 per share and carried a market cap of $1.1 billion. Shares are down about 50% year-to-date.

At the time the company had just reported first human proof-of-concept results from RG-101 and officially closed its IPO, as underwriters exercised their option to purchase additional shares.

According to a research report published by Moussatos, Regulus reported revenues of $18,000 from the strategic alliance with AstraZeneca for the first quarter.

AstraZeneca's retreat from Regulus comes as the company is seemingly cleaning up its partnership pipeline. On Wednesday, June 7, AstraZeneca relinquished the rights to migraine treatment drug Zomig to German-based Grunenthal.

Oncology,Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases and Respiratory are AstraZeneca's primary area of focus, but the company has also dipped their toes in autoimmunity, neuroscience and infection research.

Shares of AstraZeneca were up slightly midday Tuesday.
Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS) - Get Free Report shares surged Tuesday after a report suggested the British bank is on the verge of agreeing a multi-billion settlement with a U.S. regulator over the sale of mortgage backed securities during the financial crisis.

Britain's Sky News reported that RBS and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) are nearing a settlement that could cost the bank as much as 3.5 billion ($4.5 billion), enabling the bailed-out lender to put some of its mortgage backed securities legacy behind it.

However, a settlement with the FHFA will not mean that RBS is completely out of the woods yet as it must still face talks with the U.S. Department of Justice, which are expected to cost it substantially more than any deal with the FHFA.

RBS shares rose more than 3% during early trading in London, to change hands at 257.9 pence, outpacing the 0.70% gain of the Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index.

Briefly the world's largest bank by assets, RBS is currently the world's largest surviving underwriter of mortgage backed securities, having taken second place only to Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns ahead of the financial crisis.

Accordingly, it has widely been expected to take the biggest hit from U.S. regulators in settlements over allegations of misselling, which have hung over much of the banking industry during the years since the crisis.

Deutsche Bank AG (DB) - Get Free Report settled with the Department of Justice for more than $7 billion in December while other lenders, including Credit Suisse Group (CS) - Get Free Report , have also done deals in order to put the past behind them.

Recently, RBS reached a landmark agreement with a group of 27,000 shareholders who sued the bank, claiming that it misrepresented its financial position when it set out to tap investors for 12 billion back in April 2008, just months before Lehman Brothers collapsed and the financial crisis began to snowball.

The settlement cost RBS around 1 billion. In October 2008, a month after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, RBS was bailed out by the U.K. government in a 45 billion ($58.5 billion) rescue that saw the taxpayer take what is now a 70% stake in the bank.
Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report , Twitter (TWTR) - Get Free Report and Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Free Report YouTube could face fines for not taking down extremist content under plans by the U.K. and France.

Online extremism is expected to top the agenda when Prime Minister Theresa May visits French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday.

May will meet Macron in Paris, during her first international trip since last week's snap election saw May's Conservative Party lose their majority in the House of Commons. The meeting will comes hours after May attempts to cement a deal with Northern Ireland's right wing Democratic Unionist Party to form a government.

May and Macron as expected to lay out new laws that will see tech firms hit with large financial penalties if they allow content such as terrorist propaganda on their platforms.

The two countries will lead the joint work with tech companies, including working with them to develop tools to identify and remove harmful material automatically.

"I can announce that the UK and France will work together to encourage corporations to do more and abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks, including exploring the possibility of creating a new legal liability for tech companies if they fail to remove unacceptable content," May said Tuesday ahead of the trip.

May put big technologies companies in the cross hairs of the fight on terrorism after the attack in London on June 3, saying they have to do more to prevent hate speech online.

"We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed," May said in a Sunday statement outside Number 10 Downing Street in the wake of Saturday's terror attack in the London Bridge and Borough Market area of the capital that killed eight and injured dozens.

"Yet that is what the internet - and the big companies that provide internet-based services - provide," May added. "We need to work with allied, democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremism and terrorist planning.

"And we need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online," she added.

What's Hot on TheStreet

Respect the stock charts: Don't feel too relieved by volatile tech name Nvidia (NVDA) - Get Free Report finishing in the green on Monday after a violent selloff.

Nvidia underwent a "key reversal" on Friday that could send the stock plunging another 36%, BMO technical analyst Russ Visch said in a new note. Visch points out that normally, these pullbacks tend to lead to the stock falling back to its 200-day moving average. In the case of Nvidia, the 200-day moving average is $96.70, or $36% below Monday's closing price of $149.97. "Considerable downside risk exists here," said Visch.

On Friday, shares of Nvidia were off to another big rally, hitting new all-time highs of $168.50 following an analyst pontificating the stock could surge to $300. But the party abruptly ended Friday afternoon and continued into most of Monday's trading session. The reversal in one of the hottest tech stocks around spooked the market, pressuring shares of other high-flyers in the space such as Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report and Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

Apple and innovation: The reality of the here and now is that the public and would-be buyers of Apple's stock harbor greater doubts about Apple's ability to innovate than in many years, reportsTheStreet. Apple did nothing to quiet those concerns by introducing its new voice activated speaker, sources explained to TheStreet.

Facebook, Alphabet and Apple are holdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB, GOOGL and AAPL? Learn more now.

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Saudi Arabia will cut its oil exports to the U.S. in a continued effort to reduce a global supply glut cramping prices, the Wall Street Journal reported.

State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co. will reduce U.S. exports to about 1 million bpd in June, then 850,000 bpd in July. That's the lowest level since 1988, according to EIA data.

August will bring another decline to 750,000 bpd, which is the lowest export amount for that month since 2009.

OPEC in November announced a production cut for global suppliers, but the U.S. has filled a large part of the void. Saudi Aramco increased U.S. export prices for light and medium grades by 50 cents for July shipments to keep the U.S. from stockpiling oil.

Crude prices have declined 9% in the last three weeks and 14% this year.

What's Hot on TheStreet

Respect the stock charts: Don't feel too relieved by volatile tech name Nvidia (NVDA) - Get Free Report finishing in the green on Monday after a violent selloff.

Nvidia underwent a "key reversal" on Friday that could send the stock plunging another 36%, BMO technical analyst Russ Visch said in a new note. Visch points out that normally, these pullbacks tend to lead to the stock falling back to its 200-day moving average. In the case of Nvidia, the 200-day moving average is $96.70, or $36% below Monday's closing price of $149.97. "Considerable downside risk exists here," said Visch.

On Friday, shares of Nvidia were off to another big rally, hitting new all-time highs of $168.50 following an analyst pontificating the stock could surge to $300. But the party abruptly ended Friday afternoon and continued into most of Monday's trading session. The reversal in one of the hottest tech stocks around spooked the market, pressuring shares of other high-flyers in the space such as Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report and Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

Apple and innovation: The reality of the here and now is that the public and would-be buyers of Apple's stock harbor greater doubts about Apple's ability to innovate than in many years, reportsTheStreet. Apple did nothing to quiet those concerns by introducing its new voice activated speaker, sources explained to TheStreet.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
In a blow to Taiwan, Panama has established diplomatic ties with China which has seen the number of countries that support its sovereignty independent of China dwindle in recent years.

China is the Panama Canal's second biggest shipper.

"I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a televised address.

"Our government expresses serious objections and strong condemnation in response to China enticing Panama to cut ties with us, confining our international space and offending the people of Taiwan," said Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs David Lee.

What's Hot on TheStreet

Respect the stock charts: Don't feel too relieved by volatile tech name Nvidia (NVDA) - Get Free Report finishing in the green on Monday after a violent selloff.

Nvidia underwent a "key reversal" on Friday that could send the stock plunging another 36%, BMO technical analyst Russ Visch said in a new note. Visch points out that normally, these pullbacks tend to lead to the stock falling back to its 200-day moving average. In the case of Nvidia, the 200-day moving average is $96.70, or $36% below Monday's closing price of $149.97. "Considerable downside risk exists here," said Visch.

On Friday, shares of Nvidia were off to another big rally, hitting new all-time highs of $168.50 following an analyst pontificating the stock could surge to $300. But the party abruptly ended Friday afternoon and continued into most of Monday's trading session. The reversal in one of the hottest tech stocks around spooked the market, pressuring shares of other high-flyers in the space such as Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report and Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

Apple and innovation: The reality of the here and now is that the public and would-be buyers of Apple's stock harbor greater doubts about Apple's ability to innovate than in many years, reportsTheStreet. Apple did nothing to quiet those concerns by introducing its new voice activated speaker, sources explained to TheStreet.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
Las Vegas Sands (LVS) - Get Free Report CEO Sheldon Adelson is joining other casino companies in opposition of clean energy legislation currently being debated in Nevada. The bill would boost the solar and wind energy used in the state.

The bill mandates that at least 40% of the energy used in Nevada come from clean energy sources by 2030, thats up from the current target of 25% by 2025.

"We have one of the best solar environments in the world and the cost of wind is at an all-time low," said Nevada Assemblyman Chris Brooks, the bill's sponsor.

Governor Brian Sandoval has expressed concerns about what the bill might do to energy prices in the state.

What's Hot on TheStreet

Respect the stock charts: Don't feel too relieved by volatile tech name Nvidia (NVDA) - Get Free Report finishing in the green on Monday after a violent selloff.

Nvidia underwent a "key reversal" on Friday that could send the stock plunging another 36%, BMO technical analyst Russ Visch said in a new note. Visch points out that normally, these pullbacks tend to lead to the stock falling back to its 200-day moving average. In the case of Nvidia, the 200-day moving average is $96.70, or $36% below Monday's closing price of $149.97. "Considerable downside risk exists here," said Visch.

On Friday, shares of Nvidia were off to another big rally, hitting new all-time highs of $168.50 following an analyst pontificating the stock could surge to $300. But the party abruptly ended Friday afternoon and continued into most of Monday's trading session. The reversal in one of the hottest tech stocks around spooked the market, pressuring shares of other high-flyers in the space such as Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report and Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

Apple and innovation: The reality of the here and now is that the public and would-be buyers of Apple's stock harbor greater doubts about Apple's ability to innovate than in many years, reportsTheStreet. Apple did nothing to quiet those concerns by introducing its new voice activated speaker, sources explained to TheStreet.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
Traditional roles

The Nepal Army (NA) has not been able to secure a strategic perspective position in the changed context of a post-monarchy era and democratic republican set-up due to the same reason military thinker BH Liddell Hart was referring to when he said,
Traffic Police drops Rs200 fine provision to jaywalkers

The penalty provision that allowed Traffic police to fine Rs200 from pedestrians jaywalking inside Kathmandu Valley roads has been dropped. The traffic police also detained rule flouting pedestrians for three hours they could not cough up the fine amount.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and deals in printing press and other print media industry products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Eastern Europe, North America, and South America. The company operates through Print Solutions, Packaging Solutions, and Technology Solutions segments. It offers printing machines, including digital, offset, narrow web, screen, and inline-flexo printing, as well as remarketed equipment; and finishing equipment comprising cutting, die-cutting and embossing, folding, inspection, folding carton gluing, hot foil stamping, and shingled folding. The company also provides technical services, such as installation and relocation, maintenance and cleaning, remote support, repair, and overhauling services, as well as service parts; and performance services consisting of performance evaluation, color management, training, upgrades and retrofits, monitoring, output optimization, print shop optimization, and investment planning. In addition, it offers financial services; and consumables, such as plates, films, chemicals, proofing, glues, digital and analog engraving, blankets, inks, dampening rollers, coatings, varnishes, blankets, rollers, pressroom chemicals, cutting knives, banderoles, ink duct foils, wash-up cloths and spray powders, dispersion glues, binding glues, stitching wires and sealing threads, and folding carton gluing supplies. Further, the company provides software solutions. The company was formerly known as Schnellpressenfabrik AG Heidelberg and changed its name to Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft in 1967. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1850 and is based in Heidelberg, Germany.
UML not to back partys corrupt local reps

Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has claimed that his party would not back corrupt peoples representatives at the local level even if they represent the party.
The UAE is ranked 12th on the list of top countries for foreign direct investment (FDI) for the period from 2017 through 2019, according to the World Investment Report 2017 released by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a report said.



The FDI inflows into the UAE grew by 2.2 per cent in 2016 to $9 billion from $8.8 billion in 2015, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy, was quoted as saying by WAM, the Emirates official news agency.



"The country is developing well thought-out strategies in line with the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 by aligning efforts and ensuring synergies across all sectors at the federal and local levels in alignment with the directives of our wise leadership," the minister added.



FDI is considered a key enabler for sustainable economic growth on account of its significant role in ensuring cash inflows for mega-sized developmental projects and despite the decline in global FDI rates in 2016 comparatively with 2015, the foreign investment inflows to the country increased, he added.



UNCTAD criteria for assessing FDI sets a threshold of 10 per cent of equity ownership to qualify an investor as a foreign direct investor, said the minister, noting that there are myriad foreign investments in the country below this 10 per cent equity ownership and thats why if these investments are calculated, the total FDI in the country would go beyond the $9 billion mark.



He expected more FDIs to the country over the coming five years as a direct result of the mega projects launched in areas of renewable energy and retail industries, adding that the cumulative FDIs to the UAE jumped to $117.9 billion by the end of 2016 from $109 billion by the end of 2015, a growth of 8.2 per cent supported by increasing investments in areas of transformational and other heavy industries, including aluminium and petrochemicals, in addition to other sectors, like tourism and aviation.



UAE-bound FDI until the end of 2016 accounted for 16.9 per cent of total FDI to Western Asian nations, with UAE claiming 26.5 per cent of total FDI to GCC by the end of 2016.



The UAE came second only to Turkey on the list of top countries attracting FDI in West Asia, accounting for 32.3 per cent of total FDIs coming to the region during 2016, which are estimated at $27.8 billion, he stated, adding that the UAE comes on top of GCC states on the same list, claiming 50.2 per cent of the total FDI, estimated at $17.9 billion during the same year.



The UAE boasts a stable investment-conducive and business-friendly environment supported by resilient infrastructure and robust legislation that woo investors from all over the world, the minister stressed.



With regards to UAE investments aboard, the UAE came on top of Western Asian countries , accounting for 50.9 per cent of total foreign investment flows from West Asia to different world countries, the minister said, putting at $15.7 billion the value of UAE investment outflows during 2016.



The report indicated a remarkable increase of 97 per cent in the value of mergers completed by UAE companies overseas, rising from $5.87 billion in 2015 to $11.57 billion in 2016, making up to 59.3 per cent of total merger operations conducted by companies in West Asia in 2016.
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It seems ludicrous that we haven't developed an alternative for this harmful and persistent material that permeates our lives and planet.

When a young turtle was found dead near Perth, Australia, researchers at Murdoch University wanted to figure out why. It turned out that poor Tina the Turtle was stuffed with plastic trash. Dr. Erina Young told local news:

I was shocked and horrified to discover the turtle's intestines full of rubbish  from plastic bags, plastic packaging, food wrappers to synthetic ropes and twine. The plastic would have caused immense suffering and ultimately contributed to her death.



While plastic does serve an important role in fields such as medicine, it should not be part of our everyday lives. Knowing the damage caused by these items, much stricter action needs to be taken to prevent their use. Single-use plastics should be banned outright, or the fees to access items like grocery bags, coffee cups, Styrofoam takeouts, straws, and water bottles should be so astronomically high that no one would want to forget their own reusable option.

Good alternatives do exist, such as glass jars, cloth bags, metal containers, wooden boxes, etc. Ive been to major functions where food is served on compostable plates made from leaves and wooden cutlery, and to bars that use only paper straws. An event for World Oceans Day, hosted by Lush Cosmetics in Toronto, featured cocktails for a crowd served in (straw-free!) Mason jars.

But these alternatives, sadly, are not mainstream. They require shoppers, store-owners, and event planners to go out of their way, usually to make a pro-green statement of some kind. They have yet to become the default option.

This is where I believe we need a much greater emphasis on developing viable, large-scale, commercial alternatives to single-use plastics and packaging. There have been a few novel and promising ideas, such as edible WikiPearls and oil- and wax-based packaging and gelatinous water-holders, but we dont see any of these in local grocery stores. Its not because we lack the ability to invent and use them, but because it hasnt been a priority. Weve been distracted too long by other, more exciting things.

Thus far, the focus on technological innovation has been skewed to those technologies that author and scientist Peter Kalmus describes as talismanic of the myth of progress  a deep, subconscious belief that we are, and always will be, more advanced than past societies. In Being the Change, he writes:

3D printers, the Internet of Things, social media, virtual reality  do these technologies truly make us happier? What about self-driving cars and voice assistants? Is this the world we really want to live in, or are there perhaps more interesting and kinder dimensions to explore?



I wish we could use our tremendous collective technological knowledge to create plastic-free grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and clothing stores. It makes no sense to me that, considering all the things we are able to do (such as carrying the world in my pocket in the form of a smartphone), I still have to buy cereal in sealed plastic bags and toothpaste in non-recyclable plastic tubes. How could we have not solved this problem already?

Consumer demand hasnt existed up until now, but its slowly gaining momentum. People havent realized the extent of plastics reach, even to the most remote Pacific islands. Were starting to notice grotesque images of victims like Tina the Turtle, who are literally drowning in plastic. Soon well no longer be comfortable buying food and carrying it home in plastic thats useful for a matter of minutes; it will feel deeply unsettling and unethical.

As awareness spread, hopefully scientists, storeowners, governments, and innovators will take notice, too, and start prioritizing the development of biodegradable, non-persistent alternatives.
Why child labour persists

Yesterday was the World Day Against Child Labour. Can you imagine not having had a childhood? Can you imagine not giving your child a childhood? According to Nepal Child Labour Report, 2010, for 1.6 million children between five and 17 years, not having a childhood is the reality.
- Raila Odinga came out guns blazing to respond to claims that he intends to destroy foreign owned property should he win the presidency

- A foreign newspaper from London quoted him saying so

- Apparently, Raila will put the land to better use instead of foreigners using them as holiday vacations as Kenyans suffered at the same time

Hours after the Times of London published an article sensationally claiming that National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga will destroy foreign owned property should he win the presidency, the opposition leader came out to respond to the allegations.

According to the interview published on Monday, June 12, Raila was quoted as saying that he will dismantle white-owned ranches to control violence in Laikipia.

There ranches are too big and the people dont even live there, they live in Europe and only come once in a while. Theres a need for rationalization to ensure that theres more productive use of that land, said Raila.

READ ALSO: David Musila has this to say after reports of endorsing Uhuru Kenyatta

NASA presidential aspirant Raila Odinga

READ ALSO: Raila and Kalonzo differ in public over support for individual parties (Photos)

These sentiments come in the wake of a wave of banditry being experienced in the region as the government works to deploy police reservists to tackle the menace.

However, hours later, Railas spokesman, Dennis Onyango, issued a statement claiming the paper had misquoted the former premier.

According to Onyango, the paper had portrayed Raila as one of the politicians accused of inciting local communities against the foreign owners.

READ ALSO: Beautiful Kenyan nurse, her man and their child perish in a terrible water accident (photos)

Bandits have become a menace in a number of Kenyan counties, forcing the government to deploy police reservists to deal with them.

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No one has tabled evidence of Odinga inciting Laikipa residents to violence. Raila has called on the government to broker an understanding between the ranchers and locals to help bring peace between the two groups. This is what he is promising to do as president, said Onyango as quoted in Daily Nation on Tuesday, June 13.

The fight for grazing land saw a world renown conservationist, Kuki Gallman, attacked and shot by bandits.

READ ALSO: Huddah posted a very shocking photo during the weekend, but look what Vera posted after seeing that

DP Ruto deployed a number of reservists in Baringo county. This is the hardest hit county in Kenya.

READ ALSO: Beautiful Kenyan nurse, her man and their child perish in a terrible water accident (photos)

On the same matter, the Laikipia Farmers' Association, on Tuesday, June 13, also responded to the newspaper article quoting Raila, saying that it's members do not live in Europe but live and work very hard on the ground in Laikipia.

The association also claimed that all ranches are owned by Kenyan citizens whatever their racial origins, or by Kenyan companies and trusts.

"For Laikipia's success to continue, local people need peace and rule of law. We call on all politicians to support the urgent need for stability. On our part, we are ready to offer our significant private sector expertise to work on solutions facing pastoralism in the northern rangelands," read the statement.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Watch this young man who can speak 8 languages below:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Kitui West MP Francis Nyenze has come out to address his early support for President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election bid

- Nyenze has reiterated that it was within his right to congratulate Uhuru's administration for the the development record in his cosntituency

- An unapologetic Nyenze has said he is not leaving Wiper and NASA coalition

The National Super Alliance (NASA) boat was rocked from within when one of its key members publicly declared support fro President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election bid.

Many were shocked when Kitui West MP and Minority Whip in the National Assembly Francis Nyenze was captured on tape praising Uhuru's development record and urging his constituents to consider him for another term.

Nyenze was accompanied by former Wiper party chairman David Musila.

Francis Nyenze

READ ALSO: 'Chaos' in NASA after DP Ruto claimed Raila will open ICC cases if he wins

Musila has since denied declaring support for the Jubilee side.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, Wiper issued a strongly-worded statement demanding Nyenze to declare his stand and explain why he was supporting Jubilee yet he belongs to Wiper and the NASA coalition.

READ ALSO: 4 bodyguards of Machakos first lady killed in grisly accident

Now Nyenze has responded with a statement of his, and he does not sound apologetic for the comments he made in Kitui.

In the statement, the legislator said he has seen his constituents benefiting from Jubilee's development record in Kitui West.

Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka

READ ALSO: Big blow for Uhuru as 8 Jubilee politicians decamp to NASA barely 2 months to the ballot

He denied that he has ditched Wiper for Jubilee and said does not intend to do so.

Nyenze said he made the remarks because his constituents also deserve services from the national government and he was giving credit where is due.

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"I joined them in rejoicing the good gesture. Whether it is said or not these people were and will be grateful to the government for the jobs and financial support," Nyenze said.

Nyenze's statement

Nyanza urged his supporters to remain calm and said he is Wiper and indeed NASA to stay.

Meet 23-year-old Kenyan who speaks 8 foreign languages

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- NASA leader Raila Odinga has exposed dealings between Jubilee and a Dubai-based company which IEBC has awarded a tender to print ballot papers

- Raila says the company has been meeting Jubilee party officials for the last three years and IEBC knows this well

- He said with the company being involved in the August 8 polls, there is no likely that the polls will be free, fair and credible

- He castigated the electoral body for re-awarding the tender to the company even after the High Court nullified the first contract

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday, June 13, left participants at the Election Conference at KICC stunned when he exposed dealings between the IEBC and the Jubilee administration aimed at rigging the August 8 polls.

In a detailed speech, Raila highlighted how the IEBC is hellbent to ensure that President Uhuru Kenyatta's camp wins the election by all means available.

Raila did not spare IEBC boss Wafula Chebuakati and other commissioners who had attended the conference as he laid down every crude effort the electoral body is making to ensure Uhuru retains his seat.

Raila Odinga meets US ambassador to Kenya during the conference

READ ALSO: Top Wiper member issues stinging statement after he was attacked for supporting Uhuru's re-election

He started by reminding the conference that in almost all elections since multiparty democracy where incumbents were defending their seats, there has been violence.

"As we have observed before, all our multiparty elections with an incumbent president defending his seat have been marked by violence," he said.

He warned that it is the responsibility of the IEBC to ensure that a repeat of the 2008 post-election violence is not experienced in the country as Uhuru defends his seat.

Raila Odinga meets CJ David Maraga and IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati

READ ALSO: 'Chaos' in NASA after DP Ruto claimed Raila will open ICC cases if he wins

The former prime minister then, in a stinging attack, exposed how the IEBC awarded a tender to a Dubai company, Al Ghurair Print and Publishing Company Limited, to print ballot papers even when the High Court had nullified the tender.

IEBC re-awarded the tender to the same company because its officials have been meeting Jubilee officials since 2016, Raila revealed.

"Information currently in our possession indicate that the firm has long had contacts with senior Jubilee officials for at least three years. Owners of this firm hosted senior Jubilee officials in Dubai in February last year during which the ballot printing tender was discussed," Raila said.

Raila Odinga at the conference

READ ALSO: Influential Mt. Kenya governor tells Uhuru how Ruto will make him lose to Raila Odinga (video)

He further said that officials of the firm were in Kenya in October 2016 as head of the business delegation brought by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce during which trip they held further talks on the contract with Jubilee officials.

"That's how IEBC became hell bent on delivering the printing tender to Al Gharair. The opposition was never involved in these improper contacts. Full disclosure would also reveal that this firm has local franchise holders who hold known partisan political positions in the contest ahead," he further revealed.

Selfie time at the conference

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Raila said as long as Al Gharair is involved, there is no way the August 8 polls will be free, fair and credible.

However, he expressed optimism that there is still time for the IEBC to rectify the mistake to ensure the election is credible.

Here is the statement in full:

Meet 23-year-old Kenyan who speaks 8 foreign languages

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Ukraine is ready to join the project on formation of a new gas corridor with Hungary and Croatia, which provides for the use of LNG-terminal capacities on the Croatian coast.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during his talks with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic, Governmental portal informs.

"We are interested in creating the Croatia-Hungary-Ukraine gas corridor and we will do everything to ensure that this project is close to full implementation. We are interested in such gas supplies to Ukraine," the head of government said.

The project is included into the package of initiatives by President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovich on the formation of the central vertical of cooperation "Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea" and involves not only the organization of fuel supplies, but also a possible integration of the gas transportation systems of the three countries.

ish
Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Lubomir Zaoralek has congratulated Ukrainians on the beginning of the visa-free regime with the EU.

He wrote this on Twitter on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Congratulations to all citizens of Ukraine on good news - the beginning of the visa-free regime with the Schengen countries. We are glad that Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions for abolishing a visa regime for short-term trips," the minister said.

The Head of the Czech Foreign Ministry wished Ukraine "successful building of a European state and success in the fight against corruption" and its citizens "happy visa-free travel to the Schengen states." "Welcome to Europe," Zaoralek said.

Meanwhile, the Czech media has reported with reference to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country that Czech security forces are on alert over the migration and security risks to arise from the forthcoming partial lifting of visas for Ukrainians that take effect on June 11.

The liberalisation of the visas for Ukrainians valid for the Schengen Area relates to the trips for business, tourism and family reasons lasting for up to 90 days, but not to journeys for work.

ish
During the period from February 16 to May 15, 2017, 36 civilians were killed and 157 were injured in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine.

Ms. Fiona Frazer, the Head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said this while presenting the 18th report, an Ukrinform correspondent informed.

"The report covers the period from February 16 to May 15, 2017, during which the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) recorded 36 conflict-related civilian deaths and 157 injuries  a 48 per cent increase on the previous reporting period from November 16, 2016 to February 15, 2017," she said.

Fraser stressed that "the conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth year with no end in sight."

ish
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman, who pays a two-day official visit to the Republic of Croatia, is holding a meeting with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic.

He wrote this on Facebook.

"I have met with my colleague, the Prime Minister of Croatia," Groysman wrote.

During the visit, the Head of the Ukrainian Government will also meet with Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandrokovic and President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

Groysman is also scheduled to take part in the work of the Ukrainian-Croatian Business Forum.

Following the negotiations in the presence of the prime ministers of Ukraine and Croatia, a memorandum on cooperation in the youth sector will be signed between the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine and the Ministry of Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy of the Republic of Croatia.

ish
Ukraine and Croatia are at a high level of bilateral political dialogue and will apply joint measures to deepen and expand areas of cooperation in various fields.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic said this to reporters after the meeting in Zagreb, the Governmental portal reports.

"Today we are at a high level of our bilateral dialogue, our cooperation now is at a good level," Groysman said.

The PM has thanked the Croatian people and the leadership of the country for their support of Kyiv in such difficult historical time. The head of government also noted a role of Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in supporting Ukraine in the issues of achieving the visa-free regime with the EU and completing the ratification of the Association Agreement with the European Union.

According to him, Ukraine and Croatia have a wide range of directions for the deepening of cooperation, in particular, military and technical cooperation, energy, trade and economic cooperation, tourism and cultural and humanitarian fields.

In turn, Plenkovic has expressed Croatia's readiness to support Ukraine on the European integration path, in particular, on approximation of the national legislation to the EU norms, as well as representation of the Ukrainian interests in the European Parliament.

ish
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman, who pays a two-day official visit to the Republic of Croatia, is holding a meeting with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic.

He wrote this on Facebook.

"I have met with my colleague, the Prime Minister of Croatia," Groysman wrote.

During the visit, the Head of Ukrainian Government will also meet with Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandrokovic and President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

Groysman is also scheduled to take part in the work of the Ukrainian-Croatian Business Forum.

Following the negotiations in the presence of the prime ministers of Ukraine and Croatia, a memorandum on cooperation in the youth sector will be signed between the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine and the Ministry of Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy of the Republic of Croatia.

ish
The ruling Cambodian Peoples Party has canceled plans for failed local election candidates to be appointed to advisory positions in the government.

The CPP won the majority of seats at the commune election on June 4, which also saw the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party secure a greater share of the vote. Official results are due to be announced towards the end of the month.

Sok Eysan, CPP spokesman, said that rather than being offered government roles the unelected officials would be given positions in the party.

Critics of the scrapped policy, which was proposed in February, had suggested that appointing unelected party officials to government posts would be a waste of public funds and a display of favoritism.

However, the CPP justified its decision to promote failed candidates by pointing to their administrative experience.

San Chey, executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in Cambodia, said the backtracking by the CPP would go some way towards alleviating criticism.

But he accused the ruling party of malpractice in favoring CPP members for advisory positions.

Khieu Sopheak, interior ministry spokesman, said the promotions would not affect the state budget. It is the right of ministers to employ them as advisers. The ministers have their budgets, he said.

According to preliminary results announced by the CPP, it won 1,158 of the 1,646 communes, with the opposition securing less than 500.
Police in Russia have detained hundreds of protesters and some journalists at anti-corruption demonstrations in cities across the country on Russia's national day. The protests were organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained in Moscow as he left his home to try to join a demonstration in the capital. VOA's Moscow Correspondent Daniel Schearf reports that the White House condemned the detentions and said it is monitoring the situation.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies in open session Tuesday before the Senate committee investigating alleged ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Kremlin election meddling. VOA White House correspondent Peter Heinlein reports that Sessions wants to explain why he recused himself from the collusion probe. But senators have other questions.
East Africa was well represented during Monday's Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional bloc summit in Addis Ababa, which Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, convened to discuss the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. The leaders of Uganda, Somalia and Sudan were present, along with Kenya and Djibouti's foreign ministers, and representatives from other regional and international bodies. South Sudan's first vice president, Taban Deng Gai, also attended the summit.

There was, however, one noticeable absence: South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir.

"The fact that Salva Kiir has not bothered to come and speak to his colleagues in IGAD, at a time when South Sudan is falling apart and when his inability to protect his citizens is causing a refugee crisis throughout the entire region, his failure to show up, I think speaks volumes about the source of the problems in South Sudan," said Bronwyn Bruton, deputy director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based research institution.

Nairobi-based political writer Barrack Muluka agrees with Bruton, noting that opposition leader Riek Machar is also often missing from such discussions.

"We are witnessing a situation where the outsiders seem to be a lot more concerned about the peace process in South Sudan than the insiders," said Muluka. "It's imperative that both Salva Kiir and Riek Machar must be forced to come to the discussion table and, if need be, they must do that behind the threat of very heavy sanctions against themselves as individuals and their families, as well as their very close cronies."

In the case of IGAD summits, only heads of state are invited  or their chosen officials if they cannot attend  along with representatives of regional and international organizations, on occasion. Rebels are never included on the official guest list, so Machar would not have been invited regardless.

According to South Sudan presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny, "The president did not attend the summit because the IGAD summit has coincided with other commitments of the same equal importance. Like in any sovereign state, the president sent his first vice president, Taban Deng Gai, who had sufficiently represented the president."

Possibility of progress?

Weber State University economics professor and African governance expert John Mukum Mbaku says Kiir's absence does not augur well for fruitful discussions about South Sudan's deteriorating security and humanitarian situation.

"Without Kiir at the meeting, it would be quite difficult for the summit to provide the necessary foundation for peace and security in the country," said Mbaku.

Festus Mogae, chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), delivered a statement acknowledging "some commendable progress in institution building and some reforms" in South Sudan, but urged IGAD to revitalize the implementation and compliance of the peace agreement and to find practical ways to address the country's humanitarian crisis.

Bruton, however, argues that using the 2015 peace agreement as a starting point for solving South Sudan's current problems is ill-advised.

"Well, this is a document that's almost two years old, and has not done a whit of good in solving the conflict and reducing the level of violence. It's basically completely defunct, nobody has honored it, it hasn't worked, and I think the reliance on the document instead of trying to seek new solutions is a sign of pretty ineffective thinking, frankly," she said.

Muluka says that he believes such summits can yield results, but only if conducted properly.

"We must give credit to the summits because it was out of the summits that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement [CPA] was eventually reached; it was out of the initiative of summits that eventually the referendum did take place," said Muluka. "But if the summits are going to play softball with these people who are basically warlords, then we are not going to get anywhere."

IGAD called on Kiir to strictly implement his recently declared cease-fire and to take swift action against those who violate it. The regional body also urged armed opposition groups to obey the cease-fire and renounce violence.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has placed himself at the forefront of the defense of Qatar, in the face of Saudi Arabia-led economic and diplomatic sanctions.

A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar; isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values, Erdogan said in his weekly Tuesday address to his parliamentary deputies. It's as if a death-penalty decision has been taken for Qatar, said Erdogan.

Erdogan is backing his increasingly tough rhetoric with action. A Turkish delegation flew Tuesday to Doha to prepare for the deployment of a military force in Qatar, which ultimately will rise to about 5,000 soldiers. Ankara already has sent large amounts food to break economic sanctions against Qatar.

The risks, however, are high. If there is an escalation into a confrontation or any kind of hot conflict, this would expose those soldiers to all kinds of threats, warned retired Turkish ambassador Unal Cevikoz, who heads the Ankara Policy Forum research group.

The Turkish army deployment is part of a military cooperation agreement with Qatar made before the crisis that also includes naval and air components. The army element of the deployment was brought forward by the onset of the crisis, with the Turkish parliament rushing through the required legislation to sanction it.

Playing down risk of military confrontation, analyst Sinan Ulgen a visiting scholar of the Carnegie Institute, points out that only a handful of Turkish soldiers initially will be deployed.

Politics and diplomacy

Political and diplomatic side, rather than the military side [of the deployment], will be most important, said Ulgen, because Turkey is seen to have adopted a position firmly in support of Qatar that is certainly going to cause complications with other GCC [Gulf Cooperation Countries], primarily Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Erdogan's robust stance in support of Qatar, scotched his foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's offer to mediate.

This approach, unfortunately, is becoming a trend and it has developed into a pattern in Turkey's foreign policy conduct, lamented Cevikoz. It is not in line with Turkey's traditional policy of impartiality toward the problems of the region. The consequences are dangerous, and it has already resulted with Turkey's isolation in the international community, if not in the region.

Ankara's robust support for Qatar is a testament to the deepening relations between the countries. Qatar is fast becoming one of the most important investors in Turkey, buying up banks, media companies, and investing in property.

Those investments accelerated in the aftermath of last year's failed coup in Turkey, which saw many foreign investors shying away.

But the relationship extends far beyond economics, and a strong relationship has developed between the country's two leaders.

According to reports not denied by either country, Qatar sent 150 of its special forces to protect Erdogan in the days after the July coup.

Muslim Brotherhood

Foreign policy collaboration, though, is where cooperation appears to be most important.

Turkey has aligned itself more closely on a number of foreign policy options, which would include support of the Muslim Brotherhood, support of Hamas, pointed out analyst Ulgen.

Ankara could pay a heavy price for its loyalty to Qatar, however, coming at a time when Turkey already is facing strained relations with most of it Western allies and all of its southern neighbors. Turkish pro government media has been sounding alarm bells, warning that the pressure facing Qatar really is a plot aimed at Ankara and Erdogan.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, voiced concerns about the precarious position facing Turkey over Ankara's support with Qatar for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are all regarding the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, said Kilicdaroglu, criticizing Erdogan's public use of Muslim Brotherhood symbols.

Erdogan has made little secret of his support for the Brotherhood, a stance that plays well with his religious base of voters.

Support of the brotherhood has become part of domestic politics, pointed out Ulgen.

But Ulgen emphasizes that the pressure facing Qatar cannot be applied to Turkey, although he warns the present crisis likely will put Ankara in an awkward position.

President Donald Trump has been particularly outspoken in support of Saudi Arabia's stance in demanding that Qatar end its support of the Muslim Brotherhood, along with other radical Islamist groups, but he has remained publicly silent over Ankara's stance toward the brotherhood. According to Turkish media, Trump and Erdogan are scheduled to talk about Qatar in the coming days.
I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.

This is the first entry in The Dairy of Anne Frank. She wrote it on June 12, 1942her 13th birthday. At that moment, she was a normal teenager living with her family in the Netherlands, where they moved from Frankfurt after Hitlers rise to power. This was one of Annes last diary entries as a carefree teenager. Less than a month later, on July 5, 1942, her family was summoned for deportation to the Westerbork concentration camp.

The entry that Anne made in the diary exactly 75 years ago, and what she wrote in the duration of that entire weekthat is the last proof of normal life. Friends, plans, prosperity, said Edna Friedberg, curator of the National Holocaust Museum in Washington. Instantly, Anne will be in a nightmare world. She will have to literally disappear, physically disappear.

She did just that, vanishing into an Amsterdam rowhouse. The canal-facing Opekta Building became a shelter for Annes family and a few more Jews. They hid in a 46 square meter room behind a door masked as a bookcase. Here, Anne wrote letters to her imaginary friend Kitty about everything that worried her: her relationship with her parents, her first love, arguments over food, violence in the streets below.

The Holocaust survivor Primo Levi wrote that there is a duty not to understand the Holocaust, because to understand is to justify. But, he maintained, if understanding is impossible, knowing is imperative, because what happened could happen again. Anne Franks account remains a terrifying part of truly knowing the Holocaust.

Often in the evening, in the darkness, I see columns of innocent people walking, driven by a pair of scoundrels, who beat them and torture them until they fall to the ground, wrote Frank. They dont spare anybody: the elderly, children, infants, the sick, pregnant womeneveryone goes to face death Its a terrible feeling to suddenly be an excess.

Franks diary became one of 35 objects included in the Memory of the World Register, a UNESCO World Heritage List. Currently, the book is translated into 67 languages. Every modern schoolchild knows the Jewish girls name.

This is proof that history isnt statistics and facts, its always the fates of people, said Friedberg.

Anne wrote her last entry in the diary on August 1, 1944. Everybody who was hiding in the building was found, arrested and sent to a death camp. Anne died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March of 1945.

In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Friedman stopped reading and looked up. Thats my favorite quote from her diary. Its painful to think that the girl believed in humanity until her last days.

The 15-year-old girls 7-month stay at the camp, punctuated by slave labor, hunger and finally death, hardly confirm her optimistic words. Annes father Otto was the only member of the family to survive the Holocaust. He decided to publish the diary as proof that his daughter lived, loved and hoped. Anne became the voice of 6 million Jewsthe victims of the Holocaust.

Just think about how many talented and smart children like that were destroyed, said Friedman.

One-point-five million Jewish children died during the years of the Holocaust. Multiply this number by a million, they say at the Memorial Museum in Washington. The lost life of a child is lost generations. Proof of that is the fate of a girl named Louisa, who was in hiding on the same street as Anne Frank. She survived. Today, 75-year-old Louisa Lawrence lives in Bethesda, Maryland and has three daughters and six grandchildren. Most often today, she has to answer the question: How does she feel about the thought that she was able to survive, but Anne, the girl who lived next door, didnt?

I am truly sorry for her, said Lawrence. But at the same time Im thankful that my family was able to survive. I remember when The Diary of Anne Frank was published, everyone was uncomfortable. They didnt want to talk about it, because it was painful, and embarrassing for others. This diary, written with the truthful words of a young girl, forced the world to hear about the horrors of that time.

This report originated in VOA's Russian Service.
President Donald Trump preened before his Cabinet and the cameras on Monday, making claims that are unsupported by the record.



A sampling from a portion of the Cabinet meeting opened to the press:



 "Great success, including MS-13. They're being thrown out in record numbers and rapidly. And they're being depleted. They'll all be gone pretty soon.''



THE FACTS: There's no publicly available information to back up Trump's claim that this violent gang is about to disappear.



Deportations are actually down slightly compared with the same time last year, as arrests of people caught crossing the Mexican border have dropped to historic lows. More than 100 MS-13 gang members have been arrested in recent weeks, though the government hasn't said how many of those people have been deported.



In any event, deportations alone cannot eradicate MS-13, a homegrown gang with ties to El Salvador that includes U.S. citizens. The government has not said how many of the estimated 7,000 to 10,000 gang members are Americans, who cannot be "thrown out.'' The group's roots in the U.S. go back more than 20 years to Los Angeles.



The gang was in decline in Southern California long before Trump was elected. During a recent raid of MS-13 members in Los Angeles, Police Chief Charlie Beck said the gang's membership has been declining for several years in part because of law enforcement crackdowns.



MS-13 has been in the crosshairs of federal law enforcement since at least 2012 when the group was designated a transnational criminal organization and subjected to financial sanctions by the Treasury Department. Three leaders of the gang were targeted for sanctions in 2015.



 "I recently returned from a trip overseas that included deals for more than $350 billion worth of military and economic investment in the United States. These deals will bring many thousands of jobs to our country and, in fact, will bring millions of jobs ultimately and help Saudi Arabia take a greater role in providing stability and security in that region.''



THE FACTS: Trump's $350 billion figure includes hundreds of billions of dollars in aspirational deals with Saudi Arabia that have not been signed yet and could be revised or eliminated. He's relying on a 20- to 30-year projection of what the government believes will be the contracts' long-term value because of the cost of sustaining them. When he visited Riyadh, agreements on more than $110 billion in foreign military sales were pledged, according to the State Department. But many of those  along with a significant amount of the $80 billion in announced commercial civilian sales  were memoranda of understanding or letters of intent and not sales contracts.



Arms sales make up the vast majority of Trump's total, but those must be approved by the State Department and Congress.



Since Trump's trip, the State Department has notified lawmakers of only a small fraction of the total  $1.7 billion, mainly in naval and air force training contracts, and some Democrats say they want to hold those up over human rights concerns and Saudi Arabia's conduct in the war against rebels in Yemen. And while U.S. officials say further approvals, including large-ticket items such as a high-altitude missile defense system, could be approved in the coming weeks, there is no guarantee Congress will go along.



In addition, some of the business he's claiming to have generated was agreed to during the Obama administration.



 "I will say that never has there been a president - with few exceptions; in the case of FDR, he had a major Depression to handle  who's passed more legislation, who's done more things than what we've done, between the executive orders and the job-killing regulations that have been terminated. Many bills; I guess over 34 bills that Congress signed. A Supreme Court justice who's going to be a great one ...We've achieved tremendous success.''



THE FACTS: He has little to show for his first five months in office, in concrete ways, other than the confirmation of a justice.



Trump's two immediate predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, accomplished more in their early months. Trump has achieved no major legislation. The bills he is counting up are little more than housekeeping measures  things like naming a courthouse and a VA health care center, appointing board of regents members, reauthorizing previous legislation. He has indeed been vigorous in signing executive orders, but in the main they have far less consequence than legislation requiring congressional passage.



Trump's big agenda items, like his promised tax overhaul, have yet to pass or even reach Congress. His attempt to secure the borders from people from terrorism-prone regions is so far blocked by courts.



By contrast, Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus package into law in his first month, while also achieving a law expanding health care for children and the Lilly Ledbetter bill on equal pay for women in that time.



Bush got off to a slower start, in part because he did not take office in a deep recession requiring quick action, as Obama had done. But by this point in his presidency, Bush had signed a huge tax cut into law.
Rasa Miskinyte spent last Saturday in a freezing forest near Lithuania's capital learning to gather water from a pond with a condom, to filter it through sand, charcoal and cloth, and to make her own stove from a beer can. She thought some basic survival skills would be helpful if Russian troops ever entered Vilnius and her family escaped into the woods.

Russia is a very dangerous kind of neighbor, said Miskinyte, a 53-year-old film producer. They are always aiming at us.

Across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, fears are intensifying that Moscow, after displaying its military might in Georgia, Ukraine and now Syria, could have the Baltic states in its sights next. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned he wouldn't hesitate to defend Russians wherever they live - words that feel like threats since significant numbers of ethnic Russians live in the Baltics.

Whether the danger is real or just bluster remains to be seen. But in Lithuania, a country that experienced a Russian occupation before, some people aren't waiting to find out.

Young Lithuanian civilians are learning counterinsurgency tactics on weekends. Others, like Miskinyte, have taken steps to protect themselves. The government, in response to pleas from a fearful public, has issued a preparation manual.

Rimvydas Matuzonis directs a project that teaches weekend guerrilla warfare courses. He explained the resolve to be ready by citing a popular saying in the forests of Dzukija, the southern region where his father grew up.

Spring will come, the cuckoo will sing and we will pave our roads with the corpses of Russian soldiers, Matuzonis said.

To be sure, some in the Baltic states feel reassured by their NATO membership and aren't overly anxious about a pending Russian invasion. Others describe a dull anxiety that flares up only sometimes. But there are some who are truly afraid and already preparing for the worst.

When Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, Miskinyte packed a bag with bread, salt and some essential items and planned to flee to a village where she has a house. She urged relatives to join her there, if the Russians came for Lithuania next.

In the village you always survive, Miskinyte said. There is land, there are vegetables. There is everything there.

The sense of vulnerability in much of Eastern Europe has been heightened by a feeling that the international order, which brought peace and economic growth after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is disintegrating. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he might not automatically defend the Baltic states, underlines the shift.

Exacerbating the dread lately is Moscow's move to build up troops and nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian region wedged between NATO members Lithuania and Poland.

Poland is creating a so-called Territorial Defense Force to train thousands of volunteers for the kind of low-intensity hybrid warfare seen in eastern Ukraine, including cyber warfare. Some of the new volunteers also will be assigned to protect Polish territory near Kaliningrad.

But the foreboding is no doubt greater in the ex-Soviet republics, whose decision to regain independence when the Soviet empire collapsed humiliated the Kremlin.

In response to calls for guidance from citizens fearing war, Lithuania's Defense Ministry issued a civilian manual that includes information on survival skills and recognizing Russian weaponry.

The best way to prevent war is to demonstrate to the aggressor that we are ready to fight for our freedom, for every centimeter of our land, Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said.

The capabilities, the readiness - this is the only way to stop Russian aggression in the region, Olekas said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Lithuania re-established a conscript army last year, but so many citizens have volunteered for military duty that a draft hasn't been necessary. Many civilians in the hugely patriotic nation of 3 million people also remain eager to do their part.

Last weekend, in an area of pine woods and fields outside Vilnius, a group of young men donned military fatigues, loaded pellets into replica assault rifles and practiced counterinsurgency tactics.

Using armored vehicles and other retired military equipment, they engaged in a mock battle, storming a position held by the enemy amid explosions and thick smoke. Target practice with real weapons followed.

Many of the young civilians say military exercises have been a hobby for years, a way to get outdoors and release stress after a week in the office. But they also said they want to be ready to defend their homeland.

Their instructors from Defense Project, a warfare training group, make clear the drills have a new urgency given Russia's assertiveness.

We have a border not only with Russia, but also with Belarus, and we should be aware that the little green men might appear from other borders or even from within, said Zilvinas Pastarnokas, a 45-year-old retired soldier who helped found Defense Project.

Matuzonis, the group's director, said the will to resist comes naturally for a people that suffered Russian occupation in the past. Partisan warfare against Soviet rule continued for several years after World War II.

Many of the lessons Lithuania's soldiers and civilians are learning now were handed down by post-war partisans, knowledge preserved by the military. Ukrainians fighting pro-Russian rebels have shared new tactics.

Fears of stewing Russia aggression have raised questions about the loyalties of the ethnic Russians who live in Lithuania and make up about 6 percent of the population. Many settled there when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union and remained.

Lithuanian officials insist they are full citizens like everyone else and aren't under any suspicion, and ethnic Russians say they have very good interactions with Lithuanians.

Yet many Lithuanians fear that if war ever came, ethnic Russians would side with Moscow.

The Russians will absolutely be on Putin's side. A few are pro-Lithuanian, but not many, said Miskinyte, the film producer who took the survival course.

For their part, Lithuania's ethnic Russians decry what they call the anti-Russian propaganda of Lithuanian officials, and many hold pro-Kremlin views.

Everything in the Lithuanian press is represented from the one side - that the Russians are the bad guys, that the Russians are coming, that Putin is always bad, complained Roman Nutsubidze, 30, who moved to Lithuania as an infant.

Nutsubidze, who lives in the predominantly ethnic Russian town of Visaginas, expressed frustration that the West doesn't see Putin as a good leader who has restored national pride to the Russian people. He said he loves Lithuania, but thinks Putin has no reason to want to seize the Baltic states.

I don't see what he has done bad, Nutsubidze said. I don't actually see it.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday denied having an undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to Washington or improper communications with other foreign officials, saying the notion that he colluded with Russian officials during last year's presidential election was an "appalling and detestable lie."

In a heated testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian meddling in the election, Sessions, who was an adviser to President Donald Trump's 2016 president campaign, said he met twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, but he denied reports that he had a third undisclosed meeting with Kislyak at a Washington hotel last April.

"Let me state this clearly: I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election," Sessions said.

But Sessions frequently framed his answers with "to the best of my knowledge" qualifiers and left open the possibility that he had a casual encounter with Kislyak at a reception preceding a foreign policy speech by Trump at the Washington Mayflower Hotel.

"If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it," Sessions said.

To 'address matters'

The testimony, Sessions' first since he recused himself from oversight of the Russia probe in March following reports of his meetings with Kislyak, came after new reports that the former senator may have had a third undisclosed meeting with the Russian diplomat.

Going into the testimony, Sessions said he wanted to address questions raised by ousted FBI Director James Comey during his testimony before the same panel last week.

A Sessions spokeswoman later said the attorney general had requested the meeting be open, adding that he looked "forward to answering the committee's questions."

But Tuesday's hearing grew testy as Sessions refused to answer questions about his conversations with Trump, drawing charges of stonewalling from Democrats on the panel.

Asked by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein if he had discussed Comey's handling of the Russia investigation with Trump or any other official, Sessions said, "I'm not able to comment on that."

Asked by Republican Senator Marco Rubio about a February 14 Oval Office with Trump, Sessions responded, "That's a communication in the White House that I'd not comment on."

In dodging questions about his private conversations with Trump, Sessions invoked a long-standing Department of Justice policy of not commenting on confidential conversations between the attorney general and the president rather than executive privilege.

Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma defended Sessions' reticence, arguing that Obama administration officials had similarly withheld information, but Democrats were infuriated.

"You raised your right hand here today and said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico said. "Now you're not answering questions. You're impeding this investigation."

Unaware of policy

Former Department of Justice officials said they were not aware of such a policy.

"If there is a long-standing Department of Justice policy requiring it, I'm unfamiliar with that policy," said David Sklansky, a former federal prosecutor who is now a professor at Stanford University Law School.

Laurie Levenson, another former Department of Justice official, said she was unfamiliar with the policy, saying, "There has to be follow-up by Congress."

Comey's hearing

Sessions appeared before the intelligence committee five days after Comey, the former FBI director, delivered a dramatic testimony of his own before the same panel, accusing Trump of initiating improper one-on-one communications with him and trying to get him to drop an investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Comey testified that he later voiced concern about his meeting with Trump to Sessions, but that Sessions failed to respond.

Sessions corroborated Comey's account, but he said he saw nothing improper for the president to meet alone with the FBI director and that he advised him to follow Department of Justice protocols in communicating with the White House and the president.

The attorney general recused himself from the Russia investigation in early March after reports emerged that hed failed to disclose his contacts with the Russian ambassador during his confirmation hearings in January.

In his testimony, however, Sessions said hed not received any detailed briefing on Russian interference in the election and that recused himself not because of any wrongdoing, but because Department of Justice rules prohibiting his involvement as a former Trump campaign adviser.

However, his recusal from the Russia probe did not mean he couldnt be involved in Trumps controversial decision to fire Comey, Sessions testified.

"It is absurd, frankly, to suggestion a recusal from a single specific investigation would render an attorney general unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations," Sessions said.

In announcing Comey's dismissal last month, Trump initially said he was acting on the recommendations of Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

But Trump later told a television interviewer that he'd fired Comey over his handling of the Russia investigation.

No new clues

Levenson, who now teaches law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said Sessions' testimony did not offer new clues into Russian interference in the election or the events leading up to Trump's firing of Comey.

"He did corroborate some of what Comey said," she said. "He tried not to be in conflict. Beyond that, we learned nothing."

She said partisanship pervaded the testimony. "The Republicans seem bent on saying, 'There is nothing here to be investigating; this is unfair; the president has the right to do this,' and the Democrats [on] saying, 'We're not satisfied; we don't have all the facts.' "

To Sklansky, the testimony raised more questions.

"It deepens the mystery about whether there were additional facts about Sessions that can't be discussed publicly that suggested that he needed to recuse himself," he said. "It also left us in a positon where it seems the only way the full facts will come out regarding Comey's dismissal is if Sessions is forced to answer questions. That may require a subpoena of some kind."
British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron are joining forces in order to crack down on tech companies, ensuring they step up their efforts to combat terrorism online.

Britain and France face similar challenges in fighting homegrown Islamist extremism and share similar scars from deadly attacks that rocked London, Manchester, Paris and Nice.

May traveled to Paris on Tuesday to hold talks on counterterrorism measures and Britain's departure from the European Union.

She said major internet companies had failed to live up to prior commitments to do more to prevent extremists from finding a "safe space'' online. Macron urged other European countries, especially Germany, to join the effort to fight Islamist extremist propaganda on the Web.

The campaign includes exploring the possibility of legal penalties against tech companies if they fail to take the necessary action to remove unacceptable content, May said.

After the Islamic State group recruited hundreds of French fighters largely through online propaganda, France introduced legislation ordering French providers to block certain content, but it acknowledges that any such effort must reach well beyond its borders. Tech-savvy Macron has lobbied for tougher European rules, but details of his plans remain unclear.

Britain already has tough measures, including a law known informally as the Snooper's Charter, which gives authorities the powers to look at the internet browsing records of everyone in the country.

Among other things, the law requires telecommunications companies to keep records of all users' Web activity for a year, creating databases of personal information that the firms worry could be vulnerable to leaks and hackers.
U.S. President Donald Trump has given Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan.

Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Mattis testified that the president had authorized his ability to set troop numbers in Afghanistan on Tuesday, noting that any change to the current troop level of 8,400 would not come immediately.

"The revised Afghanistan strategy with the new approach will be presented to the president for his approval in the coming weeks," the defense secretary told lawmakers.

This could mean a boost in the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, where 16 years of fighting against the Taliban and other militants has resulted in a stalemate.

Mattis said Wednesday any decision on the number of U.S. military personnel will come after consulting other U.S. agencies and will be in line with President Donald Trump's "strategic direction and foreign policy."

In a separate hearing a day earlier, the military chief told lawmakers the United States is not gaining in the fight to stabilize Afghanistan and vowed to present a strategy to Congress "by mid-July."

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now, and we will correct this as soon possible," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Mattis acknowledged that the Trump administration is currently in a "strategy free time" concerning Afghanistan.

The defense secretary called on Congress to provide the Pentagon with a budget, "not a continuing resolution," that is "passed on time," in order to push the U.S. military through readiness shortfalls while maintaining a support role in two wars.

Mattis on Tuesday equated "winning" in Afghanistan with the Afghan government's ability to handle the enemy's level of violence, which he said will require a "residual force" of U.S. and allied forces to train Afghan troops and maintain high-end capabilities.

"It's going to take a change in approach," Mattis said.

But he said the United States cannot quit on Afghanistan because problems that threaten the U.S. and its economy arise out of "ungoverned spaces."

On Saturday, a uniformed member of the Afghan Special Forces turned his gun on U.S. military personnel, killing three American soldiers and wounding one other.

The Pentagon said 25-year-old Sgt. Eric Houck, 29-year-old Sgt. William Bays and 22-year-old Corporal Dillon Baldridge of the Army's 101st Airborne Division were killed during the attack in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.

Republican Senator John McCain highlighted the attack during Tuesday's hearing. He said Congress and the Department of Defense should not ask the families of service members to "sacrifice any further" without an Afghanistan strategy in place.
Vietnamese American Kristopher Larsen learned he was not a U.S. citizen when he was in Washington State prison serving time for kidnapping  and he was confronted with the possibility of deportation. He was in his early forties and had never thought of himself as anything but a U.S. citizen.

Larsen is one of thousands of foreign nationals adopted by American parents who do not have U.S. citizenship status because their parents did not follow through on naturalization.

He was only four when he left Vietnam to begin a new life as the adopted son of an American military family.

It was 1975. With the imminent end of the Vietnam War, President Gerald Ford ordered the evacuation of Vietnamese orphans during a mission known as Operation Babylift. Larsen was one of those children.

To be honest I dont have any memories, Larsen says. When I was a child  every time a plane would fly overheard, I would get scared and I would run.

After his adoption, he was raised in what he called an all American family in Guam and Alaska.

ICE comes calling

Larsen had no reason to think he was not a citizen. He had a social security number and a green card. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage and embarked on an IT career. In time, he married, had two children and moved to Seattle, Washington in the northwestern U.S.

At one time, I had everything I could possibly want, he said.

Until he didnt.

After a tumultuous time in his marriage, followed by a drinking binge, Larsens wife took the children and left.

It kind of drove me over the deep end and I decided that I would have a suicide by cop. I did that by kidnapping somebody else, he said. According to documents and local reports, he snatched a 9-year-old and then called her parents to demand money.

A King County Superior Court judge sentenced Larson to 12 years in prison for what he said in local press reports was one of the most "cold and heartless crimes imaginable."

Larsen was well into his sentence, teaching mathematics and Japanese to other inmates when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found him.

I was called into the counselor's office, and they told me that I would lose my job in prison. I wouldn't be able to do any educational services. Basically all the rights that a typical inmate would have I ended up losing because I was told that I have an order of deportation, he said.

Larsen was moved from state prison to an ICE detention center.

Adoptees in limbo

My family was like, You're adopted. Youre a citizen. Youve been in our family since [19]75. Larsens parents had just assumed that adoption made him a citizen.

But to the American government, Larsen was a Vietnamese national considered legally undocumented with a criminal record. He found it baffling.

Im registered for the draft. Ive always paid my taxes. Have gone to school here. So why wouldnt I be a citizen? Larsen asked.

Since the 1940s, some 350,000 children have been adopted from overseas by U.S. citizens, according to Becky Belcore, co-director of the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (NAKASEC) which runs the Adoptee Rights Campaign.

Belcore says the burden to secure the childrens American naturalization rested on adoptive parents, which is why in 2001 Congress passed a law giving automatic citizenship to adoptees from other countries. The legislation, however, only applies to people born after 1983  too late for Larsen and some 35,000 other adoptees, most of them without criminal backgrounds.

Before the law, parents often did not know the burden was on them to see that their adopted children became citizens.

Or they knew, but the process was so expensive and so cumbersome and they had already gone through an extensive and expensive adoption process they just didnt do it.  Or that adoptees had been placed in abusive houses, so their adoptive parents just didnt do it, Belcore said.

And they sometimes dont find out until they apply for a public benefit, get a home or student loan  or they get placed in deportation proceedings after going through the criminal justice system.

To fill in the loophole, the Adoptee Rights Campaign is promoting the Adoptee Citizenship Act. The bill stalled in Congress during the election last year, because, Belcore says, no one wanted to touch anything immigration related. But advocates are working to reintroduce it.

Deportation order

Larsen served his term in detention and was released in 2015. But the deportation order stands. Larsen could easily be deported - if Vietnam would take him back.

At the moment, the U.S. does not have an applicable repatriation agreement with Vietnam. In a 2008 agreement, Vietnam only agreed to take back citizens who came to the U.S. after 1995.

But that could change. President Donald Trump has targeted so-called recalcitrant countries in his January 25 executive order Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, calling on the Secretary of State to impose consequences on countries that refuse to take their nationals back.

These consequences range from formal diplomatic communications to visa sanctions, ICE told VOA. ICE declined to supply VOA with a current list of recalcitrant countries.

But as of May 6, ICE says, there were 8,534 Vietnamese nationals with final orders of removal.

Since his release, Larsen has been required to show up for regular check-ins, and he has done so, according to ICE.

He works at the nonprofit Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and spoke to VOA from their headquarters.

But now Im stuck. I cant leave U.S. soil. So even if I wanted to visit my family in Guam, I couldnt do that because I would be crossing international lines."
From an internet shutdown to convictions of journalists and opposition members, Ethiopias civil society has felt like it's under attack in recent weeks.

On May 24, Getachew Shiferaw, editor of the news website Negere Ethiopia, was convicted of inciting violence because of a private Facebook conversation. The Ethiopian Federal Court initially charged Shiferaw under the country's anti-terrorism law, but later charged him under the criminal code and sentenced him to time served since his arrest in 2015.

On May 25, a court sentenced Ethiopian opposition spokesman Yonatan Tesfaye to six-and-a-half years in prison on charges that he encouraged terrorism with comments on Facebook. Yeshiwas Assefa, newly elected president of the Semayawi (Blue) Party, called the verdict "disappointing and embarrassing."

"Yonatan is sentenced to six years and six months just because of what he wrote on Facebook as something that encourages terrorism. He was expressing his thoughts freely. This is what we fear would bring people to protest in our country," he told VOA.

The following day, May 26, two men, Tufa Melka and Kedir Bedasso, were charged with terrorism for their role in a stampede that occurred in October 2016 at a cultural festival in the Oromia region. The men are accused of yelling things into the microphone that led to chaos and the death of 55 people.

Gemeda Wariyo, a protester who grabbed the microphone and admitted to chanting down, down Woyane is in exile now and wasnt mentioned in the court documents. Woyane is a colloquial term used to describe the ruling party in Ethiopia.

I took the microphone in a peaceful protest, he told VOA Amharic. I was the one who protested and I dont know the men blamed for grabbing the microphone.

And in early June, the government cut off internet access nationwide, stating that the measure was needed to prevent high school students from cheating on final exams by sharing answers on social media.



In a press conference, Communications Minister Negeri Lencho denied the move was to control free communication.



"The only reason is to help our students to concentrate on the exams because we know we are fighting poverty, he said.

As of June 8, internet access including social media sites was restored, according to published reports.

Under assault

In a new report, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international think tank, concluded that the targeting of civil society and restrictions on free speech fit a pattern in Ethiopia. Over the past two decades the space for political opposition has been steadily constricted and civil liberties taken away, the report said.

Two laws in particular, the Charities and Societies Proclamation and the Anti-terrorism Proclamation, both passed in 2009, have given the government wide latitude to imprison opposition members and journalists and shut down groups advocating for human rights, Carnegie found.

Saskia Brechenmacher, an associate fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who worked on the report, said anti-terrorism laws have been used across Africa to stifle dissent.



Those laws have become very effective tools, especially in moments of crisis as we are seeing right now, she said. Ahead of elections or during moments of sustained protests, [they are used] to target selectively, particularly activists and journalists that are seen as particularly threatening."

Brechenmacher said Ethiopia also cracks down on civil society groups through a provision in the charities law, which prevents organizations from receiving more than 10 percent of their funding from abroad.

Many organizations had to switch their mandate and activities and turn more toward developmental and civil liberties because they couldnt carry out the kind of work they had been doing before," she said.

Brechenmacher said these restrictions represent an abrupt reversal for a country that was becoming more open prior to the crackdowns that followed the 2005 elections.

Ethiopia showcases what a dramatic effect this could have on independent civil society and the amount of information that is available in a country," she said. "And also it really testifies the extent to which this does not really address the grievances that citizens have vis-a-vis the government and therefore those grievances will find another outlet.
The European Union warned the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland on Tuesday that they have 24 hours to start taking in refugees under an EU sharing plan or face legal action.



The European Commission said in a statement that it has repeatedly urged the three countries to relocate refugees or at least pledge to do so under the legally-binding refugee plan agreed two years ago.



But it said they haven't taken action "in breach of their legal obligations," and that it "has decided to launch infringement procedures."



The plan to share 160,000 refugees in overwhelmed Italy and Greece among other European countries over two years was endorsed in September 2015 by a qualified majority vote.



But just three months before the September 2017 deadline, fewer than 21,000 people have been relocated.



The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against it. Hungary and Slovakia had previously launched their own legal action against the scheme.



EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have until Wednesday to change their minds.



"There is still time ahead. Let's hope that not only reason but also the European spirit will prevail," Avramopoulos told reporters, lamenting that the three "have not done anything for more than one year."



But Poland said it stands ready to take legal action of its own.



"Poland is ready to defend its standpoint before the Court of Justice," Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski said Tuesday.



He warned that the commission's action "may deepen the divisions within the EU."



Avramopoulos praised Austria and Slovakia for recently pledging to do more. But as of June 9, Austria had still not relocated a single refugee. Slovakia had taken in 16.



The refugee scheme was seen as a major plank of the EU's migration policy, and was lauded as a pan-European show of solidarity in 2015 when more than a million people arrived in Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs.


Summertime in Europe often means that large-scale outdoor events are planned for weeks in a row, with lots of people in public spaces. But vehicles have been used several times to kill and wound pedestrians and citizens since last years attack in Nice, France. Vans and cars have also been used to carry out attacks in Germany, Sweden and Britain.

European cities are known for their open public spaces, but more measures have been implemented to keep citizens safer.

Adjusting to this reality means cities are adopting several approaches to protect their citizens without turning their open cities into heavily-secured forts. An example of this is the dozens of flowerpots on a large pedestrian street in the city of Brussels, which are actually cement blocks in disguise.



Belgian Crisis Center Spokesman Peter Mertens says that more than a year after the March 2016 Brussels attacks, the threat level is still at 3 out of 4.



Places where people come together are a potential target and we need to be aware of that. We are taking traffic obstructive measures, such as cement blocks. Local governments are incorporating them into public spaces by building flowerpots around the blocks so that it is visually less confronting for people but can still be effective.



Belgian military troops are still patrolling the streets of the capital city. Brussels was the scene of bombings in March 2015 at the airport and a metro station, and several terrorists of the Paris attacks in 2015 were linked to Brussels.

Attacks where a vehicle drives into the public are difficult to prevent, as the attackers are often working alone, although Islamic State has taken credit for some of the attacks.



Thomas Renard, a senior research fellow at the Belgian Egmont Institute, says that despite most measures taken by cities being reactive, it doesnt mean another attack can be prevented.

Trucks and cars have been used before, but not to the same extent. In the past few weeks, notably in the Westminster attack in London, we see that the attackers can also show a lack of originality. So they copy and reuse the technique over and over again," said Renard. "Even though we could say that very often measures are reactive, there is also certain logic because also the attackers also tend to reuse techniques.



Summer means many outdoor activities that draw large crowds. In Berlin, where a truck killed 12 people and wounded 56 at a Christmas market in December, large-scale events are handled differently now.



Events that have taken place this month in Berlin were fenced off, large backpacks were no longer allowed, and there was more police presence. There was live video surveillance and concrete blocks lined the sidewalks for the duration of an event.

Interior Senator Andreas Geisel's spokesman, Martin Pallgen, says European cities are more aware than before.



Nobody knows what will happen next. There are security concepts and security measures made before an event to see what is possible before and absolutely necessary during events and what can you do after the events. The Manchester [UK]) attack took place after the concert. All these small things that change the point of security view we have on this. Nobody can really guarantee 100 percent security for a free society.



European cities that havent been attacked, such as the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, keep an eye out for developments and events in cities across Europe. The office of the mayor says, recent attacks abroad fit in to the current threat analysis and underscore the reality of what big cities in Europe are dealing with at the moment.



When several people were hurt by a car in the city of Amsterdam last weekend, there were immediate fears of a terrorist attack. Police concluded the driver did not intentionally drive into people, but had health issues.
As Colombia's leftist rebel movement begins making its transition to a political party, a crucial question hangs over the process: How much money is it hiding?

Chief prosecutor Nestor Martinez rocked the nation last week by saying he has compiled evidence that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia is sitting on an illegal fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars, a political war chest that outstrips the coffers of traditional parties. He asserted that its assets, arising from the FARC's involvement in the drug trade as well as illegal mining and extortion, include everything from herds of cattle held in the name of front men to offshore shell companies.

Martinez didn't list the specific properties, but his statement appeared aimed at cornering the FARC as it faces an Aug. 1 deadline to declare its war spoils, which the peace deal signed last year earmarks for compensation of the rebels' victims. Assets that aren't itemized can be seized down the road and anyone involved in concealing them faces prosecution for money laundering outside the generous terms provided by the accord.

"That legend of Franciscan poverty is about to end," Martinez said, referring to the image the FARC has long cultivated since its origins in the 1950s as a peasant-led self-defense movement.

The FARC was quick to strike back, accusing Martinez of being an enemy of the peace accord aimed at ending a half century of violent conflict.

Chief rebel negotiator Ivan Marquez posted a caricature of Martinez sitting down at a restaurant to eat a peace dove, while FARC commander Rodrigo Londono suggested the nation's top law enforcement doesn't show the same zeal going after other political actors with their own ties to illegal armed groups and drug-trafficking organizations.

Alleged criminal ties

Indeed, Colombian officials have a long history of conspiring with criminals, dating back at least to cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar's purchase of politicians in the 1980s. Dozens of lawmakers have been imprisoned over the past decade for financial ties to the FARC's battlefield enemies, right-wing paramilitary groups.

More recently, President Juan Manuel Santos' re-election campaign as well as his opponent in the 2014 race are under investigation for concealing millions of dollars in contributions and payments from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in a still-unfolding scandal that threatens to discredit much of Colombia's political class.

Despite the rebels' pledge to the contrary, analysts say that the FARC is counting on its money to fund its takeoff as a political party. In the next campaign cycle, it's likely to need far more than the $1 million in state funding that it, like other political movements, is entitled to receive as a result of the peace deal.

Any solid evidence of the FARC hiding its riches is bound to antagonize Colombians who still distrust the rebels. The FARC only yielded to pressure to make the inventory of its assets after the original peace accord was narrowly defeated in a nationwide referendum.

'Money has always touched a nerve'

Further angering the peace accord's many detractors  and exposing frictions within the government  was Santos' recent decree allowing some of that wealth to fund development projects, including the creation of a FARC-led institute to train political leaders in areas it has long dominated.

"For the FARC, the subject of money has always touched a nerve," said Kyle Johnson, a Bogota-based analyst at the International Crisis Group. "If it's shown they have a lot of wealth, it adds fuel to the narrative that they are simply drug traffickers."

While Martinez gave few details about his accusations, he said they were based on the analysis of some 5.5 million documents, many of them found on computers and pen drives seized during jungle raids in the final days of the long conflict. He vowed to continue investigating with the help of the United States as well as other governments in the region, especially in Central America.

Already authorities appear to be tightening their financial noose: So far this year they've seized assets linked to the FARC worth about $100 million, or about a quarter of the $380 million taken from the rebels in their entire history, according to Martinez. Last year, Costa Rica turned over to Colombia nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities there found stashed in a house.

Nobody knows for sure how much wealth the rebels managed to accumulate in their long war against the state. Some government analysts reportedly estimated their assets at over $10.5 billion as recently as 2012, but the rebels dismiss such speculations as sheer inventions.

While nobody believes they are penniless, the cost of feeding and equipping a fighting force of 7,000 rebels is believed to have sapped FARC reserves in the war's finals years as the rebels renounced extortive kidnappings and a string of military setbacks kept them largely confined to their jungle hideouts.
Guatemalan prosecutors will seek to have President Jimmy Morales' immunity of office lifted in order to investigate him in connection with a children's home fire that killed 41 girls, authorities said Monday.



Mayra Veliz, general-secretary of the Public Ministry, said the measure originated with two opposition lawmakers who argue that the president may share responsibility for the blaze since officials detained in the case answered to him.



Under Guatemalan law, as president Morales enjoys immunity from criminal investigation or prosecution unless that protection is withdrawn.



Prosecutors will present the petition to the Supreme Court, Veliz said at a news conference on the same day authorities arrested five more officials on charges related to the March 8 fire.



Prosecutors' spokeswoman Julia Barrera said those arrested Monday included Gloria Patricia Castro Gutierrez and Harold Augusto Flores Valenzuela, both of the childhood and adolescence prosecutor's office. They face charges of manslaughter, mistreatment of minors and breach of duty.

The girls were apparently locked inside a room after a previous escape attempt when the blaze broke out at the state-run home for troubled youth. Investigators believe one or more of the girls lit a mattress on fire inside the room and it quickly spread.



The home outside the capital had a history of abuse and at least twice had been ordered to close.
I cant negotiate with myself, Michel Barnier, the European Unions chief Brexit negotiator, told reporters in Brussels this week.

Hes not alone among Europeans in being impatient.

We are waiting for the UK to come to the table and to lay out exactly what they are after, said Mairead McGuinness, vice president of the European Parliament. The clock is ticking towards Brexit. It is a mess, but it is not an EU mess.".

Britain was supposed to begin formal negotiations on its break from the EU next week, but according to officials, no firm date has been set as Prime Minister Theresa May tries to form a minority government and agree on a voting arrangement with Northern Ireland's Unionists to secure a small working majority in the House of Commons.

Negotiations

For the next few days  and possibly weeks, the British will be negotiating with themselves about what they want, nearly three months after May invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty announcing Britains intention to leave the EU.

Under Article 50, Britain has two years to agree on a financial settlement and the exit terms or leave the EU with no deal. That would mean tariffs on goods exported from Britain to the EU, Britains largest trading partner.

No longer is Brexit about what people want  it is also about whats possible.

Negotiating Britains departure was always going to be complicated, but last week's indecisive British election has made it more so.

May will be leading a minority Conservative government divided over Brexit with her own job in doubt and with a challenge to her party leadership possible at any time. Her Cabinet  as is her parliamentary party  is sharply split between hard and soft Brexiters.

So-called hard Brexiters want Britain not only to exit the EU and to be outside the blocs single market and customs union, but to negotiate unique non-tariff access to the single market without having to contribute to the EU budget or abide by rulings of the European Court of Justice or allowing Europeans to live and work freely in Britain.

Soft Brexiters are eager for a much closer relationship with the EU. They want to maintain single market and/or customs union membership much as Norway or Switzerland now enjoy and are prepared to pay into the EU budget. May somehow has to shape a negotiating position with the EU that both sides of the Brexit rift can agree on.

No majority

Prime Minister May also faces a House of Commons where theres no majority for a hard Brexit and a House of Lords that was spoiling for a fight with her own immigration-curtailing hard Brexit vision even before the election.

Suddenly, Brexit has become a series of complex interlocking negotiations  between the Conservatives themselves, between the Conservatives and Northern Irelands Unionists, who favor remaining within the customs union, between the Conservatives and opposition parties, also soft on Brexit, as well as between Britain and the EU.

Cross-party talks in the House of Commons to get a broad consensus on Brexit are already under way with several major politicians, across the political spectrum backing a parliamentary commission to help craft a Brexit plan. Advocates for a commission include William Hague, a former Conservative party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, and senior Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper.

And increasingly, the buzz in the parliament is about whats being called a jobs-first Brexit, a description first used by Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, on the election campaign trail.

The idea is that Britain would retain a close relationship with the EU and even retain single market and customs union membership but that the EU wouldn't hold the country to full freedom of movement of Europeans into Britain.

Some jobs-first Brexiters are pushing for Britain to join the European Economic Area, which unites EU states with three non-EU members, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, in an internal market governed by the same basic Brussels-overseen rules.

Writing in a British newspaper Tuesday, Hague said on freedom of movement that one possibility would be to introduce work permits for workers from the EU but agree to grant them to anyone who gets a job in BritainThey would not receive any support if out of work, and the same rights would have to apply to British citizens throughout the EU.

Negotiating position

Hague, however, acknowledges building a Brexit consensus will be difficult. And the big questions are whether the Europeans will give Britain the ability to shape a negotiating position that has broad domestic support and how ready will they be for Britain, as is likely, to seek a tailored deal.

Barnier on Monday warned Britain risks crashing out of the EU in March 2019 without any deal if it wastes more time. We havent negotiated, we havent progressed. Thus we must begin this negotiation, he said. Barnier made clear  as have national leaders across the continent  that the EU is particularly sensitive to the terms for any single market participation, from European court oversight to free movement of labour. Its not a supermarket, he said.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Monday recommended that the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah be reduced in size and said Congress should step in to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site are managed.

Zinke made the recommendation as part of an interim report to President Donald Trump on the scenic swath of southern Utah with red rock plateaus, cliffs and canyons on land considered sacred to tribes.

Trump signed an executive order in April directing Zinke to review the designation of dozens of national monuments on federal lands, calling the protection efforts a massive federal land grab by previous administrations.

Trump and other Republicans have singled out former President Barack Obama's designation of Bears Ears, calling it an unnecessary layer of federal control that hurts local economies by closing the area to new energy development. They also say it isn't the best way to protect the land.

Zinke toured Bears Ears last month on foot, horseback and helicopter and met with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and other state leaders. Herbert and other Utah Republicans oppose Obama's December designation of the Bears Ears monument.

There is no doubt that it is drop-dead gorgeous country and that it merits some degree of protection, but designating a monument ... where multiple-use management is hindered or prohibited is not the best use of the land and is not in accordance with the intention of the Antiquities Act, Zinke said.

Zinke did not specify how much of the 1.3 million acres should be trimmed, but said he has no doubt the monument must be right-sized significantly.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called Zinke's announcement an unquestionable victory for Utah and said reducing the monument's footprint was in line with the intent of the 1906 Antiquities Act, which states that monument designations should be the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the site.

Zinke, a former Republican congressman from Montana, said he wants to make sure Native American culture is preserved and said Congress should approve legislation granting tribes legal authority to co-manage some of the Bears Ears site.

I have enormous respect for tribes, he said.

But several tribal leaders who worked to win the monument designation bashed Zinke's decision, vowing legal action if Trump accepts the recommendation to downsize the monument.

Zinke's proposal to allow co-management rights for tribes - an action that would require congressional approval - does not ease their anger, tribal leaders said.

Bears Ears is not for sale. It's not up for trade, said Natalie Landreth, a lawyer for the Native American Rights Fund.

Ethel Branch, Navajo Nation Attorney General, called Bears Ears a holy land that contains critical plants, minerals and powers that numerous tribes rely on to heal and strengthen themselves.

Protection of these lands is non-negotiable, she said.

Environmental groups also blasted the recommendation, which they said threatened the future of Bears Ears and boded poorly for a broader review of national monuments due in August.

The Trump administration's announcement today on Bears Ears is nothing less than an attack on the future of all American monuments, parks and public lands, said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society. The recommendation ignores thousands of public comments in favor of the monument and makes a mockery of the claimed public process, Williams said.

Zinke said he will issue a final report in late August, when he is due to make recommendations on Bears Ears and 21 other national monuments on federal land in 11 states, including Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, Giant Sequoia in California, Nevada's Basin and Range and Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine.

The review also targets five marine monuments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Zinke rejected a plea by some Utah Republicans to recommend that the monument designation be rescinded entirely, an unprecedented step that would invite a near-certain legal challenge. Instead, Zinke said some of the sprawling, 1.3 million acre site should be designated for conservation or recreation, categories that are less restrictive than monuments.

Noting the contentious nature of the monument designation, Zinke called on Congress to approve a land-management bill for Bears Ears and other federal lands. The Republican-controlled Congress has failed to approve a significant public lands bill in recent years, but Zinke said that was because of veto threats by Obama.

He summed up his optimism in two words: President Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering shutting down the local offices of Arab satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera, an official said Tuesday, following a crackdown against Qatar by Sunni countries across the region.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an effort to isolate Qatar, accusing the energy-rich Gulf state, and the Qatari-backed channel, of supporting violent Islamic groups across the Middle East.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have closed Al Jazeera's local offices, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

While Israel is not formally part of that effort, the stepped-up pressure appears to have emboldened Netanyahu to look into closing down the channel's local operations as well. Israeli officials have long accused Al Jazeera of bias against the Jewish state, and on Monday, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused it of promoting incitement and likened its coverage to "Nazi Germany-style" propaganda.

Initial discussion

The Yediot Ahronot daily reported Tuesday that various government officials held a first meeting on the issue Monday. The Israeli official confirmed that discussions were underway but said no decisions had been made. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu's office declined to comment.

Walid Omary, Al Jazeera's local bureau chief, said he had not been notified of any formal action against his operation. But he rejected the Israeli claims of bias and accused Israel of waging an incitement campaign.

"This is not the first time they have attacked us," he said. "I hope they will withdraw the threat."

Shutting the bureau would most likely face significant legal obstacles and test Israel's commitment to protecting freedom of the press.

Some key officials might also oppose the step. While Israel complains about Al Jazeera's coverage, the station is also one of the few Arab media channels that interview Israeli officials, giving Israeli leaders a rare outlet to address the Arab public.
Israel will reduce electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian Authority limited how much it pays for power to the enclave run by Hamas, Israeli officials said Monday.

The decision by Israel's security cabinet is expected to shorten by 45 minutes the daily average of four hours of power that Gaza's 2 million residents receive from an electricity grid dependent on Israeli supplies, the officials said.

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) blamed Hamas' failure to reimburse it for electricity for the reduction in power supplies.

But PA spokesman Tareq Rashmawi coupled that explanation with a demand that Hamas agree to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' unity initiatives, which include holding the first parliamentary and presidential elections in more than a decade.

"We renew the call to the Hamas movement and the de facto government there to hand over to us all responsibilities of government institutions in Gaza so that the government can provide its best services to our people in Gaza," he said.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel and the Palestinian Authority "will bear responsibility for the grave deterioration" in Gaza's health and environmental situation.

Any worsening to Gaza's power crisis  its main electrical plant is off-line in a Hamas-PA dispute over taxation  could cause the collapse of health services already reliant on stand-alone generators, many of them in a poor state of repair, said Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Israel charges the PA 40 million shekels ($11 million) a month for electricity, deducting that from the transfers of Palestinian tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Authority.

Israel does not engage with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group.

Last month, the Palestinian Authority informed Israel that it would cover only 70 percent of the monthly cost of electricity that the Israel Electric Corporation supplies to the Gaza Strip.

At the security cabinet session late on Sunday, ministers decided that Israel would not make up the shortfall, the officials said.

"This is a decision by [Abbas] ... Israelis paying Gaza's electricity bill is an impossible situation," Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said on Army Radio.

Israeli military and security chiefs backed the move, despite concern Hamas could respond by increasing hostilities with Israel.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas's Fatah movement in 2007, and several attempts at reconciliation, most recently in 2014, have failed. Hamas has accused Abbas of trying to turn the screw on them to make political concessions.
Israel said on Tuesday its ambassador to New Zealand will return to his post, ending a six-month rift in relations over a United Nations resolution against Israeli settlements on occupied territory which Palestinians seek for a state.

Israel recalled the ambassador in December after New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal sponsored a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement activity.

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders spoke on the phone earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michal Maayan said in a statement.

"I regret the damage done to Israel-New Zealand relations as a result of New Zealand proposing Resolution 2344 at the Security Council," English wrote, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.

The U.N. resolution passed in the 15-member Security Council because the United States, under the administration of former President Barack Obama, did not wield its veto power and instead abstained, breaking with its long-standing tradition of diplomatically shielding Israel at the international body.

Continued settlement building on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War and which Palestinians hope will eventually form part of an independent state has drawn criticism from the United Nations and most of the international community.

Palestinians cite it as a major obstacle in now-stalled peace talks.

On June 4 Israel said it was returning its ambassador to Senegal, after recalling him over the U.N. Security Council resolution. Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela.

Maayan said the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand will return to Wellington in the next few days.
Kosovo could be heading towards lengthy talks on forming a coalition government, delaying economic reforms, official preliminary results showed on Monday.

Early elections were held on Sunday after the PDK-led government of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, accused by the opposition of failing to meet pledges to improve the lives of young people, lost a no-confidence vote.

"The outcome is definitely one which is not creating immediately a clear majority for a government and I hope that it does not take again up to nine months as it was the case last time [2014]," said Johannes Hahn, the European Union's chief in charge of enlargement.

Both the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), who had been together in the coalition government until last month, excluded the possibility of renewing the partnership.

With 99 percent of the votes cast on Sunday counted, the PDK-led coalition had 34 percent of votes, the opposition Vetevendosje (VV) party 27 percent, and a coalition led by the LDK nearly 26 percent, the Election Commission website showed.

The result would give the PDK-lead coalition 39 seats in the 120-seat parliament while VV would get 31 and LDK 30, Pristina media reported. The remaining 20 seats would go to minorities - 10 to Serbs and 10 to other ethnic groups.

The state election commission put the turnout at 41.5 percent, the lowest since 2008, with many Kosovars frustrated over the lack of economic progress and a deep level of corruption.

VV, which nearly doubled number of seats compared to the 2014 elections when it won 16 seats, blames both the PDK and LDK for a deep level of corruption and poor living standard. It refuses to enter a coalition with the PDK and has conditions for the LDK.

"We can not exclude another snap election," said political analyst Imer Mushkolaj.

The new government will have to tackle unemployment running at 30 percent and improve relations with Kosovo's neighbors, especially Serbia, a precondition for both countries to move forward in the European Union accession process.

It must also reform health and education, and the tax administration system.

Any government will have to include representatives of some 120,000 Kosovo Serbs who do not recognize independence.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, nine years after NATO bombing drove out Serbian forces accused of killing and expelling Kosovo Albanian civilians as Serbia tried to put down an ethnic Albanian insurgency. Serbia still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence.
Atop Hong Kong's tallest peak blanketed in clouds, three masked urban explorers step back in time as they slip through a wire mesh fence and march toward an abandoned army barracks from the British colonial era.

Twenty years after Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule, these young, alternative conservationists are eager to document the city's remaining historical buildings.

Some structures have been demolished over the decades to make room for development in one of the world's most expensive real estate markets.

Protests in 2007 against the tearing down of Victoria Harbor's Queen's Pier, which for almost half a century marked the ceremonial arrivals of British governors and royals including Queen Elizabeth, is often cited as a starting point for street activism bent on preserving Hong Kong's culture.

For the young explorers in the group HK URBEX, what started out as a hobby in 2013 has blossomed into a mission to assemble an archive of the city's colonial-era architecture.

The eight members spend weeks and even months researching derelict sites before visiting and documenting them through photos and film that are posted on their social media page.

They have recorded more than 50 sites in Hong Kong alone.

Short videos show the members shining their flashlights on the prison gates of a colonial political prison, a pile of dusty movie reels and posters in an empty movie studio, or the walls of a former World War II air raid tunnel.

"I just fear that in maybe 20 years' time, there won't be a lot of unique Hong Kong heritage or architecture that really shows that we are Hong Kong, because there's no other place like us," said one of the group's co-founders, who declined to be identified because his activities could involve illegal trespassing. "And the government, of course, should be more active in preserving these places because in a way, it's also preserving our Hong Kong identity."

Currently 114 buildings and cultural landmarks are protected from development, and more than 1,000 buildings are assigned a historic grade by the government's Antiquities and Monuments Office.

The Commissioner for Heritage's Office said in a written response to Reuters that the government had launched the revitalization of 19 historic buildings since it first announced its policies on heritage conservation a decade ago.

"Conservation of historic buildings in Hong Kong has gone some way to the point which requires efforts beyond the government," it added.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis described the diplomatic spat between Qatar and several other American allies in the Middle East as a complex situation that the United States needed to help solve.

I believe that (Qatars) Prince Thani inherited a difficult, very tough situation, and hes trying to turn the society in the right direction, Mattis told lawmakers at a House Armed Services Committee hearing late Monday. But we all agree that funding of any kind of terrorist group is inimical to all of our interest.

Mattis said President Donald Trump was focused on stopping all terrorist funding, including what he called grey funding.

Its not black and white; it goes into some kind of nebulous area, he said.

He added that he believed Qatar is moving in the right direction when it comes to curtailing its funding of terrorism and said the United States needed to find common ground with Qatar due to the two countries shared interest.

Qatars Al-Udeid Air Base is the largest American air base in the Middle East, serving as the forward operational headquarters of U.S. Central Command and the host to about 10,000 American troops.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and stopped transportation to and from the tiny Gulf nation, accusing Qatar of funding terrorists groups including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

During the hearing, Congressman Adam Smith (D-Washington) said he was not clear on the administrations strategy concerning Qatar, accusing President Trump of being unhelpful Friday when he lashed out against Qatar and sided with Saudi Arabia.

We should be finding ways to solve that problem, not throwing gasoline on the fire, Smith said.

Afghanistan

When asked about the military strategy in Afghanistan, Secretary Mattis said he would present options very soon to the president.

Mattis added that it was important to include the relationships between India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran in the U.S. strategy.

We are taking a regional approach to this, he said, because if we look at it in isolation, well probably have something thats lacking.

Earlier this year, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, described the situation in the war-torn country as a stalemate.

Officials have said the strategy in Afghanistan needs to be flexible enough to provide the tools needed for Afghan forces to put more pressure on the Taliban.

Its not just about numbers of troops. Its about authorities. Its about other things we can do diplomatically and economically as well, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. general, told lawmakers Monday.

Increased authorities could allow American troops to work with Afghan troops below the corps level, potentially putting them closer to fighting.
A Montana Republican congressman-elect pleaded guilty on Monday to assaulting a reporter and was ordered to perform community service and receive anger management training.

Greg Gianforte, a wealthy former technology executive who campaigned on his support for President Donald Trump, attacked a reporter on May 24, the day before he won a special election to fill Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gallatin County Judge Rick West sentenced Gianforte to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management classes.

The judge in Bozeman, Montana, also handed down a six-month deferred jail sentence, allowing Gianforte to avoid time behind bars if he complies with the court's orders.

Ben Jacobs, a political correspondent for Britain's Guardian newspaper, said Gianforte "body-slammed" him, breaking his eyeglasses, when the reporter posed a question about health care during a campaign event in Bozeman.

The altercation has been portrayed as a sign of the toxicity that has infused American politics. Critics of Trump say his strident criticism of the media has encouraged violence against journalists, while some of the president's supporters say reporters in general are unfair in their coverage.

"This was not a proud moment, but I'm ready to move on and we have a lot of work to do in Washington," Gianforte, who is expected to be sworn in later this month, said outside court.

Last week Gianforte apologized to Jacobs in a letter, and he sent a $50,000 check to the Committee to Protect Journalists. In return, Jacobs pledged not to sue him.

"I am confident that he will be a strong advocate for a free press and the First Amendment," Jacobs said in court Monday. "And I even hope to be able to finally interview him once he has arrived on Capitol Hill."

Gianforte apologized to Jacobs again in court and said he looked forward to meeting with him later.

The judge left open the possibility that Gianforte, after completing his sentence, could have the misdemeanor assault charge formally dismissed, Gallatin County Prosecutor Marty Lambert said by phone.

Gianforte initially sought to plead no contest, instead of guilty, but the prosecutor said he insisted on a guilty plea.

"This is the type of case where a defendant just needs to admit to the court what he did, to plead guilty, and he did that," Lambert said.

Gianforte on May 25 defeated Democrat Rob Quist to fill the House seat vacated when Trump appointed Ryan Zinke as interior secretary.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday his Central American country would switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, a move analysts said is a major success to Beijing in its drive to isolate the self-governing island it claims as its own territory.

In a televised address on Monday Varela said Panama, which has strategic significance to China, was upgrading its commercial ties with Beijing and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal. "I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," he said.

Panamas sudden break in relations with Taiwan has hardened the Asian governments defiance against China, which it suspects of engineering the move, with no signs of Taipei meeting Beijings longer-term demands. Taiwan reacted by severing formal ties with Panama and all aid.

Taiwans government vented toward China as well as Panama, which announced the cut in diplomatic relations after recognizing Taiwans government for more than a century. Taiwan warned China against inflaming ill will in Taiwan.

China keeps pressure on

Mainland Chinas suppression of our countrys international space, interference in our international participation and temptation of our allies to break ties are all still present and have not eased, said Chiu Chui-cheng, spokesman for the Taiwan governments Mainland Affairs Council.

We would like to severely warn mainland China here against pushing, step-by-step, cross-Strait relations to a dangerous brink from which it cannot turn back, he said.

China, supported by a $11.2 trillion economy and more than 170 diplomatic allies, has taken a series of measures over the past year to pressure Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen into negotiations with a pre-condition that each side see itself as part of one country.

Taiwan citizens like their democracy

Most Taiwanese prefer their democratic self-rule to a tie-up with China, opinion polls have found.

I think mostly we are getting tired of Taiwan being isolated, said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan, referring to the erosion of diplomatic relations. We have to tell China you cannot threaten Taiwans existence forever. You have to let people live.

Tsai rejects Chinas conditions for dialogue and officials in Taipei believe Beijing has retaliated by forming ties with former Taiwan ally Sao Tome and Principe in December. Also that month China passed an aircraft carrier near Taiwans coastlines. Last month, Beijing blocked Taipei from observing the World Health Organizations annual assembly.

China leaves door ajar

But analysts said China just wants to warn Taiwan without fanning outrage and while holding a door open in case Tsai shifts to a Beijing-friendlier policy. An enraged Taiwanese public is seen as more likely to elect people who take a tougher stand against Beijing.

China will use caution in paring down Taiwans remaining 20 diplomatic allies, which are mostly poor countries in Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, said Alex Chiang, international relations professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei.



I think China will be selective because they dont want to embarrass Taiwan, so I think they will only try to go slowly and also give time to Taiwan to react, Chiang said. China still has some hope to have a friendly relationship with Taiwan, but if you push too hard, if our diplomatic ties (go) down to five or six, then its going to be very difficult for Taiwan.

Taiwan will survive



Taiwan can get by on fewer than 10 allies if needed, political scientists have said. The Taipei government looks to them largely for a voice in the United Nations, which Taiwan left in 1971 when the global organization admitted China.

Taiwan maintains strong informal relations with Japan and the United States, as well. Both may help Taiwan in a deeper diplomatic crisis, Lee said.



Taiwan offers development aid to its allies and before 2008 it would vie with China to give higher sums of money to make allies switch sides.

Under former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, no allies switched sides, but three other Latin American and Caribbean countries expressed interest in formalizing relations with China and may now be able to do that, Chiang said.

Panamas decision follows several years of private discussions between Chinese and Panamanian leaders.

China is the second biggest investor in the Panama Canal, the chief marine shipping link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, after the United States, reported the Latin American news website El Universo. Over the past fiscal year, China sent 38 million tons of cargo, or 19 percent of the total, through the canal, it said.

In June last year Tsai visited Panama to improve ties. She attended a ceremony for the a Panama Canal expansion and saw Taiwan donate 3,000 boxes of flu medicine to fight an epidemic according to the Taipei-based Central News Agency.

Chinas Foreign Ministry said on its website Tuesday that Panama had agreed to recognize only Beijing as the government of China.



Panamas president "for business interests went along with the authorities in Beijing by making a diplomatic switch, Taiwans ministry said in a statement. This is an extremely unfriendly act and the last time [Taiwan] will be cheated.
Tens of thousands of people sporting rainbow attire, "Make America Gay Again" hats and homemade protest signs took part on Sunday in a Resist March in Los Angeles against President Donald Trump, an event that took the place of the city's annual pride parade.

The march ended with a rally and speeches by Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives; Mayor Eric Garcetti; and actor and drag queen icon RuPaul.

Despite the sharper focus on political issues this year, the event remained at its core a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identity. It was one of dozens of pride events scheduled in major cities across the United States this month.

Trump has antagonized many minorities since taking office in January. A ReaClearPolitics average of opinion polls show his approval rating is currently 39 percent, although he retains strong support among Republicans.

Here are portraits of some of those who took part in the march through Los Angeles. One of two Reuters photographers among the crowd asked what each of them would say if given 30 seconds to sit down with Trump.

Katrina, 25

"There are so many issues that young people really, really care about because it's our future and our children's future. We're afraid."

Samantha Jaque-Anton, 16

"I'd talk to him about how difficult it is to live in a place where people are discriminated against and ask him to look at the world through our eyes and my eyes and my mother's eyes and all my friends around me and to see how his America has changed us."

Jao Belanders, 22

"Why so much hate? It baffles me how someone can have so much hate in their heart and inequality and think that's OK and that's power. As president, he should be a leader who inspires hope and change for the better and not influence people to think negatively of other people. It breaks my heart to see that."

Isabel Balboa, 50

"He's not going to change, so we're going to change America because he's not going to change us."

Tommy Craven, 24

"When you see people out at Pride representing trans rights, representing gay rights, representing everybody's rights, none of that is inclusive in anything that he's putting forward. How do you expect our country to be great if a large part of the population is being kept out of that equation?"

John Allen, 53

"It's very sad that we're going backward; it's very disappointing."

Brenda Coston, 47

"Women are not second-class citizens; they have as many rights as anyone. People are people. Love is love. Equal rights for everyone. That's why I'm here today."

Marisol Ramirez, 46

"What I would say to Trump is to please consider the ramifications of his words, his actions. All that he's doing and saying is perpetuating hate in our environment. It's not good for our future, it's not good for our children."

Cristian Cifuentes, 47

"As Americans, we don't believe in hate. We believe in hope."

Allison Collette, 29

"Take a deep breath and just think about the fact that there's other people in this world who may not have the privileges he was born with and to maybe take a second and try to see their point of view."

Daniel Jennings, 24

"It's not America First, it's Humanity First. We're all equal; it doesn't matter what country you're born in. It doesn't matter where you emigrate to and where you end up. We're all humans and we need to value human lives the same."

Jessica Kilbury, 29

"Please give rights to my friends, my family, my brothers and sisters and make equality available for everyone."

Scarlet Moon, 33

"Open your heart. Open your heart."

Khuong Lam, 35

"What are you doing? What have you done to our country? I love this country."
The International Committee of the Red Cross is warning of unprecedented rates of cholera cases in war-torn Yemen, one of many similar warnings from international health organizations in the past few months.

"More than 5,000 suspected new cases have been reported daily during the past week," said Maria del Pilar Bauza Moreno, ICRC health coordinator in Yemen. "The spread of the disease, which started just over a month ago, is accelerating."

Two years of armed conflict have taken a toll on medical facilities in the country, as more than half of Yemen's facilities, which are now operated by Houthi rebels, no longer function.

The United Nations says about 17 million of Yemen's 26 million people lack sufficient food and at least three million malnourished children are in "grave peril."

Yemen, which is the Arab world's poorest nation, is now classified by the World Health Organization as a level three emergency, alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq. This is the country's second cholera outbreak in less than a year.

Cholera is highly contagious, and can be contracted from ingesting contaminated food and water.
The case of three labor rights activists detained in China for trying to investigate a factory that makes Ivanka Trump brand shoes highlights the pervasive problem of labor abuses and lax enforcement by authorities.

But rights activists said President Donald Trump's daughter, who is also his assistant, could help make a difference if she speaks out about the case.



The Ivanka Trump brand has yet to comment on the plight of the activists, but has confirmed shoes for the brand were made at the factory. But the company has said its last order was placed in March.

Rights activists are urging the Chinese government to give labor activists and investigators more room to freely expose labor rights violations.

So far, however, the Chinese government has refused to release the activists and has accused them of using "illegal monitoring devices" and "interfering in the company's normal operation and production activities."

China Labor Watch (CLW), the group the labor activists work for, has been conducting similar investigations at Chinese factories for years. They said the response to the investigation at the factory making Ivanka Trump shoes is unprecedented in the nonprofits 17-year existence.

Solid evidence

CLW founder and executive director Li Qiang said his New York-based nonprofit group has obtained solid evidence in the form of still pictures and videos that her branded shoes have been manufactured in factories of the Huajian Group for the past four years, the place where labor abuses were allegedly uncovered.

We can prove that her products were manufactured in the factories and that many workers have been underpaid or forced to work overtime as well as a slew of labor abuses, Li told VOA.

The investigation was conducted by CLW rights activists Hua Haifeng, Li Zhao and Su Heng, who went undercover and posed as temp workers in Huajian factories between March and May, but were later been detained by Chinese police.

Taking responsibility

The brand has repeatedly boasted in oversea markets that their products comply with [strict] regulations. But now its advertising looks false. So she [Trump] has to speak up [against the arrest of investigators] and shoulder some responsibility for the [Chinese] manufacturers violations of labor rights, Li added.

He said in his assessment, Chinese labor accounts for only 1 percent of Ivanka Trumps branded shoes, which are priced at more than $100 each in U.S. stores.

Li added he has mailed evidence to Trump and the U.S. State Department and expects the first daughter to call for the release of his Chinese investigators and to further pressure its supplier into improving working conditions there.

Last week, the U.S. State Department called for the activists release or for Chinese authorities to afford them a "judicial and fair trial, protections to which they are entitled."

The State Department also highlighted the important role labor activists play in helping U.S. companies understand conditions in their China supply chain.

One industry insider tells VOA that suppliers of top-tier brands can easily lose orders if they fail to meet requirements and operate within strict social compliance regulations.

However, activists say violations of worker rights can be easily found in small- and medium-sized Chinese suppliers, which are deeply caught in cut-throat pricing competition.

Pervasive labor violations

Keegan Elmer, a researcher at Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin, said labor violations are pervasive in China.

Its not just global brands. And its not just little tiny sweatshops. Its really quite pervasive and its something thats the nature of work in China these days, Elmer told VOA.

He said the groups Strike Map has documented thousands of worker strikes every year, which are not limited to smaller brands.

Among those strikes, many labor activists have risked being put behind bars even if they have abided by laws and followed due processes to expose such violations, according to Elmer.

Elmer said industries and the Chinese government need to establish appropriate mechanisms, through which workers can report abuses and help improve working conditions in China.

The worker, in their collective action, has shown that they are the best keeper of their own interests. And the government should for example through effective, regular, collective bargaining let workers be their own monitors of their own bosses and conditions. Thats the real way forward, Elmer said.
A top U.S. Justice Department official assured lawmakers Tuesday that without "good cause" he would ignore any attempt by President Donald Trump to fire a special counsel investigating possible illegal collusion between Trump's aides and Russian officials in last year's campaign.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to lead the high-profile investigation of Russian meddling in the election aimed at helping Trump win, told a Senate panel he would not comply with any Trump order to fire Mueller absent a compelling reason. He added that no such reason currently exists.

Rosenstein offered his assurances as U.S. news accounts quoted Republican allies of Trump suggesting that the president is considering firing Mueller, whose appointment last month drew widespread praise from both Republicans and opposition Democrats. Now, however, some Republicans are suggesting that Mueller ought to be dismissed, pointing to Mueller's selection of key investigators who made campaign donations to Trump's Democratic challenger, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.



WATCH: Rosenstein on plan to fire Mueller

Republicans, Democrats weigh in



A key Trump supporter, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, said, "Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair."

However, another Republican, current House Speaker Paul Ryan, told reporters, "I think in the best case for the president is to be vindicated by allowing this investigation to go on fairly and independently. So I think the best advice will be to let Robert Mueller do his job.



Rosenstein said he was the only Justice Department official who could dismiss Mueller because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from oversight of the Russian investigation because of his staunch support of Trump during the campaign and later revelations that he had met twice with Russia's ambassador to Washington.

"As long as I'm in this position, he's not going to be fired without good cause," Rosenstein said. "Im not going to follow any orders unless I believe they are lawful and that "it wouldn't matter what anybody said."

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California told Rosenstein, "It would be catastrophic," if Trump fired Mueller.

Rosenstein assured Feinstein the firing of Mueller would not occur without his assent.

"I appointed him and I believe it was the right decision and I'm going to stand by that," Rosenstein said.

Rosenstein's testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee occurred just hours before Sessions was to testify in a public hearing before another Senate panel about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and his involvement in the firing of another FBI chief, James Comey.

Latest step in multiple investigations



The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing is the latest step in multiple ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions said he had not met with any Russians during the campaign. The Justice Department later acknowledged Sessions's contacts with Kislyak but said they were part of Sessions's job at the time as a senator.

His testimony comes less than a week after Comey said during his own appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he felt Trump had violated the normal separation of criminal investigations from White House oversight by urging him to end the investigation into Russia's activities.

Comey said Trump told him he hoped Comey would "let go" of his investigation of the president's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and also asked Comey to pledge his personal loyalty and to "lift the cloud" of the Russia probe.

Comey also said the FBI had "additional facts" about Sessions that he could "not discuss in an open setting."

Trump has disputed Comey's account of the conversation about Flynn as inaccurate, although his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a frequent defender of his father's White House performance, seemed to confirm the gist of it.

"When he tells you to do something, guess what, there's no ambiguity in it," Trump Jr., speaking of his father, told Fox News on Sunday. "There's no, 'Hey, I'm hoping.' You and I are friends, 'Hey I hope this happens, but you've got to do your job.' That's what he told Comey."

Was Comey conversation taped ?



Before Comey testified, Trump suggested there might be a White House recording of their private dinner, which Comey said he hopes there is. But the president and his aides have not definitively said so. Pressed on the issue Friday, he said, "I'll tell you about that maybe sometime in the very near future."

The White House again Monday refused to say one way or the other whether there was a tape. Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to release the recordings, if they exist.

Trump fired Comey last month. Trump later said he was thinking about "this Russia thing" as he decided to dismiss him because he considered claims that Russian interference in the election influenced it in his favor to be bogus, an excuse by Democrats to account for his stunning upset of Clinton.
In the farm fields of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, the start of a harvest that not even war could stop offers hope for farmers facing a time of crisis.

Driven from their headquarters in Syria's Aleppo province, the work continues of a group of scientists and farmers who store and grow crops with a view to helping feed nations.

The work of experts at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is global, but many harbor the personal hope their efforts will help rebuild the country they left behind.

Fond memories

In ICARDA's Lebanon base, Ali Shehadeh fondly scrolls through pictures on his laptop of the old HQ, from the seed bank where samples of crops such as wheat, barley and chickpeas were preserved to the fields in which they were grown.

Spread out across 1,000 hectares, the site represented a vast archive of the country's agricultural past and present, as well as a treasure trove for farmers worldwide.

This includes 150,000 seed samples stored and ready to be grown or distributed across the globe, with each sample potentially holding genetic traits that could help develop crops better suited to survival in an age of rapidly changing conditions.

"We try to figure out how to produce crops better adapted to climate change," explained Shehadeh, originally from Idlib.

Before the war, their work had played a role in helping Syria reach the point of producing enough to feed itself, but the same war that destroyed that self-sufficiency also drove them out.

Shehadeh scrolls onto the most recent pictures they have  images of damaged buildings now inaccessible because of militias operating in the region.

The worsening of conditions  including the kidnapping of two staff members, who were released a few weeks later  lead to the ICARDA shifting its operations out of the country.

"It was sad, of course," said Shehadeh. "We left behind a lot of memories and valuable resources."

A global challenge

All, however, was not lost.

With troubles brewing in 2012, the ICARDA team was prompted to copy most of the samples and send them to Svalbard, an ultra-secure "doomsday" global seed vault dug into a snow-steeped mountain on Norway's Arctic archipelago.

Then, in 2015, they withdrew seeds from Svalbard to help rebuild the collection  this time in Lebanon, as well as Morocco.

This is the fifth harvest collected at Terbol, a small town in the Bekaa Valley and new home for ICARDA.

With climate change beginning to be more keenly felt, the work of those like Mariana Yazbeck will be increasingly vital.

Yazbeck is seed bank manager at the new site, and highlighted the role of the region in the birth of farming.

"What we have here is the base for some of the most important crops responsible for feeding a large population in the heart of the fertile crescent, which is the cradle of agriculture," Yazbeck said. "Now, 10,000 years later, we've many problems facing our agricultural practice, whether diseases or environmental challenges, and the need to feed an ever-growing population."

The dream of returning

Though it may not be a direct result of climate change, the agricultural sector in Syria is in as dire need of assistance as any.

According to a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization assessment last year on the impact of the war, damage to the sector totaled $16 billion.

Whether due to damage to infrastructure or displacement of farmers, there has been a "huge" decrease in production, said FAO representative Adam Yao.

"To rebuild the agricultural sector, there will need to be a major rethink of Syria's whole agricultural policy," he added, stating that ICARDA's expertise could have a "key role" in this.

Though largely abandoned, the ICARDA center in Aleppo is not entirely out of action  it is thought the seed bank freezer continues to work unattended.

And for many at ICARDA's Bekaa facilities, when peace comes and brings with it the opportunity for the organization to return to Syria, the desire to assist will not just be professional  it will be personal.

The farm of Muhammed Amer Jnedan's family, located in a small village outside Aleppo, is currently occupied by a man from a local militia.

But in his work with ICARDA, Jnedan is determined that he will put his knowledge to use, starting with home.

"Maybe it is kind of dreaming," he said, "but I am still thinking to get back to my village. I want to put [to use] this experience I gathered or I obtained in the last 10 years."
Now its Jeff Sessions turn to step into the spotlight.

Less than a week after fired FBI Director James Comey delivered riveting testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee about a series of what he described as "awkward" and "inappropriate" interactions with President Donald Trump, Sessions, the attorney general, appears before the same panel Tuesday to offer his version of events and take issue with some of Comeys statements.

The testimony is expected to focus on the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in last years elections and answer questions about the role the attorney general  a Trump confidant and early supporter of his presidential bid  played in the events leading up to the May 9 firing of Comey, who was then leading the FBIs Russia probe.

Sessions is going into the hearing with a fairly narrow agenda: to address matters brought up by Comey during his widely viewed testimony last Thursday.

Republican Senator James Lankford said on the CBS program Face the Nation on Sunday that the key thing is to get his side of the story, some of the conversations Jim Comey had with the president.

But Democrats are aiming for a broader line of inquiry that will include his meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the 2016 presidential campaign and Sessions role in Comey's abrupt firing.

The attorney general of the United States needs to tell the American people why he testified untruthfully about his Russian contacts, and he needs to explain all of his conversations with the Russians that have been concealed, and also why he failed to protect the FBI and why he participated in firing the FBI director when he had recused himself because of those Russian conversations, said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Sessions' testimony, his first since he recused himself from the Russian investigation in early March, comes five days after Comey testified that Trump had sought to pressure him into dropping an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and that the attorney general had failed to respond to his concerns about private communications with Trump.

Comey later said during a closed session that the FBI leadership felt Sessions would have to recuse himself from the Russia investigation because of a suspected third undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador.

Last week, a Department of Justice spokesperson denied reports of a third Sessions meeting with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

Another spokesman said in a statement that Sessions had not remained silent in response to Comeys complaint. Sessions is expected to reiterate those statements during his testimony on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, Sessions will face tough questions about his meetings with Kislyak and whether he perjured himself when he failed to disclose those contacts during his confirmations hearings in January, said Jed Shugerman, a professor of at Fordham University School of Law in New York.

"That was a problem already. The problem only gets deeper if there is in fact a third contact he did not report," Shugerman said.

Stephen Gillers, a professor of law at New York University, said proving perjury is not easy.

Perjury requires intentionality, he said. For Sessions to have committed perjury, it would have to be true that he remembered the context and decided that even though revealing them would have been responsive to the questions he asked, he chose nonetheless consciously and intentionally not to do so.

Sessions has denied the perjury allegations.

WATCH: Sessions on discussions between president, FBI director

Another key question on senators' minds: Sessions' role in Comey's firing.

The White House had initially said Trump fired Comey on the recommendations of Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who scolded the former FBI director for his handling of the Clinton email investigation last year.

But Trump later told the NBC television network that he dismissed Comey because of the Russia investigation.

Gillers said Sessions has not answered why he played a role in Comey's firing given that he had recused himself from the Russia investigation.

"If he was recused, as he says he was, he should not have participated in the Comey firing," Gillers said.

Sessions decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation had angered Trump, Politico reported last week. And as tensions grew between the two, Sessions recently offered to resign, but Trump did not accept his resignation, Politico said.

While Democrats plan to press Sessions over whether he violated the terms of his removal from the Russia probe, the recusal could nonetheless limit the scope of Sessions testimony.

"What can he possibly tell the Senate committee if indeed hes done what he said he was going to do, which would include staying away from any intelligence on the ongoing investigation," Gillers said.

The testimony will be scrutinized as much for what Sessions says as what he declines to say.

Shugerman said Sessions is unlikely to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in order to avoid answering certain questions.

Asked if the White House thought Sessions should invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about his conversations with Trump, press secretary Sean Spicer said, "It depends on the scope of the questions."
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to testify in a public hearing Tuesday, with members of a Senate panel likely to ask him about his contacts with the Russian ambassador and his involvement in the firing of the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing is the latest step in multiple ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the FBI's investigation in March after acknowledging he had spoken twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the months before the November vote.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions said he had not met with any Russians during the campaign. The Justice Department said the conversations were part of Sessions' job as a senator.

His testimony comes less than a week after James Comey, the fired FBI director, said during his own appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he felt Trump had gone against the normal separation of criminal investigations from White House oversight by directing him to end the investigation into Russia's activities.

Comey said Trump told him he hoped Comey would "let go" of investigating the president's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and also asked Comey to pledge his personal loyalty and to "lift the cloud" of the Russia probe.

Comey also said the FBI had "additional facts" about Sessions that he could "not discuss in an open setting."

Trump has disputed Comey's account of the conversation about Flynn as inaccurate, although his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a frequent defender of his father's White House performance, seemed to confirm the gist of it.

"When he tells you to do something, guess what, there's no ambiguity in it," Trump Jr., speaking of his father, told Fox News on Sunday. "There's no, 'Hey, I'm hoping.' You and I are friends, 'Hey I hope this happens, but you've got to do your job.' That's what he told Comey."

Before Comey testified, Trump suggested there might be a White House recording of their private dinner, which Comey said he hopes there is. But the president and his aides have not definitively said so. Pressed on the issue Friday, he said, "I'll tell you about that maybe sometime in the very near future."

The White House again Monday refused to say one way or the other whether there was a tape.

But Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to release the recordings, if they exist.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee that heard Comey's testimony, said Sunday, "I don't understand why the president just doesn't clear this matter up once and for all."

Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, another member of the Senate panel, said, "We've obviously pressed the White House."

Trump fired Comey last month. Trump later said he was thinking about "this Russia thing" as he decided to dismiss him because he considered claims that Russian interference in the election influenced it in his favor to be bogus, an excuse by Democrats to account for his stunning upset of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Mpho Masheles eight donkeys are her most precious possessions, and her familys lifeline.

They use them to transport goods in this small, rural village north of South Africas capital, Pretoria.

We love our donkeys because theyre the only source of income, she said. Without them, we will starve.

That threat is looming ever-larger amid a spike in donkey poaching in South Africa. Rural, often poor South Africans, like Mashele, say they've been forced to sell their precious donkeys at a loss or face having them stolen by poachers who are eager to satisfy a growing demand for donkey parts from the Chinese market.

She used to have 12 animals. But four were killed earlier this year, victims of Chinas voracious multimillion-dollar trade in donkey hides. Masheles husband found their mutilated bodies in a neighboring village.

We found pieces of the donkeys, she said, while stroking the forehead of one of her remaining donkeys. We recognized it was our donkeys because of a white patch on one of their foreheads. And the skins were gone.

Donkey extinction?



Animal rights activists say the situation has escalated to the point where South African donkeys could soon be wiped out.



South Africas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has, in the past year, confiscated more than 1,000 hides headed for China, says chief inspector Mpho Mokoena.

If this continues, she says, South Africas donkeys may be staring down extinction.

In two years there wont be [any] donkeys in South Africa, she told VOA.

Often, she says, the animals are bludgeoned with hammers or skinned alive. Their hides are then boiled down and made into gelatin, which is believed to treat a variety of ailments. Their flesh is often left behind to rot.

Saving donkeys



Animal welfare activists say theyre doing their best to protect these vulnerable creatures. The Highveld Horse Care Unit, south of Johannesburg, rescues and cares for threatened donkeys. About 20 donkeys are currently in their care.

Inspector Ashley Ness says the skin of a donkey could fetch more than $500 in China. That demand, she says, has driven up the price of donkeys at livestock auctions.

But kept alive, they can be used as beasts of burden, as therapy animals, or for their milk. They also can be loving companions.

They absolutely do have their own personalities, Ness said, pointing to Chili, a docile male donkey at the sanctuary. They really can form such a part of the family.

She and other activists are urging South Africa to follow the lead of other African nations like Burkina Faso and Niger and ban the trade of donkey parts.

A lot of the countries have actually banned the slaughter and trade of donkeys, which I believe is a lovely, great step in the right direction, she said.
A suspected drone strike has reportedly killed a key Haqqani network commander in a remote Pakistani tribal district, according to Pakistani security officials.



The attack late Monday targeted a leader of the terror group, identified as Abubakar. Local officials suspected the strike was from a U.S. drone, but the Pentagon denied carrying out the attack.



"The Department of Defense has not conducted any recent strikes in Pakistan," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump told VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb on Wednesday.

Behram Khan, a resident of Dewal village in the Speen Tal area of the Hangu district, told Radio Liberty that three others were wounded in the strike, including a boy.

Abubakar, whose original name was Omar, hailed from Afghanistan's southeastern Khost province, the birthplace of network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, according to Afghan and Pakistani intelligence reports.

Khan said the slain commander moved to Dewal from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district after the Pakistani military launched a counterterrorist operation there in 2014.

The suspected drone strike came after a May 31 truck bombing in Kabul killed more than 150 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for the blast. But network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, in a rare Pashto language audio message released over the weekend by the Taliban to VOA, denied insurgents' involvement in the attack.

Based in tribal region

The Haqqani network, a militant group that fights Afghan and U.S. forces in Afghanistan and is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, is reported to be based in Miram Shah, a town in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northern Pakistan.

The network operates base camps where it trains suicide bombers and does logistical planning for military operations, according to media reports.

In recent years, group members have moved to other areas in the tribal region that borders Afghanistan, from where they launch attacks against Afghan and U.S. forces stationed in the country, according to U.S. officials.

Afghan officials and U.S. terrorism authorities consider the network one the most lethal terrorist groups in Afghanistan. It has been blamed for some of the deadliest violence in the country, including attacks on embassies in Kabul, the Afghan parliament building, local residents and U.S. military bases.

Monday's drone attack was not the first one in the area. A senior Haqqani commander was killed in 2013, along with several other members of the group, by a U.S. drone strike.

U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan have resumed as Afghanistan has seen an uptick in terrorist activities and violence that Afghan and U.S. officials blame largely on Pakistan.

U.S. action urged

"The Haqqani network, which is an ally of al-Qaida and Taliban extremists, has operated as Pakistan's proxy," Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, told VOA recently.

"If Pakistan refuses to move against the Haqqani network sanctuaries, the U.S. should consider actions against the sanctuaries, including striking them," he said.

Afghan intelligence officials told VOA's Afghan service that the Taliban purposely deny involvement in most deadly attacks in Afghanistan to secure their Pakistani sponsors from further isolation.

Islamabad has rejected the charges as baseless and unfounded, saying Pakistan "in the strongest terms" has condemned the Kabul terrorist attack. Pakistan officially has dismissed allegations that Taliban insurgents are using Pakistani soil for orchestrating the violence.

VOA's Deewa service contributed to this report from Peshawar. VOA's Carla Babb reported from the Pentagon
The remaining Central American allies of Taiwan on Tuesday offered guarded responses to Panama's decision to embrace the "One China" policy and switch allegiance to Beijing, deflecting the question of whether they could follow suit.

On Monday, Panama said it had broken with Taiwan to forge ties with Beijing, in a major victory for China's efforts to isolate the island it views as a renegade province.

Following Panama's departure from the fold, Taiwan has full ties with 20 countries - several of them in Central America, where Taiwanese economic aid has helped support a region that relies heavily on agriculture and struggles with law and order.

The most populous of those, Guatemala, declined to comment on its future with Taiwan.

"We don't have an official position on this. It's a matter that concerns other countries," Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Morales told Reuters when asked if his country would go down the same path as Panama with China.

Guatemala, which retains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, declined comment on Tuesday on its future relations with the island following Panama's decision to recognize "One China" and establish diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Guatemala's foreign minister Carlos Morales told Reuters his government would make no comment on Panama's break with Taiwan when asked if Guatemala would do the same.

We don't have an official position on this. It's a matter that concerns other countries, he said.

On Monday, Panama said it had broken with Taiwan in favor of establishing ties with Beijing, in a major victory for China's efforts to isolate the island it regards as a renegade province.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen went to Guatemala in January during a visit to a clutch of Central American allies.

Her Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales, said at the time he expected Taipei to deepen ties with the region.

Neighboring El Salvador said it had no plans to enter into new ties with other governments.

"Right now, the establishment of diplomatic relations with [other countries] is not on my radar," Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez told reporters after a fund-raising event that focused on Taiwanese investment for projects in the country.

El Salvador has had formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1933 and also maintains trade ties with China.

Tsai began her January visit in Honduras, where a government official also said on Tuesday the Honduran administration would make no official comment on the shake-up in Panama.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, the official said Honduras was maintaining its diplomatic and commercial relations with Taiwan.

Since 2006, Taiwan has loaned Honduras some $205 million and donated another $27 million, including an Embraer Legacy 600 jet used as the president's official plane. Taiwan also has provided the country with a wide range of agricultural assistance.

Tsai also visited Nicaragua on her trip but she did not stop at Panama. Nicaragua's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Panama's move.

"Relations between Taiwan and Nicaragua are very solid," especially since Tsai's visit, said Taiwanese-born Nicaraguan businessman Gilberto Wong, highlighting Taiwan's investment.

After the visit, a high-level Nicaraguan delegation led by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada went to Taipei in April and agreed on new investment projects Taiwan would finance.

Still, Robert Manning, an Asia expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said China was gradually extending its influence in Latin America and that pressure was likely to continue to rise on countries to switch sides.

"The weight of China is being felt in many places and not just in Latin America," Manning said. "The trend line is moving in that direction."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions steps back into a familiar arena Tuesday when he testifies before the Senate intelligence committee about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

Last week, Comey raised additional questions about Sessions' involvement, saying the FBI knew of reasons why it would be problematic for the attorney general to stay involved in the Russia investigation well before Sessions recused himself in March. Comey declined to elaborate in an open setting and Sessions accepted the intelligence committee's invitation to appear in part so he could address those comments.



The former Republican senator took over the Justice Department with a tough-on-crime agenda that included quashing illegal immigration, rooting out drug gangs and leading the charge in helping cities fight spikes in violence. But the Russia investigation continues to cast a shadow over his tenure.



A look at the man who has become a key figure in the probe:



Who is Jeff Sessions?



Blunt and plainspoken, Sessions, 70, went from a GOP foot soldier to prosecutor to politician and ultimately one of President Donald Trump's leading champions, sharing his hardline views on national security and immigration. Trump rewarded his loyalty on the campaign by tapping him as the nation's top law enforcement officer.



Sessions is a devout Methodist who came of age in the segregated South. He cut his teeth as a federal prosecutor in Mobile, Alabama, at the height of the drug war, and many of the policies he has tried to implement as attorney general have roots in that time period. As a U.S attorney in 1986, Sessions faced allegations of racially charged remarks, and they cost him a federal judgeship. Sessions has called those allegations ``false charges,'' and said they were hurtful and has tried to move past them.



What were his Senate priorities?



Sessions generally leaned right of his Republican colleagues, often articulating more conservative views than those of party leaders in the Senate.



Sessions was a leading opponent of the Senate's 2013 immigration overhaul, which he called too permissive. He instead advocated for broad presidential powers to curtail immigration, an issue that drew him to candidate Trump early. He opposed efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, supported expanded government surveillance and criticized the Voting Rights Act as placing an unfair burden on states. He joined a bipartisan push to reduce federal sentencing disparities that treated crack cocaine offenses much more harshly than crimes related to powder cocaine, a disparity that disproportionally impacted minority communities. But he later opposed the Senate's effort to overhaul the criminal justice system, warning it could lead to violence.



What has he done in the Justice Department?



As attorney general, Sessions has quickly worked to undo Obama-era policies. He signaled his strong support for the federal government's continued use of private prisons, reversing a directive to phase out their use. He also recently directed the nation's federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible against the vast majority of suspects, a rollback of Obama-era policies that aimed to reduce the federal prison population and show more lenience to lower-level drug offenders.



Keeping with the Trump administration's anti-immigration agenda, Sessions has also urged federal prosecutors to intensify their focus on immigration crimes such as illegal border crossing or smuggling others into the U.S. And he has threatened to withhold coveted grant money from localities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as they try to detain and deport people.



What's the trouble?



Sessions has been dogged by the Russia investigation. He recused himself from the federal probe in March after acknowledging that he met twice last year with the Russian ambassador to the United States. He told lawmakers at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.



Questions are swirling about possible additional encounters with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. Senate Democrats have raised questions about whether the men met at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. The Justice Department has said that while Sessions was there, for a speech by Trump, there were no meetings or private encounters.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday said Cuba "must begin to address human rights challenges" if it wants Washington to preserve a move toward more normal relations started under former President Barack Obama.

Tillerson, speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee days before President Donald Trump is expected to announce a change in U.S. policy on Cuba, said the opening to the Communist-run island has led to an increase in U.S. visitors and U.S. business ties to the country.

However, Tillerson added: "We think we have achieved very little in terms of changing the behavior of the regime in Cuba, restricting their people, and it has little incentive today to change that."

Reuters reported last week that Trump was expected to visit Miami as early as Friday to announce a new Cuba policy that could tighten rules on trade and travel, rolling back parts of his Democratic predecessor's opening to the island.

Many of Trump's fellow Republicans, and some Democrats, objected to Obama's policy shift, saying America's former Cold War foe has not done enough to allow any easing of the 50-year-long U.S. embargo on trade and travel.

But the measures have proven popular with the public, U.S. businesses and many lawmakers from both parties.

Under questioning from Democratic Senator Tom Udall, Tillerson agreed that moves toward more normal relations with the United States have helped some Cubans lift themselves out of poverty and provided opportunities for U.S. companies.

However, Tillerson said there is a "dark side" to relations with Cuba, noting that the government in Havana continues to jail political opponents and harass dissidents.

"If we're going to sustain the sunny side of this relationship, Cuba must, absolutely must, address these human rights challenges," Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing on the broad State Department budget.

He said the Trump administration's view is that the new U.S. policy is providing financial support to the Cuban government, which would violate U.S. law.

"We are supportive of the ... economic development, as long as it is done in full compliance with our existing statutes, and not provide financial support to the Cuban regime," Tillerson said. "That's the focus of our current policy review."

Obama implemented his normalization measures through executive actions, and Trump has the power to undo much of them.
The Trump administration has a backup plan to keep the government from defaulting on its financial obligations even if Congress misses an August deadline to raise the debt limit, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a congressional panel Monday.

Mnuchin had previously set an August deadline for the federal government to avoid a catastrophic default. Mnuchin said he still prefers that Congress increase the government's authority to borrow before lawmakers leave on a five-week break in August.

However, he said he is "comfortable" that the Treasury Department can meet the government's financial obligations through the start of September. Private analysts say Mnuchin probably has even greater leeway.

"If for whatever reason Congress does not act before August, we do have backup plans that we can fund the government," Mnuchin said without elaborating. "So I want to make it clear that that is not the timeframe that would create a serious problem."

The federal government technically hit the debt limit in March, but Treasury has been using accounting steps known as "extraordinary measures" to avoid a default.

Shortly before Mnuchin testified, a Washington think tank projected that despite the slowdown in revenues, the government will have enough cash to pay its bills until October or November.

The Bipartisan Policy Center says that revenue results from this month's quarterly tax payments could clarify the deadline, but for now it forecasts that Mnuchin has sufficient maneuvering room to keep the government solvent into the fall. The policy center says a big Oct. 2 payment into the military retirement trust fund could trigger default.

As of Friday, the Treasury had a cash balance of $148 billion, down from $204 billion a month ago. The national debt is nearly $20 trillion, including money owed to several federal programs.

Vote on debt limit

Raising the debt limit has become a politically-charged vote in Congress, even though economists believe that an unprecedented default would be catastrophic for the economy. Republicans, who control Congress and the White House, are struggling to come up with a strategy to raise the debt limit, with some GOP members demanding spending cuts in exchange for their vote.

But since Republicans have many members who simply refuse to vote for a debt increase, GOP leaders such as Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin may have no choice but to seek help from Democrats, who are demanding that any debt limit hike be "clean" of GOP add-ons.

Lawmakers are trying to deal with the debt limit while at the same time a House panel is beginning work on spending bills to fund the government.

Republicans controlling the House are taking the first steps to approve President Donald Trump's big budget increase for veterans' health care and the Pentagon.

Spending bill

At stake is an $89 billion spending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Pentagon construction projects that's scheduled for a preliminary panel vote on Monday. The bill would give the VA a 5 percent budget hike for the budget year beginning in October as the agency works to improve wait times and correct other problems.

The Defense Department, meanwhile, would receive a $2 billion, 10 percent increase for military construction projects at bases in both the U.S. and abroad.

"This legislation includes the funding and policies necessary to deliver on our promises to our military and our veterans," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican from New Jersey.

Republicans are still struggling to come up with a broader budget that would dictate spending levels for other agencies. Trump has proposed sharp cuts to many domestic agencies and foreign aid as a means to pay for increases for the military. But many GOP lawmakers have already signaled that they disagree with Trump.

Under Washington's arcane budget rules, lawmakers are first supposed to pass an overall fiscal blueprint called a budget resolution before tackling the annual round of spending bills. This year, that budget plan is also the key to unlocking action later this year on legislation to overhaul the tax code, a top GOP priority.

Instead, Republicans are split into three camps on spending: defense hawks who want even more money for the military than proposed by Trump; pragmatists who are defenders of domestic programs; and conservatives who agree with Trump's plan to cut domestic agencies and deliver the proceeds to the Pentagon.

For now, those GOP divisions have meant an impasse for Trump's overall budget and tax agenda.
The Trump administration is proposing to curb the authority of the consumer finance watchdog created following the economic crisis as it drives toward easing restrictions on banks and financial institutions.

The Treasury Department issued Monday the first part of a review that was ordered by President Donald Trump in one of his earliest acts as president.

The report reviewing the Dodd-Frank financial oversight law also urges changes to rules for banks that were put in place under the 2010 law. The law aimed to restrain banks - which received hundreds of millions in taxpayer bailouts - from the kind of misconduct that many blamed for the crisis.

The law was enacted by President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress to tighten regulation after the 2008-09 financial crisis that sparked the Great Recession that cost millions of Americans their jobs and homes.

Trump, however, has called Dodd-Frank a disaster that has crimped lending, hiring and the overall economy. He promised to do a big number on it.

Properly structuring regulation of the U.S. financial system is critical to achieve the administration's goal of sustained economic growth, and to create opportunities for all Americans to benefit from a stronger economy, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Monday.

The report outlines what it calls core principles of financial regulation - including overhauling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and having more efficient bank rules.

The CFPB oversees the practices of companies that provide financial products and services, from credit cards and payday loans to mortgages and debt collection. It has been a prime target of Republican lawmakers, who accuse it of regulatory overreach.

The new report urges Congress to remove the agency's authority to supervise banks and financial companies, returning that power to other federal and state regulators, respectively. And it proposes enabling the president to remove the CFPB director at will without citing a cause for firing. That's the subject of a battle now in federal court.

The CFPB's structure and broad regulatory powers have led to abuses and excesses, and hindered consumer choice and access to credit, the report says.

The Treasury report comes a few days after the Republican-led House approved sweeping legislation to undo much of Dodd-Frank, repealing about 40 of its provisions. That was passed on a largely party-line vote of 233-186, but is unlikely to clear the Senate in its current form.

The administration's report is narrower in scope and ambition than the House-passed legislation. It could provide a blueprint for regulators to rewrite the Dodd-Frank rules, as Trump continues to fill out his team of top financial overseers.

Mnuchin said in separate congressional testimony Monday that he expects to be able to work with the regulators on 70 to 80 percent of the proposed changes. But Congress would need to pass legislation to actually revamp the law - for example, to change the CFPB's authority.

Among the banking rules, the new report focuses closely on the so-called Volcker Rule, established by Dodd-Frank to generally bar banks from trading for their own profit instead of for customers. The idea behind the rule was to prevent high-risk trading bets that could imperil federally insured deposits.

The report proposes exempting from the rule banks with less than $10 billion in assets and those that have over $10 billion with few trading assets. The House legislation would repeal it altogether.

So-called living wills, the plans that big banks must submit to regulators detailing how they would reshape themselves in the event of failure, should be required every two years instead of the current annual mandate, the report says.

Aaron Klein, a Treasury Department official in the Obama administration, said the proposed changes were unlikely to achieve the economic growth Trump is seeking.

The financial regulatory system isn't what is stopping 3 percent economic growth, said Klein, now a fellow at the Brookings Institution. If you're looking in the wrong place, you're not likely to find the answer. Better for the administration to find ways to promote investment in the U.S., he suggested.

Klein said the changes proposed for the CFPB would inject more politics into financial regulation. He did see some positive ideas, however, such as increased coordination among financial regulators.

Bank industry groups, which had consulted with Mnuchin and other Treasury officials as they prepared the report, expressed approval of it Monday.

Looking outside Dodd-Frank, the report calls for a task force to reconsider the Community Reinvestment Act, a 1977 law designed to monitor banks' practices in low-income and minority communities, such as new branch openings. Regulators can fine or sanction banks under the law when they find patterns of discrimination.

The law is widely promoted by Democratic lawmakers and community and civil rights groups.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized a federal appeals court one day after it handed him another legal setback by refusing to revive his U.S.

travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations, and appeared poised for the nation's top court to weigh in.

On Monday, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the second federal appeals court to reject the Republican Trump administration's bid to undo a Hawaii federal judge's decision that blocked the temporary travel ban in a dispute headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The three-judge panel said Trump's March 6 order violated existing immigration law, but did not address whether it was unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims. Trump's 90-day ban targets travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

"Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again  Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C." Trump said in a post on Twitter, apparently referencing the U.S. Supreme Court.

The nation's top court, which leans conservative after Trump's appointee won confirmation as the ninth justice earlier this year, could act as soon as this week on his administration's request to reinstate the order.

The 9th Circuit, headed by Democratic appointees, largely left in place a nationwide injunction by Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii that stopped parts of the order, which Trump contends is needed to prevent terrorism in the United States.

Those who have challenged the travel ban dispute that it is needed to protect Americans and argue that the order violates the U.S. Constitution's bar against favoring or disfavoring a particular religion.

Another appeals court, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, last month upheld a Maryland judge's ruling that also blocked Trump's ban.

Trump has been on the losing side in all four court rulings on the March order and has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency review.

In a statement on Monday, U.S. Attorney General Sessions said Trump's executive order was lawful and that the court rulings have had a "chilling effect" on security operations.
U.S. President Donald Trump is assailing the latest federal appellate court decision blocking his executive order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries where terrorist attacks have occurred.

"Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country," Trump posted on his Twitter account Tuesday, adding, "S.C." in an apparent reference to the government's appeal to the Supreme Court.

The appellate court said the president overstepped his authority when he issued the March 6 executive order.

Monday's decision in San Francisco was the second against Trump's attempts to curb travel from Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya. Earlier, the Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Maryland judge's ruling blocking parts of the order.

Not a one-person show

In the San Francisco ruling, a three-judge panel said that while the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act gives the president broad powers to both control entrants to the United States and protect U.S. security, "immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show."

The 4th Circuit focused largely on statements and tweets made by President Trump that indicated his order was a ban on Muslims, something he advocated during his campaign for president. But the 4th Circuit was only ruling on the portion of the law restricting travel from the six countries for 90 days.

"In suspending the entry of more than 180 million nationals from six countries, suspending the entry of all refugees, and reducing the cap on the admission of refugees from 110,000 to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year, the president did not meet the essential precondition to exercising his delegated authority: The president must make a sufficient finding that the entry of these classes of people would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States,' the judges wrote.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Trump administration disagrees with the 9th Circuit's decision and "will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court."

"Recent attacks confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real. Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaida, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states," Sessions said.

US security

The 1952 immigration law gives the president authority to restrict the entry of foreign nationals if they are deemed "detrimental to the interests of the United States," the judges wrote.

But they said, "The order does not tie these nationals in any way to terrorist organizations within the six designated countries. It does not identify these nationals as contributors to active conflict or as those responsible for insecure country conditions. It does not provide any link between an individuals nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism or their inherent dangerousness."

The judges said the travel order does not actually curtail travel on the part of individuals, but rather on countries that it says are inherently dangerous. In this, they did cite one of the president's tweets: Thats right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that wont help us protect our people!

Refugees

Similarly, the judges found no adequate explanation for the restriction of refugee admissions to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year that ends September 30. Noting that the administration of former president Barack Obama had established a level of 110,000 and justified it on humanitarian grounds, the judges said the order "gives no explanation for why the 50,001st to the 110,000th refugee would be harmful to the national interest, nor does it specify any further threat to national security."

"We do not anticipate any change to the current status of refugee admissions processing as a result of the 9th Circuit ruling," a State Department spokesperson told VOA Monday.

The State Department, which oversees in part the early stages of refugee admission to the United States, said last week that it would be processing refugee applications under the original cap for the fiscal year, rather than under the significantly reduced number set by Trump's executive order.

More than 47,000 refugees have resettled in the United States since October, at a greatly reduced pace since the first travel ban was signed January 27. In recent weeks, that number has been about 800 to 900 refugees a week.

The State Department said it could not speculate about the final number of refugees that would ultimately come to the U.S. by the end of September; at the current rate, that would mean about 60,700 refugees overall for the year.
Great president or greatest?



That appeared to be the question at President Donald Trump's first meeting of his full Cabinet on Monday, as top aides took turns piling praise on the boss.



After Trump extolled the achievements of his young administration, asserting that he had accomplished more than any president in his first six months  with "few exceptions,'' like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt  his Cabinet added on more accolades.



Vice President Mike Pence declared his job was "the greatest privilege of my life.''



Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Trump law enforcement officers "are so thrilled that we have a new idea that we're going to support them.''



Energy Secretary Rick Perry gave his "hats off'' to Trump for taking a stand against the Paris climate accord. And Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross offered thanks "for the opportunity to help fix the trade deficit.''



Perhaps the strongest words came from chief of staff Reince Priebus: "On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you've given us to serve your agenda.''

The meeting came as the White House struggles to advance its agenda amid the investigations into Russia's election meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. So far no major legislation has made its way through Congress.

The White House has been dogged by reports of infighting and disarray. And the president has repeatedly sought out conflict on social media, distracting from the issues his advisers are trying to promote.



On Twitter, the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, trolled the president with video of a mock staff meeting in which aides praised Schumer's hair and his performance on the Sunday talk shows.



Trump this week is highlighting efforts to bring more Americans into the economy by having them start working as apprentices. He also promised a news conference in two weeks to discuss the administration's efforts to combat the Islamic State.
Both Israel and the Palestinians have failed to bring perpetrators of alleged war crimes  including killings  to justice, the United Nations said in a report published on Monday.

Compiled by the office of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, it evaluates compliance with 64 reports and 929 recommendations from the Council, the U.N. Secretary General and U.N. rights investigators from 2009-2016.

The High Commissioner notes the repeated failure to comply with the calls for accountability made by the entire human rights system and urges Israel to conduct prompt, impartial and independent investigations of all alleged violations of international human rights law and all allegations of international crimes, the report said.

Zeid's report also noted the State of Palestine's non-compliance with the calls for accountability and urges the State of Palestine to conduct prompt, impartial and independent investigations of all alleged violations of international human rights law and all allegations of international crimes.

The report looked set to ignite further debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council, where the United States said last week it was reviewing its membership due to what it calls a chronic anti-Israel bias.

Formal notice from US

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley gave formal notice last week that the Trump administration was reviewing its participation and called for reforms to put Israel on equal footing.

The report said there had been a general absence of higher-level responsibility in Israel for violations in Gaza.

Only a handful of convictions, if any, (have been) issued for minor violations, such as theft and looting, it said.

Israeli and Palestinians authorities must ensure that victims of violations in their long conflict have access to justice and reparations, it said.

There was no immediate response from either side to the report, to be debated at the 47-member Council on June 19.

Unfairly targeted

In March 2016, the Geneva forum launched the review aimed at ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

At the time, it condemned grave breaches including possible war crimes committed in the 2014 Gaza conflict and longstanding systemic impunity. It deplored Israel's non-cooperation with the United Nations' probes into Gaza and Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Israel, which is not a member of the Council, says it is unfairly targeted because, unlike other states, it is subjected to regular reviews of its compliance with U.N. reports and recommendations.
A group of U.S. senators agreed Monday on legislation to strengthen sanctions against Russia, including a provision that would require congressional review if the White House relaxed, suspended or terminated sanctions already in place.

The bipartisan agreement comes in the form of an amendment to legislation the Senate is already considering on sanctions for Iran. The bill is expected to have strong support when it goes before the full Senate, and would have to then pass in the House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump.

A statement from Republican and Democratic leaders on the Senate banking committee said the amendment "expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria."

The measure would strengthen existing sanctions targeting Russian energy projects, while imposing new sanctions on those involved in serious human rights abuses, supplying weapons to the Syrian government, carrying out malicious cyber activities and doing business with Russian intelligence and defense.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday that Russia takes a negative view of the proposed legislation and would not listen to U.S. calls for the release of political protesters arrested Monday during anti-government demonstrations organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The anti-corruption rallies took place Monday in cities across Russia. Police arrested 850 people at a protest in Moscow and another 500 in St. Petersburg, where the rallies were unsanctioned.

The U.S. called on Russia to release "peaceful" protesters arrested Monday. Peskov said police acted in accordance with Russian laws and the protesters were engaged in "provocative actions."

The House and Senate, as well as a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, are all investigating Russia's activities related to last year's U.S. elections, as well as potential links to Trump's campaign. The U.S. intelligence community concluded in a January report that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign meant to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton and help Trump's chances of winning.

"These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Now its Jeff Sessions turn in the spotlight.

Less than a week after fired FBI Director James Comey delivered riveting testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee about a series of what he described as "awkward" and "inappropriate" interactions with President Trump, Sessions, the attorney general, appears before the same panel Tuesday to take issue with some of Comeys statements.

But while Sessions says he wants to address the matters brought up by Comey during his testimony last Thursday, Democrats are aiming for a broader line of questioning that will include his meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the 2016 presidential campaign and his role in Comey's firing on May 9.

The attorney general of the United States needs to tell the American people why he testified untruthfully about his Russian contacts, and he needs to explain all of his conversations with the Russians that have been concealed, and also why he failed to protect the FBI and why he participated in firing the FBI director when he had recused himself because of those Russian conversations, said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Sessions' testimony, his first since he recused himself from the Russian investigation in early March, comes less than a week after Comey recounted during widely viewed testimony before the intelligence panel how Trump had sought to pressure him into dropping an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Trumps request, Comey testified, came during an unusual, one-on-one February 14 Oval Office conversation that followed other senior officials briefing Trump on counter-terrorism, including Sessions. Comey later complained to the attorney general about what he described as a "highly inappropriate" meeting, but he said Sessions "did not reply."

In a closed session that followed his public testimony, Comey told senators that Sessions may have had a third meeting with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, leading officials to conclude the attorney would have to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, several media outlets reported.

The Department of Justice has dismissed the purported third meeting between Sessions and Kislyak and denied Sessions ignored Comey's complaint.

Nevertheless, Sessions will face tough questioning about whether he perjured himself when he failed to disclose the meetings, said Jed Shugerman, a professor of at Fordham University School of Law in New York.

"That was a problem already. The problem only gets deeper if there is in fact a third contact he did not report," Shugerman said.

Sessions has denied charges that he misled the senators about his contacts with Kisliyak.

Another key question on senators' minds: Sessions' role in Comey's firing. The White House had initially said Trump fired Comey on the recommendations of Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. But Trump later said he dismissed Comey because of the Russia investigation.

Stephen Gillers, a professor of law at New York University, said Sessions has not answered why he played a role in Comey's firing given that he had recused himself from the Russia investigation.

"If he was recused, as he says he was, he should not have participated in the Comey firing," Gillers said.

Trump was never happy with Sessions' March 2 decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe. Sessions reportedly threatened to resign as tensions with Trump grew.

The Department of Justice says Sessions has adhered to the terms of his recusal from the Russia investigation, but Democrats are likely to press the attorney general about it.

"I believe that answer should be made to the American people," said Democratic Senator Ron Wyden.

The recusal likely will limit the scope of his answers.

"What can he possibly tell the Senate committee if indeed hes done what he said he was going to do, which would include staying away from any intelligence on the ongoing investigation," Gillers said.

Department of Justice spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Sessions asked that his appearance be open to the public.

"He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions, she said.

The testimony will be scrutinized as much for what Sessions says as what he declines to say.

Shugerman said Sessions is unlikely to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-recrimination in order to avoid answering certain questions. "He's trying to defend his reputation and hold on to his job," Shugerman said.

Asked if the White House thought Sessions should invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about his conversations with Trump, press secretary Sean Spicer said, "It depends on the scope of the questions."

Spicer did not explicitly endorse Sessions' appearance, saying in response to a question, "We're aware of it, and we'll go from there."

VOA's Michael Bowman contributed to this article.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Prepared Remarks to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Thank you Chairman Burr and Ranking Member Warner for allowing me to publicly appear before the committee today.

I appreciate the Committees critically important efforts to investigate Russian interference with our democratic process. Such interference can never be tolerated and I encourage every effort to get to the bottom of any such allegations.

As you know, the Deputy Attorney General has appointed a special counsel to investigate matters related to Russian interference in the 2016 election. I am here today to address several issues that have been specifically raised before this committee, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to questions as fully as I am able to do so. But as I advised you, Mr. Chairman, and consistent with long-standing Department of Justice practice, I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect confidential communications with the President.

Now, let me address some issues directly: I did not have any private meetings nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel. I did not attend any meetings at that event. Prior to the speech, I attended a reception with my staff that included at least two dozen people and President Trump. Though I do recall several conversations I had during that pre-speech reception, I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian Ambassador or any other Russian officials. If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian Ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it. After the speech, I was interviewed by the news media, which had gathered as I remember in a different room, and then I left the hotel.

But whether I ever attended a reception where the Russian Ambassador was also present is entirely beside the point of this investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 campaigns. Let me state this clearly: I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign. I was your colleague in this body for 20 years, and the suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie.

Relatedly, there is the assertion that I did not answer Senator Frankens question honestly at my confirmation hearing. That is false. This is how it happened. He asked me a rambling question that included dramatic, new allegations that the United States intelligence community had advised President-elect Trump that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trumps surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government. I was taken aback by these explosive allegations, which he said were being reported in breaking news that day. I wanted to refute immediately any suggestion that I was a part of such an activity. I replied, Senator Franken, Im not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I didnt have  did not have communications with the Russians, and Im unable to comment on it.

That was the context in which I was asked the question, and in that context, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it. It simply did not occur to me to go further than the context of the question and list any conversations I may have had with Russians in routine situations, as I had with numerous other foreign officials.

Please hear me now. It was only in March of this year that a reporter asked my spokesperson whether I had ever met with any Russian officials. This was the first time that question had been posed. On the same day, we provided that reporter with the information related to the meeting I and my staff had held in my Senate office with Ambassador Kislyak, as well as the brief encounter in July after a speech that I had given during the convention in Cleveland, Ohio. I also provided the reporter a list of all 25 foreign ambassador meetings I had held during 2016. In addition, I provided supplemental testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain this. I readily acknowledged these two meetings. Certainly nothing improper occurred.

Let me also explain clearly the circumstances of my recusal from the investigation into the Russian interference with the 2016 election. I was sworn in as Attorney General on Thursday, February 9th. The very next day, I met with career Department officials, including a senior ethics official, to discuss some things publicly reported in the press and that might have some bearing on the issue of recusal. From that point, February 10th, until I announced my formal recusal on March 2nd, I was never briefed on any investigative details and did not access information about the investigation; I received only the limited information that the Departments career officials determined was necessary to inform my recusal decision. As such, I have no knowledge about this investigation beyond what has been publicly reported, and I have taken no action with regard to any such investigation. On the date of my formal recusal, my Chief of Staff sent an email to the heads of the relevant departments, including by name to Director Comey of the FBI, to instruct them to inform their staffs of this recusal and to advise them not to brief me or involve me in any such matters. And in fact, they have not. Importantly, I recused myself not because of any asserted wrongdoing on my part during the campaign, but because a Department of Justice regulation, 28 CFR 45.2, required it. That regulation states, in effect, that Department employees should not participate in investigations of a campaign if they have served as a campaign advisor.

The scope of my recusal, however, does not and cannot interfere with my ability to oversee the Department of Justice, including the FBI, which has an $8 billion budget and 35,000 employees. I presented to the President my concerns, and those of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, about the ongoing leadership issues at the FBI as stated in my letter recommending the removal of Mr. Comey along with the Deputy Attorney Generals memorandum, which have been released publicly by the White House. It is a clear statement of my views. It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation would render an Attorney General unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations.

Finally, during his testimony, Mr. Comey discussed a conversation he and I had about a meeting Mr. Comey had with the President. I am happy to share with the committee my recollection of the conversation I had with Mr. Comey. Following a routine morning threat briefing, Mr. Comey spoke to me and my Chief of Staff. While he did not provide me with any of the substance of his conversation with the President, Mr. Comey expressed concern about the proper communications protocol with the White House and with the President. I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow Department policies regarding appropriate contacts with the White House. Mr. Comey had served in the Department of Justice for the better part of two decades, and I was confident that Mr. Comey understood and would abide by the Departments well-established rules governing any communications with the White House about ongoing investigations. My comments encouraged him to do just that and indeed, as I understand, he did. Our Department of Justice rules on proper communication between the Department and the White House have been in place for years. Mr. Comey well knew them, I thought, and assumed correctly that he complied with them.

I will finish with this. I recused myself from any investigation into the campaigns for President, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations. At all times throughout the course of the campaign, the confirmation process, and since becoming Attorney General, I have dedicated myself to the highest standards.

The people of this country expect an honest and transparent government and that is what we are giving them. This President wants to focus on the people of this country to ensure they are treated fairly and kept safe. The Trump agenda is to improve the lives of the American people. I know some have other agendas, but that is his agenda and it is one I share.

Importantly, as Attorney General I have a responsibility to enforce the laws of this Nation, to protect this country from its enemies, and to ensure the fair administration of justice. I intend to work every day with our fine team and the superb professionals in the Department of Justice to advance the important work we have to do. These false attacks, the innuendo, and the leaks, you can be sure, will not intimidate me. In fact, these events have only strengthened my resolve to fulfill my duty to reduce crime, and to support our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who work our streets every day. Just last week, it was reported that overdose deaths in this country are rising faster than ever recorded. The murder rate is up over 10 percentthe largest increase since 1968. Together, we are telling the gangs, the cartels, the fraudsters, and the terroristswe are coming after you. Every one of our citizens, no matter who they are or where they live, has the right to be safe in their homes and communities. And I will not be deterred, and I will not allow this great Department to be deterred from its vital mission.

Thank you.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony to the Senate Intelligence committee Tuesday will be open to the public. Sessions is expected to face sharp questioning from his former Senate colleagues about his role in the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 election.

The Justice Department said Monday that Sessions requested Tuesday's committee hearing be open because he "believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."

His testimony follows fired FBI Director James Comey's riveting session before the same Senate panel last week. Comey spoke of receiving pressure from President Donald Trump to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

Comey's remarks drew an angry response from the president on Friday accusing Comey of lying.

Trump's aides have dodged questions about whether conversations relevant to the Russia investigation have been recorded, and so has the president. Republicans have pressed Trump to say whether he has tapes of private conversations with Comey and provide them to Congress if he does  or possibly face a subpoena.

"I don't understand why the president just doesn't clear this matter up once and for all," said Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine and a member of the intelligence committee, referring to the existence of any recordings. She described Comey's testimony as "candid" and "thorough" and said she would support a subpoena of any tapes if needed.

Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, also a member of that committee, agreed the panel needed to hear any tapes, if they exist. "We've obviously pressed the White House," he said.

Lankford said Sessions' testimony Tuesday will help flesh out the truth of Comey's allegations, including Sessions' presence at the White House in February when Trump asked to speak to Comey alone. Comey alleges that Trump then privately asked him to drop a probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

Comey also has said Sessions did not respond when he complained he didn't "want to get time alone with the president again." The Justice Department has denied that, saying Sessions stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.

Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said "there's a real question of the propriety" of Sessions' involvement in Comey's dismissal, because Sessions had stepped aside from the federal investigation into contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey was leading that probe.

Reed said he also wants to know if Sessions had more meetings with Russian officials as a Trump campaign adviser than have been disclosed.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a member of the Intelligence committee, sent a letter to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, urging him to investigate possible obstruction of justice by Trump in Grassley's position as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Feinstein is the top Democrat on that panel and a member of both.

She said Sessions should also testify before the Judiciary Committee, because it was better suited to explore legal questions of possible obstruction. Feinstein said she was especially concerned after National Intelligence Director Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers refused to answer questions from the intelligence committee about possible undue influence by Trump.

Sessions stepped aside in March from the federal investigation into contacts between Russia and the campaign after acknowledging that he had met twice last year with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. The former senator from Alabama told lawmakers at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Sessions has been dogged by questions about possible additional encounters with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

As for the timing of Sessions' recusal, Comey said the FBI expected the attorney general to take himself out of the matters under investigation weeks before he actually did. Comey declined to elaborate in an open setting.

Collins and Feinstein spoke Sunday on CNN's State of the Union and Lankford appeared on CBS' Face the Nation. Reed was on Fox News Sunday.
Zimbabwean Donald Mvundla, who is living in USA, says time has come for all political parties in Zimbabwe to dump old leaders in order to save the country from "imminent collapse". Mvundla speaks with Studio 7's Gibbs Dube about political processes Zimbabwe devastated by serious economic decline.
Zimbabwes Health Minister Dr. David Parirenyatwa says avian influenza commonly known as bird flu, which affected thousands of chicken at a poultry farm near Harare, is under control.

Dr. Parirenyatwa told VOA Studio 7 that Irvines Farm, which has been quarantined, has assured government that it will dispose of all the infected birds in order to stop the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza.

Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique have banned Zimbabwean chicken imports after the disease killed 7,000 chicken, resulting in the immediate culling of over 140,000 at Irvines Farm. The farm produces more than 1,5 million day-old chicks per week.

Dr. Parirenyatwa said,  The department of agriculture went there very quickly and its advised that over 2 million chickens will be culled to make sure that this virus is stemmed out.

He asked Zimbabweans to avoid eating meat of infected chickens.

Generally H5N8 virus affects only birds and other animals and not human beings. So, generally there is no danger however we advise our people when that particular flu has been identified that they dont eat or consume those particular birds partly because they may get that flu but usually its a very mild flu 

Avian influenza has been reported in Europe, Asia and some parts of Africa where it has killed millions of domesticated birds.
Bogoslof volcano (Aleutian Islands): new series of larger explosions

Tue, 13 Jun 2017, 08:44 08:44 AM | BY: T 08:44 AM | BY: T

Photo of Bogoslof Island, June 11, 2017. Photo taken from an Alaska Airlines jet enroute to Adak (image: Cyrus Read, USGS/AVO)

After a pause about approx. 2 days with little detected activity since the large explosion on 10 June, a new series of relatively strong explosions began early today at 1:47 UTC 13 June (17:47 local time AKDT June 12). At least two larger pulses of activity occurred, each lasting 10-30 minutes and producing ash plumes up to 25,000 ft (7.5 km) altitude that dissipated within 30 minutes.According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), the last such episode of explosive activity ended at 04:35 UTC this morning (20:35 AKDT June 12).The ash from the latest eruptions is drifting SE toward Unalaska Island where minor ash fall could occur.For the time being, the volcano has been calmer again during the past hours, but as similar explosive events are likely to occur again in the near future, the Aviation Color Code remains at RED.Likely, the latest series of explosive eruptions have destroyed the lava dome observed on satellite data during the past week.


Voices From a Changing Middle East: Ahmad Kamal as Samer and Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan in The Return at Mosaic Theater Company. (Stan Barouh)

It took Mosaic Theater Company no time to forge a social justice identity beyond the Jewish lens of Theater J, where Mosaic Artistic Director Ari Roth had worked for nearly two decades until his firing at the end of 2014. But the Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival, begun in 2000 under Roth at Theater J, continues at the impressive young Mosaic as one of the most valuable streams in Washington theater.

Of course, the shows can be provocative, a fact of art that still surprises some folks in politics and business. The festivals body of work probes one of the most intractable conflicts in the modern world, the Israeli-Palestinian standoff characterized for many people by paralysis and futility, and with Israel now having occupied the West Bank for 50 years. Meantime, lives are lived and policies are debated, and the reality of whats dramatized in these plays is always palpable. The festival perpetually reminds Washington audiences of complexities on the ground and the real costs of the status quo.

The current play is the two-character The Return by Palestinian American actor-writer Hanna Eady and U.S. writer Edward Mast, and the taut 75-minute performance slowly teases out the fraught relationship between an Israeli woman and an Arab Palestinian auto mechanic in Israel. She thinks they have a shared history; he politely insists shes mistaken. John Vreekes production captures how cautiously, even fearfully they speak together. Sentences are gingerly stated, as if any given word might land on a mine.

It finally happens, of course  and you can tell something will erupt by the way actor Ahmad Kamal flinches whenever the woman (Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan) uses the word Palestinian. Gradually, we learn what his crime was, and how their paths intersected 13 years ago, before she spent eight years away in America.

Dramas featuring this kind of withheld information can be too coy, but Vreeke positions his two sharp actors on a narrow strip stage with the audience on opposite sides. That creates a sustained faceoff that never loses its tension, and a show with no wasted motion. Your eyes dart back and forth between Keegans carefully probing woman and Kamals patient, wary man. Their chess match is finely charted.

You feel the pressure of the security state that apparently watches them closely. That makes The Return a natural companion for Ulysses on Bottles, the Gilad Evron drama about a teacher imprisoned by a controlling government that opened this springs festival. Yet it also connects to Mosaics recent South African rep of The Blood Knot and A Human Being Died That Night, and to the race history in America that Mosaic has pointedly explored this year. The mans Arab identity is the sticking point, and a rant about what the word Palestinian really means is one of the most penetrating passages of the night.



Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan and Ahmad Kamal in The Return. (Stan Barouh)

The title of The Return refers not only to the womans appearance in the auto shop. It eventually gets to a deeper history, raising the kind of question that was ultimately too difficult to pose at Theater J in plays like Motti Lerners The Admission, which wound its way back to the establishment of Israel in 1948.

The Return is hardly a full portrait of the unsettled Israeli-Palestinian dilemma: its a voice, one of many to be given a platform by the festival that has always insisted on deep exploration and informed conversation. The performance by Kamal and Keegan  full of listening, compassion and pain, marked by deep unhealed wounds  is as compelling as it could be, and its in a well-worn groove of art about individuals pinned down by governmental superstructures and ingrained cultural patterns that become shamefully reductive and extraordinarily difficult to break.

Its a play that some will disagree with  par for the course with the festival, which is why 15 post-show discussions are scheduled with experts in a variety of fields. Thats the great ongoing invitation of this program: Watch a show. Talk it out.

The Return, by Hanna Eady and Edward Mast. Directed by John Vreeke. Set and lights, Colin K. Bills; costumes, Jeannette Christensen; sound design, Sarah OHalloran. About 75 minutes. Through July 2 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets $15-$60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been saying I dont know to reporters more often. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

More and more, the White House press office is saying less and less.

On question after question, press secretary Sean Spicer and deputy Sarah Huckabee Sanders have responded with the verbal equivalent of a shrug. They have repeatedly answered that they cant answer, dont know, or must refer the questioner to someone else.

Has President Trump taped his conversations in the White House, as he suggested last month? I have no idea, Sanders said Thursday.

Does the president have confidence in his attorney general? I have not had a discussion with him about that, Spicer replied Tuesday. (Sanders followed up two days later by saying absolutely.)

Did the president watch former FBI director James B. Comeys testimony before the Senate? I dont know if hes seen much of it, Sanders said last week.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

At the same time, the administrations press representatives are meeting less often with the press. During Trumps first 100 days in office, Spicer and Sanders held 53 official briefings and gaggles, informal, untelevised Q&As with small groups of reporters  a rate of about once every two days. In the 43 days since then, just 15 such sessions have been held, or once every three days. The briefings are getting briefer, too: Early on, Spicer engaged with reporters for an hour or longer; during his May 30 briefing, he took questions for just 11 minutes.

Spicers briefing on Monday may have set a record for brevity  he took questions for less than 11 minutes. Among his responses to 22 questions, he cited previous presidential statements, deferred answering or said he didnt know 11 times.

Some reporters say they can feel a chill in the White House briefing room.

One major change [from previous administrations] is the hostility emanating from the administration for certain members of the press, said April Ryan, who has covered the White House since President Bill Clintons last term. Ryan said Mike McCurry, Clintons press secretary, once described the White Houses interactions with the media as a friendly adversarial relationship. Nowadays, she said, the friendly has been dropped from that analogy.

[A Beltway tradition is on life support. Will we miss the White House briefing if it dies?]

Over the past month, Spicer and Sanders have said they couldnt or wouldnt address reporters questions about such topics as the timing of the presidents decision about moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, about the process for selecting a new FBI director or about whether Trump intends to replace two business executives who quit a presidential advisory panel in protest of his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement.

The press staffs most consistent no-comment territory, however, has been the congressional and special-counsel investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Spicer and Sanders now reflexively pass any inquiry about that subject to Trumps personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Of course, that hasnt stopped reporters from trying to get answers.

During Thursdays gaggle, Sanders offered the same response  talk to Kasowitz  five times. At one point, tired of the repetition, she compared reporters to young children. Im kind of looking around for my kids because I feel like, with toddlers, you get to answer the same question over and over, so Im in good practice for this, she said.

Repeated questions about alleged recordings of the presidents conversations with Comey prompted more snark. Asked if she could find out whether such a recording system existed in the Oval Office, Sanders replied, Sure, Ill try to look under the couches.

In an interview Saturday, Spicer said the rapid pace of issues and events at the White House warrants a cautious approach in responding. I think were trying to ensure that we offer the most accurate information possible regarding what the president is thinking on an issue. We cant and wont get ahead of the presidents thinking.

He also said reporters shared some of the responsibility for the White Houses wariness. Theres so much gotcha journalism, where the press wants to parse every word to create a story, that we have to be as precise as possible, Spicer said. The news has become about the clip and the segment rather than about understanding the issue.

But the White Houses reluctance to comment can sometimes seem like deflection or evasion amid the news of the day. As a presidential decision about withdrawing from the Paris treaty loomed late last month, for example, Spicer deployed a series of dodges to address Trumps beliefs about climate science.

Can you say whether or not the president believes that human activity is contributing to the warming of the climate? a reporter asked Spicer during a briefing on May 30.

Honestly, I havent asked him, he responded. I can get back to you.

Two days later, Time magazine reporter Zeke Miller circled back, noting that the president was about to announce his decision on the climate agreement.

What does the president actually believe about climate change? Does he still believe its a hoax? Can you clarify that? Because apparently nobody else at the White House can.

Spicers reply: I have not had an opportunity to have that discussion.

Although the Obama White House had its own reputation for bobbing and weaving, the Trump media operation has had to grapple with the presidents tendency to contradict its statements.

Trump also has announced some decisions before his communications staff was informed or prepared.

The White House press shop had to scramble last week to put out an official statement about Trumps pick for FBI director, Christopher Wray, after Trump had tweeted the nomination earlier in the morning. The five-hour delay in issuing the statement indicated that Trumps tweet had taken his staff by surprise.

Last month, after his aides rushed to put out the word that the president had fired Comey because of a memo from the deputy attorney general asserting that the FBI director had mishandled the investigation of Hillary Clintons private email server, Trump gave an interview to NBC stating that he fired Comey because of this Russia thing.

Shortly after that, the president acknowledged in a tweet his tendency to preempt his aides and advisers: As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!

A White House press aide to Obama offers a blunter assessment: Trump, no fan of reporters, has decided that he doesnt want his spokespeople to say much to them. My guess, he said, is their strategy of dismembering their press shop is another means to undermine the press at large.
Russell Gravatt and Liz Davis are shown outside the Dairy Godmother, a frozen-custard shop in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. Gravatt promises to carry on the tradition of the shop that Davis opened 17 years ago. (Tao Greaves)

The custard torch  imagine an Olympic torch, but with rich, creamy custard where the flame goes  has been passed in Del Ray: The Dairy Godmother is under new ownership.

It took a long time to find the right person who is both a combination of heart and business knowledge, said Liz Davis, the Wisconsin native who founded the much-beloved sweet spot in the funky Alexandria neighborhood.

That person is Russell Gravatt, long a fixture in the area dining scene. He was involved with Amys Ice Creams in Texas and helped found the original Austin Grill restaurant chain here.

When I heard Liz was going to retire and take on the next stage of her life, I called her up and said, Im interested,  Russell said.

[The fairy tale is over at Alexandrias Dairy Godmother frozen custard shop]

Liz and Russell have known each other since shortly after the Dairy Godmother opened. Though he lives in Maryland, Russell would stop by and sample the wares while the two talked shop. He once gave Liz gift certificates so she could take her two children to his restaurant.

I was deeply touched, Liz said. It was so thoughtful. He was somebody who could see how hard I was working. I took my kids there on my one day off, and we still remember it very well.

More recently, Russell said his two teenage daughters would demand that he take them from Bethesda to Alexandria for custard. On the weekends, thats a pain in the [bottom] to drive, he said. We did it because theres nothing like it.

Said Liz: His only flaw is hes not from Wisconsin. I think the customers are going to forgive him.

Said Russell: Ive promised that before the summers over I have to take a frozen-custard trip to Wisconsin with my wife and kids and try 10 or 12 stores.

Russell has worked for the past four years as an event chef for Design Cuisine caterers. Now hes taking on a new challenge, though one made easier by Lizs reputation and expertise.

The nice part is shes perfected it over 16 years, he said. It doesnt require anything  except learning everything she knows in her head. Thats a book taller than I am, and Im 5-10.

Speaking of books, Liz is working on a combination Dairy Godmother cookbook and childrens book. Now that shes sold the business, shell also be able to put more time into making custom Christmas crackers, those British holiday favors.

And customers will still see her around the Dairy Godmother, helping Russell learn the ropes. I will be as involved as Russell wants me to be, she said. I feel in some ways this is kind of a partnership.

Ill take full advantage of that, Russell said. I want to make sure its a seamless transition.

Any chance that Russell will rename the shop the Dairy Godfather?

He laughed. No, my kids have forbidden that, he said. They like the Dairy Godmother, and thats that. Why change anything? Besides, Marlon Brandos the only godfather therell ever be.

Now its Russell making a custard they cant refuse.

Clothes call

My recent musings on the scourge of delicate articles of clothing that must be hung to dry, rather then shoved in the dryer, prompted many suggestions from readers. The most common one was, Quit being such a lazy whiner, John.

The second-most common was to invest in some zippered mesh bags.

[Allow me to air my familys dirty laundry: Im clotheslined by the clothesline]

I have several and as delicate clothes get dirty I place the items in the mesh bag and on laundry day just zip them up and place in the washer with other items, wrote Elaine Horsfield of Oak Hill, Va. The items do not get tangled and when the washing is finished I retrieve the bag or bags and can hang the items with no difficulty.

Lu Clark of Ellicott City, Md., offered her own advice: Throw everything in the dryer. Wait five to 10 minutes, then the dainty stuff will have been separated. It will still be wet, but only damp. No shrinkage. Easy to hang up and the dryer unwrinkles everything. Just dont forget to get to the dryer!

Sammie R. Young, an 88-year-old who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said that after his daughter got married and his wife died, he came to miss the delicates tangled amongst the other laundry going into the drier from the washer.

Finally, Bill Evans of Vienna, Va., offers this: After several disasters over the years I have learned never wash any clothes that dont belong to me and never take clothes from the washer and put in the dryer unless they are mine!

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Sgt. Eric M. Houck had been expected to return from Afghanistan in less than two months.

But family members on Monday prepared for the Baltimore natives coffin to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, grieving their loss after the 25-year-old was killed Saturday in eastern Afghanistan.

He is my best friend, said his sister, Jessica Houck, 22, of Baltimore. Always there for me. He was and is my protector  someone everyone should look up to. I love him with all of my heart.

Houck was killed along with Sgt. William M. Bays, 29, of Barstow, Calif., and Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge, 22, of Youngsville, N.C. The three soldiers were gunned down in an apparent insider attack by an Afghan soldier, according to Afghan authorities and U.S. officials.

All three belonged to the 101st Airborne Division, and the incident, which happened in Nangahar province, is under investigation, authorities said.

Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25, of Baltimore, with daughter, Violet Houck, 3. Sgt. Houck died in Afghanistan Saturday from wounds suffered in an attack in Nangahar province. (Family photo)

[Pentagon identifies three soldiers killed in apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan]

Houck joined the Army in May 2013 and deployed last fall as a forward observer, according to a statement from Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he had been stationed since 2016.

Family members said Houck, who went to Perry Hall High School before he enlisted, was married to his teenage sweetheart, Samantha.

The pair met when Houck was 15 and she was 14, and they had two children: Eric EJ Houck Jr., 5, and Violet Houck, 3.

It was still a storybook romance, and they were just crazy about each other and their kids, said his grandfather, Bob Houck.

Soar High Baby, I love you Eric Houck with all I got, his wife posted Monday on Facebook.

You are and will always be mine!!!

Bob Houck said his grandson was a good and respectful man who played by the rules and was a hard worker, attaining the rank of sergeant in less than three years.

Houck posthumously earned the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and Army Commendation Medal with a second oak leaf cluster for his end-of-tour awards.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said in a statement on Facebook that American and Maryland flags will fly at half-staff when Houck is laid to rest, in honor of his memory and selfless dedication to our state and our nation.

Our hearts are filled with sorrow today as we learn of the passing of Sgt. Eric M. Houck, a native of Baltimore, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in Afghanistan, Hogan wrote Monday. Our sincere prayers go to his wife, Samantha, their children, and all of their family and loved ones in this time of grief.

Bob Houck added that his grandson could have had a bright future, and that you never really appreciate the sacrifice these kids make until it happens to you.

Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Clarence Williams and Josh Hicks contributed to this report.
The D.C. Council unanimously approved a $13.9 billion city budget Tuesday, capping months of debate about how to use newly abundant tax dollars to remedy a growing gap between haves and have-nots in the nations capital.

The budget, which will take effect Oct. 1, represents a 3.7 percent increase over the current spending plan of $13.4 billion.

Tuesdays vote was the second and final vote on the bulk of the next fiscal years budget, after a preliminary vote in May. Since then, the council had made only modest tweaks to its spending plan, such as restoring several million dollars to the D.C. streetcar project and to a fund for the development of renewable energy.

The budget will go to Congress for review. Although D.C. leaders claim the right to set their local budget under a 2013 voter referendum, the GOP-controlled Congress may ultimately impose restrictions on funding for certain local laws it finds objectionable, including legalized marijuana and assisted suicide.

Spending deliberations by council members and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) were less dramatic and contentious than in some years past. The most heated debates were over education funding  which the council increased above the level originally proposed by the mayor  and whether to delay scheduled tax cuts and devote the money instead to social programs.

Perhaps the least expected flash point was a wide-ranging proposal by the mayor, in legislation accompanying the budget, to revise the Districts animal-control laws. The new regulations would have included a ban on backyard chickens, licensing of all cats and a requirement that dog feces be removed from private yards within 24 hours.

The proposed animal rules faced intense opposition from D.C. residents, however, and were rejected by council members.

Bowser touted her budget proposal under the theme of inclusive prosperity  her administrations avowed goal of helping those left behind by the Districts economic growth.

However, activists and social-service providers  as well as some council members  questioned whether the budget devoted enough money to problems such as underperforming schools and rampant homelessness.

Council member Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) said Tuesday that the theme of greater opportunity did not match the content of the budget, because it did nothing to address the tremendous disparities that still exist in our city.

In addition to what he said was inadequate spending on public education, Gray  a former one-term mayor who lost his seat to Bowser in 2014  said Bowser has not devoted enough time or attention to building a new hospital in Southeast Washington, a project that has been stalled for years as the city tries to find a private-sector partner.

Bowser, who is up for reelection in 2018, said in a statement that her original budget proposal was a reflection of our residents input and advances our commitment to D.C. values and inclusive prosperity.

She also praised the revised budget approved by the council, which she said will advance our efforts to improve the quality of life for residents in all eight wards.
A fraternity chapter at U-Va. announced plans to settle a lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine. The lawsuit, filed in 2015, was the third defamation case brought against the magazine stemming from its November 2014 publication of A Rape on Campus. (Norm Shafer For The Washington Post)

A Phi Kappa Psi fraternity chapter disclosed Tuesday that it will receive $1.65 million to drop its lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine in a defamation case involving allegations  later debunked  that University of Virginia students participated in a gang rape.

A spokesman for the fraternity, Brian Ellis, confirmed the amount of the settlement payment in an email to The Washington Post. Terms of the agreement to settle and dismiss the suit in state court in Charlottesville will be finalized in coming days.

It has been nearly three years since we and the entire University of Virginia community were shocked by the now infamous article, and we are pleased to be able to close the book on that trying ordeal and its aftermath, the Virginia Alpha chapter of the fraternity wrote in a statement. The chapter looks forward to donating a significant portion of its settlement proceeds to organizations that provide sexual assault awareness education, prevention training and victim counseling services on college campuses.

The statement said members of the fraternity would not be available for interviews.

Rolling Stone declined to comment.

The lawsuit, filed in 2015, was the third defamation case brought against the magazine stemming from its November 2014 publication of A Rape on Campus.

The 9,000-word account detailed blistering allegations of sexual assault at U-Va., including what the magazine described as a brutal gang rape hazing ritual.

The article described the experiences of a U-Va. student named Jackie, who told of being assaulted by seven men while two others watched at a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity party during her freshman year in 2012. Amid a national resurgence of interest in campus sexual assault cases, the Rolling Stone story drew widespread attention almost instantly for its raw portrayal of fraternity culture run amok. The article, an online viral sensation by journalist Sabrina Rubin Erdely, attracted huge readership to the magazines website.

[U-Va. fraternity files $25 million lawsuit against Rolling Stone]

But Rolling Stone later retracted the article after an investigation by The Post showed that the magazines reporting and fact-checking was fatally flawed.

Two reports, by the Charlottesville Police Department and Columbia University journalism school, confirmed The Posts findings that the assault described in Rolling Stone never occurred.

[Key elements of Rolling Stone gang rape allegations in doubt]

After the articles retraction, U-Va. administrator Nicole Eramo filed a lawsuit claiming that she was erroneously portrayed as callous and indifferent to Jackies rape allegations. Eramo sought $7.5 million.

[Rolling Stone settles with former U-Va. dean in defamation case]

In November, a jury ruled in Eramos favor and awarded her $3 million, but during appeal the case was settled confidentially. Three alumni members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity had filed a separate lawsuit in federal court against the magazine, but a judge dismissed that case in June 2016.

In accepting the $1.65 million settlement now, the U-Va. Phi Kappa Psi chapter is forgoing a jury trial and dropping its original request for $25 million.

The settlement is likely to mark a conclusion to the legal phase of the Rolling Stone story and its aftermath.

U-Va., a prestigious public flagship university, was thrown into tumult when the story was first published. President Teresa A. Sullivan briefly suspended fraternities that fall and took other measures intended to improve campus safety. Then, after the story was debunked and retracted, the university sought to repair any damage it had sustained to its public image. On Tuesday, U-Va. spokesman Matt Charles said the university had no comment on the emerging legal settlement in the case.

For Phi Kappa Psi, the plaintiff, the settlement will end an ordeal that tested the fraternitys bonds. After the storys publication, the fraternity mansion was defaced with graffiti, including a scrawl that read UVA center for rape studies, and windows were vandalized, leaving shards of glass covering the floors. Members of the chapter went into hiding, booking hotel rooms to avoid going near the house.

In previous interviews with The Post, fraternity members have said they knew within 24 hours of the articles publication that they had evidence casting doubt on the Rolling Stone account.

For Rolling Stone, the fallout from the debunked story and ensuing lawsuits, combined with a flagging industry, continues to take a heavy toll, said Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism. He said there are signs that the magazine is in trouble, appearing to have fewer ads and pages.

If you look at the magazine today, its starting to look like a shadow of its past, Husni said. It is something you cant hide. The magazine is not in a healthy place.

The biggest hit the magazine has endured, Husni said, is to its reputation as an outlet for investigative journalism. In addition to the music and the entertainment, investigative stories were a cornerstone of Rolling Stone, he said. But where are they now? Magazines cannot survive on memory or on history. Magazines survive on the future.

Joe Heim contributed to this report.
Jessie K. Liu, a former Justice Department deputy assistant attorney general, was nominated to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, the White House said in a statement Monday.

Liu, 44, is deputy general counsel for the Treasury Department. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be head of the countrys largest U.S. attorneys office, with more than 300 prosecutors.

[White House set to nominate former Justice deputy to be Districts U.S. attorney]

A Yale Law School graduate, Liu was formerly an assistant U.S. attorney in the District and worked in the Department of Justices national security division.

Roscoe C. Howard Jr., U.S. attorney for the District from 2001 to 2004 who worked with Liu, praised the choice.

She knows the office and the office knows her, he said.
Sam Panopoulos displays his 1962 invention, the Hawaiian pizza, in 2010. Panopolous died June 8, 2017, in a London, Ontario hospital. He was 83. (Derek Ruttan/Postmedia Network File Photo)

When the American inventor Samuel Morse visited 19th-century Naples, the birthplace of the modern pizza, he described that citys preferred street food as a piece of bread that had been taken reeking out of the sewer.

A century later, a 20-year-old Greek named Sam Panopoulos found himself similarly disappointed. Stopping in Naples during a 1954 voyage to Canada, he found his first taste of pizza  a bun topped with sauce and spaghetti  uninspiring.

Yet Mr. Panopoulos, who opened a restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, called Satellite, eventually warmed to the yeasted flatbread that Neapolitan bakers had popularized in the 1700s and that Greek chefs had whipped up for sailors more than a thousand years before.

Searching for new pizza flavors one day in 1962, he reached for a can of fruit and launched a culinary revolution, topping his restaurants standard cheese pizza with bits of ham and pineapple. The result was sweet, sour and savory  a flavor combination hailed ever since as both revelatory and repugnant, a Canadian treasure and a Polynesian perversion.

For pizza partisans around the world, especially those who saw it as an oven-baked abomination, it prompted the same question that Morse posed in his first long-distance telegraph message: What hath God wrought?

Mr. Panopoulos, who is widely credited with having created and named the Hawaiian pizza, died June 8 at 83, four months after his fruit-laden, at times politically polarizing creation triggered a spat between the leaders of Iceland and Canada.

His pizza was part of a long tradition of experimentation, said Carol Helstosky, a culinary scholar at the University of Denver who has written about the history of pizza. In Naples, it was a cuisine of scarcity: Whatever you had, you tossed it on  garlic, anchovies, other little fish bits.

By the 1950s, she said, pizza was acquiring widespread popularity in the United States, and newspapers ran recipes that featured toppings such as liverwurst and onions. Pepperoni didnt become a common topping until the early 70s.

The pizza in those days was primitive, you know? Mr. Panopoulos told the website Atlas Obscura in 2015. The dish wasnt available in Chatham, so Mr. Panopoulos and his two brothers drove to restaurants in Detroit, 50 miles west. There, topping choices were limited to mushrooms, bacon and pepperoni.

Satellite, the restaurant he started with his siblings, sold standard diner fare and Chinese food  a pile of Chinese food, Mr. Panopoulos said, at the suggestion of a Chinese resident who noted that no other restaurants in the area offered the cuisine  before expanding to pizzas. Pineapple was soon added as a topping, and the pizza was named Hawaiian because of the brand of canned fruit Mr. Panopoulos used.

The pies turned out to be a hit, he said, in part because most other restaurant food was bland or boring. People didnt go for a lot of different tastes and foods, he told the BBC in February. The only thing you could find then sweet-and-sour was Chinese, nothing else. Everything else was plain.

Pizza boxes, like the food itself, were improvised, made using cardboard from a nearby furniture store.

Mr. Panopoulos in 1975 sold Satellite, where the Hawaiian pizza is still on the menu ($21 Canadian for a large), and moved to London, Ontario, to operate a restaurant called the Family Circle. In an obituary, his family announced his death at a London hospital but did not disclose the cause. He was 83.

Mr. Panopoulos appeared perplexed at times that his pizza was hated by so many, sometimes including heads of state.

The president of Iceland, Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson, told a group of high-schoolers in February that he was firmly opposed to pineapples on pizza and would like to ban the topping. In Canada, where the Hawaiian pizza ranks alongside maple syrup and poutine as a national culinary treasure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by tweeting the hashtag #TeamPineapple in support of this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation.

Johannesson soon issued a statement on Facebook, writing: I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I do not have the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapples on their pizza. I am glad that I do not hold such power.

For pizzas, he added, I recommend seafood.

Sotirios Panopoulos was born in Vourvoura, Greece, in 1934. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Christina Panopoulos; two children, Margie and Bill; a sister; and four grandchildren.

Mr. Panopoulos said he wished he had filed for a trademark or patent on his pizza, but at the time believed it was just another piece of bread cooking in the oven.

He remained fiercely protective of his creation through the years, insisting that he was the first to use pineapple and meat together on a pizza. When it was suggested that others might have done it first, but that surely there was a chance that Mr. Panopoulos might have created it after all, he seemed almost to have been insulted.

What do you mean I might have?  he told the London Free Press in 2010. I did.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday said regulators went too far in trying to rein in the high cost of phone calls for prison inmates.

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with phone service companies in finding that the Federal Communications Commission had exceeded its authority.

The ruling is a setback for prison reform advocates who have been fighting for years to reduce the prices imposed by a handful of private companies.

It is profoundly disappointing and will result in serious continuing harm to untold numbers of families and loved ones of incarcerated people, said Andrew Schwartzman, an attorney with Georgetown University Law Centers Institute for Public Representation, who defended the rate caps in court. We have a lot of work to do at the FCC.

The court was asked to decide whether federal regulators have the authority to cap prices for in-state inmate calls that the judges noted can cost as much as $56 for a four-minute call in some locations.

In general, inmates making calls from state and federal facilities must have accounts with private companies to hold money deposited by family members. The companies then share some of the revenue with the facilities.

[A case over the prices inmates pay for phone calls turned 'really strange']

In its 39-page opinion, the court acknowledged the extraordinarily high rates and lack of competition, but said the commission had misread the law and based its rate caps on patently unreasonable calculations.

The majority found the law specifically directs the commission to ensure that all providers are fairly compensated for in-state calls and calls between states, wrote Judge Harry T. Edwards, who was joined by Judge Laurence H. Silberman.

In her dissent, Judge Cornelia T.L. Pillard disputed the assertion that fairly compensated is not about fairness to the consumer.

I cannot agree that a company is fairly compensated  when it charges inmates exorbitant prices to use payphones inside prisons and jails, shielded from competition by a contract granting it a facility-wide payphone monopoly, Pillard wrote.

[FCC made a case for limiting cost of prison phone calls. Not anymore.]

The issue was first raised more than 15 years ago by a retired nurse in the District who could not afford to call her incarcerated grandson. Federal regulators had pushed since 2013 to lower the costs, saying the prices made it too hard for relatives to stay in touch.

But the commission went in a different direction following a change in the balance of political power at the FCC. Soon after President Trump tapped a new chairman, and just before oral argument at the D.C. Circuit in February, the commission told the court it was abandoning its defense of the agencys own rules.

The new FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, had voted against the rate caps as a sitting Republican commissioner, and the FCCs lawyer told the court that the agency does not have the authority to cap in-state calls that account for more than 80 percent of calls.

In a statement Tuesday, Pai said he would work with colleagues, Congress and all stakeholders to address the problem of high inmate calling rates in a lawful manner.

A number of states, including New Jersey and New York, have independently lowered rates for inmates. But a coalition of law enforcement officials joined the private companies in opposing the caps because they depend on the shared funds or site commissions. Phone-service companies pay more than $460 million in commissions annually to correctional facilities, according to a brief filed by a coalition of advocates for inmates and their families.

The D.C. Circuit found that at least a portion of the site commissions are a legitimate cost to the companies of providing calling services.

In a minor victory for inmate advocates, the court said that the commission can limit additional fees specifically connected to interstate, but not intrastate, calls.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who first pushed for lower rates in 2013, called the courts decision deeply disappointing.

It is a sad day for the more than 2.7 million children in this country with at least one incarcerated parent, she said Tuesday in a statement. But the families who have experienced the pain, anguish and financial burden of trying to communicate with a loved one in jail or prison, are still counting on us, so we will press on.
A 23-month-old boy died Tuesday after he was found in a small childrens pool in the back yard of a privately run day-care center in Northeast Washington, according to District police and fire officials.

D.C. police are investigating the death. The name of the toddler was not immediately made public. He would have turned 2 on June 25.

The incident occurred about 11:20 a.m. at Dianes Child Care, run out of a rowhouse in the 300 block of 17th Street NE, three blocks north of Eastern Senior High School.

Authorities released few details of what happened. Police would only say that their initial investigation revealed the toddler fell into the pool. He was rushed to a hospital, then transferred to Childrens National Medical Center, where police said he died.

Law enforcement officials said first responders arrived at the house and found an adult performing CPR on the toddler, who had been placed on top of a patio table. Those officials said the toddler had been discovered floating facedown in the pool.

The day-care center is run by Diane E. Gallmon, according to District licensing records. She also owns the two-story rowhouse, tax records state. Gallmon declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday afternoon.

An Internet site promoting her business says the center is open

7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is for children ages 1 year through 4 years old, and includes children with special needs. The site says there is a playground and promotes the center as a co-op that requires parents active involvement.

Patience Peabody, spokeswoman for the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, which regulates day-care centers, said the facilitys license is up to date. It is licensed for six youngsters  two infants and four of school age, according to records.

In a statement, the superintendents office said its staff along with the Child and Family Services Agency is investigating, in addition to the D.C. police. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the child, the statement says.

Pools are allowed at day-care centers in the District. The city requires adult one-to-one supervision for toddlers 36 months and under who use a pool. A Licensee shall maintain constant and active supervision when any child is in or around water, the regulations state.

The District also requires written permission from parents or guardians to allow children to be in water that is more than one foot deep. Pools at least four feet deep must be behind a secure fence and inaccessible to children at all times, unless qualified adults are present.
Workers for government contractor DynCorp International conspired to bilk the State Department out of millions of dollars, according to a federal investigation in Virginia.

The criminal charges come as DynCorp faces an unrelated civil suit by the Justice Department in the District of Columbia that contends that the company allowed a subcontractor to charge excessive rates. DynCorp has denied wrongdoing, saying it stopped working with that subcontractor many years ago.

Both cases involve the training of civilian police officers in Iraq. A 2010 report from the State Departments special inspector general for Iraqs reconstruction found that oversight of Dyncorps police training contract was, and for years had been, weak.

One defendant pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, along with two relatives who lied to cover up his crime. Another alleged co-conspirator is headed for trial, and another is being extradited from Europe.

Federal authorities allege that the convicted man, Wesley Struble, who most recently lived in the Philippines, knew his co-defendants, Emil Popescu and Jose Rivera, from the world of Iraqi contracting.

Popsecu and Struble were working in 2011 at a company that leased a camp from an Iraqi firm for $124,000 a month. Together, according to prosecutors, they concocted a plan to get DynCorp to lease the camp for more than five times that amount.

Popescu went to work for the Iraqi company and persuaded them to cut their current lease, then offer the camp to DynCorp for half a million more a month, authorities allege. Struble, meanwhile, joined Rivera at DynCorp, where they helped persuade the McLean, Va.-based contractor to pay the inflated rent. They falsely claimed the previous tenant had paid the same amount.

The State Department paid $5,320,000 in rent for the property from September 2011 through April 2014. Popescu, Rivera and Struble shared the profits with Iraqi co-conspirators, according to prosecutors.

In a statement, DynCorp spokeswoman Mary Lawrence declined to comment, noting that the company is not the subject of this investigation.

Rivera and Struble sent thousands of dollars back to family in the United States, sometimes hidden in stereo speakers, according to court documents.

Struble persuaded his mother and sister to lie about that money. Now, all three have pleaded guilty  Struble to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Act, and his mother and sister to lying in front of a grand jury.

In a recorded phone call in November 2015, Struble told Rivera to simply pretend he had been saving money for years.

It takes a lot to go into bank records anyway, you know, for any sort of investigation, Struble said, according to court records.

Rivera, who court records indicate was working with federal agents, said he did not know how much money they had made but that he could not possibly have saved that much from his legitimate work.

It wasnt as much as we wanted, I know that, Struble replied.

Popescu maintained in a March interview with special agents that the money he received was from his salary and performance bonuses, according to an FBI affidavit.

Rivera was arrested last month at his home in Potomac, Md. Popescu, a Romanian citizen, was arrested in that country around the same time, according to local news reports. Both are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Rivera on Friday pleaded not guilty and announced his intent to go to trial, despite having cooperated in the investigation against Struble. Popescu is still in the process of being extradited.

Struble, 49, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison Friday. He was also ordered to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution.

The U.S. native has for the past five years been living in the Philippines with a woman he met in Iraq. They have two children together, along with her two children from a previous marriage.

In court filings, defense attorneys emphasized that he is a decorated veteran of the war in Iraq. Struble was awarded a Bronze Star for his work as an Air Force counterintelligence agent just after the invasion. His crime, they say, was an isolated incident.
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
Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam won the Democratic nomination for governor of Virginia Tuesday by an unexpectedly wide margin, and Republican Ed Gillespie held off a surprising challenge from Donald Trump acolyte Corey A. Stewart for that partys nomination.

With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, Gillespie edged past Stewart by just over a percentage point  fewer than 4,500 votes. State Sen. Frank W. Wagner was a distant third.

The nation was watching Virginia as a political laboratory for how the political parties handle the deep divisions that followed last years election of President Trump. The establishment forces seemed to win out, as Virginia voters resisted efforts to pull further to the right or left.

Perriello channeled the energy  and endorsement  of progressive leader Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as he tried to shake up the Democratic Party, but fell short in his bid to bring in enough new voters from among the young and working class to overcome Northams command of the Democratic machine, including the endorsement of nearly every Democratic elected leader in state or federal office.

Celebrating at a restaurant in Arlington, Northam led a giddy crowd in a call-and-response chant, ending with a call to take back the Democratic majority in the GOP-controlled House of Delegates. He said he had spoken with Perriello and we agreed that were going to bring all Democrats under the tent starting tonight. This is too important an election. This is the bellwether of the country.

He had planned to start campaigning right away with the newly minted Democratic ticket, including lieutenant governor candidate Justin Fairfax, who beat two opponents, and Attorney General Mark R. Herring, who was unopposed for the nomination.

But Northam and Perriello, who were scheduled to appear together Wednesday with the ticket as well as Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez, cancelled their unity rally after a gunman shot and wounded House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La) and several others during a practice for a GOP congressional baseball team earlier in the morning in Alexandria.

The Republican ticket of Gillespie, lieutenant governor candidate Jill Holtzman Vogel, a state senator from Fauquier County who beat two opponents and attorney general nominee John Adams, who had no primary opponent, turned its first campaign stop Wednesday into a prayer event in honor of the shooting victims. The Republicans cancelled the rest of their planned campaign stops for the day.

But there was less unity among Republicans, with Stewart refusing to concede and saying he wouldnt support Gillespie, a man he derided throughout the campaign as Establishment Ed.

There is one word you will never hear from me, and thats unity,  Stewart told supporters at a restaurant in Woodbridge. Weve been backing down too long. Weve been backing down too long in defense of our culture, and our heritage and our country.

Stewart huddled with his campaign staffers, who said they wanted to wait until all absentee ballots were counted and were weighing a request for a recount.

Stewarts strength on the Republican ballot was the biggest surprise of the evening. He had been running as more Trump than Trump, making provocative statements and campaigning on the issue of preserving Confederate monuments. Polls had shown him with a fraction of Gillespies support, but a low turnout among Republican voters gave Stewarts committed base an outsize influence, and Wagner drew significant votes in Hampton Roads that might otherwise have gone to Gillespie.

Republican candidate for governor Ed Gillespie, right, talks with Republican lieutenant governor candidate Glenn Davis, left, at a polling place Tuesday in Richmond. (Steve Helber/AP)

Overall, Democrats turned out in far greater numbers than Republicans. About 540,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, while just over 360,000 voters cast ballots on the Republican side, with nearly all precincts reporting.

Both showings outstripped the Democratic primary for governor in 2009, when about 320,000 voters cast ballots.

Gillespies support in Fairfax County cushioned his slight edge as final returns came trickling in. Stewart scored big wins in Washingtons exurbs  Loudoun, Fauquier and his home base of Prince William County  as well as in the rural central and southwest regions of the state.

Stewarts showing rattled Republicans at Gillespies party at a Hilton Hotel ballroom in the Richmond suburbs, where supporters who had expected a blowout were concerned to see Stewart running a close second.

Gillespie had remained upstairs at the Hilton most of the evening, but finally took the stage at 10:46 p.m. to chants of Ed! Ed! Ed!

Sorry to keep you waiting, he said with a small laugh.

He spun the squeaker as sign of fiscal prudence. I always tell our donors, obviously we did not waste a penny  any more than we needed to win this nomination.

In his remarks, Gillespie reached out to Republicans who had supported Stewart and Wagner. We want you to know that we not only will listen to you, we will fight for you through November, he said.

He did not invoke Trump, who has cast a shadow over the governors race all year. The presidents approval rating in Virginia is even lower than it is nationwide: Just 36 percent of Virginians were satisfied with his performance in a poll conducted last month by The Washington Post and the Schar School at George Mason University.

That creates a challenge for Republican candidates this fall, because the partys base still supports the president, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School. Virginias race, he said, will show whether a prominent Republican in a major campaign is able to separate himself in the publics mind from the unpopular policies and actions of the Trump administration, while at the same time not losing much of the Republican support a candidate is going to need to win a general election.

Gillespies narrow win, coming from a small and apparently unenthusiastic electorate, suggests that he faces a major challenge as he tries to both woo Stewart voters and attract moderates and independents while he fights a highly motivated Democratic opposition.

A former consultant to President George W. Bush and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Gillespie played it down the middle during the primary campaign as Stewart kept trying to provoke him. He has been a lukewarm supporter of Trump, but cast himself as a true conservative who will cut taxes and promote business.

But Gillespie, apparently trying to conserve resources and cement his front-runner status, had avoided appearances with his campaign rivals in recent weeks, preferring smaller, more controlled settings. He never seemed to inspire as much passion as Stewart, for good or ill.

Steve Chapman cast a ballot for Stewart at Mullen Elementary School in Manassas. He said that Stewart may have gone a too far with his embrace of Confederate heritage, but figured it was just a campaign shtick.

Corey, he likes attention so I think he takes controversial stances and I dont know if he believes it, said Chapman, who is 39 and self-employed. Thats whats he does. Its a way to get earned media attention.

But that behavior, combined with the constant flow of controversy from the Trump administration in Washington, also energized Democrats.

Many voters said they were inspired to come out because of events in Washington. Alexandria resident Curt Arledge, 32, had never voted in a gubernatorial primary but decided this year that it was too important for him to miss.

[Live results: Virginia primary election]

Clothed in a T-shirt that displayed Smokey Bear wearing a resist hat, the Democrat voted for Northam because he thought he could win in November.

I cant recall any of the issues, I hate to admit, Arledge said. I want to nominate Democrats who can get elected.

Outside groups have poured money and attention into Virginia, and a vast army of new candidates have flooded the Democratic side of House races  including a record number of female candidates.

Perriello drew national attention with his eloquent plea for a new kind of Democratic politics  more aggressive, more about persuading others to change than about accommodating the realities of a Virginia legislature controlled by Republicans. He attracted outside money and endorsements from national political figures.

And more than any other candidate, Perriello made the governors race explicitly about standing up to Trump.

In Arlington, Matt Canella, 29, and Mariah Finkel, 30, were inspired to vote for Perriello in large part because they felt he had more aggressively attacked the president.

Finkels vote, she said, was mostly based off what I see on commercials.

But Northam responded in kind, calling Trump a narcissistic maniac and pledging to resist his policies. He and Perriello never really disagreed about many issues, with one notable exception: Perriello opposed a pair of natural-gas pipelines being built in rural parts of the state. Northam refused to condemn them.

That issue will continue to rise up during the general election; anti-pipeline protesters briefly interrupted Northams victory rally.

Perriello wasted no time conceding, making his statement to supporters about 90 minutes after polls closed. To screams of Go, Tom, Go!Perriello addressed his supporters gathered at the State Theatre in Falls Church and urged unity against very scary Republicans . . . We dont even know how scary that individual might be yet, referring to the down-to-the-wire fight between Stewart and Gillespie.

He credited his own campaign with a great victory for forcing issues of economic inequality into the political conversation. Together we helped elevate mainstream ideas that should have been there all along, he said, citing his support for a $15 minimum wage as an example. I think its movements that change the world, and politicians who work as allies to that movement.

But first, Perriello praised Northam for winning a great victory, and offered him my full and unequivocal support.

Long before Tuesdays voting took place, both Perriello and Northam had agreed to appear at a Democratic unity rally on Wednesday in Northern Virginia, along with Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Democratic National Party Chairman Tom Perez. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), who had endorsed Perriello, tweeted a congratulatory message to Northam on Tuesday night.

In the House of Delegates, all 100 seats were on the ballot. Democrats caught up in anti-Trump fervor say they want to pick up enough seats to take over the majority, but that will be a tough task. Republicans have a 66 to 34 advantage.

Antonio Olivo, Jenna Portnoy, John Woodrow Cox, Fenit Nirappil, Laura Vozzella, Patricia Sullivan, Alejandra Matos, Reis Thebault, Sarah Robertson and Catherine York contributed to this report.

[Just tuning in to Virginia governors race? Well help you do your homework]

[To shake up Democratic Party, progressives turn to primary race in Va.]

[Road to Richmond: Va. governors race is early political test in Trump era]

[Democratic nomination for governor could depend on black voters]
In life, as in literature, the more complex character is the more compelling and the more realistic. We may crave heroes, but we end up with humans. The cardboard figure of unblemished rectitude, who performs impeccably under pressure and is impelled only by the purest motives, gives way to a real person, with all the inevitable blemishes and failings that human nature is heir to.

So it is with James B. Comey, the fired FBI director.

The nations first introduction to Comey came a decade ago, with his dramatic account of racing to the hospital room of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to head off an effort to pressure the gravely ill Ashcroft to reauthorize a secret surveillance program.

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey described the tense scene as top White House aides arrived at Ashcrofts room in an unavailing effort to secure his signature. FBI agents, dispatched by, yes, then-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, were posted outside the door to prevent Comeys ouster as he faced down the presidents men.

This was Comey as superhero, able to leap up hospital stairs in a single bound. It was Comey as resolute public servant, leader of a brave band prepared to quit rather than waver in defense of the rule of law.

(Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

I couldnt stay, if the administration was going to engage in conduct that the Department of Justice had said had no legal basis, Comey testified. I just simply couldnt stay.

Comey, the sequel, presents a figure more nuanced, imperfect  and realistic. He may have an aw-shucks demeanor (Lordy, I hope there are tapes), but he exposed himself as a Washington operator and survivor, with all the bureaucratic maneuvering and sail-trimming that entails.

This Comey didnt confront, he navigated, walking the treacherously narrow path between his desire not to alienate the new president and his mounting alarm at Trumps heedlessness of proper boundaries.

Thus, according to Comeys account, he found himself at an uncomfortably intimate dinner with the president in the Green Room, seeking to defuse Trumps demand for loyalty first with stone-faced silence, next by acceding to the presidents oxymoronic honest loyalty.

As Comey recalled, I decided it wouldnt be productive to push it further.

Less than a month later, left alone with the president in the Oval Office, Comey again ducked a direct challenge. As Comey testified, when Trump expressed his hope that Comey could drop the case against fired national security adviser Michael Flynn, the FBI director lunged for their common ground: Hes a good guy.

Asked why he did not rebuff the president, Comey offered, Maybe if I were stronger I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in. This was not Comey the brave but Comey the self-protective bureaucrat. He didnt confront, but he did write a memo to the file.

Nor was this the first administration in which Comey chose his battles with an eye to political realities. When then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch asked him to call the Hillary Clinton email probe a matter, not an investigation, Comey testified, I just said, all right . . . this isnt a hill worth dying on.

And then there is the matter of Comeys bank-shot leak, from him to Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman to, anonymously of course, the New York Times  all in the service, Comey testified, of seeing a special counsel appointed. Not exactly the behavior of a Boy Scout, unless there is now a merit badge in Machiavelli.

That is not to say that Comey was wrong to get out the word about his chilling encounter. Its just that his aura of by-the-book self-righteousness comes with a slightly less honorable tinge. Comey has managed to infuriate both Democrats  with his imperious decision to assume an outsize role on the Clinton, ahem, matter  and Republicans, a decade ago and now.

Listening to Comeys testimony called to mind Benjamin Wittess account of a conversation when, Comey, still in his job, expressed palpable concerns about deputy attorney general nominee Rod J. Rosenstein, a career prosecutor who had managed to keep his political appointment under Republican and Democratic presidents. Rod is a survivor, Comey observed. As Wittes paraphrased: You dont get to survive that long across administrations without making compromises.

Did Comey recognize something of himself? Once he was, or presented himself as, the archetype of unyielding probity, now he has morphed into something more complex  less heroic, more flesh-and-blood. This Comey is more flawed and, perhaps for that very reason, more believable.

Read more from Ruth Marcuss archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
It is apparently not enough for some of the liberal-minded to help those on Medicare and Social Security; now people must be guaranteed eligibility for heaven as well. Or at least be protected from those who believe in the other place.

At a contentious confirmation hearing last week for Russell Vought as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget  generally not known as an institution with theological job requirements  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took vigorous exception to an online post Vought had written claiming that Muslims (and, presumably, others) who have rejected Jesus Christ therefore stand condemned.

Sanders found this indefensible and hateful. But at least when it comes to a belief in hell, Vought is hardly a rarity. Universalism is not universal. According to recent Pew polling, about 80 percent of evangelical Protestants believe in hell, along with 76 percent of Muslims and 63 percent of Catholics. Even 27 percent of those who identify as nones  the religiously unaffiliated  retain a belief in hell. And then there is that forlorn 3 percent who dont believe in God at all but still believe in hell. Perhaps they are with Jean-Paul Sartre: Hell is other people.

Not every religious tradition features eternal damnation. The Hebrew scriptures have only the faintest hints about an afterlife of any kind. So it makes sense that Jews reject the existence of hell by an 80/20 split. In Hinduism and Buddhism, hell is more of a way station than a final destination. But traditional interpretations of Christianity and of Islam feature a day of final judgment, at which some people dont make the grade.

For a lot of people, hell is little more than a mental holding place for Hitler. If you believe in an afterlife, the question naturally arises: Can saints and genocidaires really share the same eternal fate? But the argument cuts the other way. As it occurred to evangelical pastor Rob Bell: Gandhis in hell? Bell went on to write a book  Love Wins  that embraced universalism and got him branded unorthodox and worse.

Bell is not alone in trying to blunt this particular religious edge. Christian history is studded with figures who expressed a universally inclusive notion of grace, such as 17th-century poet and pastor John Donne: Christ hath excommunicated no Nation, no shire, no house, no man. Even defenders of the idea of hell such as C.S. Lewis felt compelled to soften the concept. Lewiss literary depiction of hell is not a lake of fire but a gray suburb in which it is always raining and nothing is satisfying and everyone quarrels with the neighbors. For Lewis, hell is eternally self-chosen by those consumed by egotism. The doors of hell, he said, are locked on the inside.

In all the complexities of theology and metaphysics that this topic raises, I am utterly confident of one thing: No one has ever asked, What is Bernie Sanderss view on this? But he has offered it. In justifying his opposition to Vought, Sanders said: This country, since its inception, has struggled, sometimes with great pain, to overcome discrimination of all forms. . . . We must not go backwards. Thus liberal fairness is applied on a cosmic scale. Ending theological bias is the final civil rights frontier. Equal salvation for all.

Perhaps Sanders was just meaning to deny a government job to someone whose theology he finds objectionable. Which is not only presumptuous but unconstitutional (see Article VI). The same would be true in the case of a Muslim nominee or anyone else willing to serve the country and uphold the Constitution. A pluralism too weak to protect Christian believers is too weak to protect Muslim believers, and vice versa. And both have the right to think they are right.

A few questions for the senator: Does he really want to begin examining Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians and everyone else for theological beliefs that offend his ideal of liberalism? How strongly does a belief need to be held to be disqualifying for employment? Would he permit a Christian colleague to shoot down a government job seeker if that man or woman believed that the universe is an echoing void and that human beings are merely bags of chemicals?

But, on second thought, never mind about these questions. Thanks to the Constitution, we arent required to give a damn what Sanders thinks about the religious views of any American.

Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook .
ON SEPT. 28, 2016, there was a shooting on the playground of Townville Elementary School in South Carolina. A teacher and two students were shot, one of whom  a 6-year-old boy  later died. National media coverage was limited, a sad sign of how accustomed the country has become to these shootings, especially when only one child dies. But the damage from what happened on that playground in 12 deadly seconds extends far beyond those killed or wounded. That should further prod efforts to combat gun violence.

A searing examination by The Posts John Woodrow Cox of the children who witnessed last falls shooting revealed scars and struggles. Recurring nightmares, inability to focus and fear of leaving home were just some of the symptoms. These elementary school children are suffering post-traumatic stress similar to that of combat veterans returning from war. In an article filled with heartbreaking details, one stands out: that balloons were banned at the spring school festival because, as the principal observed, Noises are different now.

Even more heartbreaking is that the students of Townville are not alone. An analysis by The Post found that beginning with the shootings at Columbine High in Colorado 18 years ago, more than 135,000 students attending at least 164 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus. That doesnt include other incidents  accidents, after-school assaults, suicides  in which children have been exposed to gun violence. The damage extends to parents, grandparents and siblings forced to cope with trauma. Imagine having to reassure your 7-year-old son that he couldnt have done more to protect a friend gunned down, or not knowing if your daughter will ever recover from what she witnessed in those 12 bloody seconds.

This week marks the first anniversary of the deadliest shooting in the countrys history, when 49 people were killed and more than 50 injured at a nightclub in Florida. Since then, there has been little progress in adopting national common-sense gun control laws  such as expanded background checks  that a majority of the American public supports and that would help keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. The gun lobby, believing it has a receptive audience with Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, is pushing an extreme agenda that would deregulate the sale of gun silencers, federally mandate concealed-carry laws in every state and even eliminate gun-free school zones. Countering the gun lobby is a growing grass-roots movement for gun control that has claimed some victories on the state and local levels in closing loopholes and strengthening protections. That is encouraging, and we wish them more success because far too many children already have died  or been traumatized  by gun violence.
Michael Gerson was correct in his June 9 op-ed, The man who came to dinner, to bring up the distinction between loyalty and honesty. While honesty upholds the truth, loyalty demands a blind faithfulness at all cost. Honesty varies with integrity and the truth. Loyalty conditions none.

People never question the integrity of God. They just try to be loyal. President Trump is not God. Then-FBI Director James B. Comey should have responded to Mr. Trump that he is loyal to the United States of America only, not to any person in particular. As Mark Twain wrote: Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.

Duy-Tam Tran-Kiem, Potomac

The June 9 front-page article Testimony lays out a case for obstruction pointed out that former FBI director James B. Comeys Senate testimony last week may have provided evidence of President Trumps intentions, which could lead to impeachment based on a case that he obstructed justice. With more than 30 percent of Americans solidly behind Mr. Trump today, any attempt toward impeachment now would embroil this country in a state of even more paralytic turmoil than it already is in.

If Mr. Trump were to do something so outrageously illegal that his support was limited to a small number of true believers, then, and only then, would such an effort to impeach be safe in our perilous political environment. And Russian President Vladimir Putins efforts to weaken us would have failed because we would all be on the same page.

Neil Waldman, Potomac
IN A year of popular revolts against Western political establishments, none has been more sweeping than that of France. In the first round of parliamentary elections on Sunday, the two parties that have dominated the political system since 1958 suffered devastating losses, while a new movement, founded only 14 months ago, appeared to be on its way to capturing up to three-quarters of the National Assembly. Like its leader, President Emmanuel Macron, nearly half the candidates of the Republic on the Move party had never run for public office. Half are women, and the average age is under 50.

The most remarkable fact about Frances new leadership, however, is its politics  which is neither the left-wing populism of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn nor the right-wing version offered by President Trump and Marine Le Pen. Mr. Macron espouses what he calls radical centrism  a pragmatic approach to tackling the structural problems that have held back France for decades, along with a similar commitment to unstick the floundering European Union. If it works, it could revitalize European global leadership at a time when the United States under Mr. Trump looks erratic and unreliable.

When Mr. Macron, a 39-year-old former banker, easily won a runoff against Ms. Le Pen in May, many analysts dismissed his chances of winning a parliamentary majority  much less a supermajority  with his newly formed party. But Mr. Macron has been pitch-perfect during his first month in office. He made a show of standing up to Mr. Trump at a NATO summit and days later did the same to Russias Vladimir Putin. He recruited a leading center-right politician to be his prime minister and surrounded him with a cabinet that transcended partisan lines.

True, turnout in the parliamentary vote was low by French standards  under 50 percent  and nearly half of voters backed extreme candidates of the right or left just seven weeks ago in the presidential elections first round. But Mr. Macron clearly has momentum to push ahead with his ambitious reform plan.

Mr. Macrons labor reform, which he hopes to enact in July, would make it easier and less expensive for companies to hire and fire workers. Past attempts to tackle the labor code have triggered massive demonstrations and strikes, and probably will again. But many French have had enough of an unemployment rate that is just barely below 10 percent  more than twice the German level. Other reforms would cut government spending and corporate taxes.

After Germanys election in September, Mr. Macron will seek to revitalize the partnership of Paris and Berlin. He wants to take bold steps to stabilize the euro, such as establishing a common investment fund and even a euro-area treasury and parliament . If she is reelected, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be skeptical, but she should listen. If radical centrism fails in France, it is likely to be supplanted by radical populism.
Bob Inglis, a Republican, represented South Carolina in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999 and 2005 to 2011.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) asserted last week that if the president were a Democrat, the House wouldnt be pursing impeachment. He must know thats not true.

If FBI Director James B. Comey had angered a President Hillary Clinton by restarting the investigation into her private email server and she had fired him, Republicans would be howling. Rightly so.

Instead, Donald Trump won the election. Comey was pursuing an investigation into Russian meddling. It angered President Trump, and he fired Comey. But rather than howling, Republicans are whimpering. The chair of the Republican National Committee has even called for a halt to all investigations of collusion with Russia. Thats a problem.

(Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

I was on the House Judiciary Committee that began the consideration of impeaching of President Bill Clinton. Armed with information from independent counsel Kenneth Starr, we were convinced the president had lied under oath. We drafted articles of impeachment, and a majority of the House concurred with our assessment. The Senate subsequently determined that there wasnt sufficient cause to remove him from office. In retrospect, a public censure or reprimand may have been more advisable.

Regardless, Clinton was impeached for charges less serious than the ones before us now. In the current case, Comey was exploring the possibility of American involvement in the Russian plot, a treasonous offense. While its not time to start drafting articles of impeachment, it is time to pursue this investigation into Russian meddling in our presidential election with vigor, without friends to reward and without enemies to punish.

Confronting Trump will take more courage than it took when Republicans told President Richard Nixon that it was time for him to leave office. Not that Trump is more imposing than Nixon; Nixon was a serious president with significant accomplishments. The difference, now, is the presence of sycophantic media.

When Republicans confronted Nixon in 1974, they faced three, 30-minute, nightly news broadcasts. The networks competed, but their newscasts and the facts presented were virtually identical. Those Republicans knew that their political futures rested upon their maintenance of credibility.

Today, Fox News, talk radio, Breitbart and others fawn over Trump, Vice President Pence and the rest of the administration. They amplify the White Houses words while defying the journalistic calling to test and to probe the governments claims. Recall, for example, how those outlets immediately affirmed Trumps unsubstantiated morning tweets about President Barack Obamas wiretapping of Trump Tower.

With Fox and others clogging the media landscape, Republicans political futures now rest on feeding the passions and proclivities of Trumps hard-core base  the 39 percent of the electorate that likes him and responds to his code of grievance. That 39 percent is the dominant force in Republican primaries today. Cross them and you die.

Thats why Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example, used his time at last weeks Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to ask Comey questions that excused, lessened and dismissed the possible connection between the Russians and Trump. Its not that Trump has wooed Rubio; its that the Florida senator is aware of the power of the 39 percent.

Of course, the 39 percent will ultimately kill the Republican Party unless we can turn them around. A dead GOP would deprive a generation of Americans of the free-enterprise and individual-accountability solutions that thoughtful people such as Rubio would like to offer. Furthermore, a hostile foreign power has struck at the heart of our constitutional republic. As Comey said with passion last week, If any Americans were part of helping the Russians do that to us, that is a very big deal. Republicans must be prepared to follow those facts all the way to the president, his family and his campaign, if thats where the facts lead. Fox News alerts play it down, the RNC says drop it, and the 39 percent shrugs, but we need real courage from real Republicans and a real investigation.
The bars opened early in Washington and elsewhere last Thursday, as more than 19 million Americans tuned in when the networks and cable news channels carried live former FBI director James B. Comeys riveting testimony in the intensifying scandals around President Trump. The media covers Trumps derelictions 24/7. Not surprisingly, Democrats tend to talk about what grabs the most airtime.

Lost amid the din are true infamies  legislation that the Republican Congress is pushing that poses a direct threat to millions of Americans. In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) reportedly may have the Republican votes to pass a Senate replacement for Obamacare. House Republicans just passed sweeping bank deregulation. While the media fixates on Trump, Republicans are rushing through legislation that will deprive millions of Americans of health insurance coverage and open the way for another Wall Street wilding.

The Senate health-care bill represents the most immediate threat. Thirteen male Republican senators have been meeting in private to draft a bill. No one else knows whats in it. There have been no hearings, no public debate. Democrats and the public are completely locked out. McConnells plan is to release a bill later this month, get a rapid Congressional Budget Office estimate of its effects and force a vote before the July 4 recess. Senators will vote on a bill to reform one-sixth of the nations economy and involving the health care of 140 million Americans that most senators will have had no time to read.

The reason for the stealth and speed is that McConnell knows the reforms he envisions are incredibly unpopular. While Senate Republicans distanced themselves publicly from the House Republican bill, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (Tex.) admits that the Senate version would build off that: Eighty percent of what the House did were likely to do.

And Americans are justifiably opposed to what the House passed. It would deprive an estimated 23 million Americans of health-care coverage, raise rates brutally on older workers without insurance at work and undermine protection of those with preexisting conditions. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that American voters disapproved of the House GOP plan 62 percent to 17 percent. The vast majority rejected the core of the plan  savaging funding for Medicaid (cutting it by an estimated 45 percent) to lavish tax breaks on the very wealthy. By 65 percent to 30 percent, voters opposed decreasing federal funding for Medicaid, with the opposition undoubtedly more fierce in the 31 states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

(Bastien Inzaurralde,Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

McConnells plan is to release a bill that is marginally less punitive than the House bill, dispute CBO estimates of how many would lose adequate insurance, promise to make things better in conference and force the bill through with 51 votes a matter of days after it has been released. The medias focus on the Trump scandals has helped provide cover for this utterly irresponsible ploy.

Simultaneously, the banking lobbys faithful minion, House Financial Services Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), has ushered sweeping bank deregulation through the House. This comes only nine years after Wall Streets excesses cratered the economy and cost $20 trillion in bailouts, lost jobs, homes and retirement savings, and more.

The bill would repeal the Volcker rule that restricts the big banks ability to make certain risky financial bets. The Financial Services Oversight Committee  created to provide serious oversight of institutions that are too big to fail  would be neutered. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would be stripped of independence and authority. The CFPB has helped almost 30 million Americans recover nearly $12 billion from fraudulent banking practices. The House bill would eliminate its directors independence, make its budget more vulnerable, and strip it of the power to levy fines for bank tricks and traps. The CFPB used that power to collect $100 million from Wells Fargo for fraudulently opening millions of accounts without customers knowledge. (As a bonus for chief executives, the bill also would repeal rules designed to rein in excess pay by requiring public reporting on how much CEOs make in comparison with their average employee.)

The bill will face obstacles in the Senate because it will need Democratic votes to pass. But this is the opening gambit of the powerful banking lobby, and it will take massive citizen mobilization to stop big parts of this abomination from coming into law. Again, the Trump scandals have allowed Hensarling to cater to the banks in relative obscurity.

In 2012, right-wing lobbyist Grover Norquist said it didnt matter which Republican became president, the only requirement was that he have enough working digits to handle a pen. The Republican Congress would drive the agenda. We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We dont need a president to tell us in what direction to go. . . . We just need a president to sign this stuff.

In Trump, Norquist and the right got a bonus. They didnt just get a president who can wield a pen, despite his small hands, they got one whose constant scandals and outrages provide cover for an agenda that could not survive public scrutiny.

Millions of Americans  particularly older workers, the aged and the mothers and children who depend on Medicaid, the disabled and the vulnerable  are about to be stripped of health-care coverage. The big banks  already enjoying huge profits and rising bonuses  are creating the conditions for another wilding. Even as the Trump infamies continue, these derelictions demand more media attention. And Democrats should raise the alarm and mobilize opposition to these real threats to working Americans.

Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter.
The Republican gospel of cutting taxes and government services to the bone doesnt lead to economic growth; it leads to crisis and decline. Just ask the people of Kansas, who finally have seen the light.

If House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) dont heed the Kansas lesson, they deserve to have their majorities stripped away in next years midterms. And they wont be able to claim they werent warned.

The states are supposed to be laboratories for testing government policy. For five years, Kansass Republican governor, Sam Brownback, conducted the nations most radical exercise in trickle-down economics  a real-live experiment, he called it. He and the GOP-controlled legislature slashed the states already-low tax rates, eliminated state income tax for most owner-operated businesses and sharply reduced vital government services. These measures were supposed to deliver a shot of adrenaline into the heart of the Kansas economy, Brownback said.

It ended up being a shot of poison. Growth rates lagged behind those in neighboring states and the nation as a whole. Deficits mounted to unsustainable levels. Services withered. Brownback had set in motion a vicious cycle, not a virtuous one.

Last week, finally, the legislature  still controlled by Republicans  overrode Brownbacks veto of legislation restoring taxation to sane levels. The nightmare experiment is coming to an end.

(Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

The return to sane taxation will go a long way toward erasing a billion-dollar deficit. More revenue-raising measures may be needed, however, because education funding under Brownback was reduced to levels that the state Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. It is unclear whether a $488 million increase for the schools over the next two years  which Brownback may still veto, or try to  is enough to satisfy the court.

Republican leaders in Congress will probably try to ignore the Kansas fiasco or say Brownbacks implementation was flawed. But that would be unfair. All Brownback did was apply what passes for mainstream Republican orthodoxy these days: Cut taxes, eliminate regulation, shrink government, then stand back and watch as economic growth soars.

It just didnt work.

It never works. Republicans cannot point to an instance in which this prescription has led to the promised Valhalla of skyrocketing growth. Before Kansas, they could at least argue that the program had only been attempted partially and piecemeal, never in full and unadulterated form. After Kansas, that excuse is gone.

Eliminating business income taxes for owner-operated companies was supposed to induce entrepreneurs to move to Kansas from other states. It didnt. It turned out that business owners take more than taxes into account when they decide where to locate. They want good health care and first-rate schools for themselves and their employees. They want modern, well-maintained infrastructure. In short, they want a healthy, functioning public sector.

It also turns out that business owners do not decide whether to expand capacity or add employees based solely on the tax rate they must pay. Much more important is whether there is enough demand to justify such growth. If there is not  and the Kansas economy under Brownback was woefully sluggish  then tax savings will not be put to productive use.

The Kansas Republicans who voted to abandon Brownbacks dead-end policies have been described in news stories as moderate, but many are actually quite conservative. They just decided to put reality before ideology.

President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, however, threaten to run Brownbacks experiment on a national scale, with predictably disastrous consequences. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney proposes amputational cuts to the social safety net and bureaus such as the State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. And Trumps tax reform plan proposes, among other cuts, to slash the top tax rate for pass-through businesses  basically, owner-operated firms such as the Trump Organization  from 39.6 percent to 15 percent.

Claims that such action will lead to a surge in economic growth never had much credibility. Now, after the Kansas experiment, they have zero.

Its tempting to say fine, go for it, let the whole country see that the policy prescriptions championed by the Republican Party lead to nothing but a world of pain  except for the wealthy, who get to pad their bank accounts. But this is no academic exercise. Real people will suffer needlessly.

The GOP trembles before tax-cut guru Grover Norquist, who wants to reduce government to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub. But it is failed trickle-down ideology that deserves to be snuffed out. And not just in Kansas.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
When Charles Krauthammer, a trained psychiatrist, uses terms found in medical textbooks to describe the presidents governance, we should be concerned [You cant govern by id, op-ed, June 9]. For example, we read about Trump Derangement Syndrome, or psychic pathology, and the presidents behavior over the past two weeks providing ample opportunity for shock and dismay (shock and awe?), and his tweets being a direct conduit from his unfiltered id and erasing whatever membrane exists between ones internal disturbances and their external manifestations. The list also includes the mocking of the mayor of London, President Trumps misbegotten travel ban and the Qatar squeeze.

Mr. Krauthammer reminded us that, whether we voted for Mr. Trump or not, the president was not elected to do crazy things. Crazy things, in the hands of the person with the nuclear codes in his back pocket, should, not to put too fine a point on it, scare us to death.

Gordon K. Soper, Alexandria

According to the June 9 news article Some Republicans portray Trump as political novice unused to capitals ways, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) posited that the presidents new at this. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) said that President Trump ought to be given deference because of his inexperience in political office. Some legal analysts even said this could also be a kernel of a criminal defense by suggesting that Mr. Trump merely didnt know any better. All of that is so much malarkey.

There is a well-known prosecutorial maxim that a defendant pleading ignorance knew or should have known. That a man with an educational background such as Mr. Trumps should be ignorant of the basics of our tripartite form of government and the limitations on power on the separate branches is almost beyond belief. If Mr. Trump were deficient in his knowledge, he had two months of transition to become informed and now almost five months on the job surrounded by legal advisers.

Its not that Mr. Trump is merely a slow learner. Its more a matter of his not caring about learning anything that would interfere with his concept of unlimited power that he wants  irrespective of the Constitution. Our president is an uninformed man who shows no signs of wanting to be anything else.

Herb Miller, Vienna
Donald Trump, then the Republican nominee for president, greets supporters after speaking at a campaign event in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The story of President Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton has been analyzed and reanalyzed, told and retold since November. Is there more to add? The short answer, based on four reports released on Tuesday, is yes, and what the reports say is provocative.

The reports debunk some of the assertions of why Trump won  his criticism of free-trade agreements apparently was not as big a factor as some have suggested  while focusing on the specific role that race, religion, immigration and national identity played in the outcome and particularly how those issues may have influenced voters who switched to Trump after supporting President Barack Obama in 2012.

[Analysis: Its time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class.]

One of the reports notes that while those factors played a more significant role in 2016 than in 2012, in large part because Trump highlighted them, the ground was already shifting on those issues before Trump. If these issues continue to remain prominent in the national debate, they could further alter the alignment of American politics.

The reports are the first produced by the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, which comprises 20 analysts from think tanks or other institutions across the ideological spectrum. Driving forces in assembling the project were Joe Goldman of the Democracy Fund and Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

(The Washington Post)

The findings are based on online surveys, including one after the election with a sample of 8,000 people who had participated in other such surveys in 2011, 2012 and mid-2016. The surveys were conducted by the firm YouGov.

The authors of the reports approach the implications of what happened in 2016 from slightly different angles, examining the appeal of candidate Trump, the multifaceted coalition that came to support him, political divisions that continue between and within the parties, and how certain issues came to prominence in 2016.

[Analysis: Racism motivated Trump voters more than authoritarianism]

John Sides, a political scientist at George Washington University and editor-in-chief of the Monkey Cage blog hosted by The Washington Post, directly confronts the role of race, religion and immigration and concludes that attitudes about immigration, feelings toward black people and feelings toward Muslims became more strongly related to voter decision-making in 2016 compared to 2012.

Sides argues that, even before 2016, there was an increasing alignment between race and partisanship and among whites there was an increasing division based on education, with non-college-educated whites moving away from the Democratic Party, especially after the election of Obama in 2008.

The shifts among white people overall and white people without a college degree occurred mostly among white people with less favorable attitudes toward black people, he writes. No other factor predicted changes in white partisanship during Obamas presidency as powerfully and as consistently as racial attitudes. But he also notes that there also were clear divisions between white Democrats and white Republicans in their evaluations of Muslims and their attitudes toward immigration.

Economic stress also was a factor, with those who expressed negative views about the economy in 2012 more likely to express key negative cultural attitudes in 2016, according to a news release summarizing the findings.

Partisan loyalty was high in 2016, with 86 percent of Obama voters siding with Clinton and 89 percent of Mitt Romneys voters supporting Trump. But Trump won a bigger share of those who had backed Obama than Clinton won among those who supported Romney. Had Clinton won a similar level of support from Romney defectors that Trump won among Obama defectors, she probably would be president, Olsen said, based on his analysis of the findings.

Sides examined possible reasons for those who switched from Obama to Trump. He found that there was no statistically significant relationship between trade attitudes and vote choice in either election [2012 or 2016]. Nor was the widely discussed issue of economic anxiety more important in 2016 than in 2012.

Even before the 2012 election, Sides writes, a substantial number of white Obama supporters had views about Muslims, blacks and immigration that were less favorable. What did change between 2012 and 2016 was the increased significance in voters minds of issues about immigration and attitudes toward blacks and Muslims, among whites both with and without college degrees.

[Most U.S. voters view immigrants positively. Most Trump voters dont.]

Even among GOP primary voters, those who backed Trump had less favorable attitudes toward Muslims and were more likely to say that immigration by foreigners should be made harder, according to data offered in a paper by Robert Griffin and Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress. This was even more the case on immigration among those voters who switched from Obama to Trump.

Those who held views of immigrants, Muslims, minorities and feminist women as the undeserving other were particularly susceptible to Trumps appeal in both the primaries and general election, they write.

Emily Ekins of the Cato Institute provides a typology of the Trump coalition. She labels his core constituency as American Preservationists who comprise about a fifth of his supporters, and are less loyal Republicans than are other Trump voters. They lean economically progressive, think the political systems are rigged and have nativist immigration views and a nativist and ethnocultural conception of American identity.

About 1 in 3 Trump supporters are Staunch Conservatives. Ekins writes that they are steadfast fiscal conservatives, embrace moral traditionalism and have a moderately nativist conception of American identity and approach to immigration.

Free Marketers, a quarter of Trump supporters, hold more moderate-to-liberal views on race and immigration and supported Trump primarily because of their dislike for Clinton. Anti-Elites, about a fifth of the Trump coalition, are motivated by a belief that the political systems are rigged but take a more moderate position on immigration, race and national identity. She labeled a small fraction of his supporters as The Disengaged and said they feel unable to influence political and economic institutions.

Lee Drutman of the New America think tank writes that, by making issues related to national identity more prominent, Trump was able to attract economically liberal but socially conservative voters who had backed Democrats previously.

Trumps candidacy has brought more economic liberals into the Republican Party, moving the partys center of gravity on these issues to the left, he writes. Trump has also moved the party to a much more nativist position on questions of national identity, adding that these shifts are creating strains with the GOP coalition.

Although divided on some important economic issues, particularly the issue of income inequality, Republicans and Democrats are less divided on economics than they are on cultural and national identity issues. Supporters of Clinton and of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are less divided on issues than are Republicans, with the main difference being about attitudes toward the establishment and the existing order than it is about specific issue positions. One exception is trade policy.

Drutman notes that Trump has made clear he intends to put a priority on the issues that helped elect him, from his proposed travel ban that is now in the courts to crackdowns on illegal immigrants. He argues that this could further realign the parties, with Democrats pressured to move further left on these issues. Republicans, meanwhile, could be forced to shift toward those Trump voters, which could further isolate remaining conservatives with moderate positions on immigration.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies in an open hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee about his role in the firing of FBI Director James B. Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia., and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein spoke to the Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

June, 13, 2017 Chief clerk Kelsey Bailey, right, places the name plate for Attorney General Jeff Sessions before he testifies in an open hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington. Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III testifies during a May 16, 2013, Senate hearing when he was the FBI director. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

On its face, the idea seemed as startling as it was preposterous: A president firing a special counsel appointed to investigate his campaigns possible role in Russias interference with the 2016 U.S. election.

But this president is Donald Trump, who speculates about firing people as sport and who dispatched two key officials connected to the probe of Russias election meddling during his first five months in office.

To some of Trumps most loyal allies, terminating Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel of the expanding Russia investigation is a tantalizing idea  one that has gained currency on the right and, according to one of Trumps friends, has been considered by the president himself.

After Christopher Ruddy, a Trump friend and president of the conservative media outlet Newsmax, said on PBSs News Hour Monday night, after visiting the White House, that the president was weighing firing Mueller, official Washington on Tuesday sounded a collective and resounding call: Do not do it.

I think the best thing to do is to let Robert Mueller do his job, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said. I think the best vindication for the president is to let this investigation go on independently. Ryan went on to say that the discussion about a possible firing amounted to a mere rumor.

[Trumps friend floats possibility of firing special counsel in Russian probe]

White House press secretary Sean Spicer sought to undermine Ruddys credibility by pointing out that Ruddy had not met directly with the president during his Monday visit.

Chris Ruddy speaks for himself, Spicer said.

Trump has been counseled strongly against trying to remove Mueller and appears unlikely to take such a drastic step, according to White House officials and other people close to the president.

But neither Spicer nor other Trump aides would explicitly dispute Ruddys assertion that the president has considered firing Mueller.

While the president has a right to, he has no intention to do so, principal deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday night.

All day, Trump repeatedly declined to put the issue to rest.

President Trump walks with his daughter Ivanka Trump from the Oval Office to board the Marine One helicopter for a trip to Milwaukee on Tuesday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Reporters asked Trump four times during a health-care meeting at the White House whether Mueller should be fired, and the president gave no answer. They asked again as he walked across the South Lawn to board the Marine One helicopter, and again he gave no answer. Reporters asked once more as Trump stepped off Air Force One in Milwaukee, and once more he had no answer.

If Trump fired Mueller, it would be an act of uber hubris never seen before in American history, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. It would pale, compared to what Nixon did with the firing of Archibald Cox. . . . We would be in a constitutional crisis.

Brinkley was referring to the Saturday Night Massacre of 1973, when President Richard M. Nixon sought to order his attorney general to fire Cox, who had been serving as the independent special prosecutor overseeing the Watergate investigation.

How or even whether Trump could fire Mueller was the subject of debate among legal and political experts on Tuesday.

Trump last month fired FBI Director James B. Comey, who had been overseeing the Russia probe before the appointment of a special counsel. Earlier in his term, Trump fired acting attorney General Sally Q. Yates after she warned the administration that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russian officials.

But the termination of the special counsel would be more complicated. It ordinarily would fall to the attorney general, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from Russia matters after he was found to have misled the Senate during his confirmation hearing about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Thus the decision to fire Mueller would fall to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller to the job last month.

[The Fix: How Trump could fire the special counsel (if he were foolish enough to try)]

In a Tuesday appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rosenstein described Mueller as operating independently from the Justice Department in his investigation and said that if Trump ordered him to fire Mueller, he would comply only if the request were lawful and appropriate.

Im not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders, Rosenstein said. He added later: As long as Im in this position, hes not going to be fired without good cause, which he said he would have to put in writing.

If there were good cause, I would consider it, Rosenstein testified. If there were not good cause, it wouldnt matter to me what anybody says.

Later Tuesday, Sessions appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) asked the attorney general whether he has confidence in Mueller.

I have known Mr. Mueller over the years, Sessions said. He served 12 years as FBI director. I knew him before that. And I have confidence in Mr. Mueller.

But, Sessions added, I am not going to discuss any hypotheticals or what might be a factual situation in the future that Im not aware of today, because I know nothing about the investigation and fully recuse myself.

When Warner asked whether Sessions believed Trump had confidence in Mueller, the attorney general said: I have no idea. Ive not talked to him about it.

The notion of dismissing Mueller has been bubbling on the political right in recent days, as Trump supporters grow weary of an expanding investigation that the president considers to be an illegitimate political witch hunt.

[Jeff Sessions testifies: Refuses to say whether he spoke to President Trump about Comeys handling of Russia investigation]

Ruddys PBS interview came a day after Jay Sekulow, a prominent conservative attorney who has been informally advising Trump, left open the possibility that Trump could decide to remove Mueller, in a Sunday interview on ABC Newss This Week.

Asked by anchor George Stephanopoulos whether Trump would promise not to attempt at any time to order Rosenstein to fire Mueller, Sekulow said, Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive.

Sekulow added that the president has authority to take action. Whether he would do it is ultimately a decision the president makes. I think thats complete conjecture and speculation.

Ruddy said in an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday that he based his comments to PBS largely on Sekulows statement. I think its a smart thing to have it as an option, Ruddy said of firing Mueller, though he added, I personally dont think its a wise thing to do.

Ruddy said White House aides became agitated with his comments to PBS and said Spicer sought his help Monday night with damage control as news organizations cited Ruddys statement in reporting that the president was considering firing Mueller.

Sean called me last night and asked me to qualify what I was saying, that I did not speak to the president, Ruddy said. I said, I never claimed I spoke to the president, so why would I issue a statement saying I didnt speak to the president? 

Ruddy added: Its amateur hour over there. . . . Its amazing to me that the White House press office has done such a poor job exposing the special counsel and defending the president.

This is not the first time Ruddy has wreaked havoc for the West Wing with his suggestions about who may be in Trumps crosshairs. In February, after having a drink with the president at Mar-a-Lago  Trumps private resort in Palm Beach, Fla., where Ruddy is a member  Ruddy told The Post and other news organizations that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus was in way over his head.

[Trump friend says Priebus is in way over his head]

Plenty of other Trump supporters on the outside have been stoking a Fire Mueller campaign. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted Monday that it was time to rethink the special counsels investigation, while talk radio hosts including Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin have endorsed the idea of Trump dismissing him.

Roger Stone, a former Trump consigliere and political adviser, tweeted Tuesday: Mueller is a establishment neocon ringer and Comey crony  and the fix is in to falsely indict @realDonaldTrump for obstruction.

Democrats on Tuesday called for an end to the right-wing trash talk about Mueller and said the special counsel must be left alone to pursue his investigation.

The effort to suppress it, to smear Mueller, to call it a witch hunt, is part of a calculated and orchestrated effort, in my view, to undermine justice and the credibility of this investigation, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said on MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said it seemed ridiculous that Trump would seriously consider ordering Muellers removal.

I have to think this is just the president venting, said Schiff, also on Morning Joe. But then again, I remember talking about whether I thought there was any chance that the president would fire Comey, and that didnt seem possible, either.

Sari Horwitz and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
Saudi King Salman presents President Trump with the highest civilian honor, the Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud, at the royal palace in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Democrats in droves are set to cast a protest vote against President Trumps proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a move that may not prevent the deal from going through but nonetheless represents an unprecedented rebuke of Saudi Arabias activities in war-torn Yemen.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that he would vote against a sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for many other Democrats to follow suit. That means they, and resolution sponsor Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), may need only a few more Republican votes to throw an obstacle in the path of Trumps plans to see through a contract worth more than $500 million. The measure is expected to come up as soon as Tuesday.

If critics of the sale are successful, it would mark the first time in decades that a body of Congress summarily rejected an administrations attempt to conclude a defense deal with Riyadh. Even if opponents only come close, the repudiation by almost half the Senate of Saudi Arabias privileged status in such dealmaking would be a political setback with potential implications for Saudi influence in U.S. policy.

Its a warning shot across the bow for both the Trump administration and the Saudis, whether the measure passes or not, said Scott Paul, humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam America, which has opposed the sale. It says that in the future, no one should expect U.S. support to be a blank check.

Last year, an effort to block a tank sale to Saudi Arabia led by Paul and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)  also the chief forces behind this weeks resolution of disapproval  garnered the support of only 27 senators, four of them Republicans. But that measure came up during a month in which Saudi Arabia suffered an uncommon political defeat on another front, as senators nervous about upsetting the alliance still voted 99 to 0 to override President Barack Obamas veto of a bill giving the families of Sept. 11 victims a chance to sue Saudi officials over alleged support for the perpetrators of the attacks.

There is another important difference between this years measure and last years resolution: The weapons in question last year were tanks, whereas this year, weapons on offer are precision-guided munitions that human rights, arms control and humanitarian organizations believe Saudi Arabia is deliberately misusing to target Yemeni civilians and destroy infrastructure, worsening an ongoing famine.

The State Department has argued that the U.S. oversight that comes with such sales, combined with increased U.S. training and engagement with the Saudi military, gives Washington leverage that it would lose if the sales were halted as a protest.

But senators opposed to the transaction argue that the Trump administrations policy is willfully turning a blind eye to widespread suffering in Yemen by greenlighting the sale of weapons the Obama administration halted late last year.

Were voting on a portion of the sale that President Obama would not make . . . and President Trump is moving forward on, said Murphy, who pointed to the munitions and argued that Saudis are not telling the truth about how they are using them to worsen a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.

Theres a growing recognition that we are contributing to a cascade famine inside Yemen, the senator said. And I think theres real misgivings about a policy in the Middle East that puts us so firmly on the side of the Sunnis in a growing set of proxy wars.

As reasons to vote against the sale, some Democratic senators noted not only their humanitarian concerns but also increasing frustration with Saudi Arabias support for groups promoting extremist ideologies.

Of equal concern to me is that the Saudi government continues to aid and abet terrorism via its relationship with Wahhabism and the funding of schools that spread extremist propaganda throughout the world, Schumer said in a statement announcing his opposition to the deal.

Others noted that selling weapons that have been identified as exacerbating the crisis will do little to end the conflict.

More military action in Yemen is counterproductive, will disproportionately affect civilians, and will likely generate conditions for expanded activities by Al Qaeda and Iran, as well as Russian influence, Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said last week in announcing his opposition to the sale. Instead, this Administrations approach appears to be more weapons sales.

The chorus of reactions stands in stark contrast to the political line from the president since he visited Riyadh as part of a nine-day foreign trip. In the weeks since, Trump has repeatedly spoken of his respect and close alliance with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, boasting of tremendous deals he made with the Saudi leader.

The arms deals are also necessary for the Saudi war effort, according to Bruce Riedel, a Saudi expert with the Brookings Institution, who pointed out that without U.S. munitions, the Saudi military is seriously diminished.

Senators opposing the deal need collect only a simple majority of votes this week to carry Paul and Murphys motion.

While momentum is in the hands of those opposing the sale, they face difficult hurdles that may keep them from a win in the Senate. And even if the Senate does vote against the deal, the House would have to follow suit, and both chambers would have to withstand a presidential veto to keep it from going through.

Still, Saudi watchers note that the kingdom has never skirted this close to defeat  and that alone will have reverberations in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

A no vote would be a stunning defeat for both Saudi foreign policy and the Trump administrations Middle East policy, Riedel said. It would also be an enormous setback for the huge Saudi lobbyist machine in Washington.

The kingdom has hired Washington lobbyists to shepherd the deal. A spokesman for one of the firms representing Saudi Arabia declined to comment Monday.

Read more at PowerPost
Senators have struck a deal to put a comprehensive Russia sanctions bill on the floor this week, according to those negotiating the legislation.

The measure, which will be attached to a bill to stiffen Iran sanctions that is under consideration, incorporates proposals to codify existing Russia sanctions, introduce punitive measures against Moscow in light of Russias aggressive activities in Ukraine, introduce measures addressing Syria and the realm of cyberhacking, and give Congress the power to review efforts by the administration to scale back sanctions against Russia before they can go through.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed the amendment late Monday, setting up a vote for later this week, after extensive talks with Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Foreign Relations Committees ranking Democrat, Benjamin L. Cardin (Md.), Banking Committee ranking Democrat Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and vocal Russia critics John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) were also involved in various stages of the discussion.

This is a very comprehensive piece of legislation, Corker said Monday night after the measures were introduced. It really touches all the components.

Various senators involved in the discussions had filed three different bills to increase sanctions against Russia over its involvement in the wars in Ukraine and Syria, as well as over allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Some proposed bills also included measures to give Congress the power to block the president from easing up on sanctions against Russia and to better counter Russian propaganda in the United States and Europe.

Corker said that he had drafted a fourth bill about three months ago addressing several of the points, but that his office had never released it.

The measure filed Monday night directs sanctions toward Russias intelligence and defense apparatus, as well as parts of its energy, mining, railways and shipping economy. It also includes provisions to punish those engaged in corruption and human rights abuses.

Schumer said in a statement that the new measure will send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished.

The Senate has refrained from putting such a sanctions bill to a vote largely because Corker wanted to give the administration more time to attempt to make progress cooperating with Russia over the war in Syria  something he repeated Monday night that he never fully expected it could do.

I wanted to give [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson until two weeks ago, Corker said, adding, Ive been ready the whole time.

When asked whether the White House was on board with the measure, Corker hesitated, noting: I have to believe that the administration has to at least strongly consider supporting this.

He added, however, that he was sure the measure could receive a veto-proof level of support in the Senate.

Read more at PowerPost
Television reporters covering the Capitol were told midday Tuesday to stop recording interviews in Senate hallways, a dramatic and unexplained break with tradition that was soon reversed amid a wide rebuke from journalists, Democratic lawmakers and free-speech advocates.

The episode heightened concerns about reporters access to Washington leaders in an era when hostility toward the political media has increasingly become the norm. For some, the move to protect senators from impromptu on-camera interviews fell into a wider Trump-era pattern of efforts to roll back press freedoms, whether by barring reporters from interviewing officials or denying them access to briefings, trips and events.

These are actions that are without precedent in the history of the White House and Congress, said Ben Wizner, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union and director of the groups Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.

Even if some of the violations are of norms rather than rights, the effect is to make the government less transparent at precisely the moment when congressional oversight has been at its weakest, Wizner said.

Advocates for congressional media blamed the Senate Rules Committee for the short-lived policy. Craig Caplan, chairman of the executive committee of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association, described the move as an effort to limit press access.

(Taylor Turner/The Washington Post)

Restricting access in public spaces in the U.S. Capitol and Senate office buildings prevents the American public from hearing directly from their lawmakers, Caplan said in a statement.

We are in discussions with the Senate Rules Committee to address their concerns and look forward to developing a workable solution that does not curtail our First Amendment rights, Caplan stated.

[The remarkable steps Republicans are taking to obscure whats in their health-care bill]

The controversy started Tuesday around noon, when staffers from the Senate Radio and Television Correspondents Gallery, which operates workspace for networks in the Capitol, told reporters from major television networks, with no warning, to stop recording video in the hallways. Gallery staffers blamed the shift on the Senate Rules Committee, which has official jurisdiction over media access in the upper chamber, according to journalists who shared detailed accounts of the developments on Twitter.

The directive touched off a day of confusion as the Rules Committee denied issuing new restrictions and gallery staffers refused to explain their part in the drama.

The Rules Committee has made no changes to the existing rules governing press coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex, the Rules Committee chairman, Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), said in a statement. The Committee has been working with the various galleries to ensure compliance with existing rules in an effort to help provide a safe environment for Members, the press corps, staff and constituents as they travel from Senate offices to the Capitol.

The apparent change in practice came as the number of reporters on Capitol Hill has increased dramatically, reflecting the high stakes Republicans face as they respond to controversies involving Trump and work to advance their legislative agenda.

The hallways of the Capitol have become so chaotic that leaders of the Senate press galleries  there is another one for print media  issued a warning last month that the complex has reached its capacity for reporters. Collectively, the press following Senators have become large and aggressive, officials with the two galleries wrote. We are concerned someone may get hurt.

On Tuesday, a bevy of Democratic senators, as well as a few Republicans, criticized the policy shift as unnecessary and harmful to press freedom.

Several Democrats tied the move directly to the health-care legislation now being debated in the Senate. Press access should never be restricted unfairly, particularly not when one party is trying to sneak a major bill through Congress, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on Twitter.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee, was caught off guard by the restrictions, telling reporters she had not been consulted on any changes to press access rules. She said Shelby chalked up the move to a staff inquiry during a phone call Tuesday and assured her he would not move forward with a major shift without first discussing it with her.

He seemed to imply they werent going to change the policy, but Im not going to put words in his mouth, Klobuchar told reporters at the Capitol.

Were Shelby to go forward with new press restrictions, Klobuchar said she would oppose it, calling it an assault on the First Amendment.

You dont shut down the press if you dont want to do interviews, she said. You just say, I dont want to do interviews today. 

Paige Winfield Cunningham contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
Police detain a protester in Moscow. Demonstrators in Mondays opposition protests across Russia say they are fed up with endemic corruption among officials. The protest gatherings were spearheaded by Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who has become the Kremlins most visible opponent.

June 12, 2017 Police detain a protester in Moscow. Demonstrators in Mondays opposition protests across Russia say they are fed up with endemic corruption among officials. The protest gatherings were spearheaded by Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who has become the Kremlins most visible opponent. Pool photo by Evgeny Feldman/via AP

The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed criticism of the tough police response to demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg a day earlier, brushing off suggestions that the protest movement led by anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny posed a political threat.

Navalny, who has announced his candidacy for Russias 2018 presidential election, was jailed for 30 days Monday after calling on his followers to rally in a central Moscow street instead of an approved protest venue outside the city center. Police arrested more than 800 demonstrators after they disrupted a street fair staged to celebrate the Russia Day holiday, according to the nongovernmental police watchdog OVD-Info. Hundreds more were detained at a rally in St. Petersburg also held without official permission.

Thousands of people turned out in more than 180 cities across Russia, according to Navalnys campaign headquarters, which would make it the most widespread protest in the country since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in 2012.

[Thousands rally against corruption in protests across Russia]

But Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, played down the notion of any risk to the government.

(korotyla/twitter)

Whenever such events are held according to agreed-upon rules, as prescribed by law, they do not pose a danger to anyone, he said in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency. Some are attended by more people and some are by less, but this is a normal process of people expressing their opinions as citizens.

The Interfax report did not include a reference to Navalny but quoted Peskov as condemning the group of provocateurs who interrupted the celebration of the national holiday.

Peskov also dismissed a sharply worded statement read by White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday night, declaring that detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers and journalists is an affront to core democratic values.

Peskov countered that authorized rallies went off peacefully in dozens of Russian cities Monday and that those who staged provocations had been dealt with lawfully.

Pollsters say that Putin, who has enjoyed an approval rating above 80 percent for more than three years, is likely to win if he runs for a new six-year term in March, as expected. Even though he presides largely unchecked over a government and legislature led by his handpicked loyalists, most Russians do not blame the president for their problems, according to surveys conducted by the countrys independent pollster, the Levada Center.

[Vladimir Putin: Russias grand inquisitor and fixer-in-chief]

But many do count on Putin to solve their problems. Two days before his annual televised direct line with citizens, 1.3 million Russians had submitted questions, the official Tass news agency reported Tuesday.

The telethons official website displayed some of the appeals, which beseeched Putin to address the poor state of roads, housing, construction projects, the mortgage market, education and the accountability of officials. One young man asked why so many young Russians want to emigrate. Several asked Putin to explain why the rest of the world fears Russia.

Navalny, meanwhile, promises Russians a rule-of-law state governed by honest people, contrasting that with his allegations of corruption in Putins government. That message has yielded little support, with polls indicating that less than 10 percent of voters would choose Navalny.

And there is no guarantee Navalny will be allowed to run: He can be disqualified, thanks to a conviction in a fraud case he says was politically motivated.

[Who is Alexei Navalny?]

Late Monday, Navalny posted a video from the courtroom where he was sentenced. He thanked his supporters and told them, Im proud to be part of the movement.

Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin media blasted Navalnys decision to move his rally to central Tverskaya Street as a cynical ploy to capitalize on holiday events in the city, including a huge concert in Red Square.

Why did the opposition do this? Only to provide pictures for Western television companies so that they could say, In Moscow, President Putin has opponents!  stated a commentary in the official government newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The opposition, which represents one-thousandth of the population of Muscovites, tried to turn all of Tverskaya Street into a film studio and pass off the people celebrating Russia Day as their supporters.

Read more:

Putin uses the Soviet defeat of Hitler to show why Russia needs him today

Moscows massive relocation plan turns middle-class Russians into protesters

The latest protest Moscow is trying to ignore: Thousands of angry truckers

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Passengers walk through the Hamad International Airport in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Sunday. Qatar Airways called on the U.N.'s aviation body to declare a Gulf boycott against the carrier "illegal" and a violation of a 1944 convention on international air transport. (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)

Jawaher has lived in this tiny nation her whole life. But a political showdown threatens to unravel her world, potentially forcing her to move to a country she hardly knows and splitting her family apart.

Jawahers mother is a Qatari citizen, and her father is Bahraini.

That fact seldom has caused problems. But when several other Arab nations severed ties with Qatar last week, three of them  Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates  also ordered their citizens to return home or face stiff penalties.

Under the laws of Qatar and other Persian Gulf countries, children take the citizenship of their father. That leaves Jawaher and thousands of others like her with a difficult decision.

If we are made to go to Bahrain, what are we going to do there? said the 21-year-old university student, who spoke on the condition that her family name not be revealed because she feared repercussions. And we are going to have to leave our mom behind.

Rashed al-Jalahma, with his mother, Wafa al-Yazeedi, and his sister. Bahrain asked Yazeedi and her children, all Bahraini citizens, to leave Qatar. (Family photo)

Our family will be divided.

In a region where cultural and tribal ties extend beyond national borders, the deepening crisis is creating havoc in Qatari families like Jawahers in ways many had never expected.

Parents and spouses traveling abroad are unable to return home. Some have already lost jobs. Children worry about becoming stateless or that their education will be disrupted, and family members in different countries are feuding. Theres a collective sense that they are trapped by the quest for influence and control in the Middle East.

We have relatives all over the region, said Rashed al-Jalahma, 22, who is also the child of a Qatari-Bahraini union. We were in shock and awe when we learned we can no longer see them because of politics. What does the population have to do with the problems of the politicians?

[Qatari capital brims with uncertainty and resilience as crisis intensifies]

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE ordered Qatari nationals to leave their territories within 14 days and banned their own citizens from entering Qatar. Citizens living in Qatar were given a similar deadline to return.

More than 11,000 citizens of the three countries live in Qatar, according to Qatars National Human Rights Committee. And thousands of Qataris live and work in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. At least 6,500 Qatari nationals are married to citizens from these three nations, according to Qatari government figures.

Before the crisis, citizens of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC  which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman  could live and travel freely across the member states. They often refer to themselves as Khaleejis  the people of the Gulf.

Tensions, however, between Qatar and its neighbors have been simmering for years over accusations that Qatar supports terrorist groups and Qatars ties to Irans Shiite theocracy, the primary rival of Saudi Arabias Sunni monarchy.

That led to last weeks expulsions of diplomats and the closing of ports, airspace and borders to isolate Qatar.

The small, energy-rich nation, home to a U.S. air base and 10,000 U.S. service members, has rejected the allegations as baseless, saying that it condemns terrorism in all its forms.

Few here expected such a full-blown crisis, especially as millions in the region prepare to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time to visit families and friends.

This has made me so sad, said Wafa al-Yazeedi, a Qatari doctor and Jalahmas mother. We lived and felt like all the Gulf is one country. I have a cousin everywhere.

She divorced her Bahraini husband when her three children were small. He returned to Bahrain, and her children grew up here with little contact with their father or other relatives.

Now, the children are in a dilemma.

Settling in Bahrain means leaving behind their mother, other relatives, lifelong friends  and their expensive university educations, for which the Qatari government pays.

Staying in Qatar could result in statelessness if Bahrain takes away their citizenship. Qatar has allowed citizens from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE living here to remain, and provides free health care and other services if their mother is Qatari.

Still, being stateless would limit their future opportunities, especially if they want to travel abroad for more studies or work.

They are controlling us with the passport, said Jalahma, an aeronautical engineering student. If the Kingdom of Bahrain revokes my citizenship, so be it.  I am not worried about losing my passport, but my concerns are about my studies.

[Arab media outlets echo Trump in criticism of Qatar]

The crisis has already had immediate consequences. In a report last week, the human rights watchdog Amnesty International described the case of a Saudi man living in Qatar who was unable to visit his hospitalized mother in Saudi Arabia because he feared he would not be able to return to his children and Qatari wife.

Jawahers family is already divided, at least temporarily. Her father was on a work trip in Bahrain when the crisis erupted, and he has been stuck there ever since. Theres no way now for him to come back, she said.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE said they had created hotlines to help families who face separation but gave few details. Qatars National Human Rights Committee dismissed the move as little more than a face-saving exercise. Amnesty International called the measures vague and insufficient.

Some affected families worry that the hotlines are ways to gather data on those who complain. Both Bahrain and the UAE last week declared it a crime to criticize their policies toward Qatar or show sympathy with Qatar  offenses that carry multi-year jail sentences.

Its fake, said Yazeedi, referring to Bahrains hotline. I cannot trust them. I wont call them from my number.

In Omar al-Ansaris family, the crisis has struck in multiple ways. His sister and her family  all Qataris  arrived two days earlier, after being ordered to leave Saudi Arabia, where they had studied and worked for six years. Now, she and her husband need to find new jobs and schools for their five children.

Last week, the familys divisions erupted on their WhatsApp chat forum, with an aunt in Bahrain criticizing Qatar and its policies and the Qatari side of the family denouncing Bahrain and its allies.

Our family in Bahrain thinks Qatar is wrong, and we think they are not, said Ansari, 23, a university senior whose mother is Qatari and father is Bahraini. Thats causing friction between our families. Its not a nice situation to be in.

His Bahraini identification card has expired. So has his Qatari one. But he cant renew his Qatari ID unless he has a valid one from Bahrain. And if he travels there, he wont be allowed to return because of his citizenship.

So he cant open up a bank account, get a new phone or a new drivers license  which also recently expired  or access other government services.

Im kind of stuck, Ansari said.

Jia Naqvi contributed to this report.

Read more:

Three maps show how the Qatar crisis means trouble for Qatar Airways

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Attorney General Jeff Sessions repeatedly refused to answer questions from senators Tuesday about his private conversations with President Trump, including whether he spoke to Trump about former FBI director James B. Comeys handling of the investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race.

In a number of testy exchanges with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions said he would not answer many of their questions because of a long-standing Justice Department policy that he said protects private conversations between Cabinet secretaries and the president.

The attorney general confirmed elements of Comeys dramatic testimony before the same panel last week while disputing others. Sessions said he was in an Oval Office meeting in February with Comey and Trump when the president said he wanted to speak to Comey privately  and he acknowledged that Comey came to talk to him the next day about the meeting.

At other times, though, Sessions frequently said he couldnt recall specifics, particularly when asked about his meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign.

Above all, Sessions, who served as a senator from Alabama before taking the attorney general post, tried to clear his name and win the sympathy of his former colleagues.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

He opened his testimony with a fiery assertion that he never had any conversations with Russians about any type of interference in the 2016 presidential election.

I was your colleague in this body for 20 years, Sessions said. The suggestion that I participated in any collusion . . . is an appalling and detestable lie.

The attorney general seemed to understand the import of each of his words as the highest-ranking Trump administration official so far to testify publicly on the FBI investigation and Comeys firing. During one line of questioning by Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), he told her in a flash of anger not to rush his answers because youll accuse me of lying and said she was making him nervous.

Sessions took particular aim at news reports about a possible meeting he had with a Russian official during an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where Trump gave a pro-Russia speech. He acknowledged being at the event and said he had conversations with people there, but did not remember any conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it, Sessions said.

He said that he had met twice with Kislyak  once during the Republican National Convention and once in his Senate office  and that he did not disclose that during his confirmation hearing. He said, however, that he did not remember any other meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign and did not remember any conversations with Russian officials about the Trump campaign.

Certainly not one thing happened that was improper in any one of those meetings, Sessions said.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

When asked to explain why he wrongly claimed in his confirmation hearing that he never met with Russians, Sessions said he was flustered by the question from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) after many hours of testimony.

The attorney general has since recused himself from the Russia investigation  a decision he sought to cast Tuesday as resulting from his role as an adviser on the Trump campaign, rather than because of any inappropriate interaction with Russian officials.

I recused myself from any investigation into the campaigns for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations, he said.

But Sessionss answers seemed to contradict each other at times, particularly when it came to his recusal.

A March 2 email by Sessionss chief of staff said that he would not be involved in any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for the president of the United States. Yet two months later, he played a direct role in Trumps decision to fire Comey, citing Comeys handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the 2016 race.

The recusal involved one case in the Department of Justice and the FBI, said Sessions, referring to the FBIs Russia investigation and offering a different description of the scope of his recusal. Im the attorney general of the United States. Its my responsibility to ensure that the department is run properly. I do not believe it is a sound position that if you recuse from a single case, you cant make a decision about the leadership of that agency.

Sessions previously told senators explicitly that he would recuse himself from matters related to Clinton  though Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Tuesday that the case was already closed and therefore not part of the recusal.

When asked about his conversation with Comey on the day the president spoke to Comey alone, Sessions described the exchange differently than the former FBI chief did in his testimony last week.

Comey testified that after what he called a disturbing private talk with Trump, he went to Sessions. Without telling the attorney general that Trump had suggested the FBI drop its probe of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Comey told Sessions, It cant happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks to me. The president has denied asking Comey to drop the Flynn matter.

Comey said that the attorney general didnt say anything but that Sessionss body language gave him the sense that he was powerless to do anything.

Sessions said he did respond, telling Comey that the FBI and the Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policies regarding appropriate contact with the White House.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) suggested that the attorney general was ducking critical questions in his testimony.

I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans dont want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged or off limits, Wyden said. We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions, and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable.

Sessions shot back: I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice.

Wyden noted that Comey had said it was problematic for Sessions to oversee the Russia probe, for reasons he did not explain in a public setting.

Sessions became angry again when Wyden pressed him to explain what facts might be problematic about his involvement in the probe.

Why dont you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none, Sessions said. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I dont appreciate it.

Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He responded to questions regarding comments Monday from Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Trump, that the president might fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller was recently appointed to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Rosenstein said that if the president ordered him to fire Mueller, he would comply only if the request was lawful and appropriate.

Rosenstein, who has been on the job for six weeks, said only he could fire Mueller and only if he found good cause to do so. He described Mueller as operating independently from the Justice Department in his investigation.

Julie Tate and Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report.
A bipartisan group of senators fell short Tuesday in an effort to block part of President Trumps arms sale to Saudi Arabia but delivered a symbolic rebuke over what senators said is the indiscriminate use of American-made weapons to kill civilians in Yemen.

The vote was 53 to 47 against an unusual measure that would have held up the sale of more than $500 million in precision-guided munitions. The weapons are used by Saudi Arabia in its war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.

Human rights groups and the resolutions sponsors allege that Saudi Arabia uses the technology to target civilians and infrastructure such as roads, bridges and hospitals. By extension, opponents of the sale argue, the United States is contributing to a worsening man-made famine.

This barbaric nation should not be getting our weapons, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a resolution sponsor, argued to his colleagues ahead of the vote.

Paul charged that Saudi Arabia is helping push 17 million people to the brink of starvation in Yemen while it imprisons, tortures and beheads its political opponents.

There is probably no greater purveyor of hatred for Christianity and Judaism than Saudi Arabia, he said. Some will argue its a jobs program. Well, isnt that swell? Were going to give weapons to people who behead you and crucify you?

[A child in Yemen dies every 10 minutes as aid funding falls short, U.N. says]

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) argued that blocking the sale would be shortsighted and appeared aimed at complaining about Trumps foreign policy generally.

Im afraid this vote is somewhat about some members wanting to get a piece of President Trumps hide, Corker said on the Senate floor.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), also a sponsored the resolution against the sale, noted the relatively close vote.

My resolution halting $500m of Saudi arms sale failed 47-53, he wrote on Twitter. But 20 more votes than similar resolution last fall. Strong message to Saudis.

Paul issued a statement promising to continue to take a stance against waging an undeclared war and fueling an arms race in the Middle East.

I applaud those who voted with me to block this proposed arms sale, and I hope this sends a clear message to Saudi Arabia that the United States will not just stand by as they massacre their unarmed neighbors, Paul said.

In addition to Paul, three other Republicans voted to block the sale: Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Todd C. Young of Indiana and Dean Heller of Nevada. Five Democrats went the other way: Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Bill Nelson of Florida and Mark R. Warner of Virginia.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that he would vote against the sale of precision-guided munitions, clearing the way for many other Democrats to follow suit.

Last year, an effort to block a tank sale to Saudi Arabia led by Paul and Murphy garnered the support of 27 senators, four of them Republicans.

The State Department has argued that the guidance systems help Saudi Arabia improve the accuracy of bombs that might otherwise risk greater civilian casualties, although U.S. officials have expressed concern over Saudi targeting.

The Obama administration initially approved the sale, then put it on hold in December over concerns about civilian deaths. The Trump administration revived the deal, and it was touted as part of a massive bundle of current and future arms sales when Trump visited Saudi Arabia last month.

U.S. officials also argue that the oversight that comes with such sales, combined with increased U.S. training and engagement with the Saudi military, gives Washington leverage that it would lose if the sales were halted as a protest.

Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to defend broad and deep spending cuts in foreign aid on Tuesday before skeptical, often caustic senators who warned that slashing humanitarian and development funding would endanger national security.

I think this budget request is radical and reckless when it comes to soft power, said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of an appropriations subcommittee, which is examining the Trump administrations proposed $37.6 billion budget for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, a drop of about 30 percent.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said the budget symbolizes a U.S. retreat from world leadership that China and Russia will rush to fill.

Why would we give up that influence? Leahy asked. Does it make us safer? Why would we want to let some of these totalitarian regimes expand their influence instead of American influence? Does that make us safer?

We cant build a Fortress America, he concluded.

[Tillerson tells State Department employees that budget cut reflects new priorities]

That message, delivered to Tillerson by both Republicans and Democrats, was the leitmotif throughout back-to-back hearings at the Foreign Relations Committee in the morning and the Appropriations Committee in the afternoon.

Although senators acknowledged that some change in the State Department is overdue, the budgetary approach Tillerson outlined was dismissed as penny-wise and pound-foolish, an aphorism repeated several times in both committees. Tillerson said that it is not fair to judge the effectiveness of foreign aid by how much money is spent.

Throughout my career I have never believed, or experienced, that the level of funding devoted to a goal is the most important factor in achieving it, said Tillerson, former chief executive of ExxonMobil. Our budget will never determine our ability to be effective  our people will.

Several other high-profile hearings were underway while Tillerson was on the hot seat, and most senators wandered away after grilling the top diplomat. In part, that was an acknowledgment that the money Congress ultimately allocates to the State Department is going to be higher than the administration requested.

I think you know that the budget thats been presented is not going to be the budget were going to deal with. Its just not, said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, who said that he quit reading its line-by-line details after a few minutes because it bears no relation to what the final version will be.

If budgets are a statement of values, Tillerson argued that this budget does not mean that the United States under President Trump is retreating from global leadership as it asks other countries to do more.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other leaders, has warned that allies cannot rely on the same set of assumptions about U.S. commitment and support. French officials have said that Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, among other actions, is part of a deliberate reordering of post-World War II expectations.

[Following Trumps trip, Merkel says Europe cant rely on others. She means the U.S.]

But Tillerson Trumps top diplomat said that some world leaders are grateful for the clarity of Trumps expectations. Tillerson said he read Merkels remarks, delivered after Trumps recent trip to Europe, as encouragement to her country to step up its defense spending and international obligations.

She was saying, We should not look to America to carry us on their backs every step of the way, Tillerson said.

Tillerson also confirmed that the Trump administration will step back from some of the economic initiatives to Cuba begun under President Barack Obama.

Some of the U.S. effort is serving only to support the Castro regime, and there are no meaningful signs that the engagement is easing repression in Cuba, Tillerson said.

We think we have achieved very little, he said.

But the heart of Tillerson's hearing was the competing visions for America as reflected in its foreign aid budget. Tillerson argued that the primary goal of government spending should be to protect Americans and advance the countrys prosperity.

The first responsibility of government is the security of its own citizens, and we will orient our diplomatic efforts toward fulfilling that commitment, Tillerson said.

But few senators went along with the administrations view that big foreign aid cuts are needed to help finance increases in military spending. Graham came to the hearing equipped with visuals, including an enlarged quotation from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, contending that a State Department that isnt fully funded means he must buy more ammunition.

While I understand the need for hard power, I dont understand the need to cut soft power, Graham said. This budget will cost influence. Its going to put lives at risk.

Given our role in the world, were sacrificing influence at a time when we need more, he added. I dont want to retreat from the world right now.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the role Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) holds in the appropriations committee.
Panamas vice president and foreign minister, Isabel de Saint Malo, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sign a joint communique in Beijing on Tuesday. (Pool photo by Greg Baker via European Pressphoto Agency/ )

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen reacted angrily Tuesday to Panamas decision to shift diplomatic ties to China, insisting that Taipei will never bow down to threats and intimidation from Beijing and is determined to uphold its sovereignty.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced on television Monday evening that he was establishing diplomatic ties with China and breaking with Taiwan, saying he was convinced this is the correct path for our country. He added that China constituted 20 percent of the worlds population, has the second-biggest economy and is the second-biggest user of the Panama Canal.

The move comes as Beijing steps up efforts to isolate Taipei internationally since last years election of Tsai.

The Government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that only one China exists in the world, the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all China, and Taiwan forms an inalienable part of Chinese territory, a joint statement from China and Panama read.

Panama is the second country to break with Taiwan since Tsais election last year, following the small African islands of Sao Tome and Principe.

For the first time in eight years, Taiwan was not invited to the annual assembly of the World Health Organization last month. It was also excluded from a global forum of the International Civil Aviation Organization last year. Both moves reportedly came at the insistence of Beijing, which has made clear its displeasure with Tsais reluctance to explicitly endorse the idea that there is only one China, encompassing the mainland and the island of Taiwan.

[China brazenly arrests Taiwanese activist and Trump administration says nothing]

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and insists that any country that establishes diplomatic relations with Beijing must cut them with Taipei. It says its relationship with Taipei is founded on the 1992 consensus between the two sides that effectively rules out the idea of Taiwan ever gaining independence.

But that was a deal reached by a government run by the Kuomintang party in Taiwan, not Tsais Democratic Progressive Party, and while Tsai has indicated she respects the agreement and says she wants dialogue and friendly ties with Beijing, she has been reluctant to spell out an explicit endorsement.

In the past, China and Taiwan had competed to win diplomatic allies, wooing poorer countries with promises of aid and investment. But they established an unofficial truce under the Kuomintang government, with neither trying aggressively to upset the status quo, experts say.

Panamas move decreases to 20 the number of countries formally recognizing Taiwan, most of them in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A former ambassador to China for Mexico, Jorge Guajardo, tweeted that he expected the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua to follow suit soon. Big question is, will Vatican ditch Taiwan for Beijing? he added.

Tsai addressed the Taiwanese people on Tuesday afternoon, vowing that Taipei will not engage in a diplomatic bidding war, nor succumb to Beijings threats.

We are a sovereign country. This sovereignty cannot be challenged or traded, she said, insisting that her people want peace but that Beijing is pushing relations toward confrontation.

Coercion and threats will not bring the two sides together. Instead they will drive our two peoples apart, she said. On behalf of the 23 million people of Taiwan, I declare that we will never surrender to such intimidation.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Taiwans international isolation is not in the interest of the United States or the rest of the world.

[Trump now says he would check with China before calling Taiwans president]

Taiwan has a great deal to offer the international community, ranging from top-quality medical services to strong IT talent and active international NGOs that provide disaster relief to countries in need, she said, adding that the United States and other countries should find creative ways to engage with Taiwan.

Nor are Chinas pressure tactics doing anything to help it win hearts and minds in Taiwan, experts say.

So far the tactic has only succeeded in alienating the Taiwanese public and reinforced notions of separateness, said J. Michael Cole, a senior fellow at the University of Nottinghams China Policy Institute and chief editor of the Taiwan Sentinel website.

As long as such efforts do not substantially undermine Taiwans ability to function as a sovereign state  and no theft of a smallish diplomatic ally will ever achieve this  then I dont see how or why the Taiwanese would give in to such pressure by deciding to accommodate Beijing, he said.

A poll released by the Taiwanese government over the weekend showed nearly three-quarters of respondents rejected Beijings insistence on the one-China principle as a precondition to political ties. More than 80 percent said Chinas efforts to limit Taiwans international space hurt their interests, and a similar proportion said China should recognize the existence of the Republic of China, as Taiwan officially calls itself.

Cole said Taiwan needs to focus more on developing healthy relations with unofficial allies that are democracies and important economies and not worry about maintaining official ties with small states that want infrastructure investment Taiwan cannot afford.

Read more:

In historic decision, Taiwanese court rules in favor of same-sex marriage

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Snap Inc. is a social media company operating globally. The company was founded in September 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy. Originally known as Snapchat, the company changed its name to Snap in order to represent its offerings better as it grew over the years. The companys headquarters are in Santa Monica, California and it is a very tightly held company. The original founders, Evan Speigel and Bobby Murphy own a combined 45% of non-dilutable shares with ownership transferable to the other upon death. The two remain active in the company today serving on the board and acting as CEO (Speigel) and CTO (Murphy).

The company was formerly known as Snapchat, Inc. and changed its name to Snap Inc. in September 2016. Snap Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Over the years it has been courted by most of the big tech companies including Facebook and Google but has always opted to remain a standalone company. The business went public in 2017 and raised $30 billion on its opening day which is about 10 times the expected amount.

Today, Snap operates as a camera company internationally. The companys main revenue streams are Snapchat, a mobile app for cameras and communications, and Spectacles, a wearable augmented reality device. Snapchat is a camera app that allows users to take pictures and tell stories, the platform also permits ad sales which is an integral part of the revenue and earnings. The companys mission? To empower people to express themselves in todays digital world.

Spectacles is a hardware device that can connect with Snapchat to deliver pictures and video from a point-of-view perspective. The company has since made three upgrades to the original version and has a Next Generation model available too. The Next Generation of Spectacles are not intended for sale but will be made available to creators who wish to push the boundaries of video and digital communications.

In October 2022 the company reported it had more than 347milion daily active users with more than 250 million engaging with AR each day. The platform had more than 250,000 Lens creators (Lenses are AR experiences) with more than 2.5 million lenses created. There were more than 6 billion lens plays each day and more than 75% of 13-34-year-olds in 20 countries were users.
MSCI Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment decision support tools for the clients to manage their investment processes worldwide. It operates through four segments: Index, Analytics, ESG and Climate, and All Other - Private Assets. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed product creation, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct. The Analytics segment offers risk management, performance attribution and portfolio management content, application, and service that provides an integrated view of risk and return, and an analysis of market, credit, liquidity, and counterparty risk across asset classes; managed services, including consolidation of client portfolio data from various sources, review and reconciliation of input data and results, and customized reporting; and HedgePlatform to measure, evaluate, and monitor the risk of hedge fund investments. The ESG and Climate segment provides products and services that help institutional investors understand how ESG factors impact the long-term risk and return of their portfolio and individual security-level investments; and data, ratings, research, and tools to help investors navigate increasing regulation. The All Other - Private Assets segment includes real estate market and transaction data, benchmarks, return-analytics, climate assessments and market insights for funds, investors, and managers; business intelligence to real estate owners, managers, developers, and brokers; and offers investment decision support tools for private capital. It serves asset owners and managers, financial intermediaries, wealth managers, real estate professionals, and corporates. MSCI Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Much of the body of a wee Cretaceous-era chick was preserved in incredible detail in a piece of Burmese amber, and bears "unusual plumage," according to the researchers who described the unique find in a new study.

Excavated from a mine in what is now northern Myanmar, the precious lump of fossilized tree sap is estimated to be about 98 million years old, and holds the most complete specimen to date representing a group of extinct toothed birds called enantiornithines (eh-nan-tee-or-NITH'-eh-neez), which died out at the end of the Cretaceous period (about 145 million to 65.5 million years ago).

Body proportions and plumage development in the tiny specimen indicated that it was very young, while details in the feathers' structures and distribution highlighted some of the key differences between these ancient avians and modern-day birds, the scientists wrote in the study. [See Stunning Photos of the Cretaceous Chick in Amber]

Though scientists had previously found specimens of this bird group in amber, the new find included features never seen before, such as the ear opening, the eyelid and skin on the feet.

Its body measured about 2.4 inches (6 centimeters) in length, from the tip of its beak to the end of the truncated tail. The scientists used micro-CT scans and digital 3D reconstruction to further analyze the specimen  processes that took nearly a year to complete, study co-author Jingmai O'Connor, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Live Science in an email.

In a small lump of amber, a tiny, taloned foot is the most visible part of a hatchling that was entombed nearly 100 million years ago. Lida Xing

The amber chunk  which measured around 3.4 inches (8.6 cm) long, 1.2 inches (3 cm) wide and 2.2 inches (5.7 cm) thick had been divided down the middle into two pieces. Unfortunately, this cut sliced through the specimen's skull, damaging some of the bones and relegating the chick's beak to one amber fragment and the braincase and neck to the other, the researchers reported.

Story continues

Even so, the body was near-complete, with the amber containing the tiny bird's head and neck, part of its wings, feet and tail; and plenty of soft tissue and attached feathers. The bird was undergoing its first molt when it became caught in the sticky tree sap; there was only a light covering of plumage on its body. But it already had a full set of flight feathers on its wings, suggesting that birds in this group were highly independent from an early age, the study authors wrote.

CT data revealed the avian fledgling trapped in the amber, here pictured next to a reconstruction showing how the animal may have looked in life. Reconstruction by Cheung Chung Tat

In recent years, amber fossils have revealed fascinating glimpses of life from many millions of years ago  from ant-termite warfare and a daddy longlegs' long-lasting erection to a spider attacking prey in its web and a bug that jumped out of its skin.

And when it comes to birds, fossils' exceptional preservation of plumage helps paleontologists understand the diversity of feathers and the role they played for early avians, O'Connor said in the email.

"Feathers can never be well understood in normal fossils," O'Connor said. "But in amber, we get crystal-clear views of what primitive feathers were like, and they reveal all sorts of bizarre morphologies," she said.

The findings were published online June 6 in the journal Gondwana Research.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Photo credit: USAFE

From Popular Mechanics

If the Air Force gets its way, the service soon could be losing more than 100 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. It's the latest twist in a long fight over the future of the iconic ground-attack airplane.

The Air Force has 283 A-10s divided into nine squadrons, and as DefenseNews reports today, the service's 2018 budget includes money to operate and maintain all of them. The problem is that these older planes need new wing sets because many of the wings are reaching the end of their operational lifetimes. However, the budget funds new wings for only six squadrons, or 173 planes. Do the math and you can see that leaves 110 Warthogs out in the cold.

Mothballing the A-10 has been a contentious proposition for years now. The Warthogs have a lot of years on them and the Air Force intended to replace some of the A-10's ground attack capability with F-35s that were built to play multiple roles. But American troops adore the hardy, rugged, difficult-to-kill A-10. Getting the F-35 into service has been... a challenge. The Warthog has a lot of friends in Congress, too, who have pushed back against USAF plans to retire the plane, and might push back against this new effort, too.

There's also the issue of the A-10's potential successor, as DefenseNews reports:

Although an A-10 follow-on aircraft - sometimes called A-X - is still on the table, Holmes noted that decision would come further in the future as the Air Force contemplates whether to replace the remaining 173 A-10s with a purpose-built close air support platform in the late 2020s.

The short-term solution seems to be for Congress to approve the money for A-10 wings that the Pentagon asked for in its "unfunded priorities" list, which, as we explained earlier this week, is basically the military's wish list for things it would love to have if the money is there. That won't pay for all these new Boeing wings, though. So the Warthog saga slogs on.

Story continues

Source: DefenseNews

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Families from one of the USs most notorious school shootings have reacted with outcry after NBC broadcast an interview with a leading conspiracy theorist who said the incident never happened and that parents faked their children's deaths.

Alex Jones, host of the Infowars, has claimed over the years that the US government was involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the attacks of 9/11. He also said the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook that left 26 people dead, including 20 children, never happened.

Mr Jones has now repeated his comments, including about what he says never happened at the elementary school in Connecticut, in an interview to NBCs Megyn Kelly. Ms Kelly, who earlier this year quit Fox News, started by asking him if he was the most paranoid person in the country.

Actually, in our sit-down @RealAlexJones describes self as a libertarian who "likes what republicans stand for" but has issues w/them 2. https://t.co/TWa6iDaiyi  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 12, 2017

She said he had made his reputation by spreading conspiracy theories, including the claim that Sandy Hook did not happen.

When you say parents faked their children's deaths, people get upset, she said.

Mr Jones responded: But they dont get angry about half-a-million dead Iraqis killed by sanctions.

Ms Kelly told Mr Jones that his response was a dodge. He denied it, adding: I looked at all the angles about Newtown, I made my statement before the other media picked it up.

Ms Kellys decision to to provide a platform to Mr Jones had raised questions even before she released parts of the interview ahead of its broadcast, scheduled for June 18.

When it emerged Ms Jones had defended his views about Sandy Hook, an incident he said was staged with the use of child actors, some of the parents of the youngsters and teachers killed, wrote to NBC and Ms Kelly, expressing their outrage.

Story continues

The family of slain teacher Vicki Soto, posted a letter on Facebook, saying they were "disgusted and disappointed" in the decision to air the interview.

Alex and his followers have done nothing but make our lives a living hell for the last four-and-a-half, they said.

This incessant need for ratings at the cost of the emotional well-being of our family is disgusting and disappointing. You should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing this behaviour.

Nelba Marquez-Greene, whose six-year-old daughter, Ana Grace, was among those killed, said she feared the interview with Mr Jones would encourage other conspiracy theorists who have harassed her and accused her of being part of a hoax.

POTUS's been on & praises @RealAlexJones' show. He's giving Infowars a WH press credential. Many don't know him; our job is 2 shine a light. https://t.co/5e88BJyqnz  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 12, 2017

Any time you give someone like Alex Jones a platform, their followers will double-down or increase their attack on grieving families, she told the Associated Press.

You cant just put him in a box and say he's just a character. Hes really hurting people.

Ms Kelly has reportedly defended the decision to interview Mr Jones by saying it her job to shine a light.

NBC did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Angela Merkel has condemned putting up walls during a visit to Mexico, in a thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump.

The German Chancellor was speaking on a panel with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, but did not explicitly mention the US President.

Mr Trump has vowed to build a wall on his countrys southern border, making it a key tenet of his 2016 election campaign.

Ms Merkel said the key to solving problems with migration was building relationships and understanding with other countries.

"Obviously the main reason for people leaving must be addressed on site first, which means putting up walls and cutting oneself off will not solve the problem, Ms Merkel said.

She said lessons could be drawn from the great empires of the past.

Essentially, only when great empires have managed to forge sensible relationships with their neighbours and to manage migration has it been a success, the Chancellor said.

Ms Merkel added that she didn't think that "simply improving the border facilities" would solve the problem.

President Trump made a US border wall with Mexico a consistent  but controversial  theme of his campaign, claiming it was needed to keep out illegal immigrants and criminals.

At rallies, Mr Trump would tell supporters the Mexican government would pay for the structure.

But Mr Pena Nieto ruled out paying for a wall several times and Mr Trump did not allocate funding for it in his April budget plan.

Soon after his inauguration, Mr Trump signed an executive order authorising the wall, but work on it is yet to begin.

Last week, Mr Trump proposed funding the wall by installing solar panels on it.
An Indiana father shot and killed his 9-year-old daughter while telling his children to not play with guns, police said.

Shes dead. Shes f***ing dead, he told officers who arrived at his Hobart home, according to an arrest affidavit filed in Lake County.

Read: Ex-Psychologist Gets 3 Years for Shooting Husband as He Slept Just Feet From Their Children

Olivia Hummel was unresponsive and lying in a bedroom entrance when police responded to a call of a person shot, police said.

Its hard to wrap your head around it, Hobart Police Lt. James Gonzales told InsideEdition.com Tuesday.

The dad told officers he had been showing the weapon to his twin 10-year-old sons and told them to never use a gun when his daughter walked into the room.

He pulled the trigger, shooting the girl in the head, police said.

The boys told police their father had forgotten hed put bullets in the gun, according to the affidavit. Earlier, he had emptied the weapon and pulled the trigger while pointing it at the boys, they told officers.

He then reloaded the gun, police said. When Olivia walked into the room, he said See, dont play with guns, and shot her, according to the document.

He shooted her, one of the boys told officers on the scene.

Read: Teen Watched as Her Mother Was Fatally Shot by Estranged Husband Outside School: Friend

The father told police he had been showing the gun to his kids and didnt think it was loaded.

I shot her," Hummel told his wife on the phone before he was taken into custody, according to the affidavit. "Im so sorry. It was so stupid."

Hummel was arrested and charged with reckless homicide, neglect of a child resulting in death, battery resulting in death and two counts of child neglect.

He has been released on $70,000 bail, police said.

Watch: Husband Accidentally Shoots Wife in Stomach After Hunting Flower-Eating Squirrel

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The president convened his first full cabinet meeting at an oval mahogany desk. Then each member made obsequious opening remarks

Before a contingent of cameras on Monday, Donald Trump convened his first full cabinet meeting. Seated around an oval mahogany desk in the White Houses Cabinet Room was his newly-assembled brain trust: the collection of secretaries, directors and senior staff he appointed and hired to execute his America First vision, a task often complicated by the mercurial @realDonaldTrump.

Trump began the meeting with an appraisal of his presidency.

Never has there been a president, with few exceptions, the case of FDR  he had a major Depression to handle  whos passed more legislation whos done more things than what weve done, Trump said, his eyes trained on cameras.

Finally held our first full @Cabinet meeting today. With this great team, we can restore American prosperity and bring real change to D.C. pic.twitter.com/2M9PiKjCSH  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2017

No matter that the Republican-controlled Congress has not passed a single major piece of legislation since Trump took office. Or that his budget was laughed off by lawmakers as magical thinking. Or that his travel ban remains tied up in the courts. Or that the former FBI director James Comey, whom he dispatched in a shocking turn of events, testified under oath that Trump had asked him to shut down an investigation into his former national security advisers ties to Russia.

A recent Gallup poll survey showed Trumps job approval ranking slumped to a record low, with just 36% of voters approving.

Weve achieved tremendous success, Trump continued, painting a rosy picture of the administrations achievements. Weve been about as active as you can possibly be at just about a record-setting pace.

Story continues

Behind him, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon sat, staring ahead intensely as if running through the unchecked items scribbled on a dry-erase board in his office. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, leaned against the window next to Bannon.

Trump then suggested the group go around the table and introduce themselves before reporters were ushered out of the room.

Im going to start with our vice-president. Where is our vice-president? Trump asked, swiveling his head to look for Mike Pence before spotting him seated in the vice-presidents assigned seat, directly across from the president.

There he is, Trump said jovially to titters from the others.

Well start with Mike and then well just go around, your name, your position, Trump instructed, like a teacher on the first day of school.

This is just the greatest privilege of my life, Pence said, offering honeyed words about the president before turning over the spotlight to the attorney general, who on Tuesday will be hauled before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify about his contacts with Russian officials.

We thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda Chief of staff Reince Priebus

It is so great to be here, Jeff Sessions told Trump in perhaps an understated sign of relief after he reportedly offered the president his resignation in recent weeks.

The flattery continued as each member of his cabinet took turns praising the president.

My hats off to you, said energy secretary Rick Perry, praising Trump for withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, to which every country is a signatory except for Syria, which is in the middle of a years-long civil war, and Nicaragua, which did not believe the pact went far enough in combatting global warming.

Its a new day at the United Nations, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, declared. I think the international community knows were back.

I want to thank you for getting this country moving again, said transportation secretary Elaine Chao. She thanked the president for visiting the Department of Transportation during infrastructure week, the White Houses attempt to refocus attention on its domestic agenda while more than 19m people tuned in to hear Comey call the president a liar.

Hundreds and hundreds of people were just so thrilled, hanging out, watching the whole ceremony, she said of his visit.

Donald Trump at his first cabinet meeting in the White House. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

I apologize for being late to work, quipped Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, the last member of Trumps cabinet to be confirmed. For months I got bogged down in that swamp that youve been trying to clean.

CIA director, Mike Pompeo, drew laughs from the table, including the president, who gave an approving nod of his head, with a barb aimed at the press.

But perhaps the most grateful person in the room was Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, whose job security has long been a topic of speculation.

We thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda, Priebus told the president.

When the circle of adulation concluded, Trump shooed the press out of the room as they shouted questions in vain.

Thank you, he repeated. The show was over.

Trump had turned a typically staid event into an unusual spectacle, especially for those used to the more traditional scene, where the press are wheeled in for photographs and brief remarks before being shown the door. The meeting immediately began drawing derision on Twitter.

I ran 16 Cabinet meetings during Obama's 1st term. Our Cabinet was never told to sing Obama's praises. He wanted candid advice not adulation  Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) June 12, 2017

Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumermocked the presidents cabinet meeting in a spoof video that featured him around with young staffers who praised his performance on the Sunday talk shows  and his hair. The New York Democrat posted on Twitter with the exclamation: GREAT meeting today with the best staff in the history of the world!!!

Not one to be outdone, especially by Schumer, who he has accused of crying fake tears, Trump tweeted later that evening a video of the meeting and praised his great team.
At a time of growing Chinese investment, Panama has cut ties with Taiwan to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing. But Chinas real impetus for bringing Panama into its fold is most likely political, seeking to punish Taiwans independent-minded president by poaching one of the islands few remaining friends.

Panama President Juan Carlos Varela announced the switch on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a press conference that the two countries would cooperate in trade, investment, and tourism. Wang also encouraged Panama to participate in the Belt and Road initiative, a vague but sweeping plan championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to forge trade deals, build infrastructure, and bolster Chinese soft power around the globe.

Chinese investment in Panama has vastly expanded in recent years as Beijing has pushed to secure trade and investment deals around the world. The Panama Canal, the narrow choke-point through which virtually all Pacific-Atlantic maritime trade must flow, has been a particular target. In 2016, the Chinese state-linked Landbridge Group signed a 99-year lease for Panamas largest port, Margarita Island, which handles distribution of goods on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. Chinese state enterprises have also looked to develop approximately 1,200 hectares of land around the canal.

While lack of official ties with Panama hasnt seemed to hinder investment, the growing business links have certainly deepened Chinas interests in the Central American nation.

But it is politics, not economics, that most likely motivated Beijing. The loss of a diplomatic ally  and Taipei is down to 19 countries plus the Vatican  puts heavy pressure on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Cross-strait relations have remained tense since Tsai was elected last year, ousting the Beijing-friendly KMT party and giving Tsai a mandate to push back against Chinese influence on the island. Beijing cut off official communication with Taiwan in June 2016 after Tsai refused to explicitly affirm the 1992 consensus, which holds that there is only one China.

Story continues

Beijing can easily lure Taiwans diplomatic allies to their side through the promise of trade deals, though allowing some countries to maintain relations with Taiwan can also serve Chinas own purposes. It allows political bargaining chips to be played when Taiwan crosses the line.

Beijing has steadily chipped away at Taiwans presence on the international stage, blocking its participation in multilateral organizations and committees. Most recently, under Chinese pressure, the World Health Organization blocked Taiwans participation in its annual assembly, refusing to grant it the observer status it had enjoyed since 2009.

Panamanian recognition of China is the latest diplomatic blow to Taiwan. The other 20 partners have been recipients of Taiwanese development aid  a remnant of Taiwans dollar diplomacy, in which it competed with Beijing for the allegiance of developing states  but its a shrinking club, down from around 30 in the 1990s. Before Panama, Beijings latest catch was the small island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, as punishment for Tsais phone call with then-President-elect Donald Trump, the first time since 1979 that a U.S. president or president-elect has spoken directly with a Taiwanese head of state. Since the United States does not have official relations with Taiwan, to China the call was just a little too intimate.

Now, Panama is defecting. Despite our national security team having prior knowledge of the situation and making every possible effort, the end result was still deeply regrettable, said Tsai in a June 13 address.

Although we have lost a diplomatic ally, our refusal to engage in a diplomatic bidding war will not change.

Panamas change of heart suggests that Taiwans other relationships in the region may be in jeopardy: Nicaragua also maintains relations with Taiwan, and it has also received billions of dollars of Chinese investment.

In 2013, Chinese billionaire Wang Jing signed a $40 billion deal to build a canal through a 170-mile swath of the country, a deeper and wider rival to the Panama Canal. Domestic opposition and red tape has so far prevented significant progress on the massive project.

GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images
If the Democrats want to build a serious, dominant party, they must proffer more than Clinton-era platitudes and neoliberal gut-punches

Sanders  though technically not a Democrat  who remains the most popular Democratic figure in America Photograph: Jim Young/AFP/Getty Images

The newest idea circulating among the very smart people who report and commentate on American politics is that the Democratic party, so enfeebled in the age of Donald Trump, might be in danger of veering too far left. While Bernie Sanders tries to foment his revolution across the country, many Democratic elected officials and operatives are wary that candidates too steeped in socialism will blow it in the more moderate and conservative-seeming precincts of the country. They point to the losses of Sanders-backed candidates, fretting that the partys fiery wing will burn away the real voters they need.

For most Democrats aligned with the establishment, the dream is Jon Ossoff. A 30-year-old first-time candidate running in a special election for a suburban Georgia congressional district once held by Trumps Health and Human Services secretary, Tom Price, Ossoff has shattered fundraising records and holds leads in the polls over his Republican opponent.

Once viewed a long shot, Ossoff has a real chance of winning on 20 June. Though hes raising cash like a Sanders clone, his politics are well to the right. He has said he will never support single-payer healthcare or raising taxes. His campaign messaging is rather milquetoast: he promises, as a political outsider, to go against the grain in Washington.

Nine times out of ten, anyone who says theyll be an independent in DC gets swallowed up by the swamp soon enough. Maybe Ossoff is different. What he represents, however, is a seeming compromise between the two paths offered up for Democrats  a way to raise gobs of money from the grassroots without stumping on the issues that could alienate the partys influential donors and power brokers.

The danger for Democrats, however, is thinking Ossoff-like candidates  moderates with poll-tested prescriptions  point the easy path forward. Liberals of all stripes, desperate for ways to resist the Trump presidency, are pouring their money and attention into a well-timed special election which may foreshadow an anti-Trump wave next year. The appeal of flipping a red district blue only amplifies that.

Story continues

Party strategists are right to argue that candidates cant be one-size-fits-all, ultra-leftists checking off every box for a Democratic purity test. But they must understand it is Sanders right now who is offering a viable path to resurrection. It is Sanders  though technically not a Democrat  who remains the most popular Democratic figure in America by far, a frontrunner for the 2020 nomination if he decides to run.

If hes healthy, age is no barrier, because political rules like that dont exist any more. Trump was older than Ronald Reagan when he took office and even his worst enemies couldnt accuse him of seeming lethargic.

Its the message, as always, that matters most. There may be a backlash against Trump-like candidates  slovenly, know-nothing celebrities  but a centrist revival is not exactly imminent. Hillary Clinton won the nomination in 2016 running far to the left of her former president husband, and she still proved insipid in the end because she offered no unified, compelling vision for the country, no real reason to vote for herself except as a vessel to stop Trump. As of now, that is the only plan for Democrats in 2018: we are not Trump, so put us in office.

In the short term, that might be enough. Thats how congressional elections, far more nationalized than they once were, work these days. But limiting the Democratic party to an anti-Trump wing obsessed with Russia promises little in long-term fruit.

Franklin Roosevelt made generations of Americans Democrats by creating the New Deal and showing even the countrys right wing that government can play the role of protector, guaranteeing dignity and safety for the most vulnerable. Sanders and his acolytes now carry that torch, fighting for a desperately-needed social safety net that other first-world democracies guaranteed to their citizens long ago.

Not every Sanders-backed candidate wins. That misses the point. If the Democrats want to build a serious, dominant party in the years to come, they must speak to the overwhelming anxieties of the working class and poor and proffer more than Clinton-era platitudes and neoliberal gut-punches.

Globalization, automation and the decline of organized labor has permanently eviscerated a crucial layer of the safety net already. To not have an answer to this suffering is to backslide further into irrelevance, which the Democrats already know something about.
Bill Cosby arrives for his trial on sexual assault charges at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennslyvania: Getty

The defence presented by Bill Cosbys legal team in the comedians long-awaited sexual assault trial lasted all of six minutes, and produced a single witness.

Its closing statements, however, lasted two hours.

In a sprawling statement to a Pennsylvania courtroom, lawyer Brian McMonagle presented the case for the innocence of Cosby by painting his client as honest, his accuser as inconsistent, and the media as complicit.

This is not a civil case about money, money, money, Mr McMonagle told the jury. Were talking about all the mans tomorrows.

Cosby, who has been charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault, could spend the rest of his life in jail if found guilty.

The charges stem from an incident in 2004, in which both Cosby and his accuser agree they engaged in sexual contact. Cosbys defence has claimed the encounter was consensual. His accuser, Andrea Constand, says it was assault.

Ms Constand testified last week that she had attended a private dinner at Cosbys home, where he gave her pills that made her slur her speech, see double, and feel frozen. She said he then helped her to his couch and molested her.

In his closing remarks, Mr McMonagle focused primarily on poking holes in Ms Constand's story. He pointed out inconsistencies in her statements to police over the years, and highlighted the dozens of phone calls she made to the comedian in the months after the alleged assault.

This isnt talking to a trustee, Mr McMonagle said, referring to Cosbys role as trustee at the university where Ms Constand was employed. This is talking to a lover.

It was the last of several attempts by the defence to paint Cosby and Ms Constands relationship as romantic, and their encounters as consensual. Lawyers had previously detailed instances in which Ms Constand visited the entertainers hotel room alone, and attended dimly lit dinners at his home.

Ms Constand claims she saw the entertainer as a mentor and somewhat of an older figure.

Story continues

Bill Cosby's trial picks back up this morning in Norristown! The big question is whether he will choose to testify. #cosbytrial pic.twitter.com/aE2fVH8JP5  Julie Grant (@JulieGrantEsq) June 12, 2017

At one point, in a rare moment of self-awareness for the trial, Mr McMonagle addressed the larger context of the allegations: more than 50 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault in recent years, setting off a firestorm of media coverage and essentially destroying the comedians family-friendly image.

Some of the accusers sat in on the closing arguments today.

You know why were here; lets be real. Right? Mr McMongale said at one point, gesturing to the area where the accusers, the press, and members of the public sat.

Were not here because of Andrea Constand, he told the jury. That was over in 2005. Were here because of this nonsense. Were here because of them.

Cosby accuser Victoria Valentino: I believe there could be hundreds of victims Cosby sexually assaulted.#cosbytrial pic.twitter.com/P3XhE9rTpz  Phil Gianficaro (@philgianficaro) June 5, 2017

Cosby did not testify at his trial. Instead, the defence called a single witness, Detective Richard Schaffer, who lead the 2005 investigation into Ms Constands allegations.

Lawyers questioned Mr Schaffer for approximately six minutes, then rested their defence.

Judge Steven ONeill denied the defences request to bring forward a second witness, a woman who had worked with Ms Constand at Cosbys alma mater.

Cosbys long-expected decision not to testify means his only statements in the trial come from a previously sealed deposition. The deposition was taken for a lawsuit filed by Ms Constand in 2005, after detectives unexpectedly closed her sexual assault case.

The prosecution presented excerpts from the deposition last week, including segments in which Cosby admitted to engaging with Ms Constand in the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection.

She did not stop me. And I wanted to go, Cosby told detectives at the time.

The jury will now move to deliberations.
Video has emerged of the moment New Mexico authorities discovered a woman chained up in the back of a van earlier this year.

The New Mexico State Police this week released footage taken in January during a traffic stop in Albuquerque. They say it shows the victim of a Nevada kidnapping alive but shaken by her 12-hour ordeal.

Read: Cops Say Suspected Serial Killer Met With Mom Before Confessing to Quadruple Murder

"Oh my God, thank you," she tells the officers in the shocking video, which is making headlines on the heels of another in which a South Carolina woman was found chained in a shipping container, allegedly at the hands of a confessed serial killer.

In this case, cops believe the woman was the only victim of her alleged kidnappers, who cops have named as her ex-boyfriend and his 19-year-old companion, the AP reports.

The ex, Jack Morgan, and Sophie Brown were arrested following the Jan. 30 traffic stop in Espanola that allegedly ended a kidnapping hatched from a full year of planning.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the victim was seen bound and gagged being dragged down three flights of stairs wearing only underwear at a Las Vegas apartment complex.

A witness told police the woman was put into a white van with Texas license plates.

Cops reportedly found a knife and stun gun in the woman's apartment, as well as her purse.

Cops somehow identified Morgan as a person of interest in the case before they were led to New Mexico by his cellphone location.

When Morgan and Brown were first pulled over, cops said they heard screams from the back of the van.

"He dragged me out of the place, and I fought so (expletive) hard cause I was like, this is how you die," the woman would tell officers after Morgan and Brown, whose legal first name cops say is Samuel, were arrested.

Read: Kidnap Victim Katie Beers Reacts to Kala Brown Rescue Video: 'It Floods Me With Emotions'

According to New Mexico police, the victim told them that Morgan intended to take her to a cave to "brainwash her to be his wife."

Story continues

Both Morgan and Brown have pleaded not guilty to federal kidnapping charges and are awaiting trial in Nevada.

Watch: After Woman's Daring Escape From Captor, How to Get Out If You're Trapped in a Car's Trunk

Related Articles:
Bologna (Italy) (AFP) - The United States' partners in the G7 club of wealthy democracies vowed Sunday to press ahead with efforts to contain devastating climate change despite a rift caused by the American withdrawal from the Paris accord on cutting carbon emissions.

"Italy and the overwhelming majority of countries regard Paris as irreversible and non-negotiable," Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said after the first day of a two-day gathering of G7 environmental chiefs in Italy.

Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment Programme, said Sunday's talks had underlined the "absolute determination" of the other six G7 countries to push ahead "whatever happens in the White House."

"The private sector, big business, including in the United States, tell us they back action. There are huge numbers of new jobs in renewables and the green economy, there is lots of money to be made, far more than in fossil fuels."

Scott Pruitt, Trump's choice to head the US Environmental Protection Agency and seen as a climate change sceptic, attended the meeting in the northern Italian city of Bologna but headed home at the end of the first day.

With Germany's environment minister, Barbara Hendricks, also departing early and France's Nicolas Hulot not arriving until Monday because of legislative elections, there was little prospect of substantial bridge building on an issue which has badly soured relations between Donald Trump's administration and key US allies.

Patricia Espinosa, the UN official in charge of implementing the Paris accord, stressed that Trump's pull-out would not make any difference in the short-term.

"We've all registered with regret the US decision, but at the same time the US remains a party to the agreement because it foresees a three-year period before any party can withdraw.

"So for us, it is really clear that what we need to do is to go forward with implementing the accord and helping countries translate their national programme into their development policies so we can get to 2018 and have a first assessment of where we stand," she said.

Story continues

More than 1,000 students marched through Bologna to protest the presence of the G7 ministers in the historic university city, a long-standing bastion of progressive activism.

Organiser Giacomo Cossu told AFP that Trump had given the radical environmentalist movement a shot in the arm, but said he would have been on the streets regardless.

"Trump has revealed the truth that lies behind the rhetoric of the G7 on the environment. They want changes that suit the interests of big business. That is not our model. Ecology for us means democracy and equality. They represent the one percent not the seven billion."

Chaperoned by hundreds of riot police, the demonstration passed off peacefully with protestors brandishing placards declaring: "There is no Planet B" and "They think the Kyoto protocol is a Japanese erotic film."

Trump announced at the start of this month that the US would not abide by the 2015 Paris agreement and would seek to renegotiate terms he denounced as unfairly damaging to the American economy and overly generous to India and China.

Trump said Washington would not be bound by the targets on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases set down in Paris, and will cut funding for developing countries affected by climate change.

- 'No change to the trend' -

But many analysts say Trump's rhetoric may make little difference.

Important players in US industry and individual cities and states are already implementing changes aimed at meeting the targets laid down in Paris, where most of the world's countries agreed to try to cap global temperature rises at two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Germany and California agreed Saturday to work together to keep the Paris accords on track and the most populous US state had its own representative at the Bologna talks.

Scientists warn that failing to contain climate change will have devastating consequences as sea levels rise and extreme storms, droughts and heatwaves becoming more common, endangering crops and fragile environments with knock-on effects in the form of new conflicts and mass fluxes of people escaping affected areas.
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The great news about Denise Richards joining OnlyFans is that shes been cranking out the content to keep her subscribers happy. Shes been teasing some of the super sexy photos on her Instagram account to perhaps entice more of her followers to join her on the other platform. This time around she shows off stunning []
One college student was incredibly surprised when she was kicked out of a mall for simply wearing shorts and a tank top.

Hannah Pewee was recently kicked out of a mall in Michigan for wearing shorts and a tank top. (Photo: Hannah Pewee via Facebook)

Hannah Pewee, 20, was shopping at the Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Mich., when a security guard asked her to leave after receiving complaints about her outfit. She described the ordeal in a lengthy post on Facebook, which garnered over 11,000 likes and 600 comments.

As many of you know, it is NINETY degrees outside today in West Michigan. Aka, really hot. So, of course, I decided to dress for the weather: shorts and a tank top, she wrote. But apparently, how I was dressed was too slutty for the public, as I was kicked out of the Woodland Mall today.

Yup. Apparently some anonymous person reported me to MALL SECURITY for inappropriate dress and I was kicked out, she continued. Never mind that within a one foot radius there were plenty of girls dressed just like me, since its NINETY degrees outside. I am so angry right now Im shaking. I felt so embarrassed I almost cried. All because a stranger didnt like how I dressed.

She tells Yahoo Style that her removal from the mall was not in line with its policy, as the malls website said nothing about clothing length at the time of her removal.

At the time, I had no idea what the malls clothing policy was, she says on why she didnt protest her removal. I didnt know it didnt say anything about clothing lengths, so I wasnt about to start arguing with them.

The Woodland Malls dress code policy from their website reads as follows: Appropriate attire, including shirts and shoes, is required. Clothing with inappropriate words, phrases or graphics is not permitted and is subject to mall management approval. Excluding attire worn in accord with religious practice, tradition or significance, deliberately obscuring the face is prohibited.

Pewee also points out that she actually bought the shorts she was wearing at a store at the same mall.

They claimed their policy was that everything needed to be covered. This isnt accurate, as when I got home and checked their website, their policy was only, Appropriate attire, including shirts and shoes, is required,' she says. The offensive article of clothing appeared to be the shorts, which I had purchased at Forever 21 in the Woodland Mall last year. I found this ridiculous. Why should we shop at a store we cant even wear the clothes of?

Story continues

Pewee felt that the mall was absolutely in the wrong and should make moves to apologize to her and change their policy.

The Woodland Mall should be ashamed of themselves, as well as that anonymous complainer, she wrote at the time of the incident. Its my body, and its hot outside! Im not going to show up in jeans and a sweater, sorry. Dont like it? Look away! I was out having a fun time with my sister and next thing I know, Im out on the street. Slut-shaming how girls are dressed is deplorable and outdated, and it needs to stop.

The Woodland Mall did not immediately respond to Yahoo Styles request for comment. But in response to an angry commenter on its social media page, a representative from the mall apologized, addressing the situation with the following statement:

Yesterday we reached out to the shopper to personally apologize and come to a resolution. We also addressed hundreds of comments across social media, but wed still like to make a public apology for unintentionally embarrassing a shopper who was asked to leave our Mall. We can assure you that the enforcement of our dress code was solely motivated by complaints from other shoppers of inadequate clothing coverage not reflected in the photo posted online. We dropped the ball by enforcing a dress code that didnt take into consideration current summer trends. We also apologize to our community for the way in which this situation was handled.

The representative also added, Were currently reassessing the level of detail in our dress code and will train our team on it to keep this from ever happening again.

In a follow-up post, Pewee explained that she appreciated those supporting her through the ordeal and explained that her end goal was for the mall to reexamine its dress policy.

I definitely think that they need to clean up their act. Their clothing policy on their website doesnt say anything about clothing lengths. If there is such a strict policy, that needs to be *public information*  not something security officers spring on unsuspecting customers. Especially with summer coming around, theres going to be a lot of girls like me, going to the mall and not knowing their breaking some secret dress code, she wrote in the post.

It seems that her complaints were received, as the mall reached out to Pewee and apologized for the incident, assuring the college student that the dress code would be revised.

Alright, so I talked on the phone with the someone on the management team at Woodland, and they apologized for what happened yesterday. Apparently theyre going to revise their clothing policy on their website so it is clearer what is and isnt acceptable. In addition, security will be discussing how to properly handle situations like this, she wrote on Facebook.

Pewee says she wasnt given any details on the changes the mall plans to make. They didnt tell me that they plan on changing their policy per se  all they said was revise, she says. I have no clue if theyll make any changes, and personally, I dont think that its up to me to decide whether or not changes should be made.

If the code is not revised dramatically, Pewee thinks it should at least be made more clear to shoppers.

If they are going to keep their dress code, they need to made it public information  not some hidden rulebook, she shares. If theyre going to kick out shoppers for the length of their shorts, that should be posted on the entryway doors, or in a public area in the mall, so we can decide whether or not we want to shop there. Ive been shopping at the Woodland Mall ever since I was a kid, and after all these years, I had never heard of a dress code.

Although the college student didnt post the message on Facebook hoping it would gain nationwide attention, she hopes that people can learn from it.

Even though I originally complied and left the mall, once I had left, I became more aware of how what happened didnt feel right. I hope that people can become aware that even in 2017, this is still an issue, she says. Even though Woodland had publicly apologized for this, theres still commenters out there who refuse to believe this happened, and still call me a liar. I think people need to realize that this is a problem women are facing on a daily basis, and its not right. I hope this can serve as a message to anyone, regardless of gender, that they shouldnt be afraid to be themselves and dress how they want to dress. I believe we need to love ourselves for who we are, not tear each other down because you may not like someone elses personal choices.

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.




How could former FBI Director James Comey, a 6-foot-8 onetime prosecutor known to stand up to power  feel "stunned" and lapse into an "awkward" silence during a conversation with President Donald Trump?

That's how Comey described his silent response to Trump's demand for loyalty in a private conversation that the fired FBI chief illuminated during a U.S. Senate hearing yesterday (June 8).

Comey may tower over the president, but it turns out he succumbed to a human behavior that is not uncommon in which people temporarily freeze, especially when something shocking is said and there's an unequal power dynamic at play, said Samuel Wang, a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. [5 Ways Your Emotions Influence Your World (and Vice Versa)]

"In such a situation, we don't have the tools to respond appropriately," Wang told Live Science. "And so, a fairly natural response is to pause. When you add to that the fact that the president of the United States is a powerful person, then the power dynamic makes it even more of a fear or shock response."

Wang noted that Comey likely froze because he's used to following procedure, and "for him to be with an authority figure who goes far outside the bounds of normal behavior and starts demanding loyalty and [seems to be] attempting to obstruct justice, this is just beyond shocking," Wang said.

Likewise, people in inferior positions might be stunned into silence, and might worry about offending a superior or saying something "wrong" following a socially unacceptable exchange, largely because of the repercussions that might follow, said David Altheide, a regents' professor emeritus of sociology at Arizona State University.

It's not uncommon for people to step beyond the range of socially acceptable behavior, whether it's between friends, a parent and a child or an employee and an employer, Altheide said. Moreover, these moments of unacceptable behavior tend to happen more frequently with minorities and women, Altheide told Live Science.

Story continues

How to respond

There are several ways Comey could have responded, and many women may be familiar with these.

"Women, in general, are extremely good at dealing with intimidation because they experience it a lot and so they are often more prepared to be intimidated, to be in awkward situations," Altheide said. "They develop a number of defense interaction styles."

For instance, people on the receiving end of intimidation might use humor to diffuse the situation, change the subject or, like Comey, wait a moment before answering, Altheide said. Other tactics that can buy time include repeating the question or going off on a tangent, such as by saying, "Boy, that reminds me of the time when," Altheide said. Many people resort to nervous laughter, he added.

Sometimes people think of the perfect thing or zinger to say hours or even days after the conversation took place. In most cases, it's probably best to let it be, and instead learn from the experience, Altheide said.

"It doesn't make sense to drive back to the bar where you were two hours later and say, 'What I meant to say is,'" Altheide said. Rather, you can review your newfound response and then think of tactics that will give you time to collect your thoughts the next time you're unsure of what to say.

However, if you think of something important that you left out of a key conversation, it might be worth your while to follow up. Let's say you flubbed an unexpected question during a job interview: "You could send an email, you could call them up," Altheide said. "You could say, 'I just want to make clear how I would handle that situation,' or 'I just want to make clear this point about my background and experience.'" [Understanding the 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

Had Comey anticipated Trump's question, he could have said something along the lines of, "As I suggested before, what I meant and what I conveyed to you is X," Altheide said.

Rather, Comey's experience shows that people in all walks of life can encounter a situation that stuns them into silence. When asked today by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., why he didn't tell the president "that is not an appropriate request," or alert the White House counsel, Comey explained what his state of mind was like at the time.

"I don't know," Comey said at the hearing. "As I said earlier, I think the circumstances were such that it was  I was a bit stunned and didn't have the presence of mind."

Original article on Live Science.

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In yet another disturbing display of evidence in the trial of 20-year-old Michelle Carter, the prosecution introduced YouTube videos depicting her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, discussing his depression and social anxiety. Carter remained on trial for manslaughter after text messages showed she repeatedly urged Roy to take his own life, which he did in 2014, at the age of 18.

Prosecutors introduced the videos as key pieces evidence in the case Thursday. They depicted Roy wearing headphones and speaking into his computer about his struggles. One video was shot Jun. 13, 2014, exactly one month before he killed himself.

Read: Text Message Conversations Reveal Michelle Carter Urged Boyfriend To Kill Himself

This is Conrad Henry Roy III reported about social anxiety. Ill start off, he began one of the videos. Im trying to do too much to better myself in so little time. He went on to list the array of things he was attempting to do to keep up with what he perceived as necessary, including keeping abreast of current events, television shows and sports.

Im looking at myself so negatively, he went on. Im looking at myself like a minuscule little particle on the face of this Earth. No good. Trash. Will never be successful. Never have a life. Never have kids. Never learn.

At one point, he appeared to become more upbeat.

I have a lot to offer someone, he said. Im introverted, but Im a nice kid. But it just comes to the point where Im just too nice.

While the videos were brought as evidence by the prosecution, defense attorneys for Carter said they mean he was already suicidal, which could possibly help their case.

In addition to the videos, the trial brought forth text message conversations between Roy and Carter spanning months, in which Carter pushed Roy to commit suicide.

At one point, she suggested he kill himself in response to one of his messages.

I keep regretting the past, its getting me upset, Roy told Carter in a text message read on the stand by Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Bates.

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Take your life? Carter responded.

In another, she gave him options for how best to end his life.

Hang yourself, jump off a building, stab yourself, idk theres a lot of ways, Carter wrote to Roy in one message Jul. 6, 2014, just seven days before his body was found inside his truck in a parking lot. Roy committed suicide by poisoning himself with carbon monoxide from a portable generator he attached to the truck.

The prosecution argued that Carter urged Roy to take his own life so she could become the grieving girlfriend and be the center of attention. The defense, on the other hand, said she did not cause his death.

Its insufficient to say that she caused him to die, Carters defense attorney, Joseph P. Cataldo, said in court Friday. Cataldo called a forensic investigator who analyzed the computers of both Roy and Carter to testify Friday. Steven Verronneau revealed that Roy had googled suicide by cop and visited a website explaining easy, quick and painless ways to commit suicide. He also said Roy researched what type of medicine would kill him in his sleep.

Read: Michelle Carter Told Boyfriend Theres A Lot Of Ways To Kill Yourself

The prosecution, however, bolstered their case by revealing Carter was on the phone with Roy for 46 minutes as he took his own life. Assistant District Attorney Maryclare Flynn said at one point, Roy attempted to change his mind and was berated by Carter.

Conrad got out of his truck as he was being poisoned and he got scared, said Flynn. The defendant [expletive] told him to get back in.

Related Articles
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

President Trumps tweets could soon be classified as presidential record and render any deletions illegal, thanks to a new bill introduced Monday by a Democratic congressman.

The Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement (COVFEFE) Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., would amend the Presidential Records Act to include social media, meaning that Trumps prolific Twitter missives would be documented and preserved  including deleted tweets.

What the president says matters, Quigley told Yahoo News Tuesday. He doesnt have the luxury of deciding whats his legacy.  The president must be held accountable for any posts.

According to ProPublicas tally, Trump has deleted 18 tweets since he took office, including the viral covfefe tweet for which Quigleys bill is named, and more than 160 tweets since launching his campaign in the summer of 2015. Under the COVFEFE Act, deletion of posts from any of presidents social media accounts would become illegal.



Many of Trumps deleted tweets contain typos or misspelled words, such as when he recently decried the appointment of a special councel while referring to the special counsel for the Russia probe. During the campaign, his account deleted a couple of tweets with anti-Semitic or Nazi imagery.

Because these Trump gaffes are blasted out to millions of people before they get scrapped, users across Twitter quickly document his posts. But Quigley argued thats not enough.

It has to be documented appropriately, in an appropriate and accurate fashion, Quigley said to Yahoo News. Its not official if Joe from Iowa documents it or saves it  that does not mean its historical record.

The Presidential Records Act lacks an explicit requirement that mandates archiving a presidents social media posts. White House officials confirmed to the National Archives that they are saving the presidents tweets, including those hes deleted, but have not detailed the process.

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This is a president of the United States that uses social media to comment on everything from NATO to the Paris Agreement to the London attack, Quigley said to Yahoo News. The Presidential Records Act is important, but it has to be relevant  and include the means of communication of the president.

Press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed last week that Trumps tweets are considered official statements by the president of the United States, despite earlier insistence from top White House officials that the presidents tweets are not policy.

Quigley, who co-chairs the Congressional Transparency Caucus, introduced another piece of legislation in March also named to goad Trump. The Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness (MAR-A-LAGO) Act would make public visitor logs at the White House and Trumps resorts, including his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The use of clever names sparks interest in the legislation, Quigley said, noting that though hes introduced measures promoting transparency every year for the past eight years, the COVFEFE and MAR-A-LAGO acts have caught the attention of Congress and the Internet.

Quigley and his staff are currently looking for co-sponsors for the bill.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Defense Secretary James Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Facing sharp criticisms from impatient senators, Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday agreed that we are not winning in Afghanistan and promised a new strategy by mid-July. Mattis also said that even victory in Americas longest war would likely mean a long-term U.S. troop presence.

We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible, Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. I believe by mid-July we will be able to brief you in detail.

As candidate in 2016, President Trump promised a full review of the war in Afghanistan and a new strategy. The Pentagon has made clear it wants thousands of additional troops, on top of the roughly 8,400 U.S. forces and about another 7,000 from NATO allies.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the panels chairman, warned sharply that lawmakers patience with the Trump administrations handling of Afghanistan was not infinite and that a plan was overdue.

I was confident that within the first 30 to 60 days we would have a strategy from which to start working, McCain said, adding, unless we get a strategy from you, youre going to get a strategy from us.

The Arizona Republican warned Mattis that lawmakers are going to start getting more vocal in our criticism of not having a strategy for Afghanistan.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asked Mattis to define for us what winning in Afghanistan means  a question U.S. policymakers have wrestled with since the Oct. 7, 2001, invasion.

What does winning look like? Mattis replied. The Afghan government  with international help  will be able to handle the violence and drive it down to a level that local security forces can handle it.

Still, With our allies, it would probably require residual force doing training and maintaining the high-end capability to take out security threats, Mattis said. Its going to be an era of frequent skirmishing, and its going to require a change in our approach from the last several years if were to get it to that position.

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Vice President Mike Pence, left, watches an Army carry team move a transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. Eric M. Houck at Dover Air Force Base, Del., June 12, 2017. (Photo: Steve Ruark/AP)

Three U.S. soldiers were killed over the weekend in Afghanistan. Overall, some 2,400 Americans have died in the conflict and more than 20,000 have been wounded. Former President Barack Obama drew frequent criticisms from Republicans who accused him of focusing on withdrawing U.S. forces rather than defeating the Taliban. Obama aides said their main goal was making local security forces self-sustaining in order to extricate the United States from a seemingly intractable conflict.

The retired four-star Marine generals assessment that the United States and its allies arent winning was not dramatically different from what Army Gen. John Nicholson, who leads U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, told Congress in February. At the time, Nicholson told McCains committee that he had a troop shortfall of a few thousand and declared were in a stalemate against the Taliban  neither winning nor losing.

On June 6, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that victory in Afghanistan means a stable government; us free from threats.

On May 8, Spicer said Trump wants to make sure that we do what we can to win. And thats why he charged the generals and other military advisers and the national security team to come up with a plan that can get us there. A day later, he said the presidents goal was to fully eliminate any threat around the globe frankly, not just in Afghanistan, that poses a threat to our people and our allies.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Washington is abuzz with rumors that President Trump is considering dismissing Robert Mueller as special counsel to the Justice Department for its investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election.

On Monday, after spending hours at the White House, a longtime friend of Trumps, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, told the PBS NewsHour that he thinks Trump is weighing the possibility of firing Mueller.

I think hes considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think hes weighing that option, Ruddy said. I think its pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently. I personally think it would be a very significant mistake, even though I dont think theres a justification [for a special counsel].

Among other concerns, this statement set off a barrage of questions about whether Trump even has the authority to fire a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department. Though Trumps penchant for firing people is well known, its scope has some limits.

According to legal experts, the decision to fire Mueller would be up to the U.S. attorney general. But Jeff Sessions has already recused himself from the Russia investigation.

That means the decision would fall to the departments No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller on May 17.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Jonathan Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University Law School, explained that the special counsel is allowed to continue in his role unless there is good cause for his termination.

As the head of the executive branch, Trump can claim the authority to fire any executive officer, Turley told Yahoo News. However, both the attorney general and the deputy attorney general have their own independent obligations. The actual firing of Mueller would have to be done by Mr. Rosenstein.

Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2013. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters)

Turley said that with the expiration of the independent counsel act, which was passed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, Trump would be in a similar position to Richard Nixon during that investigation.

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On Oct. 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was overseeing the federal criminal investigation into the Watergate burglary and related criminal activities. Richardson refused.

With Richardsons resignation, it was up to Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to carry out Nixons order. Ruckelshaus also refused and resigned.

Then Nixons order fell to Solicitor General Robert Bork, who was acting head of the Justice Department. He obliged and fired Cox. This chain of events went down in history as the Saturday Night Massacre.

On Tuesday morning, Rosenstein testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that he would fire Mueller only with good cause.

Turley is confident that Rosenstein is telling the truth and doubts that Trump wants another Saturday Night Massacre on his hands.

I have no question at all that Rosenstein would resign absent evidence of good cause to fire Mueller. If he did not, he would shred every ounce of his reputation that he has earned over the course of decades of service, Turley said. Trump could certainly go down the same path as Richard Nixon, but that path leads to a place I doubt Trump wants to go.

President Trump boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base on Tuesday to travel to Milwaukee. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

Read more from Yahoo News:
A senior Democratic congressman has said it would be the last straw if Donald Trump fired special prosecutor Robert Mueller  as it was reported that the President was considering getting rid of the man appointed to investigate his campaign's ties to Russia.

Congressman Adam Schiff, the most senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Congress would not sit still if Mr Trump fired Mr Mueller and tried to appoint his own replacement. Mr Mueller is currently heading an investigation into whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with Russian operatives to influence the 2016 US election.

I don't think the Congress would sit still and allow the president to pick his own investigator, he said.

Mr Schiff spoke out after a friend of Mr Trump, Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, emerged from the White House and said the President was considering terminating Mr Mueller.

In an interview with PBS, Mr Ruddy said: I think [Mr Trump's] weighing that option.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in an email statement to reporters that Mr Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue.

With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorised to comment, Mr Spicer added.

Mr Mueller, a former FBI Director, was appointed by the Justice Department to oversee the Russia probe after Mr Trump fired his FBI chief James Comey.

While Mr Comey told a Senate committee last week that Mr Trump was not under an FBI investigation at the time of his dismissal on 9 May, the President now appears to be under an investigation for possible obstruction of justice.

Mr Comey testified that he believed the President had directed him to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Flynn had been forced to resign from his position after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.

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Do you believe this will rise to obstruction of justice? Democratic senator Joe Manchin asked Mr Comey during the hearing.

The ex-FBI chief responded, I dont know. That  thats Bob Muellers job to sort that out.

Mr Trump has openly criticised the Justice Department's decision to appoint a special counsel, saying that it hurts our country terribly.

The President has also posited that the naming of a special counsel also happens to be a pure excuse for the Democrats having lost an election that they should have easily won.

A decision by Mr Trump to sack Mr Mueller could smell even more 'Nixonian' than his choice to fire his FBI Director.

Former President Richard Nixon fired his special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who had been appointed to oversee the federal criminal investigation that would snowball into the Watergate scandal.
In a shift in political culture, Trumps cabinet, staff members and even some Republican lawmakers seem increasingly required to praise him publicly

The ancient Chinese act of kowtowing required touching the ground with ones forehead in deference to the emperor. The modern American act of kowtowing requires absurdly praising President Donald Trump.

We thank you for the opportunity and blessing, the White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said at a cabinet meeting on Monday, to serve your agenda. The health secretary, Tom Price, remarked on what an incredible honor it is to lead his department at this pivotal time under your leadership.

Those remarks sound similar to some of the toady public statements of Chinas premier, Li Keqiang, who in early March attributed all of the achievements of the past year to the sound leadership of the top of the Communist party  with his boss, Chinas president, Xi Jinping, at its core.

Sadly for Americans, Trumps requirement that his underlings praise him is not the only way the president is prodding Washington towards Beijing-like levels of obeisance, opacity, prevarication and corruption. Trumps insistence on loyalty from government officials  from low-level appointees to the recently fired FBI director, James Comey  calls to mind the chief Chinese corruption investigators, the heads of the state security and cybersecurity agencies, and the journalists who have pledged absolute loyalty to Xi.



The Trump adviser Kellyanne Conways February tweet about serving at the pleasure of @POTUS. His message is my message. His goals are my goals, echoes a notorious remark by Mao Zedongs wife, Jiang Qing: I was Chairman Maos dog, Jiang said at her 1980 trial. Whomever he told me to bite, I bit.

And Trumps attacks on the media  from his February tweet calling the mainstream American media the enemy of the American People to his recurring attacks on true reporting as fake news  stems from a desire for positive press coverage: the only type of press coverage the Chinese media offers on Xi.

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With regards to opacity, Beijings strategy of keeping the curtains closed is intentional: its hard to know what the top Chinese officials think of important issues like internet censorship and North Korean aggression because they rarely express their views publicly, the party fetters Chinese media, and leaks to international media are rare.

For all of Trumps claims that unpredictability is a sound political strategy, the White Houses opacity arises more out of infighting and incompetence. (Americans also benefit from a free and raucous press, and the fact that the Trump White House leaks like a punctured carburetor.)

And yet, for China and the United States, the result are the same: strategic ambiguity, and policy confusion. Years ago, I heard a story in Beijing of a minister giving a speech about an important economic directive. So intentionally vague and ambiguous was the ministers language that his underlings spent the next several hours anxiously trying to decipher Chinas policy from their ministers confusing words.

After four Arab countries cut ties with Qatar in early June, the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, called on the countries to quickly reduce tensions. Yet less than an hour later, Trump seemed to undercut Tillerson, stating that punishing Qatar was hard but necessary.



The ruling Chinese Communist party is far kinder to the truth than it was during the late 1950s, when officials across the country lied about crop yields to please Mao while millions starved to death. And yet Beijing still repetitively pretends Tibetans and Uighurs live happily under Chinese rule, for example, and that Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of assembly. Similarly, Trump seems to believe that uttering something  the size of his inauguration crowds, or the breadth of his achievements  makes it so.

And finally, Jared and Ivanka Kushner are the first American princelings  a Chinese term referring to the sons and daughters of the red aristocracy, who enrich themselves via their family connections and play an exceptionally large role in politics  to wield such power in the White House.



To be sure, there are monumental differences between Beijing and Washington. Most importantly, while Trumps cabinet, staff members, and even some Republican lawmakers may feel required to praise him and yield to him, Democrats most certainly do not: after Trumps cabinet meeting, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, released a video parodying the event. And unlike in China, Americans are free to criticize their leader however they choose.

Thats what makes the small signs of corporate hesitation at aggressively anti-Trump satire so worrying: in late May, CNN fired the comedian Kathy Griffin from her role as co-host of its New Years Eve program after she appeared in a photo shoot holding the bloody head of a figure resembling Trump. Roughly a week later, the network announced it was cancelling the religious scholar Reza Aslans show after he called Trump a piece of shit.



And on Sunday, Delta and Bank of America pulled their sponsorship from a New York City Public Theater adaptation William Shakespeares Julius Caesar  but with the eponymous murdered character updated to resemble Trump. TheTrump cabinet kowtow was disgusting. But even if these corporations are not glancing the ground with their head, their minor bow to Emperor Trump is shameful enough.


Ewen Bremner in T2: Trainspotting (Sony)

Its not like Ewen Bremner has been wasting the days away. The 45-year-old Scotsman, best known to U.S. audiences for the playing the scraggy heroine junkie Spud in Trainspotting, has been working consistently since Danny Boyles 1996 cult classic, with credits that include Snatch, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Match Point, and Snowpiercer.

But 2017 is turning out to be a banner year for Bremner. In March, he reprised the role of the down-and-out Spud in the long-awaited sequel T2: Trainspotting. And this month he appears in the record-breaking superhero sensation Wonder Woman as Charlie, the kilt-rocking marksman who joins Diana Princes merry band of WWI operatives.

Its been a busy time, quite fantastic, actually, Bremner told Yahoo Movies during an interview to commemorate the Digital HD and Blu-ray release of T2. I feel very happy to have these opportunities. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

Still, Bremner takes measured reflection of the moment hes having. T2 is a sequel Boyle, Bremner, and castmates Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, and Jonny Lee Miller discussed for two decades before it finally became a reality. As for Wonder Woman, Bremner wasnt sure hed landed the role until the last minute. And getting those green lights isnt even half the battle.

You never know as an actor whats going to work and whats not going to work, he said. You dont know if its going to be any good. You can never really tell when youre working on a film. There are so many factors that impact on the quality of the finished piece. Youre in control of only a fraction of the stuff that goes into making a film.

T2 earned mostly positive reviews from critics, but Bremner is especially impressed with how much the sequel has resonated with fans. People have been super-passionate about it, he said. We had some really nice critical acclaim, but audiences and the public have been super-passionate about it, more than the reviewers. Certainly in the circles I run where I live in Edinburgh, people stop me all the time and want to talk about it.

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The film finds a clean yet unhappy Renton (McGregor) returning to Edinburgh two decades after he took off with the loot stolen by him and fellow addicts Begbie (Carlyle) and Simon, a.k.a. Sick Boy (Miller). With Renton only leaving a portion of the haul to gentle-souled Spud, both Simon and Begbie have their own plans for vengeance. And Simons girlfriend Veronica (Anjela Nedyalkova) complicates matters when she comes between them.

As Boyle told us upon T2s release, the movie takes a hard look at how men age  and it aint so graceful. I think the film really does have something to say thats quite profound about the human experience and the nature of aging and the battle with time and the idea of trying to outrun your own shadow and to leave behind your past, Bremner said. And to be the person that you want to be, and not be dragged down by your history.

Spud, in particular, is being dragged down as the film opens. Hes still badly struggling with addiction, his family has left him, and he attempts suicide moments before Renton appears at his doorstep. It felt important for me to honor that character, Bremner said of returning to the role. I didnt want him just to be a gentle joke, which is kind of a danger with a character like that. People expect some sort of humor and gentility. But over the course of 20 years of adulthood I know as well as anyone that you pick up all kinds of scars along the way. You take on all kinds of baggage. So it was important to me that Spud, as a result of his addiction and his struggles with fatherhood, that he had some real fight.

Bremner had done a fair amount of work in films before he landed the role of Spud, with projects like Mike Leighs art-house hit Naked (1993) and the Sylvester Stallone vehicle Judge Dredd (1995). But Trainspotting, Bremner said, has been the gift that kept on giving. He explained: It was a film that every filmmaker saw, whether they were in Timbuktu or whether they were in Hollywood That made it very much easier for me to be considered to work with other great filmmakers.

Gal Gadot and Ewen Bremner in Wonder Woman (WB)

Those filmmakers have included Ridley Scott, Joon-Ho Bong, Werner Herzog, Guy Ritchie, Woody Allen, and now Patty Jenkins, who became the first female director to gross more than $100 million domestically on the opening weekend of Wonder Woman.

Bremner recently completed work on Will, a TNT series about the lost years of Shakespeare. Ive got a really fantastic and different part. Im playing the evilest man in England, he said.

Which means his epic year could get even better. I feel like Ive really been on a great ride lately, he said before adding with a laugh: Long may it last, as far as Im concerned.

T2: Trainspotting hits Digital HD on Tuesday and DVD and Blu-ray June 27.

Watch the T2 cast talk about reuniting:





Read more on Yahoo Movies:
New York Yankees Jordan Montgomery has a lot of fantasy upside behind a great offense. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

After getting ahead of hitters with fastball command, the ability to finish them off either via a weak batted ball or a strikeout is the most important weapon for a good pitcher.

So this week, were going to look at select leaders and trailers in the statistic while also noting their Yahoo ownership percentages. And since this stat isnt publicly available but provided to us courtesy of our friends at MLB-stat provider Inside Edge, we also have a more complete list of all leaders and trailers in the statistic. Of course, generally, the great pitchers are good at this and the bad ones struggle. But thats how you know you have a good stat  just a handful of outliers/surprises in each direction.

For context, note that when a pitcher gets two strikes on a hitter, he retires the batter 76% of the time. But the range this year among all 92 pitchers with at least 1,000 pitches through Monday is 84% (Chris Sale) to 64% (Kevin Gausman).

Im looking at the pitchers at 78% or better being good at finishing off hitters and 71% or worse as bad. All the pitchers in between I have omitted from the master list because the variance is not significant enough to be meaningful.

The first surprising name that pops up is someone owned in 84% of Yahoo leagues. But the criticism of him in the past is that he couldnt really finish off hitters. Now, Mike Leake is retiring 82% of hitters with two strikes vs. 76% last year (about average). The trouble is that I cant find anything else on his report card that suggests WHY hes better at this. But Leake deserves a longer leash in all formats.

The other players are more widely available. Eduardo Rodriguez is unowned in more than half of leagues mostly because hes on the DL (knee). Hes not due back for a few weeks but if you have a DL spot open, pick him up (finishes off 80% of hitters, 11th).

A pitcher I just picked up in Friends and Family is Jordan Montgomery. He has great swing-and-miss to his game and as a result is 15th in the statistic, ahead of luminaries like Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw, finishing off 79% of batters when having them in a two-strike hole. Hed be my No. 1 add in all formats, especially given how the Yankees offense has rebounded after a historic slump (10 straight games with 8 hits or less) the last two weeks of May.

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But if you fail there, Zack Wheeler (37% owned, 78% hitters finished off), Edinson Volquez (48%, 78%) and Ariel Miranda (52%, 78%) may be available.

On the other end of the spectrum, you dont want to wait around for pitchers who may not rebound in the near term. For example, Gausman is owned still in 48% of leagues. Thats nuts. Most have waived Derek Holland who was defying peripherals for a while but is no longer, though Holland is still owned in 34% of leagues. That number, I assure you, should be zero. The leagues OBP with two strikes against Holland is not quite Gausman bad but is still .320.

But almost everyone is holding on to a trio of starters we once had great hopes for but who are struggling mightily: Julio Teheran, Jose Quintana and Justin Verlander. They rank 85th, 84th and 80th among the 92 qualifiers. Last year they were 13th, 30th and 9th (of 141 pitchers with at least 1,500 pitches). Given the respective collapses in this statistic, it seems more like fact than fluke to me. Remember, its not just the size of the sample but the weight of it, too.

Finally, a little housekeeping from last weeks story. Some commenters wanted me to combine the analysis on changes in batter strikeout rate with another layer of analysis of batter well-hit rate. I dont do that typically for two reasons. Primarily, the problem of overfitting: If you combine guys who have improved their contact rate with the guys who have improved their well-hit rate, youre just going to get the list of the best hitters. Its purely describing good hitting and not using a statistic to predict it. In other words, there wont be enough (any?) outliers (guys who are hitting for a poor average relative to their personal history despite improving their contract rate and having a good well-hit rate).

Also we want to deal with one stat at a time here, for clarity. Sure, well combine strikeouts and walks into one statistic occasionally. But switching gears to another completely separate stat is just too confusing. I worry though that some extrapolate my focusing on one stat in each of these pieces to mean each week that: This the one stat that matters! There is no one stat. Each is a tool in the toolbox, which helps us hopefully project players more accurately in different ways and opens our minds to other analytical approaches.
Helsinki (AFP) - Finland's centre-right coalition was on the verge of collapse on Monday after ousting the populist Finns Party whose newly elected hardline leader has been convicted of hate speech.

"The conditions do not exist that allow us to cooperate with the Finns led by Halla-aho," Prime Minister Juha Sipila said on Twitter, referring to Jussi Halla-aho, who was elected new Finns Party leader on Saturday.

Sipila said he would submit his government's resignation to President Sauli Niinisto.

"First the parliamentary groups meet and then I will go to the president and tender the resignation of the government.

"I hope that much of the current government platform can be realised also in the new government," he told a news conference in Helsinki.

Sipila, a centrist, has governed together with the conservative National Coalition and the eurosceptic and anti-immigration Finns Party since May 2015.

If the government resigns, the president would give Sipila a mandate to try to form a new one.

The conservatives and centrists would then probably begin talks with potential partners, notably the Christian Democrats and the Swedish People's Party, which represents Finland's Swedish-speaking minority.

The two groups have already expressed interest in joining the government, and their policies are seen as close to those of the centrists and conservatives.

- Veering right -

A member of the European Parliament, Halla-aho has said he wants to steer the party further to the right and push his coalition partners to toughen their immigration policies.

But on Monday, both the centrists and conservatives refused point blank.

Hallo-aho held talks early Monday with Sipila and Finance Minister Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservatives.

"I made it clear that the current government programme and the asylum policy action programme are sufficient for the Finns, but we expect that what had been jointly agreed with us will be closely followed," he said, something the government has so far refused to do.

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"The prime minister announced a moment ago that the sections about immigration can't be complied with more strictly than currently, and that the conditions are not there for a continuation of a government cooperation," he added.

Orpo stressed that Halla-aho's history of hate speech made any collaboration impossible.

"Undeniable human dignity is the foundation of Western democracy, and a new position does not wipe out what has been written in the past," Orpo told reporters.

- 'Finland first' -

Participating in the three-party coalition has come at a heavy price for the Finns Party.

Its support has almost halved from 17.7 percent in the May 2015 general election to 9.0 percent in a poll published Thursday by public broadcaster YLE.

Monday's developments mean Hallo-aho may get what he has appeared to want all along: to return his party to opposition.

Halla-aho, a 46-year-old father of five, is a former medieval language lecturer who complains that his party has been tainted by mainstream politics.

"The Finns Party leadership should prioritise issues in a similar way as our supporters seemingly do," Halla-aho said in May.

"Immigration policy and a kind of 'Finland first' mentality should have a stronger presence in our public output."

Halla-aho has seen his star rise in recent years, in part because of his explicit writings against immigration and Islam.

In 2012, Finland's highest court upheld a conviction and fines against him for inciting ethnic hatred and blasphemy in a 2008 blog post where he criticised Islam and made offensive remarks about Somalis.

Earlier this year, he demanded that the European Commission penalise civic organisations which rescue migrants from drowning when their ships founder in the Mediterranean.
Paris (AFP) - Could the very existence of croissants in France be in danger?

Bakers warned Tuesday that a vertiginous rise in the price of butter was slashing their profit margins and threatening an entire industry.

The price of butter, which makes up a quarter of the ingredients of many French pastries, rocketed 92 percent in the year to May, according to Fabien Castanier, the general secretary of the federation of French biscuit and cakemakers.

The rise was putting "unsustainable economic pressure" on the industry, he said.

"Based on the current price, the extra charge annually is around 68 million euros for makers of biscuits and cakes," he said.

"Unfortunately the situation is going to get worse in the next few weeks with a strong risk of butter running out."

Matthieu Labbe, a bakers' industry spokesman, said: "There is a real threat of butter shortages by the end of the year which could lead to panic on markets."

The industry bodies are calling on responsible behaviour from supermarkets and cafes and restaurants to pass on the rise in the price of butter in the prices they charge shoppers, to avoid additional suffering for producers.

The consequence would be that "the price the consumer pays for croissants, tarts and brioches is going to rise significantly very quickly".

The rise in the price of butter is blamed on falling milk yields in Europe, and especially in France, coupled with rising demand both domestically and internationally.

At the same time, French farmers complain that they are receiving less for their milk than it costs to produce because Europe has a glut of 350,000 tonnes of powdered milk, which is depressing prices.
The special House race in Georgias sixth district has become the most expensive in history, according to reports. With President Trump looming large over a campaign that has garnered national attention, Democrats and Republicans are looking to fill the seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in the June 20 election.

The contenders are Democrat Jon Ossoff, a first-time candidate, and Republican Karen Handel, who was previously the Secretary of State of Georgia. Before entering politics, the 55-year-old Handel was a businesswoman who began her second career when she was elected to Fulton County Board of Commissioners. She also ran for U.S. Senate and governor.

Ossoff, 30, is a former congressional aide and documentary filmmaker. The political newcomer almost won the seat outright in a 16-candidate field in April, but came up short, forcing a runoff.

Read: Will Jon Ossoff Win In Georgia's June Election? Young Democrat Has A Shot, Poll Shows

The Washington Post reports that as of Thursday more than $40 million has been spent on the race, much of it coming from outside groups. Ossoffs campaign has raised $23 million overall with $15 million raised in the last two months. Handel has only pulled in just under $4 million in the same two-month period, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to Ossoffs campaign, his average donation size was $20.49. Ossoff has spent most of the money raised having just $1 million on hand as of Friday. Handel is in a similar boat with only $1.4 million in the bank, the Journal-Constitution reports. Roughly $25 million has been spent on advertising.

The district has been reliably Republican for almost 40 years and was once represented by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan have made efforts to keep the seat red.

"Karen Handel will partner with President Donald Trump to make America safe and prosperous again," Pence told GOP donors last week.

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Democrats are pinning their hopes on flipping the district and may have confidence they can pull it off based on Ossoffs primary performance and Trumps razor-thin margin there last year. Trump edged out Hillary Clinton by only 1.5 points.

On Friday, the Journal-Constitution released a poll showing Ossoff with a seven-point edge over Handel, with a 51 to 44 percent margin. The poll showed 5 percent of voters undecided. The polls margin of error is 4 percent. Women prefer Ossoff almost 2-to-1 and he leads that constituency 60 to 34 percent. Handel does better with men who prefer the Republican 52 to 41 percent. Ossoff is leading the younger vote, while seniors over 65 prefer Handel.

Read: Who Is Jon Ossoff? Liberal Georgia Representative Candidate Faces Smear Ads From Republican PAC

One of the key numbers from the Journal-Constitutions poll is that Ossoff is pulling in 13 percent of Republicans and about half of independents.

Trumps presidency has placed a higher focus on House races this years, with Democrats framing the contests as referendums. The last two House races in Kansas and Montana saw an increased amount of funding and attention. Both races were in comfortably Republican districts, and ultimately won by the GOP. Those two districts favored Trump by 20 points or more.

RTX39CQC

Photo: Christopher Aluka Berry/REUTERS

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Gil Mendez, of San Francisco, holds a sign to honor the victims of the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando as he marches during the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington: AP

A year after 49 party-goers were gunned down by a man with a assault-style rifle at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando  the worst mass shooting in modern US history  Democrats in Florida say just about every attempt to pass gun control legislation in the wake of the massacre has been blocked.

These types of weapons are the gold standard of mass murders, said State Representative Carlos Guillermo-Smith, who sponsored an assault weapons ban in tandem with a state senator.

With these rifles, folks who have a really troubling history of hatred and bigotry and homophobia have been able to carry out their attacks successfully on the groups and the communities they most hate.

That is certainly true for Omar Mateen, the gunman who attacked Pulse who pledged allegiance to Isis before the attack.

Mateen, who had previously been investigated by the FBI on two occasions, walked into a gun store and bought a Sig Sauer MCX just nine days before the killings. He later returned for a larger magazine so he could fire more rounds in rapid succession without reloading.

Although the background check performed would have ran his name against the FBIs central watch database, Mateens name was removed from that list in 2014.

Mr Guillermo-Smith wasnt a member of the state legislature when the Orlando 911 dispatch received a call at 2.28am on 12 June from the man who would go on to commit the atrocity. But on the campaign trail in 2016, he pledged to do his best to do something about it.

The first bill he introduced as a newly minted congressman was an assault weapons ban, alongside a similar bill from State Senator Linda Stewart.

It was dead before it was even introduced, Ms Stewart told The Independent of her bill.

Neither chamber in Tallahassee even allowed the assault weapons ban to have an open hearing for discussion. When Ms Stewart tried to urge her colleagues to allow discussion on her bill, she was met with blank stares.

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Related:

Watch news, TV and more Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

If it were up to central Florida and central Florida only, it would pass, she continued, but the problem is we have to sell it to all of the elected officials and we still have a very big National Rifle Association (NRA) push for anything that we file. It doesnt matter what it is, just anything that deals with guns or the restriction of any kind of guns.

In the past year, Democrats in the Florida legislature have introduced a series of gun control measures that aim at restricting firearms but none of those ended up as laws. They face a formidable opponent in the form of the NRAs most prominent and effective lobbyist Marion Hammer, who Ms Stewart says can be seen in nearly any hearing that discusses guns or gun control.

Efforts by Ms Hammer and other pro-gun advocates have led to Florida being one of the worst states for gun crime in the country, Ms Stewart and Mr Guillermo-Smith said. Guns are easy to come by and, as exemplified in the Orlando shooting, that can have deadly consequences.

But, with that picture of lax gun laws and an effective pro-gun lobby as a backdrop, Mr Guillermo-Smith said that this past legislative year has actually been something of a victory for gun control advocates in one simple way: Orlando made it difficult for anyone to loosen legislation, so things didnt get worse.

The gun safety advocates saw this past legislative session as a victory and the reason why is because all of the gun lobbys  all of the bills that the gun lobby pushed was defeated, he said.

Its a win. They didnt get anything they wanted in this last legislature, which is kind of a sea change. I know that Pulse was a reason why the gun lobby was denied everything on their wishlist.

Both Floridians said they plan continue their push in the new legislative session. The NRA did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
When Star Wars opened in May 1977, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill went from unknown actors to mega-stars  but in Fords case, the full effects of fame took a while to sink in. Despite having the most film credits out of all his co-stars (with the exception of the esteemed Alec Guinness), Ford told a reporter in June 1977 that he had never been recognized by a single fan, even at a recent screening of Star Wars. Watch the clip above.

Well you know I saw the film with an audience for the first time about three days ago, Ford, then 34, told journalist Bobbie Wygant. I sat next to two people who were sitting through the film for the second time, and they engaged me in a conversation about the film, telling me how much they enjoyed it and what it was all about After the film was over they asked me why I had left during the middle of it, if I didnt like the movie. And they didnt recognize me at all, no.

Ive never been recognized, Ford continued. In fact in my early career, I considered that to be sort of a problem, that characters that I played in different movies  it was not acknowledged that it was the same person doing the job.

Prior to Star Wars, Ford had been a working actor for a decade. Among his credits were a notable supporting role in George Lucass film 1973 American Graffiti, a small part in Francis Ford Coppolas 1974 thriller The Conversation, an uncredited appearance in Michelangelo Antonionis 1970 drama Zabriskie Point, and a major role in the 1976 TV movie Dynasty (not to be confused with the 1980s TV series Dynasty). Even so, it took a flight in the Millennium Falcon to set him apart from all of Hollywoods other handsome faces  and 40 years later, were guessing hed love to have the problem of not being recognized in public.

Watch a video about the 8 most surprising celebrity Star Wars appearances:





Read more from Yahoo Movies:
The all-new tenth-generation of the Honda Accord, set to launch this year, will feature new powertrains as well as a reworked appearance.

Billed as the most stylish and fun-to-drive Accord ever, the completely redesigned 2018 Honda Accord will be launched later this year. The Accord has been a legendary and well-loved model all across the globe over its 40+ years, but it's in the US where it really does dominate its segment. The Accord is America's best-selling midsize sedan, and that's some achievement in a segment where competition is incredibly fierce thanks to the likes of the Ford Fusion, the Toyota Camry and plenty of other excellent contenders. The Accord has now been discontinued in Europe, just as Toyota did with the Camry many years ago, but this all-new 2018 model could potentially see it reappear at some point.

The current ninth-generation Accord has been tweaked and facelifted for some time now, but the 2018 model will be a completely new car from the ground up. The new model will have a more aggressive stance and proportion than any of its predecessors, and there's also going to be an exciting lineup of advanced new powertrains.

There will be three powerful and fuel-efficient powertrains in the tenth-generation Accord in the US, which will include a pair of direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engines and a next-generation version of the Japanese automaker's two-motor hybrid. The two turbocharged engines will offer a choice between a new ten-speed automatic transmission and a sporty six-speed manual gearbox.

Jeff Conrad, the senior vice president and general manager of America Honda Motor Co., Inc., said of the new model, "With these three advanced new powertrains, the tenth-generation Accord will be the most fun-to-drive, refined and fuel-efficient Accord yet. Just as the new Honda Civic injected new energy into the compact car segment, we expect this all-new 2018 Accord will make people rethink the midsize sedan."

There's no official word about the Accord making a potential comeback in Europe, but if the tenth-generation is a huge success in North America, it may be too tempting for Honda to resist, especially with the hybrid.
WASHINGTON  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has submitted an interim report recommending President Donald Trump shrink the boundaries of Utahs 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument.

Instead of former President Barack Obama designating such a large area, it would have been more appropriate to identify and separate the areas that have significant objects to be protected, Zinke wrote.

Zinke also recommended that Trump ask Congress to enable tribal co-management of the monument. The Interior Department is expected to complete a full review and offer more specific recommendations, including how much the monuments size should change, later this year.

Its a little premature to throw out acreage, Zinke said in a call with reporters Monday.

The move comes as little surprise, given Trump and Zinkes previous comments criticizing recent monument designations.

Bears Ears National Monument is protected public land in southeastern Utah, named after a pair of buttes and home to thousands of Native American archaeological and cultural sites. It is one of 27 national monuments threatened by a pair of executive orders that Trump signed in April.

One order tasks the Interior Department with reviewing all federal monuments 100,000 acres or larger that have been established or expanded under the Antiquities Act since Jan. 1, 1996. The other instructs the Department of Commerce to review all marine sanctuaries and monuments designated or expanded within the last 10 years.

Bears Ears is at the center of the monuments controversy, and the issue has divided many in Utah.

President Donald Trump holds up his executive order directing a review of previous national monument designations during a signing ceremony at the Interior Department in Washington, D.C., in April. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

In launching his review last month, Zinke insisted that there is no predetermined outcome on any monument. For those following closely, however, that seemed like nothing more than a talking point.

In April, when Trump signed the executive order tasking Zinke with reviewing 21 years of designations, he was flanked by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) and the states U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R) and Mike Lee (R)  staunch opponents of the Bears Ears monument. Trump spoke as if a reversal was already a done deal, as he praised the three men for their never-ending prodding on the issue.

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Trump also gave Zinke a shorter time frame to conduct his review of Bears Ears than any of the other monuments being considered. And the president said during the signing ceremony that Bears Ears was designated a monument over the profound objections of the citizens of Utah and should never have happened.

Zinke, like Trump, has suggested the monument wont survive as-is. In April, he said the Antiquities Act has become a tool of political advocacy rather than public interest. And during a visit to Bears Ears last month, Zinke said he believed the area should be preserved, but the issue is whether the monument is the right vehicle.

It is public land, he said. It was public land before the monument. It will be public land after the monument. What vehicle of public land is appropriate to preserve the cultural identity, to make sure the tribes have a voice and to make sure you protect the traditions of hunting and fishing and public access?

A 13th century masonry structure is seen in Bears Ears National Monument. (Photo: Bob Strong / Reuters)

Zinke did not tour Bears Ears with representatives of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a group of five Native American tribes that came together to petition for monument status. Instead, he was joined by monument opponents, including Herbert and members of the San Juan County Commission, the county where Bears Ears is located. During his visit, which the Interior Department called a listening tour, Zinke seemed to lose his manners after a protester repeatedly asked why he hadnt spent more time talking with tribal leaders. Holding up his finger, the secretary forcefully ordered the woman to Be. Nice.

Zinke said Monday that he spent a lot of time listening and learning about the area, and its important the public understand his recommendations were not made in a bubble in Washington, D.C. He said hes confident his suggestions are in the interest of Utah, the tribes and the country.

The revised boundaries, Zinke said, would focus on providing protections for historic structures and objects, including Native American dwellings, archeological sites and drawings.

The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition condemned Zinkes recommendation in a statement Monday as a slap in the face to the members of our Tribes and an affront to Indian people all across the country.

Any attempt to eliminate or reduce the boundaries of this Monument would be wrong on every count, the coalition said. Such action would be illegal, beyond the reach of presidential authority.

Moreover, the advocates said, The Bears Ears region is not a series of isolated objects, but the object itself, a connected, living landscape, where the place, not a collection of items, must be protected. You cannot reduce the size without harming the whole. Bears Ears is too precious a place, and our cultures and values too dignified and worthy, to backtrack on the promises made in the Presidential Proclamation.

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Environmental groups also slammed Zinkes decision.

Heidi McIntosh, Earthjustices managing attorney in the Rocky Mountains, said unilaterally shrinking the monument would violate both the Antiquities Act and the separation of powers doctrine. If Trump follows Zinkes recommendation, McIntosh promised Earthjustice would see the administration in court.

Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, called Zinkes recommendation an undeniable attack on our national monuments and Americas public lands.

Instead of reinforcing Americas conservation heritage, Secretary Zinke is recommending President Trump take actions that are both unprecedented and illegal, Rokala said in a statement. The law is clear: only Congress can modify or erase a national monument. This report, while disappointing, is not a surprise. President Trump made it clear the fix was in from the moment he signed the executive order, despite overwhelming public support for national monuments.

Hatch applauded Zinkes decision in a video posted to Twitter on Monday. In a statement, Herbert called the report an important first step toward re-establishing sound land management practices for one of the most special areas in the world.

Last month, the Interior Department denied reports that Zinke had already made up his mind and would recommend abolishing Bears Ears. San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman reportedly told E&E News that Zinke disclosed his plans during a meeting with the commission earlier that month.

Lyman insisted to HuffPost that E&E News had misquoted him and that he didnt say Zinke would definitely recommend abolishing the monument. However, my impression is hed like to rescind it, Lyman said.

Asked Monday why he didnt recommend abolishing the monument, Zinke said that was an option. But looking at it, there are some antiquities within the monument that I think deserve to be protected, he said. I have enormous respect for the tribes and I do want to push sovereignty, respect to self-determination. And Im very sensitive to cultural traditions, rituals that have conducted and are continuing to conduct on Bears Ears.

Its not clear where Trump got the idea that a majority of Utah residents oppose Bears Ears. An analysis conducted by the Center for Western Priorities last month found that 99 percent of the more than 685,000 public comments submitted during a recent 15-day comment period voiced support for the Obama-era monument.

Trump and Zinkes comments about the Antiquities Act are also unfounded. In an April press release, the Interior Department wrote, Since the 1900s, when the [Antiquities] Act was first used, the average size of national monuments exploded from an average of 422 acres per monument. Now its not uncommon for a monument to be more than a million acres.

Ancient granaries, part of the House on Fire ruins, are shown here in the South Fork of Mule Canyon in the Bears Ears National Monument, outside Blanding, Utah, on May 12. (Photo: George Frey via Getty Images)

During the executive orders signing ceremony, Zinke noted that Americas first national monument, Devils Tower in Wyoming, was less than 1,200 acres. President Theodore Roosevelt designated the monument in 1906.

Yet, in recent years, weve seen monuments span tens of millions of acres, Zinke said, in a clear reference to marine monument designations and expansions by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

The argument is that the law was established to set set aside small areas and that recent administrations have abused this.

But the 422-acre figure is, at best, cherry-picked. In 1908, two years after the Antiquities Act became law, Roosevelt  of whom Zinke is an unapologetic admirer and disciple  designated more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon as a national monument. Only a few Obama-era land monuments are larger. Roosevelt also designated the 20,629-acre Chaco Canyon National Monument and the 610,000-acre Mount Olympus National Park.

Republican presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover both designated monuments over a million acres. Coolidge set aside Alaskas Glacier Bay in 1925, and Hoover set aside Californias Death Valley in 1933.

The Interior Department did not respond to HuffPosts numerous requests seeking clarification on the 422-acre figure.

Sixteen presidents have used the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate 157 monuments; however, no president has ever tried to revoke a designation. If Trump does indeed try, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and other groups have promised to sue.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the date Death Valley National Monument was established as 1937; it was established in 1933.

Also on HuffPost

Basin and Range National Monument, Nevada

Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, California

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado

Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon

Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Giant Sequoia National Monument, California

Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah

Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington

Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona

Mojave Trails National Monument, California

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico

Sand to Snow National Monument, California

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, California

Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands/Pacific Ocean

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, Pacific Ocean

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii/Pacific Ocean

Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, American Samoa/Pacific Ocean

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Robert Muhereza.

Plans are under way to stop the importation of hydroelectric power from Rwanda to supply Kisoro town because it has proved to be unreliable to local residents in the area that use it for domestic

and cottage industries.

The UMEME engineer for Kisoro district Naboth Aine revealed this on Monday as he presented a paper before the district council on the plans underway to reduce load shedding in the district after the leaders complained that it is hurting service delivery especially in the health and business sectors.

Power to supply Kisoro has been imported from Rwanda for years now.

However, according to Aine this is now changing since Rwanda is pushing for rural electrification thus the rampant load shedding being experienced in Kisoro.

He says plans are underway to connect Kisoro district on the main grid from Jinja through Kabale district.

Uganda imports 0.395Megawatts of hydro power from Rwanda to supply Kisoro town and in turn exports about 1.3Mega watts of hydro power to the same country through Katuna border town.

The health committee chairperson for Kisoro district council Expedito Byensi said load shedding has hindered the delivery of health

services especially in Kisoro hospital as it is required in sterilizing theatre equipment and for patients on oxygen.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran has tracked down and killed several suspected jihadists including the alleged mastermind of twin attacks in Tehran last week, a security official and a minister have said.

Dozens of suspects have been arrested since the attacks on Wednesday killed 17 people in the first assault in Iran to be claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

Police late Sunday killed four IS suspects in the southern province of Hormozgan, the ISNA news agency on Monday reported police chief Azizollah Maleki as saying.

"Two of the killed criminals were foreign nationals... while the identity of other members is being investigated," Maleki said, adding that weapons and an IS flag were seized during the raid.

Iran has said five Iranians, who had joined IS and travelled to its Iraq and Syria bastions, carried out Wednesday's attacks on the parliament and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Late Saturday, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said the alleged mastermind behind the attacks had been tracked down and killed outside the country.

"The mastermind who controlled the team... who had fled outside the country... paid the price for his crimes, with the cooperation of intelligence services of allied countries," Alavi told state television, without providing further details.

At least 41 IS suspects have been arrested since the attacks, according to Alavi, who said Iran has dismantled suspected jihadist cells with increasing frequency in recent months.

In the entire year to March 2017 "we dismantled 45 cells, while in the past two-and-a-half months alone we have dismantled more than 25 terrorist cells," he said.

Officials have reported the arrests of suspected IS members in and around Tehran, as well as in the country's centre, southern governorates, and western provinces near the Iraqi border.
Losby Gods (Norway) (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called for a permanent mechanism in the Gulf to resolve crises like the blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of an annual peace mediation in Oslo, Zarif also said Saudi Arabia supported militants inside Iran.

"It is absolutely imperative for our region not to only to resolve this particular conflict or dispute between our southern neighbours in the Persian Gulf through dialogue but in fact establish a permanent mechanism for consultation, conversation and conflict resolution in our region," Zarif said.

He said this could be along the lines of the 1975 Helsinki accords -- agreements signed during the Cold War to reduce tensions between western and Communist nations.

"I think if it worked at the height of the Cold War here in Europe, it should work," Zarif said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing the small but oil-rich emirate of supporting "terrorism" and being too close to Iran, which is Riyadh's regional rival.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated as Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed the deadly June 7 Tehran attack on Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the twin attacks that killed 17 people and wounded dozens.

"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchestan," Zarif said.

He said the militants were "using the territory of one of our neighbours against its will to launch attacks against Iran which only two months ago led to the murder of nine Iranian border guards."

The April 29 attack by Sunni militants took place on the frontier with Pakistan.

"On the Western side the same type of activity is being undertaken, again by using the diplomatic hospitality of other neighbours," Zarif said.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israel will reduce electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip after funding cuts by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, an Israeli minister said Monday, worsening an already severe shortage in the Hamas-run enclave.

The move has raised fears of a new upsurge in violence, with Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza having fought three wars since 2008.

The security cabinet decided Sunday to reduce the daily amount supplied to Gaza by between 45 and 60 minutes, Israeli media reported.

Gazans currently receive only three or four hours of electricity a day, delivered from the territory's own power station and others in Israel and Egypt.

Residents who can afford it use generators to power their homes or businesses in the impoverished Palestinian enclave of some two million people.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the reduction was due to an ongoing row between Abbas and his rivals Hamas, but he did not detail the scope of the cuts.

Abbas recently decided to "significantly reduce payments for Gazan electricity," he told army radio. "It would be illogical for Israel to pay part of the bill."

Abbas reportedly decided on the move in a further bid to pressure Hamas.

But the reduction has also sparked fears of fresh violence.

Hamas has run Gaza since 2007, when it seized it in a near civil war from Abbas's Fatah following a dispute over parliamentary elections won by the Islamist movement.

Abbas runs the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognised Palestinian leadership based in the occupied West Bank.

Multiple attempts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah have failed, but the Palestinian Authority (PA) has continued to pay Israel for some electricity delivered to Gaza.

PA official Tariq Reshmawi said for the past 10 years the authority has paid Israel $12.7 million dollars (11.3 million euros) and Egypt $2 million (1.8 million euros) every month for providing power to the strip.

Story continues

Hamas was responsible for deteriorating conditions in the coastal territory, he told AFP.

"In order to resolve the crisis Hamas must respond to Mahmud Abbas's offer to end the political divisions," he added.

- 'Catastrophe' -

Hamas said the cut was made on Abbas's orders and termed it "a catastrophe".

"This decision aggravates the situation and risks an explosion in the Gaza Strip," it said in a statement.

Several protests against power shortages were held in January, including one in which thousands in northern Gaza walked to the local headquarters of the electricity company.

Hamas security forces dispersed the protesters violently, with shots fired in the air and a number of journalists beaten up.

Further protests were prevented by a show of force by Hamas security and jailed demonstrators were released in the following weeks.

Israel and the PA cooperate in different areas despite the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Israel views Hamas as a terrorist organisation and has imposed a blockade on Gaza.

"My strategy is clear: rehabilitation in exchange for (Hamas) demilitarisation," Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman told the Israeli parliament on Monday.

"If we really want to see change in the Gaza Strip, these are the key words."

Electricity is a major concern in the hot and cramped territory, which is currently marking the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The United Nations warned last month that the energy crisis was severely harming water supplies and health services and could trigger an outbreak of violence.

It said that 100,000 cubic metres of raw sewage was being discharged into the Mediterranean every day because treatment plants are unable to fully operate.

Erdan said an escalation in the conflict was not inevitable.

"It is not definite this will cause a military confrontation. It is possible that the Palestinians begin to understand the catastrophe that Hamas means for them," he said.

burs-scw/mjs/dv
Trump echoed her fathers words, saying he felt very vindicated after the former FBI directors hearing, and said she wasnt expecting the viciousness of politics

Ivanka Trump said she is trying to keep my head down and not listen to the noise. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

Ivanka Trump said the president felt very vindicated by former FBI director James Comeys testimony last week, in an interview with Fox News on Monday morning.

She also said her father is incredibly optimistic following the congressional testimony, in which Comey claimed Trump had directed him to shut down an investigation into a former senior White House official, and lied to smear Comey after he was fired.

Trumps comments to Fox and Friends echoed those made by her father last Friday, when he said the testimony was a total and complete vindication.

But she said she was not prepared for the viciousness that came with working in the White House.

It is hard. Theres a level of viciousness that I was not expecting, Trump said. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience, but this isnt supposed to be easy. My father and this administration intends to be transformative, and we want to do big, bold things, and were looking to change the status quo.

I think some of the distractions and some of the ferocity, I was a little blindsided by on a personal level. For me, Im trying to keep my head down and not listen to the noise, and just work hard to make a positive impact on the lives of many people.

Ivanka Trump: My husband, Jared, "loves" his job pic.twitter.com/FQWdiVbOU3  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 12, 2017

She also said her husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, loves his job.

Kushner, a real estate magnate, rarely speaks publicly and has been under scrutiny since taking up his first job in politics. His White House role includes directing the newly formed Office of American Innovation, advising his father-in-law and playing a key diplomatic role. Kushner has been tasked by Donald Trump with trying to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Last month, Kushner became ensnared in the investigation of the Trump campaigns ties to Russia. Kushners lawyer said he will cooperate with the investigation.
James Corden just returned to Los Angeles after hosting The Late Late Show from London last week. Corden filled in at the famous department store, Harrods, before leaving London. On Monday night's show, Corden shared some video from his time as a temporary Harrods employee, which didn't last long. Corden got behind the counter at a chocolate store and things started out great. The late night host was having fun with the customers and handing out delicious treats. Although, he ran into trouble when he tried getting fancy while wrapping up some chocolate. Corden said, "Now at Harrods, it is not just the experience, it's the wrapping." He then reached up to grab a glass off the shelf and knocked it on the side of the shelf, shattering it. Glass fell everywhere, as Corden attempted to hold back his smile. Unfortunately for the customers waiting in line, that was the end of the road for Corden as a chocolate salesman. An important-looking man came in and told Corden his time behind the counter was over as they had to close down the place in order to clean up the glass. Corden apologized to the gentleman and the customers, before heading to another department of the store where he couldn't do as much damage.
A bar is offering women discounts on drinks based on their heel height [Photo: Pexels]

High heels have been a mega topic of conversation lately. Weve had babies wearing teeny tiny high heels, women being forced to wear heels at work, and advice from the Duchess of Cambridge about how she manages to stay in heels ALL day.

But the latest high heel headline is about a hotel bar in Japan that is offering women a drink discount based solely on the height of their heels.

According to Sora News 24, The Hilton Osakas My Place Bar plans on offering women wearing heels measuring five centimeters (approximately two inches) a 10% discount off their bar tab.

From there the drink reduction increases by 5% for every 2cm (a little less than an inch) heel height, up to a maximum of 15cm (nearly 6 inches), which gets you almost a third off your drinks bill. Wowzer.

For any heels over 6 inches ladies can nab themselves 40% off their drinks.

We cant help but wonder, do women have to slip off their heels as soon as they step into the bar and hand them to some kind of official heel measurer? Maybe theres a heel measuring stick like what you see to measure childrens heights at amusement park rides.

But that slightly troubling thought aside, the heel discount throws up all sorts of questions about sexism and er, flat shoe-ism.

This is far from the first time this issue has come up. Last year a woman was sent home from work for wearing flat shoes, which prompted a petition in parliament about heel discrimination and an entire rethink of workplace dress codes.

The point is, why are we praising women for the shoes they wear? And why are we penalizing women if they dont wear what society deems either lady-like or sexy? Furthermore, why are we demanding women to wear shoes that have been proven to actually have a negative health impact?

Flats, it should be noted, are also having a moment. According to a recent survey women are ditching their heels for comfy-yet-trendy trainers. Even Hollywood has caught on to the whole flat fashion thing with celebrity women even donning flats on the red carpet. Were going to go out on a limb and say this has as much to do with comfort as it does with fashion.

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How much you pay for drinks could depend on your heel height?

[Photo: picjumbo.com via Pexels]

So if youre one of lifes natural high-heel wearers and you fancy taking advantage of some cut price beverages, then by all means totter along to the High Heels Ladies Night Discount at the Hilton Osakas My Place bar every Thursday between 6pm and 11.30pm.

But if not, there are plenty of other bars that are not only probably closer (Japan is an awfully long way to go for a G&T), but also dont discriminate their pricing based on the type of shoes youre wearing.

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and@YahooBeauty.




Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough (Screengrab via MSNBC)

Joe Scarborough ripped into President Trump and his Cabinet on Tuesday, one day after a video of Trump prompting officials to speak up and praise him during a meeting caught fire.

Sick is the word, the co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe said of the meeting. It is also deeply un-American to turn a Cabinet meeting, with the president of the United States, in the White House, into a cheerleading routine where everybodys supposed to go around and praise him.

Scarborough wasnt the only one who questioned the event  the Trump administrations first full Cabinet meeting. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a satirical video of him similarly addressing his own aides shortly after the Trump meeting went viral.

Trump later posted a lengthy clip of the exchange on Twitter. In the video, the president calls on attendees one by one, who in turn take the opportunity to fawn over their boss.

Finally held our first full @Cabinet meeting today. With this great team, we can restore American prosperity and bring real change to D.C. pic.twitter.com/2M9PiKjCSH  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2017

The greatest privilege of my life is to serve as vice president to the president whos keeping his word to the American people, Vice President Mike Pence said.

Chief of staff Reince Priebus was even more effusive.

On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda and the American people, Priebus gushed. Were continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals.

Scarborough, who has had a roller-coaster relationship with Trump, said the peculiar meeting was symbolic of Trumps distorted concept of the presidency.

What Donald Trump doesnt understand is, so many things, but the first thing is, he is serving the American people, Scarborough said.

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He also tore into the Cabinet for the mushy display and went so far as to advise officials to leave before submitting to the president in that manner again.

If youre a Cabinet member, come on! an exasperated Scarborough exclaimed. Come on, you owe us more than that. We pay for your salary too. Stand up for yourself. Have dignity. And if he doesnt want you around because you stand up for yourself and have dignity, then leave.

President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, June 12, 2017. From left, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.(Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

_____

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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals referenced Mr Trump's tweets in their opinion: AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trumps love of Twitter is giving his legal team some headaches.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction placed on his so-called travel ban, and specifically referenced a tweet the President shot out in the days following the terror attacks in London that killed eight people and injured nearly 50 more.

Thats right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, Mr Trump wrote, not some politically correct term that wont help us protect our people!

As it turns out, the judges on the 9th Circuit Court saw in that tweet a statement that undermines the whole reasoning behind the travel ban.

Indeed, the President recently confirmed his assessment that it is the 'countries' that are inherently dangerous, the judges wrote in their opinion, rather than the 180 million individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the Presidents 'travel ban.

The judges also noted that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had himself instructed reporters to view the Presidents tweets as official statements from the White House.

Mr Trumps allies have long been concerned that the Presidents tweeting habit will inhibit the West Wings ability to move policy forward.

The point cannot be stressed enough that tweets on legal matters seriously undermine [the Administrations] agenda and POTUS  and those who support him, as I do, need to reinforce that point and not be shy about it, George Conway, a lawyer married to White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, tweeted earlier this month. These tweets make some people feel better, but they certainly wont help [the solicitor general] get five votes in [the Supreme Court], which is what actually matters.

The travel ban will likely head to the Supreme Court now that two US District Courts of Appeals have ruled to uphold injunctions on the Presidents travel ban.
Following the release of footage from Kala Browns 2016 rescue from a South Carolina shipping container, one woman who survived a similar ordeal nearly 25 years ago knows exactly what the 30-year-old went through.

Read: Video Shows Rescue of Woman Chained in Shipping Container by Suspected Serial Killer

Katie Beers was 9 years old in 1992 when she was kidnapped and chained to the wall in an underground bunker for 17 days in the Long Island, N.Y., town of Bay Shore.

"It floods me with emotions right now, she told Inside Edition. Just because I have been there, I have experienced it. The surrealness of being held in captivity for so long and praying and hoping for the day that you are going to be found.

Brown was kept chained by the neck inside the shipping container for two agonizing months.

She was given a dog bed to sleep on. She was chained to the wall with a padlock and given three crime novels to pass the time.

I was chained by my neck, Beers added. I at least had a television where I could watch news reports and media. I knew that the police and my biological mother were looking for me and they wanted me to come home. Just going two months without any human interaction, two months without sunshine, two months without sun on your face, it is a very, very scary situation.

As police freed Brown with a bolt cutter, she told them that realtor Todd Kohlhepp shot and killed her 32-year-old boyfriend, Charles Carver.

After Brown's rescue, police confronted Kohlhepp in his home.

Cops say Brown spent two months on the property owned by Kohlhepp in late 2016 after he allegedly lured her and her boyfriend there with the offer of a job.

Read: Cops Say Suspected Serial Killer Met With Mom Before Confessing to Quadruple Murder

Last month, Kohlhepp pleaded guilty to kidnapping Brown and seven murders. He was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences.

The man who held Beers' captive, John Esposito, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the abduction. He died in 2013.

Story continues

Beers, now 34, says that despite Kohlhepp's sentence, Brown's ordeal isn't over.

"They have a long road to recovery and so does the family," Beers said.

Watch: After Woman's Daring Escape From Captor, How to Get Out If You're Trapped in a Car's Trunk

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Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner at Paris Fashion Week in October 2016. (Photo: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images)

Kim Kardashians Paris robbery has had a lasting impact not only on her, but her famous family as well.

Kris Jenner sat down with the Hollywood Reporter for their Reality TV Roundtable and was asked if the incident gave her pause about continuing Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

No, Kris replied. But it really changed all of our lives and the way that we live.

Last October, Kim was bound and gagged by armed robbers who stole more than $11 million worth of jewelry.

Not only do we now have an enormous amount of security  everyone is armed and licensed; its legit companies that protect all of us  but also the way that we deal with our lives on social media took a huge turn: What we show, what we dont show, Kris explained.

In the months leading up to the robbery, Kim repeatedly flaunted her bling on social media.

???????????? A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Sep 29, 2016 at 12:40pm PDT

The Kardashian matriarch continued, If we go to Disneyland, were not snapping pictures with Dumbo; well wait until we leave and then share something we want to share. But it also gave us great pause about what to share. There is nothing wrong with working hard and getting something wonderful for yourself if you want to or thats what youre into, but I think the way that we share it with other people really changed. You think five times about what youre going to put out there on social media.

Kris and Kim also had to figure out what they wanted to put out about the incident on their E! show.

We made the decision to go ahead and have Kim tell her story, she said. So many people felt like they deserved the explanation of what happened because they had, for the last decade, followed every moment of her life. And she felt it would almost be a relief to be able to say it on her terms and explain what happened and what she went through.

The family used footage that Kanye Wests film crew shot (he had videographers with him when Kim returned to NYC after her terrifying night in Paris).

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Kim Kardashian returning to her Manhattan apartment with Kanye West after the Paris robbery. (Photo: James Devaney/GC Images)

And the fact that we did have a little bit of Kanyes footage made it really interesting to see that point of view of how she dealt with it and how she handled it from within. But she couldnt talk for a minute because it was under investigation, Kris explained.

The decision to air footage around the incident goes back to the mantra Kris and her family decided to follow early on: Show the good and the bad of their lives.

We decided as a family that if were going to do this, we would just show everything. And one of the best decisions I made not only as a producer of the show but as one of the stars of the show was to say, Were not going to remove anything, Kris said. With that philosophy, I told the kids, Dont get on the Internet. Ryan Seacrest, my producing partner, had told [my daughter] Kim about this little thing called Twitter, which she might be interested in. There wasnt Instagram or Snapchat or any of this other stuff then. Now, its so heightened and, you know, haters are gonna hate. You expect it now.

According to Kris, Kim leads the pack when it comes to tuning haters out.

Shes the queen of thick skin, Kris praised. She counsels everybody else. So if something happens in the family, shes the first one you call. What should I do? How should I handle this? But its my grandchildren who I worry about because I have six of them; the oldest just turned 7, and my youngest is 6 months old, and they dont have a choice. And I worry, I do, because it is such a bullying environment.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians wrapped Season 12 on Sunday and will return for Season 13 later this year.





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By Fred Muzaale

An estimated two million Ugandan children have been forced into child labour mainly as a result of disasters and conflicts.

The government is now calling for stronger integration of child labour in humanitarian responses.

The minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Janat Mukwaya has noted that 70 per cent of the children involved in child labour are in agriculture.

This was contained in a press statement read for her by David Atwooki Mugisa, the Occupational Safety and Health officer at the ministry during an event to commemorate the World Day against child labour

in Kampala yesterday.

Uganda will commemorate the day on Thursday at Buganda Road Primary school.

The day will run under the theme In conflicts and disasters, Protect children from child labour

The minister said that conflicts have a devastating impact on childrens lives with some getting maimed, injured or even killed.
Musician Lady Gaga looked bright and spry in NYC in May. (Photo: Gotham/GC Images)

A little kindness goes a long way  just ask Lady Gaga and Starbucks. The coffee behemoth has partnered with the pop star to raise money for her Born This Way Foundation through the sales of a special Cup of Kindness collection, which consists of four brightly colored iced drinks (not to be confused with the Unicorn Frappuccino).

From now until June 19, participating stores in the U.S. and Canada will donate 25 cents from the sale of each Cup of Kindness beverage will go to Gagas foundation, which strives to promote youth wellness and empowerment. Founded in 2012, its focus is to create a kinder and braver world, which is a pretty lofty goal. Its efforts include providing young people with critical mental health resources, as well as fostering kinder communities, both online and off.

Over the course of the campaign, Starbucks has vowed to donate a minimum of $250,000 to the cause  one quarter at a time  to help spread a simple message: Be kind.

For her part, Gaga (whose real name is Stefani Germanotta) added, Were healthier and happier when we live our lives with compassion and our communities are stronger when we treat one another with generosity and respect. Born This Way Foundation and I are so excited to partner with Starbucks to help inspire positivity and love through the Cups of Kindness collection.

Have a Pink Drink this week at @Starbucks and support @BTWFoundation ???? #CupsOfKindness A post shared by xoxo, Gaga (@ladygaga) on Jun 12, 2017 at 7:05am PDT

Gaga shared the news with her 24.7 million Instagram followers in a post on Monday. Have a Pink Drink this week at @Starbucks and support @BTWFoundation ???? #CupsOfKindness, she wrote beside an artful shot of a frosty pink concoction surrounded by delicate flower petals.

The Cup of Kindness offerings include the Ombre Pink Drink, Violet Drink, Matcha Lemonade, and Pink Drink (that ones not ombre, apparently). None of them include actual coffee and instead are made up of a combination of ingredients such as coconut milk, matcha (a tea powder), and lemonade with various flavorful accents. Starbucks describes them as very special drinks as delicious and refreshing as they are beautiful  kind of like the message they represent.

Story continues





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People participate in a rally in New York City On Monday June 12, 2017 Gays Against Guns and 20 partnering LGBTQ nightclubs participated in the one year anniversary remembering the 49 victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub massacre. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

On Monday, June 12, Gays Against Guns and 20 partnering LGBTQ nightclubs participated in the one-year anniversary honoring the 49 victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub massacre in New York City. The memorial, held at Sheridan Square in the West Village, was a solemn and joyfully defiant experience, as the tragedy that brought the fight for gun violence prevention directly into the LGBTQ nightlife community was remembered.

On Sunday, in the nations capital and dozens of other cities across the U.S., supporters of LGBT rights mobilized for marches and rallies, celebrating their gains but angered over threats to those advances.

The centerpiece event, the Equality March in Washington, was endorsed by virtually every major national advocacy group working on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Leaders of those groups have been embittered by several actions of President Trumps administration  including the rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.

In Los Angeles, where the annual Pride parade was renamed #ResistMarch, tens of thousands of people turned out to march in Hollywood, some carrying rainbow flags or signs reading Love trumps hate. Speakers at the event included Mayor Eric Garcetti and RuPaul, the host of RuPauls Drag Race. (Getty/AP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysian customs officers have seized almost 300 kilograms of pangolin scales being smuggled through the main airport, officials said on Tuesday.

The 288-kilogram (635 pound) haul was found at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last Friday in 12 boxes labelled as oyster shells on the waybill.

The scales worth around 3.69 million ringgit ($870,000) arrived from Ghana on a Turkish Airlines flight, the customs department said in a statement.

Authorities are investigating.

The scales of the endangered pangolin, the world's most heavily trafficked mammal, are highly prized in Vietnam and China where they are misleadingly touted as having medicinal properties.

Malaysia last month made its largest haul of such scales, 712 kilograms estimated to be worth more than nine million ringgit.

Pangolins are indigenous to the jungles of Indonesia, parts of Malaysia and areas of southern Thailand, and their meat is considered a delicacy in China.

Four pangolin species can also be found in Africa. Increasingly they are smuggled to Southeast Asia from Africa, but the majority go to China.

Soaring demand has seen an estimated one million pangolins plucked from Asian and African forests over the past decade.
Farmers skinned cats about 1,000 years ago in Spain, possibly for the medieval cat-fur industry or a "magical" pagan ritual, a new study finds.

Scientists found evidence of the skinning at the archaeological site of El Bordellet in eastern Spain, where medieval artifacts were discovered during highway construction in 2010.

During more recent excavations, researchers found nine pits that likely held crops from medieval farms. A number of these pits held bones from sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, dogs and horses.

One pit was notable because it contained an unusual amount of feline remains  about 900 domestic cat bones. One such bone was carbon dated to about A.D. 970 to 1025. [See Photos of the Remains of Ancient Egyptian Kittens]

Skinned cats

Several clues led the archaeologists to conclude that the cats were likely skinned. The number, angle, intensity and location of the cut marks and fractures seen on the bones were consistent with those seen in prior experiments where researchers skinned a variety of animals.

The state of the bones suggests that most of the felines were 9 to 20 months old when they died. The researchers said this age was likely the best for cat-fur usage, when the felines were relatively large but their fur was still free of damage, parasites or disease.

Cat skinning has been seen widely at numerous archaeological sites in northern Europe, especially Britain and Ireland, the researchers said. "The skins were basically used for making garments, mainly coats," as well as collars and sleeves, said study lead author Lluis Lloveras, a zooarchaeologist at the University of Barcelona. "Some texts also make reference to the healing qualities of cat skin, but also to its possible harmfulness."

Cat fur was often traded during the Middle Ages, according to archaeological finds and medieval texts, Lloveras said. "The skins of the cat and the rabbit have many similarities in terms of quality and touch," Lloveras told Live Science.

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Both domestic cats and wildcats were skinned for the fur industry, although the value of domestic-cat fur "could be worth 100 times less than that of the wildcat," Lloveras said. "The fur of domestic cats was normally used by less-wealthy people or social groups that had to demonstrate a certain austerity, like nuns."

A 2013 study in the journal Antiqvitas found evidence of cat skinning in the Muslim areas of medieval Iberia. This new study may be the first conclusive evidence of cat-fur usage in the medieval Christian parts of Iberia, the European peninsula containing Spain and Portugal. "This proves that cat-fur exploitation was common in both [the] Christian and [the] Muslim world," Lloveras said.

Pagan cat rituals?

However, the researchers said there might be another explanation for this cat skinning: a magical pagan rite. Other animal remains uncovered alongside the feline bones included a whole horse skull, a goat horn fragment and a chicken eggshell.

"All these particular animal remains have been associated with ritual practices in the Middle Ages as well as in later times," Lloveras said. For instance, a 1999 study in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology found a partial cat skeleton buried with several hens underneath a wall from the late-15th to early-16th centuries in England, perhaps as part of a commemorative ritual during construction, he said.

However, the researchers cautioned that the archaeological record in this region does not make it clear whether these bones were placed together coincidentally or as part of a ritual. "We will wait for new future discoveries in the area," Lloveras said.

The scientists detailed their findings online May 24 in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

Original article on Live Science.

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Alex Jones; Megyn Kelly (Images: NBC)

Megyn Kellys continues to defend her interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones amid widespread protests led by the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting  a massacre that Jones has repeatedly called a hoax.

Kelly had been scheduled to host an annual charity gala for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. But the backlash over the interview, which is scheduled to air on NBC Sunday night, prompted the group to withdraw the invitation.

Sandy Hook Promise cannot support the decision by Megyn or NBC to give any form of voice or platform to Alex Jones and have asked Megyn Kelly to step down as our Promise Champion Gala host, said Sandy Hook Promise co-founder Nicole Hockley, whose son, Dylan Hockley, was one of 20 children killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, massacre in Newtown, Conn. It is our hope that Megyn and NBC reconsider and not broadcast this interview.

In a subsequent statement, Kelly said she understood the groups decision, adding that while she found Jones conspiracy theories personally revolting, her goal in interviewing him was to shine a light.

Here is my statement regarding Sunday nights interview: pic.twitter.com/iS2VfyLt6S  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 13, 2017

Earlier this week, Kelly defended the decision to sit down with Jones, who hosts a popular radio show and runs a right-wing website called Infowars. Jones interviewed Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, and said that the president called to thank him days after the election.

POTUSs been on & praises @RealAlexJones show, Kelly wrote on Twitter. Hes giving Infowars a [White House] press credential. Many dont know him; our job is 2 shine a light.

Nelba Marquez-Greene  whose 6-year-old daughter, Ana Grace, was killed in the massacre  blasted Kelly in a series of tweets.

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Here you go @megynkelly  her name is Ana Grace Marquez-Greene. Say her name- stare at this & tell me it's worth it. @nbc #SandyHook pic.twitter.com/mKrU63KWmA  Nelba Marquez-Greene (@Nelba_MG) June 12, 2017

Hey @megynkelly, let me know if you want to give his victims equal air time, Marquez-Greene wrote. Promoting this fool is bad news. Do not encourage his abuse.

Hes a controversial figure for sure, but as journalists its our job to interview newsmakers and people of influence no matter how abhorrent their views may be, Liz Cole, the executive producer of Kellys weekly show, told CNN.

Jones has argued that the shootings in Newtown were staged by the government to drum up support for gun control. In 2014, for example, he called the Sandy Hook massacre synthetic, completely fake, manufactured with actors.

In a preview of the interview, Kelly confronts Jones about his Sandy Hook claims. But the victims families argue that NBC should not be giving the Infowars.com provocateur a platform.

Cole disagreed.

Giving him a platform would mean he goes unchallenged, and thats not the case in any way, she said. Viewers will see Megyn do a strong interview where she challenges him appropriately.  Thats the benefit of putting him out there. When someone actually sits down and asks him questions and he has to come up with answers  theres value to that.

Cole added: Until you see the full program, in the full context, I wouldnt judge it too much. Judge it when you see it. Megyn does a strong interview; were not just giving him a platform.

The cover of Tuesdays New York Daily News (Courtesy Newseum.org)

The New York Daily News slammed NBC and Kelly on its front page Tuesday. The headline: Nutwork News.

The backlash has apparently led at least one advertiser to pull its support of Kellys show.

On Monday night, the Wall Street Journal reported that J.P. Morgan & Co. has asked for its local TV ads and digital ads to be removed from Ms. Kellys show and from all NBC news programming until after the show airs.

An NBC official did not respond to a request seeking comment.

Meanwhile, Jones himself is urging NBC not to air the interview because he says it has been deceptively edited.

They did not have me in there saying I believe children died there at Sandy Hook, Jones said of the promotional clip. They had it edited where it sounded like I was saying nobody did. And the headlines are I doubled down. Thats why Im calling for the piece not to air.

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Nisha Moodley and her 6-month-old son, Raven. (Photo: Instagram/Nisha Moodley)

One mom is teaching her infant how to respect the human body in a unique way.

Before picking up her 6-month-old son, Raven, Nisha Moodley, a mother of one in San Francisco, always asks his permission. Why? Because we want him to know that his body is his, and that others bodies are theirs, and no one gets to make choices about someone elses body, Moodley wrote on Instagram on June 9, alongside a selfie of herself and Raven.

Moodleys post earned nearly 600 likes and lots of support for her unorthodox parenting move from people who wanted to implement the practice in their own families, as well as others who simply thanked the mom for sparking the conversation.

I dont ever want my son to be a sexual perpetrator or the victim of one, and the best thing I can do is honor his choices about his own body, Moodley tells Yahoo Beauty. I also want him to pay attention to his instincts, and forcing physical touch could interfere with that.

Of course, because of his young age, Raven may not always comprehend his moms message or be able to convey his feelings, but Moodley says she can interpret her sons body language. There have been times where Raven has responded by reaching his arms out for a hug or turning his head or body away, she says.

Moodley says that navigating social situations with friends and family have, on occasion, been tricky. Its asking myself how can I prioritize what feels right to me as a parent with social niceties, especially if some consider it rude to not hug, says Moodley. If Raven seems like he doesnt want to be touched, I just explain to the person, Give him a few minutes  he may just want mommy now.

Story continues

According to Sharon Silver, a parenting expert and creator of the upcoming webinar Why Do I Yell and What Can I Do Instead?, Moodley is doing the right thing.

This idea is part of the wonderful RIE parenting philosophy, which is essentially respecting a childs timetable and allowing him or her to participate in the full range of experiences as the result of a decision, Silver tells Yahoo Beauty. Its the underlying premise of positive parenting.

As children grow, however, providing too many choices in general isnt the best idea, notes Silver. Some parents trap themselves because they dont follow through on correcting behavior and wind up losing power, she says. For example, with an older child, instead of saying, Put on your shoes now and forgoing an opportunity for the child to find their own muscle of cooperation, Silver suggests saying something like, You have 10 minutes to put on your shoes any way you want  then, if youre not ready, Ill have to do it for you.

When an older child doesnt want to be touched, Silver says a parent can also ask why. Kids often tell you how they feel, she says.

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Many newborns are bathed too quickly, research finds. (Photo: Getty Images)

Another U.S. city is signing on for whats shaping up to be the next big movement in natural birthing: delaying a newborns first bath, to promote infant health, breastfeeding, and mother-baby bonding.

You figure it was there for a reason, but I never knew it was so amazing for the baby, nurse and researcher Courtney Buss told the Chicago Tribune about the white, waxy substance, called vernix, that coats a newborns skin and is often washed off too hastily.

Now Busss Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, along with five other hospitals out of Chicagos Advocate hospital system, are adopting a wait to bathe policy, spurred on by Busss research on outcomes as part of a fellowship for studying best practices.

All of our Advocate Health Care hospitals are in various stages of implementing this policy/process, a hospital spokesperson tells Yahoo Beauty. I believe seven are doing it and the other three will be on-boarded by this summer and fall.

Among Busss powerful findings: The percentage of babies with hypothermia decreased from 29 percent to 14 percent after baths were delayed (rather than given immediately, because of a misperception that newborns are dirty). Hypoglycemia rates, she added, dropped from 21 percent to 7 percent in the first month, while breastfeeding rates increased from 51 percent to 71 percent, as vernix helps an infant pick up its mothers scent.

Nine months later, the evidence was even stronger, Buss told the newspaper, as hypothermia rates had dropped to 7 percent and hypoglycemia had rates dropped to 4 percent, while breastfeeding rates increased to 78 percent.

Vernix also contains antimicrobial proteins that are active against group B strep, E. coli and other common perinatal risks.

You cant argue with these results, Fran Tefi-Teal, director of the Birth Center at the hospital told the Tribune.

The Elgin location is also an accredited Baby-Friendly USA hospital  one of 440 hospitals that adhere to specific evidence-based practices that aim for improved health outcomes and higher breastfeeding rates. One of the guidelines is to help new moms initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth, and to that end, the guidelines for evaluation include the following: Procedures requiring separation of the mother and infant (bathing, for example) should be delayed until after this initial period of skin-to-skin contact and should be conducted, whenever feasible, at the mothers bedside. Additionally, skin-to-skin contact should be encouraged throughout the hospital stay.

Story continues

The idea of delaying bathing is not new, and one thats recommended as a standard of care by the World Health Organization, which advises, Bathing should be delayed until after 24 hours of birth. If this is not possible due to cultural reasons, bathing should be delayed for at least six hours. Appropriate clothing of the baby for ambient temperature is recommended. This means one to two layers of clothes more than adults, and use of hats/caps. The mother and baby should not be separated and should stay in the same room 24 hours a day.

Hospitals in states from Colorado to Massachusetts have embraced the practice.

The biggest challenge of such a policy change, Buss is noticing in Chicago, is about educating parents toward a cultural change, while always honoring a parents right to choose when their babies get bathed.

Its always the patients right to request care, Buss said. There should be no backlash from health care providers.

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Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

ARLINGTON, Va.  Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic former governor of this state, was trying to pay the man running to be the next governor in Tuesdays primary a compliment.

To me, he sounds like a pediatrician, Kaine said of Virginias Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, while speaking to supporters Saturday morning.

Thats because Northam is, in fact, a pediatric neurologist who practiced at Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk for more than two decades, following eight years as an Army physician. Kaine, whose own brother is a pediatrician, said Northam had the same compassionate connection with people that he sees in his sibling.

Northams personal manner is marked by gentleness and attentiveness. But while those traits are admirable, his low-key style has become the biggest contrast between him and the other Democrat running for governor in Virginia, Tom Perriello.

Virginia Democrats will go to the polls today to choose between Northam and Perriello, and the winner will face off with the Republican nominee, who is expected to be Ed Gillespie, a former White House adviser to President George W. Bush. All available public polling has shown Northam and Perriello to be neck and neck.

At a time when most Democrats are riled up about the Trump presidency, Northams calm, reserved manner doesnt match what some are looking for in party leaders. And as the Virginia governors race heads toward the fall, it will draw national attention because there are no other major elections coming up besides the New Jersey governors race.

Thats not to say Northam is the underdog. Despite the presumption by some that Perriellos support from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren means he is the choice of the left, Northam has been endorsed by progressive groups like NARAL, the National Organization for Women, Equality Virginia and the Pride Fund, and gun control groups like the Brady Campaign and the Newtown Action Alliance.

Story continues

Northam also has the support of most of the states Democrats, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the states two U. S. senators, Kaine and Mark Warner. Most of the Democrats in the state legislature also back Northam, as are three of the states four Democrats in Congress (the fourth, Gerry Connolly, is neutral).

All that institutional support is going to help Northam net votes in what will be a low turnout primary election on the second Tuesday in June. Thats normally not the time that people are thinking about voting, Kaine said.

Perriello has been endorsed by a host of former Obama administration officials, such as Valerie Jarrett, Dan Pfeiffer, Kathleen Sebelius, Jon Lovett and others. Hes had some success in Virginia by getting support from some local unions, and from environmental groups who like his stance against two proposed natural gas pipelines.

Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter, campaigned with Perriello recently and mentioned twice in a brief speech that he wanted to support politicians who sound like normal human beings.

Kaine seemed to be combating the idea that Northam cant connect with the average voter when he made his pediatrician comment. I dont think Ralph talks like a political science guy, Kaine said.

Moments later, Kaine addressed another critique of Northam: that hes not fiery or tough enough. He appears pretty mellow. Dont tussle with him on a matter of principle, Kaine said. He has no reverse gear.

From left, Sen. Tim Kaine, supporter Hazel Rigby, Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam in Arlington, Va., earlier this week. (Photo: Jon Ward/Yahoo News)

Perriellos supporters say hes more of a fighter than Northam. They shrug off his more conservative positions on abortion and guns in the past by pointing out that Northam, 57, voted for George W. Bush for president, in both 2000 and 2004. (Northam has said that at the time, I didnt pay much attention to politics. He became a state senator in 2007, and lieutenant governor in 2013.)

And the Obama crowd in particular loves that Perriello, 42, voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2010, despite knowing it would likely cost him his seat in Congress, which in fact it did.

Northam has Democratic establishment and liberal interest group support because hes proven his liberal credentials as lieutenant governor, fighting against a transvaginal ultrasound bill in 2012 and helping McAuliffe push back attempts by the states Republican legislature to defund Planned Parenthood this year and last year.

But Perriello fans are energized by the former congressmans talk of economic populism and racial justice, which Perriello claims is helping him win over both rural whites fed up with an unfair economy and ethnic minorities.

One of Northams biggest selling points is that hes the responsible choice. He has the relationships with legislators in Richmond, and the experience there, to make sure the state government can function effectively.

This is all about governance, McAuliffe said at the same event here in Arlington, after Kaine spoke.

Perriellos response to this is to insist that politics doesnt function through compromise anymore because the Republican Party has become so intransigent and unreasonable that there is no possibility of working with it.

Its been 20 years since the Republican Party operated that way. If the Republicans operated that way Barack Obama would have had a bipartisan stimulus and we would have Medicaid expansion in Virginia, Perriello said. They oppose softness. They oppose kindness. They actually take advantage of it. If you look at the most successful efforts of bipartisanship in recent years, theyve all been by winning. And I dont just mean winning elections. I mean going out and winning arguments.

Its a view of politics similar to the one made popular by scholars like Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein in their 2013 book, Its Even Worse Than It Looks. The alternative view, articulated by scholars like Jonathan Rauch and Elaine Kamarck, is that political parties have become so weak they have little ability anymore to block extremist candidates in both parties from getting elected, or from bucking party leadership once in office. Thus, the theory goes, governance has fallen victim to politicians building their own brands.

Northams retort to Perriello, when asked, was more personal and, again, stylistic.

I would change the verb talk to listen, Northam told Yahoo News. I think its important to go and listen and especially hear whats on peoples minds, and to let them understand why its important to have things like access to womens reproductive health care, why its important that families have access to affordable and quality health care, why its important to promote responsible gun ownership.

And I agree, after you listen and hear, then we take that message back to Richmond and sit down with people and the voters put pressure on their elected officials. So it all works together, and Ive been doing it for 10 years, he said.

Several Republican operatives who have spoken privately to Yahoo News about Gillespies chances against Northam or Perriello are of the view that the charisma and energy gap between Gillespie and Perriello would be considerable, in Perriellos favor.

But in a year when most Democrats expect the Trump presidency to be more than enough reason for Democrats to vote in droves this fall, Northam supporters think that renders Perriellos talents as a candidate less vital.

Gillespie, 55, and Northam are both relatively conventional in the way they present themselves to voters. But Trumps unpopularity, Northam supporters believe, will be an anchor around Gillespies neck no matter who their nominee is.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Research shows owning a dog can make you fitter. (Photo: Carolyn Hebbard/Getty Images)

If youre hoping to stay fit even during your golden years, get a dog.

Thats advice from a small study published on Monday in the journal BMC Public Health, which found that dog owners over the age of 65 get more exercise than non-dog owners.

Yahoo Beauty could not reach the study authors for comment. However, lead researcher Philippa Dall of Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland told Market Watch, Dog owners were found to walk over 20 minutes more a day and this additional walking was at a moderate pace.

She added, For good health, [World Health Organization] recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week. Over the course of a week, this additional 20 minutes walking each day may in itself be sufficient to meet these guidelines. Our findings represent a meaningful improvement in physical activity achieved through dog walking.

Dogs not only motivated their owners to get out the door, but those people also walked faster  up to three miles per hour, which is considered a moderate pace, notes NPR.

However, the study left room for interpretation: Researchers arent sure whether dog owners tend to be more active in general or if dogs give people a reason to move more. And study subjects were all white British people, so the findings arent necessarily widely applicable.

The benefits of owning a pet include boosting ones self-esteem and preventing loneliness and depression, but dogs have a specifically blissful effect on human behavior.

According to a paper published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, dog owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and experience less medical issues. It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill health, Deborah Wells, PhD, a psychologist from Queens University in Belfast, who reviewed the research, told the BBC.

The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner.

Story continues

And apparently the type of pet does matter: One recent study published in the journal Anthrozoos that compared dog and cat owners found that dog people are significantly more satisfied with their lives and tend to experience more positive emotions than cat folks.

Of course, there are lots of ways to get healthy, so no sweat if youre not a dog owner or even a dog person. Youll have to find a less adorable form of motivation.

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.
Panama and China announced on Tuesday they were establishing diplomatic relations, as the Central American nation became the latest to dump Taiwan for closer ties with the world's second-largest economy.

The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland.

Taiwan is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is one of the most politically sensitive issues for Chinese leaders who pressure trade partners to accept its "one China" principle.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a nationally televised message "to the country and the world" that "Panama and China establish diplomatic relations today".

The two countries issued a joint statement saying: "In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level."

After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement over its status, Panama now "recognises that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo signed the communique in Beijing.

"This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, adding that Panama's decision was in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".

Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an "important step" and started a "new page in our strategic relations"

The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

Story continues

Panama had long stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.

Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue.

- Taiwan's anger -

Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

In December China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation ditched the island.

Taiwan reacted furiously to the latest move.

"We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so-called 'one China' policy to continue to suppress Taiwan's international space through various means," the presidential office said.

"This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese people's survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan strait and the region."

Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island's previous Beijing-friendly government.

But relations have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen's China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power in a landslide election victory last year.

Tsai has refused to acknowledge the concept that Taiwan is part of "one China", unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.

Cross-strait tensions have been further exacerbated by a highly unusual call from Tsai to congratulate then US President-elect Donald Trump, who questioned Washington's policy towards the island, including its decision to not formally recognise its government.
"He looked dead," a police detective said during the preliminary hearing Monday. "He looked like a corpse."

At Monday's hearing for 18 Penn State fraternity brothers accused in the death of Timothy Piazza, a police officer said that Piazza looked like a corpse in surveillance video from the night of his death. Piazza, 19, died Feb. 4, 2017 after a hazing ritual known as the gauntlet in which pledges were made to consume exorbitant amounts of alcohol.

Mondays preliminary hearing aimed to determine whether there was enough evidence for the case against the fraternity members to continue to trial. Penn State police detective David Scicchitano discussed the disturbing surveillance video from the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house in which Piazzas last moments were recorded.

Read: Timothy Piazzas Death Was Murder And Torture, Family Says

He looked dead, said Scicchitano. He looked like a corpse.

The footage recorded Piazza falling down a flight of stairs at 11:22 p.m.

He is unconscious, said Scicchitano. His eyes are closed. He is limp. He is dead weight.

Piazza was then left alone on the couch where he remained at about 3 a.m., said Scicchitano. He then went on to fall a number of times, hitting his head and stomach. Piazza did not appear on camera again until two hours later when fraternity brothers found him in the basement of the house, NBC Philadelphia reported. The brothers then carried him to a couch upstairs where they left him.

To know that he was lying at the bottom of the basement steps for any length of time at all by himself, his mother said. It all is terrible.

In original testimony heard in May, it emerged that despite Piazzas clearly deteriorated condition, fraternity brothers did not call 911 until 12 hours after he originally fell down a flight of stairs. Instead of getting help, surveillance video captured some of the members slapping him and pouring liquid on him in an attempt to rouse him as he went in and out of consciousness throughout the night.

Story continues

Though Piazzas death was ruled accidental, 18 brothers were charged in connection. Eight faced felony charges that could carry up to 20 years in prison. The fraternity chapter was also a defendant in the case.

This wasnt boys being boys, Piazzas father told CBS News in May. This was the murder of our son. They tortured him for 12 hours. They let him suffer for 12 hours. He died a slow and painful death at the hands of these men of principle, as they call it.

Piazzas father also said the decision to wait to call for help cost his son his life. When the family asked their sons doctor if he would have lived had he been brought in earlier, the doctor said yes.

Read: City Employees In Oregon Subjected To Hazing, Racism, Violence, Humiliation At Work

To hit him and slap him and brutalize him, they should not have been trying to get a response, Piazzas brother, Mike, told CBS News. They should have been trying to get him help.

In reference to the charges against the fraternity brothers, Piazzas father said he would be good with 20 years.

They killed him, he said. They fed him lethal doses of alcohol and they killed him.

Related Articles
Madrid (AFP) -- Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski called for international arbitration in the Venezuelan crisis but only once political prisoners have been freed, according to an interview published Sunday in a Spanish newspaper.

"The fundamental issue is that all political prisoners be released," he told El Pais daily. "If that is not done there is no dialogue possible."

Once that condition was met then three nations friendly to the Venezuela regime could join three more critical countries to provide international arbitration on the crisis, he added.

The work of the group, which would be made up of respected elder statesmen, would need to take place on neutral territory, he added. He suggested the Dutch island of Curacao off the Venezuelan coast.

Venezuela has been locked in a political and economic crisis for months as thousands have marched for and against the government of leftist president Nicolas Maduro.

During that time more than 60 people have been killed and hundreds more arrested.

The NGO Foro Penal Venezolano, which provides legal aid to people it says have been arbitrarily detained, says the Maduro regime is currently holding 186 political prisoners.

Kuczynski, an outspoken critic of the Maduro regime, made his comments to the newspaper in an interview given two weeks ago, ahead of a visit to Spain starting Monday.

Talks under the auspices of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Vatican broke down late last year.
A viral photo of a shaved Siberian husky is getting a hair-raising reaction.

The bizarre image of the breeds familiar fur-coated head atop a completely shorn body has sparked concern among some viewers that such a severe haircut may pose a health risk to the dog.

If you've never seen a husky with absolutely no body hair then here you go. Enjoy pic.twitter.com/BQww3jUbmB  Shishou  (@OmonaKami) June 8, 2017

The photo appears to be legit; however, its provenance isnt clear.

One Twitter user posted the pic on June 7 with the jokey caption: If youve never seen a husky with absolutely no body hair then here you go. Enjoy.

The post generated tens of thousands of retweets. In a conversation thread, the user said the dog was not his. He hasnt responded to HuffPost.

The photo has quickly circulated on the internet, prompting debate about the motivation for shearing the pooch.

A vet told HuffPost a well-groomed huskys double-layer coat is like a Thermos in the heat.

It will protect them from the heat and sunburn, and in the cold it protects from the cold weather, Emmy-winning vet Dr. Jeff Werber said in an email. However if the coat is unhealthy and is matted or has some type of skin disease and for medical reasons we need to shave, then it would be advisable.

Professional groomers say that huskies and other double-coated breeds like malamutes, akitas and Australian shepherds are among dogs that require frequent grooming.

Also on HuffPost

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Tver (Russia) (AFP) - A line of supporters wound round the room to snap a selfie with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who looked exhausted but summoned up a smile and hug for each one.

The 41-year-old, whose anti-corruption videos have needled the country's most powerful and drawn a new generation into politics, is bidding to stand in elections against President Vladimir Putin next year.

While Putin has yet to confirm his candidacy for the March 2018 polls, chief critic Navalny is already on a whistlestop tour of Russia, opening campaign offices and trying to collect the 300,000 signatures needed to enter the race -- despite doubts he'll be allowed to stand.

In the city of Tver on the Volga River, 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Moscow, Navalny met several hundred supporters.

"We can win these elections," he told the crowd. "We can win because the majority are for us."

Navalny's right eye was still half-closed as he spoke. He is recovering after an assailant threw green dye in his face in April, the latest in a series of physical attacks.

He had medical treatment in Spain and now seems to have security. Two large men stood nearby as Navalny spoke, insisting he will "say obvious banal things, but not be afraid and say them out loud".

"Tens of millions of our fellow countrymen are destitute while the state is colossally rich," he declared, slamming low local wages.

- 'Force them' -

Since rising to prominence with his fiery speeches protesting Putin's third term in power in 2012, Navalny has cemented his place as Russia's top opposition leader.

But the populist politician faces overwhelming odds in his David and Goliath struggle against the Kremlin and stands almost no chance of ousting Putin.

Shown on state television only in a negative light, Navalny uses YouTube, Twitter and Instagram to get his message out, as well as public speaking, at which the lawyer excels.

Story continues

He has faced constant hurdles and harassment as he pushes for the presidency -- including repeated assaults like the one that damaged his eye.

Earlier this year he was handed a suspended sentence on corruption charges that could legally bar him from running.

It was the latest in a stream of court cases -- one of which saw his brother jailed -- that supporters say are designed by the Kremlin to cripple any campaign.

"We can only force them to register me," he said, insisting he is going to fight the authorities to run. "It's clear as day Putin doesn't want to come out to debate with me."

- 'Free country' -

In the meantime he is causing serious headaches for the government.

In March he drew thousands onto the streets in the biggest wave of protests in years with an online video accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of corruption that was viewed over 22 million times.

Despite a harsh police crackdown that saw Navalny among 1,000 people detained in Moscow, fresh demonstrations are planned for Monday.

Chief among those rallying to Navalny are teenagers and students from a younger generation that knows only Putin's rule.

"I want to live in a free country, I want a free press and freedom of speech," says 20-year-old journalism student Ilya in Tver.

"Personally I don't think they'll let him stand unfortunately and I'm very bitter about this," said volunteer Maxim Laptev, 24, at the same meeting.

Sergei, a 20-year-old student working for Navalny's Moscow campaign, said he wonders how he carries on.

"He's very cheerful even though his brother is in jail and there are constant searches at his home. To be honest, I don't really understand it," he said.

- Changing views -

Navalny has run electoral campaigns before, harnessing popular discontent to finish second in the Moscow mayoral poll in 2013.

But his views have troubled some liberals.

Controversially, he has appeared at rallies with neo-Nazis in the past, and vowed to restrict immigration from mainly Muslim ex-Soviet Central Asia, calling "Islamism" the greatest threat to Russia.

"When we first met he was a moderate Russian nationalist," says rights campaigner Olga Romanova, who has known Navalny for years, likening him to France's Marine Le Pen.

But now Romanova says his views "have changed rather seriously" and Navalny has become a "moderate conservative".

At the Moscow campaign office there is a youthful vibe and someone strums a ukelele at one point.

The owners of the premises, however, are attempting to evict Navalny's team, tearing down the sign, replacing locks and cutting off electricity in a move blamed on the authorities.

But his supporters insist they won't be deterred.

"It's obvious they put pressure on the owner and said 'Get rid of them any way you can'," said Moscow campaign chief Nikolai Lyaskin.

"We aren't going to leave. We'll stay here all the time."
Doha won't be the sole loser in an ongoing spat between the oil-rich monarchy and seven Middle Eastern governments , warned Qatari Finance Minister Ali Shareef Al Emadi as he stressed his country's resilience to any potential economic shocks.

"A lot of people think we're the only ones to lose in this... if we're going to lose a dollar, they will lose a dollar also," he said in reference to Gulf Cooperation Council nations.

Speaking to CNBC in an exclusive interview , the minister called the political rift "very unfortunate" as it inconvenienced human lives. "Families are being disrupted around these countries."

Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , the U.A.E. and Egypt are among the leading Arab governments who cut ties with Doha last week, accusing the oil-rich monarchy of supporting terrorism, as President Donald Trump urges Muslim leaders to take a stronger stance against extremists . The four Arab states have said they would close air and sea transport links with Doha, with Riyadh recently closing its land border.

Qatar is dependent on Gulf neighbors for food imports to feed its 2.5 million strong population  the bulk of which are expatriates  and reports have emerged of panic buying at supermarkets amid fears of a food shortage during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

However, Al Emadi was quick to dismiss those concerns.

Previously, Doha imported food and other goods from places as far as Brazil and Australia so the government will continue that, he said. Whether its Turkey, the Far East or Europe, Doha will ensure that it has enough partners to get things done , he continued.

"We are going to make sure that we are even more diversified than we were before."

The minister, who is also president of Qatar Airways' executive board, defiantly brushed away concerns of a financial market meltdown. The Doha index tumbled 7.1 percent last week, according to Reuters, while the Qatari riyal has been falling against the greenback on worries of capital outflows.

Story continues

While the reaction was "understandable," there was no need to worry as Doha has all the tools required to defend its economy and currency, Al Emadi said.

"Our reserves and investment funds are more than 250 percent of gross domestic product, so I don't think there is any reason that people need to be concerned about what's happening or any speculation on the Qatari riyal."

"We are extremely comfortable with our positions, our investments and liquidity in our systems," he continued, adding that he saw no need for the government to step into the market and buy bonds.

"We're still a AA country and we're one of the top 20 or 25 globally on our ratings ... so I think we are very much better than a lot of people around us."

"Qatar is always open for business...We have what it takes to defend if we have to do anything locally."





More From CNBC


With Adam Rawnsley

Another bloody weekend in the Long War. Three U.S.soldiers were killed in Eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, and a convoy of U.S. troops was struck by a roadside bomb Monday morning in Nangarhar province, a hotbed of Islamic State activity along the Pakistani border.

Saturdays attack, which early indications are was carried out of an Afghan army commando who turned his weapon on the Americans before being killed by U.S. forces, brings the American death toll in Afghanistan this year to six, all killed in Nangarhar while fighting the Islamic State. Five of those six may have been killed by their own side, as the New York Times Rod Nordland points out.

New attack. The Taliban is claiming credit for Mondays attack on the American convoy. According to a statement issued by the U.S. military command in Kabul, U.S. and Afghan soldiers were struck by a roadside bomb and attacked with small arms fire in Nangarhar Province. The convoy returned fire in self-defense and there were no U.S. casualties. We have not received any official allegations of civilian casualties.

There are allegations that several Afghan civilians were wounded when the Americans opened fire after the attack. Defense officials say theyre investigating the report.

Somalia strike. In Somalia, U.S. warplanes hit what the U.S. Africa Command said was an al-Shabaab command and logistics node, at a camp about 185 miles south of Mogadishu. The strike killed an estimated eight militants. It was the first strike carried out by U.S. forces under new authorities granted in March by president Trump, which declared parts of Somalia an Area of Active Hostility, allowing local U.S. commanders more authority to strike the al Qaeda-affiliated group.

Just last month, a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed and two other troops wounded in a firefight with al Shabab, the first U.S. casualties in that country since the 1990s. While U.S. Defense officials insist the new authorities are not the start of a U.S. offensive against the group  all strikes are taken to defend U.S. and Somali forces in the field  the

Story continues

Qatar and Al Udeid. Operations for the U.S.-led coalition nerve center ay Al Udeid air base in Qatar are continuing as normal despite the economic and diplomatic isolation slapped on the country by other Gulf Arab states last week, according to several U.S. officials.

One Defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told SitRep that the shunning of Qatar is testing our ability to work bilaterally and with the coalition, on the ISIS fight, since military officers from all of the Gulf nations work together in Al Udeids command center. The blockade cant stand for long before they starts to have a real effect on how operations are conducted, the official said.

Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of the U.S. Central Command, was traveling in the region when the Saudis and their Gulf allies cut Qatar off last Monday, and he spent several days shuttling between regional partners trying to work though the issues. Officials wouldnt go into detail about who he met with, citing the sensitivity of the issue and concerns over offending some allies.

Several military officials also confirmed that there are several dozen family members of U.S. military personnel living in Qatar, and they are working with the State Department to determine if they would leave the country.

To the Hill! Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford are heading to Capitol Hill Monday night, appearing before the House Armed Services Committee in an unusual 7 p.m. appearance to talk about the 2018 defense budget. Its the first stop in a week of hearings for the two top military officials, who hit the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense on Wednesday, and the House Appropriations Subcommittee Thursday morning.

Expect lots of non-budgetary questions, including an update on the strategy for the war in Iraq and Syria, the potential to send thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the threat Russia presents in Europe, North Korea, the situation in Qatar, and what effect climate change has on their operations. Mattis has remained mostly silent during his tenure as SecDef, giving few press conferences and interacting with the press as little as possible, as the New York Times notes in their look at how Mattis is navigating Washingtons perilous political waters.

North Korea. A forthcoming report from C4ADS  due to be released Monday afternoon  takes a deep dive on North Korean overseas financing, and finds that the countrys overseas proliferation financing system is highly centralized and limited, and thereby vulnerable to large-scale disruption, according to a pre-release email from the firm. If an adversary were to target just a few key individuals, C4ADS research suggests. it would be possible to disrupt the entire system.

Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley.

Round three. The Philippine militarys efforts to take back Marawi City from Islamic State-affiliated terrorists is grinding on into its third week, Reuters reports. The uprising, triggered by an attempt by to capture militant leader Isnilon Hapilon, has killed nearly 60 Philippine troops so far. Philippine Foreign Affairs Minister Allan Peter Cayetano, however, claims that the effort to capture Hapilon prevented the group from seizing more cities.

Tag team. U.S. Special Forces are helping with battle in Marawi. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Philippines is so far only admitting to receiving non-combatant assistance from the U.S., which reportedly includes surveillance by P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft. The U.S. embassy says American special operations troops are helping with the fight but officials stress that American troops arent involved in actual combat. President Rodridgo Duterte previously threatened to end U.S. military deployments to the country following a fallout with the U.S. over human rights.

Swing and a miss. The Islamic States online recruitment efforts are proving all too resilient against Americas secret arsenal of cyber weapons. The New York Times reports that a joint effort by the NSA and Cyber Command to disrupt the distribution of online propaganda by the group, dubbed Operation Glowing Symphony, met with only mixed success, as Islamic State terrorists quickly rebuilt their online propaganda networks. But there have been some successes. The Times learned that Israeli cyberspies found out about the Islamic States attempts to build exploding laptops by hacking a bomb-making unit working for the group.

Willy Pete. U.S. forces fighting the Islamic State in Syria are using white phosphorous, according to imagery released on social media. The use of white phosphorous, in and of itself, is not prohibited in war, but it is subject to restrictions on how and where it can be used. White phosphorous rounds can be used to provide smoke or illumination, but international law prohibits their use as incendiary weapons or on densely populated areas. A spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition wouldnt address the specifics of white phosphorus use in Syria except to say that the U.S. uses it in accordance with international law.

Inner circles. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is staffing up his inner circle with veterans of Palantir, the tech company that makes intelligence software for the Pentagon. Politico reports that three former Palantir employees, Anthony DeMartino, Sally Donnelly, and Justin Mikolay, now work as advisors and assistants to Mattis. Palantir software, which allows users to sift through vast troves of data to find patterns and connections, proved a popular alternative to the Armys Distributed Common Ground System, setting up a clash between the service and the Silicon Valley company over contract awards. Palantir founder Peter Thiel has served as an advisor and outspoken supporter of President Trump, dating back to the 2016 presidential campaign.

Buyers remorse. Congressional Democrats are no longer so fond of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) saying Hes not the person who I thought I was voting for. Politico reports that Democrats initially warmed to the idea of Kelly, who came highly recommended by the likes of former Obama administration Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as a possible moderating force against Trump. Instead, Kelly has proved to be an enthusiastic supporter of President Trumps controversial immigration policies, ranging from the travel ban on six predominantly Muslim countries to deportations of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Photo Credit NOORULLAH SHIRZADA/AFP/Getty Images
Jiyeh (Lebanon) (AFP) - Ali Kassem had never seen the sea before he fled his home in Syria for Lebanon, but now he's a regular in the waves and dreams of his own surf school.

Dressed in a purple wet suit, the 17-year-old confidently coats his board with wax and smears sunscreen on his face before dashing into the sea.

He disappears behind one wave and another until his small figure is barely visible from the beach at all, as though he were headed for the horizon.

"When I'm on my board, I feel free. I feel like I'm in another life," the teenager says shyly at a beach in Jiyeh, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Beirut.

Kassem is from Aleppo city, though he says he remembers little from his childhood in Syria.

His father has worked in Jiyeh for the past 25 years, and after Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, he decided to bring his family to Lebanon as well.

Kassem has two brothers and three sisters, but speaks little about his family and his life before he became a refugee.

A third brother died in the conflict, "killed in Aleppo at the beginning of the war", he says, without giving more details.

His life now is dominated by surfing.

"Surfing is like an art. It allows me to express my personality," he says, his eyes sparkling in his tanned face.

"I become someone else. I have more confidence in myself."

- A makeshift board -

Kassem's entry into surfing came through Ali el-Amine, who became his mentor after meeting him in 2015.

At the sandy Jiyeh beach, a popular spot for surfers, Amine spotted Kassem trying his luck in the waves with a makeshift board.

"He was trying to surf with a piece of polystyrene he had cut into a plank shape," says the 34-year-old, who runs a surf school in Jiyeh.

"He was very thin and wearing nothing but shorts. I was afraid he would drown," he says.

But after watching for a few minutes, Amine's fears began to recede.

"He knew exactly what he was doing," he says.

Story continues

Kassem had spent long hours observing surfers in the water at Jiyeh before deciding to try himself.

"I didn't know this sport existed. The first time I saw the surfers, I wanted to try it," he says with a smile.

Amine decided to take Kassem under his wing, offering him a spot at his surf school and giving him a wet suit and board "on the condition he was good in class and behaved with his parents".

And two years later, the guidance has borne fruit, says Amine, who considers Kassem like "a son".

"He's better than some people who have been surfing for years," he says.

- 'Surf Syria' -

Kassem has stuck with the sport, convinced it can help him "build a better life".

During the summer, he works at Amine's school, repairing boards, welcoming customers and helping during lessons.

The job provides income that helps his family, along with his father's wages and support from the UN refugee agency.

"My family really support me in surfing. They have no problem with it," he says.

"Right now I'm teaching my younger brother how to surf, and I'm going to teach my younger sister as well."

But, while Kassem says he has become used to life in Lebanon, he still dreams of returning home.

His ultimate goal is "to become the first professional surfer in Syria and open a surf school in Latakia when the war is over".

Latakia is a popular seaside destination, and a government stronghold that has been largely spared the worst ravages of Syria's conflict, which has killed over 320,000 people.

The International Surfing Association does not so far count a Syrian surf school among its members, and to help Kassem achieve his goal, Amine has set up a campaign on the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform.

The school project might still be far off, but Kassem already has a name for it: "It will be called Surf Syria," he says.
With two episodes still to go in Silicon Valleys fourth season, fans are already mourning the imminent departure of Erlich Bachman, stoner entrepreneur par excellence. But T.J. Miller doesnt seem particularly broken up about leaving the Valley behind. Asked by Yahoo TV during a Facebook Live interview on Monday whether hed miss playing the character, the comedian  whose new stand-up comedy special, Meticulously Ridiculous, premieres June 17 at 10 p.m. on HBO  replied with a simple, No, before going on to explain that time, rather than creative dissatisfaction, is his motivating reason for moving on.

My schedule is so hectic, he said. Ive been telling Kate [Gorney, Millers wife] and a battery of psychological professionals that Im going to slow down for five years. They had to move production around for me sometimes. HBO was so accommodating, but I, as the character, was sort of going on auto pilot.

Far from weakening the shows ensemble, Miller feels that his departure will only make Silicon Valley a better series when it returns next year for Season 5, with the other characters flourishing now that Erlichs no longer around to distract them. Thats particularly true for Bachmans main foil, Jian-Yang (Jimmy O. Yang), who has emerged as a fan favorite. In fact, Miller reveals that the Hong Kong-born Yang was one of the first people he called when he made the choice to leave the series. He and I were developing so much chemistry, and hes such a funny, nice guy. We were talking about it, and were going to do a Chinese action comedy!

Silicon Valley airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO. T.J. Miller: Meticulously Ridiculous premieres Saturday, June 17 at 10 p.m. on HBO.

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For a country that prides itself on its political stability, Britain is doing a good impression of chaos. Plunged into turmoil a year ago by the referendum decision to leave the European Union, the country seemed set for the hardest of breaks with the EU under the leadership of its seemingly impregnable prime minister, Theresa May, who replaced David Cameron last July. But in elections on June 8, which May had called to seek a mandate for herself and her vision of Brexit, voters deprived her Conservative Party of its parliamentary majority. Suddenly, the Brexit process is up in the air again. The outcome could be a car-crash exit without a deal  or a much softer break than May envisaged.

Chaotic situations are, by definition, unpredictable. For now, May hobbles on as prime minister. She is seeking to cobble together a slim parliamentary majority with the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a hard-line, social conservative, evangelical Protestant party in Northern Ireland. She insists that she is ready to start the Brexit negotiations as planned on June 19.

But with May living on borrowed time and no majority to pass the legislation required to implement the various steps in the Brexit process, it is hard to see how meaningful negotiations can proceed. If and when May is toppled  Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson unconvincingly denies that he is plotting to oust her  the Conservative Party will need to spend months choosing a new leader. There is also the risk of fresh elections, either because the government loses a no-confidence vote or because a new Conservative leader and prime minister will want to seek their own mandate and majority.

Meanwhile, the Brexit clock is ticking. With May having triggered the formal EU exit process on March 29, Britain is set to leave the EU two years from then, with or without a deal. While the U.K. government could seek a two-year extension, all 27 remaining EU governments (the EU-27) would need to unanimously agree to the request. That is highly unlikely, since it would reduce their negotiating leverage and they are also keen to get the Brexit process over and done with. So there is a significant risk that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal, simply because the government lacks the time or the means to agree to one.

But there is also the possibility of a much rosier outcome. With the Conservatives deprived of both a majority and a mandate for Mays hard Brexit, extreme Brexiteers who seek a rupture with the EU at any cost can no longer impose their will on the party and thus the country (although they can still cause trouble by rebelling). Instead, the election has emboldened moderate Tories who sought to remain in the EU and now seek a softer exit. Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who bucked the anti-Tory swing by winning 12 more seats in Scotland, thereby keeping the Conservatives in office for now, has been quick to flex her muscles. She is demanding an open Brexit that puts our countrys economic growth first. And in her limited post-election reshuffle, May has appointed as her deputy Damian Green, one of the most Europhile Conservatives.

Most non-Conservative members of Parliament  including those of the DUP  also want a softer break with the EU that minimizes the damage to the economy and jobs. Some are now even suggesting seeking a broader, cross-party consensus on how best to proceed with Brexit. That seems very hard to achieve. Labours hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who did better than expected in the elections, thinks he is now on the brink of power (wrongly, in my view) and is thus likely to let the Conservatives deal with the mess that they have created. Even so, the government will now have to take on board the views of some opposition MPs if it is to pass any Brexit legislation, since any rebellion would otherwise deprive it of a majority.

If a weak and divided Britain decides that it wants a softer Brexit, it isnt guaranteed to get one, however; the EU-27, which are in a stronger position than ever, would also have to agree. In response to Prime Minister Mays letter in March setting out Britains negotiating position, they have agreed on their own. Their initial priorities are entrenching the rights of EU citizens in Britain after Brexit, obtaining a big financial payment for spending commitments that Britain made while it was an EU member, and avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that could destabilize the peace process.

To restore some goodwill, the U.K. government ought to move quickly to unilaterally guarantee EU citizens post-Brexit rights. The divorce bill would also loom less large if Britain committed to continue paying into the EU budget during a post-Brexit transition period during which it remained in the EU single market. As for the Irish border issue  a common priority, especially with a DUP-backed government  a transition period in which the U.K. remained in the customs union would address it temporarily. Only once the EU-27 deem that sufficient progress has been made on these topics are they willing to start negotiating a post-Brexit trade relationship.

Economically, both the EU-27 and Britain share an interest in the softest of Brexits: one that involves Britain remaining in both the EU single market and its customs union. Trade would scarcely be disrupted. London could remain Europes financial center. Cross-border supply chains could continue unimpeded. So too would the two-way free movement of people  a bugbear for many of those who voted to leave the EU and for May herself, who wants to control immigration from the EU.

Politically, however, the EU-27s overriding interest is in ensuring that leaving the club is seen to make Britain worse off, so as to deter other restless members from leaving. Meanwhile, every financial center in the EU is also keen to grab some of Londons lucrative business. Even if Britain were to seek a softer Brexit, it might not be able to get it.

But it would unwise for the EU-27 to spurn an olive branch from a suitably chastened British government. Having to back down from its nationalist bravado about walking away without a deal would be humiliation enough. At a time when President Donald Trump is threatening a trade war with Germany (and thus the EU) and has cast doubt on his commitment to defend NATO allies, it would be foolish to alienate Britain, a valuable security ally and economic partner, if it sued for peace on EU terms  as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders ought to recognize.

A soft Brexit deal could initially consist of a transition period for several years after Britain exits the EU in 2019 during which the U.K. would remain in both the single market and the customs union. During that period, a future trading relationship would be negotiated. By then, passions may have cooled and pragmatism been restored.

Politicians ought to prepare the ground by starting to try to persuade British voters that EU migrants are not the source of all their problems  or at least convincing them that the economic price of imposing immigration controls is too great. If the U.K. were willing to retain free movement, perhaps with an emergency brake like Norway has, it could remain in the single market.

Failing that, Britain could still seek to remain in the customs union. That way, trade in goods could continue unimpeded by tariffs, customs checks, and other red tape (including on the Irish border); foreign car factories wouldnt relocate. While this would prevent the U.K. striking trade deals with non-EU countries on goods, it could still seek to negotiate agreements on services trade, in which the U.K. specializes.

At the very least, in a constructive spirit and with goodwill, the U.K. and the EU-27 should aim to negotiate a deep and wide-ranging free trade agreement that allows people to move as freely as politically possible.

We live in times of political upheaval. Nothing is settled. That poses huge dangers, but it also offers opportunities to reverse bad decisions and make positive changes. There is still all to play for.

Photo credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trumps fondness for criticizing news organizations, heckling journalists and spouting points of public policy via his Twitter account is clear.

News of his nomination of Christopher Wray to be the next FBI director, for example, came by tweet. His tweets carry the stamp of government authority: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer recently declared the president is the president of the United States, so they are considered official statements by the president of the United States.

But just as seemingly everything Trump does and says sparks controversy, so too is the presidents prolific and unpredictable use of Twitter, as one reporter called it, raising a novel question of constitutional law: Is there a First Amendment right to access Trumps Twitter account?

Enter the First Amendment

The issue arises because when Trump objects to what people say about him on Twitter, he sometimes blocks their access to his account. What is blocking? As Twitter describes it:

When you block an account on Twitter, you restrict that accounts ability to interact with your account. It can be an effective way to handle unwanted interactions from accounts you do not want to engage with. Accounts you have blocked will not be able to view your Tweets, following or followers lists, likes, or lists when logged in on Twitter, and you will not receive notifications of mentions directly from those accounts. Youll also stop seeing their Tweets in your timeline.

Now Columbia Universitys Knight First Amendment Institute, which is dedicated to protecting free speech and free press, is threatening to sue Trump unless he unblocks the Twitter accounts of individuals denied access to his account after they criticized or disagreed with him.

In a letter to Trump dated June 6, officials from Knight argue that

Blocking users from your Twitter account violates the First Amendment. When the government makes a space available to the public at large for the purpose of expressive activity, it creates a public forum from which it may not constitutionally exclude individuals on the basis of viewpoint.

Story continues

Unpacking the argument

Does this argument hold water? As director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project at the University of Florida, I study just this kind of question. Heres how the case against Trumps blocking unfolds.

Initially, the First Amendment protects free speech and the press from government censorship, as well as the right of citizens to petition the government for a redress of grievances. When people complain to Trump on his Twitter account about his policies, they not only are engaging in free speech, but also are petitioning the government.

The First Amendment, however, doesnt address or prevent censorship imposed by private individuals and private businesses. Twitter is a private entity, but because Trump is a government official, the First Amendment applies. In essence, according to this argument, when Trump blocks people from interacting with him on Twitter, he plays the role of government censor preventing people from speaking and petitioning the government.

In addition, the First Amendment prohibits viewpoint-based censorship of speech. This means that the government cannot favor or suppress sides on any given issue or topic. It cannot allow one viewpoint to be expressed but not another. For example, a law permitting only pro-life speech on the topic of abortion and banning pro-choice expression is viewpoint-based and thus unconstitutional.

When Trump blocks access to his Twitter account for those who disagree with him but permits access for those who agree with him, he is engaging in viewpoint-based censorship.

Third, the rule against viewpoint-based censorship applies when the government (in this case, Trump) creates what is called a public forum for speech. There are two main kinds of public forum. The first  called a traditional public forum  is easy to understand. These venues include physical spaces such as public sidewalks and public parks where speech, such as rallies, protests and concerts, have occurred for many decades. Twitter clearly is not such a traditional public forum.

The Knight Institute, however, argues in its letter to the president that Trumps Twitter account constitutes a designated public forum, a space created by the government specifically for speech. Imagine, for instance, a bulletin board inside city hall or a courthouse where people can post flyers about upcoming events. Essentially, Trumps Twitter account is akin to a virtual bulletin board. People who are blocked cannot respond directly to him. They cannot, by analogy, use the bulletin board.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Knight First Amendment Institute, asserts that while the framers of the First Amendment in 1791

surely didnt contemplate presidential Twitter accounts, they understood that the President must not be allowed to banish views from public discourse simply because he finds them objectionable. Having opened this forum to all comers, the President cant exclude people from it merely because he dislikes what theyre saying.

Public forums in the modern age

But is his Twitter account a designated public forum? This is the tricky part of Knights case against Trump, were it to file a lawsuit. Twitter has more than 300 million active users each month. It is a vibrant, virtual space where people  Trump included  engage in often robust discussion about political issues. Trumps first address to Congress, for example, spawned more than three million tweets. By these measures, its a modern-day public forum, yet its not run by the government.

Trumps own account, however, is run by the government  namely, himself. Thats the argument that the designated public forum label applies and, in turn, that Trumps blockage of users based on their viewpoints is unconstitutional.

Any claim that @realDonaldTrump is his personal account (not his official one, @POTUS) and does not represent the government has been conceded by the White House already: Remember Spicers statement that Trumps tweets are official statements by the president of the United States.

If Trump does not comply with Knights request to unblock users, Knight may sue. That would give both Knight and Trump the opportunity to break new First Amendment ground on public forums in the digital era. And if Knight prevails and expands free speech rights to clarify that government officials on Twitter cant block interactions with other users, it would be a most ironic outcome for a president who often takes aim at the First Amendment.

Clay Calvert, Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication, University of Florida

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  President Trumps proposed cuts to the State Department and U.S. development aid would endanger American troops and make the country less safe from terrorism, a group of senior retired military officers are warning Congress, urging lawmakers to reject the sharp spending reductions.

Cutting the international affairs budget unilaterally will have the effect of disarming our countrys capability to stop new conflicts from forming, and will place our interests, values and the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk, the former commanders said in the testimony, which was obtained by Yahoo News.

The signers included retired Adm. William McRaven, who headed U.S. special operations; retired Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming CIA director; retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff; retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan; five former NATO supreme commanders; and past heads of the combatant commands in Africa and Europe.

The severe cuts to the State Department and USAID that the administration has proposed will make America less safe, and Congress should reject them, the group said. The testimony was to be provided on Tuesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee and other panels with jurisdiction over foreign affairs funding.

The retired officers noted that terrorist groups like ISIS, al Qaida, al-Shabab and Boko Haram have taken root in areas prone to poverty, corruption and poor governance  the kinds of things U.S. aid can often address.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The former officers in part echoed Trumps stated priorities by endorsing expanded military spending, but they cautioned that in the 21st century, weapons and warfighters alone are insufficient to keep America secure.

They argued that kinetic activities alone cannot prevent radicalization, nor can they, by themselves, prevent despair from turning to anger and increasing outbursts of violence and instability. This has been our national experience of the last 15 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the Middle East and now in Africa.

Story continues

The testimony came as Congress engaged in an annual debate over government spending for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, have balked at Trumps call for deep cuts to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Trumps budget, delivered in March, would slash the State Department and USAID spending by about 31 percent, according to some estimates.

The retired officers view is known to be represented inside the administration by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March 2013, the retired Marine general warned that if you dont fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition, ultimately.

Correction: This story initially said Petraeus commanded forces in Iran and and Afghanistan instead of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Trump attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Monday. (Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

One of President Trumps closest friends is standing by his claim that Trump is considering firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel overseeing a federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

After spending several hours at the White House on Monday, I think hes considering perhaps terminating the special counsel, Chris Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax and a longtime friend of the president, told PBS Judy Woodruff. I think hes weighing that option.

He pointed out that Jay Sekulow, one of Trumps lawyers, wouldnt rule out the possibility of Muellers firing in an appearance Sunday on ABCs This Week.

Ruddy added: I personally think it would be a very significant mistake.

Chris Ruddy to @JudyWoodruff: President Trump is considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, who he considered for another position. pic.twitter.com/X4IIHlh8at  PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) June 12, 2017

The White House quickly pushed back against Ruddys comments, suggesting that it was idle speculation on his part.

Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue, press secretary Sean Spicer wrote in an email to reporters. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment.

Ruddy fired back in an email to Politico.

Spicer issued a bizarre late night press release that a) doesnt deny my claim the President is considering firing Mueller and b) says I didnt speak to the President about the matter  when I never claimed to have done so, Ruddy wrote. Memo to Sean: focus your efforts on exposing the flim-flam Russian allegations against POTUS and highlighting his remarkable achievements! Dont waste time trying to undermine one of your few allies.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he spoke with Trump on Monday night and doesnt believe the president will fire Mueller.

Story continues

I think the president is actually pretty confident that ultimately all of this is going to come out in the wash and ultimately hes still going to be president, Gingrich said on CBS This Morning on Tuesday. And this stuffs all going to go away.

Earlier Monday, Gingrich, who initially applauded Muellers hiring as a superb choice, tweeted that it is time to rethink.

Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair, he wrote.

Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring.check fec reports. Time to rethink.  Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) June 12, 2017

The idea that Trump may move to dismiss Mueller has sparked a mini-firestorm in Washington, with some Republicans warning the president not to do so.

It would be a disaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday night. Theres no reason to fire Mueller. Whats he done to be fired?

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that if Trump booted Mueller, it would certainly be an extraordinarily unwise move.

Administration officials told Politico that they dont believe Trump will fire Mueller, and that the president has been warned against it by almost everyone.

If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller. Don't waste our time.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 12, 2017

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., believes Trump allies are floating the idea to damage the special counsels credibility.

Theyre clearly afraid of Mueller and his independence and the thoroughness of the investigation hes likely to lead, Schiff said on MSNBC on Monday night. You cant exclude the possibility, but I think its just a way of raising doubts about this very good man respected by people on both sides of the aisle.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the same earlier Monday.

They know they cant debate the facts or the issues or defend the actions of the White House on the merits, so what do they do? Schumer said from the Senate floor. They attack the referee and try to besmirch the reputation of someone like Mr. Mueller.

Read more from Yahoo News:
According to President Donald Trumps longtime friend and Newsmax Media CEO Chris Ruddy, POTUS may consider firing Robert Mueller, who has been appointed special counsel to FBIs Russian investigation, in the near future, and he may cite conflicts of interest as a probable reason. However, Ruddy also emphasized that he did not think the president would be wise in dismissing Mueller, especially since there has been a lot of negative buzz in the media regarding the lack of justification from Trump when he fired former FBI Director James Comey.

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option. I personally think it would be a very significant mistake," Ruddy said Monday, PBS Newshour reported.

Ruddy also stated that Trump would be within his right to fire Mueller since there are certain conflicts of interest that exist regarding the past relationship shared by the president and the special counsel. Mueller's law firm, WilmerHale, has represented Trump's former campaign manager and also some Trump family members. Trump had also interviewed Mueller for the role of FBI director before Mueller was appointed special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed Ruddys statement, saying he does not speak for the president. "Chris speaks for himself," Huckabee said.

Both Republicans and Democrats praised Mueller when he was appointed the special counsel in May, calling him someone who would handle the allegations against the Trump administration in an unbiased and fair manner. But the presidents allies have since changed their opinion, calling for Mueller to be removed as the special counsel, stating that he shares a close friendship with Comey for the last 15 years. Also, some of his newly appointed prosecutors have donated to both former President Barack Obamas and 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons election campaigns in the past.

Story continues

Read:Special Counsel Robert Mueller Could Object To James Comey's Public Testimony Before Intelligence Committee

Washington Examiner columnist Byron York, who is a Republican, wrote Sunday: Is that a conflict? Should a prosecutor pursue a case in which the star witness is a close friend? And when the friend is not only a witness but also arguably a victim  of firing  by the target of the investigation?

Trump ally Dick Morris told Politico on Monday: I think the idea of having an enemy when youre the object of a special prosecutor is a very important one.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich tweeted Monday that he refused to believe Mueller could ever handle the Russian investigation fairly.

Member of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, made it clear the House would not stand down if the president fired Mueller.

"If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller. Don't waste our time," Schiff tweeted Monday.

Read: Who Is Robert Mueller? Former FBI Director Is Special Counsel For Russia Probe

Comeys Thursday testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee is believed to have sparked outrage among the conservatives who have since proceeded to build up a case against Mueller.

The former FBI director said he had deliberately leaked the contents of his memos to a friend, following his dismissal, because he knew that when people came to know the president might have tried to influence the Russian investigation, a special counsel was bound to be appointed to review it.

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Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Monday promised to reveal details of his long-awaited plan for fighting the Islamic State group, saying a press conference will come within weeks.

"We have had tremendous success against ISIS," Trump said at a cabinet meeting at the White House.

"We are going to be having a news conference in two weeks on that fight and you'll see numbers that you would not have believed."

Tackling the group -- which still controls swaths of Syria and Iraq -- was among Trump's most often repeated campaign promises.

Then candidate Trump went as far as to promise to "bomb the hell" out of them and have a military plan on his desk within 30 days of moving into the White House.

Six months after taking office, Trump has yet to sketch out his strategy.

Meanwhile efforts to retake Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria -- the capital of the self-styled caliphate -- have continued apace.

The Pentagon has already taken the decision to arm Kurdish fighters in the assault on Raqa, a move that upset US ally Turkey.

Officials warn that the fight against the Islamic State, while simple on its face, is made more complex by competing interests in Syria.

The United States would like to improve the humanitarian situation, keep Turkey onside, ease the possibilities of clashes with Russia, hasten the transition away from President Bashar al-Assad's rule, limit Iranian influence and keep Syria and Iraq's borders intact.
Chicago (AFP) - Iraqi Christians in the US are expressing alarm over the arrests of Chaldean immigrants in the Detroit area for deportation back to the war-torn nation, where they could face persecution.

A number of Chaldeans, part of an ancient Christian minority in Iraq, were detained Sunday in an enforcement sweep, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.

The immigrants targeted had criminal records and were living among a community of tens of thousands of Iraqi Chaldeans in the Detroit area. Many fear returning to Iraq could be dangerous, if not deadly.

Video posted on Twitter showed what appeared to be a row of detained men in handcuffs marching onto a bus, while voices can be heard off camera yelling in protest.

"Why are you doing this? That's someone's grandfather!" someone can be heard yelling.

"Don't sign anything!" another voice exclaims, as others are crying. "You came as a refugee... you have a right to stay!"

Some 30 to 40 people were arrested, according to US media reports. All had been given final deportation orders following criminal convictions, but had remained in the US for years, because Iraq did not accept US deportations.

In a March deal between the US and Iraqi governments, the Trump administration agreed to remove the Middle Eastern country's nationals from its proposed travel ban, in exchange for Iraq agreeing to take in deported immigrants.

The first chartered flight of deportees back to Iraq took place on April 19, raising alarms among US Chaldeans, who fear returning to a region where even the US government characterized as genocide the Islamic State's treatment of Christians last year.

Many in the Detroit-area Chaldean community had voted for Trump, in hopes that he would crack down on the Islamic State, which has massacred religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

In a statement, ICE confirmed Sunday's immigration sweep, but would not say how many were arrested.

Story continues

"The agency recently arrested a number of Iraqi nationals, all of whom had criminal convictions," ICE said, adding that a majority were taken to a detention center in Ohio.

An agency spokesman would not disclose to AFP when and if the detainees would be flown back to Iraq "for operational security reasons."

The agency said it would release more information in the coming days.
Washington (AFP) - The United States on Monday slapped financial sanctions on two suspected Islamic State militants accused of manufacturing chemical weapons, the Treasury Department announced.

It was the first time the Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on an IS member accused of involvement in chemical weapons, the department said.

The sanctioned men included senior IS leader Attallah Salman Abd Kafi al-Jaburi, who is in charge of bomb-making facilities in the Iraqi province of Kirkuk, Treasury said in a statement.

The State Department also listed Iraqi IS leader Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi, who also is connected to the manufacture of chemical weapons, as a "specially designated global terrorist."

The move effectively freezes both men out of much of the global financial system, prohibiting banks and individuals from participating in any transactions with them, and freezing any of their assets subject to US jurisdiction.

The department condemned the use of chemical weapons "and will leverage all available tools to target those complicit in their development, proliferation, or use," John Smith, head of Treasury's sanctions office, said.

In November, IHS Conflict Monitor, a London based intelligence analysis service, accused the Islamic State group of having used chemical weapons at least 52 times since the militant organization swept to power in 2014.

As of mid-2016 al-Jaburi was in charge of manufacturing rockets, car bombs and roadside bombs, the Treasury said. He was ordered in January of last year to produce chemical weapons for use in attacks on Iraqi Kurdish fighters.

Separately, the State Department also designated the Indonesian militant organization Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, accused of involvement in attacks in that country including the May 2012 attack on a book launch by the Canadian author Irshad Manji.
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's Supreme Court on Monday rejected a legal challenge by the attorney general against the government's constitutional reform bid in a deadly political crisis.

President Nicolas Maduro is accused of controlling the court, which has fended off numerous legal and legislative moves against him over the past year and a half.

Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a staunch ruling party figure, is the highest public official to defy Maduro in the current standoff.

Last week she filed a challenge against his effort to rewrite the constitution, branding it undemocratic.

On Monday the court said on Twitter that it was dismissing the appeal since it was presented in an "incompetent" way, grouping together separate complaints against various different state bodies.

Opposition lawmakers also filed other court cases on Friday against Maduro's constitutional plan.

Clashes at daily protests by demonstrators calling for Maduro to quit have left 66 people dead since April 1, prosecutors say.

Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food and medicine in the oil-rich country.

Maduro says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy.

He has launched moves to reform the constitution in response to the protests, but his opponents say that is a ploy to cling to power.

The president retains the public backing of the military. However, its commander Vladimir Padrino Lopez sounded a moderate note last week when he warned security forces against attacking protesters.

Analysts said last week that Ortega's suit could build bridges between the opposition and disgruntled officials and widen divisions in Maduro's camp, making it harder for him to stay in power.
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's attorney general on Monday said intelligence officials had threatened and harassed her family after she openly challenged President Nicolas Maduro over the country's political crisis.

A staunch figure of the ruling party, Attorney General Luisa Ortega has been branded a traitor for becoming the highest public official to break ranks with Maduro.

She has accused him and his allies of acting unconstitutionally in their standoff against the opposition in recent months of deadly anti-government protests.

Last week, she filed a challenge against his effort to rewrite the constitution, branding it undemocratic.

The court dismissed the appeal on Monday.

Ortega said members of her family had received threatening telephone calls and had been harassed and pursued.

"I hold the executive responsible for any injury or attack that my family might suffer," she said in an interview with Union Radio.

"This is a matter that must be resolved with me, not with my family," she said.

"They are being pursued by patrols that appear to be from SEBIN," she added about the state intelligence service.

"They are sending them messages directly from SEBIN, which answers to the government."

Although Ortega, 59, said she herself had not received threats, some government officials have said on television that she should be imprisoned.

- Constitutional struggle -

Maduro is accused of controlling the Supreme Court, which has fended off numerous legal and legislative moves against him over the past year and a half.

Clashes at daily protests by demonstrators calling for Maduro to quit have left 67 people dead since April 1, prosecutors say.

The latest casualty was a 49-year-old man who died Monday night in the Caribbean city of La Guaira, prosecutors said, without clarifying the circumstances. The opposition deputy Jose Manuel Olivares said he died after being suffocated by tear gas.

Violent riots also occurred in the afternoon in Caracas, where hooded protesters partially set off an administrative building of the TSJ.

Story continues

Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food and medicine in the oil-rich country.

Maduro says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy.

He has launched moves to set up an elected assembly to reform the constitution in response to the protests, but his opponents say that is a ploy to cling to power.

A survey by pollster Datanalisis indicated that 85 percent of Venezuelans opposed that plan.

The president retains the public backing of the military.

- Legal battles -

Analysts said last week that Ortega's suit could build bridges between the opposition and disgruntled officials and widen divisions in Maduro's camp, making it harder for him to stay in power.

But the court on Monday rejected her appeal as "incompetent."

That ruling "removes any doubt about the absence of judicial remedies" for the political crisis, said constitutional law expert Jose Ignacio Hernandez.

"It is a clear attempt to discredit the attorney general."

Ortega responded to the ruling by upping the ante -- and the political tension.

She presented a further legal challenge aiming to fire 13 of the court's judges, who she argued were named without her approval.

Her motion challenges a controversial decision in 2015 to name the judges, whom the opposition says are biased in favor of Maduro.

A dozen countries expressed "deep concern" about Ortega's "harassment," prosecutors said, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Portugal and Paraguay.

- Scuffles outside court -

The president is resisting calls for elections to replace him, vowing to continue the "socialist revolution" of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Opponents of Maduro had gone to the court earlier to try to add their names to the list of plaintiffs in Ortega's lawsuit, but were kept away by military police.

Anti- and pro-government activists exchanged blows outside the court in the latest in more than two months of street unrest.

Parliament is set to discuss procedures for appointing new judges to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, while opposition leaders are calling for a return to the streets on Wednesday.

"They do not want the people to demonstrate against the constitutional assembly. Look at how many people reject it," said one young demonstrator, Maria Rodriguez.

"Get away, the streets belong to the people, not to the bourgeoisie," yelled a rival supporter dressed in the traditional red of Chavez supporters and holding a copy of the constitution in his hand.

"What there is here is revolution."
(Photo: Patrick T Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

At a time when more and more companies are going out of their way to promote work-life balance, Walmart is punishing workers for having a life outside of work.

Hourly Walmart workers who miss their scheduled shifts because theyre sick or having a family emergency risk getting fired under the companys punitive policy on sick leave. The policy is particularly harsh toward women, who most often care for children and family members outside of work.

Each time a worker misses a scheduled shift  the schedule is worked out three weeks in advance  they earn a point. Accrue enough points and youre fired, or as company spokesman Blake Jackson puts it: Youre eligible for termination.

Jackson says that managers have discretion when deciding to hand out points, and if someone has a good excuse for missing a shift, theyre not penalized.

But Walmart workers tell a vastly different story in a report released earlier this month from A Better Balance, a nonprofit legal advocacy group. The group surveyed about 1,000 of the companys employees. Eighty-five percent said Walmart regularly punishes people for taking time off because of a disability or serious illness.

The report claims that Walmart often acts unlawfully, penalizing workers who should be protected under various federal laws. Workers said their managers would often ignore notes from doctors  not even reading them before issuing points.

Katie Orzehowski told HuffPost she missed a few shifts from her job at a Walmart in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, after she had a miscarriage last year  and was docked six or seven points.

When she was back at work and discovered she was still bleeding, her boss said leaving work early would cost her a half point. Later that year, Orzehowski  who makes $10.20 an hour  came to work when she had the flu. Im thinking, Oh jeez, I cant afford to miss work, she said.

Walmart disputes Orzehowskis story, which she also shared with The New York Times.

Story continues

We do not have any information that would support that Ms. Orzehowski advised us of a medical reason for her absences. If that were the case, she could have used those medical records to apply for a leave or accommodation, Walmart said in a statement.

According to the Better Balance report, Walmart has a policy of not retaining, or even looking at, doctors notes from employees. Orzehowski said she brought in a note. Theyll turn down every excuse you have, she said.

The stories in our report speak for themselves. And its clear that these are not isolated incidents, but a pattern of similar stories we heard time and again, Elizabeth Gedmark, a senior staff attorney at A Better Balance, told HuffPost.

We heard from hundreds of workers who have been punished for absences related to serious illnesses and disabilities. In particular, Walmarts routine failure to accept doctors notes is a major focus of the report  and exactly why they claim to not know about a workers medical condition.

Walmart said it hasnt examined the survey in detail and notes that it cannot speak to the accuracy of the anonymous anecdotes in it.

Its important to consider that Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., is not punishing workers for taking paid sick time. Most of these workers simply dont get paid when they miss work  though last year, the company did start allowing employees to earn paid time off (including vacation and sick time) if they work a certain number of hours.

The company says the point system is necessary to keep workers from calling at the last minute and leaving their colleagues short-handed.

Workers do need to miss work on occasion, and the company has processes in place to assist them, spokesman Jackson told HuffPost, emphasizing that Walmart complies with federal laws.

We have countless Walmart associates who successfully partnered with the company to authorize their absences from work, the company said in a statement. We believe we have the right training measures in place to help communicate our attendance, disability and pregnancy policies to our associates.

Yet even if the points system is administered with high discretion and within the bounds of the law, it still leaves workers in a terrible position.

Employees say the system effectively scares them from taking sick time and adds stress to already stressful situations. Women, who are often responsible for children at home, are in a particularly tight spot. You cant always plan in advance for when your child gets an ear infection or needs to be picked up early from school.

The stories in the Better Balance report are heartbreaking: One worker said her manager threatened that shed earn points if she took time off to be with her mother, who was getting hospice care.

She was on her deathbed when I requested time off to be with her, this worker says in the report. My request was denied. Walmart said I would be fired if I took the time off. My mother died alone in early April 2017. Not being with her when she passed was devastating.

Other employees describe receiving points for taking time off to handle chronic conditions like asthma or emergency medical conditions like a heart attack. A mother got points for taking her son to the hospital when he had pneumonia.

Giving a worker a disciplinary point for being absent due to a disability or for taking care of themselves or a loved one with a serious medical condition is not only unfair, write the reports authors. In many instances, it runs afoul of federal, state and local law.

A Better Balance, which has also filed a separate pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against Walmart on behalf of two employees, worked with the labor group OUR Walmart to conduct its survey via Facebook, targeting users who identified as Walmart employees.

Walmarts points policy likely wouldnt comply with state law in Massachusetts, which passed a paid sick leave law just a few years ago. Employers in the state cannot take action against workers for using paid sick leave, explains Amanda Baer, an associate at the law firm Mirick OConnell in Westborough, Massachusetts, who works on labor and employment issues. (Walmart said that it always complies with local laws.)

The points system is especially tricky, Baer said. You could have an employee whos one point away from being fired, but gets the flu, she said. You dont want your sick employees coming to work and getting everyone else sick.

The policy also puts customers at risk: Who wants to get sick because you bought laundry detergent from a cashier with the flu?

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg recently announced expanded leave policy at her company, setting a new example for other large public employers. (Photo: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters)

The United States is the only developed country that does not mandate that employers provide paid sick leave or maternity leave. But there are a few federal laws that give workers protections when they need time off.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks unpaid time off to employees at companies with 50 or more workers who have worked there for at least 1,250 hours. That time doesnt have to be taken all at once.

You can use FMLA time for a serious medical condition or to care for an immediate family member with a serious medical condition. Prenatal care and chemotherapy, for example, would both be covered under FMLA. If youre out for three days or more from work, that should be covered under FMLA, explains Emily Martin, general counsel and vice president for workplace justice at the National Womens Law Center.

The key protection the law offers? Job security. You cant be retaliated against, Martin said. An employer cant threaten disciplinary action. And its your boss responsibility to recognize if you might qualify for FMLA, she added.

Yet Walmart told just 23 percent of workers with absences that likely qualified them for FMLA leave that they were eligible for it, according to the Better Balance survey.

The Americans with Disabilities Act also offers job protections for employees with disabilities who need reasonable amounts of time off. Other states and localities have laws in place that protect pregnant women from discrimination.

Last year, Roni Gumbert was fired from the same Walmart in Pennsylvania where Orzehowski works for taking too much time off.

Like most working parents, the 33-year-old needed to leave work to deal with a family issue: Her 1-year-old was getting chronic ear infections, and needed to be picked up early from day care or even taken to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Gumbert was also dealing with her 74-year-old father, who is suffering from Parkinsons disease and early onset dementia. He landed in the emergency room more than once for falling down the stairs at his apartment building. Gumberts mother, who had been helping with child care, had died suddenly the year before.

Each time she called in or was late, Gumbert was penalized  receiving a point for missing a full shift and a half point for leaving early or arriving late.

I talked to the general manager and the store manager, Gumbert told HuffPost. Nobody was willing to be understanding.

Gumbert, who worked for the company less than a year, said she earned eight points before losing her job.

According to Walmart, Gumberts manager gave her 10 points for 20 occurrences, the term for missed or late shifts.

The company wouldnt provide further detail on why certain shifts were exempted, citing privacy concerns.

Other companies are moving toward more understanding leave policies.

Earlier this year, Facebook expanded its leave policy to help workers who need time off to care for sick relatives or for bereavement. The company now gives all employees six weeks of family leave to care for ailing family members, plus three additional days to care for a family member with a short-term illness, like a child with the flu, and 20 days of bereavement leave  twice as much as before.

People should be able both to work and be there for their families, the companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said in a Facebook post announcing the new policy. No one should face this trade-off.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Rape occurs in part because victims arent empowering themselves by packing guns. That was the recent message from a fiercely pro-gun rights member of Indianas House of Representatives.

But after a tsunami of criticism, Republican state Rep. Jim Lucas now say hes sorry he said it.

Lucas last week sent a letter to a reporter at the Indianapolis Star who had written about a rape. He urged the journalist to produce a follow-up story on the thousands of Hoosier women that are taking steps and learning how not to be a victim and empower themselves to mitigate their chances of being violently assaulted.

Lucas told the newspaper in an interview: Thats always been a concern and an issue of mine is women being able to defend themselves. I personally have paid out of my pocket for dozens of women to take firearms classes.

Critics accused him of blaming unarmed victims rather than attackers, and using rape to push his pro-gun rights agenda. Even after the controversy erupted, he noted on Facebook that he had met with members of the Women Armed and Ready group. Its so exciting to see that the movement to educate and empower women to be able to protect themselves and family is absolutely exploding! he said in a post.

He also posted a photo from the group One Million Moms Against Gun Control.

And he showed off his latest purchase on Facebook  a T-shirt reading: Fem-i-nism: Womans right to carry whatever color or caliber gun she wants to. Cause a cop wont fit in your purse.

Lucas apologized Saturday after he said he was publicly excoriated when he posted his letter to the reporter on his Facebook page. The letter was embossed with Indianas state seal.

I learned how common, everyday words can be so extremely sensitive to survivors of such horrible acts, he wrote. But he also said he was absolutely amazed at the level of hatred directed at him, and that his words, in his view, had been twisted.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Lucas has been in trouble before over womens issues. Last year he posted a meme on his Facebook page with a caption asking: Wanna know who loves you more: your wife or your dog? Lock them both in your [car] trunk and see whos happy to see you when you let them out.

Story continues

Related Coverage

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CORRECTION: This article previously misidentified the Indianapolis Star as the Star Tribune.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
If youre both extremely wealthy and also have a love of the deep blue sea, theres plenty of options already available for you to splurge on. You can drop some pretty serious coin on any number of luxurious yachts  from big names like Bugatti, among others  and watch millions of dollars vanish before your eyes. But if youre simply bored of the idea of being ostentatious above the waves, perhaps youd like to take your extravagant lifestyle below the surface in a 12-person luxury submarine of your very own.

Don't Miss: Behold the Google Pixel 2 of your dreams

Ocean Submarine  which might be the least creative company name of all time  is currently developing the Neyk Luxury Submarine, a personal submersible for very, very rich people. At 63 feet in length, the craft is capable of achieving depths of 500 meters, and a speed of 15 knots, all while fully loaded with a dozen passengers. The interior features luxury seating, a bar (of course) and, for some reason, a library.

The companys Neyk submarine platform is being customized to suit a number of different applications, including deep-sea research, tourism, and even naval combat scenarios. As such, the luxury model boasts much of the same build specifications as its kin, meeting the hull strength requirements set forth by both the Royal Netherlands Navy and NASA.

Ocean Submarine is slated to have a full-sized prototype of the luxury submarine ready for January 2018, with manufacturing to begin after that. The company hasnt revealed the actual final price of the craft yet, but with companies like Rolls Royce helping with design, you can bet it wont be cheap.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Both Israel and the Palestinians have failed to bring perpetrators of alleged war crimesincluding killingsto justice, the United Nations said in a report published on Monday.

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Compiled by the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, it evaluated compliance with 64 reports and 929 recommendations from the Council, the UN Secretary General and UN rights investigators from 2009-2016.

"The High Commissioner notes the repeated failure to comply with the calls for accountability made by the entire human rights system and urges Israel to conduct prompt, impartial and independent investigations of all alleged violations of international human rights law and all allegations of international crimes," the report said.

Zeid's report also noted "the State of Palestine's non-compliance with the calls for accountability and urges the State of Palestine to conduct prompt, impartial and independent investigations of all alleged violations of international human rights law and all allegations of international crimes."

The report looked set to ignite further debate at the UN Human Rights Council, where the United States said last week it was reviewing its membership due to what it calls a "chronic anti-Israel bias."

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley gave formal notice last week that the Trump administration was reviewing its participation and called for reforms to put Israel "on equal footing."

The report said there had been a "general absence of higher-level responsibility" in Israel for violations in Gaza. "Only a handful of convictions, if any, (have been) issued for minor violations, such as theft and looting, it said.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (Photo: AP, MCT)

Israeli and Palestinians authorities must ensure that victims of violations in their long conflict have access to justice and reparations, it said.

There was no immediate response from either side to the report, to be debated at the 47-member Council on June 19.

In March 2016, the Geneva forum launched the review aimed at "ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Palestinian Territory."

At the time, it condemned grave breaches including possible war crimes committed in the 2014 Gaza conflict and "long-standing systemic impunity." It deplored Israel's "non-cooperation" with the United Nations' probes into Gaza and Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Israel, which is not a member of the Council, said it is unfairly targeted because, unlike other states, it is subjected to regular reviews of its compliance with UN reports and recommendations.
This is an obituary for 3rd Sign Brewery, a brewery that died an ugly, unnatural and early death.

Unfortunately, because of its short life  3rd Sign was born along with its parent just a year and a half ago  this obit will be less about its accomplishments on this earth than about how it met its demise.

First, what 3rd Sign was.

It was the house brand of Octopi Brewing, the Waunakee brewery opened by Isaac Showaki in October 2015. Octopis new $5 million brewery focusing on contract brewing, making beer for other brewing companies without facilities or in need of a boost in production, was a unique addition to the Madison-area beer scene. That fall, Showaki described 3rd Sign to me as a showcase for what businesses that partnered with Octopi could achieve: high-concept beer with few limitations on ingredients, in a cool package.

The novel twist to 3rd Sign was that each beer it produced would have a pair that took the beer in a different direction. IPA, one focusing on piney, resinous hops, one on fruity, tropical hops. Porters, one with chocolate cherry porter, one with coconut and hot peppers. My favorite of these dually brewed pairs was the mild ale twins with vanilla and coffee, though I chose them at the bottle shop only occasionally.

Showaki said 3rd Sign was performing well for Octopi, moving 1,400 barrels in 2016 and on track for 2,500 barrels this year, a strong start for a relative startup.

But it was Showaki himself who pulled the plug on 3rd Sign  his hand forced, he says, by a dispute with his distributor.

Octopi signed an agreement in 2016 with River City Distributing of Watertown for it to market, sell and deliver 3rd Sign beer in a territory including Dane County and all or parts of 15 other counties. Showaki said River City was doing an OK to mediocre job on behalf of 3rd Sign. As many breweries do in key markets, Octopi had its own sales reps working to further the 3rd Sign brand as well.

But early this year, news broke that River City was being acquired by Sun Prairie-based Wisconsin Distributors.

This is the part where this obituary becomes a civil litigation story. Bear with me, and know at this point that reps from both River City and Wisconsin Distributors declined multiple requests for comment on this story.

State law does not allow a distributor to transfer a contract with a brewery without the brewerys consent. Instead, Showaki said, Wisconsin Distributors pitched each of River Citys craft breweries, including New Glarus, Oso, Potosi, MobCraft, Tyranena and 3rd Sign, on joining its fold in all or part of River Citys former territory.

Showaki said he was underwhelmed by the presentation, and his concern about 3rd Sign getting lost in Wisconsin Distributors larger portfolio led him to decide self-distribution would be the better bet.

According to court documents, River City balked, saying Octopi must pay it three times the annual gross profit from the 3rd Sign distribution deal to get out of it, or go to arbitration. Showaki countered that the contract had no language prescribing arbitration and sued River City in Dane County Circuit Court to be released from the contract.

Around late March or early April, Showaki decided to forgo the once promising future of 3rd Sign and kill his house brand. The four-packs and bombers began drying up later that spring.

Showaki says that River City, a distributor that is no longer distributing, is holding his brand hostage for $93,000  a net figure of the market value of the 3rd Sign distribution rights, minus the value of unsold beer and other materials at the time of the dispute.

But to River City, I suppose, 3rd Signs business was an asset that Wisconsin Distributors reasonably assumed it would acquire along with River Citys other assets. If Octopi could elect to self-distribute 3rd Sign, that assets value would be zero instead of the market value another distributor would be required to pay River City if Octopi chose a new distribution partner.

This case will be decided in the nitty gritty of the states laws governing the manufacture, distribution and retailing of alcoholic beverage industry  the three-tier system that some of those tiers continue to lobby lawmakers to change.

The suit is continuing to be litigated by a distributor thats no longer distributing and the owner of a brand that no longer exists because, Showaki said, River City is maintaining that its contract pertains to all future house brands 3rd Sign might choose to create in perpetuity.

He estimates hes spent more than $20,000 in legal fees on the case, but describes the $93,000 he says River City is seeking as an expense very few small breweries could come up with unexpectedly and in short order.

Still, killing 3rd Sign is a drastic step. As I see it, Showaki had two alternatives: going along with Wisconsin Distributors, which would have rendered the market value payment moot, or paying it himself. If the brand was as healthy as Showaki says it was, either option seems to me more logical than walking away. But there are principles, legal and otherwise, involved here, and Showakis beliefs in those may have changed his calculus in ways I dont understand from the outside.

Another clear factor in the decision was that Octopi was never really about 3rd Sign anyway.

Showaki said 3rd Sign accounted for about 8 percent of Octopis business last year, which totaled about 12,000 barrels of production.

It really hurts us that we had to kill 3rd Sign, but at the end of the day were a contract brewery first and foremost, he said. Our brand was just the icing on the cake.

Octopi has 12 current contract clients, and Showaki said he expects to have two to three more by the end of this year. They include Madisons One Barrel Brewing, which has seen rapid growth across the state; Ahnapee Brewing of Algoma, which is using Octopi to augment production at its small farmstead brewery in northeastern Wisconsin; and Hop Haus Brewing, whose launch in bottles has gone so well in its first three months, Showaki said, that the Verona brewery has filled the requirements of its full-year contract.

Showaki said thats allowed investments in the brewery that by the end of the year will include a canning line, additional fermenters and some 10 new employees. The new equipment will raise the brewerys capacity to 40,000 barrels a year, though he said he expects to brew about 20,000 barrels this year.

Another feather in Showakis cap right now is the emergence of a younger cousin of the dearly departed 3rd Sign: Untitled Art, the brand Showaki developed with Levi Funk of Madisons Funk Factory Geuzeria.

Last weeks debut of Coffee Stout brought to four the number of (good to outstanding) beers released by Untitled Art this year  which is, its worth noting, self-distributed by Octopi. Untitled Art is doing phenomenal, much better than we ever expected, Showaki said.

During our conversation, Showaki also hinted at things to come from Octopi, but declined to provide detail.

So, regardless of the outcome of the legal dispute, weep not for Octopi  though you may choose to pour one out for 3rd Sign.
The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood this summer for hospital patients in need.

Only about three percent of the U.S. population gives blood, which means a heavy reliance on repeat donors to maintain a sufficient blood supply. New blood donors are especially needed during the summer months because many schools where blood drives are held  and where new donors give  are not in session, and current donors often delay giving due to summer vacations.

Every day there are thousands of patients who rely on lifesaving blood donations. Thats why donors are urged to give now and give often.

In June, the Red Cross joins blood collection agencies around the world marking World Blood Donor Day by raising awareness about the need for a readily available blood supply. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can make an even greater impact by inviting others to join them in giving.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Neillsville:

June 26, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., American Legion Post 73, 6 Boon Blvd

Alma Center:

June 27, 12-5 p.m., Lincoln High School, 124 S School St

Black River Falls:

June 28, 12-5:30 p.m., Comfort Inn & Suites, W10170 Hwy 54 E

June 16, 12:30-5 p.m., Valley View Mall, 3800 State Rd 16

June 17, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., La Crosse Blood Donation Center, 1427 Hwy 16

June 19, 1:30-6:30 p.m., La Crosse Blood Donation Center, 1427 Hwy 16

June 21, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Dahl Automotive, 711 South 3rd St.

June 22, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Roncalli Newman Center Parish, 1732 State St

June 26, 1:30-6:30 p.m., La Crosse Blood Donation Center, 1427 Hwy 16

July 3, 1:30-6:30 p.m., La Crosse Blood Donation Center, 1427 Hwy 16

July 10, 1:30-6:30 p.m., La Crosse Blood Donation Center, 1427 Hwy 16

Sparta:

June 20, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Barney Community Center, 1000 E Montgomery Street

Tomah:

June 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tomah VA Hospital Building 407, 500 S Veterans Street

July 13, 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 202 E Juneau St
Black River Country Bank hosted its Fourth Annual Milk for Moola Challenge event in both Black River Falls and Melrose locations on Thursday, June 1.

This June Dairy event has gained some great momentum for promoting our dairy industry in our local communities and statewide. This was another record breaking year, bringing together over 100 folks from a cross section of local businesses, organizations and schools to chug a little milk and enjoy some friendly competition all for a wonderful cause, said Tracy Madvig, organization and business development manager.

BRCB is committed to agriculture education and outreach, therefore it selects a local organization each year to be the beneficiary of their efforts, this year it was the Jackson County Dairy Youth Project.

The donation will help them offset the rising costs of running the Jackson County Youth Dairy Ice Cream Stand during the Jackson County Fair. The stand proceeds are used to help provide premium payouts to the Dairy Youth Exhibitors.

If youd like to learn more about Black River Country Banks Milk for Moola Challenge event or nominate a local, non-profit group, please contact Tracy Madvig at 715-284-9448.
A national foundation recently requested four national meetings in rural areas to answer the question, How do rural communities work on rural health needs, and how can we best engage with them? Wisconsin was asked to serve as one of these four meeting sites.

John Eich, director of the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health said, We asked the Jackson in Action (JIA), a coalition working to improve the health of Jackson County residents, to start off the conversation as a panel. The audience, made up of agencies and organizations from Wisconsin and Minnesota, took part in large-group conversations after the initial presentations by JIA. The conclusions and ideas from this meeting will be carried back by national researchers for their report to a major national foundation.

Jackson in Action is chaired by Nicole Schweitzer, rehabilitation services director at Black River Memorial Hospital. Schweitzer and JIA members discussed the county health rankings, which Jackson County first appeared at 71 out of 72 counties in 2010 and the initiatives they have implemented which have helped improve the ranking to 32nd in 2017.

For details on Jackson in Action, go to www.jacksoninaction.org.
The Northwoods Welsh Pony and Cob show made its way through Black River Falls this weekend and families were given a chance to show off their horses.

Around 30 horses of all shapes and sizes were shown at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

It is hard to say just how many contestants there were as one pony can be shown by the whole family, said Reita Gelander. We had exhibitors from South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Some families came with just one pony and others with up to seven.

There were ponies representing all five sections of Welsh ponies at the show.

The riders were put through some small obstacle courses and events with their horses to show off their wide breadth of talents.

Gelander said the community of riders at these events are like an extended family, willing and able to cooperate when the help is needed.

We all help each other and cheer for each other too, Gelander said. Many times the owner has ponies in back to back halter classes, someone who does not have ponies showing in that section, will help out. Either holding a pony outside the show ring or even showing the pony for them in the halter classes. The Welsh exhibitors become good friends and part of an extended family.

Its not just the riders that become family, according to Gelander, Welsh ponies and cobs are known for being dependable family members.

She says they are gentle enough for the kids to ride and handle, yet quick and competitive enough for adults to ride and drive in all levels of competition.

Welsh ponies excel in the Western, English, Hunter, Jumping and Dressage world and also the new area of Western Dressage, and are outstanding driving ponies at all levels, both competitive showing and the demanding cross country driving, and they can also excel at just being a great driving pony for the family.
CALEDONIA, Minn.  Repurposing the old Houston County Jail as a collaborative work space for community programming, a library, county offices, a tourism depot and a brewery were some of the ideas bounced around Collaborative Design Inc. and Economic Development Services Inc.s first community meeting about the historic jailhouse.

The firms have offered their resources for a reuse study after the county received a Minnesota Historical Society Grant last fall.

Houston County received $76,220 along with a $10,000 match. This covers consulting services by a historical architect who will complete courthouse construction drawings and specifications, specialist consulting services, consulting services done by an economic and real estate development specialist, a historical architect and a lead investigator and author to work on the jail reuse study.

The two Twin Cities-based firms came to Houston County last week to brainstorm with local business owners, county and government officials and Historical Society members.

We want to hear your ideas for alternative development, said Janna King of Economic Development Services. This is our starting point.

Examples of similar re-imagined buildings were the Todd County Courthouse in Minnesota that now houses county offices and the Carbon County Courthouse in Pennsylvania, which was rehabilitated into a jailhouse museum.

The attendees shared ideas for the jailhouse space including pros and cons.

This will probably be a weakness for every idea, but parking downtown is difficult, said Amanda Ninneman, owner of the Wired Rooster.

Ideas had mostly positive attributes. Attendees were excited about drawing people to downtown Caledonia.

The two-hour-long session started with a tour of the historic jailhouse.

Although officially retired in 2011, the building still has visitors during Founders Day in Caledonia.

It was beautiful. I remember I used to play the piano very softly because my dad would be working in the other room, said Laurel Rusert, former resident of the jailhouse built in 1875.

Ruserts father, Berryl Kerrigan, was Houston County sheriff from 1947 to 1959. The sheriff and his family used to live in the jailhouse.

Mom used to do all the cooking. The inmates would do their own dishes. After, they would have to go back to their cell, Rusert said.

The building has two stories of jail cells. The rooms were often doubled up.

The inside of the jailhouse was remodeled in 1975. The building also sustained flooding in April 2014.

The heater stopped working and the pipes broke, said Richard Cordes, treasurer of the Houston County Historical Society. Everything had to be gutted after that  We are supportive of the reuse study. We will do whatever we can to assist.

The Historical Societys goal is to see the jailhouse continue to stand on the National Register for Historic Places.

If they tear down the jailhouse, then the courthouse will be in jeopardy because they are listed as a set, said Deb Wray, vice president of the Historic Society.

The reuse study groups plan to take the communitys list of ideas and will narrow the results into three viable options for the reuse study.

There will be three more community meetings with a jail reuse advisory committee as the work continues. The dates have yet to be announced.
Jackson County District Attorney Gerald Fox is one of two candidates recommended for the vacant U.S. attorney position in the western district of Wisconsin.

U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin recommended President Donald Trump appoint Fox or Waushara County District Attorney Scott Blader to the spot.

They were recommended by a bipartisan Federal Nominating Commission established by the Wisconsin senators to advance federal nominations.
The little town of Bethlehem has not lain still for five decades, with hopes and fears of all the years continuing to accumulate in Christs biblical birthplace over Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

That is the conundrum to be addressed when English Lutheran Churchs Interfaith Partners for Peace and Justice in Palestine/Israel hosts the presentation, Understanding the Bethlehem of Today  50 Years of Occupation, 50 Years Too Long from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the church at 1509 King St. in La Crosse.

The presentation, coming just after the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War, June 5-10, 1967, in which Israeli forces defeated its Arab neighbors, is free and open to the public. It will include a complimentary sampling of Palestinian appetizers.

By virtue of its title and English Lutheran members involvement with Bethlehem over the years, the program obviously leans toward the Palestinian argument  that the settlements of hundreds of thousands of Jews in the West Bank are illegal barriers to Palestinians independence in their own territories.

In December, the United Nations Security Council voted 14-0 to condemn the Israeli settlements. The U.S., which generally vetoes resolutions against Israel, abstained, allowing the resolution to pass.

Speaking at English Lutheran will be Nancy Baumgardner, a retired teacher who belongs to Memorial United Church of Christ in Fitchburg, Wis., and the Rev. Bonnie Van Overbeke, pastor of that church, who have led several trips to the Holy Land since 2004. They are members of Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a nonprofit U.S. group that supports Palestinians in the Holy Land.

Also members of Bright Stars are George Lowe and Martha Monson Lowe of Decorah, Iowa, who have relatives at English Lutheran and have led prayer vigils and adult forums there. They also have worked at the La Crosse churchs Bethlehem Event, when congregation members transform their fellowship hall into the Bethlehem at the time when there was no room in the inn for Christs birth.

Its a human rights issue, Lowe said.

One of the major issues is (the Israelis) building cities in the occupied territories, Monson Lowe said. Its against international law.

The couple decried the fact that Israel has built a 25-foot wall on three sides of Bethlehem, with the fourth side leading to a road earmarked for only Israelis to use. License plates of Israelis and Palestinians are different colors.

Palestinians are allowed to use limited roads, often with special permission and for very limited reasons, they said. Requests for travel permits often are mired in paperwork, set for hard-to-meet times or denied altogether.

The thousands of Palestinians who work in Israel must pass through checkpoints, with waits as long as two or three hours a day, Lowe said.

Its a form of humiliation and harassment, he said. Palestinians lose time every day. The line for one checkpoint starts at 4 in the morning. It looks like a big airport.

Some have compared the area at Checkpoint 300, which is perhaps the most noted checkpoint, to nothing short of a feedlot, devoid of amenities and even without restrooms.

Restrooms were built for the 2014 visit of Pope Francis but have been locked since then, Lowe said.

One of the things that makes Bethlehem unique is that many Palestinian Christians live there, he said. People often dont think of the Palestinians as Christians.

That lack of knowledge results in part from biased media coverage, the couple said.

Most media cover little or nothing from the Palestinian angle, Monson-Lowe said. We often get an Israeli view.

She cited the 2014 incursion, in which the 2,200 Palestinians killed included nearly 500 children, while the Israeli toll was about 70 soldiers and 10 civilians.

The news media put incredible spin on that, she said. They made the Palestinians the bad guys and the Israelis, the victims.

Living there, we saw different angles, Monson Lowe said.

The couple taught Palestinians during their two, three-month stints living there  Lowe, ceramics and pottery, and Monson Lowe basket weaving, among other skills. They described Palestinians as highly educated, with many having several degrees.

The Muslims and Christians in Palestine work together, play together and respect each others religion. Its a respect of community, Monson Lowe said.

The personal stories from students  they are not angry. They say thats just the way it is, Lowe said. Its amazing that they have normal lives. Id get depressed.

Among the couples fondest memories was spending Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, they said.

Being in Bethlehem at Christmas is especially incredible and powerful, Monson Lowe said. Its a very moving and important part of the world. I have a hard time describing it.

The Palestinians hope in a better future instills the couple with optimism.

If they can get peace in this part of the world, it could radiate all over, Lowe said.
Richard Breaux and Sarah Shillinger hope a new certification for Hmong-American studies will be the first step toward a new program of study on campus.

The two University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ethnic and racial studies professors have helped craft the Hmong American Studies Certificate, a 15-17 credit series of courses that provides students with a background in Hmong culture and history. Work on the certificate began last winter after a number of Hmong students and their allies criticized the modern language department's handling of a two-course Hmong heritage language series.

Originally canceled for the spring semester due to a history of low enrollment, Hmong students protested what they said was unfair treatment of the courses' instructor and the decision to offer the course through UW-Stout using distance learning. At open forums held in December, students spoke of how important those classes are to the Hmong identity and learning about their heritage, which is one of the reasons administration decided to pursue the option of a certificate.

"We are really excited to be offering this," Breaux said. "Both faculty and students have recognized the need for it."

Requests for comment directed to the leadership of the UW-L Hmong Organization Promoting Education were not returned.

The eight-credit language series is one of the elective options open to those pursuing the certificate, which was announced earlier this summer. It is open to any student at UW-L and will be offered beginning this fall. Nine credits are at the core of the certificate, which includes an introductory ethnic and racial studies course, a three-credit anthropology course on Hmong Americans and a senior capstone project. Up to eight credits of electives count toward the certificate with options in the anthropology, history and modern languages department.

In developing the coursework for the certificate, Breaux said he reached out and worked with the La Crosse Hmoob Cultural and Community Agency and Naohoua Tony Yang, a Hmong cultural liaison with the La Crosse School District. As part of the capstone project, students will have to work with local Hmong groups learn about the issues and concerns in the Hmong community and look at ways to address them.

As the region continue to become more diverse, employers are seeing the need for graduates to be culturally competent. This certificate brings an academically rigorous approach to the study of Hmong-Americans and will provide the critical thinking skills companies look for in new hires.

"In areas where there is a strong Hmong-American population, there is a big need for this kind of academic training," Shillinger said. "One of the purposes of the certificate is to make sure students who did the coursework get the recognition on their college transcript."

Schillinger and Breaux hope to see strong student support for the program, which was approved by the UW-L Faculty Senate earlier this summer, and envision the certificate blossoming into a minor of study  much as ethnic and racial studies grew from a certificate program into its own department.

"These things take time," Shillinger said. "You have to build momentum and interest. It is how all academic things start out."
American Cancer Societys Relay for Life helps all, from survivors to family and caregivers.

Maria McCabe attended the Relay for Life of Monroe County Friday at Tomah High School as a sign of support of her husband, Will, whose mother passed away from cancer.

I think its a pretty good (event) to have, she said. Its good because people need this, closure and to know that (loved ones) are still here.

Relay for Life is a fundraising walk for the American Cancer Society during which people come together to remember lost loved ones, honor survivors, raise awareness of cancer and its impact and raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The money raised helps fund cancer research, patient care programs, education and free information.

Participants are part of teams that take turns walking around a designated path. Teams set up a themed site, where they continue collecting donations of money, food, games, goods and activities. At all times a member of each team will remain on the path to signify that cancer never sleeps.

Since the event began 32 years ago, progress has been made, event coordinator Pam Kasper said, but theres still more work to be done as long as cancer still exists.

More than 32,970 Wisconsin residents will be diagnosed with cancer, and 11,630 will die from it in 2017. Kasper said the number is unacceptable and that the ultimate goal is to eradicate cancer completely.

The American Cancer Society is here to help and fight back with the ultimate goal that those numbers will decrease until they are zero, she said. We cant win this battle against cancer without your time, talents and fundraising efforts. For all that you do in each year and every day, we thank you, and ... together we will finish this fight.

The battle is ongoing, Kasper told the crowd, but the war isnt over. She said survivors are proof that the battle is worth fighting.

We are winning the fight against cancer, she said. All of you are the proof.

Esther Jacobson, honorary chairperson for the Tomah relay, said research is the key to winning the war against cancer.

Jacobson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and has been cancer-free since 2013.

If it wasnt for the technology and the research that the American Cancer Society provides for us, they would have never found my cancer, she said. It takes intelligence, it takes education and it takes research. It takes doctors that recognize those simple little things that look suspicious and then they turn out to be very suspicious and then they are the real thing.

Vigilance is also important, Jacobson said.

Support this cause, because the only way were going to win is if we work together as a nation to overcome whatever the cause is, she said. Without research, without the American Cancer Society, were not going to be able to do it unless we continue to contribute. It doesnt have to be financial support, it can be spiritual support, and it can be emotional support. Whatever it is, give it.

Over $14,000 was raised from the Relay for Life of Monroe County according to the American Cancer Society website.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board agreed with a hearing committee that a former client conflict of interest had not been proven.

After his termination by a homeowners association, the attorney had drafted a letter on behalf of association board member Kelly Commander and then referred her to unconflicted counsel

During his representation of the HOA, Respondent advised it on a variety of legal issues including environmental issues and enforcing various restrictions. See e.g. Ex. ODC-5, ODC-6; Transcript, p. 117. Respondent did advise the HOA regarding bylaws and amendments to them on occasion. ODC-5, ODC-6, Transcript pp. 35-36. However, there is no evidence that he advised the HOA regarding any amendment pertaining to the removal of Board Members. Multiple witnesses testified at the hearing that Respondent did not advise the Board on this subject, nor do the minutes of Board meetings indicate such. Transcript, pp. 37, 71, 116, 142; Ex. ODC-5, ODC- 6, ODC-7, ODC-8, ODC-9. Advising the HOA on various other amendments to the bylaws is not substantially related to his representation of Ms. Commander, which concerned amending the bylaws for a particular purpose - to remove a member of the Board. It is reasonable to, and the Hearing Committee in fact did, disassociate those two topics from each other. ODC argues that Respondents representation of Ms. Commander was substantially related simply because Respondent advised the HOA regarding the bylaws in general, regardless of the substance of the advice and its relation to the matter involving Ms. Commander. This argument is not consistent with Walker. As Walker illustrated, the fact that a lawyer is representing a subsequent client against a former client in the same type of matter the lawyer handled for the former client does not alone create a substantial relationship. In that case, the attorney defended the Department of Transportation in road hazard claims, and subsequently represented private plaintiffs in road hazard claims against the Department after his resignation from government service. Walker, 807 So.2d at 59. The Court determined that his cases against the Department were not sufficiently interrelated in fact and substance to any case he worked on for the Department. Id. at 62. Here, Respondents representation of Ms. Commander is not so interrelated in both fact and substance to his representation of the HOA that a reasonable person would fail to disassociate them.

Despite ODCs assertion to the contrary, Respondents decision to refer the matter to Mr. Pierson is not an attempt to use his fellow attorney as a puppet, but rather a step taken to avoid any potential conflict. Respondent independently examined this matter to determine if any conflict existed before taking on the representation. Ex. R01. Despite coming to an independent conclusion that there was not a violation of Rule 1.9(a), Respondent consulted with an attorney specializing in ethics, who informed him that there may be a violation of the Rule, but did not state with any certainty that there had been such a violation. Ex. R05; Transcript pp. 28-31. The Committee noted that consulting with another attorney does not indicate the presence of an actual conflict: His due diligence in seeking advice as to a possible conflict should not be used against him. To do so would discourage attorneys from seeking outside counsel on ethics and professionalism matters. Hearing Committee Report, p. 2. After undertaking that effort, Respondent decided to refer Ms. Commander to another attorney to avoid the potential of a conflict. While he perhaps should have referred the matter to Mr. Pierson right away, his failure to do so does not rise to a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

The board dismissed the charges and assessed costs against the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/06/the-louisiana-attorney-disciplinary-board-agreed-with-a-hearing-committee-that-a-former-client-conflict-of-interest-had-not-b.html


MORE than 80 villagers gathered at a ceremony to unveil the new village sign in Speen.

The sign, standing at more than 6ft in height, was revealed last Saturday outside the village shop, Chapel Hill.

Buried under the sign a shield bearing icons of past and present village life is a time capsule containing a full village electoral roll and other articles and objects.

Speen parish councillor Peter Symonds, who designed the shield, explained: "There is quite a strong community spirit in Speen and the sign has gone down well."

The project was organised by the Speen Millennium Committee and Speen Parish Council.

A new book, The Leaves of Time, recording the history of the village, has also been produced by village historians.

Villager John Radford, of Abbotswood Road, Speen, said: "This sign will be a lasting memory of the heritage of this small village on top of the Chilterns."
Remembering those who died in the mid-valley. Photos submitted by family members to accompany their obituaries in the Albany Democrat-Herald a
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Security News

Palo Alto Networks Expands Security Platform With New Application Framework, GlobalProtect Offerings

Sarah Kuranda

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Palo Alto Networks is vastly expanding its security platform with the launch of a new Application Framework and cloud-based services, the company announced Tuesday.

"We have done an amazing job applying absolute consistent security and efficiencies in our security platform. What we now have an opportunity to do is essentially unleash new innovation on top of that platform," said Scott Simkin, senior group manager, threat intelligence cloud and security subscriptions.

Palo Alto Networks made the announcements at its Ignite 2017 event, held in Vancouver, Canada.

[Related: Palo Alto Networks Launches New Venture Fund, Looks To Build Security Platform Ecosystem]

The Application Framework will be similar in concept to frameworks offered by vendors such as Salesforce and Amazon Web Services, allowing any security provider to build cloud-based applications on top of the platform. Palo Alto Networks will provide cloud APIs, software services and compute to deliver the developed apps to customers, he said.

Simkin said the Application Framework would allow security providers to build applications for specific use cases, including identification, analytics, and incident response. By building applications on the platform instead of point products, Simkin said developers could leverage the threat intelligence, user base, infrastructure, and data stores that are part of the Palo Alto Networks platform instead of starting from scratch.

"Palo Alto Networks isn't the only one making this [platform anymore ... It's an entire market of entrepreneurs and developers," Simkin said. "[We're] vastly expanding the Palo Alto Networks platform." Palo Alto Networks expects to make the platform generally available in January 2018.

Simkin said Palo Alto Networks already has more than 35 different application developers committed to developing on the Palo Alto Networks Application Framework. Some of the partners already signed up include Accenture, Aruba, Carbon Black, Crowdstrike, ForeScout, Proofpoint, Phantom, and Splunk. He said developers can include ISVs and large companies, as well as partners and managed security services providers. Palo Alto Networks will further encourage developers to work on the platform with the launch of the Palo Alto Networks Venture Fund.

Palo Alto Networks also announced the launch of a GlobalProtect cloud service. The launch allows partners and customers to bring GlobalProtect's traffic visibility, policy enforcement, threat prevention, WildFire, and other security capabilities to remote offices and mobile users with a cloud-based service. Palo Alto Networks will manage a multi-tenant, cloud-based infrastructure, and partners or customers can buy the service according to bandwidth requirements.

The launch of the GlobalProtect cloud service is a recognition by Palo Alto Networks that more employees are accessing corporate networks outside of the traditional perimeter walls, Matt Keil, Palo Alto Networks' Director of Product Marketing for Public Cloud, said. He said the new service would allow enterprises to bring the same corporate security policies to remote locations and mobile users.

"The benefit to partners is that it addresses a small segment of the market that we might be missing out on," Keil said. "This fills that gap in our portfolio of a very easy to deploy, operationally efficient security feature. It also allows that customer to move towards a more predictable operational expense model for security." Keil said Palo Alto Networks is not looking to move into the service provider space with the launch. The GlobalProtect cloud service will be available to all NextWave channel partners, with targeted general availability in August 2017.

John Marler, COO at Houston, Texas-based Set Solutions, said he is glad to see Palo Alto Networks continuing to expand its security platform. In particular, said the new Application Framework would help make the platform "more interesting to everyone."

"I think it's great," Marler said. "Palo Alto Networks today already has an absolutely best-of-breed API in terms of how they manage the platform, so extending that to application integration is really exciting  This will help them continue their roll."
Security officials in Bangladeshs capital have arrested six members of a banned militant group and accused them of planning to kill an outspoken Islamic scholar for his stand against religious extremism, a police official said yesterday.

Police counter-terrorism chief Monirul Islam said the men were arrested Sunday night in a raid in Dhaka.

He said the suspects are members of Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, which has been blamed for many killings in recent years, including an attack last July on a restaurant in Dhakas diplomatic zone in which 20 hostages were killed. Seventeen of the victims were foreigners.

Islam said the suspects had targeted a top Islamic scholar who speaks and acts against radicalism. He would not disclose the name of the reported target, but said the suspects wanted to kill him during the current fasting month of Ramadan.

Islam said the house of the targeted scholar was already under the suspects watch and their plan was going ahead.

Later yesterday, a judge in Dhaka authorized police to keep them in custody for interrogation.

Bangladesh has experienced a rise in Islamic militancy in recent years, with groups targeting atheist bloggers, publishers and writers, members of minority groups and foreigners.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for many of the attacks, including last years restaurant siege, but authorities have rejected the claims and held JMB responsible. The government has vowed to crush Islamic militancy and some 60 suspects have been killed in raids across the country since last July. AP
China and Singapore pledged to cooperate on trade and regional infrastructure projects, in a sign the countries have begun to repair ties strained amid security disputes in Southeast Asia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday in a briefing in Beijing they reached agreement to work more closely on Chinas Belt and Road trade and infrastructure initiative. Balakrishnan described ties as strong and said Chinas relationship with Southeast Asia was stable, calm and positive.

We had in-depth talks and reached a lot of consensus on bilateral, regional issues and shared interests, Wang said. Both of us are of the view that, against the background of a backlash against globalization, China and Singapore, as the champions of regional integration, need to work together to address challenges and uphold common interests.

The remarks suggest that Singapores efforts to paper over diplomatic tensions with its largest trading partner are paying off. The city-state of 5.3 million had found itself in Beijings cross-

hairs over its military ties with Taiwan, support for the U.S. naval presence in the disputed South China Sea and perceived lack of support for the Belt and Road program.

Singapore didnt receive a formal invitation from China to attend a Belt and Road summit in May, Bloomberg News reported last month. A shipment of Singaporean infantry carrier vehicles that had been used in military exercises in Taiwan was seized and held in Hong Kong for two months before being released in January.

The meeting came after Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Australias ABC Radio in an interview broadcast Saturday that Chinese President Xi Jinpings Belt-and-Road Initiative was a constructive way to expand business ties with its neighbors.

The Chinese and Singaporean leadership understand that there is a wide range of cooperation down the road, said Huang Jing, a professor with the National University of Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. As a regional financial center and a developed economy that is fully integrated in the global economic system, Singapore has a lot to offer to China, while benefiting from the development of One Belt, One Road.

Balakrishnan described Singapore as a strong believer and supporter of the Belt and Road plan and pledged to establish a financial cooperation platform with China. China-Singapore relations are in good working order, he said. They are strong, with the potential to grow even stronger.

The two countries accounted for USD66 billion in two-way trade last year, representing 13 percent of Singapores global total. Singapore is also Chinas second-largest investor, with $6.18 billion last year, according to Chinas official figures.

Wang said Singapore was an important clearance center for the yuan.

To advance the Belt and Road Initiative we need financing, he said. We hope that cooperation with Singapore will draw upon Singapores strengths as a financial center. Bloomberg
Its the story of an obscure fishing community that was afforded special trading status and grew to become one of the worlds most vibrant economic centers. Then came competition. Just upriver, an even more obscure fishing community was afforded special trading status and soon grew to become one of the worlds most vibrant economic centers.

The first was Hong Kong, which rose rapidly after being made a free port in the mid 19th century, becoming a model for free- market capitalism by the time of its return to China 20 years ago. In the past two decades, it has watched the dazzling rise of Shenzhen, just across the Sham Chun River.

Now, officials in Hong Kong have an ambitious proposal to link the two via a technology park on a disputed swamp by the border that aims to revitalize Hong Kongs sagging economy and add fuel to Shenzhens nascent startup boom.

The proposed 87-hectare park, called the Lok Ma Chau Loop, is the largest proposal of its kind by Hong Kong and is being pitched as an incubator for future tech giants. The idea is that tenants would be close to Shenzhens cheaper manufacturing and innovation, while retaining Hong Kongs legal and business framework and internet freedom, with eased border crossings between the two.

The plan says as much about the changing roles of the two cities as it does about Hong Kongs aspirations to be a technology womb.

Shenzhen is pivoting from its legacy as ground zero for Chinas manufacturing boom into a center for research, development and production of advanced technology. Hong Kong is trying to diversify from old staples such as banking and real estate as revenue streams in shipping and tourism slacken.

Hong Kong has to do this, said Albert Wong, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp., the government agency that runs the citys biggest existing technology park and startup incubators. Its not an option.

Sitting in his office at the citys lush science park, half way between the border and the financial center, Wong maps out a vision that doesnt lack for ambition. He wants to more than double the number of researchers and developers at HKSTP to 20,000 over the next five years.

The Loop is key to that expansion. The park would be built on land that was part of China until the government straightened the Sham Chun River in the 1990s to reduce flooding, effectively moving the border. The marshy area enclosed by the loop of the old river course remained disputed and undeveloped  an area of wetland for otters and migrating birds  until an agreement in January by the two governments to build the tech park.

The accord reflects a wider plan by China to bind together Hong Kong and Macau with cities in Guangdong  an almost contiguous urban area of more than 60 million people. Think of all the cities on the eastern U.S. seaboard from Boston to Washington, plus the San Francisco Bay Area rolled into one.

For Wong and other proponents of the Loop, Hong Kong would be the San Francisco to Shenzhens Silicon Valley in the new Bay Area of the Pearl River Delta.

Its an attractive idea for entrepreneur Song Li, a former executive director of equity derivatives products at Morgan Stanley. Li founded Zhenai.com, an online dating service, which says it has more than 120 million registered members. Though he works in Shenzhen, Li prefers to live in Hong Kong, with a two-and-a-half-hour round trip commute. An office in the Loop would cut that in half, he says.

Another supporter of a combined technology area in the Pearl River Delta is Tencent chairman Pony Ma Huateng, head of the most valuable company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China has the ability to create a world-class tech Bay Area, and preside over the global tech revolution of the future, Ma said in March, adding that the technology areas could help maintain stability in the former colony.

Hong Kong certainly needs the boost. Since Britain handed back its former possession, the city has played a diminishing role as the gateway to China and a financial hub. Its container port, which once vied with Singapore as the worlds busiest, has fallen to fifth, overtaken by both Shanghai and Shenzhen.

An aging population and widening inequality are stirring political discontent. The citys economy is growing at less than half the rate it did in the decades up to 2015. Citizens are saving less and borrowing more, and few young people can afford the sky- high price of a new apartment, even one the size of a family car.

The world has changed and Hong Kong needs to change again, said Nicholas Yang, the governments minister responsible for technology and innovation.

Government efforts to foster innovation in the city have been mixed. Its Cyberport business park proposed in 1999 came under criticism when most of the project was developed as apartments, while many of the offices remained empty for years.

The problem is that on one hand property is too expensive for grassroots innovation, and on the other, when the government gets involved it tends to be over-planned and engineered, said Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based corporate lawyer and author of an upcoming book City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong.

The idea for closer integration with Shenzhen isnt new. Pro-China think tank Bauhinia Foundation has been urging stronger links with Guangdong for a decade. But many Hong Kongers are increasingly concerned that closer ties with the mainland would erode the freedom the city was promised as part of the one country, two systems agreement when Britain handed back the territory.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen forged ahead, clearing out most of its old, labor-intensive factories and building high-tech giants like Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. The citys Nanshan district is a cradle for more than 8,000 technology firms, centered around the vast Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industrial Park, known as SHIP. Entrepreneurs have come from across the world, leading some to question why Guangdong needs to collaborate with Hong Kong on innovation.

That ship has sailed, said Felix Chung, chairman of Hong Kongs pro-business Liberal Party. The plan could have been good 10 years ago but have you seen Shenzhen lately? It has the ability to do so much on its own.

Critics say the tech park would take at least seven years to build, by which time Shenzhen may have pulled even further ahead. The Hong Kong government has not given a timetable or an estimated cost for completion of the project.

Hong Kong does have advantages, such as lower income taxes, relative security of capital and rule of law, said Nisa Leung, a veteran health-care investor at Qiming Venture Partners and a board member of the Hong Kong Science Park. Chung said the city can make its mark in value-added services such as intellectual property protection or helping Chinese companies build international divisions.

And the Pearl of the Orient still holds a strong lifestyle appeal for many entrepreneurs, despite the high rents.

I like to be able to meet smart people from all around the world, having great internet, the exercising options and access to nature, said Frenchman Benjamin Joffe, who works for a fund that invests in hardware startups. He moved to Hong Kong after living in Shenzhen and Tokyo in recent years. I split my time between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the world. Bloomberg
Filipinos marked their countrys Independence Day by raising the national flag yesterday in a southern city where troops pressed assaults to quell a three-week siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants that has left 270 combatants and civilians dead.

Many were teary-eyed during the flag-raising ceremonies at the heavily guarded city hall and provincial capital building in Marawi, the heartland of the Islamic faith in the countrys south, where hundreds of gunmen went on a deadly rampage on May 23.

Blasts from airstrikes thudded in the distance during the events.

While the flag-raising was mainly to mark Independence Day, it also symbolized the reclaiming of city hall and other areas of Marawi by government forces. Policemen roamed a community that troops had wrested back from the militants and festooned abandoned houses with small flags.

Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra fought back tears as he thanked troops, police and volunteers in the crisis that has turned parts of the previously tranquil lakeside city of more than 200,000 people, most of whom have fled the fighting, into a smoldering battlefield.

Villager Janisah Ampao, who fled her home with her husband and two children when the fighting broke out last month, felt a sense of relief and pride when she saw the flag being raised at the provincial capital building. She has been living with other evacuees in a nearby government building that has been turned into an emergency shelter.

I dont know how we can re-start our lives after the fighting, Ampao said by telephone. Our city is in ruins, all the people have gone and the stores are closed. I saw on TV that our village has been destroyed.

Facing the worst crisis in his yearlong presidency, President Rodrigo Duterte canceled an annual Independence Day diplomatic reception at the presidential palace and skipped a flag-raising ceremony in Manila.

He doesnt feel like giving a toast, even symbolic, when soldiers are dying and the evacuees and the displaced are in the provinces and in Marawis margins, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters.

Philippine flags were also flown at half-staff as the country mourned the killings of 13 marines in a fierce battle in Marawi on Friday. Some of the marines perished in a fire ignited by the militants at the height of the fighting, military officials said. They said 58 soldiers and policemen, 191 militants and 21 civilians have been killed in the three weeks of clashes.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conveyed independence greetings on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people, saying the U.S. stands as an ally with the Philippines as it confronts the attacks in Marawi and other terrorist threats.

The U.S. military has deployed a spy plane at Manilas request to help provide surveillance to troops battling militants still holed up in a few buildings in Marawi with an unspecified number of civilian hostages. AP
JAPAN A defense official said yesterday that Japan is seeking to increase its sales of military equipment to Southeast Asian nations amid growing tensions with China and North Korea. The move is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes push to bolster Japans military role and its sales of defense equipment, especially in Southeast Asia, where China has expanded its own arms sales.

SINGAPORE Police detained a preschool assistant who shared pro-Islamic State group materials online and intended to travel to Syria, their first arrest of a female Singaporean citizen alleged to be a sympathizer of the radical group.

PHILIPPINES Filipinos marked their countrys Independence Day by raising the national flag yesterday in a southern city where troops pressed assaults to quell a three-week siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants that has left 270 combatants and civilians dead.

INDONESIA A strong earthquake yesterday morning rattled part of Indonesias main island of Java and swayed buildings in the capital, but caused no apparent damage or casualties.

NEPAL Confessed French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who is serving a life sentence in Nepal, had successful heart surgery yesterday, doctors said. The Frenchman is believed to have murdered at least 20 people in Afghanistan, India, Thailand, Turkey, Nepal, Iran and Hong Kong during the 1970s.

YEMEN A multinational coalition of navies says it will step up patrols in waters around Yemen after several attacks there, including those launched by Somali pirates and others blamed on Yemeni rebel forces.

RUSSIA Thousands of anti-government activists challenging President Vladimir Putins rule were protesting across Russia yesterday, with police arresting main opposition leader Alexei Navalny outside his Moscow home before he could reach the main demonstration and scores of others.

POLAND Polish officials are hailing an upcoming visit by Donald Trump, with Polands defense minister calling it a huge success for the government and another official celebrating the unexpectedness of a U.S. president stopping in Warsaw before Paris, London or Berlin.

BRITAIN Senior members of British Prime Minister Theresa Mays government rallied to her defense yesterday amid doubts over her ability to remain in power following a disastrous election result. More on p15

BRAZIL A fugitive Italian crime clan boss was taken into custody at a Brazil airport over the weekend, authorities said. Vincenzo Macri was part of an international criminal organization that imported and trafficked drugs from Morocco, the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic.
Ludlow is an employment services specialist/therapy tech. She is responsible for providing job maintenance and other vocational services to people with disabilities. As a therapy tech, she teaches living skills, under the direction of a developmental specialist, to people with developmental disabilities.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP)  Massive waterfalls in Yosemite National Park and rivers raging in mountains throughout the western United States are thundering with greater force than they have for years  and proving deadly as warm weather melts the deepest mountain snowpack in recent memory.

Record snowfall on towering Western peaks this winter virtually eliminated California's five-year drought and it is now melting rapidly.

But it has contributed to at least 14 river deaths and prompted officials to close sections of rivers popular with swimmers, rafters and fishing enthusiasts.

In Utah and Wyoming, some rivers gorged by heavy winter snowfall have overflown their banks, and rivers in Utah are expected to remain dangerously swollen with icy mountain runoff for several more weeks.

The sheer beauty of the rivers is their draw  and represents a big danger to people who decide to beat the heat by swimming or rafting with little awareness of the risks posed by the raging water.

This year's velocity and force of the Merced River that runs through Yosemite Valley is similar to a runaway freight train, said Moose Mutlow of the Yosemite Swift Water Rescue Team.

"You step out in front of it, it's going to take you," he said. "You're not going to stop that, and that's what people need to get their heads around."

Heavy storms this winter covered the central Sierra Nevada mountains with snow that remains at twice its normal level for this time of year.

While officials celebrated an end to drought in much of California, the snowmelt is so dangerous that park rangers fear its impact on the crowded park that drew a record five million people last year, when four people drowned.

So far this year, one 50-year-old man is believed to have drowned at Yosemite after falling into the Merced River from a winding trail. His body has not been found.

One of Yosemite's deadliest days was in 2011, when three young church group visitors were swept to their deaths over the 317-foot (97-meter) Vernal Fall.

Elsewhere in California, there have been at least 11 drownings since the snowpack started melting in May.

At the San Joaquin River near Fresno, 18-year-old Neng Thao drowned last month swimming in the river during a picnic with his family days before he was set to graduate as the valedictorian of his high school.

And six people have died in the rugged Tule River south of Yosemite. Some drowned, but others suffered injuries suggesting their bodies were beaten to death by the river water slamming them against the riverbed.

"The force of that water pounds people into rocks and sends them over waterfalls," said Eric LaPrice, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger at the Giant Sequoia National Monument in central California.

At the Kern River in central California, officials last month updated a sign warning that that 280 people have died in it since 1968. The sign is already outdated, with four more drownings since then.

And in northern Utah, a 4-year-old girl playing at the side of the Provo River fell from a boulder into the water last month. Her mother and a man who was nearby jumped in to try to save the girl. All three drowned, illustrating how quickly one tragedy can multiply.

"As little as six inches of water can actually sweep an adult away at the rate of speed that the water is traveling," said Chris Crowley, emergency manager for the county where Park City is located.

In Reno, Nevada, rising temperatures that have accelerated snowpack melting prompted officials to erect a sign next to the Truckee River warning people to stay away from it.

In Idaho, snowpack at double normal levels have prompted warnings from officials that densely populated areas near the Boise River could flood.

And in Wyoming, officials have placed sandbags and flood barriers to protect homes and public infrastructure from rivers and streams swollen with the snowmelt.

On his first trip to Yosemite, cartoonist Andy Runton, 42, steered clear of the turbulent Merced River.

He took a selfie at a safe distance from a grassy meadow with Yosemite Falls far behind him. Within a few hours of entering the park, Runton said the sweeping vistas and raging waterfalls had left a lifelong impression.

"You can see the power of the water," Runton said. "You can feel it. Nature doesn't slow down."

___

Golden reported from Salt Lake City, Utah. Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Bob Moen in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this report.
GOODING  Deterred by high water elsewhere, Gene Lawley and his fishing buddy dipped their lines in Dog Creek Reservoir for the first time June 8, setting up their lawn chairs at the end of the dock.

Theyd come on the recommendation of Dean Grissom, Idaho Department of Fish and Games recreation site maintenance foreman. The appeal: variety.

Its a good fishery. It gives a lot of opportunity for all kinds of fish, Grissom explained later. Ive seen 5-pound bass come out of there before. Ive never caught one, but Ive seen it happen.

By late morning, Lawley and his buddy had caught a few bluegill and a lot of small perch, plus a couple of foot-long trout they didnt have the right nets to land. Their first impression of Dog Creek Reservoir?

Its all going to hang on if we get some good fishing results, said Lawley, of Twin Falls.

Until now, Fish and Game couldnt describe the angling opportunity at this popular, year-round reservoir north of Gooding in much more detail than Grissom gave Lawley. The agency stocks rainbow trout, channel catfish and tiger muskellunge in Dog Creek Reservoir, but other than tagging some catfish for angler reporting it hasnt sampled the fish populations there.

Has the stocking produced solid catfish and tiger muskie fisheries? And what other sport fish swim in Dog Creek Reservoir? A project led by regional fisheries biologist Scott Stanton aims to find out.

On June 8, as Lawley fished from the dock, Stantons team was pulling its trap nets out of the reservoir  one facet of Fish and Games standardized protocol for surveying lowland lakes.

The protocol calls for four survey methods  specifying the location, timing and duration of each  and requires length and weight data for each fish caught. Floating gill nets last week sampled fish swimming in open water, such as trout and juvenile perch, and sinking gill nets sampled those on the lake bottom, such as catfish, suckers and carp. Trap nets  not lethal to most fish species  sampled shallow water near shore. And this week, the team planned nonlethal electrofishing of the shoreline.

By the end of June 8, the first three survey methods had revealed channel catfish, bullhead catfish, bass, bluegill, perch, rainbow trout, tiger muskie, carp, largemouth bass, largescale sucker, bridgelip sucker, pumpkinseed and green sunfish.

So theres a lot of competition as far as food sources out there, Stanton said.

That, of course, can inhibit the growth of desirable fish species. Stanton cant draw conclusions until the data are crunched, but the skinniness of fish in his nets suggested competition.

A morning on the reservoir

The four trap nets prescribed for a reservoir of Dog Creeks size, about 59 acres, have soaked for about 24 hours when Stantons team arrives June 8 to pull them out of the water. To set up a work station, Stanton drives a gear-laden boat to a spot on the shoreline out of the way of the expected noon crowd at the Dog Creek dock.

I think everyone takes their lunch break down here  thats what weve concluded, fisheries technician Anna Estes explains.

As Estes and bioaides Austin Hafer and Tyus Lourenzo unload data-collection equipment, oxygen tanks, buckets and nets, Stanton is occupied at the back of the boat. Its taking on water.

Someone asks: Austin, did you put a plug in the boat?

But its not until the second question that the awful realization appears on Hafers face: Did you turn the plug?

That type of boat plug expands when turned, but Hafer didnt know. So now, while the bilge pump runs, he and the others search for a stick that can replace the lost plug.

As Stanton and Lourenzo return to the dock to hammer in the stick tighter, Estes buckets lake water into a holding tub, and Hafer prepares its oxygen supply.

Well, I guess I graduated from losing gas cards to boat plugs, he says. Im probably going to get a sarcastic lecture about this. I love it.

Hauling in the nets

From the boats bow, Stanton and Lourenzo haul up each trap net, working quickly to empty fish into the tub of lake water on board. Most are alive  thrashing the water in the tub  but many of the perch have gilled themselves in the holes of the net.

After the live fish are back in water, Stanton and Lourenzo laboriously pick the dead perch from the net and add them to the tub, where they float belly-up at the churning surface.

Stantons 10-year-old son Gus, along for the ride, points out the tiger muskie in the catch from the first net.

I wonder who hes going to eat first, Gus says.

In the fourth net, small perch are particularly numerous.

Be thankful every hole in that net wasnt full of perch, Stanton tells Lourenzo. Ive seen that. Makes for long days.

Sometimes a perch population pulls off an unusually good spawn, then is stunted because of competition for food, Stanton explains. He cant be sure thats what happened here, because the survey team isnt aging the perch it catches.

Between hauls, out of earshot of his seasonal employees at the work station, Stanton tells about Fish and Games longstanding tradition of awarding a traveling trophy named for the first two syllables of catastrophe  the taxidermied hind end of a mountain lion. Or maybe its a bobcat, he says. The awards latest recipient was a state wildlife veterinarian, after the two orphaned mountain lion kittens he was holding in his office overnight conquered the barricade and had the run of a research lab.

I dont think its ever been given to a seasonal, Stanton says.

Does a lost boat plug rise to the catastrophe level?

I dont know, Stanton says. Ive done worse, but I havent been nominated yet.

Measuring the catch

After emptying each net, Stanton and Lourenzo return to the work station where Estes and Hafer wait. The men on board hand down dripping nets of fish for quick transfer to the tub on shore.

There, a well-practiced routine commences: Stanton measures each fish, announces the species and length and slides it down the measuring board to Lourenzo. Manning the scale, Lourenzo announces each weight. Estes repeats each number, madly tapping data into a PDA, and only once in a while objects to Stanton giving the length of a new fish before Lourenzo can finish weighing the last one.

Hafer tosses each fish back into the reservoir, sometimes letting Gus or his 5-year-old brother, Fin, take a turn. Gulls venture close to pick up a few of the dead perch.

As the team gathers its gear at the end of the morning, the lecture Hafer predicted arrives. But its short and doesnt sound sarcastic.

Stanton: Whatd you learn today, Austin?

Hafer: Turn the boat plug.

Stanton: Good man.

And as their boat heads back to the dock, Stanton offers Hafer a little consolation. I lost the GoPro camera in the Big Wood River once, he says.

With a wetsuit and snorkel gear, Stanton saved the camera  and a record free of any joke taxidermy.
Q: Where are some of the oldest restaurants in the area?

A: The Depot Grill will be celebrating 100 years as a restaurant this year, said Don Olson of Soran Restaurants. I would have to believe its the oldest still operating restaurant in this area.

The Depot Grill has been a family owned and operated restaurant in Twin Falls since 1917, and the Soran family has owned the restaurant since 1957.

We are probably going to start sometime around the end of July and we will run specials for 100 days for 100 years, Steve Soran said.

The building was actually built in 1910 and it was the Blue Lake Spring Water Mineral Bottling Company and then it became a gas station, he said. The gas station operator started selling sandwiches around 1917. But it evolved from the bottling company. From the bottling company that was a place called Depot Service. And Im not really sure what year the Depot Service name changes to the Depot Grill. I think it was sometime in the early 40s. It was the Depot Service for years and years. My family purchased in 1957. And we have been here ever since. Its an old building, and its been remodeled at least 15 times. So it doesnt look like it used to. Weve been serving food at the same location.

The celebration will run through mid-November.

We picked the November anniversary date because that was the date that my father and his brother purchased it, Soran said. So that seems like as good a day as any to call it our birthday.

The family restaurant, 545 Shoshone St. S., is open 24 hours a day Monday through Saturday, and until 9 p.m. on Sundays. The Depot Grill also offers catering for weddings and other events, picnic service, and carry out.

Sorans Turf Club, a banquet facility has operated since 1962.

Gloria Rasmussen, a waitress at the Manhattan Cafe in Shoshone said it has been open since about 1890. Shoshone was founded in 1882 during the construction of the Oregon Short Line.

The Ranchers Cafe at the Twin Falls Livestock Commission Company was opened in 1936.

The Oxbow Cafe in Bliss originally opened around 1951 and has been opened and closed off and on.

Maxies Pizza and Pasta has been making homemade fire stone pizza and traditional pasta since 1956. Norms has been family owned and operated by Tom and Vicki Collins for 42 years, serving breakfast and brunch. The Collins bought Norms in 1975. Norms Cafe was listed in the 1968 Twin Falls telephone directory.

The Mint Bar and Cafe in Hailey and the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum have operated at least since 1968 according to a Twin Falls telephone directory.

Franchises such as Arctic Circle, A&W, and Dairy Queen have been operating since 1968 according to a Twin Falls telephone directory, the earliest directory found at the Idaho State Archives in Boise.

The earliest Twin Falls telephone directory at the Twin Falls Public Library is 1936.
TWIN FALLS  The new fiscal years starts Oct. 1, and city and county officials in Twin Falls and throughout the state are busy planning budgets.

On Monday Twin Falls County commissioners began meeting with the countys department heads to discuss 2018 budget requests, and will continue to hold such meetings for the rest of the week. That evening, the City Council discussed its budget, about a month ahead of when City Manager Travis Rothweiler plans to present then with his draft proposal. Much of that discussion was focused on employee hiring and pay and whether to use any of the citys foregone balance, or money that the city was legally allowed to collect in property taxes in previous years but didnt.

Monday morning, county commissioners met with representatives of the sheriffs department and the countys Treatment and Recovery Clinic. One new program that came up is a proposed 24/7 Sobriety Program. This was first tried in South Dakota in 2005 and has been implemented in a few other states since then. Idahos Legislature authorized it here in 2014. It allows a judge to order a person who is charged with or has been convicted of a drug or alcohol-related crime to submit either to a breathalyzer test twice a day or drug tests multiple times a week, and it can be required as part of a sentence or used as an alternative to other drunken driving penalties such as license suspension or an ignition interlock. People who fail the breathalyzer would be thrown into jail for a short period, and authorities could issue a warrant for someone who doesnt show up for their test.

The state Attorney Generals office, which runs the program, wants to launch it in Twin Falls County likely later this year, Commissioner Terry Kramer said.

If its run to fruition, I think it would be very, very useful, Commissioner Don Hall said, adding that the frequent testing and immediate consequences for a violation would help people to stay sober.

Jail Administrator Capt. Doug Hughes said he can run the program without any extra personnel for now, and fees paid by participants have funded it in other jurisdictions that have tried it.

Commissioners are also considering replacing the temporary work-release annex at the jail that was put in 20 years ago with a new temporary one that would do the job until the expected construction of a new jail and court facility in the near future.

The county is in the early stages of a space-needs study on the jail and courts. There are also a few other old meant-to-be-temporary annexes at the jail, for inmate housing and staff work spaces. However, the work-release annex cant wait to be replaced during any larger reconstruction, Kramer said.

That old annex is really in bad shape, Kramer said.

And this time, truly temporary, Hall added.

Kramer said the county could possibly picking up a surplus modular unit that is at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina now, and would also do some pricing locally to see if a basic structure can be built cheaply.

City budget

Monday evening Rothweiler told the City Council about the work hes been doing on their budget. He said he wants to add funding for about eight new positions to the citys budget  about seven new hires, plus a police officer position that had been grant-funded but that the city now needs to absorb into its budget. Two of those are dispatchers  Rothweiler said these are the last positions that have to be made up due to downsizing the city did during the recession.

Rothweiler also said he is proposing 3.5 percent raises for the citys employees, plus a salary table adjustment. This will cost about $1.376 million, when the cost of a salary table adjustment that was done earlier this year is factored in. Councilman Chris Talkington said the raises would help keep employees who are leaving for higher-paying jobs.

This 3.5 is to kind of build up a defense and an assurance that theyre valued and we want to keep them there, he said.

Rothweiler said he was developing the budget assuming the city would raise taxes up to the legal cap of 3 percent plus the value of new construction, but without using any of the foregone balance, or money the city could have collected in the past but didnt because it raised property taxes less than 3 percent in some years. Twin Falls foregone balance is more than $2 million, by far the highest in the Magic Valley and one of the higher in the state. Rothweiler said the average property tax bill is about 11 percent lower now than it would be had the city raised taxes by the full amount every year.

The Council also discussed the possibility that the state Legislature could restrict or take away the citys ability to collect foregone balance in the future. Talkington said the citys large balance is evidence they are being responsible, and it could be used as an argument against any attempts to restrict them at the state level.

We are demonstrating to the public that we are frugal and responsible, he said.

Councilman Greg Lanting asked Rothweiler to show the Council what the budget would look like if the city were to take $1 million in foregone balance, saying the city had been behind on road repairs for years even before this past winter made a bigger mess of the citys roads. A local option sales tax, which some city officials have called for, is not going to pass the current Legislature, Lanting said, so the city needs to look at other options to make up the difference as the community grows.

You can starve the horse and starve the horse and starve the horse and youre saving money, Lanting said. But when the horse dies, what have you saved?

Rothweiler said he would present the Council with different versions showing the impact of taking some or all of the foregone balance. After he presents his draft budget in early July, the Council is scheduled to discuss the budget at every meeting until it passes a final budget on Aug. 28.
How does a fellow grow to 6 feet 8 inches without a spine? A fair question when talking about former FBI Director James Comey. St. James of the Potomac offered during his testimony last week before a committee of U.S. senators he was intimidated by Donald Trump and Loretta Lynch. Leftist mainstream media mainly ignored the latter in its attempt to continue the battering of the president. What we now know after the hearing is what Mr. Trump claimed all along. He had no relationship with Russia before Election Day. He instructed Comey to find anyone in the Trump campaign working in collusion with Russia. And Mr. Comey followed Lynchs instructions to downplay the matter of Hillary Clintons emails. This is the smoking gun Democrats have been seeking?

Comey appears to have choreographed a performance designed to make himself an aggrieved and assaulted law enforcer. By tossing out red meat on the Clinton campaign and the former liberal Attorney General he believes his battle with Trump doesnt look ideological. No wonder the director got canned. Hes a snake in the grass! As the hearing ended and the spinning opened it was clear reactions are based on team colors.

At a Republican dinner in February the chairman of the Idaho GOP reminded us things have been worse in this country. He cited the late 1960s when cities and campuses burned. A student of history can also cite 1778, 1863, 1932 and early 1942 as being particularly dark days for the United States. The country survived earlier challenges it would seem sometimes miraculously (1778) and in 1942 because of a greater outside threat. The scars from the other two dates still linger in opposing worldviews. Statues are being toppled by dark of night to avoid demonstrations, and the debate continues over the role of government in daily life. Weve survived before, is a comfort but Im not sure every time we flip a coin the result is heads. Unlike previous ages the expansion of the United Sates is complete and there are few opportunities to flee neighborhood disagreements. People are showing up at protests armed with bricks, brass knuckles and pistols. As the cities burned 50 years ago members of Richard Nixons Silent Majority watched the pictures in their living rooms. It was distant. The race riots werent a direct threat and the rioters were often simply demanding a slice of the pie. Many watching in silence were horrified by the flames but had empathy for the hunger. Today weve got one side demanding everyone else live by its dictates. Christians are ordered to bake cakes, take pictures and print T-shirts against their will and interpretation of the Almighty. Just last week Bernie Sanders upbraided an evangelical Christian at a Senate hearing. Sanders, Jewish by race but otherwise godless, is angry some Christians believe Jews and Muslims arent going to heaven. Dear Bernie, why are you so worried? You dont believe in an afterlife. Since the only Christians Sanders is acquainted with are Unitarians gobbling granola in Vermont he may not know the majority of Christian churches make it clear: Jesus is God incarnate. If you dont believe it then we arent worshipping the same God. Apparently this disqualifies a fellow for counting federal tax revenue!

College faculty lounges believe theyve got the only enlightened truth and Sanders allows a pass. Anyone who deviates from the snowflake faith is vilified and need not apply for work. It permeates mainstream media as well. A reporter in North Carolina covering a weekend demonstration against sharia considered the protesters evil. Liberals say it cant happen here and we shouldnt hurt the feelings of the Mohammedans. Meanwhile on a weekly basis there are stories of genital mutilation in Mohammedan communities across America and imams at some of the nations largest mosques predict sharia is coming and they pray for haste.

Thirty-five years ago a neighbor of mine launched a large brush fire. He had been attempting a small controlled burn on a windy evening when things got out of control. He told firefighters he never expected the mess he created because he had a small water tank on his back. He was knee-walking drunk that night. Are liberals sober when they make their self-congratulatory pronouncements about tolerance? How come Lefty cant look in the mirror and see the useful idiot? Please, Winston, be nice to Mr. Hitler or youll make him angry. A writer at the Wall Street Journal last week told the story of a grand church in Spain. Mohammedans are demanding they be allowed to also worship under the roof. There was a building prior on the site. Invading Saracens burned it and then constructed a mosque. When the invaders were repelled some 800 years ago the Roman Church occupied the new building on old church property. Coming to a neighborhood near you!

Were told immigrants and refugees are taking our jobs because were lazy, stupid and drug addicted and were told we deserve it because we voted for Trump. Im thinking the Silent Majority is about ready to get off the couch and come out swinging. Election Day was more than a preview. Last week a Seattle newspaper reported a city councilwoman announced at a public meeting she had no Republican friends. The crowd cheered. Im quickly divesting liberal acquaintances. Since they plan to destroy Christianity and traditional values of self-reliance in favor of a god-king along the lines of Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders or Kamala Harris then I want no part of the scheme. There are two solutions. Give them California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island as a separate nation and leave the rest of us alone. Option two is a massive Go Fund Me effort. Well buy the liberals one way tickets to any other country in the world. Or better yet, some place like Mars. A good place for the wigged out to launch their new civilization.
Morocco decided, upon directives from King Mohammed VI, to airlift shipments of foodstuffs to Qatar, in a gesture of solidarity and mutual assistance, it was officially announced in Rabat on Monday.

The decision was announced one week after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and some other Arab countries severed ties with Qatar and banned all air, land and sea transport with the Emirate.

This decision comes in accordance with the precepts of the Islamic religion, which encourages solidarity and mutual assistance among Islamic people, in particular during this blessed month of Ramadan, said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Morocco stresses that this decision is not connected with the political aspects of the crisis between Qatar and other brotherly countries, said the statement.

On Sunday, the Foreign Ministry had released a statement highlighting Moroccos standpoint on the crisis that it has been following with great concern, and pointing out that since the outbreak of the crisis between the Gulf countries, King Mohammed VI has maintained close and continuous contact with the different parties to the crisis.

The statement pointed out that given the strong personal ties of sincere fraternity and mutual esteem between King Mohammed VI and the rulers of the Gulf countries and taking into account the unique strategic partnership existing between Morocco and the GCC states, Morocco made sure not to indulge in public statements and hasty stands that would only widen the rift and deepen grievances.

King Mohammed VI called on all parties to show restraint and wisdom in order to defuse tension, overcome this crisis and definitely settle the causes that led to it, the Foreign Ministry said in the statement released Sunday.

The statement added that If the parties wish so, Morocco is ready to offer its good offices conducive to a calm, franc and comprehensive dialog on the basis of non-interference in domestic affairs, the fight against religious extremism, clarity in positions and loyalty in commitments.
Irans Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the U.S. of destabilizing the Middle East by providing support to extremist groups active in the region.

In one of his latest tweets on Monday, the Supreme leader claimed that the U.S. president accuses Iran of terrorism, while terrorism in this region has American roots.

In a separate tweet, he wrote that (the) U.S arms a terrorist group is what causes instability before asking Who created ISIS? The U.S.!

President Donald Trump is fond of using tweeter to share his opinions but he is yet to reply to Khameneis tweets.

A terrorist attack claimed by ISIS on Iran last week killed at least 17 people.

Trump commented that one reaps what it sows. States that sponsor terrorism rick falling victim to the evil they promote Trump twitted in reference to Washingtons long standing accusation that Iran supports terrorist groups.

Khamenei said the U.S. and its allies engagement in the Middle East to fight terrorism is a lie and referred to them as the source of instability in the Middle East. He stressed that relations between the American and Iranian governments would continue to be at a standstill because most of our problems with them cannot be resolved.

Among the problems affecting the normalization of ties that have broken since the 1979 Islamic Revolution is the American government being against an independent Iran and the existence of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In another development, the Iranian Intelligence Minister has assured members of the parliament that there is no longer a single active terrorist cell in the country. The assurances came a week after Iran suffered its first deadly terrorist attack in many years.
Iraqs Health Minister and the UN refugee agency have confirmed that there was a mass food poisoning at the Hasansham U2 camp, located between Mosul and Irbil, and at least one person has died. Health Minister Adila Hamoud said the meal that was served as Iftar affected around 800 people, with at least 300 in critical conditions.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was really concerned by the events at the camp. Its staff are coordinating with other agencies and authorities to provide swift medical treatment and transport the seriously sick to nearby hospitals.

It is unclear if the food poisoning was deliberate. The camp houses more than 6,235 people. Some of those affected were vomiting while others fainted. The food was provided by a non-governmental Qatari charity organization. The meal was prepared by a restaurant in Irbil and the owner is reported to have been arrested.

Camp supervisor Rizgar Obed told Rudaw news agency that outside organizations had previously been banned from bringing in food, but the camp authorities had been forced under great pressure to change the regulations. The camp lies close to Mosul, which is the Islamic States de-facto capital where the battle has intensified. IS fighters are currently under heavy siege in the west of the city.

Almost 10,000 people fled from Mosuls northwest and the Old City every day during the last week of May, the UN said. More than 750,000 people have been displaced from the city since October. Thirteen camps have been established by the UNHCR to deal with the flow of the internally displaced people fleeing the city.
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.
Ghanas cocoa board this weekend said it has accumulated $2.2 billion in debt after the nation missed its production target in the previous season.

The West African nation, the second-largest producing country in the world, targets to raise production to 1 million tons by 2020, from the current annual output of 800,000 tons.

According to Ghana Cocoa Board, the country did not meet its revenue targets for the 2015-16 seasons as the total output of 778,000 metric tons of beans fell short of an earmarked 850,000 tons.

The board so far suffered $1 billion in revenue losses in the current season that started in October as future contract prices fell by more than a third since the middle of last year, the regulator said.

The Cocoa Board was seeking funding from African Development Bank and other partners to undertake an extensive rehabilitation of moribund farms.

Rating agency Moodys, in a report titled, Sovereigns  Africa: Cote dIvoire and Ghana Resilient to Credit Pressures from Fall in Cocoa Prices, said it expects the current cocoa account deficit in Ghana to improve to 6.3 per cent of GDP in 2017 from 6.6 per cent in 2016.

The government of President Nana Akufo-Addo has recently appointed Joseph Boahen Aidoo as chief executive officer of the cocoa regulator.

Cocoa sector contributes 4.22% of the countrys GDP and 30% of export earnings.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday vowed to strengthen military partnership with Cote dIvoire, as he met with the west-African nations leader Alassane Ouattara at the Elysee Palace in France.

While Cote dIvoire will join the UN Security Council in 2018, security and anti-terrorist issues have topped the agenda of the discussions between the two heads of state.

Abidjan is one of three reservoirs of French troops in the world, along with Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates, providing entry points to the different regions. The French military trains about 600 Ivorian soldiers each year.

France is also the second largest economic partner of Cote dIvoire after Nigeria and has nearly 700 companies in the country.

The Sunday meeting shows the strong attachment of France to Cote dIvoire, which is an essential partner, said the Elysee in a statement.

Cote dIvoire is Africas fastest growing economy, according to the IMFs latest World Economic Outlook. The West African nations GDP is expected to grow by 8.5% this year.

This accelerated economic growth has motivated big corporations to set base in the country, among which, Nestle, MTN, Orange, Olam, etc.
Tanzanias government this weekend signed a $154 million contract with Chinese giant China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to expand the East African nations main port in capital city Dar es Salaam.

According to the agreement, Chinas state-run CHEC will build a roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) terminal and deepen and strengthen seven berths at Dar es Salaam port.

Deepening and strengthening of the berths will allow big container ships to dock in Dar es Salaam. All these efforts are being done in order to increase competitiveness of the port, works, transport and communications minister Makame Mbarawa said.

The expansion works will increase container through output to 28 million tons a year by 2020 from around 20 million tons currently, he said.

The Tanzanian government will receive a $305 million loan from the World Bank to fund the extension works at the port and ease congestion in Dar es Salaams gridlocked streets. It is expected to benefit around 500,000 people in the city of 4 million.

Tanzania has ramped up spending in recent years to build a standard gauge railway, new roads and other infrastructure projects.

The government last week indicated that it plans to increase spending in its budget for the fiscal year ending June 2018 by 7.3 percent with a focus on infrastructure.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the slain Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has been freed by the Zintan authorities after six years in captivity. Zintans Abubaker Sadiq brigade, which was responsible for guarding Saif, said it released him on Friday following requests from the Justice Ministry of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). The brigade confirmed that he left the city on the same day.

The release of the 44-year old, once dubbed as the successor to his father, was confirmed by his lawyer Khaled al-Zaidi. He is confident that Saif will play a pivotal and detailed role in this stage of turmoil that Libya is going through. Zaidi added that Saifs priorities are topped by eradicating terrorism, ensuring security and then bringing back life and economic prosperity.

Zintans military and municipal councils condemned Saifs release in a statement stressing that it had nothing to do with legal procedures, but is collusion and betrayal of the blood of the martyrs and the military institution that they claim to belong to. HoRs defense and security committee was also critical of his release.

Saif al-Islam is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a Tripoli court sentenced him to death in absentia in 2015 for his role in killing protesters during the uprising of 2011. Lawyer Zaidi explained that Saif was freed under an amnesty law by the HoR and rejected calls for him to surrender himself to the ICC. He has refused to reveal his whereabouts for security reasons.

In the same vein, around 30 Gaddafi era prisoners have been released from the Hadba prison under the control of the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade under Haitham Tajouris command. It is still unclear who among them have been freed but two army brigadiers, Naji Masoud Hariri and Sharif Mohamad Benniran, three colonels, Mohamed Abdulrahim Abdullah, Fathi Ibrahim Mabrouk and Salem Awaidat and a doctor, Tahir Ahmed Al-Marghani are said to be among them.
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Georgia earns $55m by exporting over 24m bottles of wine

Georgia exported 24.75 million bottles of wine to 41 countries from January to May 2017, adding $55.52 million to the economy.Revenue increased by 58 percent from the same period in 2016, while the volume of exports increased by 64 percent, said the Georgian National Wine Agency.The top five countries that imported Georgian wine in January-May 2017 were as follows:1. Russia  14,820,976 bottles2. China  3,234,144 bottles3. Ukraine  2,364,112 bottles4. Kazakhstan  1,048,195 bottles5. Poland  978,360 bottlesWine exports also increased to the European Union (EU), China and other traditional export markets for Georgia, said the Georgian National Wine Agency.This year exports of Georgian wine increased to: France  500 percent (89,986 bottles) Israel  253 percent (92,310 bottles) Azerbaijan  202 percent (77,202 bottles) China  160 percent (3,234,144 bottles) Russia  96 percent (14,820,976 bottles) Belarus  59 percent (416,962 bottles) United States  54 percent (148,470 bottles) Ukraine  28 percent (2,364,112 bottles) Germany  18 percent (167,296 bottles) Poland  17 percent (978,360 bottles)Meanwhile, Georgia exported 5,521,594 bottles of Georgian brandy to 17 countries in the first five months of 2017. This was a 66 percent increase year-over-year (y/y).So far this year, Georgia has generated $13.3 million from the sale of brandy abroad.Georgia also exported 73,586 bottles of Chacha  95 percent more compared to the same period of last year. By selling Chacha abroad Georgia generated $205,200, which was 47 percent increase y/y.In total, Georgia has sold $100.8 million worth of alcoholic beverages in January-May 2017, including wine, brandy, chacha and others.
Azeri journalists wife rejects offer of Georgian citizenship

By Messenger Staff

The wife of Azeri journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who disappeared from Tbilisi and later was found detained in Baku, has rejected the offer of senior Georgian officials over granting her and her children Georgian citizenship.The offer came after Mukhtarli, who had fled his homeland due to his investigations into high-ranking Azeri officials businesses. He was detained by the Azeri border service for the alleged smuggling of money and the illegal crossing of the Georgian-Azerbaijan border. The journalists wife and his lawyers claim the charges were invented, and Mukhtarli was handed to the Azerbaijani authorities by Georgian law enforcement agents.Leila Mustafaeva gave her reason for rejecting Georgian citizenship as the preliminary attitude of the government of Georgia towards her family.I will not accept the citizenship of Georgia. I requested the permission of residency last year but I was assessed as being 'engaged in a dangerous activity'. As it seems, after my husband has been detained, I am no longer dangerous, she said.Georgias PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili addressed President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who is the only official who can grant citizenships, to make an exception and grant Mukhtarlis wife and children Georgias citizenship. The President agreed.Mukhtarli has lived in Georgia since 2015.Meanwhile, the US Department of State has released a statement over the Mukhtarli case, expressing its concern.The United States is disturbed by the reported abduction in Tbilisi, Georgia, and subsequent arrest in Azerbaijan of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli on May 30. We are also troubled by the May 25 arrest in Azerbaijan of Popular Front Party deputy chairperson Gozal Bayramli.We urge the government of Azerbaijan to release all those incarcerated for exercising their fundamental freedoms in accordance with its international and OSCE commitments.We are closely following the Georgian investigation into the reported abduction, and urge that it be full, transparent, and timely, the statement reads.The government of Georgia has strongly denied Georgias participation in the detention.They stressed that many of those disliked by the Azeri government had lived in Georgia for years and no one has ever been handed to the Azerbaijani government.Georgia is investigating the case, and the results of the investigation will be of utmost importance, as the case concerns the international image of the country.
The News in Brief

Hotels to be monitored in coastal regions



Service monitoring of Adjara regional hotels in terms of fire safety measures is currently underway, as the tourist season is already near.



As the head of MIA Emergency Situations Management Agency, Zviad Katsashvili, has told reporters, the hotels were given particular recommendations to provide fire safety measures, otherwise, they will have to pay a fine.



The security system should be improved in a reasonable term. Otherwise the hotels will experience fine. It is mandatory. The situation will be strictly controlled, Zviad Katsashvili has said.

(IPN)







Republika Srpska President Meets South Ossetian Leader



Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, a constituent entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held a meeting with South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov on June 1 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.



According to Bibilovs press service, at the meeting, Dodik spoke about the pressure that the Western countries apply against 'his republic', and the wish to develop into a self-governing state.



Dodik also expressed his readiness for cooperation with Tskhinvali. I am glad to get to know you, and we closely watched the events in South Ossetia, we know what happened there, and we felt sympathy for you, the head of the Republika Srpska was quoted as saying.



Bibilov responded that South Ossetia and Republika Srpska have 'similar fates'. Our peoples have faced similar problems, we have common goals, common friends and the same faith, he added.



According to Bibilovs press service, the two tentatively agreed that Dodik would visit Tskhinvali on September 20, when the region marks the Day of the Republic, while Milorad Dodik invited Bibilov to take part in the Day of Republika Srpska celebrations on January 9.

(Civil.ge)







NGOs call on the High Council of Justice not to appoint Court Chairs using opaque processes



The High Council of Justice (HCOJ) is hearing the issue of appointing Court Chairs. This means that the current corps of the HCOJ, in the final days of its mandate, may appoint the Chairs for five-year terms.



The broad discretionary mandate of Court/Chamber/Collegium Chairs and the opaque practices of their appointment have long been serious problems for the judicial system. To date there are no criteria or procedures set in the legislation for selecting the chairs. The experience of the judicial system shows that the chairs are a group of the most influential judges, and their formal and informal roles and status create possibilities for exerting control over individual judges. Because of this the chairs have for years been considered bosses by the judges and are the main mechanism for managing the judicial system.



The result is that ideas for reforming this institution have always been met with severe and irrational criticism by the influential groups within the system. For example, although the initial draft of the Third Wave judicial reforms package had provisions for the court chairs to be elected by the judges of respective courts and this was commended by the Venice Commission report in 2014, this provision was removed from the final draft of the legislation, likely because of the demands of this influential group. Also, the provision introducing court chair election rules was changed due to the demands of the majority of the HCOJ members in the final stages of the long-term judicial strategy development.



In the Coalitions view, the improvement of the Chairs must start with changes in their selection rules. We believe that respective courts must be given the opportunity to elect the chairs themselves so that the HCOJ no longer retains the power to dispatch their own representative as a chair to control the courts.



The fact that the HCOJ is hearing appointment of court chairs for five-year terms while the mandates of the majority of its members are expiring in early June raises concern that the HCOJs current membership is trying to ensure that the important administrative positions are filled with their desired personnel. These questions are further strengthened by the Tbilisi Appeals Court Chairs unexpected resignation on May 25, allowing the HCOJ to appoint its desired candidate to this position. It is worth noting that the Tbilisi Appeals Court Chairs term was ending in four months, further strengthening the suspicion of a possible informal agreement.



The Coalition for Independent Judiciary considers that in this situation, if the HCOJ fills the chair vacancies using an opaque process and ignoring merit, this will further significantly undermine public trust in the judiciary, boost the informal influences within the judicial system, and the independence of individual judges will come under significant doubt.

(Transparency.ge)




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.
The watchdogs at Judicial Watch discovered documents that reveal how the Obama administration's close coordination with the Mexican government entices Mexicans to hop over the fence and on to the American dole.

Even though it has gone virtually unreported by corporate media,has extensively documented the Clintons longstanding support for open borders. Interestingly, as theobserved in 2007, the Clintons praise for globalization and open borders frequently comes when they are speaking before a wealthy foreign audiences and donors.

There was an extremely important hearing in Congress a day before the James Comey hearing last week that almost no one heard about, because the majority of newspapers and networks didnt cover it. It was not about fictional Russian collusion or non-obstruction (the investigation went on unimpeded)

It concerned a death in 2010 of a border guard, Brian Terry, at the hands of a criminal whose gun was sold to him by the Obama administration. The ATF, Justice department and White House colluded for years to block (obstruct) the public and the family of Terry from learning the truth. Then-attorney general Eric Holder even committed perjury. There was a whistleblower at the hearing. The media and the Democrats showed throughout that hearing that they never cared about the man's death and their lack of interest in this hearing shows that continues.

The House Oversight Committee let loose with a scathing assessment of Eric Holder in a recent report, accusing the Barack Obama-era attorney general of outright misleading Congress on its investigation of the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal. And get this. Among the reports 300 pages is the committees finding that Holder regarded the family of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry as a nuisance. Terry, of course, was killed in December 2010 by a firearm believed to be part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Operation Fast and Furious program. But key details of his death are fuzzy  like the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. More than five years after Brians murder, the Terry family still wonders about key details of Operation Fast and Furious, the report reads, Fox News reported The Justice Departments obstruction of Congresss investigation contributed to the Terry familys inability to find answers. Terrys death was supposedly the incident that led to revelation of Fast and Furious  the program that saw the feds turn blind eyes to 2,000 or so firearms illegally purchased by drug smugglers, in hopes of tracing them to cartel big-wigs. Sadly, the feds then lost track of 1,400 or so of these weapons  two of which turned up at Terrys crime scene. Holder told investigators he didnt know of this program before Terrys murder. But report authors say thats just not true.

Obama did everything he could for four years to keep the public and the family of Brian Terry from seeing documents from Operation Fast and Furious.

Friday , turning over to lawmakers thousands of pages of records that led to unusual House votes holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt in 2012, Politicos Josh Gerstein Four years after asserting executive privilege to block Congress from obtaining documents relating to a controversial federal gun trafficking investigation, President Barack Obama relented, turning over to lawmakers thousands of pages of records that led to unusual House votes holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt in 2012, Politicos Josh Gerstein wrote on Friday. Fast and Furious remains the only scandal over which this president has used executive privilege power to hide documents from congressional investigators. Obama did not use the highly controversial power in any other scandal, including the following: Benghazi, IRS, Department of Justice phone-tapping, Pigford, General Services Administration (GSA), Solyndra, LightSquared, or EPA administrator email aliases. In the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, the Obama administration let guns walkor be trafficked without surveillance or any plan to regain control of theminto the hands of Mexican drug cartel criminals. As many as 2,000 high-powered rifles walked into Mexico as part of the scheme, and they were used to kill many Mexican citizens and even U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. Now, after House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) investigators have been litigating for years after Obamas now former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in both criminal and civil contempt of Congress, the president has dropped his executive privilege claim over the documents. The civil contempt of Congress resolution sparked this lawsuit against the administration while the criminal contempt resolution would have led to charges against Holder, but the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia declined to press forward with prosecution. Holder has since resigned at Attorney General. Several other administration officials resigned over this scandal.

There was an obvious theme through Obamas eight years that some lives didnt matter. If your death interfered with Obamas legacy or agenda, it just wasnt important. He had a sycophant media and Democrats that went along.

Whether you were a Border Patrol agent, or a DNC staffer shot in the back, or people killed by illegal immigrants, or people killed by terrorists, or a U.S. ambassador and his staff killed in Libya by al-Qaeda, the media and Democrats showed little interest since these atrocities never advanced the Obama agenda.

With the border guard, the AG actually committed perjury and no one asked him to resign. With the DNC staffer, there has been little interest so far in what seem to be legitimate questions about why he was shot dead. When people are killed by illegal immigrants, the media mostly ignore the story because sanctuary cities are safe. When an ambassador is killed by terrorists, the president, his Secretary of State, and others literally made up stories about a video. The truth would hurt because an election was coming and Obama had said that terrorists were on the run. A couple months after the attack, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said 'at this point what difference does it make' how they died. (It is a shame that the smartest woman in the world didnt know why it mattered). To this day, the media and the Democrats have not cared what Obama did on the night of Sept. 11, 2012 when he didnt lift a finger to help Americans under attack. As for general attacks by terrorists which were up throughout the world during Obamas eight years, we were told that climate change was more dangerous than terrorism. I am sure the people who died wouldnt agree.

Obama and the media did put some deaths to use. When Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Mo., in a clearly justified killing by a white police officer, a fictitious 'Hands up, Dont Shoot' narrative began. The Obama administration and the media were able to foment racial anger and hatred of cops even though the shooting was justified. We had riots, damage and police shootings because of this false narrative that the media willingly spread. From the day of the shooting, the media sought to destroy the white police officer. The media, Obama and the Democrats obviously didn't care about Darren Wilson (the police officer) or his family. They had a narrative to push. Today they are out to destroy Donald Trump and his family every day because they have an agenda to push, once again, not because of any illegality.

Michelle Obama has said the Democrats take the high road when campaigning. That could not be further from the truth. Democrats seek to destroy (they are the party of personal destruction) opponents of their agenda and stifle their speech. A few days before Obama was elected he said he wanted to remake America. What is truly a danger to our freedom and democracy are the significant majority of reporters that also seek to destroy those who disagree with Democrats. The media picks and chooses what to report, the slant to put on the story and what not to report. The Terry murder and hearing should have been very titillating to all investigative reporters (especially Watergate lovers) yet there was almost universal silence. That shows pure ideology, not an interest in the truth.
@MichaelAuslen

The end of session last month brought the first chance for some of the highest-power candidates for the Florida Cabinet to raise funds.

With all three Cabinet seats open in the 2018 election, would-be attorneys general, commissioners of agriculture and chief financial officers posted May fundraising numbers meant to intimidate.

Though the full field of candidates are still forming, heres a rundown of May numbers for those who have declared.

Commissioner of agriculture

Republican Sen. Denise Grimsley raised $71,390 last month to her campaign and her political committee, Saving Florida's Heartland. That brings her total since the November election to $876,795.

That includes a $20,000 transfer from her old campaign account. Grimsleys top donors are:

* Associated Industries of Florida, through various political committees: $80,000

* Florida Leadership Committee, the political committee run by Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala: $53,000

* Innovate Florida, the political committee run by future Senate President Joe Negron: $50,000

* Florida Chamber of Commerce: $26,000

* U.S. Sugar: $25,000

Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell brought in $111,915 last month between his campaign and a political committee called Friends of Matt Caldwell to bring his total to $822,764 since his reelection to the Florida House last November.

That includes a $170,000 donation from fellow Rep. Jason Brodeurs political committee in February that looks to have been funded by a separate transfer from an older Caldwell account. Ignoring the Brodeur contribution, Caldwells top donors since November are:

* Associated Industries of Florida, through various committees: $101,000

* Florida Jobs PAC, run by the Florida Chamber of Commerce: $40,000

* U.S. Sugar: $25,000

* Six Ls Packing Company: $25,000

* Free Markets for Florida, a political committee run by state Reps. Ray Rodrigues, Travis Cummings and Manny Diaz: $23,000

Former Republican state Rep. Baxter Troutman just filed to run Monday, so he has not reported any donations yet. But he did say he plans to kickstart his campaign with a $2.5 million contribution from his own deep pockets.

Michael Christine, a University of Miami law student and newcomer to Democratic Party politics, raised $3,183 last month, bringing his total since declaring in April to $3,559. His top donors are all individuals and all donated to his campaign, capping them at $3,000.

Onetime Orlando mayoral candidate and businessman Paul Paulson, a Republican, raised $273,023 last month. But nearly all of that  $250,080 was a loan from the candidate himself. He also lent $120,000 to his campaign in April.

Attorney general

Republican state Rep. Jay Fant raised $88,575 last month between his campaign and a political committee, Pledge This Day. Since essentially being reelected to the House last June, he has raised 173,475. Fants top donors  excluding $5,000 from himself:

* JB Coxwell Contracting: $9,000

* Petropac, an oilfield services company: $6,000

* U.S. Sugar: $5,000

* Quintin Kendall, an executive at CSX Transportation: $5,000

* Committee of Florida Agents, a real estate group: $5,000

Fellow Republican Ashley Moody, a former judge in Hillsborough County, announced in June and has not had to publish campaign finance.

Ryan Torrens, a Democrat and Tampa foreclosure lawyer, raised $3,618 in May, all from individuals.

Chief financial officer

The lone declared candidate, former Democratic Sen. Jeremy Ring declared at the very end of May but raised $18,500 last month in a political committee, Florida Action Fund PC. Since 2015, that committee has raised $289,871. His top donors:

* Law firm Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart and Shipley: $25,000

* Private equity investor Jeff Roschman: $25,000

* Tech executive Alvaro Monserrat: $25,000

* Florida Chamber of Commerce: $25,000

* Florida Fire PAC, an arm of the Florida Professional Firefighters: $15,000

Note: This post has been updated to correct numbers reported for Sen. Denise Grimsley.
@amysherman1

Fox News Greg Gutfeld says people who cite statistics about the hottest year ever or high temperatures are spreading "B.S."

He says people who make such claims are not telling the full story about temperature statistics.

"If you asked them what the increase was, they wouldn't be able to tell you that every single year that there's an increase, it is within the margin of error, meaning it isnt increasing," Gutfeld said June 2 on the show he co-hosts, The Five.

"So, those are called real truths," he continued. "The poetic truth is the chaos and the hysteria, because that plays to the media. And it makes you feel so important. And you get to punish America for being so successful by doing these stupid deals. But if you read the facts about the high temperatures, about the reality of our past, it is all B.S."

Gutfeld made the statement on The Five as the panel discussed President Donald Trumps decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

We interviewed several scientists who said Gutfelds statement -- that temperature increases are within the margin of error and therefore not increasing -- is wrong. Rather than point to "single year" increases, experts said that long-term trends clearly show the temperature has been rising for decades.

Keep reading from PolitiFact
@alextdaugherty

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did not get into specifics when asked about President Donald Trump's Cuba announcement set for Friday in Miami as senators from both parties questioned Tillerson during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday.

"Can you give us some of the general contours you see shaping up relative to what that policy is going to be?" asked committee chairman Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican and Trump ally.

"The general approach...is to allow as much of this continued commercial and engagement activity go to on as possible," Tillerson said. "We do see the sunny side as I describe it, we do see the benefits of that and to the Cuban people. But on the other hand, we think we have achieved very little in terms of changing the behavior of the regime in Cuba and the treatment of its people. Our concern is that they may be the biggest beneficiaries of all of this which promotes the continuance of that regime."

Tillerson said that pressure on the Cuban government to implement democratic reforms "has been, in our view, largely removed now" after former President Barack Obama strengthened relations between the United States and Cuba in 2016.

"I was down there not long ago and America has always felt that if it could do more business with folks it would pave the way for democracy," Corker said. "I do hope we end up with a policy that will cause the Cuban people themselves to reach their aspirations."

New Mexico Democratic Sen. Tom Udall, a supporter of Obama's efforts, rattled off a host of business ventures now possible in Cuba after Obama's changes, including the introduction of Airbnb into the Cuban economy.

"Do you agree we should continue these efforts or do you believe we should return to the failed policies of the Cold War?" Udall asked.

"Well, what you have described is the sunny side of the relationship and it's all positive and it's great," Tillerson said. "There is the dark side though and that is Cuba has failed to improve it's own human rights record. What we have to achieve in approaching Cuba is if were going to sustain the sunny side of this relationship Cuba must begin to address the human rights challenges. Within the sunny side of the relationship there are troubling elements to us that bring the relationship into conflict with existing statute obligations. Are we inadvertently or directly providing financial support to the regime? Our view is, we are."

Tillerson also said he supports efforts to improve internet access in Cuba, but hedged that the focus of the policy review is making sure the Cuban government does not financially benefit from increased U.S. involvement on the island.

In late May, 55 senators from both parties signed on to a bill that would fully eliminate travel restrictions to the island.

Cuban-American lawmakers Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart  who favor the elimination of what they see as concessions to the Cuban government  have been involved in the Cuba review in recent months.

Friday's announcement will reportedly take place at the Manuel Artime Theater, a former church that is symbolic for Cuban exiles.
@amysherman1

Tim Canova, who lost a heated Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in August, will announce his political plans for 2018 Thursday.

Canova, a Nova Southeastern University law professor and Hollywood resident, confirmed to the Miami Herald in a text Tuesday that he will announce his plans at a progressive caucus event at the Broward AFL-CIO office in Plantation at 6:30 p.m Thursday:

Canova wrote on Facebook that he will speak at the event where he will be making a big announcement on our plans for 2018, which will be live streamed on this page. You won't want to miss out!

In September, Canova filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission so he could start fundraising in case he decided to run against Wasserman Schultz who represents a Broward/Miami-Dade district. But through April he hasnt fundraised.

While Canova has argued someone on the left should challenge Wasserman Schultz, he hasnt made clear if that someone will be him or whether he will run for another office. Two possibilities: he could be joining an already crowded Democratic field for governor or running against U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Floridas only statewide Democratic office holder who is likely to face Republican Gov. Rick Scott.

Earlier this year, Canova delivered petitions to Nelsons Coral Gables office to demand he take action to halt the Sabal Trail Pipeline.

Despite Canovas loss to Wasserman Schultz by 14 percentage points in the August primary, his prolific fundraising showed he is a serious candidate. In his first race ever, Canova drew drew support from Bernie Sanders fans and raised $3.8 million.

Last year was the first time that Wasserman Schultz faced a challenge from the left in many years. She defended her seat when she was at her most vulnerable -- several weeks after she resigned as chair of the Democratic National Committee amid leaks of emails showing the party favored Hillary Clinton over Sanders.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Canova expressed frustration with the Florida Democratic Party and said that it is allowing Wasserman Schultz to make welcoming remarks at the annual Leadership Blue gala. Canova directed some of his ire at party chairman Stephen Bittel, an ally of Wasserman Schultz.

Why the party would want to promote the very personification of scandal, disgrace, and failure to open the gala says more about the incompetence and bad faith of Bittel and his leadership team than any lip service they've given in recent months and even recent days about remaining neutral and impartial in contested primaries.

But Wasserman Schultz's spokesman David Damron said that Wasserman Schultz isn't speaking at the gala.

The Florida Democratic Party has not yet released a list of speakers -- other than headliner former Vice President Joe Biden -- and declined to comment.

Nelson will speak at the event, his spokesman Ryan Brown said.

This post has been updated to include information from spokespersons for Wasserman Schultz and Nelson.
BILLINGS  A number of Republicans are already weighing challenges to Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Several would-be GOP candidates turned up in Billings over the weekend, suggesting there could be a crowded Republican primary to select a Tester challenger. Montana Republican Party delegates met in Billings last Friday and Saturday to select new party leadership.

The would-be candidates include Troy Downing of Big Sky; Scott Roy McLean of Missoula; and Kalispell legislator Albert Olszewski; plus a couple of other prospects who are sniffing around.

Yellowstone County District Judge Russell Fagg has only said hell consider a run for public office after retiring from the bench in October. Nonetheless, the former state Republican legislator took the opportunity to introduce himself to convention attendees last Friday.

Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale kept a close eye on Senate prospects. Rosendale hasnt said whether he will run for U.S. Senate. Asked by Lee Newspapers on May 31 if he would run for federal office, Rosendale said he would first focus on any insurance changes brought about by the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and then decide.

Another Republican eyeing a run, Kurt Allen Cole of Troy, missed the Billings event, but told Lee Newspapers last week hes exploring a candidacy.

Debra Lamm, the newly elected chairwoman of the Republican Party, said conservatives haven't been happy with several Tester votes, including his opposition to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Tester's support for the Iran nuclear weapons deal also rubbed Republicans the wrong way and stirred interest in political challengers.

Downing said the success of President Donald J. Trump and Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte, neither of whom had previously been elected, is a sign that voters are looking for an outsider.

I dont care how smart you are, how good you are, how well-intentioned you are. I think after a certain period you become so institutionalized, you no longer think like a normal American, Downing said.

Not by coincidence, Downing said politicians stop thinking like the electorate after about 12 years. Testers current tenure is 11 years. Downing, who lives in Big Sky, is the head of a California-based self-storage company. He been in the Big Sky area since 1998.

Cole, a former vermiculite miner who suffers from asbestosis after his years working for W.R. Grace in Libby, said there arent enough common men in federal politics. The 64-year-old Montana native has done ranch work, milled lumber and mined coal. Friends encouraged him to turn his practical experience to the Senate.

McLean is a Hamilton attorney specializing in estate and business law. He was previously a law clerk for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he worked closely with Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Olszewski was the first candidate to publicly show interest in challenging Tester. A state legislator, Olszewski is an orthopedic surgeon from Kalispell.

Interest in challenging Tester picked up after Montana Attorney General Tim Fox announced June 5 that he would not run for U.S. Senate. Fox had been considered the most likely Republican pick.
The Missoula Club has denied all allegations from a civil lawsuit that accuses the bar of discriminating against a gay man in May.

In a statement released by local attorney Dwight Schulte, the club said it looks forward to addressing the complaint in open court, and denies any acts of discrimination.

"The Missoula Club is a Montana institution that has welcomed persons of every race, color, creed, religion, gender, and sexual orientation," the statement read. On Tuesday, the bar had not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.

Reece Pierce claims the bar was negligent in training its staff and that it violated the city's non-discrimination ordinance when one of its bartenders allegedly assaulted him, according to the lawsuit filed on May 30.

The bartender named in the lawsuit, Ryan Blume, was cited for assault and pleaded not guilty to the charge in Missoula Municipal Court on May 12. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 11.

According to the ticket issued to Blume, a little before 1 a.m. on May 6, Blume punched Pierce in the back of the head, pushed him against a wall and threw him on the ground.
To pinch pennies, Topher Williams once shared a house that was being foreclosed on with six other people because, for a few months, no one was collecting rent.

"I don't know if you're supposed to do that, but it saved me a lot of money," Williams said.

Williams, 25 this summer, owns a car, but he hasn't always been able to afford to fill up the tank.

To get his degree in communications from the University of Montana, he at times worked 40 hours a week and took a full load of credits. He also put school on hold completely for a spell to alleviate the stress of holding down a job and studying at the same time.

This year, he graduated with nearly $30,000 in debt, close to the $27,504 average among students who borrow in Montana. He incurred most of it in his first year paying out-of-state tuition.

For nonresidents, tuition and fees alone will cost $25,405 this coming year, not including living expenses, books, transportation, and other costs.

Yet Williams comes from a middle-class, maybe upper-middle-class family in Boulder, Colorado. He always knew he'd go to college, and his parents helped him pay as they could, when his father's business could support it.

"This is what even privileged people have to go through to get higher education, let alone an advanced degree," Williams said.

The former staffer at Mountain Line, the Missoula Downtown Association and Forward Montana believes the debt will be worthwhile. After all, research still shows that he'll earn more money over the long term; earlier this year, CNN Money reported college graduates earned 67 percent more than high school grads in 2016.

But his lifestyle will be markedly different because he's saddled with financial obligation from getting his degree.

"The concern is, though, because students accumulate so much debt these days ... it prices students out of other things, from buying a house, or getting married, or having children," Williams said.

He figures he'll forego home ownership at least in the near future.

***

In his first year, Williams lived in the dorm, took a full load of classes, and pulled work-study shifts.

"The out-of-state tuition was so expensive that the next year, I moved into a part-time status, less than six credits, to establish residency. And I worked full time," Williams said.

But when he returned to school, he no longer qualified for some of the federal need-based aid and work-study funds he'd earned earlier because his father's company was doing better. So he got a job.

"I worked full time, and my grades suffered," Williams said.

One morning, Williams felt paralyzed in his bed thinking of all the tasks he needed to complete in the next 16 hours. He'd slept probably just five or six.

"That day, I made the decision to withdraw from the university for a few years," he said.

***

The time off gave him the opportunity to reevaluate his work-life balance. Now, he runs trails and swims laps  and he's learned that sitting on a nonprofit board shouldn't be considered a "hobby."

The time off also gave him the chance to pay off some debt.

"If it weren't for my parents, I would have much more debt, and it would have been a lot more difficult to get through college," Williams said.

He has friends with $60,000 in debt, even more.

"They'll die with their student loans."

***

Like many other students, Williams shares textbooks or avoids buying them if possible. To save money, he's lived in at least one place that probably wasn't safe, and he's lived with friends who have offered him the "friend rate" for rent.

At times, lack of funds has forced him to leave his car parked.

"I'm a big fan of riding my bike and taking the bus, but there's a difference in choosing those things because you want to and having a vehicle but not being able to afford to drive it," he said.

During his time off, Williams saved up money, and in the most recent school year, his parents also were able to help him more. So he was able to focus on school.

He doesn't consider himself the most academic person, since he'd rather apply theories in real life than discuss them in class. But he's been pleased to see the results of his time studying pay off.

He'd flunked out of classes before or had to withdraw, but in his graduation year, he was hitting a 3.4 or 3.6 grade-point average.
Montana legislators proposed to allow themselves to carry concealed weapons, arguing the need to protect themselves from enraged citizens.

Greg Gianforte beats up a reporter on the eve of his election. Perhaps the next argument for legislators' concealed weapons will be the need for protection against journalists. Donald Trump calls journalists the enemy of the people.

Maybe President Trump has a point; we should consider what it means to be the enemy of the people. Fox News and other right-wing media set the stage for Trump and the hacking of democracy. Fox says that all media save theirs is biased, while they are by far the most biased. Every story is spun to program people's very identity to be against whatever Democrats or liberals are for.

Republicans have adopted this approach; theyre no longer about solving actual problems, theyre about ideology. Our nation, and democracy, is weakened when science and facts are seen as liberal. Fox's emphasis on ideology at the expense of facts creates weak minds susceptible to manipulation by oligarchs and plutocrats whose primary agenda is to increase their own power and wealth. When America is no longer based in facts, Vladimir Putin's propaganda is on equal footing.

Mark Grimes,

Missoula
Butte-Silver Bow police have confirmed that a single gunshot was fired Tuesday in the womens bathroom of the Knights of Columbus building, 224 W. Park St., in Uptown Butte.

Undersheriff George Skuletich said police received a call around 11:49 a.m. from a woman who was setting up for a food-assistance service thats held every Tuesday and Thursday when she heard gunfire. She called police, who later recovered lead from a bullet on the floor of the restroom but no shell casing.

Skuletich said police are not sure what caliber gun was used but believe it was a small firearm.

He added that lunch service had not yet begun at the time of the gunfire and that no one was hurt.

Police have interviewed two males they believe are involved in the incident, one of whom they think is the shooter.

So far, Skuletich said, the man has not admitted to any wrongdoing and police have yet to find the weapon.

Police havent arrested the man or anyone else and the investigation remains ongoing, Skuletich said.
Preston, MN  The area man accused of peeking at women through the windows of several Rochester homes was sentenced Thursday to what amounts to about six months in jail for a case in Fillmore County.

Rickford Rehmann Munger, 61, of Frontenac, had pleaded guilty in late February to one count of failing to register as a predatory offender, a felony. In exchange, three identical counts were dismissed.

Fillmore County District Court Judge Matthew Opat sentenced Munger to 36 months in prison, stayed for five years, and 240 days in jail, with credit for 43 days already served.

After Munger's guilty plea in February, he was released on his own recognizance, court documents show, and was due back in court May 1.

Munger made his way to Olmsted County, and less than two months later, he was behind bars again  this time for allegedly peeping in the window of at least one woman in Rochester.

He was charged locally on April 28 with two counts of interfering with privacy-previous conviction, and one count of fifth-degree drug possession, all felonies.

Munger appeared in Olmsted County District Court before retired judge Dennis J. Murphy, who also released him on his own recognizance  just in time for his court date in Fillmore County, which he attended.

He's been in jail there since that May 1 hearing.

Munger's criminal history dates back more than 25 years and includes multiple prison stays for several counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault and failing to register as a predatory offender.

Offenders are required to list with law enforcement all vehicles they're associated with, as well as any address where they may stay.

That's what landed him in hot water in Fillmore County, where he claimed to live in rural Lanesboro. A tracker on his vehicle last summer indicated he spent "very little time" at the address, the complaint says, adding that Munger also purchased an RV that wasn't registered with authorities.

Surveillance indicated Munger was living in the RV, which was seen in parking lots of several businesses in and around St. Charles. He admitted to an investigator that he knew the law didn't allow him to live in an RV, which prompted the predatory offender violation charges.

Mostly, "he's a window-peeper," said Capt. John Sherwin, of the Rochester Police Department. "That's what he does. When he's active, he does this all night long, looking for where lights are on, looking for people changing clothes."

That's allegedly what happened in the series of events that landed him in jail in Rochester.

A 48-year-old woman who lives in the 300 block of Sixth Street Northwest told authorities she was asleep in her bedroom early April 23 when she was awakened by something breaking outside her window.

She opened the blinds and came face-to-face with a man who was standing outside, the report says, holding a cellphone with a red case. They startled each other, Sherwin said  a few seconds passed as they looked at each other. The woman, angry, ran out of the home to confront him, but the man had fled.

The victim reported the incident about 9 p.m. April 24; based on her description, officials believed it was Munger, the report says.

"He's well-known to police," Sherwin said. "We've dealt with him frequently."

About three hours later, dispatchers received a call from a man who lives in the 600 block of Second Street Northwest, who said he saw someone appearing to try to peek into a neighbor's window. The suspect had stacked some items on the ground, likely to stand on them to see inside, Sherwin said.

The neighbor, who said he'd seen the same man about six months earlier, went outside to confront the suspect  later identified as Munger  then followed him to Seventh Street Northwest and Broadway Avenue as he called police. A preliminary search of Munger by arriving officers turned up knee pads, black gloves and a flashlight.

He was released at the scene, Sherwin said, because there wasn't enough evidence of a crime to make an arrest.

When he was arrested two days later, Munger was carrying a flashlight, a sex toy and a cellphone with a red case.

According to the complaint against him, he told investigators there were videos of window-peeping on the phone, that he had peeped into windows and watched people three to five times that week, and that he wouldn't have a defense to the charge of window peeping.

Munger allegedly said he primarily targets residences and apartment buildings and uses his cell phone to record what he sees. A review of his phone confirmed his admission, the report says.

He's due back in court on the privacy charges on July 27.
Two young sisters died after after their mother intentionally left them in a car for more than 15 hours, Texas authorities said Friday.

The girls' mother, Amanda Hawkins, 19, was charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child, Kerr County Sheriff W.R. "Rusty" Hierholzer said in a news release.

Hawkins and a 16-year-old male friend initially took the children to Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville, but the girls were found to be in "grave condition" and transferred to University Hospital in San Antonio, the release said.

Brynn Hawkins, 1, and Addyson Overgard-Eddy, 2, died there about 5 p.m. Thursday, the release said.

Authorities became suspicious after Hawkins told hospital personnel that she, the 16-year-old and the two children had been at a nearby lake, where the girls smelled flowers before collapsing, the news release said.

"They thought maybe they'd gotten into something poisonous -- that's what their story was," Hierholzer told CNN affiliate KABB.

Investigators with the Kerr County Sheriff's Office and Kerrville police determined the children actually had been left inside their mother's vehicle for 15 hours -- from Tuesday night until noon Wednesday -- while she and a 16-year-old male friend hung out with other friends inside a residence, the release said.

The sheriff didn't say what caused the deaths, but told KABB that temperatures reached into the 90s during the day on Wednesday.

"She left them in the car -- intentionally in the car -- while her and the 16-year-old male friend were in the house," the sheriff said. "They were in the house all night. The male friend for a little bit went to sleep in the car a little while but then went back to the house."

People inside the house reported hearing the children crying but nobody went to check, he said to KABB.

The children were unconscious when Hawkins took them out of the car around noon Wednesday, the sheiff said.

She attempted to bathe them but didn't immediately take them to the hospital because she "did not want to get into trouble," according to the news release.

Her story quickly unraveled under questioning, the sheriff said.

Charges against her might be upgraded after the case goes to a grand jury, the sheriff told KABB, and the 16-year-old male may face charges.

"This is by far the most horrific case of child endangerment that I have seen in the 37 years that I have been in law enforcement," Hierholzer, said.

Hawkins was arrested in San Antonio and was being held in the Bexar County Jail before transfer to the Kerr County Jail. Kerrville is located about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Autopsies were scheduled for Friday.

Another pair of young children -- a 2-year-old girl and a 16-month-old boy -- died May 26 in Parker County, west of Fort Worth, in what appeared to be a hot car incident.

Parker County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Arnett told CNN that according to the mother, the children were playing in a back room of their home when they disappeared. After searching the home, the mother began looking outside, where she eventually found them locked inside the car.

No charges have been filed yet in that case.
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 []
Here are the stories making headlines today.

Uhuru Warns Billionaire Supporters Against Multi-bets Tells Them To Stop Funding Nasa Too Shrewd businessmen world over have adopted the art of hedging their bets when it comes to political candidates. For the fear of losing favour with an incoming government, they spread their financial resources across the major candidates, so that they are on the safe side irrespective of who becom

Kenyans and Ugandans on Twitter Go To War Here are the Best Memes It was an all out war between Kenyans and Ugandans on Twitter over the weekend. Like the recent tweef with Tanzania, Kenyas online put their best foot forward to ensure Uganda lives to regret ever picking up a fight with us. Its unclear how all this started, but boy was it funny.

VIDEO: Watch Uhuru Pray After Raising Sh1 Billion Campaign Money at Safari Park A Prayer for the Nation. pic.twitter.com/dHP00lBeHj  Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) June 11, 2017 It was the mother of all campaign fundraising dinners, and according to report, at least Sh1 billion was raised. The Friends of Jubilee Foundation held a multi-million shilling a plate dinn

British PM Theresa May seeks lifeline after bruising election result Many MPs are angry over what they see as an unnecessary vote that has cost several lawmakers their seats and are demanding she run a more open, collegiate government after her first months of a dictatorial regime.

Part of engine on China Eastern jet tears away after takeoff After the airplane landed safely back in Sydney, emergency crews found a gaping hole in the front part of the engine nacelles structural casing, known as the nose cowl. The incident with the jetliners engines is the second of its kind in as many months.

Macron on track for huge parliamentary majority Macrons fledgling party is expected to win between 415 and 445 seats in the lower house after taking a projected 32.3% of the vote. Such a margin of victory in the 577-seat house would give Macron the majority he so badly craves to further his political revolution.

(Some) Puerto Ricans vote for US statehood Ninety-seven percent of the votes favored statehood but voter participation was just 23% after opposition parties called for a boycott of what they called a rigged process in part over the ballot language. Congress, the only body that can approve new states, will ultimately decide whether the status of the US commonwealth changes.

Dozens arrested as South Korean military conducts gay witch-hunt Speaking to CNN, he said he was afraid the South Korean military would find out he was talking to the media. He faces charges for having sexual relations with another man, a crime within the South Korean military punishable by up to two years in prison.

If there are tapes, can the White House be forced to turn them over? For President Richard Nixon, the controversy over his secret White House tape recordings began with a break-in at the Watergate Hotel. If President Donald Trump is also keeping recordings of his conversations, any controversy over those will have begun with a tweet.

Melania Trump moves in Looking forward to the memories well make in our new home! #Movingday, read the tweet, which featured a picture from inside the Executive Residence, past the Truman Balcony, overlooking the South Lawn. On what appeared to be a set dining room table, two tall, tapered candles in silver holders were lit.

Richard Hammond jokes Im not dead after horror car crash Hammond, who was in Switzerland filming Amazons The Grand Tour was flown to hospital in St. Gallen after the electric supercar he was driving crashed and then burst into flames. Hammonds co-host, Jeremy Clarkson, said that it was the biggest crash Ive ever seen and the most frightening.

Trump gives Priebus until July 4 to clean up White House President Donald Trump has set a deadline of July 4 for a shakeup of the White House that could include removing Reince Priebus as his chief of staff, according to two administration officials and three outside advisers familiar with the matter.

Report: Uber Board To Discuss CEO Kalanicks Absence, Policy Changes By Joseph Menn and Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)  Uber Technologies Incs [UBER.UL] board will discuss Chief Executive Travis Kalanick temporarily stepping away from the embattled ride-hailing firm and consider sweeping changes to the companys management practices at a meeting on Sunday, according to a person familiar with the situation.

John McCain: U.S. Leadership Was Better Under Obama Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) slammed the foreign policy of President Donald Trump and even compared him to former President Barack Obama. The Guardian newspaper asked McCain what message Trump was sending the United Kingdom when he criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan after the June 3 terror attack which left eight dead and dozens wounded.

Another Victory For Wonder Woman As The Mummy Gets Buried At The Box Office The Mummy is no match for  Wonder Woman. During its first weekend in theaters, the Tom Cruise monster movie debuted at No. 2, earning a tepid $32 million in North American grosses. Wonder Woman retained the top spot, collecting an impressive $57.2 million.

Chilling Video Shows Moment Serial Killers Chained Hostage Is Freed From Crate A dramatic video has been released by South Carolina officials showing the rescue of kidnap victim Kala Brown who had been chained inside a metal crate by serial killer Todd Kohlhepp. My necks attached to the wall, Brown, 30, can be heard telling Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office deputies after they used a blow torch and crowbar to break into the crate last November.
Media personality Julie Gichuru has come out to publicly endorse President Uhuru Kenyatta for a second term. Together with fellow media girl Caroline Mutoko, Julie was the MC on Friday night during a fundraising dinner for the President at Safari Park.

She took to Instagram to make this announcement alongside the above picture.

Totally inspirational evening with President Uhuru Kenyatta as we gathered to support his re-election bid. @caroline.mutoko shared amazing audio from his 2002 campaigns, his focus even then was a united Kenya, peace, movement from absolute centralised power to a devolved system and free education.

Thank you to all those who made time and to so many more who are supporting the campaign via mobile money. We must believe in something and I believe in one Kenya, I believe in progress and strong effective partnerships to actualise development, I believe in each of us exercising our individual rights to vote, and I believe in respecting that right and loving you as my Kenyan brother or sister whatever the outcome, I believe in working together to make this nation rise to great heights of progress and prosperity for all.

Wherever you stand politically, God bless you and God bless Kenya. Twende mbele pamoja 

Read: Did Julie Gichuru Drink Herself Silly and Even Peed on Herself? She Speaks Out

Among other journalists who have openly taken sides are James Smart, Mohamed Ali and Dennis Onsarigo  all of whom support Nasa leader Raila Odinga.

Predictably, Julies announcement irked a section of her supporters, who are of a different political opinion. A lot of insults were hurled her way.

It is not uncommon for Kenyans to consider anyone supporting a different choice from their own as tribal, stupid or have simply received a brown envelope. All the while considering themselves wise, nationalist and illuminated.

But Julie was not prepared to take any nonsense. After the comments became too heated, she posted again.

[showad block=6]

Dear Kenyans, I will say this as simply as I possibly can, we are in this nation together. If you cannot see the progress that has been made you have clearly chosen not to. Yes, there has been progress. Are there challenges?

Yes, of course there are and both @caroline.mutoko and I speak openly and widely about them  from corruption to tribalism and much more. ION, I exited the news cycle close to two years ago (fascinating that you barely noticed as you keep discussing me in the context of news) and have the right to comment and take a position on issues.

You cannot BULLY people into your chosen stand and if you cannot respect the fact that people can take a stand that is not based on personal benefit, then that speaks volumes about you not the person you are attacking. Bimbo insults dont work either, for women who have carved the space that we have, sorry, it does not apply and again speaks volumes about the mindless misogyny of the abuser.

For those sharing civilised perspectives, all are appreciated. Lets engage in a civilised fashion but most of all, let us respect each others views. I have love for you irrespective of where you stand and it is my prayer that you can adopt that same attitude towards your fellow Kenyans. If you cant, what does it say about you? God bless Kenya always ?????????

Also Read: POLL: Should Julie Gichuru Involve Herself in Gambling?
Ready for a pick-me-up? Thats the literal meaning of tiramisu, and the coffee-flavored custard dessert is a welcome addition at summer brunches, backyard barbecues and parties celebrating any occasion. Tiramisu is easy to make, and very forgiving when it comes time to construct this layered dessert.

The list of ingredients isnt long: eggs, sugar, mascarpone cheese, crisp ladyfingers, coffee, cocoa powder, whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Part of the pick-me-up comes from the coffee and part of it from the addition of alcohol. Some cooks leave out the alcohol, but if you choose to use it, popular choices are Kahlua, Tiramisu liqueur, Tia Maria, Amaretto or Marsala. Other options include cognac, brandy or dark rum.

Gerardo Sainato, executive chef since 2006 at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, uses the winerys own Madeira to make tiramisu, which he grew up eating in Sapri, Italy, a small town on the southernmost tip of Campania. Sainato attended Le Cordon Bleu in Rome and then worked in that city as a chef at the Ristorante Celestina and later as executive chef at the Hotel Fenix. Sainatos tiramisu is available every day at the winerys Artisan Deli and Marketplace, where some 500 to 600 pieces are sold each month.

Everyone makes tiramisu a little differently. Some cooks use homemade sponge cake or panettone instead of savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers). Some consider that topping the dessert with whipped cream is gilding the lily. Still others drizzle chocolate sauce over the top and add shelled pistachios. And some prefer to make tiramisu in a round, clear bowl, like an English trifle, though the ladyfingers fit better in rectangular or square pans.

Even the desserts origin is disputed. In Italy, several regions take credit for tiramisu.

An Internet search reveals that some say tiramisu dates back to the end of the 17th century in Siena, when it was developed in honor of Grand Duke Cosimo III. Most sources contend it first appeared in Italian bakeries in the 1960s, and some say tiramisu is a variation of Zuppa Inglese, another layered dessert.

Those who keep track of these things report that recipes for tiramisu started showing up in cookbooks in the 1960s. An Italian-language dictionary notes that the word was first used in print in 1980, but Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary sticks by 1982 as the first mention of the dessert. Aficionados of food history that read Italian may want to seek out a book on tiramisu published last year. Tiramisu: Storia, Curiosita, Interpretazioni del Dolce Italiano Piu Amato is by Clara and Gigi Padovani.

In an unrelated but funny aside, in 2002 filmmakers in Hong Kong released Tiramisu, a romantic fantasy film directed by Dante Lam and starring Nicholas Tse and Karena Lam. From descriptions, the movie seems to be a boy-meets-girl story. Do report in if you watch it.

Tiramisu first came to my attention more than 25 years ago while dining in Italian restaurants in St. Louis, where I lived at the time. St. Louis has many excellent independently owned Italian restaurants because many immigrants came to that city from Lombardy and Sicily in the late 19th century to work in brick-making plants in one particular urban neighborhood, now known as The Hill. Today locals and tourists alike seek out the restaurants, bakeries and specialty shops there.

Out at dinner, my friends often ordered tiramisu for dessert but I opted for zabaglione or spumoni. One day, I tasted my friend Edwards plate of tiramisu, and I was amazed at what I had been missing for so long. For two years afterward, I made numerous trips to The Hill to talk to Italian chefs and home cooks about classic tiramisu recipes and variations on that theme. Eventually, working with Edward, I settled on a recipe. Here it is.

Tiramisu

Yield: 9 servings

About 26 large or 36 small crisp ladyfingers, divided

1 cup brewed espresso, cooled

1/2 cup Kahlua liqueur, divided

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

16 ounces unflavored mascarpone cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon cocoa powder, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Premium dark chocolate for grating

Before you begin, rehearse with the ladyfingers, placing them in an 8-inch-square baking pan to see how (and if) they fit. You can always break one or two if you need to. Your guests will never know.

In a shallow bowl, combine espresso and 1/4 cup Kahlua. One at a time, briefly dip half the ladyfingers about halfway (lengthwise) into the coffee mixture. Place one layer of ladyfingers, coffee-side down, in the pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until really thick. (Dont scrimp on time here, or you may end up with tiramisoup.) Add mascarpone, vanilla and remaining  cup Kahlua to mixing bowl. Beat well.

Spread half the mixture over the layer of ladyfingers. Sift 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cocoa powder over the top. Dip the remaining half of the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture; place in the pan. Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the ladyfingers.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, whip the cream with confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over cheese mixture. Gently sift remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder over whipped cream. With a vegetable peeler, scrape the edge of the chocolate bar over the dish to make chocolate shavings.

Put the tiramisu back in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before serving. Bring dessert to the table with a high-spirited flourish.
A whole pig was roasting under the arbor. Not far from it a substantial slab of salmon was resting on a cedar plank and garnished with a truffle cream and vegetables. Another table offered charcuterie and cheese and platters of flatbreads in flavors of burrata and basil, and local mushrooms and goat cheese. Circulating servers were offering crab cake sliders and ahi tuna tacos.

The challenge was to balance the plate filled such samples, with a cocktail, a generous glass filled with grapefruit juice and sparkling wine.

Its summer in Napa.

This particular fete was an introduction to the newly reopened and re-envisioned Alba restaurant at Napas River Terrace Inn. After a six-month sojourn during which the restaurant was closed, chef Matt Grigg returned to Napa to oversee a menu he describes as drawing inspiration from the Pacific Northwest.

It also looks like the new menu is inspired by the adventurous chefs travels around the U.S., from his native Tennessee, to Colorado, where he studied at Johnson & Wales University in Denver and worked at La Tour restaurant in Vail. From there Grigg moved on to Alaska for a year as chef at the Grande Denali Lodge in Denali National Park; its one of the two fine dining restaurants found on the 500-mile stretch between Anchorage and Fairbanks, he explained.

Ive worked both in the kitchen and in the front of the house, Grigg said, something he feels makes it easier to bridge understanding between the two essential parts of a restaurant serving a clientele of international visitors and locals dropping in for dinner or a drink. Its good to have a well-rounded experience, to know both sides, he said.

An avid outdoorsman, Grigg said he manages to get away from the kitchens from time to time, to bicycle and ski. But so far, after three years in Napa, hes not been struck by wanderlust. Its the longest Ive been in one spot, he said, But I like it here.

New menu, new look

Grigg designed Albas opening menu to highlight summers local bounty and to be enjoyed on the new deck, outfitted with pergolas and gas pits and comfortable chairs overlooking an idyllic stretch of the Napa River.

Inside the space has been designed to highlight the river views as well, with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern new furnishings scattered around the central bar.

It was a face-lift, said Grigg. Its a new look, new menu, new kitchen staff, new servers.

He emphasized that he hopes locals will drop in to explore and enjoy the new space, which is open now for breakfast, from 7-11 a.m., and dinner from 4-10 p.m. The bar is open from 3-10 p.m.

Breakfast menu items include the Alba omelet with tomato, asparagus, avocado and Hollandaise sauce ($13), huevos rancheros with crispy tortillas, black beans, red chile sauce, avocado and cotijas cheese ($16) and a crab and egg white frittata with sofrito, and Taleggio Cheese ($16).

Dinner offers small plates like summer corn chowder ($8), pork belly crepes with apple slaw and chipotle blackberries ($14) and lobster mac and cheese ($15) as well as shareable servings of items like truffle fries with lemon aioli ($7) and grilled shishito peppers ($7). Larger plates include a heritage pork chop with peach and mango chutney, with fresh corn polenta and asparagus ($29) and a pan-roasted half chicken with white bean ragout and rosemary chicken jus ($24).

Grigg has also devised light-hearted themes for different days of the week: Meatloaf Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Wine-Down Wednesdays, Mules World-Tour Thursdays, Wine and Swine Fridays, Off-the-Grill Saturdays and Sangria Sundays.

The wine list includes both international selections as well as a substantial selection of Napa Valley wines.

Alba at the River Terrace Inn is at 1600 Soscol Ave. For reservations, call (707) 320-6911 or email the reservations team at Alba@riverterraceinn.com.
Civility crumbled Tuesday in the Senate intelligence committee when Sen. Ron Wyden aggressively questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions on just what former FBI Director James Comey thought was "problematic" about Sessions that would ultimately lead to his recusal in the federal Russia probe.

Wyden, one of the Senate intelligence committee's most liberal members, lit into Sessions more than one hour into the hearing -- prying into why Comey believed Sessions had been compromised. The questions prompted a previously cool Sessions to sputter a little bit, before blasting back at Wyden, suggesting that the senators themselves were guilty of leaking classified information.

"Gen. Sessions, respectfully you're not answering the question," Wyden said.

"Well, what is the question??" Sessions shot back.

"Mr. Comey said there were matters with respect to the recusal that were problematic and he couldn't talk about them. What are they?" Wyden asked.

Then, Sessions paused a second, before dialing up his response.

"I ... why don't you tell me? There are none, Sen Wyden! There are none! I can tell you that for absolute certainty," Sessions shouted.

"This is a secret innuendo out being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it," Sessions said. "And I'm trying to give my best recusal answer in committees I've appeared before, and really people are suggesting through innuendo that I have not been honest about matters, and I'm trying to be honest."

Wyden then attempted to shift away after the outburst, but Sessions pulled him back in for a sharp counter-punch.

"My time is short, you've made your point that Mr. Comey is engaged in innuendo, we're going to keep digging..." Wyden said.

"Well, Sen. Wyden, he did not say that," Sessions said.

Wyden responded: "He said it's 'problematic' and I asked you what was problematic about it."

Then, perhaps unintentionally, Sessions referred to a possible third meeting between himself and the Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, which Comey had reportedly told senators about in a closed hearing.

"Well, some of that leaked out of the committee that he said in closed session," Sessions said.
With its locally quarried stone exterior, the two-story building looks as if its always been there, but the Grayson Building, the tasting room in St. Helena that serves both the J. Davies red wines and Schramsberg sparkling wines, is brand, spanking new, and comes with a few ancient surprises sprinkled throughout inside.

Guests of Davies Vineyards wine tastings will get not only an introduction to the Davies family wines  both their J. Davies Estate red wines and Schramsberg sparkling wines  they will also get to tour the building that could double as an art museum thanks to the display of some of the familys treasures that include Navajo blankets and headdresses from Peru and Chile, some that date to 500-800 A.D. They are part of the collection of vintner Hugh Davies parents, Jack and Jamie Davies.

The reception desk greets visitors with a soaring entry that draws the eyes up to the first museum-glass cased Navajo blanket, circa 1865, that is woven with a serrated zigzag and diamond pattern in shades of red, green, slate blue, white, black and gold. Giant light fixtures made from metal barrel hoops, here and in the main tasting room, juxtapose the artistry of the blanket and the headdresses, three of which are displayed above the bar in the main room.

The smallest headdress, the Wari Pile Hat with Tufts, dates to 500-800 A.D. and is about 5 inches high. It has tufted corners with iconography of bird-like figures and feline profile heads in opposing squares. Next to it is a fez-style headdress from the Incan period (1470-1534 A.D.) worked with alpaca fibers in white, blue, yellow, green, and red, topped by parrot feathers, and red and white feathers. Human hair pigtails that date to 900-200 B.C. are incorporated into the pre-Columbian Chilean headdress made of wool skeins in red, blue, brown and white wrapped in a turban form.

There are two more rugs and another headdress in other areas of the building that has a little of the Schramsberg property incorporated in it with reclaimed wood decorating walls, and photos of the estate and vineyards throughout.

An outdoor patio with comfortable shaded seating is surrounded by crated trees  some of which came from the Schramsberg property  and a fountain create a true winery experience, which is actually steps away from Main Street in St. Helena, and in what was once the parking lot of a car dealership.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller welcomed three eminent energy experts to NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (13 June 2017) for discussions on global energy developments and their security implications.

Robin Dunnigan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the US State Department; Tim Gould, Head of Division, World Energy Outlook in the International Energy Agency (IEA); and Erlendas Grigorovic, Deputy Head of Unit for International Relations in the European Commissions Directorate General for Energy briefed NATO ambassadors on the security implications of the energy dimension of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and energy challenges to NATOs South.

The North Atlantic Council is briefed annually on energy developments, in order to keep NATO abreast of the global energy situation and to further deepen its ties with other organisations, notably the IEA and the European Union.
(Natural News) If you are planning a trip to Indonesia, better watch out for the monkey mafia roaming around the Uluwatu Temple in Bali. These cheeky little monkeys are among the worlds best pickpockets. They grab glasses, cameras, and cash from tourists which they then try to sell for some food to other people. Pretty genius and effective of them. A hat for a cracker is a sweet deal for a monkey.

Researchers from the University of Liege in Belgium were the first to study this cultural behavior among animals. Their findings were recently published in the journal Primates. They believe these monkeys have developed amazing cognitive abilities, similar to humans, the Daily Mail Online reported.

The monkeys were always trying to steal my hat, my pen, even my research data, said primatologist Fany Brotcorne who led the study.

Dr. Brotcorne explained that these primates are able to learn by watching one another. This once again shows how small the barriers between us and other nonhuman animals are. These findings add more weight to the evidence that humans are not the only conscious living things on our planet, although many of us like to think so.

We see ourselves as unique in the natural world, sometimes forgetting there are other sentient creatures who are on a path to greater consciousness as well, wrote Christina Sarich for the Waking times.

Yes, animals think, feel empathy, and have consciousness

In a landmark book titled Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel Carl Safina, a marine conservationist and professor at Stony Brook University on Long Island, offers a unique view on animal behavior that challenges the scientific orthodoxy. His views on the similarity between human and nonhuman consciousness, self-awareness, and empathy lead us to re-evaluate how we interact with other animals.

He wrote: There is in nature an overriding sanity and often, in humankind, an undermining insanity. We, among all animals, are most frequently irrational, distortional, delusional, worried.

Competition is the law of the jungle. Only the strong and smart survive. Footage of animals learning to use tools to their advantage or show empathy is nothing new to the natural world. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that these monkeys have mastered the skill of picking someones pocket in return for food. Whats more, they have been doing this for years, passing this handy skill from one generation to another. Never underestimate the brain of animals.

Free monkey market capitalism  could we learn something here?

Unlike humans, these monkeys, however, have not learned that stealing is wrong. They provide goods and youll give them food in return. Nature is a free market, right? Though there is some room for improvement, their economic and social system is working just fine without any government interference. Could we learn something from the free market capitalism of these monkeys?

Just like these monkeys, humans are in an excellent position to collaborate and build social and economic orders based on cooperation rather than violent exploitation by governments and multinationals. Though there are a few reasons why our free market system is broken  with government interfere and irrational decisions of people playing key roles  some researchers believe free market capitalism, not government control, can make health care, among other things, more affordable and efficient.

According to these researchers, there is only one way to create more affordable health care: Get rid of government control and consolidation of physician services while creating more competition in the marketplace. Many believe this is an idea that would not only work to improve health care but the entire economy.

A free economic and political system in which a countrys health system, trade, and industries are controlled by open markets and consumers, rather than by governments, price-setting monopolies, or other authorities, is a system we should all strive for. Dont you think?

Sources:

DailyMail.co.uk

WakingTimes.com

RD.Springer.comPDF

NaturalNews.com

NYTimes.com
Sunday, June 11, 2017 by: Bridgette Wilcox Tags: cancer , lower cancer risk , rural life This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Beating cancer may be more successfully done in the countryside, with new research showing that rural dwellers are 29 percent less likely to die from cancer than those who live in the urban setting.

According to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice, the better outcomes for rural patients may be due to the ease of setting a doctors appointment in the country, as well as the personal relationship rural patients have with their healthcare providers.

The study, led by researchers from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, examined 926 Scottish patients who had colorectal cancer. Of the participants, 298 were based in the country, while 628 were based in the city. In comparing the survival rates between these two groups of participants, the researchers found that rural patients had a higher three-year survival rate.

While its easy to assume that being further away from healthcare providers leads to worse outcomes for cancer patients, the studys findings suggest otherwise. Rural patients travelling farther to the GP [general practitioner] had better three-year survival, the study found.

At the same time, even patients in urban areas who have to travel longer to their doctor had increased survival rates. Longer travel in urban areas significantly reduced the odds of emergency admissions and increased survival. Longer travel also increased the odds of presenting with alarm symptoms in urban areaspresences of alarm symptoms reduced the likelihood of emergency admissions, the study said.

Researchers noted that those living in rural areas generally have better access to their doctors, compared to those living in more densely populated urban areas, where patients may have to wait longer to secure an appointment. Rural patients are also more likely to know their doctors personally, which researchers said may help, depending on the situation.

Is rural life really healthier?

These findings are contrary to those from an earlier report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study found that Americans based in rural areas had higher death rates from the five leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke.

The report noted that those living in rural areas had poorer health in general, which the CDC attributed mostly to lack of quality health care services. Country dwellers have higher poverty rates, poorer access to health care services, and are less likely to be insured and seek care on time, they said. Rural residents were also more likely to have higher rates of smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and not using seat belts  all of which are significant risk factors for the top five causes of death.

Statistics notwithstanding, the countryside tends to have a cleaner environment, with lower crime rates, less traffic, and more greenery  all of which support ones overall health and well-being. A separate study said that those who are based in areas surrounded by greenery  particularly in rural or suburban areas  have better mental and physical health.

Frances Kuo, a professor of landscape and human health, found in a study that green environments lead to better brain function, as well as improved self-discipline and impulse control, DailyMail.co.uk reported. People who live in green environments also tend to be more supportive of their neighbors, contributing to stronger community ties in rural neighborhoods.

Apart from this, greener spaces were found to have a positive effect on those recovering from surgery. A green environment also promoted more physical activity and a stronger immune system.

While studies on the health benefits of rural living are conflicting, it cannot be denied that having access to a less-polluted, more friendly environment can be profoundly beneficial for the people who live there.

Get more updates like this on GreenLivingNews.com.

Sources include:

BJGP.org

CDC.gov 1

CDC.gov 2

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) Monsanto has become infamous for covering up the connection between glyphosate  which constitutes 50 percent of its Roundup weed killer product  and cancer, particularly non-Hodgkins lymphoma. When the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined in 2015 that glyphosate was probably carcinogenic to humans, there was an immediate backlash against the company and multiple lawsuits have ensued. Unfortunately, distributing cancer-causing herbicides all over the world is far from this agricultural giants only sin. Monsanto and fellow Big Agri villains like Syngenta have quietly been destroying global crop diversity, placing themselves in a position where they are poised to control the entire planets food supply.

While the colonization of Africa is supposed to be nothing more than an unfortunate chapter in the history of the continent, the reality is that it has just taken on a different guise. The international aid programs upon which the continent has become reliant are forcing many African countries to become totally dependent on patented seeds supplied by Monsanto, Syngenta and others. In terms of these agreements, the people in these countries may no longer engage in the traditional seed exchanges which have been a part of their cultures for generations.

In Tanzania, for example, new laws have been passed which could mean that anybody selling or even giving patented seeds to friends or neighbors could be subject to fines of up to 205,300  more than most African people can earn in a lifetime. A simple seed exchange could even land someone in jail for up to 12 years, all to protect the intellectual property rights of agri giants thousands of miles away.

If you buy seeds from Syngenta or Monsanto under the new legislation, they will retain the intellectual property rights, explains Michael Farrelly of TOAM, a movement advocating for organic farming in Africa. If you save seeds from your first harvest, you can use them only on your own piece of land for non-commercial purposes. Youre not allowed to share them with your neighbors or with your sister-in-law in a different village, and you cannot sell them for sure. But thats the entire foundation of the seed system in Africa. [Related: For more stories like this visit Twisted.news.]

Though it would seem like African leaders are selling their own people down the river, they really dont have much choice but to pass legislation like this. Such laws are required in terms of a group of G8 agreements which promise aid only if these companies intellectual property rights are jealously guarded.

As a result, the farmers seed system will collapse, because they cant sell their own seeds, warns Janet Maro of Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT). Multinationals will provide our country with seeds and all the farmers will have to buy them from them. That means that we will lose biodiversity, because it is impossible for them to investigate and patent all the seeds we need. Were going to end up with fewer types of seeds.

Tanzania became the beneficiary of one of these G8 blackmail schemes in 2012, when it began receiving assistance under the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (NAFSN) program. This initiative, which is backed by the E.U., U.K., U.S., World Bank and, of course, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, promised to lift 50 million people out of poverty in 10 different African countries by means of a public-private partnership.

While schemes like these appear brilliant on the surface, the reality is that they give a handful of globalist corporations control of an entire continent by making it wholly dependent on aid, and by moving its people further and further away from their traditional subsistence lifestyles.

Of course, the Tanzanian government insists the new law is there to protect the local farmers so that they can patent their own seeds. As if a nation of people living in poverty without money or access to legal resources would even think of doing that.

Sources for this article include:

WakingTimes.com

MO.be

IARC.fr[PDF]
(Natural News) Rumblings about a possible future attack on Americas power grid and logistical infrastructure have some politicians in a scurry trying to figure out how to prevent it. According to reports, North Korea currently operates two satellites that cross over the U.S. in what experts say are just the right patterns and altitudes for triggering an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, that would completely cripple the nations power grid.

Tensions between the U.S. and Kim Jong-Uns communist regime have escalated in recent weeks after the erratic dictator reportedly tested his countrys first solid-fuel missile. It was an unprecedented event from the perspective of the West, which was caught off guard by the notion that North Korea is apparently ready to launch a real missile at any moment, and with little to no warning.

Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, warns that North Korea could be planning to launch an EMP attack against the U.S. in the very near future. If successful, millions of people across North America could die, as all electronics would be instantly destroyed. The result would be no more food production, no more computers, no more clean water, and no more energy.

According to Dr. Pry, who also sits on a Congressional committee regarding the issue, the threat represents a cyber-age version of battleship diplomacy. What he means by this is that North Korea has positioned its satellites in such a way that either one of the other is very close to being over the United States at any given time, he told the U.K.s Independent.

Kim Jong-Un threatens merciless response to any US provocation

While North Koreas satellite program is said to have officially began back in the 1980s, it wasnt until about five years ago that the regime successfully launched its first observation satellite. In 2016, it launched its second, and both of these are able to make a complete orbit of the earth in about 94 minutes.

With this constant threat literally looming overhead, Dr. Pry believes that North Korea may use it as a bargaining chip should the U.S. threaten to carry out military sanctions against the nation. This is especially true now that President Trump has promised an end to the Obama-era policy of strategic patience with North Korea. The President has indicated that his administration will deal with the problem head-on, with or without Chinas help.

But Jong-Un has promised his own retaliatory action, should the U.S. attempt anything against his regime. Officials in Pyongyang say their country isnt the problem, but rather President Trump and the nation he leads.

Whatever comes from the U.S., we will cope with it, North Koreas Vice Minister Han Song Ryol told the media back in April. Trump is always making provocations with his aggressive words. Its not the [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] but the U.S. and Trump that makes trouble  We are fully prepared to handle it.

Dr. Pry isnt convinced, though. He believes that North Koreas rocket tests looked suspiciously like practice for an EMP attack. Plans drawn up by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era is where Dr. Pry believes North Korea is getting its inspiration for a possible future EMP attack against the U.S. At the same time, President Trump says his administration is fully prepared to neutralize this threat.

I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea, the President tweeted back in April. If they are unable to do so, the U.S., with its allies, will!

Sources:

Express.co.uk

Independent.co.uk

Independent.co.uk
At MAST Asia 2017 (Maritime Air Systems & Technologies), the naval defense exhibition currently held in Tokyo, Japan's Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) unveiled its HMSVO trimaran vessel concept. ATLA is a branch of Japan's MoD created in 2015 to "ensure technological superiority and respond to operational needs smoothly and quickly".

The HMSVO (standing for High Speed Multi-hull Vessel Optimisation) project is being conducted to improve design and performance evaluation capabilities for multi hull ships. The US Navy's NAVSEA Carderock division and Japan's MoD ATLA are cooperating on the project. Navy Recognition was told that the US design differs from the Japanese design however.



The project started in 2014, is set to end in 2018 and today ATLA naval architects and engineers are still testing the concept both via CFD and through the use of a scale model. Ultimately, the JMSDF may decide to give the concept a go ahead and move to detailed design... or not.
The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]
Can ocean science bring Cuba and the United States together?

A visiting research scholar at UFs school of natural resources and environment discusses the importance of U.S. collaboration with Cuba, including mutual efforts to protect marine sanctuaries in the Caribbean, despite the Trump administrations efforts to the contrary.

Cuba is the ecological crown jewel of the Caribbean. It harbors thousands of the regions endemic species and about half of its coastal ecosystems. It is rare to find comparable ecosystems or such rich biodiversity anywhere in the Caribbean, and perhaps in the Western Hemisphere.

Cuba also is inextricably linked to its neighbor countries, especially the United States. These two nations have been adversaries for over 60 years, but their common backyard is an ocean filled with limited shared resources.

Since December 2014, when then-President Barack Obama ordered the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba, both governments have taken steps to improve cooperation. They include agreements to work together to protect some of the Caribbeans most important coral reefs and marine sanctuaries. Now, however, the Trump administration reportedly is planning to slow or halt at least some U.S. engagement with Cuba.

I am a Cuban marine biologist and have had the opportunity to be part of U.S. academia and facilitate scientific partnerships between the two countries. Scientists on both sides are very interested in working together, and I believe that we owe it to nature and people on both sides to keep this door open.

Connected waters

Cuban waters provide vital spawning and nursery grounds for snapper, grouper and other marine species that are commercially important in the United States. Cuba is also a major stopover point on migration routes for many North America birds.

When I tagged and tracked longfin mako sharks with colleagues from Florida, we found that they ranged into territorial waters around Cuba, the United States, the Bahamas and Mexico  showing clearly just how connected our waters are. Other scientists have reported similar results for species including manatees, sea turtles and fish larvae.

Fish. Bull. 115:104/Mote Marine Laboratory.

Since the U.S. government relaxed restrictions on American travel to Cuba in 2015, Cuba has experienced an explosion in international tourism, which is projected to continue. Expanding tourism and related development, combined with longstanding poor management of reefs and fisheries and economic scarcity, could have major impacts on the waters that link our countries.

Although Cubas coastal habitats are in fairly good condition, its fish populations are heavily exploited and threatened by commercial and private subsistence fisheries. Over 80 percent of its fishery resources are in critical condition.

In many coastal communities, for example, small private fishermen depend on fish for subsistence and also supplement their incomes by selling fish on the black market. Pressures on targeted species such as tarpon and bonefish are believed to be substantial, but currently no data are available to quantify the extent and magnitude of impacts on fish populations or ecosystems.

Cuban agriculture does not presently rely on extensive use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other agricultural chemicals. This means that pollution and eutrophication (overfertilization, which produces large blooms of algae and dead zones) may not be major threats to its fisheries and marine ecosystems. Nonetheless, isolated and significant pollution sources, such as food processing industries and oil refineries, affect many important bays and harbors around the island. Their impacts on marine ecosystems currently are not well-understood or well-documented.

Cuba has established 108 marine protected areas that provide some level of protection to nearly 23 percent of the shallow waters around the island. However, many of them are at risk due to funding shortages, lack of trained staff, poor enforcement and inefficient management. In 2015 the United States and Cuba agreed to create partnerships between sanctuaries in the two countries, so that we can share data and ideas for conserving these sites.

Cuba at a crossroads

Our common ocean is an essential resource for the United States and Cuba, and any action (or inaction) by one country will significantly impact the other. Scientific collaboration to protect marine resources will benefit both nations.

Cooperation between scientific organizations in Cuba and the United States dates back to the 19th century, and has helped to maintain dialogue even during the most difficult phases of U.S.-Cuban relations. Cuban and American scientists have worked together to address sensitive environmental issues such as shark conservation, conduct state-of-the-art research and train Cubans to do research and conservation.

At times, however, bureaucratic hurdles and misunderstandings on both sides have arisen, and government decisions or indecision have blocked good projects and ideas, such as importing and exporting equipment, organizing research expeditions and field courses, and collecting and exporting samples.

Cubans are facing very difficult economic times, and many are struggling to feed their families. In such circumstances they are unlikely to see environmental protection as a high priority. Cuba is at a crucial decision point, choosing between an environmentally friendly development path like Costa Ricas or a destructive Cancun-style model.

Joint Cuban-American scientific ventures should reach out to the public in both countries with a strong message about preserving our shared ocean resources. They should also invest in communities to change environmental perceptions and attitudes. We need to create effective incentives, increase exchanges of people and ideas, and improve communication about these issues.

Jorge Alberto Angulo Valdes , Author provided

More academic partnerships

Academia has a key role to play in this effort. U.S. colleges and universities should explore models that offer more opportunities to Cuban scientists, and Cuban schools should do the same. U.S. schools are already increasing their presence in Cuba through field courses that allow students to experience Cuban realities. Other U.S. organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund have also expanded ties with Cuban institutions and people.

Unfortunately, this process is working in only one direction. It is much more difficult for Cubans to visit the United States, thanks to restrictions on both sides. We need opportunities for groups of Cuban students to come to the United States for field courses and other academic programs.

Cubans and Americans have more in common than anyone may think. Our nations are united by nature, history and cultural links that have overcome politics. The timing is right for scientists on both sides to make a strong case in favor of normalization over confrontation, and a better future for both countries.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
"We have information that at least 35 people died in three districts," Efe news quoted the Director General of the Bangladesh Disaster Management Department (DMD), Reaz Ahmed, as saying.

He said 24 of the victims were from Rangamati district, the worst-affected area.

Influenced by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, rains have lashed the three districts since Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

An official in Chittagong said: "The military, police and fire service personnel have joined rescue efforts since early Tuesday."

Dhaka's flood forecasting centre said the water level in all the major rivers is rising while some were already flowing over the danger mark.

--IANS ksk/mr

( 138 Words)

2017-06-13-13:02:11 (IANS)
The Reserve Bank of India has issued a new batch of Rs 500 denomination notes, an official statement said on Tuesday. "In continuation of issuing of Rs 500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (new) series from time to time which are currently legal tender, a new batch of banknotes with inset letter "A" in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India; with the year of printing '2017' on the reverse, are being issued," an official statement said. The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the Rs 500 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, which were notified on November 8, 2016. --IANS ag/dg ( 126 Words) 2017-06-13-13:42:20 (IANS)
"Farmers are not begging for any favour but are demanding their rights. The farmers are indebted due to the wrong policies of the government," the AIKS said in a statement.

The AIKS said farmers will burn an effigy of Jaitley on Friday to protest his "anti-farmer" stand.

AIKS is the farmers' front of the undivided Communist Party of India.

It said the Centre had failed to ensure the M.S. Swaminathan Commission's recommendation of 50 per cent profit above the production cost for all crops.

Jaitley had on Monday said that states would have to generate funds from their own resources for loan waiver.

--IANS spk/him/rn

( 153 Words)

2017-06-13-16:26:20 (IANS)
16 police officials in Jammu and Kashmir have been deputed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a period of three years, in order to assist the latter in certain separatist cases in the Valley. Among those deputed are- a Superintendent of Police (SP) and two Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), according to police sources. Earlier in June, the NIA conducted raids at Separatists leaders' residences and offices in a major crackdown on terror funding. Some of the Separatists' names whose locations were raided are Hurriyat leader Raja Kalwal, and the recently suspended Hurriyat leader Naeem Khan. At least Rs. 1.5 crore cash, and incriminating documents were seized during the raids, along with the letterheads of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hijbul Mujahideen (HM), pen-drives and laptops. The NIA, earlier in May, visited Srinagar to probe into the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned the separatist leaders regarding their involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through Hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir. The sleuths from the agency questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba in the case. The NIA is probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and use of these funds in fuelling the unrest in the Valley. The NIA has 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. The NIA had on May 20 began its probe into the allegations of funding by Pakistan to separatists in Kashmir, a long-held assertion by Indian intelligence now 'confessed' by a Hurriyat leader in a sting. The development came after the Hurriyat Conference suspended Nayeem Khan from the organisation after he allegedly confessed to receiving money from Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for Kashmir unrest. Khan was allegedly heard admitting in a TV sting operation that he had received money from Pakistan to create unrest in the Valley. He, however, claimed that the sting operation was fake and doctored. After the video surfaced, the NIA registered a preliminary probe against Khan, Tehreek-e- Hurriyat leader Gazi Javed Baba and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (R) chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar. (ANI)
Inculpating the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Party for the ongoing protest in Darjeeling by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) over the formation of 'Gorkhaland', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the state government of alienating the community, which resulting in them facing an identity crisis. "Gorkhas belong to India, but the state government has alienated them to such an extent that they lost their belief of belonging to this country. It is the identity crisis which has initiated such violence," BJP state vice president Chandra Kumar Bose told ANI. Bose held the state government responsible for the escalated tension in Darjeeling and said that the ruling regime cannot solve this issue by simply providing some funds and forming the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). "Both the Left front for 34-year and the TMC party for the last six years are responsible for this identity crisis of the Gorkhas. We need to give the Gorkhas respect and understand their problem," he said. Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader Pavan Varma told ANI that law and order should first be restored in the hills, which is the need of the hour, and that violence cannot be a solution to any problem including difference of opinion. "I would join other voices in urging return to peace and normalcy after which a dialogue should take place, in which a resolution should be sought to be found," he said. Earlier on Monday, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that normalcy is returning in Darjeeling, as the strength of the force has been increased to tackle the indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for a separate Gorkhaland. Paramilitary jawans of the CRPF and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in Darjeeling in large numbers. CRPF Commanding Officer Sunil Kumar Savita told ANI that "more companies have been called in controlling the agitation in the state. Everything is getting back to normalcy and people have already started arriving at offices. We have the paramilitary forces and police officers patrolling the streets 24X7". The officer also said that the women battalions have also been deployed to beef up the security. However, GJM president Bimal Gurun has warned tourists asking them to leave Darjeeling immediately as "the situation is turning worse, and anything can happen". The GJM general secretary Roshan Giri earlier sought the Centre's intervention in the political turmoil in the state. Giri had said that a delegation of members of the GJM would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprise them about the ' Gorkhaland movement'. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has branded the GJM protest as 'abhorrent' and appealed to the people of the region to maintain peace. The GJM supporters are also protesting against the alleged imposition of Bengali in the schools of the hills. The agitation arose from an announcement made by Mamata Banerjee earlier that Bengali would be taught compulsorily up to Class 10 in the state schools. After the GJM cadres clashed with the police following their protests against Mamata's visit to Darjeeling and her decision to make Bengali compulsory in syllabus of schools across the state, the Army was called in to control the situation. The protest led by the GJM turned violent after protesters resorted to vandalism as they torched police vehicles and attacked policemen. (ANI)
"It seems like the criminals are taking the warnings issued by the Chief Minister of the state as a challenge. The Chief Minister should not just issue statements but take some important steps as well," state Congress spokesperson Dwijendra Tripathi told ANI.

Tripathi further stated that the Yogi Adityanath administration is not following his instructions properly, and as a result the criminals are carrying out their untoward activities without any fear.

"It is the people who have to bear the consequences. The Chief Minister should think on this matter very seriously,' he said.

On Monday, to tackle the situation of bad law and order in Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath ordered major improvements to the 'UP 100' service.

Moreover, the police will be held accountable to lodge FIRs and use 'video evidence' uploaded on the 'UP 100' portal by citizens as evidence.

Earlier last week, armed robbers shot dead a 55-year-old grain trader, his wife and son outside the family's home in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh.

A surveillance camera near the gate of the trader's home recorded the shooting.

In wake of the incident, markets were closed and protesters threw stones at civil administration vehicles. (ANI)
The Saturday incident was caught on a CCTV camera, which shows Sharanappa assaulting Nasreen for allegedly turning up late for work.

Nasreen, working as a SDA in the corporation, was observing fast during Ramzan and is said to have turned up late for work. Since it was a weekday, minimal staff was asked to be present to clear workload.

In the video, Sharanappa, a computer operator hired on a contractual basis, is seen questioning her. Within minutes, he is seen kicking Nasreen.

The woman can be later seen leaving the office, but Sharanappa is captured on another camera following her and assaulting her a second time.

Following the incident, the petrified woman filed a complaint against Sharanappa, who was later dismissed and arrested by the local police. (ANI)
The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to set up Rs 51.50 crore corpus in the state to regularise disbursement of salaries to the employees of Family Welfare Department (FWD), who have been agitating for the same for the past sometime in the state. An official spokesperson here today said that to address issue of non-regular payment of salaries of the employees, the matter has been taken up with the Finance Department, who in turn has agreed in principal to make a provision of Rs 51.50 crore for creating a corpus by the Department of Health & Medical Education for timely disbursement of salaries to the employees of Family Welfare Department under the Central Sponsored Scheme. He said the mechanism is aimed at to delink from Centre flow of funds and cover the mismatch in flows from the Centre to ensure regular salary disbursement to such employees. "The Finance Department is likely to release the funds within next couple of days, which will enable the Department to release the pending salaries of the employees, said the Minister," he said. Meanwhile, Minister for Health & Medical Education Bali Bhagat said that the Government is seriously considering resolving the issue of regular disbursement of salaries to the employees of Family Welfare Department. Mr Bhagat said that Government was aware about the difficulties being faced by the employees of Family Welfare in absence of their salaries, but it was a technical issue, which needed a rigorous exercise, and now the matter stands almost resolved permanently. Now onwards, they will get the salaries regularly without waiting for the funds from the Centre as the corpus will be utilised for the purpose and adjusted later when they are received in normal course. He said an amount of Rs 40 crore was released on his intervention by the Centre and 75 per cent payments were made. Mr Bhagat also appealed to the employees to suspend their agitation and return to their duties immediately as the Government assures to release their pending salaries within a week's time. UNI ABS SV ADG 1105 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-932285.Xml
The process for electing India's 13th President will be set in motion formally on Wednesday when the Election Commission issues a notification paving the way for filing of nominations for the July 17 contest in which the ruling NDA seems to have an edge. The last date for filing of nominations is June 28. Scrutiny will follow on June 29 and the last date for withdrawal is July 1. The vote count will be on July 20, four days before incumbent Pranab Mukherjee's term ends. The new President is set to take charge the next day. The electoral college for choosing the President consists of 4,896 voters. While the Lok Sabha has 543 voters and the Rajya Sabha 233, the overwhelming majority (4,120) come from state assemblies - MLAs. The total value of votes in the election is 10,98,903 -- 5,49,408 for MPs and 5,49,495 for MLAs. The value of each vote of an MP is 708 but this differs for MLAs from state to state. The value of an MLA's vote in Uttar Pradesh is the highest (208) and the least (7) in Sikkim. The NDA is short of the half-way mark by about 18,000 votes. But it expects to gain the support of many smaller parties besides all the factions of the feuding AIADMK which alone has a vote value of over 26,000. In 2012, Mukherjee, the nominee of the Congress-led UPA, got 7,13,763 votes while his sole rival P.A. Sangma, fielded by the BJP-led NDA, secured 3,15,987 -- of the total vote value of 10,29,750. Mukherjee assumed office on July 25, 2012. The election will see secret ballot and political parties can't issue a whip to MPs or MLAs. The Election Commission has said special pens will be provided to voters in view of a row that sorrounded voting for a Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana last year. "Electors have to mark the ballot only with this pen and not with any other pen. Voting by any other pen may lead to invalidation of the vote," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has said. A nomination paper has to be subscribed by at least 50 electors as 'Proposers' and by at least another 50 as 'Seconders'. The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. Every elector can have as many preferences as the candidates contesting the election and the winner has to secure the required quota of votes to be declared elected -- 50 per cent of the valid votes plus one. Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra will be the Returning Officer. Votes will be cast in Parliament House and in state assemblies. The vote count will take place in Delhi. Assistant Returning Officers will be appointed in all state capitals, besides Delhi and Puducherry. Each candidate will be allowed to deploy a representative at the venue of polling. "MPs are expected to vote in Parliament House in Delhi and the MLAs in their assemblies but they can vote at another polling station in case of exigency," Zaidi said. The BJP on Monday said it was for a consensus candidate and formed a three-member committee of senior ministers to talk to other political parties. Its members are two former BJP Presidents Rajnath Singh (Home) and M. Venkaiah Naidu (Urban Development) as well as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The BJP has not given any indication about its likely nominee but opposition parties including the Congress have held parleys to find a consensus candidate. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and tribal leader Draupadi Murmu's names are doing the rounds as possible government's choice for the Presidential election. The opposition parties will meet on June 14 to formally begin discussions on the presidential and vice presidential elections. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has initiated moves to bring the opposition on a common platform. She set up a 10-member sub-group of representatives from opposition parties to take forward the deliberations. The sub-group consists of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Shard Yadav (JD-U), Lalu Prasad (RJD), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP), R.S. Bharathi (DMK) and Praful Patel (NCP). Gandhi had earlier convened a luncheon meeting of opposition leaders which brought together leaders from 17 parties. The meeting decided to wait for the ruling alliance to reach out to them. The opposition parties have said if a consensual candidate does not emerge, they will field a candidate "who will steadfastly defend the constitutional values". The names of former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar are doing the rounds. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, whose name figured initially, has said he is not interested in contesting. --IANS sid-vsc/mr ( 797 Words) 2017-06-13-13:36:31 (IANS)
The final rites of eminent Telugu Litterateur C.Narayana Reddy will be performed in the Jubilee Hills cremation grounds, here tomorrow, according to his family sources. The 85-year-old legendary poet, writer, lyricist, teacher and Jnanpith award winner who was ailing for quite some time was rushed to a city hospital following deterioration in his health condition where doctors declared him dead yesterday. Meanwhile, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidayasagar Rao was among the unending stream of visitors comprising film personalities and writers who paid floral tributes to the late poet at his residence today. Authorities, meanwhile, are making arrangements to accord a state funeral to "Cinare" , as the late poet was known in literary and film circles.UNI SMS CS 1459 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-932583.Xml
Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Sadananda Gowda, today said the Government is working on collecting data of the Unorganised Sector besides its employment condition. The data will be released in a few months, the Minister said.Addressing the mediapersons here on key initiatives of his Ministry during three years of the Modi Government, he said that the Ministry has launched the Periodic Labour Survey in April 2017, which will give data on distribution of workers by industry and occupation as also on worker employed in the informal sectors besides conditions of employment of the worker.He said, "Employment data nowadays is crucial for any economy, so far data on employment and unemployment in India has been available in gap of five years, and Labour Survey will help to collect data more frequently and affect the implementation of various scheme."Being a new survey and first time tried in India, we expect that other field issue will be stabilised in one-year time and the Government hopes to have the employment data of urban areas quarterly and rural area on annual basis, he said.The Minister also discussed about the cost overruns, which have come down from 19 per cent to 11.19 per cent over last three years. He said that due to close monitoring a total of 229 projects were completed in last three years.Talking about UN Resolution "Transforming our World : The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", Mr Gowda said that India has developed the draft framework of indicators, which was being finalised.India is one of those countries who has participated in the Resolution, which consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated 169 targets to be achieved by 2030. UNI SHS SNU 1457 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-932614.Xml
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha today said all public welfare schemes launched by the Modi government have reached to the grassroot level. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Sinha said the government has taken the decision to reach around 300 major cities across the country and apprise the people what the Modi government has done in past three years for the common man by implementing the various schemes. Security of the country, basic facility to the poor and good governance, were the top priority of his government and they have launched a campaign throughout the country to reach the masses and tell them about the achievement of the government in every sectors, he claimed. On new Pune airport, the Minister assured that work of the new airport will be completed in next five years. It will certainly enhance the economy of Maharashtra which is already in a progressive state in field of information technology, education and medical institution. Replying to a query of increasing the traffic in Pune day by day, he said this was the sign of progress and development of the nation. "Our government is working hard for the poor people." UNI SP NV SW ADG 1341/1400 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0442-932564.Xml
Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar today exhorted the students to take inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who rose to the high position of the country from being a tea seller.Mr Javadekar's remarks came while felicitating 86 students at the 'Gun Gaurav Samman Samaroh 2017' who performed their best in the Board examinations despite having adverse situations at their homes.The function, which was held for the second time, was organised here to congratulate students of the Government schools along with Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs).In an interaction, the students talked about their families and their ambitions. Shubham Pal passed out from Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, Kishan Ganj scored 96.2 per cent and whose father is a driver wants to become Chartered Accountant (CA). Another student Rupali Jain of Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya, Nangloi also got 96 per cent and aims to become CA. Some of the students aspire to be doctors, engineers, IAS officers. There were students who aim to join the Indian Armed Forces. There were students who have cleared JEE Advance.The Minister, while encouraging these students, quoted late former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's journey and struggle. Mr Javadekar also talked of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's early days when he used to sell tea."Education is empowerment," asserted Mr Javadekar who awarded 86 students for their meritorious performance."Students are the real heroes and this is new India which Mr Modi always talks about," said the HRD Minister.Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State, also graced the occasion as Guests of Honour and in his introductory message congratulated the students and quoted the struggles of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India.The HRD Minister while praising students of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidayalas said these schools are the finest examples of the Government schools. It is not necessary that good education comes with expensive fees and infrastructure."If you have passion to perform, no situation can stop you," said Mr Javadekar who appealed other states to organise such events to motivate students.Mr Javadekar also urged the society to fund education of such bright and brilliant students. The Minister also thanked teachers and parents who have supported the students.Also present on the occasion were Mr RK Chaturvedi (CBSE Chairman), Ms Rina Ray (Additional Secretary) and other officials of the CBSE and the Education Department.UNI DJK NAZ SNU 1505 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0107-932625.Xml
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three people including a former DGM of a bank for allegedly defrauding two different banks of hundreds of crores. "The promoters of Abhijeet Group (Manoj Jayaswal and Abhishek Jayaswal) and TL Pai, former DGM of Canara Bank have been arrested for defrauding Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank of Rs 290-crore," CBI sources said here today.They said that the CBI investigation has indicated a large-scale scam in which 13 companies of the Group took loans from over 20 banks, financial institutions and all its accounts have turned NPAs since 2014 and outstanding loans exceeded Rs 11,000-crore.Sources said the accused will be produced in the Court at Kolkata today.UNI DS RSA SNU 1518 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-932611.Xml
To ensure transparency in the probe, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today urged the Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore to direct the Congress Government in the state to investigate the sand scam by the central agencies.In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, they also demanded the fulfillment of poll promises made by Congress party and protection of rights of the Dalit community.The SAD President Sukhbir Badal said that the Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjit had acquired sand mines through a cook and employees, who had made bids for Rs 50-crore. Terming this as an open and shut case of benami transactions, he said the same should be investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) authorities.Mr Badal alleged that the commission headed by retired Judge JS Narang, formulated by the State Government to investigate the sand scam, was an eyewash. "Narang is a friend of Rana Gurjit, who is often seen in his house. Moreover, Narang's son is a lawyer for Rana. He cannot be expected to hold an impartial inquiry," he added.SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said how Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had given a clean chit to Rana Gurjit even before the Commission had submitted its report by stating that he had gone through the documents and found nothing wrong.The SAD President also asked the Governor to instruct the Government to fulfill its promise of waiving off farmers' loans completely in the Budget Session itself. He said farm suicides have increased tremendously in the last three months with 70 farmers having lost their lives and in case the Government did not waive off farmer loans immediately, Punjab might get engulfed in a law and order problem.Mr Chandumajra stressed that the farm sector was in a crisis in Punjab with the banks and commission agents not extending loans to farmers for the coming paddy crop.BJP State President Vijay Sampla urged the Governor to intervene and ask the Congress Government to take firm action to stop repression of the Dalit community. He said the Scheduled Caste (SC) community was being systematically targeted across the state for supporting the Akali-BJP alliance in the last elections.He said the Dalits were not getting justice despite approaching the police because the state force was acting like a wing of the Congress party. Former Speaker Charanjit Atwal and former Minister Bikram Majithia also spoke on issue of Dalit atrocities.Former BJP President Kamal Sharma said cases of political vendetta were on the rise with frivolous cases being registered against Akali-BJP workers.More UNI DB PS SNU 1603 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-932699.Xml
Abrahao Pio dos Santos Gourgel, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Angola, today invited Indian industrialists to invest in his country as there are ample opportunities there.In a meeting with Indian industrialists, Dr Gourgel, accompanied by a high level business delegation comprising Secretaries of State, Government of Angola in the areas of Agriculture, Industry, Geology & Mining and Transport sector and the Deputy Governors of Bengo, Huambo, Huila and Zaire provinces; encouraged Indian companies and investors to work closely with their counterparts in Angola for the successful collaboration and prosperity of the two countries. He emphasised that the economic diversification that is currently undergoing in Angola has created potential for sustainable growth in the following key sectors - Commercial Agriculture; Industry (food-processing and beverages industry; Geology and mining; and Transports and logistics.He mentioned there were numerous investment opportunities available particularly in the Greenfield projects which would help in creating new production capacity and jobs. The Minister invited Indian expertise in technology and training & capacity building for the Angolan industry. In this regard, he mentioned that there would opportunities of Collaboration/Joint Ventures in the private sector or in the PPP mode. Angola has created a conducive business environment including a robust legal framework that would be attractive for Indian investors looking for business opportunities in Angola.The state secretaries invited Indian companies to invest in the priority sectors. A large number of investment opportunities were highlighted across sectors such as Water and energy: 65 projects, with an investment target of 14.4 billion dollar; Food production and Agro-business: 57 projects, with an investment goal of 2.8 billion dollar; Infrastructure, social housing with the goal of construction of more than 300 thousand houses with expected investments of 6.3 billion dollar; Transport and logistics: 123 structural projects, with investment targets of 24.4 billion dollar.The delegation encouraged the Indian industry to consider Angola a potential and profitable destination for the investments and to count on government and institutional support of Angola to make the initiatives a win-win situation for all.UNI ADP RSA SNU 1652 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0429-932880.Xml
The gangsters were hiding in the house of Massi of Sharni, another gangster in jail. On a tip-off, Punjab Police along with Haryana Police surrounded their hideout around 0400 hrs.

Category 'A' gangsters Bunty Dhillon and Jaspreet Singh alias Jumpy of Faridkot district, members of the Devinder Shooter Gang and also associated with the Vicky Gounder Gang, died on the spot and category 'B' gangster Nishan Singh died on way to hospital.

Both Dhillon and Jumpy were involved in many murder cases and other heinous crimes.

Five weapons and an SUV were also recovered from their hideout. The SUV was used by the gangsters in the Paonta Sahib shootout.

UNI DB SW SNU 1629

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The Jammu and Kashmir Government today urged the Health Department employees to suspend their two-month-long agitation and return to their duties immediately, saying that their pending salaries will be released within a week's time. The employees of Family Welfare Department (FWD) went on an indefinite strike on April 17 to press for release of their salaries pending for more than nine months. Meanwhile, the Government has decided to set up Rs 51.50-crore corpus in the state to regularise disbursement of their salaries in future. "The Finance Department is likely to release the funds within next couple of days, which will enable the Department to release the pending salaries of the employees, Minister for Health & Medical Education Bali Bhagat said. He said the Government is seriously considering resolving the issue of regular disbursement of salaries to the employees of the employees. "To address this technical issue once for all, the matter has been taken up with the Finance Department, who in turn has agreed in principal to make a provision of Rs 51.50-crore for creating a corpus by the Department of Health & Medical Education for timely disbursement of salaries to the employees of Family Welfare Department under the Central Sponsored Scheme," he said. Mr Bhagat said the Government was aware about the difficulties being faced by the employees of Family Welfare in the absence of their salaries, but it was a technical issue, which needed a rigorous exercise, and now the matter stood almost resolved. UNI ABS SW SNU 1643 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-932870.Xml
Government will reach out to all political parties to evolve consensus on the name of the next President of the country, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here today. Asked whether the Government will be reaching out to political parties to have consensus on Presidential candidate, Mr Naidu told reporters that '' We will talk to all political parties and we have discussed internally over the issue.'' ''In coming days, we will talk to all political parties and we will meet everyone,'' the Minister said. ''We have just started the process to have everyone on board and it would be done with full spirit of democracy,'' he added. BJP chief Amit Shah yesterday had set up a high-powered three-member panel to initiate consultations with the political parties for the ensuing Presidential elections. The panel comprises of three Union Ministers -- Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu. This committee will hold talks with leaders of various political parties and try to work out a consensus for the Presidential elections. The election to the coveted post of President is due in July as Pranab Mukherjee's term ends on July 25.UNI NY-AE SHK 1728 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-933013.Xml
Trinamool Congress leader and Councillor of Howrah Municipality Sailesh Roy was today arrested in connection with a murder case of private security man of a housing complex last year in Howrah,police said.The Councillor, representing the Ward 29 was arrested after police quiz him following a cctv footage showing the security person Bijoy Mallick was gunned down near Mallick Phatak on June 17,2016.Police arrested the TMC leader after quiz him for hours and subsequent cctv footage evidence.Police said the security man was a victim of conspiracy of syndicated gangs involved in apartment promoting businesses.However, another version was that since the security man was murder since he had objected some illegal activities near the housing complex.UNI PC RN 1737 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0311-933038.Xml
Public sector IDBI bank, after suffered from a whopping loss of Rs 5,158 crores last fiscal mainly owing to bad corporate sector loans and now faces several restrictions including that on branch expansion and capital expenditure from the RBI under it prompt corrective action scheme, has launched an aggressive turnaround strategy with a focus on building a robust retail portfolio, enhancing capital base and strengthening customer relationship, Deputy Managing Director of the bank G M Yadwadkar today said.Addressing a press conference here Yadwadkar held the bad loans to corporate sectors mainly responsible for the loss to the bank. "Recovery of bad loans and prevention of further slippages will be a priority area for the bank in the short term. Given the stress in the corporate sector, the bank will restrict growth in the corporate loan book and focus on increasing retail and priority sector asset base. This will help the bank to reduce risk weighted assets and improve CAR in the short term. Also, the bank will look at reducing its operational cost and sell non-core assets over a period of time,'' he said adding that the total NPA was around Rs 44500 crores of which most was in corporate portfolio.He said that though the RBI has put some restriction under prompt corrective action but it has not restricted the bank in its day to day operation in any manner.The Dy MD said that though the government has taken many good steps for the revival of the economy, but it would take time to yield desired results. Various sectors including Telecom,Steel and Infrastructure remained under stress last fiscal which resulted in NPA's in our corporate loan portfolio leading to loss."While the year 201617 posed challenges, the bank's major thrust will be on re-balancing the business portfolio in coming months. The bank will tap emerging opportunity to grow its business, with a focus on propelling notably the retail and priority sector book. The Bank has crafted a comprehensive turnaround strategy to get back on the path of growth. Accordingly, our focus will be on increasing our retail footprint, further enhance our lending in priority sector, aggressively seek recovery of NPAs and take all possible steps for augmenting our capital base,'' he said.In fact, the bank has made headway as evidenced in the rising share of retail advances to 43% as at end-March 2017 from 33% as at end-March 2016. The Bank's CASA deposits as well as Retail Term Deposits both grew by over 22% during the year. Also, the share of CASA deposits and Retail Term Deposits increased to over 31% and 32%, respectively, during the year. Reimagining the customer experience in an increasingly digital world is another key area. The Bank introduced innovations such as UPI App 'PayWiz', Social Media banking 'Facebook iEngage' for retail internet banking customers and digital passbook 'mPassbook' on Android platform, he said.On the occasion he also shared details about the bank's position in Gujarat.At present IDBI Bank has a network of 110 retail branches, 4 Retails Assets Centres, 7 Trade Finance Centres, 1 Currency Chest and 217 ATMS in the state of Gujarat and Dadara Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. In addition, It has 4 Specialized Corporate branches. The branch network has been further augmented with the appointments of Business Correspondents (BCs) where it has no presence. IDBI Bank has total deposits of Rs.11246 crore and total advances of Rs.10116 crore for the state of Gujarat as on March 31, 2017. Bank is aggressively contributing to various Govt. Schemes viz. PMJDY, PMMY, Stand Up India and Social Security Schemes, he said.UNI XC RAJ PS 1734 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-933030.Xml
'Love Hormone,' which has long been associated with relationships in several ways, now can be termed as 'crisis hormone.' American and Norwegian researchers have found that the hormone oxytocin, also called 'cuddle hormone,' which has a great reputation as it can make us feel better by reducing anxiety and making us feel more generous, may as well be called 'crisis hormone.' According to Andreas Aarseth Kristoffersen, a research assistant in NTNU's Department of psychology in Trondheim, there exist two main theories related to contradicting findings. Some scientists believe that oxytocin is released primarily to enhance a relationship and make it stronger when you are with someone you love. Others believe that oxytocin levels increase primarily when you find yourself in difficult or even threatening situations. For example when people notice that their partner is showing less interest in the relationship, the level of this relationship-building hormone increases. NTNU researchers joined forces with researchers from University of New Mexico to study the connection between oxytocin and investment in couple relationships. The researchers examined 75 American couples, and 148 Norwegian individuals who were one of the partners in a relationship. Both studies' individuals showed elevated hormone levels when they felt strong personal investment in the relationship. In this case, oxytocin's reputation as a love hormone holds up. But the crucial finding came from simultaneously examining both partners' involvement. The partners who were more invested in a relationship released more oxytocin when they thought about their relationship than the less invested partner did. Considering both members together, it was the difference in investment between partners that predicted an increase in oxytocin. Here, oxytocin may be acting more like a 'crisis hormone.' "It's seems contradictory that you would release more oxytocin both when things are going well and when they're not, but that's how it is," says Aarseth Kristoffersen. One explanation could be that the partner who is most invested in the relationship might benefit from putting even more effort into making it work, so that the more sceptical party re-engages. The researchers found no significant difference between US and Norwegian results. Responses to the study tasks were consistent across cultural condition, which reinforces the theory that the underlying explanation is biological. (ANI)
Controversies continue to dog Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his family, the latest in the series being deployment of a medical team at the residence he shares with his son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav. The medical team was, however, withdrawn after the opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the matter, officials said on Tuesday. A team of three doctors and two male nurses of the Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) had been deployed for over a week at 10-Circular Road, the residence officially in the name of Rabri Devi, former Bihar Chief Minister who is mother of Tej Pratap. Lalu and other members of his family, including his younger son Tejashwi Yadav, who is Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, live there. According to officials close to Tej Prataap, the medical team was deployed for the treatment of Lalu last week -- May 31 to June 8 -- when he was taken ill. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies raised the matter and questioned the official rules to deploy a team of doctors at Lalu's residence and also demanded an explanation from the Nitish Kumar-led state government. However, soon after the issue came to light and the opposition raised questions pointing to Lalu's clout in the state government, the IGIMS ordered withdrawal of the team of doctors from Rabri Devi's house. IGIMS Superintendent P.K. Sinha told the media that there was nothing wrong in deputation of a team of doctors at the residence of Heath Minister Tej Pratap, who is also Chairman of the IGIMS, an autonomous body. "Tej Pratap as the Health Minister has the prerogative to call for doctors and ask for deployment of a team of doctors," he said. Sinha said as the Chairman, Tej Pratap was entitled to the privilege, and that even ministers were entitled to certain prerogatives. Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar said at a time when common people have been running from pillar to post for treatment at government hospitals across the state, an entire team of doctors was deployed at the Health Minister's residence. "It has exposed the clout of Lalu and his family (in the government)." Another senior BJP leader, Nand Kishore Yadav also criticised Lalu and his family for "misusing the power". Expelled RJD MP and chief of Jan Adhikar Party Pappu Yadav said: "Doctors ki nahi jallaadonn ki tainati Lalu ke awas par hona chaahiye. Garibon ko doctors milate nahi lekin Lalu ke liye doctors ki team mil jaati hai (Instead of doctors, executioners should be deployed at Lalu's residence. Poor have no medical facilities, but doctors' team is available for Lalu"). BJP's ally LJP leader Pasupati Kumar Paras also flayed the deputation of doctors, saying while there was so much shortage of doctors in government hospitals, deputation of a team of doctors for his treatment was simply uncalled for. ---IANS ik/nir/vt ( 495 Words) 2017-06-13-19:26:12 (IANS)
The District YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president G Amarnadh today demanded a CBI probe into multi-crore land scam here.Addressing a media conference here, he said that it would continue its fight against the land mafia and intensify the agitation by organising a 'Maha Dharna' to mobilise public opinion against the Andhra Pradesh government, which is "indifferent towards the issue".He said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formulated to probe the scam and submit its report to the cabinet sub-committee was nothing but an eye wash. Mr Amarnadh said that a state-level agency cannot bring out the true facts on the multi-crore scam as ministers, MLAs, ruling party leaders, their kin along with officials are involved in the scam with the blessings of party leadership. ''We have raised the issue and will intensify the agitation as the land records are being manipulated and people in power are grabbing large extent of land in nearly 32 villages and the surrounding mandals of Gopalapatnam, Madhurawada, Bhimili, Gajuwaka and other peripheries,'' he alleged."It is sad to note that BJP MP Hari Babu is silent on the issue and local BJP MLA Vishunkumar Raju is also silent over the land scam," Mr Amatnadh alleged. Mr Amarnadh said the Collector himself has agreed that some records had gone missing. He said 300 acres of land was grabbed. However, the extent of land runs into a much larger number and nearly 40 registers had just vanished from the revenue department, he added.UNI BSR PS SHK 2030 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-933098.Xml
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will take a break from the rough and tumble of Indian politics to visit his 93-year-old maternal grandmother in Italy. "Will be travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," Gandhi said on Twitter. Rahul Gandhi, whose maternal grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy, did not mention how many days he will remain out of the country. He will celebrate his 47th birthday on June 19. The Congress leader's latest foreign visit comes amid hectic politics over the July 17 presidential election and other developments like the farmers unrest and protests in various states across the country. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture." He said Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers' agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights. Rahul Gandhi visited the US in March after his mother and congress chief Sonia Gandhi went there for a health check-up. This is not the first time that Gandhi had announced his plans to go abroad on Twitter. He did the same when he earlier visited London in December 2016. Moreover, it is not the first time Gandhi will go abroad when presidential election and farmers unrest looms large over the country, and six farmers have been killed in police firing on June 6 in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. He went abroad ahead of New Year celebrations in December 2016, when the country was in economic and political turmoil owing to the government's November 8 decision to demonetise currency notes and infighting in the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. He drew criticism from political opponents when he went abroad in 2016-end, leading to his absence from Parliament in the first few days of the Budget session. He again drew flak when he attended the Aspen conference in September 2015 amid assembly election campaign in Bihar. --IANS sid/tsb ( 362 Words) 2017-06-13-23:04:15 (IANS)
Bangladesh's deputy consul general in New York was indicted on charges of labor trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation, a New York City prosecutor said.Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement.Bail was set at 50,000 dollar bond or 25,000 dollar cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.According to the indictment yesterday, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as a household help for Islam and his family."Soon after Mr Amin's arrival, the defendant allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day ... Even though Mr. Amin had a contract which outlines his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work," the statement said."If the victim disobeyed the defendant's orders, Mr. Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the defendant, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe," it said.A spokesman for the Bangladesh embassy in Washington said it believed Amin had filed the case in bad faith and the allegations were "fabricated" and "baseless"."It may be noted that Mr. Islam decided to cancel Mr. Amin's contract and was preparing to send him back to Bangladesh due to his irresponsible acts," Shamim Ahmad, the spokesman, said."We hope the court will give its verdict in the matter judiciously," he said.Shameem Ahsan, the consul general of Bangladesh, told Reuters over the telephone from New York that Amin disappeared on May 17, 2016 and the very next day the consulate informed the U.S. state department office in New York."It is surprising for us that after 13 months he has appeared with these allegations, why did he not raise this issue earlier," he said.According to the charges, Amin's only form of income came from tips from guests at parties and a "miniscule" amount of money Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.On several occasions when Amin sought to leave, Islam hit him and threatened to harm his mother and young son in Bangladesh, the statement said.On occasion, Islam also stated that he would have Amin's college-age daughter "shamed" if he did not continue to work as his servant, the statement said. The statement did not make clear what Islam meant by shaming.The statement also said that in 2014, shortly after an Indian diplomat in New York was charged with labor trafficking, Islam wrote a check for Amin's cash-tip earnings that the latter then had to deposit in a bank account to create the appearance of a paycheck.In late 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was India's deputy consul general in New York, was arrested and subsequently accused of visa fraud and forcing her housekeeper and nanny to work 100-hour weeks for just over $1 an hour.Khobragade's arrest and strip search provoked outrage in India and caused a major diplomatic rift between the United States and India. The charges against her were dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity. After she left the United States, a New York grand jury later issued a new indictment for visa fraud.Last year, a Manhattan federal judge declared the former Bangladeshi consul general in New York and his wife to be in default for ignoring a lawsuit by a former domestic worker who claimed they forced him to work without pay in slavery-like conditions. REUTERS RJ 1106 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0098-932335.Xml
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would present options on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump "very soon," adding the strategy would take a regional approach rather than looking at the war-torn country in isolation.The situation in Afghanistan, which US military officials acknowledge is in a stalemate almost 16 years since the war started, has deteriorated in recent months.A truck-bomb explosion in Kabul last month killed more than 150 people, making it the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.In some cases, Afghan security forces have been forced to abandon more scattered and rural bases, and the government can claim to control or influence only 57 per cent of the country, according to US military estimates earlier this year."We are taking a regional approach to this," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee. "We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon."Mattis said a request by General John Nicholson, the head of US and international forces in Afghanistan, for additional troops would mostly be made up of troops who would train, advise and assist Afghan forces, potentially putting them with Afghan forces at the brigade level."It's a fundamental change to how we bring our, what I would call our real superiority, in terms of air support," Mattis said.At the same hearing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford said he had gone to Mattis and Trump with "some options that might be considered" in order to help improve the security situation in Afghanistan.Reuters reported in late April that Trump's administration was carrying out a review of Afghanistan and conversations were revolving around sending between 3,000 and 5,000 US and coalition troops there.Deliberations include giving more authorities to forces on the ground and taking more aggressive action against Taliban fighters.Some US officials questioned the benefit of sending more troops to Afghanistan because any politically palatable number would not be enough to turn the tide, much less create stability and security. To date, more than 2,300 Americans have been killed and over 17,000 wounded.On Saturday, three US soldiers were killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan. REUTERS RJ 1033 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-932307.Xml
Infuriated over the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Panama, Taiwan said on Tuesday it would rethink its relations with the mainland in the wake of this decision and also accused it of stoking confrontation. The Central American country is the second to switch recognition to Beijing from Taiwan in six months, following the West African nation of Sao Tome and Principe last December. "The move by the Beijing authorities is not only wrong, but also affects the current situation, turning the peaceful development of cross-strait relations into confrontation. For this, the government will reappraise the situation of the ties across the Taiwan Strait ," the South China Morning Post quoted Joseph Wu, secretary general of the presidential office, as saying. The decision by Panama to have diplomatic relations with Beijing ended 105 years of formal relations between it and the Republic of China, the official name Taiwan uses for itself. As a responsible power in the region, Wu said that Beijing should stop taking actions that hurt cross-strait stability and the feelings of the Taiwanese people. Taiwan's foreign ministry announced separately that it would end diplomatic relations with Panama, shut down its embassy and withdraw all its financial and technical aid for the country. The island's foreign minister, David Lee, expressed grave regret over Panama's decision and hit out at Beijing's "chequebook diplomacy" in its attempts to woo away Taiwan's allies. Beijing sees the island as a renegade province that must be brought back under its control. (ANI)
"Breaking: Police operation ongoing in #Munich underground station Unterfohring. We'll keep you posted on the developments," tweeted DW.

"#BREAKING: A gumnan opened fire on policemen near #Unterfohring train station #Munich, #Germany; Atleast policeman injured," said a Twitter user.

An operation is underway.

More details to follow. (ANI)
The king of Saudi Arabia and the Iraqi prime minister will meet tomorrow, a Saudi newspaper reported, their second meeting this year as the neighbours try to heal a rift over Iraq's alliance with Saudi arch foe Iran.A reconciliation between the Sunni Muslim kingdom and majority Shi'ite Iraq would be a boost to the Gulf Arab region, where tensions are sky high, both within and with Iran.Last week Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries severed ties with Qatar. Doha denies their accusations of it backing Islamist militants and Iran.Days later attacks in Tehran killed 17 people, claimed by hardline Sunni militants Islamic State. Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of funding Islamist militants, including IS.Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi and King Salman will meet tomorrow at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah, the London-based newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported, citing Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan.The Iraqi government spokesman did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. Abadi has been eager to keep Iraq out of the dispute between Qatar and its neighbours.On Sunday, he denied press reports which had angered Gulf Arab states suggesting that hundreds of millions of dollars sent by Qatar to Baghdad for the freeing in April of a group of abducted Qatari royals had ended up in Iran.The royals were abducted in 2015 in southern Iraq, a region controlled by Iranian-backed groups.Iraq lies on the fault line between Shi'ite Iran and the mostly-Sunni Arab world. Deep-running animosity and distrust between the two sides is fuelled by sectarian divides.Tensions grew further after Iran, by leveraging its ties with Iraq's Shi'ites, has emerged as the main power broker in Iraq after the United States withdrew its troops in 2011.Tehran also been a key support in Iraq's efforts to defeat Islamic State, providing military assistance to Shi'ite paramilitary fighting the Sunni insurgents who declared a ''caliphate'' over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.King Salman and Abadi last met in March on the sidelines of the Arab summit and in February Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir made a rare visit to Baghdad in February.Improved ties may also help heal deep and bitter divisions between Iraq's Shi'ite majority and Sunni population.REUTERS JW1528 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0387-932722.Xml
Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to strike a deal with a Northern Irish Protestant party to save her premiership today as she comes under intense pressure to soften her approach to Brexit days before formal EU divorce talks.May's botched election gamble, which saw her lose her parliamentary majority, left her so diminished that supporters of closer ties with the European Union publicly demanded she take a more consensual and business friendly approach to Brexit.In an attempt to avoid a second election that could deepen the worst political turmoil in Britain since last June's shock vote to leave the European Union, May apologised to her Conservative Party's lawmakers, who said they would leave her in power - for now."She said: 'I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who is going to get us out of it'," said one Conservative lawmaker who attended Monday's meeting. "She said she will serve us as long as we want her."To stay in government, May must strike a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a small eurosceptic Northern Irish party with 10 parliamentary seats. May will meet DUP leader Arlene Foster in London today."The deal will be done," said Jon Tonge, professor of politics at Liverpool University. "Basically it will be Theresa May signing cheques for the foreseeable future or a monthly direct debit, as it were, into Northern Ireland's coffers.""The DUP may never have the political arithmetic so favourable again so like the Conservatives, the DUP will want to avoid another election and will want to keep drinking in the political free bar that is available to it," Tonge said.But a deal with the DUP would risk destabilising the political balance in Northern Ireland by increasing the influence of pro-British unionists who have struggled for years with Irish Catholic nationalists who want Northern Ireland to join a united Ireland.While the DUP are deeply eurosceptic, they have balked at some of the practical implications of a so-call hard Brexit - including a potential loss of a "frictionless border" with the Republic of Ireland - and talks will touch on efforts to minimise the potential damage to Northern Ireland.With formal EU divorce talks due next week, May heads to France on Tuesday to meet Emmanuel Macron, who last month swept to victory in the presidential election.During the campaign, May cast herself as the only leader competent enough to navigate the tortuous Brexit negotiations that will shape the future of the United Kingdom and its 2.5 trillion dollars economy.Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, which saw its number of parliamentary seats and share of the vote increase, said there could be another election this year or early in 2018 after Thursday's vote produced no clear winner.BREXIT CIVIL WAR?May, who ahead of the June referendum supported remaining in the EU, has promised to start the formal Brexit talks next week but opponents of a sharp break with the EU took her woes as a chance to push back against her strategy.Before the election, May proposed a clean break from the EU, involving withdrawal from Europe's single market, limits on immigration and a bespoke customs deal with the EU.Brexit minister David Davis has insisted the approach to the EU divorce had not changed, but at the meeting with lawmakers on Monday, May recognised that a broader consensus needed to be built for Brexit and made clear she would listen to all wings of the party on the issue.Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the government should put economic growth at the heart of its Brexit strategy, while some senior ministers have pushed for less focus on immigration and more on jobs.The Daily Telegraph reported cabinet ministers have opened back-channel talks to senior Labour lawmakers to secure a cross-party agreement on Brexit. When asked about the Daily Telegraph article, Michael Gove, a minister who campaigned for Brexit, told ITV: "This is news to me."William Hague, a former leader of the Conservative Party, called for business groups and lawmakers from all parties to be brought in to agree a national position on Brexit.May's weakness means she must now listen to all shades of opinion on Brexit as she goes into Britain's most complex negotiations since World War Two.But May faces a difficult balancing act: Divisions over Europe helped sink the premierships of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron, and many of her lawmakers and party membership support a sharp break with the EU."The Tory civil war on the EU which has ripped it apart since the Maastricht rebellions of the early 1990s, and which the referendum was supposed to solve, is now raging again," said Chris Grey, an academic who specialises in Brexit at Royal Holloway in London.REUTERS JW1630 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0386-932876.Xml
Hungary's ruling Fidesz party pushed strict new regulations for non-government organisations that get foreign funding through parliament today despite calls from the European Parliament and rights groups for the bill to be dropped.Under legislation drafted by right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government and pushed through by Fidesz, NGOs with foreign donations must register with the authorities and declare themselves as foreign-funded.Though the government says it is trying to ensure greater transparency and protect Hungary from foreign influence, NGOs and human rights groups say the bill stigmatises NGOs and is intended to stifle independent voices in the central European country.The European Parliament has called for it to be withdrawn.Since coming to power in 2010, Orban has blunted restraints on his power by taking control of much of the Hungarian media, curbing the powers of the constitutional court and placing loyalists in top positions at public institutions.Orban, 54, who will seek re-election for a third consecutive term in April 2018, has been campaigning hard against NGOs funded by Hungarian billionaire George Soros, saying they were a "mafia-like" network employing paid political activists who posed a threat to national sovereignty.Along with tough anti-immigrant rhetoric, such attacks on Soros fits well with Orban's domestic political agenda. His Fidesz party has a firm lead over the opposition in opinion polls."COSMETIC" CHANGESThe government last week backtracked on parts of the legislation to meet some of the objections from the Council of Europe's advisory panel, the Venice Commission.However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) dismissed the amendments as "cosmetic". It also said the government had failed to consult with civic groups before adopting the bill."The amendments do not remove the provision to stigmatize organizations as "foreign funded," nor the risk of an organization being legally dissolved by the courts if it does not register as 'foreign funded'," HRW said in a statement."The draft law is about silencing critical voices in society."Soros's Open Society Foundations, which disburse funding to several prominent NGOs in Hungary, warned on Monday that the law posed serious risks to democracy in Hungary.The law "seeks to suppress democratic voices in Hungary just when the country needs them most. It attacks Hungarians who help fellow citizens challenge corruption and arbitrary power," OSF director Goran Buldioski said.The European Parliament adopted a resolution last month condemning Hungary for the "serious deterioration" in the rule of law and fundamental rights, and called on the government to withdraw the bill on foreign-funded NGOs.REUTERS JW1637 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0386-932887.Xml
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel de Saint Malo, who is also Panama's Vice President, signed the joint communique.

According to the communique quoted by Xinhua news agency, China and Panama will establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

It said Panama recognised the One-China principle and Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

It also said that Panama had severed "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and undertook not to have any more official relations or exchanges with Taipei.

Panama's decision has dealt a blow to Taiwan, which now has only 20 countries that recognise it. Taiwan has expressed anger over the Panama's move, accusing Beijing of doing "money diplomacy".

To the south of China, Taiwan is an English-speaking democracy, which Beijing sees it as a breakaway province.

After being defeated by the Communists in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, better known as Formosa for hundreds of years.

Since then Taiwan, which means beautiful land, has maintained a sort of independence from China but never proclaimed it.

Ties between China and Taiwan took a hit last year when the island elected Tsai-Ing We, whose Democratic Progressive Party has been traditionally pro-independence.

China vows to unite the island with the mainland even if it came to resorting to violence.

The latest development will certainly bolster China's claim over Taiwan.

Beijing does not mince words in slamming or threatening any country which tries get close to Taiwan.

--IANSA gsh/mr

( 281 Words)

2017-06-13-17:40:20 (IANS)
US President Donald Trump will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House on June 29-30 to advance economic cooperation and discuss ways of strengthening the two countries' "ironclad" alliance, the White House said today."The leaders will also coordinate on North Korea-related issues, including countering the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats," it said in a statement.REUTERS JW1806 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0386-933102.Xml
Israel said today its ambassador to New Zealand will return to his post, ending a six-month rift in relations over a United Nations resolution against Israeli settlements on occupied territory which Palestinians seek for a state.Israel recalled the ambassador in December after New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal sponsored a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement activity .New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders spoke on the phone earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michal Maayan said in a statement."I regret the damage done to Israel-New Zealand relations as a result of New Zealand proposing Resolution 2344 at the Security Council," English wrote, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.The U.N. resolution passed in the 15-member Security Council because the United States, under the administration of former President Barack Obama, did not wield its veto power and instead abstained, breaking with its long-standing tradition of diplomatically shielding Israel at the international body.Continued settlement building on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War and which Palestinians hope will eventually form part of an independent state has drawn criticism from the United Nations and most of the international community. Palestinians cite it as a major obstacle in now-stalled peace talks.On June 4 Israel said it was returning its ambassador to Senegal, after recalling him over the U.N. Security Council resolution. Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela.Maayan said the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand will return to Wellington in the next few days. REUTERS PY 2059 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-933482.Xml
North Korea has threatened United States saying, its nuclear weapons can hit New York, and such a strike "might be proven in practice." Pyongyang responded to a January tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he stated that a North Korean strike on the U.S. "won't happen." North Korea's delayed response came over a tweet in January by Trump. "The DPRK is about 10,400km far away from New York. But this is just not a long distance for its strike today," Russia Today reported. The article, titled 'US hostile policy is bound to go bankrupt', goes on to state that "the US is feeling uneasy as this might be proven in practice." "This is because its hostile policy will end in futile when the DPRK conducts the test-fire of an ICBM capable of precisely striking any place on the US mainland," an opinion piece in the state-run Rodong Sinmun stated on Monday. The article also mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump's tweet in which he acknowledged Pyongyang's announcement that it was in the "final stages" of developing a nuclear weapon striking parts of the US, but said that such a strike "won't happen." The editorial comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, with Trump repeatedly vowing to boost the US's military capabilities to counter the threat from North Korean missiles. Trump even informed the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, that "all options are on the table" - including military action - to address provocations by North Korea. He has also urged China to put pressure on Pyongyang, as its sole economic lifeline. (ANI)
The Trump administration notified Congress last week that it soon plans to begin delivering precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia under a 2015 weapons deal, congressional officials said today.The US Senate is expected to vote today on a resolution to block portions of a new, separate arms sale to Saudi Arabia, agreed during a visit there by President Donald Trump in May.Arms sales to Riyadh have become increasingly contentious in the US Congress, where some lawmakers object that American weapons have contributed to widespread civilian casualties in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.Republican Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, a Democrat, suspended the planned sale of precision-guided munitions in December because of concerns over civilian casualties in Yemen, where the civil war pits Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.Trump, however, has said he wants to encourage weapons sales as a way to create jobs in the United States.Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration had notified Congress about the start of deliveries on the 2015 sale. He said in a statement that Trump's decision was another reason for the Senate to disapprove the new sale."We need to send a message to both the Trump Administration and the Saudis to work much harder to avoid civilian casualties, expedite humanitarian relief, and push for a peaceful end to the war through a negotiated political settlement," Cardin said.Republicans control both chambers of Congress.A senior congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the notification was received last Thursday. The decision to move ahead with deliveries was first reported by Bloomberg.The 2015 sale included more than 8,000 Laser Guided Bombs for the Royal Saudi Air Force. The package also includes more than 10,000 general purpose bombs, and more than 5,000 tail kits used to inexpensively convert "dumb" bombs into laser or GPS-guided weapons.Some of the weapons systems included in the sale were made by Raytheon Co and Boeing Co.The arms deal announced in May was for $110 billion, with options running as high as $350 billion over 10 years.Tuesday's Senate vote, which would block about $500 million of that sale, including precision-guided munitions and other offensive weapons, coincides with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other officials in Washington. REUTERS PY 2319 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-933572.Xml
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 01:30:14|Editor: ying

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U.S. President Donald Trump leaves after delivering a speech at the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, on June 1, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has decided to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, a landmark global pact to fight climate change. (Xinhua/Mike Theiler)

By Alessandra Cadone

MILAN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A two-day ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) nations ended in the northern Italian city of Bologna on Monday, confirming the split between the United States and its six major allies on climate change.

The U.S. refused to endorse the summit's final statement in the part concerning climate, following President Donald Trump's recent decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on cutting global carbon emissions.

Only six countries in the G7 -- Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan -- restated their pledge to implement the accord, which has been signed by 195 parties and ratified by 148 countries and regions so far.

In the point 7 of the 15-page final communique, they "reaffirm strong commitment to the swift and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, which remains the global instrument for effectively and urgently tackling climate change, and adapting to its effects".

The U.S. representative did not agree on the point. "The United States will continue to engage with key international partners in a manner that is consistent with our domestic priorities," the communique read in a note.

"Accordingly, the United States does not join those sections of the communique on climate and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), reflecting our recent announcement to withdraw and immediately cease implementation of the Paris Agreement and associated financial commitments."

Leaders of the world's most industrialized countries had tried to persuade Trump to stick to the agreement in the last G7 major summit held in Taormina, Italy, on May 26-28. However, the U.S. President announced the withdrawal four days later.

The ministerial talks in Bologna -- besides addressing the state of implementation of the Paris deal -- focused on issues related to "the frontier between economy and environment" such as an environmental tax reform, a green and sustainable finance, and the role of multilateral development banks, according to the Italian G7 presidency.

Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti voiced his hope a future dialogue with the U.S. could still develop in the near future.

"We have worked to build bridges," Ansa news agency quoted Galletti as saying after the closure of the meeting on Monday."It could have been a G7 of rupture, and it was a G7 of dialogue instead," he added.

Already through the first day of works, however, it was quite clear the rift on climate between the U.S. and their major allies was much likely to remain unchanged.

The top U.S. official at the meeting, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, left the meeting after only few hours of one-on-one talks held with his counterparts from Germany, Japan, and Britain. Pruitt's departure was unscheduled, and no formal explanation was provided for it.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Galletti explained there was "full agreement (among G7) on all issues, but climate".

He reiterated his view that the Paris Agreement would remain "irreversible, non-negotiable, and the only possible tool to fight climate change" for all the United States' partners in the G7.

Italy, Germany, and France had already expressed such position in a joint statement on June 1, in which they defended the Paris deal, regretted president Trump's decision, and dismissed the idea the global agreement could be renegotiated.

The G7 ministerial meeting in Bologna also involved representatives from the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), and Chile, Ethiopia, Maldives, and Rwanda as invited countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 02:00:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Monday to extend authorization for another year so as to allow the European Union to seize illegal weapons on the high seas off the coast of Libya.

The 15-member UN body "decides to extend the authorizations as set out in Resolution 2292 for a further 12 months from the date of this resolution," the UK-drafted resolution said.

Resolution 2292 was adopted in June 2016 to allow member states, for one year, to inspect and seize illegal arms off Libya's coast. EU's Operation Sophia has been working to stop smuggling illegal arms into Libya.

Peter Wilson, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, told the council that "we are pleased that the Council has remained united in renewing the measures we put in place last year for a further 12 months to help stop illegal arms entering Libya by sea," adding that "it demonstrates that the international community is serious about improving Libya's security."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 02:30:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) here on Monday urged South Sudan rival factions to fully adhere to their commitments and implement the agreement made.

Leaders of the east African block, discussing on South Sudan's current situations in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, urged the two rival factions to respect terms and conditions of the peace agreement that was signed in 2015 in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who is also the current chairperson of the IGAD Assembly, in his opening remarks of the 31st IGAD heads of states and governments summit on Monday affirmed that military solutions would not solve the conflict in South Sudan.

South Sudan's peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa in 2015 had failed following resumption of conflict in the capital Juba in July 2016. The conflict has since spread to other regions, including places that were considered peaceful during the initial periods when violence broke out in mid-December 2013.

According to Desalegn, peace and security concerns remain priority areas of discussion by leaders of the east African block. Humanitarian situations and responses that are underway in the world's youngest nation was also another concern during the meeting.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, who was invited to attend the meeting, declined and sent First Vice President Taban Deng Gai. The presidency, in a statement, said Kiir had other commitments.

Deng Gai on his part said that the world's youngest nation is currently working on the upcoming election. According to Deng Gai, preliminary activities are underway in a bid to ensure that the election is free, fair and inclusive.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 03:00:54|Editor: xuxin

Photo taken on June 12, 2017 shows shattered rubble on the ground after an earthquake in Lesvos Island, Greece. At least one person was killed and another 11 were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Greece's Eastern Aegean Sea on Monday, said the Greek authorities. (Xinhua/Vasitis Roubos)

ATHENS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- At least one people was killed and another 11 were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Greece's Eastern Aegean Sea on Monday, said the Greek authorities.

A 45-year-old woman was found dead by firefighters in the ruins in the village of Vrisa on Lesvos Island, said local authorities.

Major damages have been reported in Vrisa in southern Lesvos.

"Half of the village has been greatly damaged and many houses have collapsed," Nikos Karasavvas, the Deputy Mayor of Environment and Emergency of the Municipality of Lesvos was quoted by Greek News Agency AMNA as saying

The earthquake also caused damages to some other houses on Lesvos as well as the nearby Chios Island.

The Athens Institute of Geodynamics said the epicenter of the earthquake was at sea, about 45km south from Lesvos Island.

The strong tremor, which hit in early afternoon, was felt in Athens. There are aftershocks measuring from 4.6 to 3.6 on Richter scale.

Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection Nikos Toskas and General Secretary of civil protection Giannis Kapakis headed to Lesvos with helicopter to coordinate rescue efforts, according to Greece's national news agency AMNA.

Along with them were officers from Greece's Special Disaster Response Unit (EMAK).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 04:17:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- In light of former FBI director James Comey's testimony last week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is to testify publicly on Tuesday before Congress, which is expected to be focused on his contacts with Russian officials during last year's presidential campaign.

Sessions requested that the hearing at the Senate Intelligence Committee be public, a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Attorney General has requested that this hearing be public. He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions tomorrow," the statement read.

Comey told lawmakers at last Thursday's hearing that he knew details that made Sessions's involvement in the FBI Russia probe "problematic."

"We were aware of facts I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his (Sessions') continued involvement in a Russia investigation problematic," Comey said at the hearing.

Comey also reportedly told lawmakers behind closed doors that one of those details included another unreported meeting between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyac.

The attorney general was forced to recuse himself in March from the federal investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election after media reports that he twice met with Kislyak during the 2016 campaign and did not disclose that to the Senate during his confirmation hearing in January.

Moreover, Democrats are also thought to be keen to press Sessions on his role in Comey's abrupt firing. Trump accepted a recommendation from Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to fire Comey in May, according to a White House statement issued at the time.

The U.S. president then said that he was thinking of the Russia investigation when firing Comey and made the decision regardless of the recommendation from the two top officials at the Justice Department.

Sessions is the first U.S. senator to show public support for Trump's campaign. The probe over the possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia is now in the hands of special counsel Robert Mueller for Russia investigation following the Comey dismissal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 04:32:20|Editor: Liangyu

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British Prime Minister Theresa May gives a speech at 10 Downing Street after meeting with the Queen in London, Britain on June 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Richard Washbrooke)

LONDON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May met her backbench MPs at Westminster Monday night and told them she took the blame for the Conservative's poor showing in last week's general election.

Addressing what is known as the Conservative's 1922 committee, May told the politicians: "I got us into this mess, and I'm going to get us out of it."

As she spoke at the private meeting, party managers continued talks with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland about its 10 MPs working with her 318 Conservative group of MPs to give them a majority in the House of Commons.

MPs from all parties are due to gather at Westminster Tuesday to vote on whether John Bercow should remain as Speaker of the House of Commons.

That had been scheduled to lead to a state opening of the new session of parliament next month when Queen Elizabeth II outlines the proposals May's government intend to put forward.

Discussions with parliamentary officials continued Monday night to decide whether the state opening ceremony should be delayed by several days.

Talks are due to start next Monday between government ministers and the European Union to start formal negotiations for Britain's departure from the EU.

Those talks in Brussels could also be delayed, but the government insist the two-year Brexit timetable would still be adhered to.

A leading Conservative MP who was present at the 1922 committee meeting told the Guardian newspaper later that May was "contrite and genuine but not on her knees" as she apologised to MPs for the election result that cost the Conservatives its majority in the House of Commons.

May is also said to have expressed her apologies to the MPs who had lost their seats in the snap election which she had called.

Media reports said that May had also assured MPs that the working arrangement with the DUP would have no impact on issues such as gay rights.

Political commentators said later that May had steered herself through the first meeting of her cabinet at 10 Downing Street, and then through the meeting of backbenchers, easing at least for the moment calls for her to be replaced as prime minister.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson gave his take of May's performance at the 1922 committee. He wrote on his social media site: "Stonking performance by the PM at 1922. One team going forward together for the UK."

Conservative veteran Nicholas Soames said after the meeting: "Unreserved support for PM at 1922. Struck just the right tone and dealt with all substantial points. Party united behind her."

May is due to hold a meeting at Downing Street Tuesday with DUP leader Arlene Foster to discuss the working relationship between the two parties.

On the sidelines, the main opposition Labour Party plans to contest the Queen's speech in the hope that leader Jeremy Corbyn will move into 10 Downing Street as the new prime minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 04:37:25|Editor: ying

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Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei (C, Rear) addresses the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, on June 12, 2017. The prospects of U.S.-China relations are very promising, according to participants of the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium, which opened Monday in Des Moines, capital of U.S. state of Iowa. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The prospects of U.S.-China relations are very promising, according to participants of the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium, which opened Monday in Des Moines, capital of U.S. state of Iowa.

More than 20 Chinese and U.S. experts and scholars gathered here to deliberate on such topics as Sino-U.S. relations after the Mar-a-Lago meeting, economic and trade cooperation, local cooperation and the prospects of the relationship between the two countries.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng said rapid development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation not only is an epitome of Sino-U.S. relations, but also helps build up a solid foundation for Sino-U.S. cooperation in other fields.

"People of both countries have benefited from this economic and trade relationship," said Zhao. "Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation promises huge opportunities and potentials, and the prospects are very promising."

It is vital to establish an unimpeded dialogue and cooperation mechanism between the two countries, and think tanks can provide useful reference and rational consultation in this field, Zhao stressed.

As for trade gap, Zhao holds that China runs a surplus in goods trade but a deficit in service trade with the United States. Both Chinese and U.S. governments are making efforts to narrow the gap, and have introduced the 100-Day Action Plan and reached consensus on the next-step targets.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei said the relationship between China and the United States has experienced ups and downs all the way along but has forged ahead, economic and trade cooperation has played the roles of "ballast stone" and "propeller."

"Sino-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, for which economic and trade cooperation is the most active and lasting driving force," Hong added.

Zach Nunn, member of the Iowa State Legislature, Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China, and Kenneth Quinn, president of World Food Prize Foundation, expressed wishes for mutual beneficial and win-win relationship between China and the United States. Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie attended the meeting.

Chinese scholars and experts visited Kimberley Farm on Sunday, where they looked around farm machinery, warehouses, and farm land, and exchanged views with farm owner Rick Kimberley on operation mode, mechanization and management of modern farms, as well as on agricultural exchange between China and the United States.

Statistics show that bilateral goods trade between China and the United States has jumped from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to 519.6 billion dollars in 2016, up 207 times. In 2016, bilateral service trade volume between the two countries exceeded 100 billion dollars, and the two-way investment totaled 170 billion dollars.

The symposium is jointly sponsored by the World food Prize Foundation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 04:57:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured a key neighborhood in the Islamic State (IS) de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria on Monday, a monitor group and a source told Xinhua.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF and allied fighters, backed by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition, captured the Sina'a neighborhood in Raqqa, becoming closer to the old city of Raqqa.

This achievement is the largest since the SDF unleashed their offensive on Raqqa on June 6, according to the Observatory.

Meanwhile, a well-informed source told Xinhua that the SDF have taken control of several neighborhoods in Raqqa, namely the Mashlab and Sina'a in the east, and Sbahiyeh, Jazra and Romaniyeh in the west.

The SDF have reached the Bab Baghdad area as well as two shrines called Ammar Bin Yasser and Oweis al-Qurani, the source said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the Kurdish-led forces are expecting to capture Raqqa within two months.

The SDF announced their campaign to liberate Raqqa under the title of "Euphrates Wrath" in November last year, and declared their fourth stage of the attack to storm the Raqqa city last Tuesday, after months of battles at the outskirts and countryside of the city.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 05:22:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Monday called for a massive increase in places available for refugees in third countries, and urged governments around the world to step up and deliver places for refugees in line with their commitments.

At the opening of UN refugee agency UNHCR's annual resettlement consultations with governments and non-governmental organizations in Geneva, Grandi said that close to 1.2 million refugees need resettling globally, but only 93,200 places in resettlement countries are expected to be available this year, 43 percent fewer than in 2016.

"The fact is global resettlement needs today far outweigh the places made available by governments by a factor of 13 to one, despite more countries taking part in the program and an increase in private sector and community involvement," said Grandi.

UNHCR figures showed that for refugees from sub-Saharan Africa, the situation is especially acute, with just 18,000 available places for more than half a million refugees.

"True sharing of responsibility requires places for refugees in third countries on a scale in line with the needs. We need urgent action to get there," Grandi said.

According to UNHCR's report Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2018, some 1.2 million refugees need a third country solution in the coming year, including more than 510,000 refugees in 34 different countries across Africa, some 280,000 in the Middle East, 302,000 in Europe (mostly in Turkey), over 100,000 in Asia and some 1,800 in the Americas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 05:32:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China is an important and great partner in developing Africa, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said Monday to a press briefing in Berlin.

Under the topic of "How can G20 members support and push the development of African states?" in the German-African Business Association, Akinwumi Adesina, president of AfDB said to the press, "China is very important" and "China is a great partner".

Adesina said, "AfDB has a special relationship with China on investment in African private sectors. "

He evaluated China's investment in Africa as "massive" and those in African infrastructure as "particular important".

Adesina pointed out, China has a 2 billion dollar facility called Africa Growing Together Fund, which with AfDB co-finances developing projects in Africa over a 10-year period.

"So China is very important (in Africa)", said the president.

Adesina also said, China's experiences on developing the special economic zones in Africa is "a great success". He cited Ethiopia as an example, where Chinese companies have invested in transforming leather into footwear and other industries, has benefited a lot from China's investments.

"So China is a great partner," Adesina stressed. He said he is looking forward to increasing cooperation with China in the framework of G20, in order to explore more investment opportunities in Africa.

To this point, Stefan Liebling, chairman of the German-African Business Association, added that G20 members can learn from China in terms of investing in Africa.

He thought it's worthy for China and Germany, the presidency states of G20 last year and this year, to sit together and discuss cooperation to do business in Africa and make contribution to the continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 05:32:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court ruled Monday against reinstalling U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban.

The motions panel of the U.S. Courts for the 9th Circuit presented its decision in 86 pages of written opinion, stating at the end that "The Government's motion for a stay (of the travel ban) pending appeal is DENIED as moot."

The travel ban, the second of the kind, was blocked on March 15 by U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in response to a suit by the state of Hawaii.

The panel heard on May 15 in Seattle, Washington state, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall on behalf of the Trump administration and Neal Katyal, an attorney representing the state of Hawaii, argue about whether the nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO) imposed by Judge Watson should be lifted and the travel ban as part of a presidential executive order reimposed.

"The district court did not abuse its discretion in entering a nationwide preliminary injunction," the judges wrote in their opinion.

The second travel ban, signed by Trump on March 6 as part of his executive order, bars nationals of Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days; and suspends the entry of all refugees.

It was the second time the 9th Circuit Court heard and ruled against the same president's travel ban.

On Feb. 9, another panel of three judges ruled in San Francisco, Northern California, against reinstating the travel ban signed on Jan. 27 by Trump as part of an executive order.

The president subsequently issued the revised order, taking Iraq off the list of seven Muslim-majority countries.

In initiating the legal challenge against the second travel ban on March 9, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin noted that the new order, compared with the initial ban, "nothing of substance has changed: there is the same blanket ban on entry from Muslim-majority countries."

On their part, the three judges sitting on the motions panel of the appellate court said "the President's authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints. We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 06:13:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSUL, Iraq, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Up to 900 displaced people fell ill on Monday after eating expired food during Ramadan breaking fast meal at al-Khazir-2 refugee camp near the city of Mosul, an Iraqi official said.

"We have some 900 displaced people from Mosul who are living in al-Khazir-2 camp fell ill after eating their Ramadan breakfast which were presented by a Qatari humanitarian organization," Zaihid al-Khatoni, an Iraqi Member of Parliament for Nineveh province, told reporters in the camp.

The health departments of Arbil and Nineveh province have sent their medic teams to the camp medical centers to help the affected people, "the situation is under control and we have no deaths so far, Khatoni said, adding that many of the affected people are women, children and elderly.

The food was beans, rice, chicken, and a yogurt drink brought from a restaurant in Erbil by the Qatari humanitarian organization. Most of those affected are suffering from vomiting and stomachache, according to the Kurdish Rudaw media network.

Arbil health department sent a medic teams and 30 ambulances to the camp, bringing the most severe cases to hospitals in Arbil and other medical centers, Rudaw said.

The over 1,000-tent Al-Khazir-2 refugee camp is located some 50 km in east of Mosul and was built a few week ago for the civilians who left their homed recently from the western side of Mosul.

For Muslims, Ramadan is considered the holiest month of the Islamic year. The month is characterized by fasting through the entire month from dawn until sunset, as they refrain from eating, drinking and all sinful thoughts and deeds.

Iraqi security forces, backed by the anti-IS international coalition, were simultaneously conducting a major offensive to dislodge IS militants from their remaining redoubt in the western side of Mosul.
Gay pride stickers placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Starof President Donald Trump before the start of #ResistMarch during the 47th annual LA Pride Festival in Hollywood, California on June 11, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)

LOS ANGELES, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S President Donald Trump's star on Hollywood Boulevard was vandalized over the weekend during annual Gay Pride march in Los Angeles.

Trump's star, vandalized several times since the beginning of his presidential run, was photographed by local media Monday morning covered in stickers bearing slogans including "I Resist Extremist," and "Resist Homophobia."

The march down Hollywood Boulevard drew tens of thousands of protesters on Sunday, so Los Angeles Police, who said the vandalism was a misdemeanour, would have to look at security tape to identify and charge the protesters involved.

This was not the first time Trump's star had been vandalized and the defacement this time was far more mild than previous vandalism.

Last October, Los Angeles man James Otis, dressing as a construction worker, took a pickax to the star and destroyed it. Otis struck a plea deal with prosecutors in February that saw him avoid jail time in exchange for paying 4,400 U.S. dollars to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Historic Trust.

Trump was honored with the star in 2007 for his work producing the Miss Universe pageant and for his hit NBC reality television show The Apprentice.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 06:23:21|Editor: xuxin

A worker holds a beehive as he works at Mohammed Hagras' farm located in Beheira governorate, Egypt, on June 4, 2017. Being a successful petroleum engineer did not block the dreams of 32-year-old Egyptian Mohammed Hagras to be a distinguished beekeeper. The man, who works for a well-known petroleum company, decided to start beekeeping business at his farm as he believes that honey and bee production is among the safest investments in Egypt. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

by Ahmed Shafiq

BEHEIRA, Egypt, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Being a successful petroleum engineer did not block the dreams of 32-year-old Egyptian Mohammed Hagras to be a distinguished beekeeper.

The man, who works for a well-known petroleum company, decided to start beekeeping business at his farm as he believes that honey and bee production is among the safest investments in the most populous Arab country.

His first introduction to beekeeping was at the age of six when he used to help his father at their farm.

"It was love at first sight when I first stepped into our bee farm as it was my window to see nature. From that moment, I wanted to be a beekeeper and enlarge my father's beekeeping business," Hagras said, proudly smiling.

In his farm located in Beheira governorate in Egypt's Delta, Hagras, who is originally from Delta governorate of Minufiya, was carefully watching his workers collecting ripe honey from his 500 beehives, announcing the beginning of the heavy honey collection season which starts in June.

"I started to take care of my father's business in 2014," Hagras said, wearing his beekeeping protective suit. "I started with tens of beehives. Now I have 500."

Before starting his beekeeping career, Hagras studied the project carefully and gained enough information and knowledge that would help him run the business successfully.

"I found out that beekeeping business is a successful industry that can make good money," the man said as he peeled off wax cells to get fresh golden honey. "I also take advantage of living in a rural community where villagers plant seasonal crops that can be good food for the bees."

In a very short period of time, Hagras managed to create a name in the Egyptian honey market and he now runs a private company which exports honey and bee products to other countries.

"My beehives produce some 5,000 tons of natural honey that I sell locally. I also export other products such as pollen, wax, bee venom and queen food to neighboring Arab countries," the man said.

Hagras said he is now working jointly with other beekeepers to put Egypt back on track as a leading country in the honey and bee industry.

The man said Egypt is one of the oldest countries in beekeeping field, adding that the Pharaonic drawings and paintings on tombs and other monuments in Egypt showed how beekeeping was practised here.

The Ancient Egyptians kept bees from about 2400 B.C. when the earliest drawings of beekeeping and honey preparation were seen in Egyptian temples, he added.

These drawings showed that beekeeping in ancient Egypt was characterized by using cylindrical hives, migratory beekeeping using rafts down the Nile River and production of huge amounts of honey.

Speaking about the current situation of beekeeping in Egypt, Hagras said the North African country is considered the most important country in beekeeping sector in the Middle East with more than three million beehives.

According to official statistics, Egypt exported honey and bee products worth up to 135 million U.S. dollars, or 2.4 billion Egyptian pounds in 2016, a very large number compared to the previous two years.

"Bee and honey industry is a national wealth that should be supported by the government," the engineer said, adding that the government could earn billions of foreign currency if it fully supports the sector.

The high prices of beekeeping materials and equipment obstruct or lower the development of the industry, which requires a governmental intervention to financially and technically back beekeepers, he said.

"One of the most serious problems facing the Egyptian beekeeper is the lack of the original medications for the diseases facing the beekeeping sector. This opens the door to the mafia of fake, local and smuggled medicines," Hagras said while pouring honey in glass jars.

The man expects that a new system overseen by the government will make Egypt a pioneering country in the honey industry since Egypt is the only country capable of producing bees and queens throughout the year for the vast agricultural areas it has.

"All of these elements can make Egypt a qualified country to be a global station for beekeeping. The global marketing of beekeeping sector in Egypt will be a good investment that will pump millions of dollars and provide many jobs for thousands of Egyptian youths," said Hagras.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 06:23:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are advancing in the Islamic State (IS) group de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria, while civilians are paying the price of the battles.

Since unleashing their offensive last Tuesday, the SDF, a combination of Kurd, Arab and Assyrian fighters led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) group, has made progress on several fronts in the east, west and northeast of Raqqa.

A well-informed source familiar with the operations in Raqqa said the SDF and allies, with the heavy backing of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition, have so far captured several neighborhoods in Raqqa, namely the Mashlab and Sina'a in the east, and Sbahiyeh, Jazra and Romaniyeh in the west.

The source and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF's control over Sina'a neighborhood is their largest achievement so far, as it will put them at the gates of the old city of Raqqa.

The SDF have reached the Bab Baghdad area as well as two shrines called Ammar Bin Yasser and Oweis al-Qurani, the source said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the Kurdish-led forces are expecting to capture Raqqa within two months.

Meanwhile, activists close to the SDF said the Kurdish-led group has liberated 350 square km of areas in Raqqa since last Tuesday, adding that 44 IS militants were killed Monday, when the SDF foiled an IS attack in the liberated areas in Raqqa.

As for the liberated areas in Raqqa, the SDF will hand over the administration to local councils once they are cleared of explosive devices.

Meanwhile, the SDF is urging the IS fighters to surrender to the U.S.-backed forces in exchange for "a humanitarian treatment."

But these battles are a bitter-sweat experience for civilians, who want to get rid of IS, but are also paying a steep price for the current battles.

Since the beginning of the battles in Raqqa, civilians have started to flee the war zones, but IS militants have prevented scores of them from leaving, burning their cars and keeping them hostage as human shields.

Some Raqqa-based activists said IS are trying to recruit people to help defend the city from SDF attacks.

Activists also said civilian casualties are falling as a result of heavy shelling of the U.S.-led coalition on the city.

Government media outlets said the U.S. coalition struck Raqqa with white phosphorus at least twice, leaving an undisclosed number of people killed.

These battles and attacks have also reverberated on the health situation, as the city is suffering a lack of medical supplies.

As for the Syrian government forces, they have captured several areas from IS in the western countryside of Raqqa.

A source told Xinhua that there is no direct coordination between the SDF and the Syrian army, adding that there seems to be a plan between the U.S. and Russia regarding the roles of each force in the battle for Raqqa.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the aim of the Syrian forces' advance in western Raqqa countryside is to secure areas that will besiege IS in the southern countryside of Aleppo province as a prelude to dislodge the remaining IS fighters in Aleppo out of the key province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 07:08:33|Editor: xuxin

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MEXICO CITY, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's army has found the bodies of four soldiers buried by a mudslide in the southern state of Guerrero over the weekend, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.

The discovery brings the total number of deaths so far to six, with the first two victims, also soldiers, discovered immediately following the natural disaster early Saturday in El Carrizal, a community in the town of San Miguel Totolapan.

Members of the first battalion of the military police were carrying out patrols when they were swept away "by an avalanche of mud, rocks, and branches," following days of heavy rains.

Another soldier was injured and taken to the regional military hospital in the state capital Chilpancingo.

Search and rescue teams remain in the area, looking for the remaining missing.

Before the four bodies were found Sunday, Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos said seven soldiers were unaccounted for.

"My sincerest condolences to the families of the two soldiers who regrettably died in the line of duty on June 10, 2017, as they were swept away along with seven more soldiers," Cienfuegos posted to Twitter.

Troops were originally dispatched to San Miguel Totolapan in May, after clashes between rival criminal gangs vying for control of the area.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 07:33:40|Editor: MJ

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WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. capital city Washington D.C. and nearby state Maryland on Monday filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, alleging he violated clauses in the Constitution by accepting millions of U.S. dollars in payments and benefits from foreign governments since his inauguration.

The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, was launched by Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine and his Maryland counterpart Brian Frosh. It claims Trump violated two anti-corruption rules in the Constitution that prohibit the president from pulling in profits from businesses he owns, controls or prospers from.

"An emoluments lawsuit against Trump has been filed by D.C. and Maryland. It is time to open a House Judiciary Committee inquiry," Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic member of the committee, tweeted.

In response, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer attacked the lawsuit as motivated by "partisan politics" during his daily press briefing.

"This lawsuit is just another iteration of the case filed by that group CREW, filed by the same lawyers," Spicer said, referring to a government watchdog group that first sued Trump over the issue in January.

"It's not hard to conclude that partisan politics may be more the motivations behind the scenes," he added.

Ahead of the Monday lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a 70-page legal brief on Friday arguing that Trump's businesses are legally permitted to accept market-rate payments from foreign governments while he is in office.

However, the two attorney generals argue there are "unprecedented constitutional violations" by Trump and that both Washington D.C. and Maryland are being adversely affected by the Trump International Hotel near the White House.

Trump has broken many promises to keep separate his public duties and private business interests, according to the two, citing Eric Trump's remarks that his father would continue to receive regular updates about his company's financial health in the White House.

Trump's continued ownership of a global business empire has rendered the president "deeply enmeshed with a legion of foreign and domestic government actors" and has undermined the integrity of the U.S. political system, the lawsuit claimed.

If a federal judge allows the case to proceed, the two attorney generals say, one of the first steps will be to demand through the discovery process copies of Trump's personal tax returns to gauge the extent of his foreign business dealings.

To fully know the extent of Trump's constitutional violations "we'll need to see his financial records, his taxes that he has refused to release," they said.

However, that fight would most likely end up before the Supreme Court, with Trump's attorneys having to defend why the returns should remain private, local media quoted the two as saying.

The lawsuit is the latest and most significant legal challenge to Trump over the issue of emoluments and thought to become another legal headache for Trump following special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into possible Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign and court challenges to the president's controversial travel ban.

In January, a watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington launched the first lawsuit in this kind, followed by a D.C. restaurant in March alleging the Trump International Hotel benefits from unfair advantages because of its close association with the president.

A group of Congress Democrats also said last week that they were planning to file similar suit soon, according to local media reports, noting that each of the suits has faced legal hurdles over standing to sue the president.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 07:53:45|Editor: Song Lifang

Argentina's President Mauricio Macri (1st R) bids farewell to the former Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra (1st L) during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on June 12, 2017. Argentina named Jorge Faurie as its new minister of foreign affairs on Monday, as he pledged to provide "continuity" in his management of the role. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala)

BUENOS AIRES, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Argentina named Jorge Faurie as its new minister of foreign affairs on Monday, as he pledged to provide "continuity" in his management of the role.

Faurie, who had been ambassador to France, was sworn in at the presidential palace by President Mauricio Macri, in presence of Susana Malcorra who stepped down from the role in May for personal reasons.

"We have much to contribute to the world," said Macri.

According to the president, Faurie will have "a task doubly or triply more complicated since he will not only replace a minister like Malcorra, but we are also at a time when we will need concrete successes...such as the integration with the OECD and Mercosur and negotiations with the EU" for a free-trade agreement.

Speaking to journalists, Faurie said he would seek to provide "continuity" to the work done by Malcorra.

Faurie has been one of Argentina's leading diplomatic figures since first becoming an ambassador in 1998. Besides Spanish, Faurie speaks English, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a joint press conference with visiting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. capital city Washington D.C. and nearby state Maryland on Monday filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, alleging he violated clauses in the Constitution by accepting millions of U.S. dollars in payments and benefits from foreign governments since his inauguration.

The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, was launched by Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine and his Maryland counterpart Brian Frosh. It claims Trump violated two anti-corruption rules in the Constitution that prohibit the president from pulling in profits from businesses he owns, controls or prospers from.

"An emoluments lawsuit against Trump has been filed by D.C. and Maryland. It is time to open a House Judiciary Committee inquiry," Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic member of the committee, tweeted.

In response, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer attacked the lawsuit as motivated by "partisan politics" during his daily press briefing.

"This lawsuit is just another iteration of the case filed by that group CREW, filed by the same lawyers," Spicer said, referring to a government watchdog group that first sued Trump over the issue in January.

"It's not hard to conclude that partisan politics may be more the motivations behind the scenes," he added.

Ahead of the Monday lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a 70-page legal brief on Friday arguing that Trump's businesses are legally permitted to accept market-rate payments from foreign governments while he is in office.

However, the two attorney generals argue there are "unprecedented constitutional violations" by Trump and that both Washington D.C. and Maryland are being adversely affected by the Trump International Hotel near the White House.

Trump has broken many promises to keep separate his public duties and private business interests, according to the two, citing Eric Trump's remarks that his father would continue to receive regular updates about his company's financial health in the White House.

Trump's continued ownership of a global business empire has rendered the president "deeply enmeshed with a legion of foreign and domestic government actors" and has undermined the integrity of the U.S. political system, the lawsuit claimed.

If a federal judge allows the case to proceed, the two attorney generals say, one of the first steps will be to demand through the discovery process copies of Trump's personal tax returns to gauge the extent of his foreign business dealings.

To fully know the extent of Trump's constitutional violations "we'll need to see his financial records, his taxes that he has refused to release," they said.

However, that fight would most likely end up before the Supreme Court, with Trump's attorneys having to defend why the returns should remain private, local media quoted the two as saying.

The lawsuit is the latest and most significant legal challenge to Trump over the issue of emoluments and thought to become another legal headache for Trump following special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into possible Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign and court challenges to the president's controversial travel ban.

In January, a watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington launched the first lawsuit in this kind, followed by a D.C. restaurant in March alleging the Trump International Hotel benefits from unfair advantages because of its close association with the president.

A group of Congress Democrats also said last week that they were planning to file similar suit soon, according to local media reports, noting that each of the suits has faced legal hurdles over standing to sue the president.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 08:08:51|Editor: xuxin

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CARACAS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) on Monday rejected a motion to cancel the upcoming National Constituent Assembly (ANC) filed by attorney-general Luisa Ortega Diaz.

Posting on Twitter, the TSJ's Electoral Chamber called the motion "unacceptable" and said it contained an "inept series of assumptions."

The ANC is being organized by President Nicolas Maduro to rewrite the country's Constitution, which he claims is the best way to solve the country's long-running political and economic gridlock. However, Ortega Diaz has claimed that he did not have the power to do so, without prior consultation.

On June 8, she had filed this motion, specifically seeking to cancel elections for representatives to the ANC. Applications to become a candidate for these elections closed on June 10.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) has supported Ortega Diaz, with deputy Delsa Solorzano saying that "the internal paths are formally closed and we will now go to international bodies" to resolve the difficult situation in Venezuela.

Her colleague, Freddy Guevara, added that MUD militants would continue protesting outside the TSJ as a symbol of support.

The MUD has rejected the attempt to write a new Constitution as a power grab by Maduro.

After applications from candidates have been reviewed and approved, the electoral campaign for the ANC will begin on July 9, before a national vote is held on July 30.

Over 19 million Venezuelans are called on to elect 545 delegates to the ANC, who will then draft the new Constitution, before it is put to a national referendum.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 10:31:51|Editor: ying

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MINSK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry on Monday signed a roadmap with two Chinese companies on agricultural and food cooperation.

According to the roadmap, the two Chinese companies, Xinrongji Holding Group and DRex Food Group, will invest an estimated 1 billion U.S. dollars in modernizing the enterprises in Belarus and building new ones, according to local media.

A joint venture to be soon established with China in Belarus will export Belarusian agricultural products and food to China, with a monthly turnover of about 10 million dollars, said Belarusian Minister of Agriculture and Food Leonid Zayats.

In the future the joint venture will be authorized to purchase stakes in Belarusian dairy plants and expand the product range.

The Chinese companies also informed Belarus of their intentions to buy a stake in the Bank Moscow-Minsk, a top 10 bank in Belarus, and establish an enterprise in the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone, which produces a new type of packaging using polylactide, replacing plastic and polyethylene packaging.

In the first quarter of this year, Belarus has increased the export of agricultural products to China to 4.2 million dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 10:36:54|Editor: ying

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WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States has reached agreements with China on final details of a protocol to allow it to export beef to China, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday.

As part of the U.S.-China 100-day action plan to boost bilateral economic cooperation, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump "has taken important steps toward commercial shipment of U.S. beef and beef products to China for the first time since 2003," the department said.

"Today is a great day for the United States and in particular for our cattle producers, who will be regaining access to an enormous market with an ever-expanding middle class," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement.

"As we clear away long-standing issues like this one, focusing on near-term, verifiable deliverables, we are building a sound foundation for further discussions," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a separate statement.

U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) also hailed the agreement on beef exports, a top priority for the association over the past decade.

"In recent years, China has become one of the largest import markets for beef, and these terms are a reflection of China's trust in the safety and quality of U.S. beef," said Craig Uden, president of the NCBA.

"We hope that by getting our foot in the door we can develop a long lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with China," he said.

During a meeting at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in April, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump agreed to establish a comprehensive economic dialogue and initiate a 100-day plan to boost bilateral economic cooperation.

Last month, the two sides announced the initial results of the 100-day action plan, which covers such areas as agriculture, financial services, investment and energy.

As the results of the action plan, China will allow imports of U.S. beef and the United States is to import poultry from China. Most of the agreements are expected to be implemented by July 16.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 10:41:57|Editor: Song Lifang

Delegates sign memorandum of understanding in Athens, Greece, June 12, 2017. The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), together with Chinese giant COSCO Shipping, the majority shareholder of PPA, and the world's largest commercial port of Shanghai signed two memorandums of understanding on Monday in the Greek capital of Athens to boost commercial ties. The Shanghai International Port Group, which manages 25.7 percent of China's international trading volume, signed the memorandums with COSCO Shipping and PPA in the presence of Han Zheng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), together with Chinese giant COSCO Shipping, the majority shareholder of PPA, and the world's largest commercial port of Shanghai signed two Memorandums of Understanding on Monday in the Greek capital of Athens to boost commercial ties.

The Shanghai International Port Group, which manages 25.7 percent of China's international trading volume, signed the memorandums with COSCO Shipping and PPA in the presence of Han Zheng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

Under the deal, which is within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Piraeus will strengthen its strategic position on the world trade map by increasing the incoming cargo from China to Europe.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in staff training, technical assistance, information exchange, as well as develop synergies to create new business opportunities.

"The current agreement with the port of Shanghai is very important. It means that through Piraeus huge quantities of goods will be transported from China to the rest of the world," Greek Deputy Economy and Development Minister Stergios Pitsiorlas told Xinhua on the sidelines of the event.

The document highlights the great perspective of growth not only for Piraeus, but for Greece as well, and Greece plays a key role for the Belt and Road Initiative and Piraeus is the first step for this cooperation, Pitsiorlas said.

"The agreement will strengthen the national economy and employment. We need investments in this period. Such investments show that the foreigners trust our country," said Christos Lampridis, secretary general of Ports, Port Policy and Maritime Investments of the Ministry of Shipping.

Since 2010, Cosco Shipping's subsidiary Piraeus Container Terminal has been operating Piers II and III at Piraeus port under a 35-year concession agreement.

In 2016, COSCO Shipping acquired 67 percent of the shares of PPA, turning the port into an important transport hub at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 10:47:01|Editor: ying

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DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. mid-West states and China now enjoy a "good momentum of economic ties" as the trade volume of nine states with China hit 90 billion U.S. dollars last year, said a senior Chinese diplomat.

"The close economic ties between U.S. mid-West and China are examples of the boosting cooperation between the two countries at a local level," Hong Lei, China's Consul General to Chicago, said in a keynote speech at the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium Luncheon held in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.

Hong said it is one of the new features in China-U.S. economic and trade relations that economic cooperation between states and cities of China and the United States has become even more vibrant.

Since 2012, 25 Chinese provinces and cities have established the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation between Chinese provinces and U.S. States with seven U.S. states and cities, including California, Chicago, Iowa, Texas, Michigan, Washington and New York.

From 2000 to 2016, Chinese companies have invested nearly 15 billion dollars, creating 36,000 new jobs, in the nine states the Chinese Consulate in Chicago covers, namely Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa, Hong said.

After being acquired by China International Marine Containers (CIMC), Indiana-based Monon company, which had been on the brink of bankruptcy for three times, finally made profit thanks to optimized process and reduced cost. It currently has a revenue of 500 million dollars with 500 local employees.

When purchased by a Chinese company in 2011, Michigan-based Nexteer had 3,000 employees. Now the number has risen to 5,000. Yanfeng, a Chinese company making car interiors, employed 4,000 people in Michigan and another 1,000 in Missouri.

Many multinationals in these nine states have also increased their investment, expanded operation and set up new factories and research centers in China, harvesting great success and rich dividends, Hong said.

"Head of the Eli Lilly company which headquarters in Indiana told me that China has become the largest source of foreign employees of the company," Hong added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 10:47:02|Editor: ying

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VIENTIANE, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Lao students will participate in the Global Natural History Day Contest taking place on July 19-25 in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality.

The top three teams recently defeated nine other teams to attend the upcoming contest, reported Lao state-run daily Vientiane Times on Tuesday.

The three teams will each present a topic relating to the theme "Scale of Nature: Micro to Macro." The teams come from Lao northern Xayaboury and Xiengkhuang provinces.

They will compete to win a certificate and gold medal for first prize, a certificate and silver medal for second prize, and certificate and bronze medal for third prize.

This is the third year that Lao schoolchildren have attended the Global Natural History Day Contest. In 2016, Lao student teams excelled at the contest in China's Shanghai, winning a gold medal, a silver medal and two bronze medals.

More than 90 teams from China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and the United States took part in the Natural History Day Contest last year.

The contest is a well-rounded program for elementary school to high school students, with the aim of inspiring young people to take an active role in preserving the planet's environment and wildlife. Each year, participants select topics which are related to the theme of that year and carry out their own research projects.

The first Global Natural History Day was launched in 2012 with 288 student teams and since then the program has continued to grow, with more students from a growing list of cities and countries participating each year. Since 2012, more than 7,138 students have joined the contest, according to its website.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:02:08|Editor: ying

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SYDNEY, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Australian biotech giant CSL disclosed a deal on Tuesday that will see it acquire an 80-percent stake in China's Wuhan Zhong Yuan Rui De Biologics (Ruide) for 352 million U.S. dollars later this year.

CSL will purchase their stake from Humanwell Healthcare Group, which will see the Australian company further enter into the Chinese healthcare sector, in a complementary move as both companies are heavily involved in the production of plasma products.

Paul Perreault, chief executive officer of CSL, said in a statement on Tuesday that he is looking forward to the move, which will see his company enter into a partnership with China's Humanwell.

"Humanwell is a leading Chinese healthcare company with strong capabilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, sales and distribution, as well as health care services," Perreault said.

"CSL is driven by our promise to save lives and protect the health of people around the world. This expansion of our footprint in China through an investment in Ruide supports the delivery of this promise."

The chairman of Humanwell Wang Xuehai also welcomed the sale, saying that he was "excited" to begin a "long-term collaboration" with the Australian global leader in the field of biopharmaceuticals.

"Combining CSL's advanced technical capabilities with Ruide's established presence in the Chinese plasma sector will enable the partners to improve access to innovative therapies for patients that need them." Wang said.

The market for plasma products in China topped 3.3 billion Australian dollars (2.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, with an aggregate 15-percent growth rate over the past five years.

The deal will be financed under CSL's current debt facility.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:02:09|Editor: xuxin

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HAVANA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Raul Castro on Monday met with Jean Asselborn, foreign minister of Luxembourg, who is on an official visit to the island country where they discussed bilateral issues including strengthening economic and cooperation ties.

Castro received Asselborn at the presidential palace, a public appearance which put an end to widespread rumors on social media about Castro's health, according to Cuban state television.

During their talks, both officials agreed on deepening bilateral relations in areas of common interest.

The "positive state" of relations between Luxembourg and Cuba is part of the important links that the Caribbean nation has with the European Union (EU), said Castro.

Earlier in the day, Asselborn met his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez to discuss political, economic and cooperation ties between the two nations.

Rodriguez appreciated the historic position of Luxembourg against the economic blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba and the efforts of Luxembourg to finalize a cooperation and political dialogue agreement between Havana and the EU, which was signed in December 2016.

The agreement is very significant for the positive development of relations of the two countries in the future, Asselborn said.

There are numerous areas to expand economic and trade cooperation despite the fact that both nations are small states, Asselborn added.

Afterwards, Asselborn met Ana Maria Mari, vice president of the Cuban parliament, who emphasized that this was Asselborn's second visit to Cuba as foreign minister, a sign of the important ties between the Caribbean country and Luxembourg.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations and both officials expressed their desire to strengthen their ties in various areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:12:12|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting here with his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, also Panama's vice president, and they signed the joint communique.

According to the communique, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, in keeping with the interests and desire of the two peoples, have decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level effective from the date of signature of this communique.

The two governments agree to develop friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, the communique said.

The Government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, it said.

The government of the Republic of Panama severs "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes not to have any more official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan, the communique said, adding that the Government of the People's Republic of China appreciates this position of the Government of the Republic of Panama.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:37:25|Editor: Xiang Bo

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DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences signed a memorandum with the World Food Prize Foundation here on Monday to promote sustainable development of agriculture.

On the sidelines of a high-level think tank symposium on U.S.-China relations held in the capital of Iowa State, the two sides agreed to encourage exchange of visitors and publications and to boost joint research activities.

They also vowed to cooperate on global and regional food security issues.

Guo Weimin, vice-minister of China's State Council Information Office, said he hoped the signing of the memorandum could lead to a new mechanism for cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two sides.

The World Food Prize was established by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman E. Borlaug in 1986 to honor those individuals whose breakthrough accomplishments have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

The foundation is based in Des Moines, Iowa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:42:27|Editor: MJ

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, attend a press conference after their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting here with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, and they signed the joint communique.

According to the communique, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, in keeping with the interests and desire of the two peoples, have decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level effective from the date of signature of this communique.

The two governments agree to develop friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, the communique said.

The Government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, it said.

The government of the Republic of Panama severs "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes not to have any more official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan, the communique said, adding that the Government of the People's Republic of China appreciates this position of the Government of the Republic of Panama.

During a press briefing after the meeting, Wang Yi said Panama is an important Latin American country, and the Chinese people value the traditional friendship with the Panamanian people.

He said the political decision made by Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and the Panamanian government meets the fundamental interests of the country.

Both China and Panama agreed that the one-China principle is the fundamental premise and the political basis on which the two countries can establish diplomatic ties and develop bilateral relations, Wang said.

"We both agreed that the establishment of bilateral ties will bring broad prospects for us to expand the comprehensive cooperation of mutual benefits," he said.

The two sides will engage in friendly exchanges of various levels and areas, and deepen political mutual trust, Wang said, adding that China welcomes Panama's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

They will also have communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, help deepen friendly cooperation between China and Latin America as well as the Caribbean area, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote peace, stability and development in the world, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:52:37|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Shristi Kafle

NUWAKOT, Nepal, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Bulbule waterfall located in the Nuwakot district about 35 kilometers away from the capital city of Nepal Kathmandu, was once just known as a place for taking cool baths during the summer for local youngsters.

As soon as the Nepal Canyoning Association explored the 40-meter high waterfall, however, the place turned into a perfect canyoning destination for adventure enthusiasts both from in and outside the country.

Only last weekend, over 150 Nepalese and foreigners enjoyed this breathtaking water sport in Bulbule, located between green hills, as part of the 3rd National Canyoning Rendezvous 2017.

The grand canyoning fiesta was not just about sliding down a rope through a waterfall to a pool below, but included a variety of adventures like hiking, scrambling, abseiling, jumping and swimming.

"Nepal is enriched with thousands of rivers and waterfalls with huge potential but we have not been able to utilize them enough. We want to develop and promote canyoning destinations and portray Nepal as the best spot for adventure tourism," Rajendra Lama, President of the Nepal Canyoning Association, told Xinhua during the festival.

Though canyoning has been gaining in popularity in Nepal since 2002, it gained official recognition and organizational structure in 2007 after the establishment of the Nepal Canyoning Association.

Today, there are more than 70 member agencies under the association, while more than 30 canyons have been explored across the country. Travel agencies have been providing canyoning packages in mountainous districts like Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Nuwakot, Lamjung and Syangja among others.

Within Kathmandu valley, canyoning activities have been made available recently in Sundarijal, in the lap of the Shivapuri National Park, which draws the attention and interest of city dwellers to the adventure.

The Himalayan nation is regarded as the second-richest country after Brazil in water resources as it has over 6,000 rivers, adequate lakes, ponds, waterfalls and springs. Despite having such immense resources, some adventurers have complained that the activities available to them are mostly limited to boating and rafting.

Karna Bahadur Lama, General Secretary at the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, told Xinhua on Sunday, "Nepal has a unique geography and richness in natural resources. Since tourism is the backbone of the country's economy, we need to tap into the opportunities to attract more foreign tourists and to uplift the industry."

In 2016, quake-ravaged Nepal attracted 729,550 foreign tourists, which is 24 percent more than 2015, the year of the devastating earthquake.

Since tourism is gradually recovering, tourism entrepreneurs believe that activities like canyoning can be a great contributor to attract and engage foreign tourists, who are fond of experimenting with gripping adventures in Nepal rich nature.

Canyoning has been equally popular among Nepali youngsters, both males and females. One of the major reasons for its expanding scope is social media, claims Nepal Canyoning Association.

"When we posted about the canyoning festival on social media, we immediately received a huge amount of feedback and replies from youngsters. Social media has been a powerful tool for tourism promotion," Association President Lama told Xinhua.

Nepal's canyoning follows international standards and holds safety measures as a priority. There are more than 30 professional instructors in the country who have received training from American and French professionals and are familiar with the country's water streams and surroundings.

During the canyoning festival, over a dozen instructors and volunteers handled the stream navigation and smoothly facilitated the outdoor activities for two days.

While it was the first canyoning experience for the majority of participants, they said that they felt totally immersed in nature and that it was an unforgettable experience.

"It was the experience of a lifetime. I was scared initially but with the proper instructions, I got down safely. I would like to do it again," 22-year-old student, Sarose Chaudhary, told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 12:17:42|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, June 13 (Xinhua) -- At least two paramilitary troopers were wounded in a grenade attack in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Tuesday.

The attack was carried out by suspected militants on Monday night in Tral town of Pulwama district, about 41 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Last night militants fired a grenade from an under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) on the paramilitary camp of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) located at the main town in Tral," a police official told Xinhua. "The grenade explosion wounded two CRPF personnel."

The wounded personnel were immediately rushed to nearest medical facility. "Both the wounded CRPF men are stable," the official said.

Though government forces immediately launched a massive hunt to nab the militants responsible for the attack, no one was arrested. Reports said militants escaped from the spot following the attack.

Militant groups opposing New Delhi's rule are engaged in a guerilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 12:32:49|Editor: ying

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YANGON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is striving to enlist Bagan, a famous ancient city in the central part of the country with thousands of religious edifices and pagodas, as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Cooperation is being made with intellectuals and technicians for the maintenance of Bagan which has dignity and value for being a world heritage if enlisted.

In fact, the plan for the purpose was launched in 1996 but was resumed in 2017.

Amid efforts for listing the Bagan Archaeological Zone as the World Cultural Heritage, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake destroyed some religious edifices and pagodas on Aug 24 last year and the restoration works were being done by experts to maintain their original shape, form and value.

Bagan Archaeological site was enlarged from 42 square miles to 62 square miles, according to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.

Geographically, Bagan comprises two areas -- Upper Bagan and Lower Bagan. The city was established by descendants of Pyu and attained rapid development after Buddhism had flourished. Then, stupas, temples, caves, tunnels and monasteries of different sizes and designs were constructed by the royal families and people around Bagan and Nyaung U between AD 11th and 13th centuries.

With over 3,000 Buddhist temples, monasteries, stupas and monuments compacted into one area, Bagan is a home to Buddhist architectures signifying the unique morals aborning interior walls of the religious edifices.

In 2012, Director General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova paid a visit to Bagan for discussing the future working process and the relation between Myanmar archaeological teams and UNESCO.

The tentative step of cooperating Myanmar's archaeological team and UNESCO experts has marked the starting point in the creation of unique value of ancient city Bagan to be listed as World Cultural Heritage.

Three other Pyu ancient cities of Myanmar -- Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra have been selected by the UNESCO as world cultural heritage in June 2014.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 13:23:08|Editor: xuxin

French president Emmanuel Macron waves during an inauguration ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on May 14, 2017. Centrist Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as the eighth president of the French Fifth Republic in a ceremony at the Elysee Palace here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen/File photo)

PARIS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party has urged voters who had stayed away to cast their vote in the second and final round of the country's parliamentary election after winning a sweeping majority in the first round on Sunday.

Final results released by the Interior Ministry have shown that Macron's party The Republic On The Move (LREM) and its ally MoDem took a big lead in the parliamentary election's first round, with 32.32 percent of the ballots cast, suggesting the novice president's camp is on course to land an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament in a runoff.

Alone, LREM garnered 28.21 percent of the votes, making a majority with more than 400 seats in reach for the multiform movement that Macron had created only one year ago.

However, fewer than half of the 47 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the first round, the lowest level by far in a legislative election in the fifth Republic, raising concerns that the low turnout would weaken Macron's advantage.

The lower turnout was mainly attributed to two major reasons -- too intensive election arrangements, and the public's doubt over the French-style democracy and its effectiveness.

Since July 2016, French voters have seen major election activities in the country in less than one year, such as preliminary elections of candidates by various political parties, followed by two rounds of nationwide general presidential elections.

Various electoral activities, rallies and slogans sank French voters deep into "democratic fatigue." And as the democratically-elected presidents in the past decade failed to bail the country out of social, economic and development dilemma, many voters lost their interest in the elections.

Government spokesman Christophe Castaner said high abstention rate was "this election's failure."

"We must hear that. We must restore confidence. I call on all the candidates, whatever their political party, to mobilize," he told France 2 television.

After the expected huge win, the LREM was anxiously to mobilize their supporters to vote in the final round scheduled for June 18 to secure the president's strong mandate to implement his promise of a series of reforms to reshape the politics and revive the economy.

Shortly after partial results were released on Sunday evening, LREM leader Catherine Barbaroux said "nothing is granted" despite the movement's good score.

"Low turnout invites us to continue our efforts more than ever. The first round is not decisive. Mobilization must continue and must be reinforced in the second round," she said.

After being sworn in, Macron immediately started up his "New Deal" at home, from reform on labor law to the establishment of anti-terrorism center, and the enactment of new anti-corruption rules, all of which caught the hearts of French people and impressed them with pragmatic plans.

Meanwhile, the landslide victory of Macron's camp in the first round was a severe blow to the traditional parties who have called on more voters to back Macron's rivals to avoid his domination of parliament.

The Socialist Party, which controlled the National Assembly over the past five years, reported just 7.44 percent of the vote.

As to the centre-right party, the Republicans and allied Union of Democrats and Independents secured the second place with 18.8 percent, a lower-than-expected performance that the conservatives targeted to force creation of co-habitation government in which they eyed to have a strong say.

Marine Le Pen's National Front gained only 13.2 percent of the vote, according to the ministry.

More than 7,800 candidates are vying for the 577 seats in parliament. Top vote-winners will advance to the June 18 runoff.

Looking ahead, the outcome of the second round of the election is vital for the young president as a landslide triumph in the runoff will strengthen his ability to push through his pro-business and labor market reforms.

"We are witnessing the beginning of a political reshape that has benefited Macron for the moment. He is able to embody a certain revival in the political landscape," said Guillaume Indigo, an analyst at the opinion research institute BVA, in an earlier interview with Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 13:28:13|Editor: Song Lifang

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela delivers a speech in Panama city, Panama, June 12, 2017. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced on Monday that the Republic of Panama and the People's Republic of China have established diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Panama's Presidency)

PANAMA CITY, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday in a televised speech that his country has established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

In the nationally televised address, Varela stressed the historic ties between the two countries, a relationship that goes back more than 160 years.

The move "is also a recognition of the Chinese-Panamanian community, which has played an important role in the economic and social development of Panama, taking part in all of our country's economic, political and social activities, and some even coming to occupy important posts in the Panamanian government," said Varela.

The first group of Chinese immigrants, he noted, arrived in Panama in 1854 to work on the construction of the trans-isthmus railway, which served as the main international cargo route until the Panama Canal was built.

The two countries made history again when the Chinese cargo carrier Cosco Shipping Panama became the first vessel to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal on June 26, 2016, said Varela. China is now the second largest client of the Panama Canal.

The Panamanian president also underscored China's role in leading efforts to boost global integration and opportunities for growth in today's world.

China set up an office of commercial development in Panama in 1996. Since then, the two countries have maintained cooperation in various fields.

Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established after Panama cut its ties with China's Taiwan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 13:33:18|Editor: ying

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HONG KONG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Tuesday that Hong Kong has become a new member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on May 12, the funding for subscription of 7,651 shares of the AIIB's capital, including 1,530 paid-in shares that are amounting to about 1.2 billion Hong Kong dollars (153.9 million U.S. dollars) and payable over five years, and 6,121 callable shares. Having completed the subsequent legal procedures, Hong Kong was admitted as a new member of the AIIB, the HKSAR government said.

Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan said that "the early completion of our accession process demonstrates Hong Kong's readiness to support the operation of the AIIB."

"As the leading international financial center, Hong Kong has a sophisticated, robust and highly liquid financial market, and an abundance of top professionals with global experience, coupled with the unique advantage of 'one country, two systems'," Chan said, adding that Hong Kong is "well placed to help the AIIB to raise funds to finance various infrastructure projects."

Besides, Hong Kong's experience and expertise in the design, construction, operation and management of major infrastructure "have been well proven internationally," he said, adding that "Hong Kong's professional services and financial services sectors can certainly contribute to the success of the AIIB, while Hong Kong's participation in the AIIB can also create new opportunities for the relevant sectors."

The AIIB will hold the second annual meeting of its Board of Governors in Jeju, South Korea, on June 16-18. The financial secretary will lead a delegation to attend the meeting, which will be the first time that Hong Kong participates as a member of the Beijing-based bank.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 13:48:21|Editor: ying

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama accords with the will of the people and represents an irresistible trend, according to a Taiwan affairs spokesperson for China's mainland Tuesday.

"There is only one China in the world. It has been a universal consensus of the international society to adhere to the one-China principle," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.

Ma's remarks came after China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday morning to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

Ma noted said the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, is the foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Only by acknowledging the 1992 Consensus and its core that "the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China," could cross-Strait relations be pulled back to the correct path of peaceful development, said Ma.

Ma urged the Taiwan administration to gain a clear understanding of the situation and make the right choice.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 14:08:28|Editor: xuxin

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KATHMANDU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Nepal and Uganda have established formal diplomatic relations on Tuesday, the Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal said.

The number of countries with which Nepal has established diplomatic ties has now reached 145, according to the ministry.

Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations based in New York Durga Prasad Bhattarai and Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations Adonia Ayebare signed a Joint Communique at a brief ceremony in New York on Tuesday, the ministry said.

On the occasion, the two ambassadors expressed their confidence that the signing of the agreement would bring Nepal and Uganda closer at the multilateral forum and helps forge closer bilateral cooperation, and sharing of experiences in their pursuit of development and peace.

Uganda is a country situated in East Africa with a population of about 39 million.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 14:13:30|Editor: xuxin

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HANOI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese guest workers are working normally in Qatar, but if the situation there progresses complicatedly, they will be airlifted home, a local overseas labor watchdog said on Tuesday.

According to the latest review, 1,100 Vietnamese people are currently working in Qatar, not 1,800 as previously reported, said the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

If the situation in Qatar, which has been isolated by its neighboring nations, becomes unstable, affecting the Vietnamese people's safety and interests, the Vietnamese side will bring them home like it did to thousands of guest workers in Libya in 2011.

Earlier this month, Vietnam decided to cease sending guest workers to Qatar.

Over 500,000 Vietnamese people are working abroad as guest workers, annually remitting home 1.7 to 2 billion U.S. dollars, according to the labor ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 14:13:32|Editor: xuxin

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MELBOURNE, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Security at Victorian hospitals will be doubled after an near-fatal attack on a surgeon, the Victorian government said on Tuesday.

Doctor Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann, a surgeon at Melbourne's Box Hill Hospital, remained in a critical condition after he was punched in the head and knocked out while at the hospital in May.

Joseph Esmaili was arrested by police in June and charged with intentionally causing serious injury over the incident.

Victoria's Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the state government would provide an extra 15 million U.S. dollars to improve security in hospitals.

She said that behavioral assessment facilities would be built in the emergency departments of all Melbourne hospitals.

"Those will help better protect our staff, as well as the patients that are at risk, and they've shown themselves to be very effective at our Royal Melbourne Hospital," Hennessy told reporters.

"We're also boosting the security presence in our Victorian hospitals, and we're also running a community campaign through some ads to remind people that our hospital workers are there to save our lives and they will be treated with respect, not aggression."

Doctor Michael Wong, who almost died after being stabbed in the foyer of his hospital in 2014, has led the campaign for increased security.

Hennessy said the increased funding would protect medical professionals as they endeavoured to save lives.

"We know that too many of our health and emergency services workers are subject to occupational violence and aggression," Hennessy said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 14:18:35|Editor: xuxin

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NEW DELHI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A Pakistani couple, who got medical visa to come to India for their four-month-old son's heart treatment following Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention, have arrived in this country.

Kanwal Sadiq and his family reached a super-speciality hospital in Noida, some 30 kms from the national capital, Monday night after the Indian High Commission in Islamabad gave them medical visa as promised by Swaraj whom he approached on social media.

Sadiq, whose son Rohaan has a hole in his heart, was earlier not able to get medical visa from the Indian mission in Islamabad due to the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

So last month, he brought the matter to the Indian External Affairs Minister's notice on Twitter. "Why my bud suffers for medical treatment!! Any answers Sir Sartaaj Azeez or Ma'am Sushma??" he tweeted.

The reply was prompt from the India side, with Swaraj assuring that Rohaan won't be a victim to the strained relationship between two countries. "No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa," Swaraj responded.

The infant will be operated at the private hospital in Noida by a team of heart surgeons on June 15, doctors have said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 14:58:54|Editor: xuxin

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PHNOM PENH, June 13 (Xinhua) -- An Australian nurse, along with two Cambodian accomplices, stood trial on Tuesday for operating commercial surrogacy services in Cambodia.

Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, director of Fertility Solutions PGD clinic, and two Cambodian helpers -- a 35-year-old female nurse and a 28-year-old private company male employee -- were arrested in November 2016 in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court's judge Sor Lina said the group was charged with "acting as intermediaries in surrogacy and engaging in falsifying documents." Under the charges, the trio could face up to two years in prison if convicted.

The trio appeared in court in orange prison uniform on Tuesday morning. Answered the judge's questions, Tammy said she operated the clinic since early 2014 till she was arrested.

She had arranged for 23 Cambodian women to carry babies for 18 Australian couples and five American couples.

"In average, we charged a foreign couple 50,000 U.S. dollars for surrogacy services," she told the judge, admitting that she paid only 10,000 U.S. dollars to Cambodian women to bear pregnancies on their behalf.

According to Tammy, all born babies had exited Cambodia for their biological parents.

During Tuesday's trial, two surrogate mothers also testified against the trio.

Cambodia banned commercial surrogacy in November 2016, describing the surrogacy as a form of human "trading."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 15:14:06|Editor: Song Lifang

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PHNOM PENH, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Two Cambodian suspects have been sent to court after being arrested on suspicion of killing two globally endangered black-shanked Douc Langur inside Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS), a conservationist group said on Tuesday.

"While patrolling inside KSWS, we saw three men carrying the dead black-shanked Douc Langurs along a track in the forest. Our team immediately arrested the suspects and filed the complaint to the court," Em Tray, KSWS's Community Patrolling Team leader, said in a statement released by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Black-shanked Douc Langurs (Pygathrix nigripes) are found only in Cambodia and Vietnam, with the largest known surviving population found in KSWS, according to the WCS.

Sadly, these beautiful animals are hunted for their stomachs due to a mistaken belief that they are medicinally beneficial, the WCS said, adding that they are also killed for meat, and in some areas adults are killed and their babies taken for the pet trade.

They are listed on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as globally endangered.

Under Cambodia's Protected Area Law, poaching endangered wildlife can result in a prison sentence of up to five years.

"Illegal poaching is still occurring inside the protected area, even though KSWS rangers and community rangers are working hard to patrol the forest," said Tan Setha, WCS' technical advisor to KSWS.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 15:34:17|Editor: Song Lifang

Kenneth Quinn, president of World Food Prize Foundation, addresses the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium in Des Moines, the United States, on June 12, 2017. The prospects of U.S.-China relations are very promising, according to participants of the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium, which opened Monday in Des Moines, capital of U.S. state of Iowa. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

DES MOINES, the United States, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The prospects of U.S.-China relations are promising in various fields including economic and trade cooperation, agricultural exchange, education and investment, according to participants in the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium held here Monday.

More than 20 Chinese and U.S. experts and scholars gathered Monday in Des Moines, capital of the mid-west U.S. state of Iowa, to deliberate on such topics as China-U.S. relations, local cooperation and the prospects of the relationship between the two countries.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng said rapid development of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is not only an epitome of China-U.S. relations, but also helps build up a solid foundation for China-U.S. cooperation in other fields.

Statistics show that China-U.S. trade volume grew from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to 524.3 billion dollars in 2016, a rise of 209 times, according to Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei.

China is the United States' largest export market outside North America, and is also one of the fastest growing major export markets of the United States.

"People of both countries have benefited from this economic and trade relationship," said Zhao, "China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation promises huge opportunities and potentials, and the prospects are very promising."

The relationship between China and the United States has experienced ups and downs all the way along but has kept forging ahead as economic and trade cooperation played the roles of "ballast stone" and "propeller," Hong said.

In 2016, bilateral service trade volume between the two countries exceeded 100 billion dollars, and two-way investment totaled 170 billion dollars.

"China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, for which economic and trade cooperation is the most active and lasting driving force," Hong said.

Statistics also show a rosy picture of China-U.S. partnership in terms of education and investment.

According to a report published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in May 2016, the United States is Chinese students' top destination for studying abroad, as some 353,000 Chinese students account for 34 percent of the total number of international students in the United States, said Hong.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce estimated that Chinese students studying in the United States spent about 45,000 dollars per person in 2016, contributing around 15.9 billion dollars to the U.S. revenue.

U.S.-invested enterprises in China have maintained good performance and gained high profits. In 2016, the total revenue of U.S.-funded banks, insurance and security companies reached 48 billion dollars, Hong said.

In the meantime, Chinese investment in the United States is growing rapidly. A report by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and Rhodium Group indicated that Chinese enterprises invested 45.6 billion dollars in the United States in 2016, a 200-percent increase from the previous record set in 2015.

Earlier on Sunday, Chinese think tank researchers visited Kimberley Farm, where they exchanged views with farm owner Rick Kimberley on management of modern farms and also on agricultural exchange between the two countries.

As a witness to the booming agricultural ties between China and Iowa, the Kimberley family is not only exporting soybeans to China, but also introducing their advanced farming technology to China, the largest soybean export market for the United States.

A model farm which will be fashioned after the Kimberleys' one is set to be built next year in north China's Hebei Province, a sister province of Iowa.

"China-U.S. relations are not only about the government-level exchanges, but more importantly lie in the exchanges between people from the two countries. The close people-to-people exchanges could further contribute to the development of bilateral relations," said Zhao after visiting the Kimberleys' farm.

"I'm very impressed by American farmers' strong emphasis on the importance of stable bilateral economic relationship," said Wei Jianguo, China's former vice minister of commerce.

According to a report released by the U.S.-China Business Council, the U.S.-China trade relationship actually supports roughly 2.6 million jobs in the United States across a range of industries.

As the Chinese economy transits into the modern age, there is ample reason to believe U.S. exports can grow even more rapidly, and U.S. firms can harvest significant revenues from their investments, said the report.

(Xinhua reporters Xu Jing, Yang Shilong and Jiang Yujuan contributed to the story)
Courtesy of Robin Vermeer Bobo(HOT SPRINGS, Ark.) -- Seventy years together sounds awfully sweet for this couple.



Paul Miller serenaded his wife Imogene Miller with a sweet rendition of Bing Crosbys Let Me Call You Sweetheart at their 70th anniversary celebration on Saturday, while lovingly holding her hand.



I started practicing so it would sound just right, Paul Miller, 89, told ABC News. I didnt just reach up out of the clear blue sky to choose it.



The lovebirds from Hot Springs, Arkansas, wed on June 15, 1947.



Shes the only one Ive ever had, said Paul Miller. It started out when I was 18 and its gone along just as great as ever.



June 15 is also Pauls 90th birthday.



Their granddaughter Sarah Saragusa said Imogene wouldnt marry Paul until he turned 20, so they wed on his birthday.



Their story is really cute. My grandmother is actually a few months older, said Saragusa, 36. She told my grandfather she wouldnt marry him until he turned 20 so they got married on his birthday. She wanted him to be a mature man at 20 before they got married. They met at the Western Union, he really pursued her. Hes always been the outgoing one and shes very sweet. Hes always said shes the most beautiful woman hes ever known.



The couple renewed their vows at The Vines at Shelly Lane in Hot Springs, a wedding venue their son and daughter-in-law, Alan and Caroline Miller, own.



We had it all set it up and he had a microphone and he sang to her, said Caroline Miller. For someone thats almost 90 to be able to sing like that is just amazing.



Paul Millers advice for everlasting love?



Pick the right girl, he said.



The video of Paul Miller singing to his lovely bride has gone viral with nearly 75,000 views in less than 24 hours after the local ABC affiliate, WATV, posted the touching video to their Facebook page.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 15:54:28|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, attend a press conference after their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

by Xinhua writers Liu Wanli, Deng Yushan

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Panama on Tuesday established formal diplomatic relations in a historic development that opens up a promising new era of bilateral interaction and accords with the long-term and fundamental interests of both countries.

In a joint communique signed in Beijing by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Panamanian Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, the two sides agree to develop friendly relations on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

Announcing the decision in the nationally televised address, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said he is convinced that this is "the correct path" for his country.

Indeed, it is the right path for the Central American country to recognize the one-China policy and found its way to the mainstream international community.

Meanwhile, for the practical benefit of the people of both countries, with the bilateral relationship entering the normal track, China-Panama cooperation and exchanges are set to boom.

Among many others, China is the world's largest trader and second-largest economy, and Panama is an important regional logistics hub. Such complementary strengths herald a bright future of fruitful cooperation.

Undoubtedly, the establishment of full diplomatic relations between China and Panama reflects the increasing national strength and rising international status of the Asian country.

Yet more importantly, it testifies to the growing global consensus on the new type of international relations China has been championing, which features win-win cooperation as the core.

All in all, Panama's choice of severing ties with Taiwan and adopting the one-China policy is a wise and welcome, which is expected to bring about great benefits to both countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 15:59:37|Editor: An

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WUHAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Police in central China's Hubei Province have raided an Internet fraud gang and detained 808 members, making it the largest online financial fraud group uncovered in China.

The public security bureau in Wuhan, Hubei's capital, said on Tuesday that the group used both telecommunication networks and illegal Internet finance websites to attract investors to its stock and futures schemes.

Its 800-plus members worked in office buildings pretending to be securities clerks.

In a coordinated operation, more than 1,000 police officers raided the gang's 10 sites in Wuhan, seizing evidence of fraud, including 800 computers, 2,000 mobile phones and 3,000 bank cards.

The police investigation found that the gang started setting up a number of firms in 2015 and recruited professionals to provide securities analysis and consulting services on financial products including stocks, futures, precious metals and foreign exchange trading.

The exact amount of funds involved is unknown at this time as the investigation is still under way.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 15:59:39|Editor: Yamei

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A visitor tries a virtual driving system that can be used by driving schools during the 2017 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia in Shanghai, east China, June 7, 2017. More than 450 exhibiting companies from 22 countries and regions took part in the CES Asia, which kicked off here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, smart homes and wearable devices are just a few of the high-tech concepts being pioneered and turned into products by Chinese companies.

A visit to the recently-concluded CES Asia in Shanghai, one of the largest exhibitions for high-tech products in Asia, offered a glimpse into how far China has advanced in smart manufacturing, with Chinese firms such as Huawei, Baidu and Haier exhibiting the latest in a series of sophisticated high-tech products, including self-driving vehicles.

Once a world factory known for producing low-value products, China is focusing on the next stage of its development. The "Made in China 2025" strategy aims to avoid "premature deindustrialization," according to Richard Kozul-Wright and Daniel Poon, two senior U.N. officials who recently wrote an article on the strategy.

"If it succeeds, it will have laid the institutional foundations for new sources of growth. And, as the benefits of innovation are diffused throughout the economy, China will move closer to its goal: becoming a high-income country," they wrote.

The "Made in China 2025" strategy, a roadmap released by the State Council in 2015 to guide the country's advanced industrial manufacturing, has seen steady progress in industrial capability, smart manufacturing, innovation, as well as product quality and branding.

A recent case in point was the home-grown passenger jet C919 that took its first test flight last month.

"The top-down design of the strategy is generally in shape, with other complementing plans going smoothly," according to Xin Guobin, deputy head with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"On the one hand, China has been increasing investment in research and development, leading to fast growth of patents and inventions, while on the other hand, the country has made breakthroughs in developing fundamental technologies, components, material and techniques," Xin added.

Average productivity was up by 38 percent for China's first 109 pilot projects in smart manufacturing, while operating costs dropped 21 percent.

The ministry has approved 12 pilot regions for the strategy, including cities such as Ningbo in Zhejiang Province and three city clusters in provinces such as Jiangsu. Some of them will be designated as national demonstration areas, which will receive favorable policies in investment, financing and other fields.

"The strategy has sometimes been portrayed as a return to old-school top-down mercantilist practices and import-substitution policies. But that reading overlooks China's active experimentation with industrial and financial policies. In fact, that experimentation may hold valuable lessons for policy evaluation and innovation elsewhere," according to Kozul-Wright and Poon.

Still there is much room for improvement, especially in the safety and stability of some products, and China has to import high-end equipment, core chips and key materials, according to Luo Wen, another senior official with the ministry.

"China will prioritize developing new information technologies and new material, while keeping steady industrial investment, expanding consumption and promoting international capacity cooperation," Luo said.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce claimed in a report in March that China's support for high-tech manufacturing would lead to worsening treatment of foreign companies, while allowing government-subsidized homegrown players to compete unfairly.

However, many have been eager to point out that central support of such industry is a common practice worldwide .

"Government guidance and financial support towards the high-tech sector are common global practices as the market entails huge investment and poses much risk and uncertainty," according to Xin. "Policies and measures under 'Made in China 2025' are applicable to both domestic and foreign businesses, and all companies will be treated equally."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 16:30:02|Editor: An

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Glistening and boiled bright red, stacks of spiced crayfish can be found spread across tables on summer nights in major Chinese cities.

China's crayfish craze begins every June, as the crustacean is a favorite snack to eat with a couple bottles of chilled beer on summer nights.

According to a report released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese consumption of crayfish has jumped by one third to 879,300 tonnes a year over the past two years.

Annual output reached 899,100 tonnes in 2016, making China the world's largest producer of crayfish, accounting for over 70 percent of the world's total.

Native to North America, crayfish were brought to east China's Jiangsu Province by a Japanese merchant in the 1930s. They have proliferated in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze River with its fertile land and a large network of rivers and lakes providing an ideal habitat for the species.

Central and eastern China's Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan and Jiangxi province produce 95 percent of the nation's total output. Hubei Province alone makes more than 60 percent of the total, or 489,000 tonnes in 2016.

Central, eastern and north China are major consumers of crayfish. Major Chinese cities including Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Shanghai, Hefei and Hangzhou have annual consumption of more than 10,000 tonnes.

Since 2011, the crayfish industry has expanded rapidly across the country as many localities look to the industry for higher profits and employment.

Raising and processing of crayfish plus related service industries total 146.61 billion yuan (21.16 billion U.S. dollars) in value, providing nearly 5 million jobs in China.

The crayfish farming industry is worth 56.4 billion yuan and the processing sector is worth 10.2 billion yuan, while related service industries have a value of 80 billion yuan.

Outside of the domestic market, Chinese crayfish have found fans in the United States and Europe. In 2016, China exported 23,300 tonnes of crayfish worth 259 million U.S. dollars.

Nearly 40 percent of them went to the United States, while 90 percent of crayfish consumed in Europe were from China.

Popular dishes include braised, steamed and garlic crayfish in China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 16:40:11|Editor: Song Lifang

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DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- To address the trade imbalances between China and the United States, which have been the focus of the Trump administration's trade policy toward China, both countries should carry out structural reforms rather than just narrow the trade deficit, experts from the two countries said here on Monday.

It's the structural issues that contributed to the trade imbalances between the two countries, Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said at the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium held in Des Moines, Iowa.

China has maintained a high savings rate during its economic expansion, while the United States consumes a large amount of global products and services and has a very low savings rate, he said.

"This kind of structural issue is one of the primary reasons behind the trade imbalance," Zhang added.

In addition, as the global value chain develops, more and more foreign companies are investing in China, making China an important link in the chain, said Zhang.

During the 2010-2015 period, exports from foreign-owned companies in China accounted for about half of China's total exports, according to the expert.

The United States has been concerned about the trade deficit in goods with China, while China runs a deficit in bilateral services trade, which reflects the different trade structures of the two countries, he noted.

Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed that in 2016, China's deficit in the services trade with the United States was as high as 55.7 billion U.S. dollars, which accounted for 23.1 percent of the year's total, making the United States a top source for China's services trade deficit.

Bi Jiyao, deputy director of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, echoed Zhang's view. China's current account has become more balanced in recent years, compared to a decade ago, said Bi.

The share of China's current account surplus to gross domestic product has dropped to below 2 percent in 2016, compared to about 9.9 percent in 2007, according to Chinese statistics.

Changes in China's exports and imports mainly reflected the changes in external demand as well as China's domestic demand, said Bi, adding that trade imbalances between the two countries are mainly due to fundamental structural issues, not currency issues.

"Tracking trade deficit is misleading. All that (trade deficit) means that we in the United States consume more," said Tori K. Whiting, a research associate at the Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation.

All financial flows in or out of the United States, such as imports, exports and foreign direct investment, are inter-connected, and attempts to influence one part, such as the deficit in goods trade, will have consequences for the others, said Whiting.

She estimated that if the United States seeks to impose punitive tariffs on products, such as steel and aluminum, it's the American businesses and consumers that will get hurt.

It's better for both sides to address economic differences, such as trade imbalances and overcapacity in China's steel industry, through candid dialogue, said Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei.

Further opening up markets, promoting bilateral investment, and strengthening trade ties at the local level could contribute to stronger and closer economic ties between China and the United States, said Hong.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 16:45:14|Editor: Song Lifang

Rescuers work at the debris of a collapsed building in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, June 13, 2017. Fifteen people are still missing or feared trapped as of Tuesday in debris of a seven-storey residential building that collapsed here Monday, police said. (Xinhua/John Okoyo)

NAIROBI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen people are still missing or feared trapped as of Tuesday in debris of a seven-storey residential building that collapsed here Monday, police said.

Nairobi police commander Japheth Koome said some 121 people have been accounted for after they were evacuated moments before the building caved in at 10:00 p.m. (1900 GMT) at Kware in east of Nairobi.

Koome said they had taken a roll call of the residents of the building and added there were some people missing.

"The residents say between two to 10 or more people are missing. There could be some who refused to leave when they were being told to evacuate, but we are doing our best to establish the claims," said Koome.

"Most of the families cooperated and evacuated timely, safely. However, it is believed that some people may have been trapped," National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) Deputy Director and Communication Officer Pius Masai said in a statement.

Masai said rescuers have been searching through the debris to establish if anyone is still trapped in the building.

"We appeal to anyone with cutters, drillers and any other extrication equipment to support search and rescue efforts," he said.

Several emergency providers and heavy excavation machines were sent to the scene hours later to help dig through the rubble and find any survivors.

Police and emergency service providers leading the operation said it would take long to dig through the rubble to confirm the claims.

The police have launched investigations as rescue operations are ongoing. Residents said the ill-fated building had earlier shown imminent signs of collapse.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 18:56:21|Editor: Song Lifang

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NAIROBI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government said Tuesday it has stepped up efforts to reduce the country's susceptibility to the severe effects of climate change by planting rapidly maturing bamboo in selected catchment areas.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Professor Judy Wakhungu said Nairobi is currently experiencing acute water shortage caused by low water levels in Ndaka-ini dam which serves 84 percent of Nairobi residents with water.

"Bamboo can grow in almost any kind of climate and thrive in the poorest of soils. To tap into this lucrative green economy, the government has positioned itself to commercialize bamboo," Wakhungu said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

"The profit potential has become even greater as environmentalists link bamboo with climate change mitigation, and the possibility of increased income through carbon credits," she said, noting that currently, effects of climate change are already being felt across the country.

The world bamboo market is growing, led by China and an increasing demand for sustainable products in Europe and the U.S.

According to the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), an intergovernmental organization registered with the UN that promotes the growing of bamboo and rattan for economic and environmental gains, the global bamboo economy is now valued at 60 billion U.S. dollars and is a potential income generator for rural communities.

The Vision 2030 Director General, Julius Muia, said that the Secretariat is seeking to identify ways to enhance awareness of the adverse effects of climate change.

Muia stated that the Initiative was geared at establishing appropriate mechanisms for involving the public in building resilience of the country's poor and those in vulnerable situations.

"Climate change is a cross-cutting global issue and it is crucial that all stakeholders involved in the implementation of Vision 2030 flagship projects, work closely to mainstream fitting climate change responsive strategies into development plans," he said.

Aware of the threats posed by global warming, the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat has been holding structured discussions with various stakeholders including private sector players to establish how best to incorporate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in County governments. Special focus has been directed to key Vision 2030 projects that are being implemented.

The bamboo planting program is a Kenya Vision 2030 project under the greening Kenya initiative. It is designed to encourage and enable Kenyans to participate widely in environmental activities by developing small bamboo forests in pursuit of achieving the targeted 10 percent forest cover by 2030.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:01:23|Editor: MJ

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Some 45,000 civilian drones have been registered under real names since a new rule was introduced to improve civil aviation safety, an official said Tuesday.

On June 1, China required civilian drones weighing more than 250 grams to be registered under real names after some cases of civilian drones posing a threat to civil aviation safety.

Drone owners must register before August 31.

The registration process has gained support from manufacturers and users, according to Wang Jingling, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

In late April, four drones flew illegally over Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province. They obliged 58 flights to land at alternative airports, four to return, and many more to be canceled.

The overall market of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, is expected to reach 75 billion yuan (around 11 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025 in China, according to an iResearch report last year.

The report predicted that aerial photography by drone will generate 30 billion yuan alone. The revenue from drones in agriculture, forestry, power inspections and security is expected to be about 40 billion yuan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:06:26|Editor: Song Lifang

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MOSUL, Iraq, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Fierce battles against the Islamic State (IS) militants continued at the edge of the old city center on Tuesday, as the Iraqi government forces completed clearing al-Zanjili neighborhood, the Iraqi military said.

The federal police forces and the interior ministry elite forces, known as Raid Response, cleared the northern part of al-Zanjili neighborhood from the last pockets of IS militants and removed large number of landmines and traps set up earlier by the extremist militants, Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a brief statement.

Meanwhile, the federal police forces, army soldiers and the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) have pushed further against IS militants in the adjacent neighborhood of al-Shifaa under heavy clashes, the statement said.

The troops have been fighting back and forth street-to-street battles for more than two weeks in the two neighborhoods of al-Zanjili and al-Shifaa due to the stiff resistance of the extremist militants and the presence of civilians, who were used by IS militants as human shields.

Iraqi forces, backed by international coalition, are fighting to drive out IS militant from the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River, but al-Shifaa neighborhood and the densely-populated old city center, are still under control of the extremist militants.

According to the Iraqi military, over 90 percent of the city has been retaken from IS in the ongoing major offensive launched in October last year.

Separately, the Iraqi F-16 jet fighters, based on intelligence report, conducted an air strike on suspected three car bomb-making sites in the IS-held town of Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, destroying the three sites and killing many IS militants inside, the JOC said in a separate statement.

Mosul, 400 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:06:31|Editor: Song Lifang

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LONDON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Police had investigated the ringleader of the London bridge terror attack, but could not even charge him with the minor offence of common assault, it was revealed Tuesday.

London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley outlined in an article, released by the Met, details of the efforts made by the Met and Britain's secret service MI5 to investigate terrorist Kharum Butt.

Butt was one of three men shot and killed by armed police in a terror attack in London.

Rowley said:"We investigated Butt, the London Bridge ringleader, however, there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation was prioritized accordingly."

"He is one of thousands of vile people, with vile views, so we searched for other evidence of criminality to lock him up."

"We had a public report to our hotline about him. It was welcome and confirmed what we knew -- he was a vile and worrying extremist -- but took us no closer to evidencing offending. We investigated him for fraud and common assault but there was no prospect of charging him," added Rowley.

The police terrorism expert said with three terror attacks in Britain within ten weeks, the tempo of the terror threat is unprecedented.

"Working with MI5, we have about 500 investigations involving some 3,000 individuals posing the biggest threats. There are another 20,000 who we continue to be concerned about. Some of these, we will decide to move into the priority group. Others may move from radical to would-be terrorist very quickly," said Rowley.

Rowley called for local communities to be more assertive at calling out extremists and radicalisers among the population. "It's not just overseas propaganda inspiring attacks."

He also wants internet-based companies to show more responsibility.

"It is too easy for the angry, violent or vulnerable to access extremist views, learn about attack methodologies, conspire on encrypted applications and then acquire equipment to kill, all online," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:11:34|Editor: Song Lifang

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia, the world's second largest palm oil producer, saw storage in May fall 2.64 percent month-on-month to 1.56 million tonnes as exports rose, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said in a statement Tuesday.

According to the statement, Malaysian total crude palm oil (CPO) production in May stood at 1.65 million tonnes, a 6.88 percent higher compared with the previous month. CPO stocks dropped 8.43 percent month-on-month to 789,289 tonnes, while processed palm oil stocks increased by 4.12 percent to 768,330 tonnes.

Meanwhile, palm oil export surged 17.33 percent month-on-month to 1.51 million tonnes.

Analysts expect palm oil prices to stay weak in the second half, as they foresee an uptrend for palm oil inventories.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:11:36|Editor: Song Lifang

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HELSINKI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Twenty members of the Finns Party parliamentary group announced in Helsinki on Tuesday that they would leave the True Finns group and form a separate parliamentary group named as The New Alternative.

The group includes all the True Finns cabinet ministers of the current government. The group of 20 appeared in a press conference outside the caucus premises of the True Finns at 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

They said they had lost their political home as the party chose hardliner Jussi Halla-aho as the new chairman last Saturday. The group said it was willing to talk with the prime minister Juha Sipila about the governent situation.

Sipila is supposed to meet Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at 3 p.m. Tuesday to hand in the formal resignation of the his cabinet.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:21:25|Editor: MJ

Students take part in a coming-of-age rite at a tourism vocational institute in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 13, 2017. A total of 82 18-year-old students attended the rite, during which students wearing Han-style clothes took part in capping ceremony (for boys) and hair-pinning ceremony (for girls), and saying vows to celebrate their entering into adults. The rite is expected to make the young people hold an idea of social responsibility. (Xinhua/Wang Song)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:21:41|Editor: MJ

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COLOMBO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's tourism sector is to undertake a digital promotion campaign so as to boost attraction for tourists, an official here said on Tuesday.

Managing Director of Sri Lanka's Tourism Promotion Bureau Suthesh Balasubramaniam told Xinhua that most tourists look to online channels for information on destination, and therefore digital promotion would be helpful for the development of the sector.

He said Sri Lanka does some form of digital promotion at the moment, but it is not enough. The country plans to attract 2.5 million tourists by the end of this year.

He said Sri Lanka would target high spending, long staying tourists. Also, a separate online promotional campaign would be launched targeting Indian and Chinese tourists.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:21:42|Editor: MJ

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JINAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Two companies in eastern China's Shandong Province will recruit 6,000 construction workers to work in Israel, said local officials on Tuesday.

These workers will serve as steel fixers, carpenters, tilers and plasterers for construction projects in Israel, according to a press conference held by the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province.

The recruitment drive came after Israel welcomed Chinese construction workers to help solve its labor shortage at home.

The minimum monthly wage for the workers will be 5,200 New Shekels (1,468 U.S. dollars), plus a special fund of more than 720 New Shekels. There will also be payment for overtime and holidays, according to an official at the conference.

Other benefits, such as housing and medical insurance, will also be provided to the workers, who should be healthy men between 25 and 45 in age.

China Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group Ltd. and Weihai International Economic and Technical Cooperative Co. Ltd. will arrange the recruitment and their trips to Israel.

Shandong sends more people to work overseas than any other province in China. Last year, it sent 69,000 people to work overseas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:21:43|Editor: MJ

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COLOMBO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah is in Sri Lanka on an official visit, a statement from the Pakistan High Commission here said on Tuesday.

The statement said the admiral was warmly received by the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne.

The statement said that during his visit, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah exchanged views with the Sri Lankan side on issues of bilateral importance and mutual interest, and called on top military officials in Sri Lanka.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:31:46|Editor: Song Lifang

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 militants were killed after the security forces aircraft pounded Taliban hideouts in Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz province Tuesday, an army spokesman in the province, Abdul Khalil Khalili, said.

According to the official, the aircraft conducted sorties against Taliban hideouts in Kygyz village of the beleaguered Imam Sahib district early Tuesday morning, killing 12 insurgents on the spot and injuring six others.

Fierce fighting has been continuing for almost 10 days between Taliban and government forces for the control of Imam Sahib district, Kunduz province.

Government forces recaptured Imam Sahib district on Saturday and since then cleanup operations have been continuing to ensure lasting peace in the restive district.

Taliban militants are yet to make comments.
Kenyans sing and dance beside one of the first batch of locomotives for the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

NAIROBI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya should take a cue from China's model of harnessing youth bulge to promote socio-economic and cultural renewal, an expert has said at a forum in Nairobi.

Professor Maria Nzomo, the Director at the University of Nairobi's Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies noted on Monday that Beijing has set precedence in tapping the skills and entrepreneur spirit of its youth to drive progress.

"We should emulate China's approach to empowering its youthful population through creation of a conducive environment to enable them realize their full potential," Nzomo said on the sidelines of a forum on election preparedness.

Delegates attending the conference agreed that Kenyan youth can be a force for positive change subject to creation of a friendly environment that enable them participate in nation building.

Nzomo noted that youth empowerment through vocational training and employment is key to prevent social turmoil as Kenya heads to the polls in August this year.

She urged policymakers to involve the youth in programs that advances cohesion, sustainable development and peace.

At the same time, Nzomo reiterated that economic empowerment of the youth will cushion them from involvement in criminal activities like terrorism, robbery or election related violence during this election season.

"The government must create a platform to engage the youth in civic matters. Dialogue rather than confrontation will ensure our youth become peace ambassadors in this campaign season," said Nzomo, adding that the state should be on the look out to nip violent extremism in the bud as Kenya braces for a hotly contested general election.

Sino-Kenya bilateral cooperation in diverse fields like education, industrial and infrastructure development as well as cultural exchanges has benefitted the country's youth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 19:56:58|Editor: An

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SHANGHAI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai police have apprehended 31 people in connection with 1,300 telecommunication fraud cases with total illegal gains of 4 million yuan (590,000 U.S. dollars).

The gang asked for "brokerage fees" for fake loans, Li Shidong, of the public security department in Shanghai's Jinshan District, said Tuesday.

Police started investigating the case in late March, when a resident surnamed Chen told police he was asked to pay 4,500 yuan via the social networking app WeChat to obtain a loan.

After he made a 4,000 yuan down payment of the brokerage fee, the loan was rejected, with no money returned.

Police found more than 1,300 similar cases had been reported from November 2016 to April 2017, with victims across the country.

With the help of police in Shandong Province, the gang was arrested in late May in Liaocheng City, Shandong.

Twenty of the suspects will face fraud charges, said Li.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 20:22:10|Editor: Song Lifang

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HELSINKI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila cancelled the planned resignation of his cabinet after 20 members of the True Finns parliamentary group on Tuesday seceded.

The secessionists included all the True Finns ministers of the government, as well as the Speaker of Parliament Maria Lohela.

The newly formed group pledged to support the current government.

Sipila was on his way to Naantali, western Finland to meet Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, but he turned back to Helsinki upon the decision of the large defection from the Finns Party.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 21:12:36|Editor: Mengjie

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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) shakes hands with Han Zheng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee during their meeting in Athens, Greece on June 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

by Chen Zhanjie, Liu Yongqiu

ATHENS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Greece have agreed here to boost cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative.

China-Greece relations have witnessed steady progress in recent years with frequent high-level visits, substantial economic and trade cooperation and increasing people-to-people exchanges, Chinese official Han Zheng told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday.

Han, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, said this year marks the 45th anniversary for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and China is willing to work with Greece to bring the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Han said China is willing to align the two countries' development strategies and promote practical cooperation in all fields through the Belt and Road Initiative.

He said the CPC attaches great importance to the development of relations with Tsipras' Syriza party and wishes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, contributing to Sino-Greek ties.

Tsipras said Greece attaches great importance to its relations with China and wish to take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to further advance dialogue and cooperation with China in fields such as development and global governance.

He said Syriza party is willing to enhance communication with the CPC on ideas of party and state governance in order to yield more practical results in the two countries' cooperation in all fields.

Han led a Chinese delegation for a visit to Greece from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of the country's ruling Syriza party.

During the visit, Han also held talks with Greek Parliamentary Speaker Nikos Voutsis and Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis, and oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation between Athens and Shanghai.

He also attended New Oriental Chinese Music Scene concert dedicated to the 45th anniversary of Greece-China diplomatic relations and visited the Piraeus port project managed by China COSCO Shipping.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 21:22:45|Editor: An

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KUNMING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train heading for Vietnam left Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province Monday afternoon, an opening of a new route.

The train will travel 854 kilometers in four to six days to the port city of Hai Phong, carrying mainly ore and raw materials for the chemical industry in 32 containers, according to the Jinlai Shunfa international logistics company.

The service is currently weekly, and is expected to become daily when the supply of goods becomes more regular.

Experts hope that the new route could help boost communication and exchanges between Yunnan and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 21:47:57|Editor: xuxin

Investigators work at the scene of the explosion at the fenced entrance of Dhekelia British Sovereign Base in Cyprus on June 13, 2017. A bomb was hurled over the fence at the entrance of the Dhekelia British Sovereign Base, known as the Eastern Sovereign Base area, by a passing motor cyclist just before day break on Tuesday and authorities said that they are treating the case as a criminal attack. (Xinhua/Christos Theodorides)

NICOSIA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A bomb was hurled at the entrance of a police station at the fenced entrance of a British Base in Cyprus just before day break on Tuesday and authorities said that they are treating the case as a criminal attack.

"A terrorist attack is out of the question," a British Base police spokesman said.

Reports quoting Base policemen suggested that the incident is linked to stiff fine penalties imposed on poachers by police in the area on Monday.

The Base police, along with the Cypriot police and naturalists, are at war with bird catchers and poachers who trap millions of songbirds each year using mist nets and lime sticks.

The bomb was hurled over the fence at the entrance of the Dhekelia British Sovereign Base, known as the Eastern Sovereign Base area, by a passing motor cyclist.

It caused "very minor injuries" to a policeman and slight damage to the police station entrance.

The Eastern Sovereign Base area is freely accessible to the public, with a busy road just meters away from the fenced off entrance.

Britain retained sovereignty over two areas comprising 254 square kilometers when it granted independence to Cyprus in 1960. Part of this area on the south coast is used as an important airbase and is off limits to civilians, but otherwise several thousand Greek Cypriots live in villages within the two bases.

The two base areas are policed by a police force which is separate from the Cypriot police, but is made up of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:08:03|Editor: An

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WELLINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's largest city Auckland is set to welcome Sichuan Airlines' inaugural flight from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday, said New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

Sichuan Airlines will operate three direct flights per week between Auckland and Chengdu.

"New Zealand is in a strong position to attract airlines, with a liberal international air transport policy that allows most major airlines to operate services to New Zealand without restriction," Bridges said in a release.

"We have negotiated 60 new or amended air services agreements since 2012," Bridges said, adding " In that time period, the number of services Chinese airlines can offer each week under arrangements between our countries has risen from 7 to 59."

"New Zealand is an increasingly popular tourist destination for Chinese visitors," he said.

In the year ended March 2017, 404,384 Chinese visitors came to New Zealand -- an increase of 7 percent on the year before, and visitors from China spent 1.45 billion NZ dollars (1.05 billion U.S. dollars), second only to the spending by visitors from Australia, according to the minister.

"This new Sichuan Airlines service is a reflection of the growing trade and tourism links between China and New Zealand, and it raises the number of airlines now operating from China to New Zealand from five to six," Bridges said.

New Zealand is further expanding its international connectivity, allowing people to get to and from Chinese provinces with greater ease, he said, adding that it is also a testament to the success of New Zealand's International Air Transport Policy, which provides additional opportunities for these airlines.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:13:09|Editor: Song Lifang

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KATHMANDU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday left for Switzerland to attend the World of Work Summit organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva.

Leading a Nepali delegation, President Bhandari is scheduled to address the summit to be held on Thursday. The theme of the annual summit for this year is "Women at Work".

In her address, the president will underline the progress made by Nepal in the front of women's participation and representation in politics and highlight the efforts made in addressing the challenges in that trajectory, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

ILO Director General Guy Ryder will call on the Nepali president during her three-day visit to Geneva.

Meanwhile, Nepal was elected as the deputy member of the governing body of ILO for the term of 2017-2020 on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.

The election was held on Monday in Geneva during the 106th International Labour Conference (ILC).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:13:11|Editor: xuxin

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A screenshot taken from a video on June 13, 2017 shows damaged houses in Bangladesh's southeastern Rangamati district. The death toll from early Tuesday's devastating rain-triggered landslides in Bangladesh's three southeastern districts has risen to 71, as rescuers retrieved more bodies including those of two army officers, officials said. (Xinhua)

DHAKA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from early Tuesday's devastating rain-triggered landslides in Bangladesh's three southeastern districts has risen to 71, as rescuers retrieved more bodies including those of two army officers, officials said.

Heavy rains since Monday morning swept through Bangladesh's three southeastern districts -- Chittagong, Bandarban and Rangamati -- and triggered huge landslides early Tuesday.

Four members of Bangladesh Army including two of its officers were killed in a landslide in Rangamati district, said Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) of Bangladesh Army.

Lieutenant Colonel Md Rashidul Hasan, director of ISPR, told Xinhua that 10 army men were also injured in the incident while another remained missing.

He said the army personnel died while conducting rescue operation in the worst landslide that hit the area.

The identities of all deceased could not be immediately known.

Rangamati Police Chief Sayeed Tarikul Hassan told Xinhua flood caused by the incessant rain has inundated many areas of the district since Monday.

He said rescue operation is still underway with rescue teams searching for more bodies under tons of mud and debris with shovels and bare hands.

"More people were feared dead under the mud," he said without specifying the number of the dead.

A Rangamati district administration official who preferred to be unnamed said rescuers have retrieved 45 bodies in the district, some 391 km away from capital Dhaka.

In the Bandarban district located some 316 km away from capital Dhaka, seven people have been killed in landslides.

Bandarban Superintendent of Police Sanjeeb Kumar Roy told Xinhua that seven bodies have so far been recovered. He said police with the help of local people retrieved the bodies from under the mud.

Nineteen people reportedly died in Chittagong, another danger zone for landslides.

Landslides are frequent in Bangladesh's hilly areas during the heavy monsoon that usually runs from June to September.

In June 2007, some 123 people were killed in a devastating landslide in the southeastern Chittagong district, some 242 km away from Dhaka.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:23:22|Editor: MJ

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KATHMANDU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government is considering allowing foreign investors to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the country under joint venture arrangement, a senior official of the Industry Ministry said.

Nepal's SEZ Act introduced in August 2016 has opened the door for foreign direct investment for the development of SEZ in the country with the provision that such zone could be established under public-private partnership as well as sole investment of private sector only.

"We have made provision in the draft of the regulation under SEZ Act that foreign investors could join hands with Nepali investors to establish SEZ in the country under joint venture arrangement," Purusottam Nepal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry told Xinhua on Monday.

The draft regulation has been sent to the Law Ministry for its inputs. Once the regulation comes into effect, it clears any ambiguity in the act and helps the implementation of it.

A month after SEZ Act was introduced, Ping An Insurance (Group) of China in partnership with Lhasa SEZ had sought permission to conduct feasibility study of potential areas where a SEZ could be established and run, according to SEZ Development Committee, a government office overseeing the SEZ affairs.

Chinese firms had proposed to explore the areas in Nuwakot and Kavrepalanchowk districts in central Nepal as well as other potential areas.

It was the first time that any foreign investor showed interest to develop SEZ in Nepal, according to Chandika Prasad Bhatta, executive director of SEZ Development Committee.

"Lately, there is a communication gap with these Chinese investors because we had told them to inquire us after the SEZ regulation is introduced here," Bhatta told Xinhua on Tuesday.

According to SEZ Committee, no other foreign investor has so far showed interest to develop SEZ here. Nepal government is preparing to develop SEZ in 17 locations in different parts of the country. But the infrastructure has only been developed in a single SEZ in Bhairahawa, a south western city of Nepal, so far.

According to SEZ Committee, it is now in the process of giving approval to 19 domestic industries to set up their factories inside Bhairahawa-based SEZ.

Nepal specifically aims to attract export industries inside SEZs and more foreign investment. For this, the SEZ Act has also offered several incentives.

The act has made provision of full income tax exemption for five years for the industries operating inside the SEZ. The industries that use at least 60 percent domestic raw materials will get 50 percent tax exemption for additional 10 years while others will get additional five-year tax exemption.

The law has also banned workers from holding any form of protests that could affect the production of the factories in the zone.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:38:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WUHAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese airline is investigating the in-flight death of a dog that it had transported as cargo.

The case has cast further negative light on China Eastern Airlines just days after one of its flights made an emergency landing in Sydney due to a hole in an engine casing.

The dog was a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Doudou. Its owner had hired a pet transportation agency to send the animal from Shenzhen to Wuhan, where the owner's parents live.

China Eastern Airlines, the company chosen by the agent, transports live animals as freight in the cargo hold, not in the cabin with passengers.

"I told the agent to take extra care with Doudou because I had heard of cases of animals dying during flight," said the owner, surnamed Zuo.

When Zuo's father arrived at the airport to collect the dog, he found that the dog was dead.

"My father sent me photos. The bars of the cage were bent and covered with bite marks. It must have been in pain," said Zuo.

Zuo posted her complaint on social media which aroused heated discussion among the country's growing number of pet lovers.

"Was there a problem with the air-conditioning or oxygen in the cargo space?" one commenter asked.

"No one knows what exactly happened. The whole process was not properly supervised, nor transparent," said another commenter.

A spokesperson for China Eastern Airlines said Doudou and another dog were transported together in the flight's pressurized cargo space. When the plane arrived in Wuhan, Doudou appeared lifeless but the other dog was in a good condition.

The spokesperson said the airline will work with the pet transportation agency to determine the cause of Doudou's death, but that it refused to take responsibility as the agent had signed a form releasing the airline from liability.

The agency has offered compensation of 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) which Zuo has refused to accept.

Zuo has been advised to take the dispute to court.

People have posted warnings online telling pet owners to think twice about transporting their pets by air as it still involves a high level of risk.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 22:48:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PYONGYANG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday warned South Korean President Moon Jae-in of potential "brain-washing" efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump during their upcoming summit in Washington.

"The U.S. has buckled down to taming the South Korean authorities in an undisguised manner," said the Korean Central News Agency in a commentary.

The DPRK has criticized Moon for submitting to U.S. pressure and maintaining a hardline policy toward Pyongyang.

"What matters is that the present chief executive of South Korea (Moon), who caught the interest of the public for his remarks that 'he would always say no to the U.S.,' has now gone servile to the U.S.," said the commentary.

The United States has engaged in a "cynical ploy" against moderate governments in Seoul in the past to pressure them into accepting U.S. policy and maintaining an alliance with Washington, it said.

"The U.S. has tamed the democratic forces to keep pace with it with utmost vigilance whenever they rose to power in South Korea," said the commentary.

The DPRK has urged Moon to revive the reconciliation process in accordance with two joint declarations signed by leaders of the two sides in early 2002.

Pyongyang also urged Seoul to dismantle the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and get rid of pro-U.S. forces in the new government.

Last month, South Korea's presidential Blue House said that South Korea and the United States had agreed to hold a summit meeting in late June in Washington.

The agreement on the summit was reached between Matt Pottinger, a senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council of the White House and Chung Eui-yong, a former South Korean ambassador to Geneva who now leads Moon's security and diplomatic task force.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:03:39|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, attend a press conference after their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING/TAIPEI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Panama signed a joint communique with China in Beijing Tuesday to establish diplomatic relations and break so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan, a move perceived as more extensive recognition of the one-China principle and a warning to the Taiwan administration.

After signing the communique, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that the political decision made by the Panamanian government meets the fundamental interests of the country, and accords with the development trend of the times as well as the one-China framework already in place in the international community.

Also on Tuesday, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said the move accords with the will of the people and represents an irresistible trend, urging the Taiwan administration to clearly understand the situation and make the right choice.

Jiang Shixue, director of the Latin America research center at Shanghai University, said it is natural for China, the second largest user of the Panama Canal, to attract countries that previously have not had diplomatic relations, especially with its years of development and strengthened national power.

"The establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will promote cooperation between China and Central America and the Caribbean region, and will have a demonstrative effect," he said.

Tuesday's news has triggered a strong rebound in public opinion in Taiwan.

Many in Taiwan regarded Panama's choice of severing "diplomatic relations" with the island a serious defeat for the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, saying the DPP has only itself to blame.

Hung Meng-kai, deputy director-general of the KMT Culture and Communications Committee, said the breaking of "ties" meant the DPP administration's "foreign policy" had completely failed, and would only lead Taiwan to isolationism.

"The DPP's so-called maintaining the status quo policy in cross-Strait relationship has also been a complete failure. Two countries have broken 'ties' with Taiwan within a year, is this the outcome our administrators, who claimed themselves as the best communicators, have given us?" said Hung, who warned that more countries might follow suit.

Panama is the second country to break ties with Taiwan since the DPP administration took office in May last year. It was Taiwan's most important "friend" in Central and South America and was the first nation Taiwan's current leader Tsai Ing-wen visited after she took power.

According to Hsieh Ming-hui, chief executive officer of the Taiwan Competitiveness Forum, the DPP administration's refusal to recognize the 1992 Consensus had damaged the political mutual trust between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and hence resulted in the reduction of international space for Taiwan.

"The DPP should be fully responsible," Hsieh added.

Ties between China and Panama go back more than 160 years.

The first group of Chinese immigrants arrived in Panama in the mid-1850s to work on the construction of the trans-isthmus railway, which served as the main international cargo route until the Panama Canal was built.

The establishment of diplomatic relations did not come as a surprise for Wu Hongying, director of the Latin America office of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

"Both the politicians and business people in Panama have witnessed China's increasing influence and regard it as an active and responsible power," Wu said.

Yuan Zheng of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said the one-China principle, which was acknowledged in the Resolution 2758 adopted by the UN General Assembly in October 1971, has become a universal consensus in the international community.

"More and more countries that have so-called 'diplomatic relations' with Taiwan will establish diplomatic ties with China in the future," Yuan said.
The Islamic State group claimed its first attacks in Iran as gunmen and suicide bombers killed at least 17 people in twin assaults on parliament and the tomb of the country's revolutionary founder in Tehran. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia is supporting terrorism in Iran's borders, Tehran Times daily reported.

"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups" in Iran's eastern and western borders," Zarif told the opening of the Oslo Forum in Norway on Tuesday.

Zarif told the forum that recent Saudi officials' remarks against Iran are a "direct threat and very dangerous provocation."

The remarks by Zarif partially referred to the comments made by Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, in May, who said Riyadh would bring "the battle" into Iran.

Also, just hours before the deadly attacks by the Islamic State (IS) in Iran's capital Tehran last Wednesday, which killed 17 people, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir claimed that Iran was the world's leading supporter of terrorism and must be punished.

On Tuesday, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Saudi Arabia has been behind June 7 terrorist attacks in Tehran.

"We have obtained accurate intelligence that Saudi Arabia supported the terrorists and asked them to carry out attacks in Iran," Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted as saying by semi-official Mehr news agency.

In the meantime, deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia and the United States "direct and support such acts of terrorism against regional countries," Tasnim news agency reported.

The recent terrorist attacks and other hostile moves by the enemies cannot undermine the Iranian nation's resolve to continue fighting terrorism, Jazayeri said.

Top Iranian political leaders have gestured the United States and Saudi Arabia of being behind the recent twin deadly attacks in Tehran.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:13:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A three-member delegation from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) visited Qatar since Monday for preparations of a military base deployment in the country.

The delegation continues work for "exploration and coordination" preparations of the base in Gulf country, a written statement from the TSK said on Tuesday.

On June 7, the Turkish parliament approved an agreement signed in 2016, for deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar. The move of the Turkish government came amid a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Gulf states.

Ankara lends support to Qatar over the diplomatic row and provides food to the country after regional countries have imposed embargo on Doha.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:23:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) in South Sudan said it supports resolution by the regional leaders to revitalize the hitherto weak peace agreement to include all aggrieved parties.

"The JMEC has welcomed the Communique following the 31st Extra-ordinary Summit of Heads of States of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the decision to convene a High-Level Revitalization Forum of the Parties to the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS)," the statement said.

It added that JMEC requested the IGAD which negotiated the August 2015 peace agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to convene the forum for the parties to the peace agreement, including estranged groups.

The forum, the leaders said will discuss the restoration of the permanent ceasefire, a return to inclusive implementation, a revised realistic timeline and implementation schedule towards democratic elections at the end of the transitional period.

"Prior to this forum, invite other key opposition groups to participate without pre-conditions; demand a clear and realistic timeline for the deployment of the Regional Protection Force (RPF) to provide a neutral and secure environment for the implementation of the Peace Agreement," JMEC said.

This is despite the JMEC chairman Festus Mogae having told regional leaders at the Monday summit that the current status quo was working harmoniously to deliver peace in the youngest nation without the ousted former first vice president Riek Machar.

"There is a very good working relationship between the president, Salva Kiir, and the first vice president, Taban Deng Gai, but real progress is still lacking and the pace of the implementation of the Peace Agreement is too slow," JMEC said.

It added Mogae also demanded IGAD to act collectively and decisively speak with one voice and demand that the leaders of South Sudan end the violence and pursue a political solution and return to full implementation of the Peace Agreement.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighbouring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:23:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian police are looking for two armed men who opened gunfire near a bank in the center of the Russian capital Tuesday before driving off, local media reported.

The police are investigating the shooting near the branch of a bank in the 1st Kazachy Bystreet, and the city has started implementing the interception procedure, Russia's TASS news agency reported, quoting a law enforcement source.

"The eyewitnesses sent information about the shooting near one of the commercial banks and about the individuals who fired, allegedly disappearing in a car," the source said.

An investigative and operational group is working on the site, said a spokesman of the Moscow department of the Russian Interior Ministry.

So far, police have received no reports on possible casualties, the spokesman said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:29:00|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese aviation authorities said Tuesday that they will join the investigation into the emergency landing of a China Eastern flight in Australia, and will consider issuing an airworthiness directive if it was caused by a design or manufacturing fault.

China Eastern Airlines flight MU736, heading to Shanghai Sunday night, was forced to return to Sydney when the crew noticed "cracks" on the Airbus A330's engine cowling shortly after takeoff.

The crew made the "right decision" to return, and the plane landed safely with no reported injuries, according to Tang Weibin with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will look into the incident in accordance with the international civil aviation convention, while the CAAC and Rolls-Royce, manufacturer of the plane's engine, will also participate in the investigation, he said.

There have been reports of similar trouble with the UK-produced Trent-700 engine, according to Tang.

The CAAC will be informed of the latest investigation findings, and will consider issuing an airworthiness directive if the incident was caused by a design or manufacturing fault, said Wang Jingling, another CAAC official.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:29:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's electricity utility said Tuesday it's implementing a 130 million U.S. dollars underground power network project to improve the quality of electricity supply in Nairobi.

Kenya Power CEO Ken Tarus said the underground cabling project is expected to reinforce the Nairobi City Centre bulk power supply system by providing alternative supply to existing substations.

"Initially focused on Nairobi, the underground cabling project will involve construction of a new substation and associated lines to increase the length of the existing network and offer alternative supply points to minimize interruptions," Tarus said in Nairobi.

The cabling system will create a redundant network around the city, thereby improve flexibility of the existing system.

The project involves establishment of a new 220/66kV substation at the city centre and construction of 16.5 kilometres of 220kV underground cable from Embakasi substation to the proposed City Centre substation at a cost of 106 million dollars.

The move comes as Kenya Power's customer base had been growing tremendously over the years calling for investment in the network to ensure adequate power supply.

Since June 2013 to date, the number of customers has increased from 2.3 million customers to 6 million.

Tarus said the project will also entail construction of 25.71 kilometres of 66kV transmission lines in underground cable to connect the new City Centre substation to proposed Likoni Road substation, Nairobi West, Cathedral, City Square, Muthurwa and Parklands substations.

Currently, 22 kilometres of the planned 25.71 kilometres of 66kV transmission lines is complete while installation work on the Likoni Road substation is finalized and pre-commissioning test is ongoing.

"The underground cabling technology is more aesthetic compared to overhead lines and less expensive in terms of land acquisition challenges and wayleaves requirement," said Tarus.

Underground cabling is one of the ways in which the electricity company is expanding and enhancing the capacity of the power distribution network.

Other undertakings geared towards provision of quality electricity include refurbishment of existing substations to enhance their efficiency, construction of additional substations and associated lines and replacement of damaged poles, among others

The underground cabling project is funded by a twenty-year concessional loan from China Exim Bank. It is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Hungarian police officers stand guard at a gathering point of illegal migrants near Roszke, a village on the Serbian-Hungarian border, Hungary, on Sept. 7, 2015. Hungarian lawmakers on Sept. 4 passed a package of laws in a bid to curb the rising influx of refugees and migrants who crossed into the country for a better life in Europe. According to the laws, border trespassing would be a criminal act starting Sept. 15. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BRUSSELS, June 13 (Xinhua)-- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday decided to launch infringement procedures against Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic over refugee sharing, after the bloc's repeated warning fell on deaf ears.

"I regret to see that despite our repeated calls... the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Pland have not yet taken necessary actions. For this reason, the commission has decided to launch infringement procedures against these member states," Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos announced at a press conference on the heels of a meeting of EU Commissioners in Strasburg, France.

"We have to be fair towards those Member States that do fulfil their obligations. I sincerely hope that these member states call still reconsider their position , and contribute fairly," he added.

Poland and Hungary haven't taken in any refugees since september 2015, when EU member states pledged to relocate a total of 160,000 migrants from overstretched Greece and Italy within two years.

The Czech Republic, according an EU report released last month, "has not been active in the scheme for almost a year."

Under the EU law, the European Commission, acting as guardian of EU Treaties, has the power to take legal action against a member state which is not respecting its obligations.

The infringement procedure begins with a "Letter of Formal Notice" to the member State concerned, which must be answered within a specified period, usually two months.

If the Commission is not satisfied with the answer of the member state, the Commission may then send a "Reasoned Opinion", calling on the member state to inform the Commission of the measures taken to comply within a specified period, usually two months.

If the member state still refuse to comply, the Commission may then decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice.

If, despite the first ruling, the member state still refuse to act, the Commission may open another infringement case, with only one written warning before referring the member state back to the Court.

The Commission can propose that the Court imposes financial penalties on the member state based on the duration and severity on the infringement and the size of the member state.

However, in around 95 percent of infringement cases, member states comply with their obligations under EU law before they are referred to the Court.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 23:39:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUDAPEST, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's parliament approved on Tuesday a controversial law on transparency of foreign-backed Non-governmental organizations(NGOs) despite international and domestic criticism.

The law, passed by 130 votes to 44, will oblige NGOs receiving more than 7.2 million forints (about 26,290 U.S. dollars) per year in foreign funding to register as a "foreign-supported organization", or risk termination for non-compliance.

The law does not concern the amounts received from the European Union (EU) through official channels.

The NGOs will also need to use the description "foreign-supported organization" on their websites, press releases and every publication. They will have 30 days to comply with the stipulations of the law, following its coming to effect.

The government says the measures are meant to improve transparency and to fight money laundering and terrorism funding.

Earlier this year, both the European Commission and the United Nations have condemned the law, with experts saying it could discriminate against and delegitimize NGOs.

Several demonstrations were held in Budapest in solidarity with the NGOs in the course of April and May.

Following the adoption of the law, two of the most important NGOs in Hungary, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, and Amnesty International said that they would boycott the law and turn to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Hungarian law marks a roughening of fronts in Orban's combat with foreign-funded NGOs, in particular those receiving support from Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros.

Government-backed billboard and media campaigns have already targeted Soros, while a questionnaire sent to households nationwide pressed support for the registration of foreign-funded NGOs.

Earlier this month the EU's rights overseer Venice Commission said the NGO bill was excessive, despite pursuing legitimate aims, and advised the government to consult local civil society groups.

Budapest said it took the concerns of Venice Commission into account when amending the proposal last week, for example dropping a requirement for the details of all foreign donors to be named on a group's publications, or increasing the time to comply from 15 to 30 days. But the NGOs dismissed the amendments as superficial changes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 00:04:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel and New Zealand said Tuesday they decided to restore full diplomatic ties following a seven-month quarrel over the latter's support to a UN resolution against the West Bank settlements.

Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement that Israel would send back its ambassador to New Zealand as New Zealand's Prime Minister Bill English expressed regrets of his country's support to the resolution.

According to the statement, English sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he "regrets the damage that was done to Israeli-New Zealand relations" as a result of the vote on UN Security Council's resolution number 2334, which New Zealand co-sponsored.

"We will welcome the return of the Israeli ambassador to Wellington," English added.

Following a phone talk between the two leaders, Netanyahu "decided to end the crisis and re-send the Israeli ambassador to Wellington," the statement read.

In a rare move on Dec. 23, the Security Council resolved to urge Israel to put an end to the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The resolution condemned the settlements as "flagrant violation" of international law and said they have "no legal validity."

Israel was outraged at the decision and recalled its ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, two of the states which co-sponsored the motion.

Last week, Israel agreed to resend its envoy to Senegal, following a meeting between Netanyahu and Senegalese President Macky Sall during the summit of the Economic Community of West African States in Liberia.

The settlements are located in the West Bank, on lands Israel seized during the 1967 war, where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state.

The settlements are illegal under international law and are seen by the Palestinians and the international community as a major obstacle to a peace deal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 00:14:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has targeted 900,000 South Sudanese households, or 5.4 million people, with livelihood assistance in a bid to mitigate food crises that hit hard the urban and peri-urban populations.

FAO officer-in-Charge Jacqueline Were said Monday that the partnership with World Vision and ministry of agriculture seeks to fight hunger and strengthen livelihoods through emergency crop, vegetable and fishing kit distribution in the capital Juba.

"FAO in partnership with World Vision and the ministry of agriculture recognize the critical need to tackle food insecurity by providing people with opportunity to produce their own food," she told journalists in Juba.

Were added that these livelihood kits has enabled some 466,666 households to grow vegetables, cow pea and sorghum while taking advantage of the available water sources along the Nile basin to catch fish, providing vital and nutritious food that benefits families and communities.

World Vision director Perry Mansfield said they have provided training to farmers on improved methods of farming including post-harvest handling and value addition.

"Through this partnership with FAO, World Vision is using an integrated approach that builds on other food and livelihood projects for sustainability and improved food security for 21,000 households in Central Equatorial and Warrap states," he said.

Perry added that the project is so far supporting 14,000 households in Juba and peri-urban area which adds up close to 80,000 people.

The UN in February declared famine in the northern Unity state counties of Leer and Mayendit, caused by combination of conflict and drought, leaving some 100,000 people starving and further 1 million on the brink, and warned that famine could spread to other parts of the war-torn country.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to violent conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighbouring countries.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 00:19:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to verify the reported killing of two Chinese nationals kidnapped in Pakistan last month and will cooperate to investigate their alleged illegal preaching activities, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks in a press release in response to reports that Pakistan has confirmed the death of the two Chinese nationals and that the two had undertaken illegal preaching activities in Pakistan.

China has not received official confirmation of the deaths from Pakistan, and will do its best to verify reports that the two have been killed as soon as possible, Lu said.

China firmly opposes all kinds of terrorism and extreme violence targeting civilians, and supports Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism and safeguard domestic security, said Lu, adding that China will work with the international community in the fight against terrorism.

China appreciates Pakistan's efforts to rescue the two hostages and its commitment to better protect Chinese nationals and institutions in Pakistan, he said.

Lu said China has always asked its citizens to abide by local laws and regulations, respect local customs and be aware of risks when in foreign countries.

China will cooperate with Pakistan's investigation into illegal preaching activities allegedly undertaken by the two people, Lu said.

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Monday directed the ministry to review, regulate and streamline the process of issuing visas to Chinese nationals.

Nisar said that all Pakistani missions are bound to undertake proper scrutiny of visa applications and must get all necessary details before exercising their power to issue visas to foreign nationals.
Refugees from South Sudan rest at a refugee camp in Sudan's White Nile state near the border with South Sudan on May 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Mohamed Babiker)

JUBA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has targeted 900,000 South Sudanese households, or 5.4 million people, with livelihood assistance in a bid to mitigate food crises that hit hard the urban and peri-urban populations.

FAO officer-in-Charge Jacqueline Were said Monday that the partnership with World Vision and ministry of agriculture seeks to fight hunger and strengthen livelihoods through emergency crop, vegetable and fishing kit distribution in the capital Juba.

"FAO in partnership with World Vision and the ministry of agriculture recognize the critical need to tackle food insecurity by providing people with opportunity to produce their own food," she told journalists in Juba.

Were added that these livelihood kits has enabled some 466,666 households to grow vegetables, cow pea and sorghum while taking advantage of the available water sources along the Nile basin to catch fish, providing vital and nutritious food that benefits families and communities.

World Vision director Perry Mansfield said they have provided training to farmers on improved methods of farming including post-harvest handling and value addition.

"Through this partnership with FAO, World Vision is using an integrated approach that builds on other food and livelihood projects for sustainability and improved food security for 21,000 households in Central Equatorial and Warrap states," he said.

Perry added that the project is so far supporting 14,000 households in Juba and peri-urban area which adds up close to 80,000 people.

The UN in February declared famine in the northern Unity state counties of Leer and Mayendit, caused by combination of conflict and drought, leaving some 100,000 people starving and further 1 million on the brink, and warned that famine could spread to other parts of the war-torn country.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to violent conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighbouring countries.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 00:24:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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YEREVAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Armenia and Estonia pledged on Tuesday to upgrade the quality of bilateral relations as there are many "expectations and potential" in this regard, the Armenian presidency said in a statement.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met with visiting Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser and assured Mikser Armenia was ready to further deepen political dialogue in the areas of mutual interests.

At the meeting, Mikser expressed hope that a new agreement would be signed between Armenia and the European Union (EU) in November when Estonia will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, the statement said.

Earlier during the day, Mikser had held a series of meetings with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on further cooperation between the two countries.
A man carries a big fish to the fish market in the Xamar Weyne district of Mogadishu, Somalia, March 23, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

MOGADISHU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Embassy in Somalia on Tuesday promised around 22,000 U.S. dollars to an orphanage school in the capital Mogadishu to buy food and education materials ahead of Eid festival of the holy month of Ramadan.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia, Qin Jian, told Xinhua that the assistance is aimed at helping orphans and children from poor families at Bondhere Orphanage which cares for more than 300 girls.

Nurto Mohamed Addow, the orphanage manager thanked the Chinese embassy for providing the assistance.

The pledged donation comes less than a month after Chinese government provided 10 million dollars to the UN World Food Program to support its humanitarian work in the drought stricken Somalia.
Lebanon's Energy and Water Minister Cesar Abou Khalil speaks during the third Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit in Beirut, Lebanon May 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

BEIRUT, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Cyprus Foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulidis stressed Tuesday his country's support to Lebanon in the face of terrorism and the disputed oil blocks with Israel.

Kasoulidis said in a joint press conference after meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil "we cannot stand and watch Lebanon under [the threat] of terrorism without taking action."

Lebanon's Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf Saturday announced that Lebanon will receive 15M euro (16.79 million U.S. dollars) in military aid from Cyprus.

This is the latest in military aid the Lebanese Army has received in recent months.

The aid to the army and the arms delivery come as the military increased its targeting of militants along the northeastern border.

During the meeting, the counterparts discussed bilateral relations and means of further development, including boosting Lebanese exports to the EU through Cyprus.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 02:25:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARARE, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Buoyed by the success of its command agriculture scheme targeting maize production in the 2016/17 farming season, the Zimbabwe government is expanding the scheme to other crops to boost food production in a country that has faced perennial food shortages in recent years.

The government launched the scheme in August last year with the aim of ensuring food self-sufficiency after the country in 2016 experienced one of its worst drought in recent years.

The devastating drought left a quarter of the rural population in need of food aid while thousands of cattle succumbed to the drought.

The scheme targeted farmers near water bodies who could put a minimum of 200 hectares under maize per individual.

Each participating farmer was required to produce at least 1,000 tonnes of the staple maize, and commit five tonnes per ha towards repayment of advanced loans in the form of irrigation equipment, inputs and chemicals, mechanized equipment, electricity and water charges.

Farmers would retain a surplus produced in excess of the 1,000 tonnes and each farmer was earmarked to receive 250,000 U.S. dollars. The program's cost was put at 500 million dollars, financed by a local fuel company.

The special maize program is the brain child of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who tasked his deputy Vice President Emmerson Mnangangwa to oversee its implementation.

The command agriculture scheme is the second agriculture scheme to be implemented in Zimbabwe after almost 10 years. The first command agriculture scheme was implemented between 2005 and 2006 and it was called Operation Taguta/Sisuthi.

In that program, the army was given the task of tilling large amounts land as it was peace time and their labor was available.

Agriculture minister Joseph Made said in March that 191,124 ha or 77 percent of land was contracted for the special maize production program and out of that, 153,000 or 62 percent had been planted in all the country's 10 provinces by February 9 this year.

While the minister could not reveal the anticipated maize harvest from the scheme, he said the maize output would be enough to meet the 700,000 tonnes requirement for the National Strategic Grain Reserve, currently holding 250,000 tonnes.

The good rains received in the country this year were also a boost to the command scheme, as a significant portion of the tilled land was under dry land farming.

In his first quarter treasury bulletin released June 8, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said indications from the first round crop assessment survey were that Zimbabwe would record a bumper maize harvest of 2.1 million tonnes from 1.7 million ha that was put under the crop.

This is a huge jump from the 511,000 tonnes produced in 2016 from 1.2 million ha.

The 2.1 million tonnes of maize, combined with small grains, were expected to give over 2.7 million tonnes of grain this year, well above Zimbabwe's national requirements of 1.8 million tonnes.

Chinamasa said the significant rise in maize production was due to resource mobilization efforts by government, private players and development partners.

The support targeted farmer programs such as the annual Presidential Input Support Scheme and the Special Maize Program for Import Substitution (Command Agriculture).

"Consequently, increased yields are anticipated under the 2016/17 agricultural season, notwithstanding some flooding and outbreak of armyworm as well as various diseases which affected crops and livestock in some parts of the country," the minister said.

Government had since banned importation of grain, following the bumper maize harvest. It said it expected to save 500 million dollars from the maize import ban.

Following the success of the special maize program, Chinamasa said government had embarked on a special winter wheat production program similar to that of maize in an endeavor to reduce wheat imports.

He said the program is targeting 70,000 hectares at average yields of 5 tonnes per hectare. Already, 881 farmers with hectrage of more than 56, 000 ha had been registered, he said.

In addition, private financiers had contracted over 14,000 ha for this season's winter wheat crop.

"Wheat output is, therefore, set to surpass 280,000 tonnes this season, which will a go a long way in reducing imports, thus saving the country's foreign currency," Chinamasa said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 03:21:13|Editor: huaxia

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JUBA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said Tuesday it has stepped up efforts to increase production of pipe water from the current 6 million liters per day to more than 18 million liters per day in a bid to tackle cholera and other waterborne diseases.

Sophia Pal Gai, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, said the government has embarked on improving pipe water distribution networks in the capital Juba and five other regional towns to increase supply of clean water.

Gai said the government is implementing a Japanese-funded water project worth 50 million U.S. dollars to increase accessibility to clean drinking water in the city.

She added that the East African nation has also secured another 7 million dollars from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to renovate the worn-out water distribution system that was built in 1937.

"We are currently managing dilapidated power generation and mechanical machinery which have outlived their lives. We are going to replace them soon and bring modern system to help stop the constant cholera outbreaks," Gai said.

Lawrence Muludyang, Director General of Planning and Projects for South Sudan Urban Water Corporation said the sate-owned firm currently loses 45 percent of its output to faulty water pipes.

He said once the two projects are completed by next year, they would bring clean water to over 600,000 people in the capital alone.

"We are targeting accumulative total volume of 18 million liters per day and this will guarantee clean water to more than 600,000 people in Juba. By increasing the number of people having access to safe drinking, we will reduce the constant cholera outbreaks during the rainy season and stop supply of dirty river water to the communities," said Muludyang.

According to statistics from the World Bank, war-torn South Sudan has one of the lowest social development indicators in Africa with only 55 percent of the population having access to improved sources of drinking water.

The oil-dependent country is currently battling a civil war, famine, underdevelopment and other disasters that have crippled the institutional, economic and social structures of the world's youngest nation. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 03:36:23|Editor: huaxia

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CHICAGO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed higher on Tuesday with wheat futures jumped more than 2 percent to a two-year high, on growing worries about crop health in the dry U.S. Plains.

The rally stemmed from a U.S. Agriculture Department report released on Monday afternoon that showed crop conditions down from a week ago and well below market expectations.

The most active corn contract for July delivery rose 3.75 cents, or 0.99 percent, to 3.81 dollars per bushel. July wheat delivery rose 11 cents, or 2.53 percent, to 4.45 dollars per bushel. July soybeans added 1.25 cents, or 0.13 percent, to 9.325 dollars per bushel.

Weather concerns also sparked buying in corn and soybean futures, which firmed as forecasts for key Midwest growing areas predicted less rain than earlier outlooks.

Monday's crop condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assessed the spring wheat crop at 45 percent good-to-excellent as of June 4, down 10 percentage points from a week earlier. Analysts had been expecting a good-to-excellent rating of 53 percent.

According to the report, U.S. soybeans were rated by the USDA at 66 percent good-to-excellent, and U.S. corn was rated at 67 percent good-to-excellent, matching analysts' forecasts. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 04:06:37|Editor: xuxin

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in prior to testifying before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 13, 2017. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday strongly denied the accusation that he colluded with Russia during last year's Donald Trump campaign, calling it an "appalling and detestable lie." (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday strongly denied the accusation that he colluded with Russia during last year's Donald Trump campaign, calling it an "appalling and detestable lie."

Testifying publicly before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions also denied he had a third meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 campaign.

"Not one thing happened that was improper" in his two meetings as a senator with the Russian ambassador last year, he told the lawmakers, vowing to defend his "honor against scurrilous and false allegations."

"I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election," the Trump's top lawyer said.

Meanwhile, he said it was not improper for Trump to meet with the then FBI Director James Comey, but it was improper for Comey to disclose the content of his one-to-one talks with Trump.

The attorney general said he couldn't confirm or deny private talks he had with Trump regarding the firing of Comey.

Comey told lawmakers last week that he knew details that made Sessions's involvement in the FBI Russia probe "problematic."

Comey also reportedly told lawmakers behind closed doors that one of those details included another unreported meeting between Sessions and the Russian ambassador.

The attorney general was forced to recuse himself in March from the federal investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election after media reports that he twice met with Kislyak during the 2016 campaign and did not disclose that to the Senate during his confirmation hearing in January.

Sessions is the first U.S. senator to show public support for Trump's campaign. The probe over the possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia is now in the hands of special counsel Bob Mueller following the Comey dismissal.
Michael o'Donnell works at a factory of Fuyao Glass America in Moraine, south of Dayton, Ohio, the United States, Aug. 5, 2015. Fuyao Glass Industry Group, the largest automotive glass supplier in China, invested over 360 million U.S. dollars to build an automobile glass factory in Moraine, Ohio, and will create over 1,500 jobs locally. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- To address the trade imbalances between China and the United States, which have been the focus of the Trump administration's trade policy toward China, both countries should carry out structural reforms rather than just narrow the trade deficit, experts from the two countries said here on Monday.

It's the structural issues that contributed to the trade imbalances between the two countries, Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said at the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium held in Des Moines, Iowa.

China has maintained a high savings rate during its economic expansion, while the United States consumes a large amount of global products and services and has a very low savings rate, he said.

"This kind of structural issue is one of the primary reasons behind the trade imbalance," Zhang added.

In addition, as the global value chain develops, more and more foreign companies are investing in China, making China an important link in the chain, said Zhang.

During the 2010-2015 period, exports from foreign-owned companies in China accounted for about half of China's total exports, according to the expert.

The United States has been concerned about the trade deficit in goods with China, while China runs a deficit in bilateral services trade, which reflects the different trade structures of the two countries, he noted.

Kenneth Quinn, president of World Food Prize Foundation, addresses theU.S.-China Think Tank Symposium in Des Moines, the United States, on June 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed that in 2016, China's deficit in the services trade with the United States was as high as 55.7 billion U.S. dollars, which accounted for 23.1 percent of the year's total, making the United States a top source for China's services trade deficit.

Bi Jiyao, deputy director of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, echoed Zhang's view. China's current account has become more balanced in recent years, compared to a decade ago, said Bi.

The share of China's current account surplus to gross domestic product has dropped to below 2 percent in 2016, compared to about 9.9 percent in 2007, according to Chinese statistics.

Changes in China's exports and imports mainly reflected the changes in external demand as well as China's domestic demand, said Bi, adding that trade imbalances between the two countries are mainly due to fundamental structural issues, not currency issues.

"Tracking trade deficit is misleading. All that (trade deficit) means that we in the United States consume more," said Tori K. Whiting, a research associate at the Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation.

All financial flows in or out of the United States, such as imports, exports and foreign direct investment, are inter-connected, and attempts to influence one part, such as the deficit in goods trade, will have consequences for the others, said Whiting.

She estimated that if the United States seeks to impose punitive tariffs on products, such as steel and aluminum, it's the American businesses and consumers that will get hurt.

It's better for both sides to address economic differences, such as trade imbalances and overcapacity in China's steel industry, through candid dialogue, said Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei.

Further opening up markets, promoting bilateral investment, and strengthening trade ties at the local level could contribute to stronger and closer economic ties between China and the United States, said Hong.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 04:16:45|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Ghana will begin issuing its proposed national identity cards from September 15 this year, the presidency announced here on Tuesday.

Ken Agyeman Attafuah, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), said the NIA was working with key stakeholders such as the National Information Technology Agency and the technical committee for that purpose.

Experts say the national ID scheme will help formalize the economy and rake in revenue for government through the establishment of a national database with the ID system as the primary source.

In addition to the national ID, the government plans to implement a national digital address mapping system by July this year, to harmonize all such systems into a single data resource to aid national planning and economic development. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 04:21:53|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian children on Tuesday called on the government to appropriately implement policies designed to protect children from being forced into acts that deprive them of their livelihoods and interfere with their ability to attend regular school.

As part of events to mark this year's Day of the African Child, the UN Information Center (UNIC), in partnership with Abibiman Foundation, a local non-governmental organization, hosted 20 students aged between 12-16 years at a mini forum.

The children presented to duty bearers what they would want initiated as a plan of action to improve the lives of children in Ghana.

In a resolution to observe the Day, which falls on June 16, the children demanded that the government prosecute perpetrators of child labor to serve as a deterrent to others.

"As children of this country, we must get justice for being exploited for the benefits of others in the fishing, cocoa, mining and other sectors of the country. When laws are enforced to the letter, child labor will be eliminated because it is a crime," said the statement which was read by Sophia Adoba, a junior high school pupil.

The Day of the African Child is celebrated in honor of more than 100 schoolchildren who were murdered by the then apartheid South African regime in Soweto in June 1976 while marching to demand their right to quality education.

The African Union (AU), then Organization of African Unity (OAU), in 1990, therefore, chose the Day for member-states to reflect on the plight of all African children and to improve their lives.

This year's celebration is on the theme of "Agenda 2030: Accelerating Protection, Empowerment and Equal Opportunities for Children in Ghana by 2030".

The national Information Officer of the UNIC, Cynthia Prah, highlighted excerpts of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the schoolchildren.

Leonard Ackom, Community Relations Manager at International Justice Mission office in Ghana, a fast-growing international organization working to protect some of the vulnerable and most oppressed from violent forces, called on stakeholders to support the fight against child labor in the West African country. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 04:37:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. is working to stabilize its relationship with Russia, which is "at an all-time low," U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday.

"Our relationship is at an all-time low, and it's been deteriorating further. Our objective is to stabilize that," Tillerson told lawmakers at a Senate hearing.

The top U.S. diplomat's remark came amid tensions between the U.S. and Russia as the two countries hold differences on a slew of issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Ukrainian crisis and the expansion of NATO.

"We are working in a couple of areas in particular to see if we can establish that there is a basis for reestablishing some type of working relationship with the Russian government that is in our interest," Tillerson said.

Tillerson noted that efforts for Washington and Moscow to cooperate are "underway" in Syria.

"Those are, I would say, progressing in a positive way, but it is far too early in the process to say whether they're going to bear fruit," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in April that the U.S. was "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low."

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington in mid-May, he expressed his desire to build a better relationship between the two countries.
A combination of file photos show Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) at a news conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Feb. 28, 2017 and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 1, 2017. (Xinhua)

MOSCOW, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin once raised the issue of the country's possible accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but Washington was clearly nervous about the idea, according to a Tuesday report by the RIA Novosti news agency.

In a released clip of an interview with American film director Oliver Stone, Putin recalled that he inquired about Russia joining the alliance when then U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Moscow in 2000.

"During the meeting I said: 'Let's consider an option that Russia might join NATO,'" Putin recalled, "Clinton said 'Why not?' But the U.S. delegation got very nervous."

"Why did our partner get nervous? Because if Russia joins NATO, it will always have a voice. We would not allow us to be manipulated. But our U.S. friends do not even allow a thought about this," Putin said in the interview with Stone.

Such disclosures were from a series of interviews with Putin by Stone in 2015-17. The full content is scheduled to be shown in the United States beginning Monday.

Putin also said in the interview that the United States is "using terrorists" to wobble the domestic political situation in Russia, and what happened in Chechnya was an example of U.S. meddling.

"The Cold War is in the past. We have transparent relations with the whole world, and of course we were counting on some support, but instead we saw that the U.S. special services are supporting the terrorists," he said.

Unlike some other countries, Russia has no habit of interfering in the internal political processes of other countries, said Putin.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 05:02:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian government will start work on drafting a new roadmap which will define its duties as regards to the reform process that is essential for the Euro-Atlantic integration path, it said in a release Tuesday.

Newly elected government gathered Tuesday to define the guidelines needed to fulfill the urgent reform priorities, said the release.

Starting from Wednesday, working groups will be set up at various governmental levels to draft a set of measures for a 3-month short-term plan and medium-term plans for 6 and 9 months, to fulfill the country's key reform priorities.

During the meeting, PM Zoran Zaev said the European Union had demonstrated a serious interest into the Euro integration perspectives of Macedonia. Therefore, he demanded serious commitment of all the ministers to the required reform process.

Some of the key measures include the establishment of professional institutions, rule of law, conditions for unbiased functioning of the media, and anti-corruption, said the release.

It was also concluded that defense reforms, laying the foundation for a modernized and professional army, are a necessity, stated the release.

The meeting came a day after Zaev's visit to Brussels where he met EU and NATO's representatives, said local media.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 05:17:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Cross border collaboration is absolutely necessary to promote global transition to renewable energy, said energy experts and entrepreneurs here on Tuesday.

"Climate change is a real issue. We need to address it by working together across the world. Governments, companies, scientists, and NGOs, all have a role to play. No one can do this in isolation," said Rob van Leen, Chief Innovation Officer at DSM, a Dutch company engaged in health, nutrition, and materials businesses worldwide.

"Business can help delivering on the Paris agreement ambitions with innovations that will generate jobs while ensuring low-carbon prosperity and future-proof our economies and companies," Leen told an audience of scientists, entrepreneurs and experts on renewable energy during the "Bright Minds Challenge" final competition.

Spearheaded by DSM and a global coalition of companies and knowledge institutions active in solar energy and renewable energy storage, the competition aimed at helping scientists around the world with innovative solutions to overcome barriers they face in scaling up their ideas.

"Cross border collaboration is hugely important. Climate change is a global problem, which cannot be solved by one country or one company alone. It is pivotal that we all work together," said Jeremy Leggett, a British social entrepreneur and founder of Solarcentury, an international solar solutions company.

A total of 55 researchers from 22 countries submitted their patent-ready solar and energy storage innovative solutions.

Scientist Ernesto Julio Calvo from Argentina, who invented Inquimae, a new way of extracting lithium which is powered by solar energy and is quicker and cleaner than any existing technology, won the first prize in the "Bright Minds Challenge".

He will be awarded with 500 hours expert support to accelerate the scaling-up of his solution from DSM and its partners.

Richard Awuor from Tanzania and innovator of Cellulike's "pay-as-you-go" system for solar light rental that will help off-grid communities gain access to electricity came second, while Howard Weinstein from Brazil innovator of the Solar Ear, which makes hearing aids affordable by providing rechargeable hearing aids using solar-powered batteries won the third prize.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 06:42:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the United States is still "not winning" the longest U.S. war in Afghanistan.

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now," said Mattis here at a congressional hearing. "And we will correct this as soon as possible."

According to Mattis, the Pentagon defines the winning in Afghanistan as a situation where the Afghan government, with international help, will be able to handle the violence and drive it down to a level that local security forces can handle it.

"It would probably require residual force doing training and maintaining the high-end capability," said Mattis. "It's going to be an era of frequent skirmishing and it's going to require a change in our approach from the last several years if we're to get it to that position."

Mattis was not the first senior official of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to publicly warn of a dire prospect for the security situation in Afghanistan.

U.S. National Intelligence Director Dan Coats also warned last month that the security situation in Afghanistan would most likely deteriorate in the future even if the United States and its allies offer more military aid.

The warnings came as Trump was reportedly considering whether or not to send additional hundreds of U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama had planned to reduce the current number of 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to some 5,500 by the end of 2015 and withdraw all troops by the end of 2016 when his presidency came to an end.

However, given the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Obama administration repeatedly postponed the withdrawal.

Currently, there are about 8,400 U.S. troops and another 5,000 forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the ground in Afghanistan to train and assist the Afghan forces against the Taliban, and conduct counter-terrorism missions.
Family blames police for mans death

Harrys relatives were among several families gathered at the Forensic Science Centre in St James awaiting autopsy results on loved ones murdered on the weekend.

Why take him to Port of Spain and not Mt Hope, a relative asked.

We believe had he been treated earlier, he could have survived. Mt Hope is a shorter trip from where he was shot, instead of Port of Spain. Harry, 21, was at Maraj Street in El Socorro liming with family and was about to go home when at 12.30 am, he was caught in a drive-by shooting.

Relatives said when they arrived he was still alive. Police told them they would take him to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope. But when they arrived at that hospital, relatives were told Harry never arrived.

They later found out he died while be taken to Port of Spain General Hospital. An autopsy confirmed Harry died from gunshot wounds.

Police are also investigating the murder of 22-year-old Kareem Joseph of Quevado Circular, East Dry River. His relatives were reluctant to speak with reporters yesterday at the Centre. Police said Joseph, who was shot, was found on Duncan Street near Freelancers Steel Pan Orchestra. He died later at the city hospital.

Also at the Centre yesterday, relatives of Christopher Walker who was shot dead on Saturday by a masked man, described him as a pillar of their family.

They said Walker also known as Moman, was a jack of all trades who last worked in construction.

He was always ready to provide for us and anything he could help us with, he wouldnt hesitate, a relative said.
Six in court for robbery

The 16-year-old, a 17-year-old, Maximus Edwards, 18, Da-nel Gomez, 18, Jeremiah Howard, 24, and Anton Callender, 24, were taken before Senior Magistrate Joanne Connor to answer the charges. The matter was heard in the Chaguanas First Court.

The charges against the six were laid indictably and they were not called upon to enter pleas.

The charges read to alleged that on June 8, the six had in their possession a pistol and ammunition, not being holders of any Firearm Users Licences. The six were also charged with possession of two imitation guns and two cutlasses. Other charges read were that they attempted to resist or prevent their lawful apprehension.

The magistrate also read that the six accused also committed the act of common assault against police officers Carl Huggins and Dillon Jaggessar.

The alleged incident occurred at Bahadoorsingh Street in Endeavour, Chaguanas.

The incident stemmed from an alleged exchange of gunfire between several men and police officers.

The exhibits were also produced before the court where prosecutor Sgt Wayne Waithe gave a description of each item.

Waithe did not object to bail. Attorney Cedric Neptune represented the 17-year-old and said his client has no previous conviction or pending matters.

Attorney Joseph Honore represented the 16-year-old , Howard and Edwards.

He indicated to the court that Howard and the 16-year-old were beaten by police upon their arrest. Howard, Honore said, sustained injuries to his right eye while the teenager sustained injuries to his left cheek during the beating. Howard, he said is currently pursuing courses in air conditioning and auto mechanics.

He said the 16-yearold wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSE C) examinations and is awaiting results. Attorney Taradath Singh represented Gomez.

In his bail application, Singh said his client is 18 and works as an assistant straightner.

Singh said his client was also beaten by police.

The magistrate ordered that the three accused who were allegedly beaten, be taken to seek medical attention and medical reports on the extent of their injuries be produced at the next hearing. The magistrate granted bail with a surety in the sum of $75,000 to the 16-yearold and 17-year-old.

Bail in the sum of $85,000 was granted to Callender, Gomez, Edwards and Howard
TIED UP LIKE A PIG

The incident took place shortly after 5 am at the St Martin de Porres RC Church compound in Gonzales, near a dormitory where Fr Harvey  who is on sabbatical  had over-nighted to prepare for a seminary at Mt St Benedict. After being robbed, the priest was hottied and gagged.

For close to half an hour, the outspoken priest who is known for his decades of working with at-risk youths struggled to free himself while silently praying to the Almighty to get through the ordeal.

The drama unfolded when Fr Harvey was leaving the quarters when he was accosted by a gunman.

A stunned Fr Harvey was escorted back into the living quarters of the church by the gunman who was joined by two accomplices, all armed. The bandits ransacked the presbytery.

At one point, Fr Harvey later told police, one of the gunmen became agitated and said to him, You is a priest, you must have money. The gunmen threatened to kill Fr Harvey. It was reported that when one of the bandits asked Fr Harvey if he was kidnapped, would Archbishop Joseph Harris pay a $50,000 ransom? The distressed priest answered, no. The priest was robbed of $1,000, a watch given to him as a gift and a cell phone. The bandits then used tie-straps to hog-tie Fr Harvey while they covered his mouth with duct tape. The bandits moved to the church where they forced open a door. The House of God was also ransacked but when nothing of value was found, the three ran out of the church and escaped.

Fr Harvey later told police he began to flex his bound hands in such a way that he was eventually able to free them from the straps.

He then alerted nearby residents who alerted the police. The shaken priest would later tell shocked parishioners, I now know how a pig feels when it is tied up. Fr Harvey said nowhere is safe in this country and not even a man of the cloth is safe. He feels the bandits knew who he was when they carried out the robbery. Fr Harvey refused to be taken for medical treatment telling police he was alright although a bit shaken up. He later went to TSTT to deactivate the sim card in his stolen cellphone.

Yesterday, the Catholic Media Services Limited (Camsel) issued a press release on the robbery.

Police are currently investigating a report in which Roman Catholic priest Fr Harvey was robbed at gunpoint by three men. The incident took place outside the St Martins RC Church, Gonzales early Monday morning.

Fr Harvey was reported to have spent the night at the church to prepare for a seminar at the Seminary of St John Vianney on the Uganda Matters at Mt St Benedict.

The bandits tied up Fr Harvey, ransacked the presbytery and took a $1,000, a mobile phone and other items from the church before making their escape. The assailants also threatened to kill the priest, the release stated. Yesterday, Monsignor Christian Pereira said he was deeply saddened over the incident and said thanked God that Fr Harvey was unharmed. The reality of crime is coming home to all of us and we are all saddened to see how far it has gone where criminals have no regard for a man of God. We trust and pray that these persons will find some mercy from God, Msgr Pereira said.
PM: Hang your heads in shame

The Prime Minister issued a press release in which he stated that the attack on Fr Harvey by, Able-bodied, gun-toting men sadly represents the worst that exists within our communities. The prime minister also noted that, notwithstanding what difficulties one may be facing in life, there are limits beneath which the human form should not sink.

Unfortunately, there are people who have chosen criminal conduct as a way of life and such persons, regardless of their circumstances, should be condemned in the strongest terms, as I so do now.

These miscreants have parents and I hope that somewhere in this country today there are a few parents who are hanging their heads in shame as they reflect in private as to what more they might have done to prevent any of our citizens from behaving in this despicable way, Rowley said in the release.

Sources said that Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has been asked to use all resources to bring the bandits who robbed Fr Harvey to justice, in quick time.

Sources at the Office of the Prime Minister said that Rowley was extremely upset on learning that Fr Harvey was attacked, robbed, hog-tied and gagged.

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, speaking yesterday during a news conference at the Ministrys Port of Spain head office, said it was sad to see someone like Fr Harvey becoming victim to such a traumatic crime.

I got an update from the Commissioner of Police. Its sad to see that someone like Fr Harvey is subjected to...was a victim, someone who has been working tremendously with young people in the Laventille area.

I know it is under police investigation right now, but it is sad when you see someone who has been working tremendously over the years, especially in the social sector in the Laventille area and he worked for quite some time with the Defence Force, be subjected to this. But, the police are investigating and Im sure they will apprehend people as soon as possible, Dillon said.
Health Ministry probes Conrad Murray

Sunday Newsday exclusively reported on June 11, that Murray has been attending to patients at a private medical facility in central Trinidad. In a release, the ministry said that according to the Medical Board Act, Chapter 29:50, the Council of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago is responsible for the registration/licensure of medical practitioners and the enforcement against persons who are who are not duly registered/ licensed but purport to practise medicine.

Notwithstanding, in order to ensure the safety of the public, the Ministry of Health is investigating the matter and is liaising with the Council in this respect. The release said further enquiries into this matter should be directed to the Council of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago.

Grenada-born Murray, the cardiologist who in 2011 was convicted and jailed for the involuntary manslaughter death of pop legend Michael Jackson, was raised in Trinidad since the age of seven by his mother and stepfather.

Jackson was found dead in 2009 and an autopsy later revealed deadly amounts of the drug propofol which is a short acting intravenous anaesthetic used to put patients to sleep during hospital procedures. It is not intended for home use, because of the usual lack of equipment required for emergency resuscitation
Former cop found guilty of rape at police station

The verdict against Harry Ramlochan, 65, of St Charles Village, Princes Town, was delivered by a nine-member jury, comprised of five men and four women, in the San Fernando High Court. The jury deliberated for almost three hours. The trial began on May 15 before Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor.

The court heard that on May 5, 2011, the girls mother was taken inside the station by Ramlochan, who was then a 49-year-old acting sergeant.

Another police officer was assigned to take the mothers report while the daughter remained in the veranda.

Ramlochan returned to where the girl was and started asking sex-related questions. He then went and asked her mother for permission to further question the daughter and she agreed.

The victim testified that Ramlochan led her to a dorm where he began making sexual advances towards her. After a colleague walked in and then out of the dorm, he took her to the court prosecutors office, then to a store to change a $100 bill, to the police canteen and back to the office. There he committed the act on a piece of sponge during which he pushed the girl against a cabinet and a wall causing injuries to her mouth. He then told her not to tell anyone about it. Ramlochan, the jurors were told, returned the victim to where her mother was and then transported them to their home. He took the girls father to a bar and warned him in relation to the report made against him. The rape was reported to police and Insp Christine Mc- Millan charged Ramlochan.

Defence attorneys Kevin Ratiram and Chris Ramlal represented him while attorney Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal and Sarah De Silva prosecuted on behalf of the State.

In his defence, Ramlochan testified that the girl had injuries to her mouth when she arrived at the station. He denied raping her. Yesterday, Ratiram told the court that his client joined the Police Service on June 1, 1972. He is a father of four, two of whom died, and grandfather of five.

The judge adjourned the matter to June 28 when she is expected to pass sentence.
Mendes mum on CJ, Ayers-Caesar issue

At the start of the news conference at the associations Frederick Street, Port of Spain office, Mendes said neither he nor any committee member would be commenting on the, Events of the past six weeks. CJ Archie and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) which he chairs have been roundly condemned for overseeing the elevation of Ayers-Caesar from chief magistrate to High Court judge although she left behind dozens of cases which are still pending on her magistrates court docket. Ayers-Caesar has since resigned as a judge.

This led to calls from attorneys, politicians and others in society calling for both CJ Archie and the JLSC members to resign. The Association in an unprecedented move, held a meeting and voted to move a motion of no confidence in both the CJ and the JLSC and to call on both to resign.

Mendes yesterday said the newly formed Committee on Judicial Appointments will accept written submissions and hold public consultations, with a review to reporting back to the Association within three months. The committee is chaired by Justice Desiree Bernard, former judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and chancellor of Guyana Court of Appeal.

Other committee members are Law Association vice president Rajiv Persad, trade unionist David Abdulah, attorney Rishi Dass, economist Dr Terrence Farrell, attorney Vanessa Gopaul and university law lecturer Tracy Robinson. Given Abdulahs recent criticisms of CJ Archie, reporters asked if as a committee member he would be under a gag-order. Mendes replied, No. Pressed if Abdulahs presence might prejudice the committee, Mendes said their remit does not include, Recent events. He said, Nothing he (Abdulah) said about recent events will be relevant to the work of the committee. Abdulah who was present at the press conference yesterday did not answer questions from reporters.

Asked by Newsday if the committee was a red herring to distract attention from the Archie/ Ayers-Caesar matter, Mendes said the Council of the Law Association had in fact raised the matter of judicial appointments in April, long before the no-confidence vote against Archie.

Mendes said TTs current system of appointments has existed since Independence, but other systems can give new perceptions of transparency and accountability.

The idea is to fashion a system suited to our circumstances and to our culture. He said the LATT Council had unanimously agreed on the setting upon the committee.

Justice Bernard said the average person is unaware of how judges work and how much work goes into producing a judgment. We want to make the public more aware of the work of judges and the work in appointing judges, she said.
Not enough buses for TT

He said the PTSC has just over 340 buses and operates more than 200 of them on a daily basis in providing service on 160 routes including 100 rural routes. He said this arrangement affects the quality of the service the bus company can provide and its ability to maintain its fleet. He said the PTSC does not even have enough buses to have a proper maintenance system.

PTSC General Manager Ronald Forde highlighted an added problem in that the buses are old, an average of twelve years compared to an international benchmark of eight years and the company has about 26 different types of buses in its service, which creates nightmares for the stocking of parts and maintenance generally.

Committee member MP Rushton Paray, asked about the PTSCs policy in dealing with the physically challenged and Deputy General Manager, Operations, Brian Juanette responded that since 2012, the PTSC had created the Eldamo service to provide transportation for its physically challenged passengers.

He said that service was established with 24 buses at various depots but even that was hard pressed to keep up with the demand. He said users are expected to call in and request to be picked up some 24 hours before they need to use the service, but the company has a number of requests and a database which it is unable to satisfy with its existing fleet.

He said that at board and management level the PTSC is looking to expand its fleet to be able to meet the needs of the physically challenged.

Gooding said all the new buses to be acquired by the PTSC will be universal buses, meaning that they will be fitted with the necessary equipment to transport the physically challenged.

In response to another question from Paray, Gooding admitted that the PTSC has been receiving complaints that the Eldamo buses are uncomfortable for the persons who use them and Paray said there was also the issue of security on some of these buses.

Juanette explained that when the service was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services it was the understanding that the ministry would have provided caregivers to be on the buses, but that never happened so the PTSC was using some of its own personnel, former property protection officers, to man the buses.

However, he said there were not enough of them to service all the buses. Forde added that the service is oversubscribed with a lot of people demanding service from the fleet so there is a definite need to expand it so that the differently abled could be accommodated on the normal buses which operate on the bus route.
Miss World T&T delegates visit San Fernando Mayor

Regrello welcomed the delegates and fielded questions from them. So impressed was he, the mayor offered to assist by making the city halls auditorium available as one of the venues for the upcoming shows .

Based on the fact that there is little sponsorship for this national beauty pageant, the San Fernando City Corporation would be willing to help by offering the auditorium for any part of the overall competition, Regrello said .

Pageant director Vanessa Sahatoo- Manoo told the mayor the finalists have committed themselves and are working very hard to capture the title of Miss World T&T and then to advance to the international competition. Regrello reminded them that in the end there will be winners and losers and urged them to do their best. Based on the theme Beauty with Purpose, each delegate will be involved in a charitable cause in the lead-up to the final show .

They are Jade Mascall, Sherisse Bideshi, Melissa Aguilliera, Tanisha Lalla, Djennicia Francis, Anastasia Mootoo, Chandini Chanka, and Zayna Mc Donald .

Sahatoo-Manoo announced the talent category of the competition will take place at the San Fernando City Corporation auditorium on June 23, while the finals will take place at Central Bank Auditorium later on this year .
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Educational institutions around the world have to deploy enterprise grade network solutions in order to address a highly connected user base made up of students, faculty and departments that can number in the tens of thousands. As more devices become part of this ecosystem, universities, high schools and even elementary schools now demand and expect reliable services with high-levels of availability. For a major school campus in Cambridge, the organization has selected Nokia (News - Alert)'s Passive Optical LAN (POL) solution to deliver educational services via high-speed broadband connections, which will be deployed by technology integrator FWD-IP.





Nokia provides its POL technology for different verticals, including enterprises, educational institutions, the hospitality sector, healthcare and other segments. The POL for universities is designed to support the functions of multiple systems for dormitories, libraries, faculty offices, recreation areas, F&B outlets, healthcare, security, management facilities and more on a single network.

Instead of using copper cable, Nokia uses fiber-optic along with the Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) transmission protocol to deliver commercial and mission critical broadband services to users globally. This same technology is applied to universities to support multiple systems by bringing LAN to light speed, and according to Nokia outperforming Ethernet LAN.

The POL is better in terms of capacity by delivering 2.5 Gbps downstream with GPON and 1.2 Gbps upstream on each fiber. This will allow the campus in Cambridge to bring together separate networks and get rid of bottlenecks while delivering gigabit speeds to all users. Additional benefits include lower costs, military-grade security, carrier-grade reliability, flexibility to deploy anywhere, simplicity and longevity.

Federico Guillen, Head of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said, Nokia's Passive Optical LAN solution is ideal for school campuses that are often seeking a viable, simple and cost effective networking solution that can effectively accommodate the evolving connectivity needs of their students today and in the future.

The technology integrator, FWD-IP, says this will allow the campus to manage and adapt to evolving communication demands. With gigabit services becoming standard in large organizations, the selection of the Nokia POL is going to future-proof the schools network infrastructure with capabilities for outperforming traditional solutions such as copper.

Optical fiber has almost unlimited capacity with easy upgrades to 10G or 40G speeds, using the same infrastructure, this according to Nokia. This means the school will now be able to deliver unlimited data capacity and support all video, voice and data requirements over a single fiber optic cable for next generation communications.

Edited by Alicia Young
Islamic banking products in Morocco could expand their deposit bases by 5 to 10 pc, says Fitch Ratings, noting that the ability to grow the deposit base is positive for Moroccos economic development because deposits represent about 70% of banking sector funding.

We expect growth of participation banks in Morocco will be high initially, as was the case following the introduction of Islamic banking in Turkey and Indonesia, adds the global rating agency.

The ability to access Islamic products will ensure that customers have access to a more comprehensive range of services. Customers who have avoided transacting with conventional banks for sharia-related reasons can now move into the formal banking sector, stresses Fitch.

However, banking penetration is already high in Morocco, with 70 pc of adults holding a bank account. Therefore, participation banking is unlikely to take a significant market share from the well-established conventional banks, underline Fitch experts.

According to the rating agency, the growth of participation banks will be affected by several factors, including the spread of awareness of Islamic finance, the extent to which the government stimulates expansion, population growth rates and regulatory developments.

It hails Moroccos central bank move of setting up a central sharia board of Islamic scholars to oversee the sector and help provide a cohesive framework under which the banks can operate.

According to Fitch Rating, greater clarity on essential aspects, such as how participation banks will manage their liquidity in a sharia-compliant manner and how financing contracts will be drawn up, would help to stimulate the sector.

Growth rates in the Moroccan banking sector have been volatile in recent years, reflecting unsteady economic trends. Deposit growth (nearly 7 pc in 2016) has outstripped loan growth (3.9 pc) in recent years, but credit demand is set to accelerate in line with an improved economic outlook in 2017.

This could force banks, says Fitch, to compete more aggressively for deposits, putting pressure on margins at the conventional banks. The ability to offer participation banking services could broaden the pool of potential depositors in the country, mitigating the competitive pressure.

Only existing conventional banks have applied for participation banking licences and we are not aware of any independent Islamic banks making requests to operate in Morocco, the agency says.

Banks owned by domestic shareholders, such as Attijariwafa Bank, BMCE Bank, Groupe Banque Centrale Populaire and Credit Immobilier et Hotelier, have opted to establish separate participation banking subsidiaries. Subsidiaries controlled by French parents, such as Societe Generale Marocaine de Banques (controlled by Societe Generale), Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et lIndustrie (BNP Paribas) and Credit du Maroc (Credit Agricole), have chosen to provide services through special Islamic banking windows.
Jennifer and Christopher Weir (FORT WORTH, Texas) -- Police and strangers came to an elderly man's rescue last week after he dialed 911 to report his broken air conditioning unit.



On June 8, the Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department answered a call from 95-year-old Julius Hatley, who said his central air had stopped working in the 90-degree heat.



"I know we're not A/C repair people, but we got done with one call and went straight there," Officer Christopher Weir told ABC News Tuesday. "I started sweating immediately, as soon as I got there. [Hatley] said he woke up in sweat and didn't know what to do, so he called us."



Weir, 31, and his partner, Officer William Margolis, drove to a local Home Depot to purchase a window A/C for Hatley out of their own pockets. When they arrived, the store's managers insisted on contributing $150 toward the unit.



Weir and his colleagues then installed the unit in Hatley's house until they could figure out how to pay someone to repair his central air.



"He was grateful," Weir said. "His smile is infectious and he's a World War II vet and he shouldn't have to be with no A/C. Once in a while, we see people where we can do something that makes them feel better and it makes us feel better too."



Hatley's story aired on the local news in Fort Worth. Watching was Matt Ketchum, owner of the Lone Star Refrigeration company based in Red Oak, Texas.



"In the story, they were trying to figure out how to get the [central] air fixed," Ketchum told ABC News. "I called the Fort Worth Police Department that night telling them we'll donate our time and materials."



"My brother is law enforcement as well," he added. "My employees are veterans. Something clicked to have me help."



Ketchum repaired Hatley's central air system free of charge.



Hatley was appreciative of the kindness shown toward him over the two days, Ketchum said.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Morocco will send planes loaded with food stuff to Qatar in a sign of solidarity that has no political dimension, in the wake of the crisis that unfolded after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt as well as other Arab and African countries broke off diplomatic ties with Doha and closed their air, land and sea routes to all kinds of commercial traffic with Qatar.

Sending foodstuff to Qatar was a decision taken upon directives from King Mohammed VI in line with the teachings of our religion especially during the month of Ramadan which requires solidarity between Muslim people, Moroccos foreign ministry said in a statement.

Morocco is thus the second country after Iran to send planes loaded with foodstuff to the Qatari people after supermarkets were swamped following the decision to ban all kinds of commercial traffic with Qatar.

The Ministry made it clear that extending a helping hand to Doha has nothing to do with the political aspects of the current crisis between Qatar and other brotherly countries.

In the face of the unfolding GCC-Qatar rift, Morocco opted for neutrality offering mediation in the crisis that has shaken the Gulf after Saudi Arabia and the UAE and their allies in the Arab World and beyond severed ties with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and side-lining with Iran.

If the parties wish so, Morocco is ready to offer its good offices conducive to a calm, franc and comprehensive dialog on the basis of non-interference in domestic affairs, the fight against religious extremism, clarity in positions and loyalty in commitments, Moroccos foreign ministry said in a previous statement.

Given the close personal ties of sincere brotherliness and mutual esteem between HM King Mohammed VI and his brothers Kings and Emirs of the Gulf, Morocco made sure not to indulge in public statements or hasty stands that would only widen the divide and deepen grievances, the statement added.
The previously announced official visit to Morocco by newly elected French President, Emmanuel Macron, is rather a private visit aiming at strengthening the bonds of friendship with King Mohammed VI.

A statement of the French presidency has confirmed that the visit, due on June 14-15, has a private and family character.

In a briefing at the Elysee, a diplomat told reporters that it was the wish of King Mohammed VI that the first visit by Emmanuel Macron to Morocco to be within a personal and family framework.

This is an opportunity for the two heads of state to forge a personal relation of trust, the diplomat said.

Moroccan-French relations will be boosted at all levels during the upcoming visit by Macron to Morocco, the diplomat said, stressing the strong willingness of the new French president to maintain the exceptional partnership with Morocco.

During his visit to Morocco, the first in the Maghreb and the second to an African country after his trip to Mali, Macron will be accompanied by his spouse Brigitte. On this occasion, King Mohammed VI will host a family dinner in honour of his guests.

The private character of the visit is also meant to bring closer the two leaders point of views concerning a range of issues of common concern notably all aspects of bilateral ties as well as the joint development projects launched by Morocco and France in Africa.

The GCC rift and Moroccos mediation offer in the crisis involving Qatar will also feature at the heart of their talks.

The situation in Libya and counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel are equally expected to be examined by the two leaders along with Moroccos experience in countering extremism, in addition to the Sahara issue and relations with Algeria.

In this respect, the diplomat told journalist at the Elysee press briefing that Frances stand on the Sahara issue remains unchanged.
King Mohammed VI has dispatched Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita as his special envoy to several Gulf countries, part of the sovereigns efforts to help ease the current tension poisoning relations between Qatar and its neighbors.

In the context of this Gulf tour, Nasser Bourita delivered this Tuesday a verbal message from King Mohammed VI to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Following the audience, the Moroccan top diplomat said King Mohammed VI voiced full support to Sheikh Sabahs efforts to heal the Gulf rift and to contain the inter-Gulf crisis through dialogue among the GCC countries, reported the Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA).

On Sunday, Kuwaits Foreign Minister announced that the Emir spoke with officials in Qatar who indicated that Doha is ready to both talk and listen in an effort to find a speedy resolution to the Gulf rift.

The diplomatic crisis erupted on June 4, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates announced cutting ties with Qatar for its alleged support of terrorist groups and for undermining the security of Gulf states. Qatar rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded.

The three Gulf countries, besides Egypt and Yemen, banned all air, land and sea transport with Doha, leaving the tiny Gulf emirate physically and politically isolated from the rest of the region.

Other of their allies followed suit and broke off diplomatic ties with Qatar including Mauritania, Maldives, and Niger, while Jordan downgraded its diplomatic representation in the tiny Gulf emirate.

Before coming to Kuwait, Nasser Bourita visited the United Arab Emirates where he conveyed on Monday a verbal message from the Monarch to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The contents of the message were not disclosed, but in all likelihood, they were related to the ongoing crisis in the Gulf, as Morocco has officially offered its mediation in the rift that has shaken the Gulf.

If the parties wish so, Morocco is ready to offer its good offices conducive to a calm, franc and comprehensive dialog on the basis of non-interference in domestic affairs, the fight against religious extremism, clarity in positions and loyalty in commitments, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The North African Kingdom has adopted a constructive neutrality, but this does not confine it to a passive observation of a disturbing escalation between brotherly countries.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, King Mohammed VI maintained close and continuous contact with different parties, and called on all parties to show restraint and wisdom in order to defuse tension and overcome the crisis with a view to finding a lasting settlement to the causes that have led to the current situation in line with the spirit that has always characterized the GCC.

On Monday, Morocco announced it will send planes loaded with foodstuff to Qatar in a sign of solidarity and mutual aid that has no political dimension.

This decision comes in accordance with the precepts of the Islamic religion, which encourages solidarity and mutual assistance among Islamic people, in particular during this blessed month of Ramadan, said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Moroccos commitment to end the Gulf crisis highlights the strong ties binding the Kingdom and Gulf countries.
Bob Mueller. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Donald Trump did not like the idea of James Comey investigating his associates. So he fired the FBI director.

But then Comey turned out to be a leaker  and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein turned out to have some shred of personal integrity. Soon, a special prosecutor was investigating Trumps aides  and, quite likely, the president himself.

And Trump really doesnt like the idea of that. Last week, we learned that Jeff Sessions had offered his resignation after the president berated him for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian hacking  and thereby enabling Rosenstein to appoint the special prosecutor who is now sifting through the skeletons in Trumps capacious closets.

So, the president would clearly love to fire Robert Mueller. And as anyone whos familiar with the history of the Nixon presidency knows, Trump has the right to do so. Special prosecutors serve at the presidents pleasure (for some stupid reason). In fact, the only genuine constraints on the presidents capacity to suspend the rule of law are political. Many legal analysts believe that the president cannot be indicted while in office. And even if he could, Trump retains the power of the pardon.

Congress is the one entity that can hold the president accountable. But its controlled by conservative Republicans who have, historically, shown more deference to right-wing media than the norms undergirding our republic.

And some in the right-wing media are already telling Trump what he wants to hear.

Shortly after Muellers appointment was announced, Newt Gingrich called the Republican former FBI director a superb choice. His reputation is impeccable for honesty and integrity, the former House Speaker and leading Trump sycophant tweeted.

Alas, Newts reputation on those fronts is extremely peccable.

Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring.check fec reports. Time to rethink.  Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) June 12, 2017

Meanwhile, Ann Coulter argues that Mueller no longer has anything to investigate.

Now that we FINALLY got Comey to admit Trump not under investigation, Sessions should fire Mueller. Why do we need a special counsel now?  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) June 11, 2017

As Voxs Matt Yglesias notes, there are a few problems with this theory:

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn appears to be in hot water regarding his secret sources of foreign income, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made false statements under oath regarding his meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, senior adviser Jared Kushner seems to have made false sworn statements on his security clearance paperwork regarding meeting an executive at a Russian bank thats widely seen as a front for Russian intelligence, and Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort is facing questions about possible money laundering. Thats all the kind of thing you might want investigated by someone outside the normal Department of Justice chain of command.

Additionally, in last weeks testimony, Comey strongly suggested that Mueller is now investigating the possibility that Trump obstructed justice when he asked his FBI director to lay off Michael Flynn.

Over at the Washington Examiner, Byron York pursues a line closer to Gingrichs: Mueller is biased because of his long working relationship with James Comey.

Comey is a good friend of special counsel Robert Mueller, York writes. Such a good friend, for about 15 years now, that the two men have been described as brothers in arms.

Yorks piece does not directly argue that Muellers relationship with Comey renders him unfit to serve in his current capacity. And the reporter couldnt find any legal expert willing to make that argument on the record. But he did find four lawyers who were happy to make the case, under the cover of anonymity.

None of these arguments are good. If Trump fired Mueller, the mainstream media and general public would not find such defenses compelling.

But then one could say the same thing about the defenses Republicans deployed at Comeys hearing last week.

A day ago, actual adult senators argued that when the president tells his FBI director I hope you will drop this investigation into my friend  after asking everyone else to leave the room so he and the head of federal law enforcement could talk in private  thats merely an innocent expression of the commander-in-chiefs fondest wishes (and this remains true even if the president later fires that FBI director for pursuing an investigation he didnt approve of).

Congressional Republicans have already concluded that demanding the head of federal law enforcement pledge personal fealty to you  and then firing him for failing to demonstrate that fealty  is concerning, but not disqualifying behavior for a president to engage in. Put more precisely: Theyve decided that such conduct does not constitute an abuse of power worthy of impeachment.

And if the GOP believes that (or has decided that its politically expedient to pretend to), its far from clear that theyd see the firing of a special prosecutor much differently.
Karma and Greg? Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Body-slamming a reporter has worked out pretty well for Greg Gianforte. On Monday, a Montana judge sentenced the congressman-elect to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger-management classes, and a $385 fine for assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

The day before last months special election in Big Sky Country, the Congressional Budget Office announced that Trumpcare would throw 23 million people off of health insurance. This was a problem for the GOPs House candidate.

Gianforte had made it through the entire campaign without taking a position on his partys (deeply unpopular) health-care bill. Hed achieved this feat by insisting that he couldnt judge the legislations merits until the CBO released its findings. But now the pointy-headed bureaucrats had spoken. And a reporter from the Guardian was standing in his office, imploring him to tell the public whether or not he supported Paul Ryans plan to finance a large tax cut for the rich by condemning thousands of nonaffluent sick people to preventable deaths.

Gianforte considered his options. He could buck his party, disappoint his base, and distance himself from a bill that was certain to hurt working-class Montanans. He could defend Trumpcares good name against the CBOs defamation. Or, he could body-slam the reporter while yelling in rage, in front of several horrified witnesses.

The would-be congressman chose door number three  and this has proved to be a sound decision.

By letting his fists do the talking, Gianforte succeeded in winning election to Congress without ever taking a public stance on the most contentious issue facing that body. Not only did voters forgive his assault  they may have even rewarded him for it. Since his victory, GOP strategists have suggested that the best way for Republican candidates to mobilize conservatives in 2018 will be to attack the media (figuratively speaking).

And now, it appears that the legal costs of Gianfortes gambit are only marginally higher than the political ones. Community service and anger-management classes may even provide the congressman some political and personal benefit. And Greg Gianforte can find $385 in his couch cushions  the multimillionaire has already pledged to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

In other news, Santa Fe Reporter staff writer Aaron Cantu was indicted on felony riot charges last week. Cantu was arrested on Inauguration Day, when he and six other journalists covering the demonstrations were mistaken for violent protestors.

He now faces 75 years in prison.
Sessions testifies to the Senate. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Less than a week removed from James Comeys open Senate testimony, billed as Washingtons Super Bowl, Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be grilled today by the Senate Intelligence Committee about his contacts with Russians, among other things. Think of this as Washingtons World Series.

At the top of the agenda for Senators on the panel will be the former Alabama Senators meetings with Russias ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak. At his confirmation hearing in January, Sessions said he had no contacts with Russians during the 2016 campaign for the presidency. He later corrected the record and admitted to meeting with Kislyak twice. But last week, Comey reportedly told lawmakers in a closed hearing that Sessions had a third meeting with the ambassador that he hadnt copped to.

Sessions will reportedly deny this third meeting, according to Axios, and describe the source material for this charge, gathered from intercepted communications between Russians, as of a dubious veracity. He will also push back against accusations of perjury.

Sessions is expected to tell his version of a story Comey relayed last week. As the former FBI director told Senators, after President Trump asked for the investigation into Mike Flynn to be dropped, Comey told Sessions he did not want to be alone with Trump. While Comey remembered Sessions saying nothing back to him, the Attorney General will say he remembers responding.

Sessions should also expect to be asked about his recusal from the FBIs Russia investigation and his subsequent involvement in the firing of James Comey. Recommending Director Comeys firing would seem to be a violation of his recusal, and Attorney General Sessions needs to answer for that, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday.

One lingering question about Sessions testimony is whether and to what extent he will invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about his conversations with Trump.

5:30 p.m.

And thats it. Sessions testimony provided some fireworks, mostly while Democrats pressed him on his unwillingness to answer their questions, while also allowing the Attorney General an opportunity to mount a vigorous defense against claims that he was involved with Russias attempt to hack the U.S. election.

The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government, or hurt this country which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie, Sessions said early in the hearing.

While that was the point he made most forcefully Tuesday, it was not the one he made most often. I do not recall was the phrase of the day. On the issue of a third, undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador, he said he did not recall. On the issue of meeting with people who seemed suspicious in hindsight, he said he did not recall. Asked for a yes or no answer about other Trump campaign officials potentially having meetings with Russian officials, he instead said he did not recall.

On the issue of James Comeys firing, Sessions was less on message. He repeatedly cited the issue of Comeys handling of Hillary Clintons emails as the reason for his firing, but did not acknowledge that Trump himself said Comey was fired over the Russia investigation. He was also evasive on the issue of executive privilege, declaring at one point that he was protecting Trumps ability to invoke it later by acting as if it was already invoked.

In a statement with newfound relevance after yesterdays report that Trump may fire special counsel Robert Mueller, Sessions said that he has confidence in the former FBI director to lead the Russia investigation. Thats a good thing for him, because his refusal to answer questions about his conversations with Trump may ensure that he gets to spend a lot more time with Mueller sometime in the near future.

Takeaway: if Mueller is investigating obstruction, Sessions just earned himself a trip to the grand jury to discuss those convos w/ Trump.  Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) June 13, 2017

5:03 p.m.

After appearing confused and incoherent at Comeys Senate hearing, Sen. John McCain comes across more as rambling and incoherent in his questioning of Sessions. He does, however, appear to criticize Sessions for meeting with the Russian ambassador after showing little interest in Russia while in the Senate.

McCain skeptical of Sessions for meeting w/Russia's Kislyak while on Armed Services, where Sessions displayed little interest in Russia 1/2  Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 13, 2017

McCain to Sessions: " I don't recall you as being particularly vocal on such issues" about Russian meddling in 2016 on Armed Services  Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 13, 2017

Sen. McCain got at exactly what we were getting at: Sessions didn't show interest in Russia/Ukraine issues pre-2016. https://t.co/hI3ZRvRp3H  Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 13, 2017

4:57 p.m.

Sen. Jack Reed confronts Sessions with his previous statements in support of Comeys handling of the Clinton email case, which he now says was reason enough to fire Comey.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is reading Jeff Sessions's lavish praise for Jim Comey on Fox News from last July and November.  James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) June 13, 2017

Jack Reed is quietly making Sessions look very foolish.  Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 13, 2017

4:50 p.m.

Harris tweets from the dais.

I dont know.

I dont recall.

I dont remember.

Did you refresh your memory with any written documents? #SessionsHearing  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 13, 2017

4:45 p.m.

As Sen. Kamala Harris hurries Sessions to give her an answer, he says that shes making him nervous.

Jeff Sessions won't give a straight answer, claiming that he's "nervous." pic.twitter.com/6vCce24WvJ  American Bridge (@American_Bridge) June 13, 2017

Then Sen. John McCain chimes in.

There goes McCain (who isn't on this committee) interrupting Kamala Harris again, and admonishing her to be nice.  Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 13, 2017

4:40 p.m.

Trending!

4:38 p.m.

Sen. Tom Cotton, hoping that Trump is tuned in, asks Sessions about the danger of leaks. Sessions thanks him for asking the question.

Cotton continues Republican obsession with leaks. They weren't condemning leaks about HRC investigation.  Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) June 13, 2017

4:32 p.m.

Manchin runs down a list of Trump campaign associates and asks Sessions if they, to the best of his knowledge, met with Russian actors. Short answer: He doesnt recall.

series of 'i don't recalls' from sessions to if various trump officials met with russians. lewandowski, steve bannon, steve miller, etc.  Laura Rozen (@lrozen) June 13, 2017

4:28 p.m.

Asked by Sen. Joe Manchin if he could be more forthcoming in a closed hearing, Sessions says hes not sure and cites executive privilege, which he previously said hadnt been invoked.

4:19 p.m.

Sessions reveals that he has never been briefed on the issue of Russias attempts to hack into the 2016 presidential election. All that he knows of it, he read in the newspapers, he said.

The attorney general of the United States just said he's never been briefed on Russian interference in the 2016 election  Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) June 13, 2017

The sitting AG just said he hasn't received a classified briefing about Russian hacking. So who's in charge of stopping the next hack?  Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) June 13, 2017

4:15 p.m.

Sen. Angus King returns to the issue of Sessions refusal to answer some questions posed by the Intelligence Committee. Has the President asserted executive privilege? No, Sessions says. So why is Sessions refusing to answer some of the questions? Im protecting the right of the president to assert it, if he chooses he said.

This is astounding. Sessions is claiming he can't answer questions because Trump MIGHT assert executive privilege LATER.  Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) June 13, 2017

4:08 p.m.

Would Sessions have quit the Trump campaign if he knew it was colluding with Russia? Absolutely, he says.

Sessions: If there was an improper illegal relationship in an effort to impede or influence this campaign, I absolutely would have departed. pic.twitter.com/ybLuX0wM64  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2017

4:03 p.m.

Sen. Martin Heinrich accuses Sessions of impeding this investigation.

3:57 p.m.

The reviews are beginning to come in and Sessions passion on the issue of collusion with Russia is convincing some observers. The Comey firing is another story.

Sessions is strongest on defense about Russia collusion/Kislyak, weakest trying to explain WH/DOJ convoluted story about Comey firing.  Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) June 13, 2017

3:52 p.m.

Sessions gets angry with Sen. Ron Wyden.

WATCH: Sessions & Wyden share a fiery exchange over Comey's comments on Sessions recusal from the Russia investigation. #SessionsHearing pic.twitter.com/27hsifP0YH  11th Hour (@11thHour) June 13, 2017

3:49 p.m.

Asked by Sen. Marco Rubio if he was involved with changing the RNC platform to weaken support for Ukraine, Sessions said he did not remember.

Sessions can't actually remember if he had direct involvement in changing the RNC platform. How can that be? How can you not remember that?  Sam Stein (@samstein) June 13, 2017

3:43 p.m.

On the issue of Comeys firing, Sessions reiterated that the former FBI director was let go largely because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation. He said Comey engaged in a stunning usurpation of federal prosecutors authority.

"a usurpation!" "a stunning development!"

-sessions on comey's clinton decision  Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) June 13, 2017

3:35 p.m.

Sessions provides some more details about his meeting with Comey following the former FBI directors conversation with Trump, in which the President allegedly asked him to go easy on Mike Flynn.

He was concerned about it, Sessions said.

He also disputed Comeys characterization of his lingering in the Oval Office before leaving. We were there, I was standing there, he said. I did depart, I believe everyone else did report, and director Comey was sitting in front of the presidents desk and they were talking.

3:30 p.m.

Asked by Sen. Mark Warner if he ever had conversations with Comey about his performance as FBI director, Sessions says no. Why does that matter? Because Sessions says Comey was fired becuase of his poor performance.

3:26 p.m.

Sessions says he has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller. Does President Trump? Sessions has no idea.

AG says he has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller; says he has "no idea" whether Pres. Trump maintains confidence in Mueller. pic.twitter.com/GDPMtvyRPd  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2017

3:15 p.m.

Responding to a question from Sen. Burr, Sessions pushes back against the suggestion that he recused himself from the Russia investigation because he was involved in the investigation. Instead, he said he recused himself because of a Justice Department regulation.

3:07 p.m.

Sessions doesnt deny his involvement in Comeys firing. Rather, he suggests that it was a managerial decision and not outside of his scope of duties, despite his recusal from the Russia investigation. And he might have a point, if Trump hadnt cited the Russia investigation as the reason for Comeys firing.

Sessions defends his role in firing Comey: "The scope of my recusal does not and cannot interfere with my ability to oversee the FBI  Cameron Joseph (@cam_joseph) June 13, 2017

2:57 p.m.

Sessions denies the alleged Mayflower hotel meeting along with having any conversation with any Russian or foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the U.S. He goes on to forcefully deny any attempt to hurt this country.

Sessions: "The suggestion that I participated in any collusion.... to hurt this country... is an appalling and detestable lie."  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 13, 2017

2:47 p.m.

Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, who shared a hug with Mary Blackshear Sessions before taking his seat, lays out the questions he hopes Sessions will answer in his testimony.

Here are the questions Chairman Burr wants Sessions to answer. pic.twitter.com/EPI1r8YI3o  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 13, 2017

2:41 p.m.

Sessions is in the room and seated. His wife is in the room too.

Sessions testimony: So it begins, after a kiss from his wife. CBNNews pic.twitter.com/oBbKlQ76ts  Erik Rosales (@ErikRosalesCBN) June 13, 2017

2:20 p.m.

Minutes before Sessions arrives for his testimony, President Trump takes off on Air Force One en route to Wisconsin, where hell tour a technical college and attend a fundraiser with Gov. Scott Walker. Its unclear if hell be watching the testimony onboard.
A Ninth Circuit panel again refused to revive Trumps travel ban. But the decision had a couple of interesting twists. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Given the presidents (and his allies) serial bashing of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as a godless liberal bastion of judicial activism, it probably raised few eyebrows that a three-judge panel of that Court unanimously upheld a Hawaii federal district judges injunction against enforcement of Trumps revised travel ban on Monday.

But the Ninth Circuit decision differed in two significant ways from the Fourth Circuits superficially similar ruling on May 25. The judges did not choose to maintain an injunction against the ban on the First Amendment Establishment Clause grounds emphasized by the Fourth Circuit  an argument that puts heavy emphasis in a controversial way on Team Trumps comments about a Muslim ban before the election. Instead, they opted to focus on the claim that the administration did not make the sort of factual findings about national security threats allegedly posed by the people affected that the congressional statute authorizing such actions requires.

Perhaps even more important for purposes of the ultimate disposal of this case, the Ninth Circuit struck down the district court judges injunction against internal government operations associated with a permanent regime of enhanced vetting. Since the decisions in the Fourth Circuit did not touch on this issue, the administration is presumably empowered to move ahead on that front based on the Ninth Circuit decision.

So, at this point, the Supreme Court can choose between punting and basically telling the administration to forget about what was supposed to be a temporary travel ban, or deciding the case on one or both of the complicated issues cited by the Fourth and Ninth Circuits. Either way, the underlying fight over the presidents desire to crack down on people coming into the country who happen to be Muslims will go on, in the courts and elsewhere.
A voting machine. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Last week, government contractor Reality Winner was arrested for allegedly leaking classified NSA documents to the Intercept about Russian hackers cyberattack on a U.S. voting software supplier just days before the election. Now, Bloomberg expands on those findings, reporting on a far more widespread cybercampaign that targeted state and local voter databases and critical software systems in at least 39 states.

Illinoiss state-voter database was among those targeted, and the state reached out to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security after detecting the unauthorized activity. Bloomberg reports that:

Using evidence from the Illinois computer banks, federal agents were able to develop digital signatures  among them, Internet Protocol addresses used by the attackers  to spot the hackers at work.



The signatures were then sent through Homeland Security alerts and other means to every state. Thirty-seven states reported finding traces of the hackers in various systems, according to one of the people familiar with the probe. In two others  Florida and California  those traces were found in systems run by a private contractor managing critical election systems.

Obama warned Moscow directly about the cyberattack, but the hacking allegedly continued  right up to Election Day  even after the Kremlin promised it would investigate. There is no evidence that the hackers tampered with the actual vote, and according to Bloomberg, the Obama administration really feared, at the time, that the hackers were more likely to delete voters from the rolls, or slow down vote tallying, which would undermine overall confidence in the U.S. electoral process without changing the final results. One U.S. official did point out a  albeit counterintuitive  silver lining: Americas different voting systems across states and counties may have foiled nefarious motives, as hackers couldnt use a one-size-fits-all approach to gain access and control of voting systems. But U.S. officials are increasingly worried that hackers will end up using the 2016 intrusion as essentially a fact-finding mission for the next election  and potentially, and likely more effectively, fine-tune their meddling.
Photo: Sergei Chirikov/AFP/Getty Images

The Senate has reached an agreement to further sanction Russia for its meddling in the 2016 election, as well as its military activities in Ukraine and Syria. The bipartisan deal also includes a provision allowing Congress to review and potentially prevent the White House from rolling back penalties on Russia. Since November, various members of President Trumps circle have reportedly floated the idea of easing the sanctions ordered by President Obama, with Trump himself saying that he was considering it shortly after his inauguration. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has since said, The United States sanctions will remain until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered our sanctions, but Trump and Tillerson are not always on the same page.

From Reuters:

Besides the provision setting up a process for Congress to review changes in sanctions, the measure would put into law sanctions previously established via presidential executive order, including some on certain Russian energy projects and debt financing in some industries.It would impose new sanctions on Russians found to be guilty of human rights abuses, supplying weapons to Syrias government and conduct cyber attacks on behalf of Russias government, among others. The measure also would allow new sanctions on Russian mining, metals, shipping and railways.

The legislation, which will be attached to a bill sanctioning Iran, has broad support from Republicans and Democrats and is expected to pass the chamber. (Those who believe that Senate Democrats should be devoting all of their energy to trying to stop the secretive passage of the GOPs terrible health-care plan probably wont be too impressed by the sight of the parties coming together on this issue.) In order to become law, the House will have to approve the bill, and the president will have to sign off on it. Of course, Trump could veto the measure, though that would look pretty bad in the context of the many investigations into whether his campaign colluded with Russia. On the other hand, he often doesnt seem to care about looking bad.
Trump tells Christian-right audience they are together under siege. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Of all the startling political events of 2016, one that baffled an awful lot of people was the exceptional support Donald Trump received from conservative Christians, and especially the white evangelical voters that he won by an unprecedented 80-to-16 margin. Now Tim Alberta reports that, if anything, the bond between Trump and the leadership of the Christian right is stronger than ever, even as other elements of his coalition are thought to be experiencing a bit of buyers remorse.

Talking with these leaders at last weeks Faith and Freedom Coalition meeting, Donald Trumps first foray into public view after James Comeys testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Alberta reaffirms something acute observers of the Christian right have realized for a while: They do not mistake Donald Trump  a frankly heathenish character whose efforts to sound pious usually come across as comical and painfully inauthentic  for one of their own. But they have a mutually transactional relationship with the man that is almost refreshing from their point of view, given the disappointments and occasional betrayals they experienced from pious GOP pols from Reagan to George W. Bush. Heres how Alberta puts it:

[F]or Christians who feel they are engaged in a great struggle for the identity of Americaand fear that their side has been losing groundthe most important question is not whether Trump believes in their cause, but whether he can win their wars. Jimmy Carter sat in the pew with us. But he never fought for us, Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, told me after the presidents speech. Donald Trump fights. And he fights for us.

It is hard to underestimate the goodwill Trump stored up via the successful installment of Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court. Hillary Clintons election might well have put the preeminent Christian-right goal of reversing Roe v. Wade out of reach for a generation. But beyond averting that disaster, Trump set up a very public process for choosing a SCOTUS pick that all but gave the Christian right a veto, and ultimately picked the jurist probably most favored by the Christian right, not only because he is viewed as a sure vote to overturn Roe, but because of his conspicuous involvement in judicial efforts to expand religious liberty rights to violate anti-discrimination laws.

And despite his lack of legislative accomplishments, Trump has pleased Christian right leaders and the rank and file in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways: his gestures of unilateral support for Israel, his appointment of a secretary of Education widely viewed as a religiously motivated warrior for diverting public education funds to private  including religious schools and home-schooling parents, his hostility to the pagan cause of climate change activism, and his lusty participation in very old conservative wars on Planned Parenthood and Obamacare. From the point of view of many old-school Christian-right moralists, the best thing about Trumps lack of religiosity may be his apparent immunity from Bush-style compassionate conservatism.

But as Alberta also notes, there is an additional source of solidarity at work on Trumps behalf that is actually becoming more powerful as he struggles with adversity in Congress and in Washington generally:

One fascinating explanation, proffered repeatedly during conversations with evangelicals over the past year, is that they identify with Trump because both he and they have been systematically targeted in the public squareoftentimes by the same adversaries. This explains why Trump, speaking last week to the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual gathering in Washington, offered an extraordinary sentiment in pledging to support the evangelical community.



Were under siege. You understand that, the president said. But we will come out bigger and better and stronger than ever.



It was a stroke of polysemantic genius from Trump and his speechwriters. As heads nodded in agreement across the hotel ballroom, media outlets seizedas the White House knew they wouldon the phrase, Were under siege.

In Christian-right circles, it has become an article of faith that Christianity itself is under siege from secularists, feminists, LGBT folk, scientists and other academics, liberal bureaucrats and politicians, and a pervasive culture of political correctness that makes advocates of traditional patriarchal culture and religious dogma uncomfortable. As someone who explicitly and implicitly via the very crudeness that otherwise repels religious people attacks political correctness every day, Trump is emphatically the enemy of the Christian rights enemies. And the more he is embattled, the more the president shares a sort of fellowship of self-pity with conservative Christians who view themselves as losing the national culture wars and becoming isolated in their heartland enclaves.

This dynamic could well mean that, more than the white working class and even more than the alt-right, conservative white Christians could be Trumps last and strongest ditch of support if he continues to fail legislatively and struggles with scandals over possible ties to Russia and his many conflicts of interest. And given the importance of this constituency to Republicans in many parts of the country, these allies in the pulpits and the pews may be the most valuable the president could possess.
The Perriello-Northam contest could go either way, while Ed Gillespie seems to have the GOP primary under control. Photo: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Tomorrows Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia has gotten a lot more national attention than the New Jersey contests last week. Whatever national fuss it has enjoyed is in no small part because casually interested national media have frequently treated the battle between Tom Perriello and Ralph Northam as a rematch of last years Bernie SandersHillary Clinton rivalry.

The only problem with that perspective is that its actually not accurate. Yes, Perriello  a former congressman and Obama administration official  has been endorsed by Sanders and by Elizabeth Warren, but hes also being backed by a host of former Clinton and Obama operatives. Meanwhile, Northam, the current lieutenant governor, is being supported by every elected Democrat in the executive or legislative branches of government in the Old Dominion. So its really more of a national versus state perspective contest, reflected in the two candidates messaging: Perriello is touting his campaign as an important sign of anti-Trump sentiment, while Northam (as one might expect of a lieutenant governor) is talking more about continuing Terry McAuliffes legacy and dealing with a Republican-controlled legislature.

The GOP primary is thought by most observers to be a less competitive affair, with former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie  who became a national GOP rock star in 2014 by very nearly upsetting Senator Mark Warner  dominating fundraising and endorsements against fiery Trumpite county supervisor chairman Corey Stewart and Hampton Roads legislator Frank Wagner. There is a late online survey from a new polling firm showing Stewart running even with  and in some turnout scenarios ahead of  Gillespie, which Breitbart News is touting. Stewarts campaign has mostly been composed of attacks on undocumented workers, defense of Confederate monuments, and oaths of fealty to the president. No other poll has shown him holding more than 18 percent of the primary vote. On the other hand, as Virginia-based analyst Geoffrey Skelley points out, this is only the fourth Republican gubernatorial primary ever (the GOP in this state usually opts for a nominating convention). And this is the state where Eric Cantor managed to lose to Dave Brat. A Stewart win would be equally shocking.

The Democratic vote is dicier. Most recent polls have shown a close race, with Perriello doing well in and near the Charlottesville-Southside congressional district he represented in the U.S. House for one term (20092010), and Northam doing well in the Tidewater area he represented in the Virginia legislature. That makes Richmond and especially vote-rich northern Virginia the real arenas. You would normally expect the nationally focused Perriello to have an advantage in the nationally focused D.C. suburbs. But Northam has outspent his opponent in TV advertising, and was also endorsed by the Washington Post.

The African-American vote  expected to be about a third of Democratic primary voters  could also help decide the contest. Northam has a lot of African-American elected official endorsements  that of veteran congressman Bobby Scott could be especially influential. But Perriellos identification with Barack Obama  which he highlights in his own ads  could also help him among black voters.

In the end, turnout patterns could matter most. A very low turnout helps Northam, whose supporters are significantly older than Perriellos. Very low in Virginia off-year elections really does mean very low: In the last wide-open Democratic gubernatorial primary, in 2009, only 6.3 percent of registered voters participated (Virginia does not have voter registration by party). Turnout closer to 10 percent would probably be good news for Perriello.

Democrats will likely end primary day in good shape for November. The Northam-Perriello primary has been quite civil, and history is definitely on their side: In 2013, Terry McAuliffe broke a streak of nine consecutive gubernatorial winners from the party that did not control the White House. Given Trumps less-than-average popularity in Virginia and nationally, this seems an unlikely year for the White House albatross to become a advantage.
Make Millions Uninsured Again. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has repeatedly assured the American people that their health-care system will collapse on his watch. In many instances, the president has framed this claim as a matter-of-fact assessment of Obamacares incurable flaws  in others, as a promise to kill the law by any means necessary.

In early April, Trump sounded the latter note. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the president suggested that he would cease paying out cost-sharing reductions  subsidies to insurers that defray the cost of covering low-income Obamacare enrollees  so as to engineer a crisis in the private insurance market, and, thus, generate more support for repealing Barack Obamas signature law.

I dont want people to get hurt, Trump told the paper. What I think should happen  and will happen  is the Democrats will start calling me and negotiating.

The president never shot his hostage. But pointing a gun in its direction may have been good enough.

By threatening to stop paying out those so-called cost-sharing reductions  while also threatening not to enforce penalties on those go without insurance  the White House sowed uncertainty that chased insurers out of Obamacare.

In mid-April, several of Americas largest insurance companies descended on Washington to seek the White Houses assurance that Trumps rhetoric about withholding the subsidies was just a bluff. Seema Verma, Trumps head of Medicare and Medicaid Services, informed the insurers that it could be a bluff  if they agreed to publicly support the presidents health-care bill.

The insurers found little comfort in this exchange. Nor did Trumpcares sudden revival calm their nerves. To protect themselves from a diverse array of very-bad-case scenarios, many jacked up their premiums and wound down their participation in the Affordable Care Act.

Over the past week, the number of counties with no plans signed up to sell Obamacare has doubled. Which is to say: There are now 38,000 ACA enrollees, dispersed across 47 counties, who have subsidies to buy insurance  but no one to buy it from. Those figures are likely to increase as we move closer to the June 21 deadline for insurers to declare whether the intend to participate in Obamacare next year.

This development will hurt nonaffluent Trump voters in rural America. And it may well hurt the GOPs political fortunes in 2018  voters tend to blame the party in power for bad things that happen on their watch. But in the immediate term, the administrations various acts of sabotage do seem to be buoying the prospects of Obamacare repeal.

The collapse of the ACA exchanges in Iowa earned Trumpcare at least one moderate Republican vote in the House last month, according to Politico:

The last insurer on Iowas exchange pulled out the day before the vote, leaving thousands without an option to purchase insurance. That troubled Rep. David Young (R-Iowa.), who had remained opposed to the measure throughout the talks. The vulnerable Republican felt compelled to vote for a replacement in light of his home-state situation.

In the last seven days, as the consequences of White House sabotage have rippled throughout the country, Senate Republicans (reportedly) made a breakthrough on Obamacare repeal.

A new report from Voxs Sarah Kliff suggests these facts may be related:

Whenever a health insurance plan quits Obamacare, I usually receive an email from the Health and Human Services press office arguing that this is all the more reason Congress needs to repeal Obamacare. This is the statement that spokesperson Alleigh Marre sent out when Anthem quit the Ohio marketplace last Tuesday (bolding my own):



This news is heartbreaking for the millions of Ohioans who depend on access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, and this is a stark reminder that Obamacare is collapsing. Now is the time to advance real healthcare reform that empowers individuals and families with the choices and resources they need to buy a plan that meets their healthcare needs without breaking their budgets. The American people cant afford to wait any longer.

On the day the House passed Trumpcare, Ohio senator Rob Portman vowed to oppose any bill that hurt his states Medicaid enrollees so badly. Ive already made clear that I dont support the House bill as currently constructed, Portman said, because I continue to have concerns that this bill does not do enough to protect Ohios Medicaid expansion population.

This week, Portman made his peace with ending Medicaid expansion  so long as its wound down over seven years, instead of three. This change does more to protect Senate Republicans from political blowback than low-income Ohioans from the loss of their insurance.

Its entirely possible that Portman would have fallen in line with his partys leadership, even if his states Obamacare marketplaces were thriving. But the fact they arent will surely make easier for him to justify his vote.

Meanwhile, 14 Senate Republicans are imploring the administration to commit another act of sabotage. In a recent letter to Health Secretary Tom Price, the lawmakers called for the abolition of an Obama-era regulation that restricts access to skimpy, short-term insurance plans. These low-cost, low-coverage plans provide healthy people with a means of evading Obamacares individual mandate without purchasing insurance over the laws exchanges. The likely effect of the Senate GOPs request would be the further destabilization of the private insurance market, as the pool of people seeking coverage through the Obamacare marketplaces would grow even sicker.

As of this writing, the GOP appears poised to pass its heinously unpopular plan to finance a tax cut for the rich by throwing millions of poor people off of their health insurance. If their emerging strategy of sabotage, secrecy, and sudden repeal works, the president will deserve a measure of credit for his ruthlessness.

But others will also deserve recognition. The authors of Obamacare bear some responsibility. The ACA has achieved most of its admirable ambitions. But by relying on private companies to voluntarily participate on the exchanges  and refusing to impose a more draconian penalty on the willfully uninsured  Democrats made their law vulnerable to vandals.

Speaking of vandals, congressional Republicans, of course, merit special commendation: It was their successful 2014 lawsuit that provided Trump with the power to cancel cost-sharing reductions at will.

And last, but decidedly not least, credit must be given to every mainstream politician and publication that ever assured the American people their nation had two normal, equally legitimate parties  ones united in their commitment to serving the public interest, even if they disagreed about how, precisely, to do so.
Qatar Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah (r) meets with Defense Secretary James Mattis (c) and ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith (l) in April. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/AFP/Getty Images

Talk about timing: The U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, is leaving her post at the end of the month as tensions flare amid the Saudi-led standoff with the tiny Gulf state. The State Department confirmed that Shell Smiths three-year tour had concluded, and her departure from her posting was expected  regional crisis or no though she reportedly has decided to also leave the Foreign Service. Early reports speculated that Shell Smith may have stepped down because President Trumps recent and very public criticisms of Qatar has sidelined State Department attempts to navigate the crisis between its regional partners.

1/2 This month, I end my 3 years as U.S. Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I'll miss this great country.  Charge William Grant (@USAmbQatar) June 13, 2017

2/2 I will be announcing my personal Twitter account soon. Keep an eye out!  Charge William Grant (@USAmbQatar) June 13, 2017

The departure of the long-serving ambassador comes as the Saudi-led diplomatic and economic boycott extends into its second week. Despite the mixed signals from Washington, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, told the Senate during a hearing on Tuesday that, so far, the blockade hasnt affected U.S. military operations in Qatar. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remains out front calling for a resolution between its regional partners.

But both sides are digging in right now. Qatar cultivated key support from Turkey and Iran, though its cooperation with the latter is likely to incense Saudi Arabia all the more. Right now, most of the support has come in the form of food aid, as Saudi Arabia closed off Qatars land border over which it gets most of its imports. Iran and Turkey have both sent cargo planes of fresh food. Plus, a Qatari businessman even has a plan to airlift 4,000 cows to maintain the countrys dairy supply. A lot of people think were the only ones to lose in this, the Qatari finance minister definitely told CNBC. If were going to lose a dollar, they will lose a dollar also.

And those cracks are showing. Reuters reported Tuesday that Qatar has shuttered its two helium plants because, with its borders shut, it cant export the product. Qatar is the worlds second-largest producer of helium, which might have ripple effects among the industries that rely on Qatars helium exports which, yes, do include hot-air balloons.
Midtown Manhattan during a blackout. Photo: Ralph Morse/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

On December 18 of last year, an electrical substation near Kiev shut down without warning, sending the northern parts of Ukraines capital city into a sudden hour-long blackout. About a fifth of the total amount of electricity Kiev uses was suddenly unavailable. That is a lot. This kind of blackout is very, very rare, said Vsevolod Kovalchuk, acting chief director of the state-run energy company Ukrenergo, to Reuters.

It wasnt a problem with Ukraines electrical infrastructure. Instead, Kovalchuk  along with many others  suspected that the energy company had been the victim of a cyberattack. Ukrenergos IT specialists had discovered a series of transmissions that werent supposed to be there, leading them to believe they had been hacked. (During this same time period, Ukraines Treasury, Finance, and Defense had all suffered from attacks that disrupted service.) But it was unknown what virus the attackers had used, and why it was so effective at shutting down power to Kiev.

When people talk about cyberattacks, power grids come up frequently: Shut down power to a region, and you can cause mass chaos from afar. Now two security firms, Slovakias ESET and the U.S.-based Dragos, have released reports detailing Industroyer, (also known as Crash Override) a very nasty virus seemingly designed with one purpose  to wreak havoc on industrial equipment, specifically the computers that control electrical substations and circuit breakers. Once the virus is in control, it can do anything from turning the power off, to create rolling blackouts, to inflicting physical damage to the equipment.

Its able to do this because the protocols controlling substations and circuit breakers were designed decades ago, when it was assumed that industrial networks would remain internal. They are also largely standardized across the world. Engineers back then didnt consider a world where industrial technology would be accessible to the outside world. Most of the systems have fairly old technology thats hard to strengthen against those type of attacks, says Mike Fumai, president and COO of AppGuard.

Industroyer is a sophisticated piece of software. Its complex in that it has multiple stages of attack, says Fumai. It has multiple levels of permissions, which it needs to be effective. Industroyer first infiltrates an energy companys network and waits to see if the intrusion was detected. If it wasnt, it then moves on to the next step, infecting computers within the network. Along the way, it builds several backdoors for itself, meaning even if one intrusion point is found, it can still slip in and continue to cause damage. It also has the ability to completely wipe all traces of itself if it is detected.

Whats more, unlike other major cyberattacks against civil infrastructure, it doesnt require the monitoring and management of a human operator. The code itself will do the damage, says Fumai. In that case, the initial Ukraine attack, that mission was to shut down power grids for a certain amount of time.

Which leads many to believe that Kievs brief blackout in December was more of a test run of Industroyer  a proof of concept, if you will. Because protocols are so standardized, it could easily be adapted for an attack on any part of the world that has civil infrastructure connected to the internet. The fact that Ukraine was targeted, combined with Industroyers high level of technical accomplishment, has led many to believe that this may be the work of state-sponsored hacker groups, likely out of Russia. (Ukraine has been under near-constant cyberattacks since Russias annexation of Crimea two years ago.)

There isnt much electrical utilities can do to protect themselves. Careful monitoring of every part of the system can detect abnormalities  a sudden spike or drop in power could be the sign of an attack beginning, which could get an IT team enough time to find and flush the virus before it causes more damage. But the virus does have the ability to stay stealthy, says Fumai, so you may not be able to stop it before it causes harm.

Theres also the idea that utilities should build extremely advanced VPN enclaves around their entire network, masking their public IP addresses (one of the more common ways hackers find their way into a system). Workers are then issued physical devices that only allow authorized users access to the network. But that obviously comes with its own logistical (and budgetary) constraints.

Before panic rises too high, it should be noted that even if this virus was unleashed on a power grid, power would likely be restored in a matter of hours, or perhaps a day  not weeks or months. As security firm Dragos notes, The electric grid operators train regularly to restore power for similar-sized events such as weather storms. Still, the ability for unknown actors to cause even brief interruptions to the electrical grid should be enough to give anyone pause.

Industroyer/Crash Override is now the second known virus in the world designed to attack industrial equipment. The first, Stuxnet, was a computer worm generally believed to have been developed in a joint effort by Israelis and Americans to severely damage Irans nuclear-weapons program and deployed in 2010.
Travis Kalanick. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Ubers embattled CEO Travis Kalanick announced on Tuesday that he would take a leave of absence from the company, effective immediately, and likely return to the company with a more limited role. Kalanick, whose mother died suddenly in a boating accident earlier this month, wrote in a companywide memo that he needed to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve my mother  to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team.

The announcement was timed with a companywide meeting and the internal release of a report, compiled by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, recommending a series of changes to company policy that could fix Ubers toxic workplace culture and sexual-harassment problems. Kalanick is the second high-ranking executive to announce a departure from Uber this week: Emil Michael, Kalanicks friend and right-hand man at the company, resigned from his post as SVP of business on Monday. (Both Michael and Kalanick were involved in recently publicized Uber scandals  including a trip to an escort-style bar in South Korea with company employees and mishandling medical records of a woman in India who was raped by her Uber driver. These documents were obtained by another Uber exec, Eric Alexander, who has since been fired.)

From Kalanick:

Team,



For the last eight years my life has always been about Uber. Recent events have brought home for me that people are more important than work, and that I need to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve my mother, whom I buried on Friday, to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team.



The ultimate responsibility, for where weve gotten and how weve gotten here rests on my shoulders. There is of course much to be proud of but there is much to improve. For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team. But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve.



During this interim period, the leadership team, my directs, will be running the company. I will be available as needed for the most strategic decisions, but I will be empowering them to be bold and decisive in order to move the company forward swiftly.



Its hard to put a timeline on this  it may be shorter or longer than we might expect. Tragically losing a loved one has been difficult for me and I need to properly say my goodbyes. The incredible outpouring of heartfelt notes and condolences from all of you have kept me strong but almost universally they have ended with How can I help?. My answer is simple. Do your lifes work in service to our mission. That gives me time with family. Put people first, that is my moms legacy. And make Uber 2.0 real so that the world can see the inspired work all of you do, and the inspiring people that make Uber great.



See you soon,

Travis

Uber also published a 13-page document of recommendations from Holder and his associates at the law firm of Covington & Burling, the very first of which is, Review and Reallocate the Responsibilities of Travis Kalanick, which the company should be better able to do with the CEO out of the office for an undetermined amount of time. The internal probe was launched after ex-Uber engineer Susan Fowler published a damning blog post about her experiences with sexual harassment and gender discrimination during her year at the company. (A separate probe looking into Ubers issues was conducted simultaneously by the law firm of Perkins Coie. At least 20 employees were fired as a result of that report earlier in June.)

During an all-hands meeting today at Uber to announce the reports finding, Ubers chief HR officer, Liane Hornsey, thanked Fowler for speaking up, prompting employees at the meeting to applaud, Mike Isaac of the New York Times reported on Twitter. Hornsey also apparently asked everyone present to stand and hug each other. It seems Uber is taking the suggestion to Reformulate Ubers 14 Cultural Values  which included Always be hustling and toe-stepping  seriously and with great haste. (During todays meeting, Uber board member Arianna Huffington  who is quite proud that Kalanick has begun meditating in a lactation room at Ubers offices  said a conference room known as the War Room will be renamed the Peace Room, Isaac also tweeted.) Further attempts to make Uber a less-awful place to work include offering ride credits to employees and serving catered dinner  these are standard at the office  earlier in the evening, so employees who arent burning the midnight oil can also take advantage.



Other recommendations included Enhance the Independence of the Board, which has historically been loyal to Kalanick, and Provide a Robust and Effective Complaint Process. (Fowlers blog post noted that she ran into trouble each time she tried to report an incident to HR, to the point where an HR representative suggested that she [Fowler], not the company, was the root of the problem.) Institute and Enforce Clear Guidelines on Alcohol Consumption and the Use of Controlled Substances was another well-timed suggestion: Uber should consider limiting the budget available to managers for alcohol purchases, restrict reimbursement for alcohol-related events, and include training for managers on appropriate events for retreats and out-of-work events. (Last week, Recode published an email Kalanick sent employees in 2013 in advance of a company retreat in Miami, which detailed, quite explicitly, the rules for substance use and sex during the trip.) Several pages of the report are dedicated to ways Uber needs to work toward better, diverse hiring practices and ways to help foster the careers of diverse employees already at the company. You can read the full list of recommendations here.
MET

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Pretty sure. Dat bday photo of his says a lot. Even enough to get me clutched my pearls lol



Edited at 2017-06-13 02:34 pm (UTC)

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which photo lmao?

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A lot of effort and being extra.



Just say yes or no and keep it moving.

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yeah that's my only thought he could've just been like 'I don't feel like signing anything right now'. he's only 18 and he's learning. I don't think he's a bad person but this was definitely extra.

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maybe he saw shit online and it got to him lmfao

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No he's a bad person

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No he's a bad person

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I mean I don't think it's necessary to make a scene but I understand being annoyed signing things when you know it's going on eBay or wherever this is sold. I wouldn't even waste my time.

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and autographs on ebay are so cheap and scammy lol

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Came in here to ask - does anyone buy autographs anymore? In the age of selfies it just doesn't have the same allure

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Honestly, who cares? If there are people that would pay that money for a damn signature, then that's on them...Literally anyone could have asked Shawn for an autograph and sold it, whether they're young, female or an old guy etc, it doesn't cost him anything to sign a piece of paper, it just seems so exhausting to be doubting every person that asks you for an autograph, because literally anyone could sell it, will he make them use a lie detector to be sure of their intentions? I can't. And what if this guy sold it on e-bay? How does that hurt anyone? The person who'd buy it, would get their beloved signature, and the guy who sold it would get money that this person was willing to spend for a piece of paper. Everybody's happy. Shawn was being extra... But then again, he's young and he doesn't know shit.

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I understand being peeved by it but Shawn was acting sooo offended lmao

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Why would it even matter that if he was going to sell it????



Like, is it really worth an argument...

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this is going for over a hundid tho



ikr. a lot of his signed stuff is going for around $30-40. like u aint worth that much hennythis is going for over a hundid tho

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It's going for a waste of my that's what's it's going for, lol

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lol also all that to say at the end even AFTER he spoke with her 'I hope if you're lying you can live with yourself'



like sis....

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I've never bought an autograph but maybe some people sell them for really high prices? I'd be pissed if some 40 year old man was selling my autograph to my fans for crazy prices.

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I never understood why celebrities have a problem with people making money off of them, when they are literally rich because of those said people.

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I must be living under a rock but who would want to buy shawns autograph???



Who still buys autographs ??

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I don't get it either... I don't even know what any celebs' autograph looks like nor do I care.

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i mean bottom ikr. i'd buy this for $20 topsi mean bottom

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This makes me uncomfortable

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Very Bel Ami.

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He is a child to me. Good god no

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Seriously i'd much rather get a selfie & a short conversation.

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hunny

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What?? LOLLLL

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LOL. Is he trying to imitate Taylor Lautner in that gif?

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lmao u ain't shit for this

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Bish lol

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omg right?

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most gays who move to LA are so insufferable

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The wooooorst.

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hanging out in weho is such a nightmare. downtown is a lot better but you'll still run into assholes every once in a while.

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Why are they so bad?

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You ain't lyin tho lmao. thank fuck I peaced out of LA permanently

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I hate weho for this reason.

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lmao hew is dis bitch thinkin his signature is worth half a runny shit on ebay

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he sounds like duckie from pretty in pink





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only duckie is incredibly endearing; what i just watched from shawn mendes was not!

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Blane? His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!

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very extra, however, celebrities are not obligated to give a selfie or autograph to everyone that asks.

Some people feel so entitled.



And this dude was probably was just an autograph seller. But even if he wasn't, have some dignity.



I remember a video of a dude hounding and begging Justin Timberlake for an autograph as he was leaving dinner or something. It was so cringe worthy. And he totally was one of those autograph sellers. But justin just got in his car with Jessica and drove off.

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WOW he is DOING the most. who cares if the dude sold it. wtf?????

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Is he the younger brother on Modern Family?

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no lmao that's Nolan Gould. same idea though!

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He looks just like him!

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yes

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they do look alike, I think Shawn is more attractive though

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Principled queen!

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People take a bit of abuse for 8$/hr , if you can do it for 40$, why not lol

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lol I feel like that dude was secretly loving the attention

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As the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) seeks to restore pre-2014 levels of attractiveness to its energy sector from an investment standpoint, it grapples with several key challenges. Chief among these are its efforts to safeguard the strategic assets and operations of International Oil Companies (IOCs).

Of course, it is not uncommon for businesses with operations in emerging and frontier markets to be cognisant of weak security conditions that could disrupt project viability. But that being said, the KRG has faced an uptick in violence and is prone to the advances of Sunni militant groups in particular.

This analysis explores the threat presented by ISIS and the PKK, by looking at what impact they have had on the oil sector, as well as the role they may yet play. Moreover, it builds on a report released by Shadow Governance earlier this month, detailing the dynamics and drivers of the Kurdish oil sector.

Islamic State

During initial land grabs in early 2014, ISIS became well known in Western Iraq. However, it was not until June 2014, after acquiring the city of Mosul as well as portions of the Kirkuk Governorate, that the organisation began to pose a serious security threat to the North.

As such, ISIS went from not only challenging the FGI over its authority within Iraqi jurisdiction, but undermining the KRGs control over areas of Iraqi Kurdistan. This added a new dynamic into what had hitherto been a bipartisan legal disagreement between the KRG and FGI.

This has, at times, threatened the refining capacity inside the domestic oil market of both Iraq and the KRG. Iraq has three primary oil refineries; Baiji, Dawra, and Basra. Dawra is located to the South East of Baghdad, and Basra is one of Iraqs most Southern points. As such, these two refineries are far removed from the front lines of fighting against ISIS and are also uncontested by the political elite in Erbil. The recent swathe of fighting has therefore not affected these two regions in any noteworthy way.

However, the Baiji refinery is noteworthy because all three of the aforementioned parties to the recent violence have vested interests. ISIS began attacking the town of Baiji in Salahuddin province in June 2014, which is home to the largest of Iraqs three oil refineries. Baiji is strategically located along Highway 1, which runs from Baghdad to Rabia, a border town in the North West of Iraq. Moreover, Baiji is only 111 kilometres from Kirkuk and therefore encroaches on the oil concessions which have been granted by the KRG to international oil companies in South-Eastern Kurdistan. Related: How Zombie Funds Are Disrupting Oil Prices

ISIS presence in this region, and control over the refinery, not only hampered Baghdads oil production but also threatened to spill over into de facto Kurdish civilian territory. In April 2015, the refinery succumbed to ISIS attacks and was captured by the militant group; jeopardising a refining capacity estimated at 310,000 bpd. ISIS most likely ran the facility after assuming control but open sources suggest that the groups control of the refinery was relatively short lived, and it has since been driven from the town by ISF.

The New York Times cited reports from the Iraqi military that it had retaken the Baiji oil field from ISIS on the 16th of October 2015, bringing an end to approximately six months of ISIS control over the refinery. Although ISIS no longer occupies the land, the damage to the refinery after its re-capture was extensive.

Reports in early 2016 stated that it was plundered beyond repair, this corresponds with a wider ISIS tactic of decimating all existing infrastructure when forced out of an area. Interestingly, this is a similar tactic to that employed by Saddam Hussein in 2003 when driven underground by U.S. forces.

It is unclear how long it will take for the field to become as operational as it was in the pre-2014 period. No further reports have been identified, either confirming or denying that Baiji is operational once more, suggesting that it is still in disrepair. Despite its geographical proximity to Kurdish oil fields, the Baiji refinery is more of a strategic asset for Baghdads National Oil Company (NOC) as opposed to Erbil. Now that control of the area is back under the ISF, threats to Kurdish oil interests from Baiji are low. But this region could be volatile and be a danger to the KRG if violence reoccurs.

PKK as an Energy Actor in the KRG

In addition to ISIS, another key militant group threatens the Kurdish oil sectors operational capacity, namely, the Partiya Karkeren Kurdistane (PKK).

Since is foundation in the early 1980s, the PKK has been involved in Turkish politics, but it has also played a regional role in the bordering countries of the south-eastern provinces of Turkey. Its regional presence has been legitimised by its nationalist ideology in claiming the establishment of Kurdistan, uniting the Kurdish populations of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

Within this regional framework, the PKK is often viewed as the leading actor in so-called Kurdistan, despite there being a historic political rivalry for Kurdish regional leadership between the PKK and other groups. Related: Top Asset Managers Still Bullish On Crude

This competition has triggered regional alliances, where the political logic of the enemy of my enemy is my friend has prevailed. This has been the case of the political alliance between the Turkish government, led by Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, and the self-declared autonomous region of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), led by Masoud Barzani.

Given this political competition, every policy issue has been used for political interests between the PKK and the KRG government, and energy has been no exception. Although the PKK has targeted energy infrastructure between the KRG and Turkey, it could also be considered an active player in the energy sector, increasingly involved in its exploitation.

Since the 1980s, the PKK has been attacking the Ceyhan-Kirkuk pipeline. The attacks and its consequent cuts of oil transportation are overwhelming, and have incurred uncountable losses. The most recent PKK attack on Turkish soil was carried out in February 2016, and it is believed to have resulted in the cutting of oil transportation for almost a month, resulting in a total estimated financial loss for the KRG of U.S. $112 million.

The presence of the PKK in the KRG energy sector is two-fold. Primarily, and historically, the PKK has targeted the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, causing millions of dollars of losses in the Kurdish energy sector. Secondly, and more recently, the PKK is thought to be directly involved in the extraction and commercialisation of oil from within KRG territories itself. This is due to its heavy presence in the Qandil and Sinjar areas, which allows the armed group to benefit from the KRGs energy resources, by commercialising the extracted oil through Iran.

Moreover, the presence of the PKK in the KRGs energy markets does not help the KRG government appear as a solid and unified political actor  often a prerequisite for investor confidence. The PKKs control of oil assets undermines the political authority of the KRG, and furthermore, the KRG loses its monopoly of violence by being incapable of securing its own borders. In this sense, the erosion of political legitimacy and security pose a direct threat to economic stability and foreign investment prospects in the region.

An empowered PKK directly affects political stability in the KRG, which is already fragile, and paves the way for a potential revival of the sort of Kurdish internal conflicts last seen during the 1990s.

The political ramification of the PKK in Syria, Iraq and Turkey, makes its complete disappearance from the geopolitical landscape highly improbable. In this sense, curtailing PKK influence in the Kurdish region depends on other political actors who could mediate peace between Iraqi Kurdistans various actors. One of the most important actors is the Turkish state, which has historically fought the Kurdish insurgency, viewing the PKK as a terrorist group. Under Erdo?ans leadership, dialogue with the PKK remains a distant reality, and Turkeys alliance with the KRG only increases political competition among Kurdish actors, triggering more future political and economic uncertainty.

Security Prospects Going Forward

Although ISIS never directly threatened to achieve major concessions from the KRG, the fight against the militant group has indirectly drained its financial resources. The war against ISIS has been one of the factors that has driven the KRG government into budgetary crisis, with the costly and prolonged conflict shifting the emphasis from contracting IOCs to paying the salaries of Peshmerga personnel, the armed forces of the KRG.

Furthermore, the PKK presence does not help stabilise the economic volatility of the KRG. Its various attacks on energy infrastructure and the direct exploitation of some of these energy sources are triggering further economic losses for the KRG state. In particular, the empowerment of the PKK and its activities in the KRG energy sector could further discredit Barzanis government. The presence and freedom with which the PKK acts within the KRG shows a lack of control of the KRG government in its territories, and diminishes its already weak de jure role as the only security actor in its own territories.

By Shadow Governance for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Canadas problem with its oil pipeline capacity is becoming increasingly serious as opposition to new pipelines is growing in intensity. The situation will only worsen in the coming months as production continues to grow.

Despite opposition, Canadas PM Justin Trudeau last year approved Kinder Morgans Trans-Mountain expansion project, which will see the twin pipe transport almost 900,000 barrels of crude daily to Canadas Pacific coast.

U.S. President Donald Trump also approved a crucial new pipeline project that was shelved by his predecessor: the 830,000-bpd Keystone XL that has been the target of vocal environmentalist and Native American opposition for years.

Together, the two pipelines would relieve the pressure on the existing pipeline networkbut there is just one problem: the expanded Trans-Mountain will take two years to become operational. For Keystone XL, there is no deadline yet. In the meantime, Canadian exporters are resorting to increased shipments by rail to their biggest clientthe United States.

The situation is quite ironic for environmentalists: their opposition has been a major stumbling block for pipeline capacity expansion, both in Canada and the U.S. Yet, a survey from Fraser Institute has revealed that, despite the imperfections of pipelines, they are substantially safer than railways when it comes to moving crude oil. Related: Is This The First Sign Of A U.S., Chinese Solar War?

Common sense supports the findings: if nothing else, pipelines cant be derailed or crash into another pipeline.

In March this year, railway shipments of Canadian crude oil hit an 18-month high, reaching 155,655 bpd. This was a 52-percent annual increase, highlighting the gravity of the pipeline capacity problem. A month later, the Financial Post recalled in a May story, IHS analysts warned that by the end of the year, crude oil exports from Canada will actually exceed the export pipeline capacity.

Now, a fresh report from Morningstar has repeated the warning. Given that no new crossborder pipeline capacity is expected on line before 2019, we expect Canadian crude-by-rail traffic into the United States to continue growing as production increases, the analysts wrote, sounding an alarm for a still-recovering industry, because oil by rail is not just more dangerous than oil by pipelines, but also costlier.

The National Energy Board of Canada forecasts that this month, total crude oil production in Canada will hit 4.03 million barrels daily. Then output will dip to around 4.01 million bpd over July and August, before rebounding to 4.08 million bpd in September. In the meantime, its anyones guess where international prices will be three months from now. If they are still below US$50 that would be bad news for anyone having to pay for the transportation of crude by rail. Related: Top Asset Managers Still Bullish On Crude

At the same time, some are preparing for the flourish of oil shipments by rail. Early this month, USD Partners, a company affiliated with Goldman Sachs through its parent USD Group, announced the acquisition of an oil terminal in Oklahoma. The terminal will receive shipments by rail of crude oil from Western Canada and will then feed it into a pipeline that will carry it to Cushing. The route is the same as that of Keystone XL.

Could oil by rail become a growth business segment in North America? Its very possible, at least in the next few years or however long it takes for Keystone XL to go from project to finished product. It may never do this, by the way, as opposition continues relentlessly. In that case, oil by rail has a pretty bright future.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil prices held mid to higher $40s as OPEC admits it sees the markets rebalancing at a slower pace than anticipated.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

 The proved reserves of 68 publicly-listed oil and gas companies fell in 2016.

 The bulk of the drop off came from Canadian oil sands producers.

 The downward revisions was due to low prices, few new discoveries, and high levels of production.

 In total, the companies collectively erased 8.2 billion barrels from their books.

Market Movers

 Norway headed off an oil workers strike this week, reaching an agreement on wages over the weekend. The potential strike threatened to disrupt production at five fields, affecting over 440,000 bpd  fields that are operated by Statoil (NYSE: STO), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) and Eni (NYSE: E).

 Teekay Corp. (NYSE: TK) and Teekay Offshore (NYSE: TOO), a group of oil tanker and production companies, saw their share prices plummet after Morgan Stanley questioned their liquidity.

 Statoil (NYSE: STO) and BP (NYSE: BP) swapped stakes in several oil blocks off of Australias southern coast. Statoil could revive the prospects of drilling in Australias Great Australia Bight, but still needs to go through a regulatory process.

Tuesday June 13, 2017

Oil prices rose on Monday on news that Saudi Arabia might cut oil shipments to Asia and the U.S., but more generally on the technical resistance that oil prices face in the mid-$40s. In early trading on Tuesday oil prices were flat.

Russia says OPEC cuts will work. Russias energy minister Alexander Novak said that the oil market will come back into balance by the end of the compliance period for the OPEC/non-OPEC cuts. Both he and his Saudi counterpart, Khalid al-Falih, said that global crude inventories will converge back to the five-year average by the end of this year, and that the oil market will be balanced by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

OPEC admits "slower pace of rebalancing. At the same time, OPEC conceded that the oil market is balancing at a slower pace than it had previously expected after reporting higher-than-expected production from within the cartel and from the U.S.

Nigeria supply comeback not certain. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) lifted its force majeure on its Forcados stream in Nigeria last week, an important move that could bring back more than 200,000 bpd of oil supply to the market. At the same time, Shell also declared force majeure on its Bonny Light oil, affecting 200,000 bpd. The declaration came after the discovery of a hole drilled in its Trans Niger Pipeline. Nigeria appeared to have gained the upper hand over militants in the Niger Delta over the past year, but the attack raises concerns that militant activity has not gone away. In fact, the Niger Delta Avengers, which burst onto the scene last year with a series of successful attacks, issued a statement in early June saying that they will resume attacks on oil facilities. Oil prices sank last week in part because of fears that Nigeria could flood the market with rebounding supply. If the Niger Delta Avengers are as effective as they were in 2016, Nigerias production may not rise at all and could in fact decline.

Related: Record Breaking U.S. Exports Could Hurt Oil Markets

Mexico initiates oil hedging. Mexico reportedly sent a price request to Wall Street banks on their oil hedging program, often likened to one of the largest and most secretive oil hedging campaigns in the world. Mexico buys billions of dollars in hedges each year, a way to protect themselves from price fluctuations and offer some certainty for government finances. But the deal itself can influence the oil market because of its large size  typically 200 to 300 million barrels worth of hedges. In 2015, the hedging paid out $6.4 billion to Mexico after it locked in sales at higher prices than the prevailing market price. Mexico has initiated the process for this year by seeking price quotes.

Shale drillers scale back hedging. U.S. shale companies reduced their hedging in the first quarter of this year, opening them up to more exposure to the whims of the market. According to some analysts, many drillers let their hedges expire on expectations that oil prices would continue to rise. With a lower volume of hedges in place, shale drillers could end up trying to hedge at the next possible chance  if and when prices rise to a new near-term high. More hedging, if it comes, could lock in future production, which in turn would put downward pressure on prices.

India key to oil demand. India has been described as the largest source of future oil demand. Indias oil demand is expected to rise to 4.5 mb/d this year, an increase of about 200,000 bpd, which is equivalent to roughly 15 percent of the global increase. However, those figures are not assured, and the countrys long-term demand growth is not a given either, as the FT notes. India has launched an ambitious program to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, a program that could cut into demand growth. But critics question whether the objectives are realistic.

Saudi Arabia to cut oil exports to Asia and U.S. Saudi Aramco has reportedly informed Asian refiners that it will reduce exports to the region. Reuters reports that Aramco will cut exports to Asia by about 300,000 bpd in July, compared to June levels. Aramco will also cut exports to the U.S. by a whopping 35 percent. Related: Is This The First Sign Of A U.S., Chinese Solar War?

Refracking to boost production. Oil producers in North Dakotas Bakken are heading back to wells that have already been drilled with plans to refrack them. Some wells drilled years ago were drilled with older technologies. The Industry believes it has only recovered 5 to 15 percent of the available oil, according to the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, and the results from refracking some 140 wells show an uptick in production by 200,000 to 250,000 bpd. The difference with todays technology and drilling techniques are much larger volumes of fluid and sand with more precise fracture treatments. The upshot could be higher production coming from the Bakken and lower breakeven prices.

WoodMac: Oil majors need to shift to renewables. A new report from Wood Mackenzie says that oil demand will slow, threatening the oil industrys future profits. As a result, the majors need to transition to cleaner forms of energy. Woodmac predicts annual growth rates of 6 percent for wind, 11 percent for solar, and just 0.5 percent for oil demand. Because oil companies have expertise in offshore engineering, they have a unique opportunity to lead on offshore wind in particular. Ultimately, by 2030, the industry could shift one-fifth of its capital expenditure towards renewables.

Shale gas production surging. Natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale and the Permian Basin are on the rise, promising to keep a lid on natural gas prices for the foreseeable future.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

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The latest selloff in oil prices have left speculators in a predicament: The fundamentals continue to look poor with unimpressive drawdowns in crude oil stocks, but there is a general consensus that the extension of the OPEC deal should push the market towards a rebalancing over the next few quarters.

What that means for short-term movements in prices is unclear. The unpredictability of todays oil market is leaving some investors burned by unexpected price gyrations. For example, just ahead of the recent selloff in prices last week, oil traders bought up bets on rising prices. Hedge funds and other money managers increased their bullish bets by 7.3 percent for the week ending on June 6, but prices plunged by 5 percent a day later.

Traders looking for some direction might want to consider the futures market, where a contango structure has reemerged. A contango, in which near-term oil futures trade at a discount to futures dated further out, is a symptom of oversupply. For example, two weeks ago, futures for December 2017 traded at a $1 per barrel discount compared to contracts for delivery in December 2018. That discount ballooned to $1.49 per barrel last week, according to Bloomberg, a sign that investors are growing more pessimistic about oversupply conditions this year. Brent spreads are getting clobbered, Amrita Sen, chief oil market analyst at consultants Energy Aspects Ltd., told Bloomberg. The Atlantic Basin is awash in light crudes from Nigeria and Libya.

Related: Unstoppable: U.S. Adds Oil, Gas Rigs As OPEC Extends Deal

The December 2017-December 2018 spread is now deeper into contango territory than at any point since the original OPEC deal back in late 2016. In recent months the spread was positive  that is, the December 2017 contract traded at a premium compared to contracts a year later, a situation known as backwardation.

Several investment banks have insisted that OPECs best hope at draining inventories was to do just that: Induce a state of backwardation into the market. By driving up near-term prices while pushing down the back end of the futures curve, the argument goes, OPEC could scare off shale drilling. Producers would be deprived of finance by skittish lenders, and they would be reluctant to drill if they expected prices to be lower in the future. OPEC could achieve this state of backwardation by maintaining cuts this year while also signaling production growth in the future.

If that is the strategy, so far it has not succeeded. The reemergence of the contango reflects concerns about the glut persisting through this year.

Meanwhile, investors are growing wary of an energy market that continues to spurn them. Energy companies have been among the worst performing stocks in 2017. The poor results are leading to an exodus of capital from energy-linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Over the past three months, more than $300 million have been pulled out of energy ETFs, according to Bloomberg, which will likely result in the first quarterly outflow of capital from energy ETFs in more than two years. People are re-allocating money to sectors that are performing better, technology or health-care, versus sitting on a sector like energy thats down 10 plus percent, Jeff Carbone, managing partner of Cornerstone Financial Partners, told Bloomberg. Were bottoming, but what pushes it higher? Thats the hard part.

Related: UAE Gains Edge In $165 Billion Caspian Oil & Gas Market

The flip side is that some think that the selloff in energy is overdone. That is exactly why hedge funds and other money managers bought up a greater net-long position in early June, even though some might feel they got in at the wrong time. Nevertheless, the cratering of oil prices last week has opened up a buying opportunity. "When you start to approach $45 a barrel in WTI, you're in an area where you do find some price support and I think there has been some evidence last week of investment flows coming back into crude oil," Petromatrix strategist Olivier Jakob said in a Reuters interview. Jakob cautioned that the room on the upside could still be limited. "You have to be careful not to be too optimistic for now," he said. "Physical differentials are still under pressure and the time structure is still under pressure in Brent. It's a bit premature to call for much higher oil prices."

So what happens next depends on who you ask. Market fundamentals look weak but some traders see attractive entry points.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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I dont know about the rest of you guys, but is anyone else feeling a bit hinky about the price of oil? Every time we seem to have the table set for a rally, someone comes along and saws off a leg. So many indicators going in opposite directions at the same time. Its unsettling.



There are numerous factors that go into setting a price for a barrel of oil in the market, some of which actually reflect how much a particular user is ready to actually pay for that barrel, most of which involve conjecture, rumour, innuendo and blind guess work.



That said, you can typically assess all these myriad factors and get a proper Spidey sense of where things are at or should be, but in the current market, there are so many conflicting narratives and, more importantly, interpretations, that it may actually be best to just put a bunch of numbers between $40 and $70 around a dartboard, close your eyes and throw the damn dart.



In all seriousness though, I was looking at my forecast for the year the other day and while I dont like to do this, being a firm believer in living up to your picks, I feel like I need to take a page from the OPEC/NOPEC book and leave any and all reckoning open-ended, if only to have an exit ramp.



For the record, my pick was up to $65 by year end. I cant get there anymore. Theres too much headwind. And tailwind! I still believe that price is coming and that there is a high likelihood that is just the beginning of a higher price deck, but in the current market, who knows.



In arriving at my conclusion, Ive looked at a number of factors, both positive and negative, qualitative and quantitative, some of which are described below. All of which could be bullish or bearish for prices, it depends.



OPEC/NOPEC intervention  this should be very bullish for oil prices, yet strangely it isnt. Cutting 1.8 million barrels of production a day is in theory is a great way to reduce oversupply and draw down inventories. Everyone was waiting for the big pop in prices that didnt materialize. Maybe there is something else afoot. We covered the risks here a couple of weeks ago, but they bear repeating  cheating (inevitable, but for now solidarity is strong), Nigeria/Libya (not part of the deal, recovering production, suspect they will be forced to join in the cuts before long), Iraq (hard to fund a war against an insurgency when you dont have cash flow  they will be the first to break ranks). So, all those risks, but still, a big cut in production that will hit inventories. Market reaction? Meh. Where this breaks is anyones guess but I suspect that OPEC/NOPEC, Saudi Arabia in particular, is just fine with the current, uncertain, arrangement.



Inventory levels  stubbornly refuse to cooperate. Winning the inventory battle gets the price where it needs to be. But inventories need to drop from the current level to the 5-year average (a decline of about 300 mm barrels) which will take some work. Personally, I feel that there is a rising risk of an inventory shock, particularly in non-US OECD given the lagging nature of the data which is typically a month old and lagging, so its of little utility except to remind everyone of old news, usually at the wrong time. On the other hand, U.S. data is great, we see it every week and its precise  however it is also ubiquitous and represents only 10 percent of the global market. That said, any aberration in that data generates outsized market reactions because it is really the only accurate and timely data the market can access.



Consider for example that last week (June) we found out that U.S. week over week inventory went down by 6 mm barrels and at the same time found out that OECD inventory at the end of March was pretty much unchanged. Thanks. This week we had a surprise build in U.S. inventories and other data? Nada. May as well have been a Windows Blue Screen of Death. Maybe come August, when we get the June or July data, we will see a decline in those stocks which will be bullish for prices, unless the market is freaking out over yet another questionably relevant 1 percent seasonal increase in PADD 3 gasoline stocks sending the market into freefall.



Shale Boom  2.0. U.S. activity continues to accelerate and we are soon going to see significant additional production from tight oil activity as completions ramp up. It is worth noting that a majority of the growth off the lows of last year was from offshore production, not onshore, but the small 15,000 and 20,000 bpd increases in production we have been seeing for the past few months are the result of many land-based wells coming online. As alluded to above, this weekly climb affects prices by keeping US inventories full and helps create short term swings in inventory numbers such as we saw this past week. We are also continually being told that the US is going to average over 10 million bpd of production in 2018 which of course the market interprets as an OPEC/NOPEC failure, pushing down prices in the short term. Shale drilling is the push-me/pull-you of the oil market  when prices are high, they all get to work and when they all get to work prices come down. My point? As long as tight oil is drilling, absent any other influences, prices will be held in check Related: Is Canadas Oil Production Ready For A Resurgence?



Nice soft backwardation  this should be a net positive for prices. It encourages the draining of inventories since the price available now is better than what is available farther out. Of course it is also a negative, since short cycle shale drillers will be motivated to drill to generate cash flow today. On the other hand, highly indebted shale drillers require the ability to hedge production to lock in prices and cash flows to pay their banks and in a backwardation environment they cant, which should depress activity. The recent price drop may be enough to bring back a contango situation, which of course has just the opposite effect.



Not too hot, not too cold. Meh, get a life Goldilocks. Im the market and I want it now, now, now! Seriously though, the market wants higher prices and all this nonsense is standing in the way of higher prices. Plus all those hedge funds went long on the market and they were wrong (at least in the short term) so the sell-off happened.



In the chart below you can see the crude price plowing through and below its 200, 50 and 9 day moving average. From a market timers perspective, this chart is a giant red flag. The technical play on oil is to sell, sell, sell and run for the hills! Based on this chart, in the very short term, oil could touch $42. Given that, the path back past $50 is long.

(Click to enlarge)

Nonsense in the Middle East  So Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council collectively decided they were going to punish Qatar and isolate them because of their supposed support of Iran and terrorism. The market initially pushed oil prices up but then they came back as the assessment was that this wasnt a supply risk given Qatars natural gas orientation. But wait a second, a week after Trump visits, rips Iran while in Saudi Arabia and gets the cold shoulder from Qatar, all of a sudden Saudi Arabia and friends isolate this lightly populated country? I dont think there was any one thing said by Trump that gave rise to this, but I think the Saudis were left with the distinct impression that the U.S. wouldnt care, or tacit approval (tweet supported!). And thus we have another tentative step towards even broader proxy if not outright conflict in the Middle East between Iran and Saudi Arabia. If that isnt bullish for crude prices, Im hard-pressed to think what might be. (As an aside on the supply situation, Qatar is the worlds largest exporter of LNG  wouldnt it be just ducky if Canada had an LNG facility to fill that potential shortfall, you know, kinda like the U.S. and Australia do?)



All Trump, all the time  at some point the constant turmoil in the Trump White House has to start wearing on the markets, doesnt it? An unceremonious crash from over-valued heights, a weakening of the U.S. dollar, pushing oil prices up a bit? You would think, but that has not yet happened. That said, with the ongoing controversy regarding Russian election interference, questions about collusion and obstruction of justice, a puzzling approach to world affairs and global alliances and a legislative agenda that has only a passing chance of actually being implemented, one can only surmise that at some point the sell light is going to start flashing over the U.S.



Demand  much to the chagrin of anti-fossil fuel activists everywhere, demand for fossil fuels continues to grow and is expected to surpass 100 million bpd by 2019 if not sooner. That is a staggering number. Bullish, right? So add 2mm bpd of demand growth to the average decline rates of 4 percent to 6 percent (if not higher), and the oil industry needs to add up to 8 million bpd of production a year to meet this demand, an annual add that is greater than Canadas production (4 mm bpd), US tight oil (5 mm bpd) and OPEC spare capacity. Plus, as detailed here previously, the lack of investment in large scale projects since the crash of 2014 and the absence of major discoveries in a longer time frame than that is more than problematic. Where is that supply going to come from? Currently this can be met with the excess inventory that exists (which we are supposedly drawing down), but once that five year average line gets crossed, and it will, the price direction can be nowhere but up until major, game-breaking supplies get brought on line. And, sorry everyone, tight oil isnt going to solve that problem, fortunately for Canada though, oil sands play a part, but there needs to be much more. The upper bound on prices at that point will depend on how fast new resource can be brought on stream or Elon Musk. My money is on the patch. Related: Europe Joins Race For Cheaper Batteries With This Gigafactory



Is there a conclusion here? Youd think, right? But no, not really. The signals are all so conflicting that it is hard to get a handle on where the market is actually going to go. Its all over the map, much like most of the narrative above. And I guess thats the point because really, who knows!



This seems to be the textbook definition of range bound, too many opposing signals, but none of them yet strong enough to propel the price definitively in one direction. Currently that range appears to be $45 to $55. Which isnt that bad, all things considered. Its hard to see a sustained break below that or a significant move above that. At least in the short term.



So, am I ready to throw in the towel on my price forecast? Not yet, but I am fully prepared to throw my year end timing under the bus and push out significant price increases to mid to late 2018. Im not overly concerned about the 10 million bpd of U.S. production in 2018 because, quite frankly, we will probably need all those barrels if not more.



For all the positive reasons described above, prices have to come up. For all the negative reasons described above, prices have to come down. For the foreseeable future, expect the market to continue overreacting to incremental production increases of 20,000 bpd here and there and getting spooked by the short term click bait of Libyan output and Nigerian refinery bombings. It is also fair to say that the market will continue to under-appreciate the implications of four years of stagnant exploration and discovery, until its too late.



Year end? Ill go back to my blind-folded dart board $56. Even that may be too high. But expect $75 sometime in 2018.



By Stuart Parnell via Stormont Energy Advisors

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Kazakhstan has no plans to cut its crude oil production further, rejecting a report from Russias TASS agency that the Central Asian country was ready to cut deeper to offset an increase in the output from its huge offshore field, Kashagan, in the Caspian Sea.

The TASS report quoted Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih as saying that Astana had promised to do everything possible to compensate for the output increase at the Kashagan field to keep its end of the bargain with OPEC. The agency also quoted the Kazakh Energy Minister as saying that the government will discuss its quota following said output increase.

Now, a spokesperson for the North Caspian Operating Companythe consortium in charge of developing Kashagantold UPI that the company has so far not had reason to reconsider its production plans for the rest of the year. At this time we have not been officially informed of any basis for modifying production plans for 2017, the spokesperson said.

Kazakhstan is a party to the original production agreement struck by OPEC and 11 non-OPEC producers last year, committing to shave off 20,000 bpd from its total daily production. Kashagan, however, which started commercial production last September, pumped some 180,000 bpd as of May with plans to raise this to 370,000 bpd by the end of the current year. The field is estimated to hold between 9 and 13 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil.

UPI cited information from OPEC that reveals average crude oil production in Kazakhstan stood at 1.72 million barrels daily over the first quarter of the year, up by some 40,000 bpd from a year earlier but, the cartel said, Astana had undertaken to reduce production at other fields to offset the rising output at Kashagan.

The consortium operating Kashagan involves Exxon, Enis subsidiary Agip, CNPC, Japans Inpex, Shell, Total, and Kazakhstans state-owned major Kazmunaygaz.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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In the latest sign that OPEC is becoming increasingly nervous about the absent success of its oil production cut deal, Nigerias Petroleum Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu warned the U.S. and other non-OPEC producers that OPEC cannot continue indefinitely to just take the tank, take the blames and take the issues and yield the market space and also create the cuts that are essential to stabilise.

Speaking to media in Abuja, the minister made an extensive case for wider cooperation on international oil price control, noting that while OPEC produces about 30 percent of global oil, the rest of the world accounts for the bigger part of total supply, so in order for any price control measures to have any real effect, all producers should begin to come back to the pot.

At the moment, Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate are trading at levels last seen before OPEC initiated negotiations on the production cut, with Brent at US$48.24 a barrel at 9:29am EST, and WTI changing hands at US$45.93 a barrel.

This price fall has set OPEC members of edge, apparently, even cut-exempt Nigeria, which has plans to boost its oil production significantly before this years end. Expectations were that the announcement of a nine-month extension of the cut beyond the June 30th deadline will push prices further above US$50, but doubts abounded and a slide that began even before the announcement only continued after May 25.

Kachikwu downplayed the role of rising shale oil output on international prices, saying We believe that the steps that we have taken and the price range that we have created, which is in the mid-$50s is enough to encourage just enough shale and not encourage excessive shale production. If you look at the drawdown on shale over the last two, three to four months, the cumulative increases are very low.

Data from the Energy Information Administration shows the increases have not been so modest in the last two months. In fact, they are accelerating, and June shale output is likely to be 11.8 percent higher than the figure for May.

The minister went on to announce the start of an initiative that could see producers from North and South America sit together to discuss ways of supporting prices, but did not go into detail.

The warning comes as OPEC released its monthly report on Tuesday, showing increased production from OPEC members, from 31.8 million bpd in April to 32.1 million bpd in May.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Seven Fatal Flaws of Son of 97 Tax  HB 2830 *** Hearing Today ***

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

1. Taxes go up for everyone except big business which are rewarded with tax cut

2. Creates double taxation

3. Discriminates against family-owned businesses with higher taxes (for no other reason other than they are family owned)

4. Small business lose their 2015 tax relief

5. Taxes companies that are not making a profit

6. 66% tax increase for just doing businesses in Oregon

7. It gives special tax treatment to businesses by industries like Wal-Mart while others like day-care centers and family doctors pay more.

(Note: This analysis based on available information at the time which changes rapidly)

The HB 2830 proposal would impose a new $1.2 billion Business Sales Tax, also known as the CAT (Corporate activity Tax). The CAT is much like Measure 97, except its worse. Where Measure 97 hit only the largest of the large corporations, this new proposal would affect every single business in Oregon and hit small and medium sized businesses hardest.

After paying the $250 minimum, any sales over $3 million are taxed based on the amount of sales. Thats sales, not income. Businesses will be taxed on sales even if they are losing money. Most business would pay a rate of 0.48 percent on these sales. Closely held businesses would get a credit equal to 43 percent. For a closely held business (partnership, LLC, S-corporations) with $4 million in sales, Oregon taxes would go from $150 a year to $2,986 a year. Thats a 12-fold increase in state taxes.

Small business tax increase

Under the proposal, small business (LLCs, S-Corp., Partnerships) under $3 million will be getting a massive tax increase. As it removes the 2015 small business tax rate otherwise known as the pass through rate reduction. Many of these small businesses will see their taxes go up by $4,000 and will see their rate go up by as much as 30+%. Small pass-through companies currently pay a tax rate of 7.0%-9.9%, while large C-Corporations currently pay rates from 6.6%-7.6%.

Double taxation on Oregon Small and Family Businesses

Owners of S-corps, LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietorships currently dont pay business income taxes. Instead, they pay personal income taxes on the business income that passes through to them as owners. Under the HB 2830, these business owners over $3 million will be taxed twice: First on their businesss sales under the CAT, then again their personal income taxes. This will cost any businesses owners thousands of dollars in new taxes.

Big business exempt from double taxation.

This double taxation unfairly exempts C-corporations. Two exactly same restaurants will see the locally owned family restaurant being double taxed while the corporate chain restaurant pay less taxes even though they make the exact same sales and profits.

As a sweetener to get buy in from big business, HB 2830 proposes to get rid of Oregons current corporate income tax and replace it with the CAT which is a tax on sales. The taxes for Oregons larger businesses would go from currently taxing 6.6 to 7.6 of profits to taxing .48 on sales for most larger businesses. Some big C-corps may not see much of a change in their net tax bills. Yet many of Oregons largest and most profitable corporations could see their tax bill cut in half. This further cements the Oregon-penalty for selling goods to Oregonians rather than out-of-state or foreign sales.

This tax will mostly hurting Oregon businesses (over $3 million in sales) because it will shift taxes from profits to sales. This means many C-corp businesses that are not making a profit will see their taxes go up. This tax is designed to protect government revenue in a recession by soaking businesses that are not making a profit during the recession but now have to pay more.

Rewarding and punishing companies based on categories

This tax segregates Oregon companies and gives preferences to some and penalties to others.

.75% for services

.48% for all other

.35% retail trade

.25% for wholesale

.15% for agriculture

Family doctors and day care centers would pay a higher tax on earnings than pawn shops, liquor stores and tobacco shops. The mom and pop grocer would pay more in taxes than Costco for selling the same products.

At the same time, low margin businesses or businesses facing a temporary downturn will get hit with a massive increase in their tax bills.

Today, many closely held Oregon businessespartnerships, LLCs, and S-corporationspay an excise tax of $150. Any profits from these businesses are passed through to the owners and the owners are taxed at Oregons personal income tax rates. HB 2830 raises the minimum tax to $250, even for small, closely held businesses. Thats a 66 percent increase over the current excise tax of $150.

When asked if the CAT would lead to big businesses avoiding Oregon, Senator Mark Hass responded, Im finding just the opposite to be true from some of the largest businesses, such as Nike which is supportive and helping. Thus, it is clear that HB 2830 is designed to balance the states budget on the backs of small and medium sized businesses and on the backs of low margin businesses.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that per capita personal income in Oregon is 9.1 percent lower than the national average. HB 2830 would make it even worse. Analysis by the Legislative Revenue Office finds that HB 2830 would reduce wages earned by the average Oregon household while increasing their tax burden. LRO calculates the wage and tax impacts would reduce the disposable income of the median Oregon household by $144 a year.
First announced at Google I/O 2016 , the Daydream View VR headset, along with the controller, is exclusively available on Flipkart from today and comes with a price tag of Rs 6,499. PhonePe users buying Daydream via UPI, will also get Rs 300 off. The first 30 customers will get a Google Chromecast free while the first 50 customers will receive Google Play Store credit worth Rs 500. Globally the gadget is available in a few selected markets.

A highly improved VR headset compared to Cardboard, Daydream View can deliver simple, high-quality VR for experiencing sports, live events and 360-degree views. Unlike Cardboard, this one has been made with soft, breathable fabric, weighs 220g and fits over eyeglasses. Compatible with Google's Pixel, Pixel XL, Motorola Moto Z, Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the phones and the headset are auto-aligned, says Google, which means users do not have to worry about cables or connectors. The controller is a small remote that allows users to interact with the headset and can fit in the headset when not in use. Weighing 40g, the controller packs in 9 axis IMUs for precision tracking and works on Bluetooth. It supports fast charging with USB Type C charger and cable (not included in the box).

ALSO READ: Google co-founder Sergey Brin reportedly building world's largest airship

Speaking on the launch, Clay Bavor, Vice President of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality at Google, said, "Daydream View promises users a mesmerising experience. Swim with a pod of dolphins, stand at the edge of a volcano and even visit Pluto with Daydream View. Users can teleport from virtually anywhere to pretty much everywhere. Our aim is to make the VR experience mobile so that customers can easily carry it anywhere with them. We at Google are also working with developers, smartphone companies and content creators to make VR accessible to all."

There are many VR apps and games listed on the Play Store, including YouTube VR, NYT VR, Guardian VR, The Turning Forest, Labster: World of Science, Netflix VR, Google Play Movies, Within, Fantastic Beasts, The Arcslinger, Wonderglade, Mekorama VR, Gunjack 2: End of Shift, Need for Speed No Limits VR, LEGO BrickHeadz Builder VR and more. Additionally, one can use Street View to take 150-plus curated tours of the world's most amazing places such as the pyramids and the Taj Mahal; experience the virtual gallery and view the masterpieces featured in more than 50 world-renowned museums with Arts & Culture.

Also watch:




Low income families use community resources to stretch their budgets, often to pay for necessities like food and housing. In 2008, more than 40 million families in the United States met the criteria for low income or living below the federal poverty level, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty. Federal government funds help states to provide many of the resources available to low income families and community organizations operate programs that address unmet need.

Community Centers

Community centers help low income families meet needs not provided for by their income or by public assistance resources. Community centers operate food banks, pay overdue utility bills and rent, provide funds to help adults purchase items or pay for transportation for new jobs, and help children with school supplies and holiday items.

Earned Income Tax Credit

Low income working families can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit, and receive a tax refund if they qualify for the credit and if the total amount of taxes they owe is less than the credit. The credit may reduce the amount of taxes low income families pay.

Federal Child Tax Credit

Eligible low income families with a qualifying child or children may claim the Child Tax Credit. In 2010, the credit gave a $1,000 per child deduction; however, families with incomes under $11,300 do not qualify for the tax credit. The Additional Child Tax Credit may be available to families for whom the amount of their Child Tax Credit exceeds the amount of income tax owed.

Higher Education Assistance

The U.S. Department of Education administers the federal student aid program and offers six grants to low income families, including Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). The program also offers five federal student loan programs, some of which are income based. Low income families may also claim education tax credits when filing income tax returns such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Hope Scholarship Credit.

Home Energy Assistance

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides federal funds to states to help families, renters and homeowners, pay for heating bills and other heat related expenses, including electricity, coal, wood, gas, oil, kerosene and propane. The funds provide for annual assistance and also for emergency assistance. The Weatherization Assistance Program provides funds for private home insulation to decrease energy costs.

Health Resources

Families whose income places them below the poverty level may qualify for public health insurance, such as Medical Assistance. For families that do not qualify for public health insurance, nonprofit organizations operate free and reduced fee health clinics that provide services such as free medication, health education, lifestyle programs and free health screenings. State public health departments operate clinics that provide similar services, including testing for communicable diseases.

Nutrition Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides federal funds to states for nutrition assistance programs which help low income families and their children. Nutrition programs include the food stamp or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Women, Infants and Children (WIC); National School Lunch Programs; Food Distribution Programs and nutrition programs for the elderly.

Subsidized Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funds for housing programs throughout the country, including public housing, housing for seniors and Section 8 vouchers for rental assistance. HUD housing programs focus on helping low income families achieve self sufficiency. Nonprofit organizations operate homeless shelters or transitional housing for families who need help finding permanent housing.

Subsidized Childcare

Subsidized childcare programs allow parents to pay income based fees or to enroll their children in free childcare. The Child Care and Development Fund provides federal grants to states to help families afford child care so they can work, take job training classes or attend school. The Head Start program provides nutrition and school readiness services to children from low income families.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

The TANF program is the nations primary welfare or public assistance program. TANF provides funds to states to assist low income families. Assistance may include financial assistance, job training and other assistance to help low income families achieve self sufficiency. TANF programs are administered by local departments of social services.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
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.
This is the latest in a series of posts about the suffrage movement in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties.

Members of The Kingsbury Grange unanimously endorsed equal suffrage for women, The Post-Star reported July 24,1917.

The local group followed the lead of the National Grange, an organization oriented around agriculture communities, which supported womans suffrage.

The members of Mettowee Grange at Granville also have taken similar action, The Post-Star reported in the article on file at the New York State Historic Newspapers website, a project of public libraries.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.
GLENS FALLS  A Glens Falls man was jailed last week for allegedly having sexual contact with a teenage boy, police said.

Albert M. Pelkey, 36, of Oak Street, was arrested after Glens Falls Police learned of the alleged sexual relationship with a child younger than 17, officials said.

He was charged with two felony counts of criminal sexual act and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child, police records show.

Pelkey, who has multiple prior felony convictions, was sent to Warren County Jail without bail.

Glens Falls Police Detective Sgt. Kyle Diamond made the arrest, assisted by Hudson Falls Police.
GLENS FALLS  The city of Glens Falls is moving forward with the process of selling a warehouse building at 222 Maple St. that the city acquired for back taxes, despite the owner filing a new lawsuit challenging the citys foreclosure in 2015.

We feel that the (foreclosure) proceedings were followed completely, said Mayor Jack Diamond in an interview Tuesday at City Hall.

Diamond said there has been interest in the four-story warehouse building, which the city has advertised for sale for $159,100.

Weve had three walkthroughs, but not yet any written offers, Diamond said.

Theyre still discussing it among their investment groups, he said, referring to the three interested parties.

Diamond would not identify the potential buyers, but said all three are local investors.

The city foreclosed on the property in 2015 for non-payment of taxes.

Ted Zoli of Ogdensburg, the previous owner, said at the time that for a number of years he had routinely waited for the city to foreclose on the property, then paid the delinquent property taxes, penalty and interest to redeem it.

Diamond established a new policy in 2015 that the city would no longer allow former owners to automatically repurchase their properties after foreclosure.

In order to repurchase properties after foreclosure, former owners must make a case to the Common Council why there were extenuating circumstances that prevented paying taxes before foreclosure, under the new policy.

Zoli challenged the citys new foreclosure policy in a previous lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Warren County, which Judge Stan Pritzker rejected in May 2016 because an Article 78 proceeding was not the correct legal vehicle to challenge it.

The new lawsuit, filed June 2, challenges former Supreme Court Judge David Krogmanns original foreclosure decision, rather than the foreclosure policy.

Livingston Coulter, a lawyer for Zoli, wrote that the city controller provided Zoli with incorrect information about the amount of taxes due, and the city Common Council would not allow Zoli and Coulter to discuss that detail when they attended a Common Council meeting on July 14, 2015.

The meeting, unfortunately,  turned out to be a complete fiasco where the mayor and city council members were not at all interested to hear anything about the horrible and inexcusable illegal actions of the city, Livingston alleged, in the new lawsuit.

Diamond said Zoli and Livingston had the opportunity to raise any issues about the sale they wished to at the July 14, 2015, meeting.

We certainly gave Mr. Zoli plenty of opportunity to discuss that when he came to that meeting, Diamond said Tuesday.

Diamond said Zoli has the right to challenge the foreclosure, but he is confident the city did everything correctly.

Thats up to the court system to decide that, he said.

Diamond said the city will continue with the process of selling the 222 Maple St. warehouse.

The building is being offered for sale as is through a direct sale process, with city Common Council approval, not an auction or request for proposals process.
LAKE GEORGE  Lake George town officials are eyeing a local law on short-term property rentals so they have a better idea of who is staying in local homes.

Betsy Krebs, owner of the Stone Schoolhouse, spoke before the Town Board on Monday, asking that the town consider changing the law so people can rent their property for a shorter duration. The current minimum is seven days and seven nights. Anybody renting for less than seven days needs to go through site plan review before the Planning Board.

Krebs said she would be willing to pay the occupancy tax.

Were bringing people to the area, she said.

Supervisor Dennis Dickinson said the town is in favor of allowing people to rent out their homes.

We have no intention of stopping you from doing it, he said.

However, the town has an interest in regulating this activity, he said. Dickinson said the first issue is that people who rent out their homes are actually in a business.

Theyre not getting a business license. Theyre not paying taxes, he said.

The other issue is the town wants to make sure that these homes are providing a safe environment with no septic issues or other quality-of-life issues. There needs to be some oversight by the town, Dickinson said.

Weve had issues with people having a 25-foot bonfire in the backyard of a residential area drinking and carousing. They go to bed with the bonfire going, he said.

Dickinson said he would like homeowners to come in and get a permit before renting out their property.

Local officials also need to have someone available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who they can contact in the event of a fire or emergency.

Dickinson said having a license in place would complement an effort by home rental website Airbnb to negotiate a contract with Warren County. All the people who rent their homes would be on a list through Airbnbs website and the company would handle the financial transactions.

They collect whatever appropriate taxes are due from those people and send one check to the county, he said.

Dickinson said he wants to add a stipulation in the contract that before anybody in the town of Lake George gets on the list, the homeowner needs to possess a license from the town.

Dan Barusch, director of planning and zoning, said the license is drafted. The code is still being tweaked and it would come before the board at an upcoming meeting.

Krebs said she likes that the town is working on this issue.

Im glad youre giving people a voice, she said.

The village of Lake George adopted a short-term residential amendment to its zoning code in 2014. People must obtain a license at $75 per year.
QUEENSBURY  The Queensbury Board of Education on Monday appointed district resident Daniel Hamm as an assistant principal at Queensbury High School.

Hamm comes to the district after spending a year as an assistant principal at Catskill High School. He also spent a year in administrative internships with Putnam Central School and Whitehall Junior/Senior High School, according to a news release.

Previously, he taught at Putnam Central School for seven years in the areas of physical education, health and science.

Hamm will be responsible for overseeing nearly 600 freshmen and juniors. He will also assist with freshmen orientation and creating a master schedule.

The board gave Hamm a four-year contract at a starting salary of $81,500.

Hamm said he looks forward to working with the strong administrative team to build upon the districts success.

I feel pretty fortunate to live and work in a district that has such a strong sense of community. My first priority is to build strong working relationships with students, staff and the community, and to work together as a team to achieve schoolwide and districtwide goals, Hamm said in a news release.

High school Principal Damian Switzer said Hamm is passionate and has a student-centered approach.

He believes success is all about building relationships and giving our students the support they need, he said in a news release.

Hamm earned a masters degree in special education from Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and a bachelors degree in biology secondary education from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Hamm replaces Justin Hoskins, who is leaving to become principal at Fort Ann Junior-Senior High School.
QUEENSBURY  Google has selected the Queensbury Union Free School District as a Google for Education Reference District.

The district is one of only six school districts in New York and 52 in the United States to receive the designation, according to a news release.

The recognition is for districts that demonstrate excellence and leadership through use of technology including G Suite for Education (formerly known as Google Apps for Education) and Chromebooks.

As a reference district, Queensbury will receive early access to new Google tools and ideas. The district also is highlighted on the Google for Education website.
Hartford officials rally to build ballfields

Bravos to town of Hartford officials for their combined efforts to build new ballfields at Hartford Central School. The town Highway Department, Youth Commission volunteers and school employees all helped out, while Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff credited the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District for landing a $6,000 grant for the project for topsoil and seeding. Haff also singled out Russell Wade of the Youth Commission for putting in a lot of time on the project. Haff said they accomplished $80,000 worth of work for just $10,000. Thats good news for Hartford taxpayers and shows what can be done when people work together.

County probation officers get high marks

Bravos to Warren and Washington county probation officers for getting high marks in the timeliness of their pre-plea and pre-sentencing reports, respectively. Washington Countys average report took 30 days, which was among the fastest in the state. A county judge started the survey to find out how long it took to prepare pre-sentencing reports. He found that it averaged about 12 weeks in most counties. More importantly, Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan pointed out that shorter waits save taxpayers money.

Department of Labor halts cleanup

Boos to the state Department of Labor for halting the cleanup of a burned-out car business that has been an eyesore for four years. The state issued a stop-work order on cleanup of the site because of the presence of asbestos. While that is usually a serious concern, an independent survey found that asbestos was present in just 1 percent of the debris. Surely, the state can come to a compromise to get this cleaned up once and for all.

Motocross track operator violates rules

Boos to Jeremy Treadway, owner of the ADK MX track on Route 149 in Fort Ann, for failing to abide by the guidelines set by the town for operating the track. Up until now, Treadway appeared to do everything right to appease neighbors complaints about his new business, but Fort Ann Supervisor Richard Moore said Treadway opened the track too early in the morning and allowed camping overnight. Both were in violation of the rules set forth by the town. If Treadway is going to be successful, he has to abide by the rules.

Removing Exit 19 turn lane was a bad idea

Boos to the state Department of Transportation for removing one of the two left-hand turn lanes onto the southbound Exit 19 interchange in Queensbury because it was in violation of federal traffic guidelines. The change has led to traffic backing up onto Aviation Road at rush hour. We want to remind the state Department of Transportation that Gov. Andrew Cuomos recent signs promoting New York on the New York Thruway were also a violation of federal guidelines that have been overlooked. The state needs to make an exception here. It has made the situation more dangerous in Queensbury.

Queensbury stiffens athletic guidelines

Bravos to Queensbury High School for stiffening the punishments for student-athletes if they are caught violating team rules, specifically underage drinking. There was a rash of violations over the past two years with about 50 infractions. The school was right to stiffen the punishments.

Gutheil calls for opposition to rate increase

Bravos to South Glens Falls Mayor Harry Gutheil for trying to organize regional opposition to the proposed National Grid rate increase. The proposal would increase delivery charges 21.8 percent for electricity and 24.8 percent for natural gas for the average customer. Its refreshing for a public official to take on a major utility on billing that most people feel is out of their control. The state Public Service Commission is taking comments on the proposed rate increase at www.dps.ny.gov.
Editor:

I think school lunches should be prepared in the school and they should make the food healthier, but also taste much better than they do now. The schools could do this by serving fresh fruit that more kids like, such as strawberries and raspberries. They could also do this with vegetables by serving a large variety of them so kids would be able to choose what they would like to eat and not have only two or three choices. Baked beans would be a good one to have.

For the main part of the meal, the schools could serve things like subs with whole wheat bread, hamburgers with lean meat, and other lean meats and good-tasting healthy foods. For drinks, the schools should serve milk, water and some kind of 100 percent fruit juice with low sugar.

According to the New York Times, the schools are wasting lots of money on forcing kids to get fruits and vegetables. They say kids often leave their fruits and vegetables untouched. Schools could save so much food and money if the kids were not forced to get fruits and vegetables that will most likely end up in the trash anyways.

I think if the schools start preparing the lunches in the school, the kids would like the food much better because it would taste more homemade, and everybody likes the taste of homemade food.

Chris Farrell, Fort Ann

Editors note: Throughout the year, advocacy has been emphasized with various activities and projects by students in David Morses 10th-grade health class at Fort Ann. Students were urged to write and create awareness about any current health-related topics.
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ALPHA, Ill.  After a few hours turning hay atop his tractor, Bruce Curry was ready to check out his strawberries.

And, Curry, who owns the 80 acres of land known as Country Corner Farm Market in Alpha, Illinois, kept his expectations low.

The business he started in 1987  which draws 25,000-35,000 visitors each year  is mostly known for pumpkins.

Our fall business is huge, Curry said of the farms 10 acres reserved for pumpkins. We keep our berry patches small, because the berry business can be difficult. A lot of things can go wrong.

Still, over the last month, Country Corner staff have fielded non-stop questions about pick-your-own strawberries, says special events coordinator Bob Frees.

Theres a lot of phone calls, emails, Facebook comments, stop-ins about the U-Pick strawberries, Frees, who manages the farms Facebook page, which has more than 13,000 followers, said. People are eager to get out here.

Visitors have had to wait longer than usual this season, according to Frees, who Curry calls his right-hand man.

Mother Nature was not so kind to us this year, Frees said. The warmer winter and freezing again in March put us behind.

The strawberry season typically begins in late May or the first week of June. This year, Country Corner opened its U-Pick strawberry patches to customers on May 30, but had to temporarily close the next day. Frees offered this explanation in a Facebook post: Due to the unusual cool weather, strawberries are not ripening as soon as normal.

Now that the berries are ripe, the farms eight rows of strawberry patches will be open for picking Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays likely through the end of June.

It really is a small window, Frees said. All the work you put into it, you get two to three weeks of strawberries.

But he and Curry agree: It's worth it.

As a group of 6-year-old kids toured Country Corner on Monday, Curry seemed pleasantly surprised by what he saw in the strawberry patches.

It looks to me like were going to have good berries, he said. They look beautiful.

And the taste?

Just perfect, he said.

Dream come true

At some point during his morning work, Curry wrote three words on his hand with pen: Affordable, fun, educational.

I was thinking of things that were important to say about this place, he said. Those are the things that set us apart.

Curry, 56, who started selling pumpkins on his front yard when he was 12, owes his success to those three words, which is basically his business plan . He said hes amazed at how his farm  his dream  has grown over the years.

Country Corner now offers weekly farm tours, where visitors tour the produce patches as well as a learning center, farm animal petting zoo, bee barn, corn maze and a playground with several games.

We have a blast, Curry said. Its about educating the public on what farmers do and how things are grown.

Currys wife, Alex, overlooks the farm market, which serves as somewhat of a food hub and offers jams, honey, cheeses and more from five neighboring farms.

It takes a lot of work: In the fall, Curry is on the farm about 120 hours per week. In the summer, hes there around 50 hours per week.

What keeps you going is happy customers, he said. My wife and I dont talk about money we make, we just talk about the customers and if theyre happy.

Theres another talking point: When, on Aug. 17, 2011, then-President Barack Obama visited Country Corner to hold a town hall meeting.

If you ever wonder if what youre doing means anything to anybody, the president coming to visit you is a good sign, Curry said. It was unbelievable.

At the time, Curry was surprised to get the call from a White House representative. Looking back on the visit now, it makes sense, he said.

Im pretty sure the president came to visit me because Im the American dream, he said. I tell everyone that if you have a dream, you can make it happen.

Somebodys got to pick them

Jacky Lindstrom, who started working at Country Corner 11 years ago, has seen the reactions from visitors over and over.

Some people have no idea what we do here, she said. And then they come and get to actually see it and pick things themselves  theyre so excited.

That goes for her two grandkids, who Lindstrom brought for a visit over the weekend.

It was the first time they had ever picked strawberries, so we cleaned them up and ate them with ice cream, Lindstrom, who got the nickname Jacky of all trades, because of all she does on the farm, said. Theyre so much better than the store for some reason  theyre smaller, but juicier.

Thats why, Lindstrom said, strawberry season  however short it may be  keeps bringing people to Country Corner. By the way, red raspberries, blueberries and blackberries will soon be available at the farm, too.

Doing the U-Pick thing was a great idea for us, because it brings people here, she said.

The U-Pick part of his business is a no brainer, said Curry.

Its fun to grow things people enjoy and want to pick, he said. And somebodys got to pick them.
Participants and local residents look over the hundreds of vehicles on display Monday at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport for the 23rd annual Hot Rod Power Tour. The tour, sponsored by Hot Rod Magazine, started Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, and ends Friday in Bowling Green, Kentucky. From Davenport, the tour will visit the University of Illinois in Champaign on Tuesday. To see dozens more photos from Monday's event, go to qctimes.com/gallery.
Webster Public RelationsJustin Moore, father of three daughters, now has a male ally in his household.

Big sisters Ella, Kennedy and Rebecca welcomed their baby brother Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Arkansas. Justins wife Kate gave birth to the 7-pound 14-ounce boy at 3:33 p.m.

Thomas South Moore was named after his late grandfather. While the Moores didn't find out the sex of the baby in advance, no one was happier with the outcome than Justin.

Kate and I already felt like the most blessed people in the world, with our three beautiful daughters, Justin said. But, we feel even more blessed to have a healthy baby BOY now to add to our family.

Justin and Kate plan to call their little one South.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Linda Mintener, a former resident of Davenport, has received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from the National Flute Association for her many years of pro bono legal work for the association.

For the past 14 years, Mintener has served as the NFAs legal counsel. Until her retirement, Mintener worked for 28 years as a litigator of large claim sales tax cases for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Mintener is also a flutist and private flute instructor in Madison, Wisconsin. She performs regularly as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles.

Mintener graduated cum laude from Indiana University School of Music. She is a member of the honorary music fraternities of Pi Kappa Lambda and Sigma Alpha Iota. She served for two years with the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa, where she taught flute. Upon returning to the U.S., she resumed her flute studies at the University of Wisconsin and later attended and graduated from the UW Law School.

She also coordinates the Chinese Orphans Project of the First Baptist Church in Madison and organizes annual benefit concerts to help raise the funds that provide educational opportunities for many impoverished Chinese orphans.
Illinois Democrats have a problem.

Increasingly, elected officials in the failing state are blasting Gov. Bruce Rauner, pinning the state's unprecedented woes on the freshman Republican. And, increasingly, they're first pitching their independence from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who leads the state Democratic Party.

That latter point is of real interest.

In the past two weeks, I've sat down with two Illinois constitutional officers: Treasurer Mike Frerichs and Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

Both are former lawmakers turned statewide officers. Both are Democrats. But stylistically, the two are different.

Frerichs, in a one-on-one meeting, was candid and frank, per usual. He argues that Rauner's early anti-union positions poisoned, essentially undermining, any hope for meaningful pension reform.

Mendoza, meeting last week with the Quad-City Times editorial board, was more aggressive in her criticism of Rauner. Yet she, too, outlined the strain Illinois' two-year budget impasse has leveled on her office. One can only imagine what balancing the books looks like when $15 billion in bills are piled up and the cash on hand can't even cover the interest. She took some serious swipes at the governor. Mendoza assumed that disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, would be the "worst governor" she'd ever see, she said.

But "Rauner's worse," she said.

Rauner and Mendoza have been pounding each other for months.

Certainly, there's enough blame to reach from Rockford to Cairo. But, in both meetings, it was the attention spent to outlining how this isn't about partisanship that caught my interest.

Frerichs was blunt about the challenge faced by those like him trying to attack a Republican governor without looking like another partisan shill.

"It's difficult, as a Democrat, to criticize a governor who's a Republican."

Mendoza spent significant time describing instances, during her tenure in the General Assembly, when she bucked the venerable House speaker.

In each meeting, both officials needed to first establish their independence from Madigan before launching into a sometimes brutal critique of Rauner. In a very real sense, it's an acknowledgement that Madigan, and his slumping poll numbers, are a yoke around their necks. Anything they say will, ultimately, be easily cast as just a partisan hit job.

Rauner is underwater in statewide polls. But so, too, is Madigan. Those numbers might not mean that much to Madigan personally. He's untouchable in his geographically small legislative district in Chicago. But they do require any Democrat trying to build a case against Rauner to first rhetorically establish that they're not Madigan's pawns. It's a hard lift, one that Rauner's campaign will surely tap heading into the 2018 election.

The thing is, both Frerichs and Mendoza make legitimate points about the state's institutional failings. Frerichs highlighted how he, as manager of state investments, couldn't buy bonds from borrowers with Illinois' credit ratings. Mendoza isn't wrong when she hammers away at executive agencies dumping 10 months-worth of bills on her desk after sitting on them.

What's unclear is how these messages will reverberate amid the political cacophony that long ago consumed Illinois.

Both Frerichs and Mendoza are Democrats. They both have established histories with Madigan. And they both know those facts will undermine anything of substance they say.
DES MOINES  Gov. Kim Reynolds assured Iowans on Tuesday that state payments to K-12 schools, Medicaid and other government programs will continue uninterrupted as her administration works to deal with a possible fiscal 2017 budget shortfall that she hopes to cover with surplus reserves.

Folks are rightly concerned about the state budget and what it means to them, Reynolds said at her weekly news conference. The bottom line is this: that there will be continuity of government and Iowans will experience no change from when the sun sets on June 30 to the morning of July 1.

Reynolds told reporters it is unlikely state tax collections will meet the growth estimates the current fiscal years budget is based upon, but she said she has statutory authority to borrow up to $50 million from the states economic emergency account if the state is short of money when the fiscal 2017 books are closed Sept. 30.

Were hoping well be able to do this without a special session, she said, but that remains an option if the shortfall exceeds her authority to transfer money.

Economic and federal tax policy volatility has affected Iowas tax collections for the 12-month period that ends June 30, and while still growing, they have not kept pace with projections. It's a situation that already forced former Gov. Terry Branstad and lawmakers to make $117.8 million in midyear spending adjustments that included $88.2 million in cuts and $25 million in fund transfers.

Later, they also had to borrow $131 million from the cash reserve to keep the budget balanced with the promise of repaying it in two years.

Now, it appears Reynolds may have to use up to $50 million more in emergency transfers.

At this point, it looks unlikely that Iowa tax receipts will be able to meet the (Revenue Estimating Conference) projections for fiscal 2017. However, we will not be able to determine the extent of that shortfall until Sept. 30, she said.

Its absolutely not realistic for us to do additional cuts, Reynolds said in ruling out unpaid employee furloughs as a cost-cutting option with less than three weeks remaining in the fiscal year. Were looking at covering the budget shortfall through the states economic emergency fund. By statute, I do have the authority to transfer up to $50 million from that fund without calling back the Legislature, so were hopeful that we can manage the remaining budget within that amount.

Without an additional transfer, the states reserve funds as of June 30 are estimated to total $606.9 million, or $131.1 million below the statutory maximum of 10 percent of the adjusted revenue estimate.

The Legislature appropriated $7.269 billion from the states general fund for the fiscal 2018 year that begins July 1 with expectations the state would close the next 12-month budgeting cycle with an ending balance of $106.9 million on June 30, 2018, and reserve-fund balances totaling $625.1 million, or $112 million below the statutory maximum of 10 percent of the adjusted revenue estimate.

Reynolds said it appeared the states personal income tax receipts were below expectations because of lagging capital gains collections and financial decisions Iowans are making in anticipation of federal tax reform. Also, she noted that shifting consumer practices such as making out-of-state online purchases were eroding sales and use tax receipts and pointed out a need to revamp Iowas income tax code.

It has become increasingly clear that our tax code does not align well with todays economy, said Reynolds, who has made tax reform a 2018 priority. Our tax system was designed for a different time when purchase behavior patterns were more static. Were living in somewhat of a volatile economy.

Reynolds said everything has to be on the table when she and the Republican-led Legislature work next session to come up with revisions.

House Democratic Leader Mark Smith of Marshalltown said he hoped legislators would work in a bipartisan way to change course to make sure Iowans arent paying for tax giveaways through increased college tuition, fewer services and higher property taxes.

"Gov. Reynolds decision to borrow money from the states savings accounts to pay the bills this year confirms the GOPs corporate tax giveaways are unaffordable, Smith said in a statement. The giveaways havent produced growth and, instead, have slowed the states economy and put the state budget in the red for the third time this year.
DES MOINES  Businesses are exploding with anticipation to sell home fireworks in Iowa, but a combination of factors kept hundreds of sellers grounded until only within the past couple of days, less than a month before the Fourth of July holiday.

Late-arriving legislation, a delayed permitting process, an understaffed state office and hundreds of applications caused the backlog, state officials and fireworks business owners say.

According to the state fire marshal, as of Monday, businesses had requested 347 site permits to sell consumer-grade fireworks  bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, etc.  that are legal in Iowa this year for the first time. And as of Tuesday, permits had been issued for 274 of those sites.

But that was a giant leap from just this past Friday, when a mere 31 sites had been permitted, even though under the new law some of them were eligible to begin selling fireworks on June 1.

Its a letdown, said Katie Mostek, co-owner of Flashing Thunder, which is based in northern Iowa and has sold fireworks for more than three decades. This is a big thing for us, and we werent able to open on the opening date.

Flashing Thunder sells display fireworks  the kind used in community fireworks shows  and sells consumer fireworks in other states, so it already had a presence in Iowa.

Mostek said that through the end of last week, Flashing Thunder had requested permits for seven sites  four permanent sites in stores and three temporary sites in tents  but had received approval for only two.

Permanent sites were eligible under the new law to start selling fireworks on June 1; temporary sites could begin selling on Monday.

Mostek said Iowans have been showing up in their stores hoping to buy consumer fireworks, but the company has had to turn them away while awaiting the permits.

People stop all day long, every day, and we have to keep turning them away. So thats pretty frustrating. We probably have lost a lot of revenue, especially over the weekend, Mostek said. We put a lot of time and money into this, and to have to turn people away ... Weve had people saying, I guess we just have to go back into Wisconsin again this year (where consumer fireworks have been legal for years).

State Fire Marshal Jeffrey Quigle said his office has been overwhelmed by the task of establishing the permitting process despite the head start before the new law was officially on the books.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad signed the legalization of consumer fireworks into law on May 9, and the bill said businesses that obtain a state permit could begin selling fireworks June 1. That gave the fire marshals office just more than three weeks to create a permitting process, conduct hundreds of safety inspections and review hundreds of applications.

Quigle said the office tried to get a head start once state lawmakers approved the legislation and it appeared Branstad would sign it into law. However, he said the time frame still was tight and the challenge was compounded by a lightly staffed department.

Were an understaffed division. Weve learned how to do more with less, Quigle said. We had to do things a lot faster than what we normally would have liked to. We normally would have liked to go through a testing phase with our software.

Mostek, although frustrated with the permitting process at times, said that because of that time crunch, in particular, she does not blame the fire marshals office for those issues.

Its kind of tough because (lawmakers) didnt vote on the bill and pass it until late, and then it sat on the governors desk for (three weeks), and he didnt sign it until (May 9), and that doesnt leave them a lot of time to come up with a process, Mostek said. And I think (state fire marshals office workers) got overwhelmed. I think they werent ready for the amount of permits that were going to be processed. ... It was kind of frustrating, but I understand it wasnt their fault, either.

Businesses also are facing extra hurdles at the local level because the new law allows local governments to create their own regulations in addition to state regulations.

Zach Terhark is a co-owner of Iowa Fireworks Co., which was established this year after the new law was passed and plans to have roughly 20 temporary sites across the state. Terhark said his company has been challenged by complying with local rules on top of the state rules. He said he thinks state lawmakers assumed the state regulations would be sufficient, but instead, many local governments have been scrambling for how to react and establishing their own rules and processes.

It seems like theres a lot of miscommunication or lack of communication between the cities and the state trying to figure out how the whole process works, Terhark said. So its been a little frustrating, but were getting through it.

Quigle on Tuesday expressed appreciation for fireworks sellers patience and thanked local fire departments that helped with state inspections.

We thank the fireworks sellers for their patience with us as we have started a program from the ground up, in matter of a few short weeks. We appreciate their professionalism in the submission of site plans, and their flexibility as we have adapted to a newly developed online process, Quigle said in a statement. Just as importantly, we also thank our fire service partners in local departments who have helped us, and will continue to help us, with site inspections at the local level.

In addition to fireworks specialty companies such as Flashing Thunder and Iowa Fireworks Co., some of the permitted businesses in Iowa include chain retail stores, such as Target, Walmart and Theisens.
For nearly 100 years, my family has farmed the land we live on. Its more than a business to us. Its a tradition, a way of life  one that we share with many across the state.

Earlier this month, I was pleased to welcome U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to South Dakota and give him a peak into our tradition of agriculture and the people behind it. While it was his first official visit to the state as Secretary, it wasnt his first trip here altogether. Weve actually hunted pheasant near my home in the states northeastern corner a few times before (hes a really good shot, by the way) and hes ridden in the combine with me while I harvested our crops.

South Dakota was a natural stop during his first few weeks on the job, as its a microcosm of the many issues under the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) jurisdiction. From farm and ranch policy to forestry to hunting and fishing, we have a little of everything.

To start the day, we sat down with tribal leaders, who have a significant number of farmers and ranchers within their constituencies. Because of the unique relationship between tribal governments and the U.S. government, I wrote legislation to establish a permanent Office of Tribal Relations within USDA. That provision was successfully rolled into the 2014 Farm Bill and we continue to monitor its implementation today.

Additionally, Secretary Perdue was shown the Black Hills National Forest and the damage done by a decades-long pine beetle infestation. While the Forest Service announced the beetle had finally been beat this April, work remains. Helpful provisions were included in the 2014 Farm Bill at my request, but we will need the continued support of USDA to repair the damage and make the forest more resilient against future outbreaks.

Following the tour, we sat down with producers. While the current Farm Bill will run through 2018, work has already begun on the next one and Secretary Perdue will be essential in implementing that legislation.

The livestock disaster and crop insurance programs have given many South Dakotans an essential safety net, but changes to the commodity programs are needed. Well also be looking to improve the Farm Bills wetland determinations provisions. Under existing regulations, producers have been delayed in making improvements to their land because of a years-long backlog. Ive sponsored bipartisan legislation to address this and am hopeful well see it included. Corrections must also be made to CRP (the Conservation Reserve Program), which only accepted 101 acres in South Dakota during the last sign-up period despite thousands of acres being submitted for consideration.

The day also included a stop at Ellsworth. To make the point that the Farm Bill is really a food bill, I often tell folks that while not everyone farms, everyone eats. I also like to mention that good farm policy is essential to our national security. If other countries control our food supply, they can control us. Food security is national security.

Ive always been proud to be part of South Dakotas tradition of agriculture, making it all the more special that I could show our newest Secretary of Agriculture how we do it with excellence.
STURGIS  The Sturgis Area Arts Council, in collaboration with the Sturgis Public Library and the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, is a recipient of a grant of $11,300 to host the NEA Big Read in Sturgis.

Sturgis is the only current recipient in the state of South Dakota.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read is a program that broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book, said Julie Moore-Peterson, Director of the Sturgis Public Library and a member of the committee that helped bring the Big Read to Sturgis.

The Sturgis Area Arts Council is one of 75 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant to host a community reading program between Sept. 7, and Nov. 11. The NEA Big Read in Sturgis will focus on "The Things They Carried," by Tim OBrien.

The veteran community is such an integral part of the Sturgis Area. We are thrilled to tell their stories through our Big Read programming, said Moore-Peterson. The grant process was a community effort and were excited to come together again to carry it out.

The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery, she said.

The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, which annually supports approximately 75 dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.

Author, Tim OBrien will be presenting in Sturgis to both students at Sturgis Brown High School and later for the public at the Sturgis Community Center on Friday, Sept. 22.

Prior to that visit, the book will be dispersed throughout the community and studied within several Sturgis Brown High School English classes. Additional book discussions, musical shows, visual art displays, and veteran focused events will take place beginning Sept. 7 and ending on Veterans Day.

Partners and sponsors include: The Sturgis Public Library, The Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, The City of Sturgis, AARP, Stan Adelstein, Clover Foundation, Meade County Times-Tribune, KBHB Big 81, Meade School District 46-1, The Sturgis Center for the Arts, the South Dakota Humanities Council, The South Dakota Festival of Books, American Legion Meade Post 33, VFW Post 2730, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1039, and the Black Hills Veterans Writing Group.

Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $19 million in grants to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past eleven years, grantees have leveraged more than $42 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 4.8 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 79,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 37,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible.

Last summer, the NEA announced a new focus for the NEA Big Read Library on contemporary authors and books written since the NEA was founded 50 years ago. For more information about the NEA Big Read, please visit neabigread.org.

The Sturgis Area Arts Council was formed in the mi-1970s to promote the presentation of and participation in the arts in the Sturgis, SD community. The mission of the Sturgis Area Arts Council is "to initiate, sponsor, and conduct public programs to further the development and awareness of and interest in the arts. To achieve this goal, we work closely with all facets of our community. We rely greatly upon donations and sponsorships from local individuals and businesses.

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching peoples lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwests history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.
The Rapid City man found dead at his home last week knew the man suspected of killing him, local police said Monday following their request for a murder arrest warrant.

Police are asking a judge to issue a warrant charging Andrew Eastman, 28, with first-degree murder in the death of Larry Mintzlaff, 64. Eastman is an escaped South Dakota prison inmate.

Mintzlaff, a retired Rapid City public school teacher, was discovered dead at his house in the 3300 block of Wisconsin Avenue on June 6. He was found to have died of blunt force trauma, which investigators believe happened the previous week.

The Rapid City Police Department said Sunday that Eastman was suspected in the killing, news that came a day after he was captured in Albuquerque, N.M., while driving Mintzlaffs missing car.

Eastman walked away from an inmate job site June 2 at the Rapid City landfill. Authorities believe he fled in a city-owned pickup, later found a few blocks from Mintzlaffs house.

The men knew each other, and the attack was not a random act, said Capt. James Johns, head of Rapid City police criminal investigations. He declined to disclose the mens relationship and the reason Eastman went to Mintzlaffs home, saying those details were part of the ongoing investigation.

Eastman has not been formally charged in South Dakota, but Johns said police are working with prosecutors. Police believe that first-degree (murder) fits the information that we have, he said in an interview Monday.

First-degree murder involves the element of premeditation and is punishable by death or life in prison.

Johns said investigators were not searching for any other suspects in Mintzlaffs killing.

The recovery of the city pickup on June 3 was not related to the discovery of Mintzlaffs body three days later, Johns said.

The white 2002 Dodge pickup, with an inmate uniform inside, was found near Hospice House on Elk Street, said Darell Shoemaker, spokesman for the Rapid City government. Hospice House is a tenth of a mile from Mintzlaff's home.

Rapid City police and the fire department informed the landfill manager about 4 p.m. June 3 that the missing pickup had been found, and the vehicle was returned to the landfill the same day, Shoemaker said.

Landfill personnel used the pickup once before a police evidence team came to inspect the vehicle early to the middle of last week, Shoemaker said. He was not certain if the inspection took place after Mintzlaffs death had already been discovered.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Johns declined to say who called police to request a welfare check on Mintzlaff, which led to the bodys discovery, as well as what led investigators to think Eastman was headed to Albuquerque.

The U.S. Marshals Service in New Mexico, which runs the fugitive task force that arrested Eastman, earlier said South Dakota investigators believed Eastman had fled the state and was hiding out in Albuquerque. The Marshals Service said agents had been on the lookout for Eastman and Mintzlaffs car, a blue 2007 Ford focus.

When asked if Mintzlaff's missing vehicle was one of the homicide investigators strongest leads, Johns said it was just one of many leads they had been following.

Theres a ton of work that still needs to be done, Johns said. These are never done with just an arrest.

Eastman is detained at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque while authorities in Pennington County begin extradition proceedings to return him to South Dakota.

At the time of his escape he was serving sentences in South Dakota for drug offenses out of Hughes County and grand theft out of Pennington County.

Mintzlaffs killing is the fifth homicide in Rapid City this year, following three fatal stabbings in January and one in March.
WASHINGTON | China is a step closer to allowing imports of U.S. beef for the first time in almost 14 years.

The United States and China have agreed on final details of a deal to allow the imports, the Agriculture Department said Monday. The agreement is one part of a bilateral agreement reached following President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April.

The announcement prompted praise from South Dakotas congressional delegation.

Around 95 percent of the worlds consumers live outside U.S. borders, said Republican Rep. Kristi Noem in a statement. As the worlds largest beef producer, gaining market access is critical. I welcome the administrations proposal and am hopeful this renewed access to Chinese consumers will help boost the long-depressed cattle markets that have threatened many South Dakota cattle operations.

In separate releases, GOP Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune also lauded Trump's decision.

Agriculture is South Dakotas No. 1 industry, with nearly 3.85 million head of cattle, Rounds said. Opening up this new, lucrative market will create substantial opportunities for South Dakota ranchers and bring a much-needed boost to the ag economy.

After urging the Trump administration to take quick action on this and other important agricultural trade issues, Im glad to see that it has been resolved, Thune said. While the agreement is long overdue, it will nonetheless come as welcome news to all of South Dakotas farmers and ranchers who not only help make agriculture our states top industry, but help feed the world.

According to Noems statement, until the ban took effect, the U.S. provided 70 percent of Chinas total beef intake. Today, Chinese beef imports total $2.5 billion.

China imposed the ban on American beef in 2003 after a case of mad-cow disease, a ban that remained in place despite extensive efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations to get it removed.

In exchange for China opening its borders to U.S. beef, the U.S. would allow the sale of cooked Chinese poultry.

USDA said that China is requiring that any beef imported from the U.S. must have been born, raised and slaughtered in the United States or imported from Canada or Mexico and raised and slaughtered here. It could also be imported from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the U.S.

The beef also has to be derived from cattle less than 30 months old and traceable to the U.S. birth farm or first place of residence or port of entry. All of the precautions lessen the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
Rusnano top manager appeals detention in $12.3 mln embezzlement case

MOSCOW, June 13 (RAPSI)  Andrey Gorkov, a managing director of the state-owned technology corporation Rusnano, has appealed his detention in the case over embezzling more than 700 million rubles ($12.3 million), RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

On June 11, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow detained Gorkov until August 9 in the case over machinations with corporations assets. Investigators believe that in 2011-2013 Gorkov was transferring Rusnanos assets to the Smolensky Bank under the guise of provision of cash services, in effect financing its activity. The top manager denies guilt and notes that he did not have a right to manage corporations money at the moment of revocation of the banks license in 2014.

As a result, Rusnano lost over 738 million rubles ($12.9 million) and, according to investigators, 400 million ($7 million) were allocated to Gorkovs brother a day before the license was revoked.
Politkovskaya murder mastermind sentenced to life dies in hospital for prisoners

MOSCOW, June 13 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) - Lom-Ali Gaitukayev, who had been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, died in a hospital for inmates in the Volgograd Region, a spokesperson for the Federal Penitentiary Services regional directorate (FSIN) told RAPSI on Tuesday.

According to the FSIN representative, Gaitukayev has died after a long illness. He has undergone a hospital treatment since October 2016.

On October 7, 2006, Politkovskaya, a crusading reporter with the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was shot dead at the age of 48 in the elevator of her central Moscow apartment building. The murder has been linked to her coverage of human rights abuses in Chechnya.

On May 20, 2014, the jury found the five defendants guilty of murdering Politkovskaya. According to the verdict, the killing was masterminded by Lom-Ali Gaitukayev and former police officer Sergey Khadzhikurbanov.

Jurors found that Rustam Makhmudov was the man that actually pulled the trigger.

Two of his brothers, Dzhabrail Makhmudov and Ibragim Makhmudov, were convicted as accomplices to the crime. Dzhabrail drove Rustam to the scene of the crime, and Ibragim told him that the journalist was approaching her apartment building. The jury decided that Ibragim Makhmudov alone deserved clemency.

The court sentenced Khadzhikurbanov to 20 years in prison. Dzhabrail Makhmudov got a 14-year sentence. Ibragim Makhmudov was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Moreover, the court granted a lawsuit filed by Politkovskayas children seeking one million rubles ($17,600 at the current exchange rate) from each of the five defendants.

Former police officer Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov was convicted in connection with the killing in a separate trial in December 2012. He reached a plea bargain with investigators and testified against other suspects in the case.
Guwahati, June 12 : Meghalaya outfit group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Monday threatened the Meghalaya government that, if the state government would not stop their exercise of hunting down and arresting innocent civilians and students the situation would be gone more worsen.

The outfit group alleged that, the Meghalaya government and state police are going to create more rebellion in the entire region by hunting down and arresting leaders and members of the Khasi Students Union (KSU).

The publicity secretary of the outfit Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a press release that, it is a political nonsense that students are being hunted like they belong to a militant outfit. This is a mockery of democracy.

"People are simply being targeted and arrested on mere suspicion. The Inner Line Permit (ILP) issue was spearheaded by 13 pressure groups. But now only one organisation has become the victim of the police department. The district administrations are aggravating the situation by arresting the youths. Why is the state government so eager to bring in railway when the state is itself going through an economic downfall," Sainkupar Nongtraw said.

Nongtraw said in the statement that, the Meghalaya CM had assured the pressure groups to implement the comprehensive mechanism In order to tackle the problem of influx, and setting up of entry exit points in the entire state including Khasi hills Jaintia hills and Garo hills. But now our youths have to either hide into the jungles or escape to other states.

The outlawed claimed that, the situation in Meghalaya is nothing different than Kashmir.

"How many more will the police arrest ? The more the arrests the more the damage. This kind of collateral damage shall worsen the situation. Now the region is witnessing only petrol bombs. What would happen if the HNLC gets in touch with the youths and supply them with IED? The entire state shall burn. We cannot burn our state just for the sake of railways. The government should take up the matters seriously and invite the pressure groups for talks," Sainkupar Nongtraw said.

The outfit group threatened that, hunting them would again create an opportunity for the youths to come to us for help.

"We do not want to invite the youths to join the HNLC but we can provide them with help and support to intensify their struggle. It is not too hard to supply them with 35 to 40 Kgs IEDs. But by doing so, the entire region would suffer. We need peace and prosperity but the police needs violence," Sainkupar Nongtraw said.

HNLC demanded the Meghalaya government to release immediately the KSU north khasi hills president Ferdynald Kharkamni, Sonstar Nongkhlaw and all the other KSU members , who were recently arrested under various sections.

"If it wants to return back to normalcy. We have already been approached by many youths for logistics support. Sooner or later we shall be bound to help them out. The government shall be solely responsible for all the damages and casualties," Sainkupar Nongtraw said.

On the other hand the HNLC offers its condolences to (L)SS khaplang who passed away in Myanmar.

"Baba was a visionary leader of the North east. He was instrumental in fighting for the sovereignty of the Nagas. Baba was well versed with the history of the northeast and its people. He tried his level best to work for the NAGA cause . The GOI is trying to draw a line between the Indian Naga and the Myanmarese Naga. A Naga is a Naga irrespective of the place he is born. We had met him in several instances at the NSCN (k) camps. He would always welcome us and provide valuable suggestions andsupport. His death is a loss to the Naga cause. We have great amount of respect for Baba. His advice to us was to always stick to our cause no matter what happens. Baba was a true fighter. His bravery and valor are evident. He died believing in a cause that would bring about a political solution to the Naga problem. His motivational spirits shall always keep burning in our hearts.

Those of us who knew and worked with Baba,respected and admired his great love for his people and cause.He was an inspiration to us all," Sainkupar Nongtraw said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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" " A reconstructed Neanderthal man is located in the the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann, Germany, where the first-ever Neanderthal was discovered in 1856. Markus Matzel/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Ask someone to describe what "ancient man" looked like, and most people will probably come up with something that looks like that Geico caveman. Of course, the timeline of human evolution is much more complicated, and includes many twisting and turning branches that still have scientists stumped.

To really understand how man evolved, we'd have to go back in time a few million years and explore the lengthy line in human evolution. Put simply, though, we're really just tracing modern humanity to three sources: Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and the relatively recently discovered Denisovans. But what about other ancient cousins of man? We also carry traces of their DNA. Stuff They Don't Want You to Know hosts Matt Frederick and Ben Bowlin dig into man's family tree to see if there's truth to the legends of giants and gnomes in the podcast episode "Were There Really Lost Races of Man?"

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Homo sapiens is the species in which all humans today belong. Neanderthals, which were first discovered in the Neander valley in Germany, belong to the Homo genus. They are thought to have died out 40,000 years ago. When our modern human ancestors migrated from Africa across Eurasia, they met and interbred with Neanderthals, who evolved outside of Africa, completely separated from our direct predecessors. Most people living outside Africa today, including our hosts Matt and Ben, have a small percentage of Neanderthal in their DNA.

Evidence of Denisovans was uncovered in 2008, in a Siberian cave called Denisova. Very little has been determined about the Denisovans, but what we do know is they lived around the same time as the Neanderthals and humans, and were physically larger than both. The teeth found in the cave were mistaken for bear teeth until testing revealed them for what they were: another species of human never before seen.

That much the scientific community can agree on, but there are other discoveries that are highly contested. For example, the Red Deer Cave people in China. This is the most recently discovered extinct prehistoric humans found, and scientists believe they died out around 11,000 years ago. Despite their relatively modern dating, they have certain archaic features, leading some scientists to believe that they represent a different species of ancient man. However, others are skeptical, arguing that the physical features could just be evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and Denisovans, or that the features are well within variations expected in our species.

Scientists clash, too, on the Homo floresiensis, nicknamed "hobbit." The skull of a female found on the Flores island is less than one-third the size of the skull of modern humans. She also existed thousands of years after Neanderthals died out, and the paleoanthropologists who found her think she's from a different species of archaic humans. But it's been argued that these remains are from Homo sapiens, who, after becoming stuck on the island, underwent "insular dwarfism" over hundreds of thousands of years, growing smaller to help them survive. Since then, however, the hobbit team has found fragments from nine different people on the island of Flores, leading them to believe even more strongly in their theory of insular dwarfism.

The more we discover about ourselves and our ancient predecessors, the more there is to know. To hear more about these fascinating discoveries, press play on the podcast player and let Matt and Ben be your guides through the stories of these ancient peoples.

Now That's Interesting According to two studies published in the June 2017 journal Nature, fossilized remains of a Homo sapiens found in Morocco 50 years ago are now estimated to be 315,000 years old. That's about 100,000 years older than the oldest human fossils ever found to date.
A delicate orchestra of grief, Francois Ozon's Frantz is a somber affair, but also an affecting and piercing drama.



Paula Beer stars as Anna, a young woman who lives in a small town in Germany some time after the conclusion of World War I. She still grieves for her fiancee Frantz, who was killed in the war, and this is compounded by her living arrangements, since she lives with Frantz's parents (Ernest Stotzner and Marie Gruber).



All of them live under a poignant cloud of grief. One day a young Frenchman (Pierre Niney) shows up to visit Frantz, and that sets off a very unexpected chain of events, which promise to change all their lives.



Our own Dustin Chang reviewed the film earlier this year, writing in part: "Frantz is, as usual for Ozon, a seductive concoction. Disguised under period costumes and sumptuous monochrome cinematography that bursts into color at pivotal moments, the film holds some sinister undertones of lost innocence and the pain/joy of growing up.



"Beer, a young German actress, is marvelous here, carrying the whole movie on her shoulders. It's perfectly natural to see the film from a female perspective in Ozon's films, and obviously he flirts with sexual attraction and sensuality (albeit very subtly). But Anna being a German lost in an unforgiving world of its enemy gives another layer to this delicious concoction."



He concluded: "Beautifully nuanced and poignant and still encompassing all the Ozon film characteristics - secrets, sexuality, twisty genre conventions and its searing political undertones, Frantz is Ozon's most accomplished film to date." His review can be read in its entirety here.



I very much agree with Dustin's conclusion. And now that Frantz has arrived on Blu-ray and DVD from Music Box Films, it's a good time to catch up with it, or to watch it again.



The transfer looks splendid, and when the film occasionally bursts forth with color, as Dustin mentioned, it's done with a subtle touch. I missed the film in theaters, but it seems well-suited on home video; Ozon makes good use of the entire frame, but the extensive close-ups and medium shots transfer well to smaller screens.



The home video release is adorned with a variety of extras, totaling about 45 minutes in all, including a question-and-answer session with Ozon (17 minutes, conducted by Dennis Lim); scenes from the film's premiere at the Venice Film Festival (six minutes); deleted scenes (adding up to about 12 or 13 minutes); costume and light tests (3-4 minutes, with the actors often looking directly at camera); a poster gallery (with a multitude of variations) and the theatrical trailer.



A printed booklet is also included, which includes a very good essay by Scott Tobias and another (uncredited) interview with Ozon.



As usual, Music Box Films also includes a host of trailers (five, in this case) for their other offerings. All in all, this will make a good addition to the home library of any fan of modern arthouse cinema. The official release date is today (Tuesday, June 13).


Canadian dates have been announced for the North American release of Zaradasht Ahmed's documentary Nowhere to Hide. The award winning documentary will open here in Toronto and in Vancouver on June 30th. We have included the trailer below.

Canadian Theatrical Locations:

Friday, June 30 at Vancity Theatre- Vancouver BC

Friday, June 30 at Carlton Cinema- Toronto ON

Friday, June 30 at Kingsway Theatre- Toronto ON

Nowhere to Hide follows male nurse Nori Sharif through five years of dramatic change, providing unique access into one of the worlds most dangerous and inaccessible areas  the triangle of death in central Iraq. Initially filming stories of survivors and the hope of a better future as American and Coalition troops retreat from Iraq in 2011, conflicts continue with Iraqi militias, and the population flees accompanied by most of the hospital staff. Nori is one of the few who remain. When ISIS advances on Jalawla in 2014 and takes over the city, he too must flee with his family at a moments notice, and turns the camera on himself.

In a statement from Norwegian/Iraqi director Zaradasht Ahmed,
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
As he sits testifying today before the Senate Intelligence Committee  and as Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee fume because he sent a surrogate to testify before them today  Attorney General Jeff Sessions is also quietly working to undo the marijuana policy of 29 states where marijuana use and sales are either about to be made broadly legal, are already legal for recreational purposes, or are broadly legal for medicinal purposes. As the Washington Post reports, Sessions submitted a letter on May 1, now public, asking that Congress omit a three-year-old ban on the appropriation of funds to the prosecution of marijuana-related crimes in states that have made the substance legal.

Speaking as though he believes that the current opioid and heroin epidemics sweeping the nation are one and the same with the use and sale of pot, Sessions writes, "I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime. The Department must be in a position to use all laws available to combat the transnational drug organizations and dangerous drug traffickers who threaten American lives."

The protections Sessions is talking about, in place since 2014, are known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, and they were recently extended in an appropriations act, as Consumerist noted, meaning the Department of Justice can not allocate funds to the prosecution of medical marijuana possession, cultivation, or sale until at least September 30. But Sessions is now asking that future appropriations bills end this rule, put in place under the Obama administration, essentially turning the clock back ten years on a subject that shows broad popular support in the opposite camp of Sessions.

Sessions hails from Alabama, one of 21 remaining (red) states where marijuana remains entirely illegal. Meanwhile, eight states have now passed laws permitting the cultivation and sale of marijuana for recreational use, including California, whose law is set to take effect January 1, 2018. And another 21 states have legalized medical marijuana, despite the federal government's reluctance to recognize marijuana's medicinal uses. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows that 94 percent of Americans support the use of medical marijuana with a doctor's prescription, showing that even with a wide margin of error, Sessions is in a tiny minority in continuing to push for marijuana prosecutions.

Purveyors of medical cannabis in the Bay Area are all too familiar with the yo-yo of attitudes toward their trade. A 2008 statewide proposition legalizing recreational marijuana failed by a small margin, only to pass eight years later, and in the meantime, federal prosecutors in California, under Obama's DOJ, launched a crackdown on medical marijuana operations in multiple cities as recently as 2011, only to officially ease up two years later (post re-election).

Given broad public support for medical marijuana, and the president's own previous statements in support of it, the biggest concern here is probably for laws that have passed legalizing recreational marijuana. Press Secretary Sean Spicer was careful to condemn such laws in some statements in February, making marijuana advocates nervous about how the administration is going to deal with the 29 states where laws currently run counter to federal law  with the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment being the only thing currently standing in the way of DEA raids.

Previously: Jeff Sessions Confirms That Sanctuary Cities' Punishment Mostly Just A Wrist-Slap
Pride month is in full swing, we've stuffed you with a lot of food events this week, and managed to find a shopping deal that nerds will go nuts for. Here are 12 things you should definitely do with your week:

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

GOAN SEAFOOD DINNER: Join 18 Reasons chef and culinary Instructor Mike Weller for a community seafood dinner of seafood curry and steamed Basmati rice inspired by the flavors of Goa. The food-based non-profit's community dinners are kid-friendly family-style meals meant to connect people through food. Beer and wine will be available at an additional cost. 3674 18th St., 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (second seating sold out) $15

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

37TH ANNUAL SF JAZZ FESTIVAL: Skibiddy bop! San Francisco JAZZ's annual music fest continues into its second week, wrapping up on the 18th. You've still got time to catch Grammy-winner Stanley Clarke at Miner Auditorium, the Linda May Han Oh Group at the Joe Henderson Lab, and Jon Jang's project inspired by Black Lives Matter. SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin at Fell, various evening times, $30+.

PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: Theatre Rhinoceros presents the musical adaptation of the Oscar-winning hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. And while we've heard this production has a campy community theater-vibe and might run a bit long, the Chronicle noted that "like a broken-down but sequin-bedecked van that still sputters across the Outback, the show keeps bouncing back to life." Also, I love community theater. Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St., Tuesdays at 7 p.m, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. through July 1, $15 to $40

SF DESIGN WEEK: Kick off Opening Night of San Francisco Design Week with an opening reception along the San Francisco waterfront. Designers from around the world and a one-woman symphony named Buttercup will take over both floors of a cruise terminal and wow attendees with their sleek aesthetics, an augmented reality exhibit, and an experiential installation from the folks at AirBnB. San Francisco Design Week runs through June 22. James R. Herman Cruise Terminal, Pier 27, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., $25 to $150.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

PRIDE EVENSONG AND HISTORY PANEL: Among the many Pride-themed events coming our way this glorious Pride month is Pride Evensong at Grace Cathedral. Following the music, stick around for a panel about the early struggles for LGBTQ equality and dignity in the Diocese of California, the response to the AIDS epidemic, and how to keep equality and pride alive in the current Bay Area culture. And following that, there will be a show tune sing-a-long and reception in the Cathedral's dining hall. Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, 5:15 p.m., panel at 6 p.m., free.

JOSHUA BELL: Whispy-haired dreamboat-violinist Joshua Bell joins the San Francisco Symphony and guest conductor Vasily Petrenko in performing Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, followed by the Symphony performing Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1. Thursday through Sunday. Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., $39+.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

BOARD GAME CLEARANCE SALE: Nerd alert! Versus Games SF is clearing out their board stock and we all can reap the deals. Buy board games (including demo games) for as low as a $1 all weekend long. Batman Escape, Harry Potter, Conquest, Black Plague, Zombicide  it's all for sale, cheap. Versus Games SF, 1716 Taraval St., 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

3RD ON THIRD - JUNETEENTH: Celebrate Juneteenth at the historic Bayview Opera House with a stepping competition finals by local fraternities, spoken word performances, neighborhood food purveyors, wine and beer, and kids activities. 3rd on Third is a genuinely special almost-monthly San Francisco event and Friday's fest is dedicated to the late artist, actress, playwright, director and teacher, Mary L. Booker. If you've never experienced this warm and friendly slice of San Francisco, we really encourage you to attend. I went a few months ago (for Mardi Gras!) and loved it. Bayview Opera House, 4702 3rd St, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., free.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

HIGH ON THE HOG: Epic Steak hosts its annual "High on the Hog" fundraiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind. The afternoon food and wine extravaganza will feature pig-based culinary offerings from the likes of Epic, The Whole Beast, and Black Bark BBQ, and Pinot Noir tastings from 19 wineries, not to mention live music from The Creatures of Habit, which (and we're guessing here) sounds like a yacht rock dad-band that my mother would describe as "a kick." Epic Steak, 369 Embarcadero, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., $75.





NOR CAL CORGI CON: Corgis are a big deal to people who really love corgis. We attended this bi-annual gathering of corgis, their owners, and their fans last year and it was a sight to behold! Seriously  if you want to hang out on the beach on Saturday and play with hundreds of corgis, this is your very Instagrammable chance. Make sure you arrive in time for the 12 noon corgi costume contest and 12:30 p.m. corgi races. Ocean Beach, Stairwell 21 and Fulton Street, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free.

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

FATHER'S DAY R&B BAY CRUISE: The magnificent title of this one really says it all. Grab your favorite father figures and hop on this afternoon cruise around the San Francisco Bay featuring two cash bars, a "smoking deck," food for purchase, and DJ Slappy Joe. Jack London Square on Broadway & Embarcadero, across from Plank, and next to Scotts Seafood Bar & Grill, arrive by 3 p.m. for the 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. cruise, $25 in advance, $30 at the dock space permitting, 21-and-over.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD IN SF: Join the longest (hopefully) chain of roller schools and be a part of a new Guinness World record. Members of the Church of 8 Wheels and the skaters from Burning Man's Black Rock Roller Disco (naturally) are going to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chain of roller skaters. They will also attempt to establish a new record for the worlds longest skating serpentine. Join them by pre-registering, being a competent skater, over 14-years-old, colorfully dressed without things people might trip on, and have skates with four wheels each. Got it? Skatin' Place, Kennedy Drive at 6th Ave., Golden Gate Park, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., $15 - $25.
Projections showed Macron widening his centrist revolution, with his Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party and its ally MoDem tipped to win between 400 and 445 seats in the 577-member National Assembly in next Sundays second round.



Such a share would give Macron one of the biggest parliamentary majorities for 60 years.

"France is back," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe declared triumphantly.

"For the past month, the president has shown confidence, willingness and daring in France and on the international stage," Philippe said, calling the result a vindication of Macrons "winning strategy".

But the vote was marked by record low turnout of 49 percent, possibly reflecting fatalism among Macrons opponents in the face of his seemingly unstoppable advance, experts said.

The right-wing Republicans -- who had hoped to rebound from their humiliation in the presidential vote -- were shown trailing in second with a predicted 70-130 seats while Marine Le Pens far-right National Front (FN) was forecast to garner between one and 10 seats.

The FNs result showed the party is struggling to rebound from Le Pens bruising defeat by Macron in the presidential run-off.

The FNs deputy leader Florian Philippot admitted to "disappointment" and

called on voters to "mobilise massively" for the second round. The worst losses, however, were for the Socialists of Macrons predecessor

Francois Hollande, who are predicted to lose a staggering 200 seats.

The partys chief Jean-Christophe Cambadelis and its failed presidential candidate Benoit Hamon both lost their seats.

Conceding that the party was facing "unprecedented" losses, Cambadelis appealed to voters to rally behind Macrons rivals to avoid the president monopolising power.

Parliament risked having "no real oversight powers and no democratic debate worth speaking of," he warned.

Former Republicans party leader Jean-Francois Cope said the results were "a disaster".

"Its the continuation of the real disaster that the presidential election was... we need to rebuild everything," he told BFMTV.

Official final results released early Monday showed Macrons one-year-old REM and MoDem winning 32.32 per cent in the first round, ahead of the Republicans on 21.56 per cent and the FN on 13.20 per cent. Few MPs were elected outright on Sunday.

If no candidate wins over 50 per cent, the two top-placed contenders go into the second round -- along with any other candidate who garners at least 12.5 per cent of registered voters in the district.

Frances youngest-ever president at 39, Macron has gained praise for appointing a balanced cabinet that straddles the left-right divide and taking a

leading role in Europes fight-back against US President Donald Trump on climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Macron on a "great success" on Sunday.

If the seat projections are confirmed next week, he will have a strong mandate to push through the ambitious labour, economic and social reforms he promised on the campaign trail.

New faces

Macron, who had never held elected office before becoming president, will also have succeeded in ushering in a younger and more diverse parliament with more women and ethnic minorities.

His party fielded political novices in around 200 constituencies.

They include Marie Sara, a retired bullfighter, who went through to a runoff against FN stalwart Gilbert Collard in southern France, and star mathematician Cedric Villani.

Macron is also trying to bring in an era of cleaner politics. His governments first bill proposes to ban lawmakers from employing family members or performing consultancy work while in office.

The measures follow the scandal that destroyed the presidential bid of Republicans candidate Francois Fillon, who has been charged over payments to his wife and two of his children for suspected fake jobs as parliamentary assistants. Fillon denies the charges.

Macrons party has largely avoided controversy but one of his ministers who is running for re-election in Brittany, Richard Ferrand, is being probed over a property deal involving his girlfriend.

FN falls short

Forecasts show Le Pens party will struggle to win the 15 seats it would need to form a parliamentary group and help shape the assemblys agenda.

The radical-left France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon who finished fourth in the presidential race also fell short of expectations. His camp was tipped to only take 10-23 seats.

Macron has urged voters to back his reform proposals including an overhaul of the rigid rules governing the job market, blamed by many economists for holding back growth.

VNS
The local media reported that southern provinces along the Andaman Sea, including Krabi and Phuket, have raised their alert level as a warning of potential violence was circulated on social media, source from Vietnamnews.



An intelligence report mentioned that southern militants might launch attacks on tourist attractions in Krabi and two other coastal provinces that would be similar to an attack in Krabi in August last year.



As a result, Krabi has installed surveillance cameras in commercial areas and tourist attractions and tightened security at its international airport.



In Phuket, locals were urged to report suspicious activities to authorities, while check points at ports and airports are put on high alert.



Since August 2015, Thailand has sustained several bombings, including the one at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok's Rajprasong tourist district that killed 20, and the August 2016 attacks on tourist sites in seven southern provinces.



Recently, three bombings rocked the capital of Bangkok in less than two months. -
Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan yesterday chaired a welcome ceremony for the delegation at National Assembly House in Hanoi.



On behalf of Vietnamese National Assembly, chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her pleasure at the official visit of the Cuban NA delegation.



The visit affirmed the traditional friendly solidarity and comprehensive cooperation ties between the two nations.



At the meeting, the Vietnamese leader introduced activities and development of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam to the delegation.



The two leaders agreed that the national assemblies will boost cooperation programs and projects in the upcoming time; sign new cooperation agreements to fulfill legal framework for bilateral relations, and determine to increase bilateral trade turnover.



The national assemblies will continue promoting cooperation projects in the fields of agricultural produce, consumer goods, healthcare, tourism infrastructure, energy ; and support each other at multilateral forums and organizations, especially at the United Nations, for general benefits, peace, stabilization and development.



On the same day, the Chairman of the Cuban National Absembly attended and delivered a speech at the plenary session of the National Assembly of Vietnam.







BY ANH THU- Translated by Huyen Huong
At a press conference hosted yesterday by the the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs' department, deputy head of the agency Tong Hai Nam said that the agency has required businesses to continue reviewing the number of Vietnamese workers in Qatar.

Qatar is the highest income nation in the world. So the workers life would not be affected if the country faces diplomatic embargo, said Mr. Nam. in addition, most of the workers have been employed by contractors who are responsible for protecting the laborers' rights.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said that 17,747 people have worked abroad from June 2016 to May 2017 under a labor export program to assist residents in four north central provinces, hit by Formosa environmental disaster.

The four provinces comprise Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.





By VAN PHUC  Translated by Hai Mien
The workshop focused on subjects about diplomacy; Vietnam- Cambodia comprehensive cooperative ties in the fields of culture, society, education & training; role of Vietnam & Cambodia in ASEAN; Vietnam and Cambodia have cooperated exploitation and usage water & natural resource in Mekong river system.



Nearly 100 speakers, social science researchers and press agencies of the two nations took part in the workshop.



Prof. Som Somoni said that two sides need to continue building as well as strengthening the faith each other on the spirit of peace, stable and equal development to cut down or limit absolutely potential hazards.



The event was co-held by Asia Research Center and the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Royal Academy of Cambodia in collaboration with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.





BY VIET LE- Translated by Huyen Huong
 Expand Rachel Weisz as Rachel Ashley in My Cousin Rachel

Did she? Didnt she? Who is to blame? Philip asks himself as My Cousin Rachel begins. The latest film adaptation of a story by Daphne du Maurier (whose writings gave rise to Alfred Hitchcocks Rebecca and The Birds) concerns doubt gone seriously wrong. Du Maurier the author wasnt persuaded by the allure of happy endings. Uncertainty and the inscrutability at the heart of existence wind through her writings and into her conclusions. Think of the ending of The Birds: hundreds of predatory seagulls suddenly calm, eying the humans, who carefully retreat through their ranks, as if in a sudden gesture of inexplicable tolerance. Will they attack again?

My Cousin Rachel Starring: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin

Director: Roger Michell

Rated: PG-13

My Cousin Rachel is set in a favorite du Maurier haunt, 19th-century Cornwall, whose rough green country is edged in cliffs and sand. Philip (Sam Claflin) will inherit a red brick manor with a yard full of scratching chickens. Loyal servants bent with age attend him, their future master once he turns 25. The story is propulsive in early scenes as Philip and his godfather-guardian read letters sent from faraway Italy by cousin Ambrose, whom Philip holds dear in flashes of childhood memory. The missives tell of happiness, especially concerning Ambroses wife, their distant cousin. Rachel is described as radiant, good, kinduntil the messages darken with paranoia. Ambrose is suddenly afraid of his wife and surrounded by sinister Italians; he doesnt trust his doctor; he dies.

Rachel endeavors to visit Philip, the cousin she never met. He girds himself for the encounter with roiling hatred. Although a death certificate and detailed postmortem show that Ambrose perished from a brain tumor that evidently disordered his mind, Philip is unconvinced of Rachels innocence in the matteruntil he is convinced, and then hes not

Perhaps if Rachel (Rachel Weisz) wasnt so beautiful outdoors under her lacey black widows veil, and yet so commonsensical and considerate when in the manor house, Philip might have remained adamant in his suspicion. But although fast approaching 25, hes known little of women and is a boy emotionally, not a man. He becomes infatuated with her to the edge of madness and sulks when her attentions turn away. He refuses to listen to rumors of Rachels sexually adventurous past and then follows her to town to spy on her. He sees her with her flamboyant Italian friendbut what is it that she sees? Perception can be a dimension of distorted images framed by expectations. The truth might be larger than Philips field of vision.

Director Roger Michell makes good contrast with light and darkness, the bright daylight of Cornwall and the nocturnal interior of the manor where Philip and Rachel come to know each other in pale candlelight. She feeds him bitter tea according to her own recipe and, like Ambrose, he begins to feel ill. His hallucinations are sharply filmed, but raise more unanswered questions in a world of mixed and unclear motives. Is Rachel emotionally calculating or simply projecting her love for Ambrose onto Philip, whom he resembles? Is she a fortune hunter or a woman determined to free herself from societys strictures? A killer who decides not to kill? Did she? Didnt she?
As the self-proclaimed City of Festivals, Milwaukee is no stranger to outdoor music events. From Summer Soulstice to the Locust Street Festival, summers in the city have always been filled with live music. 2017 will be the first year, however, that Milwaukee will participate in Make Music Daya worldwide celebration of music that takes place on the first day of summer.

The event began in Paris, France in 1982. Make Music Days founders envisioned a day dedicated to free, live music with performances in public places. The event aims to be nontraditional; musicians are encouraged to participate both in standard venues as well as on street corners, rooftops and other outdoor spaces. The festival is open to musicians of all ages, skill levels and genre preferences. Last year, more than 750 cities participated in more than 120 countries. More than 50 U.S. cities will be celebrating Make Music Day this year.

It was Katelyn Reithel, the event coordinator at Brass Bell Music Store, who brought the event to Milwaukee. Reithel heard about the celebration while interning at the NAMM Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on music philanthropy. She was intrigued by the event and became determined to bring it to Milwaukee. She was surprised that a city with such a flourishing music scene and high volume of music business wasnt already involved. Reithel became the Make Music Day Milwaukee administrator and began her quest to get the city interested.

The festivals goal isnt to book Milwaukees big name performers. The event encourages inclusivity, and any venue or musician can opt to get involved. Make Music Days coordinators have developed a matchmaking process that allows artists to select a performance timeslot of their choice. Participating venues can reach out to interested musicians and schedule performances.

Make Music Day festivities will take place at outdoor spaces like the Mitchell Park Domes and Riverwests Kadish Park, as well as at indoor venues like Stage Right Pub and Brass Bell. Performers range from rock bands to Native American flute players. We have more people wanting to perform than we have timeslots available, says Reithel.

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Milwaukee rocker Nyanna Krajewski is performing twice on Make Music Day with her bands Gas Station Sushi and Slimabean. We want to support local artists and play music wherever we can, especially at places that are all ages, Krajewski says. We are underage and find it hard to get gigs. Its not easy to get people our age to come to our shows. Her bandmates are eager to perform in a space that is welcome to the public. Its a great opportunity, and Im always excited to perform, no matter where it is, says Slimabean vocalist Tess Minette. Performing makes me feel more confident and comfortable socially. Music is something that brings people together.

Other than performances, Make Music Day will create opportunities for music fans to learn a new skill or two. Both Kadish Park and the Domes will host group ukulele lessons. The instruments will be provided by Brass Bell, and instructors will teach participants how to compose their own tunes. Harmonica manufacturer Hoener will be donating instruments and teaching harmonica lessons at the Domes as well.

Make Music Milwaukee takes place on Wednesday, June 21, at various venues. For more information about the event, visit makemusicday.org/milwaukee.
For one reason or another, some Milwaukee creatives remain buried in the underground depths of the citys music scene. Its easy for local musicians to be overshadowed by the citys more established artists, especially during Milwaukees current hip-hop renaissance. With Milwaukee-based rappers garnering national attention regularly, it can be intimidating to break into a community full of so much talent.

Seshat Roberts, aka Queen Tut, made it her goal not to go unnoticed. Through music, fashion and philanthropy, Roberts has been making waves through both Milwaukee and New York City.

The rapper (or femcee, as she prefers to be called) was drawn to hip-hop after showing interest in poetry. Roberts eventually hit a wall when writing, and started to feel as though she couldnt thoroughly express herself. She decided to make the transition from poetry to hip-hop and began to dip her toes into Milwaukees hip-hop scene, adopting her stage name. She caught the citys attention after being featured on various local tracks, most notably on Lex Allens soul pop single Shapeshifter.

Roberts cites an eclectic mixture of influences, including Jimi Hendrix, TLC, Janelle Monet, Outkast and Missy Elliott. She says her biggest inspiration, both musically and aesthetically, is Lil Kim.

In 2015, she released her debut EP, Psychedelic Traphouse, a five-track effort that showcased Roberts lyrical talents as well as her unique production flair. The EP featured collaborations with multiple Milwaukee artists, including Abby Jeanne and Zed Kenzo.

A year ago, Roberts relocated to Brooklyn. She became acquainted with New York City while touring, and frequently attended AFROPUNK, a festival celebrating black alternative culture. Upon meeting potential collaborators and new friends at the event, she decided to expand her creative horizons to the East Coast.

When Roberts isnt making music, she does editorial work as a freelance hairstylist and makeup artist. She is also heavily involved in social activism. Her Milwaukee performances have raised money for organizations like Milwaukee Public Schools, Planned Parenthood and Date Rape Awareness Milwaukee. Her New York philanthropic pursuits include a vegan food pantry that provides meals to the hungry and starting a cooperative production company for artists and musicians. The co-ops goal is to bridge Milwaukees art scene with New Yorks established industry.

When performing in New York, she says she always makes a point to let people know shes from Milwaukee.

When I am in New York, I definitely shout that I am a Milwaukee artist, explains Roberts. I dont ever want them to claim me. Im very aware that I dont necessarily fit into their cookie-cutter view of whatever a female rapper should look like.

Roberts says that New Yorks hip-hop scene is quick to embrace new artists. Because everyone is from somewhere else, the music community is very open and inviting. She says that her New York contemporaries are intrigued by her Midwestern roots and are quick to notice them in her music.

When they hear my music, theyre shocked by the Milwaukee sound, Roberts says. Its something theyre not familiar with. Everybody has a different sound in Milwaukee. We all pick up different elements of things. The sounds of our voices are different, our sounds are different. Personally, I dont think I sound like anybody.



Queen Tuts most recent single, Cantaloupe, dropped last July. The single seamlessly blends hip-hop, trap and world beats. In April, an accompanying look book was shot by Milwaukee photographer Mahdi Gransberry. Roberts focuses as much on her musics aesthetics as she does her musics sounds, being sure to combine her talents as both a musical and visual artist.

Roberts isnt revealing too many details about her next project, except that it will include several Milwaukee features. Roberts says the project will include multiple Milwaukee fan favorites like saxophonist Jay Anderson and Sista Strings.

I see this new project showing people a different side of methe person I am now, she says. Theres going to be a new sound, and people will get the updated version of me.

Queen Tut will perform at Cactus Club on Thursday, June 15 with CRASHprez and DAmato. All proceeds will be going to Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. Her music can be found at soundcloud.com/seshat-queen-tut.
Every week, the Shepherd Express will serve as a clearinghouse for any and all activities in the greater Milwaukee area that peacefully push back against discriminatory, reactionary or authoritarian actions and policies of the Trump administration and other activities that seek to thwart social justice. We will publicize and promote actions, demonstrations, planning meetings, teach-ins, party-building meetings, drinking/discussion get-togethers or any other actions that are directed toward fighting back to preserve our liberal democratic system.

Thursday, June 15

No More Guns Vigil @ Brew City Shooters Supply (2339 S. 43rd St.), noon-1 p.m.

Casa Maria Catholic Worker is organizing a demonstration outside of Brew City Shooters Supply. The organization hopes to stop the proliferation of guns, especially those being sold through private sellers with no background checks.

Health Care for All Co-op 60-Day Kickoff @ Unity Church (1717 N. 73rd St.), 6:30 p.m.

Citizens Action of Wisconsin, along with a number of partner organizations, will launch their 60-day drive to talk to hundreds of Southeast Wisconsin residents about this concept known as the Citizen Action Healthcare for All Organizing Cooperativea member-owned organization made up of health consumers, medical professionals and small business owners.

Saturday, June 17

Peace Action Wisconsin: Stand for Peace @ Corner of St. Paul Avenue and Water Street, noon-1 p.m.

Every Saturday, from noon-1 p.m., concerned citizens join with Peace Action Wisconsin to protest war. Signs will be provided for those who need them. Protesters are encouraged to stick around for conversation and coffee afterwards.

Laughing Liberally @ ComedySportz Milwaukee (420 S. First St.), 8 p.m.

Laughing Liberally Milwaukee is a progressive political comedy show hosted by comedian, satirist and talk radio host Matthew Filipowicz. This months performers include: Brian Green, Kaitlyn Grissom, Ton Johnson, Marissa Lange, Patrick Tomlinson, Vickie Lynn and The Accountants of Homeland Security. The show will also feature an interview with a guest from Voces De La Frontera.

Wednesday, June 21

Refuel the Resistance @ Bounce Milwaukee (2801 S. Fifth Court), 5-8 p.m.

Every Wednesday, Bounce Milwaukee offers a space to organize, as well as a free drink to anyone who brings evidence of resistance in the past week, including protest signs, an email to an elected official or a selfie at the capital.

HamBingo Planned Parenthood Fundraiser @ Hamburger Marys (730 S. Fifth St.), 7-9 p.m.

HamBingo is a weekly charity event held at Hamburger Marys. This week, the featured charity is Planned Parenthood. This is a fun way to support the womens health non-profit.

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To submit to this column, please send a brief description of your action, including date and time, to savingourdemocracy@shepex.com. Together, we can fight to minimize the damage that this administration has planned for our great country.
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SIOUX CITY | A storm system has the possibility to bring hail and 70 mph winds to Siouxland during the evening and overnight hours.

Much of Siouxland is in an "enhanced" risk for severe thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. Much of the activity will begin around 6 p.m. to the north and reach Sioux City around 10 p.m.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we see some watches being issued around 2 to 3 p.m. this afternoon in South Dakota, and further east as it spreads," said Todd Heitkamp, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS Sioux Falls.

Heitkamp said areas to the north of Sioux City, including Vermillion, South Dakota, and Le Mars, Iowa, could see rain begin around 6 p.m.

"Right now the main threat looks like hail of up to an inch and a half in diameter and 70 mph winds," Heitkamp said.

The high today will be 93 in Sioux City. The evening hours bring a 60 percent chance of rain, with amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The low will be 68.

Highs for the rest of the week look to be in the high 80s to low 90s, with sunny skies. The next chance for rain will come Friday evening.
ELK POINT, S.D. | Remember when you were little and needed a shot at the doctor's office?

The anticipation of the pain, the fright that you worked up inside yourself could become almost overwhelming. You were so focused on how much you thought it was going to hurt that you sometimes barely even noticed the shot itself until after the nurse told you she was finished.

Union County Courthouse workers weren't expecting that the BPI-ABC trial now underway would be a painful experience.

But the buildup in the weeks leading up to a trial expected to last eight weeks certainly had them ready for two months worth of potential disruptions and inconveniences.

Like that shot at the doctor's office, reality has turned out to be much less than what was anticipated. For the most part, while lawyers argue a case that's drawn nationwide media attention to the makeshift courtroom in the basement, it's been business as usual in the rest of the building.

"It's been way less hectic than we were led to believe. Most of the customers coming in have been shocked it hasn't been worse," Union County Treasurer Myron Hertel said.

The defamation trial, in which BPI is seeking $1.9 billion in damages from ABC for a series of 2012 news stories about its Lean Finely Textured Beef that the company says were inaccurate and cost it million of dollars in business, loomed on the docket for months, and court staff and the sheriff's office prepared workers for the worst.

Only jurors may use the basement restrooms. Courthouse workers may use only the restrooms on the first floor, sharing them with all the lawyers, media members and other people who might be attending the trial.

Parking spots outside the building and in nearby parking lots were expected to be filled by media members and other people interested in watching the trial.

Any member of the public who has business in one of the county's offices in the basement must go through a metal detector before walking down the steps. Courthouse workers need ID badges that allow them to bypass the security station.

As inconvenient as the situation sounds, officer managers said it hasn't been that bad.

A room next to planning and zoning director Dennis Henze's office is now being used by the jurors hearing the case. Henze doesn't have access to the room's big table to spread out maps and documents anymore, and he'll have to conduct planning and zoning commission meetings in the Union County Board of Commissioners meeting room for the next couple months. But the public hasn't had any trouble getting through security and doing business with him.

"I have not heard any complaints," Henze said.

Neither has Susan Irons, the Union County veterans service officer, whose office has been moved from the basement to the board of commissioners conference room on the first floor for the duration of the trial because she and veterans who come to see her would have had to walk through the jury room to get to her office.

"I brought up my important stuff with me," she said. "It works out."

It helps that she only spends one day a week in the Union County office.

Union County Fair manager Janet Lingle said some of the people who come to visit her basement office seem to be a little shaken after the unfamiliar experience of passing through a security checkpoint, but she and her staff are fine.

It could get interesting as she gets busier while the Union County Fair, scheduled for July 27-30, nears. But then, she'll be spending more and more time out of the office and at the fairgrounds in Alcester getting prepared for that.

With one of her busiest times of the year nearly in full swing, Lingle isn't paying much attention to the trial going on just down the hall from her.

"It really isn't affecting my office," she said. "I go about my business."

There may be a few more people passing through the building now and for the next several weeks, but business is getting done.

And it's not hurting one bit.
ROCK VALLEY, Iowa | A 33-year-old man was injured after a bullet he shot ricocheted and struck him at a gun range Friday.

Upon arrival, the department said Jason Plueger, of Rock Valley, had been shooting a pistol at a metal target at the range and a bullet bounced back and hit his right arm. Plueger reported minor injuries and sought medical attention on his own.
SIOUX CITY | The city's delay in securing a contractor for a $3.7 million road project on Pierce Street is affecting plans by medical practice Tri-State Specialists to open a new facility in the area.

The facility's developer is now hoping to negotiate an agreement with the city to share the cost of moving up completion for part of the road project.

The request came as the Sioux City Council voted Monday to approve a $3.7 million bid by Sioux City Engineering Co. for reconstruction of Pierce Street between 24th and 29th streets. This was the city's second attempt at bidding the project after initial bids came in more than 20 percent higher than the estimate.

Mayor Bob Scott blamed the project's engineering for the delay, which has pushed estimated completion of the comprehensive reconstruction project from December into August 2018.

"Weve lost two months (in starting the project) here because of bad engineering and bad completion dates," he said.

The new calendar for the road project has influenced Tri-State Specialists' plans to construct a brand-new $2 million, 4,500-square-foot urgent care facility on the southeast corner of the 27th and Pierce intersection.

Developer Steve Nelson, of Nelson Construction Co., said plans had originally been to open in spring 2018, but that would now mean opening in the midst of construction on the 27th street intersection, which would limit the facility to one access point.

"That would be very detrimental for our facility, opening at that time," Nelson said Monday.

Nelson asked the city to consider sharing the costs of a $83,000 alternate to the project that would complete the intersection in 2017. Current plans have the city's contractor starting work at 24th and Pierce streets this summer and stopping its 2017 work immediately before reaching the 27th Street intersection.

Otherwise, Nelson said, Tri-State Specialists will have to back up construction of its project, which will drive up its own construction costs. He suggested the company contribute around $30,000 toward the additional cost.

Councilman Alex Watters asked why the city's project couldn't be flip-flopped -- starting instead with the portion between 29th and 27th streets in 2017. City engineer Glenn Ellis said that would have required a re-drawing of the plans, which would result in further delays.

"That would have required additional connections, bypassing and piping -- that would have been more time consuming," he said.

The City Council decided to approve the bid without the added cost, with the option to negotiate with Tri-State Specialists and add in the alternate at a later date.

Tax credit application

In other action Monday, the council voted 4-0 in support of an application on behalf of new Sioux City business Superior Industrial Mechanical for $152,000 in tax credits over a five-year period through Iowa's Targeted Jobs Program.

The company, owned by industry veteran Gabe Rohan, plans to base its offices on West Seventh Street. The company expects to create 26 new jobs, 20 of which qualify for Iowa's program.
SIOUX CITY | Work can begin Aug. 1 on the main part of the new Bryant Elementary School, after the Sioux City School Board approved a low bid of $17.3 million Monday.

The school board members approved the bid of $17,259,300 from Hoogendoorn Construction, of Canton, South Dakota. After a scare that the school could not be built by the August start of the 2019-20 year, school officials remain hopeful that no delay from the initial timing will take place.

In March, the lowest of two bids for constructing the main part of the building came in at $18.8 million, much higher than the $16 million estimate. That's when Superintendent Paul Gausman said the school opening could be delayed to August 2020.

But in April, new designs for the building from an architect, Cannon Moss Brygger Architects, of Sioux City, were received, and the cost estimate dropped to a projection of $17,467,030. The Hoogendoorn bid approved Monday came in slightly below that, and has a requirement for completion by two years in August 2019, Director of Operations and Maintenance Brian Fahrendholz said.

"Very good news," he said.

Fahrendholz said Hoogendoorn has not built a school in Sioux City, but has done such work in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and in Orange City and Sioux Center, Iowa.

"We heard strong references," Fahrendholz said.

The bid was the lowest of three received, and covers the third and largest part of Bryant Elementary School.

Up to now, the new Bryant school was estimated to cost almost $20 million, including the first two phases that are already underway for just under a combined $4 million. With the new conception of the main building coming in at the $17.3 million bid, the total combined cost moved above $21 million.

School district officials are aiming to construct a new Bryant to replace the old building that dated to 1890 and was demolished in July 2016 at 821 30th St.

That happened after much neighborhood controversy on where the school should be built. After a new 10-acre spot could not be found, school officials morphed to a three-level option at the same spot as the old school was located. The size will be 106,950 square feet.

The revised plans keep the same number of classrooms and the size of those instructional rooms.

The main changes in the plans approved in May involve reductions in costs of concrete and steel used. The Bryant metal exterior will be shifted to masonry and the gymnasium will incorporate a thinner brick, for instance.

In other spending decisions Monday, the school board approved the purchase of four wheelchair-lift school buses for $64,170 each, or $256,680 total, from Thomas Bus Sales of Des Moines.
Without Virginia, we probably never would have become the United States.

It was Virginian leadership and talent that created the nation. Think first of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, and don't forget Chief Justice John Marshall, Patrick Henry and George Mason. It's understandable that state pride can infect Virginians with a sort of terminal nostalgia. They can speak lyrically about Gen. Robert E. Lee or Jefferson as if both men were out on an extended coffee break and expected back shortly. There is an old, but not inaccurate, joke that asks: How many Virginians does it take to change a light bulb? The answer: Three. One to change the light bulb and two to reminisce about what a great light bulb the old light bulb was.

But in 2017, Virginia is one of only two states (New Jersey being the other) that will elect a new governor. That the Virginia election is held in a year when there is no presidential or congressional elections is a story in itself. In the most recent presidential election, Virginia's voter turnout was 72 percent of registered voters, whereas in the most recent gubernatorial race, Virginia's voter turnout was just 43 percent, or 1.73 million fewer voters. The Virginia political establishment and business community, quite bluntly, prefer the more conservative off-year electorate in a campaign insulated from the national political debate and trends of a presidential election, which attract younger, more untraditional voters and made the difference in Democratic presidential nominees carrying Virginia in the past three elections. Virginia's June primary date -- when colleges are closed, campuses are quiet and public attention is low -- was deliberately chosen to discourage large voter turnouts.

Recall Shields' third rule of campaigns: Politics, with the possible exception of political journalism, is the most imitative American art form. There are today aspiring candidates in Massachusetts running for office and pronouncing "again" so it rhymes with "rain." Why? Because John F. Kennedy pronounced it that way. Because Jimmy Carter emerged from nowhere to win the White House while using green buttons and green bumper stickers, there are candidates today using green bumper stickers. Because Ronald Reagan won big while championing big tax cuts at a time when the national debt was barely $1 trillion and unemployment was in double digits, today, when unemployment has dropped to a 10-year low, what do would-be clones embrace, even though the national debt has exploded to $20 trillion? Huge tax cuts, of course.

So what did Virginian candidates learn from the 2016 presidential campaign to copy? The 2016 Republican presidential winner was an authentic original who charged that George W. Bush, the most recent GOP chief executive, "lied" when he "said there were weapons of mass destruction (in Iraq). There were none, and (he) knew there were none." He charged that Jeb Bush, a primary opponent, "has to like the Mexican illegals because of his wife." Columba Bush, who was born in Mexico, became a U.S. citizen in 1979. Mitt Romney, according to Donald Trump, "choked like a dog." But the most damning accusation that worked may have been Trump's unfounded claim that Sen. Ted Cruz's father, Rafael, an expatriate from Fidel Castro's Cuba, "was with Lee Harvey Oswald," the assassin of President Kennedy, shortly "before the shooting. It's horrible."

But Virginia in 2017 shows that it worked. The Democratic lieutenant governor, Ralph Northam, a mild-mannered pediatric neurologist -- in a primary fight with former Rep. Tom Perriello, an underdog who has the backing of seemingly the entire Obama White House alumni and Bernie Sanders -- has raised the rhetorical thermostat. In TV spots and on the stump, Northam calls Trump a "narcissistic maniac" who must be kept out of Virginia. Because President Trump's job approval rating in the most recent Quinnipiac poll among Virginia Democrats is 3 percent favorable and 95 percent unfavorable, Northam's primary strategy is probably not risky. But if it works and Northam were to win by making the gubernatorial race a referendum on the "narcissistic maniac," then once again it would prove, sadly, just how imitative our politics are.
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.
Orban also railed against the EU for threatening sanctions on the country for not taking redistributed migrants from countries like Greece and Italy.

According to Orban, Hungarians would not be blackmailed by Brussels and said: We want a Hungarian Hungary and a European Europe.

The European Union is not Brussels, he added, and would not submit to the idea that our future is determined in Moscow, Brussels or Washington.

As long as I am the Prime Minister of Hungary and stand here, so will the border fence on the southern border, he said.

Whoa, buddy.Over the last couple of years Hungary and Poland have led a bloc of Eastern European countries that, like President Trump, recognize the danger in unchecked Muslim migration into Europe. The V4 Nations as theyve become known (Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) have all taken a hard stand against the European Unions position of total refugee acceptance, and free movement throughout Europe. Instead, the V4 countries have built fences and walls (gasp) and spent millions to protect their borders and ensure the safety of their citizens. What have they gotten for it?Well, while the rest of Europe suffers from a massive spike in crime (particularly sexual violence) and a dramatic increase in terrorism, the V4 nations have seen no corresponding rise in crime and theyve suffered ZERO successful Muslim terrorist attacks . ZERO.In fact, the only pains theyve faced have come from their fellow European nations. The V4 have been derided, browbeaten, and abused at the European Parliament and the EU has even threatened to charge them HUGE fines for their decision not to participate in the mass destruction of their continent.Hungarys leaders may be reaching their breaking point with their European allies. In a recent speech, Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the EU of favoring terrorists . His comments came after his government received several complaints from the EU because they had arrested an asylum seeker who had been charged with suspicion of terrorism.Orban said.It wasnt just Orban railing against the EU this week, Minister for Human Capacities Zoltan Balog also had a bone to pick with the EU . Balog called the European Unionand argued that Islam and EuropeWhile liberals will no doubt decry Balogs rhetoric, the simple truth is that the culture and philosophy of the West is at odds with the culture and philosophy that is at the core of Islam. Balog made a similar argument in defending his comments.The EU is preparing to formally sanction Hungary and her allies for ignoring the commands from Brussels, we in the United States who understand the struggle must stand in solidarity with the V4 nations. President Trump should seek to establish a significant relationship with the V4 nations in an effort to help them stave off the pains of the EU sanctions. Sadly, because the V4 have chosen to be a part of the EU, they are not allowed to enter into unilateral (or multilateral) trade negotiations with our government. (Which is why the Brits are so keen to exit the EU.) So America, will have to find other more creative ways to support our allies in Eastern Europe as they fight to fend of radical Islam and the radical European liberals who are leading Europe to destruction.
Sandra Lee "Sandy" Robinson, 67, of Great Mills, MD passed away June 8, 2017 at Hospice House of St. Mary's surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with cancer. Sandy was born on May 25, 1950 in Johnson City, NY to the late Raymond Robinson and Miriam Mae Zellers Robinson. In addition to her wife, Sandy is also survived by her siblings, Phyllis Hawley of Binghamton, NY and Alan Robinson (Sharon Jo) of Binghamton, NY; many nieces and nephews; and extended family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Sharon Lowe.



Sandy proudly enlisted in the United States Navy and dedicated over 20 years of service to her country until her honorable discharge in January 1990 as a Petty Officer First Class. After retiring she worked at the Well Pet Clinic for over 5 years and than as a regular volunteer. She loved animals, especially her cats and dogs. She dedicated many hours and delivered pet food every week to the Well Pet Clinic and the Feral Cat Rescue League. October 24, 2011 she married her beloved wife, Cynthia Garbus. On June 16, 1987 they began their relationship and have celebrated almost 30 wonderful years together. She had a contagious sense of humor and enjoyed a good game of pitch. She also enjoyed shooting pool on Wednesday nights on a mixed fun pool league at the Hole in the Wall and was a passionate softball player.



Family will receive friends for Sandy's Life Celebration on Friday, June 16, 2017 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.,with a Memorial Service celebrated by Reverend Joe Orlando at 6:00 p.m., at Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Inurnment will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice House of St. Mary's, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or the Well Pet Clinic, 21800 North Shangri La Drive, Unit 16, Lexington Park, MD 20653. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
(WB) The U.S. military has entered a new era under the Trump administration as many wonder if the LGBT progress after Dont Ask, Dont Tell repeal will remain in place, but one thing that hasnt changed is the annual reception at the Pentagon recognizing Pride.

The event  coordinated by DOD Pride, the Pentagon affinity group for LGBT service members and civilians  took place on Monday as it has each year after repeal of the militarys gay ban, and now after the rule change allowing transgender people to serve in the armed forces.

Representing the Defense Department at the event was acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness Anthony Kurta, who said during his remarks all men and women who serve, including civilian and military personnel in the LGBT community are equal contributing members of the DOD total force.

Diversity is more than race, gender and ethnicity, Kurta said. It includes, among other things, diversity of thought, diversity of ability, diversity of background, diversity of language, culture and skill. It is very broad.

DOD Pride had invited Defense Secretary James Mattis to attend the event, but Kurta represented Pentagons leadership in place of the secretary. Later in the day, Mattis was set to testify before Congress on President Trumps plan to fund the Defense Department in the upcoming fiscal year.

Also speaking at the event on the day she was poised to exit military service was Maj. Gen. Patricia Rose, a lesbian and mobilization assistant to the deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Celebrating Pride month, or any other diversity month, is really about validating that theres one inherent trait we all possess and our nation benefits from, and thats the diversity of our unique backgrounds and experience, Rose said.

Emphasizing the importance of diversity, Rose said U.S. history provides ample evidence undercutting the notion that value is just some aspect of political correctness.

World War II provides bold insight to the power of inclusion as opposed to exclusion, Rose said. While our enemies were trying to prop up the superiority of their monolithic cultures, we were utilizing the vast and distinct skills sets our diverse military had to offer.

Rose cited as examples Rosie the Riveter, the symbol of civilian women who supported the industrial war effort while U.S. troops fought overseas, and Alan Turing, the gay mathematician who invented the Turing machine to crack Nazi encoded messages, then was sentenced to chemical castration by the British government for being gay.

While great advances have been made, we still ensure subtle, and not so subtle, prejudices and challenges to our right to be who we are, to serve with dignity and respect, Rose said. I share your apprehension as we witness efforts at home and abroad to turn back the clock on our justified advances, so now, more than ever, we must not stand silent in face of prejudice, injustice or atrocity.

Keynoting the event was Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), whos gay and co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus as well as the No. 2 Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

There was a time when the Department of Defense discouraged and hid its diversity instead of celebrating it as we are today, Takano said. The progress has made this moment possible that we should really never overestimate Americas capacity to remake itself for the better.

Making the point the military has been a tremendous, tremendous platform for how our country has become a more perfect union, Takano, a Japanese American, looked back to the military service during World War II of the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which was composed almost entirely of Japanese Americans.

Takano said he had a great uncle who died in Italy fighting for the U.S. military more than 70 years ago as the nation interned Japanese Americans.

I think about a young 23 year old giving 100 percent for his country when his country was not guaranteeing 100 percent to him, Takano said.

The Pentagon held the Pride event recognizing Pride amid reports the Defense Department is contemplating a delay in allowing transgender people to enter the military  the final piece to removing the ban on transgender service. The Obama-era plan called for implementation by July 1.

According to a report last week in USA Today, the Navy and Marine Corps are requesting delays as long as two years to allow transgender applicants into their ranks.

Rose alluded to unfinished work for transgender service members during her remarks and called for a shift in focus from acknowledging our past struggle to acknowledging our future heritage.

We must resist those attempts to marginalize us because our heritage enabled by self-sacrificing pioneers must be preserved and advanced upon, especially for transgender citizens and military members, Rose said.

Despite media reports indicating accession of transgender troops is in jeopardy, LGBT rights supporters have told the Blade the U.S. military remains poised to allow transgender people to enlist in the armed forces by July 1 as planned  or shortly thereafter.

Kurta declined to comment when the Blade asked him after the event if the plan to allow transgender troops to enter the U.S. military was still on track.

Were here today to recognize this event and I dont think its appropriate for me to comment, Kurta said.

Receiving an award at the event for civilian leadership was Amanda Simpson, the first-ever transgender woman U.S. government appointee and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for operational energy.

Simpson said upon receiving the award society must embrace diversity in order to continue attracting the best, the brightest, the loyal and the dedicated.

It should not matter as to the color of your skin, ethnic origin, who you love or particularly what is or is not between your legs, or even if you have both legs, Simpson said. Its about pride in yourself, pride in your work and pride in your country.

Also receiving an award was Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith, deputy commanding general in the U.S. Army Reserves for sustainment in the Eighth Army and first flag officer to come out as gay after Dont Ask, Dont Tell repeal.

 Chris Johnson, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association
(EDGE) On Monday, Lambda Legal and 15 other national LGBT groups urged opposition to the confirmations of John K. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and Damien Schiff to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, citing public statements and writings from both nominees and their repeated demonstration of "contempt for LGBT Americans, people living with HIV, women, and other vulnerable populations."

In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee - who are expected to hear testimony from both nominees at a confirmation hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning - LGBT groups opposed to the confirmations cite not only homophobic epithets and other anti-LGBT and misogynistic remarks made by nominees in their public speeches and writings but also records that clearly illustrate their "views on civil rights issues are fundamentally at odds with the notion that LGBT people are entitled to equality, liberty, justice and dignity under the law."

"The records of Mr. Bush and Mr. Schiff demonstrate that their appointment to the bench would cause grave harm to the LGBT community, as well as many other communities who rely on the federal judiciary to administer fair and impartial justice," the letter states. "We urge you to reject their respective nominations."

The letter documents troubling records on behalf of both nominees and explains how these nominees' particular brand of "originalism" essentially writes LGBT people out of the Constitution in a way that denies them full personhood.

"Mr. Bush's disparagement of decisions protecting the right of individuals to make highly personal decisions - the right to engage in private consensual adult relationships, and the right to procreative freedom - reveals a hostility to well established fundamental rights of liberty, privacy, autonomy and self-determination that have been the lynchpin of legal progress for LGBT people," the letter states.

For a decade, Bush hid behind a "secret" online identity to post extensive rants attacking people with whom he disagreed, often using crude language and insults, and believes the term "faggot" is acceptable language to use in a public address. Bush has also made public statements enthusiastically endorsing the views of opponents of marriage equality for same-sex couples, and in 2008 compared abortion to slavery and Roe v. Wade to Dred Scott, writing, "The two greatest tragedies in our country - slavery and abortion - relied on similar reasoning and activist justices at the U.S. Supreme Court ..."

Schiff's record is equally as troubling, believing that states should be able to criminalize "consensual sodomy" - at odds with the landmark case Lawrence v. Texas - and has criticized efforts to prevent bullying of LGBTQ students and referring to the efforts as "teaching gayness in schools."

"Mr. Schiff has also aligned himself with the concept of 'natural law' or 'divine law' - the theory that particular, ostensibly universal moral truths trump constitutional rights," the letter states. "This vague notion incorporates the radical views that LGBT identities and intimate relationships are 'unnatural.'"
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The small-scale fisheries sector in the Caribbean plays a vital role in the regions food security but is overshadowed by marine industries including shipping, tourism, and oil and gas extraction. An EU-funded initiative is providing a stronger voice to fisherfolk to advocate their needs.

The contribution of the small-scale fisheries sector to food security in the Caribbean has been strengthened through a 4-year EU funded initiative that has been building the capacity of regional and national fisherfolk organisations to actively participate in governance issues. The EuropeAid programme, which ended in December 2016, has been implemented by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute and partners working with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organization and national fisherfolk organisations in 17 Caribbean states.

With more than 35 coastal and small island economies, the Caribbean Sea is vital to sustaining the small-scale fisheries sector in the region. According to a 2016 World Bank report, Toward a Blue Economy: A Promise for Sustainable Growth in the Caribbean, the annual gross value from regional fishery activities in 2012 was 4 billion, and aquaculture contributed a further 1.68 billion, figures that will have undoubtedly increased in recent years. However, the regions fisheries are seriously depleted; nearly 60% of commercial fish stocks are overexploited or have collapsed. Lack of equipment, poor security, climate change threats and inadequate government support are also serious challenges for the small-scale fisheries sector.

To address the fact that Caribbean fisherfolk have had little or no involvement in national and regional governance and management issues, small grants have been issued under the Fisherfolk Strengthening Fund. The grants are intended to help enhance internal governance, leadership, strategic and business planning, and communication and advocacy among fisherfolk, as well as create awareness about the benefits of fisherfolk organisations.

One recipient organisation of a small grant of around 10,000 is the Trinidad and Tobago United Fisherfolk (TTUF). Joslyn Lee Quay, TTUF president, stated that the money has been used to strengthen the organisational structure and develop a communications plan for improved governance. We undertook a committee-driven approach and divided the country into segments, with a local representative responsible for the mobilisation of fisherfolk in different areas. We also engaged a local organisation to strategically review our executive structure to put forward recommendations, which we are currently implementing. These include regular elections and bringing 'new blood' into the association. However, Lee Quay acknowledged, One of the challenges we have faced was achieving full participation in the training workshops; as fisherfolk are self-employed, there were constraints on their time." Around 100 people from 22 fisher organisations have participated in the TTUF training.

As a direct result of the project, TTUF have been able to better prepare and develop their positions in order to influence decision-making at the annual meetings of the Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture on matters that affect them, such as trawling and piracy, amongst other issues. Within Trinidad and Tobago, TTUF are using new media engagement and social media skills to better communicate key messages to policymakers. We have to stand up and let governments know that they have to get their act together with respect to trawling, piracy, seismic surveys and the prevention of oil spills, which are destroying marine life and our livelihoods, states Lee Quay. We will continue to work with the fisherfolk within our national network to share information and forge consensus on these governance issues."
Botafogo was one of the least touristic neighborhoods in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro until recently, when rent in famous areas such as Ipanema and Copacabana reached record-high prices. This forced both Rio natives and newcomers to find other areas to settle. The more affordable prices, the residential feel, and the proximity to both the noble areas and downtown made Botafogo the best bet for many young couples and creative typessome are even calling the area BotaSoho. Like the nickname or not, lets just say that Botafogo is seeing a proliferation of new businesses its never seen before: restaurants, breweries, clothing stores, burger joints, you name it. This is one of the hottest neighborhoods right now in all of Brazil.

And, of course, coffee. Fica, CoLab, and The Slow Bakery opened their doors here last year. Located close to one another, each is increasing Rios standards for good coffee and good servicea combination still somewhat rare in the city.

The Slow Bakery

In March, couple Ludmila Espindola and Rafael Pereira, both from a communications background, finally founded The Slow Bakery in a quiet street in Botafogo. Finally because they were already very well-known throughout Rios artisan markets and fairs and through their home delivery bread service. Pereira is a self-taught bread maker who got to his Rio Sourdough recipe through much experimentation and error. Now, The Slow Bakery uses natural fermentation to create breads that are real masterpiecessome of them take 30 hours to get readyand the couple and their team keep experimenting and creating in their kitchen.

When they were in the process of opening the bakery to the public, they got in contact with Renato Gutierres and Gabriela Ribeiro from Cafe Secreto and learned a lot from their coffee service. When Dri Menezes, their head barista, joined the team, it really felt that they had upped their game in coffee service. Current offerings include AeroPress, V60 pour-over, and brews on Clever dripper. You can also order a Manchadinho, which is an AeroPress coffee with a little bit of steamed milk. They were serving Wolff Cafe beans when I visited and they try to always have a visiting coffee from another roastery as well.

One of their current kitchen experiments involves coffee as wella cold brew that is left brewing for up to 72 hours inside their bread fermentor, which has precisely controlled temperature and humidity. Espindola explains that all that they do, including their coffee program, is aligned with their bakers mindset: locally sourced quality ingredients, artisanal methods, tasty, and accessible.

After a night of partying in Rio, all you will want for breakfast will be one of their croque sandwiches sided with a pour-over. Finish that with their cold-brew-infused tiramisu and you are ready for the day.

Fica

Not too far from The Slow Bakery, Carol Monteiro, journalist, and Lara Carmo, filmmaker, founded Fica. Both of them have little kids and found themselves reconsidering their professional priorities in that time. Monteiro was a coffee lover and always wanted to open a cafe, and Carmo wanted a flexible job, one that allowed her to dedicate some time to her movie endeavors as well. They started to put together their project in March 2016, found the perfect placeinside a vila off of a very calm street in Botafogoand opened a few months later, in August.

One thing they really aspired to was making clients feel like they were being welcomed into someones homeand for the cafe to be 100 percent baby-friendly as well. As a matter of fact, the day I visited I even asked Monteiro if there was a kids school nearby, as there were many of them playing outside. She said that no, those were all children of their patrons. It just felt right for us, Monteiro said, that we made a space where parents can go to with their kids, but not necessarily being a kids destination. This is a space that welcomes people like us, young parents who happen to appreciate good food and good coffee. Soon, they will also open their space to art exhibitions from local artists.

The coffee is thoughtfully prepared, by either Monteiro or Carmo, who alternate shifts behind the counter. Monteiro says some people think it funny that they have scales, a grinder, and other tools right at the counter in front of the clientsbut that is exactly the purpose so that newcomers can ask more about the type of coffee being served there. Ficas current beans are lighter roasts from Pereira Villela and Wolff Cafe. There are always savory and sweet toasts and pastries to try, and a very, very cozy couch to rest on inside.

CoLAB

On the same block as Fica, simply cross the street and enter CoLAB. CoLAB is a hub for everything artisanal, as Rodrigo Abe, the founder, tells me. Abe chose the former mechanical workshop in Botafogo to open his place after acknowledging the outrageous rents and broker fees in Ipanema and Copacabana. Many other people are choosing that same area to open their small businesses too, so people traffic has not been a problem.

At CoLAB, the only of the three cafes listed here that offers espresso-based beverages, they always have two or more featured roasters. In fact, there are always two beans available as espressothe customer can choose. The day I visited, the beans offered were from 4 Beans and Isso e Cafe. Iced lattes, given Rios intense summers, are also a good bet. In the food spectrum, CoLABs menu should be thoroughly explored. They have a full English breakfast option (with beans, sausage, and eggs), house-made cinnamon rolls, and a variety of curry dishes as well. Abe always makes an effort to work with local suppliers and also lends the kitchen once a week to guest chefs from Rio.

To drink, aside from the coffee offerings, there is kombucha, craft beerwhich they will soon start to produce in-house as well, and refreshing alcoholic options such as the cardamom-infused gin and tonic. Here is a place to spend the entire day if you want, Abe tells me pointing to an English couple who had been there since the morning. It is indeed rare to find such a diverse place that is open till lateoffering good coffeein Rio. Botafogo has one more reason to celebrate.

Juliana Ganan is a Brazilian coffee professional and journalist. Read more Juliana Ganan on Sprudge.

Cafe photos courtesy of Cicero Rodrigues. Botafogo landscape photo courtesy of Leonardo Sobral.
Melbourne is a funny little place: Years ago residents were constantly lamenting about the difficulty of finding delicious full mealsbreakfast, lunch, dinneralongside delicious coffee. These days, it seems like the citys famous for doing both things, but when you want a simple, quality baked good with a great coffee, you often need to visit two separate venues (unless you really vibe on a classic Australian iced long black).

After years of thinking about potentially starting a bakery with a solid coffee offering to fill that gap, Aaron Maxwell (pictured above) had a serendipitous introduction to Boris Portnoy in 2015. At the time Portnoy was working as a pastry chef at Auction Rooms, after moving to Melbourne from California, where he worked at the three Michelinstarred Meadowood in Napa Valley. Maxwell and his Everyday compatriot Mark Free started talking with Portnoy about collaborating shortly thereafter. The result is All Are Welcomebringing baked goods and tasty coffee to the people of Northcote since April 2017.

All Are Welcome occupies a beautiful space at the peak of Northcoteliterally at the top of the hill, on the main stretch of High Streetbut looks surprisingly unassuming from the outside, relatively hidden when seen from the street. But its impossible to ignore the huge poster pasted up on the outside wall that says VIENNOISERIE, just in case you needed any more encouragement to go inside.

The space was designed by architect Murray Barker, with the build being undertaken by Exzibit Design. Its a nice light space broken up into what is essentially an interesting figure eight by its structural needs (nicely replicated by Seb Godfreysof Open Spacegraphic design for the brand). The front half encompasses the wall of loaves and bannetons (bread baskets), a retail space, a cheese cabinet, coffee service, and a pretty irresistible pastry display. The second half holds the bakery, storage, bathrooms, and a very sweet corner to sit in created by a couple of former church pews.

Much like a good neighborhood coffee shop, a bakery is a place that brings people together, quite literally breaking bread, says Maxwell. This has always appealed to us as it speaks to the reasons we opened Everyday in the first place. We were also heavily inspired by bakeries we had come across in Europe but there was always one problem: The coffee was always an afterthought. With All Are Welcome, we were looking to rectify that problem.

When it comes to edible offerings, there is a range of delicious and lesser-known pastries, all informed by Portnoys travels through Eastern Europe, Russia, and Georgia. Where many pastry shops around Melbourne (and Australia at large) tend to focus on replicating the French classics, Portnoy brings something new to the table: His approach to pastry is to highlight lesser-known viennoiserie and expose people to new flavors and ingredients, while the bread offering is simple with an emphasis on consistency over quantity.

After several visits to All Are Welcome, this writer can thoroughly vouch for the deliciousness on offer: the Khachapuri is utterly addictive with its layers of flaky pastry embracing the cheesy feta and mozzarella filling, while the Medovnik will swiftly disappear due to its utterly transfixing layers of buttercream and honeyed cakey crepe. Pair that with an espresso from the cafes black powder-coated La Marzocco Linea PB or a batch brew from the ever-faithful Moccamaster, and youre pretty much in heaven.

The rationale behind much of All Are Welcomes retail offerings is face-smackingly simple: Its based entirely around the idea of products that go with bread (duh). What this means is that once youve adequately binged on sweets and savory snacks alongside coffee, you can then stock up on a freshly baked San Francisco sourdough, as well as some house-made pickles, Brillat Savarin cheese, and chutneys and jams to go with it, along with a bag of Everyday-roasted coffee for home.



All in all, All Are Welcome has brought a bit of that Everyday magic to Northcote: Its got that same, no-nonsense approach to tasty coffee, but this time the cafe has added in some next-level pastryjust enough to make you wish you lived just around the corner so this could be part of your daily routine (so that you might visit *Every Day*).

Eileen P. Kenny is a coffee professional, winemaker, and Sprudge Media Network contributor based in Melbourne. Read more Eileen P. Kenny on Sprudge.
Some nifty stick handling from Sylvain Filion was required in deep stretch for P L Kahluaa, who eventually shook loose en route to posting a career-best clocking of 1:52.2 in the featured $18,000 conditioned event for filly and mare pacers.

P L Kahluaa got away second behind Southwind Ion, but they didnt hold those positions for long. Every Time brushed to the lead in the second quarter, leaving Southwind Ion with the pocket spot and a three-hole trip for P L Kahluaa. Every Time went on to post middle panels of :57 and 1:24.2, but she failed to last on the lead.

Manhattan Play came first over as the field headed into the final turn, and by the time the field reached the head of the lane she was on the verge of clearing to the top. She held the lead in deep stretch, but her :28.1 closing quarter wasnt enough to seal the deal. P L Kahluaa wiggled between horses in deep stretch, and her final quarter of :27.1 was enough to earn her the win by 2-3/4 lengths over Manhattan Play in 1:52.2. Every Time settled for the show dough.

Sent off at odds of 9-1 for trainer Patrick Richer, P L Kahluaa picked up her first win of the year after going 4-for-10 last season. Martin Morel of Mirabel, QC owns the career winner of $60,420.

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results  Mohawk Racetrack.

For the official judges' report from Monday's card, click the following link: Judges' Report - Mohawk - June 12.
Bobbie Ames Recipient of the 2016 Dr. Robert Dreyfus Courageous Christian Leadership Award

Contact: Bobbie Ames, bobbiehames@gmail.com ; Chaplain E. Ray Moore (Lt. Col.), USAR Ret., President, Frontline Ministries, Inc., and the Exodus Mandate Project , 803-714-1744, exodusmandate@gmail.com COLUMBIA, S.C., June 13, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- Frontline Ministries, Inc., and the Exodus Mandate Project announced the selection of Mrs. Bobbie Ames as the recipient of the 2016 Dr. Robert Dreyfus Courageous Christian Leadership Award. Established by Frontline Ministries, Inc., in 2007, this award is presented annually to honor and recognize Christian leaders who have exhibited moral courage through their unique contribution to the Church by advancing Christianity in the culture and life of the nation. This contribution may run counter to the prevailing culture of the Church and society.Mrs. Ames was born in Washington, North Carolina, attended Greensboro College, then East Carolina Teacher's College (now East Carolina University), majoring in elementary education. She married John Ames in 1950 and lived in Selma, Alabama, and later in Marion, Alabama, while raising their five children. Today there are 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.In 1965, John and Bobbie Ames founded the Perry Christian School in Marion, Alabama, with 32 students in six grades. They poured their time, hard work, enthusiasm, money and their unique talent of leadership for the purpose of securing an opportunity for parents to educate their children with high academic standards in our Christian and American heritage. The school had been relocated to Montgomery, Alabama and was renamed Emerald Mountain Christian School. The school celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2015.The school has maintained a classical curriculum that is distinctly Christian, not only providing students with a sound education, but also teaching Christian values, self-discipline, godly virtues and a love of America, which will carry them through life as they fulfill God's plan. She started a library at the school to preserve and to assure vital and pure research with over 45,000 volumes in the collection. The school is a model for Principle Approach Christian education for the Mid-South region.Bobbie Ames currently writes monthly for the Alabama Gazette, "The Education Station" on issues of education and history from a biblical worldview. She is a writer, historian, lecturer and advocate for K-12 Christian education and America's Christian heritage.A few weeks before she passed, Phyllis Schlafly, the former founder and director of Eagle Forum, wrote this inspiring message to Bobbie: "Congratulations, Bobbie, on maintaining your school for so many years, to give so many children a proper education. Giving all those hundreds of children a Christian education is your great legacy. Your school is the model for what dedicated parents should do in every state. I am proud to have you as my friend and continue to be a big admirer of your accomplishment."Chaplain Moore noted, "Bobbie's timeless efforts have produced God-fearing, moral, patriotic, educated leaders over the past 50 years."Dr. Dreyfus, for whom this award is named, is a prominent retired Florida dentist and inventor of a device to relieve neuromuscular pain for dental use. He served as president of the Florida Dental Society of Anesthesiology. He has given more than 47 years of volunteer work on behalf of family values and K-12 Christian education in Florida and now serves as the Florida state coordinator for the Exodus Mandate Project.Chaplain Moore noted that the 2016 award is the tenth to be awarded. Past recipients include: Thomas C. Pinckney, M.A., Brigadier General USAF Ret. and Bruce N. Shortt, J.D., Ph.D. (2007); Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., the National Home Education Research Institute (2008); Gena and Paul Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (2009); Geri and Bob Boyd, Issues in Education radio ministry (2010); Alice Moore, 1974 WV textbook protester (2011); Joyce and Eric Burges, National Black Home Educators (NBHE) (2012); Dan Smithwick, Nehemiah Institute (2013); Zan Tyler, Apologia Press (2014); Edward Gamble, SBACS (2015).Contact information for Bobbie Ames: bobbiehames@gmail.com Contact information for Frontline Ministries, Inc.: Chaplain E. Ray Moore (Lt. Col.), USAR Ret., President, Frontline Ministries, Inc., and the Exodus Mandate Project, PO Box 12072, Columbia, SC 29211, email: exodusmandate@gmail.com , 803-714-1744, www.exodusmandate.org . [Photo available upon request]
The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew; Rick Kern/WireImageThe story of the Miami rap group 2 Live Crew and its fearless leader, Luther Campbell is headed to the big screen.

According to Deadline, Lionsgate is developing, The Book of Luke, a film about Campbell and his group, whose parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman" was the center of a Supreme Court case that set a precedent for "fair use sampling for music judged to be parody."

The movie, based on the memoir Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice and Liberty City is described as Straight Outta Compton meets The People Vs. Larry Flynt.

The drama will follow the groups rise and provocative music that took Campbell from the streets of Miamis Liberty City to becoming a multi-millionaire. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl star RJ Cyler is set to play Campbell in the film.

Mike Epps is among the executive producers, while Craig A. Williams is set to write the script based on Campbells memoir.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Measures to allow such shops in El Segundo, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach are all on their way to failing, based on semi-official election results
RAINIER  It took 18 months, but the sinkhole that swallowed part of a lot behind a Rainier business in December 2015 is almost fixed  for now.

The Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District has filled the hole, which materialized next to Earth N Sun, a wood stove business. A 450-foot section of the culvert that carries Fox Creek through downtown Rainier has been replaced, according to Conservation District Manager Kari Hollander. Holes in the aging pipe are believed to have caused the sinkhole.

The procedure was arduous and complex, Richard Lord, son-in-law of Earth N Suns owners, noted.

It turned into a very lengthy and very complicated process, he said. Many City Council meetings and many property owner meetings, a lot of lawyers and documentation.

Now, Lord says there are only a few tasks left, as he describes the construction as 97 percent finished. Theres some fencing that needs removal, curbing that needs to be finished, and a crack in the stores foundation that needs sealing, according to the Longview resident.

After that, Lord said, he and the owners plan on repairing the building itself, with new drywall and paint. They also need a fix for the back third of the building, which he said sank due to the culvert work.

Between damage to the foundation and the back end of the building, and all the water damage inside, were just going to start repairing now for aesthetic reasons, Lord said.

After the project received funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the City of Rainier in June 2016, it took the SWCD four months to come up with a plan.

The department began work in late October, according to Hollander. After having to stop for five months between December and May due to intense rain, the project is near completion. The total cost was slightly under $800,000, Hollander said.

However, both Hollander and Lord understand the project did not solve the whole problem. The lower 300 feet of culvert have yet to be replaced near Highway 30/B Street and C Street. Its condition is questionable. The bigger problem, though is that the six-foot wide culvert cant handle flood flows and its an impediment for salmon and other fish.

(Replacing the culvert) is not a long-term solution for handling the amount of water that will come down the creek during the wettest months, Lord said. Its a temporary solution.

Hollander and Lord agree that a permanent solution would be to daylight Fox Creek, or dig up the culvert and restore it to a natural-flowing creek. Other property owners who would be affected agree, according to Lord. Their justifications go beyond simply preventing flooding.

Its ineffective as a fish passageway as a metal culvert in the ground, Lord said. The whole purpose of it being a fish waterway, with having 600 feet of it underground, is silly. The beautification of that would add to downtown and make that whole area a usable park, with a walkway and scenic path.

Hollander agreed on both counts, but warned that a project wouldnt come to fruition quickly.

To do a daylight project requires a lot more planning with more partners, including the Department of Transportation, the state itself, the property owners, the City of Rainier, and a lot more, Hollander said. It couldnt be done in short order.

A section of the creek that used to run through a culvert in the playground of Rainier Elementary school was daylighted in the 1990s, for similar reasons.

Lord claims that Federal Emergency Management Agency might fund a relocation of Earth N Sun, as an exposed Fox Creek would run directly through the stores parking lot.

However, FEMA representative Peter Sessum from Region X, which covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, said that he had not heard of the situation, and stated the organization generally doesnt fund relocation for private businesses.
Longview School Board members will be free to discuss school business with the news media outside of board meetings under a new policy adopted Monday.

Previously, only the school board president had been able to talk to the media, a policy followed by many school districts statewide.

The change is partly a response to concerns about press access raised by The Daily News after reporters had trouble interviewing board members about issues facing the district.

School Board President C.J. Nickerson stressed that the new guidance is not a change in board policy. Rather, he said, it is clarification that resulted from a broader review process that sought to delineate the role of the board from the superintendents.

The new guidance still directs individual board members to refer media inquiries to the board president or superintendent.

However, if an individual board member chooses to interact with the media when contacted, they shall always clarify that they are speaking as an individual and not representing the board and its position, the official operating principles adopted at the meeting state.

The document also instructs board members to notify the superintendent and board president if the media contacts them.

This is not an issue thats going to set this community on fire, Nickerson joked during an interview, while also acknowledging the importance of media access to elected officials.

The Daily News Publisher Rick Parrish applauded the move.

Both the Daily News and our readers will benefit from this positive change. Allowing individual school board members to speak out on school issues for themselves makes sense, he said in a statement.

I appreciate and applaud school board President C.J. Nickerson for being open to changing the media policy, and for handling this issue both thoughtfully and professionally.
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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd on Monday said it is launching new sales channels in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan as China's deep-pocketed e-commerce firms vie for new users in the region.

The new service, branded TmallWorld, will allow overseas Chinese users to buy goods from Alibaba's Tmall, its popular brand-to-consumer retail site, the company said in a statement. "Alibaba will provide end-to-end solutions including logistics, payment, and localization support catering to each local market's needs," the statement said.

Alibaba Groups has been quite active within India as well. Earlier this year, Alibaba had invested Rs 17,000 crore in an Indian e-commerce website called Paytm. The big picture is that the Indian electronic commerce market is expected to be worth $60 billion by 2020. Its already big, worth $16 billion in 2016 and growing at a fast clip of 45 percent annually.

Moreover, Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing wing of the Alibaba Group had announced to open its two data centres in Jakarta and India by March 31st next year. It had partnered with TATA telecommunications on June 10, to connect Alibaba Clouds ExpressConnect via Tata Communications IZO Private Connect service. It intends to increase its computing resources which would provide great support to small and medium enterprises.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

In its quest to gain market share in the Indian market, Apple has turned to older generations of its smartphones to lure potential customers. According to a recent report by The Economic Times, the company is selling older models, like the iPhone SE and 6S, on its official website. The company is still pushing the iPhone 5, 6 and SE through its online retail partners like Amazon and Flipkart. The important thing to note here is that the company launched iPhone 5 in 2012, iPhone 5S in 2013, iPhone 6 in 2014, and iPhone 6S in 2015.

The major reason for Apple to sell such old phones, according to the report, is the fact that it is competing with other smartphone makers in a price-conscious market like India. Smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Micromax, Gionee and others are selling their products at the margin with comparable specs to that of the latest iPhone in the international market. Apple cant possibly compete with such prices if it plans to capture the Indian market with an iPhone that can cost even twice as much as current flagships.

We reached out to Counterpoint Research for inputs on this new strategy by Apple. Tarun Pathak, Sr Analyst, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems for Counterpoint explained that India is a critical market for Apple in the long run. He went on to add that the company needs to create a balance between affordability and aspirational factor for the upcoming iPhones. The reason for the balance is the increasing spending capacity of Indian users, where they can spend about $300 to $400 on a new Apple smartphone.

In addition to selling such old smartphones, the company is allowing its retail partners to offer discounts to users, including cashback offers, exchange offers, EMIs and zero interest offers to entice potential buyers into purchasing old iOS devices. The reason for this push is because the company has lost its lead in China and it is in urgent need of a second market to maintain its growth.

However, the company will have to continue selling its smartphones at a discounted rate because rivals like Xiaomi have announced their plans to double the investment in the Indian market, as pointed by the report. Tarun explained that Apple is not jeopardising the brand as it is selling newer models without any price cuts while allowing retail channels to discount old models according to the shelf-life of the devices.

Another hurdle for Apple is that it is not manufacturing smartphones in India. Apple recently opened a factory in Bengaluru in partnership with Wistron Corp to start making devices in India. Earlier, Apple pointed out that the factory will be a limited operation that will later be expanded into a full-grown manufacturing effort. Despite that, the company could only manage to manufacture 3 percent of the total smartphones that it sold in India. The company needs to ensure that the new portfolio released by the company is sold at an affordable price.

This is difficult since the government of India does not allow import of refurbished smartphones to be sold in the country. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple has tried to chalk out a strategy so ensure that the pricing of the iPhone comes down so that more and more people can buy the smartphone. However, the negotiations about relaxing restrictions have not worked for Apple as pointed by the report. The absence of a sizable chunk of iOS users in India also results in reduced number of users spending time and money on other services by the company, like the App Store, iTunes and iCloud.
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Two cyber security firms have uncovered malicious software that they believe caused a December 2016 Ukraine power outage, they said on Monday, warning that the malware could be easily modified to harm critical infrastructure operations around the globe.

ESET, a Slovakian anti-virus software maker, and Dragos Inc, a U.S. critical-infrastructure security firm, released detailed analyses of the malware, known as Industroyer or Crash Override, and issued private alerts to governments and infrastructure operators to help them defend against the threat.

They said they did not know who was behind the cyber attack. Ukraine has blamed Russia, though officials in Moscow have repeatedly denied blame. Still, the security firms warned there could be more attacks using the same approach, either by the group that built the malware or copycats who modify the malicious software.

"The malware is really easy to re-purpose and use against other targets. That is definitely alarming," said ESET malware researcher Robert Lipovsky said in a telephone interview. "This could cause wide-scale damage to infrastructure systems that are vital." Dragos founder Robert M. Lee said the malware was capable of attacking power systems across Europe and could be leveraged against the United States "with small modifications."

It is able to cause outages of up to a few days in portions of a nation's grid, but is not potent enough to bring down a country's entire grid, Lee said by phone. With modifications, the malware could attack other types of infrastructure including local transportation providers, water and gas providers, Lipovsky said. News of the discovery prompted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to advise all critical infrastructure operators to make sure they were following recommended security practices.

The agency is working with the researchers and industry on the issue and would help firms identify vulnerabilities and respond to any suspected breaches as needed, spokesman Scott McConnell said via email. Power firms are concerned there will be more attacks, Alan Brill, a leader of Kroll's cyber security practice, said in a telephone interview.

"You are dealing with very smart people who came up with something and deployed it," Brill said. "It represents a risk to power distribution organizations everywhere." Industroyer is only the second piece of malware uncovered to date that is capable of disrupting industrial processes without the need for hackers to manually intervene after gaining remote access to the infected system.

The first, Stuxnet, was discovered in 2010 and is widely believed by security researchers to have been used by the United States and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear program. A spokesman for Ukraine's state cyber police said it was not clear whether the malware was used in the December 2016 attack because the security firms had not provided authorities with the samples they had analyzed.

Representatives with Ukraine's state-run Computer Emergency Response Team, which advises businesses on defending against cyber attacks, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Kremlin and Russia's Federal Security Service did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Crash Override can be detected if a utility specifically monitors its network for abnormal traffic, including signs that the malware is searching for the location of substations or sending messages to switch breakers, according to Lee, a former U.S. Air Force cyber warfare operations officer. Malware has been used in other disruptive attacks on industrial targets, including the 2015 Ukraine power outage, but in those cases human intervention was required to interfere with operations.

ESET said it had been analyzing the malware for several months and had held off on going public to preserve the integrity of investigations into the power system hack. It said it last week shared samples with Dragos, which said it was able to independently verify that it was used in the Ukraine grid attack.

Reuters
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Germany's constitutional court has held up a European patent law that would have allowed inventors in any member country to easily challenge patent violations in any other EU country, a spokeswoman said on Monday.

Years in the planning, the new law would set up patent courts in EU member states that would allow patent holders to seek redress for any infringements in their own countries, even if they occurred in another EU country. The German decision to hold up implementation of the common system means a lost opportunity, at least temporarily, for business to lower their costs because they must continue defending their patents inexpensive cross-border legal proceedings in different member states.

The constitutional court, Germany's highest judicial body, did not disclose the nature of the complaint it had received, saying only that it would be examined as quickly as possible. The court, based in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe, can annul laws it deems unconstitutional, potentially undermining the entire planned European system.

The court asked German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to delay signing the implementing act until it had time to assess the complaint. "The president agreed to do so until a ruling has been made," the court's spokeswoman said, adding that this was the "typical approach" in such cases.

Reuters
PTI

Israeli government spies hacked into the operations of Islamic State bombmakers to discover they were developing a laptop computer bomb to blow up a commercial aircraft, the New York Times reported. The Times said the work by Israeli cyber operators was a rare success of western intelligence against the constantly evolving, encryption-protected and social-media-driven cyber operations of the extremist group.

It said the Israeli hackers penetrated the small Syria-based cell of bombmakers months ago, an effort that led to the March 21 ban on carry-on laptops and other electronics larger than cellphones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. The Israeli cyber-penetration "was how the United States learned that the terrorist group was working to make explosives that fooled airport X-ray machines and other screening by looking exactly like batteries for laptop computers," the Times said.

The intelligence was so good that the detonation method for the bombs was understood, the Times said, citing two US officials familiar with the operation. Following the US laptop ban, Britain announced a similar prohibition for flights originating from six countries. Israel's contribution to the intelligence on the laptop bombs became public after President Donald Trump revealed

details on it to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a May 10 White House meeting.

Trump's disclosure "infuriated" Israeli officials, according to the Times.
PTI

The IT Ministry will discuss with industry leaders on June 16 ways to expedite formulation of a roadmap to make India a $1 trillion digital economy as soon as possible besides planning the next phase of growth.

The ministry has received confirmation from about 20 leaders including Infosys co-founder S Gopalakrishnan, Wipro Chief Strategy Officer Rishad Premji, Nasscom President R Chandrasekhar, NIIT Group chairman Rajendra Powar, Flipkart founder Sachin Bansal, Lava CMD Hari Om Rai, Google India VP Rajan Anandan and Tech Mahindra CEO CP Gurnani.

"We are looking for ideas from thought leaders to make India an $1 trillion digital economy as soon as we can by empowering people at the bottom of the pyramid. $1 trillion is not the limit but a milestone," Ministry of Electronics and IT Additional Secretary Ajay Kumar told reporters here.

He said that at present India is around $450 billion digital economy and at existing growth rate it is expected to be $1 trillion in next 7 years. As of now, the Indian electronics market is estimated to be around $100 billion, IT sector $150 billion, telecom $150 billion, e-commerce $30-40 billion and rest is estimated to be size of shared economy like taxi hailing services, startups etc.

"We have called representatives from all segments of the digital economy. Based on suggestion and outcome, we are open to create a working group that will come up with policy prescription for things that are relevant for Indian environment. There will be a special focus on the development of economically weaker section," Kumar said.

The IT ministry will look to bring in improvement in areas like use of technology is agriculture, education, healthcare etc. The meeting will be chaired by Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, he said.
IANS

Four telecom companies Reliance Jio, Reliance Communications, Aircel and Tata Teleservices on Monday met the inter-ministerial group (IMG) formed to look into the dwindling fortunes of the sector. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, the new entrant in the industry, said the telecom firms not investing enough in new technologies and leveraging their balance sheet need to blame themselves for their financial difficulties.

A Jio official said: "Operators (excluding Jio) need to invest Rs 125,000 crore, pay back debt and they need to invest in technology, as growth is happening in data." The official said the other companies can do this even by selling their stakes.

He further added that the few policy interventions that are required for the industry should come as a reduction in Goods and Services Tax rates, licence fee and Universal Service Obligation Fund levies. He elaborated that reduction in GST rates, USOF and licence fees will help the telecom industry generate an additional Rs 20,000-25,000 crore earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda).
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Software exporter Wipro Ltd said on Monday the payable date for its American Depository Receipts (ADR) bonus issue is yet to be determined. The clarification from India's third-largest software services company came after its U.S.-listed shares slumped nearly 49 percent to $5.35 in premarket trading.

The trading of the shares, which was halted for a while, are currently down 1.5 percent at $10. "The company felt that it was important to clarify to the market that the payable date and ex-dividend date for its ADR bonus issue, or stock dividend, are yet to be determined," Wipro said.

Wipro, in May, told its investors that the board has fixed June 14 as the record date to determine eligible shareholders entitled to receive bonus share equity for its Indian-listed shares. In April, the company announced the issue of bonus shares in 1:1 ratio and said that its board would also consider a proposal for buyback of shares around July.

Wipro's U.S. listed shares have been down nearly 6 percent over the past four sessions, following media reports of a sale of a part or whole company. However, the company denied the news reports last week.

Wipro, like other Indian software exporters, has been struggling with U.S. President Donald Trump's tough stance on H1-B visa rules. Trump has ordered a review of the U.S. visa programme that brings high-skilled foreign workers into the country, potentially affecting hiring plans of technology firms and outsourcing companies.

Reuters
Nokia and Technicolor today announced a partnership where the two companies will work together to create new and compelling VR content utilizing Nokias OZO+ camera and OZO content creation tools. The first project will be a series of 360 Masterclass sessions to be held at the Technicolor Experience Center (TEC) in Los Angeles. The initial course will give professionals an in-depth look on how to create compelling VR films and how the medium differs from traditional cinematic experiences. As part of this partnership, OZO+ will have residency at the TEC.

The Technicolor Experience Center is where artists and scientists from across the industry come together to realize the full potential of immersive media. By uniting talent from Technicolor and its award-winning creative brands with partners from fields as diverse as gaming, animation, traditional media and technology, Technicolor enables the ideation, exploration and creation that pushes the boundaries of what immersive experiences can be.

Marcie Jastrow, SVP of Immersive Media and Head of the Technicolor Experience Center, said, In the creation of immersive content, live action cameras are key to the storytelling process, and Nokia has invested a lot of time and research in understanding how to provide content creators with the tools they need to produce high-quality image capture. Technicolor has a long history in applying our industry-leading color-science capabilities and image processing pipeline to work with camera manufacturers in order to create the highest quality capture techniques and outcomes. That is why the Technicolor Experience Center is proud to be partnering with Nokia to offer classes that will explore the creation of high-quality immersive content.

Csilla Kozma, Head of Content Relations, Nokia Technologies, said, We have been working with Technicolor and its brands such as Moving Picture Company (MPC) to deliver amazing projects like the OneRepublics Kids music video, Heroes, and Playtime. The opening of the TEC allows us to elevate our relationship and share the key learnings we have gained in virtual reality with a wider audience through a series of Masterclasses.

Beyond the OZO+ camera and OZO Creator, Nokias premiere VR stitching software, Nokia has launched the new OZO Reality Platform, including OZO Deliver, OZO Player SDK, and Nokia VR format extensions, enabling higher-quality experiences to reach broader audiences by allowing for delivery and playback interoperability. These technologies enable a broad ecosystem of partners to deliver higher resolution, spatial audio, and support for mixed reality experiences for content captured with any high-quality VR camera system.

With the ecosystem of OZO tools, Nokia is delivering the next step towards OZO Reality, a higher level of consumer experience defined by superior immersion, new creative possibilities, and increased efficiency for the creation, delivery and experience of immersive storytelling.

@Technuter.com News Service
Orientation programs for Summer 2017 at EU

Campus Report :



The orientation ceremony for the students of undergraduate programs of the summer semester of Eastern University (EU) was recently held at the University Seminar Hall.

Md. Azizul Islam, Chairman, Board of Trustees of EU and also Chairman of Alif Group was the chief guest in the program. Masrur Arefin, Additional Managing Director and also Chief Communications Officer, City Bank Ltd was present as Guest of Honor while Prof Dr Abdur Rab, Vice Chancellor, EU presided over the program.

Among others, Abul Khair Chowdhury, Former Chairman, BoT, EU; Engg. Khandaker Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Member, BoT, EU; Md. Ali Azzam, Member, BoT, EU; Abul Basher Khan, Registrar, EU; Deans; Advisor; Chairpersons; Members of Alumni; teachers and officials of EU were also spoke on the occasion.

The chief guest congratulated the newly admitted students and shared their success stories in the education and corporate sector. Md. Azizul Islam shared his experience of an orientation in a US university and encouraged the students to put in their best efforts to prepare themselves for successful career.

Arefin urged the students to be honest as well as skilled professionals. He requested the students to enhance their life skills in addition to their academic knowledge to become the future leaders and a good citizen. He offered some practical tips to avoid being inefficient.

In his speech the Vice Chancellor of EU Prof. Rab thanked the students, parents and guardians for putting their faith and trust in EU authority. He outlined the facilities and opportunities provided by the university for the students of EU and inspired them to gain knowledge in the classrooms and gather experience through participation in extra/co-curricular activities.
UGC Chairman attends SAU Convocation in New Delhi

UGC Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan along with other guests and students at the second Convocation of the South Asian University at Pravasi Bharatia Kendra in New Delhi on Monday.

Campus Report :



UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan attended the Second Convocation of the South Asian University (SAU) held at Pravasi Bharatia Kendra in New Delhi on Monday (12.05.2017). Professor Mannan is a Board and Finance Committee member of the university. SAU was established with the initiative of all SAARC countries in 2005 and the academic session began in 2010. Currently located at the Akbar Bhavan of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, in about two years the university is expected to move on its sprawling campus being constructed in Maidan Gari, South Delhi, where three academic buildings are nearing completion of its construction at a cost of Rupees 400 crore on a piece of 100 acre land donated by the Government of India. Government of India is also bearing all the capital expenditure of the university and it may go upto Rupees 25 hundred crores once completed.

This year 185 students graduated with Master's Degree while 9 students were awarded M.Phil degree which included 27 students from Bangladesh. Currently 62 students from Bangladesh are studying in Masters, M.Phil and PhD level at SAU.

HE Deep Kumar Upadhya Ambassador of Nepal in India Presided over the Convocation as Visitor's (Chancellor) nominee while MJ Akbar the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs was the Convocation Speaker. Dr. Kavita A Sharma, the President (Vice Chancellor) delivered the welcome address.

MJ Akbar in his address hoped that what SAARC could not achieve in last 32 years will be achieved by the present generation in next 32 years..

He expressed the curse of poverty, illiteracy, social backwardness that is hindering the progress of the sub-continent can only be removed with the spread of moden education. He also said today civilisation stands on the crossroads of destruction that will endanger the existence of mankind and the the current generation has more responsibility towards the mankind than their predecessors. Besides the UGC Chairman Shamsul Hoque, DG, SAARC of Bangladesh and a member of the Board and Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, the Council Member of SAU also attended the Convocation.


US Pentagon chief 'shocked' by US military readiness, warns on North Korea

Jim Mattis, US Pentagon chief, blamed Obama-era budget caps for the poor state of the military.



US Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told lawmakers Monday he was "shocked" by the state of the US military's readiness, blaming legal budget caps and the grind of 16 years of constant war.

The defense secretary also warned that North Korea has become the most urgent threat to peace and security, and said-without giving details-that America must do things differently in Afghanistan.

Pointing to Obama-era budget caps known as sequestration, Mattis said limits on military spending have left troops at greater risk and blocked important new programs-even though the defense budget is already greater than that of the next seven countries combined. "I retired from military service three months after sequestration took effect," Mattis, a former Marine general, told the House Armed Services Committee.

"Four years later, I returned to the Department (of Defense), and I have been shocked by what I've seen about our readiness to fight... No enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration." Mattis was addressing lawmakers seeking additional information about President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget.

He wants to slash State Department spending but give a significant boost to the Pentagon's vast budget, although it falls short of the historic spending bonanza sought by more hawkish Republicans.

The Pentagon has called for $574 billion in general defense funding, with an additional $65 billion for supplemental wartime spending-for a total of $639 billion. That represents a more than $50 billion increase-about 10 percent-over 2017 funding levels for the base budget, although it amounts to only about three percent over projections previously envisioned by the Obama administration. Committee Chairman Congressman Mac Thornberry and other Republicans bemoaned the increase as insufficient.

"We have spent six years just getting by, asking more and more of those who serve, and putting off the choices that have to be made. We cannot keep piling missions on our service members without ensuring they have all they need to succeed," Thornberry said. Although many Democrats on the committee agree, they worry where the money will come from, given the Trump administration's pressure to cut taxes. Mattis pointed to the war in Afghanistan, which has dragged on since late 2001 with no end in sight, as exacting a heavy price.

Such campaigns have "exhausted our equipment faster than planned. Congress and the Department (of Defense) could not anticipate the accumulated wear and tear of years of continuous combat use," he said.

Lawmakers repeatedly asked Mattis for an update on Afghanistan, and about whether Trump will deploy thousands more troops to help Afghan partners reverse a stalemate against the resurgent Taliban.

"We've got to do things differently," Mattis acknowledged, noting only that any Afghanistan decision would come "soon."

Ahead of the four-hour hearing, Mattis also warned that North Korea poses the most urgent threat to international peace and security, calling the regime's weapons program a "clear and present danger" to all.

In written testimony, he said Pyongyang is increasing the pace and scope of its nuclear weapons program that leader Kim Jong-Un wants to be capable of delivering a bomb on the United States.

"The regime's provocative actions, manifestly illegal under international law, have not abated despite United Nations' censure and sanctions," Mattis said.

The defense secretary also warned of a return to "Great Power competition," where countries like Russia and China gain military assertiveness and place long-held global security protocol at risk.




UN agency seeks access to civilians in IS-held Syrian city

Photo shows a mosque that was damaged by bombardment by the US.-led coalition and U.S.-backed fighters in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.

AP, Beirut :

The U.N.'s refugee agency on Tuesday called for better access to northern Syria's Raqqa province, where U.S.-backed forces are trying to drive the Islamic State group out of its self-styled capital, saying close to half a million people are in need of assistance.

Kurdish-led forces attacked the provincial capital, also called Raqqa, a week ago, hoping to drive the militants out with the aid of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

Clearing operations around the city have been underway for months, and the UNHCR says 100,000 people were displaced in May alone.

UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said the barriers to movement have made aid operations "costly and complex."

He said all land routes to the region have been blocked by other parties to Syria's civil war that are hostile to the U.S.-backed force, forcing the aid agency to rely on airlifts.

"Resources are also badly needed," said Mahecic. "Funding is not keeping up with needs on the ground."

The U.N. has managed to raise only $29 million of the $153 million it budgeted to meet humanitarian needs in Raqqa province.

Turkey, which views the main Kurdish militia taking part in the fight against IS as a terrorist group because of its links to Kurdish rebels, has sealed much of its border with northern Syria, disrupting aid operations and the movement of refugees. The Islamic State group has blocked humanitarian access to Raqqa from the south.

Human Rights Watch has meanwhile called on the U.S.-led coalition to make protection of civilians a priority in the campaign to recapture Raqqa.

"We have already documented a series of rights abuses in the context of anti-ISIS operations," said Lama Fakih, the deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch, using another acronym for IS.

The New York-based group said in a statement that the United States and allied ground forces must respect the human rights of everyone caught up in the battle.

It also urged the U.S. to investigate airstrikes that have allegedly targeted civilians, respect detainee rights, provide safe passage for the displaced and intensify efforts to clear land mines. And it sought guarantees against enlisting child soldiers into the ranks of U.S. partner forces.

The U.S. is providing ground and air support to the Kurdish-led SDF in the battle for Raqqa, which has since 2014 been the Islamic State group's main base in Syria.

HRW reported in 2014 the SDF's leading faction, the People's Protection Units (YPG), had enlisted soldiers under the age of 18.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organization that reports on the war, earlier said the SDF attacked the eastern edge of Raqqa and a military base on the northern outskirts of the city on Tuesday.

The Kurdish YPG, part of the SDF, told Reuters on Saturday the assault on Raqqa was expected to start in a few days.

"It started today at dawn," Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said. "They have reached the city but they have not entered any of its buildings."

The attack on the al-Mashlab district and on the Division 17 base around 1 km to the north of the city center followed heavy overnight air strikes, the Observatory said.




Trump promises press confce on ISIS fight

\"We have had tremendous success against ISIS,\" Donald Trump said at a cabinet meeting.

AP, Washington :

US President Donald Trump on Monday promised to reveal details of his long-awaited plan for fighting the ISIS group, saying a press conference will come within weeks.

"We have had tremendous success against ISIS," Trump said at a cabinet meeting at the White House.

"We are going to be having a news conference in two weeks on that fight and you'll see numbers that you would not have believed."

Tackling the group-which still controls swaths of Syria and Iraq-was among Trump's most often repeated campaign promises.

Then candidate Trump went as far as to promise to "bomb the hell" out of them and have a military plan on his desk within 30 days of moving into the White House.

Six months after taking office, Trump has yet to sketch out his strategy.

Meanwhile efforts to retake Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria-the capital of the self-styled caliphate-have continued apace.

The Pentagon has already taken the decision to arm Kurdish fighters in the assault on Raqa, a move that upset US ally Turkey.

Officials warn that the fight against the ISIS, while simple on its face, is made more complex by competing interests in Syria.

The United States would like to improve the humanitarian situation, keep Turkey onside, ease the possibilities of clashes with Russia, hasten the transition away from President Bashar al-Assad's rule, limit Iranian influence and keep Syria and Iraq's borders intact.

Meanwhile, President Trump's proposed cuts to the State Department and U.S. development aid would endanger American troops and make the country "less safe" from terrorism, a group of senior retired military officers are warning Congress, urging lawmakers to reject the sharp spending reductions.

"Cutting the international affairs budget unilaterally will have the effect of disarming our country's capability to stop new conflicts from forming, and will place our interests, values and the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk," the former commanders said in the testimony, which was obtained by Yahoo News.

The signers included retired Adm. William McRaven, who headed U.S. special operations; retired Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. forces in Iran and Afghanistan before becoming CIA director; retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff; retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan; five former NATO supreme commanders; and past heads of the combatant commands in Africa and Europe.

"The severe cuts to the State Department and USAID that the administration has proposed will make America less safe, and Congress should reject them," the group said. The testimony was to be provided on Tuesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee and other panels with jurisdiction over foreign affairs funding.

The retired officers noted that terrorist groups like ISIS, al Qaida, al-Shabab and Boko Haram have taken root in areas prone to poverty, corruption and poor governance - the kinds of things U.S. aid can often address.

The former officers in part echoed Trump's stated priorities by endorsing expanded military spending, but they cautioned that "in the 21st century, weapons and warfighters alone are insufficient to keep America secure."

They argued that "kinetic activities alone cannot prevent radicalization, nor can they, by themselves, prevent despair from turning to anger and increasing outbursts of violence and instability. This has been our national experience of the last 15 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the Middle East and now in Africa."

The testimony came as Congress engaged in an annual debate over government spending for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, have balked at Trump's call for deep cuts to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Trump's budget, delivered in March, would slash the State Department and USAID spending by about 31 percent, according to some estimates.




Proposed budget to change fortune of people: Minister

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman on Tuesday said that the proposed budget for fiscal 2017-2018 would help change the fortune of the common people, as it is a 'realistic budget'.

"We have achieved our target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before 2015 with ensuring education for all and now our target to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the period of 2030," he said, this while joining budget discussion in the House.

Highlighting his ministry's success, the minister said that the primary school enrollment already has reached to nearly cent percent under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"The enrollment of the students in the primary education now reaches to 97.96 percent where girls student enrollment is 98.82 percent while it [primary school enrolment] was 87.2 percent in 2005,"he said.

Rahman said, now the government is working to ensure quality and free education for all under the SDGs.

Bitterly criticizing the BNP for its negative remarks on budget, the primary and mass education minister questioned how they criticized the proposed budget because the Prime Minister introduced stipend programme for 1.30 crore primary students and money of the stipend would transfer on student's mother's mobile phone without hassle.

In the proposed budget, the government has allocated Taka 65,000 crore for education sector, he said, adding that it was Taka 58,000 crore in 2016-2017 and Taka 32,000 crore in 2012-13.

Taking part in the budget discussion, state minister for finance and planning MA Mannan said the government has undertaken risk to develop the country as well as improve common people's living standard.

Regarding Value Added Tax (VAT) in the proposed budget, he said around 169 countries imposed VAT on their products, which is accepted globally.

"In our country 60 to 70 percent lower income people would not be affected by the VAT, as the government exempted VAT on essential products usually purchased by the lower income group people," the state minister said.

Earlier, Finance Minister AMA Muhith on June 1 placed a Taka 4002.66 billion national budget for 2017-18 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 7.4 percent and detailing a set of programmes to transform the country into a role model of modern and welfare state by 2041.

Taking part in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the fifth day in the house, the lawmakers from both treasury and opposition benches described the proposed national budget for the fiscal 2017-18 as a pragmatic, pro-people, balanced and welfare-oriented for speedy development.

They said the common people of the country have no negative criticism on the budget as it has been proved as a trustworthy financial instrument for the self-sufficient Bangladesh in near future.

The lawmakers strongly protested Begum Khaleda Zia's remarks on the budget and said she (Khaleda) never thought of such big volume of budget in the country.

They expressed their optimistic view that the government would be able to implement the budget's all development programmes to achieve the targeted 7.4 percent growth in the GDP next fiscal under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, worthy daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They mentioned that the country achieved tremendous success in different sectors including education, economic, technology, and agricultures under the charismatic stewardship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

As a proud mother Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina groomed her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul as successful human beings, who are now contributing to the country's development as well as the world with their outstanding performance, the lawmakers added.

Treasury bench members - Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Shamsul Haq Tuku, Nazrul Islam Babu, Safura Begum, Shamsul Haq Chowhdury, Nabi Newaz, M Hasan Imam Khan, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Sabia Nahar Begum, M Abul Kalam, Jatiya Party's Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Worker Party's Mostafa Lutfullah, Independent lawmaker Tahjib Alam Siddiqui also took part in the general discussion.
51 land offices come under digital service

The government has distributed digital facilities including the laptop and other computer equipment to the Assistant Commissioners of Land Office on Monday. As a result, the people under 51 land offices in Chittagong can get the facilities of mutation of the land from their homes.

The handing over ceremony of the laptop and other computer equipment to the Assistant Commissioners of Land Office was held at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chittagong. DC of Chittagong Mohammad Zillur Rahman Chowdhury chaired the function while Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Mohammed Ruhul Amin addressed the function as chief guest.
Female drug trader gets life-term imprisonment

BSS, Rangpur :

A court here on Monday sentenced a female drug trader to life-term rigorous imprisonment for trafficking contraband phensidyl syrup.

The court also fined Taka 10,000 to Rahima Begum, 45, wife of late Ashraful Islam of village Bishapara under Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur, in default, to suffer another three-month more in jail.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Abu Jafar Mohammad Kamruzzaman announced the verdict.

The convict was present on the dock during pronouncement of the verdict.

According to prosecution, police arrested Rahima with 5.60 kilograms of phensidyl syrup from Pirganj bus stand under Pirganj upazila in Rangpur on May 5, 2015.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Pirganj Police Station Danesh Chandra filed a case against her on the same day.

Later, Pirganj police station submitted charge-sheet before the court against the three accused persons after investigation into the case.

After examining the witnesses, the court found her guilty and announced the verdict against her.
Ensuring adequate security measures during Ramzan, Eid stressed

BSS, Khulna :

Speakers here stressed on the need of adequate security measures and enhancing vigilance of law enforcement agencies in the city's markets as well as bank, bus and railway stations to check criminal activities during the month of holy Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

They also asked house owners to be alert during Eid holiday to prevent theft and robbery.

They made the call while addressing the monthly law and enforcement meeting held at Deputy Commissioner's conference room on Sunday .

Khulna Deputy Commissioner and Deputy Magistrate Md Amin-ul-Ahsan chaired the meeting while Chairman of Khulna Zila Parishad Sheikh Harun-ur-Rashid, Additional Deputy Magistrate Noor-e-Alam, Deputy Police Commissioner Fazlur Rahman, and Additional Police Super Shafiullah, among others, were present at the meeting.

The meeting also decided to impose a ban on plying of heavy vehicles ahead of the upcoming Eid.

The meeting also informed that a total of 287 cases were filed with eight police stations in the city while 295 cases were filed with nine police stations in the district in last month.

BSS from Rangpur adds: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Rangpur Range Khondker Golam Faruk has directed police personnel to become more active in ensuring peaceful law, order and free movement of people during Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

He passed the direction while handing over awards among the police members of Rangpur Range for rendering excellent services in curbing crimes at a ceremony arranged at his conference room here today afternoon as the chief guest.

Additional DIGs Bashir Ahmed and Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir, Superintendents of Police (SP) from Rangpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Gaibandha districts attended the function.

Later, the DIG distributed crests and certificates among eight police members for their extraordinary performances in improving law and order situation.

SP Mizanur Rahman of Rangpur and SP SM Rashidul Haque of Lalmonirhat received crests and certificates in the same category for making their respective districts best in maintaining law and order.

The other award winner police members are Additional Police Super of Dinajpur Mahfuzzaman Ashraf, Court Inspector of Thakurgaon Humayun Kabir, Inspector Mahfuzar Rahman of Kurigram, Sub-Inspector (SI) Rezaul Alam of Dinajpur, SI Abdul Aziz of Syedpur Thana in Nilphamari, Sergeant Nur Alam Siddique of Dinajpur, SI Rasheduzzaman of Ghoraghat Thana in Dinajpur, SI Mizanur Rahman of Dinajpur Kotwali Thana, ASI Jahangir Alam of Fulbari Thana in Kurigram and authority of Dinajpur Kotwali Thana.
Angelina Jolie, Jessica Chastain up for X-Men: Dark Phoenix?

Angelina Jolie and Jessica Chastain are reportedly being considered for a mystery role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

During Popcorn Talks Meet the Movie Press show, Tracking Boards Jeff Sneider said that Jolie was considered to star in the superhero film. Sneider added that Chastain was also eyed for the same role, reported Ace Showbiz.

Jolie was previously rumoured to direct Captain Marvel for Marvel Studios, but later, Anna Bodden and Ryan Fleck were confirmed to direct the project.

X-Men: The Dark Phoenix is scheduled to start its production soon. The movie is set to be released in the US on November 2, 2018.
'Textbook based knowledge not enough to flourish talent'



Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said on Tuesday students should learn from his surroundings as education based on only textbook and classroom is not enough to flourish talent and utilize knowledge earned from academic education.

"The government has been arranging different competitions across the country in search of creative talents along with giving the new generation academic education on science and technology to build them as students of world standard," he said as the chief guest while addressing a ceremony arranged for distributing awards among the best national talents.

Education Ministry arranged the award giving ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium here with Secretary Md. Sohorab Hossain of Secondary and Higher Education Division in the chair.

A total of 12 students out of 108 have been selected as national talents in four categories from three separate age groups (class 6-8, class 9-10 and class-11-12).

The minister later distributed a cheque of Taka one lakh, gold medal, certificate and books among each of the 12 national talents.

Of the national talents, Safwan Rahman of Notre Dame College and Ainan

Tazrian of Bogra Government Girls College spoke on the occasion expressing their satisfaction over arranging such talent hunt competitions across the country every year.

A cheque of Taka 5000, medal, certificate and books were distributed among each of 96 Dhaka Metropolitan and divisional level talents.
Multinationals should say what they pay

Morris Pearl :

Last Monday (12 June), the European Parliament was considering an important proposal to increase the disclosures of tax information of multinational companies. As an investor personally, and one who has been trusted to invest other people's money over many years, I want to speak out strongly in favor of the European Union's efforts. And although I am a US citizen living in New York City, I offer my opinion here to reinforce the global import to our financial markets.

Despite rising nationalism both here in the US and in Europe, we live in an economy where money moves easily, country to country, without a visa or passport. The rules of finance are increasingly borderless and information is ever-more necessary to the management of sovereign economies. In this environment, tax transparency rules are a critical first step. Public officials need to make informed policy decisions and the public must understand the rationale behind those decisions. And, speaking from personal experience, investors need information to make informed decisions about risks associated with multinational companies.

Years ago, when I first started in finance, the use of offshore tax havens was limited. The practice itself dates further back, but the number of companies and the amounts of money were of little consequence to the global economy. That is no longer true.

US-based multinational companies alone hold 2.3 trillion offshore - roughly equal to the GDP of France or the United Kingdom. These companies owe approximately 680 billion in taxes and experts estimate an additional 120 billion is lost each year to aggressive use of tax havens. Profit shifting to avoid taxation is now common among the largest multinational companies, with damaging results.

Lost revenue from aggressive corporate tax avoidance strips resources from public services and destabilises economies. Individuals and small and domestic businesses are left to either cover the difference, or lose government services. Europe and the US are now wrestling with difficult but avoidable decisions. Austerity movements fueled by tax haven abuse have undermined the ability of governments to respond to both economic and non-economic challenges.

For investors, the threats are twofold. Less stable and rapidly changing economies heighten risk. Additionally, we see a crackdown on aggressive tax avoidance schemes revealing massive previously undisclosed tax liabilities.

The case against Apple's special tax deal with Ireland, the raid by French tax authorities on Google's Paris offices, an investigation into Starbucks, and others are warnings to investors to consider tax strategies when making decisions. In the US there was a dispute that led to litigation over the sale of Dell, the computer company, in which experts estimating a fair sale price came up with competing amounts that differed by 23 billion based largely on the disagreement over tax liability from profits booked offshore. These are the tangible consequences to secrecy for investors.

Some people have suggested that the solution is to double down on secrecy, a strategy that relies on the notion that what is not known, will not be regulated. That seems neither practical nor realistic.

The little information that is known is reported. Estimates are made by researchers, analysts, and the media and worst case scenarios are assumed. From an investor's perspective, planned transparency is far preferable to surprise leaks or investigations that lead to reputational risk and government action.

Fortunately, the trend is toward tax transparency. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has already agreed to standards that require companies to report to tax authorities certain information on a country by country basis.

While helpful, the secrecy around tax authority information offers little to legislators, the public, or investors, all of whom need the information. It does, however, suggest that it can be done without debilitating costs.

There are proposals in the US that would create new, public, country-by-country reporting standards, but the process is slow and uncertain.

The European Union has an opportunity to help lead and set the standards for the world. As one who has watched changes to the financial system over many years - some for the good and others bad - I would urge Europe to take the opportunity to lead this change for the good.



(Morris Pearl is a former managing director at BlackRock Inc. and the chairman of Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy Americans who are committed to building a more prosperous, stable and inclusive nation).
Dope gangs target crowded places

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

At least 300 members of different organized dope gangs, both male and female, are roaming in the various crowded areas mainly bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals in the capital and its outskirts ahead of Eid shopping.

The gangsters snatch cash, gold ornaments, cell phones and other valuables feeding their targets sedative-mixed foods or drinks, sources said.

They also hijack taxi-cabs, motor-bikes and CNG-run auto-rickshaws after doping the drivers.

Around a dozen people, including a university teacher, fell victim to the dope gang and lost cash, mobile phones and other valuables during shopping in last seven days, sources at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital said.

Many other victims, mostly businessmen, have lost their valuables in similar incidents over the last few weeks, they added.

According to the detective branch (DB) sources, every dope group comprising around four members moves together from Aminbazar to Narayanganj and Sadarghat to Tongi, trap their targets and snatch their belongings.

On many occasions, the gangsters also use pretty women to deceive the targets into doping, they said.

These groups are mainly active in crowded areas like Gabtali bus terminal, Mohakhali bus terminal, Sayedabad bus terminal, Kamalapur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal, according to them.

Besides, other bustling and commercial areas, including Motijheel, Gulistan, Mohakhali, Shahbagh, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Khilgaon Railgate, Gulshan, Mirpur and Banani

areas are also not free from the hegemony of the dope gangs. In the latest, a DB team detained 11 suspected members of dope gangs from different areas of the capital on Saturday night.

The gang members first target a person and then somehow feed him/her sedative mixed with water, biscuits or other food items, including coconut water, said a police official of DB of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

After their targeted person becomes unconscious, they make away with his or her belongings. Passengers of public buses, taxi-cab and CNG-run- auto-rickshaws and paddle rickshaws are usually the prime targets of the gangs. Sometimes, drivers of auto-rickshaws and rickshaw-pullers are also their target, police said.

Fahima Islam, a teacher of a private university, said, "She fell victim to a dope gang in the capital's Chadoni Chalk market on Friday and lost Tk 70,000 in cash and other valuables."

Sidratul Muntaha, a doctor of a private hospital in the city's Kakrail, said, "Most of the victims recover from unconsciousness within 24-hour of the doping. In some cases, victims die for excessive doping by the Dope Gang party."

Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Abdul Baten, however, claimed that drives were under way to catch the food vendors who work with these gangs as well.

Everybody should keep alert to take juice, coffee, tea, halua, chocolate-biscuits, dates, coconut water, cigarettes and beetle leaf sold by street vendors as they are usually mix sleeping pills with the food items near crowded areas, the police official said.

Masudur Rhman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP, said that a large team of law enforcers, both in uniform and plain-clothes, are working in the city to detain the criminals as well as the so-called dope gang.

Members of this type of gangs dope their targets before robbing them of money and belongings, they police official said.
Trump loses legal battle again

The New York Times, Washington :

A second federal appeals court has ruled against President Trump's revised travel ban, delivering on Monday the latest in a string of defeats for the administration's efforts to limit travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.

The administration has already sought a Supreme Court review of a similar decision issued last month by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, Va. Monday's decision came from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco. The two courts employed different reasoning to arrive at the same basic conclusion. The Fourth Circuit said the revised executive order violated the First Amendment's prohibition of government establishment of religion.

The Ninth Circuit, by contrast, rested its conclusions on statutory grounds. It said Mr. Trump had exceeded the authority Congress granted him in making national security judgments in the realm of immigration without adequate justification. "The order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," the Ninth Circuit's opinion said. "National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power."

The decision, from a three-judge panel, was unanimous. It was issued jointly by Judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald M. Gould and Richard A. Paez. All three were appointed by President Bill Clinton.

The ruling affirmed most of a March decision from Judge Derrick K. Watson, of the Federal District Court in Hawaii. But the appeals court narrowed the injunction issued by Judge Watson in a significant way.

The appeals court said Judge Watson had erred in barring the administration from conducting internal reviews of its vetting procedures while the case moved forward. That may turn out to be important as the Supreme Court considers how to address the two cases.

The key part of the executive order suspended travel from six predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days to give the administration time to conduct a review of its vetting procedures. If that review can soon be completed, the justices may decide that the case will soon be moot. In briefs filed Monday in the Supreme Court, lawyers challenging the revised executive order urged the court not to hear the Trump administration's appeal of the Fourth Circuit's decision or to stay the injunctions entered in the two cases. They said the cases might be moot as soon as Wednesday, as the 90-day suspension of entry contemplated by the revised executive order was, counting from its effective date, set to expire then.

The administration has argued that Judge Watson's ruling stopped the 90-day clock. It asked the justices to agree to hear an appeal of the Fourth Circuit decision before they leave for their summer break and to schedule arguments in the fall. By lifting the part of Judge Watson's injunction that barred review of internal vetting procedures in the meantime, the Ninth Circuit may have ensured that the case will be moot by the time it is argued, no matter how the 90 days are calculated. "It would be unnecessary and wasteful for the court to grant review of an issue that is essentially moot," lawyers for the State of Hawaii wrote.

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Like the Fourth Circuit, Judge Watson blocked major parts of the revised order on the ground that they violated the Constitution's ban on a government establishment of religion. Judge Watson wrote that the statements of Mr. Trump and his advisers made clear that his executive order amounted to an attempt to disfavor Muslims.

Judge Watson should not have reached the constitutional issue and should have ruled on statutory grounds, the Ninth Circuit said. Judge Watson's injunction was broader than the one affirmed by the Fourth Circuit. In addition to halting the limits on travel from the six countries, Judge Watson blocked a 120-day suspension of the nation's refugee program and a 50,000-person cap on refugee admissions in 2017, down from 110,000. The Ninth Circuit affirmed those parts of Judge Watson's decision. The Ninth Circuit said it had a role to play in testing Mr. Trump's actions.

"Whatever deference we accord to the president's immigration and national security policy judgments does not preclude us from reviewing the policy at all," the appeals court's opinion said. "We do not abdicate the judicial role, and we affirm our obligation 'to say what the law is' in this case," it added, quoting Marbury v. Madison, the foundational 1803 Supreme Court decision. A federal law gives the president the power to exclude foreigners if he finds that letting them enter the country "would be detrimental to the interests of the United States." The appeals court said Mr. Trump had exceeded that authority, in large part because he had failed to offer adequate justifications for his order.

"In suspending the entry of more than 180 million nationals from six countries, suspending the entry of all refugees, and reducing the cap on the admission of refugees from 110,000 to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year," the court said, "the president did not meet the essential precondition to exercising his delegated authority: The president must make a sufficient finding that the entry of these classes of people would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States.'"

The court said Mr. Trump's justifications for the executive order were inadequate.

"The order does not tie these nationals in any way to terrorist organizations within the six designated countries," the opinion said. "It does not identify these nationals as contributors to active conflict or as those responsible for insecure country conditions. It does not provide any link between an individual's nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism or their inherent dangerousness." "In short," the opinion concluded, "the order does not provide a rationale explaining why permitting entry of nationals from the six designated countries under current protocols would be detrimental to the interests of the United States." The appeals court also ruled that the administration had run afoul of another provision of the immigration laws, one that forbids discrimination "because of the person's race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence," but only "in the issuance of an immigrant visa." The Trump administration argued that the power to bar entry, the subject of a different provision, was broader than the limits on issuing visas. The appeals court said the two provisions must be read together. "We cannot blind ourselves to the fact that, for nationals of the six designated countries," the opinion said, the revised order "is effectively a ban on the issuance of immigrant visas."




Rush for Eid tickets on

Reza Mahmud :

Advance sale of bus and railway tickets kicked off in the capital on Monday to ease sufferings of the home-bound passengers to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Fitr with near and dear ones in their respective village homes and district towns.

Like the previous day, hundreds of people also thronged different bus counters and Kamalapur Railway Station and stood in queues since early Tuesday to collect tickets.

But most of home goers fail to get bus tickets for their desired days of June 21, 22 and 23, because the countermen said the selling of tickets for those certain days has already been completed on the very first day on Monday.

Many passengers also alleged against bus countermen for collecting extra money.

Besides, the train ticket seekers are also struggling to get tickets for appropriate dates.

The bus owners association started selling Eid advance tickets from Monday from counters and online. Huge gatherings were found on the first day in bus counters at Gabtoli, Shyamol, Mohakhali, Syedabad and other places in the capital for Eid advance tickets. But on Tuesday, the rush seemed less than the previous day as most of the ticket seekers alleged that they failed to get tickets for proper days they were seeking.

"I want to get advance bus tickets for June 21 or 22 to go to my home in Jessore. But I failed to get any bus companies ticket for those days. Lastly, I bought tickets for June 25. But it is not easy to be with my family in bus counter when they will leave Dhaka. My office is open on that day," said Ashik Rizwan, Manager of a private firm in Motijheel.

Some passengers alleged that they get their desired days tickets from different bus counters after paying extra money.

"I get tickets for going to Gaibandha on June 23 by giving extra money. Some others also get tickets with me on Monday evening by giving extra money," said one passenger, preferring anonymity.

Another passenger for Syedpur said, he got ticket after paying Tk 650 per seat. But the real price is 550. "They collected Tk 100 extra from everyone for Eid journey," said the passenger.

Tashdeed Anam, a Khulna bound passenger said. "I got four tickets for June 24, for my family members, but I failed to get tickets for my desired days June 22 or 23. However, I am happy that we will celebrate holy Eid with all of my family members and relatives."

"Tickets for June 21 to 23 is hot cake. Most of the passengers desired for those days tickets. So, those tickets were sold out soon after the selling started on Monday at 6:00am," said Alam Chowdhury, Manager of Hanif Enterprise, in Gabtoli counter.

Some countermen from Barisal division bus counters said yesterday that they have few tickets for June 23 or 24.

In Kamalapur railway station, many passengers were found struggling to obtain tickets for their wanting days standing in long queue from the night. The railway also started selling Eid advance tickets from Monday.

Rail Minister Mujibul Haque visited Kamlapur railway station yesterday. He talked with ticket seekers in line.

Mujibul Haque said, "If any irregularities found, any one should inform me. I must take action."

"I get four tickets for my family after waiting for six hours in line from 4:00am to 10:00am. But, I am so happy that we may able to observe the holy Eid with my parents in the village home in Dinajpur," said Taseen Ahmed, an ICT student of a private university.

The rail officials from Kamlapur station said they sold tickets for June 21 on the firs day on Monday and for June 22 on Tuesday.

They will sell tickets for June 23, 24 and 25 respectively from June 14, 15 and 16.

Sell of return tickets will start from Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat from June 19.


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.
Some bills approved by both chambers in the regular session of the Legislature that ended last week have been signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards with a major ceremony set for signing of the Justice Reinvestment bills on Wednesday afternoon.

File Photo

Three bills by two Acadiana legislators have been signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards as bills passed in the final days of the regular session that ended last Thursday made their way to his desk for action.

Reps. Jean-Paul Coussan and Blake Miguez have each had bills signed into law by the governor while a major signing ceremony is set for the Justice Reinvestment package of bills on Wednesday.

Coussan's HB299, which transfers ownership of the Louisiana Immersive Technology Enterprise Center to UL Lafayette and dissolves the LITE Center Commission that ran the facility for a decade was signed into law by Edwards on June 1. It became Act 12 of the 2017 Regular Session.

The transfer of ownership will become official on Aug. 1.

Edwards also signed Miguez's HB75 into law on June 1. The bill, which became Act 7, streamlines the process of obtaining death certificates in instances involving small successions.

The governor also signed Miguez's HB4, which adds school nurses to the list of retirees covered by the Teacher Retirement System of Louisiana who can now be rehired by school systems without losing the ability to collect their retirement benefits while working. Act 15 places an earnings cap on those retirees returning to work identical to that of other TRSL retirees who were already able to be rehired under existing law.

The governor's office and the coalition that endorsed the Justice Reinvestment Task Force criminal justice reforms have announced that there will be a signing ceremony in the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon where Edwards will sign 10 bills included in that package into law.

Edwards will sign SB139, SB220, SB221, HB249, HB489, SB16, HB116, HB519, HB680 and HB681, according to an announcement from Louisianians For Prison Alternatives, one of the groups that supported the successful legislative effort.

Passage of the criminal justice reforms is considered the highlight of an otherwise dismal session that ended on June 8 without the House and Senate having reached agreement on the state's major money legislation affecting the current and approaching fiscal years.

Edwards had called a special session that began 30 minutes after the regular session ended. The governor called it as a precautionary measure on May 27 when the possibility of the House and Senate not being able to bridge their differing approaches to state finances appeared possible.

The House and Senate each took the weekend off after the regular session ended. The House reconvened on Monday. The Appropriations Committee began holding hearings on the budget, taking testimony from department and agency heads on the impact of the House version of HB1 on their missions. Committee chair Rep. Cameron Henry and House Speaker Taylor Barras both said on Monday that the goal is to get HB1 to a vote on the House floor by Wednesday.

The Ways and Means Committee on Monday unanimously approved the Capital Outlay bill  the state's construction budget.

The Appropriations Committee was scheduled to convene at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to continue its review of HB1. The full House is scheduled to convene at 5 p.m.

Because all revenue bills must originate in the House, the Senate will not have any legislation to consider until the House approves either the budget, the Capital Outlay bill, the bond bill that would finance that bill, or the supplemental budget used to pay the final bills owed by state at the end of the fiscal year. The Senate will reconvene on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 52F. SE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 52F. SE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
CAIRO  This past Friday, Dorothy Salley sat outside her McBride Place unit keeping a close eye on a half dozen children playing in an inflatable swimming pool. As the children splashed water and giggled under the hot late-afternoon sun, she bounced her baby nephew on her knee and talked about what lies ahead for her family.

Time to go.

That was her response when asked if she had made up her mind about what to do since Housing and Urban Development announced plans to begin relocating about 185 families from McBride and Elmwood apartments because they are unsafe.

Salley said part of her wants to stay in Cairo, but a bigger part is prepared to move to another community and build a better life for her family. With me pregnant  Im going to go for better conditions, she said. Touching her stomach, Salley said she recently found out shes pregnant with her second child.

Salley said that while Cairo may be a nice option for older, retired people, it doesnt offer much for young adults in need of jobs and educational and after-school programs for their children.

This is the lesser told story of the housing crisis in Cairo. Emotionally packed community meetings in recent weeks have focused on banding together to save the town and school from what many see as HUDs misguided decision to begin the relocation process without providing new housing in Cairo.

Those who want to stay tend to be the most vocal about the situation and efforts are afoot to provide additional housing options for those individuals. At the same time, there also are a number of people quietly working their way through the process of moving on, who say they are thankful for the opportunity before them.

Salley said her goal is to find a home to rent in Marion before the start of the school year, so that her son, 6-year-old Jquan, can start first grade in their new town. She said the educational system in Marion is way, way, way better than whats available to the children of Cairo. She also hopes to find work in Marion once shes settled in working as a certified nursing assistant.

Giving her children their best possible chance to succeed is the most important factor in her decision about what to do, she said. Salley said shes working with a HUD-funded relocation specialist to help find a private landlord that will accept the Tenant Protection Voucher that HUD has made available to all residents relocating from their public housing developments in Cairo.

Similar to HUDs Housing Choice Voucher program, Tenant Protection Vouchers subsidize the rent of a qualified individual paid to their private landlord.

Generally, people with tenant-based vouchers pay 30 percent of their income toward their rent and essential utilities, such as electric and gas. The voucher covers the difference within HUDs fair market rent guidelines, which vary by area based on a formula that considers cost of living.

This past Wednesday, speaking before a U.S. Senate panel as part of a back-and-forth concerning the Cairo housing crisis with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said he is all ears if someone has a better solution than the one HUD has presented to move families from their inadequate housing units.

But Carson and other HUD officials have conveyed on numerous occasions that teams of experts examined all viable alternatives before announcing their decision and found options for additional new affordable housing to be limited by the harsh economic realities facing Cairo.

This, unfortunately, is a dying community. People dont have jobs there.  Carson told a Senate subcommittee on a hearing primarily concerning President Donald Trumps HUD budget. Community officials and grassroots organizers working to save Cairo and its school system by coming up with solutions to keep families in the community took offense to Carsons characterization of their town.

Still, other parents who are living the day-to-day struggles in Cairo expressed a similar sentiment in explaining why they want to move  and see HUDs decision to provide vouchers, rather than build new public housing in Cairo, as a positive step in improving not only their living conditions but their lives as well.

This is a retirement town, said Myra Rayford, who also lives at McBride with her young children. This is not a town I feel, in my eyes, is made for nobody who need a job or got kids because theres no type of extracurricular activity for the children.

The lack of constructive activities leads some children to turn to those that cause trouble for them and others, she said. They end up drinking and getting high, pregnant at 12 years old. The move is good.

Katrina Simelton agreed. She has older children who are out of school and close to finishing high school as well as an 8-month-old daughter.

Shes a baby. So my baby is not fixing to grow up here  no no no, she said. I think its better (to move). And then the way we are living is not cool at all.

Simelton and Rayford said they cant afford to wait around to see whether the efforts to improve Cairos outlook come to fruition, as such a turnaround could take years and they have children to think about now.

Rayford said Joliet is among the places she's considering moving as she has family living there.

Guess what, if I stay here, Im going to be doing the same thing I was doing two years ago when you found me in the 300 row, crying because I have no job, crying because I have no car to drive 45 miles to a job, she said.

In 2016, Alexander County, of which Cairo is the county seat, had the second highest unemployment rate in the state at 9.2 percent, compared to the statewide unemployment rate of 5.9 percent.

Further, though there are successful programs and educators associated with Cairo Unit School District 1, the district is struggling with chronic truancy, low test scores, principal turnover at the Cairo Junior/Senior High School and a loss of student population, according to the Illinois Report Card, which is the state's official source of information about public schools.

Simelton said despite the efforts to improve the community, its not enough for people with young families. She hasn't decided where she wants to go, but said she's exploring her options.

I dont want my daughter growing up here, Simelton said. I want my daughter to come down here and visit, because I want (her) to know where (she) came from.

We are from Cairo, Illinois. But for us to move on and move out, Im cool with that because its a better opportunity for our families.

Editor's note: The newspaper, as it has for months, continues to cover the Cairo housing crisis from various angles. On Wednesday, the newspaper intends to publish a report about a community meeting held Monday evening at the Cairo Junior/Senior High School during which an update was provided on grassroots efforts to increase the affordable housing options available in Cairo.
LAS VEGAS  A mother and father accused in Illinois of concealing the death of a child whose body was found in the garage of an abandoned St. Louis-area house made separate appearances Monday in different Las Vegas courts.

The child found dead last week in Centreville hasn't been formally identified, and a cause of death wasn't immediately determined.

The body was found June 6, after Elizabeth Odell-Quate went to a woman's shelter in Las Vegas and told police Jason Scott Quate had killed their 6-year-old daughter and hid the body in Centreville, an impoverished town across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.

Jason Quate was arrested the same day.

Police in Illinois believe the girl died in 2013.

Elizabeth Odell-Quate, 35, stood in shackles Monday and told a judge she won't fight her return in custody to Belleville to face a felony charge of concealing a homicidal death.

Justice of the Peace Eric Goodman said authorities from St. Clair County will have 30 days to fetch her. Odell-Quate hasn't been charged with a crime in Las Vegas.

In another courtroom, a judge postponed until Friday an arraignment for Jason Quate on felony child abuse charges. Quate wasn't represented by an attorney.

Prosecutor James Sweetin told Justice of the Peace Joseph Scisento that additional charges may be added to the case.

Jason Quate, 34, already has been charged with forcing his wife into prostitution, and he's due in court on Tuesday on a possession of child pornography charge. He is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.

His public defender in the prostitution case has said Quate will plead not guilty to felony sex trafficking and living from the earnings of a prostitute.

He's also facing extradition to Illinois on the concealing a homicide charge, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. Bail for the husband and wife is set at $750,000 each.

Outside court, Sweetin said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson may seek to consolidate the various cases against Jason Quate and prosecute him in Nevada before sending him to Illinois.

In jailhouse interviews with some media, Jason Quate gave differing accounts about his daughter, Alysha. He refused to be interviewed by The Associated Press.

He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the girl had food in her mouth and choked to death when he spanked her. He said his wife found the place to hide the body.

He told the Post-Dispatch that he lied when he told KSNV-TV in Las Vegas that his wife had told him she had put the girl up for adoption. He said his wife concocted the adoption story after their daughter died.

The family moved to Las Vegas in January 2016, according to a police report that said Quate described himself to investigators as a stay-at-home dad and acknowledged that his wife worked as a prostitute. He denied that he was her pimp.

Police have said their two other daughters, now in their teens, were never allowed outside their apartment, even to attend school, and that officers observed signs of abuse. The girls have been placed in protective custody.
iStock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) -- Michelle Carter, the 20-year-old Massachusetts woman charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly urging her then-boyfriend to commit suicide in 2014, became "involuntarily intoxicated" from prescription drugs, a psychiatrist for the defense testified Monday.



Conrad Roy was 18 when he died in July 2014 of carbon monoxide poisoning after locking himself in his truck. The prosecution claims Carter, then 17, was reckless and caused Roys death by telling him to get back in the vehicle, even though he told her that he didn't want to die. But Carter maintains her innocence.



In court Monday, Dr. Peter Breggin, a psychiatrist and expert witness for the defense described Carter as being "psychotic, delusional, and out of touch" after learning that Carter spoke to Roy's parents following the incident and didn't mention anything about his death.



Breggin testified in Bristol County Juvenile Court that this behavior was because Carter became involuntarily intoxicated, and that in her mind, encouraging Roy's suicide was being "helpful."



According to Breggin, Carter was on Celexa, an antidepressant prescription drug that the Associated Press reports can target the brain's frontal lobe, which controls decision-making and empathy.



Prosecutor Maryclare Flynn said in opening statements that Carter "used Conrad as a pawn in a sick game of life and death for attention." The testimony of several of Carter's classmates last week supported the prosecution's argument that Carter didn't have many friends, and pushed Roy to suicide to get more attention from the friends she was pursuing.



According to a testimony from last week, on July 12, 2014, the day of Roy's suicide, Carter texted a classmate, "He just called me and there was a loud noise like a motor ... I heard moaning ... I stayed on the phone for like 20 minutes and thats all I heard. ... I think he just killed himself."



Testimony regarding text messages from Carters cell phone was also heard in court. On July 14, according to testimony, Carter texted a classmate, "I do blame myself, it's my fault. I was talking to him while he killed himself."



On July 21, the teen texted a classmate that Roy's mother told her that detectives were going through Roy's belongings. "They have to go through his phone and see if anyone encouraged him to do it," Carter texted. "Im done. His family will hate me and I could go to jail."



In September 2014, Carter texted a classmate, "I couldve stopped him." She texted that she and Roy were on the phone the day of his suicide in July when Roy "got out of the car ... he was scared."



Carter wrote that she "told him to get back in."



The defense argued that Carter had tried before to talk Roy out of harming himself, and the defense pointed to a conversation where Roy told Carter he regretted dragging her into his plans to kill himself.



"It is not a homicide," lawyers for Carter said. "The evidence of the texting is overwhelming that Conrad Roy was on this path to take his own life for years."



The defense added, "Even if somebody supports another individual in a suicide, it doesnt create a homicide."



Carter waived her jury trial, leaving her fate in the hands of the judge. She's being tried as a juvenile, and if convicted, she could face 20 years in prison.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A Holly Hill man accused of murder was only defending himself, his attorney said.

James Montel Washington, 29, of 270 Manatee Road, Holly Hill, is charged with murder in the death of 37-year-old Justin Letroy Johnson of Eutawville

During a Monday hearing, Sen. Brad Hutto told the court I know were not here to try the merits of the case, but we believe this is a very strong case for self-defense, stand your ground. Hutto represents Washington.

Orangeburg County Magistrate Meree Williamson told Washington that a circuit court judge may set his bond at a later date.

Washington is accused of shooting Johnson on June 8 near Johnsons Bonanza Drive home.

Hutto told the court that the shooting occurred after Washingtons dog disappeared.

His dog he raised from a puppy, and he was looking for his dog and had some reason to believe this man (Johnson) had his dog, so thats what the altercation stems from, Hutto said.

Hutto alleges that Johnson accosted his client.

I believe the evidence will show that he did shoot at him and Mr. Johnson shot at him, Hutto said.

Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office Investigator Allen Culpepper told the court, During the course of the investigation, of course its still ongoing at this time, we have more evidence coming forth.

Victims advocate Amy Rinkenberger told the court that Johnsons family plans to be part of all of court hearings concerning the case.

Hutto told the court that Washington is gainfully employed by a construction company, has a fiance, has a GED, has no significant criminal record, pays child support and has a relationship with his 8-year-old child.

Johnsons funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Eutawville Community Funeral Home Chapel.
The Regional Medical Center is proposing a $8.63 million, 20,500-square-foot emergency department for Bamberg and Barnwell counties.

If all goes as planned, construction could begin this summer.

We are excited to provide local, around-the-clock emergency care services for Bamberg and Barnwell counties with this new facility," RMC board Chairman Melvin Seabrooks said in a release.

The proposal was presented to Bamberg County Council during a special meeting on Monday night.

Bamberg County has been without an emergency room since 2012, when the county hospital was closed.

The new, 24/7 facility will be funded by the state of South Carolina through a one-time, $3.6 million Transformation Fund Grant and additional funds resulting from the region's designation as a persistent poverty area, according to the release. Other funding has been committed by local community stakeholders.

The freestanding emergency department will include 24-hour emergency care including CT scan, X-ray, ultrasound diagnostic imaging and lab and observation services.

The facility will be located on 10 acres of land adjacent to Highway 70 between the cities of Denmark and Barnwell.

Plans call for architects to complete design work and begin construction before the end of the summer. Construction is projected to take 12 months.

Seabrooks said, "We are extremely grateful for the leadership of Sen. Brad Hutto and Sen. John Matthews as well as Rep. Lonnie Hosey and Rep. Justin Bamberg and the entire area legislative delegation for helping the Regional Medical Center secure state funding for this much-needed facility.

The Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance led by Danny Black has also been instrumental in this project.

RMC is owned by Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.
Rep. Gila Cobb-Hunter says she has a plan designed to address Gov. Henry McMasters concerns with the Orangeburg County school consolidation bill.

Im hoping that if we go back to deal with vetoes, this will address the governors concerns as a sign of good faith, Cobb-Hunter said.

State lawmakers passed the bill consolidating Orangeburg Countys three school districts into one last week.

The bill creates a transition committee to help guide the merger. The committee is tasked with creating a budget, which the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation must approve.

McMaster vetoed the bill, saying our constitutional separation of powers prohibits local legislative delegations from retaining budgetary control.

Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, has said she hopes the governor rescinds his veto. Lawmakers can change the law next year to address the governors concerns, she said.

She intends to introduce a fix for the consolidation bill that removes the words legislative delegation and instead gives Orangeburg County Council responsibility for approving the transition committees budget.

If the veto is not addressed, it will put a strain on the county, she said.

The consolidation bill cancels the 2017 school board elections, allowing current board members to serve until the new district is formed.

If the governors veto stands, the elections will go ahead.

The county will have to go through the costs of holding school board elections for seats that may or may not materialize, Cobb-Hunter said.

The General Assembly is out of session until January, although it could return to address vetoes. So far, there has been no official word from the speakers office on when or if the House will reconvene to take up vetoes.

Cobb-Hunter said there are legislators who do not want to return during the recess.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has signaled his support for legislation consolidating Orangeburg Countys three school districts.

I commend the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation for endeavoring to address their local school issues, McMaster writes, indicating he supports consolidation efforts statewide in the face of out-of-control administrative costs.

Yet McMasters support has come wrapped in a major complication. The former U.S. attorney and state attorney general has vetoed legislation that would form a countywide school district in 2019. He said his decision is based on belief that the bill in its present form contains an unconstitutional provision.

While once, legislative delegations were the governing bodies for counties through direct say and appointment of councils, boards and commissions, home rule legislation more than four decades ago changed that. Since then, elected councils and trustee boards have controlled budgets, thereby providing voters a direct voice in choosing those who will tax them for local government and schools.

McMaster contends the consolidation legislation does not pass muster in how school budgets will be handled during the transition to the countywide district.

The bill takes away the power of the present trustee boards in the three districts and puts it in the hands of a transition committee, with the six elected legislators comprising the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation having authority to approve budgets until the countywide board is elected and takes control in 2019.

Simply put, our constitutional separation of powers prohibits local legislative delegations from retaining budgetary control, McMaster states in his veto message.

McMaster is urging lawmakers to make a change in the legislation and return it to him for his signature. But that may not be as simple as it seems.

The Legislature can vote to override the governors veto, then proceed as outlined in the legislation or pass a separate bill next year that changes the transition budget process. Leaving the bill as is, it appears, opens the door to a legal challenge to the transition process.

Or lawmakers can sustain the veto and the present bill dies, meaning legislation will have to be reintroduced and go through the approval process again in 2018 or after. That introduces the possibility of efforts to change other aspects of the bill and potential complications in getting it through the legislative process.

Yet with all members of the local delegation in support of the present bill, the hope would be that making a change involving the transition process causes little fuss.

The governor himself has suggested that the elected Orangeburg County Council could have final say over school budgets until 2019, eliminating his legal concern.

Or lawmakers could retain the present elected boards by going forward with elections of trustees between now and 2019, but that complicates the role of the transition committee, which includes members of the present trustee boards.

No matter how the governors objection is addressed, an issue involving the two-year transition should not derail the merger of three school districts into one in 2019.

But it does leave question marks about ensuring the constitutionality of the legislation and the impact election-year politics in 2018 could have.
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By Azernews





By Sara Israfilbayova

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is interested in financing the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, said BSTDB President Ihsan Ugur Delikanli.

He made the remarks at an event dedicated to presentation of the banks opportunities for business and banking sector of Azerbaijan on June 13.

I hope that the Azerbaijani government and other partners will consider our participation in the SGC project and a positive decision will be made, said Ihsan Ugur Delikanli.

The SGC envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian Sea region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

Delikanli further stressed that the BSTDB is interested in funding projects in Azerbaijan in manats.

Such funding can be implemented through the issuance of manat bonds by the bank, according to Delikanli.

He also noted that BSTDB offers medium- and short-term project funding, corporate loans, participation in companies capital and various guarantees.

In turn, Azerbaijani Finance Minister Samir Sharifov noted that the BSTDB since the start of its operation has allocated loans worth 360 million to Azerbaijans private sector

Azerbaijan's share in the bank's loan portfolio is 8.3 percent, according to Sharifov.

Azerbaijan also participates in the bank's share capital, where the share of our participation is 5 percent. We are the seventh largest shareholder of the bank, he noted.

He went on to say that in total, the BSTDB has allocated loans worth $4.3 billion for projects in the countries of presence since the start of its activities.

The BSTDB is a multilateral development bank serving the 11 countries (Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia) that are members of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

It supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing trade and project financing, guarantees, and equity for development projects. The Bank supports both public and private enterprises in its member countries and does not attach political conditionality to its financing.

Objectives of the bank include promoting regional trade links, cross country projects, foreign direct investment, supporting activities that contribute to sustainable development, with an emphasis on the generation of employment in the member countries, ensuring that each operation is economically and financially sound.

The BSTDB commenced its operational activities in June 1999.

The banks authorized capital totals 3.45 billion. Until today, the BSTDB has allocated 360 million for implementation of 40 projects in Azerbaijan.




By Laman Ismayilova

Visual art is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful forms of the art that gives a man an opportunity to observe the beautiful world and travel through time.

An easel painting, a midsize painting that have been painted on an easel, remains immutable and timeless.

Most easel paintings are intended for display framed and hanging on a wall.

Bahruz Kangarli was one of the first professional representatives of Azerbaijani visual arts and was the founder of realistic easel painting in Azerbaijan.

He was homeschooled child because of disability to attend a comprehensive secondary school.

In 1910, he went to Tiflis with the support of Jalil Mammadguluzadeh and entered the Tiflis School of Arts under the Society of Encouragement of Fine Arts.

Various satirical magazines in the prerevolutionary period, especially Molla Nasraddin magazine based in Baku published Kangarli's works, next to satirical paintings by Azim Azimzade, whom Kangarli was inspired by.

The landscape genre took up a great place in his creativity.

Artist's watercolor paintings depicting the nature of his native land include "Waterfall", "Agridag", "The road in Yakhshan village", "Ilanly mountain under the moonlight", "Russian church in Nakhchivan", "Before rising time of the Sun", and "Spring".

Cultural monuments were portrayed in his landscapes "Momine Khatun Mausoleum", "Ashabi-kahf Mountain", and "Prophet Noah's grave".

Kangarli also created portraits of his contemporaries, including "An old man", "A Georgian", and a series of paintings called "Refugees".

His album called "Memories of Nakhchivan" with his 20 landscapes is currently kept in the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art.

The graphic artist was known for his free exhibitions.

He exhibited more than 500 works of himself at the first exhibition organized with Revcom's assistance, in 1921, in Azerbaijan. This exhibition was of great importance to him, and Kangarli donated one third of the money raised to an orphanage.

Artist, who died in the young age of 30 years, left an artistic legacy of more than 2,000 artworks created during his short creative activity of seven years.

On May 22, 2007, Kangarli's home-museum was established in Nakhchivan, and a monument was erected on the his grave.

This year marks the 125 anniversary of Bahruz Kangarli, one of the first representatives of the professional fine arts of Azerbaijan and the national founder of realistic painting.




By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

HD Summer Theatre brings great new UK theatre performances to Baku.

Some of the best new UK theatre productions will be shown between June and September 2017. The project has been developed in collaboration with CoolConnections and Nizami Cinema Centre.

The screenings bring performances which have been most successful in London and the UK.

The Festival aims to bring the newest theatre productions to Azerbaijan, to reflect the newest theatre trends of the UK.

For the first time in more than a century, the British theatre scene is now dominated by new work including original plays, musicals, operas and pantomimes, which make up almost two-thirds of all productions.

The high-quality filming gives you the impression of being in the theatre; each broadcast is filmed in front of a live audience in the theatre, and cameras are carefully positioned throughout the auditorium to ensure that cinema audiences get the 'best seat in the house' view of each production.

This summer, Baku audience can watch screenings of four prominent productions  Obsession, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Peter Pan and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Jude Law (Closer, The Talented Mr Ripley) stars in the stage production of Obsession, broadcast from the Barbican Theatre in London, directed by Ivo van Hove as a new stage adaptation of the 1943 Visconti film based on the novel The Postman Always Rings Twice (18+)

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman in Black) stars in Tom Stoppard's brilliantly funny comedy, featuring two of the minor players in Hamlet - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, from The Old Vic Theatre in London. The production 'fizzes with life' thanks the split-second timing of Daniel Radcliffe and his co-stars.

Exploring the possibilities and pain of growing up, Peter Pan is a riot of magic, mischief, music and make-believe from National Theatre, directed by Sally Cookson.

A new production of multi Tony- and Pulitzer- prize-winning playwright Edward Albee's landmark play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, directed by James Macdonald, stars Olivier- and Bafta-award-winning actress Imelda Staunton and Olivier award-winner Conleth Hill.

The summer season began on June 12. Tickets cost 12 AZN ($ 7) and are available at the ticket offices of Nizami Cinema Centre.

The British Council is the UK's leading international organization operating in over 100 countries worldwide for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It builds relationship and understanding between people in Britain and other countries to increase trust between nations and appreciation of the UK's ideas and achievements overseas.
By Azernews





By Sara Israfilbayova

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has donated medical equipment to the Health Ministry of Djibouti. A ceremony of presenting the medical equipment took place at the Central Hospital of the Republic of Djibouti.

The ceremony participants were informed about the humanitarian projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Azerbaijan and foreign countries. As part of these projects, the pediatric department of the Hospital was provided with medical equipment in ten names. This action will contribute to the development of the countrys health system and widening of relations between the two countries.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ethiopia Elman Abdullayev, addressing the event, said that the friendly ties between Djibouti and Azerbaijan serve the national interests, and that further actions will be taken towards strengthening these ties.

A delegation from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation met Health Minister of Djibouti Djama Elmi Okieh. The minister said the equipment donated will contribute to strengthening of the pediatric service in the country, and thanked the people of Azerbaijan and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for this support.

Earlier, Azerbaijans Ministry of Emergency Situations sent humanitarian aid to Djibouti under the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev in April 2017. The humanitarian aid sent by Azerbaijan Airlines included sugar, tea, sunflower oil, corn oil, flour, macaroni, vermicelli and drinking water.

Azerbaijan and Djibouti are eager to develop bilateral ties.

The two countries signed a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in civil aviation in February 2017. Some 30 tons of Azerbaijani goods produced under the brand Made in Azerbaijan were delivered to Djibouti via the first cargo flight.

The sides believe that the establishment of air transportation between Azerbaijan and Djibouti will also contribute to the development of political and cultural relations between the two countries.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

The Special Forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia continue joint exercises Caucasian Eagle 2017. The next phase of the exercises was held at the Vaziani training ground near Tbilisi, the Georgian Defense Ministry reported on June 13.

Servicemen of the three countries fulfilled tasks of destroying the imaginary enemy, hostage rescue, evacuating the wounded, and other tasks. The exercise also included air components.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Georgian Armed Forces Zaza Chkhaidze, Commander of Special Forces Brigade Dimitri Kiknadze, and Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Zeki Levent Gumrukcu observed the exercise.

The joint exercises, which are being held in accordance with an agreement between the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Georgian defense ministers, will continue until June 14. The joint exercises of the three countries play an important role in strengthening the capabilities of their armed forces.

The Azerbaijani Army, which today is considered the most modern army in the Caucasus, consists of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces.

The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year, as the countrys Armed Forces regularly conduct military exercises. The Azerbaijani army is supplied with modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability.

The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as twenty percent of the country's territory is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with Armenia.








The role of the chief information officer (CIO), which has now shifted to introducing innovative models and redefining customer experiences, will come under the spotlight at the upcoming Middle East Banking Innovation Summit in Dubai, UAE.



Organised by Expotrade, a global conference and event organizer, the seventh edition of the event will take place on September 18 and 19.



Tariq Al-Usaimi, CDO of National Bank of Kuwait said: The role of a CIO/CDO is extremely crucial for the survivability of banks today. With the rise of fintech in the GCC and central banks support in the form of issuing regulations governing fintech operation, the pressure on the banks is now to either innovate or get in line with the 50% of the S&P 500 companies that cease to exist today due to digitalization.



Emirates NBDs social banking product, ADCBs digital banking centre - uBank, and Commercial Banks introduction of biometric to its mobile banking app are some of the recent innovative banking solutions launched in the region.



UAE Banks Federations Emirates Digital Wallet, Mashreq Banks vision for a branchless future and Emirates Islamic introducing blockchain technology into its cheques to prevent fraud will prove to be game changers in the Middle East banking industry.



Banks have not only deployed digital tools to enable seamless transactions, offer enhanced customer-centric services and overall, make banking more efficient, but the focus on digitization has allowed banks to gain insights from a customers banking behaviour and offer customized products to suit their requirement.



Brad Hariharan, regional director, Expotrade Middle East, said: CIOs are driving technology-driven innovation within banks. As catalyst of innovative change, CIOs are embracing digital transformation, driving new business processes and reinventing customer engagement models within the organizations to maximize growth.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabias King Abdullah Port recorded an annual throughput of 1.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) by the end of 2016, an increase of about 8 per cent compared to 2015.



The port has also raised its annual capacity to more than 4 million TEU, with the completion of the infrastructure of the fifth and sixth berths. This will follow the installation and operation of the two new berths this year, providing greater competitiveness and access to the most important trade capitals in the region and the world.



It received 729 vessels in 2016, compared to 637 in 2015.



King Abdullah Port signed a funding agreement for expansion worth SR2.7 billion ($719 million) with SABB and ANB, while the volume of investments exceeded SR10 billion by the end of 2016.



Port management announced that the first phase of bulk cargo terminals is near completion and will be finalized by the end of this year, with a capacity of 3 million tons. Additionally, RORO terminals with a capacity of up to 300,000 vehicles will open by the end of 2017.



The RORO terminals were made possible after the signing of an agreement with NYK Group, one of the largest automotive logistics companies in the world. The NYK Group will oversee RORO operations.



King Abdullah Port and Vision 2030



One of the most important roles that King Abdullah Port plays in Vision 2030 is its contribution to the Kingdoms regional and international profile as a strategic trade corridor, directly supporting national efforts to diversify the economy and harness the Kingdom's economic and trade potential as part of the overall development process.



This includes the activation of the transportation sector, which will contribute to the Kingdoms upcoming renaissance and further energize the proliferation of public partnerships with the private sector, thus reinforcing the latters contribution to the gross national product.



King Abdullah Port is characterized by its strategic geographic location and integrated services. It is well-known in the shipping industry that King Abdullah Port offers the latest in technology and is under the management of a notable selection of Saudi and international experts who are working together to launch a new era of maritime transport services regionally and globally.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has partnered with Pfizer-Gulf to raise local community awareness on infectious diseases and highlight the role of preventive measures and vaccinations.



Pfizer-Gulf is a unit of the US-based Pfizer Group, one of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies.



The ministry underlined the importance of building a sustainable and healthy environment according to local and international policies and legislations.



An agreement was signed in this connection by Dr Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for health centres and clinics, and Dr Mohammad Fawzi, chairman of Pfizer Group-Gulf, at the ministrys office in Dubai, UAE.



The agreement seeks to emphasise the importance of vaccination in eliminating infectious diseases in society, said the duo after signing the agreement in the presence of Dr Mohamed Salim Al Olama, undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.



It also aims to raise community awareness and improve the efficiency of healthcare providers according to advanced methods. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that infectious diseases continue to be among the leading causes of death worldwide, it added.



Dr Al Rand said the ministrys agreement with Pfizer will increase awareness level and focus on capacity building to fight infectious diseases and promote vaccination programmes.



He noted that the scope of the agreement also covers medical professional training as an effective strategy to identify and implement preventive measures and minimise risk exposure.



This is in line with the ministrys strategy to build a world-class health system to protect the UAE society from communicable diseases, promote healthy lifestyles, and reduce associated diseases.-TradeArabia News Service


British Prime Minister Theresa May sought a stronger response to terrorism after three attackers killed seven people in London on Saturday.

"It is time to say enough is enough," May said in a televised statement outside her Downing Street office.

The attrackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed others nearby, killing seven people and injuring 48.



"We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are," May said, calling for a beefed-up counter-terrorism strategy that could include longer jail sentences for some offences and new cyberspace regulations.

London's Metropolitan Police arrested 12 people in the Barking district of east London in connection with the attack and raids were continuing there, the force said.

The arrests in Barking, east London, followed a raid at a flat belonging to one of the three attackers, BBC reported.



Controlled explosions were also carried out at the flat in Barking on Sunday morning. According to neighbours, the dead attacker had lived there for about three years and was married with two children.



It is the third terror attack in the UK in three months, following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March, which left five people dead, and the Manchester bombing less than two weeks ago, in which 22 people were killed.

The attack occurred five days before a parliamentary election and was the third to hit Britain in less than three months. May said the vote would go ahead as planned on Thursday.

Most political parties have suspended national general election campaigning, but the prime minister said full campaigning would resume on Monday and the general election would go ahead as planned on Thursday, BBC said.



Eyewitnesses to the attack described seeing a van travelling at high speed along London Bridge, hitting pedestrians, before crashing close to the Barrowboy and Banker pub.



Three men then got out wearing fake bomb vests and began attacking people in the nearby market - an area known for its bars and restaurants, which were busy on a warm summer evening.



Four police officers who tried to stop the attack were among those injured, two of them seriously.



One of them was an off-duty officer and amateur rugby player who tackled one of the terrorists, suffering stab wounds. Another, a British Transport Police officer who joined the force less than two years ago, took on the attackers armed with only his baton.
International law firm Pinsent Masons has announced plans to open in Dublin, Ireland in a move which will see the firm open its fourth international office in less than 18 months.



The office will focus on the financial services and technology sectors initially. A team of three eminent practitioners in Dublin will found the new practice:



Gayle Bowen, a partner specialising in investment funds with over 12 years experience advising international asset managers in relation to all aspects of Irish regulated UCITS and alternative products. Bowen is currently chair of the Irish Funds Legal & Regulatory Committee, which liaises with the Central Bank, the Irish Government and European bodies to represent the interests of the Irish funds industry. Bowen has a particular expertise in relation to cross border mergers. She joins from Walkers.



Andreas Carney, a partner who specialises in outsourcing and other material service arrangements, data protection and IT. Carney has advised extensively on IT infrastructure projects, including software and systems development, systems implementation and integration, systems support and maintenance, hardware supply, cloud services and co-location and other data centre arrangements. A fluent German speaker, Carney is ranked for IT in Legal 500 and joins from Matheson.



Dennis Agnew, a partner who specialises in advising domestic and international companies on all aspects of corporate law. He is recognised as a leading inward investment lawyer by Chamber and Partners and joins from Byrne Wallace where he set up and led the firm's New York office as well as practising in Dublin.



The new office will target work initially from the 50 of Pinsent Masons top 250 clients who are present in Ireland, and will bring the total number of Pinsent Masons lawyers across the island of Ireland to 12 partners and over fifty lawyers.



Richard Foley, senior partner of Pinsent Masons, said: "Our vision is to be recognised as an international market leader in the five global sectors in which we specialise.



We have operated in Ireland for some time on a range of matters and Dublin has long been in our thinking as a key global hub for the financial services and technology industries. That status has only become even more significant in the context of Brexit.



The feedback we've had from our clients as we developed our Ireland strategy was that they would welcome a disruptor coming into the market and our reputation as an innovator is therefore of significant interest to them. They want a firm which understands their sector, can support them in an integrated way across multiple geographies and - above all - won't simply provide the same old services in the same old way. We have recruited an outstanding founding team who share our commitment to meeting those needs and bringing Pinsent Masons' ethos of innovation to the Dublin market, he added. - TradeArabia News Service
Morocco government has selected French state-owned RATP Dev, the worlds fifth largest operator of urban transport, as the preferred bidder for the operation and maintenance of Casablancas tramway network.

International bidders have been competing for the operation and maintenance of Casablancas tramway network for the 2017-2029 term, said a statement from Casa Transport.

In 2016, Casa Transport launched an international call for tenders regarding the operation and maintenance of Casablancas tramway network and buses for the period of 2017-2029.

Since then, several leading companies in the public transport sector, including RATP Dev, Transdev and National Express  Alsa  ONCF have been in the race for the project, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabias Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is collaborating with DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS), the operations consulting business of DuPont, to improve operational performance and safety in the countrys desalination facilities.



SWCC is responsible for about 70 per cent of the total production of desalinated water in Saudi Arabia, said a statement from the company.



The collaboration will enhance the operational excellence and risk management processes at SWCC to ensure a sustainable water supply for the people of Saudi Arabia, it said.



Ali Al Hazmi, governor of SWCC, said: Every activity taking place at SWCC now is to prepare for the privatisation of the company.



We want to create an environment that will allow us to compete internationally so that ultimately, we have a sustainable business that the people of SWCC and Saudi Arabia can benefit from, he said.



DuPonts experience in implementing operational improvement initiatives at their own facilities, and in the Kingdom, is an integral part of our improvement process, he added.



As part of SWCCs aspirations to privatise and align with Saudi Arabias 2030 strategic objectives, the executive management decided to invest further in the transformation of its operations.



While SWCC has long been committed to operational excellence, the implementation of these critical initiatives will enable SWCC to produce water in a more cost-effective way. DSS and its partners will start at some of SWCCs biggest facilities  plants, transmission lines and headquarters, said a statement.



Abdullah Al Zowaid, deputy governor, operations at SWCC, said: This operational transformation project will aim at strengthening our practices in risk management and operational excellence.



The initiatives selected will focus on developing leadership capabilities, maximising productivity, reliability and cost optimisation, he said.



Johan van der Westhuyzen, regional director for DSS  Turkey, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, said: We are excited to collaborate with SWCC and have invited strategic partners to support us in helping the company achieve its aspirations.



Each partner will bring a unique set of best practices to ensure SWCC gets support from the worlds leaders in their respective fields: Emerson to bring experience in automation and reliability, Riventa to provide expertise in water transmission and pumps, and GrahamTek with best practices in core desalination processes and technology, he added.



Jean-Paul Sacy, senior manager at DSS, said: Behavioural shift is at the core of the DuPont operational excellence approach and will play a key role in driving change through the SWCC organisation.



We are looking forward to progressively developing and empowering the SWCC team to drive continuous improvement into the future, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), a leader in logistics and transportation, has added its 38th very large crude carrier (VLCC) to its growing fleet of multipurpose vessels.



The vessel, Maharah, a 300,000-dwt carrier, was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.



Built to the latest environmental and fuel-efficient technical specifications, the vessel was handed over to Bahri at a major ceremony held at Hyundai Heavy Industries Mokpo shipyard in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, said a statement from the company.



It was attended by Bahris board member, Ahmed Ali Al Subaey; Hyundai Heavy Industries president and CEO, MK Yoon; Bahris acting CEO, Ali Al Harbi; Bahri Ship Managements president, Per Pedersen; Bahris senior vice president  marketing, Wael Al Sarhan; Bahris vice president  commercial, Hisham Alnughaimish, and other senior officials.



"This is a very proud moment for all of us and as well as for Saudi Arabia," remarked Al Subaeyd.



"The addition of Maharah further strengthens our position as the world's largest owner and operator of VLCCs and reinforces our leadership position in the global transportation and logistics sector," he noted.



We celebrate this important milestone only months after accepting delivery of our 37th VLCC Amjad earlier this year in February, he said.



In current times, fleet growth is critical to offsetting low spot market rates, and the timing of this delivery could not have been better, he added.



Al Harbi said: The partnership between Bahri and Hyundai Heavy Industries spanning over a decade has been highly successful, with 26 vessels ordered and delivered to date and eight more VLCCs currently on order, among which three will be delivered this year.



With increased capacity and tonnage, we can continue to deliver world-class transportation solutions and value to our customers, shareholders and staff, he said.



Bahri is a homegrown Saudi brand and a remarkable success story that further enhances the countrys position on the world map, he added.



Yoon said Hyundai's relationship with Bahri is one that holds immense strategic importance not only for our two organisations but also for our two nations.



With over 30 ocean-freight vessels delivered or currently on order, and other significant collaborative plans in the discussion or planning phase, our companies are set to alter the course of the global shipping industry, he added.-TradeArabia News Service


Iran and South Korea signed a contract to cooperate on developing mini-LNG ISO containers in the coming four years, a report said.



Of special and compact design, mini-LNG ISO containers can be used easily in many places, Saeed Pakseresht, director of research and technology (R&T) at National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) was quoted as saying in the Iran Daily report.



A South Korean consortium, managed by Oceanus will cooperate with KITECH, DongHwa Entec, Sung-IL Encare, Gs E&C, KoGas Tech and KGS, while Irans consortium will be headed by NIGC.



ISO containers are capable of storing LNG in a cryogenic state for up to 75 days, the report said.
With US oil and gas companies already stepping up activities in 2017, crude output climbed in May - the same month Opec met to extend its production cuts - to a six-month high, since November 2016, according to the organisation's latest monthly market report.



The oil producing group's May report mentioned that the global oil supply increased by 0.13 million barrels per day, mb/d, in May to average 95.74 mb/d.



In the meantime, the Opec Secretariat released the 52nd edition of the Annual Statistical Bulletin, ASB on June 13.



The ASB provides a wide range of data on the oil and gas industry worldwide, serving as an important source of reliable information for research analysts and academics, as well as policymakers and many other industry stakeholders, it stated.



As per the ASB, in 2016, world crude oil production inched up by 0.35 mb/d, or 0.5 percent, as compared to 2015, to reach 75.48 mb/d, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth.



The majority of non-Opec countries registered substantial declines in their 2016 average crude production, as compared to 2015. In 2016, the top three crude oil producing countries were Saudi Arabia (10.46 mb/d), Russia (10.29 mb/d) and the United States (8.88 mb/d), said the report.



"World oil demand averaged 95.12 mb/d in 2016, up by 1.5 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), with the largest increases in the Asia Pacific region, particularly China and India, as well as Western Europe, North America and Africa. 2016 oil demand in the Middle East remained flat y-o-y, while oil demand declined in Latin America for the second year in a row," according to the ASB, which added in this respect that the total demand from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), grew solidly for the second consecutive year in 2016, while oil demand in OPEC Member Countries declined for the first time since 1999, dropping by 0.20 mb/d or 2.2 per cent.



Total exports of crude oil from Opec member countries stood at 25.01 mb/d in 2016, up from 23.49 mb/d in 2015, representing a 6.5 percent growth rate y-o-y, the bulletin said remarking that the bulk of crude oil from OPEC members was exported to the Asia Pacific region at a level of 15.72 mb/d or 62.9 per cent.



Total world proven crude oil reserves stood at 1,492 billion barrels, bn b, at the end of 2016, increasing slightly by 0.3 percent from the previous years level of 1,488 bn b, indicated the report , noting that the largest additions came from Iraq, Venezuela and Norway.

Total OPEC Members proven crude oil reserves increased by 0.5 per cent to 1,217 bn b at the end of 2016, with a share of 81.5 per cent of total world crude oil reserves.



With regards to the prices, the ASB indicated that the OPEC Reference Basket averaged $40.76/b in 2016, down from $49.49/b in 2015 and reaching the lowest yearly average since 2004. The yearly decline valued at $8.73/b, or 17.6 per cent, as compared to 2015. The 2016 volatility stood at $7.28/b, or 17.9 per cent, relative to the yearly average.



The May report kept 2017 global oil demand growth forecast unchanged from previous month's estimate at 1.27 mb/d y/y.-TradeArabia News Service
A majority of organizations worldwide have introduced advanced automation in their workplace, and nearly half of executives say that theyll require it more broadly by 2018 to cope with rising work volumes, a report said.



Adding machines to everyday work drives revenue growth, creates new job opportunities and connects employees back to the work they want to do, added the report entitled Todays State of Work: At the Breaking Point from ServiceNow, a US-based cloud computing company.



The company surveyed more than 1,850 corporate leadersC-level, VPs, directors and managersto evaluate the workload of organizational leaders, the impact and use of automation in common business services and executives opinions on the future of work. The survey also evaluated the relationship between organizational automation levels and financial performance. The findings include:



Companies are approaching a breaking point and urgently need intelligent automation



 By 2018, about half of companies (46 per cent) say they will need greater automation to handle the volume of tasks being generated. By 2020, nearly 9 out of 10 companies (86 per cent) will hit that breaking point.



 More than three-quarters (78 per cent) say data from mobile devices and the Internet of Things contribute to the overload.



 94 per cent agree that intelligent automation could increase productivity. This includes artificial intelligence or machine learning to streamline decision making to improve the speed and accuracy of business processes.



 Over half of those surveyed (54 per cent) have started using intelligent automation in one or more business processes. 87 per cent plan to investigate or use intelligent automation moving forward.



In a world of smarter homes, cars and commerce, the workplace has been a holdoutbut not for long, said Dave Wright, chief strategy officer, ServiceNow. The shift to greater automation is coming now to transform everyday work.



More automation delivers financial growth and promises greater productivity



 Highly automated companies are 6x more likely to experience revenue growth of more than 15 per cent versus companies with low automation.



 For example, those companies with more than 20 per cent revenue growth are 61 per cent automated on average, whereas those with flat or negative growth are only 35 per cent automated.



The financial payoff for automation is one companies cant ignore, said Wright.



Fewer than half of business processes are automated; HR and Customer Service are the worst.



 Overall only 42 per cent of business processes are automated, and business leaders suffer, spending two full days or 16 hours a week on manual administrative tasks.



 IT support is the best at business process efficiency, while Human Resources (HR) is the worst. HR was named the department most in need of a reboot.



 Specifically, only 37 per cent of HR delivery of employee services are automated and 33 per cent of resolving customer issues are, compared to IT services at 53 per cent automated, leaving room for improvement across the board.



Executives believe automation can create jobs despite employees fears of job losses



 79 per cent of execs believe automation could lead to job creation.



 87 per cent of execs say employees are worried that automation will eliminate jobs.



 The top three obstacles to automation adoption include: Committing the resources (budget and personnel) required, employees resistance to change and concerns about eliminating jobs.



Automation will bring new economic opportunities, said Wright. Companies need to develop and evolve their teams skills to help them thrive in an automated world.



Adding machines frees up employees to do the work they want to do spurring creativity



 Nearly half (48 per cent) say that work levels have increased by 20 per cent or more in the last year



 91 per cent of executives say their skilled employees spend too much time on admin tasks.



 93 per cent believe that reducing mundane tasks unleashes employee creativity.



 82 per cent find it difficult to hire people with skills needed to grow their business.



 94 per cent say automation will increase demand for soft skills such as collaboration, creative problem solving and communication.



Employees feel theyre working a sixth day every week, said Wright. Machines can take on the burden of busy-work and free up employees to do the creative, innovative work they crave.



Recommendations:



To avoid hitting the breaking point, ServiceNow has recommendations for executives. Start here:



1) Identify business processes that need improving in HR, customer service, IT or other departments

2) Map out the critical business services and automate the workloads with intelligent automation

3) Work with teams to address concerns and provide reassurance for your roadmap

4) Employ best practices around change management

5) Develop and evolve the teams skills to help them thrive in an automated world  TradeArabia News Service
Samsung Gulf Electronics recently hosted the Samsung Partner Summit 2017 under the slogan of New Opportunities Ahead at St Regis Hotel in Dubai, UAE.



Samsung communicated its vision by introducing new products and solutions as well as holding interactive Q&A session.



Samsung launched 13 new innovative and customized solutions projects in key growing verticals such as government, construction and education to support their partners in enhancing the value proposition for their customers. During the summit, key partners shared their successes and best practices; in addition, top performing partners in the region were awarded during a ceremony held during the event.



Sherif Fahim, head of Printing Solutions at Samsung Gulf Electronics said: We are proud of our formidable portfolio of A3 multifunction printers, which deliver powerful functionality as well as simplicity and reliability. Bringing our partners together enables us to introduce them to our printer solutions, and showcase how these will add value to the partners, distributors, resellers and system integrators that we work with. We were also pleased to recognize top performers in our region during the awards ceremony.



The event was attended by 90 delegates including direct partners, distributors, value added resellers and system integrators.  TradeArabia News Service
Tommy Hilfiger, a high-end fashion brand owned by PVH Corp, has roped in celebrated pop music duo The Chainsmokers as its global brand ambassadors.



The Chainsmokers, comprising Alex Pall and Andrew (Drew) Taggart, will also represent Hilfiger Edition, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored and Tommy Hilfiger sportswear, beginning Fall 2017, said a statement from the company.



The Grammy award-winning duo brings a modern, youthful twist to the brands more than 30-year global menswear legacy, it said.



The campaign was photographed by Lachlan Bailey in San Francisco, and exclusive video teasers will be set to a custom-mixed music track by The Chainsmokers, it added.



Breaking globally in Fall 2017, the integrated mens campaign includes print, online and out-of-home media placements, and is supported by unique consumer activations and experiential events that continue to bring the brands unique perspective on pop culture to life around the world.



Tommy Hilfiger, principal designer of the group, said: The Chainsmokers are at the centre of modern pop culture and their music resonates with a global audience.



I admire the way they have carved out a new niche that fuses indie, pop, dance, and hip-hop. Alex and Drew are truly the perfect definition of todays Tommy Guy  their talent, optimism, unique sound and effortless cool have made them standout in the music world. Were extremely excited to work with them in the fashion space, he said.



Daniel Grieder, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, said: Our pioneering approach to fusing fashion and music is part of our menswear heritage.



Our partnership with The Chainsmokers reflects the companys strategic commitment to bring the next generation of our products consumers into our mens business with exciting fashion collections, curated shopping experiences, and digital commerce convenience, he said.



Our menswear category remains a key area of focus as we look to unlock the full potential for the Tommy Hilfiger brand in all regions around the world, he added.



The Chainsmokers said: Like Tommy Hilfiger, we have always believed in celebrating individuality and breaking conventions.



Tommy paved the way for collaborations between fashion and music, and we are excited to collaborate with a brand that aligns so closely with our own artistic approach and shares our passion for creating memorable experiences for our fans, they added.  TradeArabia News service
Centara Hotels & Resorts has announced the promotion and transfer of Mario Taulien, former resident manager at Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui Thailand, as general manager of Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka.



Hailing from Germany, Taulien brings over 10 years of experience in the hospitality business. He has worked with a number of well known hotel operators, including InterContinental Hotel in Hamburg, Hotel Bergstrom-Luncburg and Steigenberger Conti Hansa Kiel-Germany.



Prior to joining the Centara family, Taulien was the executive assistant manager (Operations) at Sutera Harbour Resort-Pacific Hotel, Kota Kinabalu-Malaysia.



Taulien has worked hard and showcased his solid managerial skills during his time at the Centara Grand in Samui, Thailand. He was one of the key persons to push forward many successful events and achievements at the resort, including international recognition, such as EarthCheck Gold Award 2016 which has been given to the resort for five consecutive years and Thailand Tattlers Best Restaurant 2015 for Zicos Brazilian Grill & Bar.



Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels and Resorts, said: Mario Taulien has an impressive proven track record of distinguished performance and well-rounded skills in hotel management throughout the time working at the Centara Grand in Samui. He has been playing an important role to push through achievements and positive improvements for the property. I firmly believe that he will be a great team leader for Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka. - TradeArabia News Service
Learn Excel Advanced

The Library will offer an Excel Advanced class from 2 to 4 p.m., on Wednesday, June 14. Building on the basic features of Excel, learn about charts, graphics, formulas/functions, and pivot tables. Attendees should have a working knowledge of Excel. Call 577.READ x2 for more information.

Practical livestock evacuation workshop

A FEMA emergency management institute training exercise, co-hosted by UW Extension, is 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., on June 14, 2017, at UW Casper, room 420, 125 College Dr. The seminar includes FEMA-certified exercises for emergency responders and POST credits are pending. Learn how counties can respond to a need for livestock evacuation in the face of wildfires, floods, blizzards and other disasters. Emergency responders, producers, volunteers, veterinarians and others are encouraged to work with each other to enhance local plans.

12-step to start

Teen Challenge Wyoming is offering a 12-week, 12-step program, Stepping into Freedom, starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21. Class is open to adults 18 and over and will be held in the Fort Caspar Room at the 12/24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott. For more information or to sign up, call Adult/Teen Challenge Wyoming at 258-5397 or Chris at 259-7062.

Buddhists meet

David Vaughn is a Buddhist living in Casper who finds himself feeling more and more isolated and wishing that he had someone to share his Buddhist interests with. But there are no Buddhist temples here; no place for people who wish to share stories of Dharma or Karma, no place to learn and exchange meditational techniques, no place to meet people of like minds for friendship, conversation, companionship, or even romantic interest.

So Vaughn has decided to take matters into his own hands and do something about it. He proposes to establish a Casper Buddhist Fellowship, and set up a common meeting place where the Buddhists of Casper can congregate at regular intervals to practice our Buddhist customs; where Buddhists can go to and feel safe, mingle with other Buddhists, and experience all of those most wonderful things that the Buddhist religion has to offer.

Vaughn invites all who are interested to contact him at davidvaughn991@yahoo.com so that a dialogue might begin.

Saturday watercolor sessions

The schedule for the Saturday Morning Watercolor Sessions from 10 a.m. to noon for June at Art 321 is below. These are coordinated by Ellen Black, 265-6783. $10 per session. June 17, practice session; June 24, Big Brush Landscape.

Vendors for Caspar Collins Day

Fort Caspar Museum is looking for craft and food vendors for Caspar Collins Day 2017 which will be held on Saturday, July 22. Join us as we commemorate the city of Caspers namesake on the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Platte Bridge.

This family-friendly event will include living history demonstrations, games, and hands-on activities. We will also have an area for contemporary craft vendors, non-profits, and food concessions near the fort activities.

The cost for a space (10- by 10 feet) is $30 for vendors and free for nonprofits. The vendor application deadline is July 19, 2017. For an application form or questions, please contact Anne Holman by phone, 235-8462 or by email at aholman@casperwy.gov. Forms may also be downloaded from our website: www.fortcasparwyoming.com.

Caspar Collins Day will be held on the grounds of Fort Caspar Museum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, 2017, rain or shine. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Virtual Reality demo

Dont miss the chance to immerse yourself in an entirely new world when the Natrona County Library hosts a virtual reality demo from 1 to 5 p.m., on Saturday, June 17. Choose from over 40 of the best virtual reality games and apps while being taken through a guided experience with the HTC Vive. Free and open to the public. Gameplay will last for approximately seven minutes per player. Tickets will be handed out at the beginning of the event, available on a first-come, first-served basis. The HTC Vive is provided by the Natrona County Library Foundation. Call 577.READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Deer Creek Days craft fair

Crafters wanted for the Deer Creek Days Craft Fair in Glenrock Aug. 4-6. For more information, including fees, call 436-5652 or email info@glenrockchamber.org.

Dementia caregiver support

Wyoming Dementia Care offers five Alzheimers Caregiver Support groups each month. Caregivers of those with dementia-related illnesses and the loved ones they care for are welcome at any of the group sessions. Professional staff from Intermountain Home Companions will be on hand to offer separate activities and snacks for those who need care. There is no charge for Wyoming Dementia Cares support groups or for the respite care provided during the approximately one-hour sessions.

The morning support group sessions meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 E. Fourth St. The afternoon support groups meet at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Life Care Center of Casper, 4041 S. Poplar. The evening groups meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Meadow Wind Assisted Living, 3955 E. 12th St.

For information, email wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or call Dani Guerttman at 265-4678.

Family continues suicide support

Good Grief, Support will continue at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott, by request of attendees. Anyone who is grieving a suicide or death or considering suicide is encouraged to attend. Attendance, as well as the content, will be strictly confidential. The Fresh Start Cafe will be open, and you can eat during the meetings. This meeting place was offered by Dan Cantine of the 12-24 Club. You need not be a member to attend. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom.

New depression group begins

J.R.s Hunt for Life is offering See it Clearly, a free peer support group for people suffering from depression and other mental conditions that lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. The group is led by like-minded peers wishing to offer support. Anonymity and confidentiality is offered to all attending. Meetings are at 6:45 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 500 South Wolcott in the conference room on the second floor, (12-24 Club). Those who have considered or attempted taking their life or are struggling are welcome. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom.

Parkinsons exercise

Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinsons exercise program. Join us from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 E. Second St., Building 500. These classes are open to anyone with Parkinsons or caring for someone with Parkinsons.

Thursdays class is tailored for the individual with more advanced Parkinsons and focuses on improving endurance, safety and managing symptoms. We are open to all ages and can tailor the class to meet varying exercise needs. The cost of the class is $5. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon.

Celebrate Recovery every Friday

Celebrate Recovery meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday at Highland Park Community Church, just south of Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital on East Second Street. A family meal starts the evening, followed by praise and worship. At 7 p.m., theres either a lesson from Celebrate Recoverys planned curriculum or a testimony by a person who has found recovery through Christ. Then, people go to gender-specific small groups until 8:30 p.m., when dessert and fellowship conclude the evening. Child care is available at no cost. For more information, contact Chris at 265-4073.

Here and Now: Dementia-focused monthly art class

Classes are every third Tuesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. There is no charge. Here and Now is a program made possible through a collaboration between Wyoming Dementia Care and the Nicolaysen Art Museum. It is designed to provide a supportive environment for people with dementia and Alzheimers and their loved ones.

To register, contact Dani with Wyoming Dementia Care 265-4678, ext. 106, or at wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or Zhanna Gallegos at 235-5247 or at zgallegos@thenic.org.
Hospice needs volunteers

Would you like the opportunity to truly make a difference in someones life? Choose how you would like to give back, whether being a companion to our patients, helping run the Memory Lane Boutique, or sit vigil through patients last hours. Join us for our next Volunteer Training Program beginning June 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please call Tammy at 577-4832 or go to cwhp.org and fill out an application. We would love to have you on our team.

Hospice boutique accepting donations

Memory Lane Boutique at Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions is in need of donations for its inventory. Items accepted include furniture, jewelry, household goods, knickknacks, craft supplies, toys and sporting goods. Donations may be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 319 S. Wilson. The public is invited to shop during the same hours.

Would you host a hockey player?

The Casper Coyotes are preparing for the next season already and that means finding loving families to host young men, ages 17 to 20 years old from across America and foreign countries. The boys arrive in August and stay until March or April. They should have a room of their own and become a part of your family. Their expenses are paid. Team rules are simple and you add family rules. If you raised a young man this age, then you know that it takes love, but the love and cultural experience that comes back is many times greater. Interested? Call a veteran of hosting and lets talk, Joe at 315-1987.

Volunteer for family event

Its time for the 5th annual HUD Fathers Day event. Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies is in search of volunteers to help with set up, distribution, and clean up for our mobile pantry assisting single fathers in Natrona County. Come join us in Washington Park on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Ashley Nickolai at 265-4016 or anickolai@foodbankrockies.org.

Quilts of Valor every Wednesday

The Central Wyoming Chapter of Quilts of Valor meets from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to sew at the Central Wyoming Senior Services Center, 1831 E. Fourth St. Quilts of Valor are made by volunteers. Donated fabrics, supplies or monetary donations are appreciated. The group makes all quilts for service men and women who have been touched by war. Our chapter awards quilts to veterans who reside in the Central Wyoming region. Dues are $5 per year and new members are always welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Yung Hui Torske at 258-5578, Sandy Elliott at 307-5540331 or any chapter member.Fleece blankets, even in summer

The Fleece Blanket Project meets on the third Saturday of each month (June 17 and July 15, August TBD because of Eclipse weekend) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Christian Church, 520 CY Avenue. We have made 389 blankets since we started on Jan. 30, 2016, and they have been given to people who are homeless, and those in need of comfort and warmth. We use two yards of a print fleece and two yards of a solid fleece for each blanket. Anyone who would like to come and tie blankets is welcome. We are in need of fleece in order to continue to make blankets for those in need. If you would like to help make blankets, please come and join others in our community and we can make a difference. If you have any questions, you can call First Christian Church at 234-8864 or email Debbie Mestas at debmestas@gmail.com.

Scarves for Special Olympics





Special Olympics Wyoming invites those who knit and crochet to make scarves for the Wyoming Special Olympics athletes to wear at State Winter Games in February 2018. Please use black, gray and white in the scarves, which should measure approximately 6 by 60 inches in any pattern. The deadline to receive the scarves is January 2018. Please send scarves to Special Olympics Wyoming, attn. Scarf Project 2017, P.O. Box 624, Jackson, WY 83001. There is more information available at www.sowy.org/other-fundraisers.

Food of the month





Wyoming Food for Thought Project has announced its food of the month suggestions for the nearly 1,000 weekend food bags its volunteers prepare for food-insecure school students in Natrona County each week. Often, schools, churches and other groups designate certain collection days for a specific type of food as a donation.

The suggested food items may be taken to program headquarters at 900 St. John, but its best to call ahead to make certain someone is there to receive it.

June, peanut butter; July, pork n beans; August, mac n cheese; September, Chef Boyardee products; October, cereal; November, soup; December, chili.

For more information, call Cassandra at 337-1703.

Disabled vets need volunteer drivers





The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers to take veterans to their medical appointment at the VA hospital in Cheyenne. The volunteer driver will transport them in a VA vehicle. If you are interested, please call the DAV transportation office in Cheyenne at 307-778-7577 for further information.
Prosecutors will likely seek a sentence of life imprisonment without the chance of parole for the Casper teen charged with raping and attempting to kill a 4-year-old girl.

Natrona County District Attorney Michael Blonigen filed a notice two weeks ago that he planned to pursue the sentence  the most serious sentence short of execution  in the case of Brandtly Bedsaul.

That based upon investigation that has been conducted at this time, the State has elected to seek a penalty of life without the possibility of parole or commutation or life for the charge of attempted first-degree murder, the court document states.

Casper police arrested Bedsaul in October after law enforcement received a report that he was raping a girl in the front yard of the Casper home where he lived. Authorities found the girl unresponsive and covered in blood when they arrived.

The girl had been attending an event with her parents at the home. One of the people at the house noticed that the girl was missing from the group of children and went outside to look for her. He told police that he then saw Bedsaul choking the naked girl near some bushes in the front lawn, the documents state.

Medical staff at the Wyoming Medical Center said the girl had injuries indicating she had been sexually assaulted as well as bruising on her neck that suggested she had been strangled, court documents show.

Investigators later wrote that there were indications that Bedsaul had been under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the alleged crimes.

Bedsaul pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness to four charges  attempted first-degree murder, first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, aggravated assault and aggravated child abuse  at his arraignment in December.

Bedsaul previously underwent a forensic evaluation with staff from the Wyoming State Hospital and was expected to complete a second evaluation with a doctor from Colorado at the request of his public defender.

His trial is currently scheduled to begin Aug. 7, court records show. Bedsaul remained in custody on $1 million bond.

He was also sentenced in May to between two and five years in prison for each of two burglary charges for breaking into cars parked at Washington Park.
Michele Chulick has been appointed the new president and CEO of Wyoming Medical Center, the largest hospital in central Wyoming.

Chulick, who will begin on July 17, will take the reins from Vickie Diamond, who announced in November that she would retire. She will step down Aug. 1. During the two weeks between Chulicks arrival and Diamonds departure, Chulick will meet with staff, learn the centers culture and policies and transition into the position, according to the hospitals announcement.

Diamond has been CEO of the hospital for nine years, steering WMC through the turbulent passage of the Affordable Care Act and, more recently, staff layoffs.

Chulick previously was the president of the Ventures Division at Childrens Health System of Texas, according to a WMC press release. CHST is a health care system with 616 beds and more than 950,000 patients per year.

Edith Selby, the vice chairwoman of WMCs board of directors, said the board and search committee decided on Chulick three weeks ago. The time between then and the announcement Tuesday was spent negotiating, she said.

The search committee was composed of six board members, a physician and a community member with past ties to the medical center.

Michele has a great background, Selby said. Shes been in health care systems and hospitals since 1979. She has the background, she has the education, she has the presence and the knowledge and the professional elements that just fit Casper, Wyoming, and Wyoming Medical Center.

Chulick has a bachelors of science in nursing from Duke University and a masters of business administration in finance from Wayne State University. She has worked in various capacities in the health care industry since 1979, according to the release.

Before serving as president at Childrens Health System of Texas, Chulick was an executive vice president and chief administrative officer at the company. She worked as the associate vice president and chief operating officer for the University of Miami Health Systems health division.

Selby said the search committee had a huge pool of candidates that it narrowed to 30, then to six people who came to visit the WMC campus. Those six was then trimmed to two.

The candidates were here at Wyoming Medical Center meeting with groups of employees and directors and physicians and community members as well as the board, she said. Taking all of that input into consideration, the search committee and the board of directors fully agreed on Michele as their choice.

Chulicks predecessor, Diamond, oversaw expansions of 105-year-old WMCs services and the creation of the $42 million McMurry Tower. She was at the helm when the Affordable Care Act was passed, legislation that fundamentally reshaped the landscape of health care in the United States.

She also oversaw rough times at the hospital as the states economy took a turn. As a result of those and other pressures, WMC laid off 58 workers a year ago.

Selby said Chulick has seen the hospitals financials and that she is financially savvy, given her educational background.

Chulick will take over in an uncertain health care world. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act, the much-heralded Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act. While the bill is being rewritten by the Senate, including by Wyoming Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi, the Houses version could potentially increase the level of uncompensated care hospitals like WMC would have to absorb.

Diamond said that the AHCA, as passed by the House, would cost the hospital at least $70 million in the coming decade. That number would likely be higher, given uncompensated care.

Well, theres still so much uncertainty around all of that, Selby said of further health care changes by national lawmakers. The best we could hope for was to find someone who was fully aware and had a good idea of what has happened and what could happen in the future and what they would do here at WMC given those many variables.

She added that Chulick brings a good understanding of health care systems that we in Wyoming dont fully understand.

I mean that its unlikely that all of our small rural community hospitals in this part of the country will be able to remain functioning as they are for a long time, Selby explained, and the trend is to affiliate with larger facilities that can provide some synergy in operations. Michele knows about that; she knows about affiliating and joint ventures.

Mountain View Regional Hospital, a private facility on Caspers east side, also named a new CEO earlier this year.
Lawmakers discussed potential new taxes to pay for a looming education shortfall at a wide-ranging committee meeting Monday, but they still appeared little closer to accepting a revenue enhancement than when they killed such a move during the recent legislative session.

The meeting, a combined session of the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration and the Joint Revenue Committee, underscored the severity of the funding crisis facing Wyomings education system and the difficult decisions lawmakers will have to make to shepherd the state through the storm. In the coming two-year budget cycle, which will begin next July, K-12 funding here faces a shortfall of at least $530 million.

School constructions gap, largely separate from the other issue, will be nearly $200 million during that period.

The meeting has other implications. Several school districts, including Laramie County No. 1 and Campbell County, have passed resolutions authorizing them to sue the state should they feel funding cuts have become unconstitutional.

Lawmakers have for months said the situation cannot be solved by solely taxing or just cutting. But lawmakers have expressed wariness, at the least, to increasing revenue in a state that has some of the lowest tax rates in the country and leans heavily upon the mineral industry.

Sen. Ray Peterson, R-Cowley, was silent for much of the hours-long meeting in Riverton, but he summed up many legislators predicament near the end of the meeting.

Im up for re-election in another year, he said. He serves on both the revenue committee and the recalibration committee, which was created three years early to examine the states funding model in the midst of the crisis. Lawmakers will hire consultants to study the way they fund schools here.

In a mock-campaign speech, Peterson said, Im Senator Peterson, Im raising your taxes, and Im cutting your wages. Vote for me.

Still, he said, he had his black hat on and that the revenue committee, which he co-chairs, was studying everything, including new taxes. To that end, state officials from the Legislative Service Office spent the early afternoon walking legislators through options for revenue increases.

Dean Tempte, an analyst with the LSO, told lawmakers that raising the sales and use tax 1 percent and sending that money straight to state coffers would provide more than $154 million per year during the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years. Wyoming is currently 40th in the nation for highest sales tax; its been at 4 percent since 1994.

A statewide 1 percent lodging tax, which lawmakers like Speaker Steve Harshman indicated some interest in, would chip in $6.4 million annually during those years.

That number was surprisingly low to Rep. Michael Madden, R-Buffalo. Sen. Cale Case, a Lander Republican, said guides and outfitters were exempted from any lodge tax and that companies like Airbnb are, as well.

People visiting or passing through Wyoming would probably make up 80 percent of the money that the tax would collect, officials explained, which is why it was attractive  at least more so than sales or property tax increases  to some lawmakers.

We gotta get out-of-staters, Harshman said.

The sales and use tax increase had the largest projected benefit, followed by an additional 1 percent mineral severance tax, which would raise more than $90 million annually during those years. But lawmakers have been hesitant to further tax energy companies.

For one, they said, the state is already too reliant on minerals for its tax base, and nowhere is that more true than in education: More than 60 percent of public education here is funded by minerals, and school construction and maintenance has been almost entirely paid for by coal lease bonuses.

On top of that, theyve said, further taxing an already hurting industry will likely not help alleviate the current statewide decline.

Were so dependent on minerals, Peterson said. I dont think were overtaxed. At the same time, I know what taxes do to businesses, to taxpayers, to citizens.

During the session that ended in early March, the House passed a bill that wouldve raised the sales tax temporarily and under certain circumstances. But staunch opposition to tax increases in the Senate, led by Sen. President Eli Bebout, made the likelihood of any tax increase making it through that chamber slim. It was quickly eliminated from the bill, which ultimately passed with more than $34 million in cuts.

Bebout on Monday reiterated his aversion to raising taxes.

I just would hope the last thing, he said. Its so easy to run and raise taxes. I would hope thats the last option. I think all of us realize that.

Harshman, a chief architect of the House bill that originally included conditional tax increases, said that if the Legislature had backed that measure, lawmakers wouldnt be meeting today and the crisis would be solved.

But Peterson said that businesses would bear the brunt of any sales tax increase, especially in his district of Park and Big Horn counties. Because Montana has no sales tax, he said, businesses on the Wyoming side of the border can either lower their prices to match or risk losing customers.

When you start talking about a property tax increase, the base is so small you cant spread it out, he said, referring to Wyomings small population.

Still, Peterson said, he wanted the revenue committee to arrive ready for the next session, a shortened period that begins in February 2018, with bills that will tackle the situation. That might include a tax increase.

Bebout said that if it did come to taxes, hed like it to be put before the voters. During an earlier public comment period, Rep. Cathy Connolly, a Laramie Democrat, did just that. A woman who identified herself as a former special education teacher and principal had taken the mic to advocate raising an alcohol tax.

Connolly said that the recalibration committee would look at raising cigarette and beer taxes but noted that even if increases on those items were passed, it would garner us a fraction of what we need.

Raising sales taxes, property taxes, how do you feel about those? Connolly asked the woman.

The woman replied that she had no problem with that.

We are educating our new leaders of our state, she said. I do not have a problem paying extra for something important as education.

Sen. Chris Rothfuss, a Laramie Democrat, said Wyoming taxpayers might have to decide which is less palatable: higher taxes or slashed education. Thats a conversation that needs to be had, he said.

Bebout and other members of the legislative leadership have often pointed out that Wyoming spends significantly more on education than its neighbors. The Equality State spends roughly $16,000 per student, one of the highest totals in the country.

But Donna Little-Kaumo, the superintendent of Sweetwater County School District No. 2, said that isnt a fair comparison. Wyomings basket of goods  the educational services that must be offered to students here, is more significant than other states in the region who may spend less.

When we do these comparisons at other states, we need to ask and examine what is their basket of goods, she said. Do we not want foreign language? Fine. We need to really examine that with our state because I think what we put together here is something that were proud of.

Theres also the geographic reality.

Its expensive to be rural, said Kirby Eisenhauer, an associate superintendent in Campbell County School District. He read off a list of industries that are particularly pricey in Wyoming, like health care, spending for which is first in the nation here. Its expensive to have long wide spaces.

Thats especially true when it comes to Wyoming schools. Some counties have several school districts. Fremont County has a state-high eight, while Big Horn has four and Sheridan has three.

That many school districts in in a single county have often caught the attention of lawmakers. School district consolidation was discussed early in the session but was eventually scrapped as a hard option. But Madden brought it up again Monday, indicating that other states dont have this problem because they consolidate out of their own interest, to maximum funding opportunities.

But Rothfuss pointed out that Fremont Countys situation is complicated by the Native American reservation there. The federal government provides funds because of those schools, he and others said, so consolidating them might actually cost the state.

The discussion didnt extend much beyond that, but lawmakers noted that the consultants the state will hire to examine the funding model will have the ability to look at consolidating districts, which estimates suggest could save roughly $7 million per year.

Rep. Albert Sommers, the chairman of the recalibration committee and a Pinedale Republican, said lawmakers needed a comprehensive plan, spanning multiple committees, to address whats happening.

Education, in my opinion, is the most important thing that a state government does to service the people of this state and the future of this state, he said. We do not want to go backwards in time where were providing less of an education to children than when I went to school 40 years ago.
SEATTLE  Another U.S. appeals court stomped on President Trumps revised travel ban Monday, saying the administration violated federal immigration law and failed to provide a valid reason for keeping people from six mostly Muslim nations from coming to the country.

The decision by a unanimous three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals helps keep the travel ban blocked and deals Trump a second big legal defeat on the policy in less than three weeks.

The administration has appealed another ruling against the ban to the Supreme Court, which is likely to consider the cases in tandem.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Hawaii told the Supreme Court Monday that letting the Trump administration enforce a ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries would thrust the country back into the chaos and confusion that resulted when the policy was first announced in January.

The state urged the justices to deny an administration plea to reinstate the policy after lower courts blocked it. The high court is considering the administrations request.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia last month cited the presidents campaign statements calling for a total and complete shutdown on Muslims entering the U.S. as evidence that the 90-day ban was unconstitutionally steeped in animus and directed at a single religious group, rather than necessary for national security.

The 9th Circuit found no need to analyze Trumps campaign statements. It ruled based on immigration law, not the Constitution.

Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show, the judges said, adding: National security is not a talismanic incantation that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions the Justice Department will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court.

The Executive Branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the Constitution, he said in a written statement. Unfortunately, this injunction prevents the President from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall.
WASHINGTON  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declared Monday that he was shocked upon his return to the Pentagon by the poor state of the U.S. militarys readiness for combat.

He put most of the blame on Congress for its inability to approve budgets on time or repeal a law that strictly limits defense spending.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis said Congress has sidelined itself from its active constitutional oversight role by failing to deliver a steady stream of funding to pay for new weapons and other critical gear.

It has blocked new programs, prevented service growth, stalled industry initiative and placed troops at greater risk, Mattis said as he urged the panel to do away with the Budget Control Act of 2011. If the budget caps mandated by the law are breached, automatic spending reductions known as sequestration are triggered.

For all the heartache caused by the loss of our troops during these wars, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration, said Mattis, who retired from military service in 2013 as a four-star general.

Mattis appeared before the committee along with Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to field questions from lawmakers on President Trumps proposed military budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

In addition, Mattis said North Korea is the most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security in the world.

Mattis said that Pyongyangs continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope. He calls the countrys programs to build weapons of mass destruction a clear and present danger to all.

Mattis also said he doesnt see any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a positive relationship with the United States. Mr. Putin has chosen to be a strategic competitor.

Trump requested $639 billion for the Pentagon, including $65 billion for ongoing military operations. Yet Republican lawmakers are pressing for upward of $30 billion more to be added to the budget. They argue the extra money is needed to rebuild the military.

We have spent six years just getting by, asking more and more of those who serve, and putting off the choices that have to be made, said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the committee chairman.

During the wide-ranging hearing, Mattis sought congressional approval to shutter excess military bases  a move the Pentagon concludes will save billions of dollars but one that lawmakers have previously rejected.

Mattis proposed a new round of base closings starting in 2021. He said the department currently has more infrastructure capacity than required for operations. That outlook wont change even if the service branches grow in size, he said. Closing the unneeded bases would save $10 billion over a five-year period, Mattis said, which could be used to acquire four nuclear submarines or dozens of jet fighters.

The GOP-led Congress rebuffed the Obama administrations requests to reduce the number of military bases. The Army and Air Force said they had vastly more space for training and basing troops than they need and trimming the surplus would generate savings that could be used to strengthen the military. But lawmakers have refused to go along, questioning the data and the analysis the Pentagon used to make its argument for fewer facilities. Military installations are prized possessions in congressional districts.

Mattis sidestepped a question from Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., about an apparent disconnect on Qatar between Trump and Rex Tillerson, his secretary of state. Last week, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar amid a slew of punitive measures. Trumps condemnation of Qatar contradicted the message delivered by Tillerson, who had urged Qatars neighbors to ease their blockade while calling for calm and thoughtful dialogue.

Qatar is a very complex situation, Mattis said, as he stressed the need to find common ground.

Trump sided with Qatars antagonists, calling on the Gulf state to stop the funding of terrorism. But Qatar has long been a U.S. ally. The country hosts roughly 10,000 U.S troops.
PHOENIX  An Arizona utility cant escape being sued for anti-trust violations for the rates it sets solely because its a quasi-governmental entity, at least not now  if ever, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by attorneys for Salt River Project that SolarCity cannot challenge its pricing system. The appellate judges said they have no authority to consider the finding of a trial judge in Phoenix who said the challenge should be allowed to go ahead.

While Mondays ruling is specific to SRP and its claims of immunity from suit, the implications could be broader.

Unless overturned on appeal, it means SRP ultimately could have to defend in court the rates it charges customers who want to generate their own electricity.

That could lead to rulings on how broad the ability of utilities to set rates in a way that could harm other companies. And that, in turn, could impact efforts by other Arizona utilities to increase costs to solar customers.

An appeal is possible, said Scott Harelson, a spokesman for the utility which serves the Phoenix metro area.

We would argue that ours is a statutory pricing process and that the courts have no business setting rates, he told Capitol Media Services. But Harelson said if the case goes to court, the company believes its rate structure  and the additional charges imposed on solar customers  can be justified.

Thats the same argument that is being advanced by utilities like Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy which have pending rate hike requests.

Arizona Public Service has reached a settlement with SolarCity and other solar companies. But that deal is contingent on review by a hearing officer and final approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Central to the debate is whether customers who install their own rooftop solar units and generate some of their own power are effectively being subsidized by others.

Attorneys for SolarCity contend SRPs new pricing plan approved last year amounts to a substantial penalty on customers.

Because solar customers are unable to completely disconnect from SRPs grid  they still need power in the evening hours and at other times when their energy demands exceed what their solar energy systems produce  they cannot escape SRPs penalty, the lawsuit contends.

That penalty, according to SolarCity lawyers, is about $600 a year, an increase of about 65 percent over prior rate plans. That compares with an average 3.9 percent increase for residential customers who buy all their power from SRP.

Customers recognize that SRPs new pricing plan leaves them with no choice: After the effective date of SRPs new plan, applications for distributed solar energy systems in SRPs territory fell by 96 percent, the lawsuit states.

All that, the lawyers contend, are part of SRPs illegal efforts to eliminate competition and violate anti-trust laws.

SRP, for its part, contends the fact that the rates were approved by its governing board precludes the SolarCity lawsuit. Its attorneys said there was the legally required notice and comment period, public hearings, a board vote and an opportunity to challenge the boards decision in state court, something SolarCity chose not to do.

Beyond that, Harelson said SolarCity cant rely on antitrust claims. He said those laws generally let businesses set their prices in a way that allows them to recover their costs, without regard to the impact of those prices on companies like SolarCity.
Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, and Visit Tucson have teamed up with more than 30 Mexican restaurants for the second annual "Tucson 23 Mexican Food Festival  celebrating the "Best Mexican Food North of the Border" at the JW Marriott Starr Pass on Saturday, June 17.

Throughout the evening, festival-goers can nibble on unique Mexican eats  Charro Steak's summer steak salad with chicharron; Gringo Grill + Cantina's Carnitas "egg roll" with pepita-peanut sauce; and Seis Kitchen's Cochinita Pibil Street Taco stuffed with achiote-roasted pork and topped with a house chipotle crema and queso fresco. Each restaurant is bringing a signature dish that represents them and Tucson's diverse Mexican food and culture.

"If you lived on the northwest side you may not be aware of the volume of these restaurants and the sheer talent of these restaurants," said Cait Huble, SAACA's communications director. "We want to educate people on the availability of the Mexican food and all the culture and tradition that goes into the dishes being served."

Also on Saturday's menu shrimp tinga from downtown's El Charro Cafe; carnitas tacos with habanero salsa from Reforma Modern Mexican Mezcal + Tequila in St. Philip's Plaza; "Abuelitas Dulce Arroz" or "Granny's Sweet Rice" made with rich chocolate ganache and creme brulee rice prepared by Pima Community College's Culinary Arts program; decadently sweet churro bites from the south side Churros El Rey; salmon tacos from El Cisne Cocina de Mexico in the foothills; and duck confit tacos topped with duck cracklins from Elvira's On Congress downtown.

Many of the restaurants participating in the "Tucson 23" festival, including South Tucson's Crossroads, downtown's iconic El Charro Cafe and Tucson southside fave Estrella Bakery, are culinary cornerstones of the so-called "Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food in America." Between them, they have more than two centuries of history to draw from.

Relative newcomers at this year's festival include Elvira's On Congress, 256 E. Congress St., sister of Elvira's Restaurant in Tubac; and Reforma, 4310 N. Campbell Ave. at East River Road, which draws its culinary influences from central Mexico.

At Gringo Grill + Cantina, 5900 N. Oracle Road at the La Posada Lodge & Casitas, which has been open three years, Executive Chef Andy Ceron prepares a menu that focuses on Southwestern, Mexican and Latin cuisine. The 6-year-old Queen Ceviche from sisters Feliz and Reina Zaborsky creates seafood ceviche and hibiscus-infused icy drinks including lemonade and its newest concoction, cranberry and meyer lemonade.

The participating restaurants lie within the so-called "Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food in America," a 23-square-mile swath encompassing Tucson's cultural and culinary corridors that heavily draw influence from our neighbors in Sonora, Mexico.

Those boundaries encompass downtown and lower midtown, and the city of South Tucson while stretching to include specks of the east side and a substantial part of the Southside with generational Mexican restaurants some of which have been around 50, 60 years and longer.

"Tucson 23" was launched last summer to celebrate Tucson's designation by UNESCO as the United States' first-ever World City of Gastronomy, shining a light on Tucson's unique culinary and cultural history.
Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $116.4 million contract to further develop technologies for the U.S. Armys Long-Range Precision Fires program.

Raytheons proposed candidate to replace the decades-old Army Tactical Missile System, called DeepStrike, can destroy fixed land targets at a range of more than 300 miles, or about 40 percent farther than the current system, the company said.

Work under the contract will include testing missile components to be sure the design is ready for engineering and manufacturing development and live-fire demonstrations by the end of 2019, Raytheon said.

Lockheed Martin, maker of the current Army missile system, also is vying to develop and produce the new missile and is expected to receive a similar development contract.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some June 13 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 Lizard Fire in the Dragoon Mountains continues to grow and is at 15,131 acres as of Monday while thousands of wildland firefighters  including crews from Western states  battle fires in Arizona.

Nearly 30 wildfires burned in Arizona on Monday  accounting for the state having the most blazes in the nation, according to the Associated Press.

The lightning-caused Lizard Fire began June 7 and is 40 percent contained with more than 600 firefighters assigned to it, according to Coronado National Forest officials. The fire is primarily fueled by tall grass and brush.

Crews scouted the fires western and southern sides Monday searching for geographic features and roads firefighters could tie together to create breaks to help contain the blazes progression and keep the fire away from populated areas and private lands, authorities said.

Meanwhile, officials lifted evacuation orders for some residents near the Lizard Fire, which is burning about two miles southeast of the community of Dragoon, which has about 200 residents.

However by Monday afternoon, an evacuation of residences in the Cochise Stronghold area remained in effect at the intersection of North Cochise Stronghold and West Ironwood Road and everything south and west from that point, said Carol Capas, a Cochise County Sheriffs spokeswoman.

Capas said firefighters were doing structure protection in that area and fighting the southern edge of the fire, and that would make it difficult to allow residents back to their homes.

A pre-evacuation order remains in place for the Sunsites and Pearce areas east of the Dragoon Mountains, Capas said. Residents in other areas that were evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.

Three helicopters assisted ground crews with water drops to protect structures near the Stronghold area. Dozens of engines, a hotshot crew and water tankers were assigned to the fire. Crews continue to work in two operational shifts for 24-hour coverage.

Efforts to protect a Baptist church camp, a power line corridor and other structures in the area on Saturday and overnight into Sunday were successful.

The Lizard Fire is one of several active wildfires in Cochise County, including the Bowie Fire and Rucker Fire. The Bowie Fire is more than 3,000 acres and is 90 percent contained. The Rucker Fire is 1,100 acres and is 61 percent contained.

Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told the AP that at least 80 square miles are burning across Arizona. Crews from seven other states are helping control the fires.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona will be getting a large donation Tuesday, June 13, that will benefit area pets.

PetSmart Charities will be donating 250,000 pet food meals to the food bank to distribute to food bank client families who have pets, according to a news release from PetSmart.

The food bank will distribute the pet meals directly to individuals it serves; the meals will also be made available to more than 150 local agencies who partner with the food bank, such as other food banks and nonprofits.

PetSmart donated the food through its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program. For every pet-food bag sold through the end of the year the company will donate a meal, both dog and cat food, for pets in need.

PetSmart has a goal of donating 60 million meals for pets through the program.

Trucks will be delivering the donated meals to the food bank on Tuesday morning.
Reporter

Joe has been with the Star for six years. He covers politics as well as the city of Tucson and other municipalities in Southern Arizona. He graduated from the UA and previously worked for the Arizona Daily Sun.
PHOENIX  The ability of tribes to intercede in adoption of Native American children not living on the reservation is limited and not absolute, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

In a unanimous decision the justices rejected arguments by the Gila River Indian Community that Arizona courts must transfer such cases to tribal courts. Chief Justice Scott Bales said while such transfer is permissive, it is not a right.

And in this case, the high court said a the juvenile court judge was correct in deciding to rebuff the tribes request.

The lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort by the Goldwater Institute to challenge the federal Indian Child Welfare Act which, in some circumstances, gives tribes purview over what happens to Native American children who do not live on the reservation who are taken from biological parents. Attorneys who are representing non-Native parents trying to adopt those children have charged that the law is racist because it has one set of standards for Indian children and another for those who are not.

Those efforts to date have come up short, with a federal judge earlier this year throwing out a separate challenge to that law.

But attorney Avi Dynar who represents the prospective non-Indian adoptive parents in this case, said Tuesdays ruling is at least a small victory.

This decision from the Supreme Court is chipping away at one of the important provisions of ICWA, he said. This is an important decision that puts tribes on notice that they cant misuse the Indian Child Welfare Act.

While saying he was disappointed in the ruling, tribal Gov. Stephen R. Lewis sought to minimize its importance and scope.

In a prepared statement, he noted the decision still preserves the rights of tribes to intercede  and demand transfer to tribal court  early in the process, at the point where the state seeks to sever the parental rights of a Native American parent who does not live on the reservation. That occurs before any hearing on who can adopt.

And Lewis said the lesson of Tuesdays ruling will not be lost on tribes.

Because of the aggressive involvement of anti-Indian organizations like the Goldwater Institute, Indian tribes have become proactive in seeking transfer to tribal courts early in state dependency cases, he said, long before any adoption hearings in which they may have no say.

The ICWA was adopted by Congress in 1978 amid concerns that state courts were severing parental rights and approving adoptions of Native American children who did not live on reservations. The congressional record shows that Congress was concerned these children were being increasingly adopted by non-Indian families.

That law requires state courts when placing Indian children who do not live on a reservation for adoption to give preference to a member of the childs extended family. That is followed by priority by other members of the childs tribe and, ultimately, other Indian families.

This case involves a girl, not identified, who was born off the reservation in 2014 to a Native American woman. Court records show that at the time of her birth both she and her mother tested positive for amphetamines and opiates.

About a week later the Department of Child Safety placed her with foster parents where she has been ever since.

State officials eventually sought to terminate the mothers rights.

As required by federal law, the Gila River community, where the mother was a member, was notified but did not object. Later, a judge concluded that the foster parents were meeting the childs needs and started the process of allowing them to adopt the girl.

Only then did the tribe demand the case to be transferred to tribal court.

Bales, in Tuesdays ruling, rejected arguments by tribal attorneys that the demand for transfer has to be honored by state courts.

He said that right to transfer applies only at the point that the state seeks to terminate the parental rights of a tribal member.

In this case, he said, the court acknowledged that, generally speaking, Native children who are removed from their off-reservation homes should be placed with tribal members. But Bales said the trial judge found good cause to deviate from that. More to the point, the tribe did not appeal that ruling.

It was only after an adoption hearing was scheduled that the tribe moved to transfer the matter.

Bales said the trial judges decision was correct and did not violate the federal law. He said the tribe lost its absolute right to transfer once the mothers rights were terminated.

Bales stressed, though, that Tuesdays ruling does not preclude a tribe from requesting transfer to its courts of adoption hearings. But he said state courts still maintain the right to determine if there is good cause to deny the request.

The challenge to the ICWA itself continues with an appeal to the 9th Circuit.

According to the Goldwater Institute, the statute is racist by giving preference to tribal members because it overrules state laws which require courts to give prime consideration to the best interests of the child, regardless of whether that means placement with a tribal member or someone else.
iStock/Thinkstock(NEWPORT, Ark.) -- A suspect has been apprehended in the fatal shooting of an Arkansas police lieutenant Monday night, according to ABC Little Rock affiliate KATV.



Lt. Patrick Weatherford, 41, was shot in the line of duty at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday in Newport, a city about 90 miles northeast of Little Rock, state police said.



The 15-year veteran of the Newport Police Department was rushed to a local hospital shortly after the incident, where he later died.



Weatherford was named Jackson Countys Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the year in 2016, according to Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.



"Lt. Weatherford was known for routinely preventing incidents and altercations from escalating into crisis," Rutledge said in a statement released via Twitter early Tuesday morning.



And I have no doubt that Lt. Weatherford began his watch today with the same mission to protect and serve the community he loved so much," she said, adding that his "young family and his fellow officers" were grieving.



The Little Rock Police Department tweeted a picture of the slain officer late Monday night and asked the public to pray for the officers family and friends.

Condolences to the Weatherford family, Newport Police Department and each life touched by Lt. Weatherford pic.twitter.com/mDaYo7Ktwk  Little Rock Police (@LRpolice) June 13, 2017

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the Remmel Park area where the officer was shot and K9s were deployed in the search for the suspect, according to KATV.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Help India!

Jaipur, (IANS): Eight persons have been arrested for attacking Tamil Nadu officials, legally transporting cows, in Rajasthans Barmer district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Sunday night when over 250 cow vigilantes attacked the trucks transporting cattle to Tamil Nadu and pelted stones. One person sustained minor injuries in the incident.

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Over 50 cows and 30 calves were being transported in five trucks.

We have lodged a FIR against 50 persons while eight have been arrested so far. The search for others is going on, a senior police officer told IANS on Tuesday.

He added that action has also been taken against seven policemen for failing in their duties.

According to eyewitnesses, the mob of over 250 tried to beat the men in the trucks and also attempted to set a truck on fire.

The policemen faced a tough time in rescuing the Tamil Nadu officials, accompanying the truck in different vehicles, along with the truck drivers and the cleaners.
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): Slamming the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Swaraj India on Tuesday said it was trying to hide something on the farmers killing and therefore, not allowing anyone to visit Mandsaur.

Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav said since the last week, the government did not allow any political leader or activist to visit Mandsaur and meet the kin of the farmers.

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One week has passed since the killing of the five protesting farmers in Mandsaur in police firing. By stopping the leaders, who wanted to meet the kin, the government is trying to hide something and that must be revealed, Yadav told reporters here after returning from Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.

Yadavs remarks came a day after he, along with social activist Medha Patkar and Swami Agnivesh, were not allowed to meet the families of the farmers who had died on June 6.

Lashing out at the government over police firing on protesting farmers, Yadav said the way in which the farmers were killed in police firing shows it was a murder.

He also alleged that the farmers were beaten to death after the firing had stopped.

The Swaraj India leader pointed out that the agricultural policy of Madhya Pradesh was production oriented and not producer oriented.

If we talk to any leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, they shall boast of the enhanced farming but the fact is that the agricultural policy is production oriented and not producer oriented, he said.

He said demonetisation has also played a major role in the low demand for the produce. After demonetisation, the demand dropped drastically, he said, adding that till last month there was restriction on withdrawal of money from the banks.

He also alleged that the money for the crops that was deposited in the farmers bank accounts, was deducted by the banks without any prior information to the farmers. This is completely illegal, he said.

Yadav also said the farmers in Mandsaur and Neemuch were protesting as they were not getting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their crops, as the prices fell drastically as compared to last year.

Meanwhile, Swami Agnivesh said in Madhya Pradesh that the citizens dont have the freedom to move anywhere as they are not allowed to go anywhere.

He also slammed the government for not implementing the M.S. Swaminathan recommendations as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in its manifesto.

The National Commission on Farmers (NCF), constituted under the chairmanship of Swaminathan, had suggested a Minimum Support Price (MSP) including an additional 50 per cent over and above the total expenses incurred on farming.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

A Panchayat in Uttar Pradeshs Sambhal district fined a man of Rs 2 lakh and asked him to return the meher for giving Talaq to his wife.

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Raees Ahmed, a 45-year-old farmer and resident of Moosapur village of Sambhal had married Rehana Begum (34) three years ago. Around 12 days back, Raees divorced Rehena by saying talaq three times in one go over a matter of simple family dispute. Following this, Rehana returned to her maternal home but a panchayat on the same issue was called by her parents.

Sambhal is dominated by members of Turq community of Muslims, and the panchayat which was also dominated by 52 members of the same community fined Raees for the same. Moreover, panchayat has also asked Raees to return the meher amount of Rs 60,000 to Rehanas parents which he took at the time of niqah.

Asrar Ahmed headed the panchayat and told reporters that panchayat was held on Sunday when Rehanas brother made a request for the same some four days ago.

According to media reports, Raees was not able to justify him move to divorce Rehana by triple talaq practice. We have been requesting villagers to stay away from the practice, said Ahmed to Indian Express.

This case comes few weeks after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board told Supreme Court that any Muslim practicing triple talaq would be subjected to social boycott. Supreme Court was also told that AIMPLB has issued guidelines for married couple about triple talaq and has asked them to stay away from it.
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TCN News

Kolkata: Local residents of Kiddrepore, Kolkata organised a unique Dosti Ki iftari, on Sunday, June 11, where they invited non-Muslims from the city, including journalists, academicians, social activists, professionals, and young students for direct interaction with locals.

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This iftar party was different from other such programs where the focus remains on high profile politicians and celebrities.

No politician was invited in the iftar as it was much focused toward people-to-people interaction in the city at a time when certain forces are trying to create communal frenzy in the state.

Some of the eminent persons from the city who attended the iftar program included, distinguished Professors Subendhu Dasgupta and Keya Dasgupta; Kumar Rana, writer and Project Director Pratichi Institute; Abhijit Roy, Head of Film Studies Department of Jadavpur University; Amit Dasgupta, Professor at Calcutta University; Dr Roddur De, assistant professor at Chandannagar Government College; Suvojit Bagchi, Chief of Bureau, The Hindu; journalist Udalak Mukherjee, The Telegraph, social activist Malay Tiwari, among others. Around 60 people, majority of them non-Muslims interacted with local residents of greater Kidderpore area that included professors, lawyers, journalists, researchers, students and local businessmen.

Before the iftari, there was tri-lingual (Bengali, Hindi and English) freewheeling interaction among local residents of greater Kiddrepore with esteemed guests. A local imam Md Ashraf Qasmi spoke on the religious and spiritual dimension of Ramzan and also hoped that he is invited to programs in non-Muslim localities where he can learn more about culture of Hindu brothers.

Shaheen Parveen, ex-teacher of law at Aligarh Muslim University and recently succeeded in West Bengal Judiciary Service Examinations spoke about her experience of being a working Muslim woman.

Kumar Rana said that as member of the majority community we too need to introspect and wonder why minorities have to take such initiatives, stressing on the need of more inter-communal interactions.

Professor Subhendu Dasgupta, who has done some research on the area, extended his support to such initiatives that can help people come closer.

There was also an exhibition of photographs of Kidderpore locality at the venue, shot by four young photographers Sangoli Sikder, Abhishek Dey, Shovon Ray and Swastik Pal, capturing the life and daily existence here.

Dosti Ki iftari was jointly organised by Association SNAP, AIMS and Right Track. The venue was voluntarily provided by the owner of Al Hamd WSA School (Great Hall) as courtesy. Advocate Abu Nasser of AIMS has played important role in mobilizing financial support for the programme. The initiative was part of know your neighbor programme of Association SNAP, that has continued for last two years; and is supported by community based organizations like Right Track and AIMS etc.

In the welcome address, Md Ashraf Ali of Right Track spoke on why they decided to organise this kind of iftar. He said that although we live in same city, there is big divided between majority and minority community. A lot of misconceptions and stereotypes exist and we need to challenge those, he added.

This was the second program in one month, Ali reminded the audience. Earlier, on May 21, similar interactive program on communal-harmony was organised in Mominpore locality by SNAP-Right Track. The organizers are also toying up with the idea of Kidderpore Festival perhaps at the end of this year.
How low are the nurse numbers and does it look like it's going to get better?

Last year in July there were 1,304 from the EU who joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council, in sharp contrast to this year where there were 46 who were recorded, making it a fall of 96%. Research conducted in May by the Royal College of Nursing found that 1 in 9 posts in England was currently vacant. The Union said according to these statistics the NHS was actually 40,000 nurses short of what it needs to run smoothly.

The Health Foundation, which obtained the figures via a freedom of information request, said there was a shortage of 30,000 nurses in England alone, adding that the NHS could not afford such a drop.

Anita Charlesworth, the charitys director of research and economics, said: Without EU nurses it will be even harder for the NHS and other employers to find the staff they need to provide safe patient care. The findings should be a wake-up call to politicians and health service leaders."

Vital for EU staff to be given assurances

Theresa May has claimed Britain could not unilaterally guarantee EU citizens rights as doing so would weaken her hand in the Brexit negotiations. Janet Davies, the chief executive and general secretary of the RCN (Royal College of Nurses) said it was vital for EU staff to be given assurances about their futures in the country. She also states We rely on the contributions of EU staff and this drop in numbers could have severe consequences for patients and their families, she said.

Our nursing workforce is in a state of crisis. Across our health service, from A&E to elderly care, this puts patients at serious risk."

A Department Of Health spokeswoman said: We understand the need to give valued NHS staff from the EU certainty, which is exactly why we have made clear that the future of those EU nationals working in our health and care system should be a priority in Brexit negotiations.

We also have over 52,000 nurses in training to ensure the NHS has the nurses it needs.

Nursing was added to the immigration shortage occupation list in 2015 because of the need for nurses and the difficulties in recruiting from outside the EU due to tougher immigration rules. In April, Department of Health estimates leaked to Health Service Journal suggested that in a worst case scenario the NHS could see a shortage of 42,000 nurses by 2026.

So far this is the worst shortage they have dealt with in the last 20 years.

The situation as it is now

An ageing population; there are one million more people over the age of 65 than five years ago.

Cuts to budgets for social care: While the NHS budget has been protected, social services for home helps and other care have fallen by 11 per cent in five years.

This has caused record levels of bed blocking, meaning elderly people with no medical need to be in hospital are stuck there.

Meanwhile, rising numbers of patients are turning up in A&E - around four million more in the last decade, partly fuelled by the aging population.

Shortages of GPs mean waiting times to see a doctor have got longer, and many argue that access to doctors since a 2004 contract removed responsibility for out of hours care.

Another hindrance has been the introduction of new tougher language testing by the NMC since June 2016, deterring or delaying applicants.

Nurses need to be happy in their work

It is evident that a nurse shortage is concerning to everyone who is thinking about the health sector in the U.K and should definitely get solved in a timely manner. More importantly, negotiations with current nurses should be carried out to insure they are duly compensated, happy with their working environment, and are encouraged to continue working and doing their best to provide quality healthcare.

Overall there are 650,000 nurses on the register. Just over 36,000 of these have been trained in the EU, 5.5% of the total. Another 67,000 come from outside the EU with the remainder from the U.K.
Ah, how Donald Trumps world is coming crumbling down around him. The US President got into office by rigging the election in his favour with Russia, then the Director of the FBI was investigating it, then Trump fired him, then his approval rating sank to a dismal 39.3%, and now it might all culminate in the guy getting Impeached. Oh, how perfect an ending to this story that would be.

Trumps impeachment odds have risen

As the stakes are being raised, so are the odds that Trump will be impeached. Bookies are taking bets under the odds of 4/7 (64% likelihood) that Trump will either be impeached or resign from his post before his full Presidential term is up in 2020, and 5/4 (44.4% likelihood) that he will serve his full term as POTUS.

Legal eagles are saying that Trumps firing of James Comey is grounds for impeachment. Hiring a foreign agent with ties to Turkey probably should be, too. But its the Comey thing thats got Congress gunning for an impeachment hearing, because as they see it, it was an obstruction of justice, and thats not cool.

Democratic Congressman Al Green from Texas (yes, apparently there are Democrats in Texas) tweeted on 17 May that he was going to call for the Impeachment of the President on the floor of Congress. Obviously were yet to see the fruits of that, but its a start. Green still needs to get most of the House of Representatives and two thirds of the Senate on board, and both the House and the Senate are controlled by Trump's Republican Party, so its highly unlikely, but still, its a start.
The leader of the Islamic state Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is in hiding as the two main centres of his self-declared caliphate are close to being taken by Iraqi and US coalition-led forces.

The two main ISIS strongholds of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria have been under seige for months, forcing al-Baghdadi to flee. It's believed he is hunkering down somewhere in the thousands of miles of desert between the two locations.

Lahur Talabani, the head of counter-terrorism at the Kurdistan Regional Government believes that al-Baghdadi will either be captured or killed, saying, he will not be able to remain underground forever.

However, it could take months, or even years, to bring the Islamic State leader to justice, according to Reuters.

Leader of caliphate feared dead

There were reports that al-Baghdadi was wounded and killed in a recent Syrian airstrike, although this remains unconfirmed.

Syrias state television announced that al-Baghdadi was killed in air strikes on Raqqa city on June 10. They quoted a statement published by the Islamic States media arm, Wilayat Al-Raqqa.

Images of what appears to be Al-Baghdadis dead body was shown on Syrian state TV news, but there have also been previous false reports of his death. No other official sources have confirmed the news of al-Baghdadis death.

Talabany believes the beleagured Isis leader is losing support among his troops and "has become nervous and very careful in his movements" as his circle of trust has become even smaller.

Islamic State under seige

As Isis is under sustained attacks in Mosul and Raqqa, those previously loyal to al-Baghdadi may betray him for the $25 million price tag for his capture. "The reward creates worry and tension, it restricts his movements and limit the number of his guards, says Fadhel Abu Ragheef, an expert on extremist groups.

"He doesn't stay more than 72 hours in any one place."

The leadership of Baghdadi was called into question by Abu Sulayman who met with the 46-year-old Iraqi on several ocasions. His assessment of one of the most feared men on the planet was damning, saying Baghdadi had the brain the size of a peanut. I expected someone much deeper.

He is not a sophisticated thinker. Hes a blustering buffoon, he told The Saturday Paper

Sulayman, a former spokesman for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, also described as al-Qaeda in Syria, characterised Baghdadi has having a child's temper, similar to that of US President Donald Trump.

Baghdadi is not ISIS, said Sulayman, claiming his title of caliph is just a name and that other people are running the show.
In honor of Mother's Day, President Donald Trump decided to send a tweet directed at his wife Melania Trump. Within minutes, social media users were quick to give their thoughts and most weren't so kind to the First Family.

Mother's Day tweet

During the early stages of the 2016 presidential election, questions were raised about Donald Trump and his controversial history with women. It's been well-documented that the former host of "The Apprentice" has not had the best reputation when it comes to the opposite sex, which includes questionable actions during his previous marriage, as well as his behavior on the set of his reality show.

While taking part in the first Republican primary debate, moderator and then Fox News host Megyn Kelly addressed these issues, citing Trump's previous remarks about females, specifically referring to them as "dogs" and "pigs." The biggest blow to the billionaire real estate mogul came with just a month remaining in the election when the now infamous Access Hollywood tapes were released exposing Trump's private sexual thoughts about a married women. Despite this, Trump was able to weather the storm and defeat Hillary Clinton to become the President of the United States. Fast forward to president day and Trump is the commander in chief, and decided to send out a Mother's Day message on Twitter to his wife on May 14.

Wishing @FLOTUS Melania and all of the great mothers out there a wonderful day ahead with family and friends!



Happy #MothersDay  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Sunday morning, Donald Trump tweeted a Mother's Day message to First Lady Melania Trump and to all mother's around the country.

"Wishing @FLOTUS Melania Trump and all of the great mothers out there a wonderful day ahead with family and friends!" Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Happy Mother's Day."

Twitter reacts

In response to Donald Trump's Mother's Day tweet, Twitter quickly went viral as may social media users weren't impressed with the president.

"Even the ones you move on like a b*tch?" author Mike Denison tweeted, before adding, "The ones you can just start kissing?"

Stop feeling bad for Melania Trump. She's a big girl. And a Trump supporter. And your taxes pay for her to live in a tawdry NYC penthouse.  AnthonyJS (@AnthonyJS_) May 14, 2017

@realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS The ones you can just start kissing?  Mike Denison (@mikd33) May 14, 2017

@realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS eek! ok. look, tweeting happy mothers day from the golf course doesn't count as caring, maybe stop at a gas station? get a card quick? yikes  maura quint (@behindyourback) May 14, 2017

"Are you also wishing your exes and the women you tried to sexually harass a Happy Mothers Day?" Tony Posnanski sarcastically wondered, while also asking, "How are you and the GOP celebrating?

By making pregnancy a pre existing condition?" "Knowing that a staff member had to write this is sad on a profound level," comedy writer Jon Bershad.

@realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS How are you and the GOP celebrating? By making pregnancy a pre existing condition?  Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 14, 2017

I think Melania Trump thinks of/writes approximately 0% of her tweets  Kiersten (@kfreedman44) May 14, 2017

@realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS Awesome! She can divorce you after you are indicted and jailed and take 1/2 of what is left of your fake billions.  Gregg Schneider (@gregg_schneider) May 14, 2017

"Y isn't Trump spending Mother's Day with Melania Trump is very selfish," another tweet read. "I think Melania Trump thinks of/writes approximately 0% of her tweets," a follow-up message read. As the tweets kept coming in, it was clear that some Americans were not going to hold back their criticism of the First Family, even on Mother's Day.
After six months in the White House, Donald Trump is still dealing with the growing Russian scandal. With Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifying in Congress, it was the president's son who decided to use social media to express his frustration.

Trump Jr. on Twitter

Over the last two years, Donald Trump has made Twitter his top form of communication due to the increased bad-blood between himself and the mainstream media. Throughout the 2016 presidential election, it became more than obvious that the former host of "The Apprentice" was not going to see eye to eye with the press.

Trump often went on to incorporate his hate for the media during his campaign rallies, labeling journalists as "terrible" people, prompting his millions of followers to follow in lock-step with that message. One issue that has caused the biggest rift between the president and the press has been over the aforementioned Russian scandal and the drama that has followed since Trump's election back in November. As multiple credible news outlets, as well as government agencies, reveal information that appears to link Trump and his associates to Russia, the White House continues to deny the allegations. On Tuesday, Jeff Sessions testified in Congress regarding the controversy, as well as his reported meetings with Russian officials.

As expected, the reaction was split down party lines, with Donald Trump Jr. giving his thoughts in a series of tweets on June 13.

Jeff Sessions: It is an "appalling and detestable lie" to accuse me of colluding with Russians to undermine U.S. https://t.co/ru0NSx6QwE pic.twitter.com/WDrUu7vNJi  NBC News (@NBCNews) June 13, 2017

During his testimony, Jeff Sessions was defiant in his argument, not backing down to the challenge presented to him.

Sessions addressed the allegations that he and the president were in collusion with Russia, calling it "appalling" and a "detestable lie."

Junior speaks.

As the testimony moved forward, Donald Jr. decided to take to Twitter to give his thoughts just as he had during the James Comey testimony last week. "Crushed it," he wrote in response to Jeff Sessions' opening statement.

Well said AG Sessions: "I did not recuse myself from defending my honor from false & scurrilous accusations"  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

"Well said AG Sessions: 'I did not recuse myself from defending my honor from false & scurrilous accusations,'" Donald Jr. wrote, while quoting Jeff Sessions. After a tweet was sent out by conservative Ben Shapiro dismissing the allegations that the attorney general colluded with Russia, the younger Trump re-tweeted the remark and added, "True but that won't stop them from trying."

True but that won't stop them from trying. https://t.co/pwH6ouWy8z  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

In response to the DOJ sending out a letter about Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russian investigation, Donald Trump Jr.

wrote, "Interesting. I wonder if the media will cover that Comey said he wasn't notified. Someone's lying and it doesn't look like it's the AG!" Not stopping there, Donald Jr. responded to yet another comment that was critical of the Democrats being "obsessed" with Russia, tweeting, "Shhh. Don't tell them. They wouldn't get it anyway."

Shhh. Don't tell them. They wouldn't get it anyway. https://t.co/rY3jOGHQfK  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

Donald Trump Jr. went on to reply to a tweet asking why he was live-tweeting the testimony instead of working, answering, "I was, it's why I got a late start, but I couldn't miss part 2 of the pathetic dem witch hunt train wreck." "Markets up again as dems messaging gets destroyed in these hearings.

It's the most they have ever actually done for the economy," he wrote in his last tweet as of press time, while highlighting the latest stock market numbers.

I was, it's why I got a late start, but I couldn't miss part 2 of the pathetic dem witch hunt train wreck. https://t.co/mUZ3JoU3Me  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

Markets up again as dems messaging gets destroyed in these hearings. It's the most they have ever actually done for the economy. https://t.co/byhOi3qplJ  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

Moving forward

With Donald Trump once again silent on social media, his son doesn't seem too shy about tweeting his thoughts. While only time will tell how the Russian scandal plays out, the partisan divide and criticism doesn't look to be ending at any point in the near future.
As the scandal surrounding Russia heats up, Donald Trump has been backed into a corner on how to handle the pressure. With a Special Counsel recently appointed to look over the investigation, the reaction from many Americans was not positive.

Trump's decision

It didn't take long after Donald Trump announced his campaign for president that he was hit with allegations of being in cahoots with Russia. After refusing to release his tax returns, the president caused increased speculation over what he could be hiding in his financial information. After his controversial praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, several advisers and associates were found to have been linked, in one way or another, back to the Kremlin.

Over the last month, Trump has faced new information that casts a dark shadow over his administration. In the aftermath of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly trying to set up a back channel line of communication with Russia, and the questionable firing of James Comey as head of the FBI, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was tapped to be the special counsel to the Russian investigation. As reported by PBS Newshour's Judy Woodruff on June 12, Trump is considering firing Mueller.

.@ChrisRuddyNMX tells me Pres Trump is "considering perhaps terminating" Robert Mueller as special counsel @NewsHour  Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) June 12, 2017

In a tweet by Judy Woodruff on Monday night, the PBS Newshour anchor revealed shocking information.

"@ChrisRuddyNMX tells me Pres Trump is 'considering perhaps terminating' Robert Mueller as special counsel," she posted to social media. Chris Ruddy is a well-known source and current CEO of Newsmax, and elaborated further during Monday's broadcast on PBS.

Chris Ruddy to @JudyWoodruff: President Trump is considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, who he considered for another position. pic.twitter.com/X4IIHlh8at  PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) June 12, 2017

Twitter reaction

Not long after the news broke that Donald Trump could soon fire the man hired to oversee the Russian investigation, the issue started to trend on Twitter.

"If DT fires Robert Mueller, we officially pass Watergate & Trump becomes most corrupt POTUS of greatest scandal in US history," actor and director Rob Reiner tweeted out.

If DT fires Robert Mueller, we officially pass Watergate & Trump becomes most corrupt POTUS of greatest scandal in US history. #Trumprussia  Rob Reiner (@robreiner) June 12, 2017

If Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller and is allowed to do so, pick up a goddamn brick. That's all that's left to you.  David Simon (@AoDespair) June 12, 2017

If Trump really is considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, he'll be impeached. Can Trump be THAT stupid?https://t.co/bkwic14v1Q  Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) June 13, 2017

"If Trump really is considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, he'll be impeached.

Can Trump be THAT stupid?" Jon Cooper rhetorically asked. "If Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller and is allowed to do so, pick up a goddamn brick. That's all that's left to you," David Simon tweeted.

Note to media: please stop saying you "can't imagine" Trump would actually fire the special prosecutor. Of course you can imagine it.  Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) June 13, 2017

Fred Douglass and Bill Shakespeare just joined Robert Mueller's team.  Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) June 12, 2017

It's almost as if Newt Gingrinch is a disingenuous asshole. Less than a month apart on these Robert Mueller takes. pic.twitter.com/hczjoAyfKK  Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) June 12, 2017

"Note to media: please stop saying you 'can't imagine' Trump would actually fire the special prosecutor.

Of course you can imagine it," MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell wrote. "Source close to Trump says the president 'is being advised by many people' NOT to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller," CNN's Jim Acosta added. As the reaction poured in on social media, it was clear that the president's decision could become a major moment in the current investigation and scandal.
Latvian cyber criminal Peteris Sahurovs appeared in court in Minneapolis after he was extradited from Poland. Nicknamed Piotrek, Piotrek89, and Sagade, he was involved in hacking the Minneapolis Star Tribunes website and causing millions of dollars in losses to internet users. He is also accused of wire fraud. Peteris was arrested in June 2011, but a Latvian court later released him. He fled to Poland where the local police captured him. Peteris was at one time the fifth most wanted cyber criminals by the FBI with an award of $50,000 for his capture.

The Star Tribune: Hacker released in Latvia now on FBI's most wanted list http://t.co/gNMk8wfupe Peteris Sahurovs pic.twitter.com/zMTQ3W2VOF  Nepareizais (@Nepareizais) October 29, 2014

How Peteris committed his crimes

According to the FBI's website, he committed his crimes between February and September 2010. He defrauded internet users $2 million by selling them fraudulent computer security programs. His software named Scareware was a malicious software which he marketed as legitimate to unsuspecting companies and individuals. The software was designed to falsely claim that it has detected threats on victims computers, yet the threats did not exist. Buyers were then advice to give their credit card numbers through disruptive notifications so as to pay for a fraudulent anti-virus product.

Victims were at times prevented from using their computers until they made the payments.

How he used the Minneapolis Star Tribunes website

On February 2010, he contacted Startribune.com and impersonated himself as an online advertising agent. He was seeking advertisement space on the paper's website. After being granted advertisement space, he started by advertising hotels and then changed his adverts with a file that contained a malicious malware.

The malware infected the computers of those who visited the star tribute website to subsequently freeze the computers of victims making their files inaccessible. To unlock their computer, victims had to pay $49.95. He made $2 million from this hacking acts. Payment proceeds mainly went to a bank in Latvia that was controlled by him, his co-conspirator Marina Maslobojeva and others.

Investigators also suspect that he committed this crime on other online businesses.

This case was investigated by the FBIs Minneapolis field office. The prosecutors were assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney of the Criminal Divisions for computer crime and intellectual property. Others included the Departments Office of International Affairs, the Latvian state Police, and the Polish National Police.
Its official. First lady Melania Trump has finally moved into the White House, four and a half months after President Donald Trump took charge of the presidency. Mrs. Trump has now joined her husband at the White House along with her 11-year-old son Barron Trump, according to the first ladys spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.

The first lady had continued to live at Trump Tower in New York even after President Trump assumed office, reportedly so their son could finish school. The decision raised many eyebrows and assumptions were made regarding the stability of the couples marriage.

Some wondered whether Melania Trump would ever move into the White House. Her decision to stay back had been in contrast to her predecessor Michelle Obam who decided to move to Washington early in order to settle down and get their daughters familiarized with their new school.

Its been reported that Melania Trump has been busy looking for new schools for Barron and had been preparing the residence.

Moving day is finally here

Melania Trump has laid many rumors to rest by finally making the big move. She recently tweeted a photo looking out at the White House lawn and expressing her excitement about living there.

Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday pic.twitter.com/R5DtdV1Hnv  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 12, 2017

The mother and son joined the president at the White House on Sunday, Barron sporting a t-shirt with The Expert written on it.

They were followed by multiple suitcases. Barron Trump has become the first boy to live in the White House since 1963 when the 3-year-old John F. Kennedy inhabited the place. The boy is set to be enrolled in a private school in Maryland in the next term.

Melania Trump bashed on Twitter

Soon after the first lady tweeted about her move to the White House, people took to Twitter to bash her, telling her not to get too comfortable and putting her down for taking so long.

Like when you serve him with divorce papers or when he finds out he's indicted or when he gets led out in cuffs? I can't wait either  Sean B (@Seanb1829) June 12, 2017

I like that you got a picture of the biggest phallus in DC to make up for "Tiny Donny" in your husband's pants.  Kristina Wong  (@mskristinawong) June 12, 2017

My ultimate dream is to see Trump in prison and penniless.  Ivey #TheResistance (@Ivey_with_an_e) June 12, 2017

The First Ladys activities have so far included leading the International Womens Day lunch and hosting the spouses of heads of state at the White House.

With her final move to Washington, shell be expected to do much more and seen in the spotlight.

Her move to the White House will also result in easing the burden on the New York police and the secret service, who were responsible for her safety while she lived in New York. According to some estimations, the cost of her police protection was, according to The Telegraph, approximately $1 million per day.

President Trump has so far not acknowledged the move and is yet to comment.
George Brinkman, age 45, was taken into police custody at 5:30 this morning following a standoff with authorities that lasted almost nine hours. He was arrested at a home in Brunswick, OH, in connection with a triple homicide committed Sunday night. The bodies of Suzanne Taylor, age 45, and her daughters, 18-year-old Kylie Pifer, and 21-year-old Taylor Pifer were found in North Royalton, OH. Brinkman was Facebook acquaintances with the mother.

Following Brinkmans arrest, Stark County Sheriff's Office obtained arrest warrants saying he also might have shot to death 64-year-old Roberta Ray John and Rogell E.

John II, her 71-year-old husband, in Lake Township on Monday. Their bodies were found after Rogells son tried but could not reach them on Sunday after the couple had come home from vacation. Rogell didnt show up to work at the familys business on Monday. When his son went to check on him, his son discovered his father and his stepmother dead.

Detective Dave Loeding, North Royalton Police Department, said the suspect had evidence in his possession that tied him to the Johns deaths. Allegedly, he had dated the victims daughter and he was watching the couples home while they vacationed.

Suspected killer subdued and taken into custody

The suspect was taken into custody and, then, to a hospital to be evaluated after he was subdued with a Taser by Swat officers, said Lieutenant Robert Safran, Brunswick Police.

Brinkman barricaded himself in a home with an unlocked door, which is how SWAT entered.

A 911 call from Suzanne Taylors boyfriend, Scott Plymale, prompted the police to respond to her home. Her eldest daughters boyfriend, Dale Koster, discovered the bodies, Plymale told a 911 dispatcher He also explained that Koster picked the lock when no one answered the door.

Koster called Plymale earlier saying something was wrong. All of the cars were at the home and all of the doors were locked. Koster also did not hear the womens dog. When he went to the home on Saturday, dropping off flowers, he noticed the womens cars there and Brinkmans car in the driveway. The mother and her daughters were found in Suzannes bed.

Accused killers criminal past

Brinkman was first arrested for receiving stolen property and unauthorized access of a computer system in Cuyahoga County, OH, in September 1998, according to the Daily Mail online. He was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty. He was charged with theft, forgery and receiving stolen property in December 1999. He was sentenced in February 2000 and was released from prison in September 2000.

During the hours leading to this mornings arrest, Brinkman was armed and holed up at his friends detached home in Brunswick. He was threatening to kill himself and was drinking whiskey while he was barricaded inside. Police sealed off the ear and told neighbors to stay inside.

As officers used bullhorn negotiating with him to give up peacefully, FBI and SWAT officers surrounded the house. Police marksmen trained their guns on the house. After police entered, and took Brinkman into custody, he didnt say anything, police said. He is in custody of North Royalton Police Department.
In what has become routine over the last year, Donald Trump's controversial style and rhetoric has left him open to criticism. For "Saturday Night Live," the president is low-hanging fruit when it comes to comedy and easy laughs.

"SNL" on Trump

When Donald Trump made his presidential candidacy official nearly two years ago, he was originally seen as nothing more than a joke candidate who was running in an attempt to increase his ratings on his reality show. As time moved forward, however, the former host of "The Apprentice" saw his popularity increase.

Using that momentum at his back, Trump was able to push back 16 other Republican candidates before accepting the party's nomination for president last summer. As the general election kicked off, Trump was seen as the underdog against former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. It was during this time when "Saturday Night Live" amped up their criticism of the billionaire real estate mogul, as actor Alec Baldwin took on the role of Trump. From day one, Trump was not happy with how he was portrayed on "SNL," as he lashed out on Twitter on more than one occasion, blasting both Baldwin and the entire show in his rants. During the May 13 episode of "Saturday Night Live," Trump was once again a prime source of laughs.

In a mock version of Donald Trump's recent interview with NBC News host lester holt, played by Michael Che, "Saturday Night Live" trolled the president during the show's cold open. Alec Baldwin kicked off his interview by gloating about his presidency, before answer the satirical Holt's question about firing James Comey.

Baldwin, as Trump, admitted to firing Comey over the Russian scandal, before taking a dig at the president over a CNN story about his eating habits.

"Nothing matters. Absolutely nothing matters anymore."  Michael Che as Lester Holt #SNLLiveCoastToCoast  Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 14, 2017

A mock Paul Ryan brought Donald Trump his ice cream dessert, before getting trolled by Lester Holt for his use of the term "priming the pump." Trump then referred to Holt as O.J.

Simpson and Kenan, in reference to cast member Kenan Thompson, before stating, "You think I care about optics? I sit on every chair like it's a toilet." Baldwin also roasted Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway, citing her recent return to cable news by saying he "allowed her out of her crypt."

Trump insists he's *nothing* like Richard Nixon  for instance, he gets two, count 'em, TWO scoops of ice cream.  #SNLLiveCoastToCoast pic.twitter.com/RlqOqaKcIN  Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 14, 2017

Trump trouble

While "Saturday Night Live" and other comedians and comedy shows have fun with the controversial aspects of the new president, Donald Trump has many other issues to worry about. Over the last week alone, Trump has been forced to deal with the backlash to his firing of James Comey as head of the FBI, the growing Russian scandal, questions surrounding the future of Obamacare, and where he stands on important foreign policy issues that have all led to an approval rating that has dropped below 40 percent in the most recent round of polling.
Saif al-Islam was held for six years in the town of Zintan by a Libyan militia. His release could fuel violence in Libya if he runs for a political position in an already unstable country. His lawyer confirmed that he is no longer imprisoned and will not appear in public for security reasons. According to a BBC source, he is believed to be in eastern Libya in an area called Tobruk. The ICC wanted Saif for crimes he committed during the Arab Uprising. The crimes include torture and the killing of civilians.

Free at Last: Gaddafi's Son, Saif Al-Islam, Released from Jail, Can Travel as He Pleases https://t.co/Q4i9YlmTPn  Hakim Adi (@hakimadi1) June 12, 2017

A brief history of Saif

Saif was born in Tripoli in 1972; he is currently 44 years old.

He is the 2nd son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was second in command in Libya during his father's rule and was involved in Libya's diplomatic relations with the West. His father was captured in southern Libya on November 19th, 2011 by the Zintan militia during the Libyan Civil War. Saif was also captured and Sentenced To Death in absentia on July 28th, 2015 for crimes he committed during the Libyan civil war.

Saif's capture

Saif was arrested during the Lybian civil war which was a conflict between Gaddafi and protesters. Protests began on February 15th, 2011 and lasted for eight months. A few days after the conflict began, Saif announced that a commission of inquiry would be set up to investigate what was causing the violence.

Later in the month of February, he denied that the government which his father was heading was conducting airstrikes on its people and that the number of protestors that had been killed during that time was exaggerated by the western media and civil rights groups. He also blamed drunken and drugged protestors, tribal functions and Islamist terrorists for causing the violence.

Three months after the civil war began, Saif announced that elections would be held in Libya and that international observers would be invited and that his father would step down if he lost. NATO which was conducting airstrikes at that time, as well as rebels, rejected the offer. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him and his father on June 27th, 2011.

He called the ICC a fake court that is manipulated by NATO nations after NATO offered to drop ICC charges against him and his father if they agree to a secret deal. His father was captured on October 20th, 2011 and killed in a northwestern town of Libya called Misrata which is 178 kilometers East of Tripoli. Saif was arrested in the southern part of Libya one month later together with four of his aides after being betrayed by a nomad who was hired for one million Euros to guide Said and his men to Niger.

Saif's trial

In August 2012, the government of Libya announced that Saif would stand trial in Libya and not the ICC. He first appeared in court on January 17th, 2013. His trial was delayed after that, and he began appearing in court via video link because of security reasons.

He was later sentenced to death on July 28th, 2015 for war crimes. He survived an assassination attempt by a local militia group in northwestern Libya last month before being released on the 10th of this month.
Russia's opposition leader was arrested on Monday for organizing anti-corruption Protests across the country. Alexei Navalny was arrested outside his home in Moscow while en route to join the protests in the city center, AP reported. He was later sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Tens of thousands of Russians joined the protests and nearly one thousand were arrested. White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, said that the United States condemned Russia for arresting peaceful protesters.

Navalny was previously arrested in March for protesting against the financial corruption of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Who protested

Social media drew many young adults to the protests. Teenagers were seen crafting signs in the streets, the AP reported. Financial corruption by the Russian government "is costing the future of our young people," one protester told the AP.

University students took to the streets in support of Navalny and in opposition to the corruption, many say exists even among professors. Protesters younger than 17 years old have only known Russian leadership in Vladimir Putin. Putin has alternated between Prime Minister and President since 2000.

Some protested alongside people in medieval clothing, the AP reported. The organized demonstrations coincided with Russia Day celebrations, which included historical re-enactments from medieval times to World War II.

2018 election

Russian President Vladimir Putin is up for re-election in March 2018. Navalny announced his candidacy to challenge Putin in 2016 and has protested against Russian corruption since 2008, Blasting News reported.

Russian senators believe the U.S. and NATO will try to influence the Russian presidential election, Newsweek reported, as the FBI continues its investigation over Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

U.S. and NATO would support the election of a new Russian president.

Elections have not historically been free or fair in Russia. Freedom House reported that Putin used the censored press to his advantage to win the 2012 presidential election. The Progress Party, the opposition party led by Navalny, has faced roadblocks in registering and participating in elections, to deter them from challenging the incumbent United Russia party, Freedom House reported. Navalny's brother was imprisoned for three and a half years in 2015, in an alleged attempt to limit Navalny's political activities.
Craig Letch (L), director of food quality and assurance for Beef Products Inc., interacts with governors from Kansas, Texas, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska during their visit to his beef plant in South Sioux City, Nebraska, March 29, 2012. [Photo/VCG]

The United States took a step forward on Monday towards resuming commercial shipment of US beef and beef products to China for the first time in the last 14 years.

US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the posting of technical documents related to the beginning of the shipments on Monday, after the two governments reached agreement on final details of protocol to allow the US to begin the beef exports to China.

"Today is a great day for the United States and in particular for our cattle producers, who will be regaining access to an enormous market with an ever-expanding middle class," Purdue said in a statement.

"I have no doubt that as soon as the Chinese people get a taste of American beef they'll want more of it," he added.

Resuming US beef exports to China is part of the US-China 100-Day Action Plan announced on May 11 and a result of the newly established US-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue co-chaired by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and China's Vice-Premier Wang Yang.

"President Trump is doing more to improve the US-China relationship than any president in decades, and this final beef protocol agreement represents even more concrete progress," Ross said in the statement.

"I look forward to engaging with our Chinese counterparts as we address more complex issues to the benefit of both our nations," Ross said.

According to a press release from the US Treasury Department, China has emerged as a major beef buyer in recent years, with imports increasing from $275 million in 2012 to $2.5 billion in 2016.

China banned imports of US beef in 2003 after mad cow disease cases were discovered.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Victoria Kwakwa, vice-president for East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank, talks about development lending in the Asia Pacific region in a seminar held at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Monday. Chen Weihua/China Daily

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is upholding high environmental and social standards, according to a World Bank official.

Victoria Kwakwa, vice-president for East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank, said on Monday that the standards set by the AIIB are just like the standards of other multilateral development banks.

"A lot of it was input by former World Bank staff, so they have very high standards," she said of the AIIB.

Both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank worked well with the AIIB, she said.

"We don't see any issues in the work we do with them or their commitment to keeping high standards," Kwakwa told China Daily on Monday after a talk on development lending in the Asia Pacific held at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

She said that the World Bank is working in strong partnership with the Beijing-headquartered AIIB and Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) in leveraging each side's competitive advantage.

The World Bank and the AIIB have co-financed infrastructure in Indonesia. Kwakwa said the two are working on upcoming projects in the Philippines and other East Asian nations.

The Manila Times, quoting the Philippine department of finance, reported on Monday that the AIIB this week may approve $150 million to co-finance with the World Bank a Philippine project to improve flood management in Metro Manila.

Kwakwa said that the World Bank has also been discussing some projects with the NDB although they are not yet finalized.

To Kwakwa, having more multilateral development banks is just a reflection of the multilateral world today. "It brings more developing financing to the table in the context that a lot more is needed than traditional sources can provide," she said, adding that more partners coming together makes it possible to tackle complex and large operations, sharing the risk and burden.

Unlike some who worry about a race to the bottom with the new arrivals, Kwakwa said she doesn't see this as a strong possibility because there is so much to do and so much need for financing.

"It's a theoretical possibility, but highly unlikely," she said of a race to the bottom.

Hongying Wang, an associate professor of political science at University of Waterloo, said there is room for the new development banks to complement the legacy banks given the huge need in infrastructure financing in the Asia Pacific.

"I have no doubt that with AIIB and NDB, China will follow most of these practices," she said.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Moroccan girls read the Quran in a madrasa, or religious school, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a village in Tinghir, Morocco June 11, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

RABAT - Morocco said in a statement on Monday that it will send planes loaded with food to Qatar, in line with the teachings of the Islamic religion, especially during the month of Ramadan.

"The decision is in line with the teachings of the Islamic religion and what it requires in terms of solidarity between Muslim people, especially during the month of Ramadan," the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

The decision "has nothing to do with the political aspects of the current crisis between Qatar and other sister states," it stressed.

On Sunday, the ministry said in a separate statement that it is ready to mediate the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Gulf countries.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, Morocco's King Mohammed VI has maintained close and permanent contact with the parties concerned, according to the statement.
As scores of US and Chinese experts gathered on Monday in Des Moines to discuss the countries' relationship, they agree that it will benefit the two countries and the whole world for them to continue to work together.

Several scholars exchanged their views on issues including trade imbalance at a one-day think tank symposium at The World Food Prize Foundation. The foundation recognizes contributions to development through increasing the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world.

At the symposium, Tori Whiting of the Heritage Foundation said that the Trump administration's focus on the trade deficit is misleading.

China has made a large foreign direct investment (FDI) into the US and holds more than $1 trillion worth of US Treasurys, which help finance US debt, said Whiting.

"The value of imports is often overlooked. Over 50 percent of our imports are intermediate products used to produce high-value goods," she said.

Zhang Yuyan, director-general at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the trade deficit mainly reflects the different development stages of the two countries, and it has been declining over the years.

The US' trade deficit with China through April 2017 stood at approximately $106.5 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. For all of 2016, the deficit was more than $347 billion.

"China is a rapidly developing country with a high savings rate, while the US is a developed country with a low savings rate," Zhang said.

"Looking from a long-term historical perspective, the US enjoyed a trade surplus when it was developing rapidly after World War II, until its population started to age, and savings started to decline. China now is approaching that stage," he said, predicting that the trade gap, which he said was $250 billion per Chinese calculation in 2016, would narrow further.

Mike Naig, deputy secretary of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, said that US and China should not focus on the differences exclusively but the commonality.

"We both face issues such as aging farming populations, access to land and dependence on trade. If we focus too much on our differences, we would forget to work together to deal with those issues," Naig said.

Grant Kimberley, a farmer and market development director at the Iowa Soybean Association, said that what he worried about most in the bilateral relationship would be that the US and China start a trade war.

That would affect the farmers in Iowa adversely, he said to Chinese think tank visitors on Sunday.

Leaders from both sides, including former US ambassador to China J. Stapleton Roy, and Consul General of China in Chicago Hong Lei noted that the economic tie is the most important aspect of the relationship, and it's crucial to work together.

mayzhou@chiandailyusa.com

Scores of American and Chinese officials, experts and scholars gather at Des Moines on Monday to discuss bilateral relationship at the US-China Think Tank Symposium. Strengthening relationship was advocated by all. Photos By may Zhou / China Daily From left: Tori Whiting, Mike Naig and Zhang Yuyan discuss the US-China trade relationship at the symposium.

(China Daily USA 06/13/2017 page2)
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is upholding high environmental and social standards, according to a World Bank official.

Victoria Kwakwa, vice-president for East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank, said on Monday that the standards set by the AIIB are just like the standards of other multilateral development banks.

"A lot of it was input by former World Bank staff, so they have very high standards," she said of the AIIB.

Both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank worked well with the AIIB, she said.

"We don't see any issues in the work we do with them or their commitment to keeping high standards," Kwakwa told China Daily on Monday after a talk on development lending in the Asia Pacific held at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

She said that the World Bank is working in strong partnership with the Beijing-headquartered AIIB and Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) in leveraging each side's competitive advantage.

The World Bank and the AIIB have co-financed infrastructure in Indonesia. Kwakwa said the two are working on upcoming projects in the Philippines and other East Asian nations.

The Manila Times, quoting the Philippine department of finance, reported on Monday that the AIIB this week may approve $150 million to co-finance with the World Bank a Philippine project to improve flood management in Metro Manila.

Kwakwa said that the World Bank has also been discussing some projects with the NDB although they are not yet finalized.

To Kwakwa, having more multilateral development banks is just a reflection of the multilateral world today. "It brings more developing financing to the table in the context that a lot more is needed than traditional sources can provide," she said, adding that more partners coming together makes it possible to tackle complex and large operations, sharing the risk and burden.

Unlike some who worry about a race to the bottom with the new arrivals, Kwakwa said she doesn't see this as a strong possibility because there is so much to do and so much need for financing.

"It's a theoretical possibility, but highly unlikely," she said of a race to the bottom.

Hongying Wang, an associate professor of political science at University of Waterloo, said there is room for the new development banks to complement the legacy banks given the huge need in infrastructure financing in the Asia Pacific.

"I have no doubt that with AIIB and NDB, China will follow most of these practices," she said.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 06/13/2017 page2)
For Harry Stine, a farm boy who became an inventor, businessman and the richest billionaire in Iowa by licensing his genetically engineered corn and soybean seeds to multinational companies, there are a lot of reasons he has many connections with China.

"My first main business was in soybean plant breeding, and all of our soybeans originally came from Asia, primarily China. We would not have the success we had today if we didn't have the opportunity to use Chinese soybeans to start with," said Stine, while pointing to the soybean nursery on the farm where Stine Seed sits in Adel, Iowa.

Stine Seed is the world's largest privately owned seed company. Stine was also one of the first people invited by the Chinese government to visit China in early 1976.

He ran into the funeral procession of former premier Zhou Enlai in the streets of Beijing. "Zhou did a good job in a complicated situation," Stine said.

Since his first visit to China in 1976, Stine had taken his family to tour China a couple of times. He also spoke at the 2015 China Development Forum in Beijing.

"Anyone who has been in China then and now has to have great admiration for the progress and change that occurred in China. Combined with China's long history, I only have great respect and appreciation for both China and its people," Stine said.

Stine's father moved to the current farm in 1934 when it was relatively small. Today it has morphed into a giant farm of 11,331 hectares primarily used for seed breeding.

"We worked long hours and had a small income. I kind of identify with that kind of small farmers in China and want to help them wherever I can," said Stine.

Beginning in 2012, with the help of Zhao Li at Iowa China Group, Stine began making connections with Chinese seed companies and now provides high-yield corn and soybean seeds to farms around China.

Stine said his genetics can help Chinese farmers to increase their corn yield by one-third and soybean yield by 10 to 20 percent. He wants to help Chinese farmers to reach the same level of production as in the US.

So far Stine has sent hundreds of genetics to China to test what best fit China's environment.

Although a relatively newcomer to China's seed business, Stine Seed is moving fast. Already, China has become its largest market outside of US. Stine Seed has registered three hybrid corns with the Chinese government and more are coming. Stine seeds are being planted in half of China's provinces.

Stine is confident that his seed business will grow rapidly in China.

"We are more cooperative with local companies and government than some other American seed companies," he said.

For Harry Stine, a farm boy who became an inventor, businessman and the richest billionaire in Iowa by licensing his genetically engineered corn and soybean seeds to multinational companies, there are a lot of reasons he has many connections with China.

"My first main business was in soybean plant breeding, and all of our soybeans originally came from Asia, primarily China in early 1900s. We would not have the success we had today if we didn't have the opportunity to use Chinese soybeans to start with," said Stine, while pointing to the soybean nursery on the farm where Stine Seed sits in Adel, Iowa.

Stine Seed is the world's largest privately owned seed company

Stine was also one of the first people invited by the Chinese government to visit China in early 1976.

He ran into Zhou Enlai's funeral procession in the streets of Beijing. "Zhou did a good job in a complicated situation," Stine said.

Since his first visit to China in 1976, Stine had taken his family to tour China a couple of times. He also spoke at the 2015 China Development Forum in Beijing.

"Anyone who has been in China then and now has to have great admiration for the progress and change that occurred in China. Combined with China's long history, I only have great respect and appreciation for both China and its people," Stine said.

Stine's father moved to the current farm in 1934 when it was relatively small. Today it has morphed into a giant farm of 28,000 acres primarily used for seed breeding.

"We worked long hours and had a small income. I kind of identify with that kind of small farmer in China and want to help them wherever I can," said Stine.

Beginning in 2012, with the help of Zhao Li at Iowa China Group, Stine began making connections with Chinese seed companies and now provides high-yield corn and soybean seeds to farms around China.

Stine said his genetics can help Chinese farmers to increase their corn yield by one-third and soybean yield by 10 to 20 percent. He wants to help Chinese farmers to reach the same level of production as in the US.

So far Stine has sent hundreds of genetics to China to test what best fit China's environment. "Some not doing well here can do well in China," Stine said.

Although a relatively newcomer to China's seed business, Stine Seed is moving fast. Already, China has become its largest market outside of US. Stine Seed has registered three hybrid corns with the Chinese government and more are coming. Stine seeds are being planted in half of China's provinces.

Stine is confident that his seed business will grow rapidly in China.

"We are more cooperative with local companies and government than some other American seed companies," he said.

Stine said many US companies don't want to put soybeans in China because they think they will lose control. "It's true, but I don't care. I want to help Chinese soybeans farmers. It's Chinese soybeans that made me successful, so I am happy give some new varieties back to China," said Stine.
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, June 13, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appearing at a high-stakes Senate hearing, on Tuesday denounced as "an appalling and detestable lie" the idea that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Sessions, a senior member of Republican President Donald Trump's Cabinet and an adviser to his presidential campaign last year, testified about his conversations with Russian officials and whether he intentionally misled Congress, as the Senate Intelligence Committee probes the Russia matter.

"I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected with the Trump campaign," Sessions said.

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," he said.

Sessions is the most senior member of Trump's administration caught up in the controversy over whether associates of the president colluded with Russia to help Trump win the election.

The committee's chairman, Republican Richard Burr, told Sessions the hearing was "your opportunity to separate fact from fiction" and "set the record straight on a number of allegations reported in the press."

Even before Sessions testified, attention in Washington swiveled to whether Trump might seek to fire Robert Mueller, named last month by the Justice Department to head a federal probe into the Russia issue.

Sessions told the senators that he has confidence in Mueller but said he had "no idea" if Trump did because he had not spoken to the president about the matter. Asked whether he would ever take any action to remove Mueller, Sessions said, "I would not think that would be appropriate for me to do."

Such a move would be complicated and potentially politically explosive. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the person who would be responsible for carrying out any such dismissal, told a different congressional panel on Tuesday he would not fire Mueller without good cause and he had seen no such cause.

Sessions appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee just five days after James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director on May 9, told the panel Trump ousted him to undermine the agency's investigation of the Russia matter. Sessions had written a letter to Trump recommending Comey's firing.

Burr said he wanted to know from Sessions what meetings he had with Russian officials or their proxies on behalf of the Trump campaign, why he recused himself from the Russia investigation and what role, if any, he played in the firing of Comey.

The testimony by Comey marked the latest chapter in a saga that has dogged the Republican Trump's first five months as president and distracted from his domestic policy agenda including major healthcare and tax cut initiatives.

Sessions is a former Republican US senator and an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign.

MEETINGS WITH AMBASSADOR

In March he acknowledged he met twice last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Sessions said he did not mislead Congress because the encounters were part of his job as a US senator, not as a Trump campaign representative. But Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March after the revelations of the two Kislyak meetings.

The abrupt dismissal of Comey prompted Trump's critics to charge that the president was trying to interfere with a criminal investigation.

Asked about media reports that he had met with Kislyak on a third occasion at a Washington hotel last year, Sessions testified that did not remember meeting or having a conversation with the ambassador at the event. Sessions said he "racked my brain" and had no meeting with any Russian in his capacity as a Trump campaign adviser.

Sessions said he did not recuse himself because he felt he was a subject of the investigation himself but rather because he felt he was required to by Justice Department rules.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump in part by hacking and releasing damaging emails about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump has been publicly dismissive of the Russia investigation for months. A Trump confidant, Chris Ruddy, told "PBS NewsHour" on Monday the president was weighing whether to fire Mueller.

Amid the firestorm over Comey's dismissal, the Justice Department's Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to oversee the probe into Russian election interference and any collusion by Trump aides. Russia has denied interfering in the US election. The White House has denied any collusion.

If Trump were targeting Mueller, dismissing him would not be a simple matter. Trump could recommend to the Justice Department that the special counsel be fired. Since Sessions is recused from these matters, he would likely would send such a recommendation to Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein.

Reuters
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HA NOI  The General Electric Corporation 3 under Viet Nam Electric Group plans to invest in building Long Son thermal power plant with a total capital of US$4.39 billion in southern Ba RiaVung Tau Province.

The plant is designed to reduce the power shortage and improve the power supply in the southern region in the period between 2020 and 2030, and the following years.

The plant is planned to be built in Long Son Commune, Vung Tau City with an area of 132ha and a capacity of 3,600MW.

A port of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) with a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year and three turbine manufacturers with a capacity of 2x600MW will be built in the period from 2019 to 2025.

Long Son thermal power plant is expected to provide 21 billion kWh of electricity per year to the national power grid and contribute about VN4.1 trillion (US$181 million) per year to the national budget when operational.  VNS
HA NOI  Two-way trade between Viet Nam and the European Union (EU) grew 16.2 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of 2017, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Of the figure, Viet Nams exports to the EU rose 4.2 per cent, mostly apparel, footwear, agro-forestry-aquatic products and computers, while its imports from the EU up 14 per cent, including machinery, equipment, pharmaceuticals and dairy products.

The countrys major importers were Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

Exporters hope that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which is expected to take effect in 2018, will increase Viet Nams exports to the bloc by 50 per cent by 2020.

The ministry said in order to navigate the demanding EU market, domestic firms must overcome technical barriers by meeting strict requirements regarding food safety and hygiene and origin traceability.

First Counsellor of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Miriam Garcia Ferrer said through the EVFTA, the EU could help Viet Nam improve trademark and product quality.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Finance said the names of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) which had been privatised but failed to list on exchanges as per regulations would be published on the Governments e-portal.

The finance ministry said that there were 578 privatised enterprises which had not registered for listing on stock exchanges. The list has already been sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Enterprises which must transfer State capital ownership to the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) would also have their names published.

The finance ministry said that the progress of privatisation, capital divestment and restructuring of SOEs remained slow in the first five months of this year.

The transferring of State capital ownership to SCIC is slow. The capital divestment results are also bellow expectation, the ministry said in a report.

SOEs which must be privatised and divested in this period are mainly of large scale with multi-sector operation and complicated financial situation, the ministry said, adding that it would take time to prepare for evaluation of the corporate value and finding of strategic investors.

The ministrys report showed that by May 31, enterprises with a total corporate value of more than VN4.15 trillion (US$182 million) were given approval for their privatisation plans, in which State capital accounted for nearly 30 per cent.

Regarding capital divestments, SOEs collected VN14.8 trillion by selling stakes worth VN3.5 trillion in book value.

In the five-month period, SCIC sold stakes at 18 enterprises and collected VN12.2 trillion.

Habeco, Sabeco

The finance ministry also proposed the capital divestments at beverage producers Habeco and Sabeco be sped up, following the Prime Ministers directive.

The capital divestments at Habeco and Sabeco saw little progress, since the foundation of a steering committee in charge of this in October last year.

In August 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced plans to divest out of the two leading beverage companies.

Accordingly, it was to sell the States entire stake of 82 per cent at Habeco in 2016 and collect approximately VN9 trillion.

For Habeco, the stake sales were to be implemented in two phases, 53.59 per cent of the charter capital in 2016, equivalent to VN24 trillion, and the remaining 36 per cent of the charter capital would be sold in 2017. However, these plans were missed.

The finance ministry also told the Prime Minister to decide soon on the plan to sell SCICs stakes in national dairy firm Vinamilk.  VNS
HCM CITY  As many as 50 Vietnamese food and beverage (F&B) enterprises, double the number last year, displayed and promoted their products at the THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2017 held in Bangkok earlier this month.

Leading F&B companies in Viet Nam, including Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint-Stock Company (Vinamilk), Dan On Foods, Rita Food & Drinks Co Ltd and Minh Phong Green & Agricultural Products JSC, have taken part in the trade show for the last five years.

Many new players, such as Seafarm Liability Limited Company, Lotus Rice Co Ltd and Vinh Hoan Corporation, attended this years trade fair.

This year, Vietnamese exhibitors saw a 55 per cent increase in total display area, with the introduction of a new seafood pavilion.

The event provided the exhibitors with an opportunity to consolidate their positions in the market and introduce their latest products, seek partners, and learn about customer demand.

This year, Vietnamese manufacturers brought both cultivated and processed clean products that are environmentally friendly and have non-toxic standards. They included organic rice, honey, birds nest and cereals, among others.

Other Vietnamese agricultural and food products were promoted as safe, nutritious and with high quality, including fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, poultry, processed foods, and milk and dairy products, among others.

The events organisers said that Viet Nam, as a rapidly growing ASEAN economy, had a great deal to offer the global businesses attending the trade show.

Vo Thanh Vin, international business manager for Vinamilk, said: This trade event helps establish new business networks. Were excited to be able to leverage this platform to pursue opportunities for our business to grow as well as promote Vietnamese products to the world.

This year, besides a focus on our key products at the Viet Nam pavilion, we also introduced our organic milk to consumers, he added.

We were very impressed by the buyers programme. It gave us the opportunity to engage with major retailers from around the region, and it was a fruitful session, meeting buyers from both supermarkets and hypermarkets across Thailand, Vin told Viet Nam News.

Truong Tuyet Hoa, sales director of Vinh Hoan Corporation, said: This year was the first time we joined Thaifex. We see potential to join the show next year.

Thaifex is one of the largest food and beverage trade fairs in the world, and it offers us an opportunity to display our catfish to the world market, especially the Asia market. We closed trade orders worth a total of US$200,000 during the trade show, Hoa told Viet Nam News.

Vinh Hoan uses an integrated production chain, from seed to commercial fish farming to processing to export, she said. We have been exporting catfish to the US since 1999.

To promote Vietnamese catfish to the world market, our standards must ensure food safety and have a traceability system, without causing an adverse impact on the environment, she added.

Thaifex was co-organised by Koelnmesse, a leading organiser of food fairs and events for food and beverage processing, the Thai Department of International Trade Promotion, and the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

The five-day mega show attracted around 45,000 industry professionals, 2,000 exhibitors and representatives from over 40 countries.

The event, Asias largest food and beverage trade show, saw a total of 55,111 visitors from 130 countries, a 30 per cent increase compared to the 2016 show.  VNS
HA NOI  Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is offering sales on flights from Ha Noi to Bangkok, Thailand.

Accordingly, a round-trip airfare from Ha Noi to Bangkok will cost only VN899,000 or US$35, excluding taxes and fees.

The promotional offer can be availed until September 30, and is applicable for departure until March 31, 2018.

Tickets can be purchased through www.vietnamairlines.com, and the airlines booking offices and agencies nationwide.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates three return flights on the route each day. The flights from Ha Noi depart at 8.50am, 12.45pm and 4.05pm and arrive in Bangkok at 11.55am, 3.55pm and 7.05pm.

Viet Nam has been a rising star in Thailands tourism source market with arrivals projected to break the 1 million-barrier this year, the Bangkok Post reported.

Viet Nam may not be high profile, but it is one of the rising stars in terms of the growth potential, the newspaper quoted Walailak Noypayak, executive director for Asean, South Asia and South Pacific at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as saying.

Meanwhile, Thailand is also one of leading countries in the number of tourists visiting Viet Nam. Some 270,000 Thais visited Viet Nam last year, up 24 per cent year-on-year, according to the Viet Nam Administration of Tourism.  VNS
HA NOI  LienVietPostBanks new chairman Nguyen uc Huong has rejected rumours that his bank will merge with Sacombank.

For the past few days, there have been rumours that the two banks would merge, which has led to a 60 per cent rise in LienVietPostBanks shares to VN13,000 per unit.

However, Huong, who was voted to LienVietPostBanks chairman on June 5, clarified that LienVietPostBank has no need to merge with Sacombank, and that if it had a merger and acquisition (M&A) plan with another bank, it would not be with Sacombank. We buy what we need, and Sacombank does not have what we need, he said.

Huong said LienVietPostBank has a sufficiently wide distribution network, and is also not targeting Sacombanks personnel. As for looking for a source of capital or modern technology, the bank will get it from foreign investors, not Sacombank, he said.

There are several reasons why LienVietPostBank will be the most attractive bank for foreign investors, if the central bank lifts restrictions on foreign ownership in domestic banks, Huong said.

Firstly, he said, with around 10,000 transaction offices nationwide, LienVietPostBank tops the countrys banking system in terms of network.

Secondly, compared to the value of its network and total assets, its charter capital is attractive at only VN6.5 trillion (US$285 million), that of a medium-sized bank.

The preparatory work done to get the bank listed on the stock market, and its ability to exploit and develop opportunities are also good, he added.
HA NOI  The Viet Nam branch of UNESCO has been an effective bridge between the nation and the rest of the world, Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

He was speaking at a meeting held in Ha Noi to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Viet Nam branch of UNESCO).

The National Commission for UNESCO has played an important role in making cultural diplomacy an important pillar of modern Vietnamese diplomacy.

Its efforts have evoked national pride, nourished aspirations to develop the countrys economy and society while preserving its cultural identity, enriching the image of Vietnamese people among international friends, he said.

The event drew the participation of government officials, ambassadors and other guests.

In the 40 years since its inception on June 15,1977, UNESCO Viet Nam has worked as an advisory body to the Government and helped implement policies in culture, education and science.

The 40th birthday celebrations was an opportunity to spotlight UNESCO Viet Nams achievements, particularly in preserving the nations culture and heritage.

ang Thi Bich Lien, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Vice President of UNESCO Viet Nam, said that the agencys most outstanding achievement in the last 40 years was the building of dossiers to submit to UNESCO for recognition of monuments and unique, indigenous art forms as world heritages.

Until now, UNESCO has recognised seven world heritage sites in Viet Nam: the complex of monuments in Hue, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An Town, My Son Sanctuary, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Trang An Landscape.

The country also has 11 Intangible Cultural Heritages recognised by UNESCO: belief in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms, a traditional practice with a long history in Viet Nam; Tugging rituals and games; Vi and Giam folk songs; on ca tai tu (southern folk music); the worship of Hung Kings; Xoan singing in Phu Tho; Giong festival of Phu ong and Soc temples; Ca Tru singing; Quan ho folk songs of Bac Ninh; Gong culture in the Central Highlands and Nha Nhac  Vietnamese court music.

Minh said UNESCO Viet Nam should focus on training its personnel so that it can strengthen its relations with UNESCO, have more Vietnamese nationals work for the agency, including the highest posts.

In April, Pham Sanh Chau became the first Vietnamese to be nominated for the position of Director-General of UNESCO for the 2017-2021 tenure. VNS
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang.  VNA/VNS Photo Van iep

HA NOI  Viet Nam has requested the Government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) not to take any action and make any statement hurting the Vietnamese peoples sentiment and undermining friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement yesterday in response to reporters queries on Viet Nams views of a speech by RoK President Moon Jae-in on June 6 honouring Korean contributors on battlefields in foreign countries, including Viet Nam.

Regarding this issue, on June 9, 2017, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seriously talked with a representative of the Republic of the Korean Embassy in Viet Nam, Hang said. Viet Nam wants to develop friendly relations with all nations, including the Republic of Korea. Leaders of the two countries reached common perceptions in putting the past aside and looking towards the future, she said.

Korean soldiers participated on the American side during the Viet Nam war in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  VNS
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue, who is also the head of the State Steering Committee on Renovating Public Administrative Units, paid a working visit to HCM City on Saturday to review the management and financial mechanisms of government offices and their reorganisation.  Photo zing.vn

HCM CITY  Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue, who is also the head of the State Steering Committee on Renovating Public Administrative Units, paid a working visit to HCM City on Saturday to review the management and financial mechanisms of government offices and their reorganisation.

The achievements of HCM City, the biggest economic hub, will have great significance on the policy to renovate public administrative units, he told city leaders at a meeting.

It will help the Steering Committee adopt new solutions to step up renovation of public administrative units.

He called on the city to assess its capability to provide public services, consider measures to prune the government payroll and cut recurring expenses, and find new models for effective spending through bidding, efficient public services and management of government offices.

Deputy chairman of the city Peoples Committee, Le Thanh Liem, reported that in the last five years the numbers of both public administrative units and government workers have increased from 1,765 to 1,871 units and from 107,188 to 118,609.

It is because of the rapid increase in population. HCM City has to expand schools, build new hospitals, and establish new public administrative units.

However, the citys recurring expenses are expected to drop from 53 per cent of total expenditure last year to 48 per cent this year.

By the end of next year 55 hospitals and 50 per cent of administrative units can earn enough money themselves for regular expenditure, Phan Thi Thanh, director of the citys finance department, said.

Public schools account for 76 per cent of all schools but only 0.7 per cent of them can manage their recurring expenses.

In the upcoming school year more 60,000 children are expected to attend first grade.

However, the private services sector has developed strongly, met many social needs and created jobs, helping ease pressure on public units.

The chairman of the city Peoples Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong, said there is already a programme to promote private investment in healthcare and education.

HCM City has been the first to pilot a public-private partnership model at the level of ward healthcare centres.

Private companies have installed machines at a healthcare centre in District 3s Ward 11.

We do not separate the public and private segments but support each other, the head of the healthcare centre told the deputy PM.

The profits from medical services are reinvested in the centre.

Hue appreciated the model, saying it would benefit society. He stressed that local authorities should not discriminate between public and private agencies and said there should be transparency in public  private partnerships.

He called on the city to list the government agencies that require 100 per cent financial support from the Government and those that do not require any support.  VNS
HCM CITY  Traffic police and authorities in HCM City are concerned about low road safety awareness of road users, which results in a large number of traffic accidents in the city.

The most common traffic violations are speeding, drunk driving, driving in the wrong direction, driving in the wrong lane, talking on the phone while driving, and driving side by side, according to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Cuong, head of the divisions accident investigation and traffic team.

Low awareness and wrong behaviours on road safety cannot be altered by persuasion alone, but require tough measures and large fines, he told the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Brigadier Tran Son, former deputy head of the law enforcement and traffic investigation under the Ministry of Public Security, is also concerned about low road safety awareness among road users, saying they only follow traffic regulations in the presence of traffic police.

We must aim for a higher level of traffic culture where road users voluntarily comply with traffic regulations, and such voluntary attitudes should be nurtured and developed into an unconditioned reflex, he said at a road safety forum held in the city last Sunday. He cited a number of recent traffic accidents in which a few absent-minded seconds cost dozens of lives.

Permanent vice president of the National Traffic Safety Committee, Khuat Viet Hung, said one of the values that should be pursued in order to create such driving culture is the willingness to obey traffic laws, especially the habit to give way to other drivers and pedestrians, Hung said.

Data compiled by the citys road and railway traffic police division show 173 accidents occurred last year, killing 156 people and accounting for 20 per cent of the total number of accidents in the city, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. Only two accidents were attributed to poor-quality traffic infrastructure and unsafe roads, the remaining were the result of traffic violations, the newspaper said.

Helmets and mirrors

He also advised young road users to start training themselves to comply with traffic regulations from the simplest of behaviours. A lot of young people nowadays prefer small rearview mirrors and stylish helmets, which are unsafe for driving, he said. Use standard helmets, use authorised mirrors from your motorbikes distributors, and secure them onto your motorbikes in a proper way.

Tran Quang Lam, deputy director of the citys traffic department, referred to the Vision Zero road traffic safety project by Sweden  which aims for zero fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic 20 years from now  as an example of traffic accident prevention.

The Swedish government has assumed responsibility for the prevention of road accidents, according to Lam, initiating actions to change drivers behaviours, as well as understanding the actual conditions of the countrys traffic infrastructure and citizens habits and level of awareness, he said.

Linking it to Viet Nam, Lam stressed the importance of authorities participation and collaboration with citizens in striving for higher road safety targets.

Road users in Europe often shake hands, smile and apologise to each other when traffic incidents happen, he said. Its the job of police officers and insurance companies to determine whos right, whos wrong, and how to resolve the case.  VNS
BINH INH  Representative of Nam Trieu Ltd Company have confirmed that they will be giving financial assistance valued at VN2 billion (US$88,150) to fishermen in the central province of Binh inh during the time that the ships are repaired and maintained.

"The assistance would range from VN50 million ($2,200) to VN125 million ($5,500) depending on specific levels of failures, company official Tran Van Nguyen informed.

"We offered the money with a desire to alleviate the difficulties faced by fishermen. Our company and the fishermen reached an agreement on financial support and they voluntarily withdrew their petitions, which was their right. We just wanted to help them come back to the sea as soon as possible," Nguyen said.

Fishermen in the province, who received loans from commercial banks to buy steel ships, have reported the ship malfunctions over the past few weeks.

According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are 18 sub-standard steel fishing ships, of which 13 were built by Nam Trieu One Member Ltd Company and five were built by ai Nguyen Duong Shipbuilding Company.

According to a recent examination by the Binh inh Provinces agriculture department, the ships have been found to suffer from frequent breakdowns and degradation.

Under the contract between fishermen and Nam Trieu company, the broken ships must be repaired in the companys shipbuilding factory in northern Hai Phong City. However, moving the ship to the city is extremely expensive. Hence, the company had a discussion with the fishermen and arranged to have the ships repaired in another factory near the province.

Considering the due date of the bank loan payment, five ship owners in Hoai Nhon District said that the assistance money should range between VN250 and 300 million.

Le Hoang Thanh, a ship owner said that the company negotiated with owners and asked for an assurance that they would not take legal action. Meanwhile, Tran inh Son, a ship owner in Phu My District, said the company asked him to withdraw his petition and offered VN100 million as assistance. Son, however, thought the company had paid him to cover its deceitful business, and returned the money.

Tran Chau, deputy chairman of Binh inh Peoples Committee, expressed his surprise at the withdrawal of the petition by seven ship owners as a few weeks ago the owners had requested the authoritys intervention. Following which, the authority had asked the police and the Agriculture and Rural Development Department to conduct an investigation.

"Although the ship owners withdrew their petitions, the evaluation teams continued to find the causes behind the failure of the ships," Chau said. VNS
QUANG NINH  Four passengers were injured after their high-speed boat crashed into a cargo ship on Monday afternoon in the waters off Quang Ninh Provinces Van on District.

The boat, which has a maximum capacity of 50 passengers, left Co To Port for Cai Rong Port at 4.10pm with 32 passengers. The accident occurred when the boat was 1 km away from Cai Rong Port, Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper reported.

Officials from the north-eastern Quang Ninh Province rushed two high-speed boats to the spot and transported passengers to land. The injured were taken to Cam Pha General Hospital, where they were treated free of charge.  VNS
HA NOI  The World Bank has recently approved US$53 million in funding for urban infrastructure development in two emerging middle cities in northern Viet Nam, Lao Cai (Lao Cai Province) and Phu Ly (Ha Nam Province).

The financing will be added to the Medium Cities Development Project (MCDP), which has so far benefited over 210,000 people, exceeding initial targets. The additional investment will be used to bridge the financial gap caused by exchange rate fluctuations since the project inception.

The MCDP aims to improve infrastructure services, including water treatment and wastewater collection; flooding prevention in low lying areas; transport services in areas with poor and non-existent roads or access to transport networks.

The Medium Cities Development Project has shown that improved infrastructure services can transform communities  water and sanitation facilities lead to healthier children and families; flood prevention infrastructure provides opportunities to introduce much-needed public space; and better roads bring communities closer to economic opportunities. This additional investment means even more communities will benefit from improved urban environments, said Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam.

The upgrading of basic infrastructure facilities such as sewer systems and rehabilitated roads have helped 85,000 people in several wards of Lao Cai and Phu Ly cities. Flooding and pollution caused by wastewater have also been addressed through improvements of retention lakes, drainages and sewer system and construction of Wastewater Treatment Plants.VNS
LOS ANGELES  A US appeals court on Monday left in place a block on President Donald Trumps travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations -- the latest in a string of judicial blows for the controversial measure.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in its ruling largely upheld an injunction on the ban issued by a lower court, but said the government was within its right to review the vetting process for people entering the country.

"Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," the three justices said in their unanimous ruling. "The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."

The decision came just ahead of a deadline for states challenging the ban to submit briefings before the US Supreme Court in response to the Trump administrations request that the nine justices hear the case.

The US Justice Department filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court on June 1, urging it to undo two lower court rulings blocking Trumps decision to prevent entry to travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days.

Trumps executive order also temporarily puts a halt to Americas refugee program and reduces the number of refugees to be admitted this year to 50,000, instead of the 110,000 planned by the Obama administration.

The Trump administration argues the measures are needed to ward off terrorist attacks in the country while the government reviews its vetting process.

Critics say the ban is discriminatory and violates the US constitution by specifically targeting Muslim-majority countries.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the latest ruling.

Powers not unlimited

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals appeared to reject much of the administrations arguments for reinstating the travel ban, notably relying on government reports to support its decision.

Its ruling said that a report from the Department of Homeland Security issued just after Trumps first executive order in March concluded that citizenship of any given country "is unlikely to be a reliable indicator of potential terrorist activity."

Quoting the report, it added that citizens from the countries targeted by Trumps ban are "rarely implicated in US-based terrorism."

It also rejected the governments assertion that Trumps executive order -- which was revised after the initial one was struck down by the courts -- was not subject to judicial review.

"Although the executive order has broad discretion over the admission and exclusion of aliens, that discretion is not boundless," the court said.

"Whatever deference we accord the presidents immigration and national security policy judgments does not preclude us from reviewing the policy at all," it added.

It said while the president has broad powers to suspend the entry of aliens, that authority is not "unlimited."

The state of Hawaii, one of the jurisdictions challenging the ban, said in court papers filed on Monday before the Supreme Court that Trumps order had had "staggering" consequences. It said reinstating it would plunge "the country back into the chaos and confusion that resulted when the first (executive order) was announced." AFP
Chief Ministers Address to United Nations C-24

The CM's address, which was delivered yesterday Monday 12th June, was dedicated to the Hon Juan Carlos Perez 1955  2017

"Mr Chairman,

Let me start by saying that I will be writing to you about the things you have said this morning about visiting missions which defy logic and which are unacceptable to the Government and people of Gibraltar and which the General Assembly had previously rejected.

Since I last addressed this Committee, the people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union. The people of Gibraltar also voted in that referendum.

We chose by 96% to remain in the EU.

We nonetheless will leave the EU on such terms and at such a time as the United Kingdom may agree with the EU.

It is therefore an auspicious year for me to address you. In fact, it is particularly special because it will also be 50 years on the 10th September since we first bored in a referendum. 99.64% voted to remain British.

In these five decades, we have been made to pay a high price for the audacity of our choice.

The Spanish fascist dictator, General Franco, closed the land frontier and cut all communications between Gibraltar and Spain as a direct result of that referendum.

He sought to compel us by siege and pressure to change the view we had freely taken and fairly at the ballot box. He failed.

Families were physically divided, patients were denied oxygen in our hospitals, businesses were ruined. Jobs were lost and thousands of people were displaced.

A cruel punishment was imposed on our cherished Referendum Generation because they had the temerity to cast votes to remain British.

The exercise our right to chose.

This Committee should therefore immediately have removed Gibraltar from the list of Non-Self Governing Territories then.

50 years on, you have not yet done so despite our continued political emancipation which, in effect, terminates your jurisdiction as we reach the maximum level of self-government, short of independence.

Indeed, I. 2006, we exercised our right to self-determination to choose our current Constitution as a method of decolonialisation, representing the tailor-made Fourth Option available to us under the Resolutions.

Because, Mr Chairman, our right to self-determination is not vitiated by a non-existent doctrine that sovereignty disputes suspend application of inalienable rights. No such doctrine exists, nor can exist, however much you try yo shoehorn one in. No such distinction should determine which territories you chose to visit.

And therefore this Committees failure to heed the result of the exercise of the right to self-determination of the People of Gibraltar is a failure of the very reason for the Committees existence.

A failure, quite simply, of yours aced mission to protect the people of the Non-Selfing Governing Territories, a failure you have yourself recognised today, Mr Chairman. I welcome your candid recognition of the stagnation of this Committee.

We will not change our position because this Committee fails to act as the UN treaties require and as the Resolutions of the General Assembly demand.

We will not give up in order to make the work of this Committee easier and you should not allow your visits not to include Gibraltar as, to do so, makes a mockery of what your work is supposed to be.

We will not roll over and allow the Spanish claim to our land to succeed because we are worn down by years of this Committees inactivity and failure.

This is not going to happen, whether you come to Gibraltar or not.

In fact, we confirmed our choice in a second referendum, on Joint Sovereignty in 2002.

That result was as clear as it had been 35 years earlier.

99% reflected Joint Sovereignty again.

Because our People wish to be de-listed and de-colonised.

We do not want to be re-colonised by Spain,

We do not wish to end up with two colonial masters, two Administering Powers, under Joint Sovereignty.

So, have no doubt, Mr Chairman Brexit or no Brexit, if we held another referendum today on Joint Sovereignty or full Spanish sovereignty, the results would be the same.

We remain steadfast in our rejection of any aspect of Spanish sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over our affairs. Because No means No.

Despite that, the former Foreign Minister of Spain, Snr Margallo stated immediately after the result of the Brexit referendum that the Spanish flag would fly over Gibraltar within four years. Ironically, he was removed from his post soon afterwards.

We, of course, welcome the more conciliatory tone adopted by the new Spanish Foreign Minister, Snr Dastis. But we reject the continued insistence on the already-rejected notion of Joint Sovereignty.

Snr Dastis may represent a different tone but he represents the same objective, a Spanish Gibraltar, despite the contrary wishes of the People of Gibraltar.

Democrats must accept the results of free and fair choices made at the ballot box and our response to Spains Joint Sovereignty proposals is crystal clear:

Thank You but No Thank You.

Despite that, we do not reject the notion of cooperation with our neighbour. Every day 12000 very welcome cross- frontier workers enter Gibraltar from Spain to work on the Rock.

Independent studies show that we represent 25% of the GDP and of the jobs of the Spanish region around Gibraltar. We remain ready to cooperate and to return to the Trilateral Forum for Dialogue which this Committee itself we,comes in years past.

The U.K. Has also said it remains strongly committed to that Forum for Dialogue.

The only party absent from that Forum for Dialogue is Spain.

I therefore strongly urge the Kingdom of Spain to be brave and to engage with us in a mutually-acceptable dialogue designed to resolve the many mutually-concerning issues that will arise as a result of the UKs decision to leave the European Union.

Talking would be a more modern and progressive approach to cooperation to pursuing a policy of vetoes which will achieve nothing.

What we must achieve in the context of the years to come is to continue to see our region grow economically for mutual benefit.

What we must be mindful of is what our people expect from us.

They do not wish politicians to find conflict

They wish politicians to find the common ground between our respective red lines They wish politicians to find solutions without compromising our principles.

We remain ready to engage

Because, Brexit or no Brexit, Gibraltar will remain a highly successful international business hub. None of that is going to change. Neither will our resolve to determine exclusively for ourselves the sovereignty of our Gibraltar. Of that you should be in no doubt!

Come to visit Gibraltar and see for yourselves.

If you dont, you simply compound your failure to the people of Gibraltar. But, at least, ask yourselves why some might not wish you to come Gibraltar  no doubt because you would see the truth for yourselves and you would then have to support our request to de-list Gibraltar without more ado.

On that  as on all else  WE WILL PREVAIL! "
Virginia Tech will expand its Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

The interdisciplinary program, which involves 12 departments in seven colleges across the Blacksburg campus, seeks to integrate research, teaching, and outreach to allow faculty and students to work together to develop comprehensive solutions to complex problems.

Multidimensional issues  such as global justice, environmental sustainability, corporate responsibility, and poverty  can be effectively addressed only through interdisciplinary analysis, said the programs founding director, Michael Moehler, an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy. The greatest strength of our program lies in its advancement of solutions that are not only economically sound, but also socially, ethically, and politically informed. We look forward to extending the programs reach as a resource for the entire university community.

Before joining Virginia Tech, Moehler held visiting professorships in the Department of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and its joint Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with Duke University, as well as the Murphy Institute at Tulane University. Among other positions, he has served as the John Stuart Mill Visiting Chair of Social Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hamburg in Germany.

Under Moehlers leadership, the Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics will receive a financial boost of more than $1 million over the next three and a half years from the collaborative efforts of David Kellogg, a 1982 graduate of Virginia Techs electrical engineering program; the Charles Koch Foundation; and university sources.

It is my hope that the PPE program will encourage the free expression of ideas and instill critical thinking skills, which are necessary to develop practical public policy solutions, said Kellogg, who serves as chief executive officer of Solers, Inc., a Blacksburg-based software and systems engineering firm. Im excited to support this academic opportunity for Virginia Techs students and scholars and look forward to seeing their impactful work.

The funding will support two postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Philosophy, two graduate teaching assistants, a speaker series, and an annual distinguished public lecture.

Im thrilled for the opportunity to take the program to the next level, said Moehler, who, in addition to his appointment in the Department of Philosophy, is a core faculty member of the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought, or ASPECT, in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and an affiliate faculty member of the Department of Economics in the College of Science. He earned his doctorate at the London School of Economics.

The Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics embodies Virginia Techs vision of educating students who, informed by the latest research, can articulate and solve complex problems on a national and even international scale, said Rosemary Blieszner, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. We are confident that, under Michael Moehlers able leadership, even more Virginia Tech students will be able to embrace the programs vibrant learning opportunities.
Blood drive set in Cedar Falls

CEDAR FALLS  There will be a Cedar Falls community blood drive from 12:30 to 6 p.m. June 26 at First United Methodist Church, 718 Clay St.

To make an appointment, go to lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903.

Womans Club elects officers

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Womans Club has elected the following officers at the spring luncheon and installation May 25: Rosanne Kratoska, president; Mary Potter, vice president; Marilyn Rasmussen, recording secretary; Lynn Kloberdanz, corresponding secretary; and Louise Conklin, treasurer.

The Womans Club was organized in 1872 and meets at the Snowden House on the second and fourth Thursday of each month except June, July and August.

Anyone interested in joining may call 235-9412 for more information.

Deere retirees potluck slated

WATERLOO  The Supervisors Club will host the monthly retirees potluck on Thursday for all former and current members of the club.

Bring a dish to share and table service. Social hour begins at 5 p.m., with serving at 6 p.m. Contact Reno at 215-5689 for reservations or questions.
WATERLOO  Two people have pleaded guilty in a 2014 case where a man was beaten with a tire iron at a convenience store.

Keith Porter, 38, and Tracie Ayauna Thomas, 38, entered Alford pleas to charges of willful injury causing bodily injury and misdemeanor assault with a weapon on May 30 in Black Hawk County District Court. Sentencing has been set for July, and the willful injury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Authorities allege Porter and Thomas chased Ronald Taylor of Waterloo into Neighborhood Mart on Lafayette Street in November 2014. Porter allegedly punched Taylor in the face, and Thomas struck him with a tire iron. He was hit with a metal chair after he fell to the floor.

Taylor suffered a broken arm and a concussion.
CEDAR FALLS  A longtime University of Northern Iowa professor known for her involvement on campus and in Waterloo has died.

Scharron Clayton, president since 2014 at KBBG, Waterloos African-American public radio station, died Sunday after a long illness at age 70, according to family and friends.

She was a professor of philosophy and religion, and the African-American community really meant a lot to her, said son Webster Clayton IV, a Chicago attorney. And she always wanted to make sure that community had some kind of outlet, KBBG or some other outlet. She was an educator, first and foremost.

Clayton had been on leave from UNI for about a year and a half, said Jerome Soneson, head of the department of philosophy and religion. Station officials also were aware of her illness. Clayton played an active role in the station up to the time of her death.

Clayton volunteered at KBBG for years, working on several shows, including as an on-air host. She succeeded longtime KBBG president Lou Porter following Porters retirement.

She stepped in at a very critical time when she came on board, and she never received one penny, said UNI professor and KBBG board vice chair Gloria Kirkland-Holmes. The role she played in keeping this station open was unbelievable.

Kirkland-Holmes said the KBBG board has discussed a successor and will meet soon to firm up those plans.

Claytons impact crossed color lines, Soneson said.

I think she, over the years, had an extraordinary impact for all sorts of students, he said. For white students, she has been able to explain the history and culture of the African-American community in America in a riveting and significant way so that students are able to see these things through her eyes.

And for African-American students, shes been able to mentor them and encourage them. She herself became a model for them, Soneson said.

She also served on Iowa gubernatorial commissions on the status of women and African-Americans, Soneson said.

The thing I always admired about Scharron is she was one of the last pillars that kept us all into the history of civil rights and equal rights of all people, said Robert Smith, director of the University of Northern Iowa Center for Urban Education.

Clayton came to Waterloo-Cedar Falls in 1989 and was named to the faculty in 1991 after having served as an adjunct instructor. The Cleveland native had worked at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City and at Alabama State University. At UNI she also had served as an associate dean in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Webster Clayton IV said his mother held multiple doctoral degrees. She also had done consulting work for businesses and served on KBBGs advisory board.

Contemporaries remembered Clayton as a role model for working women.

I cant tell you how much her passing has affected me, said Gwenne Berry, chief diversity officer at UNI. She was someone I admired in so many ways. I used to call her for child-rearing advice, career advice, life advice. She was something special. Shed always remind me  usually through a hilarious story  that everything was going to work out okay.

Webster Clayton IV said his Facebook page is filling up with words of praise for his mother from former students and colleagues.

He and Kirland-Holmes suggested anyone wanting to honor Claytons memory could do so by contributing to KBBG. Webster said services for his mother are still being determined.
CEDAR FALLS -- A longtime University of Northern Iowa professor known for her involvement on campus and in Waterloo has died.

Scharron Clayton, president since 2014 of KBBG, Waterloo's African-American public radio station, died Sunday after a long illness at age 70, according to family and friends.

"She was a professor of philosophy and religion, and the African-American community really meant a lot to her," said son Webster Clayton IV, a Chicago attorney. "And she always wanted to make sure that community had some kind of outlet, KBBG or some other outlet. She was an educator, first and foremost."

Clayton had been on leave from UNI for about a year and a half, said Jerome Soneson, head of the department of philosophy and religion. Station officials also were aware of her illness, said UNI professor and KBBG board vice chair Gloria Kirkland-Holmes. Nevertheless, Clayton still played an active role in the station up to the time of her death.

"She had volunteered at KBBG for many many years," Kirkland-Homes said, and worked on several shows at the station, including as an on-air host. She succeeded longtime KBBG president Lou Porter following Porter's retirement.

"She stepped in at a very critical time when she came on board and she never received one penny," Kirkland-Holmes said. "The role she played in keeping this station open was unbelievable."

Kirkland-Holmes said the KBBG board has discussed succession plans and will meet soon to firm up those plans.

Clayton's impact crossed color lines, Soneson said.

"I think she, over the years, had an extraordinary impact for all sorts of students," he said. "For white students, she has been able to explain the the history and culture of the African-American community in America in a riveting and significant way so that students are able to see these things through her eyes.

"And for African-American students, she's been able to mentor them and encourage them. She herself became a model for them," Soneson said.

Many UNI faculty also serve in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls community, Soneson said but Clayton was unusual in the number of depth of the community capacities in which she served. He said she also served for a time on Iowa gubernatorial commissions on the status of women and African-Americans.

"The thing I always admired about Scharron is she was one of the last pillars that kept us all into the history of civil rights and equal rights of all people," said Robert Smith, director of the University of Northern Iowa Center for Urban Education.

"With her background in African-American studies she was well versed in that part of our history," Smith said. "She was kind of one of the last legacies, reminding us what the struggles were for so many of us people of color. She was well versed in it and she was passionate about it and always reminded us of how we got here" and how far society at large has yet to go in that area.

Clayton came to Waterloo-Cedar Falls in 1989 and was named to the faculty in 1991 after having served as an adjunct instructor. Prior to that, the Cleveland native had worked at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City and at Alabama State University. At UNI she also had served as an associate dean in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Webster Clayton IV said his mother held multiple doctoral degrees. She also had done consulting work for businesses and served on KBBG's advisory board.

Contemporaries also remembered Clayton as a role model of moral support for working women.

"I can't tell you how much her passing has affected me," said Gwenne Berry, chief diversity officer at UNI. "She was someone I admired in so many ways. I used to call her for child-rearing advice, career advice, life advice. She was something special. She'd always remind me -- usually through a hilarious story -- that everything was going to work out okay."

"I admired her so very much that I used to actually say to myself, when faced with difficulties or problems at work, 'What would Scharron do?' " Berry said. "And that's because I considered her so poised and full of bearing. She was the epitome of what I wanted to be: Intelligent, knowledgeable, kind, proud, hard-working, strong and willing to stand up for her beliefs."

Webster Clayton IV said his Facebook page is filling up with words of praise for his mother from former students and colleagues.

He and Kirland-Holmes suggested that anyone wanting to honor Clayton's memory could do so by volunteering or contributing to KBBG. Webster said services for his mother are still being determined.
WAVERLY  Left-leaning activists have been concerned about the increase of money in politics at least dating back to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed for more campaign spending. Their concerns have only grown since then.

To help educate the public on whats happened since that Citizens United decision, a local progressive Indivisible group will host political scientist Alexander Hertel-Fernandez.

The lecture will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Waverly Civic Center, 200 First Ave. N.E.

Stephanie Schwinn, a leader of Indivisible of Bremer County and parts of Fayette, Buchanan and Black Hawk counties, said the group worries about how corporations are usurping the voice of the people in the Democratic process through money and the influence of American Legislative Exchange Council.

We sort of feel like thats contrary to the democratic process, particularly at the state level, where issues of concern really should be coming from constituents, not from outside billionaires who dont really have a vested interest in our community, Schwinn said. We felt like this was a good opportunity to help educate the public about whats been going on.

Hertel-Fernandez is an assistant professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. His lecture will look at how conservatives work across states on political advocacy and what progressives can learn from that success.

Schwinn said she hopes the event will inspire others to action.

I would like to see people demand that their legislators hear their voices instead of the billionaires voices. I would like to see people get more active in the political and democratic process. I think those would be two very worthwhile goals, Schwinn said.
WATERLOO  The citys oldest parking ramp is in line for major repairs.

Waterloo City Council members opened bids Monday for improvements to the East Fifth Street parking garage, which was built in 1957 along with the West Fifth Street ramp.

Merit Construction Services of Farmington, Minn., was the lowest of five companies bidding on the work at $465,000, which was well below the $550,000 engineering estimate. Council members are expected to award the contract at a future meeting.

The main portion of this project  is structural repairs, said Doug Schindel, from the AECOM engineering firm. We did this three or four years ago in the Park Avenue ramp, where we replaced all the expansion joints in the parking garage and the delamination of the concrete thats occurred over there.

The East Fifth Street project also replaces 10 doors in the stairwells.

AECOM completed a detailed inspection in 2013 of both the East and West Fifth Street ramps, outlining nearly $3 million in repairs and maintenance on the now 60-year-old structures. That report did not include the other two downtown garages: the Park Avenue ramp built in 1985 and the Commercial Street structure erected in 1982.

Councilman Steve Schmitt questioned whether the ramp, which is primarily leased by downtown workers and residents, was being fully utilized.

That ramp is pretty full, replied interim Public Works Director Sandie Greco. As of last year, almost all the levels were full except for the very top.

In other business, council members unanimously:

Accepted a $30,000 grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association to purchase a full spectrum imaging system, which is a high-technology camera for police evidence gathering. The grant will be matched by $10,000 each from the citys police forfeiture funds, Black Hawk County Attorneys Office forfeiture funds and county sheriffs office forfeiture funds.

Received two offers from developers interested in rehabilitating a house at 1606 Williston Ave., which the city acquired through a court order. Robert Castro Construction bid $10,005 for the home while Americans for Independent Living offered $5,000.
CEDAR FALLS  Five years have made a big impact on the Cedar Valley Nonprofit Association.

Since it began, CVNA earned the Innovation Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has grown to 75 members.

When this was started, it was the first of its kind in the state, said Tom Wickersham, program director for Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. The nonprofit sector impacts all of our lives here in the Cedar Valley. The stronger the nonprofit sector, the better our lives are.

On Wednesday, CVNA will celebrate its fifth anniversary with an event at the Island Park Boat House at 5 p.m. Go to https://cedarvalleynonprofitassociation.com/ to RSVP.

We want to use that opportunity to highlight some of the accomplishments in the first five years and share some of our future plans, said Wickersham.

CVNA was developed in part to help separate organizations join forces and improve networking, collaboration and educational opportunities, said Wickersham.

It was about helping to give them a collective voice about the work that theyre doing, he explained.

As highlights of the first five years, Wickersham points to legislative forums hosted by CVNA with area legislators, which resulted in legislative proposals based on input from member agencies. Hes also proud of CVNA programming offered in collaboration with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance, Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau and Cedar Falls Tourism, respectively.

Some groups are below the radar and lack the means to promote themselves and maximize fundraising. The overall goal of the association continues to emphasize broader, deeper awareness to the individual and collective community impact of nonprofit agencies, said Wickersham.

In the future, CVNA plans to augment and strengthen programming offered to association members and provide more networking opportunities. The anniversary celebration will include an announcement about new resources offered through an improved website, said Wickersham, along with information about scholarship funds to help nonprofits with professional development.

CVNA is beginning to change how area residents think of nonprofit agencies, too.

When you think about nonprofits, what comes to mind might be something like the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, he said. So someone might say, I dont go to the food bank. I dont use their services. But you support your neighbor in keeping them solvent; you do that when you help the food bank. And you support the community in helping to make it a better place.

A group presence helps area residents view nonprofits as fulfilling a variety of needs, Wickersham added.

Organizations like the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and Hartman Reserve are important to the Cedar Valley, he said. Business might tout the fact that this community has strong education and cultural offerings, which are part of the nonprofit sector and work together to make our community a better place to live.

CVNA helps the groups tell the story of how nonprofits work together to show the connectedness of human services, the arts, culture, education and health in the community.

If you ask the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber how they can draw businesses to the area, they want to be able to point to the richness of our community, said Wickersham. The work workcollectively of our all our nonprofit agencies is so important to our bodies, our environment, our culture and all the economic drivers in the region.

Recent partnerships between nonprofits can illustrate a mutually beneficial relationship, such as the recent Northstar Community Services play hosted by Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.

Northstar was an organization that was typically thought of as helping the people who use its programs and services, Wickersham explained. But there is an expanded view of it as an event for our community to enjoy the richness of a wonderful performance  at a high profile venue.
DUNKERTON  Two people were taken to a Waterloo hospital following a Monday afternoon crash.

According to Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies, Ken Harmening, 53, of Sumner, was eastbound on Fairbank Road driving a Ford 500 passenger car and was attempting to pass several vehicles at one time.

One of the vehicles was a Dodge Ram pickup driven by Merle Wilson III, 51, of Fairbank, that had slowed and was attempting a left turn into the drive of 10233 Fairbank Road.

The Ford struck the Dodge just behind the driver's door resulting in the truck rolling onto its side, according to sheriffs deputies.

Both drivers were transported to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Their conditions have not been released.

The accident remains under investigation and charges are pending. The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, Dunkerton Police and Fire, Fairbank Ambulance, and Dell's Towing.
Jay Paul/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A University of Virginia fraternity has agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit it filed against Rolling Stone magazine after the publication of a now-debunked and retracted story about an alleged on-campus rape, the fraternity announced.



"The Virginia Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity has agreed to settle and dismiss its defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone and Sabrina Erdely arising from the magazines publication of the November, 2014 article A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA," the fraternity said in a statement.



The article, A Rape on Campus, was a 9,000-word account of alleged institutional indifference to sexual assault survivors and the mishandling of sexual assaults on college campuses that went on to become the most-read non-celebrity story in the 49-year history of Rolling Stone, ABC News reported in 2014. Sabrina Rubin Erdely, the author of the feature, said she went into hiding after receiving death threats over the article, ABC News reported at the time.



The story, which was later retracted, centered around Jackie, a young woman who was allegedly gang-raped at the Virginia Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house weeks into her first year at school.



"It has been nearly three years since we and the entire University of Virginia community were shocked by the now infamous article, and we are pleased to be able to close the book on that trying ordeal and its aftermath," the statement continued.



The fraternity said that a "significant portion" of the $1.65 million will go to organizations that work to prevent sexual assault, and treat victims of sexual violence.



"The chapter looks forward to donating a significant portion of its settlement proceeds to organizations that provide sexual assault awareness education, prevention training and victim counseling services on college campuses," the statement said. "Individual members of the chapter will not conduct media interviews at this time."



Rolling Stone magazine did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Almost as soon as former FBI Director James Comey started his session with the Senate intelligence committee Thursday, he characterized the President and his White House as liars. Comey was not subtle. He said that the Trump team "told lies" when explaining why the President fired him.

He explained to senators that he kept careful notes about each encounter with the President because of his wariness about Trump. "I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting. It led me to believe I've got to write it down. ... I knew there might come a day when I would need a record of what would happen, not just to defend myself but to defend the FBI."

This was stunning to hear from a private citizen who was recently a high-ranking official in the executive branch. Comey was not saying that the President is someone who tends to be elusive or who uses words in tricky ways, but more fundamentally that he is a person who can't be trusted even in a private meeting with the head of the FBI.

It was such an extraordinary portrayal of the President that White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders had to tell reporters right away that "I can definitively say the President is not a liar, and I think it's frankly insulting that question would be asked."

Trump is not the first commander in chief to be called out for the veracity of his statements.

Louisiana's Huey Long called FDR a liar as early as 1933. Liberal Democrats were blasting President Lyndon Johnson after the Tet Offensive in 1968 for not being honest about the situation in Vietnam.

During the congressional investigation into Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal, officials such as John Dean were blunt with legislators about why the President could not be trusted in his denials that anything improper had taken place. The "smoking gun" tapes offered vivid proof to the nation that Nixon could not be trusted at his word.

President Ronald Reagan falsely denied to Americans that the United States had traded weapons to Iran for hostages and was blamed for members of his administration lying to Congress about their providing support to the Nicaraguan Contras despite a congressional ban on doing so.

Congressional Republicans in the 1990s spoke frequently about President "Slick Willie" Bill Clinton and his trouble with the truth, as was evident when he wagged his finger at the nation and said he never had sex with "that woman" Monica Lewinsky.

Some Democrats accused President George W. Bush of lying about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Sen. Harry Reid called Bush a "liar" with regard to a decision about storing nuclear waste in Nevada. On the floor of the House, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson yelled out, "You Lie!" as President Barack Obama discussed elements of his health care bill during a televised speech to Congress.

Yet the problem with Trump seems qualitatively different in scale and scope. The fact that Comey was so willing to use the term "lie" in his description of the President points to a fundamental character problem in the Oval Office.

Before the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump fueled the birther movement, which was based on a lie about Obama's birthplace. During the campaign, candidate Trump made or repeated a long list of statements about Hillary Clinton and the Democrats that had no basis in truth.

Since his inauguration, we have seen how the President is willing to say things publicly that are blatantly false -- from crowd sizes to allegations of voter fraud -- while Republicans have thrown their hands up in frustration as they watch Trump contradict himself or his Cabinet. Comey made clear it Thursday that even in the most private setting, there are officials working for the President who felt the same level of distrust about their leader.

While all presidents lie, Trump seems to have made this a dangerous art form. He is someone who appears to be willing to lie without restraint, about almost anything, and with reckless abandon. He has fueled a political atmosphere filled with false information and misstatements that destabilize our public discourse. Indeed, Trump triggered an entire debate in the media about whether reporters should use the word "lie" to describe a president's statements.

Because of his problematic character, our commander in chief does not have much credibility in this investigation and when it comes to governance. Outside of his base of support, there are many politicians, foreign leaders, journalists and voters who don't believe what the President has to say.

While lying is not an impeachable offense, it is a huge problem when it comes to governance, and it weakens his ability to persuade the public that the accusations being launched against him are not true. The public record of lying is too robust to take Trump at face value.

He can still count on the Republican Congress to protect a Republican President. He and his advisers know that many members of Congress, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, will be extremely cautious before triggering any kind of impeachment proceeding.

But Trump does find himself in Nixon territory, and a large part of his problem is the utter lack of credibility that result from his own statements. On Thursday, Comey confirmed this impression in a way that few other Americans could.

Some of Trump's supporters are trying to defend his loose style, including the way that he spoke to Comey as "Trump being Trump." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dismissed the remarks as "normal New York" talk -- just like the statements on the "Access Hollywood" tapes were dismissed by supporters as merely "locker room talk" -- while he and others have defended Trump as an outsider trying to learn the ways of Washington.

Comey offered a much more hard-hitting assessment. He just said that the President lies and, based on his written testimony, that he is someone who is willing to intimidate, to threaten and to be extraordinarily aggressive with people he does not like.

While some Republicans are trying to spin his behavior as acceptable, it is not. Even if there was no intention to obstruct justice and there was no collusion with the Russians during the election, there is ample evidence of extremely problematic behavior that can slip into the abuse of power and dangerous policy decisions.

CNN's Saba Hamedy, Joe Sutton and Cassie Spodak, and journalist Ivaylo Vezenkov contributed to this report
A Louisiana congressman, Rep. Clay Higgins, is taking criticism for a Facebook post following the London Bridge attacks in which he said of Islamic terror suspects, For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.

Ignore, for a moment, that this extrajudicial, vigilante streak against the accused runs counter to the Constitution and Geneva Convention; the first 12 people taken into custody in London were all released without facing charges. The congressmans divisive words, regardless of intention, drive deeper a wedge between all Muslims and the country that has long welcomed those of all religions.

But such statements are being used as propaganda by the Islamic State to recruit new members who feel they must join to stay faithful to Islam, whose message has been warped by these terrorists. Accordingly, Western officials who take a hard line on Muslims at large, pinning the despicable actions of a few on the multitudes, are playing right into the groups tactics.

Last fall, the terror group used film of anti-Muslim rhetoric by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail as part of its recruitment material. And why not? If the leader of the free world says you arent welcome in the United States, still renowned worldwide for its freedom, a group of black-clad killers is more than happy to offer a place to practice your faith, so long as it meets their interpretation of Islam.

The Islamic States ultimate goal, publicly stated in its publications, is to hasten the arrival of an apocalyptic World War III in which Muslims (those who subscribe to the radicals violent, distorted views of Islam, anyway) fight the apostates for the establishment of the global caliphate. Key to that effort is convincing Muslims who arent extremists to join the Islamic State, which perpetuates most of its atrocities against Muslims in the Middle East.

Their endgame is no secret  so the U.S. must stop advancing it, even indirectly.

Given the terrorists deft use of the internet to recruit members and spread fear, the battlefield extends to the hearts and minds of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims, nearly a quarter of the worlds population, regardless of geography. The U.S. and its allies must fight back against the rhetoric exhibited by the congressman and other prominent voices if they hope to defeat the Islamic State.

To do that, Americans must work with, not against, Muslims both here and abroad.

Often lost in the bullhorns din is the well-documented fact Muslims want to end the Islamic States terror across the globe. The West and Islam must strive to unite, rather than divide, to combat their common enemy hellbent on death and destruction.
CLERMONT  One person was seriously injured in a Saturday night crash near Clermont.

Fayette County sheriffs deputies were called to an accident on Apple Road about a mile east of Clermont about 11:30 p.m. and found a car in a ditch.

Driver Daniel Alexander Streeter, 21, of Fayette, was taken to Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital in West Union by ambulance for life-threatening injuries. He was then flown to Gundersen in La Crosse, Wis.

Deputies said he was driving west in a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix when the vehicle entered the ditch. The vehicle was a total loss, according to the sheriffs office.

Clermont Ambulance and Clermont Fire Department were on scene to assist with the accident. The accident remains under investigation.

Waterloo man

reports mugging

WATERLOO  Police are investigating a mugging.

A 61-year-old man told police he was walking home from a bar around 1:30 a.m. Thursday and was in the 300 block of Walnut Street when someone struck him on the head from behind.

The attacker took cash and fled. Police said the injuries dont appear serious.

No arrests have been made in the robbery.

Former Delhi clerk

pleads guilty

DELHI  Delhis former city clerk has pleaded to allegations she took money from the city.

Angela Josephine Billings, 42, of Anamosa, entered a guilty plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to a single count of theft from a program receiving federal fund. Sentencing will be at a later date, and she faces up to 10 years in prison.

In Billingss plea agreement, she admitted she held a position of public trust that helped her steal from the city and cover up the crime, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Northern Iowa. She admitted she took at least $97,177 from the city between March 2007 and January 2015 by charging $88,160 in personal expenses on a city credit card and canceling $5,000 worth of her water bills or causing the city not to submit her water bills.

At the time of the theft, the city of Delhi had received block grant money through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Billings also was charged with theft in state court for allegedly taking $63,000 in unauthorized pay. A September date has been set in Delaware County District Court.

Motorcyclist, pedestrian hurt in separate crashes

WATERLOO  Two people were seriously injured in almost simultaneous but unrelated traffic accidents in downtown Waterloo on Saturday.

A motorcycle and a sport utility vehicle collided at the intersection of West Third and Jefferson streets around 10:10 p.m. Saturday. Lorie Davis, 57, of Waterloo, was driving the SUV and told police she was unable to see the motorcycle, driven by Randy Mohl, 37, of Waterloo, because of vehicles parked along the road and heavy pedestrian traffic in the area from My Waterloo Days, according to the accident report.

Mohl suffered head and leg injuries but was conscious and alert at the scene, the report states.

Then at 10:15 p.m., a truck struck a pedestrian in the roadway in the 300 block of West Fourth Street. Jeremy Meyers, 56, of Oelwein, suffered a broken arm, and paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took him to Covenant Medical Center.

Driver Hunter Hoffert, 16, wasnt injured.

Pleas entered in

2014 tire iron attack

WATERLOO  Two people have pleaded in a 2014 case where a man was beaten with a tire iron at a convenience store.

Keith Porter, 38, and Tracie Ayauna Thomas, 38, entered Alford pleas to charges of willful injury causing bodily injury and misdemeanor assault with a weapon May 30 in Black Hawk County District Court. Sentencing has been set for July, and the willful injury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Authorities allege Porter and Thomas chased Ronald Taylor of Waterloo into Neighborhood Mart on Lafayette Street in November 2014. Porter allegedly punched Taylor in the face, and Thomas struck him with a tire iron. He was hit with a metal chair after he fell to the floor.

Taylor suffered a broken arm and a concussion.

Man arrested after trying to break into C.F. home

CEDAR FALLS  A Cedar Falls man has been arrested for allegedly trying to break into a home while residents and children were home.

Joseph Richmond Kress, 24, of 2302 W. Third St., was arrested Thursday for attempted second-degree burglary. He was later released from jail.

A resident at 1409 W. Third St. called police around 12:50 a.m. Thursday after a man attempted to push in a basement window. The burglar saw a woman inside and fled.

Another witness saw a man sneaking through backyards with a window in his hands and saw him drive off in a Volkswagen, according to court records. Police traced the vehicle to Kress, records state.
A skilled divorce attorney not only helps their client consider the inevitable, they help cushion the fallout of the unpredictable.

CHICAGO, IL, June 13, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- All parents of schoolchildren know that the summer break means more time with their kids. However, for parents going through a divorce, this time presents challenges that they might not have anticipated. Attorney Natalie M. Stec believes that parents considering divorce can learn a valuable lesson from these types of circumstances.



"When school is session, a family's schedule is structured in very concrete ways," Stec said. "However, in the summer months, things become much more fluid and unpredictable. In some cases, parents planning a divorce don't consider subtleties like this until after their divorce is finalized."



Stec said that so many aspects of a divorce -- child custody, visitations, child support payments - require alterations due to changes in schedules involving travel, school and other factors. Foresight and experience are key to successful long-term planning of a divorce.



Every year in Illinois, there are nearly 30,000 divorces and annulments, according to state data. Though marriage often involves extensive planning, some couples understandably aren't as thorough when it comes to divorce, which can place a great burden on everyone involved. Attorney Amy Lynn Riley said that the services of an experienced divorce attorney are invaluable to parents and children.



"Parents can predict many important challenges and adjust accordingly," Wolfe said. "But parents who aren't familiar with the divorce process typically make the mistake of planning for the present, not the future. They are then blindsided by the challenges that creates."



The attorneys said that divorce attorneys can help a parent navigate the pitfalls of divorce and cater to their specific needs. Some of challenges faced by divorced parents are predictable, while others will stem from unforeseen circumstances, but nearly all of these challenges can be mitigated by thorough planning, Stec said.



"A skilled divorce attorney not only helps their client consider the inevitable," Stec said. "They help cushion the fallout of the unpredictable."



About Wolfe & Stec:

The law office of Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., handles criminal defense and family law cases in Illinois. They offer free initial consultations and schedule appointments at either of their locations in Woodridge and Chicago. To contact Wolfe & Stec, call 630-305-0222 or 312-388-7882 or visit them online at http://www.wolfeandstec.com/.



# # #
Jun 13, 2017 | By Benedict

German 3D printing company Concept Laser has made a 3D printed replica of the Rider of Unlingen, a 2,800-year-old bronze figure of a horse rider. The company is publicizing the project to demonstrate how 3D printing makes it possible to utilize archeological discoveries in new ways.

Spot the difference: 3D printed (above) and original (below) versions of the Rider of Unlingen

Its hard to imagine a world, thousands of years ago, in which there were no 3D printers. Not even the simplest of RepRaps, nor the most rudimentary of 3D Systems SLA machines. It hardly bears thinking about.

There were, however, makersof a sort.

We know this from the evidence: archeologists and historians spend their lives collecting and dating incredible manmade artifacts from bygone eras, using these physical objects to learn about ancient cultures.

Now that 3D printers do exist, researchers believe that additive manufacturing can actually benefit historical and archaeological studies of ancient manmade objects. Concept Laser, the German metal 3D printing specialist acquired last year by GE, recently demonstrated this fact by making a 3D printed replica of a unique artifact from the Hallstatt culture, the main Western and Central European culture of Early Iron Age Europe.

The object in question is the "Rider of Unlingen, a bronze statuette of a rider on a horse with two headsone at the front and one at the rear. Figurative depictions from the Hallstatt culture, which existed between the 8th and 6th centuries BC, are extremely rare in southern Germany, and the Rider of Unlingen represents one of the oldest depictions of a horse rider north of the Alps.

3D printing the Rider replica (twice) on the Concept Laser M2 cusing machine

The figurine, which was found in a Celtic chieftain's grave, is unique for being an early Celtic piece discovered in Central Europe.

Concept Laser recently used one of its M2 cusing machines to create a 3D printed replica of the Rider of Unlingennot just for show, but to allow more researchers to get up close and personal with the rare artifact.

The replica (and others like it) will be presented at a two-museum exhibition intended to demonstrate the power of 3D printing in the field of cultural heritage.

In the museum world, original specimens are grouped together in exhibitions, allowing them to be contrasted with comparable objects, explained Nicole Ebinger-Rist, of the Baden-Wurttemberg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments on the regional board of Stuttgart, Germany.

These comparative collections give exhibition visitors and scientific researchers insight in a historical context. A replica which is faithful to the original can be made accessible at museums in many different places around the world.

Theoretically, it should even be possible to reconstruct heavily damaged objects in the future, which would give the object its original shape back. Essentially, we'd be able to erase the destructive traces of history from an object.

Printing nears completion on the replica Rider

(Images: Concept Laser)

Using X-ray computer tomography (CT), Concept Laser experts were able to 3D scan the original Rider, before using Volume Graphics' VG Studio Max 3.0 to create a printable 3D model of the figure. Because the Concept Laser M2 cusing 3D printer can print with a variety of metals, engineers were able to find a bronze alloy that actually closely resembled the material of the original Rider once printed.

Concept Laser says that visually and tactilely, the reproduction horse rider is on par with the original piece.

Ultimately, the company thinks that the entire 3D printing industry has a big role to play in cultural preservation. The replica of the Rider of Unlingen might be one of the more impressive 3D printed replicas weve seen, but it certainly wont be the last.

All of a sudden, you're holding an object from the 7th Century B.C.E. in your hands, except that it's made out of powder from the 21st Century, Ebinger-Rist enthused. You've got a cultural-historically relevant copy in your hands and are looking at 28 centuries gone by. It's simply overwhelming.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Gerd Schwaderer wrote at 6/16/2017 2:47:14 PM:Unbelievable. A 2.800 year old metal figurine from the Celts, found in Unlingen. Later gotten famous as "PUSHMI-PULLYU" from Dr. Doolittle. Art and Engineering is a great combination. Where can I buy a replica?Bob wrote at 6/13/2017 7:05:02 PM:How come all the support




Jun 13, 2017 | By Tess

CECIMO, the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries, has published the European Additive Manufacturing Strategy, which specifies a number of areas that Europe should focus on in order to reap the benefits of 3D printing technology.

The 20-page document lays out a strategy that will help Europe move into the future while further integrating additive manufacturing. Among the focus areas that require improvement are skills and education, intellectual property rights, standardization, and financing.

With the rise of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies on the shop floor, industry entered a new round of innovation," writes CECIMO Director General Filip Geerts in the documents foreword. "If Europe aims to remain a leader on advanced manufacturing production, it will need to succeed in the global race to industrialise additive manufacturing.

The first part of the European Additive Manufacturing Strategy addresses Education and Skills, an area that CECIMO says is lacking. That is, the report cites a notable shortage in emerging skills related to additive manufacturing, skills which are increasingly in demand across most manufacturing-based industries.

Education systems across European countries have at times shown signs of obsolescence, reads the document. Educators find [it] difficult to catch up with the fast-paced developments of AM technologies. As a result, skills acquired by entrants to the AM labour market are at risk of misalignment with the current skills needs of companies. There is a need for a step change in approaching the preparation of curricula and setting out teaching strategies.

Fortunately, the report also lays out a productive strategy which could be adopted to help curb the education problem. Taking a top-down approach, CECIMO encourages the involvement of 3D printing companies in curricula creation. This, it says, will make it easier for educators to keep up with the latest trends and developments in the AM industry. Another key strategy point involves increasing financing for schools and universities to give them more access to 3D printing systems.

The second part of the strategy deals with standards and certifications, both crucially important for the adoption and proliferation of additive manufacturing processes. The report claims that the current method of companies each setting their own standards for 3D printed components causes fragmentation, and that Europe would be better off with set standards and certification processes. By supporting more coordination on standardization efforts, industry can spare time and financial resources for qualification in AM, says CECIMO.

Next up is intellectual property rights and patents development, which are areas that CECIMO says should be placed high in decision-makers agendas. An obvious risk of 3D printing technology, intellectual property theft has left many companies concerned about the adoption of 3D printing. Improved enforcement of existing IPR regulations, as well as lower costs and faster processing times for patents could help to limit the risk of IP theft.

In regards to R&D, the strategy suggests establishing a comprehensive research environment for additive manufacturing. This will involve encouraging startups and SMEs to participate in R&D by lowering the administrative burden and the lead time of granting proposals, as well setting up an online portal for project proposals. Ultimately, greater participation of SMEs in EU R&D activities would increase the application of AM systems by Europes end-user sectors, reads the report.

You can read the report in full here.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Jun 13, 2017 | By Benedict

The British National Health Service (NHS) may soon provide 3D printed prostheses to childrenfor free. The 3D printed devices, which are made by prosthetics company Open Bionics, will be the subject of a six-month clinical trial beginning this week.

11-year-old Tilly Lockey, pictured with her Open Bionics 3D printed hand, is one of the trial's participants

Its no secret that 3D printing has helped to reduce the cost of customized prosthetic devices for limb-different people. Prostheses that once cost upward of $65,000 can now be obtained for a fraction of that figure, giving a large number of people the opportunity to acquire new limbs where previously there was none.

But unless youre going for an ultra-budget option like the e-NABLE prosthetic hand, quality 3D printed prosthetic devicesthough cheaper than traditional modelscan still be costly. Take Open Bionics, for example, a British prosthetics specialist based in Bristol that has garnered a reputation for being one of the most exciting companies in its field. Though more affordable than existing options, its child-friendly devices can still cost upward of $6,000.

While the cost of expensive technology isnt going to magically diminish, a new clinical trial in the UK offers hope that customized 3D printed prostheses could soon be available to childrenat no cost at all.

Open Bionics is working with 10 children at a Bristol-based hospital for a six-month trial of its specialist prosthetic devices, which usually cost around $6,000. If the children acclimatize to their new 3D printed arms, which have controllable fingers thanks to clever muscle sensors, the British NHS could eventually offer such devices as part of its universally free healthcare service.

The 3D printed Open Bionics prosthetic arms consist of four separate printed parts which are assembled after printing. A two-minute 3D scanning session is required on each trial participant to ensure that their 3D printed prosthesis is a perfect fit, while assembly of the socket takes around 24 hours.

Open Bionics has a royalty-free licensing deal with Disney

Excitingly for the kids involved, Open Bionics has a royalty-free agreement with Disney that allows it to create special 3D printed prostheses inspired by kid-friendly movies like Iron Man, Frozen, and Star Wars. (Disney isnt so happy about unauthorized 3D printed copies of its characters.) This partnership is likely the result of Open Bionics once being part of a Disney startup accelerator program.

One of the 10 children taking part in the trial is 11-year-old Durham resident Tilly Lockey, who lost her hands after getting meningitis as a baby. Tilly told the BBC that her Open Bionics hand looks awesome andmakes you feel confident. She added: Instead of people thinking they feel sorry for you because you dont have a hand, theyre like: Oh my gosh, thats a cool hand!

Open Bionics won a 100,000 ($127,000) award from the Small Business Research Initiatives scheme to fund the trial, which it is carrying out with the North Bristol NHS hospital trust. It the trial is successful, the prosthetics company hopes it will be offered the chance to apply for a 1 million ($1.27m) grant to roll the product out across all NHS clinics.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Mohammed Hanif in Dawn:

I met the only Jewish-Pakistani in Israel by accident. It turned out he had also ended up there through a historic misunderstanding.

I wasnt looking for him. He wasnt expecting me.

In the last days of the last millennium, just before the millennium bug was predicted to wipe out all our computer memory, there were reliable rumours of peace between Israel and Palestine.

The proof of this impending peace was in my passport. I was given a reporting visa by the Israeli embassy in London on a Pakistani passport.

They were understanding enough not to stamp the visa on the passport. I had grown up with a green passport which said in bold letters, Valid for travel to all countries of the world except Cuba and Israel.

I was convinced that peace was about to break out when I reported to the Directorate of Censors in Jerusalem and discovered all its staff was on strike.

Having lived under various forms of censorship in Pakistan (from midnight knocks to what your uncle will think of what you are writing), I found it exhilarating: when your directorate of censorship goes on strike, who is there to fear?

Hours later, trying to score a meal, I was terrified. Like a naive tourist who believes that the best way to get to know a city is to get lost in the city, I tried to walk into random shops and cafes and bars.

When I tried this in the upmarket district of West Jerusalem I was pounced upon at the doors.

Your name? Your ID? And as I presented my passport with the hope of hearing, Oh where is Pakistan? What brings you to our country? I was told, We dont allow.

I almost wanted to say But I am not Palestinian but I realised it all probably sounded the same.

I retreated to the safety of the Jerusalem Hotel, where a tour operator with three mobile phones gave weary directions to lost souls like me.

More here.
Fans of Rich Table will feel right at home at husband-wife team Sarah and Evan Rich's new fast-casual joint, just a chicken bone's throw from its older sister.

RT Rotisserie is now open, serving roasted bird, porchetta, cauliflower, and a slew of sidesall just the kind of comforting and filling stuff you'd want to eat by the fire up in the mountains (i.e. just right for a San Francisco summer). The Hayes Valley space is plenty welcoming too, with a mix of bright white tiles, warm woods, industrial accents and pops of red. Order at the counter and grab one of just 46 seats for a heartening meal you won't soon forget.

Previous Next A pop of red on the front door welcomes guests into RT Rotisserie. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Fine Root was a consultant on the restaurant design, bringing in different elements of their sister restaurant, Rich Table, to create a similar warm, relaxed environment. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Beverages include local beer on tap, wine, and a house Shiso lemonade made daily. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next The rotisserie chicken, pork, and cauliflower are all prepared with a brine of buttermilk, umami powder, garlic and Douglas Fir. Each one is then brushed with a smoked, roasted garlic oil and topped with dill, shiso, parsley, mint, and a lemon. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next RT Rotisserie's chickens are sourced from Rocky Jr. and the pork is from Olivier Butchery, located in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next All mains are also served as sandwiches on fresh house-baked San Francisco-style Dutch crunch bread, like this pork belly sandwich with broccolini, chipotle, and fried onions. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Seasonal salads are also available with greens like little gem, kale or chicories, mixed with a miso vinaigrette, herbs, and seeds. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Make sure to order all of the sides -- you can't go wrong! Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Another sleeper side is the charred cabbage slaw topped with almonds. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Fans of fries won't want to pass on the umami fries, sprinkled with porcini powder and herbs, a reference to Rich Table's famous porcini donuts. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Daily there will be a rotating vegetable available  often a side dish like this amazing roasted corn with cojita cheese. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Vegetarians will quickly fall in love with the crispy, flavorful cauliflower at RT Rotisserie. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next A range of sauces are available to accompany your meal a chipotle yogurt, cilantro chimichurri, Douglas Fir sour cream, and "Nanny's BBQ" sauce. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Hand-rolled industrial steel accents contrast with the warm woods in RT Rotisserie's interior. Photo by Sarah Chorey Previous Next Photo by Sarah Chorey

// RT Rotisserie is open daily, 101 Oak St., rtrotisserie.com
A good hat will frame your face just soits brim just wide enough to complement the visage beneath, while adding a dash of allure to your everyday ensemble. Think of Holly Golightly in her beribboned Chapeau du Matin in Breakfast at Tiffany's and you'll catch our drift. And yet, when it comes to packing these delicate accessories, the options are far and few between.

Lindsay McConnon and Linsay Radcliffe, the two ladies behind the luxury accessories label Freya, felt the same and, thankfully for us, were driven to do something about it. Friends since they bumped into each other at their daughters' kindergarten, the effervescent McConnon and equally ebullient Radcliffe (who recently relocated to San Francisco from Houston), soon discovered their shared passion for travel, adventure and, of course, hats. An initial lamentation on the lack of stylish hat carriers resulted in the charismatic duo taking matters into their own hands. What started as an off-the-cuff idea by Radcliffe became a concrete product that also draws on McConnon's expertise as a savvy retail and e-commerce entrepreneur.

Freya founders Lindsay McConnon and Linsay Radcliffe. The two young mums cite juggling a good work and family balance as their greatest challenge since starting their label last year. (Photo by Janie Cai)



In addition to running their own label, both women are also full-time momsRadcliffe is a mother of two whilst McConnon has three young kids. But they've managed to turn Freya into a reality, thanks in part to a great partnership and a disciplined work ethic, after a year of painstaking design, sourcing and refining to develop their final product. This month saw the online launch of the Poppy ($890-$990), a Vogue-worthy carry-on that harks back to a time when travel was glamorous and luggage was the product of artisanal expertise. Handmade in Tuscany by a family of artisans who have been crafting leather bags for the last four generations, the case is available in a tres chic palette of colors including French blue, black croc and wine red. Each box bag also features a nattily designed (and ergonomic) swivel strap accented with metallic hardware, along with a detachable leather shoulder strap. Slip in your 13-inch laptop and overnight dopp kit, and you're ready for take-off. A row of elasticized silk interior pockets also keeps your valuables safely in place, while the lightweight but sturdy wooden scaffolding that gives the box its shape protects your precious hats from getting squashed in transit.

(Courtesy of Freya)

The hat-toting pair, each sporting a bespoke Hampui Medicine hat (McConnon's had a pheasant feather stuck jauntily in its band; Radcliffe's included an engraved Spanish medallion), named their brand after the British-Italian author and adventurer, Dame Freya Stark, whose intrepid forays into the Middle East came at a time when few other Westerners had ventured through the region. Her pioneering spirit, along with the wit and exuberance with which she chronicled her travels, inspired the aesthetic of the brand. In fact, numerous pictures of her showed a charming lady bedecked in a hat, often photographed in an exotic locale. McConnon and Radcliffe reimagined their hat box for a modern-day Freyaone who went boldly in search of adventure, and who did so with grace and in style.

The details, of course, mattered as much as the destination. A closer peek at the Poppy's custom-printed silk lining reveals an Art Nouveaustyle pattern that drew inspiration from the flora and fauna of Afghanistan, where Stark once traveled. The Mini Poppy ($590-$650) is a scaled down version of the larger carrier and makes for a gorgeous little handbag. Roomy enough to slip in all the essentials and more, the latest silk lining will feature hand-drawn camels illustrated by artist Xavier Cisneros. With its vintage silhouette, we're already eyeing the metallic red Mini Poppy as our next statement piece. After all, travel might be about experiencing the journey, but it doesn't hurt to arrive in style.

(Courtesy of Freya)

Travel tips from the Freya ladies:

Best for on-board pampering: Dr Dan's lip balm. Great for chapped and dry lips, just apply overnight and wake up to baby-smooth lips in the morning. Both ladies swear by it.

Best way to unwind after an eight-hour flight: A glass of Champagne or a soak in a hot bath with a face maskor both. Try Epicuren's Hydrating Mineral Mask to ease signs of sleepiness.

Best travel lippy: McConnon is a fan of Sephora's Oil Infusion, which provides intense color without the stickiness; Radcliffe never leaves home without her Sisley Paris Lip Balm.

Best bring-along fashion accessory: A well-made hat, along with their custom-designed silk scarves, which provide just the right pop of color for an outfit.

Best in-flight entertainment: A Kindle loaded up with a good read. Both highly recommend Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad.





// Shop Freya online at thefreyabrand.com.
While the pay could be better, benefits of teaching out of this world
Compal Electronics, Inc. (TPE:2324) is a Taiwan-based company principally engaged in the research and development, design, manufacture, and distribution of computing, communication, consumer, cloud and connecting (5C) electronic products. The Companys products include notebook personal computers, ultrabook personal computers, all in one (AIO) personal computers, tablet personal computers, servers, smart home systems, smart phones, automobile electronics (AE), public displays, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions, LCD monitors and other smart accessories and wearable devices. The Company operates businesses in America, Europe, and Asia, among others. Compal Electronics, Inc is listed on TSEC (2324), has over 43000 employees globally and a market capitalisation of approximately USD$2.75bn.


Apps Power 8 Second Personalised Job Applications

Sydney, June 13, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - SEEK ( ASX:SEK ) ( SKLTY:OTCMKTS ), Australia's number one jobs, employment and career marketplace has strengthened its mobile offering with the launch of a new solution that transforms the way people apply for jobs on-the-go. SEEK's new mobile offering leads the industry with functionality allowing both Android and iOS users to manage their job seeker profile (SEEK Profile) via their mobile, as well as upload and edit a CV or personalised cover letter, which is attached to their Profile.



- Bolsters mobile app offering with improved feature set for application on-the-go



- 1.5 million job applications logged via mobile each month



Today, more people are living on mobiles, making on-the-go functionality a game changer for job seekers wanting to tailor their applications, simply uploading files from cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive. The new solution, which was softly launched in March 2017, has delivered a 75 per cent increase in job applications completed via the mobile app each day.



SEEK was the first employment marketplace to offer such a sophisticated app experience in 2014. The company now processes 60 per cent of its traffic through mobile and receives nearly 1.5 million applications via mobile devices per month.



Michael Ilczynski, Managing Director ANZ at SEEK says the latest app release is a response to the worldwide shift to mobile. "We've seen that innovation plays a significant role in helping Aussies find fulfilling jobs and careers. Technology is a critical part in delivering solutions of the future and no other company in the space offers the breadth and depth of functionality across all mobile platforms that SEEK offers."



"Considering half of all the phones sold in Australia in 2016 run on Android, functionality across both Android and iOS is a key differentiator of our latest release. A very mobile savvy group, our Android visits have almost doubled since last year, to upwards of 4 million a month," said Michael.



Both of SEEK's mobile apps are facilitating behavioural changes in the recruitment process, with evidence of users taking a more considered and tailored approach to their job applications, moving away from an unsuccessful spray and pray approach. Michael from SEEK, believes the updated functionality will give applicants and recruiters alike, the benefits of a tailored CV and application, at the speed of mobile.



"It's the small details that can make a big difference for a candidate's chance of getting an interview, and the uptake of the new features in the app shows that users are enjoying being able to take control of the details that can improve their chances," said Michael.



"Looking at the numbers, since January 2017 we have seen 86,000 CVs uploaded and 68,000 deleted, indicating the people want to not just upload, but also tailor and manage CVs for varying roles in a matter of seconds from their mobile."



"Crafting a quality CV and SEEK Profile is a key skill to clearing the first hurdle; in today's economy, it's about quality, not quantity. Recruiters appreciate when an applicant demonstrates his or her suitability for a role, and for the first time, applicants have the capability to do that from their mobile device."





About SEEK Limited





SEEK Limited (ASX:SEK) (OTCMKTS:SKLTY) is a diverse group of companies, comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK operates across 18 countries with exposure to over 2.9 billion people and approximately 26 per cent of GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people's lives on a global scale. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 100 company with a market capitalisation close to A$6billion and has been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies Globally by Forbes, and Number One in Australia.


Welcomes the Finkel Review Recommendations

Sydney, June 13, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Genex Power Limited ( ASX:GNX ) (Genex or Company) welcomes the recommendations contained within the report commissioned by the Federal and State Energy Ministers by Dr Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist, into a review of the National Electricity Market (NEM) rules (Finkel Review) which was presented to the Prime Minister and State Premiers on Friday in Hobart.



The Finkel Review was aimed at providing government with a blueprint for energy sector security across the grid as well as ways to look at affordability and sustainability whilst more renewable energy flows into the electricity system. In particular, the Finkel Review, which focusses on a logical trilogy of energy security, energy reliability and reduced emissions, proposes that broader deployment of renewable and intermittent energy should necessarily be accompanied by energy storage, including batteries and pumped hydro.



Genex believes that the incorporation of this recommendation into national electricity policy will give Genex a distinct advantage over other renewable energy developers, particularly those with limited capacity to incorporate storage facilities into their renewable energy projects.



The Review contains several recommendations which have the potential to be highly significant and beneficial to Genex including:



- The introduction of a clean energy target (CET) aimed at decarbonising the electricity sector as part of a long-term vision for Australia's transition to a low emission future;

- Continued renewable energy investment;

- Incentives for, and a bigger focus on energy storage, including pumped hydro which may be mandated also for solar farms;

- The introduction of "despatchable capacity" in the form of baseload power with back up from renewables to tackle reliability and potentially allow Genex to sell storage certificates; and

- Changes to the NEM Rules which include provision for all new large scale renewable projects to have storage capacity to address ongoing reliability issues.



Whilst Genex recognises the role of battery storage as a viable energy alternative in the renewable energy equation, Genex's pumped scheme retains a significant capital cost and lifetime advantage over battery storage in the current investment market.



Genex also welcomes the unveiling by the Queensland State Government of $1.6 billion to unlock thousands of megawatts of large scale wind, solar and pumped storage hydro projects including a reverse auction of up to 400MW of energy including 100MW of energy storage.



Commenting on the release of the Review, Genex's Managing Director, Michael Addison, said:



"Genex believes that the incorporation of the Finkel recommendations into national electricity policy will give Genex a distinct advantage over other renewable energy developers, particularly those with limited capacity to incorporate storage into their renewable schemes."



To view the copy of the Finkel Review, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/1P8URT2Y





About Genex Power Ltd





Genex Power Limited (ASX:GNX) is focused on developing a portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects across Australia. The Company's flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in north Queensland, will integrate large-scale solar generation with pumped storage hydro. The Kidston Clean Energy Hub is comprised of the operating 50MW stage 1 Solar Project (KS1) and the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) with potential for further multi-stage wind and solar projects. The 50MW Jemalong Solar Project (JSP) is located in NSW and provides geographical diversification to the Genex Power Limited portfolio. JSP was energised in early December 2020 and commissioning is now underway. Genex is further developing its energy storage portfolio via the early stage development of a 50MW/75MWh standalone battery energy storage system at Bouldercombe in Queensland. With over 400MW of renewable energy and storage projects in development, Genex is well placed as Australia's leading renewable energy and storage company.


Acquires Option over the Good Days Lithium Project, Zimbabwe

Perth, June 13, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Prospect Resources Ltd ( ASX:PSC ) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement to acquire the Good Days Li-Ta-Be Project from Barrington Resources Pvt Ltd, a local private Zimbabwean Company. Barrington owns 7 Mining Claims covering approximately 8 km2 over the Good Days Pegmatite Swarm in North Eastern Zimbabwe. The Mining Rights cover several known historical operations including the Good Day Mine that produced lithium, beryl and Ta/Nb minerals up until 1972.



- Prospect Resources has secured an option to acquire 70% direct interest in the Good Days Lithium Project in Zimbabwe



- Option covers area of 8km2 containing numerous mineralised pegmatites, including historical workings at the Good Days and Jordywyitt mines



- Historical production from Good Days Mine included spodumene, beryl, tantalite, columbite, cassiterite, feldspar and lepidolite



- Exploration activities to commence immediately upon exercise of option



The option term will be for two months from execution, during which the Company intends to complete its technical due diligence that may include geological mapping, sampling and drilling. The acquisition supports the Company's ongoing strategy of identifying and developing quality lithium assets in Zimbabwe. Chairman of Prospect, Mr Hugh Warner had the following to say following signing of the option agreement:



"Over the last 12 months, Prospect has drilled more than 16,000m to delineate the Arcadia Lithium Deposit, one of the largest JORC reportable hard rock lithium deposits in the world. The Good Days Pegmatite field is considered as one of the larger Li mineralised pegmatite fields in Zimbabwe and we now have the opportunity to properly test and evaluate its potential and add it to our lithium portfolio. I'm looking forward to the results of the exploration work over the next two months that will hopefully reveal the project's true value and potential and add to Prospect's strategic lithium resource base in Africa."



PROJECT OVERVIEW & GEOLOGY



The Good Days lithium project is located approximately 30km east of the town of Mutoka in north eastern Zimbabwe and some 160km from the capital city, Harare. The project area consists of a swarm of Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum ("LCT") type pegmatites that either intrude a regional granodiorite dome or are situated close to its contact, penetrating the mixed rocks of the Budjga Dome suite as well as the rocks of the Makaha Greenstone Belt. Numerous small historical workings and excavations are located along several pegmatites, most notably at the Good Days Mine and Jordywyitt Mines where spodumene, beryl, tantalite, columbite, cassiterite and lepidolite was produced (see Figure 2 in the link below).



Good Days Mine Pegmatites.



The regional geological mapping over the Good Days area was completed in 1980 by Stocklmayer et al and published in the Zimbabwean Geological Survey Bulletin 89, where the Good Days pegmatites were reported on and are briefly summarized below.



The Good Days mine is located within a large LCT type pegmatite which is part of a swarm probably formed as a result of injection into and dilation of regional fractures by a pegmatite fluid.



The main or B pegmatite which has a length of some 750m and a maximum thickness of 60m, strikes east-west and dips moderately to the south. Two other pegmatites, A and A1, lie en echelon with B, but the former is thought to join the main body beneath the mine dumps.



The B Pegmatite appears variably zoned along its strike length, with the most of the pegmatite comprising coarse grained zones of microcline-perthite, quartz units and zones of fine grained albite-quartz-muscovite-biotite-porphyritic microcline. Towards the eastern end of the B pegmatite, zonation is apparent with several distinctive zones being identified over a strike length of at least 150m:



- Wall Zone being characterized by perthite with graphically intergrown quartz or by mixed feldspar.

- Outer-intermediate Zone characterized by albite and cleavelandite with quartz-mica patches

- Inner-intermediate Zone charachterised by the presence of lithium minerals, spodumene, lepidolite and zinnwaldite, plus albite and microcline perthite.

- Core Zone represented by a coarse perthite, massive quartz and some fine-grained albite.



Historical Production



Development of the Good Days mine was originally restricted to eluvial deposits as well as the hand cobbing of beryl from surface outcrops. This was followed by more advanced work resulting in the development of three quarries including 3 adits and a 10m deep vertical shaft. Production from the mine was intermittent, spanning a period of 19 years beginning in 1953 and ending in 1972. Table 1 (see the link below) provides a summary of minerals produced at the Good Days Mine.



KEY COMMERCIAL TERMS



The key terms of the Agreement are:



- That the Company and Barrington incorporate a Special Purpose Vehicle ("SPV") to be owned 70% by Prospect and 30% by local parties including Barrington, Farvic Consolidated Mines Pvt Ltd (a company associated with Harry Greaves and Zed Rusike, both directors of the Company) and Tamari Trust (a trust associated with Mr Chimbodza, the vendor of the Company's Arcadia Lithium Project) in order to own a 100% interest in the Good Days Lithium Project.



- The Company will pay Barrington an option fee of US$10,000, which will give the Company an exclusive 60 day period in which to conduct due diligence and elect to exercise the option commencing on the date of execution of the Agreement.



- On exercise of the option by the Company and the transfer of 100% of Good Days Lithium Project to the SPV, the Company will pay Barrington US$50,000.



- For a period of 48 months from the date of exercise of the option and the transfer of 100% of Good Days Lithium Project (whichever is later), the Company shall fund 100% of the exploration costs and complete exploration activities so that a Decision to Mine can be made.



- If a Decision to Mine is not declared within 48 month referred to above, then the Company shall cause the SPV to transfer the SPV's 100% interest in the Good Days Lithium Project and all exploration data and drill core to Barrington, unless the Company elects, in its absolute discretion, to extend the period by 12 months at which time the Company shall pay to Barrington US$100,000.



DUE DILIGENCE TESTWORK



The Company intends to complete its due diligence as soon as possible and will commence exploration and validation work over the Good Days Mine and surrounding target areas. Work is expected to comprise of geological mapping, sampling, trenching and drilling. Pending a successful outcome of this process and exercise of the option, the Company intends to commence with an exploration program focusing on defining a JORC reportable Mineral Resource and generating material for metallurgical testwork.



To view tables and figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/WC4EF7BL





About Prospect Resources Ltd





Prospect Resources Limited (ASX:PSC) is based in Australasia with operations in Zimbabwe and is a publicly listed company. We are committed to creating value for Prospect's shareholders and the communities in which our company operates. Our vision is to build a Southern African based mining company of international scale.


Partner with Compal Electronics

Melbourne, June 13, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Xped Limited ( ASX:XPE ) ("Xped" or "the Company") is pleased to announce they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") with Compal Electronics Inc ( TPE:2324 ) ("Compal") of Taiwan. The companies will now collaboratively engage to develop a binding agreement to license several Xped technologies, and collaboratively market to Compal customer base.



Highlights



- MOU signed with Compal Electronics (Taiwan) for collaborative engagement



- Compal is listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange TSEC (code: 2324), are a USD$2.75 Billion company with 43000 employees worldwide.



- Compal seeks to incorporate Xped innovative IoT ADRC technologies into their smart gateway and smart device solutions.



When a binding agreement is reached, Compal will seek to incorporate Xped ADRC technologies into:



- Smart Gateway Solutions

- Smart Speaker Platform

- Smart Home Devices

- Smart Health Devices



Under the proposed terms, Xped will provide Compal and their OEMs branded versions of the Xped App customised for Smart Home and Smart Health.



Now that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed Xped and Compal will work together to progress to a licensing agreement. An update will be made to the market as soon as progress has been made.



Compal Electronics, Inc. is a Taiwan-based company principally engaged in the research and development, design, manufacture, and distribution of computing, communication, consumer, cloud and connecting (5C) electronic products.



Xped's Managing Director Martin Despain commented: "Compal manufacturer for many of the world's largest electronics brands. Integrating Xped's technologies into their product lines provides great exposure for the Xped brand and the innovative IoT solutions we provide."



ABOUT COMPAL ELECTRONICS



Compal Electronics, Inc. is a Taiwan-based company principally engaged in the research and development, design, manufacture, and distribution of computing, communication, consumer, cloud and connecting (5C) electronic products. The Company's products include notebook personal computers, ultrabook personal computers, all in one (AIO) personal computers, tablet personal computers, servers, smart home systems, smart phones, automobile electronics (AE), public displays, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions, LCD monitors and other smart accessories and wearable devices. The Company operates businesses in America, Europe, and Asia, among others. Compal Electronics, Inc is listed on TSEC (2324), has over 43000 employees globally and a market capitalisation of approximately USD$2.75bn. http://www.compal.com





About XPED Ltd





XPED Ltd (ASX:XPE) is an Australian Internet of Things (IoT) technology business. Xped has developed revolutionary and patent-protected technology that allows any consumer, regardless of their technical capability, to connect, monitor and control devices and appliances found in our everyday environment. Xped provides technology solutions for Smart Home, Smart Building, and Healthcare.

At Xped, were Making Technology Easy Again(TM)


Singapore Based Cryptocurrency "SoarCoin" to Invest US$5M

Brisbane, June 13, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Byte Power Group Ltd ( ASX:BPG ) is pleased to announce that its 100% owned subsidiary, Byte Power Pty Ltd, has signed a term sheet with Singapore based Soar Labs Pte Ltd, investing US$5M for 49% of the issued capital of Byte Power Pty Ltd.



The investment received will be applied to the establishment and running of a cryptocurrency exchange in Australia, to marketing and distribution of the Company's Wimobilize Big Data solution in Australia and New Zealand and general working capital.



The Board considers the terms of the Subscription Agreement commercially reasonable and represents an exciting opportunity for the company to expand its IT&T business offering. The key terms of the Subscription Agreement are as follows:



Investor:



Soar Labs Pte Ltd



Investment:



The Investor will invest USD$5M, consisting of US$100,000 and the remaining US$4.9M investment being satisfied through the issue of 306,250,000 Soarcoins to the Company (at a value of US1.6 cents per Soarcoin).



Capital Subscription:



This investment is for 49% of the fully diluted capital of the Company. The Investor will be issued with fully paid ordinary shares of the Company which will have the same voting rights and rights to dividends as all other ordinary shares.



Conditions:



A condition for the investment is the Company will be required to procure all equipment and human resources required to set up and launch a cryptocurrency exchange in Australia.



Timetable:



The parties will use reasonable endeavours to:

(a) enter into a final Subscription Agreement within 20 business days; and

(b) issue the shares in accordance with this Term Sheet no later than 5

business days after signing the Subscription Agreement.



"This is a significant investment into our Australian IT&T business" said Byte Power Group Ltd's Chairman and CEO, Mr Alvin Phua. "We are pleased to have Soar Labs Pte Ltd as co-investor in Byte Power Pty Ltd. This is a strong endorsement of our IT&T business and our vision for the future".



Soar Labs's Managing Director and CEO, Mr Seth Lim said "We are very pleased to have secured this investment in Byte Power Pty Ltd. We believe that this investment will enable the company to establish itself as a major Big Data and Cryptocurrency player in Australia and New Zealand. Soarcoin is one of the first cryptocurrencies that was developed in Southeast Asia and this is the first Soarcoin transaction used to secure an ownership stake in a company. We are excited about this relationship and for the future of the company".



ABOUT SOAR LABS PTE LIMITED



Soar Labs Pte Ltd is one of the early adopters of cryptocurrency and is the creator of Soarcoin, a cryptocurrency used in the emerging Fintech market. Soarcoin is a cryptocurrency token built in Ethereum blockchain which makes it a trustworthy and safe coin. Using Soarcoin as your currency provides a convenient and secure Fintech alternative to traditional on-line payment transactions. As with other cryptocurrencies, the costs per transactions using Soarcoin are very low compared with on-line payment methods such as Paypal, Western Union, Bank Transfers, Credit and Debit Cards. Soarcoin is a safe, convenient, secure and cost effective Fintech alternative for on-line payment transactions.



To view the release, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/34G6K21X





About Byte Power Group Limited





Byte Power Group Limited (ASX:BPG) is a diversified technology solutions group with a particular emphasis on securing Asian business opportunities.

Through Wimobilize, the Group has a new cutting edge technology solution, a proprietary Advance Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Big Data Technology Platform consisting of 31 Advance Analysis Engines, 4 levels of Hybrid Correlation and Al Profiling Algorithms customised for governmental, healthcare, banking, telco and tourism industries. This proprietary Big Data technology platform elevated the AI Predictive Analysis and deep insight intelligence to a new paradigm, applicable to any market segment.

This Wimobilize Big Data technology powered e-commerce ecosystem will provide the next generation innovative trading platform for distributing the Company's Australian wine, organic honey and honeycomb.
SARASOTA, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawmakers in the state of Florida have agreed on a strategy for legalizing medical marijuana in the Sunshine State, and Sarasota is at the forefront of the movement. The city has plans to host its first networking and investment event for the legal cannabis industry, dubbed MJ Cannaday, led by Hardcar Security. With the advancement of medical marijuana in the state, nearly 80 percent of the money in the industry will be made by people who never touch the plant, including legal, insurance, banking, packaging, lighting, energy and more.

The event will be held at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, on June 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will serve as an educational and networking forum for privately held organizations and investors looking to deploy capital in the dynamic cannabis industry.

On the agenda for the groundbreaking occasion are networking opportunities, an industry overview and panel discussions with experienced industry investors. The main event will include four startup companies in the cannabis industry searching for investors, each presenting a 15-minute pitch.

MJ Cannaday follows the announcement of a groundbreaking agreement among lawmakers in the state of Florida, which calls for:

10 additional growers to be licensed this year, for a total of 17

5 additional growers to be added for each additional 100,000 patients

Each grower to open up to 25 dispensaries

The legalization of edibles and vaping, but not smoking

Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa to receive medical marijuana research funding

Among the event's top sponsors are Sarasota-based HardCar Security and First Green Bank.

Tickets for Sarasota's MJ Cannaday start at $99 and can be purchased by clicking here.

For more information about Florida's legalization of medical marijuana, read the full bill here.

About MJ CANNADAY

While the cannabis industry is a hot investment opportunity, it's still fraught with unique challenges. For those considering investing in a cannabis-related company (or companies), this forum should be the first stop. MJ Cannaday is Sarasota's first networking and investment event at The Sarasota Polo Club.

Media Contact:

Kelli Vowels

(760) 890-4341

kelli@hardcarsecurity.com

Related Images

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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breaking-hardcar-security-announces-420-dispensaries-to-be-allowed-in-florida-this-year-300473090.html

SOURCE Hardcar Security
ICHIKAWA, Japan, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiming to provide foreign visitors to Japan with comfortable bus transport services, Keisei Bus Co., Ltd. is promoting the use of multiple languages, mainly on board vehicles, at bus stops and in attending customers.

Tourism-related demand from overseas visitors for Keisei Bus services has been on the rise in recent years as the company operates "Tokyo Shuttle", which connects Narita Airport with Tokyo Station, and other express bus services that link sightseeing spots including "Tokyo Disney Resort (R)". Additionally, Keisei Bus operates buses on fixed routes centered around train stations in the eastern part of Tokyo and the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture.

Photo: Tokyo Shuttle (express bus service between Narita Airport and Tokyo Station)

http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104419/201706052429/_prw_PI1fl_a4b07EpJ.jpg

In response to this trend, Keisei Bus is taking the following initiative to "accommodate multiple languages in bus transport services" to help foreign visitors in Japan feel secure when they ride our bus.

Reference:

http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104419/201706052429/_prw_PA1fl_mU7r5VKm.pdf

1. Official website (since March 2017)

The whole of our official website is designed to be read in English, Chinese and Korean to help you check bus routes and tips on how to ride a bus before traveling.

http://www.keiseibus.co.jp/

2. Bus stops (since February 2016)

All the bus stops (about 2,000 in total) have signage in English. Major bus stops, including those on the routes originating at airports and "Tokyo Disney Resort (R)", also have signage in Chinese and Korean. In addition, pictograms are in place to help you recognize bus stops at a glance.

At Kasai Rinkai Koen (Kasai Seaside Park), a bus stop on the fixed "Shuttle Seven" routes between train stations in Tokyo and "Tokyo Disney Resort (R)", digital signage is installed in English, Chinese and Korean to provide such information as tips on how to ride a bus, bus operations, tourist facilities and others.

3. On board vehicles

(1) Free Wi-Fi connectivity (since November 2016)

Free Wi-Fi connectivity in six languages -- Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Portuguese -- has been made available on all express buses.

(2) Onboard signs/announcements (since February 2016)

"Liquid crystal displays" that show destinations, major stops and other locations are being adapted to English, Chinese and Korean. Onboard announcements are also made in English to tell passengers the next stop.

4. Attending customers

(1) Training drivers how to attend foreign visitors (since October 2016)

In active training sessions, bus drivers learn English conversation from foreign teachers and use "Finger-pointing Sheets", which show Japanese words and phrases alongside their translations in other languages.

(2) Introducing interpreter service with the use of smartphones (since February 2017)

Drivers on express buses are making good use of smartphones equipped with an interpreting service app. When attending a customer, the driver may call up the interpreter/operator via this app to provide appropriate support. This service is available in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.

Keisei Bus will continue to make efforts to improve the convenience of bus transport services so that all customers can use the bus comfortably.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/keisei-bus-takes-initiative-to-satisfy-foreigners-visiting-japan-going-multilingual-in-bus-transport-services----on-board-at-bus-stops-and-in-attending-customers-300472754.html

SOURCE Keisei Bus Co., Ltd.
Finally the Maharashtra government has taken the right step to waive farm loans. It was indeed a historic step as farmers had gone on strike in support of their various demands like loan waiver, electricity, pension, minimum support price to all farm produce etc. The decision to announce loan waiver will impose an additional burden of Rs 35,000 crore and the figure is likely to go up as around 1.36 crore farmers have an outstanding loan of Rs 1.14 crore in the state.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had formed a committee under the leadership of Chandrakant Patil to look after the various demands of farmers. The committee includes Diwakar Raote of the Shiv Sena, agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, cooperatives minister Subhash Deshmukh and water resources minister Girish Mahajan. They had an interaction with the farmers delegation and a decision was taken to waive off farm loans. Initially, Fadnavis was not in favour of writing of agricultural loans as he had said that it will impose fiscal burden on the state.

The CM also had added that waiving farm loan will only provide short term relief to farmers and even the government might derive political mileage out of it. He said that it only enables farmers to get rid of their current debt and apply for fresh loan. However, later he had to rethink his decision after farmers had gone on strike few days back. Even opposition parties like Congress, NCP had imposed pressure on the government to waive off farm loans. BJPs ally Shiv Sena had asked the government to write off farm loans. After the loan waiver was announced Sena also had come forward to take credit for it as it had lauded the efforts of party president Uddhav Thackeray for the outcome.

After the Yogi Adityanath government had written off farm loans amounting to 36,000 crore similar demands were made by farmers in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The government must take steps to revive the agricultural economy. Even though machinery for this exists district and tehsil level officers are there but the government did not empower them. Earlier there was no television and mobile phone in villages but now the lifestyle has changed as people are not satisfied with what they have. At the same time, cost of agricultural production has gone up but income from it has drastically reduced. Farmers must be offered minimum support price by the government. Cold storage must be built to preserve agricultural produce. They must also seek assistance from foreign countries to enhance agricultural output.
Call it the biggest bovine airlift in history.

The showdown between Qatar and its neighbors has disrupted trade, split families and threatened to alter long-standing geopolitical alliances. Its also prompted one Qatari businessman to fly 4,000 cows to the Gulf desert in an act of resistance and opportunity to fill the void left by a collapse in the supply of fresh milk.

It will take as many as 60 flights for Qatar Airways to deliver the 590-kilogram beasts that Moutaz Al Khayyat, chairman of Power International Holding, bought in Australia and the U.S. This is the time to work for Qatar, he said.

Led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar stands accused of supporting Islamic militants, charges the sheikhdom has repeatedly denied. The isolation that started on June 5 has forced the worlds richest country by capita to open new trade routes to import food, building materials and equipment for its natural gas industry. The central bank said domestic and international transactions were running normally.

Turkish dairy goods have been flown in, and Iranian fruit and vegetables are on the way. Theres also a campaign to buy home-grown produce. Signs with colors of the Qatari flag have been placed next to dairy products in stores. One sign dangling from the ceiling said: Together for the support of local products.

Its a message of defiance, that we dont need others, said Umm Issa, 40, a government employee perusing the shelves of a supermarket before taking a carton of Turkish milk to try. Our government has made sure we have no shortages and we are grateful for that. We have no fear. No one will die of hunger.
Carino is off on the numbers. In 2012 it was 1 in 88. In 2014 it was one in 68 and again in 2016.

When you look at those numbers, thats [not] only a crisis, but its a significant issue for our society right now, said Bret Vaks, executive director of Autism Family Services of New Jersey. Im not even certain most people are aware how significant it is.

That rate is even lower in New Jersey, at 1 in 41.

In the early 1990s, the national diagnosis rate for autism was 1 in 10,000 children. In 2012 it was 1 in 68. In 2017 its 1 in 45.

It was an interesting piece, unlike the vast majority of mainstream news reports that leave autism as a mystery or dismiss the numbers as merelybetter diagnosing of a condition thats always been around.

So while no health official can explain why so many children today have autism, no one is calling it a crisis.

Medpage Today: The investigators offered some possible factors for the general increase in ADHD and autism prevalence such as: Advances in behavioral disorder classification, Efficacy of clinical and behavioral treatments for ADHD, Increase in services for children with developmental disabilities, Improvement in clinical, parental, and societal recognition of disorders.

British Medical Journal : This study highlights the complexities involved in understanding changes in the reported prevalence of ASD that are likely to be multifactorial. It has provided evidence in Australia of changes in diagnostic preferences and a broadening of the spectrum and that differences in service requirements can influence prevalence estimates.

Scientific American : Many individuals diagnosed with autism may, in the past, have been misdiagnosed with other conditions, such as intellectual disability: As diagnoses of autism have risen, those of intellectual disability have decreased.

Wall Street Journal, The number of children diagnosed with autism has surged around the globe in the past two decades. But new research in Europe and the U.S. suggests much of the increase occurred on paper.

 That could mean that kids that might have been dismissed as simply being "slow" or disobedient in the past may now be getting some extra help to realize their potential, New York Times, Dr. Stephen Blumberg, senior scientist, National Center for Health Statistics: Our findings suggest that the increase in prevalence is due to improved recognition of autism spectrum disorders, as opposed to children with newly developed risks for them.

U.S. News , Dr. Nancy Murphy, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Children with Disabilities: The increases in these conditions may signify a greater awareness on the part of parents, teachers and health care professionals to identify children with disabilities and get them help.

CNN, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Doctors are getting better at diagnosing autism How much of that increase is a result of better tracking and how much of it is a result of an actual increase, we still don't know.

For years prominent news outlets and journals have downplayed the numbers, quoting experts for backup. Here are examples from over the last six years, including one from the BMJ just last month.

A person does not have to search far in order to be reassured by leading experts that the flood of children with all sorts of learning problems and developmental issues are nothing to worry about.

The one in 45 came from a study released in 2015, and the higher number was explained as being due to changes in the order and wording of the survey questions.

The one in 41 in New Jersey was announced back in 2014, so its not really current either.

Bret Vaks and Professor Samantha Herrick from Rutgers were the sources for this piece. Herrick is quite well known and has even spoken at a United Nations autism conference. She said she is constantly is faced with the question, Whats causing this spike in autism?

Herricks answer: Science is not there yet. At this moment, the best we can render is its probably a combination of both genetic and environmental factors.

there may be some sort of environmental antecedents that trigger it for that particular individual. But we dont know what it is, which is the big bugaboo in our field.

The rogue theory blaming vaccines has been debunked, although Herrick still gets inquiries to that effect. 

Despite the surge in cases, autism remains on the outskirts of public discourse.

Herrick went on to deny that its just awareness.

Another myth: The spike is caused by increased awareness about autism in the three decades since Rainman introduced the condition to much of America.

There is no doubt that raised awareness is going to have influence of those types of numbers, Herrick said. But most experts Ive talked to believe it cant be the sole cause of such a spike in numbers.

Herrick attributed the high rate in New Jersey to early and better screening.

Vaks was more critical of the lack of concern over autism. It should be one of the biggest issues are leaders are talking about. Weve made zero leaps and bounds because its not on their radar.

Herrick and Vaks seem to be a little out of touch with reality. Theres a whole month dedicated to autism awareness. The world is lighting up itself up in blue for autism every April.

And for example, Hillary Clinton did speak out on autism, she just isnt concerned about the rate.

Lots of people are talking about autism, only no one is worried, and its because no one will admit there is an autism epidemic going on. No U.S. health official or medicine association has ever said that there are actually more cases of autism.

If Vaks and Herrick really wanted to make the issue resonate among politicians and health officials, they should go looking for the same rate of autism among folks over 30 that we see in our children (and I mean adults with the same signs of classic autism we see everywhere in our childrennot a college professor who doesnt like to eat out).

If Vaks and Herrick really wanted to discover the environmental triggers for autism, theyd study the thirty percent of autistic children who experienced some type of regression, often quite severe regression. What environmental exposure preceded that loss of learned skills?

If Vaks and Herrick really wanted evidence that its not vaccines, theyd look at fully vaccinated and never vaccinated kids to see if they had same autism rate.

I seriously doubt that Rutgers University would allow any such research, nor do I think that Herrick would want to risk her professional reputation by investigating these topics.

Its pretty clear that if no one in charge will even come out publicly and address autism as a crisis and an epidemic; its equally true that no one wants to seriously consider what environmental triggers might be involved.

As long as autism remains a medical curiosity we have all the time in the world to figure out, we dont have to really look for the cause.

Consider this recent story from South Carolina, which received zero attention in the mainstream press:

May 12, 2017, Spectrum News: Alternative screen finds high autism prevalence in U.S. state

A new study in South Carolina has found a prevalence of 3.62 percent for autism, or roughly 1 in 28 children. Researchers presented the unpublished findings today at the 2017 International Meeting for Autism Research in San Francisco, California.

The study screened children born in 2004, the same birth year analyzed in the most recent prevalence estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For South Carolina, that estimate, released in 2014, reported a prevalence of 1 in 81 children1. The average prevalence for the United State is 1 in 68.

That jaw dropping statistic should have been big news and lots of questions should have been asked. Again, that didnt happen. In fact, lead researcher Laura Carpenter from the University of South Carolina attributed this rate to better assessment.

I think this is probably getting pretty close to the true prevalence. This is probably going to make a lot of sense for anybody who is working in a school or autism clinic.

It seems that researchers were still missing a lot of kids, but now theyre finally getting it right.

What this really tells us is that autism by the numbers will never be a crisis in America. Well continue to ask for awareness, early diagnosis, and servicesNEVER ANSWERS.

Heres the history of autism numbers in the United States.

2001 1:250, 2004 1:166, 2007 1:150, 2009 1:110, 2012 1:88, 2014 1:68. 2015 1:45, 2016 1: 68.

With every update of the autism rate, there was ALWAYS someone from the CDC right there to deny a real increase in autism: Julie Gerberding, Coleen Boyle, MarshalynYeargin-Allsop, Thomas Frieden.

"Serious health care concern" is the strongest language any official has used when talking about autism.

Asperger's or high functioning autism was added to the DSM in 1994, and it was removed in 2012, but it did not cause a change in the rate.

Theres more confusion

2013 One in every 36 of ALL children in MN has autism https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2013/12/autism-highest-among-minneapolis-somali-and-white-children-u-study-finds

The study's data revealed that 1 in 32 Somali and 1 in 36 white children aged 7 to 9 were identified with autism in 2010  numbers that are statistically indistinguishable, according to the researchers.

2012 One in 47 children in Utah

2011 One in 38 children in South Korea.

2008 One in 32 among Somali children in MN

The Numbers are all over the board. One in 28, one in 68the numbers do not matter when it comes to autism. We should all have learned that by now.

Three years ago , I interviewed Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a Senior Research Scientist at MIT about the explosion in the autism rate and the environmental toxins responsible. She linked the autism epidemic to mercury and aluminum in vaccines, glutamate in vaccines, and glyphosate, the active ingredient in the GMO herbicide, Roundup.

Recently I went back to Dr. Seneff to ask her about the ever-increasing and inconsistent autism numbers, the lack of concern from mainstream medicine or in our federal health care agencies, and her prediction that eventually autism will affect half of U.S. children. Heres what she had to say.

Q: Dr. Seneff, since we talked last, the official autism numbers increased to one in 68 and then seemed to stabilize at 68, two years later. At the same time, we can find alarmingly higher rates in individual states like South Carolina, Utah, and Minnesota. Officials are at a lost to explain any of this. What do you think is happening?

A: Its very disconcerting this number of one in 28 from South Carolina, and I suspect that its a more accurate representation of whats happening across the country than the one in 68 that we got as a report from the U.S. government, which was stabilized. It had been growing exponentially for two decades, and all of a sudden, boom, its completely flat, which makes no sense.

You dont expect it to change that way because none of the factors that have been causing it have been fixed, in fact, I think that everything is continuing to get worse. So it simply does not make sense.

I think that the CDC must have been doing something fishy with those numbers to keep that data flat for these past two years.

(*It should be noted that there was a reversal of the stunning Utah numbers the next time rates were updated. Utah went from one in every 47 children to one in every 58, a nearly 20 percent drop. Dr. Judith Zimmerman filed a lawsuit alleging that the numbers had been falsified.)

Q: Dr. Seneff, do you still feel that the autism rate will continue to worsen until half of our children have the disorder?

A: I predicted, looking at the exponential growth, its very easy to plot that on a linear scale, on a log linear scale, and you get a straight line, if it is exponential growth, and its exactly what you get with those data.

You can extend that line into the future, and given that the numbers are for 12 year olds, then children born in 2032 would be the ones that would show up on the scale at 12 years later, 2044, and thats where you get the point in which half the children, eighty percent of the boys born in 2032 will end up on the spectrumdiagnosed on the spectrum.

And this, to me, is incredibly frightening. To think of one in five boys being born actually not having autism, is going to beno ones going to want to risk having a child at that point, it seems to me. Its going to be too terrifying.



Q: Why do you think officials still refuse to acknowledge that there has actually been an increase in autism? Why is there no alarm over all the developmental disorders plaguing our children?

A: I think what may be going on with regard to trying to hide the increase in autism, is to get these kids other diagnoses, to divert them off into things like ADHD or a social communication disorderthey have these new names now that they can call it and siphon it off. And so then we can hide the fact that autism is growing so fast.

And in fact, when you look at something like ADHD, that has grown also exponentially over the past 20 years, and now its apparently one in six, which I find really, truly amazing: one in six of the kids being diagnosed with ADHD.

And we have the tics, and we have the autoimmune diseases, all the allergies, the gluten intolerance, casein intolerance, we have the eczematremendous eczema these days asthma, all these illnesses that these children are facing.

And its not just the vaccines, I think, that are causing these. In fact, I think that the bigger problem is the food and the toxic chemicals in the food, particularly the glyphosate, which is pervasive in our food, which the government thinks is completely safe.

Which is working synergistically, very, very effectively, with the vaccines, to cause harm.

We simply have to, the government has to face this crisis. They should have done it many years ago, and if they dont do it soon, then I think our country is just going to be history.

Q: What are you most concerned about when it comes to whats happening to the health of Americans?

A: I think that probably the most critical component of -- the most critical cause of the epidemic in autism in America is glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Roundup, and Roundup is the herbicide that we all love because its completely non-toxic to humans.

But this is simply not true.

My research has gone deep and wide, and Im absolutely convinced that Roundup is insidiously cumulatively toxic, and it is causing many, many problems, many health problems in our society, mostly related to autoimmune disease and immune dysfunction and neurological disorders. 

Glyphosate is causing an epidemic in so many diseases which is the reason why we have a runaway health care system, with enormous health care costs we cant meet.

The U.S. government seems to be completely blind to the problem with glyphosate.

However, I will say that the Canadian government is doing much better than our government is in terms of at least finding out the extent of the problem, with respect to glyphosate contamination in the food, and this is because of the relentless efforts of an activist in Canada called Tony Mitra.

He has been pestering them for many years, and hes finally gotten them to agree to test thousands of food samples for glyphosate contamination.

Tony then has analyzed their results.

The U.S. recently said, okay, were going to testweve only tested, as far as I knowone food item, which is soy, and in that food item, we found ninety-one percent of the samples had glyphosate contamination

So basically, its all over the soy. 

The U.S. government confirmed that  Like, its okay, its in the soy, who cares?

Its really incredible how much they refuse to acknowledge that theres a problem.

Canada tested a whole bunch of foods, they tested Canadian foods, U.S. foods, and foods imported from Europe, and from around the worldMexico.

And what he found was that the United States and Canada stood out, having by far, having the highest level consistently of glyphosate in all the food samples that they tested compared to Europe and especially, surprisingly, compared to Mexico.

Mexico had much, much lower levels across the board than the U.S. and Canada.

There were high levels in wheat. They were in chick peas, in various cereals, cookies, all kinds of productshighly contaminated with glyphosate.

Glyphosate causes breast cancer cells to grow when its present at levels of parts per trillion, in culture, parts per trillion. And I suspect that glyphosate is causing the breast cancer epidemic among pre-menopausal women.

Its just so many diseases, Alzheimers, autism, ADHD, various cancers.

Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.


Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Emirates SkyCargo has flown its first scheduled weekly freighter service to Luxembourg as part of its new partnership with Cargolux.

The Dubai-based airlines freighter operation between Luxembourg and Dubai World Central is one of the first steps in the implementation of the strategic operational partnership with Cargolux Airlines announced in May this year.

The flight arrived on June 12 and was met with a traditional water cannon salute.

Emirates SkyCargo will operate its Boeing 777 freighter aircraft on this route providing a total cargo capacity of over 100 tonnes.

The strategic space sharing partnership between Emirates SkyCargo and Cargolux allows the airlines to expand their networks without the need to invest in freighter capacity.

Emirates SkyCargo explained the move would help feed in cargo to fill up its expanding belly network, while Cargolux is able to offer customers a wider global reach.

The service adds to the thrice weekly freighter service that Cargolux operates to Dubai World Central.

At Luxembourg, ground handling of the Emirates SkyCargos freighters will be carried out at the same facility as Cargolux and at Dubai, Cargolux freighters are handled by Emirates SkyCargo.

Smooth movement of cargo is also enabled by other factors including the common EU Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification of both hubs.

Emirates SkyCargo is delighted to start our weekly freighter operations to Luxembourg, said Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo.

This is an important step in our operational partnership with Cargolux through which we will be able to offer our customers an enhanced reach across each others networks, as well as an enriched service offering building upon our compatibility in ground handling and standard operating procedures for cargo transportation, he added.

Cargolux is proud to welcome Emirates SkyCargo at our home base in Luxembourg, says Richard Forson, Cargolux president and chief executive.

As the leading Gulf airline and one of the premier carriers worldwide, Emirates is as important a player in the industry as Cargolux is. With the arrival of SkyCargos first freighter here, we open a new chapter in our history and lay the foundation for a fruitful cooperation for the benefit of our customers.

"Our supplementary capabilities allow us to develop service offerings that both of us could not provide on our own.

Emirates SkyCargos freighter will arrive at Luxembourg at 13.25 local time every Monday and will depart to Dubai World Central at 15.25 local time on the same day. Luxembourg joins Emirates SkyCargos global network of over 150 destinations in more than 80 countries across six continents.

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Qatar Airways saw cargo demand surpass the 1m tonne mark for the first time during the last fiscal year, while revenues were also up.

In its annual report, the airline group revealed that in the 2017 fiscal year it saw cargo demand increase by 20.9% year on year to 1.15m tonnes. Cargo revenues for the period increased by 13.5% year on year to reach QR6.4bn.

The increase comes as the airline increased its network during the year, adding six new freighter destinations and the launch of 10 new bellyhold flights. It also increased frequencies to existing destinations.

This year it has added new freighter services to the Americas with flights launched to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Quito in South America, and Miami in the US. It has also added flights to London Heathrow.

The past year has also seen the airlines freighter fleet grow. At the end of March 2016, the airlines all-cargo fleet consisted of eight B777-200Fs and five A330-200Fs.

At the same point this year, its cargo fleet included 12 B777Fs, eight A330Fs and a single B747F. An additional B777F is due to join the fleet during fiscal 2018.

Other developments at the airline include the introduction of online services and the launch of a QR Cargo mobile device app.

Looking ahead, the carrier will soon open an advanced airside climate control centre at its Hamad International hub. In the longer term it is increasing cargo capacity at the airport, from the 1.8m tonnes handled last year to 4.4m tonnes, through the addition of a second cargo terminal.

It is also planning to expand its QR Mail product to cater to the needs of the e-commerce sector.

However, it is not all good news for the airline as it continues to face an airspace ban over Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt due to accusations that Qatar (the country) is destabilising the Middle East region  allegations it denies.

Meanwhile, Etihad and Emirates, FlyDubai and Air Arabia have also cut flights to Doha.

However, there are some signs that the closure of sea ports and the Saudi Arabia land boarder could force producers in the region to turn to airfreight.

The Jordan Times reports that exporters of fruit and vegetables are flying 90 tonnes of produce out of the country to Qatar each day to bypass the land boarder closure.

The overall airline saw net profits increase by 21.7% year on year to QR2bn and revenues improved by 10.4% to QR39bn as it continued to expand its fleet and network.

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June 13, 2017

RAMALLAH, West Bank  The relationship between Hamas and Saudi Arabia is currently in a stalemate, and tension is expected to intensify in the coming days in light of the Saudi crisis with Qatar, Hamas most important ally among the Arab states.

Hamas foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan said in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV May 31, Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is at a standstill at the moment.

He said that Hamas seeks to liberate Palestine as a whole, in reference to the movements opposition to the Arab Peace Initiative, put forth by Saudi Arabia at the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002, in which the Arab states pledged to recognize Israel and normalize relations with it after the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, which Hamas completely rejects.

However, after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Qatar and demanded Doha halt support to Hamas, the movement condemned this move and remained silent regarding the Gulf crisis.

Saudi Arabia is not taking a stance against Hamas simply because it rejected the initiative; the movement is known to have ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia classified as a terrorist organization. In addition, Hamas relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon grew warmer, and the same goes for its relationship with Iran, which Saudi Arabia sees as its enemy in the region.

In this context, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported May 30, Intensive meetings were held in Beirut between Hamas officials and leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, during which they agreed to resume the relationship between them. Iran pledged to continue providing financial support for the movement, especially since the new head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, will be visiting Iran as soon as possible.

During his TV interview, Hamdan did not hide Hamas rapprochement with Iran, saying, The ties between Hamas and Iran have not been severed. Although some tensions arose in the past, our relationship has been on the recovery track for two years now.

Hamdan pointed out that he visited Iran three months ago, a visit that was not previously scheduled or announced in advance in the media. On June 8, Hamdan announced that Haniyeh would head a Hamas delegation to Iran soon, without specifying a date for the visit.

There was a minor breakthrough in Hamas' relationship with Saudi Arabia after a Hamas delegation, headed by then-head of the political bureau Khaled Meshaal, visited Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2015, when King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud took office. The visit came after a near rupture between the two sides over the Fatah-Hamas Mecca Agreement's failure to achieve Palestinian reconciliation sponsored by Saudi Arabia, which Hamas was held responsible for. During the visit, officials discussed the Palestinian reconciliation, relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia, and the political situation in Palestine.

The latest Gulf crisis is a new hurdle in the Hamas-Saudi relationship, which could now turn into complete estrangement, after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called on Qatar to stop supporting Hamas on June 6, saying, Enough is enough. Qatar should stop supporting groups such as Hamas. The movement considered in a June 7 statement such remarks to be strange and abusive to both Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian cause.

Hamas has been criticized by Saudi media ever since the crisis with Qatar made the news. Abdul Hakim al-Hamid, the director of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jeddah, appeared in an interview with Israel's Channel 2 on June 5 and attacked both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

A Hamas leader told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The Saudi stance against Hamas is expected to intensify in the coming period as a result of US President Donald Trump's visit to Riyadh. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has been seeking to build an alliance between some Arab countries and Israel against the resistance movements in the Arab world and all those who are hostile to Israel.

In light of expectations of a further deadlock in Hamas' relationship with Saudi Arabia, which could pressure Hamas to reconsider its regional relations with Qatar or with Iran and Hezbollah, Hamdan said in an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas foreign relations policy is very clear and is based on the interests of the Palestinian people and the resistance.

He added, Hamas is not interfering in regional conflicts because it knows that this will harm the Palestinian cause. The incitement practiced by some Saudi officials against the movement is offensive to the Saudis themselves and reflects an ideological, moral and political perversion. [The Saudis] will later realize they were making a big mistake.

Speaking about the possibility of Hamas responding to any request to sever its relationship with Qatar or with Iran and Hezbollah, Hamdan said, Hamas' relations are not subject to anyone's conditions or demands. Hamas' decision stems from within the movements institutions and will only be in the Palestinian peoples best interest.

For his part, Khalil Shaheen, a political analyst and director of the research unit at the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies (Masarat), told Al-Monitor, Hamas has never hidden its desire to open up to Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, but the latter prefers otherwise. The current crisis will delay any rapprochement between the two parties for a long time.

He said, Hamas is not in a position to change its alliances. If it cuts its relationship with Qatar, it must have another alternative to do what Qatar does in terms of projects in the Gaza Strip and financial support. So nothing would push Hamas to sever its relationship with Qatar or even reconsider it.

Shaheen added, What bothers Saudi Arabia the most is Hamas strong relationship with Iran, which is far more important than its relationship with Qatar, because Iran provides direct financial support as well as military support  either by providing training or developing the movements military resources.

Ibrahim Abrash, a political science professor at Al-Azhar University, told Al-Monitor that the Gulf crisis proved that the map of alliances in the region is beginning to change, and these changes will cast a shadow over the Palestinians  especially Hamas.

He noted that the Saudi stance against Hamas has not been positive so far, in light of the remarkable rapprochement between the movement and Iran.

After some Arab states took a stance against Hamas and have hinted at their intentions of becoming closer to Israel, the movement's options seem limited, which could prompt it to restore its relations with Iran and Hezbollah  especially after the election of Hamas new leadership, which supports such ties.
June 10, 2017

A cultural organization formed by Iraqi poets is reaching young Iraqis in university campuses, cafes and the streets. The director of the House of Iraqi Poetry, Hossam al-Saray, told Al-Monitor that over the last 12 months his organization has set up a series of campus and street events to promote social progress and resistance to archaic customs through the work of contemporary poets.

The project started a year ago at several university campuses to expose students to Iraqi poets such as Sargon Boulus, Jean Dammu and Siham Jabbar. Their humanistic style, said Saray, contrasts sharply with folk poetry, which often presents sectarian views.

Various graphic designers also volunteered to make posters and flyers for the House of Iraqi Poetrys project to put up poems in the streets, schools, cafes and other public places, calling for resistance to some outdated customs in Iraq. The poster campaign, called The Walls are not for the Clash of Clans, turned the tribes and clans' practice of writing threats to one another on its head, employing art to promote unity and progress instead, according to Saray. He said that the message behind the campaign is that tribal values and clashes lead Iraqi society backward.

The House of Iraqi Poetrys work has moral dimensions as well. It aims to change Iraqi society and culture, especially in Baghdad. For example, the group honored the 2016 Karrada bombing victims with poetry about the disaster. As part of a project called An Act of Loyalty to Karrada, they hung posters in the Department of Forensic Medicine, where the bodies of the victims were kept, as well as in nearby streets. Saray said, We were trying to use culture and poetry to express a moral position, in solidarity with the victims and their parents.

The House of Iraqi Poetry, founded by Iraqi poets in 2009, is always changing and holds periodic elections to its administrative body. In the early days, it organized events for Iraq's elite cultural circles, but over the past couple of years, it has began to target ordinary people to introduce them to the richness and creativity of Iraqi poetry.

In Iraq, there are three main streams of poetry: One is folk poetry, known as the poetry of the uneducated whose tradition dates back centuries. The folk poetry tradition has experienced a resurgence and is often used by Iraqi political parties who pay poets to write material supporting them. Another is classical poetry, which is written very formally and in rhyming verse. The third is Iraq's modern poetry, whose accessible prose the organization is using to reach the people.

This form of writing is the best suited to convey our message to the community, said Saray, adding, With it, we confront the classical poets who try to raise their voices above our beautiful words, with which we call on the audience to truly contemplate their situation."

Over the past year, the House of Iraqi Poetry has received praise in the press and on social media. At first, we were concerned about how people might react, but the immediate support our initiative found urged us to continue with our work. Ordinary people started sharing pictures of our flyers online, encouraging us, said Saray.

He made it clear that the House of Iraqi Poetry has received no support from the government, enabling the organization to maintain its independence. On the other hand, he said that some of the group's initiatives have faced obstacles for that reason. Bureaucracy in several official institutions sometimes prevents the House of Iraqi Poetry from hanging posters, he said.

The posters themselves are modern, designed simply in contrast to the ornate classical style. Saray explained, One of our aims is to convey our message using good design along with the content in our posters, in contrast to an environment of backwardness, in which both political parties and governmental authorities do not even know how to create attractive and impactful posters.

Saray added that many passers-by express suspicion that influential people or parties are behind the House of Iraqi Poetry and wonder at the hidden motives of the project. This doubt on societys part is one of the consequences of the distortion created by the current political elite in Iraq, he said.

Today, the House of Iraqi Poetry is working on new initiatives outside of Baghdad. We plan to run similar projects in other provinces, as part of our organizations intent to reach everyone in Iraq, said Saray.

For the poets involved, the House of Iraqi Poetry's projects are a hopeful sign that despite its misuse in spreading sectarianism and hatred, Iraqi poetry can also promote peace, social solidarity and inclusivity. To them, it means everything that institutions with so little funding can create such beauty in the midst of the numerous crises plaguing the Iraqi community.
June 13, 2017

In a sign of improving relations, Moscow will be hosting this years Turkey Festival, which runs June 16-18. The event is being organized by Turkish authorities, civil society organizations and businesspeople in cooperation with Moscow city authorities. The festivals budget is pegged at $1.2 billion, and organizers hope more than 100,000 Russians will participate.

Many of the events organizers are tourism business associations and organizations.

We want to present Russians with our history, culture, sights and our country, festival coordinator Haluk Ozsevim told Al-Monitor. We should keep in mind that Russian and Turkish peoples have been good friends for many years. And both miss each other.

Relations between the countries have been tense since Turkey shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. Russia subsequently imposed sanctions that severely hurt Turkeys trade and tourism sectors. The restrictions forbade sales of organized tours and charter flights to Turkey, and tourists who made their own arrangements had to pay twice as much as before. The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey plummeted: In 2016, only 500,000 Russians came, compared with 3.3 million in 2015 and 4.1 million in 2014.

Overall, according to the Turkish Association of Travel Agencies, the number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey plunged to 31.4 million in 2016, from 41.6 million tourists in 2015. There were many reasons, in addition to the jet downing, for the loss of 10 million tourists. The July 15 coup attempt, along with several big terror attacks in 2016, raised security concerns among European tourists.

Between 2011 and 2015, Turkey had seen a gradual rise in arrivals from Germany. But in 2016, there was a sharp decline, according to a Hotels Association of Turkey statement.

The drop-off in the number of European tourists is expected to continue this year. We expect a dramatic decrease in the number of arrivals from European Union markets, mainly from Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Spain and Italy over this year due to ongoing concerns and some political tension, Hotels Association President Timur Bayindir told Turkeys Hurriyet Daily News.

In addition to fears over security, some Europeans have stayed away in protest of the April 15 constitutional referendum that granted the Turkish presidency greatly expanded powers.

However, Bayindir noted that he expects to see an increase in tourists from the Middle East, Iran and Russia.

Figures from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism show that for the month of April, overall foreign tourist arrivals to Turkey rose 18% over April 2016 to just more than 2 million, the Daily Sabah reported. The largest increase was reported among Russian tourists, with that number surging almost 500%, to reach 181,865 people.

Positive news has also come from the Russian side. According to an early May story in the Russian business daily Vedomosti, the biggest travel agencies confirmed the majority of their clients are booking May trips to Turkey, as opposed to other locations. One tourism executive attributed the increase to pent-up demand.

Russian tourists have been waiting for this [the opening of Turkish destinations] since November 2015. We explain it as a deferred-demand effect, Pegas Touristik CEO Anna Podgornaya said in explaining Turkeys popularity to the Russian media. She added that Russian currency stabilization and discounts offered by Turkish businesses also play important roles.

Dmitry Malyutin, the CEO of Moscow-based Level Travel Ltd., said more than 25% of his companys clients have already visited Turkey this year.

The demand for Turkey among Russian tourists is high, and it is growing rapidly, he told Al-Monitor. Last year the most popular travel destinations were Russian resorts, Greece and Cyprus. This year we predict that Turkey will be the leader, although Greece and Cyprus remain popular as well.

A recent public opinion survey also offers hope to Turkeys tourism sector. According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, many fewer Russians perceive Turkey as a hostile state this year. In 2016, 70% of the surveys respondents didnt look favorably on Turkey: 47% said Turkey-Russia relations were tense, and 23% said they were hostile. Today, according to the research center, those numbers have dropped to 24% and 4%, respectively. The survey reported that 21% said relations remain chilly. Almost one in four respondents described relations as neutral with 8% saying they were neighborly, 6% friendly and 5% quite warm. Overall, positive attitudes still trail negative ones, but the progress is evident: 51% of those surveyed agree the relationship is progressing; in 2016, only 6% saw progress.

The 2015 crisis over the jet downing became a real test for Russian-Turkish relations, which showed how politics prevail over rational relations between the two peoples and how state media can easily create an image of the enemy. However, as recent news shows, Russian attitudes toward Turkey are changing and Russians are returning to Turkish resorts. Thus, the Turkey Festival in Moscow could be a great contribution not only to the ongoing process of normalizing bilateral ties, but also to overcoming bad  and mostly wrong  stereotypes between Russians and Turks.
June 12, 2017

The recently revived push for an independent Kurdistan has many obstacles to overcome: its threat to the Middle East's always-fragile stability, Turkey's long-standing opposition, US uncertainty and just overall bad timing.

Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), announced that a referendum for an independent Kurdistan will be held Sept. 25. An independent Kurdish state is a long-cherished goal for most Kurds, who are spread over mainly four countries: Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria  making it the largest stateless nation in the world.

Another goal accompanying the dream of an independent state is acquiring the disputed territories ranging from Sinjar to the west of Mosul up to Khanaqin on the Iran border, including the southeastern oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

Kurdish peshmerga forces took part in the operation to liberate Mosul, which was coordinated by the United States with the Shiite-dominated Iraqi forces. The price tag for the Kurds participation in liberating Mosul was supposedly Baghdads and Washingtons acquiescence for an independent Kurdish state under Barzani.

Yet such an achievement doesn't appear imminent.

In December, a few days before Christmas, Masrour Barzani, the elder son of the president and chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, initiated a two-day symposium in Dahuk at the American University of Kurdistan. Attendees included international luminaries Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Baghdad; Bernard Kouchner, a former French foreign minister; and Peter Galbraith, a former US diplomat. Almost every high-level Kurdish official, including KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, a nephew of Massoud Barzani, was there. Their consensus was that the Kurds have the right of self-determination, which could lead to independence.

However, the consensus held slight nuances. For instance, Khalilzad emphasized the importance of prudence. Hoshyar Zebari, the president's uncle and the longest-serving Kurdish official in Baghdad, reminded the audience that if it comes to proclaiming Kurdish independence, Baghdad will not be forthcoming. As a former foreign minister of Iraq, Zebari is more familiar with the Arab political elite in Baghdad (Shiite and Sunni alike) than any other Kurd.

I was among the speakers at the symposium. Recognizing the legitimacy of Kurdish aspirations for an independent state, I stressed that as long as independence is achieved peacefully with the endorsement of Baghdad, the two neighboring big powers  Turkey and Iran  are likely to follow suit. Moreover, since the KRG is Turkeys only friend in the region  which is paradoxical because Turkey has always been uncompromisingly hostile to the concept of Kurdish independence  Erdogan would probably concede to Kurdish independence in Iraq.

The issue is also a geopolitical one. A Sunni Kurdish buffer to Shiite-dominated Iraq might serve Turkish interests. Massoud Barzanis animosity toward the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)  Turkeys Kurdish adversary in Turkey and Syria  could serve as another element in Ankaras acceptance of an independent Kurdish state.

Notwithstanding the rationality of these arguments, the Turkish Foreign Ministry's initial reaction to Barzanis statement was to issue a moderately worded but critical statement June 9 about the Kurdish independence referendum.

We have been conveying for some time Turkeys concerns about the independence referendum  which the KRG has been planning to organize  to the government of Iraq and the KRG, as well to the leading members of the international community. In this regard, we have been stressing that at a time when critical developments are unfolding in the region, such a move would benefit neither the KRG nor Iraq and that it would have negative consequences which will cause further instability, the statement said.

Holding the referendum "runs counter to our advice and warnings" and would be a "grave mistake," the ministry said.

"Preserving Iraqs territorial integrity and political unity is one of the fundamental principles of Turkeys Iraq policy.  In this respect, instead of undermining Iraqs territorial integrity, it is necessary to act with a spirit of reconciliation, dialogue and inclusiveness among all different elements constituting Iraq, it added.

An independent Kurdish state in Iraq would be landlocked, so it would rely on Turkey or Iran, as it would be seceding from Iraq, and Syria is already fragmented. But Iran isn't likely to support Barzani's plans, which would place an independent Kurdish state adjacent to its province of Kurdistan (also known as Eastern Kurdistan).

Also, the feasibility, viability and survival of an independent Kurdish state in Iraq would require Western endorsement, especially from the United States.

During a joint press conference April 20 with Barzani, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said his country does not support the Kurdish referendum.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's statement during a June 8 press briefing reflects the ambiguity of the US position on Iraqi Kurdish independence:

The United States  and we have talked about this one before  we support a unified, stable, democratic, and a federal Iraq. We understand and appreciate the legitimate aspirations of the people of Iraqi Kurdistan. We have expressed our concerns to the authorities in the Kurdistan region that holding a referendum, even a nonbinding resolution at this time, will distract from urgent priorities  and that would be the defeat of [the Islamic State (IS)], the stabilization, the return of displaced people, managing of the regions economic crisis, and resolving the regions internal political disputes. We would also encourage the regional authorities to engage with the government of Iraq on a full range of important issues [on] the future of relations between Baghdad and Erbil."

Kurds might interpret that ambiguity to mean Washington doesn't oppose an independent Kurdish state in principle. Yet the statement by no means indicates an American commitment, which is essential for the Kurds to move forward.

Also, the timing of Barzanis referendum was touchy. It was announced June 7, just as the Gulf crisis with Qatar was unfolding. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Barzani have a type of overlord-vassal relationship that could prove problematic now, given the seemingly irreconcilable dispute between Qatar and a Saudi-led coalition that accuses it of supporting terrorism. Erdogan firmly took Qatars side.

But Barzani made a big leap in placing himself, and the KRG, firmly in the Sunni camp of the Middle East with his rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. He was received in Riyadh in December 2015 at the highest level by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who was accompanied by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the most important members of the royal family. Such a reception was symbolic in regard to unwritten Sunni guarantees for Barzani against Iran. At the time, the Sunni camp of the Middle East looked  though loosely  united. Now, due to the Qatar-Saudi tension, it is undone.

Geopolitically, Barzani cannot move away from Turkey. But as Ankara is already unsupportive of a Kurdish independent state, it's politically untenable to stand with Turkey against Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. It is also irrational to move closer to Tehran and Baghdad while pursuing the goal of divorcing the latter.

Under the current circumstances, the referendum for an independent Kurdish state  which would eventually lead to, if not a de jure, then a de facto breakup of Iraq  would be adding a new volatile element to the already-chaotic Middle East and Gulf.

Unless Turkey makes an unlikely U-turn, it will be almost impossible for an independent Kurdish state to survive, even if the referendum passes Sept. 25.
June 13, 2017

Very little has gone the way President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted in the Middle East since the start of the now-defunct Arab Spring. His reaction to the Qatar crisis, where he threw his lot in with Doha at the expense of endangering ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, appears to be the latest episode in this enigma.

This development is also likely to force Erdogan to ease tensions with Tehran, which also backs Qatar, to avoid facing a new bout of isolation in the region. Tellingly, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in Ankara literally within hours of the Qatar crisis' breaking out.

It is noteworthy that Erdogan was warning the Gulf states not so long ago against Irans regional ambitions, so we could be facing a new tack by him from one side to the other, depending on which way the wind is blowing.

Many consider Erdogans reaction as a new example of his impulsive and erratic approach to foreign policy, and they note that this has left Ankara out of tune with the regional established order once again, facing more difficult choices. His stance has also left experts wondering about what is really driving Ankaras foreign policy.

Erdogan, who was prime minister when the Arab Spring broke out, and Ahmet Davutoglu, his overambitious foreign minister, had great expectations for Turkey at the time. It was to be the historic moment that would make Turkey the principal regional player on the basis of shared Islamic values. Being the regions former ruler, Turkey knew best what was good for it and would provide this to the benefit of all.

This oversimplification did not factor in Arab nationalism, latent historic antipathy toward Turkey, the inbred dislike by the regions established order for political Islam, and most important, the Sunni-Shiite divide that has always been a major fault line in the Middle East.

Developments also showed that being Sunni is not sufficient to unite Sunni powers. When Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Erdogans close friend Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government in 2013, Erdogan was shocked.

Subsequent developments, including the worsening situation in Syria, Ankaras deteriorating ties with the West and its growing suspicions about Irans regional ambitions, eventually forced Erdogan to swallow his dislike of Saudi Arabia for its support of the Egyptian coup and move to forge strategic ties with Riyadh.

During a visit to Riyadh in 2015, he was keen to join the Saudi-led, 34-nation coalition against terrorism, which many in the region consider to be a predominantly Sunni and anti-Iranian alliance.

Erdogan was back in the Gulf region again this February  and also visited Saudi Arabia  where he warned against Persian nationalism.

During all this time, Qatar remained as the only regional country with which Turkey saw eye to eye on Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar also stood by Turkey when certain moves by Ankara were raising eyebrows in the region.

Qatar became a major investor in Turkey. Ankara decided in late 2014 to open a military base in Qatar to signal that it was developing strategic ties with the Gulf state.

The current crisis with Qatar caught Ankara unaware and threw another wrench in the works as far as Erdogans expectations in the Middle East are concerned. This crisis also left him on the horns of a new dilemma, caught as he is between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

His dilemma is self-inflicted, though. Rather than stepping back to see the big picture, and by ignoring warnings of retired diplomats and foreign policy experts to remain neutral and try and act as a mediator between Doha and Riyadh, Erdogan went out on a limb again with his unequivocal support for Qatar.

Many believe he was driven by what Amberin Zaman referred to in a recent Al-Monitor article as the increasingly conspiratorial and paranoid mindset in Ankara [that] has some worrying that Turkey may somehow be in the line of fire.

Erdogans supporters believe the move against Qatar is an indirect warning to Ankara because, like Qatar, it backs the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas and has also been accused  most vocally by the UAE  of supporting radical Islamic groups.

The belief that Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with US support, are aiming to topple the current rulers of Qatar is the main fear felt by Erdogan supporters  and no doubt many of his advisers  who are concerned that Erdogans Turkey is next.

Retired Ambassador Suha Umar, whose past postings include Amman, argued that there is no foreign policy logic or vision to Erdogans approach to Qatar.

It is based only on the need for one person to ensure his political survival and remain in power. There is no point in searching for a coherent strategy in this approach, Umar told Al-Monitor.

Uma said that Ankara also needs to maintain the inflow of hot money provided by Qatar given that Turkeys economy faces uncertainties, and he indicated that this is also one of the short-term goals behind Erdogans strong support for Doha.

Retired Ambassador Unal Cevikoz bemoaned the fact that by taking sides in this crisis, Turkey lost another chance to be a positive regional force.

Turkey is involved in a strategic dialogue partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is regretful at a time when it has been developing multilateral ties based on trust that Turkey cannot use this to advantage in the Qatar crisis, Cevikoz wrote in Hurriyet.

A less optimistic Umar said Turkey lost any chance of being a regional honest broker or mediator long before this crisis because of its serious foreign policy mistakes and miscalculations since the Arab Spring.

Even if it tried to play this role today, Turkey has no credibility left. It is seen as an unreliable partner, which ensures that it has no clout left in the Middle East, Umar said.

It remains to be seen if Erdogan can balance ties with Riyadh and Tehran while maintaining his strong support for Qatar and, on top of all this, ensure that this crisis does not have a negative impact on Turkey.

There is also the question of what happens if Qatar bows to Saudi pressures, as many predict it will have to in the end, and where this will leave Turkey given its current stance.

Many believe Erdogan lacks the diplomatic skills to juggle all of this and come out on top because he is embroiled in his domestic agenda, where he is trying to ensure his full transition to leadership after the constitutional referendum in April increased his powers and made him Turkeys executive president.

Many like Umar and Cevikoz also believe that matters are unlikely to improve, and will continue to get worse for Turkey in the Middle East, until Ankara can develop a holistic approach to foreign policy that factors in the realities of the region and the broader world and balances these with Turkeys objective long-term interests.
June 13, 2017

MOSUL, Iraq  Civilians who had remained under siege in Islamic State-held areas of the city for months have flooded the streets of Mosul's Zinjili neighborhood in recent days, many injured and separated from family members as they ran to evade snipers bullets.

Capt. Haider Kareem Sabri, deputy commander of first regiment of the federal polices sixth division, told Al-Monitor that the first "corridor" to get civilians out of the area was abandoned June 1 due to too many IS snipers and that a backup one was now being used instead.

"We always have a plan B for the corridors," he said, noting that it was "part of the plan to liberate Mosul from the very beginning." He added, "We have intelligence officers working inside that inform the families of what route to use."

Some were seen rushing barefoot out of the area on June 1, carrying what they could. Men in galabiyas soaked with blood ran as fast as they could amid women in long, dusty black cloaks, slowed by the heavy bags they were carrying. Severe dehydration was apparent on many of their faces, along with tension, fear and anger. In the vast confusion, the sound of mortar shells being fired nearby mixed with ambulance sirens and the cries of the injured.

Those who could afford the yellow taxis waiting on a still passable main road paid to leave for other previously liberated areas, often piling children into the trunks to save money. Others began walking toward camps or were taken by ambulance to medical facilities.

The densely populated, less affluent area of Zinjili is "more heavily booby-trapped than any other area we have seen here yet," Maj. Anas Ibrahim Abdullah, commander of the first regiment of the federal polices elite division, told Al-Monitor during a visit to the front line the next day.

The area is one of the very few in the city with parts still remaining in IS hands, but retaking it without massive civilian losses is proving difficult.

Al-Monitor traveled to the front in a federal police Humvee that was hit several times by snipers bullets as it raced over an area at a slightly higher elevation than the house-to-house fighting.

Some improvised explosive devices could be found in the streets nearby, many of which were covered in a thick white dust from buildings that had collapsed in the fighting.

Down the road, explosives, ammunition and weaponry were piled in a corner of what soldiers said had been a doctors home. A suitcase torn open in the bathtub bore a sticker showing that its owner had flown into Erbil in 2016.

A weapons expert told Al-Monitor that a photo of one of the piles "shows an unopened tin of Bulgarian 7.62x54R mm ... ammunition produced by Arsenal JSCo. in 2016," indicating there were still effective channels to get weaponry from the Balkans to Mosul at least as recently as last year.

On a visit to a nearby road the previous afternoon, Al-Monitor had seen federal police and emergency response division soldiers firing a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and mortars and taking incoming fire. Now it was relatively calm, with only the occasional smack of a sniper bullet.

A bulldozer outside was working to smooth out a huge crater in the road left by an airstrike by shoveling both cars and earth into the hole. Nearby lay the charred body of a man federal police said was an IS sniper. Al-Monitor has been told by officers in several trips to the front that they typically use bulldozers to cover IS bodies with dirt.

The afternoon of June 2, Al-Monitor witnessed bright white smoke from what could have been the firing of white phosphorus on medical facilities in a neighboring area. The following day, footage shot by television crews filming in the area supported that possibility.

In reaction to their claims, Human Rights Watch said the use of such munitions raises significant concerns about potential harm to civilians from fires and intense burns and called on Iraqi forces to protect civilians.

On June 4, Iraqi forces issued a statement saying that the reports were inaccurate.

In response to an email inquiry and photos of the brilliant white plumes produced by the attack, N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, told Al-Monitor that what people may be observing is something being used as a smoke screen rather than as an offensive weapon in and of itself. "There is evidence that cargo projectiles employing white phosphorous as a smoke agent have been employed in Mosul during recent operations. Imagery suggests that these are M825A1 models or those sharing a similar design. The technical characteristics of these types of WP [white phosphorous] munitions  which are generally used for screening and marking purposes  and the methods in which they're employed are not comparable to offensive use of unitary WP munitions. Munitions in this former category are often inaccurately characterized by non-specialists, and the concerns associated with them are frequently overstated."

The Iraqi army says that whatever munitions were used were employed as smoke screens to help civilians escape and that they had been used repeatedly throughout the fight for Mosul.

US military officials have acknowledged using white phosphorus in "accordance with the law of armed conflict" but have not confirmed its use in Mosul, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to get the estimated tens of thousands of civilians left inside out safely.

As the fight continues for the last few sections of the city, besieged IS fighters are using whatever explosives and firepower they still have at their disposal.
Three Alabama Career Centers will be offering a series of job readiness workshops next week Monday through Friday.

The free workshops will take place:

Monday at the Anniston Career Center, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, call (256) 832-0147 ext. 298.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the Gadsden Career Center, 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (256) 546-4667 ext. 257.



Wednesday and Thursday at the Talladega Career Center, 12 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday. For more information, call (256) 480-2109 ext. 2116.

The workshops are to help area jobseekers prepare for a regional job fair to be held in Gadsden June 27 at 210 at the Tracks.

Career center staff will conduct the four-hour training, which will cover topics like resume preparation, interview skills, how to "dress for success" and soft skills such as timeliness and proper communication skills.

Workshop participants will receive a certificate of participation that they can present to employers at the job fair. Veteran specific training will be provided.

The workshops are free and open to the public. Registration is strongly encouraged. For specific addresses, more information, or to register, please call the career centers.

All participants will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card, provided by The Chamber, Gadsden & Etowah County.

Employers looking to participate in the June 27 job fair and jobseekers looking to attend can register online. The event is free to both jobseekers and employers. There are currently more than 60 employers registered and nearly 1,500 available jobs.
The head of the Birmingham Airport Authority didn't break the law when he had a workout room and shower built outside his office, the airport board said in a statement today.

A complaint made against Al Denson, president and CEO of the airport authority, last year was dismissed by the Ethics Commission in April, Michael H. Bell, chairman of the Birmingham Airport Authority Board said in a statement.

Last year, AL.com reported Denson built a shower and workout room for his personal use outside his office a few years ago. Denson reportedly did this without prior approval by the airport board.

A spokesperson said Denson bought the exercise equipment with his own money.

BAA Chief Legal Officer Kem Marks Bryant reported the issue to the Alabama Ethics Commission in late May 2016 to determine if Denson's actions broke the law.

In a statement, Bell said: "At the April 5, 2017 Ethics Commission in Montgomery, the commission received and accepted the staff and investigators' recommendation that the complaint, such as it was, against Mr. Denson, be dismissed without further action. The BAA Board of Directors is pleased to learn of the Commission's decision.

"As you know, this matter was commenced at the commission in late May 2016 through a filing submitted by BAA Chief Legal Officer Kem Marks Bryant, based on her interpretation of a duty she had arising from the Ethics Act, the statement continued. "Mrs. Bryant's filing was not specifically a complaint - it was a report, nor was it filed on behalf of the Board. However, the Commission treated the filing as a complaint, and conducted an investigation pursuant to its internal policies and procedures. The board, once it learned of the issue, conducted an extremely thorough investigation on its own, the results of which were provided to the Ethics Commission."

In a statement to AL.com last year, Toni Herrera-Bast, the airport authority spokeswoman, said: "The allegations made against Mr. Denson are completely false. An internal inquiry is currently being conducted by the appropriate people. Mr. Denson is cooperating fully with the internal inquiry, and he is confident the results will be favorable to him."

Bell today stated that the proceedings of the Ethics Commission are intended to the confidential.

"Unfortunately, that was not the case here, but nevertheless, I believe that it is in the best interest of the board and the airport that we respect the intended confidentiality of the process, refrain from further comment, and allow the dismissal of the matter to speak for itself," he said in a statement.
The investigation continued Tuesday into an accident at a Jasper car dealership that killed one man and injured four others.

Jake Jennings, 39, was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital at 1:45 p.m., said Walker County Coroner Joey Vick.His body will be sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsy, but authorities believe his injury caused his death.

Though the incident was initially described as an explosion, Alabama State Fire Marshal Scott Pilgreen said Tuesday that it is better characterized as a flash fire, not an explosion. A flash fire is a sudden, intense fire caused by ignition of a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as a solid, flammable or combustible liquid, or a flammable gas.

"The sound and effects of a flash fire can mimic an explosion, but I don't know if explosion is the term I would use,'' Pilgreen said.

The flash fire happened just before 5:30 p.m. Monday at Carl Cannon Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC at 299 Carl Cannon Boulevard. All five of the injured were employees. Four of the injured were in critical condition and were taken to UAB Hospital. The fifth was taken to Walker Baptist Medical Center with minor injuries.

Jasper police said Monday the fire happened at the customer service center. The state fire marshal's office responded to the scene, as well as Jasper fire and the Walker County Emergency Management Agency.

Authorities have not released the names of the injured. Jasper police on Tuesday referred all questions to Pilgreen

Efforts to reach officials at the car dealership have been unsuccessful, but said on Facebook Monday night that the business has received an outpouring of support.

Pilgreen said two of his investigators are working with authorities in Jasper. He said they are not at a point where they can say what sparked the flash fire. There was no structural damage.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called the opening of the Council President Maxine Herring Parker Bridge in Collegeville a "great day for Birmingham."

She said she was inspired by the work of the late council president who fought for the Collegeville community. "We appreciate her leadership," Ivey said.

Parker, who died in 2013, earned a reputation for lobbying for revitalization and industrial cleanup in her district, which included the Collegeville, Harriman Park and Fairmont neighborhoods. She also lobbied for a railroad overpass in the neighborhood that would make it safer for residents of the Collegeville neighborhood.

The $10 million bridge, which took more than two years to construct, officially opened on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting with state and local officials. The bridge is located on Shuttlesworth Drive adjacent to Maclin Park and the Collegeville Community Center.

When asked about U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony today before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ivey said she couldn't comment specifically, but she wished the former Alabama senator well.

"I am hoping for the best," she said.

Ivey said it's "still too early yet" to say whether she plans to run for a full term as governor. "I am trying to govern right now," she said. "There is still a lot to do."

She said she hasn't made a decision on whether she will schedule a special session of the Alabama Legislature.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said this morning she is still not ready to announce a decision on whether she will seek a full term, saying it might not come until the fall.

Ivey spoke to reporters at the first meeting of the Juvenile Justice Task Force at the State House.

"I'm still trying to steady the ship and focus on governing," Ivey said. "We've still got some time to make that decision."

The primaries will be June 5, 2018. But other candidates have already entered the race and could begin raising money on June 5, one year before the election.

Other candidates for next year's Republican nomination are Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington; Birmingham youth pastor Scott Dawson; Birmingham businessman Josh Jones; and state Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan. Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh has formed a committee to raise money but has not made a formal announcement.

Ivey moved from the lieutenant's office to the governor's office when Robert Bentley resigned on April 10.

"There's a lot about running this state and I'm just devoted to governing for a while," Ivey said this morning. "I promise you I'll let you know soon as I make that decision but it will be sometime later this fall."
Immigrants and advocates gathered at Birmingham City Hall on Tuesday to ask the city council to pass an ordinance declaring the city a sanctuary city.

Adelante Alabama Worker Center Director and Attorney Jessica Vosburgh said the declaration provides some protections for immigrants and will ensure that Birmingham police officers won't be working as defacto agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The group submitted a proposed ordinance to council members, that Vosburgh said doesn't break any state or federal laws. She said the ordinance provides the "bare minimum" of protections for immigrants and will make Birmingham safer.

City Council President Johnathan Austin said the proposed ordinance will be submitted to the city's law department for review. After review, the ordinance will be considered in committee before possibly coming back before the full council for a vote.

In January, the Birmingham City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting undocumented immigrants. The council didn't officially declare Birmingham a sanctuary city at that time.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell previously said that under Alabama law the city can't declare itself a sanctuary city.

Under the state's Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, also known as House Bill 56, cities are prohibited from implementing policies in conflict with federal immigration law and the Beason-Hammon Act.

Violating provisions of the Beason-Hammon Act could bring criminal or civil penalties and subject Birmingham and other cities to the loss of federal and state funding, according to the Birmingham Legal Department.

Bell has said Birmingham police won't become an "enforcement arm" of ICE. Officers will never implement the controversial police procedure of "stop-and-frisk."

Adelante argues that its proposed ordinance wouldn't violate state or federal law. According to the organization, neither state nor federal law authorizes or requires the police to carry out warrantless detentions or other actions to enforce federal civil immigration laws.

The proposed ordinance blocks Birmingham's participation in illegal federal registries or surveillance programs that target individuals of Muslim faith or Arab, Middle Eastern and North African background, according to Adelante.

It also denies the use of city resources to engage in joint operations with immigration agents or otherwise carry out federal civil immigration enforcement. The ordinance implements equal protections and confidentiality policies to protect privacy and access to services.

The ordinance creates a community board to monitor implementation of these policies.
Updated June 13 at 11:35 a.m. to show Smith has been found safe.

A missing young woman believed to be endangered was found safe this morning in Lauderdale County.

Alexandria Smith, 24, was reported missing Sunday by her father, sheriff's Sgt. Brad Bolton said.

"Her dad had a bad feeling about her circumstances," Bolton said. "She usually checks in, and he hadn't seen her in about three weeks."

Also known as Alex or Allie, Smith last was seen May 22 on the 21000 block of Lauderdale County Road 8 near Florence.

Few details about Smith's disappearance have been released.

Bolton said investigators aren't releasing information about where Smith was found or the circumstances of her disappearance.

"We're just glad we found her safe," Bolton said.
How educated is your county?

About 24 percent of Alabamians have at least a college degree, a figure about 9 percentage points lower than the U.S. average.

Only three Alabama counties - Shelby, Madison and Lee - have educational attainment levels higher than the U.S. average. Using federal data, here's a ranking of Alabama counties from those with highest percentage of people who hold at least a bachelor's degree to the least.

Alabama counties ranked by percent with at least a college degree

Shelby - 40.8 percent Madison - 39.4 percent Lee - 34 percent

US average - 33 percent

Montgomery - 31.1 percent Jefferson - 30.8 percent Baldwin - 29 percent Tuscaloosa - 28.5 percent Coffee - 23.9 percent

Alabama - 23.5 percent

Pike - 23.4 percent Limestone - 23.2 percent Autauga - 23.2 percent Mobile - 22 percent Lauderdale - 21.8 percent Elmore - 21.4 percent Morgan - 21.3 percent Houston - 20.6 percent Macon -19.3 percent Colbert - 18.6 percent Calhoun - 17.6 percent Tallapoosa - 17.3 percent Russell - 17.1 percent Marshall - 16.6 percent Henry - 16.5 percent Dale - 16.4 percent Sumter - 16.3 percent Etowah - 16 percent St. Clair - 15.6 percent Marengo - 15.3 percent Randolph - 15.1 percent Cullman - 14.6 percent Butler - 14.5 percent Covington - 14.3 percent Crenshaw - 14.3 percent Lowndes - 14.1 percent Fayette - 14.1 percent Chilton - 14.1 percent Dallas - 14 percent Hale - 13.9 percent Bullock - 13.9 percent Cherokee - 13.8 percent Perry - 13.2 percent Talladega - 13.1 percent Clarke - 12.9 percent Blount - 12.9 percent Escambia - 12.5 percent Barbour - 12.5 percent Wilcox - 12.5 percent Jackson - 12.4 percent Geneva - 12.3 percent Monroe- 12.2 percent Cleburne - 12.1 percent Choctaw - 11.8 percent Chambers - 11.6 percent Marion - 11.5 percent Lamar - 11.5 percent Franklin - 11.4 percent Winston - 11.4 percent DeKalb - 11.2 percent Lawrence - 11.1 percent Greene - 10.9 percent Walker - 10.8 percent Bibb - 10.6 percent Washington - 9.9 percent Pickens - 9.9 percent Clay - 9.6 percent Coosa - 8.5 percent Conecuh - 8.2 percent

Interesting to note the comparison from yesterday's Wake Up Call: 67 Alabama counties, ranked from richest to poorest

Welcome to Tuesday's Wake Up Call. Let's see what's going on:

Illinois Congressman introduces COVFEFE act

A Democratic Representative from Illinois has introduced an act that would make presidential tweets and other social media post official communications and therefore archived.

Rep. Mike Quigley introduced the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement Act - or COVFEFE Act - this week. The act takes its name from a yet-to-be explained tweet from President Trump in which he referenced "COVFEFE."

According to guidance from the National Archives, the White House was already asked to capture and preserve all tweets from the presidents, including those that are subsequently deleted.

Teacher suspended for altering pro-Trump photos

A New Jersey teacher has been suspended after two yearbook photos were altered to remove President Donald Trump's name from clothing.

Wall Township School Superintendent Cheryl Dyer said the high school's yearbook supervisor has been suspended while an investigation is under way. The investigation is trying to determine who removed Trump's name from a sweater worn by one student and erased "Trump Make America Great Again" from another student's t-shirt in the yearbook photos.

School officials said the only reason to alter a yearbook photo would be if the clothing was in violation of the district's dress code.

Lincoln Memorial pool drained due to parasite

The reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial is being drained after a parasite in the water killed 80 ducks in recent weeks.

Chemicals treatments failed to rid the water of the microbe, which is found on snails that live in the pool. The same microbe can cause skin infections in humans.

Draining the pool will take about two days after which it will be cleaned and refilled.

Until tomorrow.
The NATO member is turning to Russia to strengthen its defensive strategic military capabilities.

Turkey and Russia have agreed on the technical details of a contract that would supply Ankara with the S-400 Triumf long-range anti-aircraft missile system, Victor Kladov, the director for international cooperation and regional policy for Russian state conglomerate Rostec, said last week.

Turkeys ministry of defence has neither declined nor confirmed Kladovs statement. Numan Kurtulmus, Turkeys deputy prime minister said on Monday that two sides had not signed the contract yet, but the prior conditions were about to be finalised.

No other NATO country has bought the advanced air defence systems before.





The news about the deal raised questions as to why Turkey, which is a NATO member and hosts a base for the military alliance, decided to acquire Russian missiles that are believed to be incompatible with the systems used by NATO.

Patriot systems

Turkey stepped up its search for air defence systems after the eruption of the Syrian civil war in 2011, and its decision to back the armed opposition fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

In 2013, amid rising tensions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands  all NATO members  decided to station two Patriot surface-to-air missile systems in the southern Turkish cities of Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras and Adana.

The aim was to protect Turkeys border and territorial integrity, as well as prevent any potential threats NATO could receive from Turkeys southern border.

Yet, in August 2015, Germany said it would end its contribution to the anti-missile mission in Turkey, saying the risk of such an attack from Syria was over.

The US also said it would not renew the Patriot mission, which was due to end in October 2015. Before that, in August, the Netherlands said it was planning to pull its Patriot from Turkey, too. Their systems were later replaced by Spains.

OPINION: Why Turkey might buy Russias S-400 defence system

According to experts, the decision by NATO allies to pull their missiles legitimises Turkeys necessity to try to establish its own system in order to reduce its foreign dependency.

In a report for Turkish think-tank SETA, Merve Seren, a security and policy expert, defended Turkeys efforts to strengthen its defence industry and modernise its armed forces.

Seren said the security deficit that resulted from the need for NATO, to a large extent due to compulsory trust and a kind of strategic preference, has gradually evolved into a security vulnerability in conjunction with the change in the definition and perception of threats of high-priority risk.

Technology-sharing

After separate attempts by Turkey to find alternatives, including with the US, France and China, failed for various reasons, Ankara turned to Russias S-400 system.

Turkeys ultimate goal has always been to develop its own defence technology system.





Knowing that the Russian system was not compatible with the one used by NATO, Turkish officials stressed the importance of a technology-sharing principle with Russia.

On June 7, Kladov said Russia and Turkey had reached an agreement on the technical specifications of a contract that would supply Turkey with the air and missile defence system.

There are commercial issues, there are monetary and financial issues, there are political issues, Kladov said.

Following Kladovs statement, a Turkish media report claimed that Turkey and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Interest.

According to the report, the two countries agreed on a two-battery system with 240 warheads, and search-detection-tracking and baffle radars for $2.5bn.

That sum will be split by Ankara and Moscow, and Turkey will receive the system within two and a half years.

According to SETAs Seren, the S-400s, which use a very new technology, have not yet been tested.

She also said that Turkey has mostly received short-range threats, meaning that the stationing of the S-400s could end up being useless.
The resistance movements options in the post-Gulf crisis period seem to be extremely limited.

The Gaza-based Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, is facing a new and harsh reality in light of the recent Gulf crisis between Qatar and several Gulf countries.

The resistance movement, which has administered Gaza since 2007, did not previously anticipate that the presence of some of its leaders in Qatar would constitute a matter of concern. Qatars embrace of the movement, by hosting some of its political leaders in Doha, provided some security and stability for Hamas to build its political platforms and regional relations.

Over the past few years, Hamas has been able to adapt to the Arab regions reality, in light of the popular uprisings that swept the region, and it survived  albeit with many losses  the sharp turning points that exhausted the movement and affected its alliances and capabilities. The current crisis, however, seems to be the most difficult in the movements history.

For the first time since its inception, Hamas is facing both an internal and an external crisis, and finds itself facing a barrage of events, like a storm, without having the power to secure its place.

Internally, Hamas is facing mounting pressure with the deteriorating living situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, compounded by the Palestinian Authoritys recent decisions to cut electricity supply and medicine as a result of the stalled political crisis between Hamas and the PA.

READ MORE: Gaza power cuts  When fuel runs out, babies will die

When the US President Donald Trump made his remarks last month, labelling Hamas a terrorist organisation during a summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Hamas mistakenly thought it was nothing more than a conventional statement in the world of politics.

But the movement was taken aback by the Gulf crisis that has placed the expulsion of its leaders from Qatar on the top of the agenda for solving the crisis. Hamas officials were also shocked by the recent Saudi foreign ministers statements which characterised it as a terrorist movement.

Hamas has realised that a preplanned campaign was being implemented and that a new reality was being created in the region forcing it to re-examine its presence and political position on the external level.

In the new anti-Hamas atmosphere forming in the Arab region, Hamas options are dwindling in an unprecedented manner.





Hamas has lost its Islamist allies, which formed the backbone of its future hopes and aims; the movement lost its Iranian ally when the Syrian uprising broke out and Hamas chose to ally with the anti-government camp, leaving the movement with its Qatari ally.

it also lost its financial resources by the closure of the tunnels and the tightening of the Israeli blockade on the Strip.

Despite that, Hamas perseverance and its military might in Gaza have allowed it to maintain its momentum over the years. But Hamas may no longer be able to sustain itself, for the factors which allowed it to continue may no longer be sufficient in the face of a multi-pronged plan.

Possible scenarios

Hamas is aware that the Gulf crisis may stifle the movement, but the presence of the movements upper echelons in Gaza after the recent internal elections, in which Gaza-based Ismail Haniya was elected head of the movements political bureau, gives Hamas a margin it can rely on to circumvent the current crisis and come out of it with minimal losses.

The movements options in the post-Gulf crisis period seem to be extremely limited.

Previously, Hamas was not prepared to entertain any idea related to the normalisation of relations with Abbas and Fatah in recent days. The political and media wars between the two parties have reached a dangerous level. This comes against the backdrop of pressure exerted by Abbas to give up governance in Gaza to the PA, and allowing the unity government to perform its functions in Gaza without obstacles.

READ MORE: Gaza pay cuts deepen rift between PA and Hamas

But turning to Abbas and Fatah no longer seems to be a matter of choice for the resistance movement. Resolving the conflict between Fatah and Hamas could cast a positive light on the external crisis that Hamas is facing.

The Hamas delegations visit to Egypt, headed by Yahya al-Sinwar, the movements leader in Gaza, could offer an opportunity to restore its national balance and internal stability.

The Egyptian advice given to the movement was focused on ending the division between Fatah and Hamas as quickly as possible.

There is no doubt that the negative legacy of the internal Palestinian division is complex. However, the complication of the regional and international scene makes reconciliation with Abbas and Fatah the better of two evils for the movement, according to its vision.

Despite the risks associated with its alliance with Iran, Hamas is not in a position to abandon its Iranian ally, which is expected to provide financial support for its programmes and activities.

The relations are expected to grow even warmer in the coming period.

There are two potential scenarios that may arise for Hamas in the current stage.

READ MORE: Qatari FM  For Arabs, Hamas is a resistance movement

The first scenario would see Hamas completely depend on Iran and make no moves to emerge from the current political deadlock by reconciling with Abbas and Fatah.

There is no doubt that this scenario completely disregards the regional and international changes taking place, and contains challenges that the Hamas movement would not be able to take on.

In this case, it would not be unlikely to see a tightening of the blockade on the movement, and the possible official designation as a terrorist movement, to the point where it would be subject to a painful Israeli military attack in Gaza.

As for the second scenario  which is the most likely one  is that Hamas will lean towards political accommodation and reach a compromise deal with Abbas and Fatah that will allow the return of PA power in Gaza again. This option will not mean a disintegration of Hamas alliance with Iran.

Instead, it could ease regional and international pressures against the movement to the lowest possible level, and avoid the disastrous consequences of an Israeli military raid on Gaza.

In short, Hamas today is in a race against time to escape the coming storm and to rectify the dangers of the recent developments. It will now be forced to determine the direction it will take in dealing with the current political circumstances and its repercussions.
The United Arab Emirates is playing a destabilising role in Libya, analysts say, days after the release of a UN report that accuses the Gulf nation of repeatedly violating an international arms embargo.

The UNs Libya Sanctions Committee report, released on Friday, reveals the UAE has supplied attack helicopters and other military aircraft to the Libyan forces of renegade General Khalifa Haftar, in violation of UN-backed international sanctions against the regime.

The United Arab Emirates have been providing both material support and direct support to LNA, which have significantly increased the air support available to LNA, said the report by a UN panel of experts.

Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which is aligned with the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and refuses to recognise the UN-backed government in Tripoli, has taken significant ground in eastern and central Libya over the course of the past year, including military bases, cities and oil facilities.

Analysts say air power played a role in those advances.

READ MORE: Libya Today  From Arab Spring to failed state

The report provides rare insight into foreign funding of armed groups in Libya, which many say has exacerbated the conflict.

It shows there has been an uptick in direct foreign support to armed groups in Libya, despite a UN embargo imposed on the country during the 2011 uprising and tightened in 2014.

The panel traced deliveries of Belarus-made attack helicopters back to the UAE and provided satellite imagery of the LNAs Al Khadim airbase, about 105km east of Benghazi, which shows a gradual build-up of infrastructure and aircraft, and drones most probably operated by the UAE.

Belarus confirmed to the panel that four helicopters were sold to the United Arab Emirates in 2014.

The report also confirms an April 2016 delivery to the LNA in the eastern city of Tobruk of 93 armoured personnel carriers and 549 armoured and non-armoured.

The personnel carriers, delivered by ship from Saudi Arabia, are likely to have included Panther T6 and Tygra models, both manufactured by UAE-based companies, the report said.

It also raised concerns over large deliveries of Toyota pickup trucks and armoured 44 cars to Tobruk in January and April this year.

UN requests to the UAE for clarification remain unanswered, the report said.

Mohammed al-Dharat, a Libyan MP who is currently boycotting parliamentary sessions, told Al Jazeera the UAE would not have been able to get anything into Libya without the help of other countries.

Dharat said the UAEs actions in Libya were largely directed by Saudi Arabia, arguing the Gulf nation had become the primary face of counterrevolution that Saudi stands behind and directs.

Political analyst Mohammed Fouad agreed, adding that Saudi Arabia plays a largely hidden role in Libya through cover of the UAE and Egypt that had only recently become apparent during the Gulf crisis.

The UAE is a small country and has no real weight in international politics, nor does it have strategic goals other than pushing all the Arab Spring countries back into military dictatorship, serving the Zionist agenda, he said.

Sulaiman al-Faqih, a member of the Libyan Political Dialogue Committee, said the UAEs violation of the arms embargo on Libya was a blatant breach of international law.

He called on the countrys Presidential Council to submit an official complaint at the UN Security Council protesting the UAEs violation of Libyas sovereignty.

READ MORE: Who is Saif al-Islam Gaddafi?

The Benghazi Defence Brigades, a group that supports the UN-backed government in Tripoli, said in a statement that the UAE was playing a dangerous role in Libya.

It is no secret to anyone following the Libyan situation that the UAE is actively trying to blur the hallmarks of the February revolution, the group said.

The fact is, the role of the UAE in Libya is to obstruct and thwart all efforts of national reconciliation, fuel the war between the Libyan people, violate national sovereignty  all for control and the extension of influence and domination.
Since late 2014, at least 117 people with albinism have been attacked in Malawi. Children and adults have had their limbs hacked off with kitchen knives and machetes. Around 20 have been killed.

About nine people have been attacked so far this year, at least two fatally.

Their attackers often believe that their bones possess magical powers and can be sold for large sums of money.

A recent Al Jazeera investigation found that a toxic mix of witchcraft and poverty  together with the inability of the courts to successfully prosecute many of the cases  is allowing the attacks to continue.

READ MORE: Killed for their bones  on the trail of the trade in human body parts

According to Amnesty International, few cases result in a conviction.

Despite stronger legislation  to tackle attacks against people with albinism, we are seeing an alarming resurgence of killings and attacks against this vulnerable group in 2017, Deprose Muchena, Amnesty Internationals regional director for southern Africa, said in a statement on June 13.

The authorities must take decisive measures to end these attacks once and for all.

Malawis government insists that it is continuing to look for ways to safeguard the community, and Nicholas Dausi, the minister of information, told Al Jazeera that his government has noticed a reduction in attacks on people with albinism.

In the latest incident in May, a nine-year-old Malawian boy, Mayeso Isaac, was abducted during a trip to Mozambique. Amnesty International said both the Malawian and Mozambican authorities have

an obligation to ensure a speedy and effective investigation into his disappearance. Dausi told Al Jazeera that the police were investigating the case.

Albinism is a genetically inherited condition that often results in a lack of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. Between 7,000 and 10,000 Malawians have albinism.


The current GCC crisis has purely regional dimensions that lie in the very nature of the relations between Riyadh and the five monarchies of the Gulf. As such, Russia sees that an intervention in an internal GCC conflict would be very impractical.

Taking a side officially could endanger Russias energy interests and, with that in mind, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on June 5, 2017: These are bilateral relations of the states. We do not interfere in these decisions.





But despite Russias official neutrality  necessary to maintain good relations with key energy partner Saudi Arabia  Qatar does enjoy much sympathy in Moscow. Furthermore, the current crisis has given the Kremlin a chance to get closer to an important ally of the United States and strengthen its partnership with Turkey and Iran.

Why Russia cannot officially take sides

Relations between Russia and Qatar have improved significantly in recent years. Qatar began actively to invest in Russia at a time when the Russian economy was experiencing a deficit of foreign investment. For example, Qatari investors bought large stakes in Russian-owned VTB Bank and Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg. And at the end of last year, 19.5 percent of Russian state-owned Rosnefts shares were privatised. The buyers were the Swiss trader company Glencore and Qatar Investment Authority. This gave the Russian budget 700bn rubles ($12bn), which allowed the Russian Ministry of Finance to avoid having to dip into the Reserve Fund to finance the state budget.

In addition, Qatar, Russia and Iran are the countries with the biggest natural gas reserves. Qatar shares the largest gas field in the world, the South Pars/North Dome, with Iran. The headquarters of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which was established in 2008, is located in Doha. Not surprisingly, Qatar, Iran and Russia are the main lobbyists for the creation of the so-called Gas OPEC, which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are actively working against.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

Saudi Arabia is an equally important energy partner for Moscow, at least in the area of maintaining agreements on the volume of oil production. On the eve of the May OPEC summit in Vienna, the energy ministers of Russia and Saudi Arabia, Alexander Novak and Khalid al-Falih, agreed to stabilise the oil market and extend previously reached agreements on limiting oil production until March 2018. Subsequently, the Russian-Saudi initiative was supported by the remaining members of the cartel. For the Kremlin, these agreements are highly important owing to the dependence of the Russian budget on oil prices and are the result of lengthy and difficult negotiations with the Saudis.

However, the agreements reached within the framework of OPEC are not binding and have the character of a gentlemans agreement. Therefore, given the key role of Saudi Arabia in OPEC, for Moscow maintaining the partnership with Riyadh is extremely important. This is largely due to the deficit of the Russian budget which is highly dependent on oil prices.

The Kremlins m oral support

Despite the fact that Russia has taken a neutral position from the very first days of the conflict, it still sympathises with Qatar rather than with Saudi Arabia and its allies. Throughout last week, Moscow and Doha maintained a close dialogue at all levels.

Already on June 5, Russias deputy foreign minister and the Presidents special representative for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, received Fahad Al Attiyah, the Ambassador of Qatar to Moscow. The next day, a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, took place, during which the Russian president stressed the need for a political settlement of the conflict.





After this, the Russian Minister of Agriculture, Dzhambulat Khatuov, announced Moscows readiness to start supplying food to Qatar. Finally, on June 10, Qatars Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, arrived in Moscow for a meeting with Sergey Lavrov.

Such an active dialogue between Russia and Qatar sharply contrasts with the lack of a dialogue on the GCC crisis between Moscow and the opposite side of the conflict, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. There are three reasons for this.

First, Qatar won the media battle in the Russian media space. Even though Russias state media presented a very neutral coverage of the conflict, Russian politicians and the expert community still expressed sympathy with Qatar. This is largely owing to a very active Qatar position aimed at maintaining a permanent dialogue with the Russian authorities.

Secondly, Qatar is much more of a convenient partner for the Russian leadership than Saudi Arabia. The very pragmatic position of Doha, for example on Iran, is much closer to Moscows than the deterministic policy of Riyadh. Russia, like Qatar, advocates utilitarianism in foreign policy, trying to minimise the dependence of national interests on ideological attitudes.

Finally, in the current situation, there are elements of geopolitical rivalry between Moscow and the United States. While Washington took a pro-Saudi position, Moscow did not fail to use it to get closer to Qatar. Moreover, among the countries that expressed support for Doha were Turkey and Iran, with which Moscow has recently maintained partnership relations.

However, all this is only a manifestation of indirect support for Qatar from Moscow, and one should not expect more from Moscow. Recently, relations between Moscow and the Gulf countries have progressed significantly, and only the escalation of the conflict into the military phase can harm them. However, so far this scenario seems quite implausible.

Leonid Issaev is a Lecturer at the Higher School of Economics.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Qatari news broadcaster will not be discussed in any negotiations to end blockade against Doha, says foreign minister.

Al Jazeera Media Network is an internal affair and there will be no discussion about the fate of the Doha-based broadcaster with nations that imposed a blockade on Qatar, its foreign minister says.

Reports have suggested countries behind the economic sanctions on Qatar  Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and others  are demanding the closure of Al Jazeera, a media group that has been targeted in the Middle East because of its critical reporting.

Speaking at a news conference in Paris, France on Monday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he had no idea why the Saudi Arabia-led bloc of nations imposed a blockade on Qatar.

Its not about Iran or Al Jazeera, he said. We have no clue about the real reasons  Qatar is willing to sit and negotiate about whatever is related to Gulf security.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

But he said Qatar does not accept foreign dictations.

Doha rejects discussing any matter related to Al Jazeera channel as it considers it an internal affair, Qatar News Agency quoted the foreign minister as saying. Decisions concerning the Qatari internal affairs are Qatari sovereignty  and no one has to interfere with them.





After the crisis erupted last week, Saudi Arabia closed Al Jazeeras bureau in Riyadh and halted its operating licence, accusing the network of promoting terrorist groups in the region.

Jordanian officials quickly followed, announcing the closure of the Al Jazeera bureau in Amman and the withdrawal of its operating licence.

Egypt long ago kicked Al Jazeera out of the country after confiscating its Cairo bureaus equipment.

The government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has locked up several Al Jazeera journalists for months. Producer Mahmoud Hussein has been jailed in Egypt now for 175 days.

Journalist watchdog Reporters Without Borders has condemned the crackdown on Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Qatar Airways urges action against Gulf boycott

Al Jazeera denounced the Saudis restrictions against it, saying, We call upon the government to respect the freedom of the press and allow journalists to continue to do their job free of intimidation and threats.

Writing last week in the Hindustan Times, former online Al Jazeera editor Ruben Banerjee said it was clear why some nations are going after the media network during the Qatar crisis.

To stifle the voice of Al Jazeera, which prides itself for being the voice of the voiceless, will be criminal, wrote Banerjee.

Like every other organisation, Al Jazeera suffers from cliques and cabals  But these blemishes notwithstanding, Al Jazeera remains a beacon in a region where freedom of expression is at a premium.
Rescuers search for survivors after a seven-storey building collapses in low-income residential area of Kenyan capital.

At least five people were missing after a seven-storey building collapsed in a residential area of Kenyas capital, Nairobi, rescue services said on Tuesday, and the citys governor appealed to its owner to come forward and provide architectural plans to help rescuers.

Officials said the buildings tenants had been asked to leave on Monday after residents reported cracks in the walls.

People [were] evacuated but we might have some people who might have been left behind, Pius Masai, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Unit, told the Reuters news agency at the site of Monday nights collapse.

The incident occurred in a very low-income neighbourhood near Nairobis international airport southeast of the capital, Red Cross spokeswoman Noellah Musundi told the AFP news agency.

Kenya has experienced similar tragedies in the past. A total of 49 people died in the middle of last year when another building collapsed during a heavy, nighttime downpour in a poor neighbourhood.

The government ordered the demolition of many other buildings after that incident.

We hadnt got to a point where we were going to demolish it, Governor Evans Kidero told Reuters of the collapsed building which he confirmed had been listed for demolition.

WATCH: Kenyas slum DJ shows us around Kibera

Residents of the building said they had noticed cracks a week earlier and that they were plastered over with cement by its owners, before re-emerging again on Monday morning, prompting the call to leave.

Pius Masai, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Unit, told AFP that 128 tenants had been rescued and accounted for by midday on Tuesday.

The rescue operation

Rescuers drawn from various government departments, including the youth service, dug through the rubble of the building with bare hands, pulling out personal items such as broken beds, mattresses and television sets, after a specialist unit from the military cut through walls and floors at the top.

Distraught relatives stood nearby and watched. They included David Kisa, who said he got a call while at work on Monday night about the collapse. His wife and three children were still missing at lunchtime on Tuesday.

#KwareBuildingCollapse briefing. Collapsed seven storey building in Kware, Embakasi. https://t.co/V7gHV8S8Vi  Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) June 13, 2017

Quoting City Hall, The Star newspaper said the structure was built in 2007 without planning permission or approval.

Kware area was unplanned. No developments are allowed there. But you find that most of these developers were brought by politicians, Nairobi Lands executive Christopher Khaemba told the paper.

Most of the risky buildings are usually in the poorer sections of the city. Attempts to deal with the problem in the past have been stymied by owners of the buildings, who rush to court to stop demolition or other actions.

Kidero asked magistrates and judges to consider the human cost of unsafe buildings before issuing court orders against demolition.

Most of Nairobis four million people live in low-income areas or slums.

Kidero said at least 30,000 to 40,000 buildings constructed without approval in the Kenyan capital were at risk of collapse.
There are more than 124,000 cases in the latest cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen and more than 900 people have died.

The number of deaths from cholera in war-torn Yemen has risen to 923, nearly doubling in the past two weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The disease is now affecting 20 out of Yemens 22 provinces, with more than 124,000 suspected cases, said the WHO on Monday.

The WHO predicted in May that the cholera outbreak could affect as many as 300,000 people within six months. A state of emergency was declared in Sanaa in May in response to the outbreak.

The international charity group Oxfam says the disease is killing one person an hour in Yemen.

READ MORE: WHO  Speed of Yemen cholera outbreak unprecedented

Two years of war have put a huge strain on Yemens healthcare system, and thousands of those infected with cholera are not able to access treatment.

Medicines and intravenous fluids are rapidly running out, and many health workers have not been paid for nearly nine months, according to UNICEF.





My sister is sick and pregnant. She is about to die because there are no doctors or clinic. We cant even get any vaccinations, Eman Al-Bouraee told Al Jazeera.

More than 400 families who escaped fighting from different parts of the country and have taken shelter near a sewage treatment plant on the coast of Yemens Red Sea, now fear that the epidemic might hit them.

Having people living in the sewage plant ground is a disaster. Women and children can easily fall victim to the disease. I want a charity or humanitarian organisations to take these people away from here, treatment plant engineer Ameen Kasem Heggy told Al Jazeera.

This is the second outbreak of cholera in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country in the grip of a war with no end in sight between government forces, which are backed by an Arab coalition, and Houthi fighters.

READ MORE: State of emergency in Yemens Sanaa over cholera crisis

On the second anniversary of the war the UN said that an average of 100 people lose their lives monthly owing to the war, meaning that cholera is now killing people at a significantly faster rate.

An acute diarrhoeal infection, cholera is caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.

More than 10,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in more than two years of war, which has also destroyed much of the countrys infrastructure.

Only a few medical facilities are still functioning and two-thirds of the population are without access to safe drinking water, the UN has said.
Death toll could rise, warn officials, after houses in southeast Bangladesh were buried by landslides.

Scores of people have been killed in landslides and flooding after heavy monsoon rains battered southeast Bangladesh, police and medical officers said.

The death toll climbed to 134 on Tuesday, according to local officials.

Many of the victims were from tribal communities in the remote hill district of Rangamati, close to the Indian border, where 98 people were killed when mudslides buried their homes.

The recovery work is still going on. The death toll could rise as many areas still remained cut off, the head of the Department of Disaster Management Reaz Ahmed told AFP news agency.

Ahmed said disaster response teams had been deployed to the affected areas to reinforce recovery work.

Seven people, including three children, were killed in the hilly town of Bandarban, after their homes were buried in mud on Monday night, according to police officer Rafiq Ullah.

Some of them were sleeping in their homes on hillsides when the landslides occurred, district police chief Sayed Tariqul Hasan said.

Another 30 of the casualties were in the neighbouring district of Chittagong.

This particular mudslide tragedy is one of the worst in recent years for Bangladesh, Al Jazeeras Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the capital, Dhaka, said.

READ MORE: Cyclone Mora batters Bangladesh, displacing 500,000

The latest disaster came weeks after Cyclone Mora smashed into Bangladeshs southeast, killing at least eight people and damaging tens of thousands of homes.

Monsoon rains and deforestation in Bangladeshs southern hill districts frequently trigger deadly landslides.

Experts think the government could do much more to prevent the loss of life by evacuating people living in the hilly areas during the monsoon season, said Chowdhury.

Heavy rains also pounded the capital and the port city of Chittagong in the district of the same name, which experienced 222mm of rain, disrupting traffic for hours.

Among the victims were four soldiers who had been sent to clear roads in Rangamati district after an earlier landslide.

Thousands of troops are stationed in Rangamati, where a tribal insurgency raged for two decades, and which still suffers sporadic violence.

The soldiers were sent to clear roads hit by landslide in Manikchhari town when they themselves buried by a second landslide, armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Rashidul Hassan said.

Bangladesh experienced heavy monsoon rains throughout Monday because of the influence of a depression formed in the Bay of Bengal.

The Dhaka Met office said Tuesday morning it had recorded 343mm of rainfall in Rangamati over the course of 24 hours.
Violence erupts after committee agrees Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia after heated debate.

Egyptian protesters opposed to a 2016 agreement to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia clashed with police in downtown Cairo, just hours after a parliamentary committee approved the deal.

Witnesses said plainclothes policemen moved late on Tuesday to disperse dozens of protesters soon after they emerged from inside the headquarters of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, the Journalists Union, and gathered on the steps outside chanting anti-government slogans.

Before the violence broke out, the protesters were chanting slogans against Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Egypts general-turned-president. Down with military rule, they screamed.

They were on the steps for several minutes before police attacked them with witnesses saying the officers punched and kicked protesters and beat them with sticks.

The controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.

Parliaments legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.

The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament Mostafa Bakry told AFP news agency.

Parliaments defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general parliamentary vote.

INTERACTIVE: Islands of contention  Tiran and Sanafir

Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.

The government has said the Tiran and Sanafir islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.

Opponents of the agreement insist the islands are Egyptian and argue that the accord violates the constitution, which bars the surrender of any territory.

The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.

The agreement was announced during a high-profile visit to Cairo in April 2016 by Saudi King Salman, during which the monarch announced a multibillion-dollar package of investments and soft loans to Egypt.





The governments decision to take the April 2016 agreement to parliament came at a time when relations between Cairo and Riyadh had just emerged from months of tension over differences in approach to regional flashpoints like Syria and Yemen.

Over the past two months, Sisi visited Saudi Arabia twice.

Last week, the two regional powers joined allies the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed their air, sea and land borders to the country, accusing it of supporting extremists and Iran, charges Qatar calls baseless.

The decision to cede control of the islands to the Saudis sparked street protests in April last year, the largest since Sisi took office via military coup in June 2014, and a parliamentary vote to ratify the deal is likely to lead to a fresh round of unrest and could set the legislative and judiciary on a collision course.
Dana Shell Smith takes to Twitter to say that her posting in Doha will come to an end in June.

The US ambassador to Qatar took to Twitter on Tuesday to confirm that her posting will come to an end this month.

This month, I end my 3 years as US Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and Ill miss this great country, Dana Shell Smith said on Twitter on Tuesday.

1/2 This month, I end my 3 years as U.S. Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I'll miss this great country.  CdA Ambassador Greta C. Holtz (@USAmbQatar) June 13, 2017

Many US ambassadors leave their posts after serving about three years.

Yet, there were some suggestions in the US media that Shell Smith was leaving her post because of US President Donald Trumps comments last week that signalled support for Saudi-led moves against Qatar amid a major diplomatic crisis.





But the Department of State said later on Tuesday that the ambassadors decision had been taken earlier this year.

Ambassador Dana Smiths assignment as Ambassador comes to an end this month and she will depart Qatar later this month as part of the normal rotation of career diplomats throughout the world, a spokesperson said.

Her decision to leave the Foreign Service was made earlier this year and we wish her the best as she moves on from the Department of State.

Al Jazeera also understands that Shell Smiths decision was taken before the Gulf diplomatic crisis erupted last week.

Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt, cut diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar on June 5 claiming that Doha supported extremist groups.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations.

Shell Smiths departure comes with Washington sending mixed signals, as senior US officials have been more cautious than Trump and called for dialogue to end the crisis.

Qatar has hired a firm run by former Attorney General John Ashcroft as it works to push back against Trumps claim that it provides support to terrorist groups.

Hours after the Saudi-led moves were announced against Qatar, Shell Smith had taken to Twitter to repost some of her previous statements praising Dohas efforts in fighting terrorism financing and its role in countering the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.

Seems a good time to RT this one. https://t.co/AJ1BA29UnU  CdA Ambassador Greta C. Holtz (@USAmbQatar) June 5, 2017

And this https://t.co/226bFZw83B  CdA Ambassador Greta C. Holtz (@USAmbQatar) June 5, 2017

Criticism by the envoy

Shell Smith was appointed ambassador to Qatar by ex-President Barack Obama in 2014.

Last month, she appeared to express dissatisfaction with political events back home in another message posted on social media.

She took to Twitter in the hours after Trumps dramatic sacking of FBI director James Comey, tweeting: Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions.

Qatar is home to Al-Udeid, the largest US airbase in the region, which houses around 10,000 troops.
New law that forces foreign-funded groups to register with authorities slammed by critics as attempt to stifle dissent.

Hungarys parliament has approved strict new regulations for foreign-backed civil society groups despite calls from the European Parliament and rights groups for the bill to be dropped.

The legislation, drafted by Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government and pushed through by the ruling Fidesz on Tuesday, compels groups that get more than $26,200 a year from abroad to register with the authorities and declare themselves as foreign-funded, or risk closure for non-compliance.

The government said the measures were aimed at improving transparency, as well as fighting money laundering and terrorism funding.

But the European Commission and the United Nations have condemned the law, saying it could discriminate against and delegitimise non-governmental organisations.

READ MORE: Court rules against sending asylum seekers to Hungary

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty Internationals European director, said the new rules were aimed at obstructing and discrediting critical civil society voices.

Orban, 54, who will seek re-election for a third consecutive term in April 2018, has been campaigning hard against NGOs funded by Hungarian billionaire George Soros, saying they were a mafia-like network employing paid political activists who posed a threat to national sovereignty.





Orbans Fidesz party has a firm lead over the opposition in opinion polls.

On Monday, Soross Open Society Foundations, which disburse funding to several prominent NGOs in Hungary, said the bill seeks to suppress democratic voices in Hungary and attacks Hungarians who help fellow citizens challenge corruption and arbitrary power.

Earlier this month the EUs rights watchdog, the Venice Commission, said the NGO bill was excessive despite pursuing legitimate aims, and accused some state authorities of staging a virulent campaign against NGOs.

Amendments to the bill took into account some of the commissions recommendations, such as dropping a requirement for the details of all foreign donors to be named on a groups publications.

Tuesdays vote follows the hasty approval of another law in April that threatens to shut the Soros-founded Central European University in Budapest.

The crackdown on the CEU and NGOs sparked a large protest in April in the Hungarian capital.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution last month condemning Hungary for the serious deterioration in the rule of law and fundamental rights and called on the government to withdraw the bill on foreign-funded NGOs.
Irans Zarif says Tehran has intelligence that Riyadh supports terrorist groups operating on Irans eastern region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorist groups inside Iran, days after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed attacks in Tehran.

We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchestan, Zarif said on Tuesday at a news conference on the sidelines of an annual peace mediation in Oslo.

He said the armed groups were using the territory of one of our neighbours against its will to launch attacks against Iran which only two months ago led to the murder of nine Iranian border guards, referring to Pakistan.

On the Western side the same type of activity is being undertaken, again by using the diplomatic hospitality of other neighbours, Zarif said.

Call for a regional forum

Zarif also called for establishment of a regional forum to resolve differences, which has become more necessary after tensions between Qatar and the Saudi-led group of countries that took actian against Doha.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have been accusing each other of subverting regional security and support opposite sides in conflicts including those in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

READ MORE: Irans Khamenei blames US for regional instability

Relations between the two neighbours are at their most tense in years. Last week Riyadh, along with other Arab governments, severed ties with Qatar, citing its support for Iran as one of the main reasons for the move.

Iran also accuses the United States for promoting armed groups in the region.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated further as Irans Revolutionary Guards blamed the deadly June 7 attack in Tehran, which killed 17 people and wounded 52 others, on Saudi Arabia.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the twin attacks that killed 17 people and wounded dozens.
United States is a terrorist country so no chance of normalising ties, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the United States for instability in the Middle East and said Washingtons fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was a lie.

You [the United States] and your agents are the source of instability in the Middle East  Who created Islamic State? American  Americas claim of fighting against Islamic State is a lie, Khamenei said on Monday in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials, according to his official website.

Iran and the United States cut diplomatic ties shortly after Irans 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to Washington has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Khamenei in Iran.

Khamenei has made several statements denouncing the United States since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while US President Donald Trump has spoken out against Iran in harsh terms since taking office, indicating he will reverse the previous administrations attempts at rapprochement with Tehran.

READ MORE: Iran  Trumps reaction to deadly attacks is repugnant

The Iranian leader has accused the United States and its regional ally Saudi Arabia of funding hardline groups, including ISIL, which carried out its first attack in Iran on Wednesday in Tehran, killing 17 people.

Riyadh has denied involvement in the suicide bombings and gun attacks on Irans parliament and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republics founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.





Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who favours opening up to the world, has condemned the attacks without pointing a finger at any country.

The pragmatist president championed a nuclear deal with the United States and five other powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

But the deal has not led to normalisation of ties between the two countries that Rouhani hoped for. Trump has called the agreement one of the worst deals ever signed and said Washington would review it.

OPINION: Trump and Iran  Scenarios of escalation

Khamenei said Iran had no intention of normalising ties with the United States.

The American government is against an independent Iran  They have problems with the existence of Islamic Republic of Iran  Most of our problems with them cannot be resolved, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

Khameneis hardline loyalists, drawn from among Islamists and the Revolutionary Guards, fear normalisation of ties with the United States might weaken their position.

America is a terrorist country and backs terrorism  therefore, we cannot normalise ties with such a country, he said.
Gaza residents will live on four hours of electricity, as the Palestinian Authority and Hamas continue power struggle.

The Israeli government has agreed to cut down its electricity supply in the Gaza Strip, at the behest of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), Israeli officials said.

According to Yoav Mordechai, the Israeli head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), President Mahmoud Abbas requested Israel to stop supplying electricity to Gaza back in April.

The PA declined to comment to Al Jazeera.

Khalil Shaheen, a Ramallah-based political analyst, said the PA was applying heavy pressure on the Hamas government to relinquish its control over the Gaza Strip.

The PA is trying to whip up public anger from Gaza residents towards Hamas by various means, Shaheen told Al Jazeera.

The decision to slash the salaries of PA employees in Gaza by 30 percent in addition to not paying for Israeli electricity is designed for Gaza to reach its breaking point, and for people to turn against Hamas, Shaheen said.

He also pointed out that these measures could be connected to Abbas willingness to prove to the US and international community that the PA is with them in opposing Hamas.

WATCH: ALJAZEERA WORLD  Fish Out of Water  Gazas First Fisherwoman

In comments made to local radio, Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said that the decision to limit the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip was to cripple the Hamas government.

A senior official in the Fatah-led government said last month that the aim behind the PAs move was to dry up Hamas financial resources.

Since 2006, the PA has been paying 40 million shekels ($12m) a month for electricity to be delivered from Israel to Gaza, which is deducted from tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the PA.

The daily amount of necessary electricity power usage is between 450 and 500 megawatts. Gazas population of two million receives less than half of that.

Israels power plant, which supplies 125 MGW, or 30 percent of the total electricity needs of the Gaza Strip, will scale back to at least 40 percent.

The enclave, which operates on a rotational system of six to eight hours of electricity followed by 12-hour blackouts, will now face a rationed two to four hours of electricity a day.

Gazas sole power plant, which used to provide 60 MGW, was forced to shut down in early April after it ran out of fuel. This came after the PA scrapped a tax exemption on diesel fuel, thus doubling the price.

Egypts three electricity lines provide only 27 MGW per day but are rarely operational.

In a statement on Monday, Gazas health ministry said that the medical sector is already struggling to provide diesel fuel to operate the 87 generators that supply electricity to hospitals during blackout hours.

READ MORE: Gaza power cuts  When fuel runs out, babies will die

Gaza is beset with humanitarian crises as a result of a decade-old Israeli and Egyptian blockade combined with the consequences of three Israeli wars.

In 2015, the UN released a report warning that the besieged enclave will become uninhabitable by 2020. More recently, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a systemic collapse of an already battered infrastructure and economy.

Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip since 2007, following an attempted coup by its main political rival Fatah after Hamas won general elections in 2006.

The two parties remain at odds with each other, despite several Arab-brokered reconciliation efforts.
Defence secretary Mattis says Qatar moving in the right direction but common ground needs to be found in crisis.

The blockade against Qatar by Gulf states was a very complex situation and an area where common ground had to be found, US defence secretary Jim Mattis said.

Mattis spoke on Monday before talks between the US and Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir in Washington, DC, as the Gulf crisis entered its second week.

The former general told the House Armed Services Committee that Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani had inherited a difficult situation and was moving in the right direction.

I believe that Prince Thani inherited a difficult, very tough situation, and hes trying to turn the society in the right direction, Mattis said.





But we all agree that funding of any kind of terrorist group is inimical to all of our interest.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar last Monday, accusing it of supporting extremists and Iran  charges Qatar calls baseless.

Mattis added that he believed Qatar is moving in the right direction when it comes to curtailing its funding of terrorism.

During the hearing, Congressman Adam Smith said he was not clear on the administrations strategy concerning Qatar, accusing President Donald Trump of being unhelpful on Friday when he lashed out against Qatar and sided with Saudi Arabia.

We should be finding ways to solve that problem, not throwing gasoline on the fire, Smith said.

Qatars Al-Udeid Air Base is the largest American air base in the Middle East, serving as the forward operational headquarters of US Central Command and the host to about 10,000 American troops.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Kuwait, who is leading mediation efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis, said the dispute could lead to undesirable consequences.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was quoted by Kuwaits state news agency as saying on Monday that it was difficult for him to see the division among GCC member states.

It is quite difficult for us, the generation that built the GCC 37 years ago, to see the divisions among its members which may lead to undesirable consequences, Sheikh Sabah said.

I lived the first moments of building the GCC and this is why I cannot stand silent without trying to mediate for the rapprochement among the brothers. It is a duty that I cannot walk away from.

No matter how difficult the efforts, I will do my best to mediate among the brothers, he said.





In addition to the cutting off diplomatic ties, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt also closed their airspace to Qatari aircrafts last week and banned all Doha-bound flights.

Saudi Arabias aviation body said closing its airspace to flights from Qatar was within its sovereign rights to protect its citizens from any threat.

The UAE, however, confirmed that its airspace was blocked only for airlines from Qatar  seemingly suggesting that only Qatar-based carriers posed the security risk identified by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker says the measures taken against Qatar air traffic should be declared illegal.

He called on the UNs aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization, to declare the boycott illegal and a violation of a 1944 convention on international air transport.

We have legal channels to object to this, Qatar Airways CEO Al Baker told CNN. International Civil Aviation Organization  should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act.

The UAE and Bahrain have signed the 1944 convention, but Saudi Arabia has not.
Emir of Kuwait received Moroccan foreign minister who delivered a message from King Mohamed, hailing Kuwaiti efforts.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI has expressed his full support for ongoing efforts by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to resolve the Gulf crisis.

The statement came in a verbal message conveyed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to Sheikh Sabah, who received him in Kuwait City on Tuesday.

The Moroccan king stressed the importance of containing the Gulf crisis and resolving differences through dialogue between brotherly countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the statement said, according to Kuwaits official news agency.

On Tuesday, Bourita arrived in Kuwait from the UAEs Abu Dhabi as part of ongoing Moroccan efforts aimed at encouraging comprehensive and honest dialogue between countries involved in the dispute.

One Monday, Moroccos foreign ministry said in a statement that Bourita had delivered a verbal message from King Mohammed VI to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

The ministry did not provide any further details.

On Sunday, the Moroccan king called on all parties to the Arab diplomatic Gulf crisis to exercise restraint and show wisdom with a view to easing tensions and resolving the crisis.

The following day, Morocco sent a number of planes bearing humanitarian aid  including food  to Qatar.

On June 5, five Arab countries  Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen  cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.

Mauritania followed suit shortly afterwards, while Jordan downgraded its diplomatic relations with Doha.

Saudi Arabia has also sealed its land border with Qatar, geographically isolating the Gulf state.

Qatar denies accusations, calling recent moves to diplomatically isolate it as unjustified.
Taiwan says Chinas luring of Panama is an open threat and provocation to peace and stability.

Panama has established diplomatic ties with China while breaking off with Taiwan, dealing a victory to Beijing which claims the self-governing island as its own territory.

Panama President Juan Carlos Varela announced the change in a televised address on Tuesday, saying it represents the correct path for our country.

Taiwans government said it was sorry and angry over Panamas decision, but would not compete with China in what it described as a diplomatic money game.





We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so-called One China policy to continue to suppress Taiwans international space through various means, Taiwans presidential office said.

This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese peoples survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region.

Panama is the second country to switch its recognition to Beijing since President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, following a similar move by Sao Tome and Principe in December.

The island now has just 20 formal diplomatic partners.

Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi met his counterpart from Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo, in Beijing on Tuesday and signed a joint communique establishing ties.

Wang said he was sure relations between the two countries would have a bright future.

Saint Malo said she hoped the new relationship would lead to trade, investment and tourism opportunities, in particular, exporting more goods from Panama to China.

Panamas decision to dump Taiwan comes just days after Beijing began the construction of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in its northern province of Colon.

No match

Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales Canberra College in Australia, told AFP news agency that Panamas switch was about who can give the most help  Taiwan has resources, but it cant match China.

Chinese ships have the highest use of the Panama Canal, the Central American countrys main source of budget revenue, after the United States.

China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949 and Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary.

READ MORE: Trump supports One China policy in call with Xi

China has ratcheted up the pressure on Taiwan in the past year, cutting off contacts with Taiwanese government bodies and barring the islands representatives from attending the World Health Organizations annual conference and other international gatherings.

In recent months, China has also sailed an aircraft carrier strike force around the island in a display of its growing military power.

Zhang Baohiu, director of Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, said the loss of Panama is intended to show Tsai that continued defiance of Beijing will harm Taiwans overall interests.

Panama was one of the more significant countries that still maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Zhang told the Associated Press.

By taking away Panama, it once again teaches Tsais government the lesson that if she doesnt accept the One China principle  there will be consequences.
Ricardo Martinelli detained on extradition warrant from Panama, where he is accused of political espionage and graft.

Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli has been arrested in Florida on an extradition warrant from his country, where he is accused of political espionage and corruption, the US Marshal Services said.

Martinelli, 65, was taken into custody near his home in Coral Gables, Florida, according to Manny Puri, a spokesman for the agency.

The former president was transported to a federal detention centre in Miami and was expected to appear before a judge for an extradition hearing on Tuesday.

Panamas government had requested Martinellis extradition last September to face accusations that he spied illegally on his political rivals and intercepted the telephone calls of more than 100 people, including politicians, business and labour leaders, and critical journalists, during his 2009-14 term as president.

Interpol also issued a notice for Martinellis arrest last month.

READ MORE: Manuel Noriega, ex-military ruler of Panama, dies at 83

In Panama, lawyers on Martinellis defence team said the extradition process would proceed normally.

The defence for ex-president Martinelli is going to exercise all the rights and guarantees offered under the rule of law, said lawyer Carlos Carrillo. It is totally false that a request for political asylum was denied.

Martinelli has denied wrongdoing and contends that the case is political persecution by his successor, Juan Carlos Varela.

Varela served as Martinellis vice president but they have sparred bitterly since the transfer of power.

Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon, presided over an infrastructure boom and Latin Americas fastest economic growth in recent years, but his administration was tainted by allegations of corruption.

Graft charges have been brought against the former president in Panama, but the cases have stalled in the courts.

In February, prosecutors in Panama said they were seeking international help in detaining two of Martinellis sons in relation to an alleged scheme to launder bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
In a phone conversation with the Saudi king, the Russian leader cautioned against anti-Qatar measures.

Russias President Vladimir Putin has warned in a phone conversation with the king of Saudi Arabia that the blockade against Qatar by its neighbours will make it harder to reach a peaceful end to the war in Syria.

The comment came in a statement issued by the Kremlin after the call on Tuesday, more than a week after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed their air, sea and land borders for the country, accusing it of supporting extremists and Iran, charges that Qatar calls baseless.





Putin and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud touched on the aggravated situation around Qatar, which unfortunately does not help consolidate joint efforts in resolving the conflict in Syria and fighting the terrorist threat, the Kremlin said.

Syrian conflict

Russia is involved in the Syrian conflict, providing military support to Syrias President Bashar al-Assad.

Saudi Arabia and other Arab states support the rebels who want to see Assad removed from power.

The Syrian conflict started in 2011 with peaceful anti-government protests. More than 465,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting and more than 12 million Syrians  half the countrys pre-war population  have been displaced from their homes.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said Putin and Salman also discussed developing ties in various areas and expressed an intention to activate bilateral cooperation.

Late last month, Putin met the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Russian capital of Moscow for talks on the Syrian conflict as well as cutting oil production.
State Department says worst is behind us after top US and Saudi diplomats discuss Gulf diplomatic rift in Washington.

The US State Department has said efforts to resolve a major diplomatic crisis between a group of countries led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trending in a positive direction.

Spokesperson Heather Nauert made the statement at a news conference on Tuesday after a meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington.

She told reporters that the dialogue between the top diplomats over the situation in the Gulf was hopeful.

Together they talked about the need  to come together, to work together. I would characterise the mood and the approach to that as being one that is hopeful, that believes that the worst is behind us, Nauert said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain and a number of other countries severed relations with Qatar last week, accusing it of supporting armed groups and Iran. Qatar rejects the accusations.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

Riyadh also closed its border with Qatar, the only land border the emirate has. In addition, closure of Saudi, Bahraini and Emirati airspace to Qatar-owned flights has caused major import and travel disruptions.

Before the meeting, Jubeir told reporters that measures taken against Qatar did not amount to a blockade.

He also said that his government was exercising its sovereign right by blocking Qatar from using Saudi airspace, territorial waters and their mutual border.





There is no blockade of Qatar. Qatar is free to go. The ports are open, the airports are open, Jubeir said alongside a silent Tillerson, who had called last week for the embargo on Qatar to be eased.

The limitation on the use of Saudi airspace is only limited to Qatar Airways or Qatari-owned aircraft, not anybody else, Jubeir said.

The seaports of Qatar are open. There is no blockade on them. Qatar can move goods in and out whenever they want. They just cannot use our territorial waters.

Tillerson on Friday had called the measures imposed on Qatar a blockade.

We call on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to ease the blockade on Qatar, Tillerson said.

Import-dependent country

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, said that Saudi Arabia seemed to be toning down its rhetoric against Qatar through Jubeirs statement.

Instead of backtracking on previous Saudi threats to Qatar, [Jubeir] tried to clarify that Qatar is not under blockade and Riyadh was only exercising its sovereign rights with the measures it took, he said.





He tried to express that Saudi Arabia is not imposing aggressive draconian punitive measures against Qatar.

Qatar is a country that heavily relies on imports of food and water, among other products.

The Gulf state, which imported the vast majority of its food from Gulf Arab neighbours before the diplomatic shutdown, has been cooperating with Iran and Turkey to secure food and water.

The three Arab Gulf countries also ordered Qatari nationals to leave within 14 days, while Saudi, UAE and Bahraini citizens were also given the same timeframe to leave Qatar.

Qatar has condemned the boycott declared by its neighbours as collective punishment.








Aviation authorities in the kingdom, Bahrain and the UAE say the flight ban is to protect its citizens from any threats.

Saudi Arabias civil aviation authority has rejected the opening of airspace for flights to and from Qatar, a day after the chief executive of Qatar Airways called for international action against the boycott imposed on Doha amid a major diplomatic rift in the Gulf.

The agency said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision to impose the air blockade against Qatar was a precautionary measure and was within the kingdoms sovereign right to protect its citizens from any threat.





Aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which along with Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar last week, issued similar statements on Tuesday.

These came in response to remarks made by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker that the three countries were violating international law by shutting out Qatari flights.

Al-Baker on Monday appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body which regulates international air travel, to declare the measures against Qatari air traffic illegal.

The airspace that they have blocked does not belong to them, he told Al Jazeera on Monday. It belongs to the international community.

OPINION: Qatar, the UAE and the Libya connection

Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt, severed ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of fomenting regional unrest, supporting terrorism and getting too close to Iran, all of which Doha denies.

The UAE and Qatar have long been major proponents of open-skies air transport agreements which remove restrictions on flying between states.

These policies helped the regions largest airlines  Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways  to develop their home airports as hubs linking long-distance travellers.

Overall, 18 destinations in the region are now out of bounds for Qatar Airways, which has also been forced to close its offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

Qatar Airways will now use the aircraft that had been operated on those 18 destinations to fast-track its expansion plans, al-Baker told Al Jazeera.

The Qatar Airways boss, warning that the blocking of airspace would also hurt competitors by undermining confidence in the regions air connectivity, did not say which markets the airline would expand to.

The UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority said it was fully committed to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, but reserved the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary.

The three countries aviation authorities also said that non-Qatari private and chartered flights from Qatar must submit requests to them at least 24 hours before crossing the airspace.
Another US appeals court stomped on President Donald Trumps revised travel ban, saying the administration violated federal immigration law and failed to provide a valid reason for keeping people from six mostly Muslim nations from coming.

The decision by a unanimous three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals helps keep the travel ban blocked and deals Trump a second big legal defeat on the policy in less than three weeks.

The administration has appealed another ruling against the ban to the Supreme Court, which is likely to consider the cases in tandem. The White House said it is confident the high court will uphold Trumps executive order.

The Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia last month cited the presidents campaign statements calling for a total and complete shutdown on Muslims entering the US as evidence the 90-day ban was unconstitutionally steeped in animus and directed at a single religious group, rather than necessary for national security.

OPINION: The Muslim ban and the ethnic cleansing of America

The Ninth Circuit, which heard arguments in Seattle last month in Hawaiis challenge to the ban, found no need to analyse Trumps campaign statements. It ruled based on immigration law, not the Constitution.

Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show, the judges said. National security is not a talismanic incantation that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power.

Judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez  all appointed by President Bill Clinton  said the travel ban violated immigration law by discriminating against people based on their nationality when it comes to issuing visas and by failing to demonstrate their entry would hurt American interests.





The presidents order did not tie citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to terrorist organisations or identify them as contributors to active conflict, the court said. It also did not provide any link between their nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism.

In short, the order does not provide a rationale explaining why permitting entry of nationals from the six designated countries under current protocols would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, the ruling said.

The judges pointed to a June 6 tweet by Trump saying the order was aimed at dangerous countries. That helped demonstrate he was not assessing whether the roughly 180 million citizens of the six countries had ties to terrorism, they said.

Because of the conflict with immigration law, the judges said they didnt need to consider whether it also violated the Constitutions prohibition on the government favouring or disfavouring any religion. The Fourth Circuit found the policy unconstitutional on that basis.

OPINION: Trumps Muslim ban is a dangerous distraction

Attorney General Jeff Sessions denounced the ruling. Recent attacks confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real. Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states, Sessions said in a statement.

Trump also criticised the ruling on Twitter, saying it came at a dangerous time in history.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again  Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

The White House predicted a win at the Supreme Court.

Frankly, I think any lawyer worth their salt 100 percent agrees that the presidents fully within his rights and his responsibilities to do what is necessary to protect the country, spokesman Sean Spicer said.

Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said the new ruling proved that our system of checks and balances, enshrined in the Constitution for more than 225 years, remains in place.
Turkish President Erdogan calls moves against Qatar a grave mistake which is inhumane and against Islamic values.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the isolation of Qatar as inhumane and against Islamic values, urging Saudi Arabia to take a leading role in resolving the ongoing crisis among Gulf Arab nations.

Qatar has showed the most decisive stance against terrorist organisation Daesh alongside Turkey. Victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose, he said during a parliamentary address, using the Arabic abbreviation for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt and a number of other countries severed relations with Qatar last week, accusing it of supporting armed groups and Iran. Qatar rejects the accusations.





Erdogan said that it appeared some countries had decided to hand down the death penalty to Qatar and urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider the harsh steps against the Gulf country.

The king of Saudi Arabia, as leader of the Gulf, should solve this issue. I especially think that he should lead the way towards resolving this crisis, Erdogan told members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara.

A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar, isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values. Its as if a death penalty decision has been taken for Qatar.

Al Jazeeras Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said that the isolation of Qatar is unexplainable to the international community.

Ankara is trying to involve other actors in order to end the isolation of Qatar as the chair of the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours.

Blockade on Qatar

Saudi Arabia  which has closed its land border with Qatar  the UAE and Bahrain have also closed their airspace to the country that heavily relies on imports of food and water, among other products.

The measures against Qatar have disrupted imports of food and other materials and caused some foreign banks to scale back business.

Qatar, which imported the vast majority of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbours before the diplomatic shutdown, has been cooperating with Iran and Turkey to secure food and water.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

Moreover, the three Arab Gulf countries ordered Qatari nationals to leave within 14 days, while Saudi, UAE and Bahraini citizens were also given the same timeframe to leave Qatar.

Qatar has condemned the boycott declared by its neighbours as collective punishment, as hundreds of mixed-citizenship couples with one Qatari spouse are facing the grim prospect of being split up.

Amnesty International also criticised the blockade on Qatar, saying it was splitting up families and destroying peoples livelihoods and education.
Country is among many to have seen an enormous increase in the number of phishing sites, designed to steal users financial information.
A Gainesville woman was arrested on DUI charges Saturday night after driving with her two-year-old and four-year-old children in the backseat.

Her blood alcohol content was nearly four times the legal limit, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report.

Jehan Daniels, 23, is accused of driving recklessly while under the influence and with a suspended license, causing a car accident and putting her children in danger, according to the report.

Police first received word of Daniels at about 10:30 p.m. when Gainesville resident Aaron Kahn called 911 and said he was following a 2007 blue Mazda5 near the intersection of Northwest Sixth Street and West University Avenue, according to the report.

As Daniels traveled toward UFs campus, Kahn told police the car had driven on the sidewalk and swerved in and out of its lane multiple times, according to the report. Kahn stopped following Daniels when she sped through the changing streetlight at the intersection of Northwest 13th Street and West University Avenue.

Gainesville Polices helicopter, AIR-1, was in the air at the time and followed Daniels car as she swerved along the road near Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, said GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias.

Tobias said Daniels then continued driving on Southwest Second Avenue before turning on Northwest 25th Street and heading back for West University Avenue. She stopped at the intersection but nearly drove into oncoming traffic.

Daniels spontaneously tried turning left onto West University Avenue, pulling forward and colliding with another car, according to the report.

When police arrived, Daniels asked if she could drive herself home, not realizing her car was wrecked, according to report.

Police noticed a heavy smell of alcohol from Daniels as she spoke and conducted field sobriety tests. Her blood alcohol content was 0.318, Tobias said. The legal limit in Florida is below 0.08, nearly four times less than Daniels level.

Police said Daniels went through intense mood swings and called the arresting officer a dumba-- kracka and said his people used to own her people, according to the report.

Daniels two children were in the backseat during the accident, according to the report. Both were uninjured and were later picked up by their grandparents, who responded from out of town, Tobias said.

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GPD rarely sees cases of drunk driving that involve children as passengers, he said.

Daniels faces a charge of DUI and driving with a suspended license, as well as two charges of child neglect. As of Monday evening, she remains in the Alachua County Jail in lieu of a $150,000 bond.

Tobias said police cant be everywhere at once and is glad Khan took initiative when he did to call the authorities.

We thoroughly appreciate the public acting as extra eyes and ears for us, Tobias said. The safety of the city depends on all of us working together.

Contact David Hoffman at dhoffman@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter: @hoffdavid123.

Jehan Daniels, 23.
Trung Tran remembers June 12, 2016, clearly.

As a night owl, Tran recalls his phone continuously ringing as friends and loved ones called to make sure he was OK after a shooting took place at Pulse nightclub, a popular LGBTQ+ club in Orlando.

Tran, a 21-year-old UF computer engineering senior from Orlando, said he was glad he was in Gainesville at the time.

It was really scary because a lot of my friends were worried something happened to me, he said.

On Monday night, about 50 UF students, faculty and Gainesville residents came together in Ustler Hall to sing, talk and recite a poem about how the shooting affected them as either allies for the LGBTQ+ community or members of it.

Vice President for Student Affairs David Parrott spoke to the audience about love and unity defeat ing hate.

In the aftermath of the attack, it is love that would and will help us overcome, he said. In the face of these tragic events, our students, faculty, staff and the community band together to respond to the hate with reaffirming care, support and love.

After Parrott gave his speech, UF alumna Jessica Grobman spoke to the audience.

Today I stand here with a heavy heart and a saddened spirit, she said. My soul is weary for a community that gives so much in culture, education, beauty, power and knowledge, but is yet time and time again met with hatred and tragedy.

Grobman read the names of the 49 victims of the shooting, stopping several times to catch her breath and wipe away tears.

She also sang a song about the injustice the queer community of color faces on a regular basis. The song included lyrics such as, I was here, I lived, I loved and I will make my mark so everyone will know I was here.

Once Grobman finished singing, Dr. Zully Rivera-Ramos, who works at UFs Counseling & Wellness Center, read an excerpt from a message the National Latina/o Psychological Association (NLPA) sent out Monday and asked the audience to reflect on the passage.

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The remembrance ended with speakers and audience members hugging and crying tears of both sadness and joy.

UF President Kent Fuchs attended the ceremony as well and said he felt the need to support our wonderful community that has been affected.

He said he has a picture of Century Tower lit with rainbow colors framed in his office.

One of my favorite memories as president was when Century Tower was lit with rainbow colors, he said.
The North Central Florida YMCA will celebrate its 50th year in Gainesville this month, an achievement that comes after a financially stressful year.

In December, the organization announced it would be closing its doors after struggling with debt for more than 15 years, according to Alligator archives. By March 14, the organization raised $1.3 million, settling its debt, mortgage and renovation costs.

If closed, the organization would have left seven full-time and 82 part-time staff members without work and nearly 5,000 members without multipurpose facilities, including affordable child care.

Hundreds of community members dove into trying to help the organization remain open. Using every outlet possible, the organization was able to reach their goal and remain open, said the chapters CEO John Bonacci.

Bonacci said continued fundraising would be very beneficial to help the organization maintain scholarship funds for at-risk families and for future renovations to the facility.

The 50th anniversary celebration will take place June 24 at the North Central Florida YMCA, located at 5201 NW 34th Blvd., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bonacci said there will be activities that cater to people of all ages, including a bounce house and silent auction.

I think its going to be one heck of a party, Bonacci said. Weve got a lot to celebrate.

Bill Foster, the events and fundraiser coordinator for the YMCA, said he is hoping the turnout will be good.

We feel after everything the Y has been through over the past year with the threat of the doors being closed  this particular 50th anniversary event is to give back to the community for helping us, Foster said.

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CodeRED is shutting down June 30, and AlertAlachua will become the primary emergency notification system for Alachua County.

Jeffery Bielling, the assistant director of Alachua County Emergency Management, said the switch was made because the Florida Division of Emergency Management offered it at no cost.

That saved us $45,000 a year, he said.

John Shaw, the director of Alachua County Emergency Management, said AlertAlachua is also more user-friendly. He said subscribers can customize what alerts they receive and prioritize how they receive them.

AlertAlachua provides the option to receive missing person alerts, boil notice orders and 22 different weather alerts. It provides the option to receive these alerts via email, text message, phone call, TTY (a text telephone) or the ContactBridge app.

The app also provides messages and a map, which shows every alert in the U.S.

Residents of Alachua County are encouraged to sign up for AlertAlachua because of the severe weather alerts and targeted location warnings, Bielling said.

Students, especially those who live off-campus, are also encouraged to sign up, even though UF has its own alert system.

UF Alert is designed for university facilities, but AlertAlachua is designed for the entire community, said Kenneth Allen, the director of UF Emergency Management. It is important to have a way and a method to be notified when an alert is sent out.

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Former FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee last Thursday regarding possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump in the FBIs investigation of collusion between his campaign and the Russian government. Trumps political opponents desperately hoped Comey would show that Trumps behavior provided grounds for impeachment. While Comeys words showed he did not trust the president and believed the president wanted to dismiss the investigation of Michael Flynn, a former national security advisor, I believe it yielded nothing incriminating. In fact, I think it did more to clear Trumps name.

Comey assured the president three times that he was not the subject of any FBI investigation, although Comey refused to announce this publicly out of an irrational fear of having another former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton investigation fiasco on his hands. He also added that there was no evidence of any collusion between Trump and Russia. Trump was so pleased with this testimony he called it a complete vindication.

While testifying, much to the pleasure of Republicans, Comey shifted the spotlight from Trump to the Department of Justice under former President Barack Obama. His testimony raised more questions about possible political influence by former Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the investigation of Clintons emails. According to Comey, Lynch directed him to call the Clinton investigation a matter (the word the Clinton campaign used to downplay the investigation) rather than an investigation. This directive reportedly made Comey feel queasy but did not stop him from obeying.

The DOJ is supposed to be an impartial, apolitical body that can independently assess possible criminal behavior regardless of its employees political beliefs. Asking the director of the FBI to soften the rhetoric regarding an active criminal investigation of a presidential candidate seems anything but apolitical. If there was reason to suspect Trump had obstructed justice by hoping the investigation turned out the way he wanted, there is more reason to suspect the same from Lynch, who actually took action to alter the Clinton investigation.

While on the surface this is not incriminating behavior and does not qualify as obstruction of justice, not all of the facts are known. Recall that Lynch met with former President Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Phoenix in June 2016 days before Comey announced publicly that the FBI did not recommend a further investigation of Hillary Clinton. This shady meeting, which Lynch forbade any government witnesses to speak of, was highly inappropriate because of the obvious conflict of interest and suggests that Bill Clinton could have influenced the investigation. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has already declared that he wants to hear from Loretta Lynch in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Even Democrats acknowledge the clear problem with Lynchs behavior, as Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for Congress to investigate Lynch as well.

Instead of finding evidence incriminating Trump as Democrats expected, Comeys testimony uncovered reasons to investigate Lynch. Unfortunately, there are still people who will oppose this purely for political reasons despite the seriousness of its ramifications. If the DOJ has been influenced by politics, the legitimacy of every one of its decisions will be undermined and called into question. Both sides of the aisle should agree that a politicized DOJ is a threat to our political system, not on the Trump and Russia collusion charges, which have proven completely baseless.

Jack Story is a UF graduate. His column appears on Tuesdays.
Both the railroads and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way  Employes Division say the extension will help all parties make the best decision on how to proceed with the outstanding tentative labor agreements.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has entered into a contract with Kapsch Traffic Com IVHS to design and build electronic tolling facilities and related infrastructure for the states controversial truck-only tolling program.



The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has entered a contract with Kapsch Traffic Com IVHS to design and build electronic tolling facilities and related infrastructure for the states controversial truck-only tolling program.

Kapsch will also operate and maintain all the tolling facilities, which will take two years to build at a cost of $68.9 million.

We look forward to breaking ground in the fall and getting the first tolling locations operational by the end of this year, Peter Alviti Jr., the states DOT director, said in a statement.

Construction of the tolling facilities will be ongoing through the end of 2018, with tolling locations coming online as they are built. The first two tolling locations will be built along Interstate-95 in southern Rhode Island, and are expected to be operational and collecting revenue by the end of 2017.

Part of the states 10-year RhodeWorks program, the truck-only tolling program will help fund the reconstruction of aging bridges. Through the program, the state will repair 150 structural deficient bridges and keep another 500 from becoming deficient.

This approach avoids more costly and time consuming rehabilitation or total replacement projects which could cost three to four times as much money  a strategy that will save Rhode Island $950 million over 10 years, the state said.

The plan, however, has been met with strong opposition, both from trucking groups and lawmakers within the Rhode Island legislature, since it was announced in mid-2015.

Kapsch, based in Vienna, Austria and with its U.S. office in McLean Va., was picked from among six firms representing the electronic tolling industry. Rhode Island issued the request for proposals back in December.
"We are our beliefs," it is said. Beliefs steer people in life. Some beliefs are harmless, some are the motive force for good, and yet others are delusional, misguided, and even outright dangerous. Every version of the belief called "Islam" ranges from the delusional to the dangerous.

Islam is a Grand Hallucination, birthed by Muhammad's hallucination that he relayed to his first wife and employer, Khadija. Greatly frightened, he told Khadija that he was visited bya jinn (devil) in the Hira cave. Khadija comforted the distraught man by assuring him that the episode was Allah's way of choosing him as his messenger. Muhammad believed his rich wife-employer who was 15 years his senior and the hallucination became a belief -- Islam.

Remarkably enough, under the early tutelage of Khadija, Muhammad succeeded in attracting a number of influential followers. Before long, the movement gathered more and more power through violent campaigns and the faith was taken to new people and alien lands. This grand hallucination, Islam, presently has in its stranglehold over a billion humans, posing an existential threat to all non-Muslims.

Islam is rooted in the primitive tribal mentality of "We against Them," "We the righteous against the heathens," "We the servants submissive of the Great Allah against the rebellious enemies of Allah." Islam is a polarizer. Islam is an enemy-maker. To Islam, a non-Muslim is a combatant against Allah and he is fair game to be subjugated and killed.

When some billion and a half adhere to the pathological belief of Islam and use it as their marching order of life, the rest of humanity can ignore the threat only at its own peril.

Once again, a resurgent Islam is on a campaign of conquest throughout the world. Hordes of life-in-hand foot-soldier fanatical Muslims are striving to kill and be killed. All they want is the opportunity to discharge their homicidal-suicidal impulse, on their way to Allah's promised glorious paradise. And in the background, granting the foot soldiers' wishes, are their handlers, the puppeteers, who pull the strings and detonate these human bombs. Those who cherish life must recognize these emissaries of death, what makes them, what motivates them, and how best to defend against them.

The campaign of death waged by the Islamist-jihadist, be he a puppet or a puppeteer, is energized by the belief of delectable rewards that await the faithful implementer of Allah's dictates. Through a highly effective indoctrination, the jihadist has come to believe firmly in Islam's grand hallucination. He believes that Allah is the one and only supreme creator of earth and heavens; that it is his duty and privilege to abide by Allah's will and carry out his plans at all costs. He believes firmly in a gloriously wonderful immortal afterlife in paradise, for which a martyr's death is the surest, quickest admission. Although the dominating theme of the delusion is quasi-spiritual, the promised rewards of the afterlife awaiting the martyr are sensual and material. All the things and activities that the jihadist desires and cannot attain or practice, and rejects in his earthly life will be purified and proffered to him in the paradise of the next life. Thus goes the hallucination.

It is important to understand that the human mind is not a perfect discerner of objective reality. In actuality, reality is in the mind of the beholder. The outside world only supplies bits and pieces of raw material that the mind puts together to form its reality. Depending on the type and number of bits and pieces that a given mind receives, its reality can be very different from that of another mind.

The more prescribed and homogeneous a group, the greater is the group's consensual reality, since the members share much in common experiential input and reinforce each others' mindset. Thus, members of a given religious order, for instance, tend to think much more similarly to one another than to members of other groups with different experiential histories.

Various approximations of objective reality, therefore, rule the mind. The degree to which these approximations deviate from the larger group's consensual reality determines its delusional extent and severity.

A cocaine mainliner, for instance, under the influence of the drug, may become convinced that a bug is burrowing under his skin. In his absolute, although clearly false, certitude of the reality of his perception, cocaine users are known to take a knife to their own body to dig the burrowing bug out before it has penetrated too deeply.

A methamphetamine user's reality is often distorted in a different way. Under the influence of the drug, an intense paranoia overtakes him. His reality is dominated by the belief that one or more people are lurking about to harm or kill him. He may wield a deadly weapon, going from room to room, from closet to closet, in search of the assailants.

If you believe that a bug is camping deep in your body, then you might go ahead and try to dig the nonexistent bug out. If you believe that people are lurking around the house to harm or kill you, you go after them before they get you. If you believe that all the troubles of the world are due to the evildoings of the non-Muslims who war against Allah, then you do all you can to fight and kill them, particularly since Allah tells you to do so in the Quran.

Drug-induced delusions are hallucinations. They are dramatic and usually transitory, while religiously-based implantation of ideas program the mind with lasting delusions.

Hallucinations, even when they are at great variance from objective reality, can rule the mind without the need for drugs, or as a result of neurological dysfunctions or other factors. The young and the less educated are most vulnerable to believe the claims of charlatans, con artists, and cunning clerics, as truth and reality.

A tragic example of the young's susceptibility to induced delusion is the case of thousands of Iranian children who were used as human minesweepers in the last Iran-Iraq war. The mullahs issued made-in-China plastic keys to paradise to children as an enticement to go forward and clear the minefield with their bodies ahead of the military's armored vehicles. The children believed the murderers and rushed to their death, thinking that they were headed for Islam's glorious paradise.

The repeated intense indoctrination of the children even changed the perception of some of the charlatan mullahs so that they, themselves, believed their own lies, took their own keys to Allah's paradise and rushed to their death clinging to the plastic trinkets. Hence, some of the puppeteers, in this instance, became puppets themselves. Such are the follies and fallibilities of the human mind.

It is, therefore, understandable that many of the higher-up Islamic puppeteers, who are usually brainwashed from early childhood, devote their fortunes and persons to the implementation of their deeply ingrained hallucinations.

Deluded by the threats and promises of Islam, Muslims, poor or rich, vie with one another in furthering the violent cause of Allah.

Many non-Muslims are also victims of a different, yet just as deadly, delusion. They believe that Islam is a religion of peace, that only a small minority of Muslims are jihadists, and Muslims can be reasoned with to abandon the Quran-mandated elimination of non-believers. These well-meaning simpletons are just as deluded as the fanatic jihadists by refusing to acknowledge the fact that one cannot be a Muslim and not abide by the dictates of the Quran.
As liberal McCarthyism continues searching for Russian monsters under Trump administration beds, it might serve us well to remember the Obama administration scandals, for which there were no special prosecutors appointed, no grand juries convened, not even a leaked memo to the New York Times via a friendly professor at Columbia University.

A few years ago, President Obama called the scandals swirling around his administration phony scandals. As The Hill reported in 2013:

With an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball, Obama said in an economic address at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill... Obama on Wednesday did not specify which controversies were phony, but the administration has been attacked over National Security Agency surveillance programs leaked to the public, the IRSs targeting of conservative groups, the Department of Justices seizing of media phone records, and last years attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Phony scandals are those that do not have a smidgeon of evidence of a crime, like alleged Trump collusion with the Russians or obstruction of an investigation that was never stopped or even slowed down. Phony scandals do not produce body bags as the Obama administration produced in Benghazi and during Operation Fast and Furious -- the Obama administrations gun-running operation in which it armed Mexican drug lords and cartels with heavy weapons for which the U.S. Border Patrol had no match or protection. That gun-running operation led to the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

On Wednesday, in the shadow of the Russia investigations and the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey, the House Oversight Committee produced a fact-laden report documenting the collusion between the administration of President Barack Hussein Obama and Mexican drug cartels and the obstruction of justice by Attorney General Eric Holder in this, er, matter. As Fox News reported:

Members of a congressional committee at a public hearing Wednesday blasted former President Barack Obama and his attorney general for allegedly covering up an investigation into the death of a Border Patrol agent killed as a result of a botched government gun-running project known as Operation Fast and Furious. The House Oversight Committee also Wednesday released a scathing, nearly 300-page report that found Holders Justice Department tried to hide the facts from the loved ones of slain Border Patrol Brian Terry  seeing his family as more of a nuisance than one deserving straight answers  and slamming Obama's assertion of executive privilege to deny Congress access to records pertaining to Fast and Furious. Terrys death exposed Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them as they were transported into Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy. Two of those guns were found at the scene of Terry's killing. More than five years after Brians murder, the Terry family still wonders about key details of Operation Fast and Furious, the committees report states. The Justice Departments obstruction of Congresss investigation contributed to the Terry familys inability to find answers.

That executive privilege was even -- we are not making this up -- extended to cover Eric Holders wife. The extent of the coverup and the obstruction of justice in Fast and Furious is mindboggling. The statute of limitations has not run out and perhaps it is time to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate those, President Obama and Eric Holder, who are arguably guilty of criminal negligence in the death of agent Brian Terry and hundreds of Mexican nationals. As former ATF agent John Dodson wrote in 2015 in the Washington Times:

A political firestorm erupted when it was revealed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as part of a program dubbed Operation Fast and Furious, had provided Brian Terrys murderers with the weapons used to take his life. The details of Operation Fast and Furious in the nearly five years since the Terry murder have been documented through congressional investigations, committee hearings and Office of the Inspector General reports revealing government retaliation against whistleblowers, lies, stonewalling, cover-ups, email and document scandals, President Obamas assertion of executive privilege, and the first-ever citation for contempt of Congress levied against a sitting U.S. attorney general.

Brian Terrys mother, Josephine testified to the extent pf the coverup, lies and obstruction by the Obama administration and Eric Holder before the House Oversight Committee on June 6, 2017. Her statement reads, in part:

16. From the moment a bullet was fired from one of those Fast and Furious guns, from the moment that bullet entered Brians body, and ended his life -- Brians government, my government, your government -- began to hide the truth. 17. One of ATFs Fast and Furious leaders dismissed Brians death by saying, You have to scramble a few eggs to make an omelet. 18. That man has since been promoted by ATF and given awards by the Justice Department. Did you know that? 19. ATF and DOJ made sure that all those involved were given new jobs or allowed to retire with their government pensions and benefits. 20. No one was punished or prosecuted. 21. When I pay my taxes and when you pay yours, we are funding the comfort of those who helped murder my son. 22. We know that Brian encountered bad people the night he was killed. 23. We know there was a gun battle. 24. We know Brian was shot and killed. 25. We know the gun used to kill him was fired by a drug trafficker. 26. We know the gun was put in the murderers hands by our government. 27. But, there is so much more that we dont know. 28. I need you to have overturned President Obamas executive privilege order that hides many of the of facts from Operation Fast and Furious. 29. I need you to ask President Trump to keep the promise he made to my family on his campaign trail and let you see those documents. 30. Only one possible motivation remains for all of those involved who have covered-up Operation Fast and Furious. 31. That is to conceal their own shame and disgrace; quite possibly their crimes.

The operative word here is crimes. Real crimes, not fantasy crimes as in the Russia, Russia, Russia Democrat witch hunt. More interesting than the Comey memo would be the release of all the documents withheld under the Obama administrations claim of executive privilege. President Trump should revoke the claim of executive privilege in Fast and Furious and grant the Terry family both closure and the truth as they have requested:

In testimony Wednesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Robert Heyer, a cousin who oversees the foundation named for agent Brian Terry, said it is "time for the dirty little secrets of Fast and Furious to be exposed." "We urge the Trump administration and the Department of Justice to revisit the claim of executive privilege," Heyer added in his written statement. "The American public deserves to see the documents previously sealed by executive order, and for those documents to be turned over to congressional investigators." Although many key documents are still missing, the report says, new records show Justice Department administrators sought to cover up the Fast and Furious scandal while viewing Terry's family members as a "public relations nuisance" rather than victims.

ATF agent Dodson has long tried to reveal the truth about Fast and Furious and the running of deadly weapons to Mexican drug lords. Investors Business Daily editorialized on Dodsons attempt to spread the truth on the Obama administrations effort to supply Mexican drug lords with semiautomatic weapons:

ATF Special Agent John Dodson is a national hero who in 2011 blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious, the Obama administration's gun-running operation to Mexico. Testifying before Congress, he disclosed that his supervisors had authorized the flow of semiautomatic weapons into Mexico instead of interdicting them, weapons that found their way into the hands of Mexican drug cartels with deadly results. Dodson has put his intimate Fast and Furious knowledge into a book titled "The Unarmed Truth." It provides the first inside account of how the Obama administration permitted and helped sell some 2,000 guns to Mexican drug cartels, guns used in the murder of two federal agents and hundreds of Mexican citizens..  The operation was exposed when Brian was killed in December 2010 by an illegal immigrant working for the Sinaloa Cartel near Nogales, Ariz., just 10 miles from Mexico. Two Fast and Furious weapons were found at the murder scene. Two such weapons also were used to murder Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico on Feb. 15, 2011, came from suspects who were under ATF watch but not arrested at the time "Allowing loads of weapons that we knew to be destined for criminals, this was the plan. It was so mandated," Dodson, then attached to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) Phoenix office, testified before Rep. Darrell Issa's House Government Reform and Oversight Committee on June 15, 2011. "Rather than conduct enforcement actions, we took notes, we recorded observations, we tracked movements of these individuals for a short time after their purchases, but nothing more," Dodson testified. "Knowing all the while, just days after these purchases, the guns that we saw these individuals buy would begin turning up at crime scenes in the United States and Mexico, we still did nothing."

The Obama administration has done its best to hide the truth about Fast and Furious, with AG Holder arguably lying to Congress about his knowledge and involvement and repeatedly saying he didnt get the memo. American citizens and Mexican nationals to this day are in jeopardy from criminals using weapons the Obama administration funneled to them. As Fox News reported about Mexican drug kingpin El Chapo:

A .50-caliber rifle found at Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmans hideout in Mexico was funneled through the gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious, sources confirmed Tuesday to Fox News. A .50-caliber is a massive rifle that can stop a car or, as it was intended, take down a helicopter Federal law enforcement sources told Fox News that El Chapo would put his guardsmen on hilltops to be on guard for Mexican police helicopters that would fly through valleys conducting raids. The sole purpose of the guardsmen would be to shoot down those helicopters, sources said.

As for Holders claim that he wasnt in the loop, Investors Business Daily noted the paper trail indicated otherwise:

Somewhere, Scooter Libby must be scratching his head. He was indicted and convicted simply because his recall of when a meeting occurred differed from others. He didn't lie about a gun-running operation that led to the deaths of two American agents and at least 200 Mexicans. But Attorney General Eric Holder did, according to memos obtained by CBS News and Fox News. They show Holder lied to Congress on May 2, 2011, when he was asked about when he knew about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Fast and Furious gun-running operation. He told House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa he was "not sure of the exact date, but I probably learned about Fast and Furious over the last few weeks." Holder learned of the operation as early as July 2010 in a memo from the director of the National Drug Intelligence Center informing him of an operation run by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force out of the Phoenix ATF office, under which "straw purchasers are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug cartels."

So Eric Holder knew about Fast and Furious months before Brian Terrys murder. He not only knew about it, he even bragged about it to Mexican officials during a trip to Mexico:

A 2-year-old video shows a high Justice official saying "the president has directed us," including the attorney general, to speed up Project Gunrunner and the offshoot that got a border agent killed The video shows Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, who would resign nine months later after less than a year's service, telling reporters at a Department of Justice briefing of major policy initiatives to fight the Mexican drug cartels. "The president has directed us to take action to fight these cartels," Ogden begins, "and Attorney General Holder and I are taking several new and aggressive steps as part of the administration's comprehensive plan." At the president's direction, Ogden said, the administration's plan included DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives "increasing its efforts by adding 37 new employees in three new offices, using $10 million in Recovery Act funds and redeploying 100 personnel to the Southwest border in the next 45 days to fortify its Project Gunrunner," of which Operation Fast and Furious would be a part. As we have noted, Attorney General Eric Holder himself gave a speech to Mexican authorities in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on April 2, 2009, taking credit for Gunrunner as well as Fast and Furious for himself and the Obama administration. Holder told the audience: "Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels. My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our ongoing Project Gunrunner."

Project Gunrunner was the precursor for Fast and Furious. The cartel member who actually pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Brian Terry has been captured and will get his final justice. Eric Holder, whose department knowingly and willfully put the murder weapon in his hands while running guns to Mexican drug cartels, has not. But that may change under the new sheriff in town. As the respected gun news website AmmoLand reports:

The brother of a slain Border Patrol agent says Donald Trump has promised answers about the Operation Fast and Furious gunwalking program leading to Brian Terrys death. Kent Terry met with Trump, and says the presumptive Republican nominee will use his authority to act if hes elected president, Terry said in a Twitter post Tuesday. Mr. Trump said It's a shame Fast and Furious started and shame on them for what they are doing about it, Terry explained to this column, referring to an event at a community college in Michigan (see photo). When I become president I will open the books on Fast and Furious and Brian. God bless your family Kent. Then at end of campaign speech when he got off stage he remembered me again, Terry elaborated. First time in Brian's death I honestly believe Mr. Trump will get answers.

Final justice will happen when Eric Holder and Barack are held accountable for their lies on Fast and Furious, the withholding of documents under the guise of executive privilege, something even extended to Holders wife, and the entire coverup on why Brian Terry had to die. Eric Holder has never been prosecuted for his contempt of Congress citation in this matter. Attorney General Sessions, call your office. President Trump, keep your promise.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
This may sound like it, but its not a journal of winetasting. Its about the undue, horrific influence of a man named Howard Zinn. He became a famous, or accurately infamous, historian. Zinn, more than any other man, turned our history books on their heads, and in a way, changed the contemporary course of history. Who controls the past, controls the future. He excelled at this task.

He was somewhat wispy and vulnerable looking in spite of being tall. He could not debate well and he spoke slowly, as if he was in a mildly drugged high. He had a following of female students that was obvious, with lots of student rumors swirling around about his character. He was liked by the majority of his students, who like myself, wanted to take his classes. He was edgy and cool.

He was one of the fathers of the new left back in the late sixties and seventies. He inspired the SDS, coupling with them, making up many of the stories of why America was such a horrible place. The stories became his famous book A Peoples History of the United States. In hindsight, it was obvious he made them up (being kind, lets just say he slanted things), because he was a Marxist. During those years he spoke of the importance of revolutionary thinking in his classrooms. Its hard to believe his influence grew so much.

Oddly enough, he claimed to be a pacifist, often railing about the atrocities done by Americans, yet oddly would never respond to students who stood up and challenged him about the far greater atrocities of the Viet Cong, North Vietnam, or China. He wouldnt even acknowledge that these atrocities happened.

In that way, he was the perfect communist sympathizer, the perfect true believer. Intellectual, soft spoken, and in the multiple classes I took, he never criticized communism. I often wonder what he later thought when the North Vietnamese savaged the South, or even worse what the Khmer Rouge did in the killing fields. I have to believe he remained silent, metaphorically taking the Fifth, much like he did when asked about the Viet Cong. He was, if nothing else, a master at evading uncomfortable truths about the things he so passionately endorsed.

In that sense, he was never a historian; rather he saw it the way a Soviet historian would have, through the lens of his polemics. He was not interested in the truth, but rather in those things that would advance his own socialist agenda. History was a means to be used in doing so. I know this because of the classes I took with him. I witnessed what he was like, what he taught, how he acted, and during my post student (and very apolitical) twenties, began to understand just how flawed he was.

The recognition of his triumph happened some decades later when we had some of our daughters college classmates to dinner. One kept waxing eloquent about all the hidden histories (bad stuff) he had been reading about the United States. As he ticked off his list, they sounded very familiar. I laughed and suggested he was taking classes with my old crazy professor. He said, No, its from a history book written by Howard Zinn. I then told him the name of my professor. He became flushed, as if the dog ate his homework. After explaining who I thought Howard Zinn was up close and personal, we thankfully shifted to another conversation.

I had finally understood just how powerful the polemics of Howard Zinn were. He wrote the number one history book sold in America, and he is feted on the left and by our educators as the one who exposed the dark side of America.

Much of what is seen in todays left started with Howard Zinn. He stoked the anger, he leveled the charges of institutionalized, never-ending, and unforgivable racism. He pushed the narrative of white superiority, now morphed into white privilege. He pressed the foolish notion that socialism was the superior political system. He made up the narrative of purposeful, indiscriminate, racist genocide of native Americans. He made up the narrative of America being founded unjustly, by greed, so flawed that it had to be remade in his image of a Marxist paradise. He virtually invented the anti-American outrage so prevalent today, persuading our celebrities, our media, and an entire generation that America is, and has always been, awful.

This from a man who excused Castros Cuba, exalted Maos China, praised North Vietnam, and to my knowledge has never uttered a negative word concerning the hundred million plus people slaughtered by socialist regimes in the twentieth century.

There is no doubt that we as Americans have had our share of wrongdoing. People are flawed -- read the Book of Genesis. There is no doubt the Indians got the short end of the stick, or that slavery was a horrid institution. We need not hide our flaws, but unlike Howard Zinn, neither should we hide so many of the examples of excellence, honor, courage, justice, and the triumph of so many good things we have in our culture. We need not be ashamed of the many great things we have brought to the world. We also need not be ashamed because we are fortunate to live in one of the finest nations to grace the earth. We are far better in so many ways than any nation has been, yet Howard Zinn missed it entirely.

If you took Howard Zinns works as gospel, you would think we were horrible. Oliver Cromwell was once asked if his portrait painter should leave his warts in, and he famously replied Warts and all! Zinn paints a picture of America as nothing but warts.

His success in bringing the left its dark vision of America is astonishing. How in the world did we get from this mans contrived polemical history published in 1980 to a place where so many have not only believed him uncritically, but have assimilated his myopic vision?

Look at what he has succeeded in getting the left to profess:

The left has adopted his uncritical belief in socialism. They will not look at socialisms clear and present historical mountain range of flaws.

The United States has no trait worthy of praise. We have such a poisonous system, that it must be destroyed. At any price.

They will continue to believe that they, the left, can do no wrong.

They can overlook a hundred million people being slaughtered as a trifle not to be mentioned.

They can allow narratives to be made up in order to further their cause. Truth need not apply.

Look at the past few months and youll see his influence. Hillary Clinton only lost the election because of Russia, Russia, Russia. And James Comey. A narrative so contrived, Howard Zinns ghost must have helped. After all, it couldnt have been anything she did, didnt do, her weak campaign, or unlikability. Socialists cant do anything wrong.

Trumps greatest sin was suggesting America was ever great, or could be great again. What a horribly wrong thing to say. Ergo, he must be racist, hate women, and must not stand for anything else worthwhile. Hes not even human.

Trump must be brought down at all costs. He must be destroyed by the revolutionary resistance.

Nothing the leftwing democrat/media complex has done against Trump is wrong. Making up sources, narratives, literally lying, all that is okay. Because it furthers the agenda. Just ask James Comey, or Reality Winner, the other leakers, CNN, MSNBC or Chuckie Schumer. Burn down the house. Ignore the malfeasance.

Its for the cause. Howard would be proud.
To defeat terrorism, the United States should use federal criminal laws to aggressively target narco-terrorists. While narco-terrorism is frequently mentioned in the news, it is rarely explained properly, and as a result, many skeptics doubt its impact. Understanding how drug trafficking fuels terrorism is necessary to craft effective counterterrorism policy and to triumph in the global war on terror.

Narco-terrorism describes the nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism. This term covers a wide spectrum of behavior, but there are four primary types of narco-terrorism. As a special agent with the DEA, I investigated narco-terrorism for over a decade. After the narco-terrorism law was enacted in 2006, I made the first, precedent-setting arrest for narco-terrorism and I was the case agent for the first two narco-terrorism convictions. The link between narcotics trafficking and terrorism is significant and has been repeatedly proven in court.

The Basics

The crime of narco-terrorism is prosecuted under Title 21 US Code 960a -- Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Terrorist Persons, and Groups. To summarize, it is illegal for anyone to violate federal drug law then provide anything of pecuniary value to a person or organization engaging in terrorist activity or terrorism.

Federal drug laws, as defined under 21 USC 841, cover the possession, manufacture, and distribution of controlled substances, which meet a minimum weight threshold. Terrorist activity, as defined in 8 USC 1182, includes crimes such as hijacking, assassination, kidnapping, and use of weapons of mass destruction. Terrorism is defined, under 22 USC 2656, as politically motivated violence against noncombatants. So, narco-terrorism can involve people engaged in terrorist acts or those belonging to groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. Department of State.

Four Types of Narco-Terrorism

1) Narco-terrorism describes drug traffickers who engage in terrorist activities to protect their business. Pablo Escobar is an example of this type of narco-terrorist. Under Escobars leadership, the Medellin Cartel in Colombia systematically targeted judges, prosecutors, and police, with the goal of furthering the cartels cocaine trafficking. Under this type of narco-terrorism, violence is used to further business interests, not ideology.

2) Narco-terrorism also characterizes terrorists who sell narcotics to fund terrorist activities. For example, I investigated a Taliban commander who purchased and resold a multikilogram shipment of heroin to generate funds for the purchase of expensive military weapons. This commander was normally a terrorist, not a trafficker, but he engaged in this profitable heroin deal to facilitate his operations.

3) A less common type of narco-terrorism involves criminals who have an equal interest in both terrorism and drug trafficking. Khan Mohammed, the first person arrested for narco-terrorism, was a successful opium trafficker and also a Taliban operative targeting U.S. troops. Khan Mohammed was both a terrorist and a drug trafficker, motivated by both profit and ideology.

4) The most common type of narco-terrorism is expressed by the symbiotic relationship between drug traffickers and terrorists. In this form, traffickers only deal drugs and terrorists only commit acts of terrorism, but they mutually support each other. Haji Bagcho, the worlds most prolific heroin trafficker, provided drug proceeds, weapons, and logistical assistance to Taliban leadership. In return, the Taliban protected Haji Bagchos drug production laboratories, attacked police and military, and murdered people cooperating with the government. The Taliban and Haji Bagchos organization committed different crimes, but they both engaged in narco-terrorism.

There are other variations of narco-terrorism. State-sponsored drug trafficking, by a government using terrorism as an instrument of national policy, may be considered narco-terrorism. Another variation is when drug trafficking by itself is used as a form of terrorism. Khan Mohammed said, May God eliminate them (infidels) right now and we will eliminate them too. Whether it is by opium or by shooting, this is our common goal.

Why its Important

A significant percentage of the worlds terrorist organizations are tied to drug trafficking. In 2016, the DEA determined that 22 of 59 designated terrorist organizations were involved with narcotics. That is 37 percent of the worlds most dangerous terrorist organizations and it doesnt even address two groups officially designated in 2016. The percentage of terrorist organizations associated with drug trafficking is likely much higher than 37 percent, because many groups engaging in terrorist activities are not officially designated as terrorist groups by the State Department. The Afghan Taliban is one example of an undesignated terrorist group, which is heavily involved in drug trafficking.

Terrorism is an existential threat to the United States and is a priority in our national policy. Drug trafficking directly supports terrorism and counterterrorism efforts cant be effective if the funding is ignored. Apart from the connection to terrorism, drug trafficking alone damages the rule of law and destabilizes countries. Directing intelligence and enforcement efforts towards narco-terrorism has the dual benefit of targeting both traffickers and terrorists.

Using the narco-terrorism law to arrest terrorists and the traffickers who support them is an effective tool for incapacitating both types of criminals. Prosecuting narco-terrorists in the judicial system allows transparency in the process and provides a long-term solution for two of the most serious threats to our national security.

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired DEA supervisory special agent and expert in narco-terrorism.
In the wake of every terrorist act, there is the same argument. The voices-in-the-wilderness on the right will say, insofar as theyre not muzzled by hate-speech laws, that Islam is the problem. In contrast, a leftist drumbeat of media and mainstream politicos will assert that the Muslim terrorists arent really Muslim terrorists, that theyve perverted the faith. As to the truth, its as with any other debate over a things true meaning (e.g., the Constitution): it only makes sense to look for answers in original sources.

This brings us to a simple question: Was Mohammed a true Muslim?

Its a rhetorical question, of course. As Islams founder  the religion was born of revelations he supposedly had in the early seventh century  Mohammed was the very first Muslim. Moreover, since Muslims view him as The Perfect Man, the ultimate role model, hes not just the truest Muslim but the yardstick by which other Muslims may measure themselves.

So what was Mohammeds perfection? He was a warlord who launched approximately 30 military campaigns, many of which he led himself. He was a caravan raider (a bandit) and captured, traded in and owned slaves (by the way, will liberals suggest slave-owning Mohammed be diminished, as theyve done with our founders?). He ordered massacres, used torture and had dissidents assassinated. In 627 AD, he beheaded more than 600 men and boys of the Qurayza tribe in Medina, Arabia, thus wiping it off the map. He also was a polygamist and made it lawful for masters to have sexual relations with their female captives.

So, clearly, if todays Islamic jihadists arent true Muslims, neither was Mohammed. But since we know the Perfect Man was the truest of Muslims, thenwell, you can finish the sentence.

Yet when analyzing Muslim motivations, the influence of Mohammeds character is generally subordinated to that of Islamic teachings (most of which come from Mohammed). And even here, people generally make the mistake of focusing only on the Koran, unaware that its a mere 16 percent of the Islamic canon. The majority of it comprises the Hadiths and Sira.

This is noteworthy because while 9 percent of the Koran is devoted to jihad and political violence, 21 percent of the Hadiths is and a whopping 67 percent of the Sira is devoted to it, according to Bill Warner, Director of the Center for the Study of Political Islam. This is why Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut wrote in 2015 that violence and domination are deeply rooted...and sanctioned with promises of rewards in Islam, and, consequently, fundamentalists will always find people to excite and people to persecute.

The distribution of violent injunctions in these books helps explain something else. A German study involving 45,000 teens found that while increasing religiosity made Christian youth less violent, increasing religiosity made Muslim youth more violent.

This makes sense. A nominal Catholic may know a few verses from the Bible, but only a devout one scours it and, in addition, will read his catechism. Likewise, a casual Muslim might know a little bit from the Koran.

A serious one will soak it all in and delve into the Hadiths and Sira as well  and be exposed to all the violent injunctions therein.

Even more to the point here, however, these two sets of works together comprise the majority of the Sunnah, which is, as Islaamnet.com explains, The legal way or ways, orders, acts of worship and statements of the Prophet, that are ideals and models to be followed by Muslims (emphasis added). It is all about Mohammeds words and deeds.

The significance of this cannot be overemphasized. Virtues (and vices) are caught more than theyre taught; actions speak louder than words. Thus are Christians more likely to ask What would Jesus do? than What does the Bible say? Thus are they more likely to counsel Reflect Christ than Reflect Matthew 22:37. Oh, the Bible is wonderful, and Matthew 22:37 is one of its most memorable parts. But examples are more powerful than instructions.

Muslims role model, their Perfect Man, is very different from Jesus in type of influence but not in degree of influence. As Warner points out, The Koran says 91 different times that Mohammed's is the perfect pattern of life. It is much more important to know Mohammed than the Koran. Thus is Mohammed (and its spelling variants) the worlds most common male name, belonging to approximately 150 million men and boys. And theres a reason why pious Muslims write PBUH (Peace be unto him) after his name and why theyll riot if hes portrayed in a cartoon. He is, in a sense, the human face of Allah.

Islaamnet.com makes this clear, writing that when Allaah says: Whosoever obeys the Messenger [Mohammed], has indeed obeyed Allaah (Surah An-Nisa 4:80), it should be clear that one has obeyed Allaah by obeying the Messenger.

Islaamnet also informs that Allah commanded, It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decreed by Allah and His Messenger to have any choice in the matter. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger he is clearly astray (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:36).

This Messenger is, again, that warlord, bandit, mass murderer, employer of torture, polygamist and slaver trader and master. Worse still, its not that Muslims always rationalize away or attempt to whitewash this history. The truly devout ones may consider these actions  when directed toward non-Muslims  to be good because the actions have been sanctioned by their perceived author of right and wrong, Allah, and his messenger.

So people sometimes talk about reforming Islam, but this would require reforming Mohammed himself. How? You cannot resurrect him and have him live his life over.

Among the founders of extant major or quasi-major religions/philosophical systems  Lao Tzu, Confucius, Buddha, etc.  Mohammed stands alone, being a tyrant-cum-teacher. Of course, he doesnt stand alone in history; Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and many others paved similar bloody paths. As with them, he was largely a man of his time and place. But to more than a billion people, hes also the perfect man even in our time and place.

And thats the point. After all, if someone told you Attila the Hun was the perfect man and his role model, would you turn your back on that person?

Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com
CARACAS -- With 65 dead in the last 60 days of marching in the streets, it's worth looking at what these protests are really about: a constitutional crisis that strikes at the heart of rule of law in Venezuela. This is more important than the food shortages, the dissident harassment, the crime and corruption or any of the other factors that also fuel the protests. Basically, freedom itself is at stake.

Venezuela's constitution, which is the basis of its rule of law, is under fire as never before.

To take one example, Venezuela's attorney general declared a Constitutional Court sentence unconstitutional, and thus ruptured the country's long constitutional tradition. After that usurpation of power, the constitution was effectively rewritten on President Nicolas Maduro's intervention, putting an end to the separation of powers that has always been integral to rule of law in Venezuela.

For that alone, Venezuelans are protesting, and Maduro finds himself rejected by 80% of Venezuelans according to polls.

But the constitutional crisis has more than one dimension. Despite the judicial meddling described above, Maduro also proposed drafting an entirely new constitution even though a simple reading of three of the articles of the present one do not let him do it unauthorized. But, Venezuelas Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court confirmed he can do it on the grounds that "he is the people.

It shows that Venezuela's constitutional crisis has come a long way from its orgins as an apparently normal document. How did it come to this?

It happened when the late President Hugo Chavez in 1999 first asked Venezuelans if they wanted a new constitution and held a referendum about it. In that vote, the people said 'yes' and after it was drafted there was an Approval Referendum. Because the people said 'yes' again, that is how the current constitution came to be. Then in 2007, when Chavez submitted changes to the 1999 Constitution, in another approval referendum, the people said 'no' to his proposal. Whatever its merits, it worked tolerably well institutionally.

There are three constitutional articles at stake in this current crisis: Article 5 that says the power belongs to the people by their votes and its not transferable. Article 348 says the president has the initiative to ask people if they want a new constitution accompanied by basic considerations such as how many people are going to be elected to the Constitutional Assembly, or the time they are going to be deliberating among other matters. Then a third article, number 347, says the people are the ones who decide if they want a new constitution. Only after people say 'yes' to a Consultation Referendum, can the process continue.

The president changed all of these norms when he said he did not need to ask people if they wanted a new constitution. After the Electoral Boards silence, the seven Magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, the judges who interpret the constitution, sided with the president, ruling that the president represents the people so there is no need to ask. After this decision, the attorney general asked the magistrates to clarify and explain how they interpret the constitution so as to transfer the power of the peoples voting rights to decide to draft a new constitution to the president. There is little chance the magistrates are going to respond because they are not obligated.

The two constitutional breaches described are so ridiculous that even fifth-grade elementary textbooks, which currently say that to have a new constitution there must be two referenda, one to ask the people if they want a new one and another to get their approval with the draft, will need to be rewritten.

Maduros route was to go directly to the Electoral Board, which is in theory an independent branch although it has significant ties to the government, asking them to go ahead with his proposal. The board said 'yes, Mr. President lets do it,' failing to use their criteria and powers to block the presidents wish because he wasnt asking the people first, just as any fifth grader would have been taught.

Making things worse, Maduro said that after he got the changes he wanted, there would be a Consultation Referendum instead of an Approval Referendum, the difference being that the first is not binding in case people say 'no.'

People are not dumb. They know Maduro is backed by a bought-and-paid-for military directed by Cubans and another army of seven magistrates of whom nobody knows how they got their law diplomas, their masters' degrees, and their doctorates.

This is why at least 50% of the 80% of the people that are against Maduro have gone out at least one day during the last two months to protest in the streets and many have gone out much more. What's at stake now is the last chance to keep Venezuelans' freedom and not be another Cuba or communist-style country. Venezuela's protestors don't want a country whose contitutions can be manipulated and changed at will, and where the only solid reality is that the countrys rulers are chosen by Cubanized party elite inside the government. That is a privilege that belongs to the people alone, and by their marching, the Venezuelans are showing that they know it.

Javier Caceres is the editor of notiven.com, a leading opposition Internet site located in Caracas, Venezuela.
In 1604, Shakespeare presented Othello to the world. The year before, in 1603, the Scottish king, James, ascended the throne of England.

Othello is an adaptation of earlier stories, but Shakespeare applied his genius to greatly deepen the human drama. Shakespeare needed to create a villain who was the ultimate evil. At the time, Spain was England's mortal enemy. Therefore, the villain must be Spanish. If the wise, benevolent, and pious James was the epitome of rectitude, why, then, the Spanish villain must be the polar opposite of James.

The name "James" is the Scottish (and sometimes English) equivalent of the Hebrew Jacob. In Spain, James is "Iago." Othello's Spanish villain must therefore be Iago  the antithesis of James.

Throughout the play, until the very end, Iago does no physical harm to anyone. His wounds, deep though they are, are made with words. Iago lies. Iago misdirects. Iago plants false evidence. Iago is slippery as slime. In all this, Iago pretends to be everyone's friend and counselor.

James Comey's intentions and methods are remarkably similar to Iago's. Like Iago, Comey, all along, evidently intended to block Trump's election. During the presidential campaign, Comey did everything in his power to shield Hillary. After the election, slippery Comey switched to a campaign to destroy his new boss President Trump.

Now, Othello is a Moor, an African. For all his military brilliance, Othello is an outsider  not a member of the club. Othello is elected by the Venetian Senate to shepherd Venice through an existential crises posed by the army and navy of the Turks. Many in the Venetian aristocracy must have resented outsider Othello's rise to command. Iago would likely have many sympathetic friends who would listen to his poisonous thinking. These people could be easily manipulated, as they are.

Donald Trump is an outsider. Trump was elected to shepherd our nation through an existential crisis promulgated by his predecessor. Although he is a phenomenally successful self-made businessman, and therefore exceedingly intelligent, he is not a member of the Washington Club. The Club has, from the beginning of his campaign, violently rejected him. Like Othello, Trump must be metaphorically assassinated.

So Comey plans and plots. He enlists the press with carefully arranged leaks. In this, like Iago, Comey enlists his friend to do the dirty deed. Comey lies by commission and, much worse, by omission. Comey censors information. He knows that Trump is innocent of any wrongdoing but refuses to tell this essential fact to the world. President Trump is hung out to dry with the media's fantastical fabrications.

In the end, after he has done the maximum possible damage to Othello, Iago is shown to be a coward. Comey too, in his testimony before Congress, has shown himself to be a coward  a whining coward.

Shakespeare had deep insight into the many types of humanity. In Othello, he left us a model to understand what is happening today. It is remarkable that the same patterns of courage and villainy that Shakespeare knew appear today in different individuals. James Comey has proven himself a villain in the mold of Iago. Iago is just another name for James. I believe that it is appropriate, therefore, to start calling Comey Iago Comey.

May this name stick and bring him everlasting shame.
"Personnel is policy" is an old truism that applies to the staffing decisions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Jonathan Turley, an esteemed constitutional scholar who is an honest liberal, examines a telling hire, Michael Dreeben, a deputy in the solicitor general's office. Dreeben, Turley informs us, argued to the Supreme Court for an expansive interpretation of obstruction of justice, one that would blur intent. The details are technical, and Professor Turley's explanation is characteristically lucid. He sums it up at the end with a vivid analogy:

Dreeben's selection is a lot like seeing an opposing kingdom hiring designers of seige [sic] or breaching towers in the Middle Ages. It is hard not to assume that they are meant to overcome your walls of defense. Indeed, from the perspective of defense counsel, bringing in Dreeben at this point is like sitting outside of the Trump castle building a breaching tower and insisting that there is nothing to see here . . . it is just for the view.

Brendan Kirby at Lifezette notes a number of substantial Democrat donors on the small staff:

Four top lawyers hired by Mueller have contributed tens of thousands of dollars over the years to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates, including former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.

There is an actual member of The Clinton Machine:

One of the hires, Jeannie Rhee, also worked as a lawyer for the Clinton Foundation and helped persuade a federal judge to block a conservative activist's attempts to force Bill and Hillary Clinton to answer questions under oath about operations of the family-run charity. Campaign-finance reports show that Rhee gave Clinton the maximum contributions of $2,700 in 2015 and again last year to support her presidential campaign. She also donated $2,300 to Obama in 2008 and $2,500 in 2011. While still at the Justice Department, she gave $250 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corp.

Now that James Comey is part of the investigation, Mueller has a conflict of interest. Byron York in the Washington Examiner:

Comey is a good friend of special counsel Robert Mueller  such a good friend, for about 15 years now, that the two men have been described as "brothers in arms." Their work together during the controversies over Bush-era terrorist surveillance has been characterized as "deepening a friendship forged in the crucible of the highest levels of the national security apparatus after the 9/11 attacks," after which the men became "close partners and close allies throughout the years ahead."

People's Pundit Daily points out that the Justice Department's ethics code prohibits such an appointment:

According to Section II(c) of the DOJ Government Ethics Outline: No DOJ employee may participate in a criminal investigation or prosecution if he has a personal or political relationship with any person or organization substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution, or who would be directly affected by the outcome. It is well-established that Mr. Comey and Mr. Mueller have a close professional and personal relationship. In 2013, The Washingtonian detailed that close professional and personal history in Forged Under FireBob Mueller and Jim Comey's Unusual Friendship.

I hope A.G. Sessions will address this in his testimony today.

Prepare yourself for the coming debate over whether Mueller should be let go if he doesn't recuse himself. The overwhelming consensus is that it would raise Watergate and convulse the country. One must note that the overwhelming consensus has been wrong on what Donald Trump should do more often than not.

But I will leave that topic for another post.
The latest confirmation of the Obama administration's support of Iran's terrorist activities was provided to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 8, 2017 by David Asher, who for many years worked with the United States government on counter-terrorist financing-related issues. According to Asher, "[i]n narrow pursuit of the P5+1 agreement, the administration ... systematically disbanded any ... action ... to dismantle Hezb'allah and the Iran 'Action Network' ... [for fear these would] derail the administration's policy agenda focused on Iran."

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), who chairs the committee, denounced the Obama administration in April 2016 for allowing Iran "to launder dollars while the administration looked the other way." The hearing he held last week aimed at finding new ways to curb Iran's and Hezb'allah's international crime syndicates that fund its terrorist activities.

One day before the Senate voted on advancing the "Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017," former secretary of state John Kerry argued against "the danger" of new sanctions. "Our bellicosity is pushing them into a corner," and the imposition of new sanctions after old ones were relaxed with Obama's deal with Iran could be seen as a "provocation" by Iran, he warned. His former counterpart, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, followed suit, calling the newly proposed sanctions "repugnant."

Obama is no longer the president, but Democrats in Congress continue his "Iran first" legacy. Last week, 92 senators voted to advance with the Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 to impose new sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, enforce arms embargoes, and block assets of individuals engaged in terrorism and human rights violations in Iran. The six senators who voted against, Carper (D-Del.); Durbin (D-Ill.); Feinstein (D-Calif.); Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sanders (I-Vt.), argued in favor of postponing the vote "as a goodwill gesture" to the Iranians after last week's ISIS attack on the Parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's shrine in Tehran.

Incredibly, Sen. Carper called to "hit the pause button," suggesting that the sanctions would be akin to "rubbing salt into a wound[.] ... [L]et's wait a few days and consider what to do." Displaying his lack of minimal understanding of the mullahs' terrorist regime, he argued, "If we were in their shoes, I think we would appreciate that gesture." One wonders why Sen. Carper and his colleagues continue to call for "goodwill gestures" toward Iran, which has unfailingly proven its hostility to the U.S. The Obama "Iran first" policy followers in Congress have been demonstrating a dangerous delusion that Iran, which supports global terrorism; advances its own and North Korea's nuclear agendas; and encourages mobs chanting "Death to America," "Death to Israel," and "Death to Saudi Arabia" is a friend, not a cunning, maniacal enemy of the U.S.

The savvy Iranians are quick to adopt the pro-Iran Democrats' phrases when protesting U.S. sanctions. On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qassemi, echoed Sen. Carper, saying the new sanctions show "lack of goodwill." Another Iranian official, like former secretary Kerry, claimed that Iran sees the new sanctions as "shameful" and in violation of "the principle of goodwill and successful implementation of the JCPOA."

To ease economic sanction and payments to Iran and to sidestep Congress, James Clapper, Obama's director of National Intelligence, removed Iran and Hezb'allah as sponsors of terrorism from the "Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Communities" in February 2015. The loud criticism of this report, apparently, kept both on the U.S. government designation as terrorists, but the money to Iran kept flowing.

On January 16, 2016, when Obama announced the signing of the JCPOA, he did not mention that Iran will be allowed to trade in U.S. dollars through offshore dollar clearing. "The president instructed to change the venue through which Iran could access and launder the U.S. dollar, all the while admitting that some of that money will be used to advance the terrorist agenda of terrorist-designated Islamic Republic of Iran." John Kerry has acknowledged publicly that money given to Iran would be given to terrorists.

On October 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department updated its "Frequently Asked Questions Relating to the Lifting of Certain U.S. Sanctions Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," which allowed foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) financial institutions to engage in offshore U.S. dollar clearing "as long as U.S. financial institutions were not involved" and as long as they "ensure[d] that a counterparty is not owned more than 50% by the IRGC or its affiliates/agents."

The new sanctions on Iran should prevent any money going to any business, organizations, and individuals involved in the regime's overt and covert military operations. The Trump administration's efforts to curb Iran's activities would also be helped by finding out how much money the Obama administration funneled to Iran and its proxies since he took office in 2009.
Sometimes, it's hard not to get depressed about events unfolding around us. Partisan hate, scheming politicians, crony capitalists, implacable terrorists, and loony lefties all conspire to instill a sense of dread when we peruse the news every morning.

But every once in a while, an inspiring story comes to our attention that temporarily banishes feelings of desolation and gives us hope that all is not lost  that what we are fighting for is good and just and that the world will be better if we prevail.

Seven-year-old Rosalyn Baldwin of Hammond, Louisiana is on an epic mission of courage and love. She plans to hug a police officer in all 50 states.

Her reason is as simple and pure as only a child can fathom.

Chicago Sun-Times:

"I'm here to hug the police officers," Rosalyn Baldwin told reporters gathered at the scene. "Because of what they've done for us  some people are, like, mean to them and I want to make them feel better." Rosalyn walked through a swarm of reporters, occasionally hugging one by accident, before finding her intended targets. The bit of positive media comes on the heels of a warm weekend in which six people were killed and at least 37 others were wounded in shootings across the city. Rosalyn, unable to hug mounted officers on their horses, blew them kisses. Mounted Officer Robin Popelka was touched by the girl's kindness. "It's wonderful, such a brave young little girl who cares so much to travel so far and share love with us and let us know that we are loved," she said.

What motivated Rosalyn to travel the country hugging cops?

Rosalyn's mother, Angie Baldwin, said Rosalyn began asking to go around the country to hug cops after she learned that six officers had been shot in Baton Rouge last year  three fatally  and saw protests against police roil parts of the country. "She'd tell me, 'just because there's one bad apple in the bunch doesn't mean the whole bunch needs to be thrown out," Baldwin recalled.

And a child shall lead them.

"She said, 'Momma, I prayed and God told me I need to hug all the officers," Baldwin said. "I said, "Can we maybe send some post cards?' But then I realized I was lessening her mission and I shouldn't do that." "I have to practice what I preach," she said.

All of us can be pretty cynical at times, especially when it comes to kids and politics. Our children have been manipulated and used as props in political theater, not to mention the constant invocation of their well-being by politicians who want us to spend this or enact that "for the children."

It's difficult to see where there's any artifice involved in Rosalyn's courageous kindness. In case you were wondering, at least part of her trip is being financed through a GoFundMe page. She has raised about $4,000 of her modest goal of $7,000. She's going to need more than that to travel to all 50 states. I urge you to post to your Facebook and other social media pages, urging everyone to donate.

And Rosalyn, hug a cop for me, please.
There was an extremely important hearing in Congress a day before the James Comey hearing last week that almost no one heard about, because the majority of newspapers and networks didn't cover it. It was not about fictional Russian collusion or non-obstruction (the investigation went on unimpeded).

It concerned the death in 2010 of a border guard, Brian Terry, at the hands of a criminal whose gun was sold to him by the Obama administration. The ATF, Justice Department and White House colluded for years to block (obstruct) the public and the family of Terry from learning the truth. Then-attorney general Eric Holder even committed perjury. There was a whistleblower at the hearing. The media and the Democrats showed throughout that hearing that they never cared about the man's death, and their lack of interest in this hearing shows that their apathy continues.

From the following article:

The House Oversight Committee let loose with a scathing assessment of Eric Holder in a recent report, accusing the Barack Obama-era attorney general of outright misleading Congress on its investigation of the "Fast and Furious" gun-running scandal. And get this. Among the report's 300 pages is the committee's finding that Holder regarded the family of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry as a "nuisance." Terry, of course, was killed in December 2010 by a firearm believed to be part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Operation Fast and Furious program. But key details of his death are fuzzy  like the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "More than five years after Brian's murder, the Terry family still wonders about key details of Operation Fast and Furious," the report reads, Fox News reported "The Justice Department's obstruction of Congress's investigation contributed to the Terry family's inability to find answers." Terry's death was supposedly the incident that led to revelation of Fast and Furious  the program that saw the feds turn blind eyes to 2,000 or so firearms illegally purchased by drug smugglers, in hopes of tracing them to cartel big-wigs. Sadly, the feds then lost track of 1,400 or so of these weapons  two of which turned up at Terry's crime scene. Holder told investigators he didn't know of this program before Terry's murder. But report authors say that's just not true.

Obama did everything he could for four years to keep the public and the family of Brian Terry from seeing documents from Operation Fast and Furious.

From the following article:

"Four years after asserting executive privilege to block Congress from obtaining documents relating to a controversial federal gun trafficking investigation, President Barack Obama relented Friday, turning over to lawmakers thousands of pages of records that led to unusual House votes holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt in 2012," Politico's Josh Gerstein wrote on Friday. Fast and Furious remains the only scandal over which this president has used executive privilege power to hide documents from congressional investigators. Obama did not use the highly controversial power in any other scandal, including the following: Benghazi, IRS, Department of Justice phone-tapping, Pigford, General Services Administration (GSA), Solyndra, LightSquared, or EPA administrator email aliases. In the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, the Obama administration let guns "walk"or be trafficked without surveillance or any plan to regain control of them  into the hands of Mexican drug cartel criminals. As many as 2,000 high-powered rifles walked into Mexico as part of the scheme, and they were used to kill many Mexican citizens and even U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. Now, after House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) investigators have been litigating for years after Obama's now former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in both criminal and civil contempt of Congress, the president has dropped his executive privilege claim over the documents. The civil contempt of Congress resolution sparked this lawsuit against the administration while the criminal contempt resolution would have led to charges against Holder, but the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia declined to press forward with prosecution. Holder has since resigned at Attorney General. Several other administration officials resigned over this scandal.

There was an obvious theme through Obama's eight years that some lives didn't matter. If your death interfered with Obama's legacy or agenda, it just wasn't important. He had a sycophant media and Democrats who went along.

Whether you were a Border Patrol agent, or a DNC staffer shot in the back, or people killed by illegal immigrants, or people killed by terrorists, or a U.S. ambassador and his staff killed in Libya by al-Qaeda, the media and Democrats showed little interest, since these atrocities never advanced the Obama agenda.

With the border guard, the A.G. actually committed perjury, and no one asked him to resign. With the DNC staffer, there has been little interest so far in what seem to be legitimate questions about why he was shot dead. When people are killed by illegal immigrants, the media mostly ignore the story because sanctuary cities are safe. When an ambassador is killed by terrorists, the president, his secretary of state, and others literally made up stories about a video. The truth would hurt because an election was coming and Obama had said terrorists were on the run. A couple months after the attack, then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton asked "what difference, at this point, does it make" how they died. (It is a shame that the smartest woman in the world didn't know why it mattered.) To this day, the media and the Democrats have not cared what Obama did on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, when he didn't lift a finger to help Americans under attack. As for general attacks by terrorists, which were up throughout the world during Obama's eight years, we were told climate change is more dangerous than terrorism. I am sure the people who died wouldn't agree.

Obama and the media did put some deaths to use. When Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Mo., in a clearly justified killing by a white police officer, a fictitious "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" narrative began. The Obama administration and the media were able to foment racial anger and hatred of cops even though the shooting was justified. We had riots, damage, and police shootings because of this false narrative that the media willingly spread. From the day of the shooting, the media sought to destroy the white police officer. The media, Obama, and the Democrats obviously didn't care about Darren Wilson (the police officer) or his family. They had a narrative to push. Today they are out to destroy Donald Trump and his family every day because they have an agenda to push, once again, not because of any illegality.

Michelle Obama has said the Democrats take the high road when campaigning. That could not be farther from the truth. Democrats seek to destroy (they are the party of personal destruction) opponents of their agenda and stifle their speech. A few days before Obama was elected, he said he wanted to remake America. What is truly a danger to our freedom and democracy are the significant majority of reporters who also seek to destroy those who disagree with Democrats. The media pick and choose what to report, the slant to put on the story, and what not to report. The Terry murder and hearing should have been titillating to all investigative reporters (especially Watergate lovers), yet there was almost universal silence. That shows pure ideology, not an interest in the truth.

We should all remember Brian Terry because the media and Democrats won't. It is too bad he wasn't killed by a Tea Party member who belonged to the NRA. Then we would have heard the story continuously.
We know the type: aging feminist socialist spinsters who have nothing else to do but make other people's lives miserable with constant multi-cultural rants and harping on the male dominated hierarchy or some such. So where to find happiness in their frustrating and demented existence, outside providing coffee and donuts at an antifa riot? Well, the womyn social justice warriors in Sweden have come up with a solution.

According to the Narrative Collapse, many of these womyn join the ranks of the social services agencies to have sex with immigrant men.

These women are being called "Batikhaxor," which is sometimes translated into English as "Dye Witch." It is a derogatory Swedish slang term for an unattractive woman who is an outspoken advocate of feminism and political correctness. Similar to what is called a "Social Justice Warrior" in the USA, but specifically for older women.

Some in the Swedish media are even accusing the womyn of exploiting the teenagers for sex. Something like this may normally be reserved for the supermarket tabloids, but in this case, it impacts Sweden's national security and the safety of communities and families, especially when the mentally ill Dye Witch snaps:

The ongoing double-murder trial of Johanna Moller has brought the scandal to the forefront. Moller is accused of having an Afghan refugee murder her husband and father. During the trial, it has been alleged that she routinely plied underage refugees with drugs and alcohol and had sex with them. She even took naked pictures with them, which were leaked to the press. ... The communist website Black Spot published an explosive anonymous column from a female social worker stating that it is common to have sex with young male refugees. The anonymous columnist says that the males are traumatized and the sex is therapeutic for them. The ongoing scandal has sparked accusations that so-called "Batikhaxor" are not driven by ideological convictions, but by hedonism and lust.

What could be a better deal for a young male refugee? Immigrate to Sweden, get a visa, a place to live, a welfare check, and have sex with your caseworker while you're waiting to scope out younger and prettier targets in town. So congratulations to the men of Sweden. The chickens of your passivity have come home to roost.

John Smith is the pen name of a former U.S. intelligence officer.
Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Iranian regime's parliament and the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, in Tehran on Wednesday morning, June 7. The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Despite ISIS claiming responsibility for the attacks, when the dust settles, they serve the interests of the theocratic regime.

Several questions remain unanswered in the aftermath of the attacks, which the Iranian regime must answer. For example, how could the attackers just walk into the parliament protected by the IRGC and plainclothes agents, when even journalists and visitors are not allowed to bring a pen or mobile phone? Why does the suicide bomber attacking the mausoleum detonate the suicide vest in an empty park?

The Iranian regime needs to pretend to be a victim of terrorism.

Considering the fact that the U.S. has increased pressure on the theocratic regime through a looming designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, the regime in Tehran needs to deceive the international community  e.g., by diverting attention from Tehran's own terrorist activities in the region.

Senior regime officials and IRGC commanders are already citing the attacks to increase Tehran's malign and destabilizing intervention in the Middle East by dispatching more forces to Syria and Iraq.

It is worth pointing out that on the same day that the attacks happened, the U.S. Senate had planned to vote for new sanctions over the Iranian regime's ballistic missile program, human rights record, and funding of terrorist organizations involved in the Middle East. Not surprisingly, the proponents of appeasing the regime in Tehran and its lobbyists in the U.S. pointed to the attacks and demanded that the senators abandon the debate and cancel the vote that would put more pressure on Tehran to alter Iran's unacceptable behavior at home and abroad. However, the senators saw through this deceptive claim and voted 72 to 7 to move forward on the sanctions bill.

President Trump in a tweet rightly distinguished between the Iranian people and their theocratic oppressors, highlighting that the regime is the main sponsor of terrorism and that the real victims of these attacks are the innocent people of Iran.

The Iranian regime was furious and tried to deflect this reality by blaming the U.S. and its Gulf ally Saudi Arabia for the ISIS attacks. It is interesting to note that immediately after the attacks, one of the Iranian regime's staunchest lobby organizations in the U.S., officially known as the NIAC, begun to justify this line. "And you'll have a context that makes it possible for IRGC to seemingly connect Trump to Saudi, and Saudi to the #Tehran terror attack," Trita Parsi, NIAC president, said on Twitter.

After the failure of the IRGC's favorite candidate in the recent presidential election in Iran, the entire theocracy is at an impasse, fearing upcoming uprisings and anti-regime protests by the Iranian people. Therefore, the IRGC, "the protector of the Islamic revolution and the theocratic system," needs to create a security atmosphere to suppress popular protests in order to crush the domestic dissent and manage the internal feuding among different factions of the regime.

The ISIS attacks provide a timely pretext to do just that, especially at a time that has seen growing popular protests in various Iranian cities, in particular in front of the parliament in Tehran, against poor living conditions, the abysmal economic situation, and bankruptcy of Caspian, an IRGC-affiliated credit and financial institution that saw hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iranians losing their life savings. Now the Intelligence Ministry has banned any protests or gatherings in front of the parliament, citing the attacks.

It is a known fact that during the civil war in Syria, only the Iranian regime has profited from ISIS's existence. Similarly, it is now a result of the claimed ISIS attacks in Tehran to intensify domestic repression and step up malign intervention in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the Iranian people are as usual the real victims of the theocracy's Machiavellian policy. The West should not fall for this deception and allow the regime to depict itself as a victim of terrorism. In the aftermath of the attacks, the international community must stand with the Iranian people and not their theocratic oppressors by supporting the former's democratic aspirations and holding the regime accountable for its support for terrorism.

Freelance journalist Hamid Bahrami is a former political prisoner in Iran. He is a human rights and political activist.
With the new U.S. administration blueprinting its Iran policy after escalating developments in Syria and the recent attacks in Tehran, one major battleground between the two arch-rivals is set to be Yemen. Sitting at the opening of a major waterway through which a significant amount of the world's seabound oil flows, this country of 27 million has been war-torn and desperately grappling with a famine currently risking the lives of 7 million people.

All the while, Iran and its offspring terror organization, the Lebanese Hezb'allah, are escalating their meddling in a war that has already left more than 10,000 killed and literally leveled the country's already poor infrastructure.

And while the United Nations has issued pleas for support to boost the efforts of humanitarian aid organizations, signs show that Iran and its Houthi proxies are ignoring these calls. The larger picture of the Middle East power struggle is casting a long shadow over this entire nation. It is, however, worth noting that the Saudi-led coalition welcomed a U.N. proposal to hand the port city of Hodeidah, currently the country's lifeline, to a neutral third party to supervise the urgent flow of humanitarian aid into Yemen.

The Iran-backed Ansar Allah militia group, aka the Houthis, will most likely turn down the proposals. Such a handover would render the loss of their last remaining port in Yemen, choking the flow of Iran-supplied arms and ammunition. It is a known fact that Iran's involvement in Yemen is in line with its broader strategy of encircling the entire Arabian peninsula and upping pressure on its regional arch-rival, Saudi Arabia.

Iran seeks the destabilization of the Gulf States and to ultimately obtain the capability of replacing these governments with rulers loyal to the Islamic Republic's doctrine. Iraq is a vivid example of how Iran usurped the opportunity of the 2003 invasion to cast its shadow over this nation, especially during the eight years of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and eight years of Obama's Chamberlain-style appeasement.

This is the very philosophy behind establishing and procuring terror cells with the objective of purging government officials and staging attacks targeting the infrastructure of various states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE. Bahrain, particularly, in March busted a terrorist cell linked to Hezb'allah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

It is a known fact that the IRGC and Hezb'allah are present in Yemen, with their troops and foot soldiers fighting alongside Houthis, parallel to providing much needed training and advice to these forces.

The number of Hezb'allah fighters being captured is on the rise, with such statistics in the first three months of 2017 matching the entire course of 2016. The death toll of Hezb'allah and IRGC forces also escalated in the first quarter of 2017.

More Iranian equipment across scattered front lines in Yemen is being discovered by advancing Yemeni and Saudi forces. Further concerning is the fact that Iranian weapons convoys and shipments, consisting of drones and high-tech missiles, have been intercepted on the Yemen-Oman border.

Maritime traffic snaking the Yemeni coast lengthwise has experienced a dangerous rise in attacks staged by the Iranian IRGC and Hezb'allah. Advisers to these two sources are busily training Houthis how to develop sophisticated drone boats packed with explosives and how to lay mines in Yemen's Red and Arabian Sea waters.

Recent reports in the media shed light on the Houthis launching their first such attack, targeting an oil tanker in the southern Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Assailants of unknown identity fired rocket-propelled grenades  a favorite tactic of insurgents  at the 70,362-ton M.T. Muskie, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, using the strategic waterway heading into the Red Sea entrance, according to Reuters.

Involvement in the attack was denied by the Houthis, despite a history of evidence showing these Iran-supplemented proxies staging attacks on various navy vessels using the narrow water passage. The Houthis are also known to have direct interest in disturbing the flow of Bab el-Mandeb's maritime traffic to provide Tehran unprecedented influence over the Red Sea and up north to the Suez Canal.

As tensions continue to escalate in this vital corner of the globe, it becomes imperative for the international community, and especially U.S. allies in the region, to take urgent action against Iran's meddling, with the aim of curbing its dangerous influence and establishing peace and tranquility in the Middle East.

Heshmat Alavi is a political and rights activist. His writing focuses on Iran, including human rights violations, social crackdown, the regime's support for terrorism and meddling in foreign countries, and the controversial nuclear program. He tweets at @HeshmatAlavi and blogs at IranCommentary.
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In 2010 Labour wooed the DUP and lost

Lets have another look at Labour Party links to those crackpots at the pro-British DUP, the Northern Irish party that articulates a sense of discontent and dissatisfaction with Westminster and the Peace Protest. The DUP is the only mainstream party to oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The Boston Globe told its readers in 2003 that the Good Friday Agreement was one of Bill Clintons foreign policy triumphs. The DUP were on the wrong side of histoy.

Which bring us to WikiLeaks  yes, I know  which has published a cable it claims was sent to Hillary Clinton on May 7 2010. In it Sydney Blumenthal, an unofficial adviser to Ms Clinton, reportedly headlined the email to the then US Secretary of State H: HERE IT IS! WHATS REALLY GOING ON. SID. The sub-head added: The Downing Street meeting today.

Gordon [PM Gordon Brown] is doing whatever he can to hold on to power. Shaun [Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward], for his part, is working on an economic package for Northern Ireland to win support from the DUP and other parties for Laboura package to be proposed in the Queens Speech.

The DUP, those crackpots  albeit ones voted for in a free and legal election  were in the near past Labours great hope.

Spotter: Paul Gallagher

Anorak

Posted: 13th, June 2017 | In: Politicians, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Rome, June 12 - The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) flopped in local polls across Italy Sunday as the old centre-left and centre-right blocs returned to the fore in major cities.

The centre left won Palermo with Leoluca Orlando and was ahead in Verona going into the second round in two weeks's time while the centre right was ahead in a long-time leftwing fief, Genoa, as well as in Taranto.

In L'Aquila, the Abruzzo capital, the centre left was ahead while in the Calabrian capital of Catanzaro the centre right was in the lead.

In Parma the ex-M5S mayor, Federico Pizzarotti, looked as if he will probably be returned over the centre left with his old party polling very low.

In Palermo Orlando of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD) won his sixth straight term as first citizen of the Sicilian capital with 46% of the vote, benefitting from a winner's bar of 40% in Sicily, compared to 50% in the rest of the country.

PD secretariat coordinator Lorenzo Guerini said "the PD held, we are satisfied" while acknowledging that a successful local alliance with ex-PD group the MDP will be harder to replicate at a national level.

Rightwing populist Northern League (LN) leader Matteo Salvini said the results showed that a centre-right alliance with ex-premier Suilvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) was "possible, but only if the LN leads it".

Salvini said that for the next general election "we will do our utmost to forge a coalition that is as compact as possible" with FI. "If Berlusconi wants centre right unity, he should choose the first-past-the-post system," Salvini added.

The anti-immigrant, anti-euro FN is vying with FI as top party on the centre right and Salvini is vying with Berlusconi to lead the coalition.

Salvini went on to claim "the only one defeated" was PD leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi who, the FN leader said, "was forced to hide behind civic tickets." Salvini said "I don't understand why the PD is cheering the alleged defeat of the 5-Star Movement. "For me, they (the M5S), did better than them (the PD)." Salvini said the PD had gone down to a "crushing" defeat in one-time fief Genoa.

M5S leader Beppe Grillo denied it had flopped, saying its opponents were "deluding themselves". "The M5S was the most present political force in this electoral round. The other parties camouflaged themselves, above all the PD (Democratic Party) which presented itself in around half the constituencies the M5S did," he said. "The results are a sign of slow but inexorable growth", Grillo said.

Renzi retorted that the PD had had "good results" and wished elected mayors and second-round runners "all the best", but said that he had decided to visit the quake-hit Lazio villages of Amatrice and Accumoli instead of conducting an electoral post-mortem. Renzi's trip, along with Lazio Governor Nixola Zingaretti, was a surprise.

Some nine million Italians went to the polls Sunday in over 1,000 municipalities.

The turnout was low at just over 60%, sharply down on the last such elections.

photo: Orlando
Libya: fishing, 'Nicosia' cooperation initiative in Trieste Three days of meetings, promoted by the EU

(ANSAmed) - TRIESTE, JUNE 13 - Developing fishing in Libya through the cooperation between the institutions of the north-eastern Italian region Friuli Venezia Giulia and authorities in the North African country is the aim of a three-day event in Trieste which is part of the initiative on June 15-18 called ''Nicosia'' - from the name of the capital of Cyprus where it was organized - promoted by the EU through the committee of regions.



The mayors of Tobruk, Tripoli, Sirte, Benghazi and other cities in Libya will attend the gathering.



During the meeting and visits on the ground, participants will discuss issues including water culture, culture of mollusks, the preservation of the environment, the commercialization of products, the preservation of health.



IPresenting the event, the president of the Regional Council, Franco Iacop, said the region is the ''first in Italy to host such initiative'' after Spain, Portugal and Belgium. According to Iacop, ''fishing can be an important occasion for economic development and a tassel of reconstruction of the territory and stabilization of Libya. If opportunities of development and earning an income will be created for the population on the coasts of Africa, it will also be possible to regulate migration flows''.



Representatives of local communities called for strong economic cooperation in the fishing sector.



Stefano Sotgia, a member of the EU delegation for Libya, has stressed the possibility of ''giving an alternative to youths thanks to the richness of the Libyan sea and Europe's need for imports''.



(ANSAmed).




Limit Rome migrant presence Raggi tells prefect 'Moratorium' on new arrivals

(ANSAmed) - Rome, June 13 - Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi on Tuesday asked the interior ministry for a moratorium on new migrant arrivals in the Italian capital, given the "strong migratory presence and the continual flow of foreign citizens".



Writing to Rome Prefect Paola Basilone, Raggi said "I find it impossible, as well as risky, to hypothesise further reception facilities, which would moreover have a significant impact...on the city area". In the letter, Raggi stresses the need to consider the "high migrant pressure Rome is subjected to". She said "for these reasons this administration, given the high flows of unregistered migrants, hopes the assessments of new facilities take into account the evident migrant pressure on Roma Capitale and the possible devastating consequences in terms of social costs as well as for the protection of the beneficiaries themselves."
This year, Boeing and EgyptAir joined hands to double the number of volunteers to provide care packages for children and their families at the hospital.

Our relationship with Boeing goes back many decades and we are delighted to partner with them in this volunteer activity which will bring smiles and happiness to many patients and their families during this Holy Month, said Safwat Musallam, Chairman, and CEO, EgyptAir Holding.

We are pleased to share the same values as Boeing and prioritise the wellbeing of our community through Ramadan which gives us an excellent opportunity to fulfill our obligations at multiple levels to reach out and serve.

It is our responsibility to give back as much as we can to the community and our employees jump at every opportunity to volunteer, said Bernard Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey. This year is special as EgyptAir is also participating, sharing the same spirit of giving. We have been able to distribute food boxes more efficiently to patients and families at Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital thanks to the increased number of volunteers. We hope that this small gesture will give them some comfort during the holy month of Ramadan.
On arrival at Luxembourg, the freighter was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute. Emirates SkyCargos freighter operation between Luxembourg and Dubai World Central is one of the first steps in the implementation of the strategic operational partnership between Emirates SkyCargo and Cargolux Airlines announced in May this year.

Emirates SkyCargo will operate its Boeing 777 freighter aircraft on this route providing a total cargo capacity of over 100 tonnes. The Boeing 777 freighter aircraft is one of the most modern and technologically advanced freighters available with one of the lowest fuel burn of any comparable size aircraft.

At Luxembourg, ground handling of the Emirates SkyCargos freighters will be carried out at the same facility as Cargolux and at Dubai, Cargolux freighters are handled by Emirates SkyCargo allowing for seamless transit of cargo between the two air cargo operators. Smooth movement of cargo is also enabled by other factors including the common EU Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification of both hubs.

Emirates SkyCargo is delighted to start our weekly freighter operations to Luxembourg, said Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo. This is an important step in our operational partnership with Cargolux through which we will be able to offer our customers an enhanced reach across each others networks, as well as an enriched service offering building upon our compatibility in ground handling and standard operating procedures for cargo transportation, he added.

Cargolux is proud to welcome Emirates SkyCargo at our home base in Luxembourg, said Richard Forson, Cargolux President & CEO. As the leading Gulf airline and one of the premier carriers worldwide, Emirates is as important a player in the industry as Cargolux is. With the arrival of SkyCargos first freighter here, we open a new chapter in our history and lay the foundation for a fruitful cooperation for the benefit of our customers. Our supplementary capabilities allow us to develop service offerings that both of us could not provide on our own.
While Iran has struggled with putting together the systems needed to deploy a tactical attack drone, it has done a good job with affordable, reliable engines and airframes.

Iran has one of the oldest drone development programmes in the world. It began in the early 1980s during its war against Iraq. Over the years, and in spite of crippling international sanctions, it has developed a colourful ecosystem of military unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).

Though some of Irans past drones have been more credible than others, its hard not to be impressed by the quantity and diversity of unmanned aircraft produced over the past 30 years.

The Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) appeared to mark a milestone in its UAV production when it rolled out the Shahed-129 in late 2012. Up until then, its drone fleet mostly included smaller aircraft with short range and endurance. IRGC minders claimed  but experts have been unable to independently verify  that the larger Shahed can fly for 24 hours straight.

Making drones that can fire guided missiles appears to be a more difficult feat for Irans aviation industry. During the Iran-Iraq war, Iranian forces equipped early versions of the Mohajer UAV with RPG-7s rocket-propelled grenades. More recently, Iran claimed that its turbojet-powered Karrar drone could drop bombs as well as fire a type of homebrew guided missile called the Sadid.

Iran shows no sign of slowing down its drone development programme, which hit an obsessive tempo after it captured a US Sentinel stealth surveillance drone in 2011.

The country has also had success in exporting its drones to proxies, such as Hezbollah, where they mostly play the same intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) role.

Hezbollah has experimented with suicide drones (not quite the same thing as Cruise missiles, but not that far off), and Israel can probably anticipate a more complex aerial environment in the next Lebanon conflict.

Iran has used drones extensively in Syria and Iraq, supplying both countries governments with reconnaissance data and identifying targets for manned airstrikes. Iranian drones have been spotted flying over Syrian battle zones since the early days of the Syrian civil war. Altogether, Iran probably has more operational experience with drones than any country other than Israel or the United States.

In 2015, Venezuelas president, Nicolas Maduro, announced that his country had collaborated with Iran to develop and produce a fleet of surveillance drones to patrol the countrys borders. The Arpia-001 drones, which are based on Irans Mohajer series, will be used to seek out drug smugglers.

Also, Iranian officials have told the media that Russia wants to import the technology of one of the Iranian-made drones. The official refused to unveil more details. Iran earlier gave Russia a copy of ScanEagle  a US spy drone  as proof that its elite forces have reverse-engineered and mass produced the American UAV.

The first operational Iranian drone was the Ababil, which first saw service in 1986 during operations against Iraq.

The Ababil is still in production today. Isfahans HESA produces several UAV types, among them the Ababil-1 and its scaled-down AM-79 derivative for operator training.

The Ababil-1 weighs a little less than 440lbs. It can loiter for two hours at speeds up to 160 knots and a can operate at altitudes of up to 16,500 feet. A solid-fuel booster assists take-off from a rail-type platform. The main wing unfolds and the vehicles assume a canarded aerodynamic configuration. A rear-mounted piston engine driving a pusher propeller powers the vehicle during cruise and the design features optical sensors in the fuselage nose.

The Ababil-1 follows a flight path loaded into its computer before take-off, but the operator can assume control or reprogram waypoints during flight. The operator uses a Panasonic portable computer and joystick-style device for manual trajectory control  all of which he or she can carry in a normal-sized suitcase.

While HESAs designs consist largely of aluminium alloys, Tehran-based Qods Aviation Industries prefers composites.

The Mohajer, a medium-size surveillance drone, followed soon after the Ababil and also saw service in the Iran-Iraq war. Some versions were reportedly equipped with rocket-propelled grenades, making the Mohajer one of the first weaponised drones.

The 118in Mohajer-2, featuring a 150in wingspan, weighs just 187lbs. Its twin-boom tail and a pusher propeller give it a distinctive look. The UAVs 25hp piston engine provides for 90 minutes of powered flight at a maximum speed of 108 knots and altitudes of up to 9,900 feet. In practice, operational range falls to less than 27nm (to maintain a radio link with the truck-based control post) if the operator needs real-time video imagery.

Equipped with a flight control system and autopilot, the Mohajer-2 normally follows a preloaded flight path with up to 99 waypoints, using a GPS receiver for navigation. The vehicle lasts for some 20 to 30 flights.

The Mohajer 4, the fourth iteration of the drone, remains in use today. During the Israel-Hezbollah war in the summer of 2006, Israeli forces shot down a Hezbollah-operated surveillance drone, the Mirsad-1, which is believed to be derived from the Mohajer.

The Karrar (striker) is the latest in a growing line of indigenous Iranian drone offerings. It was developed as an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), becoming the first long-endurance, combat-capable Iranian drone of note.

Externally, the vehicle resembles a World War II-era German V-1 terror rocket and US target drone designs of the 1970s. It makes use of a basic aerodynamic shape, which is stabilised by straight wing appendages.

The Karrar is a turbojet-propelled drone capable of carrying a single bomb. Iran claims that it has a range of about 600 miles.

With the Shahed 129, Iran became a pretender to the drone major leagues. Capable of carrying out 24-hour surveillance and strike missions, the Shahed 129 reportedly shares many of the capabilities of the US Predator and Reaper drones.

The HESA Shahed 129 series is a dual-role platform capable of reconnaissance work and attack. It was developed by the Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center of Iran, with production handled by HESA.

It appeared during September 2012, remains in active production and may have been procured by the Syrian Government for its long-running civil war campaign begun in 2011. The Shahed 129 was debuted in mid-2012.

One of Irans most impressive drones is also one of its only non-military versions. Technology developer RTS Labs has created the Pars lifesaver drone.

The Pars carries a stack of flotation devices, which it drops over people in emergency situations in the water.

The Raad-85 is a hybrid between a drone and a precision-guided bomb. Technically, it is a UAV that is packed with explosives. The pilot can steer the Raad, kamikaze style, into moving targets.

Upon its unveiling, the Raad garnered widespread ridicule, as the demonstration model appeared to be held together with brown duct tape.

Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) manufactures Fotros. The vehicle is said to exhibit an operational endurance of some 30 hours with a range out to 2,000km. A service ceiling of 25,000 feet is reported. Of course, due to Iranian secrecy, these values can be considered suspect until formally proven.

The Fotros can carry missiles for air-to-ground attacks. In theory, this makes it roughly equivalent to the drones that the US uses for targeted killing operations in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.


As part of a well-established Kuwaiti tradition, young passengers en-route to their different destinations shared in the joy of candy and sweets giveaways aimed at spreading smiles all around during the most special time of the year.

Rohit Ramachandran, chief executive officer at Jazeera Airways said: Girgean is a special occasion for us and we feel privileged to pass on a this rich heritage to our passengers and their children who will carry on this wonderful Kuwaiti tradition in the future. Small acts of kindness and generosity are a powerful reminder of the positive impact we can all have in society. On behalf of Jazeera Airways, we wish Kuwait and its people a blessed Ramadan.
In a statement, company chairman Faisel Gergab said the program would cover Mitiga, Benina, Tobruk and Labraq airports. Further, the company would train airports staff in the use and maintenance of the equipment.



He said LT would continue to develop the Libyan aviation sector by ensuring that all airports operate standard aircraft navigation systems.



VOR is a short-range radio navigation system that uses very high frequency (VHF) band to enable receiver-equipped aircraft to determine position and maintain course using radio signals transmitted by a network of fixed ground radio beacons.
The objective of the programme is to improve and safeguard the airworthiness of all RAFO aircraft for years to come by developing a new Continuing Airworthiness ruleset for RAFO. RAFO previously used a military regulatory system based on UK legacy requirements, but this will be updated to operate in line with international modern military standards.

The programme is particularly pertinent following the arrival of new fleets of Typhoon and Hawk 200 aircraft in Oman.

The Baines Simmons consultancy and training programme is based on the newly completed European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs), as well as their source European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.

Mark Briffa, Group CEO of Air Partner said: When we acquired Baines Simmons in 2015, we knew its international role as a trusted advisor to more than 750 aviation organisations and more than 40 aviation authorities would fit well with Air Partners international blue chip client base. Since the acquisition, Baines Simmons has secured several new contracts, including a 10-year contract with the Isle of Man, and I am delighted that we are now working with the Royal Air Force of Oman too. We look forward to building what I hope will be the start of a long-term relationship.


Pegasus received the Best Operational Excellence Award for Europe, Middle East and Africa  A320 based on its successful performance across criteria of operational safety, fleet utilisation rate and average delay times.



The Airbus Operational Excellence Awards ceremony is held every three years to reward successful A320 Family operators.

Engineering and Planning Group Director Tahsin Istanbullu said: We are proud and delighted to receive this important award from Airbus. As Pegasus our ongoing aim is to continue to improve on all operational fronts with a view to ensure the best experience for our guests. The Award is recognition of the achievements of everyone at the Pegasus family in creating an outstanding airline at the forefront of global aviation.


According to Reuters Qatar has sent a letter to the UN agency in an effort to resolve the dispute. It is calling on the ICAO council to resolve the conflict under the 1944 Chicago Convention.

The matter is expected to be discussed at ICAO Council by Friday as they are meeting in Montreal this week, Reuters said.

Chief executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker told CNN that ICAO should declare the measures against Qatari air traffic to be illegal. "We have legal channels to object to this," he said. "ICAO... should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act."


These include a contract to operate the new King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, operation of which had already been awarded to Singapore-based Changi Airports International (CAI) for a 20-year period.

The contract to develop and operate the new Taif International Airport was signed with Asyad Holding Group in collaboration with Consolidated Contractors Company and Munich Airport.

The contracts to operate Qassims Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Airport, Hail International Airport and Yanbus Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdul Aziz Airport were signed with the consortium of Turkish TAV Airports Holding and Al Rajhi Holding Group.

The contracts for the Taif, Qassim, Yanbu and Hail airports are based on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, said the report. Once completed, these airports will together receive over 19 million passengers every year.
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At this years Wet n Wild Tour 2017, a fun wet and wild time was had by all.

It began at registration, where participants were met by Miss Artesia, Ashly Letcher, who prompted folks to sign the all-important release form. Once they had their signed release form in hand, they proceeded into the Eddy County Fairgrounds exhibition barn to pick up their race shirt, race number, and other goodies, including a very nice aluminum water bottle.

Handling registration were five of the Ride to Meet the Challenge scholarship winners, who took names and handed out race paraphernalia. These students included Destiny Lopez, 2013 winner and 2017 college graduate, Freddie Gomez, 2015 winner, Natalie Wallace and Brandon Reza, 2016 scholarship winners, and the new 2017 winners, Jalissa Berdoza and Emory Vargas. Also helping were Morgan Bristow and Hilda Moreno, whose daughter was being honored that day. They were led by Lupe Doporto, who made sure everything ran smoothly.

The all-important warm-up was led by Tania and Page of the Faith Fit group. Music for the warm-up and background was provided by Richard Orosco. The stage and starting and finish gates were built by Roxanne Pando and her Echo Construction crew. They have come through all five years to help.

The tour started off with the walkers departing around 9:20 a.m. The road blocks were supervised by Eddy County Sheriffs Office Deputy Jason Decker and Eddy County Road Manager Ruben Delarosa. This road blockage is vital to the safety of all the participants, and the local residents are to be thanked for their patience during the tour.

The tour-goers walked, ran or biked their way north on 13th Street, where a water truck donated by Constructors Inc. hit them with a much-appreciated cold water spray. Then they got a water break from one of the three water and aid stations supplied by Austin Construction. Next, they turned west on Tumbleweed Road, and if they looked ahead, they could see things getting wetter.

The water truck supplied by Hocker and Sons gave out a good, welcomed splash. In front of Artesia Lanes, many of those employees got into things with their Strike It obstacle course, which had inflatable bowling pins, squirt guns and spraying water. And that water was cold. Many folks ran by screaming in delight.

Next up was 2013s Super Soaker Team award winner Cottonwood Fire Departments animated Fingers of Death. This obstacle has moving fingers that spray water and look quite intimidating. Again, the drenching was much appreciated. Now, they rounded the corner of Tumbleweed Road and 26th Street heading south. Austin had their second water and aid station located here. Due to the 100-plus-degree temperatures, many stopped to drink the cool water.

Next up on the tour was the slide provided by Santo Petroleum and manned by Coats Plumbing called Royal Flush. This event was a tall water slide from Balloons-A-Poppin. Water was supplied by a water truck provided by M&R Trucking, who were having a great time spraying folks down. Folks were standing in line to slide down.

The champion for the last three years, Boot Camp Bubble Bath, sponsored by the Artesia Elks Lodge, was next. As in years past, participants get down and crawl on their hands and knees through a camouflaged tub of soapy water. Kids were having so much fun diving in that many retuned for second or even third trips through the bath.

The last event on 26th Street was local favorite the Artesia Fire Department. They had a run-n-slide sponsored by Santo Petroleum and provided by Balloons-A-Poppin. The Artesia team also wore great looking t-shirts commemorating Danielle Brady, along with tattoos. Lots of folks enjoyed taking a run at this event.

Now people were entering the home stretch, and they made one last pit stop at the last Austin Aid station and knuckled down for that last mile. First up on Fairgrounds Road was the Navajo Fire Department and Loudon Electrics Surfs Up. Tour folks were greeted with a smiling Aloha and dancing hula girls, who handed out flowered leis just before you entered the dark dragons lair. Inside, you were soaked by nozzles spraying chilled water, but as you exited, you were confronted by a fire-breathing dragon.

Almost last up was newcomer Mack Energy Corp. and their Mack Attack obstacle. This event was by far the largest and most elaborate event in the course. First, you have to crawl, slide and climb through a rigorous inflated obstacle course. After you made it (or didnt) you faced New Mexicos tallest water slide at 22 feet. You slid down and entered a pool at the bottom with an impressive splash. It was a fantastic if not tiring event.

Now you thought all was done, but Hocker and Sons had pulled their truck back to the end of the course for one more try at getting you soaked, and they succeeded. After all was done, the tour-goers reentered the Eddy County Fairgrounds soaked and with big smiles on their faces.

Everyone was given a blue poker chip to drop in the soaker team of their choices voting bucket. This vote was for the team they liked the best, and this years winner was newcomer Mack Energy and Mack Attack. They will receive the coveted Super Soaker Team award.

This award is crafted by local vendors. Murdock Machine does the base, Artesia Fire and Safety provides the antique fire nozzle, and Jay Turner and company does the cork base.

The 501(c)(3) public charity Ride for Bikes would like to thank all of the people that made this event possible. Almost 500 people participated, and we raised between $10,000 and $12,000.

Please visit www.rideforbikes.com for more information.
New York art patron Agnes Gund has sold a record-smashing $165 million Roy Lichtenstein painting to create a fund to help address mass incarceration in the United States. Some $100 million from that sale will establish the Art for Justice Fund, to be managed by the Ford Foundation, which aims to raise another $100 million over the next five years, partly from art sales. Gund has thus thrown down the gauntlet to other art collectors to unload their assets to address critical issues of social justice.
In my latest Wall Street Journal Sightings column, which appears in the online edition of todays paper, I comment on a controversy that has the American theater community up in arms. (No, not that one!) Heres an excerpt.

* * *

Edward Albee spent most of his long life stirring up theatrical trouble, and he continues to do so eight months after his death. Just last month, the Shoebox Theatre, a small house in Portland, Oregon, was denied performance rights to Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Michael Streeter, the producer, wanted to cast a black actor as Nick, one of the plays four characters. This went squarely against the script, in which Nick is described as blond. (Another character broadly hints that he looks like a Nazi.) In addition, Mr. Albee reportedly said that since the play is set in the early 60s, a time when mixed-race marriages were uncommon, it was neither logical nor appropriate to cast actors of different races as Nick and Honey, his wife. Result: No show.

What is now known as non-traditional castingis both commonplace and generally (if not universally) thought to be a good thing. Not only does the Public Theaters new Shakespeare in the Park version of Julius Caesar feature a woman, Elizabeth Marvel, in the part of Marc Antony, but another New York-based troupe, Pocket Universe, has just opened an all-female production of the same play. Not surprisingly, then, Mr. Albees refusal to countenance similar casting of his plays has been widely and passionately criticized as fuddy-duddy at best, crypto-racist at worst.

Im interested, being a sometime playwright, in ensuring that the rights of any living author to control his own work are fully protected under the law. That isor should bea given. But I also agree with the film critic Mark Harris, who broke the Virginia Woolf story on Twitter and who has argued in an online essay that death is, Id argue, the point at which this aspect of copyright law should cede to a greater social and artistic good.Its hard to imagine a playwrights work long surviving him if its shackled to the unexamined enforcement of questionable decisions from another era, or constrained by the terror that it might be mishandled.

No small part of the burgeoning vitality of modern-day Shakespeare productions, after all, lies in the freshness and immediacy that can be fostered by genuinely imaginative non-traditional casting (as opposed to the rigidly political kind). By far the best Julius Caesar Ive ever reviewed, directed by Amanda Dehnert at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2011, was a modern-dress production that featured a woman actor, Vilma Silva, in the title role. And while Virginia Woolf still feels fresh and immediate, a time will comeperhaps soon, maybe even nowwhen it will profit from an equally new spin.

* * *

Read the whole thing here.

The trailer for Mike Nichols 1966 film version of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The IMG is meeting various telecom operators and banks this week to discuss the financial issues of the telecom industry.

New Delhi: State-owned BSNL today asked the government to allot it the prized 700 MHz spectrum via equity route and sought moratorium on payment of licence fee for revenue earned from government projects.

MTNL, on the other hand, sought government help in making Rs 8,000-10,000 crore capital available citing telecom tariff war being fought by private operators. It also sought urgent measures to bring down employee cost.

Senior officials of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd met the inter-ministerial group (IMG) amid financial stress in the telecom sector. The two state-owned telecom PSUs sought government's support to become more agile, in the face of stiff competition from the private operators, especially aggressive new entrant Reliance Jio.

The debt-ridden MTNL flagged "legacy issues" including its high employee cost and asked government to support, "in some form", its capital requirement of Rs 8,000-10,000 crore over a period of time. BSNL, on the other hand, has renewed its push for 700 MHz spectrum "through equity infusion route".

In the spectrum auction last year, the telecom sector had ignored the premium 700 MHz band -- which was put up for sale for the first time -- at a reserve or base price of Rs 11,485 crore per MHz. However, BSNL has been asking for this premium spectrum for 4G and data services roll out. BSNL also wants a two-year moratorium on payment of licence and Spectrum Usage Charges for projects implemented in North Eastern states as well as in Left Wing Extremism areas. Essentially, BSNL wants the revenue from such projects to be excluded from overall licence fee calculation.

BSNL has also sought compensation of Rs 1,520 crore for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) spectrum it surrendered earlier. When contacted, BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava told PTI: "Last year we were able to address the stress, but this year we are feeling the pinch due to competition. Despite our data throughput growing three folds, the revenue (in mobility business) is under pressure."

MTNL pointed out that Airtel, Vodafone and other private operators are being supported by their promoters. "The war between the operators is being fought on the strength of capital so the government should not be found wanting in its support in capital provisioning (for MTNL)," MTNL CMD P K Purwar said after the meeting with the IMG. He further said that the high employee cost - a tab of Rs 2800 crore - is creating a "non-level playing field" for MTNL viz-a-viz private operators. It urged the government to look at options like voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to bring down employee expenses.

The IMG is meeting various telecom operators and banks this week to discuss the financial issues of the telecom industry and mull measures that can be taken to ease the situation. The sector is reeling under Rs 4.6 lakh crore debt and its revenue as well as profitability are under severe strain following free voice and data offerings from Jio.

But Jio in its meeting with the IMG yesterday had blamed the industry's financial woes on the reluctance of established operators to use equity for investing into new technology. The IMG is slated to meet banks including SBI, PNB, Axis Bank and HDFC on June 14, and the remaining telcos - Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular - on June 16.
India currently has 6.8 million flyers which would go up to 8 million by next year.

Mumbai: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha has said that the proposed international airport in Purnadar in Pune will open new area of growth for the city. He was speaking at "It's India's Turn Now", a lecture organised at Pune International Centre on Monday.

The land we have received from the Air Force will let us build a new parking area, and help in managing the traffic flow. It will also let us build a new terminal," Sinha told indianexpress.com.

Pune has witnessed a 25 per cent annual growth in aviation traffic ove rpast few years. According to Sinha, India currently has 6.8 million flyers. "The number is expected to touch 8 million by next year," he said.

To handle that kind of air traffic, civil aviation should be ready for that, Sinha added. Construction of a new airport is a huge task that takes around six or seven years to complete. Right from acquisition of land to rehabilitation of the project-affected is a lot of work to do, Sinha added.

According to Sinha, Indias Gross domestic product (GDP) is currently growing at 7 per cent. "If we look at it in the context of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), Indias economy is worth 9.5 trillion dollars. In the next decade, it will contribute 11 trillion dollars to the world economy."
Kanwal Sadiq, the boy's father, hoped that other Pakistani nationals seeking treatment in India should receive medical visas too.

Rohaan, who has a hole in his heart, was referred to the multi-speciality Jaypee hospital for treatment. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: Father of four-month-old infant, Rohaan, who arrived in the national capital on Monday for medical treatment, thanked External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj for her support and expressed hope that the other Pakistani families are also allowed to avail medical facilities in India.

Kanwal Sadiq, Rohaan's father, said he is hopeful that now his child will recover from his ailment.

"There are other Pakistani families waiting, I express my desire that they should get medical visas as well. The child has a severe heart problem. There are not adequate facilities for such kind of disease in Pakistan. I really appreciate Sushma ji. She has helped me a lot. I am very hopeful that my child will be absolutely fine after the treatment," said Sadiq.

Read: 4-month-old Pak infant arrives in India for treatment after MEA grants medical visa

Rohaan, will undergo treatment at the Jaypee Hospital in the national capital.

Rohaan, who has a hole in his heart, was referred to the multi-speciality hospital for treatment.

However, in the backdrop of cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, his parents were unable to get medical visa for their child's treatment in India.

Owing to this, Kanwal Sadiq, approached the Indian External Affairs Minister and made a plea for a medical visa. Upon receiving the request, she immediately directed the authorities to grant medical visa to Rohaan's family, who arrived with him via Wagah Border.
Sharif and Modi had last week met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) meeting.

New Delhi: The AAP on Monday attacked the Centre over the release of 11 Pakistani civilians, saying the government is following a dual policy towards Pakistan.

Senior party leader Ashutosh said the one hand, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says there cannot be talks with Pakistan alongside terror and on the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

He was referring to the interaction between the two premiers at Astana in Kazakhstan.

"What was the pressing need that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to embrace Sharif. Pakistan is preparing to hang Kulbhushan Jadhav and India is releasing 11 of their

citizens," Ashutosh said.

Jadhav was sentenced to death on April 10 by a Pakistan military court for alleged espionage. India maintains that Jadhav, a forrmer naval officer, was kidnapped from Iran and brought to Pakistan by its security agencies.

Sharif and Modi had last week met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) meeting.
Army's Northern Command said, the amount of weapons recovered indicated Pak's design to orchestrate 'high profile terror incidents'.

Srinagar: The Indian Army has gunned down as many as 16 terrorists in the last seven days who were attempting to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said on Monday.

Army's Northern Command has said that the amount of explosives, arms and ammunitions and inflammable materials recovered from the armed intruders, indicated Pakistan's design to orchestrate 'high profile terror incidents' targeting innocent civilian population and security forces during the holy month of Ramzan.

The Indian Army successfully thwarted several infiltration bids and killed 13 armed intruders in the past 93 hours during an operation conducted along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez, Machhil, Naugam and Uri Sectors, Northern Command had Tweeted on Saturday.

"The sinister designs of Pakistan army to push-in multiple groups of armed intruders across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir continue to be defeated by proactive operations being carried out on the LoC. Relentless operations mounted by troops have successfully intercepted groups of armed intruders," said Northern Command in a tweet.
The Patidar Andolan leader was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest.

Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel detained in Neemuch, on his way to Mandsaur. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Neemuch (MP): Quota stir leader Hardik Patel was arrested in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh when he was heading to Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers

killed in police firing last week.

Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch to prevent the commission of cognisable offences, City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said.

The Patidar Andolan leader was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest.

The two were, however, released on bail later and transported out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles, Diwan said.

Patel was picked up on his way to Mandsaur to express solidarity with distressed farmers and meet the kin of those killed in police firing during the agrarian unrest on the

issue of loan waiver and several other demands.

Lashing out on authorities after his arrest, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the

country."

He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.

The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6, when five of them were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.

Subsequently, the farmers' protest witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other districts of western Madhya Pradesh including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.

However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he had assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in

Mandsaur would be punished severely.

A high-voltage political drama was also witnessed on June 8, when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing.
Sources in SIT claim investigation has revealed the company deposited the money into the bank account of his son, Gagan Baderiya.

Bengaluru: Within hours of the special court hearing the Janthakal mining case refusing him bail, former chief minister and Janata Dal (S) state chief, H.D. Kumaraswamy, approached the Karnataka high court for anticipatory bail on Tuesday.

Seeing the special court reject his bail application in the morning, Mr Kumaraswamys legal team swung into action and filed for anticipatory bail in the high court in the afternoon, urging for early hearing of the petition.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who has been summoned by the Lokayuktas Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is looking into the case, has been accused of putting pressure on IAS officer, Ganga Ram Baderiya, when he was chief minister to renew the mining lease of Janthakal Enterprises in violation of various norms. The officer was arrested by SIT for allegedly receiving kickbacks to the tune of Rs 10 lakh from the mining company to renew its licence in 2007 when he was director of the Mines and Geology Department. Sources in SIT claim investigation has revealed the company deposited the money into the bank account of his son, Gagan Baderiya.

It is alleged that not only was the companys mining lease renewed in violation of regulations, but it was also unduly favoured in the grant of a work permit to lift its old dump in Holalkere taluk, Chitradurga district.
Jyotiraditya Scindia to sit on a 72-hour satyagraha starting today, to protest MP governments anti-farmer policies.

Bhopal: Two days after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ended his indefinite fast, saying peace has returned to Madhya Pradesh, high drama ensued on Tuesday as Opposition leaders tried to make their way to Mandsaur, the epicentre of the farmers stir, while the state authorities remained busy arresting and releasing them.

While senior Congress leader and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria and MLA Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, were arrested in Jaora, nearly 20 km from Mandsaur, Gujarat quota activist Hardik Patel was arrested in Nayagaon.

They were all on their way to Mandsaur to meet the families of farmers killing in the June 6 police firing.

They were arrested under Section 151 CrPC (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) as the state police had imposed Section 144 in the region, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people. They were later released on bail.

Taking strong exception to his arrest, Mr Scindia said: If the chief minister can visit (Mandsaur on Wednesday), why couldn't I? Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is due to visit Mandsaur today.

Mr Scindia announced that he will sit on a 72-hour-long satyagraha starting today, to protest against the MP governments anti-farmer policies. The political wrangling came on a day when three farmer suicides, allegedly due to debt burden, were reported in Madhya Pradesh.

The farmers have been identified as Kriparam Diggodi of Hosangabad district, Hari Singh Jatav of Vidisha district, and Dulchand Keer of Sehore district, hometown of the state chief minister.

While Dulchand and Hari died by consuming poison, Kriparam was found hanging by a tree on the outskirt of his village, Bhairpur. The local police said the reason for their deaths was yet to be ascertained.

Responding to questions about farmers suicides, state home minister Bhupendra Singh said: A total of five farmers committed suicide in MP in the last one year due to debt burden. Some farmers also committed suicide due to personal reasons.

Talking to media before his arrest, Mr Scindia said he would go alone to Mandsaur as Section 144 doesnt prohibit a single persons movement. 144 laga hai to maine police ko kaha hai mai akele jaunga. Kaun rok sakta hai agar ek insaan akele jana chahta hai? (Section 144 has been imposed and, therefore, I told the police that I would go alone.

Lets see who stops if someone plans to go alone?), he said. Madhya Pradesh farmers have been protesting since June 1, demanding loan waiver and better prices for their produce. The situation spiralled out of control as agitating protesters looted and set ablaze properties in several districts. In the June 6 police firing, five farmers were shot dead. One succumbed to his injuries later.

In the wake of protests, the chief minister observed an indefinite fast to calm down the rising tempers. He ended his fast a day later, on Sunday, claiming that peace has returned to the state.

The chief minister ended his fast saying that peace has restored in the state. If complete normalcy has been restored in the state, then why have prohibitory orders been enforced in the area. It clearly suggests that Mr Chouhans fast was a drama, Mr Scindia said.

After his release, Mr Patel, Gujarats Patidar quota leader, said: I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country... I am only a social activist, not a politician. I am fighting for just causes of people. I wonder why I was barred from visiting Mandsaur to meet the family members of slain farmers. The June 6 police firing incident has sparked anger in farmers across the country, he added, before being packed off by police to the Rajasthan border. Meanwhile, the state government has cleared the way for the family of Kanhaiya Lal Patidar, one of the slain farmers, to get compensation of Rs 1 crore by dismissing charges of drug trafficking levelled against him. Refuting police charges that the slain farmer had four cases of drug trafficked registered in various police stations in the state, the state home minister said no such charges could be established against him.
Inderjit Singh, known for his links with senior cops, was famous in the Punjab Police for catching large hauls of drugs.

Initially limited to some regions, the problem has now spread in the entire state with Amritsar and Tarn Taran topping the list.

Chandigarh: With the arrest of Punjab Police inspector Inderjit Singh on the charges of drug trafficking, the nexus between police and drug traffickers has surfaced once again. The Punjab Special Task Force arrested the accused on the charges of drug trafficking and seized a huge cache of drugs, arms and ammunition from his residence.

During the raids at his Jalandhar Police Lines house and his Phagwara house, drugs as well as weapons worth over several crore were seized, said STF additional director general of police, H.S. Sidhu.

The police seized 7kg of narcotics, including 4kg of heroin, an Italy-made .9 mm pistol, live cartridges of various calibers and Rs 16.50 lakh cash.

Inspector Inderjit, close to many high-police officers, was famous for catching large quantities of drugs.

Sources said he was under the scanner ever since he was posted as the CIA in-charge in Tarn Taran. The STF analysed total 13 cases of recovery by him in the district and found that despite huge recovery  as high as 19kg heroin in one case  all accused were freed. At that time, local Akali leaders came to his rescue.

STF head Harpreet Sidhu said the accused used to tamper with witness records before presenting the case before the court.

Courts raised questions over the probe in controversial cases, but they went unnoticed. We are analysing his other cases too, said Mr Sidhu. Sources added that five graft cases were registered against the accused since 1998. In one case, the accused stopped the attachment of a drug peddlers property. His style of helping peddlers was blunt, an STF member said. Even we were not expecting such a big recovery of heroin and smack, said the ADGP.

His modus operandi was simple. He would nab smugglers with drugs and seek favours from them for their acquittal.

Gangster Prince, arrested by the STF two months ago, is said to have given information against the accused. Sources said a case filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under Sections 7, 8 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is also pending against him.

Punjab is facing a huge drug trafficking problem for many years.

The state, being a border state, has become a major transit point for drugs from Afganistan and Pakistan. In most cases, drug traffickers have the patronage of local cops and politicians.
The issue of better co-ordination among different states on security matters will also be taken up.

New Delhi: The Centre has convened a meeting of state home ministers on July 3 in the Capital to discuss various issues related to the countrys internal security scenario. The meeting, to be chaired by home minister Rajnath Singh, will discuss a host of issues including those of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, growing influence of ISIS, recent increase in Naxal incidents, cross-border terror and circulation of fake currency.

The day-long conference is the first being organised by the NDA government in the last three years, while during the UPA regime it used to be an annual affair. Apart from state home ministers, senior officials from central intelligence and security agencies will also participate in the meeting. While the focus will remain on violence in Kashmir and increased Maoist activities, there will be detailed deliberations on activities of ISIS, which has been effectively using the social media to radicalise the youth in the country. In addition, increasing threats from subversive elements from the sea-route, particularly to the coastal states, will also be taken up.

We will also discuss concrete strategies that can deal with emerging threats like ISIS and coastal security plan. On its part, the Centre will ensure that it gives all the adequate support to the state security units in further enhancing their capacity, a senior security official said.

The issue of better co-ordination among different states on security matters will also be taken up.

On some common issues, like say Naxal operations, the states can pool their resources instead of working in isolation. Same can be done by the border states also. These aspects will also be looked into, the official added.
Lalitha visited the Ernakulam General Hospital complaining of irritation before the doctors found out the cause

The worm is known to cause Elephantiasis but the was lucky to have got it removed before it affected her. (Photo: Pixabay)

Doctors are surprised every single day with the kind of cases they get and most of the time involves a really complex surgery that could be crucial for the patient. A woman in Kerala recently visited the hospital complaining of irritation and the doctors conducted a complex surgery to treat it.

There are all kinds of medical cases being reported everyday and while some of them are believable, there are many that are beyond the understanding of common man. Doctors in Kerala recently removed an unusual object from a womans eye when she reported irritation by doing a complex surgery.

According to a media report, Lalitha visited the Ernakulam General Hospital complaining of irritation but little did she know that the uneasiness was caused because of a worm in her eye. The doctors removed a 70mm worm of the Dirofilaria genus in a 10 minute-long surgery from the womans eye.

The 56-year-old woman was given a local anaesthesia before the surgery was conducted successfully to remove the unlikely visitor. The worm is known to cause Elephantiasis but the was lucky to have got it removed before it affected her.
'Junaid was allegedly hatching a plan to kill Pakistan born Canadian writer, liberal activist Tarek Fateh,' said DCP Pramod Singh Kushwaha.

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Tuesday sent gangster Chhota Shakeel's shooter Junaid Chowdhary to further three-day police remand.

Chowdhary was arrested by the special cell of the Delhi Police near Gagan Cinema in Delhi earlier on June 7.

"Junaid was allegedly hatching a plan to kill Pakistan born Canadian writer and liberal activist Tarek Fateh," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha.

The police claimed to have recovered a country made pistol and four live cartridges from Junaid's possession.

Earlier, he was apprehended on June 3, along with three other contract killers, identified as Robinson, Yunus and Manish following which they were sent to police remand and interrogated for five days.

Later, they were produced in a court which sent them to judicial custody.

Their plan was initially to kill Rajan while on transit to or from court before and after hearings, but that was later changed to attack him during his hospital visits.

Earlier, the police had found many audio clips of Chhota Shakeel from Junaid's mobile phone.
The air passenger had arrived from Doha and the gold was found concealed under dates, which he was carrying in a bucket.

Chennai: Customs officials on Tuesday detained a man at the airport in Chennai for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth around Rs 35 lakh.

The air passenger had arrived from Doha and the gold was found concealed under dates, which he was carrying in a bucket, airport officials said.

He was found in possession of one kg of gold, they added.

In another case, officials recovered undeclared $750 from a Colombo-bound passenger who was carrying the money in his handbag, they said.
Claim only few would stand to gain from loan waiver.

Nashik: Farmers are likely to go on strike again after getting a copy of the loan waiver GR, according to some farmer organisations. The organisations have objected to the words tatwataha (principle) and sarsakat (all), which according to them is the same package announced by the CM with Jayaji Suryawanshi, the mediator between the agitating farmers and the government.

Organisations said that very few farmers would stand to gain from the waiver. The farmers strike, which began on June 1 was formally stopped on Saturday but markets had already began functioning before the strike concluded. The Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) has strongly opposed the present farmers loan waiver scheme announced by the state government, claiming that certain words used in the announcement had created confusion while there were certain conditions to be met by the farmers.

SS president Anil Ghanwat on Monday said that they would minutely study the GR, whenever it is published, and then decide on another strike. Social worker Kalpana Inamdar, too opposed the scheme on Monday during a press meet. She said that a new farmers committee could be formed to discuss the issue.

Kisan Kranti also said that it found the words confusing. The outfits publicity chief ACP (retd) Chandrakant Bankar said, We are curious about the conditions. Our major fight is for the needy and poor farmers, who genuinely need the loan waiver, he said.

SS president Anil Ghanwat said that the words tatwataha and sarsakat have created confusion. There are certain conditions to be met before a farmer becomes eligible for the loan waiver. We dont know what conditions have been put forward, till the GR is published. Will the loan waiver be based on land holdings? Will the waiver cover the electric motor or pipe? What about loans on greenhouses, poultry and grape railings? Will they too get a waiver? Nothing is clear, he claimed.

Ms Inamdar, while speaking during a press meet in Nashik on Monday, said that they were opposed to the loan waiver in principle as announced by the government.

If the government fails to solve the farmers issues within 20 days, we will be constrained to form a new committee, she said.

Mr Ghanwat said that the SS was very clear on farmers loans. We dont want waivers. We want to become capable and the government can put a moratorium on recovery of loans for 10 years. We dont want any government interference and we should be allowed to sell our produce anywhere, he said.

Loan waiver committee

The state government has declared that there will be a committee of farmer leaders as well as officers from the state government to finalise the criteria and details of loan waiver.

The farmers' organisations will give five names from their side while the finance secretary, agricultural secretary and cooperative secretary will also be other members.

The state has requested Yashvant Thorat, ex-chairman of NABARD to be member of this committee. Sudheer Kumar Goyal ex-secretary agriculture and Rajgopal Deora, secretary GAD will also be member of this committee. Mr Thorat, Mr Goyal and Mr Deora had worked on the 2008-09 farmer loan waiver.
Sheikh, 28, a software engineer, was attacked and killed on June 2, 2014 allegedly by HRS members in Hadapsar area.

Pune: Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has withdrawn as special public prosecutor in the 2014 Mohsin Sheikh murder case in which members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) are accused. The state government last month cancelled the appointment of Mr Nikam as prosecutor in the case based on his request, according to sources.

A notification by Maharashtras law and judiciary department said it had withdrawn its order appointing Mr Nikam as special public prosecutor, on his request, in the case pending before a Pune court.

Sheikh, 28, a software engineer, was attacked and killed on June 2, 2014 allegedly by HRS members in Hadapsar area. Mr Nikam, who was the prosecutor in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, refused to comment.
According to sources in the government, the farmers who have received loans till June 2016, will benefit from the waiver.

Mumbai: In a bid to bring down the burden on the state exchequer, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday, urged the financially sound farmers to voluntarily give up the loan waiver facility.

Quite like the centres appeal on the subsidy for gas cylinders, the state hopes to save some funds, as well as ensure that only needy farmers receive the benefit. We could save around Rs 5,000 crore.

Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, who is one of the members of the committee appointed to decide on criteria for loan waiver, appealed to the financially sound farmers to give up on the waiver. When Prime Minister Narendra Modiji had appealed to the people to give up their subsidy on LPG gas cylinders, about two crore people heeded his call. After the appeal, I have received a few messages and calls from some farmers who are willing to let go the loan waiver, as they have other sources of income, he said.

A BJP MLA, Rahul Kul from Daund in Pune district, has also written to the Chief Minister saying that he did not want the loan waiver.

Former MLA from Amalner, Sahebrao Patil has also said no to the waiver, Patil said.

Speaking on criteria for the loan waiver, the revenue minister said that tax paying farmers and four wheeler owners should not get the benefit. We are expecting to save Rs 4,000 crore by excluding tax paying farmers from the loan waiver bracket. Another Rs 1,000 crore can be saved if farmers with four wheelers are omitted. We will soon fix the criteria after talking with the farmers leaders, Mr Patil added.

He said a government resolution would soon be released on giving Rs 10,000 advance to the farmers for the up coming sowing season. We will issue the resolution today so that the banks can give Rs 10,000 in advance to the farmers. The loan waiver will only come after the terms and conditions are finalised by the committee.

According to sources in the government, the farmers who have received loans till June 2016, will benefit from the waiver. But agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar said nothing had been decided as yet. We have sought information from our departments and also from the various farmers organisations. Let them also come up with suggestions on the loan waiver. As of now, there is nothing concrete about the waiver. We can only ensure that the needy farmers receive help, even if they have more land holding, he said.
Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

Washington: The maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "set forth a vision" to expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious way, the White House has said.

The leaders of the world's two largest democracies, home to 1.6 billion people, will meet on June 26 to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H-1B visa rules.

"I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference.

Spicer said the two leaders were expected to set forth a "common vision" on expanding the US-India partnership. He cited fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as shared priorities.

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said.

Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

"The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question.

The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from $19 billion to $115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue.

"US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries.

In his announcement of the decision for which he received a global condemnation, Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

"India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said.

Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.
The President is expected to give Sipila a mandate to form a new coalition enabling him to govern until the end of the legislature in 2019.

Helsinki: Finland's Prime Minister was to tender his coalition government's resignation on Tuesday after ousting a populist, anti-immigration and eurosceptic party whose new leader has been convicted of hate speech.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila, who has headed a coalition made up of his Centre Party, the conservative National Coalition and the Finns Party since May 2015, announced Monday he wanted to end to the coalition after the Finns elected Jussi Halla-aho as party leader, saying a collaboration was impossible.

Halla-aho, 46, replaces moderate Timo Soini, who has led the party for 20 years. Sipila was scheduled to meet President Sauli Niinisto on Tuesday at 1200 GMT to formally submit his government's resignation.

The president is expected to give Sipila a mandate to form a new coalition, enabling him to govern until the end of the legislature in 2019.

The Swedish People's Party, representing the Swedish-speaking minority, and the Christian Democrats have said they are willing to hold talks aimed at joining the government, while the left-wing opposition the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Left have insisted that new elections be called. Sipila appears to be opposed to a vote.

"The goal is to have a viable government as soon as possible in line with the current government program," daily Helsingin Sanomat quoted him as saying. The head of the conservative party, Finance Minister Petteri Orpo, said the future government must be founded on the same principles as the current one.

"We have had a turn of events in Finland. It would be a great pity if the political line would change," he said. After Halla-aho's election on Saturday, the conservatives swiftly rejected any cooperation with the Finns Party. "Undeniable human dignity is the foundation of Western democracy," Orpo said on Monday.

The three coalition party leaders met on Monday, after which it was abundantly clear they would not be able to work together, especially on the subject of immigration. "All decisions are based on values, but compromises are needed when there are three parties in the government. The elastic couldn't be stretched any further to accomodate Halla-aho," Sipila said late Monday in an appearance on public broadcaster YLE.

"The new leadership's view of justice, equality, human rights and so on are not the same as the Centre Party's." Defense and European affairs were other problematic areas, he said. Hallo-aho is expected to get what he has appeared to want all along: to return his party to opposition.

Participating in the three-party coalition has come at a heavy price for the Finns Party. Its support has almost halved from 17.7 percent in the May 2015 general election to 9.0 percent in a poll published Thursday by public broadcaster YLE.

A member of the European Parliament, Halla-aho has said he wants to steer the party further to the right and push for tougher immigration policies. Halla-aho has seen his star rise in recent years, in part because of his explicit writings against immigration and Islam.

In 2012, Finland's highest court upheld a conviction and fines against him for inciting ethnic hatred and blasphemy in a 2008 blog post where he criticised Islam and made offensive remarks about Somalis.

Earlier this year, he demanded that the European Commission penalise civic organisations which rescue migrants from drowning when their ships founder in the Mediterranean. Halla-aho is a father of five and a former lecturer in media eval languages.
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The officers found the body in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place.

The woman was found dead in a flat in Khaitan area and her husband was nowhere to be found. (Representational Image)

Dubai: An Indian woman was brutally beaten and stabbed to death in Kuwait and her body lying in a pool of blood was recovered from a flat, according to a media report.

The woman was found dead in a flat in Khaitan area and her husband was nowhere to be found, the Arab Times reported.

The flat mate of the deceased woman notified the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry about the lifeless body inside the house, and a team of rescue men went to the scene, a security source was quoted as saying.

The officers found the body in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place.

The body was handed over to the forensics department and an investigation was in progress to determine the whereabouts of the husband and bring the suspect to justice.
Railway spokesman Wijeya Samarasinghe said mobile phones accounted for most of the 28 deaths on Sri Lanka's railways so far this year.

Police said the boy was decapitated and his head became lodged between two railway carriages.

Colombo: Sri Lankan railway authorities announced a crackdown on selfies on Tuesday after a 12-year-old boy was decapitated and two other men also died while snapping themselves on a coastal track.

The boy and his 24-year-old brother were killed as they took photographs of themselves on the picturesque section of track in Colombo on Sunday.

Police said the boy was decapitated and his head became lodged between two railway carriages.

Another man died as he tried to take a selfie with his new bride on the same day on another section of the line. The woman suffered serious injuries and is in intensive care.

Railway spokesman Wijeya Samarasinghe said mobile phones accounted for most of the 28 deaths on Sri Lanka's railways so far this year.

"We are launching a campaign this week to deploy our security staff to arrest those walking on the tracks and taking selfies in front of moving trains," he said.

There are some who want to post videos and pictures of themselves in front of moving trains.

"Unfortunately, some are unable to get out of the way in time and get killed." Police said the victims were often tourists from elsewhere in the country who had travelled to the seaside capital on holiday and wanted to pose for selfies with the Indian Ocean in the background.

"They don't realise how dangerous it is," said a police official who asked not to be named. Sri Lanka was the first country in South Asia to introduce mobile phones in 1989 and has seen an explosion in smartphone use in recent years.

But it remains behind neighbouring India when it comes to selfie-related deaths. The South Asian giant was ranked top of a global list last year, with 76 such deaths in a two-year period, according to a study by US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accused of having accumulated huge private fortune. About 5,000 people took part in the Moscow march, 3,500 in St. Petersburg. More than 800 people were arrested in the capital.

Moscow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to a 30-day administrative detention for having again violated the law on demonstrations. The activist was arrested yesterday in his Moscow home before anti-corruption demonstrations took place in 169 locations throughout Russia.

Navalny, who intends to run for the Russian presidency next year, was to have participated in yesterday's unauthorized demonstration in the capital, during which more than 800 people were arrested. Authorities say that around 5,000 people took part in the Moscow march, while the interior ministry claimed that around 3,500 people participated in the protests in St. Petersburg and 500 were arrested.

Navalny had invited Russians to take to the streets yesterday - on Russia's National Holiday - to express their anger over alleged corruption at the highest levels in the ruling class. He accuses Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of having accumulated a great private fortune. Medvedev denies the claims made by his political opponent.

The opposition leader had previously been authorized to hold a rally on Shakarova Avenue, but on the eve of the demonstration he moved it to Tverskaya Street, near the Kremlin, without authorities the permission. The procession was organized to protest the government's plans to demolish some blocks of apartments dating to the Soviet era in the city. Permission had been granted, as was the case for other protests in the country.

The protests coincided with a series of official events, including festivals, concerts and military parades, which take place throughout the country to celebrate Russia Day, the national holiday devoted to the 1990 declaration of sovereignty. These demonstrations attracted thousands of people, including many teenagers. They were the largest national protests since 2012.
The 5th Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children was held in Panama City. Participants agreed to a declaration to end violence against children. The family is basic cell of society". Married couples and the extended family of grandparents, relatives, and neighbours must be helped.

Panama City (AsiaNews)  Faith leaders from 70 countries, joined by representatives of governments, the United Nations, and international and grassroots organisations, met in Panama City, Panama, for the 5th Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), organised by Arigatou International. Here they made a solemn commitment to engage in greater effort and cooperation in the cause of ending violence against children

Mgr Felix Machado, archbishop of Vasai (Maharashtra) was one of the participants. In his final Prayer for Children, he asked God, through my reaching out, to wipe away the tears of so many children who cry because they are sick, because they are forced to carry arms, because they are deprived of love they need [. . .] O God, please hear the voice of all children especially those who are suffering.

The children have wisdom for building peace, capacity to bring happiness in our world, force of justice and joy of lasting friendship. [...] The children have wisdom for building peace, capacity to bring happiness in our world, force of justice and joy of lasting friendship.

The bishop noted that "Children throughout the world desire peace," but increasingly they are the victims of moral and physical violence. For this reason, forum participants adopted the "The Panama Declaration on Ending Violence Against Children," which includes a set of strategies and mechanisms to curb child abuse, exploitation, torture and economic and sexual trafficking.

Reiterating his commitment to children, the archbishop stressed that the family is the first domain in which to start. Indeed, children, he said, "cannot be isolated from the context of the family. [. . .] Our reflection on the plight of the children cannot be dissociated from the family. I firmly believe that if families can be strengthened and assisted to perform as they should, our children would grow with the care, love and protection they truly deserve.

For this reason, citing Pope Francis, he reiterated the need to "strengthen the married couple" and the sanctity of marriage". Couples, guided on a path of education within each community, could themselves guide other couples in trouble in what the bishop calls "co-responsibility among couples."

"[W]e need to think of the family as a wider reality," he added, not only in terms of the parents-children relationship. Grandparents, Mgr Machado noted, are our roots", they are "the living memory of a family. The stories they tell speak of " the lived history of the family and of the surrounding society" and do immense good to the children."

Family relationships include brothers and sisters, cousins, and friends. The family is the first school to learn human values [. . .] where children learn to socialize [. . .] to listen, to share, to support, to respect, to help and to live together. [. . .] It is in the family that we are taught to break away from our naturally egoistic tendencies.

The family can also be a protagonist of an integral ecology, because it is the first basic and social cell of society. It can be a school where people learn to promote peace-building, and the context for the integral development of every person.

May children find in the family nurturing spirituality, real protection, strong comfort to grow in their humanity. May children lead us beyond all divisions.

(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)
The infant care assistant had been trying to marry a Jihadi and move to Syria since 2015. Her family was aware of her radicalisation but did not warn the authorities. Muslim leaders slam extremist propaganda. "One life lost to exclusivism and extremism is one life too many, said Singapores mufti.

Singapore (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari is the first Singaporean woman arrested for radicalism. She was detained earlier this month under the countrys Internal Security Act, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam Tuesday.

The 22-year-old wanted to be an Islamic State (IS) martyrs widow. Minister Shanmugam noted hat the infant care assistant began to be radicalised in 2013 by online propaganda from the Islamic State terror group.

Her parents, both freelance Quranic teachers, and sister had known of her radicalism in 2015, but did not alert the authorities.

After her exposure to IS material, she "began to believe that ISIS represented the true spirit of Islam. Her radicalisation deepened over time. This was exacerbated by a wide network of foreign online contacts which she developed", said the ministry.

This network included IS militants and supporters, some of whom had since been killed in Syria or arrested for terrorism activities.

The ministry added that Izzah intended to join the group in Syria, and supported its use of violence to establish and defend its self-declared "caliphate", which in the past threatened actions against Singapore.

She was "actively planning" to travel to Syria with her young child, said the ministry, adding that since 2015, Izzah had been looking for an IS supporter to marry and settle down with in Syria.

She believed that she would reap "heavenly rewards" if her husband died fighting, and her resulting status as a "martyr's widow" would help her marry another ISIS fighter easily.

News of her arrest has triggered a lot of soul-searching in the island-nation, especially among the countrys most important Islamic leaders.

"I am deeply troubled by the news of the latest arrest - that someone so young could have been swayed by these nefarious beliefs, and would want to throw her life away, said Singapore's highest Islamic authority, Mufti Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram. "One life lost to exclusivism and extremism is one life too many, he added.

The mufti concluded by encouraging the local community to remain united and work with the authorities in order to save their loved ones.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) also reminded the community to be "very wary" of ISs "carefully-crafted messages" on social media, adding that a radicalised individual's support structure may not be able to counter them.

Muis added that "This incident is a reminder that there should not be any let-up in our fight against extremist and radicalised teachings."

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said that Izzah's case is a reminder of the serious threat of terrorism. He reminded Muslims to alert the authorities of any kind of suspicious behaviour or signs of radicalisation among their family and friends.

"This is the best way for us to help the individual, our loved ones from harming themselves and others," he said. "We are not here to condemn the individual. We condemn the act, but we want to save the individual. We want to help him or her, who has gone astray."
A joint statement signed between Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo. Beijing's diplomatic war in the throes of economic favors. Taiwan, the only democracy in the Chinese world, is branded as "a rebellious island".

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The state of Panama has decided to cut diplomatic relations with Taipei and establish ties with Beijing. In a televised message, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced the diplomatic move, which rescues diplomatic and commercial relations with the second most important channel client. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Isabel Saint Malo signed a joint statement last night confirming the step (see photo).

Panama's decision makes Taiwan's position more difficult, only recognized by some twenty states in the world, including the Vatican. Taiwan is the only full democracy in the Chinese world, but Beijing regards the "Republic of China" (the official name of Taiwan) as a "rebel province" and forces all its economic and diplomatic partners to adhere to the principle of "One China", demanding that anyone who has diplomatic relations with China cut off those with Taiwan.

For some time Beijing has launched a diplomatic war against "the rebel island", pushing the various states that recognize Taiwan to abandon it in return for economic favors. Last year Sao Tome and Prince and the Gambia chose to recognize Beijing.

Beijing's grip on Taipei has become tighter since the presidential victory of Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (Dpp) in 2016. The Dpp is suspected of having independent leanings and Tsai herself, has kept silent on the principle of "One China". Beijing fears that the Chinese continent, inspired by Taiwan and its economic strength, will also demand greater democracy.

According to analysts, the presence of Beijing in Central America reduces the US influence in the region.
By Jonathan Roberts, Professor in Robotics, Queensland University of Technology

Shutterstock/solarseven

There are ten asteroids that the space organisation NASA said this month have been classified as potentially hazardous based on their size and their orbits in our Solar system.

NASA has now identified 693 near-Earth objects thanks to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft thats been looking for potential threats to Earth since 2013.

The organisation doesnt specify what kind of hazard these ten asteroids pose. But Earth has been hit by objects in the past, with devastating effects. Scientists largely agree that it was an asteroid or comet impact that started the chain of events that wiped out the dinosaurs around 60 million years ago.









Every year several previously unseen asteroids whizz past Earth, sometimes with only with a few days warning. This year two of these asteroids came very close to Earth, with one in May sailing past only 15,000km away. On cosmic scales, that was a very close shave.

But impacts from objects in space are just one of several ways that humanity and most of life on Earth could suddenly disappear.

We are already observing that extinctions are happening now at an unprecedented rate. In 2014 it was estimated that the extinction rate is now 1,000 times greater than before humans were on the Earth. The estimated number of extinctions ranges from 200 to 2,000 species per year.

From all of this very worrying data, it would not be a stretch to say that we are currently within a doomsday scenario. Of course, the day is longer than 24 hours but may be instead in the order of a century or two.

So what can we do about this potential prospect of impending doom? We can try to avoid some of the likely scenarios. We should act to tackle climate change and we can develop new asteroid-tracking systems and put in place a means to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

But the threats we face are so unpredictable that we need to have a backup plan. We need to plan for the time after our doomsday and think about how a post-apocalyptic Earth may recover and humanity will flourish again.

A backup plan

Some efforts to backup life on our planet have already started. Since the 1970s scientists around the world began to store seeds of potentially endangered plants. There are now dozens of seed banks or vaults scattered around the world.

The most famous is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located on a remote Norwegian island about 1,300km from the North Pole. The location was deliberately chosen to afford the project safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults.









Flickr/Landbruks og matdepartementet, CC BY-ND





But there were reports earlier this year that the vault had suffered issues with water from the surrounding melting permafrost (caused by global warming) gaining entry to parts of the structure.

Less common are vaults for storing biological material from animals. There are a handful of so-called frozen zoos around the world. They store embryos, eggs, sperm and more recently DNA of endangered animals. So far, sperm, eggs and embryos that have been frozen for roughly 20 years have been shown to be viable.

All of the storage methods that involve freezing have the same problem that the material is at risk of thawing out if the freezing methods fail. Storing frozen biological material for centuries or even millennia on Earth is not realistic.

Humans can now sequence a whole genome of a living organism and the cost has reduced to the point where it costs less than US$1,000 to sequence the human genome. This process effectively turns the information from any organisms cells into data.

If future scientists can create living DNA from the genome data and can then create living organisms from that DNA, then having the data alone may be sufficient to backup the Earths living organisms.

Where to store the backups?

But where should humanity store the backups? As French president Emmanuel Macron said recently, there is no plan B because there is no planet B, echoing 2014 comments from Ban Ki-moon when he was secretary general of the United Nations.

Backing up on Earth seems a high-risk strategy, equivalent to having a computer backup on an external hard drive that sits right next to your computer.

So given that the motivation for backing up Earths organisms is the likelihood of Earth itself suffering a catastrophe, it follows that our planet is not the best location for the backups. The partial flooding of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault illustrates that perfectly.

Perhaps the obvious place to locate the backups is in space.

Seeds have already been taken to space for short periods (six months) to test their viability back on Earth. These experiments so far have been motivated by the desire to eventually grow plants in space itself, on space stations, or on Mars.

Space is a harsh environment for biological material, where cells are exposed to potentially very high doses of radiation that will damage DNA. Storage of seeds in low Earth orbit is desirable as Earths magnetic field provides some protection from space radiation. Storage outside of this zone and in deep space would require other methods of radiation protection.

The other question is how you would get seeds and other biological material safely back to Earth after a global disaster. Now we get to the robotics that can help, as autonomous re-entry of biological material from orbit is totally feasible.

The tricky part is for our orbiting bio-backup to know when its cargo is required and where to send it to. Perhaps we need a global limited robot crew  such as David in the recent Alien films  that would wake up the orbiter when it is needed.









Alternatively, it could be staffed by a rotating crew of wardens similar to the International Space Station. These people could carry out other important scientific work too.

Other locations in space for storage of biological material or data include the Moon, and the moons of our solar systems gas planets asteroids or deep space itself on free flying spacecraft. Such projects have been proposed and groups around the world have begun planning such ventures.

So it seems that some people have already accepted the fate of humanity version 1.0 and that it will end sometime in the relative near term. The movement to create our backup ready for humanity version 2.0 has already begun.

Jonathan Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Originally published in The Conversation.


(robertprzybysz/Bigstock.com) (robertprzybysz/Bigstock.com)

Young people in Australia on student and working holiday visas who spoke limited English were exploited by a sushi outlet which underpaid them and used false records to cover up what it was doing.The Fair Work Ombudsman has highlighted the case to warn young people working in Australia while travelling and studying that there are firms who will exploit them and they should be treated like any other worker.The director of Sushi Kuni in Brisbane and Ballina in New South Wales, Dai Il Kang, has been fined a total of $136,250 after the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane heard that five employees at the two outlets were underpaid by 29,166.Four of the underpaid employees were Korean nationals and one was an Australian while four were aged 26 or under.Fair Work Ombudsman inspectors discovered the underpayments at the Ballina outlet during a proactive audit. After receiving requests for assistance from workers, inspectors later discovered that there were underpayments of the minimum hourly rates, weekend penalty rates, overtime rates and casual loadings employees were entitled to under the Restaurant Industry Award.During the investigation, Kang and his company also knowingly provided inspectors with false time and wages records that purported to show employees were receiving much higher rates than was actually the case.Judge Michael Jarrett ordered the young people to be given the pay owed and described Kang's actions as 'deliberate and calculated', adding that providing false records to inspectors was particularly serious and an attempt to mislead the Fair Work Ombudsman in the course of its investigation.'I want to make it clear that the lawful obligations to pay minimum wage rates, keep appropriate employment records and issue pay slips apply to all employers in Australia and they are not negotiable,' said Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James.'We treat cases involving underpayment of overseas workers particularly seriously because we are conscious that they can be vulnerable due to a lack of awareness of their entitlements, language barriers and a reluctance to complain. I understand there are cultural challenges and vastly different laws in other parts of the world, but it is incumbent on all businesses operating in Australia to understand and apply Australian laws,' she pointed out.'To that end, the Fair Work Ombudsman is here to help with free advice and resources in a range of languages,' she added.
V6 diesel-engine versions of Porsche Cayenne are now reportedly implicated in the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

The Porsche Cayenne has been dragged into the Volkswagen Group emissions scandal, with the German Ministry of Transport ordering an investigation.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that V6 TDI versions of the Cayenne are implicated, with emissions from the car in excess of the legal limit in Germany.

Porsche was accused last year of using a device that manipulated the cars emissions based on how much steering input was detected, although a Porsche source previously said that no such system had been installed on any Porsche vehicle.

Audi was last month pulled back into the scandal, following fresh accusations of cheating on the A7 and A8, with a steering wheel-based defeat device blamed.

However, Porsche has refuted the allegations. It released the following statement on the issue: "Der Spiegel has conducted joint tests with TUV Nord on a Porsche Cayenne V6 TDI (Euro 6) and has reported on its findings in its latest edition. Porsche has obtained extracts of these results and considers them to be implausible. As a result of the Der Spiegel test, Porsche has conducted tests on a comparable Cayenne V6 TDI (Euro 6). The tests found that the vehicle was compliant with the legally stipulated nitric oxide limit values. Furthermore, Porsche has offered to conduct joint tests, but Der Spiegel has not accepted this offer.

"Porsche cooperates fully with the authorities. We also liaise with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) on all current issues.

"As the regulatory emissions authority responsible for the homologation of our vehicles, the KBA confirmed to us that the EU6-certified Cayenne V6 TDI vehicle model referenced by Der Spiegel is compliant with regulations. We provided the KBA with the information regarding the functions of the Cayenne V6 TDI that relate to emissions certification and will continue to take this approach."
The stylish SUV comes loaded with tech and a long list of features; will initially come with two petrol engines, followed by a diesel in 2018.

Hyundai has taken the wraps off the all-new Kona crossover thats intended to take on the likes of the Nissan Juke in international markets. The Kona features a fresh design for the brand and a range of new-to-Hyundai technology, including a head-up display and a revamped infotainment system.

The Kona sits below the Santa Fe and Tucson in Hyundais SUV line-up, and the firm hopes that it will help expand its customer base, particularly in Europe.

The all-new Kona is not just another car among Hyundai Motors established SUV range  it is an important milestone on our journey to become the number one Asian automotive brand in Europe by 2021, said Thomas Schmid, Hyundai Europes chief operating officer.

The Kona, which shares a platform with sister firm Kias forthcoming Stonic will go on sale in Korea next month, followed by North America and Europe. There will initially be a choice of two turbocharged petrol engines, with a 1.6-litre diesel likely to follow in mid-2018. It will be available with front- and all-wheel drive. The Kona is named after a coastal region in Hawaii and, established by the Tucson and Santa Fe, continues Hyundai's trend of naming crossover and SUV models after travel destinations.

The two petrol engines available at launch will be a 1.0L T-GDI with a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.6L T-GDI with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. The 1.0L unit produces 119.6hp and 172Nm torque at 1,500-4,000rpm, and does 0-100kph in 12sec, with a top speed of 180kph. The more powerful 1.6-litre petrol unit has 176hp with 264Nm of torque at 1,500-4,000rpm. It can achieve 0-100kph in 7.9sec, with a top speed of 204kph. The 1.6-litre diesel is due to arrive in the European market at some point in 2018, although it's not yet confirmed. It will be available in two-wheel drive with 114.5hp and a six-speed manual. It produces 136hp in seven-speed DCT and all-wheel-drive guise. When fitted with the seven-speed box, both petrol and diesel models will feature two drive modes  Normal and Sport, the latter of which holds onto gears for longer between shifts. Some markets will also be offered the Kona with a 2.0-litre MPI Atkinson engine, although this won't be coming to Europe.

The Kona features a fresh design for Hyundai, with the adoption of the marques new cascading grille front. Hyundai says it is designed to merge high-tech looks with sophistication, to appeal to millennial buyers. There are slim LED daytime running lights positioned above the main headlights  a design similar to that of the Juke. The rear of the Kona features wraparound cladding that houses the indicator and reversing lights, slim LED rear lights, and a spoiler with an integrated LED brake light.

There are large plastic areas  which Hyundai says are styled on 'protective armour'  that extend over the wheel arches to hint at the Konas off-roading capabilities; 16-inch wheels are standard, with 17-inch and 18-inch alloys available as options. Roof racks are also available as an exterior option.

The Kona is 4,165mm long and 1,800mm wide, with a height of 1,550mm. That makes it slightly shorter and lower than the popular Nisan Juke, but 35mm wider. The Konas 2,600mm wheelbase is 70mm longer than the Juke's and it has a 170mm ground clearance to offer a true SUV experience. It features an all-steel body and has McPherson struts at the front. The 2WD model comes with a coupled torsion beam, with a multi-link system on the AWD model. The all-wheel-drive car also comes with traction control.

Hyundais designers have tried to give the Konas interior a premium feel and a clutter-free cabin. The car comes with a 5.0-inch TFT screen as standard, with the availability of an optional 8.0-inch colour touchscreen. In a first for Hyundai, the Kona is available with a Display Audio system that features connected services, including smartphone syncing using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. A wireless smartphone charging pad is available as an option.

In another Hyundai first, the Kona is available with a head-up display, which the firm says has class-leading luminance. An eight-speaker sound system by American audio firm Krell is also available as an option. The Kona is available with a number of active driver assistance systems, which include autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, rear-cross traffic alert and blind spot detection.

Hyundai Kona images
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Just one collision, if it's serious enough, can sink a business. Having a plan for what to do in the aftermath of collisions can mean the difference between minimal impact to operations and a company-ending lawsuit. This white paper details how to build a plan to help protect your business from the risks you cant control. Learn eighteen specific steps to plan for, in four main categories:

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By Lytx
General Motors' European Opel division CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann has announced that he will step down from his position Monday, effective immediately, according to a report from Reuters.

The resignation precedes the completion of Opel's sale to PSA Group, the French manufacturers of Peugeot and Citroen vehicles, according to The Washington Post. Neumann will remain as a part of the company's management board until the sale is finalized, Opel said in a statement.

CFO Michael Lohscheller will take Neumann's place as Opel's CEO to handle the trasition to PSA Group.
The 2018 Honda CR-V is one of the most anticipated SUVs to soon hit dealerships across the globe. Honda is known for its world-class vehicles and the CR-V is another addition. Honda certainly has done great again as represented by the latest CR-V.

The 2018 Honda CR-V has quite a few surprises in store for its avid fans and loyal supporters. For one, it is expected to offer a seven-seat variant. This is especially an interesting feature, particularly for those who need more passenger space. It is ideal for larger families, with kids comfortably sitting at the back.

Even better, the 2018 CR-V is bolder and more stylish than ever. It is oozing with versatility with more interior space, which includes the seven-seat option, according to Honda Australia Director Stephen Collins.

Folks from the land down under get to experience the CR-V first hand as it goes on sale this July. The all-new CR-V range is available in either front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations.

There are two engines available. These are the 2.4-liter inline 4 (LX), which is capable of producing 184-horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Standard features include LED exterior lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, power moonroof, and power driver's seat.

Also included are blind spot monitoring with rear traffic alert, driver attention monitor, and the impressive Honda Sensing. The Honda Sensing is a collision mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane keeping assist system, and lane departure warning.

Its infotainment system also got a significant boost. It offers Honda's Advanced Display Audio, 7-inch Touch Screen, built-in navigation. It is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 2018 CR-V is available in 2WD with the Touring and Sport 7 trims. The AWD models offering in Touring and Sport Sensing versions.

The 2018 Honda CR-V does look stylish and updated compared to its predecessor. The upcoming CR-V is definitely one of the best SUVs in the market, especially as it makes it way in Australia and New Zealand next month.
The problem at the U.S. Embassy in Romania wasnt that officials were saluting the flag. The problem was which flag they were saluting. In a tradition most Americans hoped was gone with President Obama, a handful of U.S. diplomats decided to fly the rainbow flag on par with the stars and stripes that millions have died defending.

The jarring sight in Guatemala, Cuba, Macedonia, the Dominican Republican, and other countries was just more evidence of the politically correct mess left behind by the last administration. Although President Trump refused to declare June LGBT pride month, plenty of Obama holdovers are taking matters into their own hands. Out of respect for the voters who rejected that extreme agenda, its time for administration officials to step in and put a stop to a display that puts a sexual fringe on the same pole as Old Glory.

And unfortunately, the State Department isnt the only agency bucking the White Houses values this June. Today, the Pentagon carried on a tradition President Obama began in 2012, holding a special pride event at the same time that other military leaders are ready to turn the page on eight years of social engineering.

It was a disappointing development for conservatives, who thought they had an ally in new Defense Secretary James Mattis. FRCs Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (U.S. Army-Ret.) was vocal about his displeasure. I was hoping that the Trump administration would put less emphasis on everything that does not contribute directly to enhanced readiness and war fighting.

Leaders of the Conservative Action Project echoed General Boykins frustrations. In a letter signed by dozens of organizations, the group calls on the White House to intervene. The Trump administration should discontinue funding and directing personnel resources for special-interest events, including LGBT-Pride Month events in June, which do not strengthen military readiness. We will support officials and initiatives taken to end politically-correct social agendas, and look forward to more changes that will strengthen the armed forces and restore Americas military readiness.

The Obama administration worked from Kenya to El Salvador  not to advance his countrys priorities but the 44th presidents radical social agenda. Its time for Donald Trump to take a wrecking ball to the LGBT distractions of his predecessor and turn the page on policies that offend more people than they honor.  via Press Release from verified white supremacist connected hate group leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council
St. Petersburg Police investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying a man who they believe assaulted a 15-year-old girl on May 27.

Assault victim initially reported as a runaway

Girl found beaten, possibly sexually assaulted

Have information? Call St. Petersburg Police

Officials said on May 27 at 12:48 a.m. a mother called St. Petersburg Police to report her 15-year-old daughter as a runaway. At 4:26 a.m. police received a call about an injured young woman found dazed and walking on 22nd Avenue South near 12th Street. Investigators determined that the young woman was the runaway.

The teen's mother, who asked not to be identified in order to protect her daughter, said it all started with an argument.

We had a disagreement, she got upset and she went outside for a cool down and we checked on her probably about 30 minutes later and she was gone, the mother said. That was typical, because sometimes she would walk around the block, so I thought nothing of it because she was cooling down. But as a couple hours went by I got really concerned and I notified law enforcement.

The teen had been beaten and possibly sexually assaulted. Her mother told us she was already imagining the worst, but she could not have prepared for the phone call saying her daughter had been attacked.

When I saw my child I couldnt believe it was her," she said. "It was very hard to look at her. My baby face was all swollen up. Almost unrecognizable. He had broken her jaw in three places."

I first told her I love her," she continued. "Thats the first thing I said to her -- I love her and then I asked her, 'Who did this to you?'

Due to injuries to her face and jaw, she was unable to speak to detectives at the time. But when she finally could speak, she provided detectives with a description of her attacker and described to them what happened.

She said that a man wanted her to do a sexual favor on him and she refused to do it," the mother explained. "And she said she tried to walk away and he kept following her, and then she said he grabbed her from the back and started choking her. She said she started screaming, she said.

She said her daughter told investigators the man then pulled her into an alley, where he beat and raped her.

Three detectives spent the next two weeks retracing the victim's steps and interviewing everyone she came in contact with that night. They also found surveillance video of the teen the night of the attack. Test results on DNA evidence are still pending.

The victim's mother and aunt had a message to anyone who might know something about the attack.

Please turn him in," the teen's mother said. "Please turn him in because he will do it again. He may do it to your sister, your daughter, your mother, hes going to do it again and we really need to get this man off the street. He nearly killed my child.

And whats really sad, is people out in the community know who this man is, but theyre not talking and hes a monster that need to get off the streets because if he did it to her hes gonna do it again, she continued.

The message I have to him is that Im angry," said the victim's aunt. "Im very angry. I am hurt. He needs to turn himself in and do it very quickly. It hurts that someone took that away from her. This is a baby. This is somebodys child and he took her innocence away from her and she didnt deserve it.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact St. Petersburg Police at 727-893-7780 or text SPPD and your information to TIP411.


An area of high pressure to our north brings us an east to southeast wind. This brings us deep moisture and results in numerous showers and thunderstorms again today.

A few strong thunderstorms are possible with heavy downpours, mainly this afternoon through this evening.



Thunderstorms through evening



Areas of heavy rain



Very warm and humid

Showers and storms are likely this evening then they will move out into the Gulf of Mexico and it will be mostly cloudy overnight.

Low temperatures will be in the 70s.

Wednesday features a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. A sea breeze will form and move a little farther inland with highs in the mid 80s at the coast to around 90 degrees away from the water.

Later in the workweek, the highest rain chances will occur inland where the sea breeze collision will happen late each day, while scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected in Tampa Bay.



&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;


Call it one small step for cardboard, one giant leap for creativity. MOSI has launched its new Cardboard Space Adventures.

Interactive exhibit built from more than 16,000 pounds of cardboard

Exhibit part of Rocket Red Glare Festival

Festival included in MOSI admission, dads free on Father's Day weekend



MOSI used more than 16,000 pounds of cardboard to create the interactive exhibit. It spans 2,000 square feet and took months to put together.

"Cardboard Space Adventures is based on the idea that you got that present at Christmas or for whatever holiday, you take the present out, you put it away and you play with the box, Grayson Kamm, MOSI Communications Director, said.

It includes a towering space station, mazes and an invasion video game that blasts aliens out of the skyall completely made of cardboard.

The museum is also amping up the adventure for the next three weekends with its "Rocket Red Glare Festival." Guests can design and build their own cardboard rocket before launching it more than 100 feet in the sky.

The festival will also feature live demonstrations lead by MOSIs STEAM team on the science of fireworks.

The festival lifts off June 17-18, 24-25 and July 1-2. It is included with MOSI admission, and dads get in free on the festivals opening weekend for Fathers Day. You can also meet real rocket engineers from NASAs Kennedy Space Center on the festivals first day, Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Cardboard Space Adventures" is up at MOSI through August 13.


The Manatee County school community is still healing from the shocking death of a student.

Charles Small wins $15,000 scholarship

It's named for Janiyah Thomas, killed at age 11

Her mother faces trial in November



Janiyah Thomas, 11, was found dead and stuffed in a freezer in 2015.

Her memory will now live on through a scholarship.

"Janiyah is a very special student and holds a very special place in my heart," said Manatee Elementary School counselor Jill Hougland.

Hougland and colleagues asked the community to help build a scholarship in Janiyah's name.

"We wanted to do something to honor her," Hougland said. "We felt that a college scholarship was the best way in order for us to help the future youth of this community."

In order to qualify for the scholarship, applicants are required to have graduated from Manatee Elementary.

Out of the 99 students who qualified, the winner was Charles Small.

"It means a lot to me, you know financially, but also being the face of it is something good," Small said.

He will be attending Notre Dame College in Ohio next year, pursuing his passion in wrestling.

Small will receive $15,000 from the scholarship, which combined with his other wrestling scholarships will pay for the first two years of college.

Janiya's mother, Keishanna, is charged with murder in her daughter's death. Her trial is scheduled for November.

"We will never know what she would have become," Hougland said.


The last time 18-year-old Kacie Lane and her family stepped inside Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, she was just four years old.

Kacie Lane, 18, born with heart defect

Had 3 surgeries by age 4

Kacie returned to St. Pete to reunite with doctors

Born with a heart defect, Kacie had three heart surgeries at the hospital. One at seven weeks, one at 18 months and the last one at age four.



The recent high school graduate, who now lives in Georgia, returned to St. Petersburg to reunite with some of the doctors who treated her as a child, and to share her accomplishments and appreciation.



"Theyre the reasons I can wake up in the mornings without any problems and theyre the reason that I can put a smile on my face, so I wanted to come back and thank them for all that theyve done in my life," said Kacie.



The now-healthy teen got the opportunity to extend that thank you to Dr. Alfred Asante-Korang, her Cardiologist and Dr. Jeff Jacobs, her surgeon.



"Nothing could be more exciting or more rewarding than seeing a patient who we operated on when they were a little baby and now theyre graduating from high school and getting ready to go to nursing school," said Jacobs, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital's Chief of Cardiac Surgery.



It was an emotional reunion for the doctors and their former patient.



"Were very proud of you, this is what keeps us going, when our patients do so well," said Dr. Asante-Korang. "Thats what its all about," added Jacobs.



Kacie was able to hold it together until after the doctors left the room.



"I just started crying because its just like, you think about it and it's like, 'Wow, theyre the reason Im walking and breathing right now and theyre the reason I can enjoy life the way I was meant to, with my sisters and my mom and my friends,'" said Kacie.



It was a moving moment for Kacie's mother, DeDe, as well.



"Its awesome just to be able to be here and experience this with Kacie," said DeDe.



The scar visible on Kacie's chest so many years later, is a reminder of her heart condition as a child.



"Its a symbol of strength," said Kacie.



Kacie plans to study nursing and wants to work with hearing-impaired children.


Attorney General Jeff Sessions got his turn to testify before the Senate intelligence committee Tuesday, saying he never met with any Russians or foreign officials concerning any election or campaign.

AG Jeff Sessions appears before Senate intelligence committee

Takes questions on Russia, former FBI Director James Comey



MORE: News from Washington in our D.C. Digest



Sessions also said he never had conversations with FBI Director James Comey about his job performance before Comey's firing.

The hearing started just after 2:40 p.m. Tuesday and lasted more than two hours.



Senate Democrats had raised questions about whether Sessions privately met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Sessions says he was there for a speech by then-candidate Donald Trump, and members of Sessions' staff were also in attendance.

During his opening statement, Sessions said he did not have any undisclosed meetings with Russian officials. He called accusations of collusion with the Russian government "an appalling and detestable lie."

Sessions defended his 35 years serving his country and said he had no knowledge of "any such conversations by anyone connected to the (President Donald) Trump campaign."

JUST IN: Department of Justice releases Attorney General Jeff Sessions' prepared remarks https://t.co/OOKrWQp9jG pic.twitter.com/ATYt7xPYfi  CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 13, 2017

Answering a series of questions from the committee, Sessions said he recused himself from the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia because he was involved in the campaign.

He says he stepped aside because Justice Department rules prevent such a conflict of interest.

Sessions became attorney general in February but did not recuse himself from that probe until March.

Sessions later contradicted Comey's testimony about his concerns over a meeting he had with Trump.

Comey testified last week that Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with Trump again. This was after a February meeting in which Comey said Trump told Sessions and others to leave the room before asking him to drop a probe into National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

Sessions says he was not silent, saying he stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.


Ryan Hearn said he heard a lot going on in the waterway behind his Treasure Island home Sunday night.

"I heard the engine rev up, high RPMs and I said, 'Man, those jet-skiers need to be careful,'" said Hearn.

Thomas Hamilton pulled to safety after Sunday crash

Ryan Hearn, another good Samaritan helped

Florida Fish and Wildlife is investigating



Hearn said he then heard several banging sounds.

The noise wasn't from jet-skiers -- it was from a boat crashing through what used to be Hearn's dock.

Hearn ran out to see what was going on and didn't see anyone on the 18-foot boat that was now against his seawall, so he kept looking.

"I saw the man right here face down, I called 911, and she asked me not to jump in. I said, 'He's going to die if I don't,' said Hearn. "So, I got a pool stick and tried to move him, and that wasn't working and I said, 'I'm going in.' So I jumped in."

Hearn jumped in to get 73-year-old Thomas Hamilton of St. Pete Beach to safety. A second good Samaritan helped.

The boater was taken to Bayfront.

"He was pretty banged up," said Hearn.

"I felt for him, but he was talking, then he would lose consciousness but then he would talk a little bit. Hes a tough guy, Ill tell you that," said Hearn.

Hearn hopes the best for Hamilton.

"I'm glad we were here. I'm glad we were here," said Hearn.

Florida Fish and Wildlife is investigating the crash.
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After a decade of planning and two years of construction, the Beaumont-based Islamic Society of Triplex has opened the doors on its new $2 million mosque on West Cardinal Drive.

The center with a dome top will be open to the entire Southeast Texas community, not just Muslims, said Imam Taha Khan, the director of religion for Islamic Society of Triplex.

The mosque and adjacent community center - a $1 million project completed four years ago - were part of an expansion plan to address the growing Muslim population in the area, Khan said.

He said about 300 to 400 people regularly attend services and estimated about 1,500 Muslims live in the greater Beaumont area.

"The community grew so much. We wanted to make room for future growth," he said.

The 9,000-square-foot, red-brick mosque has separate entrances and prayer rooms for men and women. Visitors are required to take off their shoes before entering the carpeted prayer rooms.

Read more in today's print edition of The Enterprise.
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Stephanie Jones loves taking her dogs - a pit bull mix and a Rottweiler - out in public to demonstrate that so-called "aggressive breeds" can be well-behaved and friendly.

But when Ashley Phillips sees a dog that looks like a pit bull at a store or a restaurant, she tenses up, recalling the two dogs that killed her 5-year-old son two years ago.

The women are two of the faces of the fierce debate over the dog breed, known both as vicious attackers and gentle family pets.

"Bully breeds," including varieties of bull terriers and the American bully, often are classified as "pit bulls." Such animals are frequently assumed to be innately aggressive and inclined to attack, leading to bans in apartment complexes and stores and higher insurance premiums.

While not all pit bulls are aggressive, high-profile attacks help fuel a blanket view that the dogs are dangerous, which creates a variety of unanticipated challenges for owners.

When pit bulls attack

Fueling the breed's bad reputation is the harsh reality of pit bull attacks, which are often extremely violent and highly publicized, even though they're relatively uncommon.

Phillips' 5-year-old son, Tanner Smith, was mauled to death in Vidor by two pit bulls in 2015 while she visited a friend.

Phillips believed Tanner was outside with her friend's father but

later learned he was not at home at the time, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Tanner was found in the yard after he was attacked.

Two years later, Phillips is still nervous around dogs and said she supports keeping all dogs out of public places, especially pit bulls.

"Any breed that could kill someone should not be welcome in a public place," she said. "People will say Chihuahuas, weenie dogs, are more aggressive, and they might be more aggressive, but they're not going to kill someone."

The breed's popularity in Southeast Texas worries her as well, she said.

"I can't say that I enjoy going to the grocery store, Wal-Mart or anywhere like that, because every time I turn my head, there's a pit bull, and it brings back all those things I had to personally see of my own child."

Michelle Watts, who lives in Orange County, spent part of Memorial Day weekend in the hospital with her son, Tyler, after a neighbor's pit bull attacked him.

The 11-year-old was riding his bike when he had his third run-in with the dog in two months, which escalated from biting his pants, to a minor cut, to severe wounds that required stitches.

She reported the bite to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and the dog is currently quarantined. OCSO did not respond to requests for comment.

Watts said Tyler is still recovering and worries that the owner is not required to enclose his yard with a fence.

The owner defended his dog and said it was secured, but declined to be quoted.

"All dogs can bite," Watts said, "but when this one does, it's a lot worse. Why risk somebody's life because you can't put your dog up?"

Facts and myths

Most dog bites that Beaumont Animal Services responds to involve bully breeds, said supervisor Matthew Fortenberry, but that's not necessarily because they're naturally more aggressive than other breeds.

"They're a very common breed for ownership in this area," he said, "so the percentage (of bites) by nature, is going to be higher."

Bully breeds' physical characteristics, including their boxy heads and stocky builds, can make them look inherently aggressive and can fuel misconceptions like their jaws "lock" when they bite or they're bred to kill.

Their size and strength also make their bites more damaging than small dogs, like Chihuahuas, which are more prone to bite people but inflict fewer serious injuries.

I. Lehr Brisbin, an animal behavior specialist and researcher at the University of Georgia, said there is no proof of any "locking mechanism," based on examinations of the breeds' skulls and teeth, and their strength is not disproportionate to their size.

Pit bulls are the most commonly chosen breed to be trained to fight, a characteristic that can be passed on through generations, said Jen Robinson, a trainer at Beaumont Animal Services.

She said that creates "fighting bloodlines" among some, but not all, pit bulls.

It's not always immediately clear which dogs aren't from "fighting stock," which is why temperament testing is necessary.

Beaumont Animal Services shelter director Susan Toney said they monitor dogs' behavior, their interactions with staff and other animals and look for triggers that set them off to determine their temperament.

Costs of ownership

Those who own and love their pit bulls face unanticipated challenges because of the breed's reputation.

Texas prohibits breed-specific bans, so cities and towns can't pass local ordinances outlawing pit bulls, but companies that set their own policies often consider pit bulls a risk.

Heather Holcombe bought her dog, Sapphire, a bright blue-eyed bully breed, six years ago. "She's been my baby ever since," she said, watching the dog calmly trot alongside her at Beaumont's Ida Reed Dog Park.

As Holcombe looked for a place to live that would accept Sapphire, she ran up against restrictions on "aggressive breeds," until she found a rental house in Beaumont whose owner was willing to take them after meeting Sapphire.

"Ninety-nine percent of apartment complexes or rental properties won't allow pits," said Beaumont Animal Services' Toney. Those restrictions frequently stop people from adopting the dogs, she said.

A number of local apartment complexes have broad "no aggressive breed" policies, which typically include Rottweilers, German shepherds and chows, along with pit bulls. Others require that the owner bring the dog in for a meeting or ask for a picture of the dog before being approved as a renter.

While homeowners can choose to own any dog they please, they will likely pay more for insurance if they own a pit bull.

"Certain breeds are identified as being potentially more aggressive," said Wade Maclean, an agent with Farmers Insurance in Beaumont, "so there may be a surcharge on somebody's homeowner's policy" because they present an additional risk to the company.

Charles Cole, owner of Beaumont's Cole Insurance TWFG, said that insurance premiums can go up 10 to 40 percent for pit bull owners, depending on the company. In other cases, an insurer might provide a policy that excludes coverage of anything related to the dog, requiring owners to carry a separate liability policy, he said.

Toney said the Beaumont Animal Shelter tries to address the possible restrictions before the dogs are adopted so they won't be returned. The shelter makes potential owners check their relevant insurance policies before taking a bully breed home.

They also conduct home visits, because not all owners or families are suited for the powerful, energetic breed, she said.

Most Southeast Texas dog-friendly businesses don't have prohibitions on specific breeds, though the national PetSmart chain has been widely criticized for banning "dogs of the 'bully breed' classification" from its Doggie Day Camp programs, including "mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of these breeds."

Cuddly or killers?

While banning the breed from public places might seem an obvious solution for those who fear running afoul of a fighting dog, it wouldn't cut down on at-home attacks like Watts' or Smith's. Nor have bans been found to be effective, according to experts.

A 2010 study in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association found that breed-specific legislation is ineffective, because it would require removing too many dogs from a community to actually prevent bites. Cities and towns would have to remove 100,000 dogs to statistically reduce the risk of one dog bite, according to the study.

Restrictions raise questions about their value because they require classifying the dog based on its appearance, which isn't always a guaranteed way to identify pit bulls, especially with the popularity of mixed-breed dogs.

Pit bull enthusiasts like Jones, who has owned bully breeds for more than 20 years, say the bans perpetuate negative stereotypes and make it harder to prove that not all pit bulls are "bred to kill."

"I love to bring them out wherever I can to shed good light on the breed," she said. "They're smart, gentle dogs, very driven to please."

Some pit bulls are "cocker spaniels in disguise," Toney said, while others have been mistreated or not socialized properly, especially if they're owned as guard dogs or for dogfighting.

"What they're taught, how they're brought up, and if they're trained and socialized" have more to do with their behavior than their breed itself, Toney said.

Watts, whose family has a labrador, said she's been accused of bashing pit bulls but said the bigger issue is ensuring owners follow leash laws and ordinances.

"It doesn't matter what kind of dog it is, it's being a responsible animal owner," Watts said.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitz
A late night fire in Beaumont has damaged a long-time Southeast Texas business.



Firefighters were called to Ace Safety Apparel, 700 block of Liberty Avenue in Downtown Beaumont, late Monday night. The structure was being used primarily for storage, and no one was inside at the time of the fire.



Ace Safety Apparel, which cleans industrial uniforms, has been in Beaumont since the 70s.
Rutland (Vt.) Regional Medical Center President and CEO Tom Huebner penned an article in the VT Digger illustrating how The Green Mountain Care Board approving a new ASC in Colchester, Va., would impact community hospitals throughout Vermont.

The ASC in question is a proposal that a group of independent physicians filed nearly two years ago. The Green Mountain Care Board is set to decide on the proposal but has faced several delays due to a gap in board members. However, Governor Phil Scott appointed new board members in May, which may speed up the decision regarding the approval.

Mr. Huebner said his primary concern is if regulators approve this ASC, Rutland regulators may approve a similar proposal, which could negatively impact mid-sized and critical access hospitals like Rutland Regional Medical Center. He said, "[For such hospitals that] operate tight financial ships, there is little margin to manage the impacts of new and unregulated competition."

He said ASCs can pick the patients which may be "more profitable," while Rutland Regional has to accept all patients even if they are unable to pay for the services rendered. The ability to select patients that may turn a profit gives ASC an edge over community hospitals that may fail to stay afloat in this environment.

Additionally, Mr. Huebner explained surgery centers will not have to pay the state's annual tax that pays for the Medicaid program nor would ASCs be subject to the Green Mountain Care Board's financial oversight or budget process. The ASC would not have to abide by licensing requirements or reporting requirements, said Mr. Huebner. In an April Green Mountain Care Board Member board meeting, Amy Cooper, executive director of Burlington, Vt.-based health insurance company Healthfirst, said the ASC would save payers $5.5 million annually and the center would pay income and property taxes due to its for-profit status.

Rutland does not need additional facilities to meet patient demand in Mr. Huebner's opinion. He said, "We have expanded our capacity to meet demand and done so within the confines of the certificate of need process. We had to prove that there was a genuine unmet need in our community. Any ambulatory surgical center should do the same."

At the aforementioned April hearing, Ms. Cooper said, "This project is not against the hospitals. This project is for the patients. We in the independent practice community here believe there is space for all providers in the healthcare landscape."
Providing a positive patient experience is essential to a hospital's bottom line, brand and reputation. As healthcare leaders increasingly seek ways to enhance care, many have realized that providing comfortable and convenient accommodations for patients' families and other visitors during the hospital stay represents a new opportunity to improve the overall experience.

Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital, founded in 1997, has emerged as a pioneer in medical hospitality development. In addition to its medical hospitality platform, the company also operates a luxury and lifestyle properties platform and a regional hotel/conference center platform. Its entrance into the hospital arena will be marked by the October opening of a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel adjacent to Baylor Scott & White's Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, a five-story hotel with 132 keys.

"Having a hotel directly on a hospital campus provides that hospital with a tremendous advantage," says David Messersmith, who leads the medical hospitality platform at Gatehouse Capital. "It provides a more convenient experience for patients' families, as well as a competitive advantage for the hospital brand."

In addition to Baylor University Medical Center, Gatehouse Capital has contracts out with several other hospitals in various stages of negotiations. They are primarily establishing deals with large hospitals in metropolitan areas, where patients and their families presumably have broad choice when it comes to selecting overnight accommodations.

With a hotel on campus, visiting nurses and physicians, as well as patients' family members, are conveniently located close to the hospital and their loved ones, but have the opportunity to experience the comfort of a hotel. The hotels  which are all Marriott, Hilton, Starwood or Hyatt brands  will offer a variety of amenities that are specifically tailored to hospital visitors, such as a concierge to help them navigate through large hospital buildings, restaurants, bars and a fitness center.

They are also suited for hospital patients themselves. For example, the rooms will be furnished with comfortable bedroom furniture that would be safe for recovering patients. They will also house clinical retail space, where patients can check in prior to surgery, do blood work and other tests and fill out insurance paper work. Patients who have to travel a considerable distance to the hospital for a procedure or follow-up care may also find it more conducive to stay near the hospital overnight.

Building a hotel on campus expands hospitals' opportunities to increase revenue. Many large facilities already cater to patients' families by offering hospitality suites inside the hospital. However, these are typically not ideal for visiting family members, who could benefit from the respite of a private hotel suite. With a hotel on campus, hospitals can convert these hospitality suites into patient rooms, where they can treat more patients and earn significant revenue.

"A lot of what we're doing is freeing up hospitals' space to create and better utilize the facility," says Mr. Messersmith. "On top of the suites, the hotels offer two things every hospital wants: More parking and more meeting space."

The hotels offer ample space for hosting conferences, medical sales reps or continuing medical education seminars, according to Mr. Messersmith.

As emphasis on the patient experience grows, and as hospitals operate in an increasingly competitive environment, Mr. Messersmith anticipates more facilities will seek to build hotels on their campuses.

"My guess is in the next few years, every large hospital will have a hotel on its campus," he says.
Sarah Knodel, system vice president of revenue cycle for Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, is responsible for the strategic management and direction of the revenue cycle department for the nearly 50-hospital system, which includes responsibility for more than 1,700 employees spanning across access services, revenue integrity, utilization review, denial resource center and the central business office.

Ms. Knodel previously worked for Stockamp & Associates, now Huron Consulting Group in Chicago, where she focused on revenue cycle improvement initiatives for large, multifacility acute care hospital systems. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from The University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business.



Ms. Knodel recently answered questions from Becker's Hospital Review about her greatest challenges as a revenue cycle leader and how she would improve the revenue cycle process.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Question: What's your favorite part about being a revenue cycle leader for a healthcare system?

Sarah Knodel: I love that no day is the same and the variety of the work we do and the challenges that come with it. It is exciting to lead a department that has a tangible impact on the patient's experience and the financial success of the organization. I enjoy getting to work with many talented individuals inside of the revenue cycle and across the numerous departments, facilities and clinics we interface with to help the organization achieve its strategic goals. As the saying goes, "care takes cash," and I enjoy serving in a role closely aligned with our clinical, operational and financial leaders so we can continue to deliver high-quality care to the patients and communities we serve.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you're facing as a revenue cycle leader?

SK: The biggest challenge is the sheer number of priorities we are trying to manage at any given time. People laugh at the whiteboard in my office that has a list of over 100 projects we are working on as a department. Since the merger of Baylor Scott & White Health, we've had challenges related to trying to standardize revenue cycle processes, systems and organizational structures between the two legacy healthcare systems. This integration work, coupled with work related to constantly improving our key performance indicators, increasing price transparency, improving the revenue cycle patient experience, reducing our cost-to-collect, integrating new business from organic growth and acquisitions and optimizing workflows in anticipation of future electronic health record conversions, leaves very little time to breathe. It's an exciting time but certainly challenging given the pace of change and the speed at which we need to get a number of important things completed in a relatively short amount of time.

Q: What is one of your goals this year?

SK: Continuing to improve the revenue cycle patient experience. While we have made strides in different areas related to the financial experience, the key for us is being able to string everything together in a more cohesive manner from scheduling to post-discharge collections. So many industries have a simple yet robust way of engaging and interfacing with their consumers, but in healthcare we still have a lot of opportunities for improvement in this area. We have various revenue cycle bolt-on technologies and patient portals that have all provided improvements in our overall process and experience, but we need to continue to focus on making further improvements.

Q: What is one thing you'd do to improve the revenue cycle process?

SK: One thing I would do is improve collaboration with payers to reduce administrative costs for both sides. Driving out nonvalue added costs is critical for financial sustainability. Throughout the entire revenue cycle we have an opportunity to drive out costs associated with our third-party payers but unfortunately, we are faced with constantly changing pre-certification and medical necessity requirements that are unique to each payer, and a lengthy process on the back-end related to retrospective appeals for denials and underpayments. Despite more and more upfront requirements, it isn't translating to improved processing time on the back end. Although traditional methods for addressing some of these issues have been successful, those methods still require a significant amount of time and resources on both sides to arrive at the correct outcome. Ultimately, the member-patient is hurt by these delays and they can slow down our ability to provide timely care, to be paid timely and to timely bill the patient for their amount due. We want to explore what opportunities exist to pilot new strategies or models that could work on addressing some of these issues.
Here are the top six gifts and pledges from individuals to hospitals or healthcare organizations to date in 2017.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy maintains a database of gifts of $1 million or more made by individuals to various charitable institutions.

This particular list includes gifts under "health" and "medical research" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Please note that many of the gifts are of equal value, meaning more than six are listed.

1.$100 million to University of Chicago Medicine

Donor: Craig and Janet Duchossois. Mr. Duchossois is the chairman of Duchossois Group, a holding company.

Details: The pledge will establish the Duchossois Family Institute, focusing on research regarding how the immune system, genetics and microbiomes interact to maintain human health.

2. $25 million to Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Donor: A. Dano and Brenda Davis. Mr. Davis' family founded the Winn-Dixie grocery store chain.

Details: The donation will be used to fund an expansion of the medical center in Jacksonville, Fla., recruit physicians and advance medical research.

2. $25 million to Boston Medical Center

Donor: John and Eilene Grayken. Mr. Grayken owns Lone Star Funds, a private equity fund.

Details: The gift will establish the Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine. The center will focus on drug research, treatment and addiction prevention.

2. $25 million to Feinstein Institute for Medical Research (Manhasset, N.Y.)

Donor: Leonard and Susan Feinstein. Mr. Feinstein co-founded Bed Bath and Beyond. The couple also gifted $25 million to the institute in 2005 in honor of their son, who suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Details: The donation will advance research in neuroscience, autoimmunity and bioelectronics.

2. $25 million to Feed the Truth (New York City)

Donor: Daniel Lubetzky. Mr. Lubetzky is the founder and CEO of Kind Health Snacks.

Details: This pledge will create the Feed the Truth Organization, a public health oriented organization focused on increasing transparency in food and beverage companies.

2. $25 million to University of Texas Health San Antonio

Donor: Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long. Mr. Long is a retired banker and lawyer. He was formerly the Chief of the Enforcement Division in Texas and organized First State Bank and Community National Bank.

Details: Most of the donation ($20 million) will go toward faculty recruitment, $4 million will be used for scholarships and $1 million will endow the medical school dean's position.

3. $21 million to Chicago Biomedical Consortium

Donor: Searle Funds (Searle family). The family sold their pharmaceutical company, G.D. Searle & Company, to Monsanto in 1985.

Details: The pledge will support joint medical research at Evanston, Ill.-based Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Chicago.

3.$21 million to University of Pennsylvania, Basser Research Center for BRCA (Philadelphia)

Donor: Jon and Mindy Gray. Mr. Gray oversees real estate at Blackstone, a global investment firm.

Details: The donation will advance research, clinical trials and educational outreach for patients with hereditary cancers.

4. $21 million to Rehabilitation Institution of Chicago

Donor: Lester and Renee Crown. Mr. Crown is the president of investment firm Henry Crown and Company and the chairman of the Material Service Corp., which is a stone, sand and gravel company.

Details: The gift will go toward maintaining the Renee Crown Center for Spinal Cord Innovation.

5. $15 million to Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.)

Donor: John and Laura Potocsnak. Mr. Potocsnak is the CEO of Corrugated Supplies Co., which manufactures cardboard.

Details: The donation will establish a biomedical research center, which will focus on cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders and genetics at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

6. $12.5 million to Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.)

Donor: Jeffery Feil, a real estate investor in New York.

Details: The gift will establish a new student center to create more space for classes, collaborative projects and advanced patient care training.
Sayre (Okla.) Memorial Hospital, which abruptly closed in February 2016, will reopen under new ownership, according to KGOU.

Sayre Memorial faced financial troubles for years before ceasing operations Feb. 1, 2016. Hospital officials said the closure was due to a number of factors, including Oklahoma's decision not to expand Medicaid under the ACA and a reduction in Medicare reimbursements.

The Sayre Memorial Hospital Authority finalized the sale of the hospital to Healthcare Properties Transaction Group of Oklahoma, which is made up of a group of investors, in January. HPTG plans to reopen the facility under a new name  Sayre Community Hospital  at the end of June.

HPTG is currently finalizing contracts with surgeons and some of the hospital's former employees will rejoin Sayre Community Hospital, according to the report.

More articles on healthcare finance:

CHI Health closes Nebraska hospital, opens new ED

UHS hospital in Oklahoma faces Medicare termination on heels of Buzzfeed News investigation

Southcoast Health's operating loss doubles as federal reimbursement declines
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and two Citigroup executives  CEO Michael Corbat and CEO of global consumer banking Stephen Bird  are the latest victims of an email hoax conducted by a self-proclaimed email prankster, according to fnlondon.com and cityam.com.

The email impersonator has been contacting corporate executives, masquerading as senior executives within their companies and posting the exchanges on Twitter.

One of the latest targets, Mr. Blankfein, responded to emails sent by the email impersonator pretending to be Harvey Schwartz, co-COO of Goldman Sachs.

On June 11, the two joked about a trip to Vegas and briefly discussed President Donald Trump's Twitter usage. Minutes after the exchange, the impersonator released screenshots of the conversation on his Twitter account, @Sinon_Reborn, according to cityam.com.

This exchange was later referenced in another hoax sent to Mr. Corbat and Mr. Bird, when the impersonator pretended to be Citigroup Chairman Michael O'Neill June 11, fnlondon.com reported. The impersonator sent a link containing a news story detailing the Goldman Sach's email scam to the two Citigroup executives and he told them he felt the bank should improve its email security moving forward, to avoid being hit by a similar hoax in the future.

"Can never be too careful Mike. Hope that's our real Chairman!" Mr. Bird replied before discussing Citigroup's current e-mail security.

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup both confirmed the exchanges, according to fnlondon.com. However, they declined to offer additional comment.

Barclays CEO Jes Staley, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and Shadow Home Secretary of the British Labour Party Diane Abbott have all recently been tricked by the email impersonator, according to cityam.com.

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Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center joined forces with Tempus, a health technology company focused on personalized oncology care, to improve breast cancer treatment.

Tempus will use bioinformatics and machine learning to analyze molecular, phenotypic, therapeutic and outcomes data for hundreds of breast cancer patients. Tempus and U-M researchers will analyze this data alongside the university's patient-derived biological models, which alert providers to the drugs that will prove most effective for individual patients.

This agreement marks U-M's second collaboration with Tempus. The organizations partnered to bring U-M's DNA-sequencing panel, MI-ONCOSEQ, to cancer patients across the country in October.
Bayfront Health-St. Petersburg (Fla.) CEO Kathryn Gillette is planning to retire in August, according to a Tampa Bay Times report.

Here are five things to know:

1. Ms. Gillette served as CEO of the organization since 2013.

2. She led the organization's transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. She also played a key role in establishing a partnership with the University of South Florida in Tampa.

3. Prior to joining Bayfront, she worked for Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America, where she served in numerous leadership roles, including CEO of Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla., according to LinkedIn.

4. She also served in senior finance roles, such as CFO, at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital.

5. The hospital's board is working with Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, Bayfront's parent, to find a successor.
New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian named Wilhelmina M. Manzano, RN, chief quality officer. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and chief nursing executive at NewYork-Presbyterian.

Ms. Manzano joined NewYork-Presbyterian in 1998, where she held numerous roles, including vice president for patient care services at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and COO at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. Both hospitals are based in New York City.

Prior to joining NewYork-Presbyterian, she held leadership positions at a number of hospitals, including at New York City-based Mount Sinai Hospital.

Ms. Manzano is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and a member of the American Nurses Association as well as the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
The hospital C-suite is always evolving, with new roles constantly being added to oversee top strategy, financial, IT, population health and people initiatives.

Here are 38 hospital and health system c-suite executive positions  traditional and nontraditional  including descriptions of responsibilities and some of the key people who hold them.

1. Chief administrative officer. The chief administrative officer has similar responsibilities to the chief operating officer, and is sometimes considered the same position, according to Learn.org. The CAO is responsible for keeping the organization running smoothly and aligning the organization's goals. This individual may also oversee and prepare the organization's budget and assist in business deal negotiations. In some cases, the CAO serves as the middle-man between hospital department heads and the CEO.

2. Chief business development officer. The chief business development officer oversees business growth and development across all departments, according to Cleverism. This individual investigates new business opportunities and is responsible for building relationships that can help identify and execute new business deals in the future. The CBDO may also oversee key member recruiting and training, and play a mentorship role for business development personnel.

3. Chief clinical officer. Chief clinical officers are becoming more common for hospitals and health systems, and physicians often fill this role, according to Health IT News. These individuals are primarily tasked with overseeing patient engagement and clinical quality outcomes. The CCO is often a "systems thinker" that prioritizes lean system performance requirements to reduce waste and improve care quality. This individual should be familiar with EHR and data integration. Depending on the organization, a CCO may also assist in medical staff development, clinical integration and physician partnerships.

4. Chief compliance officer. Chief compliance officers typically oversee the organization's regulatory compliance initiatives and internal policies and procedures, according to the International Association of Risk and Compliance Professionals. The CCO may be asked to develop standards and implement procedures to ensure the organization is efficient and effective in identifying, preventing and correcting issues of noncompliance. CCOs often report to CEOs directly and inform senior leaders, including the board of directors, about violations. They also report on compliance updates, ongoing policy implementation and compliance education to the board. Finally, the CCO typically monitors any external audit reviews and responds to administrative inquiries on compliance issues and audits.

5. Chief development officer. Chief development officers are often responsible for developing and coordinating the hospital or health system's fundraising or philanthropy projects. This individual supports the organization's strategic direction and establishes goals for high level philanthropy. The CDO often has previous fundraising experience and is familiar with the hospital's research and community impact.

6. Chief executive officer. CEOs oversee the implementation of long and short term strategic plans, and serve as a key decision-maker among senior leadership. The CEO is charged with overseeing or approving the budget and managing risk. CEOs should know about all undertaking and activities at the hospital or health system and provide expertise to managers as well as the board of directors. This person stays abreast of important industry trends and empowers others in the organization to move forward strategically.

7. Chief financial officer. Chief financial officers lead the hospital or health system's financial team and are responsible for ensuring a positive financial future. This individual can create new policies for financial improvement in addition to balancing the books. CFOs advise on capital planning projects, mergers and acquisitions and large growth initiatives. Finally, CFOs take part in commercial payer negotiations and must have an understanding of how new risk-based payment models will affect their institution going forward.

8. Chief government relations officer. As government officials take an increasingly active role in developing healthcare policy, health systems like Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White are appointing individuals to cultivate relationships with local, state and federal government officials. BSW appointed Kristi Hoyl as chief government relations officer in March 2014 with the goal of educating representatives and leaders about the health system's care and issues related to access to care. Cleveland Clinic appointed Kristen Morris to this position in 2013 as well. Her overall responsibilities aim to influence legislative outcomes that affect the health system's mission and develop partnerships with government agencies.

9. Chief health information officer. Healthcare organizations are hiring chief health information officers to become more strategic about EHR implementation and health informatics, including Durham, N.C.-based Duke Medicine, Arlington-based Texas Health Resources and Irving, Texas-based Christus Health, according to Health Informatics. The CHIO may report to the CIO, COO or another C-suite executive and manages health informatics, telehealth, business and clinical intelligence and predictive analytics initiatives. Last year, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare appointed Vivek Redd, MD, CHIO for the purpose of leading the system's health IT and informatics strategy.

10. Chief human resources officer. The chief human resources officer develops and executes the hospital or health system's human resource strategy to support the overall organization's strategic direction, according to the Society for Human Resources Management. This person oversees succession planning, talent management, performance management, training, development and compensation. Last year, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare appointed Robert W.K. Webb senior vice president and chief human resources officer responsible for the company's people strategy. He leads human resources functions including labor relations, HR services, talent, culture, performance, compensation and overall benefits.

11. Chief information officer. A healthcare organization's chief information officer oversees the IT department and makes technology-related purchasing decisions, according to TargetTech. This individual works with other C-suiters to plan for the growing amount of digital data collected at hospitals and health systems and to support other health IT initiatives, including telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. The CIO determines where to invest the hospital's resources, how to train staff and the most efficient workflow for implementing new technology. At the system-level, the CIO plays a role in interoperability.

12. Chief information security officer. The chief information security officer is responsible for developing the hospital or health system's policy on IT security, handling remediation and breach notification and interacting with compliance authorities on information security, according to Health IT News. The CISO has strategic and advisory responsibilities and must communicate across departments about technological issues to medical providers and staff. This person manages data security and promotes security risk awareness around the organization.

13. Chief innovation officer. Chief innovation officers are tasked with creating an innovation-friendly organization. This individual supports best practice, creative thinking, and initiatives to train managers, according to the Harvard Business Review. The chief innovation officer is responsible for staying abreast of industry trends, market disruptions and new opportunities. This person also helps generate new ideas and allocate resources for potentially disruptive innovation. Last year, Mercy Health appointed Jeffrey Carr its first chief innovation officer with responsibilities for fostering a culture of innovation and investment systemwide.

14. Chief integration officer. The chief integration officer, which may also be known as the vice president of population health or chief accountable care officer, is responsible for organizational design in population health initiatives, according to Healthcare Informatics. As hospitals and health systems seek to align with other healthcare organizations and acquire physician practices, the chief integration officer oversees the alignments and facilitates ACO creation. This person may also have responsibilities negotiating payer contracts and developing clinical strategies. In January, RWJBarnabas Health in West Orange, N.J., named John Gantner executive vice president and chief integration officer responsible for overseeing managed care, information technology and systems, supply chain functions and the integration management office.

15. Chief integrity officer. Both Cleveland Clinic and Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Medicine, have chief integrity officers. Cleveland Clinic's chief integrity officer Don Sinko oversees audit and compliance programs focused on risk management, regulatory compliance and business ethics for the health system. Loyola named John Heart vice president and chief integrity officer in December 2016 with responsibility for overseeing auditing and compliance functions for Loyola University Health System. He has a background in internal audits, compliance and privacy and security functions, previously serving with Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University and UNC Health Care System in Chapel Hill, N.C.

16. Chief investment officer. A chief investment officer manages the hospital or health system's investment portfolio, developing short- and long-term investment plans and overseeing staff members responsible for managing assets and pensions. This person often reports to the organization's board and makes investment recommendations. Mercy's chief investment officer Tony Waskiewicz is responsible for generating strong risk-adjusted returns for the health system and developing its investment structure around current economic conditions.

17. Chief learning officer. As a relatively new position for hospitals and health systems, chief learning officers are joining the C-suite to oversee professional development and educational programs for hospital administrators and managers. New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health's Kathleen Gallo heads the hospital's Learning and Innovation and Patient Safety Institute, focusing on transforming the health system through workforce development. This person may also have responsibilities in succession planning, performance and talent review and support for managers moving between leadership roles.

18. Chief legal officer. Chief legal officers often oversee the business aspects of the hospital or health system. This person is the "head layer" and advises on any legal updates or matters regarding employees, according to Legal Career Path. The CLO is responsible for investigating noncompliance issues and suggesting measures to take with offenders. In some instances, this person may also act as a chief litigator. In March, Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care hired Michael Grebe, JD, as chief legal officer where he is responsible for helping the health system navigate the changing healthcare regulatory environment.

19. Chief marketing officer. The chief marketing officer oversees the hospital's branding and communications efforts. The CMO's role has been evolving from traditional marketing efforts, including billboards and community outreach, to include social media and other digital platforms. This person advises on marketing strategy and targeting the right audience to optimize resources. For example, Cleveland Clinic's CMO Paul Matsen oversees the global brand and service line-specific marketing and digital marketing.

20. Chief of managed care. The chief of managed care oversees the hospital or health system's managed care strategy, planning and implementation. This individual also participates in establishing quality and financial performance standards for the managed care products and tracks the benchmarks. The chief of managed care may also negotiate the hospital's contracts. Howard Gold is the chief of managed care and business development officer at Northwell Health, overseeing the hospital's contractual relationships and all business matters associated with managed care.

21. Chief medical information officer. The chief medical information officer historically oversaw the selection and implementation of EHR as the IT department's liaison with the clinical staff, according to Top Master's in Healthcare Administration. However, that role is shifting to focus on using IT in transformative and innovative ways to create value for the healthcare organization with its current IT systems.

22. Chief medical officer. The chief medical officer is a senior level executive acting as a liaison between the physicians and hospital executives. This individual oversees quality of care at the hospital and manages the hiring, training and performance evaluation of physicians on staff. The CMO's role is evolving to include supporting new cost-effective strategies for the clinical staff and ensure medical interventions are efficient and medically necessary.

23. Chief nursing officer. The chief nursing officer supervises nurses and nurse managers across hospital departments and service lines, according to American Nurses Association. This individual oversees patient care delivery design and implementation and serves as a liaison between the nursing staff and hospital executives. In November 2016, St. Louis-based Ascension named Amy Wilson the CNO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health responsible for working with the hospital's chief clinical officer and COO to ensure nursing, medical and operational strategies aligned and are performed efficiently and effectively.

24. Chief nursing informatics officer. As a relatively new role for most hospitals and health systems, the chief nursing informatics officer's responsibilities vary between organizations. Broadly, this individual is the strategic liaison for health IT efforts with the nursing staff and will develop nursing and clinical informatics strategies related to health IT. The CNIO is a "change agent" in identifying, planning, implementing and measuring the value of informatics strategies. CNIOs collaborate with other nursing and IT leaders to implement systems that will improve patient care and services.

25. Chief operating officer. Chief operating officers provide leadership, management and vision for the hospital to ensure all procedures and systems are in place for effective growth, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. This individual also ensures the hospital or health system has the financial strength and operational efficiency to carry through its vision. The COO is a motivator and leads the high performance management team to attract, recruit and retain the best leaders. As the senior vice president and COO for Concord (N.H.) Hospital, Timothy Jones is responsible for keeping the hospital running efficiently, integrating the organization's strategic plan and providing management oversight for high quality, cost-effective and integrated clinical programs.

26. Chief patient experience officer. The chief patient experience officer is typically responsible for driving a culture of patient- and family-centered care as well as service excellence for hospitals and health systems. This individual works with executive teams to communicate performance initiatives and create change at all levels of the organization. HCA's chief patient experience officer, Lyn Ketelsen, RN, is responsible for leveraging best practices across the system's hospitals to ensure patients have the best experience possible.

27. Chief patient safety officer. The chief patient safety officer oversees the hospital or health system's patient safety initiatives. Ken Bachenberg, MD, chief medical officer and patient safety officer at Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, leads the team that includes the medical staff, medical staff services office and patient safety consultants, and oversees clinical quality enhancement at PeaceHealth St. Joseph. In March, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare named Shannon Connor Philips, MD, chief patient safety and experience officer. She is responsible for working with system leaders to improve care outcomes and the patient experience.

28. Chief people officer. Chief people officers head the human resources department, managing the hospital or health system's culture in addition to staffing function. This individual is responsible for creating a working environment where staff members and physicians can thrive. Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System's CPO David Beach provides leadership and guidance in developing and implementing policies, plans and programs related to people services. Seattle Children's Hospital named Myra Gregorian senior vice president and chief people officer in May, effective July 24, and she'll oversee the hospital's human resources, workforce diversity and inclusion efforts as well as talent acquisition and development.

29. Chief population health officer. The chief population health officer leads the development and implementation of the hospital's population health management strategy and fosters payer relationships and community partnerships. As the senior vice president and CPHO of Madison, Wis.-based UW Health and the president of UW Health ACO, Jonathan Jaffery is responsible for development, coordination and implementation of UW Health's population health strategy. He oversees community improvement efforts and promotes the triple aim throughout the health system.

30. Chief quality officer. The chief quality officer is responsible for quality data collection and supports patient safety efforts. The CQO advises on quality initiatives and holds clinicians accountable for meeting specific quality indicators. This individual may also help develop a culture of continuous improvement, identify areas to enhance efficiency and strengthen information capabilities while championing a data-driven environment. In November 2016, Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System named Teri Sholder senior vice president and chief quality officer responsible for overseeing the hospital's patient safety, clinical quality and patient satisfaction programs.

31. Chief research officer. A hospital or health system's chief research officer oversees research activities including clinical trials, internal investigator-initiated research programs and sponsored studies. Akron (Ohio) Children's Hospital in May hired Michael E. Kelly, MD, PhD, as chief research officer to oversee the Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute. He is tasked with defining the vision, clinical trial strategy and research management for studies systemwide.

32. Chief revenue officer. The chief revenue officer oversees the hospital or health system's revenue cycle and revenue-related processes. This individual may also oversee all of the managed care operations, payer relationships, government reimbursement, chargemaster operations, charging practices and regulatory analysis for the health system. In April, Loyola University named Frank Massi CRO, who is tasked with identifying opportunities to improve patient collections, driving operating efficiencies, building patient relationships and leading the patient financial engagement consultants team.

33. Chief strategy officer. The chief strategy officer clarifies the hospital or health system CEO's vision and imparts it to the clinical team and staff members. This individual communicates with each department and unit to implement the corporate strategy. Cleveland-based MetroHealth's Vice President and CSO Karim Botros oversees the health system's business and corporate development, provider recruiting, integration and market research. He will be overseeing the two new community hospitals that MetroHealth is building, slated to open by the end of the year.

34. Chief technology officer. The chief technology officer oversees the hospital's technology capabilities. This individual is responsible for leading the IT team and contributes to the hospital or health system's strategic plan. Navicent Health System in Macon, Ga., hired Rick Allen as CTO in 2015 to stabilize and modernize the health system's technology infrastructure.

35. Chief transformation officer. Chief transformation officers take on responsibility for driving organization forward and holding team members accountable. CTOs inspire others and exhibit model behavior to encourage and embed change within the organization. These individuals set the tone for transformation and are enthusiastic about change. As the senior vice president and chief transformation officer of Pensacola, Fla.-based Baptist Health Care, Dan Sontheimer, MD, is responsible for increasing care standardization, developing physician leadership and governance and advancing population health management. He is also president of Baptist Medical Group.

36. Chief experience officer. Hospital chief experience officers, or CXOs, are responsible for overseeing a team that solves gaps in the "human experience of care." This individual is responsible for patient experience strategy and managing complaints, compliments and performance improvement. The CXO also builds a relationship-based culture at the hospital or health system. As chief experience officer of Cleveland Clinic, Adrienne Boissy, MD, leads the patient experience office and initiatives to improve the patient experience across the health system.

37. Executive vice president. The executive vice president typically assists with creating and achieving financial goals and objectives. This individual also oversees the hospital or health system's operating performance, prepares budgets and creates business plans. The executive vice president is responsible for communicating the company's strategy to the board of directors and overseeing revenue generation. As executive vice president of St. Louis-based Ascension and president and CEO of Ascension Holdings and Ascension Holdings International, John Doyle is responsible for innovation services as well as overseeing solutions and relationships to accelerate the health system's strategic direction. He provides alternative revenue sources domestically and internationally.

38. Physician-in-chief. As the hospital's top physician, the physician-in-chief is responsible for working with the senior leadership team to maintain standards of care and customer service. This person may also oversee operational efficiency and support organizational transformation. As executive vice president and physician-in-chief of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, Lawrence Smith, MD, serves as the senior physician on all clinical issues.
Twenty-one health organizations, led by the Association of American Medical Colleges, filed an amicus brief arguing against the Trump administration's attempts to reinstate the executive order that would place a temporary ban on travel from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The brief, filed in Trump v. International Refugee Assistance Project and Trump v. State of Hawai'i, argues non-U.S. professionals are critical to patient care and research, which contribute to national security.

"For decades, health professionals from other countries have filled critical gaps in the physician workforce, especially in rural and other medically underserved communities," AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, MD, said in a statement. "Suspending entry of highly talented and skilled medical and research professionals into the United States on the basis of their nationalities would ultimately undermine the health security of our nation, especially as we face a looming physician shortage. When we close our borders to highly skilled health professionals, we also are closing them to collaboration, discovery and better national and global health."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled unanimously Monday to continue to suspend the travel ban, according to a report from USA Today. It is the second federal appeals court ruling to find the travel ban discriminatory, according to the report.

The following 21 organizations, in addition to the AAMC, filed the brief:

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

American College of Healthcare Executives

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Physicians

American Dental Education Association

American Nurses Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Public Health Association

Association of Academic Health Centers

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions

Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Greater New York Hospital Association

Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools

National Medical Association

National Resident Matching Program

Physician Assistant Education Association

Society of General Internal Medicine

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Republican senators are almost done drafting the AHCA and will soon submit it to the Congressional Budget Office, but will not make the bill public until it is scored, according to Axios.

Two senior Senate aides revealed that lawmakers will continue to discuss details of the bill even after the draft is submitted, but will hold off on making the bill public until all details are settled.

The CBO will take roughly two weeks to evaluate the bill, and GOP senators hope for a full Senate vote on it before the July 4 recess.

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Amid talks that the AHCA is nearing completion, President Donald Trump will hold a lunch Tuesday to discuss the bill with thirteen Republican senators, according to The Hill.

The group includes legislators such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, who have critiqued the bill for not being conservative enough, and more moderate lawmakers such as Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who has sought to extend some of the ACA's Medicaid funding in the replacement legislation.

It was reported yesterday that senators would soon send a draft of the AHCA to the Congressional Budget Office for review and evaluation, but this draft would not be publicly released. Mr. Trump has repeatedly pressed the Senate to pass the bill before its July 4 recess.

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The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships took place or were announced the week of June 5.

1. Northwestern Medicine in talks to finalize partnership with Centegra Health System

Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine will likely finalize its partnership agreement with Crystal Lake, Ill.-based Centegra Health System by the end of the year.

2. White River Health System, University of Arkansas affiliate on research, telemedicine

Batesville, Ark.-based White River Health System partnered with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock to collaborate on research and clinical education initiatives.

3. Salem Health, OHSU renegotiating affiliation

Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and Salem (Ore.) Health executed a transition agreement while the organizations renegotiate their affiliation.

4. UCHealth, Yampa Valley Medical Center formalize integration

Yampa Valley Medical Center, a 39-bed acute care hospital in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and the eight-hospital University of Colorado Health system in Aurora finalized their integration agreement June 7.

5. MaineHealth plans to combine 10 affiliates

Portland-based MaineHealth revealed plans to integrate its affiliates under a single umbrella organization.

6. 3 healthcare organizations ink deal to develop Houston residential care complex

Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System, Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Vibra Healthcare and Medistar, also in Houston, declared plans to collaborate on a post-acute care facility.

7. Prowers Medical Center, Spanish Peaks Regional Health, 3 others partner to improve clinical services

Five Colorado hospitals teamed up to improve clinical care services for patients in the southeastern region of the state.

8. Billings Clinic finalizes affiliation with Central Montana Medical Center

Lewistown-based Central Montana Medical Center finalized an affiliation agreement with Billings (Mont.) Clinic after three years of negotiations.

9. Texas A&M, Houston Methodist collaborate to address acute care health outcomes

The Texas A&M School of Public Health in College Station will collaborate with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and the Center for Outcomes Research to improve health outcomes of patients in acute care settings.

10. LSU Health to deepen ties with VA medical center

LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor and Dean G. E. Ghali, MD, and Rep. Ralph Abraham, MD, R-La., met with top officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs June 6 to discuss how the university can improve veterans' healthcare access.

11. Tennessee county commissioner proposes selling Williamson Medical Center

A county commissioner in Tennessee floated the idea of selling Franklin, Tenn.-based Williamson Medical Center.

12. Shuttered Louisiana Heart Hospital sells for $22M

A Louisiana real estate company purchased the former Louisiana Medical Center and Heart Hospital in Lacombe for $22 million.

13. Jefferson Health, Main Line Health team up to purchase Pennsylvania surgical hospital

Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and Main Line Health in Bryn Mawr, Pa., teamed up to purchase a majority stake in Royersford, Pa.-based Physicians Care Surgical Hospital.

14. DuPage Medical Group adds 5 physicians with acquisition of Female Healthcare

Downers Grove, Ill.-based DuPage Medical Group, one of the largest multispecialty physician groups in Illinois, added five physicians through its recent acquisition of Female Healthcare in Bloomingdale, Ill.

15. Quorum Health to divest 2 Pennsylvania hospitals

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, the 35-hospital spinoff of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, signed a definitive agreement to sell two Pennsylvania hospitals to Williamsport, Pa.-based UPMC Susquehanna.

16. Olean General, Bradford Regional enter final steps of merger process

After initially integrating under the umbrella organization Upper Allegheny Health System, Olean (N.Y.) General Hospital and Bradford (Pa.) Regional Medical Center submitted a certificate of need application to officials in New York and Pennsylvania to formally merge.

17. Florida OKs Acadia Healthcare, University of Miami partnership to build psychiatric hospital

Florida officials approved a joint certificate of need application from Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., to build a $48.2 million psychiatric hospital.

18. Walgreens, Susan G. Komen Chicago partner on breast cancer screening initiative

Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens and other Chicago-based healthcare providers partnered with Susan G. Komen Chicago to reduce U.S. breast cancer deaths by 50 percent by 2026.
Williamson County commissioners will not pursue a proposal to create a task force to determine if selling Williamson Medical Center  a 185-bed facility in Franklin, Tenn.  is a feasible option to bring more money to the county, according to The Tennessean.

County Commissioner Gregg Lawrence submitted the proposal to the Williamson County Budget Committee June 5. The proposal called for the creation of a task force to determine if state law could be amended so that any potential funds received from the sale of a county-owned hospital may be used for other purposes.

During Monday's meeting, 16 commissioners voted against the proposal, while seven voted in favor of it.

Several citizens voiced their support of creating a task force during the meeting's public comment period. Others asked commissioners with ties to the medical center to abstain from voting on the resolution, though no commissioner did so.

While the county owns Williamson Medical Center's building and land, it does not receive tax revenue from the hospital's operations. The hospital's operations also do not rely on taxpayer funding.
From the U.S. Supreme Court exempting church-affiliated hospitals from federal pension law to a hospitalist group settling a billing fraud case for $4.2 million, here are the latest lawsuits and settlements making headlines.

1. Lawsuit claims Houston Methodist secretly taped patient calls

Eric Haufrect, MD, filed a lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital, alleging the hospital secretly recorded telephone conversations for as long as eight years without the consent of patients, nurses or physicians.

2. California hospital sues Alecto for $30M

Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, Calif., filed a lawsuit against Irvine, Calif.-based Alecto Healthcare Services, alleging Alecto engaged in "egregious malfeasance and/or outright fraud" in its management of Antelope Valley Hospital.

3. Physician pleads no contest to manslaughter of former colleague

A physician received a 32-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to four charges related to the shooting of a former colleague from New York City-based Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.

4. Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida asks US Supreme Court to take on medical records case

Jacksonville-based Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida wants the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case involving the privacy of medical records in malpractice lawsuits.

5. Kentucky physician sentenced to 4 years in prison for billing fraud, unlawful opioid prescribing

A district court judge sentenced a physician from Louisville, Ky., to 48 months in prison for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and healthcare fraud.

6. Concurrent surgeries at Mass General caught in crosshairs of new lawsuit

A whistle-blower suit recently filed against Massachusetts General Hospital claims orthopedic surgeons at the Boston-based hospital kept patients under anesthesia longer than necessary so they could complete two or three surgeries simultaneously.

7. Woman arrested for posing as employee at Indiana hospital

A woman was arrested for impersonating an employee of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, Ind.

8. Plastic surgeon imposter sentenced to 6 years in prison

A man who pretended to be a plastic surgeon and performed surgeries on multiple patients at a Denver medical clinic was sentenced to six years in prison.

9. Man faces federal charge after making bomb threat at Illinois hospital

A 57-year-old man was charged June 1 with felony disorderly conduct after making a bomb threat at Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill.

10. Dayton mayor files suit against physicians, drugmakers and drug distributers for role in Ohio opioid crisis

The mayor of Dayton, Ohio, filed a lawsuit against physicians, drug manufacturers and drug wholesalers for allegedly contributing to the city's ongoing opioid crisis.

11. Supreme Court exempts church-affiliated hospitals from federal pension law: 5 things to know

The U.S. Supreme Court held that church-affiliated hospitals do not have to comply with the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which governs employee pensions.

12. Hospitalist group settles billing fraud case for $4.2M

Fredericksburg (Va.) Hospitalist Group and 14 of its member physicians agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.

13. Kentucky ambulance service accused of billing fraud: 6 things to know

Arrow-Med Ambulance, an ambulance service in Jackson, Ky., allegedly submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

14. Privacy lawsuit against MDLive dismissed: 3 things to know

The lead plaintiff in a class-action privacy lawsuit filed against MDLive, a Sunrise, Fla.-based telehealth provider, voluntarily dismissed the suit June 2.

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Eric Haufrect, MD, has filed a lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital, alleging the hospital secretly recorded telephone conversations for as long as eight years without the consent of patients, nurses or physicians, according to the Houston Business Journal.

Dr. Haufrect, who has been with Houston Methodist since 1977, claims he complained to top hospital executives after a nurse told him about the secret recordings in October 2016. Dr. Haufrect alleges he was concerned the recordings of "confidential and privileged communications between patients and nurses that were intended for the ultimate use and consideration of physicians" were a violation of HIPAA or other privacy laws, according to the report.

Dr. Haufrect claims that less than two months after he raised concerns about the recordings, hospital officials retaliated against him by asking him to step down as vice chairman of the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Houston Methodist President and CEO Marc Boom, MD, told the Houston Business Journal there was no retaliation against Dr. Haufrect.

"Let me assure you that there was no campaign to impugn Dr. Haufrect, who lost his leadership position because he did not fulfill his duties," Dr. Boom said in an emailed statement to the Houston Business Journal.

Commenting on the alleged secret taping of phone calls, Dr. Broom said, "Recordings, which are legal under Texas law, are made on some appointment lines at Houston Methodist to improve patient service. However, after Dr. Haufrect raised this concern, an investigation was immediately conducted, and appropriate actions were taken."

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When President Donald Trump's special opioid commission issues its interim report in a few weeks, it will likely include a proposal for a workaround to federal patient privacy law in cases involving opioid overdoses, according to a report from nj.com.

Here are three things to know.

1. Following a speech Monday at Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center, Governor Chris Christie, R-N.J., told reporters at he's in talks with lawyers from the Department of Justice and HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, about possible changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, according to nj.com. Under HIPAA, physicians are not permitted to disclose whether a patient has experienced a drug overdose to the patient's parents or spouse.

2. In New Jersey alone, the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan has been deployed 25,000 times since 2014, the governor said. Mr. Christie believes loosening HIPAA would help individuals with substance use disorders seek treatment.

"There's gotta be a way that we can let parents and loved ones know when people have been reversed with Narcan," Mr. Christie said on Monday, according to the report. "Overdose is often a cry for help, whether it's intended to be that or not ... We've got to find a way around [HIPAA's restrictions]."

3. Arthur Caplan, PhD, director of the division of medical ethics at NYU Medical School in New York City, expressed concern over a potential HIPAA workaround. Dr. Kaplan  who favors protecting patient privacy  said it would be best to make disclosures to providers, rather than family members, as they are better equipped to usher the patient toward treatment, according to the report.

"I still believe it's important to leave the disclosure to the individual, but there may be a case to be made for doctors or public health authorities to be informed," Dr. Caplan told nj.com. "The moral basis on giving up on privacy is that you can provide an intervention. The goal here isn't who knows, it's who's going to help the patient."

More articles on opioids:

Opioid addiction treatment varies by state: 7 things to know

Heroin use costs US more than $50B, study suggests

NYC family physician arrested for prescribing 2.2M oxycodone pills
Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards signed three bills into law on Monday collectively aimed at curbing the rising rates of opioid overdoses in Louisiana, according to The Advocate.

House Bill 192 limits first time opioid prescriptions to seven days. House Bill 490 establishes a 13-member council on opioid abuse prevention and education. Senate Bill 55 is designed to limit physician shopping by requiring prescribers to check the state's prescription monitoring database prior to writing an opioid prescription.

From 2014 to 2015, Louisiana's rate of opioid overdoses increased by 12 percent, according to data from the state health department cited by The Advocate.

More articles on opioids:

Gov. Chris Christie in talks with HHS, DOJ to loosen HIPAA in cases of opioid overdose

Opioid addiction treatment varies by state: 7 things to know

NYC family physician arrested for prescribing 2.2M oxycodone pills
Medical interventions for opioid-related diagnosis vary by state, according to a new white paper released by Fair Health, a nonprofit provider of health industry cost information.

To assess the regional variations in opioid misuse and addiction treatment, Fair Health researchers analyzed data on privately billed health claims compiled in the nonprofit's database for patients from the country's five most populous cities  Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia  and their respective states, according to the report.

Here are seven things to know.

1. Philadelphia had the largest percentage of opioid-related claim lines of any city compared to its corresponding state.

2. In California, the most common claim procedure codes were for outpatient services and drug tests.

3. Illinois' most common codes included two office visit codes, which made up 41 percent of the distribution. Claims involving naltrexone, which is used to treat opioid dependence, represented 22 percent of the distribution and 71 percent of the expenditures. Group counseling and group psychotherapy rounded out the top five procedure codes for the state. None of these codes ranked among California's top five procedures.

4. New York State's top five procedure codes differed from both California and Illinois. The number one procedure code in New York was the administration of methadone.

5. All of Pennsylvania's top procedure codes consisted of laboratory tests, differing from California, New York and Illinois.

6. Like Pennsylvania, Texas only had laboratory tests in its top five procedures. Contrasting from all the other states, Texas' top five expenditures were all drug tests.

7. "[The variations may] reflect general attitudes, access to the health system and the services most readily available," said Robin Gelburd, president of Fair Health, according to a report from Kaiser Health News. In Texas and elsewhere, Ms. Gelburd said experts should determine whether the rate of drug testing is indicative of these tests "being done too frequently or not enough" and whether treatment for addiction is "focus[ed] too heavily on screening and detection or coupling that screening with intensive therapies."

More articles on opioids:

Heroin use costs US more than $50B, study suggests

NYC family physician arrested for prescribing 2.2M oxycodone pills

Maryland drug overdoses up 66% in 2016: 7 report findings
Drones were faster than ambulances in delivering an external defibrillator to the site of simulated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, according to a research letter published in JAMA.

The drones were 16 minutes faster than emergency medical services, the study found.

Swedish researchers built a drone equipped with defibrillators and tested how long it would take a drone to deliver the automatic external defibrillator compared to traditional emergency medical response teams in ambulances.

The drone was placed at a fire station near Stockholm and was dispatched in October to 18 locations in a 6.2 mile radius where out-of-hospital cardiac arrests had occurred between 2006 and 2014.

The drone's median time of arrival was 5 minutes and 21 seconds, while EMS' median time of arrival was 22 minutes.

"Saving 16 minutes is likely to be clinically important," the study authors wrote. "Nonetheless, further test flights, technological development and evaluation of integration with dispatch centers and aviation administrators are needed."
Shattuck, Okla.-based Newman Memorial Hospital reopened its surgical unit after closing it in May 2015 to cut costs, according to a Woodward News report.

At the time of the unit's closure, Newman Memorial also stopped accepting maternity patients, implemented an EHR system and required building repairs. Administrative Assistant Rhonda Hayes told Woodward News the financial pressures and ultimate closures were "a huge blow to the hospital. We lost OB, we lost cataract surgeries, it cut off that entire revenue stream."

However, in the last two years since the hospital affiliated with Oakbrook, Ill.-based People's Choice Hospitals  a firm that helps turn around financially distressed hospitals  the facility has begun reinstating services, the report states.

Newman Memorial will host an open house of the surgical unit June 15, according to the report.
The Iowa Insurance Division submitted a proposal to HHS under the ACA's 1332 wavier section seeking widespread change to its 2018 individual exchange Monday.

Following Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna's and Des Moines, Iowa-based Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield's exit from the 2018 exchange in April, 94 out of 99 counties in Iowa will have one insurer selling individual plans on the exchange. State officials assert extensive and quick change is the only means to "avoid a total collapse of Iowa's individual health insurance market."

Here are seven things to know about the proposal.

1. Dubbed the "Stopgap Measure," the proposal would eliminate Iowa's ACA exchange and provide federal assistance to eligible individuals buying health coverage off the exchange, The Washington Post reports.

2. Stopgap also would end the ACA's premium assistance and out-of-pocket cost subsidies and establish tax credits based on age and income.

3. Additionally, the proposal calls for a single level of insurance for individuals purchasing health plans on their own, rather than the ACA's tiered plan system.

4. To incentivize insurers to remain on the exchange, Iowa proposed revisions to its reinsurance program to provide 85 percent coinsurance protection for claims between $100,000 and $3 million.

5. Timothy Jost, an emeritus professor at Lexington, Va.-based Washington and Lee University School of Law, told The Washington Post the proposal would not be legal. He said the government may grant exceptions through a 1332 waiver, but the process entails specific data, public engagement and steps that are not feasible before the 2018 open enrollment begins in November.

6. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said he met with CMS Administrator Seema Verma last Wednesday to discuss the state's individual market, which he told The Washington Post "is collapsing, so the normal rules don't really fit the circumstance."

7. The proposal comes a week before Iowa's deadline for insurers to file 2018 ACA exchange participation plans.
In the wake of Anthem's exit from Ohio's 2018 marketplace, a move that will leave over 10,000 residents throughout 18 counties without insurance options, state lawmakers want solutions to provide people with affordable healthcare, according to Governing.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has enacted regulations that threaten to end the Medicaid contracts of any providers that exit the private marketplace, similar to slightly less drastic provisions enacted in Nevada stabilized the market and left five providers in the state.

However, state officials in Ohio instead are exploring requesting a federal Medicaid waiver that would help residents buy plans. Though if cost-sharing reductions from the ACA are eliminated in the AHCA, plans may still be too expensive.

"I think states are trying, but the answers are really at the federal level," says Sandy Ahn, an associate research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
As rural hospitals continue to close across the country, communities in need of healthcare services may turn to more cost-effective alternatives such as telemedicine, according to a report out of the College Station-based Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute.

The report  titled "What's next? Practical suggestions for rural communities facing a hospital closure" and sponsored by the Episcopal Health Foundation  examines rural hospital closures and alternative healthcare resources. The findings may prove particularly relevant for Texas A&M University's surrounding community, as more than 15 percent of all U.S. rural hospital closures since 2010 have occurred in Texas.

Researchers suggested community leaders facing an impending hospital closure ask residents where they access healthcare services. Leaders can use this information to inform how at-risk hospitals develop alternative, cost-effective modes of healthcare delivery, such as converting a former facility into a freestanding emergency room or engaging with mid-level providers and community health workers.

Another alternative to traditional hospital care is expanding telemedicine services, the report states. These services may provide patients with 24/7 access to primary, follow-up and specialty care.

"One of the reasons for closure is the limited range of service that has been/can be rendered by the small number of providers at a rural facility," according to the report. "If the providers in a community could address the needs of a wider range of patients, it is possible that a larger number of individuals would seek their care at that site."

Click here to view the full report.
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Two-thirds of company bosses in Northern Ireland are planning to recruit new "specialist" staff to deal with political risks such as Brexit.

The survey of chief executives here, by KPMG, has also found that 84% expect major disruption in their sector as a result of technological innovation.

Around 80% say political uncertainty is having a greater impact than previously seen.

The survey also shows that almost all chief executives see investment in cyber-security as "an opportunity to find new revenue streams and innovate, rather than as an overhead cost".

But just 20% that their firm was "fully prepared for a cyber event", with the remaining 80% claiming to be "somewhat prepared".

Johnny Hanna, who is head of tax at KPMG in Belfast, said: "Many Northern Ireland chief executives are frustrated that there is currently no coherent plan in relation to NI and Brexit.

"However, it is encouraging to note respondents' 'getting on with business' approach to current uncertainties, with many anticipating opportunities from Brexit as well as challenges," Mr Hanna added.
A not-for-profit brewery founded by a Belfast beer fanatic has struck a deal to supply one of the UK's biggest supermarket chains.

Brewgooder's Clean Water Lager will be stocked in Asda stores across Northern Ireland over the next few weeks.

The firm, which was founded by Belfast-born entrepreneur Alan Mahon (27) in March 2016 is the world's first craft beer brewery to donate 100% of its profits to clean water projects in developing countries.

Brewgooder's brew will hit more than 350 Asda stores across the UK, including 16 in Northern Ireland.

Already, the brand - which was founded just 14 months ago - has sold 250,000 cans and has helped bring clean drinking water to more than 4,000 people.

Alan grew up in Belfast but moved to Ballycastle aged 11, where he lived until he moved to Scotland for university.

However, he makes regular return visits to Northern Ireland to see his family, who now live in Mallusk.

"It's of huge personal significance that Brewgooder is now stocked in Asda in Northern Ireland," said Alan.

He struck a deal with Asda a few months ago to list the product in some British stores, but for Alan, his real excitement was to see the product stocked somewhere his mum could pick it up.

Since October 2016, when it was first listed in Scottish Asda stores, the Brewgooder brand has established itself as the front-running social enterprise beer brand, selling nearly 100,000 cans in stores in just six months.

Alan worked alongside Scottish craft beer firm Brewdog to create the right taste, but working with an established brewery also had other advantages, meaning production could be quickly ramped up to service large retailers.

As a result, Brewgooder has facilitated two wells in Malawi, including the Nora Docherty Well in Dedza, giving more than 5,000 people clean water. A further four wells are in the pipeline due to the increased listing. Alan added: "Seeing first-hand the impact our wells are having on communities was motivating and inspiring and it's thanks to support from Asda that we have truly been able to make a difference.

"Giving people the unique opportunity to enjoy a great product while at the same time helping others is a powerful combination, and by working closely with our customers and consumers we are helping to transform thousands of lives for generations to come."

Alan met co-founder Josh Littlejohn at a festival in Edinburgh and was amazed by his work founding Social Bite, a charity which employs homeless people to make sandwiches and reinvests its profits in helping homeless people.

Alan got involved in Social Bite, but an incident which left him sick after drinking dirty water when he was traveling in Nepal left him wanting to help make clean water available everywhere in the world.

"I had all the drugs and treatment to make me better. I realised that for me this is a risk I take when I'm traveling, but for 650 million people this is a chance they are taking every single day. Around 900 children die every day due to cholera, malaria and related illnesses."

Brewgooder's first project saw a 3,000 litre solar-powered water tank fitted at the Nora Docherty School in Malawi. The tank is replenished every four hours.

The second project saw a well fitted in Phirilongwe, an isolated village of almost 2,000 people.

Alan said: "My mum always told me to use my talents to help other people. I figured I could do that either in working for the government or working for a charity, so I put my eggs in one basket and applied for one job in the Department of International Development - I didn't get it. I grew up not really knowing what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do things for other people, so when I met Alan and came up with the idea for Brewgooder it seemed to really click for me.

"I decided to make a craft beer because it was something I really loved - if you can drink beer and at the same time help others to get clean drinking water, it makes sense to consumers."
Dunnes is set to close its Bangor store this weekend (stock picture)

Irish chain store Dunnes will close one of its branches for good on Saturday as the chain reduces its footprint in Northern Ireland, the Business Telegraph can reveal.

It's thought dozens of jobs will be lost as a result of the closure of the Flagship Centre store in Bangor.

Dunnes has closed a number of its other stores around Northern Ireland.

The family-run retailer shut its store in Connswater Shopping Centre in east Belfast in March 2015 and later the same year axed 50 jobs with the closure of its food hall in Park Centre, west Belfast.

Stores in Ballymoney, Antrim and Portadown also closed.

However, Dunnes has also recently revamped its Forestside store in south Belfast and is also extending its store at the Abbeycentre in Newtownabbey.

The closure at the Flagship Centre is another setback for the retail destination, which has struggled to attract new retailers for several years. The store had been an anchor tenant at Flagship.

Last year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed the struggling Co Down shopping centre had been sold twice in two months - including a deal involving former owner and KFC tycoon Michael Herbert.

When Manchester firm North Hold Group took over the centre around a year ago, it had only eight tenants - including then-anchor retailer Dunnes - out of a possible 30 units.

The deal was made just months after Stewart Millers, another major retailer occupying the centre, closed its store.

At the time, it was understood North Hold Group - a commercial property firm in Manchester specialising in retail and leisure schemes - had secured new tenants including an opticians, a gym and a jewellers.

Game Stop, Woodside's Department Store, Focus men's clothing shop, D2, Ethel Austin, Peacock's and Bon Marche were among those to leave.

And since then, several units in the centre have remained vacant.

Flagship Centre Ltd, the company owned by KFC tycoon Mr Herbert, bought the centre back from US vulture-fund Cerberus at the end of May last year.

The sums paid by Flagship Centre Ltd or North Hold Group have not been revealed, but the complex had an asking price of 1.5m when on sale through Osborne King.

Neither Dunnes nor The Flagship Centre were available for comment.

In its latest accounts, Dunnes Stores (Bangor) Ltd - Dunnes' trading company for its UK stores - reported turnover of 127.57m, down from 136.92m.

But pre-tax profits in the year ending January 20, 2016, were up from 11.2m to 13.2m.

A strategic report defines its principal activity as the "retailing of textiles, grocery and homeward goods," but described the retail industry as "highly competitive" with risks and uncertainties from the "current economic climate".
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Theresa May could be pressed to reduce air tax in Northern Ireland and provide additional cash for farmers, as part of talks with the DUP.

Party leader Arlene Foster will meet Ms May today, following a narrow General Election result last week, which left the Conservatives short of an overall majority, and requiring help from another party to get legislation passed.

Meanwhile, former Irish taoiseach John Bruton warned of the risk of clashes on the high seas in the wake of Brexit.

Mr Bruton said it is easy to imagine physical confrontations over fishing rights in the seas around the UK and Ireland. And he urged the DUP to get the Customs Union and jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice onto the Brexit negotiating agenda.

Mr Bruton said fishing rights are a highly emotional and symbolic issue.
Businesses have begun to hire fewer staff amid "uncertainty surrounding the general election", a new survey has claimed.

The run-up to the snap election "has driven employers in Northern Ireland to become more cautious about hiring", according to ManpowerGroup.

The outlook dropped three points during the last quarter - but is still up at 4%. However, it has now fallen below the UK average, with more firms elsewhere seeking to hire additional staff.

Amanda White, head of specialist markets at Manpower, said: "The political uncertainty we have seen across the UK in the past few months is even more pronounced in Northern Ireland due to questions about what happens about the border after Brexit.

"As a result, we're witnessing an especially cautious market here, most notably within the public sector and the supply chains that feed into the sector.

"Often, during times of caution, we see a switch from permanent to temporary hiring, but right now even temporary opportunities remain static on the whole."

But she said that despite the fall in optimism this quarter "we are still in positive territory and there are some sectors that continue to demonstrate hiring optimism".

"The region's 1bn hospitality sector remains buoyant, and we have not seen any slowdown in the ongoing need for restaurant and hotel workers.

"Some commentators have expressed concerns about the long term health of the hospitality sector if a border was reinstated between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but so far employers in the sector remain confident."
US doughnut giant Krispy Kreme looks set to open up its first store in Northern Ireland.

The well-known coffee and doughnut brand is now seeking staff here, including a shift leader and 'team member' role.

And while it hasn't revealed the location, it's advertising the new posts for the North Down area.

A spokeswoman said: "We are currently actively scouting a number of locations to open our first Irish store.

"Although nothing is confirmed at this stage, were very excited to spread the joy of Krispy Kreme across the Irish sea in the near future - so watch this space."

It's the latest US chain to eye up Northern Ireland.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, the fastest growing restaurant business in the US, arrived at Victoria Square in Belfast at the end of 2015.
Mobile roaming charges across the EU are to finally end this week amid warnings for consumers to check their tariffs and remain aware of unexpected costs.

The charges will be abolished from Thursday, meaning UK mobile phone users can use their regular allowance of calls, texts and data for no extra cost from anywhere in the EU.

The Roam Like Home legislation aims to prevent consumers receiving huge bills after downloading films or other data while travelling in Europe, but watchdog Which? has warned that differences between providers when it comes to the details of tariffs could lead to unexpected costs for customers.

So-called 'bill shock' from holidaying in the EU affected more than nine million UK mobile users a year, according to research by comparison website uSwitch, with consumers especially vulnerable since the smartphone market exploded and mobile data consumption soared.

UK consumers will benefit from the agreement while the country remains a member of the EU, but there is uncertainty as to whether or not it will continue following Brexit.

Which? warned consumers to remember that, even though the UK is still part of the EU, the regulations only apply to roaming, not to calling EU countries from the UK and prices vary significantly.

It found calling Spain from the UK can cost between 9p with provider Giffgaff to 1.50 per minute on O2.

Exceeding agreed minutes, texts and data will still be charged in the EU as it would in the UK, with all providers charging different rates.

And companies include different countries in their roaming territories, which can vary further depending on whether the tariff is pay as you go or pay monthly, with O2 pay as you go customers continuing to incur roaming charges in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Monaco and Switzerland, whereas O2 pay monthly customers will not.

Which? urged consumers to check if their provider is including Turkey in the ban, finding that Vodafone is the only one to include the popular non-EU tourist destination in its roaming bundle, while others are charging between 69p and 1.65 a minute to call home.

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services, urged users "to take a close look at what is or isn't included in your current mobile deal".

European Commissioner Gunther Oettinger has said the agreement showed the EU could deliver tangible results to improve the daily life of Europeans.
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Margaret Canning Opinion Conservatives have gone back to traditional territory with a mini-budget that just might cost the party the next election

Many of the measures in Kwasi Kwartengs first big statement as Chancellor had been trailed in advance  changes to stamp duty, the cancellation of both the rise in National Insurance and the rise in corporation tax, and bringing forward a cut in the basic rate of income tax to 19 pence.
More serious allegations of vote stealing, fraud and impersonation have emerged in Londonderry, just five days after Sinn Fein's historic general election win in the SDLP stronghold of Foyle.

Police say they are investigating a number of reports of electoral fraud and the SDLP's Mark H Durkan is set to meet with the electoral office this morning.

He is set to show them evidence of "vote stealing" he alleges occurred in the Foyle area in the run-up to and during Thursday's vote in which Sinn Fein won the seat held by the SDLP since its creation for the 1983 general election.

"This is deeply troubling," Mr Durkan told the Belfast Telegraph.

"Prior to the election the SDLP expressed similar concerns to the electoral office and to the PSNI.

"I am meeting with the chief executive of the electoral office to present evidence of constituents who have contacted me about their votes being stolen and other incidents of a breach of the electoral rules."

On Thursday night, Sinn Fein's Elisha McCallion snatched the seat held by former SDLP leaders Mark Durkan and John Hume to become the first Sinn Fein MP in the city for almost a century and the first female MP in Foyle.

Mrs McCallion secured 18,256 votes to beat Mr Durkan's tally by just 169 votes.

However, the monumental victory has been overshadowed by claims of irregularities at polling stations and numerous complaints by furious members of the public over alleged fraud, impersonation and vote stealing.

Several people have lodged complaints with the electoral office after they attended their assigned polling stations in the city, only to be told that their vote had already been cast.

Expand Close Patsy Doherty from Derry, who discovered his vote had already been used / Facebook

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Whatsapp Patsy Doherty from Derry, who discovered his vote had already been used

Michael McLaughlin (43), who was due to vote at Good Shepherd Primary School in the city, said it was "fraud - pure and simple".

"I went down on Thursday night to vote and they told me my vote had already been used," he said.

"I said it couldn't have been used as I hadn't been down.

"I said that it was electoral fraud. Staff were explaining to me that sometimes some people get their vote stolen.

"I was livid. They asked me to fill in a pink slip, a draft vote, which I told them made a mockery of the whole system. It was fraud, pure and simple."

Catherine Quigley (38) said she arrived to vote at Holy Family School in Derry and was told that her vote had been cast earlier in the day.

She was told that another person claiming to be Catherine Quigley showed ID, gave her address and voted for her.

"I was really shocked to think someone has posed as me," she said.

"I asked the lady behind the desk if there was another Catherine Quigley on the list, that perhaps there was an error at the station, that they maybe crossed me off instead of her. She was confident that the error was not with them.

"I think the electoral office should definitely review their policies. They should demand ID with dates of birth or something unique to the individual included to stop this.

"I want answers from the electoral office about how my vote was lost. I am absolutely furious."

Catherine was also given a pink voting form to fill in and place in the box, which she was told would not count in the election, and sent a letter of complaint to the electoral office, to which she is still awaiting a reply.

Patsy Doherty (68) said that he was shocked to hear that his vote had also been cast before he arrived at Lenamore Primary School polling station on Thursday afternoon. "The man behind the desk said that he was sorry, but I had already used my vote," Patsy said. "I told him I hadn't voted, but I was here now to do it.

"I was so angry, I told him that I wanted my vote. He gave me a pink slip to vote on, but I knew that it was only to keep me happy, that it didn't really count.

"But I filled it in and put it in the box anyway. I am so annoyed. I want to know who stole my vote."

Damien Doherty says that he was turned away from his polling station by staff who told him he had already voted and when he returned, embarrassed, to his car a woman told him that the same thing happened to her father earlier in the day.

"I don't really vote that often," he said.

"But I wanted to this time. The girl at the desk said that my name was already struck off the list.

"The lady said she didn't know what had happened, but it appeared that I had already voted.

"It was embarrassing.

"The girl said that I could vote on a pink slip, but that it wouldn't count.

"There was no point, I just went on out to my car.

"Then a lady knocked on my window and said that the same thing happened to her father earlier that morning when he came down to vote, his vote had been cast already. So I wasn't the only one this happened to."

On the day of the election, former Foyle MLA Eamonn McCann sent a letter of complaint to the electoral office, seeking an urgent meeting with bosses over claims of "malpractice" he claims to have witnessed at polling stations.

A PSNI spokesperson said that they are investigating a small number of reports of electoral fraud, following a referral from the electoral office, and that enquiries are ongoing.

Chief Superintendent Karen Baxter said: "We work closely with the electoral office and where information becomes available in relation to criminal activity, we take action."

Anyone with concerns about electoral fraud should contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. The electoral office could not be contacted for comment about the allegations.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

The DUP has insisted Sinn Fein must decide whether it wants Stormont to return - or face direct rule from Westminster.

DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill held their first meeting yesterday since before the seven-week general election campaign.

The meeting came as it emerged that the Queen's Speech - which is likely to contain more detail about any deal between the Conservatives and the DUP - has been delayed by up to a week.

Amid ongoing speculation, DUP MP Gregory Campbell hinted that his party's demands on the Government could include job creation in the province.

"Government doesn't create jobs, but it creates the conditions which allow employers to grow. Our manifesto set out a roadmap for improving economic conditions and I want to deliver on that," the re-elected East Londonderry MP said.

"I don't want any more of our young people leaving our shores in search of work.

"Growing our private sector will ultimately reduce our dependence on the Block Grant and give us more money to invest in public services."

Sinn Fein has been critical of the proposed DUP-Conservative alliance, saying it could scupper the talks because Theresa May's party would be beholden to the unionists and unable to chair negotiations from a neutral position.

But Mrs Foster insisted she could see no reason why the deal talks with the Tories, which will see her in London today, would put the restoration of a Stormont Executive in greater jeopardy.

She added: "If others decide they are not coming back into the devolved administration here in Northern Ireland then those issues will have to be dealt with at Westminster.

"It is really for Sinn Fein to decide where they want those powers to lie."

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds also challenged Sinn Fein to rule out taking a role in the Irish government, should the opportunity arise.

He said the Irish people would be "very, very interested" to know whether Sinn Fein would rule themselves out of government on the basis it would breach the Good Friday Agreement "because if that's what they say about us, it applies to them equally".

Mrs Foster added: "Parliamentarians would like to play as full a role as they possibly can in our national parliament, just as some in Sinn Fein would like to play a role in the Irish parliament."

But Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill said the Irish government and the new taoiseach must "resolutely defend the Good Friday Agreement in the context of the emerging Tory-DUP alliance".

Ahead of new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar taking up office tomorrow, she added: "The Irish government should now insist on a joint commitment from both governments to the Good Friday Agreement and the international treaty which underpins it.

"This should be the immediate priority of the incoming taoiseach."
A Catholic priest has said he welcomes the DUP's imminent role at the heart of Westminster - as the party shares some of the moral values of his church.

And Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith - a doctor of moral theology and consulting editor of The Catholic Herald - said that former party leader Ian Paisley was now "laughing in heaven" at the fact that the DUP was keeping republican sympathiser Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street.

Separately, anti-abortion campaigners have launched a petition calling on Theresa May to condemn attacks on DUP MPs for opposing abortion and same-sex marriage.

Writing in The Catholic Herald, Fr Lucie-Smith wrote that DUP leader Arlene Foster "represents a new type of politician in Northern Ireland, and a new type of unionism".

While he noted how original DUP leader Rev Paisley - later Lord Bannside - "became something of a national treasure" in his old age, he recognised that "there are many who grew up in the province who remember him as someone who contributed greatly to the atmosphere of sectarian hatred, which made the lives of many Catholics a misery".

Fr Lucie-Smith - the parish priest at St Hugh's Church in Knaphill in Surrey - suggested Mrs Foster represented a post-Paisley unionism.

The Catholic commentator observed that Mrs Foster "as a woman, is not able to join the Orange Order, and who has a track record of making gestures that show she is not sectarian".

"As chief executive of the Stormont government she indicated she would meet the Pope, should he visit in his capacity as head of state. She attended Martin McGuinness's funeral, which was a Requiem Mass," he wrote.

He said that while Mrs Foster had her political problems, the DUP and Catholic Church shared some common beliefs.

"Catholics can welcome the advent of the DUP into government for the very same reasons that certain other people will regard it with horror: the DUP is the only party in the United Kingdom that is against abortion and which is opposed to same-sex marriage, and the extension of either to Northern Ireland," Fr Lucie-Smith wrote.

"DUP MPs have a consistent pro-life record in the British parliament, and have had for years. This is one matter on which they have agreed with Catholics for a long time."

The priest added that Ian Paisley once "was a thorn in the side of 'that Jezebel' Mrs Thatcher".

"Now his party will be propping up her successors," he wrote.

"Once Jeremy Corbyn associated with the as-yet uncommitted to peace members of Sinn Fein.

"Now Sinn Fein's opponents in Northern Ireland will be keeping Jeremy Corbyn away from the levers of power in Westminster.

"Paisley, who, as I remarked earlier, had a sense of humour, would have relished that. Perhaps he is laughing in heaven. Mrs Foster and her colleagues will certainly be laughing at the thought of the political leverage they will now enjoy."

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has been urged to speak out against criticism of the DUP.

A hard-hitting petition has been launched by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC).

It states: "We the undersigned call upon the Prime Minister to reject the anti-Christian bigotry of the vicious attacks on Northern Ireland's MPs.

"The hostility directed at Northern Ireland MPs is an attempt to silence anyone in public life who seeks to defend marriage based on Christian principles and the right to life of unborn babies.

"The United Kingdom is founded on Christian principles and those who uphold Christian values are not extremists. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, it is your responsibility to ensure that anti-Christian prejudice has no place in British politics."

Liam Gibson, SPUC's NI development officer, said: "The DUP is solidly pro-life and has consistently voted to defend all human life, not only in Northern Ireland, but at Westminster and in Europe as well.

"They have also defended marriage as the lifelong union of a man and a woman. This position reflects the views of the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland as well as a solid block of opinion in Britain."
He is banned Portrush and has a 7pm-7am curfew.

A man who is accused of stealing a charity box from a shop called Blue Moon in Portrush has been banned from entering the seaside resort as part of bail conditions.

David Leighton (24), of Eglinton Street in the town is alleged to have also stolen jewellery from the shop on Saturday June 10.

On the same date he is also accused of the burglary of properties at Coastguard Cottages in Portrush and stealing two mobile phones and fishing equipment.

He is also charged with burglary of another property at Coastguard Cottages with intent to steal.

He is further charged with stealing a paint sprayer from a communal washroom at Coastguard Cottages.

Leighton had his right arm bandaged when he appeared in the dock at Coleraine Magistrates Court where a police officer said she believed she could connect him to the charges.

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey asked the court to release his client on bail which was agreed by District Judge Peter King.

Leighton will reside at Larrybane Park, Ballintoy, and is banned from Portrush and has a 7pm-7am curfew.

He will be electronically tagged and is not to take alcohol, illegal drugs or 'legal highs'.

He was released on his own bail of 500 and the case adjourned until July 10.
It comes as a new round of talks got underway at Stormont on Monday aimed at forming a new Executive.

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry has said there will be no all-party roundtable Stormont talks until Thursday at the earliest - leaving just a fortnight to complete a deal.

It comes as a new round of talks got underway at Stormont on Monday aimed at forming a new Executive. The deadline for an agreement to be reached is June 29.

It was the first meeting held with DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill since before the seven-week general election campaign.

Mrs Foster travelled to London on Tuesday where she will meet with Prime Minister Theresa May for talks on the terms of the DUP's backing for her minority government.

No round-table talks at Stormont envisaged until Thursday, according to Alliance - leaving just a fortnight to complete a deal.  Noel McAdam (@NoelMcAdam) June 13, 2017

Sinn Fein's seven MPs have also travelled to London for a two-day series of meetings.

Exchanges at Stormont Castle on Tuesday are expected to be limited discussions between party officials.

Read More

Mr Farry said the lack of all-party roundtable talks doesnt inspire confidence in the ongoing process and said there remains "no impetus to this process".

He said: "This has been branded an intensive three-week process. However, no roundtable between the parties until Thursday at least means the first week will have effectively passed by without meaningful discussions between the parties at the same table.

Alliance has met with the two Governments and also asked each of the main parties to meet as well. While separate bilateral meetings are useful, its not until you get an all-party meeting around the same table that you get a true sense of everyones intentions.

I understand there is a new UK Government and changes in the Government in the Republic but there remains no impetus to this process, which doesnt inspire confidence. We need people to step up to the plate and do so without delay. The consequences of not doing so are too severe.

BACKGROUND

Northern Ireland has been without a powersharing executive since March and without a first and deputy first minister since January.

Developments at Westminster have placed another question mark over the already faltering process.

Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance insist Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire can no longer chair the efforts to restore powersharing.

They are adamant the UK government can no longer cast itself as a neutral facilitator in the process, given the Prime Minister's likely deal with the DUP.

The dispute has prompted renewed calls for a chairman from outside the UK and Ireland to be appointed.

Mr Brokenshire has rejected the criticism, claiming Westminster affairs were "entirely separate" from the Government's responsibility to act with impartiality at Stormont.

A number of deadlines to reach an agreement have already fallen by the wayside since March's snap Assembly poll, which was triggered by the implosion of the last DUP/Sinn Fein-led administration over a dispute about a botched green energy scheme.

The Assembly election campaign exposed many divisions between the two main parties on issues such as legislative protections for Irish language speakers and how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
Richard Brown, brother of Marian Brown leaves her inquest yesterday along with other family members and their solicitor (second left)

Northern Ireland's former state pathologist carried out at least one autopsy on someone shot dead every single day of 1972.

Professor Thomas Marshall appeared as an expert witness before a new inquest into the fatal shooting of a pregnant teenager in west Belfast on a June 10, 1972.

Marian Brown (17) was struck by a number of bullets on Roden Street just after midnight as she kissed her boyfriend good night.

A new inquest into her death is seeking to discover whether she shot was by soldiers or paramilitaries as well as establishing other facts around the shooting.

Painting a picture of Northern Ireland in 1972, Professor Marshall said there had been 310 deaths by shooting that year.

"In 1972 we were performing autopsies on deaths by shooting almost once a day, we would get them in groups, three, one, two, four," he told the inquest on Tuesday morning.

Professor Marshall carried out the autopsy on Marian Brown on June 11, 1972 at his former base in Laganbank Road in Belfast,

He described that facility as "rather primitive", describing it as consisting of just three rooms in a stone building with no room for X-ray facilities.

Professor Marshall's original autopsy report described the clothes Marian had been wearing on the night she died as a black and yellow dress with black tights and beige shoes. Her clothes had been left covered in bullet holes.

He recorded she had been struck by three or four bullets. The fatal wound is recorded as being to her neck. She also had wounds to her arms and right knee.

Professor Marshall added the commentary to the autopsy reports that he felt it was more likely that she had been shot by a Thompson submachine gun than an SLR rifle.

The inquest previously heard that soldiers at that time used SLR rifles.

However Professor Marshall said he had changed his view in the last two years after receiving information that was new to him, that there had been a lot of bullets and fragments of bullets ricocheting at the scene where Marian had been shot

A number of other expert witnesses are expected to give evidence to the inquest on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, including HET pathologist Dr John Clark as well as pathologists Dr Nat Carey and Dr Russell Delaney.

Soldier H is also scheduled to give evidence by video link on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the objectives of the fresh inquest sitting at Belfast Coroners Court is to ascertain who shot Marian.

Her family initially believed she had been killed by loyalists, there were also rumours she was shot by the IRA but on Monday the first day of the inquest heard a fragment of a bullet retrieved from one of the three others shot on the same night was similar to the type of bullet used by soldiers in Belfast at that time.

Marian's family has attended every day of the inquest so far.

The previous inquest in 1974 at Crumlin Road court house lasted just a few hours and recorded an open verdict.

A new inquest into Marian's death was ordered by Attorney General John Larkin following a re-examination of the case by the Historical Enquiries Team, which included a review of ballistics and forensic evidence.
Police have confirmed they are investigating allegations of vote theft in Foyle, days after Sinn Fein dramatically snatched the seat from the SDLP, and Colum Eastwood's party is set to raise concerns about a second constituency.

Mark Durkan lost his Foyle seat to former city lord mayor Elisha McCallion by 175 votes, and SDLP veteran Margaret Ritchie was defeated in South Down by Sinn Fein's Chris Hazzard by 2,446 votes.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan is due to meet the Electoral Office on Tuesday in a bid to determine how widespread the potential electoral fraud was during last week's General Election.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said officers are investigating "a small number of reports of electoral fraud, following referral from the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland".

Chief Superintendent Karen Baxter said: "We work closely with the Electoral Office and where information becomes available in relation to criminal activity, we take action."

Police have asked anyone with concerns about electoral fraud to contact the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland.

Mark H Durkan claimed that on polling day and in the days following he and a number of others were contacted by people who said that when they went to vote they were told they had already voted.

He said: "It's difficult to gauge how widespread it may be. Part of my meeting with the Electoral Office is to try and establish how many people this did happen to.

"It is vitally important to all parties that we have an electoral system that people can have faith and confidence in.

"We need to know what steps are going to be taken to eradicate these type of incidents in the future."

In South Down, SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said he had been made aware of "at least a dozen" similar incidents.

"We can't say at this stage if votes had been stolen or anything like that but it is very strange," he said.

"We need to find out how many times this happened and I will be meeting with the Electoral Office to try and determine exactly what happened."

Nobody from the Electoral Office was available to comment.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Arlene Foster has said that a deal between the DUP and the Conservatives offers a "tremendous opportunity" - not just for her party but for the whole of Northern Ireland.

The DUP leader flew to London last night where she will today hold negotiations with Theresa May at Downing Street about keeping a Tory government in power.

Speaking alongside her party's deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, Mrs Foster pledged to use her newly-acquired influence wisely and she defended the DUP's role as kingmakers at Westminster.

"Parliamentarians would like to play as full a role as they possibly can in our national parliament, just as some in Sinn Fein would like to play a role in the Irish parliament," she said.

"I think this is a tremendous opportunity not just for this party but for Northern Ireland in terms of the nation, and we're looking forward to playing our part in that."

Mrs Foster's meeting with the Prime Minister comes as Mrs May desperately attempted to shore up her weak position within her party yesterday.

Appearing before her party's backbench MPs for the first time since the results, she accepted the blame for the Tories election disaster.

Members of the 1922 Committee banged tables and cheered as she arrived.

"I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who will get us out of it," she said as she vowed to remain as party leader for "as long as you want me".

Tory MPs said that Mrs May had spoken well with a "contrite and genuine" response which made an imminent challenge to her leadership less likely.

With talks between the Tories and the DUP expected to continue over coming days, it emerged last night that the Queen's Speech, which is due to take place next Monday, may have to be delayed.

The DUP may insist on several Tory manifesto pledges being watered down or axed completely.

First Secretary of State Damian Green said he couldn't "confirm anything" when asked if the Queen's Speech was still on the cards.

"We know those talks (with the DUP) are going well and also we know that, at this very important time, we want to produce a substantial Queen's Speech," he said.

The Queen may have to miss part of Royal Ascot - one of her favourite annual events - if her speech is delayed.

Meanwhile, Mrs Foster told Sinn Fein leaders that if they were concerned about her party's enhanced influence at Westminster, they should move to restore devolution at Stormont.

"If others decide that they are not coming back into the devolved administration here in Northern Ireland then those issues will have to be dealt with at Westminster," she said.

"It is really for Sinn Fein to decide where they want those powers to lie."

Her remarks came after Sinn Fein and other parties insisted that Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire could not chair the discussions to restore power-sharing.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood warned that the future of Northern Ireland must not be left "in the hands of a Tory-DUP government".

The Foyle MLA added: "If James Brokenshire thinks for one second he can be an independent chair of these talks, he is absolutely wrong.

"This talks process needs an independent chairman to get things done."

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams also insisted that Mr Brokenshire was "not an acceptable chair".

He predicted that any future Tory-DUP government would be a "coalition for chaos".

Mr Adams said: "I would hardly call that sort of arrangement stable.

"We don't believe that any deal with the DUP and English Tories will be good for the people here.

"Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here, or the Good Friday and other agreements, is one which has to be opposed by progressives."

However, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds raised the question of whether Sinn Fein was now ruling itself out of any future coalition government in the Republic because it would be "a breach of the Good Friday Agreement".

Mr Dodds added: "If that's what they say about us, then it applies to them equally."

Mr Brokenshire said that the Government remained "four square" behind the Good Friday Agreement and again warned that the June 29 deadline was "final and immovable", with direct rule on the cards if a deal wasn't reached.
Grassroots SDLP members in Mid Ulster are to discuss merging with Fianna Fail in the Republic after the Northern Irish party lost all three of its seats in the General Election.

The SDLP now faces hard questions about its future and over how to win back voters after it was wiped out at Westminster.

Tomorrow night, the SDLP's Mid Ulster constituency council will hold a post-election debriefing in Maghera.

Among the items up for discussion is joining forces with Fianna Fail, the Republic's main opposition party.

The SDLP and Fianna Fail have had an informal association in the past, with the parties' members helping each other canvass at elections.

Martin Kearney, an SDLP councillor in Mid Ulster, said the Fianna Fail question had not been officially added to the meeting's agenda but would be discussed.

"These are normal discussions which happen after every election," he said.

"This is something every party will be doing.

"We've a great variety of old members and the young SDLP branch in Maghera is very active.

"We want to listen to them, there's been such a lot of change."

Asked if he personally supported a merger with Fianna Fail, he said: "All options are on the table.

"There have been many times this has been discussed before, this is not something new."

Despite the SDLP's performance in the General Election last week, Mr Kearney said the mood among colleagues was one of reflection rather than despair.

"It's easy to turn your head and take the hump over these things," he said.

"But there will soon be council elections and the possibility of another Assembly election so it's a good time to re-evaluate. It's a meeting we're all looking forward to."

South Belfast SDLP MLA Claire Hanna has already said there is no need to join with Fianna Fail.

"I don't see what that solves, it doesn't appeal to me," she said on the BBC Stephen Nolan show last Friday, hours after the election results were announced.

Fianna Fail have long talked about expanding into Northern Ireland, although the plans were put on ice after a poor election in 2011.

In September, the party leader Micheal Martin said he saw the 2019 council elections as a realistic target.

He added that his party was already registered in Northern Ireland.

"I think work needs to be done before I make any declarations in that regard. We're looking to contest the 2019 local elections. That remains a target," he said at the time.

Mr Martin also disclosed Fianna Fail was planning to spend at least a year preparing a document of what a united Ireland might look like.

Among the issues to be addressed would be keeping two parliaments in Ireland and merging the health and education systems.

"The SDLP say they believe in that, so do Sinn Fein. So it's not the only idea that Dublin rules Ireland," he said.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Former prime minister John Major, who was one of the architects of the peace process in Northern Ireland, has expressed his concern about the DUP government deal.

Sir John Major was speaking on BBC Radio 4's programme The World At One as the DUP's Arlene Foster arrived at Downing Street for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May on a deal to prop up a Tory minority government.

The Prime Minister will be desperate to get agreement from the DUP to back her legislative programme in the House of Commons or risk her government falling.

Sir John said he was "dubious and wary" about the potential deal and said that peace process must be protected.

He highlighted the danger that the UK government will not be seen as "impartial" if it is "locked into a parliamentary deal" with one of Northern Ireland's parties.

He said: "The peace process is fragile. People shouldn't regard it as a given, it isn't certain, it is under stress, it is fragile.

"And although I don't expect it suddenly to collapse - we have to take care with it and that everything we do does not exaggerate the underlying differences that are still there in the Northern Ireland community."

Sir John said Mrs May had his support and that he wanted her to succeed and stay as Prime Minister but that governing without the DUP was an option "well worth considering" as his "main concern" was the peace process.

He said: "A fundamental part of that peace process is that the UK government needs to be impartial between all the competing interests in Northern Ireland.

"The danger is that however much any government tries they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal at Westminster with one of the Northern Ireland parties.

"You never know in what unpredictable way events will turn out and we cannot know if that impartiality will be crucial at some stage in the future.

"It is very important there is an honest broker and the only one can be the UK government,

"If they cease to be seen as such, one can't be quite certain how events will unwind and that worries me a great deal."

Sir John said from the outset he sees difficulties in Northern Ireland getting the Executive back together and for issues arising during Brexit negotiations.

He added that the deal could "create friction" across the rest of the UK which "could cost votes for the Conservative party".

He said: "The reintroduction of anything that resembles a hard border will be catastrophic for the peace process and for relations between Northern Ireland and the South.

"You have to be wary of what could happen and cautious of what you do.

"With the peace process we need be prepared for the unexpected, we need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst."

He said his fear was that if one community is "aggrieved" that that would allow the "hard men lurking in the background to emerge again".

Sir John said: "The last thing anyone wishes to see is one or other communities to feel so aggrieved that the hard men who are still there lurking in the corner of the communities, decide they wish to return to some form of violence.

"We need to do everything we conceivably can to make sure that doesn't happen. And that does require an impartial UK government and that is my first but not only concern.

Sir John said governing without the DUP is an "option well worth considering".

He added: "I think that is an option that is well worth considering that doesn't carry the baggage with it for the future - that a deal with the DUP undoubtedly would carry."
Sir John Major has said he is "concerned" about the impact a deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Conservatives could have on the Northern Ireland peace process, and warned that "hard men" were still "lurking in the corners of communities".

The former prime minister, who began work engaging with the IRA to end the Northern Ireland conflict, said the peace process was still "fragile" and cautioned an agreement could mean the Government will no longer be seen as impartial.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme that he was "wary" and "dubious" about a deal "both for peace process reasons but also for others reasons as well", and said that events in Northern Ireland tended not to unwind as expected.

Sir John said: "W e need to be prepared for the unexpected, we need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

"The last thing anybody wishes to see is one or other of the communities so aggrieved that the hard men, who are still there lurking in the corners of the communities, decide that they wish to return to some form of violence.

"We really need to do everything we conceivably can to make sure that that doesn't happen, and that does require an impartial UK government."

He said that while he did not expect the peace process to "collapse" suddenly, he cautioned: " I think we have to take care with it and take care that everything we do does not exaggerate the underlying differences that still are there in the Northern Ireland community."

Sir John said he wanted Theresa May to "succeed" and "stay" as Prime Minister, and that he understood and sympathised with her wanting to "shore up her parliamentary position" but said his "main concern" was the peace process.

"A fundamental part of that peace process is that the UK government needs to be impartial between all the competing interests in Northern Ireland."

He added: "The danger is that however much any government tries they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal at Westminster with one of the Northern Ireland parties, and you never know in what unpredictable way events will turn out, and we cannot know if that impartiality is going to be crucial at some stage in the future."

Sir John said it was "very important" that there was an "honest broker", stating that the "only honest broker can be the UK government".

"The question arises, if they cease to be seen as such by part of the community in Northern Ireland, then one can't be quite certain how events will unwind and that worries me a great deal about the peace process."

He said he could see problems "getting the Northern Ireland executive together", and expressed concerns over "the reintroduction of anything that remotely resembled a hard border", saying such a move would be "catastrophic" for the peace process and the relationship between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

"I simply think you need to be very wary of what could happen and therefore be very cautious about what you do, so that does concern me quite apart from my other concerns about an agreement with the DUP."
A crowdfunding campaign launched to repatriate the body of a Syrian refugee who was murdered in Belfast has raised more than 3,000 in just a week.

Hazem Ahmed Ghreir, who was in his 30s, was stabbed in the Downshire Place area of Belfast last Sunday, June 4, and died in the Royal Victoria Hospital.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder and remanded in custody.

With Hazem's parents and extended family living as refugees in Turkey, a crowdfunding appeal was launched last week to raise 6,000 to send Hazem's body for burial in a town on the Turkish/Syrian border.

Last night 3,030 had been raised in just seven days.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Dr Romana Khaoury, who has undertaken voluntary work with support groups for refugees in Northern Ireland.

"I didn't know Hazem personally, but a mutual friend told me the family were devastated and they wanted to take the body to Turkey," she revealed.

"I asked how I could help and then set up the fundraising campaign, and the family are supportive of it.

"I work for the Department for Communities and as part of that we interviewed the first wave of Syrian refugees to come through a welcome centre and settle in Belfast.

"They were lovely people and now I wonder if Hazem was among them. When something happens in such close proximity and you actually meet members of that community you realise that that's somebody's son who has escaped a terrible situation. It's so unfortunate and heart-wrenching that such a terrible thing could happen."

She added: "We are aiming to raise 6,000 to get his body to where his parents are and we have had a good response since we started last Monday."

Language teacher Rym Akhonzada, who is acting as a go-between for Romana and Hazem's family, said that Hazem had come to Belfast with his brother two-and-a-half years ago and was studying English.

"He had a bright future in front of him and so much to give back to Belfast and Northern Ireland," she stated.

l To donate search for Hazem Ahmed Ghreir's page created by Ro Mie on www.justgiving.com
The defendant broke down in tears several times during the hearing

The director of a Northern Ireland haulage company who committed VAT fraud has been given a suspended prison sentence at Dungannon Crown Court.

Janet Lyons (48) of Crevenagh Road, Omagh pleaded guilty to committing the offence between September 2012 and January 2014. The total loss to HMRC was 184,185.

The court heard Lyons took over directorship of the company  Lyons Haulage Limited - in 2012. Her husband had previously held the position but he was disqualified as a director in 2008 for a period of eight years.

Lyons had previously been the company secretary and had very limited involvement in the business. On becoming director she continued to have no involvement in the daily running and her husband remained the boss.

Although she covered a period of maternity leave in the office, Lyons had no role in filing VAT returns, as this was carried out by another person.

Concerns were raised when VAT returns were submitted suggesting there was no business in or out of the company.

This occurred despite customers continuing to be charged 20% VAT on invoices.

A prosecuting barrister, who described the matter as neglect rather than deliberate said overall 380,000 in unpaid VAT is owned by the company, of which 184,185 relates to Lyons term as director.

Defence counsel said his client is attempting to gather funds toward paying off the loss. He further accepted she had sent out company invoices but insisted she had no role in filing VAT returns.

Lyons also accepted benefitting from the lifestyle afford.

The defence pointed out at interview Lyons had said, I let him (her husband) do it all

Judge Stephen Fowler QC commented, This case is characterised by the defendant taking over headship of the company during her husbands disqualification as a director. She unfortunately allowed herself to be used.

Whilst Judge Fowler said the custody threshold had been met due to the amounts of money involved, he decided to suspend a 12 month prison sentence for three years.

Lyons, who broke down in tears several times during the hearing, was also disqualified from being a director of any company for five years.
The 26-year old, from Albert Street, was part of a gang that ram-raided Rio Menswear at Wellington Place and stole expensive clothing which was never recovered.

A west Belfast man was handed a five-year sentence on Tuesday for his involvement in the early morning ram raid of a men's clothing store.

Patrick O'Rawe was informed he will spend half his sentence in prison, followed by two and a half years on licence when he is released from custody, after he admitted four charges arising from the incident.

The 26-year-old, from Albert Street, was part of a gang that ram-raided Rio Menswear at Wellington Place and stole expensive clothing which was never recovered.

Belfast Crown Court heard the total loss to the business owner - including the value of the stolen clothes and damage caused to the premises - amounted to just over 30,000.

Saying ram-raiding was a serious offence which required deterrent sentences, Judge Patricia Smyth branded the incident as "an afront to the public".

The court heard that around 3am on September 20, 2015, a stolen car with false number plates was driven into the window of the clothes store.

Following the ram raid and theft, the stolen vehicle was driven a short distance from the city centre to Divis Street, where it was crashed into a lamppost and abandoned. Damage was caused to the central reservation as well as to a basket pole and plant holder.

O'Rawe was linked to the car after his DNA was located on the driver's airbag, which inflated when the car collided with the lamppost.

Judge Smyth accepted that while O'Rawe was driving the car after the ram raid, there was no evidence to suggest he had been behind the wheel during the ram raid, but rather he was a passenger. He did, however, plead guilty to burgling Rio Menswear and stealing clothes, as well as three driving offences.

Passing sentence, the Judge spoke of O'Rawe's "relevant record for burglary and theft" and the cost to the business owner, branding the ram raid as "pre-planned and pre-meditated".
Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrives at Government Buildings, Dublin, for his last day in the role

Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he hopes his legacy adds to the quest for freedom and independence for Ireland.

Mr Kenny formally announced his long-awaited resignation as leader of the minority government after six years in the role.

"This has never been about me... it has always been about the problems and challenges that the people of our country face," he said.

The veteran Fine Gael politician hosted a cabinet meeting for the final time in Government Buildings before taking to the floor of the Dail for a valedictory address.

He will later meet President Michael D Higgins in Aras an Uachtarain to discuss his departure.

In a relatively brief statement to the Dail, Mr Kenny recalled the will of Michael Davitt, the republican and agrarian campaigner who founded the Irish National Land League in the 19th century, who said he left "kind thoughts" to his friends, to others forgiveness and to Ireland "my undying prayer" for "absolute freedom and independence".

"I hope that in the two governments I have led that we have made a modest contribution towards that ambition," Mr Kenny said.

The outgoing Taoiseach secured the job in early 2011 and led a coalition government with Labour as Ireland exited the multi-billion euro bailout brought on by the crippling banking and economic collapse.

He oversaw several years of painful austerity as part of attempts to stabilise finances.

Among his other legacies will be leading the country when same-sex marriage was introduced and attempts to bring closure to victims of clerical abuse.

Mr Kenny reflected on his career.

"For my own part I am the first to acknowledge I have not got everything right. But I can honestly say my motivation was always what I believed to be in the best interest of the Irish people," he said.

Mr Kenny said he understands people's disillusionment with politics.

But he added: "I really do believe that politics is work worth doing, a noble profession. Despite the many scandals and disappointments, I believe that the vast majority of people elected to this House are here because we've an interest in and a love for our communities and our country and we wish to make a difference."

Mr Kenny urged more respect among politicians.

He added: "We can argue vehemently the merits of issues or measures without questioning each other's motives or intent.

"Politics is always about people and government is always about making decisions."

Mr Kenny resigned as Fine Gael leader in May to make way for his successor.

Although long-awaited, the transition of power has been relatively smooth with Leo Varadkar securing resounding support in a leadership contest, including huge backing among his parliamentary colleagues.

He was confirmed as the new Fine Gael leader in the Mansion House in Dublin on June 2.

Mr Varadkar, the first openly gay cabinet minister and the son of an Indian doctor, will be nominated as taoiseach in the Dail on Wednesday before he travels to meet Mr Higgins in Aras an Uachtarain, where he will be given his seal of office.

Mr Kenny paid tribute to the Labour Party who supported his first coalition government.

And he noted backing from the main opposition party Fianna Fail as it supports the current minority government.

Mr Kenny said he would have preferred to leave quickly and quietly after confirming that he was to visit the president.

"The prospect of making a speech or listening to them, either of glorification or flagellation, is not something that I really relish," he added.

Mr Kenny, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, took over as Fine Gael leader in 2002 when the party suffered near annihilation at the polls.

He is credited with steadily rebuilding the party across the country and after surviving a leadership heave in 2010 he led it to its best ever election result in early 2011.

Mr Kenny is also the only Fine Gael leader to be re-elected taoiseach.

Among some episodes that will be remembered are his unprecedented attack on the Vatican over clerical child abuse cover-ups.

But the last two governments will also be marked out for the failure to comprehend and reverse the fear over water charges and the inability to react quickly and efficiently to a spiralling homelessness crisis which has left unprecedented numbers of families living in hotel rooms.

Mr Kenny's tenure will also be known for the welter of controversies which have rocked the Garda, none more so than the controversial departure of commissioner Martin Callinan who announced his retirement after a late-night call to his house by a senior civil servant.
Gerry Adams said incoming Irish premier Leo Varadkar needed to put his efforts into restoring powersharing north of the border

Restoring powersharing at Stormont will provide a strategic route to a united Ireland, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has said.

Mr Adams dismissed suggestions the republican party was no longer interested in getting a devolved administration back up and running in Belfast.

His remarks came as the resumed talks process took a back seat as the political focus largely shifted to Westminster and the anticipated parliamentary deal between the DUP and the Conservatives.

Mr Adams, addressing claims of Sinn Fein disengagement, said: "We want into the institutions, because that is what the people desire, that is what the people voted for.

"But also because we think strategically that is the way to a united Ireland.

"The way forward is not to be in a vacuum, to have stagnation, the way forward is to have that forum working on the basis on which it should have been established."

As he arrived at the Dail in Dublin ahead of Enda Kenny's formal resignation as taoiseach, Mr Adams said incoming Irish premier Leo Varadkar needed to put his efforts into restoring powersharing north of the border.

"The focus has to be on plan A, which is to get the institutions in place, that is our focus and we would like to think it will be the focus of the incoming taoiseach," he said.

The Alliance Party has warned that the Stormont talks process is bereft of "impetus and momentum".

Exchanges at Stormont Castle on Tuesday were limited to bilateral meetings between local parties and discussions among officials.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire and DUP leader Arlene Foster were both in London for talks on the confidence and supply deal that would enable Theresa May's minority government to function.

The Stormont parties have until a June 29 deadline to reach consensus and re-establish a ruling executive.

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said the first roundtable talks in the process were not expected until Thursday at the earliest.

"I understand there is a new UK government and changes in the government in the Republic but there remains no impetus to this process, which doesn't inspire confidence," he said.

"We need people to step up to the plate and do so without delay.

"The consequences of not doing so are too severe."

Northern Ireland has been without a powersharing executive since March and without a first and deputy first minister since January.

Developments at Westminster have placed another question mark over the already faltering process.

Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance insist Mr Brokenshire cannot chair the efforts to restore powersharing.

They are adamant the UK government can no longer cast itself as a neutral facilitator in the process, given the Prime Minister's likely deal with the DUP.

The dispute has prompted renewed calls for a chairman from outside the UK and Ireland to be appointed.

Mr Adams said he had never had any faith in the impartiality of the UK government.

"I never said the British government are not honest brokers because they are putting together a deal with the DUP," he said.

"The English government have never been honest brokers - ever. They have never been referees, never been objective, never been neutral.

"They are obliged to be so in the wording of the Good Friday and other agreements but unless an Irish government is keeping them to that responsibility, they will behave as they have behaved for as long as I have lived and longer than that."

Mr Brokenshire has rejected the criticism, claiming Westminster affairs were "entirely separate" from the Government's responsibility to act with impartiality at Stormont.

A number of deadlines to reach an agreement have already fallen by the wayside since March's snap Assembly poll, which was triggered by the implosion of the last DUP/Sinn Fein-led administration over a dispute about a botched green energy scheme.

The Assembly election campaign exposed many divisions between the two main parties on issues such as legislative protections for Irish language speakers and how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
A leading Channel 4 news presenter has been heavily criticised after he was accused of posting 'fake news' about the DUP.

Jon Snow posted on social media that the DUP is demanding "the unbanning of sectarian" marches as part of their deal to support a minority Conservative government.

The misleading tweet posted yesterday came after the Drumcree parade controversy emerged again.

Portadown Loyal Orange Lodge 1, which is currently prevented from marching down the flashpoint Garvaghy Road, had issued a statement before the DUP and Tories met to discuss a deal. In it, the Orangemen indicate that they want Theresa May to allow the banned loyalist march as part of the agreement.

In a statement, the lodge had said: "We trust that the parading issue, especially in Portadown, will be high on the agenda for the new Government."

It also urged the DUP to promote the values of the "unionist people and the Orange fraternity".

Mr Snow, however, claimed it was a DUP demand for "sectarian marches" to be allowed, after he re-tweeted a comment from an account holder known as 'wee round Ian'.

No-one from Channel 4 News was available for comment last night.

The post was criticised by other users - and despite the mistake being brought to his attention, Mr Snow did not remove it from his account.

Martin Hoscik, a political commentator and journalist in London, also posted a reply to Mr Snow saying: "The DUP have demanded no such thing.

"A lodge that one DUP MP belongs to has called for it. That's not the same thing at all."

Conservative MP James Cleverly added: "We need accurate reporting and analysis from journalists rather than echoing ill informed and partisan tweets.

"Anyone can do that.

"A DUP supporter saying he 'trusts it will be a priority' is not the same as 'DUP demand'. Details like this matter."

The ongoing talks between the Tories and the DUP has sparked huge interest globally.

While the socially-conservative party's policies have been under a media microscope, disinformation about the DUP is also being spread.

Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, DUP MLA Simon Hamilton hit back at some of the criticism in the national media.

He said: "Much has been said about the DUP over the last number of days by commentators on the mainland.

"A lot of it has been totally inaccurate and a downright disgraceful attempt to besmirch the DUP.

"If they actually took the time to read our manifesto they would discover for themselves that the DUP is a party who unashamedly want the best for Northern Ireland but also have the nation's interest at heart."

Kathryn Johnston, secretary of the Northern Ireland branch of the Labour party, said there was "hysteria" surrounding the DUP and criticised the 'fake news' being disseminated.

She tweeted: "For all the many political difficulties I have with (the) DUP, they are NOT terrorist sympathisers, contrary to British media demonisation."

A number of doctored images and videos denigrating the DUP have also been circulating on social media.

A 'photoshopped' image of a UDA mural was altered to include a caricature of DUP leader Arlene Foster.

The edited image was shared hundreds of times.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Documents have been revealed outlining the deal the DUP and the Conservatives struck ahead of the 2015 General Election should the Northern Ireland party have held the balance of power.

The Daily Telegraph reports on the "confidence and supply" deal David Cameron's Tory party struck with the then Peter Robinson led DUP. The paper says representatives for Prime Minister David Cameron held secret talks with the party over several days in the run up to the election and drew up a draft agreement.

And in the DUP manifesto at the time, it outlined what it could look for in the event of a hung parliament.

The revelations come ahead of DUP leader Arlene Foster's meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, former DUP Spad Richard Bullick said economic considerations would be the focus of the discussions.

Read More

He said the party needed to be cautious on its deal with the Conservatives.

"I think the notion of writing blank cheques and then being asked to stand over every decision would be an incredible deal. The reality is it would not be long before there is another election for people to answer for those decisions."

However, Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd said no deal should be done that affects power sharing in Northern Ireland.

The Union is my guiding star so we would be looking to make sure the Union stays strong. Arlene Foster

Sky News reported that the DUP delegation had "not taken overnight bags" as they expected a deal to be done during Tuesday's meeting. Arlene Foster told the broadcaster: "I'm now looking forward to having a face-to-face conversation with the Prime Minister.

"We enter these talks in a positive manner but we are first and foremost unionists and we want to secure the Union. We do want to do so in the national interest and for the stability of the government and that's the spirit with which we will be entering these negotiations.

Read More

The documents - marked 'official sensitive' - leaked to the Daily Telegraph reveal:

The DUP would:

Support Government in any no-confidence motion as long as deal was in place.

DUP would vote on all matters along government lines except on matters of welfare reform or exclusive Northern Ireland issues or the devolution of powers.

In exchange the Government would:

Examine adjustments on corporation tax in Northern Ireland which would, among other caveats, be acceptable to other local parties.

Discuss Northern Ireland tax changes to promote economic growth.

Agree measures on foreign direct investment and ensure Northern Ireland would receive "fair share" of Government contracts and of infrastructure investments to enhance communication and transport between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Discuss matters relating to military covenant

Implement commitments in Conservative manifesto.

There are also commitments on strengthening national defence, the size of the armed services as well as increasing reserve forces and maintaining defence spending.

"The DUP and the Conservative party agree that the UK's standing in the world is of paramount significance," the document states.

"The DUP will accordingly support the government's determination to maintain the scope and reach of our diplomatic effort, the scale and effectiveness of our traditional aid programme (including in relation to conflict resolution and stabilisation) and the strength of or national defence."
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 12: DUP leader Arlene Foster holds 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with a hardline Northern Irish party on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Gauke arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox arrives at 10 Downing Street in London for a Cabinet meeting. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2017. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark arrives at Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. The Prime Minister has re-shuffled her cabinet after the snap general election which failed to return a clear overall majority winner. Theresa May is set to meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster later today in hope of making an agreement to form a minority Government. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she arrives at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (R), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster (L), and DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London on June 13, 2017, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday was heading into difficult talks with the DUP on securing a working majority after a crushing electoral setback. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

DUP leader Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration.Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: DUP leader Arlene Foster checks her watch as she and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are 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 party's ten Westminster seats. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and MP Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

DUP leader Arlene Foster has held her Downing Street meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May on a deal which could prop up a Tory minority government, with sources saying there has been "significant progress" made.

The DUP leader entered Downing Street just after 12.30pm on Tuesday. She smiled at the waiting media as she and the DUP's leader at Westminster Nigel Dodds entered Number 10.

At a photocall ahead of the meeting with her 10 members of parliament, Arlene Foster said: "The future's bright" to which MP Ian Paisley added: "The future's orange".

Shortly after 2pm Theresa May left Downing Street in a waiting car.

Sky News reported that the DUP delegation left via a side door. Talks are set to continue after the election of a speaker in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon.

In a tweet, Mrs Foster said discussions were going well and she hoped to bring the work to a successful conclusion.

Downing street described the talks as "constructive".

Later speaking in the Commons on the election of the Speaker John Bercow, Nigel Dodds said he "looked forward" to this Parliament. He said, given the SDLP and UUP absence, he and the other Northern Ireland MPs bore a "huge responsibility" and they will carry out their responsibilities "very carefully".

He said he looked forward to devolution being restored in Northern Ireland "so all can take part in governing Northern Ireland".

"We have interesting times ahead and I look forward to playing a full role in this Parliament," he said.

In his opening remarks Jeremy Corbyn said: "I'm sure we all look forward to welcoming the Queen's Speech, just as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated."

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The Prime Minister will be desperate to get agreement from the DUP to back her legislative programme in the House of Commons or risk her government falling.

Mrs Mays authority has been severely diminished after a disastrous general election which saw her lose her Commons majority and a deal with the DUP looks vital for the continuation of Tory rule. There has been much speculation on what could be on the DUP wish list as part of the negotiations.

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A failure to gain support from the Northern Irish party would risk the Queens Speech being voted down next week, and Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will be pushing hard for that outcome.

The Tories and the DUP are considering a confidence and supply arrangement which would see the Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

It comes after Mrs May told Tory MPs: Im the person who got us into this mess and Im the one who will get us out of it.

Her most senior minister Damian Green has confirmed the Queens Speech setting out the Governments programme could be delayed if a deal is not reached in time for it to go ahead on Monday as planned.
Tents being used as a shelter for refugees in overwhelmed Greece (AP)

The European Commission is launching legal action against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for failing to take refugees under a legally binding sharing plan agreed by the European Union.

The Commission said in a statement that it has repeatedly urged the three countries to relocate refugees or at least pledge to do so.

But it said they have not taken action "in breach of their legal obligations," and that it "has decided to launch infringement procedures" on Wednesday.

The scheme to share 160,000 refugees in overwhelmed Italy and Greece among other European countries over two years was endorsed in September 2015 by a qualified majority vote.

The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have until Wednesday to change their minds.

Three months before the September 2017 deadline, fewer than 21,000 people have been relocated.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against it. Hungary and Slovakia had previously launched their own legal action against the scheme.

EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said: "There is still time ahead. Let's hope that not only reason but also the European spirit will prevail."

But Poland said it stands ready to take legal action of its own.

"Poland is ready to defend its standpoint before the Court of Justice," deputy foreign minister Konrad Szymanski said.

He warned that the commission's action "may deepen the divisions within the EU".

Mr Avramopoulos praised Austria and Slovakia for recently pledging to do more. But as of June 9, Austria had still not relocated a single refugee. Slovakia had taken in 16.

The refugee scheme was seen as a major plank of the EU's migration policy, and was lauded as a pan-European show of solidarity in 2015 when more than a million people arrived in Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs.

AP
My disputation and difficulties with the DUP go back over 40 years, yet I have won every battle where gay rights are concerned.

The list is long and includes reducing the age of consent in 1994 (enabled by a Kate Hoey amendment) and in 2000, equality under the criminal law in 2003 and civil partnership in 2004.

Indeed, I was instrumental this year in getting the gay pardon and disregards legislation extended to Northern Ireland with the assent of the Assembly. That was a first for the DUP, in that the party enabled a gay reform, albeit indirectly, by tabling a Legislative Consent Motion in the Assembly, so Westminster could include Northern Ireland in the Policing and Crime Bill's gay pardon aspects.

The circumstances are interesting and tell of the change in the DUP under Arlene Foster, a former Ulster Unionist. The then Justice Minister, Claire Sugden, first told me that, on the advice of officials, it was impossible to get Northern Ireland included in the Bill then going through the House of Lords.

I said it could be done and had been several times in the past, but urgent action was needed. This she then organised, getting Arlene Foster and the late Martin McGuinness to agree to it over a weekend. Unprecedented speed for Stormont.

The DUP would have had to vote for the motion had not the sole opponent, Jim Allister of the TUV, failed to force a division when he could not get a second teller. The DUP MLAs may have looked uncomfortable, but it reflected their acceptance of the modernisation required to govern a very mixed province.

Until this election result, I had hoped and expected that a longer period of direct rule, or "stealth rule", as it is now called, would have enabled the marriage reform to be legislated by Order in Council at Westminster. Gay marriage legislation, however, can proceed at Stormont given a majority of MLAs, since the March election, favour the reform.

The DUP no longer has sufficient votes to veto change through the Petition of Concern procedure. But that first requires the Assembly back up and running.

In effect, Sinn Fein is now delaying equal marriage by holding back Stormont's return.

I can only take the long view. For young people, events before, say, 2010 are history; for me, I lived through them. I observe the developments and can trace the progress. Changes come better incrementally, even if you don't believe in that when campaigning. However, I have first to say that, when it mattered, not a single political party in Northern Ireland - not even the virtue-signalling Sinn Fein and Alliance parties - gave any assistance in the long and bitter campaign to decriminalise homosexuality. This was the case even when all 25 Northern Ireland gay campaigners were arrested in 1976 on suspicion of conspiracy.

Gay people here did it on their own, with the assistance of the Strasbourg court, some lawyers and journalists, and the poet John Hewitt, but no politicians helped.

Indeed, in 1977, when Jim Callaghan's Labour government was in difficulty and needed parliamentary support, part of its deal with the unionists was to dump the proposed gay law reform. (The deal also gave 50% more representation to the province as it went from 12 to 18 MPs.) So, Ian Paisley's "Save Ulster from Sodomy" campaign of that year looked like it had won.

This betrayal obliged us to press our ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) case at Strasbourg to the end. It lasted seven years and was judged in my favour in 1981. The Tory government, unusually rapidly, in 1982, implemented the necessary Order in Council. No unionist or SDLP MP voted in favour, not even the three unionist MPs now known to be gay, or who had a gay sensibility.

It is interesting to note that the most prominent campaigner for implementation of the Wolfenden Report on homosexual law reform in England was the MP for North Belfast, Montgomery Hyde, who was deselected in 1959 in a campaign where Rev Ian Paisley cut his political teeth. And Hyde wasn't gay, marrying three times. Now 45 (or 7%) of the MPs at Westminster are gay, or lesbian, or bisexual - a high representation for a community of about 2%, according to ONS survey figures. (They take no account of a greater fluidity in sexual orientation so noticeable today.)

The world has turned upside down, although none of these MPs comes from Northern Ireland. However, 5% of Belfast City Council is now LGBT, including this author. I have to say, working alongside the dozen DUP councillors in City Hall that I hear and experience no anti-gay sentiment.

They do draw the line by opposing equal marriage, as do all the Churches here, Unitarians excluded, yet I have listened to young DUP members who cannot comprehend how anyone would be opposed to gays marrying.

The DUP is no longer dominated by Free Presbyterians, although they are disproportionately represented at its core. That Church's membership of 20,000 is small, but the key body when it comes to major decisions on change. It is not so powerful since Ian Paisley went into coalition with Sinn Fein and lost his position in the Church he founded.

Arlene Foster is a Fermanagh Anglican, while in Belfast the DUP is increasingly reflective of the population that votes for it, which includes thousands of non-Church-going Protestants.

Gay marriage was voted through in a 2016 referendum in the Republic of Ireland by 60%, despite homosexual acts only being decriminalised there in 1993 after David Norris's Strasbourg case. Interestingly, heading into the border counties, that referendum majority began to ebb away.

However, the marriage issue was much more than about homosexual couples - it was a youth issue, and throughout the island is now a test of modernity.

The question has put some older gay campaigners, me included, in a quandary. I successfully led the campaign to get Northern Ireland included in the 2004 civil partnership law, which the Labour government eventually conceded.

But their position was that civil partnership would stand in for marriage and nobody then, bar Peter Tatchell, argued that gay marriage was needed.

Hardly a decade later, MPs led by David Cameron legislated for such marriage in England and Wales.

The abortion issue is the other big moral dispute in Northern Ireland, and the law is devolved, unlike in Scotland. Until only a couple of years ago, no party supported any reform and certainly not the extension of the 1967 Act to Ulster.

Now, the SDLP has split on the issue and even the DUP is no longer holding the line on aspects of "reproductive health".

Some minor change could be introduced, not least getting the NHS in Belfast to agree to pay for abortions carried out in Britain.

With the advent of the medical abortion, the debate will have to change, although it is currently in the blind alley of abortion on rape, or fatal foetal abnormality, grounds. In the meantime, attempts to convict women for using imported pills seem to be on hold.

Distress in Britain among liberals and socialists at the imminent "supply and confidence" arrangement between Theresa May and the DUP is understandable, if exaggerated. Northern Ireland is in the UK, so why shouldn't our MPs be involved in government?

Indeed, the notion that London is a neutral broker on Northern Ireland - where Dublin never was, or is - played an important role in extending the IRA "war" by giving them a psychological sense of imminent success.

London (and Dublin) oblige the DUP to sit in a mandatory coalition with Sinn Fein in Belfast, which is vastly more difficult to thole than the DUP extracting occasional financial concessions at Westminster.

Hopefully, some other reforms will also be involved in the deal, like compensation for all Libyan Semtex victims and a fair and balanced legacy arrangement that includes, or subsumes, inquests into the notioned historical investigation unit.

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservatives leader, can rest assured things won't be going backwards on LGBT rights in Northern Ireland. In fact, devolution (although it never brought about a return to saving Ulster from sodomy) made progress more difficult, until perhaps this year. But it has and will continue to happen, deal or no deal with Theresa May.
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The Bible is universal.The Bible is available in 426 languages and the New Testament is available in 1,115 languages, but there is more work to be done according to christianresearch.org. There are "Over 4,500 languages still wait for even one book of the Bible. This means millions either have no access to the Bible at all or can only encounter it in something other than their heart language." There are 17 historical books.There are 17 historical books of the Bible. There is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The oldest men in the Bible.The oldest man in the Bible was Methuselah, a descendant of Adam and Noah's grandfather. According to Genesis 5:27 he "Lived 969 years and then he died." The second oldest man of the Bible was a sixth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve named Jared. He at the age of 962, making him the second-oldest person mentioned in the Bible. There are specific ways to approach prayer.Did you know there are 9 ways to approach prayer according to the Bible? They can be found in the New and Old Testament. There is the act of praise, confession, thanksgiving, petition, commitment, intercession, benediction, confidence and forgiveness. God miraculously helped Hezekiah.Hezekiah was struggling on how he would be able to defeat the king of Assyria. He cried out to the Lord at the temple. Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God." The Lord answered by sending an angel to put 185,000 Assyrian soldiers to death overnight. Jesus and John the Baptist were second cousins.Jesus' mother, Mary and John's mother, Elizabeth were second cousins. However, the word "cousin" can mean "relative" as it was interpreted by 17th Century scholars for the King James Bible published in 1611. John the Baptist and Jesus could be second cousins as indicated in Luke 1:36. "What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her 6th month." The sun moved backward.Hezekiah had great moments with God for sure. He witnessed another miracle in Isaiah 38:8, "I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the 10 steps it has gone down on the stairway on Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down." The sun stopped.The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down for about a full day when Joshua asked the Lord for help as he needed aid against his attackers. "The sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded a voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." There was a really tall man.Okay, did you know that there was a man so tall that he needed a 13-foot bed? According to Deuteronomy 3:11, King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. "His bed was made of iron and was more than 13-feet long and 6-feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah." A talking donkey.According to Numbers 22, Balaam was paid by King Balak to curse the Israelites. But God had other plans and it was through his talking donkey. The angel of the Lord said: "What have I done to make you beat me these 3 times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." But the donkey responded "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," Balaam answered. Then Balaam saw the angel of the Lord and bowed to him and said, I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back. Balaam never got to curse the Israelites and repented.



The Bible is enthralling whether it's on the pages or how it has impacted the world. No wonder it endures as a best-seller. Corine Gatti-Santillo is a freelance digital journalist, editor, and content producer. She is also the The Christian Post Voices Editor. She is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com.

The word "Bible" comes from the Greek and Latin words which mean "the book" and it's the hottest book ever to be sold and it remains true today. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, and it is estimated that the Bible has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. According to Pew, "Christianity is the world's largest religion , with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31 percent) of all 6.9 billion people on Earth." If this is true we should know everything about the Bible, correct? Let's be straightforward, most of us never read the entire Bible and we just scan over it for the most part. There are things we don't know about the Good Book inside and outside the pages, however. Here are 10 intriguing facts about the Bible.
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The Bible tells us, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A Christian fathers first and greatest responsibility is to acquaint his children with God through Scripture. One of the reasons this is so important is because what children learn about God will put them in good standing throughout their lives, no matter what they do and where they go.

God uses the Christian father as an instrument for instruction and discipline, in which God commands and administers. Ephesians 6:4 is a summary of instructions to fathers. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). A wise father seeks to make obedience desirable and attainable by love and gentleness. We know from history that the father was to be diligent in instructing children in the ways and words of the Lord for their own spiritual development and well-being. The father who was obedient to the commands of Scripture did just that. Proverbs 22:6 says, Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. To train indicates that the first teaching that a father and mother give a child. This training is created in a way to make clear to children the life they are intended for, a life of great importance.

The truth is, it isnt easy to be a good father. However, there are a few principles that can help. Successful Christian fathers have found that he and his family benefits when he follows the wisdom found in the Bible. Here are five principles Christian fathers live by:

They Make Time for Their Family

A good Christian father makes time for his family and anchors his family in Christ. He provides the needs of his family. No other teacher can affect a child as much as their parents. For this reason, its important that fathers teach their children both by their example and their words. A Christian father not only meets the physical needs of his family, but also the emotional needs of his family as well. The family turns to him as a support in all areas of need and he provides as best he can.

They Love and Respect Their Wives

A Christian father loves and respects his wife. He serves as an example to his children of what a loving relationship looks like so that they may also reflect it in their lives, particularly when it comes to their marriages. When a man enters into a covenant relationship with his bride, he commits to the responsibilities of loving, honoring and cherishing her. The strength a Christian husband needs in order to carry out these responsibilities flows out of his relationship with God. This requires dependence on Gods Spirit. The beautiful thing is we have the assurance that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). A Christian father should ask God to empower him so that they can give their children not just an inheritance, but a heritage. They ultimately give their wife what she needs most  to be loved, honored and cherished.

They Give Loving Discipline and Commendation

The Bible tells us, You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted (Colossians 3:21). A Christian father doesnt just discipline. He disciplines lovingly and commends his children in the process. No matter how frustrated or angry he gets, he expresses loving concern for the welfare of his children. This includes advice, correction, education and chastisement when needed. In addition, he recognizes that discipline is way more effective when a father commends his children regularly. This enriches a childs character as they will know when they are acknowledged and appreciated.

They Are Good Communicators

A Christian father should be a good communicator, not only communicating biblical principles to their children, but also being a careful listener. Instead of being a reaction waiting to happen, they have the ability to listen calmly without being judgmental. When a child knows their father will lose their temper quickly, they are less likely to communicate their inner feelings to him. But when they know their father listens calmly, they believe they are respected and that there is a genuine interest in what is being said. The Bible tells us, Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath (James 1:19). We know from Scripture that fathers who apply this biblical principle communicate better with their children.

They Apply Gods Practical Wisdom

A Christian father will apply Gods practical wisdom to their everyday life and guide their children in the same way. Deuteronomy 6:5-6 says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Fathers who are in a committed relationship with God can guide their children in the greatest relationship they will ever have  an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father.

The greatest example of what a father should look like is God, Himself. The Bible reveals that there is only one perfect Father who is God. The pages of the New Testament give us an incredible glimpse of the marvelous relationship between God the Father and Christ the Son. On three separate occasions, the Bible records these words of the Father to His Son: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 17:5). This is the kind of relationship fathers should strive for with their children. There is no greater source than God, the greatest Father of all.

Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.
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There are no easy solutions, outside of a magic pill or a magic wand. This dirty little devil is called "anxiety" and it is fierce. With all the emotional upheaval, media input and dealing with our own body chemistry and hormones, it's most certainly a war on our own and sometimes shattered world. We can't really point to what anxiety is--we just need to accept that it remains a mystery. News from the University of Chicago Medical Center offered some solace. "By testing the controversial role of a gene called Glo1 in anxiety, scientists uncovered a new inhibitory factor in the brain: the metabolic by-product methylglyoxal. The system offers a tantalizing new target for drugs designed to treat conditions such as anxiety disorder." In the meantime, until there are further breakthroughs with Glo1, we can crack the mystery of anxiety by taking action to put back together our lives. Here are 8 suggestions for coping with the condition.

Learn acceptance.

Lower your expectations.

Change your mindset.

Distract yourself.

Avoid stress.

Release your tension through writing.

Find treatment.

Watch what you eat and drink.

Corine Gatti-Santillo is a freelance digital journalist, editor, and content producer. She is also the The Christian Post Voices Editor. She is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com.

You know the painting "The Scream" by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch? The modern art painting from 1893 shows a person with both hands on their face in a panic with darkness surrounding the figure. This is what anxiety is like for most people, where they just want to scream due to the anxiety that they are feeling within their bodies. If this is you, know that the symptoms that you are dealing with don't reflect you as a person. We need to accept we are still human and mental illness does not discriminate. We can find acceptance that we are all flawed.In this, we find our truth and even hope.If you are more prone to anxiety and even depression, you don't need to add ridiculous expectations on yourself. If there are high expectations, it puts you more at risk for disappointment if you fail to meet then. What happens is that people become perfectionists. Unrealistic expectations are potentially damaging because they set us and others up for failure, said Selena C. Snow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Maryland. When we or someone else naturally falls short, we draw false conclusions, feel negative feelings and act in negative ways. You should take risks in life to attain goals and to grow. But the point here is to not add pressures that don't need to be there.We need to trap those "what-ifs" in order to remain calm and to deal with anxiety better. Author Karen Young explained we need to catch those thoughts when they come as they spark anxiety in people. She recommended remaining in the present. "Stay with what is actually happening, rather than what might happen. If this feels uncomfortable, put a time limit on it, lets say, 2 minutes to start with." In order for this to work, you need to practice this for a month to help retrain the brain. If you need more time, so be it.Distract yourself when you are feeling off center. Listen to music, download audiobooks, podcasts, or a guided meditation. Read a magazine, go walking, take a bike ride or anything that will take you out of the uneasiness.Linda Andrews, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston said that anxiety can start to take on a life of its own. "Everything becomes a potential crisis. The unthinkable has happened. So around every corner, there's the next possible disaster." Change your focus by getting out of your head and staying in the present. Reminiscing on what worked and what did not work, will not bring you joy.If youre constantly stressed out, take a step back and remove yourself from toxic situations and consider making changes if you are drawn to drama. You can't avoid traffic, rude people or the bad weather. But you can avoid toxic people, situations and an overloaded schedule that feed your anxious thoughts.Writing will help release the tension that is felt through the body during and after a bout with anxiety. "Expressive writing promotes healing and can help us to better control our emotions, to stop ruminating or obsessing about a traumatic event and instead derive meaning from what happened," author Lynda Monk shared. Writing helps frame up the events of the day and allows you to have a sense of control.Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and medication could help you. Additionally, you could benefit from therapy to help you develop a plan. Therapy in itself can't cure you because you need to do the work, Psychologist Ryan Howes, Ph.D.explained to Buzzfeed. Its pretty disappointing for clients when they think thats the way it works, he said. They want the therapist to ask them a bunch of questions and its like a treasure hunt. Therapists wont have all the answers, but they are there as a guide.For people dealing with anxiety, limiting caffeine is a good option. Getting the jitters after drinking caffeine will make the condition worse. Processed foods especially tend to perpetuate a "Vicious cycle of guilt, anxiety, cravings and overeating, making it hard to stop eating them once you start,"reported. Avoid coffee, sugar, artificial creamers, beef jerky and alcohol.As scientists unravel the mystery of anxiety, we can do what is needed to cope with the aftermath by being proactive and diligent in our efforts. We dont know where you're at this moment. It may be in the kitchen, the office at work or maybe you're reading this at a coffee shop. No matter where you are, you don't have to live in the darkness solely. Reach out to a medical practitioner today.
Police take Imran Ahmed (center), into custody over allegations he provided funds to Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh, June 11, 2017.

Bangladesh authorities said they arrested at least 10 people suspected of links to Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) since Sunday, including a garment manufacturer accused of providing funds to the extremist group and other militants.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers arrested Imran Ahmed, 37, early Sunday over his alleged funding of the Islamic militant group. Ahmed is managing director and owner of Jim Tex Linkage Industries Limited, an exporter of sweaters and other knit products to the European Union, Australia, Canada and the United States.

RAB officials said Ahmed told them that he gave 400,000 taka (U.S. $4,960) to a militant who, they believe, joined IS in Syria in 2015 and 200,000 taka ($2,460) to the wife of a JMB leader who was arrested in November 2016.

The arrests of Ahmed and the other suspects cast doubts on reports that JMB and its Islamic State- (IS)-linked offshoot, Neo-JMB, are losing support, police officials said. Government officials have blamed Neo-JMB for a terrorist siege at a cafe in Dhaka in July 2016 that left 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, dead.

We are not yet sure whether Imran knew anyone of those cafe attackers, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told a press briefing on Sunday, referring to five gunmen who were killed as Bangladeshi security forces stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery to break the siege on the morning of July 2.

Monday arrests

On Monday, the police counter terrorism and transnational crime unit (CTTC) arrested six suspected Neo-JMB members in the New Market area of Dhaka, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Masudur Rahman. The arrests disrupted their alleged plan to kill progressive Islamic scholars.

Those arrested were identified as Zahidul Islam, Abu Bakr Siddique, Mohammadullah Adnan, Mehedi Hasan Emon, Shamsuddin al Amin and Khalid Saifullah.

Meanwhile, police arrested three suspected militants from Dangapara village in the Rajshahi district on Monday following a Sunday morning raid of their house. The suspects are identified as Israfil Alam, his brother, Ibrahim, and brother-in-law Robiul Islam.

Family members including women and children were taken to the local police station for interrogation.

Rajshahi police superintendent Moazzem Hossain Bhuiyan said a bomb disposal unit was called to the scene after the suspects allegedly told officers they had suicide vests and ammunition inside the house.

JMBs focus

Regarding the arrest of Ahmed, officials said he told interrogators about ongoing efforts to merge JMB and its offshoot into one organization.

We are getting information that regardless of a series of operations (by law enforcement agencies) JMBs activities havent been stopped. They are now mainly emphasizing and focusing on recruiting new members, Khan said.

Khan told reporters that a JMB organizing meeting held in Bogra district in April resulted in the formation of a 10-member executive committee. Someone named Abu Muharib, who is leading JMB, approved the executive committee.

We cannot confirm the identity of Abu Muharib, including his nationality, RAB officer Alep Uddin told reporters.
Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo (center), military chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo (second from left) and other military officials watch a rapid-response training exercise in the Natuna Islands, May 19, 2017.

The Indonesian military says it is beefing up security along the nations sea border with the Philippines, where Islamic State-inspired (IS) militants are locked in ferocious battles with Filipino government forces in the southern city of Marawi.

The building of military bases in some of the countrys outermost northern islands, such as on Morotai island (see map), to block extremists who could potentially travel there from the southern Philippines was part of a strategic plan presented to Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo, Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo told reporters on Monday.

Gatot spoke during a dinner with journalists in Jakarta, three days after reviewing the construction of a submarine dock at a naval base in Palu, Central Sulawesi province.

After visiting the base on Friday, Gatot said in a press release that Indonesia had deployed submarines off Marore and Miangas islands along the northern end of Sulawesi Island because the military was anticipating security-related possibilities as a result of the ongoing fighting in Marawi.

Gatot said the militants could travel easily from Marawi to Indonesias northernmost territories, such as Bitung and Sangihe, in North Sulawesi, and Morotai, in North Maluku province.

This is why we together have to be cautious, he said. Do not let the conflict in Syria move to Indonesia. We must prevent them from coming to our place because the seeds in our place already exist.

Other than Morotai, the Indonesian military will bolster its presence around the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea, Biak Island in Papua and the Tanimbar Islands in Maluku, the general said, emphasizing that construction of military bases on the islands would depend on economic conditions in Jakarta.

Together, Indonesia and the Philippines have more than 18,400 islands and share a little-patrolled ocean border.

Gatot also told reporters that the Indonesian military had found dormant IS cells almost everywhere in the country. A possible infiltration of militant groups from Marawi could wake up those cells, he said.

Almost all provinces in Indonesia, except Papua, have existing ISIS cells but they are sleeping, Gatot said, using a different acronym for IS.

Weve put people there

Maj. Gen. Ganip Warsito, the commander in North Sulawesi, Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi provinces, said the military had strengthened security forces in Indonesias outermost islands, including in Marore, Kaiwo and Matatuang in the waters of North Sulawesi and Morotai Island, in North Maluku province. He did not provide details.

Weve put people there. We must be careful not to get infiltrated, that can be also weapons, because that is the possible route that can be used for infiltration, Warsito said, explaining that the outcome of the Marawi conflict would impact Indonesia either way.

If the militants win, the Southeast Asian region would be their strong base, he said, but if the Philippine military ends up defeating the extremists, they would be expected to regroup in Indonesia.

And here there are dormant cells that are ready to accommodate them, Warsito said as he emphasized that Filipino troops were battling local extremists from the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups who are backed by foreign militants, including fighters from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Khairul Fahmi, a researcher from the Jakarta-based Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), said the plan to build a military presence on Morotai Island was part of Indonesias old maritime defense concept.

Maybe now there is momentum, but the threat is already in front of us, so the TNI should have another plan while there is no base with a permanent force, Fahmi told BenarNews.

Terrorist designation, trilateral patrol

In other news related to terrorism, the U.S. State Department on Monday declared an Indonesian militant group, Majelis Mujahideen Indonesia (MMI), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

Formed in 2000 by jailed cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, MMI has claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks in Indonesia, including a May 2012 attack at the book launch of Canadian author Irshad Manji that injured three attendees, according to the State Department.

The special designation alerts the American public and the international community that MMI has committed or pose[s] a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism, the department said in a news released.

Designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments, it said.

Also on Monday, a spokesman for Indonesias Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. Totok Sugiharto, confirmed that Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines would launch a joint maritime patrol in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas early next week.

The launching of the patrol will continue the plan that previously has been delayed, Sugiharto told BenarNews.

The launch is scheduled from the town of Tarakan, in the Indonesia province of North Kalimantan, on June 19, he said.

The three nations have been talking for more than a year about joining forces in trilateral patrols to prevent acts of piracy and kidnappings of sailors at sea by suspected Islamic militants operating out of the southern Philippines.
Muslim policemen said they protected Christian civilians in the southern Philippine city of Marawi from marauding militants linked to the Islamic State as battles between the gunmen and government forces spilled into a fourth week on Tuesday.

The five police officers told reporters they felt compelled to protect the Christians in the village of Monkado Kadilingan as militants with the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Maute gang, who were backed by foreign fighters, searched every house and demanded to see non-believers. The officers and civilians had been trapped in the city for nearly three weeks since the fighting erupted, but they got out and were able to reach the safety of a military-controlled sector.

We had a chance to escape because we were Muslims, but, as cops, it was our duty to protect the people. We decided to stay because the gunmen would execute the civilians, officer Lumlan Lidasan said Tuesday. Three of us had long firearms, so the Maute could not just penetrate the house where we were hiding.

Lidasan said he and his colleagues were manning an outpost on May 23, when the violence broke out and people panicked. The village chief hid them along with five Christian construction workers in a basement where they survived on dwindling food rations as bombs dropped by government airplanes exploded outside.

The men were in touch with army officers but they were pinned down because Maute and Abu Sayyaf fighters were shooting in their direction. On Monday, they were told that an airstrike was expected to target their area, so they decided to leave.

The Maute gunmen were shooting at as we ran toward the next building, where we spent the night. My colleague and another civilian were injured, he added.

At the break of dawn Tuesday, they said they left their hiding place in the building and started walking toward a bridge connecting the rebel-held Bonggolo district to an area considered safe.

One of the civilians, Jenever Velasquez, 26, said they were thankful to the policemen for protecting them. If not for them, we would all be dead by now, she sobbed.

Authorities said more than 70 policemen were believed to be missing throughout Marawi, but they were mostly Muslim and likely still alive and in hiding.

3 weeks and counting

Fighting broke out three weeks after the police and military set out to arrest Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged leader of the Islamic State in the Philippines. They were surprised when he was backed up by Maute fighters and militants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Middle East and elsewhere.

The gunmen torched buildings in Marawi, and took over large swathes of the city of 200,000 and capital of Lanao del Sur province, in what has become the biggest crisis in President Rodrigo Dutertes barely year-old presidency.

By Tuesday, the military placed the death toll at more than 200 gunmen, 58 government troops and 26 civilians, according to a government tally.

The military already has missed its earlier deadlines to end the fighting. The battles have displaced tens of thousands, in what aid agencies said was a growing humanitarian crisis.

Reinforcements of military trucks, personnel and other vehicles arrive in Marawi to aid in the battle against Islamic State-linked militants, June 12, 2017. [Mark Navales/BenarNews]

American aid

Duterte has been forced to accept help from the United States whom he had earlier criticized and whose military he had vowed to kick out of the Philippines during his term.

Over the weekend, the U.S. embassy in Manila announced U.S. Special Forces were assisting the Philippine military in its efforts against the militants of Marawi, where they were still clinging to parts of the city.

Although Duterte later said he was unware of the American assistance, officials in his government have since said U.S. military personnel were only providing technical assistance with no boots on the ground.

Footage taken of non-Philippine personnel at a military camp in Marawi and of a U.S. spy plane overflying the city (see video) has stirred chatter on social media in the country.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was quoted as saying that the U.S. had been helping the Philippines since 2002, and that American assistance in intelligence and surveillance work was vital to the militarys efforts to oust the militants from Marawi.

Thats because they are already here. We no longer have to ask for their help because they are already here helping us. We just utilize them. Theyve been helping us since 2002, theyve been helping us in Zamboanga, Lorenzana told a press conference, according to the SunStar, a local news website.

The fighting has displaced tens of thousands, in what aid agencies said was a growing humanitarian crisis with the military already missing its earlier deadlines to end the fighting.

Sabah on alert

In neighboring Malaysia, Wan Abdul Bari Wan, who heads the security command in the eastern part of Sabah state (ESSCOM), said there were growing concerns that Filipino militants who were trying to escape from Marawi might be heading across the sea border to Sabah or Indonesia.

There have also been concerns about Islamic State reinforcements trying to make their way into the Philippines via Sabah to join in the fighting, he said.

Malaysia has placed 15 vessels at strategic locations and the police in the two countries have vowed to cooperate to stop the movement of militants between the two countries, the ESSCOM chief said.

Colin Forsythe in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, contributed to this report.
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For Immediate Release, June 13, 2017 Contact: Amey Owen, Animal Welfare Institute, (202) 446-2128, amey@awionline.org

Andrea Santarsiere, Center for Biological Diversity, (303) 854-7748, asantarsiere@biologicaldiversity.org

Brooks Fahy, Predator Defense, (541) 520-6003, brooks@predatordefense.org

Camilla Fox, Project Coyote, (415) 690-0338, info@projectcoyote.org

Erik Molvar, Western Watersheds Project, (307) 399-7910, emolvar@westernwatersheds.org

Kristin Combs, Wyoming Untrapped, (307) 201-2422, kristin.combs@wyominguntrapped.org

Michelle Lute, WildEarth Guardians, (406) 848-4910, mlute@wildearthguardians.org

Natalia Lima, Animal Legal Defense Fund, (201) 679-7088, nlima@aldf.org Immediate Ban Sought on M-44 'Cyanide Bombs' in Wyoming CHEYENNE, Wyo. A coalition of conservation and wildlife organizations today formally petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services animal-killing program for an immediate ban on the use of M-44 cyanide devices in Wyoming. Also known as cyanide bombs, M-44s recently killed two family dogs in Wyoming and hospitalized an Idaho teenager after killing his pet dog. A similar petition was filed in Idaho in March, after which Wildlife Services agreed to remove M-44s from all lands in Idaho. We're not at war with native wildlife, and it is irresponsible to allow poison landmines to be sown anywhere in Wyoming, said Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project. Wildlife Services got rid of M-44s in Idaho, and they should do the same in Wyoming before more pets, and even people, get hurt or killed. The organizations requested the immediate removal of all existing devices from Wyoming. M-44s, also called coyote getters, lead to the agonizing death of thousands of animals every year, many of them nontarget animals. Between 2000 and 2016, M-44s in Wyoming killed 5,973 target animals, 112 nontarget animals, including eight dogs, and 447 unclassified animals, according to the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which oversees the Wildlife Services program. In addition, at least two dogs have been killed in 2017. There is absolutely no reason for a government agency to be placing poisonous gas anywhere, much less mere yards from where people and pets live, said Tara Zuardo, wildlife attorney with the Animal Welfare Institute. Devices like these are not only extremely dangerous, but they also represent wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars and are the cause of tremendous suffering for both people and animals. The incredibly dangerous devices kill indiscriminately, and deaths of pets are common, said Brooks Fahy, director of Predator Defense. Unless there are witnesses, agencies often don't record the poisonings. Families are than left to wonder what happened to their dog. These incidents display the extremely dangerous and indiscriminate nature of M-44 cyanide bombs and Wildlife Services negligence, said Michelle Lute, wildlife coexistence campaigner for WildEarth Guardians. Federal employees should not be placing deadly devices anywhere on our public or private lands, which should be safe for families to recreate with their companion animals. Cyanide bombs are indiscriminate killers that must be banned, said Andrea Santarsiere, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. Any animal that might pull on the baited trigger is at risk, including endangered wildlife like grizzlies, as well as people and pets. And in just the past few months, these cruel devices have injured a child and killed an endangered wolf and several family dogs. Enough is enough. Federal law requires Wildlife Services to provide a final decision in writing to the petitioners. Wyomingites place a high value on wildlife, as tourism is the second largest industry in the state with many visitors coming to see and photograph predators like foxes, wolves, bears and coyotes, said Kristin Combs, program director for Wyoming Untrapped. To allow these devices to continue to wantonly kill our wildlife and beloved pets is both morally and financially reckless and irresponsible. There is no scientific evidence that M-44s are effective in reducing predation of livestock. It's way past time to ban these devices. Taxpayers should not be expected to continue funding the cruel slaughter of wildlife at the behest of agricultural producers' profits, said Stephen Wells, executive director of Animal Legal Defense Fund. Cyanide bombs are indiscriminate and inhumaneand are a proven danger to humans and companion animals. These devices have no rightful place in wildlife policy. Many effective nonlethal alternatives exist to eliminate or reduce conflicts between livestock and predators, said Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote. It's time our federal government followed the lead of Washington, California and other states in banning these deadly poisons once and for all. Click here to view the petition.
Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
The companys core focus is on providing affordable, personal hygiene care to women while travelling and in other areas of their lifestyle such as while attending gym sessions.

PeeSafe has announced a fundraise of $1 Mn from Venture Catalysts, global VC firm Alfa Capital, Green Shots Capital, and Real Time Ventures. Angel investors such as ex-FreeCharge CEO Govind Rajan, Motilal Oswal PE Partner Amit Choudhury also participated in the round. The funding will be used to expand the product line of the parent company Redcliffe Hygiene and to expand to global markets starting with the US, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

PeeSafe was founded by the husband-wife duo of Vikas and Srijana Bagaria in 2015 and is now run by Redcliffe Hygiene Pvt. Ltd. PeeSafe is a clinically approved, isopropyl, alcohol-based, quick-drying toilet seat sanitizer, as per a company statement. The company claims to have sold 200K units of PeeSafe since inception, across retail stores at an MRP of INR 180.

The companys core focus is on providing affordable, personal hygiene care to women while travelling and in other areas of their lifestyle such as while attending gym sessions. For this purpose, Redcliffe has also introduced products such as GymSafe, MoskitoSafe, and PalmSafe along with PeeSafe and is exporting globally to Nigeria, Australia, and Singapore and the UAE.

PeeSafe was started with the idea of saving over 150 Mn women globally from Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and other diseases caused by unhygienic public washrooms.
This agreement signing is the follow-up action of the execution of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between Metal Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into an agreement with the Metal Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia to implement a twinning programme. The same is aimed at R&D capacity building of MIDI. CSIR has clinched this multi-million US dollar assignment through a process where many international organisations were considered. The twinning is one of the largest programs (in terms of contractual amount) between a CSIR institute and a foreign entity. It should also facilitate CSIRs future collaborations with African Organisations.

Dr. Girish Sahni, Director General, CSIR on the occasion said, The knowledge base of CSIR in the identified areas could be of immense importance for leveraging the technology capacity of African countries. He invited the industry to join hands with CSIR and its counterparts in respective African countries to deploy the technology for benefitting the masses in the region.

The agreement was signed by the Director of National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur (CSIR-NML) on behalf of the participating CSIR Laboratories, and the Director General of Metals Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

CSIR will enhance the capacity and capability of MIDI under the twinning arrangement and MIDI will be positioned to emerge as a globally competitive center of excellence in the field of Metals and Engineering, through the twinning programme.

This agreement signing is the follow-up action of the execution of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between Metal Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India.
Opinion | 04 November 2022 | Interviews

India needs to connect OPD with the cashless insurance network to bring them into the digital economy

After having raised $1.2 million from Entrepreneur First and GrowX Ventures in 2021, how do you see the perfor...Read more
Richard Curtis will be honoured with the Cannes LionHeart Award in recognition of his continued and significant involvement in charitable initiatives that include Comic Relief, Red Nose Day and the Make Poverty History campaign.

Most recently, in his role as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Advocate, Curtis founded Project Everyone, which along with the United Nations, helped to launch and promote the Global Goals, a series of ambitious targets to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and combat climate change by 2030. Project Everyone exists to encourage action, awareness and accountability for the goals so that they stand the best chance of being achieved.

Terry Savage, chairman, Cannes Lions, cited this specifically as being the true embodiment of the Cannes LionHeart Award. Jose Papa, MD, Cannes Lions, added, Over more than 25 years, Richard Curtis has created a series of powerful, recognised brands that are significant in their humanitarian achievements, changing the lives of thousands of people across the world. As an organisation we believe that creativity is a force for good and this is palpable in Richards endeavours.

Curtis is co-founder and vice-chair of Comic Relief, which he started after visiting Ethiopia during the 1985 famine. In 1988, Comic Relief launched its Red Nose Day fundraising initiative, which has gone on to raise more than 1bn for projects in the UK and around the world. Curtis is also a founding member of Make Poverty History. As part of the campaign he wrote three times Emmy winning television drama, The Girl in the Cafe, as well as writing TV movie Mary and Martha, which has been shown in 50 countries and is now used as a campaigning tool by many organisations committed to ending malaria.

Commenting on the award, Curtis said, When I attended Cannes Lions a couple of years ago I was struck by this shared belief between all of us there that creativity has the power to change the world. I am a strong believer that you have to create things, to make things happen. I know first-hand that films, television and writing all have the ability to make people empathise with others - and drive people towards social action. I hope the Cannes LionHeart continues to encourage people to use their creativity and their access to challenge peoples hearts and minds to focus on solving the greatest challenges to the world today.

Introduced in 2014, the Cannes LionHeart is an honorary award, presented to an individual that has innovatively harnessed commercial brand power to make a significant and positive difference to people or the planet. Curtis will be presented with the award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on the night of 24 June 2017. For more information, click here.
Despite the fact that we're all drowning in a sea of video - and despite the fact the advertising industry clevers will tell us that moving images are the future of humankind - still photographs or images still have the power to fascinate.

More importantly, that ability to capture attention still works for advertising, because it is not the sort of fleeting wallpaper, which flicks momentarily across the mind of a consumer. Thats why I love good print ads.

A good print ad will be simple, it will contain a basic human insight and will, in the best of senses, be humorous because humour helps the human brain retain and remember messages.

It is good when you see an ad where all of these aspects come together. An example recently was a series of print executions we ran in The Citizen for NetFlorist. Now, this brand has always been about humour, some of it sometimes a little risky and risque. A lot of its work has been done in radio and has attracted Orchids from me in the past.

So, to see it in print is a breath of fresh air. The ads didnt disappoint on any one of the three criteria I mentioned.

The premise behind them is that people often regret things they say and do almost immediately after they have said and done them but the apology process can take time and can even make things worse. So, what if you had really put your foot in it and someone (like NetFlorist) was able to come to your rescue with a personally delivered bouquet of flowers, or a gift, on the same day?

Both of the ads are laid out to look like text messages  the top one sent first (check the time) and the bottom one sent later, after the whoops, Im in trouble moment.

One says: Youre just like your bloody mother

And then: Kind, loving and beautiful.

The other says: I never want to see you again and then: wearing so much clothing!

Its funny, its simple and it gets across the message that NetFlorist is there to save you from yourself and who doesnt need someone like that every now and then?

An Orchid to NetFlorist and its agency, FCB Joburg.

One of the most amazing things about the Knysna fire disaster was the role played by social media in keeping people informed and in getting out the latest news and images from what many described as a war zone.

I was one of those keenly following Twitter on the Wednesday night, because my sister-in-law and her friends live in Knysna. They were on holiday in Kruger National Park and were on their way home when the news reached them at their overnight stop at Gariep Dam in the Free State. The news was grim. My sister-in-law and her friends had both lost their houses  but friends had managed to salvage some possessions.

I still followed the feeds on Twitter, because I was also monitoring what was happening so I could send through a late-night update to our Page 2 story for Thursday.

But I, and scores of other users perusing the material under the #KnysnaFire hashtag, was angered by the regular appearance, in the feed, of advertising for an employment website called tolajobs.co.za.

It was not only irritating; it also took up valuable communication space  space which was being used to communicate urgent information.

I do not know how the ads ended up there, but they were crass and insensitive at a time when people had died and homes were being gutted. A number of people turned on tolajobs.co.za and attacked them. That basically defeated the entire object of having the ad there in the first place.

So tolajobs.co.za, you get an Onion from me.

But there is a warning there of the danger of placing your ads simply in places where there is traffic. It can backfire badly. My guess is that this ad was placed with clever ad technology  the most prominent is programmatic buying  which looks for number and not context. It can badly damage a brand

(My sister-in-law arrived home in Knysna to find her house had been spared and her friends house had been saved by her other friend. But thats another amazing story)

*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors - the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*
It's never a good sign when shares in the company you lead rally on news of your departure. Investors in Life Healthcare took Monday's unexpected resignation of CEO Andre Meyer in their stride, initially pushing the stock 1.4% higher, before it dribbled back down to close flat.

Andre Meyer, former CEO at Life Healthcare

In the top post for just three years, Meyer had the job of diversifying Life across geographies and "practice areas". In this, he appears to have been only partly successful.

While Life now has a foothold in the UK, Poland and India, business in the latter two regions does not appear to be going to plan. Poland has a fragmented hospital sector. A cut in cardiology tariffs in the past set of financials caused margins to dwindle to just 5.1%, from 13.5%.

India's listed Max Healthcare, in which Life owns just more than 46%, appears to have a perennial issue with costs. Some analysts say the two businesses should be cut loose, despite their short lives in Life's portfolio.

While Life Healthcare did rally to a record high of R47.81 in September 2014, shortly after Meyer's incumbency, the stock has proved a disappointing hold under his watch, now languishing at about R26. It has, admittedly, undergone a massive capital-raising exercise to fund its acquisition of Alliance Medical, a British provider of medical imaging services.

In this, Life Healthcare may have found a winner, though at 800m, it is not cheap.

Life's three biggest shareholders are the Public Investment Corporation, Allan Gray and the Industrial Development Corporation. Allan Gray appears to have had a slight change of heart though, having sold its interest down to 6.85% by end April, after raising its exposure to 10% just last November.
South African children are simply not equipped to manage their money. Financial management is not something that is taught at school, and money is one of those dirty subjects parents avoid talking about with their children.

 Wavebreak Media Ltd 123rf.com

Financially illiterate

Studies show that 74% of youth are not involved (or included) in the daily financial management of their household. However, the benefits of involving young people in the households financial matters are clear.

Because of their lack of involvement with money matters at home, our youth are financially illiterate. The results of the financial literacy section of the 2015 South African Social Attitudes Survey showed that the level of financial literacy among adult South Africans is in the low to moderate range (55 out of 100). The score was even lower for the youth says Kathryn Main, MD of Money Savvy Kids.

Children who are involved or included in their household financial management display a higher propensity to save, more cautious spending behaviour and a better understanding and knowledge of financial products.

Creating a debt trap

It means our youth have to be equipped because financial illiteracy has serious consequences. Firstly, they get trapped by debt.

Whats happening at the moment is kids are going to university, and the banks are there offering them these student loans and they start their adult life in debt. They drown in interest because they dont understand it and are then unable to make wise investment choices in the future. Its bad enough that 50% of South Africans are in debt, we dont have to allow our kids to get sucked in as well.

Credit rights

Secondly, they dont understand their basic credit rights. Because they are drowning in debt and interest from student loans, their credit score gets messed up. They cant buy a car, a house or even get a cell phone to their name. And so they struggle along for 10 or 20 years, trying to get rid of the debt and improve their credit score often to no avail

She says that financial illiteracy also undermines saving. Ask yourself - Why would someone put money aside to invest in something they dont understand? Financial illiteracy undermines saving  as simple as that.

In addition, South Africa is a buy-now, pay-later society. The effects on young peoples financial literacy are thus characterised by the same behaviour patterns as parents and society as a whole. These are high credit and high consumer behaviour with very little savings, and in turn high social risk behaviour.
With the transport sector still savouring the expected benefits of the announced scrapping of VAT on transit cargo, a move that is likely to increase volume of consignments at the Dar es Salaam Port, the harbour has received yet another shot in the arm.

The government through Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), signed a 36-month contract with a Chinese firm for the designing, construction, deepening, and strengthening of the Dar es Salaam Port.

According to the contract, China Habour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) will design, construct, deepen, and strengthen Dar es Salaam Port's berths numbers 1 up to 7.

Will be able to compete

The upgrading of the berths will enable the Port to receive large cargo ships, hence will be able to compete with the rest of the ports along the Indian Ocean coast.

Dar es Salaam Port currently competes with Mombasa in East Africa region, Beira in Mozambique, and others in South Africa.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at Dar es Salaam Port, minister for works, transport and communications prof Makame Mbarawa said that in the first phase of project implementation, the government expects to spend 336bn/-.

According to the minister, the seven berths will be deepened from the current depth of eight metres up to 15 metres.

"These measures will enable the Port to receive large vessels capable of carrying up to 19,000 containers."

Implementing other infrastructure projects

Mbarawa explained that the government will throw its weight into implementing other mega infrastructure projects such as railways and roads to speed up the clearing and transportation of cargo from the Port to the respective destinations.

"We don't need shipped containerised items and other cargo to spend much time at the Port after arriving that's why we are also focusing on constructing railway lines and roads to speed up transportation," he insisted.

He added: "The construction of standard gauge railway (SGR) from Dar es Salaam to the Lake Zone and Kigoma and the upgrading of Tanzania -Zambia Railway (Tazara) will facilitate good and quick performance of the Dar es Salaam Port."

The minister is of the view that the construction of the two railway lines and upgrading of Dar es Salaam Port will attract a good number of importers from landlocked countries.

He also asked Port employees to work diligently.

$421m will be raised

Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) director general, Eng Deusdedit Kakoko said $421m (945.2/-bn/-) will be raised to cover the whole project out of which $345m (774.5/-bn/-) will be provided by the World Bank as a soft loan.

He said that the completion of the construction will help do away with time wastage whereby cargo ships are compelled to wait to dock at the Port to offload cargo due to small space.

Dar es Salaam Port clears cargo destined for Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The upgrading of the seven berths of Dar es Salaam Port comes at a time when importers are rejoicing following the government's decision to remove Value Added Tax (VAT) on transit goods.

The business community has warmly welcomed the government decision, saying importers from landlocked countries who avoided the Port will no doubt return to use it.
The City of Cape Town has released its draft Harbour By-law for the public to comment and submit their comments before 8 July 2017.

It proposes to reverse the long-running, systemic mismanagement of the citys harbours under the national departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and Public Works (DPW).

The draft Harbour By-law was drawn up in terms of the constitutional mandate of municipalities to administer harbours within their jurisdiction. This would enable the City of Cape Town to regulate how the national DPW, as owner of the harbours, manages them.

The City has been engaging with representatives of both the DAFF and the DPW for several years with a view to establishing a cooperative basis for the proper administration of the harbours within the Citys jurisdiction. These include the Hout Bay, Kalk Bay, Murrays Bay, Granger Bay and Gordons Bay Harbours.

Despite trying to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the two departments, the DAFF refused to participate and the DPW withdrew after initial engagements, despite having arrived at a draft memorandum of understanding and an implementation protocol under Operation Phakisa.

Harbours continue to decay

This has left the City no choice but to forge ahead with the proposed By-law. Our harbours cannot continue to be neglected and mismanaged, falling ever further into disrepair. Their dilapidated and dysfunctional state has a serious impact on those who use them, in particular the workers and communities who depend on the harbours for their livelihood. Lack of professional management and maintenance has resulted in the serious degradation of these public assets, an increase in crime and a failure to develop their economic potential.

The DPW has failed to maintain these assets as required in terms of the Government Immoveable Asset Management Act. The Hout Bay and Kalk Bay Harbours are currently managed by the DAFF under the purported authority that they have been declared fishing harbours under the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998, and accordingly authorised by the Control over and the Management of Fishing Harbours Regulations.

The City has taken senior counsels opinion on the constitutionality of this assertion and that opinion concludes that the assertion of authority, and the regulations that purportedly authorise this, did not survive the repeal of the Sea Fisheries Act. Alternatively, even if they did, this would be unconstitutional as it encroaches on the constitutional mandate of municipalities to manage harbours (other than national ports) within their jurisdiction.

In view of the failure to establish a cooperative arrangement with the two departments, the City intends to take over their administration by means of a Harbour By-law. This will authorise the City to administer these harbours, to regulate harbour and other municipal matters in the harbour precincts, and to set standards for the repair and maintenance of the harbours to be implemented by the DPW.

No reply from national departments

The City notified the DAFF and the DPW of this intent and forwarded them a copy of the draft By-law for their consideration on 29 May 2017. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was also invited to withdraw or amend the contested regulations in order to avoid an intergovernmental dispute. To date, the City has received no response from either department.

Nevertheless, the City will not be deterred in its efforts to finalise and publish the By-law. The sooner the Harbour By-law can be enacted, the sooner we can begin to reverse the rot in our harbours.

Interested parties can view the Draft Harbour By-law here.
With various accolades, destinations, and positions at some of the world's finest establishments under his toque, Chef Tyron Lumley, has been appointed as the executive chef at Fairlawns Boutique Hotel and Spa in Sandton. For him, it has always been about food - respecting food and paying homage to and preserving pure flavours and ingredients.

Chef Tyron Lumley

Originally from KwaZulu-Natal, Lumley spent a large portion of his life growing up in this province, after which he moved to Johannesburg. Straight out of school, he entered the working world as a Commis Chef at Chaine des Rotisseurs Manna House in Hilton. During this time, Lumley bravely did his formalised training  an International Diploma in Hotel Management through Varsity College and received prior learning to the Swiss hotel school in Adelaide, Australia while simultaneously undergoing gruelling in-house training through HITB. At the time, Chaine des Rotisseurs was the equivalent of Michelin Star  the hallmark and benchmark of French cuisine and fine dining the world over. After he completed his studies and his time at Manna House, Lumley spent two and a half years at the esteemed Browns of Rivonia.

One fateful night

It was during this time, on one fateful night, that Lumley met a troop from Kerzner International, who interviewed him to work in Dubai. Two days later, a formalised offer landed in his inbox. The rest, as they say, is history.

When I started my four-year tenure as a junior sous-chef at Sun International in Dubai  now called The One and Only Resort  I was the youngest chef in the brigade, cooking alongside some of the top chefs from around the world. When I left this particular establishment, I left as a Chef de Cuisine, says Lumley.

After leaving The One and Only in Dubai, Lumley returned to South Africa for a brief respite, facilitating and overseeing the opening of various restaurants across the country. It wasnt long before he returned to Dubai, opening 15 branches of the famous More Cafe across the UAE. This experience, in particular, taught him the ins and outs of financing and costings and what running a tight ship entails.

It wasnt long before Lumley was commissioned to open up Omans first More Cafe at the Royal Opera House. Here, he and his team catered to the needs and whims of Muscats wealthiest and most famous, often dealing with high-level presidential affairs and handling all the catering prior to and after the unique Opera Houses shows. Before returning to South Africa, Lumley worked for high profile boutique cafe dining chain, Bateel International, for two and a half years. During this time, he was the executive chef of the chains production facilities, supplying all the food for 13 outlets.

Returning to his first love

Prior to my return to South Africa, I was approached to head up the opening of the esteemed Pauls Bakery in Melrose Arch. This involved everything from recruitment and staffing for the restaurant, to adjusting and testing recipes, because while something might work in Singapore and Dubai, for example, there is no guarantee that it would also work in a South African market and context, adds Lumley.

Soon afterward, Fairlawns presented me with an opportunity to return to my first love  the boutique hotel environment. Some of the happiest days of my life and career have been spent working at hotels, and to have the opportunity to return to this, was an offer I absolutely couldnt refuse.

Michael Kewley, managing director of Fairlawns, says, Not only is Lumley an excellent and highly sought-after chef, but he is also someone who knows, can identify with and adapt to the market he finds himself in. I count his fluidity in food, his unwavering passion for his trade and his wealth of knowledge and experience at some of the finest establishment in the world, as an asset."
No fewer than 26 airlines have discontinued the process for the acquisition of the air operator certificate (AOC) over stringent conditions set by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), it has been revealed.

 anyaberkut via 123RF

This is just as the NCAA debunked insinuations in some quarters that some airlines borrowed aircraft to complete their certification process.

Spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, disclosed that there were five phases an airline underwent before completing the certification process and many airlines faltered on the way.

Phases

There is the pre-application phase when the airline makes enquiry about the processes, followed by the document compliance phase which involves a certification team reviewing applicant's documents for compliance acceptance/approval.

The others are AOC process, also called demonstration and inspection phase, which involves evaluation by a certification team and applicant's demonstration of compliance evaluation of management effectiveness, inspection of station(s) facilities, flight operations, maintenance and records.

The next is called certification phase which allows the intending operator for approval of AOC and operation specification with coordination with director for safety oversight and DG NCAA.

In the case of Omniblu Aviation limited, the airline got its AOC certification in 2015 and as at today, referencing the NCCA document and Omniblu operational specification, Omniblu has five helicopters and three aeroplanes on her AOC - HS123-850XP (5N-SPL); Challenger 604 (N880ET); and Boeing 737 Freighter (5N-IZB).

Terminations

The operators that have terminated their AOC processes are Jet Support Services, Air First (abandoned since 2015) got to stage two. Air Taraba, Air Jupiter, Continental Aerospace, Jet Leasing Support, Quorum Aviation, Tropical Arctie, Xejet, Revillo were in stage three.

Glory Airlines, Dominion Air Limited, Mounthill Aviation Resources Limited got to phase one until they stalled the processes.

Others in exploratory phase are Air Stream Aviation, Baltic Airlines, Millennium Travels and Tours, New Okada Air, Onedot Aviation, Oriental Airlines, Prime Air Services, Private Airline Services, and Trebet Aviation Aerospace Nig. Limited.

Standing its ground

Adurogboye said NCAA had consistently stood its grounds in maintaining its 'strict' policy of granting intending airline operators the all-important AOC.

NCAA also included a minimum of 50 hours demonstration flights for intending operators. An intending operator in the country's aviation industry is expected to fly empty with full crew members and NCAA inspectors for a minimum of 50 hours.

The last stage is when the intending carrier carries out 50 hours demonstration flights which the NCAA included to ensure that the applicant could carry out scheduled operations with all the safety standards without compromise.

As part of the requirements, an intending operator is expected to have sufficient personnel with the required experience for the type of operations requested, airworthy aircraft, suitable for the type of operations requested, acceptable systems for the training of crew and the operation of the aircraft (Operations Manual).

Managing director of Med-View Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, lauded the NCAA for ensuring compliance with the requirements.
The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award prepares local emerging artists and designers to participate professionally in the global art market, through its encouragement of multi-disciplinary creative capabilities.

Ours is the only South African award that requires artists not only to create an original work but translate it into a decal that can be wrapped around a minibus taxi, says SA Taxi Foundation director, Lishani Letchmiah.

In the process, artists and designers must work to an external brief and a deadline, as they would in the corporate sector. For artists, this exposes them to a different process from the one used in creating an artwork, where the parameters and creative expression are self rather than client defined. From the perspective of designers, the competition allows for freer expression than they usually experience in their professional lives.

Entrants are also working in more than one medium in order to deliver a product that works as well in 3D format, on the taxi, as it does in its original medium. In addition, they have to think beyond the still gallery format to a mobile, public format.

These skills are vital if South African creatives are to benefit from a global art market industry that, according to the 2016 Art Market Report issued by the worlds pre-eminent art and antique fair, Tefaf, achieved total sales of $63.8bn in 2015. Consistently participating in even a small section of such a market would contribute significantly to our economy overall and it would put our own art sector on a sustainable footing.

In principle, art is globalised anyway because art lovers are not confined to a given country. However, as with most other industries today, technology makes it possible for a local artist to market his or her work anywhere in the world.

The challenge is often professional practice within the industry, which is where our partner, Lizamore & Associates, provides a necessary support structure to the artists as intermediaries.

They provide artists with guidance on the preparation they need to do to engage an audience and an art market. This includes, for example, setting up of exhibitions, the way they package their work for proposals and presentation, and how to put together marketing collateral such as catalogues and brochures.

Professionalism is key

Short of a stroke of luck, no artist can break into a global market worth billions of dollars without developing some level of professionalism. Our Award helps to get them started down that road.

Teresa Lizamore, owner of Lizamore & Associates Gallery, says that there are relatively few professional career artists in South Africa. Being able to live off your work as opposed to doing it on an ad hoc basis and trusting luck to sell it does call for a focused, business-like approach.

For many artists, art and business are mutually exclusive activities. However, for those who do concentrate on systematically building their careers and reputations, the financial payoff can be substantial. The structure and intent of the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award enables us to provide some encouragement and focused advice related to taking a more professional approach to ones art career.

In that context, these early career artists have limited exposure to the business side of the art sector, Letchmiah adds. The Award is, therefore, all the more important as a part of their professional development.

Encouraging this development, SA Taxi Foundation sponsored attendance by the 2017 finalists at a two-day seminar presented in April by art consultants, Art Source South Africa, and hosted at the Lizamore & Associates Gallery. The seminar looked at professional practice and arts development for those wanting to become career artists.

The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award has grown from 75 entries in its first year (2014/15) to 163 this year.
For 11 days Grahamstown will become the cultural mecca of South Africa when the National Arts Festival draws artists, dancers and musicians from around the world to perform on its stages from 29 June to 9 July.

The National Arts Festival has become a homecoming pilgrimage for many South African artists living and working abroad and this year is no different: Cellist Abel Selaocoe, the 2017 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, returns from the UK to present an excitingly diverse recital at the Festival as well as to perform as a soloist at the Festival Gala Concert on Saturday, 8 July.

Soweto-born dancer and choreographer Vincent Mantsoe returns from his home in France to perform Konkoriti. Described by The Guardians dance writer Sanjoy Roy as a magnetic soloist, Mantsoe is best known for his work around spirituality and African and indigenous heritage. In KonKoriti, he takes on the foolishness of pride and arrogance.

UK comedian Stephen K Amos is including Grahamstown in his World Famous tour with two unmissable shows. I want you to laugh and then I pull the rug from under your feet by making you think about quite important points, Amos has said of his brilliant brand of observational comedy.

The fascinating Its Only Birds is another sure-fire Festival hit. Comic Louise Reay, fresh from the Adelaide Fringe (Best Emerging Artist 2017) and Edinburgh Fringe (Groundbreaker Award 2016), performs the play in Mandarin. The artists challenge to her audience is that they will still understand the play through non-verbal communication, with astonishing results.

One-woman show, a physical performance and cop parody

Excavating history, faith and cultural integration, the one-woman show from the UK, The Crows Plucked Your Sinews is performed by Subaan actress Aisha Mohammed, with the accompaniment of Oud musician Abdulkader Saadoun. The play weaves the narrative of a young Somalian woman living in London in 2011 with the war in Somalialand in 1913. Described by North West End press as an important piece of theatre that needs to be seen, the production runs from the 5 to 8 July.

In partnership with Business and Arts South Africa and the World Fringe Alliance, Macho Macho (Best of Amsterdam Fringe 2016) will be presented as part of the Arena programme, a collection of works that have won a Standard Bank Ovation Award, a Cape Town Fringe Fresh Award or a jury award at an international fringe festival. Macho Macho explores ideas of masculinity  from bromance to beer drinking  through intensely physical and vibrant stagecraft.

With sell-out runs at Londons Soho Theatre and at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Police Cops is a slightly different spoof on masculinity  and epic cop movies. This highly entertaining and energetic piece has taken home a string of theatre awards, including the Cape Town Fringes Best International Show Fringe Fresh Award in 2016.

Dance performance with lights, Think!Fest and Jazz

Performance art lovers are in for a treat with a double bill by Swiss choreographer Philippe Saire. Neons and Vacuum form part of a series called Dispositifs, where the visual concept leads the creative process. Neons tells of the intensity of a relationship through contrasts in light, while Vacuum is an interplay of black holes and dazzling lights.

International guests on the Think!Fest programme include Galen Bresson (CEO of Creative Industries and National Events Agency in the Seychelles), Natalie Kombe (Shoko Festival Coordinator in Zimbabwe) and Jiggs Thorne (Director of the Bushfire Festival in Swaziland). They will be participating in several events including #ArtOut and a panel discussion on curation. Professor Emmanuel Dandaura vice president of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) will be attending the Festival for the launch of a local chapter of IATC and, along with dancer/choreographer, Hannah Ma from Germany, all of these international guests will participate in an International Arts Symposium open to artists to be held at Nelm on Thursday, 6 July.

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival will present an array of international artists including Australias James Morrisson Quartet, Brazilian bass prodigy Michael Pipoquinha (performing solo and with Swiss pianist Malcolm Braff) and US steel pan master Andy Narell. A hallmark of the Jazz Festival is the SA/international collaborations. Among those on the bill this year are former Standard Bank Young Artist winners Shane Cooper and Bokani Dreyer performing with phenomenal international musicians Christoph Iringer (CH) and Ziv Ravitz (US).

In a first for the Festival, Grahamstown audiences can attend screenings of two of the UKs National Theatre productions; Twelfth Night and Amadeus.

According to National Arts Festival Executive Producer Ashraf Johaardien it has been particularly tough to programme international work in the current economic climate. The Festival is very fortunate to have a network of strong diplomatic relationships who along with the World Fringe Alliance, have stepped up once again this year to help us bring some of the best of the world to the Festivals stages and platforms, Johaardien said. In addition to bringing this work to the Festival audiences, we are particularly keen for our artists to meet artists from around the world as the Festival has an important legacy of forging opportunities for artists to create incredible work together, he added.
The IHeartKnysna Music Festival's organisers say the ethos of spreading love, compassion and donating the profits to charity is what this festival is about. Here follows some useful information if you are interested in attending and donating.

Please visit the website for tickets and info on how you can sponsor, donate or offer any extra help.

Details:

Date: Sunday 25 June

Venue: Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria

Gates Open: 10:30

First Act: 12:00

Line-up:

Goodluck

Majozi

Rubber Duc

Jo Black

Roan van As

Dawie de Jager

+ Special guest performances

Ticket Prices:

Early Bird - R80

Pre-Sold - R120

Gate - R150

Please open your hearts and support this very worthy cause of thousands of people being affected by the #KNYSNAFIRES and who have lost everything they have.

More details on the website on how you can support, sponsor, donate, for advertising space or to offer help in Knysna and surrounding areas or at the event. You can also email if you would like to help.

Sponsors needed to make this day a success:
Do you remember what you were doing in 2012? Chad le Clos brought home the gold from the London Summer Olympics, and the Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS won the Wesbank SA Car of the Year competition. I remember finding the Elantra a little bland, much like the other Hyundai offerings. They were good, solid cars - but entertaining to drive? Hardly.

The outgoing Elantra sorely needed some power - the naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine had long been discontinued, and the 2014 facelift left the Elantra with only a 1.6-litre powerplant, sans forced induction. With the latest Elantra, Hyundai had the good sense to add some more coals to the fire with their turbocharged 1.6TGDI-engine, currently on duty in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Exactly how sporty is it?

Before we get to the kiloWatt, its not just the numbers that make a car sporty. Suspension, steering, chassis - they all add to how smoothly you can fly around that corner. Hyundai went the whole hog with the new Elantra Sport.

They added a new multi-link suspension setup in the rear and lashings of high-tensile steel (manufactured by Hyundai itself) for a more rigid body. It has dropped a few kilos as well and is more aerodynamic than ever. Imagine an overweight guy in a bobsled - how he would corner? To be mean, you gotta be lean.

The 7-speed transmission in the Sport is of the dual-clutch variety, and there are some flappy paddles on the steering wheel for full-fun control.

As for the performance numbers: 150kW with 265Nm is almost unheard of in this price range. At R399,900, the big-name German and Japanese sedans should be shivering in their low-profile rubber. And then theres Hyundais class-leading warranty and service plan*.

The Elantra Sport is taut like a tiger...and the difference could clearly be felt around the hair (-raising) pin bends of the Franschhoek Pass. The Sports flat-bottomed sporty steering wheel with red accents also seems to offer a more engaging drive than many of its rivals - the Elantras motor-driven power steering is quite direct and not too light.

Cabin comfort?

The SA-version of the Elantra Sport is issued with gorgeous leather seats in a deep mulberry red, where the other Elantras get black leather at no extra cost. It looks bright on the photos, but in reality, its quite subdued.

The interior is both ergonomic and stylish. Theres no screen sitting on top of the dash like youd find in the German sedans - instead, its a touch-enabled 8-inch screen, neatly integrated into the fascia. Every new Elantra also gets SatNav as standard, as well as Bluetooth / music streaming / USB & AUX ports and smartphone screen mirroring.

Electrically operated side mirrors and windows, cruise control and rear park assist are also standard features. The Elite variants have automatic air-con, rain sensing windscreen wipers, and a push-button to start the engine. Oh, and theres a CD player for those who havent donated their Hits from the 90s to charity yet.

Safety is rated at five stars and there are six airbags and ISOFIX child seat anchorage points, as well as ABS with EBD. An impact sensing door unlocking system (standard on all models) will kick in to free inhabitants, in the worst-case scenario. Stability control is available in the range-topping 2.0-litre Elite and 1.6 TGDI Sport, and all Elantras have LED daytime running lamps.
According to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey released today, there are limited South African hiring prospects for the third quarter of 2017, declining 3% when compared with the previous quarter and 4% weaker year-on-year.

 pixelrobot  [[www.123rf.com 123RF.com]

Opportunities for job seekers are expected to be strongest in electricity, gas & water supply and the finance, insurance, real estate & business services sectors; and weakest within the agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing and the mining & quarrying sectors. Provincially, employers in KwaZulu-Natal report the strongest hiring intentions for the third quarter of the year, while employers within the Eastern Cape and Free State report the weakest hiring intentions.

Of the 750 employers who participated in the survey, 9% anticipate an increase in staffing levels, 7% expect a decrease and 83% forecast no change.

Lyndy van den Barselaar, MD of the ManpowerGroup SA, provides insights into why South African employers are reporting limited hiring intentions for July to September. As both global and local economic uncertainty continues, many businesses remain cautious about increasing staffing levels. South Africa faced two economic downgrades in recent months, which further demonstrates market uncertainty and has resulted in businesses being more cautious in their spending and hiring activity. This is reflected in the fact that the majority of local employers said they anticipated no change in staffing levels for the upcoming quarter.

Regional comparisons

Employers in all five regions anticipate an increase in staffing levels during 3Q 2017. KwaZulu-Natal employers report the strongest hiring prospects with a net employment outlook of +7%. Elsewhere, outlooks of +6% and +5% are reported in the Western Cape and Gauteng, respectively. Meanwhile, employers in both the Eastern Cape and the Free State report cautious hiring intentions with outlooks of +1%.

KwaZulu-Natal remains a promising region for business development, with many local and international businesses looking to the region for expansion, especially those making use of its ports. A good example is Nestles launch of its newly-renovated coffee production facility in Estcourt, which has reportedly created 490 indirect and permanent jobs.

When compared with the previous quarter, hiring plans weaken in four of the five regions. The outlook for the Western Cape declines by 7%, while employers in the Free State report a decrease of 6%. Outlooks are 5% and 2% weaker in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, respectively, but employers in Gauteng report relatively stable hiring prospects.

Year-on-year, outlooks also decline in four of the five regions. The most notable decrease of 7% is reported in the Eastern Cape, while outlooks are 5% 4% weaker in the Western Cape and the Free State, respectively. Meanwhile, employers in KwaZulu-Natal report no change.

Sector comparisons

Employers in eight of the 10 industry sectors expect to increase staffing levels during the coming quarter. The strongest labour markets are anticipated in the electricity, gas & water supply sector and the finance, insurance, real estate & business services sector, with employers in both sectors reporting net employment outlooks of +10%. A moderate hiring pace is forecast for the wholesale & retail trade sector, with an outlook of +7%, while the outlook for the construction sector is +5%. However, employers in two sectors report uncertain hiring intentions, with outlooks of -1% reported in the agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing sector and the mining & quarrying sector.

As water shortages continue to plague parts of the country, individuals and businesses are investing in systems and technologies that enable them to save water, and lessen their environmental impact. This means that those individuals and organisations who are creating, installing, and maintaining these kinds of systems and technologies are more than likely experiencing an increase in demand, and are therefore looking to hire, explains van den Barselaar.

When compared with the previous quarter, hiring plans weaken in six of the 10 industry sectors. Considerable declines of 11 and 10% are reported in the transport, storage & communication sector and the agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing sector, respectively. Elsewhere, outlooks are 4% weaker in both the restaurants & hotels sector and the wholesale & retail trade sector. Meanwhile, hiring prospects improve in three sectors, most notably by 5% in the manufacturing sector.

Employers in seven of the 10 industry sectors report weaker hiring intentions when compared with this time one year ago. The most noteworthy decline of 13% is reported in the public & social sector, while outlooks are 6% weaker in three sectors  the agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing sector, the transport, storage & communication sector and the wholesale & retail trade sector. However, outlooks strengthen in two sectors; with construction sector employers reporting an increase of 10% and an improvement of 7% reported by mining & quarrying sector employers.

Organisation-size comparisons

Participating employers are categorised into one of four organisation sizes: micro businesses have less than 10 employees; small businesses have 10-49 employees; medium businesses have 50-249 employees; and large businesses have 250 or more employees.

Staffing levels are expected to increase in three of the four organisation size categories during 3Q 2017. Large employers report upbeat hiring prospects with a net employment outlook of +20%, while outlooks stand at +6% and +2% for micro- and medium-size employers, respectively. Meanwhile, small employers anticipate a flat labour market, reporting an outlook of 0%.

Quarter-on-quarter, outlooks decline by 6% and 3% for medium- and small-size employers, respectively. However, large employers report an improvement of 2%, while the outlook for micro employers is unchanged.

When compared with this time one year ago, small- and medium-size employers both report declines of 7%, but the outlook for large employers is 4% stronger. Meanwhile, micro employers report relatively stable hiring plans.

Global outlook

Globally, the strongest hiring plans are reported by employers in Japan, Taiwan, Hungary, the US, Hong Kong and Turkey. Meanwhile, employers report the weakest hiring prospects in Italy, the Czech Republic and Finland.

The next ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 12 September 2017 to report hiring expectations for the last quarter of 2017.
During his speech delivered at the United Nations, President Ali Bongo Ondimba announced that his government created a network of 20 marine protected areas in Gabon. The protected areas include nine marine parks and 11 aquatic reserves covering 26% of Gabon's territorial waters.

President of the Republic of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba, announces the creation of 20 marine protected areas during his speech at the headquarters of the United Nations

As I have often argued, we cannot approach sustainable management solely from the point of view of conservation. On the contrary, we must also tackle this issue through rational use of the environment in order to give more meaning to its preservation by the people who live in it, said the president.

The creation of these areas had been preceded by the approval of the project by the Head of State, who is also President of the Strategic Committee of the National Marine Council, the body created in April 2014 with responsibility for formulating national marine policy.

An innovative initiative on the African continent, the creation of this network of marine protected areas confirms Ondimba's commitment to preserving the environment, as well as to implement effective and sustainable management of the nation's marine natural resources. The policy aims to rehabilitate fish stocks, increase the sustainable production of the available fishery resources and protect the marine environment, with multiple positive outcomes for the people of Gabon.

Significant acceleration of sustainable development

With a network of 13 national parks, representing true treasures of global biodiversity, and more than 800 kilometres of coastline, Gabon  more than 90% of which is covered with forest  is seeing a significant acceleration of its sustainable development policy under the determined drive of Ondimba.

This policy is based on a new model of socio-economic development that is beneficial both to the Gabonese population and to the international community. Its practical implementation can be seen, in particular, in the signing of major environmental agreements such as the Paris Agreement, signed in the context of the COP21 summit.

An exemplary country in the field of sustainable development, Gabon had the honour, in January 2017, of being chosen to coordinate the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).

During his term in office at the head of CAHOSCC, Ondimba intends to continue the work of his predecessor, the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, and to open up new areas of development in this field that are so crucial to our future in the face of climate change.
KwaZulu-Natal judge president Achmat Jappie has told the annual general meeting of the South African National Editors' Forum that it is the media and judiciary's responsibility to safeguard South Africa's open democracy, with an emphasis on the information disseminated to citizens and the government. The AGM discussions comprised the so-called threat of fake news, cyber bulling, and physical threats to journalists.



Following death threats received by investigative journalists Sipho Masondo of the City Press and Mzilikazi wa Afrika of the Sunday Times in recent months, Sanef has encouraged journalists to report online and physical abuse and harassment to @SAEditorsForum via Twitter, by contacting the Sanef office, or through their title editors.
A selection of works by Albuquerque sculptor and architect Bruce Warren Davis and multi-disciplinary artist and professor at the University of New Mexico, Mary Tsiongas. Runs through 6/30.

Repurpose/Revision/Reconstruction  Bruce Warren Davis and Mary Tsiongas

What The Color Blue Sounds Like  Mick Burson

May 30July 14

Gallery Reception: Saturday, May 27, 68 pm

Richard Levy Gallery is pleased to present Repurpose/Revision/Reconstruction, a selection of works by Albuquerque sculptor/architect Bruce Warren Davis and multi-disciplinary artist and professor at the University of New Mexico Mary Tsiongas. Davis constructs three-dimensional artifacts that explore space and material. Tsiongas projects landscape paintings onto found architectural models to create mesmerizing photographs.

As an architect, Davis has completed hundreds of projects throughout the Southwest and has recently turned his attention to sculpture. Davis focuses on objects like frames and boxes that normally serve to contain. He creates wooden assemblages and loosely painted colorful frames from raw and reclaimed construction materials. Born and educated in Illinois, Davis moved to New Mexico in 1972 and has maintained a private architecture practice since 1975. He has exhibited artwork in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

In her recent work entitled Aporia, Mary Tsiongas creates dimly lit sets by using small architectural models and old slides of landscape paintings. The projections are then photographed and printed digitally. Aporia comes from the Greek work  meaning an impasse, a puzzlement, a contradiction. Born in Greece and now based in Albuquerque, Mary Tsiongas has performed, exhibited, and lectured extensively for the past twenty years. Her work has been shown in over fifty solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. She is currently a Professor of Experimental Art and Technology in the Department of Art at the University of New Mexico.

In the Project Room the gallery presents What The Color Blue Sounds Like, a sculptural installation made from wood, metal, and paint by Mick Burson. He is also showing lithographs printed at the Tamarind Institute. The gallery commissioned Burson to paint a mural on the outside back wall of the building. It will be unveiled at this event. Originally from Waco, TX, Burson is currently in the masters degree program in studio art at the University of New Mexico.

Gallery Reception: Saturday, May 27, 68 pm
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers elected several new board members during its 69th annual congress that was held in Durban. New York Times vice chairman Michael Golden was elected as the new WAN-IFRA president, Paul Verwilt was named as the association's new treasurer and 16 news media executives were elected as WAN-IFRA and World Editors Forum board members.



David Callaway from The Street in the USA and Kevin Beatty of Daily Mail Group will form the new WAN-IFRA presidency for the two coming years.
Rakhine nationalists staged a protest last week against the governments ongoing citizenship review process and recent allotment of national verification cards to residents of the state.

Around 500 people gathered at the Aye Zedi Monastery in Buthidaung township in the afternoon of June 9 to demonstrate against resumption of citizenship scrutiny, which they claim has not been conducted lawfully. The protesters marched through the Muslim-majority township to the Department of Immigration and Population in order to lodge their complaint. The protesters said the verification cards are not in line with the controversial 1982 Citizenship Law.

Human rights groups have criticized the 1982 law, which was instituted by the junta, for ensuring a sclerotic interpretation of citizenship that deprives some minorities, such as Rohingya, of statehood. Human Rights Watch and the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar have repeatedly called for the law to be appealed or amended to meet international standards.

The protesters called for the government to stop issuing national verification cards to Bengalis, a term widely used to refer to the Muslim population in the state who self-identify as Rohingya. The protesters also urged the existing Citizenship Scrutiny Committee to resign.

Citizenship is being granted without proper scrutiny in line with the law, said U Maung Win Naing, one of the protest leaders.

More than one million people in Rakhine State  mostly Muslim Kaman and Rohingya  are stateless, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. A pilot project was started in 2014 to review citizenship applications through a process that included granting so-called national verification cards to those whose eligibility for citizenship would be scrutinized under the 1982 Citizenship Law at a later stage in the process. The program was suspended amid protests, and the cards were revoked. The National League for Democracy-led government announced last year that a citizenship verification pilot would resume, again prompting backlash from the ethnic Rakhine community.

National verification cards and naturalized citizen cards have reportedly been issued to over 30 residents in Buthidaung township in February this year.
Over two dozen Sittwe farmers have rejected compensation offered for their confiscated farmland, demanding either payment at market value, or the restitution of their plots.

The land dispute dates back 25 years, when the farmers say their 160 acres in Set Yoe Kya Ward near the Rakhine State capital was illegally seized by government officials for an intended industrial zone.

As the zone failed to materialize, the farmers continued to plant crops on the disputed turf until March 2015, when they said fences were erected.

Last year, U Kyaw Lwin, Rakhine States minister for mining, agriculture and livestock, told the Irrawaddy that just before the end of former president U Thein Seins administration, he transferred the contested land, allotting the property for residential quarters.

The explanation was hardly satisfactory to the farmers, who continued to demand fair back pay for the land now occupied by buildings, and return of the vacant plots.

On May 15 this year, the farmers staged a protest in Sittwe, after which the Kyay Taw Village administrator summoned them to discuss the issue. The official reportedly offered the farmers K3 million per acre.

After mulling the proposal, the farmers declined the offered compensation, and staged another protest on June 9.

We have seen that the state government has a good-will towards the farmers, but the market value of the land around the industrial zone in Set Yoe Kya Ward is around K150 million per acre, said U Yan Myo Aung, a local farmer.

We have been officially working on this farmland since the days of our great-grandparents. The land was seized in 1992-1993 to build an industrial zone, he added. We are happy if the government wants to build buildings and do business on the land to develop our countrys economy. But no industries have been established there and only houses are have been built.

The farmers submitted a letter of appeal to Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu on April 20. Farmers said they have been given verbal instructions to fence off any property they can prove their ownership of, but they said such a move has only escalated the disputes, in some cases leading to threats on their life.

The government is unable to resolve the indirect sale of farmland that was seized for the industrial zone due to corruption, U Yan Myo Aung added.

A total of 27 farmers have staked a claim over the contested parcel of 160 acres.
June 11

The curfew has been extended in Rakhine States Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships now eight months after the government launched a counter-insurgency campaign in the area. The evening curfew remains in effect from 9pm through 5am in Maungdaw, and between 10pm and 4am in Buthidaung.

Narinjara News interviewed Maungdaw Township Administrator U Myint Khine to ask about the two-month extension of the night curfew, which was ordered on June 9.



Q: Why has the night curfew been extended in these areas?

A: The reason is a lack of regional stability. These areas dont have 24-hour electricity. The night curfew was issued as we dont have full [visibility] at night.



Q: What has caused the instability?

A: Everyone already knows about the incident on October 9 [when an insurgent group staged lethal, pre-dawn attacks on three border guard posts]. After the October 9 incident, there are still killings in the villages at night. You must have heard about the Bengali people who are being killed at night in retaliation for cooperating with the government and relying on the administration. We will need to impose the night curfew as long as these issues continue.



Q: Who is responsible for the killings? Which organizations are they from?

A: The killings are related to the October 9 incident. In the past, there was an insurgent group called the RSO [Rohingya Solidarity Organization]. Now, there is a group called the Arakan something [Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army]. These Bengalis are killing members of their own community.

*Editors note: Social media accounts that self-identify as representing ARSA have repeatedly issued denials about attacking civilians.



Q: Have there been any more attacks against security forces?

A: They havent attacked the Tatmadaw or the Border Police forces. They are only staging attacks among their own community. They havent attacked the [Rakhine] ethnic people, government officials, the Tatmadaw or the police. They are only attacking [Bengalis] who have assisted the government.



Q: What is your opinion about these killings among the Bengalis?

A: I believe they are doing it to disturb the mechanisms of the administration and to attempt to scare the public to prevent further cooperation with the government.



Q: What security measures are being carried out by the township administrators to improve stability in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships?

A: Tatmadaw and Border Police forces continue to operate in these areas. We have been discussing the issue [of the murders] at meetings that are held twice a month. When these incidents happen, we try to find out the truth. But because the murders are happening within their community, we are unable to discern the whole truth. They tend to keep things among themselves. Its not good for them to be united in such a bad way. Even when they know about someone breaking the law or know who is responsible for the killing, they are very afraid to act as a witness. So, its difficult to reveal the truth. We are doing our best but we still need to impose the night curfew as long as instability exists.
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While some African countries are seen to be developing faster, jobs and inequality have become critical challenges for Africa. According to World Bank, growth in Sub-Saharan Africa slowed markedly in 2016 to 1.5 percent and it is projected to recover in 2017 to 2.6 percent and will continue to strengthen in 2018.

However, African policy experts have projected that economic growth in Africa will likely continue to occur alongside limited decent job opportunities and stark inequalities in income, wealth and access to social services. Speaking during African Policy Circle Workshop last week, Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) President, Mpho Moruakgomo said in many countries, the current growth pattern has actually increased the dependence on the export of primary commodities and minerals and often led to premature deindustrialisation and stagnation of agricultural productivity.





The growth therefore has often translated in increased import of food and manufactured products and the virtual export of African jobs and human capabilities. Now in Botswana we import about 90 percent of our food, said Moruakgomo.

He explained that trends of decreasing African ownership of its assets as well as shrinking retention of the benefits of its growth are of great concern and are the core issues of the global inequality problem. Moruakgomo said that it is critical that African economies transform in a way that puts inclusive growth at the centre to address enduring inequalities.

Importantly, a move to diversify economies, and add-value in specific sectors, should not rely on an assumed positive relationship with equality. An Africa with a larger share of global GDP, diverse imports and a larger tax-base is not necessarily a more equal continent in which prosperity is shared, he said.

It is important, he said, to craft a vision of structural transformation that has inclusive growth as its most central rationale. In her presentation, Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD) Head of Advocacy and Policy Development, Salina Sanou said African countries need to expand their domestic resource mobilisation capacities and enhance prospects for alternative development financing in order to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

She explained that in an attempt to attract foreign direct investment, many African countries have sometimes encouraged unhealthy tax competition whilst granting undue tax incentives such as the tax holidays allowed to multinational companies.

These practices result in loss of government revenues and are unlikely to provide a stable base for the accumulation of public finance on the scale needed to realise the Special Development Goals across all of Africas fifty-five countries, she said.Sanou also explained that African countries need to create an international tax body at the United Nations level that will police and punish countries and individuals that practice illicit financial flows.
Engen Botswana, the countrys only-listed oil company, is delighted that government has established an energy regulatory authority, BERA, to level the playing field. The Act to establish the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) was passed by parliament last year. The Authority could not begin operations in the same year due to non-availability of funds.





BERA is among others tasked with ensuring fair competition within the industry. Engen Botswana welcomes the recently established Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA), hoping that this body will stabilise the local petroleum product market, and ensure that technical and economic standards are followed, Chairman, Dr Shabani Ndzinge wrote in the groups latest annual report.

He said his company is looking forward to seeing how this BERA unfolds in 2017, especially as the proliferation of retail petrol stations continues to grow Meanwhile, Freddie Motlhatlhedi an energy advisor, in the department of energy has told governments Daily News that, BERA is expected to start operations this month (June).

Over the years, players in the energy sector, especially in the industry have complained that government setting of prices for their petroleum products in most cases works against them, resulting in limited profit margins. According to Ndzinge, the growth in the energy sector provides challenges, which comes with new and varied competition. Engen, which has a market capitalisation of P1, 5 billion will not sit down and let players overtake it.

It (competition) also allows Engen Botswana Limited to showcase its industry-leading distribution logistics capability, retail excellence and innovation  factors that we believe will continue to differentiate us from the competition, wrote Ndzinge who is also Vice Chancellor (finance) for Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BUIST).

Engens Managing Director, Chimweta Monga wrote in the 2016 annual report that more and more retail filling stations for well-known brands and independent entities are mushrooming, thereby keeping them on their toes. The closure of some mines, such as BCL and Tati Nickel mines has affected commercial sales at the company. Retail sales were also affected in these areas due to a decline in purchasing power by local residents as a result of the difficulties encountered by the mines, said Monga.

In the past year, Engen piloted the 1Card system to a number of selected customers. The system, which will be launched countrywide this year, will enable individuals and companies to load credit on to a swipe card, and use it to pay for fuel and related services at any service station in the Engen retail network.

The company remains strong despite the fragile economic recovery which has dampened consumers confidence. For the year under review, Engen recorded a profit after taxation of P132million up , by 21 percent year on year. 
Botswana, a mineral resources-based country has an opportunity to create more jobs within the mining sector, which is capital-intensive by nature, Bank of Botswanas director for Research and Financial Stability, Dr. Tshokologo Kganetsano has told the press.

He made the observation when presenting a theme topic for the central banks annual report titled Botswanas trade patterns, international investment and regional economic-integration: Opportunities for industrial development and inclusive growth recently.

Downstream beneficiation within the mineral sector is perhaps the major route for Botswana to take if it is to benefit from the multi-billion Pula sector, especially in the diamond sub- sector which contributes in majority to the countrys exports.





The relocation of the De Beers aggregation in 2012 and sales activities from the UK (United Kingdom) to Botswana and further development of polishing and manufacturing offer the potential for higher employment and greater positive spillovers, said the report which was launched last week.

According to a recent report from Statistics Botswana, the mining and quarrying industries employed 12, 447 workers up to March 2016. However, this was before thousands of jobs were shed after BCL ceased operations months after the report was published.

More than three years ago, De Beers moved its aggregation and sales activities to Botswana following the signing of a ten year sales, sorting and valuation of Debswana-produced diamonds in 2011. The aggregation of diamonds to the 50-year old country was to have benefits to other sectors of the economy such as property, hospitality and financial services.

However, the domestic economy is yet to fully benefit from such development, except for the coming in of diamond imports from De Beers diamond mines and the subsequent export of such parcel to outside markets. Kganetsano, who is new in the post, pointed out that, the success of the diamond polishing sector would depend on proper alignment on labour productivity and relative wages.

Recently, some diamond polishing and cutting companies have closed and retrenched workers citing higher costs of production when compared to other players in developed markets such as India. The report, which is contained in the main 2016 BoB annual report, further states that Botswana has coal resources in abundance, but its potential to create industries and subsequently employment is yet to be fully exploited.

There is potential for coal to support economic activity (including employment opportunities) through direct export, use in generation of surplus electricity for export and production of gas, petroleum and associated chemicals, said the report presented by Kganetsano.

Botswana Oil, a government company, plans to create hundreds of jobs through its coal-to-liquids projects. The project is however at an infancy stage, Chief Executive, Willie Mokgatlhe has previously disclosed.

The BoB report which suggests that Botswana can create more jobs especially in the downstream stage comes at a time when BCL is currently under provisional liquidation after it became apparent that it was no longer economically-viable to continue with its operations.

Before mining was halted at the copper mine, the companys executives were in the process of developing value-added production from copper under the much-hyped Polaris 2 strategy.

As a result of BCL closure, more than 5000 workers have been ejected from the mining pits in Selebi Phikwe.
The Paramount Chiefs of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu were at odds this past weekend in their narration of the two tribes history. The two tribal leaders who in a rare occasion appeared together for an event varied in their narration of the two tribes history especially on how they were affected by the German genocide of 1904. They were both invited to speak at a Herero Cultural Day in Mosu over the weekend organised under the theme: Our Culture our Unity.





Paramount Chief of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority Kilus Karaerua Munjuku III Nguvauva who was the first to speak, acknowledged that there is rivalry between the two tribes. The Ovaherero and Ovambanderu speak the same language and have the same cultural practices.

According to Munjuku III, the rivalry between the two tribes that we observe today amongst our people was brewed and promoted by the German colonialists through their super policy of divide and rule. That was a narrow selfish tactic intended to advance the Germans own benefit and not for any of the two tribes.

He pleaded that, we have a duty to collectively cleanse and rinse and erase the rivalry from all our systems with the ultimate aim of going back to our olden days of peace and harmony. Our greatness as Ovambanderu and OvaHerero leaders should not be measured by the number of fights we have won within or against each other, but by our ability to build peace and harmony within our people, he said.

Speaking about the German/Herero war of 190407, that resulted in the deaths of about 80 percent of the Herero population, and considered by most scholars to be genocide, the Ovambaderu Chief said the Ovambanderu people suffered tremendously under the German colonial rule because they were the first to be targeted by the Germans.

However, the Germans first came into contact with the Ovaherero as they arrived on boats from the coast through Otjimbingue, Omaruru and Okahandja. When they trekked further east of Windhoek, they came across the Ovambanderu and realised the similarities in the language the Ovambanderu and Ovaherero were speaking, he said.

Furthermore, according to him, the German atrocities started in areas under the jurisdiction of the Ovambanderu people and the first battle was waged at Epako (Gobabis) in 1896, which culminated in the death of a German Lieutenant named Lt. Lampe. This incident led to the battle at Otjunda and the public execution of my great grandfather, King Kahimemua Nguvauva.

Said the Chief, Thus, it all started with the Ovambanderu people as usual who were the first to suffer the consequences of the German forces of colonisation. He further noted that after the execution of his great grandfather, the Ovambanderu were subjected forcefully under the rule of Chief Samuel Maharero of the Ovaherero.

The Ovambanderu people were persecuted and made to pay for war damages, which later forced them to claim to be Ovaherero in order to save their lives and property as about 12, 000 cattle were confiscated from the Ovambanderu people. This is how the language spoken by the Ovambanderu people came to be referred to as Otjiherero due to the German insistence.

He said during the battles of 1904 that led to the declaration of genocidal activities by the German Schuttstruppe the Ovambanderu were brutally killed under the auspices of Ovaherero, because the Germans regarded Ovambanderu as Ovaherero people hence the exclusion of the Ovambanderu people from the extermination orders of Lothar Von Trotha (German military commander.)

Munjuku III speech prompted Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, the Ovaherero Paramount Chief to call his group of advisers to what looked like a short caucus meeting.

When it was his turn to speak Chief Rukoro first gave the platform to the secretary of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, Bethuel Katjimune who went on a rebuttal mode stating that the Ovaherero are the ones who through a conference at Otjikururume in Namibia made a resolution to fight the Germans.

The resolution was made because the Ovaherero noted that the Germans were taking their land and cattle. By then we had only one paramount chief, the leader of the Ovaherero people, Samuel Maharero. He is the one who advised that people should get livestock and buy arms in Cape Town. Unfortunately in January 12, 1904 the war started in Okahandja, a Herero territory.

For his part Chief Rukoro said Ovaherero is just one tribe with different clans or communities. We are one tribe, our culture is the same, he said
Botswana Democratic Partys (BDP) aspirant for the position of Secretary General, Jacob Nkate finds himself between a rock and a hard place as he has been pushed into a corner by BDP top brass, Botswana Guardian has learnt.





Nkate a former Botswana Ambassador to Japan this week was at pains to explain to his supporters across the country and in Ngamiland his ambitions for the partys central Committee position. Botswana Guardian is reliably informed that during his campaign meeting in Ghanzi on Sunday, Nkate had to explain to those who had pledged support for him to contest for the Secretary General position as to why he had pulled out.

This followed the Ngami Branch Congress this past weekend in Kareng where party chairman and Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi told the congress to vote Nkate for additional member position in the Central Committee. Masisi who will be defending his position as party chairman in the coming elective congress billed for Tonota from 7th to 9th 2017 endorsed Mpho Balopi for the position of Secretary General.

During the early days of campaigns Nkate was associated with Masisis lobbylist but the relationship between the two broke down following media reports that after the BDP Tonota Congress Nkate would run for presidency. Early this year Nkate and Masisi were said to be in talks with the aim of rejoining forces. During this past weekend Ngami Congress Masisi made it clear who his favourite for the Secretary General position was.

According to reports by government publication The Daily News Masisi told delegates that Balopi is a team player and would be able to connect BDP with other parties internationally. He asked democrats to vote Nkate as additional member. According to sources Nkate who was present at the meeting was shocked to hear the Vice Presidents statement.

It was after this meeting that Ngami councillors who support Nkate and not Balopi for secretary general position, demanded answers. During the Womens Wing Congress in Maun this year Ngami councillors were among the democrats that brokered a deal between Nkate and Masisi to work together. The statement is said to have taken them by surprise, as Nkate had not communicated this with them.

A campaign team meeting is said to have been held on Tuesday night where Nkate had to give reassurance about his position. It was after this meeting that it was further discovered that the party top brass is pushing Nkate out of Ngami Constituency. An impeccable source revealed to this publication that Masisi and other BDP members had a meeting with Nkate where he was asked to relocate to Gaborone Bonnington North.

It is said that he was promised not to be subjected to Bulela-Ditswe primary election if he agrees to relocate. The plan according to sources is for Nkate not to challenge area MP who is also Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Thato Kwerepe.

Kwerepe is a staunch supporter and associate of the Vice President. Nkate is said to have made it clear that he has made groundwork in Ngami and that is where he would be contesting for the Parliamentary seat. Nkates bid for the constituency is expected to come with hurdles as Kwerepe enjoys the support of the party president Ian Khama and Masisi while Nkates relationship with the party president which has for a long time been on rocky grounds, is said to not have improved.

Information gathered by this publication is that even if he relocates to Gaborone Bonnington North he would not enjoy the support of structures and would get a humiliation against Umbrella for Democratic Change President and current MP Duma Boko. The party structures in this constituency are said to have decried lack of support from the party leadership since losing the constituency in 2014 when Robert Masitara represented the party.

Contacted for comment Nkate said as far as he knows he is still in the race for Secretary General position. He stated that he does not know why the vice president called on fellow democrats to give him a vote for additional member.

I am contesting for the position that I have forwarded my name for and nothing has changed. I would not speak for the VP. My focus is on my campaign as the congress is around the corner, said Nkate. Nkate declined to discuss the Gantsi meeting saying it is an internal party matter. He would also not be drawn into discussing his parliamentary candidacy.

Look my focus is on Tonota. It would also be premature for me to be talking about Bulela-Ditswe because it would be outside the party protocol and procedure, said Nkate. At the Ngami congress Masisi allegedly revealed that he has asked Nkate and Kwerepe not to contest against each other. He is said to have challenged the duo to publicly support the one who would be standing in the constituency.

Nkate is the former area MP and after losing during the party primaries he was later given the diplomatic post. Masisi could not be reached at press time as his mobile phone was off. BDP Secretary General Botsalo Ntuane said the party top leadership does not push out anyone as all members are protected by the BDP Constitution to contest for any leadership position or participate in Bulela-Ditswe for parliament or council seat.

He said as long as rules and regulations are followed there shouldnt be any problem. The issue of consensus came as a resolution during our special congress in Mogoditshane. We do not impose that on our members because it would be a violation of our constitution. Consensus is taken by interested candidates through dialogue and as the party leadership we do not and must not get involved. If they agree that is well and good for the party and if they do not then it is their right to contest and let democrats decide, explained Ntuane.
Ovaherero and Nama in Botswana have formed the Botswana Genocide Foundation, which will be tasked with among others, demanding reparations from the German government for the Ovaherero/Nama genocide.





Known as the First genocide of the 20th century the extermination of tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people by Germany as punishment for a revolt against colonial rule, not only led to deaths but displacement as many others fled to countries such as Botswana and South Africa when the war intensified.

From 1904 until 1908 German soldiers brutally massacred ethnic Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama in Namibia, then known as South West Africa. Different German governments have previously tried to ignore the atrocities committed by Germany. However in 2015 the German government acknowledged that what happened between 1904 and 1908 was genocide.

An estimated 80 percent of Herero people were killed together with half the Nama population. Now, the direct descendants of the 1904 genocide are telling the German government that it is payback time. The committee, which was elected in Mosu over the weekend during a Cultural Day celebrations attended by the Paramount Chiefs of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu, is chaired by Reverend Rupert Hambira.

In an interview, Hambira said for quite sometime now the Ovaherero and Nama people in Namibia have been very actively involved in dialogue with various authorities in trying to force Germany to pay reparations.

The Namibian government had in the past maintained that it will negotiate for those who were affected by the war, but tribal leaders and the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation in Namibia were against the idea arguing that those who were affected need to sit at the table with the Germans as part of the negotiations.

Recently the Namibian government backed down on their stance and accepted the fact that all parties should be part of the negotiations. Hambira said Ovaherero and Nama in Botswana took a laid back stance. But we feel that we need to present the Botswana case because we have a special case to present and it cannot be the same as that of Namibia, he said.

He said in Botswana the descendents of the genocide have suffered the worst because they have lost a lot. We lost our property, our language and culture. Hambira - an archetypal example of a Herero who lost his language - argued that, nothing can be done for us without us. We need to be present to present our case. We rightly demand some form of reparations for what happened.

Hambira however said his committee will work hand in hand with their counterparts in Namibia; the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation together with the Ovaherero Paramount Chief Advocate Vekuii Rukoro who is also based in Namibia. Rukoro mobilised Herero chiefs in Botswana to work together with communities to formulate the committee.

We are working closely with Herero chiefs in Botswana. Our mandate is justified by the fact that we have the blessings of the chiefs, Hambira stated. Speaking in Mosu, Rukoro said Ovaherero and Nama and many in the Diaspora should not be left out of the negotiations. He said he fought with the Namibian government to let Hereros in the Diaspora be part of the negotiations.

Herero in Botswana and South Africa will be members in the negotiations with the Germans led by the Namibian government, he said. He welcomed the Botswana committee and urged them to work hard. Utjiua Muinjangue, chairperson of the Namibia Ovaherero Genocide Foundation expressed happiness that there is now a genocide committee in Botswana. This is a just cause that we are fighting so we need a lot of sacrifices, she said.

The Botswana committee has among others, Philip Tjijapa as Deputy Chairperson, Kavekotoka Mureti as Secretary, Christine Nangaro as Treasurer, Ujama Tjandero for International Relations, Joy Norman as Legal Advisor and Mutjise Tuahuku for Local Relations.
Since the 2011 public sector unions strike, BOFEPUSU has never shied away from participating in the factions or affairs of some opposition political parties. The BOFEPPUSU involvement has created enemies and darlings in opposition activists. The Orange Movement is going through a rough patch as a result of BOFEPPUSUs interference in the partys internal strife - a strife that has nothing to do with principle but is all about control of the party.





When the war between Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) and BOFEPPUSU reached the courtroom both parties decided to outsmart each other through legal representation. BOPEU chose Martin Dingake, who happens to be the spokesperson for President of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Dumelang Saleshando - a partner in Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

This did not go down well with BOFEPPUSU who decided to enquire from BCP leadership why they allowed Dingake to represent BOPEU while it has betrayed the workers struggle. But they received a cold shoulder, which fuelled the love-hate relationship between them. When UDC president Duma Boko was invited by BOPEU to their May Day celebrations in Selibe Phikwe, BOFEPPUSU again advised Boko to turn down the offer but he did not listen to the federation. That is when they invited BMD president Ndaba Gaolathe to their celebrations in Serowe.

And ever since that time, BOFEPUSU has protected Gaolathe as it was evident recently when they vowed during a meeting at Letlhabile primary, to take the political fight to whoever undermines Gaolathe. The unions labour secretary who also doubles as Manual Workers Unions chief executive, Johnson Motshwarakgole used the platform to hurl obscenities at Gaolathes antagonists.

An insider explained that since the 2011 public sector union strike, BOFEPPUSU has always viewed the umbrella project as their own baby. This is why they fell out with BOPEU in 2014 because BOPEU does not believe in partisan politics.

However, BOFEPUSU does not view itself as a silent partner in the project, but the captain of the ship in UDCs pursuit for state power in 2019. Already this hunger for power by the federations leadership is threatening to tear the workers movement asunder. In fact by involving themselves in opposition party factional wars, BOFEPUSU risks alienating some of its members as well as the opposition party cadres they call allies today.

It is not too late for BOPEU, BFTU and BOFEPUSU to sit down together and resolve their differences and begin to advance the workers struggle, says another insider. Members of BOPEU, BFTU and BOFEPUSU are to blame because they have allowed their leaders to hijack their organisations under the false pretence that they are fighting for their welfare, he said.

Politicians and unionists can never work together, since one has to be dominant over the other. This is what union leaders have been failing to understand for a long time. As former Secretary of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Zwelinzima Vavi once said; worker control and trade union independence are two sides of the same coin. Workers power is based on the ability to forge unity around class-based demands.

Writing in 1963, Jean Meynaud and Anisse Satah-Bey described the idea of principled non-alignment as a widespread position among African unions at the time. The Kenyan labour leader, Tom Mboya was a leading proponent of this idea.

Advocates of this position warned that when unions choose to affiliate to parties, unions would in fact have less freedom of action and their natural function - the defence of the workers professional interests - could not be fulfilled, the workers would then be at the mercy of the government.

This is what is going to happen to workers in Botswana because their struggle has been sold out by their leaders because they have allowed partisan politics to divert their mandate.

In their book titled COSATU in Crisis, Dr Ben Scully argues that attempts to create union aligned parties for example in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria have failed as have attempts to align with opposition parties for example in Senegal in the 1990s.

Where unions have adopted a stance of explicit autonomy such as in present day Senegal, Zambia and Ghana, they have largely been unable to overcome neoliberal policy initiatives of states and they have often experienced a weakening of their institutional base and overall public stature.

BOFEPUSU is advised to stay away from BMD factional wars because this will not help the workers and could lead to the public viewing them as opportunists and power hungry. Most workers especially in the public service have decried lack of financial literacy, an area which unions could embark on especially given that they have multiple financial schemes

Trade unions are now fighting each other for what is seen by many as egos for power control especially in the public service. As the unions continue in their bitter war, the ordinary member who pays monthly subscription is the hardest hit. BMD should be left alone to solve their internal factional wars.
Even though the two federations are still fighting about who reported the country to International Labour Organisation (ILO), Botswana has made it to the top 24 which violate ILO Conventions. Botswana Federation of Public, Private Sector Unions (BOFEPPUSU) and Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) are currently attending the ongoing ILO meeting in Geneva, Switzerland but they are bickering over who reported the matter to ILO.

Last month, Botswana made it to the last 40 countries earmarked to appear before the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) during the ongoing 106 session of ILO. The listing of Botswana comes after it violated Convention 87 of the ILO by enacting the controversial Trade Dispute Act that banned the right to strike to a large portion of workers among them diamond sorting and cutting, teachers, immigration and customs services.





Minister of Labour, Tshenolo Mabeo is expected to appear before the committee next week when Botswanas case will be called for hearing. The report has raised several issues such as right to organise for prison service, which the government currently prohibits because they are part of the disciplined forces.

The Committee observes that while the prison service does form part of the disciplined force of Botswana together with the armed forces and the police (Article 19 (1) of the Constitution), each of these categories is governed by separate legislation, the Prison Act, the Police Act and the Botswana Defence Force Act and the Prison Act as a separate statute does not appear to provide members of the prison service with the status of the armed forces or the police, states the report verbatim The Committee also requests that government should take the necessary measures, including the pertinent legislative amendments to grant members of the prison service all rights guaranteed by the Convention.

On the controversial issue of some cadres being declared essential service by Bill No. 21 of 2015 of the new Trade Disputes Bill, the government has been requested to take necessary measures to amend the draft Trade Disputes Act to reduce the list of essential services. Malaysia appears first in the list while Botswana appears at number 20.

There are eight African countries on the list. In their report BOFEPUSU had written to ILO that the Bill will make it more difficult to engage in collective bargaining and exercising their right to strike. The Bill was last discussed in Parliament on July 4th 2016. The response to the Bill was mixed, with the opposition Members of Parliament and some ruling party MPs opposing it. For his part, leader of Opposition Duma Boko slammed the Bill on the basis that it takes away the right to strike.

Other MPs considered that teaching, services, Diamond and Cutting services were not essential. The Committee had also previously requested the government to provide information on the progress made in relation to the amendment of section 48B (1) of the Trade Union and Employers Organisation Act (TUEOA).

It grants certain facilities only to unions representing at least one third of the employees in the enterprise and Section 43 of the TUEO Act that provides for inspection of accounts, books and documents of a trade union by Registrar at any reasonable time. The Committee notes the governments statement that the amendments process of the TUEO Act is ongoing and that the social partners have submitted their proposals for amendments, reads the report.

It added, The Committee trusts that, in the framework of the ongoing amendment process of the TUEO Act and in consultation with the social partners, the abovementioned provisions will be amended taking fully into account the Committees comments. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments in this regard and to provide the text of the amended TUEO Act once adopted.

The Committee has also requested Botswana to provide updated information on the steps taken to amend the Employment Act of 1982, including measures taken to ensure that section 23 (d) of the Employment Act expressly prohibits discrimination based on political opinion and national extraction and covers all aspects of employment and occupation, including recruitment and terms and conditions of employment (and not only termination).

The Committee repeats its request to the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 23 (e) of the Employment Act, including any interpretation by the administrative or judicial authorities, states the report. BFTU filed a report with Committee of Experts on Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) in September 2016.

Our report was considered by the CEACR in November 2016 and is captured by the 2016 CEACR Report, said Secretary General Gadzani Mhotsha. In March 2017 BFTU was among the African Trade Unions who gathered in Grand Bassam, Cote dVoire to discuss the short-listing of African countries to appear before the CAS during the 2017 ILC.

We successfully managed to have Botswana listed among the top countries in Africa. It is this ranking that has influenced the social partners in the ILO supervisory system to agree to have Botswana listed among the top 40 rogue states.

The list of 40 is a preliminary list which will have to be trimmed down to 25 by the CAS, he said adding that only the last 25 countries will have to appear before the CAS. BFTU believes it has a very strong case against the Botswana Government and we are positive that Botswana will make the last 25, said Mohotsha.

Convention 87 which Botswana has contravened is on the fundamental rights of workers on the freedom to associate and the right to organise. This includes their right to organise their administration and activities.

The new TDA has banned workers from taking part in strike action in furtherance of their collective bargaining efforts, thus taking away their fundamental right. We are grateful to those who have worked with us and continue to do so especially our colleagues from Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) and the support we have been getting from international organisations such as Southern African Trade Union Coordinating Council (SATUCC), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the ILOs Decent Work Team and other sister federations in the region, said Mhotsha.
Sometimes viewed as the witty schoolmaster of the Dail with a razor-sharp tongue capable of putting down any on the benches, the Limerick man will leave a mixed legacy, suggests Political Correspondent, Juno McEnroe.

Seen as the godfather of Fine Gael who steered the country out of the bailout, Finance Minister Michael Noonan today fulfilled his final acts as the man in charge of the states purse strings.

Sometimes viewed as the witty schoolmaster of the Dail with a razor-sharp tongue capable of putting down any on the benches, the Limerick man will leave a mixed legacy, full of drama, struggles, scandals but also humour and political command.

Having taken the reins at the department of finance on Merrion Street, Dublin, during the fraught bailout days when Ireland was close to going bust, Noonan, after adroitly overseeing the escape from the Troika paymasters, will likely be remembered for helping mend the damaged economy.

Equally though, his success has left behind a litany of inquiries and unanswered questions about state asset sell-offs, banking decisions as well as Irelands tax arrangements for foreign firms here.

Michael James Noonan, the son of a schoolmaster, was born in Loughill, Co Limerick, close to the Kerry border. He studied primary school teaching at St Patricks College, Drumcondra, followed by economics at University College Dublin. It was here while teaching that he met his future wife Florence Knightley.

Former Minister Michael Noonan TD with his mother Mrs. Anne Noonan, Mount Trenchard, Foynes, Co. Limerick, and his wife Florence, in a file picture from 1983.

Having taken an interest in politics from his mother who was involved in Fine Gael, Michael Noonan later took up teaching at Crescent College in his home county before canvassing for Fine Gael in the Limerick East by-election.

After several years as county councillor, Noonan won a seat for Limerick East in the 1981 general election. He went on to hold that for another 10 Dail elections, a feat not many TDs can claim.

Beyond chairing the Public Accounts Committee between 2004 and 2007, he was justice minister in the 1980s, industry and health minister in the 1990s. In Health, some of his greatest troubles emerged, including the blood contamination scandal.

When back in opposition, Mr Noonan won a race for the party leadership in 2001, seeing off competition from Enda Kenny for the job, clinching 44 votes compared to the Mayo TDs 28. But it was a short lived tenure as leader.

The 2002 general election saw Fine Gael drop from 54 seats to 33. Noonan even announced his decision to step aside before all seats were filled, with Enda Kenny later taking over as leader.

It was also around this time that the tenacious TD was worrying about his wifes eroding mental health. Flors condition continued to deteriorate but Noonan waited a decade before going public in a media interview about her battle with Alzheimers disease.

Enda Kenny helped Fine Gael recover in 2007 and later gave Mr Noonan the powerful role of finance minister in the 2011 Fine Gael-Labour government. With the IMF camped in government buildings, it was no easy task. It was all about millions and billions, as admirers might say of Mr Noonans characteristic voice.

A decade after the meltdown of the party and Noonans brief leadership spell, he was now back at the apex of political life.

And he had his hands full when he took over finance in 2011 with the banks, Irelands debt, unemployment as well as the fact the country was being run by the Troika and key decisions were being made in Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington as opposed to Dublin.

Almost immediately, one of the incoming Fine Gael-led governments ambitions to burn the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide was shot down by ECB.

Michael Noonans wife Flor also passed away after 14 years with Alzheimers in 2012. Nonetheless, the widowed father-of-five carried on relentlessly.

He took charge of introducing austerity budgets in order to stabilise finances, a task that reduced the popularity of the coalition government.

By early 2013, there was a break for the government with the reconfiguring of the promissory note system by which the State was propping up Anglo.

Noonan during those years though had kept his focus on a key goal, at one stage saying:

Well pop the champagne corks the night the Troika leave town.

Indeed, the outgoing finance minister recalled this week colourfully how he was able to ring Enda Kenny in late 2013 the day the news came that Ireland would be leaving the bailout.

"He [Enda Kenny] was touring Donegal at the time and he still talks about pulling the car off the road and that being the start of a great 48 hours.

"The Irish people first of all didnt think it would happen so soon and there was a real celebration that we got our sovereignty back."

Still, during these troubled years and before them too, the witty Limerick man often had time for humour, put downs and straight-talking that will be fondly remembered.

Noonan had at one stage backed proposals to ban teenagers wearing hoodies in shopping centres in order to stop shoplifting; he caught out Sinn Fein in the Dail, quipping that the party was like an auld fella walking up and down the boundaries of the ballroom of romance and nobody wants to dance with him.

There was an unique moment when Noonan rang into the Late Late Show where comedian and performer Dermot Morgan was mimicking him. Noonan brought the house down with laughter, inviting Morgan to Thomond Park and threatening to collapse a scrum on him.

But the initial successful exit from the bailout and Anglo promissory note changes have been overshadowed in recent years. Stories of vulture funds snapping up cheap assets, of shortcomings by Nama and of questionable actions by Mr Noonan in the sale of Project Eagle have caused the Limerick TD problems.

Decisions Mr Noonan took in relation to the care of Grace, a disabled girl in foster care, are also the subject of a commission investigation.

Not all ends well in politics. But the respect Mr Noonan, 73, will take from the Dail, his colleagues, his own party and from his department will cushion any criticism. Furthermore, he was the minister in charge when Ireland exited the bailout and history will always remember that.
Cork city-centre music store Plugd and its sister cafe Gulpd are to cease their operations in the Triskel Arts Centre at the end of the month, writes Joe Leogue

After six years here, it has been a difficult decision to make, but we feel it is the right one at this time. We have taken things as far as we can with our current set up and location, a post on Facebook read.

Founded in 2002, Plugd is run by Jimmy Horgan and Albert Twomey, and originally operated from a premises on Washington Street before leaving the store in 2009.

In 2010 it operated from the ESB Substation on Caroline Street before moving to the Triskel Arts Centre in 2011.

Its been quite a ride from hawking vinyl with Albert, to bangin out coffees with the crew, learning so much about food from our amazing chefs and suppliers, working with incredible musicians and artists from near and far, Mr Horgan wrote on Facebook.

None of this would have been possible without the support of everyone who came through the doors since 2011. Thanks everyone, he said.

To see this post on Facebook, click here.

Mr Horgan also said the store plans to return in some form or another.

Thanks also to the Triskel for inviting us in and we wish them well in the future. Now more than ever Cork needs a vibrant, welcoming space for Corks arts community, and I hope Triskel becomes that, he said.

This isnt a goodbye We will be back in some form or another in the future. But for now we are taking some time off to regroup and come back better, Mr Horgan said.

Both the store and cafe have events planned for the month of June before they close their doors.
Brian F Burns has reportedly withdrawn his name as Donald Trumps nominee for the position of US Ambassador to Ireland.

IrishCentral reports that Mr Burns cited health issues when withdrawing his name.
A total of 42 public representatives have disclosed donations to Standards in Public Office totalling 72,969.

Of the 259 TDs, Senators and MEPs, 217 did not disclose receiving any funds up until the end of January last.

In its report issued today, SIPO says a number of the politicians were late filing returns.

This amount is more than double the 2015 donation total of 33,870.00 - however the office says this can be explained by the General Election.

Under the Electoral Act, 1997, public representatives may not accept donations in any year of more than 200 in cash, and not more than 1,000 in total value from a single source.

They must disclose any donations valued at (or totalling) 600 or more received from an individual source.

Donation statements furnished by TDs Paschal Donohoe, Martin Ferris, Alan Kelly, Denis Naughten and Fergus ODowd disclosed donations from persons who were not resident in the island of Ireland. The donors in question are Irish citizens as required by the legislation, however.
Update 7.04pm: Enda Kenny has left Aras an Uachtarain this evening after resigning as Taoiseach.

He arrived just after 6pm this evening to visit President Higgins and inform him of his resignation.

He will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a successor is elected.

"The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D., this afternoon placed his resignation in the hands of the President, Michael D Higgins, in accordance with Article 28.9.1 of the Constitution," a Government statement read.

The Dail is due to reconvene at 12 noon tomorrow to vote on Leo Varadkar's appointment.

Update 5.14pm: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has left Government Buildings after spending time with his family this afternoon.

Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD leaves Government Buildings on his way to Aras an Uachtarain. pic.twitter.com/UkjUvNQPIl  Fine Gael (@FineGael) June 13, 2017

The outgoing Taoiseach is due to officially offer his resignation to President Michael D Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain within the next hour.

He tweeted that he also met with local north inner city Dublin representatives this afternoon.

Called to North InnerCity on my way to Aras to assure community I may be moving on but Govt remains committed to area pic.twitter.com/JyZNGSvtI3  Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) June 13, 2017

He received a standing ovation from TDs as he left the Dail chamber earlier today, having given his final speech to the Dail as Taoiseach this afternoon.

He made a nine-minute speech to the Dail confirming his resignation as Taoiseach, followed by comments from party leaders on his legacy.

Update 3.03pm: The vast majority of TDs from all parties lined up and shake Enda Kenny's hand as he left the chamber.

He will remain on in a caretaker capacity until tomorrow lunchtime, when the Dail votes on the appointment Leo Varadkar.

Enda Kenny with Taoiseach-in-waiting Leo Varadkar. Picture: RollingNews.ie

Update 2.58pm: Independent Alliance TD and Transport Minister Shane Ross - who just a year ago called Mr Kenny a "political corpse" - now says he has "achieved great things" in his "latter years".

"I have been very critical of the Taoiseach on many occasions both in an out of government, but I am happy to say today I salute the Taoiseach particularly in latter months on Brexit and global issues," Mr Ross said.

Shane Ross pays tribute to Enda Kenny, says he is widely recognised as 'a great achiever who has done a fantastically noble job for Ireland' pic.twitter.com/dH5GoU5rYO  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

He added it would be "wrong" not to recognise Mr Kenny's ability to change his views on social matters such as gay marriage over the decades, and that people should acknowledge how his has spoken up for Ireland on certain issues.

On the current coalition, he joked: "He [Mr Kenny] found himself in a bit of a jam after the election in that he found us in Government."

Saying the arrangement was initially difficult and one of "cultural issues without any culture", Mr Ross said Mr Kenny was "the glue" that kept the coalition together.

He added: "The morale of the country is in a better place now than when he took office. And nobody should fail to recognise that."

Update 2.49pm: In probably the best tongue-in-cheek remark so far, Independent TD Michael Healy Rae joked with Mr Kenny that he is "going to a better place"... and that that place is Kilorglin for the Ring of Kerry race.

Michael Healy Rae wishes Enda Kenny well on his retirement and encourages him to have a pint in Kerry pic.twitter.com/hNWlcuuiHz  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

Mr Healy Rae says he can "go as fast or slow as you want", and might want to pop into a nearby pub while he is there where he can pick up some tips on how Mayo could win an All-Ireland.

Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall says "while we have frequently clashed" she respects Mr Kenny as he has "devoted practically your entire adult life" to Irish politics.

After a lengthy tribute, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says "we stabilised the economy but we did not reform", and called for this to be addressed by Leo Varadkar.

Update 2.47pm: Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger broke with the atmosphere of the day by heavily criticising Mr Kenny over a recent controversy involving a young woman who was detained after seeking an abortion.

Ruth Coppinger TD criticises Enda Kenny, saying his legacy includes an Ireland which a young girl can be locked up for wanting an abortion pic.twitter.com/WOjnxtLD2g  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

Saying she does not want to take part in the "back-slapping" of the day, Ms Coppinger is interrupted by ceann comhairle Sean O Fearghail, before adding: "You've had your time, hopefully we'll have a different time" and saying the current Dail "cannot be trusted" to tackle Ireland abortion laws.

Update 2.38pm: Labour leader Brendan Howlin paid tribute to Enda Kenny's "boundless enthusiasm" today, saying that he "stepped down today untainted by corruption".

"You are of course a politician of great skill and determination," he said.

"But I think it is the hopeful, happy Enda Kenny that the Irish people most readily identify with."

Leader of the Labour Party Brendan Howlin pays tribute to Enda Kenny pic.twitter.com/eSFNZ0eCC3  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

He also paid tribute to Mr Kenny's speech in reaction to The Vaticans reaction to the Cloyne Report.

"For a man who is sometimes derided for your folksy charms, you have certainly known how to speak with impact when you want to," he said.

"Abortion and marriage equality were difficult issues for you ... but it is to your credit that once you changed your view, you stuck to it, regardless of the political cost."

He added: "You have done the state, and the people of Mayo much service for many years."

Update 2.27pm: Gerry Adams silenced the Dail today by telling Enda Kenny: I will miss you.

Gerry Adams says him and Enda Kenny didn't always see eye-to-eye but says he will miss him and his optimistic energy pic.twitter.com/vRruVJ4vRK  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

He went on to say he would miss Mr Kennys optimistic energy, sense of mischief and your ability to field questions without giving the smallest clue as to your attitude on those questions.

This last raised a laugh across the Chamber.

Mr Adams said Enda Kenny was probably the best leader Fine Gael has ever had, and that he could look back on 42 years in the Dail with some sense of achievement, including securing marriage equality and capturing the mood of the nation in respect of the Catholic church and the abuse scandals.

However, Mr Adams added: There were failures too - the failure to recognise Palestine, a deep crisis in policing and justice and saddling the people of the state with billions in debt.

He said the biggest challenges remained in achieving a united and equitable Ireland.

Update 2.23pm: Fianna Fail leader and long-time political opponent Micheal Martin paid tribute to Enda Kenny as he stepped down as Taoiseach today.

Micheal Martin wishes Enda Kenny well in his retirement on behalf on Fianna Fail pic.twitter.com/SeBYwlcgA7  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

"The Taoiseach came to this House as a young man, and has witnessed many major figure here in the years since," he said.

He added: "Throughout your time in elected office, and in Government, you have been a proud representative of your community, your political tradition, and of your country.

"You are today, as you always have been, an Irish patriot and an Irish democrat."

In a light-hearted moment, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin commiserated with Mr Kenny, saying: "Sport has always been important to you, and I know the failure of Mayo to lift Sam Maguire during your tenure brings great disappointment".

Update 2.13pm: In a short statement to the Dail, Mr Kenny said he did not want today to be about "glorification or flagellation" as it "has never been about me" but "about the country".

"I am the first to acknowledge that I didn't get everything right," he said.

Enda Kenny says it's been a privilege to lead FG & the country and thanks the Irish people, his opposition party and his party colleagues pic.twitter.com/mLGvM6cd4N  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

He said that he was always motivated by what I believed was in the best interests of the Irish people.

Mr Kenny said despite six years as Taoiseach, 15 years as Fine Gael leader and 42 years in the Dail - a reference appearing to indicate he may soon step down as a TD - he still believes politics is "a noble profession".

He recalled the will of Michael Davitt, the republican and agrarian campaigner who founded the Irish National Land League in the 19th century, who said he left "kind thoughts" to his friends, to others forgiveness and to Ireland "my undying prayer" for "absolute freedom and independence".

"I hope that in the two governments I have led that we have made a modest contribution towards that ambition," Mr Kenny said.

Saying "true heroism" is about "keep trying again and again", he said while he acknowledges "I did not always get everything right" the interests of Ireland were "always my motivation".

Mr Kenny said he understands people's disillusionment with politics.

But he added: "I really do believe that politics is work worth doing, a noble profession. Despite the many scandals and disappointments, I believe that the vast majority of people elected to this House are here because we've an interest in and a love for our communities and our country and we wish to make a difference."

Mr Kenny urged more respect among politicians.

He added: "We can argue vehemently the merits of issues or measures without questioning each other's motives or intent.

"Politics is always about people and government is always about making decisions."

Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrives at Government Buildings, Dublin, for his last day as Taoiseach.

Mr Kenny thanked Fianna Fail, Labour and his own Fine Gael colleagues for their work in putting a government together in recent years for their contribution to the success of the last Government.

However, in a subtle swipe at his critics, he concluded to applause that "to all my friends I leave kind thoughts, to others... my forgiveness."

Long-time party colleague Michael Noonan will be ending his 35-year cabinet career when a new Minister takes over in Finance from Wednesday.

Noonan today told reporters that being Minister for Finance was the best job he ever had across his political career.

Earlier:

Members of the Dail have gathered to say farewell to Enda Kenny on his final day as Taoiseach.

The Mayo native steps down after six years in charge, and has already chaired his final Cabinet meeting.

Mr Kenny will make a speech to the Dail confirming his resignation in the coming minutes, with the speech expected to last about 10 minutes, after which there will be comments from other party leaders.

The Dail will then adjourn until 12 noon tomorrow.

This will likely be followed by short farewell speeches before the House adjourns and he travels to Aras an Uachtaran and resigns.
By Amy Ryan

The State Examinations Commission has launched an investigation into a breach of protocol following the publication of LC Irish Paper 2 in a Facebook group.

The paper was posted almost one hour into the exam, according to Cathal McDonagh, spokesperson for the State Examinations Commission.

The Facebook group is a closed group called 'Muinteoiri Gaeilge ag roinnt cabhrach, acmhainni agus smaointi'.

The State Examinations Commission was promptly notified of the breach of custody arrangments for the paper and the post has since been removed.

"The SEC is investigating the circumstances surrounding the issue as the release of examination papers before the end of examinations is in breach of SEC protocol for the custody of examination papers," said Mr McDonagh.

"As candidates are not allowed enter examination centres after the first 30 minutes of an examination, the SEC is satisfied that the release of the paper after the start of the examination has not compromised the integrity of the examination," he added.
Politicians are failing to take growing poverty levels seriously, according to Kieran Stafford, the national president of the Society of St Vincent De Paul.

The organisation says there has been a 25% rise in families that qualify for social housing - and a quarter of single-parent families are now living in constant poverty.
A third of Irish consumers claim to still be on broadband speeds of equal to or less than 30Mbp.

A new study carried out by Switcher.ie shows a major decline in satisfaction with broadband speeds across Ireland, with only 44% happy with their current home speeds - down from 51% year-on-year.

The research also found that one in three people have checked their speeds and are sometimes or always getting lower speeds than they pay for.

Some 8% claim to have speeds of less than 3Mbps - not considered fast enough to watch Netflix in standard definition, according to Switcher.ie.

Eoin Clarke from switcher.ie says some areas are still experiencing speeds of 30Mbp or less:

"We now have speeds of 1,000MBPS in Ireland, so 30 is the minimum target set out by the National Broadband Plan,

"Around 16% of people say that their broadband speed is less than 8Mbp, and this would mean that it would take about an hour to download a HD movie."

He added: "Despite all of the talk about addressing the issue of sluggish broadband across the country, Irish broadband is still stuck in the slow lane. In an increasingly digital world, broadband is now considered a household essential, alongside energy, so its very disappointing to see a drop in the average speed people say theyve got in the home, and a corresponding decline in customer satisfaction.

"If you are not getting the speed you are paying for, you should contact your provider as they may be able to help, by either advising you on ways to optimise your speeds, or replacing your modem. If youre still not happy, it might be time to shop around for another provider who can deliver the broadband speed you need."
Gardai investigating the murder of Mark Desmond in the Lucan area on December 2 have arrested two men.

The pair were arrested in the west Dublin area this morning and are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at stations in the DMR West.
The UN Human Rights Committee has ruled against Ireland's abortion laws for the second time in just over a year.

They said the treatment of a woman who was denied an abortion in 2010 was cruel, inhuman and degrading.
An R2-D2 droid that has appeared in several of the Star Wars movies is to go on auction in the US.

Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, Darth Vader's helmet and shoulder armour, as well as imperial and rebel weapons will also go under the hammer, but the centrepiece is no doubt the squat blue, white and silver droid famous for communicating in a series of electronic beeps and squeaks.

Representing "the pinnacle of the Star Wars collecting universe", it could fetch up to two million US dollars in the June 26-28 auction, according to California-based auction house Profiles in History.

The bidding is being handled by Boston-based online auction marketplace Invaluable.

The 43-inch tall R2 unit for sale is sort of a Frankenstein's monster of droids, pieced together over several years from different original components used in the first five Star Wars movies.

There is no known complete original R2 unit, according to the auction house.

For the sequels after the original Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, production designers took the aluminium, steel and fibreglass R2 units, retired old and worn-out parts and added new features to save time and meet production deadlines.

Fans outbid for the droid may want to take a shot at landing the lightsaber.

Carried by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the first two Star Wars movies, it is expected to sell for anywhere from 150,000 dollars to 250,000 dollars.

Unfortunately, the prop does not emit a blade of blue light.

The 10.5-inch lightsaber comes directly from the archive of Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity signed by Mr Kurtz.

Props from some of Hollywood's other world-famous movies are also for sale, including the illuminated disco dancing floor from Saturday Night Fever, which is expected to get as much as 1.5 million dollars, and the clothes worn by Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson in Titanic.
Police have seized a shotgun and ammunition after a report that a teenager was in possession of a firearm at a secondary school.

Warwickshire Police said a teenage boy had been arrested after officers were called to Higham Lane School in Shanklin Drive, Nuneaton, at 9.15am on Tuesday.

Superintendent David Gardner said: "We responded promptly and the boy was quickly isolated and the incident contained to ensure there was no risk to pupils and staff.

"The initial report was received from the suspect himself and he was co-operative with police throughout. Officers were on the scene quickly and he was placed under arrest."

Mr Gardner added: "I would like to thank staff and pupils at the school for their assistance while we managed this incident. Officers will be at the school for the rest of the day to provide reassurance.

"We will now carry out inquiries to establish exactly what happened and address any issues around the firearm."

In a message to parents issued on the school's website, headteacher Phil Kelly confirmed a pupil had been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm.

Mr Kelly said: "Staff and police responded promptly, the pupil was quickly isolated and the incident contained to ensure there was no risk to pupils or staff.

"The pupil has been removed from the school site by the police and the police have confirmed that they are happy for the school to remain open as normal.

"We reiterate that the incident was responded to very promptly by staff, who worked effectively with the police.

"The school will not be commenting upon this matter any further at this stage."

PA
The man nicknamed Jihadi Jack who fled Britain to fight for the Islamic State in Syria is reportedly being held by Kurdish forces opposing the terrorist group.

Jack Letts converted to Islam and travelled to Syria in 2014 where he is suspected of joining Islamic State (IS).

The 21-year-old, from Oxford, told the BBC he was now in solitary confinement in a jail in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Last year he said he was no longer fighting for IS and did not agree with a lot of what the group stood for.

Mr Letts told the BBC: "I found a smuggler and walked behind him through minefields."

He said he and the smuggler "eventually made it near a Kurdish point where we were shot at twice and slept in a field".

The former Oxford A-level student told the BBC he became disillusioned with the group about a year ago after it killed its former supporters.

"I hate them more than the Americans hate them," he said.

"I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me."

Mr Letts' parents, John Letts and Sally Lane, are facing trial accused of sending hundreds of pounds to their son between September 2015 and January last year.

Ms Lane said that having not heard from her son for several weeks she suddenly received a message saying he was in a safe zone.

"It was the news we've been waiting for for three years - ever since he went out there - and now we just want to get him home," she told the BBC.

Mr Letts said: "He will have to account for himself and I completely understand that. If he's had anything to do with IS, I want nothing to do with him, to be quite honest. I really despise this sort of group."

The UK government advises against all travel to areas of conflict.

A Foreign and Commonwealth spokeswoman said: "The UK advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq.

"As all UK consular services are suspended in Syria and greatly limited in Iraq, it is extremely difficult to confirm the whereabouts and status of British nationals in these areas."

PA
A policeman has been injured in an explosion at the police headquarters of a UK military base on the southeast coast of Cyprus.

Authorities are treating the pre-dawn explosion at the Dhekelia garrison as a criminal matter, spokesman Kristian Gray said.

Mr Gray said authorities are investigating what caused the explosion and cannot provide further details immediately.

Cyprus state broadcaster RIK said that an explosive device was hurled at the police headquarters' entrance from a passing motorcycle.

The broadcaster said the headquarters' CCTV system captured grainy images of the motorcycle speeding off shortly after 3am local time.

Cyprus' criminal underworld has used drive-by bombings to send messages to rivals or authorities that are hurting their business interests.

British Bases police at Dhekelia have been active in trying to stamp out illegal songbird trapping which is popular with area residents and supplies an illicit restaurant trade that is worth millions of euros annually.

Many Cypriots consider the songbirds, known as ambelopoulia, as a delicacy that has been part of local tradition dating back centuries. Officials said a plate of a dozen pickled or grilled birds can fetch 60.

Britain retained two military bases after the east Mediterranean island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

AP
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expecting sharp questions from his former Senate colleagues about his ties with Russia.

The public evidence before the Senate Intelligence committee should yield Mr Sessions' most extensive comments to date on his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to step aside from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump.

The questions have dogged his tenure as attorney general and led him three months ago to recuse himself from the Russia probe.

Senators for weeks have demanded answers from Mr Sessions, particularly about meetings he had last summer and autumn with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Those calls have escalated since fired FBI director Mr Comey cryptically told senators last week that the bureau had expected Mr Sessions to recuse himself weeks before he did from the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

Mr Sessions, a close campaign adviser to Mr Trump and the first senator to endorse him, stepped aside from the investigation in early March after acknowledging he had spoken twice in the months before the election with the Russian ambassador. He said at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Since then, questions have been raised about a possible third meeting at a Washington hotel, though the Justice Department has said that did not happen.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Mr Sessions on Saturday said he would appear before the intelligence committee, which has been doing its own investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign.

There had been some question as to whether the hearing would be open to the public, but the Justice Department said he requested it be because he "believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him".

Mr Sessions is likely to be asked about his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and whether there were more encounters that should have been made public.

And he can expect questions about his involvement in Mr Comey's May 9 firing, the circumstances surrounding his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation, and whether any of his actions - such as interviewing candidates for the FBI director position or meeting with Mr Trump about Mr Comey - violated his recusal pledge.

As attorney general, Mr Sessions is unlikely to answer in detail questions about conversations he has had with Mr Trump. National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers and Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, both declined to discuss their own Trump communications during a hearing last week.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer declined to say if he thought Mr Sessions should refrain from revealing his conversations with the president, saying it "depends on the scope of the questions".

He did not explicitly endorse Mr Sessions' appearance, saying in response to a question: "We're aware of it, and we'll go from there."

Mr Comey himself had a riveting appearance before the same Senate panel last week, with some key moments centred on Mr Sessions.

In a February meeting, Mr Comey said, Mr Trump told Mr Sessions and other administration officials to leave the room before asking him to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

In addition, Mr Comey has said Mr Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with Mr Trump again. The Justice Department has denied that, saying Mr Sessions stressed to Mr Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.

The former FBI director also testified that the agency had believed Mr Sessions was "inevitably going to recuse" for reasons he could not elaborate on.

"We also were aware of facts that I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic," Mr Comey said.

Mr Sessions' appearance before the intelligence committee is an indication of just how much the Russia investigation has shaded his tenure. White House frustrations with the Justice Department spilled into public view last week, when Mr Trump on Twitter criticised the legal strategy in defending his proposed travel ban.

Mr Spicer declined to say then that Mr Sessions enjoyed Mr Trump's confidence, though spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later in the week that the president had confidence "in all of his cabinet".

Though the Justice Department maintains that it has fully disclosed the extent of Mr Sessions' foreign contacts last year, he has continued to be pressed for answers about an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where both Mr Sessions and Mr Kislyak attended a foreign policy speech by Mr Trump.

Senate Democrats have raised the possibility that Mr Sessions and Mr Kislyak could have met there, though Justice Department officials say there were no private encounters or side meetings.

Senators, including Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, have asked the FBI to investigate and to determine if Mr Sessions committed perjury when he denied having had meetings with Russians.

AP
Two Ohio senators are denouncing North Korea after a resident of their state was said to be in a coma after being released from a prison in the country.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced the release of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student.

Mr Warmbier was serving a 15-year prison term with hard labour for alleged anti-state acts. Mr Warmbier's family said in a statement that he is in a coma and on his way home.

Republican Senator Rob Portman says North Korea should be "universally condemned for its abhorrent behaviour". Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Cleveland said the country's "despicable actions ... must be condemned."

The parents of the 22-year-old college student said he is on a Medivac flight on his way home.

Fred and Cindy Warmbier said they have been told their son has been in a coma since March 2016, and they had learned of this only one week ago.

They said "we want the world to know how we and our son have been brutalised and terrorised by the pariah regime" in North Korea.

They also said they are grateful Mr Warmbier "will finally be with people who love him".

The president of the University of Virginia said the school is "deeply concerned and saddened" to learn that their student is in a coma.

Mr Warmbier was supposed to graduate from the university in May.

University president Teresa Sullivan said in a statement that the school is relieved to hear Mr Warmbier was released, but is concerned about his condition.

She said the university community has his family in its thoughts and prayers as he returns home.

PA
Theresa May and DUP leader Arlene Foster will hold critical talks on a deal to prop up a Tory minority administration after the British government admitted the start of the new session of parliament could be delayed.

The British Prime Minister will be desperate to get agreement from the DUP to back her legislative programme in the Commons or risk her government falling.

Mrs May's authority has been severely diminished after a disastrous general election which saw her lose her Commons majority and a deal with the DUP looks vital for the continuation of Tory rule.

A failure to gain support from the Northern Irish party would risk the Queen's Speech being voted down next week, and Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will be pushing hard for that outcome.

The Tories and the DUP are considering a "confidence and supply" arrangement which would see the Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

It comes after Mrs May told Tory MPs: "I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who will get us out of it."

Her most senior minister Damian Green has confirmed the Queen's Speech setting out the Government's programme could be delayed if a deal is not reached in time for it to go ahead on Monday as planned.

The PM told the backbench 1922 Committee on Monday that a deal with the DUP would not affect power-sharing talks in the North or LGBT rights.

Mrs Foster has also rejected suggestions that the mooted agreement could undermine a return to power-sharing arrangements at Stormont amid claims from political rivals that the Government's stated impartiality as a mediator would be fatally undermined.

The DUP leader declined to give details of what she termed a "positive engagement with the Conservative Party", but said she would be travelling to London late on Monday for discussions with her team of 10 MPs before a meeting with Mrs May at Downing Street on Tuesday.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams turned Mrs May's own slogan against her to brand it "a coalition of chaos", adding: "Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed."

It is thought Mrs Foster, despite being a Brexit supporter, could seek assurances from Mrs May that she will pursue a softer exit from the EU, given Northern Ireland's 56% Remain vote and the DUP's desire not to see a return to a hard border with Ireland.

The DUP leader is almost certain to ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as the price of a deal.

Any demands on maintaining the pensions triple-lock and the universal winter fuel allowance could give Mrs May a convenient excuse to drop manifesto pledges which appeared to be deeply unpopular with voters.

Movement on security and legacy issues from the Troubles may prove more difficult for Mrs Foster to extract from the Government.

The unexpected snap election has already forced the Queen to cancel an Order of the Garter service and to accept a stripped-down State Opening of Parliament. Any further delay could mean her missing planned attendance at Royal Ascot.

Additional delay may be caused by the fact the Queen's Speech is written on goatskin parchment paper, which requires several days for the ink to dry.

The paper does not contain any goatskin but is high-quality archival paper guaranteed to last for at least 500 years.

Pen cannot be put to paper until the exact contents of the speech are finalised, which appears to be dependent on the outcome of Tory talks with the DUP.

While Mrs May appears to have seen off the threat of an immediate leadership challenge, her weakened grip on power has put her under pressure on several fronts.

Her new chief of staff Gavin Barwell has suggested she should take a different approach towards public spending after Labour unexpectedly denied the Tories a majority after running an anti-austerity election campaign.

The PM also faced calls from Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, whose influence has grown dramatically with the election of 13 Tories north of the border, to pursue a softer Brexit with greater focus on the economy and more cross-party input.

In another sign of Mrs May's weakening grip on power, MPs who attended the 1922 Committee revealed she was open to more backbench input on policy and a greater role for Chief Whip Gavin Williamson.
Two prison guards have been killed by inmates during a bus transport in the US.

Police are searching for two men, aged 24 and 43, after it happened in Georgia this morning.
A Canberra teenager part of a scam that threatened to expose a man as a sex offender unless he handed over money after luring him with gay hook-up app Grindr has avoided time in detention.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, uploaded his photo to a Grindr account used by a group of teens to attract a man they later extorted.

A teenager received a suspended sentence of imprisonment for his role in an extortion ring that targeted users of the gay dating app Grindr. Credit:Getty Images

ACT Children's Court chief magistrate Lorraine Walker said the offence "preyed on the vulnerability of a particular section of the community" and described the scheme targeting gay men as "vicious".

She handed the boy a four-month term of imprisonment, suspended on condition he entered a good behaviour order, saying his offence was at a "lower level" compared to one of his accomplices.
It says plenty about the mess at organic formula vendor Bellamy's Australia that almost half the cash raised from its $60.4 million entitlement offer will be used to pay off its partner Fonterra.

It will cost $27.5 million cash to extract Bellamy's from the onerous contract with Fonterra, which looked fabulous when the Chinese market could not get enough of its infant formula, but looked ridiculous when the bottom fell out of the market last year.

In a boom market, it did not matter that the company risked "shortfall payments". These are the cash payments it would be forced to make to Fonterra if demand fell short and it did not meet the sales volume commitments it made to the Kiwi dairy group.

The Faustian bargain with Fonterra was needed due to a fact that no one paid that much attention to at the time  Bellamy's did not actually make its products, or own any of the raw materials used to make it.
I returned to the glorious surrounds of the national capital recently after several years away in the black-garbed, hipster-infested cafes of Melbourne working in the troubled hallways of the Victorian Parliament. It's funny how getting some distance on a city, and its people, can give you a whole new perspective.

As I settle back into the world of roundabouts and awful diplomatic drivers, the city feeling like a comfy pair of tracksuit pants that I refuse to throw out even though the bum area is nearly worn through, I find myself reflecting on how blissfully unaware Canberrans, and those who market our city, are to an outsider's view.

News flash: Australia doesn't think Lonsdale Street is that amazing. Credit:Graham Tidy

After the city was ranked as a cool "new" destination by some travel website and a New York magazine in the last few years (as a result of smart lobbying by local tourism representatives, no doubt), it seems Canberrans now believe the hype about their city, even if no one else does. It's as though as soon as some bearded guys in ironic T-shirts started making coffee in new cafes named after old car garages, and paleo gluten-free bakeries at the foot of million-dollar apartments in "architecturally designed precincts" became a thing, Canberrans suddenly started to think of their city as some sort of "new Melbourne". People behave as though the city suddenly transformed into the "it girl" as soon as it got a few five-star Yelp reviews  the cool chick who dyed her hair pink and became instantly popular.

But I'm afraid the interstaters I've dealt with recently don't see it that way. My multi-year straw poll of interstate cool kids shows me that old views of the city remain almost hopelessly entrenched. With disposable incomes in their pockets and always "getting away for the weekend", none of them would dare to think about a few days in and around the ACT. They still think we're a city of pollies, porn and fireworks, and most of them haven't been here since their mandatory primary school trip of 20 years ago. The ACT government might want you to believe that the rest of the nation is breathlessly embracing brand "CBR" as an "exciting, new tourist destination", but it's not.
The Lindt siege inquest, the Manchester bombing and the London terror attack have all put terrorism front and centre in recent days.

It is hardly surprising therefore that immigration minister, Peter Dutton, on the one hand, is trying to make it easier to boot suspected terrorists out of Australia while, on the other, ASIO wants expanded powers to monitor their activities.

It is, after all, sensible and appropriate to offer practical solutions to perceived problems at times of heightened public concern.

That said, given the relatively low scale of our terrorist threat which has seen more Australians killed abroad than in attacks on our own soil, and the implications many of these measures have for all citizens, it is equally sensible to subject all such proposals to close scrutiny.
Terminally ill patients will get faster access to medicinal marijuana and be able to import their own personal supply after the Greens teamed up with Labor and One Nation to deliver a shock Senate vote to kill off government restrictions.

The Senate vote means terminally ill patients with a doctor's prescription will be able to personally import up to three months' supply of the drug from regulated overseas markets.

A furious Health Minister Greg Hunt called the move "reckless and irresponsible", saying it would put lives at risk by paving the way for dodgy unregulated products, and also make it easier for criminals to get their hands on drugs.

Greens Leader Richard Di Natale spearheaded the motion, which failed when he first put it to the Senate in May. On Tuesday, he used a procedural loophole to force a re-run - despite frantic government efforts to stymie it - and won the support of the opposition and much of the crossbench.
Convenience is a sneaky concept. It seems such a positive word, speaking of ease and time-saving. Convenience food saves us the bother of cooking. Convenience stores allow us to buy we want when we want it (a plastic bottle of coke, a packet of sweets, a microwave burger) without having to be inconvenienced by a pesky little thing like the time of night. Who doesn't want more convenience in their lives?

Well, me actually. Because the dark side of convenience is our throwaway society and increasing disconnect with the processes by which so many of our modern necessities came to be.

Tim Silverwood wants us to Take 3 for the Sea.

"I'm a fan of the Japanese word mottainai," says Karina Holden, director of a new documentary about ocean conservation called Blue. "It means respecting the process via which something comes to you, and therefore the importance of valuing it and not wasting it."

Holden says we can apply that concept to food and consumer goods. "In order for something to arrive on your plate or in your cupboard, what commodities has it taken to be grown, nurtured, harvested, traded, travelled? In our amazing modern world, where things seem to come so easily and casually, it's too easy to forget that."
The woman remembered leaning against a street sign outside a Kings Cross nightclub, wearing a blue dress and taking off her high heels.

Soon she was in a car, which she thought was a taxi delivering her home after a day partying with friends at the races, the casino, and bars in Sydney.

The car was actually an Uber, driven by Muhammad Naveed, who picked up the young woman while he was taking a break.

Naveed, 41, stopped at a service station in the eastern suburbs to buy condoms, before parking in a dark side street and moving the woman to the back of the car.
The family of a Central Coast girl who died in 2013 after her leukemia went undiagnosed while she was incorrectly treated for another serious condition is suing a hospital and NSW Government pathology service for negligence.

Kate McCartin, 18, of East Gosford, was misdiagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma  a cancer of the lymphatic system - in October, 2012 by the NSW Government service NSW Health Pathology and staff at Gosford Hospital. She underwent repeated chemotherapy without success.

Kate McCartin, right, with little sister Amy. Credit:Leukemia Foundation

The misdiagnosis was identified nearly one year later, in September, 2013 when Ms McCartin was admitted to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney for a bone marrow transplant and was correctly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

She was treated but died in December, 2013.
Despite the Queensland budget being described as a "jobs bonanza", with predictions of 40,000 new jobs in the next year, Treasury is not predicting a substantial decrease in the unemployment rate.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt handed down his third budget on Tuesday, the last before the next state election, which was described by the premier as a jobs budget for battlers, builders and Queenslanders.

But the budget papers say the unemployment rate will be 6.25 per cent in 2016-17, it is predicted to be 6.25 per cent in 2017-18 and then 6 per cent until 2020-21.

Mr Pitt said there were pressures facing the national economy, including potential subdued growth.
Visit our Facebook page from 5pm for live analysis of the budget by our state political reporter Felicity Caldwell and senior reporter Tony Moore.

The 2017-18 Queensland state budget includes $42.75 billion in infrastructure projects over the next four years.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said those infrastructure projects would support 40,000 jobs in 2017-18 and 22,000 jobs outside the south-east corner of the state.

In addition to those projects in the south-east corner, listed below, there is $70 million to begin the Mackay Ring Road, $200 million to expand Rockhampton's Correctional Centre, $176 million to expand the Cairns Convention Centre and $225 million for long term water supplies for Townsville.
As Brisbane residents got their feet wet on Tuesday, the coastal areas in the south-east were hammered by strong winds and heavy rain.

On the Gold Coast, beaches were closed, the strongest winds of the day were recorded and almost 900 homes were left without power.

It has been a wet day in Brisbane. Credit:Jorge Branco

As the first batch of wet weather gradually disappeared from radar, a second wave followed closely behind and continued to move north-west over the Gold Coast and up towards Brisbane.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rick Threlfall said patchy rain was expected to continue overnight, with showers also expected throughout Wednesday.
They are the valuable connections that lead to better opportunities for students and potentially millions of extra dollars for schools.

But until now, alumni networks have largely been confined to private schools and universities.

A new alumni service has been created for state school students who want to stay connected to their old school and give back. Former Sunshine College student Dr Vu Le meets current students Josie Pham, Khadija Acone and Rhovie Parco. Credit:Jason South

A new service, the first of its kind in Australia, hopes to change that by helping state schools build alumni networks and encourage former students to give back through work experience placements, volunteering and donations.

Ourschool, which is funded by the Education Department and philanthropists, has launched a two-year pilot that will involve alumni experts spending one day a week in eight Victorian state schools.
A young Hobart woman is fading in and out of consciousness in hospital, with severe burns to more than half of her body, as her boyfriend faced court charged with her assault.

Nicole Evans, 20, was allegedly doused with flammable liquid and set alight on April 24 in a shed in the Hobart suburb of Chigwell.

Nicole Evans is being treated for 'full thickness burns to 65 per cent of her body'. Credit:The Examiner

She was airlifted in a critical condition to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

Seven weeks after the alleged assault, "[she] remains in a secure room in a Victorian hospital where she continues to be treated for full thickness burns to 65 per cent of her body," a Tasmanian Police statement issued on Tuesday said.
Police are appealing for information about a number of burglaries targeting veterinary clinics in Perth's east.

Armadale Detectives said the incidents in May and June of this year saw night time break-ins to vet clinics in the Kelmscott area, with animal medication, vaccines and diagnostic equipment stolen.

Alfaxan is a steroid and anasthetic for animals.

Images from police of the drugs believed to have been taken include the painkiller tramadol, and alfaxan, a steroid and anaesthetic.

Police warn the medication is not for human use and could be potentially harmful if consumed.
Beijing: Within two days of being sentenced by a Chinese court last October, South Korean casino staff were on the plane home.

Crown no longer has any staff in mainland China. Credit:Bloomberg

With a court date of June 26 set for 14 Crown staff, including three Australians, Crown will be hoping the cases of the South Korean casino marketers, similarly caught by China's crackdown on gambling, serve as a guide to what comes next.

Chinese investigators swooped on Crown's staff on October 14. Three days later, five South Korean casino staff were sentenced to 16 months imprisonment in a Chinese local court.
Washington: Democrats are set to cast a protest vote in droves against US President Donald Trump's proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a move that may not prevent the deal from going through but nonetheless represents an unprecedented rebuke of Saudi Arabia's activities in war-torn Yemen.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer announced on Monday that he would vote against a sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for many other Democrats to follow suit.

That means they and the resolution's sponsor, Republican senator Rand Paul, may only need a few more Republican votes to throw an obstacle in the path of Trump's plans to see through a contract worth more than $US500 million. The measure is expected to come up as soon as Tuesday.

If critics of the sale are successful, it would mark the first time in decades that a body of Congress summarily rejected an administration's attempt to conclude a defence deal with Riyadh.
Latest News Sydney records highest auction clearance rate in six months Almost 70% of properties sold in first week of November

ScotPac opens new broker portal System aimed at speeding up approvals

Melbourne-based brokerage and financial planning group RateOne has announced it has broken $100m in monthly submissions. The milestone comes four years after the company launched.Co-founder, Martin Fedmowski, said an overhaul of the businesss processes two years ago was behind this rapid growth trajectory.We implemented a back-end team of six in Melbourne and Manila who do all our processing  everything from submissions to data entry, settlements and tracking and we provide that service to the 28 brokers on our team, he said.It has been hard work getting there with a lot of planning and training involved but now the system is working really efficiently. We have seen significant increases in loan volumes from the brokers that have recently joined us as a result.RateOne has also worked hard on building relationships with residential real estate partners and benefits from the use of data mining, Fedmowski said.We enter everything into our systems, from car loan expiry dates to anniversaries for fixed rate loans and ensure we get in touch with clients whenever there is a key milestone approaching.As a member of Choice Aggregation Services, RateOne has worked closely with the groups business development team to create streamlined processes and improve client services.A recent development was the formation of a journey builder for residential pre-approvals which guides clients through the property buying process with tips and information.We have worked consistently with Choice and their IT team on these initiatives and they have provided excellent support, helping us to enhance the client experience, Fedmowski said.The firm has also expanded rapidly and will soon move into larger premises which can accommodate up to 70 mortgage brokers and 10 financial planners.The new office will be fantastic as we will be able to provide more seminars and events for clients, as well as facilitating increased collaboration with our lenders and Choice, so we are really looking forward to that, Fedmowski said.
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They were not too proud to forget.

A small crowd gathered outside Old Stone House in Park Slope on Sunday, on the eve of the anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, to remember the victims of the senseless act  and those who attended the intimate vigil were moved by its humble display of grief, according to organizers.

We would have liked more people, but the ones who came were really moved, said Mickey Heller, co-chair of Brooklyn Pride. There was a wonderful response from people who attended. They thanked us for having the event.

Mourners held candles and their loved ones as they reflected on the brutal attack, which left 49 people dead and another 58 wounded after a 29-year-old security guard opened fire inside the club last year on June 12.

The brief memorial ended on a hopeful note, however, with words delivered by a clergyman from East New Yorks Unity Fellowship Church.

Bishop Zachary Jones brought the people together, left them feeling good about themselves, Heller said. He encouraged them to continue on in joy and in love.
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Its their first step toward first mate!

City students sailed into the East River on their own hand-crafted wooden vessels on Friday to mark their graduation from an eight-month boat-building course, and even the biggest landlubbers among them earned their sea-legs, according to program organizers.

Very few, if any of the students had been on a sailboat before, so being in boats that were separated from the water with one sheet of plywood was a great experience, said Marjorie Schulman, the executive director of Brooklyn Boat Works. They got to see New York in a different way.

The sailboats, which pushed off from Brooklyn Bridge Park, were built by middle-schoolers from seven schools across Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, who began their nautical education last October by learning the science of boat-making. The sailors-to-be then worked together to craft their 7-foot-6 Optimist dinghies out of four pieces of plywood.

All of the vessels turned out to be seaworthy when they took to the water  not that Schulman ever had doubts.

Nothing sank, she said. Although we knew that would not happen. It was great.

The boat works rep said that, in addition to their new sea-legs, she hopes the students will float away from their voyages on the murky waterway with a deeper appreciation for education.

The most important thing is we instilled a love of learning, she said.
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.
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October 31, 2022

Buddy TV

In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options...
Now that Blair has been taken care of (at least for now), the Stitchers team gets back to work in this episode. A woman is found dead in her boyfriends pool, and its up to them to figure out what she was hiding and if the boyfriends father was involved in her murder.

Also in For Love or Money, Cameron realizes that he and Kirsten may need to have a talk (but thats not necessarily a bad thing for this new relationship), Camille meets the new ME working with the program, Linus wants to get closer to Ivy and, in her new position, Maggie has a decision to make at work. In other words, its an episode filled with questions of trust and canoodling.

The 10 Sexiest Male TV Characters of Summer 2017 >>>

Pool Sex and Secret Phones

The victim is Sabine, whose boyfriend, Nick, found her dead in their pool. But murder isnt the only thing that went down there, as Kirsten sees in Sabines romantic, sweet and very sexy memories with Nick. (However, as Tim informs everyone, pool sex is completely overrated.) However, thanks to a memory hotspot that Kirsten describes as foggy, they learn that Sabine was providing inside information about Nicks father to someone via a secret phone.

Victors company just landed a huge contract with the Russian military, and its possible that he was involved in her death. Due to his paranoia after multiple attempts on his life, he never leaves Russia. Did he hire someone? Does his son, the only person he trusts, know something? Nick didnt know about the secret phone that Sabine had, but thats all hell tell them. And hes already planning to head to Russia because even though hes a suspect in a murder investigation, his father has the connections to make that happen.

While Kirsten and Cameron do find the secret phone, thanks to clues from the stitch, none of the unlock codes she remembers work. They do have a possible motive for Sabine to spy on her boyfriends father: her family was broke. Was she killed for something she didnt want to do? And what was she doing with a bag of cocaine?

Despite Maggie insisting that they cant trust Ivy because shes Stingers daughter, Ivy says shes not still working with him, and Linus trusts her to help him crack the code on the phone. That just leads to the body of the man, Jack, that Sabine was reporting to, meaning another stitch for Kirsten. The stitch confirms an insider trading scam and reveals that another man, Bulldog, got wind of it and wanted him to get Sabine to plant drugs on Nick. She refused. Jack was killed.

Planting the drugs on Nick would have gotten him detained, which killing Sabine and making him a person of interest accomplished as well. Detaining Nick was the only way for Bulldog to get Victor to come to LA so he could kill him. Hed also have to hire local security since he couldnt bring his own protection, and like Linus, Kirsten too turns to Ivy for help with their investigation since she worked in banking and can navigate the international banking system to figure out the company Victor hired. While Camille sides with Linus and Kirsten, Cameron doesnt think its a good idea.

Maggie agrees to let her help but tells Ivy to leave after she successfully finds them the information. The team arrives at the firms headquarters in time to stop Bulldog from killing Victor. He was targeted by a competitor in the Russian steel business who lost out on the military contract and thought killing him would reopen negotiations.

Bar and School Meetings

The investigation in this episode also provides excuses for Linus and Camille to grow close(r) to new people in their lives. Early in the episode, Linus approaches Maggie about Ivy, but while she may have helped him find out about his father, Maggie just doesnt trust her. That doesnt stop him from going to Ivy at her work and, after she says shes not still working with her father, asking her out. Though he ends up having to work, he goes to get a rain check in person and mentions that he has a code to crack, leading to her commenting that she loves codes and him trusting her to help.

Meanwhile, Maggie sends Camille to meet with the new ME about DNA results, and since Amanda cant rush them  she got the rundown of the program, and if she puts a rush on the order, people will ask why  she writes her number down on Camilles hand. (Because wheres the fun in just texting it to her?) Step one  light flirtation leading to Camille smiling afterwards  complete.

And when Amanda gets the DNA results, she has Camille meet her at the bar where she DJs. Sure, Amanda could have told her over the phone, but then Camille wouldnt be there drinking with her.

But while Camille may be having fun with Amanda  it takes her a moment to trust people  she tells Linus after he comments on the telephonic flirtation he overhears. Everyone deserves to be trusted until proven otherwise, he argues.

In their line of work, however, that might not be the best advice. And it backfires for Camille when she cites it as a reason why the team should trust Ivy to help with their case. With Maggie taking on Blairs duties, shes going to have to be in Washington occasionally, meaning she needs someone to take on her responsibilities in the lab then  and she picks Cameron.

Camilles obviously disappointed, but Maggie reminds her that their first job is to protect the team and everyone deserves to be trusted until proven otherwise can get people killed. Camille then goes to meet Amanda at the bar again and kisses her.

Quiz: Who is Your TV Boss? >>>

Good Talk? Good Talk.

Kirsten and Cameron may have kissed and may be together, but Camille advises him to be careful. After all, Kirsten is a virgin emotionally, and this is her first real relationship where shes connected and available.

And with that, Cameron is both a good scientist and a worried boyfriend with Kirsten. He confirmed with video that he didnt say, You cant help me, which means there are three possible explanations: Stinger said it, her days in the stitch affected her or she imagined it. He wants to run tests, but she just wants to keep stitching so they can perfect the tech. His concerns only grow after she reports that things are a bit foggy in Sabines stitch. Everything I do is because I care about you deeply, he assures her near the end of the episode. He needs to make sure stitching is safe for her.

As for the personal side of their relationship, Cameron points out that they have to figure out what this being her first real emotionally connected relationship  borrowing words from Camille  means for them. She realizes that when he invited her to dinner earlier to talk about them, he meant having the how we feel about each other talk. And while shes never had it, he has, and its horrible.

But that doesnt mean it has to be horrible for them. In fact, instead of having the talk over dinner after their work is done, Kirsten brings him with her when she goes to visit her mother. Good talk, he says.

How do you think Stitchers is handling Kirsten and Camerons relationship so far? Do you want to see more of Linus with Ivy, and Camille with Amanda? And do you think Maggie was right in choosing Cameron over Camille? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Stitchers season 3 airs Mondays at 9/8c on Freeform. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of Freeform)
Nigerian scientist receives CIGBS award to study drug development

UBs Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences (CIGBS) has awarded the HIV Research Trust Award to Waheed Adeola Adedeji, a physician scientist at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

The award supports six months of clinical pharmacology and drug development training at the CIGBS, an international hub that brings together faculty from research, clinical and applied programs to tackle the worlds most pressing health issues.

The HIV Research Trust is a charitable foundation that provides financial support to physicians, nurses, scientists and other health care professionals who are early or mid-career, located in low-income or lower-middle-income countries, and work in the field of HIV infection.

With UB faculty members who work in fields ranging from pharmacology and medicine to engineering and chemistry, the CIGBS uses education and research to promote drug discovery, advance nanotechnology applications and develop sustainable business models for products and services for the global health market.

In addition to HIV research, the center partners with universities around the world to study viral infections such as the Chikungunya and Zika viruses, and viral hepatitis.

For more information, visit the CIGBS website.
NJ Weedman got a license to sell NJ legal weed. He almost said no.
This brand new air ambulance is set to become a familiar sight in the skies over the Burnham-On-Sea area as it goes into operation this week.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance announced on Monday that its new AgustaWestland 169 (AW169) helicopter has entered into service.

It becomes the first AW169 to enter air ambulance operational service in the UK and is the culmination of several years of planning and development.

The aircraft was selected following an extensive evaluation process and the charity says it picked it for its outstanding characteristics, superior capabilities and high safety standards.

Bill Sivewright, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Chief Executive Officer, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: It has always been the Charitys aim and clear vision to pursue clinical excellence; pairing Critical Care Teams with the outstanding capabilities of the AW169 is a natural development of that vision. Patient benefit remains our top priority and this was the single biggest criteria in selecting the new aircraft.

Our ambitions and clinical aspirations determined a particular requirement from whichever aircraft we selected. The capabilities and flexibility offered by the AW169 made it a clear winner and in our view it was the only aircraft which fully met our criteria.

Another major plus in selecting a new mark of aircraft is that you are taking advantage of the latest advances in technology. That means that it is safer and easier to maintain and operate.

The medical equipment in the AW169 will not be hugely different to that which was carried on the charitys previous aircraft, however the biggest difference is the space inside the cabin.

It allows the Critical Care Team to have complete access to a patient, head to toe; a significant benefit if a patient needs further intervention or treatment on-route to hospital.

Over the past few months, the life-saving service has increased its operating hours from 12 to 19 hours a day (7am-2am). During this time and in the hours of darkness, the crews have been deployed using a Critical Care Car.

Bill added: We are most grateful to Specialist Aviation Services who operate the AW169 helicopter on our behalf. They have worked closely with our clinical team to develop a medical interior that will enable them to more fully meet the needs of our patients than ever before.

The AW169s night flying capabilities mean that we can now move forward into providing full night HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) missions.

Our team will have the ability to fly directly to the patient without the need of any fixed or pre-established lighting which is a significant advantage. We are now looking forward to completing night HEMS training and subsequently operating the new aircraft for 19 hours a day.

Our approach has been truly innovative and as a result the AW169 has had to undergo very intense scrutiny by the European Aviation Safety Agency. This is why it has taken a little longer than we had hoped for the aircraft to become operational, however it has certainly been worth the wait and we are delighted to now have clearance to fly.

He continued: The standard of clinical provision delivered by our Critical Care Team is arguably the best available anywhere. That is a bold claim but one that I make quite confidently. In the past year we have enhanced our team clinically, enhanced the service with the carriage of blood products increased our operational hours and can now ensure that these are all delivered in one of the most advanced helicopters available.

This, however, does not mean that we can rest on our laurels; our crews strive continuously to develop their knowledge and skills to ensure that the patients they attend receive the best treatment possible. Their challenge to the Charity is to provide them with the right tools for the job.

I am proud to say that we can meet that challenge head on because of the incredible support of the people of Dorset and Somerset. Through their support, as members of our Flight for Life Lottery, individual or group donations from events and even by remembering us in their wills, they enable us to be everything that they want from their air ambulance.

Since launching in March 2000, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has flown nearly 12,000 missions. Its operational costs are over 2 million a year. The approximate cost per mission is 2,500. With no direct Government or National Lottery funding, it relies on the generosity of the public for support.

It is tasked as part of the normal 999 emergency process by a dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) desk located at Ambulance Control (paid for by the South West Air Ambulance Charities).

The airbase is situated at Henstridge Airfield on the Dorset/Somerset border. From there, it can be at any point in the two counties in less than 20 minutes. More importantly, the helicopter can, if required, then take a patient to the nearest Major Trauma Centre in the South West within a further 20 minutes.

Its clinicians include a mixture of Senior Emergency Physicians, Intensive Care Consultants and Anaesthetists, Specialist Paramedics (Critical Care) and a small number of Paramedics and a Nurse who are working towards the Specialist qualification.

The charitys pilots are provided by Specialist Aviation Services Ltd, who operate the aircraft. They are carefully selected because air ambulance flights are typically more challenging than regular non-emergency flight services. They will have a great deal of experience in low-level operations and instrument flying.

More information on Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance can be found by visiting: www.dsairambulance.org.uk.

Pictured: The new Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance AW169 helicopter; the larger cabin area giving full access to the patient; and inside the front seat
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Indias information technology (IT) services is hiring engineers with skills in cloud computing, analytics and digital -- the segments that clients are spending money on  even as tighten performance appraisals of employees working on legacy services where budgets are shrinking.
Online retail giant Amazons India marketplace has doubled its base of sellers to 200,000 in a little over eleven months as it looks to penetrate deeper into the countrys smaller towns to beat local rival Flipkart.
In order to cope with the financial stress it is facing, state-run telecom player BSNL has presented an 18-point wishlist to an inter-ministerial panel. Its demands include temporarily allotment of 2100 MHz spectrum for 6 months to a year, allocation of 700 MHz airwaves and reduction in license fees.
has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase TMG Health for an undisclosed amount. TMG Health is a subsidiary of health insurance major Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) and a business process services provider to healthcare firms in US.
A debt-ridden farmer in Sehore, the home district of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, allegedly committed suicide by consuming the poisonous substance.

The 55-year-old farmer Dulchand Keer, consumed poison on Monday after which a case was registered at Rehti Police Station, police said on Tuesday.

However, the reason behind the suicide is still not clear, said District Collector Sudam Khade.

Rehti police station in-charge, Pankaj Geete added that, "The cause behind farmer's death is a matter of investigation but he was having a debt of Rs six lakh on him."



Keer's son Sher Singh claimed that his father ended his life due to mounting debts.

He said that at time of the incident, his father was alone in the house. When Singh saw him lying unconscious, he was rushed to the government Rehti hosptial where doctors declared him brought dead.

Singh said that his father had borrowed Rs four lakh from banks and another Rs two lakh from other sources due to which he remained disturbed.

The suicide comes days after Chouhan announced a slew of measures to end farmer woes in the state, which witnessed violent protests over loan waiver and other demands.
The concept of Human Library is about to make its way to Delhi on June 18 which will allow readers to borrow real people and learn from their life experiences over a 30-minute meaningful conversation.
The Centre is set to amend controversial rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that banned the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. The changes could clear the confusion over several issues, including whether buffaloes should be kept out of the ban. The issue is being politicised and the notification has been misconstrued, misinterpreted and misunderstood. If the misinterpretation is because of particular words or sentences, we will make efforts to remove that confusion, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan told Business Standard.

The rules, notified on May 23, laid down several preconditions. including an undertaking from a buyer that animals bought were meant for farming and not for slaughter. The notification had brought livestock markets across the country to a halt. The trade in buffalo meat collapsed as over 90 per cent of the animals are bought by slaughter houses from cattle markets.

Cattle as defined by the rules included bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves, including camel. Apart from the buffalo meat trade, the notification rattled the countrys livestock and dairy industry.

The Opposition Congress termed the rule as an assault on the peoples eating habits as beef is consumed in the southern states. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the move as an effort to impose the RSS agenda over the country.

Beef fests were organised on a large scale in the southern states. In one instance, Youth Congress workers publicly killed a cow, sparking protests from the BJP and other parties.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the notification was not meant to regulate slaughter while Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said cattle was the engine of growth in rural areas.

It was never the intent of the government to directly or indirectly adversely affect the slaughter business or harm farmers or even influence the food habits of people, Harsh Vardhan said. He added the government was studying representations from all sections and would take remedial measures soon.



Officials said there could have been some drafting flaws in the notification. It was never the governments intent to harm business and food habits, an official remarked. Reacting to Harsh Vardhans statement, DB Sabharwal, secretary-general of the All-India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association, said exporters would wait for the amendment as also the Supreme Courts ruling on the matter, expected on June 15.

India is a global leader in buffalo meat exports, which grew at 29 per cent annually between 2007-08 and 2015-16 to ~26,685 crore. The country is also the largest producer of milk, of which over half is buffalo milk.

Some reports said Agriculture Produce and Export Development Authority under the ministry of commerce had written to the ministry to of environment to exempt buffalo from cattle slaughter rules.
Notwithstanding massive security arrangements, several state government offices were torched, vandalised or forcibly shut by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters on Monday  day one of the indefinite shutdown called by the party to press for a Gorkhaland state in the northern West Bengal hills.

The GJM termed the shutdown "successful and spontaneous" and demanded central intervention on the Gorkhaland issue. However, the state government claimed the attendance in government offices was normal, but called the disruption "suicidal".

On the other hand, police claimed the situation was "peaceful".

The shutdown call given by the GJM was mainly targeted at the central and state government offices, and those of the hill development body, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. Educational institutions and transport were kept outside its purview.

The violence began early in the morning with the torching of Block Development Office (BDO) in Darjeeling's Bijanbari, allegedly by a group of GJM activists.

Three GJM workers were arrested after the incident. Several others were detained.

"The situation is under control. Three persons have been arrested for trying to incite violence. We have detained a few people also," a senior police officer said.

In the afternoon, the PWD office in Darjeeling town was allegedly set on fire, while another BDO in Darjeeling district's Pulbazar was vandalised by pro-Gorkhaland activists.

A hydro project in Sonada -- a small town around 17 km from Darjeeling -- was ransacked by the shutdown supporters, who also forcibly shut a panchayat office at Sukna.

However, police rushed in and reopened the panchayat office.

The famous Toy Train service -- the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which figures on the Unesco Heritage list -- was kept shut considering the possible security threats to tourists, a railway official said.

"There are no major incidents of violence. But we are on alert because there are many offices in the area. Our forces are patrolling and picketing everywhere," a senior district police officer said.

To avert any ugly turn of events, massive security arrangements have been put in place at all important roads and public offices.

Six columns of army have been deployed in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong towns since Thursday.

The state police, along with the CRPF and combat force personnel, were seen manning the important and critical points in Darjeeling, wearing protective body armour and helmets.

"The shutdown is successful. It is a spontaneous shutdown. The people of the hills have made it a success," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told IANS.

"We want central government's intervention and concrete steps on our long-pending demand for Gorkhaland," he said.

Denying any role of the party in violence targeting government offices, Giri said: "Had we wanted, we could have stopped all offices by rallying thousands of our supporters."

State Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed the state administration to "combat the shutdown".

"The attendance in the government offices was normal. This is a suicidal shutdown. Our government and particularly our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the administration to combat this illegal shutdown," Deb said.

The minister said efforts are on to ferry thousands of stranded tourist out of the hills.

"So far 45 buses, small, medium and large, have been operating to ferry stranded tourists to the plains in Siliguri and to the nearest airport (Bagdogra) and railway station (New Jalpaiguri).

"There are still thousands of tourists there. We appeal to tourists not to panic, as we have stepped up security measures for them. Hotels and shops are still offering their services," Deb told IANS, but could not give approximate number of the stranded tourists.

Besides pressing for Gorkhland, the GJM has accused the state government of "high-handedness and committing atrocities" on the people of hills.

The party is also protesting what it calls the state government's "attempt" to impose Bengali on the Nepali-speaking people of the region, even though Banerjee has asserted there are no such plans for the hills.

Although the party had on Saturday announced that tourism would be outside the ambit of the movement, a day later GJM chief Bimal Gurung "advised" tourists to leave the hills, saying the situation could deteriorate.
To highlight agrarian distress, farmer unions plan to mark the on June 21 by performing shavasana, or the corpse pose, across the country. On the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to be in Lucknow and perform yoga with an estimated 50,000 people.
Besides financial issues, which push many farmers to commit suicide, especially during economic crises or periods of extreme weather, there also are several other factors that might drive farmers to take the extreme step, shows a study.



At a time when there has been a string of suicides by farmers in India, some of them during the ongoing stir across many states to demand loan waiver, a study co-authored by Corinne Peek-Asa, professor at the University of Iowa, College of Public Health, in the US, lists occupational factors like poor access to health care, isolation, and financial stress as some of the main drivers of farmer suicides. These factors continue to place farmers at a disproportionately high risk for suicide," the study says.

The ongoing farmers' stir in India began in Uttar Pradesh, demanding for huge farm loan waivers, and slowly spread to other states. After UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced a Rs 30,000-crore farm loan waiver, Maharasthra followed suit with an even bigger loan waiver, estimated at Rs 35,000 crore. Protests in Mandasur district of Madhya Pradesh, however, turned violent and five people were killed in police firiing.

Farmers face an array of stresses, other than financial issues, that put them at high risk of suicide -- physical isolation from a social network leading to loneliness, physical pain from the arduous work of farming and lack of available health care in rural areas, especially mental health care, according to the study published in the Journal of Rural Health.

Other research also suggests that exposure to chemical insecticides causes depression in some people, Peek-Asa said.

In addition, she said, farm culture dictates that farmers who may have physical or psychological needs should just suck it up and go about their work.

Finally, farmers have access to lethal means because many of them own weapons. The rifle they use to chase off animals can easily be turned on themselves.

Moreover, farmers are different from workers in most other fields in that their work is a significant part of their identity, not just a job. When the farm faces difficulties, many see it as a sign of personal failure, Peek-Asa said.

"They struggle with their ability to carve out the role they see for themselves as farmers. They can't take care of their family; they feel like they have fewer and fewer options and can't dig themselves out," Peek-Asa said.

"Eventually, suicide becomes an option," she added.

The study examined suicides and homicides among farmers and agricultural workers across the US from 1992 to 2010 and found 230 farmers committed suicide during that time, an annual suicide rate that ranged from 0.36 per 100,000 farmers to 0.95 per 100,000.

The rate is well above that of workers in all other occupations, which never exceeded 0.19 per 100,000 during the same time period.

Policy solutions to prevent farmer suicides should include improving rural economies, increasing social networks, and improving access to health care and mental health services in rural areas, according to the researchers.
The Indian Patent Office has refused to grant a patent to Google for its invention of providing text messages using voice command. The internet giant offers voice-to-text message in Google Voice which can transcribe voicemail into text, among others.
(IS) terrorist group has called for more terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan by sending an audio message using secretive messaging app Telegram.

The audio message distributed on Monday was reportedly issued by IS official spokesman Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer, the Mirror reported on Tuesday.

The message praised the attack in the Iranian capital last week when suicide bombers and gunmen left 17 people dead after targeting the parliament building and a mausoleum in Tehran.

"O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," al-Muhajer was quoted as saying.

"To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

Telegram Messenger has become a favoured tool of terrorists to disseminate propaganda due to its impenetrable security.
Calcutta High Court judge Justice C.S. Karnan, who is facing six months imprisonment for contempt of the Supreme Court, retired on Monday, probably escaping the odium of a sitting judge being arrested while in office.

Justice Karnan, who was transferred to Kolkata after he had kicked up a row by raking up issues against other judges of the Madras High Court, including the Chief Justice, has been untraceable ever since the apex court sentenced him for contempt on May 9.

A seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar held Karnan guilty of contempt and ordered six months imprisonment for him.

A team of West Bengal police had rushed to Chennai and other places in Tamil Nadu looking for him but without success.

Probably the police may lay its hands on the controversial judge now that he has retired.

Reacting to the situation, senior counsel and former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Dushyant Dave told IANS that "it reflects failure on the part of the police in not having found him. .. It shows complete lack of respect of the Supreme Court by the Executive."

"Right or wrong the Supreme Court judgment has to be implemented and the state is fully responsible for the lapses and must be held accountable," Dave said, pointing out that "The whole saga reflects the sorry state of affairs in the judiciary."

However, well-known lawyer Kamini Jaiswal says that may have escaped arrest so far but now he will be arrested.

Unlike what happens in the case of the common man, in the case of they have to follow procedures and take the help of Tamil Nadu police in arresting him, Jaiswal said.

"They (West Bengal police) have to follow procedure" and can't be seen to be "high handed" as knows the law and there are lawyers around him.

Justice Karnan had left Kolkata on May 9 itself and remained elusive thereafter even though Director General of West Bengal Police constituted teams of police personnel which went to Chennai and other places looking for him.

He moved the top court for the suspension of his sentence and sought review of the May 9 order but he did not get any relief. His plea for review was declined on technical grounds without its coming before the seven judges bench.

Justice Karnan's counsel Mathews J. Nedumpara had repeatedly told the top court that the detailed order holding him guilty of contempt was never made available to him after May 9 - something he was entitled to like any other litigant.

The failure of West Bengal police to arrest Justice Karnan in the last one a half months has saved a situation of a serving judge of a High Court being arrested and sent to jail.

Now, if Justice Karnan is arrested in pursuance of the top court order then it would be an arrest of a former judge of a High court - who post retirement is like any other ordinary citizen.

It is not only that Justice Karnan has retired on Monday without being given a formal farewell by the Calcutta High Court, but any relook into his case has to go through a fresh process as one of the seven judges, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, has since retired.

Besides Chief Justice Khehar, other judges on the bench were Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Kurian Joseph.

Justice Ghose retired from the Supreme Court on May 27 and any hearing of Justice Karnan's case has to be by a seven judges bench and the same has to be reconstituted to have another judge in place of Justice Ghose.

Even if other six judges Chief Justice Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B. Lokur, and Justice Kurian Joseph continue to remain on the bench, change of one judge as per the top court practice, would necessitate fresh hearing of the matter.
India's Prime Minister will hold talks with US President in Washington on June 26, the Indian foreign ministry and the White House said on Monday, the first meeting between the leaders.

Ties between the two big democracies grew rapidly under the administration of former President Barack Obama which saw India as a partner to balance China's growing clout in Asia.

But Trump has focused on building ties with China, seeing it as key to tackling regional problems such as North Korea's nuclear programme.

The Indian ministry said Modi's talks with Trump would lay the ground for a further expansion in ties, allaying some of the anxiety that had crept in about a drift in relations.

"Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of a multidimensional strategic partnership between India and the US," the ministry said in a statement.

In Washington, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the two leaders will discuss topics including economic growth, the fight against terrorism, expanding defence cooperation and growing US-India trade.

"You can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way," Spicer said.

The United States has emerged as a top arms supplier to India and the two sides will be looking to move forward with deals such as unarmed drones that India wants for its Navy, sources said.

One issue that the two leaders face is resolving conflict arising out of the push they are both making at home to boost industry and create jobs.

Modi has been driving a make-in-India campaign to press foreign arms suppliers to set up factories in India and transfer technology instead of selling off-the-shelf, which has made India one of the world's biggest arms importers without any domestic production base.

Trump, on the other hand, has rallied against firms moving factories outside the United States and has demanded US companies invest at home as part of his "America First" campaign.

Trump's review of a visa programme under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the United States is also a top concern for India.
President and Prime Minister during their first meeting would set forth a vision to expand the US-India ties in an ambitious manner and discuss ways to advance common goals like fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region.
Vijay Mallya, appearing before Westminster Magistrates' Court, said, "I deny all allegations, I have enough evidence to prove my case in court."



He said he does not like being called a 'chor' and that media is exaggerating the issue.



In the video, Mallya can be seen denying all the allegations against him.





#WATCH I deny all allegations, I have enough evidence to prove my case in court,says Vijay Mallya on arrival in London court pic.twitter.com/n5U0sNHIhY
On June 9, the Supreme Court, while deciding three writ petitions filed by citizens who claim themselves to be public-spirited persons, upheld the constitutional validity of Section 139AA of the Income-Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act), which makes it mandatory to link an individual assessees Aadhaar number with his/her PAN number. Much to the relief of the petitioners, the court also held that those assessees who are not Aadhaar card holders need not comply with the said provision. However, while arriving at such a conclusion, the court made a few uncharacteristic observations which may inadvertently help the government in its mission to make Aadhaar an inseparable part of our lives.
It is easy to mistake Keshav Patidar (name changed), a 40-year-old farmer in Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district, to be an activist of a militant Hindutva outfit. He wears an expansive red tilak on his forehead and is attired in a crisp half-sleeved kurta-pyjama, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his trademark.

However, Keshav is no fan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Nor is he a Congress supporter.

We will side with neither and support only those who talk of farmers and farmer issues, Keshav says. He requested his real name not be printed, as police have taken to detaining his colleagues whod spoken to journalists.

Keshav is a leader of the dominant Patidar community of the Mandsaur-Neemuch region. Theyre a landholding community and traditionally BJP supporters. However, they are increasingly disillusioned with the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state. And, disappointed that Modi hasnt delivered on promises he made to farmers during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.

I sat beside Shivraj Singh Chouhan the day he announced a big sum for a hostel for Patidar girls. Three years have come and gone. Nothing has happened, Keshav says. The farmer leader was one of several local politicians who the homes of those killed in police firing at Mandsaurs Pipliyamandi.

Anant Jauhari is head of Kisan Adhikar Manch, an apolitical grouping of farmers working in 11 districts of MP. He says farmers are increasingly turning away from political parties. Whether Congress, BJP or others, he says, they have only fostered the interest of big business houses and middlemen whenever they come to power. There were political parties in the past which fought for our cause. Now, most are handmaidens of corporate groups.



This trend of thought is evident in the trade union (TU) movement as well. On May 30, as many as 10 central TUs met in Delhis Gandhi Peace Foundation. They decided to hold a bigger meeting on August 8 at Talkatora Stadium in the capital, to announce protests in the coming months against the Modi governments disinvestment policy. According to one of the leaders, there were suggestions from the Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress, and also from Left affiliated unions, that some political leaders be invited.

We resisted this. These are workers movements. We are raising issues that concern all workers, across party lines. We dont want the movement to be given any political colour. These leaders are welcome to show solidarity with us, said the chief of one of the other TUs.

The unions plan to organise massive strikes in November and February, to protest privatisation and disinvestment of public sector units.

Farmers in Mandsaur, elsewhere in MP or even neighbouring Maharashtra where demonstrations have continued for over a fortnight have kept away from aligning with political parties. There were a few Congress flags in sight at these demonstrations. Neither have protestors carried the red banners associated with Leftist political parties or its affiliated peasant and worker unions.

The BJP leadership has repeatedly pointed an accusatory finger at the Congress and other parties for fanning the fires but has found it difficult to convince people. It is not that opposition parties are not keen to jump. But, the respective leaderships have learnt important lessons after their failed anti-demonetisation campaign. The opposition mounted a challenge during the note ban decision but discovered that it lacked Modis credibility.

Yet, shouldnt the Congress exploit this moment? For, the MP assembly poll is slated for end-2018. Mohan Prakash, one of the partys national general secretaries and in charge of the MP unit, rejects such assessments. It is our political duty to stand with people who are in pain and fighting for their rights. We arent looking at elections, he says. And, contends that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi tried to visit Mandsaur only to express solidarity with farmers.

The CPI(M)-supported All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and Bhumi Adhikar Andolan have also expressed support to the movement. But, local outfits have led the movement. It is foolish for the BJP to be accusing us. We do not have that kind of cadre strength in Mandsaur and adjoining districts, says eight- time former Lok Sabha member and AIKS general secretary Hannan Mollah. An AIKS delegation will visit Mandsaur on Tuesday.

Similarly, there are those in the Congress who concede the party lacks the cadre strength to sustain the movement until the next assembly poll. It also does not want to give the movement a political colour which could lead the ruling party in the state and the Centre an opportunity to malign it.

In Madhya Pradesh, non-party leaders like Medha Patkar, Sunilam and Yogendra Yadav have expressed solidarity with the protests. The police detained them on Sunday as they tried to visit Mandsaur. The Bharatiya Kisan Union has announced a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday.

On Saturday, several of the farmers outfits met in Delhis Gandhi Peace Foundation to decide a course of action. They decided to organise protests in Delhi in the coming week. Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan leader Shiv Kumar Kakkaji led 62 other outfits to agree to a nationwide protest against the firing in Mandsaur on June 16.

For the Modi government, the challenge is evident. A Modi-led BJP might be unvanquished against caste arithmetic but its next big test is the putative class unity of peasants and workers.
Union Agriculture Minister on Tuesday declined to comment on farm loan waivers, but accused the Congress of instigating and politicising the farmers' stir in Madhya Pradesh.

"The role of Congress leaders in farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh has proved that they are instigating the farmers. The party and the family (Gandhi family) which has ruled the country for more than 60 years is talking about welfare of farmers. What have they done for all these years? Were they sleeping?" Singh wondered.

He alleged that three congress MLAs were involved in the violence in Madhya Pradesh and were trying to score political brownie points on the issue.

While the Narendra Modi government was working for the speedy development of villages and welfare of the poor and the farmers, the Congress was feeling frustrated and scared, he said.

"Rahul Gandhi is expressing solidarity with farmers. Where was he when farmers were deprived of basic amenities for irrigation? It is the Narendra Modi government which took steps for the development of farmers," he said.

To a question whether the Centre will waive loans of the farmers, Singh declined to give a direct reply and said, "A lot of schemes were just on paper. We gave a lot of funds so that these schemes can be properly implemented."



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday said the Union government would not partake in states' fiscal leverage in waiving farm loans and made it clear that the cost has to be borne by them.
Air India is on the block, finally. With accumulated losses of over Rs 50,000 crore, a debt overhang of around Rs 55,000 crore, and an annual interest burden of Rs 4,500 crore which chews up more than a fifth of its revenues, this decision should ordinarily have been a no-brainer. But it has taken the Modi government three long years to come to this conclusion.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
With call for protectionism growing across the globe, domestic markets are also required to be protected against unfair trade practices, a senior steel ministry official said on Tuesday.

"When big and established economies are protecting their industries, we need to be clear that our domestic markets are also required to be protected against unfair trade practices," said Syedain Abbasi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel.

He said the steel ministry has gone the extra mile to protect the domestic players from cheap imports.

"Steel industry is very clear about it which is why after the issue of MIP...Antidumping duties, what we have in place is a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured iron and steel products," he said.

On May 3, the government approved the National Steel Policy that aims to achieve steel making capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030 with an additional investment of Rs 10 lakh crore.

The Cabinet has also approved a policy for use of domestic steel products in government organisations.

Abbasi said that the budget for infrastructure has also gone up this year. Huge investments will be made in oil & gas, slurry pipelines, ports shipping, airports etc.

However, these are also the areas affected by unfair foreign competition.

For the protection of domestic players, the government has imposed antidumping duties on certain steel products so cheap items cannot enter the country, he said.

"Steel industry is poised...The only country which is showing growth in terms of market growth is India. Two years back we were fourth largest steel producer, now we have become second largest, overtaking Japan," the official said.

Indian steel sector is growing at a rate of 6-7 per cent per annum in terms of production.
India and Israel on Monday signed a "white shipping" agreement to improve data sharing on non-classified merchant navy ships or cargo ships, as Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba met with top brass of Israeli defence forces to further deepen bilateral military ties.
All along the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, a couple of things stood out during my two-day trip to the region in the midst of the state-wide farmers agitation.
The External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi said on Tuesday that their meeting would provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement "on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership."

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump "looks forward" to his meeting with Modi on June 26 and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral ties to "advance our common priorities: fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region."

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the US-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said.

He said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership "in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her annual press meet last week, however, said Modi would also raise the issues surrounding the US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers.

Prime Minister will, on June 26, hold talks with President on a range of issues, including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H1B visa rules, in their first bilateral meeting after the new administration took over in the US.Trump invited Modi to Washington after the Indian leader rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration."The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ...

Whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question. The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord. The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from $19 billion to $115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said. Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries. In his announcement of the decision for which he received a global condemnation, Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal. "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said. Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment. During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations. Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

Modi's visit will come while Trump is under political stress because of alleged Russian interference in US elections last year and contacts by member of his inner circle with Kremlin-connected figures.
Imports are likely to remain 5-6 per cent cheaper than locally made apparel, despite the goods and services tax providing input credits to the textile industr.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said its internal advisory committee (IAC) had identified 12 accounts that covered about 25 per cent of the banking systems non-performing assets for immediate resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
in India continue to struggle with the quality of their customer service. The overall average code compliance score on customer service based on parameters such as grievance redressal, transparency and information dissemination fell to 77 in 2017 from 78 in 2015. According to compliance ratings by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI), State Bank of India improved its credit score to 76 from 70 in 2015.
has got shareholders' approval to issue equity shares to bring down the government's shareholding in line with the Security and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)'s norms.
On the eve of Monday's nationwide anti-corruption protests, that was scheduled to coincide with Russia Day, hackers broke into the Yaroslavl Region Prosecutor's Office's website and posted a joking message: Stay at home. Or we'll put you in jail instead of Dimon.
The visa ban is about national security and not against any religion, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said after a US appeals court upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trump's revised executive order imposing a travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations.

"President Trump knows that the country he has been elected to lead is threatened daily by terrorists who believe in a radical ideology, and that there are active plots to infiltrate the US immigration system -- just as occurred prior to 9/11," Sessions said in a statement yesterday.

He was reacting to the yesterday's ruling by a three- judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit against the revised travel ban.

The bench had unanimously ruled against the ban, saying the executive order signed by Trump "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress" to oversee immigration.

"The President is committed to protecting the American people and our national security, and we are proud to support his mission to put America first by defending his right to keep us safe," Sessions said, adding : "This is the reason why the Department of Justice will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court."



Sessions said that the president's executive order is "well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe".

"We disagree with the Ninth Circuit's decision to block that authority," he said.

The recent attacks confirm that the threat to the nation is immediate and real, he said.

"Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states," he said.

Sessions cautioned against placing "our nation at risk until we have the have the ability accurately and responsibly to vet those seeking entry here".

"The president was clear in his landmark speech in Saudi Arabia: this is not about religion; it is about national security. In fact, he called upon leaders in the Muslim world to join the United States in protecting religious freedom for all, including the freedom to be free from violence and terror," Sessions said.

He said that the executive branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the constitution but "unfortunately, this injunction prevents him from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall."



Yesterday's ruling was the latest in a string of judicial blows to Trump's efforts to prohibit the entry of citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the US government reviews their screening procedures.

The executive order also called for a 120-day ban on all refugees.
The Obama administrations frustration with the lack of success against the IS was one factor in its effort to oust Admiral Michael S Rogers, the director of the NSA reuters
Ministers from Japan and the United States on Tuesday reiterated their opposition to North Korea's weapons programme and urged China to pressurise the Kim Jong-un-led regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon met the Japanese National Security Advisor, Shotaro Yachi, after which he said that North Korea's nuclear and missile tests are a global threat, reports Efe news.

Shannon said that both countries have agreed to urge China and the community to convince Pyongyang that its nuclear programmes "do not create any hopeful path to the future".

"We underscored the important role that China can play in this process, and also the important role that the UN Security Council and other organisations within the community can play in bringing this message home to North Korea loud and clear," Shannon added.

After his two-day visit to Tokyo, where he also met Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, Shannon is scheduled to travel to Seoul to discuss the US-South Korea alliance.

The visit comes amid heightened military tensions in the region, with Pyongyang's repeated weapons tests, the latest that took place last week.
is locked in its upper circuit of 20% at Rs 544 on the BSE after the specialty chemicals company said its board has approved the disposal of Mumbai land.
Srei Infrastructure Finance-promoted Bharat Road Network (BRNL) is looking to raise Rs 1,200 via an initial public offering (IPO) in mid-July. We got approval in May and by mid-July we should be able to bring the IPO, Bajrang Kumar Choudhary, managing director, BRNL, told Business Standard.
Increasing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan has given China an opportunity to acquire leadership role by mediating between the two Islamic countries and also to keep India away.

China has offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan so as to improve strained relations between the two countries that have dipped to an all time low after a deadly blast in Kabul on May 31 that killed over 150 people.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Kabul soon, where he will meet Afghan officials to discuss ways to improve Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, President Ashraf Ghani's Office said in a statement on Monday.

Wang will work to discuss the possibility of organizing a meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S and China, according to the statement, Tolo News reported.

"It is the first time that China wants to be a mediator in Afghanistan's peace process. Peace with Pakistan was our demand and this must be solved between government-and-government," Ghani said at the meeting.

After the investigations into the May 31 Kabul's Zanbaq Square blast, the Afghan Ministry of Interior has accused Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of supplying explosives to the Haqqani network.

May 31 Kabul truck bombing was the worst attack in 2017, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.

Talking about its ongoing investigations into the bombing, the Afghan Ministry of Interior had claimed, "initial investigations show that Pakistan's ISI supplied Haqqani with the explosives".

"Pakistan is the key planner of this incident like in the past, but our security team is investigating the incident and these investigations have not been completed," Tolo News quoted Ministry of Interior spokesman Najib Danish as saying.

Chinese foreign minister would also work to discuss the possibility of setting up a meeting between the four members of the Quadrilateral Coordination Committee - Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China.

The four-nation group was formed in January 2016 for reconciliation process in Afghanistan through the direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

"This time the quadrilateral meeting would be different compared to past meetings. At this meeting, Pakistan must support Afghanistan's policy over fighting insurgency," said Najibullah Azad, deputy spokesman for Ghani.

He also said that Kabul has gathered evidence showing that Pakistan is supporting insurgency in their country and it has shared the info with NATO and the U.S Congress and other organizations.

"When needed, the evidence will also be provided to the U.N," Azad told the media.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American university student Otto Warmbier has been released after more than 17 months of detention in North Korea, but has been in coma for over a year.

22-year-old Warmbier is due to arrive home in Cincinnati on Tuesday evening, after a stop at a U.S. military facility in Sapporo, Japan.

The 22-year-old contracted botulism and is in "bad shape", the CNN reported.

"At the direction of President Donald Trump, the Department of State has secured the release," CNN quoted U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's statement. No further details were provided.

Warmbier's parents, Fred and Cindy, said that they have been told their son has been in a coma since March 2016, and they came to know this only one week ago.

"Otto has left North Korea. He is on Medivac flight on his way home. Sadly, he is in a coma and we have been told he has been in that condition since March of 2016. We learned of this only one week ago," said Fred and Cindy Warmbier in a statement.

They said, "We want the to know how we and our son have been brutalised and terrorised by the pariah regime" in North Korea.

They also said they are grateful he "will finally be with people who love him."

Warmbier went with a tour group from Beijing to Pyongyang in January 2016 despite U.S. State Department's travel warnings.

Warmbier was detained in January 2016 at the airport in Pyongyang while on his way home. North Korea had accused him of committing "hostile acts" against the regime as Warmbier was found guilty and sentenced in March 2016 to 15 years hard labor.

Three more Americans are detained in North Korea but their fates have been hanging in the balance as Washington does not have a diplomatic mission in Pyongyang.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Condemning Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat for extending support to Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit's remark that Army Chief General Bipin Rawat was behaving like a street thug, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Tuesday said such "statements are against the nation and are an unforgivable crime."

Talking to ANI, Ahir said the Communist Party of India (CPI), in order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has gone against the entire nation.

"Rahul Gandhi has himself condemned the statement made by Sandeep Dikshit. It is wrong that after the entire nation has disregarded Sandeep Dikshit's statements, the CPI is supporting that ideology. Nothing can be expected from them," he said.

"The Army Chief should be supported by the citizens of India on his actions and steps taken in order to protect the nation. While trying to oppose the BJP, they have opposed the entire nation. These statements are against the nation. I think this is against the country. This is an unforgivable crime," he added.

Karat yesterday defended Dikshit's comment that Army Chief Bipin Rawat is a "sadak ka gunda" .

"I think Sandeep Dikshit has already apologised for the comment he made. That comment was made in a specific context and the matter should end there. But it is a matter of concern generally that the present Army chief's statement result in controversy because the statements itself are quite objectionable," Karat told ANI.

Karat further said that General Rawat was undermining the status of his post while making such controversial statements.

"I think there is a need for self restraint as far as the chief of our army is concerned," she added.

Sandeep Dikshit came under the scanner after he remarked that General Rawat was behaving like a "sadak ka gunda" (street thug).

His statement came in response to General Rawat's remark that the Army was "fully ready for a two and a half front war".

Meanwhile, the Centre has demanded an apology from the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and asked her to clarify her stand on remarks against the Indian Army.

"It shocks us. It did not come from a somebody from Congress, but from a very eminent Congress leader," Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said

However, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has tendered an apology for the second time, saying he shouldn't have used "uncivilised" words to convey his message.

"It was a statement given to you only and it was in the context of the constant statements that the Army Chief has made with regard to the army's preparation and Pakistan. I thought Indian Army chiefs normally don't make these statements and they have a different manner in which they approach," Dikshit told ANI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre on Tuesday said it will consult all the political parties and build a consensus on Presidential polls.

Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, "We will talk to all political parties. We will make efforts in direction to evolve broad consensus and try to seek support."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday constituted a three-member committee, including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Law and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Naidu to consult with other political parties on the Presidential election.

According to a party statement, the committee will consult leaders of different political parties over the Presidential poll and try to evolve a consensus.

Party president Amit Shah had indicated earlier that other parties will be consulted "at the appropriate time".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senate Democrats are joining hands with Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky to oppose a segment of U.S. President Donald Trump's arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer on Monday said he supported the resolution put forth by Rand Paul.

Democratic Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Al Franken of Minnesota would block the sale of USD 510 million of precision-guided ammunition to Saudi Arabia, CNN reports.

According to reports, Paul and Murphy are expected to force a vote on their resolution plausible under Senate rules for arms sales by Tuesday.

Schumer, in a statement, said that he supports Murphy's resolution of disapproval.

He condemned the Saudi Arabia Government for aiding terrorism via its relationship with Wahhabism and the funding of schools that spread extremist propaganda throughout the .

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee spoke against the ammunition sale to Saudi Arabia, saying the Trump administration's decision to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia instead of trying to find a solution to the civil war in Yemen where the Saudi-led coalition is accused of bombing civilians.

Earlier in May, the White House announced that the United States has sealed an arms deal worth USD 350 billion with Saudi Arabia, when President Trump began an official visit to the Muslim-majority nation.

The agreement, which will take effect immediately, was hailed by the White House as "a significant expansion of the security relationship" between the two countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Finance Minster Arun Jaitley will address a seminar, organised by FICCI along with Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) from June 14-15 in South Korea.

Jaitley will be accompanied by Rashesh Shah, Senior Vice President, FICCI, and Chairman and CEO, Edelweiss Group who will lead a high capacity FICCI delegation to South Korea.

Indo-Korean relations have been growing over the past few years and

this visit shall further strengthen mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the two nations.

The meeting is expected to enhance the bilateral economic engagement and co-operation between India and South Korea.

This visit shall further strengthen mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the two countries. Today, India is one of the most attractive investment destinations for global investors and there is a potential for much greater investments from various countries, including South Korea.

"This visit to South Korea will provide a good opportunity for CEOs to talk about the enabling policy environment available for corporates in India as well as to highlight the advantages that India offers to foreign investors," said Shah.

The FICCI delegation will get an opportunity to highlight to stakeholders the progress made across various development programmes and various measures taken by the government to steer the economy to higher growth path. It will be an opportunity to highlight the potential areas for further co-operation, especially in areas like manufacturing, ship-building, defence, infrastructure, etc.

The delegation visit to Korea comes at a time when the ruling government in India has completed three years. During the last three years, the Indian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made significant progress and undertaken various structural reforms, the latest being the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Besides Shah, Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, Harshavardhan Neotia, Immediate Past President, FICCI and Chairman and others, the FICCI delegation will be represented by industry and heads from diversified sectors.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 22-year-old infant care assistant, Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, has been detained on charges of radicalisation in Singapore.

She is the first woman in Singapore to be taken in custody on a radicalisation charge.

According to the country's Ministry of Home Affairs, Ansari fell in the trap of radicalisation in 2013 through online propaganda related to the Islamic terrorist group- Islamic State (IS).

Her radical nature aggravated with the passage of time due to the huge network of foreign contacts she had developed. Her contacts included IS militants who had either been killed in Syria, or been arrested for conducting acts of terrorism. She had been actively posting pro-ISIS content on different social media platforms.

"Izzah was intent on joining ISIS and was actively planning to make her way to Syria, with her young child. She supported the IS' use of violence to establish and even aspired to live in it," the ministry statement said.

Since 2015, she was even in search of an IS supporter to settle down with in Syria.

Izzah believed she would reap "heavenly rewards" if her husband died in battle fighting for Islam.

Ansari's family learned of her radical behaviour in 2015, but they continued to refrain from reporting the same to the Singaporean authorities. They tried to dissuade her on their own, but were unsuccessful.

"The heightened terrorism threat worldwide and in Singapore makes it imperative for family members and friends to alert the authorities if they suspect anyone is being radicalised or planning terror activities", the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four-month-old infant, Rohaan, who was slated to come to India for medical treatment banking on the assurance by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, arrived in Noida on Monday evening, and will undergo treatment at Jaypee Hospital in the capital.

Rohaan, who has a hole in his heart, was referred to the multi-speciality hospital for treatment. However, in the backdrop of cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, his parents were unable to get medical visa for their child's treatment in India.

Owing to this, Rohaan's father Kanwal Sadiq, approached Sushma Swaraj and made a plea for a medical visa. Upon receiving the request, she immediately directed the authorities to grant medical visa to Rohaan's family, who arrived with him via Wagah Border.

To this, the Indian minister swung into action and replied with a tweet, "No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa."

Dr. Ashutosh Marwah, an eminent pediatric cardiologist along with pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Rajesh Sharma will investigate and treat Rohaan. Dr. Marwah will examine the disease and condition of the baby and Dr. Sharma will operate Rohaan.

"Rohaan has a hole in the heart along with a condition called D-TRANSPOSITION OF GREAT ARTERIES. In this condition, the heart and lung nerves come from the opposite direction and there will be flow of no oxygen-rich blood in the body. Due to the same, there would be complication in breathing from first month onward, hence the child starts breathing heavily. Weight of the child does not increase and due to repeated pneumonia, the chances of survival become less. The most important thing is that the disease should be treated soon enough, because after 8 months the disease becomes untreatable and the chances of death increases," said Marwah.

"Rohaan is suffering from a critical condition. He has hole in his heart and aorta, which should be on the left side of the heart, is coming from the right and pulmonary arteries are coming from the left which is exactly opposite to the general structure of the body. Due to this disease, Rohan's pressure of lungs goes up very quickly and there is shortage of clean blood in different parts of his body. This disease will be treated with the arterial switch with vsd closure method, in which aorta and pulmonary arteries will be removed from its place and adjusted to the right place. If this disease is treated within 4 month of birth, the chances of survival will be 100 percent. Since Rohaan has already completed 4 months, therefore the surgery will have 5 to 10 percent risk," added Sharma.

Rohan's parents, who reached the Jaypee Hospital said after preliminary investigation in Pakistan, it was discovered that there is a hole in the heart along with the problem with the heart's nerves. The treatment for such a major disease could not be done in Pakistan or other small hospital without inadequate facility or infrastructure. Therefore, the family was referred to Jaypee Hospital.

The operation is expected to take place on June 15.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Inculpating the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Party for the ongoing protest in Darjeeling by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) over the formation of 'Gorkhaland', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the state government of alienating the community, which resulting in them facing an identity crisis.

"Gorkhas belong to India, but the state government has alienated them to such an extent that they lost their belief of belonging to this country. It is the identity crisis which has initiated such violence," BJP state vice president Chandra Kumar Bose told ANI.

Bose held the state government responsible for the escalated tension in Darjeeling and said that the ruling regime cannot solve this issue by simply providing some funds and forming the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

"Both the Left front for 34-year and the TMC party for the last six years are responsible for this identity crisis of the Gorkhas. We need to give the Gorkhas respect and understand their problem," he said.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader Pavan Varma told ANI that law and order should first be restored in the hills, which is the need of the hour, and that violence cannot be a solution to any problem including difference of opinion.

"I would join other voices in urging return to peace and normalcy after which a dialogue should take place, in which a resolution should be sought to be found," he said.

Earlier on Monday, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that normalcy is returning in Darjeeling, as the strength of the force has been increased to tackle the indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for a separate Gorkhaland.

Paramilitary jawans of the CRPF and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in Darjeeling in large numbers.

CRPF Commanding Officer Sunil Kumar Savita told ANI that "more companies have been called in controlling the agitation in the state. Everything is getting back to normalcy and people have already started arriving at offices. We have the paramilitary forces and police officers patrolling the streets 24X7".

The officer also said that the women battalions have also been deployed to beef up the security.

However, GJM president Bimal Gurun has warned tourists asking them to leave Darjeeling immediately as "the situation is turning worse, and anything can happen".

The GJM general secretary Roshan Giri earlier sought the Centre's intervention in the political turmoil in the state.

Giri had said that a delegation of members of the GJM would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprise them about the ' Gorkhaland movement'.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has branded the GJM protest as 'abhorrent' and appealed to the people of the region to maintain peace.

The GJM supporters are also protesting against the alleged imposition of Bengali in the schools of the hills.

The agitation arose from an announcement made by Mamata Banerjee earlier that Bengali would be taught compulsorily up to Class 10 in the state schools.

After the GJM cadres clashed with the police following their protests against Mamata's visit to Darjeeling and her decision to make Bengali compulsory in syllabus of schools across the state, the Army was called in to control the situation.

The protest led by the GJM turned violent after protesters resorted to vandalism as they torched police vehicles and attacked policemen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 12,000 school bags were distributed by the Gujarat education department carrying pictures of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the tribal district Chhota Udaipur.

This took place during an enrolment drive.

It also carried a punch line 'Khub Padhao, Khub Badhao'.

According to reports, after the picture of school bags embossed with Yadav's image went viral on social media, the state government called for an investigation into the matter.

Reportedly, a local official claimed that the bags were supplied by a firm in Surat called Chotala.

There were stickers pasted on the bags but the photo of Yadav was bared when the students removed the stickers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya will today face extradition hearing in London's Westminster Magistrates Court where the Crown Prosecution Service will be arguing the case on behalf of India.

The absconding businessman was arrested by the Scotland Yard on fraud allegations, which triggered his extradition process in the British courts.

Mallya was, however, released on bail, within hours of his arrest, as he assured the court to abide by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, including surrendering his passport.

Despite the extradition treaty signed in 1992 between India and the U.K., only one successful extradition has taken place - Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India in October 2016 to face trial over his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002, the report says.

In April this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that Mallya's extradition was stratified by the Secretary of State of the U.K. Government and added that a warrant would soon be released against him.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs. 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.

India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the U.K. through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) court on Tuesday rejected further extension of anticipatory bail to former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in connection with a money laundering case.

A complaint has been registered with the Income Tax (IT) investigations wing against Kumaraswamy.

The complaint acknowledged by the department accused the former chief minister and former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda's family of indulging in money laundering case.

The IT department also questioned the various investments made by his family members in India and countries abroad.

The complaint has 600 pages annexure details the allegations with specifics.

Reportedly, last week Kumaraswamy appeared before a Lokayukta Special Investigation Team after he was issued a notice to appear in connection with the Janthakal case.

On March 29, the Supreme Court asked the Special Investigating Team (S IT) of the Karnataka Police to probe allegations against two former chief ministers N. Dharam Singh and H. D. Kumaraswamy in connection with an iron ore mining case.

The apex court, however, granted relief to former chief minister, S. M. Krishna in the case.

The apex court also stayed all High Court proceedings and asked all not to pass any order on it.

This has been another trouble to Kumaraswamy after illegal mining case summons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has ruled out the possibility of holding local elections in the plains in a third phase.

Yadav told reporters that the Election Commission would not accept a third-round election at the local level.

He argued that it would be undemocratic to postpone the election date yet again, after the government has deferred it thrice already, reports the Kathmandu Post.

He added that the vote would not be rescheduled even if the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal boycotted it. As the election law has been amended, the RJP-N can take part in the polls.

The first amendment bill of the Local Level Elections Act in Nepal has paved way for the participation of the ethnic minorities in the second phase election slated for June 28.

The first phase of the historic local-level elections in Nepal was conducted on May 14. The polls are Nepal's first since the country adopted a new Constitution in September 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man of the Turk community has been fined Rs. 2 lakh as penalty and Rs. 60,000 as a Mehr for allegedly divorcing his wife through triple talaq in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh.

The father of the woman says she got married two years ago to a man of Hayatnagar village.

The groom on June 1 divorced his wife and she went back to her father's home. The matter later went to the Panchayat.

The Panchayat gave the verdict in the woman's favour, stating that triple talaq was banned in the village, and hence, the groom was accused of violating the rules.

"The decision taken in the meeting is right" said a villager.

The member of the Panchayat also helped the bride's family get back dowry given to the groom.

"The amount of money received as penalty has been given to victim bride so that it would be helpful for her in future" said a leader of the Turk community.

The incident reportedly took place after a fight, prompting the man to pronounce talaq thrice in a fit of rage and asking his wife to return to her parental village.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pentagon released its annual report to the US Congress entitled Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2017 on 6 June. The highlight of this report is that in the Pentagon's view the People Liberation Army ( PLA ) is expanding its global footprint.

China's expanding global economic interests make this inevitable, and it will do so "in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report says.

Indeed, Gwadar in Pakistan is touted by many as the likely location of a second Chinese base after one currently under construction in Djibouti, although the Pentagon report did not mention Gwadar by name at all.

Certainly, the report underscores China's movement towards, and beyond, the Indian Ocean. Work on China'sbase in the Horn of Africa commenced in February 2016 and should be finished "within the next year".

The report elaborated that Beijing may opt for "a mixture of military logistics models, including preferred access to overseas commercial ports and a limited number of exclusive PLA Navy [PLAN] logistic facilities - probably collocated with commercial ports..."

The Department of Defense (DoD) document added, "A more robust overseas logistics and basing infrastructure would also be essential to enable China to project and sustain military power at greater distances." However, China will face headwinds in creating a global network of bases for it "may be constrained by the willingness of countries to support a PLA presence in one of their ports".

While the report is a handy compilation serving as a good go-to guide on China's military developments, it did not meet everyone's expectations. Some thought it did not go far enough, while China bitterly complained it went too far.

Shephard Media, a United Kingdom-based defense publisher, was critical, saying it contributed "few points of importance or shock value". An article summarizing the report said, "With its non-offensive pastel maps and cover pages, the overall feeling is that China is cozy like a teddy bear.Since the report's creation by the US National Defense Authorization Act in 2000, it has become increasingly weak and soft, like the soft tissue of a leech."

While a couple of new items were added to this year's edition, Shephard was critical because these issues have been widely reported on for years by academia, think tanks and media. One example was the first ever reference in the report to the China Maritime Militia (CMM), an armed reserve force that the military can mobilize for support and coercive duties, such as has occurred in the South China Sea to harass foreign vessels.

Highlighting the importance of this "state-organized, state-developed and state-controlled force operating under a direct military chain of command to conduct Chinese state-sponsored activities", Andrew Erickson, a professor of strategy at the US Naval War College, wrote: "Together with the world's largest coast guard, and with China's navy backstopping in an 'overwatch' capacity, China's maritime militia plays a central role in maritime activities designed to overwhelm or coerce an opponent through activities that cannot be easily countered without escalating to war."

Erickson continued, "Here's why the Pentagon's publicizing of China's maritime militia matters: it is strongest - and most effective - when it can lurk in the shadows." He added, however, "By revealing the maritime militia's true nature and 'calling it out' in public, the US government can remove the force's plausible deniability, reduce its room for maneuver and reduce the chances that China's leaders will employ it dangerously in future encounters with American and allied vessels at sea."

The question is why has it taken so long for the Pentagon to highlight the role of the militia? This question is especially pertinent given the close link between the PLA and CMM.

Another area where the report lags is in detailing the tremendous gains that China has made to retake Taiwan by force. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has already acknowledged that China has the ability to conquer offshore islands such as Matsu and Penghu. It has notedthat China will have the airlift and sealift capability to invade the island in 2020, and enjoy complete domination of the air and sea domains for both the east and west coasts by 2025.

Yet the US report only uttered bland generalities such as this: "A PLA invasion of a medium-sized, better-defended island such as Matsu or Jinmen is within China's capabilities."

While there was a whole chapter on Taiwan's dilemma, far less attention was paid to India. One paragraph described China-India border tensions, including mention of a September 2016 incident when an "Indian patrol observed that more than 40 Chinese troops had set up a temporary shelter within Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh".

Power projection is most definitely a focus for the PLA, with the Pentagon saying, "China's leaders remain focused on developing the capabilities to deter or defeat adversary power projection and counter third-party intervention - including by the United States - during a crisis or conflict."

New warships for the PLAN continue to churn out at a prodigious pace, including Type 052D destroyers, Type 054A frigates and Type 056 corvettes. While the DoDmentioned the Type 055 cruiser, it failed to acknowledge that at least four of these 10,000-ton ships are already under construction at two shipyards.

The report summarized, "This modernization aligns with China's ongoing shift from 'near sea' defense to a hybrid strategy of 'near sea' defense and 'far seas' protection, with the PLAN conducting operational tasks outside the so-called 'first island chain' with multi-mission, long-range, sustainable naval platforms that have robust self-defense capabilities."

Indeed, Beijing "expects significant elements of a modern conflict to occur at sea". A second aircraft carrier should be ready around 2020, and the current fleet of 63 submarines will grow to 69-78 by 2020. The PLAN will begin constructing the next-generation Type 096 ballistic-missile submarine by the early 2020s, and the new Type 093B nuclear-powered attack submarine will be armed with land attack cruise missiles "over the next decade".

However, the report contained outdated information. It failed to confirm that the J-20 stealth fighter is already in low-rate initial production for the PLA Air Force (PLAAF).It pointed out that a new-generation bomber will debut around 2025, and "will have additional capabilities with full-spectrum upgrades over the current bomber fleet, and will employ many fifth-generation technologies in their design."

In summary, Asia's largest air force with more than 2,700 aircraft "continues to modernize and is closing the gap rapidly with Western air forces across a broad spectrum of capabilities. This development is gradually eroding the significant technical advantage held by the United States".For example, improved early-warning aircraft and fighters are strengthening an air defense system offering "credible" coverage more than 500km from China's shores.

Missile development shows no sign of diminishing pace either. The PLA Rocket Force began fielding the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile last year, apparently. Alatent ballistic missile defense system will include both ground- and sea-based assets, including a midcourse interceptor identified as the HQ-19. The DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, meanwhile, "gives the PLA the capability to attack ships, including aircraft carriers, in the western Pacific Ocean".

This year more information was included about the PLA's Strategic Support Force, whose function and structure remain rather shadowy. In 2016 the report allocated just 30 words to this force encompassing space, cyber and electronic warfare (EW) realms. This time it stated, "China believes its cyber capabilities and personnel lag behind the United States. To deal with these perceived deficiencies, China is improving training and domestic innovation to achieve its cyber capability development goals."

It added, "PLA writings suggest EW, cyberspace, deception, counter-space and other operations during wartime could deny an adversary's use of information." Indeed, the PLA would seek to use cyberwarfare to collect data for intelligence and cyberattack purposes. This would "constrain an adversary's actions by targeting network-based logistics, communications and commercial activities" and "serve as a force-multiplier when coupled with kinetic attacks during times of crisis or conflict".

The DoD noted that US government computer systems worldwide continued to be targeted by China-based intrusions in 2016. China is also pursuing quantum communications satellites, with the world's first example launched last August, which will afford cryptographic and secure communication capabilities.

Unfortunately, the Pentagon report failed to include many of the space and counter-space specifics revealed by Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats' testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on 23 May 2017. China's civil space program, for instance, is solidly intertwined with and even subservient to the PLA's space program. Instead, the DoD just skimmed the surface. It did not go into any detail about soft-kill and hard-kill anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, for instance.

If people want to learn more about space capabilities, the recently released Senate Armed Services Committee statement for the record entitled 'Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community' is a better bet.

It revealed that, due for development completion in "the next several years" are Russian and Chinese ASAT weapons. Also, "Ten years after China intercepted one of its own satellites in low-earth orbit, its ground-launched ASAT missiles might be nearing operational service within the PLA. Both countries are advancing directed-energy weapons technologies for the purpose of fielding ASAT systems that could blind or damage sensitive space-based optical sensors."

Furthermore, China continues to conduct sophisticated on-orbit satellite activities, such as rendezvous and proximity operations. This poses a threat, for, "Such missions will pose a particular challenge in the future, complicating the US ability to characterize the space environment, decipher intent of space activity and provide advance threat warning," warned US intelligence agencies.

Interestingly, returning to the Pentagon report, it calculated that China's 2016 defense budget exceeded USD180 billion, as opposed to Beijing's announced figure of USD144.3 billion. However, the department offered no methodology on how it reached this figure.

The DoD document addressed defense exports too, with China emerging as the world's fourth largest defense equipment supplier in 2011-15 with sales of about USD20 billion. It assessed, "From the perspective of China's arms customers, most of which are developing countries, Chinese arms are less expensive than those offered by the top international arms suppliers. They are also of lower quality and reliability, but they still have advanced capabilities."

Sadly, some information in the Pentagon dossier was out ofdate even before publication. Cuts and changes in the PLA's group armies, for example, were totally ignored.There are errors in it too, with Defense News noting "two of the navy's key air bases on the island of Hainan [were] omitted while another navy air base for special missionaircraft in China's Northern Theater Command was wrongly identified as an air force bomber base".

For all its softness, China responded angrily to the report's release. Zhao Weibin from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences complained it was "full of cliches in exaggeration and criticism about China's normal military development".

Zhao specifically complained about the USA hyping territorial and maritime rights disputes; subjectively assuming invisible military spending; slandering China by accusing it of stealing foreign technologies; and distorting normal foreign military exchanges into an opportunity for expansion.

China's MND also accused the report of being speculative. MND spokesman Wu Qian said, "China is committed to peaceful development and defense-oriented security policies" and that it "neither seeks military expansion nor a sphere of influence, and [it] will always be a firm force in maintaining peace".

"We hope the US will view China's defense construction and military development in a rational and objective manner," Wu pointedly concluded.

Like it or not, however, the report warned, "Over the last decade, China has increased its capability to address regional and global security objectives beyond its continued main emphasis on Taiwan contingencies. PLA ground, naval, air and missile forces are increasingly able to project power through peacetime operations and are expanding capacity to contest US military superiority in the event of a regional conflict."

The report makes this clear, even if some hawks believe the Pentagon did not go nearly far enough.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prominent Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been jailed for 30 days by a court in Russia, on charges of aiding in organising of mass public protests.

The arrest came early on Monday before a nationwide protest against corruption, which ended with hundreds of demonstrators taken into police custody.

Navalny was taken away by the police from his home on Monday and his wife wrote on his Twitter account, posting a photo of him getting into a police car.

Navalny had called on his supporters to mark Russia Day with protests against the 'corrupt system of rule' by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday took a dig at Rahul Gandhi after he announced his vacation in Italy and said that the Congress vice-president does not take politics seriously.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said that Rahul does not care about the farmers and that much should not be expected from him.

"We also used to go to our grandmother's house in the summer holidays and so Rahul Gandhi is also visiting. It hardly matters. Do not expect farmers' concern from Rahul Gandhi. He does politics like picnic. Not much should be expected from him," said Vijayvargiya.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP spokesperson G.V.L Narasimha Rao mocked Rahul and said that the Congress vice president visits India in between his foreign visits.

"Rahul Gandhi visits India in between his foreign vacations. He is a front ranking leader of the Congress party and the veil of secrecy about his foreign visits make him suspect and his party in the eyes of the people," said Rao.

However the Congress Party slammed the BJP for creating an unwarranted hype around Gandhi's visit.

"The people who are trying to misinterpret his visit we condemn those people. Meeting his maternal grandmother and asking for her health is a part of our culture & tradition. Some people who go and meet their mothers take cameras with them. There is an ongoing farmers' agitation that Rahul is leading and wherever he is he will lead it," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

"He will make the farmers' agitation more intense. We totally reject the BJP'S conspiracy. Those who does not know the importance of family only those will condemn this. The whole nation & every congress worker will make the voice of the farmers to expose the BJP of its anti farmers mindset," he added.

The Congress vice president, earlier in the day, said he would be travelling to Italy ahead the monsoon session of the Parliament to visit his grandmother.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said, "Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them."

He had last travelled abroad in March, when his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi was undergoing medical treatment abroad for an undisclosed illness.

Prior to that, he had travelled abroad at the end of December 2016 and the beginning of January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Responding to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's take on Sandeep Dikshit's 'sadak ka gunda' remark, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday while terming it to be 'too little and too late', claimed that it was the former himself who started the criticism against the Indian Army with his 'khoon ki dalali' comment.

"Rahul Gandhi opposing Sandeep Dikshit is not enough; he must be expelled from the party. What he said is too little and too late," BJP leader Sambit Patra told ANI.

While the BJP continued to stress on the necessity of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's apology, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge while defending the party vice president lashed out at the saffron party saying this is not a matter to be politicised.

"Many BJP leaders have said similar things. Has Narendra Modi apologised? We stand by Rahul Gandhi. He has rightly said no such comments can be made about the armed forces, who protect our country. This matter is not political," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Rahul chastised the comment made by Sandeep Dikshit on Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and insisted that politicians should refrain from making such statements.

Gandhi further said that the Indian Army serves the nation and, therefore, no political statements should be made against them.

"I dub the statement as wrong. Politicians should not comment on the Army Chief. I want to make this clear today. The Indian army works for the nation, safeguards our nation and the person who leads the army, their chief, no politician should not comment about him," he added.

Gandhi's remarks came after Dikshit said that General Rawat was behaving like a 'sadak ka gunda', in response to the latter's remark that the army was "fully ready for a two and a half front war".

However, Dikshit has tendered an apology for the statement, saying he shouldn't have used "uncivilised" words to convey his message.

"It was a statement given to you only and it was in the context of the constant statements that the Army Chief has made with regard to the army's preparation and Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Spain's prosecutor's office in Madrid has filed a tax fraud lawsuit against Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo of allegedly defrauding Spanish tax authorities of 14.7million Euros.

As per mirror.co.uk, the prosecutor's office, in a statement, said Ronaldo had knowingly used a "business structure" created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.

As per reports, the alleged irregularities were in relation to money the Portuguese star had in the Virgin Islands, although officials acknowledged adjustments to this structure in 2014, where the player paid back an extra 7 million Euros in tax.

Last summer, Barcelona legend Lionel Messi also faced similar charges for which he and his father convicted.

Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were handed the jail term last July after they were charged with three counts of tax fraud, which amounted to 4.1 million Euros.

Besides the prison sentence, the court had also ordered the Barcelona talisman and his father to pay a fine of around 2 million Euros and 1.5 million Euros respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In another case of hospital negligence, a four-day-old baby was found nibbled by rats at a government-run hospital in Rajasthan's Banswara district.

As per reports, there were no lights in the ward when the incident took place at 5 a.m. on Monday.

The family members noticed it once the lights came and lodged a complaint with the hospital authorities.

The mother of the baby, Priyanka, gave birth to a baby boy four days ago.

However, it has been informed that a committee, consisting of hospital stuff and nurses, has been formed to look into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as six parties including the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday adopted a resolution for a separate Gorkhaland state.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) did not attend the meeting.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is monitoring the situation developing in Darejeeling, sources said.

The GJM is plying to intensify its stir over the formation of the 'Gorkhaland'.

Inculpating the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the ongoing protest in Darjeeling by GJM, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the state government of alienating the community, which results in them facing an identity crisis.

"Gorkhas belong to India, but the state government has alienated them to such an extent that they lost their belief of belonging to this country. It is the identity crisis which has initiated such violence," BJP state vice president Chandra Kumar Bose told ANI.

Bose held the state government responsible for the escalated tension in Darjeeling and said that the ruling regime cannot solve this issue by simply providing some funds and forming the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri has sought Centre's intervention in the political turmoil in the state.

Giri had said that a delegation of members of the GJM would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprise them about the 'Gorkhaland Movement'.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has branded the GJM protest as 'abhorrent' and appealed to the people of the region to maintain peace.

The GJM supporters are also protesting against the alleged imposition of Bengali in the schools of the hills.

The agitation arose from an announcement made by Banerjee earlier that Bengali would be taught compulsorily up to Class 10 in the state schools.

After the GJM cadres clashed with the police following their protests against Mamata's visit to Darjeeling and her decision to make Bengali compulsory in syllabus of schools across the state, the Army was called in to control the situation.

The protest led by the GJM turned violent after protesters resorted to vandalism as they torched police vehicles and attacked policemen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Richard Linklater's 'Last Flag Flying' is all set to open this year's New York Film Festival.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Amazon title will make its world premiere at Alice Tully Hall on September 28 as the opening-night film of the fest.

The movie stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne in pivotal roles.

The story focuses on three aging Vietnam-era Navy vets - soft-spoken Doc (Carell), unhinged and unfiltered Sal (Cranston) and quietly measured Mueller (Fishburne) - as they reunite to perform a sacred task: the proper burial of Doc's only child, who has been killed in the early days of the Iraqi invasion.

Director of NYFF and chairman of selection committee Kent Jones, shared, "Last Flag Flying is many things at once - infectiously funny, quietly shattering, celebratory, mournful, meditative, intimate, expansive, vastly entertaining and all-American in the very best sense."

Adding, "But to isolate its individual qualities is to set aside the most important and precious fact about this movie: that it all flows like a river. That's only possible with remarkable artists like Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne and Bryan Cranston, and a master like Richard Linklater behind the camera."

Meanwhile, Linklater feels that it is an honour for him to present his film on the opening night of the festival.

"It's always special to be at the New York Film Festival, but to be premiering our movie on opening night, when you look at the half-century of films that have occupied that slot, is a wonderful honor," noted Linklater.

The 55th New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, is set to run September 28 to October 15.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reacting furiously on twitter to the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against reinstating his revised executive order limiting travel from six-Muslim majority countries, President Donald Trump emphasized that the travel ban is essential at such a dangerous time in America and the .

Trump tweeted "Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C."

The ruling from a unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is yet another stinging loss from a court that similarly refused to reinstate Trump's original executive order on travel in February.

The ruling said the president has violated U.S. immigration law by discriminating against people based on their nationalities and by failing to demonstrate that their entry into the country would hurt American interests.

"We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress," the three judges, all appointed by President Bill Clinton, wrote. "(I)immigration, even for the President, is not a one-person show."

In January, Trump had issued his initial travel ban, bringing chaos and protests to airports around the country. A Seattle judge blocked its enforcement nationwide in response to a lawsuit by Washington state, decision that was unanimously upheld by a different three-judge 9th Circuit panel.

The president then revised his executive order and named six countries instead of seven Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, with Iraq dropped and cited more of a national security rationale.

"That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!" Trump tweeted on June 5.

"In conclusion, the Order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," wrote the panel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Wisconsin on Tuesday to fill the skills gap in manufacturing jobs.

Fed up with the fake news reporting, Trump tweeted, "Heading to the Great State of Wisconsin to talk about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Big progress being made as the Real News is reporting."

Heading to the Great State of Wisconsin to talk about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Big progress being made as the Real News is reporting.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

Trump will be accompanied by his daughter Ivanka Trump.

Governor Scott Walker said that President Trump's visit to Wisconsin highlights alternative education to fill the skills gap in manufacturing jobs.

"We've got jobs, but we just need people with the skills, and the qualifications and the education needed to fill them," the Washington Times quoted Walker as saying.

The Republican governor said Trump is genuinely interested in filling this gap and not just bringing attention to the issues. Walker said he and Trump both want states to have more power in fixing this problem.

"When I talked to the president about this, it wasn't just using the bully pulpit, for which he's got the biggest bully pupil in the . It was looking at all these workforce investment programs, even welfare reform, and he said give more power to the states," Walker said.

Trump is likely to visit Waukesha County Technical College.

Wisconsin has many employment opportunities but providing on-the-job training to workers in industries is needed. Wisconsin was the first state in the country to pass a law establishing apprenticeship programs in 1911.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Axis Bank rose 0.81% to Rs 511.50 at 9:24 IST on BSE after the bank said it proposes to raise funds aggregating to Rs 5000 crore via issue of non-convertible debentures.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 12 June 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 66.61 points or 0.21% at 31,162.31.

On the BSE, 10,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 2.24 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 512.25 and a low of Rs 509.20 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 638 on 7 September 2016 and a 52-week low of Rs 424.60 on 10 January 2017.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 12 June 2017, advancing 0.96% compared with the Sensex's 3.01% rise. The stock had also underperformed the market over the past one quarter, sliding 1.58% as against the Sensex's 7.43% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one year, declining 6.26% as against the Sensex's 16.74% rise.

The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 479.36 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Axis Bank said it proposes to raise funds by issuing unsecured redeemable non-convertible subordinated debentures, Basel-III Compliant Tier 2 debentures aggregating to Rs 5000 crore. The board of directors of the bank will consider the proposal to issue and allot the aforesaid securities through circular resolution.

Axis Bank's net profit fell 43.1% to Rs 1225.10 crore on 4.3% growth in total income to Rs 14181.31 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Axis Bank is one of the biggest private sector banks in India.

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Of Rs 2.5 per share

Kovai Medical Center & Hospital announced that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 29 May 2017, inter alia, have recommended the final dividend of Rs 2.5 per equity Share (i.e. 25%) , subject to the approval of the shareholders.

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Till 31 December 2017

Neuland Laboratories has been granted approval for extension of time for holding its Annual General Meeting for the financial year 2016-17, till 31 December 2017, by the Registrar of Companies, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh.

The extension has been sought by the Company as it is in the process of the obtaining requisite approvals for the Scheme of Amalgamation and Arrangement between Neuland Laboratories (Transferee Company) and Neuland Health Sciences(First Transferor Company) and Neuland Pharma Research (Second Transferor Company) and their respective Shareholders and Creditors ('Scheme'), filed with the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal and the timelines involved for the proposed merger.

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Shreyas Shipping & Logistics rose 9.30% to Rs 348 at 10:31 IST on BSE after the company said it signed a joint venture agreement with Japan's Suzue Corporation.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 12 June 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 78.68 points, or 0.25% to 31,174.38.

On the BSE, 17,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 15,348 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 364.75 and a low of Rs 345 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 464.55 on 11 July 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 193.10 on 26 December 2016.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 12 June 2017, falling 11% compared with 3.01% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 13.82% as against Sensex's 5.61% rise. The scrip had underperformed the market in past one year, falling 19% as against Sensex's 17.80% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 21.96 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Shreyas Shipping and Logistics (Shreyas) and Suzue Corporation of Japan signed the joint venture agreement wherein a joint venture company would be formed, which will capitalise on the possibilities in international freight forwarding, customs clearance service, warehousing services, land transport services and other related logistic services with additional focus on land bank development for commercial purposes in Indian Sub-continent and Japan.

The geographies covered by the agreement initially include Indian sub-continent and Japan, with the possibility of extending to South East Asian nations.

On a consolidated basis, Shreyas Shipping & Logistics reported net loss of Rs 9.94 crore in Q4 March 2017 as against net profit of Rs 15.11 crore in Q4 March 2016. Net sales rose 4.69% to Rs 184.31 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Shreyas Shipping & Logistics, the Indian flagged vessel owning unit of Transworld Group, is a pioneer and market leader in domestic coastal container shipping covering all main ports and container terminals on the Indian coast.

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Twelve militants were killed when government aircraft pounded Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan's Kunduz province on Tuesday, the army said.

The aircraft conducted sorties against Taliban hideouts in Kygyz village of the beleaguered Imam Sahib district early on Tuesday morning, Army spokesman Abdul Khalil Khalili said.

Six militants were injured in the air raid, Xinhua news agency reported.

Government forces recaptured Imam Sahib district on Saturday and since then cleanup operations were continuing to ensure lasting peace in the restive district.

Taliban militants were yet to make comments.

--IANS

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The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has told police that 26 lockers at its Modinagar branch have been burgled and the loss could total crores of rupees.

The bank manager initially told the police on Monday -- when the burglary was discovered -- that 11 lockers had been broken.

He later said 26 of the total 30 lockers had been stripped of cash and other valuables. Four lockers were empty when the crime took place either on Saturday or Sunday when the bank was shut, Senior Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh said on Tuesday.

The bank is located in the Modi Cloth Mills in Modinagar, a town in Ghaziabad district.

The police found that the burglars entered the bank by first boring through the concrete wall. They then forced their way into the locker area.

The criminals apparently went about demolishing the wall by hiding in the dense brushes at the back of the bank, the police officer said.

"I visited the crime spot and found that the bank lacks security measures. If any attempt was made to intrude into the bank, a siren should have gone off. But the siren did not work," Singh said.

"The CCTV cameras were not found functional. There was no security guard either," he added.

--IANS

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At least 51 people were killed and 11 others injured in landslides in Bangladesh following three days of heavy rainfall across the country, a top disaster management official said on Tuesday.

Rangamati district reported 29 deaths, Chittagong 16 and Bandarbad six, Director General of Bangladesh Disaster Management Department (DMD) Reaz Ahmed told Efe news.

Earlier, Rangamati additional police chief Mohammad Shahidullah said the heavy rain was disrupting rescue operations.

"The weather is very bad here and the area is hilly, so it has become very difficult for us to conduct rescue operations," he said.

Dijen Roy, a spokesperson from the Chittagong office of the Meteorological Department, said they have recorded 131 mm of rain in the district in the past 24 hours, and the rain is expected to continue due to a persistant depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Dhaka's flood forecasting centre said water levels in all major rivers are rising, while some rivers were already flowing over their respective danger mark.

--IANS

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With an aim to clean the Anganwadi system in the national capital, around 1,600 Anganwadi centres in Delhi will be inspected by IAS officers on Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.

Addressing the media, Sisodia said there were around 800 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) officers in Delhi and each officer would have to inspect at least two Anganwadi centres on Saturday.

"Under this campaign, officers will have to visit the houses of each child or women whose name is registered in an Anganwadi," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The officers would enquire from children whether they were getting proper food, what was taught in these centres and whether students were actually visiting the Anganwadi centres, Sisodia said.

He said there were about 10,000 Anganwadi centres in Delhi and after reviewing the first phase, the inspection would be extended to other centres.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that he has visited many centres over the past few days and noticed an insensititve attitude towards pregnant women and children at many places.

"The government is spending around Rs 400-500 crore and I won't allow it to be spent insensitively," he said.

"In many Anganwadis, the survey registers had been filled with pencil for many years," Sisodia said. "If we don't care about children or their education, then it will affect the future of the country."

The Deputy Chief Minister added that some Anganwadi centres were doing a good work and the government would reward workers who were running these centres.

--IANS

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Civil society members and leaders of opposition parties on Tuesday dubbed the killing of five farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh "murder by state machinery" and demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge.

A delegation comprising social activists Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and politicians Kalpana Parulekar of the Congress, and Paras Saklecha of the Aam Adami Party was detained at Dhodhar in neighbouring Ratlam district when it tried to visit Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers killed in the June 6 police firing.

The Madhya Pradesh government had on Monday appointed a one-member judicial commission of Justice J.K. Jain (retd) to probe the police firing. The commission has been mandated to submit its report within three months.

"Independent persons and agencies are denied entry while the full might of the state appears to be influencing and torturing witnesses to the murder of farmers by police, causing disappearance of material evidence and running an extortion racket by intimidation," a statement issued by the delegation members said.

They demanded that all civil and police officials responsible for the firing should be booked and cases against protesting farmers withdrawn.

They said the government's failure in ensuring adequate remuneration for agricultural produce seemed to be the reason for the widespread discontent among Madhaya Pradesh farmers and the state government's inaction has further fuelled the unrest.

A 'Shaheed Kisan Mahapanchayat' will be held in Madhya Pradesh on July 6 to support the farmers' protests across the country, the delegation members said.

A plan is also afoot to set up a people's tribunal on police firing and alleged torture of farmers at Mandsaur.

--IANS

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Following Pakistan's win in the do-or-die clash against Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy, captain Sarfraz Ahmed has credited the victory to their front-line pacer Mohammad Amir and his temperament with the bat.

In pursuit of Sri Lankan's 236, Pakistan were 7-162 against Sri Lanka when Amir joined captain Sarfraz in the middle on Monday. Amir scored 28 not out as he maintained his calm to help his side cross the 200-run mark, forming a 75-run crucial unbeaten partnership with Sarfraz.

Sarfraz revealed the key conversation he had with Amir in between the wickets that helped the bowler keep his nerves.

"I was thinking that if I play 50 overs, we would win," he explained. "Credit goes to Amir, he played really well. I just told him to play ball by ball. 'Don't look up, don't look at the scoreboard'. I told him to just play his game. We just played our normal games," he said.

Sarfraz also admitted to having felt the pressure when all-rounder Imad Wasim got out on four runs, leaving Pakistan at 6-137.

"When Imad Wasim got out, I felt the pressure. He can bat and bowl, he is a good batsman and we were confident when he was there. But hats off to Amir... The way he played was outstanding," conceded Sarfraz.

"When we had 40 to win, I was feeling the pressure but Amir was calm. We just played our natural games. Yes, we were lucky with dropped catches but we held our calm."

--IANS

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A high-ranking Bangladeshi diplomat based in New York, accused of forcing his servant to work for up to 18 hours a day without pay, was charged on Monday with labour trafficking and assault, CNN reported.

Shahedul Islam, Bangladesh's Deputy Consul General in New York, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

For his bail, which was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash, Bangladesh's Consul General in New York Shameem Ahsan, other colleagues and relatives arranged a $50,000 bond. But it will take a day for him to be released, bdnews24 reported.

Shahedul, 45, brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed Amin, to the United States between 2012 and 2013 to work for his family in Queens as a household helper, an arrangement common among South Asian diplomats.

"Soon after Mr Amin's arrival, the defendant allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day... Even though Mr Amin had a contract which outlines his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

"If the victim disobeyed the defendant's orders, Mr Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the defendant, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe," it said.

Shahedul has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, Brown said in a statement.

The Queens grand jury hit Shahedul with a 33-count indictment on Monday that includes labor trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned later Monday. His next court date is June 28.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh embassy in Washington said it believed Amin had filed the case in bad faith and the allegations were "fabricated" and "baseless".

Shahedul had reportedly decided to cancel Amin's contract and was preparing to send him back to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Khaleda Begum confirmed that their embassy in Washington and the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry have been officially notified of Shahedul's arrest and the charges against him.

According to the charges, Amin's only form of income came from tips from guests at parties and a "miniscule" amount of money Shahedul sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

On several occasions when Amin sought to leave, Shahedul hit him and threatened to harm his mother and young son in Bangladesh, according to the statement.

On occasions, Shahedul also stated that he would have Amin's college-age daughter "shamed" if he did not continue to work as his servant, the statement said. The statement did not make clear what Shahedul meant by shaming.

The statement also said that in 2014, shortly after an Indian diplomat in New York was charged with labour trafficking, Shahedul wrote a cheque for Amin's cash-tip earnings that the latter then had to deposit in a bank account to create the appearance of a paycheque.

"The long list of 33 charges in the indictment is a clear indication of the shocking depth of the deprivation and abuse allegedly meted out by this diplomat against his helpless domestic worker," said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

"Bangladesh should make an example of this diplomat by publicly washing their hands of him, and ensuring this never happens again."

In a similar case, in late 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was India's Deputy Consul General in New York, was arrested and subsequently accused of visa fraud and forcing her housekeeper and nanny to work 100-hour weeks for just over $1 an hour.

Khobragade's arrest and strip search provoked outrage in India and caused a major diplomatic rift between the US and India. The charges against her were dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity. After she left the United States, a New York grand jury later issued a new indictment for visa fraud.

--IANS

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Thousands of conservancy workers in Bengaluru on Tuesday called off their indefinite strike after an assurance from the government that it would look into their demands, including for regular employment to contract workers.

"We have called off the strike after Minister for Social Welfare H. Anjaneya assured to arrange a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on June 20 to finalise the modalities to regularise the services of contract conservancy workers," Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Contract Workers' Association Vice President Vinay Sreenivasa told reporters on Tuesday.

Around 6,000 contract conservancy workers of Bengaluru civic body went on an indefinite strike since Monday to press their demands.

"About 45,000 conservancy workers are engaged on contract basis in 240 urban local bodies across the state, and around 22,000 of them are on contract basis in Bengaluru," Sreenivasa said.

Besides regular employment, the conservancy workers are also demanding direct transfer of salary to their bank accounts instead of authorising garbage contractors to disburse the monthly pay.

"Most of the conservancy workers are getting only Rs 4,500 from the garbage contractors. They will get Rs 12,500 if the urban local bodies credit salary to their bank accounts," Sreenivasa said.

Social Welfare Minister Anjaneya, accompanied by Minister for Municipal Administration Eshwar B. Khandre, met the leaders of agitating workers at Bannappa Park in the city centre.

"The conservancy workers need not depend on garbage contractors for their salary. The government will make arrangements to credit salary to their bank accounts. A meeting will be held to discuss abolishing the contract system in urban local bodies, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike," Anjaneya said.

Tonnes of garbage has piled up at various locations after the conservancy workers went on strike on Monday. On an average, Bengaluru generates 4,000 tonnes of garbage daily.

Residents in areas such as Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura, Hebbal in Bengaluru north suburb; KR Market, Kalasipalya, Chamarajapet, Malleswaram and Palace Guttahalli in city centre; and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Laggere, Peenya Dasarahalli in Bengaluru south have suffered the most due to the conservancy workers' strike.

--IANS

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The Congress party on Tuesday accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of attempting to create a "smokescreen" of corruption in the Vizhinjam port project and dared the ruling LDF to scrap the deal and ink a new pact if it indeed was corrupt.

Kerala Congress chief M.M. Hassan said that Vijayan's assertion that the project would not be scrapped but the probe will be on exposed his "double standards".

"There is a clear clause in the agreement that the state government can at any point of time cancel the agreement without any loss. But what Vijayan is trying to do is while taking credit for the project is he wants to create a smokescreen of corruption in the deal for political needs. This is not acceptable," Hassan told reporters after a meeting of the Congress high power committee here.

He said former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Congress party "whole-heartedly welcome the probe but this double standards by Vijayan will not be accepted".

"So, he (Vijayan) can go ahead and cancel the deal," he added.

Hassan also pointed out the replies given by the Vijayan government to the CAG clearly show that the agreement was a "clean one".

"The CAG report is not factual and Chandy himself has filed a complaint before the CAG citing all the discrepancies," he said.

The Chief Minister, however, brushed aside the points raised by the Congress in its meeting.

"Let the probe go ahead," Vijayan told reporters in Kozhikode.

The previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government had inked the agreement with Adani Ports in 2015 for the Rs 7,525-crore Vizhinjam project.

Adani Ports, which was the lone bidder, sought Rs 1,635 crore as grant for it. It had committed that the first phase of the port would be operational in 1,000 days from the date of commencement of work, which began in 2015.

The Kerala cabinet announced a judicial probe into the Vizhinjam port agreement earlier this year after the CAG report, placed in the state assembly, came out with certain anomalies.

Meanwhile, the CAG has reportedly called up the officials who took part in the Vizhinjam audit and finalisation of the report.

--IANS

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Messina (Italy), June 13 (IANS/AKI) A court in this Sicilian town on Tuesday found two state prosecutors guilty of "grave inertia" in their failure to prevent the 2007 murder of Marianna Manduca by her husband after she reported him twelve times for domestic violence.

The Messina court ordered the two unnamed prosecutors and the Italian Prime Minister's Office to pay unspecified damages over Manduca's slaying by her spouse, Saverio Nolfo, in the town of Palagonia in the province of Catania.

Manduca, who was 32, was killed by Nolfo in a frenzied knife attack during which he stabbed her a dozen times on 3 October, 2007.

Nolfo, a father of three, is serving a 20-year jail term for his wife's murder.

At the time of Manduca's killing, the two magistrates were working at the public prosecutor's office in Caltagirone.

--IANS/AKI

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US President Donald Trump went after the "fake news media" on Tuesday, accusing the country's press of publishing false stories.

He said the press had descended to a "new low".

"The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

The President did not specify which particular story had triggered his online fuming.

Trump had repeatedly accused the country's media of printing incorrect stories related to his administration.

Trump's latest tweet came hours before Attorney General Jeff Sessions was set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Politico reported.

Sessions's testimony followed former FBI Director James Comey's highly-anticipated appearance before the same panel last week over possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Sessions will likely face tough questions over his dealings with Russian officials during the poll campaign and whether he had a role in the firing of Comey.

Comey said that Sessions may have had an undisclosed third meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

--IANS

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Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila said on Monday that his government will submit a formal resignation soon.

Sipila told a press conference in Helsinki that the Centre Party and National Coalition Party could not be assured of cooperation with the Finns Party on future issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

The prime minister made the announcement following talks with other coalition party leaders on Monday morning. Sipila said the value difference with Jussi Halla-aho, new leader of the Finns Party, was too large.

National Coalition party leader Petteri Orpo underlined that no hatred speech or discrimination was acceptable.

"We believe in international cooperation and want to develop an open and permissive society," he said.

Sipila and Orpo said Halla-aho's views on Finland's relationship with the European Union are not compatible with the government programme.

They said Halla-aho would have liked to keep the Finns Party inside the government. Halla-aho said on Monday afternoon that Sipila could not accept making the Finnish immigration policies tougher.

--IANS

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The governments of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates clarified on Tuesday that the closure of their airspace only applied to Qatari commercial airlines, so flights to Doha for carriers from other countries were allowed.

Airlines from other countries and private flights are to be permitted to cross their airspace if they request for a permission 24 hours in advance and can provide a list with the names and nationalities of the crew and passengers, reports Efe news.

However, in their statements, the three countries warned that they reserved the sovereign right to take precautionary measures to protect their national security if they deemed it necessary, citing a UN Security Council resolution that warned that civil aviation could be used as a means of transporting terrorists.

On June 5, these three countries, in addition to Egypt, broke diplomatic relations with Qatar and implemented a series of economic reprisals after claiming that Doha funds terrorist groups.

More Arab and Muslim-majority African countries later joined the diplomatic blockade, even as several powers have called for resolving the crisis.

--IANS

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Four people were injured on Tuesday in a shooting at an underground train station in the German city of Munich, police said.

The suspect was detained, police said adding that the incident occurred when officers were sent to the Unterfohring station amid reports that a fight had broken out between passengers on a train, Efe news reported.

After the police arrived at the scene, one of the assailants allegedly tried to push an officer onto the train tracks.

The aggressor then managed to disarm one of the police agents and began to shoot.

One female officer was hospitalised due to a critical gunshot wound to the head, while the assailant, who was shot, also was in a serious condition.

Two others also sustained minor injuries in the altercation.

--IANS

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France's Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler on Tuesday inaugurated Michelin India's state-of-the-art R&D Laboratory in Manesar, Haryana, which he said will contribute to the Indian government's Make in India and Skill India initiatives, a statement said.

During the inauguration, Ziegler said: "Our vibrant economic partnership with India is boosted by France's leading companies such as Michelin which actively contribute to "Make in India" and bring research and development technology expertise here. Along with providing innovative products to India and other emerging markets in the region, this technology centre will also help augment skilling, thus contributing to the Indian government's National Skill Development Mission, a key parameter for global competitiveness for India."

The sprawling 3,800-sq m Materials test laboratory at Manesar is an essential resource, providing support to the Michelin Technology Centre in Gurgaon. This Technology Centre is focused on radial truck and bus tyre R&D and provides technical support to the company's manufacturing facilities in Chennai, China and Thailand, a statement from the French embassy said.

With an annual R&D budget of more than euro 700 million, Michelin has over 6,000 employees engaged in research, development and process engineering at Technology Centers in Europe, North America and Asia.

--IANS

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Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporters clashed with police during a protest rally here on Tuesday -- day two of the indefinite shutdown called by the party in the northern West Bengal hills pressing for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

The GJM also convened an all-party meeting where six parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), participated and lent unanimous support to the demand for Gorkhaland while condemning the "police action" on GJM activists on June 8.

The slogan-shouting protestors turned violent when they were stopped at Chowk Bazar, and pelted bricks at the security forces, prompting police to resort to baton charge to disperse the crowd.

Dividing themselves into small units, the Morcha activists used narrow lanes and bylanes of Darjeeling to take out the rally in order to bypass the tight security on main roads.

Senior police officers, including newly-appointed Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi, were seen patrolling the streets, alongside the army, counter-insurgency force and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

"The activists became violent and indulged in stone pelting our forces near Chowk Bazar. But the mob has been dispersed. We have to check if any of the officers got injured," Chaturvedi said.

A group of tourists from Mumbai faced the ire of the shutdown supporters, who stopped their vehicle and asked them to return.

Roads were deserted and schools and colleges -- despite being outside the purview of the shutdown -- remained shut. Private cars did not hit the roads, while a section of shops did not roll up their shutters.

Additional Director General of Police (North Bengal) N. Ramesh Babu said the situation was under control in Darjeeling and Kurseong districts.

Six more companies of central forces are being rushed to the hills to prevent any untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, police on Monday night arrested the GJM-run hill development body Gorkhaland Territorial Administration member Satish Pokhrial in connection with the violence in the area since last Thursday.

A massive force was posted outside the GJM party office in Darjeeling's Singmari.

The all-party meeting at Gymkhana Club was boycotted by major state parties, like the ruling Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and the Congress. Besides, hill-based outfits Jan Andolan and Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League also stayed away.

Apart from the GJM and the BJP, the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkha Rashtriya Nirman Manch and the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh took part in the deliberations.

"All the parties are unanimous on creation of Gorkhaland state. The next meeting will be held on June 20 when there will be further discussions on the future course of action in a united way," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told the media here.

The parties also demanded written clarification from the state government on the language issue in Darjeeling hills, Dooars (foothills of the Himalayas) and Terai (the plains close to the hills).

The West Bengal hills have been on the boil for nearly a week after the GJM launched an agitation against what it called the state government's "attempt" to impose Bengali on the Nepali-speaking people of the region, even though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that there are no such plans for the hills.

As the movement gathered steam, the GJM revived the Gorkhaland demand.

A violent clash ensued between police and Morcha activists last Thursday during a protest rally, right after the state government's cabinet meeting in Darjeeling, in which several activists and at least 50 police personnel received injuries.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Atletico Madrid star forward Antoine Griezmann has extended his contract and will remain with the Spanish club until June 30, 2022, sources close to the negotiations have said.

Efe reported on Monday that the extension will end a period of uncertainty about the future of the Frenchman amid speculation about a possible $100 million move to Manchester United.

The deal was reached after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a transfer ban on Atletico Madrid. The club won't be able to do transfer deals until January 2018.

Atletico Madrid finished third in La Liga last season and is to compete in the next edition of the Champions League.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel was detained in Neemuch on Tuesday while he was on his way to Mandsaur to meet the families of the farmers killed in police firing.

Police also used mild force to turn away Patel's supporters.

"Hardik Patel was not granted permission to visit Neemuch. He was stopped at Nayagaon barrier along the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border," Neemuch Superintendent of Police T.K. Vidyarthi told IANS.

"His convoy included 20 vehicles and at least 150 people. Patel, along with four others, has been detained while the rest have been turned away," Vidyarthi added.

According to Patidar Navnirman Sena General Secretary Akhilesh Katiyar, Hardik left for Mandsaur from Udaipur in Rajasthan. He planned to meet the kin of the deceased farmers along with other farmer leaders.

"Hardik Patel neither sought permission to visit Mandsaur, nor was he allowed by the administration. That's why, he was not allowed to enter Mandsaur," District Magistrate O.P. Shrivastava said.

Heavy deployment of police is in place at the Nayagaon barrier along Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border. Vehicular movement has been halted as well.

--IANS

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Hong Kong on Tuesday said that it has become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

In May, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the funding for subscription of 7,651 shares of the AIIB's capital, including 1,530 paid-in shares that amount to about 1.2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($150 million) and payable over five years, and 6,121 callable shares, reports Xinhua news agency.

Having completed the subsequent legal procedures, Hong Kong was admitted as a new member of the AIIB.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that "the early completion of our accession process demonstrates Hong Kong's readiness to support the operation of the AIIB."

"As the leading international financial centre, Hong Kong has a sophisticated, robust and highly liquid financial market, and an abundance of top professionals with global experience, coupled with the unique advantage of 'one country, two systems'," Chan said, adding that the region is "well placed to help the AIIB to raise funds to finance various infrastructure projects."

The AIIB will hold the second annual meeting of its Board of Governors in Jeju, South Korea, from June 16-18.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whom India has sought to be extradited for trial in a Rs 9,000-crore bank loan default case, on Tuesday appeared before a Westminster magistrate court and later told media outside that he was delighted that he would be able to put up his case before a fair and impartial court here.

Accompanied by his son Siddharth, the 61-year old industrialist who fled India 15 months ago rejected all allegations of default of loans against him and denied that he was called a thief inside the court.

This was the first hearing before a magistrate in what is called "management" proceedings before the actual trial begins. Mallya was asked to sit in the place where people facing trial are made to sit. His name was called out and his date of birth mentioned by way of confirming his identity.

Mallya, who owes as much as Rs 9,000 crore to a consortium of Indian banks, fled to Britain in March last year. India is seeking his extradition for which the procedure has already begun and a team of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation is chalking out the process.

When he sought a barrier to keep away inquisitive television reporters from thrusting their mikes before him outside the court, the judge permitted that he may not be present at the next hearing on July 5.

During the proceedings, Mallya's lawyers told the magistrate that the Indian government was coming up with a second extradition request which he would like to go through before giving his submissions. They wanted that the case be deferred till next year. The magistrate, however, indicated that the case could be placed for regular trial in December.

When the magistrate enquired with the crown prosecution service about cooperation from India, he was told that there was good cooperation and coordination between the two sides.

Outside the court, the chairman of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines by and large remained composed while answering media questions except when reporters tried to provoke him a couple of times.

"I am not going to answer any questions. There is a court of law. We will make submissions before the appropriate court of law," he told reporters.

"You can keep dreaming about billions of pounds, provided you have facts to justify your questions. Otherwise, don't put questions. So don't ask irrelevant questions," he said.

When a British reporter asked him about the multiple flats he has in the UK, he shot back, "Multiple homes in UK, I have been living here since 1992."

Mallya said that he was here to defend himself as was expected.

"Were you in the court? Did you hear what the prosecution said, what my lawyers said and what the judge said?" he asked, refusing to go into what happened inside the court.

But when a reporter asked him about his being called a thief inside the court, Mallya said: "I was not called a thief. As two people in a drunken state yelled at me, didn't you notice that there were several others who wished me well."

Asked if he was relieved at being told by the court not to come for next hearing on July 5, he said: "I do not want to say anything about what happened inside the court."

"I am delighted that I can put forward my case before an impartial court," he said.

Earlier before going into the court, Mallya said he had not eluded any court of law and denied all alegations levelled against him.

When a questioner noted that he has been in Britain for the last 15 months and was eluding courts in India, he said: "I have not eluded any court. It is my lawful duty to be here and I am here (London court)."

"I have nothing to say as the court proceedings are on and I deny all allegations that have been made and I will continue to deny them," Mallya said before appearing in the court.

Asked what he expected would happen in the court, he said: "I have no expectations and you can hear what the court says."

Mallya also said he had "enough evidence" to fight the case, but parried a question whether he fears that a trial in India would be unfair to him.

--IANS

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Actress-filmmaker Elizabeth Banks, who will soon start shooting for "Charlie's Angels" reboot, says she always wanted to be a director because of her bossy attitude.

"It's (direction is) something I've always wanted to do. I directed plays in college. I'm very bossy, and I got to a point as an actor where I'd been on 65 or 70 sets," Banks told hollywoodreporter.com.

"I always find video village. I'm that annoying actor. I never stayed in my trailer. Doing TV and film, it's always been a learning experience.

"I love now -- with a movie like 'Charlie's Angels' -- getting to do action and visual effects, and I loved on "Pitch Perfect" the huge challenge of making a movie musical. I mean, that's no small feat. It's a big job, and I like the constant challenge," she added.

--IANS

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Twice in two weeks the US has taken steps that will have dire repercussions on a global scale.

First, it was the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the effects of which can only be catastrophic. More recently, the US House of Representatives passed an act to roll back the 2010 Dodd Frank Act that was introduced to plug the financial irregularities that led to the 2008 financial crisis. The Act took a holistic approach in regulating every aspect of financial markets from the trading of bonds and stocks to the way in which large banks operate.

The importance of regulation can be realised by gazing through a historical lens into the Great Depression of 1929. In the decade before the depression, the United States entered a period of economic prosperity famously known as the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of rapid innovation, accelerated industrial growth and high consumer demand. Corporate profits skyrocketed and stock markets boomed. Manipulation became rampant and even banks began offering securities backed by dubious assets. When the music stopped in 1929, the stock markets crashed, assets became worthless and households found themselves burdened with debt.

In 1933, the Congress passed the Glass-Steagall Act in response to the market manipulations. It effectively separated investment and commercial banking activities of banks. Banks were allowed only to take deposits and make loans while brokers were allowed only to underwrite and sell securities. This would prevent banks from taking too much risk with the depositors' money by investing in the stock market. From 1933 until it was repealed in 1999, there were no instances of large bank failures or a crisis comparable to the one that occurred in 2008.

Regulation played a vital role in curbing economic miseries across the world. There is a lot of debate around the veracity of that statement and the importance of Glass-Steagall, but there is no second opinion on the fact that the act had prevented the formation of "too big to fail" organisations.

Post-Glass-Steagall, the floodgates were opened for big ticket mergers like the one between J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan in 2000. The coming up of such firms creates incentive problems as the stakeholders know that they will be bailed out in times of crises. This was one of the major reasons for the financial crisis of 2008.

Dodd-Frank had three important aspects to prevent a repeat of 2008. First was the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is a regulatory agency charged with overseeing financial products and services offered by firms. It protects consumers from misleading or fraudulent financial sales pitches and predatory mortgage lending.

The second major component of the Dodd-Frank Act is the Volcker Rule, which brings back the most crucial feature of Glass-Steagall of separating the investment and commercial functions of banks. It restricts the way banks can invest, limits speculative trading and eliminates proprietary trading. The act also carried a provision to regulate derivatives like credit default swaps that were the major contributors of the 2008 financial crisis.

The third is the establishment of the Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA) that aimed to address the incentive issues with "too big to fail" institutions. The idea was that government would seize institutions that it bails out so that it can keep them running without rewarding stockholders out of turn.

In the 2008 crisis, it was unclear whether the Treasury Department had the legal authority to do so. The Dodd-Frank awarded that authority to OLA. Also, OLA is so designed that all costs are borne by private actors and not the taxpayers. It is limited to temporary funding of firms and does not hand out funds as permanent capital by having first claims on the firm's assets.

The recent act passed by the House aims to eliminate all the positives of the Dodd-Frank Act on the ground that it harms business activities in the US. It restructures the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by gutting its supervisory role and its ability to curb abusive financial practices. It also repeals the Volcker Rule, which would allow banks to reload on risks and does away with the OLA that would make managing big banks difficult.

Thus, the act is a regressive move away from financial regulation that would have repercussions beyond US borders and into future generations. Hopefully, the act will not pass the Senate as it will not get all the 60 votes needed, but some provisions that need only Senate reconciliation, that is 51 votes to pass, might get through.

Any move that dilutes the Dodd-Frank will strengthen the chances of an avoidable economic crisis and force billions around the globe to relive the miseries that they have just endured. It is in the best interests of both Americans and economies around the world that the country's legislators reconsider the act and move beyond narrow political aims.

(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. He can be contacted at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya. Chirag Yadav, researcher, Institute for Competitiveness, has contributed to the article.)

--IANS

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Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday signed an agreement for India's participation in ANUGA, an international exhibition for food industry in Germany in October.

"It gives us the opportunity to showcase our strengths and opportunities to an international audience," a release quoted her as saying.

"Food diplomacy will bridge many differences and transform the lives of the farmers."

She said development of food processing industries will help achieve the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022.

"We need to upgrade our farming techniques and need investment not only in food processing but also in farming technologies. We also need to learn from the West on how to control waste at harvest and transportation stages," the Minister said.

While ANUGA 2015 had 135 Indian exhibitors, more than 200 Indian companies are expected to participate in ANUGA 2017.

In ANUGA 2017, e-commerce in food industry will be focused for the first time.

ANUGA (General Food and Non-essential Provisions Exhibition) is the world's biggest and most important trade fair for food and beverage trade.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, along with a university professor, has initiated the establishment of a code of ethics that would prevent professors from expressing political opinions in universities.

The move has attracted criticism from politicians, including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and unions like the Committee of University Heads and the National Union of Israeli students, Times of Israel reported on Tuesday.

The Union had even threatened to have students go on strike if the code comes to pass, marking an escalation since the contents of the document were reported on last week.

In the wake of this threat, Bennett needs the support of Israel's Council for Higher Education and the national governing body for academic institutes.

According to Haaretz daily, it appears that Bennett will not have a majority of the votes to get the code implemented in colleges.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hollywood star Johnny Depp has been added to this year's Glastonbury line-up.

Depp has been known to sing, but he won't be sharing his vocal talents on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

The "Pirates Of The Caribbean" star, 54, is the guest of honour at a new drive-in movie area, Cineramageddon, reports mirror.co.uk.

He is the first guest presenter for the festival's inaugural event, which will screen films throughout the five-day festival.

Depp will introduce his personal choice of films, which will be screened through the night on June 22, and discuss his selections with filmmaker Julien Temple.

These include his 2004 film "The Libertine", in which he stars as hedonistic 17th-century poet John Wilmot.

Depp said: "This is one of those films that got lost in the shuffle. It's a film on which a lot of people worked very hard, and one that I am very proud of."

His other film choices include "Withnail & I", of which Depp said: "No film has ever made me laugh more, or filled me with so much joy and dread."

The actor is also known for films like "Sleepy Hollow", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Alice Through the Looking Glass", which will beam on Indian small screen on June 24 on Star Movies Select HD.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday encouraged government employees to lead a healthy and good lifestyle.

At the Mantralaya here, Fadnavis, wife Amruta, film producer Smita Thackeray, actor Dino Morea and wellness expert Rekha Chaudhari were present for Global Wellness Week celebrations.

Thackeray said, "I think whether it is all the cabinet ministers or regular (government) employees, they are dealing with so much work pressure every day and not leading a well-disciplined life... It is important to take out some time from everyday life and take care of their body, mind and soul."

"Unless you are happy from within, you cannot perform well in your professional life."

Chaudhari told IANS: "Often we have observed how the urban life has given us such a stressful lifestyle that we are at times not connected to ourselves. So many meditation centres are opened, Ayurveda treatments are given, and people know that they should live a good and stress-free life, but it is not happening."

Global Wellness Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It was a chilly February day and Dangwen and his wildlife monitoring team were on patrol along the upper reaches of the Yangtze river. The river was frozen solid -- easy for poachers to walk over.

That day they encountered 220 blue sheep, five white-lipped deer, and a line of otter footprints. On the infrared camera traps they had set up throughout the valley, three snow leopards appeared -- a mother and two cubs.

Dangwen comes from Yunta, a village located in Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai Province on the Tibetan plateau. The 400,000 sq km Sanjiangyuan area serves as an important habitat for rich and unique biodiversity, and is a watershed of the three largest rivers in Asia: the Yellow, the Yangtze and the Mekong, which serve one billion people downstream.

Dangwen isn't officially a researcher or an activist, but he has taken it upon himself to monitor local wildlife with a team of other villagers as part of a conservation project driven by the Shanshui Conservation Centre, a Beijing-based NGO.

A mining company attempted to prospect the area almost a year before wildlife monitoring in the region started. The villagers were deeply disturbed because mining the mountains would go against the spiritual values of Tibetan Buddhism and threaten their safety.

When the Shanshui NGO proposed the idea of organising villagers to monitor wildlife and protect their lands in 2013, Dangwen volunteered without hesitation. Having grown up in the village, he is familiar with the land, the river and the wildlife, and he is proud of the sacred mountains surrounding them.

This is the fourth year that Yunta villagers have carried out this monitoring, patrolled the village to spot poachers, and managed rubbish to keep the land and rivers clean.

Monitoring data shows that local wildlife populations, including snow leopards, are increasing. The villagers' conservation is officially authorised by the local government -- and the mining company never returned.

Inspired by Yunta, four neighbouring villages began their own wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching patrols. With encouragement from local authorities, a village-based conservation network is being formed along the Tongtianhe Valley.

Recognised as a conservation priority, the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve was set up in 2003 and designated a national park in 2016. But the area faces big conservation challenges: Government agencies have limited manpower to manage this vast area, and grazing rights at all its grasslands were given to households in the 1990s.

This means that conservation would not be possible without support from local Tibetan communities. As Buddhists, these communities embrace the value of respecting nature and caring for other living beings. Their system of sacred lands is similar to modern protected areas.

That makes them natural allies for conservation. Yunta's experience has proved that with proper training, villagers can become qualified conservationists. Essentially, they are providers of ecological services and should receive benefits from conservation in return.

Based on this experience, a policy recommendation was made to the government, and the newly designated Sanjiangyuan National Park quickly responded.

A total of 16,400 jobs as guards, with monthly salaries of around $260, are to be offered to villagers living inside the park -- one per household. The next step is to explore the possibility of reducing grazing in key habitats to allow wildlife -- especially large carnivores such as snow leopards -- to thrive, and to slow down grassland degradation.

The Tibetan plateau is the last place in Asia to maintain an ecosystem that is relatively intact, and where large carnivores and ungulates roam freely. Many of these -- such as the snow leopard, the Tibetan brown bear, the Tibetan antelope, the wild yak, the Tibetan wild ass, the Tibetan gazelle, and the blue sheep -- are unique to the region.

Maintaining this vast ecosystem is challenging because the local population of pastoralists is rapidly increasing. The human population of Sanjiangyuan has doubled since 1980.

Meanwhile, global climate change may have added to pressures on the grassland. Is it possible, under these conditions, to protect the ecosystem successfully while supporting the cultural and economic well-being of Tibetan communities?

After three decades of fast economic development, a better environment is becoming a higher priority. Several large ecological programmes have been initiated -- perhaps among the largest financial schemes in the world -- to pay for protecting and restoring forests, grasslands and wetlands.

Public participation in conservation is now protected by environmental laws. Political will, the interests of society, and traditional values are all coming together.

This makes us believe that coexistence between humans and nature is not just wishful thinking. Yunta offers a strong starting point.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday that migrants needed to fully embrace "Australian values" if they wanted to become citizens.

Speaking in parliament, Turnbull urged the opposition to pass a legislation which would result in the creation of a revamped citizenship test, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the changes proposed in April, migrants would be required to pass a tougher English literacy test, while they would also be questioned on their values - on topics such as forced marriages, sexism and gender equality.

"There is no more important title in our democracy than Australian citizen and we should make no apology for asking those who seek to join our Australian family to join us as Australian patriots committed to the values that define us committed to the values that unite us," Turnbull said.

"We are introducing legislation to change our visa and citizenship requirements to ensure that new members of our society will embrace our values and positively contribute to our Australian society, regardless of background or religious belief."

The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to announce that the government would be pushing for changes to metadata laws, which would allow Australia's security agencies to access data of those deemed to be a legitimate terror threat.

He said the latest technologies which are being used by terror organisations to recruit and send messages to potential recruits, require new-age laws.

"Not so long ago, only states and large corporations had megaphones powerful enough to address a nation. Now a tweet or a YouTube video can reach millions, if not billions, in seconds," Turnbull told the parliament.

Later, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said his party would consider supporting the metadata legislation, so long as the details are revealed in parliament for all to consider.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The monsoon session of Parliament may be convened for a month from July 12, five days before the date of President's election in which over 776 MPs are eligible to vote.

Sources said that the government has various proposals on dates for the monsoon session, which is usually convened towards the end of July and carries on till August end.

This time, they said, the session was slightly being advanced because of the Presidential election in which MPs and MLAs are voters. A session at that time will ensure that all the MPs are in Delhi, where they usually vote in Parliament. An MP can also vote in his home state where MLAs generally vote.

It is most likely that the session may begin on July 12 and end around August 10-11, the sources said.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is likely to meet in the coming days to take a final call on the dates, the sources said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A leading Pakistani newspaper on Tuesday urged the government to immediately end its involvement in the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance (IMA).

"There may be many strands to the latest crisis engulfing the Middle East, but there is only one conclusion for Pakistan: this country cannot afford to get embroiled in conflict in the Middle East," the Dawn said in an editorial.

While Pakistan should help defuse tensions among the various state actors in the Middle East, it also needs to withdraw from the IMA, the daily said.

"The bizarre and patently false assertion by a section of the Turkish state-run media that the Pakistani Parliament is considering sending thousands of troops to Qatar underlines the risks involved in a conflict in which the media has become a weapon."

The Pakistan Foreign Office has denied the reports.

The editorial said Pakistan's national interest require it to stay neutral in the current crisis in the Gulf that has pitted Qatar against Saudi Arabia and its allies including the UAE and Bahrain.

"That ... would require Pakistan to suspend its military participation in the IMA and withdraw retired Gen Raheel Sharif from his command of future IMA forces.

"Simply, recent events in the Middle East have shattered the assumptions on which Pakistan's original inclusion in the IMA was premised.

"The IMA was supposed to be a counterterrorism force and there was no threat greater than the militant Islamic State group that Muslim-majority countries could jointly fight.

"But the Saudi leadership has made clear that it primarily wants to contain Iran and, now, cut Qatar down to size, effectively destroying any possibility that the IMA can become a platform for all Muslim-majority countries... Withdrawal from the IMA has become essential."

--IANS

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Pakistan's Navy Chief Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah is in Sri Lanka on an official visit, it was announced said on Tuesday.

The Admiral was warmly received by the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Xinhua news agency reported.

During his visit, Admiral Zakaullah exchanged views with the Sri Lankan side on issues of bilateral importance and mutual interest and called on top military officials in Sri Lanka.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China and Panama on Tuesday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations, a day after Panama severed ties with Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel de Saint Malo, who is also Panama's Vice President, signed the joint communique.

According to the communique quoted by Xinhua news agency, China and Panama will establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

It said Panama recognised the One-China principle and Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

It also said that Panama had severed "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and undertook not to have any more official relations or exchanges with Taipei.

Panama's decision has dealt a blow to Taiwan, which now has only 20 countries that recognise it. Taiwan has expressed anger over the Panama's move, accusing Beijing of doing "money diplomacy".

To the south of China, Taiwan is an English-speaking democracy, which Beijing sees it as a breakaway province.

After being defeated by the Communists in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, better known as Formosa for hundreds of years.

Since then Taiwan, which means beautiful land, has maintained a sort of independence from China but never proclaimed it.

Ties between China and Taiwan took a hit last year when the island elected Tsai-Ing We, whose Democratic Progressive Party has been traditionally pro-independence.

China vows to unite the island with the mainland even if it came to resorting to violence.

The latest development will certainly bolster China's claim over Taiwan.

Beijing does not mince words in slamming or threatening any country which tries get close to Taiwan.

--IANSA

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Lampedusa (Italy), June 12 (IANS/AKI) Giusy Nicolini, the award-winning Mayor of Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa - one of the chief gateways to Europe for migrants arriving from Africa - lost her bid for re-election, final results showed on Monday.

Nicolini, who hails from the ruling centre-left Democratic Party, gained 24.28 percent of votes in Sunday's polls, losing to the civic list of party rival Salvatore Martello who won with 40.30 percent of votes.

In second place was grassroots Five Star party candidate Filippo Mannino with 29.39 percent of ballots, while Nicolini came third.

The only mainstream candidate who did worse than Nicolini was the anti-immigrant Northern League party's Angela Maraventano, who got 6.03 percent of votes, the results showed.

Turnout was 79 percent on Lampedusa, home to 4,000 islanders and where many thousands of migrants arrived by boat across the Mediterranean from North Africa and were welcomed by Nicolini in recent years, a policy that looks set to change under Martello, a hotel owner and leader of Lampedusa's fishermen.

"Our arms remain outstretched but first and foremost we want to know what the rules are: how many people can land here, how long they should stay for and where they stay...we can't have migrants swarming all over the place," Martello said on Monday.

In April this year, Nicolini was the joint recipient of the UNESCO's prestigious peace prize together with migrant rescue association SOS Mediterranee.

Nicolini was recognised for "her boundless humanity and unwavering commitment to refugee crisis management and integration in response to the arrival of thousands of refugees on the shores of Lampedusa and elsewhere in Italy," UNESCO said.

Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi made Nicolini a member of its national secretariat in May and took her with him in October to the last formal dinner of Barack Obama's presidency, along with Oscar winning Roberto Benigni, film director Paolo Sorrentino and fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

Nicolini also met Pope Francis when he travelled to Lampedusa on his first official trip outside Rome in July 2013.

--IANS/AKI

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea on Tuesday warned South Korean President Moon Jae-in of potential "brain-washing" efforts by US President Donald Trump during their upcoming summit in Washington.

"The US has buckled down to taming the South Korean authorities in an undisguised manner," Xinhua quoted Korean Central News Agency as saying.

North Korea has criticised Moon for submitting to US pressure and maintaining a hardline policy toward Pyongyang.

"What matters is that the present chief executive of South Korea (Moon), who caught the interest of the public for his remarks that 'he would always say no to the US,' has now gone servile to the US," said the commentary.

The US has engaged in a "cynical ploy" against moderate governments in Seoul in the past to pressure them into accepting U.S. policy and maintaining an alliance with Washington, it said.

"The US has tamed the democratic forces to keep pace with it with utmost vigilance whenever they rose to power in South Korea," said the commentary.

North Korea has urged Moon to revive the reconciliation process in accordance with two joint declarations signed by leaders of the two sides in early 2002.

Pyongyang also urged Seoul to dismantle the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and get rid of pro-US forces in the new government.

Last month, South Korea's presidential Blue House said that South Korea and the US had agreed to hold a summit meeting in late June in Washington.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will take a break from the rough and tumble of Indian to visit his 93-year-old maternal grandmother in Italy.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, whose maternal grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy, did not mention how many days he will remain out of the country. He will celebrate his 47th birthday on June 19.

The Congress leader's latest foreign visit comes amid hectic over the July 17 presidential election and other developments like the farmers unrest and protests in various states across the country.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture."

He said Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers' agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights.

Rahul Gandhi visited the US in March after his mother and congress chief Sonia Gandhi went there for a health check-up.

This is not the first time that Gandhi had announced his plans to go abroad on Twitter. He did the same when he earlier visited London in December 2016.

Moreover, it is not the first time Gandhi will go abroad when presidential election and farmers unrest looms large over the country, and six farmers have been killed in police firing on June 6 in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

He went abroad ahead of New Year celebrations in December 2016, when the country was in economic and political turmoil owing to the government's November 8 decision to demonetise currency notes and infighting in the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

He drew criticism from political opponents when he went abroad in 2016-end, leading to his absence from Parliament in the first few days of the Budget session.

He again drew flak when he attended the Aspen conference in September 2015 amid assembly election campaign in Bihar.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 23,000 firefighters and rescue workers will ensure security during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, an official said on Tuesday as he presented a report to Deputy Emergencies Minister Vladimir Stepanov at a board meeting at the National Crisis Management Centre.

"The Russian Emergencies Ministry has completed preparations for ensuring security during the Confederations Cup," Tass news agency quoted Anatoly Yelizarov, Director of the Operative Management Department at the Russian Emergencies Ministry, as saying.

"We have exercised emergency response activities and arranged a management and interaction system included in the Unified State System aimed at emergencies prevention and response," Yelizarov added stressing that "the ministry's management bodies, as well as its personnel, are ready to ensure security during the Confederations Cup".

According to him, in order to ensure security during sporting events, the Emergencies Ministry has formed a group comprising more than 23,000 people, around 2,000 units of equipment and 22 aircraft.

"Firefighters and rescue workers will receive instructions from the Russian Emergencies Ministry's operative headquarters set up at the National Crisis Management Centre and regional crisis management centers," he added.

The Emergencies Ministry has also appointed its officials to supervise every stadium and hotel where delegation members will stay, as well as transport facilities and fan zones.

"The Emergencies Ministry's staff have already been deployed to planned locations," Yelizarov went on to say.

"Besides, the National Crisis Management Centre and regional crisis management centres will also employ students from the ministry's colleges, who speak foreign languages," he added.

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will take place in Russia from June 17 to July 2. Group A will feature hosts Russia, as well as New Zealand, Portugal and Mexico. Group B will include Germany, Chile, Australia and Cameroon. Matches will be played in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was found guilty of repeatedly calling for unlawful protests and sentenced to 30 days of detention, following a day of nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations, the media reported.

Navalny, in court in Moscow, on Monday night accused the judge of helping the police write the justification for his arrest, reports CNN.

His wife, Yulia, reported Navalny was detained at his Moscow home.

"30 days", Navalny tweeted after the sentencing. "Not only they robbed the whole country, but I'll miss Depeche Mode (British rock band) concert in Moscow because of them."

The opposition leader, who plans to run against Vladimir Putin in next year's presidential election, had mobilised support on social media platforms for the protests.

The arrest of Navalny came as thousands of protesters clashed with police in Moscow and St. Petersburg earlier on Monday, reports CNN.

Nearly 1,400 people were arrested in Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to OVD, an independent group monitoring arrests.

The group said 825 people were detained during protests in the capital and 548 arrested in St. Petersburg.

Russian authorities warned the public and declared the planned rally in the capital was illegal.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer condemned the arrests and called on Russia "to release all peaceful protesters".

"The United States strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters throughout Russia," Spicer said, calling it "an affront to core democratic values".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit Mandsaur on Wednesday to meet the families of farmers killed in police firing, officials said on Tuesday.

According to officials, the Chief Minister is also expected to meet the farmer leaders.

On Sunday, Chouhan ended his day-old indefinite fast which he started here for the restoration of peace in his state rocked by violence during a farmers' agitation.

The farmers in Madhya Pradesh are on strike since June 1 demanding loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce.

At least five persons were killed in police firing in Mandsaur on June 6. Farmer leaders, however, put the number of deaths at eight. One farmer died later of injuries sustained in clashes with police.

The violence by farmers in Mandsaur had spilled over to several other districts, including the Malwa-Nimad area and even reached the state capital.

--IANS

hindi-pgh/bg

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The Delhi Metro's Blue Line (Dwarka 21-Noida City Centre/Vaishali) services came to a grinding halt on Tuesday when it developed a snag near the Indraprastha station, stranding thousands of commuters along the stretch.

"Some strands of Over-Head Equipment (OHE) wire reportedly sagged between Indraprastha and Yamuna Bank section on the line going towards Noida/Vaishali at 4.55 p.m.," a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official told IANS.

"The OHE team is taking remedial measures and train movement is being regulated on this section for the time being," he said.

The snag forced many people to wait for an inordinately long time at the stations.

"I waited for the train at Dwarka station for 40 minutes. But when it didn't turn up, I took the Airport Line, which is still a fair bet to reach ITO," a commuter told IANS over phone.

It took another commuter more than an hour to reach Rajiv Chowk from Noida's Sector 16 Metro station.

"The train halted for almost ten minutes at every station. At Yamuna Bank it remained still for 15-16 minutes. Even the AC stopped working many times," Ankita Sarkar, a student, told IANS.

--IANS

vn/vgu/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Greek captain of a cargo ship which hit a fishing boat off Kerala coast on Sunday said he was not aware of the collision, a shipping official said on Tuesday. Two fishermen were killed and the third is missing.

"The captain of the ship claims that he was not aware of the collision. Now that the Kerala High Court has directed the seizure of the ship's documents, we will wait for directions from the court on the course of action to be adopted," Ajith K. Sukumar, an official with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), told media here.

He added that it will take a few more days for the procedures to be completed in the ongoing probe of the collision.

On Monday, top officials attached to the DGS -- accompanied by the Coast Guard, Coastal Police and Kerala Police officials -- finished a day-long inspection of the ship and took detailed statements from the 28-member crew of the ship.

They also took documents which include the voice data recorder and the original logs of the ship.

The authorities on Tuesday continued their search for the fisherman who went missing after the collision.

The cargo ship, bearing a Panama flag and carrying fertilisers, was on its way from China to Israel. It is now berthed in the outer seas.

According to the fishermen in the ill-fated fishing boat, "Carmel Matha", the accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday about 16 nautical miles from the Kerala coast.

According to the fishermen, there was no warning by the cargo ship and after hitting the fishing boat, it sailed away without stopping, which according to maritime laws is a grave crime.

--IANS

sg/vgu/vt

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An agreement for plying state-owned buses was signed between Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan here on Tuesday at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence.

The agreement was signed by Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and his Rajasthan counterpart Yunus Khan, in Adityanath's presence.

As per the agreement, Uttar Pradesh-run buses would ply on 199 roads and 56,774 km in Rajasthan and the Rajasthan State Transport Corporation buses would ply on 56,558 km of Uttar Pradesh roads.

Terming the agreement as a historic occasion, Adityanath said "it was a pleasure that the inter-state agreement was being signed between two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments for the convenience of people".

The Chief Minister also hinted at similar agreements with other states as well, immaterial of which political party ruled it.

He also warned people against rash and reckless driving and said that efforts would be made to ensure that those behind the wheel adhered to traffic norms and speed limits.

--IANS

md/pgh/dg

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The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against reinstating President Donald Trump's revised executive order limiting travel from six-Muslim majority countries, the media reported.

The ruling on Monday from the three-judge  Judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez  panel is yet another stinging loss from a court that similarly refused to reinstate Trump's original executive order on travel in February, reports CNN.

"We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress," the three judges, all appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote in the ruling.

"Immigration, even for the President, is not a one-person show."

The judges cited Trump's latest tweets in the travel ban saga.

"Indeed, the President recently confirmed his assessment that it is the 'countries' that are inherently dangerous, rather than the 180 million individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the President's 'travel ban'," the judge wrote.

They also cited White House press secretary Sean Spicer's confirmation that Trump's tweets are "considered official statements by the President of the United States".

On June 6, Trump tweeted: "That's right, we need a travel ban for certain dangerous countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!", reports CNN.

The judges largely affirmed US District Court Judge Derrick Watson's decision from March which found the core provisions of the revised executive order likely violated the Constitution because its primary purpose was to disfavour Muslims, but on slightly different grounds.

Spicer on Monday said the administration is reviewing the decision and said it believes the travel ban is "lawful" and will be ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.

Unlike the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which shot down the President's revised travel ban on constitutional grounds last month, the Ninth Circuit was persuaded by statutory claims under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.

"In conclusion, the Order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," wrote the panel.
A week after former FBI director James Comey's testimony, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is to testify publicly on Tuesday before Congress, which is expected to be focused on his contacts with Russian officials during last year's presidential campaign.

Sessions requested that the hearing at the Senate Intelligence Committee be public, Xinhua quoted a Justice Department spokesperson as saying.

"The Attorney General has requested that this hearing be public. He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions tomorrow," the statement read.

Comey told lawmakers at last Thursday's hearing that he knew details that made Sessions's involvement in the FBI Russia probe "problematic."

"We were aware of facts I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his (Sessions') continued involvement in a Russia investigation problematic," Comey said at the hearing.

Comey also reportedly told lawmakers behind closed doors that one of those details included another unreported meeting between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyac.

The attorney general was forced to recuse himself in March from the federal investigation into Russian interference in the US election after media reports that he twice met with Kislyak during the 2016 campaign and did not disclose that to the Senate during his confirmation hearing in January.

Moreover, Democrats are also thought to be keen to press Sessions on his role in Comey's abrupt firing.

Trump accepted a recommendation from Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to fire Comey in May, according to a White House statement issued at the time.

--IANS

sku/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Senate has approved new economic sanctions on Russia and placed restrictions on President Donald Trump's ability to lift them without being assessed by the Congress.

The deal, sealed on Monday night, imposes new sanctions on those carrying out "malicious cyber activities" on behalf of Moscow, those supplying arms to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or people linked to Russian intelligence and defence, reports Efe news.

The measure also gives Congress 30 days to review or potentially block Trump in case he decides to lift or ease the sanctions.

Moreover, the deal also complicates the lifting of sanctions already imposed on Russia by the administration of former President Barack Obama, and allows the present administration to extend them to sectors of the Russian economy.

The senators presented the deal as a separate Iran sanctions bill, under debate by the Legislature.

Both proposals could be voted this week, a significant shift from last month, when the Republican leaders seemed reluctant to move forward on sanctions against Moscow.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the deal and urged the House of Representatives to pass it as soon as possible.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring Congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilising actions," Schumer said.

"These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia," he added.

The Senate deal comes amid a crisis afflicting the Trump administration aver a possible attempt to obstruct justice in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has reminisced about the times when he was working in Yash Chopra's "Kaala Patthar", says being on the late filmmaker's set was like a picnic.

"Working with Yash-ji was always a picnic... Informal, relaxed and filed with humour and eating delicious food. He encouraged the families of artists to accompany them at the shoot destination... Whether it was Pune or Kashmir or Amsterdam or Delhi, it was always the same," Amitabh posted on his blog on Monday night.

He recounted how evenings were spent at a common place where everyone chatted, played games and enjoyed each others' company.

"Antakshari was the favourite, along with dumb charades... Haha... What wonderful moments shared," added the actor, who is currently in Malta to shoot "Thugs of Hindostan".

Big B, 74, particularly mentioned how shootings in Kashmir, where he shot for Chopra's romantic drama "Silsila", were a delight.

"After pack up, we would all migrate to the Dal Lake, where several 'dongas' - boat platforms - would be tied together to make one floating large boat and all of us would spend the evening, moving about in the lake, eating, singing... Music by local folk musicians, until the late hours.

"Now all forgotten... And in memories... Sad. Time waits for no one... And neither must we," he added on an emotional note.

--IANS

shi-rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two terror attacks in as many weeks in London, 80 killed in an attack in Kabul on 31 May. The global fight against terror will clearly be a long haul.
The Central government is set to make major amendments to the controversial rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which bans animal markets from selling cattle for slaughter.
Blaming the UPA policies for farmers' distress, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday said the NDA government has rolled out several schemes like crop insurance and e-NAM to double their incomes by 2022.

The government is confident of achieving the target of doubling farmers' income in the said time period though some may have doubts, she said.

The schemes  be it crop insurance, micro-irrigation, electronic agri-mandi or for that matter mega food parks  announced so far will take some time to show its effects but will have substantial impact on the income of farming community.

" is not that has been caused in the last three years. It has been inherited due to policies of the last 60 years. The nation knows which government had ruled for last 60 years," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of an event that announced India to be a partner in the forthcoming global ANUGA food trade to be held this year.

She also attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for visiting violence-hit Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh where recently six farmers died in police firing during a protest and termed his visit as "issue-based tourism".

Highlighting the NDA government's measures taken in the last three years, Badal said several measures have been rolled out in the farm, fertiliser, irrigation and food processing sectors so that to ensure farmers get better income.

She further said the priority is being given on promoting food processing and more investments are being encouraged not only from the domestic market but also foreign.

Had the previous government set up enough food processing units in the country, farmers today would not have sold their produce at a throwaway price, she said.

Despite bumper production this year, farmers are not getting better price because they are unable to store till price improves in the absence of storage facilities and food processing units nearby, she added.

Asked about loan waivers announced by some states, Badal said the states have the right to take steps for the welfare of farmers. But the central government believes in overall development of farming community and not giving one-time sop or relief by announcing loan waiver.
Citi Group today announced 19 technology companies have presented their solutions in India in the "Citi Tech for Integrity Challenge (T4I)".

T4I is a global program from Citi that encourages technology innovators from around the world to create solutions in the public sector.

According to a press release issued by the global financial giant, this initiative from Citi, in collaboration with private and public sector partners, offered technology companies an opportunity to innovate in the areas of financial transactions, cyber security, financial education, grievance redressal, cutting red tape, and other such spaces.

In India, T4I was supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Digital India Foundation, and several private sector companies including IBM, PwC, Microsoft, MasterCard, Facebook, Let's Talk Payments and Wipro.

The tech solutions received were evaluated by a jury and the selected finalists then showcased their innovations to an audience at the 'Demo Day' here.

Out of the +1000 applications received from across the world, 213 teams qualified for the accelerator program and 103 finalists are presenting across the six demo days being hosted in Mexico, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, besides Hyderabad. India received 309 entries, it said.

Anand Chopra, Head of Operations and Technology, Citi South Asia, said, "The presentations we've seen have been extraordinary. We believe that platforms such as these are in the best interest of all stakeholders as they not only lead to sophisticated problem-solving solutions that have real use cases, but also help further perpetuate a culture of innovation, dialogue and openness between all those involved.

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Infosys has flagged actions by "activist shareholders" as a risk factor, which could potentially require the company to incur significant legal fees and public relations costs.

In its annual filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Infosys said such activities could interfere with the company's ability to execute its strategic plan.

Over the past few months, the country's second largest software services firm has been battling allegations by co- founder N R Narayana Murthy and other former senior executives of falling corporate governance standards.

"Responding to actions by activist shareholders can divert the attention of our board of directors, management and our employees and disrupt our operations," Infosys said in the filing.

The company, however, did not name any such shareholder.

"This may also require us to incur significant legal fees and public relations costs. The perceived uncertainties as to our future direction could affect client and investor sentiment, resulting in volatility in the price of our securities," it warned.

The Bengaluru-based firm also highlighted that negative media coverage and public scrutiny may divert the time and attention of its board and management and adversely affect the prices of its equity shares and ADS.

ADS or American depositary share is a US dollar- denominated equity share of a foreign-based company available for purchase on an American stock exchange.

Besides, the company has stated that any restrictions on immigration may affect its ability to compete for and provide services to clients in locations like the US and Europe.

The filing noted that the issue of organisations outsourcing work to Indian IT firms has become a topic of political discussion in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Australia and other regions.

"Our reliance on work visas for a significant number of technology professionals makes us particularly vulnerable to such changes and variations," Infosys said.

It added that many of these changes are making it more difficult to obtain timely visas and resulting in increased expenses.

"These changes could negatively affect our ability to utilise current employees to fulfil existing or new projects and could also result in higher operating expenses," the filing said.

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and other domestic airlines are "running in profit", Union Minister Jayant Sinha said today, even as the government mulls possible privatisation of the debt-laden carrier.

He said the government would have to bring a "transformation" in to make it a "good" airline.

The government's think-tank NITI Aayog has proposed total privatisation of the carrier, which is sitting on a debt pile of Rs 52,000 crore.

However, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has favoured disinvestment of the loss-making carrier.

Addressing a press conference here today, Sinha, who is the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said the government is currently deliberating on the issue of ownership of and Cabinet will take a decision in this regard.

"The current numbers suggest that our airlines are running in profit. They are not running in losses. Even Air India too is in profit," he said.

Air India, which is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package spread over 10 years announced by the Manmohan Singh government in 2012, is working on ways to improve its financial position.

In 2015-16, the airline posted operational profit of Rs 105 crore on account of low fuel prices and increased passenger numbers.

"We are fortunate that oil prices have come down. The cost of aviation turbine fuel has come down 40 to 50 per cent and because of that flying has become affordable," Sinha said.

He said the government has undertaken efforts to further bring down various charges, including those related to airport and landing.

Observing that the aviation sector has seen growth, the minister said that air tickets have become cheaper and affordable, as a result of which the common man too is flying.

"As far as the passenger trips are concerned, in the last three years, there is a 70 per cent rise. So it is wrong to say that the aviation sector is running into losses, in fact they (airlines) are in profit," he added.

Sinha said there are currently 500 commercial jets in the country and more than 850 new jets are on order.

"The new order has been placed because they are in profitable business and sustainable too," he said.

Responding to a query, the minister said that government aims to make Air India a "great global airline".

"We want to make Air India a great global airline and to make it happen, we need to transform it.

"We will have to change the operations, we will have to alter balance sheets, we will have to change the product's quality and we will have to make changes in route network also," he said.

He said through the regional connectivity scheme 'UDAN', smaller cities are being connected to the aviation network.

"The air fares too are becoming cheaper. We are also working to bring down the cost in the aviation sector to make it sustainable.

"We have also put a price cap in UDAN scheme to make the ticket more affordable to the common people. Our aim is to connect 200 more airports in the next few years as our goal is to provide airport to every person within the radius of 150 km," he said.

When asked about the expansion of existing Lohegaon airport in Pune, Sinha said there is good coordination between the Air Force and the Airport Authority of India when it comes to acquiring more land for the civil airport.

He said they are also working on the extension of the runway at the airport.

"We have the runway of about 2 km on which we can land narrow body planes, which have flying range of about 5 hours but if we have to get to Frankfurt or London, we need to be able to land long haul jets. For that we need runway of three km and to acquire land, the discussions are going on," Sinha said.

On the proposed international airport for Pune near Purandar, Sinha said the whole process will take five to six years.
A Bangladesh diplomat has been indicted on charges he forced a foreign servant to work for his family in New York City without pay and assaulted him on several occasions.

Prosecutors say 45-year-old Md. Shaheldul Islam was arraigned yesterday on grand larceny, assault, labour trafficking and other charges. A message left with his lawyer wasn't immediately returned.

Prosecutors say Islam holds the post of Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh and has limited immunity.

They say he brought the Bangladeshi servant, identified as Md. Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as household help, but took away his passport.

Prosecutors say Amin wasn't paid for his work, was threatened and beaten, sometimes with a wooden shoe. He escaped in 2016.

Islam is due back in court June 28.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior Bangladeshi diplomat here has been indicted on charges of allegedly forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay, with prosecutors saying he tried to cover up his illegal actions.

Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds "limited immunity" which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 -counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at USD 50,000 bond or USD 25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport. Islam's next court date is June 28 and if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amin's arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the family's home.

Even though Amin had a contract which outlined his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work and if he disobeyed Islam's orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the diplomat, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe.

The Bangladeshi diplomat allegedly forced Amin to work for his family in their Queens home without financial compensation from approximately 2012 through May 2016, when the victim was able to escape.

According to the charges, the victim's only source of income came from tips from guests when he was a server at parties and a minuscule amount of money that Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

However, Islam sought to "cover up" his own alleged illegal actions afterIndian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then India's Deputy Consul General in the city, wasindicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker.

Khobragade too was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family. Manhattan's former top federal prosecutor Indian-American Preet Bharara had brought the charges against Khobragade, setting off a major diplomatic crisis between Washington and New Delhi.

"However, in 2014, shortly after there was local coverage of an Indian diplomat being charged with labour trafficking, the defendant allegedly sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions by taking most of the victim's cash tip money which he gave back in the form of a check.

It is alleged the victim then had to deposit the check into his bank account, thereby creating the appearance that the employee was receiving a paycheck,"the Queens District Attorney statement said, referring to theKhobragade incident without naming the Indian diplomat.

Finally, according to the criminal charges, when Amin asked to leave his job on several occasions, Islam in response, allegedly hit him or threatened to harm his family back home in Bangladesh. It is alleged that Islam specifically threatened to kill the man's mother and young son and, on occasion, stated he would have Amin's college-age daughter shamed if he did not continue to work as his servant.

In May 2016, Amin was able to escape from the residence and reported his experience to the police.

"The allegations in this case are very disturbing. A diplomat is accused of using both physical force and vile threats to control a person in his employment and whom he refused to pay," Brown said adding that Islam seized his domestic help's passport and, from the first day on the job, refused to pay wages due the employee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior Bangladeshi diplomat here has been indicted on charges of forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay, with prosecutors saying he tried to cover up his actions after an Indian diplomat faced visa fraud charges and accused of exploiting her maid in 2013.

Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds "limited immunity" which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 -counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at USD 50,000 bond or USD 25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport.

Islam's next court date is June 28 and if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amin's arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the family's home.

Even though Amin had a contract which outlined his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work and if he disobeyed Islam's orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the diplomat, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe.

The Bangladeshi diplomat allegedly forced Amin to work for his family in their Queens home without financial compensation from approximately 2012 through May 2016, when the victim was able to escape.

According to the charges, the victim's only source of income came from tips from guests when he was a server at parties and a minuscule amount of money that Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

However, Islam sought to "cover up" his own alleged illegal actions afterIndian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then India's Deputy Consul General in the city, wasindicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker, Brown said.

Khobragade too was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family. Manhattan's former top federal prosecutor Indian-American Preet Bharara had brought the charges against Khobragade, setting off a major diplomatic crisis between Washington and New Delhi.

"However, in 2014, shortly after there was local coverage of an Indian diplomat being charged with labour trafficking, the defendant allegedly sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions by taking most of the victim's cash tip money which he gave back in the form of a check," Brown said.

"It is alleged the victim then had to deposit the check into his bank account, thereby creating the appearance that the employee was receiving a paycheck,"the Queens District Attorney statement said, referring to theKhobragade incident without naming the Indian diplomat.

Finally, according to the criminal charges, when Amin asked to leave his job on several occasions, Islam in response, allegedly hit him or threatened to harm his family back home in Bangladesh. It is alleged that Islam specifically threatened to kill the man's mother and young son and, on occasion, stated he would have Amin's college-age daughter shamed if he did not continue to work as his servant.

In May 2016, Amin was able to escape from the residence and reported his experience to the police.

"The allegations in this case are very disturbing. A diplomat is accused of using both physical force and vile threats to control a person in his employment and whom he refused to pay," Brown said adding that Islam seized his domestic help's passport and, from the first day on the job, refused to pay wages due the employee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aviation security watchdog BCAS has opposed a demand by airline operators to exempt pilots from the mandatory pre-flight briefing session by sky marshals. The agency is now awaiting the Home Ministry's views on the matter.

At a recent meeting called by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the airlines demanded that pilots be excused from being briefed by sky marshals before take off, according to sources.

Sky marshals are armed security personnel in plain clothes who travel in select flights to deal with mid-air security emergencies, if any.

The briefing is part of the security drill but the carriers are opposing it on the grounds that on several occasions pilots do not have enough time to switch from one flight to another.

Sources said the BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) is opposed to the demand from the airlines as the pilot-in- command is in charge of a flight and should attend the briefing.

Airlines are of the view that in case of a security emergency on board, such as a hijack, the cabin crew would be directly in touch with the sky marshals and not pilots. Hence, pilots should not be compulsorily required to attend the briefing by sky marshals which is a standard orientation procedure, sources added.

With differences persisting, the issue of whether to give exemption or not has been referred to the Home Ministry for a final call.

Generally, sky marshals are drawn from the elite National Security Guard (NSG) and are also trained in anti-hijacking duties.

These security officers are deployed on random basis on domestic as well as international flights.

The practice of having sky marshals on board flights was started after the hijack of an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi by terrorists in December 1999.

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India needs to promote agricultural practices that need less water for crop cultivation and give thrust to water conservation and harvesting over the next one decade to avert crisis of shortage, according to an eminent scientist.

Calling for a holistic approach towards water conservation, including recharging of structures, the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation, K Kasturirangan said agriculture in India, particularly paddy cultivation, consumes substantial amount of water.

"There are agricultural practices that are coming up now which needs much less water," the former Rajya Sabha member told PTI.

"There are methods that are scientifically coming up where water requirements for agriculture is slowly brought down. We need to bring it down. It's an important area," the winner of civilian honour Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan said.

The former member (Science) of the now-defunct Planning Commission said rainfall in the coming years is likely to be "highly skewed".

"So, water precipitation will not be uniform across the country. Therefore you need strategies where, whenever you get excess rainfall in any place, you should have method to managing that," Kasturirangan said.

"There has to be strategies to harvest it, keeping it with limited amount of evaporation," he said.

There are systems to conserve water not just now but also in ancient times, and "we need to bring them up", Kasturirangan said. "There has to be something holistic about the way we want to manage our water".

Noting that Indian subcontinent receives fairly good amount of rainfall, he said: "What is more important is how well we are able to manage this water by creating the right type of management system, conservation, preservation, optimal use of water and reducing the water for agriculture."



"These are some of the things that has to be brought into the picture in the coming five to 10 years so that this (water shortage) will not become a crisis for the country," Kasturirangan added.

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A Haryana Roadways bus driver, who rammed his vehicle into a motorcycle killing a Delhi Police personnel, has been sentenced to one year in jail by a court here.

Special Judge Narinder Kumar dismissed the driver's appeal and upheld a magisterial court's order awarding one year jail term to Rohtash Singh, a resident of Sonipat.

"The court finds that the metropolitan magistrate has rightly held that it was the accused (driver) who drove the bus in a rash and negligent manner," the court said.

It also said the medical evidence has corroborated the prosecution version that constables -- Satbir Singh and Ombir Singh -- had sustained injuries due to the accident. Satbir later succumbed to injuries.

The court upheld his conviction for the offences of causing death by negligence, rash driving, causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life of others under the IPC and under the Motor Vehicles Act.

According to the prosecution, the accident took place on the night of January 16, 2002 when Ombir was riding a police patrolling motorcycle and Satbir was riding pillion. They were on duty in Burari area in north west Delhi.

When they reached Burari crossing, a Haryana roadways bus came from the side of Karnal Bypass, jumped the red signal and hit the motorcycle due to which both policemen fell down and sustained injuries.

They were taken to a hospital by a PCR van where Satbir died.

The driver sought to set aside the magisterial court's order claiming that statement of injured policeman Ombir was not in consonance with the prosecution version.

He also referred to the statement of bus conductor, who had stated that the motorcyclist slipped due to a stone and hit a footpath in front of the bus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mobile tower companies have written to telecom regulator alleging that coercive action by local bodies for taxes, retrograde orders and no benefit under GST are the key impediments facing them to run business.

The mobile tower firms, under the umbrella organisation of Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (Taipa) have sought abolition of property and other taxes imposed in states that are not in sync with central government rules.

"Some of the municipalities and states consider telecom towers only as a source of revenue instead of critical infrastructure essential for the common public. They calculate property taxes based upon the rentals, not linked to the standard and well established guidance/rateable value for the area," Taipa said in its submission to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The industry body said that property tax on mobile towers should be dismissed as the state and local authorities including corporations have no competence to levy and collect such tax under Indian Telegraph Act.

"The issue related to levy of arbitrary and exorbitant property tax on telecom towers at different rates or amounts by different local authorities including municipal corporations, municipalities and state governments coupled with coercive actions such as sealing of towers, disconnection of power supply, nuisance at sites, use of force and damage to telecom sites etc. Have again come to light in recent times," Taipa said.

It said that more than 250 tower sites have been sealed, removed or demolished by various municipal corporations in Maharashtra resulting in huge impact on telecom services on over 3 million consumers.

The industry body said that its members which include firms like Indus Towers, Bharti Infratel and American Towers, own 90 per cent of the telecom infrastructure in the country but still the government has not inlcuded them under Right of Way (RoW) Rules notified by the Department of Telecom last year.

The RoW rules protects telecom companies from high rates charged from them by various government agencies and removes impediments of permits by different authorities.

The industry body raised concerns over a government order asking mobile tower companies to either take a telecom licence or transfer ownership of some items like mobile antenna, feeder cable etc to telecom operators.

"Government should enable faster provision of cost effective common telecom infrastructure for the benefit of public at large and not revenue generation from licenses... which has cascading effects and eventually leads to additional cost to public at large," Taipa said.

It said that the government under GST has not allowed tax credit on the tax paid by telecom operators on bills generated by them.

"With CENVAT credit not available (under the plant & machinery) to tower infrastructure business, the cost of services will rise considerably and billing by IP-1 to TSPs (telecom service providers) will need to include the component of additional tax implication in its overall cost structure," Taipa said.
The Centre today despatched 600 paramilitary personnel to assist the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy in violence-hit Darjeeling hills which witnessed incidents of stone pelting on the second day of GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh.

The Centre also sought a detailed report on the prevailing situation in the hill district from the state government.

A Union home ministry spokesperson said that as many as 600 paramilitary personnel, including 200 women, were sent to Darjeeling.

Around 400 personnel, already stationed in West Bengal, have also been deployed in the hill areas along with additional forces.

The home ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and was ready to offer all assistance to the state government to restore normalcy there.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata that the situation in the hill district was 'peaceful'.

She, however, said that the Centre did not seek any report on the Darjeeling situation from the state government.

As their indefinite shutdown entered its second day today, protesters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland hurled stones at the police at Chowkbazar area in Darjeeling after they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.

Senior police officers were seen leading large police contingents in various parts of the hills.

Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills, while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed.

Shops downed shutters as the violence broke out.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership, however, accused the police unprovoked lathi-charge on its procession.

"The police resorted to unprovoked lathi-charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.

Yesterday too, Gorkhaland supporters vandalised government offices as the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown forced tourists out of the picturesque hill station due to threat of violence.

The GJM, which controls the GTA, has called a shutdown of all state and GTA offices to press its demand for creation of a separate state.

Giri said that a meeting of six political parties, including GJM and Gorkha National Liberation Front during the day, decided to strengthen the movement for a seperate Gorkhaland.

Their next meeting has been scheduled on June 20 to discuss the future course of action, he said.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and was hopeful that its ally the BJP would consider its demand for a separate state "compassionately".

"I am constantly in touch with the central government and various ministers. I am very hopeful that they will understand our pain and struggle and will consider our demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

"The government at the Centre is our ally and they will surely consider our demand compassionately," Gurung said.

BJP, he said, has always been in favour of small states.

The GJM chief slammed West Bengal chief minister for calling out the Army to control the situation in the hills and advised her to stay away as "the people of Darjeeling are well equipped to take care of themselves".

"My advice to Mamata Banerjee is please stay away from the hills. We don't need your charity. The people of the hills will not accept TMC's hegemony," he said.

Hitting out at the chief minister for calling the Army to control the situation in the hills, Gurung said, "Mamata Banerjee is just pursuing opportunist politics.

"In December last year she had accused the Army of trying to attempt a military coup. She can do anything for the sake of cheap politics," he alleged.

"We are not like her. We respect the Indian Army. Every year hundreds of youth from the hills join the Indian army," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A clash between undertrial prisoners and convicts in the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home today left some of the inmates seriously injured.

The injured were later shifted to the hospital inside the correctional home premises.

West Bengal minister for Correctional Administration Ujjal Biswas told PTI that the clash began last night between two groups of prisoners following their differences on food served in the correctional home.

The inmates shouted slogans protesting against the quality of food served in the correctional home.

The undertrial prisoners even held a demonstration today demanding speedy disposal of their cases, Biswas said.

The undertrial prisoners have lodged complaint with the correctional home authority against the convicts for regular torture on them.

The minister has assured all inmates to look into their demands through discussion with his officials and the state Home (Police) administration.

Vigil in and around the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home have been tightened, Biswas said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh today demanded an apology from the Congress for its leader Sandeep Dikshit's comment likening Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to a "goon on the street".

Apologies and regrets expressed by individual leaders are not enough, said Singh, a former Army chief himself. "Congress as a political party should apologise for his (Dikshit's) remark, which is inappropriate and condemnable."



The minister said the Army does not indulge in politics in any form and works for the nation with complete dedication and commitment.

"Army men engage themselves sincerely to safeguard the country's frontiers and keep the people secure...The controversial statement should be condemned by all," he told newsmen.

"I am deeply hurt by whatever has been said," he added.

Dikshit, an ex-Congress MP and son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had yesterday said: "Ours is not a mafia army like the Pakistani army which makes statements like goons. It looks bad when our Army chief gives a statement like a 'sadak ka goonda' (goon on the street)."



BJP has lashed out at the Congress over the statement and demanded Dikshit's expulsion from the party. The Congress distanced itself from the remarks.

Dikshit later withdrew his statement and tweeted, "I have reservations on a comment of the Army chief, but I should have chosen appropriate words. I apologise.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress today alleged that the farmers unrest in certain parts of the country was a result of demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.

Describing the note ban announced in November last year as a "Himalayan Blunder", former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, MP and AICC Social Media in Charge Divya Spandana said farmers have been badly affected in various ways due to the note ban and "what we are facing now is its consequences".

"We have seen certain connections to the farmers stir with the demonetisation", Tharoor said when asked about the farmers agitation in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Cash crunch following note ban had forced the farmers to sell their products at a low price affecting their livelihood, he said.

"What we have began to see is actually, I am afraid, only one aspect of much larger nation wide problem the country is going to face", Thaoor said while charging the NDA government with total failure in all sectors.

He condemned the ban of sale of cattle for slugger and said "definitely it is an assault on the freedom of the food habits of citizens".

The Congress has decided to strengthen the campaign against the Centre by highlighting its failures, Spandana said.

Index of industrial production, which was growing at 5.3 per cent in February 2016, has come down to 1.9 per cent in March 2017, Tharoor said.

Gross Value Added (GVA) a true sub-measure of economic activity, has experienced a steep fall.

The GVA growth of industry has fallen from 10.7 per cent in March 2016 to a low of 3.8 per cent in March 2017, a decline of nearly seven percentage points, the Congress leaders pointed out.

"Beyond the slogans, advertising and hyper-rhetoric, sentiment is gloomy and nothing works on the ground", they said.

They said some of the flagships programmes of previous UPA government has been renamed and implemented by the present government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three gangsters allegedly committed suicide when they found themselves surrounded by Punjab and Haryana police in a village in Haryana's Sirsa district today, police said.

On a tip off, the gangsters were traced to a hideout and surrounded by the police teams early this morning.

On being cornered, the gangsters fired several rounds at the police parties before committing suicide, Faridkot SSP, Nanak Singh told PTI over phone.

He said gangsters Bunty Dhillon and Jaspreet Singh alias Jumpy of Faridkot district and Nishan Singh committed suicide.

"While Bunty and Jaspreet died on the spot, Nishan Singh was declared brought dead in a hospital," Singh said.

While two of the gangsters shot themselves dead, it was not immediately clear as to how the third gangster ended his life.

Sirsa SP, Satender Kumar Gupta said the Haryana police team coordinated with their Punjab counterparts in the entire operation.

Nanak Singh said Bunty and Jaspreet were dreaded gangsters of the Devinder shooter gang.

Their involvement with the Vicky Gounder gang lately also came to the fore, he said, adding the trio had multiple FIRs registered against them in various police stations.

They were also involved in a shootout incident at Poanta Sahib and Tarn Taran, besides in many murder cases, and many other heinous crimes.

Police recovered a jeep and some weapons from the spot.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As more petrol pump dealers decided to strike on Friday, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) today stepped up efforts to explain implementation of the daily revision in petrol and diesel prices.

Daily price revision, which follows successful pilot in five cities, is to be implemented from June 16, from when even the smallest change in international oil prices can be passed down to consumers.

IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh, who yesterday held extended parleys with petrol pump dealers from several states, said nothing is being done to the detriment of petrol pump operators.

"Whatever they were doing at 15-day frequency, they will be required to do daily. That is the only change," he told PTI here.

Delhi Petrol Dealers Association today decided to join the call given by the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) for 'no-purchase-no-sale' day on June 16, saying the state-owned fuel retailers have "jumped into" the decision without checking the ground reality about automation system of pump.

"Unless the price is pushed automatically through the automation system the petrol dealers are not ready to do it manually or fetch the price on a daily basis as being advised by the oil marketing companies. This manual intervention can lead to errors and delays in operation of the petrol pump," the association said.

Singh, however, said about 10,000 out of IOC's 26,000 petrol pumps across the country are already automated, where prices can be changed remotely, and the remaining will be automated by 2018.

"We are not saying that all petrol pumps have to change the price determined at midnight every day. All we are saying is that before you start your business, the price has to be adjusted. And that can be at 7 am in the morning," he said.

He said currently petrol pumps change rates according to the price decided by the oil companies on the fortnightly basis. This now has to be done on a daily basis.

"They have apprehensions of inventory losses in case prices drop but we do not anticipate international rates to go down steeply. In fact they have been stable and this is the right time to implement such a move," he said.

The association, however, said a stringent fine of Rs 5 lakh and suspension of sales and supplies for 60 days are provisioned for manually altering rates at petrol pumps but in reality not even half of pumps are automated.

IOC, the nation's largest fuel retailer, said it will provide information on daily price revisions through various means, including LED screens at petrol pumps, toll-free number, social media posts, mobile apps as well as through SMS.

Singh, along with IOC Director (Marketing) BS Canth, explained daily price change with retail outlet dealers of 11 states -- Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Bihar.

"The fear of dealers about inventory loss is unwarranted as the change of prices will happen both upwards as well as downwards, and thus both gain and loss would compensate each other," he said.

The pilot was successful in the five cities where the price change has been implemented smoothly.

Although daily price revision is effective from midnight, thanks to the advent of technology, the dealer is not required to be present at the retail outlet every day to change the price after 00.00 hrs at midnight, IOC said in a separate statement.

In case of automated retail outlets, there is a provision for dealers to schedule the price change at 20.00 hrs for price change to take effect at 00.00 hrs. In case of non- automated ROs, manual change of price has to be done.

"Retail Outlets operating during the night have already employed manpower. No additional manpower is thus required for the change of price. Changing of retail selling prices in the dispensing units (DUs) consumes very less time.

"Moreover, as the same is effective at 00.00 hrs midnight when the rush of customers is minimum, inconvenience caused to customers will also be minimised," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It was an emotional moment for Nilakshi Elizabeth Jorendal, the India-born Swedish national, as she met her ailing biological mother in Yavatmal.

Nilakshi (44), who was adopted by a Swedish couple when she was three-year-old, had managed to trace her biological mother through Anjali Pawar of Pune-based NGO - Against Child Trafficking.

"It was an emotional reunion on Saturday at the government hospital in Yavatmal. The mother-daughter duo broke into tears," Pawar told PTI.

"Nilakshi, who was on a mission to trace her biological parents, had met her mother briefly earlier but this was a more elaborate, public reunion," she said.

Nilakshi biological father, a farm labourer, had committed suicide in 1973, the year she was born at Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission's shelter-and-adoption home in Kedgaon near Pune.

Nilakshi's mother had left her there and later remarried and has a son and daughter from the second marriage. They too were present at the hospital on Saturday, Pawar said.

The centre gave Nilakshi in adoption to a Swedish couple in 1976.

"Nilakshi had been visiting India since 1990 to trace her biological mother. She visited India six times for this," Pawar said.

Both the mother and daughter suffer from thalassemia, she said, adding, "During the meeting on Saturday, she assured her biological mother's kin of all help in her treatment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government has decided to construct 582 flats for the economically weaker section (EWS) under its rehabilitation scheme.

The flats, to be built under the government's 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan' (houses in place of slums) scheme, will come up a few metres from a slum at Rana Pratap Bagh in south Delhi's Sangam Park area.

According to an official, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) will build the flats, which will be ready in the next two-three years.

Once the flats were ready, the slum-dwellers would be shifted there, he said.

In February, DUSIB had approved a proposal to construct 6,178 flats for the economically weaker section at Lajpat Nagar, Bhalaswa, Dev Nagar, Mangolpuri and Ambedkar Nagar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The five-year integrated journalism course in Delhi University will now include Tamil as an optional language.

Tamil is spoken in various South East Asian countries, including Singapore and Malaysia. Learning the language will help the students if they visit these countries, said Maharaj K Pandit, Chairperson, Admission Committee, Delhi University.

Another Indian language, Bengali, besides foreign languages such as Arabic, Spanish, French and Mandarin, will also be made available for students who are interested.

According to the university officials, there will be no entrance examination for the course and the admissions will be on the basis of merit.

"The admission process for the programme will be deferred a bit. It will not take place simultaneously with the other programmes," said Pandit.

The faculty of social sciences will be hosting the programme and a student can quit it after three years with a BA degree.

"The course has been prepared in such a way that it produces experts in particular areas of journalism," said Pandit, adding that if a student is interested in business journalism, he will be taught accordingly.

The course fee would be Rs 30,000 per semester and 60 students will be admitted in the current academic year.

DU's Standing Committee on Academic Affairs, at a meeting last week, gave its approval to the integrated course.

The proposal, however, needs to be approved by the Academic Council and the Executive Council of the university.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Retirement fund body EPFO has enrolled over 82 lakh new subscribers under its Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017 started on January 1 this year.

Under the scheme, the employers got the opportunity to file the declaration of unregistered employees under the EPFO Act, with a nominal fine of Re 1 per annum on account of damages.

According to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) statement, "82,01,533 workers enrolled as on May 31, 2017 under the Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017."



"With the enrolment of over 82 lakh subscribers under the scheme, now the total number of contributing members is about 4.5 crore," EPFO Central Provident Fund Commissioner V P Joy told PTI.

Asked about extending the campaign beyond June 30, 2017, Joy said, "There is absolutely no chance to extend it as it was for six months. There is no proposal to extend the scheme also."



The campaign was launched earlier to encourage employers to voluntarily come forward and declare details of all such employees who were entitled for membership between April 1, 2009 and December 31, 2016 under EPF & MP Act 1952, but could not be enrolled.

Initially, the scheme was for three months till March 31, 2017 but later it was extended till June 30, 2017.

Under the scheme, the employees share of contribution, if declared by the employer as not deducted, shall stand waived.

Besides, the damages to be paid by the employer in respect of the employees for whom declaration has been made under this campaign is paid at the rate of Re 1 per annum.

Moreover, no administrative charges is collected from the employer in respect of the contribution made under the declaration.

Under the scheme, a declaration can be made under the campaign for the period till June 2017, for which no enquiry under section 7A is initiated.

The EPFO also said that for the benefit of international workers, new instructions have been issued to all field functionaries regarding COC (Certificate of Coverage).

The employer is advised to submit the application form for COC one month in advance and the COC is issued prior to departure of the employee from India.

Also, the COC period should not exceed 60 months or the specified period in the social security agreement with that country. COC should not be issued for a period which commence much later than date of posting of the Indian worker in the host country for employment, it said.

There should not be any overlapping of the period of coverage. There should not be gaps when more than one COC is issued to the same posted worker as these results in lack of Social Security coverage during the gaps, it added.

It said that the EPFO e-court Management System launched on May 16, 2017 with objective of having a transparent and electronic case management system. All per/evidence/documents can be filed online and the status can also be viewed online.

The body further said that the claim settlement period has been reduced to 10 days from 20 days and grievance redressal period is reduced to 15 days from 20 days.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today strongly criticised the decision of the authorities in Iraq's Kurdistan region to hold a referendum on independence, calling it "an error and a threat" to the country's territorial integrity.

Turkey has prided itself on its good ties with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq's north, with its leader Massud Barzani a frequent visitor to Ankara.

But even as Turkish investment poured into the regional capital of Arbil, Turkey has always kept a wary eye on any moves towards full independence.

Ankara is still battling a more than three-decade insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for autonomy in southeast Turkey that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

It also strongly opposes any autonomous region for Syrian Kurds in the north of Syria that might result from more than six years of civil war in the country.

"Making a step towards independence in the north of Iraq is an error and a threat for the territorial integrity of Iraq," Erdogan said in a speech to his party in Ankara.

Barzani announced on June 7 that a referendum would be held in Kurdish areas of Iraq on September 25 to ask voters if they want a separate state.

The vote is nonbinding, but the move was greeted with irritation by Baghdad.

"We have always defended the territorial integrity of Iraq and we will continue to do so," said Erdogan, adding that such a referendum "was in the interest of no one".

Widely seen as the world's largest stateless people, most Kurds are spread between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. But it is only in Iraq where they have achieved a recognised autonomy.

Iraqi Kurdish oil is exported through Turkey, a key economic lifeline for the region.

The PKK, for its part, maintains rear bases in the mountains of northern Iraq even though Barzani has repeatedly expressed discomfort at their presence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister V K Sing today suggested that ex-servicemen take lesson from Anna Hazare's dedication towards the country.

The Union Minister of State for External Affairs said this during an interaction with about 300 ex-service men at an interaction session held on completion of three years in office by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Singh is a former chief of the Indian Army.

While sharing his political journey from a retired army officer, Singh emphasised on the responsibility of ex- servicemen towards the society. "The society has a strong faith on army personnel," Singh said.

Stating that the value of ex-servicemen is very important in the society, Singh lauded the activities of social worker Anna Hazare, who was also a retired soldier.

Singh also listened various grievances of ex-servicemen who attended the interaction programme from across the state. They presented demands including permanent employment to the ex-servicemen who are working in government and private companies, impact on ex-servicemen after implementation of GST, setting up of Army Memorial Club in Odisha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Flooding in South America has forced almost 6,000 people to flee their homes along the Uruguay River, authorities have said.

More than 5,700 people fled their homes in Uruguay along the major waterway, as well as along some creeks flowing into it, since flooding started on May 26, according to officials in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo.

The bulk of those affected are in Salto department, a mostly rural area, as well as neighboring areas Artigas, Paysandu and Rio Negro, all on the country's western edge, the National Emergency System yesterday said.

Flooding has grown increasingly common in Uruguay.

And authorities fret that poor people often live close to rivers and streams for convenience -- only for the choice to cost them their lives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the PTI's top



stories at 1700 hours today:



FGN24 UK-LD MALLYA



By Aditi Khanna



London: Embattled Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, who is wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks, claims that he has "enough evidence" to plead his case as he appears before Westminster Magistrates' Court here for his extradition case hearing.

DEL15 PAR-MONSOON SESSION



New Delhi: The month-long Monsoon session of Parliament is likely to commence from July 12.

DEL20 DEF-RAWAT-KASHMIR



New Delhi: Stressing that generations have been destroyed due to unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat exhorts students in the state to choose laptops and books to help end the cycle of violence.

DEL6 CATTLE-GOVT FOOD HABITS



New Delhi: The government does not want to "alter" the food habits of people and put businesses in the sector in "any kind of difficulty", says Union minister Harsh Vardhan.

DEL11 MHA-WB-SITUATION



New Delhi: Concerned over continuing violence in Darjeeling, the Centre is closely monitoring the situation in the hill district and is ready to offer all assistance to the West Bengal government to restore normalcy, says an official.

DEL18 MHA-SECURITY



New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh calls a meeting of all state home ministers on July 3 to assess the internal security situation in the country.

BOM7 MP-FARMER-SUICIDE



Sehore: A debt-ridden farmer in Sehore -- the home district of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- allegedly commits suicide by consuming poisonous substance.

LGB1 MH-PROSECUTOR-WITHDRAWS



Pune: Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam withdraws as special public prosecutor in the 2014 Mohsin Sheikh murder case in which members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) are accused.

LGM1 TN-HC-DMK



Chennai: The DMK makes a special mention in the Madras High Court on reports of alleged payments to some ruling AIADMK MLAs belonging to rival factions before the trust vote was to be taken up against the K Palaniswami government in February.

FGN6 US-LD INDIA



By Lalit K Jha



Washington: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first meeting would set forth a vision to expand the US-India ties in an ambitious manner and discuss ways to advance common goals like fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the northern region at 1910 HRS:



DEL12 NHRC-HAR-GANGRAPE



New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issues notices to Haryana's director general of police and the Gurgaon police commissioner over the alleged gangrape of a 23 -year-old woman in the industrial area of Manesar.

DES1 UP-TREES DEFECATION



Gonda (UP): One of the dirtiest places in India - Gonda - is going green to stop open defecation with the administration planting trees having religious significance in the hope of putting an end to the menace.

DES2 HR-GANGSTERS



Chandigarh: Three gangsters allegedly commit suicide when after finding themselves surrounded by Punjab and Haryana police in a village in Haryana's Sirsa district, say police.

DES4 HR-ROADWAYS-STRIKE



Chandigarh: Over 4,000 Haryana Roadways buses remain off the road as employees call for a 'chakka jam' and strike work for a day to demand withdrawal of permits to private bus operators.

DES8 UP-INMATES-ESCAPE



Lucknow: Eight inmates of a juvenile home here remove an exhaust fan and use bedsheets to escape from the facility, say police.

DES16 MHA-NDRF-KASHMIR



New Delhi: For the first time, an NDRF team has been permanently based in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir - Srinagar - to undertake quick rescue operations in the event of an earthquake or floods.

DES26 DL-KASHMIR-STUDENTS-IIT



New Delhi: As many as 28 students from Kashmir belonging to economically weaker sections have made to top institutions like IITs and NITs with the help of the Army's 'Kashmir Super 30' initiative.

DES24 MHA-UPHAAR-MERCY



New Delhi: The Home Ministry is examining a mercy petition of realty baron Gopal Ansal, convicted in the Uphaar fire tragedy case, and has sought opinion of the ministries concerned before conveying its decision to the President.

DES27 PB-WOMEN-RESERVATION



Chandigarh: In a major decision ahead of the Budget Session, the Punjab Cabinet gives its nod for increasing the reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

NRG15 PB-GST



Chandigarh: The Punjab Cabinet here gives the go-ahead for the draft model GST Bill to be put before the House during the budget session of the state assembly and also approved the report of the Fifth State Finance Commission submitted to the Punjab Governor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the southern region at 1745 HRS.

MDS2 KL-FISHERMEN-PROBE



Kochi: Officers from the Director General (Shipping) and the Mercantile Marine Department seizes all records, including digital data, of a foreign cargo ship suspected to have hit an Indian fishing boat off the coast here, killing two fishermen.

MDS3 TN-LD PANNEERSELVAM



Chennai: Hours after rebel AIADMK leader Panneerselvam sought his explanation, legislator S S Saravanan says the voice in the TV video footage on alleged horse trading involving ruling party MLAs was not his.

LGM2 TN-HC-LD DMK



Chennai: DMK moves the Madras High Court seeking a probe by CBI and DRI into alleged payoffs to some ruling AIADMK MLAs ahead of the trust vote sought by the K Palaniswami government in February last.

MES6 PD-CEMENT SCHEME



Puducherry: Puducherry government proposes to offer cement at subsidised rates to low and middle income groups people and name the scheme after Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

MES9 KL-RIVER



Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government will soon file an interim petition in the Supreme Court listing out 'violations' by Tamil Nadu in the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project pact in the present water year.

BES4 TL-GST



Hyderabad: Telangana is ready to roll out the GST from July one from technology and preparedness perspective, according to a key government official.

BES5 TL-KASTURIRANGAN



Hyderabad: India needs to promote agricultural practices that need less water for crop cultivation and give thrust to water conservation and harvesting over the next one decade to avert crisis of shortage, according to an eminent scientist.

BES6 TL-GIRL



Hyderabad: A baby girl was hospitalised with injuries after she accidentally fell from the first-floor of a residential building in Bahadurpura area here, police said today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the western region at 2100 HRS:



BOM 21 MP-FARMERS-LD SUICIDE



Bhopal: Three farmers commit suicide in Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours even as government announced several measures to give relief to farmers.

BOM 23 AVI-SINHA-AIRINDIA



Pune: Air India and other domestic airlines are "running in profit", Union Minister Jayant Sinha says, even as the government mulls possible privatisation of the debt-laden national carrier.

BOM 6 MP-FARMERS-MLA



Shivpuri (MP): Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station amid violent protests by farmers in Madhya Pradesh.

BOM 17 MP-LD FARMERS



Ratlam/Neemuch (MP): Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gujarat's quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel stopped from entering Mandsaur, the epicentre of the agrarian unrest in Madhya Pradesh.

LGB 1 MH-PROSECUTOR-WITHDRAWS



Pune: Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam withdraws as special public prosecutor in the 2014 Mohsin Sheikh murder case in which members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena are accused.

BES 26 MP-FARMERS-MANDIS



Indore: Traders in mandis in Madhya Pradesh stop purchase of farm produce following the government's announcement that purchasing below the minimums support price would be considered an offence.

BES 20 MH-GIRL-COWDUNG



Mumbai: An 18-year-old girl from Latur district of Maharashtra beaten up and forced to eat cow dung by a 'Mantrik' as a remedy for her sickness.

BES 7 GJ-CUSTODIAL DEATH



Mehsana (Guj): Three persons arrested in connection with alleged custodial death of a 28-year-old man at Mehsana.

BES 15 AVI-AIRINDIA-FLIGHT



Mumbai: A Dubai-bound Air India flight from Calicut with 62 passengers on board diverted to Mumbai following a burning smell in the cockpit.

BCM 12 BIZ-GST-RETAIL



Mumbai: Leading retailers including Future Group, Trent Hypercity, DMart and Aditya Birla Retail meet in Mumbai to discuss issues related to the GST.

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Congress general secretary B K Hariprasad today accused the BJP president Amit Shah of presenting "fake" statistics, and claimed that GDP growth declined after the demonetisation.

"The economy has witnessed a steep decline due to the demonetisation. When the UPA government left the office, the GDP growth was 6.7 per cent which has now declined to five percent," Hariprasad said at a press conference here today.

Asked about Shah's claims over GDP growth, the Congress leader referred to cases of fake encounters in Gujarat in which Shah had faced allegations, and added, "Shah is also good at presenting fake statistics."



Hariprasad, who is Congress' in-charge for Chhattisgarh, was in Raipur as a part of his party's national campaign to highlight 'failures' of the NDA government.

The BJP government at the Centre can not understand how to save the "falling" economy and is busy coining slogans, he said.

The Narendra Modi government has given unlimited powers to the Income Tax department which is now raiding and harassing honest taxpayers for no reason, he said.

Despite fall in the international crude prices, the government is keeping the petrol and diesel prices high, he said.

Even seven months after the demonetisation, the government has failed to inform people about the amount of money which returned to the banks, he said.

The law and order situation in the country has deteriorated, he claimed.

"Murders and rapes are being reported frequently in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and other areas. Atrocities on Dalits have increased. The situation in Kashmir is out of control. For the first time in the history, curfew was imposed for 130 days in the valley. Our jawans were attacked brutally on the border," he said.

"Prime minister Narendra Modi has no time to meet the families of farmers, but when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi tried to meet the kin of the affected farmers (in Madhya Pradesh) he was stopped," Hariprasad said.

"Protests in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Dewas were not carried out by Congress workers...But it's a birthright of Congress to stand by farmers," he said, when asked about an FIR against Congress MLA for inciting farmers during the protests.

He however added that Congress never defends any kind of violence, and asked why no action has been taken against senior BJP leaders for giving provocative speeches.

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For the first time, the NDA government is planning to conduct a study for assessing the impact of corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by various public sector firms.

The study, to be carried out by the Department of Public Enterprises, will cover 134 central public sector enterprises including BHEL, BPCL, Coal India, ONGC and NTPC, among others.

It will identify the lack of initiative and implementation gaps by CPSEs in the projects and the reasons for such acts, besides tracking the status of unspent CSR funds in a year.

Based on the study's findings, a report will be prepared by the Department of Public Enterprises that will recommend measures to be taken by defaulting CPSEs for bridging the gaps.

"Under the present government, such a study is being carried out for the first time," Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises Seema Bahuguna told PTI.

The report will assess the CSR practices being followed by few leading private sector companies in India and some leading overseas companies and conclude whether they can be emulated by state-run firms in India.

"We are carrying out the study to assess the on-ground impact of being undertaken by CPSEs and whether the funds earmarked by them for the purpose are being utilised in the right direction or not," a senior official said.

Besides, the study will assess the development of areas around CPSE projects, units, factories and other parts of the country, including the North East.

It will also document the best CSR projects which are sustainable in the long run.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in a particular fiscal.

In case of non-spending, the company concerned has to clarify for the same to the ministry.

The norms came into effect from April 1, 2014.
Two more bodies were found today from the debris of a gurudwara which collapsed on National Highway 1 here, taking the toll to three, even as NDRF and Haryana Police teams were carrying out operations to look for some more trapped persons.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who visited the site and reviewed the relief work, announced an ex gratia of Rs five lakh to the kin of those killed and Rs two lakh to those who sustained grievous injuries and Rs one lakh to those who sustained minor injuries.

The gurudwara, where some construction work was going on, had collapsed last evening, killing a 30-year-old man was killed and injuring eight others. It is situated on the busy GT road.

After recovery of two more bodies, the toll in the incident reached three, a senior police official said.

"Three people have died in the incident that include two labourers. Rescuers were still at the spot searching for more people who could be trapped under the debris," Karnal Range Inspector General of Police, Subhash Yadav told PTI over phone.

Police today said they were assisting a NDRF team, which reached here from Delhi last evening, in carrying out the rescue operations.

Following the incident, some of the injured had been referred to various hospitals including at Delhi and Karnal.

Panipat DSP (City) Atma Ram said that rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident.

Khattar, who visited collapse site, ordered a probe by a high-level committee, headed by Panipat Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Mehta, into the incident.

Executive Engineer, Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Department would be member secretary, Executive Engineer, City Division, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), Executive Engineer, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), Panipat would be the members of the committee.

It has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

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Following are the top stories from the Eastern region at 1800 HRS



CAL 1 WB-GJM SITUATION



Darjeeling : Gorkhaland supporters pelted stones at the police in various parts of Darjeeling as they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices in the hills, where their indefinite bandh entered its second day.

CAL 2 WB-GJM GURUNG



Darjeeling : Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung says he is in constant touch with the Centre and is hopeful that its ally the BJP will consider its demand for a separate Gorkhaland "compassionately".

CAL 3 OD-PASSPORT



Bhubaneswar : The Centre has decided to open passport service centres in all the 800 district head post offices across the country in two years' time to increase people's access to the facility, especially in remote areas.

CAL 4 OD-SINGH DIKSHIT



Bhubaneswar : Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh demands an apology from the Congress for its leader Sandeep Dikshit's comment likening Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to a "goon on the street".

CES 1 WB-BSF SUNDARBANS



Kolkata : The porous riverine border with Bangladesh at Sunderbans is shortly to be equipped with infrared pillars and smart sensors to prevent rampant infiltration and smuggling.

CES 2 OD-DEPRESSION



Bhubaneswar : The weather office predicts heavy rainfall in at least eight of the 30 districts of Odisha even as the deep depression over east Bangladesh and neighbourhood has weakened into a low pressure.

CES 3 OD-SINGH-SPECIAL STATUS



Bhubaneswar : Union Minister VK Singh says Odisha has failed to achieve desired level of development for which the state government is answerable even as he dismissed the demand for special category status to it.

CES 6 WB-WETLANDS-STUDY



Kolkata : The wetlands of Kolkata, a Ramsar site, which are gradually shrinking in size, have come under the focus of a study by a joint team of the IIT, Kharagpur and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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Home minister Rajnath Singh today asked the Assam Rifles personnel to take extreme precaution while guarding the porous Indo-Myanmar border so that India's cordial relations with the neighboring country do not get hurt.

Addressing a 'Sainik Sammelan' at headquarters of the 46 battalion of India's oldest paramilitary force, Singh said the country's relations with Myanmar are friendly and hence extreme precautions have to be taken while guarding the international border.

"The Assam Rifles have to make sure that this relation does not get hurt. You have to take precautions so that the warmth in our relations is maintained," he said.

The home minister said unlike a completely sealed border, guarding a boundary which is open or porous is a tough task and requires patience, determination and wisdom.

"Specially in a situation where people are allowed to visit the neighboring country, the task of the Assam Rifles is tough. In such a situation, the Assam Rifles is doing a great job which should be appreciated," he said.

Singh said the "brave soldiers" of the Assam Rifles guard the Indo-Myanmar border with courage and dedication. "I congratulate them for their service to the nation," he said.

The home minister said the Assam Rifles has to play a multi-dimensional role while securing the border that include maintaining friendly relations with the people of the Northeast so that it can get various types of information.

The home minister also referred to a recently launched mobile app where the paramilitary personnel can write about their grievances and seek redressal.

"I have decided to check that platform personally once every month so that your problems are solved," he said.

Singh said steps have been taken to provide at least Rs one crore to the next of kin of each of the martyred soldiers of the paramilitary forces.

"We would make sure that the families of martyred solders get at least Rs one crore. A portal has also been launched to help the families of martyred soldiers," Singh said.

The home minister said the Assam Rifles has also monitored and organised the return of around 300 Myanmar refugees, who had crossed the border recently.

The Assam Rifles guard the 1,643-km-long Indo-Myanmar border which passes through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

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A day-long workshop was held here for Goa Assembly MLAs to train them on legislative proceedings besides maintaining discipline and decorum on the floor of the House.

"Delhi-based private agency PRS legislators research held an orientation for Goa MLAs yesterday on their conduct in the legislative assembly. They were also trained about the proceedings in the House," a state government spokesman told PTI today.

Out of total 40 legislators in the Goa Assembly, 27 participated in the day-long session yesterday which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"The program was held in the run up for the upcoming monsoon assembly session which would be held sometime next month," the spokesman said.

The private agency interacted with MLAs on matters related to the State Legislature, Parliament and how to table or raise questions, bills and motions.

The workshop, held in two sessions, highlighted the importance of legislator's activism to bring to fore issues pertaining to the people through right mechanism like calling attention, zero hour mention or seeking for special debate.

The second session was a training programme to MLAs on E-assembly, a concept which was introduced by the Goa in 2014.

Goa became the first Assembly to go paperless in the country during the tenure of Speaker Rajendra Arlekar. The state government is said to have saved Rs 10 crore since then, which would have been spent on papers.

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Navies of India and Australia will participate in bilateral maritime exercise AUSINDEX-17 this week with an aim to enhancing interoperability and cooperation between the two forces.

Indian naval ships Jyoti, Shivalik and Kamorta are on a port visit to Freemantle, Australia from June 13 to 17 and will join the exercise, the Navy said today.

Vice Admiral and Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command HCS Bisht will be also visiting Freemantle during the period.

During the harbour stay, various activities such as official calls, formal receptions on board ships which will also be open to visitors, guided tours for Indian naval personnel and professional interaction between naval personnel of the two sides, have been planned.

This would be the second edition of the exercise with the maiden one having been conducted at Visakhapatnam in 2015.

The exercise is aimed at increasing interoperability and is in consonance with the growing cooperation between the two countries.

In pursuance of India's 'Act East' policy, the ships under the command of Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta are on an overseas deployment to the South East Asia and southern Indian Ocean regions.

INS Shivalik, a muIti-role stealth frigate, INS Kamorta, an anti-submarine warfare corvette, and INS Jyoti, the fleet replenishment tanker, are a part of this venture.

"The visit of the Indian naval ships seeks to underscore India's peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly and harmonious countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and to strengthen existing bonds between India and Australia," the Navy said in a statement.

In April this year, Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull visited India and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance the partnership between the two countries.

In May this year, Singapore and India held a maritime bilateral exercise SIMBEX in the disputed South China Sea. INS Shivalik, Jyoti and Kamorta were also a part of this exercise.

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India today ratified core International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions 138 and 182 on Child Labour to fight against the menace and achieve the objective of child labour-free nation.

"It is a historic moment for India as we are going to take another giant step to affirm our commitment to a child labour-free India by ratifying the two Core Conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) -- Convention 138 regarding admission of age to employment, and Convention 182 regarding worst forms of Child Labour", Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said at the sidelines of an event held in Geneva at the ILO Conference, 2017, a statement said.

According to the statement, at the event, Instruments of Ratification were handed over by India to ILO.

With ratification of these two core ILO conventions, India has ratified 6 out of 8 core ILO conventions.

The other four core ILO ratified conventions by India relates to abolition of forced labour, equal remuneration, no discrimination between men and women in employment and occupation.

The worst forms of child labour prohibited under Convention 182 are all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

It also prohibits use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances.

It also prohibits the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties.

It also prohibits work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

India has now also adopted the ILO Convention 138 that prescribes the minimum age of employment for children, which is set as 14 years or such age as may be specified in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, whichever is more.

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has said that India's decision for ratification of Convention 182 and Convention 138 was "long overdue" in providing justice to the country's children.

"After the total prohibition of child labour, this is yet another important step in protecting all our children from exploitation and abuse. It now remains a collective responsibility of everyone to do their bit to remove the scourge of child labour from the country," Satyarthi said.

The minister said that India has been working in a concerted manner to eliminate child labour from the country by following a multi-pronged strategy by including both stringent legislative and project-based approach.

A landmark step in the endeavour to have a child labour free society was the enactment of the Child labour (Prohibition and Prevention) amendment Act, 2016 in August 2016 that provides for complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years in all occupations and processes and prohibits employment of adolescents (14-18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes.

The age of admission to employment has been linked to the age of compulsory education under Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009.

The minister also informed that besides the amendment in the Act, India has also notified the amendment in the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Central Rules after extensive consultation with the stakeholders.

The Rules for the first time provide broad and specific framework for prevention, prohibition, rescue and rehabilitation of child and adolescent workers.

The minister further informed that India was in the process of providing a digital platform 'PENCIL' which has components ensuring enforcement of the Act, mechanism for redressal of complaints, child tracking system and a monitoring mechanism.

This platform would integrate all the State Governments with the Central Government for effective coordination and convergence of various measures being taken for compliance of the Act.

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India to be a co-partner in a global food and beverages trade ANUGA to be held in Cologne, Germany from October 7-11, this year.

The 34th edition of ANUGA is being organised by Koelnmesse GmBH and 7,200 exhibitors from more than 100 countries are likely to participate in the event.

"Being the largest producer of food in the world, India cannot remain distant from such mega events, and to become global food market and global food factory, representation of India needs to grow by many times in the years to come," Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said after signing the memorandum of understanding for participation in ANUGA.

She said that foreign investment and interest in India will also grow many times and therefore the country has to become an important partner of these events.

Indian exhibitors at ANUGA have been on rise since 2005 and around 135 companies and individual traders had participated in the event last year.

Badal also invited Germany to participate in the forthcoming global food investors trade fair to be held in November this year in the capital.
An Indian woman was brutally beaten and stabbed to death in Kuwait and her body lying in a pool of blood was recovered from a flat, according to a media report.

The woman was found dead in a flat in Khaitan area and her husband was nowhere to be found, the Arab Times reported.

The flat mate of the deceased woman notified the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry about the lifeless body inside the house, and a team of rescue men went to the scene, a security source was quoted as saying.

The officers found the body in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place.

The body was handed over to the forensics department and an investigation was in progress to determine the whereabouts of the husband and bring the suspect to justice.

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Labelling vegetables with indulgent descriptions usually used to describe fatty foods may help promote healthy eating, Stanford scientists say.

The study showed that more vegetables were consumed when they were described with words such as "dynamite," "caramelised" or "sweet sizzlin'".

The findings may help provide guidance on how to make healthier foods more appealing and encourage people to make healthier dining choices.

Previous research has shown that people tend to think that healthy foods are less tasty and less enjoyable than standard foods. Healthy foods are also perceived as less filling and less satisfying, according to prior work.

To test how labelling could impact consumption of healthier menu choices, the researchers from Stanford University in the US conducted a study in a large dining hall.

They changed how certain vegetables were labelled using four categories: basic, healthy restrictive, healthy positive or indulgent.

Green beans, for instance, were described as "green beans" (basic), "light 'n' low-carb green beans and shallots" (healthy restrictive), "healthy energy-boosting green beans and shallots" (healthy positive) or "sweet sizzlin' green beans and crispy shallots" (indulgent).

Research assistants monitored the number of diners who chose the vegetable and how much was consumed over the course of each lunch period for an entire academic quarter (46 days). There were no changes to how the food was prepared or presented throughout the study.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that labelling vegetables with indulgent descriptions led more diners to choose vegetables and resulted in a greater mass of vegetables served per day.

Diners chose vegetables with indulgent labelling 25 per cent more than basic labelling, 35 per cent more than healthy positive and 41 per cent more than healthy restrictive.

In terms of mass of vegetables served per day, vegetables with indulgent labelling were consumed 16 per cent more than those labelled healthy positive, 23 per cent more than basic and 33 per cent more than healthy restrictive.

"We have this intuition to describe healthy foods in terms of their health attributes, but this study suggests that emphasising health can actually discourage diners from choosing healthy options," said Bradley Turnwald, a graduate psychology student at Stanford.

This simple and low-cost strategy of altering the descriptions of healthy foods could have a substantial impact on consumption of nutritious foods in dining settings.

Turnwald said more research needs to be done to see if the effects would be similar when choosing off a restaurant menu, without the food being visible.

However, these findings could be the basis for a potentially effective strategy to answer a challenging question, researchers said.

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Uber was to release results later today of an internal investigation into misconduct and ethics, setting the stage for reforms at the ridesharing giant known for its no-holds-barred style of management.

The results of the probe led by former US attorney general Eric Holder are aimed at cleaning up a corporate culture marred by accusations of harassment, discrimination, and cutthroat practices to thwart rivals and evade regulators.

Uber has already parted ways with a handful of key executives -- including its number two Emil Michael this week -- but the fate of chief executive Travis Kalanick was not clear.

Some reports said Kalanick could take a temporary leave of absence as part of the effort to restore confidence in Uber. But as one of the key founders, Kalanick holds a large number of voting shares which could potentially block an effort to sideline him.

It remained unclear what further changes will be made at Uber, which is the world's richest venture-backed startup valued at some USD 68 billion.

As part of the revamping at Uber, Nestle executive Wan Ling Martello was named as an independent board member, according to a source close to the company.

Michael had been linked to a number of questionable practices at Uber, media reports said, including a visit to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar and an attempt to dig up embarrassing information on journalists.

Last week, Uber said it had fired 20 people following preliminary results of the investigation, after examining 215 claims of discrimination, harassment, unprofessional behavior, bullying, retaliation and "physical security."



The company also recently ousted Eric Alexander, who headed Asia-Pacific operations, after reports said he read and discussed medical information about a woman raped in India in 2014 during an Uber ride.

Last month, Uber fired executive Anthony Levandowski, who came from Google's self-driving car unit now known as Waymo, for failing to meet a deadline to turn over information for an internal investigation.

Waymo's lawsuit contends that Levandowski in December 2015 downloaded files from a highly confidential design server to a laptop and took the data with him to the startup.

Uber's board met Sunday with Holder and consultant Tammy Albarran to discuss the findings and "unanimously voted to adopt all the recommendations" of the report, according to the source.

The recommendations were not immediately known, but Uber is facing pressure to rein in its take-no-prisoners style led by Kalanick and to reform a workplace culture.

Jack Gold, analyst at J Gold Associates, said Uber may have a hard time replacing Kalanick.

Kalanick "has done some stupid things but he's the force behind what Uber is today," Gold said.

"Kalanick can't leave, there's no one to put in" to replace him, Gold said.

Uber also faces questions about its covert use of law enforcement-evading software and tactics apparently aimed at disrupting rivals in the ridesharing business.

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will address businessmen from leading companies and institutional investors during a two-day visit to South Korea beginning tomorrow.

As part of the visit, industry body Ficci, along with Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is organising a seminar, where Jaitley will address businessmen from leading companies and SMEs as well as corporate and institutional investors.

The seminar will focus on the key achievements of the government and long-term investment opportunities in India.

"Indo-Korean relations have been growing over the past few years and this visit shall further strengthen mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the two countries," Ficci said in a statement.

A business delegation led by Ficci Senior Vice President Rashesh Shah is accompanying Jaitley to South Korea.

The delegation will get an opportunity to highlight the progress made across various development programmes and measures taken by the government to steer the economy towards the higher growth path.

It will also highlight the potential areas for further co-operation, especially in areas like manufacturing, ship- building, defence, infrastructure, among others.

"India remains an attractive investment destination in the world. This visit to South Korea will provide a good opportunity for CEOs to talk about the enabling policy environment available for corporates in India as well as to highlight the advantages that India offers to foreign investors," Shah said.

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Russia warned today that the blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies would make it harder to reach a peaceful end to the war in Syria, after President Vladimir Putin discussed the crisis with Saudi King Salman.

In a phone discussion, the two leaders "touched on the aggravated situation around Qatar, which unfortunately does not help consolidate joint efforts in resolving the conflict in Syria and fighting the terrorist threat," the Kremlin said in a statement after the call.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt said earlier this month that they had suspended ties with Qatar over the emirate's alleged support for extremists, banning all flights to and from Doha and shutting down the offices of the country's national carrier.

As well as cutting air, sea and land links with Qatar, the countries ordered its citizens to leave within 14 days.

The Kremlin said Putin and Salman also discussed developing ties in various areas and expressed an intention to "activate bilateral cooperation."



Late last month, Putin met the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Moscow for talks on the Syrian conflict as well as cutting oil production.

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Landslides triggered by heavy rains have killed at least 25 people in Bangladesh, authorities said today.

A depression in the Bay of Bengal influenced the weather all over the country yesterday, bringing about incessant rainfall which inundated Dhaka and Chittagong cities.

Ten people were killed in Rangamati, seven in Bandarban and eight in Chittagong, The Daily Star quoted a medic as saying. Many among them were women and children.

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French President said on Wednesday that the door was "always open" for Britain to remain in the European Union after Prime Minister Theresa May said Brexit talks would begin next week.

"Of course the door is always open as long as the negotiations on Brexit have not finished," Macron said in a press conference.

But he also stressed that he respected the sovereign decision of the British people to leave the EU in their referendum a year ago, adding that the start of talks was an important milestone.

"We need to be clear and organised and once it (the Brexit process) has started we need to be collectively clear that it's more difficult to reverse course," he said at the Elysee Palace.

Macron's comments echoed others by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

"If they wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors, but I think it's not very likely," Schaeuble told Bloomberg Television.

May repeated her plans to stick to her timetable of starting discussions next week despite ongoing negotiations to form a government.

She was also asked if the loss of her parliamentary majority in a bungled snap election last week would alter her decision to withdraw Britain from the EU single market and customs union, a so-called "hard Brexit".

"I think there's a unity of purpose among people in the UK. It's a unity of purpose having voted to leave the EU that their government gets on with that and makes a success of it," she said.

May said the process would lead to "an arrangement for Brexit which will be the interests of the United Kingdom and the remaining 27 members of the EU."



After the talks, May and Macron also announced a joint action plan to tackle online extremism which aims to increase the pressure on internet giants and social media companies to tackle terror propaganda and hate speech.

It includes exploring the creation of new laws that would impose penalties on internet companies if they failed to act.
The Maharashtra government today revised its land lease policy for gymkhanas that have been run by private players since the British period in Mumbai, its suburbs and across the state.

The move will not only increase the revenue of the state but will also resolve the running disputes between such gymkhanas and the government over the lease rents, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said after the Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Cabinet has approved the policy.

The revised policy will be enforced with a retrospective effect from January 1, 2017.

As per this policy, gymkhanas are classified into three categories with varied rents, as per their areas of land.

While the land areas admesuring 20,000 sq metre have been classified in 'A' category, the land areas below 20,000 sq meter up to 10,000 sq metre have been placed in B category and those less than 10,000 sq meter in C category.

"The revised lease policy would be applicable from January 1, 2017 for those gymkhanas whose land lease was expired," Revenue department principal secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava said.

He said that a lease contract of gymkhana, henceforth, would be entered as per the revised policy.

A Revenue department official said there are ten gymkhanas in Mumbai alone whose land lease expired over the last two years.

"Without the lease policy, it was difficult to renew the lease of such gymkhanas," he said.

Under the revised policy, the rent would be charged on the 10 per cent of Ready Recknor (RR) rates.

For A, B and C categories, the annual lease rent would be 1 per cent, 0.5 per cent and 0.25 per cent, respectively.

"The rent is proposed to be increased by 4 per cent each year. Under previous government, the rent was charged on 15 per cent of RR rates and that was objected to by many gymkhanas who had termed it financially non-viable. As a result, they had approached court and the matter has been pending for years. Now, we have reduced the rates and I am sure the problem would be solved," the Revenue minister said.

A total of 18 gymkhanas in Mumbai had been given land on the lease of 99 years or less during the British era.

The annual revenue from these places could not be increased until the lease period ended in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

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In the third such incident in as many days, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in Pulwama district today, injuring three personnel.

The camp was housed by troops of the 180th battalion of CRPF at Ladiyar village of Tral, 35 kms from here, a police official said.

He said the grenade exploded inside the camp, causing splinter injuries to three jawans.

They were taken to a hospital and the area around the camp was cordoned off to nab the unidentified militants, the official said.

This was the second grenade attack in Tral within two days and third such incident in the valley since Sunday.

Two CRPF troopers were injured in a grenade attack by militants on their camp in Tral town yesterday. A sub- inspector of the force and three policemen were injured in a grenade attack on a security picket at Saraf Kadal in downtown Srinagar on Sunday.

No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the grenade attacks.

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The HRD Ministry will soon call a meeting of officials from CBSE and 32 other boards to discuss the way forward on scrapping of the moderation policy.

Moderation policy refers to a practice in which students get extra marks in subjects regarded 'unusually difficult', or if there have been differences in the sets of question papers.

CBSE and 32 other boards had developed a consensus on scrapping of the moderation policy in a meeting on April 24. However, the Delhi High Court had asked CBSE to not scrap the policy, saying it is not advisable to implement the change mid-way.

CBSE was earlier believed to have been considering challenging the high court order but was advised against it by legal counsel that moving the Supreme Court may be counter- productive and could also delay results.

"The court had directed that the decision should not be implemented in middle of an academic session so to implement it from next academic session a decision has to be taken and the modalities need to be finalised before November when registration for the board exams takes place," a senior official said.

"Boards have been asked to disclose their moderation policies and the HRD Ministry will convene a meeting of CBSE and other boards to discuss the way forward," the official added.

The Centre has also set up a panel to ensure uniform marking for students giving the Class XII exam in 2018 by asking schools boards across India to stop "inflating marks" under the "often abused practice" of moderation leading to unusually high scores.

The panel -- Inter Board Working Group (IWBG) headed by CBSE chairperson Rakesh Chaturvedi with members from Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Manipur and ICSE boards -- will address issues arising from the decisions taken in the April 24 meeting.

HRD minister Prakash Javadekar had recently said that the states had mutually agreed on the scrapping and the ministry will not interfere in its implementation.
Social activist Swami Agnivesh today said that the farmers' agitation in Mandsaur will not remain restricted to Madhya Pradesh but will spread to other states as similar conditions prevail there.

He was part of a group of activists from different farmers outfits and social organisations who were stopped from going to Mandsaur on June 11, where five farmers were killed in police firing during a protest.

The activists including Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav, convener of National Alliance of Peoples' Movement Sunilam, and Jai Kisan Andolan convener Avik Saha demanded an independent enquiry into the deaths of farmers by a sitting high court judge, besides demanding waiver of loans by the Madhya Pradesh government.

The activists attacked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the alleged "violation of civic liberties" in the state.

"The farmers everywhere are facing problems like that in Madhya Pradesh. We will work for holding peaceful farmers' agitation in the entire country by uniting different organisations," Agnivesh said.

He alleged that the state government was not allowing people to go to Mandsaur since it was "hiding the truth" of the farmers' killings.

Yadav said that a Mahapanchayat of farmers from all over the country will be held in Mandsaur on July 6 to commemorate the deaths.

He claimed that the farmers' problem in Mandsaur and adjoining areas was related to a steep decline in agricultural produce including cumin, fenugreek, garlic, nigella seeds and carom but the government instead of helping the farmers chose to distance them, resulting in violence and deaths.

"Now, the MP government is scared, it wants to hide the truth of Mandsaur firing and is preventing people from going there despite a week after the incident," he alleged.

Sunilam, a former MLA from the state, alleged that the violence and arson was caused by the members of BJP's Kisan Morcha.

The activists also demanded action against the "guilty police and administrative officers involved in the firing", and withdrawal of cases registered against the farmers in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Quota stir leader Hardik Patel was today arrested in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh when he was heading to Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers killed in police firing last week.

Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch to prevent the commission of cognisable offences, City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said.

The Patidar Andolan leader was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest. The two were, however, released on bail later and transported out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles, Diwan said.

Patel was picked up on his way to Mandsaur to express solidarity with distressed farmers and meet the kin of those killed in police firing during the agrarian unrest on the issue of loan waiver and several other demands.

Lashing out on authorities after his arrest, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country."



He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.

In Rajasthan, SP, Udaipur, Rajendra Prasad told PTI that Patel is planning to go to Indore via Banswara in order to reach Mandsaur.

The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6, when five of them were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.

Subsequently, the farmers' protest witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other districts of western Madhya Pradesh including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.

However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he had assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in Mandsaur would be punished severely.

A high-voltage political drama was also witnessed on June 8, when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing.

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With consumers increasingly preferring ayurvedic and natural products, the natural segment accounts for 41 per cent of the total Rs 44,790 crore personal care market, according to market research firm Nielsen.

"The pie of natural is increasing over the last few years. Roughly, every given year naturals is eating up a per cent point from the non-naturals in the personal segment. It has become 41 per cent of the total personal care segment in 2016 from 37 per cent four years ago," Nielsen South Asia Executive Director Sameer Shukla told reporters here.

The natural segment in India's personal care market is growing at 6.6 per cent and is estimated to be Rs 18,500 crore in 2016, stated the Nielsen report - 'But Naturally! Going Back to Natural in India's Personal Care Segment'.

The natural segment of personal care is growing at almost 1.7 times that of overall personal care and the value growth of the natural segment is racing ahead at almost 2.2 times that of non-naturals, it added.

The report noted that hair oil is a leading category in the natural personal care space, constituting 34 per cent of the market, followed by toilet soaps (30 per cent), face care (13 per cent), toothpaste (11 per cent), shampoo (7 per cent) and hand and body (6 per cent).

Among these categories, natural segment has been growing in category toothpaste at 20.1 per cent, followed by hand and body (17.5 per cent) and shampoo with 13.2 per cent growth.

According to the report, South, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are the primary markets for natural segment in India.

Urban areas are fuelling the rise in the segment with a growth of 6.7 per cent in 2016 as compared to 1.4 per cent in non-natural, it said.

Among the retail channels, chemists and modern trade are boosting growth for natural segment, it observed.

Chemists as a channel registered 19.4 per cent growth in 2016 for the natural segment against 9.8 per cent growth for non-naturals.

In case of modern trade, it was 19.4 per cent for naturals against 2.3 per cent growth for non-naturals.

On the pricing front, it noted that natural variants in personal care are priced almost 17 per cent lower than average non-naturals.

Indian origin companies contribute 79 per cent to the natural segment in the personal care category, while the multi-nationals account for 21 per cent.

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Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days, and over 1,500 of his supporters were arrested after demonstrations across the nation against government corruption.

The protests were the second mass action since March called by Navalny, who has announced his intention to run for president next year and has drawn a new generation to the streets through a relentless online campaign.

A Moscow court, sitting late yesterday, found the 41- year-old Navalny guilty of organising unauthorised protests and sentenced him to a month in administrative custody, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter.

The OVD-Info rights group told AFP that more than 1,500 of his supporters had been arrested during the protests across the country yesterday, including 823 in Moscow where riot police tried to push the crowds back, sometimes by beating them with batons.

As riot police grabbed people and led them to police vans others demonstrators shouted "Shame!", "Putin is a thief!" and "Freedom to Navalny!"



Police held an estimated 600 protesters in Saint Petersburg, said the NGO, which tracks arrests and said more than 100 detentions had also been made in cities including Vladivostock, Kaliningrad, Norilsk and Sochi.

Thousands of Russians, many very young, chanted "Russia without Putin!" in the streets of dozens of cities during yesterday's protests.

The United States condemned the arrests, a rare criticism of human rights violations and the Kremlin from Donald Trump's administration.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called "on the government of Russia to immediately release all peaceful protesters," detained in nationwide marches.

Navalny himself was picked up by police as he headed to the Moscow event.

Thousands took to the streets in other cities across Russia, with the authorities sanctioning some gatherings and banning others. Some reports said authorities threatened university students with expulsion if they attended.

Navalny's anti-corruption videos have needled the country's ruling elite and drawn crowds to the streets not seen since the protests against President Vladimir Putin's reelection for a third term in 2012.

Navalny, who plans to stand against Putin in presidential elections in March, appeared before a judge yesterday evening. He faces up to 30 days in administrative custody for breaking rules on organising demonstrations, his lawyer said.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani voiced his concern after Navalny's arrest and an EU spokesman deplored "the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters and the violence used by Russian authorities against them".

Rights group Amnesty International condemned "alarming scenes" of detentions and violence towards demonstrators, calling for their immediate release.

The recent rallies were galvanised by a film released by Navalny in early March, which accused Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling vast personal wealth through a shadowy network of foundations. It has been viewed over 22 million times.

"Putin has been in power for 17 years and is not planning to leave. He has usurped all power," said protester Alexander Tyurin, 41.

Another protester Yevgeny, 19, said he had been expelled from university after participating in a previous rally.

"Our government shouts that enemies are everywhere and is becoming closed in on itself," he said.

"We want turnover among those in power. Pressure on young people has increased."



Navalny has brought a new generation to the streets through his embrace of YouTube. His team was broadcasting from a studio set up in Moscow, though the electricity was periodically cut, forcing the presenter to speak in total darkness.

Moscow police said Navalny would be charged with administrative offences of resisting arrest and a second violation of demonstration organisation rules.

The wave of protests called by Navalny coincides with a public holiday, Russia Day, when Putin hands out awards and holds a reception in the Kremlin.

Turnout was difficult to calculate as ordinary people mingled with those protesting, but thousands filled the Tverskaya Street area in Moscow, many waving Russian flags and banners.

On the eve of the event -- which was authorised -- Navalny announced the protest was changing location to Tverskaya because the authorities had blocked his efforts to set up a stage and sound equipment.

They "are forbidding any contractors from getting us a stage and sound," he wrote on his blog Sunday.

"We are cancelling the rally on Sakharov Avenue and moving it to Tverskaya Street," a main thoroughfare to the Kremlin, he said.

The protest ended up coinciding with City Hall Russia Day events such as the reenactment of various eras in Russian history, from World War I trenches to a Renaissance fair and sword fighting.

In surreal scenes, dozens of buses filled by policemen were parked nearby ahead of the rally while ordinary people gawked at actors in period costumes.

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Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba today paid floral tributes to the Memorial of Indian soldiers, many of whom are buried in the cemetery in Haifa, Israel.

Haifa was liberated by Indian Army's Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers on September 23, 1918 in a famous cavalry charge that is now to become a part of the city's history books to be taught at the schools.

The Indian Army commemorates September 23rd every year as Haifa Day, to pay its respects to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments that helped liberate the city following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

Lanba, who is also the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, met Chief of the General Staff of Israeli Defence Forces Lt Gen Gadi Eisenkot and Major General Udi Adam, Director General of Israel's Defence Ministry yesterday.

The Indian Navy chief's visit comes close on the heels of two major defence contracts between India and Israel and just weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Jewish state scheduled for July 4 to 6.

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In a re-run of the Dana Majhi incident, the uncle of a seven-month-old girl, who died during treatment at the district hospital here, had to carry her body on a bicycle as his plea for an ambulance fell on deaf ears.

The incident, which took place yesterday, prompted the authorities to lodge an FIR against the doctor on duty and the driver of the ambulance today. The hospital too has launched an inquiry in this regard.

Seven-month-old Poonam, the daughter of Anant Kumar, a daily wage labourer of Malak Saddi village in Majhanpur tehsil in the district, was admitted to the hospital two days ago after she started vomiting, accompanied by loose motion.

After getting her admitted to the hospital, Kumar left for Allahabad to arrange money for her treatment asking his brother-in-law, Brijmohan, to look after her.

"My niece died during treatment yesterday. Despite repeated pleas to the hospital, no vehicle was made available to carry her body. I had to borrow a bicycle and carry it for almost 10 km to reach the village," Brijmohan told reporters.

When contacted, S K Upadhyay, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Kaushambi, said, "We have taken cognisance of the incident. An inquiry has also been initiated. Once the report of the inquiry is available, we will take stringent action against the guilty."



Hospital sources claimed that an ambulance could not be arranged as there was no budget for fuel.

District Magistrate, Kaushambi, Manish Kumar, told PTI that an FIR was lodged against the doctor on duty, Vivek Kumar, and the ambulance driver, Ashish Kumar Pandey, who allegedly refused to carry the body.

On May 20, the pregnant wife of a man from Chak Ahmadipur village in the district was declared "brought dead" by the hospital authorities.

As he was denied an ambulance, the man carried the body of his wife on a stretcher for some distance.

Subsequently, sensing trouble, the doctors at the hospital arranged for an ambulance to transport the body.

In a similar incident, Dana Majhi, a tribal, had to carry his wife's body on his shoulder for over 10 km, with his daughter walking alongside, in Odisha's Kalahandi district in August, last year as the hospital authorities failed to arrange for a hearse.

The incident had triggered a controversy and led to widespread criticism after it was reported in the media.

Last month, a labourer had to carry the body of his 15- year-old son on his shoulders after allegedly being turned away by the doctors at a government-run hospital in Etawah.

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There is no dip in from legally approved abattoirs in India, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Tuesday.

The recent crackdown on illegal slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh is in line with the Supreme Court order to curb environment pollution and protect people's health, she added.

India is the largest exporter of buffalo meat and the country shipped nearly $4 billion worth meat in 2016-17. In April, fell by 7.62 per cent to $257.06 million, according to the official data.

"As far as I know, the export (of beef) takes place from legal places as quality and standards have to be maintained. I doubt whether illegal slaughter houses were exporting. To say that in the last two months, exports have come down it is incorrect," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

The government is taking strict action against illegal abattoirs because the Supreme Court had ordered shut down of these slaughter houses due to environment and health hazard.

"Many governments had turned a blind eye (illegal abattoirs) due to political reasons," the minister said.

However, the Modi-government is taking steps to implement the apex court order to protect environment and health of people, she added.

In March, the UP government had acted against unauthorised abattoirs in the state, forcing the industry to go on strike in March. In May, the central government banned cattle trade in animal markets for slaughter.

According to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the cattle trade ban would impact meat exports in the coming months.

"There is a need to do necessary changes to address supply side constraints," FIEO Director-General Ajay Sahay had said recently.
Allaying apprehensions of the opposition and business community, the J&K government has said it would not compromise fiscal autonomy of the state and no one would be put at a disadvantage under the new GST regime.

"We have made changes in federal relations with the Government of India. Other states draw powers to tax from the Constitution of India while we draw our powers from our own Constitution.

Those legislative powers have not been compromised, so there is no question of compromising fiscal autonomy," finance minister Haseeb Drabu said, addressing a meeting here.

Last month, the business community in Kashmir had said that it is not against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but threatened a 'never-before' kind of agitation if the new tax regime affected the special status of the state for GST rollout.

Opposition National Conference met Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra on June 9 and apprised him about the party's apprehensions on the extension of Constitutional Amendment 101 to the state to facilitate the extension of the GST, saying "such a plan will have wider and irreversibly adverse ramifications on the state's fiscal autonomy and will impinge upon the residuary powers enjoyed by the state.

"The opposition also sought deferment of the special session of the state legislature beginning June 17 and sought an all-party meeting to allay the fears and concerns of the "various parties and putting the entire concept in public domain so that there is an open debate with the stakeholders".

The finance minister said it is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that a constitutional amendment was required to extend a Central law to the state which will be debated in the State Assembly.

"People of J&K must understand what is at stake, which is why we are holding a special assembly session," he said adding, the state government has set precedent of discussing policy issues with stakeholders and in the assembly where people send their leaders to take decisions which impact their lives.

"Article 370 is safe and modalities are safe. You should recognize that we are setting a precedent. If anything, it is my understanding that the union is sharing sovereignty with the states, in the taxation space," he said.

The finance minister said "we can defer the GST implementation but it will impact the business of Kashmir more than the government.

In the absence of GST in J&K, no one would want to trade with us. And if they do trade, the consumer will be penalised through double taxation. Let me assure you that no one will be put at a disadvantage under the GST regime. In fact, J&K will be the first state to do GST refund for shoppers on handicrafts."



He added that GST is running successfully in 198 countries.

"Let me assure you that there can be no better system for traders than GST. Besides, the system of exemptions will also continue in J&K. Modalities will be worked out in coming days as there is uncertainty all across India and J&K is not unique to it over internet and other operational issues which will have to be resolved," Drabu said.

Drabu said that businesses of Jammu and Kashmir would be affected if GST is not extended to the State,



"It is a federal tax where J&K will be a participant. In absence of GST, there will be two taxes which will hike the costs and impact the consumers. Trade will be hampered and no one will be willing to do business in J&K," he said.

Drabu said the implementation of GST is being discussed since 2002 and the law has evolved over the years.

"Earlier, GST was supposed to be a single rate, single tax with no GST Council. Today, not one decision has been taken without the consultation of other states which is why I have repeatedly said that GST council is India's first truly federal institution," he said.

He also said that GST would ease businesses as inspection audits will fade away and assessments will be done by traders.

"States have huge powers today. Our government has done nothing in the Constitutional Amendment which takes away the legislative powers of J&K," he said.

The meeting was also attended by Commissioner Secretary Finance, Navin K Chaudhary, Commissioner, Sales Tax, Kashmir, Pervaiz Khateeb, representatives of business chambers of Jammu and Kashmir regions, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association, Kashmir Restaurant Owners Federation, Hoteliers and other business leaders of the state.

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Looking to shed what it calls a "colonial tradition", the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has directed its students to wear for their convocation ceremony ethnic attire  kurta-pyjamas, churidaars and such  instead of the ceremonial black robes and head gear.

The convocation ceremony will be held on June 15 and 16 in which some 1,600 students of graduate and post-graduate levels will receive their degrees from chairman of Tata Sons, Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

"For the first time, students will receive their degrees in the institute not in the British-time gowns and headgear but in kurta pyjamas (boys) and kurta-churidaars (girls) along with stoles in different colours to mark their specific courses," IIT-K Director, Professor Indranil Manna told PTI .

He added that the students will be required to wear Indian clothes during all future convocations.

Coinciding with the golden jubilee of the institute, the ceremony will also see professors donning golden coloured robes fully covering their suit.

They will also not be needed to wear black leather shoes and will be free to go in for Indian footwear in leather, Manna said.
Odisha government will assist in opening 340 brick and mortar branches and 337 fixed-location business correspondent (BC) and ultra-small branches in unbanked gram panchayats in the next three years.

This was revealed by state Finance minister S B Behera while addressing a State Level Bankers Committee meeting here.

"The state government will provide all required support to banks like space in the gram panchayat headquarters and power connection for opening of brick and mortar branches or fixed point BCs," Behera said.

The minister urged Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited to provide Internet connection to banks in order to provide banking facility to the people in remote areas.

The state has a total 4,253 unbanked gram panchayats.

On the occasion, Behera inaugurated a web portal to map the banking system in Odisha by the use of GPS.

The portal designed by the Odisha Space Application Centre (ORSAC) will provide information on branch details, unbanked gram panchayats, distance from one bank to another in a particular area among others.

The portal will give information on unbanked gram panchayats, which will help in opening more brick and mortar branches in unbanked areas, Behera said.

The minister expressed concern over the declining trend of CD ratio in the state.

The comparative position of credit deposit ratio during 2015-16 and 2016-17 does not inspire confidence, he said adding, the CD ratio excluding advance sanctioned in other states and utilised in Odisha is 50.93 per cent against the benchmark of 60 per cent.

The CD ratio in Odisha has declined by about 6 per cent in 2016-17 and the credit investment to deposit ratio has deteriorated by around 5 per cent, he said.

Similarly, advance to the MSME sector has come down by 18 per cent in 2016-17 over the previous year, Behera said.

The state of education loans and advances to weaker sections has declined marginally and these are disturbing trends, he said while calling upon bankers to make all-out effort to achieve the credit target of Rs 60,000 crore set for 2017-18.

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Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua today briefed Islamabad-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ambassadors on human rights violations in Kashmir.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Janjua discussed with them the repeated ceasefire violations at the Line of Control and the Working Boundary by India.

She condemned the "ongoing human rights violations" in Kashmir, the foreign office said.

The foreign secretary drew the attention of the OIC ambassadors towards the use of a Kashmiri man as a "human shield", which showed "utter disregard for human dignity.

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Pakistan's Navy Chief Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah is in Sri Lanka for a five-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and defence collaboration.

Admiral Zakaullah was received by Commander Sri Lankan Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport here.

During his visit, Zakaullah, 59, called on top military officials in Sri Lanka and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and bilateral naval collaboration.

Admiral Zakaullah said that the Pakistan Navy would go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between the two nations, The Express Tribune reported.

The Naval Chief was also the chief guest at the passing out parade held at the Naval and Maritime Academy Trincomalee.

He also looked forward to further enhancing the interaction between the two countries in fields of training, mutual visits and defence collaboration, it said.

Zakaullah joined Pakistan Naval Academy in 1975 and was commissioned in the Operations Branch in 1978. He was appointed to the highest seat of the Pakistan Navy in 2014.

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AICC general secretary C P Joshi today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for the current plight of farmers in the country.

He also criticised Union finance minister Arun Jaitley over his recent statement that state governments have to fund schemes like loan waivers through their own resources.

"The prime minister is responsible for the current plight and woes of farmers. Modi has failed to implement his electoral promises like awarding better renumeration for crops and hike in the minimum support price (MSP)," the former Union minister told reporters here.

He said the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government under Manmohan Singh had announced loan waivers worth Rs 77,000 crore during its tenure.

"The Congress government never asked the state governments to fund loan waivers," Joshi said referring to Jaitley's statement.

He said the country's economic growth has decelerated under the Modi regime.

Recently, farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh held protests for their various demands, including a complete loan waiver.

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Despite the "deteriorating" condition of the iconic General Post Office (GPO) building here, a Grade-1 heritage structure, the proposal to repair it has not been cleared by the Postal Directorate for the last 16 months, reply to an RTI query has revealed.

The GPO, which is the city's central post office, also serves as the headquarters of the Maharashtra and Goa circle. It handles most of the city's inbound and outbound mail and parcels.

"The proposal to repair, restore and preserve the structure that enjoys Grade-1 tag of the heritage building, has been pending for approval from the Postal Directorate for the last 16 months," the letter written by the Director of Postal Services, Mumbai to the Chief Postmaster General (Buildings), says.

This letter was cited in the reply to the RTI query filed by activist Anil Galgali.

"This country's biggest postal building has 1,000 employees, who face the risk of ceiling collapse as it has never been repaired," the internal letter added.

The Director of Postal Services (Legal & Buildings), in its reply to the RTI query said the proposal to sanction Rs 47.59 crore for preservation, restoration and repair of the GPO building was put forth on January 29, 2016.

This plan was drafted by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage), an organisation empanelled by the postal department.

"Although 15 to 20 per cent escalation of the project cost is expected per year, an amount of Rs 30 lakh has been sanctioned by the Postal Directorate, but the work has not yet started pending permission," reads the reminder letter written to the Chief Postmaster General (Building) by the Postmaster General office.

"The condition of the Mumbai GPO is deteriorating badly and it needs large-scale preservation to prevent serious incidents. It is to point out here that a BMC agency has already declared it as a poorly maintained building in 1995," it said.

Terming this delay is an example of the "bureaucratic maze", Galgali sought an inquiry into the "inordinate delay" in the project.

"I have brought this apathy to the notice of Prime Minister's Office (PMO) requesting to expedite the restoration of the Mumbai GPO. Apart from the employees, the lives of thousands of visitors to the building are also at stake," the activist said.

The GPO was designed by British architect John Begg in 1902, construction began in September 1904 and was completed in March 1913. The structure is modelled on the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka.

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The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India Foundation today handed over a new sanitation facilities to Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy to benefit over 700 visually impaired students.

The handover of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project by the PwC India Foundation to Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy would also help the teachers and extended staff.

The WASH project began in October 2016 with a commitment to build toilets that are hygienic, safe and in a comfortable environment set up for school going boys who are visually challenged.

Dedicating the facilities to the school students, Jaivir Singh, Vice-Chairman, PwC India Foundation said, "Sanitation and hygiene go hand in hand with education. To empower and impart knowledge to them, we've organised trainings on how to use the new WASH facilities as well as conducted workshops around the health benefits they will derive by maintaining personal hygiene."



Lauding the project, Biswajit Ghosh, Principal, Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy and Swami Sarvalokananda Maharaj, Secretary of the Ashrama, said that the WASH Project would provide a more congenial and comfortable environment to the children of their school.

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Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi today lauded the government for ratifying two fundamental global conventions on combating child labour, saying the move would help the country end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking.

India today ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour and Convention 138 on the minimum age of employment at the United Nations.

"This remarkable moment provides with an opportunity for the country to make renewed commitment for ending forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. Let this be the last generation that has been exploited in the name of illiteracy, poverty or helplessness," Satyarthi said.

The child rights activist said India is an emerging world leader and therefore in order to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030, children must be put at the centre of the agenda.

Satyarthi, who at present is in Brazil for his upcoming mega campaign '100 million for 100 million', is the honourary president of Global March against Child Labour, which has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the need for India ratifying the ILO conventions since 1998.

With 180 countries having already done so, it has also become the fastest ratified convention in the history of ILO.

The involvement of these countries in the Convention clearly shows that support for the movement against child labour is gaining momentum worldwide, he said.

"Now after nearly two decades, I am overjoyed that India has also decided to ratify the Convention. I congratulate our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The decision to ratify Convention 182 and Convention 138 was overdue in providing justice to our children. After the total prohibition of child labour, this is an important step in protecting all our children from exploitation and abuse," he said in a statement.

"It is now the collective responsibility of everyone to ensure its implementation," he added.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said ratification of the two ILO conventions reaffirmed India's "commitment to a child labour-free society," according to an ILO statement.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder welcomed India among the member states party to the two fundamental conventions.

"We all recognise the great progress India has made against child labour in recent years and the major role played by its convergence model of coherence between public policies and services, which was strongly supported by the ILO," he said.

India, the second most populous country in the world, is the 181st member state to ratify Convention No 182, which calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking, the use of children in armed conflict, the use of a child for prostitution,pornography and in illicit activities (such as drug trafficking), andhazardous work.

India is the 170th ILO member state to ratify Convention No 138, which requires states party to set a minimum age under which no one shall be admitted to employment or work in any occupation, except for light work and artistic performances.

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Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie, is still "confused" over why EL James apparently did not like her and says she will never work with the author again.

The 50-year-old director had a feud with the author while working on the movie adaptation of the book, reported The Sunday Times magazine.

"I like everyone, and I get really confused when they don't like me. I was so confused by EL James. I don't understand when I can't navigate a person, when there's no synergy.

"I'm not going to ever watch them (the sequels). I have literally zero interest. I can never say I regret it because that would just finish me off. (But) with the benefit of hindsight would I go through it again? Of course I wouldn't. I'd be mad," Sam says.

The filmmaker's decision to take on the project came as a surprise but she says she was drawn to the "dysfunctional fairy tale".

"It felt like a very dysfunctional fairy tale: a controlling prince and an unsuspecting young village girl. What I wanted to achieve is (for her) to usurp him against the odds," she says.

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Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gujarat's quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel were today stopped from entering Mandsaur, the epicentre of the agrarian unrest in Madhya Pradesh, while on their way to express solidarity with distressed farmers.

Scindia, his party colleague Kantilal Bhuria and a large number of supporters were detained by police at Nayagaon-Jaora toll booth in Ratlam while heading to the neighbouring Mandsaur, where prohibitory orders are in force.

Before their detention, the Congress leaders and their supporters staged a sit-in at the toll booth demanding that they be allowed to visit Mandsaur.

"Why the police is preventing me from going to Mandsaur? This is Hitlershahi," Scindia said.

The farmers' agitation in the state, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6 when five protesters were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.

Subsequently, there was a bandh and several incidents of arson and stone-pelting as the agitation spread to Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua in western Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier in the day, Hardik Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch.

The Patidar Andolan leader, heading to Mandsaur to meet the kin of farmers killed in police firing, was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest.

Patel was arrested to prevent "commission of cognisable offences", City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said. They were released on bail later and taken out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles.

Lashing out at the authorities, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country."



He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.

In Rajasthan, Udaipur SP Rajendra Prasad told PTI that Patel is planning to go to Indore via Banswara in order to reach Mandsaur.

In a related development, Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik was booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station, amid violent protests by farmers last week.

A video, which went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on June 8 when Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment in Shivpuri district, was holding a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Karera's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others early today.

They were booked under the IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.

Meanwhile, a debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance in Sehore, the home district of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The 55-year-old Dulchand Keer consumed poison yesterday. The reason behind the suicide is still not clear, said District Collector Sudam Khade.

Keer's son Sher Singh claimed that his father ended his life due to mounting debts.

The suicide comes days after Chouhan announced a slew of measures to end farmers' woes in the state, which witnessed violent protests over loan waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce.

A high-voltage political drama was also witnessed on June 8, when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing.

Chief minister Chouhan sat on an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace. He ended his fast on Sunday, saying peace had returned, and assured people that those responsible for the death of farmers would be punished severely.

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On Tuesday, Shiv Sena said the loan waiver decision was due to its constant "throttling" of the Maharashtra government and that it has opted to remain in power to shake chairs of "lazy" persons.

The Sena said the protests by farmers had its backing and the party's message was "either to announce a complete loan waiver or get strangulated to death".

"The government adopted a dictator-like stand over farmer protests. Yet, their unity defeated the government. By announcing an in-principle loan waiver, the government has managed to loosen the noose that had tightened around its neck," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

It said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should be congratulated for announcing a loan waiver without asking for a guarantee that farmers henceforth will not commit suicide.

"We are not in power to merely warm (ministers) seats but shake the seats of lazy persons. Though we cannot give a guarantee about (what will happen) tomorrow," it added.

The Sena said the government should also give in-principle approval to stop the construction of the Samruddhi corridor on the Mumbai-Nagur Expressway.

"Farmers loan waiver should not get stuck in the intricacies of the word 'in-principle' or it will bear the brunt of breaching the trust of people. The government should immediately clarify the time period to fulfil the announcement," the Sena said.

Two days ago, the Maharashtra government had announced a loan waiver for farmers and decided to form a committee to decide the criteria of debt relief, after which cultivators called off their protests.

"The government has, in principle, decided to waive farmers' loans with certain stipulations. The loans with small and medium land holdings stand waived from today itself," Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil had said.
A Senate panel has confirmed the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, on a voice vote yesterday, backed approval of Brock Long. He previously ran Alabama's Emergency Management Agency and served as that state's on-scene incident commander during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

If confirmed by the full Senate, as expected, Long would take over the agency at the beginning of hurricane season. The agency has already managed 41 disaster declarations this year and the Trump administration has proposed cutting nearly $1 billion from the agency's budget.

More than USD 500 million in proposed cuts would come from FEMA's grant programs, including the grants for pre- disaster mitigation efforts.

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US Attorney General Jeff Sessions vehemently denied today that he colluded with an alleged Russian bid to tilt the 2016 presidential election in Donald Trump's favour.

"I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States," Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"The suggestion that I participated with any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has met Saudi King Salman and expressed hope that the current crisis in the Gulf countries involving Qatar will be resolved soon.

Sharif, who returned today after a short visit to the Gulf kingdom, yesterday held talks with King Salman in Jeddah, which was focused on the "emerging situation in the Gulf countries", Radio Pakistan reported.

The prime minister expressed hope that the current impasse in the Gulf countries will be resolved soon in the best interest of the Muslim community.

Qatar has found itself isolated following a decision by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and others to cut ties with Doha over its support for "terrorism", a charge the tiny Gulf emirate vehemently rejects.

Sharif also reaffirmed the strong commitment of the people and government of Pakistan to territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and safety of the two grand mosques in Mecca and Media.

While expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia, Sharif said the Gulf kingdom has a very special place in the hearts of Pakistanis.

Salman thanked Sharif for his visit and appreciated the exceptional success of Pakistan against extremism and terrorism.

He also reiterated strong commitment and support of the Gulf-nation for all issues of interest for Pakistan, including matters of national security.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

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A top Christian body in Singapore today cautioned against Islamophobia in the country, saying detention of a Singaporean woman for radicalism should not put the Muslim community in a negative light.

The National Council of Churches (NCCS) here said it is "profoundly saddened" by the detention of a 22-year-old woman, the first Singaporean woman to be detained under the Internal Security Act for radicalism after she planned to join the Islamic State in Syria.

"The Muslim community has contributed significantly to the progress of our nation, and has also done much to strengthen our multi-racial and multi-religious community," the NCCS was quoted as saying by Channel Asia.

"The actions of a misguided few must never be seen as representing that of the majority of Muslims here," it said.

Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, a contract infant-care assistant with a pre-school programme, was detained in June this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said yesterday.

Her radicalisation started in 2013 through online propaganda related to the Islamic State terrorist group, the MHA said.

The NCCS' position on the matter was conveyed to the Mufti of Singapore and the chief executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) in a letter.

The NCCS, which represents about 450 voluntary welfare organisations in Singapore, said it will continue to support and pray for the Muslim community.

"Let us continue to work together to ensure that nothing will jeopardise the inter-religious harmony and peace that gives all Singaporeans a sense of security and mutual goodwill in the land we call our home," the NCCS was quoted as saying.

According to the ministry, Izzah was not planning any attack in Singapore. However, she intended to travel to Syria to join the terrorist group ISIS, which has threatened attacks against Singapore.

She was also prepared to take up arms in Syria on behalf of ISIS, said the ministry in the statement yesterday.

"The authorities are looking into taking action against the family member who destroyed important evidence relating to Izzah's plans to join ISIS," said the statement.

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South Africa today called for a peaceful resolution of the Gulf crisis through dialogue, offering its support to the mediation process between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies.

"We strongly believe that there can be no substitute for dialogue and we thus call on the parties involved to commit to a peaceful resolution of the situation," Department of International Affairs and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Monyela said in a statement.

The government said the Gulf region is very important for world trade, especially energy, as well as regional peace and stability.

South Africa will support efforts by Kuwait and other countries that have already initiated a mediation process between the countries involved and will also throw its weight behind the mediation process, it said.

"We support all efforts by countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab League that are seeking to mediate a peaceful resolution.

"We call on all sisterly states of the region to resolve their differences through constructive engagement and give dialogue a chance," it said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which last week announced the suspension of all ties to Qatar over what they say is the state's support for extremist groups and its political proximity to Shiite Iran. Qatar denies the allegations.

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Sri Lankan railway authorities announced a crackdown on selfies today after a 12-year-old boy was decapitated and two other men also died while snapping themselves on a coastal track.

The boy and his 24-year-old brother were killed as they took photographs of themselves on the picturesque section of track in Colombo on Sunday.

Police said the boy was decapitated and his head became lodged between two railway carriages.

Another man died as he tried to take a selfie with his new bride on the same day on another section of the line.

The woman suffered serious injuries and is in intensive care.

Railway spokesman Wijeya Samarasinghe said mobile phones accounted for most of the 28 deaths on Sri Lanka's railways so far this year.

"We are launching a campaign this week to deploy our security staff to arrest those walking on the tracks and taking selfies in front of moving trains," he told AFP.

"There are some who want to post videos and pictures of themselves in front of moving trains.

"Unfortunately, some are unable to get out of the way in time and get killed."



Police said the victims were often tourists from elsewhere in the country who had travelled to the seaside capital on holiday and wanted to pose for selfies with the Indian Ocean in the background.

"They don't realise how dangerous it is," said a police official who asked not to be named.

Sri Lanka was the first country in South Asia to introduce mobile phones in 1989 and has seen an explosion in smartphone use in recent years.

But it remains behind neighbouring India when it comes to selfie-related deaths.

The South Asian giant was ranked top of a global list last year, with 76 such deaths in a two-year period, according to a study by US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi.

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A baby girl was hospitalised with injuries after she accidentally fell from the first-floor of a residential building in Bahadurpura area here, police said today.

A video of the incident that occurred on Sunday and was caught on a CCTV camera installed in the neighbourhood, shows the girl, around one-and-half-year-old, falling on the ground from a building.

Bahadurpura Police Station Inspector T Laxminarayana told PTI that the incident occurred in the afternoon when the girl's parents and family members were sleeping in their house. The girl after waking up was playing on the first floor and she accidentally fell down on the ground and was injured.

The video went viral on social media even as police dismissed certain reports that she was thrown from the building.

"She is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. She fell down accidentally and it is wrong to link to reports that she was thrown from the building," the Inspector said based on preliminary investigation.

However, city-based 'Balala Hakkula Sangham', an NGO working for child rights, demanded for a inquiry into the incident.

"According to visuals of the CCTV, it seems someone threw the child with force. But whatever may be the reason, we demand for unbiased inquiry by police in this incident," NGO Honorary president Achyuta Rao said.

No case was registered in connection with the incident.

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A drone attack in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region today killed a top commander of the dreaded Haqqani network, blamed for the attack in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that killed nearly 150 people.

Two missiles fired by a pilotless aircraft targeted a house in Speen Tal, a semi-tribal area located on the border of Orakzai district and Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

A security official said militant leader Abubakar, who had links with the Haqqani network was killed in the strike.

The house targeted by the drone was completely destroyed.

The drone operation was yet to be officially confirmed.

The drone attack comes days after Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network of carrying out the bombing in Kabul on May 31 in which 150 people died.

The attackers detonated a tanker packed with explosives near the German embassy.

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Once the goods and services tax (GST) is rolled out, targeted from July 1, makers of fast-moving consumer goods should be able to cut prices by 2 to 20 per cent, said Kishore Biyani, group chief executive officer of the Future Group on Tuesday.

He was attending a meeting of a dozen national and international retail chains, such as Walmart, DMart, Future Group, Aditya Birla Retail, and Trent in Mumbai. They were discussing the impact of the on retailers and customers.

Biyani said the Future Groups consumer goods company, Future Consumer, would cut prices by 2-20 per cent.

The CEO of another retail chain, who did not want to be named, said in the regime, retailers could lose up to 2-3 per cent of their margins if FMCG companies did not revise prices. Our net margins are 2-3 per cent. If we are not given input credit, we will incur losses, he added.

Retailers said printing rates would also have a negative impact on consumers. According to the rules, retailers would have to display the GST rate for each item. Different invoices have to be produced for goods that are exempted and those that will be charged GST. Maximum retail prices include everything. Same should continue in the GST regime, the retailer quoted earlier said. Kumar Gopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India, said there was no GST on unpacked and unbranded items, which packaged goods would attract a tax. From a hygiene point of view, items have to packed. We want the government to take a look into it. He also said if the retailers started printing double invoices, buyers would think prices had gone up.

Jamshed Daboo, managing director, Trent Hypermakets said July onwards all retailers would aggressively cut prices.

He also said most retailers have configured their information technology systems along with their FMCG partners.

The meeting was held at the Future Groups office in south Mumbai.





Price effect
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister during their first meeting would set forth a vision to expand the US-India ties in an ambitious manner and discuss ways to advance common goals like fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region.

The leaders of the world's two largest democracies with a combined population of 1.6 billion will meet on June 26 at the White House to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues, including India's concerns over possible changes in H1B visa rules.

"I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily conference yesterday.

He cited "fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region" as shared priorities.

The Indo-Pacific region includes the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple disputes over islands.

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said.

Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

"The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... Whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said yesterday that the Modi-Trump discussions will provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement.

"Prime Minister will hold official talks with President Trump on June 26. Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the US," the ministry said.

The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries. Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue.

"US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.
Two Indian-origin men are among 900 Australians who have been recognised by British Queen Elizabeth II in her annual Birthday Honours list for their contributions to the community.

The Queensland-based ProfessorRajiv Khanna was honoured with Order of the Companion of Australia for distinguished service to medicine in the field of immunology, through contributions to the development of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, infectious complications and chronic diseases.

Unnikrishnan Velayudhan Pilla from Queensland was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in the general division (OAM) for service to the Malayalee community in the state.

The list for this year released yesterday recognised a diverse range of people including scientists, entertainers, lawyers, designers, community workers, performers and a psephologist.

"To all recipients, I offer my deepest congratulations, admiration and respect for your contribution to our nation," Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said.

Khanna is the founding director and group leader at the Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development at Brisbane based QMIR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and also the senior principal research fellow at National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Khanna, born in India, came to Australia 27 years ago and has authored and co-authored more than 200 scientific papers.

Velayudhan Pilla, founder of Jvala Charitable and Cultural Society, has been a recipient of several community awards in the past including Bharat Gaurav Award, Lord Mayor's Australia Day Award, Multicultural community award for services to the Malyalee community in Queensland.

Others who received the award this year were Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, eminent scientist Antony Colman and well know economist Ross Garnaut.

The honours are awarded for service to the country to mark the Queen's official birthday in June each year.

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The UN envoy for Central African Republic has said the country is "on a path to incremental peace" that will be achieved if UN peacekeepers keep responding strongly against armed groups.

But Parfait Onanga-Anyanga told the Security Council yesterday an upsurge in violence that erupted in May in several areas involving rival groups was very worrying, including "systematic aggression against peacekeepers."



He was presenting Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' latest report which said Central African Republic has oscillated recently between consolidating gains achieved since President Faustin Archange Touadera's election in February 2016, primarily in the capital Bangui, and "a serious deterioration of the security situation in other parts of the country."



Guterres warned that the latest spate of violence risks derailing progress achieved over the last year "and spreading with disastrous consequences.

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Progress has been made towards resolving the crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours after senior US officials met leading players in the standoff, the State Department has said.

"I would characterise the mood and approach as hopeful, which believes that the worst is behind us," spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters on Tuesday.



Earlier, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose government accused Qatar of sponsoring extremist groups and had closed its border.

Tillerson and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have been working the telephones attempting to de-escalate the crisis between Riyadh and Qatar, which hosts a huge US airbase.

Nauert refused to say whether Washington regards Qatar as a sponsor of terror or whether the closure of the border and ban on Qatari flights in Saudi airspace amount to a "blockade."

"Let's keep in mind that everyone has agreed or these parties are working toward an agreement on combating terrorism, and that is the main focus," she said.

"And let's not get bogged down in all the details about who's calling what when. This is trending in a positive direction. And let's stay focused on that so that we can continue to fight the war on terror."

Earlier, appearing alongside Tillerson - who last week had urged that the "blockade" be eased - Jubeir had insisted: "It's not a blockade."
Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh will represent India at the two-day BRICS foreign ministers' meeting being held here from June 18 where China was expected to unveil its agenda for this year's Summit of the five-member bloc.

Singh will be attending the meeting as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has not yet started foreign travel after her kidney transplant operation, Indian officials said.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said today that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the meeting that will take place here from June 18 to 19.

Lu was quoted by the state-run Xinhua agency as saying that the meeting will also be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes and Singh.

The meeting is a precursor to the chain of meetings of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) officials including the National Security Advisors' (NSAs) meeting to be held later next month ahead of the Summit to be held in Chinese city of Xiamen in September this year.

Incidentally, this is first time Foreign Ministers meeting has been called ahead of the Summit by the host country.

China took over the rotating presidency of the BRICS from India after last year's Goa Summit of the group of emerging countries.

The Ministers' meeting was regarded as significant from both the bilateral point of view for India as well as from this year's summit, the structure of which would be decided by the host country.

Bilaterally, the foreign ministers' meeting comes in the backdrop of India-China discord over a host of issues, including the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) culminating in India's last month boycott of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held by China to highlight the progress of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China also continues to maintain that there is no change in its stand on India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as well as New Delhi's efforts to get Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar banned by the UN.

Diplomatically, both the countries have been warming up after the BRF and the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting and the NSA's meeting was expected to provide a platform for informal exchanges to move forward, officials said.

Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui has made some proposals during his address to United Services Institution in New Delhi last month emphasising that CPEC will not change China's stand that Kashmir issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan under the Simla Agreement.

His proposals have not been taken up for discussion by both the countries.

Also, China was expected to outline its proposals for the BRICS summit, specially which are the countries it plans to invite.

At the Goa Summit, India invited heads of the members of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke about BRICS Plus but gave no details. Officials expect China may unveil the details at the Foreign Ministers meeting.

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A village in Rajasthan's Mewat region will be named after US President Donald Trump, a top Indian sociologist and social worker has said, prompting the state government to rule out any such plan.

"I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village," Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak said at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC.

This, he said, is part of his effort to enhance India-US relationship.

However, the Rajasthan government officials have said there is no such proposal with the government to rename any village after the name of the US president.

"It is the government which renames a village and there is laid down procedures for that. As of now, there is no such proposal with the department to name a village after the us president. I have nothing to comment on what Mr Pathak has said," Alok, Rajasthan government's principal secretary of the revenue department, told PTI in Jaipur.

Mewat region falls under Alwar district and the Alwar District Collector Rajan Vishal also said there was no such proposal.

"The competence of renaming a village lies with the government and no private man can do that. We have no such proposal or request in this regard," Vishal said.

Giving a presentation to local community and political leaders in the US, Pathak said that he is working to provide affordable sanitation and toilets to the masses and end the practice of manual scavenging.

In his address, he urged the Indian-American community to help realise the goal of sanitation and cleanliness in India. The cost of one toilet ranges from $25 to $500, depending on nature of construction. Technology remains the same, he said.

Republican leader from Virginia, Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia Governor, highlighted the role the Indian American community plays in the US, adding "the US has a very strong relationship with India."



He and other local politicians also explored the option of adopting the technology of Sulabh international in Virginia and Maryland.

"Rural areas of Virginia have a problem in building toilets and its maintenance cost is very high. Several officials from both Virginia and Maryland have expressed their interest in adopting it locally so as to bring the cost down," said Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia.

Congresswoman Barbara Comstock also felicitated Pathak on the occasion.
Amid opposition to its move to select PhD and MPhil candidates solely on the basis of an interview, Delhi University today said it would just be an interaction to bring all students on the same platform.

Till last year, the varsity gave 85 per cent weightage to the written test and 15 per cent to the interview.

"It will be better to call it an interaction, where a student and the faculty will talk about each other's requirements," Maharaj K Pandir, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Admissions, said.

The university had yesterday announced that PhD aspirants with a fellowship from UGC/CSIR/NET or a central government institute need not take the entrance exam, and those who do not have it will have to. However, they are all required to appear for interview.

"Students who do not have a fellowship will take the entrance exam and then everyone will be on the same platform when they will appear for viva voce," Pandit told.

Viva voce interaction will not leave any scope for discrimination, he said.

The committee chief said the reservation policy will be followed strictly.

Meanwhile, a section of students condemned the varsity's move to "make the written examination a mere qualifier".

"It is a move which was ratified neither in academic council nor in executive council of the university," Vikas Bhadauria, president of Delhi unit of Students Federation of India, said in a statement.

It will affect a number of students from marginalised sections, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
JKLF chief Yasin Malik was today detained while moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest to prevent them from attending a programme here to pay homage to the 12th Mirwaiz of undivided Kashmir on his 50th death anniversary.

Malik was taken into preventive custody from party office at Abi Guzar locality in the heart of the city, ahead of his visit to Eidgah locality in downtown Srinagar.

He was scheduled to take part in a programme to pay homage to Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Yousuf Shah, a religious scholar who was the first to interpret the holy Quran in Kashmiri language.

Shah, who went into exile in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947, died on December 12, 1968 at Rawalpandi but his death anniversary is commemorated in accordance with Islamic lunar calendar on 17th day of the holy month of Ramzan.

The separatists had planned a programme at Aali Masjid to commemorate the 50th death anniversary of Shah who served two terms as the PoK president in 1952 and 1956. He had also served as an education minister there.

The moderate Hurriyat Chairman was placed under house arrest last night and was not allowed to visit Aali Masjid today to attend the meeting.

Prior to his arrest, Malik said, "Every peaceful political activity has been banned and this suppression is taking an extremely ugly turn as condolences meetings, social programs and even personal meetings between two people are being halted and barred by police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Rozanna Latiff and Nathan Layne

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Money misappropriated from a Malaysian state fund was used to partly finance the $2.2 billion acquisition of Houston-based Coastal Energy in 2014, the U.S. government alleged in a lawsuit filed last week.

Proceeds from the Coastal Energy deal were then used to buy a property in London's glitzy Mayfair district, according to the lawsuit dated June 7. The United States is seeking to seize the London property, along with two others, the document showed.

The lawsuit was filed as part of a U.S. Justice Department effort to seize about $1 billion worth of assets linked to funds it says were siphoned from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian state fund under investigation in at least six countries for money-laundering.

The justice department filed civil lawsuits last July alleging that about $3.5 billion had been misappropriated from 1MDB and used instead to buy assets, including luxury property and artwork in the U.S. and abroad.

The latest lawsuit shows that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, a central figure in the scandal, allegedly used 1MDB money to fund the Coastal Energy acquisition.

Jho Low, as he is known, partnered with Compania Espanola de Petroleos SAU (Cepsa) to buy Coastal Energy for a total purchase price of $2.2 billion. Cepsa is the Spanish unit of Abu Dhabi's state investor, International Petroleum Investment Company.

Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisor to Cepsa in the acquisition, according to a release announcing the deal in November 2013.

600 PERCENT RETURN

Low invested about $50 million in the acquisition through a company called Strategic Resources (Global) Ltd, with Cespa funding the remainder of the $2.2 billion, according to the lawsuit.

Shortly afterward, Cepsa transferred $350 million to Low's Strategic Resources, buying Strategic Resources' stake in the joint venture used to buy Coastal Energy, the lawsuit says.

"The commercial basis for this nearly immediate 600 percent return on investment is not immediately apparent," the Justice Department said.

Low's contribution was traceable to misappropriated proceeds of a $3 billion bond raised by Goldman for 1MDB in 2013, the lawsuit says.

Goldman helped 1MDB, which was founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009, raise $6.5 billion in three bond sales in 2012 and 2013 to invest in energy projects and real estate to boost the Malaysian economy.

Goldman was not immediately available for comment.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Tuesday the allegations in the latest lawsuit.

Goldman told the Journal that prior to the U.S. lawsuit it was not aware, nor was it involved in, any transaction in which Strategic Resources sold its stake in a joint venture back to Cepsa.

Jho Low, whose whereabouts are uncertain, could not be reached for comment. He has denied any wrongdoing in the past.

IPIC, Cepsa and 1MDB did not respond to requests for comment.

LONDON PROPERTIES

Proceeds from the Coastal Energy deal were used by Low to buy the Stratton Office in London for 42 million pounds ($53.15 million), according to the June 7 lawsuit.

The justice department lawsuit says two other Mayfair properties -- a penthouse and a flat -- were also bought with misappropriated 1MDB funds.

Low paid 35 million pounds ($44.29 million) in 2010 for the penthouse and the flat, part of a building known as Stratton House.

The funds for those purchases were transferred from an account belonging to a company called Good Star. Low was the sole owner and beneficiary of Seycehlles-registered Good Star, a examination found.

U.S. prosecutors have said more than $700 million of misappropriated funds from 1MDB flowed into the accounts of "Malaysian Official 1", who U.S. and Malaysian officials have identified as Najib.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing and was cleared of any wrongdoing by Malaysia's attorney general.

($1 = 0.7903 pounds)

(Nathan Layne reported from WASHINGTON; Editing by A. Ananthalakshmi and Bill Tarrant)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Benjamin Lesser and Elizabeth Dilts

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In three years of managing investments for North Dakota farmer Richard Haus, Long Island stock broker Mike McMahon and his colleagues charged their client $267,567 in fees and interest - while losing him $261,441 on the trades, Haus said.

McMahon and others at National Securities Corporation, for instance, bought or sold between 200 and 900 shares of Apple stock for Haus nine times in about a year - racking up $27,000 in fees, according to a 2015 complaint Haus filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Haus alerted the regulator to what he called improper "churning" of his account to harvest excessive fees. But the allegation could hardly have come as a surprise to FINRA, the industry's self-regulating body, which is charged by Congress with protecting investors from unscrupulous brokers.

FINRA has fined National at least 25 times since 2000. As of earlier this year, 35 percent of National's 714 brokers had a history of regulatory run-ins, legal disputes or personal financial difficulties that FINRA requires brokers to disclose to investors, according to a analysis of FINRA data.

McMahon did not respond to requests for comment. National declined to comment.

National is among 48 firms where at least 30 percent of brokers have such FINRA flags on their records, according to the analysis, which examined only the 12 most serious incidents among the 23 that FINRA requires brokers to disclose. That compares to 9 percent of brokers industry-wide who have at least one of those 12 FINRA flags on their record.

In total, the 48 firms oversee about 4,600 brokers and billions of dollars in investor funds. For a graphic with the complete list of firms and statistics on each, see: http://tmsnrt.rs/2rtbhOl

FINRA officials acknowledged in interviews with that the longstanding hiring practices at certain firms are a threat to investors. But they also argued that they can do little to stop firms from hiring high concentrations of potentially problematic brokers because doing so is not illegal.

That leaves investors like Haus vulnerable to a small group of brokerages that regularly hire advisors with blemishes on their backgrounds that would make them unemployable at most firms, former regulators and industry experts said.

The dozen FINRA flags examined by Reuters include regulatory sanctions for misconduct, employment terminations after allegations of misconduct and payments by firms to settle customer complaints. They also include brokers' personal financial troubles, such as bankruptcies or liens for nonpayment of debts. [L1N1J9032] (For full coverage, including an explanation of Reuters methodology, see: http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-finra-brokers/ )

Last year, a FINRA official told Reuters, the regulator identified 90 firms as posing the highest risk to investors and flagged them internally for higher scrutiny. But FINRA declined to name the firms publicly or to release statistics showing the concentration of brokers with a history of FINRA flags within each firm.

In an interview with Reuters, FINRA's executive vice president of regulatory operations, Susan Axelrod, declined to comment on any specific firm identified by Reuters. She would not directly address why the regulator will not publicly name the firms it identified as high-risk.

"Let's just say those are not new names to us," she said of the firms identified by Reuters.

FINRA Chief Executive Robert Cook, however, addressed its unwillingness to name names in a speech on Monday morning in Washington at Georgetown University, according to prepared remarks released by FINRA.

"We must consider fairness and due process," Cook said. "FINRA does not possess a crystal ball - someone who we may identify as a high-risk broker for oversight purposes is not necessarily a bad actor."

The regulator has created a dedicated unit focused on those high-risk firms, Axelrod told Reuters, but she declined to discuss its budget, staffing or specific duties. Cook on Monday said the unit included an unstated number of "examiners and managers" with experience dealing with high-risk brokers.

FINRA makes data on individual brokers' backgrounds available through its Brokercheck website, which Axelrod said provides "unparalleled transparency" to investors. That site allows the public to search histories of complaints and sanctions against individual brokers - but only one at a time.

The regulator will not release the data in bulk form, such as a database, that would enable researchers to identify firms with high concentrations of brokers with a history of FINRA flags.

Reuters analysed the FINRA data after receiving it from researchers at Columbia University Law School DataLab, who wrote computer code to extract it from the regulator's website.

Reuters sought comment from officials at all 48 firms. Some responded that many of the FINRA-mandated disclosures do not necessarily equate to misconduct by brokers, such as when a firm pays a client to settle a complaint without admitting wrongdoing.

Cook, the FINRA chief, echoed that point in his speech Monday.

"A broker who has an unpaid lien because of a debt accrued due to a medical issue in her family must disclose that lien," he said. "That event should not be treated the same as fraud or stealing money from customers."

At least one executive from a firm identified in the Reuters analysis serves on FINRA's 24-member Board of Governors - Brian Kovack, president of Fort Lauderdale-based Kovack Securities Inc.

Thirty-four percent of the firm's 388 brokers have a history of FINRA flags, according to the Reuters analysis.

In a statement, Brian Kovack attributed those figures to the firm's decision to take on a large number of new brokers from another brokerage in 2014, which prevented the firm from using its usual vetting process for new employees.

Asked why, three years later, the firm still has a high concentration of brokers with FINRA flags, Kovack said it took "considerable" time to ensure the review of new brokers' backgrounds was "fair and transparent."

After the review, the firm asked some advisors to leave, Kovack said, without specifying how many or the reasons they were dismissed.

SELF-REGULATION

FINRA is not a government agency, but rather an industry-financed "self-regulatory organization" - as FINRA puts it - that is not subject to public records laws and receives no taxpayer support.

Its annual operating budget of about $1 billion - supporting about 3,500 staffers in 16 offices - comes primarily from dues paid by member firms and individual brokers. FINRA has the power to fine, suspend and ban firms and brokers, and it can refer potentially criminal cases to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Last year, in an unlikely collaboration, Senators Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, sent FINRA a letter demanding the regulator do more to stop broker misconduct and to prevent those with troubled histories from concentrating in the same firms.

"FINRA is not doing nearly enough to fulfil its investor protection mission," the letter read.

The regulator responded with a letter on June 15 of last year saying that it closely oversees firms "to determine whether they present a heightened risk to investors."

From 2013 to mid-2016, the regulator told the senators, it identified 279 "high-risk" brokers. After identifying them, the regulator permanently banned 238 brokers from the industry for subsequent violations.

FINRA oversees about 3,800 brokerages and 630,000 brokers.

In interviews with Reuters, Axelrod pointed to firms that FINRA expelled. The regulator shut down about 130 firms in the six years ending in January 2017, with many cited for securities fraud, misuse of funds or falsifying records.

But the Reuters analysis of FINRA data found that the regulator did not expel the firm's chief executive in 58 percent of those cases, leaving him or her free to join other brokerages. The brokers at those banned firms typically were also able to continue working in the industry.

Axelrod said that FINRA gives extra scrutiny to former executives of expelled firms after they show up with new jobs at other firms.

'OVERWHELMING' EVIDENCE

Regulators in at least one state think more can be done to crack down on brokers and brokerages with track records of violations.

Massachusetts securities regulators are considering changing their licensing practices after completing a review last year of brokerages with a high proportion of brokers with troubled histories.

"The evidence is pretty overwhelming that there is a practice here - a history here - of people moving from one firm to another and re-offending," Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin told Reuters. "We can't simply stand by and say, 'The companies will do a better job.' They won't do a better job unless they feel some incentive."

Some former regulators contacted by Reuters agreed with FINRA's policy of withholding its internal risk ratings of firms from the public.

Susan Merrill - former head of enforcement at FINRA and now a partner with the law firm Sidley Austin LLP - said that releasing such ratings would be unfair to firms who have not necessarily broken laws or regulations.

"If there is a finding by the regulator," Merrill said, "then that's fair game."

FINRA's former CEO, Richard Ketchum, told Reuters last June that the regulator was considering publicly disclosing more information about firms with high concentrations of problematic brokers.

"We are looking hard at questions about how we can appropriately and fairly provide that broader disclosure ... when firms have concentrations of persons that have similar problems," Ketchum said in an interview.

Cook said Monday that FINRA was considering additional measures to rein in high-risk brokers, but he didn't go into specifics.

WOLVES OF WALL STREET

Many of the 48 firms identified by Reuters regularly cold-call customers on the phone with high-pressure sales pitches, according to regulatory complaints and sanctions against the firms and their brokers.

Long Island, New York, has historically been a haven for boiler-room brokerages, which inspired the movie, "The Wolf of Wall Street," based on the true story of broker Jordan Belfort and his firm, Stratton Oakmont. Belfort pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering in 1999.

FINRA warned in a release last year that boiler-room tactics were on the rise, particularly those targeting the elderly and other vulnerable investors.

Brokers generally know which firms will hire them despite past sanctions, said Dean Jeske, a lawyer at Foley & Lardner and FINRA's former deputy regional chief counsel for enforcement in the Midwest.

"When you get a mark on your (record), it's hard to get a job at Morgan Stanley or Merrill Lynch," Jeske said.

Mike McMahon has had little trouble landing jobs at brokerages despite a trail of allegations and settlements.

McMahon left National in 2014 and later joined a smaller firm, Long Island-based Worden Capital Management - where 43 percent of 79 brokers had a history of FINRA flags as of earlier this year.

Forty-one percent of the firm's brokers had at some point in their careers worked at firms that were later expelled by FINRA, according to the Reuters analysis.

Jamie Worden, head of Worden Capital, said in a statement that his firm's compliance team vets all prospective brokers and that FINRA-mandated disclosures do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.

"The public disclosures only represent a sliver of the information surrounding any circumstance," Worden said.

McMahon, National and another firm where he worked have agreed to pay a total of $1.35 million since 2007 to settle 10 separate client complaints involving McMahon, according to McMahon's record on FINRA's BrokerCheck website.

In addition, McMahon currently faces four additional complaints to FINRA - which have yet to be resolved in a settlement or arbitration ruling - from clients he advised while working with National, the regulator's records show.

McMahon denied any wrongdoing in several of the settled complaints.

Haus - the customer who lost more than half a million dollars with McMahon and others at National - told Reuters that the ordeal made him contemplate suicide.

"I was ashamed," said the soybean farmer and U.S. military veteran. "I didn't want to tell anyone I'm losing my life savings."

Haus settled his complaint against National in November for an undisclosed amount of money. The settlement required him to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and he has since not responded to Reuters' inquiries.

HIRING OPPORTUNITY

In many cases, the firms identified by Reuters continue to operate after years of repeated run-ins with FINRA and other regulators.

Take Los Angeles-based WestPark Capital Inc, where about half of the firm's 95 brokers have FINRA flags on their records. More than 47 percent of WestPark brokers once worked at firms that were later expelled by FINRA.

Regulators including FINRA and the New Jersey Bureau of Securities have sanctioned WestPark six times in the past 11 years for a variety of alleged violations.

In 2004, FINRA suspended WestPark's chief executive, Richard Rappaport, for 30 days from his management role and fined him and the firm $50,000 in response to allegations that WestPark omitted critical information from investment research reports and lacked supervisory controls.

Without admitting wrongdoing, Rappaport agreed to the punishment in a settlement with FINRA. But he then ignored the suspension and continued to actively manage WestPark, according to FINRA disciplinary records reviewed by Reuters.

His punishment for ignoring the 30-day suspension? Another 30-day suspension from FINRA and a $10,000 fine.

In 2016, West Park saw a hiring opportunity. The firm started taking on dozens of brokers from Newport Coast Securities - a firm that FINRA banned from the industry that year for excessive trading in client accounts to rack up fees and for recommending unsuitable investments. Newport appealed the expulsion.

By early 2017, WestPark had hired about 40 brokers from Newport Coast - including its former CEO, Richard Onesto.

WestPark and Rappaport declined to comment. Onesto did not respond to requests for comment.

PUMP AND DUMP

Another firm Reuters identified in its analysis - Windsor Street Capital - has been fined 12 times by FINRA since 2000 but may now face much stiffer penalties from the SEC.

Fifty-eight percent of the firm's 48 brokers had FINRA flags on their records, according to the Reuters analysis. Over the years, FINRA fines have cost the firm about $300,000, and Windsor has appealed two other fines totalling more than $1 million.

In January, the SEC brought administrative actions against Windsor Street Capital and its former anti-money laundering officer, John Telfer, for allegedly facilitating a $25 million pump-and-dump scheme - in which investors promote or "pump" the value of a dubious stock they own just before selling, or "dumping" it.

Windsor declined to comment to Reuters but denied any misconduct in an SEC filing.

The SEC alleges that Windsor allowed clients to sell hundreds of millions of unregistered penny stocks through Windsor brokerage accounts and did not report the suspicious transactions to the U.S. Treasury Department.

The Windsor clients bought stock in dormant shell companies, spread false information to promote the companies' products and then dumped the shares as other investors bought in at inflated prices, the SEC alleges in a case that is still pending.

Windsor made about $500,000 in commissions and fees from transactions related to the scheme, according to the SEC.

When asked if FINRA investigators contributed to the SEC's investigation, an SEC official declined to comment and pointed to the agency's press release, which only credits SEC investigators.

FINRA did not respond to requests for comment on whether it had a role in the Windsor investigation.

'HAPPY NEW YEAR!'

At Long Island-based Joseph Stone Capital, 71 percent of the firms' 59 brokers had FINRA flags on their records, according to the Reuters analysis.

Joseph Stone was investigated by the state of Montana after one of its sales representatives, Lawrence Sullivan, cold-called the office of Montana's Commissioner of Securities and Insurance to pitch an investment on January 15, 2016, according to a report on the incident by the regulator.

The securities commission launched an investigation into the firm after the call, during which Sullivan quickly backtracked and denied he was pitching securities, according to the report.

Reuters could not reach Sullivan for comment. The staffer he called - Patrick Navarro, an assistant analyst at the state regulator - did not respond to requests for comment.

Investigators ultimately unearthed "fraudulent and unethical" practices, including excessive trading in client accounts - resulting in commissions totalling 28 percent of the $877,493 invested by clients in Montana, according to the regulator's report.

The firm settled with the state on April 18, agreeing to pay $30,000 in restitution to clients without admitting wrongdoing.

During the call that got the firm into trouble, Sullivan pitched Navarro on an investment in Paypal stock, the report said. After Navarro informed Sullivan that he worked for the state's securities regulator, Sullivan blurted out "Happy New Year!" and hung up.

(Edited by Lauren LaCapra, Janet Roberts and Brian Thevenot)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Its not just in Google laboratories that the revolution in electric, driverless transportation is gathering pace: a Norwegian shipping company is aiming to be able to deliver cargoes by sea on unmanned vessels from 2020.
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The government today emphasised that Good and Services Tax will be rolled out from July 1 and preparations are in full swing for its smooth implementation, as it sought to dispel rumours of a possible deferment.

There have been demands from certain sections of the industry for a deferment of GST rollout. West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra too had proposed to postpone GST by a month.

"The Government of India has emphasised that GST is scheduled to roll out on July 1, 2017. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in coordination with the state governments have increased their outreach programmes so as to reach the last trader," a finance ministry statement said.

In a tweet, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said: "The rumours about GST implementation being delayed are false. Please do not be misled by it".

The ministry said that preparations are in full swing for a smooth implementation of the landmark reform GST from July.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state counterparts, had over the last three weeks decided tax rates on over 1,200 goods and 500 services and fitted them in either of 5, 12, 18 or 28 per cent slab.

After the last meeting of GST Council, Jaitley had said the Centre and states have completed discussion on most of the issues.

"Irrespective of the date in which it starts, some people will say they are not ready, so that have no option but to get ready. You require a honest intent for that," he had said, responding to a query that small traders and artisans were not technologically ready for meeting GST compliance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on June 26, the Indian foreign ministry and the White House said on Monday, the first meeting between the leaders.

Ties between the two big democracies grew rapidly under the administration of former President Barack Obama which saw India as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia.

But Trump has focused on building ties with China, seeing it as key to tackling regional problems such as North Korea's nuclear programme.

The Indian ministry said Modi's talks with Trump would lay the ground for a further expansion in ties, allaying some of the anxiety that had crept in about a drift in relations.

"Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multidimensional strategic partnership between India and the U.S.," the ministry said in a statement.

In Washington, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the two leaders will discuss topics including economic growth, the fight against terrorism, expanding defence cooperation and growing U.S.-India trade.

"You can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the U.S.-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way," Spicer said.

The United States has emerged as a top arms supplier to India and the two sides will be looking to move forward with deals such as unarmed drones that India wants for its navy, sources said.

One issue that the two leaders face is resolving conflict arising out of the push they are both making at home to boost industry and create jobs.

Modi has been driving a make-in-India campaign to press foreign arms suppliers to set up factories in India and transfer technology instead of selling off-the-shelf, which has made India one of the world's biggest arms importers without any domestic production base.

Trump, on the other hand, has railed against firms moving factories outside the United States and has demanded U.S. companies invest at home as part of his "America First" campaign.

Trump's review of a visa programme under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the United States is also a top concern for India.


A Pakistani counter-terrorism court has sentenced to death a man who allegedly committed blasphemy on Facebook, a government prosecutor said on Sunday, the first time someone has been handed the death penalty for blaspheming on social media.

The conviction of Taimoor Raza, 30, follows a high-profile crackdown against blasphemy on social media by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Blasphemy is a highly sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where insulting the Prophet Mohammad is a capital crime for which dozens are sitting on death row. Even mere accusations are enough to spark mass uproar and mob justice.

Shafiq Qureshi, public prosecutor in Bahawalpur, about 500km (300 miles) south of provincial capital Lahore, said Raza was convicted for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, his wives and companions.

"An anti terrorism court of Bahawalpur has awarded him the death sentence," Qureshi told Reuters." It is the first ever death sentence in a case that involves social media."

It is rare for a counter-terrorism court to hear blasphemy cases but Raza's trial fell under this category because his charge sheet included counter-terrorism offences linked to hate speech.

Qureshi said Raza was arrested after playing blasphemous and hate speech material on his phone on a bus stop in Bahawalpur, where a counter-terrorism officer arrested him and confiscated his phone. The material obtained from the phone led to Raza's conviction, he added.

"The trial was conducted in Bahawapur jail in tight security," Qureshi said

Qureshi added that Raza belongs to the minority Shia community and in court he accused of spreading "hate speech" against the Deobani sect, which adheres to a strict school of Sunni Islam.

Relations between Shia and majority Sunni communities have flared up at times in Pakistan, with some extremist Sunni groups such as Lashkhar-e-Janghvi trying to exploit sectarian tensions.

Several other violent incidents linked to blasphemy accusations have alarmed human rights groups and activists in recent months.

Police are currently investigating over 20 students and some faculty members in connection with the killing of Mashal Khan, a student who was beaten to death on April following a dorm debate about religion -- an attack that shocked the country.

Since then, parliament has discussed adding safeguards to the blasphemy laws, a move seen as groundbreaking in Pakistan where political leaders have been assassinated for even discussing changes.

As Raza's blasphemy conviction was under the counter-terrorism court, he will be able to appeal his sentence in the High Court and later in the Supreme Court.

There have been at least 67 murders over unproven allegations since 1990, according to figures from a research center and independent records kept by Reuters.
Robbers drilled a two-foot wide hole through a nine-inch wall of Modinagar branch of Punjab National Bank in Ghaziabad and stole valuables reportedly worth crores of rupees from its lockers sometime during the last weekend. The culprits also took a double barrel gun with them.

The bank had been closed at 6 pm on Saturday, and remained so for the rest of the weekend. It is believed that the culprits carried out the robbery during this time. The incident came to light after the bank reopened on Monday when one of the bank officials saw light streaming from the hole in the locker room.

Reports suggest that the robbers hug the hole six feet above the steel lockers. FIR was later filed at the Modinagar police station against unidentified individuals. Dog squads and forensic teams have been engaged in the search for burglars involved.

Burglars got into 30 lockers out of the total of 435 ones available at the bank. Four lockers broken by them were not being used presently, however, they did try to break the locks on a few more, a Times of India quoted police sources saying.

The exact value of item stolen in the heist is yet to be determined but the numbers are expected to run in crores. Meanwhile, worried customers kept pouring in at the bank all through Monday. As of now, bank officials are trying to ascertain how much of the valuables were taken by the burglars.

Robbers entered the bank through an office at the adjoining plot which was used by Modi Rubber Ltd. They drilled a hole six feet from the ground and right above rows of steel lockers. The bank's building had also been rented from the same firm before it was sold to Haryana Distilleries which has continued the rent agreement.

The bank strong room which houses the lockers has two security doors, which can be opened using two separate keys, kept in the care of bank officials, at once. The strong room is equipped with a burglar alarm and a CCTV camera. However, being a weekend, there was no guard on duty when the alarm went off. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage for clues about the burglars.

Also watch:




Nostalgia hung heavy at the re-launch of the once-ubiquitous Nokia 3310 in May. With many new features and marketed by a different company, HMD Global Oy, it was not quite the same model that had taken the country by storm in the early 2000s, but the look and feel were similar, and that was all that mattered. "It is not a comeback as Nokia never left India," says Arto Nummela, CEO, HMD Global. "Nokia branded feature phones have been selling in India all the while, but now we will be scripting a new chapter."

Nummela may be factually correct but in fact, given the upheavals Nokia underwent in the last few years, its products had practically disappeared in India. It was a sorry comedown for a company whose handsets were used to make the first-ever mobile phone call in the country on July 31, 1995, and which, as late as 2007, held 60 per cent market share. Nokia suffered as its smartphone forays, using the Symbian 3 and Meego operating system and later Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, could not keep pace with Apple and Samsung. With market share dwindling worldwide, it sold its devices and services business to Microsoft in late 2013, but even Microsoft - which dropped the Nokia brand and rechristened the phones Microsoft Lumia - could do nothing with it.

It is rumoured that Nokia - whose telecom infrastructure business continued to thrive - never reconciled to the disappearance of its brand and from the day it was sold set about working on a new company to revive it. The terms of the sale restricted Nokia from selling smartphones for the next two years, but soon after the period expired, HMD Global - owned by former Nokia employees and nurtured by the company itself, though without any financial investment - was born. (Nummela himself spent 17 years with Nokia.) As it happened, Microsoft, disillusioned with the Lumia's failure, was soon ready to sell off its feature phones business, and in May 2016, HMD Global - along with Taiwan's Foxconn - snapped it up.

A strategic agreement gives HMD Global exclusive rights to develop and market Nokia branded feature phones, smartphones and tablets till 2024 against royalty payments to Nokia, while the manufacturing will be carried out by Foxconn. The smartphones and tablets will use Google's Android operating system. Already the duo has launched two feature phones (including the Nokia 3310) and three smartphones, one of which, Nokia 3, will be available in India starting June 16, while the other two, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6, are scheduled to hit the market in July. "Our ambition is to launch Nokia Android smartphones and create a fresh portfolio of feature phones," says Ajey Mehta, Vice President, India, HMD Global.

Three Pillars

HMD Global executives say the new Nokia phones stand on three pillars - premium design and quality of manufacturing, improved life experience and pure Android OS. Some use the premium Corning Gorilla Glass and quality aluminium of the 6000 Series. Unlike with many other phones, customers will not have to choose between a second SIM card slot and a memory card - slots for both have been made available. The phones have a long battery life and the OS is pure Android with regular updates, not the custom user interface that many rivals provide. "We've partnered with the best," says Nummela. "We have Nokia for the brand, Foxconn for engineering and manufacturing, Qualcomm for chipsets and Google for Android."

The smartphones are being launched almost simultaneously in 120 countries. "But India will be the most important market for us in the short to mid-term," says Nummela. The company still has a network of 400-odd exclusive distributors. "Most have worked with us for years," says Mehta. "They enable us to reach 80,000 retail outlets across the country. We have also roped in HCL to help us manage other channels such as online sales and organised retail chains like Croma and Reliance." Nokia 6 will be available exclusively through Amazon India. "We've been working closely with HMD," says Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Category Management, Amazon India. "Most people remember Nokia for its robust phones. There is a lot of anticipation for the Nokia Android smartphone." The 3 has been priced at Rs9,499, the 5 at Rs12,899 and the 6 at Rs 14,999. Nokia 6 will be available exclusively through Amazon India.

The phones meant for India will all be assembled at Foxconn's facility at Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. HMD is also setting up Nokia Mobile Care outlets, with trained staff, across 300 cities and towns to provide after sales service. It will provide pick up and drop services for phones at another 100 urban centres. "Offline retailers will welcome this additional brand, though there will be pressure to ensure high margins and marketing development funding," says Rushabh Doshi, analyst at global technology market research firm, Canalys. "Maintaining the balance between online and offline retail will be critical. Managing price parity will also be important."

Challenges Ahead

Nokia emerged as India's most trusted brand in the mobile phone category in 2017 in a recent study by TRA Research. But will it attract the millennial generation? "Nokia's acid test in India will be whether it can win the millennial customer," says Doshi. "While its residual brand equity will have its devices flying off the shelf in the first few quarters, sustaining interest will need strong marketing, a well-designed product portfolio and a sound channel strategy." The marketing has already begun, with HMD Global setting in motion a high powered $500 million global campaign for three years. A good product portfolio will also require sequential launches of the kind Samsung and Xiaomi have excelled at.

Samsung is the leader in the Indian smartphone market, but a number of Chinese competitors like Xiaomi and Lenovo are nipping at its heels. "Nokia must establish its USP quickly to stand out," says Doshi. The company claims that 37 per cent registrations for the phones, and 30 per cent of all traffic on its website, has been from India. But Indians are getting a little impatient. "HMD Global announced the phones in February and people have already waited a long time," says Manish Khatri, Partner, Mahesh Telecom, a Mumbai retailer. "Some are losing interest. But once all the devices are launched and if there is enough stock, Nokia might have an edge"



@nidhisingal
Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka today met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley amid industry-wide concerns around tighter visa norms in key markets like the US and layoffs in the sector.

The 45-minute meeting, between Jaitley and Sikka accompanied by other top company officials, also assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US later this month.

Over the past few months, Indian IT companies are confronted with closer scrutiny and tighter visa norms in the US, a market that accounts for nearly 60 per cent of India's IT exports.

According to sources, Infosys had sought the meeting.

However, Sikka declined to comment on the proceedings after the meeting. COO UB Pravin Rao was also present at the meeting.

Asked about concerns around layoffs in the sector, Sikka said the company has announced 10,000 jobs in the US and continues to hire in India as well.

"We have announced 10,000 jobs in the US and we are continuing to hire lots of jobs in India. I think that the future is all about innovation," he said.

He added that Indian IT companies are creating "tremendous amount of value" in the US.

With rising protectionism across markets like Singapore and Australia, companies are beginning to adjust their business models to reduce their dependence on visas and hiring more locals instead.

The ramp up in local hiring is also aimed at placating the Donald Trump administration in the US that has been critical of outsourcing firms.

The US had accused Infosys and its peers TCS and Cognizant of unfairly cornering the lions share of US H-1B work visas, taking jobs away from American workers.

The tightening of visa norms not only pushes up operational costs for these tech firms, but also makes movement of skilled workforce difficult.

Infosys has already announced that it would hire 10,000 Americans over the next two years and set up four innovation hubs in the US.

However, it wasn't clear if the discussions included GSTN at the meeting.

Infosys had received the contract for GST Network (GSTN), which is responsible for providing the technology backbone for Goods and Services Tax and connecting the databases of states and the Centre.
LOGAN  A judge has given the maximum sentence to a 58-year-old Logan man, accused of molesting a five-year-old girl. First District Court Judge Brian Cannell sentenced Manuel L. Johnson to three-years-to-life in the Utah State Prison, saying the defendants behavior was appalling.

Johnson was sentenced Tuesday morning, after being arrested in February. He was being held in the Cache County Jail on $20,000 bail.

Prosecutors charged Johnson with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony. They later amended the charge to attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, after the defendant accepted a plea deal to plead guilty. The evidence showed he touched the girl, who was reportedly an acquaintance, on February 11.

I hope this will change your behavior in the future, said Judge Cannell while ordering Johnson to be sent to prison. It is my job to protect the public and that is what I have done here today, to the best of my ability under the law.

Earlier, Johnson told the court he took full responsibility for what he had done but that good people sometimes do bad things. He said he would spend the rest of his life making restitution to his family, whos hearts have been broken.

Public defender Shannon Demler said Johnson had been a hard working man, supporting his family as a plumber. He explained that his client had never been arrested before and had lived a good upstanding life.

State attorney Spencer Walsh said it was concerning and hard to fathom how the crime happened. He explained how the defendant groomed the victim and calculated when he would molest her. He asked the court for the maximum sentence, saying that it is important to send a strong message, that those who hurt the youngest members of society are given the severest punishments.

In addition to prison, Judge Cannell also ordered Johnson to pay at least $1,520 to cover therapy for the victim.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of the Interior gathered public comments over the span of two weeks on whether Bears Ears will lose its National Monument status. After having toured Bears Ears last month, meeting with Gov. Gary Herbert and other state leaders, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made his recommendation to the Trump administration Monday.

Zinke recommended that the Bears Ears National Monument be scaled back in size, calling on Congress to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site should be managed. Citing his respect for Native American tribes, Zinke said he wanted to preserve tribal cultures and suggested that Congress grant tribes the legal authority to co-manage portions of the land.

Utah State Senator Lyle Hillyard said the issue is not black and white.

We in the State of Utah, we readily admit that a substantial amount of that land should be protected, Hillyard said, and so its not really the desire of the Legislature or Utah, as I speak for the Legislature, to take all this land back and then somehow privately develop it, and thats kind of an image out there. I think weve all agreed theres like 200,000 acres of it that really is pristine and we ought to protect it, and I think the state can give the Native Americans the better protection they really want on that land.

Hillyard said it has never been the desire of the Legislature to take back state parks or national parks, but only to enhance them. He said in recent years, the state has been successful in making the state parks generate money, whereas they were costing money prior to the state taking them back.

Zinke said some of the Bears Ears National Monument should be designated for conservation or recreation. He also said he supports Native American efforts to restore sovereignty, respect and self-determination on land considered sacred by the tribes. Hillyard has expressed continued concern about Bears Ears, lambasting the unilateral use of presidential power in designating national monuments.
Chinese regulators will strictly limit construction of new car manufacturing plants in a bid to rein in a runaway buildup. Above, workers assemble engines in a car production line of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, on Feb. 7. Photo: Visual China

(Beijing)  Beijing regulators will strictly limit construction of new car manufacturing plants in a bid to rein in a runaway buildup that has seen capacity greatly outstrip demand, according to a new announcement from the state planner.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) outlined three kinds of new projects that wont get its approval under the policy, covering most new investments for car production, it said in a posting on its website dated on Monday.

The policy also limits approval for expansion of existing car-producing ventures, laying out strict conditions that must be met before such addition will be approved. Those include a requirement that any producer looking to expand capacity must have a current utilization rate above the industry average over the last two years, and that new-energy vehicles must account for a greater percentage of their overall output than the industry average over the last year.

The new announcement provides greater detail following an NDRC announcement at the end of last year saying it planned to strictly control the addition of new capacity for traditional gasoline powered cars. At the same time, the NDRC said in its latest announcement that new-energy cars wouldnt be affected by the new limits.

China is now the worlds largest auto market, fueled by millions of new upwardly mobile middle class Chinese. Last year sales topped 28 million units, up 14% year-on-year, as buyers rushed to make purchases before the reduction of government incentives aimed at promoting cleaner energy vehicles. But the gains are slowing sharply this year following the reduction in incentives and as Chinas broader economy slows.

Despite the slowdown, China had annual car production capacity of 31.2 million vehicles, with capacity for another 6 million under construction at the end of last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. It added the industry is already oversupplied, with some facilities producing at less than 60% of capacity.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
China COSCO Shipping Corp. Ltd. has agreed to take 15% ownership of Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd. from Shanghai Tong Sheng Investment Group Co. Ltd. for about 19 billion yuan ($2.8 billion). Photo: IC

(Beijing)  Chinas largest shipping company is buying stakes in two more ports, one in Shanghai and the other in Spain, as it seeks to further diversify its conglomeration of business operations.

China COSCO Shipping Corp. Ltd. agreed to take 15% ownership of Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd. from Shanghai Tong Sheng Investment Group Co. Ltd. for about 19 billion yuan ($2.8 billion), the Port of Shanghai said Monday.

Shanghai International Port operates the public terminals in the Port of Shanghai, the busiest container port in world with a shipment volume of 37 million twenty-foot equivalent units last year.

Upon completion, COSCO will become the third-largest shareholder of Shanghai International Port, bringing together two maritime transportation giants.

The deal follows a partnership that COSCO secured with the Shanghai municipal government on Friday to promote cooperation among shipping and port industries to increase Shanghais standing as an international shipping hub.

A COSCO employee told Caixin that the deal will improve the companys port-operation capabilities. It will also expand its portfolio in upstream and downstream sectors, including shipbuilding, shipping, port operations, and logistics, according to COSCOs website.

In addition to Shanghai International Port, COSCOs acquired a 51% stake in Noatrum Port Holdings SLU in Spain for $227 million.

Cocso began buying European ports as early as 2004, when it took 20% ownership of the Antwerp Gateway in Belgium, and accelerated the pace of its purchases after the debt crisis broke out in 2009 that put some ports under financial difficulties. COSCOs European port assets include Piraeus Terminal in Greece, Euromax Terminal in the Netherlands, and the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium.

COSCO is not alone in the trend of closer ties between shippers and ports. Frances container ship giant CMA CGM SA in April partnered with Indian infrastructure developer Adani Ports for a new port in that Asian country, while Americas APL manages eight ports in the U.S., and in East and Southeast Asia, according to its website.

Contact reporter Coco Feng (renkefeng@caixin.com)
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ANGLOPHONE CRISIS

It all started in November 2016 when Common Law Lawyers and teachers of the two Anglophone Regions initiated a strike action which they pretended was pacific. According to the lawyers and teachers, the reasons for the strike action was the Francophonisation of the Common Law System and the English Sub-System of education in the two Anglophone Regions. It did not take long for the public to realize that the real motive for the strike action was the creation of an Anglophone State comprising the two regions. This meant that Francophones living in this part of the country would be considered persona non grata. The peaceful cohabitation which existed between the Anglophones and Francophones deteriorated and witnesses in the last five months an upsurge in vandalism, violence, and mistrust.

These acts of vandalism perpetrated on days baptized Ghost Town have forced some Francophones and persons from other countries to leave the region due to the poor economic climate in the region. Many Nigerians operating in the spare part business have left the region because the socio-political crisis have seriously affected their businesses.

A good number of Francophones who do business in Bamenda have equally left the town because business is dwindling and they are afraid of being attacked by pro-secessionist out laws who go around burning public and private structures especially those owned by persons who do not sympathize with their unconstitutional ideologies. To date, 40% of Francophones have left the region and many more could leave before September 2017 to enable their children resume school in their respective regions. The mass exodus of Francophones means that Anglophones would have to engage in the business activities that was formerly run by Francophones; furthermore, Anglophones schools shall be reserved only to Anglophones given a great majority of Francophones would have returned to the other regions.

It should be noted that threats are being perpetrated against the Francophones on a daily basis. The question that is begging for an answer is: who is marginalized? Another paradox, Francophones ostracized in the North West Region. While all of this is going on in the North West Region, a large majority Anglophones living in the Francophone Regions have moved their children from the Region to attend school in Francophone Regions. They are equally calling on their families and loved ones to send more children to attend school in Francophone Regions.

In my capacity as a humanitarian, I strongly condemn all forms of discrimination and recommend peaceful cohabitation of all Cameroonian irrespective of their linguistic, ethnic, or religious background. I equally call on the international community to look into the serious violation of human rights especially with regard to the right to education of the youth which is being violated upon and the unlawful treatment being given our brothers from the other regions who live here.

Together we can build a strong and prosperous Cameroon. If we discriminate against Cameroonians, what about Nigerians?

The National President of FFCI

Franklin MOHWA
| BY Ricki Green |

Lead by PHD, Bakers Delight has partnered with Foodora to create a virtual shop on its website where Bakers Delight fans can order new Cinnamon Scrolls straight to their door.

This is all part of a wider campaign to launch the new cinnamon scrolls from June 1, which will become a permanent addition to the range at Bakers Delight.

The scrolls will be available through foodora in both Sydney and Melbourne CBD for 1 week (Monday  Friday) from today (13th June) until 19th June and will be delivered in a four pack for you to share. The intention is to help consumers overcome the 3pm snack attack, which is the ultimate time Australians crave a sugary treat.

Says Rosie Petrescu, campaign manager, Bakers Delight: We know consumer tastes and preferences have changed, and millennials in particular are demanding a more premium product offering from us. Our new Mini Cinnamon Scrolls really are a new generation product for our next generation shopper.

Says Christian Heath, communications manager, PHD Content: This is a fantastic opportunity for Bakers Delight to launch the cinnamon scrolls via a great mechanic, trial the food delivery market and own 3pm snack attack.
| BY Ricki Green |

Coca-Cola South Pacific has today announced the launch of Coca-Cola No Sugar  its brand new sugar-free product in Australia. In development at the companys US headquarters for more than five years, the new Coca-Cola No Sugar recipe was carefully crafted to taste even more like Coca-Cola Classic but without the sugar.

The launch will be backed by the brands biggest investment in a new product launch since 2006, with the integrated marketing campaign via Ogilvy Sydney, encouraging Australians to Say YES to the Taste You Love by trying Coca-Cola No Sugar.

The massive sampling campaign of Coca-Cola No Sugar will leverage numerous connection points to offer free samples in more places and via more methods than ever before. This will include downloading vouchers digitally, on mobiles or via Shazam during the airing of the new TVC that is set to launch later this month.

Says Marina Rocha, group marketing manager, Coca-Cola South Pacific: Coca-Cola No Sugar is the product of years of extensive research, consumer testing and trials by our flavour experts and we are confident we have created our best tasting sugar-free Coca-Cola recipe ever. Now we want Aussies to give it a go and Say YES to Coke No Sugar  it wont be hard to find.

We know many of those people who love the taste of Coca-Cola are looking for ways to watch their sugar intake. The new Coca-Cola No Sugar offers a great new choice for those who love the taste of Coke but are conscious of their sugar intake.

Trial will be driven by the largest free Coca-Cola sampling campaign ever undertaken in Australia which will see more than two million free samples of Coca-Cola No Sugar given away over two months.

At the same time, the sampling campaign will feature a new interactive outdoor advertising panel, featuring a LED screen where consumers can verbally Say YES to redeem a free sample vended directly from the refrigerated panel. The voice-activated panel will be deployed at selected high footfall CBD locations.

Australia is among the first markets to launch the new product, following its successful debut in Mexico where response to the taste has been overwhelmingly positive. Coca-Cola No Sugar will be available nationally in all major and independent retailers from June 16, 2017.

Connections Agency  UM

Creative Agency  Ogilvy Sydney

PR Agency  Pulse

Experiential Agency  Maverick

Social Media Agency  Coca-Cola Social Centre & One Green Bean
| BY Ricki Green |

David Nobay (left), founder and creative chairman, Marcel, Sydney is sitting on the Outdoor Lions jury. In Gonzo style, he reports exclusively for Campaign Brief.

Part One:

Few non-medicated civilians can fully comprehend the seething pond of bubbling perversion that is Nice Airports international arrival lobby.

Viewed through a demi-carafe, rose wine tint, its possible for the festival virgin to tragically underestimate the awaiting carousels swerving, latent violence for an innocent, if slightly gauche suburban air strip.

But the alpha attack dogs of the advertising zoo know better. Banking hard onto the cote dazure and the last stop pre-med for the Gucci elite, this is no simple touch down to AUS$200 steak frites and a trump-orange tan. This is as hard core as it can possibly get. A jagged burn that chars ego and devours self-confidence. People, many of them innocent, will be eaten, soul and all, over the next ten days. And they will be the lucky ones.

For the rest of the hapless ghouls meandering around me in search of crucially vital luggage that is already heading to Uganda, via an Air Egypt A300 out of Charles De Gaulle, the following week bent double worshipping the Lion God will render them terminally mute and deaf; their minds literally cooked dry by the combined drone of 12,000 screaming, squeaking death-ravens bent on self-abuse at the very highest levels of VR pornography.

It doesnt get any better or the stakes any higher for your aspiring adman/data curler. Careers will be escalated and diffused with equal aggression. Only the most base, animal primate flavor of marketer will survive the onslaught of experiential overload that awaits all those sporting a laminated festival pass. The seminars alone will reduce thousands to dribbling lemmings: barbarically savaged by the crude genius and psychopathic lust of the 24/7, realtime, 360, media agnostic, tech-forward, bombastic onslaught. By dawn, the hapless carcasses of the fallen will pile up on FaceBooks private beach like sodden kelp on the jersey shore.

But this terror has no ceiling for those ill equipped to handle the harpie whistle of the mob. La Croisette de Cannes: A 2km strip of innocuous pebble wasteland, peppered with posh hotels masquerading as Monte Carlo casinos, bad coffee shops and, for ten, humid days in June, a searingly relentless display of hyper gore and corporate paranoia, as the advertising worlds most brutally Machiavellian tsars drag us all into a more connected brand future. Think Mogadishu with a better speaker system.

Only those with a weapons-grade tolerance for high-acidity bile and a voracious appetite for sunshine and cheese cloth will ultimately reign supreme by the ordeals blood-soaked seven day finale.

And now, even I, a battered veteran of this putrid crash and carry out, will be tested to the maximum of my remaining muscle groups. If I have any prayer of surviving the bug-eyed storm troopers masquerading as user-friendly, multilingual immigration officials standing post before me, it is essential I re-marshall my nerves and start aping the over-achieving marketing Jedi that the bloated CV on the Lions Festival website currently claims me to be.

Three months ago, back in Sydney, my Samoan attorney, Jay Furby, had made it abundantly clear:

They want you. Can you believe it? You! They think youre still in the business! Hysterical, yes, but I skillfully persuaded them youve stopped drinking and are taking all the properly prescribed and necessary medications. They bought it. And now, the predictable arrangements have been made. A conveniently located 3 star hotel room has been reserved in your name. Festival passes are being printed as we speak. A medium-sized sedan will pick you up at Nice airport. I have already accepted, on your behalf. And included my usual administrative percentage fee. Its legally binding you fool. Either Cannes or a cell in the Cross awaits you.

And so, now, here I am.

Staring down the barrel of a black-suited failed male model, as he holds up a card with my name, almost spelled correctly, and the bitter, greenish glint of an arch assassin who pines for the richer pickings and superior bone structure of the bona fide Film Festival judges: They, who truly lend this town its air of superficial bling, but who shot out of here in fat cat company jets back to LALA months ago.

Fuck you, ad scum pretender his eyes shout, as his mouth mumbles bonjour Monsieur Nobbly with all the enthusiasm of a back-bent, meth freak on the low slopes of a three day binge.

This blood thirsty lunatic has me down pat. Hes seen the genuine article. Hes smelt the real deal. And he recognizes my imposter stammer and clammy fist. In seconds, he will strangle the jet-lagged life from me. I know that look. The itchy, twitchy trigger finger. The polished loafers. The white-knuckle hatred of all that data-driven creativity holds dear. Between festivals, this Rottweiler no-doubt protects Marine LePen and her Nazi kin, as they plot the demise of the brown intruder, over blue-rare steak and chilled Sancerre, from her palatial, Provence pool-side retreat.

This twisted bastard will have me hog-tied in the back of his Mercedes E-class wagon in a petit-moment. Only laser-clear focus and rat cunning can save me now. If I have any hope at all, I must up my Cannes-Game substantially. By three notches; perhaps even more. I will need accessories at the double. Top drawer labels. Shi-Shi and foo-foo. Nothing less. No vin-ordinaire. No expense spared. Whatever the outrageous cost or criminally baked conversion rates this side of the world threatens. I have to shop hard, like my life depends on it. Or be devoured by this perfectly tailored man-lizard.

I will need suade. By the meter. And calf skin shoulder bags. White pants; a dozen, minimum, tapered like razor blades. And tangerine cashmere. As much as I can feasibly carry. Feather-lite linen suits. Deconstructed. Ideally, pink.

But the Publicis Comms overseas protocols are painfully clear on this subject: transcribed to me in person only days ago in Sydney, with ferociously forensic detail by their Regional CFO? There can be no infringements. He was adamant. Zero tolerance for unbillable extravagance. No wriggle room he stressed. Not after the London Incident. Shit damn! I am in a pickle, and given my drivers leaden right foot, it will only be a matter of minutes before we arrive at my prescribed hostel for the next ten days; The Grey Albion, a name that reeks of moderation, low intensity wifi and a minimal use of marble.

I will be undone, before I have even started. This is my bat-shit twisted attorneys fault. He knew full well he was sending me into the bowels of the beast with pitifully underpowered munitions. I am doomed. That beer soaked maniac has pulled this trick before, when he accompanied me to Dubai in 08 to co-chair their extravagant, diamond encrusted Lynx Award Festival. Then, only a wandering CNN news crew and the last minute intervention of the Deputy PM, Julia Bishop, saved us both from a thousand lashes, at a minimum. Now, here I am again. But where is he? Spending the last of my commission in Kings Cross, no doubt.

I reach for my company iPhone. At this rate, my Publicis international roaming package can only feasibly stretch another day, but to hell with it. No fucking emoji can do this nightmare justice. This more than spells full blown, global emergency, and Jay Furby, for all his demonic excesses, is the only man intellectually and morally ill-equipped to lift me out of this ensuing mire. He is a savage lion amongst fetid rabbits.

Jay, I can only speak for a moment, I spit out as the process blue coastline of the French Riviera looms into view ahead of us.

Go ahead Nobay, you have my full attention. But, I warn you, I am recording this conversation. Just in case.

Never mind that, Jay. I require a new wardrobe. ASAP. These Frenchies are onto me, I can feel it!

Relax, Ive thought of everything. Your time has been secured for the Lions Outdoor Jury, correct?

Of course! You secured it, you maniac?

Well, given the prevailing heat down there in June, and considering that, unlike the other 1,742 Lions juries, yours alone has the added pressure of being judged entirely outdoors, with no reliable air conditioning and zero practical shade supplied

Yes? Yes? I splurt out as the modest entrance of my reasonably priced hotel approaches

Well, as your formally retained attorney, I believe you have sound legal recourse to fully expense especially tailored outdoor clothing, specifically for said event.

Seriously? This zombie is my attorney for good reason. No-one else in his price bracket spots the angles like Jay.

Buy with absolute impunity! From a human-recourses perspective, I think were on very strong ground here, Jay adds, with a confident swagger that underlines the righteous swing of his club.
| BY Ricki Green |

DDB Melbourne Group has snared Stu Turner from Havas, Sydney to the role of group executive creative director, filling the void left after the departure of Darren Spiller to Host Sydney early this year.

Turner has worked in some of the worlds leading agencies and networks, creating and delivering truly integrated solutions for clients.On the way he has collected more than 50 local and international awards during his career, being recognized at every major award show with gold at D&AD, Clios, Effies, Award and two Spikes Grand Prix.

Kate Sterling, DDB Melbourne Group managing director, said shes thrilled to be working with Turner.

Says Sterling: We were really impressed with Stus clear and proven ability to get under the skin of businesses to drive exceptional, creative customer experiences.

Hes also been instrumental in helping build and pivot agencies ready for growth  something were certainly focused on right now.

Turner previously worked at DDB in South Africa and is looking forward to joining the DDB family again.

Says Turner: Im very excited to be joining the Melbourne team. I loved my time at Havas and am saying goodbye to some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. However, after speaking with Kate and her team, it felt like too incredible an opportunity to pass up.

They have a real fire in their bellies, some amazing talent, and most importantly theyre just good people. They continue to produce fantastic work and Im looking forward to helping further grow the business and create ideas that Bill (Bernbach) himself would be proud of.

DDB Australia CEO Andrew Little said the DDB Group is growing, in a very deliberate way.

Says Little: Our focus on diversity across the board continues to attract top class international and home grown talent, and means we continue to deliver stand out work for our clients.
| BY Lynchy |

As the digital world becomes increasingly entrenched in millennials lives, Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and agoda have responded with a new social-inspired campaign by putting the spotlight on Indonesian millennial travellers.

Tagged #CheckInStepOut, the campaign is the latest narrative to the ongoing #agodabasecamp platform. It was created following the outcome of an agoda-commissioned survey of 1,000 Indonesia millennial travellers, aged 25-35.

Results showed that not only are Indonesian millennials increasingly seeking more diverse, inspiring experiences, but they are also becoming more adventurous when on holiday. The study was piloted to uncover the exciting adventures Indonesian millennial travellers get up to after they Check In, Step Out of their agoda base camps.

To create the campaign, real stories were culled direct from the source. Indonesian millennials were encouraged to share videos and images of their travel experiences, many of which were edited directly into the final ads. The campaign generated more than 2,500 UGC entries from Indonesian millennial travelers.

The campaign also involved key online Indonesian influencers, such as Clairine Clay, Marissa Nasution, Keenan Pearce and Ernanda Putra to add a stronger millennial flavor to the various pieces of content.

Because the campaign is driven by user-generated content, we looked to the social behaviour of Indonesian millennial travelers as inspiration for the visual look. It is a new spin on that raw, authentic look weve been creating for the agoda Base Camp work, said Fajar Kurnia, then regional creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, who led the creative team from inception.

The wealth of shared materials provided rich foundation and inspiration for the creation of a 30-second TVC and 120-second online film. Harnessing social visual language and vernacular to connect with the millennial audience, Check In and Step Out has generated over 1.4 million viewers online  and counting. Moreover, agodas Facebook and Instagram pages have grown by 13.13% and 18.54% respectively from the previous month.

Andy Edwards, Global Director Brand and Marketing Communications for agoda, said, Really, its a creative partnership between agoda, Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and Indonesian millennial travellers. Its a ground-breaking partnership where we received thousands of pieces of content.

Edwards added, We didnt want the films to fall into the familiar trap of ugly social rip-offs but still wanted them to feel social and real, so weve played around with filters and the energy of the edit. We want people to feel as if they are there, stepping out of their agoda property into this exciting world.

Check In and Step Out is part of the second phase of the agoda Base Camp campaign. Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore was appointed creative agency in 2016.

The Indonesia-focused campaign is a collaborative effort with other partners such as Ogilvy Singapore PR and Pulse Communications Indonesia for generating press interest and press outreach; and Gushcloud for its counsel and engagement of the KOLs/influencers.

Credits:

Dominic Stallard  Executive Creative Director

Fajar Kurnia  Regional Creative Director

Jeremy Chia  Regional Creative Director

Arvid Lithander  Senior Copywriter

Dana Lim  Art Director

Randy Raharja  Art Director

Steve Walls  Chief Strategy Officer

Shashank Hariharan  Strategic Planner

Charlene Wee  Senior Account Director

Antonia Tan  Account Manager

Rica Facundo  Senior Social Media Manager

Jessica Rovira  Content Specialist

Shirlyn Lam  Project Manager

Client Credits: Andy Edwards  Global Director Brand & Communications

Huiwen Tow  Global Demand Innovator

Catherine Francis  Brand Marketing Manager
| BY Lynchy |

Publicis One Indonesia has appointed Shailesh Iyer as Chief Strategy Officer, effective as of 30th June 2017. The appointment of Iyer, most recently regional strategy director at Leo Burnett Dubai, will see him oversee the strategy function across all agency brands in Publicis One Indonesia including Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis, Starcom, Zenith, Performics, Blue449, SapientRazorfish and Arcade, a strategic alliance partner.

Iyer (pictured) has almost a decade and a half experience in the communication industry, leading strategy for some of the biggest global and regional clients. His experience spans, Ogilvy, Contract advertising, Jack in the Box Worldwide, Leo Burnett and now Publicis One Indonesia. Having worked with the industries top agencies, he has also worked on a diverse portfolio of clients including Marico, Cadbury, HSBC, Shoppers Stop, Tata Indicom, P&G (SK-II), IKEA, Friesland Campina, Samsung and more recently Philip Morris for MENA and Pakistan. As one of the most hybrid strategists today, Iyer has experience across digital and mainline with the right mix of creative, content and consumer behaviour. These skills helped Leo Burnett with some big wins over the past 6 years, including campaigns on Philip Morris.

Commenting on Iyers appointment, Brian Capel, Chief Executive Officer Publicis One Indonesia said, There is no better time than now for Shailesh to arrive. As Publicis One is strengthening its offerings and capabilities to clients, his strength and passion in data, insights and strategy to understand human behavior will enhance the creative business solutions Publicis One is able to provide its client partners. Having worked with Shailesh in his previous Asia Pacific role at Leo Burnett, it was an easy decision to have him on board as he brings an immense understanding of the Indonesian market. His role as Chief Strategy Officer for Publicis One Indonesia highlights the fundamental importance of strategy in driving Publicis Ones vision of Data Driven Creativity, Integrated Creativity and Effective Creativity.

Iyer said, No words can describe how excited I am to come back to Asia and join the leadership team at Publicis One Indonesia. I started in advertising at the young age of 19 and have had the opportunity to witness some paradigm shifts in the way people behave, consume brands and their services. In order to connect with people, we need to understand them and adapt and change our ways quickly and efficiently. Thats why I believe that Publicis One is the agency model of the future because we have changed the way we approach our clients business keeping them at the core of our offerings, making sure that we dont compromise on quality, creativity and business results,
Monday, June 12, 2017 at 11:49PM

Google Pixel XL review

Looks like Google wants to make a Pixel XXL, at least according to the latest rumours. Its being reported that Google is shelving one of its upcoming Pixel smartphones in favour of releasing a bigger version of Googles flagship device. A gadget codenamed Muskie was supposed to be the follow-up to the Pixel XL but Google is supposedly opting to release a device codenamed Taimen. Itll supposedly have a larger screen and chassis compared to the Muskie. Walleye, which is said to be the second-generation Pixel device, will reportedly still be debuted. In case you didnt know, Google has a thing for naming its upcoming smartphone and tablet releases as a water-dwelling creature. Keen-eyed reporters and Android followers have spotted these monikers on Android Open Source Projects code repository.

Source: Android Central
"It's your everyday people who have simple jobs that make a way to pay the fees so that their kid gets a leg up and their kid gets an education," Ms Walker said.
"You never really know what you're going to get thrown with. We see a lot of exotics at Inner South like snakes, birds, guinea pigs and rabbits, and on top of that we see cats and dogs and regular pets as well.
"Mr Redzic conceded that he has committed many offences of dishonesty, but said that these were related to his alcohol and drug use and to the dire circumstances in which he found himself," the tribunal found.
"The process of considering these options is still under way and no decision has been reached as to the most effective option, or combination of options that will provide a solution to anticipated future enrolment demand."
Nothing has changed and the major retailers (Woolworths, Coles, Big W, Kmart etc) have been allocated specific areas in the car parks, where they are required to store their shopping trolleys. These areas are not readily accessible to a disabled shopper when he or she parks and can involve quite a long walk (which is sometimes an impossible ask) and heightens the risk of the shopper falling. In all probability, shopping centre managements have not even considered the effect of their policies on the disabled and it is abundantly clear that whatever element of our so-called government is responsible for this state of affairs is equally, if not totally, to blame.
The USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service has released the requirements for its Export Verification program for packers to apply for exportation of beef to China.



The U.S. Department of Agricultures Agricultural Marketing Service has released the requirements for its Export Verification program for U.S. packers to apply for exportation of beef to China.

The USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has also updated its online Export Library specifying Chinas requirements for certifying U.S. beef being shipped there.

These actions are part of the U.S.-China 100-Day Action plan announced on May 11 by the Trump administration to resume exports of U.S. beef to China.

China has emerged as a major beef buyer in recent years, with imports increasing from $275 million in 2012 to $2.5 billion in 2016, according to USDA figures. However, the United States has been banned from Chinas market since December 2003 due to a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. Even without access to the Chinese market, the United States remains the worlds fourth largest beef supplier at more than $5.4 billion in exports for 2016.

U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Philip Seng said his members are eager to start exporting beef to China after being shut out of the market for more than 13 years.

However, he warned, It is important to note that the market-opening agreement includes requirements that will involve a period of adjustment for the U.S. industry. Meeting these requirements will add costs and this will mean that U.S. beef is priced at a premium compared to other suppliers in the market.
"Having run his own small business in country NSW for eight years before he was elected to Parliament, the minister felt it was important to start in the regions, because regional people have often not had the same access to different government agencies as small businesses in the cities do.
It is around 7 p.m. on the Saturday of U-M graduation weekend, and fourteen of the Fleetwood Diners eighteen seats are filled, plus four outside. Waitress Dayna Logerquist, the lone server on duty, keeps chaos at bay. The twenty-nine-year-old zips and darts around the twelve-by-twenty-foot eatery in a balletic performance of nonstop motion and diligent grace, bends over seated diners to pour drinks, wipes a table, and directs new arrivals. Never sit at a dirty table, she tells a party of five thats waiting. It takes me twice as long to clear it if youre there.

She ducks behind the counter to wash cutlery till the dishwasher starts, grabs a mop to clean up a spilled water glass, brings a party of four their water, cutlery, and menus, clears another table left by breakfast food eaters, dashes to the register to cash out customers, pivots to screw the lid on the jar of tzatziki sauce, pops it back in the fridge, and, while slamming the door with her hip, scans its contentsall the while monitoring the status of her orders as the cook places them on the counter. The pace doesnt stop, and neither does she.



The narrow boxcar of a restaurant has been at the southwest corner of Liberty and Ashley since 1949, when it started life as the Dagwood DinerLogerquists maternal grandmother, Myrtle Mabry, worked there briefly. Its been part of Ann Arbors restaurant counterculture for decades, frequented by hippies, professors, skateboard punks, the homeless, Wall Street Journal readers, and those simply craving its famous Hippie Hash.

Logerquist went to elementary school in Ann Arbor, moved to Baltimore with her family, and returned nine years ago. Her hair long and dyed bright magenta, she usually sports dark black rectangular glasses, deep red lip gloss, and leather wrist bracelets, today paired with blue jeans and a black scooped-neck T-shirt underneath a purple and black flannel shirt. Her look can bring to mind Bettie Page, and shes done some modeling as the 1950s pinup over the years.

Logerquist came by the job in an appropriately Fleetwood-ian manner: I was in there hungover one morning and learned they needed help. It took me two weeks to convince them to hire me. She says the toughest times are the crowded weekend breakfast shift and the thirteen-hour overnight marathon. Most nights, she averages somewhere between $170 and $250 in tips.

She juggles waiting tables with a second job selling clothes at Briarwoods Hot Topic. A lot of my friends think Im crazy to work the Fleetwood, she says, but it pays my bills. Im about to take my first vacation in ten years, and it also got me out from under $5,000 in debt that piled up while she was working less lucrative serving jobs and taking classes at Washtenaw Community College.

Logerquist commands the diner with her voice. She calls out a cheery hello to new arrivals and communicates quickly when there will be a wait. You have to know how to take a stage, she says, as if youre doing theater.

As for bad customersdrunk, rude or otherwiseLogerquists secret is elementary, literally so: You treat them like children. You have to know how much to put up with them, and I only put up with it to a certain level. Recently she had a six-top whose customers had beers in a cooler and got belligerent when she told them to put away the brews. When they threatened to trash her on Yelp.com, she let everyone know who was boss, telling them, Ive got some balls, wanna see them?

I hang out with a lot of guys, so thats where I get some of my attitude, she explains with gusto. I used to be a lot nicer before I started working at the Fleetwood.

Her stable of fans likes her just as she is. Shes high energy and awesome, says regular Kevin Brown, who works nearby at Pizza Pino. She always makes my day better. Watching Logerquist, he says, motivates him to deal better with the occasional off-key guest on his own job: If she can treat her customers great, so can I.

Tough as it is, she likes being the only server, with just her and the cook running the whole place. I cant work at other restaurants with other staff, she confides to a regular seated at the counter. I dont like sharing the responsibility.

When its one-on-one, you have to depend on yourself more, she explains. Shes got plenty of experience taking charge: By the age of thirteen, she was doing the laundry and getting dinner on the table for her family of five. Ive always been a hard worker, she says. Growing up, on my chore charts in my home I did all the kids choresmy own and my two other siblings.

At the Fleetwood, doing everything herself means that a lot of the time Im crazy with multitasking. And Im counting too. I count people walking in, see where they sit, and I go by who sat down first. Im always paying attention to what do we need, what needs to get done?' She always strives to leave the Fleetwood in better shape than she finds it, prepping coffee, filling ketchup bottles and salt and pepper shakers. Im not an asshole.

Asked how long shell keep it up, she guesses, Five years, but it depends on when Im sick of this state. I want to run my own restaurant someday. Diner-esque, but a little more modern. More chill.

Meanwhile, shell keep the Fleetwood on an even keel. Part of her motivation: I think of the beer at the end of the night, how good thatll be.
Armenia and Estonia plan to develop cooperation in various domains.

June 13, 2017, 12:46 Nalbandian: Armenia and Estonia plan to develop cooperation in various domains

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 13, ARTSAKHPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Tuesday said the abovementioned at a joint news conference with his Estonian counterpart Sven Mikser, who is in capital city Yerevan on an official visit, News.am reports.

In Nalbandians words, during their talk they exchanged views, a readmission agreement was signed, and they discussed the avenues for expanding trade and economic cooperation.

Also, the parties spoke about cultural cooperation, and agreed to enhance cooperation within international organizations and hold consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

In addition, the interlocutors reflected on the fight against terrorism and flow of immigrants.

Furthermore, the Armenian FM briefed his Estonian colleague on the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) peace process.

As per Edward Nalbandian, it is important that the Estonian FM is in Armenia ahead of Estonias assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) because Armenia plans to sign an agreement with the EU in November; that is, during this presidency. He noted that in this context, they conferred on the prospects for development of relations with the EU.
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.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has released an employment notification for the positions of Specialist Medical Officers (Deputy Commandant), Medical Officers (Assistant Commandant) and Dental Surgeon(Assistant Commandant) in Central Armed Police Forces (BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB and Assam Rifles).

Vacancy details

Total posts: 762

Name of the posts:

Specialist Medical Officers (Deputy Commandant): 232

Medical Officers (Assistant Commandant): 428

Dental Surgeon (Assistant Commandant): 102

Junior Engineer: 4

Eligibility criteria:

Educational requirement:

For Specialist Medical Officers:

The candidates interested in applying for this post should be holding a recognized medical qualification of allopathic system of medicines included in the first or second schedule or Part-II of the third schedule (other than licentiate qualification) to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and post graduate degree/diploma in the concerned specialty.

For Medical Officers:

The candidates interested in applying for this post should be holding a recognized medical qualification of allopathic system of medicines included in the first or second schedule or Part-II of the third schedule (other than licentiate qualification) to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

For Dental Surgeon:

The candidates interested in applying for this post should be holding a degree (bachelor of dental surgery) from a recognized university/institution and should be registered with Dental Council of India.

Age limit:

For Specialist Medical Officers:

The age of the candidates applying for these posts must not exceed 40 years.

For Medical Officers:

The age of the candidates applying for these posts must not exceed 30 years.

For Dental Surgeon:

The age of the candidates applying for these posts must not exceed 35 years.

Pay scale:

For Specialist Medical Officers:

The selected candidates will be getting a monthly salary of Rs 67,700 to Rs 20,8700.

For Medical Officers:

The selected candidates will be getting a monthly salary of Rs 56,100 to Rs 17,75,00.

For Dental Surgeon:

The selected candidates will be getting a monthly salary of Rs 56,100 to Rs 17,75,00.

How is the Selection procedure done?

The candidates will be selected on the basis of an interview and medical examination.

How to apply?

The candidates interested in these posts are required to send their applications in a prescribed format along with all other relevant documents to 'The Deputy Inspector General (RECTT.), Medical Officer Selection Board (CAPFs) - 2016 HQ DG CRPF, Block N0. 01, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003.'

For more details, visit the official website.

Also read: CRPF Recruitment: Apply For Medical Officer Posts
After two years in felony drug treatment court, Brandon Hinman will be returning to Cayuga County criminal court.

Hinman was initially scheduled to appear before Judge Michael McKeon Monday morning for drug court. However, the 34-year-old Weedsport native will now have his case heard before Judge Thomas Leone in criminal court later this week.

Following the premature birth of his twin daughters and the unexpected death of his wife, Jenna, Brandon Hinman was convicted of stealing nearly $50,000 in funds in 2015  funds that were raised for his family's medical expenses. He was sentenced to six months in jail and five years probation, provided he pay restitution, complete felony drug court and fulfill his duties as a father.

Now, two years later, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Hinman has not held up his end of the bargain, violating the conditions of his probation several times.

Hinman's first violation of probation occurred only two months after his initial release from jail when he was arrested and charged with driving with a suspended license in December 2015. Then, early last month, Hinman was remanded to Cayuga County Jail pending another violation of probation petition.

According to Budelmann, Hinman's latest petition consists of nearly a dozen violations, including missed probation meetings, continued drug use and failure to appear in court. Both the district attorney and Hinman's in-laws have said they now would like Hinman to serve prison time for the violation.

Hinman has been incarcerated at the Cayuga County jail without bail since May 15. He is due to appear in criminal court with Judge Leone at 8:15 a.m. Thursday, June 15.
Weve all raised an eyebrow or two while watching those Real people, Not actors commercials, where automakers try to convince us that regular folk really dig their products.



In order to offset all of that, this parody from Zebra Corner has this regular guy called Mark (or Maahk, since hes probably from Boston) call everyone out while poking fun at people born in the early 80s and mid 90s.

In other words, its Maahk against Millennials and hes not holding anything back. Hes going after their style, their hobbies and so on. Of course, its all stereotypical, but thats what makes it funny.

Finally, when the 2016 Chevy Cruze is revealed, he challenges the fact that anyone might like it, while blasting it for not being sufficiently stylish and fast, saying that it doesnt really have any redeeming features, among other things.

Having said that, our own Zac Estrada kind of liked the 2016 Cruze, so maybe we need to get those two guys in a room and see who wins.

VIDEO
Looking for something exotic, but dont have hundreds of thousands to spend? Then you might want to check out this Alfa currently up for grabs on Bring A Trailer.



Its a 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ  one of the most unusual vehicles ever produced by the Italian automaker or by Zagato. Its one of only 1,036 made, and only 100 that were originally exported to Japan  but has since made its way to Vermont (hence the green plates), and is now listed for sale in northern California.

Shorthand for Sprint Zagato, the Alfa SZ was based on the Alfa Romeo 75 sedan, but was fitted with far more unusual bodywork that could only have emerged from the early 1990s. Power came from a 3.0-liter V6 rated at 210 horsepower, driven to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual.

Presented in highly original (though not concours-quality) condition, this 585th example made has about 33,000 miles on the clock, and has undergone proper servicing. Bidding (as we write these words) stands at $40,000 with four days left to go before the virtual gavel drops.

Photo Gallery
Among the more anticipated feature screenings at Annecy this year is the world premiere of Mutafukaz, which will take place on Tuesday evening.

An English-subbed trailer for the film was released today:

Based on the work of French comic artist Guillaume Renard (aka Run), the hyperviolent sci-fi dystopia marks a unique collaboration between Frances Ankama (Wakfu, Dofus) and Japans Studio4C (Batman: Gotham Knight, Animatrix, Tekkonkinkreet).
Photo: RCAF

The pilot of a small plane that crashed in North Vancouver, Sunday, says he feels lucky to be alive.

Octavio Hernandez thanked those who came to his rescue, Monday, and recounted the dramatic events.



Hernandez tells Castanet he was flying from Tofino to Langley when he noticed a loss of power after passing the Lions Gate Bridge at about 2,000 feet.

That was followed "by a heavy, loud, rough sound on the engine."

He tried to restart the engine several times and declared a state of emergency over the radio while looking for a place to make an emergency landing.

"I thought to land on the highway ... at first, but since it took place right at rush hour, it made it very unsafe."

Hernandez started looking for a field or park to land in and spotted two, but they were "very busy with families having barbecues, picnics, and kids playing sports."

Rather than put people on the ground in danger, he attempted to land on West 1st Street, but at the last moment noticed electrical wires across his path and a fuel truck just turning the corner.

"We ended up getting hooked up by a cable ... which slowed us down, and we crashed into the fence. I believe now that actually helped us to absorb some of the impact."

He and his four passengers scrambled out of the plane through the broken windshield. One suffered a broken arm, the others were unhurt.

Transportation Safety Board investigators say the Cessna ran out of fuel.

Hernandez says he'll never forget the incident.



You know youre going to hit and youre just hoping its not going to be a horrible outcome, he told CTV. Something told me it was not going to end up bad.
Photo: North Vancouver RCMP

Five ducklings that were trying to cross the Trans-Canada Highway got a police rescue, Monday.

A passing motorist was concerned about the ducklings, as they were without their mother.

RCMP attended the scene to safely move the baby birds off the busy road.

The ducklings were scooped up and placed into the back of a police cruiser.

Officers took the ducklings to the Wildlife Rescue Association in Burnaby, where they are in good health.
AUBURN  A 26-year-old man will spend the next 14 years in prison for committing more than a dozen burglaries in Cayuga and Onondaga counties.

Steven Clark, of Baldwinsville, was sentenced to prison Tuesday morning in Cayuga County criminal court. Clark was one of four people charged in connection with 14 daytime residential burglaries.

Last summer, New York State Police arrested Clark and three others  Ashley Tremaine, 27, of Baldwinsville; Laura Young, 34, of Elbridge; and Brian Vermette, of Baldwinsville  for 11 burglaries in Onondaga County and three burglaries in Cayuga County, all of which occurred between May 31 and June 9, 2016.

In February 2017, Tremaine and Young each pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree burglary in Cayuga County, saying they acted as lookouts for Clark while he broke into homes in Sennett and Cato.

Then, in April, Clark pleaded guilty as well.

During his plea, Clark told Judge Mark Fandrich how he stole around $900 in cash from a home on County Line Road in Sennett. He also said he stole jewelry from two homes in Cato, one on Bonta Bridge Road and another on Jordan Road.

Clark was initially charged with four felonies and three misdemeanors. However, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann allowed him to plead guilty to three felony counts of second-degree burglary in full satisfaction of the indictment.

A second felony offender  previously convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance in July 2012  Clark could have faced up to 15 years in prison. But, as a condition of his guilty pleas, Clark was sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years post-release supervision.

Fandrich said Clark's sentence would run concurrent to a 12-year prison sentence out of Onondaga County, where he pleaded guilty in March.

"I'd like to apologize to the victims and to the court," Clark said at sentencing Tuesday.

"You're a young man," Fandrich responded. "I hope you're able to turn your life around after you pay your debt to society."
Photo: Contributed Proposed site of compost plant in Marron Valley

Boundary Similkameen MLA Linda Larson has come out opposed to a regional compost and biosolids plant proposed for the Marron Valley.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen recently wrapped up public consultation on the project, with a property on PIB territory in the Marron Valley being considered alongside the Summerland landfill.

The RDOS is looking to move the organic compost facility out of the increasingly cramped Campbell Mountain Landfill, with the possibility of moving wastewater treatment sludge compost operations with it.

Summerland council has received a barrage of emails opposed to the idea there, while residents in the Marron Valley, while fewer in numbers, are just as opposed.

My job is to represent those people, and the people have spoken quite clearly, and quite loudly, said Larson, whose constituents have been voicing concerns about odour and traffic in the area.

Larson says she sees the value in the facility, but would like to see the other options studied by the RDOS which did not make the shortlist.

There is bound to be other locations accessible by road that would be suitable for this, up and out of the valley, she said, implying that the plant doesnt fit in Summerland either.

If you cannot sit outside of your home, then your quality of life just got shot, she said.

The RDOS would need the approval of Summerland council if they wanted to place the facility there, so the Marron Valley location is viewed as the favourite.
Photo: Mike Biden Crews at work in Penticton on Sunday

While crews with the City of Penticton are still working to armour the waterfront of Okanagan Lake, preliminary planning is starting for the massive cleanup to follow.

Penticton Fire and B.C. Wildfire crews have placed well over 100,000 sandbags along Okanagan Lake, protecting infrastructure such at the walkway along Lakeshore Drive.

Chief Administrative Officer Peter Weeber says the city should be fully funded by the province for the cleanup, but logistical challenges remain.

For one, sandbags will need to be removed and trucked away to a dump site; a possible a gravel pit or other area of city property. Environmental regulations prohibit simply cutting open the bags and dumping the sand on the beach.

Weeber says the City of Penticton has two teams, one for the high-water response and another for demobilization, as the water starts dropping, they will start getting the resources together.

He says the city will start formalizing its cleanup plan next week.

Once the water is low enough, the city is also going to hold a community cleanup, allowing residents to help clear the beaches of debris.

In a news release Monday, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen also noted that advance planning for the removal of sandbags is underway. The RDOS also asks residents to stay off sandbag walls and tiger dams in the meantime.
Photo: Contributed View of proposed Sunset Drive development from Knox Mtn.

At one time, it was supposed to be a hotel.

Now, it's just a large mound of dirt, the only visible signs of not one, but two failed construction projects more than a decade ago.

The lot, at Sunset Drive and Water Street, is now home to party goers, drug users and the homeless.

That could soon change if council approves an application to rezone the property for a mixed-use development.

Council took the first step, giving the rezoning application first reading Monday. It now goes to a public hearing before rezoning becomes official.

The applicant, North American Development Group, is proposing two towers on the property stretching 29 and 36 storeys.

However, the size of the towers and the scope of the project were not up for discussion Monday.

"The intensity of development is under consideration with this rezoning application," said city planner Adam Cseke.

"Supporting this land use change does not necessarily show support for the applicant's proposed height variance. Those will all be analyzed at a future date."

That point was driven home again by both Mayor Colin Basran and Coun. Charlie Hodge later during the discussion.

In terms of zoning, Coun, Luke Stack said he's kind of encouraged to see the project come forward.

"Many, many years ago when Waterscapes was first proposed, I think the original concept was we would see multiple towers along Sunset," said Stack.

"We were disappointed only one tower was proposed at that time. We've been sitting, kind of waiting for many years for this street to develop and bring forth its potential."

Stack said changing the zoning, with towers, will be beneficial for downtown.

Stack said the big issues for him, if the towers are supported, is view corridors, and the interface between the lower podium and the street.

"To me, as a pedestrian, whether I'm looking at a 26, 27 or 28 storeys, it's actually the interface with the street that's the critical part in my mind.

"But, I think, having a more intense use on this site is appropriate for where it's located in our downtown core, and how it will fit in with the other towers that are proposed."

Basran said this is an exciting first step for a prominent piece of land that residents have been waiting a long time for something to happen on.
Photo: CTV

A landscaper told a Kelowna court about finding a gun in some bushes weeks after a gang leader was fatally shot nearby.

Bobcat operator Joel Whitsel testified in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday, saying he originally thought what he had found in the bushes on Nov. 1, 2011, was a badly rusted paintball gun.

"I stopped to relieve myself, went over to the junipers to do that, and noticed it in there," he said.

The landscaping crew examined the item and determined it was a real firearm, with a magazine still in the clip, Witsel said.

"It looked like an AK-47," he said, adding that his knowledge of what such a weapon looks like came from movies and video games.

He said the gun was then turned over to police.

Court heard that the site where Whitsel was working was about three kilometres from the hotel where Red Scorpion leader Jonathan Bacon was killed on Aug. 14, 2011.

Three other people were injured in the shooting, including a woman who was left paralysed.

Jason McBride, Michael Jones and Jujhar Singh Khun-Khun have been charged with first-degree murder in Bacon's death. Each of the men has also been charged with four counts of attempted murder.
Photo: Facebook

U.S. Senate candidate and outspoken same-sex marriage opponent Roy Moore is getting trolled on Facebook with hundreds of rainbow flag emojis.

Critics of the suspended Alabama Supreme Court justice flooded his campaign's Facebook page with the symbol for gay pride. The rainbow flag reaction emoji was unveiled on Facebook for LGBT pride month in addition to the "like" and other buttons. The symbol was attached to every recent post and most comments on his campaign's Facebook page.

Moore's campaign manager said he was not concerned about it.

"It's sad so many on the left want to attack him personally. But we're not worried about it. People know that Judge Moore believes that marriage is between one man and one woman and that he won't break under pressure. That's exactly why he's going to win this election," campaign manager Rich Hobson said.

Moore was suspended as chief justice of Alabama's high court after a judicial discipline panel ruled he urged 68 probate judges to defy the U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing gays and lesbians to marry. He resigned to run for Attorney General Jeff Sessions' former Senate seat.
Photo: CTV

Animal advocates say they have opened an investigation into "absolutely sickening" alleged animal abuse by a chicken-catching service in Chilliwack.

B.C. SPCA spokeswoman Marcie Moriarty says the agency has launched a formal investigation after receiving undercover video that allegedly shows multiple workers throwing, hitting, dismembering and killing the birds, and forcing the animals into violent sexual acts with each other.

She says the workers were hired to round up chickens for transport to a slaughter plant in Port Coquitlam.

Moriarty says the footage was shot by a non-profit animal advocacy group between May 10 and June 9.

Investigators with the B.C. SPCA are now working on a report that will be forwarded to Crown counsel and Moriarty says they will be recommending multiple charges of animal cruelty under both the Criminal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

She says if the individuals are convicted, they face a fine up to $75,000, a maximum five-year prison sentence and could be banned for life from owning or being around animals.
Photo: Okanagan Rail Trail Construction on the Okanagan Rail Trail will begin in the fall.

The first phase of construction on the Okanagan Rail Trail will begin sometime this fall.

That, according to Andrew Gibbs, inter-jurisdictional development team project manager for the Rail Trail project.

Gibbs gave Kelowna city council an update Monday on where the project sits.

As per the purchase agreement signed two years ago, Gibbs says all deconstruction and remediation work have been successfully completed by CN Rail.

"Preliminary design is underway. We are expecting it to be complete by the end of July, and we will update the cost estimate at that time,"said Gibbs.

"As part of the preliminary design, we will have a public consultation process in each community."

He says following the design process, the project will be put out to tender.

"Construction will have to begin then (fall) because we have a number of grants, some of which are due at the end of November, and some at the end of March next year.

"It's very much a fast-track project for the first phase. It will be undertaken in phases, largely due to funding and permitting."

Gibbs says the scope of the trail remains the same. A basic trail, 4.6 metres wide, using compacted aggregate along the whole width and the whole length.

The first phase in Kelowna will run from Dilworth Drive out to Airport Way. And, while it will be done in compacted aggregate, Gibbs says the city's transportation group are contemplating a budget request for 2018 to asphalt that section.

As for fundraising, Gibbs says more than half of the anticipated $7.6 million required has been raised through the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative.
Photo: Weather Channel Tropical Storm Calvin has hit southern Mexico.

Tropical Storm Calvin lashed parts of southern Mexico with rains and high winds on Monday before making landfall along a coastal stretch near beach communities popular with tourists.

Mexico's National Water Commission reported that the storm touched land in the early evening just east of the town of Ayutla, in Oaxaca state.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm's centre was about 40 miles (70 kilometres) west-southwest of Salina Cruz late Monday, and it was moving northwest at 5 mph (7 kph).

It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) but was expected to weaken as it continued heading inland.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the coast from Salina Cruz to Laguna de Chacahua, and the centre said further heavy rains and flooding were expected.

Forecasters said Calvin is expected to dump 5 to 10 inches of rain across Oaxaca, Guerrero and Chiapas states with higher isolated accumulations possible, threatening landslides and flash floods.

Tropical Storm Beatriz soaked the same area with torrential rains in early June.

Calvin is the third tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season, which began May 15.
Photo: Contributed RCMP say the CRA scam has intensified in Kelowna.

RCMP in Kelowna are again warning the public about what is known as the Canada Revenue Agency scam.

Police says the scam has resurfaced in the Central Okanagan, and calls have intensified.

Callers, claiming to be from the revenue agency, threaten taxpayers, or scare them with aggressive and forceful language to scare them into paying a fictitious debt to the agency.

The caller will says they work for CRA and that taxes are owed. They will demand payment immediately with a credit card, or a pre-paid credit card.

The taxpayer is often threatened with court charges, jail, or deportation.

Police remind people these calls are fraudulent, and could result in identity and financial theft.

RCMP offer several tips about the CRA scam, including:

The CRA advises Canadians to confirm the status of their tax accounts before taking any action that may be the result of pressure from suspicious calls or emails, and to verify the legitimacy of the communication by contacting the CRA directly at 1-800-959-8281

The CRA will never request prepaid credit cards or iTunes gift cards, and it will not send emails containing details of a tax refund or Interac e-transfer payments

The CRA will never ask for information about your passport, health services card or drivers licence

The CRA will never leave personal information on your voice mail service

If you've shared personal information, contact Equifax and Trans Union to place fraud alerts on your account

If youve shared banking information with a scammer, contact your financial institution to place alerts on your accounts

If you receive this call, you do not need to contact the RCMP, simply hang up the phone.

Contact local police only if you have been victimized by this scam.
Photo: CTV

Police are investigating the discovery of a body inside a Vancouver Island apartment building.

Ryan Hendrick Young, 36, was found dead in a hallway at the Gala Vista apartments in Duncan.

Police combed the scene all weekend and were seen Monday digging through dumpsters.

Young's family says he didnt live in the building.

Our family is grieving, and Ryan was loved. Ryan was a gentle giant, willing to literally give the shirt off his back, they said in a statement.

The death is considered suspicious, police say.

Our priority now is to try to piece together the day and hours leading up to Mr. Young's death, Sgt. John Ferguson told CTV.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
The New York State Police is asking for the public's help locating two women and a child that have been missing since Monday.

The missing women are Jamie A. Bell, 34, and Melissa M. Avery, 26. Bell is 5 feet tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Avery is 5 feet tall and weighs 110 pounds. She has hazel eyes and brown hair.

Maryssa F. Houston, a 5-year-old girl, is also missing. She's four feet tall and weigh 37 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair.

State police say Avery's mother reported her missing and called authorities. Avery, Bell and Houston were planning to attend a barbecue Monday on Song Lake in the town of Preble, Cortland County.

The trio were traveling in a gray 2011 Ford Explorer. The vehicle's license plate is GYX-7740.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Avery, Bell or Houston should contact state police in Oneida at (315) 366-6000.
Photo: Twitter

German authorities say the number of Britons granted German citizenship quadrupled last year as Britain voted to leave the European Union, though they were still only a small fraction of newly naturalized Germans.

The Federal Statistical Office said Tuesday that 2,865 Britons became German citizens in 2016. That's 361 per cent more than in 2015 and the highest annual number yet measured for Britons.

Britons were, however, still a relatively small group. In all, 110,383 people were given German citizenship, a 2.9 per cent increase.

Turks were the biggest group, with 16,290 becoming German  a 17.3 per cent drop, following declines in previous years. Poles were the second-biggest, with 6,632.

Foreigners can apply for German citizenship after eight years' residence. Nationals of other EU countries and Switzerland can keep their existing passports.
Photo: The Canadian Press Defence Secretary Jim Mattis

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis blamed the inability of Congress to deliver an annual defence budget for what he called a shockingly poor state of combat readiness as the United States faces fierce rivals, including what he described as an "urgent and dangerous threat" from North Korea.

Testifying Monday night before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis took aim at lawmakers for repeatedly approving short-term spending measures that provide too little money and lack the authority the service branches need to prepare their troops for the battlefield.

Congress has "sidelined itself from its active constitutional oversight role," Mattis said. "It has blocked new programs, prevented service growth, stalled industry initiative and placed troops at greater risk." Despite support from the committee, Mattis said "Congress as a whole has met the present challenge with lassitude, not leadership."

Mattis said North Korea's "continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope." He called Pyongyang's programs to build weapons of mass destruction "a clear and present danger to all."
Photo: The Canadian Press A Bangladeshi woman mourns family members killed in a landslide.

Heavy rain triggered landslides that killed at least 68 people in southeast Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday, as police and soldiers struggled to reach the remote districts with aid.

It was not immediately clear if any villagers were still missing after large chunks of mud swept over thatched homes and settlements in three hilly districts on Monday.

Reports said scores of people were injured and the death toll could rise.

Military spokesman Rezaul Karim said several soldiers were killed while clearing debris and mud from a highway. Five injured soldiers were flown to a military hospital in Dhaka.

Rains that began early Monday had cleared by Tuesday, allowing rescuers to work faster in searching for survivors. But the firefighters, police and soldiers deployed to help were having trouble reaching some affected areas, said Reaz Ahmed, a senior disaster management official.

"The death toll could rise since many areas remain cut off," he said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and MP Dominic LeBlanc escort MP Arnold Chan in the House of Commons.

MPs in the Commons paused Monday to listen to an emotional speech by Ontario MP Arnold Chan, who spoke of his struggle with cancer while he appealed to his fellow parliamentarians for more civility.

As his parents, brother and wife looked down from the gallery, the Liberal from the Toronto-area riding of Scarborough-Agincourt delivered his moving remarks during what was supposed to be a debate on the economy.

"Use your head, but follow your heart," he told MPs during his remarks. "It is as simple as that."

"We can disagree strongly  in fact we should," he said.

"That is what democracy is about ... When we listen, we listen to one another despite our strong differences, that's when democracy really happens. That's the challenge that's going on around the world right now. No one is listening."
Photo: The Canadian Press

A new poll offers some insight into how American respondents see foreign leaders, including Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Americans have a more favourable than unfavourable view of Trudeau, according to the survey by Public Policy Polling.

It says he's viewed positively by 31 per cent of Americans, negatively by 20 per cent, and is unknown to almost half of respondents.

Trudeau's net-favourable rating of 11 per cent matched that of Angela Merkel, who was better known to respondents.

Their net favourables were better than the other leaders in the survey, France's Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Theresa May, and far better than U.S. President Donald Trump  whose net favourability in the poll was negative-14.
Photo: Denise Egan A dock washed up on Gyro Beach Monday.

The gradual recession of Okanagan lake continued again Tuesday.

As of 4:25 Tuesday morning, the lake level sat at 343.234 metres above sea level. That's a dip of six millimetres since Monday.

On Kalamalka Lake, the levels rose by about five millimetres to 392.414 metres.

The outflow from Mission Creek has picked up slightly from Monday, discharging water into the lake at about 20 cubic metres a second.

While lake levels and stream flows continue to lessen, officials with the Emergency Operations Centre continue to advise residents to leave all flood barriers in place.

Wind such as that experienced Monday and or a large rainfall, such as the Okanagan has seen over the past few months, could tax the strength of those barriers.

Cool temperatures are expected throughout the Okanagan for much of the week.

A few showers are forecast Tuesday evening with some rain again Wednesday, and Thursday.
Photo: Kate Bouey A city crew is fixing another sinkhole.

A City of Vernon crew is on the scene of a broken water main at 27 Avenue and 43 Street.

The break was reported Monday evening and was left overnight in a controlled state, according to a press release.

Members of the crew could be seen inside the large hole that looked at least 1.5 metres deep.

The westbound lane of 27 Avenue, between 41 Street and 43 Street, has been blocked while repairs are completed, with barricades and detour signs in place.

Drivers are asked to use 26 Avenue for travel and to obey all signs and flaggers.

Repairs are expected to be completed around 3:30 p.m.
Photo: Colin Dacre A taped off walkway between Woodlands Drive and Steward Place, June 12

The Penticton RCMP has released the female suspect arrested following Monday's domestic homicide on Woodlands Drive, without charge.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth said the victim, a 63-year-old man, was in a relationship with the woman at the time of the incident. Next of kin has not been notified yet.

Neighbours of the couple, who lived at 1154 Woodlands Drive, described the pair on Monday as reserved, who kept to themselves. Neighbours had never noticed police at the home prior to Monday morning.

They would squabble a bit, said a resident of the street. But nothing serious.

Police believe the homicide is an isolated incident, with no risk to public safety.

This is the third homicide of 2017 for the South Okanagan.
Photo: City of Vernon A new deputy chief has been hired at Vernon Fire Rescue.

There is another change at Vernon's firehall but this is good news.

The City of Vernon has hired a new deputy fire chief, Scott Hemstad, who fought during the Fort McMurray conflagration last year. He will be responsible for prevention, training and logistics with Vernon Fire Rescue Services.

Hemstad will be able to take some of the workload off of interim chief David Lind who was also hired as a deputy chief last November.

During his career, Hemstad served as a firefighter, rescue technician (high angle, confined space), paramedic and training officer. His most recent role was deputy fire chief for Stony Plain, Alberta.

Scott is well known amongst his colleagues as an effective fire service leader, said Lind. He has a reputation for enthusiastically transforming systems and programs with a focus on serving the community."

Hemstad holds a certificate in Fire Service Leadership as well as many other fire services credentials. He also also holds the designation of Safety Codes Officer and fire and life safety education.

During the fires in Fort McMurray, Hemstad led a team of firefighters in the early stages of the firewhen things were unpredictable, changing quickly and quite dangerous.

Meanwhile Fire Chief Keith Green remains on personal leave as he has since last autumn. Vernon's mayor said Green will be returning to his job.
Madison Erhardt

Kelowna's new downtown YMCA is almost ready for you to get your sweat on.

"We are excited to announce the opening of the new YMCA. It's an innovative strategic alliance between Interior Health and the YMCA. We are working together to help the community get more active," says general manager Karlene Sewell.

Sewell says IH and the YMCA are concerned that only 20 per cent of the population gets the required amount of physical activity.

"People should be getting 150 minutes per week. We both see this issue and we recognize the need to work more closely; and this is the perfect location for that," Sewell said.

The gym offers state-of-the-art equipment and is located inside the new IH office building on Doyle Avenue.

"We have treadmills, elliptical trainers, new cardio equipment, and a number of functional fitness areas for everyone to enjoy," Sewell added.

The downtown Y officially opens to the public on Thursday.
Photo: OK College CONNECT 2017 will run at Okanagan College Penticton on June 15

Okanagan College Penticton is hosting a public forum for immigrant job seekers and regional employers to meet, network and learn from each other.

CONNECT 2017 is being held by the South Okanagan Similkameen Local Immigration Partnership, and will include a workshop on diversity issues to the workplace, a resource and job fair, employer and immigrant panel discussions and a networking event.

Labour market studies show that the labour force in the South Okanagan Similkameen region is not growing fast enough to meet employers needs for workers and demonstrates that new immigrants are an important source of skilled and experienced workers, said Doug Holmes, SOSLIP Co-chair.

Employers and immigrants have indicated that they want to be part of the solution. CONNECT 2017 gives us the opportunity to bridge the conversation and learn more about newcomer barriers to employment.

The event is being held on Thursday June 15 from 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

More information can be found here.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Royal Canadian Air Force has resumed limited flights on its Cyclone helicopters after a software problem grounded the aircraft for nine weeks.

Col. Peter Allan, wing commander of the Shearwater base in Halifax, says the fleet of CH-148 helicopters that are used to train crew resumed flights on May 15 after being grounded on March 12.

The air force had said the Sikorsky-manufactured helicopters encountered a "severe bump" during a training flight on March 9, causing a sudden descent before the problem corrected itself and the pilot safely landed the plane.

Allan says the problem has since been determined to have been a software issue in the aircraft's flight control computer that caused a sudden restart of the system, and he says the problem will take about six months to remedy.

The colonel says while that is underway there are some limits on operations of the Cyclones, but they won't affect the ability of air crew to continue to train on them.

Overall, the air crew training has been set back one month, but Allan says he still expects the navy helicopters to start replacing the Sea Kings in the middle of next year.
Photo: PANow

Emergency officials say two children were injured in Northern Saskatchewan when they were doused with gasoline and set on fire.

Corey Ecarnot, with La Ronge EMS, says paramedics responded to a call on the Lac La Ronge First Nation early Sunday morning to treat an eight-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl.

Ecarnot could not say how serious the children's injuries were, but he noted that the boy needed to be flown to Saskatoon.

Police would only say that the two children were injured in an altercation with a third child, who was also under the age of 12.

They say the third child is too young to be charged, so officers are working with the Ministry of Child and Family Services.

La Ronge is about 380 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
Photo: Steve O'Neil Waves pound into a wall of sandbags along Pebble Beach in West Kelowna on Monday.

Crews are starting to remove sandbags and protective measures from some areas  but it does not mean flooding is finished.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says crews are repositioning protective measures from locations that are no longer under threat to those that need bolstering.

Locations may include those on public and private properties where emergency crews initially installed flood protection measures to protect public infrastructure, the EOC said in a release.

The sandbags and sand will be assessed for quality and if they can be repositioned.

Residents are being advised not to move anything and to keep their protection measures in place.

Okanagan Lake was at 343.237 metres above sea level on Tuesday morning, with a three-millimetre decrease since Monday.

Levels are expected to fluctuate, and ground water will continue to increase. A lake level drop does not indicate the peak has been reached.
Photo: Darren Handschuh A sentencing hearing was held Tuesday for a man accused of a 2015 drug lab fire.

UPDATE: 3:35 p.m.

A provincial court judge has sentenced a man who was severely burned in an illegal drug lab fire in Vernon to three years on probation with strict conditions.

Clearly it was agreed the explosion and fire were not planned or deliberate, said Judge Edmond de Walle, during the sentencing of James Karl Iverson.

In March, Iverson pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing bodily harm and arson by negligence in the Aug. 14, 2015 incident at an apartment building on Okanagan Avenue.

I am satisfied the accused has shown genuine remorse for the impact (his actions) had on others, said the judge, referring to verbal and written apologies to the court earlier Tuesday.

Iverson stood before the court as the sentencing was read out, some of his injuries clearly visible, including patchy hair and damaged ears.

Following the fire, he was in hospital for eight months and received 187 skin grafts, the court was told.

He has experienced significant scarring on his body (and) will be dealing with this for the rest of his life.

A friend who Iverson was making the hash oil with was also injured, with burns to 25 per cent of his body.

De Walle said Iverson had clearly put others in the apartment building in danger and pointed to the quick action of fire crews who tackled the blaze in the apartment unit.

He said Iverson's friend was a willing participant in the manufacture of the hash oil.

The accused is at very low risk of reoffending, said de Walle, who pointed to Iverson's minimal criminal record and believed this was a case for rehabilitation.

Conditions of the probation order include house arrest for six months between the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day, 50 hours of community work to be done in the first year and payment of $200 victim surcharges to his friend and the owner of the apartment.

Crown counsel has stayed three other charges.

ORIGINAL STORY: 12:50 p.m.

A man severely scarred in a 2015 illegal drug lab fire that damaged a Vernon apartment building awaits the judgement of the court.

I'd like to express my deepest regret that other people were affected by my negligent actions, James Karl Iverson, 24, said while standing before provincial court judge Edmond de Walle Tuesday morning.

In March, Iverson pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing bodily harm and arson by negligence.

The Crown is seeking an 18-to-24 month prison sentence plus probation while the defence has asked for a three-year suspended sentence, partly under house arrest.

The fire took place in the bathroom of a unit at 3413 Okanagan Avenue on Aug. 14, 2015.

Iverson and another man were attempting to make hash oil, according to both lawyers.

The two were engaging in a process whereby they were extracting marijuana oil from marijuana shake, said Juan O'Quinn for the Crown.

The two were using butane to process the marijuana oil leading to a significant amount of the gas in the small space and, when someone turned on the fan, there was an explosion and fire.

The explosion was so great, it reached into the ceiling and blew off some of the eaves, O'Quinn said, adding that $170,000 damage was caused to the apartment. Other tenants in the building were put in jeopardy that day as were his girlfriend's children (who were in the apartment).

Both Iverson and the other man present were severely burned.

Iverson suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of his body and damaged his esophagus and lungs, the court was told. After the fire, the accused was put on life support and into an induced coma for almost a month. His friend suffered burns to 25 per cent of his body.

The hash oil he was producing...was for their personal use only and had nothing to do with trafficking, said defence lawyer Nicholas Jacob, adding that Iverson's friend was part and parcel of producing the hash oil but is an unindicted co-accused.

Jacob said his client insisted he had no knowledge that children were in the apartment.

This fire has had a huge impact on his life, Jacob added. He requires constant care. There is visible scarring on his body, including his arms, legs and head....He's going to have those physical deformities for the rest of his life....He says he is in constant pain and says his skin is very brittle and sometime tears.

In a separate, written statement, Iverson said he was sorry for his reckless actions.

I never meant any harm. If I could take every moment back leading up to the fire, I would, he wrote.

The judge is expected to rule on the case this afternoon.
Alanna Kelly

The search for two missing B.C. residents last seen taking off in a small plane in Cranbrook is still active in its sixth day.

The four-seater plane was expected to land in Kamloops on Thursday, but never arrived.

Cloud cover is adding to the difficult search that is being led by the Royal Canadian Air Force out of Kelowna Airport.

The search area is 150 nautical miles long, 30 nautical miles wide, there are other areas outside of that that we are searching, but the cloud cover has returned and that is adding some challenges to the search, said Capt. Dennis Power, 19th Wing public affairs officer.

The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and RCAF are scouring a large region for the Piper Warrior, and the mountainous terrain is making the search quite challenging.
Photo: RCMP Traci Genereaux

RCMP are seeking the publics help in locating a missing Vernon teen who has not been seen in more than a week.

Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said on June 9, police received a request to locate 18-year-old Traci Genereaux.

Genereaux was last heard from on May 29.

Family report that this is unusual behaviour for Traci and investigators are requesting the publics help in finding her, said Moskaluk.

Genereaux is described as 18 years old, Caucasian female, 4'11", 95 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

If you have any information about Traci Genereaux or where she might be, please contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171, or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, said Moskaluk.
Photo: Contributed - Stacy RCMP block off Leon Avenue After a stabbing Thursday night.

Kelowna RCMP are investigating after a man was sent to hospital with stab wounds Thursday night.

Just after 8 p.m. Kelowna RCMP received a report of an assault with a weapon on Leon Avenue near Water Street. A Kelowna man had suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries after allegedly being stabbed by a Kelowna woman on the street.

Apparently, a verbal argument between the two precipitated the altercation. The two were known to each other from a prior relationship. The man has been taken to hospital for his injuries and the woman is currently in police custody.

The investigation is ongoing and no further details are available at this time.

Anyone with any information who has not yet spoken to police is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online or by texting to CRIMES (274637) ktown.


Growing sales and property tax revenue, money for law enforcement pay raises and the addition of 11 new full time positions will all be part of a final 2018 budget for Coconino County that supervisors will decide on later this month.

The nearly $193 million budget includes $2.7 million in projected tax revenue increases that will be funneled to employee pay increases, rising health benefit costs and several recurring service improvement requests, including a community cleanup voucher program, employee tuition assistance and voting system maintenance.

The primary focuses in this year's budget were employee compensation, and specifically law enforcement compensation, new facilities such as the downtown courthouse and technology improvements, said Mike Townsend, deputy county manager.

Next years budget will also seek to increase the amount of property tax revenue the county can collect by 2 percent, which is the maximum allowed by state statute each year. Taking into consideration an increase in assessed values, the countys increased levy amount means the owner of a $300,000 home would see an increase of about $4.20 in their primary property tax next year.

Among the 11.5 new positions the county is adding to its payroll of 1,073 employees will be a new economic development manager at an annual cost of about $77,000 and a part-time diversity and inclusion officer at an annual cost of about $30,000.

The need for an economic development manager has come to the fore with the impending closure of Navajo Generating Station, though that person would work on a variety of other issues across the county as well, said Townsend and Bonny Lynn, the countys finance director. Its a position that Arizonas major counties have as well, Townsend said.

A diversity officer will be involved in hiring and workplace culture with the aim of making the countys workforce more representative of community demographics, Lynn said.

Four of the other new positions will be in the county's health department, including a division manager and an injury prevention health coordinator.

The new positions are on top of 10 employees that were added to the countys workforce last year.

All county employees will receive a 2.5 percent market adjustment pay raise under next year's budget and will be eligible for another 2.5 percent merit increase. On top of that, the board approved an additional $90,000 to be spent on pay raises to help recruit and retain law enforcement officers.

There are shortages of law enforcement officers nationwide and Lynn said it can be even more difficult to recruit candidates for a job in this county because it often requires many hours spent alone, patrolling the remote reaches of the jurisdiction.

Of 43 uniformed field deputy positions, Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll said seven of those are currently unfilled. Another 11 are filled by newer employees who are still going through the 11 months of required training. Driscoll confirmed that his department struggles to hire and retain deputies and said many times it relates to pay.

In another effort to improve workplace culture, the county is putting $50,000 toward professional development training that promotes workplace fulfillment, individual leadership and employee ownership of the organizations work, Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta said.

Other budget expenditures include:

$35,000 more for Community Service's Rental, Mortgage, Move-in and Eviction Prevention program

$60,000 for a county youth program like summer employment

$500,000 for a new financial accounting system that will be added to $2.5 million set aside last year for the same purpose

$4 million more set aside for the city-county courthouse project, added to the $5 million the county set aside last year

$86,000 for a one-year contract with a lobbying firm in Washington D.C.

$18,000 for Community Services Senior Nutrition and Transportation to maintain service levels

The budget also accounts for about $500,000 in costs or unfunded responsibilities that state legislators have shifted from the state to counties since 2008 as well as a projected $500,000 property tax loss due to the expected closure of Navajo Generating Station. The elimination of federal funding under the Secure Rural Schools program, which has amounted to $3 million to $4 million in recent years, is another expected hit to the budget.

The public health services district, which has struggled to ward off an impending deficit, has pushed off going into the red to 2019. But a cap on the amount it is allowed to increase its tax collections along with a reduction in state and federal grant money has made it difficult for the health district to get on stable financial ground, said Megan Cunningham, assistant finance director with the county.

Decisions are having to be made year by year, she said.
India producers refute cartel allegations

13 June 2017

Representatives from various cement companies on Friday denied that they formed a cartel to artificially hike prices, saying market dynamics decide the prices, not the companies.



There have been allegations of cartelisation and unjustified prices in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the south of the country from builders after a steep hike in prices in the two markets recently.



"Price hikes have to be factored in the context of price volatility, escalating costs and low capacity utilisation, Rakesh Singh, Executive President, India Cements Ltd, told reporters on Friday. The industry costs have been much higher than the margins, he added. (Source: Business Line, India)

Published under
Asia Cement denies Hualien mine expansion

13 June 2017

Asia Cement Corp has denied that it has been expanding mining operations in Hualien County, Taiwan, following accusations by a filmmaker that mining has intensified at the site, the Tapei Times reports.



Documentary filmmaker Chi Po-lin made the comments in May 2017 whilst filming a sequel to his aerial photographic documentary Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above. Chi subsequently died in a helicopter crash last Saturday but his aerial footage of the Sincheng site has resulted in widespread criticism of the Asia Cement's mining activities at the township which includes a 25ha quarry in Taroko National Park.



Asia Cement says it has slowly been reforesting the active mining site since 2012. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has also released time-lapse photography supporting the cement producer.



The quarry, which is partly located in a national park, supplies one of the countrys largest cement plants. Its mining lease was set to expire in 2017 but was extended until 2037. The Environmental Protection Administration has also issued assurances that quarry excavations will not occur within the national park area.



We have been conducting a large-scale afforestation project in the region for several years and the efforts have begun to bear fruit, the company said in a statement.



Asia Cement has been mining in eastern Taiwan for 60 years. Its mine once extended 25ha into Taroko National Park, but it said it reduced its mining area in the park at the end of last year.



The Ministry of Economic Affairs in March approved an extension of Asia Cements mining rights in Sincheng Township by 20 years, allowing it to bypass an environmental impact assessment.



The ministry has completed the draft amendment to the Mining Act and would require outdated projects to pass environmental impact assessments in the future, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs, Shen Jong-chin, said yesterday.



The ministry is to discuss related details with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Mr Shen said.



The Department of Mines cautioned in a statement that the nations cement supply chains might be affected if Asia Cement halts production at its Hualien plant. The Hualien plant contributes nearly 29 per cent of Taiwans total cement production, it said.





Published under
PHOENIX  An Arizona utility can't escape being sued for anti-trust violations for the rates it sets solely because it's a quasi-governmental entity, at least not now  if ever, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by attorneys for Salt River Project that SolarCity cannot challenge its pricing system. The appellate judges said they have no authority to consider the finding of a trial judge in Phoenix who said the challenge should be allowed to go ahead.

While Monday's ruling is specific to SRP and its claims of immunity from suit, the implications could be broader.

Unless overturned on appeal, it means SRP ultimately could have to defend in court the rates it charges customers who want to generate their own electricity.

That could lead to rulings on how broad is the ability of utilities, all of who are monopolies, to set rates in a way that could harm other companies. And that, in turn, could impact efforts by other Arizona utilities to increase costs to solar customers.

SRP spokesman Scott Harelson said an appeal is possible.

We would argue that ours is a statutory pricing process and that the courts have no business setting rates, he told Capitol Media Services. But Harelson said if the case goes to court, the company believes its rate structure  and the additional charges imposed on solar customers  can be justified.

That's the same argument that is being advanced by utilities like Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy which have pending rate hike requests.

Arizona Public Service has reached a settlement with SolarCity and other solar companies. But that deal is contingent on review by a hearing officer and final approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Central to the debate is whether customers who install their own rooftop solar units and generate some of their own power are effectively being subsidized by others.

Attorneys for SolarCity contend SRP's new pricing plan approved last year amounts to a substantial penalty on customers.

Because solar customers are unable to completely disconnect from SRP's grid  they still need power in the evening hours and at other times when their energy demands exceed what their solar energy systems produce  they cannot escape SRP's penalty, the lawsuit contends.

That penalty, according to SolarCity lawyers, is about $600 a year, an increase of about 65 percent over prior rate plans. That compares with an average 3.9 percent increase for residential customers who buy all their power from SRP.

Customers recognize that SRP's new pricing plan leaves them with no choice: After the effective date of SRP's new plan, applications for distributed solar energy systems in SRP's territory fell by 96 percent, the lawsuit states.

All that, the lawyers contend, is part of SRP's illegal efforts to eliminate competition and violate anti-trust laws.

SRP, for its part, contends the fact that the rates were approved by its governing board precludes the SolarCity lawsuit. Its attorneys said there was the legally required notice and comment period, public hearings, a board vote and an opportunity to challenge the board's decision in state court, something SolarCity chose not to do.

Beyond that, Harelson said SolarCity can't rely on antitrust claims. He said those laws generally let businesses set their prices in a way that allows them to recover their costs, without regard to the impact of those prices on companies like SolarCity.

That contention, Harelson said, is backed by the policies adopted by the Arizona Corporation Commission  which regulates utilities other than SRP  which concluded that utilities should be able to recover the cost of serving any particular group and avoid shifting costs from solar customers to the rest of the customer base. But the exact amount of what that figure is has to be decided on a case-by-case basis.
PHOENIX  Citing state laws on epidemics, the state's top health official wants Gov. Doug Ducey to give her more powers to deal with opioid overdoses, including the ability to identify and track individual patients.

In a memo to the governor, Cara Christ wants daily reports of suspected cases of deaths from both prescription and non-legal forms of opiates. Christ told Ducey it will allow for real-time tracking of the severity of the epidemic.

But Christ also wants Ducey to order doctors to give her agency something on a daily basis it does not get now at all: reports of cases where someone has overdosed on the drug.

More to the point, Christ wants all health care providers to report patient-specific information about suspected opioid overdoses, including name, gender and date of birth if known.

This information will allow Arizona Department of Health Services to implement patient tracking, if necessary, she said in her memo to the governor.

Ducey is expected to sign the new executive order as early as today.

The request comes as health officials struggle to get a handle on not only the rapidly increasing use of the drug, both legally and otherwise, but a spike in deaths. Health officials report 790 people died of opioid overdoses last year, an average of more than two a day.

Thats a death rate per 100,000 people of about 11, but some parts of the state have less serious problems than others.

Coconino County was 12th among Arizona's 15 counties for opioid-related deaths in 2016. That year, there were a total of six opioid-related deaths countywide, or a rate of about 4 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the public health services district.

The district also reported that between 2010 and 2016, there were 49 opioid-induced deaths among residents in the county. Over those years, the number of opioid overdose deaths ranged from less than one per 100,000 residents in 2014 to about eight deaths per 100,000 2011.

Over the six-year period, 88 percent of opioid deaths involved a prescription opioid while 12 percent involved heroin.

State health agency spokeswoman Holly Ward said her boss believes that having more real-time data might help the health department figure out how to reverse the trend. But that still leaves the question of how having that information will make a difference.

That remains to be seen, that remains to be answered, she said. That's a fair question.

But Ward said it's a good starting point, particularly with data lagging as much as a year behind.

What we will be asking for will give us a much better picture that we just don't have right now, she said. And that, Ward said, should lead to some solutions that have so far eluded health professionals.

I don't think this is a situation where we already have the answer, she said.

We can try to make a lot of guesses, Ward explained. But she said that, without more data, they won't be very informed guesses.

That all deals with trends. But Ward said the nature of the problem  and the number of deaths  also requires individual patient tracking.

There is a solid correlation of how many times an opioid user has been admitted or taken to the hospital for an overdose before they die, she said. It's something like three times.

What patient tracking would do, Ward said, is enable someone to get to that patient sooner  before they die.

That would help us to potentially have intervention sooner, she said. In a public health emergency response, our goal is to save lives.

Ward said it might not be anyone from her agency that intercedes.

But it could be one of the many partners that would have that ability based on that data, she said.

She said none of this would lead to public release of anyone's name, citing federal laws protecting individual health records.

What Christ wants  and what Ducey is expected to order  is based on a section of law that gives the governor certain emergency powers in situations of bioterrorism, pandemic disease, highly infectious agents or biological toxins. That also includes any health condition due to epidemic.

In the public health realm, it's a widespread occurrence of disease, Ward said. And she said Christ has concluded that opioid abuse, as an addiction to a highly addictive pain killer, fits that definition.

She acknowledged that health officials also refer to things like alcoholism and obesity as a disease. But Ward said there's one thing that makes this different: the sharp spike in deaths, more than double what it was in 2012.

Now, this is getting to an area or epidemic proportion that policy and laws can't change alone, she said. Ward said once her agency has better data Christ then can make concrete recommendations to Ducey and the legislature of what else they should do in a bid to combat abuse.

Ward also said that Christ is not alone in deciding that opioid abuse is an epidemic. She said the federal Centers for Disease Control also classify the problem of opioid deaths as epidemic.
Fusion Risk Management, a Rolling Meadows-based software company that helps businesses prepare for disasters and continue on afterward, has raised $41 million in funding, the company announced Tuesday.

Co-founder and CEO David Nolan said the company will use the Series C funding to expand, reinforce its sales team and beef up its engineering and product development capabilities. This fundraising round will likely be the company's last, as it plans to "quickly move toward profitability," Nolan said.

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"We're very excited for growth prospects and adding to the team so we can continue to take advantage of market opportunities," he said. "From a balance sheet point of view, we'll have plenty of capital."

Fusion Risk Management, which charges anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 a year for access to its software, helps businesses understand exactly how their buildings and people fit together as part of their overall operations. By dissecting how clients operate, Fusion is then able to help them avoid or minimize damages from tornadoes, fires, cyberattacks and other devastating events.

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When disasters do strike, the software also helps clients evaluate how they've been affected.

"If you have an organization, you have to understand how that organization actually works, so you can then understand how and where and why it might break," Nolan said. "Then you'll know exactly how to deal with and work around whatever happens."

In addition to its Rolling Meadows headquarters, Fusion Risk Management has an office in Chicago that it's currently expanding to better serve its growing business. In the past 30 months, the company has gone from 18 to 77 employees, according to Nolan; the company plans to add nearly 100 more employees over the next few years.

Fusion Risk Management has more than 165 clients, more than 70 of which are Fortune 500 companies, Nolan said. He said he could not name specific clients or comment on the company's revenue.

Nolan co-founded Fusion Risk Management in 2006 with a handful of partners who previously worked at a disaster-recovery firm called Comdisco before it was acquired by SunGard Data Systems Inc. Nolan and 10 angel investors provided an initial $2 million back when the company "was an idea and nothing more," he said. Those 10 other angel investors are now exiting with the Series C round, each walking away with roughly six times their initial investment, Nolan said.

SunGard is still among Fusion Risk Management's direct competitors, he said.

Catalyst Investors, a New York-based growth equity firm, led the Series C round, which was by far the company's largest. The company had previously only raised about $9 million.

Robert Holly is a freelance writer.

Twitter @robertwadeholly
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, left, speaks to the media accompaniedby House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on June 7, 2017, in Washington, D.C. They addressedhealth care and the Dodd-Frank Act. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

In Washington, a powerful movement is underway to kill the consumer protections and bank industry regulations that arose from the ashes of the 2008 financial crisis.

Perhaps you haven't heard much about it yet, considering some of the other political dramas and tweets dominating the news from our nation's capital.

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But it's time to pay attention.

Last week, the House approved a sweeping financial industry deregulation bill that guts the flawed, but necessary, 2010 Dodd-Frank law  a measure designed to crack down on the big banks and Wall Street's bad behavior.

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Backed by aggressive financial services interests including Illinois' two largest banking associations, this proposal is a prime example of anti-regulation overkill and unvarnished industry clout.

Instead of thoughtfully fixing Dodd-Frank's problems, the bill goes another way. It opens the door to abusive consumer lending practices and allows bankers to invest in speculative, risky deals without much fear of regulatory restraint or retaliation.

"I've never seen so many bad ideas jammed into one bill," said Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, during a committee hearing. Later from the House floor he labeled the legislation a "real stinker."

As you probably guessed, Lynch voted against the measure, but it passed 233-186. Only one Republican voted against it. No Democrats backed the effort, which now heads to the Senate, where some aspects are expected to be reworked.

There are so many unsettling aspects to this 589-page calamity, dubbed the Financial Choice Act of 2017, that it is a tough chore to describe all of them.

One of the most disturbing, however, is the essential dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The bill seeks to reduce the agency's independence by radically changing how the CFPB is funded. It also would greatly curtail its ability to discipline institutions for abusive behavior.

Instead of the bureau keeping its current financing through the Federal Reserve, it would be put into annual congressional appropriations and subject to the mercy of political whims and gyrations.

An effective "cop on the beat," the CFPB keeps a wary eye on lenders doing business with everyday people and stands apart from other banking regulators.

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CFPB's watchdog roster includes consumer banks, credit unions, credit card providers and small loan purveyors like payday and car title lenders. It also collects data on mortgage lending, which can identify redlining violations.

Last year, it fined California-based Wells Fargo Bank $100 million for its widespread, and illegal, practice of secretly opening unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts.

As we've seen with Wells Fargo, predatory lenders can surface anytime and anywhere.

Having an independent regulator dedicated to the multibillion-dollar business of consumer finance is an important hedge against taking advantage of people. It's also crucial to protecting the public's faith in the banking system, which has been rattled since the 2008 meltdown and is still recovering.

This legislation won't help folks on Main Street but it sure lends a hand to Wall Street's banks and investment houses.

On the bill's chopping block is the Volcker rule, named after former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, which insists that banks refrain from using a bank's money to back riskier investments like derivatives, commodity futures and options.

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The rule also curtails investing in hedge funds and private equity funds. These investments are typically where the big returns are found but they are also where the whopping losses can swiftly occur, notably when markets and the economy go into a tailspin and start racking up financial system casualties.

The idea behind the Volcker rule is to have a zone of safety for the banks' depositors, and ultimately the taxpayers, who had to back up the banks in 2008 when the stock market fell off the cliff.

I support the need to amend some of Dodd-Frank, especially as it applies to regional and community banks.

These lenders need greater relief from costly regulatory oversight and red tape. They should be encouraged to make solid loans to small and midsized businesses.

When it comes to finding workable solutions to improve Dodd-Frank, I think there's common ground between both sides of the political aisle.

This week, there's talk that President Donald Trump's Treasury Department will press for banking legislation that may be less sweeping than the Republican House bill's plan.

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But getting politicians to agree on a proper, middle course for anything is a rarity  even when many involved knows that's the wisest outcome.

Instead we're starting with this excessive House bill which, if passed into law, could end up hurting many people and unleashing the worst instincts of the banking industry.

As the congressman said, that's a "real stinker."

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @reedtribbiz
Herman Miller, inventor of the cubicle and the Aeron chair, launched a new smart chair and desk at NeoCon that tracks and reports your sitting activity to employers. June 13, 2017 (Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune) (Videolicious - Chicago Tribune)

The office of the future features unconventional open spaces, ergonomic products, and  coming soon from furniture designer Herman Miller  smart chairs and desks that track your every movement and report back to your boss.

Introduced this week at the NeoCon commercial interiors show at the Merchandise Mart, the Fitbit for the deskbound connects office workers and their posteriors to the internet, harvesting such data as when you sit, where you sit and how often you rise on command to stretch your legs.

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It can even tell if you're slouching, standing in for mothers everywhere by reminding you to sit up straight.

"No one has made an interaction between a chair and a desk," said Greg Bylsma, North American president of Zeeland, Mich.-based Herman Miller, perhaps best known for its ergonomic Aeron chair, whose distinctive design has become an office staple since its 1994 rollout.

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The platform, dubbed Live OS, works with an interactive sitting and standing desk, which launched this week, and a specially wired Aeron chair, which will be available in January.

For the chair, a static discharging thread already woven into the Aeron fabric is turned into a sensor that takes readings on seat position.

Per sitting and standing desk, the technology adds a $100 one-time hardware cost, with a yearly subscription fee of $60. Prices for the smart version of the chair have yet to be determined.

When paired with an app, the chair and desk will monitor your position, automatically adjust preferred settings as you switch to other work stations and nudge you with vibrations and cajoling messages to stand up at intervals throughout the day.

The latest innovation in the internet of things encourages healthier desk habits for employees while collecting new data for their employers, who can maximize the efficiency of office space by determining where and how people actually work  or don't.

Ryan Anderson, Herman Miller's director of commercialization for Live OS, said the data is "anonymized and aggregated," downplaying the notion that employers are watching your behind.

A Live OS sit/stand desk and chair are displayed June 12, 2017, in the Herman Miller space at the NeoCon commercial interiors trade fair at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The desk and chair are designed to monitor workers posture and encourage them to stand up during the workday. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

"If someone wanted to look at every desk and correlate (the data) with who sits there, they can do that," Anderson said. "The vast majority of folks we talk to want to measure the space, not the people."

Sales of the Aeron chair, which was "remastered" last fall, have been slumping in recent years as offices have evolved into unconventional open spaces with communal work areas.

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"What you're seeing is new modes of work popping up  hot-desking, standing work, collaborative-type cafes," said Todd Bracher, 42, a Brooklyn-based design strategist. "It's no more glass conference rooms, no more work stations. The younger generation doesn't want to work in that old, gray, cold environment any more."

The showrooms at NeoCon reflected the open-office evolution while repudiating the cubicle farms of old, a concept that also was invented by Herman Miller  more than 50 years ago.

"For the last 50 years, furniture companies have been giving us stuff that's kept us sitting in cubicles, at desks and chairs that don't move," said Robert King, founder and CEO of Humanscale, the 34-year-old New York-based furniture company. "Now we're finding out that sitting perfectly still in an isolated environment is one of the worst possible things you can do for your health and well-being."

Susan Lyons, president of Designtex, demonstrates a window-cloaking film at NeoCon that blocks LED screens. June 13, 2017 (Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune) (Videolicious - Chicago Tribune)

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, who left the news website in August to launch Thrive Global, a lifestyle and well-being website aimed at ending stress and burnout, was a keynote speaker at NeoCon on Monday.

"The connection between design and health and reducing stress is incredibly important," Huffington said in an interview after her speech.

Huffington touted everything from standing desks to green walls as beneficial to the modern office and its stressed-out workers. But she was most enthused about another innovation: napping pods.

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"People, if they are tired, can take a 10- or 20-minute nap instead of having another cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun," Huffington said.

Herman Miller executives are hoping the smart desk and chair platform will be the next big thing, but innovation sometimes can chart an unpredictable course.

Launched with high hopes as a user-friendly modular office solution in 1964, Herman Miller's cubicle concept descended into a dehumanizing layout parodied everywhere from "Dilbert" to "Office Space."

The cubicle eventually was disavowed by its creator, Herman Miller designer Robert Propst.

Herman Miller's Bylsma acknowledged the cubicle's tarnished legacy but didn't disown it, saying it provided a "great way to work" in decades past.

"We all know that 'Dilbert' has taken its fair shots at the cubicle, but like anybody, we're proud of our past innovation," Bylsma said. "And we think (the smart chair and desk) is another one that's going to take us to a new spot."

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Correction: An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect subscription price for the Herman Miller sitting and standing desk.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Leave businesses alone: How many times have your kids brought home letters from school saying that kids should go through the house to determine what shouldn't be there such as cigarettes, drugs and alcohol? Why should kids determine what should be in their house? By the same token, President Trump said that America will pull out of the Paris agreement. Why do we need the government to be involved in what businesses should do to combat global warning? It is not the government's function to dictate to businesses. If companies are going to follow the Paris agreement, we don't need to involve the government. Congratulations, President Trump. You got the government to leave businesses alone.

Correction about Nixon: I would like to say that President Trump's son-in-law was right. What Hillary Clinton said about President Nixon being impeached was wrong. Instead of being impeached, the coward resigned and ran.

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Riled about roundabouts: I totally agree with the person speaking about roundabouts. There is no place for pedestrians. Nobody knows how to use them. They stop when they are not supposed to stop or go when it says yield. It's a ridiculous situation. There was nothing wrong with putting up a three-way stoplight at the corner of Highland and Sullivan. It would have worked just fine. Has anyone tried to get through there when semis are using it? Whose bright idea was it that we should have roundabouts?

Stop singling out Aurora: I'm wondering why in the police blotter the only crimes listed are in Aurora. The Beacon-News goes to other cities along the valley. There have been things happening, especially something very bad that happened in North Aurora. It was never listed. Why can't they put in news about other cities along the river? Someone needs to check this out.

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Ticked off about TIF districts: The Beacon-News is not just for Aurora. We live in Batavia. I get The Beacon-News and read it every day except Saturday when it's not delivered. Batavia needs to be reported on. Batavia has five TIF districts. Aurora has a couple that I know of. Kane County has 120 TIF districts. The jig is up in Batavia. The TIFs are all broke, but Batavia has money that they give to developers while taxpayers are buckling under the pressure. Now Batavia wants to raise taxes to fix the storm sewers and do the work they should have been doing all along. The problem with TIF districts is any increase in taxes will mean an increase in TIF funds. Wake up, people. Start attending council meetings.

Vexed about Bull Valley drug bust: I just read about the drug bust in Bull Valley. I can't believe the guy had a 30-acre property and a 17,000 square foot mansion. They found all that cash and weapons, yet the bond was only $100,000. Who did he pay off? I'm a grandma, and I'm poor. I should have been a drug dealer. I could drive a Cadillac or Escalade and eat lobster every night. I could have an arsenal of weapons. This is a wake-up call for all you drug dealers. You are destroying our youth. The bond should have been $1 million.

Kudos to Carpentersville Fire Department: I want The Courier-News and all newspapers to know that there is nothing like the Carpentersville Fire Department. They are so efficient. I'm a heart patient and a diabetic. I have a lot of health issues. They gave me a Life Alert and showed me what to do. They are wonderful. I don't ever want to move now because I don't know what other villages are like and these guys are fantastic. Any time you need something, you better call them. They handle life and death situations all the time and they know exactly what to do. You will never find a better fire department than the one in Carpentersville.

Desire to drive: If there is climate change, you can be sure it is the billions of vehicles running day and night worldwide. No matter how advocates try to stop it, people will continue to drive.

Editor's note

Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.
In Egypt, in the 70s and 80s as men grew beards and women covered their hair, onlookers were surprised but accepting. After all it was a positive thingwas it not? to adhere to the broader guidelines of religion.

Envious that some could follow Gods wishes better than themselves, many wannabes pursued the same look. Soon, the society as a whole opted for conservatism. Men and women stopped shaking hands with members of the other sex, and Al Salam Alekom replaced the usual Good morning, or Allo. At social gatherings, in Egypt and abroad, men, and women, prayed, while Copts and foreigners watched alienated.

Social clubs banned alcohol, and many restaurants did the same. Taxi drivers played verses of the Quran while a few years back Quran was played or recited during funerals. The traditional dress code for women became a long loose dress with a hair covering hijab, and women who didnt cover their hair stood out.

The less religious and more secular bystanders worried but could not do anything about ithow can one criticize modesty, and, at face value, that was what the shift meant. Aware of the constrictions, they were obliged to follow suitsleeveless dresses were abandoned and shorter skirts became a no no.

Even Copts and other Christians became less allowing: mass was conducted more frequently and many chose to prohibit alcohol.

Indeed, social norms shifted. The standard became different. The look and feel of society became different.

But soon enough the beards thickened, mens white galabias shrunk in length, the niqab established itself, and the six and seven year olds covered their hair, too.

It became unacceptable for a woman from the poor section of Cairo to enter the proximity of her home with her hair uncovered, so to protect herself, even if she preferred not to, she wore a headscarf. That went for many Christians, too.

As peculiar and estranging fatwas collided with reason: dont listen to music, dont stand up to the national anthem, and dont wish Christians well, bizarre fatwas left Egyptians swooning: Muslim women can breastfeed a male colleague but not touch bananas or cucumbers; Muslim men can drink the urine of a Muslim fighter to cleanse their souls but also have sex with a deceased wife.

Flagrant disdain of what was the norm and acceptable hit the society bulls eye.

The trouble was no one linked this fundamentalist and often grotesque change to Islamism whether it was in Salafi, Wahabi, or Muslim Brotherhood allegiance. No one saw the social change as a link to a systematic political power grab rooted in cultural and social dominance. What the Muslim Brotherhood gave in aid and support to the needy, it took back in compliance and agreement to a new set of cultural norms.

Few in Egypt, and elsewhere around the world for that matter, saw this slow but underlying shift for what it truly was: a method of keeping the masses in a subservient state, subdued into blind conformity.

It took a stolen revolution, an Islamist parliament, and a Muslim Brotherhood president to make matters explicitly clear: a fake facade to an inherent desire to dominate.

The current ongoing war against terrorism in Egypt exhibits the sheer magnitude of the change that had occurred in society, a change that brainwashed thousands of young Egyptians into betraying their nation and their people and dying willingly while massacring hundreds others.

Today the same Islamist facade that manipulated the unaware, complacent society for decades is utilized to threaten a people and to murder its innocent. One can ask, to no avail though: How can allegiance to an ousted Muslim Brotherhood president entice someone to kill? How can devotion to Islam incite terror? The answer to both questions is that neither those ready to kill nor those devoted fundamentalists are true Muslims.

Well, Egyptians have learned their lesson the hard way, so they are not taking the manipulation as lightly as they did before. As Egyptians see their innocent die, they are turning against Islamists with a shift in social and cultural norms, too.

Society is more accepting today. Some women are removing their headdress or preferring not to adorn the hijab from the start, and some men are shaving their beards, tooinsignificant in number, true, but noticeable nonetheless. As more scarfed women read the news and present programs, more women in sleeveless dresses are visible on television, too.

The concept of refusing to handshake a person of another gender is slowly eroding, and as I enter a taxi and say Good morning, the taxi driver doesnt assume Im not a Muslim anymore even if I dont cover my hair.

Egyptians not only remember the good old days when neighbours, classmates, and colleagues celebrated both Muslim and Christian festivals together but also restore the old norms again. Today Muslims speak out in unanimity with Copts who remain the prime target for terrorists.

But a more prominent change is in the hatred Egyptians feel towards Islamists as they inflict more pain on innocent souls.

And yet, Egyptians will remain devout Muslims through and through. As they follow the true pillars of Islam, charities boom with an influx of Zakat donations, Friday prayers are the focal point of any weekend, Ramadan is observed diligently and celebrated widely, and Hajj is a wish for all Muslims.

But if Egyptians have learned anything from the horrors they faced after the revolution when Islamists enveloped Egypt in a fake Islamist aura void of feelings for others and lacking in inclusiveness, it is the awareness of how entrenched Islamists were in society and how controlling the Islamist disguise was.

Egypt was bound to know at one point or another. As it suffers today, the only consolation is that it is better to realize matters now than later. The earlier Egypt discovers its enemies the faster it will be able to get them out of its system. Yes, many are dying in the processyoung fathers and sons leaving hundreds of orphaned children and mourning mothersbut it is a necessary war that must be fought.

Egyptians will hang in, holding their breath, until Egypt becomes a better place once more.
The makers of the original Kewpie Mayonnaise, left, have released a new version, right, for U.S. markets. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

First it was sushi, then Toyotas, and now Kewpie mayonnaise joins the list of iconic Japanese products made in the United States. Q&B Foods of Irwindale, Calif., a division of Kewpie Corp., is manufacturing a new formulation of the iconic popular brand -- one that subs a key ingredient.

I got word of Kewpies new U.S. mayo after the Japanese export version handily won last months Food & Dining blind tasting of 13 mayonnaise brands. Tasters enjoyed Kewpies pronounced umami element, which comes from monosodium glutamate.

Same great taste as the original from Japan, but without the MSG that many Americans tend to avoid, wrote Terry Dunseith, Q&B Foods director of sales and marketing, in an email about the new U.S. version. We use another Umami secret.

What might that secret be? Yeast extract. Yet despite the no-MSG claim, yeast extract is one of the ingredients (including tomatoes and cheeses) in which MSG "occurs naturally," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration.

"While FDA requires that these products be listed on the ingredient panel, the agency does not require the label to also specify that they naturally contain MSG," reads the FDA web page on monosodium glutamate. "However, foods with any ingredient that naturally contains MSG cannot claim 'No MSG' or 'No added MSG' on their packaging."

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And, indeed, the US Kewpie bottle label avoids making those claims. Asked to elaborate on his early email about the no-MSG claim, Dunseith said there was a distinction between naturally occuring monosodium glutamate, like yeast extract, and manufactured MSG.

"What is MSG and what is not MSG has many points of view, some may be based on science, some based on perceptions," he wrote in a follow-up email.

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Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure if I'd immediately think yeast extract is the equivalent of manufactured MSG, but there are surely people who will, particularly those who have a sensitivity or bad reaction to MSG, which is a form of glutamic acid, one of the protein-building amino acids.

The new mayo is being introduced to national retailers for distribution this summer, according to Dunseith. In the meantime, you can order it via Q&B's Kewpie website or Amazon.com. The Japanese export version can be found at Asian markets. (I get mine at Devon Market in Rogers Park.)

Let's compare!

What do the yeast extract substitution and other changes do for the taste of Kewpie? I decided to pit Kewpie against Kewpie with some bottles of the new version sent by Q&B Foods.

Looks

The U.S. Kewpie is sold in a 12-ounce container whose slender, tapering shape is similar to that of the larger Japanese 500-gram (17.64 ounces) bottle. The U.S. bottle is squeezable but not as squishy-soft as the Japanese version. Both bottles look as if they should hold body lotion rather than mayonnaise, especially the Japanese version, which is devoid of lettering but has an embossed image of the trademark Kewpie baby. (All the lettering and nutritional info is on the removable sleeve in which the Japanese mayo is packed.) The American version has lettering right on the bottle, the companys Kewpie doll logo and a photograph of a sandwich decoratively laced with mayonnaise.

List of ingredients

Japanese version: Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil), Egg Yolk, Vinegar, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Spice, Natural Flavor.

U.S. version: Soybean Oil, Egg Yolks, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Mustard Flour, Red Wine Vinegar, Rice Vinegar, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors.

Nutrition information

Calories per 1 tablespoon serving: Japanese, 100 calories, 90 calories from fat; U.S., 110 calories, 100 from fat.

Total fat: Japanese, 10 grams (saturated fat, 1.5 grams); U.S., 11 grams (saturated fat, 1.5 grams).

Cholesterol: Japanese, 20 milligrams; U.S., 25 milligrams.

Sodium: Japanese, 100 milligrams; U.S., 105 milligrams.

Cost

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Japanese, $5.99. U.S.: $4.99 (prices from Kewpies online shop).

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Taste

We conducted a very informal blind comparison in the Chicago Tribune test kitchen. The two mayos were set out in small containers to be sampled as-is.

My thoughts? I was running late for the tasting and thought the American Kewpie mayo looked more lemon-colored after being exposed to air. There was a nicely eggy smell. The taste was bright, bright, bright -- at once tangy, salty and strong.

In comparison, the Japanese version was a paler color, the nose was slightly more subdued. But the flavor was more complex -- less salty and more briny, with almost a seaweedlike quality. I have to say that savory umami note from the MSG has always been part of Kewpie mayo's appeal.

My Food & Dining colleagues tasted the mayos too. Most of them did not know which was which until afterward. Heres a sampling of some of their comments.

I thought they were fairly similar, said reporter Nick Kindelsperger. The non-MSG version still has yeast in it, which gives it close to the same meaty flavor. I still prefer the other one but probably wouldnt notice if the new one were swapped in a dish without my knowledge.

The difference was almost immediately noticeable on texture, reporter Joseph Hernandez said. Whereas the Japanese version was creamy and almost earthy, the American one was just a touch unctuous. The original had a little more overall depth of savoriness (hello, MSG), while the American version was brighter, with more pronounced lemony-ness.

Joe Gray, the Food & Dining editor, said the American version had a milder flavor: "Still very good, but missing the umami note so noticeable" in the Japanese version, which offered "a nice hit of umami flavor."

Flavor of new has distinctive aftertaste reminiscent of American brands with fatty feel, said reporter Louisa Chu, who did not taste blind. Classic has slightly tart taste, lovely balance.

Overall

All in all, the Tribune's Food & Dining team favored the original Japanese export version of Kewpie mayo. Was it that the taste was familiar? Or did the combination of flavor notes just play the right tune on the collective palate? As Hernandez said, "Hello, MSG."

wdaley@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @billdaley






The Rev. Michael Pfleger (left) and actor Nick Cannon lead a peace march along West 79th Street in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on July 8. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

"Wild 'N Out" host Nick Cannon is scheduled to host a summit and competition for Chicago youth who aspire to be business moguls Wednesday in Chicago.

Members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago participated in business plan training workshops hosted by Cannon's foundation. These students are set to present their business plans to compete for $5,000 in prizes at the Chase Tower auditorium.

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The event has previously been held in Cannon's hometown of San Diego.

Cannon, who starred in Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq," has become a familiar face in Chicago. He joined the Rev. Michael Pfleger and the families of murder victims in a peace walk on the South Side last summer.

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He welcomes Chicago's Chance the Rapper for a rap battle on the new season of "Wild 'N Out," which is scheduled to premiere 10 p.m. June 29 on MTV.

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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)
Guitarists George Freeman and Mike Allemana listen to a recording of a previous live performance at the Green Mill during a mastering session for their upcoming album, "Live at the Green Mill," on May 8, 2017, in the West Rogers Park neighborhood. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Ninety-year-old Chicago jazz legend George Freeman settles into a comfortable chair, closes his eyes and says he's ready to listen.

So recording engineer Brian Schwab presses a button, and, suddenly, the voice of Green Mill owner Dave Jemilo resonates on the sound system in Schwab's Chicago recording studio.

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"George is  when was your birthday, yesterday?  88 years old," Jemilo is heard telling the Green Mill crowd, during a show recorded live two years ago.

"How about that?" continues Jemilo on the recording. "Is he the hippest guy you know?"

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The audience roars, and then Freeman's voice booms forth.

"Hold it Dave," Freeman says on the recording. "Dave, I want you to know I'm still young at heart."

And the club bursts into a spontaneous chorus of "Happy Birthday."

"You gotta' leave that in there, because that's the Green Mill," Freeman calls out to engineer Schwab and guitarist Mike Allemana, both of whom nod approvingly.

Thus they begin their work, putting the final touches on an album to be released digitally and on vinyl Aug. 18: "Live at the Green Mill," featuring the George Freeman/Mike Allemana Organ Quartet with special guest Bernard Purdie.

That Freeman  elder brother of Chicago tenor saxophone giant Von Freeman, who died in 2012  should be recording, performing and touring the world at his exalted age is a gift to anyone who values the glories of Chicago jazz and the enormous contributions of the Freeman family. The lineage includes Von and George's brother, drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman, who died in 2006, and Von's son, tenor saxophonist Chico Freeman, who returned to the United States last year after more than a decade in Europe.

Guitarists George Freeman, left, and Mike Allemana listen during a mastering session for their upcoming album, Live at the Green Mill. (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune )

Like his saxophonist sibling, George Freeman owns a resume few living musicians can match, the guitarist having performed with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin, Richard "Groove" Holmes  well, you get the idea.

But Freeman's career was tapering down when Chicago drummer Mike Reed, who owns the Constellation arts center on North Western Avenue, in 2013 came up with the idea of teaming him with guitarist Allemana (who had played for years with Von Freeman).

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"Mike called me and said: 'George, man, Mike Reed had been over in Italy  and the driver was playing (Freeman's) record in the car,'" remembers Freeman.

The driver said to Reed, "'You know who this is? George Freeman out of Chicago,'" adds Freeman.

"And Mike said, 'I know George Freeman.' And it progressed from there."

Indeed it did. Reed offered the Freeman/Allemana partnership an extended engagement at Constellation, and the first night "about three people" showed up, says Freeman.

"I started calling (Reed) a class act, because he paid us, regardless of empty or not, he paid the band.

"Am I lying?" Freeman says to Allemana, who nods his head to vouch for Freeman's veracity.

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The partnership quickly drew a following, however, Jemilo initiating annual birthday shows at the Green Mill and Freeman finding himself increasingly in demand.

"When they find out you're 90 years old  it's totally different," says Freeman.

"They're surprised, me being 90 years old. I just got back from Key West, Fla. And the one who has the club there, he says (to the audience): 'And he's 90 years old!

"And the people said, 'Wow!  But you sure don't look it.'"

Freeman doesn't sound it either, his antics on the recording they're mastering on this morning suggesting the energy and free-spiritedness of a much younger man.

At some points the recording captures Freeman shouting his famous exhortation to the crowd: "Everybody say, 'Yeah!'" At other moments he's heard turning up the power on his instrument, maniacally ascending the chromatic scale as if reaching for the heavens.

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But as Allemana and engineer Schwab listen to one musical snippet after another, Freeman gets a bit frustrated.

"I want to hear one song, at least, in its entirety," he protests. "I can't tell what's what. Let's hear something."

So Schwab plays the band's recording of Freeman's "Hoss."

"I'm just trying to make it right  right George?" says Allemana.

"I'm just trying to figure out what's going on," responds Freeman.

The guitarist savors the music as "Hoss" plays from start to finish, Freeman nodding to the beat.

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Several hours later, when the day's work ends, Freeman seems pleased.

"I feel great," he says. "I feel great about the album. I like the sound of it. The engineer has a lot to do to bring that sound out," he says, the Green Mill sets having been recorded by David Zuchowski.

Adds Allemana, "My impression is I'm certainly happy that it's finally going to get released. I think the recording really captures the likeness of George's thing, and that's really hard to capture.

"I feel like the band is really speaking as one, we really are together on this, don't you George?" says Allemana, referencing an ensemble featuring organist Pete Benson and guest drummer Purdie, plus a vocal by Chicagoan Joanie Pallatto.

Freeman concurs, again tipping his hat to the engineers.

"You have a script," he says, "but it's the person that's believing the script that really enhances the script."

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To which Allemana responds, "You provided the script."

Meaning all but one of the compositions on the album were penned by Freeman, including "Birth Sign," which happens to have been the title track of his first album as leader, recorded in 1969.

As for the new album, "It's very important to me," says Freeman. "It took four years for it to come here."

Judging by the mastering session, it was worth the wait.

George Freeman and the New Apartment Lounge Trio play at 8:30 p.m. June 21 at Fulton Street Collective, 1821 W. Hubbard St.; $10 suggested donation; www.fultonstreetcollective.com/events or 773-852-2481. The George Freeman/Mike Allemana Organ Quartet plays at 7, 8:30 and 10 p.m. July 8 at Winter's Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Court (on the promenade); $20; 312-344-1270 or www.wintersjazzclub.com.

Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.

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hreich@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @howardreich

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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)
There's a running joke at Side Street Studio Arts that every time Erin Rehberg hears a good idea, Elgin gets a new arts festival. Rehberg, an Elgin native, opened Side Street Studio Arts with her husband, Tanner Melvin, after moving back to the city about 35 miles west of Chicago in 2012. At 38, Rehberg was seeking a quieter, less saturated place to live and work, but has since produced or collaborated on numerous events and festivals, including the Elgin Fringe Festival and Battle of the Bands, and the city's annual Literary Festival. The two now run their business with four staff members and interns from a growing number of storefronts tucked in an alley in the heart of downtown Elgin (hence the name Side Street Studio Arts).

For 10 years, Rehberg was the artistic director of Core Project, an interdisciplinary company based in Chicago that was perhaps best known for Going Dutch: a showcase highlighting the female voice in dance, visual art, music and theater. Now in its seventh year, Going Dutch launches this weekend in its new home in Elgin for three full days of cutting-edge exhibits and performances featuring work by more than 60 female-identified artists.

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That's right, Elgin is getting another arts festival, but it wasn't always the hip and vibrant "City in the Suburbs" that earns its slogan today. Nestled along the Fox River at the terminus for the Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, the downtown district was practically empty when Side Street Studio Arts (SSSA) opened in 2013. It now boasts a gallery and theater space, co-working artists' studio and art supply store. While SSSA provides the space and opportunity for Rehberg and Melvin to keep up on their own artistic practices, the organization is really all about the community: hosting classes and workshops for people of all ages, plus gallery openings, live music and yes, festivals.

But in order for all that to work, the community must be willing. When I asked Rehberg if SSSA could be successful in a single artistic discipline, she gave an emphatic "no." Though willing to try almost anything, Side Street has implemented plenty of ideas that just didn't work. Following the community's lead and relying on the projects that are consistently successful have been vital to their sustainability. "I think a lot of people see that what we do is building community," Rehberg said. "Not just in the arts but by bringing humans together in the same place at the same time.  Whatever happens then is up to those people."

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Combined with up-and-coming downtown real estate and restaurants, shops and cafes returning to the district, the topic of saturation and gentrification is on Rehberg's mind as SSSA continues to expand at a rapid pace. Each year has required a restructuring of the business to meet the demands of the community. At the forefront of that restructuring, Rehberg says, is the question of what Side Street is doing to and for the region.

"Are we the exact thing that starts the gentrification of an area? How can we maintain the integrity of the diversity, the history and then that kind of bubbling up talent of Elgin, while showing it off?" she said. "Because all of this talent has been here my whole life, I just didn't know it."

Each project is an effort to enhance, engage and beautify the community, raise the profile of local talent, as opposed to "head down, moving forward, progress for progress' sake." But Rehberg admits that where it all leads, and what it means for Elgin in the long term, remains unknown. While other small cities can and do experience the same sort of cultural renaissance, the unique formula for success in Elgin comes from its culturally curious and trusting residents, buy-in from the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission (on whose board Rehberg now sits), local artists hustling to get the word out about their art in places other than Chicago and area businesses willing to collaborate  plus a couple of founders with impressive resumes and a little luck.

A healthy contingent from Chicago's storefront dance scene will be venturing west this weekend, which includes choreography from J. Lindsay Brown, Connor Cornelius, Andrea Cerniglia (as dropshift dance), Sarah Olson and Tiffany Lawson, plus a long list of visual artists and musicians in a lineup that boasts 14 performances, opening and closing receptions, open art galleries and master classes.

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

Going Dutch Festival

When: Friday through Sunday

Where: The Professional Building, 164 Division St., Elgin

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Tickets: $10-25 at www.sidestreetstudioarts.org

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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)
Alfred Jarry's 1896 absurd and grotesque "Ubu Roi" should be the perfect play for our current political moment. After all, it involves an impulsive vulgarian who, while utterly unacquainted with matters of state (or basic etiquette) manages to bully his way into power  only to find that it's not as fun as he imagined.

Yet somehow Organic Theater Company's "King Ubu," despite incorporating some riffs for the age of "Make America great again," falls flat more often than not. "Freely adapted" by director Alexander Gelman, it's physically and vocally frenetic, with some inspired visual flourishes and a solid performance from Joel Moses in the title role. But it pulls its punches when it comes to fully mining the histrionic extremes of Jarry's "Foland" for contemporary nuggets of insight. (Jarry's close borrowing of "Poland" as Ubu's kingdom serves as both a commentary on the perpetually troubled nature of that country in the 19th century and as a sort of long-form Polish joke.)

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True, Jarry wasn't in the business of finely honed cerebral satire. His Ubu is all id and appetite. (Think of it as "Macbeth" as imagined by John Waters, a la "Pink Flamingos" and its contest for "the filthiest person alive.") But there still needs to be an underlying sense of unease and danger as Ubu's world spins out of control.

That's especially true if you're selling it as a story with ripped-from-the-headlines parallels. Moses channels the intonations of the president in delivering lines such as "Believe me!" and "I have words. I have the best words."

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Another character describes Ubu as "a short-fingered librarian"  an odd gloss on the old Spy Magazine epithet calling Donald Trump "a short-fingered vulgarian." But not a lot here really works in invoking contemporary parallels, and not just because Jarry's Ubu declares war on Russia (though Ubu's whining that "I want a vacation" as the affairs of statecraft weigh on him does warrant chuckles).

Gelman's adaptation falls into a dispiriting rhythm of overselling the excess that wears down the points he's trying to make. At 60 minutes, it might work. At 95, it's a slog. While it's certainly true that one of the keys to understanding Ubu's kingdom is that it's a world where people don't become ennobled by their travails, seeing the ensemble act at the top of their lungs from the beginning gives them no place to go over the course of the show.

There is, however, some inspired stagecraft. The battle scenes involve life-size puppets on a pole skillfully manipulated by the actors. (Mazi Jurgenson is credited with properties design.) The Trump-like coiffure on Ubu's battle helmet feels obvious  but the doormat reading "Welcome" that Moses dons as a breastplate offers a clever commentary on a man who is easily bought by those bearing gifts.

Like its title character, Organic's "King Ubu" seems to believe that more is more. But as a certain political potentate has learned, saying and doing everything that comes to mind has more drawbacks than pluses in the long run.

Kerry Reid is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

Review: "King Ubu" by Organic Theater (1.5 stars)

When: Through July 14

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Where: Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

Running time: 95 minutes

Tickets: $25 at 773-404-7336 or organictheater.org
NBC's Megyn Kelly is under fire for her one-on-one interview with Infowars' Alex Jones.

One of the immediate critics is a mother whose daughter was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a massacre that Jones has dismissed as a government hoax.

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Nelba Marquez-Greene saw the interview, scheduled to air Sunday - Father's Day - as an "egregious offense" to fathers whose children were murdered on Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut.

"To give Alex Jones a platform on Father's Day is especially cruel to me," she told The Washington Post.

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Jones' interview reignites a debate over whether interviewing polarizing figures on national television gives them a platform or places their controversial views under scrutiny.

A call to Kelly's publicist was not returned, but in a tweet responding to criticisms Sunday night, the host said the media needed to "shine a light" on who Jones is, particularly because of the layer of legitimacy he's receiving from the White House. Infowars was given a temporary press credential last month. President Donald Trump, who has appeared on Infowars, once called Jones a "nice guy" and hinted that their mind-sets align.

POTUS's been on & praises @RealAlexJones' show. He's giving Infowars a WH press credential. Many don't know him; our job is 2 shine a light. https://t.co/5e88BJyqnz  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 12, 2017

Marquez-Greene said Kelly's reasoning is misguided and would, instead, encourage Jones' army of followers to "double down" on their effort to label the massacre of 20 elementary schoolchildren a hoax.

"Shining a light works on cockroaches," she said. "It doesn't work on Alex Jones."

She added: "It's just a reminder that we really haven't found a way as a nation to really honor the loss. We really want to honor the loss, but we really don't know how to do that. Because this is not the way."

Efforts to reach Jones on Monday were unsuccessful. A message left to Infowars' media hotline was not returned.

Here you go @megynkelly - her name is Ana Grace Marquez-Greene. Say her name- stare at this & tell me it's worth it. @nbc #SandyHook pic.twitter.com/mKrU63KWmA  Nelba Marquez-Greene  (@Nelba_MG) June 12, 2017

Marquez-Greene took to Twitter after she found out about the upcoming interview. She posted a picture of her daughter Saturday night and tagged Kelly in a tweet:

"Here you go @megynkelly - her name is Ana Grace Marquez-Greene. Say her name - stare at this & tell me it's worth it. @nbc #SandyHook," she wrote.

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Marquez-Greene said her concerns weren't necessarily over Jones, but on "the people he inspires."

Just last week, a Florida woman who claimed the mass shooting was a hoax and sent death threats to a parent whose 6-year-old son was killed, was sentenced to five months in prison.

Marquez-Greene said her family frequently receives mails from hoaxers implying that the shooting is a government conspiracy, suggesting that actors had been involved and accusing them of making millions off an Obama hoax. Others tell her she should teach her son how to shoot. Marquez-Green said she found that most disturbing.

Marquez-Greene's son was 8 when his sister, 6-year-old Ana Grace, was killed. She said she's tried to keep the now-12-year-old boy away from social media, where he might learn of the conspiracy theories swirling around his sister's death.

"It's hard enough to deal with losing a sister in mass shooting. We are trying to protect him as much as we can," she said. "He lives in a world where people don't think his sister's death is real. I'm not ready for him to know that yet."

In a preview of the interview, Kelly asked about the Sandy Hook massacre and his conspiracy theory that the shooting was a government hoax to push for tougher gun laws. In answering the question, Jones seems to offer differing views.

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"Well, Sandy Hook's complex because I've had debates where we devil's advocates say the whole story's true," he said. "And then I've had debates where I've said none of it's true."

Kelly then went on to confront Jones, who seemed to move the conversation to other topics that he said the media failed to cover.

Kelly: When you say parents faked their children's death, people get angry.

Jones: Oh, I know. But they don't get angry about the half a million dead Iraqis from the sanctions. They don't get angry about all the -

Kelly: That's a dodge.

Jones: No, no, it's not a dodge. The media never covers all the evil wars that's promoted -

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Kelly: That doesn't excuse what you did and said about Newtown. You know it.

Jones: Here's the difference. I looked at all the angles of Newtown, and I made statements long before the media even picked up on it. We didn't really get into the really important stuff.

Kelly: What do you mean? We talked about all the important stuff.

Jones: Here's the big one they always make fun of me. You probably want to throw this in there. Thirty years ago, they began creating animal-human hybrids. Isn't that the big story that Megyn Kelly should be doing?

For Marquez-Greene, if Jones deserves a platform on national media, so do parents like her.

"If they're going to do the interview, fine," she said. "But then give us equal airtime to express how dismaying this is."

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She also said she wants to talk to Kelly, off or on the air, "mother to mother, woman to woman."

"And just talk about the personal impact this has had on our family and many others," she said.

The Jones interview is Kelly's second since NBC launched her "Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly" last week. Her first interview was with Russian President Vladimir Putin.







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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)
Elizabeth Ralyea, who was born in Burkina Faso and now lives in Chicago, underwent female genital mutilation when she was a girl. Now 48, Ralyea refused to have her daughter cut and tries to stop others from continuing the practice. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune) (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Elizabeth Ralyea remembers people holding her arms and legs while she screamed and kicked at the woman who approached with a razor blade.

She thinks she was about 6, or maybe 8, and she was living with her family in the West African country of Burkina Faso.

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The elder woman began to cut between Ralyea's legs, she recalled. When she yelled at the woman, her mother grabbed a branch to swat her for being impolite, she said.

"It's a lot of pain," recalls Ralyea, now 48. "It's still just like yesterday."

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Ralyea, a nurse practioner who lives in Humboldt Park, is one of the estimated tens of thousands of women in Illinois who have undergone or are at risk for what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls female genital cutting or mutilation, the removing of all or parts of a girl's genitals.

The April arrests of three people in Michigan, including two doctors accused of coordinating and performing the procedure on girls about 6 to 8 years old, has shed new light on a ritual shrouded in secrecy. Women in Chicago say it has spurred conversations about a tradition in many African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries that had often been kept in the shadows.

"It's happening, but no one talks about it," said Ralyea, who arrived in Chicago from Burkina Faso in 1990 when she was 21.

In Illinois, there are about 10,000 to 25,000 women and girls who have been cut or are at risk of being cut, according to the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau. Nationwide, 513,000 women and girls born into families who practice the tradition or who immigrated from those countries were at risk of female genital mutilation in 2012, more than double the number in 2000, according to the CDC, a rise attributed to an increase in immigration from countries where the practice is prevalent.

Women in Chicago said the tradition is a familiar one. They have friends who were cut as girls or friends who are considering the procedure for their own daughters.

One Chicago woman who is a member of the small Muslim sect Dawoodi Bohra  of which the Michigan doctors are also members  said she was asked recently by another mother if she was considering what she called circumcision for her daughter.

"I was appalled," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used because she did not want to receive criticism from her community for speaking out against a practice she said remains common within their sect. "I have a 7-year-old daughter. I would obviously tell her these things are assault in any other context."

The procedure has been illegal to perform in the U.S. since 1996, and it is outlawed in African countries including Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso. Still, according to a 2016 report from the Population Reference Bureau, "it remains a significant harmful tradition for millions of girl and women."

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After the Michigan arrests, an organization overseeing the Dawoodi Bohra community in Detroit released a statement saying it does not condone violating U.S. law.

States have considered implementing measures of their own. Last month, Minnesota's House approved a measure that would create new penalties for doctors. Legislation approved by the Michigan Senate would make genital mutilation punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The FBI created a tip line following the arrests in Michigan, requesting information on anyone suspected of assisting, facilitating or performing female genital mutilation. Earlier this year, after a 2016 Government Accountability Office report said federal awareness efforts should be improved, the Department of Homeland Security outlined a strategy to reach girls at risk of being cut, including brochures and tip lines.

Social worker Joanna Vergoth runs a Chicago-based group called Forma that supports women who have experienced genital cutting, which the World Health Organization considers a human rights violation. Her group provides individual and group counseling, and offers seminars to raise awareness of the dangers of the practice.

For most U.S. women and girls who have been cut, the procedure was performed in their home country before moving here, Vergoth said, or while they were sent abroad  often called "vacation cutting."

In 2013 it became illegal in the U.S. to knowingly transport a girl out of the country for cutting.

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Ralyea said she has Chicago friends from countries like Burkina Faso and Mali who are nervous that if they send daughters back for a summer visit with relatives, a family member might allow the girls to be cut as a "favor," because it's considered a ritual and a milestone.

Female genital mutilation is an umbrella term used to describe various degrees of scraping or cutting female sexual organs, said Dr. Lori Post, a professor in emergency medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine who has researched female genital mutilation for decades.

The least invasive type involves removing all or part of the clitoris, said Post, who co-authored a column outlining the dangers and the wide spectrum of procedures for an upcoming issue of Lancet.

The most extreme procedure, which Post said also is the most common, removes the entire clitoris and labia, and stitches the vagina shut. A small hole remains to urinate and menstruate. In some cultures the woman's vagina is cut open again on her wedding night by their husband.

Post noted the practice happens in many countries for different reasons. Typically, it is considered necessary for girls to remain virgins until marriage and to control their sexual drives, Post said. The procedure is usually performed on girls ranging from infants to 7 years old.

Whatever the type, Post emphasized, girls are subjected to pain. The cutting is often done without proper anesthesia and with crude instruments.

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"The mutilation tools are god awful," she said. "It could be anything from broken Pepsi bottles to razor blades, if you're lucky."

Chicago doctors said they sometimes see evidence of a woman who has been cut, and some patients have asked to be sewn back up after delivering a baby.

For Ralyea's family, genital cutting was viewed as a rite of passage. Her four older sisters had undergone genital mutilation before she did, she said.

Ralyea recalls being lined up with other girls around the same age. After they were held down and cut, she said, they sat in holes in the ground, and dirt was packed around their groins to soak up the blood.

After a few weeks, when they had healed, they were feted. People danced. Many girls got a new dress or special hairdo  and exuberant attention.

"It's just a celebration," said Ralyea, whose own daughter is now 27 and has never been cut. Ralyea is in the support group Vergoth runs for women who have undergone cutting, and their conversations often turn toward raising awareness and stopping others from doing this.

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When friends give birth to daughters, whether in Chicago or back home in Burkina Faso, Ralyea said she calls to say: "Make sure this doesn't happen to this girl."

abowen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @byalisonbowen
Mother's Day was especially emotional for me this year, and now I'm mentally preparing for Father's Day  knowing it's my turn to be strong for my husband.

On Mother's Day, I celebrated being a mom to my incredible, amazing and perfect 4-year-old son. Simultaneously, I mourned the loss of my other son, who passed away in my belly at five months in late February after my water broke spontaneously.

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I am at peace with what happened, and I know there's nothing anybody could have done to prevent the incident. I clearly remember going to the 20-week ultrasound with my husband and the doctor shaking our hands, firmly congratulating us on our healthy baby. We were told everything was perfect, and the chances of anything happening at that point were less than 1 percent.

We were the less than 1 percent, as my water broke the next morning.

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My first pregnancy went past 40 weeks. We had our son at a Chicago hospital. With him, my water never broke. But when it did break during my latest pregnancy, I knew exactly what had happened. I also knew it was way, way too early.

The doctors were all shocked, especially since I had no history of what's called preterm premature rupture of membranes, or PPROM.

My husband and I waited patiently at a suburban hospital for four days as I drank gallon after gallon of water, hoping the baby's amniotic fluid would replenish. We didn't know what to do. Ultrasounds showed there was no more water left in my belly for our sweet baby, whose heartbeat was strong. We waited for labor to begin naturally, but it didn't.

Slowly, I started to feel our sweet boy struggling. Every day, the kicking inside my stomach got stronger and stronger, and more intense. He couldn't survive without water. And even if any amniotic fluid were produced, it wouldn't accumulate because of the ruptured membranes.

Doctors told us the amniotic fluid is what develops the baby's lungs, brain, vision, hearing  pretty much everything. Our baby still had 20 weeks to go. Outside of my belly, he wouldn't have been able to survive for more than a couple of minutes.

I had to prepare  mentally and physically  to give birth to our sweet boy. And I knew that baby would not be coming home with us.

Typically, babies need to be delivered within 24 hours of a woman's water breaking to avoid risking infection. Doctors informed us there were several women who waited a week or more after their water broke who were on their deathbeds due to fatal infections that compromise the life of the mom.

As I was feeling weaker, I felt baby kicking harder and harder, practically begging to end his misery. Eventually the intense, yet gentle, kicks stopped. Completely. I knew baby boy had passed away inside my belly.

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This led to my having to do the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. I delivered our sweet, angel baby. Autopsy results showed that he was indeed perfect, just as my doctor had said at the 20-week ultrasound.

My loving, supportive husband and I went home from the hospital a day later without our bundle of joy  holding each other's hands instead of those of our new baby.

Despite our loss, we tried to focus on what we had: the most precious boy waiting for us to get out of the hospital and join him at home  and to continue our fun-filled days together.

Our 4-year-old had lots of questions for us. It took all my courage and every single broken piece of me to tell him his baby brother really, really wanted to stay with us, but he instead went up to heaven and is playing in the skies.

"No way!" Our kiddo responded, completely shocked.

He then looked into my tear-filled eyes with utmost love.

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"Don't worry, Mommy," he said. "I will stay with you."

We did a small burial for our teeny, tiny, 1-pound, 13-inch-long precious boy, who will remain a part of our hearts forever.

After being home for only two days with just enough time to participate in the funeral, I became very ill with a 103-degree fever, infection and shaking chills. I was in the hospital for another several days for surgery and treatment. Preterm labor infections are no joke.

Finally, exactly two weeks after my doctor firmly shook our hands congratulating us on baby No. 2, we were home. I had a void in my heart and 20 pounds of pregnancy weight to lose.

I am at peace with what happened. I know we did everything we could to nurture, protect and care for our baby boy  as any loving parents would. Loss is an entire emotion that I had thankfully never really encountered before. It's as if I now have a sixth or seventh sense, truly understanding loss.

I know my second son is in a much better place now. Throughout the past few months, my husband and I have become stronger individuals with an even more positive perspective on life. We've truly and graciously been enjoying every minute with our 4-year-old, but not a day goes by without thinking of our other sweet baby's short life.

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Life is a gift. I hope my husband and I remain blessed, well and able to celebrate and appreciate both of our precious boys every Mother's Day and Father's Day. We take solace knowing we were given the opportunity to be parents to two beautiful souls.

Whether you have kiddos or dads that make you smile daily, whether you've lost a child at any age, whether you've lost your dad, or if you're an aspiring dad, happy Father's Day to you from the bottom of my heart.

Hafsa Naz Mahmood is a freelance writer.

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When I first visited a fertility doctor because of pregnancy problems, I had no idea that the in vitro fertilization, or IVF, he was suggesting to help me was actually the "test-tube baby" technique that I'd heard about, an approach that had sounded scary, like something out of science fiction.

After I educated myself and started treatment, the concerns continued: Would the hormone-stimulating drugs have adverse effects on me? What would the drugs do to the fetus? And more important, would conceiving a child outside the womb (not actually in a test tube but in an embryology lab) have any long-term effects? Most important, would my child - if I would be lucky enough to give birth to one - be as physically and mentally healthy as naturally conceived children?

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Articles and blogs fed into my worries - not to mention the online "mommy boards" at pregnancy and fertility websites where women trade rumors, innuendoes and fears, often based on nothing more than a friend's experience.

Since the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in England in 1978, about 6.5 million children have been born worldwide with the help of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as IVF. So there is now enough information to address my concerns. Overall, those findings leave me pretty confident that the risks are pretty small and well worth taking if, like me, you want to have a baby but can't.

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Although taking fertility medications drove me crazy - some hormones gave me nightmares, others kept me up at night, and the main ones made my mind race loopily - looking at studies allowed me to conclude that IVF probably has no long-term bad effects.

For instance, a 2013 study of 21,646 women in Australia concluded that "there is no evidence of an increased risk of ovarian cancer following IVF in women who give birth." Another study of 9,825 American women found no link between gonadotropins - the drugs I was taking to increase my egg production - and ovarian cancer for women who gave birth. There was one worrisome point: Both studies found an increased cancer risk for women with "resistant infertility" - i.e., those who did not give birth - although the researchers did not know why.

A recent study in the journal JAMA of about 25,000 women who had fertility treatments between 1980 and 1995 found that those who had gone through IVF had no greater risk of getting breast cancer in the subsequent 21 years than those who used other techniques.

Whew. I went through nine rounds of IVF before I got pregnant, which means I took a lot of ovary-stimulating drugs, so these studies are reassuring.

"Numerous studies and opinions from [the American Society for Reproductive Medicine] confirm low risk for ovarian and breast cancer from the use of fertility drugs, regardless of the number of IVF cycles performed," said Jeffrey Braverman, founder and medical director at Braverman IVF & Reproductive Immunology in New York.

So how about risks to the baby? Would he or she be affected by her medically assisted conception?

Two studies have raised concerns.

A 2016 study in JAMA Pediatrics found increased risk for birth defects in babies conceived through ART. The study, which involved more than 4 million infants, found that "singleton infants conceived using ART were 40 percent more likely to have a nonchromosomal birth defect (such as cleft lip and/or palate or a congenital heart defect) compared with all other singleton births."

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The researchers acknowledged that the study "did not account for some factors related to infertility that might explain the observed increases in risk for birth defects." In other words, IVF may not have caused the defects. They recommended further research.

A comprehensive review of a group of other studies suggested that the risk for developmental disabilities was greater with ART - which, in addition to IVF, includes egg freezing and surrogacy - than with natural childbirth. The review examined studies of IVF and autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and sensory impairment, among others, and found conflicting information, no correlation or that the disabilities could have been caused by other factors such as preterm birth.

And a study published in March found an increased risk of neoplasms - tumors that can be benign or malignant - in children born through ART.

But I focused on a study that followed children conceived with ART into their teenage years. It offers a much more reassuring view. The study, published in January, compared 253 16- and 17-year-olds who were conceived with fertility treatments to a cohort of teenagers conceived naturally and found that "no differences were detected in general and mental health of ART adolescents or cognitive ability, compared with the reference group." The researchers, who said this was the first long-term study of such children, concluded that their "preliminary results provide reassurance that in the long run, health and functioning of ART-conceived adolescents is not compromised."

One of the researchers on the study, Mark Weiser, a psychiatry professor at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine, said in an interview that the findings should be a relief to parents who used IVF and other assisted reproductive technology. "We show there is nothing wrong with these kids" when compared with children born naturally. "This is a very positive message to parents who are not able to get pregnant on their own. If you look down the line, the kids are perfectly normal."

As for me: After an uneventful pregnancy, my daughter was born full term nearly two years ago at a healthy six pounds, six ounces, with all her fingers and toes and brown hair that would soon turn to curls. She is a delightful, chatty, feisty toddler. Every parent worries about their child, and I know that I will be no different. But for now it seems clear to me that the risks of having used IVF were minimal - and the reward huge.






I didn't know Isaac Reed. But I do know that he didn't deserve to be killed  especially not in front of his children.

I don't know the young men who shot him to death either. Witnesses say they were teenagers. But I do know that what they did was pure evil. It would not be fair to condemn them for life, but I feel no sympathy for them. Not right now.

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They are not among the young people I often write about  the ones who I insist would do better if they had other life choices. The teens who walked up on Reed on Thursday afternoon and shot him in the head after he pleaded, "I'm with my kids," have some issues that society cannot fix. What they need is a conscience.

In the past, I have asked you to put yourself in the place of young people who are consumed by violence, to consider how social and economic forces beyond their control contributed to the people they've become. I have implored you to reach out whenever possible and offer encouragement to our youths, and to find in your heart a way to at least try to understand why they do the bad things they do.

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But this time, I won't. I cannot ask you do what I cannot do myself.

I'm not sure we have the power as regular citizens to help young people who have no regard for human life  not the life of a father, not the lives of two young children and probably not even for their own lives.

There's something about killing a 25-year-old father in front of his children that goes beyond the typical gang shootings we are used to in Chicago.

Like a handful of others we've seen in the past, this shooting seemed darker and more sinister. It's the kind of thing that elicits a guttural reaction that both enrages us and renders us helpless at the same time. Shootings like this are more eye-opening than the others  because they show us how deep into violence some of our young people have sunk.

Reed was standing on a street near a van, talking through the window to his girlfriend when he was shot. His 2-year-old son and his 5-month-old daughter were inside the vehicle. The family had been talking about going to the park, relatives said.

Then these two teenagers walked up, according to police. One of them asked Reed what he was "about," meaning what gang he belonged to.

Reed answered, "I'm with my kids."

One teen turned to the other and said, "Shoot that n-----, shoot that n-----."

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Reed repeated, "I'm with my kids." His girlfriend said it too. "He's with his kids."

But the teenagers didn't care. The younger of the two raised a pistol and shot Reed in the forehead.

Reed fell to the ground and the teenage gunman stood over him and fired two more times, all this as two children watched.

It's hard to imagine how anyone could be so heartless.

I'm not going to ponder whether having a job would have made these teenagers more sensitive. I'm not going to blame poverty or a weak school system or the lack of opportunities for depriving them of a conscience.

This time, I will do what so many others do whenever there is a shooting in Chicago. I'm going to wonder about their parenting, about the discipline, or the lack of it, they received at home. I am going to assume that these young men are just bad people.

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I don't care what events led to the shooting. It doesn't matter why they did it.

This time, I will only think of Reed's two children.

The 5-month-old is lucky. She's too young to comprehend what happened. But Reed's 2-year-old certainly did. The boy cried hysterically for nearly an hour, his relatives said.

Chances are the images of his father lying on the ground and his mother screaming, "Wake up, wake up" will be with him for a long time. He deserves a childhood much better than that.

dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng
The grassy field at Lake Shore Park, 808 N. Lake Shore Drive, shows damage June 12, 2017, after the Museum of Contemporary Art's 50th anniversary gala was held recently in the park. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Some Streeterville residents have slammed the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for being a bad neighbor, pointing to the addition of mechanical equipment on the rooftop within eyesight of condo windows and damage to a nearby park where the MCA recently held a gala.

Residents in high-rise condos on Pearson Street, steps away from the historic Water Tower and overlooking the four-story museum at 220 E. Chicago Ave., have voiced their opposition to Ald. Brian Hopkins about the Lake Shore Park damage and equipment placed on the roof for a new museum restaurant. They've pushed for the equipment to be removed or relocated, and have raised concerns about potential problems such as odors, traffic and noise.

"We've got a museum here that doesn't care about the neighborhood," said Barbara Champion, who lives on the eighth floor of a condo across the street from the MCA. Champion, who moved into her condo in 1987, a few years before the MCA moved to its current home on Park District property, is worried that her property value will decline with the rooftop equipment facing her living room window.

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The museum said it is working to address the concerns of its neighbors, develop a feasible solution and improve the museum and neighborhood.

"The MCA has been a part of the Streeterville neighborhood for 50 years and we're committed to being a good neighbor, as well as an asset to the entire community," Teresa Samala de Guzman, the museum's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "We are confident we will address those concerns with an excellent solution, and look forward to sharing more information with our neighbors in the near future."

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Work is scheduled to begin this week to repair the field surrounded by a running track at Lake Shore Park, located a block east of the MCA. The museum's 50th anniversary gala earlier this month damaged the park's grass, according to the Chicago Park District. The MCA will cover the $49,000 cost to restore and improve the field with new sod, which will result in the temporary closure of some sections of the park, a park spokeswoman said.

The damage to the park followed a push by neighbors to get the MCA to remove the rooftop mechanical equipment that they say is unsightly. Residents say the building was intended to be a five-sided design  meaning the roof is as architecturally significant as its other facades and say the addition of larger mechanical equipment ruins that concept.

The grassy field at Lake Shore Park, 808 N. Lake Shore Dr., is damaged Monday, June 12, 2017 after The Museum of Contemporary Art's recent 50th anniversary gala was held in the park. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune) (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

The new museum restaurant, called Marisol, is part of a $16 million museum renovation. It is expected to open in mid-August, according to museum officials, and to be run by Jason Hammel, the chef/owner of Lula Cafe in Logan Square.

The museum had proposed camouflaging the rooftop equipment with a vertical green screen enclosure  a solution some residents found disappointing at a neighborhood meeting last month. Another meeting is tentatively set for June 23 to offer neighbors other options.

The upgraded mechanical equipment will comply with the city's noise level limit, and the MCA plans to turn exhaust fans away from Pearson Street to help mitigate odors, museum officials said.

The rooftop equipment meets current zoning rules, Hopkins said.

To help alleviate traffic concerns, the museum plans to test a valet parking program for the first two months on weekends, parking cars at the MCA's garage and others nearby.

We've got a museum here that doesn't care about the neighborhood  Barbara Champion, MCA neighbor

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Additionally, the museum said it planned to upgrade landscaping along Pearson Street and Chicago Avenue, add more security cameras, and open its back gates in the summer during museum hours to offer access to its patio and green space.

But such improvements are mainly for the benefit of the museum, not the neighborhood, said Diane Cochrane, a Pearson Street resident since 2014. Residents want the MCA to take action about the noise and odor expected to come from the restaurant.

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There's a "lack of consideration in everything they do lately," said Cochrane, referring to the rooftop equipment and the closure of much of Lake Shore Park over Memorial Day weekend to erect the tent for the gala.

Last month, Hopkins asked the MCA to establish a new protocol for neighborhood relations.

"The museum is aware that Streeterville residents in general have high standards for what it means to be a good neighbor," the alderman said. "This situation has brought to light that perhaps the museum needs to do a better job at communication and outreach generally, not just this one issue."

lvivanco@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lvivanco
: Lawrence Watkins, 53, of Midlothian, was charged in connection with a string of arson fires in that town. (Cook County Sheriffs office)

Bail was set at $250,000 Saturday for a Midlothian man accused of setting a series of fires in his hometown, police said.

Lawrence Watkins, 53, was charged with one count of residential arson, one count of aggravated arson and two counts of arson, all felonies, Midlothian police said.

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Police said no injuries were reported from the four fires, which were sparked late Thursday evening and early Friday morning.

Members of the Midlothian Police Department, Illinois State Police Fire Marshall and MABAS 22 Cause and Origin Task Force completed their investigation into the series of fires on Friday, police said.

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The first fire  reported at 9:14 p.m. Thursday  was inside a dumpster in the 3200 block of West 147th Street, police said. About 10 minutes later, firefighters responded to the 14600 block of Sawyer Avenue for an attached garage fire, police said.

Midlothian firefighters then were called at 11:11 p.m. that same night to the 14600 block of Spaulding Avenue for a reported porch fire, police said.

On Friday, firefighters were called at 2:13 a.m. to the 14600 block of South Kedzie Avenue for a large trash receptacle fire, police said.

Watkins was being held in Cook County jail.

He is scheduled to return to court Tuesday.

Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Internet pop artist Austin Jones was charged in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday with child pornography after allegedly coercing two underage female fans to send him sexually explicit videos.

Jones, 24, of west suburban Bloomingdale, faces two felony counts of production of child pornography. Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years behind bars if convicted.

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Jones' original songs and covers of popular teen artists have earned him a huge online following. His YouTube channel has more than 500,000 subscribers, and some of his videos have received more than 1 million views.

A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday alleged Jones had online conversations with two 14-year-old female fans in which he encouraged them to send him sexually explicit videos of themselves, including dozens of images of them performing graphic sexual acts.

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In one chat last month, Jones told one girl  identified as Victim A  to dance in a sexually suggestive manner and "make it clap super loud and talk about your age the whole time," according to the complaint.

Last year, Jones told the other girl  Victim B  in a Facebook chat that she was "so lucky" to have his attention and needed to "prove" she was his biggest fan, according to the complaint. At one point, he instructed her to remove her underwear.

"I'm just trying to help you!" he wrote, according to the complaint. "I know you're trying your hardest to prove you're my biggest fan. And I don't want to have to find someone else."

The conversations showed both girls appeared hesitant as Jones asked them to perform increasingly explicit dances.

At one point, Victim A told Jones her mom was "a little overprotective" and that she was tired and wanted to stop, according to the complaint. When Jones asked Victim B if she knew how to do one particularly vulgar move, she wrote back, "Okay lol and no."

Jones was arrested Monday evening after landing at O'Hare International Airport, prosecutors said. He was led into U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason's courtroom Tuesday dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit with a solemn expression on his face, staring at the floor as prosecutors read aloud the charges and possible penalties.

Mason ordered Jones held pending a detention hearing Wednesday.

The charges come two years after Jones was caught up in a social media firestorm over accusations that he had young fans send him inappropriate videos of themselves "twerking," a suggestive dance move made famous by pop star Miley Cyrus.

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After Jones was blasted online, he posted a lengthy YouTube video apologizing to the girls he'd asked to send videos, although he said the videos never crossed any sexual lines.

"I shouldn't have asked you to do that ... it was foolish of me," Jones said in the 16-minute video posted in June 2016. "But there were never any nudes, never any physical contact. It never happened."

Jones said he was an "insecure person" and grew suicidal after receiving death threats over the controversy. He was hospitalized and took a hiatus from touring and social media, he said.

But his career seemed rejuvenated recently. Just days ago, he was tweeting photos of rabid fans from his first tour of Europe, including shows in Germany and Poland.

In the last tweet before his arrest, Jones on Sunday sent a photo of fans from his latest show. "I have honestly never felt so alive," he wrote on the post.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

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Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation is aiding a bald eagle June 14, 2017, after it flew into a Gold Coast hotel earlier this week. Unfortunately, the raptor have a face pre-existing health condition. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Wildlife rescuers are hoping for a better outcome for a bald eagle found injured downtown late Monday, the second of two bald eagles found injured near the Lake Michigan shoreline in as many weeks. The first bird died.

A 1-year-old female bald eagle is believed to have flown into the Sofitel Hotel, 20 E. Chestnut St., Monday night. The hotel's general manager said one of his employees called police and Chicago Animal Care and Control to ensure the health of the animal and the safety of hotel guests and staff.

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Birds flying into Chicago buildings are common enough that the volunteer group Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was founded in 2003, but the group's director, Annette Prince said she hasn't heard of an eagle striking a city building since that same year.

Tuesday morning, the young eagle was taken to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in Barrington, which cares for about 3,400 animals a year  about 2,800 of them birds  said that group's founder, Dawn Keller, who was also surprised by the incident.

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"To have two come in right off the lakefront in that short of a period of time is remarkable," Keller said. "That was surprising to me."

The first eagle, found about two weeks ago, died within an hour of being picked up near Gillson Park in Wilmette, Keller said.

"That bird died almost immediately after we picked it up. I actually think it was in the process of dying when we picked it up, unfortunately," she said.

The first bird was a 1-year-old male bald eagle and the bird found near the hotel is a 1-year-old female bald eagle. The primary difference between them was size, Keller said, adding that females are the larger birds.

Absent the signature white feathers on their heads at such a young age, the birds have brown plumage until they mature and there are no physical characteristics other than size to suggest a bird's sex. The birds were too young to be mates, Keller said, and no testing has been done to show if the two birds were related. Any possible connection between the birds will never likely be known, she said.

"Why these two happen to be present, at this time, along the lake ... I can't even begin to tell you," she said.

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The female eagle was found to be suffering from feather lice, which can be an indication that the bird is unhealthy in other ways. Blood was to be drawn from the bird and checked to see if she has underlying health issues that would prevent a full recovery. Should everything else come back OK, the bird will likely be returned to the wild in a matter of weeks.

Pending the blood test results, Keller said she couldn't estimate recovery time for the bird.

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Despite their less than stellar health, two eagles found along near the lake within two weeks could be a positive sign.

"It's probably just indicative of the fact that eagles are making a recovery in the area," she said. "I think it speaks to an increase in population, which as you likely know, was really in decline."

Keller said as the national eagle population bounced back, birds first began populating areas on the east and west coasts and the recovery now has reached the middle of the country. Mature eagles are nesting with their fledgling families this time of year, which may be responsible for driving the 1-year-old birds to new territory.

"At this point there's no reason to think this bird won't ultimately be releasable, and that's always the goal," Keller said.

It was too early to provide an estimate of what the bird's care might cost but Keller said the group doesn't receive regular funding and donations are always needed and can be made at Flintcreekwildlife.org.
Steven Randy Rueckert, left, and Daniel Herbert, attorneys for Jason Van Dyke, confer with Van Dyke during court Aug. 11, 2017. Van Dyke was at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building in Chicago for a hearing on the shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Four suspended Chicago police officers under investigation for their roles in the Laquan McDonald shooting will be put back on the department payroll before the probe is complete after the city's police board on Monday delayed disciplinary proceedings.

Chicago Police Board Hearing Officer Tom Johnson announced that the disciplinary proceedings would be delayed until the completion of the criminal trial for a fifth officer in the case, Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke has been suspended without pay since November 2015, when he was charged with murder for killing McDonald, a 17-year-old who was shot 16 times as he held a knife.

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The four other officers  Daphne Sebastian, Janet Mondragon, Ricardo Viramontes and Sgt. Stephen Franko  have been suspended without pay since last summer. Like Van Dyke, they face being fired over allegations they covered up the investigation of McDonald's death by making and approving statements in police reports that were contradicted by video footage of the shooting.

While Van Dyke cannot return to duty because of his lingering criminal charges, Johnson's decision Monday afternoon will allow the others to go back to work.

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Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement Monday evening that he stands by his original recommendation that the officers be fired. He said the four officers, however, will be relieved of their police powers and be assigned to desk duty.

"While legally the ruling leaves us with no other short-term options, the officers' police powers will remain suspended and they will not return to the street," Johnson said in the statement.

It's unclear whether the four officers will be compensated for all the money they were not paid since last summer.

Hearing Officer Tom Johnson said Monday that the disciplinary proceedings by the police board would "prejudice and potentially jeopardize the criminal prosecutions and the officers' constitutional rights."

In its 14-page decision, the board said the Police Department could be violating the constitutional rights of the four officers if they continued to be suspended without pay. That could provide grounds to have the disciplinary cases dismissed and allow the officers to "escape any disciplinary punishment whatsoever," the board said.

The board's decision was a response to motions filed by Van Dyke's lawyer and by a special Cook County prosecutor assigned to look into police actions in the McDonald case. The attorneys argued that the disciplinary statements Van Dyke and the other officers were required to make during the internal investigation may be used as evidence that could affect Van Dyke's criminal trial.

Under a decades-old legal standard, statements that government employees are forced to give under threat of being fired cannot be used against them in criminal proceedings. Sebastian, Mondragon, Viramontes and Franko have not been charged with any crime. But they are part of an ongoing criminal probe by a special Cook County prosecutor looking into whether there was a cover-up in the shooting.

Chicago police officers accused of criminal wrongdoing are not typically brought up before the police board on disciplinary charges until their court cases are over with. The McDonald shooting case has been an exception.

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Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham said the board's decision ensures that the officers will be treated fairly.

"There has been a decadeslong tradition that the Police Department does not file (termination) charges until their criminal cases have been heard," Graham said. "I hope that these officers can get back to being on the pay status very, very quickly, and certainly I hope that the case winds its way to a successful conclusion."

Daniel Herbert, Van Dyke's lawyer, would not comment after the hearing. But lawyers for the other officers were pleased that their clients will be allowed to get paid by the Police Department, at least until the criminal proceedings run their course.

"I've been doing this for over 30 years. I've never seen the police board tell the superintendent, 'No, you can't suspend these guys,'" Tom Pleines, Franko's lawyer, told reporters. "There's no doubt they were involved in a very serious matter, but there's been no determination that they did anything wrong."

The disciplinary charges before the police board focus largely on alleged dishonesty but varied on specifics among Sebastian, Mondragon, Viramontes and Franko. All are alleged, though, to have violated Rule 14, which bars them from making false reports.

Van Dyke stated in reports that he fired his weapon in fear for his life when McDonald advanced on him with a knife. On the video, however, Van Dyke can be seen jumping from his car and opening fire within seconds as McDonald appears to walk away from him.

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Sebastian and Mondragon reported that Van Dyke and his partner, Joseph Walsh, repeatedly ordered McDonald to drop the knife. The teen ignored them as he waved a blade while approaching the two officers, according to what Sebastian and Mondragon stated in police reports.

Viramontes stated that McDonald turned toward Van Dyke and Walsh after Van Dyke told the teen to drop the knife. After Van Dyke shot McDonald, the teen fell to the street but continued to move, trying to get back up with the knife, according to Viramontes' account in the reports.

The department charged Franko with, among other things, signing off on Van Dyke's allegedly false reports on the incident.

Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who helped push for the release of the McDonald video, was disappointed in Monday's decision, believing the four officers helped try to cover up the shooting and should remain in a no-pay status.

"That's not a step in the right direction for the Chicago Police Department," he said.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @JeremyGorner
The average Chicago property tax bill is going up about 10 percent this year following City Hall and Chicago Public Schools tax hikes to pay for police, fire and teacher pensions, according to calculations released Tuesday by the Cook County clerk's office.

As a result, the owner of a city home determined to be worth $224,500 will pay nearly $4,000 in property taxes this year  an increase of about $363.

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The news is slightly better in suburban Cook, where the average homeowner can expect to pay anywhere from 3.9 percent to 6.5 percent more, depending on where they live, County Clerk David Orr determined.

And it's a mixed bag for business property owners in the county. In Chicago, commercial parcels will see increases of about 9.3 percent, or $1,150 more for a property valued at $270,000. In suburban Cook, those bills are going down by about 4.2 percent in the north suburbs and up by about 3 percent in the south suburbs.

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While city property owners have complained long and loudly about their tax bills, they still by and large pay less in property taxes than their suburban Cook and collar county counterparts for homes with the same market value. The tax rate in Chicago remains lower than in the vast majority of suburbs, according to Tribune data.

The increases will be reflected on the second installment of Cook County property tax bills, which Treasurer Maria Pappas said would be mailed out at the end of this month with an Aug. 1 due date. The first-installment bills were due March 1.

In Chicago, the story continues to be the impact of property tax hikes that Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed through the City Council and his hand-picked Chicago Board of Education.

About three-fifths of this year's city property tax increase is the result of a $272 million tax hike for CPS. The extra money is being used to help cover increased CPS contributions to the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund, which is on shaky financial ground following more than a decade of skipped or reduced payments.

Another one-fifth of the city property tax increase is part of the continuing phase-in of a $543 million tax increase aldermen approved at Emanuel's behest in late 2015, with the money going to shore up shaky police and fire pension systems. The rest of the increase comes from smaller hikes at other taxing districts within the city.

The big whammy from those tax hikes came last year, when City Hall property taxes rose by $318 million and overall city property taxes went up by nearly 13 percent, or about $413 for the average homeowner. CPS also collected $45 million more in property taxes last year after aldermen approved that boost for school construction projects.

By comparison, this year's City Hall property tax increase is $109 million, with additional, smaller hikes scheduled for the next two years.

Some caveats: Tax bills will be lower for homes deemed to be worth less, and higher for homes with bigger price tags  as determined by the county assessor's office. And taxes vary somewhat depending on what part of the city a homeowner lives in, as some neighborhoods have added property taxes for local improvements, security, mosquito abatement, home equity assurance or mental health treatment.

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Homes in Cook County are reassessed every three years based on geography. This time around, tax bills reflect a reassessment of the north suburbs.

How that affects individual bills will depend on how one's home value fared compared to those of other property within their taxing district, but Orr said in the north suburbs, the average increase on a home valued at $299,100 will be about 6.5 percent, or $433, for a total bill of $7,118.

In the south suburbs, the increase on a home worth $163,000 will be about 3.9 percent, or $192, for a total bill of $5,179.

Suburban Cook tax rates are higher than Chicago's, with only a handful of exceptions. But increases will vary greatly depending on the value of the home and the particular suburb and school district it lies in.

"There's much more variance in the suburbs than in the city of Chicago, as far as the tax rates are concerned, because of the number of taxing districts in the suburbs," said Tanya Anthofer, a top-level manager in Orr's tax department.

Orr's report comes out about this time every year, but the latest edition was released the same day the Chicago Tribune published the third story in its investigation dubbed "The Tax Divide."

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The series concluded that home value determinations made by the assessor's office have been riddled with errors that punished poor homeowners while giving wealthy ones a break. It also concluded a dramatic increase in appeals under Assessor Joseph Berrios made the system even more unfair.

On Tuesday, Orr said he was "very troubled" by the series' conclusions, especially its revelation that a new system designed to make assessments more fair was never fully implemented.

"I thought there was Herculean effort to try to make improvements, and now I'm told that that stuff wasn't implemented and it wasn't good," Orr said. "That's my concern."

Orr also said he was concerned by the number of appeals, noting that higher-income people are more likely to have the wherewithal to be able to challenge their assessments and it costs money for government to conduct appeal hearings. "Our goal should be getting it right the first time," he said.

Orr said he planned to discuss the issue with other officials, including Berrios, Pappas and County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @ReporterHal
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Monday called for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to keep his pledge to ask a federal judge to oversee changes to the troubled Chicago Police Department, calling it the "gold standard" to ensure "sustainable reform."

Madigan, the state's top law enforcement official, also would not rule out suing City Hall if Emanuel does not seek a consent decree  an agreement that gives a federal judge and a court-appointed monitor the power to enforce reforms to the Police Department.

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Six months ago, Emanuel signed an agreement with the outgoing Obama administration's Justice Department to seek a consent decree, a move that came after a yearlong civil rights investigation found widespread policing problems in the city that included a pattern of excessive force and misconduct by officers. This month, however, Emanuel has backed away from that commitment, instead negotiating with President Donald Trump's administration to try to reach a deal outside of court.

In an interview Monday, Madigan said Emanuel should not strike an out-of-court agreement with Trump's Justice Department and instead stick to his commitment to hand enforcement to a federal judge.

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"The gold standard to ensure necessary, effective and sustainable reforms are made is a consent decree overseen by a court-appointed independent monitor. The DOJ made that clear in their report and recommendations," Madigan said. "The mayor agreed to that when he signed the agreement in principle. I don't truly believe there is anyone in disagreement about the importance and the use of a consent decree to ensure we have sustainable reforms with CPD."

If Emanuel still agrees a federal consent decree is the best route to go, he hasn't said so publicly. Instead, the mayor has said Chicago would get the same results on police reform whether the city's effort is enforced by a judge or through an agreement with the Trump administration, which has signaled a retreat from federal oversight of police reforms.

When he inked the agreement with the Obama Justice Department in January, Emanuel said he "wouldn't have signed what I signed on behalf of the city if I didn't believe they (consent decrees) were right."

In an opinion piece published in Sunday's Chicago Tribune, Madigan wrote that it was "ludicrous" for the Emanuel administration to negotiate reforms with a Trump Justice Department that "fundamentally does not agree with the need for constitutional policing."

Emanuel has said little about those talks. Earlier this month, the mayor's office trickled out the news that the city had reached an "agreement in principle" with the Trump Justice Department to use an out-of-court memorandum to direct police reforms. The Justice Department, however, responded that it had not agreed on any format for police reform and was reviewing a proposal from Emanuel's office.

For 10 days, the mayor's office has declined to release a copy of the plan it sent to the Trump administration. Madigan said it should be released and discussed publicly, calling the lack of transparency "troubling."

The attorney general urged Emanuel to partner with community organizations to reach an agreement on needed police reforms, some of which the city started working on before the Justice Department investigation. Madigan said that if the mayor and community groups have public discussions and reach a deal, a costly legal battle could be avoided.

Madigan, though, would not rule out taking legal action herself to ensure the city seeks a consent decree, saying only that "a lawsuit is always the last option."

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The attorney general's latest comments aren't the first time she has spoken out on policing issues in Chicago. After the November 2015 release of the Laquan McDonald police shooting video, Madigan was among the first to call for a Justice Department civil rights investigation. Emanuel initially resisted a probe before later welcoming one.

For a week, Emanuel has ignored questions about why he has backed away from his commitment to seek court oversight, who initiated the move and whether he's considered partnering with community organizations on a consent decree.

Asked Monday to react to Madigan's comments, Emanuel said "hold on," and rushed into a West Side library with his security detail. The mayor later left through a back-alley exit and again ignored the question as he got into his waiting city SUV.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson did re-emerge from the library to answer questions. The city's top cop said talks with the Trump administration are ongoing.

"One of the reasons I took this job as superintendent is because I truly believe CPD needs to transform itself," Johnson said. "I know people want to see a consent decree of some type. I'm not afraid of oversight, but I will tell you I'm 100 percent committed to reform, so it doesn't matter what type of piece of paper we have, who's overseeing it, I and CPD are committed to reform."

Madigan said one of the reasons consent decrees are such an effective tool to drive change is that they insulate the reform of deep-rooted problems from any outside political pressures  including an unwillingness from government officials to spend money on changes.

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"It's so important at this point for our city to rebuild the trust between communities, in particular communities of color, and the police. Any taint of politics makes that much more difficult," Madigan said. "Allowing a federal judge to oversee it really helps. It allows the necessary parties to be at the table, to be heard, it ensures the process will take place appropriately and it ensures that the resources will have to be directed."

Johnson said he had no doubt the city would make good on policing changes.

"I appreciate her comment on it. I know that reform is going to be funded," Johnson said in response to Madigan's remarks. "CPD will be the best law enforcement agency in the country, and the only way to get there is with the reform and, of course, the financial support to get there. At the end of the day, it's about what you do. And what we're going to do is reform."

bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BillRuthhart
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel, seen here last month, offered some advice June 12, 2017, to Gov. Bruce Rauner on a school funding formula bill that's pending in the legislature. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.

Topspin

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has some political advice for Gov. Bruce Rauner: When you like 90 percent of a proposal, take yes for an answer.

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The context: Emanuel was speaking from the lectern Monday at a traffic safety event on the West Side, and he brought up the state budget situation unsolicited. The mayor cited a Springfield State Journal-Register story that reported Rauner education adviser Beth Purvis said the governor liked 90 percent of a school funding formula rewrite bill (there's no direct quote, but it's in the first paragraph of the story). Rauner has said he plans to veto the legislation, which is on a procedural hold in the Senate but has passed both chambers.

Emanuel, who has burnished a deal-making reputation during his decades in government, suggested the school funding formula bill is close enough to what Rauner wants that the governor should sign it into law.

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"Now look. I would like to get 100 percent all the time. I got three aldermen here. None of us get 100 percent of what we're seeking. Ninety percent in public policy is a victory, and yet the governor is still issuing a veto threat when it meets the needs of the children of the state of Illinois 100 percent," the mayor said.

Later, Emanuel contended "you cannot make perfection the enemy of progress. It explains why we don't have a budget."

Emanuel also questioned whether the governor can ever be made happy. "I asked him to take a step back, not let personal feelings about anybody or any child in the state of Illinois get in the way."

Rauner dislikes an extra $215 million tucked into the bill for Chicago Public Schools teacher pension help. Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said that "will result in the diversion of millions of dollars away from other deserving districts to the Chicago Public Schools."

"This will occur despite decades of fiscal mismanagement and skipped pension payments by Chicago. We urge legislators to continue to compromise in order to find a solution that ensures all 852 districts across Illinois are treated equitably," she said in a statement.

What's on tap

*Mayor Emanuel will attend an event in honor of the 10th anniversary of Chicago Gourmet.

*Gov. Rauner has no public events.

*The Chicago Board of Ethics meets.

*Oral arguments are scheduled downstate in the AFSCME lawsuit against the Rauner administration over employee pay.

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*Democratic state Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago will hold a news conference with SEIU to protest proposed Rauner administration cuts to a home care program for the elderly.

*A half-dozen House Democrats will hold a news conference at the Thompson Center to talk about "taking tough votes that would require the very wealthy and highly profitable corporations to pay more" to balance the state budget, according to an advisory.

From the notebook

*Police, fire housing incentives: Mayor Emanuel's bid to get cops, firefighters and paramedics to live in struggling Chicago neighborhoods by helping them cover the cost of buying homes in those areas will get a hearing Tuesday.

The City Council Housing Committee is set to consider earmarking up to $3 million to be paid out in $30,000, 10-year forgivable loans to first responders who buy houses in parts of South, Southwest and West Side neighborhoods. Emanuel hopes the public safety workers will help build stability in some of the most violence-plagued parts of the city.

Emanuel is following in Mayor Richard M. Daley's footsteps with the plan. In 1995, the City Council approved Daley's idea to give police officers who were first-time home buyers $5,000 subsidies and require them to pay just a 3 percent down payment to purchase houses in any of nine low- or moderate-income neighborhoods.

When Emanuel announced the proposal last month, he pitched it as part of a broader effort to promote "economic development and neighborhood revitalization."

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If the City Council adopts the plan later this month, it would cover home purchases for applicants who earn up to 150 percent of area median income  roughly $82,950 for singles and $118,500 for a family of four. The program would be offered for parts of Auburn Gresham, Austin, Brighton Park, Chatham, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Gage Park, Greater Grand Crossing, Humboldt Park, New City, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, West Englewood and West Garfield Park, according to Emanuel's office. (John Byrne)

What we're writing

*Attorney General Madigan calls on Emanuel to keep pledge for court oversight on CPD reform, won't rule out lawsuit.

*Chicago Police Board delays disciplinary proceedings for five police officers who face being fired for roles in Laquan McDonald shooting investigation. Delay could eventually allow some of the officers to return to police payroll.

*Berrios defends Cook property tax assessments after Tribune reports inequities. Read the whole "Tax Divide" series here.

*Emanuel releases plan to reduce roadway deaths, injuries.

*Chicago Rep. Quigley introduces "COVFEFE Act" to preserve Trump's personal tweets.

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*Chicago City Council comes out against Trump idea of Muslim registry.

*Bail reform gains momentum in Cook County.

*Cook County Jail exits federal oversight that lasted more than 40 years.

*Nearly 90,000 Cook County teens, young adults not in school or working, report finds.

What we're reading (Lazy Summer Edition)

*For our baby boomer readers: Duo from Fleetwood Mac releases album.

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*Hole-by-hole tour of this week's U.S. Open in Wisconin.

*Goose Island releasing 7 Bourbon County beers  and OMG our livers.

Follow the money

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago



*Revised Trump travel ban suffers setback on appeal.

*AG Sessions' testimony Tuesday to be open to public.

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*Trump gives Priebus until July 4 to clean up White House, Politico says.

*Democratic AGs in Maryland, D.C. file suit claiming Trump violating emoluments clause.

*Across Russia, protesters heed anti-Kremlin rallying cry, NYT reports.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposal to give police and firefighters grants to get them to buy homes in some of Chicago's most violent neighborhoods is a step closer to reality, though some aldermen are worried first responders will end up getting the money for purchasing in nicer parts of the city.

The $3 million program is confined to those most statistically violent Chicago police districts over the past year, according to Department of Planning and Development Deputy Commissioner Anthony Simpkins.

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It aims to gives first responders incentives to purchase homes within those boundaries to help bring about stability. Up to 100 cops, firefighters and paramedics would qualify for $30,000 forgivable loans for buying property in eligible neighborhoods.

But during a Housing Committee hearing on the plan Tuesday, some aldermen pointed out violent police districts often contain relatively safe, upscale neighborhoods along with areas beset by gun crime.

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"I would really implore you: It's very much needed in North Lawndale; it's very much needed in Englewood; it's very much needed in Fuller Park. And to allow folks to just go in these districts on the better end of these districts, I think, would be doing a disservice to this program," said West Side Ald. Michael Scott Jr., 24th.

South Side Ald. David Moore, 17th, said the city needs to spread out the incentives through different neighborhoods. Otherwise the vast majority of the public safety officers could collect the $30,000 for buying in, say, a middle-class part of the Chatham neighborhood, which lots of police officers already call home.

"It's very important to me that we go back and try to designate certain percentages for certain areas for that encouragement," Moore said. "If all 100 move into Chatham ... because if I'm a police officer, I'm picking Chatham over Englewood every day of the week."

The Housing Committee advanced the plan, which the full council could vote on later this month. Afterward, 49th Ward Ald. Joe Moore, the committee chairman, said the City Council is likely to allow the trial program to proceed as is and consider changes if too many applicants end up clustered in one area.

"We'll see where they end up," Moore said. "You obviously can't force someone to move to a particular area."

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne
Asked Tuesday how he would respond to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's call to keep his pledge to have a federal judge oversee Chicago Police Department reforms, Mayor Rahm Emanuel did not directly answer. Instead, he attempted to frame up the issue as being a disagreement over just one aspect. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Rahm Emanuel did not say Tuesday whether he will heed Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's call to keep his pledge to have a federal judge oversee Chicago Police Department reforms.

The mayor this month backed away from that kind of strict oversight he committed to in the waning days of then-President Barack Obama's administration. Now Emanuel is negotiating with President Donald Trump's Justice Department for an out-of-court setup that would not guarantee enforcement by a judge.

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Madigan this week has called it "ludicrous" to negotiate an agreement on police reform with a Trump administration that "fundamentally does not agree with the need for constitutional policing." She said Emanuel instead should partner with community organizations, reach a deal on police reforms and then go to court and request a consent decree and judicial oversight.

The Illinois attorney general also has not ruled suing City Hall over the issue, saying only that "a lawsuit is always the last option."

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Asked Tuesday how he would respond to Madigan, Emanuel did not directly answer. Instead, he attempted to frame up the issue as being a disagreement over just one aspect.

"The basic consensus of where we're going, the fact that we need independence to help push us along and the fact that the information should always be public  there is broad consensus on that and an agreement," Emanuel said.

"We're going to continue to make these changes, and we need somebody from the outside to help us. The only question is do you want it just to be an independent individual or do you need also a judge from the federal court? And that's the only question," added the mayor, the "independent individual" a reference to an outside monitor.

The mayor took only one question on the issue and again did not address whether he'd be willing to go into court with community organizations as Madigan has suggested. Emanuel also did not discuss a push from Madigan and others to make public his proposed memorandum of agreement with the Trump Justice Department. The Illinois attorney general has called the mayor's refusal to release that document "troubling."

The push for police reforms stems from a yearlong Justice Department civil rights investigation that found a broken police department with patterns of excessive force and misconduct by officers. Vanita Gupta, the former top Obama Justice Department official who oversaw that investigation in the wake of the Laquan McDonald police shooting, has called Emanuel's new proposed out-of-court agreement "woefully inadequate" to fix the "deep and long-standing" policing problems in the city.

Emanuel's office has said that the memorandum of agreement it proposed would include an appointed monitor to oversee police changes. Walter Katz, Emanuel's deputy chief of staff for public safety, suggested that if the city ever broke the memorandum, the appointed monitor could ask the Justice Department to sue.

"If the city ever breached the agreement, there would unquestionably be intense public pressure and the monitor would call for the city to be taken to court," Katz said in an emailed statement.

Madigan, though, said the chances of a Trump Justice Department suing to enforce police reforms it doesn't believe in are slim.

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"I just don't think that's likely, right?" she said in an interview Monday. "The current U.S. attorney general has made it clear that he doesn't believe consent decrees are an appropriate means toward police reform. That is in contrast to what virtually everyone else who has successful police reform take place in other cities believes to be the case."

Emanuel, though, has suggested that the city would get the same police reform results, whether it comes from an out-of-court agreement with the Trump administration or from the oversight of a federal judge.

For its part, the Trump Justice Department has said it has not agreed to anything with the city on Chicago police reform, including which format to use.

bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BillRuthhart
Even more than two decades later, Harry Reid is haunted by the video an activist told him to watch.

Men grabbed a little girl in a white dress at a celebration in Egypt, then spread her legs and pulled out a cutting instrument. Blood pooled beneath her.

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A Nov. 16, 2016, photo of then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

"I can still see it in my mind's eye, right now," said Reid, now 77.

Back then, as a second-term U.S. senator, he was so horrified by the image that he took up the fight against female genital mutilation and authored a law criminalizing it.

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While international health authorities say that the ritual has been performed on more than 200 million girls, primarily in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the 1996 U.S. law remained largely symbolic  until now.

On Wednesday, federal authorities accused Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, an emergency room physician in Detroit, of performing genital mutilation on two 7-year-old girls at a medical clinic in Livonia, Mich.

Charged with female genital mutilation, transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and making a false statement to a federal officer, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all counts.

The girls were told they were brought to Detroit from Minnesota for a "special" girls trip, according to a court filing. After arriving at a hotel, the girls were taken to the doctor "to get the germs out" because "our tummies hurt."

Both girls told authorities that they were instructed not to talk about the procedure.

One said she was given a pad to wear in her underwear, while the other told authorities that after the procedure she could barely walk and felt pain down to her ankle. The second victim's parents told investigators that they took their daughter to Nagarwala for a "cleansing" of extra skin.

Authorities say other girls may have been victimized by Nagarwala between 2005 and 2007.

The doctor, a U.S. citizen born in Washington, denied that she had ever engaged in the practice, telling a federal officer during a voluntary interview that she knew it was illegal, according to a court document.

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She pleaded not guilty. Her attorney did not return calls for comment.

According to her online bio at Henry Ford Hospital, where Nagarwala practices, she attended Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and speaks Gujarati, a language of western India.

Nagarwala has been placed on administrative leave and her clinical privileges have been suspended, according to Henry Ford spokeswoman Brenda Craig.

"The alleged criminal activity did not occur at any Henry Ford facility," Craig said in a statement. "We would never support or condone anything related to this practice."

The procedure may involve a partial or total removal of the clitoris, excision of the inner and outer folds of the vulva or the narrowing of the vaginal opening. Carried out mostly on girls between infancy and age 15, the procedure can be intended to reduce sexual pleasure and promiscuity, and to prepare a girl for marriage.

The World Health Organization says genital cutting has no health benefits for girls or women. The procedure can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating and infections, while increasing the risk of complications in childbirth and newborn deaths.

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It is unknown how many girls have undergone the procedure in the U.S., but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the number at risk has risen as more people emigrate from countries where the practice is common, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Reid said he was never swayed by those who defended the practice as a cultural rite and said it's not supported by religious texts.

"You want a way to hold women back? Just make it so to have sex is a painful thing, not any fun," he said. "That's what they've done for generations. It's a way that men suppress women."

Back in the 1990s, his staff had dissuaded him from getting involved in the issue, arguing that politically it made more sense for a woman to do it.

"I accept that  except no one else would take the cudgel," he said. "It was just me. I figured I'm a lot better than nothing."

So he persisted. His bill slipped through, he said, without much fanfare.

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The prosecution of Nagarwala 21 years later is "clear evidence" the practice is happening in the U.S., according to activists.

"There's a myth that this is only happening to people in India or Africa," said Shelby Quast, director of the women's rights organization Equality Now. "It's happening everywhere and we're beginning to learn that."

She also said the arrest could lead to others: "It was very quiet. People were not talking about this. Where this practice is occurring, if there are other doctors that are performing this, I would expect people might start speaking up."

Though authorities say no one else has been charged under the 1996 law, at least two other criminal cases have been brought against people suspected of or who agreed to perform genital cutting in the U.S.

In 2002, a Santa Clarita man was caught in an FBI sting when he agreed through an undercover agent to perform genital mutilation on children ages 8 and 12.

The man told investigators he had performed more "female circumcisions" than anyone in the Western world, though authorities were unable to corroborate that. He and his girlfriend pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possessing child pornography.

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In 2006, an Ethiopian immigrant was convicted of aggravated battery and cruelty to children for removing his 2-year-old daughter's clitoris with scissors at the family's Atlanta-area apartment.

In 2013, President Obama signed an amendment to Reid's law that made it illegal to send a girl to another country to have the procedure done.

For Reid, that the alleged perpetrator in Detroit was a trained physician makes the case hard to comprehend, but he was happy to see his law being enforced.

"I hope it focuses attention on a problem we have in America," he said.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek

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ALSO

The practice of female genital mutilation appears to be on the decline in many countries, surveys show

After transgender bathroom battle, North Carolina looks to ban same-sex marriage

Here's how the FBI tracked down a tech-savvy terrorist recruiter for the Islamic State
Tracy Czaczkowski, bottom left, was shot and killed along this stretch of Interstate 90/94 in Sauk County, Wis., while returning from a trip with her family to the Wisconsin Dells. Zachary Hays was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in her death. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune, Handouts)

BARABOO, Wis.  A judge has committed a man accused of fatally shooting an Illinois woman on a Wisconsin interstate to the supervision of the state Department of Health Services for the next 40 years.

Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock found 21-year-old Zachary Hays guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and reckless endangerment, but not mentally responsible for the crimes. The State Journal reports Screnock found the West Allis man was suffering from schizophrenia and believed he had uncovered a secret FBI base when he shot multiple rounds into a car on the interstate in Lake Delton in May 2016.

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Forty-four-year-old Tracy Czaczkowkski, of Buffalo Grove, was struck and killed while riding in the car driven by her husband. Hays is also accused of killing his neighbor, Gabriel Sanchez, earlier that day. That case is pending.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions repeatedly refused to answer questions from senators Tuesday about his private conversations with President Donald Trump, including whether he spoke to Trump about former FBI director James Comey's handling of the investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race.

In a number of testy exchanges with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions said he would not answer many of their questions because of a long-standing Justice Department policy that he said protects private conversations between Cabinet secretaries and the president.

The attorney general confirmed elements of Comey's dramatic testimony before the same panel last week while disputing others. Sessions said he was in an Oval Office meeting in February with Comey and Trump when the president said he wanted to speak to Comey privately - and he acknowledged that Comey came to talk to him the next day about the meeting.

At other times, though, Sessions frequently said he couldn't recall specifics, particularly when asked about his meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign.

Above all, Sessions, who served as a senator from Alabama before taking the attorney general post, tried to clear his name and win the sympathy of his former colleagues.

He opened his testimony with a fiery assertion that he never had any conversations with Russians about "any type of interference" in the 2016 presidential election.

"I was your colleague in this body for 20 years," Sessions said. "The suggestion that I participated in any collusion . . . is an appalling and detestable lie."

The attorney general seemed to understand the import of each of his words as the highest-ranking Trump administration official so far to testify publicly on the FBI investigation and Comey's firing. During one line of questioning by Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., he told her in a flash of anger not to rush his answers because "you'll accuse me of lying" and said she was making him "nervous."

Sessions took particular aim at news reports about a possible meeting he had with a Russian official during an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where Trump gave a pro-Russia speech. He acknowledged being at the event and said he had conversations with people there, but did not remember any conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

"If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it," Sessions said.

He said that he had met twice with Kislyak - once during the Republican National Convention and once in his Senate office - and that he did not disclose that during his confirmation hearing. He said, however, that he did not remember any other meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign and did not remember any conversations with Russian officials about the Trump campaign.

"Certainly not one thing happened that was improper in any one of those meetings," Sessions said.

When asked to explain why he wrongly claimed in his confirmation hearing that he never met with Russians, Sessions said he was flustered by the question from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., after many hours of testimony.

The attorney general has since recused himself from the Russia investigation - a decision he sought to cast Tuesday as resulting from his role as an adviser on the Trump campaign, rather than because of any inappropriate interaction with Russian officials.

"I recused myself from any investigation into the campaigns for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations," he said.

But Sessions' answers seemed to contradict each other at times, particularly when it came to his recusal.

A March 2 email by Sessions' chief of staff said that he would not be involved in "any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for the president of the United States." Yet two months later, he played a direct role in Trump's decision to fire Comey, citing Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the 2016 race.

"The recusal involved one case in the Department of Justice and the FBI,'' said Sessions, referring to the FBI's Russia investigation and offering a different description of the scope of his recusal. "I'm the attorney general of the United States. It's my responsibility to ensure that the department is run properly. I do not believe it is a sound position that if you recuse from a single case, you can't make a decision about the leadership of that agency."

Sessions previously told senators explicitly that he would recuse himself from matters related to Clinton - though Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Tuesday that the case was already closed and therefore not part of the recusal.

When asked about his conversation with Comey on the day the president spoke to Comey alone, Sessions described the exchange differently than the former FBI chief did in his testimony last week.

Comey testified that after what he called a "disturbing" private talk with Trump, he went to Sessions. Without telling the attorney general that Trump had suggested the FBI drop its probe of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Comey told Sessions, "It can't happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks to me.'' The president has denied asking Comey to drop the Flynn matter.

Comey said that the attorney general didn't say anything but that Sessions' body language gave him the sense that he was powerless to do anything.

Sessions said he did respond, telling Comey "that the FBI and the Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policies regarding appropriate contact with the White House.''

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., suggested that the attorney general was ducking critical questions in his testimony.

"I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged or off limits," Wyden said. "We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions, and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable."

Sessions shot back: "I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice."

Wyden noted that Comey had said it was "problematic" for Sessions to oversee the Russia probe, for reasons he did not explain in a public setting.

Sessions became angry again when Wyden pressed him to explain what facts might be "problematic" about his involvement in the probe.

"Why don't you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none," Sessions said. "This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He responded to questions regarding comments Monday from Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Trump, that the president might fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller was recently appointed to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Rosenstein said that if the president ordered him to fire Mueller, he would comply only if the request was "lawful and appropriate."

Rosenstein, who has been on the job for six weeks, said only he could fire Mueller and only if he found good cause to do so. He described Mueller as operating independently from the Justice Department in his investigation.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a star player in two key controversies about the Trump administration: the investigation into Donald Trump campaign's connections with Russia and whether the president improperly interfered in an FBI investigation.

Sessions was asked about all of this under oath Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the lead congressional committee on Russia. Here are four key takeaways:

1. Sessions denied four major allegations against him with regard to the Russia investigation

He denied that he purposefully left out his two 2016 meetings with Russians at his confirmation hearing. (Sessions said he was answering a question about "surrogates," not himself specifically. But that doesn't explain why, as CNN reported, Sessions did not acknowledge the meetings in his security clearance form.)

He denied that he had a third, undisclosed private one-on-one conversation with the Russian ambassador. "I may have had an encounter" with Ambassador Kislyak at a District of Columbia hotel in April 2016, Sessions allowed. But he said that the two never substantially talked.

He denied that he recused himself from overseeing the Russia investigation because he wasn't forthcoming about Russia meetings. Sessions's recusal came the day after The Washington Post reported the first two meetings, but Sessions said he was already talking with lawyers about whether his Trump campaign work would force him to hand over the Russia investigation to his deputy.

He denied that he violated his recusal by advising the president to fire the then-FBI director, James Comey. "Supervising all the federal agencies is my responsibility, trying to get the very best people in those agencies at the top of them is my responsibility," he said.

2. Sessions did not deny Comey's broader allegations of the president meddling.

Part of that is that Sessions, obviously, was not in the room in Comey's one-on-one meetings with the president, where Comey said Trump directed him to back off the FBI's investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn.

But Sessions did corroborate two key parts of Comey's testimony:

The details of a Feb. 14 Oval Office meeting, where Sessions and other top aides left the room and Trump talked to Comey alone. When asked by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., whether Sessions "lingered" because he knew he wasn't supposed to leave Comey alone with Trump, Sessions ducked: "What I did recall is I did depart," Sessions said, "and Director Comey was sitting in front of the president's desk and they were talking."

Sessions corroborated that Comey came to him the next day and asked not to be alone with the president. Sessions said of that moment: "He was concerned about it, and his recollection of what he said to me about this concern is consistent with my recollection."

3. Sessions appears to have contradicted himself several times.

Sessions said he trusted Comey to do his job well, and that's why he didn't get involved when Comey expressed concern about the president interfering in the FBI investigation.

But: Sessions also said he thought Comey should be fired. And he advised the president as much, mainly for the way Comey handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

He said he felt OK leaving Comey alone with the president in the Oval Office.

But: When Comey brought it up the next day, Sessions said he agreed it wasn't a good idea to be alone with the president.

4. About the only thing Sessions can recall for sure is that he didn't do anything wrong.

Sessions hedged almost all of his answers about whether/when he met with Russians, or why he was involved in firing Comey, or how he feels about the president's decisions, with: "I don't recall" or "I believe so" or "maybe."

At one point, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., asked Sessions to give details about his September meeting with the Russian ambassador in his Senate office. Sessions couldn't.

But Sessions proved he is clearly capable of giving an answer in black and white. Several times, the mild-mannered Southerner came across as downright angry when emphasizing that he did not have any conversations with Russian officials about meddling in the election:

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion  that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," he said.
Pewaukee, Wis.  The man who parlayed a run on TV's "The Apprentice" into a winning presidential campaign said Tuesday the nation needs a stronger system of apprenticeship to match workers with millions of open jobs.

"I love the name apprentice," President Donald Trump declared. He said he wants every high school in America to offer apprenticeship opportunities and hands-on learning.

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Joined in Wisconsin by daughter Ivanka Trump and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Trump described his push to get private companies and universities to pair up and pay the cost of such arrangements.

"It's called earn while you learn," Trump said at Waukesha County Technical College.

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The president toured the technical college, accompanied by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, as his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, faced questions before the Senate Intelligence Committee on potential Trump campaign ties to Russia and the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The White House said Trump's push is aimed at training workers with specific skills for particular jobs that employers say they can't fill at a time of historically low unemployment. However, the most recent budget for the federal government passed with about $90 million for apprenticeships, and Trump so far isn't proposing to add more.

The Trump administration has said there's a need that can be met with a change in the American attitude toward vocational education and apprenticeships. A November 2016 report by former President Barack Obama's Commerce Department found that "apprenticeships are not fully understood in the United States, especially" by employers, who tend to use apprentices for a few, hard-to-fill positions" but not as widely as they could.

The shortages for specifically trained workers cut across multiple job sectors beyond Trump's beloved construction trades. There are shortages in agriculture, manufacturing, information technology and health care.

Participants in some apprentice programs get on-the-job training while going to school, sometimes with companies footing the bill.

IBM, for example, participates in a six-year program called P-TECH. Students in 60 schools across six states begin in high school, when they get a paid internship, earn an associate's degree and get first-in-line consideration for jobs from 250 participating employers.

It relies on funds outside the apprenticeship program  a challenge in that the Trump budget plan would cut spending overall on job training. The program uses $1.2 billion in federal funding provided under the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act passed in 2006, said P-TECH co-founder Stan Litow.

"This really demonstrates what you can do with apprenticeships with existing dollars," Litow said.

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Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said Trump's "rhetoric doesn't match the reality" of budget cuts he's proposing that would reduce federal job training funding by 40 percent from $2.7 billion to $1.6 billion.

"If you're really interested in promoting apprenticeship, you have to invest in that skills training," said Mike Rosen, president of the Milwaukee chapter of the American Federation of Teachers union.

Apprenticeships are few and far between. Of the 146 million jobs in the United States, about 0.35 percent  or slightly more than a half-million  were filled by active apprentices in 2016. Filling millions more jobs through apprenticeships would require the government to massively ramp up its efforts. "Scaling is the big issue," said Robert Lerman, a fellow at the Urban Institute.

Another complication: Only about half of apprentices finish their multi-year programs, Lerman said. Fewer than 50,000 people  including 11,104 in the military  completed their apprenticeships in 2016, according to Labor Department.

The president was attending a closed fundraiser for Walker later in the day. Wisconsin was a key part of his 2016 election triumph and Trump became the first Republican to carry the state in a presidential election since 1984.

Trump also met on an airport tarmac in Milwaukee with four people he described as "victims" of Obama's health care law. Trump said the health care law was "one of the greatest catastrophes that our country has signed into law and the victims are innocent hard-working Americans." He singled out Michael and Tammy Kushman of Marinette County, Wis., and Robert and Sarah Stoll of Kenosha, Wis.

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Thomas reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and Laurie Kellman in Washington contributed to this report.
Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, center, leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on May 25, 2017. (Alyssa Pointer, Chicago Tribune )
President Donald Trump responded to the news that the Public Theater was putting on a defiant production of "Julius Caesar" by staging his own production of "King Lear" during a very strange Cabinet meeting on Monday.

It went approximately as follows.

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Trump: All right. Which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge? Go around, name your position, talk about your work. Start with Mike.

Mike Pence: I love you more than words can wield the matter. Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty. Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare. No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor; as much as child e'er loved, or father found. A love that makes breath poor and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you. Serving you has been "the greatest privilege of my life," Mr. Lear.

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Jeff Sessions: Sir, I am made of that self mettle as my sister, And prize me at her worth. In my true heart, I find she names my very deed of love  Only she comes too short, that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious square of sense possesses. And find I am alone felicitate in your dear highness' love. "An honor to be here."

Jim Mattis: I respect the troops a lot.

Trump: Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.

Mattis: (uncomfortably) I prefer to maintain a dignified silence in the presence of media.

Mike Pompeo: Hey, that's my line!

Rick Perry: i like you more than i like my hat

and i like my hat a lot

my glasses i don't like because i sometimes feel that they are judging me and whispering that i am not smart

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but you and my hat are both okay

i take it off to honor you

thank you for showing the Earth who was boss, and for showing the Paris accords that the only real Paris is in the Lone Star State.

Linda McMahon: Thank you for letting me work at the Small Business Administration! With you in charge we will have to change the name, because nothing will be small. Businesses will not be small, and dreams will not be small. You will lift us up and hold us in the palms of your right-size hands. You have won the biggest smackdown of all, against the economy, which before was raw and now is cooked.

Alexander Acosta: When I look at you, I feel the way dogs feel when they look at anyone. Merely to breathe your air is an unthinkable honor. (begins to strike himself on the chest) No, air, leave my foul and corrupted lungs and go where you may be appreciated, into the magnificent lungs of Donald Trump, where you will help to power a true king among men. Turn his blood even redder and help to make him strong. He must be strong  for all of us.

Tom Price: My king, please glance into the doorway, where my strong son has brought you a nightingale made entirely of gold and silver. Take it with my compliments and let its tinkling mechanical song fill your heart with joy and make your people glad. If you wish, my son will join your household as your loyal retainer. His presence will vouch for my loyalty, and he knows what will happen to him if I fail you.

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Mick Mulvaney: Your budget is more beautiful than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and was put together much quicker. It will benefit the same people. Also, you smell nice, like an expensive pine tree.

Elaine Chao: You have helped me to make hundreds of people happy!

Trump: Only hundreds?

Chao: (swallows nervously) That is a lot. Just try to count to a hundred. It's not even POSSIBLE.

(Trump appears to think for a long time, then slowly nods.)

Sonny Perdue: My lord, when you walk in the street, dogs leave their masters to follow at your heels and cats who see you experience loyalty for the first time. Young brides, stepping out of churches, release their husbands' arms and rush to throw themselves at your feet. The husbands would do so, too, if they did not know that it would not make you slightly uncomfortable, and the mere thought of making you uncomfortable fills them with a sorrow greater than any sorrow they have ever known. When you smile, it is not winter anymore. You alone can melt the frozen heart and the frozen polar ice cap. Also, you are very popular in Mississippi.

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Ben Carson: I know what it is to hold a human life in my gifted hands and perform a surgery that is a matter of life or death. So you will understand when I say that the most precious thing I have ever held in my hands is ... you. You mean everything. Everything. Everything. (begins to weep with emotion) I believe that if you touched any of us right here, you could heal us all and there would be no need for science. But you must do what you think best.

Reince Priebus: You smell like a thousand angels. Sometimes I think you might be an angel. If heaven is not serving you, I don't know what is. Maybe there is no heaven. I am grateful to God every day for putting you into my life. You are sunshine. My only sunshine. The only sunshine. "On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you've given us to serve your agenda and the American people."

This seems fine.

Washington Post

Alexandra Petri is a Washington Post columnist.

What to read next:

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Trump fired Comey. Why not Mueller too?

Don't expect spineless Republicans to defy Donald Trump

'Julius Caesar' should go  and all of these too

My lawyers got Trump to admit 30 times, under oath, that he lied
President Donald Trump's delusional outburst Monday claiming to have accomplished more than any president other than FDR at this stage in his presidency and the fawning praise recited by Cabinet members (in their best imitation of the Politburo) serve to remind us that this is not a normal presidency, and will never be one.

On the day that another court ruled against Trump's travel ban, a passable health-care reform bill is nowhere in sight and little appetite exists for a mammoth tax cut (another one beyond the America Health Care Act) with correspondingly mammoth debt, we can see just how divorced Trump has become from the reality of his failing presidency. That leaves many political watchers to wonder aloud why Republicans stick by the president.

It's not like Hillary Clinton would be president, the argument goes. They'd get a sane, much more conservatively doctrinaire president in Mike Pence. They'd no longer have to defend outlandish behavior, minimize his weird affection for dictators or turn a blind eye toward conflicts of interest. GOP lawmakers wouldn't have to run with him as a ball and chain around their ankles in 2018. And Democrats, who have not had to devise much in the way of an agenda, would have to rewrite their entire 2018 and 2020 scripts. From a self-serving perspective, continual defense of him seems downright nutty.

All of that is absolutely accurate but ignores a few salient facts.

First, unlike Senate and House Republicans during Watergate, there are few genuine leaders of principle whose sense of propriety is offended by Trump. The moral and intellectual quality of the current crew of Republicans pales in comparison to the type of Republicans who finally told Richard Nixon the jig was up. Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., House Minority Leader Jacob Rhodes, R-Ariz., and Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, R-Pa., who went to the White House, have few if any equals in today's House and Senate.

Those who do have the stature to move against Trump don't necessarily have the base of the party, and those who have visions of the presidency dancing in their heads have been among the most craven apologists (e.g., Sen Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas) for Trump. In short, the charge that Republicans by and large put party above country is entirely valid. They'd rather let the country careen from disaster to disaster and scandal to scandal than stick their necks out.

Second, elected Republicans by and large cower in the shadow of Fox Non-News hosts, talk-radio opportunists and right-wing interest groups. They fear noticeable distancing from Trump will prompt the vultures of the right to swoop down up them, leaving only bones behind. So long as the characters who populate the right stick with Trump, elected Republicans, sadly, won't lead. The tribal identification with party has robbed most in the GOP of common sense, good judgment and even patriotism.

Third, given the first two factors, Republicans continue to rationalize support for Trump, or at least line-straddling. Maybe this will all die down. They could still get tax reform. Once the president is forced out, the party will descend in chaos. Hey, gerrymandering will protect the House majority!

Finally, politicians read the polls. They see Republicans by and large still support the president. They have yet (at least until Georgia's 6th Congressional District special election on June 20) to lose a House seat in the Trump era. For now abandoning Trump seems more risky that sticking by him, especially if one has no concern for appearing like a slavish partisan.

What if Trump decides to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, as Trump confidante Chris Ruddy, chief executive of NewsMax, said Trump is considering? That would spark a good deal of outrage in the press and among independents and Democrats. It might even cost Trump some support from sensible Republicans. A wholesale mutiny among Republicans, however, would not be guaranteed  even then. That reality gives one a full appreciation for how reluctant Republicans are to step out of line  even when it comes to defending an independent investigation by a man many of them praised.

In sum, the sad answer is that these Republicans won't act out of principle, won't challenge the right-wing echo chamber and won't give up the delusion that they can get parts of their agenda through. Given truth serum, nearly all would prefer Pence to replace Trump; they just cannot summon the courage to make that happen.

I suppose some undeniable smoking gun either of Trump's Russian complicity or obstruction of justice could force their hand, but increasingly it looks like the only thing that will convince them to abandon Trump is the certain prospect of political ruin. Even more likely, they'll have to lose the House in 2018 before they realize Trump is politically radioactive.

Washington Post
We need to move to a system using income as the main basis for setting local taxes. I am sure there are economic experts who could devise a fair system, one that would include a fairer and higher funding of schools by the state of Illinois.

We could create a simplified system of taxing real estate, such as using building square footage and lot size. For example, if your home is under 1,000 square feet and your lot is under a quarter of an acre, you would pay a flat real estate tax of $500.

I live in a 50-unit townhouse complex with each townhouse the same size. Twenty units have a small side yard. After appeals to the Cook County assessor and the Board of Review, we now have assessed evaluations of the units that make absolutely no sense. Several units with side yards are assessed at a lower amount than those with no yards. The evaluations of the units with no yard also vary quite a bit.

Lets move our tax system into the 21st Century.

 Joanne Zolomij, Evanston
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, according to an old legal principle. But could an exception be made for President Donald Trump?

That thought seemed to be percolating just beneath the surface of House Speaker Paul Ryan's backhanded defense of the president. As former FBI Director James Comey accused the president of trying to shut down the FBI's investigation of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, Ryan told reporters that Trump has, well, a lot to learn.

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"The president's new at this," the Wisconsin Republican said Thursday in a news conference during Comey's testimony to the Senate intelligence committee. "He's new to government, and so he probably wasn't steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between (the Department of Justice), FBI and White Houses. He's just new to this."

Of course, he's new. That was part of his appeal. For people who hate Washington without knowing much about it, Trump turned his ignorance of the place into an asset.

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Remember, "ignorance" is not the same as stupidity. Ignorance is merely a lack of knowledge, capable of being remedied by information and education. Unfortunately, as Ryan hints, this new president's on-the-job training seems to have penetrated about as well as water off an old duck's back.

One wonders, by the way, how Ryan and his fellow Grand Old Party leaders would be treating President Barack Obama if he had blundered into a position like Trump's. By now, I suspect they would be deep into drawing up impeachment papers. Trump, by contrast, receives the sort of special Washington-insider treatment that Trump used to campaign against.

Even so, cracks are beginning to appear in the GOP's iron wall of solidarity behind their colorful president. Coded messages of discontent stand out like eye blinks in a hostage video.

"I'm not saying it's an acceptable excuse," Ryan said, after being reminded of the president's legal counsel and other resources. "It's just my observation. He's new at government, and so therefore I think that he  he is learning as he goes."

Indeed, "learning as he goes" is fine for a preschooler who is learning how to ride a bike. Presidencies don't come with training wheels.

Yet they do offer some assistance, as Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida reminded us with a new version of an old reliable legislative slogan: When all else fails, blame your staff.

"My hope is that there are people in the White House that advise the president about what's appropriate and what isn't when you're interacting with the FBI," Rubio told reporters. "It's not clear why that didn't happen sooner, and it was a disservice to the president."

Or maybe somebody did try to brief the president but, considering his famously impatient attention span, maybe he decided to follow what he has called his "instinctual" side.

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Another Republican senator, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, carried the ignorance excuse a little further with a sarcastic comment on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "He doesn't believe he did anything wrong with the Russians and I tend to believe him," Graham said. "He can't collude with his own government. Why do you think he is colluding with the Russians?"

That's the beauty of the ignorance excuse. Trump's opponents in Washington and the general public already believe he doesn't understand government and doesn't much want to learn.

Some have gone even further to suggest he suffers from some sort of psychiatric or cognitive impairment. The notion that he stumbled into felonious obstruction of justice because he simply didn't know any better carries weight with multitudes who are predisposed to believe it.

But look again. Trump has a track record of ignoring urgent warnings from others that get in the way of his plans. For example, he hired Flynn despite warnings from President Obama and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Comey's account indicates that Trump continued to go to bat for Flynn even after a scandal forced Flynn to resign.

In other words, Trump's errors appear to be not the random acts of a rattlebrain but deliberate decisions aimed at helping to relieve his friend of the inconvenience of a criminal investigation. As easy as it may be for some to believe that Trump didn't know better, he should have known better.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

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cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime

What to read next:

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Don't expect spineless Republicans to defy Donald Trump

Trump fired Comey. Why not Mueller too?

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The strategic reason for Donald Trump's tweets
Aurora police are looking for information about two recent shootings in which shots were fired from vehicles.

One shooting occurred around 9:50 a.m. Sunday near Sherman Avenue and Pearl Street on the city's East Side, police said in a Facebook post Tuesday. Three people sitting in a vehicle were fired upon by a person in a white sedan heading east on Sherman Avenue.

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No one was hit by the gunshots, but the vehicle the three people were sitting in was damaged by the shots, according to police.

The alleged shooter had his face at least partially concealed, according to police.

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Another shooting occurred around 5:20 p.m. June 8 in the 700 block of Liberty Street, police said on Facebook. A shot was fired from a vehicle during an argument between the occupants and three other males. Police said they did not know how many people were in the car, which was described as a white, four-door sedan.

Police said they did not have any suspect descriptions in that case.

Police have not ruled out gang motivation in either case, they said on Facebook.

Police asked anyone with information to call investigators at 630-256-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000, or to submit a tip via the police department's app.
A last-minute request for a continuation by the attorney for Corderro Pollard led to the postponement Monday of the Chicago man's trial in connection to a 2012 sex assault in Aurora.

Pollard, 26, is charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual assault amid allegations he had sex with a Joliet woman who was too intoxicated to consent after the pair, and others, had spent the night out drinking at various locations before ending up at a Kenilworth Avenue residence where Pollard lived in August 2012. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on bond.

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Kane County Judge John Barsanti agreed to reschedule Pollard's trial for September after Pollard's attorney's indicated he needed more time to investigate before trying the case. This latest delay means the case will not go to trial before reaching the five-year mark since Pollard and two other men were arrested.

The other men  Eric Stallworth and Shammrie Brown  were also initially charged with sex assault. Stallworth pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint in 2015 and was sentenced to probation and periodic imprisonment.

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Prosecutors accused Brown of failing to intervene on the woman's behalf during the assault, but dropped that case a few months later and instead charged him with misdemeanor battery. That case remains pending with a June 20 hearing scheduled. Brown is listed in court filings as a potential witness for prosecutors.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
At a town hall meeting in Geneva, state Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) said he is against a stopgap budget to fund education in the state.

Andersson hosted the town hall Monday night in the Sunset Park community room to discuss the state budget crisis with area residents.

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The deadline to pass a budget during the spring session was May 1. Lawmakers now have until June 30 to pass a budget, however, it will require a three-fifths majority vote.

Andersson said he would not support another education stopgap budget as a short-term solution to keep schools open. The Geneva Republican supports pushing through an overall budget compromise. He said that he spent the past two days telephoning lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

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He encouraged residents to phone Gov. Bruce Rauner's office and the office of House Democratic Leader Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) as well concerning a stopgap education budget.

"Tell them you don't want that," he said.

Andersson said he is opposed to an education stopgap budget because "it would take the pressure off of us to get a full budget. The moment we say schools have been funded, that means all the suburbanites are not paying attention that the state is in a crisis."

Instead, Andersson said, the spotlight needs to remain on the budget impasse.

"We have to drive attention to the crisis," he said. "One way to do that is not pass stopgap budgets. They give the illusion that we have done something."

Andersson said he certainly does not want to see schools close.

"I want there to be a threat to close schools to drive the politicians to the table to reach a compromise," he said. "There needs to be a threat of schools not opening in order to drive the Legislature and governor to the table to reach a compromise. I believe it is one of the few ways to get it done."

He said the potential for schools to close would be a great motivator for legislators because "it would be disastrous and people would not stand for it."

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Andersson said he does know others who support his thinking on a stopgap budget.

"I get a lot of support from the rank-and-file on that idea and some leadership. I think that I have a shot at not having a stopgap budget," he said.

Andersson said increasing pressure might be the way for Illinoisans to come to terms with the budget crisis.

"I think there is going to be mounting pressure. That's the work I am going to be doing in the next few weeks ... to push everyone I know if we don't get a (budget) compromise," he said.

Residents listen as state Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) discusses the state's budget issues during a town hall meeting Monday night. (Linda Girardi/The Beacon-News )

Two Northern Illinois University professors at the meeting conveyed how the budget impasse has negatively affected regional public colleges and universities.

"Higher-education in the state is getting strangled, yet we at NIU don't have the worst of it. It is tragic," Amanda Littauer said.

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"I can see how much the emergency we are under is disproportionately impacting those with less opportunity and resources," she said. "It's a huge human-rights issue from my perspective. They are getting the worst of it."

Another NIU professor said some students are opting to enroll in out-of-state colleges and universities, while others are choosing to attend community colleges, due to state funding issues.

Concerns were also raised at the meeting about the lack of state funding going for social services, especially agencies that serve people with mental and physical disabilities and others seeking help because of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Andersson acknowledged some social service agencies have been forced to close their doors.

Andersson said he is calling lawmakers urging them to find a "middle ground" on the budget that would have the votes to get passed.

"The definition of a good deal is one that nobody ends happy, that everyone has given something until it hurts. That's what I am driving  everybody gives until it hurts," he said.

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Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Boebert now leading Frisch by 1,200 votes in CD-3 race

Frisch had been in the lead, which was declining as more counties in CD-3 continue to report results after election day
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/delta-ends-sponsorhip-julius-caesar-shows-trump-death-article-1.3239341

Delta, Bank of America drop sponsorship of Shakespeare in the Park over Julius Caesar stunt that shows Trump assassination

Delta Airlines and Bank of America pulled out of their sponsorship of New Yorks Public Theater on Sunday over a production of Julius Caesar that reimagines the main character as President Trump.

Shortly after Delta, who was a four-year sponsor, made its announcement, Bank of America yanked its support as well.

The Shakespeare in the Park play tells the story of the leader assassinated by Roman senators over the fear that hes becoming too tyrannical, but rather than the original setting, the production stages Caesar (Gregg Henry) and his wife, Calpurnia, (Tina Benko) with Donald and Melania Trump lookalikes.

Henry, who already played a Trump stand-in on Scandal last year, models his Caesar almost perfectly after the man in the Oval Office. He meets his end after being stabbed to death by women and minorities on stage.

Delta, Bank of America hypocrites over 'Julius Caesar' Trump

Tina Benko (l.) portrays Melania Trump in the role of Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, and Gregg Henry, (center l.), portrays President Trump in the role of Julius Caesar at The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production. (Joan Marcus/AP)

Benko, similarly, plays Calpurnia with a thick Slavic accent, much like Melania herself.

The recreation has drawn ire from those who say the show promotes violence against the President. Those critics include the Presidents son, Donald Trump Jr.

I wonder how much of this art is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does art become political speech & does that change things? the younger Trump tweeted Sunday in response to a Fox News article that accused the show of depicting the assassination of the President.

Delta, which donates between $100,000 and $499,000 annually, according to Deadline, pulled its sponsorship Sunday afternoon.

Trump meets bloody end in risque Julius Caesar reimagining

No matter what your political stance may be, the graphic staging of Julius Caesar at this summers Free Shakespeare in the Park does not reflect Delta Air Lines values, a company spokesman said in a statement.

Their artistic and creative direction crossed the line on the standards of good taste. We have notified them of our decision to end our sponsorship as the official airline of The Public Theater effective immediately.

"Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he," reads a sign promoting the production. (Verena Dobnik/AP)

Bank of America, one of The Public Theaterss dozen corporate sponsors, offered similar reasoning.

Bank of America supports art programs worldwide, including an 11-year partnership with The Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park, a spokeswoman told the Daily News. The Public Theater chose to present Julius Caesar in a way that was intended to provoke and offend. Had this intention been made known to us, we would have decided not to sponsor it.

GOP demand for 'Hamilton' tix cooled after Pence visit

The show does include a warning about the violent nature of the assassination. On The Public Theaters website, artistic director Oskar Eustis said the production should not be taken literally.

I wonder how much of this art is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does art become political speech & does that change things? Donald Trump Jr. tweeted Sunday morning in response to a Fox News article that accused the show of depicting the assassination of the President. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Julius Caesar can be read as a warning parable to those who try to fight for democracy by undemocratic means, he said. To fight the tyrant does not mean imitating him.

In a statement to WPIX 11, he said anyone seeing our production of Julius Caesar will realize it in no way advocates violence towards anyone.

Eustis previously told The News that President Trump was more than welcome to see his shows, including Hamilton, which debuted at The Public Theater in February 2015 and moved to Broadways Richard Rodgers Theatre the following August.
Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest Lights Up Oregon Coast All Weekend

Published 06/11/2017 at 5:24 PM PDT - Updated 06/11/2017 at 6:04 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Cannon Beach, Oregon)  What started with a scary natural disaster on the Oregon coast has morphed its way into one of the biggest and most fun-filled festivals of the entire Pacific Northwest.

This year, the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest returns on Saturday, June 17, with thousands of people and some exceptionally creative constructs.

In March of 1964, an earthquake in Alaska caused a sizable tsunami on the Oregon coast (actually killing four at Newport). It made a wreck of parts of Seaside, and it washed out the only bridge in Cannon Beach, leaving residents with no way in or out.

Three months later, it still wasn't fixed and local residents were getting stir crazy. So, to cheer themselves up, they held a sandcastle contest. The following year, they held it again, realizing this could be a major attraction. That gamble was proven right and now the festival is one of the biggest draws in the state.

Jim Paino, executive assistant with the Cannon Beach Chamber, said the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest normally gets about ten thousand to fifteen thousand people each year, all crammed into that tiny town somehow.

This year, however, Paino believes that number could be lower.

We're expecting a lower number this time because there's a lot of other things going on, Paino said. Things like the car show in Seaside or the Rose Festival going on in Portland.

The event has changed and shifted over the decades. In the last ten years, Disney had a presence for awhile. Other aspects have come and gone as well.

Paino said the contest is in its 53rd year, and there's a few new things again. That includes it going a full three days now.

We've added the Fun Run on Sunday and the parade on Friday, making it a full weekend of events, Paino said. And on Saturday, we have the beach bonfire with live music by a local group called Rose & Thistle.

He described the group as a duo who perform what could be called beachy folk.

Competitors come from all over the country with all levels of ability: professional sand sculpture artists, amateur groups and families will all construct remarkable creations in the sand during this famed festival. These get washed away by the tide later in the day, with only photographs as proof of their existence.

At the masters division level, things are a bit more serious. These teams compete for cash prizes and build large, elaborate designs often utilizing construction forms similar to those used for pouring concrete in order to accomplish their monumental size.

On Friday, participants pick up their packets and their gear, starting at 10 a.m. At 5:30 p.m., there's a little parade through the north Oregon coast town. At 7:30 p.m., the Coaster Theater presents its rendition of Steel Magnolias.



On Saturday morning at 8 a.m., you can treat yourself to breakfast at the American Legion Pancake Feed (1216 S. Hemlock Street).



Above: the washed out bridge in Cannon Beach in 1964 that started it all (photo courtesy Cannon Beach History Museum).



At 10 a.m., the contest begins and the competitors go to work.

Judging begins at noon, with the Sand Fleas division looked at first  meaning kids. At 1 p.m. it's judging for the junior and teen division, 2 p.m. is the small groups, 3 p.m. looks at the large groups, and the master's division is judged at 3:30 p.m.

All cars should be off the beach by 4 p.m.

Live music kicks in at 7 p.m. on the beach. At 8 p.m., the beach bonfire starts with s'mores. Bring your own chair.

There's more on Sunday, with the Singing Sands 5K Fun Run and Walk. Registration is at 8 a.m. at 2nd St. and is $36 per person. The race starts at 9 a.m.

In 2014, the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest was recognized as an Oregon Heritage Tradition by the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department, making it one of just 11 events statewide to achieve such a designation. An Oregon Heritage Tradition is an event with broad public appeal, with at least 50 years of continuous operation and one which contributes to the identity of the state.

For information on the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest or information on how to participate, contact the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce at (503) 436-2623. Find Cannon Beach lodging here - and updates on openings for the festival. More about Cannon Beach below and at the Cannon Beach Virtual Tour, Map.















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More than 100 people from China and Nigeria attended the opening of the 2017 China Culture Week in Nigeria on Saturday.

Nigerian people look at creative Chinese cultural products at the China Cultural Center in Nigeria, on June 10, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The week-long event, themed Inheritance and Innovation, is held at the China Cultural Center, featuring a range of photo exhibitions, demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy and paper-cutting, as well as lectures on Chinese culture.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Li Xuda, cultural councilor of Chinese embassy in Nigeria and head of the Chinese Culture Center, said China and Nigeria were countries with profound ancient civilizations, and the two countries had many areas for mutual learning in the culture industry.

"We hope to further enhance cultural exchanges between the two countries through this cultural week, " Li said.

On the opening day, the audience members were also enthralled by Chinese shadow puppetry plays.
China's central government has allocated another 30.7 billion yuan (about US$4.52 billion) in funding to help people living in poverty, the finance ministry said Monday.

That has brought this year's total central government poverty relief funds to nearly 86.1 billion yuan, which has all been allocated at local levels, the Ministry of Finance said.

Up to 97.4 percent of the funding has gone to 22 provincial regions in the central and western parts of the country, the main battleground for poverty alleviation, said the ministry.

The central government has assigned 196.1 billion yuan of poverty relief funding over the past four years, representing annual average growth of 19.22 percent. This year's funding marks a 30.3 percent increase year on year.

The Chinese government has vowed to lift all impoverished citizens out of poverty by 2020 to build a moderately prosperous society. In 2016 alone, China helped 12.4 million rural residents move above the poverty line.

By the end of last year, there were 43.35 million people living in poverty in China.
China aims to build the world's third ocean drilling research vessel and become a key leader in international deep-sea drilling scientific efforts by 2028, a senior government consultant said Monday.

Wang Pinxian, a marine geologist from Tongji University and also with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made the remarks at a press event to announce the successful conclusion of a China-led international drilling mission to find out how the South China Sea was formed some tens of millions of years ago.

The four-month mission was conducted on board the American vessel JOIDES Resolution as part of the 367th and 368th expeditions of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), an international collaboration on deep-sea geological scientific research that began in 1968.

China joined the IODP in 1998 and participated in three drilling missions focused in the South China Sea in 1999, 2014 and 2017. The latest mission was proposed, designed and led by Chinese scientists. Over 60 researchers from more than ten countries were involved.

Wang, who serves as a consultant for China's IODP involvement, said the mission marked the first step in a three-part strategy for China to engage in international ocean drilling activities.

He said China aims to drill seabeds in other oceans and set up the world's fourth seabed rock database and a lab before attempting to build an ocean drilling vessel.

The two ships used by the IODP are JOIDES Resolution and Japan's Chikyu.

JOIDES Resolution docked in Shanghai Sunday, the first-ever visit of an international ocean drilling vessel to a Chinese port.

Tongji University marine geologist Jian Zhimin, a co-lead of the IODP mission, said at Monday's press briefing that during the expedition they dug 17 holes at seven sites in the South China Sea. The combined drilling depth exceeded 7,669 meters, and samples including sedimentary and volcanic rocks were collected.

The study of the rocks indicates the South China Sea was formed differently than the Atlantic, scientists have found.

Jian said the newly discovered formation of the South China Sea was so unique that they might need to rewrite the textbooks on continental shelf break-up and ocean formation.

Further research is required.
Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, addresses the closing ceremony of the BRICS Politial Parties, Think-tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Representatives of political parties, think tanks and non-governmental organizations in the five member nations of BRICS gathered in Fuzhou for a two-day forum and released the Fuzhou Initiative on Monday appealing for enhanced cooperation among BRICS countries.

The political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations from BRICS and several developing countries met in Fuzhou to exchange views and share experiences surrounding issues of common interest, with an aim to enhance cooperation among BRICS countries and with other emerging markets and developing countries. Recommendations will be submitted to the upcoming BRICS Summit in Xiamen scheduled for September.

"The deepening of all-round practical cooperation and the realization of mutual benefits and win-win results serve as an important foundation for BRICS partnership," the initiative document stated. "BRICS countries should prioritize pragmatism and innovation in their cooperation in a manner that addresses the key social and economic challenges affecting their own countries respectively."

It pointed out that BRICS countries should also intensify policy communication, expand the scope of cooperation, tap the potential of cooperation, increase and deepen cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries, combat corruption and build clean governance.

The participants of the BRICS Political Parties, Think-tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum also viewed that people-to-people and cultural exchanges play an important role in cementing BRICS strategic partnership and garnering public support for BRICS cooperation.

"Enjoying rich cultural resources, BRICS countries should capitalize on their respective advantages to actively engage in and collectively promote ever deepening and substantial people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to effectively enhance engagement and a sense of recognition for the peoples of BRICS countries," it said.

The initiative forwarded that BRICS countries should intensify political and security cooperation, enhance coordination and make collective voices heard on major international and regional issues. "In countering terrorism, BRICS countries should enhance sharing of intelligence and experience as well as capacity building."

Addressing the closing ceremony, Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said in his speech that BRICS political parties, think tanks and non-governmental organizations should facilitate cooperation that will elevate BRICS members to their role as practitioners of new globalization, advocators for new global governance and forerunners of new South-South cooperation.
Normally we avoid inviting a pair of guests to dinner who are sworn enemies and have track record of spoiling the occasion. But there is the unique case of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which has formally included India and Pakistan despite a bitter rivalry that spans more than 70 years and shows no signs of abatement.

When the SCO formally agreed to include the South Asian nuclear neighbors as members during the annual summit held in Ufa, Russia, in 2015, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines.

It was a welcome beginning. The two leaders agreed to release fishermen held in each other country for violating territorial sea borders and asked their foreign ministries to set up further engagements. Consequently, a meeting of foreign ministers was agreed on to take place in New Delhi.

But before Pakistans Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz could go, a crisis brewed over his planned meeting with leaders of Kashmir, whom India brands as separatist. India demanded Aziz to skip the meeting, but Aziz declined. And the visit was called-off. It only served to push the relations between the two countries further downhill.

Since then, the armies of the two countries have regularly clashed in the disputed region of Kashmir, the Himalayan state partially controlled by each country. As civilians and soldiers die in the firing across the Line of Control, the de facto border line which divides Kashmir, the Indian security forces have launched a crackdown on people protesting against its occupation in its part of Kashmir, killing dozens of civilians.

The two countries are also members of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Set up in 1985 with the objective of increasing cooperation in South Asia, it also includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It has the potential to transform the region but has failed to achieve much due to the rivalry between Pakistan and India. Its last summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016, but was cancelled after India refused to attend.

Now these two countries have joined the SCO, which has so far made unhindered progress. One of the reasons for the success of the SCO is that its members have not been hamstrung by mutual rivalries and territorial disputes. In the SCO, not only Pakistan and India have boundary problems, but India and China also have serious boundary disputes. How it will impact the working of SCO is yet to be seen.

But there is reason to be hopeful. There have been several instances where multilateral settings have had a sobering impact on foreign policy by providing an alternative space for unofficial interactions away from the prying eye of local media.

I mentioned SAARC failing to achieve any tangible progress on the socio-economic front, but it has been instrumental for some of the historical engagements between leaders from Pakistan and India.

For example, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee traveled to Pakistan in 2004 for a SAARC summit, and his meetings with military ruler Pervez Musharraf resulted in the start of a new round of dialogue between the countries.

The dialogue was suspended unilaterally by India after the Mumbai attacks of 2008, but it was the most comprehensive effort ever made between the two countries to resolve all their issues through talks.

Now Indian and Pakistan have another platform in the SCO. It can play an important role as an alternative venue where leaders can meet at a bilateral level to address issues. Other influential SCO members like Russia and China can also help facilitate diplomacy.

The SCOs focus on combating terrorism and extremism can be another area of cooperation between Pakistan and India, as there are currently mutual accusations of involvement in terrorism.

Relations between Pakistan and India are passing through a difficult period. It is evidenced by the fact that Prime Minister Sharif and Prime Minister Modi are attending but no meeting has been scheduled. But the forum should ultimately bring them together. Otherwise, it might become difficult for the SCO to deliver on its key promises.

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.
On June 3, 2017, London once again fell prey to a spate of terrorist attacks along the banks of the River Thames, where unidentified suspects drove a vehicle into a crowd and knife-wielding attackers slaughtered passersby in the Borough Market.

Terrorism has cast a grim shadow across all of Europe, where attacks have grown severe even as governments have tightened security policies in an attempt to eradicate them.

To tackle with the new tendencies in terrorism, it is necessary to recall the effective measures and approaches adopted in history by countries such as Russia and Israel, so that the rest of the world can find a solution of their own to fight the growing threat.

Russia's stances and policies have shown its bold, fierce and unyielding position regarding those who wield terror upon innocent people.

A number of terrorist organizations have long threatened the security and stability of Russia. The terrorists in Chechnya are infamous for their association with overseas accomplices, and the Fergana, a junction among the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is a land for terrorist organizations.

Facing the serious threats imposed by the terrorists, Russia has maintained the following hard-line stances:

First, it has shown its strong and firm resolution through counter-terrorist legislation. According to Russia's constitution, any violence used in attempt to undermine the regime and sovereignty of Russia, sabotage national security, establish military forces, escalate social tensions and spread radical racism is strictly prohibited. A complete legal system based on the constitution and associated with criminal and anti-terrorists laws has been established in Russia, in addition to other laws, provisions, circulars and presidential orders.

Second, the country has established a complete command system of anti-terrorism techniques. The system, buttressed by anti-terrorism legislation, has given full play to administrative and judicial powers. Under direct leadership of the president, the mechanism runs as an integral part of national security, creating a nationwide anti-terrorist network.

The Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee is responsible for submitting anti-terrorism proposals to the president, coordinating anti-terrorism measures among different departments, charting plans and extending global cooperation. The Federal Security Service, the fundamental organization for anti-terrorism missions, is assigned to defeat terrorism by taking special actions, such as reconnaissance, anti-reconnaissance, searches and combat.

Third, Russia has enhanced military forces to defeat terrorism in any form while civilians in Russia can also be involved in the anti-terrorist drive facilitated by special telephone lines initiated in 1997, through which citizens can report suspicious activities to the Federal Security Service.

Unlike Russia's bold countermeasures, Israel's carrot and stick approaches are more scrupulous.

First, when evolving from passive to proactive defenses, the country has adopted multi-dimensional approaches to fend off terrorism threats. Israel has often highlighted the role of intelligence. As a result, despite continuous terrorist threats, the country has been prone less to extremist assaults.

Moreover, the anti-terrorist system has been integrated into daily security measures. Long queues at the airport and armed police patrolling the roads and buses are impressive signs of the country's stringent safety measures. During big occasions or parades, the country will completely prohibit the driving of vehicles and cordon off roads to lower the chances of dangers. It also partners with neighboring countries, such as Egypt, Jordan and even the Palestine Liberation Organization, for intelligence cooperation.

Second, Israel is ruthless to present an iron fist to terrorism. After a short attempt at adopting non-violent approaches, such as diplomatic negotiations, the country soon went back to military force. The late hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made tougher anti-terrorist policies, including imposing curfews, demolishing settlements, increasing checkpoints, building walls of separation and adopting necessary economic measures to constrain terrorism after the 9/11 attacks.

The country rooted up certain settlements of Hamas and killed its chiefs. When dealing with other terrorists, Israel has come to be known as a country that expels the families and relatives of attackers. Their families may lose their livelihood because of the terrorist attacks. It is a strong constraint policy imposed on terrorists, making any association with terrorism be a nightmare.

The author is an associate professor from the University of International Relations and a researcher at the Center for China and Globalization.

The article was translated by Wu Jin. Its original unabridged version was published in Chinese.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court ruled Monday against reinstalling U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban.

The motions panel of the U.S. Courts for the 9th Circuit presented its decision in 86 pages of written opinion, stating at the end that "The Government's motion for a stay (of the travel ban) pending appeal is DENIED as moot."

The travel ban, the second of the kind, was blocked on March 15 by U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in response to a suit by the state of Hawaii.

The panel heard on May 15 in Seattle, Washington state, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall on behalf of the Trump administration and Neal Katyal, an attorney representing the state of Hawaii, argue about whether the nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO) imposed by Judge Watson should be lifted and the travel ban as part of a presidential executive order reimposed.

"The district court did not abuse its discretion in entering a nationwide preliminary injunction," the judges wrote in their opinion.

The second travel ban, signed by Trump on March 6 as part of his executive order, bars nationals of Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days; and suspends the entry of all refugees.

It was the second time the 9th Circuit Court heard and ruled against the same president's travel ban.

On Feb. 9, another panel of three judges ruled in San Francisco, Northern California, against reinstating the travel ban signed on Jan. 27 by Trump as part of an executive order.

The president subsequently issued the revised order, taking Iraq off the list of seven Muslim-majority countries.

In initiating the legal challenge against the second travel ban on March 9, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin noted that the new order, compared with the initial ban, "nothing of substance has changed: there is the same blanket ban on entry from Muslim-majority countries."

On their part, the three judges sitting on the motions panel of the appellate court said "the President's authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints. We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."
 Flash

Hundreds of Turkish people rallied on Monday in the southeastern Batman Province against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which was accused of killing a 22-year-old female teacher in an armed attack on Friday, local media reported.

Carrying a 200-meter-long Turkish flag, the demonstrators rallied at the high school which was recently named as the Aybuke Yalcin, the killed teacher's name, in Batman's Kozluk district.

Orhan Akturk, district governor of Kozluk district, said at the demonstration that the young woman will not be forgotten and the tragedy will be remembered.

According to local reports, Yalcin was shot dead by PKK militants on Friday, after her car was unfortunately hit by stray bullets as an attacker fired at a nearby car belonging to a mayor of Kozluk district.

After the shooting, one of the militants drove a bomb car to attack a checkpoint, killing one police officer and wounding two others in the blast.

The tragedy of the young music teacher, who graduated from university and started career last year, has caused grief across the country.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and EU, and resumed its decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish government in July 2015.
 Flash

The Kimberleys have toured thousands of miles over the past few months to China to make preparation for launching a model farm for growing soybean, where roughly two-thirds of U.S. soybean exports go every year.

The Kimberleys are a typical Midwestern farm family in Des Moines, central Iowa. Rick Kimberley and his son Grant are operating around 4,000 acres (1617 hectares) of farmland in the suburb of Des Moines with a house, grain bins and machine sheds.

As witnesses to the booming agricultural ties between China and Iowa, the Kimberley family is now not only exporting soybeans to China, but also introducing their advanced farming technology to the largest soybean export market for the United States.

The model farm which will be fashioned after the Kimberleys' one is set to be built next year in north China's Hebei Province, a sister province of Iowa. The Kimberleys are traveling to China frequently over the past few months to prepare for the kickoff of the demonstration farm.

According to Grant, the Kimberleys are working with local government and development companies in Hebei to get the demonstration farm operating as soon as possible.

"That demonstration farm would showcase new techniques and practices (of agriculture), and things maybe down the road could be utilized by Chinese agriculture as well, because China needs to modernize and continues to improve the efficiency of farms," said Grant.

"Our farm has been one of the examples how Chinese farms down the road could modernize their operations and improve their efficiency," Grant added.

As an example for the deepening China-U.S. economic ties, the Kimberleys' farm has drawn interest of a group of Chinese researchers who paid a visit to the farm in recent days.

"China-U.S. relations are not only about the government-level exchanges, but more importantly lie in the exchanges between people from both countries. The close people-to-people exchanges could further contribute to the development of bilateral relations," said Zhao Qizheng, former director of China's State Council Information Office, after he visited the Kimberleys' farm.

It's the first time for Chinese think tank researchers to hold a direct talks with American farmers, said Wei Jianguo, China's former vice minister of commerce, who also took the tour at the Kimberleys' farm.

"I'm very impressed by American farmers' strong emphasis on the importance of stable bilateral economic relationship," said Wei.

In 2016, bilateral trade between China and the United States reached over 524 billion U.S. dollars, surging over 200 times over the past 38 years since China and the United States established diplomatic relations in 1979. U.S. exports to China supported over 1.8 million jobs in the United States in 2015.

According to a report released by the U.S.-China Business Council, the U.S.-China trade relationship actually supports roughly 2.6 million jobs in the United States across a range of industries, including jobs that Chinese companies have created in America.

As the Chinese economy transits into the modern age, there is ample reason to believe U.S. exports can grow even more rapidly, and U.S. firms can harvest significant revenues from their investments, said the report.
 Flash

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila said on Monday that his government will submit a formal resignation soon.

Sipila told a press conference in Helsinki that the Centre Party and National Coalition Party could not be assured of cooperation with the Finns Party on future issues.

The prime minister made the announcement following talks with other coalition party leaders on Monday morning. Sipila said the value differences with Jussi Halla-aho, new leader of the Finns Party, was too large.

Halla-aho was elected the chairman of the Finns Party on Saturday. He has been known for his strong anti-EU and anti-immigration line.

After being elected, Halla-aho said he would not replace Timo Soini to take the position as foreign minister but would remain in the European Parliament as he is now.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Monday that "the country is not in crisis", but expressed his hope that a new government is rebuilt soon.

The current Finnish coalition government, comprising three major parties in the parliament, started work in May 2015.
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US citizens have so far made up the majority of foreign residents in Guangzhou to receive "talent green cards."

The city government has issued 68 cards to people from the United States since June 1, 2016, accounting for 5.88 percent of the total.

The cards give residents from abroad and other parts of China the same rights and services as locals, meaning they can buy property and cars, while their children can attend public school.

The program is aimed at attracting outside talent to support the southern city's economic development.

Along with the US citizens, residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (37 in total), Canada (15), Australia (11) also received talent green cards.

In total, the city has issued 1,560 cards, including 165 to people from 11 countries and regions, and 368 to residents from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenzhen.
 Flash

The United States and China should resolve their differences in bilateral trade through dialogue since a trade war between the world's top two economies would be "destructive," a former U.S. diplomat said on Monday.

"The (bilateral) trading relationship is so important, so vital for the farmers, the business people, the farmers organizations ... not only in Iowa, but in every state (of the United States), so it's in no one's interest to have a trade war," Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium held in Des Moines, Iowa.

The symposium, jointly sponsored by the World Food Prize Foundation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, brought together about 20 Chinese and U.S. experts and scholars to discuss enhancing bilateral trade ties.

"Here (Iowa) where the trade that starts the whole economy, it's (the trade war's) destructive," said Quinn, who assumed his current post in 2000 following his retirement from the U.S. State Department after a 32-year career in the Foreign Service.

"Farm prices are low now. If there is a trade war, the prices will further go down," Quinn said.

Iowa, a major agricultural state in the U.S. midwest, ranked the second in soybean production among U.S. states last year, and it exports 60 percent of its soybeans, mainly to China.

"I am very optimistic we won't have a trade war," Quinn said, adding that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida in April is "a step in right direction."

The 100-day action plan resulted from the meeting is a "good idea" designed to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.

"We have to understand we won't make huge leap forward or make great steps in just 100 days. However, we are spurring things into action. There are certainly real efforts being made in China, to form tiny steps that could lead to a deal to treat trade imbalance. This is a positive thing," Quinn said.

Last month, the Chinese and U.S. sides announced the initial results of the 100-day action plan, covering agriculture, financial services, investment and energy.
BISMARCK, N.D.  An American Indian activist and former U.S. congressional candidate accused of inciting a riot during protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline says he has no qualms about taking the case to trial, even though he could face more than five years in prison if convicted.

Chase Iron Eyes maintains his innocence and pleaded not guilty in March to the felony charge and also misdemeanor criminal trespass. He is scheduled for a one-day trial on Feb. 8, 2018, in Mandan, just west of Bismarck.

Iron Eyes' attorney also represented Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley, who signed a plea deal earlier this year that kept her out of jail in another high-profile protest case. Unlike Woodley, Iron Eyes said, he still lives and works in the area where the protests occurred and has "a huge and sincere concern about the administration of justice."

"If it takes that we have to go to trial to achieve those goals, then that's a good thing," he said. "That's what our system of justice is designed to do."

Iron Eyes and 73 others were arrested on Feb. 1 after erecting teepees on land that authorities said is owned by pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners. Protesters maintained they were peacefully assembling on land they believe rightfully belongs to American Indians.

Iron Eyes hasn't disputed his involvement, but he says he wasn't the leader of the effort and had no authority to stop it.

Prosecutors did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. But authorities have alleged in statements and court documents that Iron Eyes helped lead a "rogue group" of "aggressive" protesters who set up the short-lived camp, and that he negotiated with law officers on behalf of the camp, "holding himself out as the new camp's leader."

Dave Archambault, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which led opposition to the pipeline, condemned the group's action at the time, saying it undermined legitimate protests.

The pipeline protests in southern North Dakota ended in February, after President Donald Trump's administration and the courts allowed construction on the $3.8 billion project to wrap up. The line went into service this month, transporting North Dakota oil 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) across South Dakota and Iowa to a distribution point in Illinois.

Iron Eyes, a member of the Standing Rock tribe, made an unsuccessful bid for North Dakota's lone U.S. House seat last year. He said he considers himself a part of an informal "reconciliation process" that involves people from the reservation normalizing relations with people in the Bismarck-Mandan region, where protests often disrupted businesses, farmers and motorists.

"The pipeline brought out the ugliness on both sides. There was no shortage of that," he said. "We just need to take it slow and rebound. I wouldn't have run for Congress in North Dakota if I didn't have confidence in North Dakota, and in Standing Rock."
GRAND FORKS, N.D.  Just over two months after losing his brother to a work site accident, Aaron Castoreno cant shake the feeling that the death was avoidable.

Jared Jay Castoreno died March 29 in a work site accident at a home renovation on Earl Circle on the south end of Grand Forks. He was 30. His death remains under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

North Dakota is the deadliest in the nation for laborers per capita, according to an annual report from the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. It ranked North Dakota 50th in its comprehensive report on labor deaths in the U.S. in 2015, the fourth time in the past five years North Dakota topped the list.

If he was working in a different state, hed still be alive, Aaron said.

The AFL-CIOs 2017 report is based on 2015 figures, the latest produced by Bureau of Labor Statistics. It found North Dakota had 47 labor-related deaths in 2014, a rate of 12.5 per 100,000 workers. Nationwide there were 4,836 people who died on the job in 2015, a rate of 3.4 per 100,000.

Last week, 58-year-old Richard G. Bruce, of Grand Forks, died after falling through garage rafters 10 feet onto a concrete garage floor at a home construction in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Minnesota recorded 74 work-related deaths in 2015, a rate of 2.7 per 100,000.

OSHA investigated six work-related deaths in 2016 in North Dakota, according to state director Eric Books. So far theyve investigated or are investigating four deaths in 2017, one oil and gas-related, a number Brooks described as historically low. OSHA measures years using the October through September fiscal calendar.

Brooks said North Dakota ranks low in part because of its low population and the nature of many transient workers converging on the states oil fields in the first half of the decade. Still, he noted, thats no excuse for workplace deaths.

I have to believe zero is achievable; otherwise, we have to accept the cost of doing business in America costs somebodys life, Brooks said.

OSHA investigates accidents from private sector employers unless the death is traffic-related. In 2015, 60 percent of occupational deaths in North Dakota were transportation incidents. Nationwide the rate was 40 percent.

Brooks said OSHA would be making the findings of its investigation into Jared Castorenos death public next week. Should the agency find the employer failed to comply with federal safety standards, it can issue a citation.

Once a company is cited, it may pay the fine and take the steps necessary to clean up its job sites, contest the findings or request an informal conference to hash out an agreement, Brooks said. OSHA hopes companies that are fined take steps to prevent further injuries and deaths. The informal conference is the most common type, Brooks said.

Were really looking at the culture change, he told the Grand Folks Herald. When we talk settlement, our main goal is abatement. What are we doing to make sure this wont happen again?

Aaron Castoreno said his brothers employer, Civil Contracting Services, was not prioritizing worker safety the day Jared died and believes they violated safety codes.

He was under pressure from the company to do the work, no matter the consequences, Aaron Castoreno said.

Calls by Forum News Service to Civil Contracting Services were not returned.

Castoreno said he believes companies are cutting corners on safety to boost their bottom lines.

Theyd rather not spend the extra time and money to make sure people go home safe, he said.

Lt. Brett Johnson said the Grand Forks Police Department has closed its investigation into Castorenos death and did not find evidence to bring criminal charges against the employer or homeowner.

North Dakotas death toll peaked in 2012 with 65 employee deaths. Shortly after, Brooks recalls being at a Perkins restaurant in Minot with other OSHA employers and deciding something had to change.

He said OSHA has worked in the state with oil and gas companies to improve safety in the Bakken.

Up until 2015, Brooks said about half the occupational deaths OSHA investigated were oil and gas-related. In 2016, it dropped to one-third of the cases.

Employers are responsible to provide safe workplaces, Brooks said. Weve seen a lot of evolution, a lot of change in the last four to five years.

Still, North Dakota lacks the number of inspectors to ensure federal guidelines are being imposed by work site supervisors day in and day out. In 2015, the AFL-CIO found North Dakota had just seven work site inspectors compared with 437,072 employees, and that it would take 101 years for OSHA to inspect all job sites in the state.

Aaron Castoreno said his family is organizing to change labor laws in North Dakota and make sure regulations are being followed. They met with the governors office and were encouraged to get a petition circulating to get a new law passed in 2019, he said. The family has a Facebook page titled Justice 4 Jared and is attempting to organize a memorial bike ride for Jared this summer. They hope pressure on the issue will save other families from pain.

We dont want anyone else to get killed or hurt out of sheer stupidity, Aaron said.
(TianjinMay 19,2017) A young female lawyer recently detailed the torture she experiencedduring her incarceration as part of a nationwide crackdown on human rightsattorneys.

Li Shiyun wrotea post on social media, incriminating authorities who brutalized her during hertime incarcerated for her defense of persecuted people. On July 10, 2015,officials arbitrarily kidnapped and arrested Li as part of nationwide crackdownon human rights attorneys.

For six months,

she was locked and isolated in a dark cell and then transferred to a secondary

detention center for three months. Government personnel forced her to stand

still for 16 hours, chained her to a chair designed as a torture device for a

week without allowing her to move at all, and made her sleep head-to-head with

a criminal sentenced to death. Additionally, they drugged her for seven months,

a method of torture commonly used against human rights lawyers.













exposing Lis experience in order to stand in solidarity with her and other

persecuted individuals fighting for justice as well as promote religious

freedom, human rights, and rule of law. ChinaAid isexposing Lis experience in order to stand in solidarity with her and otherpersecuted individuals fighting for justice as well as promote religiousfreedom, human rights, and rule of law.













ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here


Panama's decision on Monday to establish formal diplomatic relations with Beijing and switch its recognition from Taiwan is a welcome move that accords with the historical trend and best serves the national interests of both China and the Central American nation.

Panama is the second country to switch its recognition to Beijing since pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party chief Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan leader last year, following a similar move by Sao Tome and Principe in December.

This, in addition to the World Health Organization's rejection of Taiwan representatives attending its annual conference in May, suggests that the principle of one China is now widely accepted by the international community and the space for Taiwan to continue to flaunt its banner of independence is rapidly shrinking.

Taipei has been pointing an accusing finger at Beijing for persuading Panama, a country with a strategic location that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, to break its ties with the island.

A sovereign nation with a quarter of its population living in poverty, Panama has the right to choose its own path of development.

Chinese ships are now the second most frequent users of the Panama Canal, the main source of revenue for Panama, and as China has already been the leading provider of merchandise to a free trade zone in the Panamanian city of Colon, it is natural for the two sides to step up efforts to tap their cooperation potential by establishing formal ties.

That a COSCO freighter from the Chinese mainland was the first vessel to pass through the newly opened expanded canal in June last year was an indication of their strengthening relationship of mutual benefits, which is bound to prosper further now that Panama is welcome to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Taipei has only itself to blame for what it sees as "suppression" of its international space.

Tsai, who likes to call herself "president of Taiwan", has so far rejected the 1992 Consensus that maintains both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are part of one China, thus undermining the cornerstone for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

In response, Beijing is obliged to take moves to counter separatist forces on the island. National reunification is China's core interest that tolerates no challenge.

So long as Tsai continues to drag her feet on accepting the 1992 Consensus, the prospects for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits will remain dim.
A panel discussion is held on the future of the office market, June 9, 2017. [Photo Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China Jinmao Holdings Groupone of the country's largest property developers, is building its business office ecosystem in the Zhongguancun Fengtai Science Park to breed more unicorn companies.

China Jinmao discussed its future plans to build a business office system in Jinmao Plaza in Fengtai district of Beijing at a forum on Friday. The office mode has been tailored to high-tech companies in the country's innovation hub to cultivate more billion-dollar startups.

Zhou Yingtong, Jinmao Plaza's marketing director, said what motivated Jinmao is the upcoming technology revolution, in which bytes will become the atoms of information.

Science and tech media company 36Kr, as well as Yidaxun Network Science and Technology Lit Co, were among the first businesses to join the Jinmao Beijing Business Office Eco Union.

Apart from support from the Fengtai high-tech park, Jinmao will provide companies with solid capital support, funds and networks.

In the future, Jinmao hopes to be home to more than 30,000 high-tech companies functioning as both a workplace and a social networking place for companies and enterprises.

According to the 13th Five-Year Plan, the Zhongguancun Fengtai Science Park hopes to become a large-scale, high-tech new economic business zone, reaching more than 800 billion yuan ($117 billion) in annual output, with 300,000 experts working in the area by 2020.
Chinese investment in large mixed-use towers in the United States not only changes the skyline but also helps local architects sharpen their skills.

"One thing we learned from the Chinese developers is how they honed their skills and made themselves more efficient," said Pieter Berger, associate partner of MVE & Partners Inc, an Irvine, California-based architectural design and planning firm.

During the past 15 years, the firm has engaged in two million square meters of development in China.

Berger stressed the China experiences have helped "in a tremendous way", as local developers taught them to come up with strong design concepts, get their points across more clearly and sell their ideas in a timely fashion.

"Schedule is always tight from Chinese developers' standpoint. The schedules are typically very compressed versus how we see with local developers," he said, adding that it's the biggest difference between Chinese and local developers.

Berger has made numerous trips to China and also learnt to use WeChat to communicate with Chinese clients.

"My first trip to China is absolutely an eye-opener," said Berger. "The scale of how buildings are built and communities are developed in China was a moment we realized what we were getting ourselves into, in a very positive way.

"It's all about creating projects of size that have overall impacts with Chinese communities," he added.

Their biggest ongoing project in China is Wuhan First City, a 650,000-square-meter master plan with campus office, residential and retail southeast of downtown Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.

The firm had its first project, a high-rise condo building in Chengdu, Sichuan province more than 10 years ago.

It was reintroduced to the country after a Chinese developer saw one of MVE's office projects in Santa Monica and contacted the firm, which ended up with the relationship that helped tap different clients.

The firm started to see an increase of Chinese clients stateside once they saw the market slowing a bit in their country during the last couple of years, Berger pointed out.

"A sudden influx of projects started springing up in the city (Los Angeles) in a serious way," he said. His firm recently set up an office in downtown Los Angeles to handle the increased business.

"One of the great examples is outside of the windowthe Metropolis of Greenlanda lot of money was invested all at once, and the downtown started becoming a mixed-use community," he added.

The architectural firm is engaged in three Chinese-invested projects in California, including Lifan Tower, a 28-story mixed-use tower in downtown Los Angeles as well as a mixed-use, multi-tower project invested in by LT Global in Orange County.

It is also involved in two high-rises with condo units and retail components invested in by BDK Capital in Milpitas, a city in the Bay Area.
A C919 aircraft undergoes checks in Shanghai after a test flight. [Photo/China Daily]

Editor's note: In the run-up to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China Daily will cover a series of key projects and advanced equipment of national importance, showcasing the country's huge improvements and relentless efforts in manufacturing upgrading and innovation.

The C919 aircraft, China's first homegrown large passenger jet, boasts a global sourcing model that is similar to that of Boeing Co and Airbus Group SE. The model is believed to increase production efficiency and save costs, but aircraft manufacturers retain control of key technologies.

The C919 plane also has several significant technical breakthroughs. Intense research and development was conducted before production, and it uses a large amount of composite materials.

For instance, 85 percent of its tail section is made from composite materials, according to Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, manufacturer of the C919. In China, the technology to apply composite materials is still in its infancy, and the application requires mould manufacturing, temperature control and other techniques.

Harbin Hafei Industry Co Ltd, an aviation manufacturer in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, is mainly responsible for the manufacturing of some parts that mainly use composite materials, including the hatch door for the front landing gear and the main landing gear, as well as the vertical tail of the C919.

Li Wei, deputy chief engineer of the C919 project at Hafei, said: "We cooperated with Boeing, Airbus and Embraer before. The design capabilities, quality system, and the supplier management capability of COMAC are in line with international standards, when compared with established aircraft manufacturers."

With more than 100,000 components required for the plane, more than 240 local Chinese companies have served as suppliers and manufacturers for the C919. More than 460,000 people have been involved in its research and development, and 37 higher education institutions joined the C919 project, COMAC said.

Once the C919 plane starts mass production and delivery, it is expected to drive the rapid growth of the upstream and downstream industry chains and other high-end manufacturing sectors, such as metal materials, mechanical manufacturing, electronic information and chemistry.

Wu Xingshi, a member of the State Council's large passenger aircraft program's expert advisory committee, said the C919 model has applied for airworthiness certificates with the industry's regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as well as the Europe Aviation Safety Agency, and China aims to accelerate the approval process for the C919.

"For the ARJ21, the nation's first domestic commercial regional aircraft, it took about six to seven years of test flights before it received the airworthiness certificate, which was the longest period for commercial aircraft in history," he said.

"The ARJ21 serves as a pioneer in China, and the test flight process of the C919 should be faster and more smoothly, until it proves that it can meet the operational requirements for commercial use."

Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst and columnist at Carnoc.com, one of China's largest civil aviation web portals, said China serves as the initiator and host of the C919 project.

He said China is responsible for the original design, assembly and supplier management, and those responsibilities are seen as the key parts of large commercial aircraft manufacturing.

"The capability of producing large commercial aircraft is a critical index to assess the industrial manufacturing and technological strengths of a country," Lin said.

"We don't need to label the C919 as 100 percent made-in-China. Our aim is to integrate the most advantageous resources and latest technologies, and produce aircraft that will be competitive in the global market."

Despite the promising prospects, Lin said the C919's entry to the market won't occur very soon. It is expected to go into operation between 2020 and 2022, and it ultimately aims to break the global market duopoly of Boeing and Airbus.

Boeing Co earlier lifted its forecast for China. It said in the next two decades, the nation is likely to become the first country with an aviation market exceeding $1 trillion. During that period, Chinese airlines are estimated to purchase 6,810 airplanes valued at $1.025 trillion.
China and ASEAN economies will further promote cooperation in infrastructure construction, as the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, said a senior executive of Jiangxi Jiangling Motors Co Group.

Tony Chen, general manager of International Cooperation Department of Jiangxi Jiangling Motors Import & Export Co Ltd, said its heavy truck products, which are expected by the end of 2017, will be sold to the Southeast Asian market.

With JMCG's business covering almost all ASEAN members, its trade volume with these nations has maintained a rapid growth trend, Chen told a group of 20 journalists from Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states on a visit to the company in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, which was organized by the ASEAN-China Center.

In the future, JMCG will step up efforts to optimize products targeting the ASEAN market, and strengthen after-sales services, Chen added.

Southeast Asia, thanks to its large population and immense growth potential, is considered an attractive investment destination for automakers worldwide.

Industry data showed that annual demand for new vehicles from ASEAN economies will reach at least 4 million by 2020, as regional free trade advances.

"During my visit to the JMCG vehicle plant, we can see that it is very large, and the auto parts production and the assembly line are very advanced," said Pham Anh Minh, a journalist from Vietnam Investment Review. "Their cars and spare parts are popular in Vietnam."

Jiangling Motors Corp, the group's listed unit, reported that it sold 79,553 vehicles in the first quarter of 2017, up 31.99 percent year-on-year.

During the period, its revenue increased 52.7 percent year-on-year to 8.15 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), and profit dropped 44.7 percent year-on-year to 229 million yuan, according to the interim report.

Oliver Tonby, an analyst at consulting firm McKinsey & Co, wrote in a report that cost optimization is a key factor for automobile companies to locate their operations.

"Companies must balance low manufacturing costs with overall supply chain costs such as transportation and components supply," said the report.

In 2016, bilateral trade between China and ASEAN members showed an upward trend, with the total volume exceeding 2.98 trillion yuan, up 1.9 percent year-on-year. The two sides set a target of $1 trillion trade volume by 2020.

In addition, China and ASEAN economies agreed to cooperate in more than 10 areas such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, information technology industry, tourism, transportation, intellectual property, human resources development, small and medium-enterprises and the environment.
An outlet of Car Inc, China's biggest rental company, in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/China Daily]

China's high-end ride hailing company UCAR Technology Inc has led a 2.2 billion yuan investment in the fledging electric carmaker Xpeng Motors, the two announced on Monday.

The investment is the first UCAR has made since the car service provider set up a private equity fund of 10 billion yuan to invest in "synergy and forward-looking" projects.

Xpeng Motors plans to mass produce its first model, an all-electric SUV, by the year end. The three-year-old company released the prototype in last September.

Touting an internet gene, the Guangzhou-headquartered carmaker has executives from a band of internet players such as Tencent, Alibaba, Huawei and UC Web, according to the company.

"UCAR will purchase Xpeng cars in large scale, and support it in data mining, joint marketing and building sales and after-sales network," chairman and CEO Lu Zhengyao said.

The move comes as Chinese internet companies eye car business with a fresh interest, with ambitious players ranging from video streaming platform LeEco to search engine giant Baidu.

The investment will give UCAR a foothold in the upper industrial chain, and Xpeng Motors a head start in the competition, analysts said.

Originated as an affiliate of China's largest car-rental company Car Inc, UCAR is different from its asset-light rival Didi by owning cars and employing full-time drivers, targeting the country's luxury end of ride hailing businesses.

The company has been looking to extend in the auto industry chain with a second-hand car trading platform and a car financing platform. UCAR listed in the New Third Board, the national over-the-counter equity market for small and medium-sized enterprises, last year.

The new fund is set up to invest in after-sales auto services, new energy cars, and smart driving technologies including internet of cars, advanced car operation system and autonomous driving, Li Hui, head of the fund, said.
Grant Kimberley (L), son of Kimberley Farm owner, introduces crop planting and agricultural techniques used by his farm in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, June 11, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

DES MOINES - The Kimberleys have toured thousands of miles over the past few months to China to make preparation for launching a model farm for growing soybean, where roughly two-thirds of US soybean exports go every year.

The Kimberleys are a typical Midwestern farm family in Des Moines, central Iowa. Rick Kimberley and his son Grant are operating around 4,000 acres (1617 hectares) of farmland in the suburb of Des Moines with a house, grain bins and machine sheds.

As witnesses to the booming agricultural ties between China and Iowa, the Kimberley family is now not only exporting soybeans to China, but also introducing their advanced farming technology to the largest soybean export market for the United States.

The model farm which will be fashioned after the Kimberleys' one is set to be built next year in north China's Hebei province, a sister province of Iowa. The Kimberleys are traveling to China frequently over the past few months to prepare for the kickoff of the demonstration farm.

According to Grant, the Kimberleys are working with local government and development companies in Hebei to get the demonstration farm operating as soon as possible.

"That demonstration farm would showcase new techniques and practices (of agriculture), and things maybe down the road could be utilized by Chinese agriculture as well, because China needs to modernize and continues to improve the efficiency of farms," said Grant.

"Our farm has been one of the examples how Chinese farms down the road could modernize their operations and improve their efficiency," Grant added.

As an example for the deepening China-US economic ties, the Kimberleys' farm has drawn interest of a group of Chinese researchers who paid a visit to the farm in recent days.
A view of the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong, which is under construction, from Victoria Peak on April 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

HONG KONG - The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Tuesday that Hong Kong has become a new member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on May 12, the funding for subscription of 7,651 shares of the AIIB's capital, including 1,530 paid-in shares that are amounting to about HK$1.2 billion ($153.9 million) and payable over five years, and 6,121 callable shares. Having completed the subsequent legal procedures, Hong Kong was admitted as a new member of the AIIB, the HKSAR government said.

Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan said that "the early completion of our accession process demonstrates Hong Kong's readiness to support the operation of the AIIB."

"As the leading international financial center, Hong Kong has a sophisticated, robust and highly liquid financial market, and an abundance of top professionals with global experience, coupled with the unique advantage of 'one country, two systems'," Chan said, adding that Hong Kong is "well placed to help the AIIB to raise funds to finance various infrastructure projects."

Besides, Hong Kong's experience and expertise in the design, construction, operation and management of major infrastructure "have been well proven internationally," he said, adding that "Hong Kong's professional services and financial services sectors can certainly contribute to the success of the AIIB, while Hong Kong's participation in the AIIB can also create new opportunities for the relevant sectors."

The AIIB will hold the second annual meeting of its Board of Governors in Jeju, South Korea, on June 16-18. The financial secretary will lead a delegation to attend the meeting, which will be the first time that Hong Kong participates as a member of the Beijing-based bank.
An initial public offering in the A-share market will help Shenzhen Annil LLC, a garment enterprise specializing in the design and sale of children's clothing, to facilitate its leading position in the domestic market, said a senior company executive.

"We will expand sales channels, boost product competitiveness and facilitate brand promotion, following the IPO issues," said Cao Zhang, chairman of Shenzhen Annil LLC.

The company, based in Shenzhen, China's frontline of reform and opening up, was officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on June 1.

"Following China's new family planning policy that allows families to have their second child, we believe that the children's garment industry will see an upward trend in market expansion," said Cao.

After issuing initial public offerings, Annil has become the first of its kind to be listed on China's A-share market.

The company has created Annil, a famous domestic brand of children's garments by adhering to the design philosophy of using green and environmentally-friendly fabrics. So far the company has opened nearly 1,500 flagship stores nationwide.

"We will also boost online sales as a growing number of young parents have been keen on shopping without going to offline stores," said Cao.

The company's online sales accounted for 24.3 percent of its total sales in 2016, with establishment on the country's major online platforms including Taobao, Tmall, JD and Vip.com.
DES MOINES, the United States - The United States and China should resolve their differences in bilateral trade through dialogue since a trade war between the world's top two economies would be "destructive," a former US diplomat said here on Monday.

"The (bilateral) trading relationship is so important, so vital for the farmers, the business people, the farmers organizations ... not only in Iowa, but in every state (of the United States), so it's in no one's interest to have a trade war," Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the US-China Think Tank Symposium held in Des Moines, Iowa.

The symposium, jointly sponsored by the World Food Prize Foundation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, brought together about 20 Chinese and US experts and scholars to discuss enhancing bilateral trade ties.

"Here (Iowa) where the trade that starts the whole economy, it's (the trade war's) destructive," said Quinn, who assumed his current post in 2000 following his retirement from the US State Department after a 32-year career in the Foreign Service.

"Farm prices are low now. If there is a trade war, the prices will further go down," Quinn said.

Iowa, a major agricultural state in the US midwest, ranked the second in soybean production among US states last year, and it exports 60 percent of its soybeans, mainly to China.

"I am very optimistic we won't have a trade war," Quinn said, adding that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Florida in April is "a step in right direction."

The 100-day action plan resulted from the meeting is a "good idea" designed to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.

"We have to understand we won't make huge leap forward or make great steps in just 100 days. However, we are spurring things into action. There are certainly real efforts being made in China, to form tiny steps that could lead to a deal to treat trade imbalance. This is a positive thing," Quinn said.

Last month, the Chinese and US sides announced the initial results of the 100-day action plan, covering agriculture, financial services, investment and energy.
The China Industry Innovation Alliance for the Intelligent and Connected Vehicles has been launched in an effort to back China's fast growing intelligent automobile industry.

The alliance, unveiled on June 12, was designed to service as the think tank of the country's intelligent and connected vehicle industry, as well as transmit technologies to production. The core mission of the alliance included promoting crossover collaboration, building national industrial standards and encouraging sustainable development.

"Being intelligent and connected is the future of vehicles, and increasing crossover collaboration is the heavy feature of this trend," Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, said.

"The world is entering into the phrase of fierce competition in intelligent vehicles."

He added, as the application of artificial intelligence, such vehicles will largely increase driving safety and reduce emissions.

Miao said China had a profound potential in intelligent and connected vehicles, as it had strong policy support from the government and a solid foundation of information technology helmed by companies including Huawei, Tencent and Baidu. China was also home to the worlds largest vehicle market with diverse demands, Miao said.

He added the alliance also had to see the faults in the current situation, such as the lack of top-level design, law and regulations, and core technology.
BEIJING - Both production and sales in new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China soared in May despite a cut in government subsidies, while the growth of the overall auto market remained tepid, industry data showed.

A total of 45,000 NEVs were sold in May, up 28.4 percent year on year while 51,000 NEVs were produced, up 38.2 percent year on year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed Monday.

Total auto sales remained stable, with 2.1 million vehicles sold in May, up 0.6 percent compared with that in April. The number declined 0.1 percent year on year.

Total auto production stood at 2.09 million in May, down 2.4 percent from that in April and up 0.7 percent on a year-on-year basis.

China's NEV market has been growing rapidly thanks to government support. Central and local officials have rolled out policies including offering subsidies and encouraging the construction of charging stations.

Local automakers including BYD and BAIC Motor Corporation have received a boost in sales, rivaling international competitors such as Tesla in the world's largest auto market.

The sales data in May came despite a cut in government subsidies this year, as officials vowed to support vehicles of higher quality and with longer driving ranges.

Subsidies for NEVs at both local and central levels will be capped, while the amount will be gradually lowered by 2020, according to an official statement.

China sold 507,000 NEVs last year, the most in the world for a second year and up 53 percent from 2015, CAAM data showed.

According to an official plan on auto industry development, China will see NEV output and sales hit 2 million annually by 2020, about four times the current level.

There should be several Chinese NEV firms that are strong enough to rank among the world top 10 by 2020, and their global influence should further increase by 2025, according to the plan.
A booth introducing Alibaba Cloud services is seen at an exhibition venue during Alibaba Group's 11.11 Singles' Day global shopping festival in Shenzhen, Nov 11, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba, plans to build two data centers in India and Indonesia by the end of next March, as the internet giant speeds up its transition from a pure e-commerce player to a comprehensive technology firm with growing overseas outreach.

With the planned facilities in Mumbai and Jakarta, Alibaba Cloud will increase its total number of data center locations to 17, covering countries such as Australia, Germany, Japan and the United States, said Simon Hu, president of the business unit.

"Such deployment will enhance our computing resources in Asia and allows greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises in cloud capabilities," he told the Alibaba Computing Conference in Shanghai over the weekend.

At the same event, the company also signed a deal with India's Tata Communications Ltd to enable enterprise customers from more than 150 countries to have access to virtual private clouds, the internet and customers' own networks.

Launched eight years ago, Alibaba's relatively nascent cloud business has grown into its fastest-expanding subsidiary, which has recorded eight consecutive quarters of triple-digit revenue growth rates.

In the quarter ended March 2017, it reported having 874,000 paying customers and a 103 percent year-on-year revenue surge to $314 million.

Company executives also forecast continued robustness in the segment on the back of both the increase in customer numbers and customer spending, with Alibaba CFO Maggie Wu reassuring investors last Thursday in Hangzhou that it is close to reaching break-even.

According to consultancy IDC, the company occupied more than 40 percent of China's burgeoning 10-billion-yuan ($1.47 billion) public cloud market last year, a sector that is projected by Bain&Co to skyrocket to $20 billion by 2020.

"China's market comprises many rapidly growing businesses that are less encumbered by legacy IT systems than is typical in more developed markets, which means they can more easily adopt new IT models," said Kevin Meehan, a partner at Bain.

Such a positive outlook is in part riding on the surging demand from Chinese companies in financial services and manufacturing that are ripe for digitalization through cloud computing and expanding businesses overseas.

Alibaba's archrival Tencent Holdings Ltd said in April it would more than double the number of its offshore data centers to eight, and pledged to use cloud technologies to revolutionize industries from manufacturing to retail.
An exhibitor from BeiDou Changsha in Hunan province displays an electric gun during an industry expo in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily]

Navigation system to play key role in building of administration center

China's self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System will see wider application in urban construction, as a State-owned enterprise plans to leverage the system to help build Beijing's subsidiary administrative center.

The move came after BeiDou's operating accuracy reached the centimeter-level and after a forecast that the output of China's navigation system and satellite location-based service market will reach 400 billion yuan ($58.8 billion) in 2020.

Beijing Enterprises Group Co Ltd, a major infrastructure builder in Beijing, said the company will use BeiDou to help accelerate the construction of Tongzhou district, which is designed to be the subsidiary administrative center of the capital.

"BeiDou, for instance, will be leveraged to help track construction vehicles and locate building sites," said Hou Zibo, general manager of Beijing Enterprises.

Beidou is the fourth navigation satellite system in the world, following the GPS system of the United States, the GLONASS system of Russia, and the Galileo system of the European Union.

The company signed a deal with the BDS Precise Service System on Monday to expand cooperation in building smart cities. The BDS Precise Service System was built by the Global Navigation Satellite System and the Location-based Services Association of China to promote the application of BeiDou in diverse sectors including the supply of electric power, water and intelligent transportation.

By using BeiDou to track gas pipelines, Beijing Gas, a unit of Beijing Enterprises, has managed to swiftly locate gas leaks before they cause serious damage.

Last week, China Satellite Navigation Office announced that BeiDou's operating accuracy reached the centimeter-level after the first batch of enhanced ground stations were constructed.

The move is part of China's broad efforts to boost the commercial application of BeiDou technologies. In 2016, the output of China's navigation system and satellite location-based service marketincluding sales and other associated economic activityreached 211.8 billion yuan, up 22 percent year-on-year.

BeiDou accounted for around 70 percent of the nation's market share of chips, equipment, software, algorithms and other services directly related to satellite navigation in 2016.
Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies released its new Honor 9 phones in Shanghai on Monday, in the hope of attracting more young consumers.

The new phone features Huawei's Kirin chip, with better photo quality and an improved acoustic experience. Priced at 2,299 yuan ($338), 2,699 yuan and 2,999 yuan respectively based on different storage, the phones will be put on sale officially on June 16. The phones will be available on major e-commerce platforms such as JD.com and Tmall.

Honor is a sub-brand of Huawei Technologies targeting the younger generation who have grown up with the internet, supplementing the company's premium P and Mate series phones.

Also released on Monday was a body-fat scale with a bluetooth connection priced at 199 yuan, a wristband priced at 229 yuan for the standard version and 269 yuan for the NFC version, and a portable air quality monitor priced at 599 yuan, and a headphone jointly developed with music company Monster.

According to technology market consultancy GfK, Honor shipped more than 10.5 million phones in the first three months of this year, outnumbering all other domestic phone brands such as Xiaomi and Meizu, as well as the international big names like Apple and Samsung.

Honor has tied in first place with Apple in terms of brand value, according to the latest survey conducted by global market consultancy Bain & Co.

Its parent company Huawei overtook all of its rivals and shipped the largest amount of mobile phones in the first quarter of this year, 20.8 million, up 25.5 percent year-on-year while the average market growth rate was 0.8 percent, according to market research firm IDC.
Beijing plans to build its first special bicycle lane connecting a crowded residential area with a business center to solve traffic congestion in the area, it was announced on Monday.

Unlike other bike lanes in Beijing, which are often crowded with cars, this one will be exclusively for cyclists.

The 6.3-kilometer lane will connect the Huilongguan residential community in Changping district with the Shangdi of Haidian district, where many companies are located, said Rong Jun, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

"In the future, the lane will extend to Zhongguancun Software Park where many IT companies are located," he said. "The traffic in the area needs to be improved because of high population density."

The Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design proposed the bike lane last year. It takes just 20 to 30 minutes to commute between the locations by bicycle, while it can take more than an hour by car because of heavy traffic.

About 370,000 people live in Huilongguan, with up to 20 percent working in Zhongguancun. More than 16 percent work in Shangdi.

Even if people don't drive and choose public transportation, they still have to leave home an hour in advance because of the large number of people using buses and subways during rush hour.

Ji Zhonghui, a teacher in his 40s who lives in Huilongguan and commutes by car, said he welcomes all methods that can ease congestion.

"If the bike lane is built, people will definitely ride to work when the commute distance is within 6 to 7 kilometers," he said.

Yu Shenlan, a resident of Huilongguan in her 30s, said she doesn't think people can easily change their ways of commuting. When it's too cold or too hot, many people still prefer to drive.

"I believe the key issue is the huge population in the area," she said.

Jiang Chenglong contributed to this story.
Long Yingzu feeds some of her pigs in an open area of her farm in Shibadong village, Huayuan county, Hunan province. Liu Xiangrui / China Daily

Editor's note: In the run-up to the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress, China Daily sent six reporters to live for a month in poor villages to see how China's poverty eradication plan is improving people's lives.

Every day, Long Yingzu and her younger sister Long Yinglan feed more than 80 sows and take care of several hundred piglets on their well-equipped pig farm, sometimes with the help of their parents.

In recent years, they have not only consistently enhanced their family income with the livestock business but expanded the benefits to others in Shibadong village.

Long Yingzu, 44, grew up in the remote mountainous county of Huayuan, in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hunan province.

Villagers in this Miao ethnic community once lived in extreme poverty because of limited arable land and other resources, as well as inconvenient transportation.

Long Yingzu turned to farming after dropping out of middle school. To increase the family's income, Long, like many villagers, went to look for part-time work in the provincial capital, Changsha, in 1997. She first helped farmers harvesting rice, and then was employed at a large pig farm.

She started from basic work - cleaning the pigsty and sanitizing - the dirty, tiring work that most others shunned, she said. In the beginning, she earned 300 yuan ($45) a month, a relatively good salary back then.

"I was more afraid of poverty than hard work, so I decided to grit my teeth and hung on," Long recalled. She was gradually assigned more important work after impressing her boss with her diligence.

After working for several years at the pig farm, she became familiar with farm management and mastered important skills, including artificial insemination. In 2002, she decided to give up her good-paying job and return home to start her own farm.

"The salary would not fundamentally change our family's financial circumstances, and I knew I wouldn't be able to work in the city when I got older," she said.

Starting up

Purchasing a sow and a boar with her 8,000 yuan in savings, Long started a farm in her old house. Unable to afford feed, she had to collect weeds from the mountains as food for her pigs and usually woke up early to cook their food. She also needed to climb the steep slopes to fetch water for the animals, and fell many times during the winter.

The hard work paid off. By the end of 2003, she was able to bring in more than 70,000 yuan from selling piglets and providing artificial insemination services to local farmers. Her business gradually expanded to nearby counties as her skills continued to improve.

In the course of business, she not only rebuilt her home but also a well-equipped, modern pig-raising facility that even has a biogas digester to reduce pollution. Animal waste is given to farmers free as organic fertilizer, she said.

Now the farm earns about 800,000 yuan annually. Long's younger sister joined to help as the business grew bigger.

"Most of the piglets are sold to villagers in surrounding areas. The demand is higher than the supply," said Long, adding that buyers usually place orders in advance. According to Long, another 30 sows will be added soon.

The sisters have also received help from the county government, especially technical assistance from the department of animal husbandry.

"My sister has the skills, and I can do the management," said Long Yinglan, 35. "We are a good match."

Graduating from a technical secondary school, Long Yinlan had tried various work, including supermarket accountant in the county-level town, before going to help her sister.

In their home office next to the farm, books about pig breeding are piled on a table.

With the help of a local government policy to help farmers enhance their educations, Long Yingzu is attending a junior college, where she studies agricultural science. She will graduate this year.

"Using traditional experience is good for raising a few pigs, but it takes knowledge and science to manage such a large number of them," Long said, adding that they have learned through practice to adjust to local conditions.

Neighbors benefit

The sisters established a village cooperative in early 2014 in an effort to help their neighbors increase their incomes. Now the cooperative has grown from six households to more than 20. The Long sisters teach the members skills and help them sell their piglets.

They have named the cooperative Mulan, after the legendary Chinese heroine Hua Mulan.

"We believe women can also play a crucial role in helping shake off poverty," said Long Yingzu, who was elected as the village committee's director for women's work a couple of years ago.

Long Shiman, one of the cooperative participants, said raising pigs for the cooperative has improved his family's income markedly last year.

"We are raising three sows and earned more than 8,000 yuan from each last year," he said, adding that he plans to increase the number of females.

Now the Long sisters are planning to further upgrade their industry by turning the slope around their farm into an intercropping farm, where pigs destined for pork dishes can be raised organically. They expect that will attract tourists, as the village aims to boost tourism with its natural resources, including its karst caves.

"In the future, visitors cannot only have fun on the farm but also eat and buy organic pork from us," Long Yingzu said.
What's in a name? A lot, if you had asked Johnson State College and Lyndon State College in the US state of Vermont.

The schools are now one, at least in name - Northern Vermont University - with two campuses 89 kilometers apart.

The name change was designed to attract foreign students willing to pay higher tuition. "University" just sounds better than "college".

NVU will welcome its first freshman class in the fall of 2018.

Across the United States schools have been trying to step up to the surge in foreign students, especially Chinese students. Last year, 328,547 Chinese studied in the US, accounting for 32 percent of all foreign students, according to the Institute of International Education.

But Vermont ranks low - 48th among the country's 50 states. Last year, a paltry 1,712 foreign students studied in Vermont, 39 percent of them Chinese.

Currently, Lyndon has eight international students, including five from China; Johnson State has two international students, one from the United Kingdom and one from Bermuda.

Last year, the board of trustees of the state college system voted unanimously to unify Johnson and Lyndon State - but keeping each school's campus separate - to save money and increase revenue.

Foreign students brought just $75 million to the state last year, up from $34 million six years ago, according to the education institute.

In explaining the name change, Patricia Coates, director of communications for the Vermont State Colleges System, told China Daily that "college" may have a different perception outside the US. In China, "college" may be seen as equivalent to "high school" or "junior college".

"Frankly, let's be honest, 'university' provides a marketing advantage, and that is a big part of what we hope to leverage from this unification," Coates told news website vtdigger.org last year.

Vermont's state college tuition is among the highest in any state, according to the website. The state's smaller public colleges have seen enrollments decline and are more dependent on tuition because of low government funding. Tuition and fees make up 58 percent of their revenue; room and board 17 percent; and state money 16 percent.

At Lyndon in 2015, according to the school's website, there were 1,200 students. In-state tuition was $10,700 and out-of-state tuition was $21,764. International students qualify for the Open Frontiers Scholarship when enrolled in any degree program at Lyndon, and can receive $5,500 a year.

For the academic year 2016-17, Johnson's website lists in-state tuition as $10,244 and out-of-state as $22,680. The tuition for the newly combined NVU hasn't been disclosed yet.

It's not the first time that an institute of higher education in Vermont has changed its name. In July 2015, Castleton State College changed to Castleton University after a unanimous vote from the school's board of trustees.

University President Dave Wolk explained that the reasons for the name change included growth in the number of graduate programs and the student body, as well as Castleton's international recruitment efforts.

The school's website says that in 2015, 40 countries (including China) were represented among its student body of 2,246. Tuition for the academic year 2017-18 is $22,490 for in-state and $38,042 for out-of-state.

Patrick Liu, director of international student enrollments at Castleton, said people in countries outside the US have a different notion of what "college" means.

"Sometimes, people might think the education quality of a university would be higher than a college," said Liu. "So the change of the school's name could avoid misunderstanding and make it easier to explain to students overseas. It's good for the school's promotion and development, especially overseas."

Last year, Lyndon welcomed its first students from Xi'an into its undergraduate degree program. The school has an electronic journalism arts program that collaborates with China's Xi'an University. Each January, students from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, spend a few weeks on campus for hands-on experience in electronic journalism.
Premier Li meets with visiting PM Bettel as raft of deals are signed

Airline freight shipping was a major highlight of the cooperative agreements made by China and Luxembourg on Monday as Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

The four pacts signed after their meeting included a deal about joint investment involving airline freight shipping companies from Luxembourg and central China's Henan province.

Officials and experts observed that the agreement was made at a time when China is expanding connectivity cooperation with the country well known as a European financial and transportation hub.

As early as 2014, a company owned by the Henan provincial government purchased 35 percent of shares in Luxembourg's Cargolux Airlines International.

During the meeting, Li proposed the two countries should expand their agreement on aviation rights arrangement and reinforce cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and financing.

Li said the two countries should push to upgrade their cooperation on steel and explore cooperation involving both countries and third-party markets.

Bettel said Luxembourg is ready to expand cooperation with China in areas such as trade, investment, financing, space technology, steel, aviation and telecommunications.

Also on Monday, the two countries signed agreements in areas including internet financing, public security and joint film shooting.

Zhu Jing, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of European Affairs, said the two countries are ready to make Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, and Luxembourg important hubs on a Silk Road in the air connecting China and Europe.

That is part of their bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Zhu told reporters in a briefing after the meeting.

Bettel will travel to Zhengzhou on Tuesday, and one of his trip's purposes is to witness the success of bilateral cooperation in airline freight shipping, Zhu added.

Feng Zhongping, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that within the context of co-building the Belt and Road, China and Europe are embracing facilitated trade and they are getting closer in matters related to connectivity.

The two sides are witnessing great development in infrastructure facilities, including rail and ports, Feng said.

The leader of Luxembourg, a key financial partner of China within the European Union, began his official visit to China on Sunday.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Relations between them have developed in a lasting, healthy and stable manner, and have set a good example for Chinese-European ties, Li said.

Speaking on China's relationship with the European Union, Li said that in the current context of international politics and economy, the two sides should jointly send signals promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment.

They should signal their willingness to make globalization more inclusive and of benefit to all, and they should champion international order, such as laid out in the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of the World Trade Organization, Premier Li said.

Bettel said Luxembourg upholds free trade and multilateralism, and is ready to boost communication and coordination with China to jointly tackle global challenges.
A jury found Robert James LeCou guilty in the brutal shooting deaths of his wife and two in-laws in the tiny town of Belfry.

After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury of six men and six women convicted LeCou, 40, on three counts of deliberate homicide. The close-range killings in April 2016 took the lives of Lecou's wife, 54-year-old Karen Hill-LeCou; his sister-in-law, Sharon Hill-Lamb, 72; and her husband Lloyd Lamb, 76.

LeCou had denied the charges since his first interview with law enforcement.

The six-day trial ended Monday after testimony from 31 witnesses, including law enforcement, Belfry residents and forensic experts. LeCou did not testify.

Prosecutors worked to show jurors that even though a weapon hasnt been recovered, the sum of circumstances pointed to no other suspect.

A bartender testified that she had to cut off LeCou from drinking that afternoon before he drove away from town. He didnt have a drivers license. When he was arrested days later, the truck was found damaged nearby.

He was going to do whatever it took to get to Washington, Assistant Attorney General Daniel Guzynski said during closing arguments Monday.

LeCou left town seemingly unannounced on the same night his family was killed. On the way, LeCou told an Idaho gas station attendant that his wife had just died, according to testimony.

Lambs prescription medicine was left alone in the house, and other expensive items werent disturbed. No money appeared stolen from purses and wallets in the house  though LeCou had his wifes credit cards  not one bit of evidence that this was a burglary or a robbery, Guzynski said.

Prosecutors offered an explanation for the missing murder weapon.

There was a 9 mm handgun that belonged to Lamb, which also happened to be missing from the family and was never recovered. And while LeCou denied knowing the caliber, he was seen with his wife while she purchased 9 mm ammunition. Another neighbor testified that LeCou asked in a text message if he would purchase 9 mm bullets for him.

Bullet casings found at the crime scene and outside the house  believed to be fired at different times  came from the same weapon, according to a ballistics expert. Someone had been firing it, but Lloyd Lambs dementia was severe enough that the family removed firearms from his care.

LeCous attorneys suggested that the overarching coincidence in the case  LeCous absence during his familys murder  was an unfair liability.

And because he wasnt there, thats exactly the reason that he became the suspect, attorney Clark Mathews said during closing arguments.

Throughout the trial, defense attorneys picked at the prosecutions narrative. They alleged that investigators prematurely identified LeCou as a suspect. Mathews said that inconsistencies in LeCous statement to law enforcement came just after investigators told him his wife had died. LeCou struggled to remember a phone number. He was in shock, Mathews said.

Some of the physical evidence also left openings for LeCous attorneys. Spots that appeared to be blood on the floor of the truck LeCou drove to Washington were a DNA match for Hill-LeCou. It's unclear if the substance is blood.

Mathews gave the jury other theories during closing.

Consider if somebody goes into that house to commit a burglary and it goes south, he said. Are they going to continue with their designs to take anything from the house that would tie them to the crime scene? Does that make any sense?

Lives lost in Belfry

Lloyd Lamb was born in a Belfry cabin, according to his son, Lynn.

He worked overseas late in his career, helping the Air Force on radar installation sites. He met his wife, Hill-Lamb, over a dating service, according to court testimony.

When Lloyds health turned years later, Hill-Lamb didnt want to put him in an assisted living home.

She loved him, said Kathy Ingham, Hill-Lambs sister. She wanted to be by him no matter what.

The relationship between Lloyd and Sharon was long distance at first as Lloyd finished his career. Lynn Lamb said that his father always had his nose in books and was a tinkerer  he even built his own graphing machine.

Hill-Lamb kept collectible pigs that were prized possessions, according to Ingham, her sister. By all accounts, she kept a tidy home and was very close to another sister  Karen Hill-LeCou. It was because of that wish to keep Lloyd out of assisted care that Karen came to live in Belfry.

My sisters were very close, Ingham said. Sharon and Karen were more of a mother-daughter than sisters. They were always together. And Karen wanted to be a part of that help.

Karen was 18 years younger than her oldest sister, Sharon. Ingham said she was a devout worshipper, often holding services to herself while driving long distances, which she didnt mind doing. Multiple people testified that Karen was proud of her Ford F-250 truck  her access to the open road.

It was a family effort to take care of Lamb. Extended family, including his daughter-in-law Jenya Lamb, traveled up from Wyoming to help out  sometimes more than once per week.

Sam Coulimore, the town pastor, testified to that family duty. Hed been going to the Lamb home nearly each Sunday for two years to offer sermons.

He shuddered in court when he said that, after the killings, he continued his visits in a way. He said hes been returning to Belfry to offer a prayer for the family.

I stop there every Sunday for a couple minutes, Coulimore said.

In those prayers, he includes LeCou.
The dean of Renmin University of China's School of Journalism, Zhao Qizheng (second from left), and Guo Weimin (center), vice-minister of China's State Council Information Office, talk with farm owner Rick Kimberley. Representatives of Chinese leading think tanks visited the Kimberley Farms in Iowa on Sunday. [Photo//China News Service]

The United States' best-known farm in China, Kimberley Farms in Iowa, received a group of leading think tank researchers from Beijing for the first time on Sunday, after becoming an attraction for Chinese visitors since President Xi Jinping's visit five years ago.

Nearly 20 members of top Chinese think tanks, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Center for International Economic Exchanges, retraced the roads that Xi traveled in 2012 as a visiting vice-president.

They ended the tour with a field trip to patches of the 1618-hectare corn and soybean farm operated by Rick Kimberley in Maxwell, Iowa, about 60 kilometers northeast of the state capital Des Moines.

The strong wind and scorching sun on the weekend seemed not to dent their enthusiasm for learning more about agricultural trade between the two countries and how farming is done in a safe and sustainable way in one of the top food exporters to China.

In what Rick Kimberley described as "forthcoming and open dialogue" on the farm, the Chinese delegates asked, "How many workers are engaged in farming such a big farm? What do you think about genetically modified organisms? How can the agricultural sector retain young talent?"

They also asked the president of Kimberley Farms and his fellow farmers what worries they had in trade with China.

Kimberley said only three or four people work the 1,618 hectares, and these people are now helping China's Hebei province to develop a demonstration farm project of 1,214 hectares that will also use new technologies being used in Iowa. An agreement on developing the project was signed at the end of May.

Iowa, a major agricultural state in the US Midwest, was the second-largest soybean producing US state last year, and it exports 60 percent of its soybeans, mainly to China.

When Xi visited the Kimberley farm in February 2012, the Chinese leader said he wanted to use the Iowa farmstead as a model for China's agriculture, Kimberley said.

"We've taken this to heart, and I've been to China eight times, visiting 30 cities in 10 provinces, to talk with agricultural officials and try to explain how we farm here and talk about bringing more technologies to China," he said.

The visitors got a closer look at how the corn stalks braved the strong wind and waves of heat on Sunday. They also learned from Grant Kimberley, a manager at the Iowa Soybean Association and son of the Kimberleys, how he sets the temperature control and calibrates the moisture of the corn and soybeans in the gigantic grain storages in Iowa through a mobile phone, even when he is traveling in China.

Zhao Qizheng, dean of the school of journalism at Renmin University of China and a former national political adviser, asked the younger Kimberley if the US farms grow genetically modified crops.

Grant Kimberley said around 90 percent of the corn and soybeans produced in the US farms is genetically modified, as is the percentage on his farm.

He said farmers grow what the market provides economic incentives for.

"The non-GMOs target specific markets; they are just more costly," he said.

As Iowa is a top egg, poultry and beef producer, Wei Jianguo, deputy head of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, proposed veterinarian training could be another area for cooperation between the state and China.


For Harry Stine, a farm boy who became an inventor, businessman and the richest billionaire in Iowa by licensing his genetically engineered corn and soybean seeds to multinational companies, there are a lot of reasons he has many connections with China.

"My first main business was in soybean plant breeding, and all of our soybeans originally came from Asia, primarily China. We would not have the success we had today if we didn't have the opportunity to use Chinese soybeans to start with," said Stine, while pointing to the soybean nursery on the farm where Stine Seed sits in Adel, Iowa.

Stine Seed is the world's largest privately owned seed company. Stine was also one of the first people invited by the Chinese government to visit China in early 1976.

He ran into the funeral procession of former premier Zhou Enlai in the streets of Beijing. "Zhou did a good job in a complicated situation," Stine said.

Since his first visit to China in 1976, Stine had taken his family to tour China a couple of times. He also spoke at the 2015 China Development Forum in Beijing.

"Anyone who has been in China then and now has to have great admiration for the progress and change that occurred in China. Combined with China's long history, I only have great respect and appreciation for both China and its people," Stine said.

Stine's father moved to the current farm in 1934 when it was relatively small. Today it has morphed into a giant farm of 11,331 hectares primarily used for seed breeding.

"We worked long hours and had a small income. I kind of identify with that kind of small farmers in China and want to help them wherever I can," said Stine.

Beginning in 2012, with the help of Zhao Li at Iowa China Group, Stine began making connections with Chinese seed companies and now provides high-yield corn and soybean seeds to farms around China.

Stine said his genetics can help Chinese farmers to increase their corn yield by one-third and soybean yield by 10 to 20 percent. He wants to help Chinese farmers to reach the same level of production as in the US.

So far Stine has sent hundreds of genetics to China to test what best fit China's environment.

Although a relatively newcomer to China's seed business, Stine Seed is moving fast. Already, China has become its largest market outside of US. Stine Seed has registered three hybrid corns with the Chinese government and more are coming. Stine seeds are being planted in half of China's provinces.

Stine is confident that his seed business will grow rapidly in China.

"We are more cooperative with local companies and government than some other American seed companies," he said.
BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte on the 42nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between their two countries and the 119th anniversary of the Philippines' independence.

The Philippines has made important achievements in national construction under the leadership of Duterte, said Xi, and he expressed heartfelt congratulations to such achievements.

"The Chinese and Philippine peoples have a profound traditional friendship," said the Chinese president, noting that the two countries returned to the right track of good neighborly relations last year with efforts from both sides.

Their cooperation in all fields are flourishing, which has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, said Xi.

As China and the Philippines are close neighbors, the two developing countries share the same missions in safeguarding national security, realizing common development and promoting regional peace and stability, Xi stressed.

"I attach great importance to China-Philippines relations, and stand ready to work with you to lead our two countries to continue our mutual assistance, support and common development in bids to bring benefits to both peoples and the peoples across the region," said Xi.
Woman with rare blood type helps people in need for more than a decade

Qin Xianzhen first donated blood in 2003. An electrical engineer in East China's Shandong province, she did that to support patients with SARS, as the epidemic depleted the provincial blood center, Qilu Evening News reported.

She was later told by the blood center that she is a carrier of rhesus negative blood, or Rh negative blood, which is nicknamed "panda blood" in China because of its rarity. Only three in every 1,000 Chinese people have this type of blood.

As the Rh negative blood cannot be stored for long, the blood center hoped to be in contact with her so she could help those in need of blood.

Since then, Qin has kept her mobile phone switched on around the clock to answer phone calls from the blood center. Whenever she receives a phone call, she stops what she's doing and rushes to the center to donate blood.

Over the past 15 years, the volume of blood donated by Qin amounts to 8,000 millimeters, nearly twice that in a human body.

To keep in good shape, Qin walks 30,000 steps each day. At 57, the woman said she will keep donating blood for as long as she can. In China, the age limit for blood donors is 60.
A parking lot sharing mobile application is gaining popularity among white-collar workers in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, amid China's sharing economy boom.

Searching for parking spaces has long been a headache for many office workers in metropolises across China. Especially for those working in central business districts in first- and second-tier cities, parking near their companies for five days a week could cost them a fortune.

Meanwhile, even with prices for parking lots in residential areas soaring, most of their spaces remain unoccupied during workdays.

There lies the business opportunity for "Searching for Parking Spaces", or in Chinese "Zhao Che Wei", an application developed by a science and technology company. The company, named "Cloud Butler," has upgraded the barrier gates for the residential areas, to enable them to be linked to its database.

By inputting one's cellphone number, license plates number and periods of time needed, an app user will be able to find a shareable parking space in a residential area close to his or her working place.

A man surnamed Zhang is one of the users who have benefited from using the app. He told local newspaper Qianjiang Evening News that it cost him nearly 1,000 yuan ($147) every month for parking before using the application, but now, after renting one from his parking-lot landlord, the expense has been lowered to 400 yuan ($59) per month.

"And it is safer to park the car in a residential block than at the roadside," said Zhang.

According to Li Hongbin, CEO of "Zhao Che Wei", the application has over 6,000 registered users at present, and they are planning to work with 200 residential areas in Hangzhou within the year.

Li said the revenue will be distributed between the application, property management companies and the owners of the parking lots.

Such applications have also emerged in many other cities across the country, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. According to Liu Changjiang, head of the Beijing Parking Industry Association, Beijing is also working on a plan to encourage sharing parking spaces.

About 25 to 30 percent of the parking lots in Beijing are left idle, and by sharing parking spaces, the lack of parking lots will be eased and the utilization rate will also be much elevated, said Xie Guangzheng, an official of Beijing Transport Institute.
Monthly package will bring down costs for passengers flying between Dalian and Yantai

Frequent fliers between Dalian and Yantai will be able to buy cut-priced monthly tickets.

The plan was rolled out on Monday by Dalian International Airport and budget airline Joyair.

A monthly package of four tickets will cost 360 yuan ($53). "During the trial operation, more than 500 tickets were sold in the first month," said Fu Jianhong, vice-president of Joyair.

Dalian is located on the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, while Yantai is in the east of the Shandong Peninsula. Both are important cities around the Bohai Sea.

Although the distance between the two cities is only 106 kilometers, it takes more than six hours by sea. By air, it takes only 50 minutes.

Like the Beijing Shanghai (Hongqiao) Air Express, Dalian and Yantai airports have exclusive counters for the flights.

These provide quick check-ins and security checks for designated passages.

"People flying between the two cities will enjoy the services," said He Dayong, manager of the market development department of Dalian airport. "It will be as convenient as taking a bus."

Chinese-made Modern Ark 60 aircraft are used for the route and the turnaround is just 20 minutes between flights.

Connections between Dalian and Yantai have become more frequent with Joyair and Tianjin Airlines shuttling passengers between the two cities.

"The daily flights between Yantai and Dalian have increased from six last year to 10," said He. "The flights will run from 8 am until around 11 pm."

Dalian airport also provides free shuttle services between Dalianbei Railway Station, also known as the northern railway station of Dalian.

"Dalian airport will deepen cooperation with airline companies in the future," said He. "The air express between Dalian and Weihai of Shandong province will also start operation in the coming months."
The Chinese government speaks highly of the Panamanian government's subscribing to and adhering to the one-China principle as well as establishing diplomatic relations with China, Vice-President Li Yuanchao told Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice-president and foreign minister, on Tuesday in Beijing.

Earlier on Tuesday, China and Panama signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Li said that the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations lives up to the general trend and the common aspiration of the public.

The establishment champions the one-China principle and serves the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, achieving both righteousness and benefit, Li said.

"We hope that both sides will make joint efforts to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance mutual trust, complement each other, deepen cooperation and promote the steady development of bilateral ties," Li added.

The visiting vice-president said that Panama will stay committed to the one-China principle, and is willing to carry out cooperation in a wide range of areas and introduce a new chapter to the ties.
A soldier jumps through a ring of fire during training at a military camp of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong, on June 2, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

President Xi Jinping recently signed an order to confer an honorary title on a special military unit stationed in Hong Kong ahead of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.

The title is called the Hong Kong Garrison Model Special Force Company. It is bestowed on the First Company of the Special Force in the People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong.

The company aims to become a world-class unit, and has upheld strong discipline and completed many important missions, the order said. It has effectively fulfilled its garrison duties in a special area.

The order urged all military and the armed police forces to learn from the company, using the Party's innovative theories to equip their minds.

The order also required the military to be absolutely loyal, pure and reliable, and resolutely follow the command of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.

Following the model company's example, strengthening combat prowess should be a fundamental goal, the order said. The military should train soldiers for real combat, uphold reforms and innovations, and strictly follow laws and regulations.

The order also asked the military to use outstanding achievements to welcome the upcoming 19th National Congress of the CPC in the autumn.

China resumed sovereignty of Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, concluding 156 years of British colonial rule. The PLA has had a garrison in Hong Kong ever since, and is responsible for defense duties in the special administrative region.

The garrison is funded by the central government and has 6,000 active personnel. The commander is Lieutenant General Tan Benhong.
Conteptual poster of Shentan Pu Songling Lanruo Xianzong (The Genius Detective Pu Songling Celestial Tracks of Lanruo Temple) [Photo provided to China Daily]

Pu Songling is known for being behind the fantasy world of co-existing spirits and humans of the 18th century collection Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.

But now an upcoming movie will include him as the protagonist.

A town set in the movieShentan Pu Songling[Photo provided to China Daily ]

Internet giant iQiyi's film body iQiyi Motion Pictures released the conceptual posters of the upcoming live-action and CGI-hybrid movie Shentan Pu Songling: Lanruo Xianzong (The Genius Detective Pu Songling: Celestial Tracks of Lanruo Temple) on June 9.

The movie, the biggest blockbuster hope of iQiyi Motion Pictures this year, has a budget of more than 100 million yuan ($14.7 million).

Adapted from post-1990 writer Teng Da's online novel with the same title, the movie will enliven the fantastic spectacles as well as set dramatical twists to follow Pu's criminal-hunting adventures.

Liu Xiaoguang, known for producing heavy visual effects-studded blockbusters The Monkey King and The Monkey King 2, says his visual team has already done many designs for the sets and characters.

The movie will soon cast A-listers and begin the shooting, according to the company.

More commercial movies were highlighted at the event.

Actress Yan Ni co-stars her 19-year-old daughter Zou Yuanqing in the upcoming comedy I Am Your Mother [Photo provided to China Daily]

Comedy star Yan Ni's new movie I Am Your Mother, her first work to co-star with her 19-year-old daughter Zou Yuanqing, also released promotional posters.

Historical themes support other films, such as Kui Long Yu (The Jade of Kui Dragon), based on the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Qizhen and his loyal official Yuan Bin, and Lie Dong (A Harsh Winter), adapted from a true story of Chinese troops defending Nanjing against Japanese invasion in 1937.

The internet-backed company also highlighted its "17 Project" to support young directors and art-house titles.

Home of the titular protagonist inShentan Pu Songling[Photo provided to China Daily]

The project, which was launched around two years ago, financed the first such movie The Summer Is Gone, winner of a Taipei Golden Horse for best picture in 2016.

Ya Ning, president of iQiyi Motion Pictures, says the project will support another three newbie directors' movies: My Town, Blue Chrysophoron, and Daogao Yizhang (The Good Wins).

The company also announced it will invest in or seek cooperation with upcoming domestic movies backed by famous directors, such as Feng Xiaogang's Fang Hua and Benny Chan's Meow.
A California man admitted federal methamphetamine trafficking charges after law enforcement officers found packaged bags of the drug under the bed of a Billings woman.

Harry Edward Allen Jr., 36, of Tulare, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess meth with intent to distribute as part of plea deal in which other charges are to be dismissed at sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek said that in 2013, state probation and parole officers contacted drug task force agents in Billings after finding 24 individually wrapped bags of meth under the bed of Kimberly Ann Dahl, a co-defendant who was arrested on a probation violation.

Dahl told investigators in an interview that she had met Allen a year or two earlier and learned that Allen would have meth driven to Billings. Allen then would fly to Billings and stay until the meth got sold, Suek said.

Allen had come to Billings in August 2013 and asked Dahl to store meth while he sold it, Suek said. The meth found at Dahls residence belonged to Allen, she said.

Dahl was convicted on aiding and abetting charges and sentenced in 2014 to 66 months in prison.

Allen faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters set sentencing for Sept. 28. Allen remains in custody.
Isabelle Huppert speaks as Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke looks on. [Photo provided to China Daily]

French actress Isabelle Huppert kicked off her visit in Chinese cities  including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou  by having a conversation with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke in Shanghai on June 10.

During their talk, the award-winning actress shared her experience of acting and exchanged her views about filmmaking with Jia, whose film Still Life won the Golden Lion Award for best film at the 2006 Venice Film Festival.

"I am both an actress and an audience. Each of my performances delivers my own thoughts," the actress said.

Huppert also gave a reading performance of French author Marguerite Duras' L'amant (The Lover) in Shanghai.

As part of the programs of the ongoing annual Croisements ("crossing") festival, which has been one of the biggest foreign cultural events in China since its launch in 2006, Huppert is doing a reading at Guangzhou Grand Theater on June 12 and will appear at Beijing's Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on June 14.

Related:

2017 Croisements festival starts from Beijing

French artist's chilling installations speak to young Chinese people
Daniel McMonagle performs Peking Opera at the Chinese Bridge preliminary in the United States. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

Chinese Bridge has drawn nearly 1 million contestants in the past decade as the largest Chinese-language competition for foreign students in China.

The test is not of language skills alone but also of the students' understanding of Chinese culture.

The finals for this year's contest, the 16th since it started in 2002, will take place in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, in July. Many preliminaries have already been held.

Around 150 contestants from different countries have qualified for the final.

Daniel McMonagle, who topped the East United States preliminary in April, displayed his talent through Mu Guiying Takes Command, a popular Peking Opera performance.

Having studied linguistics and the Chinese language at Binghamton University, McMonagle learned the traditional Chinese art form at the Confucius Institute in his university.

"The Confucius Institutes in other universities don't have such courses," McMonagle says.

He started to learn Peking Opera in 2016 because the opportunity appealed to him.

"I thought, 'Why not give it a try?'"

Founded in 2009, the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera at Binghamton University is the first such place to offer Chinese-opera lessons through cooperation with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing.

There are 67 Confucius Institute venues around the world that offer a range of subjects other than language, from traditional Chinese medicine to martial arts.

Fluency in the Chinese language and his Peking Opera play won McMonagle a ticket to the final, and also a 10-day cultural tour of Beijing, sponsored by a Chinese airline.

One other US student has qualified for the July round of Chinese Bridge.

At the East United States preliminary, Elizabeth Murray recited On Leaving Cambridge, a poem by the late Chinese poet Xu Zhimo.

Murray, who grew up in California, learned Chinese from kindergarten up to high school because her parents thought the language would benefit her in the future.

"I forgot many words and grammar, but the (Chinese) poems remained (with me)," Murray says of her inability to pursue Chinese-language studies for a while after school.

"On Leaving Cambridge is a beautiful poem," she says, adding that it makes leaving a place easier.

Last year, Murray left California to study electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also enrolled in a Chinese course.

In addition to places of academic interest, the contestants of Chinese Bridge get a chance to visit the Great Wall and the Summer Palace in Beijing.
A scene from I Love You [Photo provided to China Daily]

The musical 52-hertz, I Love You, directed by Wei Te-sheng from Taiwan, and starring Sandrine Pinna and Fan Yichen, will be released on the Chinese mainland on June 16.

Wei is widely known for his films Cape No. 7 (2007) and Seediq Bale (2011).

Wei's latest film is about loneliness and the lack of love.

Wei used two animals to represent different types of people in the city: a cat and a whale.

"The subject is too simple for a film. So I made a musical," Wei says in a promotion video.

"This musical is like dessert," Wei says.

"Once the atmosphere has got you, you will leave the theater humming."
Artists perform a traditional opera during the 6th international intangible cultural heritage festival held in Chengdu in Sichuan province, June 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

June 10 marked China's first Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. The festival, whose name was changed in 2016 by the State Council from the former Cultural Heritage Day, is held on the second Saturday of every June.

The event, focusing on the theme of dynamic intangible cultural heritage inheritance this year, is a collective showcase of achievements on intangible cultural heritage protection since the 18th CPC National Congress held in 2012.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture, over 1,700 activities were held nationwide.

Each province and autonomous region had their own activities to promote intangible cultural heritage protection, including a carnival in Shanghai and an intangible cultural heritage exhibition held by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

An International Cultural Industry Forum and a Dialogue on the First Cultural and Natural Heritage Day were held at the Great Hall of the People on Saturday.

About 100 government officials, scholars, representatives from enterprises, embassies and 10 countries attended the forum.

The meeting aims to find better ideas and ways to promote traditional Chinese culture and protect China's cultural and natural heritage, and give a boost to the cultural exchanges between China and countries with the backup of the Belt and Road Initiative.

At the forum, Cui Ruzhuo, director of a Chinese ink painting research center affiliated with the Palace Museum Research Institute, said Chinese artists should have strong confidence and faith in Chinese culture. And artists should have more works that can become symbols of Chinese culture.

Wang Yamin, deputy director of the Palace Museum, said creativity is an important engine that can push traditional Chinese culture to keep progressing and refreshing.

The Palace Museum has been a pioneer in the field of creative cultural industry in recent years. Wang said the cultural industry is both an inheritance and an innovation of cultural heritage.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhang Lei has been living for a few years in Jiangxinzhou, an island on the Yangtze River near Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province.

Dozens of his prints and oil works inspired by the natural landscape and residents of the island are now on show at Passing by Jiang Xin Zhou, the 29-year-old artist's solo exhibition through Aug 4, at the Beijing gallery of the Gome Art Foundation, an institution founded in 2014 by Gome Holding Ltd, a major Chinese retailer.

Zhang studied lithograph at Nanjing University of the Arts.

He will soon move out of Jiangxinzhou because the island is set to be transformed into a modern urban center where old buildings are becoming history.
Shanxi business builds Chinese-funded hospital in Zambia ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-06-13

Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital, a project being built by Shanxi Construction Engineering Group, holds a ground-breaking ceremony in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, on June 7. [Photo/sxrb.com]

Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital, a project built by Shanxi Construction Engineering Group and funded by the Chinese government, held a ground-breaking ceremony in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, on June 7.

The hospital is now the largest and most advanced medical project funded by Chinese development aid. The hospital, five kilometers northeast of the center of Lusaka, covers a floor area of 42,471.59 square meters with the reconstructed area covering 7,471.59 sq m and with a newly added area of 35,000 sq m. The medical services and the number of hospital beds will reach the standard of a grade-three hospital in China, the highest level in the national three-tier medical assessment system.

The extension of the hospital will satisfy the increasing demand for medical services in Lusaka province and the new hospital will provide the various professional medical services of a standard teaching hospital once the project is completed, according to Inonge Mutukwa Wina, vice-president of Zambia.

The hospital is one of the overseas projects managed by Shanxi Construction Engineering Group, the largest construction company in Shanxi province.

The company has carried out more than 100 international engineering projects  such as Yaounde Stadium in Cameroon  during the past 10 years, exploring the markets of countries and regions in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. There are now 17 overseas projects under construction as the company is expanding its market along the Belt and Road to reach the goal that foreign business volume should account for one third of its total revenue by 2020.

Currently, temporary facilities for construction have been built and major building materials have been exported from China. Construction of the hospitals infrastructure is ongoing.
A unisex public washroom is seen in Chongqing on April 15, 2015. [Photo: CFP]

China has a lot of amazing tourist attractions, but both domestic and foreign tourists usually have unpleasant experience or impressions with its public toilets"inadequate, dirty and chaotic".

In 2015, the China National Tourism Administration launched a three-year "Tourism Toilet Revolution" across the country. In February this year, the NTA announced that all 5A scenic spots will build gender-neutral restrooms, and has plans to build 604 unisex toilets across the country.

Unisex public toilets can be used by everyone, regardless of their gender. Alternatively, they are called gender-inclusive, gender-neutral or all-gender toilets, but in fact they have slightly different toilet facilities.

Although unisex public toilets have become more common around the world, they remain highly controversial, even in the West. According to a survey by YouGov, unisex public toilets are more acceptable to men. British women are most anti-unisex public toilets, with 56 percent saying they would not feel comfortable using them, compared with 47 percent of women in the United States and 46 percent in France.

Last November, the introduction of unisex toilets in a London primary school sparked outrage among about 700 parents, who were worried that the change would make sexual assaults more common. However, the school's head teacher welcomed the change, saying the full-height unisex toilets created a safe space where pupils show respect toward each other and feel respected.

On Feb 22, US President Donald Trump scrapped the federal guidelines issued by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2016, which allow transgender students to use toilets or locker rooms that they identified with.

Canada has been a pioneer in advocating all-gender restrooms. In April 2014, Vancouver became the first municipality to impose compulsory requirements on public buildings to install unisex toilets.

While the issue of unisex toilets has been mainly raised as a gender-equity and human-rights cause in the West, China has a different focus largely from the infrastructure perspective. According to the NTA, a gender-neutral public toilet can simply be viewed as a "family toilet", which specifically targets children, the elderly, disabled people, and anyone else who may require the assistance from other family members.

In recent years, many people in China have said that more women's toilets should be built to help reduce the queuing time for women. In the short run, unisex public toilets can be an additional and helpful option.

In November 2016, Shanghai opened its first unisex public toilet in Pudong district, and the second one was opened in Huangpu district earlier this year. The primary purpose is to reduce the queuing time for women, and the goal has been significantly achieved, although public reactions remain mixed.

So far, the majority of the users of the two unisex toilets have been male. While youths have been faster to accept the new idea, most users still feel awkward to have men and women both in one public toilet. Obviously, the main challenge is to change people's mindset.

Do unisex public toilets face higher safety risks? In the West, opponents usually say such toilets raise the risk of women and children being assaulted by "transwomen", but there is no credible evidence to support this claim.

However, a US research shows that certain people do feel threatened using toilets that do not adhere to their gender identity. It seems more like a perceived rather than real danger. Based on the track record of Shanghai's first unisex public toilet, safety is not a big issue, because the toilet is open daily only from 5 am to 9 pm and monitored by designated staff.

The more urgent task is to raise public awareness. Recently, it was reported that very few visitors used the unisex toilets in Beijing Zoo, because many people were unaware of such facilities.

As a pilot project, it is not unusual for unisex public toilets to invite questions or even criticisms. But it is not difficult to convert them back to gender-specific toilets if such experiment fails. At least, such pioneering and innovative spirit should be welcome.

The author is the founder and CEO of ESGuru, a Singapore-based consultancy firm specializing in environmental, social and governance issues.
The European Union is at a crossroad, with member states pondering the twists and turns of the transatlantic relationship, the United Kingdom's departure from the bloc, and a worsening geopolitical environment. Since the astonishing outcome of last year's Brexit vote, the 27 remaining EU member states are debating the bloc's future while sticking together.

In March, the European Commission, the union's executive arm, issued a white paper, presenting five scenarios for the EU's prospects after the Brexit setbackthe starting point of the debate. Following that, the EC released four reflection papers on globalization, defense and security, finance and economy and social dimensions of the EU.

The debate will last until 2019, which is the year of election for the EU. The leadership of EU institutions will be streamlined then.

As this peace project faces unprecedented, colossal political challenges, it is understandable that Europeans would step back and think about the way ahead by launching debates on various pressing tasks.

It is encouraging that the EC has not only touched upon the questions and challenges the EU has met but also proposed concrete solutions. Concerns, complaints, populism and isolation rhetoric are widespread today, and the proposed solutions are useful to build trust and consensus for the EU.

But the EU must be cautious about the possible risks if it sticks to the debate and decides to take action later, because it is likely that the bloc will lose the golden window of opportunities by 2020. Now, despite those challenges, the EU has been on a stable economic track and its economic recovery has been gathering steam, which has laid the foundation for launching reform and ushering in changes.

However, some may oppose further actions even if things get better.

So, in reshaping the EU, several things can be done parallelly to speed up the process, though this bloc has to live with a lengthy and time-consuming decision-making process. For example, the EU must rethink its immigration policy and urgently introduce more decisive measures. The EU must focus on peace and development within neighboring economies.

In many countries, especially in France, the UK, Germany and Belgium, the army and police are still patrolling major cities while security alerts remain high. Many places have suffered terrorist attacks on various scales one after another. Measures to ensure lasting security and public safety have to be urgently taken. Too much bottom-up debates on safety issues would be a waste of time, because the EU leadership, governments of member states and EU institutions must shoulder the responsibility to meet those basic needs.

On social dimensions, there are several champions, such as Germany, the Nordic countries and the Netherlands that have maintained robust economic growth, high competitiveness while boosting social inclusiveness.

The EU members should debate each other's models, experiences and secrets of success and put them into practice if necessary. But other things will take time. For example, when it comes to global governance and agenda, the bloc should consider the changed global situation, in that new decision-makers appear on the world stage. The principle of decision-making is changing and the EU is basically heading in the right direction in harnessing globalization by advocating multilateralism.

Therefore, the issue related to the EU's global role should be debated not only within the bloc but also with other stakeholders such as China, African countries and the United States. But the EU should realize it has to embrace the changing world, still feel confident in its soft capabilities and development experiences, and be more determined to improve the world order with the help of the rest of the world.

With the EU completing 60 years (the Treaty of Rome was signed on March 25, 1957), reflections and timely actions are both essential, and in many cases urgent.

The author is deputy chief of China Daily European Bureau. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's visit to China has been another precious step forward in the two countries' joint endeavors to repair their ties that have been bruised by a number of unpleasant episodes concerning the South China Sea.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Singaporean counterpart put forward details for the implementation of the inter-governmental memorandum of understanding which the two countries agreed at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May, expressing the two sides' joint intention to build platforms for interconnectivity, financial cooperation and third-party collaboration.

Although an MOU is more akin to a gentlemen's agreement due to the absence of any legal commitment, that in no way diminishes the political significance of the China-Singapore MOU, which underscores the resilience of their ties.

Singapore has long had an important place in contemporary Chinese diplomacy. Yet some of Singapore's recent diplomatic moves seem to have sent misleading signals. That the two governments have again showcased their convergence of will sends a powerful message countering speculation that outsider intervention might have come between them.

Singapore does have legitimate interests that differ from, even at times contradict, China's. But that does not mean it has any reason to help others hurt China's core interests. Only when they approach their differences from a constructive perspective and are sensitive to each other's core concerns will China and Singapore be able to cooperate effectively.

The historical China-Singapore rapport was built on a solid basis of mutual understanding; yet the recent glitches in ties have displayed Singapore's misinterpretations of China's intentions. Things will certainly look uglier than they actually are through the prism of geopolitical rivalry. And will inevitably be so if handled as such.

While many of China's development programs, including the Belt and Road Initiative, can advance with or without Singapore's participation, whether they can work together to promote a peaceful, prosperous neighborhood does matter.

Singapore's constructive potential in regional affairs and relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which it will have the presidency next year, is underlined by the recent agreement between China and ASEAN to enhance their partnership and negotiations on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

By working at odds with each other, they would only hinder efforts to promote peace and stability in the region; by working together, they can do wonderful things, as their past relations show.
TO AVOID HITTING AN OLD WOMAN who was jaywalking, a bus driver in Tianjin was forced to swerve, injuring a pedestrian on the sidewalk and a few passengers on the bus. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Monday:

It is widely agreed that drivers should give way to pedestrians during an encounter. But the recent incident in Tianjin raises the question of who was responsible for the injury to the third-party passer-by.

Previous verdicts in similar cases suggest that jaywalking pedestrians could face criminal responsibility if their actions cause damage to a person or property. According to the Criminal Law, anyone who uses a public road, including a pedestrian, commits a traffic offense if he or she violates the traffic management rules.

The Road Traffic Safety Law and other relevant laws stipulate that pedestrians should follow all traffic instructions when crossing a road, and are forbidden to impede traffic safety in any way.

The pedestrian "privileges", in fact, are more a warning to all drivers, who generally cause greater damage than jaywalkers in a traffic accident. All parties using a public road are equal before the law and bound by the relevant regulations.

Jaywalking is a violation of the traffic safety rules. But deciding whether a jaywalker or a driver has the primary responsibility in the case of an accident requires extra caution and firsthand evidence.

The old woman in Tianjin reportedly attempted to seek compensation from the driver, who had gone to great lengths to keep her from harm. In this instance, it is she who should compensate the bus driver and the injured passengers and passerby.
Along with waging a campaign for a Billings City Council seat, Tajin Perez is taking the ultimate plunge later this month: Hes getting married.

Perez, 26, announced Monday he will seek the Ward 2 seat now held by Angela Cimmino, whos term-limited. Hes being opposed by Roger Gravgaard.

I consulted with my wife-to-be, and we made the decision jointly, he said Tuesday. She knows that public service is important to who I am.

Perez is the son of immigrants from Mexico. Hes a 2008 graduate of Worland High School in Wyoming and in 2012 earned a history degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.

Hes program coordinator for Western Native Voice, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen Native communities.

What brought me here (about a year ago) was the opportunity to be part of a larger community, he said. I have loved Billings every time I visited. Its large enough to have all the amenities but small enough for that small-town touch.

Perez said the Billings City Council needs new leadership. He said he has the passion, desire and commitment to serve the community and bring real positive change.

Beginning in 2012, Perez worked for a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer in California, Alaska and New Jersey, where he helped neighborhoods that suffered damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.

There was a wide gamut of communities looking for help, he said. Thats where I got to know what service means and how to be part of the community.

He said key campaign issues include residential snowplowing and affordable housing.

I know a lot of constituents commute to work downtown or somewhere else, and last winter was really hard, he said.

He said hes heard personal stories from a number of people that finding housing is a bit of an issue, especially affordable housing, he said. People should have peace of mind knowing they are in good, affordable housing. They can stop stressing on that and focus on their work and their families.

He said he plans to campaign with a personal touch.

Coming from small-town Wyoming similar to Montana, I know that a handshake and looking someone in the eye goes a long way, he said. A cornerstone of my campaign will be to go out where people are, because thats the right way of doing things. He said hell also maintain a social media presence during the campaign.

By announcing, I understand myself as part of the community, he said. I am an honest voice, a committed voice for Ward 2. I love living in the Heights and I look forward to gaining (residents) support.




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Iceland has seen a huge rise in Chinese arrivals, as a growing number of Chinese travelers seek out "exotic" destinations and new experiences.

The landscape of Iceland. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There is a dramatic 660 percent surge in Chinese visitors to Iceland in the last five years, amounting to 66,781 in 2016, according to statistics from the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Iceland's Minister of Industry and Commerce Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir said that Chinese tourists are valuable to Iceland and she would like very much to see an increase of Chinese tourists.

"We have made preparations to increase our marketing efforts in various cities in China to facilitate more tourists coming from China," she said.

Sif Gustavsson, managing director of Iceland Cool, a sustainable tourism consulting firm serving Iceland's eco-friendly hotels and travel suppliers, said "A positive trend we're seeing from the Chinese market is increased travel to Iceland's more remote regions and less interest in iconic attractions like the Golden Circle."

As today's Chinese travelers seek to explore pure nature in secluded fjords and villages where they can immerse themselves in authentic, cultural experiences, she said, travel agencies in Iceland, such as Travel East Iceland, are diversifying their product portfolio with new and thoughtful tours that satisfy these evolving tastes.

"The year-round Nature and Culture tour offers a rare and intimate glimpse into coastal fjord life with a visit to an Icelandic home as well as hiking on an unexplored black-sand beach," she added.

Iceland's main airline, Icelandair, has experienced a double-digit growth of Chinese passengers since 2012, said Arsaell Hardarson, Icelandair's regional manager of Asia, Africa, Middle East & South America. The main reason can be attributed to the extensive sales and marketing efforts made over the last decade, he added.

"We expect this trend to continue and even be stronger when there will be direct flights between Iceland and China," Hardarson said, adding the first direct flight is expected to be launched as soon as in 2018. However, he did not reveal when Icelandair will start direct flights between the two nations.

China has long remained the power engine for world tourism and the number of China's outbound tourists reached 122 million in 2016, up by 4.3 percent compared to 2015, which had 117 million outbound tourists, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

Total consumption by Chinese travellers overseas reached $109.8 billion and $900 per person on average last year, accounting for 16 percent of the country's total tourism consumption.

At a time when the list of potential holiday destinations is increasing in the minds of Chinese tourists, travel pundits say uniqueness and closeness to nature are the key selling points of Iceland.

Denni Karlsson, the owner of Wilderness Center in East Iceland, said what most attracts Chinese travelers to Iceland is the ease at which visitors can get close to nature and experience its magical power.

Referring to Iceland's efforts in coping with an increase in tourists from China, Karlsson admits that the main thing the country should do is to steer more foreign visitors to sites around the country, and not too much around the Reykjavik area, since some of the attractions cannot handle many more guests.

However, he said, "A big part of Iceland is that it still has not got that many tourists, so this could be solved. Every guest could get a unique experience and feel the peace and magic of nature, as well as getting a real taste of local authentic culture, food and history."

Explaining what East Iceland could offer, Karlsson said, many people in the travel industry in that region are connected to art and culture and they are willing to work hard to help travelers' experience its unique flavor.

As the most extensive wilderness in North Europe is located in the area, tourists have great opportunities to see all the fjords and small villages and big mountains, he said.

Noting the capacity related issues in the peak summer season that might slow growth in the coming years, Anders Kristensen, China head of Albatros Travel, which specializes in polar and adventure travel, said the key to solve this is to extend the visit outside of the summer holiday season.

"If Chinese and Icelandic travel providers figure out a way to make Iceland interesting the whole year, I am sure the numbers will start growing," Kristensen said.

Li Ranzi, who has travelled to more than 30 countries and just had a 10-day holiday with her husband in Iceland, said ice, snow, winter activities and northern lights drew her to visit the country.

Li said what she enjoyed the most during her visit in Iceland were the special activities, which include climbing a glacier, caving, riding Icelandic horses and diving.

"Iceland is unique place and people should visit there at least once in a lifetime," she added.
The dean of Renmin University of China's School of Journalism, Zhao Qizheng (second from left), and Guo Weimin (center), vice-minister of China's State Council Information Office, talk with farm owner Rick Kimberley. Representatives of Chinese leading think tanks visited the Kimberley Farms in Iowa on Sunday. [DIAO HAIYANG/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]

The United States' best-known farm in China, Kimberley Farms in Iowa, received a group of leading think tank researchers from Beijing for the first time on Sunday, after becoming an attraction for Chinese visitors since President Xi Jinping's visit five years ago.

Nearly 20 members of top Chinese think tanks, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Center for International Economic Exchanges, retraced the roads that Xi traveled in 2012 as a visiting vice-president.

They ended the tour with a field trip to patches of the 1618-hectare corn and soybean farm operated by Rick Kimberley in Maxwell, Iowa, about 60 kilometers northeast of the state capital Des Moines.

The strong wind and scorching sun on the weekend seemed not to dent their enthusiasm for learning more about agricultural trade between the two countries and how farming is done in a safe and sustainable way in one of the top food exporters to China.

In what Rick Kimberley described as "forthcoming and open dialogue" on the farm, the Chinese delegates asked, "How many workers are engaged in farming such a big farm? What do you think about genetically modified organisms? How can the agricultural sector retain young talent?"

They also asked the president of Kimberley Farms and his fellow farmers what worries they had in trade with China.

Kimberley said only three or four people work the 1,618 hectares, and these people are now helping China's Hebei province to develop a demonstration farm project of 1,214 hectares that will also use new technologies being used in Iowa. An agreement on developing the project was signed at the end of May.

Iowa, a major agricultural state in the US Midwest, was the second-largest soybean producing US state last year, and it exports 60 percent of its soybeans, mainly to China.

When Xi visited the Kimberley farm in February 2012, the Chinese leader said he wanted to use the Iowa farmstead as a model for China's agriculture, Kimberley said.

"We've taken this to heart, and I've been to China eight times, visiting 30 cities in 10 provinces, to talk with agricultural officials and try to explain how we farm here and talk about bringing more technologies to China," he said.

The visitors got a closer look at how the corn stalks braved the strong wind and waves of heat on Sunday. They also learned from Grant Kimberley, a manager at the Iowa Soybean Association and son of the Kimberleys, how he sets the temperature control and calibrates the moisture of the corn and soybeans in the gigantic grain storages in Iowa through a mobile phone, even when he is traveling in China.

Zhao Qizheng, dean of the school of journalism at Renmin University of China and a former national political adviser, asked the younger Kimberley if the US farms grow genetically modified crops.

Grant Kimberley said around 90 percent of the corn and soybeans produced in the US farms is genetically modified, as is the percentage on his farm.

He said farmers grow what the market provides economic incentives for.

"The non-GMOs target specific markets; they are just more costly," he said.

As Iowa is a top egg, poultry and beef producer, Wei Jianguo, deputy head of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, proposed veterinarian training could be another area for cooperation between the state and China.
A man holds an umbrella during a protest of US President Donald Trump's travel ban outside of the US Court of Appeals in Seattle, Washington, US May 15, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

SAN FRANCISCO - A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court ruled Monday against reinstalling US President Donald Trump's travel ban.

The motions panel of the US Courts for the 9th Circuit presented its decision in 86 pages of written opinion, stating at the end that "The Government's motion for a stay (of the travel ban) pending appeal is DENIED as moot."

The travel ban, the second of the kind, was blocked on March 15 by US District Judge Derrick Watson in response to a suit by the state of Hawaii.

The panel heard on May 15 in Seattle, Washington state, Acting US Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall on behalf of the Trump administration and Neal Katyal, an attorney representing the state of Hawaii, argue about whether the nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO) imposed by Judge Watson should be lifted and the travel ban as part of a presidential executive order reimposed.

"The district court did not abuse its discretion in entering a nationwide preliminary injunction," the judges wrote in their opinion.

The second travel ban, signed by Trump on March 6 as part of his executive order, bars nationals of Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days; and suspends the entry of all refugees.

It was the second time the 9th Circuit Court heard and ruled against the same president's travel ban.

On Feb 9, another panel of three judges ruled in San Francisco, Northern California, against reinstating the travel ban signed on Jan 27 by Trump as part of an executive order.

The president subsequently issued the revised order, taking Iraq off the list of seven Muslim-majority countries.

In initiating the legal challenge against the second travel ban on March 9, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin noted that the new order, compared with the initial ban, "nothing of substance has changed: there is the same blanket ban on entry from Muslim-majority countries."

On their part, the three judges sitting on the motions panel of the appellate court said "the President's authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints. We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."
A life size oil painting painted of John Dean Armstrong after the war, commissioned by the American Volunteer Group. The paintings of AVG casualties were originally in the Smithsonian, but now hang at Robbins Air Force Aviation Museum in Macon, Georgia. Provided to China Daily

The first Flying Tiger pilot killed in China's War Against Japanese Aggression will be brought home to Kansas on Saturday after his family's 13-year quest.

John Dean Armstrong as a naval cadet in flight school before he joined the Flying Tigers group. Provided to China Daily

John Dean Armstrong was a US Navy who volunteered to teach pilots for the Chinese air force. He was 24 years old when he was killed in a training accident while flying a P-40 in the skies over Myanmar in 1941, just three months before the US entered the war. He would have turned 100 this year.

"I kept imagining my grandmother saying goodbye to her only son, knowing he was going all the way across the ocean to Burma (Myanmar) and never ever getting him back again," said Karen Beauprie, a niece of Armstrong.

For a long time, her mother told her never to bring up her uncle's name and the family would take down his pictures on the wall when her grandparents came to visit.

Thirteen years ago, Beauprie and her cousin Lynn Evans, both mothers of sons themselves, made a decision to find their uncle and bring him home.

"We have a lot of family members that thought we were kind of crazy - why would you want to do that? He was already buried, what difference does it make?" she said. "It makes a difference to know the remains are close by and that he will be honored with their families there."

All of the Flying Tigers were given Distinguished Flying Cross awards and granted military status in 1994. At the time of Armstrong's death they were civilians, which made it impossible for his parents to get his remains returned to the US.

Armstrong's father traveled to Myanmar and tried to locate his son's grave but failed.

"Up until 2015, we were under the assumption that Dean was still in Burma," said Beauprie. The cousins had photographers try to map the cemetery, Burmese tour guides actually walk the cemetery for them and a Canadian graduate student trek from Thailand to Burma to look for the graves.

The cousins also enlisted the help of researchers and agencies, including the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

Along with Armstrong, there were two additional pilots, Peter Atkinson of West Virginia, and Maax Hammer of Illinois, who died a month later. All were buried together in an Anglican cemetery in Myanmar.

"What we have learned during the past two years was that the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) recovered all three pilots' remains in 1947, moved them to Barrockpore, India, performed forensics, and then in 1949 transported them as Unknowns to The National Military Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Hawaii," said Beauprie.

In April 2016, they were disinterred. With the help of DNA, Armstrong was identified in January.

Upon hearing the news, "I jumped up and down and screamed. I couldn't wait to talk to my cousin," said Beauprie. "It was satisfying, exciting and sad at the same time, because 75 years later he's coming home now."

The other two men had their memorial burials in March and April. Armstrong's is set for June 17 in Hutchinson, Kansas.

"There will be around 80 people attending the service, so we are having a family reunion to celebrate Dean's homecoming," said Beauprie.

The Navy will do the honors at the funeral and the Air Force will perform a Missing Man formation flyover for the service.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein smiles as he participates in a panel discussion during the White House Summit on Working Families in Washington on June 23, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein praised China's infrastructure in his tweets and suggested that the US lags in maintenance of airports and roads, during his trip to China from June 6 to 10.

"Just landed from China, trying to catch up.... How did 'infrastructure week' go," Blankfein quipped on Twitter.

The message echoed another tweet Blankfein sent earlier, in which he urged the US to invest in infrastructure to keep pace with China.

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein praises China's infrastructure in his tweet on June 6 and pokes fun at US President Donald Trump's weekly infrastructure initiatives in his June 10, 2017, tweet. [Photo/Twitter]

"Arrived in China, as always impressed by condition of airport, roads, cell service, etc. US needs to invest in infrastructure to keep up!" he wrote.

Blankfein's tweets came amid US President Donald Trump's infrastructure initiatives.

On June 5, Trump rolled out a plan to revitalize US infrastructure with $1 trillion in investment, one of the biggest policy proposals after the country's immigration and healthcare.

Blankfein is not the only big wheel to point out China's world-class construction projects or services.

A screen grab shows California Governor Jerry Brown travelling from Nanjing to Beijing on June 5, 2017.

California Governor Jerry Brown described himself as the "foremost promoter of high-speed rail in America" when walking the aisles on a China high-speed train from Nanjing to Beijing last week, SinoVision Inc., a New York-based Chinese-language TV station, reported. Also, he blamed US political resistance when asked why the US did not have such a system.

In an interview with news website Business Insider this May, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon also shared a similar view.

"You might be shocked to find out, we haven't built a major airport for 20 years. China built 75 in the past 10 years," he said.

China has the most extensive network of high-speed rail in the world, with a total of 7,000 miles, while the US has built none. What's more, thousands more miles of track for China and foreign countries, driven by China's Road and Belt Initiative, are under construction.

According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 published by the World Economic Forum, the US ranks 16th in quality of overall infrastructure, 15th in quality of rail system and 16th in quality of its roads.
A photo of Zhang Yingying released by the police.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus police are investigating a black car that may be related to the missing person Zhang Yingying, a 26-year-old Chinese scholar, after releasing a video showing her entering the vehicle on Friday afternoon.

Zhang's friends and family reported to campus police that they hadn't heard from Zhang since about 1:30 pm Friday local time.

The surveillance video police released on Monday shows the time being just after 2:00 pm Friday. Zhang is seen standing on the east side of Goodwin Avenue as a black Saturn Astra pulls up beside her. She is seen speaking to the driver for some time before entering the vehicle, which then continues north on Goodwin Avenue.

Police said in a statement that they are working with rideshare programs to see whether she had ordered a ride-hailing service. Investigators have also looked into reports of a black vehicle whose driver invited other young women into the car.

She was said to have been headed to the One North apartment complex on North Lincoln Avenue in Urbana of Illinois on Friday to sign a lease, messaging the property manager at 1:30 pm that she was going to be late.

This surveillance video screenshot released by police shows Zhang Yingying outside a bus.

The footage also captured Zhang boarding a bus at a local station at 1:35 pm on Friday and exiting the bus at 1:52 pm.

She was wearing a charcoal gray hat with a white logo on the front.

"We are deeply concerned anytime someone cannot be contacted for an extended period of time. While we are exploring a number of possible scenarios which may have contributed to this incident, we are treating this as a very urgent matter," the statement reads.

Zhang is visiting from China and has only been in the United States for about a month. She's currently a visiting researcher with the school's department of natural resources and environmental sciences.

Zhang, from Southeast China's Fujian province, received her master's degree in environmental engineering from Peking University in 2016 and a bachelor's degree from Sun Yat-Sen University in 2013. She was also a research assistant at the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences for about a year.

The police have released a number of still photos and videos to the public in hopes that someone may have information on Zhang's whereabouts. If you have any information, please call 911, if in the United States, or the University of Illinois Police Department at 217-333-1216. Non-emergency information may be emailed to police@illinois.edu.
A worker holds a beehive as he works at Mohammed Hagras' farm located in Beheira governorate, Egypt, on June 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEHEIRA, Egypt - Being a successful petroleum engineer did not block the dreams of 32-year-old Egyptian Mohammed Hagras to be a distinguished beekeeper.

The man, who works for a well-known petroleum company, decided to start beekeeping business at his farm as he believes that honey and bee production is among the safest investments in the most populous Arab country.

His first introduction to beekeeping was at the age of six when he used to help his father at their farm.

"It was love at first sight when I first stepped into our bee farm as it was my window to see nature. From that moment, I wanted to be a beekeeper and enlarge my father's beekeeping business," Hagras said, proudly smiling.

In his farm located in Beheira governorate in Egypt's Delta, Hagras, who is originally from Delta governorate of Minufiya, was carefully watching his workers collecting ripe honey from his 500 beehives, announcing the beginning of the heavy honey collection season which starts in June.

"I started to take care of my father's business in 2014," Hagras said, wearing his beekeeping protective suit. "I started with tens of beehives. Now I have 500."

Before starting his beekeeping career, Hagras studied the project carefully and gained enough information and knowledge that would help him run the business successfully.

"I found out that beekeeping business is a successful industry that can make good money," the man said as he peeled off wax cells to get fresh golden honey. "I also take advantage of living in a rural community where villagers plant seasonal crops that can be good food for the bees."

In a very short period of time, Hagras managed to create a name in the Egyptian honey market and he now runs a private company which exports honey and bee products to other countries.

"My beehives produce some 5,000 tons of natural honey that I sell locally. I also export other products such as pollen, wax, bee venom and queen food to neighboring Arab countries," the man said.

Hagras said he is now working jointly with other beekeepers to put Egypt back on track as a leading country in the honey and bee industry.

The man said Egypt is one of the oldest countries in beekeeping field, adding that the Pharaonic drawings and paintings on tombs and other monuments in Egypt showed how beekeeping was practised here.

The Ancient Egyptians kept bees from about 2400 BC when the earliest drawings of beekeeping and honey preparation were seen in Egyptian temples, he added.

These drawings showed that beekeeping in ancient Egypt was characterized by using cylindrical hives, migratory beekeeping using rafts down the Nile River and production of huge amounts of honey.

Speaking about the current situation of beekeeping in Egypt, Hagras said the North African country is considered the most important country in beekeeping sector in the Middle East with more than three million beehives.

According to official statistics, Egypt exported honey and bee products worth up to $135 million, or 2.4 billion Egyptian pounds in 2016, a very large number compared to the previous two years.

"Bee and honey industry is a national wealth that should be supported by the government," the engineer said, adding that the government could earn billions of foreign currency if it fully supports the sector.

The high prices of beekeeping materials and equipment obstruct or lower the development of the industry, which requires a governmental intervention to financially and technically back beekeepers, he said.

"One of the most serious problems facing the Egyptian beekeeper is the lack of the original medications for the diseases facing the beekeeping sector. This opens the door to the mafia of fake, local and smuggled medicines," Hagras said while pouring honey in glass jars.

The man expects that a new system overseen by the government will make Egypt a pioneering country in the honey industry since Egypt is the only country capable of producing bees and queens throughout the year for the vast agricultural areas it has.

"All of these elements can make Egypt a qualified country to be a global station for beekeeping. The global marketing of beekeeping sector in Egypt will be a good investment that will pump millions of dollars and provide many jobs for thousands of Egyptian youths," said Hagras.
Xu Fulu (R) talks to a patient in Lesotho. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chinese doctors won respect and admiration in Lesotho for their extraordinary medical skills during their one-year deployment in the African country.

Xu Fulu, a physician at Wuhan sixth hospital, went to Lesotho with 6 other doctors in October 2015 to provide medical aid to the poverty-ravaged country. Based at a hospital over 120 km away from the capital Maseru, Xu's daily life was packed with assignments due to shortage of staff members.

The outdated medical facilities were always a challenge for the local doctors, but the rare draught and the resulting health problems across the country made the work even more difficult. But Xu never allowed these factors to bog him down and patients diagnosed by him all got timely and proper care, winning him the title of "No 1 doctor."

The public praise won by Xu and his medical team was heard by top officials in Lesotho. In December 2015, the team received a phone call asking them to visit a senior official who was ill and to keep the news secret. They were only told that the patient had just undergone an operation, and no other specific information was revealed.

Based on the limited knowledge, Xu came to the conclusion that the patient's wound was not fully healed, which caused infection. And he recommended musk cream and oral antibiotic. The official's condition turned out to be exactly as Xu had diagnosed and he recovered fully thanks to Xu's prescription. The healing power of the Chinese doctor and medicine surprised the mysterious patient, who turned out to be Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

Another government official, a female diplomat who was paralyzed after a tumor operation seven years ago, also went to Xu on the recommendation of the prime minister. After thorough examination and inquiry, Xu discovered that the diplomat's suffering was caused by long-term mental stress. After he recommended acupuncture and moxibustion as well as nutritional supplements, the patient was back to her normal self in less than 20 days.

Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili went back to the medical team for help in September 2016 to save his 78-year-old sister-in-law who he regarded as mother. The patient was in coma and her condition was very serious, which meant there was great pressure on Xu. The prime minister pinned his last hope on Xu and decided to let his sister-in-law receive treatment at the Chinese-based hospital.

Xu quickly got down to work and detected severe heart failure, pulmonary infection and polyserositis. After intensive treatment by Xu and his team, she finally healed 20 days later.

The great job they did meant a lot not only to the prime minister, but also to the Chinese embassy in Lesotho which praised the medical team for its support to the nation's diplomatic cause.

Sun Xianghua, Chinese ambassador to Lesotho, spoke highly of the diplomatic contribution made by the medical team when it left for China in last October.

Xu said the year in Lesotho taught him a lot, adding that it was only after working abroad that he fully realized the greatness of China and what patriotism meant.

"The medical team not just provided medical aid, but was also a bridge that built friendship between the two countries and played a key part in political and diplomatic relations. We should always have the sense of self-sacrifice to serve the bigger interest," Xu said.

China started sending medical aid to Lesotho, one of the most impoverished countries in the world, in 1997 and has sent over 100 medical staff members in the past 20 years.

Zhou Lihua contributed to this story
Billings Fire Chief Paul Dextras will retire July 5 after nine years on the job.

According to a Monday city news release, Assistant Fire Chief Bill Rash will become the interim chief until a permanent successor for Dextras is chosen by the new city administrator, whom the City Council will select this fall.

City Administrator Tina Volek said Dextras brought the department to new levels of achievement because of the experience he brought to the operation. He has worked hard to improve the safety of the citizens of Billings and the employees of the department.

In his nine years, Dextras added five new firefighter positions, a second training officer and a variety of programs ranging from officer development training to a computerized incident command program. The department bought two new fire engines and a ladder truck as well as two squad trucks, which allow crews to respond to medical emergencies with a smaller vehicle than a fire truck.

The fire chief also leads the communications division, which operates the citys 9-1-1 dispatch center. Four dispatch positions have been added under Dextras watch, and the divisions radio system was completely replaced to ensure adequate communications during emergencies. The new dispatch center will begin construction later this year.

Before joining the Billings Fire Department, Dextras was fire chief in Arvada, Colorado, and Logan, Utah. He was an assistant fire chief in Independence, Missouri, and rose through the ranks during 22 years with the Wichita, Kansas, Fire Department.

He earned bachelors and masters degrees from Wichita State University.

Rash joined the Billings Fire Department in 2014 after leading the Lockwood Fire District and as fire chief in Lewistown and Belgrade. He previously served 22 years in law enforcement in Gallatin and Fergus counties.
BERLIN - Shot was fired on Tuesday at a subway station in Germany's Munich and surrounding area has been cordoned by the police.

Several people were injured, including a police officer, in a shooting early Tuesday at a Munich subway station, police said.

Munich police said in a tweet that the policewoman's injuries were serious. The suspect was also injured and is in custody.

The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the Unterfoehring subway station, Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said.

He had no further details, but Munich's Merkur newspaper reported that witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

Riehlein said the area has been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public.
Newcastle, in England's Northeast, will become a new innovation hub if the British authorities give the green light to a Chinese investor's plan.

TusPark, a Chinese company that builds business parks, has confirmed it is in talks to acquire Maybrook House on Grainger Street in Newcastle. The company plans to use the site to forge stronger links between Chinese and United Kingdom businesses and, if the project is successful, TusPark will consider purchasing a second site, on Newcastle's Science Central, to further boost its presence in the Northeast.

Yu Xiong, a business professor at Northumbria University and the project's principle advisor, told the Chronicle newspaper: "The reason we told them to have a business here in the Northeast is because I feel we have the Northern Powerhouse, we have easy access to Scotland, and we have good industries, such as healthcare, creative industries, and many others." The report noted that Maybrook House currently has a number of corporate tenants and TusPark will not be looking to actively remove them from the office space. Xiong said the center will expand over time and spread into additional space if tenants move out.

The innovation center is expected to provide funding and collaboration to local companies working in subsea technology, life sciences, healthcare, and the creative industries.

According the Chronicle, TusPark will promote joint ventures with Chinese businesses.

TusPark will also aim to make the company's 40 science and innovation parks across China available to UK firms.

The project is also likely to help promote the Northeast by providing facilities in the UK that can be used by Chinese companies.

TusPark will also look to support companies that want to get involved in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

TusPark, which started out as a science park at Tsinghua University, is the world's largest university science park operator and develops and operates parks on the Chinese mainland, and in Hong Kong, the United States, South Korea, and Russia.

The science parks also offer business incubation centers and technology research and development properties.

TusPark confirmed it was involved in talks regarding the project and said more details will be released after a deal is finalized.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, attend a press conference after their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations. [Photo/Xinhua]

The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama introduced a new chapter for the relationship between the two countries, State Councilor Yang Jiechi said when meeting with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice-president and foreign minister, on Tuesday in Beijing.

Earlier on Tuesday, China and Panama signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"We believe that on the political basis of the one-China principle, both sides will work together to promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation and cultural exchanges, strengthen communication and cooperation in multilateral areas, and bring huge benefits to the two peoples and the international community," Yang said.

The visiting Panamanian guest said the establishment of diplomatic relations between her country and China serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, and Panama is full of expectations on the development of bilateral relations.

Panama will firmly adhere to the one-China principle and live up to the relevant commitments, and it is ready to tap into its unique advantages and promote bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, investment, tourism and connectivity, she said.

Panama is willing to become an important gateway for cooperation between China and Latin America, she added.
Nine Chinese mainland-based construction companies jointly filed a lawsuit against fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the United States, accusing him of failing to pay project debts amounting to 272 million yuan ($40 million), plus bank interest, business magazine Caixin reported on Tuesday.

According to the case file delivered to the court on June 9, Guo is now leading a luxury life in the US after he illegally transferred huge amounts of assets from China.

The complaint charged that Guo hired the most expensive lawyers with illegally obtained money to defend him in the US, while the creditors were struggling to keep business alive at home, Caixin reported.

The nine companies said they signed contracts with Beijing Zheng Quan Holding Co and Beijing Pangu Investment Co  two companies under Guo's control  between 2007 and 2015.

They were contracted to build or decorate Jinquan Square and Pangu Plaza in Beijing.

After the projects were finished, Guo delayed payment and secretly transferred assets from the two companies to the US for personal use, the complaint said.

The nine companies had filed lawsuits in numerous courts in China over the years and obtained rulings in their favor  that the two companies must pay the debts immediately.

However, as the assets of Guo's companies had been transferred abroad, there were insufficient funds to pay.

The group of nine then brought the case to the US court, demanding that Guo and the companies to pay the 272 million yuan and interest. They also asked the court to forbid any further transfers by Guo.

A manager surnamed Zhou of one of the plaintiffs  Beijing Fu Le Hong Ma Jian Zhu Zhuang Shi Gong Cheng Ltd  told Caixin that the company had completed projects worth 20 million yuan from 2008 to 2012, and was still owed at least 7 million yuan.

In an apparent response to the case, Guo wrote on his Twitter account on June 11 that 145 companies currently have debt disputes with him involving 18 billion yuan.

"Why there are only nine companies coming to the US? I like a group fight. Why not come together? That will be fun," he wrote.

Guo often showed off his luxury lifestyle in the US on Twitter. According to Caixin, he currently lives in Manhattan on the 18th floor of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel building at No 781 Fifth Avenue, which he bought in the 2015 for $67.5 million. He said recently that he would move to a new residence covering 1,800 square meters from his current one, which is around 900 sq m.

On Friday, three former executives who worked for Guo pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining a loan and foreign currency during their trial in Dalian, Liaoning province.

The three former executives, Lyu Tao, Xie Honglin and Yang Ying, confessed to taking a loan of 3.2 billion yuan ($471 million) from Agricultural Bank of China in the name of Beijing Pangu Investment Co  which Guo controlled  by using fake contracts, seals and other materials in 2010. The company was also sued on the same charge.

Guo fled overseas about three years ago. Interpol issued a "red notice"  the closest thing to an international arrest warrant  for Guo in April, according to the Foreign Ministry.
DPRK warns Moon of 'brain-washing' by US at upcoming summit with Trump

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-06-13 23:58

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday warned South Korean President Moon Jae-in of potential "brain-washing" efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump during their upcoming summit in Washington.



"The U.S. has buckled down to taming the South Korean authorities in an undisguised manner," said the Korean Central News Agency in a commentary.

The DPRK has criticized Moon for submitting to U.S. pressure and maintaining a hardline policy toward Pyongyang.



"What matters is that the present chief executive of South Korea (Moon), who caught the interest of the public for his remarks that 'he would always say no to the U.S.,' has now gone servile to the US," said the commentary.



The United States has engaged in a "cynical ploy" against moderate governments in Seoul in the past to pressure them into accepting U.S. policy and maintaining an alliance with Washington, it said.



"The U.S. has tamed the democratic forces to keep pace with it with utmost vigilance whenever they rose to power in South Korea," said the commentary.

The DPRK has urged Moon to revive the reconciliation process in accordance with two joint declarations signed by leaders of the two sides in early 2002.



Pyongyang also urged Seoul to dismantle the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and get rid of pro-U.S. forces in the new government.



Last month, South Korea's presidential Blue House said that South Korea and the United States had agreed to hold a summit meeting in late June in Washington.



The agreement on the summit was reached between Matt Pottinger, a senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council of the White House and Chung Eui-yong, a former South Korean ambassador to Geneva who now leads Moon's security and diplomatic task force.
Foreign Minister Wang Yiand Panamanian Vice-President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo toast the signing of a joint communique on establishing diplomatic relations on Tuesday in Beijing. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY

Step adds to the close business relations between the countries

Beijing and Panama City announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on Tuesday, as the Central American country cut its "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan.

"In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition and establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level," the two nations said in a joint communique.

Panama now "recognizes that there is only one China" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory. The country promises that it will never establish any official relations with Taiwan, nor have any official contact.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Panamanian Vice-President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo signed the communique in Beijing. "This is a historic moment. China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said.

The nations will cooperate in areas such as trade, investment, maritime affairs, culture and education as well as tourism, Wang said. "China welcomes Panama to actively participate in the Belt and Road construction," he added.

Wang said the Chinese people cherish the long-term friendship with Panamanians.

Chinese laborers first arrived in Panama 163 years ago and helped build the Panama Canal and the railway there. Among Panama's population of 4 million, there are about 150,000 people of Chinese origin  one of the largest Chinese communities in Latin America.

Saint Malo said that Panama and China had made an "important step" and started a "new page in our strategic relations".

Wang said at another event on Tuesday that Panama did not raise any preconditions in the process, and there were no so-called deals.

Vice-President Li Yuanchao and State Councilor Yang Jiechi also met with Saint Malo on Tuesday.

In December, Beijing restored diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation cut relations with Taiwan.

Cross-Straits relations have been strained after Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, who took power last year, refused to embrace the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, unlike her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama is another sign of the consensus of the international community in adhering to the one-China principle, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Tuesday.

Ma urged the Taiwan administration to gain a clear understanding of the situation and make the right choice.

Yuan Zheng, a researcher of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said as long as the Taiwan authorities decline to follow the 1992 Consensus, it will be difficult for Taiwan to maintain "diplomatic relations" with any countries.

"Given the rising global influence of China, the one-China policy is increasingly recognized around the world," he said.

Liu Yuqin, former Chinese ambassador to Chile, said though Beijing and Panama City did not have diplomatic ties in the past, they have enjoyed quite close business and civilian exchanges.

"The decision to establish diplomatic ties is not something that can be bought by money. It reflects the expectation of the people and long-term mutual interests of the two countries."

Xinhua contributed to this story.
Dairy farmers in the northwest UK county of Cheshire are hoping to export fresh milk to China by extending shelf life and keeping it fresh.

NEMI Dairy Ltd in Audlem, near Nantwich, said it is in discussions to sell its milk to major cities across the Chinese mainland.

The milk produced by the famers has an extended shelf life and is naturally enriched with selenium.

Working with a team of experts from Reaseheath College, the dairy company is hoping to see its milk on sale in China by Aug 1 this year and become the first British company to export fresh milk to the world's second-largest economy.

Andrew Henderson, founder and managing director of NEMI Dairy, told the Farming Life publication: "Due to time and distance it takes to cross continents, there is an issue with getting fresh milk to China but we've come up with a process that not only has the extended shelf life, but makes sure the milk maintains that fresh taste."

Reaseheath's food production unit worked with Henderson to test the milk and make sure it could stay fresher longer.

Henderson also attended a business class run by the college's European Regional Development Fund, funded SME Business Growth Programme in October.

He launched the company more than three years ago but has been working on the concept for more than 10 years.

"The Reaseheath team has been excellent in the sense that they have done the research and development work for us into the shelf life of the milk," Henderson said.

Talks about exporting diary to China has been in the pipeline for some time, earlier this month Henderson welcomed a Chinese delegation to Reaseheath to show the work that has been done.

Henderson and his team will also travel to Shanghai to continue talks.

Farming Life noted that Shepton Mallet-based packaging company Framptons Ltd is one of only three British processors with the necessary accreditation and licenses to export to China.

Distribution will be handled by the Shanghai Extend Import and Export Co, who already sources and distributes seafood products in China.

"We knew that we couldn't actually physically import and distribute the milk ourselves but we're confident in the partners we have identified," Henderson added.

He said if given the go-ahead to supply to China, it would make a huge difference to British dairy farmers.

boleung@mail.chinadailyuk.com
During a ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, First Interstate Bank will present a $75,000 community development grant to Community Leadership & Development Inc. to support the Katapheugo Project.

The grant will help pay for the transformation of the old Labor Temple at 24 S. 29th St. The project will address a number of needs, including quality, affordable South Side housing.

We applaud the efforts of organizations like CLDI who work tirelessly to make Billings a better place to live, work and raise a family, said Brian Brown, the banks market president.

Without partnerships such as this, said Eric Basye, CLDIs executive director, our efforts in the community would be next to impossible.

In March, the Gianforte Family Foundation announced it was donating $1.1 million toward the planned $3.25 million renovation, which will:

Expand the Hannah House sober living campus

Create 16 efficiency and one-bedroom apartments

Reinvigorate the buildings historic purpose as a center for community gatherings

Relocate CLDI offices.

CLDI has been working in Billings for 35 years. Since its inception, it has sought to invest in and transform Billings oldest neighborhood.
Montana raises bullies, not men

Montana will not be a state I will visit because it appears you raise bullies, not men, and then reward their bullish behavior by electing them to represent you. Speaks volumes of your low values in Montana.

If you sissy lawmakers are so threatened by reporters asking questions about where they stand on a policy or a bill or to defend their votes that impact we the people, then find another profession.

Considering the lies he told about his assaulting a reporter, mucking stalls would be a job for him.

Lorraine Krasner

Las Vegas

Reporter deserved to be put in his place

This is just a note to say Im thankful that the Republican candidate, Greg Gianforte, won. His actions with the reporter were extreme, but reporters are obnoxious and, while they are trying to get their scoop, they fail to recognize the boundaries of anyone they consider newsworthy.

I believe Gianforte told this reporter that he would speak with him in a minute, but the reporter just kept getting in his face. Bad decision on Gianfortes part, but the reporter deserved to be put in his place.

Carolyn Thibodaux

Round Rock, Texas

Support public lands

Montanans overwhelmingly support public lands that benefit our local communities and economies. Trumps recent budget would gut local efforts to increase access to hunting, fishing and recreation on our public lands. The president would permanently de-fund the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act.

This vital public land access program allows the Bureau of Land Management to sell scattered and isolated government lands to create more public access throughout our state. The funds from these sales allow the BLM to ask willing property owners to sell their landlocked properties within designated BLM lands or national forests, parks and wildlife refuges.

In Montana, the BLM worked with the Browns Gulch property owners to provide access to Hauser Lake so the public would have more boating and recreation in the Helena area. These funds also helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to preserve critical lands for trumpeter swans in the Centennial Valley south of Dillon.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Steve Daines co-sponsored a bill to reauthorize this valuable program that keep public lands open for our families to enjoy the outdoors. Contact Daines at 202-224-2651 and Tester 202-224-2644, and ask them to continue to support the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act so Montanans will always have access to public lands.

Lewis M. YellowRobe^p

Missoula^p

From powerful to obscure

Look what money buys.

Sen. Brown alludes to Greg Gianfortes stress  my observation is that reality has hit Gianforte between the eyes  and if he has an ounce of civility or of Montana values, his stress is realizing he must to go into the Trump swamp and somehow survive, without having the necessary skills to be a representative voice for Montanans.

He has messed in his own nest and already is a lame-duck candidate. When he arrives in D.C., he knows he is a persona non-grata. More investigative gridlock  just a continuing of the Trump investigations saga filtering down now to the investigations that seem imminent for Gianforte, even before he is sworn in to be seated in Congress. What should be a transformative experience not only for the citizens of Montana by the leadership of Gianforte, as well as his own transformative opportunity, has turned into a political quagmire for Montana. From transformative to just mundane and ordinary and combative.

Gianforte has gone from in-your-face negative campaigning, spending millions of tainted dollars to buy both the governorship and a seat in the House  from relative insignificance to abject obscurity. Montana needs a voice in Washington and Gianforte has been rendered silenced.

Clark Swan^p

Billings^p

I know what kind of people live in MT

I now what kind of people live in Montana. Being retired we are looking forward to visiting all 50 states minus one.

Erin Merrifield

Colorado Springs, Colorado

We made best choice with Gianforte

I have been reading the letters from people who do not live here, and I find it very interesting. First let me say, there is more to this than meets the eye. Something Gianforte said during the altercation caught my attention, You are doing this to me again! So, in my opinion, it sounds like this reporter had some other dealings with him. Maybe he was pushing that envelope  many people do this to get a reaction. Also, according to the Democratic Party in Montana and Quist, you do not have a right to even speak here, if you cant prove your lineage. So, why do we care what people who do not live here have to say? I am sure that every single one is a Democrat, probably put money out to get Quist elected. There was tons of dark money flowing in here; they didnt get the return that they expected.

I have watched many a video from peace rallies, where everyone is supposed to be peaceful, and the participants are some of the most violent people you could meet. Now, granted, they are not in an elected position. But, human nature is what it is. Some people react fiercely to being stalked, that seems to be what this reporter was doing. You push someone enough times, they will probably push back.

I still think and believe we made the best choice. What else was there? A guitar player and someone who gets their suits from a pawn shop? Sorry, but I want someone with true business experience and Gianforte is that man. For the people who keep writing, do you even know where Montana is located? Bet you dont.

Brian Bersuch^p

Billings^p

Dear Californian: Butt out

Ive been waiting for this day for a couple of weeks, the day a resident from the state of California sends in a letter discussing Montana electing Greg Gianforte to the U.S. House of Representatives. Here is what I would like to say to Ms. Thiele: You have a couple of doozies elected to the House of Representatives from the state of California: Nancy We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it Pelosi, and no one spews hate like Maxine Waters. If a Republican said that grass is green, she would argue that it is blue. Then you have your governor, Jerry Brown, who has California running a $1.3 trillion deficit at the moment. I think, maybe, you should work on cleaning up the bull dung in your own state before you start spouting off about what you perceive as someone elses.

Joni Flick^p

Billings
(Photo : PLAGF) Xinqingtan light tank deployed to Tibet.

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The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) is accelerating its military build-up in Tibet along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India; has deployed its newest light tank along this border and has finally given this mysterious tank a name.



Photos of the ZTQ light tank specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude regions such as Tibet were first revealed on Chinese state-controlled media in 2011. It's been known as the ZTQ since, which is odd since ZTQ is the generic Chinese designation for a light tank.



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PLAGF has corrected this omission and now refers to the ZTQ as "Xinqingtan." It also admitted for the first time it's deployed an undetermined number of this light tank in Tibet along the LAC.



Chinese state-controlled media revealed that Xinqingtan outfits an integrated brigade of the PLAGF. It said the deployment of the light tanks expands the capabilities of this brigade and has increased their fighting power.



It also praised the Xinqingtan, describing the small tank's firepower as "far more advanced" than the Russia-made T-90S tanks deployed by India.



That claim stretches credulity, however, since the Indian Army's T-90S is a much bigger main battle tank with a much bigger 125 mm smoothbore gun that far outranges the smaller 105 mm on the Xinqingtan. The armor on the T-90S is also much thicker than that on the smaller Xinqingtan.



Media said the Xinqingtan has a secondary armament consisting of a 35 mm grenade launcher and a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, both on the turret.



The 105 mm gun and these smaller caliber weapons have been adjusted so they can fire at a high angle, making them suitable for mountain warfare.



The tank's light weight and a powerful diesel engine make it suitable for fighting in oxygen-deficit, high-altitude environments such as those in the LAC.



The Xinqingtan has an advanced fire-control system and its 105 mm gun is capable of firing shells and guided missiles. The missile capability enables the tank to shoot down helicopters, one of the major threats to tanks on a battlefield.



The export version of Xinqingtan carries the designation VT-5.



State-owned Norinco (China North Industries Group Corporation), China's largest builder of tanks, said its VT-5 fills a niche in the export market for tanks not as huge, heavy or as expensive as the U.S. M1A2 Abrams MBT or the German Leopard 2.



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TagsPeople's Liberation Army Ground Force, Line of Actual Control, India, ZTQ light tank, Xinqingtan, Indian Army, T-90S, VT-5
(Photo : US Army) M249 SAW.

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Its re-emphasis on conventional, long-range warfare has compelled the U.S. Army to begin looking for a new squad-level light machine gun firing a more lethal bullet to longer ranges to replace the existing M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) in service since 1984.



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The army has designated this replacement light machine gun as the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle (NGSAR).



Its PM Soldier Weapons unit has announced the launch of a single incremental program to replace the M249 in Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) and select support units during the next decade. NGSAR is one of the Army's budget priorities.



The army wants NGSAR to "combine the firepower and range of a machine gun with the precision and ergonomics of a carbine, yielding capability improvements in accuracy, range, and lethality."



In addition, the new weapon will be lightweight and fire lightweight ammunition with improved lethality, an indication that a heavy 7.62 mm round might not be in favor with the army.



The army expects NGSAR to help reduce the heavy load carried by soldiers that have a significant negative impact on their mobility, survivability, and firing accuracy.



It said soldiers will employ the NGSAR against close and extended range targets in all terrains and conditions. NGSAR will achieve overmatch or fire superiority by killing stationary, and suppressing moving, threats out to 600 meters and suppressing all threats to a range of 1200 meters.



The army's requirements also stipulates the NGSAR should be compatible with the Small Arms Fire Control system as well as legacy optics and night-vision devices.



The army, however, didn't specify caliber for NGSAR, but the wording of the requirements indicates this weapon should have a caliber between 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm. The M249 fires a 5.5645mm NATO round.



The need to replace the 5.56 mm round comes from combat reports indicating it delivers less killing power than the 7.62 mm rounds fired by the Russian weapons such as the AK-47 arming insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.



In addition, the appearance of new body armor developed by Russia and China that can withstand the 5.5645mm NATO round is also a concern.



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TagsU.S. Army, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle, NGSAR
An Alabama teen was killed and dozens more were injured after a church bus flipped in a crash on its way to the airport for a student mission trip to Africa.

Sarah Harmening, 17, was killed in the crash. She was one of 38 passengers on the bus, mostly carrying 11th and 12th-grade students from Mount Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. A second bus was also carrying students. The groups was on their way to a flight heading toward Botswana.

Harmening's parents said she was "so excited" for the trip.

"She earned all the money to go and share Christ with children of Botswana," her mother Karen said.

In Harmening's final journal entry, she wrote that she was a "a little uncomfortable" about the trip because it was so long, but she then turned to her Bible.

"I prayed, and opened up to 1 Peter 5 and 2 Peter ... I was just reminded of why I am here, and that God has called me here and has done this for a reason," she wrote while on the bus. "I know he is going to do incredible things."

Twenty-four passengers were hospitalized for injuries. The mission trip has been cancelled, reports Christianity Today.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the folks at Mount Zion Baptist," said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. "It just pulls at your heart-- people who were going to do mission work being in that. We hold all of those families in our hearts. There's just not much you can say."

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: June 13, 2017
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.
|

Image: CSB

Nothing gets a bunch of evangelicals going like debates over Bible translation.

The latest chatter centers around one of the newest: the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). This translation came out in March as an update to the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), which Southern Baptist-affiliated LifeWay Christian Resources introduced about 15 years ago.

A recent article in The Atlantic compared the CSBs use of inclusive language over masculine nouns for mixed-gender groups to the changes made in the 2011 New International Version (NIV) and the controversial Todays New International Version (TNIV) before that, which Southern Baptists famously railed against.

Such changes in Southern Baptists Bible translation of choice are more than a mere denominational matter, wrote Jonathan Merritt and Garet Robinson. The SBC is Americas largest Protestant denomination and one of its most conservative. If its leaders and members are tolerating a softer, more inclusive approach to gender, it might be a bellwether of things to come in the culture war over gender.

Gender inclusivity is a polarizing term among American evangelicals, especially those eager to preserve the distinctions between male and female that they see taught in Scripture. Now, CSB supporters have defended the translations gender accurate revisions as a means of faithful translation, rather than a progressive agenda.

In terms of The Atlantic piece, I would summarize it this way: It was an attempt to find a team of translators guilty of doing exactly what they set out to do as assigned and exactly within the guidelines for appropriate gender inclusivity and, more importantly, textual translation ...
Following another year of declining membership and baptism, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) just gained one of the biggest evangelists and megachurch pastors in the country: Greg Laurie.

The day after Lauries annual Harvest America crusade, he announced that his church would be joining the SBC, which was also holding its annual convention in Phoenix.

Laurie is among the best-known leaders of the Calvary Chapel movement, and the one-time heir apparent to its late founder Chuck Smith. Though his 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship in California will remain affiliated with the 1,000-plus church network even after moving into the SBC, the move makes Lauries shift toward mainstream evangelicalism official.

Smith, a Jesus People leader who mentored Laurie from his first years in the faith, emphasized Calvary Chapels distinctives from broader evangelicalism; and pastors, in turn, favored the networks own teachers, authors, and worship leaders. ...

1
Do you ever feel that pastors are always preaching on the same Bible verses? Or that theologians always seem to reference the Gospels and Paul, but rarely the Old Testament?

Youre likely right, according to a new study of the 100 Bible verses cited most frequently in systematic theology books. Faithlife, the organization behind Logos Bible Software, examined more than 830,000 verses across more than 300 works to produce the list.

Unsurprisingly, the New Testament gets used a lot more than the Old Testament, with references to Pauls letters making especially frequent appearances. The Gospel of John, the Gospel of Matthew, and the Book of Hebrews are also frequently cited.

By contrast, only 9 of the top 100 most-cited Bible passages in systematic theology come from the Old Testamentwith Genesis accounting for 8 of them. (Isaiah is the ninth).

References to 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, and Ezra are among the least common, with most of the historical literature in the Old Testament ...

1
The owners of 24 horses seized in Carbon County said Monday the horses were rescued mustangs still recovering from previous abuse and were taken by authorities without a proper investigation.

Of the 24 horses seized from the Rockin MT Horse Rescue in Belfry, 18 had been wild horses. The six other horses belonged to the owners of the ranch, Matthew Lydall and Tricia Ingram.

According to a search warrant, the Carbon County Sheriffs Office was notified of a gelding that came from the ranch that was allegedly suffering from malnutrition and died at a third partys property on May 29. The people who took in the horse informed the investigating deputy there were several other horses on the Rockin MT in need of veterinary care and the animals were not being fed regularly.

The warrant allowed a deputy to search the property with a licensed veterinarian and seize any horses the doctor found in need. The 24 horses taken from the ranch are temporarily at another site.

Rockin MT took custody of the wild horses in November, said Lydall. They came from an organization in South Dakota that had several hundred starving animals.

The horses are not acclimated to humans. They were emaciated and never received medical attention before coming to Rockin MT, Lydall said.

Before we rescued these horses they never received any veterinary care, they never received any vaccinations, worming, anything like that, he said.

Ingram has been rescuing horses for 15 years, and she and Lydall moved to Montana to expand the rescue operation.

One of the South Dakota horses estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old died shortly after arriving in Montana. Others struggled to put on weight while fighting colic and worms. Lydall and Ingram contend they have done as well or better at caring for the rescued horses as any other organization that took animals from the South Dakota operation.

We were told they may never thrive, may never gain weight and may not even survive, Ingram said. Were lucky they made it through winter.

The colt that prompted the investigation spent 10 days in the care of a Powell, Wyoming, veterinarian as recently as the beginning of May. The horse was not eating due to colic and nearly died while under the vet's care, but after a few days at the clinic was in good enough shape to be gelded with a few other male horses from the Rockin MT. After that, its condition degraded, Lydall said.

He said the investigators are painting an unfair picture of conditions at the ranch. He said he has receipts to prove purchases of grain and hay were made regularly.

Lydall and Ingram had not been charged with a crime as of Monday morning. The pair met with investigators on Monday afternoon to further discuss the case. And the end of the meeting, Lydall said there were no charges, but no horses returned either.
Nahidh Shaou could be deported any day now.

As a Christian and a veteran of the US military, being forcibly returned to Iraqa homeland he hasnt seen since he was five years oldcould prove to be a death sentence.

Until April of this year, Iraq had not accepted deportees from the United States since 2010. That policy changed when one of President Donald Trumps early executive orders included Iraq on a list of seven countries targeted with a temporary travel ban. As part of the deal to be removed from the list, Iraq agreed to begin taking deportees again.

More than 1,400 Iraqis in America are on the docket to be returned to their country of origin.

Escorted by law enforcement officers, the first of those Iraqis boarded a small plane in Louisiana in April, bound for Baghdad.

Shaou was supposed to be on that plane. But at the 11th hour, he was granted an emergency stay after his lawyer, Richard Kent, filed an appeal to defer Shaous removal.

With dozens of Iraqi ...

1
Why Does a Homosexual Man Refuse to Call Himself Gay? Devout Catholic who previously lived a homosexual lifestyle tells his conversion story in new book



Contact: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276,



SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 /



Mattson believes he shouldn't be reduced to the "feelings" that identify sexual orientation, nor be labeled by a term contrary to God's plan for his life. Mattson shows that chastity is, in fact, part of the good news of the Gospel, and that the Catholic Church does welcome those with same-sex attractions, despite myths perpetuated by the media and gay-rights advocates.



Mattson provides a welcome voice of sanity among the muddled thinking of modern society that believes sexual identity is rooted in the realm of feelings and desires. WHY I DON'T CALL MYSELF GAY is a practical tool for living chastely, for those who are struggling with same-sex attraction and for those looking for pastoral resources.



"Daniel Mattson has written an honest account of the genuine struggles faced by those with same-sex attraction," says Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York. "Drawing upon a wealth of spiritual insights and wisdom from across our deep Catholic tradition, he shares with us how he has come to understand and accept God's loving plan for his life, as well as the beauty and richness of the Church's teaching on chastity. The tenderness and mercy of God is evident throughout and is a powerful reminder for all of us!"



Mattson provides a candid and compassionate perspective on having lived a homosexual lifestyle before finding peace and authentic love in the Catholic Church. His book is being hailed by several leading Cardinals and Bishops.



"I encourage many to read the following testimonial, which ... bears witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to the efficacy of his grace, and to the veracity of the teachings of his Church," says Cardinal Robert Sarah, from the foreword to WHY I DON'T CALL MYSELF GAY; author of God or Nothing.



Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles, says: "Daniel Mattson has written a courageous, honest testimony about his struggles with same-sex attraction and his commitment to live with integrity and chastity according to the Church's vision for human sexuality. This powerful book reminds us that we need to accompany our brothers and sisters in their struggles with compassion and love, patience and understanding."



For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Daniel Mattson, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or

Share Tweet Contact: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Daniel Mattson's life was marked by constant turmoil between his faith in God and his sexual attractions toward other boys, beginning when he was 6 years old. Finding the conflict between his homosexual desires and the teachings of his church too great, he assumed he was gay, turned his back on God in anger and eventually began a relationship with another man. Yet freedom and happiness remained elusive until he discovered his true identity. In his brutally honest and frank debut book, WHY I DON'T CALL MYSELF GAY: How I Reclaimed My Sexual Identity and Found Peace, Mattson chronicles his journey of discovery that led him to understand how he was created and what he was created for.Mattson believes he shouldn't be reduced to the "feelings" that identify sexual orientation, nor be labeled by a term contrary to God's plan for his life. Mattson shows that chastity is, in fact, part of the good news of the Gospel, and that the Catholic Church does welcome those with same-sex attractions, despite myths perpetuated by the media and gay-rights advocates.Mattson provides a welcome voice of sanity among the muddled thinking of modern society that believes sexual identity is rooted in the realm of feelings and desires. WHY I DON'T CALL MYSELF GAY is a practical tool for living chastely, for those who are struggling with same-sex attraction and for those looking for pastoral resources."Daniel Mattson has written an honest account of the genuine struggles faced by those with same-sex attraction," says Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York. "Drawing upon a wealth of spiritual insights and wisdom from across our deep Catholic tradition, he shares with us how he has come to understand and accept God's loving plan for his life, as well as the beauty and richness of the Church's teaching on chastity. The tenderness and mercy of God is evident throughout and is a powerful reminder for all of us!"Mattson provides a candid and compassionate perspective on having lived a homosexual lifestyle before finding peace and authentic love in the Catholic Church. His book is being hailed by several leading Cardinals and Bishops."I encourage many to read the following testimonial, which ... bears witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to the efficacy of his grace, and to the veracity of the teachings of his Church," says Cardinal Robert Sarah, from the foreword to WHY I DON'T CALL MYSELF GAY; author of God or Nothing.Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles, says: "Daniel Mattson has written a courageous, honest testimony about his struggles with same-sex attraction and his commitment to live with integrity and chastity according to the Church's vision for human sexuality. This powerful book reminds us that we need to accompany our brothers and sisters in their struggles with compassion and love, patience and understanding."For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Daniel Mattson, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com ) of Carmel Communications.
Rosary Relay Heading Your Way on 23 June -- Setting a New Record of Global Participation An estimated 10 million to join in prayer this year



Contact: Marion Mulhall,



NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /



A Special Global Rosary Relay 'Prelude' takes place this year at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico on 22 June at 17.00 local time. This prelude of prayer will bring many blessings on Global Rosary Relay day.



As the clock strikes midnight on 23 June and the Feast of the Sacred Heart begins, the Rosary Relay will start at a new shrine in Seoul, the capital of South Korea and work its way from continent to continent, before finishing in the Hermosillo, Sonora State in Mexico twenty-four hours later.



Every year sees major innovations in terms of participants. For 2017 there will be new locations as diverse as Iceland, Chile, Peru, Thailand and Hawaii. Many countries are adding to their list of prayer locations. Japan will have no less than four locations, Guatemala will have three, while in Ireland the Father Payton Memorial Centre at Attymass parish in County Mayo, along with Our Lady of Dublin in Whitefriar Street, in the centre of the capital, are two new Irish locations that will be joining us.



In mentioning our newcomers we must also compliment and bless all those Church locations which have participated, year after year, for the past seven years, helping to bring this amazing phenomenon to where it is today. Thanks also must go to the Children's Rosary  a lay prayer movement for children. The Global Rosary Relay for Priests greatly welcomes the participation and prayers of this beautiful organisation as the children of the world gather in prayer for our priests.



Along with the countless thousands who will attend the designated shrines, many more will participate from home or just wherever they happen to be at a particular time. Adding to the scale of the 2017 operation will be the effect of social media, including Facebook and Twitter, supplemented by webcams and global television broadcasts from EWTN, who this year will have a live television broadcast from the EWTN chapel in Birmingham, Alabama and another from Lourdes in France, as well as from Hungary and Porto Rico, not to mention television and radio networks joining from other locations.



Worldpriest estimates that the Global Rosary for Priests will, overall, touch the lives and souls of some 10 million people this year in urban centres and far-flung places on earth, adding a voice of consolation and solace in this troubled world.



The volunteers at Worldpriest have been working flat out for the past year, organising and coordinating the relay. As it grows at a phenomenal rate it is now time to ask for a little help from Catholics around the world. So this year, using Pay Pal, we invite people to make a small donation of just $1 each to help us maintain a movement that has the potential to achieve even far greater growth over coming years. Donations can be made though the Worldpriest website at



Rosary Relay for Priests video is a resounding success



For the past few years we have brought you news of the continued growth of the Rosary Relay for Priests in our newsletters and press releases. Bearing in mind the old saying that a picture paints 1,000 words, the release of our recent video has brought the worldwide nature of the relay bursting across our screens, immediately capturing the diversity and colour of a world at prayer.



This high-quality short video is the work of a very talented young Dublin-based television and film producer who gave freely of his time and talent to provide a stunning visual record of an emotional and moving prayer dedicated to Our Lady.



This video was assembled with great skill from actual footage provided by individual shrines the world over. Despite its fast pace, there are many, many recognisable images of world landmarks to be seen, against a backdrop of prayer communities of all races, colours and age groups  children men and women praying in their own languages  all adding up to the common devotion and purpose of this unique prayer.



Through a combination of music, footage and carefully chosen words, this video encapsulates a world at prayer in a gripping and immediate way. It has been translated into English, Spanish and Maltese and every person who sees it is immediately uplifted by its joyfulness and unfailing appeal. We hope it inspires you, your family and friends to continue to support the growth of a prayer movement that we believe can move mountains. If you have not seen it yet this video can be viewed on this website 



For a full list of shrines participating go to:



Worldpriest INC

600 Third Avenue,

2nd Floor,

New York,

New York 10016

USA

Tel: 646 355 4106

E-mail



W:



Worldpriest Inc. is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.Listed in the Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy Directory) USA.

Share Tweet Contact: Marion Mulhall, Worldpriest Inc. , 646-355-4106, info.worldpriest@gmail.com NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- The fascination, appeal and sheer scale of the Global Rosary Relay for Priests continues to draw in more and more people around the world  people who want to share in this captivating feast of prayer which by now crosses 24 time zones and reaches into every corner of the globe.A Special Global Rosary Relay 'Prelude' takes place this year at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico on 22 June at 17.00 local time. This prelude of prayer will bring many blessings on Global Rosary Relay day.As the clock strikes midnight on 23 June and the Feast of the Sacred Heart begins, the Rosary Relay will start at a new shrine in Seoul, the capital of South Korea and work its way from continent to continent, before finishing in the Hermosillo, Sonora State in Mexico twenty-four hours later.Every year sees major innovations in terms of participants. For 2017 there will be new locations as diverse as Iceland, Chile, Peru, Thailand and Hawaii. Many countries are adding to their list of prayer locations. Japan will have no less than four locations, Guatemala will have three, while in Ireland the Father Payton Memorial Centre at Attymass parish in County Mayo, along with Our Lady of Dublin in Whitefriar Street, in the centre of the capital, are two new Irish locations that will be joining us.In mentioning our newcomers we must also compliment and bless all those Church locations which have participated, year after year, for the past seven years, helping to bring this amazing phenomenon to where it is today. Thanks also must go to the Children's Rosary  a lay prayer movement for children. The Global Rosary Relay for Priests greatly welcomes the participation and prayers of this beautiful organisation as the children of the world gather in prayer for our priests.Along with the countless thousands who will attend the designated shrines, many more will participate from home or just wherever they happen to be at a particular time. Adding to the scale of the 2017 operation will be the effect of social media, including Facebook and Twitter, supplemented by webcams and global television broadcasts from EWTN, who this year will have a live television broadcast from the EWTN chapel in Birmingham, Alabama and another from Lourdes in France, as well as from Hungary and Porto Rico, not to mention television and radio networks joining from other locations.Worldpriest estimates that the Global Rosary for Priests will, overall, touch the lives and souls of some 10 million people this year in urban centres and far-flung places on earth, adding a voice of consolation and solace in this troubled world.The volunteers at Worldpriest have been working flat out for the past year, organising and coordinating the relay. As it grows at a phenomenal rate it is now time to ask for a little help from Catholics around the world. So this year, using Pay Pal, we invite people to make a small donation of just $1 each to help us maintain a movement that has the potential to achieve even far greater growth over coming years. Donations can be made though the Worldpriest website at www.worldpriest.com Rosary Relay for Priests video is a resounding successFor the past few years we have brought you news of the continued growth of the Rosary Relay for Priests in our newsletters and press releases. Bearing in mind the old saying that a picture paints 1,000 words, the release of our recent video has brought the worldwide nature of the relay bursting across our screens, immediately capturing the diversity and colour of a world at prayer.This high-quality short video is the work of a very talented young Dublin-based television and film producer who gave freely of his time and talent to provide a stunning visual record of an emotional and moving prayer dedicated to Our Lady.This video was assembled with great skill from actual footage provided by individual shrines the world over. Despite its fast pace, there are many, many recognisable images of world landmarks to be seen, against a backdrop of prayer communities of all races, colours and age groups  children men and women praying in their own languages  all adding up to the common devotion and purpose of this unique prayer.Through a combination of music, footage and carefully chosen words, this video encapsulates a world at prayer in a gripping and immediate way. It has been translated into English, Spanish and Maltese and every person who sees it is immediately uplifted by its joyfulness and unfailing appeal. We hope it inspires you, your family and friends to continue to support the growth of a prayer movement that we believe can move mountains. If you have not seen it yet this video can be viewed on this website  www.worldpriest.com For a full list of shrines participating go to: www.worldpriest.com/participating-shrine-list/ Worldpriest INC600 Third Avenue,2nd Floor,New York,New York 10016USATel: 646 355 4106E-mail info.worldpriest@gmail.com W: www.worldpriest.com Worldpriest Inc. is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.Listed in the Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy Directory) USA.
Walter Isaacson Writes Foreword for Memoir by Eric Motley Contact: Robin Barnett, 616-698-3251



GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 13, 2017 /



Isaacson writes in the foreword, "When I first met Eric Motley, I knew there must be a wonderful backstory. He was the youngest appointee in the George W. Bush White House, but he had the demeanor of a courtly collector of antiquarian books, which he happened to be.... The more I got to know Eric over the years, the more it reinforced my initial impression. What a story he must have, I thought. He does, and this inspiring and exquisitely written book tells it."



He concludes the foreword, "Above all, this book is about gratitude. Eric has an uncanny ability to remember everything, in part because he possesses an enormous sense of gratitude. At times, he recounts, his memory of all those who helped him has been so intense it felt like a burden. 'Blessings come at us so relentlessly, we are forever in a deficit position,' he writes. 'We never get all of the thank-yous or goodbyes properly said, which leaves us, each one, living with a burden of gratitude.' For all of us who have the joy of knowing Eric, there is a counterpart to that sentiment. In his life, and now in this book, he teaches us about the grace that is bestowed by gratitude."



Madison Park has received endorsements from Mrs. Laura Bush, who called it a "beautifully written book," and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. who said Motley's journey "serves as a powerful reminder of the shaping influences that family, faith, and community have in African American lives..." Elaine Pagels also endorsed the memoir saying "in writing as clear as water, Madison Park tells a moving story of hope."



Motley grew up in Madison Park, a rural Alabama community founded by freed slaves. He rose from those humble beginnings thanks to the care of his adoptive grandparents and the whole neighborhood. The remarkable people of his hometown instilled in him values of hope, self-determination, and generosity of spirit and means, anchored on twin pillars of education and faith. He tells the story of this proud black community in his new memoir, Madison Park: A Place of Hope.



Madison Park releases November 14, 2017, and Motley is available for interviews and live appearances in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and Montgomery, Ala.



Zondervan part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The company's products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For additional information, please visit

Share Tweet Contact: Robin Barnett, 616-698-3251GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 13, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Walter Isaacson wrote the foreword for Madison Park: A Place of Hope by Eric Motley (Zondervan, November 14, 2017, 9780310349631). Isaacson is the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and recruited Motley to the think tank ten years ago, where he currently serves as Executive Vice President.Isaacson writes in the foreword, "When I first met Eric Motley, I knew there must be a wonderful backstory. He was the youngest appointee in the George W. Bush White House, but he had the demeanor of a courtly collector of antiquarian books, which he happened to be.... The more I got to know Eric over the years, the more it reinforced my initial impression. What a story he must have, I thought. He does, and this inspiring and exquisitely written book tells it."He concludes the foreword, "Above all, this book is about gratitude. Eric has an uncanny ability to remember everything, in part because he possesses an enormous sense of gratitude. At times, he recounts, his memory of all those who helped him has been so intense it felt like a burden. 'Blessings come at us so relentlessly, we are forever in a deficit position,' he writes. 'We never get all of the thank-yous or goodbyes properly said, which leaves us, each one, living with a burden of gratitude.' For all of us who have the joy of knowing Eric, there is a counterpart to that sentiment. In his life, and now in this book, he teaches us about the grace that is bestowed by gratitude."Madison Park has received endorsements from Mrs. Laura Bush, who called it a "beautifully written book," and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. who said Motley's journey "serves as a powerful reminder of the shaping influences that family, faith, and community have in African American lives..." Elaine Pagels also endorsed the memoir saying "in writing as clear as water, Madison Park tells a moving story of hope."Motley grew up in Madison Park, a rural Alabama community founded by freed slaves. He rose from those humble beginnings thanks to the care of his adoptive grandparents and the whole neighborhood. The remarkable people of his hometown instilled in him values of hope, self-determination, and generosity of spirit and means, anchored on twin pillars of education and faith. He tells the story of this proud black community in his new memoir, Madison Park: A Place of Hope.Madison Park releases November 14, 2017, and Motley is available for interviews and live appearances in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and Montgomery, Ala.Zondervan part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The company's products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com
5 minutes with... A Paul Nash from the trenches at Passchendaele

Specialist Philip Harley discusses a poignant and powerful work dating from 100 years ago, on the Front Line at one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War  offered in the Modern British & Irish Art Evening Sale in London

This drawing is an extraordinary view into Paul Nashs experience as a soldier in the trenches, says Philip Harley, Senior Director of Modern British Pictures in London, of A Farm, Wytschaete, a landscape depicting the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium, one of the First World Wars bloodiest conflicts. Before the war, Nashs works were lyrical, poetic and dreamlike, Harley explains, while those from the trenches at Passchendaele are incredibly intense. Nash (1889-1946) volunteered with the Artists Rifles from 1914, but was invalided home at the start of 1917. A few weeks later, almost his entire company died when they were sent over the top. Nash must have felt incredibly lucky that he wasnt killed, but I imagine he also held an enormous sense of guilt in surviving  as many soldiers at the time felt, says Harley. The experience had a huge impact on his art, and it stayed with him for the rest of his life. The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, took place from 31 July to 6 November 1917. In those three months, the Allied and German forces suffered a combined 585,000 casualties. The poet Siegfried Sassoon referred to the horrors in Memorial Tablet (Great War) (1918): I died in Hell. They called it Passchendaele.

Once recovered, Nash was drafted to Passchendaele during the battles final stages, and what he saw there changed his perception of war. I am no longer an artist interested & curious, he wrote to his wife Margaret. I am a messenger who will bring back word from men fighting to those who want the war to last forever May it burn their lousy souls. A Farm, Wytschaete was a metaphorical depiction of the events. Nashs work as a war artist forbade him from showing human figures, the specialist explains. We know from a 1918 reproduction in The War  a special edition of The Studio magazine  that this drawing was first passed through the censors of the Ministry of Information. The artist instead used the landscape to represent the fallen soldiers, shown in the gaping, wound-like red earth and the lurid sulphuric colours.



We know from Nash's wife that his drawings were sometimes splattered with mud from nearby exploding shells, and he would use it to give the artwork more colour
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Houston's suburbs are booming and that means new residents deciding where to raise their children and what schools to send them to.

While public schools largely study the same curriculum, not all perform the same.

Children at Risk, a nonprofit organization that studies Texas' public education system, recently released its annual rankings for the Lone Star State's best elementary, middle and high schools.

IN THE LOOP: Ranking HISD's best schools

Their data show that even schools within the same district can vastly differ in the quality of their education.

In order to rank the schools, researchers examined standardized test scores, high school graduation rates and participation rates in advanced placement courses.

In addition, researchers compared campuses across the state with similar levels of poverty to eliminate bias against economically disadvantaged schools.

SUBURB THEFTS: The strange things people steal

Dozens of school districts in the Houston area were ranked against each other, as well as schools around the state.

The new data can serve as an interesting tool to narrow down the cream of the crop when it comes to public education.

Click through above to see the Houston-area suburbs' best elementary, middle and high schools.
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Major retailers, including some in Texas, have ramped up pressure on the Trump administration as it debates proposed tax and trade reforms that could affect the price of imports.

The National Retail Federation, which represents major retailers across the industry, this week submitted a letter to U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer expressing support for an effort to modify the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement -- so long as the reforms preserve its key tenants.

The administration last month notified Congress it planned to renegotiate the deal, which President Donald Trump has frequently disparaged. Negotiations with Canada and Mexico could begin in mid-August.

The NRF called on the administration to maintain the nation's current trade relationships and conclude negotiations quickly. It suggested simpler compliance requirements and, among other things, proposed new chapters pertaining to e-commerce and express delivery as online sales climb.

"A number of its provisions affecting 'old' ways of doing business need to be updated and modernized to reflect today's business environment as well as what may come in the future," wrote Matthew Shay, the association's president and CEO.

The NAFTA renegotiation isn't the only proposal to come under scrutiny by retailers. The so-called "border adjustment tax" proposed as part of a broader Republican tax reform plan recently garnered additional opposition in Texas.

The plan, championed by Rep. Kevin Brady, The Woodlands Republican who chairs the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, essentially proposes a 20 percent tax on imports that the NRF expects would raise the price of consumer products by 15 percent. The national association has for months opposed the idea, which has recently lost some traction in Congress.

The Texas Retailers Association late last month joined the Americans for Affordable Products coalition, a group of more than 400 companies and associations that oppose the tax.

Kathryn Sharp, vice president of tax at Houston-based Stage Stores, said in a statement that tax reform it "should not be at the expense of the American consumer."

Proponents argue that by raising the price of imported goods from places such as Mexico, China and Southeast Asia, U.S. goods would become more competitive, encourage exports, and result in more domestic production. A range of U.S. manufacturers, including Boeing and General Electric, support the plan.
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Christian Kidd had shoulder surgery in January, a particularly problematic procedure for a guitarist.

That was just the beginning of his troubles.

Post-op, the frontman for the Hates dealt with a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes that persisted. Doctors found a tumor at the base of his tongue, which turned out to be Stage 3 squamous cell carcinoma.

Houston's music scene is a tightly wound one. And few bands here have earned as much reverence as the Hates - self-described as the city's "oldest continuously playing unsigned punk band" - which are just a year shy of their 40th anniversary. Kidd in particular is a beloved institution, oft-seen smiling atop his Vespa in Montrose in a leather skeleton jacket with his Crayola-colored hair pushed into a mohawk or twisted into liberty spikes.

More Information Christian Kidd benefit concerts Thursday at Walter's Downtown: Another Run, Mydolls, Rose Ette, Talking Forever, Birthday Club, The Daphne Blue (Formerly Valens), Sergio Trevino. (7:30 p.m., all ages, $10-$15) Friday at The Secret Group: Trillblazers, Black Kite, Guilla, Tee Vee, Kyle Hubbard, Pitter Patter. (7 p.m., all ages, $10-$13) Saturday at Rockefeller's: The Satanic Overlords of Rock N Roll, The Cops, Ruiners, Funeral Horse, Frog Hair, Turnaways, Since Always. (7:30 p.m., all ages, $12-$15) Sunday at Big Star Bar: B L A C K I E & Moths. (7:30 p.m., all ages, pay what you can) See More Collapse

So benefit concerts have abounded to help Kidd and his wife, Alexis, get by as he undergoes treatment.

Hates drummer and Houston Press contributor David Ensminger was first to get some events going. He organized a Rock for Light show at Rudyard's last month and has been auctioning off old rock relics.

And this week, Free Press Houston writer David Garrick organized a large-scale benefit: seven shows over seven days at seven clubs with more than 30 bands - spanning decades of Houston's music scene - performing.

"Before Joe Strummer died, I got to meet him, and I talked to him about the Clash," Garrick says. "And he told me he saw the band as 'just guys helping out our people. That's what people do.' And that really stuck with me. That's what I look at this as: just our people helping out our people."

Garrick had been kicking around the idea of devising a week of music patterned after Austin's Free Week. When he heard Kidd was ill, he altered the idea to make it a benefit. And Garrick - a dedicated night fly whose attendance at shows by Houston bands is without peer - threw out a wide net with performers dating back to the Hates' punk rock peers the MyDolls and running through acts like Los Skarnales and the Flamin' Hellcats to more recent performers like B L A C K I E, Dollie Barnes and Rose Ette. Monday was the opening night of the seven shows, held at Insomnia Gallery.

"When you're in a small town - and Houston isn't a small town, but it is in a lot of ways - the musical community can be difficult to break into. But Christian was always one of those guys who invited everybody. 'Come play with us.' And the history here ran from blues and country to cover bands. He was a big part of why people started booking locals making their own music.

"A lot of what we have wouldn't be here if not for this one person. And just about every band in town now has played with the Hates."
A man is dead after a dispute late Monday during a party at a northeast Harris County apartment complex.

The man was shot and killed about 7:50 p.m. at the apartments in the 200 block of Uvalde Road, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The man got into an argument with another man near the complex's pool area. The fight escalated. Three to five shots were fired.

RELATED GALLERY: The safest suburbs in the Houston-area

The identity of the shooting victim has not been released.

The motive for the slaying remains under investigation. Deputies have not identified a suspect in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Utility-scale solar power is poised to become a boon for Texas' rural economies, particularly those hit by the oil downturn.

In Pecos County in West Texas, just south of Midland, the oil and gas industry accounted for about 90 percent of the county's tax revenues, said Helen Brauner, director of origination strategy for 7x Energy, an Austin-based utility-scale solar company. But that tax revenue plunged during the oil bust, she said, and has yet to recover.
Houston TV will have one less reporter starting next week as Angela Chen with FOX 26 Houston (KRIV-TV) will be leaving on June 21.

"I have had a wonderful time at FOX 26, worked on compelling stories, and made lasting friendships," Chen said in a statement released to Chron.com. "I couldn't have done it without the wonderful managers, whose editorial tutelage was crucial to the good work I've done here."
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The Battleship Texas, the last surviving Dreadnought Class ship, spent its militarily service surviving the biggest wars the world has seen, but it appears it's no match for the salt water it has been sitting idle in for the past several decades.

This week the battleship, which has long been in need of long-term updates to keep it open for visitors, was closed to the public for dire repairs after it began taking on water.

PREVIOUS: Happy berth day to the Battleship Texas

On Sunday, the Houston Chronicle reported that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials closed the attraction after crews noticed that the battleship was off-kilter. A leak in the vessel allowed water to gush in, ripping a hole in the ship and causing it to tilt 8 degrees to one side.

Monday morning, emergency crews - including dive teams - patched a 6-inch by 8-inch hole. They found and patched another six leaks by 4:45 p.m. But water was still being pumped out of the battleship's starboard side. By Tuesday morning emergency crews had patched a total of 13 leaks.

The lifespan of the historic battleship has been extended time and time again, her counterparts long since scrapped and forgotten and their sailors now just names on gravestones.

The battleship is a veteran of both world wars and was decommissioned after World War II concluded. The battleship arrived in La Porte in 1948 and it soon became a favorite of local schoolkids on field trips (those guns are a magnet for little boys) and also military vets looking to reminisce on weeks and months spent at sea.

HOLLYWOOD CALLS: Steve McQueen, the USS Texas and a boatload of photos

The battleship was launched from Newport News, Virginia, on May 18, 1912 to great fanfare. It was the most complex machine of its time when it was commissioned as a naval warship in 1914. It had the largest guns of any ship in the world. It was later the first American warship to launch an aircraft and to mount anti-aircraft guns.

Along the way it was a witness to history. Sailors observed the famous flag-raising at Iwo Jima from the battleship's decks in 1945, and it ferried a young Walter Cronkite over to the North African theater to fight.

The battleship spent most of June 1944 providing gun support for soldiers at Omaha Beach and nearby Pointe du Hoc, likely saving countless American lives.

After D-Day, the battleship went to the south of France, the Mediterranean and ultimately made it into action in the Pacific theater.

A NEW SHIP: Warship USS Gabrielle Giffords to be commissioned in Texas

In a HoustonChronicle.com story published this week in the wake of the emergency repairs Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said a new effort to get the ship out of the water is underway. Two engineering companies will soon release assessments of what it will take to give the ship a dry berth. Bramlett is hoping for a $37 million to $48 million estimate this time. Those funds might come from a crowdfunding campaign.

The closure comes at an unfortunate time as summer starts and families begin making plans to visit the ship.

Minor leaks on the ship are now the norm - more than 90 were patched in 2012, the last year water seeping inside the hull prompted a shutdown of the attraction. Additional leaks necessitated more patching less than a year ago.

In 1988, the battleship was towed to Todd Shipyards in Galveston for a $14 million restoration. The deck was replaced and the battleship's hull was repaired during the two-year project.

A dry-berth for the Battleship Texas been something that's been talked about for some time, but the funding isn't quite there. The hope has always been that there will be a grand idea to finally save its bacon and keep it preserved for generations to come and learn about our nation's military history.
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Residents in Houston's Near Northside have added a new defendant to their lawsuit against the White Oak Music Hall concert venue - the city of Houston.

Neighbors of the controversial concert venue argue in court documents filed Tuesday that the city has not correctly enforced sound ordinances against the music hall on Main Street, north of Interstate 10.

Enforcement is erratic because the city does not give the Houston Police Department sufficient resources, the residents' lawyer said.

"You have a major rock mosh-pit venue in the middle of a neighborhood, and there's one sound meter for a single sergeant to use in a wide geographic area," attorney Cris Feldman told the Chronicle.

Residents also argue the city should measure the venue's noise from the White Oak Music Hall property line, Feldman said.

"If the city properly enforced the sound ordinance ... White Oak Music Hall would not be able to maintain its current conduct," the attorney added. "But the city is giving them a pass with its head-in-the-sand approach."

A spokeswoman for the mayor's office, Tanya Makany-Rivera, said the city had no comment.

LEGAL FIGHT: Neighbors file suit against White Oak Music Hall developers

Residents of the historically Hispanic, working-class neighborhood first filed suit in December, arguing the concert venue infringed on their property rights by hosting "loud and disruptive events with large crowds." Neighbors claim they cannot get "uninterrupted sleep, partake in indoor activities without the invasion of inordinately loud and disruptive noise, or enjoy their home environment without the windows and walls shaking."

A nearby resident, Theresa Cavin, previously told the Houston Chronicle that her son, who has autism, gets disturbed by the noise from concerts, panics and has trouble sleeping.

Jon Shapley/Staff

The neighbors won a temporary restraining order last year that banned outdoor events with amplified sound. However, that order expired Dec. 30. The music hall proceeded to book outdoor shows for the summer months.

Several bands are scheduled to play outside on upcoming weekend nights, including the Turnpike Troubadours on July 21, Young the Giant on Sept. 30 and alt-J on Nov. 17, according to the White Oak Music Hall calendar.

The residents previously appealed to Mayor Sylvester Turner, who pointed out that the concert venue got underway before he took office and in January promised a "deep dive" into the issue.

TURNER RESPONDS: Mayor promises 'deep-dive' look at White Oak Music Hall controversy

The concert venue's management called the latest development "disappointing" in a statement sent to the Chronicle:

"White Oak Music Hall believes that both the City of Houston and the Houston Police Department have faithfully fulfilled their obligations to respect both the rights of nearby residents and White Oak Music Hall in a fair and impartial manner. The City of Houston and the Houston Police Department remain important gatekeepers against the plaintiffs' strategy of making frivolous emergency calls for service to prop up their case, which directs police resources away from real emergencies."

Music hall owners Johnny So, Will Thomas, Will Garwood and Jagi Katial said they have built goodwill in the Heights and beyond by opening their doors for community-enriching events that appeal to a variety of interests, the Chronicle previously reported.

"Here's an asset," So said. "We are locally owned and operated and we want to be approachable for outside organizations to come to us with ideas."

They said they've hosted morning yoga sessions with Heights-based Black Swan Yoga. Another event was a "Sober Bowl" that featured celebrities, music and activities for kids on the day of the Super Bowl for those who wanted in on the fun but not the hangover. The venue recently allowed Northside High School to use the space for their jazz and dance teams, as well as summer dance and music clinics while the high school undergoes renovations.

However, neighbors say some of those activities were paid events while others were mandated under an agreement with the city.

The full trial in this lawsuit is scheduled for October, according to Wayne Dolcefino, a spokesman for the residents.

"Until then, all our currently scheduled (outdoor) shows and indoor shows will proceed as normal," So told the Chronicle recently. "We believe over the past few months we have gathered useful, real-world and scientifically based data regarding our outdoor concerts, which can be used not only to evaluate the plaintiffs' case, but to address neighborhood concerns. Although we remain hopeful for a mutual resolution, we continue to prepare for trial in October."
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In the second road debris incident in one week, a woman died in east Houston Saturday after road debris stuck a vehicle she was driving on Interstate 10.

At about 10 a.m. on June 10, the victim was driving a beige Ford Explorer westbound on the East Freeway when the vehicle's driver side windshield was struck by a flying metal tow hitch ball, Houston police said in a release.

DWI CRASH: Charges expected after Houston police officer injured

The victim, 69-year-old Chanh Larsson, was struck by the tow ball, police said.

Larsson's husband, a passenger in the Explorer, grabbed the steering wheel and stopped the vehicle. The husband then moved Larsson to the backseat and drove her to the East Houston Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Other recent road debris fatalities

On Tuesday, June 6, the Pierce Elevated in downtown Houston was shut down for several hours after a Ford F-150 lost a tire, which struck a Ford Explorer's windshield.

The tire left the F-150 in the southbound lanes and traveled to the northbound lanes, killing the driver of the Ford Explorer, police said.

EYES ON THE ROAD: Texas counties with the most distracted driving crashes

In La Porte, a reward is still available for information related to the March 2 road debris death of 60-year-old Paul Hoffman, who was traveling southbound on Highway 146 when his vehicle was struck by a twistlock, a bolt that holds shipping containers onto flatbed trailers.

That wreck occurred near Wharton Weems Boulevard, and the truck the bolt flew from was likely headed northbound, police said.

The La Porte police said last week that the investigation into Hoffman's death is inactive, but police are still interested in information on the incident. Anyone with information may call 281-471-2141 and reference Case No. 1700837.
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Imagine cutting open a fresh avocado bought straight from the grocery store only to come face-to-face with a small bullet embedded in the flesh.

One Reddit user has gone viral after sharing a photo of a friend holding a piece of an avocado and a small-caliber bullet, with the caption, "[m]y friend found a bullet in an avocado that she bought from Sprouts."

SKEWED PRIORITIES: Australian millionaire said millennials spend too much money on avocado toast to buy a home

The image sparked a flood of comments ranging from comical scenarios to legitimate suggestions for how the bullet may have ended up in the fruit.

"This is probably one of those Mexican blood avocados I heard about in a Freakonomics podcast.

"The gist of it is that cartels would essentially hold towns of avocado farmers hostage by making them pay protection money," said one user.

FOOD SAFETY: More than 700,000 pounds of Chef Boyardee products recalled

Another commentor suggested that small animals eating the crops could be to blame. "Squirrels eat avocados like crazy so farmers shoot them. Hence the small caliber bullet."

One user who claims to work at a lab that analyses foreign objects in food (among other things) says that finding things like bullets or other debris in grown food is not uncommon.

Chron.com reached out to Sprouts for their thoughts on the matter, but they were not immediately available for comments.

Take a look though the gallery above to see other weird, gross things people have found in their food.
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ACC posts record number of dual degree gradUATES

A total of 131 students from four high schools earned an associate's degree in general studies through Alvin Community College's dual credit-dual degree program as well as a high school diploma, the largest crop of students to do so since the dual credit program started.

The students, from Alvin, Manvel, Dawson and Turner high schools completed 60 hours of college course work through the program, taking classes on their high school campus and any additional courses needed at ACC or online.

Students seeking the associate's degree have increased dramatically since ACC's first dual degree graduate, Thomas Schuenemann, in 2008. Since then, 337 students have graduated from the program.

Currently, there are more than 1,600 students from six high schools enrolled in the program. A seventh high school - Shadow Creek - has been added for the next school year.

This year, many of the top students at Alvin, Manvel and Turner High Schools are also ACC students including: 15 of the top 20 at Alvin, 17 of the top 20 at Manvel and all of the top 10 students at Turner. For more information, visit www.alvincollege.edu/dualcredit, Facebook or Twitter.

FriendswoodRotary fundsyouth exchange ambassadors

Friendswood Rotary is sending three foreign exchange students abroad this summer. Sebastian Bartlett and Macie Robertson are headed to France on a short-term exchange, while Mackenzie Finch will spend a year in Belgium.

D'Jazz Prevel has spent the last school year in Friendswood and is returning to France.

Challenger elementary dedicates library to principal

The Challenger Elementary Parent Teacher Association dedicated a Little Free Library to retiring principal Lisa Nelson at the end of the school year.

The BookBot, named after Nelson, is near the entrance of the school and allows children to take and leave a book at any time. The Little Free Library would not have been possible without the Houston Chronicle for donating an old newspaper vending machine, Foundation for Creative Learning, Sherrill family for creating and implementing the design, Challenger PTA and artist Chris Garcia for painting the space-themed mural.

TxDot proposeswidening of FM 521

Texas Department of Transportation is proposing to widen FM 521 from FM 2234 to Texas 6 in Fort Bend County.

The project proposes to widen the 5.3 mile stretch of roadway from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway and includes adding a raised median, turn lanes, a sidewalk and an overpass on Broadway.

The project will add capacity, improve mobility and traffic safety.

The agency has made the draft environmental documents available for public review and is affording an opportunity for a public hearing on the proposed project. Requests for a public hearing must be submitted in writing on or before June 23 to TxDot Houston District Office, Director of Project Development, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251-1386.

Exhibits showing plans for the project and other information are on file and available for inspection Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the following locations: TxDot Houston District Office, 7600 Washington Ave. by appointment at 713-802-5513; TxDot Area Office, 4235 Texas 35, Rosenberg by appointment at 281-238-7900; and TxDot Area Office, 1033 E. Orange, Angleton by appointment at 979-864-8500.

Alvin author haschildren's book published

Alvin writer Janice Frankum recently had her new children's book "I'm Not You & You're Not Me" published.

The 36-page paperback book explores the lives of three year-old twins, Rachel and Erika, who differ in so many ways but have one thing they agree on - their love of their grandpa.

Frankum uses her own experience as grandmother of twin girls, born in 1992, to tell the story. Frankum and her husband Floyd "Bubba" owned and operated Dixieland Antiques before retiring. Now they work together, creating useful things out of leftovers from their antiquing days.

Published by RoseDog Books of Pittsburgh, the book sells for $16 and is available at www.rosedogbookstore.com

Houston Methodist St. Johnwelcomes new physicians

Houston Methodist St. John Hospital added two new physicians to its roster. Board certified otolaryngologists Alfredo Jimenez, M.D, and Melissa Hu, M.D., have joined Houston Methodist ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, now open on the hospital's campus.

Jimenez treats pediatric and adult ear, nose and throat disorders. He has an established pediatric practice for ear tubes, tonsil surgeries and tongue ties. He also manages sleep apnea, swallowing and voice problems, hearing loss and balance problems.

In addition to general otolaryngology, Hu is board-certified in facial plastic surgery, with expertise in rhinoplasty and skin cancer reconstruction. She also offers a broad range of cosmetic procedures, manages advanced sinus diseases and performs balloon sinuplasty.

Jimenez and Hu are joined by audiologist Carrie Raz, who provides diagnostic services for hearing loss, balance disorders and vertigo. She also fits patients for hearing aids and other forms of hearing amplification.

Houston Methodist ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery Associates is located at 18100 St. John Drive, Suite 240. Visit houstonmethodist.org/stjohn for more information. To find a Houston Methodist St. John physician visit houstonmethodist.org/appointments or call 281-333-8899.

COM graduates 41 nursing students

After more than 1,660 hours of clinicals, classes and labs, 41 students in the College of the Mainland Associate Degree Nursing Program have graduated ready for service.

Two students received awards for their outstanding work. Julianna Cody, of Dickinson, received Student of the Year Award, and Crystal Gant, of Houston, received the Outstanding Clinical Performance.

Gant completed clinicals at facilities, including Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center and a capstone course at the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she shadowed nurses. Gant hopes to serve in an intensive care unit.

The nursing program helps each student succeed through faculty mentors for each student, interactive labs and group and individual tutoring at no cost.

League City seeks to issuebonds for new projects

League City is proposing to fund projects identified in the 2017 to 2021 Capital Improvement Plan through the issuance of certificates of obligation.

If approved, the proposed bond issue will fund $13.47 million in city projects. The project would include construction of the Ervin connector; design of the new animal shelter and fire and emergency medical services station No. 6; utility relocations and park improvements related to the downtown revitalization project; the west side well and booster pump station and waterline; the southeast service area water trunks; the north service area 16-inch water line at Grissom; annual sanitary sewer rehabilitations; annual lift station improvements; improvements for Countryside #1 Lift Station; and improvements to the Dallas Salmon Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent discharge.

Total cost for the certificates of obligation include $4.93 million for tax supported projects, $8.33 million for revenue supported projects and approximately $210,000 for the cost of issuance. In addition, the proposed certificates of obligation include Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 4 borrowing $4.5 million to fund payments to the developer for costs related to the extension of League City Parkway and Maple Leaf Drive in conjunction with the Westwood Development.

City Council was to hold a public hearing and vote on the bond issue on June 13. Visit www.leaguecity.com/bondissue for more information.

Seabrook again ranks asone of safest cities in Texas

The city of Seabrook has been ranked as one of the 50 safest cities in Texas for the third year in a row by SafeWise, a security system company.

In SafeWise's annual report Seabrook was ranked 35th. This is the third consecutive year Seabrook has ranked in the top 50 of the report.

Overall, 80 percent of this year's safest cities reported fewer than ten robberies; 96 percent reported fewer than five arsons; and 20 percent reported zero incidents of rape. To compile this report, SafeWise used the most recent FBI crime data to analyze and rank Texas cities that have a minimum population of 10,000 people.

"The devoted men and women in our department approaches public safety through community policing principles of public trust, community partnerships and services," Police Chief Sean Wright said.

The Seabrook Police Department pledged to continue to improve their "Safe and Secure City" initiatives each year. For more information, visit. www.safewise.com/home-security/tx

Newest COM trusteewants to give back

Getting elected to College of the Mainland board of trustees on May 6 is a way that Don Gartman, a strong believer in community colleges, can pay forward his own good fortune and give back to the educational community.

"Your degree from a community college can be rewarding to your career, or it can be a stepping stone toward a four-year degree at a major university, without the large debt," Gartman said.

No one in his family had gone to college, and it didn't look like Gartman would be going either. His career began when he joined the Army three days after high school graduation. After military service, he worked various construction jobs and with the City of Austin electrical utility department.

It wasn't until the foreman on the site he was working told him he was too smart to work outside and needed to get a degree. In June 1966, Gartman earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Southwest Texas State University, with a major in business management and minor in economics.

Gartman said the foreman changed his life.

Gartman went on to hold a number of executive positions with Houston Lighting and Power, Reliant Energy and CenterPoint Energy. From 1995 to 2002, he was chairman, president and chief executive officer of "EDESE," an electric distribution company in Argentina that was recently purchased by Reliant Energy. In 2004, he helped restructure and develop the Galveston County Economic Alliance and created the Galveston County Economic Alliance Foundation that sponsors the Galveston County Small Business Development Center.

Since retiring from a 36-year career in the electric utility industry, Gartman has been active with Rotary, Chambers of Commerce and numerous other service organizations over the years.

A family man, Gartman likes to relax at his 68-acre cattle and hunting ranch near Goliad.

Morgan's Point has openingfor full-time police officer

The City of Morgan's Point Police Department is currently accepting applications for a full-time police officer position. Qualified applicants must be TCOLE certified, hold a current Basic Peace Officer Certification and have a minimum of three years patrol experience.

Applicants are subject to screening and testing prior to employing, including but not limited to; a physical exam, drug screening and thorough background investigation. Salary starts at $45,795 for the first year and increases yearly per salary schedule. Other benefits and incentives are offered.

Applications can be obtained online at www.morganspoint-tx.com or in person at 1415 E. Main, Morgan's Point. Applications will be accepted by mail, in person, by fax and email to the City of Morgan's Point Police Department.

For more information, call 281-471-2171, or email Sgt. Richardson at brichardson@morganspoint-tx.com.
In an effort to expand its cultural and tourism offerings, the City of Sugar Land will host an Italian film festival this fall.

The city will team up with the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, the International Film Festival of Spello and the Italian region of Umbria to orchestrate Umbria in Sugar Land, the five-day event that will feature eight Italian and European films, meetings with film professionals, cultural events, regional food, wine and seminars. The event is scheduled for Sept. 27- Oct. 1. It's the first event of its kind to take place in Sugar Land.

Umbria, a region in Italy between Rome and Florence, is often overshadowed by its neighboring Tuscany, but its picturesque landscapes, quaint villages and gastronomy rival those of the more popular parts of the country. The festival in Sugar Land will be used to promote, not only the films, but the Umbrian region's art, culture, food, wine and craftsmanship.

The idea for hosting the film festival in Sugar Land came last year when a city resident approached the city council about starting a partnership with Umbria, which has already hosted a film festival in its city of Spello for six years. Umbria then hosted a delegation from Sugar Land, including Mayor Joe Zimmerman and representatives from the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, to further foster the two areas' relationship.

"I'm super excited," said Sugar Land City Councilwoman Amy Mitchell. "I love Italy. It's one of my favorite places on the planet."

"I think it's going to be absolutely wonderful," added Councilwoman Bridget Yeung.

The festival is expected to cost the City of Sugar Land about $39,500, with some of that to be covered by sponsorships and the rest to come from excess Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue. Any proceeds from this year's festival will go to next year's festival, if the city decides to continue hosting the event.

City staff will be responsible for preparing the itinerary and budget, planning events  including the film screening, VIP dinner, farewell barbecue and educational seminar, coordinating food and beverage services and approving marketing initiatives.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce will prepare a sponsorship plan, manage the sponsorship agreements and organize business meetings with the Italian delegation.

Umbria and the International Film Festival of Spello will provide the films to be screened and a regional food and wine showcase.

Councilman Harish Jajoo said that he expects that the festival will benefit the city from an economic and publicity stand point.

"(It's) a pretty good deal for the city," Jajoo said.

The festival is part of the push to put more of an emphasis on making Sugar Land an arts destination.

"Establishing the cultural arts is a new initiative for the City of Sugar Land," said Lindsay Davis, cultural arts manager for the city. "(The festival) is fulfilling one of the aspects for the larger strategic plan  creating destination events for our residents and the greater region."
Houston police found a dead woman in a car over the weekend in Houston's Third Ward.

Tricia Rene Evans, a 37-year-old Houston resident, was pronounced dead by paramedics around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, when police responding to a 911 call found her body in a car at 3311 Tuam.

Homicide detectives did not find any signs of trauma or foul play, Houston police said in a news release.

Evans' daughter was notified of her death, according to the Harris County medical examiner's office, which will investigate the cause of death.

Police ask anyone with information in the case to call HPD's Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
Casper police arrested a man Sunday  one day after he had posted bond on a separate drug charge  for allegedly beating a woman he was dating, choking her and locking her in a trailer.

Michael Ross, 39, was booked into the Natrona County Detention Center on Sunday on suspicion of strangulation, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. He was to hear the formal charges against him at his initial appearance Monday afternoon in Natrona County Circuit Court.

The woman told police that Ross had bonded out of jail Saturday afternoon, according to Ross' arrest affidavit. She said that Ross dropped her off at work and then he went to drink with his friends.

After work, the woman went to sleep at home until Ross woke her at about 1 a.m. Sunday, she said. Ross then accused her of cheating on him while he was in jail before starting to hit her despite her assurances that she didn't cheat on him, the affidavit states.

The woman told police that he punched her repeatedly in the face and forced her to drink vodka out of the bottle. When she tried to avoid drinking the liquor, he started to choke her. The combination of drinking and choking made the woman throw up, she said.

She said that Ross then pushed her to the ground and choked her until she briefly lost consciousness. The woman told police that she believed Ross stopped strangling her because he was concerned he would actually kill her, according to the affidavit. The woman said that she feared for her life during the attack.

The woman then laid on the bed and Ross hit her anytime she attempted to move or get up, the affidavit states.

Ross left the trailer about 7 that morning, but when the woman tried to leave she found the door padlocked shut from the outside. She told police that she had to kick down the door before running to a friend's house for help. She said that Ross broke her phone during the assault.

The woman told police that Ross had assaulted her in the past but that she had never reported it until Sunday's incident, which was the worst she had endured.

Medical staff at the Wyoming Medical Center found that the woman had a broken eye socket, a broken nose and a dislocated finger. An officer had to help her fill out paperwork at the hospital because her eye was so swollen that she couldn't see out of it.

Ross later told police a different version of events in which the woman attacked him and that he pushed her to defend himself, according to the affidavit. He said that he slapped her across the face once to get her to stop hitting him. He denied causing the extensive bruising on the woman's body.
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Despite a two-year budget of $2.4 billion, the Texas Department of Public Safety, with little notice, has reduced office hours at 11 of the state's busiest driver's license offices and plans to lay off more than 100 full-time employees to deal with a $21 million funding crunch.

The statewide police agency's primary function is to patrol state highways and issue driver's licenses, but in recent years has spent hundreds of millions on security operations along the 1,200-mile border with Mexico.

The effects of the reduced driver's license office hours were apparent on Monday morning, where nearly 200 customers formed a long, snaking line outside the large DPS facility at 12220 South Gessner. On June 5, the DPS abruptly scaled back operating hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the large centers. The offices are still open after 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.

"I don't think it's good service," said Derrick Williams, 39, who was waiting Monday to get his license re-instated. "They should open it a little earlier and not have these long lines."

ALSO: Driver's License (Object Lessons)

Sandai Sams arrived at the Gessner location at 6:45 a.m., hoping to get an early start on renewing her license. Instead, there was already a long line stretching from the locked front door, down the sidewalk and into the parking lot.

DPS by the numbers $2.4 billion: Budget for FY 2018-19 $750 million (approx): Border security $133 million: Driver's License Division budget 80.5 percent: Increase in wait times at DPS Mega Centers, 2013-2015. See More Collapse

"I can understand them doing it at the smaller locations, but not at the larger offices where the majority of people come to, including people who drive a long way," said Sams, who added that DPS office hours were not listed correctly on mapping software. "I think the budget cuts are in the wrong areas."

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said Monday the department is not allowed to use funds set aside for border security to offset shortfalls in other areas of operation, like the driver's license division. The cuts were necessary after DPS was instructed by state legislators to reduce 2018-2019 funding for the division by 4 percent.

DPS management of the driver license operation has not only angered customers, it is being criticized by elected officials.

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, said DPS did not notify lawmakers of the reductions in driver's license operations until after the Legislature adjourned late last month.

"We're stuck now with a severe reduction in service hours and employees at multiple centers around the state, including two here in Houston in my district, that we know are already overcrowded," Whitmire said.

"It's pretty alarming - we leave after sine die (adjournment), and leave (DPS) a budget of $800 million for border security, which involves essentially two border counties, and we leave $11 billion in the rainy day fund, and we have to tell people they're going to have to stand in longer lines to get a driver license."

The reduced hours are now in effect at four Houston-area locations - Gessner, Houston-North on Veterans Memorial Drive, the Rosenberg office and an office in Spring.

Accountability concerns

State Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, issued a statement calling the DPS reductions "unacceptable" while questioning the huge expenditure along the Texas-Mexico border.

"DPS traditionally has had two major responsibilities - driver's license applications and renewals, and highway safety patrols," Rodriguez said. "We began giving it a new mission - 'border security' - several legislative sessions ago. That culminated in 2015 with a bill that formally established the mission and committed about $1 billion each session from our general funds for DPS."

Rodriguez noted that the Legislative Budget Board, in 2015, raised concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability of the DPS border operations.

"Given this context, it is unacceptable for DPS to fail to fully provide a basic public service for Texas taxpayers," he said.

DPS executives, in a May 31 email to legislators and their staff obtained by the Houston Chronicle, explained that reductions in staff hours at 11 offices, along with closing two driver's license offices in Dallas and laying off 108 full-time employees, were necessary after the 2018-2019 funding for the division was reduced by 4 percent, or $7 million, in the upcoming state budget that begins Sept. 1. Legislators were also told by DPS there is an anticipated "shortfall" of $14 million in the operating budget of the driver's license division during this fiscal year.

In the email, DPS also told legislators there are significant overtime costs associated with its policy of serving all customers who were physically in the building at closing time.

Chronic problems remain

During a visit to the Gessner office on Monday, DPS spokesman Lt. Craig Cummings said that policy would not change.

"If the customer is in the building before it closes, they'll get served," Cummings said.

Cummings said people with disabilities would be given a place at the head of the line, and urged customers to renew their licenses online or call to make an appointment to come in to renew a license, Cummings noted.

Standing in the long line Monday was John Charles, 41, an immigrant from Tanzania, who said he got to the office on Gessner at 6:25 a.m. to get an early start. He can't renew his license online because of the additional paperwork DPS requires of immigrants.

"It depends on who it favors," Charles said of the reduced hours. "I like to come in early, but maybe for some who get here at 8 a.m., this is OK."

Rodriguez, the El Paso legislator, said "cutting back on overtime for driver's license services for Texas taxpayers, while we pay millions to DPS for 'border security' overtime, again illustrates the departure of DPS from its core public service functions. The budget just approved by the Legislature has $145.6 million for statewide DPS overtime, yet they now want to cut service to the millions of Texans who depend on the agency?"

Chronic problems at the DPS driver's license division have shown little improvement in recent years, despite a division that currently has 230 locations around the state and 2,100 employees, according a report by the Legislative Budget Board.

Since 2012, the Legislature has given DPS an infusion of $310 million as part of a Driver License Improvement Plan, and eight service "mega centers" were opened across the state between 2013 and 2015. But the average wait time for an original, non-commercial driver's license rose from 36 to 65 minutes, an 80 percent increase, according to a January 2017 report by the Legislative Budget Board.

At the Gessner center, the 1 hour, 11-minute wait in 2013 to get an original driver's license went to 1 hour and 45 minutes in 2015, the LBB report notes.

"Performance measure results show that the Department of Public Safety failed to meet the targeted wait times for driver license offices in fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016," the LBB reported.

A way to ease expenses?

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, a former Harris County tax collector, said DPS could alleviate overtime expenses by being more flexible in allowing employees to stagger their start times.

"The key point is to balance your workforce against the actual demand for in-person driver's license services on a weekly basis," said Bettencourt in a statement released by his office.

By doing that, and increasing online services, Bettencourt said he was able to handle county vehicle registrations as demand rose, but without having to increase his budget.

"I will be making those recommendations in writing to the department head this week."
WASHINGTON  Houston Democrat Gene Green accused the Trump administration of sabotaging the individual insurance markets to undermine Obamacare.

In speech on the House floor Tuesday, Green said Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has "refused to say" whether the administration will continue cost-sharing payments to stabilize the insurance markets.

"This is just the latest in a string of actions to sabotage the individual insurance markets and ultimately leave people paying more for their premiums," Green said.

President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have cited rising premiums and the exodus of insurance companies in some states as justification for repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Green and other Democrats say the administration has undermined the law by holding back payments and not enforcing the mandate for individual insurance coverage.

"The truth is they are taking active measures to drive uncertainty and undermine the law," said Green, noting that some 23 million people could lose insurance under a GOP repeal bill.

Democrats note that insurers have little time to finalize their rate filings for 2018. "Without certainty as to whether or not cost-sharing subsidies will be paid," Green said, "they will significantly raise their rates or exit the marketplaces altogether."

Last week, the health subsidies got an important GOP backer: Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

"We should act within our constitutional authority now to temporarily and legally fund cost-sharing reduction payments as we move away from Obamacare," Brady said. "Insurers have made clear the lack of certainty is causing 2018 proposed premiums to rise significantly."
AUSTIN  Newly elected Harris County Judge Robert Johnson inherited the biggest case of his short judicial career Monday when the court assigned him to oversee the criminal trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton who is fighting securities fraud charges.

It's a complicated criminal case nearly two years in the making, putting on trial a tenacious high-profile tea party Republican who is armed with a battery of seasoned defense attorneys and is the target of a trio of dogged special prosecutors for the state.

"He'll have to be the ringmaster of a cult of personalities that will be in that courtroom and this will be a case where the eyes of the entire state will be on what is going on in there," said Ed McClees, a criminal defense attorney and former chief of the organized crime section of the Harris County District attorney's office.

Johnson took the bench to the 177th State District Court in January after last year's election that swept several Democrats into office in Harris County. Johnson claimed a narrow win, edging out Republican incumbent Ryan Patrick, who is the son of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a conservative Republican and Paxton ally. Johnson won the race over Patrick by a 52-48 percentage point margin.

Prior to winning office, Johnson was a criminal defense attorney for 13 years, according to his campaign web site. A 2001 graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Johnson interned with the Ford Bend County District Attorney's office before opening his own practice.

"I will make my ruling based upon the law and remain fair/impartial at all times," read a statement from Johnson on his campaign web site.

Johnson was randomly assigned the case, according to the Harris County District Clerk's office.

The judge should expect to be inundated with far more motions than typical criminal cases, along with interpreting nuances of the law and securities that most state criminal judges are unfamiliar with, said McClees, whose private practice includes white collar crime.

"He's going to have a lot of homework to do as any judge would to get up to speed on the legal issues," said McClees. "It's going to be complicated and he's got lawyers of extreme personalities on all sides, so he's going to have his hands full."

His assignment follows months of wrangling over who should preside over the case. That was after Tarrant County Judge George Gallagher moved the trial out of Paxton's home of Collin County to Harris County this spring amid concern the attorney general's local supporters maintained too strong a grip over ancillary legal issues there, such as whether to pay special prosecutors owed some $500,000 in back pay.

Gallagher planned to stay with the case as it moved to Harris County, but Paxton's defense team tried repeatedly to shed him from the case.

Paxton's attorneys have argued Gallagher's temporary assignment to the case had expired Dec. 31, 2016. They insist his decisions should be vacated, including his decision to move the case to Harris County.

Paxton winning argument stemmed from his refusal to sign off on paperwork to allow the judge to follow the case out of his jurisdiction.

Although special prosecutors argued state lawmakers never meant for the little-used maneuver to allow parties to shake their last judge, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas agreed with Paxton and ruled Gallagher could not follow the case without Paxton's permission. The Texas Criminal Court of Appeals, the state's highest court for criminal cases, agreed with the attorney general's legal team last week.

Paxton's defense team and special prosecutors assigned to the case are under a gag order and cannot comment.

The case concerns actions of the attorney general when he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives representing Collin County. The charges, unrelated to his tenure in public office, allege he convinced friends and colleagues to invest in a North Texas tech company, Servergy, without disclosing he would make a commission. Paxton received 100,000 shared of company stock for recruiting $850,000 from investors. Paxton faces two counts of first-degree securities fraud and one count of failing to register with the state as an investment adviser.

If found guilty, he faces 99 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

A federal judge dismissed similar civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March.

Murray Newman, a former assistant district attorney for Harris County turned criminal defense attorney who blogs about the inner workings of the Harris County criminal courts said the case will likely be "tedious," which may pose a challenge for a rookie judge less than six months on the bench.

"It's not your run of the mill blood and guts case that you see in Harris County. It's a complicated case on its face," said Newman. "He hasn't had any major tests or cases to handle, yet. He's starting up with a biggie."
We expect the media to do a true and honest job in a truly professional manner. We do not expect the media to act like a bunch of rabid dogs going in for the kill. Two wrongs do not make a right. There are not varying degrees of wrong. Wrong is wrong. A double standard is wrong. Bad manners are wrong. Paraphrasing anything in an effort to misrepresent actual events is wrong. Having to research a reported story to discover the truth is wrong.

In my opinion, much of the media hype pertaining to the Ben Jacobs event is a clear example of the aforementioned. Again, in my opinion, it appears that Jacobs was disrespectful of anothers First Amendment rights, cut in front of Fox News, and did not reassume his place in line when politely asked to do so. The local and national medias insistence that Ben Jacobs was innocently asking an honest question in a polite manner in accordance to his First Amendment rights seems to project the image that First Amendment rights only belong to the media. This is wrong.

The one thing that has made our country sustainable for the duration is our all-inclusive Constitution. This sustainable, inclusive document gives inalienable rights to all with prejudice to none. We expect articles written by the media to be sustainable and all-inclusive, not paraphrased. We expect the same professionalism from you that you would expect from us  simple as that.

TJ Smith

Billings
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Hoping to retain its new-found residents, McKenzie County is expanding professional development options.

McKenzie County Job Development Authority is launching the McKenzie County Skills Initiative for those oil boom workers who want to stay in North Dakota.

In an attempt to keep workers in the state, the initiative aims to help workers build their skill sets for transition into a new career.

Our goal is to make McKenzie County more attractive and marketable for businesses and residents by improving community access to workforce training and other opportunities, said Daniel Stenberg, director of the MCJDA.

The initiative brings together the University of Mary, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees; Williston State College, offering two-year degrees; TrainND Northwest, offering workforce training; and the Small Business Development Center, offering services to small business owners. These services will be available at Watford Citys new Rough Rider Center.

For more information go online to http://econdev.mckenziecounty.net/Opportunities/Skills.
Multiple wildfires have prompted evacuations in southern Arizona and a highway closure in northern Arizona as the state heads into peak wildfire season.

Rising temperatures, dry vegetation and lighting continue to spark fires throughout the state. Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the state forestry department, said wildfires this year have outpaced those to date last year.

In 2017, Arizona has seen 830 wildfires that burned about 200 square miles (518 sq. kilometers), up from the 819 fires that burned about 165 square miles (427 sq. kilometers) to date last year. There are currently 20 active fires in Arizona, some of which are controlled burns that dont endanger homes or landmarks.

Arizonas wildfire season generally spans from mid-May to early July, but is extended by several weeks every year, Davila said.

State forestry officials predicted two months ago southern Arizona would have a higher fire risk than northern, forested parts of the state, because winter rain and snow increased the amount of vegetation that fuels fires in later months after it dries out.

On Friday, the National Weather Service warned northwest Arizona residents that high winds and low humidity could cause fires to spread more easily in the afternoon and evening.

The heightened fire danger means campfires and other activities that could start fires should be avoided. The area under a so-called red flag warning includes the entire Kaibab National Forest and includes the area north of Flagstaff where a wildfire forces a highway closure.

Officials closed a section of State Route 180 about 10 miles north of Flagstaff Thursday night because smoke from a fire burning on the slopes of Kendrick Mountain restricted visibility. The fire grew to more than 2 square miles (5 sq. kilometers) Thursday because of high winds. It was ignited after lightning struck a wilderness area west of the state highway last week.

Dry lightning, or lighting without rain, is more common in summer months leading up to monsoon season, said Hector Vasquez, a spokesman for the National Weather Service. As more moisture pulls into Arizona, rains begin to accompany the lightning storms, decreasing fire danger.

In southern Arizona, hundreds of Cochise County residents have evacuated or are prepared to leave at a moments notice to escape wildfires that have already destroyed an empty home. The two wildfires caused by lightning in the mountains east of Benson merged early Friday morning.

Cochise County Sheriffs spokeswoman Carol Capas said Friday about 30 families in Cochise Stronghold and half of Dragoons residents have evacuated their homes, running from a wildfire that has charred about 12 square miles (31 sq. kilometers) since it started Tuesday afternoon.

Capas said the rest of the community is ready to flee.

Gerry Perry, a spokesman for the Coronado National Forest, said 220 firefighters and 25 engines are managing the fire. He said he has no estimate for when it will be contained, and he expects it will be a long fight.
Bismarck city staff continue to stand by its findings: All 198 signatures collected by petitioner Charles Tuttle during the attempted recall of Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary are invalid, due to Tuttle not meeting his residency requirements.

The city completed the mayoral recall petition process as required, following the laws and guidance from the North Dakota Secretary of States office and the North Dakota Attorney Generals office," said Keith Hunke, Bismarck city administrator.

Tuttle filed Friday for a writ of quo warranto in South Central District Court, demanding the city show proof of authority in determining his residency status in Bismarck.

Through the filing, Tuttle also demands the city show proof of authority to "violate" North Dakota Century Code 44-08-21(3), which states, "An elector's name may not be removed from a recall petition that has been submitted to and received by the appropriate filing officer."

"We continue to stand by our decision," Hunke said. "While we dont understand the form of Mr. Tuttles application to the district court, the city will respond to any challenge to its decision at the appropriate time."
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Cleveland Division of Water officials will host two informational meetings next week to discuss the upcoming meter change-out program.

Both meetings will be held at the Cleveland Heights Community Center at Mayfield Road and Monticello Boulevard, the first on Wednesday, June 21, from 6-8 p.m., then on Saturday, June 24, from 2-4 p.m.

Cleveland Water Commissioner Alex Margevicius noted that Cleveland Heights was one of the country's leaders in deploying its meter technology decades ago, allowing readers to drive by and get broadcasted interior readings.

Of course, the delivery system for the actual water left a little to be desired, resulting in the former "Master Meter" system being turned over to the Cleveland Division of Water this year.

"Their meters were actually a generation ahead of ours, but now we're 'leap-frogging' over that technology with what we'll start installing in July," Margevicius said Monday.

He's not ruling out the possibility of a complete switch-out of Cleveland Heights' roughly 16,000 customers -- about 750 of those in University Heights -- by the end of this year, although the work could carry over into early 2018.

In perspective, it's taken about three and possibly four years to change out 400,000 water meters in Cleveland.

And, there will be no direct charge to Cleveland Heights residents for the new equipment and installation, built into Cleveland Water's capital program, funded through its current rates.



For Cleveland Heights, about 1,500 initial mailings should be sent out by the end of the month, split into the city's three existing meter reading routes: north, central and south.

Postcard mailings are also going out to set up appointments, since Cleveland Water Division employees will need to get inside most houses to replace the meters and extend a cable outside to a small box mounted on building exteriors.

For homes and businesses that have water meter vaults installed on treelawns, no appointment is necessary.

With a projected starting date of July 3, the first four weeks of installation will be slower at about 200 meters a week in the early going, but gradually working up to as many as 600 a week.

Margevicius called the new technology a "tremendous advancement" with leak detection notification provided with the hourly readings that will soon be available.

"We can check water flow at any time and tell people whether or not they may have a leak in their system," Margevicius said, noting that some customers have thanked the department for those advisories.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The judge overseeing the Cleveland police reform efforts said Tuesday that he does not see the reforms as "anti-police," a statement that seemingly tried to defend the need for the process as Justice Department officials in Washington signal that they do not support such efforts.

U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. made his comments at the end of a status conference in which the city, Justice Department and the team monitoring the city updated the judge on the reforms. The reforms were memorialized in 2015 in a court-enforced settlement, known as a consent decree.

"We take pride in our police. And I don't like hearing anybody say that this process is anti-police because, at least in this district, I can say for a fact that that has not been my experience as we have moved forward," Oliver said. "It's all been about competence, giving the officers more tools to do their job, to help them understand better how to do their job so that they can be protected and the citizens can be protected."

Throughout much of the hearing, Oliver kept his opinions on the progress to a minimum. He allowed the city, Justice Department and monitoring officials speak on progress involving officer training and community policing, and struggles with investigating citizen complaints and detailing the city's technology needs.

Many of the topics were addressed in a progress report the monitoring team put out Tuesday morning.

After hearing what the city has accomplished thus far, Oliver said he believes "that we're making significant progress" and commended the city and Justice Department.

But his statements about how he believes the consent decree is not "anti-police" stuck out, if only because the Justice Department under President Donald Trump appears to be backing away from supporting the type of police reform in which Cleveland is currently engaged.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a memo in April directing Justice Department staff to review agreements it had reached to reform police departments across the country. That memo is in line with statements Sessions and Trump have made about how they feel the large-scale reform efforts President Barack Obama and his Justice Department favored are unnecessary.

Some locals, such as Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis, have felt emboldened by Sessions and Trump's statements, saying the consent decree is unnecessary.

Justice Department staff from Ohio and Washington, D.C. continue to be engaged in Cleveland's efforts and were present at Tuesday's status conference.

The judge's statement on Tuesday were in line with previous ones he made at past status conferences.

He said in January that he did not think it was appropriate for a president to change the course of Cleveland's consent decree, since he approved the agreement and it is now "an order of the court."

The judge said Tuesday that "we respect the police officers and the difficult job they do. But nevertheless, they're required to do it properly. They're required to do it with respect. All of us want that, and at the same time, we want people to respect them. And this is what we're working on."

The city has repeatedly said it wants the reform efforts to continue. Mayor Frank Jackson has said he thinks the Justice Department may seek to relax the stringency of some of the consent decree's requirements.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Cleveland attorney Justin Herdman to be the new U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Herdman, 41, is a partner at the Jones Day law firm, which has represented Trump in legal matters. The White House announced Herdman's nomination, along with those of seven others across the country.

"These candidates share the President's vision for 'Making America Safe Again,'" the White House said in a news release.

Herdman would officially succeed Carole Rendon, who was appointed as U.S. attorney by President Barack Obama. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March requested that Rendon, along with 45 other U.S. attorney holdovers from the Obama administration, submit their resignations.

Ohio Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown announced in February that they had recommended Herdman to Trump.

Both senators praised the nomination on Monday.

The U.S. Senate will have to confirm Herdman's appointment.

Herdman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Herdman was at the U.S. Attorney's Office between 2006 and 2013, and worked in the office's terrorism squad. He was on a team that prosecuted a group of five activists that plotted to blow up the Ohio 82 Bridge spanning the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 2012.

He serves as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for the 910th Airlift Wing in Youngstown. He received his law degree from Harvard University and is an adjunct law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

Attorneys in Cleveland have praised Herdman, saying he is more than capable to lead the office.

The U.S. Attorney's Office here prosecutes cases in 40 counties, including areas in and around Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Toledo.

The nominations of Herdman and the others announced Monday are the first time the president has put forth any names to fill the 93 U.S. attorney positions nationwide.

After Sessions received the resignations of the Obama administration holdovers, the top federal prosecutor positions across the country, including in Cleveland, were filled by career Justice Department employees and not political appointees.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Westlake cardiologist sentenced to two decades in federal prison for subjecting patients to unnecessary heart tests and procedures lost his appeal Tuesday.

Dr. Harold Persaud argued that "he was simply an over-protective cardiologist who is guilty of nothing more than relying on outdated practice methods in treating his patients," according to an opinion from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court found his argument problematic because a jury already decided he was guilty based on the experts who testified on behalf of federal prosecutors.

"Stated differently, Persaud's challenge fails because so much of his appeal depends on dismantling the methodology of the government's expert witnesses," Judge Danny Boggs wrote in the opinion of the three-judge panel. "Where he attempts to introduce new evidence or advance new arguments on appeal, moreover, he improperly asks this court to overturn his conviction based on evidence that was never placed before the jury."

A jury found Persaud, 58, guilty in September 2015 of health-care fraud, money laundering and 13 counts of making false statements relating to health-care matters.

He performed dozens of unnecessary stent insertions, catheterizations and tests, which included tests that involved injecting a radioactive isotope into the bloodstream. These were part of a scheme to over-bill Medicare and other insurers for $29 million. He received about $5.7 million in payouts.

He did this over six years while he had a private medical practice in Westlake with hospital privileges at St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Fairview Hospital in Cleveland and Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights.

An FBI investigation began in 2012, as did a review from consultants hired by all three hospitals to see whether the tests and procedures Persaud performed were necessary.

U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent sentenced Persaud in December 2015 to 20 years in federal prison. He later ordered Persaud to pay nearly $5.5 million in restitution, as well as to pay more than $2.4 million in forfeitures and judgments.

Persaud maintains his innocence and claims he did everything he thought was right to treat his patients. He is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Lisbon.

Donald Screen, Persaud's attorney, said in an emailed statement that his client "disagrees with (Tuesday's) Sixth Circuit opinion, and is disappointed that the court was unwilling to acknowledge the numerous, serious flaws in the government's case. He is currently evaluating his options."

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.

Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a cleveland.com partner. Every dollar you give buys four meals for the hungry.
SINGAPORE, 13 June 2017 - CNBC, the world's leading business and financial news network, today announced that the 16th Asia Business Leaders Awards will be heading back to China after 14 years, with this year's awards set to take place in Shanghai on 2 November.

Nominations for five of the six award categories are also now open. Categories now accepting nominations are: Asia Business Leader of the Year; Asia Disruptor of the Year; Asia Talent Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and China Business Leader of the Year. Nominations can be submitted at abla.cnbc.com. The Lifetime Achievement Award category is not open for nominations, but is decided by the ABLA panel of judges.

CNBC have also unveiled a bolstered CNBC Exchange series aimed at bringing together the region's thought leaders to debate trends affecting businesses in Asia and beyond. The events will take place in Mumbai on 20 June, in Jakarta on 15 August and in Kuala Lumpur on 7 September. The first of three sessions will assess India's push towards a cashless economy. Information on attending the Exchange events can also be found on the ABLA website.

KC Sullivan, President and Managing Director, CNBC International said:

"We're delighted to be bringing ABLA back to China. Over the last sixteen years, the awards have grown into the region's premier business event recognising the important work leaders across the region are doing. We're also expanding our CNBC Exchange events in the run up to the awards this year. I'm looking forward to the engaging and dynamic conversations we'll be having on the issues shaping corporate Asia."

ABLA, CNBC's flagship awards event in Asia, was pioneered in 2001 to salute and recognize remarkable business leaders, who through strength, innovation and foresight induce positive change in an evolving corporate Asia.

More information about CNBC's ABLA, judging process and nomination process is available online at abla.cnbc.com.

Contact Information:



Mike Cheong

Communications Manager, CNBC Asia Pacific

Mike.Cheong@nbcuni.com

D: +65 6326 1123

M: +65 9852 8630





About ABLA

The Asia Business Leaders Awards (ABLA) was pioneered by CNBC in 2001 to salute and recognize remarkable business leaders, who through strength, innovation and foresight induce positive changes in an evolving corporate Asia. Winners of the Awards exemplify the best in leadership, visionaries behind today's outstanding businesses. They are given tribute at an annual awards ceremony and gala dinner that will be broadcast globally in Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States. Since its inception, over 70 business leaders from around the world have been awarded the ABLA. The ABLA is organized by CNBC with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Development Dimensions International (DDI) as Knowledge and Research partners.

About CNBC

CNBC is the number one business and financial news network on the planet. Our mission is to help the influential and aspirational to make astute decisions to get ahead. CNBC International ensures no matter where you are you can keep up to date with the latest breaking business and financial news. With international headquarters in London and Singapore, we provide you with the perfect 24-hour global business briefing. In addition to our global TV channel, available in more than 385 million homes worldwide, CNBC is also available on mobile, tablet and desktop. CNBC.com is the preeminent financial news source on the web, featuring an unprecedented amount of video, real-time market analysis, web-exclusive live video and analytical financial tools.

For more information, please visit www.cnbc.com.
Our exclusive study scores all 50 states on 66 metrics across 10 categories of competitiveness. Our study is not an opinion survey; we measure actual performance by the states.

Our aim is to grade the states based on the qualities they deem most important in attracting business. To do that, we assign a weight to each of our 10 categories by analyzing every state's economic development marketing materials. The more the states cite a particular category as a selling point, the more weight that category carries. For example, if more states are talking about their workforce, the Workforce category carries more possible points.

Here are this year's categories and weightings.

Workforce (425 points)

Most states point with great pride to the quality and availability of their workers, as well as government-sponsored programs to train them. We rate states based on the education level of their workforce, the numbers of available employees and the states' demonstrated abilities to retain college-educated workers. We consider each state's concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workers, increasingly in demand by business. We measure workforce productivity based on each state's economic output per job. We look at the relative success of each state's worker training programs in placing their participants in jobs. We also consider union membership and the states' right-to-work laws. While organized labor contends that a union workforce is a quality workforce, that argument, more often than not, does not resonate with business.

Infrastructure (400 points)

Access to transportation in all its modes is key to getting your products to market and your people on the move. We measure the vitality of each state's transportation system by the value of goods shipped by air, waterways, roads and rail. We look at the availability of air travel in each state, the quality of the roads and bridges and the time it takes to commute to work. We also consider the condition of each state's drinking water and wastewater systems.

Cost of Doing Business (350 points)

Cost is a major consideration when a company chooses where to do business. We look at the competitiveness of each state's tax climate, as well as state-sponsored incentives that can lower the cost of doing business. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also consider the cost of wages, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.

Economy (300 points)

A solid economy is good for business. So is a diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We look at economic growth, job creation, consumer spending, and the health of the residential real estate market. We measure each state's fiscal health by looking at its credit ratings and outlook, as well as its overall budget picture. Because of their own economic impact as well as the ripple effect, we consider the number of major corporations headquartered in each state.

Quality of Life (300 points)

One way to attract qualified workers is to offer them a great place to live. We score the states on livability, as well as additional factors, such as crime rate; inclusiveness, along with antidiscrimination protections; the quality of health care; the level of health insurance coverage and the overall health of the population. We evaluate local attractions, parks and recreation, as well as environmental quality.

Technology & Innovation (225 points)

Succeeding in the new economy  or any economy  takes innovation. Truly competitive states prize innovation, nurture new ideas and have the infrastructure to support them. We evaluate the states on their support for innovation and the number of patents issued to their residents. We also consider federal health, science and agricultural research grants to the states.

Education (200 points)

Education and business go hand in hand. Not only do companies want to draw from an educated pool of workers, they also want to offer their employees a great place to raise a family. Higher-education institutions offer companies a source to recruit new talent, as well as a partner in research and development. We consider the number of higher-education institutions in each state, as well as long-term funding trends for higher education. We look at several measures of K12 education, including test scores, class size and spending, and we look at technology infrastructure in the schools. We also look at lifelong learning opportunities in each state.

Business Friendliness (150 points)

Regulation and litigation are the bane of business. Sure, some of each is inevitable. But we grade the states on the freedom their legal and regulatory frameworks provide for business.

Access to Capital (100 points)

Companies go where the money is, and capital flows to some states more than others. We look at venture capital investments by state, as well as traditional bank financing for small and mid-sized businesses.

Cost of Living (50 points)

The cost of living helps drive the cost of doing business. From housing to food and energy, wages go further when the cost of living is low. We measure the states based on an index of costs for basic items.
Large employers aren't looking to make big changes in worker health coverage next year, no matter what happens with health policies in Washington. But they are not letting up on pushing employees to take on more of the tab for their benefits.



"They are continuing to do the old tried and true cost-shifting  I'll increase your deductible, or I'll increase your copay or your co-insurance," said Barbara Gniewek, principal at consulting firm PwC. "They're not doing anything that's really transformational."



Most employers expect health-care costs to increase 6.5 percent in 2018, according to PwC's latest "Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers" report. That's about in line with the cost growth trend over the last four years, according to researchers.



After years of squeezing workers to pay more out of pocket, employers will focus more on containing costs by pushing for better pricing from providers and their pharmacy contracts. The trend toward high-deductible plans looks like it's starting to lose some steam.



Roughly 28 percent of large employers surveyed by PwC now say they are planning to explore offering high-deductible plans as the only health insurance option for 2018. That's down sharply from this year, when roughly 40 percent were considering it.



"It's a tight labor market. They need talent to make their business work," explained Gniewek, adding "messing with medical benefits is kind of a (negative) catalyst."



In the current hiring environment, employers see health benefits being even more important as a tool for attracting and retaining employees, and as a result most say they don't plan to cut back on offering health benefits even if Congress repeals Obamacare employer mandates.

While the House GOP plan could usher in greater flexibility when it comes to essential health benefit requirements such as maternity care, most large employers told researchers it won't affect their benefit design near-term:

93 percent would not change eligibility for benefits

72 percent would still fund 100 percent of preventive services

63 percent would keep pre-existing condition protections

57 percent would keep protection against lifetime dollar limits

But employers are not likely to shield workers from any potential new taxes on health benefits. Traditionally, employer health insurance benefits have not been taxed for employers or workers. It's a tax exemption that is now estimated to cost the federal government roughly $260 billion a year.



Under Obamacare, the so-called Cadillac Tax imposes a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans.



"What employers said about the Cadillac tax was that most  were going to pass any surcharge onto the employees," said Gniewek.



The House Republican health plan  the American Health Care Act  pushes the start date back from 2020 to 2026, but does not repeal the tax. Employers are watching to see if the tax survives the final bill.
The current man in charge of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election may also have a target on his back.

President Donald Trump is considering terminating special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who was named by the Justice Department in May to lead the Russia probe, according to Chris Ruddy, the CEO of conservative website Newsmax.

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option," said Ruddy, a close Trump ally, told PBS NewsHour on Monday. "I think it's pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently."

But letting Mueller go would "be a very significant mistake," Ruddy continued.

Such a decision could have disastrous political ramifications for Trump, who's already fending off accusations that he fired former FBI Director James Comey in order to stifle that same investigation. The probe is looking into links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said he didn't want to speculate on whether the president would fire Mueller.

PBS anchor Judy Woodruff first tweeted the news. Earlier on Monday, CNBC spotted Ruddy leaving the West Wing. Ruddy, however, did not meet with the president as their meeting was postponed, NBC News reported.

tweet

Later on Monday night, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement saying Ruddy never spoke to the president, adding that only the "president or his attorneys are authorized to comment."

In a statement to NBC News, Ruddy indicated that Spicer's statement wasn't relevant, because he never claimed to have spoken to Trump about Mueller in the first place.

"Don't waste your time trying to undermine one of your few allies," the statement said.
As Uber's workplace scandal widens, a growing number of insiders are seeking to sell their shares. But buyers are hard to find.

"The demand side has dried up relative to the sell side," said Larry Albukerk, managing director of EB Exchange, a San Francisco broker that has arranged private sales of tech-company shares since 1999. "We're getting calls all the time from people who want to sell" at least part of their Uber stake, said Albukerk.

Uber employees have long faced tighter restrictions on share sales compared to workers at other tech start-ups. Arranging private share sales for Uber insiders has been notoriously difficult, said Albukerk, because CEO Travis Kalanick has kept a tight grip on transactions.

Another secondary market broker, who asked not to be named so as not to endanger his relationship with clients, said Uber has a "lockdown" on private sales.

Should the board decide to loosen restrictions and let employees sell some shares, the market imbalance creates another potential challenge. While Uber was valued at about $68 billion in its last financing round, investors would likely have to take a sharp discount at this point to find willing buyers.

Uber is in the throes of its biggest crisis since Kalanick co-founded the ride-hailing company in 2009. An internal probe led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that stemmed from complaints of sexual harassment has led to the departure of more than 20 employees.
You're watching TV and scrolling through Instagram when an advertisement for an idyllic vacation spot appears on the screen. Perhaps it's a beach utopia, a jungle paradise, a snowy reprieve or a cruise ship filled with laughing, carefree people. Or maybe you're simply thinking about that last mini excursion you took (has it been two years already?), or contemplating how glorious a staycation would be, allowing you to catch up on your personal life and put in quality time with the family. You stop for a few blissful seconds and think to yourself, "Wouldn't that be nice?" You've even got plenty of vacation days saved up! The sweetness of it all lingers momentarily before melting away into frenzied visions of work piled up on your desk, a career you can't afford to put on temporary hold or a boss that you assume would be cranky if you went MIA for a week.

Americans aren't taking time off, study shows

Angels Landing in Utah Jordan Siemens | Getty Images

Are you addicted to work?

An additional contributing factor may be the fact that many of us are self-prescribed "work martyrs" who are addicted to our jobs. "[Some employees] identify so strongly with their work that they are compelled to work all the time," says Dr. Marika Lindholm, a sociologist who specializes in helping people focus on well-being and self-care. "Increasing efficacy on the job provides feelings of self-worth that they don't get anywhere else because they are working all the time and it becomes an addictive cycle. It's up to employers to set the tone by encouraging employees to take time off and, of course, take time off themselves." Dr. Lindholm says that signs of work addiction include not "feeling alive or worthy" unless you're working, losing sight of non-work related passions and hobbies, neglecting self-care rituals like exercising, working through meals and feeling anxious or guilty when you're not working. Your family and friends may even comment on your increased work load, and your relationships may suffer until a change is made.

Not taking time off is hurting your career and your health

Contrary to the internal dialogue playing inside employee's heads, further studies by Project: Time Off indicate that not using PTO does more harm than good in terms of career success. These work martyrs are 23 to 27 percent less likely to receive a promotion, and 78 to 84 percent less likely to receive a raise or bonus compared to those who do take their deserved time away. "At a certain point, our productivity and energy suffers," notes Denis. "Work martyrs feel that they are sacrificing their vacation time in service to their jobs, but in reality, they are trading away opportunities to be better for their companies by skipping time off. Time off can be a fantastic way to incite innovation, and bringing the next great idea to your organization is hugely impactful. Great creative breakthroughs don't happen sitting at a desk." Letting vacation days fall by the wayside also negatively impacts your health. "The mental and physical benefits of taking time off work include improved sleep, a better headspace, more clarity and increased creativity," explains Dr. Kathryn Smerling, a New York City based psychologist. "By taking time off, you'll find a renewed sense of purpose, more energy to carry out tasks and in general, an overall sense of happiness."

4 tips for using all your vacation days (sans the anxiety)
Boeing is taking further steps to restructure its defense and space business.

The maker of F-18 fighter jets, Chinook helicopters and the Ground-based Midcourse Defense missile defense system will lay off 50 executives by year's end as it looks to streamline the oversight process.



"We need to be an agile organization that is more responsive to customers' needs and committed to continually improving productivity," said Leanne Caret, CEO and president of Boeing's defense, space and security division, in a press release.



Additionally, Boeing said its military aircraft and network and space systems segments will be broken out into four smaller units. The development, global operations and Phantom Works segments will remain largely unchanged.

The move is the latest by Caret, who took the helm at BDS in early 2016, to revamp the unit. Last November, America's largest aerospace manufacturer announced it would consolidate some manufacturing operations, cutting 500 jobs over four years and shuttering two plants. In December, it said it would relocate the defense headquarters from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., to be closer to the Pentagon and lawmakers.



The moves are centered on competitiveness and growth, adds Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May gives an election campaign speech to Conservative Party supporters in Norwich, June 7, 2017. Toby Melville | Reuters

British Prime Minister Theresa May has "largely agreed" a support deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which will enable her to prop up her Conservative government, according to BBC reports. May held talks with DUP members of parliament Tuesday afternoon to discuss a "confidence and supply deal" which will provide her with the backing needed to form a parliamentary majority. The talks follow an inconclusive election outcome on Friday in which May's party secured an underwhelming 318 seats, eight short of a parliamentary majority. A deal with the DUP's 10-seat party will provide the backing required for a 326 majority. Unidentified sources told the BBC Tuesday that there are "no outstanding issues" to be discussed following the two-hour talks and a deal will likely be struck by Thursday. Meanwhile, a senior Conservative source later told Reuters that the talks were "ongoing" but refused to confirm a timescale.

Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), left, waves as Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), looks on as they pose for photographers on the steps of number 10 Downing Street, during their arrival for a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, in London, U.K., on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Luke MacGregor | Bloomberg | Getty Images

May, who is due to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris later on Tuesday afternoon, refused to speak to reporters as she left the talks at 10 Downing Street. A Conservative representative is expected to continue talks with the DUP during her absence. DUP leader Arlene Foster, who left separately, took to Twitter shortly afterwards to say that discussions were "going well." "Discussions are going well with the government and we hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion," Foster said on Twitter, Tweet

A 'dubious' deal
Growing up, college was presented to me as the next logical step after high school. It was "what you did" if you wanted to get a good job and make a lot of money.

Often missing from that conversation? The fact that college is a major financial investment, and that your future boss may not actually care whether or not you went.

I learned my lesson the hard way: Two universities and zero degrees later, I left school with nearly $50,000 worth of student loan and credit card debt. Ouch.

Admittedly, I was a lazy academic  I had decent grades, but I put the least amount of effort into achieving them. Still, being a college dropout wasn't part of the plan.

In 2004, I was a college freshman and political science major at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. I was three weeks into school when I landed a job on a political campaign.

When that campaign ended I was offered a different role on a campaign in Texas. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. At the time, I thought of it as "taking a break from college," not dropping out altogether.

Later on, life brought me to Denver, and I attended the University of Colorado for three semesters from 2006 to 2007. I left for yet another campaign.

For a while, I thought I'd go back to school. But after founding the fastest-growing private media company and hiring 70 employees, I'm less sure.
Cheesecake Factory said sales will fall this quarter because of poor weather, but investors aren't buying that excuse.

Shares of Cheesecake Factory dropped 8 percent in trading Tuesday.

The company lowered its second quarter 2017 outlook and now expects comparable sales at Cheesecake Factory restaurants to be down approximately 1 percent. This adjustment represents a shift from the company's previous guidance for an increase of one to two percent for the quarter. Analysts expected an increase of 1.7 percent, on average, according to FactSet.

"We have seen pockets of softness as we moved through the quarter, notably in the East and Midwest where we also faced unfavorable weather that reduced patio usage," Chairman and CEO David Overton said in a statement.

Cheesecake Factory expects the lowered second quarter outlook to impact both second quarter margins and earnings per share.

Year-to-date shares of the restaurant chain are down nearly 3 percent on declining mall traffic and an increasing generational gap, as millennials' preference for fast casual dining takes its toll.
CNBC Presents Coverage with Special Correspondent Scott Cohn Revealing the 2017 America's Top States for Business Throughout CNBC's Business Day Programming and Online on Tuesday, July 11th

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 13, 2017The skills gap across the U.S. labor market is big and getting bigger. States are fighting each other like never before to attract businesses and jobs  a battle that CNBC has been chronicling year after year in its annual America's Top States for Business ranking.

Starting Monday, July 10th through Wednesday, July 12th, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will broadcast the results of its eleventh annual study of America's Top States for Business. The network will build a special event around this CNBC exclusive study with the complete rankings being revealed, along with the winning state and its governor, on Tuesday, July 11th, throughout the network's Business Day programming. The complete ranking for all 50 states will be available on CNBC.com and include an in-depth look at each of their respective rankings.

CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn will broadcast live from the top-ranked state starting Monday, and will count down CNBC's 2017 list of America's Top States for Business Tuesday, beginning on "Squawk Box" (6AM-9AM ET) with the top state being revealed on "Closing Bell" (3PM-5PM ET).

CNBC Digital will reveal, in conjunction with on-air, the complete list of America's Top States for Business rankings on Tuesday, July 11th. In addition, topstates.cnbc.com will feature a wealth of coverage about each state including economic snapshots (employment, budget, tax and housing data) and exclusive stories and slideshows delving into the various top-ranking categories including Workforce, Technology & Innovation and Cost of Doing Business.

Follow us on Twitter @CNBC and take part in the social conversation using hashtag #TopStates.

To determine the rankings for America's Top States for Business, each state was scored on 66 different measures of competitiveness. We developed our methodology with input from a broad and diverse array of business and policy experts, official government sources, the CNBC Global CFO Council and the states themselves. A full list of sources that were used for this year's data can be found here. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into ten broad categories. The categories are weighted based on how frequently they are used as selling points in state economic development marketing materials. That way, we grade the states on the criteria they use to sell themselves.

So what makes a state great for business? These are the ten broad categories and the maximum possible points for each in 2017:

Workforce (425 points)

Most states point with great pride to the quality and availability of their workers, as well as government-sponsored programs to train them. We rate states based on the education level of their workforce, the numbers of available employees, and the states' demonstrated abilities to retain college-educated workers. We consider each state's concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workers, increasingly in demand by business. We measure workforce productivity based on each state's economic output per job. We look at the relative success of each state's worker training programs in placing their participants in jobs. We also consider union membership and the states' right-to-work laws. While organized labor contends that a union workforce is a quality workforce, that argument, more often than not, does not resonate with business.

Infrastructure (400 points)

Access to transportation in all its modes is a key to getting your products to market and your people on the move. We measure the vitality of each state's transportation system by the value of goods shipped by air, waterways, roads and rail. We look at the availability of air travel in each state, the quality of the roads and bridges, and the time it takes to commute to work. We also consider the condition of each state's drinking water and wastewater systems.

Cost of Doing Business (350 points)

Cost is a major consideration when a company chooses where to do business. We look at the competitiveness of each state's tax climate, as well as state-sponsored incentives that can lower the cost of doing business. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also consider the cost of wages, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.

Economy (300 points)

A solid economy is good for business. So is a diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We look at economic growth, job creation, consumer spending, and the health of the residential real estate market. We measure each state's fiscal health by looking at its credit ratings and outlook, as well as its overall budget picture. Because of their own economic impact as well as the ripple effect, we consider the number of major corporations headquartered in each state.

Quality of Life (300 points)

One way to attract qualified workers is to offer them a great place to live. We score the states on livability including several factors, such as the crime rate, inclusiveness including anti-discrimination protections, the quality of health care, the level of health insurance coverage and the overall health of the population. We evaluate local attractions, parks and recreation, as well as environmental quality.

Technology & Innovation (225 points)

Succeeding in the new economyor any economytakes innovation. Truly competitive states prize innovation, nurture new ideas, and have the infrastructure to support them. We evaluate the states on their support for innovation, and the number of patents issued to their residents. We also consider federal health, science and agricultural research grants to the states.

Education (200 points)

Education and business go hand in hand. Not only do companies want to draw from an educated pool of workers, they also want to offer their employees a great place to raise a family. Higher education institutions offer companies a source to recruit new talent, as well as a partner in research and development. We consider the number of higher education institutions in each state as well as long-term funding trends for higher education. We look at several measures of K-12 education including test scores, class size and spending, and we look at technology infrastructure in the schools. We also look at life-long learning opportunities in each state.

Business Friendliness (150 points)

Regulation and litigation are the bane of business. Sure, some of each is inevitable. But we grade the states on the freedom their legal and regulatory frameworks provide for business.

Access to Capital (100 points)

Companies go where the money is, and capital flows to some states more than others. We look at venture capital investments by state, as well as traditional bank financing for small and mid-sized businesses.

Cost of Living (50 points)

The cost of living helps drive the cost of doing business. From housing to food and energy, wages go further when the cost of living is low. We measure the states based on an index of costs for basic items.

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After about 16 years of the fighting in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary James Mattis testified Tuesday that the situation was not going well but he said a new strategy was being developed and would be available to Congress by mid-July.



"We're not winning in Afghanistan right now and we will correct this as soon as possible," said Mattis.

President Donald Trump is considering whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. There are presently just under 10,000 U.S. service members in the Asian nation.



The defense secretary's remarks Tuesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee followed criticism from the panel's chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), who blasted the Trump administration for not having a new strategy on how to deal with the worsening security situation in Afghanistan.



"We're now six months into this administration and still haven't got a strategy for Afghanistan," said McCain. "We know what the strategy was for the last eight years: don't lose. That hasn't worked."



Mattis, a retired four-star general, responded that the new strategy was being put together at this time and added there will be actions also "taken to make certain that we don't pay a price for the delay. We recognize the need for urgency, and your criticism is fair."



At the same time, McCain said the U.S. just "can't keep going like this" without having a workable strategy on Afghanistan. "There are problems within this administration. I was confident that within the first 30 to 60 days we would have a strategy from which to start working."



McCain told the defense secretary that it's not lawmakers' job to develop the Afghanistan strategy. "It's yours," he said.



The Republican lawmaker also noted that three American soldiers were killed over the weekend due to new violence in Afghanistan. The deaths were blamed on an Afghan soldier opening fire on the U.S. service members.

More than 2,300 Americans have died during the 16-year conflict in Afghanistan and more than 20,000 have been wounded. NATO nations such as Britain also have lost troops during the conflict.



"Let's not ask these families to sacrifice any further without a strategy," McCain said.



The increased violence in Afghanistan also includes a huge blast in the capital of Kabul last month that claimed the lives of more than 150 people.



There have been bipartisan efforts this year in the House to bar new funding for Afghanistan and to open a policy debate in Congress whether to withdraw U.S. troops. Critics of the war effort say that the U.S. has already spent more than $800 billion fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and that the security situation has continued to worsen.



Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it would be "a massive mistake" to pull out entirely from Afghanistan and "would affect the security of Americans." He said the U.S. might want to consider a "follow-on force that is not involved in combat," similar to what the U.S. has in Europe and South Korea.



Mattis agreed it would be wrong to "walk away" from Afghanistan.



"We've already seen what can come out of these ungoverned spaces. The problems that originate there do not stay there. They come out and threaten all of us; they threaten the world order; they threaten our economy; they threaten our very country."



The defense secretary also was asked what winning looked like in Afghanistan.



"The Afghan government, with international help, will be able to handle the violence [and] drive it down to a level local security forces can handle it," said Mattis. "With our allies, it would probably require a residual force doing training and maintaining the high-end capability so that the threats  should they mature  we can take them down."



Mattis added that this will mean "an era of frequent skirmishing and will require a change in our approach from the last several years, if we're able to get it to that position."



The former general also insisted that the majority of the Afghan people still want U.S. troops in their country for security. He said the reason why the Taliban and other hostile militants in the country use bombs for terror purposes "is because they cannot win at the ballot box."
Defense Secretary James Mattis told a congressional panel late Monday President Donald Trump will get options presented to him "very soon" on how to deal with the conflict in Afghanistan, including whether to send more U.S. troops there amid the worsening violence.

Mattis stressed that the Afghanistan matter should be viewed more broadly as a regional issue since it could have far-reaching ramifications not just for the war on terror but security for South and Central Asia.

"We're taking a regional approach to this," he said. "We're looking at everything from the situation between India and Pakistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Obviously, Iran and that whole South Asia area."

His response came during a House Armed Services Committee hearing where Rep. Susan Davis (D-California) commented about how the Afghanistan conflict is becoming more "chaotic and violent" and she added there are "very few options for us." The hearing was arranged to talk about the fiscal 2018 budget for the Pentagon but it also touched on Afghanistan, ISIS and other national security issues.

"If we look at it [Afghanistan] in isolation, we'll probably have something that's lacking in some area," said Mattis.

"We are going to have to recognize that problems that come out of ungoverned spaces like that as we experienced on 9/11do not stay there. They can come home to roost here."

Over the weekend, three U.S. soldiers were killed and a fourth wounded after an attack perpetuated by an Afghan soldier. The attack took place in Nangarhar, an eastern province in Afghanistan.

The U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is now going on about 16 years and other recent violence includes a bombing in Kabul's diplomatic district last month that claimed the lives of more than 150 people. NBC News called it "one of the deadliest single attacks in the country since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion."

According to Mattis, the U.S. has just under 10,000 service members currently stationed in Afghanistan.

"The commander on the ground has asked for more," Mattis said. "Those discussions are ongoing now with the president."

The Trump administration is believed to be considering adding up to 4,000 additional U.S. military personnel. NATO nations such as Britain also have troops stationed in Afghanistan.

Mattis, a retired four-star general, reiterated that the focus was to develop "more of a regional strategy so what we're doing is connected to the geographic reality of where this enemy is fighting from. As you know, it's not just from Afghanistan."

That said, Mattis emphasized that the "bulk of the fighting" will continue to be carried out by the Afghan forces.

At the same time, the Defense secretary indicated that funding any additional U.S. troops are not currently reflected in the administration's fiscal 2018 budget request.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Johnson & Johnson  The company's diabetes drug Invokana showed a reduction in the risk of serious heart problems, but an increased risk of amputations.

Alphabet  Alphabet's Google unit reached a tax deal with Indonesia for 2016. The country had maintained that Google had not made enough annual payments to the government.

Merck  Merck paused two late-stage studies involving the use of its Keytruda immunotherapy drug as a treatment for multiple myeloma. The drugmaker is investigating increased reports of deaths in the groups using the drug.

Imax  IMAX is laying off 100 workers, amounting to 14 percent of its workforce, in a cost reduction move. The movie theater operator is trying to cut costs by $20 million per year. It also announced a new $200 million stock buyback program.

Tesla  Tesla was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Berenberg, which also raised its price target on the automaker's stock to $464 per share from $193. Berenberg points to a lack of real action by traditional automakers in developing electric vehicles for mass market adoption.

Snyaptics  Synaptics announced it would buy audio software company Conexant for $300 million in cash and stock, and will also purchase Marvell's multimedia unit for $95 million in cash. The maker of display and interface products, an Apple supplier, also narrowed its current-quarter revenue guidance to $420 million to $430 million, compared to the prior $410 to $450 million.

Con Edison  Con Edison was downgraded to "hold" from "buy" at Jefferies, which cites several factors including valuation. The utility company's shares have risen more than 13 percent so far this year.

Western Digital  The hard disk drive maker will raise its bid for Toshiba's semiconductor unit to two trillion yen, or about $18.2 billion, according to Japanese newspaper reports. Similar reports have surfaced over the past week. Initially, Wester Digital had bid about 1.6 trillion yen.

Lands' End  Chief Executive Officer James Griffith bought 21,300 shares in the apparel retailer, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, increasing his holdings to 51,700 shares.

Everest Re  The reinsurer will replace Mead Johnson Nutrition in the S&P 500 within the next week, pending completion of Mead Johnson's acquisition by Britain's Reckett Benckiser.

Science Applications International  The company reported quarterly profit of $1.08 per share, beating estimates by four cents a share. The defense contractor reported revenue below Street consensus, however, and lower profit margins, as well.

Tesoro  Goldman Sachs reinstated coverage on the petroleum refiner with a "buy" rating and also added the stock to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldman points to upside value from its just-completed acquisition of Western Refining as well as underappreciated value in Tesoro's non-refining segments.
"Genius," the television show about prodigy Albert Einstein's early years, is close to wrapping up its 10-episode run, and delves deeper into the scientist's belief system.

On the latest episode airing on Tuesday evening, the acclaimed biographical drama  which has covered everything from the quirky genius's sex life to his contributions to science  depicts the political battle behind Einstein being awarded the Nobel Prize.

As he prepares for his fateful escape from Nazi Germany, Einstein still finds time to banter about complex scientific theories likeHeisenberg's uncertainty principle with fellow physicist Neils Bohr. The theory states that in by studying the velocity of a quantum particle, you actually affect it.

If all that sounds confusing, you're not alone: The theory has confounded scientists and laypeople for generations. In Tuesday's episode of "Genius," Einstein expressed deep doubts about the logic behind the theory, and even forces a shopkeeper to admit with exasperation: "That makes no sense to me at all."

Genius, which is produced by Ron Howard, airs on Tuesday nights at 9pm Eastern on the National Geographic Channel.
North Korea will need to provide an explanation after it released Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for alleged anti-state acts, Bill Richardson told CNBC on Tuesday.

The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said on "Squawk on the Street" that North Korea must stop taking U.S. citizens and using them as "bargaining chips." He said it could backfire on North Korea "if Otto isn't well."

Richardson spoke after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that Warmbier, a University of Virginia undergraduate, was released and is "en route to the United States."

North Korea's highest court sentenced Warmbier last year with hard labor after he allegedly attempted to steal a propaganda banner from a restricted area of his hotel.

Richardson, whose foundation deals with political prisoners, said he had heard from Warmbier's parents and they told him the student was in a coma for a year.

"The North Koreans have a lot of explaining to do," said Richardson, head of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. "Did he get proper ... medical treatment? Why wasn't he released sooner? What is the state of his health right now? He's being flown to Japan where he'll get medical treatment."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
German carmakers must be prepared to face a painful truth post-Brexit and prioritize deals with European trading partners over the U.K., a Bavarian lawmaker told CNBC on Tuesday.

"When I speak to carmakers in Germany  especially in Bavaria  so BMW (for example), they tell me the U.K. market is so important for them and then I ask them the question, what is more important a working European market or the U.K. market?" said Alexander Radwan, finance expert and member of the Christian Socialist Union (CSU).

"I think they have a preference for the European market and not to the U.K. market and this is the benchmark we have to look at with all deals," he added.

BMW, along with other German-based European arms of GM and Ford , all of which have U.K. based plants, have suggested that trade barriers would bring significant and currently incalculable costs.



European automakers are particularly vulnerable to trade barriers as parts can move across borders several times to make a finished product.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to take Britain out of the EU's single market  a tariff-free trading bloc for goods and services  in order to gain more control over immigration. May's government is due to begin formal talks with the EU within days.

Chancellor Angela Merkel had warned the U.K. last month that while the EU would "naturally" respect the interests of the 48 percent of Britons who voted against Brexit, the U.K. would have to "pay its price" should Britain's government end the free movement of people.

Radwan, who works for Merkel's sister party in Bavaria, argued that any potential deal for the U.K. to exit the bloc must not become a "blueprint" for other countries to do the same. He argued the principal aim of the upcoming discussions would be to unite Europe.
Members of the media examine Google's Pixel phone during an event to introduce Google hardware products on October 4, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

It looks like Google is getting awful serious about designing its own smartphone processors.

The company recently hired an engineer named Manu Gulati from Apple , according to Variety. Gulati has at least 15 Apple patents related to chip design under his belt and will be key in Google's plan to build its own processors, Variety said.

Apple currently builds its own smartphone processors but Google does not.

Apple's newest A10X chips, for example, are built-in house instead of by companies like Intel or Qualcomm. Qualcomm currently supplies its Snapdragon processor for Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.

Gulati's LinkedIn profile says he's now Google's "lead SOC architect." SoC stands for "system on a chip." Gulati worked at Apple for almost 8 years as a micro-architect and has also been employed by Broadcom and AMD .

If Google begins building processors in house, like Apple, it would potentially cut down on Google's reliance on Qualcomm. That may not be a big hit for Qualcomm , at least not yet, since the company still provides millions of its Snapdragon processors to smartphone makers such as Samsung, LG, HTC and others.

Still, this is a significant trend in the smartphone market. Other firms, such as Huawei and Samsung, have also started to build chips in-house, allowing them to rely less on potential supply restraints from outside parties.

A spokesperson for Apple was not immediately available for comment. Google confirmed Manu is now working for Google but declined to provide additional details.

Read the full Variety report.
After YouTube's advertising crisis in recent months that saw ads running alongside neo-Nazi and jihadist videos, Google has been able to lure most brands back to the site. But not all.

"We still have some high-profile advertisers that have not returned," said Allan Thygesen, Google's president of the Americas, at a conference on Tuesday hosted by investment bank Rutberg. "We will not rest until we get them all on."

In early February, The Times of London reported that ads for brands like Mercedes-Benz were showing up in YouTube videos promoted by hate groups. Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan, AT&T and Verizon were among companies that subsequently suspended or pulled advertising with Google, following media buying agency Havas in the U.K.

Google's parent, Alphabet , responded with a blog post in March, announcing that the company was more aggressively removing ads from hateful content, giving brands more control over where their ads are placed and providing more transparency to marketers so they can see where their ads are appearing.

Thygesen said the company has made a "huge amount of progress the past three months," but that getting to perfection is impossible with the amount of activity that YouTube hosts. There are more than 1 billion watched hours of video a day on the site and more than 400 hours uploaded every minute.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on February 28, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Sessions is set to face the Senate Intelligence Committee at 2:30 p.m. ET Tuesday in an open hearing.

Senators are prepared to question the attorney general about any contact he's had with the Russian ambassador.

Here are three things Sessions will likely discuss, based on what sources familiar with his thinking have told Axios, the online news site reported Tuesday.

1. Sessions will say he does not recall meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the Mayflower Hotel in April 2016. 2. Sessions will say he didn't initially disclose his original meeting during the campaign with Kislyak because he was following instructions. 3. Sessions will dispute fired FBI Director James Comey's characterization of a conversation the two had in February.

Comey has reportedly told senators about classified intelligence that suggests an undisclosed meeting between Kislyak and Sessions.

Sessions is expected to say he responded to Comey's claims by telling him the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be aware of official protocol regarding communications with the White House, Axios said.

The Justice Department did not immediately reply to a CNBC request for comment.

Read the full report from Axios here.
Mylan NL CEO Heather Bresch holds EpiPens during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the Rising Price of EpiPens at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 21, 2016.

Are prescription drug prices going up or down? By how much? And where does the money that pays for prescription drugs actually go?

These were some of the basic questions a Senate committee hearing Tuesday morning aimed to answer about the U.S.'s system of paying for prescription medicines.

It was the latest government spotlight shone on the price of prescription drugs in the U.S., a topic President Donald Trump pledged to take on when he was elected but about which he has, ostensibly, so far done little.

"Americans want to know who pays for prescription drugs, and where that money goes," Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, committee, said in his opening remarks.

That Congress needs a hearing to answer questions as simple as whether prices of medicines are rising or falling exposes the bafflingly complex system of prescription drug pricing in this country.

In fact, the Senate HELP committee plans to hold three hearings this year about the price of prescription medicines, Alexander said Tuesday. The first, titled "The Cost of Prescription Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay," aimed to answer those basic questions and a few others, such as: what are rebates and how do they impact consumers; and who actually pays the cost of prescription drugs?

It's a conversation that was thrust onto the national stage last year by Mylan Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch, under pressure for the rising list price of the EpiPen. She pointed her finger at middlemen, including pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, as benefiting and even incentivizing higher prices for prescription medicines.

PBMs have since faced pressure over their business models, with Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introducing a bill earlier this year that would require PBMs in Medicare to disclose rebates provided by drug manufacturers.

And even before Tuesday's hearing, PBMs were playing defense. The industry's lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, put out a statement proclaiming "PBMs are driving competition and reducing costs for consumers, employers, government programs and unions," and arguing policymakers should aim to lower costs by increasing competition.

Drugmakers weren't quiet before the hearing either, with industry group BIO releasing a "cheat sheet" Tuesday morning. It contained familiar industry arguments like "drug costs continue to be remarkably steady," at about 14 percent of all health-care spending; and that "biomedical research is a high-risk endeavor."

But the hearing itself did show signs of digging into the complexities of the health-care system, as experts in pricing took questions from senators.

Take one exchange between Louisiana Republican Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy and Allan Coukell, senior director of Health Programs at Pew Charitable Trusts:

"When my wife buys jeans, she doesn't get a rebate from Levi's or Lee, she just gets the net price," Cassidy said. "Why not have a low upfront price" for medicines?

"If your wife were buying tens of thousands of pairs of jeans, she would go to the manufacturer and say, 'I don't want to pay the list price,'" Coukell answered, explaining why the rebating system exists: PBMs, which consolidate negotiating power on behalf of large numbers of clients, can demand concessions that single buyers can't.

The Senate HELP committee touted Tuesday's hearing as a bipartisan endeavor, and drug pricing has been a key issue particularly among Democrats; however, many Democratic senators Tuesday focused instead on the lack of hearings about health reform, to the irritation of their Republican colleagues.

Some observers suggested this implies drug pricing legislation isn't a current priority for Congress.

"As evidence that drug pricing is on the backburner, ranking member Patty Murray focuses on GOP's ACA-repeal plan in her opening statement," Brian Rye, government policy analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, tweeted during the hearing.

Tweet

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy declined to ask any questions of the panel, instead following Democratic colleagues' lead on protesting the Republicans' handling of health reform.

"I hope eventually we can sit down and have a conversation of drug pricing that is meaningful and relevant," Murphy said. "But this is irrelevant if 23 million Americans lose access to health insurance, they can't afford prescription drugs. So it doesn't really matter what we do."

Still, they'll have at least two more opportunities to home in on drug pricing. The next two hearings, said Alexander, will focus on the process of bringing drugs to market and how they're paid for, and a National Academy of Sciences project called "Ensuring Patient Access to Affordable Drug Therapies."

"Depending on what groups testify that hearing will likely have more fireworks," Cowen analyst Eric Assaraf wrote in a research note Monday, projecting a second hearing that could include representatives from the drug industry, PBMs and drug distributors.

The drug industry has long been concerned that government action on drug pricing would result in price controls that would cap industry profits. President Trump, before he took office, said a number of times he didn't understand why the U.S. doesn't negotiate on the price of drugs.

Tuesday's hearing implied the coming solution may not be quite so straightforward. Perhaps fitting, for such a complicated system.
The high-stakes, public testimony on Russia and the Trump administration continues Tuesday as Attorney General Jeff Sessions appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Here is how Sessions  an early Donald Trump supporter and campaign advisor  fits into events around Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the investigation into links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

January: In the hearing to confirm him as attorney general, Sessions said he did not have contact with Russian officials despite being considered a "surrogate" of the Trump campaign. "I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I didn't have  did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it."

March 1: The Washington Post counters Sessions, revealing that he in fact met twice with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, in 2016, while he was still a U.S. senator.

March 2: Sessions says he will remove himself from any investigations into the Trump campaign. He says he "should not be involved in investigating a campaign I had a role in." Sessions defends his misleading confirmation testimony, saying that he answered the question only within the context of his role in the Trump campaign. "In retrospect, I should have slowed down and said I did meet with one official a couple of times and that was the Russian ambassador."

May 9: Trump abruptly fires FBI Director James Comey, who is leading the FBI's Russia investigation. Initially, the White House says Trump did so "based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions." Critics have questioned why Sessions was involved in the decision, since he said he was distancing himself from the investigation.
A file photo showing a Libyan oil worker from the Libyan National oil and gas company checks an oil pipelines at the Zawiya oil installation in Zawiya, Libya.

Libya's state oil company moved on Tuesday toward resolving a dispute that could help the country's crude output soar. But a regional crisis over Qatar has spilled over into Libya, putting at risk political reconciliation between the nation's rival factions and a tentative rebound in its oil production.

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) and German oil and gas company Wintershall have agreed to an interim arrangement to resume production in Libya, the NOC said on Tuesday, a step forward in a dispute that was shutting in up to 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) of output.

NOC said the deal would allow production to begin immediately in Wintershall's concession areas in eastern Libya.

It said it was targeting an increase in national production to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of July from 830,000 bpd currently, following restarts at Wintershall's fields and other fields where output has been blocked because of pipeline connections.

The agreement "provides that during this interim arrangement, the parties will attempt to resolve their dispute regarding the legal framework governing the petroleum operations," the NOC said in a statement.

The announcement came after OPEC said its own output rose by 336,000 bpd in May to 32.14 million bpd led by Nigeria and Libya, two members exempt from the supply reduction deal. OPEC on Tuesday said a long-awaited rebalancing of the global oil market was under way at a "slower pace."
All of those yellow and red spots? They aren't good news for Obamacare. Federal health officials on Tuesday released a new map showing in full color how many counties in the United States could have zero or just one insurer selling Obamacare health plans in 2018. Large of swaths of yellow cover a number of Southern and Midwestern states, all of Alaska, and elsewhere indicating counties that are projected as of now to have just one insurer selling individual plans next year. As many as 1,200 counties, almost 40 percent of all counties nationwide, containing 2.4 million customers of Obamacare exchanges, are colored yellow. Another 47 counties strewn across Ohio, western Missouri and Washington are colored red. The red indicates that no insurer is expected to sell plans there in 2018. At least 35,000 current customers of the government-run insurance exchanges live in "red" counties.

watch now

The map was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency responsible for overseeing Obamacare. The map is based on intentions for next year revealed by insurers as of late last week. President Donald Trump, after a lunch with a group of Republican senators who soon hope to introduce a health-care reform bill, said, "One in 3 counties will have only a single insurer."

"Obamacare has been broken, it's been a broken promise," Trump said. Since Trump's inauguration, CMS' leaders, and that of its parent, the Health and Human Services Department, have gone from being the main cheerleaders for Obamacare to being among its harshest critics. "This is yet another failing report card for the [Obamacare] exchanges," said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. "The American people have fewer insurance choices and in some counties no choice at all." "CMS is working with state departments of insurance and issuers to find ways to provide relief and help restore access to health-care plans, but our actions are by no means a long-term solution to the problems we're seeing with the insurance exchanges," Verma said. CMS said it expects the number of customers with no coverage options next year to rise. But the agency also noted that the map's picture of exchange participation "is expected to fluctuate" as insurers disclose their intentions in coming weeks. Obamacare defenders have accused the Trump administration of sabotaging the individual insurance markets by pushing for a bill that would repeal and replace key parts of Obamacare. They also criticize the administration and congressional Republicans for refusing to guarantee that insurers will continue being reimbursed for billions of dollars in subsidies offered to low-income customers to limit their out-of-pocket health costs. The map's release comes a week after big insurer Anthem said it was effectively abandoning Ohio's Obamacare market in 2018, leaving 18 counties there with potentially no insurer, and after Washington's insurance commissioner revealed that two counties could be "bare" of Obamacare insurers next year in that state. Anthem had cited the uncertainty about the Trump administration's funding of so-called cost-sharing reduction subsidies in its decision. In Iowa on Monday, state officials asked the federal government to allow the state to use $352 million in funding as a stop-gap measure to ensure that all 99 counties Iowa have an insurance plan available to residents. Iowa as of now has just one insurer, Medica , that as of yet has not indicated it will exit the state next year. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence visited the state, and gave a speech that highlighted the problems one couple, Craig and Cindy Williams of Manning, Iowa, have had with their Obamacare coverage, both in terms of rising costs, and now in terms of availability.

Craig and Cindy Williams with Vice President Mike Pence. Source: Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen

Craig Williams, an agriculture consultant who is chairman of county's Republican Party committee and member of the party's state committee, told CNBC that he and his wife were originally paying $1,100 per month for their Wellmark plan in late 2015. "Now it's $1,700 per month," the 53-year-old Williams said. That's a 55 percent increase in premiums alone. "We're talking up to $20,000 in premiums" for a year, which is not an insignificant amount for the couple's household budget, he said. And "then our deductible went from $1,000 per person to ... $3,600 per person," Williams said, referring to the payments that he and his wife must make before their insurance covers the cost of a variety of health services. Williams said the rising cost of the couple's insurance was bad enough, then they learned in April that Wellmark wouldn't sell plans in the state next year. Now Williams is worried that Medica will leave the state, leaving the couple with no option for health insurance next year. "We've always had health-care coverage, and it's just been part of our life forever," Williams said. "The thought of not having it anymore is scary." He noted that he and his wife are both in good health, at the moment, and don't use their insurance coverage heavily. "I don't really need the insurance now," Williams said. "But if something catastrophic happens then everything we've worked for my entire life is at risk." Having an Obamacare plan is "expensive," Williams said. "But not having insurance is probably more expensive." Williams said he has not paid close attention to the Republican-backed bill that passed the House of Representatives last month that would significantly reform Obamacare. Nor has he, or anyone else in the public, seen the draft of a similar bill GOP members of the Senate are working on, because that drafting has been done in secret. But Williams is worried that officials are running out of time in coming up with something that could address the risk to him and many other people who could have no options for insurance next year, or only an expensive option. "I asked that question to the vice president," William said. "'Are we too late?'" "He said, 'I don't think so.'" Williams said. But Pence added, according to Williams, "'We've got a lot of work to do.'" Watch: Prescription for healthcare uncertainty
The lack of strong evidence of a softer Brexit has kept financial markets calm despite the outcome of the U.K. general election.

The FTSE 100 was hovering around the flatline on Tuesday following reports that the U.K. government was holding secret talks with the Labour party ahead of Brexit negotiations. The conservative government lost its parliamentary majority after a snap election last week, which has reduced its credibility to negotiate with the EU.

"For now it's just speculation, we will need to see concrete evidence that the U.K.'s stance has softened, either from a speech by (PM) May or another prominent minister close to the negotiations," Kallum Pickering, senior U.K. economist at Berenberg, told CNBC on Tuesday.

Michael Gove, the new environment minister, said Tuesday that the government is ready to take a softer Brexit stance to ensure that a deal with the EU passes through parliament. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today's program that the government should "proceed with the maximum possible consensus" and "make sure that Remainers' concerns are part of our conversation".

However, Downing Street denied its Brexit approach would change.
OPEC's oil production jumped in May, despite the exporter group agreeing last month to extend its six-month deal to cap output into 2018.

Production across OPEC rose by about 336,100 barrels per day to 32.1 million bpd, according to secondary sources, led by increases from Libya and Nigeria, which are exempt from the deal, and Iraq.

Output from Libya surged by more than 178,000 bpd to 730,000 bpd as the country's rival factions moved toward reconciliation, and supplies disrupted throughout years of conflict remained on line.

In Nigeria, production was up more than 174,000 bpd to 1.68 million bpd as supplies sidelined by militant attacks on energy infrastructure last year came back into operation. With the gain, Nigeria reclaimed the title of largest African producer in OPEC from Angola, where output fell by 54,000 bpd, the biggest drop among the 13 members in May.

Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, contributed the third-biggest increase with a more than 44,000 bpd jump. Baghdad has yet to cut deeply enough to hit its quota of 4.35 million bpd under the output cut deal. In May, it produced 4.42 million bpd.
North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows singled out the border adjustment tax on CNBC's "Power Lunch" Tuesday as the "one stumbling block" keeping tax reform from moving forward in Congress.

"There's really one stumbling block that a lot of us are divided on: the border adjustment tax, and where you go with that," Meadows said. "If it were to be whipped today, I think there's 70 to 80 votes against the border adjustment tax. So our position has been, let's go ahead and get to something we can all agree to."

Meadows, a Republican and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has called for canceling Congress' August recess and keeping legislators in Washington, D.C., until the tax reform plan is completed.

Tax reform is "not a fine wine, it doesn't improve with time," Meadows said on CNBC.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies before a subcommittee hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 13, 2017.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said he would only consider dismissing Robert Mueller if there was good cause.

In a Tuesday hearing on the Justice Department budget for the 2018 fiscal year, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Rosenstein what he would do if the president asked him to fire Mueller.

Rosenstein responded, "Senator, I'm not going to follow any orders unless I believe those orders are lawful and appropriate orders. Under the regulation, special counsel Mueller may be fired only for good cause and I'm required to put that cause in writing."

When Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., asked Rosenstein if he has seen any reason to fire Mueller, the deputy attorney general said he had not.

In May, Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Mueller as special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The senators posed their questions after Chris Ruddy, the CEO of conservative website Newsmax, said President Donald Trump was considering firing Mueller. Ruddy, a close Trump ally, told PBS NewsHour on Monday that the president is weighing the option.

Ruddy said, however, that doing so would "be a very significant mistake."

 CNBC's Nyshka Chandran and Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump (L) of the United States shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as they meet for talks in the Oval Office at the White House.

Russia's cyber attack on the U.S. electoral system before President Donald Trump took his seat at the White House was much more widespread than people realize, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.

Since the election, investigations have revealed the invasion of both voter databases and software systems in about two times as many states as was previously reported, the publication said.

It amounts to 39 states targeted, three people with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation have claimed, according to Bloomberg.

New details on these claims, supported by a classified National Security Agency document recently disclosed by the Intercept, emphasize the scale and scope of this alleged hacking. Investigators are swiftly looking into whether Trump's campaign officials may have colluded in Russia's efforts.

This also paints a "worrisome picture" for future elections, Bloomberg points out.

What could be seen by outsiders as "deep vulnerabilities" in the U.S.'s voting technologies comes less than a week after former FBI Director James Comey warned Congress that the trouble with Russia isn't over.

Though, Russian officials have denied playing a role in any hacking connected to the U.S. elections.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington didn't immediately respond to requests from CNBC for comment.

Read the full story from Bloomberg.
A Sears store in Toronto on its last day of operations in 2014.

Sears Canada said Tuesday it has "significant doubt" about its ability to stay in business and is exploring strategic alternatives, which include selling itself.

The department store chain, which has been operating at a loss since 2014, said it was recently expected to borrow up to $175 million secured against its owned and leased real estate.

But Sears Canada has only been able to secure borrowing of up to $109 million, after negotiating with lenders, the company said, warning it might not generate enough money from operations to meet obligations due over the next 12 months.

"That, and the lack of available alternative sources of liquidity ... which may not be available in a timely manner, mean there are material uncertainties as to the Company's ability to continue to satisfy its obligations and implement its business plan in the ordinary course," the company wrote in its first-quarter earnings release.

"Accordingly, such conditions raise significant doubt as to the company's ability to continue as a going concern."

Sears Canada said it has also decided to postpone its 2017 annual shareholders meeting, with a future date to be determined.

On Tuesday, Sears Canada also reported a 15.2 percent decline in first-quarter sales.

, the owners of Kmart and Sears' U.S. stores, has about a 12 percent stake in Sears Canada. Sears Canada was spun off from Sears Holdings in 2013.

Sears raised a similar "going concern" flag earlier this year, citing the new disclosure was in line with regulatory standards and didn't reflect management's expectations for the company's near-term health.

However, Sears had said at the time that actions taken to boost liquidity during the year, including the sale of the Craftsman tool brand, could mitigate the going concern doubt. The retailer also revealed plans Tuesday to cut 400 jobs as it tries to trim its costs.

Sears Canada said Tuesday it has retained BMO Capital Markets, as a financial advisor, and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, as a legal advisor, to help in this process.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem described the U.S. border with Mexico as a war zone last year when she sent dozens of state National Guard troops there. Noem said theyd be on the front lines of stopping drug smugglers and human traffickers. But newly released records from the National Guard show that in their two-month deployment, the South Dakota troops didnt seize any drugs and sometimes went days without encountering any migrants at all. Noem justified the deployment and a widely criticized private donation to fund as a state emergency because of drugs making their way across the southern border to South Dakota. But the records cast doubt on whether the deployment was effective in addressing that.
Sessions insisted that he stepped back from the probe due only to a Justice Department regulation that employees "should not participate in investigations of a campaign if they have served as a campaign advisor."

"Why don't you tell me?" Sessions asked, raising his voice. "There are none. There are none, Sen. Wyden. I can tell you that for absolute certainty."

The Democratic senator pressed the attorney general about whether there may have been other reasons to explain why he recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Sen. Ron Wyden , D-Ore., got into a sharp exchange during Sessions' hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

When Trump dismissed Comey, the White House said the president did so "based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein" and Sessions. Critics have questioned why Sessions was involved in the decision, since he said he was distancing himself from the investigation.

The attorney general repeatedly said he could not discuss whether he had private conversations with President Donald Trump concerning Comey's firing.

Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general, speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 13, 2017.

He contended on Tuesday that writing a letter did not violate his earlier recusal. Sessions said it is not a "sound position" to say he could not carry out his duties related to the agencies he oversees because of one investigation.

Sessions said Tuesday that he and Rosenstein had a "clear view" that the FBI had "problems" and needed a fresh start. They were asked their opinions and felt comfortable putting them into writing, the attorney general said.

Their full exchange is below:

WYDEN: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for holding this hearing in the open, in full view of the American people where it belongs. I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged and off-limits or that they can't be provided in public or that it would be "inappropriate" for witnesses to tell us what they know. We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable and General Sessions has acknowledged that there is no legal basis for this stonewalling. It's not a question.

Last Thursday, I asked Director Comey about the FBI's interactions with you, General Sessions, prior to your stepping aside from the Russian investigation. Mr. Comey said that your continued engagement with the Russian investigation was "problematic" and he, Mr. Comey, could not discuss it in public. Mr. Comey also said that FBI personnel had been calling for you to step aside from the investigation at least two weeks before you finally did so.

Now, in your prepared statement, you stated you received only "limited information ... necessary to inform [your] recusal decision," but given Director Comey's statement, we need to know what that was. Were you aware of any concerns that the FBI or elsewhere in government about your contacts with the Russians or any other matters relevant to whether you should step aside from the Russian investigation.

SESSIONS: Sen. Wyden, I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice. You don't walk into any hearing or committee meeting and reveal confidential communication with the president of the United States  who is entitled to receive confidential communications and your best judgment about a host of issues  and have to be accused of stonewalling for not answering them, so I would push back on that.

Secondly, Mr. Comey  perhaps he didn't know  but I basically recused myself the day, the first day I got into office because I never accessed files. I never learned the names of investigators. I never met with them. I never asked for any documentation. The documentation, what little I received, was mostly already in the media and was presented by the senior ethics public responsibility-professional responsibility attorney in the department

WYDEN: General-

SESSIONS: And I made an honest and proper decision to recuse myself as I told Sen. [Dianne] Feinstein and the members of the committee I would do when they confirmed me.

WYDEN: General Sessions, respectfully, you're not answering-

SESSIONS: Well, what is the question?

WYDEN: The question is Mr. Comey said that there were matters with respect to the recusal that were problematic and that he couldn't talk about them. What are they?

SESSIONS: I- Why don't you tell me? There are none, Sen. Wyden. There are none. I can tell you that for absolute certainty.

WYDEN: We can-

SESSIONS: You tell- This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me and I don't appreciate it and I've tried to give my best and truthful answers to any committee I've appeared before and it's really a- People are suggesting through innunendo that I have been not honest about matters and I've tried to be honest.

WYDEN: My time is short. You've made your point that you think Mr. Comey is engaging in innuendo. We're going to keep digging-

SESSIONS: Well, Sen. Wyden, he did not say that. I don't-

WYDEN: He said it was problematic and I asked you what was problematic about it.

SESSIONS: Some of that leaked out of the committee that he said in closed sessions.

WYDEN: One more question. I asked former FBI director whether your role in firing him violated your recusal given that President Trump said he had fired Comey because of the Russian investigation. Director Comey said this was a reasonable question, so I want to ask you just point blank: Why did you sign the letter recommending the firing of Director Comey when it violated your recusal.

SESSIONS: It did not violate my recusal. It did not violate my recusal. That would be the answer to that and the letter that I signed represented my views that had been formulated for some time.

WYDEN: Mr. Chairman, just if I can finish, that answer in my view doesn't pass the smell test. The president tweeted repeatedly about his anger at investigations into his associates and Russia. The day before you wrote your letter he tweeted that the collusion story was a total hoax and asked when will this taxpayer-funded charade end. I don't think your answer passes the smell test.

SESSIONS: Well, Sen. Wyden, I think I should be allowed to briefly respond at least and would say the letter, the memorandum that Deputy Rosenstein wrote and my letter that accompanied it represented my views of the situation.

More from CNBC:

Sessions: I have 'no knowledge' of Trump campaign collusion with Russia

An 'appalling and detestable lie': Sessions forcefully denies colluding with Russians

How Jeff Sessions fits into the Russia investigation and the firing of James Comey

Watch: Sessions says he never received briefing on Russian interference
If Republican members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions expected to spend an entire hearing discussing the price of medicines on Tuesday, they were in for a surprise.

"I'm not going to ask any questions of the panel," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy ,of Connecticut said when he gained the floor. He, like most of his Democratic colleagues, focused instead on what they called the "secret Republican health plan," being negotiated behind closed doors without bipartisan input.

President Donald Trump met Tuesday with 13 GOP senators to discuss the health-care bill, including HELP committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, who disappeared from the drug pricing hearing midway through.

@SenSanders: BREAKING: Senate Republicans just released the schedule of hearings, committee markups and public testimony for their health care bill.

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Patty Murray, Al Franken, Murphy and others refused to focus on the stated topic of Tuesday's hearing, called "The Cost of Prescription Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay."

"Let's be blunt," a clearly agitated Warren said during the hearing. "It is insane to have a bipartisan hearing on drug prices while the GOP is writing a secret bill to take away prescription drug benefits."

Murphy concurred.

"I hope eventually we can sit down and have a conversation about drug pricing that is meaningful and relevant," he said. "But this is irrelevant ... if 23 million Americans lose access to health insurance, they can't afford prescription drugs. So it doesn't really matter what we do."

A Senate aide told Axios on Monday, referring to the lack of a public draft of the health-care bill, that "We aren't stupid. ... We are still in discussions about what will be in the final product so it is premature to release any draft absent further member conversations and consensus."



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday would not say when he expected the health-care bill to be released or a vote to be held.

Some observers suggested the Democratic senators' approach implies drug pricing legislation isn't a current priority for Congress.

"As evidenced that drug pricing is on the backburner, ranking member Patty Murray focused on GOP's ACA-repeal plan in her opening statement," Brian Rye, government policy analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, tweeted during the meeting.

Tweet

That may be a relief for drug stocks  a key concern for the drug industry has been that government action on pricing would result in price controls that would cap industry profits. Trump, before he took office, said a number of times he didn't understand why the U.S. doesn't negotiate on the price of drugs.

Democrats though, who have largely championed the issue of prescription drug prices, will still have two more chances to home in on it: Tuesday's hearing was the first of three planned on the topic this year, said Alexander, before he left for the Republican meeting on the health-care bill.

 CNBC's Kayla Tausche contributed to this report.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed part of James Comey's testimony from last week about an abruptly private meeting at the president's desk between Donald Trump and the former director of the FBI.

Sessions testified on Tuesday that he and others filed out of the room and left Comey alone with Trump following a group meeting in February. The FBI was at the time investigating former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's links to the Kremlin.

Last week, Comey testified that Trump asked everyone except him to leave the room before Trump allegedly said to him, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the day after that meeting, Comey expressed "concern" to him about being left alone with the president, but that Comey did not reveal any details of the meeting.

However, Sessions said he affirmed Comey's concerns and directed Comey not to hold any conversations about any investigation "in a way that was not proper."

"I felt he was so long in the department," and as a former deputy attorney general, Comey "knew those policies probably a good deal better than I did," Sessions said.
Uber released the results of a hightly anticipated internal investigation on Tuesday, and announced CEO Travis Kalanick will take time away from the company to grieve for his mother, who was recently killed in an accident. Kalanick did not disclose a return date.

A source told CNBC that day-to-day operations will be run by a committee which includes several female executives: Rachel Holt, manager of North America, Frances Frei, senior vice president of leadership and strategy, and Liane Hornsey, chief of human resources.

Kalanick will also be relieved of some duties, which will be taken over by an independent chair, the report said. Eventually, these duties may be given to or shared with a new chief operating officer who is "diverse," the report said.

The report made 47 recommendations, including creating a board oversight committee, rewriting Uber's cultural values, reducing alcohol use at work events, and prohibiting intimate relationships between employees and their bosses.

(Here is the full list of recommendations)

Here's the full email from Kalanick:



Team,

For the last eight years my life has always been about Uber. Recent events have brought home for me that people are more important than work, and that I need to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve my mother, whom I buried on Friday, to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team. The ultimate responsibility, for where we've gotten and how we've gotten here rests on my shoulders. There is of course much to be proud of but there is much to improve. For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team. But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve. During this interim period, the leadership team, my directs, will be running the company. I will be available as needed for the most strategic decisions, but I will be empowering them to be bold and decisive in order to move the company forward swiftly. It's hard to put a timeline on this - it may be shorter or longer than we might expect. Tragically losing a loved one has been difficult for me and I need to properly say my goodbyes. The incredible outpouring of heartfelt notes and condolences from all of you have kept me strong but almost universally they have ended with 'How can I help?'. My answer is simple. Do your life's work in service to our mission. That gives me time with family. Put people first, that is my mom's legacy. And make Uber 2.0 real so that the world can see the inspired work all of you do, and the inspiring people that make Uber great.

See you soon, Travis

Over 200 interviews and 3 million documents were used as part of the investigation, which was helmed by law firm Covington & Burling, led by former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder. After several days of deliberation, Uber's board unanimously adopted the recommendations in the report.

The recommendations suggest measures that are already common in most workplaces, including "prohibiting consumption of non-prescription controlled substances during core work hours, at work events, or at other work-sponsored events," and disclosure of romantic relationships. The report also recommends more accountability measures for senior leadership, including compensation programs and travel reimbursement.
The White House has denounced the Russian government for its handling of a series of country-wide protests which resulted in the arrest of more than a thousand people, including President Vladimir Putin's leading opponent.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Monday that the arrests were an affront to "core democratic values" and said that the Russian people deserved a government that supports open ideas and "transparent and accountable governance."

"The United States strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters throughout Russia," Spicer told reporters.

"Detaining peaceful protesters and journalists is an affront to core democratic values," he continued.

"The United States will monitor the situation and we will call on the government of Russia to immediately release all peaceful protesters.

"The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their right without fear or retribution."
China lags the U.S., Europe and regional hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong on access to cutting-edge cancer drugs, but the mainland will soon get a glimpse of potential next-generation targeted therapies as Roche looks to launch genomic-sequencing tests from Foundation Medicine Inc. (FMI) as early as the third quarter, or by the end of 2017.

The Boston-based and U.S-listed firm is one of a handful that perform detailed biopsies of tumors, seeking a range of cancer-causing genes. It then creates a report on drugs approved, or in clinical trials, that can be targeted at the tumors' profile, even if the treatment might be off-label.

That goes a bit beyond standard oncology practices of looking at the type or location of tumors, such as lung or gastric cancers, and prescribing drugs already approved for those diagnoses.

The gene-sequencing process draws on a library that grows with each biopsy and patient treatment, according to Colin Albert, commercial head Asia Pacific for Roche, which bought a majority interest in FMI in January 2015 in a partnership which includes R&D and new product development initiatives under Roche FMI

China's rules forbid taking biopsy material out of the country for examination.

Foundation Medicine has collaborated with Wuxi AppTec to support clinical trials since October 2014, Albert said, which is outside of the effort by Roche FMI.

Wuxi AppTec is a unit of WuXi Biologics, which last week priced Hong Kong IPO shares at HK$20.60 each, at the top of its range, to raise HK$3.98 billion ($511 million). The shares will make their debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on June 13.

The tie-up with WuXi comes as many oncologists in Asia and elsewhere are radically re-thinking therapy approaches as gene sequencing has become faster and prices drop.

"Currently physicians in APAC (Asia-Pacific) are gaining experience with the Roche FMI Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and are exposed to a wealth of information available from the comprehensive report produced through the Roche FMI platform, which supports physicians' decision-making process through small clinical trials," Albert said.

In many respects, that may fit with China's plans to bring in newer therapies at lower cost by promising access to a vast market.

In June, China's National Health and Family Planning Commission said AstraZeneca's cancer therapy Iressa, and Conmana for lung cancer from Hangzhou-based Betta Pharmaceuticals as well as hepatitis B therapy Viread marketed in China by GlaxoSmithKline and developed by Gilead Sciences would see price cuts of more than half as part of a pilot program.

Also included in the pilot, but not part of the price cuts, were Roche's lung cancer drug Tarceva and Celgene's blood cancer treatment Revlimid.

China would like to see some example of cost and benefit not only from lower cost therapies, but also via efforts to gather data on outcomes.

So would other countries and to that end, Roche FMI said it will be in seven markets in Asia Pacific by the end of the second quarter of this year: Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and Malaysia.

It's targeting 4,000 to 5,000 profiles completed by the end of 2018.

That figure would be a small slice of Roche FMI's global database of the genomic profiles of 125,000 patients, but it would add more data on Asia, which has a more than a third of all new cancer cases, with rates of lung and gastric cancer the highest worldwide.

Overall, World Health Organization figures show China was set to become the country with the most cancer cases.

But getting insurance companies, or national reimbursement programs to pay for sequencing profiles, with prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, has been a slow road, not only in Asia, but also in the United States.

At the same time, many oncologists are looking to "tumor-agnostic" drugs, such as Merck's immunotherapy, Keytruda, which came into prominence as the therapy that helped former President Jimmy Carter get remission from melanoma cancer. It has been indicated in other oncology uses as well.

But gathering proof that genomic-sequencing may aid in therapy decisions and can be cost effective means reaching out to doctors in the field. That process must start from scratch in China, because many front-line therapies are not available domestically, with the country's regulatory approvals lagging those in the U.S. or Europe by years.

However, with targeted therapies, there may be a chance to leap-frog the traditional approval cycle. China introduced fast-track approval channels for drugs that seek to bring in therapies to treat disease areas with high unmet need such as HIV/AIDs and cancer by easing clinical trial rules for drugs with global data on safe and effective use.

The Roche FMI effort in China will focus on driving the advancement of personalized cancer care, especially in the areas of lung, breast, colorectal and rare cancers, Albert said.

"In China, we will be investigating gastric and oesophageal cancer, both of which have one of the highest prevalence rates (globally). We will be testing 1,000 tissue samples, scanning for the full spectrum of genomic alterations present within the genome sample," he said.

"In some cases, we believe we will discover potentially actionable mutations that could have been missed in previous profiles. This will help us collect data on the epidemiology or disease landscape in China, and allow us to extrapolate that data for Asia."

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
Authorities around the world, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore have looked into anti-money laundering breaches relating to 1MDB.

U.S. authorities are probing whether the $2.2 billion purchase of U.S. energy company Coastal Energy was partly financed with funds allegedly funneled from Malaysian wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The buyer of Coastal Energy was a joint venture between Compania Espanola de Petroleos SAU, or Cepsa, owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund International Petroleum Investment Co., or IPIC, and a shell company controlled by Malaysian financier Jho Low, according to a U.S. Department of Justice asset-seizure lawsuit dated on Wednesday, the report said.

The lawsuit and statements announcing the deal said Low invested $50 million and Cepsa funded the remainder, the report said, adding that the lawsuit stated that a week later, Cepsa transferred $350 million to Low's shell company.

Goldman Sachs, which had around $600 million in revenue from 1MDB in 2012-2013 for bond deals, advised Cepsa on the acquisition, but didn't have Low as a client, the report said.

Goldman said it was unaware of any transaction which involved the shell company selling its joint venture stake back to Cepsa, according to the report.

The bank's compliance department told bankers to stop working with Low and his shell company, citing concerns over his wealth, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said Low's whereabouts were unclear, but that he had previously denied wrongdoing. CNBC was unable to contact him for comment.

Coastal Energy did not immediately return CNBC's emailed request for comment, which was sent outside of office hours.

Goldman Sachs did not comment on the WSJ report but provided this statement:

"Neither Jho Low, Jynwel or SRG were a client of Goldman Sachs in connection with the Coastal Energy acquisition.



"Prior to reading the government filing, GS was not aware of, and had no involvement in, any transaction in which SRG sold its stake in a joint venture back to CEPSA."

1MDB didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The full Wall Street Journal article can be read here.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
Bob Metcalfe started working with computer networks in the 1970s and was part of Xerox's Palo Alto, Calif. team that invented what would become Ethernet, the foundational technology used to connect computers. He's known as "the father of Ethernet." In 1979, Metcalfe started a company to sell Ethernet technology, 3Com Corp. Later that same year, Steve Jobs tried to get Metcalfe to join Apple. "I had never heard of Steve Jobs, and I had never heard of Apple, but and I had just started my own company so I turned him down," say Metcalfe, speaking to CNBC. "And instead of getting angry with me, he helped me all all through the 1980s. My company benefited greatly from Steve's support, and he's one of my heroes."

Bob Metcalfe, the co-inventor of the Ethernet, holding an original piece of Ethernet cable. Photo by Kim Kulish

3Com went on to go public in 1984, and in 1999, its peak year for sales, the networking tech company did $5.7 billion in sales. In 2010, 3Com merged with Hewlett Packard. Metcalfe considered Jobs a mentor. "He was 10 years younger than me, so that was odd. I had a Ph.D. He dropped out his sophomore year in college, but he was my mentor anyway," says Metcalfe. "He was a scary fellow. You get within a few feet of him and he could convince you of anything  and it's famously called 'Steve's reality distortion field' ... as you walk further away you got about 10 or 15 feet away, then you came to your senses and you realize that maybe he was just being persuasive."

What Metcalfe, now a Professor of Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin, learned from "Steve's reality distortion field" was that you have to be okay with people being mad at you. It's part of pushing new boundaries, he says. "[Jobs] had very high standards and he did not suffer fools gladly, and so he annoyed a lot of people," says Metcalfe. "In order to make an omelet you have to break some eggs," he continues. "So he, you know, he's famous for being a bit of a jerk from time to time, and I think that was part of the package deal.
Fasten your seatbelt for CNBC's new luxury travel show premiering Wednesday, 14th June at 22.00 BST.

London. 13th June 2017. This summer, CNBC invites you to sit back, relax and enjoy a world tour like no other. CNBC's Tania Bryer hosts the network's new luxury travel show, 'Trailblazers', which takes you on a journey of discovery to some of the best cities on the planet, courtesy of some incredible trailblazers.



Season one celebrity guests include, amongst others, the classical music superstar Lang Lang in Beijing, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai, award winning rapper and musician Tinie Tempah in London and Russian supermodel and philanthropist, Natalia Vodianova in Moscow.



The show, sponsored by Qatar Airways, premieres in Europe on Wednesday, 14th June at 22.00 BST on CNBC and sees Tania Bryer travel to the Far East to spend time with Lang Lang in Beijing.



From the contemporary style of the National Centre for the Performing Arts to the jaw dropping, ancient beauty of the Temple of Heaven, Tania will be travelling through the Chinese capital with one of China's favourite sons as her tour guide. This is Beijing through Lang Lang's eyes and Lang Lang through Beijing's eyes.



Speaking about the launch of the show, Tania Bryer said:



"Trailblazers' is unlike anything we've ever done at CNBC. We've taken some of the world's most recognizable faces to their beloved cities in order to give our viewers a unique opportunity to not only discover more about them but also the city they are showing me."



'Trailblazers' is produced by Spirit Media, with Tania Bryer and Martin Conroy as executive producers for CNBC.



You can also follow Tania Bryer on Twitter: @TaniaBryer

Contact:

Lee Thompson, International Communications, CNBC

Lee.Thompson@CNBC.com
Both sides of the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar graded MS-66+ ? by NGC with a green CAC sticker is among the finest examples known of the issue.

Strong prices for classic commemorative coins continue to be seen at auctions and on the bourse floor. The silver commemorative coins of 1892 to 1954 have long been popular with collectors, but none among them is rare in an absolute sense. The diversity of the commemorative half dollar series is appealing to collectors, with standalone one-year types alongside multi-year issues like the Arkansas Centennial, Daniel Boone Bicentennial and Oregon Trail Memorial issues. Here are three pieces that stood out during Heritage Auctions sale held in conjunction with the April Central States Numismatic Society convention in suburban Chicago.

The Lot:

1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial half dollar, MS-66+ ?, CAC sticker

The Price:

$32,900

The Story:

The 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial half dollar is a common classic commemorative. Although more than 1 million were struck, most were melted due to weaker than expected demand, leaving a final mintage of 141,120.

Did a former automaker once issue scrip notes? Plus, some alternative collecting methods: Another column in the June 26 Coin World profiles John J. Pittman, a czar of numismatic knowledge.

The obverse shows the busts of George Washington and then-President Calvin Coolidge. The shallow design means that most examples have small marks and dings, especially on Washingtons cheek. Like the 1923-S Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar, examples in Mint State 65 and finer are seldom seen.

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During Heritages April 27 Platinum Night auction at the Central States Numismatic Society convention, a 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar graded MS-66+ by Numismatic Guaranty Corp., with an NGC ? and a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker, sold for a healthy $32,900. Unlike most examples, it had pleasant eye appeal. Since no MS-67 examples have yet been graded by NGC or Professional Coin Grading Service, this is among the finest known.
North Dakota lawmakers held off Tuesday on deciding whether to address several vetoes issued by Gov. Doug Burgum after the legislative session ended in late April.

Grand Forks Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg, who chairs Legislative Management, said they were still waiting on an opinion from Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem on whether Burgum overstepped his constitutional authority with those vetoes. The opinion was requested by the House and Senate majority leaders in mid-May.

The committee members here dont have the background as to what is going to be said in that opinion, which could change peoples minds, Holmberg said. We will not take up that issue today.

The committee may take it up June 21 if the opinion arrives before then. Lawmakers appeared eager to make a decision soon, given that the budget bills for which Burgum issued partial vetoes go into effect July 1.

It certainly would be ideal, if we were going to override a veto, that the veto would be overridden before the has actually been implemented, Holmberg said.

Legislative Council staff have already said Burgum may have exceeded his authority on at least some of those vetoes. Burgums office has defended his actions, arguing the first-term Republican governors intent was to preserve executive branch authority to ensure the ability to operate state government as effectively and efficiently as possible while prioritizing spending at a time when fiscal restraint is essential."

Chairmanship debate

Lawmakers spent much of Tuesdays meeting hashing out the structure of interim legislative committees. They approved chairmanships for those committees, but not without some partisan debate.

Carlson asked to replace three Democrats with Republicans on a proposed list of 26 chairmanship slots. He noted the 141-seat Legislature only includes 22 Democrats.

I dont know of any other state in this union where the minority party with that kind of numbers would be chairing committees when in reality they will never, at least in the near future, chair any committee during the legislative session, Carlson said, calling for consistency between the interim and regular sessions.

Ultimately, Carlsons motion failed in an 8-8 vote. A list of committee chairpersons that included three Democrats  Sen. Erin Oban and Reps. Corey Mock and Kathy Hogan  prevailed by one vote.

I think the thing that I love about interim committees is that theyre not particularly partisan, Hogan said. The more we work together, the better it is for the people of North Dakota.
Leaders and advocates voice support for modernizing elections in Massachusetts

BOSTON, MA  Advocates for modernizing Massachusetts elections showed up in force for a hearing on Beacon Hill today, held by the Joint Committee on Election Laws. The hearing was in support of the Automatic Voter Registration bill, which would establish a system for eligible citizens in Massachusetts to automatically register to vote when they interact with a state agency like the registry of motor vehicles. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Cynthia Creem and Rep. Peter Kocot, has popular support in both houses; with 80 House co-sponsors and 22 Senate sponsors as of hearing time.

More than twenty leaders from the labor movement, universities, environmental groups, political organizations, civil rights and good government advocacy organizations testified on behalf of the legislation, while dozens of supporters looked on. Many spoke of how automatic voter registration ensures that all eligible citizens in Massachusetts have the opportunity to participate in elections.

By passing automatic voter registration, Massachusetts can lead the way towards giving all citizens a voice in their government, said Pam Wilmot, Executive Director of Common Cause Massachusetts. The system would give the nearly 700,000 eligible citizens that are not registered to vote an opportunity to have their voices heard through our election process. At the same time, Automatic Voter Registration would update and modernize our election system by increasing the accuracy, security, and efficiency of the process.

Eight states and the District of Columbia have already passed automatic voter registration, all in a bipartisan manner: Oregon, California, West Virginia, Alaska, Vermont, Colorado, Georgia, and Connecticut. In Oregon, the first state to implement Automatic Voter Registration, 230,000 voters registered in its first six months and more than 500,000 inaccurate registrations were updated. About 100,000 (97,000) voters participated in the 2016 election because of the reform.

Representatives from several other leading citizen organizations testified for the bill, including Nancy Brumback, Legislative Action Chair of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts. The League strongly supports automatic voter registration as the next logical step in the modernization of the electoral process here in Massachusetts, she said. AVR will improve the accuracy of voter rolls, create a more efficient and reliable voting system, help control the costs of voter registration over time, and improve the voting process on Election Day.

Cheryl Clyburn Crawford of MassVOTE said, Automatic voter registration is a step in the right direction to removing one of the barriers that disproportionately affects our most disenfranchised communities. It is our strong belief that automatic voter registration in Massachusetts will increase voter participation and turnout while continuing to modernize our electoral process.

Our Commonwealth must set an example on voting rights for the nation to follow, said Congressman Joe Kennedy in written testimony submitted to the Committee. We need to prove how strong a system can be when it is inclusive, progressive and fair. The rollout of early voting in 2016 was an enormous success, with over one million residents casting early ballots. Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) must come next.

This is a bipartisan, common sense, 21st century bill which will make voter registration more accessible, more secure and less costly in the Commonwealth, said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. We have Republican and Democrat supporters in the Legislature here, the Republican Governor of Illinois indicated that he would sign similar bill into law that passed the legislature unanimously a few weeks ago, and in a time of hyper-partisanship in this country were inspired to call for this bills passage.

Advocacy organizations behind the effort, including Common Cause Massachusetts, MassVOTE, the Massachusetts Voter Table, Progressive Massachusetts, MASSPIRG, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice have worked together for many years to promote voting access and reform. They see automatic voter registration as a continuation of earlier efforts in the state, like early voting, to improve access to the ballot. Early voting was a resounding success; In its first debut, over one million voters cast their ballots early in October 2016, accounting for over 22% of registered voters and 35% of those that voted.

Full list of endorsing organizations (alphabetical order):

Action Together Western Mass

AFSC  Cambridge

Berkshire Democratic Brigades

Berkshire Womens Action Group

Black Directors Network

Boston Democratic Ward 4 Committee

Boston Teachers Union

Cambridge Democratic City Committee

Clean Water Action

College Democrats of MA

Common Cause Massachusetts

Democracy for America

Democracy Matters

Environmental League of MA Action Fund

ForwardMA

Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association

Green Tea Party

Indivisible (Many chapters)

Jewish Association for Law and Social Action (JALSA)

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice

League of Women Voters of Massachusetts

Lift Every Vote

Mass Affordable Housing Alliance

Mass Law Reform Institute

Massachusetts Jobs with Justice

Massachusetts Peace Action

Massachusetts Teachers Association

Massachusetts Voter Table

MASSPIRG

MassVOTE

NAACP Boston

National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts

Education Fund

New England United for Justice

Our Revolution Cambridge

PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts)

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

Progressive Democrats of America, Boston chapter

Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts

Progressive Massachusetts

SEIU Local 509

SEIU Massachusetts State Council

Sierra Club

Small Planet Institute

Union of Minority Neighborhoods

###
John Britz, a gentle man from Pennsylvania with a white beard and glasses, was outnumbered under a blazing sun Monday during Laconias Motorcycle Week.

Everywhere he turned, the 71-year-old former factory worker saw posters and people and places that ran counter to his message. A message he brings with him to events like this one on a regular basis.

While his bike, a Honda Goldwing, showed colorful, airbrushed scenes of the Last Supper and Moses parting the Red Sea, restaurants served beer for breakfast. Posters invited you to wet T-shirt and hot leg contests later in the day. Tattoos showing skulls and knives were on arms, legs, thighs, upper thighs. T-shirts told you to go f--- yourself.

Theres bad stuff, satanic stuff, all over the place, Britz told me. But I dont want to go where people are healthy. You go where people are unhealthy, to a place like this to get people spiritually healthy and get them back on the right track.

This happened in the teeth of Bike Week, along Weirs Beach, near the famous drive-in sign. With a heavy police presence and a crackdown on camping free-for-alls, its not as edgy as it once was, meaning the days of women removing their tops and street brawls are mostly over.

But an edge does, indeed, remain. And if youre a regular there, perhaps youve seen Britz and his mobile church of free mini Bibles and free literature.

For the most part, hes been parking in the same place, spot No. 22, each year for the past 25 years. Its right in front of a store that features lambskin leather corsets, a delicious dichotomy if there ever was one.

People come back looking for me year after year, Britz said. You make friends and kick the tires a little, and its the same thing when I go to Daytona. Ive been there for 27 years and in the same spot down there and people look for you.

Hes more than willing to tell his story. Once, while working in a tool-and-die factory 30 miles outside Pittsburgh, he grew disenchanted and embarrassed over his behavior and that of others around him.

I had an apprentice, and I used to tell this guy dirty jokes and give him porno, and I used to make fun of him, Britz said. All these guys were heading down a bad road. That guy had three wives, that one does drugs, that one is an alcoholic. Anytime there was something bad going on, I was always around. It was a rough crowd, stuff you just shouldnt tamper with.

I started to go to church.

He found Jesus in 1977 and says it saved his marriage. Now hes got two identical motorcycles, each black, each showing artwork that Michelangelo might have liked.

Its the work of a Native American friend. Theres the crucifixion, the resurrection, Noahs Ark, Adam and Eve, the path to heaven, the path to hell. There are angels and rainbows and clouds and dragons. There are people falling into the fiery pit of hell. None were on motorcycles, but Britz said the crowd at Bike Week would be wise to read some of his literature.

He doesnt preach or push. Oftentimes he socializes, leaving his bike unattended, a free sign posted near the Bibles and homemade stories of inspiration.

Hopefully, a guy will take it, go home and read it when hes sober, Britz said.

Hes not sure how many people hes touched during his travels to various bike rallies, which include those in Lake George, N.Y.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Sturgis, S.D.; and the one here. He says hes driven about 600,000 miles over 50 years. Texas and Oklahoma are the lone states hes yet to ride through.

Newspaper articles have been written about Britz in Daytona Beach and elsewhere over the past 25 years. Like here, he grabs the same parking spot in other states, making sure his presence is known on an annual basis.

Hes proud of his bike and says, I dont mean to brag, but its probably the most photographed bike in the world. People are still taking pictures of this, and it just keeps on going. Im going to do this for quite a few more years.

People regularly stopped to admire the artwork on Britzs bike. One man even took a Bible and piece of literature. The cool blue and pink shades and fluffy clouds and rainbows stood out, offering relief on a day when sun-baked roads and thousands of people jammed closely together made for oven-like conditions.

I asked Britz to sum up the state of the world. Is God a big part of the landscape, like the paintings on his bike? Are we heading in the right direction? Is he optimistic?

Its not good, with all the problems with terrorism going on, Britz told me. Some people say God will be back in two or five years, but I think it will be a long time. Hes going to wait until things get really, really bad. Its going to get a lot worse.

Lord, have mercy.
Leisa Smith has been named President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama. Smith succeeds Tom Cleckler who retired after 38 years as President/CEO.

Board Chairperson, Barbara Thompson made the announced with this statement, "The Board is saddened at the retirement of our long-time, transformational leader, Tom Cleckler. After conducting a nationwide search, we are excited to have Leisa Smith take the helm of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama. Leisa brings over 25 years of leadership in the BGC movement and is joining us after serving in a similar capacity in Atlanta. She is a dedicated 20+ year Rotarian and her whole life has been dedicated to service above self. We have no doubt she will work tirelessly for the betterment of Birmingham and the children of our metro area".

Smith comes to Birmingham from the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta where she served as the Executive Director from 2013-2017. A veteran of the Boys & Girls Club Movement, Smith has been involved with Clubs for 30 years. She started as a part-time front desk clerk at a Club in New Albany, Indiana near her hometown while attending college at Indiana University Southeast. Smith began full-time Club work in Louisville, Kentucky in 1990 as a program director, where she gained expertise in all its facets, from working daily with kids to managing Club operations. In 1993, Smith moved to Hobe Sound, Florida where she served as the Education Director, Club Director and Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County. By 2000, she had moved up through the ranks to become an executive director in Vero Beach, Florida where she opened the first Boys & Girls Club in Indian River County. From 2004-2011, Smith served as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina where she expanded outreach services offered through Juvenile Structured Day Program (for kids that get suspended from school) and Juvenile Restitution (for kids that get court ordered to do community service).

A native of Indiana, Smith graduated from Indiana University South East in New Albany, Indiana with a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies and a Minor in Psychology & Supervision. In 1999, Smith completed her Masters of Public Administration at Nova South Eastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Smith is a recipient of several awards, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Southeast Regional Youth Development Professional of the Year, Robert W. Woodruff Fellowship, and The Salvation Army Distinguished Service Award.

Smith is an active member of the community serving in a variety of roles including being a Past President and member of the Rotary, Past President of Business Network International, and a past Vice-Chair of the local Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.

Smith said in a statement, "Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama has been dedicated to transforming children's lives for over 116 years, it is my honor and privilege to serve as the new CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama. Together, we will continue the legacy of former CEO, Tom Cleckler, for years to come".

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama (BGCCA) exist to provide boys and girls ages six to 18 with a place to learn, grow, and succeed. The oldest Boys & Girls Club in the Southeast, BGCCA has been serving the children in the Birmingham and surrounding communities for 116 years. The Club currently has 9 clubs in 4 counties providing a safe, positive environment promoting Education, Character and Leadership Training, and Healthy Lifestyle Habits.

For more information about BGCCA visit our website: www.bgcca.org.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Those who steal shopping carts could soon be faced with a warning from police and retailers might barr them from coming to their store all together.

The City has been conferring with local businesses over the past several months to find an acceptable solution for all parties.

The retailers recognize that there is an issue but feel that it is theft and that it is a policing matter, reads a report written by City Administration and presented to Council. The police in turn have indicated that such issues are less urgent and that there are limited staff resources to enforce such theft and proof of culpability may be challenging.

Together, the City and the local retailers formulated a five step plan to deal with the issue.

The City will be keeping tabs on where shopping carts are being abandoned in the City and provide those locations to retailers so they can collect them. Additionally, the City will be making a web page on their site where residents can report abandoned shopping carts.

For their part, retailers will be creating more signage in their stores and police will be providing warnings to offenders they see taking carts off of store properties.

The City will also be working with retailers to provide low cost personal grocery buggies to be sold in stores in hopes to deter people from taking carts.

In March, City of Cornwall Supervisor of Bylaw Enforcement, Christopher Rogers acknowledged that some took carts because it was their only option to get their groceries home.

We know that poverty is part of the equation, said Rogers. To ignore this reality would be insensitive to those who are less fortunate in our community.

City of Cornwall General Manager Mark Boileau has said that since they have started monitoring this issue, the numbers of shopping carts on the streets has declined. He stated that when they started there were 50 on the street, then 40 and now 30.

Good to see retailers are taking an interest in this because until now it didnt seem like it, said Councillor Claude McIntosh.

McIntosh pointed out one case where there were 13 shopping carts outside of a motel on Second Street for weeks.

This however, is not a new problem. Councillor McIntosh remembered when a shopping cart appeared on his front lawn.

Had a grocery cart on my front yard, called the retailer, they never came to get it, he said, That was 13 years ago. Its in my backyard. Ever try to get rid of a shopping cart? You cant do it.

All councillors who spoke on the issue applauded City Administration for the time and effort put into finding a solution acceptable for all parties.
CORNWALL, Ontario  One member of Cornwall City Council has said that there needs to be less faces around the table.

Councillor Mark MacDonald made a motion during the meeting on June 12 that Administration should author a report on how many councillors the City of Cornwall is required by law to have. The motion was seconded by Councillor Bernadette Clement.

If the government only says we need three councillors then why would we have 10, he said.

When asked what the goal was of this report, Councillor MacDonald said that he felt the number of Councillors in the City of Cornwall reduced efficiency and slowed City business.

I think there should only be six, MacDonald told Seaway News. It is about being an effective council. The more people on council the harder it is to get things through.

Councillor MacDonald pointed to the Port of Cornwall which he has been pushing to be developed for awhile.

He pointed to the City of Niagra Falls as an example. Niagra Falls has eight councillors for a population of 88, 000 whereas Cornwall has 10 councillors for a population of around 46, 000.

Some Councillors on Monday night expressed concerns about the number of committees that councillors are committed to attending.

Councillor Denis Carr however said that committee attendace was already low.

This has to be the year with the worst attendance at committees by council members, he said. Committee work is just as important as being on TV, he asserted.

Councillor Mark MacDonald told Seaway News that he felt some of the committees councillors sat on were not necessary.

Probably half of the committees we have we arent really even mandated to have, he said, using the Canada Day committee as an example.

At time of publishing Seaway News had not yet heard from the Clerks office on the current number of committees of council.

Councillor MacDonald expects the report on his motion to comeback soon and hopes that any changes to municipal representation in Cornwall could be made before the next election.
Close

The state of Ohio has sued five drug manufacturers for contributing to the opioid epidemic that is growing in the United States.

In the lawsuit filed on May 31, Attorney General Mike DeWine argues that the five companies "helped unleash a health care crisis that has had far-reaching financial, social, and deadly consequences in the State of Ohio," NPR reports. The five companies being sued are Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Johnson & Johnson, and Allergan.

The lawsuit accuses the companies of engaging in a marketing campaign to boost sales of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, and misleading doctors and the public regarding the risks and benefits of prescription opioids. The suit also claims that the companies provided funding to prominent doctors, medical societies, and patient advocacy groups to win their support for the drugs' use, reports the New York Times.

Specifically, the suit claims that the companies aimed to downplay the dangers of becoming addicted to opioids and that they are unsafe for long-term use, and that "the compassionate treatment of pain required opioids," said DeWine's suit. The drugs were originally meant to be used for short-term, acute pain, but over the last 20 years, doctors have increasingly prescribed them to treat chronic, long-term pain.

Janssen, one of the defendants (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the lawsuit was "legally and factually unfounded," and that the company acted in the best interest of the patients regarding pain medications, which are FDA-approved. Purdue Pharma, another defendant, told The Plain Dealer that it has been seeking to combat opioid addiction with "prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naxolone."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25,000 people in the U.S. died in 2015 from overdosing on opioids like fentanyl, oxycodone and hydrocodone, more than double the number from a decade earlier, reports The New York Times. The drugs are now responsible for more deaths than homicide and are approaching traffic accidents as a leading cause of death.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

The FDA has recently been more aggressive on the subject of drug abuse from opioid painkillers. It has already blocked various medications on public demand.

Now, it seems to turn down opioid-based painkillers as well due to "the public health consequences of abuse." The first item which has been turned down under this list is opioid painkiller, Opana ER. The drug controlling authority has issued strict guidelines to the manufacturer of this pill, Endo Pharmaceuticals for removing it from the whole US market.

What Is Opana ER?

The name Opana ER may be familiar to many. According to CNN, the drug has been widely known as a favorite painkiller among the drug addicts of Indiana.

It has boasted with the reputation to be the drug of choice among individuals at the center of an HIV outbreak in the region back in 2015. For safeguarding its citizens from the harsh addiction of this drug, the US Food and Drug Administration took up this step to ban it now. It should be noted in this context that the FDA has had permitted Opana ER for public consumption in the country back in 2006, according to the latest claims of Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Why Is Opana ER Abused?

KDRV.com noted that Opana ER is a highly concentrated form of oxymorphone hydrochloride. It is generally regarded as an ordinary opioid based painkiller, but it is more powerful than the traditional painkiller in terms of its compounds.

It is two times more effective than OxyContin, a well known and mostly used opioid painkiller. According to the manufacturer's details, the drug is even severe for daily usage.

After turning down Opana ER officially, FDA Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb stated: "We are facing an opioid epidemic -- a public health crisis -- and we must take all necessary steps to reduce the scope of opioid misuse and abuse." The authority is likely to inspect more certain painkillers for ensuring public well-being soon.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Dont sell our buses

Higher fares Fewer services

Many Sydneysiders depend on public transport bus services, and a great many depend on the public transport system as a whole in Australias largest city. Two weeks ago the NSW coalition government announced its intention to privatise operation of public bus services in the citys inner west and south.

The government claimed privatisation was necessary because of the large number of complaints about public bus services. It has offered no analysis of the nature of the complaints, and no evidence that private operation would be superior.

Most problems with Sydney buses concern punctuality, which has always been dependent on Sydneys narrow, twisting roads, notoriously prone to traffic jams and congestion.

And now the government has announced it will eliminate many bus stops on privatised routes. Thats obviously intended to increase profits for the private firm that will operate the buses, but in parliament the minister for Transport, Andrew Constance, refused to discuss the matter.

Jo Haylen, Labor member for Summer Hill, commented: The government needs to come clean; theyve had their eyes on the inner-west bus service for some time.

The NSW coalition government is poised to sell off the massive new $16.8 billion WestConnex motorway that will run from the city centre westwards to the Blue Mountains. The government has already announced plans to sell of at least 51 percent of the motorway by June next year, in order to fund construction of the next stage of the project which involves extending the tollway to link up with the existing M5 motorway running south-west from the city.

The WestConnex project has already resulted in the destruction of hundreds of houses in the heritage suburbs of Haberfield and St Peters. The next stage would involve more devastation in the historic inner suburbs.

Moreover, a Treasury official recently said that all options are on the table regarding WestConnex, including sale of 100 percent of the tollway before its completion.

The projects first stage was funded largely by sale of the states electricity grid. In its current privatisation strategy the government sells off one area of public services in order to upgrade another, which is then sold to fund the upgrade of yet another service, and so on.

Selling off the entire WestConnex motorway would therefore be the next logical step. The leap-frog process of upgrade and sale could be continued until most of the states public services are privatised.

Standing up all the way

Large parts of Sydneys public transport system have already been privatised. The operation of Sydney Ferries was sold off last year to transport corporations Viola Transdev and Transfield Services.

The operation of Sydneys airport railway stations was privatised several years ago. Passengers travelling from Central Station now pay about five times as much to exit at the international airport station as it costs them to travel an equivalent number of stops and exit at a government-operated station elsewhere in the city.

The new Northwest rail line is currently under construction. The overseas-built single deck Metro trains were originally supposed to run on this line from the outer northwest suburbs to Chatswood, some ten kilometres north of the city.

However, the government then announced the line was to be extended to the central business district. The government has now declared that the existing line running from the city about eight kilometres southwest to Bankstown is to be converted to accommodate the Metro trains. These trains are slower and would deliver fewer passengers per peak hour to the city than the existing state-of-the-art locally-made double-decker Waratah trains under similar operating conditions.

In Metro trains the majority of commuters have to stand during peak hours. A recent study concluded that in order for Metro trains to carry the same number of passengers as the double-deckers, during peak hours five standing passengers would have to be crushed into every square metre of floor space, possibly for an hour. Extremely claustrophobic, and potentially very dangerous.

With cat-like tread ...

The government is well aware the NSW public has in the past risen up against moves by coalition governments to interfere maliciously with Sydneys transport services.

It has therefore chosen to privatise only certain parts of the transport network at first. Last week Sophie Cotsis, Labor MP for Canterbury, said the government has been working to privatise the bus system by stealth.

She commented: This government should have been upfront with the community; they didnt ask because they knew what answer theyd get. People are fed up with the privatisation of public services and are drawing a line at losing our buses.

The government has also taken a stealthy approach to privatisation of Sydneys extensive rail network.

The new Northwest Line was chosen as the first major privatisation initiative, because northwest residents who currently commute to the city by bus were desperate for a better service, and were therefore unlikely to complain about private operation of the trains.

Current Sydney commuters, who place high value on their public transport as their public service, were also less likely to rebel against private operation because the new line would be seen as a private add-on to the existing lines they already use, which would remain under government operation.

The governments choice of single deck Metro trains was also tactical. The privately-operated trains on the new line were visibly very different from the existing government-owned double deckers, and would therefore not be interpreted by current commuters as theirs.

Battle lines

That all changed with the announcement that the Bankstown line was to be converted to accommodate Metro trains. That decision immediately set a precedent for the government to convert the entire rail network to a private Metro service.

The proposed sale of the WestConnex network also demonstrated that on the false pretext of providing superior services the government will sell off as much as it can of publicly-owned government-operated infrastructure.

Battle lines must now be drawn over conversion of the Bankstown Line to a cut-down Metro service, privatisation of the inner west bus services, extension of the appalling and destructive WestConnex tollway and the sale of the tollway itself.

Unless mass action is taken now, the people of Sydney will end up with inferior public transport services that are more expensive, less reliable, less frequent, less safe and less comfortable than the present services, as well as the never-ending construction of new tollways and the conversion of existing freeways to customer-pays tollway operation.

www.dontsellourbuses.org.au
Editorial

No one is illegal

In the last few years, there have been countless official reports that have exposed abuses and recommended the closure of centres on Nauru and Manus Island. In November 2014, the Australian Human Rights Commissions National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention uncovered numerous reported incidents of assaults, sexual assaults and self-harm involving children.

Just some examples: March 2015, an independent review by Philip Moss uncovered allegations of sexual abuse by staff in the detention centre in Nauru; August 2015, the Senate Select Committees final report into conditions at Nauru recommended the immediate release into the Australian community of all children and their families detained in Nauru and in onshore detention facilities; June 2016, an independent report titled Protection Denied, Abuse Condoned: Women at Risk on Nauru reported that women were being routinely abused, raped and doomed to spend the rest of their lives on a tiny island nation, often alongside the perpetrators.

All of these reports were ignored by our politicians with the arrogance of historys most callous rulers.

The Nauru files have been no different. When faced with the overwhelming evidence of systemic abuse, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shifted responsibility to the Nauruan government and police force; Immigration Minister Peter Dutton called it hype, accusing the victims (including a man who died after setting fire to himself) of falsifying claims in order to get to Australia; and former Immigration Minister Scott Morrison referred to them as allegations rather than facts and talked of invented complaints.

This is an all too familiar approach of shifting responsibility, doubting claims, and blaming victims. Yet these desperate people have no other way of being heard and the number of reports is almost certainly an under-estimate of the number of real cases, because many victims will be too young or too scared to complain.

The offshore detention regime is part of a deterrence policy which the Australian government calls a humanitarian attempt to save lives at sea.

Yet at the same time as championing a humanitarian policy, Australian politicians have demonised asylum seekers, labelling them as queue-jumpers, illegals and criminals. Many see this bipolar public attitude towards people seeking asylum as a way of establishing the necessary cruelty of deterrence.

Despite the threat of offshore detention, boats have continued to arrive in Australian territorial waters. Indeed, the only effective way to stop boats arriving in Australian waters has been to physically stop them and return them to their point of disembarkation, when it is safe to do so. A refusal policy rather than a deterrence policy. However, this policy has also been criticised for breaking a number of international laws. Detention as a deterrence has failed and yet the Australian government has persisted with the camps in Nauru and Manus Island.

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture was scorned by former PM Tony Abbott when he raised concerns that Australias detention system was breaching the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Abbott stated that Australians are, sick of being lectured to by the United Nations, showing a complete disregard for international law and expectations. When the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, released her National Inquiry into Children in Detention, Abbott called the report a political stitch-up, accused Triggs of partisanship and actively sought her resignation.

Australias two-party system offers little in the way of hope. Offshore detention and deterrence is a bipartisan approach. Neither party offers asylum seekers or Australian voters an alternative to abuse. Both have been guilty of running the Nauru detention centre, both have been guilty of using demonising and misleading language to justify their actions and drum up suspicion towards undocumented arrivals.

Racism and prejudice are being whipped up by the extreme right whose aim is to shift the blame for the deepening economic crisis and growing unemployment onto migrants, immigration in general and specifically at the moment against those of Islamic faith.

In doing so they are trying to cover up the real perpetrators of todays economic difficulties: the economic policies of successive governments as they have implemented the agenda of big business.

Fighting racism is a class issue and an urgent question for organised labour.
Tearing the fabric of democratic rights

The NSW government will introduce legislation in the next sitting week of parliament, which starts on June 20, to provide certainty to police officers to use lethal force against suspected terrorists Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced. The increased police power comes out of the inquest into the Lindt Cafe siege of December 2014.

Officers from the states Public Order and Riot Squad will have access to rapid-fire weapons by the end of the year.

The Berejiklian government will also introduce draft laws to tighten parole provisions by requiring consideration of links to terrorism.

In Western Australia, there is a push to arm police with semi-automatic rifles to stop active shooter attacks in Perth. So-called active shooter situations are mass shootings involving one or more gunmen, such as the Paris attacks in November.

There was also a push for a centralised Commonwealth supermax prison exclusively for terrorists during last weeks Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting. The call for a federal high-security prison for people convicted of terrorism charges is a shift towards a secret interrogation/torture facility along the lines of the US Guantanamo camp.

As to making it harder for a person convicted of terror offences to get parole, this will increase the risk that they will re-offend when eventually released, warns the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA). Following the COAG meeting last Friday, Malcolm Turnbull announced that all state and territory governments had agreed to ensure that there is a strong presumption against the granting of parole or bail, consistently, across the country, to persons who have shown support or had links to violent extremism and violence.

ALA spokesperson Greg Barns said that this approach only increased the risk of prisoners re-offending once they are eventually released back into the community. Suggestions that politicians might seek to be involved in the decision to grant parole were particularly concerning, according to Barns.

Fertile climate

When prisoners are unable to access parole there is little incentive for them to rehabilitate. A presumption against parole for those convicted of terror or violent offences will create a fertile climate for radicalisation in prisons.

He said that the issue that COAG failed to deal with was the mistreatment of people who are awaiting trial on terrorism offences and those who have been convicted of terror offences, and that the calls for terror criminals to rot in jail are another example of knee-jerk politics. This also highlights the dangers of the suggestion by Commonwealth Attorney General George Brandis that Attorneys-General should have any say in if or when parole is granted.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance agrees with those state Premiers who have said that politicians should have no role in deciding who should be released on bail, Mr Barns said. Terrorism allegations are especially politically fraught. Political involvement in these cases is totally inappropriate.

The reality is that no politician would be inclined to grant any leniency towards anyone who had a hint of terrorist connections. There is a very good reason for these decisions to be made on the basis of impartial criteria by people who are not a part of the political process.

It is also unclear how links to violent extremism and violence will be measured and the idea that people could be refused parole on the basis of rumour and innuendo, rather than measurable data and concrete evidence, undermines the very fabric of the legal system Barns said.

If we allow the threat of terrorism to take away our most fundamental rights, we all lose. Rather than focusing on more punishment, we should be figuring out how best to support people in finding pathways away from violence. Investing in essential services in prisons, like mental health support, will do a lot more to keep us safe than removing access to parole will.

Parole is a means to support people in their reintroduction to the community after time in prison. Without it, people might spend longer in prison, but when their sentence was up they would be released without any support or monitoring.

Barns noted that if politicians wanted to have an impact in reducing the danger of terrorism to the community, treating everyone in prison with humanity, whether they are on remand or convicted of a crime, must be the first step.

The Prime Ministers statement is another example of using the fear around terrorism to expand criminal punishment generally. He does not just focus on terrorism, but includes violence as well  its classic mission creep. Rather than making policy to grab headlines and look tough on terror, the Prime Minister should leave parole policy to the experts.

Uses of the law

The false imprisonment and appalling treatment of an Indian doctor working in a Gold Coast hospital in 2007, demonstrated the possible uses by the state of terrorism laws, in that case those laws introduced by the former Howard government. In the name of war on terrorism, the Howard government passed more than 20 bills curbing and removing long-standing basic democratic rights. The laws were wide open to abuse, both by police and government ministers. Soon after, the Rudd Labor government toughened them.

Without a single shred of evidence, Dr Mohamed Haneef was detained for 11 days without charges before appearing before a magistrate who ordered his release. He was denied contact with his wife and subjected to special conditions as a terrorist, including solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. The then Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews revoked his 457 temporary work visa on character grounds, because he reasonably suspected that Haneef had an association with people involved in terrorism.

Under the terror laws, the presumption of innocence is turned on its head, the right to silence is denied and there is no right of access to the evidence being used as a reason for detention. Suspicion, hearsay and rumour replace proof, association is a crime or grounds for suspicion, and the normal judicial processes are bypassed.

It is history now that Dr Haneef was innocent and there was not a shred of evidence to justify the suspicions harboured by police or government ministers. Lies rather than facts prevailed. Their suspicions were unfounded, but the declaration of a suspicion was adequate for arbitrary detention and denial of basic, internationally recognised, legal rights.

The Howard legislation went far beyond any measures required to counter terrorism. The references to terrorism were a smokescreen for the removal of the democratic rights of trade unionists and other political activists who organise and protest against the actions of governments.

The definition of a terrorist act includes both actions or threats that are made with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause which cause serious harm to a person or serious damage to property; or create a serious risk to the health or safety of the public; or has the intention of coercing or influencing a government.

The Criminal Code says that advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action is not a terrorist act providing that it is not intended to cause serious physical harm, death, danger to anothers life or is a serious health or safety risk. This implies that the charge of terrorism could be applied to such actions.

For example, if a serious safety risk or physical harm arises on a picket line or protest march to pressure the government on its policies, then it would become a matter of police opinion and legal wrangling as to the question of intent.

It is not hard to imagine a situation where there is a provocation, followed by violence, injury or serious damage.
Taking Issue  Rob Gowland

Superbug pollution

Most of us these days are aware of the increasing risk posed by so-called superbugs, bacteria and fungi that are immune or resistant to the drugs that are meant to kill them. Steps to combat or limit this phenomenon include phasing out the indiscriminate inclusion of antibiotics in cattle feed, stricter adherence to hygiene protocols and control over the use and dissemination of antibiotics within the community.

However, the pharmaceutical industry is very big and very profitable. And, like all large corporate entities, it is also very greedy. So the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is increasingly farmed out to under-developed, low-wage countries in order to increase profits. If keeping costs down conflicts with efforts to prevent possible infection, guess which will be given priority in these conditions?

Most of the worlds antibiotics are produced in China and India. The densely populated and increasingly prosperous city of Hyderabad in southern India was once an international trading centre for diamonds and pearls. Today, it is a major international hub for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, producing millions of tons of medicines, chemicals and pesticides each year.

Around 170 companies making bulk drugs like antibiotics operate in and around Hyderabad. Companies in Europe and the US, as well as health authorities like WHO and the UKs NHS are reliant on drugs being produced in these factories. As Indias drug production industry has grown, so has the prevalence of superbugs  a national crisis intensified by the widespread overuse and misuse of antibiotics, which are easily bought over the counter, and poor sanitation.

A group of scientists based at the University of Leipzig worked with German journalists to take an in-depth look at pharmaceutical pollution in Hyderabad where thousands of tons of pharmaceutical waste are produced by the citys factories each day. The results of their investigation were published in the prestigious journal Infection.

The researchers took water samples from rivers, lakes, groundwater, drinking water and surface water from rural and urban areas in and around the industrial estate, as well as pools near factories and water sources contaminated by sewage treatment plants. Four were taken from taps, one from a borehole, and the remaining 23 were classed as environmental samples.

The samples were tested for bacteria resistance to multiple drugs  known as MDR (Multiple Drug Resistant) pathogens  the technical name for superbugs. The researchers then tested 16 of the samples for the antibiotics and antifungals used to treat infections.

All samples apart from one taken from tap water at a four star hotel were found to contain drug-resistant bacteria. Previous studies have shown how exposure to antibiotics and antifungals in the environment causes bacteria and fungi to develop immunity to those drugs. The most serious super bug is probably the gene NDM-1, named after New Delhi where it was first discovered in 2008. NDM-1 gives bacteria the ability to produce enzymes which break down carbapenems, a group of powerful antibiotics which are used to treat infections that have become resistant to other drugs. Bacteria that are able to resist carbapenems have been called the nightmare bacteria by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention because half of all people who contract a bloodstream infection from them die.

Almost all the samples contained bacteria and fungi resistant to multiple drugs.

The researchers concluded that environmental pollution and poor management of wastewater in Hyderabad is causing unprecedented antimicrobial drug contamination of surrounding water sources. Madlen Davies, of the US Bureau of Investigative Journalism wrote in May that The presence of drug residues in the natural environment allows the microbes living there to build up resistance to the ingredients in the medicines that are supposed to kill them, turning them into what we call superbugs. The resistant microbes travel easily and have multiplied in huge numbers all over the world, creating a grave public health emergency that is already thought to kill hundreds of thousands of people a year.

The Hyderabad area has long been criticised for its pollution. In 2009 it was classified as critically polluted in Indias national pollution index but the situation has continued unabated despite decades of campaigning by Indian NGOs. Last year Indias Supreme Court ordered the countrys pharmaceutical companies to operate a zero liquid waste policy, but massive violations have reportedly occurred, says the Infection report.

India has become the epicentre of the global drug resistance crisis, with 56,000 newborn Indian babies estimated to die each year from drug-resistant blood infections, and 70% to 90% of people who travel to India returning home with multi-drug-resistant bacteria in their gut, according to the study.

The amounts of antimicrobials found in the investigation were eye-wateringly high, said Dr Mark Holmes, a microbiologist at the University of Cambridge. Concentrations of the antibiotics clarithromycin and ampicillin were found at levels more than 100 times higher than the safe limit. Levels of the common antibiotic ciprofloxacin were found to be up to 700 times above that recommended while levels of moxifloxacin  used to treat lung, skin and sinus infections as well as tuberculosis  were up to 5,500 times higher than the recommended limit.

A sample taken from one Hyderabad sewer contained concentrations of the antifungal drug fluconazole  a drug used in ointments for fungal infections such as thrush and athletes foot or given intravenously for more serious infections  at levels 950,000 times higher than the recommended safe limit! The researchers repeatedly analysed this finding to make sure it was correct. To our knowledge, this is the highest concentration of any drug ever measured in the environment, wrote the authors.

The quantities involved mean the amount in the water is almost the same as a therapeutic dose, said Mark Holmes, calling on the Indian authorities to investigate immediately by testing each factorys effluent. Thats not just getting rid of a few tablets down the toilet, he said.

Pharmaceutical pollution is not the only way in which antibiotics get into the Indian environment  excrement from people and animals and waste from hospitals and farms also contain residues of the drugs. But Professor Joakim Larsson, of the University of Gothenburg, believes the levels of antimicrobials found could not be explained by anything else other than industrial discharges. So it tells us that the problem is still there, it needs to be solved, he told German journalists who worked on the report.

The pharmaceutical industry in Hyderabad produces enormous amounts of waste each day, says the Infection report. Effluent is transported in trucks to one waste treatment plant, it says, where it is treated before being sent to a mega sewage plant. There, it is mixed with sewage and further treated then discharged into the nearby Musi River.

Adhering to the zero liquid waste policy ordered by the Supreme Court requires expensive technology, and some waste is still clandestinely sent to the waste treatment plant or dumped straight into the surrounding environment, according to the report.

There are reams of regulations and stipulations that manufacturers have to adhere to in order to export their products to the US and Europe  known as the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) framework. These focus on making sure drugs are safe, pure, and effective.

Stringent inspections by the World Health Organisation as well as American and European authorities check that these rules are being followed.

However these regulations do not address environmental concerns. Inspectors have no mandate to sanction a factory for polluting, failing to treat its waste or other environmental problems  this falls within the remit of local governments.

Within India, there are environmental regulations covering what ingredients factories are allowed to produce, how they use water and how they dispose of their waste. In Hyderabad, the Telangana State Pollution Board (TSPCB) inspects factories based on these.

However these inspections have been labelled toothless by local and international campaign groups. In November 2015, an analysis of TSPCB inspection reports by the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi found that 15 bulk drug manufacturers within one industrial area alone were producing ingredients for which they did not have permission, using more water than the permitted limit, and dumping more effluents and hazardous waste than allowed.

The European Public Health Alliance, an umbrella group for more than 90 non-profit organisations, says the situation must be rectified by including legally binding environmental standards in GMP protocols, particularly with regard to contamination with antimicrobial substances  as a condition for authorisation and import of drugs, said a spokesperson.

Voluntary agreements are not enough to stop a race to the bottom, where pharmaceutical companies exploit weak links in global supply chains, in places where there is little or no enforcement of vital environmental standards.

Big Pharma, as the heavyweights in the industry are called, is backed by big money, so dont expect anything to be done in a hurry  not if it means cutting into profits.
Cuba

Socialist adjustment

Cuba is facing serious economic and financial problems, with the US economic blockade the source of many of them. And like the people of all other nations, Cubans also confront a world overwhelmed by pervasive corporate greed, wars, populations in distress, and climate change. Such were the circumstances greeting Cubas National Assembly as it met on May 31 and June 1 in an extraordinary session. On the agenda was discussion of several documents fundamental to the project of building a socialist society in difficult times.

Cuban President Raul Castro told delegates, These are the most studied, discussed, and re-discussed documents in the history of the Revolution. And, These fundamental programs approved recently by the Central Committee of the Party, and backed now by the National Assembly of Peoples Power, reaffirm the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution and the role of the Communist Party as the lead force directing society and the state.

The documents Castro was referring to were first approved by the Cuban Communist Partys Sixth Congress in 2011. The first document, titled Conceptualisation of the Cuban Economic and Social Model for Socialist Development, deals with the overall project of constructing socialism in Cuba. The second, Guidelines for Policies of the Party and the Revolution for the period 2016-2021, sets development goals for the immediate period ahead. The third document, Bases for a National Plan for Social and Economic Development until 2030, is an aggregation of longer-term national targets. Amended versions of all three were passed by the partys Seventh Congress in April 2016.

Jennifer Bello Martinez, 25 years old, presides over the Federation of University Students and is a member of Cubas Council of State. Speaking to a reporter for Cubadebate.cu, she echoed an important theme of the two-day session: newer generations will soon be taking charge of Cubas revolution.

Bello declared that, young people are at the point of being protagonists in this discussion process. The documents ... speak for the full development of our generation [and] express the need for young people to regard the Revolution as a permanent undertaking.

At its meeting, the National Assembly dealt primarily with the first and second documents, approving modifications to them. The document dealing with 2030 development goals requires further discussion and will be readied for approval by the Assembly when it meets in December 2018.

Delegates expressed concern that the documents before them contradicted each other in one important area. One section of the document on Cubas conception of socialism calls for the regulation of wealth and property, while the 2016-21 Guideline document prohibits concentration of wealth and property.

Marino Murillo, a former economics minister, told delegates that failing to deal with the quandary represents one of the biggest risks we are facing. Its the most widely discussed issue in Cuba, he said, arguing also that documents wont make a negative phenomenon disappear. Murillo called for private employment to be perfected. The National Assembly determined that regulation would continue.

The Assemblys job was to approve the documents, which in their final form are the product of a comprehensive and unprecedented nationwide public consultation process.

After their approval and modification at the Sixth and Seventh Communist Party Congresses, a series of public meetings were held across the country. In 2016, between June 15 and September 20, a total of 14.3 percent of the Cuban population attended some 47,470 meetings at which the documents were discussed and changes proposed.

In April this year, members of the Communist Partys Central Committee discussed proposed modifications with Assembly delegates in their home provinces. Then, at a plenary session on May 19, the Central Committee considered and approved final drafts of the documents that included amendments made along the way during the consultation process. They were then submitted to the National Assembly for consideration.

The extraordinary session began with Assembly delegates attached to four commissions charged with examining the modifications. Their discussion of the Conceptualisation document dealt with fundamental questions, matters like: concentration of property and wealth; differences as to functions and roles of the state, governmental, and private businesses; the Cuban educational system and its impact on society; and development of the personal trajectory and life of Cuban youth.

The commissions approved 61 out of 73 proposed modifications. With these modifications added to others approved at the Seventh Party Congress, 92 percent of the original Conceptualisation document has been altered.

The commissions worked on the Guidelines document also. The recent plenary session of the Partys Central Committee had considered 18 proposals for modifying some of the 274 Guidelines. It accepted eight of them, and re-worked these into the six existing guidelines.

The commissions discussed and approved these. Individually they involved: ethical behaviour among leaders, workers, and organisations; rearrangement of entities for science, technology, and innovation; promotion of direct foreign investment; reduction of the states financial contribution to social security; rescue of the role of work and income for generating products and services; and ways to increase state income from transportation services.

President Castros remarks at this special session of Cubas National Assembly represent one more step on that nations way toward a future of hope.

Reminding delegates of the need to advance in our continuing update of the economic and social model, Castro insisted that Cuba will change everything that must be changed. Furthermore, he said, we will do it at a speed permitted by the consensus we forge within our society and our proven capacity to do things well. We will thereby avoid grave errors that could compromise our successful fulfilment of this gigantic and honourable task.

Castro concluded by reaffirming Cubas solidarity with Venezuelas beleaguered Bolivarian Revolution. He called also for the return of political legitimacy to Brazil.

Peoples World
The Siege of Leningrad

Shostakovich and the airbrushing of history

The cold war against Russia  and previously the Soviet Union  continues. This includes the removal from public memory of the many atrocities committed by Nazi Germany on the Soviet population and the latters heroic role in the defeat of fascism.

Two women sitting among the debris in the aftermath of the German bombardment of Leningrad.

On June 22, 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union. This resulted in a slaughter of holocaust proportions: 25 million Russians perished: more than half the dead of the Second World War.

One of the most horrendous acts of barbarity was the German blockade of Leningrad. For almost 900 days, from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, all supplies were cut off, and the people of Leningrad systematically starved to death. More than a million Leningraders died.

Fast forward to April 2017 and a fatal terrorist attack (by groups rather than states) takes place in St Petersburg (Leningrad). After similar attacks in Western European cities, the national flag of that country has been projected onto Berlins Brandenburg Gate as an expression of solidarity  but not this time, because St Petersburg has no special relationship with Berlin, according to the mayor  a native of West Berlin. Perhaps the airbrushing of history meant he had never heard of Leningrad.

The Siege of Leningrad was recorded not only in books but in music. A resident in Leningrad at the time was the composer Dmitri Shostakovich. He began work on a symphony immediately the attack began, expressing his thoughts on Soviet life and the ability of his people to defeat the fascists. This, his Seventh Symphony, is known as the Leningrad.

It has four movements. The first is entitled War and begins with lyrical music describing a peaceful life in the USSR before the fascist invasion. A solo violin is interrupted by a distant drum and the invasion theme, which is repeated 12 times, with a growing number of instruments, growing ever louder and shriller, creating a profound sense of unease. Military drums punctuate this section, which ends in an outcry of pain and horror.

A quieter passage follows  a solo flute, then a bassoon, grieving the dead. Accompaniment is fragmented, so expressing the broken people it bewails. Dissonances dominate.

In the second movement, Memories, the mood changes to happier times, some dance melodies, although a note of sadness is also present.

The music of the third movement, Wide Expanses of Our Land, affirms the heroism of the people, their humanism, and Russias great natural beauty. The movement is a dialogue between chorale, the solace given by the splendour of the homeland, and the solo voice, the violins, the individual in torment. Both the second and the third movement express Shostakovichs conviction that war doesnt necessarily destroy cultural values.

About the final movement, Victory, Shostakovich commented: My idea of victory isnt something brutal; its better explained as the victory of light over darkness, of humanity over barbarism, of reason over reaction. The movement begins by describing, musically, people at work in peacetime, full of hope and happiness, as the drums and guns of war overcome them. The music marches, fights, and resists.

Victory does not come easily. Shostakovich begins with the timpani roll that concluded the slow third movement and gradually adds other voices. Slowly the music moves towards its conclusion, with brass fanfares and cymbal crashes. It forces its way into bright C major  the upbeat key of victory. Yet the final chords in this most magnificent of keys contain a sorrowful sound. In full recognition of the realities, the unimaginable suffering of war, the symphony cannot end in simple triumph.

Shostakovich composed most of the symphony while under siege in Leningrad. Several months into the blockade, and despite his objections, the Soviet government evacuated the Shostakovich family, along with other artists.

The Leningrad Symphony was performed on August 9, 1942 in his besieged home city. The score was airlifted in across Nazi lines. The orchestra had only 15 musicians left, but more were recalled from the front.

A clarinet-player at this historic performance, Galina Lelyukhina, recalled rehearsals: They said on the radio that all living musicians were invited. It was hard to walk. I was sick with scurvy, and my legs were very painful. At first there were nine of us, but then more people arrived. The conductor, Eliasberg, was brought on a sledge, because hunger had made him so weak.

On August 9, 1942 the hall was packed, with windows and doors open so that those outside could hear. The music was broadcast on the streets and to the fronts to inspire the whole nation. The Red Army pre-empted German plans to disrupt the performance by shelling the enemy beforehand to ensure silence for the two hours needed for the concert.

A survivor of the blockade, Irina Skripacheva, remembers: This symphony had a huge impact on us. The rhythm incited a feeling of elevation, flight ... At the same time we could feel the scary rhythm of the German hordes. It was unforgettable and overwhelming.

Seventy-five years later, along Russias western border, NATO (including German) tanks and troops prepare for war.

Shostakovichs Seventh Symphony, the Leningrad, is available on Youtube.

Communist Party of Ireland
Terror as opportunity

The hallmark of any administration worth its corruptly curing salt is making hay while the sun shines its searing rays. Not long after the slashing and running down taking place in London, moving from London Bridge to Borough Market, the tweets of blame and fire were already coming through.

Armed police on St Thomas Street, London, soon after the attack.

That nasty sovereign known as social media was already agitating. One of the biggest themes: the rollback on human rights protections, and the marketing of pure fear. Across the Atlantic, President Donald Trump was adding his little rough side to the debate.

At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed! 

A spokesman for Sadiq Khan was hoping to deflect the Trump tweet as misdirected spittle, preferring to focus on the job at hand:

The mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack and provide leadership and reassurance to Londoners and visitors to our city.

In short, Khan had more important things to do than respond to Donald Trumps ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police  including armed officers  on the streets.

Alarm, however, can be quarried and built upon. The attacks on London Bridge and Borough Market have enabled Prime Minister Theresa May to revive the inner Home Secretary in her, one replete with suspicions and hostility towards free agents and choice in society.

With only hours to go to the polls, May has been promising flintier measures against extremists, notably in terms of controls using risk as a key indicator. Even in the absence of concrete evidence for prosecution, the prime minister fancies making the lot of the state easier in how to control suspects and limit liberties.

More had to be done to restrict the freedom and the movements of terrorist suspects when we have enough to show they present a threat, but not enough evidence to prosecute them in full in court.

If that nuisance known as human rights laws were to stop us from doing it, we will change those laws so we can do it.

Chillingly, this language would sit rather easily with the next fundamentalist reformer keen to ignore human rights in favour of undeviating scripture and the pure society.

Her words read like a laundry list of security promises and heavy-handedness, much of it pointed in the direction of the Human Rights Act, never a beloved instrument of those keen on trimming civil liberties:

I mean longer prison sentences for people convicted of terrorist offences. I mean making it easier for the authorities to deport foreign terror suspects to their own countries.

Tory lawmakers are also pondering the prospect of curbing communications and access to devices, curfews and restrictions on associating between claimed extremists. May is also open to extending the period for which a terrorist suspect can be held without trial. (The current number is 14 days.)

Many of Mays promises are marked by contradiction. The spirit of austerity still haunts the Tory drive to perform its protective duties for Britannia. It wants a fully functioning and efficient security apparatus, but prefers to keep it cash strapped and hobbled.

Khan has reminded the prime minister that talk of robust security is all dandy, until you realise that cuts of up to 10 to 40 percent in police numbers have been implemented, much of this presided over by May herself when she held the post of Home Secretary.

Steve Hilton, former prime minister David Camerons strategy chief, decided to also weigh in on that point, suggesting that May throw in the towel for her sloppiness. It was the prime minister, he charged, who had to be held responsible for [the] security failures of London Bridge, Manchester, Westminster Bridge.

Terror suspects had eluded the counter-terror web; radicalisation fears had been ignored.

Mays proposed legal measures will be subjected to judicial scrutiny when the time comes. Labour, when in office, found the issue of control orders a problem, despite their championing by such figures as former home secretary David Blunkett.

Blunkett, a sort of amateur fascist, who even insisted that May consider restoring such orders in the wake of the suicide bombing in Iraq by British ex-inmate of Guantanamo, Jamal al-Harith.

What is being proposed is a milder variant of permanent surveillance and indefinite control over someone not accused of any crimes, but highlighted as a threat. This is actuarial risk assessment at its worst. Coupled with the badgering of telecommunications companies to do their bit in undermining privacy, and hectoring companies to downgrade their encryption standards, and the world looks ever bleaker.

All this will keep human rights lawyers in clover for some time.

globalresearc.ca
Cloud News

Amazon Sues Former Exec Hired By Smartsheet, Hints That A Still-Secret Competitive Effort Is In the Works

Joseph Tsidulko

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The lawsuit Amazon has filed against a former AWS employee bound by a non-compete agreement gives credence to a report earlier this year that the public cloud leader is developing its own cloud-based office collaboration software.

Amazon makes the argument to the King County Superior Court in Washington that its non-compete is actionable because it has a competitive product to Gene Farrell's new employer, document collaboration vendor Smartsheet. Amazon, in its court complaint, said it would only provide evidence of its product out of the purview of the public.

The lawsuit, filed Friday and first reported by tech news site GeekWire, claims Farrell accepted the job as head of product at Smartsheet, a Bellevue, Wash.-based software vendor, even though his non-compete agreement prevented him working for 18 months at a rival.

[Related: Snapchat, A Prominent Google Cloud Customer, Strikes A Deal With AWS]

Farrell is now in a position to share Amazon's cloud secrets, many of which he helped formulate, according to the legal complaint.

Smartsheet, founded in 2006, has historically been a large AWS customer and AWS even offers on its website a case study of Smartsheet's initial deployment on its infrastructure.

But the fast-growing Software-as-a-Service vendor is shifting at least some of its substantial infrastructure spend to HPE.

At the HPE Discover conference last week, HPE CEO Meg Whitman said Smartsheet has already moved some of its workloads to HPE's private cloud, seeking to buck a public cloud bill that was becoming "increasingly expensive."

Farrell started at AWS in 2012, and advanced over four years to the position of vice president of the enterprise applications & EC2 Windows team.

Smartsheet, in a statement, said the company carefully vetted his hire, and doesn't see itself in any way as a competitor to Amazon.

"We are also surprised by what we see as an enormous overreach in terms of how Amazon is defining productivity software as it relates to their competitive set," the statement said.

Smartsheet CEO Mark Mader told GeekWire the suit left him "dumbfounded" as the two companies operate in "two totally different worlds."

But Amazon's lawsuit against Farrell makes clear the nature of the conflict isn't yet entirely known to the public, and AWS plans to keep it under wraps for some time.

The complaint states "Amazon will submit to the court more detailed information regarding these efforts, under seal, and attorneys eyes only, at the appropriate time."

Amazon warned Farrell, who helped develop AWS' enterprise applications business, that it viewed his new position as violating the agreement, the court complaint reads. "Farrell not only knows AWSs confidential business strategies, he was instrumental in formulating them."

The complaint added: "Farrell has deep and detailed knowledge of the technical details of Amazons future product and service offerings, the business, and competitive considerations that drove the decisions to develop and deploy them, and the strategy for launching these new products."

Those arguments provide a tantalizing hint of what's in the works.

In February, tech news site The Information reported AWS was developing office productivity software to compete in the SaaS market.

Those efforts, which at the time were reported in their early stages, consisting of upgrades to WorkMail, a cloud-based email app released early last year, and its WorkDocs file storage product, according to business partners anonymously cited by The Information.

As for the HPE deal, Whitman said Smartsheet wrestled with the "sheer complexity" of the migration to the private cloud and the funding to make the switch to its on-premises infrastructure.

With the HPE partnership, Smartsheet installs, configures and tests the HPE infrastructure but only begins paying for it once it is "poised to become revenue generating," said Whitman.

One large AWS partner told CRN that the claim Farrell could disseminate product secrets isn't consistent with Amazon's own explanations for how it develops the cloud business.

"AWS claims not to have a roadmap, so how would Gene take anything that would not be developed in the next six to nine months?" the partner asked.

"Nine or more months from now, AWS and Amazon claim they dont know what they will create, customers will tell them," that partner added.

Smartsheet, in its statement, said it doesn't see itself as a competitor to business productivity suites in general, because it "partners and integrates, versus competes, with storage, document creation, and communication platforms."

Google, the pioneer in the cloud-based office productivity market, named Smartsheet a "recommended partner" in November of 2015. At that time, Google Apps (now branded G Suite) was the market leader in that category.
Internet of things News

Security Firms: CrashOverride Malware Marks Newest Security Threat For Industrial Control Systems

Lindsey O'Donnell

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Security firms Dragos and ESET on Monday highlighted a new malware framework, CrashOverride, which targets industrial control systems to take down electric grids.

U.S. infrastructure security firm Dragos alleged that this malware was used in a cyberattack that briefly shut down power in parts of Kiev, Ukraine in December.

"[CrashOverride] marks an advancement in capability by adversaries who intend to disrupt operations and poses a challenge for defenders who look to patching systems as a primary defense, using anti-malware tools to spot specific samples, and relying upon a strong perimeter or air-gapped network as a silver-bullet solution," said Dragos founder Robert Lee in a report. "Adversaries are getting smarter, they are growing in their ability to learn industrial processes and codify and scale that knowledge, and defenders must also adapt."

[Related: Industrial IoT Security Company PAS Raises $40 Million Funding To 'Aggressively' Expand Go-To-Market Channel]

CrashOverride uses two backdoors to manipulate settings on electric power control systems. The malware also features a component for erasing critical system files and a port scanner that helps hackers map out infected networks.

The malware contains four modules that are specific to industrial control systems and exploits four protocols in these systems  IEC 101, IEC 104, IEC 61850, and OLE for Process Control Data Access.

CrashOverride is similar to Stuxnet, another malware, first identified in 2010, that is targeted for industrial control systems. Lee stressed that the malware is capable of taking down a grid for a few days  but it is not powerful enough to bring down a country's grid. The malware is also designed to disrupt service, not destroy equipment as previous industrial control system malware Stuxnet had.

There are several steps that industrial vendors can take to protect their industrial control systems, according to Dragos. Electric utility security teams should have a clear understanding of where and how the various targeted IEC protocols are used. Similarly, malware can be detected if utility companies take steps to monitor their network for abnormal traffic.

Finally, customers need to prepare incident response plans for this attack that map out the appropriate teams in engineering, operations, IT, and security around their systems.

Many customers with industrial control systems are unprepared for security attacks on connected devices, said Marc Harrison, president of Silicon East, a Marlboro, N.J.-based solution provider that specializes in building automation.

"These devices will never be made secure because manufacturers are not in the [IoT security] business," he said. "There will be far more devices on the internet in the future, and this problem will only grow exponentially. In industrial automation, it's not just about taking machines down  the kinds of attacks possible are endless. Hackers can get very creative."
Security News

CRN Exclusive: Cybereason Launches First Channel Program As It Preps For Next Growth Phase

Sarah Kuranda

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Cybereason has launched its first partner program, the company announced Tuesday, the latest in a series of significant channel investments the company is making as it preps for its next phase of growth.

Leading the new program is the company's first channel chief, Gregg Henebry, who joined the company in May as vice president of channels. Henebry joined Cybereason from Fuze, where he was vice president of worldwide channels.

The new Global Partner Program will have three tiers: authorized, gold and platinum. The tiers are broken down by revenue and certification requirements. As companies move up the tiers, they will see increasing levels of investment from Cybereason, in the form of free sales and enablement training, technical training, deal registration, MDF, and discounts.

[Related: Cybereason Exec: Ransomware Attackers Are Expert Marketers]

Cybereason is an endpoint detection and response company that was co-founded by former Unit 8200 members, Israel's equivalent to the NSA. The company's solution is a "super analyst in a box," providing full visibility by identifying the root cause, timeline, endpoints affected and tools behind an attack. It landed $25 million in funding in May.

Henebry said Cybereason is making particular investments around MDF to drive demand in the market and "kickstart" the new program. Those investments include planned regional events with partners, as well as a Range Rover raffle for qualified partner sales people and sales engineers.

John Marler, COO at Houston, Texas-based Set Solutions, said he has seen a big shift and growing maturity at Cybereason towards the channel over the past year. Those changes include the new partner program and key channel team hires, he said. "They are pushing and investing in the channel a lot," Marler said. "It helps us because it makes it a lot easier for us to line up alongside Cybereason as a partner."

Marler said that channel push is of particular importance as Cybereason looks to compete in the hotly competitive endpoint security market. He said Cybereason's technical improvements over the past year would help make the security startup one of the "key players" in the space.

The launch is the latest in a series of investments Cybereason is making as it looks to vastly grow the company, with a particular focus on investments in the channel, Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Byron said. Those investments have included new executive additions (including Henebry and Byron), as well as building out the company's sales force. Byron said the company has added "dozens" of new employees around the channel alone.

"We are leaning in right now to build out a channel," Byron said of the investments. "I think the timing is right for us right now. First-generation technologies  traditional IT security technologies  they are important, but  we have the platform to deal with [cybersecurity challenges] today and in the future. To have a robust channel and partner program is a benefit not just for us and partners, but for customers."

Henebry said the channel investments would also help Cybereason stand out in a hotly competitive market for endpoint security. He said the company sees its differentiation as its architecture and the cloud-based platform it has built. He said the channel would help Cybereason get the scale it needs for that platform.

"When we engage with customers, it becomes obvious quickly that we have developed a unique product. The challenge we have today is how do we scale that to more and more customers around the world. I think building out a value-add, robust channel will make us tremendously more competitive, for sure," Henebry said.

Henebry said Cybereason already has more than 40 partners worldwide, including in North America, EMEA and Japan. With the launch of the new program, he said Cybereason will be looking to recruit additional partners, including a mix of boutique security solution providers, regional VARs, managed service providers, system integrators, and telecom companies. He said the Cybereason solution has a variety of use cases, so it is looking to recruit a wide variety of partners.
Security News

Palo Alto Networks Launches New Venture Fund, Looks To Build Security Platform Ecosystem

Sarah Kuranda

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Palo Alto Networks is looking to boost the next-generation of security startups, announcing the launch of a new venture fund on Tuesday to further expand the company's platform with new, innovative technology.

The $20 million fund, in collaboration with Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital, will focus on early stage, seed stage and small startups that plan to build applications on the company's new Application Framework. Palo Alto Networks announced the Palo Alto Networks Application Framework, as well as its new venture fund, at its Ignite 2017 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, this week.

"We want to help bootstrap and encourage the next-generation security innovator," Scott Simkin, senior group manager, threat intelligence cloud and security subscriptions, said. "This is just an amazing opportunity to help build and scale early stage, seed stage, and smaller companies that want to build for this application framework."

[Related: Symantec Launches Symantec Ventures, CEO Says Creates New Opportunity For Partners]

In a statement about the launch, Senior Vice President, Business and Corporate Development Chad Kinzelberg said the fund will help "build on our reputation for developing innovative, next-generation security technologies," as well as expand the company's security partner ecosystem.

It represents an essential part of our mission to help organizations prevent cyber breaches by inspiring and accelerating a ground swell of security innovation in a model that can be easily accessed and deployed by customer organizations," Kinzelberg said.

Palo Alto Networks is not the only security vendor to launch its own venture fund in recent months. Symantec also announced a fund, called Symantec Ventures, in March to focus on early-stage investments in artificial intelligence, analytics, and machine learning startups that tie into its security platform.

Simkin said Palo Alto Networks doesn't have any specific type of application it will be focusing investments on. He said it will look for categories that will provide value to customers on top of the Palo Alto Networks security platform, potentially including threat intelligence, threat analytics, orchestration, mobile security, and IoT security.

The venture fund is not only open to ISVs and application developers, but also to partners and customers, Simkin said.

"We are not constraining this in any way. If a partner or MSSP wants to get funding or apply, we will consider all equally on the criteria of delivering security value," Simkin said.

John Marler, COO at Houston, Tex.-based Set Solutions, said the new fund responds to a future of security that centers around integration, automation, and orchestration. He said it is good to see Palo Alto Networks further expand its strategy in this area.

"Any major player that is pursuing that strategy to integrate and automate third-party connections is in a winning position," Marler said. "That's one of the reasons we like Palo Alto Networks."
Storage News

Pure Storage Aims For The Enterprise, Cloud Storage Business With Major Software Updates

Joseph F. Kovar

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All-flash storage vendor Pure Storage Tuesday expanded the software that accompanies its high-performance hardware with advanced clustering and quality-of-service capabilities.

The company also used its Pure//Accelerate 2017 conference, held this week in San Francisco, to unveil a number of hardware updates to its all-flash storage arrays.

The changes come as innovation in the software capabilities of all-flash storage has struggled to keep up with improvements in the sheer performance of the hardware, said Matt Kixmoeller, vice president of products for the Mountain View, Calif.-based vendor.

[Related: CRN Exclusive: Pure Storage CEO Dietzen On Pure's Software Focus, Profitability Goals And HCI Views]

"Tier-one storage offers the highest flexibility and performance, but not the fastest innovation," Kixmoeller told CRN. "We want to end the compromise. We're bringing in technology to close the gap."

Pure Storage is doing just that with the introduction of its Purity//FA 5.0 software, the latest version of the company's software for managing data and services with its all-flash hardware, Kixmoeller said.

The biggest addition to the Purity//FA software is ActiveCluster, a new active-active metro stretch cluster capability that allows an application to run synchronously in two data centers up to 150 miles apart, or on separate racks within the same data center, Kixmoeller said.

For example, he said, a customer running Oracle Real Application Clusters on eight servers could have four of the servers in one data center and four in another. "If there's a disruption in one data center, the application keeps running in the other," he said.

Purity//FA 5.0's ActiveCluster deploys quickly with only four commands and does not require the addition of a third-party server or cloud to mediate between the two parts of the clusters.

"This is the last of the high-end resiliency services that we have not had before at Pure Storage," he said.

The quality-of-service capability of Purity//FA 5.0 can now be assigned on a per-volume basis, Kixmoeller said.

Also new with Purity//FA is VMware VVOLs, or Virtual Volumes, implementation for VMware's Cloud Automation Suite. Kixmoeller said Pure Storage has simplified the otherwise complex implementation of VVOLs by integrating the VMware APIs For Storage Awareness into its arrays to let customers easily implement such services as snapshots, replication and quality of service for virtual machines running on Pure Storage's all-flash arrays.

Pure Storage also expanded the snapshot capability of Purity//FA. Previously, customers could snapshot and replicate data from one Pure Storage FlashArray to another, but with Purity//FA 5.0 data can be replicated from a FlashArray to a FlashBlade, or to a generic array, or even to Amazon S3 object storage, he said.

For developers, Pure Storage introduced PurityRun, which allows applications to be run in virtual machines or containers on a Pure Storage array, Kixmoeller said.

PurityRun also can be used to run Windows File Services with FlashArray arrays, letting them run the actual application without an additional server for certain workloads, Kixmoeller said.

"This is not hyper-converged infrastructure," he said. "It's not designed for huge compute workloads. It's for more specific workloads like file services. But it does open the possibility of running applications on the array. This could be hyper-converged infrastructure over time."

Pure Storage also enhanced its Pure1 cloud-based monitoring, predictive analytics and proactive support software with the addition of Meta, a new global predictive intelligence capability.

Kixmoeller said Pure Storage arrays gather about 1,000 different metrics while they're running, and Meta collects that data to develop a "workload DNA," which can be used to determine the performance requirements of a workload.

"Pure1 can use that data to look at multiple workloads and their data growth and make predictions for future requirements," he said. "Meta doesn't care what the workload is but instead compares the workload DNA of multiple workloads to do auto-balancing and optimization across the entire system."

Pure Storage has done an incredible job of bringing its flash storage technology to enterprise customers, said Mark Galyardt, executive vice president at XIOSS, an Atlanta-based solution provider and Pure Storage channel partner.

"It takes newer vendors awhile to get into large accounts," Galyardt told CRN. "But now Pure Storage is doing enterprise storage really well. Pure Storage is more enterprise-ready than other startups, and has been since it launched."

The new FlashArray ActiveCluster will be a boon to enterprises, nearly all of which use clustering for redundancy and scale, XIOSS' Galyardt said.

New volume-based quality of service will eliminate a big advantage that NetApp's SolidFire offering has had, Galyardt said.

"Pure's quality of service will be use-case-driven and application-driven," he said. "In the IT world, Cisco has made a big impact with quality of service, but it's something that's not often seen in the storage business until recently. With quality of service, we can now virtualize everything and start moving towards software-defined storage."

On the hardware side, Pure Storage introduced a DirectFlash shelf to its FlashArray//X NVMe-based al-flash array. The DirectFlash Shelf allows the NVMe capacity of the FlashArray//X arrays to up to 512 TB. It is scheduled to be available in the second half of 2017, Kixmoeller said.

Pure Storage is also working with Cisco to demonstrate the extension of Cisco UCS servers to NVMe performance using FlashArray//X, Kixmoeller said. "This is just a preview," he said. "There's no announced timeline. We're just showcasing that it works."

Pure Storage Tuesday also introduced the ability to scale its FlashBlade array for big data and other cloud workloads to up to 75 blades for a total raw capacity of up to 4 petabytes, a five-times improvement over the prior limit of 800 TB, Kixmoeller said. And because each blade includes both compute and capacity components, the performance of the FlashBlade increases as capacity increases, he said.

The company also introduced a new 17-TB blade for its FlashBlade all-flash storage arrays that fits between its previous 8-TB and 52-TB blades, he said.

The company also enhanced the FlashBlade software with new enterprise features including IPV6, LDAP, HTTP and full snapshot support, and introduced object storage capabilities, Kixmoeller said.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The Jackson County Utility Authority has received $3 million based on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 announced by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran.

The funds will aid in supporting the design of a treated wastewater effluent plant that will reside in the eastern part of the county and will replace the current plants in Pascagoula, Moss Point, and Escatawpa.

"I am pleased the Army Corps will direct significant resources to Mississippi to improve the management and operations of wastewater, levies and public works," Cochran said.

According to officials with the JCUA, this long-term project is thought to have great benefits for Jackson County.

By consolidating the sewer treatment facilities into one centralized location, efforts will be geared towards providing a reliable source of industrial water for industries in east Jackson County while reducing the dependency on water drawn from the Pascagoula River for industrial purposes.

The initial funding will involve engineering for site selection and location, extensive environmental permitting and is a substantial investment in the engineering required for the new facility.

The $3 million funding, which requires a 25 percent match, will be utilized for conceptual engineering and planning.

"We are pleased with the confidence that Senator Cochran and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers have shown in the JCUA to include our request for funding," JCUA Executive Director Tommy Fairfield said.

"This will assist the JCUA in preliminary construction plans for a new facility and we have been working diligently with the Corp of Engineers on this project. We have requested cooperation from our local governing authorities on this project, including the county and the municipalities which the JCUA serves.

We ask for cooperation from our cities and county as we move forward to see this project completed. We look forward to working with newly elected Mayor Dane Maxwell of Pascagoula, who has already been engaged with Mississippi's Legislative Delegation to assist the JCUA on this project and with the City Councils of Pascagoula and Moss Point to move this project forward."

At this time, a date of completion has yet to be determined.
'The Future Is Now'

Master agent Telecom Brokerage Inc. (TBI) is kicking off its BIG event this week in its hometown of Chicago. The two-day educational event for partners will focus on opportunities around SD-WAN, cloud, and international solutions. The master agent also wants to show partners that considering a supplier beyond what they may be known for will open the door for more selling opportunities down the road.

Jeff Newton, vice president of enterprise sales and engineering for TBI sat down with CRN to talk about the suppliers that will be in attendance, industry trends that are shaping the telecom space, and the solutions that partners should be betting on today.

Here's a glimpse of what solution providers can expect from the BIG Event.
A new survey finds that an overwhelming majority of Yulin residents, 72 percent, do not regularly consume dog meat. Photo by Peter Li/HSI

1.2K shares







This week, Chinese citizens recoiled after learning the story of a man who had baited 500 stray and owned cats with sparrows and other caged birds, captured them, crowded the poor animals into small cages, and made arrangements to sell them to restaurants for human consumption. Authorities discovered a cache of cats in the back of a small truck, close to death and mewing faintly in the heat, the Washington Post reported.

Even though selling dog and cat meat is legal in the country, residents met the news with a mix of surprise and revulsion. Rank-and-file Chinese view dogs and cats as companions and not food, with surveys reinforcing that just a small percentage of people in the country eat dog and cat meat.

Last month, I shared news of a temporary ban on dog meat sales at a controversial festival in Yulin, China, where butchers slaughter thousands of dogs every year. Local government officials have become wary of the international censure this event has brought to the city. Just a week before the festivals scheduled start date of June 21, a public attitude survey shows that the local community doesnt buy the argument that the dog meat festival equates to good business.

The survey, conducted by our partners, the Beijings Capital Animal Protection Association and Vshine Animal Protection Association, in partnership with the citys municipal government, found that an overwhelming majority of the citys residents, 72 percent, do not regularly consume dog meat. Although there is a higher percentage of dog meat eaters in Yulin than in the rest of the country, dog meat consumption is far from a mainstream culinary practice. Many who consume dog meat are chance eaters who eat it unknowingly or accidentally in social gatherings or dinner parties.

The temporary ban on dog meat sales at Yulin is expected to take effect June 15, and it includes heavy penalties for violations. As is so often the case, Chinese officials have not formally confirmed the ban, but multiple organizations on the ground who have spoken to Yulin traders in their own local dialect, have strong reason to believe its accurate.

Last years festival was a pale version of what it once was after the government disallowed the display of dogs on restaurant tables. This led to a drop in the number of animals killed and visitors to the festival. If this years ban on the sale of dog meat in the run-up to the event is properly enforced, it should accelerate the spiraling of the event downward.

Dog meat traders created the Yulin event in 2010, and although they have falsely tried to promote it as a cultural and historical festival, their effort is increasingly seen as a marketing ploy and a concoction. In a turn of fate, its actually provided a global rallying cry against the entire dog meat business. The media have publicized images of starving and thirsty dogs, transported over long distances in packed trucks with no access to food or water, and then callously and unceremoniously killed, skinned, and cooked. The whole brew has caused a horribly foul taste in the mouths of dog lovers in China and around the world, and prompted them to step up campaigns everywhere.

In addition to an animal welfare calamity, the festival is also now rightly labeled as a public health threat. China has the second highest number of human rabies cases in the world, and the Guangxi Autonomous Region, where Yulin is located, and the city of Yulin, have historically had Chinas highest incidence of rabies. Mass transport, handling, and slaughter expose workers in the dog meat trade, who are mostly unvaccinated, to the deadly disease. The World Health Organization warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera by 20 times.

As China specialist Peter Li of HSI says, eating dogs and cats is not part of Chinas mainstream culinary practice, including in Yulin. Many Chinese people find it distasteful to cook dog meat in their own kitchens. The enterprise brings no riches but only opprobrium and disgrace to the participants, and the city of Yulin would be well advised to bring this spectacle to a permanent close and treat the dog-meat enterprise as a sad footnote in the history of this community.
In today's world where foregoing a paycheck is often not an option, many parents work outside the home while raising their kids. Two-thirds of family households depend on two incomes, according to financial site WalletHub. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 93 percent of dads with kids younger than 18 are employed.

Luckily for fathers in Connecticut, a recent WalletHub study found that the state is the best one in the country for working dads. WalletHub ranked each state and Washington, DC based on economic and social well-being, work-life balance, child care and health.
BRIDGEPORT  On one thing, the city school community agrees: Marie Allen has her work cut out for her.

A school administrator with a reputation for improving the climate of Pathways Academy at Briggs, an alternative high school in Norwalk, Allen has been named principal of Bassick High School  a much larger school where fights are common and often posted on YouTube.

Allens appointment came Monday. The item wasnt on the Board of Educations posted agenda. But Schools Superintendent Aresta Johnson asked the board to add the appointment to her consent agenda. The board did so, without comment.

In her new job, Allen will get an annual salary of $141,500, the school board was told. Her job starts in August. She wasnt at the meeting and could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Gary Peluchette, president of the Bridgeport Education Association, said Bassick teachers would have liked the opportunity to make their voices heard at the meeting and were upset that Allens appointment was not on the agenda.

Privately, a number of teachers said they were flabbergasted by the decision.

Teachers who interviewed the three finalists differed with Bassicks School Governance Council  a body of parents, teachers and community members  on a top choice. Teachers wanted Joseph Raiola, a Harding assistant principal with a no-nonsense reputation. The governance council recommended Allen.

This process has shown that even the best candidate will not and cannot become a person of influence, because decisions are made for us time and time again in the interests of other parties, one frustrated teacher said, afraid to give his name.

Mixed reactions

Members of the school board also interviewed the finalists last month. Board member Howard Gardner said afterward that he was prepared to start the process all over again.

I personally didnt feel warm and fuzzy about any of the candidates, Gardner said.

He remained concerned, he said, that the school is not getting the the support it needs. Bassick has a high dropout rate, high absenteeism and single-digit mastery results on state standardized tests.

But board member Maria Pereira said she came away impressed with Allen.

I just loved her, Pereira said. She hasnt had a fight in her school for five years.

Her one reservation was that Pathways is small, with fewer that 100 students. Bassick is 10 times that size.

A stickler when it comes to transparency, Pereira said she did not have a problem with the appointment being added late to the agenda. Johnson, she explained, wanted to interview Allen a second time, and in doing so missed the board deadline for getting items on the agenda.

Letting people voice their opinion would be a more fair way to do it, Peluchette said.

To succeed, Peluchette said, the new Bassick principal needs to consider the input of veteran teachers.

We need someone who is fair, open to suggestion and who tries to unite the staff, he said.

Allen has been the principal at Briggs for six years. At Bassick, she will replace Tomas Ramirez, a Providence school administrator who came with high hopes for turning around what is arguably the toughest school in the city. Six months into the job, he announced he was leaving in June.

A good fit

Allen will be Bassicks ninth principal since 2010.

Former Bridgeport Schools Superintendent Jim Connelly, who served as an interim superintendent in Norwalk, worked with Allen and called her very successful in improving school climate issues, staff morale and bringing wraparound services to students and their families.

I think she will be a good fit for Bassick and an outstanding addition to the administrative team in Bridgeport, Connelly said.

Allen has a bachelor of arts in English from Santa Clara University, a master of arts in education from California State University, and a Ph.D. in organizational administration from Claremont Graduate University in California. She began her teaching career in Los Angeles in 1977, and has served as a personnel director and an elementary school principal.

Johnson said she has confidence that Allen will succeed where others have failed.

She comes highly recommended, is respected and I expect her to be a great asset to the Bassick community, Johnson said.

Albert Benejan, president of the Parent Teacher Student Organization and a participant in the interview process, said he supports Allen.

I know she is ready, Benejan said. I like her. She was very positive. Very strong. She said she was not going to give up. She wants to work with parents.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; @lclambeck
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Donald Trumps affinity for aircraft and military might is hitting turbulence in the helicopter capital of the world.

The presidents proposal to cut $327 million in military spending for Black Hawk helicopters for the National Guard  reducing the number ordered from 60 to 48 for the upcoming fiscal year  is sparking protests by Connecticuts congressional delegation.

Its a role reversal of sorts for a president who campaigned on promises to rebuild the military, with Democrats calling on Trump to restore funding for the Black Hawk, which is made by Sikorsky in Stratford.

The presidents budget is less than meets the eye, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., an Armed Services Committee member. Im very eager to make sure that Sikorsky continues the great work on its Blackhawk program, but also theres an issue of readiness and capability for our National Guard. They need the Black Hawks.

A request for comment was left Tuesday for the White House.

The tiff over Black Hawks is the latest wedge to come between the all-Democratic delegation and Trumps administration, who have clashed on immigration, Affordable Care Act repeal, military action in Syria and Russian intervention in the presidential election.

The workhorse of the U.S. military for nearly four decades, the Black Hawk has become a symbol of air supremacy, from the 2011 Pakistan raid that killed Osama bin Laden to last years search-and-rescue missions in the southeastern U.S. after Hurricane Matthew. Sikorsky has been churning out about 100 a year for the past decade.

We thank the entire Connecticut delegation for their support and engagement, said Paul Jackson, a spokesman for Lockheed Martins Sikorsky business. The Black Hawk helicopter plays a critical role in national defense. We appreciate all efforts to ensure our warfighters have the resources to deliver on their missions.

Last week, Blumenthal and his Connecticut colleagues were among 11 senators and 20 House members who signed letters urging Congress to reverse Trumps cuts to the Sikorsky program. Signers included U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes, Elizabeth Esty, John Larson and Sen. Chris Murphy. The Senate version of the letter had one GOP signer, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy.

On Tuesday, Blumenthal said he hoped to press Defense Secretary James Mattis on the Black Hawk cuts during an Armed Services Committee hearing. And the senator acknowledged that Trump is not the first president to target Sikorsky.

This has been a sort a simmering battle, Blumenthal said. Essentially, we fight it every year.

Last fall, a cavalcade of politicians led by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy celebrated the delivery of the 1,000th H-60M Black Hawk by Sikorsky to the Army. The milestone came shortly after the company renewed its commitment to keep its headquarters in Connecticut, after lawmakers overwhelmingly agreed to give it yearly grants of $8.6 million for 14 years if the company meets benchmarks for suppliers, job growth and payroll. Sales tax exemptions of $5.7 million a year are included in the package, plus incentives close to $2 million a year if job targets are exceeded.

The deal is expected to yield $69 billion in economic benefits over the next 16 years, according to the state.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
During National Mens Health Month, the Connecticut State Dental Association is encouraging men to pay close attention to their oral health.

During mens health month, we urge men to focus on their well-being, including their oral health, said Dr. Gary Linker, CSDA President in a news release.

Mens Health Month is a national health education program created to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage the detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Oral health in men has been linked to many other health factors from heart disease to reproductive health issues and cancer. The American Academy of Periodontology has found that gum disease is higher in men (56.4 percent) than in women (38.4 percent).

Gum disease and heart disease are linked, and research shows gum disease increases risk of heart disease.

Men are also two times more likely to get oral cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. This has been attributed to higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use by men.

Research has found that men with a history of gum disease are 14 percent more likely to develop cancer than men with healthy gums.

All the while, oral cancer is on the rise. A report by FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare data, reports that health insurance claims for oral cancer jumped 61 percent from 2011 to 2015, with three times more men than women reporting having oral cancer.
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From a distance, the well-being of children in Connecticut looks pretty good.

The state tops the nation in the rate of kids going to preschool and is lowest when it comes to child and teen death rates, according to a new Annie B. Casey Foundation report released Tuesday.

In education, the state ranks fourth and overall gets a sixth place finish in the 2017 Kids Count Data Book.

The big picture, however, masks pockets of poverty that plague the states urban centers and a state fiscal crisis that could threaten the states position going forward, according to Emmanuel Adero, a policy analyst for the Connecticut Association for Human Services and a state-based affiliate of the foundation.

In early childhood there has been a strong investment, Adero said. But in the state budget, funding for early childhood education is in jeopardy. Our rating in this area could suffer.

In releasing the annual snapshot, Patrick McCarthy, president of the foundation, sent out a blanket message urging all states, including Connecticut, not to back away from investments aimed at lifting children out of poverty.

As policymakers search for ideas to expand the economy and bring economic opportunities to families, I urge them not to abandon targeted public investments that .... help U.S. children become healthier, more likely to complete high school and better positioned to contribute to the nations economy as adults.

Good news, bad news

More Information CONNECTICUT'S STANDING VS. NATION

Based on 2015 data Connecticut's overall ranking is 6th Health: 3rd

Low-birth-weight babies 7.9%

Kids without health insurance 3%

Children and teen deaths per 100,000 15

Teens who abuse alcohol or drugs 5% Education: 4th

3- and 4-year-olds not in preschool 36%

4th-graders not reading on grade level 57%

8th-graders not proficient in math 64%

High schoolers not graduating on time 13% Family and community: 9th

Kids in single-parent families 32%

Kids where parent lacks high school diploma 8%

Kids living in high poverty areas 9%

Teen births per 100,000 10 Economic Well-being: 17th

Kids living in poverty 15%

Kids whose parents lack secure employment 27%

Kids living where cost of living is high 37%

Teens not in school and not working 5% Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation See More Collapse

The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank each state across health, education, economic well-being, and family and community.

Nationwide, 95 percent of U.S. children now have health care coverage, a historic high. The percentage of families across the country living below the poverty line has fallen, to 21 percent in 2015, compared to 22 percent in 2010.

In Connecticut, the number of children living in poverty during the same time period increased from 13 to 15 percent. In 2015, 109,000 children in the state lived below the poverty line.

Connecticut ranks third nationwide in health. It has the lowest child and teen death rate in the country, and ranking fifth in the number of children not covered by health insurance. Three percent of children in Connecticut lack health coverage and teen births in the state is the second lowest rate in the nation.

In 2015, 1,241 babies were born to teen mothers in Connecticut or 10 out of every 1,000 babies born.

The states fourth place rank in education is due to relatively high ranking in fourth grade reading and for the percentage of three and 4-year-olds attending preschool.

An insecure perch

That could all change in the new fiscal year, Adero said.

The state budget has been left to a special session to settle. In February, the budget proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy would cut $32 million from state-subsidized preschool slots.

Hardest hit would be the Care4Kids program that helps low to moderate income families in the state pay for child care costs. In December 2016, 18,533 subsidies were being provided according to the states Office of Early Childhood website.

Under the governors plan, the program would remain closed to new applicants for the next two years.

The deficit threatens a wide range of investments in early care and education, health insurance coverage, K-12 education and more, said Jim Horan, chief executive officer CAHS. We need to maintain the investments that make this possible, and seek to improve outcomes for all children, especially those living in poor cities.

Nine percent of Connecticut children live in high-poverty areas, which placed the state 19th in the nation. And the state ranks18th in children having parents who lack secure employment.

Its clear places like Bridgeport are not seeing the recovery other parts of the state have, Mary Pat Healy, director of the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition said. In Bridgeport, child poverty in 2015 remained at 32.4 percent.
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images for Museum of the M

For NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, this will be a month to remember.

On June 8, his interview with President Donald Trump figured in the testimony of fired FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

On June 19, Quinnipiac University will give Holt its Fred Friendly First Amendment Award.

Quinnipiac, where I taught journalism, and Friendlys widow Ruth decided months ago that Holt should be the honoree.

The timing of the presentation is fortuitous. The polite but persistent way Holt searches for answers  as he did in the interview with the president  earned him the honor.

Comey told the Senate committee Trump had tarnished his reputation and the FBIs.

He clearly was referring, at least in part, to Holts May 11 interview with Trump, two days after Trump fired Comey.

Trump said he had been preparing to fire Comey regardless of what recommendations he received.

TRUMP: Look, hes a showboat. Hes a grandstander. The FBI has been in turmoil. You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that. You take a look at the FBI a year ago, it was in virtual turmoil  less than a year ago. It hasnt recovered from that.

HOLT: Monday you met with the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

TRUMP: Right.

HOLT: Did you ask for a recommendation?

TRUMP: What I did is, I was going to fire Comey. My decision. It was not 

HOLT: You had made the decision before they came into your office.

TRUMP: I, I was going to fire Comey. Theres no good time to do it, by the way.

Comey told the committee Trumps remarks were lies, plain and simple.

Bestowed annually, the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award is named for the former president of CBS News, a champion of a free press. Holt is the 24th journalist to receive it.

Holt joined NBC News as a correspondent in 2000. He moved to weekend anchor of Nightly News, and then in 2015 to full-time anchor, replacing Brian Williams, who was demoted for exaggerating an experience in the Iraq War.

Holt has covered many big news events around the world. Last month, he reported from Manchester, England, following the terrorist attack at a concert. He also anchors the weekly Dateline NBC.

In 2016, Holt moderated the first presidential debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Trump said he always opposed the war in Iraq. Holt noted that on a radio show Trump supported the invasion.

Trump later accused Holt of being a Democrat. In fact, Holt is a registered Republican.

Roots of his family tree are in Jamaica, India and England.

Holt, 58, lives in Manhattan with his wife Carol Hagen. Their son Stefan works for WNBC in New York.

Comey, 56, bought a house in Westport in 2010 when he became general counsel of the Westport-based Bridgewater hedge fund.

Paul Janensch, of Bridgeport, was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University. His weekly Memo on the Media can be heard on wqun.com. Email: paul.janensch@quinnipiac.edu.
The second Battle of Lincoln, 20 May 1217, is one of the greatest English conflicts that almost nobody has ever heard of. The British Library is a partner in a new exhibition at The Collection Museum in Lincoln from 27 May to 3 September 2017 which hopes to change this: Battles and Dynasties. This exhibition brings together an enormous range of artefacts from the medieval to modern periods, celebrating the role of Lincoln in the development of modern Britain.

The First Battle of Lincoln, 1141, in Henry of Huntingdons Historia Anglorum: Arundel MS 48, f. 168v.

Given the relative stability of the monarchy in the kingdom of England during the Middle Ages, it is easy to forget the many contests to the position of its kings and queens. We all know the bloody story of the Wars of the Roses, but conflict boiled over far earlier than this. Lincoln was a centre for this, as one of the prominent fortified settlements in the eastern part of England. The first Battle of Lincoln of 1141 saw the forces of the Empress Matilda capture King Stephen. At the second Battle of Lincoln, the future of the country was at stake as forces loyal to Prince Louis of France challenged the authority of King Henry III, still a child. Henrys forces won the day, and he went on to rule for more than fifty years  but English history would have been different if the battle had gone otherwise.

Peraldus, Summa de uirtutibus et uitiis: Harley MS 3244, ff. 27v28r.

Lincoln was also a major intellectual centre of medieval England. Its cathedral school became one of the most prominent English centres of education in the late 12th century under the beloved teacher William de Montibus. His student, Richard of Wetheringsett, went on to become the first known chancellor of the University of Cambridge. As bishop of Lincoln, Robert Grosseteste became one of the most influential writers of the 13th century. All these figures works feature in Harley MS 3244, which is displayed at Lincoln with its splendid illustrated version of a treatise on the virtues and vices, as applied to the armour of a knight.

Great Bible of Henry IV: Royal MS 1 E IX, f. 163v.

Also on display are some of the splendours of courtly culture made in the midst of conflict. King Henry IV is generally known for his ruthlessness, thanks to his deposition of Richard II, but he was also a lover of books: the enormous Great Bible, measuring 630  430 mm, is thought to have been in his collection. Englands interdependencies on Europe did not slow even in the face of the wars at this time: the volume of Jehan de Wavrins Anciennes et nouvelles chroniques dAngleterre (Old and New Chronicles of England) in the exhibition, Royal MS 14 E IV, was produced in Lille and Bruges in the 1470s for King Edward IV, while conflicts over who should be the monarch continued to brew.

Jehan de Wavrin, Anciennes et nouvelles chroniques dAngleterre: Royal MS 14 E IV, f. 10r.



There are far more treasures to see in the exhibition. Also on display from the British Library are the Rochester Chronicle (Cotton MS Nero D II) and the chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall (Cotton MS Vespasian D X). The collections gathered at Lincoln are a reminder that events maintaining the status quo are just as important as those that overturn it, and that culture can continue to flourish even in the midst of conflict. We hope that many of you get the chance to view our manuscripts in person.

Andrew Dunning
Plastic Surgeon Sued for Posting Before and After Breast Photos

Whomever said that 'there's no such thing as bad publicity' probably never had naked photographs of themselves posted on the internet. Sure, some celebrities built careers off purportedly leaked sex tapes, but the same cannot be said about the vast majority of women who have their before and after breast augmentation photos posted online by their plastic surgeon.

Breast augmentation can often be controversial. Some people have no problem sharing their experience with the procedure (though might prefer faceless and nameless photos), while others want their cosmetic surgery to remain private. In a recently filed Chicago lawsuit, a woman is suing her plastic surgeon for posting her before and after photos, despite her not providing the legally required consent.

Details of the Case

In 2015, a woman, identified anonymously as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, went to Dr. Rajendra Shah for a breast augmentation. After agreeing to the procedure, she agreed to take before and after photos. However, when signing her paperwork for the procedure, she crossed out the section that permitted the doctor to post the before and after photos to the practice's website. It is also alleged that she verbally told the doctor that she did not want her photos posted online due to her distinctive freckle pattern on her chest.

Months after the procedure, despite withholding consent, her photos were posted on the plastic surgeon's website. Allegedly a year after getting posted, the woman visited the site and saw the photos. While her name and face were omitted, she feared that other viewers might be able to identify her based on her freckles. Although the doctor removed the photos from the website when notified by an attorney for the plaintiff, the case was still filed to recover $50,000 in damages.

Invasion of Privacy

When it comes to a person's private life, including their medical history, the law provides some limited but robust protection. Fortunately for victims, the First Amendment usually will not protect those who invade the privacy of another.

For instance, a person cannot just borrow your personal diary, access your medical records, or other private information, then publish that private info online without consequence. Under the law, there are numerous civil privacy protections, not to mention federal and state laws that govern privacy in the medical context. While a judge can order the private information removed from an offender's website or other medium, damages may have accumulated as a result of the publication.

Related Resources:
Unanimous Federal Court Blocks Trump's Travel Ban, Again

For the second time in four months, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's injunction on an executive order banning entry into the United States of individuals from several Muslim-majority countries. And the Ninth was the second federal appeals court in as many months to affirm orders blocking Trump's revised travel ban -- the Fourth Circuit issued their opinion three weeks ago, a decision the U.S. Department of Justice has appealed to the Supreme Court.

That's a lot of orders, injunctions, and opinions flying around. So how is the Ninth Circuit's decision different? And how might it affect the Supreme Court's decision on the travel bans?

Back and Fourth

While the Fourth Circuit's opinion rested primarily on First Amendment grounds and relied heavily on contextual comments from Trump and his campaign exhibiting "religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination," the Ninth Circuit focused their decision on statutory grounds. While conceding that the president has "broad powers to control the entry of aliens," the court asserted that "immigration, even for the President, is not a one-person show":

The President's authority is subject to certain statutory and constitutional restraints. We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress. In suspending the entry of more than 180 million nationals from six countries, suspending the entry of all refugees, and reducing the cap on the admission of refugees from 110,000 to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year, the President did not meet the essential precondition to exercising his delegated authority...

So what are the preconditions? First the president "must make a sufficient finding that the entry of these classes of people would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States,'" must follow a specific process for setting the cap on the admission of refugees, and can't discriminate based on nationality.

Appealing the Appeals Courts

As noted above, the Justice Department has already appealed the Fourth Circuit's decision. But the Ninth Circuit's decision could give the Supreme Court something more to think about. As the Washington Post pointed out, in order for Trump's travel ban to be reinstated, the Supreme Court would need to "overrule the Fourth and Ninth Circuits on both statutory and constitutional grounds." And while the DOJ argued that Trump's tweets and his administration's comments on the travel ban could not be cited as evidence of religious discrimination, the Ninth Circuit decision won't be subject to the same critique.

It's not certain that the Supreme Court will even hear the case, nor do we know when it might issue a ruling if it does. But the conjecture, especially from the president, will surely continue until then.

Related Resources:
Nearly 80 PA people have been charged for Jan. 6 riot. Three are dead.

news
What Is HIV Discrimination?

Individuals who have HIV or AIDS will generally be protected under the law from discrimination. However, recognizing HIV or AIDS discrimination may be difficult.

Individuals with HIV or AIDS can face discrimination in nearly every facet of life. Sadly, even children have been shunned by schools, daycares, after school programs, and their peers and other parents. Adults can suffer discrimination at work, in businesses, at hospitals, and also among their peers and colleagues. A recent case was settled where an Iraqi war veteran was denied aquatic physical therapy due to a policy prohibiting HIV positive individuals in the pool.

Different Types of HIV Discrimination

HIV is a serious, potentially fatal virus that can develop into the disease AIDS. AIDS is a disease that compromises the immune system, leaving a person extraordinarily vulnerable to succumb to other illnesses and infections that a healthy person would be able to stave off. Individuals with either HIV or AIDS generally are protected by the federal laws that prohibit disability discrimination, genetic information discrimination, and sexual orientation discrimination.

Most often, an individual with AIDS or HIV will encounter discrimination from individuals who do not understand how the virus is transmitted. This can lead to individuals being left out of normal activities, or denied certain rights, because others fear that just being around a person with HIV will lead to the transmission of the virus.

Additionally, individuals can suffer sexual orientation discrimination because others unfairly assume that all individuals contracted the virus through homosexual activity. Often, adults will face employment discrimination based on their employer's belief that their HIV status impacts their ability to perform or represent the company at higher levels.

Legal Remedies for HIV Discrimination

Under federal law, the Americans with Disabilities Act provides strong protections for individuals with HIV and AIDS. Individuals with either easily meet the definition of disabled under the ADA, which requires showing that one of a person's major life functions is compromised. In addition to the ADA, other state and federal laws provide avenues to stop discrimination based on a person's HIV status.

If you believe you have encountered discrimination due to having AIDS or being HIV positive, or due to your association with someone who has HIV or AIDS, you can contact a civil rights attorney to learn about what you can do to fight back.

Related Resources:
Benjamin writes, "Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has called for a special session to basically make Saint Louis less of a 'sanctuary city' for those seeking abortion. This special session will lead to some pretty hefty taxpayer expense, of course, and has faced some opposition. In an inexplicable turn of events, this has lead to state Representative Mike Moon [R-Ash Grove] [@realmikemoon, +1 573-751-4077, Mike.Moon@house.mo.gov] a member of the Tea Party, to literally slaughter/Indiana Jones de-heart a live chicken, on video. Because, abortion."



"Like any good career politician, when I get the call, I go back to work," Moon says, snapping the animal's neck. "God gave man dominion over animals. He allows us to raise them properly, care for them, and then process them for food so we can sustain life. And that's what I'm doing here with this chicken."

As he talks, Moon is chopping up the bird. He digs in, pulling out its organs as he continues: "So we've been called back to this special session for the primary purpose of supporting life, protecting the unborn specifically."

Then he goes for the heart.

"I think we need to get to the heart of the matter here," Moon says, holding the heart out to the viewer. (Ewww!!!) "So today, I'm filing a bill that will lead to the stopping of abortion in the state of Missouri, and I hope you'll support it. So stay tuned for more details."
In Washington today, a bizarre development that breaks with years of political and press tradition. This can't have anything to do with their secret plan to take away health care, could it?

ALERT: Reporters at Capitol have been told they are not allow to film interviews with senators in hallways, contrary to years of precedent  Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 13, 2017

Skipping hearings, body slamming a reporter, restricting cameras is usually not a sign of confidence in the popular appeal of one's agenda  Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) June 13, 2017

CONDITIONS for any interview: Previously granted permission from senator AND Rules Committee of Senate  Kasie Hunt (@kasie) June 13, 2017

Maybe not the right moment to lower the secrecy veil on Congress. To whoever is trying to protect Senators  we can fend for ourselves. https://t.co/YSbTuaIZKV  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 13, 2017

The signs of authoritarianism are right here, folks. Trump isn't alone in this. Consider the @GOP that enables him, as well as his voters.  Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) June 13, 2017

Nothing to hide at all. Just good, open government https://t.co/WVH08x2IQN  Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 13, 2017

NEW: The Sen Rules Cmte now wants us to request approval from them for EVERY on-cam interview of a Senator in the hallway we want to conduct  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) June 13, 2017

In the Senate there are very few places that are so-called designated camera stakeout positions. Most are not high traffic areas.  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) June 13, 2017

So restricting the access of TV cameras in hallways and requiring approval for every single interview is suffocating.  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) June 13, 2017

The GOP-led Congress' commitment to operate in shadow now includes the rule that the shining light shall be discouraged  Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 13, 2017

Really hope journalists will ignore this unconscionable rule and flood the Capitol with cameras. Ask them what's in their healthcare bill! https://t.co/yMLMR7CNsa  southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) June 13, 2017

Republicans don't want to be caught on camera running away from questions about their secret bill to take health insurance from millions. https://t.co/jOUbgQiucL  Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) June 13, 2017

One reason spontaneous interviews in Capitol are necessary: Many GOP lawmakers don't want to talk about health bill. Only way to get them. https://t.co/p3meqffE9T  Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) June 13, 2017

Richard Shelby is the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. IMO he should be asked about this. https://t.co/wiA54CsPEP  Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 13, 2017

You know it's a good health bill when one GOP candidate attacks a reporter for asking about it + the Senate tries to shut down press access.  Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) June 13, 2017

PHOTO: [Reuters] The U.S. Capitol building is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 24
The doomsayers in the business community have lost no time in pouring scorn on Theresa May's fragile government  disparaging the health of the economy and seizing the opportunity to undermine Brexit, for which the British people voted a year ago.

What is really galling about the gloomy interventions from the likes of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the CBI is that none of these denizens of free market capitalism were ever heard from during the seven-week election campaign.

Faced with Labour's plan for the biggest assault on the market economy since World War II  including suffocating taxes on business and entrepreneurship, plus wholesale nationalisation  the business community and City were silent as monks.

Naysayers have wasted no time in criticising Theresa May's government as weak, and the outlook for the economy as dire while Britain faces a period of uncertainty

The consequences of a Corbyn government for prosperity, jobs and living standards would have been incalculable. Yet the business lobby showed only cowardice in face of the threat.

What a contrast to the noisy participation, on both sides of the debate, during the EU referendum campaign and the 2014 Scottish independence campaign!

Only now does the business lobby seem prepared to speak. A survey of 700 IoD members reveals deep concern about the impact of current political uncertainty on the economy.

The CBI director-general warns that business might cut back on investment, even though it has held up well following the Brexit vote.

A Harvard study orchestrated by two of yesterday's men, former shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and former Standard Chartered bank boss Peter Sands, concludes that 'almost all' small businesses want to keep membership of the Single Market and the Customs Union in the post-Brexit world. (This contrasts with views expressed by the British Chambers of Commerce and other small business organisations keen to shed the red tape that these EU arrangements inflict.)

Against this background, anyone who forecasted a financial market meltdown in the wake of the confusing election result and the Tory infighting since is misguided.

The consequences of a Corbyn government for prosperity, jobs and living standards would have been incalculable

Yes, the pound is lower  but 2 per cent? At $1.27, the drop is a mere bagatelle. Indeed, the pound has been much lower in recent months.

It plunged to a 31-year low of $1.14 last October  albeit temporarily  following speculation on how the bolshie French might sabotage Brexit negotiations.

And what should never be forgotten is a fundamental fact of economics: a weaker pound supports the British economy because it helps exporters.

Despite the political uncertainty that investors obviously dislike, the key FTSE100 stock market index has shown resilience and lost little ground since Thursday.

Why? Because investors are comforted by the knowledge that Britain's great international companies earn the majority of their profits overseas.

When this money comes back here as foreign currency earnings, it converts into more pounds, higher earnings  and better dividends.

That's a bonus many firms have been quick to compute, with those which had the foresight to focus on new markets in order to take advantage of the pound's fall showing spectacular success.

Take Swindon-based Honda: it reports U.S. sales of its five-door Civic are up 40 per cent on the company's original target, while Groupe Eurotunnel reports that, in May, a record number of freight trucks (141,646)  that's 3 per cent up on a year earlier  crossed the Channel.

The latest data on Britain's trade with the rest of the world shouts out loud the fact that exports are on the rise because of the cheaper pound, with the three-month growth in export volumes climbing from 1.6 per cent last October to 3.7 per cent in April.

And a study by the Washington-based International Monetary Fund agrees that flexible exchange rates can, indeed, increase exports, thus challenging those Brexit cynics who argue the opposite.

Overall then, despite the precarious position of the Tory government, the financial markets seem to believe this is preferable to a 'coalition of chaos' led by Jeremy Corbyn that would be a recipe for fiscal suicide.

While the pound did take a dive following Friday's election result, in fact this helps the British economy by boosting exports

On a more positive note, the global economy looks to be in better shape than at any time since the financial crisis.

After years in the doldrums, the Japanese economy is bouncing back, while recovery in the newly rich economies of China and India is under way.

And in the U.S.  Britain's single biggest trading partner  the stock markets have never been stronger.

In America, an energy boom is under way, thanks to President Trump's deregulation of the industry.

Paradoxically, Mrs May will get some help, too, from Europe as the UK goes into the negotiations on Brexit scheduled for this month.

For the fact is that the lengthy economic slump in the eurozone, which stretches back to the financial meltdown of 2008, at last shows signs of ending, as the impact of the European Central Bank pumping 58 billion of newly printed money into the euro area each month takes effect.

Even though the jobless rate in the EU remains stubbornly high at 9.5 per cent of the workforce (more than twice the 4.5pc rate in the UK), growth in the first quarter of the year reached 0.6 per cent.

This, allied with the cheaper pound, ought to be beneficial for British firms selling goods, financial and other professional services to the Continent.

So there is no reason why we should feel too downbeat about the prospects for our national prosperity  but the Government needs to play its part, too.

One of the great weaknesses of the Tory election campaign was the grossly misguided failure to project an uplifting vision of what a post-Brexit Britain, open to world markets, will look like.

Such a vision needs to incorporate the best in digital and transport infrastructure, better and more generous support for Britain's world-class research and technical universities, and a strong recognition of the enormous contribution the City of London makes to all our lives.

Conversely, Labour's spendthrift proposals were ridiculous, unaffordable and would have risked national bankruptcy. But the party's surge in the polls demonstrated the significance of presenting a positive view to voters.

In the months ahead, Mrs May and her ministers must articulate the upbeat message they have so far singularly failed to deliver  and reach out to business groups and the City, which feel neglected by her administration.

The whole country needs to be reassured that free markets and stronger exports and trade will deliver economic benefits for every household across the country.
What on Earth do Tory Remoaners think they are playing at, plotting with Opposition MPs and Brussels to water down Brexit?

Leave aside how the Cabinet rebels and Scottish Conservatives undermine David Davis's negotiating hand as he embarks on next week's crucial talks.

Don't they realise that by courting Labour support they could sink their party  with the appalling risk of handing the keys of No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn?

The overwhelming majority of those elected last week promised to honour the referendum result - meaning David Davis should embark on his negotiations with the Commons behind him

Indeed, what possible form of Brexit  hard, soft or middling  could any true Conservative believe worse for the UK than putting our livelihoods at the mercy of an economic illiterate weaned on Karl Marx?

As for Remoaners' claims that Leave voters had no wish to withdraw from the single market  how they insult the public's intelligence! During the referendum, both camps spelt out repeatedly that this was precisely what a Leave result would entail.

David Cameron said it. Boris Johnson said it. George Osborne, Michael Gove and Nick Clegg  all said that if we wanted to regain border control and end subjection to the European Court, we would have to pull out of the single market.

As if voters still hadn't got the message, the Cameron Government's 9.3million leaflet, sent to every household, repeated it on page after page, in language a four-year-old could understand.

What possible form of Brexit could be worse for the UK than putting our livelihoods at the mercy of an economic illiterate weaned on Karl Marx?

As for what form of Brexit (if any) we would get under Mr Corbyn, utter confusion reigns. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell says Labour would quit the single market. But trade spokesman Barry Gardiner says the party backs staying in  while shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer sits on the fence.

This paper reminds MPs that the overwhelming majority of those elected last week went to the country promising to honour the referendum result.

If they are as good as their word, the hung parliament should change nothing  and Mr Davis should embark on his negotiations with the Commons solidly behind him.

With supreme unconscious irony, Remoaners have dubbed those Tories plotting to undermine him the Cabinet Sensibles. Wouldn't it be more fitting to call them the Suicidals?

Charter for terrorists

Sir Keir Starmer says human rights laws are no obstacle to tackling terrorism. He should hand his head in shame

Was it only last week Sir Keir said human rights laws were no obstacle to tackling terrorism during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions? He should read our report on Page 1  and hang his head.

It tells of a Jordanian, the 'very model of a modern Al Qaeda terrorist', who is fighting deportation after serving time for possessing jihadi manuals on how to make nail bombs and target nightclubs and airports.

Still living in the UK, with only an electronic tag to protect the public (who are not even allowed to know his identity) he inevitably claims sending him back to Jordan would infringe his human rights.

To rub salt into taxpayers' wounds, he has claimed at least 100,000 in benefits since entering the country illegally. That's on top of 250,000 in legal aid, granted partly to fight his deportation.

Despite Sir Keir's denials, this is one of scores of cases of highly dangerous men who have exploited the Human Rights Act to remain at liberty in Britain.

Theresa May has promised to end the HRA's legal protection for terrorists. Hung parliament or not, her pledge must be turned to action without delay.

With flesh-creeping hypocrisy, Alastair Campbell condemns the Tories' quest for a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party as 'sordid, dangerous and distasteful'.

Has Tony Blair's liar-in-chief so quickly forgotten that Ed Miliband apparently sought a deal with the DUP in 2015? Or that when Gordon Brown did the same in 2010, Mr Campbell was with him in the room?
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A fashion photographer has released a thought-provoking series of images expressing the casual racism Malaysian people say they've experienced while living and working in the UK - including constantly being referred to as Chinese.

Artist Daniel Adams shot the series 'Why Is Your English So Good?' after listening to young Malaysians relating anecdotes about their time studying and working in Britain.

The elaborately-styled photos include a young woman depicted as comprising of two halves, after a lover told he was disappointed by her mixed heritage, saying he'd have preferred sex with a 'full Asian'.

Disappointment: Student Evelyn Bee told photographer Daniel Adams that a man she slept with was upset when she revealed that she was half Malaysian, saying he said he wanted the 'full Asian'

Not Chinese: Emily Pearce, from London, divulged that a man once screamed 'China' in her face, assuming she was from the Far Eastern country

Mitch Hermens, Nottingham, reveals how he was once asked: 'Can you speak Asian?' by a girl he was chatting with

Emily Pearce, from London, said that she'd been harassed while walking to a bus stop by a man who repeatedly shouted 'China' at her.

She explains: 'I was walking to the bus stop, and from down the street a man started shouting CHINA at me.

'After the fifth time, I shouted back that I wasnt from China, but he continued to shout it, getting louder as I got nearer.

Ashlee Lim, from Guildford, wrapped herself in cellophane to express how she was once asked by a drunk white man whether she was the 'import' of a male colleague she was with

Tasnem Aljoffery, from London, says she was once discussing the power of white colonialism with a group of Asian and Jamaican friends when a white guy chimed in: 'Well, Im sure you guys enjoyed the slavery.'

Izyan Hay, from London, was once told by a white British friend: 'We gave you justice, railroads, your country wouldnt be progressive if it wasn't for us' before adding: 'You wouldnt have gotten into uni if it wasnt for colonialism'

Asians are all the same, right? Loni Lee from Swansea said she's been called Chinese 'many times' and whenever she's corrected someone, she's been told: 'Yes but its all the same really when youre Asian.

Londoner Dyanna Sandhu reveals that she was called a 'bloody foreigner' for speaking Malay on the tube

Laura Ong from Aberdeen said a cab driver told her women in Malaysia were 'so stupid' for wearing a headscarf 'in that hot climate' adding: 'They must be so sweaty and dirty underneath'

Artist Daniel Adams, who has Malaysian heritage, says he'll continue the project both in the UK and Malaysia

'Giggling, he then shouted "CHINA" in my face. Two women were standing beside him, not saying or doing anything. I thought about saying something, but there was no bloody point.'

The series title was inspired by the many Malaysians who told Adams that people couldn't believe they spoke 'such good English'

Dyanna Sandhu, also from London, said she was chastised for speaking to her friend in Malay while on a bus.

Sandhu says: 'The man sitting opposite me glanced over but I didnt pay it too much attention  maybe I had been speaking too loudly.

'When I finished the call he turned to me and said, "If you come to our country, you should speak English." "Im sorry?" I said.

'"Oh so you can speak English?," he replied. "Bloody foreigners!"'

Izyan Hay, from London, said she was once told by a white British friend: 'We gave you justice, railroads, your country wouldnt be progressive if it wasnt for us' before adding: 'You wouldnt have gotten into uni if it wasnt for colonialism'

Adams, who has Malaysian heritage said the project, which is ongoing, had been inspired by his own experiences with racism in the UK.
It's devoted entirely to flame haired hunks, and the fact the Red Hot calendar is entering its fifth year is evidence of the ongoing appetite for steamy snaps of buff ginger men.



Photographer Thomas Knights, 33, from London, has teamed up with Welsh art director Elliott James Freize, 36, to work on a 2018 calendar, which will raise money for the Ben Cohen STANDUP Foundation, which supports work to tackle bullying - particularly in the LGBTQ community.

The team has already surpassed its 9,974 fundraising goal to pay for the project on Kickstarter, and now they're on the hunt for more male models to star in the calendar.

The criteria includes a 'handsome face' and a 'great body', as well as a British accent and - of course - natural red hair.

Scroll down for video

For the fifth year running, there is a calendar out dedicated to ginger-haired, muscle-bound and bare-chested men (above: Rob Smith)

Red Hot has released four calendars, two coffee table books and given over 50,000 to various charities since it first launched.

The 2018 calendar will also include exclusive video content featuring all 12 models for the first time.

Each month of the calendar will include a code to 'unlock' the model's video content online, providing fans with a further glimpse at the men's impressive physiques.

The team aren't stopping there - they plan to take the project global in 2019, with Red Hot American Boys, Red Hot German Boys, Red Hot Australian Boys and Red Hot Dutch Boys all in the works.

Photographer Thomas Knights has teamed up with Art Director Elliott James Freize to create a calendar which will raise funds for the Ben Cohen STANDUP foundation

The theme for 2018 is 'British Boys' and they are proving to be so popular that their Kickstarter page has already received 9,892 of their 9,974 goal with 19 days to go

Red Hot has released four calendars, two coffee table books and given over 50,000 to various charities over the years

The red-haired men can be seen in an array of poses on a rooftop overlooking central London

The aim is to bring the hottest British ginger men in the buff together for the 2018 calendar

Last year's winner Rob Smith (above) stars in the 2018 calendar and they are looking for more male models to participate

Red Hot's 2017 model search winner Rob Smith stars in the 2018 calendar, and he's joined by fellow models in a video to promote the new project and also call for fellow hunky redheads to get involved.

The team is looking for nine more British redheads to join in.

Thomas originally launched the Red Hot project in a bid to 're-brand the ginger male stereotype'.

In just a few years, he has since created a book, Red Hot 100, put on exhibitions in cities around the world - including New York - and created a calendar celebrating people with red hair.

To enter their 'Red Hot British Boys' model search, submit images of yourself in the Red Hot underwear to their Facebook page.
Australian fashion designer Keri Craig-Lee remembers vividly the day she was asked to design bridal gowns for Elton John's wedding to Renate Blauel.

Aged in her mid-20s, Ms Craig-Lee was due to fly to Brisbane for a wedding that weekend so she quickly dropped off some things at her store in Sydney's Double Bay in February, 1984.

But before she could run out the door to get to a hair appointment that she was already late to, her mother Dianne Craig insisted she'd meet a customer.

Australian fashion designer Keri Craig-Lee designed bridal gowns for Elton John's wedding to Renate Blauel (pictured outside St Mark's church in Sydney on February 14, 1984)

The now 59-year-old Queensland woman (pictured) has been awarded a medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her work in clothing manufacturing and business

'I haven't got time,' the Queensland woman responded to her mother as she recalled the day to The Brisbane Times.

Her mother continued: 'This is Renate. She's getting married on Tuesday.'

'I said: 'That's exciting, congratulations'. Being a bit, you know, whatever.'

And as she inched for the door, her mother firmly said: 'Keri... Renate is marrying Elton John on Tuesday.

'I never got to the wedding that day.'

Ms Craig-Lee designed the wedding gown, bridesmaids' dresses and Sir Elton's bow tie

Three days later, she designed the wedding gown, bridesmaids' dresses, Sir Elton's bow tie and organised the flowers for the special day on Valentine's Day in 1984.

At the time, Ms Craig-Lee's factory was based in Brisbane - so the designer spent the next 72 hours flying back and forth to Sydney.

Sir Elton tied the knot to Renate, a German recording engineer, in a lavish wedding ceremony at St Mark's church at Sydney's Darling Point.

However, the pair filed for divorce four years later.

Ms Craig-Lee's love for fashion came after spending most of her life growing up around her parents who owned the clothing manufacturing business House of Craig, which she now runs.

The fashion designer remembers vividly of the day she was asked to plan the big wedding

Sir Elton tied the knot to Renate, a German recording engineer, in a lavish wedding ceremony at St Mark's church at Sydney's Darling Point

At the age of 19, she started her fashion designing career after growing up around her parents who were both in the industry.

The now 59-year-old has received a medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her work in clothing manufacturing and business.

'The Queen is the most wonderful woman in the world to me,' she said.

The businesswoman said she thought Prince Philip was 'charming' when she had lunch with him at Brisbane City Hall and danced with Prince Charles.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk praised the designer after she was included on the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

'It is tremendous that one of Brisbane's most iconic business women and talented designers has been recognised with an honour,' Ms Palaszczuk said.


It took four years, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has finally ruled in favor of 72 year old grandmother Elizabeth Young, whose house was seized by the Philadelphia District Attorney under asset forfeiture rules when her son was caught selling $140 worth of marijuana to undercover agents.







Under civil forfeiture rules, cops and DAs get to steal property suspected of being the proceeds of a crime, then they sue the inanimate objects. The owners of the objects can hire lawyers to represent their property, while the taxpayers foot the bill for the state's side of the suit. If the government wins, it gets to keep the property or sell it and pocket the proceeds.





The Pennsylvania Supreme Court blasted the DA for the seizure and reminded the state's lawyers and cops that they can only invoke civil forfeiture when there is good reason to believe that the property's owner "knew of and agreed to the crimes" in question.

The cop who bought the marijuana from Young's son is currently serving a 3.5 year federal prison sentence for planting drugs on suspects.



Young is far from the only person to have her house seized by the Philadelphia D.A. for a minor drug crime that she didn't even commit. In 2013, Philadelphia police seized the house of Christos and Markela Sourovelis after their son was arrested for selling $40-worth of drugs outside of it. The Sourovelis' sued, with assistance from the libertarian-leaning Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that has challenged asset forfeiture laws in several states. The Sourovelis' plight drew national media attention, and the Philadelphia D.A. eventually dropped the case. However, the city is still facing a class-action lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice challenging its asset forfeiture program. According to the firm, Philadelphia has seized more than 1,000 homes, 3,000 vehicles and $44 million in cash over 11 years. Between the new legal standard issued by the Supreme Court, the looming lawsuit, and a potential reformer leading the district attorney's officeDemocratic Philadelphia D.A. candidate Larry Krasner vowed to rein in the program in an interview with Reason earlier this yearthe salad days of Philadelphia's asset forfeiture machine may be ending. The Philadelphia police officer who coordinated the undercover marijuana buys at Young's house pled guilty and was sentenced in 2015 to three-and-a-half years in federal prison on corruption charges involving planting drug evidence on suspects.

Court to Grandma: You Shouldn't Lose Your House Just Because Your Dumb Son Sold Some Weed There

[C.J. Ciaramella/Reason]





(via Techdirt)
American Feminist writer Roxane Gay has slammed women's website Mamamia for an 'appalling' article that purported to share what went on 'behind the scenes' of an interview she had with founder Mia Freedman.

On Monday, the women's website tweeted details of an interview between the pair, saying that a 'lot of planning' had gone into Roxane's visit to the website's offices, where she was due to talk about her most recent book, Hunger, in which she opens up about how she turned to food after being gang-raped at the age of 12.

'Will she fit into the office lift? How many steps will she have to take to get to the interview? Is there a comfortable chair that will accommodate her six-foot-three, 'super-morbidly-obese' frame?' the site tweeted.

American Feminist writer Roxane Gay (pictured) has slammed women's website Mamamia for an 'appalling' article that purported to share what went on 'behind the scenes' of an interview she had with founder Mia Freedman.

On Monday, the women's website tweeted details of an interview between the pair, saying that a 'lot of planning' had gone into Roxane's visit to the website's offices

Roxane, who weighed 261 kilos at her heaviest, hit back on Twitter, labelling the article 'cruel and humiliating'.

'I am appalled by Mamamia. It was a sh*t show. I can walk a f***ing mile,' the college professor who is author of several books including the best-seller Bad Feminist, said. 'Can she fit into the lift?" Shame on you @Mamamia,' she continued in another tweet.

'Whatever, Just what the f*** ever,' she wrote in another tweet.

The article - that was accompanied by a podcast and published on Mamamia but has since been removed - was written by the website's founder Mia Freedman and was titled: 'Why, for the first time, I have no photo from my interview with Roxane Gay'.

Freedman went on to explain that 'when youre interviewing an international guest or someone very famous, there are always logistics to be organised'.

'But Roxane Gays requirements were different,' she went on. 'Id estimate there were more than a dozen exchanges back and forth between my producer and her people and the details of them both broke my heart and opened my eyes.'

The article - that was published on Mamamia but has since been removed - was written by the website's founder Mia Freedman and was titled 'Why, for the first time, I have no photo from my interview with Roxane Gay'

Feminist author Roxane Gay tweeted about the article saying 'Shame on you Mamamia'

Roxane responded to the Mamamia article saying on Twitter: 'It is cruel and humiliating'

Freedman went on to provide details of what she claimed went on 'behind the scenes' while organising her interview with Roxane, who in her book details how she 'ate and ate and ate to build my body into a fortress' after being gang-raped at age 12.

'Hunger is a memoir about Roxane Gays body. And I would never normally breach the confidence of what goes on behind the scenes while organising an interview but in this case, its a fundamental part of her story and what her book is about,' Freedman wrote.

In the accompanying podcast, Freedman went further.

'You see, Roxane Gay well Im searching for the right word to use here I dont want to say fat so even though she uses the word fat about herself Im going to use the official medical term 'super morbidly obese',' she said.

'Theres obese, then theres morbidly obese and then there is super morbidly obese,' she continued. 'I dont think the scale goes beyond that. Quite literally.

'But its not just that Roxanes overweight. Shes 6ft 3 or about two metres tall.'

'You see, Roxane Gay isIm searching for the right word to use here. I dont want to say fat so Im going to use the official medical term: super morbidly obese,' Mia Freedman (pictured) wrote about the feminist author

The feminist author responded after the women's website tweeted details of an interview saying that a 'lot of planning' had gone into Roxane's visit

Roxane, a college professor and the author of several books including the best-seller Bad Feminist, hit back on Twitter, labelling the article 'cruel and humiliating'

Social media quickly erupted with people's thoughts on the treatment of feminist icon Roxane Gay

'Her size is incredibly imposing. And this is a logistical nightmare for her. Theres no other way to put it,' Freedman continued in her podcast.

'The requirements that we had to go back and forth with her publishers who brought her out to Australia, to promote Hunger and Bad Feminist and all her books, were extremely detailed.'

In the article accompanying the podcast, Freedman, who is the former chair of the National Body Image Advisory Group, elaborated further on those 'requirements'.

'How many steps were there from the curb to the door of the building? Were there any stairs? How many? How big was the lift and was there a goods lift? How many steps from the lift to the podcast studio? There was also a lot of talk about chairs - making sure we had one sturdy enough to both hold her weight and make sure she was comfortable,' she wrote.

'Originally, this interview was going to be filmed in front of the office - we sometimes do this with No Filter guests who are loved and admired by the Mamamia team.

'We couldnt film her under any circumstances and she wouldnt even have photos taken with anyone for private use,' Freedman wrote about the feminist icon

This commenter labelled Mamamia founder Mia Freedman 'appalling'

In her write-up of the interview, Mamamia founder Mia Freedman said the reason there were no photos of Roxane accompanying the piece was because 'Roxane said no' (pictured is social media reaction)

'We couldnt film her under any circumstances and she wouldnt even have photos taken with anyone for private use,' Freedman wrote in the piece (pictured is social media reaction)

On the accompanying podcast, Freedman said that it was something the site had done with TV chef Nigella Lawson and American feminist writer Lindy West.

'But Roxane said no. We couldnt film her under any circumstances and she wouldnt even have photos taken with anyone for private use,' Freedman continued.

'Thats why there is no photo of Roxane and I that accompanies this podcast - the first time this has ever happened. She explains why in our interview and we talk about the difficulties involved in navigating the world at her size.'

Mamamia has since issued a statement saying that it in no way intended to make Roxane feel 'disrespected and we apologise unequivocally'.

The commenter pointed to the fact that Roxane Gay is an 'actual human who can get herself into an actual lift'

Critics were quick to hit back at the article on social media.

Writer and comedian Rosie Waterland wrote: 'I rarely tweet, and never about my old workplace Mamamia, but I just burst into tears when I saw this.'

'Fat is a description. Super morbidly obese is a judgement and jeez did @MiaFreedman enjoy sitting in her (average-sized) judgemental chair,' wrote one commenter.

'Can't believe @rgay can travel all over the world but apparently would struggle in the @Mamamia studios. Right-o @MiaFreeman is appalling,' wrote another.

'I wonder if 'feminist' @MiaFreedman will comment about this awful and disgusting treatment by her comany of another woman. Disgraceful!' another critic wrote on Twitter.

In a podcast that accompanied the write-up, Mia Freedman wrote of being 'super nervous' about interviewing the esteemed author

Writer and comedian Rosie Waterland wrote: 'I rarely tweet, and never about my old workplace Mamamia, but I just burst into tears when I saw this'

In the podcast that accompanied the write-up, Freedman spoke about being anxious about interviewing the author.

'Im super nervous,' Freedman told Roxane. 'Um I think part of it comes from someone I admire so much and wanting you to know that without being unhelpfully gushy.

'But part of it comes from just being so incredibly moved by what you wrote and educated by it. Like learning so much from it. And um not wanting to offend or upset you but then I think, well, its not like anything in this book is new to you,' she continued.

At which point Roxane said: 'Correct. Theres nothing you can say that I havent already heard.'

Roxane told Freedman she decided to gain weight because she thought 'if I'm big I can protect myself' following her horrific gang-rape ordeal

During the podcast, Roxane said her decision to gain weight was because she 'thought if I'm big, I can protect myself' following her horrific gang-rape ordeal.

'I was so little when it happened and I was so weak and they overpowered me so quickly and I just thought if I'm big I can fend them off or if I'm big, I won't attract their attention at all,' she told Freedman.

Roxane went on to explain her comfort eating was a 'barrier' between herself and the world.

'Mostly it was a barrier, just an extra layer or three of protection but also this idea that fat women can't get raped. At 12 that's what I thought,' she continued.

'I know very different now and that it's not about looks at all or size, it's about violence but you know at 12 years old, you're uninformed about sex and violence and very sheltered, the immature mind makes immature decisions.'
She is one of the most fashionable women of all time and still regularly tops best-dressed lists more than two decades after her death.

Now fans of Audrey Hepburn are being given the chance to own a piece of the style icon's effortlessly chic wardrobe.

Pieces from the actress' personal collection are being sold in a flagship live auction at the Christie's London headquarters in September, alongside an online sale that will no doubt attract fashionistas around the world.

Style icon: A blue Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn for a 1966 fashion editorial, left, is expected to fetch up to 15,000 at a Christie's auction in London in September

A timeless Burberry trench coat is expected to fetch up to 8,000, while an ice blue cocktail dress by celebrated couturier Hubert de Givenchy, who also designed the black Breakfast At Tiffany's gown, has been valued at between 10,000 and 15,000.

Hepburn wore the stunning satin number for a photo shoot with William Klein for a 1966 fashion editorial promoting Two for the Road.

The clothing will be sold alongside shoes - valued at 1,500 per pair - trinkets and keepsakes beloved by Hepburn, including a cigarette lighter engraved with 'For My Fair Lady', which she received as a gift from the art director from the 1964 film.

Memorabilia from some of Hepburn's best-loved films will also be auctioned, with a personal annotated film script from Breakfast at Tiffany's expected to sell for as much as 80,000. Her script for 1963 film Charade is valued at up to 25,000.

Timeless piece: A Burberry trench coat owned by the actress, right, is expected to sell for up to 8,000. Left, the actress wearing a similar piece as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Favourite flats: The star's multi-coloured ballet flats, pictured, are valued at around 1,500

Go-to style: Hepburn models a similar pair of ballet pumps in a photograph from 1954

Hepburn used turquoise ink to make notes in the margins and on the left hand page for her portrayal of some of Hollywoods most memorable characters.

Some of Hepburn's favourite portraits by major photographers from her personal archive will also be sold. Many of the pieces date from between 1953 and 1968 when the Hollywood legend was at the height of her screen career.

Highlights include personal portraits by Bud Fraker, who was a stills photographer for Breakfast at Tiffanys; wardrobe photographs for My Fair Lady together with personal portraits by Cecil Beaton; and prints of Hepburn for Vanity Fair by fashion photographer Steven Meisel.

Personal archive: A 1957 portrait by Bud Fraker, left, and a portrait by Steven Meisel for Vanity Fair from 1991 will both be put up for sale. The Meisel image is expected to fetch up to 3,000

With estimates starting at just 100 and ranging up to 80,000 the auction will offer collectors and devoted fans from around the world an unprecedented opportunity to acquire personal items treasured by one of the most famous and well-loved women of the 20th Century.

Adrian Hume-Sayer, Director, Private Collections, said: 'We are thrilled to have been entrusted with the sale of items from Audrey Hepburn's personal collection.

'Her name is one that instantly resonates, and her appeal and relevance remain as strong today as they ever were.

'The sales will offer fans and collectors alike the opportunity to acquire unique personal objects which have never before been seen on the market, and which will undoubtedly offer new insights into the remarkable life of a remarkable woman.'

Film memorabilia: A gold lighter engraved 'For My Fair Lady, Gene Allen, December 1963', a gift from the Art Director of the 1964 film, will also be sold. Right, Hepburn in character
A mother-of-two died after undergoing a string of botched plastic surgery operations overseas, it has been reported.

Janelle Edwards, 25, was found unconscious in her car near her home in the Bronx, New York, last Tuesday, and later died in hospital, according to the New York Daily News.

Ms Edwards, believed to be a former hospital worker, reportedly recently made a 1,500 mile round-tip to have a breast enhancement, tummy tuck and buttock implants at an unnamed clinic in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.

Tragic: Janelle Edwards, 25, from the Bronx, NY, reportedly died as a result of complications from a string of plastic surgery procedures she underwent in the Dominican Republic

Pain: Ms Edwards is said to have complained of stomach pains on her return to New York

Police sources told the news outlet that an initial autopsy had proved inconclusive but a doctor had told detectives a blood clot caused by the surgeries was to blame.

Ms Edwards' death comes amid warnings over the dangers of receiving plastic surgery abroad, where prices can be significantly cheaper than the US.

Family members said Ms Edwards, whose daughters are believed to be aged seven and one, complained of stomach pain following the operations.

Her sister Samantha Edwards also told the Daily News she believed her sister had died as a result of the operations.

Concerns about the booming cosmetic surgery business in the Dominican Republic are enough of an issue that the State Department has posted a warning on its page for travel to the country.

Warnings: US officials have alerted citizens to the dangers of undergoing plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic following a string of serious complications. Above, Ms Edwards

In several cases U.S. citizens have suffered serious complications or died as a result of procedures they underwent.

In March 2014 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued an alert after health authorities in the United States reported that at least 19 women in five states had developed serious mycobacterial wound infections over the previous 12 months following cosmetic procedures in the Dominican Republic such as liposuction, tummy tucks and breast implants.

There were no reported deaths in those cases, but treatment for these types of infections, which have been caused in the past by contaminated medical equipment, tend to involve long courses of antibiotics and can require new surgery to remove infected tissue and drain fluid.
The Queen today marked the 175th anniversary of the first train journey by a British monarch by travelling the same route as the historic trip.

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh are recreating the journey made by Queen Victoria on June 13, 1842 by taking a Great Western Railway service from Slough to London Paddington.

Resplendent in a summery pink coat and matching hat, Her Majesty smiled and waved to well-wishers as she boarded GWR's new Intercity express train, which is due to enter passenger service later this year.

Prince Philip, who last month announced his impending retirement from public duties, looked to be in good spirits as he joined his wife at Slough station on Tuesday.

Scroll down for video

Her Majesty is marking the 175th anniversary of the first train journey by a British monarch today by travelling the same route as the historic trip, starting in Slough

The royal was given a warm reception by hundreds of well-wishers who gathered outside the station. She was carrying a patent black handbag believed to be from Launer

Joining the Queen and Duke on the journey were descendants of Sir Daniel Gooch, who drove the original locomotive - Phlegethon - and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the celebrated engineer who designed the Great Western Railway line and assisted Mr Gooch during the 1842 journey.

Before boarding the train the Queen and Duke visited the original waiting room at Slough Station, which was used by Queen Victoria, flanked by children from four different local schools, some of whom created artwork to celebrate the anniversary.

They also viewed a historical timeline of the Great Western Railway and a related art project by local schoolchildren.

According to a tweet sent out by Buckingham Palace today, Queen Victoria recorded the journey in her diary writing: 'There was no dust or great heat, in fact it was delightful and so quick.'

The Duke of Edinburgh joined his wife in recreating the journey made by Queen Victoria on June 13, 1842 by taking a Great Western Railway service from Slough to London Paddington

Prince Philip, 96, who last month announced his impending retirement from public duties, looked to be in good spirits as he arrived at Slough station on Tuesday

Nice to see you, Ma'am! Crowds of local schoolchildren waving Union Jack flags gathered at the station to greet the monarch on Tuesday morning

The royal stopped to talk to local schoolchildren before boarding the new express train which will take her and Philip, along with their guests, into London Paddington this afternoon

Once on board, the Queen could be seen beaming as she chatted to Gillian White, the great-great granddaughter of Sir Daniel Gooch, and Isambard Thomas, the great-great-great grandson of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Today's special service left at almost the same time 175 years to the day - pulling away at 12.01, three minutes ahead of schedule - and the royal couple arrived in London just 19 minutes later.

On an action-packed day for the royal couple, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will later travel to Richmond upon Thames where they will attend Evensong in celebration of the Centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour at Hampton Court Palace's Chapel Royal.

The Queen meets to Gillian White, the great-great granddaughter of Sir Daniel Gooch, who drove Queen Victoria's train on this day in 1842. The monarch described the journey in her diary as 'delightful and so quick'

On board, the Queen sat next to Isambard Thomas, the great-great-great grandson of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the celebrated engineer who designed the Great Western Railway line and assisted Mr Gooch during the 1842 journey

Her Majesty wore a summery peach-coloured dress coat and matching hat decorated with a feather. Pinned to her coat was a dazzling diamond brooch

New arrival: The Queen touches down at Paddington for a short unveiling ceremony for the new Great Western Railway's Intercity Express train named in her honour

Historic: According to a tweet sent out by Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria wrote in her diary, 'There was no dust or great heat, in fact it was delightful and so quick'
Queen Maxima is famous for her sunny disposition no matter what the weather, so it was no surprise to see her on top form as she attended a breezy engagement today.

The Dutch royal beamed as she arrived at the 12th edition of Burendag on Tuesday despite strong winds leaving her rather windswept.

While the weather may have played havoc with her hair Maxima maintained a glamorous aesthetic in a purple dress from Belgian label, Natan.

Queen Maxima is famous for her sunny disposition no matter what the weather, so it was no surprise to see her on top form as she attended a engagement today

The stunning Dutch royal beamed as she arrived at the 12th edition of Burendag today

Known for being one of Europe's taller royals Maxima is never one to let her height prevent her from wearing heels stepping out in a pair of elegant sling backs.

The perfectly coordinated mother-of-three paired her elegant ensemble with a a clutch bag and chic pashmina both in complementary shades of purple.

Maxima, who wore her blonde tresses straight today, finished her look with a slick of berry lipstick.

Maxima took the time to bend down and greet the crowd who had gathered to meet her

The royal was all smiles as she looked out from beneath her bright purple wide brimmed hat

She was photographed delicately picking one of the roses that were on display in the garden

The royal performed her engagement alone on Tuesday with her husband King Willem Alexander remaining in Amsterdam, however, she was not without compnay.

The 46-year-old royal was given a warm welcome by crowds awaiting her arrival in Drenthe Nieuw-Buinen, Netherlands on Tuesday.

Lucky Maxima was even presented with a glorious bouquet of flowers from one thoughtful well-wisher, with the colours even matching her outfit.

The royal made sure her whole outfit was perfectly colour co-ordinated and looked impeccable

Thousands of activities are being organised in the Netherlands that bring neighbours closer

Queen Maxima, who kept her red gloves in her hands, unveiled and opened a new rose on Tuesday afternoon

Queen Maxima struggled to keep hold of her hat in the windy weather at the event today

The rose was developed in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Rosarium and the Year of the Rose declared by the municipality of Oldambt

The royal smiled at those who had arrived to meet her and accepted beautiful flowers from the crowds

Lots of well-wishers had waited patiently to catch a glimpse of Queen Maxima when she arrived

Queen Maxima braved the windy weather on Tuesday afternoon to attend an event associated with Burendag or 'neighbours day'

The Dutch Queen looked elegant in a lilac Natan dress which she paired with complementary purple accessories

Maxima appeared to be in high spirits as she arrived at the town of Drenthe Nieuw-Buinen where she was greeted by the mayor

Queen Maxima baptizes a new rose at the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Rosarium of Winschoten

The Queen smiled after picking a rose to smell from the garden at Rosarium Winschoten

The Argentinian-born royal spent time chatting to the crowds before being lead to the Burendag celebrations by the town's mayor.

Burendag is an annual party that celebrates the neighbourhood, allowing neighbours to get to know one another and tackle local issues.

Now in it's 12th year the Burendag, literally translating to 'neighbours day', will be celebrated officially in September with today acting as an opportunity for this year's activities to be registered.

She stuck her arm out to shake hands with a woman who had arrived early to meet her at the event

The Queen's hands were full after she received lots of flower bouquets from the crowds

With lots of people waiting for her, she took the time to meet them and shake their hands

While she performed her engagement alone Maxima was not without company and was greeted by dozens of well-wishers on Tuesday
She's left behind a fledgling law career to launch her own line of jewellery, and is becoming a familiar face on the fashion scene.

Today Chelsy Davy mingled with some of London's most stylish - including hotel heiresses the Forte sisters - at a VIP breakfast to celebrate the launch of the new Misela handbag range.

Prince Harry's former flame, 31, wore an unstructured cream blazer over jeans and heels to the event at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair.

Chelsy Davy wore jeans, heels a white top and a flowing cream blazer to the Misela launch

She was joined at the event at Brown's Hotel by Lydia Forte (left), Irene Forte (second from right), and Marissa Montgomery

Her blonde hair was tied back from her face in a loose ponytail, and she carried a brown leather shopper.

She was joined by Marissa Montgomery, a designer and TV presenter who founded the Rotten Roach clothing range and featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.

Lydia and Irene Forte, the daughters of Sir Rocco Forte, the founder and chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels, also posed for photographs with Chelsy at the lavish breakfast.

Chelsy poses for a snap with designer Marissa Montgomery, founder of the Rotten Roach clothing line

Turkish designer Serra Turker joins Chelsy Davy and Irene Forte for a photograph

The vibe was glamorous but casual, with guests in denim or summery floral dresses and espadrilles

Chelsy quit her job as a city lawyer to concentrate on her Aya jewellery range, which celebrates African craftsmanship.

Earlier this year Prince Harry's ex also showed signs of expanding her career portfolio even further, by setting up a holiday company called Aya Luxury Travel.
Grandchild of the year alert! One young woman helped bring a smile to her ailing grandmother's face by pulling off a sly stunt that involved sneaking a beloved family pet into a hospital.

Shelby Hennick, a 21-year-old from California, knew she had to do something when her grandmother Dona fell ill and was confined to the hospital.

As a veterinary technician, Hennick certainly knows about the healing power of animals, and she decided that a visit from Dona's 12-year-old dog Patsy was exactly what her grandmother needed.

Clever! Shelby Hennick disguised her grandma's dog, Patsy, as a baby in order to smuggle her into the hospital

Sneaky: Though the blanket gave the appearance of a young child being swaddled, it actually contained Patsy the dog

Reunited: Hennick said that both Patsy and her grandmother, Dona, were thrilled to see each other after days apart

While different hospitals may follow different rules, guidelines from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America encourage hospitals to allow only certified service animals on their premises.

Alas, this meant that Hennick couldn't simply stroll up to Dona's room with Patsy on a leash. Instead, Hennick devised a crafty plan that involved swaddling the small dog in a blanket.

When carried over her shoulder, Patsy looked like a newborn baby who was napping or nursing with his mom. Hennick told BuzzFeed News that she played it cool when strolling into the hospital, and simply 'walked by and waved' at the staff before heading to Dona's room.

Both Dona and Patsy were emotional at the reunion. 'Patsy kept crying and couldn't get close enough,' Hennick said.

A special bond: Hennick said Dona and Patsy are incredibly important to one another - and clearly the visit worked its magic, as Dona is already home from the hospital

Going viral: Since Hennick shared her story to Twitter on Sunday, it has received hundreds of thousands of likes and replies

A positive force: After reading about Hennick's story, many shared messages of support and encouragement for the stunt

Not so sure: Some others felt that bringing Patsy into the hospital posed health risks to those who have immune issues or allergies

After Hennick tweeted out her story, accompanied by pictures of her clever puppy disguise, she instantly went viral. Presently, her post has more than 406,000 likes and 91,000 re-tweets - in addition to thousands of gleeful replies.

'So heart warming,' one reply said. 'I bet the dog was happier too.' 'Best medicine ever!' declared another.

While the bulk of responses were positive, some individuals questioned Hennick's decision, and felt that by bringing a dog into a hospital, she was putting others at risk for disease or allergic reactions.

'This is dangerous. You can get other patients sick. Especially immune compromised ones,' read one tweet - and many others expressed similar sentiments.

Sharing their stories: Hennick's tale inspired many others to reflect on similar incidents in their own lives

Woah! Surely this family didn't pretend their Great Dane was a newborn baby when they snuck him into the hospital

The power of puppies: Repeated studies have found that dogs can act as powerful therapists for those recovering from surgery

Though, as others pointed out, dogs are allowed in hospitals - but only if they meet service dog standards with regards to their training. As one individual noted, hospitals are 'so sanitary and not able to really capture allergens like normal carpeting or furniture would, [so] patients with allergies are perfectly fine.'

Regardless of any backlash, Hennick was certainly not the first person to pull of this stunt, and likely won't be the last. Among the many responses to her images are tales from others who have performed similar stunts for their ailing family and friends. In a few instances, others said they had even been helped by hospital staff.

Numerous studies have concluded that dogs have a positive effect on those recovering from surgery or under psychological stress, so it makes sense why those in the hospital would find comfort in their pets.

It surely seems that Patsy helped Dona feel her best - the grandmother checked out of the hospital and returned home on Monday night.
Ivanka Trump looked ever bit the elegant businesswoman as she boarded Air Force One with her father, President Donald Trump, on Tuesday afternoon.

The 35-year-old first daughter is traveling to Wisconsin with her dad to tour Waukesha County Technical College, where they'll be promoting the administration's new plan for expanding apprenticeships.

For her trip, Ivanka donned cream sleeveless shirt, which she tucked into a pair of loose-fitting black trousers that tied at the waist.

Daddy's girl: Ivanka Trump flashed a small smile as she and her father stepped off Marine One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Father-daughter duo: The two walked side by side as they headed towards Air Force One ahead of their flight to Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Travels: President Trump gave a salute as he stepped off Marine One with Ivanka following behind him

After an early morning visit from her glam squad, Ivanka was photographed leaving the front door of her Washington, D.C. home on Tuesday, modeling natural-looking make-up and a perfect coif.

The mom-of-three wore her long blonde hair pulled half-up and in loose waves around her shoulders, and she carried a $295 from her eponymous collection.

Before she left her house, her husband Jared Kushner, 36, was photographed on his way to work.

The senior adviser looked dapper in a slate gray suit and navy tie, and he flashed a smile before leaving for the day.

The President and first daughter will be joining Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and Governor Scott Walker for the tour, and after their visit, Trump will headline a political fundraiser for Walker, who is up for reelection next year.

Support system: Ivanka looked on as her father gave a wave after stepping off the aircraft

Business casual: The president and first daughter were photographed walking across the White House lawn as they headed to Marine One

Ready to go: Ivanka and her father were all smiles as they prepared to board the aircraft

White House business: Ivanka and her father will be touring Waukesha County Technical College, where they'll be promoting the expansion of apprenticeships

Initiative: The first daughter is taking a leading role in the White House initiative to expand apprenticeships across the country to fill unmet labor needs

The tour of the technical college is just one event in what has been called 'workforce development week', and Ivanka is taking a leading role in the White House initiative to expand apprenticeships across the country to fill unmet labor needs.

Ivanka, who is an unpaid presidential adviser, told ABC News: 'We're very excited about where we are.'

'We'll be launching a series of initiatives, call on Congress to pass various reforms expanding apprenticeships, and raise awareness about the fact that there are important and very viable and respectable career paths outside of a tradition four-year college experience that should be considered and should be invested in.'

Trump is also slated to make a speech about the steps the administration will take to encourage workforce development at the Department of Labor on Wednesday, while Ivanka will lead a roundtable discussion with about 15 CEOs.

Picture of elegance: Ivanka was photographed stepping out of her Washington, D.C. home on Tuesday morning before flying to Wisconsin with her father, President Donald Trump

Business casual: Ivanka wore a cream sleeveless shirt, which she tucked into a pair of loose-fitting black trousers that tied at the waist

Light packing: Ivanka carried a carried a $295 white handbag from her eponymous collection.

Stunning 'do: The first daughter wore her long blonde hair pulled half-up and in loose waves around her shoulders

Pumped up: President Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday, explaining that he was traveling to Wisconsin to talk about jobs

Power couple: Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner looked dapper as he left for work on Tuesday

Getting ready: A member of Ivanka's glam squad was photographed entering her home

Ivanka kicked off the week with a rare television interview, sitting down with the hosts of 'Fox & Friends' to rave about the work her father's administration is doing, dismiss his detractors, and bemoan her new job working in the swamp.

For her appearance, Ivanka wore the same exact look she busted out back in July at the republican National Convention, pairing a $3,000 Alexander McQueen box-pleat sheath with $900 white agate drop earrings with diamond from her namesake jewelry collection.

However, she changed things up a bit by wearing a pair of her $120 Ivanka Trump suede heels in nude and a $2,200 mother of pearl ring with diamonds from her now-defunct high-end jewelry line.

Ivanka also carried a $275 Soho tote in white from her handbag collection as she headed as she left her New York City apartment on Monday morning ahead of her interview.

New York City is in the midst of a heat wave, but after her interview, she traded her weather-appropriate sleeveless dress for a more buttoned up look.

All smiles: Ivanka was photographed leaving her New York City apartment on Monday after appearing on Fox & Friends that morning

Next stop: Ivanka was seen rolling a purple suitcase out of her apartment building in a long-sleeve dress despite the soaring temperatures

Walking tall: Ivanka is pictured leaving her New York apartment in a $3,000 Alexander McQueen box-pleat sheath, which she wore for her interview

Although the weather reached nearly 95 degrees, Ivanka donned a long-sleeve collared dress that was buttoned up to her neck and billowed past her knees as she headed to the airport for her flight back to Washington, D.C.

The mother-of-three left her long blond hair down around her shoulders, and she paired her look with black pumps and sunglasses.

Despite the extremely warm temperatures, Ivanka looked relaxed as she rolled her purple suitcase past her doorman.

While her luggage was being placed in the silver SUV that was waiting at the curb for her, Ivanka smiled and waved to the photographers waiting outside the door of her Park Avenue apartment.

After hopping in the SUV, Ivanka rested her elbow on the window as she waited for her driver to make his way through the traffic.
Most people would don practical wellington boots and a Barbour jacket for a trip to the farm but not when you're the Queen of Belgium.

Queen Mathilde looked somewhat out of place in a formal floral dress on a visit to two agricultural enterprises in Namur, Belgium, on Tuesday.

The royal donned an orange and green floral print dress for her visit to the farm, where she got stuck in and fed a cow.

Queen Mathilde donned a formal green and orange floral dress as she paid a visit to a farm in Namur, Belgium, on Tuesday

The short-haired royal tucked into some tasty treats made by local farmers, where female farmers take an active role such as Ferme de Coux in Maillen and La Petite Campagne in Bovesse.

The royal sampled some local cheeses before meeting animals outside in the farmyard.

Her surroundings were a far cry from last week, when the royal was resplendent in a lilac dress as she arrived at the presentation of the Queen Elisabeth Competition Prize at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Waterloo, Belgium.

This year, the Queen Elisabeth Competition was devoted to the cello and the royal looked delighted to be part of proceedings.

The royal donned an orange and green floral print dress for her visit to the farm, where she got stuck in and fed a cow

The royal was certainly in high spirits as she stepped into one of the barns and fed a little cow

The cheerful royal was all smiles as she fed some goat with women who run the centre

The short-haired royal tucked into some tasty treats made by local farmers,

Following in the Duchess of Cambridge's footsteps, the 44-year-old accessorised her look with intricate pearl earrings.

The competition is an annual music contest, this year asking for cello players to put their musical talents forward.

This year is the first time the competition has asked for cello players with previous categories including singing and violin.

Finals for the competition started on Monday and concluded today with each evening seeing an audience hear two finalists perform at the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts.

First prize went to French cellist Victor Julien-Laferriere, who chatted away to the royal.

The Queen embraced the warm weather in an A-line dress emblazoned with bold floral prints

The royal sampled some local cheeses before meeting animals outside in the farmyard

Queen Mathilde acts as Honorary President of the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

The Queen of Belgium cut an elegant figure in a sleeveless emerald dress as she welcomed the jury for the Queen Elisabeth Competition to her home in Brussels last Tuesday.

The 44-year-old showcased her enviable figure with a waist-cinching belt and showcased her lengthy legs in a pair of nude heels.

Queen Mathilde was a vision in an intricate purple dress as she attended a musical presentation in Belgium on Tuesday

Famous for her perfectly coiffed locks Mathilde certainly didn't let standards slip as she welcomed her guests today.

The mother-of-four added a touch of sophisticated bling to her ensemble in the form of statement earrings set with an elegant stone.

Mathilde kept her beauty look to a minimal this afternoon opting with a soft smoky eye and a slick of berry lipstick.

The Belgian royal was joined by her husband King Philippe, 57, who looked distinguished in an indigo suit for his visitor's arrival on Tuesday.

The couple were today welcoming the jury who will decide the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2017.

After greeting their guests the King and Queen posed for a commemorative photo with the judges.
She's had a busy day of engagements but the Queen still found time to nip home for a quick change before joining a service celebrating the Centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour at Hampton Court Palace.

The monarch, 91, was picture perfect for a summer evening in a lilac floral dress with a matching coat and hat.

Earlier today, she opted for summery peach as she recreated the first train journey taken by a monarch in the UK.

This evening Her Majesty joins a host of celebrities and figures from the world of politics, science and the arts for Evensong at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace.

She was accompanied by Prince Philip, 96, who looked smart in a grey suit for one of the last of his public engagements before his forthcoming retirement in the Autumn.

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The Queen, 91, was picture perfect for a summer evening in a lilac floral dress with a matching coat and hat as she arrived at the Chapel Royal for Evensong at Hampton Court

The Duke of Edinburgh, 96, looked smart in a grey suit as he attended one of his final public engagements before his retirement in the autumn

Top row L-R: Reverend Anthony Howe, Reverend Richard Chartres, Evelyn Glennie, Baroness Warnock, Baroness Amos, Harry Woolf, Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin, George Osborne, Richard Eyre, reverend Paul Wright, Lt Col Michael Vernon. Middle row L-R: David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, Maggie Smith, Menzies Campbell, Sebastian Coe, Michael Howard, Dan McKenzie, General John De Chastelain, John Major, David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick, Judi Dench, George Young, Baron Young of Cookham, Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, Mary Peters, Roy Strong. Front L-R: Roger Bannister, Chris Patten, David Attenborough, Janet Baker, Peter Brooke, Norman Tebbit, The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Kenneth Baker, Tom King, David Owen, Michael Heseltine and Bridget Riley

The Queen is greeted as she arrives with Prince Philip to attend Evensong in celebration of the centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour at the Chapel Royal Hampton Court Palace

The Queen greets the choir before leaving the Evensong celebration

Companion of Honour awards were founded by the Queens grandfather, King George, in June 1917 in recognition of outstanding achievements in the arts, science and politics and are strictly limited to just 65 members at any one time, plus the monarch.

New admissions come only with another's death and the Queen is understood to have major say in who is given the gong.

The honour carries no title, but allows holders to use the letters 'CH' after their names.

The award has previous been given to fellow veteran actress Dame Judi Dench, Olympics star Lord Coe and actor Sir Ian McKellen.

Her Majesty accessorised with her customary pearl jewellery and a glittering diamond brooch

Her Majesty was presented with a beautiful bouquet of roses, peonies and crocuses

The Queen greets guests including former prime minister John Major at a reception following the Evensong service

Lovely in lilac: Her Majesty managed a quick outfit change before her second engagement of the day

Prince Philip is retiring from royal duties in the Autumn, but for now it's business as usual

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the service to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the Order of the Companions of Honour

The Queen was all smiles as she departed following the ceremony at the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court

Perfectly co-ordinated: Her Majesty was impeccable as always in a lilac outfit

Her Majesty arrives for the ceremony attended by a host of prominent figures, including Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Lord Coe and David Attenborough

There are currently 53 companions, including Dame Vera Lynn, Stephen Hawking and David Hockney.

Earlier today, the Queen marked the 175th anniversary of the first train journey by a British monarch by travelling the same route as the historic trip.

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh recreated the journey made by Queen Victoria on June 13, 1842 by taking a Great Western Railway service from Slough to London Paddington.

Resplendent in a summery pink coat and matching hat, Her Majesty smiled and waved to well-wishers as she boarded GWR's new Intercity express train, which is due to enter passenger service later this year.

Dame Maggie Smith, 82, arrives for Evensong in celebration of the Centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour, which was founded by King George V

Sir David Attenborough, 91, is the only broadcaster among the Companions of Honour

Dame Judi Dench looked elegant in shades of beige as she arrived on the arm of her partner, the conservationist David Mills

Lord Coe was honoured in December 2012 after successfully spearheading the arrangement for the Olympics in London

George Osborne was welcomed into the Order of the Companions of Honour in August 2016
Otto Warmbier, the college student who was detained in North Korea almost 1-1/2 years ago for trying to take a propaganda sign and was sentenced to prison for 15 years of hard labor, is finally being sent home  but in a coma. And it looks like he's been in a coma for over a year.

According to The Washington Post:

Warmbier, 22, is due to arrive home in Cincinnati on Tuesday evening, after a stop at a U.S. military facility in Sapporo, Japan. The family said they were told by North Korean officials  through contacts with American envoys  that Warmbier fell ill from botulism sometime after his March trial [in 2016] and fell into a coma after taking a sleeping pill. There is no way of knowing yet whether the North Korean version of events is true, but the Warmbiers were told their son was in a coma the whole time.

North Korea has "woefully inadequate medical care," according to The Washington post, and at this point it's not clear what kind of care Warmbier received "for more than a year in an unconscious state."

Image: Roman Harak
The company also accepts custom order to suit your pet's specific needs

Prices vary by size, and can range from $129 to $150

The ensembles are crafted from a durable foam material that is safe for pets

Adding to the latest in the never-ending series of things you didn't know you needed until right now is one Japanese company designing samurai armor for your pets.

Samurai Age, a company based in Fukuoka, Japan, makes hand-crafted pet armor that will instantly transform any kitten or canine into one of the fierce samurai warriors of legend.

In addition to adorable pre-made armor, Samurai Age also offers custom creations for the discerning pet costumer.

Who's the fiercest of them all? Japanese company Samurai Age sells pre-made and custom samurai armor for cats and dogs

Pricey! Currently, the standard-size suits will set you back anywhere between $129 and $150

Extra-special: For those who prefer a more tailored fit, they can request a custom-designed suit for their cat or dog

Whether one orders from the standard sizes or opts for a custom fit, all pieces from Samurai Age are hand-crafted in Japan.

Traditionally, samurai armor was constructed from leather. These pet-friendly suits are fashioned from soft, flexible polyurethane foam, flat string, and metal snap fittings.

Presently, the armor is available in red, black, gold, and silver, while other colors require a custom order. For standard sizes, prices range anywhere from 14,256 to 16,416 yen, or roughly $129 to $150. The cost for custom pieces varies.

Pet armor may be the perfect gift for Japanese history buffs, as some of the suits are actually based on particular legendary warriors.

Pet-friendly: Whereas real samurai armor is made from leather, these miniature versions are built from flexible foam

Historical! Some of these pet get-ups constructed to resemble famous samurai warriors from eras long past

Growing! The company is gaining popularity, with their Instagram page featuring more warrior pets from all around the world

One Shiba Inu pup on the company's website can be seen sporting a bright red suit that's meant to channel Sanada Yukimura, a hero of Japan's Sengoku era.

While these pet getups may seem novel, they are actually proving to be quite popular. A glance at the company's Instagram page shows all types of cats and dogs looking ready for battle in their samurai gear.

For humans that really want to go the extra mile for their furry friend, Samurai Age also offers adult-size samurai outfits. With just a few clicks, you can transform from local cat lady into a verifiable samurai army.

Or, if that's too much - your pet will at least have a very excellent and very accurate Halloween costume this fall.

Coordination: For those who wish to match with their cat or dog, Samurai Age also builds samurai suits for adults

Made with love: Whether you order from the standard-size collection or a custom creation, all of Samurai Age's wares are hand-crafted in Japan
He's often seen on royal engagements with his glamorous wife Princess Sofia.

But today Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, 38, enjoyed a royal outing with his father King Carl Gustav, 71, as the pair attended Stenhammar Day together.

The annual event is organised by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and held at the Stenhammar Estate, a summer residence of the royal family.

Prince Carl Philip, who is looking forward to the birth of his second child in September, opted for smart casual in grey skinny trousers and suede boots, paired with a tweed jacket and a shirt and tie.

Also in attendance was the King's beloved dog Brandie who goes with her master to as many events as possible.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, 38, opted for smart casual as he attended Stenhammardagen for Stenhammar day with his father the King

King Carl Gustaf took his beloved dog Brandie along for the outing, seen getting a reassuring pat on the head from her master

For 11 years, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has partnered with the estate to generate knowledge of grazing-based meat production, for the benefit of the industry and Stenhammar's own operations.

Today is in fact Prince Carl Philip's second wedding anniversary and last year his wife attended the event with him.

But former glamour model Sofia, 32, no doubt has her hands full as she prepares for the birth of their second child in the Autumn.

The couple revealed the happy news withan official statement on the Swedish Royal Court's website.

Not your best side? The royal was caught in a hilarious grimace at one point of the proceedings

The couple said: 'We are happy to announce that we are expecting a child, a sibling to Prince Alexander.

'We are looking forward to welcoming a new little member to our family.'

The statement also confirmed that Sofia would continue with her scheduled engagements as planned throughout the spring and summer of 2017.

Prince Carl Philip is celebrating his second wedding anniversary today, but his wife Princess Sofia remained at home

Their good news came just 11 months after the birth of the couple's first child Prince Alexander who arrived in April 2016.

He was born weighing at 7lbs 9oz. and measuring 19.3 inches long at Danderyds Hospital in Stockholm.

Hours after the birth, Carl Philip held a press conference at the hospital to announce the new arrival.

'When asked if he had cried during the birth, the prince replied, according to People magazine: 'Yes, actually. Of course. Couldn't stop.

'For me and my wife, this is obviously a great day with a lot of emotion. Words cannot describe.'

Former glamour model Sofia Hellqvist married the prince last June. The elegant brunette is known for her infectious gap-toothed smile and easygoing ways.

They dated for five years before walking down the aisle and now live together in the upmarket Djurgarden district of Stockholm.
At one recently-opened pop-up restaurant in Japan, diners are warned that they very well might not get what they ordered  but surprisingly, it seems few patrons are complaining.

That's because waiters at the eatery, which is called 'The Restaurant of Order Mistakes', all have dementia and Alzheimer's.

According to Spoon & Tamago, founders of the unique dining spot hope that eating there will help change perspectives about dementia and teach customers to be more patient with those who suffer from it.

A pop-up restaurant in Japan is staffed by waiters with various forms of dementia

The eatery opened for a single weekend test-run earlier this month and is set to re-open in September for World Alzheimer's Day

Diners at The Restaurant of Order Mistakes are warned that the waiters might not get orders right or may forget to get something that was asked for

Yahoo! Japan first reported that the pop-up restaurant opened in Tokyo's Toyosu district on June 2 and closed after June 4, but will re-open around World Alzheimer's Day in September.

The name is a twist on the title of a 1924 story by Kenji Miyazawa called The Restaurant of Many Orders.

It's run by several people, including the owners of Maggie's Tokyo and the U.K.-based Maggie's Centres.

The founders hope to spread a message about inclusivity, and teach people to be more understanding toward elders with dementia. The restaurant also servers to point out that dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers can still be functioning members of society.

It doesn't all run smoothly, though. The restaurant readily warns that waiters may bring patrons the wrong order. They also may forget to bring drinks or other items.

The restaurateurs behind the spot are hoping to draw attention to people suffering from dementia

The idea is to show that people with dementia can still be functioning members of society, but also to teach others to be more patient with them

A Japanese magazine editor who sampled the restaurant described the food as enjoyable

However, she added that she was brought the wrong dish when the food was first served, getting gyoza instead of steak

However, at least one diner said that the experience was still quite a pleasant one, even if she didn't get the meal she wanted.

Mizuho Kudo, a Japanese food editor, tweeted about her stop at the restaurant this month.

She ordered a 'hamburger steak', but was given gyoza dumplings instead. Her order was eventually righted (and the food was 'delicious'), and she said she 'laughed a lot' during the meal.

Her tweet about the experience has been liked over 160,000 times, and many commenters seemed impressed by the idea.
It's not unusual to see baked goods decorated in ways inspired by nature  but the latest nature-driven trend to dominate social media is not floral, sunny, or aquatic. It's geologic.

Bakers have been turning to geodes to inspire their tasty treat decorations, with cookies in particular getting the glitzy treatment.

Geodes, often seen in jewelry and home decor, are the insides of rocks that are covered in crystals and minerals.

Rockin' baking skills: Geode cookies have become a popular baking trend on Instagram

Too pretty to eat: Whipped Bakeshop in Philadelphia, in particular, makes beautiful geode cookies

Brilliant: Some bakers are even shaping their cookies to look like hollow, cut-open rocks

Inspo: Geodesare the insides of rocks that are covered in crystals and minerals

More popular: Geodes are often used in jewelry and home decor

Beautiful: Bakers are using bits of rock candy to look like the crystals inside

Rough-cut geode  meaning the crystals haven't been sanded down into a smooth surface but are left to be raw and spiky  first started to rise in popularity around 2010.

But while it's natural people would want to wear something so sparkly, eating it's not the first thing that comes to mind.

Yet many home bakers and bakeries have turned to the sparkly rock for Instagram-ready baked goods which are sure to elicit 'oohs' and 'aahs'.

First, geode designs started popping up in cakes, with bakers cutting out holes along the sides of their tiered confections and filling them in to look like the insides of these sparkly rocks.

Sparkly! Many are also dusting the edges with edible metallic paint

Starting with plain clear rock candy, the cookies can be painted to look like quartz

Unique: This baker even puts holes in her cookies so they look like slices cut out of geodes

Fancy snacks: Several of the designs are also decorated with edible glitters

They can also be done without candy by painting colorful rings and sprinkling with glitter

Bakers have also taken to making cakes that appear to have geode centers

Lately, creative bakers have been bringing geodes to cookies, too, decorating the top of shortbread or sugar cookies with chopped-up rock candy.

The candy gives it that rough rock effect, and then they can be painted to look more colorful.

Painted Zoe Lukas decorates multicolor heart-shaped geode cookies for Whipped Bakeshop in Philadelphia, which have earned plenty of attention on Instagram.

Ontario-based cookie decorator The Cookie Duchess makes hers with holes in the middle to look liked slices of geode rocks, while Erica De La Fe of Cookie Obsessions and the Bake Hard Bakery in Dallas shape their treats to be round on one side and concave on the other, to look even more like a split-open rock.
People who go to bed at the same time every night are far more healthy and successful than their more spontaneous peers, new research reveals.

While the growing swell of sleep research tends to focus on the amount of time we sleep, scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital have found routine is just as key.

A team measured sleep and circadian rhythms in 61 undergraduates at Harvard College for 30 days using sleep diaries, then compared that data to their academic performance.

Overwhelmingly, students with irregular patterns of sleep and wakefulness had a lower grade point average than the rest.

They also tended to hit snooze more often, rather than bounding out of bed, and struggled to get sleepy, due to irregular releases of melatonin - the hormone that makes us want to sleep.

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital found Harvard College students had a lower grade point average if they did not go to bed at the same time every night.

The research is one of the first studies to have considered or accurately quantified the effects of regular sleep patterns.

It suggests a more inconsistent routine prevents your body from releasing hormones at the right time to make you feel sleepy and awake, thereby throwing off your circadian rhythm (body clock).

In the study, the researchers quantified sleep regularity using the sleep regularity index (SRI), a newly devised metric.

They examined the relationship between the SRI, sleep duration, distribution of sleep across the day, and academic performance during one semester.

'Our results indicate that going to sleep and waking up at approximately the same time is as important as the number of hours one sleeps,' said Dr Andrew J. K. Phillips, a biophysicist at the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital and lead author on the paper.

'Sleep regularity is a potentially important and modifiable factor independent from sleep duration,' Dr Phillips said.

Students with more regular sleep patterns had better school grades on average.

Researchers found no significant difference in average sleep duration between most students with irregular sleep patterns and most regular sleepers.

'We found that the body clock was shifted nearly three hours later in students with irregular schedules as compared to those who slept at more consistent times each night,' said Dr Charles A. Czeisler, Director of the Sleep Health Institute at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and senior author on the paper.

'For the students whose sleep and wake times were inconsistent, classes and exams that were scheduled for 9am were therefore occurring at 6am according to their body clock, at a time when performance is impaired.

'Ironically, they didn't save any time because in the end they slept just as much as those on a more regular schedule.'

The team could identify each students circadian rhythm by measuring when their body released melatonin.

They saw that students who went to bed at different times every night tended to release melatonin 2.6 hours later than their peers.

'Using a mathematical model of the circadian clock, we were able to demonstrate that the difference in circadian timing between students with the most irregular sleep patterns and students with regular sleep patterns was consistent with their different patterns of daily light exposure,' Dr Phillips said.

'In particular, regular sleepers got significantly higher light levels during the daytime, and significantly lower light levels at night than irregular sleepers who slept more during daytime hours and less during nighttime hours.'

The researchers concluded that light-based interventions - such as spending more time outdoors in the sunshine and spending less time on computers screens at night - may be effective in improving sleep regularity.

The results were published in Scientific Reports on Monday June 12.
Two thirds of British men with a family history of prostate cancer are unaware of the danger they face as a result of inheriting harmful genes, research has shown.

Men are 2.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if the disease has affected their father or brother.

Yet 66 per cent of men in this position are not aware of their increased risk, according to research by the Prostate Cancer UK charity.

Two thirds of British men with a family history of prostate cancer are unaware of the danger they face as a result of inheriting harmful genes, research has shown

The findings, to be presented today at the Public Health England Cancer Data and Outcomes Conference in Manchester, suggest there is a startling lack of awareness about the disease among British men.

Each year around 46,700 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the UK and more than 11,200 men die from the disease.

One in every eight British men will develop the disease in their lifetime, a figure that rises to one in four among black men.

The cancer is easily dealt with if diagnosed early - 99 per cent of men whose tumour is spotted at a very early stage survive for at least ten years.

But if the disease is diagnosed late this survival rate drops to just 22 per cent.

There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer, but men over the age of 50 are eligible for a PSA blood test which gives doctors a rough idea of whether they are at risk.

If this gives a positive result further scans or biopsies give a definitive diagnosis, and the tumour can be easily dealt with, often with surgery or radiotherapy.

Yet if the tumour is not spotted because a PSA test is not used, men often only find out about their cancer when they start displaying symptoms, by which time the cancer may have spread, making it far harder to treat.

The new study was based on an analysis of Public Health England cancer data and surveys of 1,901 adult British men and 402 GPs.

Men are 2.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if the disease has affected their father or brother - yet 66 per cent of men in this position are not aware of their increased risk

It revealed although 90 per cent of GPs are aware of the familial link to prostate cancer, only one in ten is likely to ask their male patients if any of their relatives have had prostate cancer.

Some 46 per cent of GPs said this was because of time pressure during appointments, or the need to prioritise other health concerns.

But experts said if patients themselves raised the issue, GPs would make time.

The charitys chief executive Angela Culhane said: Theres no denying that GPs in the UK today face tremendous pressure to start conversations with patients regarding an ever-growing list of medical conditions.

We need men to feel empowered to take control of their own health, find out their family history and pro-actively ask their GP whether they need tests for the disease due to their risk of developing it.

Currently this isnt happening nearly enough and the increased risk due to family history of prostate cancer is being dangerously overlooked by both men and their GPs.

Too many men are walking around completely blind to the serious danger they could face. This must change.

She added: Every single one of us can do our bit to reduce the number of men who lose their lives to prostate cancer every year in the UK.

This Sunday, Fathers Day, ask your dads, brothers, grand-dads, husbands, partners and friends about prostate cancer and urge them to book an appointment with their doctor if they have a family history of the disease.
A British surgeon is spending 50,000 of his own money to rebuild the horrifically scarred faces of women who were left disfigured after acid attacks in Pakistan.

Asim Shahmalak is currently helping six victims on his self-funded mercy mission - including one young mother who was doused in her face by a man whose marriage proposal she turned down.

The woman suffered such gruesome injuries her three-year-old son initially refused to live with her because he was afraid to look at her scars. She will initially undergo an eyelash transplant on her left eyelid to help with her treatment.

Former NHS surgeon Dr Shahmalak, 56, who was born in Karachi but moved to the UK after qualifying as a doctor, is best known for his work with celebrities such as model Calum Best and Gogglebox's Chris Steed.

Asim Shahmalak, a former NHS surgeon, is currently helping six victims on his self-funded mercy mission - including one young mother who was doused in her face by a man whose marriage proposal she turned down

Dr Shahmalak previously helped Kanwal Qayyum, 29, who lost her nose after being doused with acid (left) while she slept by a jealous friend. Surgeons spent 10 years painstakingly rebuilding her face including remodelling her nose with tissue from her thigh (right)

Kanwal (pictured before the attacks) said: 'I can't thank the doctor enough. He completely transformed my face and I love my new eyebrows and new eyelashes'

'I wept when I heard their stories'

The father-of-two, who lives in Cheadle, said: 'I wept when I heard their stories. Being doused with acid because you turned down a man's marriage proposal - people were treated better in the Middle Ages.

'They had given up hope of ever getting help because the Government in Pakistan cannot afford to do anything for them. We were their last hope.

'They are not accepted by society because of their disfigurement. They cannot get jobs and, in some case, they have been disowned by their families and left to beg on the streets.'

'Helping to rebuild their faces is some of the most rewarding work that I do. Just seeing their smiles after the surgery makes it all worthwhile. There is so much more work to do. I am just glad that I am able to make a difference to these people's lives.

'This is payback time for me for the fantastic medical training I received when I was growing in Pakistan which I have used for the benefit of patients in the years since in the NHS and in my private clinic.'

Who will receive the help?

As well as the aforementioned victim Sidra Kanwal, other patients Dr Shahmalak is helping on the trip include Sana Naz. The 24-year-old lost both of her eyebrows and most of her eyelashes in an acid attack by a former male friend.

One of the patients that Dr Shahmalak is helping is Reshma Rashid, who wasn't an acid attack victim. She lost both of her eyebrows when a gas cylinder exploded

Waqar Ali, 22, who lost his left eye, eyelid and most of his left eyebrow after being doused in acid last year, and Niaz Bano, 52, who was attacked with acid after a family row 10 years ago will also receive assistance.

He is also helping patients hurt in accidents including Arzoo Iobal, 20, who suffered serious facial scarring and lost most of her left eyebrow after collapsing on a hot plate following a fit.

Other patients are Reshma Rashid, 42, who lost both her eyebrows when a gas cylinder exploded and Salma Hanif, who was left with one eye after a cooking accident.

Dr Shahmalak's background

Being doused with acid because you turned down a man's marriage proposal - people were treated better in the Middle Ages Asim Shahmalak, 56

Dr Shahmalak, who lives with his wife Rubina, a GP, was introduced to the patients by the Karachi-based charity Depilex Smile Again whose founder Masarrat Misbah has worked tirelessly to help victims of acid attacks.

As well as carrying out the transplants, Dr Shahmalak will help to train local doctors and technicians in his techniques so that his work could carry on at local hospitals on his return to Britain.

One of the women he helped previously was Kanwal Qayyum, 29, who lost her nose after being doused with sulphuric acid while she slept by a jealous friend.

Surgeons have spent the past 10 years painstakingly rebuilding her face including remodelling her nose with tissue from her thigh.

Dr Shahmalak created new eyebrows and eyelashes for her and she said after the treatment: 'I cannot thank the doctor enough. He completely transformed my face and I love my new eyebrows and new eyelashes.'

Dr Shahmalak, who was born in Pakistan but moved to the UK, will also provide assistance to Salma Hanif, who was left with one eye after a cooking accident

Other patients that will receive surgery include Sana Naz. The 24-year-old lost both of her eyebrows and most of her eyelashes in an acid attack by a former male friend

Waqar Ali, 22, who lost his left eye, eyelid and most of his left eyebrow after being doused in acid last year, will also receive help from Dr Shahmalak
Drying laundry indoors may trigger a deadly asthma attack, an expert warns.

Moist environments create the ideal breeding grounds for mould, which then releases spores, she said.

Spores, which are invisible, can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks, she adds.

Young children, the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems, such as chemotherapy patients, may be particularly at risk.

The expert advises we dry our laundry outside if possible, use tumble dryers and keep our homes ventilated to prevent mould from building up.

Drying laundry indoors may trigger a deadly asthma attack, an expert warns

HOW TO SAFELY DRY YOUR LAUNDRY Avoid airing damp clothes indoors if possible. Keep windows open or use extractor fans to ventilate your home. Regularly wash mould off hard surfaces with a mix of vinegar, soap and water. Use humidifiers or air purifiers to reduce humidity if necessary. Keep air conditioner and heating filters clean and dry. Fix leaks and moisture problems as they arise. Source: RTE Advertisement

Why is it a risk?

Pheena Kenny, health promotion manager of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said: 'Moist environments encourage the growth of mould which can release 'seeds' called spores.

'The spores can cause allergic reactions in some people.

'But for some people with asthma who are sensitive to mould spores, it can act as a trigger, causing asthma symptoms to get worse,' RTE reported.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus species that commonly causes lung problems.

It grows throughout the year, but tends to peak during wetter months.

Who is most affected?

Certain asthma patients are more likely to experience an attack due to environmental triggers.

VITAMIN D IN PREGNANCY MAY PROTECT BABIES FROM ASTHMA Taking vitamin D supplements in pregnancy strengthens babies' immune systems, which may lower their risk of developing asthma, research revealed last month. The unborn babies of expectant mothers who take more than the recommended daily vitamin D dose for pregnant women respond better when exposed to simulated pathogens, a study found. Previous studies have demonstrated a link between a strong immune system in early life and a reduced risk of asthma. Researchers believe this may also extend to greater respiratory health overall. Lead researcher Professor Catherine Hawrylowicz, from King's College London, said: 'For the first time, we have shown that higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy can effectively alter the immune response of the newborn baby, which could help to protect the child from developing asthma.' Advertisement

These include young children, the elderly, people with a suppressed immune system, those with a severe form of asthma or people with skin problems, such as eczema.

What can we do?

Ms Kenny recommends drying laundry outdoors if possible or in well-ventilated rooms away from living spaces, such as lounges.

Be aware that mould also readily grows in damp environments, such as kitchens and bathrooms, she adds.

Keeping rooms ventilated via open windows and extractor fans prevents mould from building up.

Humidifiers or air purifiers can also help to manage humidity.

Mould can be removed from hard surfaces by regularly cleaning with a mix of water, vinegar and soap.

This comes after researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York revealed stressed pregnant women who are exposed to air pollution are more likely to have asthmatic children.

Boys whose mothers were exposed to both of these risk factors are more likely to develop the condition by age six, they found.
Stomach-churning footage shows an Indian woman having a 7cm-long worm pulled out from her eye.

After complaining of having an itchy eye, the 56-year-old woman, who is known only as Lalitha, sought medical help.

Doctors conducted various investigations to determine the cause of her problem before they made the surprising discovery.

A team at a Government-run hospital in Ernakulam, Kerala, then decided to operate on her to remove the parasite.

Pakistani surgeons decided to operate on the woman to remove the parasitic worm. The surgery lasted for 10 minutes and saw doctors use medical equipment to pull it out of her eye

DILOFILARIA WORMS: THE FACTS Dirofilariasis in humans is an infection that is caused by a specific roundworm called dirofilaria. Patients normally notice a slight bump in the area where they have been infected. Dogs, wolves and raccoons commonly transmit the parasite to human hosts, as well as mosquitos, fleas, lice and ticks. The majority of cases, of which there are less than 900 worldwide, are reported from southern and eastern Europe, Sri Lanka, Italy, France, Greece and Spain. Advertisement

The surgery, which can be seen in full glory in the video, proved to be a success, relieving the woman of her symptoms.

It lasted for 10 minutes and revolved around doctors using medical equipment to drag out the worm from its new home, local reports say.

What was the worm?

Upon closer inspection, the worm that invaded and took shelter in her eye was found to be a dirofilaria.

These worms, which can cause an infection called dirofilariasis, are most commonly transmitted by mosquitos, fleas, lice and ticks.

There have been less than 900 cases of dirofilariasis worldwide since it was first documented in 1885, according to the Journal of Parasitic Diseases.

The majority of cases are reported from southern and eastern Europe, Sri Lanka, Italy, France, Greece and Spain.
Having a fever in pregnancy really does increase the risk of your child having autism, alarming research confirms.

Links between respiratory illnesses in expectant mothers and the spectrum disorder have frequently been uncovered by scientists.

But a new study bolsters the growing body of evidence and suggests it heightens the chances by 34 per cent.

Being repeatedly affected by the bug was also found to increase the risk by 300 per cent, experts said.

Links between respiratory illnesses in expectant mothers and the spectrum disorder have frequently been uncovered by scientists

Despite being unsure as to why, previous suggestions have put it down to the virus impairing the growth of cells in the developing foetal brain.

The exact cause of autism is unknown, but researchers believe that it is caused by abnormal growth of the organ.

The most robust to date

The Columbia University study is believed to be the most robust to date to explore the link between ASD and fevers.

Dr Maddy Hornig and Professor Walter Lipkin, who are ex-lovers and currently embroiled in a lawsuit, were behind the report.

It was claimed that Professor Lipkin, who is Dr Hornig's boss, previously demanded that she inspect a lump on his bum and would kick her underneath tables to stop her from speaking.

Dr Hornig said: 'Our results suggest a role for gestational maternal infection and innate immune responses to infection in the onset of at least some cases of autism spectrum disorder.'

Professor Lipkin added: 'Future work should focus on identifying and preventing prenatal infections and inflammatory responses that may contribute to autism spectrum disorder.'

How was the study carried out?

AN OPPOSITE FINDING Despite the findings of this new study, researchers reported completely the opposite in November. They dispelled the myth and found having the flu in pregnancy doesn't mean your child will be born with autism. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, scientists found 'no association' between the two. They studied 196,929 babies after 24 weeks in the womb - 3,101 of which were born with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Danish researchers initially made the link back in 2012 when they found pregnant women with the flu were three times more likely to have autistic children. Advertisement

They followed 95,754 children over a period of 10 years, according to the results published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

As well as looking into flu rates, they assessed commonly used anti-fever drugs - acetaminophen (paracetamol) and ibuprofen.

What did they find?

The link was the strongest during the second trimester, raising the odds of ASD by 40 per cent, they found.

None of the children whose mothers' took ibuprofen went on to develop autism, the researchers also noted.

However, they were unable to confirm the link due to the small number of women who had used the nonsteroidal drug.

Pregnancy and the flu

It is widely recommended that pregnant women receive the flu vaccine due to their increased susceptibility to the virus.

Last year figures showed that 42 per cent of women in England received the jab - but it is unsure how many went onto catch the virus.

Previous research at the University of Southern California suggested infections disrupted the neurotransmitter serotonin in developing babies.

This messenger chemical that carries signals between nerve cells in the brain is thought to have a positive influence on mood, emotion and sleep.

The fetal brain requires serotonin to develop healthy neural circuits.
E-cigarettes are less addictive as vapers are not as dependent on their habit as traditional smokers, new research reveals.

Vapers typically wait longer to start using their e-cigs after waking up, a study found.

They are also less likely to consider themselves addicts or have strong cravings, the research adds.

E-cig users also report finding it easier to refrain from their habit when in no-vaping areas, the study found.

Study author Professor Guodong Liu from Penn State College of Medicine, said: 'No doubt about it, e-cigarettes are addictive, but not at the same level as traditional cigarettes.'

E-cigarettes are less addictive as vapers are not as dependent on their habit, research reveals

E-CIGARETTES ARE A GATEWAY TO TOBACCO FOR TEENS Electronic cigarettes are getting a generation of teenagers hooked on nicotine, a study warned back in January. Researchers claim that teenagers who would never normally smoke are now starting out with so-called vaping before moving on to regular cigarettes, risking long-term health problems. The researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found the number of schoolchildren who were smoking both cigarettes and e-cigs increased between 2011 and 2014, suggesting that the trendy devices are a gateway to the harmful habit. The reports authors said youths in the study who were deemed at a low risk of smoking cigarettes may not have developed a regular habit if e-cigarettes did not exist. Advertisement

How the study was carried out

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine analyzed survey responses from participants in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study - an ongoing survey of tobacco use among more than 30,000 young people and adults.

The scientists focused on the 3,586 participants who were either daily or almost-daily users of electronic or traditional cigarettes.

All of the study's participants were considered dependent on their habit due to their regularity of use.

Key findings

Results, published in Preventive Medicine, revealed that e-cigarette users wait longer to start using their product after waking up.

Vapers are also less likely to consider themselves addicts, have strong cravings or feel like they really need their product.

E-cigarette users also report finding it easier to refrain from using their product in restricted places.

Professor Liu said: 'No doubt about it, e-cigarettes are addictive, but not at the same level as traditional cigarettes.'

It is unclear why e-cigs are less addictive than traditional cigarettes.

Vapers wait longer to start using their product after waking up than smokers, a study found

E-CIGARETTES MAY STOP MOUTH ULCERS FROM HEALING Electronic cigarettes can stop wounds from healing, experts warned earlier this month. Chemicals in the devices impair the processes that allow the body to repair itself, a study found. The findings may explain why some users develop persistent painful mouth sores and ulcers. E-cigarettes are widely promoted as a safer replacement for tobacco. Yet toxicology experts in the US say they can lead to a range of health issues. Advertisement

Future research

Follow-up studies will further analyze e-cigarette users' dependency on their habit.

Around 80 percent of adult PATH participants also submitted blood and urine samples, which the researchers plan to study to determine if participants' nicotine levels match their self-reported dependence.

The researchers also plan to analyze smokers who use both electronic and traditional cigarettes to better understand nicotine dependence.

Professor Liu said: 'We suspect that most e-cigarette users are either experimental users or dual users of e-cigarettes and at least one type of traditional tobacco product, like cigarettes.

'We want to learn if dual users' dependence levels differ from each other and also from exclusive e-cigarette or cigarette users.'

The same PATH participants will continue to be surveyed to determine if experimental e-cigarette users eventually become traditional smokers.

Professor Liu said: 'Adolescents very much by nature want to experiment with everything and anything.

'We have to know a lot on almost every aspect of this device before we can have a coherent action plan to better manage this new emerging tobacco delivery product.'
Kailyn Donovan, five, was so distracted when she was playing in her backyard that she didn't feel the slight pinch of a bug bite.

It wasn't until last week that the little girl's parents noticed a small purplish bruise on the back of her knee.

Josh and Kristine Donovan didn't think much else of the marking until the bruise began to grow larger and Kailyn developed a fever.

Doctors from Mendon, Massachusetts, quickly diagnosed the mark as a spider bite and sent her to an emergency room to receive antibiotics.

When the medicine did nothing to help Kailyn, her parents then drove her to a pediatric infectious-disease specialist for further help.

There they learned Kailyn was bitten by a black widow, the most poisonous spider in North America.

Although the little girl is now recovering, Josh and Kristine are warning other parents to be aware of dangerous insects lurking in backyards.

Kailyn Donovan, five, (left) was bitten by a black widow spider in Mendon, Massachusetts, last week. The spider's venom caused a mark that looked like a bruise across the back of her knee (right)

The little girl is now recovering but her parents are warning others to be aware of dangerous insects lurking in their backyards

HOW DEADLY ARE BLACK WIDOWS? Black widow spiders have long been feared due to its toxic poison. The scarlet marking on its body warns off a potential predator, indicating that its venom is dangerous. An average of 2,000 people a year are bitten by the insect in the US. While the spiders are the most poisonous spiders in North America, their bites cause very few deaths. This doesn't mean they are harmless, though. The bites can result in severe muscle pains, cramps, fever, nausea and mild paralysis of the diaphragm. If bitten by a black widow, medical assistance should be sought in order to get an anti-venom serum. Advertisement

Although black widow bites can be deadly, only a few deaths have been reported.

An average of 2,000 people a year are bitten by the insect.

Kristine is urging other parents to inspect their child after playing outdoors and to push for answers if they notice something strange.

Speaking to CBS News, Kristine said: 'She never felt it bite her. It could have been in her jeans in the location where it bit her, we just don't know.

'She's happier now that we're not in the hospital. It doesn't seem to bother her. She looks at it, she doesn't think it's gross, so I try not to make a big deal out of it, to make her nervous or anything.'

Dr William Durbin, the specialist at UMass Memorial Medical Center, told the Donovans they were right to bring Kailyn to him, otherwise things could have been worse.

Speaking to the Boston Globe, Dr Durbin said her dark purple bite signaled cell injury.

He added: 'She had a very distinctive bite, which was very scary for her parents and of course the doctors, too.'

Black widows are known for its telling red marking on the body, signalizing its poisonous venom.

Black widows are also one of the few kinds of spiders that have fangs long enough to penetrate human skin and venom strong enough to severely affect a human being.

A bite mark is identified as two small puncture wounds and symptoms normally appear within an hour.

The poison attacks the nervous system, resulting in severe muscle pain, cramping, nausea, fever and mild paralysis of the diaphragm, which makes breathing difficult.

Most victims recover without serious complications but medical attention should be sought out so an anti-venom serum can be administered.

Although black widow bites can be deadly, only a few deaths have been reported. A bite mark is identified as two small puncture wounds and symptoms normally appear within an hour.

Kaylin was playing in her wooded backyard (pictured) when she was bitten, her parents said. The poison attacks the nervous system, resulting in severe muscle pain, cramping, nausea, fever and mild paralysis of the diaphragm, which makes breathing difficult

Black widows get their name because they eat their mates, a practice called sexual cannibalism.

These types of spiders are normally found in southern and western areas of the United States.

While it is uncommon to find black widow spiders in Massachusetts, Dr Durbin says 'they are around.'

They generally leave people alone unless someone comes into contact with one of their webs, which are commonly found in woodpiles, fences and other areas where debris has accumulated, according to the CDC.

Another poisonous spider found in North America is the brown recluse spider and they are most active in the warmer months.

These bites differ from black widows because their venom destroys the walls of blood vessels near the bite, sometimes causing a large skin ulcer.

The wound can take months to heal and can become infected, and although deaths are rare, it can occur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States later this month to meet President Donald Trump for the first time.

India's foreign ministry said on Monday that the two leaders will discuss bilateral relations on June 26 in Washington.

'Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest,' the External Affairs ministry statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States later this month

Ties between the two countries prospered under former US President Barack Obama, when India was seen as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia.

But Trump has focused on building ties with China, relying on it as key to tackling problems such as North Korea's nuclear program.

For India, other key concerns are Trump's decisions to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord and review the H1B visa program, under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the United States.

He will meet President Trump for the first time since his election last year

Ties between the two countries prospered under former US President Barack Obama, when India was seen as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia

In announcing America's withdrawal from the Paris deal last month, Trump irked India by saying New Delhi had made its participation 'contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid.'

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India did not sign the Paris accord because of the lure of money and would continue to be part of it, regardless of whether the United States participates.

Both sides have expected a bilateral nuclear agreement signed during the Obama administration to begin bearing fruit.

India is expected to discuss the issue with Washington because China has blocked India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, demanding that India's rival, Pakistan, be treated on the same basis.

Modi's flagship 'Make In India' policy, designed to reboot local manufacturing and ramp up exports in tandem with foreign investors, could also run aground on Trump's 'America first' instincts.

Major US firms such as Walmart and Apple have grown frustrated by regulations and tariffs imposed by Indian authorities as they seek to crack what is a potentially massive market.
Activists opposed by the Centre's recent moves to ban the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets organised a beef festival in Mizoram capital Aizawl.

The event coincided with the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived in Aizawl on Monday to hold a meeting of chief ministers of the states sharing borders with Mynamar.

The security arrangement for the visit was stepped up in the wake of beef festival organised by ZOlife Group and some activists.

Banners advocating eating of beef in Aizawl, where the meat is an integral part of food habits

Activists opposed to the recent cattle ban held a defiant beef festival on Monday

The organisers promoted the event on Facebook, calling on people to attend the beef festival at Vanapa Hall in the city on Monday afternoon.

The opposition to the Centres notification assumes political significance for the BJP, which is focusing on improving its presence in the entire North-East.

Remruata Varte, one of the organisers said that the entire state stands together in opposing the beef ban by BJP government at the Centre.

The beef festival coincides with the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (left), who arrived in Aizawl on Monday

Beef is an integral part of the food habits of the people in the region and no one will compromise for the same, Varte said.

This of course comes as a big setback for the BJP leaders who have been camping in the region trying to garner support for impending elections in the state.

Earlier, protests were witnessed in Meghalaya against the Centre's notification for ban on sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets.
Railway authorities in Sri Lanka will launch a crackdown on mobile phone selfies after a 12-year-old boy was decapitated taking a photo of himself.

The announcement came on Tuesday, two days after the boy and his 24-year-old brother were killed taking snaps on a coastal track in Columbo.

Another man died as he tried to take a selfie with his new bride on the same day on another section of the line.

A Sri Lankan man takes a selfie on the beach in the Colombo (photo for representation only)

The woman suffered serious injuries and is in intensive care.

Railway spokesman Wijeya Samarasinghe said mobile phones accounted for most of the 28 deaths on Sri Lanka's railways so far this year.

'We are launching a campaign this week to deploy our security staff to arrest those walking on the tracks and taking selfies in front of moving trains,' he told news agency AFP.

'There are some who want to post videos and pictures of themselves in front of moving trains.

Security staff will now arrest anyone who ventures onto the track to take a photo (photo for representation only)

'Unfortunately, some are unable to get out of the way in time and get killed.'

Police said the victims were often tourists from elsewhere in the country who had travelled to the seaside capital on holiday and wanted to pose for selfies with the Indian Ocean in the background.

'They dont realise how dangerous it is,' said a police official who asked not to be named.

Sri Lanka was the first country in South Asia to introduce mobile phones in 1989 and has seen an explosion in smartphone use in recent years.

But it remains behind neighbouring India when it comes to selfie-related deaths.

The South Asian giant was ranked top of a global list last year, with 76 such deaths in a two-year period, according to a study by US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi.
Two key global agreements to eradicate child slavery were ratified by India on Tuesday.

The move commits the country to adopting international labour standards on the employment of children which allows other nations to scrutinise on.

Indian Minister of Labour Bandaru Dattatreya said in a statement the ratification reaffirmed the country's 'commitment to a child labour free society.'

Satyarthi said that India had previously been in denial on the issue but said the current government was now recognising the scale of the problem

India's census found there were more than four million labourers aged between five and 14 in 2011 out of 168 million globally, but activists say millions more are at risk due to poverty.

The International Labour Organization's Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Minimum Age Convention form the bedrock of global guidelines for countries to legislate nationally.

Ratifying the conventions - which specify a minimum age of work and prohibit using minors in areas like armed conflict, prostitution or drug trafficking - means nations must adopt the standards and have their progress reviewed every four years.

India is home to more than 30 per cent of the world's 385 million most impoverished children, according to a 2016 World Bank and UNICEF report (photo for representation only)

Activists said successive governments had resisted ratification due to a general denial of the existence of child labour in India.

Nobel Laureate and child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi called the ratifications a paradigm shift.

'For years, India was saying we don't have child slavery and was hesitant to admit the worst forms of child labour exist here, but now this government has agreed that this is a problem and that is why we are ratifying the conventions,' he said.

The ratifications mean increased government spending on children and provide a strong legal tool for charities seeking to strengthen policy on child labour (photo for representation only)

The ratifications would mean increased government spending on children, and also provide a strong legal tool for charities seeking to strengthen policy on child labour in the country's courts, Satyarthi added.

India has one of largest populations of children in the world, with more than 40 percent of its 1.2 billion people below the age of 18, according to its 2011 census.

An economic boom in the last two decades has lifted millions out of poverty and progress has been made in curbing child labour with the introduction of social welfare schemes and laws to protect minors and ensure education.

Nonetheless, India is home to more than 30 per cent of the world's 385 million most impoverished children, according to a 2016 World Bank and UNICEF report.

These children are easy prey for traffickers, who promise a better life but often end up selling them into forced labour or debt bondage.

More than half of India's child workers are employed in agriculture and more than a quarter in manufacturing - embroidering clothes, weaving carpets or making match sticks.

Children also work in restaurants and hotels and as domestic workers. Many girls are sold to brothels for sexual slavery.
Life-saving medicines turn into carriers of death if they fall into the wrong hands.

And a raid led by the Union Health Ministry at Delhi's Bhagirath Palace, a wholesale market for drugs and medical equipment, revealed a dark underbelly that puts thousands of lives at risk.

Officials seized medicines worth nearly Rs 5 crore during the 'surgical strike' at the market that has about 376 chemist shops, while several traders were taken into custody.

Officers raided Delhi's Bhagirath Palace, a wholesale market for drugs and medical equipment

With more than 140 drugs regulatory officers from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) along with about 50 Delhi Police personnel involved, it was one of the biggest raids of its kind.

The CDSCO is an apex body under Union Health Ministry which functions for regulatory control over the import of drugs, approval of new drugs and clinical trials, etc.

The Delhi government too conducts raids on occasions to create deterrence among traders involved in malpractices.

According to the sources, officials got a tip from insiders regarding black-marketing as well as sale of substandard and spurious drugs at the market

Experts say drugs should always be stored in cool, neat and safe places, where there is no sunlight.

'However, warehouses where these drugs were kept were directly exposed to sunlight and most of the medicines were stored at room temperature, which shouldn't be the case as they lose their effectiveness,' a senior drug controller officer from CDSCO told Mail Today on condition of anonymity.

'During the raid, drug inspectors found some of the vaccines were stored at more than 30C against the required storage temperature of 2-8C. Some of the cough syrup was found to be stored in PVC 5 litre packs.

Medicines worth nearly Rs 5 crore were seized from the market which has about 376 chemist shops within it

'These traders purchase in huge quantities from companies and sell it to their agents without proper labelling and seals. There is no mention of composition of the drug, dosages and manufactured as well as expiry date.'

Sources say that cough syrup in such quantities and conditions is often sold to addicts.

According to the sources, officials got a tip from insiders regarding black-marketing as well as sale of substandard and spurious drugs at the market.

'Illegal trade of medicines is rampant here and Bhagirath Palace is a huge market,' the CDSCO officer said.

The CDSCO, which carried out the raid with Delhi police, is an apex body under Union Health Ministry which regulates the import and approval of drugs and clinical trials

'So, we took the help of Delhi Police. This is for the first time that CDSCO has conducted such a major raid. During the search, it was found that nearly 80 per cent of the business done here is illegal.

'Most of the illegal business transaction operates without proper purchase and sale invoice, which is the root cause of substandard drugs moving across the market, as it affects the traceability of the purchaser and sale including original manufacturer, which ultimately affects public health.'

The wholesale market is operating out of unhygienic and rickety premises, he added.

Experts say the annual turnover of each of these chemist shops could be anywhere between Rs 1cr and Rs 50 crore.

While the raid was going on, many traders left their shops unattended to escape, and some started to shut down the stores.

Dr Vikas Maurya, head of department of pulmonology at Fortis Hospitals (Shalimar Bagh), told Mail Today: 'Medicine should always be stored in a proper condition, as mentioned on the package. If not kept in required conditions, drugs lose their property and do not give the desired result. In fact, it starts producing side-effects and also worsens a patient's health.'

Officials informed that more than 100 suspect samples of drugs for various health complications such as diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, as well as vaccines were collected and these will be forwarded to the Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Kolkata for quality evaluation.

Mail Today had earlier reported about the supply of spurious Shecal medicine at Bhagirath Palace market.

These bogus medicines were found to have zero per cent vitamin D content.
A spate of terrorist attacks on security forces took place across Kashmir on Tuesday, indicating a planned integrated assault by the active militant groups in the Valley.

The first attack, which followed recent foiled attempts to infiltrate the border, happened in Tral around 6pm when a grenade was thrown at a CRPF camp, injuring 10 security personnel.

The injured were taken to hospital for treatment and the area was cordoned off to search the attackers, sources said.

An injured policeman being shifted to hospital after a terror attack on Justice Muzzafar Atars guard post in Anantnag district on Tuesday evening

Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack on CRPF camp.

Two similar attacks then occurred almost simultaneously at troop installations in Awantipora and Pulwama.

However, no casualties were reported from either of the two sites.

Later, two more similar grenade attacks were reported, first from Pahalgam in north Kashmir on a CRPF camp and the second in Sopore where an Army camp was targeted.

The wave of attacks continued as terrorists fired upon Army camp of 22 Rashtriya Rifles at Pazalpora in north Kashmir and fled after retaliation by the Army. No injuries were reported in the attack.

The assault followed attempts of infiltration from across the line of control, which have been on the increase in recent weeks

In the seventh incident of terror attack, the house of a state High Court judge was attacked in Anantnag's Anchidora area.

Although the group of assailants could not move beyond the guard post at the entrance, they injured the police personnel and ran away with four assault rifles.

'We had input about possibility of such an attack today, the 17th day of Ramzan and we had alerted our installations,' S P Vaid, DGP Jammu and Kashmir said.

Sources in the police said that all the military and paramilitary installations camps had been informed in advance about the possibility of such attacks.

The vigil was increased and number of guards manning the security cordon doubled in each camp.

The security forces in the Valley have been put on a state of high alert after the attacks.

In the last couple of weeks, attempts of infiltration from across the line of control and ceasefire violation has gone up.

The army has neutralised 14 infiltrators in north Kashmir and believes the situation is crucial as there has been desperation from the Pakistani side to send their men into the Valley.
Being diagnosed with cancer or any serious illness is devastating, and can quickly turn your life upside down.

But for most, coming to terms with the diagnosis and undergoing treatment has to be handled alongside tackling a whole host of practical issues - one of the most significant being your job.

For some this means juggling work with chemo or radiotherapy, while for many the struggle is getting back after recovery.

Whatever the situation, it's important to arm yourself with a good understanding of your rights to make sure you feel confident in your return to work and to ensure you are treated fairly during the process.

Return to work: Your employer should make 'reasonable adjustments' to help

Unfortunately, as if battling cancer isnt enough to cope with, an estimated 20,000 of those who are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK will face discrimination in their workplace, according to Macmillan Cancer Support and YouGov research.

This could be anything from pressuring you to give up your job to passing you over for a promotion you deserve or rebuking you for not reaching targets without reasonable allowances.

But this isnt fair or legal.

There are also strict rules around dismissal and demotion that mean your employer must have reasons beyond the state of your health.

Currently 120,000 people of working age are diagnosed with cancer each year and by 2030 its estimated that there will be as many as 1.7 million people in this bracket coping with the disease.

Want to know more? At This is Money we want to arm you with the tools you need to manage your money as easily as possible so you can focus your attention on your health and family. This is the first in our 'cancer and your finances' series which will look at how to claim on health insurance, workplace and Government benefits if you're ill among other things. If you have a subject you'd like us to include in the series, email emma.gunn@thisismoney.co.uk

Anyone with cancer, undergoing treatment or who has previously been treated is protected by the Equality Act 2010, and by the Disability Discrimination Order 2006 (part of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) in Northern Ireland.

Both laws mean that while you concentrate on getting yourself back to good health or learn to manage a longer term condition, certain allowances must be made.

They give you the same rights against discrimination as anyone with a disability which ultimately means employers cant treat you differently because of your illness.

Many people are also not aware that these rights don't stop with the end of your treatment, they in fact last for the rest of your life, and these rules are not just limited to cancer patients.

The Equality Act states that a disability is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

You are automatically included in this bracket from the day you are diagnosed with an HIV infection, cancer or multiple sclerosis, but some more progressive conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and ME may also be covered.

You can find out more on the Citizen's advice website here.

Do I have to tell my boss about my cancer diagnosis?

Jane Amphlett, head of employment at law firm Howard Kennedy, explains: 'Generally, you do not have to tell your employer about any medical condition. But there are some exceptions, for example if there are likely to be health and safety implications or if it is a regulatory requirement.

'Employers are often an important source of support and telling your employer about a disability early on will trigger the requirement for your employer to make reasonable adjustments. You should consider what suggestions you can make about possible adjustments and you may need to co-operate in obtaining relevant medical advice.'

Having to talk about it your diagnosis can be difficult and deeply personal. So remember if you are uncomfortable with the idea of your colleagues knowing, your employer must keep it confidential.

Office work: You may want to shift your responsibilities to help manage your symptoms

Time off and sick pay

Each employer will have slightly different rules regarding time off and sick pay so you will need to check your contract as a top priority.

If your employer doesnt offer additional sick pay, you will receive Statutory Sick Pay for 28 weeks at a rate of 89.35 per week.

This kicks in if you have been off sick for more than four days and is paid to you by your employer (available for up to 28 weeks).

You will usually need to get a note from your doctor if you are off sick for more than a week.

How should my employer support me at work?

Some people may be unable to return to work after treatment while others prefer take a step back and go part-time or shift their focus.

But equally, cancer puts a huge strain on your finances and working can also help you retain a sense of normality. Everyone is different.

If you take the step to go back to work, you may need to make some changes to help cope with symptoms or side effects - both physical and mental.

Genevie Isaacson, an associate at Working with Cancer, which specialises in mentoring and educating employers and employees about working with cancer, stresses the importance of flexibility.

She says: 'The most important thing to consider is for anyone going back to work or continuing to work through treatment is managing expectations.

'One of the most difficult things for an employer to understand is that your treatment might have finished but the effects continue longer term, often up to two or three years after treatment.

'Both the employer and employee will need to be flexible. There is no vanilla policy an employer can roll out for all, they will need to consider each individual.'

Returning to work is a process, and it can often feel like you are taking two steps forward and one step back.

WHERE TO FIND HELP If your employer has an occupational health department they will help you come up with a phased return to work plan. You can get your GP or employer to refer you to the Fit For Work scheme which offers free assessments and tailored programmes to help you phase in coming back to work. They can also be reached over the phone without a referral. Don't forget to speak to your healthcare team. Working with Cancer is a not-for-profit company that helps mentor employees working through and after treatment and provides training for employers. Charities such as Macmillan, Cancer Research and disease-specific organisations such as Leukaemia Care and Breast Cancer Care are also a great place to look for help and advice. Macmillan also has a Macmillan at Work scheme which offers free tool kits and advice to employers about how to best support their staff suffering from cancer.

Speaking to your employer to explain the need for flexibility is key as your symptoms can change constantly.

Companies are however required to make reasonable changes to help you do your job or make the transition back to full-time work easier, and these should be reassessed as your condition changes.

There is no definition of what a reasonable adjustment is, but it will likely depend on the cost, the benefit to you, how practical it is to make and the potential effect on the business or its financial situation, according to Macmillan.

The steps that can be taken will of course depend on the type of job you have.

If you have an office job this might involve more breaks and adjustments to your duties to help with mental strain and tiredness.

If your job has more physical requirements it could mean providing extra tools to help you cope or building in more time to rest.

It is best to suggest options to your employer you think will help or highlight areas you are struggling with to help them consider a solution.

You could consider a phased return to work or a change to shorter hours or working from home.

One of the biggest hurdles for many coping with cancer and recovery is fatigue and hand-in-hand with this, the effects on concentration and memory, often known as Chemo brain. If this is a problem for you, you may also want to consider shifting your responsibilities, taking extra breaks or reducing your hours.

Chemo can also make you more vulnerable to infections, weakening your immune system. If this is something you struggle with you may want to find ways to help cut the risks of catching viruses and infections in the office.

Working from home, asking your employer to let you know if others in the office are sick and changing your working environment could be options worth asking about.

Practical changes to help with physical effects may also be possible, including making your work space more accessible, offering disabled facilities or special equipment to help you do the job.

Its worth noting that your local Jobcentre Plus Office may be able to help you apply for an Access to Work grant which can help fund changes to your work space or special equipment if you need it.

Commute: You may want to adapt your working hours to avoid peak-time travel

Will I still receive annual leave?

If you are off sick you will still accrue at least basic holiday, plus if you cant take it because of illness you are allowed to carry it over. If you are phasing back to work, this will be worked out on a pro-rata basis.

It's also worth knowing that if you are ill during your scheduled holiday you are also allowed to take the time as sick leave instead.

Is there a limit on the amount of time I can take off?

Going back to work can be daunting and choosing the right time is hard  but you should never feel rushed.

Liz Egan, Macmillans work and cancer progamme lead, explains that a lot of people go back too quickly and that while everybody is different it can be years before people feel the effects of treatment wear off.

She advises: 'An occupational health department or your own healthcare team will be able to help you decide when to go back to work and what adjustments are necessary, for example, how long a phased return you might need.'

It's important to keep in mind that you are entitled to sick leave, and legally taking it should never affect your job

Your employer should never lean on you to return more quickly or hand in your notice because of your treatment.

It's important to keep in mind that you are entitled to sick leave, and legally taking it should never affect your job or any evaluation of your performance.

If you can't make it back to work in the longer term, there are instances where your employer can dismiss you - but they must first have made efforts to help you return.

Egan explains: 'An employer may be able to terminate an employees contract when on long-term sick leave, if the employee is not capable of doing their job.

'However, employers need to follow fair procedures, which should include looking at the possibility of the employee returning to work within a reasonable time frame, and they should consider any reasonable adjustments that would assist the employee.

'The main areas an employer must look at before dismissal on grounds of capability are: reasonable adjustments, foreseeable return dates and alternative job roles.'

As a general rule you are protected from less favourable treatment, including dismissal, in most cases unless that is justified, according to Jane Amphlett, head of employment at Howard Kennedy.

'If you are sacked you may have a claim for discrimination and for unfair dismissal (usually only if you have two years' service),' she says. 'It is important to obtain advice promptly as there are time limits, generally three months, in which to bring claims.'

Egan adds: 'If someone has less than two years' employment service, then the dismissal would have to be connected to their cancer for a disability discrimination claim to be made. Again they would need specialist employment advice, and contact ACAS conciliation.'

A Waiting game: Hospital appointments are often last minute and frequently run late

What about hospital appointments?

More than a third or people (35 per cent) report negative experiences when managing work with a cancer diagnosis, feeling guilty for taking time off for medical appointments or a loss of confidence at work, according to Macmillan.

Unfortunately, the nature of a serious illness means a lot of time spent having tests, receiving treatment, managing after-effects and going for regular check-ups at the hospital or with your GP.

You have a right to attend these during working hours as if you need to - but it doesn't have to be paid.

Liz Egan says: Your employer could consider time off for appointments as reasonable adjustment, but there is no absolute legal right to paid time off unless it's in your contract.'

She advises speaking to your employer as far in advance as possible and addressing the subject of appointments when discussing possible adjustments.

What you will be offered is personal to individual employers but Egan says time attending appointments could be included in sickness absence, approved paid or unpaid leave, compassionate leave and part of a reduction in working hours.

In some cases your boss will exercise their own discretion, but if you are attending appointments more regularly you will need check your contract for the policy on leave and pay.

What happens if I apply for a new job?

Companies may ask you about your health or a disability in some circumstances  largely if it helps them decide whether you could perform the job or take part in the interview process or if adjustments need to be made.

Job interviews: Employers shouldn't ask about an illness unless they have a good reason

They can also ask if they want to increase the numbers of disabled people they employ or they need to make national security checks.

Amphlett explains: 'You are not required to make any disclosures other than to comply with a regulatory requirement or to respond to lawful health check questions, for example related to any benefits which the employer offers, such as health insurance.

'These health questions should not usually be asked before an offer is made, unless they are relevant to the job.

'When responding, take care not to make any dishonest or misleading statement.'

Remember your employer has however crossed the line if they then withdraw an offer without any other reason than your illness.

How to fight back if you are having problems at work

The first step is to talk to your line manager or boss or alternatively speak to human resources or even a union representative.

Approaching it this way typically has the best outcome, particularly if you want to maintain a good relationship with your employer.

If you are planning on making a complaint it can be useful to keep a record of what happened. Check your employee handbook or contract for details of your firm's grievance procedure.

Citizens Advice suggests you put complaints in writing as well, as this can help back up your claim should your employer penalise you for complaining.

The next stage in the process is contacting the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to attempt an early conciliation.

If this doesn't work, you can proceed with an Employment Tribunal as a last resort.

Remember, while you can claim substantial damages you should always seek legal advice before you proceed.

Bear in mind that pursuing a claim can come with a hefty fees of up to 1,200 for discrimination claims or unfair dismissal.

If you need help, you can access free legal advice through a union rep (find a list here), Citizens Advice, the Equality Advisory Service plus it's worth checking your home insurance policy which sometimes covers legal costs.
In the mid-1700s, residents of the Thirteen Colonies had a hard life. Taxed without representation by the British and forced to survive extreme temperatures, they faced rather grim circumstances. So it is perhaps no wonder that, quite frequently, they turned to alcohol to cope.

Colonists got so drunk that Benjamin Franklin, in one of his innumerable contributions to humanity, devised a dictionary of around 228 words for the practice. He referred to the act, perhaps cheekily, as a beastly vice in his Drinkers Dictionary. The list appeared in the January 6, 1737 edition of his paper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.

Quoting from his own Poor Richards Almanack, Franklin began his prologue to the list by proclaiming there is Nothing more like a fool than a drunken man.

And so in Franklins view, it is perhaps sensible that drunken individuals would try to cloak their egregious actions by using euphemisms to describe their drunkenness.

Benjamin Franklin wrote out a list of around 228 words and phrases to describe drunkenness for his 'Drinker's Dictionary'

Franklin referred to being drunk as a 'beastly vice' in his list, which included phrases such as 'has taken Hippocrates' grand elixir' and 'smelt of an Onion'

The Dictionary was published in Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette in 1737. Pictured is an edition of the paper in 1754. The paper ceased publishing in 1800

He wrote: Mankind naturally and universally approve virtue in their hearts, and detest vice; and therefore, whenever [through] temptation they fall into a practice of the latter, they would if possible conceal it from themselves as well as others, under some other name than that which properly belongs to it.

But drunkenness is a very unfortunate vice in this respect. It bears no kind of similitude with any sort of virtue, from which it might possibly borrow a name; and is therefore [reduced] to the wretched necessity of being [expressed] by distant round-about phrases, and of perpetually varying those Phrases, as often as they come to be well understood to signify plainly that a man is drunk.

Franklin cited his first-hand experience of taverns across the land and the Tavern-Conversation of Tiplers.

The tavern was about the first thing that communities built, and it stood in for all sorts of other things while the infrastructure was being designed and funded, said Christine Sismondo, who wrote America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops.

It became a kind of makeshift community center, courtroom, marketplace, absolutely everything.

'You didn't have people over to your house, but you met your friends and did business inside a tavern,' added Sharon Salinger, the author of Taverns and Drinking in Early America.

Taverns also served as rest stops for travelers and places to spread the news.

Franklin, in his article, proceeded to list the 228 words and phrases he had heard in taverns across the thirteen colonies.

Some such as intoxicated and boozy are still widely used today. Others such as tongue tyd and very weary clearly describe a drunk persons appearance.

But a notable few appear to make little sense at all in todays world. Halfway to Concord, for example, appears to be a geographic reference to a far-out town, serving as a metaphor for a drunken minds tendency to wander. Been at an Indian Feast is a likely derogatory jibe at Native Americans. And had a thump over the head with Samsons Jawbone was a biblical reference to Samson, who according to lore defeated an entire army with the jawbone of a donkey. Others such as Sir Richard has taken off his considering cap appear to be playful laments that drunkenness, for some, is not a particularly brainy enterprise.

Franklin is thought to have once said: 'There cannot be good living where there is no good drinking'

Franklin did not claim to have created an exhaustive list, and some sorts did not make the cut, for example brutifyd.

He wrote: I do not doubt but that there are many more in use; and I was even tempted to add a new one myself under the letter B, to wit, brutifyd.

But upon consideration, I feard being guilty of Injustice to the brute creation, if I represented drunkenness as a beastly vice, since, tis well-known, that the brutes are in general a very sober sort of people.

Franklin himself was more of a wine guy than a beer man. He included a wine-making lesson in one of his yearly almanacs, and considered the drink better for stimulating intellectual conversation. But beer, to him, was only good in moderation. While living in London as a teenager working at a printing press, he drank water while his colleagues downed pints. But he nonetheless considered the social practice of drinking to be one of lifes great joys.

There cannot be good living where there is no good drinking, Franklin is thought to have said.

He was known for organizing groups of men to discuss philosophy and politics and organized his first, called the Junto, in 1727. He was in his early 20s. In England, the coffeehouse would have served as a venue for intellectual gatherings. But such establishments had not made it across the pond yet, so the tavern fulfilled the dual role of pub and coffeehouse.

And what about Franklins fellow Founding Fathers?

John Adams (left) enjoyed cider, beer and wine. His cousin, Samuel Adams (right), had been a maltster before becoming governor of Massachusetts

George Washington once rang up an impressive bar tab at Philadelphia's City Tavern and operated a whiskey distillery out of his Mount Vernon home after his presidency

George Washington, for example, was an impressive drinker who even opened his own whiskey distillery at his home of Mount Vernon after his presidency. And an army sendoff from 54 of his friends at Philadelphias City Tavern must have been the height of debauchery with the same number of bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 22 bottles of porter, eight bottles of whiskey in addition to punch, beer and cider.

Thomas Jefferson, like Franklin, was a wine connoisseur and imported thousands of bottles to Monticello, his Virginia home. John Adams had a penchant for hard cider, which he began each day with, and not infrequently continued his day with beer and wine. And Samuel Adams, not explicitly related to todays beer company, was a noted brewer or maltster before he later became the governor of Massachusetts.

Colonists themselves, meanwhile, drank more than twice what Americans drink today  about six gallons of pure alcohol per year compared a bit more than two today. This was in part due to the belief that natural water sources did not provide safe drinking water, as was the case in pre-industrial Europe.
130617LANDS SUMMIT GETS GRASSROOTS VIEW

By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG Department of Lands Physical Planning and Environment and Conservation is carrying out a region-wide workshop to gauge the view of the people on the adapting of a Bougainville land policy that will have the views of the people of Bougainville.

The team led by a Consultant and former Judge STEVEN OLI and former Lands CEO ANDREW DOWARO today met the people of Buin and will be moving to Siwai tomorrow.

Although the meeting was not organized properly Community Government members attended the one-day meeting at the Buin Secondary School.

All recordings of the Lands summit will be aired on New Dawn FM tomorrow.

The aim of the summit is to get the views of the People and make a policy based on the bottom up approach.

The Presenters did presentations on Alienated land, Customary Land and Government land and there were presentations on Land Values, Physical Planning, Environment and conservation.



Ends






Dr. Judith Brill, 65, has been accused of hastening the death of a boy she'd taken of life support

Police are investigating a claim by a Los Angeles County coroner's investigator that an anesthesiologist used a painkiller to hasten the death of a gravely injured boy to increase the likelihood his organs could be harvested without deterioration.

Dr. Judith Brill, 65, has been accused of administering a high dose of painkillers to Cole Hartman, eight, before he was taken off life support.

Hartman had gone into cardiac arrest after nearly drowning in a washing machine.

At the time of the autopsy, coroner's investigator Denise Bertone raised questions about the dose of the painkiller fentanyl given to the boy and pressed for re-examination of the case until a subsequent medical examiner added fentanyl toxicity as a significant cause of death.

Eight-year-old Cole Hartman was sent to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center - pictured - because he had gone into cardiac arrest after nearly drowning in a washing machine

Brill's attorney, Mark Werksman, wrote that the anesthesiologist's 'only concern was to assure that this child, who had drowned and was never going to recover, would not suffer any pain following the removal of life support.'

However, the manner of death - accident or homicide - remains open pending the outcome of the police investigation.

The county's chief medical examiner at the time listed significant causes of death at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, as near-drowning and fragile X syndrome, a genetic abnormality that causes intellectual and physical disabilities.

Bertone, who said she reviewed the full medical charts and autopsy records, claims in her lawsuit that the boy 'continued to gasp for air' and that Brill then gave him fentanyl 'with the purpose of inducing his death.'

The lawyer representing Brill - pictured comforting a Nicaraguan patient while volunteering with the non-governmental organization Operation Smile in 2015 - said her 'only concern was to assure that this child, who had drowned and was never going to recover, would not suffer any pain following the removal of life support'

Bertone's allegation is outlined in a whistleblower lawsuit she filed last month claiming she suffered work retaliation for raising questions. Her suit and coroner's records also state that the administered dose was 500 micrograms, an amount Bertone said was too much for a boy who weighed 47 pounds.

The allegation is 'factually wrong and patently offensive,' Brill's lawyer told LA Times.

The county has yet to respond to the suit in court.

'As you can imagine, this is very complicated,' said Capt. William Hayes, who is in charge of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. 'We need to clearly understand what was done and the implications of those actions.'

According to the coroner's report and a 911 recording, his father came in from mowing the lawn on July 31, 2013, and found Cole headfirst in a running washing machine. His parents estimated he could have been underwater for up to 25 minutes.

Paramedics got his heart restarted and he was driven by ambulance to a hospital and later flown by helicopter to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Physicians told Cole's family that he was not brain-dead but 'would never recover normal neuro function and could never awaken,' according to an entry on his medical chart.

His parents decided to take him off life support and donate his organs.

The process required organ harvesting to wait until a ventilator was removed and Cole's heart stopped beating on its own, a procedure known as donation after cardiac death.

The process has time constraints because organs can begin deteriorating immediately, some becoming unsuitable for transplantation after 30 minutes.

Coroner's investigator Denise Bertone - pictured left - has raised questions about the dose of the painkiller fentanyl given to the boy, who she said was 'gasping for air' as Brill - pictured right- administered the drugs

In addition, physicians don't know for certain whether patients in vegetative states experience pain so they administer painkillers.

In a portion of the medical chart it reviewed, Brill did not mention fentanyl but wrote that 'comfort care was provided throughout,' The Times said.

UCLA's policy allows the use of opioids 'in doses that are clinically appropriate to prevent discomfort'. Under the policy, 'interventions intended to preserve organ function, but which may hasten death, are prohibited.'

Cole's ventilator was removed at 10:40 a.m. The chart said his heart stopped at 10:59 a.m. and Brill declared death four minutes later.

The coroner's office assigned Cole's case to Bertone, a registered nurse who was the only full-time pediatric death investigator.

The case is a rare instance of a criminal investigation into medical procedures used in organ donation. In 2007, a San Francisco surgeon was accused of hastening the death of an organ donor by using excessive amounts of drugs, but a jury acquitted him of the charge of dependent adult abuse.
A Georgia sheriff accused of exposing himself in an Atlanta park and running from a police officer has been suspended for 40 days.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued an executive order Monday suspending DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann from duty, starting Tuesday.

Mann was arrested after a police officer allegedly saw him masturbating in Piedmont Park on May 6. Mann is said to have flashed his private parts and then led the bike cop on a foot chase through Midtown Atlanta before he was finally apprehended, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Georgia governor Nathan Deal suspended DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann (pictured above) from duty for 40 days after a committee investigated Mann's arrest for allegedly exposing himself to a cop

Governor Deal issued the executive order on Monday, based on an investigation and recommendation from a committee including the attorney general and two county sheriffs

The area of the park where Mann was seen is 'known for sexual acts after dark,' the cop wrote in his arrest report, according to CNN.

Last month, Deal had instructed Attorney General Chris Carr and two county sheriffs to investigate what happened and report back within 30 days.

The suspension was recommended by the committee after they closed their investigation last Thursday, according to 11 Alive.

State law allows the governor to convene a panel of two sheriffs and the state attorney general to investigate and to recommend whether to suspend a sheriff facing criminal or ethics charges.

Mann has pleaded not guilty to charges of indecency and obstruction of an officer. Mann's attorney has argued the governor shouldn't get involved because Mann is accused of violating Atlanta city ordinances.

Mann allegedly exposed himself to an Atlanta bike cop in an area of the city's Piedmont Park 'known for sexual acts after dark,' according to Mann's arrest report

Governor Deal issued this executive order suspending Sheriff Mann from duty for 40 days

Prior to this 40-day suspension, Mann served a self-imposed, one-week suspension for violating the DeKalb Sheriff's Office code of conduct, but has said he plans to remain in his job.

He is being investigated by George Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which has the power to suspend or revoke his license. If they chose to revoke his license, Mann could be forced to give up his position.

Mann will also face trial in Atlanta Municipal Court on July 7.
Decades before James Comey became director of the FBI, the teenager and his younger brother were held hostage in their home by a deranged rapist who targeted teenaged babysitters  and who has never been caught.

The horrifying incident, which Comey said haunted him for years, resulted in the hasty arrest of a local construction worker who had multiple alibis and was later let go by a grand jury.

Although Comey, now 56, went on to become the nations top law enforcement official, he has never been able to catch the culprit who terrorized him and his younger brother Peter that night  the man who police identified as the serial Ramsey rapist who attacked young babysitters in a series of night-time home invasions.

Jim Comey (left) and Peter Comey (right) were held hostage and locked up by suspected Ramsey Rapist outside of the bathroom window they broke out of to escape in Allendale, NJ

The saga began in the spring of 1977, near the city of Ramsey, New Jersey. Comey was 16 years old at the time and a student at Northern Highlands Regional High School in nearby Allendale.

In March of that year, a 17-year-old girl was raped while babysitting in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of Ramsey. The culprit was described as a man with a gun wearing grey work clothes and a blue cap, according to news reports at the time.

Between July and October, at least three other female babysitters in the area  aged 15, 17 and 19  reported that they were sexually assaulted by a man fitting a similar description.

But police had no promising leads until the night of Oct. 28.

That night, 16-year-old Comey and his younger brother Peter were home alone when a man in grey clothes and a dark cap broke into their house with a gun. The man pointed the gun at their heads, locked the boys in the bathroom and began searching the house.

Peter Comey (left), a Washington, D.C. lawyer, declined to talk about the incident. I dont particularly want to relive it, he said. Brother Jim called it 'a horrific experience'

Eventually the gunman went outside and confronted Comeys neighbors, a couple who were just returning home for the night.

Comey and his brother managed to crawl out of the bathroom window and dashed into the yard, but the gunman spotted them on the lawn from across the street. The boys ran back inside and called the police, and the assailant fled into the woods.

Years later, the Comey brothers still have a difficult time discussing what happened that night.

When the Dailymail.com reached Peter Comey, a Washington, D.C. lawyer, by phone, he declined to talk about the incident.

I dont particularly want to relive it, he said.

Looking back on that night, Comey said he didnt think he would make it out alive. He told CBS News in 2014 that he believed he was going to be killed by this guy and called it a horrific experience.

The assault was frightening to anybody but especially to a younger person to be threatened with a gun and to believe you're going to be killed by this guy, said Comey.

Comey, who was fired as FBI director by President Donald Trump last month amid investigations into Russian interference in the presidential election, said he believed the attack has helped him empathize with victims of violent crimes.

I think it most affects me in giving me a sense of what victims feel, said Comey. I think it's made me a better prosecutor and investigator for being able to feel better what victims of crime experience.

James Comey, center, was in his junior year at Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale, N.J. when he was the vicitim of the home invasion

The gunman was long gone by the time police arrived on the scene that night in October.

But the Comeys description of the man  and the account from the neighbors  convinced police that the assailant was the Ramsey rapist who was terrorizing babysitters in the area.

Police combed the woods near Comeys house, but the search turned up few clues. They may have also unintentionally destroyed footprint evidence in the process.

But two unexpected breaks in the case led the police to make an arrest.

First, the investigation caught the attention of Tom Brown, Jr., a local tracker who claimed he was taught how to follow wood tracks by an Apache shaman. Brown claimed that footprints and other traces of disturbances in the woods near Comeys home  including hair strands and fragments of clothing  led to a house owned by the sibling of a man named Bruce Ader, Sr., a 39-year-old construction worker.

Police obtained a picture of Ader, and showed it to Comey, his brother, and their neighbors. They reportedly identified Ader as the culprit based on the photo.

Police used this as the basis to make an arrest in November 1977. Unfortunately, the case started to crumble almost immediately.

Ader turned out to have multiple alibis who said he was miles outside of the area at the time of the Oct. 28 attack. He was reportedly with friends at a bus depot around 9 p.m. in distant Bernardsville, 35 miles away, and talked to other friends on the phone after boarding the bus, according to the Daily Beast.

Only one of the Comey boys picked out Ader in a subsequent in-person lineup, according to a New York Times report at the time. It is unclear whether James Comey or his brother Peter identified Ader. None of the other alleged victims were able to positively identify Ader in the lineup.

With little evidence to go on, prosecutors failed to convince a grand jury, and Ader was released without charge.

Ader has since passed away. But his wife, Carol, told the Daily Beast last month that her husbands arrest was shocking to everyone who knew him. She said the neighborhood rallied behind him and there was widespread scepticism about the police departments decision.

You dont know where to turn, said Carol. It was awful.

I think that taught my whole family a lesson: You never say somebody is guilty until they admit it, she added.

There was so much faith in Aders innocence that his $12,000 bail was reportedly paid by a Newark police detective who offered up his own property to cover the tab.

Forty years later, police have yet to catch the real culprit  a fact that still appears to weigh heavy on Comey.

He got away, said Comey during an interview with CBS News in 2014.

Although Comey escaped the attack without any physical injuries, he said the psychological impacts lingered with him for years.

Even the notion no one was physically harmed, doesn't mean no one was harmed, said Comey. Because I thought about that guy every night for five years.

-
A young father who confronted and tackled a suspected thief in his garage while wearing nothing but his underwear and wielding a tyre iron has been praised as a hero.

Brodie Reynolds confronted an 'African' teenager who was hiding from police in his Melton West home on Monday morning, detaining him until he could be arrested, according to 7News.

The teenager was one of five 'African' youths who allegedly tried to break into a home in Brookfield before fleeing across a freeway and trying to hide from police on Haywood Grove, the publication reported.

A young father who confronted and tackled a suspected thief (pictured) in his Melbourne garage while wearing nothing but his underwear and wielding a tyre iron has been praised as a hero

Brodie Reynolds (pictured) confronted an 'African' teenager who was hiding from police in his Melton West home on Monday morning, detaining him until he could be arrested by police

Police quickly swarmed the street after tracking the suspected thieves by helicopter  sending neighbours running inside to hide behind their locked their doors.

In security footage, police officers can be seen jumping out of their car and chasing suspects down the street.

'I saw a bloke running down my driveway so I ran out the front in my jocks,' Mr Reynolds told 7News.

Police officers arrested two of the teens but were called back just 20 minutes later when Mr Reynolds spotted another teen hiding in his garage.

The alleged thief was sitting just metres away from his partner and one-year-old son, who were sleeping.

'That's where all my rage come from, I don't care what you are doing, but you are in my backyard,' he said.

The teenager was one of five 'African' youths who allegedly tried to break into a home in Brookfield before fleeing across a freeway and trying to hide from police on Haywood Grove (pictured)

Police quickly swarmed the street after tracking the suspected thieves by helicopter  sending neighbours running inside to hide behind their locked their doors (pictured)

Police officers arrested two of the teens but were called back just 20 minutes later when Mr Reynolds spotted another teen hiding in his garage (pictured)

Mr Reynold wielded a tyre iron while he detained the teen until police arrived again.

'He got on the floor and he started begging for me to help him. I said 'nope you're staying here to the cops get here'.'

A Victoria police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia a total of five youths were arrested following the incident.

'Police believe they were intending to complete a burglary. Two are being interviewed for outstanding burglary matters,' he said.

Charges have not yet been laid.
A terror crackdown in the wake of the deadly Melbourne siege could see suspected teenage extremists detained and questioned for up to two weeks.

The Victorian Government is considering tough new laws to take teenagers as young as 14 off the streets without charge if police believe they pose a serious terror threat.

The measure will help strengthen police powers, as they currently cannot question suspects, only detain them for 72 hours, The Age reported.

Teens as young as 14 suspected of extremism in Victoria could be locked-up and questioned for up to two weeks under tough new anti-measure being considered by Victorian Government (stock image)

It will mirror laws introduced in New South Wales last year, with young terror suspects faced with being detained for an initial four days without charge.

Judges would have the power to then push the detention period out to 14 days.

The government is also looking at a dedicated purpose-built facility to detain suspected terrorists.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the state did not have a facility for those who posed an unacceptable risk to the community but were yet to commit a crime.

Somalian-born, ISIS-inspired Khayre, 29, murdered one man, wounded three police officers and held a women hostage during a siege in Brighton, Melbourne's south-east on June 5

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) said the state needed to do more than just reform bail and parole laws to deal with terror threats

Mr Andrews said he intended to implement a 'fair and deliberate' process to deal with a gap in the state's justice system.

'We would be dangerously wrong to think that reform to bail, reform to parole was the end of dealing with these threats,' he said.

Somalian-born, ISIS-inspired Khayre, 29, murdered 36-year-old male receptionist Nick Hao, wounded three police officers and took a woman hostage in a siege at serviced apartments in Brighton, Melbourne's south-east on June 5.

He was later shot dead by police.

Under tough new measures being considered by the Victorian Government, teenagers as young as 14 could be arrested if they are suspected of harbouring extremists belief (stock image)

Khayre was on parole at the time, having been released from prison last November after he was jailed over a violent meth-fuelled home invasion in 2011.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last week there were 'very grave questions' about why Khayre was out on the streets on parole.

Mr Andrews on Saturday also announced the immediate installation of temporary bollards at key Melbourne CBD locations, Bourke Street and Federation Square.

The announcement came following recent terror attacks in the UK and January's Bourke Street car rampage.
Muslim inmates at two of Victoria's most notorious jails have been given microwave ovens during Ramadan so they can heat up their food after sunset.

The concession is said to have sparked uproar with the wider prison population at Barwon and Melbourne Assessment Prisons.

'They have been given the microwaves and are given specially prepared meals,' a source told the Herald Sun.

Muslim inmates at two of Victoria's most notorious prisons have been given microwave ovens. Pictured, Barwon prison

Islamic prisoners are allowed to have the microwaves in their cells during Ramadan so they can heat up their food after sunset (stock image)

'The special feasts they are getting is really upsetting the other prisoners.'

Victoria's opposition corrections spokesman Edward O'Donohue called on the state government to explain why taxpayer money was being spent on the microwaves.

Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney hit back and said Muslim prisoners had been allowed microwaves in their cells during Ramadan for several years.

'Edward O'Donohue was obviously unaware that this practice happened under his watch as Minister for Corrections,' Ms Tierney said, according to the paper.

The move is said to have sparked uproar with the wider prison population at Barwon and Melbourne Assessment Prisons (pictured)

Barwon Prison is home to violent murderers such as Matthew Johnson, who bludgeoned gangland kingpin Carl Williams to death inside the jail in 2011

Ramadan is the ninth month on the Muslim calendar and involves spiritual reflection and abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset.

Barwon Prison is home to violent murderers such as Matthew Johnson, who bludgeoned gangland kingpin Carl Williams to death inside the jail in 2011.

The Melbourne Assessment Prison is a maximum-security jail which provides assessment services for the state's male prisoners.
Amazing footage shows an epic standoff between a kangaroo and a daring German Shepherd with neither animal backing down until police intervene.

Anthony Hartley from New South Wales filmed the 20 minute encounter off Cooma road as the Kangaroo repeatedly fended off approaches from the German Shepherd.

Hartley said he was driving on Sunday before he stopped to film the intense scuffle.

A German Shepherd approached a much larger kangaroo during an epic standoff

The kangaroo chased and fended off the German Shepherd throughout the encounter

'I was just driving through on the way back from the snow,' Hartley told 7 News.

'I saw a kangaroo and a German Shepherd have a bit of a scuffle for about 20 minutes, until the police broke it up.'

The much larger kangaroo chases off the fearless German Shepard multiple times throughout the standoff.

But the German Shepherd refuses to back down returning to continually bark in the kangaroos face.

A police officer finally gets involved using a large tree branch to wave off the kangaroo.

The video follows an encounter last year when a kangaroo put a dog in a head lock.
Victims of domestic violence who allow their partners to hurt their children could avoid jail under new proposals.

Guidelines set out by the Sentencing Council say courts should consider them less at fault than other parents.

The judge-dominated body, which sets down sentencing guidelines that courts must follow, said the threat of domestic abuse is a key consideration that may cause an offender to fail to intervene when their child is at risk of harm.

The recommendation is in a consultation paper on sentences in child cruelty cases and cases in which parents are charged with allowing a child to die or suffer serious physical harm.

The judge-dominated body said the threat of domestic abuse is a key consideration that may cause an offender to fail to intervene when their child is at risk of harm

The law on allowing a child to die was introduced in 2004 to cover cases in which there are two or more adults living in a house in which a child is killed or seriously hurt, but no one can prove which of them carried out the attack.

It was notably used in the Baby P case in 2008, when Tracey Connelly, then 27, pleaded guilty to allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter, and two men were convicted of the same offence at the Old Bailey.

Under yesterdays proposals the most serious offenders would typically be sentenced to nine years in prison. They say the level of criminal behaviour of a parent will be considered lower if they are themselves a victim of abuse that is linked to the commission of the offence.

The law on allowing a child to die was introduced in 2004 to cover cases in which there are two or more adults living in a house in which a child is killed or seriously hurt, but no one can prove which of them carried out the attack

Only parents found to have the least level of guilt in cases in which the child suffered the lowest level of serious physical harm can hope to escape prison. The guidelines say that they should receive a high-level community punishment instead.

The council said records of court cases showed that domestic abuse was often relevant.

It added: This seems to be particularly applicable in cases where there are co-defendants and one is charged with failing to protect a child from abuse that their partner is inflicting on their child. The council felt this was a key consideration that may cause an offender to fail to intervene in such instances.

Critics have argued that the recommendation would encourage parents to try to avoid jail by inventing or exaggerating abuse they have suffered

The council said abuse taken into account by judges should not be limited to physical violence, but should include all types of domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour.

The rule offering lesser sentences to domestic abuse victims is also recommended for other child cruelty offences, which include assault, ill-treatment, neglect and abandonment.

Critics said the recommendation would encourage parents to try to avoid jail by inventing or exaggerating abuse they have suffered.

Criminologist Dr David Green of the Civitas think-tank, a former adviser to the Home Office, said: The way this recommendation stands it looks as if you can throw in domestic abuse as an excuse after the fact.

A decision on the proposals will be made in September.
A cat who suffered horrific injuries when both the tips of her ears were cut off, has been reunited with her family in New Zealand.

Pippi, a black short hair adult female who had been missing for a few weeks, was found on Sartors Ave in Northcross, Auckland last Friday.

She was taken to the SPCA Auckland Animal Hospital for care and veterinary treatment.

Pippi, a cat who suffered horrific injuries when both the tips of her ears were cut off (pictured), has been reunited with her family in New Zealand

SPCA Auckland described the injuries to her ears as 'a deliberate act of cruelty' and said they were consistent with decisive purposeful amputation with a sharp instrument.

SPCA Auckland chief executive Andrea Midgen said they were actively investigating the case and asking anyone with information to come forward.

'Terrible pain and suffering has been inflicted on an innocent cat and it is important that those responsible for this cruelty are held accountable so it doesnt happen again,' Ms Midgen said.

After a public appeal, Pippi was reunited with her family on Monday.

Her owners recognised her after seeing Facebook posts about her situation.

Pippi (pictured recovering at home) was reunited with her family on Monday, after they saw posts about her on Facebook. SPCA Auckland said her mum 'cried tears of joy when they were reunited'

'She was missing for several weeks and her owners were so worried,' SPCA Auckland said in a post.

'Her mum cried tears of joy when they were reunited.

'Pippi's mum tells us that within minutes of being back home she was snuggling into her daughter's bed.'

The cat's owners reported that she was 'doing amazing' and was 'very happy to be home', SPCA Auckland said.

'She has not let this experience define her and is still as loving as ever.'

SPCA Auckland Inspectors are investigating the case and have asked anyone with information to phone 09 256 7300.
Emmanuel Macron today said the 'door remains open' for Britain to change its mind over Brexit as EU officials gloated over the election turmoil.

The French President said he respected the sovereign decision of the British people to quit, but said everything was reversible.

His comments come hours after German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble made the same offer.

It suggests European politicians are hoping to seize upon Britain's political upheaval to urge the UK reverse last year's historic referendum and thwart Brexit.

Speaking at a press conference with Theresa May in Paris tonight, Mr Macron said: 'The door remains open until Brexit negotiations come to an end.'

Emmanuel Macron, pictured with Theresa May today, said the 'door is open' to Britain staying in the EU

Saying that negotiations should be launched as soon as possible, Mr Macron also said it was up to Mrs May to answer detailed questions about the technicalities of Brexit.

Mrs May insisted there was unity of purpose about the UKs decision to leave, and indicated that there would be no turning back.

Veteran finance minister Wolfgang Schauble also raised the prospect of reversing the referendum decision

She said: We have been very clear that we want to keep a close relationship with the EU, adding: The Timetable remains on course, and will begin next week.

Mr Macron's offer comes hot on the heels of an offer by Mr Schauble, who told Bloomberg that did not think it was 'likely' that the referendum outcome would be reversed.

He added: 'But if they wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors,' he added.

Meanwhile, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator has urged Britain to hurry up and get on with talks to leave the EU saying 'I can't negotiate with myself'.

And Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief negotiator, demanded that Britain urgently clarifies its position and abandon plans for a 'hard Brexit'.

The comments suggest senior figures in Brussels intend to seize upon the political uncertainty to pile pressure on Theresa May to tear up her plans for a hard Brexit.

Speaking on Twitter today, Mr Verhofstadt said: 'Brexit isn't just about the Tories leaving the EU, it's about the whole UK. Everyone's voice should be heard.

'We are impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK gov. The current uncertainty cannot continue.'

Talking to reporters in Strasbourg, he added: 'In my humble opinion, I think that one of the elements of the outcome of the election was certainly not a support of the hard Brexit.'

Scroll down for video

Michel Barnier urged Theresa May to 'very quickly' start talks and appoint a negotiating team that is 'stable, accountable and with a mandate'

The rebukes from Brussels comes as Brexit Secretary David Davis said that formal talks to leave the bloc, due to begin next Monday, have been pushed back.

The government's Brexit strategy has been plunged into uncertainty after Mrs May's majority was wiped out in last week's election, with many remainers using the result to push for a 'softer' exit.

Mr Barnier said the EU is ready to get on with the crucial talks - but needs the British to get their act together and come to the negotiating table.

He said: 'My preoccupation is that time is passing  it's passing quicker than anyone believes  because the subjects we need to deal with are extraordinarily complex from a technical, judicial and financial point of view.

'That's why we're ready to start very quickly.

'I can't negotiate with myself.'

The brutal put-down comes as Mrs May has been left scrabbling to pull together enough support in the Commons to limp on as Prime Minister.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief negotiator, demanded that Britain urgently clarifies its negotiating position and urged Theresa May to drop plans for a hared Brexit

She is meeting the DUP's leader Arlene Foster today for talks to finalise a deal to get the backing of the small right-wing party's ten MPs.

And while she won the backing of her own Tory MPs at last night's 1922 Committee, she is widely seen to be on borrowed time.

As Mrs May is busy trying to cobble together enough support to stay in Downing Street, the clock is ticking on Britain's departure from the EU - which will take place in March 2019.

Talking to European reporters, Mr Barnier warned the talks will be tough and both sides urgently need to get on with the job.

'We're at an important moment, because the decision of the UK to quit the EU is a serious decision. Right now it's about putting it in place, without wasting time' he said.

'Next week, it will be three months after the sending of the Article 50 letter. We haven't negotiated, we haven't progressed.

'Thus we must begin this negotiation. We are ready as soon as the UK itself is ready.'

He said the negotiations should not be substantially pushed back, warning that the uncertainty risks damaging business confidence and the economy.

After a meeting of the Tory political Cabinet in Downing Street, Ms Davidson insisted the economy should be the top priority in talks with Brussels

Mr Barnier said: 'If we work seriously, I see neither the usefulness nor the interest of pushing back this date.

'Why? Because every extra delay is a source of instability which we don't need, which the economy doesn't need.'

And he warned that EU negotiators are preparing fro Britain to crash out of the bloc with out a deal.

He said: 'All options are available and on the table. Every one of these options and models has its own balance, in terms of rights and obligations.

'The UK government knows the rules, the conditions for each one of its options.

'We're preparing for all options  including that of a no deal, which has been mentioned by a certain number of British leaders.

'As for constructive options, they are available, with rules that we will not compromise on. We will not accept any cherry picking.

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom (left) and Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson were also at the Cabinet gathering

Meanwhile Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson upped the pressure on Theresa May to soften her stance on Brexit yesterday - warning that the PM must 'reach out'.

The comments came as Remain-backing ministers are said to be seeking an alliance with pro-EU Labour MPs.

After a meeting of the Tory political Cabinet in Downing Street, Ms Davidson insisted the economy should be the top priority in talks with Brussels.

She also pointedly stated that the final deal must work for the 'whole country'.

Ms Davidson has emerged much stronger from the election after effectively saving Mrs May by winning 12 more seats from the SNP north of the border.

And she has been making clear that she intends to use her newly-enhanced influence, despite the potential for a major rift in the Cabinet.

A softer Brexit could mean staying in the EU single market and accepting free movement rules - something that is unacceptable to hard-line Brexiteers such as Liam Fox.

'We haven't negotiated, we haven't progressed. Thus we must begin this negotiation. We are ready as soon as the UK itself is ready,' Mr Barnier warned

Brexit Secretary David Davis (pictured on Sky News) admitted the talks may not start on Monday as the Tories insisted during the campaign

Theresa May gathered her political Cabinet for the first time since the election, but is facing a struggle to match up demands for different flavours of Brexit

The new Cabinet unveiled by Prime Minister Theresa May includes 21 Remainers and seven Brexiteers

While Brexit Secretary David Davis said talks with Brussels will begin next week - but not on Monday as had previously been expected.

He insisted the UK would still have to leave the single market, customs union and jurisdiction of the European Court.

But he stressed he was open to suggestions from across the House of Commons about how the negotiations should proceed, and would 'take on board' advice.

Mr Davis told Sky News today that his top civil servant was in Brussels laying the ground for the first talks.

'It's in the week of next week, basically, is the first discussions,' Davis said.

'It may not be on the Monday because we've also got the Queen's Speech that week and I will have to speak in that and so on.'

He added: 'The first round of pretty long meeting is roughly one week a month - much, much faster than on previous trade deals in the past.'

Mr Davis also hinted Britain would now accept the EU timetable of dealing with the divorce before moving attention to the trade deal.

He said: 'What we have said is we will start down this process.

'But I will have some discussions with [Michel] Barnier [the EU's chief Brexit negotiator] about how we progress to the wider thing, of the trade area. The most important thing in the aggregate is the trade area.'

Mrs May was flanked by (left to right) Michael Gove, Greg Clark, Justine Greening, Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, Jeremy Hunt, Chris Grayling, David Mundell, Ruth Davidson and Priti Patel

Ms Davidson's position has been widely interpreted as staying in the EU single market, which would require acceptance of EU free movement rules

A minister told the Evening Standard: 'This is no longer a question just for Government.

'It is clear to me that Parliament will want to assert its role in a way it did not before.'

Ms Davidson secured a new clout within the Tory party at least week's election after she saved Mrs May's job with a stunning gain of 12 new sears in Scotland.

Asked whether Davidson supported single market membership, a Scottish Tory source told Reuters said 'yes, but she is aware that we are negotiating and you don't always get what you want in a negotiation'.

The Scottish Conservative leader is thought to have support from Chancellor Philip Hammond who also believes in putting the economy and jobs ahead of lower migration.

Labour's position on the issue appeared mired in chaos.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured leaving his London home, has previously refused to say immigration should come down - but said free movement is likely to end

Shadow chancellor john McDonnell risked inflaming Labour's own tensions on the European issue yesterday by saying the UK could not stay in the single market

Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner risked inflaming tensions over the issue by suggesting the UK could keep 'reformed membership'.

The comment reflects the hopes of significant numbers of pro-EU Labour MPs.

But others warn that it will be impossible to remain inside the single market without accepting free movement - pointing out that high immigration was a key factor in the Brexit vote last year.

Jeremy Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell appeared to make clear that remaining in the single market was off the table.

Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner suggested the UK could keep 'reformed membership' of the single market

Asked if he was clear that Brexit would mean leaving the bloc, Mr Corbyn told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: 'Absolutely.'

Mr McDonnell told ITV's Peston programme: 'I don't think it's feasible.'

Mr Davis reiterated today that the government remains committed to quitting both the Single Market and the Customs Union.

'We've made pretty plain what we want to do,' Davis told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

'It's outside the Single Market but with access. It's outside the Customs Union, but with agreement. It's taking back control of our laws and borders.

'Those things are fundamental and we didn't just pull them out of the air. We spent 10 months devising that strategy.'

He added that Labour's position on Brexit in its manifesto was 'very similar to ours'.

Amid the chaos in London, EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker warned the 'dust must settle in Britain' before serious Brexit talks can begin.

The EU Commission President said Brussels was ready at any time and repeated warnings the talks would not be held on 'exclusively British terms'.

In an interview with Germany's leading news magazine Der Spiegel, Juncker says 'the dust has still to settle in Britain' before the Brexit negotiations can begin in earnest.

He said: 'We have been prepared to negotiate for months now. We could start early tomorrow morning. The ball is now in the British court.'

Mr Juncker said there was no 'plan B' if the talks fail.

He said: 'We will be reasonable, but we will also negotiate firmly and without gullibility.

'I believe we must come to an agreement for the people of Britain and the people on the Continent, but not under exclusively British terms.

'We must discuss the terms of the divorce first before we can enter into a detailed discussion about future relations.'

Jean-Claude Juncker today warned the 'dust must settle in Britain' before Brexit talks can begin in earnest (file picture)

Of the infamous dinner he shared with Mrs May at Downing Street - details of which were leaked - he added: 'It was a very friendly and open discussion, during which our contradictory views became apparent

'I sincerely regret that the content of our discussion wasn't always perfectly accurately portrayed to the public, even though we are constantly accused of not being transparent. But this kind of transparency is not something I wanted.

'We don't know where the leak came from. I also didn't ask my cabinet chief because I trust him. He does good work and I have an excellent team.'

He was asked if he thought Brexit was the greatest political defeat of his career and replied: 'No. Contrary to the widely held belief, I don't feel responsible for Brexit. We didn't interfere in the referendum campaign.

'But it is true that negotiating Brexit is not a pleasant future task. It is the unwinding of a grand vision. I continue to see Brexit as a tragedy.

'I enjoy getting married more than I do getting divorced. And now I am spending most of my workweek on Brexit.'
News / Education

by Stephen Jakes

The Zimbabwe Peace Project has reported that in May there was a high number of pupils sent back home for school fees in the country."This May ZPP recorded the highest number of incidences where pupils were sent away from school for failure to pay school fees or clear the previous term's arrears. This was in contravention of Section 75 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to basic education. At the beginning of the academic year, in January, ZPP recorded cases where students' results were withheld because they owed fees," said ZPP."There were nine cases in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North, of pupils barred from attending lessons because they had not yet paid their fees. Such cases increased significantly this month. All ten provinces were marred with cases where children were denied their right to education because their parents could not afford to pay fees on time. At Nkanyezi Primary School in Lobengula, Bulawayo, nine pupils were withdrawn from Early Childhood Development (ECD) after their parents failed to raise $64."ZPP said the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Lazarus Dokora, has previously said schools have contracts with parents not children and therefore children should not lose out on lessons because parents have failed to fulfil contractual obligations."Many families are reeling in the impacts of a deteriorating economy. A remarkable number of human rights violations where community members were forced to contribute towards Zanu PF's initial 'Youth interface rally' in Marondera slated for 2 June. The rallies to be held in all the ten provinces are a platform for President Robert Mugabe to launch the 2018 elections campaign. Zanu PF is targeting mobilising 100 000 youths per province," said ZPP."In areas like Mudzi and Wedza in Mashonaland East, people were coerced into contributing money ranging from 50 cents to a dollar in order to ferry supporters to the rally. This went against the will of many people who support the party but could not afford and those that do not support the party and had no ambitions of attending the event. ZPP is in possession of a list of teachers' names from Munamba Primary School in Murehwa District who were forced to each contribute $1 towards preparations for the rally. It's a violation of freedom of association to force people into contributing funds for and or attending events of a political party that they do not subscribe to."The ZPP said civil and political rights have been commonly violated ahead of previous Zanu PF rallies like the 'One Million Man March' and First Lady Grace Mugabe's 'Meet The People' rallies."In 2016, ahead of the 'one million man march' that was held in Harare on 25 May, 88 incidences of harassmentand intimidation were reported and in the month under review the figure dipped slightly to 82. Such violations where community members are forced to attend Zanu PF rallies continue to occur despite the Zimbabwe Constitution in Section 58 provides that no person may be compelled to belong to an association or to attend a meeting or gathering," said ZPP.
John Bercow is set to remain as Commons Speaker until 2022 after Tory plotters yesterday dropped their bid to oust him.

The controversial Speaker had been expected to face opposition after he announced his intention to go back on a pledge to step down next year.

But the ringleader of an attempt to get rid of him last night admitted there was no appetite to push a vote to challenge him after the Tories lost their majority.

Mr Bercow is now expected to be returned unopposed by MPs when they return to Parliament later today.

John Bercow is set to remain as Commons Speaker until 2022 after Tory plotters yesterday dropped their bid to oust him

James Duddridge, the Tory MP who led a failed challenge against Mr Bercow earlier this year, said: There is no love for Mr Bercow, but there is not an appetite to push it to a vote.

The country has more important battles to fight, backing the Prime Minister, delivering Brexit and growing the economy.

Mr Bercow was last week re-elected in Buckingham, standing as the impartial Speaker, with convention dictating that the main political parties do not stand candidates against him.

MPs, on the first day they meet after an election, must then choose the Speaker - with the incumbent usually returned without opposition.

But if MPs vote against the return of the previous holder of the role or there is no returning Speaker then a secret ballot can take place.

Mr Bercow became Speaker in 2009 and initially said he wanted to serve for nine years, but last month revealed his plan to cling on for the next five years.

Mr Bercow told Sky News that he was entitled to change his mind just as Theresa had gone back on a promise not to call a snap election.

He said: I had originally indicated an intention to serve for approximately nine years.

Mr Bercow became Speaker in 2009 and initially said he wanted to serve for nine years, but last month revealed his plan to cling on for the next five years

If I may legitimately say so, I made that commitment eight years ago, it was before the fixed term parliament act, it was before the EU referendum.

Were in a very different situation.The Prime Minister very properly is entitled change her view about whether the national interest would be served by an earlier election rather than a later one.

I made no criticism or complaint about that whatsoever. So if people are entitled to change their minds over a relatively short period of time I think Im entitled to take a somewhat different view now to the one I took back in 2009.

If Mr Bercow serves a full five-year term it would make him the longest serving speaker since Edward Fitzroy, who held the office for 15 years from 1928 to 1943.

Mr Bercow has repeatedly faced accusations that he has failed in his duty of impartiality, including earlier this year when he boasted of backing Remain in the EU referendum.

When David Cameron was PM, he and the Speaker fell out repeatedly, amid accusations of prejudice against the Government.

j.stevens@dailymail.co.uk




Cambridge academics are being discouraged from using terms such as genius, brilliant or flair in feedback for fear of alienating female students.

It is one of a series of moves lecturers say will help women  including changing exams and even removing portraits of men from the library.

Dr Lucy Delap, lecturer in modern British history, said vague talk of genius, brilliance [and] flair carries assumptions of gender inequality. She said some women dont find it very easy to project themselves into those categories.

Lecturers say the move will help women feel more at home in academic environments

Some female students suffered imposter syndrome  where they feel they dont belong  in a male-dominated environment, said the academic. Dr Delap revealed exams were being overhauled in a bid to tackle a gender differential which sees women outshone.

This could mean more coursework, take-home exams, group work or a portfolio of essays.

It follows Oxford Universitys decision to allow students to take a history exam home in the next academic year, in order to help more women get top results.

Reading lists are being reassessed to include more female historians, and there are plans to replace some portraits of men with women in the library.

Discussing the male-dominated environment at Oxbridge, Dr Delap, deputy director of history and policy at Cambridge University, told Radio Fours Today programme: If you look at just something as simple as the art on the walls of a college, theyre often by men and they depict men and often theyre white men as well.

Portraits of men are being replaced with some portraits of women in the library

The academic said they also tried to avoid words such as flair in feedback as students dont understand what flair means.

But Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: It seems to me wrong to look at this from the point of gender  imagine the outrage if we were adjusting things for the sake of men.

Its patronising and wrong to think they have difficulty with terms such as genius.

In 2015-16, 31 per cent of women gained firsts in history at Cambridge compared with 39 per cent of men. A university spokesman said it was reviewing subjects to see how it could address variations between different groups.

In Oxford academics yesterday lost a fresh attempt to challenge rules forcing them to retire at the age of 67. Staff voted down a call to axe the employer-justified retirement age. Campaigners are now expected go to one of the universitys regulatory committees to argue their case.
Former President George H.W. Bush is celebrating his 93rd birthday and being the oldest living President.

The former 41st President and his lady love, Barbara Bush are celebrating with family at what is known as the Bush compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, as he turned 93 today.

His birthday wasn't the only reason to party, just last week it was his wife of 72 years, Barbara Bush's birthday. Barbara turned 92 on June 8.

Family and friends sent former President Bush sweet birthday well wishes on social media.

Granddaughter Jenna Hager posted a snap to Instagram of Bush senior holding his great granddaughter Poppy, which was named after his childhood nickname. She captioned it 'happy birthday Gamps'.

The former commander-in-chief's granddaughter Jenna Bush-Hager wishing him a happy birthday with this adorable photo of him holding his great granddaughter, Poppy

From one former president to another. George W. Bush looks proudly at his father in this image he shared wishing him a happy 93rd birthday

The Bush's. George H.W. Bush (right) and George W. Bush at the 2010 Texas Rangers World Series against the Seattle Mariners in Game Four

The former president shown just days after he was released from the hospital in February after battling a bout of pneumonia

Former President George W. Bush also wished his father a happy birthday on Instagram, sharing a photo of the two together and adding a caption 'Here's looking at you, 41. Happy 93rd birthday.'

Even former President Bill Clinton got in on the birthday love, sharing to Twitter 'Nothing beats a 93rd birthday phone call with the remarkable @GeorgeHWBush Many happy returns #41!'

In very recent years the former commander-in-chief bravely decided to celebrate his 90th birthday with skydiving. It doesn't seem to be in the cards for the once spry leader of the free world.

The former first couple, 72 years of marriage and going strong! Barbara Bush applies sunscreen to her longtime love in this May 2015 photo

Jenna Bush-Hager shared this shot last year with the birthday gramps! Sister Barbara smiling brightly (right)

The sweetest! Last week the lucky in love Bush got to wish wife Barbara a happy 92nd birthday

Jenna shared this photo to Instagram on Barbara's 92nd birthday last week

His chief of staff, Jean Becker, says he's going to remain firmly planted on the ground. Becker joked that she "hid his parachute."

While both George and Barbara are enjoying their longevity, they have faced some health issues recently.

Former President Bush skipped Donald Trump's inauguration due to his poor health. He was admitted into intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital where he was treated for pneumonia two days before the event.

Throw backs! Bush senior holding baby George W. Bush in 1947, both would go on to become president. Left, a presidential looking George W.H. Bush

A family of support, former President George H.W. Bush rocking a t-shirt proudly proclaiming his son's name. Barbara meanwhile sporting shirt advertising the family last name

His wife Barbara was admitted at the same time to the same hospital for bronchitis.

Both were discharged from the hospital in time to perform the coin toss at the Super Bowl, which was held in Houston on February 5.

The Bushes spend most of the year in Houston, but return each summer to their home on Maine's rocky coast.
Almost 22million in taxpayers money has been paid to Iraqis feared to have helped kill and maim British troops, new figures show.

The Ministry of Defence settled 1,471 claims from Iraqi nationals between 2003 and 2017, paying out huge sums in compensation handed out for alleged human rights breaches.

Most of the claims were settled in Iraq, without public scrutiny of the allegations in Britain.

Almost 22million in taxpayers money has been paid to Iraqis feared to have helped kill and maim British troops, new figures show (file photo, UK soldiers on patrol in Basra, Iraq)

The total pay-out of 21,949,879 during the period includes individual payments of more than half a million pounds.

In one case, an Iraqi received 611,000 for an incident involving UK soldiers, while in another an alleged victim won 475,000.

A number of claimants were represented by the now disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner and his defunct firm Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) and a second firm, Leigh Day.

The release of the figures comes after Leigh Day solicitors Martyn Day, Sapna Malik and Anna Crowther were cleared of any wrongdoing at a tribunal last week.

Leigh Day, which has represented hundreds of suspected Iraqi insurgents since the end of the Iraq war, was accused of wrongly drumming up cases against troops, causing them years of torment.

It was alleged the firm pursued false allegations, despite holding evidence the accusers were lying, as part of a business that raked in 9.6million.

The MoD settled 1,471 claims from Iraqi nationals between 2003 and 2017, paying out huge sums in compensation handed out for alleged human rights breaches (file photo, UK soldiers on patrol in Basra, Iraq)

But a panel found the firm, its senior partners Mr Day and Miss Malik, and fellow solicitor Miss Crowther not guilty of allegations of misconduct.

The figures, released in a Freedom of Information request, show most of the claims, totalling 1,145 over the six years until British withdrawal in 2009, were settled for 2.1million by the MoDs area claims officer in Iraq and did not reach public attention in Britain.

The MoD has agreed 19.8 million in out-of-court settlements in 326 cases, out of a further 1,200 claims for wrongful imprisonment or mistreatment, brought before the UK courts.

The total pay-out of 21,949,879 during 2003-17 includes individual payments of more than half a million pounds (file photo, UK soldiers in Basra, Iraq)

These peaked in 2012/13 when 191 claimants received 9.9 million in payouts, which are subject to confidentiality agreements, while the latest settlement was a 30,000 payment in 2016/17.

The MoD FoI response said: The reason for the settlement of the overwhelming majority of claims received is not, as has been reported, that the MoD accepts that the claimants were maltreated.

Payouts were in line with a European Court of Human Rights decision in 2011 on unlawful detention but the Strasbourg court changed position in a similar case in 2014, and the MoD said it had since ceased payments.

The cost to the public purse is likely to be far higher, and has reportedly reached 100 million, but the MoD declined to give a figure for payments in relation to court costs, citing confidentiality.
A man has been charged over the alleged murder of a two-year-old boy.

The 29-year-old was arrested by Queensland Police on Tuesday following an extensive investigation into the little boy's suspicious death in April 2015.

Police charged him with one count each of murder, supply dangerous drugs and possess drug utensil. He has also been charged with four counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The two-year-old was found unconscious at a home in Kingston, south of Brisbane, and was rushed to Logan Hospital before being transferred to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.

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A 29-year-old man was arrested and charged on Tuesday following the death of a two-year-old boy

The little boy was pronounced dead at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane (pictured) after being found unconscious at a home

The man was arrested and charged by Queensland Police following an extensive investigation into the little boy's 2015 death

He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at that hospital, with police saying he 'suffered horrific injuries'.

Police set-up Operation North Arete to investigate the circumstances surrounding the little boy's death.

'The death of any child is always tragic but this is a particularly distressing case where a young child has suffered horrific injuries,' Queensland Police Detective Inspector Mark White said.

'Our team of detectives are determined to complete a robust and exhaustive investigation and are continuing to appeal for anyone with information which could assist us to come forward.'

Police said the 29-year-old is expected to face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The RSPCA has been thrown into chaos after the unexpected departure of its chief executive.

Jeremy Cooper, who took the role in April 2016, leaves the organisation with a declining membership and without implementing a recovery plan, it was reported last night.

His departure from the 150,000-a-year post after 15 months comes a fortnight before the annual meeting of the charity on June 24.

The RSPCA has been thrown into chaos after the unexpected departure of its chief executive Jeremy Cooper from his 150,000-a-year post

A source told the Times it was unacceptable to lose the experienced businessman.

This is a disgrace and it is high time the Charity Commission took over the day-to-day management of the charity to safeguard animal protection, the source said.

There had been no mention of him leaving.

There had been no clues about Mr Coopers imminent departure in the RSPCAs annual report released last month.

Mr Cooper joined the organisation during a difficult period under his divisive predecessor, Gavin Grant, who had warned farmers who allowed badger culling they would be named and shamed.

Mr Cooper joined the organisation during a difficult period under his divisive predecessor, Gavin Grant

The charity had also brought a 330,000 private prosecution against David Camerons local hunt, Heythrop, in 2012.

It took more than two years to find a replacement for Mr Grant after he stepped down from the role.

Mr Cooper planned to reform the organisation, which has an annual income of 144million and employs more than 1,500 staff.

One of his first public actions was to apologise for past mistakes, adding: For me it is about recognising those mistakes and then doing everything we can to prevent them happening again.

A five-year strategy for 2017-21 was introduced which emphasised the need to create a modern, transparent and efficient organisation.

RAF veteran Mr Cooper, who spent 12 years in managerial positions at Tesco then another 12 years at Waitrose, is now described on his Linkedin profile as strategic business consultant at West Sussex based JC Consulting.

Ive always wanted to do something in consultancy and this was a great opportunity, he told the Times.

Mr Grant had warned farmers who allowed badger culling they would be named and shamed

Sometimes its just time to move on and try something new. Id been there a year and a half and it felt like the right time.

The RSPCA said in a statement: After four years with the society and over a year as chief executive of the RSPCA, it is with regret that we announce that Jeremy has decided to move on to pursue other business opportunities.

'Jeremy has been an asset to the team and has contributed to the continued success of the RSPCA.

Chief operating officer Michael Ward will become interim chief executive, the charity added.
Some delivery people have a reputation for running away from dogs who may not appreciate a stranger on their property, but one UPS man loves them so much he got down on the ground for a selfie with three pooches.

UPS deliveryman Doniel Kidd often makes deliveries at the home of Staci Burns in Athens, Lousiana, who has three dogs as well as horses.

Burns recently caught him in a sweet moment with her pups as he sat on the ground and whipped out his phone as the dogs crowded around him for a selfie.

UPS deliveryman Doniel Kidd often makes deliveries at the home of Staci Burns in Athens, Lousiana

Recently, Burns caught her UPS man on the ground taking a selfie with her three dogs

'When you have the best UPS man on the planet...' she wrote on Facebook after posting video of Kidd smiling as three dogs posed for a picture with him.

The video has received over one million views and 14,000 shares in a few days.

The smallest dog, a red Australian Sheppard named Reba, practically curled up on Kidd's lap.

Burns told Myarklamiss this is because Kidd once saved Reba when she ran away and got lost.

Kidd recognized the dog as belonging to Burns, and whisked the pooch back home in his UPS van. The two have been pals ever since.

She says the grateful Reba will often jump into the van and sit in the seat. 'It's so sweet,' she said.

Kidd has a way with pooches, as he shows here feeding two different dogs
The mother of a German backpacker who died wants Australia to improve how it notifies tourists' next-of-kin after she only learned of her daughter's death two days later.

Viktoria Kuhn was only informed of her daughter's death after phoning her employer two days after a car accident in country Western Australia.

Savannah Kuhn, 26, was killed on November 13, 2016, when she was thrown from a vehicle after rolling on an unsealed road near Kojonup, 250km south-east of Perth.

Mother Viktoria phoned her workplace, Beaufort River Meats, after not hearing from her daughter for days. She said she knew something was wrong as she had daily contact with Savannah.

Savannah Kuhn (pictured) was killed on November 13, 2016, when she was thrown from a vehicle after rolling on an unsealed road near Kojonup, 250km south-east of Perth

A worker at the abattoir, who was mourning her death, then had the responsibility forced upon them of informing her mother of Savannah's death.

'I thought I can't lie to this woman. I have to tell her,' the worker told Perth Now.

Savannah's mother flew to WA a few days later and asked police why she had not been informed.

She was told information goes through Interpol, and sometimes the process can be slow, leading to unfortunate situations similar to Savannah's.

Viktoria wants changes to this system to prevent future pain to other families.

She also wants overseas drivers who are working in remote regions to receive driving courses as her daughter's accident was caused by an unsealed road.
A group of central Queensland teenagers have been hospitalised after overdosing on a cocktail of prescription drugs.

Paramedics treated 11 teenagers at a house in Yeppoon in the early hours of Tuesday, with nine taken to Yeppoon Hospital for further treatment.

Queensland Ambulance Services spokesman Brad Norris said the group had mixed and taken prescription drugs, which was 'very concerning and extremely dangerous'.

A group of central Queensland teenagers have been taken to Yeppoon Hospital (pictured) after overdosing on a cocktail of prescription drugs

Police found 11 youths at a home in Yeppoon after they had taken the medication

Their ages ranged from 14 to 17 and the group was made up of boys and girls.

Mr Norris said some of the teenagers were highly aggressive and irritable, while others were quite calm.

He said authorities were investigating if other drugs or alcohol were involved.

The incident serves as a warning never to take any prescription medication unless it had been issued by a doctor.

'To take any other medication is extremely dangerous,' Mr Norris said.
Disgraced swimming champion Grant Hackett has revealed how his spiral into anxiety and depression lead to him using alcohol and Stilnox to get to sleep but he rejects claims he is an addict.

The former Olympic champion spoke to Kyle and Jackie O on Tuesday morning, speaking candidly about his drug use, fights with family and the loss of his television career.

He revealed he first started drinking and using sleeping pills in 'bits and pieces' while going through his 2013 divorce with Candice Ally - the mother of his children.

Grant Hackett has rejected claims he is addicted to drugs or alcohol

The swimming star has also revealed what led to his older brother Craig punching him in the face earlier this year, Hackett pictured in hospital

The former swimming star admitted he has used Stilnox and alcohol to get to sleep in the past - and is ashamed of some of his past behaviours - pictured using his singlet as pants at hotel

'By no means would I do something every day,' Hackett told the radio hosts.

'Everyone says you are an addict or you are this or you're that or the other I wasn't doing something every day.

'I wasn't waking up and going aw I need to drink some alcohol, aw I need to take this.

'I would get to those periods after many weeks or many months of not doing anything and I would use something to numb that state (of anxiety).'

The swimmer made headlines in February after he went missing from his parent's home after an alcohol-fuelled argument with his father.

Hackett revealed the argument was about his brother Craig who had punched him in the face a month earlier.

The swimming start uploaded a photograph of his facial injuries online after the argument with his dad and said he learnt a valuable lesson not to use Instagram when he was drinking.

He also explained the background behind the brothers' argument.

He revealed he first started drinking and using sleeping pills in 'bits and pieces' while going through his divorce with Candice Ally - the mother of his children

He also spoke out about getting help for his depression after he was arrested this year at his parent's home

'He came over to my house and I guess I was refusing that help and he tried to come in I didn't want him to come in I just wanted to be on my own when I get into that state of mind I go reclusive,' he said.

'He wanted to come in I didn't want him to come in we were struggling through the door he then won, he is a very strong guy.

'I was trying to push him out and we sort of got into a bit of push and shove and then he whacked me with his weak arm so I would hate to see his strong arm.

'And then I ended up in hospital because of that and we were both very regretful for the situation.

'I got surgery all around my eye and got that fixed up, it was a bit of a shock to every body.'

The fight came after months of depression for the former star who admitted since leaving his sport he doesn't bounce out of bad patches as easily.

'I never really recovered well from that any time I have gone through something I have fallen into that hole much quicker than I ever had through my swimming career or any other phase of my life where I have felt challenges,' he said.

'And for me it has gotten to a point where it is so public and so hard to deal with and has crushed me so much and got me so low that I actually needed to get a team around me to fix that and to have the strategies in place to look after myself properly.'

The former Olympian also revealed he isn't upset about the loss of his TV career

The swimmer also revealed his television career was never his 'primary focus'.

'The thing was people have focused on my TV career a lot  that isn't my primary focus I just enjoy doing the TV stuff  I enjoy doing the commentary,' he said.

'My focus has really been in finance and business. For me the TV side of things can be very, very fickle and up and down.'

Hackett also revealed the truth behind the bizarre pictured of him dressed in what appeared to be a nappy in a hotel reception - with his daughter in tow.

He had taken sleeping tablets that night but woke to find his young son had taken off from the hotel room.

'I heard the door close and went to see where my son was and I couldn't find him so I quickly grabbed my little girl went outside couldn't find him, he went into the exit stair well  I didn't think to look ther e I thought he would just be in the hall way,' he said.

'Then I went down to the elevators still couldn't find him.'

Hackett was dressed in a singlet and briefs - but on his way down the elevator he decided he couldn't step out in his underwear.

'So I took my singlet off and stepped in that... how stupid is that.'

Security helped him find his missing child but the truth behind his bizarre outfit was never revealed.

He also continued to deny allegations he gave a man a nipple cripple on a flight because of an argument over seats.

'I drank before that flight, got on that flight there was one gentleman sitting in front of me I was drunk for sure and he leaned his seat back ,' he said.

'I tapped him on the shoulder to ask him to put his seat up a little bit  because I am six foot six a big guy. It just sort of woke me up I was a bit stunned.

'Did I touch his nipple? Look if I did I didnt mean to, I certainly didnt mean to grab anyone inappropriately. '

He denied being confrontational or swearing on the flight after pictures emerged of him hunched over in a wheelchair after landing.

Hackett also revealed he is afraid of when his children, who are seven, start googling his name.

'There is a lot of good things, there's a lot of achievements there but on the flip side of that there has been a lot of public controversy, things that I have gone through.

'Sensationalist headlines, lies and accuracies and things that I will have to explain one day,' he said.

The swimming star reflected on his past headlines with what appeared to be some regret.

'Like I wanna go out there and be depressed and drink myself stupid and become self destructive,' he said.
News / Health

by Staff reporter

HIV and Aids is not only peculiar to Midlands State University, as all tertiary institutions across the country face the same challenges posing a greater risk for students to contract HIV, parliamentary portfolio committee on Health and Child Care chairperson Dr Ruth Labode has said.Addressing students from MSU's Zvishavane campus during a National Aids Council organised legislators' visit last Friday, Dr Labode said national statistics showed that all youths between ages of 15 and 24 were at higher risk of getting HIV."Your challenges are the same as those that are faced by youths of your age groups elsewhere in the country and MSU is not worse off than any other university,'' she said."Statistics show us that HIV prevalence is high among youths of 15 to 24 age groups. It is a national problem that we have to deal with."Dr Labode's comments came after the students expressed concern to the legislators on how their university had been soiled in the media for allegedly nurturing students with loose morals and a high HIV prevalence rate.The students said the negative publicity hindered their prospects of getting internship, as well as permanent employment as students from other universities get first preference."Our name has been soiled, said one of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity. We are portrayed as the worst university in the country harbouring students of loose morals. MSU is also portrayed as the hardest hit by HIV and Aids and yet we do not hear statistics from other universities."This affects our career development as employers prefer students from other universities ahead of us for attachment, further impacting on our chances of getting permanent employment."MSU Zvishavane campus director Professor Advice Viriri said MSU students were not worse off than any other students in the country with regards to morality and their risk to HIV and Aids.Professor Viriri said most of the times, other youths posed as MSU students, especially females, because they were more marketable in sex work compared to any other sex workers."Sex workers in Zvishavane who are not even our students, have soiled the MSU brand, he said. They parade the streets wearing fake MSU tags, giving the impression that they are our students for them to attract a higher bidding from their clients.''We have often followed up on many of the cases that come out in the media on MSU students and often we have realised that they are not even our students."MSU has the largest enrolment in the country with over 22 000 students studying through conventional, parallel, block release and visiting classes.Youths between the ages of 15 and 24, commercial sex workers, prisoners and long distance truck drivers are said to be the hardest hit by HIV and Aids.
A 'savage' dog has attacked a man leaving him requiring surgery to his hand and throat after the victim leaped to the defence of his own labrador.

Cam McIntyre spoke to 3AW radio describing the terrifying moment he was running with his dog 'Mick' on the beach in Brighton, south east Melbourne, when a suspected black bull terrier 'wrapped it's jaws around my dog's head'.

'It was such a big, brutal savage dog  she just did not have enough control over it,' Mr McIntyre told Ross and John from 3AW.

Cam McIntyre was attacked by a dog when he went to defend his labrador from being mauled

Cam McIntyre's dog Mick was attacked when a larger bull terrier-like dog wrapped its jaws around his head

'It was a bit of a frenzy going on and I was desperately trying to save my dog, it looked like he was getting mauled, this dog was pretty savage and very vicious.'

'The owner had not control over it and I was just in there trying to protect my dog.'

During his heroic attempt to defend his labrador, McIntrye said during the mauling the terrier-like dog lunged at his throat.

'It was a bit of a frenzy going on and as I went in again it just lunged at my throat and hit me to the ground and eventually the owner let go of its dog,' he said.

Cam required 30 stitches in his hand after the 'savage' attack

'This dog was just going in so savagely at my dog and she just couldn't control it.'

Following the dogs being separated a couple and a doctor approached the victim and offered help - but during the aftermath McIntyre said the opposite owner disappeared from the scene.

The doctor told McIntyre to go to hospital where he required 30 stitches in his hand and the surgeon told him his throat wound was millimeters away from a main artery.

Melbourne police said they are looking for an Asian female aged between 25-30 years old with a black dog looking like a bull terrier, according to 3AW.
Ten Network asked for trading in its shares to be halted today after key millionaire backers including Lachlan Murdoch refused to guarantee bank loans that would keep the financially troubled network alive.

The company's share price plummeted to just 16cents ahead of the request to the Australian Securities Exchange, which valued the network at less than $60million.

In a statement to the exchange, Ten said key major shareholders  Mr Murdoch's Illyria Pty Ltd and Birketu Pty Ltd, the investment vehicle of millionaire Bruce Gordon  would no longer support credit facilities that are keeping the company afloat.

In 2013, James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon agreed to guarantee a $200million loan for the company.

The loans expire on 23 December, after which the company will be liable for the debts that the company has made clear it does not have the funds to pay.

James Packer, who is also a major shareholder, is also reportedly keen to get rid of his 7.7 percent stake in the ailing network, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

A trio of billionaires who helped bail Network Ten out of debt four years ago are unlikely to do the same as the company scrambles for a new $250 million loan, sources say

In a statement to the exchange, Ten said key major shareholders  Mr Murdoch's (left) Illyria Pty Ltd and Birketu Pty Ltd, the investment vehicle of millionaire Bruce Gordon (right)  would no longer support credit facilities that are keeping the company afloat

Channel 10 is home to television shows such as The Bachelorette, MasterChef, The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention?

In 2013, James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon agreed to guarantee a $200 million loan for the company

The network is reportedly urgently trying to come up with a severe cost-cutting plan and to renegotiate expensive deals with US studios for many programs that have proved unsuccessful in Australia.

The network has asked for the trading halt until Thursday, when it will make a major announcement on its future.

The board said in April it was not sure it could continue if the company did not renegotiate contracts with US networks CBS and 20th Century Fox, receive license fee cuts, cut costs and secure a guarantee from Murdoch, Packer and Gordon again.

If the company is placed into the hands of administrators, it would give the company and Parliament more time to evaluate proposed media reform laws that could scrap the licence fees.

Ten said key major shareholders  Mr Murdoch's Illyria Pty Ltd and Birketu Pty Ltd, the investment vehicle of millionaire Bruce Gordon  would no longer support credit facilities that are keeping the company afloat

James Packer, who is also a major shareholder, is also reportedly keen to get rid of his 7.7 percent stake in the ailing network

The broadcaster also produces The Bachelor (pictures is Richie Strahan and Alex Nation)

Licence fees cost the broadcaster $23 million a year.

Mark Westfield, author of a history of Australia's media industry called The Gatekeepers, told Daily Mail Australia the network has frequently struggled since it was launched in the 1960s.

'They have perpetually been in financial trouble and always relied on a major share holder,' he said.

'But every time theyve gotten into trouble theyve managed to find a buyer,' he said.

Mr Westfield said he believes Foxtel could be a buyer with a share of 14 percent.

Channel 10 is home to television shows such as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, MasterChef, The Project, Neighbours and Have You Been Paying Attention?
A US Navy missile carrier is headed for Syria with a massive load of ten 1,000-pound bombs.

The aircraft, called the F/A-18F, will be carrying GBU-32 JDAMs, two 88-lb AIM-9X Sidewinders - a short-range air-to-air missile - and several other weapons.

It is so powerful that a pilot can attack ten different large battle-ground areas in one mission.

But there are still renovations underway for the aircraft as well as others in the navy.

This sect of the armed forces has decided to upgrade the missile carriers, manufactured by Boeing, because of an increased budget and will put it to use in war-torn countries like Syria in 2019.

A US Navy aircraft is headed for Syria with a massive load of ten 1,000-pound bombs. Pictured is the F/A-18F Super Hornet, which is fully loaded with ten GBU-32 1,000 pound bombs aboard the aircraft carrier

The aircraft is designed in such a way that a pilot can attack ten different large battle-ground areas in one mission

Features of the Super Hornet Produces a combined 44,00-pound of thrust

Has 11 weapon stations

Weighs 32,100 lb when empty but has a maximum weight of 66,000 lb

Travels at a speed of Mach 1.8 - almost twice the speed of sound

Each engine thrusts up to 17,000 lbs

Powered by 2 x General Electric F14-GE-400 series turbo fans

Aircrafts service ceiling is around 50,000 feet and rate of climb is 44.890 ft per minute

Can carry missiles, bombs and jettinsonable fuels Advertisement

Boeing first pitched this upgrade in 2008, the Aviation Week reported, but it has not become a reality until now because President Trump's administration has allocated $639 billion - $56 billion dollars more than Barack Obama's budgeted - for the defense team.

The manufacturing giant Boeing said that the reconstruction of the Super Hornet - the fleet the F/A-18F is a part of - was to create 'a balanced approach to survivability, including electronic warfare and self-protection.'

These renovations are happening so the US army can compete at a time when there is international unrest over weapon-use.

A high-tech computer called the Distributed Targeting Processor Network as well as new display for the pilots will be installed in the fighter jet.

Boeing also hopes to maximize the speed of the jets by installing Conformal Fuel Tanks, which are designed to make the jets even more aerodynamic.

President Trump has allocated $ 639 billion to the defense team - $56 billion dollars more than Barack Obama's budgeted

Boeing says the purpose of the reconstruction of the Super Hornet is to create 'a balanced approach to survivability, including electronic warfare and self-protection'

Electronic upgrades will allow pilots to detect threats early and to communicate better among themselves during battles

The pilot flying the jet will also be able to see oncoming threats faster and easier because of a long-range infrared sensor that will be added to the jets.

Other jets which will be used during battle are the EA-18s and the F-35Cs. The electronic improvements on all the jets will allow the pilots to communicate better to create an accurate picture of the battle field.

'You can have an F-35 in its very stealthy way doing a deep-strike mission with Super Hornet providing air superiority at that same range, or you can have Super Hornet carrying large standoff weapons that F-35 cannot carry, with F-35 providing some air cover,' Dan Gillian, program manager at Boeing, told Aviation Week.
Students at one of Scotland's top universities have been told off for pooing in showers and bins.

Bosses at Strathclyde University were forced to send a memo to the 400 students and 250 staff asking them to stop with their 'inappropriate' toilet habits.

The memo, posted on Thursday, was sent by the operations management team of the University's Technology and Innovation Centre.

Bosses at Strathclyde University sent the memo to 400 students and 250 staff who use the Technology and Innovation Centre (pictured)

It read: 'Given the incidence of people pooing in bins, showers and the likes, can I please remind all TIC occupants that the toilets have been provided for that specific purpose.

'All bodily fluids, solids and toilet paper must be disposed of down the toilet.

'While I appreciate that the TIC population is multi-cultural and different countries have different practices, here in the UK the accepted practice is to use only the WC.'

An insider told the Daily Record that they 'couldn't imagine' the bizarre problem as a place as high-tech as the TIC.

They added: 'The building houses some of the most intelligent brains int he world - yet they don't appear to know how to use the toilet.

The 89million centre was opened by the Queen in 2015, but apparently some of its boffins 'don't appear to know how to use a toilet'

'The cleaners are sick of coming across poo and used toilet paper in places it just shouldn't be.'

A University spokeswoman said the original email contained 'sentiments that are completely contrary to our institutional values.'

The Technology and Innovation Centre opened in central Glasgow in 2015 at the cost of 89million.

It is described on its website as a home for 'researchers, engineers and project managers from academia and industry, who will work side by side on projects spanning future cities, manufacturing, health and energy.'
Pubs in a South Australian town are forcing patrons to put down a $20 on beer glasses to discourage people from stealing.

Hotels in Hahndorf, a German settlement and tourist attraction south-east of Adelaide, make customers responsible for the one-litre steins they provide.

Hahndorf Inn co-owner Ben Holmes told The Advertiser people have been happy to pay the deposit.

A stein of Arcobrau lager at the Hahndorf Inn costs $29.90, plus the $20 deposit for the glass.

Pubs in a South Australian town are forcing patrons to put down a $20 on beer glasses to discourage people from stealing

Hotels in Hahndorf, a German settlement and tourist attraction south-east of Adelaide, make customers responsible for the one-litre steins they provide

Holmes says people often 'accidentally' take the steins, and the deposit was enough to even prevent this from happening.

'It is just like hiring a car. If they do take them, then at least that covers the cost,' he said.

A former-employee at the Hahndorf Inn told Daily Mail Australia missing steins was a real problem and the deposit is largely necessary.

'You would see a group of 30 come in and when they left 30 steins would be missing,' she said.

'If you want to keep the glass effectively you pay $20 and it's yours. The deposit covers that.'

The German Arms Hotel, also in Hahndorf, also requests a $20 deposit, or patrons can hand over a drivers license or credit card until they return their stein.

The Haus restaurant does not demand deposits of its customers.
An Australian terrorism expert has warned 'copycat' attackers could target Canberra and use a truck to mow down pedestrians.

Clarke Jones, co-director of the Intervention Support Hub at the Australian National University, said attacks like in London last weekend 'give other people ideas'.

'It's often hard to report where these things can happen and you can't police against vehicles,' Mr Jones told The Canberra Times.

An Australian terrorism expert has warned 'copycat' attackers could target Canberra and use a truck to mow down pedestrians. Eight people were killed in London last Saturday night

Clarke Jones, co-director of the Intervention Support Hub at the Australian National University, said attacks like in London last weekend 'give other people ideas'

He said an attack on the nation's capital would be 'symbolic' and 'extremely significant', but described the likelihood as low.

'There are large areas in Canberra that have a vulnerability, but Canberra is very multicultural and a good example of how multiculturalism works,' he said.

Eight people were killed in London last Saturday night when a van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge before the three terrorists went on a stabbing frenzy.

Australians Kirsty Boden and Sara Zelenak were among the dead.

Australians Kirsty Boden (right) and Sara Zelenak (left) were among those killed in last weekend's attack

Officers at the Australian Federal Police Majura Forensics Facility are pictured in Canberra

Twelve people were murdered in Berlin in December last year when a truck was driven through Christmas Markets in Breitscheidplatz.

In July 2016, 86 people died when a cargo truck ploughed into pedestrians in the resort town of Nice in the south of France.

Five people were killed when a truck was driven into crowds along the main pedestrian shopping street Drottninggatan in Stockholm on April this year.

The Victorian government announced on Saturday it would install bollards across Melbourne to prevent such attacks.

In July 2016, 86 people died when a cargo truck ploughed into pedestrians in the resort town of Nice in the south of France
Hundreds of individuals, some armed, gathered at a Houston park on Saturday to protest what they believed were efforts to remove a statue of Texas hero Sam Houston because he owned slaves.

The only problem - the statue was never actually considered for removal, and a fake Facebook page had trolled conservatives and Donald Trump supporters into believing it was.

A group called Texas Antifa posted on May 19 that groups on the left were attempting to get the Sam Houston Monument taken away, starting a 'Don't Mess With Texas' campaign.

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Hundreds of individuals gathered at a Houston park Saturday to protest what they believed were efforts to remove a statue of Texas hero Sam Houston because he owned slaves

But the statue was never actually considered for removal, and a fake Facebook page was found to be behind the misinformation

A group called Texas Antifa posted on May 19 that the left wanted the statue to be taken away

After the posting, Houston Antifa told its members that Texas Antifa was not a real page

'We're about to have a huge event in Houston June 10 with the combined forces of several large groups, perhaps our biggest ever,' the page stated.

'The Fascists better not show up or they will be limping home bruised, broken, hurt, and crying with their tails tucked between their legs.

'We will be freely heard without their attendance because they rarely counter against us since they don't have the support numbers and are few and far between, especially in Houston. Brothers go to our National Page for the event information.'

But after the posting, Houston Antifa told its members that Texas Antifa was not a real page.

'Trolls are going to continue to use these nefarious tactics in attempts to misrepresent the purposes and ideologies of Antifa, to use hot button issues like statue removal, etc to mobilize and drum up ire from generica MAGAs / Conservatives,' Houston Antifa told Buzzfeed News.

That didn't stop angry protesters, however, who arrived to the park in droves. The recent removal of four Confederate monuments has raised fears that the trend could spread.

That didn't stop angry protesters, however, who arrived to the park in droves

The event drew a motley assortment of patriot groups, historical buffs, and alt-right groups

A beloved historical figure to many Texans, Sam Houston was the state's first US senator and served as governor in the run-up to the Civil War.

Although he was a slaveholder and opposed abolishing slavery, he was the only Southern governor to reject the Confederacy, and was ousted as governor when Texas left the Union.

'Preserving our Texas monuments is very important because those who dont understand history are doomed to repeat it,' Brandon Burkhart, a organizer, told the Pink Armadillo.

'Good or bad, this is our heritage and our history needs to be preserved to help ensure our continued freedom.'

Tensions broke out when one group carrying Confederate flags was shouted down by patriot groups, and separated by police to protest in a separate area. There were no reports of arrests at the largely peaceful protest.

Despite the high turnout, at the end of the day, the cause behind the protest was indeed a hoax.

'In reality, we were duped,' Jeremy Alcede, head of security for the group This Is Texas, said.

Houston was the first president of the Republic of Texas and later served as governor when Texas became a US state
Fugitive Kimberly Dolan, 19, of West Mifflin, was wanted on charges including criminal attempted homicide

A 19-year-old fugitive was arrested after she posted pictures of herself and her young daughter on Snapchat.

Kimberly Dolan, 19, of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was wanted for criminal attempted homicide and violation of bond conditions after she allegedly ran over one person and struck another with her car in January at a Munhall gas station, reported CBS News.

Police said that Dolan confessed to the incident and said she could hear the victim under her car, according to an Allegheny County Sheriff's Office statement.

Four months later, she allegedly assaulted a different woman.

On May 7, Dolan allegedly struck a woman in the face several times after the woman had exchanged insurance information with Dolan's grandfather following a minor car accident.

Dolan, above, was involved in two different incidents where she allegedly assaulted three women, two in January and one in May - her love of social media got her arrested again

The victim suffered a broken nose and multiple facial fractures, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

Dolan fled the scene before cops arrived, and a warrant for her arrest was issued May 25. She was charged with aggravated assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, but couldn't be located.

It's unclear if she was out on bond from the January incident.

On Thursday around 4.20pm, Dolan began posting pictures of herself and her daughter at Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin on Snapchat, drawing the attention of sheriff's detectives.

The detectives were able to call police, who were already working detail inside of the park, and an arrest was made without incident.

Dolan is being held at the Allegheny County Jail and will be arraigned next week.
Senior tax office official Michael Cranston faced a NSW court on Tuesday over an unprecedented white-collar fraud scandal linked to his son and daughter.

Cranston, the 58-year-old Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner, was issued with a court attendance notice last month for two charges of abusing public office to gain advantage.

Police said in May he may have unwittingly been implicated in an alleged $130 million tax-evasion racket at the request of his 30-year-old son, Adam, who was charged with conspiring to defraud the Commonwealth.

Senior tax office official Michael Cranston appeared in court on Tuesday (pictured)

Police said he may have been implicated in an alleged $130 million tax-evasion racket at the request of his 30-year-old son, Adam, who was also charged (pictured on Thursday arriving in court)

Cranston's 24-year-old daughter Lauren (pictured) was also charged with conspiring to cause loss and dealing in the proceeds of crime

Cranston's 24-year-old daughter Lauren was also charged with conspiring to cause loss and dealing in the proceeds of crime, and she faced the Downing Centre Local Court with her father on Tuesday.

Her barrister told the court she is due to give birth in July.

It's alleged the group accepted legitimate payroll claims through a company called Plutus Payroll and funnelled them through second-tier companies, disguising massive amounts of tax being withheld from the ATO.

The money was allegedly spent on lavish lifestyles including properties, cars, jewellery and wine.

Cranston and his daughter are next scheduled to have their matters heard in court on August 29.
A Sydney Uber driver who raped a drunk female passenger after she fell asleep in the back of his car has been jailed for a maximum of nine years.

Muhammad Naveed, 41, was sentenced to a minimum of six years and four months in prison at the Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday for raping the 22-year-old in October 2015.

Judge Deborah Payne said Naveed 'clearly took advantage in the most terrible way of a very vulnerable lady', according to Nine News.

Uber driver Muhammad Naveed, 41, was sentenced to a minimum of six years and four months in prison over the rape of a passenger

CCTV footage showed the Uber driver purchasing condoms and a bottle of water at a service station before hopping back into his car on the night of the attack

Earlier this year, it took a jury just hours to deliver the guilty verdict against Naveed, who initially told police it was 'consent sex'.

The woman had been drinking with friends at several venues and got into what she thought was a cab to go home, crown prosecutor James Trevallion said during the trial.

CCTV footage showed the Uber driver purchasing condoms and a bottle of water at a service station before hopping back into his car on the night of the attack.

He then drove in the opposite direction to the woman's home, stopped in a side street and asked if she wanted to move to the back seat.

The Uber driver had pulled up outside the service station to purchase some condoms

Naveed, who picked the victim up from Kings Cross and raped her in a side street in Sydney's eastern suburbs, will be eligible for parole in June 2023

'The complainant will tell you at this point she could not keep her eyes open and she was falling asleep,' Mr Trevallion told the jury.

The next thing the woman remembered was waking up to find Naveed on top of her.

Naveed, who picked the victim up from Kings Cross and raped her in a side street in Sydney's eastern suburbs, will be eligible for parole in June 2023.
News / International

by online

WARNING: The footage contain explicit content which some viewers might find offensive:

With an Instagram account dedicated to "naming and shaming" those passengers who commit the most outrageous, shameful acts while on board flights, it's no surprise to board a flight these days and expect accompanying flyers to commit acts of shock and horror.However, passengers on a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Ibiza on Wednesday, 7 June were in for the most shocking of all shameful acts.These passengers had to endure putting up with the sights and sounds of a drunk couple who began romping on the flight, totally oblivious to fellow flyers.We've heard of flyers doing the deed in aeroplane toilets (still can't understand why), but this is certainly a first!MailOnline reports that Kieran Williams from Lancashire says "I heard them talking about it but I thought they were joking. The guy was shouting, Anyone got a jelly?' meaning condom."We all laughed but then ten minutes later they actually did it. They seemed so drunk, they brought a lot of attention to themselves. You could see the girl taking off her pants and he pulled his trousers off."We all had a good laugh about it. It was pretty funny."While some passengers watched in shock, one filmed the act on his phone, and unsurprisingly a female passenger who was sitting next to the couple asked to be moved.Williams says that the crew did nothing to stop the couple or even reprimand them. "About twenty minutes after it happened, someone complained about it. But the crew did nothing," he says.A Ryanair spokesperson says "We are looking into this matter. We will not tolerate unruly, disruptive or inappropriate behaviour at any time and any passengers who appear to behave in an unacceptable manner may be liable for further sanctions."While King Shaka International Airport in Durban and Cape Town International once told Traveller24 that they don't ask their customers to dress a certain way on flights, we're quite sure that such behaviour as this couple's will be unacceptable on local carrier flights.Irrespective of what the rules are for local airlines and airports, passengers are expected to show common courtesy and behaviour that does not harm or offend fellow flyers.
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A B-Double truck carrying a load of beer has caused traffic chaos after it slammed into a low-lying motorway bridge in Sydney's west and overturned.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 9.45am on Monday after reports of the truck crash underneath the M4 motorway in Granville.

Photographs show the cabin of the truck wedged against the concrete bridge with a bent exhaust pipe, while the first trailer is suspended in the air at an angle.

A B-Double truck carrying a load of beer slammed into a motorway bridge in Sydney's west on Monday morning

The truck's cabin and first carriage were left suspended at an angle in the air after collision on Sydney's M4

Police and fire truck crews are still on the scene assessing the damage done to the bridge

Two fire and rescue crews were called to the scene after receiving reports of a potential spillage at the two-lane road.

A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that crews were often called out to similar accidents in the case of a load spillage.

No ambulances were called to the scene and a police spokesman said it was believed no one was injured during the crash.

Police and fire truck crews are still on the scene assessing the damage done to the bridge.

Photographs show the cabin of the truck wedged against the concrete bridge with a bent exhaust pipe

Police and fire truck crews are still on the scene assessing the damage done to the bridge
Christian lobby group FamilyVoice has been criticised after calling for an exemption to discriminate against people with disabilities or who are mentally ill. Pictured is national director Ashley Saunders

A Christian group has been slammed for proposing an exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act that says priests and ministers with disabilities or mental illness that display 'disturbed behaviour' should be prevented from holding positions of authority in the church.

FamilyVoice, a national Christian organisation in Adelaide, is lobbying for a religious exemption to the Act.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry, the FamilyVoice said behaviours associated with a person's disability or mental illness could interfere with church services.

'Priests and ministers exercise important positions of authority within a Church. For very good reasons a religion may not wish to engage a person who has a mental illness and displays disturbed behaviour,' the organisation wrote.

'Such behaviour would adversely affect a Church service, which is sacred in nature.'

FamilyVoice said providing counselling to parishioners is a large part of the role of a religious leader and that person must be respected, otherwise they will not be sought out for advice.

National director Ashley Saunders told Daily Mail Australia the organisation refuted claims they were preventing people with a disability or mental illness being part of the church, rather the submission is 'emphasising the behaviour aspect.'

The national organisation made a submission to a parliamentary inquiry that argued there should be a religious exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act (stock image)

'We don't believe they should be excluded from church services,' Mr Saunders said.

'The submission refers to what we believe is the right to protect the congregation members from the behaviours mentioned.

'My recollection is we referred to either shouting or using profanities, that kind of disturbed behaviour was specifically mentioned, as it's not appropriate for someone who is in that position of leadership.'

Mr Saunders said instead of a person being in breach of the Act by displaying these behaviours, FamilyVoice believes the Act should recognise this and protect other employees and people from the behaviours.

FamilyVoice national director Ashley Saunders said they don't believe people who have disabilities or mental illness should be excluded from services, but they 'should have the right to protect the congregation members from the behaviours mentioned'

'FamilyVoice has a proud history of both working with and supporting people with a whole range of disabilities and illnesses,' Mr Saunders said.

Dignity Party MLC Kelly Vincent told the Adelaide Advertiser the call perpetuated a 'dangerous stereotype'.

'Most people with or without a mental illness are capable of peaceful and productive lives, especially with the right support,' Ms Vincent said.

'For some, engagement in religious and spiritual activities might actually play an important role in achieving and maintaining positive mental health.

'To deny that on the grounds of a sweeping misconception is not only legally unsound, its cruel and hypocritical.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Australian Human Rights Commission for a comment on the submission.
The desperate search for missing Melbourne mother Karen Curnow has ended in tragedy.

Four days after she vanished, police confirmed the 57-year-old's body had been found.

Ms Curnow disappeared from her family home in Frankston South on June 9 after telling her husband she was going to a local shopping centre.

The desperate search for missing Melbourne mother Karen Curnow has ended in tragedy

Victoria Police confirmed the sad news with this tweet on Tuesday. A spokesperson said Ms Curnow's family has been notified

A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia her death was not being treated as suspicious.

Ms Curnow's son Lindsay confirmed the sad news on Tuesday in an emotional Facebook post.

'Unfortunately our beautiful mum was found today, she is no longer with us and is now at peace,' he wrote.

'Thank you to everyone who has searched, called, rang and shared. You and the community were amazing and we have felt the support. We are eternally grateful.'

Lindsay had previously contacted dozens of hotels from Melbourne's inner-city to the Peninsula in a desperate attempt to locate his mother.

'Tell the people around you you love them. We just want her home. Please don't call me unless you have any information we need to keep our phones clear,' he wrote in an emotional plea on Friday.

Ms Curnow's son Lindsay confirmed the sad news on Tuesday in an emotional Facebook post

Ms Curnow's son Lindsay wrote an emotional plea on Facebook after his mother vanished
A notorious attorney, ironically called Eric Conn, who stole $550million worth of social security from the government has sent mysterious emails detailing his terms for surrendering to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Eric Conn, 56, - who led one of the biggest Social Security frauds in history - said in his emails that he will only surrender if the FBI drops his fleeing charges, clarifies that he has no history of violence and is receiving unequal punishment, compared to others who participated in the scam.

The notorious lawyer from Kentucky, dubbed 'Mr Social Security' disappeared on June 2 after pleading guilty to the multi-million-dollar fraud scheme in March.

'We are aware that someone claiming to be Eric Conn contacted numerous media outlets throughout the Commonwealth, ' an FBI spokesman told NBC News.

'That person, however, has not contacted the FBI and we encourage him or her to do so.'

Eric Conn, the Kentucky lawyer who led one of the biggest Social Security frauds in history has sent mysterious emails detailing his terms for surrender. He is pictured here gesturing as he invokes his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington

Conn's empire crumbled when federal investigators uncovered he had been bribing a doctor and a judge to approve disability claims based on fake medical evidence. He agreed to repay the federal government $5.7million and to reimburse Social Security $46million

The flamboyant Kentucky disability attorney stole close to $600million before he vanished.

He had been indicted on allegations in March that he made millions by paying a doctor and a judge to rubber-stamp false disability claims using phony medical evidence.

He was ordered to pay back tens of millions of dollars and was due to be sentenced next month.

The FBI revealed that Conn violated the conditions of his bond by removing his electronic monitoring device prompting the U.S. District Court to issue a warrant for his arrest.

General counsel for the FBI's Louisville office, David Habich, said that Conn's 'whereabouts are currently unknown.'

Conn was charged with designing an intricate scheme and using his expertise and positions of authority, to fraudulently induce payment of $600 million in federal disability and healthcare benefits,' Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell said at the time.

Incredibly, Conn had escaped legal consequence for years, even after the Social Security Administration last summer cut off disability payments to hundreds of his clients in the impoverished coalfields of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia.

Conn pleaded guilty in March to stealing from the federal government and bribing a judge. He was ordered to pay back tens of millions of dollars and was due to be sentenced next month

The FBI is analyzing the emails sent to his lawyer Scott White and news outlets including the Associated Press but it has been unable to track the source.

DailyMail.com cannot verify if these emails are genuine.

In the emails, Conn says he didn't understand why the judges who helped him carry out his scheme are receiving a combined sentence which is less than his.

He also urged the FBI to retract a prior statement it made, warning the public to air on the side of caution when approaching Conn.

White says he's convinced these emails are from his client because the style is in keeping with how he writes and speaks, he told the Lexington-Herald Leader.

He also says his client's case will be 'better' if he turns himself in.

'I can assure him (Conn) it will go much, much better the sooner he turns himself in,' White told the Lexington Herald Leader, an outlet that also received an email from the fugitive.

'I only hope and pray it is somewhere in the United States and he can quickly turn himself in.'

In 2013, the U.S. Senate released a scathing report titled 'How Some Legal, Medical and Judicial Professionals Abused Social Security Disability Programs for the Country's Most Vulnerable: A Case Study of the Conn Law Firm.'

For 161 pages, the report detailed the lengths to which investigators say they went to hide the alleged scheme.

Conn has been placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List. The investigative bureau is offering $20,000 to anyone with information

It accused Conn of paying the doctors, whom he called his 'whore doctors,' to sign dubious medical reports showing his clients were disabled. The claims were then approved by another doctor,often without a hearing.

At the time of his arrest, the federal prosecutor, Trey Alford, argued against Conn's release, saying he poses a flight risk and has indicated he would flee, that he has transferred money overseas, including in others' names to make it harder to track, and that his home is for sale.

Such fears now appear to have been well founded.

Conn opened his practice in a trailer in 1993 in his hometown of Stanville, Kentucky, population 500, according to the Senate investigation.

From there he built the third-most lucrative disability firm in the nation, bringing in more than $20 million in fees between 2001 and 2013.

He became a local celebrity for his over-the-top advertising campaigns. He dispatched crews of 'Conn Hotties' to events, hired Miss Kentucky to appear in commercials and had a 19-foot replica of the Lincoln Memorial erected in the parking lot of his office.
Australian of the year state finalist Eman Sharobeem has told a corruption inquiry any accounting mistakes she made as the head of a Sydney charity were a result of being 'underpaid and overworked'.

Ms Sharobeem on Tuesday faced a second round of NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings into allegations she rorted $685,000 from two charities.

The former head of the Immigrant Women's Health Service continued to deny she used the funds on holidays and luxury items as she returned to the witness box.

'I was underpaid and overworked so if any wrongdoing happened ... it's not because it's my intention, it's because I was overstretched,' she told the commission in Sydney.

Eman Sharobeem (centre) on Tuesday faced a second round of NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings into allegations she rorted $685,000 from two charities

The former CEO of the now-defunct Immigrant Women's Health Service is under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. She is alleged to have spent over $685,000 in misappropriated funds (receipts pictured above)

'And I was also doing a lot of volunteer work, I don't want you to feel that I did this deliberately.'

Ms Sharobeem told the inquiry she was the only full-time worker at the IWHS and cited 'the size of things required of me as a human being' as she became flustered 15 minutes into the hearing.

Ms Sharobeem is accused of being fraudulently reimbursed for an $8900 holiday club membership she used for personal trips.

The commission was shown a hand-written note by Ms Sharobeem to a bookkeeper in which she claimed an $8990 receipt was for 'the handyman who established the new service for multicultural mix elder group in Bankstown'.

Ms Sharobeem, who demanded the money within two months, couldn't remember why the two amounts were the same.

The former head of the Immigrant Women's Health Service (IWHS) continued to deny she used the funds on holidays and luxury items, including holidays, cosmetic surgery and jewellery, as she returned to the witness box

Former Australian of the Year finalist Eman Sharobeem is accused of rorting more than half a million dollars in public funds

Ms Sharobeem told the inquiry she was the only full-time worker at the IWHS and cited 'the size of things required of me as a human being' as she became flustered 15 minutes into the hearing

'When you put them together you appear as though you're trying to say they're linked,' she said.

'They're not linked.'

Ms Sharobeem contradicted her evidence from the previous month that at least one client used the holiday club membership, but she insisted it was offered to clients.

'My memory is not that sharp, seriously,' she said on Tuesday.

Ms Sharobeem is a prominent migrant woman's right campaigner in Australia (pictured with former NSW Premier Mike Baird)

'I have been through a lot.'

Ms Sharobeem now denies she was chief executive officer of the IWHS, claiming she was given the title merely for 'prestige' and was never treated as one.

'I was doing everything and anything in the organisation,' she said.

The hearing continues.
A man has been charged after he allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman on Monday during a terrifying car ride around Sydney.

The 31-year-old man allegedly kidnapped the teenager from a home in Bankstown, south western Sydney, at 2am on Monday and drove her around before heading south towards Melbourne, according to police.

The family contacted police who then found the car and arrested the 31-year-old man on the Hume Highway around 351km away in Gundagai at 9pm.

The man allegedly abducted the 18-year-old in Bankstown at 2am and was arrested on the Hume Highway in Gundagai near Wagga Wagga

The man is set to appear in Wagga Wagga court on Tuesday

He was arrested and taken to Wagga Wagga police station where he was charged with sexual assault, indecent assault and kidnapping.

The alleged kidnapper is believed to be known to the victim and it is reported he asked for the teenager's parents permission to marry the woman and was refused, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The man was refused bail and is set to appear in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Tuesday.

The woman is in a stable condition in hospital.
A woman has been left devastated after her murdered mother's treasured possessions were torched by a housing department.

Dianne Hawkins, 56, was brutally killed by man in June 2010 inside her unit at New Farm, inner Brisbane.

As her family could not afford to take her possessions out of storage, the Queensland Department of Housing set them on fire, the Courier-Mail reported.

Her daughter, Kally, was issued a bill of $9000 for the storage costs and was also forced to pay $13,628 for the bloodied crime scene to be cleaned up.

Dianne Hawkins, 56, was brutally murdered by a man while she was at home in her inner Brisbane unit in June 2010

The daughter of Ms Hawkins, Kally, said she was left with a massive bill to take her mother's items out of storage and to clean-up the crime scene where her mother was murdered

It was one of the most expensive bills ever issued for a clean-up in Queensland, with Kally saying she was pressured to pay it.

'I just think the clean-up bill should never ever go to the victims of crime. That is just really appalling. It's so wrong,' Kally told Daily Mail Australia.

Kally had sent numerous emails to the housing department in a bid to get her mother's possessions back but she said they had flagged an issue with her mother's will.

They also told her 18 months later she had 60 days to pay the storage fee or her mother's items would be taken away.

'They had a photo album - that's all I wanted. The stuff had been in storage for about a year and a half. I couldn't afford to pay that... it's just not possible,' Kally told the Courier-Mail.

She told Daily Mail Australia she was 'very angry and upset' she was not able to get the possessions back.

The housing department said disposal of possessions was only a last resort, while the government said families of murder victims are provided with a pool fund of $50,000 which is also put towards cleaning up crime scenes.

Queensland opposition MP Ros Bates said she was furious at the insensitive treatment towards Kally and urged the government to refund the clean-up bill.

'This is a cold and heartless move that should never have happened in the first place,' Ms Bates said.

Kally told Daily Mail Australia she was not after money but change to the way the system treats victims of crime.

'What I want is change, for other people not to go through what I went through,' she said.

The man found guilty of the murder, Ashley McGoldrick, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012.
Four dangerous inmates from an Oklahoma prison have escaped through the ventilation system.

The breakout happened between 1am and 4am Monday at the Lincoln County Jail near Oklahoma City, according to ABC News.

For two of the jailbirds it is their second bid for freedom within three months following an earlier breakout through the same ventilation system.

The escapees were identified as Jeremy Tyson Irvin, 31; Brian Allen Moody, 23; Sonny Baker, 41; and Trey Glenn Goodnight, 27.

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Prisoners that escaped through the ventilation system include (left to right) Jeremy Irvin and Trey Goodnight

Escaped: (left) Sonny Baker, and Brian Allen Moody had escaped once before

One of the escapees, Tyson, is in the jail for first degree murder. All of the others are doing time for property crimes, according to KOCO.

In late March, Moody and Baker escaped through the same ventilation system, but were found and returned to the prison within several days. Neither had left the state.

Lincoln County Sheriff Charles Dougherty admits the air duct system isn't very secure.

Surveillance video showed three of the prisoners escaping down the hallway in the early morning hours - above, two of them sneak down the hall

A third prisoner seen on the far right escaped as the other two were further down the hallway

'There's an area between the ceiling and probably about a 10-foot wall. It's made out of wire,' Dougherty told KOCO. 'They get up on top of that and they're able to jump over an air vent.'

He said he's looking into getting the opening sealed up.

'I've already met with all three county commissioners and they've been in here with some contractors to look and see what we can do to avoid this from happening anymore,' he said.

Lincoln County Sheriff Charles Dougherty said he's met with three county commissioners and contractors to fix the problem

He called the prisoners 'dangerous folks'.

The sheriff said he believes that Baker and Moody were able to make their escape in a stolen white Dodge truck. He believes they headed down Highway 9 and Highway 102 in Pottawatomie County.

He says the other two escapees were seen near Agra.
The migrants pouring into Europe have changed routes but ever greater numbers are risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy.

Although the crossing between Turkey and Greece is practically closed and the EU has beefed up its border agency Frontex to check mass migration, criminal industry is flourishing.

Frontex is now rescuing migrants from sinking boats but also dropping them off at welcome centres where they risk being sent back home.

On the shores of Greece there are now '80 or 100 people who arrive every day, whereas we had 2,500 a day' before the agreement with Turkey, said its head Fabrice Leggeri.

The migrants pouring into Europe have changed routes but ever greater numbers are risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean

Among those who arrive from Africa via the central Mediterranean and Libya, whose number is up by more than 40 percent, most come from west Africa. They are Senegalese, Guineans, Nigerians. In 2016 they totalled 180,000.

They are mainly economic migrants and include many young men but also families and young women. Nigerian women are often exploited as prostitutes in Europe.

'It's not the poorest who leave, because they have to be able to pay the smugglers,' said Leggeri.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of the more than one million people who made it to Europe in 2015, 850,000 crossed into Greece via the Aegean Sea. More than half came from Syria and most of the rest from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Following a landmark EU-Turkey accord in March 2016, the total number arriving in Europe by sea fell that year to around 363,000, IOM figures show.

Although the crossing between Turkey and Greece is practically closed, criminal industry is flourishing

But as the number of arrivals in Greece dropped, the figures arriving from north Africa started to grow.

By mid-April 2017, 'some 36,000 migrants had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, or an increase of 43 percent over the same period last year,' according to Frontex.

At the beginning of the most dangerous leg of the trip across the Sahara, the migrants are transported by Tuareg or Tebu nomads, for whom it is a traditional commercial activity, Leggeri said.

The Mediterranean crossing however is run by criminal networks, both big and small, as well as lone smugglers.

At the bottom of the ladder there are petty crooks, sometimes migrants themselves, who become the skippers of the small overloaded boats to pay for their own crossing, according to Leggeri.

Frontex, Europe's border agency, is now rescuing migrants from sinking boats but also dropping them off at welcome centres where they risk being sent back home

Then there are the middlemen who collect the money and organise the trip but who do not board. Their bosses are the network chiefs who 'likely include people who previously worked in the police force' in Libya, Leggeri said.

Coming up with an estimate is not easy but according to a recent report by the EU's law enforcement agency Europol, gangs smuggling migrants to or within Europe raked in 4.7 billion-5.7 billion euros ($5.1 billion-$6.1 billion) in 2015.

But those profits dropped by nearly two billion euros last year.

The major traffickers use money earned smuggling migrants to undertake other criminal activities that require an initial investment, 'be it drug trafficking, arms trafficking, or even terrorism financing -- we can't exclude it,' Leggeri said.

The funds are sometimes moved openly through money transfer service Western Union, especially in west Africa. In east Africa, traffickers more often use 'hawala', an informal system of payment based on trust that is far more difficult to trace than bank transfers.

Migrants from west Africa begin by taking the bus, Leggeri said. The territory of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is somewhat similar to the visa-free Schengen zone, as individuals can travel freely within it for a modest fee of around 20 euros.

By mid-April 2017, some 36,000 migrants had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, or an increase of 43 percent over the same period last year

Once the migrants arrive in Niamey, capital of Niger, the illegal activity begins and they must fork out up to 150 euros each to reach the north of the country and the Libyan border.

Then comes the crossing which can cost up to 1,000 euros, depending on the boat. Individuals can, for example, pay 300 euros for a place on an inflatable boat, but those journeys are particularly risky.

The east Africa route -- which originates from the Horn of Africa and is taken by Eritreans, Somalians and Ethiopians -- is more expensive.

The journey is organised by national criminal gangs that work together, so a Sudanese network, for example, will hand over its clients to a Libyan network at the border.

'There, the fee can run to 3,000 euros, from the Horn of Africa all the way to Italy,' Leggeri said.

The turning point came in 2015, when the migrant crisis hit Greece, leading Europe to reinforce Frontex.

'In early 2015, we were able to deploy around 300 to 350 border guards at any given moment. Today, we're able to have 1,300 to 1,400 border guards deployed at once across several fields of operation,' Leggeri said.

On the shores of Greece there are now 80 or 100 people who arrive every day, whereas we had 2,500 a day before the agreement with Turkey

In 2016, Europe established a rapid reaction pool of 1,500 border guards who can be deployed within five working days if necessary.

At the same time, Frontex is looking to work upstream to stop the migration influx before it reaches the Mediterranean. The agency recently opened an office in Niamey to reinforce its collaboration with authorities in Niger.

Paradoxically, the sea rescues encourage migration and benefit the smugglers who load up their rickety boats with more and more people while assuring the migrants that once they leave Libyan waters they will be taken care of.

'There have never been as many boats patrolling the Mediterranean as in 2016... and unfortunately there have never been as many deaths, 4,000 deaths most probably according to the IOM,' Leggeri said.

He has a message for any country with potential migrants to Europe: the paradise expected 'is a lie'.

'Either you die in the Mediterranean, or you arrive in Europe under extremely deplorable conditions. It's not the El Dorado that the smugglers describe,' Leggeri said.

'And on top of that the EU is reinforcing a return policy, a repatriation policy, so what risks happening is that the migrants lose their savings to pay the smugglers and at the end of their journey there's a plane that takes them back to their country of origin.'

Even if the great crisis that hit the Greek islands appears to be over, migratory pressure at Europe's borders shows no signs of evaporating.

Geopolitical instability, like the conflict in Syria or the chaos in Libya and Iraq, will continue to lead asylum seekers to Europe. Others will come because of poverty or for demographic reasons.

As long as the countries of origin are unable to offer their residents a suitable quality of life and suitable prospects, 'men and women will move, as they always have in human history,' Leggeri said.
An investigation commissioned by an East Texas city found no wrongdoing in the arrest of Miss Black Texas 2016.

Miss Black Texas 2016 Carmen Ponder claimed she was harassed in May by a North Texas police chief who called her a 'black b****,' before being unlawfully detained and arrested.

Ponder, 23, sued the police force and said she wanted police accountability and formal charges to be filed against Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews.

The Fort Worth law firm Lynn, Ross and Gannaway has now said it found no evidence that Crews made any racial statements to Ponder or to anyone else.

Miss Black Texas 2016 Cameron Ponder says she was unlawfully detained and arrested in May

She said police chief Kerry Crews called her a 'black b****' after she allegedly drove around him while he was teaching his daughter, 14, how to drive

But Ponder's attorney denounced the conclusion on social media, saying she should not have been arrested in the first place.

'Chief Crews directed the unlawful arrest of [Ponder] under unjustifiable circumstances,' Ponder's lawyer, Lee Merritt, wrote in a tweet.

'#MissBlackTexas being called a 'Black [expletive]' by some racist was bad. Being arrested by Crews for not apologizing was UNCONSTITUTIONAL!'

Now, an investigation has found that there is no evidence Crews made any racial statements towards her

In a statement, the city of Commerce said: 'While there may be additional items for consideration and possible recommended action, race-based claims will not be a factor.'

In her account, Ponder said she was driving to Walmart on May 20 when a black pickup truck cut in front of her and began driving erratically.

She said the car was braking and accelerating dangerously, and she worried it was a drunk driver.

Ponder wrote that she put her blinker on, pulled around to pass the truck and drove into the superstore parking lot.

According to Ponder, the black truck followed her into the lot and pulled up next to where she'd parked her car.

She said the passenger, who she later identified as Crews, got out of the truck and started yelling and screaming that he was teaching his 14-year-old daughter how to drive, saying Ponder shouldn't have passed his truck.

Ponder wrote that she ignored the man at first, but eventually turned to tell him 'it's illegal' about a 14-year-old driving, before walking into the store.

'That's when he screamed "oh whatever, you black b****."'

Ponder wrote about the interaction on Twitter, and explained how it started when she was driving to Wal-Mart on Saturday and black pickup truck cut in front of her and began driving erratically

She said when she walked out she saw Crews there and was quickly charged by several other officers in street clothes.

'One guy showed me his police badge and started screaming at me. He told me this guy was his chief and I better apologize to him now. I told him I was going to do that and was walking to my car,' she explained.

Next, one of the men grabbed her by the arm and pulled her roughly back into WalMart, telling her she was being detained.

When police came, she said: 'I began walking to the policeman when the aggressive guy pulled me by my arm again, told the cop that I was resisting arrest and demanded he arrest me.'

Ponder was then handcuffed and booked into jail, where she spent 24 hours. She was charged with evading arrest

Her lawyer told NBC New York that she had bruises from where she was grabbed.

Ponder was then handcuffed and booked into jail, where she spent 24 hours. She was charged with evading arrest.

Authorities told NBC that Crews was placed on administrative leave.

Ponder is calling attention to the incident to hold the officer accountable, and has started a crowdfunding page to raise money for her attorney's fees.

She wrote on a youcaring.com page that she will not take a plea deal and is 'more than willing' to take the case to trial.

'My only crime...the color of my skin,' she wrote.

Ponder's You Caring page also says she is a Dean's List student at Texas A&M University- Commerce and an intern with the Hunt County District Attorney.
News / National

by Staff reporter

HIGH Court judge Justice David Mangota has taken a swipe at lawyers who deliberately mislead their clients into pursuing dead cases, a development that wastes the court's time, costs the litigant and unnecessarily clogs the court system.Throwing out an application by a Harare man, Mr Konono Konono, who wanted to be declared the lawful owner of a Waterfalls property, Justice Mangota said the man's lawyers had acted unprofessionally.Justice Mangota said the lawyer, Ms Melody Kenende of Tavenhave & Machingauta Legal Practitioners, deliberately failed to properly advise Mr Konono that his application was doomed."It is a worrying development when legal practitioners, who are engaged by a litigant, do not take it upon themselves to properly advise their clients of what the law does, or does not allow."Such conduct by a legal practitioner, who took the oath of office, borders on dishonesty of some huge magnitude. It should, therefore, be frowned upon," said Justice Mangota.The judge said he had discussed with the lawyers enlightening them on the proper position of the law in relation to the dispute but they deliberately omitted to properly advise their client."I conclude this judgment with some disquiet. The applicant was legally represented when he filed this ap- plication."His legal representative entered into a discourse with me during the hearing of the application. The legal practitioner was, in the course of the hearing, made aware of the above basic concepts which relate to the law of contract and the law of property as well as the distinction which exists between the two."The legal practitioner appeared to have been on the same page with the court on why the application could not succeed. Notwithstanding that appreciation, the same law firm saw it appropriate to allow the applicant to appeal against such an obvious matter," ruled Justice Mangota.Mr Konono purchased stand number 437 Malvern Township in Waterfalls, from Mr Brian Mapurisa.The property measured 2 000 square metres and the purchase price was $27 000.Breach of ContractHowever, Mr Konono did not assert his rights to the property from 2012 when he bought the property.The same property was then sold to another person, Mr Cosmas Satiyo, and his wife in 2015.Ownership of the property was then transferred into Mr and Mrs Satiyo's names.Mr Konono then filed a court application seeking an order declaring him the lawful owner of the stand.Justice Mangota ruled that Mr Konono was not the legitimate owner and instead, he should have sued Mr Mapurisa for breach of contract."It follows from the foregoing that once it is accepted, as it should, that the second respondent and his wife (Mr and Mrs Satiyo) are the owners of the property, their right in the same cannot, at law, be disturbed. They hold onto the property against the whole world."The applicant (Mr Konono) has no valid claim to the property. He has no real rights in the property. He has personal rights only. His remedy lies against the first respondent."He should sue him for breach of contract and recover from him what he paid as purchase price for the property," Justice Mangota said.
Donald Trump is considering firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel overseeing the Russia probe, according to the president's close friend Chris Ruddy.

Ruddy, who is the CEO of conservative media company Newsmax, told PBS Newshour that Mueller's days might be numbered.

'I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option,' he said.

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Chris Ruddy (pictured), a friend of Donald Trump and the CEO of Newsmax, claimed on Monday that the president was considering firing Russia probe head Robert Mueller

He said Mueller had 'conflicts' including having been interviewed by Trump for James Comey's job just days before being made special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation

'I think it's pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently,' said Ruddy, referring to an interview between attorney Jay Sekulow and ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Sunday morning.

'I personally think it would be a very significant mistake, even though I don't think there's a justification... for a special counsel in this case,' he added.

Ruddy, who is frequently seen at Mar-a-Lago, said that Mueller should never have taken the job, citing two 'conflicts'.

Mueller comes from a law firm that represents members of the Trump family, he said, and - more troublingly - he had been in the running for James Comey's recently vacated seat in the FBI.

'[Mueller] interviewed the day before -- a few days before he was appointed for special counsel with the president, who was looking at him potentially to become the next FBI director,' Ruddy claimed.

'That hasn't been published, but it's true.

'And I think it would be strange that he would have a private conversation and then become the prosecutor of the person he might be investigating.'

On Sunday Jay Sekulow (pictured) a member of President Trump's legal team, refused to say that Donald Trump would keep Mueller on as special counsel

Mueller had been Comey's predecessor, having headed up the FBI under both George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Ruddy added that Mueller is 'a man of integrity' but said that the far-ranging nature of the investigations could cause issues for Mueller in the future, given those factors.

On Sunday, Sekulow refused to deny that Trump would order his deputy attorney, General Rod Rosenstein, to fire Mueller.

'Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive,' Sekulow said. 'I'm not going to speculate on what he will or will not do.'

Earlier in the program, Sekulow had hinted that he found some of Mueller's actions to be troublesome, suggesting that Mueller was somehow in cahoots with Comey.

The special counsel, Sekulow pointed out, had allowed Comey to testify Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Sekulow hinted to George Stephanopoulos (right) also appeared to imply that Mueller was too close to Comey, and that it was unusual that Comey reviewed his testimony with Mueller

'James Comey said he reviewed the testimony with the special counsel and you wonder if, it's unusual to me - and I've done a lot of cases for 40 years of practicing law almost, and at the highest levels of the Supreme Court - that you have a situation, I think this is unprecedented, where the testimony was reviewed,' he said.

Turning his ire to Comey, Sekulow continued, 'and then it was - part of that testimony, a large part, was based on leaked information.'

During Thursday's Capitol Hill hearing, Comey confessed that he had handed his memos on meetings with President Trump over to a friend at Columbia University to then be passed along to the New York Times.

Trump's team has used this admission to try and color Comey and suggest he's an unreliable witness, even though he testified under oath.

'I mean, I want everyone to be thinking about this,' Trump's lawyer said on Stephanopoulos' program. 'So this was an unprecedented move,' he said of Comey's decision to leak the memos into the press.

Sekulow's questioning of coziness between Comey and Mueller prompted Stephanopoulos to ask if the president and his legal team 'don't have confidence in Robert Mueller to conduct a fair investigation?'

Sekulow pivoted.

'No, what we're saying is look, I mean Marc Kasowitz is the lead lawyer in this case and is in charge of the legal team, has said clearly that he is putting forward a legal team and a legal defense that will address all of the issues.

'But I think that the unusual situation here, this is unprecedented in our history, is that the former executive - the former FBI director was the source of a leak,' Sekulow continued.

Donald Trump has yet to make any announcement about Mueller. Sekulow said that the situation with Comey, including his leak, was 'unprecedented in our history'

'I mean, George, you know, we've all been concerned about leaks and here he was the source of that leak,' he added.

As to whether Trump could ever fire Mueller, that would be an issue the president would discuss with his advisers, Sekulow said.

'But I can't imagine that that issue is going to arise,' the attorney added.

'I mean, George, if there was a basis upon which there was a question raised that raised the kind of issues that are serious, as in the situation with James Comey, the president has the authority to take action,' Sekulow continued.

'Whether he would do it is ultimately a decision the president makes.'
A 50-year-old man has been stabbed in the chest at a Sydney shopping centre after he reportedly refused to give his attacker a cigarette.

Witnesses said police dramatically arrested a 35-year-old man near Bankstown City Plaza in the city's southwest at 11.45am on Tuesday after the attack left the victim in a critical condition.

Jamie Stewart, who watched the incident, said the man refused to hand over a cigarette after being asked by the 35-year-old.

'And then bang: stab, stab, stab,' Mr Stewart told the Canterbury-Bankstown Express.

A 50-year-old man has been stabbed in the chest at a Sydney shopping centre after he reportedly refused to give his attacker a cigarette. A cigarette packet discarded at the scene is pictured

Witnesses said police dramatically arrested a 35-year-old man near Bankstown City Plaza in the city's southwest at 11.45am on Tuesday. A bloodied shirt was left at the scene

Police were seen photographing a cigarette packet on one of the tables at Cafe Nho

The 50-year-old was rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a serious condition after the shopping plaza stabbing.

Police arrested the alleged offender at a house just 50 metres away and he is assisting with inquiries.

Photos show a torn and bloodied shirt hanging off a chair at a cafe on the street at the Bankstown plaza.

Police were seen photographing a cigarette packet on one of the tables at Cafe Nho.

Photos show a torn and bloodied shirt hanging off a chair at a cafe on the street at the Bankstown plaza

Police arrested the alleged offender at a house just 50 metres away from Cafe Nho and he is assisting with inquiries

Jamie Stewart, who watched the incident, said the man refused to hand over a cigarette after being asked by the 35-year-old
A gunman taken into custody in a daring dawn raid by police Tuesday is to be questioned over five murders in 48 hours - the killing of his Facebook friend and her daughters and two grandparents near his home.

George Brinkman faced questioning after he was led away in handcuffs at dawn.

Brinkman, 45, had threatened to shoot himself with a pistol after downing whisky during the stand-off before being Tasered and arrested.

He was suspected of being involved in the murders of Suzanne Taylor, 45, and her daughters Taylor Pifer, 21, and eighteen-year-old Kylie.

So far police have not said exactly how he knew her but they were Facebook friends and he liked many of her posts, commenting on one that she was a 'queen'.

But hours after his arrest, police said they will also talk to him about the murders of Rogell Eugene John II, 71, - known as Gene - and his wife, Roberta John, 64, known as Bobbi, whose bodies were found at their home on Mount Pleasant St, NE, Lake Township, North Canton, on Monday.

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Arrested: A shirtless George Brinkman is led away from the scene after being apprehended during a dawn raid in Ohio

Unclear relationship: Police are investigating exactly how Brinkman knew Suzanne Taylor, who was his Facebook friend

Facewbook friendship: Brinkman commented on some of victim Suzanne Taylor's (left) pictures (right) and liked many more of her posts

Loss: Taylor Pifer, 21, her mom Suzanne Taylor, 45, and sister Kylie, 18, were all found murdered in their home in North Royalton. They were 'tucked in the same bed', police said

Victims: Gene and Bobbi John were found dead at their home in North Canton by their son. Their cousin Nancy McKinney paid tribute on Facebook saying: 'They were some of the best people in the world.'

Brinkman lived only minutes from the home of the John family at North Canton. The seniors' bodies were found when their son tried and failed to contact them after they had returned from vacation on Sunday.

John was a Vietnam veteran who had served as a combat engineer and had posted about his pride in the uniform. He held a Bronze Star.

North Royalton Detective Dave Loeding said Brinkman was in possession of evidence that linked him to the deaths of the Johns - for whom Brinkman had been housesitting.

Detectives investigating the murder of Taylor and her daughters did not know Brinkman was house sitting for the Johns when they asked police colleagues 50 miles away to help them catch their suspect.

Officers from North Royalton contacted police in North Canton alerting them that their wanted man had been staying in their area and provided several addresses.

But the John's address was not flagged or on the list of his known whereabouts.

Brinkman had been looking after the John's bungalow while they enjoyed a beach holiday and had been walking their dog.

He is said to have shot them dead with a .45 caliber pistol when they returned on Sunday. Their suitcases were still unpacked.

The killer left both seniors dead in their bedroom with a blanket over their bodies. Mr

Bobbi John was in the bed while her husband was on the bedroom floor, with part of a blanket draped over his body.

Suzanne Taylor and her daughters were also 'tucked up' under a blanket in bed at their home after being murdered.

Police have yet to release details of how Brinkman was known to the three women.

Law enforcement in North Canton are working on the theory that robbery may have been the reason the Johns were murdered with their suspect intending to use the money to flee after the five murders.

Brinkman was a drifter with no fixed address and had worked for the John family at a warehouse they owned.

Several years ago he had briefly dated Mrs John's daughter as well.

Unclear: Stark County Sheriff George Maier, who issued arrest warrants for Brinkman for double murder, said he did not know what the relationship was between the alleged multiple murderer, Suzanne Taylor and her daughters.

After allegedly murdering the couple, he fled to Brunswick where he was detained at dawn Tuesday. Police had traced him through the GPS signal on his cell phone.

Brinkman, 45, was confronted and subdued with a Taser by SWAT officers at 5.30 a.m. after they gained entry through an unlocked door to the Brunswick house where he had barricaded himself.

Moments later a shirtless Brinkman, who had been seen brandishing a handgun, was led away by police on foot from the home and then taken to hospital for evaluation.

'That was some good work by our tactical officers,' said Brunswick Police Lt. Robert Safran.

Stark County Sheriff George Maier, who issued arrest warrants for Brinkman for double murder, said he did not know what the relationship was between the alleged multiple murderer, Suzanne Taylor and her daughters.

'There is a relationship there, but I do not know what it is,' he said. I have heard he was in a relationship with the mother, but I can't confirm it at this stage.'

It is unclear if that relationship was immediately after her death or before. They may also have attended high school together.

MURDER OF A HERO Veteran Gene John had a Bronze Star for his service in the Army in Vietnam. He had served as a combat engineer in the 65th Brigade Engineer Battalion from 1969 until 1970. John posted on a Facebook group for the unit's veteran: 'Got plenty of hiking with the 65th in 69 -70 while using a metal detector. 'Love you guys. First in ......Never Out. Always a combat engineer.' He served first in Bravo Company, then HHQ S-3 in Cu Chi, in what was then Saigon and is now Hi Chi Minh City. John held the rank of sergeant at the time. The 65th was part of the 25th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Tropic Lightning, or the Cu Chi National Guard. Advertisement

The three women were found dead at their home in nearby North Royalton on Sunday 'tucked up in the same bed', according to Cleveland.Com.

Taylor had suffered a stab wound, while police have yet to release the cause of death of her daughters.

At the moment it is unclear what relation Brinkman had to the murdered women or how he knew them.

However, Brinkman is Facebook friends with the victims and has often 'liked' their pictures. Brinkman has criminal records for forgery and theft.

He was first arrested in September 1998 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and was charged with receiving stolen property and the unauthorized access of a computer system.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to probation. In December 1999 he was charged again with forgery, theft and receiving stolen property and was sentenced to 11 months in prison in February 2000. He was released in September 2000.

In the hours before the arrest Brinkman, who was armed, had been threatening to take his own life inside the detached home of a friend in Valley Forge Drive, Brunswick.

He was drinking whisky during the standoff and officers were negotiating with him through a bullhorn.

Police marksmen had their guns trained on the house in the darkness and SWAT officers and the FBI surrounded the house.

Murder spree: How the five deaths and the armed siege unfolded from Sunday until Tuesday morning

Service: Gene John, 71, was a Vietnam Army veteran who had seen combat in the war. He posted one picture with an M-60 which he had used during combat engineering operations in tunnels

Pride in the uniform: Gene John had served with distinction in Vietnam. He held a Bronze Star and had held the rank of sergeant as a combat engineer in the 65th Brigade Engineer Battalion, part of the 25th Infantry Division

Resolution: Police are seen moving in on a home in Valley Forge Drive, Brunswick, Ohio

Triple homicide: Suzanne Taylor, 45 (far left) has been murdered along with her two daughters, 18-year-old Kylie Pifer (center) and 21-year-old Taylor Pifer (right) in Ohio

Media and civilian bystanders gather outside the police blockade on Valley Forge Drive in Brunswick, Ohio

The FBI and a SWAT team are at the blockade. When police arrived a woman was seen emerging from the house. Pictured above people gathered at the scene

Media and civilian bystanders gathered outside the police blockade on Valley Forge Drive in Brunswick, Ohio

Before Brinkman was arrested, officers said they were attempting to contain him and persuade him to give himself up peacefully.

The road was plunged into darkness as police sealed off the area and ordered residents to stay inside their homes for their own safety.

The drama unfolded around midnight. Neighbors were advised to stay indoors as officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect.

When police arrived a woman was seen emerging from the house.

The alarm was initially raised when the boyfriend of the older of the two daughters came by the family's residence in North Royalton at around 8pm on Sunday and found the three victims slain in a bedroom.

Investigators initially said that all three of the women suffered gunshot wounds, but later it emerged that the mother had been stabbed to death.

Cleveland19 reported Monday, citing police, that the mother and daughter were still alive Saturday afternoon and were killed sometime that evening.

At around 8pm Sunday, Taylor Pifer's boyfriend entered the family's home, found at least one body and contacted Suzanne Taylor's boyfriend, who then called 911.

The police department on Monday released the call, on which the mother's bpyfriend tells a dispatcher, referring to Pifer's boyfriend, 'He just said there's a body.'

Suzanne's boyfriend also tells the 911 dispatcher that he delivered flowers to the house on Saturday but did not see anyone inside,. The bouquet was still outside the home Sunday.

A motive for the killings remains unclear, but police said the case does not involve a suicide. So far, no arrests have been made.

Also a crime scene: The Johns' family home in Lake Township, North Canton, was where they were found dead by their son a day after returning from vacation

Gone too soon: Taylor (left) studied fashion design at Kent State University; Kylie (ight) major in forensic science at Bowling Green University

Taylor was a senior studying fashion design at Kent State University and played softball.

The 21-year-old wrote in the bio on her Facebook page: 'Life's too short to sit and wait for luck to come your way.'

Fox8 reported that Kylie was a sophomore at Bowling Green State University, where she majored in biology and was involved in theater. She would have turned 19 on Sunday.

According to Kylie and Taylor's stepmother, Sonya Pifer, the sisters' biological father had been estranged from them for several years, reported Cleveland19.

'They were great kids... and this totally, totally blind-sided us,' Sonya Pifer said, fighting back tears.

Officers from the local police department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation were on the scene overnight and into Monday morning collecting evidence.
A sadistic killer who raped and murdered a four-year-old girl could walk free later this year despite the girl's parents' desperate plea to keep him behind bars.

Neville Towner sexually abused Lauren Hickson, smashed a rock over her head and drowned her in a creek in Emu Plains in Sydney's west in 1989.

Lauren's parents, Jurina and Derek Hickson, had been told by the State Parole Authority it intended to set their daughter's killer free after serving 28 years.

On Tuesday, Towner's parole application was adjourned until September after the parents made a formal submission against his release, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A sadistic killer who raped and murdered four-year-old Lauren Hickson could walk free later this year despite the girl's parents' desperate plea to keep him behind bars

Neville Towner sexually abused the four-year-old, smashed a rock over her head and drowned her in a creek in Emu Plains in Sydney's west in 1989

The authority will stand over the hearing and discuss options about Towner's release and concerns over his 'extensive institutionalisation', according to the paper.



Towner could still be a free man in a matter of months unless the parole authority overturns its decision.

Mrs Hickson previously told the Sunday 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 said.

Lauren's parents, Jurina and Derek Hickson, had been told by the State Parole Authority it intended to set their daughter's killer free after serving 28 years

'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,' Lauren's mother said

Mrs Hickson told Nine News last month: 'She'd be 33 this year.

'She is not here, not here for Christmas, and she is not at family gatherings... God forbid what he'll do [if he is released].'

Towner, who was 23 when he committed the crime, has been applying for parole since 2009, according to Nine.
A six-year-old boy has died in hospital after crashing a motorcycle he was riding on a farm into an oncoming ute.

The boy was riding his blue Yamaha Peewee 50 motorcycle on the grounds of a farm on Bishop Road, Griffith, in the NSW Riverina, on June 4.

He veered out onto the road and turned directly into the path of a Ford Utility four-wheel-drive, suffering critical injuries despite wearing a helmet.

A six-year-old boy has died in hospital after crashing a motorcycle he was riding on a farm into an oncoming ute on a dusty road in Griffith (pictured) , NSW

The boy was riding his blue Yamaha Peewee 50 motorcycle, and had a helmet on at the time of the collision

Paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to nearby Griffith Base Hospital.

He was later airlifted to Sydney Children's Hospital in a critical condition, but tragically died as a result of his injuries on Sunday June 11.

The driver of the Ford Utility, a 54-year-old woman, was uninjured and underwent mandatory testing.

Detectives from Griffith Local Area Command are continuing investigations into the crash and will prepare a brief for the Coroner.

In January this year a seven-year-old boy died less than half an hour away in the suburb of Barellan after becoming trapped under a quad bike.

The young boy was pinned under the machine while his friend, a nine-year-old boy who was a pillion passenger, miraculously escaped without injury.
Jetstar have discounted their flights to Japan, Hawaii, Bali and a whole heap of exciting domestic destinations for their end of financial year blitz.

Travellers will be excited to find domestic flights as cheap as $29 from Melbourne to Hobart or flying one-way to Hawaii for just $249 during Jetstar's End of Financial Year frenzy.

Flying to the beautiful beaches and mountainous island of Hawaii will cost $249 one-way to Honolulu between January and March next year.

Fly and enjoy the beautiful beaches in Honolulu (pictured) in Hawaii for just $249 one-way

Travellers can head to Tokyo (pictured) in Japan through Jetstar for just $338 one-way

Holiday-goers looking to visit Japan can venture to Tokyo for $338 one-way via the Gold Coast.

Visit the vibrant and exciting Ho Chi Minh city and experience the hustle and bustle of the incredible street life in Vietnam for $179 one-way.

Australians looking for a warmer holiday can fly to Densapar, Bali, for no more than $209 one-way in January next year.

Sydney to Melbourne will cost holiday-goers as little as $35 one-way if you travel between October 10 and December 6 and for $39 you can travel between July and September.

Discover the vibrant Ho Chi Minh (pictured) city in Vietnam for $179 one-way with Jetstar

Fly to the remote and stunning Whitsunday's (pictured) to relax for $69 one-way

Sydneysiders looking to travel further down south can look at flying to Launceston in Tasmania for just $49 between dates July and September.

Flying to our neighbours in New Zealand will cost as cheap as $125 one-way to Auckland and $119 to Christchurch also between July and September this year.

A relaxing holiday in Australia's stunning Whitsunday's will cost beachgoers just $69 for a summer holiday between January and March.

The End of Financial Year sale finishes on June 19.
A small explosion occurred outside a police station at a British military base in Cyprus early on Tuesday, authorities said, adding that it was being treated as a criminal investigation.

The blast occurred shortly after 3am on Tuesday when a man on a motorcycle hurled a grenade at the police station at the entrance of the Dhekelia Garrison military base, according to the police report.

Base authorities said one police officer suffered 'very minor injuries' and there was superficial damage to the building's entrance which is in a location known as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.

British base authorities said one police officer suffered 'very minor injuries' and there was superficial damage to the entrance of Dhekelia Garrison, known as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. Pictured above, forensic officers inspect the scene of the explosion

The blast occurred shortly after 3am on Tuesday when a man on a motorcycle hurled a grenade at the police station at the entrance of the Dhekelia Garrison military base, according to the police report

Officials don't believe terrorism to be behind the 3am explosion, which happened in an area of southeast Cyprus that is freely accessible to members of the public

Officials don't believe terrorism to be behind the 3am explosion, which happened in an area of southeast Cyprus that is freely accessible to members of the public.

'There are scene of crime investigators there now to find out exactly what caused the explosion. It is being treated as a criminal investigation at the moment,' a spokesman for the bases said.

Cyprus state broadcaster RIK said that the explosive device was hurled at the police headquarters' entrance as a man passed on a motorcycle.

The broadcaster said the headquarters' CCTV system captured grainy images of the motorcycle speeding off shortly after 3am local time.

A manhunt is underway for the person who threw the grenade, and police believe he likely stole the motorcycle he used to flee the scene, according to Cyprus Weekly.

Cyprus state broadcaster RIK said that the explosive device was hurled at the police headquarters' entrance as a man passed on a motorcycle

The broadcaster said the headquarters' CCTV system captured grainy images of the motorcycle speeding off shortly after 3am local time

A manhunt is underway for the person who threw the grenade, and police believe he likely stole the motorcycle he used to flee the scene

Cyprus' criminal underworld has used drive-by bombings to send messages to rivals or authorities that are hurting their business interests.

British Bases police at Dhekelia have been active in trying to stamp out illegal songbird trapping which is popular with area residents and supplies an illicit restaurant trade that's worth millions of euros annually.

Many Cypriots consider the songbirds, known as ambelopoulia, as a delicacy that's been part of local tradition dating back centuries. Officials said a plate of a dozen pickled or grilled birds can fetch EUR60 euros($67).

Britain retained two military bases - some 38,000 square miles (99 square kilometers) after the east Mediterranean island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

While some of it is accessible only to military personnel, it also includes areas where thousands of Cypriots live.
A young Hobart woman was fading in and out of consciousness in hospital, with severe burns to more than half of her body, as her boyfriend faced court charged with her assault.

Nicole Evans, 20, was allegedly doused with flammable liquid and set alight on April 24. She was then airlifted in a critical condition to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

'(She) remains in a secure room in a Victorian Hospital where she continues to be treated for full thickness burns to 65 per cent of her body,' police said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Nicole Evans, 20, was allegedly doused with flammable liquid and set alight on April 24

Nicole Evans, 20, pictured with her boyfriend Matthew John Davey, 34, who allegedly set her alight in April

'Nicole's condition has shown a slight improvement, lapsing in and out of consciousness.

'Nicole is still unable to communicate and cannot receive visitors.'

Matthew John Davey, 34, is in custody and appeared via video link before Tasmanian Supreme Court justice Michael Brett on Tuesday afternoon.

Dressed in a grey T-shirt, Davey spoke only to confirm his name before his lawyer agreed to adjourn the matter to July 5 when he is expected to apply for bail.

Davey has previously pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates Court to causing grievous bodily harm and three counts of assault relating to the incident.

Nicole Evans was allegedly doused in accelerate and set on fire in an horrific attack by her boyfriend Matthew Davey (pictured together)

Ms Evans remains in hospital, fading in and out of consciousness after her boyfriend Matthew Davey allegedly set her alight in April (pictured together)
Timothy Sedlak is seen above in a mugshot

A Florida man who tried unsuccessfully 400,000 times to hack into the computer network of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation has avoided additional prison time.

Timothy Sedlak, 44, was sentenced Monday in Manhattan Federal Court to 18 months to run concurrently rather than on top of his 42-year sentence that was handed down to him last year for child pornography.

The child porn was discovered when the FBI descended on Sedlack's Florida home and found him actively trying to hack into the Clinton Foundations servers using password-cracking software running across 22 computers.

Sedlak, who called himself a private investigator told agents he was researching whether charities were unintentionally providing funding to Islamic militant groups, and said the Clintons 'came up in his research,' the filing said.

Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation attend Clinton Global Initiative University at University of Miami on March 7, 2015

Chelsea Clinton, vice chairman of the Clinton Foundation, speaks during the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York, U.S., on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015

He plead guilty to the hacking charges back in February, but the investigation leading up to his eventual guilty plea predated his cyber attacks on Democrats during the 2016 presidential election.

Back in September of 2015, federal agents executed a search warrant on Sedlak's home and discovered 42 computers, many of which were running a password-cracking program according to prosecutors.

The feds said Sedlak has tried to hack other political organizations, investment firms and major law firms.

Former US President Bill Clinton (2-R) and his daughter Chelsea Clinton (R) are guided as they visit a herb garden at Farasi Lane primary school in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2015

Chelsea Clinton talks to Ben Esposti, 10, with boy scout troop 119 as the two pack Kits For Kids Project C.U.R.E in Centennial, Colorado on June 8, 2015

Prosecutors called for the time to be added onto his sentence and not served concurrently, calling the cyber threats 'profound.'

'The work of hackers like Sedlak who are motivated to target U.S. government officials and political candidates can have severe consequences of undermining public confidence and trust in our government institutions and political system,' they wrote in their argument for a longer stay in prison.

US intelligence agencies in January released an assessment indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered cyber attacks to help Republican Donald Trump's electoral chances by discrediting Clinton.
A map has identified how Australia's political donation system is still behind much of the world.

Unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, Australia still allows political funding from foreign donators.

Australia is grouped with nations including Sudan, Algeria and Sri Lanka in allowing overseas money to back political campaigns.

A map has identified how Australia's political donation system is still behind much of the first world. Australia is grouped with nations including Sudan, Algeria and Sri Lanka in allowing overseas money to back political campaigns

The country is the only English-speaking democracy that allows foreign donators, aside from New Zealand which caps the investment at $1,500 NZ.

Chinese businessman Dr Chau Chak Wing donated $200,000 to the Western Australia Liberal Party in 2015/16, the largest in the state's history.

The ABC revealed Dr Chau, who has ties to the Chinese Communist Party, also donated over $500,000 to the federal party.

Dr Chau is an Australian citizen who has made numerous donations to education establishments including $20 million for a business school at the University of Technology.

While the United States does not allow foreign donators, the Intercept reported Super Political Action Committees, or Super PACs, use the guise of anonymity create loopholes for foreign money to enter politics.

American Pacific International Capital is a company based in California, which is owned and controlled by Chinese nationals, and made a $US 1.3 million donation to Jeb Bush's campaign.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE High Court has ordered Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Cain Mathema to repay a $50 000 loan he borrowed from Agribank nearly four years ago.The bank filed summons against the minister sometime in January this year and later applied for a default judgment after Mathema failed to respond to the summons.On June 8, Bulawayo High court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo upheld the bank's application ordering Mathema to pay $50 164,87 with interest at the prescribed rate of 21,5% from the date of summons to date of full payment. She also ordered him to pay the costs of the suit on a lawyer- client scale.In its declaration of the claim Agribank submitted that sometime in November 2013, Mathema applied for and received a loan of $27 900 for purchase of drip irrigation equipment."The amount loaned and advanced to the defendant would attract interest at the rate of 21,5% per annum. The first instalment was payable six months after drawdown and within six months thereof," the declaration read."The defendant drew down on the loan in full and the first instalment became due on June 27, 2014 and the whole amount became due on November 27, 2014. The defendant defaulted on his obligation in terms of the loan in that defendant has only paid $5 500 which he paid on June 23, 2015."The bank submitted that as a security for his indebtedness, Mathema registered notarial general covering bond over all his movable property.
Controversial Tory plans to reform social care are to be axed as part of a delayed Queens Speech, David Davis indicated yesterday.

Conservative MPs have urged ministers to scrap the manifesto proposals for a dementia tax, which are blamed for wrecking Theresa Mays campaign.

Mr Davis yesterday acknowledged that the decision to include the social care shake-up in the manifesto was the point at which the campaign went wrong.

In the strongest indication that the plans will be abandoned, the Brexit Secretary added: The social care policy was a mistake.

Mrs May (pictured in Downing Street yesterday) told anxious Tory MPs she will review a planned shake-up of school funding after complaints that voters raised the issue repeatedly during the campaign

Mr Davis yesterday acknowledged that the decision to include the social care shake-up in the manifesto was the point at which the campaign went wrong

It also involved scrapping the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners  a policy which is opposed by the Democratic Unionist Party, whose support Mrs May needs to pass her Queens Speech.

A Tory source last night confirmed that the policy was dead in its current form, although work will continue on proposals to tackle the social care crisis.

Mrs May also told anxious Tory MPs she will review a planned shake-up of school funding after complaints that voters raised the issue repeatedly during the campaign.

The changes came as Downing Street warned the Queens Speech may have to be delayed due to protracted talks with the DUP. Number 10 refused to say whether the speech, in which Her Majesty sets out the Governments programme, would go ahead as planned on Monday next week.

Any delay is likely to last only a few days. But it would embarrass ministers and could inconvenience the Queen, who is due to be at Royal Ascot for much of next week.

Mrs May will meet DUP leader Arlene Foster in Downing Street today in a bid to agree the deal. But sources said it could take another day or two to finalise, putting Mondays Queens Speech in jeopardy.

Mrs May needs the support of the DUPs ten MPs after falling short in last weeks election. She confirmed to MPs last night there would be no formal coalition with the DUP. Instead she will try to strike a confidence and supply deal in which the DUP supports the Government on key votes such as the Queens Speech and Budget.

If the Queens Speech were to fail it could trigger another election or even allow Jeremy Corbyn to try to form a government.

This means every line must be approved by the DUP. Its MPs are also set to demand the scrapping of Tory plans to end the pensions triple lock.

Other proposals expected to be dropped include Mrs Mays plans for a new generation of grammar schools and a vote on ending the fox hunting ban.

Labour said it was drawing up its own Queens Speech to put before parliament if Mrs May fails to win approval for hers. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry claimed: If an election was called today, we would win.
Islamic State chiefs are calling on its militants to carry out more attacks on the US, Britain and Australia during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the wake of the London and Manchester massacres.

In a disturbing audio message released by the terror group's spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajer, the Manchester Arena and London Bridge murderers were praised and he called for more of the same before the fasting period ends on June 24.

'Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done,' he said in the clip being shared among ISIS supporters on its channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application.

Islamic State chiefs are calling on its militants to carry out more attacks on the US, Britain and Australia during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the wake of the London and Manchester massacres

The van used by Khruam Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba in the London Bridge attack

Salman Abedi who killed 22 and injured at least 119 when he blew himself up in Manchester

The victims of the Manchester Arena bombing where Ariana Grande had just finished playing

In an audiotape circulated online on Monday, spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajer praised last week's attacks in Iran's capital, saying the country is 'weaker than a spider's web' and called for more assaults.

Al-Muhajer also called for attacks in Russia and Australia, saying 'heaven is reached under the shadow of swords'.

ISIS has called for attacks during Ramadan in the past and claimed responsibility for both the London Bridge attacks carried out by Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba and the Manchester Arena suicide bombing by Salman Abedi.

This year it has claimed responsibility for attacks in Britain, Egypt, Iran and the Philippines that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

'O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man,' said al-Muhajer.

Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims.

'To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others,' he added.

'Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done.'

Khuram Butt, left, Rachid Redouane, centre, and Youssef Zaghba, right - the London Bridge murderers

Questions have been raised regarding the Telegram messenger service's hosting of terror groups.

Militants use it due to its impenetrable encryption and in response to criticism the Russian-founded app wrote an insensitively-titled blog post called Don't Shoot The Messenger and incredibly blamed journalists for terrorism.

'In the aftermath of a recent terror attack, government officials all over the world renewed their calls for backdoors in end-to-end encrypted messaging apps,' it read.'

'At the same time, journalists made the usual heap of mistakes in their coverage.

'Thanks to these mistakes, I got many questions from surprised Telegram users. So let's set a few things straight.

'If you don't look too closely, it may indeed seem tempting to simply ban end-to-end encryption to stop terrorists from exchanging coded messages. The sad truth is that this will not work.

'Terrorists are prepared to face great discomfort to ensure that their communications are secure and their task is successful, including the ultimate discomfort of death. So if you ban or backdoor existing messaging apps, they will immediately switch to one of the following tactics - make their own apps, use coded language or use other forms of communication.

'What makes terrorism possible is not the weapons terrorists use, and not the messages they exchange  they have a rich history of improvisation in both these fields. But there exists one truly indispensable enabling element - the media.'
Brussels is holding out the threat of a massive raid on the City of London by demanding 'clearing houses' for euros move to the continent.

The EU has unveiled new rules that could require a huge slice of London's banking business to leave after Brexit - potentially dealing an 80billion hit to the UK economy and putting 80,000 jobs at risk.

Clearing houses stand between two sides of a trade to ensure its smooth completion, and also set aside funds to protect investors when a trade defaults.

London currently clears 747billion worth of euro-denominated contracts every day, or three quarters of the global total.

The City of London currently clears 747billion worth of euro-denominated contracts every day, or three quarters of the global total

But a draft law unveiled by European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis could deny London the right to host the business.

Mr Dombrovskis, vice-president responsible for financial stability, financial services and capital markets union, said: 'The continued safety and stability of our financial system remains a key priority.

'As we face the departure of the largest EU financial centre, we need to make certain adjustments to our rules to ensure that our efforts remain on track.'

The move will be seen as a hostile step ahead of the Brexit negotiations - which are due to get formally under way as early as next week.

Theresa May is under pressure to take a softer approach to the talks after the Tories lost their overall majority in the election last Thursday.

Critics have long argued that euro clearing belongs on the continent; in 2011 the European Central Bank tried to move the activity away from London but was overruled by the European Court of Justice in 2015.

SO WHAT ARE CLEARING HOUSES? Clearing houses stand between two sides of a trade to ensure its smooth completion, and also set aside funds to protect investors when a trade defaults. London currently clears 747billion worth of euro-denominated contracts every day, or three quarters of the global total. It is said to be worth around 80billion to the UK economy. Advertisement

The argument has flared up again in the last year after the UK voted to leave the European Union, with opponents arguing that Brussels will have much less oversight over the London Clearing House after Brexit.

Britain fought off a previous bid to relocate the business to the EU in 2015, when the EU court ruled against the European Central Bank.

The latest proposal will hive off clearing houses into two tiers, determined by whether their operations are considered 'systemically important'.

Those which are not systemically important will continue to operate under the framework of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation while systemically important clearing houses will be subject to 'stricter requirements'.

The so-called 'tier 2' operations will be forced to comply with any additional requirements set forward by EU central banks like collateral conditions and extra cash cushions.

They will also be subject to 'on-site inspections' and will have to provide 'all relevant information' to the European Securities and Markets Authority.

However, some clearing houses 'may be of such systemic importance' that those requirements will not be able to safeguard the EU financial system alone, forcing some businesses to move some of operations within EU borders.

That segment of the reforms could affect operations like the London Stock Exchange's London Clearing House (LCH).

The commission's proposals are more limited than some had feared, and will be subject to further assessments by regulators.

They will then be put forward to European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

The London Stock Exchange has bitterly objected to relocation in a sign that any forced move out of the UK could be highly damaging to its business.

European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis is due to unveil the proposals later today

Xavier Rolet said: 'In the wake of the Brexit vote, some European politicians warned stripping Euro clearing from London could serve as a lesson for the UK. Well, in business, the most important lesson is that the customer is always right.

'Customers drive markets, not politicians. We operate on an open access, commercial basis, fully compliant with regulations around the world, equipped to offer state of the art risk management and balance sheet efficiencies to clients from anywhere.

'If Europe does insist on trying to implement an artificial, inefficient location policy that fragments markets, they will only hurt the European capital markets and real economy. The rest of the global market will carry on.'

He warned the move would put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk and cost more than 78billion.

In a letter to Dombrovskis, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association said any move to an EU country would drive up costs for the financial sector.

A relocation could 'heighten financial stability concerns', the powerful lobby added, with traders and banks struggling to find new homes for their operations.

Last week the Futures Industry Association, a US and UK-linked lobby, warned that forced relocation of clearing services to the EU would double the costs to finance companies of guarding against contract defaults.

London lobbyists also argue in the event of an EU ordered exile from Britain, only Wall Street or Asia would benefit.

Forcing a move out of London, 'would ultimately be detrimental' and 'is in no one's interest,' Miles Celic, chief executive of the TheCityUK, said last month.
The growing hatred nationalists and conservatives the world over towards liberal billionaire George Soros has been detailed by a series of political experts.

Those who oppose Soros and accuse him of being a 'puppetmaster' claim the American financier-cum-philanthropist has successfully manufactured Europe's migration crisis, backed a coup in Macedonia and sponsored protests in Hungary.

All from the comfort of his New York home.

From the Kremlin via Skopje to the power corridors of Washington, the Hungarian-born Jewish immigrant is public enemy number one of nationalists around the globe.

Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros is being attacked more than ever by right-wing governments and forces, his organization says. Soros is pictured on April 27, 2017

The 86-year-old, who Forbes Magazine lists as the world's 29th richest man, and his Open Society Foundations is accused by his right-wing attackers of trying to meddle in politics by pushing a liberal, multicultural agenda.

Some of those who oppose him in Poland, a nation that once bestowed upon him one of its highest civilian honors, accuse him of being an enemy of the state who wants to destroy their sovereignty.

Similar attacks have been particularly vicious in his birth country Hungary, which on Tuesday is set to pass a controversial anti-NGO bill seen as directly targeting his foundation.

And his status as the right-wing's most hated man has not been lost on many in the political realm.

'To go on what you read and hear these days, Soros seems to be responsible for every political upheaval,' said German political analyst Ulf Brunnbauer.

'He makes an excellent scapegoat for increasingly authoritarian regimes as someone who's invested a lot of money into philanthropy and represents capitalism.'

Another Hungarian law hastily approved in April threatens to shut down the Soros-founded Central European University in Budapest.

Across Hungary, government-backed billboards have popped up showing the magnate as a puppeteer pulling the strings of an opposition politician, a motif associated with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

'His (religious) background is irrelevant to the central issue, which is that an increasing number of governments... see Soros' networks as a threat to democracy,' Zoltan Kovacs, the spokesman of ultra right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban, wrote in a recent blog post entitled 'Myths and facts about Hungary and George Soros'.

Orban - a one-time recipient of a Soros scholarship - has accused his former benefactor of using 'predator' NGOs to flood Europe with Muslim refugees and create a 'transnational empire'.

This picture taken on March 20 in Skopje, Macedonia, shows a protest against Soros. A 'Stop Operation Soros' campaign emerged in Macedonia. It was fueled by the country's authoritarian ex-premier Nikolas Gruevksi

Hungary's right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban casts his vote on a bill tightening regulations on foreign universities operating in Hungary, effectively pushing out of the country Central European University, a school founded by Soros

But he himself has his critics, having been accused of being a 'tyrant', while coming under fire last year for saying, 'every single migrant poses a public security and terror risk,' the Guardian reports.

'For us migration is not a solution but a problem... not medicine but a poison, we dont need it and wont swallow it.'

Soros has a long and complicated history. Born in Budapest in 1930, he survived both the Nazi and Soviet occupation before eventually moving to the US where he made his fortune from hedge funds.

But those dealings, as with many on Wall Street, were not without controversy.

In 1992, the he became known as 'the man who broke the bank of England' when his aggressive speculation against the sterling sent it crashing out of the European exchange mechanism.

He also has a 2002 conviction of insider trading in France, a verdict he described as a 'gift to my enemies'.

Students and teachers of the Central European University as well as their sympathizers are pictured during a protest march against the closing of the school in downtown Budapest

Soros has also been significantly impacted by his experience with totalitarian regimes.

'I have seen the damage done when societies succumb to the fear of the "other",' he wrote in the New York Times in March.

As a result of that driving force to avoid future totalitarianism, Soros created his foundation in 1984 to help countries move from communism toward democracy.

Since then, he has poured billions into ex-Soviet satellite states for causes and programs ranging from finance, health and justice reforms, to promoting the rights of minority groups and keeping tabs on government corruption.

He also backed pro-democracy groups in the color revolutions in central and eastern Europe, and vowed to spend $1billion in Ukraine to help save it from 'Russian aggression'.

Recently, he described Moscow as having a: 'concept of government (that) is irreconcilable with that of open society'.

As a result of his outspoken nature, and what those who oppose him describe as 'interference', he has earned him powerful enemies.

Earlier this month, Orban likened Soros's description of Hungary as a 'mafia state' to a 'declaration of war'

The Kremlin has accused Soros of fermenting violent uprisings and banned his foundation in 2015 as part of a massive NGO clampdown.

Europe's migration crisis, which erupted that same year, has also deepened the rift between the pro-refugee OSF and anti-immigration nationalists.

In January this year, a 'Stop Operation Soros' campaign emerged in Macedonia. It was fueled by the country's authoritarian ex-premier Nikolas Gruevksi, who regularly called for the country's 'de-Sorosisation'.

The head of Poland's governing right-wing party Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Soros wanted to create 'societies without an identity', while Romania's ruling party leader alleged the tycoon had 'financed evil' by sponsoring recent mass protests.

And the hate towards Soros has not just been fostered in Europe.

In the US, he is a favored target of the far-right website Breitbart, which runs anti-Soros stories on an almost daily basis.

The website's founder, Steve Bannon, left the website to become an aide to Donald Trump.

The website's hatred for Soros played a part in a petition calling for the philanthropist's arrest for 'standing in the way of making America great again' receiving 60,000 signatures online.

And while all these examples prove hostility towards Soros is not new, its increased intensity is unprecedented,OSF's Eurasia director Leonard Benardo said.

'The OSF as an institution and George Soros as a person condemning corruption have always faced pressures from governments that have an illiberal cast,' he told AFP.

'What is different about now is the ferocity and tenacity of the response.'

Incidentally the attacks come at a time when the OSF only spends a faction of what it used to.

'What we're witnessing is that democracy is not only about institutions, that you can have largely free and fair elections and yet still have great anxieties and problems when it comes to forms of open society.'
Pentagon chief Jim Mattis claimed he was 'shocked' by the state of the US military's readiness, blaming legal budget caps and the grind of 16 years of constant war.

The defense secretary also warned the House Armed Services Committee that North Korea has become the most urgent threat to peace and security, and said - without giving details - that America must do things differently in Afghanistan.

Pointing to Obama-era budget caps known as sequestration, Mattis said limits on military spending have left troops at greater risk and blocked important new programs - even though the defense budget is already greater than that of the next seven countries combined.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has called North Korean regime's weapons program a 'clear and present danger' to all and warned the US military needed substantial additional investment

The Pentagon has called for $574 billion in general defense funding, with an additional $65 billion for supplemental wartime spending due to the wear and tear of constant combat

Mattis described North Korea under Kim Jong-un, pictured, as a 'clear and present danger'

Mattis, known as Mad Dog from his time as a Marine General, said: 'I retired from military service three months after sequestration took effect.

'Four years later, I returned to the Department (of Defense), and I have been shocked by what I've seen about our readiness to fight... No enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.'

Mattis was addressing lawmakers seeking additional information about President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget.

He wants to slash State Department spending but give a significant boost to the Pentagon's vast budget, although it falls short of the historic spending bonanza sought by more hawkish Republicans.

The Pentagon has called for $574 billion in general defense funding, with an additional $65 billion for supplemental wartime spending -- for a total of $639 billion.

The US military has put on shows of force on the Korean peninsula, such as this mission involving a low-flying B-52 Stratofortress above Osan Air Base to act as a warning to Kim

That represents a more than $50 billion increase - about 10 per cent - over 2017 funding levels for the base budget, although it amounts to only about three percent over projections previously envisioned by the Obama administration.

Committee Chairman Congressman Mac Thornberry and other Republicans bemoaned the increase as insufficient.

'We have spent six years just getting by, asking more and more of those who serve, and putting off the choices that have to be made. We cannot keep piling missions on our service members without ensuring they have all they need to succeed,' Thornberry said.

Although many Democrats on the committee agree, they worry where the money will come from, given the Trump administration's pressure to cut taxes.

Mattis pointed to the war in Afghanistan, which has dragged on since late 2001 with no end in sight, as exacting a heavy price.

Mattis warned constant deployment in the Middle East has 'exhausted equipment faster than planned' due to the 'additional wear and tear of years of continuous combat use'

Such campaigns have 'exhausted our equipment faster than planned. Congress and the Department (of Defense) could not anticipate the accumulated wear and tear of years of continuous combat use,' he said.

Lawmakers repeatedly asked Mattis for an update on Afghanistan, and about whether Trump will deploy thousands more troops to help Afghan partners reverse a stalemate against the resurgent Taliban.

'We've got to do things differently,' Mattis acknowledged, noting only that any Afghanistan decision would come 'soon.'

Ahead of the four-hour hearing, Mattis also warned that North Korea poses the most urgent threat to international peace and security, calling the regime's weapons program a 'clear and present danger' to all.

In written testimony, he said Pyongyang is increasing the pace and scope of its nuclear weapons program that leader Kim Jong-Un wants to be capable of delivering a bomb on the United States.

'The regime's provocative actions, manifestly illegal under international law, have not abated despite United Nations' censure and sanctions,' Mattis said.

Mattis warned Kim, pictured, wants to develop a nuclear weapon capable of striking the United States, but suggested a military strike against the hermit state would be 'disastrous'

The defense secretary also warned of a return to 'Great Power competition,' where countries like Russia and China gain military assertiveness and place long-held global security protocol at risk.

'Both Russia and China object to key aspects of the international order so painstakingly built since the end of World War II,' he said.

Pyongyang has test-fired a string of missiles this year, building on launches and nuclear tests that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the United States -- something Trump has vowed 'won't happen.'

But Mattis and his top military officer, General Joe Dunford, said any military action against North Korea would have disastrous consequences for the peninsula.

'It would be a war like nothing we have seen since 1953,' Mattis said about the end of the Korean War.
The 11-year-old sister of a teenage girl who died from leukaemia after a misdiagnosis has received a confidential financial settlement following a negligence claim.

Kate McCartin, 18, from the New South Wales central coast, died in December 2013, 14 months after she was incorrectly diagnosed with a form of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma.

In a judgement handed down in the New South Wales Supreme Court this month, Justice Monika Schmidt approved the settlement for Kate's sister, Amy.

Kate McCartin (right) died from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in December 2013. She is pictured here with her younger sister Amy

A judgement handed down in the NSW Supreme Court this month said Kate (pictured) had received an incorrect diagnosis in October 2012

'The settlement concerned a claim in negligence... brought against the Central Coast Local Health District, which operated Gosford Hospital and the Health Administration Corporation [NSW Health Pathology], which were both involved in the diagnosis and in the Hospital's case, treatment of Amy's older sister Kate,' Justice Schmidt said.

Justice Schmidt said Kate received her incorrect diagnosis in October 2012, 'for which she was treated, including by repeated chemotherapy, without success'.

'In September 2013 the misdiagnosis was identified when Kate was admitted to St Vincent's Hospital for a bone marrow transplant,' she said.

'She was then diagnosed to be suffering Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Despite treatment for her illness, she died in December 2013.'

The settlement followed proceedings brought by Kate's mother, Samantha Krisman, her husband, her son and daughter, which related to her daughter Amy, Justice Schmidt's judgement said.

NSW Health Pathology and Central Coast Local Health District said in a joint statement to Daily Mail Australia: 'We apologise unreservedly to the family and offer our sincere condolences for this tragic event'.

'While we realise this can never make up for their enormous loss, we can confirm settlement has been reached with the family,' the statement said.
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A Brisbane man with the same initials as Bruce Wayne built a Batman-style 50-metre secret entrance to his stunning mansion.

But while Brett Walker's extraordinary property in the city's north-east is sure to turn heads, he says the superhero design was pure coincidence.

'It wasn't on purpose, that's not really my go,' Mr Walker, who put the house on the market two weeks ago, told Domain.

'The tunnel has always been a massive wow factor and it makes my mates laugh, but the whole Batman thing, it's not really my style.'

A Brisbane man with the same initials as Bruce Wayne built a Batman-style 50-metre secret entrance to his stunning mansion

But while Brett Walker's extraordinary property in the city's north-east is sure to make people stand back in awe, he says the superhero design was pure coincidence. Pictured, the 50-metre secret entrance

The remarkable seven-bedroom, six-bathroom property boasts vast entertaining areas looking over the Brisbane's city skyline

The concrete tunnel is one of two entrances to the remarkable seven-bedroom, six-bathroom property, which boasts vast entertaining areas looking over the city.

'Apart from the tunnel, it's the view that always shocks people... The view blows them away,' Mr Walker said.

The tunnel, which is the only part of the property visible from the street, leads to an underground garage which can hold up to ten cars.

It reportedly took Mr Walker over two years to build the stunning home, located in Brisbane's exclusive suburb of Ascot.

'The tunnel has always been a massive wow factor and it makes my mates laugh, but the whole Batman thing, it's not really my style,' Mr Walker said. The property features this stunning theatre room

An elaborate fitness centre (pictured) spans over half a level of the property in exlusive suburb of Ascot in Brisbane's north-east

'The tunnel, lift system and house is a complex feat of engineering which simply has to be seen to be believed,' according to Sotheby's International Realty's listing

Among the property's stunning features is this expansive cellar, which is sure to satisfy the needs of any wine lover in the country

'The tunnel, lift system and house is a complex feat of engineering which simply has to be seen to be believed,' according to Sotheby's International Realty's listing.

The third floor features a master retreat with its own terrace, while the lower floor boasts a self-contained guest room.

The home also features a theatre, a games room, an expansive wine cellar, two swimming pools and a fitness centre spanning half a level.

The property has been on the market since May 31. The latest CoreLogic data suggests the home is worth between $6.7 and $9.2million.

'Apart from the tunnel, it's the view that always shocks people... The view blows them away,' Mr Walker said

The third floor features a master retreat with its own terrace, while the lower floor boasts a self-contained guest room

Just one of six stunning bathrooms of the amazing Brisbane mansion is pictured, with city views from the bathtub
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011, has officially changed his name to Fjotolf Hansen.

The terrorist's lawyer Oeystein Storrvik declined to give Breivik's reasons for adopting Hansen, one of Norway's most common surnames, or the extremely rare Fjotolf.

'He told me some reasons but I don't want to talk about what he told me,' Storrvik said, confirming Norwegian media reports of the name change.

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Extremist mass murderer Anders Breivik has not had his human rights violated by Norway, a court has ruled

Breivik claimed his bad treatment in prison was leading to his 'radicalisation'

In Norway, citizens can freely change their names in the official register but are not allowed to pick words that are likely to cause offence to others or harm the individual.

It was unclear when he made the change.

On Thursday, the Norwegian Supreme Court said it would not consider an appeal lodged by Breivik protesting against his prison conditions.

The anti-Muslim far-right extremist killed 77 people in Norway's worst peacetime atrocity in July 2011.

He killed eight with a bomb in Oslo and then gunned down 69, many of them teenagers, at a youth meeting of the then-ruling Labour Party.

Norway's Statistics Bureau says that there are more than 52,000 people with the surname Hansen in a population of five million.

On Fjotolf, it merely says that it is used by fewer than four people.

The mass murderer last week pledged to appeal at the European Court of Human Rights after his own country's supreme court today refused to hear his plea about 'inhumane' prison conditions.

The neo-Nazi, who gunned down 69 people and blew up eight in Norway in 2011, was told the Norwegian Supreme Court will not take up the appeal he lodged against his treatment in jail.

But his lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, said Breivik, 38, wants to take the case to Strasbourg 'as soon as possible'.

He added: 'We've always been prepared for the possibility that our case before the Norwegian courts may not succeed.'

Breivik has previously said he is being 'damaged by the isolation' and claimed 'radicalisation has been a consequence of it'.

'I have not been a little hurt, I have been very damaged,' he said.

Breivik, pictured, said he will now take his case to the European Court of Human Rights

Breivik was seeking to overturn a March decision by a Norwegian appeals court that ruled his near-isolation in a three-room cell respected human rights.

'The Supreme Court's appeal commission has unanimously decided on June 8, 2017 to not further consider Anders Behring Breivik's appeal in the case Breivik has brought against the state,' the court said in a statement.

'No part of Breivik's appeal has the possibility of winning in front of the Supreme Court,' it added.

'Neither does the case raise questions about the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights that have not already been clarified extensively by the European Court of Human Rights.'

In 2015 a lower court in Norway ruled that jail conditions for Breivik breach a ban on 'inhuman and degrading treatment' under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case was dismissed on the grounds that he had not been subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment

His lawyer then stressed the case is 'really about a person that is sitting very, very alone in a small prison within a prison'.

He dismissed the benefits of the weekly visits by a state-appointed prison confidante for Breivik, saying 'it's a paid job.'

But the Norwegian state said extreme restrictions are needed after Breivik gunned down 69 people, many of them teenagers, at a youth camp of the then-ruling Labour Party on July 22, 2011, after detonating a bomb in central Oslo that killed eight.
A four-year-old girl has received critical spinal surgery after she was involved in a head-on car crash, which her father is facing dangerous driving offences for.

Court was asked to release Stephen Falkiner, 33, on bail on Monday to see his daughter Hollie-Anne, at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.

Hollie-Anne had to be cut from the wreckage of her father's car after a head-on crash in Roseworthy, north of Adelaide, about 9pm Saturday.

A four-year-old girl has received critical spinal surgery after she was involved in a head-on car crash, which her father is facing dangerous driving offences for

Court was asked to release Stephen Falkiner (pictured with wife Dee), 33, on bail on Monday to see his daughter Hollie-Anne, at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide

Hollie-Anne had to be cut from the wreckage of her father's car after a head-on crash in Roseworthy, north of Adelaide, about 9pm Saturday

She was paralysed by the crash and had to receive 'delicate' surgery on Tuesday, her grandmother Ana Stanic said.

'May I ask all people of goodwill to pray for my granddaughter Hollie-Anne who was in a car crash with her brother Harley-John,' she posted to Facebook.

Also on-board was her 18-month-old brother Harley-John who escaped with a broken arm, 7 News reported.

Falkiner has been charged with three counts of causing serious harm by dangerous driving and one count of driving unlicensed.

Hollie-Anne (pictured) was paralysed by the crash and had to receive 'delicate' surgery on Tuesday, her grandmother Ana Stanic said

Falkiner (pictured) has been charged with three counts of causing serious harm by dangerous driving and one count of driving unlicensed

Justin Wickens, who argued for Falkiner to be released on bail, said his client was all his children had after their mother Dee died last November, The Advertiser reported.

'He is the only parent these children have, he has full custody of them and they are in his care full-time,' Mr Wickens said.

'She was allowed to see her father for just 10 minutes before he was arrested, at the hospital ... he is extremely anxious about his children.'

His request for bail was denied and he has been remanded in custody until next week.

Emergency services were called to the Thiele Highway on Saturday night after a blue Commodore sedan and a Holden Captiva collided head-on

A 48-year-old woman driving a Holden Captiva was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries, police said

Emergency services were called to the Thiele Highway on Saturday night after a blue Commodore sedan and a Holden Captiva collided head-on, police said.

The two children sitting in the backseat of the Commodore and were taken to Women's and Children's Hospital, while the 33-year-old man was taken to Lyell McEwin Hospital with serious injuries.

He was discharged the following day and then arrested by police on dangerous driving charges and driving while disqualified.

The 48-year-old woman driving the Captiva was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries, police said.
Andrew Timblin, 60, pictured, was convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl with whom he had been left alone by her 'drug-addict' mother

A 14-year-old girl who went through a horrific rape ordeal at the hands of a 60-year-old bodybuilder was then abused by a Met Police officer foster father she was sent to live with after she was rescued, a court heard.

The teenager was 'left at the mercy of inappropriate men' by her drug-addict mother, Manchester Crown Court was told, and is now so emotionally damaged she 'regularly self harms' and has attempted to kill herself.

Former gym instructor Andrew Timblin was jailed for 21 years after he was found guilty of raping the victim and another teenage girl, 17, in unrelated attacks.

The 14-year-old was then sent 300 miles away to London to live with the wife of a policeman - only for the officer to engage in an 'illicit sexual relationship' with her.

The court heard they twice stayed in a hotel together and the officer was arrested after the girl was found hiding in a stairwell near his flat.

Searches of his phone later found indecent pictures of them together.

The policeman, aged in his 30s, was jailed for seven years at a separate hearing.

Two other men were acquitted of sex charges while the girl's 40-year old mother - who has five other children - was given a nine-month suspended sentence for child cruelty.

The court heard the girl had lived a stable family environment in Lancashire with her father and two siblings after being removed from the care of her mother in 2004 due to her drug use.

Timblin, left, subjected the girl to a 'horrific ordeal', a court heard, while she was subsequently abused by a Met Police officer she was fostered by. There is so suggestion the woman pictured has anything to do with the case

The mother - who cannot be named for legal reasons - lost touch with her daughter but in 2014 she contacted her over Facebook and falsely claimed the girl's father wasn't really related to her.

She then encouraged the youngster to come and live with her by portraying her father in a 'bad light.'

The girl was so curious about her mother she left home - only to end up sleeping rough with her in a churchyard for two nights.

The court heard the mother then confiscated her daughter's spare clothing and sold them before leaving her alone with a series of older men while she went to get drugs.

Police were regularly called to search for the teenager after she went missing a series of times, and once found her in a hotel room with a 33-year-old man.

On one occasion they also located her at the home of a man who had convictions for drugs and gun offences.

Despite her chaotic lifestyle she went back to her mother and was eventually introduced by her mother to burly Timblin in his home town of Stockport.

The gym instructor was known as 'the Bear' and had a tattoo of the words 'sex machine' across his stomach.

Timblin, pictured with an unknown woman, was a gym instructor in Stockport and had the words 'sex machine' tattooed on his stomach

The court heard the girl had pleaded with her mother not to be left alone with Timblin, pictured, and suffered panic attacks around him

Despite pleading with her mother not to leave her with Timblin and suffering panic attacks, her mother left and the 60-year-old raped her on two separate occasions.

He was arrested after the 14-year-old told her older brother about the attacks and he alerted their father who raised the alarm.

When officers located the girl she initially denied she had been raped but when she was separated from her mother, she revealed her torment.

In July 2014 she was placed in foster care with the policeman and his wife but she was removed from the placement the following December when the officer himself went to police and admitted he was having an affair with her.

Detectives initially took no criminal action as the girl claimed nothing had happened between them but the truth emerged in January 2015 when she was reported missing from her grandmother's home.

It emerged she and the officer had stayed in hotel in Stockport before going back to his flat in Essex.

He later pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and child abduction.

The court heard the girl, now 16, has self harmed and attempted to kill herself following the abuse she suffered at the hands of Timblin, pictured, and the police office, who was also jailed

Henry Blackshaw, prosecuting said the girl had 'been removed from the stable home life given for 10 years by her father' by a mother who was a 'homeless drug addict with a chaotic lifestyle who could never have offered a child a safe and secure home.'

He added: 'She lured her daughter to leave her father's home and join her in her chaotic lifestyle, variously sleeping rough or dossing with her associates.

'She used the fact she had care of her daughter for sympathy in order to gain access to the homes of others to stay.

'As a result of the mother's neglect, the girl was sexually assaulted and raped. It was well known that Timblin was an unsuitable person to have care of her and the girl's mother was apparently aware of that, as it is she who told her daughter.

'Despite this she left the girl in his sole care constantly whilst she went out, she believes to use drugs.

'The daughter begged her mother not to leave her with Timblin and begged to be allowed to accompany her mother - but her pleas were ignored.

'An associate noticed the girl was extremely distressed and vomiting - he likened this to a panic attack.

'The mother lied and manipulated her daughter, use her daughter to obtain bed and board and left her with inappropriate males despite the distress shown by her.'

Mr Blackshaw said the mother had also encouraged her daughter to run away when she was placed in care and that caused her to be sent to the foster home in Essex.

Timblin denied the charges but was convicted of rape, indecent assault, unlawful wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He will be on the sex offenders register for an 'indefinite period'.

Judge Jeffery Lewis said the girl had been affected 'significantly' and told Timblin: 'You betrayed the innocence of her childhood for your sexual gratification.

'She was abused by you at a significantly younger age at a time of transitions from child hood to womanhood and all the emotional and physical changes that involves.

'She will be in the very early stages of dealing with the aftermath of your conduct towards her.

'She is a very young woman with her life before her. It's to be hoped she will be able to transcend the impact and make her proper place in the world and move on.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details.
News / National

by Staff reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has blocked recruitment of the country's hangman although at least five people have applied for the post which fell vacant more than 10 years ago, Justice ministry permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza has said.Mabhiza told NewsDay yesterday that Mnangagwa, who doubles as Justice minister, was not keen on filling the hangman's post because he was against the death penalty."The hangman's post is yet to be filled and we continue to receive applications. From 2013, when I joined the ministry, we have received more than five applications. I have not checked how many applied before I came," she said."The Constitution still allows the death penalty. It did not outlaw the death penalty," she said, adding no females had expressed interest in the job yet. "So far, we have not received applications from females, only men have applied. The post has been vacant for in excess of 10 years"It is because our current Justice minister, who is VP Emmerson Mnangagwa, is opposed to the death penalty such that anything in the direction of execution, he does not entertain it," she said.Mnangagwa himself missed the hangman's noose by a whisker after he was convicted of sabotage by the colonial regime during the liberation struggle.After being jailed by the regime after his Crocodile Gang bombed a train in Masvingo during the struggle, Mnangagwa, then 17, was sentenced to death, but spared the hangman's noose because of his young age.
An economics professor accused of punching his wife after heated arguments about pasta and picture frames at their 1million home has been given a restraining order.

Francesco Squintani, 46, Professor of Economics at Warwick University, was arrested after his wife Leila Simona Talani, 46, said she was pushed over, punched and kicked.

The married couple, who both hold chairs at leading universities, split after police were called to their former matrimonial home in Putney, west London.

Ms Talani is the Professor of European Political Economy at King's College London, having previously taught at the European Institute of the London School of Economics.

Francesco Squintani, 46, (pictured) was accused of punching and kicking his Professor wife at their home in Putney

Prof. Squintani, of Warwick, has always denied assaulting his wife on January 21 this year.

He also denied assaulting an eight-year-old boy on the same occasion and last week at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court the prosecution dropped the case on the day of trial.

However, he was made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him directly contacting his estranged wife or the boy due to a history of police call-outs.

Mary Lawrenson, prosecuting, told the court: 'There was an argument over picture frames and whether pictures should be up on the wall or not.

'The argument goes further than merely verbal and during the course of the row the complainant says this defendant pushes her in such as way that she goes to the floor.'

During a previous hearing, the court heard Prof. Talani banged her head and received a punch and a kick from her husband and the young boy was pushed.

There was no bleeding, but Prof. Talani says she suffered pain to her head from the bump and to her upper body from the kick.

Leila Simona Talani, 46, (pictured) is the Professor of European Political Economy at King's College London

Miss Lawrenson said: 'There have been previous police call-outs to the address as a result of rows, including one when the wife was giving away pasta to charity.

'The complainant is content with the restraining order and it is to protect both parties.'

District Judge James Henderson told Prof. Squintani: 'Given the nature of these allegations and the fact there has been previous call-outs by the police there is a necessity to make a restraining order to protect your ex-wife from harassment from you.'

Prof. Squintani is the author of several publications on economics and is a founding editor of the journal of the European Political Science Association.

He has presented his work to research seminars at leading universities all over the globe and also held positions at the USA's Princeton University and University of California Los Angeles.

Prof. Talani is also a multi-published author, who has lectured at the University of Bath and achieved a PhD with distinction at the European University Institute of Florence.
The Greens party have introduced a draft bill on sexual consent that could see individuals jailed for lying about their age, marital status and political views.

The bill is attempting to address the current issue of stealthing, which involves removing contraception like a condom without your partner's consent or knowledge, by preventing people from 'fraudulently misrepresenting' themselves.

But the Liberal party is less than impressed with the idea and said charging people with a sexual offence for lying could face an unnecessary and hefty jail term.

The Greens party have introduced a draft bill on sexual consent that could see individuals jailed for lying about their age, marital status and political views (stock image)

'It would make most people's Tinder profile a crime,' ACT Shadow Attorney-General Jeremy Hanson told nine.com.au.

'If you were to lie about your age, or being married, or any facet of your life and they say they wouldn't have consented if they knew, that becomes a crime with the potential for a 12-year jail sentence.'

While the Liberal party does wish to make the 'vile and cruel' act of stealthing a crime they want to work on the logistics first.

While the Liberal party does wish to make the 'vile and cruel' act of stealthing a crime they want to work on the logistics first (stock image)

'It would make most people's Tinder profile a crime,' ACT Shadow Attorney-General Jeremy Hanson told nine.com.au

'This is something we want to stop but making sure the law is right is very important as well,' he said.

The problem of stealthing came to the fore when Yale Law School released a journal about what victims of the issue could do legally after a sexual partner 'stealthed' them.

It turns out there isn't an all-encompassing law to prevent the act from happening.

The study's author Alexandra Brodsky raised some of the main medical risks of the practice - including unwanted pregnancies and STI's - but also said victims reported they felt a 'grave violation of dignity and autonomy' not dissimilar from rape.

There are hopes in Australia that if a firm law is introduced then more convictions will be made to support victims seeking justice.
A German policewoman was shot in the head when a gunman stole her pistol and fired it at her at a local train station in Munich today.

The policewoman, 26, is severely injured and fighting for her life. Two bystanders were hit and are seriously injured and the gunman was lightly wounded when her colleagues opened fire on him.

Media reports in Germany said the man is psychiatrically disturbed. He is under arrest but has not been named.

The incident occurred this morning at Unterfohring station of the Bavarian capital.

Elite armed SEK anti-terror police units were scrambled to the station but were recalled soon afterwards.

A 26-year-old police woman is fighting for her life after being shot in the head at the Munich station

Armed German policemen secure the scene of a shooting at the Unterfoehring subway station in Munich, Germany

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired

A helicopter hovers above the scene which has seen one police officer and several others injured

Police vehicles line up in the area a female police officer is said to have been shot in the head

The incident occurred this morning at Unterfohring station and German police said they had secured the area

Blood on the streets of Munich as a police officer is shot by a gunman at a train station

An eyewitness told the BILD newspaper: 'We heard five shots. We had to leave the train on the platform.'

A Munich police spokesman, Marcus da Gloria Martins, later told reporters there was no indication of a 'political or religious' motive behind the incident.

'The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons,' he said.

Martins said that the unidentified man, 37, had tried to push at least one police officer in front of an incoming train, leading to a scuffle during which he took the female officer's gun and fired.

'The police officer was shot in the head and critically injured,' Martins said.

The station remains closed while the police operation continues.

A spokeswoman for the force said: 'There is no danger to the public,' and Bavarian radio said: 'According to police information it is probably not a terrorist attack.'

The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the subway station, Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said.

Munich's Merkur newspaper reported that witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and then shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

Riehlein said the area has been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public.

The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the subway station as an armed officer stands guard

A police officer armed with a huge rifle walks the streets as the station is closed down for safety

Dozens of emergency vehicles descend upon the scene which has been cordoned off

Last July, an 18-year-old, David Ali Sonboly, shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage.

Police said the German-Iranian teen was 'obsessed' with mass murderers such Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the Islamic State (IS) group.

And in March, an axe-wielding attacker wounded nine people in a bloody rampage at a railway station in the western city of Duesseldorf.

The 36-year-old Kosovan national had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of high anxiety and self-harm, police said, ruling out a terrorist motive.

Instead, they suggested he might have carried out the attack at the station to end his own life.

The suspect was taken into custody after jumping off a bridge.

German authorities have been on high alert since a series of attacks claimed by IS.

The most deadly came last December when a Tunisian rejected asylum seeker rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in an attack that killed 12 people and wounded dozens of others.

Armed German policemen secure the scene of a shooting at the Unterfoehring subway station in Munich

A weapon was fired during the check, but could not immediately say whether it was fired by police or by a suspect
Charrissa Loren Brown-Wellington was remanded in custody after appearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court

A 31-year-old woman wept today as she appeared in court charged with murdering a man who was allegedly pushed in front of a moving tram.

Charrissa Loren Brown-Wellington was remanded in custody after appearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court over the death of Philip Carter, 30.

Emergency services were called to Manchester Victoria station on Sunday after reports that a man had been pushed from the platform. He died at the scene.

Brown-Wellington looked physically upset and was crying and sniffing, wiping away her tears with her jumper sleeves, and spoke only to confirm her name.

Appearing visibly tired, the defendant from Oldham wore jogging bottoms and an orange jumper, and repeatedly pulled down the sleeves.

A man believed to be Brown-Wellington's father could be seen rocking backwards and forwards crying.

Brown-Wellington looked physically upset and was crying and sniffing in court this morning

Officers were called to Manchester Victoria station (pictured) after a man was struck by a tram

Two other family members shouted 'I love you' to her as she was walked out of the box and both were visibly upset.

Officers were called to Manchester Victoria station just after 7.50pm on Sunday and said the man was pushed from the platform in front of a moving tram.

The incident happened on the Victoria Metrolink platforms - yards from the entrance to the city's arena where 22 people were killed in last month's terrorist attack.

People working at the busy station told of their shock at what had happened.

Peter Andrew, 19, a languages student who works part-time in a sandwich shop at the station, said: 'I had finished work and I'd just got on a different tram to the one involved before I heard what had happened.

Manchester Victoria station is pictured today following the incident in the city two days ago

'I couldn't believe it. Especially as it happened so close to the arena attacks, it's very surprising.'

Mr Andrew, who is studying French and German at Manchester Metropolitan University, added: 'I was also working the night of the [arena] attack and missed that by ten minutes again.

'It's so shocking and upsetting what's happened, even more so that it's not even been a month since the horrible terrorist attack. I don't know what's next.'

Greater Manchester Police's senior investigating officer, Superintendent Bob Tonge, said: 'This is a tragic event where a man has lost his life and the circumstances surrounding this are being fully investigated.'

The incident - described as a 'tragic event' - caused disruption to services for several hours

The death caused transport problems as tram services were suspended on Sunday night and into yesterday while forensic searches took place.

Revellers from the Parklife music festival in north Manchester were advised to walk home at the end of the event on Sunday.

Transport for Greater Manchester's customer director Stephen Rhodes said he was 'absolutely devastated' to hear someone had died.

He said his immediate thoughts were with the man's family and friends.
Police have opened an attempted murder investigation after a van used to get ex-cons and drug addicts back into work rammed into a taxi.

The driver, who fled the scene and went on the run, smashed into bollards and the vehicle in central Stockholm Tuesday in what police are certain is not a terrorist incident.

It comes just weeks after a suspected terrorist attack in the city when a truck mounted the pavement killing five pedestrians.

Damaged bollards are seen after a truck driver, who is on the run, crashed into a taxi, in the Sodermalm district, in Stockholm, Sweden

Police secure the scene of an accident in the Soedermalm district, south of the city centre in Stockholm

A turned over Stockholmslejon - a concrete traffic stopper - is seen outside the roped off area near the department store Ahlens after a suspected terror attack on the Drottninggatan Street in central Stockholm, Sweden in April

Police spokesman Anders Bryngelsson: 'We investigate this as attempted murder because the driver of the van could have had that intention,' Bryngelsson said, declining to describe the driver.

Another police spokesman, Kjell Lindgren, later said there is 'nothing to indicate that this is a terrorist incident'.

The force have since arrested the man in the city and confirmed nothing dangerous was found in the vehicle.

Two police officers behind a cordon in Sweden

The van belonged to Tjuvgods.se, a courier company founded to help former convicts and drug addicts back into the labor market.

A company spokesman, Curre Cederstrom, said the van was discovered missing Tuesday morning.

'We had not even reported it stolen when we heard about this,' the Aftonbladet newspaper quoted Cederstrom as saying.

He couldn't be reached immediately for further comment.

Eyewitness Per Sturesson told Aftonbladet he first thought 'the driver jumped out to see what had happened but he sped up and continued to drive'.

'It felt like he just wanted to get out of the truck in panic.'

Swedish media say several vehicles were hit in the incident and barriers closing a street had been hit.

Police could not confirm that immediately.

On April 7, the driver of a stolen truck killed five pedestrians and injured 14 in central Stockholm.

Lawyers for the suspect, Rakhmat Akilov, say he has admitted driving the truck 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) down a main pedestrian shopping street.
Christians are disguising themselves by borrowing hijabs to escape the ISIS militants holding 1,500 people hostage in a besieged Philippines town.

More than three weeks after Islamist militants stormed the southern Filipino town of Marawi, starving locals are said to have resorted to extreme measures including eating their blankets to stay alive.

The civilians trapped in battle-torn neighbourhoods are being driven to daring escapes by the threat of capture, starvation and bombing by the military.

Five police officers and five Christian civilians dashed across the town's commercial district this morning, ducking for cover from a sniper, to reach a government-controlled area on the Agus River western bank.

Christians are disguising themselves by borrowing hijabs to escape the ISIS militants (pictured) holding 1,500 people hostage in a besieged Philippines town

Islamist militants stormed the southern Filipino town of Marawi (pictured) more than three weeks ago

Starving locals are said to have resorted to extreme measures to stay alive, including eating their blankets

'We ran the last part,' said First Officer Lumna Lidasan, 44. 'We could see the bridge ahead of us. We had to take cover several times when we saw a sniper.'

Almost the entire population of more than 200,000 fled after May 23, when fighters from local groups allied to ISIS rampaged through the Muslim-majority town, killing and kidnapping Christians.

The military estimates that, as the siege enters its fourth week, between 300 and 600 civilians are still trapped or being held as human shields in neighbourhoods occupied by the militants.

The insurgents have been suppressing government troops with skilled snipers, rocket-propelled grenades and high-velocity assault weapons, according to Philippine army officials.

Those stuck in their homes have no running water or electricity and many are near starvation, said Zia Alonto Adiong, a local politician managing rescue and relief efforts.

He said that in a text message pleading for help, one family said they had 'started to eat their blankets'.

Almost the entire population of more than 200,000 fled after May 23, when fighters from local groups allied to ISIS rampaged through the Muslim-majority town

The military estimates that, as the siege enters its fourth week, between 300 and 600 civilians are still trapped

Those stuck in their homes have no running water or electricity and many are near starvation

Local politician Zia Alonto Adiong told of how one family said they had 'started to eat their blankets'

'They are crossing the bridge, taking the risk, because they don't have any option - either they die inside the house or they die getting out,' he told reporters on Monday.

At least 100 people have made their way out on foot, braving volleys of sniper fire, said Adiong. Others have swum across the river or town-side lake to safety, according to relief workers.

Doctors treating those who escaped say they have been struck by the resilience of people who spent weeks surviving in a conflict zone and witnessing horrific violence.

'Some of the stories that stuck were Muslims helping protect Christian workers by letting them borrow a hijab,' said Dr Gioia Ancheta, head of the psychosocial therapy team.

As they approached the bridge on Tuesday morning, officer Lidasan could see troops waiting on the other side.

Terrified, but realising there was no turning back, the police officers and the Christians they had protected for three weeks, raced across the 25m stretch with no cover from snipers nesting in the town's tall buildings.

At least 100 people have made their way out on foot, braving volleys of sniper fire. Pictured: ISIS fighters who stormed the city

Others are said to have borrowed hijabs from Muslims to disguise themselves as they made their escape: Pictured: An ISIS flag flies high in the city, left, while militants patrol the streets, right

Police officers and the Christians they had protected for three weeks raced across the 25m stretch with no cover from snipers

THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN STRANDED IN PHILIPPINES International children's charity World Vision has warned thousands of children have been left shell-shocked and traumatised by continuous fighting in the Philippines city of Marawi. The charity's humanitarian experts say over 100,000 children have been displaced by the conflict that has been raging on for more than two weeks. Thousands of them are paying a heavy price due to the unrest, with many now needing psychological first aid after experiencing and witnessing alarming levels of violence. Six-year-old Princess had been looking forward to her school opening again but that day now seems a long way off. More than 100,000 children, including six-year-old Princess (pictured), have been displaced by the conflict that has been raging on for more than two weeks Princess had been looking forward to her school opening again but that day now seems a long way off 'I was hoping to see my friends and my favorite teacher,' she said. 'I'm sad that I can't go back to school,' she added as she sketched the home she and her family were forced to leave. Meanwhile Rosela told of how here two-year-old daughter Mercy cried every times she heard gunshots and explosions. She went on: 'Life is not easy here but I'm glad were all alive. I don't want to go back to Marawi yet. 'I'm afraid that the conflict will happen again and I don't want my children to go through the same experience.' Ligaya Munez, World Vision's Programmes Manager in Mindanao, said they are setting up child-friendly spaces to provide psychological first aid to children affected by the crisis. Thousands of children have been left shell-shocked by continuous fighting in Marawi, including Mercy (pictured) who cries every time she hears gunshots She added: 'We've been going around evacuation centres and we've seen the struggles of the displaced children. 'We hope that through CFS, we can somehow give a sense of normalcy to the children. 'Aside from the humid environment and being unable to go to school, some children are still in shock from the gunshots and loud explosions they heard in Marawi.' Advertisement

'We don't think about ourselves, we think about the safety of the civilians,' said Lidasan, tears welling in his eyes as he recounted the story to reporters later.

Of the five Christians, who were in Marawi on a construction job when the crisis began, one was shot in the leg by sniper fire on Monday night as the group began their escape. Others were injured by cement kicked up by bullets.

'We crawled because snipers were shooting at us. I was wounded by splinters of cement hit by sniper bullets,' said Mateo Velasquez, 33.

'My belt bag was hit by a bullet. I thank the money, the coins hit by the bullet.'

The ten men had been trapped since the siege began in a bungalow with its own cellar.

They had basic supplies of dried noodles, canned goods and rice, but had to make a regular 'suicide mission' to find water, said Lidasan.

Militants patrolled nearby but they managed to stay hidden until they made their dash for freedom.

Of the five Christians who were in Marawi on a construction job when the crisis began, one was shot in the leg by sniper fire

Others were injured by cement kicked up by bullet as the began their escape from the embattled town

The ten men had been trapped since the siege began in a bungalow with its own cellar

Most of those in a larger group of 18 civilians were not so lucky, according to a report from the military on Tuesday.

Militants knocked on the door of a house where they were hunkered down, prompting them all to flee through the back door and head towards the river.

'The terrorists ran after them and indiscriminately fired at them, killing five of the civilians and taking the remaining eight as hostages,' it said.
South Korea believe a drone sent from North Korea had been spying on a US missile defence system before it crash-landed on a hillside.

The remains of the small drone, which was equipped with a camera, were retrieved by the South's military last week from where it crashed close to the heavily-fortified inter-Korean border.

The military analysed the contents of the camera's 64-gigabyte memory chip and said it had been spying on the missile defence system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

A small aircraft what South Korea's Military said is believed to be a North Korean drone, is seen at a mountain near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas in Inje, South Korea

This US Department of Defense handout photo obtained April 26, 2017 shows US Forces Korea as they continue progress in fulfilling the South Korea-US alliance decision to install a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system

A defence ministry official said: 'It has been confirmed that it took photos of the THAAD site in Seongju.'

He said they had 'high suspicions' the drone was from North Korea as it was similar to previous drones sent across the border by Pyongyang.

The device, which was flying at an altitude of between two and three kilometers, started photographing a few kilometers north of the South's southeastern county of Seongju.

It swept over the site before making a U-turn a few kilometers south of the site, the official said.

Of the hundreds of photos on the memory chip, at least 10 were an overview of the THAAD site.

'Two missile launchers and the fire control radar of the system which have already been deployed were also included in the pictures,' he added.

Seoul agreed last year to deploy the missile interceptor system to guard against threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, despite angry opposition from China - which believes THAAD could undermine its own military capabilities.

Two missile launchers are already in place but Seoul has decided to suspend any further deployment until an environmental impact assessment ordered by new President Moon Jae-In is finished.

South Korea has repeatedly accused the North of flying suspected spy drones across the tense border.

In January last year South Korean soldiers fired warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone that crossed the western part of the border, the most sensitive part of the Demilitarised Zone.

In September 2015 South Korea triggered an anti-aircraft warning and sent an attack helicopter and fighter jet to track down a drone that crossed the border, without success.

A year earlier a South Korean fisherman found the wreckage of a North Korean drone in his net near a frontline island south of the rivals' disputed Yellow Sea border.

A few months previously, crashed drones equipped with cameras were found in three different places near the border.

After a joint investigation with US experts, Seoul said they were flown from North Korea and had been pre-programmed to fly over South Korean military installations.
The mother of an Australian nanny killed in the London Bridge attack has heard how her daughter died of a knife wound to the neck after she was stabbed by terrorists.

Eight people were murdered on June 3, when three attackers ploughed into pedestrians with a white van before stabbing revellers in Borough Market with 12-inch ceramic knives.

Inquests into the deaths of five of the victims opened at Southwark Coroner's Court today.

Julie Wallace, the mother of Sara Zelenak, one of two Australians killed, attended today's hearing at a court just a few hundred metres from where the attack took place.

Mrs Wallace flew to England from Australia when she could not get hold of her daughter in the aftermath of the horrific attack.

Julie and Mark Wallace, mother and stepfather of London Bridge terror attack victim Sara Zelenak attended Southwark Coroner's Court today to hear details of their daughter's death

Mrs Wallace, who flew to England when her daughter was still missing, sat at the front of the court as the policeman investigating the attacks told the coroner Sara was stabbed in the neck

Australian nanny Ms Zelenak, 21, (left) was out with friends when she was killed. An inquest into her death, and the deaths of four other London Bridge victim, opened today

Information given in today's inquest helps provide a more complete picture of what happened on the night, earlier this month, when three terrorists went on the rampage through London

She sat at the front of the court as the hearing was told that Ms Zelenak, from Brisbane, Australia, was stabbed in the neck in Borough Market.

Investigating police officer DCI Simon Moring told the hearing: 'The provisional cause of death was the stab wound to the neck. Identification was done by dental records and DNA.'

Coroner Andrew Harris told the families: 'All of our thoughts and condolences are with you at this terrible time, one of the most horrible things is for parents to be in court hearing the details of a death, particularly a violent one, of their children.'

Ms Zelenak had tickets to the ill-fated Ariana Grande concert in Manchester where a terrorist set off a bomb, killing 22, but ended up not going.

She was meant to be working on the night of the London Bridge attack, but a last-minute change of plans meant she went out to meet a friend.

Her mother, Mrs Wallace, has previously told how the family were looking forward to meeting up in Paris

She said of her daughter: 'She's a very smart, sensible girl, she is healthy, fit, trim, taut, terrific - she doesn't do anything wrong in any way.

'She's very sensible, far more sensible than I was at her age.'

Sebastien Belanger, 36, (left) was drinking at the Boro Bistro when the area came under attack. Australian nurse Kirsty Boden, 28, (right) rushed to help the injured when she was killed

East Londoner James McMullan, 32, (left) was last seen outside the Barrowboy And Banker pub, where the terrorist crashed their van. Spanish bank worker Ignacio Echeverria, 39, (right) tried to protect a woman from the terrorists with his skateboard when he was stabbed in the back. Inquests into their deaths were opened today

Today's hearing was told that James McMullan, 32, from Hackney, was killed by a haemorrhage caused by a knife wound to his chest in Borough Market. He was identified by his father.

Chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, originally from Angers, western France, was drinking at the nearby Boro Bistro and also died in the market from multiple stab injuries to the chest.

He was identified by dental records and fingerprints while his loved ones spent several days unaware of his fate.

Australian Kirsty Boden, 28, was killed in Montague Close by a knife wound after running towards the danger to try and help people.

She was found with a stab wound to her chest, and was later identified by DNA and dental records.

HSBC analyst Mr Echeverria, from As Pontes, north-west Spain, was stabbed in the back on London Bridge after trying to defend a woman with his skateboard. His body was identified by his brother several days later, the hearing was told.

Representatives from the Spanish consulate also attended on behalf of his family.

Xavier Thomas, 45, (right) was walking with his girlfriend Christine Delcros when he was run down. Mr Thomas's inquest will open tomorrow

Frenchman Alexandre Pigeard, 27, (left) was stabbed in the neck as he worked in a bistro. Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, (right) who worked at homeless shelter, died in the arms of her fiance Tyler Ferguson. Inquests into their deaths will open tomorrow

Coroner Mr Harris adjourned today's proceedings after less than half an hour. A full inquest will be heard at a later date.

Police praise hero restaurant worker Police have praised a restaurant worker who threw things at the attackers to defend his patrons. The man was working at El Pastor Mexican restaurant in Borough Market when he heard a commotion outside and the trio burst through the doors. Met anti-terror commander Dean Haydon said: 'Together with his manager he began to throw things at the assailant. Another assailant entered, and he carried on throwing anything he could get to hand until the two men left. 'I have personally seen the CCTV of that area and it's fair to say that other members of the public picked up items such as chairs, dustbins and anything they could get their hands on to either protect themselves or protect others.' Advertisement

Inquests into the deaths of Canadian Christine Archibald, 30 and Frenchmen Alexandre Pigeard, 27, and Xavier Thomas, 45, will open tomorrow.

Armed police shot dead terrorist ringleader Khuram Butt, 27, and his two accomplices Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, just eight minutes after the first emergency call was made.

A security review is due to be carried out after it emerged one of the terrorists, Kharum Butt, was on police bail at the time of the attack, and had previously been flagged up by an FBI report.

Moroccan-born Youssef Zaghba had told police he Italy he was 'going to be a terrorist' when he was stopped on his way to Syria, but still managed to cross the border to come to Britain.

Fellow Moroccan Rachid Redouane had used a loophole to stay in Britain by marrying a British woman in Ireland after he was refused asylum.

The investigation into the atrocity is continuing.

Detectives have made 21 arrests as part of the probe. A total of seven men are being held in custody under terror laws after the June 3 atrocity that left eight dead and dozens wounded.

The attackers - Khuram Shazad Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22 - were shot dead by police within eight minutes of the first emergency call

Police have released this chilling picture of one of the knives used by the three attackers

Photos also show the fake suicide vests the trio strapped to themselves to increase the terror

On Sunday, police released images of the terrorists' blood-spattered fake suicide belts.

The phoney bombs were simply disposable water bottles wrapped in silver and black tape and attached to leather belts, although they were designed to create 'maximum fear', police said.

Metropolitan Police Commander Dean Haydon praised the bravery of the police officers and members of public who tackled the three - despite the possibility they could have been killed in an explosion.

Borough Market is to reopen for business on Wednesday after it was forced to close in the wake of the attack.

Traders will pause for a minute's silence to remember the victims of the June 3 atrocity before the market bell is rung to mark the return of shoppers.
A federal Liberal MP has launched an extraordinary attack on Victoria's Chief Justice and her judges, accusing them of 'standing in the corner of terrorists'.

The state's top judge Marilyn Warren is under fire following a controversial sentence for a teenager who had plotted to behead a police officer on Anzac Day.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the Victorian Supreme Court's seven-and-a-half year non-parole jail term imposed last year on Sevet Ramadan Besim.

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Federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar says judges are 'standing in the corner of terrorists'

Sevet Ramadan Besim was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years non-parole for a terror plot

The 19-year-old criminal had plotted to cut off a police officer's head in 2015.

Melbourne-based Liberal MP Michael Sukkar, who is also Assistant Treasurer, said judges needed to be called out for soft sentences when it came to terrorists.

'As far as Im concerned, we need to be asserting as much pressure as we can on lawmakers and calling out judges who seemingly are standing in the corner of the terrorists and not in the corner of our society and the victims,' he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Tuesday.

Radio broadcaster Neil Mitchell suggested the comment was 'a bit harsh'.

Melbourne 3AW broadcaster suggested the MP's comments on judges were 'a bit harsh'

Victoria's Chief Justice Marilyn Warren is under fire for a sentence for an Anzac Day terror plotter

The conservative Liberal MP, who studied law, clarified his comments to say judges cared more about the welfare of terrorists than the public.

'Seemingly, more interested in their rehabilitation than in the safety and security of our society,' Mr Sukkar said.

'There are multiple numbers of cases where youve got people who are planning the most heinous acts and the only reason theyre stopped is because weve got amazing law enforcement agencies that stop them from happening.'

He added that as the chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security committee, he believed 'the prospects of rehabilitation, particularly for Islamic terrorists is extraordinarily low'.

Last year, Besim pleaded guilty to an act in preparation of planning a terrorist attack, which would involve running down and beheading a police officer, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Theresa May vowed to bridge the divide in Britain today as she signalled an end to austerity at the first meeting of the new Parliament.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the election, which saw disastrous losses that wiped out her majority, had laid bare the splits in the country.

At a Cabinet meeting in No 10 today Mrs May prepared the ground for a surge in spending to end the public sector pay cap.

The Tory proposals for an overhaul of social care, damagingly branded the 'dementia tax' in the campaign, will be scrapped.

After Cabinet, Downing Street said the ministers discussed the Queen's Speech and proposals to 'deliver the best possible Brexit deal for the whole United Kingdom'.

Theresa May (pictured leaving No 10 today) vowed to bridge the divide in Britain today as she signalled an end to austerity at the first meeting of the new Parliament

A photograph of the Cabinet meeting in Downing Street today was posted on the Prime Minister's Twitter feed

Arlene Foster, pictured arriving at Downing Street with her deputy Nigel Dodds today, is expected to demand significant concessions from Mrs May in return for propping up the Tories

Speaking as Parliament met for the first time since the election this afternoon, Mrs May said it was 'clear that our country faces some of the greatest challenges of our time' as the new parliament begins, including keeping the 'nation safe', 'securing the best possible Brexit deal' and 'spreading opportunity and prosperity to every part' of the country.

She said: 'In meeting these challenges, what we have seen from the election is that there are parts of our country that remain divided - divided between young and old, rich and poor, those for whom the future offers a sense of opportunity and those for whom it brings worry and concern.'

Mrs May insisted politics conducted in the 'right way' would see Westminster rise to the challenge after a bitter election fight.

Mrs May earlier met DUP leader Arlene Foster in to secure a deal for backing from its 10 MPs.

However, the prospect of an agreement has alarmed some Tories who fear its stance on issues like gay rights could be toxic, and there are concerns about the impact on the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms Foster is also likely to extract significant concessions from Mrs May over funding for Northern Ireland - potentially a billion pounds in tax breaks and infrastructure spending - in return for her support. As they arrived at Westminster this morning, one of the party's MPs joked: 'We're going shopping.'

Newly-installed Environment Secretary Michael Gove, left, was also at Cabinet today, as was Business Secretary Greg Clark

Brexit Secretary David Davis (left) and International Development Secretary Priti Patel were among the ministers arriving at No10 for Cabinet today

The Tory leader has been fighting to cling on in Downing Street after a disastrous general election which saw her lose her Commons majority.

A failure to gain support from the Northern Irish party would risk the Queen's Speech being voted down next week - after Jeremy Corbyn made clear Labour will seek to block the legislative programme.

The Tories and the DUP are considering a 'confidence and supply' arrangement which would see the Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

It comes after Mrs May told Tory MPs: 'I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who will get us out of it.'

Her effective deputy Damian Green has confirmed the Queen's Speech setting out the Government's programme could be delayed if a deal is not reached in time for it to go ahead on Monday as planned.

KEY MOMENTS IN MAY'S FIGHT TO STAY TODAY 0930:Regular Cabinet meeting Mid morning: Meetings with the DUP to formalise a deal to form a government that commands a majority Evening: Travel to France for a meeting with President Macron NEXT WEEK June 19: Queen's Speech was due to take place. This has been delayed. June 19: Start of Brexit talks. This has been delayed. June 22-23: European Council, Brussels Advertisement

The PM told the backbench 1922 Committee last night that a deal with the DUP would not affect power-sharing talks in Northern Ireland or LGBT rights.

She also made clear that austerity would be eased, after the election revealed the level of anger about curbs to public sector funding and pay.

That change was backed by former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith today, who told the BBC: 'I have for some time asked us to rethink whole areas of where we are.

'The length of time that we were likely now to be asking public servants and others to put up with reduced, flattened salaries has been an issue for me and for many other people. We would like to see that revisited.'

However, opening the taps on spending could prove difficult given the continuing high level of the government's deficit.

Mrs Foster has rejected suggestions that the mooted agreement could undermine the UK government's impartiality and prevent a return to power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.

The DUP leader said the engagements with the Tories so far had been 'positive' but declined to be drawn on details.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams turned Mrs May's own slogan against her to brand it 'a coalition of chaos', adding: 'Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed.'

It is thought Mrs Foster could join the push from Tory Remainers in the Cabinet for Mrs May to pursue a softer departure from the EU.

The DUP backed Leave in the referendum campaign, but Northern Ireland voted by a margin of 56 per cent to Remain and the party has stressed it does not want to see a return to a hard border with the Republic.

The DUP leader is almost certain to ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as the price of a deal.

The DUP MPs and leader Arlene Foster arrived at Westminster today ahead of the meeting, with one joking they were 'going shopping'

Michael Gove insisted today that the government would seek a wider consensus to push through Brexit

Any demands on maintaining the pensions triple-lock and the universal winter fuel allowance could give Mrs May a convenient excuse to drop manifesto pledges which appeared to be deeply unpopular with voters.

Movement on security and legacy issues from the Troubles may prove more difficult for Mrs Foster to extract from the Government.

The unexpected snap election has already forced the Queen to cancel an Order of the Garter service and to accept a stripped-down State Opening of Parliament. Any further delay could mean her missing planned attendance at Royal Ascot.

Additional delay may be caused by the fact the Queen's Speech is written on goatskin parchment paper, which requires several days for the ink to dry.

The paper does not contain any goatskin but is high-quality archival paper guaranteed to last for at least 500 years.

Pen cannot be put to paper until the exact contents of the speech are finalised, which appears to be dependent on the outcome of Tory talks with the DUP.

MINISTERS HIRED AND FIRED IN MAY'S RESHUFFLE FIRED Apprenticeships Minister Robert Halfon Defence minister Mike Penning Justice minister Sir Oliver Heald Brexit minister David Jones HIRED Home Office minister - Nick Hurd Justice minister - Dominic Raab Education minister - Anne Milton Education minister - Robert Goodwill Brexit minister - Baroness Anelay Business minister - Claire Perry Financial secretary to the Treasury - Mel Stride Advertisement

While Mrs May appears to have seen off the threat of an immediate leadership challenge, her weakened grip on power has put her under pressure on several fronts.

Her new chief of staff Gavin Barwell has suggested she should take a different approach towards public spending after Labour unexpectedly denied the Tories a majority after running an anti-austerity election campaign.

The PM also faced calls from Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, whose influence has grown dramatically with the election of 13 Tories north of the border, to pursue a softer Brexit with greater focus on the economy and more cross-party input.

In another sign of Mrs May's weakening grip on power, MPs who attended the 1922 Committee revealed she was open to more backbench input on policy and a greater role for Chief Whip Gavin Williamson.
News / National

by News Agencies

ABOUT 16 000 trained teachers are jobless, with universities and colleges unloading 2 000 more every year, Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora has said.Government, at the beginning of this term, set a target of recruiting 2 300 teachers, but nothing has happened yet.Dokora blamed what he described as "incoherence" between the Finance and Public Service ministries for the hold-up in recruitment."I needed 7 000 teachers last year, but by the decision of the Cabinet, I was told that I was going to get 2 300 teachers," he told Kwekwe school headmasters and school development committee (SDC) chairpersons last week at Loreto High School."We are still waiting for the clearance from the Public Service. The challenge is that there is an incoherence between Public Service and the Finance ministries."Dokora said the recruitment of teachers is going to be based on specialised areas to push the new curriculum.He said the number of unemployed teachers is hovering at 16 000, with 2 000 more graduating from colleges this year."There are 16 000 unemployed teachers, who want to get into the system," Dokora said.He issued a stern warning to headmasters and teachers, who are reluctant to implement the new curriculum, which has been criticised by parents and church groups."If you prove that you are a stumbling block, we will weed you out," Dokora warned."We don't want stumbling blocks within the system, there are headmasters and teachers, young and vibrant, who are out of the system and raring to go. This year, we are expecting about 2 000 teachers from teachers' colleges, who want to join the system".However, Treasury has been making frantic calls to "drastically reduce the civil service wage bill", which currently gobbles more than 90% of government revenues.During the 2016 budget presentation, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said "rationalisation of the civil service would save $41,2 million per month".Currently, the government has thousands of teaching staff, who hold non-teaching qualifications.In June, last year Dokora said about 10 000 teachers and headmasters could be recruited to address the shortage of educators in the country.The move, however, failed, as Treasury is operating in constrained fiscal space, characterised by staggered civil service salary dates and little capital and social spending.Dokora also told the headmasters that the government is working on professionalising the education sector through the formation of the teachers' professional council."We need to standardise the profession," he said."I will always use the example of legal and medical fields, where one cannot practice when they are not part of those professional bodies."We will take this proposal to the government, through Cabinet, to codify the council."The proposed council would also look into teachers' welfare."Individuals with non-teaching qualifications are getting into the sector because it is not a professional sector," he said."Teaching needs to be professional."How do we transact a learning situation in a learning environment with someone, who has not been trained? We have to jealously guard and protect our sector."
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Incredible images showing the famous Hurricane Hawker fighter planes and the brave pilots who took the most victories in the Battle of Britain while at the controls have been revealed in a new book.

Dubbed the 'workhorse of World War Two', the Hurricane was a single seat fighter plane that took 60 per cent of the RAF's air victories in the Battle of Britain, and served in other major battles during the course of the war.

These black and white photographs show Sydney Camm, who was responsible for the design of the aircraft, as well as the first prototype Hurricane K5083 and the prototype in flight.

George Bulman flying the Hurricane prototype K5083 with the Henley prototype K5115, which first flew on 24 March 1937, in close formation

Female labour was vital to maintaining the high levels of wartime production and undertaking the work normally done by men, many of whom were serving in the military. Here, two women are fitting the fire wall on to a Hurricane Mk IIC

The Hurricane could absorb a great deal of combat damage and still bring its pilot back home. Hurricanes accounted for 60 per cent of victories in the Battle of Britain, allowing the Spitfires to take on the Luftwaffe

Hurricane Mk Is of 111 Squadron lined up at Northolt in mid-1939 for a practice scramble. Initially, the government did not give funding for prototypes, but Hawker were convinced about its future

Other stunning shots show women working to produce a Hurricane Mk IIC, and Hurricanes in action during the Battle of France and during the Battle of Britain.

The pictures are showcased in a new book, Hawker Hurricane: The Multirole Fighter, by Philip Birtles and published by Fonthill Media.

In the book's introduction, Mr Birtles wrote: 'Without the Hurricane, there would not have been a Battle of Britain as there would not have been enough suitable fighters for the defence against the Nazi invasion.

What is thought to be a posed photo of an 87 Squadron scramble in France in March 1940, as the Hurricanes would normally be dispersed around the airfield. The nearest Hurricane is L1774 LK-D:87 Squadron, and all bar one of the aircraft have the Watts two-blade propellers. Hurricane LK-L is fitted with a three-blade Rotol propeller

Iran ordered eighteen Hurricanes, but only two were delivered before the start of the war. The order was updated in 1946 with sixteen Mk IICs and a pair of two-seaters. Iranian Hurricane Mk IIC was used for advanced flight training with the cannon ports blanked off

HRH King George IV visited Lille-Seclin Aerodrome on 6 September 1939, where both 85 and 87 Squadrons had just arrived. Hurricane Mk Is of 85 and 87 Squadrons were on display, together with three Gladiators and a Blenheim IV

No. 85 Squadron began to take delivery of Hurricane Mk Is at Debden from September 1938 and moved to France on 9 September 1939 at the outbreak of war. A return was made to Debden on 23 May 1940, and then the squadron moved to Croydon on 19 August, followed by Castle Camps on 3 September, and then to Church Fenton two days late

'Without the Spitfire, we would probably not have won the Battle of Britain. The role of the Hurricanes was to destroy the Luftwaffe bombers attacking British airfields, later London and other major cities, while Spitfires attacked the escorting Luftwaffe fighters.

'Hurricane pilots were responsible for more victories than all other forms of defence during the Battle.'

In other theatres of operation, Hurricane pilots continued to excel despite flying by then out-dated aircraft, particularly in the battles for Malta, 6 Squadron's anti-armour Hawker Hurricane: The Multirole Fighter Hurricanes in the North African campaigns, and against the Japanese over the impenetrable Burmese jungle.

In the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes scored the highest number of RAF victories, accounting for 1,593 out of the 2,739-total claimed.

The prototype Hurricane K5083; official photo at Brooklands in late October 1935 with a 6-foot scale pole by the nose fitted with the original minimally framed canopy

Hurricane Mk I P2617, which was first delivered to the RAF in January 1940, with its fixed-pitch wooden Watts two-blade propeller being started by the ground crew winding up the inertia starter. This method was later replaced by ground-based trolley battery starters known as 'Trolley Acks'

Left, Sydney Camm joined the Hawker team in November 1923 as a senior designer under George Carter. He was appointed chief designer from 1925 when George Carter moved to Glosters. Not only was Sydney Camm responsible for the design of the Hawker biplane combat aircraft, but also the Hurricane and the advance into the jet age with the Hunter. Right, A. G. Lewis DFC and bar, was with 85 Squadron in 1940, and here clearly shows the strain of combat operations after returning from a sortie in a Hurricane

The Hurricane production line at Langley, with the metal rear tubular fuselage structure surrounded by wooden skin ready for covering by fabric. This structure was very rugged and resistant to damage by enemy gunfire

No. 111 Squadron operated Hurricane Mk Is from December 1937 until April 1941, replacing the early aircraft with ones fitted with the anti-spin fairing and non-retractable tail-wheels. The squadron moved from Northolt to Acklington on 27 October 1939 and returned to Northolt on 13 May 1940

The Hurricane did have some advantages over the Spitfire but were more suited to being a defensive plane as it became outdated.

'The Hawker Hurricane propaganda was largely overshadowed by the Spitfire during the Second World War,' explained Mr Birtles.

'The main reason was that the Hurricane was a monoplane developed from a long line of Hawker biplane combat aircraft and at the end of its development, while the Spitfire was at the start of its creation.

'The Spitfire was undoubtedly faster than the Hurricane, but it was more challenging to produce initially, while the rugged construction of the Hurricane resulted in it being more resistant to battle damage.

'Its wide track undercarriage was more suitable for operations from basic airfields and was easier to maintain.

Hurricane Mk I SW-E:253 Squadron taxiing by the heavily camouflaged hangars at Northolt on 19 April 1940. In total, more than 14,500 Hurricanes were made and fought in major battles throughout World War Two

No. 111 Squadron was responsible for the introduction of the Hurricane to the RAF with the first aircraft arriving at Northolt in December 1937, in advance of the official acceptance date of 1 January 1938. The CO, S/Ldr John Gillan, flew L1555 in record time from Edinburgh to Northolt on 10 February 1938

No. 3 Squadron introduced Hurricane Mk IIBs and IICs at Martlesham Heath from April 1941, moving to Stapleford Tawney on 23 June, and then Hunsdon on 9 August until re-equipping with Typhoons in February 1943. These six Mk IICs were armed with four 20-mm cannons each

A Hurricane being re-armed and refuelled between sorties during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricanes accounted for 60 per cent of the total victories in the battle. Although Spitfires played a major role, they were allowed take on the Luftwaffe by the presence of the Hurricanes

Two flights of 73 Squadron Hurricane Mk Is fitted with three-blade propellers, including P2569:D and P2575:J flying over France in early 1940. These aircraft feature the tail stripes on the rudders instead of the fin in the style of the French Air Force

Left, Hurricane Mk I L1648 from the first production batch showing the traditional wing planform. It was later operated by 85 Squadron in France. Right, Philip Birtles' book Hawker Hurricane: The Multirole Fighter

'With the Battle of Britain won and RAF fighter pilots tasked with hazardous offensive operations across occupied Europe, Hurricanes became very vulnerable to enemy defences; losses increased alarmingly.

'More pilots were killed or taken prisoner than during the Battle of Britain, many of them very experienced.'

The Hawker Hurricane failed to receive government funding when the prototype was being built, but Hawker were convinced about its future and carried on despite the lack of financial backing.

The Hurricanes were built in south west London and Surrey and trialled on Martlesham Heath in early 1936, where the test pilot Sammy Wroath said: 'The aircraft is simple and easy to fly and has no apparent vices.'

By 1944, Hurricanes had come to the end of their production period, with more than 14,000 made.
Tuesday was Sessions' turn in the hot seat of the Senate Intelligence Committee  but he might withhold some of the juiciest material he has to offer by invoking executive privilege.

Session's testimony follows that of fired FBI Director James Comey last week, in a riveting appearance where Comey accused the president of lying and outlined a series of contacts he found inappropriate that could lay a trail for possible obstruction charges.

As the probe of Russian election interference advances and goes in new directions, Sessions could either validate or debunk claims by President Trump or Comey about what happened in the White House behind closed doors amid swirling investigations.

Sessions appeared in a public open session, after some political blowback when the hearing at first appeared it might have been closed  giving him the chance to try to clear his name and defend President Trump.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions attends a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Monday, June 12, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. He testifies Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee

Sessions, an early support of Trump's, will be called on to explain his own agency's conduct in Trump's firing of Comey  along with his own personal contacts with Russia's embassy to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak.

One question still not formally answered is whether Sessions met with Kislyak during a Trump campaign event at the posh Mayflower hotel in Washington, D.C. in April 2016.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), whose testimony during Session's confirmation ended up tripping up Sessions when he falsely denied having had Russia contacts, spoke about that possible third contact Monday night on MSNBC's 'Hardball.'

Franken said the U.S. 'intercepted some contacts between Kislyak and his people' regarding the event.

The president has the authority to claim executive privilege, but it can be challenged in court and can lead to political charges of covering up

Sessions spoke about crime-fighting at Monday's cabinet meeting, but on Tuesday he'll be asked about the Russia probe and James Comey firing

His appearance follows one by Comey, who spoke at length about private conversations where he says Trump asked him to give an assurance of his loyalty and asked him to back off an FBI investigation of fired national security advisor Mike Flynn.

Although the White House portrayed Comey's appearance as a win, it isn't ruling out invoking privilege for Sessions, which would prevent him from saying everything he knows.

Sessions is expected to claim executive privilege, ABC News reported.

Sessions is preparing for sharp questions from his former Senate colleagues about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse himself from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not rule out the invocation of executive privilege

Former FBI Director James Comey

The public testimony Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence committee should yield Sessions' most extensive comments to date on questions that have dogged his entire tenure as attorney general and that led him three months ago to step aside from the Russia probe.

Lawmakers for weeks have demanded answers from Sessions, particularly about meetings he had last summer and fall with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Those calls have escalated since fired FBI Director James Comey cryptically told lawmakers on Thursday that the bureau had expected Sessions to recuse himself weeks before he did from an investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions, a close campaign adviser to Trump and the first senator to endorse him, stepped aside from the investigation in early March after acknowledging he had spoken twice in the months before the election with the Russian ambassador. He said at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Since then, lawmakers have raised questions about a possible third meeting at a Washington hotel, though the Justice Department has said that did not happen.

Sessions on Saturday said he would appear before the intelligence committee, which has been doing its own investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign.

There had been some question as to whether the hearing would be open to the public, but the Justice Department said Monday he requested it be so because he "believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him." The committee shortly after said the hearing would be open.

The hearing will bring contentious questioning for Sessions and likely some uncomfortable moments for the Trump administration.

Sessions is likely to be asked about his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and whether there were more encounters that should have been made public. And he can expect questions about his involvement in Comey's May 9 firing, the circumstances surrounding his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation, and whether any of his actions - such as interviewing candidates for the FBI director position or meeting with Trump about Comey - violated his recusal pledge.

Asked Monday if the White House thought Sessions should invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about his conversations with Trump, presidential spokesman Sean Spicer replied, "It depends on the scope of the questions. To get into a hypothetical at this point would be premature."

He did not explicitly endorse Sessions' appearance, saying in response to a question, "We're aware of it, and we'll go from there."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions (C) looks on during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House June 12, 2017, where he was seated next to Vice President Mike Pence. He testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday

Comey himself had a riveting appearance before the same Senate panel last week, with some key moments centered on Sessions.

Comey said Trump told Sessions and other administration officials to leave the room before Trump asked him in February to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

In addition, Comey has said Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with Trump again. The Justice Department has denied that, saying Sessions stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.

The former FBI director also testified that he and the agency had believed Sessions was "inevitably going to recuse" for reasons he said he could not elaborate on.

"We also were aware of facts that I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic," Comey said.

Sessions' appearance before the intelligence committee is an indication of just how much the Russia investigation has shaded his tenure. White House frustrations with the Justice Department spilled into public view last week, when Trump on Twitter criticized the legal strategy in defending his proposed travel ban.

Spicer, the spokesman, declined to say then that Sessions enjoyed Trump's confidence, though spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later in the week that the president had confidence "in all of his Cabinet."

President Donald Trump smiles during a Cabinet meeting, Monday, June 12, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington

Attorney General Jeff Session, right, and Vice President Mike Pence attend a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Monday, June 12, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington

From left, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, listen as Vice President Mike Pence, right, speaks during a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Monday, June 12, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington

Though the Justice Department maintains that it has fully disclosed the extent of Sessions' foreign contacts last year, lawmakers have continued to press him for answers about an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where both Sessions and Kislyak attended a foreign policy speech by Trump.

Senate Democrats have raised the possibility that Sessions and Kislyak could have met there, though Justice Department officials say there were no private encounters or side meetings.

Lawmakers, including Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, have asked the FBI to investigate and to determine if Sessions committed perjury when he denied having had meetings with Russians.
A woman in China was reportedly killed yesterday after using a faulty lift and plunging nine storeys down the shaft.

A surveillance video shows the victim stepping through the doors without realising the lift had already ascended to the upper floor.

The woman was found at the bottom of the lift shaft and was pronounced dead on the same day, according to local reports.

A surveillance video shows the tragic moment the woman plunged down a lift shaft after stepping through a set of doors at a hospital in south-west China

The 23-second clip, posted by Beijing Times, shows the woman waiting for the lift on the sixth floor of the Fengdu County People's Hospital at around 12:15pm on Monday.

The victim, surnamed Tan, was accompanied by her husband at the lobby.

She failed to follow her spouse to get into the lift as many lift users were exiting the lift, which appeared to operate well.

The woman, surnamed Tan (left), was filmed waiting for the lift with her husband (centre) on the sixth floor of the Fengdu County People's Hospital on June 12

Ms Tan (circled) failed to follow her spouse to get into the lift as many lift users were exiting

The lift then ascended to the eighth floor and the doors appeared to be partially closed.

Ms Tan did not realise the elevator wasn't there any more and stepped into the shaft.

The video ends as the woman disappeared from sight.

The hospital immediately suspended the elevator to rescue the woman.

Ms Tan was found at the bottom of the shaft. She was pronounced dead at 3pm on the same day.

A spokesman of the hospital said they were waiting for the inspection reports of the elevator in order to identify the cause of the incident.
A restaurant owner who fought off a gang armed with a gun and machetes in a battle caught on CCTV said today: 'It must have been my Liverpool side coming out'.

Peter Lee used a bar stool to attack the four men who burst into Le Jardin in West Kirby on the Wirral in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Mr Lee was sent sprawling across the floor as the men burst in pointing a gun in his face and admitted he 'snapped' when one robber hit him with a sword.

He said: 'I wasn't putting up any resistance but when one of them hit me on the knee with the machete, something inside me snapped. I thought he was going to hit me again. It must have been my Liverpool side coming out.

'I grabbed the bar stool and there was a big scuffle before I forced them out'.

Drama: CCTV shows Peter Lee charge at the gang, including this man wielding a machete

Shocking: The restaurant owner fell to the ground when one robber pointed a gun in his face (pictured)

Heroic: Mr Lee used a bar stool to attack the four men who burst into Le Jardin in West Kirby on the Wirral in the early hours of Thursday morning

The men ran off with 400 and are now wanted by police.

Describing what happened Mr Lee said: 'I was tidying up for the night when I heard someone kicking on the door.

'I tried to keep them out while they were trying to hit me with machetes.

'I fell backwards and the one with the gun was right in my face with it. Three others followed with machetes.'

The gang then surrounded two members of bar staff, screaming at them to open the till.

A barman was hit over the head with a gun and one of the gang grabbed the hair of an 18-year-old female employee who was on her first shift.

Another member of the gang then began threatening Mr Lee with a sword, before striking him on the leg.

But Peter grabbed a bar stool and took the fight to the thugs.

He said: 'It was just a spur of the moment thing. The two other members of staff were screaming but fortunately weren't badly hurt.'

Mr Lee, who reopened the restaurant as usual the next day, says he and several other staff were beaten before he hit back

The men clashed in the middle of the empty restaurant as Mr Lee suffered a blow to his arm when he blocked a machete blow which was coming down on his head. The gang then fled after stealing around 400 from the till

The men clashed in the middle of the empty restaurant as Mr Lee suffered a blow to his arm when he blocked a machete blow which was coming down on his head. The gang then fled after stealing around 400 from the till.

Mr Lee said: 'At the time it was all a bit surreal. When I first saw the lads in the door I wondered why they had masks on. Then they came through the door on top of me.'

Adam, who was working behind the bar, said: 'I just did not know what was happening. He screamed at me to open the till, and I just stared at him. He then hit me over the head with the gun, and I told them that the till was open.

'A bit of the gun broke off when he hit me with it. The police said it was probably a replica but you can't tell at the time.'

Mr Lee, a Liverpool-born Everton FC fan, ran Le Bateau and Metro bar in Liverpool city centre for years. He said that despite working in the city centre he had never experience this kind of violence before.

He said: 'Obviously I have seen trouble before, but nothing like this. I remember one of my doormen hit me once, but that was an accident.

'But when I watch the CCTV I just can't believe my eyes. I did a bit of martial arts when I was younger, so I think that gave me the confidence to try and fight back.'

Mr Lee, who reopened the restaurant as usual the next day, added: 'I would like to thank the West Kirby community who have rallied around me since the attack. So many people have popped their heads around the door to say hello. And a local church sent me a card. I like it here and have no plans to leave, despite the raid.'

Detectives wish to speak to anyone who saw men acting suspiciously around Grange Road in the early hours of Thursday morning, or making off towards the direction of Hoylake just after 1am.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101. You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously and for free on 0800 555 111.
Police reinforcements including at least 150 riot control officers have been drafted into Calais as UK-bound migrants set up burning roadblocks to stop lorries.

They use the motorway obstructions to get lorries heading to England to stop, so they can climb aboard and hide until reaching their destination.

The tactics have been used at least three times in as many weeks, with images shot in the early hours of June 9 showing rubble and branches piled up on the A16 in Calais.

A Polish HGV driver who regularly travels between his home country and Britain posted a video of the incident online, and it shows gangs of mainly young men running along the busy road brandishing weapons and trying to climb into lorries.

Video footage shows a burning tree lying across a motorway as men waving clubs at truck drivers

Young migrants try to board lorries in Calais as the violence escalates in the northern town

It is all part of a deteriorating security situation in the French port town which has led to 150 CRS (Republican Security Companies) new officers arriving.

Local forces have asked for more support, and we have responded with a new detachments of CRS, said an Interior Ministry source in Paris.

The exact number of police in the Calais area is not released publicly, but a large number of personnel are in place to maintain security.'

These include soldiers and specialist anti-terrorism teams, as well as regular National Police and gendarmes, said the Interior Ministry source.

It was in October last year that some 8,000 would-be asylum seekers were evacuated from Calais following the destruction of the so-called Jungle shanty town.

Since then everything has been done to stop them returning, with a zero tolerance approach to new settlements.

Migrants climb in the back of a lorry on the A16 highway leading to the Eurotunnel in Calais

But with temperatures reaching 25C, more migrants are arriving, and resuming their efforts to get across the Channel.

The prefecture which covers Calais estimates that some 300 are currently sleeping rough in the area, while charity groups say the figure is more like 600.

The barricade of June 9 was by a slip road off the motorway, said a prefecture spokesman.

Police arrived very quickly and the obstacles were withdrawn. There was no serious traffic disruption, and no arrests.

But a police source said dozens of well organised migrants were behind the trouble, and it was continuing night after night.

We had to deal with it for years before the Jungle was destroyed, and now its starting up again, said the police source.

As the weather gets warmer, there will be more of this.

Charities have complained the police are trying to stop food and water hand-outs to the migrants, but in turn the police say they have to carry out Interior Ministry orders.

The situation was expected to be among subjects discussed by Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.

Mrs May was a frequent visitor to Calais during her time as Home Secretary and has pledged to help make the ferry crossings and Channel Tunnel watertight to migrants.

There are fears that the passionately pro-EU Mr Macron will try and move border checks back to Britain as Brexit talks approach.

This could lead to camps like the Jungle springing up on the south coast of England as the French allow vast numbers of asylum seekers to travel straight to the UK.

Video footage shows how migrants have placed burning trees across a motorway.

In the shocking footage men are seen waving clubs at truck drivers, as they try to board the UK-bound lorries.

The Calais migrant camp was razed to the ground in October meaning some 8,000 refugees waiting to get into Britain were moved across France.

They have now started filtering back towards the north coast in an attempt to launch a fresh bid to reach the UK in the warmer summer months.

With the uncertainty of Brexit and with the French government going though a transitional period under Emmanuel Macron, the border could be seen as a soft target by those looking to cross it.

Aerial view of the makeshift migrant camp the Jungle, in Calais, France, back in October 2015

At the end of May a French official warned of a fresh surge of migrants in Calais trying to get into the UK just six months after the notorious Jungle camp was closed.

President of the Regional Council of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand wrote to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to say a summer swell is imminent.

It was expected to bring with it a wave of violence, and prompted British truckers to call for increased protection in Calais following the first serious attacks by migrants since the demolition of the refugee camp.

The warning wasn't acted upon, and a couple of days later UK-bound migrants set fire to an improvised barricade in the middle of a busy motorway near Calais.

Migrants tried to use the obstruction on the A16 at Marck to force lorries heading to England to stop so they could climb aboard and the tactic has been repeated.

A gang of migrants can be seen right running down the road trying to board a UK-bound lorry

The Calais Jungle camp after it was cleared of migrants six months ago. Truck drivers are reporting violence for the first time since it was dismantled

It is just over six months since the vast shantytown was torn to the ground, and some 8,000 UK-bound asylum seekers dispersed across France.

Officially, they are all now banned from the Calais area, but a series of 'extremely violent' incidents last Sunday shows they are slowly returning.

'They set up roadblocks using dustbins, and then tried to stop lorries heading for England so they could get aboard,' said a local police source.

'Two windscreens were smashed, while another lorry had its tyres punctured. One driver was taken to hospital with face injuries.'

In turn, Pauline Bastidon, of the Freight Transport Association, said: 'There is a need for urgent action by the French government to ensure that the area is policed adequately, and to protect drivers transporting goods, so that trade can continue to flow freely between France and the UK.'
A wild leopard was clubbed to death in India after it mauled nine people as it prowled through homes in the area.

Shocking photos show the moment the leopard was killed in Gurgaon, India, after it wanted into the town from a nearby forest.

Villagers chased the two-and-a-half-year-old leopard into a concrete house where it cowered under a bed as a growing mob surrounded it.

Villagers drag a dead leopard through the town of Mandawar, in Gurgaon, India, as more than a thousand look on

The big cat was spotted prowling round homes in Gurgaon, India, after wandering away from nearby forests

The leopard attacked nine people during a three-hour rampage through the village of Mandawar

Despite the attack taking place on November 26 last year, photos of the incident have resurfaced as leopard sightings and attacks in the region have increased due to industrial development driving the animals out of their natural rural habitats

During a three-hour rampage in the village of Mandawar, the leopard had plunged its teeth into nine different people.

The leopard was eventually battered to death as some 1,500 locals looked on.

Despite the attack taking place on November 26 last year, photos of the incident have resurfaced as leopard sightings and attacks in the region have increased due to industrial development driving the animals out of their natural rural habitats.

Wildlife official Rambir Singh said that police and conservationists had been present during the incident in the town of Mandawar but could not stop angry villagers from attacking the creature.

The leopard cowered under a bed as villagers surrounded it in concrete home before its death

Several men try to pry the leopard's paws off of a man who suffered injuries during the hourslong attack

A man who had been captured in the paws of the leopard cleans blood off of his hands following the attack

The injured man, whose blue shirt was covered in blood, wrapped both of his hands in bandages to protect his wounds

Several men carry an injured man through a crowed after a leopard bit nine people in the village last year

One man in the village suffered bloody wounds to his right shoulder, while another suffered a huge gash to his foot

He said: 'We faced difficulty when an aggressive mob of around 1,500 villagers started attacking the leopard.

'The animal also retaliated and in the scuffle, nine persons were injured. The leopard died later.'

The corpse was dragged away as locals continued beating it. The leopard's victim's were treated at hospital in nearby Sohna.

Experts believe the leopards ventured into the region after being forced out by new commercial and residential developments in the vast Aravallis mountains which run through the state.

At one point during the rampage, it appeared as though villagers tried to capture the leopard under a net

But the leopard escaped the net, which is believed to have happened after it emerged from underneath the bed

Several men run from the vicious leopard as it runs through the village. Another man tries swinging a wooden staff at the cat

In April this year, two people were injured when a leopard entered a home in Durga Colony of Sohna in the state of Haryana.

Faridabad wildlife inspector Daal Chand and villagers said as well as new homes and commercial premises being built, regular explosions from mines were also forcing the animals into residential areas.

He said: 'The regular blasts in Mewat and Gurgaon region of Aravalli are forcing the wild animals to leave forest corridor of Alwar-Mewat and Gurgaon. These animals are now heading towards Faridabad.'

A crowd of more than 1,000 eventually surrounded the cat as others dragged it through the village

Wildlife officials were in the area when the killing occurred last year, but they said they were unable to stop the angry mom
Crowds of devoted worshippers descended on Knock shrine after a teenage traveller claimed a vision of the Virgin Mary would appear.

The 14-year-old boy was at a shrine in Fatima, Portugal last May when he said he saw visions of the Virgin Mary and that she told him she would appear again in Knock at 3pm on Saturday.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Irish shrine at the weekend in the hope that they would be blessed.

The 14-year-old boy was at the shrine in Fatima last May when he said he saw visions of the Virgin Mary and that she she told him she would appear again in Knock at 3pm on Saturday

In an audio message posted online, the boy's father explained what his son had witnessed in Portugal.

'For two days our son seen Our Lady in Fatima and he seen the visionaries,' he said.

He added that he was in no doubt about the miraculous nature of his son's visions.

'The visionary from Medjugorje was speaking to him in Portuguese and he was able to understand every word out of her mouth, he got that gift to understand any visionary,' he said.

'On the 10th of June we will be going to Knock and whoever wants to come is welcome. Our Lady will appear there.'

'What it is, is that Our lady will appear on the ground there to,' he said 'and she will bless everyone on the ground'.

On Saturday, as the crowd waited for the Madonna to appear, one worshipper captured the clouds parting.

On Saturday, as the crowd waited for the Madonna to appear, one worshipper captured the clouds parting (left and right). Some claimed the footage was roof that they had been blessed by a higher power

Some claimed the footage of the sun shining down on the people below was proof that they had been blessed by a higher power.

But others remained sceptical.

Biddy Connors uploaded the video on Facebook and said: 'Our lady appeared in Knock today. Astonishing Never get over what I seen. Please watch.'

The video received mixed comments.

One commenter replied: 'I didn't see anything.'

Another added: 'What? Clouds?'

The Virgin Mary is also believed to have appeared at the Knock Shrine in 1879.
Mexican police have recovered the severed heads of two suspected drug cartel victims in a freezer just a few blocs from a major tourist resort.

The discovery, near the resort of San Jose del Cabo is being linked to the recovery of a mass grave last week.

Officials found the bodies of 11 men and three women dumped in the southern part of Baja California Sur.

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Mexican police recovered the severed heads of two suspected victims of drug cartel violence in a freezer near the popular Pacific tourist resort of San Jose de los Carlos, pictured

Mexican authorities warned more than 144 people have been murdered amid the violence

The Sinaloa cartel, who is believed to be behind the violence, is headed by Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's. El Chapo was extradited to the United State to face criminal trial

The murder rate has surged in Baja California Sur in the past three years due to a spike in violence in the municipality of Los Cabos, which includes the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

The number of murders in the first four months of the year increased more than five times from the same period last year to 144, according to government data.

Mass graves, some with hundreds of bodies, have been discovered around Mexico in the states that have been hardest hit by drug violence, such as Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Morelos and Guerrero.

The most recent atrocities are believed to have been carried out by members of the Sinaloa cartel who control the area.

Some 30,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since drug violence increased sharply around 2007.

More than 150,000 have been killed since then, when former president Felipe Calderon sent the army out to battle drug gangs.
Dr Anthony Madu (pictured) secretly carried out well-paid locum work at hospitals while getting sick pay from another hospital

A disgraced doctor who moonlighted on paid sick leave was today jailed after failing to pay back nearly 100,000 he fiddled from the NHS.

Gynaecologist Dr Anthony Madu, 46, secretly carried out well-paid locum work at hospitals while getting sick pay from another hospital.

Madu - who was described in court as 'irresponsible and dishonest' - sent 95,000 to a Nigerian bank account.

He was spared immediate jail to be given a two-year suspended sentence as long as he paid back 98,000 to the NHS.

But Madu failed to pay it back - and he was jailed for two years for his fraud.

Prosecutor Christian Jowett said: 'The doctor has transferred 95,000 to a bank account in Nigeria.'

Nigerian-born Madu was given the specialist registrar obstetrics gynaecology post at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in August 2009.

Specialist registrar Madu was convicted of six charges of fraud by working at hospitals across England while employed at the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

Mr Jowett said: 'He was legally obliged to tell his employers about his work but he did not do so.

'He was also legally obliged to tell two locum agencies that he was on extended leave and had been granted sickness leave.

'But he continued to work and receive payment from both Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and his work in England.'

But he was suspended and put on extended leave two months later over allegations about his conduct towards other staff and claims he had falsified his training record.

He then submitted sick notes on three different occasions, saying he could not work because of stress but then worked as a locum at four hospitals in England.

Madu, of Woolwich, London, continued to work for other health boards including in Manchester, Yorkshire, and the Midlands. The cost to the four

four hospitals he defrauded was said to be 240,000.

Madu - who was described in court as 'irresponsible and dishonest' - sent 95,000 to a Nigerian bank account

At the trial the court heard Madu 'was nowhere near' the level of clinical competence expected of a year five specialist registrar.

Judge David Wyn Morgan spared Madu an immediate jail sentence at the time because a psychiatric report said he would be at 'high risk' of suicide if he was jailed.

At that time he was given a two-year suspended sentence - but ordered to pay back the cash.

Judge Morgan said: 'In pursuing a medical career in the UK you have overstretched yourself and have resorted to dishonesty to cover up your shortcomings.

'These convictions will make it impossible for you to practice medicine in the UK ever again.'

In June Madu was ordered to pay 73,000 back to the NHS within six months. Madu appealed that order.

He failed to repay the 73,000 and appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he was jailed for two years.

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Madu: 'In pursuing a medical career in the UK you have overstretched yourself and have resorted to dishonesty to cover up your shortcomings.

'These convictions will make it impossible for you to practice medicine in the UK ever again.'

Cheryl Hill, deputy operational fraud manager at the NHS Counter Fraud Service Wales, said: 'He has done his utmost to avoid paying back any of the stolen NHS money.

'Madu has therefore been jailed for two years for his failure to repay. The defrauded money will remain outstanding even after he has served his sentence.

'The message is clear: defrauding the NHS results in criminal convictions and huge damage to careers. We are relentless in pursuing those who defraud the NHS.'
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This cuddly and sleepy puppy might soon become a little secret weapon of a police squad in Taiwan.

Fushin has just turned one month old and will be trained as a blood detection dog by the New Taipei City Police Department.

The tiny Labrador met the public for the first time on June 8 and has been billed as 'the cutest police dog'.

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The cream-coloured Labrador loves sleeping and has been dubbed 'the cutest police dog' by media in Taiwan

The puppy, which has just turned one month old, has melt the hearts of thousands after pictures of him were uploaded online

Fushin, born to two sniffer dogs in Taiwan, is set to become a blood detection dog after going through training

Fushin's name means 'a lucky star' in English. He and his five siblings, Schuman, Federica, Eagle, AJ and Sunny, were born on May 9.

They were debuted to the public after officers at the New Taipei City Police Department uploaded pictures of the canines to the department's Facebook account.

Their parents, Leader and Yellow, are both two years old. They are sniffer dogs at the K9 Unit, the detection dog team of the New Taipei City Police Department.

Pan Tian-long, the captain of K9 Unit, said all of the six puppies would undergo training to become detection dogs.

Captain Pan said Schuman, Federica, Eagle, AJ and Sunny, which are all black, would be trained as drug detection dogs.

While Fushin, the only cream-coloured puppy in the litter, is set to be a blood detection dog.

Fushin's parents, Leader and Yellow, are both two years old and are also sniffer dogs at the New Taipei City Police Department

Officers from the K9 Unit at the New Taipei City Police Department have taken turns to look after Fushin and his five siblings

Fushin's name means 'a lucky star'. He and his five siblings, Schuman, Federica, Eagle, AJ and Sunny, were born on May 9

A female officer held Fushin as the pair posed for a picture. The puppy has been described as 'ambitious and courageous'

Captain Pan told MailOnline: 'According to our current observation, Fushin is ambitious and courageous. He is very special.

'We plan to train him to become a blood detection dog. After the training, he would assist the police officers to discover, hunt and pursue traces at crime scenes as well as catch suspected criminals.'

Captain Pan, who has served the police for more than 30 years and caught many drug dealers, showed much affection for the six puppies as he talked about them.

He said they were the first litter of dogs bred by the unit and the officers had taken turns to provide around-the-clock care.

'Fushin is especially cute because he is different from all the others, and he is the naughtiest.

'Sometimes, he would fall asleep while eating, and then he would wake up suddenly and carry on eating like nothing happened. How could people not love something as cute as that?'

Pan Tian-long (pictured), the captain of K9 Unit at the New Taipei City Police Department, said Fushin is very special

Pictured are two of Fushin's siblings, which will be trained to detect drugs by the New Taipei City Police Department

Fushin is the only cream-coloured puppy in the litter. All his siblings (two of them pictured) are black, like their parents

The K9 Unit of the New Taipei City Police Department has sniffer dogs specialised in different tasks, including explosive detection, drug detection, attacking and blood detection, according to Captain Pan.

The squad usually brings large dogs, such as German shepherds, on patrol and to arrest suspects; and sends medium-sized dogs, such as Labradors, to carry out detecting assignments indoors and among crowds of people.

Small dogs, such as Beagles, are used by the team to search for traces in tiny spaces or above ceilings.

The K9 Unit at the New Taipei City Police Department (pictured) has trained dogs to detect explosives, drugs and blood traces
News / National

by Staff reporter

In remarks that are likely to stoke tensions within opposition ranks, former Vice President Joice Mujuru has once again punted herself to lead the country's envisaged grand coalition, at the same time seemingly questioning the suitability of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai to front the mooted alliance.This comes despite Mujuru - a former Zanu-PF bigwig who now leads the fledgling National People's Party (NPP) - having recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tsvangirai, as they signalled their intention of finalising talks for the mooted opposition alliance.But the former long-serving number two to President Robert Mugabe once again threw the cat among the pigeons last week when she suggested that Tsvangirai did not fit the profile of the ideal leader to front the planned coalition."We want someone who can also unite and appeal to those who fought the war, those in the army, as well as and those in the farms."This is because some fear that if someone else becomes the leader they will lose their farms, or those in the army will be blamed for certain things, and those in the police will be blamed for certain things."And those people will be happy to hear that they have one of their own," Mujuru said as she promoted her candidacy during a meeting with her supporters in Zvimba, Mashonaland West.Analysts have previously said Mujuru, whose liberation struggle nom de guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood), and whose late 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 the eagerly-anticipated 2018 national elections.Speaking in 2002, the late commander of the defence forces, Vitalis Gava Zvinavashe, infamously said the military would not salute anyone without liberation credentials, in apparent reference to Tsvangirai.Yesterday, analysts told the Daily News that Mujuru's statement last week was "an advertisement" that she wanted to lead the coalition - warning, however, that this could stoke tensions within opposition ranks."Such utterances seem designed to send the message that Tsvangirai, from her point of view, is unsuitable to lead the coalition."The characteristics she profiles appear tailored to reflect what she thinks she brings to the table. But they do not reflect the needs or priorities of significant other constituencies."The issues she raises are of course not unimportant and any coalition leadership should be able to address these issues. But leadership is not simply about who sits on the throne," Piers Pigou, a consultant with the International Crisis Group, said."It also certainly doesn't bode well for the coalition ... and this highlights the importance of an innovative approach to the coalition building effort ... Mujuru is untested outside of Zanu-PF and what we've seen so far is somewhat underwhelming," Pigou added.University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, also said it appeared as if it was going to be difficult for opposition parties to agree on a coalition leader, which would weaken the planned alliance."The coalition will likely happen but I don't think it will be strong enough. They will get to it, but it will be a weak coalition unless if they can come up with an acceptable formula to choose the coalition leader."I think it will probably end up being a quarrelsome coalition," Masunungure told the Daily News.Other analysts said a positive attribute of Tsvangirai was that he had the strongest appeal and control over his core supporters, as witnessed at his weekend rally in Gweru, which was attended by tens of thousands of his followers."(Tsvangirai) is the best foot forward, no doubt about that. But he must be magnanimous, crafty, humble and inclusive in the manner in which he approaches the coalition talks," said civic leader Gladys Hlatywayo."The situation requires astute leadership that is able to remain focused on the end-game and rise above petty differences of yesteryears. It equally requires dealing effectively with internal discontent and the divisive politics of positions," she added.Political observers have also previously said the opposition, if they contest next year's elections as a united front, stand a good chance of finally bringing an end to both Mugabe's and Zanu-PF's long rule.Optimism has been high within opposition circles ever since Tsvangirai and Mujuru joined forces and walked the streets of Gweru in August last year, in a rare public show of unity.A large cross-section of Zimbabweans, including political analysts and civic groups, have also said Tsvangirai is the only opposition leader capable of giving Mugabe and the warring Zanu-PF a run for their money in the make-or-break 2018 national elections.Speaking to the Daily News in an interview early this year, former Cabinet minister and for long Mugabe's confidante, Didymus Mutasa, said while there were many people who aspired to lead the planned grand alliance, only Tsvangirai had the support and "the credentials" to take that position  completely rubbishing in the process both the capacity and chances of Mujuru to lead the opposition.This was after Mutasa and Mujuru's highly-publicised fallout while they still worked together at the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF)  a disaffection which eventually led Mujuru to forming the NPP.Mutasa was effusive in his praise of Tsvangirai, making special mention of the way the MDC president had persevered against all odds in his push for a more democratic Zimbabwe, including taking on Mugabe and a Zanu-PF that he said often behaved "thuggishly" when challenged."For me Tsvangirai is the natural leader of the coalition because of who he is ... What the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) is today stands for what Tsvangirai and the MDC built. The rest of us are latecomers in this game."We want a leader who will do what we thought Mugabe would do, but failed to do, and as ZPF we want to have discussions about who should lead the coalition because when we wanted to do it while we were still with Mujuru she prevaricated."As a party we cannot accept a situation where Mujuru leads the coalition having proved her lack of capacity with ZPF, although she is welcome to be part of the coalition because we need everyone," Mutasa said without hiding his disdain for Mujuru.
Dramatic cockpit footage shows the moment a Russian jet flew within 100ft of a US bomber it intercepted over the Baltic Sea.

The Russian pilot flies the Su-27 expertly alongside the American aircraft, footage from inside the US B-1B showed.

Experts said the interceptor acted in a 'non-aggressive manner' towards the bomber, which is temporarily deployed to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK.

Dramatic cockpit footage shows the moment an Su-27 Russian jet (pictured) flew within 100ft of a US bomber over the Baltic Sea

AFM was told the Russian pilot acted in a non-aggressive manner throughout the manoeuvre,

The fighter held its position off the starboard side before banking and flying away, the video obtained by Air Forces Monthly showed.

The incident happened during the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS), the largest international military exercise organised by the US in the Baltics.

The exercise, which runs from June 1 to 16, sees US Navy, NATO, and non-NATO participants participate in air warfare, shallow water, electronic warfare, air control and air defense training - to name but a few.

Three B-52Hs, three B-1Bs and two B-2As comprise the American bombers present for the training drills.

Only last week, the US Defense Department released incredible photos of a Russian aircraft intercepting other American bombers over the Baltic.

Only last week, the US Defense Department released incredible photos of a Russian aircraft intercepting other American bombers over the Baltic

Photos showed another Russian Su-27 Flanker intercepting a formation of US Air Force aircraft, including a US Air Force B-52H

It showed another Russian Su-27 Flanker intercepting a formation of US Air Force aircraft, including a US Air Force B-52H.

Most intercepts are considered 'safe and professional,' according to Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, the Kremlin claimed it had intercepted a US bomber that was flying near the border of Russian airspace.

Moscow's defense ministry announced the incident on Tuesday morning, saying one of its SU-27 jets was dispatched to an area over the Baltic Sea.

The defense ministry said an aircraft was detected flying along the border, prompting the intercept.
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A gorilla helped cheer up her human caretaker by imitating his facial expressions and holding his hand after seeing him looking glum, heartwarming images reveal.

Matabishi the gorilla was seen sliding up next to her caretaker, Matthieu, on a tree stump and imitating his sulking expression in an attempt to cheer him up.

She then held Mattieu's hand as she tried to raise his spirits at Senkwekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa.

Matabishi the gorilla was seen sliding up next to her caretaker, Matthieu, on a tree stump and imitating his sulking expression in an attempt to cheer him up at Senkwekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage

The photos were taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa by South African wildlife photographer Nelis Wolmarans from Cape Town.

The touching scene was captured by South African wildlife photographer Nelis Wolmarans, from Cape Town.

The 42-year-old said: 'The majority of my adult life has revolved around Africa's wildlife.

'I have a passion for the bush and all creatures within, which guided me to work in hugely diverse areas of the wildlife industry.

'The four mountain gorillas who are cared for at the centre have constant human company and develop very strong bonds with their carers.

'The deep emotional bond is heartwarming to see and the gorillas both draw comfort from and give comfort to their caretakers.

'They are always within touching distance.

'Matthieu is Matabishi's human companion, and she sees him as a parental figure and a best friend.

'It's very clear that they adore each other and the level of trust between the two is exceptional.

'You can see they are a constant source of comfort to each other, and there to support each other with friendship and unconditional love when they need it.

'I love capturing touching moments such as these.'
A girl who was photographed being comforted by a policewoman after the Manchester bombing has paid a heartfelt tribute at her mother's funeral.

Millie Kiss, 12, said the death of her mother Michelle had left her asking 'why do the good people get given the worst things', adding that she loved her 'to the moon and back and a billion times more'.

The 45-year-old was among those murdered by a suicide bomber as she waited for her daughter Millie, who was attending the Ariana Grande concert on May 22.

The photograph of a young Millie being cradled by a policewoman shortly after the blast became one of the enduring images in the aftermath of the murderous attack.

Today, Michelle's husband Tony and their sons Dylan, 20, and Elliott, 17, carried the mother-of-three into a church on their shoulders as the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow was sung by a choir.

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A girl who was photographed being comforted by a policewoman after the Manchester bombing has paid a heartfelt tribute at her mother's funeral. Michelle Kiss was waiting for daughter Millie , 12, pictured, when she was killed in the attack

Mrs Kiss is pictured with her husband Tony and her children Dylan, 20, Elliot, 17 and Millie, 12. The 45-year-old was among those murdered by a suicide bomber at the Ariana Grande concert on May 22

Mr Kiss and the couple's children Dylan, 20, Elliot, 17 and Millie walked behind the hearse from their home to the local St Alban's Catholic Church in Blackburn, Lancashire

At the church, an emotional tribute was read out on behalf of Michelle's daughter Millie, after she had followed the hearse from their family home to a nearby church (shown)

Villagers pay their respects as the hearse of Michelle Kiss passes by on the way to St Alban's Catholic Church in Blackburn

Tony and their children walked behind the hearse from their home to the local St Alban's Catholic Church, in Blackburn, Lancs.

Hundreds of devastated mourners filled the aisles of the church, where the 45-year-old's funeral mass was led by Father Jude Harrison.

An emotional tribute was read out on behalf of Michelle's daughter Millie, who was at the concert on the night of the attack.

She said: 'All our family and friends are missing you so much. You were taken away too soon and should definitely not have been.

'I can't even put into words how much you are missed.

Floral tributes are left for Mrs Kiss, who was one of 22 people to die when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb in the Manchester Arena

The mother was carried into the church on the shoulders of her sons and her husband as the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow was sung by a choir

'Elvis [the family dog] is missing his treats and his walks with his Mummy and Rocco is wondering what is going on.

'I ask myself everyday why do the good people get given the worst things.

'Life is going to be so different without my mum by my side, but I am going to remember you, mum, with your beautiful smile and pretty face and sparkling eyes.

'You will never ever be forgotten - not by anyone. I know we only knew each other for 12 years, but it felt like a lifetime.

'I love you all the way to the moon and back and a billion times more.

'My mum was such a loving wife, a caring mum, fantastic sister, a beloved daughter and the best friend anyone could wish for.

Mr Kiss earlier released touching family pictures of the couple, including that of their wedding day (left). He also read an emotional tribute to his wife during the service

A police officer wraps a coat around Millie's shoulders shortly after the attack which killed 22, including her mother Michelle

'My mum would sit down and listen to anything that people were saying. She had time for anyone and everyone. Anyone would wish for a friend like my mum.

'I hope life is better where you are now my beautiful angel, Mum.'

Michelle's husband, Tony, thanked family and friends for the support he had received over the past three weeks in his touching tribute.

'I hope life is better where you are now my beautiful angel, Mum' Millie Kiss's funeral reading in full: 'All our family and friends are missing you so much. You were taken away too soon and should definitely not have been. 'I can't even put into words how much you are missed. 'Elvis [the family dog] is missing his treats and his walks with his Mummy and Rocco is wondering what is going on. 'I ask myself everyday why do the good people get given the worst things. 'Life is going to be so different without my mum by my side, but I am going to remember you, mum, with your beautiful smile and pretty face and sparkling eyes. 'You will never ever be forgotten - not by anyone. I know we only knew each other for 12 years, but it felt like a lifetime. 'I love you all the way to the moon and back and a billion times more. 'My mum was such a loving wife, a caring mum, fantastic sister, a beloved daughter and the best friend anyone could wish for. 'My mum would sit down and listen to anything that people were saying. She had time for anyone and everyone. Anyone would wish for a friend like my mum. 'I hope life is better where you are now my beautiful angel, Mum.' Advertisement

He said: 'Today we laid my beautiful wife and mother of our three children to rest.

'We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us over the past few weeks, particularly our close friends and family and the wider community.

'There have been so many offers of help, it's hard to name everyone individually but you all know who you are.

'You've all helped us grow stronger as a family through this terrible time.

'Michelle was a devoted mother, daughter and sister, and family was at the heart of everything she did.

'She lived for her children and we would really like her memory to live on by helping to support a local childrens' charity - Derian House.

'Please help us make something good come of this situation by supporting this charity that provides so much help to sick children in our area.

'We know Michelle would think this a very fitting gesture. We are now moving slowly forward with the help and love of everyone around us.

'Our lives have been changed forever by these horrific events but we are asking people to please choose love, because that's what we as a family are doing now.'

Father Jude Harrison paid tribute to the 'loving' mother who spent her life caring for her family and friends.

He said: 'Michelle brought so much love and joy into the world and we gave thanks for her life and asked God to welcome her into his kingdom.

'We offered all our love and consolation to the family who are devastated at their loss of such a beautiful lady.

'Our faith is built on a simple belief that love will never die and that Michelle's memory and her life of goodness will live with us all for ever until we meet her again in Our Father's home in heaven.'

The other 21 victims of the Manchester terrorist attack along with the victims of the London Bridge attack were also prayed for during the service.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Germany and Poland on a five-day charm offensive shortly after Brexit talks start, it has been confirmed.

The Royal couple are making their trip at the request of the Foreign Office and officials will hope that their popularity abroad will help drum up some good feeling towards the UK as the all-important negotiations start.

It comes as Britain's politics has plunged into turmoil after Theresa May had her majority wiped out in last week's election humiliation.

She is hoping to cling on to power by getting the backing of the DUP's ten MPs, but Brussels has seized on the fall-out to snipe at the PM and demand a new approach to Brexit talks.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured on their tour of Canada last year, are being sent on a five-day tour of Germany and Poland just after Brexit talks start

William and Kate will begin their trip on July 17 in Poland's capital Warsaw and end in the German city of Hamburg on July 21.

It is not thought the couple will be taking their young children Prince George and Princess Charlotte on tour with them.

Kensington Palace declined to comment when asked if the Cambridges would be accompanied by their children.

During their tour William and Kate will also visit Gdansk in Poland, Germany's capital Berlin and Heidelberg.

William travelled to Germany last summer, visiting Dusseldorf for a series of events honouring the role of British armed forces based in the country.

Kate and William, pictured in their tour of Canada last year, are hugely popular abroad and officials will hope that the tour will drum up good feeling towards the UK as the government embarks on all-important Brexit negotiations

During a gala event, where the Duke gave a speech alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel, William claimed the 'depth' of Britain's friendship with Germany would not change after Brexit.

The charm offensive comes as senior figures in Brussels have seized on the political uncertainty following last Thursday's election to ratchet up the pressure on the government.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief negotiator, today said Brussels is losing patience with Britain and demanded Mrs May to re-examine her approach to the talks.

He said: 'We are impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK gov. The current uncertainty cannot continue.'

He added: 'Brexit isn't just about the Tories leaving the EU, it's about the whole UK. Everyones voice should be heard.'

While some politicians are pushing for a 'softer' Brexit in the wake of the election - raising fears Britain could be stuck with many aspects of EU membership despite last year's historic vote.

Kate and William - who have been dubbed Brexit ambassadors - took their children Charlotte and George on their tour of Canada last year. But they are not expected to take the prince and princess on their tour of Germany and Poland

The British monarchy has close ties with the European country, as a succession of sovereigns from George I, born in what is now modern Germany and who acceded to the throne in 1714, to William IV, who died in 1830, were also rulers of Hanover in Germany.

The 300th anniversary of what is known as the 'personal union' was celebrated in 2014, and the year before the milestone, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie visited Germany to highlight the event.

During a state visit to Germany in 2015, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation by British forces.

Kate has yet to make an official trip to Germany and the Cambridges have not toured Poland before on behalf of the Government.

Kensington Palace said full details of the visit would be released at a later date.
A man who allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted a teenager claims he has done nothing wrong because they are lawfully married.

Chafic Cheryala, 33, is accused of kidnapping the 18-year-old from her home in Sydney's Bankstown at 2am on Sunday after she turned down his request for marriage.

Cheryala allegedly then forced her to marry him in a secret Islamic ceremony performed by a sheik before assaulting her and driving her 400km towards Melbourne in a 43-hour ordeal.

The victim, an aspiring lawyer, has opened up about the moment he allegedly threatened to kill her if she did not obey him.

Chafic Cheryala, 33, allegedly abducted a teenager and sexually assaulted her

'He said if I don't go with him he's going to kill himself and kill me, so I left,' the victim told 7News.

She said Cheryala, a distant family friend who is in Australia on a bridging visa, sought her hand in marriage to gain citizenship.

'It was scary, like, I just wanted to come back home to my family,' she said.

The victim was allegedly kidnapped at 2am on Sunday and taken to the Novotel at Brighton Le Sands, where she stayed with the accused all day until Sunday night.

Cheryala allegedly then forced her to go with him to a home in Lakemba so they could be married in a secret Islamic ceremony.

'I can't stand him, I want to kill him,' the victim said to the accused.

The victim has opened up on the moment he allegedly threatened to kill her if she did not follow him out of her bedroom window

Cheryala allegedly forced the victim to marry him in a secret Islamic ceremony before sexually assaulting her

The victim said Cheryala, a distant family who is in Australia on a bridging visa, sought her hand in marriage to gain citizenship

He then took her on a drive about 400km southwest on the Hume Highway before police swooped and arrested him.

Astonishingly, Cheryala told the magistrate he has done nothing wrong because he believes he is lawfully married to his victim, reports 9News.

He was denied bail in Bankstown Local Court where he faces a string of charges including kidnapping, sexual assault and indecent assault.

The victim is in a stable condition in hospital.

The man allegedly abducted the 18-year-old in Bankstown at 2am and was arrested on the Hume Highway in Gundagai near Wagga Wagga
A mother has spoken of her anguish at being forced to pick out a tiny coffin for her baby girl who was born 12 weeks early following a crash on a Melbourne highway.

Dimple Grace Thomas, 32, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death after hitting Ashlea Allen's car at Cranbourne last August.

Ms Allen, whose two-year-old daughter was also in the car, was 28 weeks pregnant and rushed to hospital where baby Melarniah was born by emergency caesarean.

The infant died two days later after intensive care was withdrawn.

Dimple Grace Thomas (right), 32, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death after hitting Ashlea Allen's car at Cranbourne last August

Court heard Thomas was 'rushing to beat traffic' when she illegally crossed three lanes and turned into the path of Ms Allen on the South Gippsland Highway

Ms Allen told the County Court the scar on her stomach was a constant reminder of her loss, which was too deep to put into words.

'I'm existing but I'm empty because I don't know how to live in a world without my daughter,' she said in her statement, read to the court by Crown prosecutor Diana Piekusis.

Ms Allen said she wasn't able to hold Melarniah in hospital because of all the tubes.

When Melarniah died, she and her partner Chris were forced to pick out the tiniest coffin she never even knew existed.

'Our family should've been complete but now it is broken,' she said.

'Our lives have come crashing down around us because of the wrong choice made by someone else.'

Thomas is a devout Christian who suffered a miscarriage after the incident and her defence lawyer Theo Alexander said she believed it was the result of what she had done.

Ms Piekusis said the accused woman had just left the gym and was entering the South Gippsland Highway.

Ashlea Allen (pictured with partner Chris Oscuro), 26, was only 28 weeks pregnant when a car crash on August 8 ruptured her placenta and forced the emergency caesarean delivery of her daughter Milarniah

Instead of turning left as required, she moved across the three lanes of the highway towards the break in the median strip, rushing to beat oncoming traffic, when the crash occurred.

Thomas, of Cranbourne East, told court through an interpreter she became confused when she saw a car in the break in the road, believing it was waiting for her.

She said she then saw a one-way sign, realised she couldn't go that way, and crashed into Ms Allen's car.

Dr Alexander said Thomas had driven across the highway lanes, considering the break in the median strip to be open to her.

Although the mother and former nurse was a nervous driver, she was 'deeply law abiding', he said.

Dr Alexander said Thomas moved to Australia in 2012 from a small village in southern India where road rules were very different. She converted her Indian licence to an Australian licence after her arrival.

'This is a woman who would not recklessly endanger the life of another road user,' he said.

The plea hearing continues on Wednesday.
These amazing images of Native Americans have been brought back to life through vivid colourisation.

The remarkable pictures show the group during the 1920s, with some of the leaders meeting with then American president, Calvin Coolidge, at the White House.

Other fascinating images show the native tribe mixing with the public, standing on top of the Lincoln Memorial holding the American flag high, and two Native American elders meeting with politicians at the Capitol Hill in 1936, the same year the Aborigines Act Amendment Act was legislated.

These incredible photographs were colourised by British colorization specialist, Royston Leonard, 54, from Cardiff, Wales.

In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act was proposed by Representative Homer P. Snyder and signed by President Calvin Coolidge, meaning the indigenous peoples including the Native American tribe, also known as Native Indians, were granted full U.S. citizenship.
A stepfather has been charged over the alleged murder of his partner's two-year-old son.

Joel Nicholas Kuskey, 28, was arrested and charged in Queensland on Tuesday following an extensive investigation into little Joshua's suspicious death in April 2015.

The Courier Mail reported that they were contacted by relatives who confirmed that Kuskey was the boyfriend of Joshua's mother.

The toddler was allegedly known to Queensland's child safety department,' reported the Brisbane Times.

Police said they had not previously been called out to the Kingston home in relation to child safety issues but it's understood the Department of Child Safety had investigated the family in 2013.

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The Courier Mail reported that they were contacted by relatives who confirmed that Kuskey was the boyfriend of Joshua's mother (Joshua pictured)

Police charged Kuskey with one count each of murder, supplying dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils.

He has also been charged with four counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The two-year-old was found unconscious at a home in Kingston, south of Brisbane, and was rushed to Logan Hospital before being transferred to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in 2015.

A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged on Tuesday following the death of a two-year-old boy

The little boy was pronounced dead at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane (pictured) after being found unconscious at a home

The man was arrested and charged by Queensland Police following an extensive investigation into the little boy's 2015 death

He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at that hospital, with police saying he 'suffered horrific injuries.'

Police set-up Operation North Arete to investigate the circumstances surrounding the little boy's death.

'The death of any child is always tragic but this is a particularly distressing case where a young child has suffered horrific injuries,' Queensland Police Detective Inspector Mark White said.

'Our team of detectives are determined to complete a robust and exhaustive investigation and are continuing to appeal for anyone with information which could assist us to come forward.'

Police said the 28-year-old is expected to face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
A controversial Muslim psychologist from western Sydney has published a Facebook post calling for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to be given a head transplant.

Hanan Dover's seeming attempt at humour comes as federal parliament debates proposals to toughen citizenship laws.

Her social media post was published next to a science video explaining the possibility of a head transplant later this year.

Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover has joked about giving the Immigration Minister a new head

The western Sydney psychologist made the suggestion next to a science video on Facebook

'If the head transplant is successful, can we volunteer Peter Dutton's head to be replaced next?,' she said.

Her post inspired some awful reactions from her Facebook followers with one man suggesting: ' We will have to put his head on a pig.'

Ms Dover, who regularly criticises Western foreign policy and Australian politicians, has timed her Facebook remark to coincide with this week's parliamentary debate on citizenship rules.

She is also a critic of Sydney-based Lebanese Muslim doctor Jamal Rifi, who campaigns against extremism, and secular Muslims who reject Sharia law, like British former Hizb ut-Tahrir leader Maajid Nawaz.

Mr Dutton wants to extend the period of permanent residency, before someone can apply for citizenship, from one to four years.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton will this week debate toughening citizenship laws

Hanan Dover (pictured with academic Susan Carland) is a critic of Australian foreign policy

A Facebook follower of Hanan Dover suggested Peter Dutton's head be put on a pig

He is also wants more power to overturn decisions of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, after it stymied in May his decision to deport six Iranian men who had lied on their refugee status applications.

The asylum seekers, who arrived in Australia between 2009 and 2014, had been found to have visited the nation they claimed to have fled.

Ms Dover, who practises at Bankstown in Sydney's west, has also used Facebook and Twitter to criticise Assistant Multicultural Affairs Minister Zed Seselja's call for politicians to clearly state the link between terrorism and Islamic scriptures.

In a 2am tweet last week, she tweeted to Senator Seselja: 'OK, let's honestly discuss foreign policy.'

The Sydney psychologist believes foreign policy is a bigger driver of terrorism than Islam
A 118-year-old painting by a celebrated South Pole explorer has been discovered in a historic Antarctic hut hidden among penguin poo.

Dr Edward Wilson, who died with Captain Robert Scott and three others in 1912 as they battled to return from their trip to the South Pole, painted the watercolour of a small bird.

The watercolour was found among a portfolio of papers inside a bunk at the hut at Cape Adare, according to the Antarctic Heritage Trust - which is restoring 1500 artifacts from the hut.

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The water colour was found among a portfolio of papers inside a bunk at the hut at Cape Adare, says the Antarctic Heritage Trust, which is restoring 1500 artefacts from the hut

Dr Edward Wilson, who died with Captain Robert Scott and three others in 1912 as they battled to return from their trip to the South Pole, painted the water colour of a small bird

Trust conservator Josefin Bergmark-Jimenez was shocked by the painting's beauty when she discovered it in September 2016.

'[I] couldn't stop looking at it - the colours, the vibrancy, it is such a beautiful piece of work,' she said.

Yet, at first, it was not immediately clear who painted the mystery picture or how it came to be among the portfolio of papers.

The team from the trust knew it was likely to either be from Norwegian Carsten Borchgrevink's expedition in 1899, which built the two huts at Cape Adare, or the 1911 Scott expedition that also used them.

It was not until Ms Bergmark-Jimenez attended a Canterbury University lecture on Dr Wilson in New Zealand and recognised his distinct handwriting that she knew who had been the painter.

Dr Wilson had been a remarkable man, who was not only integral to Scott's 1911 and 1912 expeditions to Antarctica as a scientist and medical doctor, but he was also a talented painter.

Trust conservator Josefin Bergmark-Jimenez was shocked by the painting's beauty when she discovered it in September 2016

It was not until Ms Bergmark-Jimenez attended a Canterbury University lecture on Dr Wilson in New Zealand and recognised his distinct handwriting that she knew who had been the painter

Who was Dr Edward Wilson? Born in Cheltenham, England.

He went to Antarctica on two separate trips - one as an assistant surgeon in 1901 and as a biologist in 1911.

Wilson was one of the five man South Pole Party who perished on the return journey in 1912, he died in the tent at the last camp at the age of 39.

He was an avid artist and completed 'E. A. Wilson's watercolours' during the two trips. Advertisement

He was also known to have visited Lyttleton near Christchurch where he may have seen the tree creeper bird, depicted in the water colour.

He likely painted the image while recovering from tuberculosis in Europe and then took it with him as he travelled with Scott in 1911, the trust team said.

Ms Bergmark-Jimenez said the painting survived in excellent condition because, while water colours are susceptible to light, it had been tightly packed between other sheets of paper in dark and cold conditions.

'It is actually an ideal way to store it,' she said.

The Antarctic Heritage Trust will return the 1500 artefacts to their original places once the two Cape Adare huts containing them have also been restored.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A NEW private cemetery has opened for burials in Bulawayo's Northlyn and Trenance suburbs.The Acting Director of Health Services Dr Edwin Sibanda said the Government approved the establishment of the private cemetery last year soon after the brief closure of West Park as it had run out of burial space."A new private cemetery had been gazetted in Northvale Lot 100 of John Makunga. Burials can now take place," said Dr Sibanda in the latest council report.The new cemetery would be for the upper class and each grave would cost $5 000. Prices for graves at city council cemeteries range between $47 and $92."I can confirm that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has consented in terms of Section 35(i)(a) of the Cemeteries Act - Chapter 5:04 to the establishment of a private cemetery on Remainder of Hundred Acre Lot - John Makunga in Northlyn and Trenance areas," said Dr Sibanda.Bulawayo was facing a crisis of burial space following the closure of West Park Cemetery last year and residents were all being referred to Luveve Cemetery for burials.Council later utilised some remaining space at West Park Cemetery and burials are still taking place there.Other cemeteries are set to be opened in Marvel Township and Pumula South suburb.Dr Sibanda explained that land used for cemeteries could not have development established on it because of the soils and terrain.Meanwhile, council is worried by the increasing theft cases at cemeteries during burials and is encouraging mourners to be careful.Councillor Monica Lubimbi said thieves were now targeting mourners' vehicles left parked outside West Park cemetery during burials.She said appropriate action should be taken to protect mourners' property during burials."Residents should be encouraged to secure their vehicles at cemeteries during burials. Police should also patrol the area to deter thieves" she said.Dr Sibanda concurred with Clr Lubimbi saying measures should be taken to improve security following an upsurge in cases of theft during burials at West Park cemetery."In view of this councillors should encourage residents to secure their vehicles during burials. Police arrested some suspects recently in connection with the thefts or burglary," said Dr Sibanda.The councillors also noted that there was congestion at cemeteries and Dr Sibanda explained that it was caused by failure to adhere to stipulated burial times given to the bereaved families.He encouraged residents to keep time and discouraged them from driving into cemeteries.Council had set 12 noon as closing time for all cemeteries.In April, council recorded 384 burials at its cemeteries and 13 cremations. Council once mulled plans to offer cremation free of charge to make it more acceptable to residents as the city was fast running out of burial space.However, the idea was met with stiff resistance from residents who maintain that burning the body of a loved one is against African culture.Councillors agreed that the concept of cremation should be sold to the younger generation and also encouraged people to write wills and specify such choices.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich advised President Trump against terminating special counsel Robert Mueller, though attacked the former FBI chief for hiring 'bad people' to handle the Russia probe.

Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Good Morning America, Gingrich accused Mueller's hires of being Democrats who would wage an unfair fight against the Trump White House.

'These are bad people. Bad people,' Gingrich said to a miffed Stephanopoulos. 'These are people who are going to be after Trump.'

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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich pointed a finger at special counsel Robert Mueller and accused the former FBI head, who's running the Russia probe, with hiring Democrats

ABC's George Stephanopoulos (left) seemed surprised when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (right) accused special counsel Robert Mueller of hiring 'bad people'

The former speaker has been a top ally to the president. Trump also nominated Gingrich's wife, Callista, to be the ambassador to the Vatican. Gingrich's newest book 'Understanding Trump' was released Tuesday.

On Good Morning America, Gingrich pointed out that a handful of Mueller's hires had donated to Democratic political candidates, including Trump's rival Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.

For example, Michael Dreeban, a criminal law expert who's working part-time for Mueller, donated $1,000 to Friends of Hillary, which was supporting Clinton when she ran for public office in New York.

Another big-name hire, Andrew Weissmann, who led the Enron Task Force, donated six times to the political action committees supporting Obama during the 2008 election, for a total of $4,700, according to the Hill.

In total, four of Mueller's top hires had contributed to Democrats, which Laura Ingraham's publication Lifezette also pointed out.

Trump ally Ingraham's involvement  she also had Gingrich on her show, where he made similar complains about Mueller  suggests this may be a broader strategy coming from the White House to taint Mueller's Russia probe.

'One of them worked for the Clinton Foundation,' Gingrich also pointed out to Stephanopoulos.

He was referring to Jeannie Rhee, a former Department of Justice attorney who represented the Clinton Foundation in 2015.

Rhee and her partner on the case Jamie Gorelick got a federal judge to block Bill and Hillary Clinton from testifying in a deposition in a lawsuit brought to the court by a conservative activist.

Gorelick is now an attorney for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

'He did not hire a Republican in the first wave,' Gingrich complained of Mueller.

Stephanopoulos, a veteran of the Clinton White House, pointed out that Kenneth Starr, the special counsel who investigated that White House, had called Mueller's crew a 'fantastic team' comprised of 'complete professionals.'

'Well, then Ken Starr and I live in two different universes then,' Gingrich replied. 'I am very dubious about the team Mueller is putting together,' he added.

Stephanopoulos pointed out that Gingrich, who was serving in Congress at the time, and other Republicans on Capitol Hill, were comfortable with the fact that Starr had donated money to Republicans.

'I think we're in a different world,' the former speaker replied. 'Look at the intensity where we are right now, whether it is somebody holding up the bleeding head of the president, or a New York play showing the assassination of the president.'

Gingrich was referring to comedian Kathy Griffin's grisly and controversial photo shoot and the New York Public Theater's decision to reimagine Julius Caesar with the title character portrayed as Trump.

'We're in a period where if people think this is going to be a neutral, professional investigation, I think they're delusional,' Gingrich argued.

Stephanopoulos pointed out that the day Mueller was chosen for the role, by Trump's Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Gingrich had applauded it.

'Robert Mueller is superb choice to be special counsel. His reputation is impeccable for honesty and integrity. Media should now calm down,' Gingrich tweeted on May 17, on the heels of the announcement.

Gingrich said last week's testimony by former FBI head James Comey helped inspire the change.

'And I began to change, frankly, when Comey  which I thought was an amazingly arrogant statement  pointed out that he felt he had the right to leak to the New York Times ... and he said, this is his words, specifically in order to get a special counsel,' Gingrich said.

'A special counsel that would be his close friend,' Gingrich added.

Mueller and Comey know one another from when Mueller was atop the FBI and Comey was No. 2 at Justice.

Gingrich also suggested the Russia probe would be tainted because '97 percent' of Justice Department political contributions went to Clinton.

In the end, he didn't expect Mueller's team to find incriminating evidence on President Trump.

'Here's what's going to happen, they're going to go out, they're not going to get Trump, they're just going to annoy him,' Gingrich said, suggesting that the probe would find someone like Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff who went to jail for perjury.

Gingrich cast Libby as a scapegoat.

Stephanopoulos pointed out that if the president didn't do anything wrong, why should he be fearful of a special counsel.

On Monday night, the news broke that Trump was reportedly thinking about axing Mueller, according to his pal Chris Ruddy, the CEO of conservative media outlet Newsmax.

'I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option,' Ruddy said during an episode of Newshour.

Gingrich, in answering Stephanopoulos' broader question, pointed again at Scooter Libby.

'That's my whole point. Scooter Libby did nothing wrong, he ended up going to jail. He did nothing wrong, he was not part of the case, and the independent counsel was trying to flip him to get Dick Cheney,' Gingrich said.

'Independent counsel are very dangerous,' the former speaker warned, closing out the interview.
Magaluf Council is planning to crack down on notorious booze cruises known for their sexual antics, it has been reported.

Authorities are said to want to ban drunken behaviour on the boat parties where Brits abroad are plied with free alcohol and urged to play sexually charged drinking games.

'There is a legal vacuum when it comes to the regulation of party boats,' according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin which claimed it prevents action being taken against lewd behaviour on the water.

Magaluf Council are reported to be planning a crack down on notorious booze cruises known for their sexual antics (file photo)

Authorities are said to want to ban drunken behaviour on the boat parties where Brits abroad are plied with free alcohol

The holiday resort has become a well known destination for young Brits planning their first trip abroad with friends but 'this is about to all change', according to local reports

Following in Ibiza's lead, officials in Majorca are set to issue fines for drunken behaviour on the trips made famous in British comedy, The Inbetweeners Movie.

The holiday resort has become a well known destination for young Brits planning their first trip abroad with friends but 'this is about to all change', the Majorca Daily Bulletin claims.

It went on: 'The regional government is to establish a legal framework by which party boats will have to meet the same legal requirements as bars, restaurants and clubs.

'The government will therefore be amending the tourism law in order to put a stop to the booze cruises which adversely affect the image of some resorts, Magaluf being one.'

Misbehaving holidaymakers are already being punished with a new 87 fine on the mainland as frustrated authorities also seek a way to put an end to noisy nightclubs in Majorca, visited by 2.2million Brits a year.

On Sunday, a group of British holidaymakers have been fined after taking part in this eye-catching naked run through the streets of Magaluf's neighbouring resort Palmanova.

Following in Ibiza's lead, officials in Majorca are set to issue fines for drunken behaviour on the trips made famous in British comedy, The Inbetweeners Movie

Misbehaving holidaymakers are already being punished with a new 87 fine on the mainland

Fustrated authorities are also seeking a way to put an end to noisy nightclubs in Majorca, visited by 2.2million Brits a year

Around 20 male tourists stripped off for a starkers skinny-dip before jogging back to their hotel with no clothes on in broad-daylight as shocked onlookers filmed them.

Some covered up their privates with one hand while others left their man hoods exposed to passersby, including a young boy, on Friday.

Only one of the Brits appeared to be dressed, with a couple of those that did have at least something on limiting their attire to just hats and sunglasses.

A Spanish local watching the outrageous scene could be overheard shouting 'mira, mira' - Spanish for 'look, look' - as a second man appeared out of nowhere to stop cars as the Brits ran across a road at the back of the promenade.

Council officials in Calvia, which covers the Palmanova area, confirmed 18 of the tourists had been fined after local police tracked down the hotel they were staying in.

All but one were penalised for infringing a by-law by exposing themselves in public and another for obstructing traffic.

A group of British men have been fined after they were filmed running naked through the streets of Palma Nova

The shocking footage shows English and Scottish fans hurling chairs at each other after clashing in the streets of the Majorcan party resort at the end of Saturday's World Cup qualifier

Shocking footage of a brawl in Magaluf between Scotland and England football fans emerged on the same day.

The video shows fans hurling chairs at each other and swearing after clashing in the streets of the Majorcan party resort at the end of Saturday's World Cup qualifier.

Several fans appeared to be injured during the fighting, with one Scot being led away by a friend with blood pouring from a head wound.

Magaluf is a favourite party destination for British tourists who come to blow off steam and enjoy the cheap alcohol prices on offer.

Already, British holidaymakers have been pictured taking their clothes off, carrying sex dolls and lying in the street drunk on the Spanish party island of Majorca as party season begins.

But bad behaviour over the years, including binge drinking, sex in the streets, fighting and nudity, have given Brits a bad reputation with the Spanish authorities.

Already, British holidaymakers have been pictured taking their clothes off, carrying sex dolls and lying in the street drunk on the Spanish party island of Majorca

Bad behaviour over the years, including binge drinking, sex in the streets, fighting and nudity, have given Brits a bad reputation with the Spanish authorities

A group of women carry a blow-up sex doll on the street as they move between the area's packed bars and clubs

They are now issuing strict warnings to tourists that there will be consequences for those who misbehave.

Council officials are fighting to improve the area's image, where a lot of the rowdy behaviour is concentrated in a strip of bars known as Punta Ballena.

Their attempts follow a string of controversial stories surrounding the resort in recent years which tour operators say are putting people off visiting the island altogether.

Two years ago, officials announced plans to introduce fines of up to 3,000 (2,182) for anyone caught naked in the street.

The new rules came into effect in June 2015, and also included hefty fines for anyone urinating in public or 'balconing', which refers to the act of drunkenly jumping from hotel balconies.

Spanish police vans make their way through groups of revellers. Authorities have previously vowed to crackdown on bad behaviour

A group of men in Hawaiian shirts chant at the photographer on the resort's controversial Punta Ballena strip

Two girls - one with heavily sunburned legs - lie on the floor of a fast food restaurant in Magaluf

That summer British police were even dispatched to the party spot as a trial to help Spanish officers deal with victims and offenders from the UK.

But pictures taken at the resort recently still showed revellers spilling out of bars and falling on the street.

In one photo a partygoer in a 'Willyman' costume - which is essentially a superhero outfit with a plastic penis attached - can be seen pointing his plastic prop at a young woman.
Russian opposition demonstrators faced court on Tuesday after nationwide anti-corruption protests called by leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was slapped with a 30-day jail sentence, erupted across the country.

More than 1,500 people were detained at Monday's demonstrations, mainly in the capital Moscow and Russia's second city of Saint Petersburg, and several criminal probes into police violence were launched.

Police stations overflowed with detainees and many people still awaited processing while others were shuttled to court for hearings over violating demonstration regulations that could lead to 15 days of jail time.

Navalny, 41, was arrested as he tried to leave his home in Moscow ahead of the planned anti-Kremlin protests on Monday and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail for repeatedly violating the law on organizing public meetings.

More than 1,500 people in Russia were detained at anti-corruption protests called by leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Monday

Police stations overflowed with detainees and many people still awaited processing while others were shuttled to court for hearings over violating demonstration regulations that could lead to 15 days of jail time

Navalny, 41, was was arrested as he tried to leave his home in Moscow ahead of the planned anti-Kremlin protests on Monday, his wife Kira Yarmysh said and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail

Navalny sits in a police car after being found guilty by a court of repeatedly violating the law on organizing public meetings, in Moscow

Police waited for Navalny in the stairwell of his building and hauled him off to a police station before the rally had even begun in Moscow

Opposition activist Ilya Yashin was one of over 800 people detained in Moscow after the protest on Tverskaya Street, the main thoroughfare to the Kremlin.

'We've left the station. They are taking us to Tverskoy district court,' he tweeted on Tuesday.

The protest in the capital was originally authorised in a different location but Navalny unexpectedly cancelled it on Sunday, saying that the authorities were blocking efforts to hire a stage and sound equipment, calling on supporters to go to Tverskaya Street instead.

After the change, Moscow police warned that 'any provocative actions from the protesters' side will be considered a threat to public order and will be immediately suppressed'.

Navalny never made it to the protest, however, as police awaited him in the stairwell of his building and hauled him off to a police station before the rally had even begun.

In a statement reported by state news agency Tass, police said Navalny would be charged with failure to follow police orders and violation of public order following his arrest.

Authorities in Moscow, where the largest protest is likely to be held, started detaining demonstrators shortly after the protests began. Pictured above, riot police detain Russian opposition figure Ilya Yashin during the protest

The protest in the capital was originally authorised in a different location but Navalny unexpectedly cancelled it on Sunday, saying that the authorities were blocking efforts to hire a stage and sound equipment, calling on supporters to go to Tverskaya Street instead

After the change, Moscow police warned that 'any provocative actions from the protesters' side will be considered a threat to public order and will be immediately suppressed'

Still, thousands of protesters gathered for the anti-corruption demonstration in Moscow on Monday, which happened to be Russia Day, which marks the country's emergency from the USSR a quarter of a century ago

Tverskaya Street on the same day hosted a festival of historical reconstruction organised by city hall for the Russia Day public holiday, resulting in surreal scenes with protesters shouting slogans as people in period costumes held bouts of sword fighting

Russian police officers detain a participant of an unauthorized anti-corruption rally at the Marsovo Field on Russia Day in central St. Petersburg

Russian officers carry a man to be detained as a young man and woman follow closely in St Petersburg

The 41-year-old protest leader has announced his intent to run for president against Vladimir Putin and has been campaigning relentlessly around Russia while also mounting strong online presence via YouTube videos, attracting a younger generation.

Tverskaya Street on the same day hosted a festival of historical reconstruction organised by city hall for the Russia Day public holiday, resulting in surreal scenes with protesters shouting slogans as people in period costumes held bouts of sword fighting.

Authorities condemned the protest as a 'provocation,' and riot police broke through the crowd of protesters, grabbing people and putting them in buses.

On Tuesday, the powerful Investigative Committee said one protester 'sprayed tear gas into the eyes of a riot police officer who was carrying out his duties during the unsanctioned rally' and would be charged.

As police detained demonstrators, hundreds of others shouted slogans including 'Putin is a thief' and 'Shame!'

There were anti-Putin rallies in more than 180 towns and cities including Russia's Pacific capital Vladivostok where 22 were detained.

The protests, which involved cities from far-eastern Vladivostok to the Black Sea resort of Sochi and Norilsk beyond the Arctic Circle, follow a previous unsanctioned rally called by Navalny on March 26 that provoked a similar police reaction.

A man waves Russian Flag as he sits on top of a cover of an entrance during an unauthorized opposition rally in Moscow

Riot police stand guard next to children in a stroller during an anti-corruption protest organised by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on Tverskaya Street in central Moscow

As police detained demonstrators, hundreds of others shouted slogans including 'Putin is a thief' and 'Shame!'

The protesters' (one pictured above being detained) path was blocked by police barriers put in place as part of a festival of historical costumes on Tverskaya Street, Moscow's central thoroughfare

Russian police officers detain a participant of an unauthorized opposition rally in Tverskaya street in central Moscow

The rallies are the largest to be held Russia-wide since a wave of street actions protesting against Putin's reelection to a third Kremlin term in 2011-12, after which the Kremlin initiated a series of repressive laws criminalising unsanctioned gatherings.

They also follow a film made by Navalny's team that accuses Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of amassing vast personal wealth controlled through a network of shadowy foundations, which has been viewed over 22 million times on YouTube.

Medvedev said Navalny's allegations were politically motivated 'nonsense' and called him a charlatan.

Navalny, who had a green liquid thrown in his face in April, told the BBC in January that he believed that Russian officials had used $50billion of government funds a year in corrupt dealings.

He said that Putin is 'the Tsar of corruption'.

He's the basement of corruption,' he added. 'He's personally involved in the corruption and he's encouraging our officials in corruption because it's his way of ruling the country.'

Putin's security service chief Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB, accused 41-year-old Navalny of a 'provocation' by moving a scheduled rally in Moscow to the city centre, close to the Kremlin, at the last minute

From the Baltic to the Pacific, pro-democracy activists and their supporters were hauled into custody in a major clampdown by the Kremlin's security services

Police detain a woman as she covers her face an head at a rally at the Marsovo Field on Russia Day in central St. Petersburg

Four police officers carry a man by his arms and legs as they detain him at a rally in St Petersburg

Russian police officers detain a participant of an unauthorized opposition rally in Tverskaya street in central Moscow on Monday

Many protesters appeared to have to be carried to detaining vans as police arrested them on Monday

A woman gestures during an unauthorized opposition action in Tverskaya street in central Moscow on Monday

'I want changes,' wrote Navalny in a blog post last week. 'I want to live in a modern democratic state and I want our taxes to be converted into roads, schools and hospitals, not into yachts, palaces and vineyards.'

Russian state television made no mention of the protests or the arrests on Monday.

'The current protests are more politicised and personalised than the events of 2011-12,' the independent business daily Vedomosti said in an editorial.

'Then it was a movement of large cities' middle class which wanted to change political trends through mass legal rallies... The current protesters... have no illusions about the possibility of dialogue with the authorities.'

The large-scale arrests drew condemnation from Washington, Brussels and several human rights organisations, who called on protesters to be released.

'The Russian people deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas,' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

The large-scale arrests drew condemnation from Washington, Brussels and several human rights organisations, who called on protesters to be released

Officers hold detainees down by their heads and shoulders as they're arrested in Moscow on Monday

Riot police clash with protesters as others look on during an anti-corruption protest in Moscow

Russian police detain a man as others look on in Moscow amid hundreds of other arrests on Monday

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian authorities would not pay attention to calls to release the protesters

The scale of the protests will show if Navalny, who is mounting a long-shot bid to unseat Putin in a presidential election next year, can build on the success of a similar event in March, in which thousands took to the streets across Russia

Amnesty International said that 'a crackdown on peaceful protests in which hundreds of people were arrested and numerous others beaten by police demonstrates the authorities' utter contempt for fundamental human rights.'

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian authorities would not pay attention to calls to release the protesters.

'We disagree when the question is put this way. This is not the sort of calls we should be listening to,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

Peskov said the authorities had not acted against protesters who had agreed their actions in advance.

'As for those who indulged in provocative actions, breaking the law, in this case the authorities took action against them in full compliance with our legislation,' said Peskov.

He also said that Russia took a negative view of a US Senate deal on wider sanctions against Russia.

US senators reached an agreement on Monday on legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia, including a provision that would prevent the White House from easing, suspending or ending sanctions without congressional approval.
Armed cops swooped on a teenager after he arrived at school with a shotgun and ammunition.

The 15-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm, rang 999 to say he had arrived at school with the weapons at 9.15am.

But worried parents have hit at the school who sent a text message around three hours later which told them only that police had responded to an incident at the Higham Lane School in Nuneaton, Warks.

Kerry Luke said: 'I'm horrified how the school have handled telling the parents.

Warwickshire Police said a teenage boy had been arrested after officers were called to Higham Lane School in Shanklin Drive, Nuneaton (pictured)

'I received a text message at 12.21 and all it tells me is there has been an incident at the school this morning which the police attended and the school will not be putting out further information at this point!

'There was a boy in school with a shotgun and ammunition! I'm shaking!'

Another mother Alison Butler said: 'To be honest I'm not impressed with the school at all. The incident happened this morning but they don't tell anyone until midday?'

The text sent to all parents of the school said: 'Some parents or carers may have been made aware of police officers being on the school site this morning.

'Although there was an incident, this message is to reassure you that all students and staff are safe and the matter has been dealt with.

'The police have confirmed that they are happy for the School to remain open.

'The school will not be putting out any further information at this point. Regards.'

Armed cops swooped on a teenager after he arrived at school with a shotgun and ammunition. Police are pictured outside the school today with headteacher Phil Kelly

The 15-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm, rang 999 to say he had arrived at school with the weapons at 9.15am

Sharon Campone-Evans Deeming who was sitting in an exam hall at the time said: 'I'm glad that it wasn't an American style high school shooting and it seems the lad involved called the police himself.

'My son said he saw all the officers with guns. I am glad I didn't know it was going on 'live' because I'd have worried because I've probably watched too many documentaries on USA gun crime.

'But it took the school until gone 12 to say anything had happened.'

The school's website boasts of GCSE results, hard-working pupils and a highly-skilled and dedicated team of staff which lands it in the top 100 non-selective schools in the country.

Police were stationed outside the school during the afternoon. Superintendent David Gardner said: 'We responded promptly and a boy was quickly isolated and the incident contained to ensure there was no risk to pupils and staff'

Superintendent David Gardner said: 'We responded promptly and a boy was quickly isolated and the incident contained to ensure there was no risk to pupils and staff.

'We have seized a shotgun and ammunition.

'The initial report was received from the suspect himself and he was cooperative with police throughout. Officers were on the scene quickly and he was placed under arrest.

'I would like to thank staff and pupils at the school for their assistance while we managed this incident. Officers will be at the school for the rest of the day to provide reassurance.

'We will now carry out enquiries to establish exactly what happened and address any issues around the firearm.'

A Warwickshire County Council spokesperson said: 'We will not comment on an ongoing Police investigation.'
Newport Police Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford, 41, died in hospital after being shot on Monday night

A man has been arrested in Arkansas for killing a 41-year-old veteran police lieutenant then going on the run, sparking an overnight manhunt.

Arkansas State Police refused to give any additional detail other than that the man had been arrested sometime on Tuesday morning.

He is accused of shooting Newport Police Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford in Remmel Park in Newport on Monday at around 7.30pm.

Lieutenant Weatherford was helping another officer carry out a routine traffic stop when the gunman opened fire.

After the shooting, the gunman fled, sparking an panicked manhunt in the area.

It is not clear where or when he was arrested on Tuesday morning.

A police diving unit was called to search a lake in the park near where the shooting took place to reportedly look for the gunman's weapon.

Little Rock Police Department shared updates of the incident on Twitter, asking followers to pray for Lieutenant Weatherford's family.

'The police officer shot in the line of duty in Newport has died. Please pray for the officers family, friends & department before going to bed,' one tweet read.

The 15-year police veteran's colleagues consoled one another at Newport's Remmel Park, the scene of the shooting, hours later. Weatherford was assisting another officer with a traffic stop when he was shot. The suspect fled, sparking a manhunt

Little Rock Police Department, some 90 miles away, shared updates of the incident throughout the night

A later one identified the 15-year-old Newport Police Department Veteran.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge paid tribute to him on Monday night after news of his death emerged.

'Lt. Weatherford was known for routinely preventing incidents and altercations from escalating into crisis, and I have no doubt that Lt. Weatherford began his watch today with the same mission to protect and serve the community he loved so much,' she told Fox News.

In 2016, the lieutenant was named as Jackson County's Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

There was a large police presence in Remmel Park after the shooting on Monday. The suspect was arrested early on Tuesday but police will not say where

http://katv.com/news/local/officer-shot-in-newport-suspect-on-the-loose
A crooked financial adviser and his wife who carried out a large-scale property fraud so they could fund an extravagant lifestyle have been jailed for a total of 13 years after the longest criminal trial in UK legal history.

Edwin McLaren, 52, orchestrated the 1.6 million property fraud scheme by duping vulnerable victims who were in financial difficulty to sign over their homes in acts of 'breathtaking dishonesty'.

Thanks to his scam, he and his wife Lorraine enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, owning four cars - including a Bentley - and holidaying in luxurious destinations such as Dubai.

They also owned a 760,000 mansion in Renfrewshire and sent their children to private school while Mr McLaren bought an 100,000 diamond ring for his 51-year-old wife.

The pair, from Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, were convicted of a string of crimes last month following a 320-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow which is believed to be the longest in legal history.

Financial adviser Edwin McLaren, 52 (left, outside court) and his wife Lorraine (right, also outside court) carried out a large-scale property fraud so they could fund an extravagant lifestyle

Mr McLaren was found guilty of 29 charges over a six-year period, which saw him prety on vulnerable people and arranging for the title deeds of their homes to be transferred to his associates without the victims' knowledge.

Mrs McLaren was found guilty of two charges, involving laundering 128,000 and mortgage fraud on their own home.

Today, Mr McLaren was jailed for 11 years, while his wife was sentenced to 30 months behind bars.

Passing sentence today, Judge Lord Stewart told Mr McLaren: 'It appears your motive for this was to fund an affluent lifestyle for yourself, your wife and your children.

'Vulnerable individuals were taken advantage of. The evidence showed breathtaking dishonesty in every aspect of your enterprise by you and those acting on your instructions. The jury found you to be an outright liar. '

Turning to his wife, the judge added: 'Your husband was the prime force and I accept that. You have a strong personality with a mind of your own.

'The jury found you to be an outright liar.'

During the trial, the court was told how, as a financial adviser, Mr McLaren had the background knowledge to put together and execute the scheme.

Through adverts in the national press for companies advertising as property solutions or home sale solutions, he targeted vulnerable people in financial distress as a result of family bereavement, debt or illness.

He would either offer to buy their house or lend them money to clear their debts and in return, he would get what he would say was a part-share ownership of their property.

But in fact, their properties were being transferred wholesale to the names of others, unknown to them, meaning they lost the title deeds to their homes.

In footage released after the trial, CCTV shows the moment McLaren conned a vulnerable pensioner out of her home in a bank

Victims continued to pay rent to stay in their homes - clueless that they had already been conned by McLaren.

One couple - unaware they had been duped - were kicked out of their home when the new owner failed to pay the mortgage.

In footage released after the trial, CCTV shows the moment McLaren conned a vulnerable pensioner out of her home.

The recording shows him taking the elderly woman to a bank after saying she needed to sign forms to get sale money. Instead, he watches as she unknowingly transfers her cash into his own bank account.

The fraudster is seen chatting and smiling with the pensioner as they wait for a bank worker to process the documents.

In mitigation, his defence lawyer Mark Moir said Mr McLaren was a first time offender and that the length of the trial had contributed to mental health issues.

The recording shows him taking the elderly woman to a bank after saying she needed to sign forms to get sale money

The fraudster is seen chatting and smiling with the pensioner as they wait for a bank worker to process the documents

He said he still maintains his innocence.

In mitigation for Mrs McLaren, lawyer Kevin McCallum said her husband had a 'controlling role in financial matters'.

He said there was no evidence she was involved in defrauding vulnerable people and described Mr McLaren as the 'driving force' of the scheme.

Mr McCallum urged the judge to consider a community payback order rather than custody.

Lord Stewart said the mortgage was financed by her husband's property fraud and the jury must have found that she knew money transferred into her bank account came from the proceeds of crime.

The duo have now been jailed for a collective 13 years after the longest trial in UK legal history. Mr McLaren (left) was found guilty of 29 charges while Mrs McLaren (right) was convicted of 2

He added: 'Anything less than 30 months in custody would fail to reflect the criminality involved.'

Concerns were first raised by a woman who made a complaint to Fife Constabulary in 2012 because she had not been paid the full amount for her house in Cowdenbeath.

It sparked the large scale Operation Reticulate as detectives probed McLaren and his associates.

Police worked out there were further properties linked to this incident, and the case was transferred to the Financial Investigation Unit at Paisley which found a lot more were involved.

Mr McLaren was snared after a police investigation involving up to 100 officers discovered a massive fraudulent scheme, with 29 properties appearing on the indictment.

Prosecutors said he has shown no remorse and claimed he was helping people.

The trial lasted so long as the court heard evidence for a number of days from each witness, some of whom were vulnerable, and there was also evidence from experts on topics such as conveyancing and accountancy.

Witness Shona Harrison was so ill that the court took evidence from her in her house, as she was too unwell even to go to the court nearest her at Newcastle and give evidence via video link.

She gave evidence via video link from her house. Her living room was set up as a court, with a macer present to pass documents to her.

The trial did not sit every day, while there were also breaks due to jurors being ill, and to give everyone a break and allow them to deal with other commitments.

At one stage there was a three-week break as one juror was getting married.

Concluding the trial, Lord Stewart thanked everyone involved in such a 'long and difficult case'.

Proceeds of crime proceedings have been started against Mr McLaren.
President Donald Trump ripped into the media on Tuesday morning for spreading an 'agenda of hate' and called journalists 'dirty' as a rumor circulated that he might fire the prosecutor DOJ appointed to take over the Russian investigation.

Trump said in a tweet: 'The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad!'

A second message, posted hours later, demanded an apology from the 'fake news' media for 'all of the incorrect stories' they've written about him.

While he provided no context for his comments, stories on his interest in getting rid of Robert Mueller, who's acting as special counsel at the Department of Justice, were circulating online and on air.

President Donald Trump ripped into the media on Tuesday morning for spreading an 'agenda of hate' and called journalists 'dirty' as a rumor circulated that he might fire the prosecutor DOJ appointed to take over the Russian investigation

The chatter stemmed from a claim that Newsmax CEO and Trump friend Chris Ruddy made Monday. Ruddy told PBS following an afternoon at the White House that Trump was 'considering perhaps' a termination of Mueller, James Comey's predecessor.

He never said that Trump told him that personally, but it came off that way and news outlets ran with it.

Ruddy had been sighted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that day. He clarified after the interview that he did not talk to Trump directly about the matter as the White House press shop distanced the president from his comments.

'Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment,' Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the deputy press secretary, told CNN: 'Chris speaks for himself.'

A senior White House official told Politico that Ruddy met with top aides to the president while he was at the White House.

'I wouldn't take it too seriously,' an official said of the speculation that Trump could fire Mueller.

Trump ignored shouted questions on the matter from the press during a luncheon on Tuesday afternoon with Republican senators.

While he provided no context for his comments, stories on his interest in getting rid of Robert Mueller, who's acting as special counsel at the Department of Justice, were circulating online and on air

Conversations about Mueller and his employment status carried over from a Capitol Hill hearing last week. Sen. Kamala Harris was quieted by her Republican colleagues on the Intelligence Committee when she tried to force the deputy attorney general to take a stance on giving Mueller full independence from Justice.

'Are you willing or are you not willing to give him the authority to be fully independent of your ability, statutorily or legally, to fire him?' she asked.

Rod Rosenstein, the deputy AG, told her it is 'not a short answer' and did not provide a simple yes or no response before questioning moved on.

Sunday, ABC News' George Stephanopoulos picked up the ball and asked Trump attorney Jay Sekulow whether Trump would order Rosenstein to fire Mueller.

'Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive,' Sekulow said. 'I'm not going to speculate on what he will or will not do.'

Sekulow highlighted Mueller's friendly relationship with Comey, who he worked with at the FBI, and suggested he would not take a fair approach to the fired FBI's admission that he engaged in leaking.

The chatter stemmed from a claim that Newsmax CEO and Trump friend Chris Ruddy made Monday. Ruddy told PBS following an afternoon at the White House that Trump was 'considering perhaps' a termination of Mueller, James Comey's friend and predecessor

His comments stirred up interest in Mueller's objectivity.

Laura Ingraham, a conservative talk show host, advised Attorney General Jeff to dump the former FBI director as special counsel.

'Now that we know TRUMP IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, Sessions should take it back & fire Mueller,' she wrote.

Spicer ignored a question Monday from CNN at his televised briefing about the president's confidence in Mueller.

He did not say in his response to reporters after Ruddy's revelation on PBS that Trump was not thinking about exercising his authority to get rid of Mueller.

Ruddy had pointed to Sekulow's comments as evidence that the president was weighing the option.

'I think it's pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently,' he stated on PBS.

The Trump friend said he did not think Trump - who has already fired an FBI director and US attorney investigating his associates - should follow that course of action.

'I personally think it would be a very significant mistake, even though I don't think there's a justification... for a special counsel in this case,' he added.
A former Oxford schoolboy who converted to Islam and traveled to Syria has spoken out from the solitary confinement cell he's being held in by Kurdish forces fighting the terrorist group.

Jack Letts, a 21-year-old nicknamed 'Jihadi Jack', says is being held in jail by the YPG, or Kurdish militia, in Syria after traveling to the country and later fleeing ISIS through a minefield.

He claims that he's now opposed to IS and left their territory with the help of a smuggler. The pair ended up near a Kurdish checkpoint, where he says they were shot at twice.

Jack Letts, a 21-year-old nicknamed 'Jihadi Jack', says is being held in jail by the YPG, or Kurdish militia, in Syria after traveling to the country and later fleeing ISIS through a minefield

Letts said that he and the smuggler 'slept in a field' before Kurdish forces found him and took him to a jail in Kurdish-held northeast Syria.

And now, Letts says he doesn't want anything to do with ISIS.

'I hate them more than the Americans hate them,' he told the BBC. 'I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me.'

Letts converted to Islam as a teenager when he attended the Cherwell School in Oxford.

After fleeing the UK he traveled to Jordan as an 18-year-old in 2014 and later reportedly went by the name Abu Muhammed while living in Iraq.

His family has denied that Letts was fighting for IS but was instead in the Middle East for humanitarian reasons.

He told BBC through texts and voice messages that he was injured in an explosion and had gone to Raqqa, Syria, to recover.

But about a year ago he became disillusioned with the group when it killed former supporters, he said.

Parents John Letts and Sally Lane were charged with terrorism-related offenses for trying to send their son money

He managed to escape a low-security detention facility and found a smuggler to take him out of IS territory, which is when he was captured by Kurdish forces.

When asked if he would like help from UK officials, Letts told the BBC that he didn't want help from anyone.

'I'll just chill here in solitary confinement 'til someone decides it's easier to kill me,' he said.

His parents, John Letts and Sally Lane, have not seen their son in more than three years. They haven't heard from him since June 1.

Last June the couple were charged with terrorism-related offenses for trying to send their son money.

Letts' parents are calling on British authorities to do 'whatever they can' to help their son, though adding that he will have to 'account for his actions'.

They said that 'no-one wants to take responsibility' now that Letts is out of IS territory.

Mr Letts said that if his son had anything to do with IS, he wants 'nothing to do with him'.

Supports of Sally and John outside the Old Bailey. Ms Lane said she was 'immensely relieved' that Jack was doing alright

'I think there has been so much misinformation, one little piece of information came out and it was manipulated, twisted, as far as I can see,' added Ms Lane.

Ms Lane previously told the Oxford Mail she was immensely grateful after finding out where their son was.

She said: 'We are immensely relieved. It's the first time we've known that he might have survived all this.

'It's obviously not great that Jack is being detained but we are just glad he is now out of the situation he was in before.'

Ms Lane told the BBC that she doesn't believe her son is being treated badly, but she is concerned about his mental health.

The 21-year-old has previously denied claims he travelled to the Middle East to try and join ISIS.

He told Alaraby television network: 'I want to get out of prison, because I'm currently still in prison with the YPG [Kurdish militia].

'I have no idea what is going to happen to me now. It's the future, no one knows except for Allah.

'I want to see my mum, and explain to her some things.'
This is the amazing moment a propane cylinder exploded narrowly avoiding causing the death or serious injury of a police chief and volunteer fire fighters in Maine.

Limestone Police Chief Stacey Mahan attended the fire with volunteer members of the local fire department when the tank exploded.

The explosion saw flames shoot more than 100 feet into the air and sent debris flying in all directions.

This is the moment a propane cylinder is about to explode in Limestone, Maine

The cylinder explodes with a fireman standing just a few feet away from the inferno

The brave fireman runs for his life having been caught by the full force of the blast

Chief Mahan uploaded the footage on his department's Facebook page to show the dangers faced by his colleagues in the Fire Department.

The clip was captured on Chief Mahan's body-worn camera.

He wrote: 'Those who choose to be a firefighter whether full time or as a volunteer know the hazards of the job.

'I commend those that want to, "put the wet stuff on the red stuff" and lay their lives on the line each and every time they head out.

'This incident is a prime example of how things can change in an instant.'

The fireball almost hit the operator of the fire truck who was not in protective clothing

Volunteer firefighter Scott Patten, who has served with the department for 29 years was standing in front of Chief Mahan when the explosion happened.

He told WLBZ2.com: 'I'm lucky to even be alive. I heard the propane tanks start whistling and the next thing I knew I was on the ground.'

Patten admitted he was hit on the face and head by the flames.'

Chief Mahan praised his colleagues. He said: 'Volunteer firefightersthe kind of time and effort they put into their professionthey don't get paid a lot to do what they do and they can pay a big sacrifice in an instance like that.'
An Uber driver who raped a drunk British backpacker after she fell asleep in the back of his car in Sydney has been jailed for a maximum of nine years.

Pakistani citizen Muhammad Naveed, 41, picked the 22-year-old tourist up from Sydney's Kings Cross nightclub district in October 2015.

The woman had been drinking with friends at several venues and got into what she thought was a cab to go home, crown prosecutor James Trevallion said during Naveed's trial earlier this year.

After picking her up, Naveed then pulled into a gas station, where he bought condoms.

He was accused of then raping the woman in a side street, but he argued that the sex was consensual.

Uber driver Muhammad Naveed, 41, was sentenced to a minimum of six years and four months in prison over the rape of a passenger

CCTV footage showed the Uber driver purchasing condoms and a bottle of water at a service station before hopping back into his car on the night of the attack

A jury convicted him of rape in February.

Judge Deborah Payne on Tuesday ordered Naveed to serve at least six years and four months in prison before he can be considered for parole.

'He clearly took advantage, in the most terrible way, of a very vulnerable young lady,' Payne said at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court.

Earlier this year, it took a jury just hours to deliver the guilty verdict against Naveed.

After buying condoms, he drove in the opposite direction to the woman's home, stopped in a side street and asked if she wanted to move to the back seat.

'The complainant will tell you at this point she could not keep her eyes open and she was falling asleep,' Mr Trevallion told the jury earlier this year.

The next thing the woman remembered was waking up to find Naveed on top of her.

Naveed will be eligible for parole in June 2023.

Uber banned the driver on learning of the woman's complaint.

'This is a terrible crime and we are grateful justice has been served. Our thoughts remain with the victim and her family,' Uber said in a statement.

The Uber driver had pulled up outside the service station to purchase some condoms
News / National

by Staff reporter

The embattled Generation 40 (G40) faction - which is rabidly opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe - fears the Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe MP was close to wearing the presidential crown through an alleged mix of a silent power grab and State capture.This comes after Cabinet minister and politburo member Jonathan Moyo - an alleged G40 kingpin said in a recent presentation to the Sapes Trust - that Mnangagwa was on the verge of taking power, and must be subjected to tough scrutiny.Mnangagwa and Team Lacoste are involved in a fierce tussle for supremacy in the warring ruling Zanu-PF with the G40 - which is strongly opposed to his mooted presidential ambitions.Moyo said "the so-called Lacoste or Team Lacoste ...is presenting itself in general and its candidate, VP Mnangagwa in particular, as a shoo-in.""If you read things, talk to people, analyse their behaviour, the message is that the balance of forces has shifted and that's what we are going to see going forward is the assumption of power by Team Lacoste."And if you go to the braais - where they have their braais - because these are masters of whispers, you will find them quite excited saying Tapinda Tapinda' (we are shoo-in), this is their new song and their refrain when you start developing an interest Tapinda Tapinda' what are they talking about? Then they say Mudhara Achauya'," Moyo said referring to Jah Prayzah's hit song."The whisper from this earlier in the year was, especially this year that something was going to happen in April'."Moyo alleged this coincided with the chorus for Zanu-PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere's ouster, which got louder in March, when nine provinces demanded his ejection from the ruling party, in a plot he alleged was engineered by Team Lacoste."But in March, something started happening, the heat was turned on the Zanu-PF national commissar, ...Kasukuwere, who faced dubious votes of no confidence under the absurd claims that he had set up parallel structures to topple President Mugabe," Moyo said."This was real and it was pushed with vigour and with the seriousness that caused observers and even members of the party to believe that something was happening and this was the trigger point."It was supposed to happen in a matter of days but it became prolonged such that it took eight weeks or two months and as it developed, it assumed what the whispers started saying or describing as the momentum."In fact, as we sit here, we are somewhere along the momentum, the build-up or surge, because a momentum or a build-up or a surge must lead to something."Moyo said it is a matter of public record that Team Lacoste defines power as "chinhu chedu" or "our thing.""If people start saying ndechedu ichi' (its ours), who are you, you were not there.' It's a problem."Well, how can the people who were born in 1980 and who are 37-years-old now, how could they have been there?"He said Mnangagwa's Team Lacoste had declared itself to be Zimbabwe's "stockholders" not even stakeholders, under a template of entitlement.The Tsholotsho North MP said "it's not good politics to frame yourself in a patently unconstitutional manner to say, I'm the stockholder and you are not so listen to me'."The kingpin of the G40  comprised mainly Zanu-PF Young Turks  claimed Team Lacoste has shown a surprising hostility to the youth, "who are not only the vanguard of the party today but who are also the critical pool from which the skills necessary to industrialise and modernise Zimbabwe must emerge or trained and deployed.""There is now an instinctive hatred of the youth: havana gwara' (they are disconnected from the past) they don't know who the stakeholders are, they don't respect the stakeholders but meanwhile there is clear and present evidence that they respect the leader of the party and the leader of the country," he said referring to youths interfacing with Mugabe in planned countrywide rallies."The current situation where the so-called Team Lacoste uses a whisper campaign to carry out a silent power grab is harmful to the values and aspirations of the nationalist project and it is harmful to our new Constitution," Moyo said."If you promise us that you are taking power and you say join or you will be left behind or crushed, then you must be subjected to scrutiny."The Zanu-PF secretary for science and technology claimed Mnangagwa has unduly influenced pillars of State to shore up his succession bid."There are lot of things that have happened in a number of key national or State institutions that not only smack of a capture of these institutions by the so-called Team Lacoste but which things are detailed in the Blue Ocean' document and the very revealing British magazine, the New Statesman," he said.In December, a respected British magazine, New Statesman, portrayed Mnangagwa as a firm favourite to succeed Mugabe.It also argued that a Mnangagwa presidency could extricate the country from its current economic rot  going on to highlight his profile rather glowingly."He (Mnangagwa) is sharp, organised and business-savvy, more pragmatic and less ideological than Mugabe. And, unlike the president (Mugabe), he understands the urgent need for reform, if only so that he can pay the security forces and fill the trough at which his Zanu-PF comrades guzzle," the New Statesman said.Former Cabinet minister David Coltart also told the same magazine that Mnangagwa had a better understanding of the economy than most of his Zanu-PF colleagues, including Mugabe."For all his historical problems he (Mnangagwa) understands the running of the economy better than Mugabe, better than most Zanu-PF politicians," he was quoted.The Tsholotsho North Zanu-PF MP said academics were "not analysing the implications of these things but key state institutions are involved: public media and judicial institutions."The voluble minister said "time has come to expose and dispense with the myth entertained not only by the so-called Team Lacoste but also by others including some in countries like Britain, that Vice President Mnangagwa is the designated successor or that he is the only successor on the verge of taking over anytime now.""The position is that there is no vacancy. There is no vacancy in the Office of the President in the party or in the government," Moyo fumed."Where there is no vacancy, any talk or activity of succession such as contained in the Blue Ocean' document and in the New Statesman interview is by definition subversive."
A five-year-old boy has died after he was left in a day care vehicle all day in eastern Arkansas, where temperatures topped 90 degree Monday.

The West Memphis Police Department said the boy, identified as Christopher Gardner Jr, was picked up by the day care van at 6.40am but was never taken inside Ascent Children's Health Services on West Tyler Cove, which serves children with developmental disabilities.

Gardner was found dead, still strapped in a booster seat, more than eight hours later when staff members prepared to load the van for children to go home.

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Christopher Gardner Jr, aged 5 (left and right) has died after he was left in a day care vehicle all day in eastern Arkansas, where temperatures topped 90 degree Monday

Gardner was picked up from his home in an Ascent Children's Health Services van, similar to this one

The boy's cause of death hasn't been released but the head index was in the 90s Monday afternoon in West Memphis, and it was estimated that the temperature inside the van was likely around 130 degrees.

According to the television station WMC News 5, Gardner's family members said the child had undergone two heart surgeries and was at the day care for developmental disabilities.

Police would not say if charges would be filed in connection to the child's death. So far, no arrests have been made.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services said an investigation into the facility is under way. Hinkle said the facility had previously been 'highly compliant.'

Gardner was never taken inside Ascent Children's Health Services on West Tyler Cove (pictured), which serves children with developmental disabilities

Staffers found the toddler dead, still strapped in a booster seat, more than eight hours later

According the department's database, the facility has received citations for minor issues. Records show no complaints have been filed against the day care.

Hinkle said the day care will be closed June 14-16 because of a separate matter. She said the Arkansas Department of Health is closing the facility for the rest of the week due to a shigella outbreak.

A shigella infection can cause diarrhea and fever.
Two correctional officers were shot dead in Georgia, sparking a manhunt for two inmates who hijacked a prison bus and overpowered the guards before they escaped.

Inmates Donnie Russell Rowe, 43, and Ricky Dubose, 24, hijacked the bus on Highway 16 near Eatonton on Tuesday morning and disarmed the guards.

One of the two suspects fatally shot Baldwin State Prison officers Christopher Monica and Curtis Billue, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.

Rowe and Dubose then carjacked a 2004 Honda Civic and escaped with the officers' 9mm pistols in tow before they broke into a home, changed out of their prison clothes and sped off again.

'We are still desperately looking for these two individuals....They are dangerous beyond description. If anyone sees them or comes into contact, they need to call 911 immediately,' Sills said.

Authorities have launched a manhunt for two inmates Donnie Russell Rowe (left) and Ricky Dubose (right) after two correctional officers were shot dead in Georgia

The prisoners managed to access the gate separating Monica and Billue at the front of the bus (pictured) while one officer was behind the wheel. The other officer was seated next to driver

One suspect shot both guards, before the two carjacked a 2004 Honda Civic with license plate RBJ-6601 (above) and escaped with the other inmates still on the bus

The DOC also released mugshots of both Rowe (left) and Dubose (pictured right before his latest facial tattoos), urging members of the public to call 911 with any possible sightings

Hours after their escape, the Madison Police Department said the inmates broke into a home and changed clothes before setting off again. They remain on the run

The shooting broke out around 6.45am, after the inmates took over the bus and overpowered the officers, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

The prisoners managed to access the gate separating Monica and Billue at the front of the bus while one officer was behind the wheel. The other officer was seated next to driver.

Sills told the Atlanta Journal Constitution: 'I can't tell you how the gate got open. It should have been locked. It may have been locked. I have no idea.'

One suspect shot both guards, before the two carjacked a 2004 Honda Civic with license plate RBJ-6601 after the driver happened to pull up behind the bus, Sills said.

Hours after their escape, the Madison Police Department said the inmates broke into a home and changed clothes before setting off again. They remain on the run.

Sills fought back tears on Tuesday remembering the slain officers and said: 'I saw two brutally murdered corrections officers, that's what I saw,' he said. 'I have their blood on my shoes.'

The Georgia Department of Corrections paid tribute to Monica, who was hired in 2009, and Billue, who had been working with the agency since 2007.

The DOC also released mugshots of both Rowe and Dubose, urging members of the public to call 911 with any possible sightings. A $30,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of each suspect.

They are armed with the correctional officers' 9mm pistols and considered dangerous.

A manhunt is underway for Rowe and Dubose. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills (above during a press conference Tuesday) said the two are 'dangerous beyond description'

The slain Baldwin State Prison officers were identified as Christopher Monica and Curtis Billue

Monica (above) was 42 and leaves behind a wife after eight years of service, while Billue, 58, is survived by his father and siblings

Sills, who said he had 'no idea' where the two suspects might be, told WSBTV, 'We are searching everywhere in America,' adding 'My biggest worry is that theyre going to kill someone else'.

The FBI have sent agents to the region, while law enforcement at the local and state level are on alert in Georgia and Alabama.

Rowe, who is 6'1' and 181 pounds, was serving life without parole for an armed robbery. He was also convicted of aggravated assault and possession of firearms.

Dubose who is about 6'1', 140 pounds, was also convicted of a separate armed robbery, along with fraud, theft by taking, trespassing, fleeing/eluding police and aggravated assault.

Dubose, described by a sheriff as a 'loose cannon', is a member of the Ghostface Gangsters, known for its white supremacist ties and allegiance to the KKK.

The two were jailed at Baldwin State Prison in Hardwick, a medium security correctional facility with a capacity of 925, about 100 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Rowe and Dubose were serving time at Baldwin State Prison (general view) in Hardwick, a medium security correctional facility with a capacity of 925

The 33 inmates on the bus were being moved from a state prison in Hancock County to a diagnostics center in Jackson, where their next placement was to be determined, Dozier said, adding that inmates do not know their transfer dates ahead of time.

Protocol is to have two armed corrections officers on the bus, but they don't wear bullet-proof vests during transfers, Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier said.

'We lost two of our fellow officers, two of our kin. We see our officers as our family,' Dozier said.

Governor George Deal said: 'Our heartbreak is matched only in our resolve to bring their murderers to justice. No effort will be spared in pursuit of the killers, and no state resources required in this endeavor will be spared.'

The Georgia Department of Corrections paid tribute to Monica, who was hired in 2009, and Billue, who had been working with the agency since 2007. Pictured, an ambulance at the scene

Sills, who said he had 'no idea' where the two suspects might be, told WSBTV , 'We are searching everywhere in America'

Monica was 42 and leaves behind a wife, while Billue, 58, is survived by his father and siblings. The officers' families are 'dealing with it the best they can at this point,' Dozier said.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said during testimony before a Senate budget panel in Washington Tuesday morning that federal resources are being committed to help catch the fugitives.

'An attack on any American law enforcement officer is an attack on every American law enforcement officer and the principles we all believe in,' he said.
A Michigan woman says she was 'sl** shamed' and kicked out of a shopping mall for 'inappropriate dress' after she wore shorts and a tank top in 90 degree weather.

Hannah Pewee, 20, took to Facebook to slam Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids after security kicked her out of the shopping center on Saturday.

The college student claimed she was escorted out after another shopper complained about her outfit.

Pewee posted a photo on Facebook of what she was wearing, including denim shorts and a top featuring characters from Disney movie Finding Nemo.

Hannah Pewee, 20, took to Facebook to slam Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan after security kicked her out of the shopping center on Saturday for wearing the outfit above

'As many of you know, it is NINETY degrees outside today in West Michigan. Aka, really hot. So, of course, I decided to dress for the weather: shorts and a tank top,' she wrote alongside a photo of her outfit.

'But apparently, how I was dressed was too sl***y for the public, as I was kicked out of the Woodland Mall today.

'Yup. Apparently some anonymous person reported me to MALL SECURITY for inappropriate dress and I was kicked out.

'I am so angry right now I'm shaking. I felt so embarrassed I almost cried. All because a stranger didn't like how I dressed.

'The Woodland Mall should be ashamed of themselves, as well as that anonymous complainer. It's my body, and it's hot outside! I'm not going to show up in jeans and a sweater, sorry. Sl**-shaming how girls are dressed is deplorable and outdated, and it needs to stop.'

Pewee, a Grand Valley State University student, claimed she was escorted out after another shopper complained about her outfit

Pewee told news station WOOD that she had already been shopping for several hours with her sister when security approached her at Starbucks.

'We ordered out drinks and we were just standing in that area where you wait for them to be delivered and one of the security guards came up to me and said, 'Miss, can we talk to you for a second?',' she said.

'I was like, 'okay'. I had no idea what was going on.

'I complied. I'm not a confrontational person. Even though I didn't feel it was right, I didn't want to get in their faces and be like, 'No I'm not leaving,' and start a big scene. But after I left, I was like, 'I don't feel like I should have been treated like that.'

Pewee's Facebook post has been shared more than 10,000 times and attracted hundreds of comments, prompting the shopping mall to respond to some individuals.

'We have apologized to Hannah and we apologize to our community. It is never our intention to shame or embarrass anyone. We're going to make sure that everyone on our team is aware of how to handle situations like this in the future. We dropped the ball on this one,' the mall wrote on Facebook.
Detention officer Kevin Clevon Mayo, 20, was arrested on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma

A corrections officer is now behind bars with the same inmates he used to guard, after a search found meth and other drugs in a burrito he tried to bring into the jail.

Detention officer Kevin Clevon Mayo, 20, was arrested on Friday at the Tulsa, Oklahoma jail where he worked, after sheriff's deputies said they found drugs and other contraband on him.

Mayo, a recent hire, had begun working at the Tulsa County Jail on March 1, after completing a background check and required training, Fox23 reported.

Acting on a tip from an informant, deputies searched Mayo's backpack when he came into work on Friday, and found that his lunch of fried chicken and a burrito was more than it appeared.

Inside the burrito was two grams of meth, crushed up hydrocodone, and four grams of marijuana, police said.

Mayo worked as a guard at the David L. Moss Detention Center in Tulsa. Deputies searched his bag on Friday and found meth, marijuana, and hydrocodone inside his burrito

A further search also turned up other contraband, including two cell phone chargers, lighters, and rolling papers hidden inside a pack of chewing gum, according to police.

Cops also found a cell phone hidden inside Mayo's sock.

Mayo initially said he knew nothing about the contraband items, but police said he later admitted to bringing the phone into the jail for an inmate.

Mayo is being held pending $40,250 bail on three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs, and one count each of carrying contraband into jail, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

It is the second arrest of a Tulsa Sheriff's Office detention officer in a week.

Rickardo Williams, who also started working at the jail in March, was charged with two counts of sexual battery on June 2.

Rickardo Williams, who also started working at the Tulsa jail in March, was charged with two counts of sexual battery on June 2 after allegedly touching inmates inappropriately

Williams is accused of touching inmates at the jail inappropriately.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit reported by KJRH, an inmate claimed Williams told him to 'bend over'.

The detention officer then 'slapped me on my (rear end) and grabbed it,' the inmate said.

A second inmate said Williams grabbed inmates' private areas inappropriately, according to the affidavit.

The witnesses said Williams told an inmate to 'get on the (expletive) bed and pretend like he was (expletive) him.'

The incidents were recorded on surveillance video, but Williams claims he does not remember them, police said.
When you hear the words 'killer robots', the Terminator films is what comes to mind.

But Australia's leading artificial intelligence (AI) researcher believes the age of murderous machines could soon come true.

Dr Toby Walsh, from UNSW, fears the new generation of unmanned combat weapons may fall into the hands of bloodthirsty terror groups.

'If they were used by groups like Islamic State, the outcome would be catastrophic,' Dr Walsh told Daily Mail Australia.

The DRogozin AI Robot: A leading artificial intelligence (AI) researcher believes the age of murderous machines is upon us

Toby Walsh believes a world flooded with killer robots would be frighteningly close to the Terminator films

Last year, United Nations research showed terrorists are already working to build armies of killer robots capable of mass murder.

Dr Walsh said if the weapons aren't banned, the outcome could bear a resemblance to the apocalyptic visions of Hollywood.

'If nothing is done, in 50 to 100 years it could look just like Terminator. The picture could be pretty close,' he said.

Dr Walsh said the machines would enable militant groups to commit ethnic cleansing or wage civil war on an unprecedented scale.

'IS will have no qualms about using them on civilian populations. That's a terrifying prospect,' he said.

The AI expert fears the machines would flood black markets in the Middle East, driving a unparalleled refugee crises.

The robot 'Warner' runs over uneven obstacle during the finals of the DARPA Robotics Challenge

IS area already manufacturing remote-controlled bombing drones in Syria and Iraq

Dr Walsh fears the new generation of unmanned combat systems could fall into the hands of terrorists

'If you think we have a refugee problem today, wait until we see machines with perfect accuracy that cannot distinguish between combatants and civilians,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It would be completely disastrous.'

Dr Walsh believes the fully automated weapons breach a moral and ethical boundary that shouldn't be crossed.

'There are rules of warfare, you have to distinguish between combatants and civilian. These weapons just cannot make that distinction.'

Unlike drones, which are controlled by humans, autonomous weapons make the decision to kill.

IS are already manufacturing remote-controlled bombing drones in Syria and Iraq.

Iraqi soldiers have seized a number of drones, most commonly quadcopters- a drone with four rotors that help lift it - used to drop grenades and mortars.

A sentry robot freezes a hypothetical intruder by pointing its machine gun: South Korea developed the machine gun-toting sentry robot that could support its troops in detecting and killing intruders along the heavily fortified border with North Korea

Dr Walsh believes the age of murderous machines could soon become a grim reality

Dr Walsh said examples such as the Samsung sentry robot used in the demilitarisation zone of Korea showed the weapons are moving from the realm of science fiction toward reality.

South Korea created the machine gun-toting sentry robot to support its troops in detecting and killing intruders along the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

In 2015, Dr Walsh penned an open letter signed by thousands of researchers including Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk calling upon the UN to ban the weapons.

But he believes time is running out to tackle the threat.

'They have the potential to destabilise the planet. There's a lot of urgency here,' Dr Walsh said.
A woman has been charged with the murder of her US Army veteran boyfriend who police say she shot for being 'a jerk'.

Laura Flores Messick, 30, was arrested in San Antonio on Sunday night on suspicion of killing her boyfriend Chason Montezdeoca, 40, who served in Iraq, the day before.

Police say she opened fire on the man as he stood in the hallway of their shared home in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday night.

Messick told police she was angry he had made her leave a bar earlier and thought to herself 'what an a**hole, what a jerk' as she fired the gun, KSAT reported.

After shooting him, they say she took a knife to his throat then fled.

Laura Flores Messick, 30, was arrested on Sunday after allegedly murdering her 40-year-old US Army veteran boyfriend Chason Montezdeoca

On Saturday night, the man's mother visited and found his corpse. Messick was arrested the following day but police would not say where.

She confessed to the killing once in custody, Fox San Antonio reports.

Messick is being held on a $75,000 bond on suspicion of first degree murder.

Friends and family paid tribute to the victim with vigils and social media messages over the weekend.

They described him as a proud soldier but gave no details of his military service. He was a father to two children from a previous relationship.

The 40-year-old was a Private First Class in the Bridge Crewmember branch of the US Army between 2008 and 2013. The branch lays down bridges for platoons in dangerous or difficult terrain.

He served in Iraq between May and December in 2011 and left the army in 2013 with five awards including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

Friends say he had plans to open a restaurant in San Antonio before his death.

Relatives are now raising money to support his closest loved ones.

The man's mother found his body inside their home in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday. Messick was arrested the following day
The glamorous blonde companion of a millionaire Russian who died in Britain after allegedly being poisoned with sorrel soup has revealed she met him in Paris two days before and he appeared to fear for his life.

Financier turned whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, collapsed and died while running near his 3million home in Weybridge, Surrey, on November 10 2012.

Elmira Medynska, 27, was in France with the married father-of-two on November 8 and they stayed at the opulent Hotel Bristol and dined at the nearby Four Seasons.

The businesswoman, who runs a 'haute couture' company, says on their night together he was 'very stressed', drinking heavily and was so distracted he bought her Laboutins in the wrong size.

Financier turned whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, collapsed and died while running near his 3million home in Weybridge, Surrey, on November 10 2012 - two days after a night in Paris with Elmira Medynska, 27,

Businesswoman Miss Medynska, from Kiev, fears he may have been murdered in the UK for handing sensitive information about money laundering in Russia to the Swiss authorities

She fears he may have been murdered in the UK for handing sensitive information about money laundering in Russia to the Swiss authorities.

Miss Medynska told Buzzfeed News: 'It happens to Russian people in London. He gave Russian information to Swiss and you can be killed for that.'

An exclusive investigation by the news website, published during the inquest into his death, claims:

US spooks have told MI6 Perepilichnyy was likely 'assassinated on direct orders from Putin or people close to him' by Russian hitmen

CIA are said to have branded British investigation inadequate in leaked intelligence documents

The French are working on the same theory but British police have knocked them back

Miss Medynska says British police have never interviewed her about their night in Paris and sent her an email asking if she knew four other women he knew but she was never asked anything else.

Miss Medynska says British police have never interviewed her and sent her an email asking if she knew four other women he knew but was never asked anything else

The businessman's death was originally attributed to natural causes, but traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant Gelsemium elegans - known as 'Heartbreak grass' - were later found in his stomach.

An inquest has been opened into his death and today the judge hearing the case warned that 'anybody can get caught up in a conspiracy theory'.

Surrey Police insists there is no evidence the married father-of-two was murdered and his wife Tatiana says he did not fear for his life.

Before his death, Mr Perepilichnyy had been helping a specialist investment firm uncover a 230 million US dollar (150million) Russian money-laundering operation.

US spies wrote a report claiming they have 'high confidence' his death was ordered by the Kremlin - or Vladimir Putin himself, according to Buzzfeed.

Miss Medynska, who appears to have been in a secret relationship with Mr Perepilichnyy after meeting him in Kiev earlier in the year he died, says he was 'stressed' and drinking heavily on November 8.

The glamorous blonde Ukrainian, then 22, flew to France to meet married Mr Perepilichnyy, then 39, because he wanted to 'show her Paris'.

She says they had met twice before the French trip - and fell for the 'intelligent, handsome man' with 'gentle eyes' after meeting in the exclusive Kiev club Leo earlier in 2012.

They would later holiday together in Nice before agreeing to meet in Paris, where he appeared agitated and was 'worrying, walking from side to side' before buying her Laboutins in the incorrect size.

She told Buzzfeed, who have been investigating his death: 'I was feeling from him that he was very stressed' and over dinner he was drinking 'lots of wine', which he then spilled over his shirt.

Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, collapsed and died while running near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, (pictured) in November 2012

Miss Medynska, who appears to have been in a secret relationship with Mr Perepilichnyy after meeting him in Kiev earlier in the year he died, says he was 'stressed' and drinking heavily on November 8.

He also repeatedly left the restaurant for a series of phone calls that left his 'hands shaking', she said.

Miss Medynska says they fell out when he later tried to buy her a handbag because she believed he was trying to buy her affections with designer goods.

Miss Medynska says they fell out in Paris when he later tried to buy her a handbag because she believed he was trying to buy her affections with designer goods

She said: 'He was expecting if he would buy me some bag I would be happy with that, but in fact I was even angry with him after that. He was very upset.'

The following day she apologised to him for her mood in a conciliatory text but never heard anything back - two days later he was dead.

She then said she received an email from his widow Tatiana containing 'bad words'.

The judge hearing allegations a Russian whistleblower may have been poisoned told the inquest today that 'anybody can get caught up in a conspiracy theory'.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC, the Recorder of London, made the comment as DS Ian Pollard of Surrey Police was being questioned over the handling of the investigation into the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy.

DS Pollard has already told the hearing at the Old Bailey he found no evidence the father-of-two had been murdered.

But claims have been made that Mr Perepilichnyy's death was suspicious after he helped investment firm Hermitage Capital Management to uncover a 150million money laundering operation in Russia.

Police say they have not pursued his trip to France to see Miss Medynska because of 'no useful inquiries to be conducted in Paris'

Mr Perepilichnyy took out life insurance policies worth 3.5million with a number of companies including Legal and General between May and July 2012, and applied for a further 5million before he died.

The inquest heard traces of a compound matching the atomic weight of rare and deadly vegetable poison were found in Mr Perepilichnyy's stomach lining.

His widow Tatiana Perepilichnaya has been quizzed about the sorrel soup she cooked for her husband's lunch shortly before his death on 10 November 2012.

She claimed had finished the soup with her daughter and suffered no ill-effects, and dismissed suggestions that Mr Perepilichnyy had been murdered after coming to Britain because he feared for his life.

DS Pollard admitted today that the initial post-mortem was handled locally rather than being referred to a Home Office pathologist.

He said that the death was not felt to be suspicious and 'in the circumstances there was no suggestion or information about Mr Perepilichnyy's status as was subsequently reported.'

DS Pollard accepted that by the time of the second post-mortem by Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl only 'limited stomach contents' were recovered.

But he added: 'We took the samples we needed to take.' DS Pollard also told the court that he had to follow the evidence rather than chase conspiracy theories.

Judge Hilliard interjected: 'Anybody can get caught up in a conspiracy theory can't they. Wherever they come from and whoever is the subject of them.'

DS Pollard replied: 'Yes. We have to stick to the facts.'

In the days before his death, married Mr Perepilichnyy had stayed at the Bristol hotel in Paris with another woman, the inquest heard. This woman is believed to be Miss Medynska.

Officers made inquiries about the woman and attempts were made to contact her for information, Mr Pollard said.

Credit cards revealed the deceased had spent hundreds of pounds on hotels and meals for two, with the greatest single transaction totalling more than 1,800.

Inquiries were made at the Bristol hotel and police were informed they no longer had any CCTV footage from their stay.

Mr Pollard said he had determined there would be 'no useful inquiries to be conducted in Paris' so did not pursue any more information about the French connection.

Henrietta Hill QC, for Hermitage, said: 'You will have seen reports late last night on BuzzFeed?' Mr Pollard said he had not seen them.

Ms Hill said the report suggested French authorities had tried to seek assistance from British counterparts as they tried to investigate whether Mr Perepilichnyy was poisoned on his trip to Paris.

She said they were told the death was 'not suspicious' and were refused help, according to the report.

Mr Pollard said: 'I have not had any contact to French authorities.'

Ms Hill said: 'But we do know that the French themselves had initially made contact before you tried to make inquiries at the Bristol hotel?'

The officer replied: 'Not that I recall. I think the inquiries were instigated at our request'.

The businessman's death on this private Surrey estate was originally attributed to natural causes, but traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant Gelsemium elegans were later found in his stomach

Ms Hill challenged Mr Pollard's assertion there was no link to Russian criminal groups.

She highlighted an Interpol request from Moscow for information on whether Mr Perepilichnyy held any property in the UK.

She said the request made it clear he was 'suspected of fraud, money laundering and abuse of power', and had allegedly 'organised a criminal gang to misappropriate money'. Mr Pollard said the deceased was only 'suspected' of fraud.

Last week Insurance giant Legal and General was accused of creating a 'John Le Carre atmosphere' and spreading 'florid theories' about poisoned soup to avoid being stung the widow 2m.

And last night Buzzfeed reported claims that Mr Perepilichnyy was likely assassinated on the orders of the Russian President.

Last week his widow Tatiana Perepilichnaya gave evidence at the Old Bailey behind a screen to protect her identity.

She denied the suggestion her husband fell out with an 'organised crime syndicate' in Russia or that he moved to England because he owed people a lot of money.

The mother-of-two said the family only moved to the UK for their children's education and because she liked the culture of people being polite and smiling in the supermarket.

Asked if she or her husband feared for their safety, she said: 'In 20 years of marriage Alexander never had bodyguard or security so our life in Russia and our life in England never varied. It's the same.

'I know if there were any threats or problems Alexander would have told me.'

The widow, who is originally from Kurdistan, said her husband had been the breadwinner while she was a full-time mother and they did not talk much about his work.

She told the inquest her husband was 'very smart' and hard working. He had wide business interests in computers, manufacturing, frozen foods and condensed milk.

He was a commodity dealer and trader on the Russian stock exchange, the court heard.

She said: 'I just knew he was interested in that business. I didn't know what commodity meant.'
Theresa May made light of her election debacle today as the House of Commons returned.

The Prime Minister hailed the reelection of John Bercow as Speaker by saying: 'At least someone got a landslide.'

The new parliament is getting up and running in the wake of the the bombshell election that was called by Mrs May in the hope of getting a thumping mandate - but ending up with her stripped of her majority.

The Prime Minister hailed the reelection of John Bercow as Speaker by joking: 'At least someone got a landslide.'

Mr Bercow warned the country faces 'testing times' today as he was voted back in as Speaker

The Labour leader infuriated the Tory benches with a tone deaf assault on the government for being insensitive to immigrants and workers

After Jeremy Corbyn hugely exceeded expectations in the campaign, Mrs May is now seeking to shore herself up in power with support from the DUP's 10 MPs.

Mr Bercow warned the country faces 'testing times' today as he was voted back in as Speaker.

Mr Bercow resumed the chair after performing a U-turn on his previous pledge to quit in 2018 - saying instead he wants to serve until 2022.

He vowed to continue to allow backbenchers to 'pressure, scrutinise and hold to account the Government of the day'.

He said: 'We appear to be headed for testing times. I offer myself to the House as a tested Speaker.'

Mrs May and Mr Corbyn appeared to struggling for conversation as they processed back in to the Commons chamber.

Despite the convention that the resumption of parliament is light-hearted and steers clear of politics, the Labour leader infuriated the Tory benches with a tone deaf assault on the government for being insensitive to immigrants and workers.

Tory MPs then howled that he had 'lost' the election as Mr Corbyn taunted the Premier over her election disaster.

Mrs May and Mr Corbyn appeared to struggling for conversation as they processed back in to the Commons chamber

Mr Corbyn was applauded by his Labour benches as he took his seat this afternoon

Mr Corbyn told MPs: 'It is customary on these occasions to congratulate the returning Prime Minister - and I absolutely do so.

'I congratulate her on returning and I'm sure she'll agree with me that democracy is a wondrous thing, and can throw up some very unexpected results.

'I'm sure we all look forward to welcoming the Queen's Speech just as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated.

'I must let the House know - and the rest of the nation know - that if that is not possible, the Labour Party stands ready to offer strong and stable leadership in the national interest.'

As he was proposed for Speaker, John Bercow rose from the Tory benches to pay tribute to Mr Clarke.

He said: 'If the House so permits I will be honoured to serve as Speaker in this Parliament.'

Mr Corbyn was applauded by Labour MPs as he returned to the House of Commons following his party's surprise election gains.

The Labour leader arrived in the chamber as MPs met to choose the Speaker for the new Parliament.

Parliament is getting up and running again after the dramatic general election, with Black Rod summoning the new group of MPs

Mr Bercow was teased from his place on the Tory benches before he was officially reappointed as Speaker

As is traditional, John Bercow was dragged to the Speaker's chair by colleagues in the House of Commons

Mr Bercow was then 'dragged' to the chair by Labour MP Alison McGovern (left), and Tories Helen Grant and Sir Peter Bottomley (right)

The tradition of dragging the Speaker to the chair goes back centuries and is supposed to symbolise their reluctance to quit partisan politics

Grim faced Tory MPs sat opposite a jubilant Labour Party as MPs gathered in the Commons for the first time since the election.

Mr Corbyn was given a standing ovation and a heroes welcome as he arrived in the chamber - despite returning to his seat as Leader of the Opposition.

MPs queued to shake hands with the leader who seized unexpected gains and many clearly were surprised to be back at all.

Mrs May took her place as Prime Minister behind the Despatch Box as she continues her scramble to assemble a Government.

MPs on all sides cheered as Father of the House Ken Clarke took up the chair to receive the Royal Commission officially starting the new Parliament.

But the gathering took place amid acute uncertainty and the almost unprecedented situation of the date of the Queen's Speech being unclear.

Talks between the Tories and the DUP were still ongoing as MPs gathered.

The rest of the week will see MPs sworn in to the Commons before business begins in earnest later this month.
A policeman who had minor tiff with girlfriend shouted 'it's your turn to save me now' before running into the sea and drowning, an inquest heard today.

Lauren Grey said she could not save PC Steven Williams, 29, despite wading into huge waves on a 'horrendous' stormy night in driving rain in Brighton, East Sussex.

She tried to get into the sea to save her boyfriend over a two-hour period, but lost sight of him and his body was later found by coastguards and lifeboat crews.

Lauren Grey (left) said she could not save PC Williams (right) despite wading into huge waves

PC Williams had served in the Royal Air Force and was working for British Transport Police when he ran into the sea, calling for Miss Grey to save him.

Miss Grey told coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley how she and PC Williams had been in the town to see a comedy gig at the Brighton Dome in January.

They were then walking back to their hotel on the seafront after a few drinks when an argument developed between the pair.

PC Steven Williams, 29, died after drowning in the sea off Brighton in East Sussex

She said that she could not remember exactly what the argument had been about, just that it was something trivial.

But it ended up with Mr Williams following her onto the deserted beach near Brighton Pier after she had gone there to 'get some space'.

'We were both quite drunk,' she said. 'I was in quite a mess, I was crying. I said I wanted some space so I went down to the beach. He came down after me and that was the point when he went running into the water.'

Miss Grey said she could not remember exactly what he had said but she originally told police that it was 'It's your turn to save me now', before he ran into the water.

Ms Hamilton-Deeley said that the reason for his saying this was not relevant to the inquest and would not be discussed.

Miss Grey said: 'The water was awful. It was raining, it was windy and the waves were horrendous. I screamed his name, I was kind of hysterical.

Ms Grey tried to get into the sea to save her boyfriend over a two-hour period, but lost sight of him and his body was later found by coastguards and lifeboat crews in January (pictured)

'I went in the water once to try to get him but I was wearing high-heeled boots and a long coat and they were weighing me down. I came out, took them off and went back in.'

Miss Grey, who first met Mr Williams when they both worked for BTP, described running down the beach to get help when she spotted a passer-by.

'I ran up to him crying and screaming,' she told the inquest in Brighton.

'He thought it was a joke at first. The member of the public stayed with me... I just remember a police officer coming and then being in the back of the ambulance.'

The woman police officer Miss Grey referred to was present at the inquest and told the coroner how brave the woman had been in trying to save PC Williams.

'I think Lauren was very brave to do what she did,' said PC Anna Dowglass, from Brighton police station, who had been on duty on the night.

'I don't think I could have done that. Sadly it's something we see in Brighton a lot. People don't know how powerful the sea really is.'

The inquest heard that Miss Grey set up a JustGiving page following her boyfriend's death, with a target of raising 5,000 for the RNLI, which she had reached.

She said in a comment on the page: 'I told myself and Steven I wouldn't give up until I raised 5,000 and now that as been reached. I couldn't thank everyone enough for their kind and generous donations which made this possible.'

It took nearly two hours to find PC Williams, whose body was pulled from the sea at 1.38am

PC Dowglass told the court how she had raced down to the shoreline and searched tirelessly for Mr Williams, who was born in Kent but had - like Miss Grey - lived in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

'The weather was absolutely atrocious,' she said. 'It was foggy, it was driving rain, the street lights made everything look orange. I ran straight down to the beach.

'The waves were huge. I kept having to run away from them up the beach. There was driving rain and using a torch was completely useless.'

The inquest heard how coastguards were called, plus an ambulance, police and the fire and rescue service. A helicopter was requested but the terrible weather conditions made it impossible for it to fly.

PC Dowglass told the coroner: 'The incident was so desperately sad for all of us. Knowing that he was a serving officer and part of the wider police family.'

It took nearly two hours to find PC Williams, whose body was pulled from the sea at 1.38am on January 30.

Despite desperate attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at 2.30am at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Concluding, the coroner said: 'When Steven ran into the water I believe he had no intention of taking his life at all. I think he had no idea on the strength and ferocity of the sea.'

She recorded that PC Williams died in hospital, having drowned in sea water as a result of misadventure.

'I echo what PC Dowglass said, that it was very brave to try to get him back,' she said.

'There is no-one to blame here this is human life at its most tragic. The dedication shown trying to save him was quite impressive.'
Nurse Antonella Indrizzi (pictured) came to the UK after leaving Italy in 2015

An Italian nurse whose English was so bad a colleague had to use mime to show her what to do has been struck off the medical register.

Antonella Indrizzi took a job in the UK after answering an overseas recruitment campaign in Italy back in February 2015.

But her colleagues at King's Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, soon found her grasp of the English language was of concern.

There were numerous incidences of patients refusing to have her look after them due to her 'extremely poor' language skills, a committee heard.

One colleague told the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) that sometimes Ms Indrizzi would look at her like she did not understand what she saying.

It led to her having to point with her hands and mime, while explaining verbally, in a bid to make sure Ms Indrizzi knew what to do.

She had also misinterpreted medical terms on the ward where she worked and did not communicate effectively with patients.

One patient had had to call for help because she was upset and, despite trying, Ms Indrizzi had been unable to find the words to reassure her.

Instead, she had told the patient to 'be quiet', according to a ward leader at the hospital.

Ms Indrizzi had worked as a healthcare support assistant at the hospital, but was a registered nurse, the committee heard.

But she has now been struck off after her case went before the NMC's conduct and competence committee.

The committee panel said she had been given chances to improve her English, but refused to take the IELTS internationally recognised English language test.

Her fitness to practise as a nurse was 'impaired', the committee said.

But her colleagues at King's Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, (pictured) soon found her grasp of the English language was of concern

The committee added: 'The panel has concluded that her lack of knowledge is such that she has in the past put patients at unwarranted risk of harm.

'Moreover, it would have been liable to bring the profession into disrepute.

'Although her lack of knowledge of English is capable of remediation, she has yet to take the IELTS assessment as a step towards achieving this and does not show any insight into the need to do so.

'Further, there was nothing in the evidence to reassure the panel that Ms Indrizzi would in the future comply with reasonable requests to take such an assessment.

'As a consequence, the panel cannot be satisfied that her knowledge of English has reached or will reach the necessary standard.

'In all the circumstances, the panel was of the view that a striking off order is the only appropriate order that would be sufficient to protect the public interest.'
News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO Bulawayo Zanu-PF youths have been arrested for allegedly assaulting fellow party members during an inter-district political meeting last month at Davies Hall.Magura Charumbira and Butholezwe Ngwenya appeared before magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing a charge of assault.Charumbira and Ngwenya were separately charged.Mr Tashaya did not ask them to plead and remanded the duo out of custody.Ngwenya will be back in court tomorrow.Charumbira, who was stabbed when violence erupted during a meeting on May 21, is not new to the courts as he is facing another charge of malicious damage to property.Ngwenya allegedly slapped Charumbira while Charumbira poked a youth officer Charlton Ivako (59) in his face several times.Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said Charumbira, who was the ring leader of more than 50 youths, arrived at Davies Hall to disturb the meeting."The agenda of the meeting was to address issues in the province. A group of about 50 uninvited youths led by the accused entered the meeting. He shouted, 'Imimi naKasukuwere mauraya musangano!' (You and Kasukuwere have destroyed the party) and went on to poke the complainant in the eye using his forefinger," said Mr Dlodlo.The court heard that Ngwenya, who had attended the meeting, stood up and slapped Charumbira once on the cheek."A misunderstanding ensued between the two over the presence of Charumbira and his group. This resulted in Ngwenya slapping Charumbira once in the face. Ngwenya then fled from the scene soon after committing the offence," said the prosecutor.Last month, Bulawayo provincial war veterans' chairman Cephas Ncube, three war veterans and three Zanu-PF youths including Charumbira were involved in violent skirmishes when rival groups fiercely clashed during the party's provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) meeting.Ncube (59) of Nketa 8 suburb and fellow war veterans Juliet Sibanda (55) of Magwegwe North, Luke Mpofu (64) of Nkulumane and Abigail Nyamunda (53) of Tshabalala are facing assault charges following the chaos at the party's headquarters.Ncube is also separately charged for indecent assault after allegedly fondling Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial youth league Chairperson Anna Mokgohloa.The ruling party's youths - Davies Muhambi (35) of Burnside, Mabutho Moyo (32) of New Luveve and Charumbira of Trenance are facing charges of malicious damage to property.Youths and war veterans laid an almost six-hour siege at the hall while Central Committee members, Politburo members, provincial executives and legislators were holed up inside.Anti-riot police had to be called to the party offices to control some youths who were trying to stop the executive from holding the meeting accusing the provincial leadership of supporting national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.Muhambi, Moyo and Charumbira are accused of throwing stones and damaging window panes at Davies Hall during the scuffle.
An Australian drug smuggler jailed for life in Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison says he regrets throwing his freedom to make a quick $15,000 to buy a car.

Matthew Norman, from Sydney's west, was 18 when he was arrested as part of the Bali Nine drug syndicate in 2005.

As a 30-year-old man, Norman said he regretted throwing away his life for the chance to make $15,000 to 'probably buy a car'.

Scroll down for video

Matthew Norman was emotional describing how his family has to cope with her prison term

'Get me home': Australian drug smuggler Si Yi Chen becomes emotional in rare TV interview

Western Sydney-raised Bali prisoners Si Yi Chen (left) and Matthew Norman on the ABC

'I didn't even think about the consequences whatsoever,' he told the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program.

'When you look back on it now, it's absolutely peanuts, it's nothing.'

Norman also expressed regret at what he put his family through in a rare interview from inside the Denpasar prison.

'I committed the crime. They kind of have to deal with the consequences as well,' he said.

'That's not fair. It's not fair on them.'

Bali Nine ringleaders Myuran Sukumaran (left) and Andrew Chen (right) were executed in April 2015 (they are pictured here in August 2010)

The Kerobokan prison in Denpasar has been the scene of riots, such as this incident in 2012

Another Bali Nine member Si Yi Chen, who is now 32, was a 20-year-old 'high-ego teenager' when he was arrested at the same time as Norman.

From inside Indonesia's notorious Kerobokan prison, the man also from western Sydney told how is he missing his family.

'From a naive, stubborn, high-ego teenager... I will change into somebody who is more responsible,' he said.

Asked by reporter Samantha Hawley if he had anything else to say, he became emotional: 'Get me home.'

The ringleaders of the Bali Nine syndicate, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were executed by a fire squad in April 2015.

The Australians, who were found guilty of attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin into Sydney from Bali in 2005, were shot through the heart in an execution shortly after midnight.
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Clashes at daily protests in Venezuela calling for President Nicolas Maduro to quit have left 68 people dead since April 1, prosecutors said.

Protests continue to rock the nation after Venezuela's Supreme Court on Monday rejected the chief prosecutor's motion to stop Maduro's push to rewrite the constitution.

Opposition leaders said pro-government armed groups known as 'colectivos' clashed with protesters and journalists near the Supreme Court on Monday and witnesses' videos showed fistfights and people being shoved to the ground at the demonstration site.

National guardsmen in black helmets and bulletproof vests stretched across a street with plastic shields, blocking protesters from reaching the court.

Anti-government demonstrators attack the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice as part of protests against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Monday

The Supreme Court's president accused 'terrorists' of attacking the headquarters of the court's executive body in the outskirts of Caracas after protesters posed in front of the flames on Monday

With Venezuelans suffering from high inflation, food shortages and soaring crime rates, plus a deepening corruption scandal, the Venezuelan opposition has mounted near-daily anti-government protests since April 1. Pictured above, anti-government demonstrators participate in an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

Smoke plumes out of the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice after protesters set it on fire on Monday

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's president accused 'terrorists' of attacking the headquarters of the court's executive body in the outskirts of Caracas. Photos posted on the Supreme Court's Twitter account showed parts of the building on fire.

Videos shared by government officials captured a plume of dark smoke rising above the building, blaming opposition protesters.

Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food and medicine in the oil-rich country. Maduro says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy.

The president has launched moves to set up an elected assembly to reform the constitution in response to the protests, but his opponents say that is a ploy to cling to power.

A survey by pollster Datanalisis indicated that 85 percent of Venezuelans opposed that plan.

A group vandalizes the Executive Head Office of the Magistracy of the Venezuelan Supreme Court in Caracas. With Venezuelans suffering from high inflation, food shortages and soaring crime rates, plus a deepening corruption scandal, the Venezuelan opposition has mounted near-daily anti-government protests since April 1

A group destroy technology inside the Executive Head Office of the Magistracy of the Venezuelan Supreme Court in Caracas

Venezuela's Supreme Court has rejected the chief prosecutor's motion to stop President Nicolas Maduro's push to rewrite the constitution. The decision follows over two months of sometimes violent anti-government protests that continue to rock the nation

Protests, like the one pictured above in which demonstrators destroy government property, have left 68 people dead since April 1

An injured anti-government demonstrator is assisted by fellow activists during an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

Bolivarian National Guard members patrol following an attack by anti-government demonstratorsto the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice in Caracas

The Supreme Court on Monday declared Luisa Ortega Diaz's request inadmissible on the same day anti-government demonstrators were marching toward the high court to protest its refusal to stop Maduro's special assembly.

The decision came four days after Ortega Diaz made an impassioned plea on the Supreme Court steps, grasping Venezuela's small blue constitution book in her hands and declaring the future of the nation's democracy was at stake.

As during previous protests, the government closed several metro stations.

And Venezuelans in Caracas awoke Monday to find their city paralyzed by a public transportation strike that union leaders said stretched through 90 per cent of the capital.

Transit workers said they were protesting unsafe work conditions and demanding the release of a colleague detained nearly two weeks ago.

Bus driver Santos Quevedo was charged with terrorism after allegedly transporting a group of opposition protesters, but local reports say the government opponents forced him to give them a ride.

A protester stands in front of a fire at the Executive Head Office of the Magistracy of the Venezuelan Supreme Court while holding a Venezuelan flag

A protester raises a Venezuelan flag above his head as he watches flames destroy the Executive Head Office of the Magistracy of the Venezuelan Supreme Court in Caracas

Anti-government demonstrators attack use posters and shields to protect themselves from an onslaught of air gun pellets

Anti-government demonstrators start fires outside the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice on Monday

A protester wearing a gas mask and helmet hides behind a makeshift shield during clashes with government officials on Monday

Anti-government demonstrators run after destroying a branch of the Banco Provincial bank which works inside the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice as part of protests against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Monday

A protester throws back a tear gas canister during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas on Monday

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, union leaders said transit workers are the first to wake up in the morning and often exposed to dangerous conditions in a country with one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

'Every time we leave our homes we don't know if we'll return alive,' said Pedro Jimenez, president of a local union called the Southwest Transporters Bloc. He demanded that the government take action to ensure drivers' safety.

Nearly two miles (three kilometers) away, the Venezuelan Red Cross draped a giant white flag with a red cross above its entrance, an act usually reserved for extraordinary events such as natural disasters, to identify it as a neutral safe haven.

The last time the flag is believed to have been raised was in April 2013 during the presidential election to replace the late President Hugo Chavez, which Maduro won by a narrow vote.

The Red Cross raised the flag again as a protective measure in light of recent protests in which authorities have used tear gas near the institution's hospital, said Jose Ramon Gonzalez, the group's national relief director.

Though the institution itself has not been attacked, Gonzalez said the flag is meant to help protect both medical aid workers and patients arriving at the hospital.

A protester throws a molotov cocktail during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas on Monday

A protester holds a poster reading 'Your real enemy' as others set fire to property of a branch of the Banco Provincial bank which works inside the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

Anti-government demonstrators destroy property of a branch of the Banco Provincial bank which works inside the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

An anti-government demonstrator shows his pellet wounds during an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

An injured anti-government demonstrator is assisted by health workers during an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

An injured anti-government demonstrator (second from right) is brought to safety by other activists amid protests on Monday

A protester shields a pedestrian during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday

The agency has treated 254 patients in Caracas and more than 500 nationwide during the recent wave of protests, Gonzalez said.

The majority have suffered from ailments related to inhaling tear gas, being struck by rubber bullets and surface wounds.

More than 1,000 people have been injured nationwide in a wave of unrest unleashed after the Supreme Court in late March stripped the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its last powers, a decision later reserved amid a storm of international criticism.

Many of the protests have ended with state security launching tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, some of whom throw rocks and even jars filled with feces at officers.

Maduro has vowed to resolve the crisis by convening a special assembly to rewrite the constitution. But the opposition refuses to participate, denouncing the push as another means by which he will further consolidate his power.

Ortega Diaz, whose agency is semi-autonomous, has emerged as one of the most critical voices of Maduro within the government.

An elderly man is assisted by health professionals during an attack by anti-government demonstrators to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

A woman is assisted by anti-government demonstrators during an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

An injured anti-government demonstrator is assisted by fellow activists during an attack to the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

An anti-government demonstrator uses a makeshift shield to protect himself against pellets that were being shot during protests

The Supreme Court on Monday declared Luisa Ortega Diaz's request inadmissible on the same day anti-government demonstrators were marching toward the high court to protest its refusal to stop Maduro's special assembly. Pictured above, anti-government demonstrators run as they attack the administration headquarters of the Supreme Court of Justice

A long-time loyalist, she has denounced the constitutional assembly as an affront to the legacy of Hugo Chavez, who crafted the nation's current constitution.

Maduro administration officials have criticized her as a de facto opposition leader responsible for the current wave of violence.

Monday's ruling appeared to further alienate Ortega Diaz from pro-government officials.

The chief prosecutor introduced a new complaint contesting the appointment of 13 Supreme Court magistrates and 21 substitute judges approved by the National Assembly in 2015 shortly before the opposition took office.

Critics say the judges were quickly ushered in for 12-year terms to assure government control of the nation's highest court, an assertion the Maduro administration denies.

Speaking to Union Radio, Ortega Diaz said her latest legal maneuver was an attempt to 'restore the stability of the country'.

She added that her relatives have received threats and that she would hold Maduro responsible for anything that might happen to them.




A British woman in Paris is facing jail after allegedly giving a notorious designer 'fake cocaine' nicknamed N-bomb to a visiting friend who later died from an apparent overdose.

The unidentified suspect is said to have given the dangerous substance to her friend, visiting from London, during a party in the French capital's 20th arrondissement.

But the father of the dead woman, a 20-year-old marketing executive named locally as Julia, told France's Journal de Dimanche he believes she died in a 'tragic accident'.

A British woman in Paris is facing jail after allegedly giving a notorious designer 'fake cocaine' nicknamed N-bomb to a visiting friend who later died (file photo of the Wanderlust nightclub where the pair were partying earlier in the night)

The unidentified suspect is said to have given the dangerous substance to her friend who was visiting from London (file photo of the Wanderlust nightclub where the pair were partying earlier in the night)

The pair were at a flat on April 29 when the tragedy happened. After taking the drug, the victim became extremely ill, and then slipped into a coma.

She was rushed to the nearby Lariboisiere hospital, where she remained alive for just 11 days.

An autopsy revealed toxic substances had been consumed and cause death was an overdose.

The victim had been visiting from London, staying with her friend, who had lived in Paris for a number of years.

Pictures of the dead woman enjoying herself at the Wanderlust nightclub in Paris had been published on the Instagram social media site on the eve of the incident, according to the Journal.

The Journal writes on its website that the woman was beautiful and had 'a glamorous job in marketing, young friends like her, trips abroad.'

It claims that the victim had taken the drug because she was sure it was cocaine - another illegal drug but one that is not as likely to lead to serious illness or death.

The victim was rushed to the nearby Lariboisiere hospital (pictured), where she remained in a coma until she died 11 days later

Now police are trying to find the original dealers who supplied the hallucinogenic 251-NBO Me, which was developed in Berlin in 2013 and officially banned in France in November 2015.

It has the same kind of effects as LSD, and been linked to a number of deaths around the world, but this is the fist time that someone has died from it in France.

The arrested British woman is currently under 'judicial supervision', and faces being charged with manslaughter and drugs offences. She is expected to be tried in the coming months.
A man has been sentenced to ten years in jail for paying people to rape children while he watched and directed online.

Sydney hotel worker Bryan Walter Beattie, 44, will serve a minimum six years in prison after being the first person in New South Wales convicted of cybersex trafficking.

Beattie paid between $12 and $540 to watch and command the rape of children aged between eight and 15 in the Philippines.

The 44-year-old watched on Skype, waving and giving thumbs-up to children as they were sexually assaulted by a man carrying out his instructions, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Bryan Walter Beattie (pictured), 44, has been sentenced to ten years in jail after he paid men to rape children in the Philippines while he watched and directed on Skype from his Sydney home

Beattie paid between $12 and $540 to watch and command the rape of children aged between eight and 15 in the Philippines

NSW District Court Judge Chris Craigie called Beattie's crimes as 'evil' and 'morally repugnant' when handing down his sentence.

'The offender full well knew that what he was doing was morally repugnant,' he said.

'The victims in the present instance were the most vulnerable of the vulnerable  located in a poverty-stricken environment where a man from a Western country could exploit them using a sexually perverted local criminal.'

A statement of agreed facts state Beattie can be heard heavily breathing while typing instructions to a tattooed Asian man in many of the videos.

The children are forced to perform sexual acts on adults and each other.

'The images and videos classified were highly disturbing, distressing and offensive and many involved young prepubescent Asian male children,' the facts state, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The 44-year-old watched on Skype, waving and giving thumbs-up to children as they were sexually assaulted by a man carrying out his instructions (stock image)

Beattie pleaded guilty in December last year to causing children to engage in sexual intercourse outside of Australia and possessing child abuse

Beattie pleaded guilty in December last year to causing children to engage in sexual intercourse outside of Australia and possessing child abuse.

While giving evidence he said he previously rationalised his actions because he wasn't present and therefore didn't feel as if he was a part of it.

Judge Craigie said Beattie only stopped paying for live child abuse shows in 2012 because he was 'nervous' about being caught.

Court heard he continued watching the videos in his home until he was arrested in 2014.

He will be eligible for parole in February 2021.
Thousands of firefighters have been battling 28 wildfires which have raged across Arizona with crews being drafted in from across the Western United States.

Tiffany Davila, spokeswoman for the state forestry department said many of fires were ignited by lightening, although some were started by people.

Gusty winds and parched vegetation fueled the flames, although at this stage, nobody has been injured and only one empty house has been destroyed.

Thousands of firefighters across the Western United States have been deployed to Arizona to stop wildfires which are are being spread across the state by dry, arid winds

Forestry officials said some of the fires were started by lightening and others by humans

Only one house has been destroyed although residents in Dragoon were forced to evacuate

Some southern Arizona residents were allowed to return home Monday after fleeing last week from a wildfire in the community of Dragoon that burned a vacant home. Evacuation orders were in place for at least 30 houses.

Heather Floyd, who lives in Dragoon, said an official came to her house with a warning to evacuate Wednesday. Floyd decided to spend the night at her daughter's home in a nearby town, but her husband stayed behind.

When she left, she took multiple suitcases - one with five days' worth of clothes, and another with photo albums and picture frames she grabbed off the walls.

'It's weird,' Floyd said. 'What do you pack? It's 10:30 at night, you're not really thinking.'

The fire came within half a mile of her house, but she went back the next morning and they have stayed since.

Davila estimates at least 80 square miles across the state are ablaze. She said crews from seven other states are working to control the fires.

It is estimated that approximately 80 square miles of land has been consumed by the fire

Arizona has so far seen 858 wildfires which have consumed 205 miles of territory

Officials closed a section of highway in northern Arizona last week because smoke from a mountain fire restricted visibility.

State Route 180 about 10 miles north of Flagstaff will stay closed at least until Sunday, when the state Department of Transportation will re-evaluate.

Arizona has seen 858 fires so far this year that have charred 205 square miles

Dry lightning, or lighting without rain, sparked some of the bigger fires burning now.

The fires illuminated the night sky in the area round Dragon, Arizona, pictured

The National Weather Service warned high winds and low humidity could spread the fires

It is more common in summer months leading up to the state's monsoon, said Hector Vasquez, a spokesman for the National Weather Service. Fire danger decreases as more moisture moves in and rain begins accompanying the lightning storms.

The National Weather Service warned residents in eastern and northern Arizona that high winds and low humidity could lead fires to spread more easily.

State forestry officials predicted two months ago that southern Arizona would have a higher fire risk than the northern, forested parts of the state, because winter rain and snow increased the amount of vegetation that fuels fires in later months after it dries out.
A gorgeous supermarket cashier has become an internet star after women started flocking to a shop to catch a glimpse of him.

Irvin Villatoro works the checkouts at a Costco store in Chihuahua, Mexico and has built up an admiring female fan base at the American chain.

Photos of him in his skintight t-shirt and name badge were posted online, where they were quickly shared thousands of times.

Irvin Villatoro works the checkouts in a Costco in Chihuahua, Mexico. Since starting work he has built up an admiring female fan base

Fan Fabii Salas said: 'I would go there so that he could pack everything for me'.

Jay Jay Ortiz added: 'Oh god, how gorgeous! With that service, I would go to the shop every day.'

In addition to his part-time Costco job, Mr Villatoro also works as a model and has a YouTube channel where he shares his exercise videos.

In addition to his part-time Costco job, Mr Villatoro also works as a model and has a YouTube channel where he shares his exercise videos

Mr Villatoro has uploaded a YouTube videos showing him working out topless in the gym. His impressive workout routine includes handstand press-ups (right) and weightlifting

Last week he uploaded a video showing him working out topless in the gym, doing chin-ups, press-ups and flips.

Mr Villatoro, who is also believed to be an engineering student, has hinted he is on the look-out for modelling work rather than focusing on his retail career.

The impressive workout routine includes handstand press-ups and weightlifting, which explains Mr Villatoro's impressive physique.
An Australian senator has broken down in parliament describing the moment he was caught up in the London terrorist attack as he had a drink with a close friend.

Labor powerbroker Sam Dastyari was in a restaurant on a Saturday night, in early June, when three Islamist terrorists armed with knives went on a rampage down London Bridge.

Senator Dastyari lost his composure delivering a late-night speech to parliament, recalling the murder of eight people, including two Australians, less than two weeks ago.

Scroll down for video

Labor Senator Sam Dastyari breaks down in parliament recalling seeing London terror attack

Senator Dastyari was during at a nearby restaurant when the terrorists struck London Bridge

'I want to go home. I'm exhausted and I want to go back to Sydney where my wife Helen and my two daughters are,' he said on Tuesday night.

'I want to go back to Parliament in Canberra where we can pretend that the big, ugly world is a far, distant place separated by sea and a long plane ride.

'I want to go home and sleep in my own bed. I want to try and forget last night.'

It is at that point the New South Wales senator based in Sydney loses it and puts his fingers in his eyes.

Senator Dastyari had been in London, to campaign for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ahead of the U.K. general election, when the terrorists ultimately killed Australians Kirsty Boden and Sara Zelenak.

The Labor Senator for New South Wales recalled seeing people bleeding in London

The former NSW Labor Party general secretary recalled seeing a man 'holding the blood coming out of his throat' as he ran past them.

'Is he one of the seven confirmed victims? I don't like to think about these things,' he said.

'I remember a woman running down the street covered in blood, panic, as the screams engulfed the street.

'In our venue, events became a blur but the images didn't.'

The Labor Senator told parliament he witnessed a woman covered in blood screaming

He hid in the small kitchen and upstairs area of the restaurant, along with 37 other patrons, while the London police swept the area.

Senator Dastyari spoke of being in that restaurant with his close friend Richard Angell - a Labour activist in the U.K. - as the terrorists drove down London Bridge in a white van before attacking people with knives in pubs and restaurants at the nearby Borough Markets.

'Screw them if they think they're going to stop me drinking with my friends,' he said.

'Neither of us have slept but it is clear Richard is handling the situation far better than I am.

''Screw them,' I say, again, less convincingly, deciding that what I actually need is more drinks which, if I was to be honest, was the last thing I needed.'
Police in Baltimore are searching for a partially blind man who say they beat his five-month-old son to death, possibly using his walking stick as the murder weapon.

The Baltimore Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant for Perry Nelson-Johnson, 31, charging him with first- and second-degree murder and assault, three separate counts of child abuse, reckless endangerment and dangerous weapon with intent to injure.

Nelson-Johnson is blind at least in one eye stemming from an earlier injury. He remained on the lam as of Tuesday afternoon.

According to investigators, at around 4am on Friday, first responders received a call about an unconscious baby in the 1600 block of North Smallwood Street.

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Father sought: Police in Baltimore are searching for Perry Nelson-Johnson, 31, who is accused of beating his five-month-old son Emmanuel to death, possibly with his guide stick

The infant, five-month-old Emmanuel Johnson, was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma, where he was pronounced dead.

When interviewed by police, Nelson-Johnson claimed that his son rolled off the bed and banged his head. The 31-year-old suspect also stated that the boy appeared to be fine for a time.

However, an investigation has revealed that baby Emmanuel had both old and new injuries all over body.

The injuries were not consistent with a fall and the evidence at the scene, according to a press release from the police.

During a press conference held on Monday, police spokesman TJ Smith described what happened to the baby as an 'absolutely disturbing and despicable, inhumane act of violence.'

He revealed that the baby had multiple abrasions and scrapes on his face, and scratches 'almost from head to toe.'

The incident took place on June 9 in the 1600 block of North Smallwood Street in Baltimore

Outraged: Police spokesman TJ Smith described what happened to the baby as an 'absolutely disturbing and despicable, inhumane act of violence'

An autopsy performed on the boy later found the cause of death to have been severe head trauma, and the case was classified as a homicide by multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

Investigators believe Nelson-Johnson used a blunt object, possibly his guide stick, to beat his son over the head. Smith said Nelson-Johnson had lost his eyesight in an earlier incident, which police were aware of, but declined to elaborate further, citing possible privacy issues.

Smith said the best thing at this time would be for Nelson-Johnson to just turn himself in to police.

Nelson-Johnson and the victim's mother have other children who were not in their custody at the time of the incident.

The woman has not been charged with any crime as of Tuesday morning, but Smith told reporters 'that could change.'

Police are working with Child Protective Services to determine if there had been warning signs of abuse.

Anyone with information on Nelson-Johnsons whereabouts is being asked to call the Warrant Apprehension Task Force at (410) 637-8970.
Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein vouched for the 'full independence' of special counsel Robert Mueller following complaints from President Trump's allies, and said only the attorney general has the authority to fire him.

Testifying Tuesday at a budget hearing for his department, Mueller got pressed early for answers about the special counsel probing Russian election interference  after key Trump allies including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich began publicly criticizing Mueller.

The comments from Gingrich and other Trump allies raised the possibility that the administration was floating a trial balloon for another drastic firing that Democrats warn could provoke a constitutional crisis.

'As long as I'm in this position, he's not going to be fired without good cause,' Rosenstein said.

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein says he would only fire special counsel Robert Mueller with 'good cause,' and vouched for his 'full independence'

'Mueller may be fired only for good cause and I am required to put that cause in writing,' Rosenstein assured Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

'And so that's what I would do. If there were good cause I would consider it, if there were not good cause, it wouldn't matter to me what anybody says,' Rosenstein said, in an oblique reference to Trump.

'I am confident that he has full independence,' Rosenstein asserted.

Asked if he had seen good cause for firing Mueller, who led the FBI after decades in the bureau, he said: 'No I have not.'

Rosenstein testified previously that his own integrity and that of other top Justice officials would offer necessary safeguards. Once again Tuesday, he made his case by invoking his faith in public officials who drafted regulations intended to insure the independence of outside investigators.

Senators pressed Rosenstein amid new calls from Trump allies to fire the special counsel investigating the Trump campaign's Russia contacts

ABC's George Stephanopoulos (left) seemed surprised when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (right) accused special counsel Robert Mueller of hiring 'bad people'

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's fiscal 2018 budget

GOOD CAUSE: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein talks to an aide on Capitol Hill in Washington

'That regulation as you may know was written and implemented during the Clinton administration under the authority of attorney general [Janet] Reno,' he said.

'I know the folks who wrote that. They wrote it to deal with these sort of situations. And I am confident that he will have sufficient independence. And it's certainly theoretically possible that the attorney general could fire,' Rosenstein said.

'But that's the only person with authority to fire him.'

In the case of the Russia probe, attorney general Jeff Sessions has recused himself following revelations about his own Russia contacts. In this case, the authority would pass to Rosenstein, although the president has the authority to fire him.

'In fact, the chain of command before the special counsel is only directly to the attorney general, or in this case the acting attorney general,' he continued. 'So nobody else in the department would have authority to do that. You have my assurance that we're going to faithfully follow that regulation,' he told Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

A friend of President Trump's says he is considering firing the special counsel who is investigating his campaign contacts with Russia

HAZARDOUS LINE OF WORK: Lawmakers wanted to know who could fire special counsel Robert Mueller, and under what circumstances

'And director Mueller is going to have a full degree of independence that he needs to conduct that investigation appropriately,' he added.

Questioned by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Rosenstein said he didn't see a good reason to fire Mueller.

'And you're going to make that decision and nobody else?' asked Graham.

'As long as I'm in this position, senator, it would be my responsibility to make that decision,' Rosenstein said.

Lawmakers pressed Rosenstein on the rules that govern special counsels, and for the moment appear to give him unique authority to terminate him.

'They anticipated that people would follow the rules,' he told Maryland Sen. Chris Van Holen. 'Your question is, well what if somebody doesn't follow the rules, what happens next? ... I do not anticipate that it's going to arise,' said.

Rosenstein said he didn't know whether the special counsel would have recourse in the courts if he got fired without good cause.

'As long as I'm in this position, he's not going to be fired without good cause. If he were, it wouldn't be my responsibility,' he said, smiling.

Mueller, appointed by Rosenstein to his post just a month ago, has been composing a dream team of legal investigators, including some who have made campaign contributions to Democrats in the past.

Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Good Morning America, Gingrich accused Mueller's hires of being Democrats who would wage an unfair fight against the Trump White House.

'These are bad people. Bad people,' Gingrich said. 'These are people who are going to be after Trump,' said Gingrich, who helped lead the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

For example, Michael Dreeban, a criminal law expert who's working part-time for Mueller, donated $1,000 to Friends of Hillary, which was supporting Clinton when she ran for public office in New York.

Another big-name hire, Andrew Weissmann, who led the Enron Task Force, donated six times to the political action committees supporting Obama during the 2008 election, for a total of $4,700, according to the Hill.

Trump has nominated Gingrich's wife, Callista, to be ambassador to the Vatican.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, a Trump friend and Mar-a-Lago member, has said Trump is considering firing Mueller, though he is personally against the idea.

'I think it is a consideration the President has had because Mueller is illegitimate as special counsel,' Ruddy told CNN.

'Remember there is no evidence of wrongdoing, there's no evidence of collusion, there's no evidence of obstruction,' he said, saying 'the basis of his investigation is flim-flam' even as he argued against dismissing the special counsel.

On Monday night, Ruddy told PBS it would be a 'significant mistake' if Trump were to fire Mueller.

'I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option,' said Ruddy, who was at the White House Monday.
Three members of a nudist colony were found shot to death in what Quebec, Canada police believe is a murder-suicide.

The bodies of Rodrigue Tremblay, 77; Suzanne Gareau, 50; and Denys Carpentier, 76, were found by relatives inside Tremblay's home on the Club Naturiste Adam & Eve campground in Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults Monday afternoon.

Police believe that Carpentier killed his ex, Gareau, and longtime friend Tremblay before turning the high-powered rifle on himself.

Suzanne Gareau, 50 (left), and her boyfriend Rodrigue Tremblay, 77 (right), were found shot to death at Tremblay's home on a nudist campground Monday afternoon

The body of Gareau's ex Denys Carpentier, 76 (above), was also found in the home. Police believe he was the gunman

It's believed that Gareau left Carpentier for Tremblay. She had been staying with Tremblay at his home, which he bought from the couple a few years ago.

Autopsies are still pending, but police said the bodies showed traces of violence.

According to the nudist campground's Facebook page, the colony includes a number of small homes for rent, along with a pool, disco and bar.

The Facebook page says that the campground is for 'liberated' adults only.

It's believed that Carpentier shot his ex and her new boyfriend dead because he was jealous

Carpentier and Tremblay had been longtime friends. The home where the three were found on Monday was originally Carpentier's before he sold it to Tremblay

Members of the community told TVA Nouvelles that Carpentier was a jealous and 'possessive' man - but they did not think he was capable of murder.

Gareau allegedly spent Friday with a friend and told the friend about the tensions between her ex and her new boyfriend.

Neighbors who spoke with La Presse said that Tremblay's wife had died of cancer, and he had just started chemotherapy himself.

'Rodrigue, he would not hurt anyone. He was a good living man, he served everybody. He had three children, grandchildren. He had just started chemo,' one neighbor said.

'When his wife died of cancer, Rodrigue regained a taste for life. He was a fine fellow, and he made all the ladies ride around,' another neighbor added.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Before the dust has even settled following the axing of former Prosecutor-General (PG) Johannes Tomana, serious jockeying for the top post has started in earnest, as rival factions within the warring Zanu-PF aim to have their preferred candidate land the vacant post.This comes as the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) is yet to advertise for the PG's post and issue a notice for the nomination of Tomana's successor as outlined in the new Constitution.The new charter outlines the procedure to be followed in the appointment of a PG that includes advertising the post, allowing public nominations, and requiring public interviews of prospective candidates.Justice ministry permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza told the Daily News yesterday that the replacement of a PG was similar to that of a judge."It's all guided by the Constitution; the procedure of appointing a prosecutor-general is similar to that of appointing a judge."The previous PG was in office by operation of transitional provisions in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. So, he did not undergo the process of public interviews."Now because he has left, his replacement will be by way of public interviews the Judicial Service Commission will have to do that," Mabhiza told the Daily News.While JSC secretary Rita Makarau was not taking calls from the Daily News yesterday, a senior JSC official said they were "keen to ensure a considered and orderly transition" in finding Tomana's successor.President Robert Mugabe will pick the new PG from a list submitted by the JSC.The process to select Tomana's successor is likely to be hard-fought given the public brawling by Zanu-PF factions, which marred the selection to choose the country's new chief justice after the retirement of Godfrey Chidyausiku who died last month.The selection had decidedly taken a factional tone.Acting PG Ray Goba, veteran lawyers Florence Ziumbe and Wilson Manase are touted among the legal minds that could succeed Tomana.Manase, who is representing First Lady Grace Mugabe in her diamond ring suit against Lebanese Jamal Ahmed, came short of being appointed the Attorney-General (AG) before Mugabe eventually settled for Prince Machaya.Ziumbe is said to be well regarded and was once touted as the potential first woman AG before Machaya got Mugabe's nod.Tomana was appointed PG in November 2013, after the functions of the Attorney-General and the PG were split under the country's new Constitution.Until then, he was Zimbabwe's AG, a position he had been appointed to by Mugabe in December 2008 when the country was still operating under the old Lancaster House constitution.Before he was fired, Tomana had been on suspension since July last year facing a slew of allegations, which included criminal abuse of office and gross incompetence involving a number of cases that were before the courts.The tribunal, which was headed by retired High Court judge Moses Chinhengo, completed its probe in February.The panel also included University of Zimbabwe Dean of Law Emmanuel Magade and Harare lawyer Melina Matshiya.Among the issues that the panel was interrogating was Tomana's alleged refusal to issue a private prosecution certificate to Francis Maramwidze for the prosecution of disgraced former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) advisor and Member of Parliament Munyaradzi Kereke.The former aide to retired RBZ governor Gideon Gono is serving an effective 10 years in jail for raping his then 11-year-old niece at gunpoint almost seven years ago, after four years of his sentence was suspended if he behaves well.Other allegations related to Tomana's refusal to issue certificates of prosecution against former Telecel director Jane Mutasa, who was facing fraud charges, as well as obstructing justice after ordering the withdrawal of charges against two suspects who were being accused of planning to bomb Gushungo Dairy, a company owned by the First Family.He was also accused of abusing his office by withdrawing charges against former deputy minister Bright Matonga, who was accused of corruption in 2008.The tribunal also heard that the former PG had ordered the withdrawal of charges that had been laid against former Bindura Hospital acting superintendent, Beauty Basile, who had been charged with criminal abuse of office.
President Trump blasted the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for again blocking his controversial travel ban.

'Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country,' Trump tweeted Tuesday morning, adding the initials 'S.C.' at the end of the tweet, likely calling on the Supreme Court to take up the case.

On Monday, the appeals court stomped on Trump's revised travel ban by saying the administration violated federal immigration law and failed to provide a valid reason for keeping people from six mostly Muslim nations from coming to the country.

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President Trump called out the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for again ruling against his 'TRAVEL BAN'

President Trump is gunning for his controversial executive order to head to the Supreme Court after a number of appeals courts have knocked it down

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco largely left in place a ruling by a federal judge in Hawaii

Anti-Trump protesters gather in front of the court house as a three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dealt the administration another blow to the travel ban

The decision by a unanimous three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals helps keep the travel ban blocked and deals Trump a second big legal defeat on the policy in less than three weeks.

The administration has appealed another ruling against the ban to the Supreme Court, which is likely to consider the cases in tandem. The White House said it is confident the high court will uphold Trump's executive order.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia last month cited the president's campaign statements calling for a 'total and complete shutdown' on Muslims entering the U.S. as evidence that the 90-day ban was unconstitutionally 'steeped in animus and directed at a single religious group,' rather than necessary for national security.

The 9th Circuit, which heard arguments in Seattle last month in Hawaii's challenge to the ban, found no need to analyze Trump's campaign statements. It ruled based on immigration law, not the Constitution.

'Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show,' the judges said, adding: 'National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power.'

Judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez - all appointed by President Bill Clinton - said the travel ban violated immigration law by discriminating against people based on their nationality when it comes to issuing visas and by failing to demonstrate that their entry would hurt American interests.

The president's order did not tie citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to terrorist organizations or identify them as contributors to 'active conflict,' the court said. It also did not provide any link between their nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism.

'In short, the order does not provide a rationale explaining why permitting entry of nationals from the six designated countries under current protocols would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,' the ruling said.

The judges pointed to a June 6 tweet by Trump saying the order was aimed at 'dangerous countries.'

That helped demonstrate that he was not assessing whether the roughly 180 million citizens of the six countries had ties to terrorism, they said.

Because of the conflict with immigration law, the judges said they didn't need to consider whether it also violated the Constitution's prohibition on the government favoring or disfavoring any religion. The 4th Circuit found the policy unconstitutional on that basis.

The White House predicted a win at the Supreme Court.

'Frankly, I think any lawyer worth their salt 100 percent agrees that the president's fully within his rights and his responsibilities to do what is necessary to protect the country,' spokesman Sean Spicer said.

Trump's suspension of the U.S. refugee program also remains blocked. The 9th Circuit said he was required to consult with Congress in setting the number of refugees allowed into the country in a given year and that he could not decrease it midyear. The refugee program is not at issue in the 4th Circuit case.

Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said the new ruling proved that 'our system of checks and balances, enshrined in the Constitution for more than 225 years, remains in place.'

Trump issued his initial travel ban on a Friday in late January, bringing chaos and protests to airports around the country. A Seattle judge blocked its enforcement nationwide in response to a lawsuit by Washington state - a decision that was unanimously upheld by a different three-judge 9th Circuit panel.

The president then rewrote his executive order rather than appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court at that time. The new version, designed to better withstand legal scrutiny, named six countries instead of seven - dropping Iraq - and spelled out more of a national security rationale.

It also listed some reasons that travelers from those nations might be granted waivers allowing them into the U.S. despite the policy.

Several states and civil rights groups also challenged the revised ban, saying it remained rooted in discrimination and exceeded the president's authority.

In March, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii blocked the new version from taking effect, citing what he called 'significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus' in Trump's campaign statements.

The 9th Circuit on Monday narrowed Watson's ruling in some minor ways, allowing the administration to conduct an internal review of its vetting procedures for refugees and visa applicants.
The White House is actively distancing President Trump from a friend's claim that the Oval Office occupant has considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump press secretary, Sean Spicer, and his deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, refused to back up Ruddy's assertion in statements, articulating in their comments that Newsmax CEO does not speak for the president.

'Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment,' Spicer said in a Monday evening email to reporters.

The Trump spokesman's response to the buzz ruffled Ruddy's feathers. He advised Spicer in a statement to focus on defending the president from 'flim-flam Russian allegations' and stop trying to 'undermine' him.

The White House is actively distancing President Trump from a friend's claim that the Oval Office occupant has considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller. Sean Spicer's response to the buzz ruffled Ruddy's feathers. He's seen in the Oval Office with Trump in a picture he tweeted on March 1

In trying to protect the president, Trump's team undercut Ruddy's credibility.

Spicer did not immediately respond to an email asking if he had the president's permission to respond to his friend's claims in that way.

Like Trump, Ruddy, the president's friend of 20 years, often travels to Palm Beach, where the Trump owns a resort.

Ruddy was at Mar-A-Lago with Trump and the Japanese prime minister in February. He tweeted a picture of himself in the Oval with Trump a few weeks later. Just yesterday, he was seen leaving the White House.

The media mogul has not been shy about his relationship with Trump. He frequently talks about the president and his access to him. Ruddy has emerged as one of Trump's staunchest defenders outside the administration on television and in the media.

He told C-SPAN Tuesday that he would not reveal something publicly he heard from him, however, unless he had Trump's permission.

'I've known the man for 20 years. I've known him very well for the past 10 years,' Ruddy said.

'I think he's an incredible guy that has done, not only remarkable things in his career, but this is a guy that in his first six months in office has reset the needle for a president like no other president in history. Nobody's talking about any of these achievements.'

Trump had not commented on the Mueller controversy as of Tuesday afternoon. He ignored shouted questions from the press during a luncheon with Republican senators.

He may have been referring to it in tweets on Tuesday morning that blasted the 'fake news media' for 'incorrect stories' they have not apologized for, however.

Stories on his interest in getting rid of Robert Mueller, who's acting as special counsel at the Department of Justice, were circulating online and on air at the time of his tweets.

The chatter stemmed Ruddy's Monday evening statement on PBS that Trump was 'considering perhaps' a termination of Mueller, a friend of James Comey's and his FBI predecessor.

'I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option,' Ruddy said.

He pointed to Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow's comment on a Sunday show that Trump 'is a unitary executive' and it's not for him to say what Trump would do with Mueller as evidence that the president was considering his options.

'I think it's pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently,' he stated on PBS.

Like Trump, Ruddy, the president's friend of 20 years, often travels to Palm Beach, where the Trump owns a resort. The media mogul has not been shy about his relationship with the US president

Ruddy never said that Trump told him he was thinking of canning Mueller personally, but it came off that way. News outlets ran with it, and the White House soon had a firestorm on its hands.

The conservative media proprietor had been sighted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue earlier in the day.

He clarified after the interview that he did not talk to Trump directly about the matter after the White House press shop poured cold water on his comments.

'Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment,' Spicer said.

Huckabee Sanders told CNN: 'Chris speaks for himself.'

A senior White House official told Politico that Ruddy met with top aides to the president while he was at the White House.

'I wouldn't take it too seriously,' an official said of the speculation that Trump could fire Mueller.

Ruddy fired back in a statement of his own that he sent to Politico.

'Spicer issued a bizarre late night press release that a) doesn't deny my claim the President is considering firing Mueller and b) says I didn't speak to the President about the matter -- when I never claimed to have done so.

'Memo to Sean: focus your efforts on exposing the flim-flam Russian allegations against POTUS and highlighting his remarkable achievements! Don't waste time trying to undermine one of your few allies.'

He told Fox News, 'While I am not claiming the president said it to me, I am confident of my sourcing. He is definitely considering it as an option.'

Trump had not commented on the Mueller controversy as of Tuesday afternoon. He ignored shouted questions from the press during a luncheon with Republican senators

The president has been besieged by claims that his associates may have colluded with the Russians to help him win the presidential election. White House and administration officials have also been accused of having inappropriate contact with representatives of the Kremlin before Trump was inaugurated.

The House, Senate and the FBI, which passed its case on to Mueller, have been looking into the allegations. Trump's firing of the FBI director, Comey, in May fanned the flames.

A small, but loud, group of Democrats want Trump impeached. Reps. Al Green and Brad Sherman have been banging the drum.

Legal experts are conflicted over whether Comey's testimony in hearing last week, during which he accused the Trump administration of lying about him and the FBI to justify his firing, rises to the level of obstruction of justice.

Top-ranking Democrats say they are waiting for Mueller and the respective committees on Capitol Hill to conclude their investigations before they take a position.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify about his contact with the Russians when was a surrogate for Trump and a US senator this afternoon. He has recused himself from the Department of Justice's Russia probe and all other matters pertaining to the 2016 election.

He's said to be on the outs with Trump over the recusal, which the president reportedly sees as a precursor to Mueller's appointment as special counsel.
This is the moment a 15ft great white shark left a group of fishermen hanging on for dear life when it bit their boat's motor.

Darcy Russell, 20, and cousin Andrew Russell, 31, filmed the close encounter with the fearless fish after it slammed the vessel with its tail off the coast of Port MacDonnell, South Australia, on Saturday.

In the footage, the spooked fishermen watched on as the monster animal spends 10 minutes repeatedly circling their boat before gnawing the outboard motor.

This is the moment a 15ft great white shark left a group of fishermen hanging on for dear life when it bit their boat's motor

The fishermen filmed the close encounter with the fearless fish after it slammed the vessel with its tail

Darcy, an apprentice cabinet maker from Coleraine, Victoria, said they were trying to catch gummy sharks when they spotted the man-eater eyeballing them.

'We were sitting there and when we put the bait in the water this big dark shape came up to the back of the boat and came straight at us.'

He estimated it was about 4.5m long and weighed over 400kg.

'It was circling and swimming slowly around the boat for at least 10 minutes, but it felt a lot longer. At one stage it started biting the motor at the back of the boat and chewing it - it left marks.

He said it looked curious in nature, but if he fell in he didn't like his chances.

'I think the shark was curious, but it was dangerous. If one of us had fallen in the water I don't think we would have had much chance. If it got hold of you, you would not last very long.

The spooked fishermen can be heard exclaiming 'holy f**k' as the monster animal spends 10 minutes repeatedly circling their boat before gnawing the outboard motor

They estimated the monster shark was about 4.5m long and weighed over 400kg

Mr Russel was fishing with Andrew, Andrew's girlfriend Dani McKinnon and his dad Colin Russell when the gargantuan great white appeared at about 1pm.

After the shark eventually left the area two fishermen in boats Darcy said were smaller than the animal appeared before swiftly retreating when they heard what was lurking in the water.

'I wasn't scared, more in shock really and really excited - I never thought I would get to see a great white shark up so close at all,' Darcy said.

'But Dani was petrified - she has already said she will never go surfing in this area again.

'I had always hoped to see a shark in the wild but didn't expect to see it so up close like that.'
Russian President Vladimir Putin is deploying his new state-of-the-art Buk-M3 missile defense system in eastern Siberia in response to concerns over war breaking out in North Korea.

The move follows a warning by US defense secretary Jim Mattis this week that Kim Jong Un's regime is the world's 'most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security'.

The Buk-M3 has no match among Western armaments, according to Moscow, which has expressed 'profound concern' over recent North Korean missile launches which 'serve to heighten tensions', with US warships already on patrol in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is deploying his new state-of-the-art Buk-M3 missile defense system in eastern Siberia

Putin's (pictured) follows a warning by US defense secretary Jim Mattis this week that Kim Jong Un's regime is the world's 'most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security'

Deployment of the highly mobile, multifunctional mid-range air defence missile system will be in Ulan-Ude, capital of the Republic of Buryatia, a mainly Buddhist region close to Lake Baikal in Siberia.

The Buk-M3 is seen as countering cruise missiles, theatre ballistic missiles, aircrafts and helicopters, and this is its first deployment in the east of the country.

Reports today citing informed military experts said the deployment was 'a precaution in case situation in the Korean peninsula escalates'.

Russia has already bolstered its military readiness in the country's far east, where it shares land and sea borders with North Korea.

Expert Vasily Kashin, from the Institute of the Far East, said: 'Re-arming the air missile defence brigade in Ulan-Ude will become another guarantee in case of escalation in the Korean peninsula.

Deployment of the highly mobile, multifunctional mid-range air defence missile system will be in Ulan-Ude, capital of the Republic of Buryatia, a mainly Buddhist region close to Lake Baikal in Siberia

The Buk-M3 is seen as countering cruise missiles, theatre ballistic missiles, aircrafts and helicopters, and this is its first deployment in the east of the country

While Ulan-Ude is some 2130 miles west from the Russian border with North Korea, experts say the Buk-M3 can be swiftly relocated in the even of a rise in tension

'The brigade can be relocated (further) east and used to cover administrative and industrial centres from possible missile or aviation attack.'

Training will go on for two months after which the Buk-M3 'will be fully prepared for combat missions'.

An earlier Soviet-era version of the Buk was used from a pro-Moscow rebel-held region of eastern Ukraine to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

'The Buk-M3 can fire 20 seconds after stopping. In fact, it almost fires on the move,' stated official Kremlin newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

'A transporter-loader vehicle from which it can also be fired, simultaneously carries 12 launch containers with missiles.

Russia has already bolstered its military readiness in the country's far east, where it shares land and sea borders with North Korea

An earlier Soviet-era version of the Buk was used from a pro-Moscow rebel-held region of eastern Ukraine to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board

'The Buk-M3 is able to destroy strategic and tactical aviation aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, guided aircraft bombs, and other flying objects.

'It can fire at surface and ground radio-contrast targets, that is, to be used as a tactical guided missile.

'It passed tests at the Kapustin Yar range before the first brigade set of the Buk-M3 was put into the field.'

Head of arms-maker Almaz-Antey Concern, Yuriy Beliy, said: 'There is no rival for Buk-M3 system in terms of combat effectiveness among mobile mid-range systems.'

The new Buk systems can attack up to 36 targets moving at a speed of up to 3,000 metres per second simultaneously at a distance from 1.5 to 45 miles and altitudes of up to 22 miles.

While Ulan-Ude is some 2130 miles west from the Russian border with North Korea, experts say the Buk-M3 can be swiftly relocated in the even of a rise in tension.
A woman claiming she was a friend of Andrea Constand at Temple University - who the defense was not permitted to call on the grounds that her testimony constituted hearsay - has issued a statement claiming that Constand shared with her an idea that she could report having been drugged and sexually assaulted by a high profile person in order to file a civil suit and make money.

Marguerite Jackson is employed by Temple University and has been for the past 30 years as a student advisor. In that capacity she claimed to have worked closely with Constand.

In the statement which Jackson sent to the Cosby team in November when she offered herself as a witness she wrote: As a function of my position, I would travel with the team occasionally.

On each occasion Andrea and I would share a hotel room. Although I cannot recall the specific year, there was an occasion, I traveled with the team of Rhode Island.

'During our stay Andrea and I shared a room, I recall the television was on. We were watching the news.

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Cosby walks up to the court house in Montgomery County with his spokes person Andrew Wyatt on second day of jury deliberations

Constand sat in court listening once more to Cosbys words from his deposition being read. Earlier she had embraced prosecutor Kristin Fedin and appeared in a relaxed and upbeat mood

There was a story of a high profile individual who was accused of drugging women and sexually assaulting them.

According to Jackson the story peaked Andreas interest. She told me that something similar had happened to her. I was shocked. I asked her if she had filed charges. She said she hadnt.

When questioned further Constand claimed that she had not pressed charges because the person who had drugged and sexually assaulted her was also high profile.

But when pressed, Jackson stated, Constand backtracked and admitted to having made the story up.

Her response was that it had not happened but she could say it happened and file charges , filed a civil suit, get the money, go to school and open a business.

Constand has publicly denied knowing Jackson and when the defense attempted to bring her into their cross examination the lawyer was told by Judge ONeill to move on as Constand repeatedly told her she did not know or recall who she was talking about.

Marguerite Jackson is employed by Temple University and has been for the past 30 years as a student advisor. In that capacity she claimed to have worked closely with Constand

Speaking outside Courtroom A, Andrew Wyatt, spokesman for Cosby described the decision to not allow Jackson to testify as unfair.

He said, 'We want to let the public know, and let the world known that Andrea Constand was untruthful, and that she perjured herself on the stand."

Wyatt explained that Jackson reached out to the Cosby camp while on a cruise ship last Nov., 'talking to two comedians, and said she knew someone who was possibly setting up Bill Cosby.'

He said, Youre talking about a fair and balanced trial here. Its expected.'

Wyatt added that Cosby is doing good, his spirits are up, and we believe this jury is highly intelligent.

He said,'They're seeing the bigger picture, and they understand this is somebody's life on the line. Forget the celebrity part.'

Meanwhile, the sequestered jury deciding Bill Cosbys fate has broken at the end of the second day of their deliberations without reaching a verdict.

At 9.20pm Judge Steven ONeill dismissed the jury for the day after a total of 16 hours of deliberation which began yesterday afternoon and will continue again in the morning.

Dismissing the jury ONeill urged people not to read anything into the break in deliberations. He told the court: The jury are exhausted. This only shows at this point that you are conscientiously engaging in the deliberation process. And it is an exhausting work and the day has to come to an end. Read nothing into it.

The jury asked to review evidence relating to the bag of pills that Cosby brought, unsolicited, to an interview with 3 detectives and which he attended flanked by his three lawyers in 2005

The jury have queried the judge several times.

At 3.45pm the jury asked for Detective Dave Mason of the Durham, Ontario Police Departments testimony regarding Constands first account of the incident the night that she reported it on January 13, 2005.

It is a question read by many as indicating that the jury - who have already asked questions pertaining to the issue of consent - are wrestling with reconciling the inconsistencies in Constands various accounts as they hash out the key issue of her credibility.

In that account Constand claimed that she had been at a dinner with Cosby and other people in a local restaurant the night of the alleged assault. She said that she had returned to his home following the evening and that they were alone in the kitchen when he offered her pills to help her relax.

She said she asked if they were herbal and he told her yes and that almost immediately after ingesting them she felt dizzy and her legs felt like jelly.

In that first account she related losing consciousness and waking to feel something foreign inside her. Sergeant Mason also asked Constand why she had waited until then to report the incident and she said that she felt embarrassed and was very aware of Cosbys standing in the community.

Mason stated that Constand appeared nervous but not upset when he interviewed her and that she also said that her interest in a career in sports broadcasting played a part in her decision to keep the incident private until then.

This morning when jurors returned to the courtroom they listened for close to an hour as Judge ONeill read the lengthy portion that essentially covered every aspect of Cosbys relationship with Constand, the night of the alleged incident and his own habit of taking Benadryl to help him sleep.

They heard once more Cosbys admission to having a romantic interest in Constand from first meeting her through the account of the night of the alleged incident and how and why he gave Constand the pills that he told her were three friends.

They heard Cosby telling lawyers that the night was romantic and claiming to have brought Constand to orgasm before urging her to take a nap as she had complained of her inability to sleep and relax.

The sections also included Cosbys explanations of the pills he had given unsolicited to investigating officers - a green blood pressure pill, a white homeopathic pill and a pink Benadryl - as well as his own habit of taking Benadryl to help him sleep.

Constand sat in court listening once more to Cosbys words being read. Earlier she had embraced prosecutor Kristin Fedin and appeared in a relaxed and upbeat mood as she sat alongside Detective Richard Schaffer who has been in court throughout

At 11.20am the jury asked a second question asking the judge to define what without her knowledge means in the context of the count 3 in aggravated sexual assault charge: Lack of Consent.

Judge ONeill called the jury back in to tell them that he was not permitted to define any further terms and that it is up to the jury what that means.

The issue is a crucial one as Constand and Cosbys accounts corroborate each other to the extent that both state that Cosby gave her three blue pills, to help her relax. And that she took them there and then.

Constand claimed that she asked Cosby Are they herbal? and that he nodded yes. But in Cosbys account he said that she inspected the pills before taking them but did not ask what they were.

The question that the jury appears to be deliberating is whether or not Cosbys account would still constitute lack of knowledge, given that Constand did not know what they were albeit because - in his version - she did not ask.

At 7:35 on Monday evening the jury were back in Courtroom A having returned with a question given to the judge at 7.13 p.m.

Judge ONeill read: Can we see from Mr Cs testimony the part where he called the pills his friends we need to see the whole context?

By way of answer the judge read the relevant section of Cosbys deposition and the preceding and following paragraphs when he spoke about the night of the alleged incident and giving Andrea the pills.

He said: She sat with her back to the kitchen well which is the door the door wallour conv at that time was about concentration was about I dont remember that clearly what it was fully about

But we talked and there was talk of tension yes about relaxation and Andrea trying to learn to relax the shoulders the head etc

And I went upstairs and went into my pack and broke one in half and took another half and brought them down and said to her Your friends. I have three friends for you to make you relax.

Cosby's lawyer Brian McMonagle (left) and Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele (right) went head to head on Monday as they presented their closing argument

So you brought two and a half pills? he was asked.

Cosby answered, Broke one in half and another half which would be one and a half.

When asked why he would break the pills he said because they were long.

At 9.30 p.m. the jury was dismissed after spending 13 hours in the courtroom in a day that saw the brief defense, closing statements, instruction and the reading of charges before they began deliberations.

Their final act was to ask another question which Judge ONeill was an easy one that he would answer in the morning.

They asked to review evidence relating to the bag of pills that Cosby brought, unsolicited, to an interview with 3 detectives and which he attended flanked by his three lawyers in 2005.

The bag contained one pink, one green and one white pill. The pink one was Benadryl - a fact that Detective James Reape had told jurors he found odd as it was just 10 days after Cosby told police that he still had the same packet of the medication as the one from which he had taken the pills he gave Constand. Yet the pills he gave her were blue.

The jury has retired to consider their verdict after a day of breathtaking pace in Montgomery County Courthouse in which closing statements given and the jury instructed after the defense mounted a case that lasted just six minutes.

Judge ONeill read his instructions advising the jurors that their task was one of considerable importance.

He told them to apply the law as Ive given you [it] and the facts as you find them. Emotion, he reminded them had no place in their deliberations, which must be impartial without sympathy, bias or concern of penalty should the verdict, be guilty.

Cosby sat in solemn contemplation as ONeill spoke. With all the show - all the argument, evidence and activity of the trial - now over all that is left between him and a verdict is time.

He stroked his chin, placed his hand partially across his face and then he simply listened as Judge ONeill read.

He reminded them that they had to judge the credibility of witnesses and they should call upon their common sense as men and women of the world.

The burden was on the Commonwealth to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt he said - not beyond all doubt. They did not have to prove it as a mathematical certainty. And whatever the jury decide their verdict must be unanimous.




This was one python who clearly had eyes too big for its belly.

After devouring a deer whole, the greedy snake realised he had bitten off more than he could chew.

In a graphic video, captured by astonished onlookers, the reptile decides he has had enough - and tries to throw it back up again.

The clip begins with the snake's mouth straining wide open with a suspicious lump in its middle.

It twists its body round and it attempts to shift the animal through his lengthy body.

But it is no easy feat - as it takes around two minutes before the deceased deer is regurgitated out onto the ground.

The ravenous python devoured a deer whole near the Reliance Tower close to Sawantwadi, Konkan in India.

This was one python who clearly had eyes too big for its belly. After devouring a deer whole, the greedy snake realised he had bitten off more than he could chew

In a graphic video, captured by astonished onlookers, the reptile decides he has had enough - and tries to throw it back up again

However, when the villagers poked the snake with sticks, it regurgitated the buck and slithered away.

Yesterday morning, the snake attacked a deer near a stream and after a brief struggle, it wolfed the entire animal down whole.

After a brief struggle, the snake gulped down the deer and lay down, with its massively expanded midsection, to digest the meal.

But it soon realise it had taken off more than he could eat and went into a food coma.

Villagers prodded the reptile to see if it was still alive which prompted it to vomit the meal back up.

The ravenous python devoured a deer whole near the Reliance Tower close to Sawantwadi, Konkan in India
Verizon Communications Inc said on Tuesday it closed its $4.48 billion acquisition of Yahoo Inc's core business and that Marissa Mayer, chief executive of the internet company, had resigned.

Mayer will receive a $23million severance package, according to an earlier filing, as well as $186million in stock options.

'Given the inherent changes to my role, I'll be leaving the company,' Mayer wrote in an email to the company obtained by CNN.

'However, I want all of you to know that I'm brimming with nostalgia, gratitude and optimism.'

'Verizon wishes Mayer well in her future endeavors,' the company said in a statement.

Although Mayer's five years as CEO of Yahoo were marred with failure, she'll still leave the company with hundreds of millions of dollars.

Verizon said Tuesday it closed its $4.48 billion acquisition of Yahoo and that Marissa Mayer (above), chief executive of the internet company, had resigned

Mayer will receive a $23million severance package, according to an earlier filing, as well as $186million in stock options. Yahoo headquarters in Sunnyvale, California is seen in the above stock image

According to documents on the Verizon deal given to Yahoo shareholders in April, Mayer will leave the company with about $186million in stock, the New York Times reports.

That's not counting the salary and bonuses she's received in the past five years, or the $23million severance she'll get when the company sells, CNN reports.

In total, Mayer will have netted more than $200million, the Times reported, using information from company filings.

The No. 1 US wireless operator is rebranding AOL and Yahoo as part of a new venture called Oath, led by AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong.

Oath's more than 50 brands include HuffPost, TechCrunch and Tumblr.

Verizon, the No. 1 US wireless operator, is rebranding AOL and Yahoo as part of a new venture called Oath, led by AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong

The closing of the deal, announced in July, had been delayed as the companies assessed the fallout from two data breaches that Yahoo disclosed last year.

On June 16, Yahoo will be renamed as Altaba Inc, a holding company whose primary assets will be its 15.5 percent stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and a 35.5 percent holding in Yahoo Japan Corp.

Thomas McInerney, a Yahoo board member, will become Altaba's chief executive officer.

In March, the Justice Department announced that it would charge two Russian intelligence agents and a pair of hired hackers for allegedly orchestrating a devastating criminal breach at Yahoo that affected at least a half billion user accounts.

In a scheme that prosecutors say blended intelligence gathering with old-fashioned financial greed, the four men targeted the email accounts of Russian and US government officials, Russian journalists and employees of financial services and other private businesses, US officials said.

Using in some cases a technique known as 'spear-phishing' to dupe Yahoo users into thinking they were receiving legitimate emails, the hackers broke into at least 500 million accounts in search of personal information and financial data such as gift card and credit card numbers, prosecutors said.

Yahoo didn't disclose the breach until last September when it began notifying hundreds of millions of users that their email addresses, birth dates, answers to security questions and other personal information may have been stolen.

Three months later, Yahoo revealed it had uncovered a separate hack in 2013 affecting about 1 billion accounts, including some that were also hit in 2014.

The Justice Department's assertion that the Russian intelligence officials were directing the hacking likely provides political and legal cover for Yahoo, which saw its multibillion-dollar deal with Verizon teeter after it was forced to warn consumers that their private information might have been exposed.

Companies are more likely to be blamed for security incompetence when their networks are compromised by thieves or wayward teenagers than when they become the targets of sophisticated espionage carried out by foreign governments.
Theresa Mays top aides are set to take pay-offs of at least 35,000 each after bowing to pressure from senior Tories and resigning over the election campaign.

Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill earned 140,000 a year  almost the double the salary of MPs  and will keep severance payments already handed to them at the start of the campaign.

The joint chiefs of staff  notoriously disliked across Whitehall  had faced fierce criticism over their role in the disastrous campaign, which saw the party lose its overall majority.

Miss Hill was seen as one of the PMs closest confidants having spent four years working for Mrs May in the Home Office.

Nick Timothy, right, and Fiona Hill, left, earned 140,000 a year as top aides to Theresa May, centre, and now look set to receive 35,000 payouts after resigning following the election, despite being slammed for their roles in the 'disastrous' campaign

The pair, pictured inside No. 10 Downing Street, quit on Saturday after being blamed for problems with the Tory manifesto

Mr Timothy, who joined the Tories at 17 and was thought of as fiercely anti-establishment, also advised Mrs May when she was at the Home Office.

The pair resigned on Saturday after being blamed for the disastrous Tory manifesto which included the hurriedly introduced dementia tax without consultation.

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, is understood to have expressed his frustration with the pairs attitude to government in a phone call to Mrs May on Friday morning.

They are replaced by Gavin Barwell, the former housing minister who was one of the MPs to lose his seat at the general election on Thursday.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon made clear he was one of the ministers who backed their departure.

He said he welcomed changes in personnel in Number 10, adding: Its going to require a different approach.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr show: Were going to see, I hope, more collective decision making in the Cabinet.

Special advisers have their employment effectively terminated when a general election is called. At this point they are then entitled to a severance payment which is calculated depending on their time in employment.

Tory ministers including Philip Hammond and Sir Michael Fallon are said to have backed the resignation of Ms Hill and Mr Timothy, pictured

If they are reappointed as a special adviser then they have to repay their severance pay minus the amount of salary they would have been paid had they been employed during the election period.

When they are not reappointed, they keep the severance payment.

Those who have their contract terminated during their first year of service are entitled to three months pay. For each additional completed year of service, a special adviser is entitled to another months pay, subject to an overall maximum of six months pay.

Hill and Timothy had only been employed in Downing Street for less than a year but it is not clear if their time in the Home Office was taken into account.

At a minimum, they were handed 35,000  although in reality the figure could be much higher.

The Cabinet Office refused to clarify which rules applied.

Their resignations came after a former aide to the PM said they had created a toxic environment in Downing Street.

Katie Perrior, who quit her role as director of communications in April after 10 months, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that Mrs May should have broadened her trusted circle.

Asked if the pair bullied and badly treated Cabinet ministers, Miss Perrior said on Saturday: I think so.

I think there was not enough respect shown to people who had spent 20 years in office or 20 years getting to the top seat in government.

I felt sending people rude text messages were unacceptable.

I felt what the Prime Minister needs when youre going through a tough time like negotiating Brexit is diplomats, not street fighters.

The pair, pictured leaving Conservative Party headquarters last week, were also accused of 'bullying' Cabinet ministers

They are replaced by Gavin Barwell, pictured, the former housing minister who was one of the MPs to lose his seat at the general election on Thursday

Their departure would leave the PM humiliated and alone, according to Joey Jones, Mrs Mays former spokesman.

He told PoliticsHome: Theresa May without Nick and Fi will be a hollowed out figure. Already she has no power, she has no authority.

Humiliated and alone, she faces the prospect of being held, a prisoner to her Conservative colleagues, a hostage in Downing Street until they tell her it is time to leave.

Mr Barwell is widely liked by Conservative colleagues, in contrast to his predecessors.

Of Mr Barwell, Theresa May said on Saturday: He has been a first-class minister and is widely respected. He will bring considerable experience of the party to the post.

As I said yesterday, I want to reflect on the election and why it did not deliver the result I hoped for.

Gavin will have an important role to play in that. I look forward to working with him.

Labour MPs ridiculed the move, with Steve Reed, MP for Croydon North, tweeting: Congrats to Gavin Barwell on his new job at No10, but since he couldnt even save his seat doubt he can save weak and wobbly Theresa either.
Commuters in London were left terrified yesterday after a man reportedly told a packed train he 'knew people from ISIS' and 'had a gun'.

Onlookers claim the man boarded the London Overground train travelling for Richmond and started shouting at passengers when it stopped at Canonbury station.

He claimed his 'cousin was one of the bombers in the Manchester attack' before telling shocked passengers he had a weapon, one witness said.

Commuters shuffled towards the doors before the driver let everyone off and the police arrived, a passenger told MailOnline.

British Transport Police confirmed they arrested a 27-year-old man following the incident and he remains in police custody while enquiries continue.

Armed police swooped on a London station yesterday and arrested a man who a witness said was claiming 'I know people from ISIS'

A commuter, on his way to work a night shift at John Lewis, filmed armed officers arresting the man and admitted passengers were left 'scared'.

A video shows the man lying on the floor with his arms out while more police arrive, and a second clip shows the arrested man with his arms behind his back.

The eyewitness claimed: 'I got on the train to go to work and he was already on there. He was in the middle of the carriage shouting at people.

'He was saying "I've got a gun". He was saying "Watch out what I'm going to do to you if you say anything".

'He was being racist too shouting "the white people in this country don't work" and he said "only the Eastern Europeans do work here".

'He was shouting and saying one of his cousins was one of the bombers in the Manchester attack.

'He was shouting "I know all about ISIS" and "I know people from ISIS". He was shouting all this abusive stuff. People were moving away from him slowly.'

The man was ordered onto the ground and arrested. Police say no gun was found at the scene

The witness added: 'The train stopped and the doors opened again and the driver came on and said "we've got a technical problem if you want to get off and get some fresh air, please do so".

'As soon as the doors opened everyone rushed out onto the platform. He came out too and he was still shouting the same stuff.

'The police arrived really fast. Six or seven of them with big guns came on to the platform and told him to get out the train.

'He carried on shouting. They told him to get on the floor and to put his legs together and all that and arrested him.

'I've got to be honest, I was kind of scared. I got off that train as soon as I could.'

The incident unfolded at Canonbury station, north London yesterday evening

The train was delayed at the overground station for around 20 or 30 minutes while police took details from staff and passengers, the witness said.

British Transport Police are appealing for information.

A spokesman said: 'Just before 9.30pm yesterday evening, officers were called to Canonbury London Overground station following reports of a man stating he had a gun.

'Specialist firearms officers from BTP attended the scene and a 27-year-old man from Enfield was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.

'No firearm was recovered during the arrest. The man remains in police custody whilst enquiries continue.'
Police are David James Grundy after his partner was found in a pool of blood

A British mother is fighting for her life after her daughter found her with a large knife plunged into her lower back in the Spanish holiday coast of Costa Blanca.

Police are searching for the partner of Nicola Anne Walker Houghton, 41, who was discovered lying in a pool of blood at a villa complex in Orihuela Costa, south of Alicante.

Ms Houghton, who is reported to have been sharing a villa with fellow Briton David James Grundy, 53, was found at around 9am.

She was rushed to hospital in a 'very grave' condition.

The paramilitary Civil Guard later said they are treating the incident as a case of domestic violence and are seeking her partner.

Nicola Anne Walker Houghton, 41, was discovered lying in a pool of blood at a villa complex in Orihuela Costa (file photo), south of Alicante

A British mother is fighting for her life after her daughter found her with a large knife plunged into her lower back in Costa Blanca (file photo)

Local media said that Grundy was believed to be a taxi driver though it is not immediately known where in the UK the couple are from.

It is not clear whether the couple live permanently at the villa or were visiting Spain.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's military and several Zanu-PF heavyweights have reportedly "invaded" parts of a farm where one of the leading agricultural training institutes in southern Africa, Blackfordby College of Agriculture, is situated.According to The Independent, the college had reportedly rented some of its land to a white farmer, Pip Madison, who was producing tobacco, maize, coconut and wheat, among other crops.Some of the college land was also being used for practicals by students."The college was simply told that the farm was going to be subdivided because it was too big for the school. They said the fact that a white farmer occupied part of the land showed that the land was too big for the school's business," an unnamed source was quoted as saying.Blackfordby, which occupied 1 350 hectares in Mashonaland Central province and owned by Tetrad Investment Bank under provisional judicial management, was well known in the region for training agricultural experts.Parts of the land was already occupied by some of Zanu-PF heavyweights and the military, the report said.There were concerns that equipment worth thousands of dollars could be seized from the tertiary institution, the report said.This came less than a week after President Robert Mugabe said that the last remaining white commercial farmers should be removed from their properties because most Zimbabweans were in need of land.The nonagenarian said this recently while addressing thousands of his ruling Zanu-PF party supporters in the farming town of Marondera, about 80km east of the capital Harare."We told (former British premier) Tony Blair to keep his England and we keep our Zimbabwe because land is our heritage. We have discovered that in Mashonaland East province alone... there are 73 white commercial farmers who are still occupying some farms when our people do not have land," Mugabe said.Thousands of white commercial farmers and their employees were displaced and left without sources of income during the fast-tracked agrarian reforms that were masterminded by Mugabe's administration in 2000.According to the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, more than 4000 white farmers were affected by the often violent farm invasions.Some of the white farmers that were kicked out of their properties during the agrarian reforms have now set base in neighbouring countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
A passenger has sued Delta Airline after he was pricked by a needle left in a seat pocket that allegedly forced him to take HIV tests.

Gabriel Ybarra, from California, filed a lawsuit claiming the incident occurred when he was flying from Los Angeles to Atlanta in 2015.

The land surveyor said he reached into the seat pocket to fetch his wallet when he was struck by the needle on his middle finger.

In the court filing, seen by TMZ, he said his finger started bleeding and his life 'flashed in front of him'.

Gabriel Ybarra has sued Delta Airline after he was pricked by a needle in the seat pocket in front of him

Following the incident in 2015, Ybarra said he went for further checks at hospital and apparently had to take powerful medicines to make sure he didn't contract any infection, such as HIV.

In the lawsuit he alleged he became ill in the following months. He suffered dizziness, headaches, body aches and 'explosive diarrhea'.

He also claimed he couldn't carry out 'his duties as a husband to his wife for months.'

It was unclear where the lawsuit was filed.

MailOnline have approached Delta Air for a comment.

The passenger was flying from Los Angeles (pictured) to Atlanta when his finger started bleeding after striking it on a needle

The incident is the latest in a series of public relations problems for the airline.

Last month, a family claimed they were booted off a Delta flight for refusing to give up a child's seat.

A crew member could be heard telling them: 'This is a federal offence and then you and your wife will be in jail and your kids will be in foster care.'

Delta said it was 'sorry for the unfortunate experience' and would compensate the family.

A week earlier, video footage emerged showing passenger Kima Hamilton, a DJ and poet, being told he had to get off a plane because he used the bathroom during a tarmac delay.

The company also attracted negative headlines when an agent was filmed allegedly smacking a 12-year-old boy's phone out of his hands after he filmed her in New York's La Guardia giving excuses for a 17-hour flight delay.
Rolling Stone has agreed to pay a fraternity $1.65million to settle a defamation lawsuit against the magazine for a story about a horror gang rape that was later debunked.

The University of Virginia chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, which announced the settlement on Tuesday, had sought $25million in damages for the discredited 2014 story 'A Rape On Campus'.

A police investigation found no evidence to back up the harrowing account of the woman identified in the story only as 'Jackie.'

The fraternity said in a statement that its members were glad to put the 'ordeal' behind them.

Rolling Stone's 2014 story about a gang rape on the University of Virginia campus was later discredited. The magazine has settled a defamation suit filed by the fraternity

The University of Virginia chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity said its members were glad to be done with the 'ordeal' that has followed the debunked story

'It has been nearly three years since we, and the entire University of Virginia community, were shocked by the now infamous article, and we are pleased to be able to close the book on that trying ordeal and its aftermath,' the fraternity said.

For Rolling Stone, the settlement closes the final chapter of a lengthy legal saga sparked by the now-infamous story.

The magazine declined to comment.

The story about Jackie's gang rape, by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, set off a firestorm at the University of Virginia and in schools nationwide.

The article crumbled after other news outlets began asking questions and police found no evidence to back up Jackie's claims.

The story was officially retracted in April 2015.

The fraternity's case had been scheduled to go to trial in October.

Sabrina Rubin Erdely wrote the story, which Rolling Stone was later forced to retract

The fraternity said it plans to donate 'a significant portion' of the settlement to groups that provide sexual assault awareness education, prevention training and victim counseling services.

The fraternity claimed that the magazine knew that Jackie was not a reliable source and ignored red flags indicating that her story was flawed.

The reporter did not verify the existence of the alleged ringleader of Jackie's attack or contact others who could have debunked the story.

'Rolling Stone and Erdely had an agenda, and they were recklessly oblivious to the harm they would cause innocent victims in their ruthless pursuit of that agenda,' the fraternity's lawsuit said.

Rolling Stone earlier this year settled another defamation lawsuit filed by university administrator Nicole Eramo after a jury awarded her $3 million.

Lawyers did not provide the settlement dollar amount in that case.

A federal judge in New York last year threw out another lawsuit over the story filed by three former fraternity members.
Christina McCafferty, pictured, is accused of one count of sexual indecency with a child

A female scout leader from Arkansas has been charged with sexual indecency with a child and having images of child sex abuse on her computer.

Christina McCafferty, 38, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the 15-year-old boy who was in her group.

McCafferty is being held in Crittenden County Jail pending payment of a $35,000 bond.

She was arrested on Friday by Marion Police Department following a complaint.

McCafferty, from West Memphis, Arkansas, had previously been removed from her role as den mother for the scout group after concerns were raised about the nature of her relationship with the boy.

According to court documents, McCafferty has been charged with one count of sexual indecency with a child and one count of computer child pornography.

Video courtesy of FOX 13

Speaking to Arkansas Online, Detective Freddy Williams said McCafferty was being investigated 'with reference to contact' with the youngster.

Williams said McCafferty is suspected of being in a 'relationship' with the boy and made 'inappropriate phone calls' to the youngster.

MailOnline has contacted Marion Police

Jail records show McCafferty is being held in custody until she pays a bond of $35,000
A former leader of Islamist extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir says Australian Muslims need to be more active in denouncing radical ideology.

Maajid Nawaz says the pro-Sharia law group he joined when he was 16 is 'ideologically very dangerous'.

The 39-year-old British secular Muslim, who rejects Sharia law, likened their campaign for a global Islamic caliphate to a 'Third Reich for Muslims' which shares the same ideology as ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Scroll down for video

Former Hizb ut-Tahrir leader Maajid Nawaz says Muslims need to say more against extremism

'You don't need to be Muslim to challenge Islamist theocracy though Muslims must also step up to that challenge and not enough is being done currently and they must join with everybody else,' he told the ABC's Lateline program on Tuesday.

'All Australians need to be involved in asserting these secular, democratic values and challenging Islamist extremism.'

Mr Nawaz, who now campaigns against extremism through his Quilliam foundation in London, stopped short of calling for a ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia, even though they are illegal in Germany, The Netherlands and Muslim-majority nations including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

However, he said their political ideology needed to be stigmatised.

'They need to be turned into a taboo a bit like homophobia and racism are taboo,' he said.

Maajid Nawaz told Lateline's Emma Alberici Hizb ut-Tahrir are a 'Third Reich for Muslims'

Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia leader Uthman Badar says ex-Muslims deserved to be killed

'I often say you don't need to be black to challenge racism, you don't need to be gay to challenge homophobia.'

Mr Nawaz, who was jailed in Egypt for five years until 2006 for his role with Hizb ut-Tahrir, said the group operated as a political movement in Western nations like Australia but sought to bring down democratic governments in Muslim majority nations like Turkey.

Attorney-General George Brandis last month decided against banning Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia on the grounds they haven't committed violence and aren't a terrorist group.

However, Daily Mail Australia caught their local spokesman Uthman Badar in March saying ex-Muslims deserved to be killed.

The group also made a controversial video in April which said it was okay for a husband to beat his wife with a small stick.

The Islamist group in May held a conference in Sydney suggesting a future Australian government could put Muslims in concentration camps.
Nathan Saunders sought out ISIS information on how to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks and making homemade bombs

A 'ginger jihadi' who radicalised himself online from his Welsh valleys home has been jailed for more than two years for downloading ISIS terror manuals.

Nathan Saunders, of Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, sought out Islamic State details on how to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks and make homemade bombs.

The 24-year-old has now been sentenced to 28 months in prison at the Old Bailey in London after anti-terror police arrested him in Cardiff in February.

Police said this gave them 'a worrying indication of his mindset at that time' and they were concerned about 'the potential direction of his behaviour'.

Saunders was arrested in a joint investigation by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit and Wales' Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit.

He admitted five charges of possessing a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Saunders has been jailed for 28 months after anti-terror police arrested him in February

Assistant Chief Constable Jon Drake of South Wales Police said: 'Extremism and radicalisation is something that we continue to be constantly vigilant about.

'Saunders was arrested as part of a pre-planned and intelligence-led operation between counter terrorism officers here in Wales and in the North East.

'It is through this effective partnership working that he was apprehended, which prevented him going on to commit even more serious offences and putting the public in danger.'

Saunders was nicknamed the 'Ginger Jihadi' by neighbours in his quiet street.

One person who knew him said: 'As far as we were concerned he was quite normal until he went all weird and grew this big ginger beard. We feel sorry for his family.'
Australian self-service check-outs may soon offer 'human conversation' in a move to combat shoplifting in supermarkets.

Researchers believe the machines may soon offer personal greetings and friendly comments such as 'how is your day going?' to guilt shoplifters out of stealing.

The research, from Queensland's University of Technology, suggests people are less inclined to steal from human staff than machines, reports Herald Sun.

Australian self-service check-outs may soon offer 'human conversation' in a move to combat shoplifting in supermarkets

'We want to look at what happens when you make technology a little bit more human,' researcher Paula Dootson said.

She said the anonymity of the machines means the shoplifter never faced the victim of the crime.

'Another one of the things we could do is moral reminders like a pop-up message such as 'we donated to charity today, thanks for doing your bit'.'

Australian supermarkets do not reveal the scale of self-serve checkout losses.

But NSW Police received over 22,000 reports of shoplifting last financial year.

They vowed to charge shoplifters over thefts as small as $2 as part of a crackdown last October.
A father and son allegedly stole more than 1 million worth of fuel using an underground pipe network.

Roger Gull, 51, and his son Ryan Gull, 28, are accused of setting up an 'impromptu refinery' at Oveney Green Farm, part of the Chevening Estate in Sevenoaks, Kent - the home of Boris Johnson.

When police raided the site in 2014, they found two metal shipping containers, some 21 1,000-litre empty plastic containers and a hose running from a fuel pipeline into a lorry trailer.

Petrol, diesel and aviation fuel was also stolen from the pipeline network across Essex, Hampshire, Northamptonshire and Cheshire over a 17-month period and a storage unit was also set up in Essex.

Roger Gull, 51, (left, outside court) and his son Ryan Gull, 28, (right) are accused of setting up an 'impromptu refinery' at Oveney Green Farm and stealing millions of pounds worth of fuel

Employee Thomas Campbell (pictured ourside court) is allegedly responsible for transporting and selling the fuel

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan told Maidstone Crown Court that Roger Gull was responsible for setting up a number of incursion sites and arranging storage, processing and distribution of the stolen fuel.

His son Ryan is accused of using his position as director of family businesses operating under the Rykel name to launder money from the sales.

Employee Thomas Campbell is allegedly responsible for transporting and selling the fuel.

Millions of litres of fuel was stolen from various 'incursion sites' between June 2013 and November 2014, the court was told.

The overall value along with the cost of repair and clean-up operations was said to run into several million pounds.

The shipping containers were used as a makeshift workshop where red diesel syphoned from the high-pressure pipeline could be identified and tested, the prosecution said.

ESSO Petroleum officers searching for a potential breach of the pipeline identified an incursion on a section at Oveney Green Farm, part of the Chevening Estate (pictured)

The court heard in August 2014 ESSO Petroleum officers were searching for a potential breach of the pipeline and identified an incursion on a section at Oveney Green Farm.

Prosecutor Mr Sullivan said a hose ran along the perimeter of the field for 250 metres and into the compound.

CHEVENING HOUSE Chevening House is a Grade II listed property set in a sprawling estate of gardens, parkland and farms. The sprawling estate comprises 3,000 acres stretching between Sevenoaks and Biggin Hill in Kent. Chevening is owned by a board of trustees but the Prime Minister can nominate either a Cabinet member or a descendant of King George VI to live in the furnished residence. At the time of the alleged fuel theft it was the country residence Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. As Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Boris Johnson is the current nominated resident. Advertisement

The high-pressure, multi-product pipes, which pump 350,000 litres of fuel per hour, were said to have been 'compromised' by the thieves by attaching hydraulic hoses, fitted with pressure gauges and taps.

Initially the hoses ran to buckets buried beneath roadsides and fields which were then emptied into large plastic containers.

Vans with reinforced suspension were used to ferry it away.

However, the prosecutor told the court one unsuccessful theft attempt left a substantial amount of jet fuel leaking into a field in Essex.

So the gang switched to hiring farm land and setting up 'impromptu refineries' in sheds and outbuildings.

The first of these was the one in the grounds of Chevening Estate, where a farm worker later told police he had seen trailers entering and leaving the compound up to twice a day.

Thomas Campbell (left) and Roger Gull (right) outside Maidstone Crown Court

Roger Gull denies conspiracy to steal hydrocarbon oil, possessing criminal property, namely 26,000 cash, on November 20, 2014.

He and his son Ryan, both from Rainham in Essex, also deny two offences of converting criminal property in relation to 50,421 and 67,577 between May and September 2014. The prosecution allege this was money from fuel sales.

Thomas Campbell, 58, from Kilmarnock in Scotland, denies conspiracy to steal hydrocarbon oil.

The court heard Roger Gull had been investigated by revenue and customs officers in 2012 for operating an illegal fuel process plant where red diesel, used for agricultural purposes, was being processed as bio fuel. A financial penalty was imposed.

Two years earlier he was declared bankrupt as a director of Rykel, which operates several businesses including Rykel Van Hire, Rykel Automotive Sales Ltd and Rykel Logistics, and was disqualified from holding a position of directorship for 10 years.

It is also alleged he used an alias of Dave Saunders, and it was in this name the site was rented.

He told the land agents it was for storing company equipment and vehicles while carrying out engineering works on the nearby M25 motorway.

Roger Gull was also identified by the farmworker as the man he sometimes saw as passenger in the lorries at the compound. It is alleged Campbell was the driver.

The trial is expected to last up to five weeks.
Dr Dean Johnson, 52, taught at Charterhouse for 12 years but was forced to resign amid sordid allegations in 2013

A 'fantastic' teacher at the prestigious Charterhouse school is facing a ban from the classroom over allegations he had sex with a teenage pupil.

Dr Dean Johnson, 52, taught at the 36,000-a-year college in Godalming, Surrey, for 12 years but was forced to resign amid disgrace in 2013.

It emerged he had romped with the 18-year-old student while she was still in sixth form.

The relationship came to light when the girl complained to police officers that Johnson had filmed her during sex and an investigation was launched.

However, his reputation was tarnished further when detectives found him in possession of extreme pornography, in 2015.

The films featured women being hanged while men watched and was made by actors in the US.

The popular teacher, educated at both Cambridge and Oxford, was handed an eight-month suspended sentence for the clips.

A tribunal for the National College for Teaching and Leadership heard that he sent his teenage lover explicit messages where he discussed his sexual fantasies.

Dr Johnson also asked what her underwear size was before buying lingerie, including stockings, the Evening Standard reports.

The tribunal heard how the relationship started after the girl touched her teacher's leg during a school meal in 2007, when she was 17.

Kayleigh Brooks, presenting the case, said: 'The college say it was inappropriate to engage with this pupil given the context of what had happened.'

Pictured: The prestigious Charterhouse School in Godalming Surrey, which charges fees of 36,000-a-year

Dr Johnson and the teen carried on with their relationship for five years, but it broke down after she discovered he had been filming their sexual encounters - which led to his eventual arrest for the extreme pornography.

The disciplinary panel ruled his conviction and relationship with his pupil had 'breached teaching standards' and had brought the profession into disrepute.

Divorced father-of-three Dr Johnson, who described himself as a 'fantastic teacher, said: 'There isn't a day or waking hour where I don't reflect on the consequences of this mistake.'

Since his resignation from Charterhouse he has been teaching abroad, with 'some success'.

The tribunal will now recommend banning Dr Johnson from teaching to the Secretary of State for Education.
A Chinese man has been caught keeping more than 500 cats squeezed into tiny cages that he was planning to sell as meat to restaurants for 3 each.

The vendor, known only as Sun, lured people's pet cats and strays using sparrows and caged birds in the city of Jiujiang, Chinese media reported.

Horrified police found hundreds of felines trapped in the back of a small truck, with many of them near death and mewing faintly in the sweltering heat.

A Chinese man has been caught keeping 500 cats squeezed into tiny cages that he was planning to sell as meat to restaurants for 3 each

More cats were found in a nearby hut, where they were crammed into metal cages and were cooled by a ceiling fan to stop them dying in the heat.

Sun had allegedly intended to sell the cats to restaurants in other cities for 30 yuan.

Hong Kong and China have banned the killing of dogs and cats for sale as meat, but have not specifically outlawed consumption.

Sun was arrested on Sunday after a suspicious villager called Mr Yang told police that someone had been stealing his pets, including a mother with five kittens.

He also tipped off officers to the cats being stowed at the hut.

Police said on Sunday that a journalist had told them about a batch of cats meant for sale on a truck.

Horrified police found hundreds of the animals trapped in the back of a small truck, many of them near death and mewing faintly in the sweltering heat

Many more cats were found in a nearby hut, where they were crammed into metal cages and were cooled by a ceiling fan to stop them dying in the heat

After a raid by Danyang city police rescued more than 500 cats, all of them were later released.

It comes as an animal lover who claimed to look after stray cats at home was caught butchering the felines before selling them to restaurants in November.

Sickening images have emerged showing dozens of cats killed, frozen and even decapitated at the man's tiny warehouse in Chengdu, south-west China.

An undercover investigation carried out by the local Chengdu Business Daily revealed that the man, named Huang Fuping, sold the dead cats as rabbits to meat vendors in rural China for 20 yuan per kilogram (2.30).

The authorities seized nearly two tons of feline carcasses. In addition, 49 live cats were rescued.

It comes as an animal lover who claimed to look after stray cats at home was caught butchering the felines before selling them to restaurants in November

Disturbing pictures show piles of feline carcasses stacking up in the warehouse. For the live cats, they were crammed into small cages

The owner of the slaughterhouse had sold 13 tons of cat meat on the same day before the authorities arrived, animal activists said.

Disturbing pictures show piles of feline carcasses stacking up in the warehouse. For the live cats, they were crammed into small cages in the grotty building.

It comes as Taiwan became the first Asian country to completely ban the eating of dog and cat meat.

New laws passed in April outlaw 'the consumption, purchase or possession of dog and cat meat' with a maximum fine of 250,000 New Taiwan dollars ($8,000).

Legislator Wang Yu-min hailed the landmark bill, saying it is a first in Asia and 'shows that Taiwan is a society with advanced animal welfare.'
Juan Thompson, 32, pleaded guilty Tuesday to cyberstalking and making fake bomb threats

A disgraced journalist pleaded guilty on Tuesday to cyberstalking and making fake bomb threats, admitting he threatened Jewish organizations to harass his ex-girlfriend and cause her 'great distress.'

'For this, I deeply apologize,' said Juan Thompson, 32, who has remained incarcerated since his March arrest.

Former The Intercept writer started his month-long campaign to harass his unidentified ex in July 2016 after she ended their relationship, reported ABC News.

As part of his plea deal in the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of New York, he admitted to at least a dozen threats to Jewish Community Centers and other Jewish organizations, using the woman's name.

'For this, I deeply apologize,' Thompson said of making fake bomb threats to more than a dozen Jewish community centers and organizations nationwide

At one point, he also falsely reported that the woman had child pornography, said the outlet.

Thompson told U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan he was 'slightly nervous' as he pleaded guilty to charges that each carry a potential penalty of five years in prison. He agreed not to appeal any sentence at or below 46 months, nearly four years, in prison.

Thompson, originally of St. Louis, fueled 'fear and distress' early this year with fake bomb threats to more than a dozen Jewish community centers and organizations nationwide, Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said.

'Thompson made these threats as part of a cruel campaign to cyberstalk a victim with whom he previously had a relationship,' Kim said. 'Thompson's threats not only inflicted emotional distress on his victim but also harmed Jewish communities around the country.'

Thompson, 32, is a disgraced former journalist fired from The Intercept for fabricating quotes. He was charged by the federal government with cyberstalking

Thompson had a history of lying, including tweeted in December a picture of kimchi he claimed to have made but that really came from a foodie blogger's site

Thompson tweeted (left) that he got his first tattoo of Malcolm X, which turned out to be photo posted on a tattoo shop's website that he reversed (right)

Thompson said he sent emails and faxes to his ex-girlfriend's employer after she ended their relationship last summer and he later made bomb threats, claiming his ex-girlfriend had planted bombs.

He said he committed the crimes 'to disrupt my ex-romantic partner's life and cause her great distress.'

Prosecutors said Thompson's emails to the woman's employer claimed she had broken the law, among other things.

They said Thompson sometimes used his girlfriend's name while making threats against Jewish community centers, schools or other facilities. One message claimed he had placed two bombs in a Jewish school and was 'eager for Jewish Newtown,' a reference to the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut, prosecutors said.

People are evacuated from the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie, Florida, on February 27 after a bomb threat made by Thompson

Federal authorities also say that Thompson used his Twitter feed to allege that the woman in question made threats against him as well as President Donald Trump

The government collected evidence from about two dozen laptops, tablets and cellphones seized from Thompson's home.

Thompson was fired from the online publication The Intercept last year after being accused of fabricating story details.

His sentencing is set for September 15.

Thompson had a strange and sordid history of cyber intimidation, threats and lies. In January 2016, he was fired from news site The Intercept after it was discovered he had been making up source quotes.

Ian DEmilia, Thompson's former friend and Vassar College roommate, told the New York Post that he earned the serial fabulist's ire last February after he told reporter Doyle Murphy with the Riverfront Times that Thompson had always been a 'peculiar guy'.

'He was a peculiar guy,' D'Emilia told Murphy. 'Very peculiar. I never really trusted him.'

Enraged by the story, Thompson allegedly embarked on a reign of cyber terror against 25-year-old D'Emilia and Murphy.

The tweet above was cited by the federal government in its complaint against Thompson. Here he tweeted that the woman in question was 'a filthy anti-Semite'

'He told me I wouldnt get a job once he was done with me,' said D'Emilia. 'He said that hed tell my future employers that Im a racist and homophobe.'

Soon, D'Emilia's boss and graduate adviser received emails from Thompson in a campaign to smear him.

Thompson also emailed Murphy's boss and tried to get him fired.

When that didn't work, Thompson emailed Murphy directly:

'"You are a white piece of sh who lies and distorts to fit a narrative,"' Thompson wrote him in October. 'Thankfully no one reads you or the rft and you will spend the rest of your career aggregating stories about shootings.'

The abuse continued for weeks.

Thompson's penchant for revenge allegedly led him to create fake Twitter and Facebook accounts, claiming Murphy was a rapist.

Before Thompson was arrested for his part in a string of bomb threats, he used his Twitter account to go on imaginary trips to Cuba and Senegal.

'He lied about the weirdest things,' Murphy wrote in March.

Thompson tweeted in December a picture of kimchi he claimed to have made.

An online search found he had stolen the photo from a food blogger.

Then he posted his new Malcolm X tattoo, which turned out to be a reversed Google image.

He fabricated other social media posts while railing against white women, police and President Donald Trump, among other topics.

The disgraced journalist was fired last year from online news site The Intercept after it was learned he had fabricated quotes and invented sources.

In addition to his Intercept stories, Thompson claimed he won the lottery, had a book deal and was accepted to the University of Chicago's law school. None of these claims have been verified.

'He would lie for no reason,' said D'Emilia. 'Almost to the point of there being something psychologically wrong with him.'

On or about February 21, Thompson allegedly emailed a threat to the New York offices of the Anti-Defamation League.

'[The woman] is behind the bomb threats against jews,' the email read. 'She lives in nyc and is making more bomb threats tomorrow.'

He also called in bomb threats, used his own name, and then blamed the woman for being the one to harass him.

'Ask NYCs [employer of the woman in question,' he tweeted. 'They employ a filthy anti-Semite. These ppl are evil.'




News / Press Release

by Obert Chaurura Gutu



MDC: Equal Opportunities For All

Obert Chaurura Gutu

MDC National Spokesperson

In his keynote address at the at Mkoba stadium in Gweru on Saturday, June 10,2017, President Tsvangirai made it abundantly clear that the MDC has a zero tolerance policy on corruption.At numerous public platforms, President Tsvangirai has always emphasised that the MDC will not tolerate corruption wherever and whenever this evil vice is detected. He has made it very clear that any MDC cadre who is found guilty of corruption, whether you're deployed in council or in Parliament or even if you don't hold any public office, will be dealt with in a very effective and non - compromising manner.Indeed, a few years ago, the entire Chitungwiza Town Council was fired by the MDC after a commission of enquiry headed by Hon. Tapiwa Mashakada had found all the councilors guilty of gross acts of corruption.President Morgan Tsvangirai is a man of his word. He always walks the talk. If you are corrupt, he will not protect you, no matter what position you hold in the party. As a social democratic party, the MDC strives to promote a developmental trajectory that promotes the complete and total eradication of corruption in all its various forms in both the public and private sectors.The MDC believes in promoting a meritocracy as opposed to running a government benchmarked on patronage in which corruption is tolerated and condoned. As MDC cadres, we should always uphold the values and ethoes of unity, love, empathy and solidarity. Of course, no genuine and committed MDC cadre should indulge in any act(s) of corruption. Corruption is one of the biggest threats to Zimbabwe's socio - economic development.
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Standing proudly at the center of a tiny village deep in German wine country, from the outside there is nothing remarkable about the church of St. Jacob save its beauty.

But locked away inside its 1,000-year-old tower is a disturbing secret - a bell emblazoned with a Swastika and the inscription: 'Everything for the fatherland. Adolf Hitler.'

While the grim heirloom has gone largely unnoticed for the last 82 years, a recent report in a local newspaper has brought controversy to the 700-person town of Herxheim am Berg.

Since discovering the tribute, 73-year-old Sigrid Peters, the church organist, is demanding it be removed, saying it is not right that christenings and marriages are marked by ringing a bell celebrating the Nazis.

But pastor Helmut Meinhardt believes the church should keep using the bell, while mayor Ronald Becker told The Local that trying to remove the inscription could alter the sound, and would cost upward of 40,000.

Some, including bell expert Birgit Muller, are even arguing that it should be protected under historic conservation laws - saying there are no other known examples.

Residents of the tiny village of Herxheim am Berg, located deep in German wine country, have been divided after it was discovered that the bell in their 1,000-year-old church bears a Swastika and an inscription which reads: 'Everything for the fatherland. Adolf Hitler'. While some want it destroyed, others want it to be protected under conservation laws

The bell was cast in 1934 and brought to the church as the 'police bell', to warn of fires and later of air raids. In 1942, two other bells hanging at the church were melted down to help with the war effort - leaving this as the sole one. In 1951 two replacement bells were given to the church, but despite their presence this one was allowed to remain

The pastor of the church has argued the bell should be allowed to keep ringing, while the town mayor believes that attempting to remove the Nazi tribute could alter the sound and would be hugely expensive. Historian Birgit Muller has even argued that the bell should be granted historic protection, because there are no other known examples

St Jacob's, a protestant church at the centre of Herxheim am Berg, is more than 1,000 years old - making it a popular site for weddings and christenings for those outside the village. Organist Sigrid Peters said it is not right that their celebrations should be marked with a Nazi bell which many of them are unaware of the existence of

The Nazi bell hangs alongside two other, larger bells, inside the church tower. While it is not essential for the functioning of the church, it is used for a full peal of bells - most commonly used at Easter, Christmas and for Confirmation celebrations

While mayor Becker (pictured) does not believe the bell should be removed or altered, he does want to avoid turning it into a 'cult' site for right-wing extremists and Nazi sympathisers. While some have proposed putting up a plaque in the church to inform visitors of the existence of the bell, he has opposed the idea
Heroic mom: Brandy Mosley, 33, went missing in Texas Monday while trying to rescue her son on the beach and was found dead Tuesday

The US Coast Guard on Tuesday recovered the body of a Texas woman who disappeared off of Crystal Beach the day while rescuing her 4-year-old son from the Gulf.

Brandy Mosley, 33, of Palestine, went missing at around 2pm on Monday while spending the day on the beach with her son and another relative.

According to the Galveston County Sheriffs Office, Mosley rushed into the water after seeing that her toddler son lost his footing and was struggling in the waves about 25 feet from the shore.

The child was wearing water wings and playing in the sand at the edge of the water when a wave came in and swept him out into the Gulf, reported KTRK.

Sheriff's Maj Douglas Hudson said Mosley pulled her son out of the water to safety and handed him over to a relative, but moments later she vanished from view, according to Chron.com.

Rescuers searched for Mosley both by helicopter and by boat for the rest of the day, throughout the night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Rescuers searched for Mosley both by helicopter (pictured) and by boat for hours

At around 6.30am, a body matching Mosley's description was discovered near Gulfport Village in Crystal Beach, about 2 miles from the spot where she was last seen alive.

Officials were confident Tuesday afternoon the body was that of Mosley, but they were waiting for the medical examiner to make a positive identification using fingerprints.

Mosley was the owner of B's Hive of Therapy Day Spa and Salon in Palestine.

Before the discovery of the body was announced Tuesday, friends and relatives took to Facebook asking for prayers, including a woman claiming to be her younger sister.

Mosleys death comes two years after her other sister lost her life in what Brandy described in a Facebook post last year as an unsolved murder. The slain sibling was 29 years old and a mother of three.
The 80-year-old pensioner was named as former Oxford don Brian Bellhouse

An 80-year-old millionaire was trampled to death by a herd of cows while out walking in a picturesque countryside village field.

Former Oxford don Brian Bellhouse, was killed in the idyllic Sussex village of Guestling while out walking.

Emergency crews were called after another walker heard someone scream out for help, close to a 11th-century church.

It is reported that cattle became agitated and charged at him.

A helicopter was scrambled and paramedics from the air ambulance began administering CPR but they were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at at the scene.

Mr Bellhouse, who was believed to have lived five miles away in Winchelsea, East Sussex, and was a company directer of Woodruff Farm Ltd.

He became an overnight millionaire through the invention of a device for needle-free injections, helping raise his company PowderJect's value to more than half a billion pounds.

The firm was sold for a massive 542million to US pharmaceutical group Chiron in 2003.

Professor Bellhouse picked up 19.5 million for his 3.6% stake in the company.

The tragic incident happened near Saint Laurence, an 11th century church near Guestling, in East Sussex

Police said that they were not treating the death of the former Magdalen college academic as suspicious and passed on the details to the coroner.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'An 80-year-old man died after being found trampled in a field of cattle at Church Lane, Guestling, yesterday/on Monday.

'Police and paramedics performed CPR after being called at 11.02am and an air ambulance landed at the scene, but he was sadly pronounced dead at 11.46am.

'There are no suspicious circumstances and the matter has been passed to the coroner's officer.'

Brian Bellhouse with his daughter Cathy Curtis. The former Oxford don pocketed a windfall for a device inventing a needle-free injection

In a statement Magdalen College said that Professor Bellhouse would be deeply missed.

It said: 'The College is very sad to announce that Professor Brian Bellhouse has passed away at the age of 80.

'Brian Bellhouse came up to Magdalen in 1957 to read for a Brian Bellhouse came up to Magdalen in 1957 to read for a degree in Mathematics.

'He obtained his DPhil in Engineering Science in 1964 and was then made a Fellow by Examination. He was elected an Official Fellow in Engineering Science in 1966. On his retirement in 2004 he was elected an Emeritus Fellow.'
A woman aged 28 has been detained on suspicion of killing her 83 year old lover - and throwing his severed head into a pig sty.

The pensioner, named as Mr Nechayev, was killed from multiple knife and meat cleaver wounds.

His girlfriend then beheaded his corpse, according to the Russian Investigative Committee, equivalent of the FBI in America.

The horrifying scene unfolded at a house in Volokolamsk, Moscow (pictured)

A statement said: 'His body was found inside a private house in Volokolamsk.

'The pair had been drinking on the evening of 11 June in a house on Shchekino Street in the town, in Moscow region.

'They both became rather drunk and got into an argument.

'The young woman attacked the man with a knife and a meat cleaver.

The woman attacked the man with a knife and cleaver before trying to clean up the crime by throwing his head into a pig sty

'He died from multiple wounds to his face, head, neck and limbs.

'To hide traces of the crime, the suspect chopped off his head - and threw it into a pig sty.'

The statement said the woman - who was not named - has been detained.

A murder investigation has begun.
He's a heroic pooch with a heart of gold.

A Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been awarded the highest animal award for gallantry, after saving his owners lives from a terrifying fire.

Diesel woke up his owner Jordan Ash, 25, in the early hours of May 28 2016, desperately barking and scratching on his duvet.

Good boy! Diesel received the highest animal award for warning his family about a fire at their home in Dartmouth last year

The behaviour was completely out of character for the normally calm Staffie, but Jordan soon discovered what was the problem.

As he opened his bedroom door, he was met with a wall of flames barely six feet away at their home in Dartmouth.

Jordan raced to wake up his parents Chris, 50, and Tina, 54, and helped them escape through a small bedroom window.

He then went back into the house to rescue Diesel, barely managing to reach him through smoke and acrid fumes.

But he rescued the heroic Staffie and pass him through the open window to his dad.

For his heroism Diesel collected the Gold Medal from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, which is the animals' equivalent of a George Cross.

Jordan said: 'Luckily, apart from a few bumps and bruises, probably from squeezing out of a tiny window, no one was seriously hurt.

Diesel was originally abandoned as a pup, before being rescued by Jordan Ash

Diesel frantically barked and tugged on his owner's duvet as he sensed the wall of flames approaching

'We all needed treatment for smoke inhalation but there was no lasting damage, thanks to Diesel.

'His whiskers were singed by the fire but we got him checked out by a vet the following day and he was fine.

'I spent the next few weeks sleeping on sofas because we couldn't find anywhere to stay that would take Diesel as well.

Diesel's whiskers were a bit singed after the fire, but he was otherwise in one piece

After Diesel alerted him, Jordan raced down the hall to rescue his parents Chris and Tina (pictured)

'After everything he had done for us there was no way I was going to leave him!'

The story is made even better by the fact that Diesel had been abandoned as a pup and rescued by Ash.

The fire had been caused when the family's freezer, located under the stairs, caught alight.

Jordan says he's 'forever grateful' to Diesel for saving his life

It caused 60% fire damage and 90% smoke damage to their home, and the family wern't able to move back in for ten months.

Chris Ash said they'd disconnected the smoke alarm while they re-decorated the house.

He added: 'Without Diesel, the night could have ended very differently.'

The fire was caused by a faulty freezer which caught alight, causing 60 per cent fire damage to the home

Jordan concluded: 'I like to think it was his way of repaying us for rescuing him.

'Staffies have such a bad reputation but he has the most lovely, placid nature.

'Diesel undoubtedly saved our lives that night, without him I wouldn't be standing here today and I will be forever grateful.'

The PDSA Director said Diesel's actions showed 'incredible devotion to his family'

Andy Callan, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'Carbon monoxide takes effect incredibly quickly - just a few more minutes breathing in the toxic fumes and Diesel may not have been able to wake them.

'It shows the importance of having a working smoke alarm. Had Diesel not acted so quickly and woken Jordan that night, the family wouldn't be with us today.'

PDSA Director General Jan McLoughlin praise Diesel.

He said: 'Despite having no formal training, Diesel's actions showed incredible devotion to his family. His story is remarkable and truly demonstrates the unique contribution that animals make to our lives.'
Theresa May took a break from her political woes in Westminster today to announce a joint terror crackdown with France - but things still did not go to plan when she dropped her notes on the floor.

The Prime Minister is clinging on to her position in No 10 by a thread after her party's majority was wiped out in the election.

She tried to put a brave face on the dramas besetting her premiership by 'getting on with business' and holding the joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron.

The pair were announcing plans to impose tough new laws to force tech giants to take down terror material posted online.

But the crisis-hit premier suffered an embarrassing mishap when her notes flew off her podium at the beginning of the press conference.

Scroll down for video

The PM nearly lost her notes in a gust of wind at the beginning of today's press conference

The PM stooped down to scoop her papers up off the floor after they blew away

Mrs May said the plans will stop the internet being used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals

The PM shot an embarrassed smile to the many journalists covering the event as she stooped down to scoop up her papers.

Mr Macron helped her pick up her earpiece as he joked: 'The wind is only taking papers away but nothing else.'

Mrs May's position in No 10 hangs in the balance after she led her party to a humiliating defeat in the election which saw her majority wiped out.

She is in talks with the DUP to win the backing of their ten MPs to cling on to power and deliver Brexit.

But it looks like the Queen's Speech - which sets out the government's legislative agenda - will be delayed by a week as the two parties thrash out an agreement.

Her furious Tory MPs have demanded she transform her leadership style by being more inclusive and dropping plans to pursue austerity.

After the mishap, Mrs May and Mr Macron got in with announcing their new clamp down on extremism online as they warned that tech companies who fail to take down terror material face tough new punishments.

Mrs May and the French president unveiled proposals to get tough with firms like Facebook, Google and Twitter in the wake of a string of terror attacks in the UK and France.

The PM said the crackdown will help stop the internet being used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals.

Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron today announced Britain and France will launch a joint crack down on tech giants to force them to take down terrorist material

Speaking at a joint press conference in the French capital today, the PM said: As I've said before, in the UK we are already meeting with social media companies to halt the spread of extremist material and poisonous propaganda agenda is warping young minds.

But we know they need to do more.

'And today we can announced that the UK and France will work together to encourage social media companies to do more and to abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content form their networks.'

She said the two countries will draw up tough new laws to force tech companies to take action.

She said: We are launching a joint UK French campaign to ensure that the internet cannot be used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals, and that it cannot be used to host the radicalising material that leads to so much harm.

We will lead joint work with the tech companies on this vital agenda, including work to develop tool to remove this harm full material automatically.

Mrs May added that they will explore creating a new legal liability for tech companies if they fail to take action to remove unacceptable content.

The announcement comes after it was briefed that internet firms will face multi-million-pound fines if they fail to take down extremist material under plans to be announced today.

Facebook, Google and Twitter could face huge fines in the UK and France if they fail to remove extremist content from their sites quickly enough (ISIS propaganda, pictured)

The two leaders are said to be tired of the foot-dragging by technology giants and plan to make them legally liable for extremist material on their sites if they fail to take it down swiftly.

The proposal of 'legal liability' for firms would leave them open to hefty fines and is designed to pressure them into finally taking the issue seriously.

Downing Street has declined to comment on the potential size of the fines. But Germany is already introducing fines of up to 45million for firms that fail to take down extremist material within 24 hours.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, to be made at a joint press conference in Paris tonight, Mrs May said she and Mr Macron agreed that 'more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online'.

She added: 'The UK and France will work together to encourage corporations to do more and abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks, including exploring the possibility of creating a new legal liability for tech companies if they fail to remove unacceptable content.

'We are united in our total condemnation of terrorism and our commitment to stamp out this evil.'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd and French interior minister Gerard Collomb will hold further talks on implementing the proposals in the coming days.

Today's announcement marks an attempt by Mrs May to show she is 'getting on with business' in the wake of last week's disastrous election result.

A new drive on countering terrorism and extremism is likely to form part of her Queen's Speech.

Joint plans being drawn up by Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron would make the internet giants to 'legally liable' for any extremist content they host

Germany is already introducing fines of up to 45million for firms that fail to take down extremist material within 24 hours, as Facebook vows to be 'hostile' to terror groups

The initiative also underlines growing international frustration with the sluggish response of social media firms, who are reluctant to take responsibility for the sickening material they carry on their sites.

Ministers are furious at the widespread availability of hate-filled propaganda online, and the ease with which impressionable youngsters can access detailed terror manuals.

Google, Facebook and Twitter all claim they want to remove such material from their websites, but it remains alarmingly easy to find.

In the wake of the Manchester bomb attack, it took the Daily Mail less than 30 seconds to find links to handbooks imploring extremists to murder children and target concerts, and providing instructions for constructing home-made bombs.

Facebook and Google, which owns the video site YouTube, removed material when it was raised with them, but fresh links were quickly re-posted by extremists.

The Prime Minister discussed the dangers posed by extremist material at last month's G7 summit in Sicily, where she brokered an agreement between world leaders to embark on an international approach to clamping down on social media firms.

Downing Street said the Anglo-French initiative would see the two countries working with technology firms to 'develop tools to identify and remove harmful material automatically'.

They will discuss the proposals over a working dinner at the Elysee Palace before travelling to the Stade de France to watch England play France.
Two men and a woman from Pennsylvania were cited for disorderly conduct after getting caught having an alleged rooftop romp.

According to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department, officers responded to Warwick Township on Saturday morning after getting a call from a witness about three people who were engaging in public sex acts.

The site of the polyamorous rendezvous was the rooftop of a building, according to a press release from the police.

Three's company: Amanda Howley, 24 (left); Joel Beger, 29 (center), and Kevin Venbrux, 26 (right), have been charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly engaging in public sex acts on a roof

Patrol officers who arrived at the scene interviewed the trio, who reportedly admitted they were engaged in the activity but 'felt that their position was private' and not visible from other locations.

The suspects, identified as 24-year-old Amanda Howley; 29-year-old Joel Beger, and 26-year-old Kevin Venbrux, were each charged with a single count of disorderly conduct 'for the creation of physically offensive conditions,' according to the police statement.

Venbrux, of Lititz, downplayed the entire incident and defended his conduct in a Facebook post on Monday.

The news makes it look a lot cooler then it was, he wrote. Not everything you read in the news is true.

The trio, including Howley (left) and Beger (right), reportedly admitted to the sexual activity but told police in Pennsylvania they felt their position on the rooftop was not visible to others

Protestations of innocence: Venbrux (pictured) wrote on Facebook that he and the others were just kissing and 'watching the sunrise'

On trend: The 26-year-old posted 'fake news' as his status update, in apparent reference to media reports of the incident

In response to a friends inquiry, Venbrux stated that he and his two companions had their clothes on.

We were just watching the sunrise, he added. The cops came because of noise and the neighbors saw us up there kissing. Apparently that is considered a sex act now. As per usual with this things it's all getting blow outta [sic] proportion.

In his latest status update, apparently referring to Saturdays incident, Venbrux wrote, fake news.
Russia's attack on US electoral system was further reaching than the federal government initially said and it included attempts to meddle with systems in a majority of states, a report on Tuesday revealed.

Hackers got into databases and software systems in 39 states - twice as many as the government has said, Bloomberg reported.

In one state they were able to access a campaign finance database. In Illinois, the attackers tried to delete and make changes to voter data, the news publication says.

The Obama administration contacted the Kremlin about the menacing behavior through a back channel in October, two sources told Bloomberg, and warned that the interference could escalate into a full-scale conflict.

Russia's attack on US electoral system was further reaching than the federal government initially said and it included attempts to meddle with systems in a majority of states, a report on Tuesday revealed

Three sources with knowledge of the situation disclosed the new details on the Russian campaign to disrupt the presidential election to Bloomberg.

A report in the Intercept on classified documents it obtained from a source at the NSA, who's since been identified as Reality Winner, said a breach on a voting software supplier's system could have affected voters in eight states.

There has been no evidence so far that the attackers threw the vote, but the reporting in both publications raised new concerns about vulnerabilities in the United States' voting systems.

The federal government did not widespread authority over states' individual voting systems at the time of November's election, creating obstacles in its investigation of hacking in some states.

Bloomberg noted that remains unclear why the hackers did not act once they had access. Perhaps they were waived off after the US discovered the incursions an threatened Moscow. A former official said they may have found they needed better access to pull off the intended attack.

The Obama administration believed their plot may just have been to undermine confidence in the electoral process.

They could also be using the information they gleaned to come after the US when voters pick a president again in three years.

Senate Republicans and Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a new package of sanctions on Russia amid the firestorm over the meddling.

Top lawmakers on two committees - Banking and Foreign Relations - announced the deal, which would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties.

The plan also calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on corrupt Russian actors, those involved in human rights abuses and those supplying weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Penalties also would be slapped on those responsible for malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government.

Fireworks go off over Moscow marking Russia Day on Monday. Senate Republicans and Democrats meanwhile reached agreement on a new package of sanctions on Russia amid the firestorm over the election meddling

The batch of sanctions would be added to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating.

'The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria,' said Republicans and Democrats on the committees.

A procedural vote on the Russia sanctions was happening on Wednesday and the measure had strong bipartisan support.

The legislation also allows new penalties on key elements of the Russia economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.

'By codifying existing sanctions and requiring congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilizing actions,' said Sen. Chuck Schumer,nthe top Senate Democrat said.

'These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished.'
A chippie has 'battered' away the competition to become the first restaurant in the world to send a portion of fish and chips into space.

Papas, based in Hull, celebrated being crowned Britain's favourite Fish and Chip restaurant earlier this year by shooting their haddock and chips into the stratosphere.

The fish and chip shop decided it was time to put their name in the record books by strapping the feast into a box and tying it to a weather balloon.

A chippie has 'battered' away the competition to become the first restaurant in the world to send a portion of fish and chips into space

Dino Papas, who runs the award-winning fish and chip shop, alongside his brother, George, and father, Sid, said: 'Today Papas has shown it is truly out of this world.

'We've tried to play it down a bit, as we heard rumours some people down south were going to do it first, but we are looking forward to being the first.

'We want it to be clear that Hull is the home of fish and chips. With City of Culture, and winning the best fish and chips, we really wanted to do something a bit extra.'

The dish was released into the sky from Sheffield on Tuesday and travelled four times higher than a commercial aeroplane.

Dino Papas (right), who runs the award-winning fish and chip shop, alongside his brother, George (left), and father, Sid (centre), said: 'Today Papas has shown it is truly out of this world'

The balloon then came back down to earth at the North Lincolnshire Wolds after it was tracked down by a scientific research team four hours later.

George added: 'It's something we've been thinking about for a couple of years and it's not easy to just send anything into space and took a lot of planning and hard work.

'We did think about sending some mushy peas with it but thought there might be an issue sending anything slightly liquid.'
Jeff Sessions went to war with Democratic senators Tuesday as he offered angry and forthright testimony that claims of Russian collusion were 'a lie' - and that President Trump was right to fire James Comey because he 'usurped' prosecutors when he cleared Hillary Clinton.

In two hours of at times testy evidence and often fiercely partisan questions, Sessions launched attack after attack on Democrats, and stood by his position that he could not recall a third, undeclared meeting with Russia's ambassador during the election campaign.

Sessions did however corroborate a key aspect of fired James Comey's testimony, saying the fired FBI director came to him about President Trump buttonholed him for a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office.

Comey 'expressed concern about being left alone with the president,' Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee when questioned about Comey's bombshell testimony to the same panel last week.

But then he said that he had told Comey that as the FBI director was equipped to deal with the issue.

Even as he advanced the Comey narrative, other aspects of Sessions' testimony left Democrats agitated and he clashed repeatedly with liberal senators.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

I SWEAR: Sessions corroborated an element of FBI Director Comey's prior testimony. He said Comey 'expressed concern about being left alone with the president' following a one-on-one meeting

Elsewhere: Donald Trump did not watch the evidence session as he traveled to Pewaukee, Wisconsin, with daughter Ivanka to push her employment reforms

Victory: Sessions walked away from the Senate Intel Committee hearing unscathed - and in Wisconsin his boss, who was with his daughter and Republican governor Scott Walker, seemed happy

One of them accused him of 'impeding' and 'obstructing' the congressional investigation into Russian election interference, based on his refusal to reveal the contents of conversations with President Trump  or whether the two men even discussed the the Russia probe he ultimately recused himself from.

Sessions repeatedly said he did not 'recall' having a third undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., nor did he remember much about the substance of two conversations he has acknowledged.

He emphatically denied any 'collusion' with Russia, and said that in 'retrospect' Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation was worse than he thought when he was a Trump advisor battling Hillary Clinton.

His refusal to answer certain questions  without invoking executive privilege for the president  failed to shed much light on whether the Russia probe was the real reason President Trump fired Comey as head of the FBI, something that could factor into an obstruction of justice case should a special counsel decide to bring one.

Sessions expressed 'confidence' in special counsel Robert Mueller, who some Trump associates have floated could get fired by the president, but didn't give a stirring defense.

'I have confidence in Mr. Mueller but I am not going to discuss any hypotheticals or what might be a factual situation in the future,' Sessions said.

Sessions also confirmed another element of Comey's account  that Sessions was among the last to depart a counterterrorism meeting at the White House, though he didn't use Comey's word that he 'lingered.'

'I do recall being one of the last ones to leave,' Sessions said.

But Sessions diverged from Comey's account, that Sessions remained silent after the complaint.

Support: Jeff Sessions brought his wife Mary to be with him as he gave evidence Tuesday

COMEY CONVERSATION

Sessions says he told Comey that 'he should not carry on any conversation with the president or anyone else about an investigation in a way that was not proper.'

He also said Comey didn't share the substance of what the President said that had raised his alarm. Comey testified that Trump asked him to back off an investigation of fired national security advisor Mike Flynn.

'He did not tell me at that time any details about anything that was said that was improper,' Sessions said.

There were limits on what Sessions would talk about.

WON'T REVEAL 'PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS' WITH TRUMP

Sessions said he was not invoking executive privilege  a limited power belonging to the president. But he told Sen. Warner there were limits to what he would say.

'Its longstanding policy the Department of justice not to comment on conversations that the attorney general has had with the president of the United States for confidential reasons that really are founded in the coequal branch powers in the Constitution of the United States,' Sessions said.

'Im not able to discuss with you or confirm or deny the nature of private conversations that I may have had with the president on this subject or others,' Sessions said at one point during his prolonged grilling Tuesday.

Sparring: Sessions clashed with Democratic senators Dianne Feinstein and Ron Wyden over why he would not answer questions

'Thats a communication in the White House that I would not comment on,' he told Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

After one such dodge, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) scolded Sessions. 'Youre impeding this investigation,' he said, asking Sessions to explain his legal or policy basis for not answering.

'You are obstructing that congressional investigation by not answering those questions,' he said.

He told Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 'Well, I'm not able to discuss with you, confirm or deny, the nature of private conversations that I may have had with the president on the subject or others. And I know how this will be discussed, but that's the rules that have been long adhered to by the Department of Justice, as you know, Sen. Feinstein.'

'People are suggesting through innuendo that I have been not honest about matters and Ive tried to be honest,' Sessions fumed.

Sessions blew up with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) complained about 'stonewalling.'

When. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) asked what was the legal basis for not answering questions, Sessions said he wanted to give Trump the opportunity to invoke either executive privilege or another unnamed privilege.

'I cannot answer that because it was a communication by the president or if any such occurred it would be a communication that he has not waived,' he said, asked whether he ever discussed the FBI's Russia probe with Trump.

EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE: Sessions testified he had no recollection of a third undisclosed meeting with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak. The two men attended the same event at the Mayflower Hotel lin 2016

NO RECOLLECTION OF POSSIBLE 3RD KISLYAK MEETING

Sessions delivered an indignant denial that he took part in any 'collusion' with Russia during the campaign  as he said he did not recall any conversation with a Russian official at a D.C. hotel.

'I was your colleague in this body for 20 years, at least some of you, and the suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie,' Sessions aid.

THE NAME'S SESSIONS, JEFF SESSIONS The attorney general revealed a penchant for spy fiction and preferring Bond to Bourne during a lighter moment - perhaps unsurprisingly, during an exchange with a Republican senator. He was asked by Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton: 'Do you like spy fiction? John Le Carre, Daniel Silva, Jason Matthews?' Instead he named Allen Furst, David Ignatius. Ironically Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist as well as a novelist, was at the center of the Russian scandal as the first reporter to identify Mike Flynn's conversations with Kislyak. Then Cotton asking him: 'Do you like Jason Bourne or James Bond movies?' Sessions put America First aside to answer no to Bourne but yes to his British rival. Cotton was using the reference to make a political point however. 'Have you ever, in any of these fantastical situations, heard of a plotline so ridiculous that a sitting United States senator and an ambassador of a foreign government colluded in an open setting with hundreds of other people, to pull off the greatest caper in the history of espionage?' he asked. Sessions said he had not. Advertisement

'I did not have any private meetings, nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower hotel. I did not attend any meetings at that event, separate, prior to the speech attended by the president, today. I attended a reception with my staff that included at least two dozen people and President Trump.,' Sessions testified.

'I did not recuse myself from defending my honor from furious and false allegations,' fumed Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia investigation over his undisclosed Russia contacts.

Describing the event, Sessions said: 'Though I do recall several conversations that I had during that pre-speech reception, I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian ambassador or any other Russian officials.'

But he acknowledged that Sergey Kislyak, Russia's U.S. ambassador, was indeed at the event at the hotel, where candidate Donald Trump delivered a major foreign policy speech.

'I did not remember that. But I understand he was there. So I dont doubt that he was,' Session said. 'In fact I recently saw a video of him coming into the room' at the event.

On his reasons for showing up, he said: 'I came there as an interested person very anxious to see how President Trump would do in his first foreign policy address.'

'I came there not knowing he was going to be there. I dont have any recollection of even knowing he would be there,' Sessions said.

Sessions blasted 'false attacks, innuendoes, leaks' against him.

Sessions acknowledged two meetings with a top Russian official, but said: 'Certainly not one thing happened that was improper in any one of those meetings.'

As for whether he had a third, undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sessions said, 'I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian ambassador or any other Russian officials' at D.C.'s Mayflower hotel.

RECUSAL FROM RUSSIA PROBE

Explaining the reason he recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions said 'I felt I was required to under the rules of the Department of Justice.'

Under questioning by Sen. James Ritsch, Sessions brought up the 'dirty dossier' of partially discredited information on Trump, which had come up in his own confirmation hearing.

'I think it's been pretty substantially discredited, but you would know more than I. But what was said that suggests I'd participated in continuing communications with Russians as a surrogate is absolutely false,' he said.

'It became clear to me over time that I qualified as a principal advisor type person to the campaign and it was the appropriate and right thing for me to recuse myself.,' he said.

SENATORS' HOMECOMING AT TOP OF THE HEARING

Tuesday it was attorney general Jeff Sessions' turn in the hot seat of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

At the top of the hearing, Sessions walked into the Senate hearing room smiling to a barrage of camera shutters. His wife, Mary, was in the hearing room.

He shook hands with Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the panel chairman, and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chair.

'Attorney General Sessions, this venue is your opportunity to separate fact from fiction and to set the record straight on a number of allegations reported in the press' Burr told him. "Mr. attorney general, it's good to have you back.'

He said the panel had interviewed 35 people today, including former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

'You were much more than a surrogate  you were a strategic advisor' to the Trump campaign, observed Warner.

'You recused yourself from the Russia investigation, yet you participated in the firing of Mr. Comey over the handling of that same investigation,' said Warner.
Opinion / Columnist

Oceans are an important natural resource whose actions on the livelihood of every citizen of the earth can not be ignored. In the same vein, activities of villagers far away from a river's banks affect the river's system downstream. What will eventually happen to the river may have direct results felt more by the people living at the river's bank that those far off the banks. The well being of the river therefore has to call for the cooperation of those close to the banks, those far away, those upstream and those downstream.Rivers feed into oceans. Coastal countries do not have a monopoly over the waters in the oceans within their territories because the same waters flowed through land locked territories. In the same manner, pollutants of water bodies are not communities living in closest vicinities to the water body alone, but those far and wide within the river's catchment area. Care for the sustenance of balanced marine ecosystems is the responsibility of every global citizen.In its wisdom, the United Nations set goal number 14 which interests itself with maritime ecosystems. The conference, co-hosted by Fiji and Sweden is themed, Our Oceans, Our future. Call for Action." In their nature, oceans are home to more life than there is on earth and every effort must be taken towards conserving such life's interest. Oceans are farms in which all nations harvest directly or indirectly from. International aquacultures put massive pressure on the production potential of the oceans. International laws must be synchronized to regulate commercial activities dependant on marine life.Under sea mining is another threat to the lives of the oceans. The crude oil eruption into the Gulf of Mexico waters by British petroleum hit headlines for months on end a decade ago. Undersea treasure hunt should be a concern of every global citizen. Casting an unconcerned eye on this matter has debilitating effects on global economics where petroleum still plays an overarching industrial role.Away from the production potential, the waters of the seas themselves are a precious resource that affects global weather patterns. Lack of international cooperation on marine activities is enough recipe for global climatic disaster. Rehabilitation from climate change outcomes consumes a huge chunk of the global purse. Only last month in Mexico, the United Nations reported that $250 billion is consumed annually globally responding to the negative effects of climate change; much of which change being sponsored by global warming.As rightfully put across by President Mugabe in his address to the Oceans summit, he said, "the oceans and the seas are a vital resource to all of us irrespective of our geographical location on this planet. Developments around, or under the oceans affect coastal and landlocked countries alike." Oceans provide a trade highway across continents, giving a thoroughfare that does not wear and tear; neither does it require repairs as with roads, railways and airports. Goods passing this thoroughfare are destined for all nations, landlocked and coastal alike.The sea bed is also an important communication highway useful to the ICT industry. This century has already been singled out as the ICT age, an age where information has become a powerful tool in global economics. It is a dream for every nation, coastal or landlocked to be connected to the super-fast under sea data cable which supplies high speed Internet affordably.Seas are also defense frontiers useful for protecting a nation's territorial integrity. Unregulated sea activity is detrimental to the security of nations and mankind. In this age where terrorism is harnessing sophisticated technologies funded by huge purses to execute its mandate, manning the seas using every instrument there is becomes a global duty.Lawlessness and criminal activity in the Somali waters are negating African trade as that route is a risky thoroughfare for maritime cargo. Financiers of the pirates may not be of African origin despite the location of their activities. Activities in the Somali waters are seeing the taking up of longer alternative sea routes which are impacting negatively on the final cost of goods on destination consumers.Zimbabwe's nearest coast is Beira, which it has already made good use of through the construction of a pipeline transporting liquid cargo from the port to Harare at affordable costs. The Beira Corridor is a very useful transit passage connecting Zimbabwe to the seas and to the world. Therefore Zimbabwe will have vested interests on whatever happens to the Mozambican waters and any other waters, source or destination, where its trade interests are.Zimbabwe is also home to water bodies though not oceans per se but lessons learnt from nations with coastal boundaries would be usefully harnessed to promote its water management systems. In this regard, representation of the country at presidential level exposes the country to international cooperating partners with marine interest.Capping the whole landlocked-ness furore surrounding the country's participation on the oceans summit, it ought to be reckoned that Zimbabwe is a member of the international community, it belongs to the United Nations , the authors of the SDGs and is a cooperating partner in the march towards the realization of the SDGs come 2030. Expecting the country not to attend the conference because it lacks a coastal line will be comparable to a man absconding his brother's daughter's marriage ceremony because he has no daughters of his own.
A 25-year-old math teacher accused of having sex with three male high school students covered her face with a notebook as she appeared in court for the first time.

Erin McAuliffe faced Nash County Court in North Carolina on Tuesday charged with with three counts of sexual activity with a student and one count of indecent liberties with a minor.

McAuliffe, dressed in a knee-length black skirt and white blouse, shielded her face as she walked down the courtroom hallway, WTVD reports.

Erin McAuliffe, 25, faced Nash County Court in North Carolina on Tuesday after she was accused of having sex with three male high school students

McAuliffe, whose appearance was vastly different to her social media photos, refused to comment and ignored questions as she made her way into the court.

McAuliffe, who was arrested on Thursday, was a teacher at the public charter school, Rocky Mount Preparatory.

Authorities say two of the victims were 17 and one was 16 years old.

Police launched an investigation into McAuliffe in May after school officials called them to report allegations of misconduct against the teacher.

Detectives with the Rocky Mount Police Department conducted interviews with students and staff at the school, which has 1,300 students from kindergarten to 12th grade, before obtaining a warrant for McAuliffe's arrest last week.

McAuliffe, dressed in a knee-length black skirt and white blouse, appeared in court for the first time since she was arrested on Thursday in North Carolina

No comment from Erin McAuliffe after hearing felony sex w/minors charges read in court. She taught math @ Rocky Mt Prep b4 allegations#abc11 pic.twitter.com/c1hfGVam9s  Anthony Wilson (@AnthonyABC11) June 13, 2017

McAuliffe was fired form her job on May 4 - a day before school administrators called police to report allegations of misconduct against the teacher

According to police, the math teacher's alleged sexual encounters with the three students all took place off campus.

McAuliffe was ordered held in the Carteret County Jail on $20,000 bond pending her first court appearance.

School administrators at Rocky Mount Prep said that the 25-year-old educator was fired on May 4, a day before police were tipped off about her alleged dalliances with minors.

According to her LinkedIn profile, McAuliffe graduated from Methodist University in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics.

She was hired at Rocky Mount Prep in August 2016 after a brief stint as a data analyst at a San Diego-based law firm.

McAuliffe's social media posts suggest that she is not married and lives in Rocky Mount with a dog and a cat.

Police said McAuliffe (left and right) had sexual contact with two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old. The alleged encounters with the three students all took place off campus
A British mother filmed romping with a man on a Ryanair flight said she is 'mortified' that a bit of drunken fun has gone viral.

Tracey Bolton, 39, was filmed straddling 31-year-old Shaun Edmondson, who left his heavily pregnant fiancee at home to go on a stag party.

Horrified passengers on board the flight to Ibiza looked on as the wild pair gyrated and Shaun asked holidaymakers for a condom.

Cafe owner Tracey, a mother of three, had been drinking at Manchester airport before romping with Shaun aboard the packed plane, friends claim.

Shocked passengers filmed the couple as they had moved back and forth in the Shaun's seat.

'Mortified': Tracey Bolton, 39, a mother of three from Colne in Lancashire, has told friends she is embarrassed after being filmed romping with a stranger on a Ryanair flight

Romps: Shaun Edmondson, 31, a sous chef from Windermere, in Cumbria, left his heavily pregnant fiancee, Jenna Ross, at home to go on a stag party with friends

Back home: Mr Edmondson, described as a 'ladies' man', is pictured with his fiance Ms Ross, 25, who he has been with for six years. He was filmed asking passengers if they had a condom

Lapdance: The pair didn't even bother to go to the lavatory and chose to romp in front of passengers on the flight from Manchester to Ibiza

Tracey, from Colne, Lancashire, told a friend: 'I am absolutely mortified. What started as a bit of drunken madness has gone worldwide.

'I am horrified but absolutely nothing happened. I haven't stopped crying since I saw it. I am so embarrassed,' she added.

Friend Kirsty Lawton, also of Colne, told The Sun: 'Nothing really happened. She did a fully clothed lapdance for a laugh, no sexy time occurred.

'The pair of them were being daft and it was all for a laugh.

'They didn't know one another, as if you would do that with anyone let alone a stranger.'

Mr Edmonsdon has returned home following the stag do.

A family source told MailOnline: 'From what I understand, he was supposed to be back by now - and he might well be.

'But he has completely gone into hiding since this has all kicked off. He could still even be over there.

'Apparently none of his family, or his girlfriend have been able get in touch with him.

'He's gone absolutely AWOL. I don't believe it was actually his stag do, I think it was for one of his mates.'

Gyrating: Mr Edmondson, a sous chef, is engaged to 25-year-old Miss Ross, pictured, who is carrying his baby. He asked horrified passengers if they had a condom and jelly

Strangers at 32,000 feet: A friend of Mr Edmondson, left, revealed that the 31-year-old had not met Ms Bolton, 39, before he boarded the plane

Embarrassed: Ms Bolton runs a cafe in Colne in Lancashire. A friend said: 'Nothing really happened. She did a fully clothed lapdance for a laugh, no sexy time occurred.'

Passengers watched as Ms Bolton clambered on top of Mr Edmondson and they began to gyrate an hour into the flight to the party island.

A friend said Mr Edmondson is known as a 'ladies' man' despite being engaged to fiancee 25-year-old Miss Ross.

'That's just a random woman he's with, they didn't know each other before the day,' the friend said.

'He doesn't seem to be too bothered he has left his six-months pregnant wife-to-be at home while he cavorts with random strangers.'

Mr Edmondson works as a chef at the upmarket Lyth Valley Country Inn in Kendal, a family pub which is owned by his relatives.

It is understood that Mr Edmondson's fiancee Miss Jenna, who is originally from Canada and has been with him for six years, is aware of the video.

Passenger Kieran Williams, 21, from Preston, Lancashire, said he was astonished to see their raunchy antics an hour into the flight on the budget airline.

'I heard them talking about it but I thought they were joking. The guy was shouting, 'Anyone got a jelly?' meaning condom.

'We all laughed but then ten minutes later they actually did it. They seemed so drunk, they brought a lot of attention to themselves.

'You could see the girl taking off her pants and he pulled his trousers off. She started riding him.

'I had to get my phone out. I have never seen anything like that.'

X rated footage: Kieran Williams, 21, from Preston, Lancashire, was astonished to see the pair's raunchy antics an hour into the flight on the budget airline

Shock: A female passenger who was sitting next to the couple asked to be moved, but Mr Williams said that the crew did nothing to stop the pair or even reprimand them

A female passenger who was sitting next to the couple asked to be moved.

However Mr Williams said that the crew did nothing to stop the pair or even reprimand them.

'A woman was sat next to them and she stood up and asked if she could be moved.

'About twenty minutes after it happened, someone complained about it. But the crew did nothing.'

Mr Williams, who was flying to Ibiza to work as a barman over the summer, said that the passengers were gobsmacked by the pair's raunchy antics.

Tight lipped: Mr Edmondson, pictured, hasn't spoken to his family about the incident, a relative said - adding: 'He has completely gone into hiding since this has all kicked off.'

He said: 'They were starting and stopping but it was completely obvious what was going on. We all had a good laugh about it. It was pretty funny.'

A Ryanair spokesman said: 'We are looking into this matter.

'We will not tolerate unruly, disruptive or inappropriate behaviour at any time and any passengers who appear to behave in an unacceptable manner may be liable for further sanctions.'
Jeff Sessions said President Trump hadn't invoked executive privilege as he testified Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which left senators grumbling, as the attorney general refused to reveal the content of his conversations with Trump.

'Has the president invoked executive privilege?' asked Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats. Sessions answered that he had not. 'Then what is the basis of your refusal to answer these questions?' King shot back.

'I am protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses and there may be other privileges that apply in this circumstance,' Sessions replied during the Capitol Hill hearing.

Scroll down for video

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday that President Trump hadn't invoked executive privilege over his testimony

Despite that fact, the attorney general refused to answer questions pertaining to conversations he's had with President Trump

Sen. Mark Warner, the committee's top Democrat, wanted Sessions to say whether any Department of Justice officials discussed pardoning individuals ensnared in the Russia probe

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., probed the attorney general on whether he and President Trump discussed FBI Director James Comey's handling of the Russian investigation

There were a number of conversations  if they existed  that Sessions stayed mum on through Tuesday afternoon's hearing.

At the beginning, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the committee's ranking member, asked Sessions if any Department of Justice officials had discussed the possibility of presidential pardons for any individuals scooped up in the Russia investigation.

'Mr. Chairman, I'm not able to comment on conversations with high officials within the White House,' the attorney general replied, saying it violated a 'communications rule.'

Warner asked if the non-answer was based on executive privilege.

Sessions suggested no.

'It's a long standing policy,' he said, at the Department of Justice for the attorney general not to comment on conversations he had with the president of the United States. 'I'm not claiming executive privilege because that's the president's power and I have no power there,' Sessions added.

Warner asked if Sessions would apply that same rule to conversations he had had with Department of Justice officials or other White House aides, outside the president.

'Without in any way suggesting I had any conversations concerning pardons, totally apart from that, there are privileges of communications within the Department of Justice that we share, all of us do,' Sessions answered. 'We have a right to have full and robust debate within the Department of Justice and encourage people to speak up and argue cases on different sides.'

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine (left), watching his colleague Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. (right) pose questions to Sessions, had a back-and-forth with the attorney general over whether President Trump had invoked executive privilege

Attorney General Jeff Sessions answered questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, but wouldn't say whether he had discussed the Russia investigation while talking to President Trump about whether to keep on FBI chief James Comey

'Those arguments are not  historically we have seen they shouldn't be revealed,' he added.

Sessions self-censored all of his conversations with the president, even though they were not explicitly covered by privilege.

He would not tell Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat he served with in the Senate, whether he and the president ever discussed Comeys handling of the Russia investigation, including at a May 8 meeting at the White House that the president has said took place.

Trump called in Sessions and the deputy AG, Rod Rosenstein, and asked them for their take on Comey the day before he let his FBI director go.

We were asked our opinion, and when we expressed it, which was consistent with the memorandum and the letter we wrote, I felt comfortable...in providing that information in writing, Sessions told Feinstein, affirming the presidents version of events.

But he would not go into further detail about what they discussed.

That would call for a communication between the attorney general and the president, and I'm not able to comment on that, he said.

Sessions told Feinstein he could confirm that a conversation occurred, and he advised the president to terminate Comey, because Trump made that public.

Pushed by Feinstein to say whether he ever had a verbal conversation about Comey in the context of the Russia investigation, Sessions remained resolute.

'I'm not able to discuss with you or confirm or deny the nature of the private conversations that I may have had with the president on this subject or others. And I know that - how this will be discussed, but that's the rules that have been long adhered to by the Department of Justice as you know, Sen. Feinstein,' he said.

Before she moved on, Feinstein noted that Sessions was a 'longtime colleague' but she was frustrated with his, former Sen. Dan Coats  now the director of national intelligence  and NSA Director Mike Rogers refusals 'when it was easy just to say if the answer was no, "No."'

Well, it would have easier to say if it was yes, "yes," but both would have been improper, the former Alabama senator shot back.

King was also interested in what Sessions may have talked about regarding Comey and Russia with the commander-in- chief.

'In your discussions with the president about the firing of James Comey did the question of the Russia investigation ever come up?' the senator asked.

Sessions demurred.

'I cannot answer that because it was a communication by the president, if any such occurred, it would be a communication that he has not waived,' Sessions said.

Like with Feinstein, Sessions again explained why he was able to say that President Trump had asked for his opinion about FBI Director Comey's future prospects in that position.

'I believe he's already revealed that,' Sessions said of Trump saying so publicly. 'I believe that I'm correct in saying that. That's why I indicated that when I answered that question. But if he hadn't and I'm in error I would have constricted his Constitutional right of privilege.'

After King's line of questioning on executive privilege, a more friendly Republican face came to the attorney general and ex-senator's defense.

'I am amazed at the conversation, as if an attorney general has never said there are private conversations with the president,' said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

'It seems to be a short memory about some of the statements Eric Holder would and would not make to any committee in the House or the Senate,' the Republican added, name-dropping the name of President Obama's original attorney general.
Soldiers face being found guilty for crimes they did not commit because they cannot afford to represent themselves in court after facing baseless claims, lawyers claimed yesterday.

Military personnel of all ranks are being told by the Ministry of Defence they must pick up a bill of up to 9,000 to have a barrister defend them.

Many of them cannot afford to make the increasing contributions and are turning up at court martials facing excessive and unsupported claims with no legal advice, it is claimed.

Soldiers face being found guilty for crimes they did not commit because they cannot afford to represent themselves in court after facing baseless claims (file photo)

Sources said judges were increasingly turning to charities to ask them to step in and help the desperate soldiers.

The Military Mutual (TMM), which offers specialist insurance products for military families, has been forced to step in and take on nearly 100 cases for free.

The organisation, chaired by Major General Sir Sebastian Roberts, who retired from the army in 2010, has received hundreds more requests for help.

Barrister Lawrence Jones, who works for TMM, said: The vast majority of servicemen have complained that they simply cannot afford to pay the contribution.

In many of these cases, where The Military Mutual have supported defendants, the charges are excessive and are unsupported.

The vast majority of those brought before court martial have to pay a contribution and the vast majority find it unaffordable.

He said the soldiers the TMM have dealt with have been forced to pay anything ranging from 2,080 to 8,750.

The Military Mutual, chaired by Major General Sir Sebastian Roberts, has been forced to step in and help personnel in need of legal aid

Speaking about the consequences of this, he said: Soldiers who cannot afford this are having to present their case alone.

In 90 per cent of those cases the soldier would have been found wrongfully guilty which would have been life-changing.

Soldiers facing court martials for a variety of offences are typically told they have to make a contribution to the Armed Forces Criminal Legal Aid Authority (AFCLLAA).

The amount they have to pay is means tested  but lawyers claim soldiers on small incomes are still being forced to pay staggering costs.

In one case, a major serving overseas faced an allegation of ill-treatment of a subordinate after an alleged scuffle with a soldier who was on his iPhone.

The member of his Company had been on the phone during a live fire training exercise.

The major reprimanded him, removed his iPhone and told him his conduct was dangerous and wholly unacceptable behaviour.

It was alleged, although disputed, that the major grabbed the clothing of the soldier and struck him.

The major was told he had to pay 6,750 by way of contribution before he could receive legal aid, which he could not afford.

Eventually the case was taken up by the Military Mutual, who paid for a barrister to represent him and his charge was reduced to the far less serious charge of battery.

Following a preliminary hearing, the case was thrown out and the Service Prosecuting Authority apologised for bringing the case to court.

Military personnel of all ranks are being told by the Ministry of Defence they must pick up a bill of up to 9,000 to have a barrister defend them (file photo)

Mr Jones said: The major was told he leaves the court without a stain on his character.

In another case a Sergeant who supported four children was asked to make 4,000 as a contribution.

He could not afford the fee, and so the military Mutual stepped in and represented him and he was acquitted at trial.

Another case taken on by TMM concerned a colonel, who was asked to pay 7250.

Soldiers who face court martials as a result of their alleged conduct in Iraq, Afghanistan or Northern Ireland are exempt from the rules and have all their legal costs paid for.

An MoD spokesman said: All our personnel interviewed after caution receive funded legal assistance and then, if their case is referred to trial, our dedicated legal aid body would contact them to ensure they receive what they are entitled to.

The majority pay nothing towards their legal fees and where they do contribute, it is based on means testing of their disposable income.
A university lecturer has come under fire for attacking Barron Trump and his choice of wardrobe.

Jodie Beggs, a Boston based 'behavioral economist', mocked the 11-year-old on Twitter, writing on Monday: 'Barron Trump is wearing a shirt that reads "The Expert" and I just threw up in my mouth a little.'

She was referring to the $29.50 J. Crew grey and blue garment that Barron was pictured wearing as he arrived at The White House with his parents on Sunday.

Beggs, who claims to have worked for Northeastern University, was savaged by Trump fans and impartial Twitter followers who condemned her for picking on a child.

Economist Jodi Beggs (left) was slammed after mocking Barron Trump's 'expert' t-shirt on Twitter

She offered no remorse and later, while trying to defend them, said the child's shirt 'made him look like a jerk'.

The schoolboy, the youngest of President Trump's five children, has just relocated with his mother from their home in Manhattan to Washington DC.

He wore the shirt for his flight to his new home on Sunday after spending the weekend with his parents in New Jersey.

Beggs' tweet is not the first cruel taunt he has faced since his father launched his political career.

Both Donald and Melania Trump have lampooned critics who appeared to attack him, including a SNL writer who was fired for saying he would become 'the country's first home school shooter'.

Unlike Kate Richie, the writer who posted the insensitive tweet then hastily deleted it before losing her job, Beggs offered no apologies for aiming her comment on Tuesday.

The woman attempted to defend her comment on Twitter, claiming she was attacking Barron's parents and not the 11-year-old himself

Barron wore the t-shirt to fly back to The White House with his parents on Sunday on Marine One

Barron's $29.50 t-shirt from J. Crew sold out online after he was pictured in it on Sunday

Beggs attracted criticism for her comment from other Twitter users

Despite the barrage of complaints, she carried on on Sunday and said the shirt made Barron 'look like a jerk'

'Hey Twitter, maybe, just maybe, I'm judging the people that bought him this item and let him wear it in a very public appearance,' she said.

Her critics were not satisfied and accused her of trying to shy away apologizing.

Beggs claims to lecture at Northeastern University

'No matter what the affliction, kids are off limits,' said one unimpressed follower.

Another replied: 'You are nothing more than a very sick individual that feels the need to lift herself up by attacking a child. Grow up and seek help.'

Beggs attempted to argue that because President Trump presents his older, adult children as experts by employing them in his administration, she was right to point out the apparent irony of Barron's shirt.

'His dad has consistently stated that his family members know more than actual experts, so it was an unfortunate visual for an arrival in DC,' she wrote.

Northeastern University distanced itself from the woman when approached, explaining that she hadn't worked for them for over a year.

'Ms. Beggs has not been affiliated with Northeastern for over a year. Her views are hers alone and do not represent those of the university,' a spokesman said.
A refugee convicted of a serious sex offence with a 13-year-old girl cannot be sent back to his home country because deportation was not fair on him, Appeal judges have ruled.

They said that Wilfred Mosira can stay in Britain despite his crime and even though there is no threat to his safety or freedom in his native Zimbabwe.

Three Appeal judges accused Home Office lawyers of confusion over Mr Mosiras status as a refugee and of acting too late in the saga of the long-running case when they finally put forward proper arguments for his deportation.

A refugee convicted of a serious sex offence with a 13-year-old girl cannot be sent back to his home country because deportation was not fair on him, Appeal judges have ruled

Lord Justice Sales said it is not fair to Mr Mosira for the Governments lawyers to raise at the eleventh hour the arguments that could have seen him thrown out of the country.

The case of the paedophile sex offender who dodged deportation because of legal technicalities was made public a day after the Daily Mail revealed that an Al Qaeda terrorist caught with manuals detailing how to attack nightclubs and airports has been given 250,000 in legal aid to try to avoid being deported to Jordan.

A key reason that 31-year-old Mr Mosira can now remain in Britain is that lawyers representing Theresa May, who was Home Secretary when the deportation case began, argued that he should be sent home because he would not face real persecution in Zimbabwe.

But, the judges said, Mr Mosira had never been given refugee status on the grounds that he was in any danger in Zimbabwe, and so the Home Office lawyers had been making the wrong argument.

In fact, the Appeal ruling found, Mr Mosira came to Britain under a short-lived scheme operated by Tony Blairs government which allowed children of refugees to be recognised as refugees themselves.

His mother, the judges said, had been recognised as a refugee in 2001 not because she was in any political trouble but because she wanted health treatment on the NHS.

She was recognised as a refugee, Lord Justice Sales said, purely because of the lack of medical facilities available in Zimbabwe to treat her medical condition as HIV plus.

Mosira can now remain in Britain because lawyers representing Theresa May, who was Home Secretary when the deportation case began, argued he should be sent home because he would not face real persecution in Zimbabwe

Her son came to Britain in 2003 at the age of 17 and was himself recognised as a refugee.

But in 2012, Lord Justice Sales said, he was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with an underage girl who was 13.

Mr Mosira, who was aged 25 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to three years in jail.

The judge said: There is no dispute that this constituted serious criminal offending. There is also no dispute that Mr Mosira qualifies as a foreign criminal.

After the conviction Mr Mosira was told he would be deported, and a four-and-a-half year legal battle over his right to stay in Britain began.

In 2013 lawyers for Mrs May told Mr Mosira that his refugee status as someone fleeing from persecution was being withdrawn.

But, Lord Justice Sales said, because he had never fled persecution it was open to doubt whether this was an appropriate procedural step to take.

Lord Justice Sales said it is not fair to Mr Mosira for the Governments lawyers to raise at the eleventh hour the arguments that could have seen him thrown out of the country

During the course of the next three years the case went through three immigration tribunal hearings.

During these cases lawyers for Mr Mosira said he would face ill-treatment if returned to Zimbabwe, because he was associated with the MDC opposition movement.

Tribunal judges however found that he was not associated with any political movement and faced no danger from President Mugabe or his supporters.

They also noted that he and his mother had travelled to Zimbabwe in 2010 for his fathers funeral without trouble.

In 2014 a probation officer reported that Mr Mosira posed a high risk of committing further sex offences, the Appeal judges said.

But by 2015 his probation officer had revised her opinion and said he posed a low likelihood of re-offending and was in a healthy and supportive relationship with a partner.

In May this year in the Court of Appeal lawyers for the Home Office said for the first time that Mr Mosira should not be treated as a refugee whatever the reason that he was first allowed refugee status.

Lord Justice Sales said this was an arguable issue of law but justice requires that we refuse permission to raise it at the eleventh hour on this appeal.

He said it is not fair to Mr Mosira to do so, and was also unfair to his lawyers who had not had a chance to prepare new arguments.

The judges rejected an appeal by the Home Office that would have secured Mr Mosiras deportation and added that the case for deportation became confused at an early stage and had been very messy.

Mr Mosira, who has been assisted by lawyers since 2013, was represented at the appeal by both a QC and a junior barrister, and by immigration specialist solicitors, Turpin and Miller, who were recognised in 2012 as Legal Aid Firm of the Year.
An influential firm that advises shareholders how to vote has taken the rare step of calling for the entire board of directors of the maker of EpiPens to be ousted.

Institutional Investor Services issued the call to vote out Mylan's incumbent board on Monday, blasting the Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-based company over executive pay and price-hike scandals.

ISS accused Mylan of making 'multiple egregious pay decisions and large payouts despite the harm to the company inflicted by the EpiPen controversies.'

Mylan has raised the price of its lifesaving EpiPens, which are used to treat potentially fatal allergic reactions, by more than 500 percent since 2007.

Meanwhile, executive pay has skyrocketed, with Mylan chairman and former CEO Robert Coury making $98million last year.

Mylan CEO Heather Bresch (left) and chairman Robert Coury (right) have come under fire from investors angry that they got huge bonuses in a year when the company's reputation took a hit

Mylan has raised the price of its lifesaving EpiPens, which are used to treat potentially fatal allergic reactions, by more than 500 percent since 2007

He also received an additional $59 million in retirement benefits and other pay, and will now get $1.8 million a year in a cash retainer.

'Mylan's EpiPen controversy, which has seemingly still not run its full course, has laid bare a record of poor stewardship and responsiveness by the incumbent directors,' ISS wrote.

The shareholder advisory firm urged all stock holders to vote out the incumbent board at the June 22 annual meeting, but noted it would take a two-thirds vote to succeed.

A Mylan spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.

The call to revolt comes on the heels of a group of angry institutional investors issuing a similar call for Coury's ouster.

On May 31, New York City and New York State comptrollers both signed the letter sent to shareholders, as did a representative of the California State Teachers' Retirement System, and PGGM, a Dutch pension fund.

The funds control around 4.3 million Mylan shares, which is less than one percent of the company's stock.

Bresch (seen attending a Congress hearing) was paid too much, especially after the company's reputation suffered, the investors - who have 4.3 million shares - complained

In a statement on May 31 following the investor group's public criticism, the company said Mylan's board had created sustained long-term value for shareholders and that Coury's compensation was aligned with their interests.

The statement noted that the company's market capitalization has swelled to more than $20 billion from about $3 billion over the past 15 years, and its stock price also has soared over the longer time frame.

'During Mr Coury's long tenure, Mylan has delivered strong financial performance and shareholder growth, and his new compensation structure continues to be aligned with the [company's] stock performance while providing shareholders with the benefit of his continued leadership and guidance in setting Mylan's strategic direction,' the company said.

Mylan is under investigation by regulators and the Justice Department after it increased the price of its life-saving allergy treatment EpiPen to more than $600.

Current CEO Heather Bresch and President Rajiv Malik also came under fire in the letter.

'They received annual bonuses that exceeded their base salaries for last year - even as the company 'suffered significant reputational and financial harm,' the letter said.

Bresch was paid $13.3 million last year according to Equilar and AP analysis, down from $18.9 million last year.

Shares are up four-fold since 2002, but the harsh spotlight over spiking drug prices has taken a toll.

CVS has begun to sell a rival, generic version of EpiPen for about a sixth of the price of the brand-name version.

And in the past 12 months - during which time Bresch had to appear before Congress to explain Mylan's decision to hike prices on some drugs - shares have fallen fifteen percent.
A Muslim man who allegedly forced an 18-year-old Sydney woman to marry him has been charged with kidnapping and sexual assault.

Chafic Charyala, 33, allegedly drove to the teenager's Bankstown home on Sunday at 2am, forced her out of her bedroom window and took her to the Novotel at Brighton Le Sands.

The teenager was allegedly kept at the hotel for more than 24 hours before Cheryala took her to a Lakemba house, where an Islamic ceremony conducted by a sheikh took place.

'I just wanted to come back home to my family,' the teenager told 7News.

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Chafic Charyala, 33, allegedly drove to the teenager's Bankstown home on Sunday at 2am, forced her out of her bedroom window

The teenager was allegedly kept at the hotel for more than 24 hours before Cheryala took her to a Lakemba house. She is pictured here in her bedroom

The young woman, who knew Charyala, claims he wanted to use the marriage to secure an Australian citizenship.

'He lives overseas, but he doesn't have a visa here, so if he gets married here, the girl gets to put him here...he can stay here,' she said on Tuesday.

'It was scary. I just wanted to come back home to my family and not be with him.

'I can't stand him. I want to kill him.'

The teenager was allegedly forced out of her bedroom window (pictured) by the 33-year-old

The young woman, who knew Charyala, claims he wanted to use the marriage to secure an Australian citizenship

'He lives overseas, but he doesn't have a visa here, so if he gets married here, the girl gets to put him here...he can stay here,' she said on Tuesday

She was then driven down the Hume Highway towards Melbourne, where Charylala's cousin lives, but police intercepted the vehicle after her family contacted police.

Charylala was arrested in Gundagai on Monday night, about 400km from Sydney, and charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and indecent assault.

The matter was adjourned at Wagga Wagga Local Court on Tuesday.

Chafic Charyala, 33, allegedly drove to the teenager's Bankstown home on Sunday at 2am, forced her out of her bedroom window and took her to the Novotel at Brighton Le Sands

The man allegedly abducted the 18-year-old in Bankstown at 2am and was arrested on the Hume Highway in Gundagai near Wagga Wagga
David Cameron urged Theresa May to 'listen to other parties' as she prepares to begin Brexit negotiations in a few days

David Cameron yesterday made a dramatic bid to hijack the PMs Brexit plans  calling for her to talk to Labour about a softer approach.

As Theresa May prepares to begin Brussels negotiations, the former prime minister intervened to say she had to listen to other parties.

It follows calls by Tory figures such as former leader William Hague for Mrs May to reach out to Labour, possibly through a cross-party commission.

Yesterday, it also emerged Chancellor Philip Hammond had told his German counterpart that Britains Brexit policy could change following last weeks election setback.

Any move to change course on Brexit risks a Tory civil war, with backbenchers support for the PM dependent on her not backing down.

Last night Mrs May signalled she was still determined to pull out of both the single market and the customs union by appointing a leading Eurosceptic as Brexit minister.

Steve Baker, who led a backbench group of pro-Brexit Tory MPs during the EU referendum campaign, was promoted during her reshuffle.

But in his first public comments since the election, Remain-backing Mr Cameron tried to turn the heat up on his successor.

Mr Cameron said 'there will be pressure for a softer Brexit' following Mrs May's sock election setback as former Tory leader William Hague suggested reaching out to the Labour party

He told a conference in Poland: Its going to be difficult, theres no doubt about that, but perhaps an opportunity to consult more widely with the other parties on how best we can achieve it. I think there will be pressure for a softer Brexit.

Mr Cameron said Parliament deserves a say on the issue.

The former Prime Minister also highlighted the stance of Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, who has called for a more open Brexit.

With an extra 12 seats north of the border, she is in a powerful position when it comes to votes. Mr Cameron said: Scotland voted against Brexit.

I think most of the Scottish Conservatives will want to see perhaps some changes with the policy going forward.

But new Environment Secretary Michael Gove dismissed the idea of compromise on the key principles of leaving the single market and customs union, and ending free movement.

The leading Leave campaigner said: If you want maximum possible support, you have to engage in open conversations, but you stay true to your principles.

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski served notice on Mrs May that his support was conditional on sticking to the manifesto plan.

He said: I can only support a leader of the party if they implement what the British people voted for, which is clean Brexit. Anything less than that I would have great difficulty with.

And a Eurosceptic minister said: It is quite simple. If she starts backsliding on Brexit she will be out. The Tory Party will probably implode and you will have another election.

Any change of course over Brexit risks widening rifts in the Tory party after Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested the government's stance could soften, while Michael Gove insisted that ending freedom of movement was still a top priority

Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith also warned against re-opening the partys plans, pointing out that Labours manifesto also committed to ending free movement  meaning more than 80 per cent of the electorate had backed a clean break.

He told the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire Show: The vast majority of the Tory Party believe this is a settled issue. The truth is were going into negotiations.

Guy Verhofstadt, the Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament, yesterday said that the EU was now impatient for the talks to start.

It came as German minister Wolfgang Schauble revealed that Mr Hammond had told him senior Tories believed their failure to secure a majority was due in part to a Brexit backlash by younger voters.

It will fuel speculation the Chancellor is leading a Cabinet push to water down Brexit.

He is due to make a speech on Brexit tomorrow when sources said he will set out a pragmatic approach to leaving the EU.

Tory MP Philip Davies last night said Mr Hammond was wrong to view the Conservatives election failure as a backlash against the referendum result.

He said: The election was not a verdict on Brexit  hes talking absolute rubbish.

It was about austerity and social care and if the Chancellor had knocked on a few doors in the north of England he would know that.

If we dont deliver on Brexit we will be wiped out.

But former Tory prime minister Sir John Major said single-market membership  which would mean keeping free movement  should be put back on the table.

He claimed that many voters backed Leave for reasons entirely unconnected with the EU. The leading Remain campaigner said: The election changed everything. The views of the 48 per cent cannot be brushed aside as some of the more vigorous hardline Brexiteers wish.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressed support on Tuesday for special counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who now leads a broad probe of claims that people linked to President Donald Trump colluded with Russian interests during the 2016 election season.

Noted Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House, reversed himself this week and began attacking Mueller as a vicious partisan whose hiring of Democratic loyalists as deputies has cast his impartiality into doubt.

But during an afternoon hearing, Sessions suggested to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Mueller could be trusted to carry out a fair investigation.

'I have known Mr. Mueller over the years. He served 12 years as a FBI director. I knew him before that, and I have confidence in Mr. Mueller,' the attorney general said.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that he has 'confidence' in Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller's ability to lead a probe into Russian election interference

Mueller, a former FBI director, has broad authority that could affect the future of Donald Trump's presidency, and makes some in the White House nervous

Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy (left), a longtime Trump friend, said Monday night that the president was considering whether to fire Mueller  a claim the White House quickly bashed

Questions about Mueller's job security swirled through Washington on Monday evening after Chris Ruddy, the CEO of NewsMax and a longtime Trump confidant, told PBS that the president was mulling the possibility of firing the special counsel.

'I think he is considering perhaps terminating the special counsel,' said Ruddy. 'I think he's weighing that option. ... I personally think it would be a significant mistake.'

Gingrich said on Twitter that 'Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Time to rethink.'

He told ABC's 'Good Morning America' on Tuesday that Mueller 'did not hire a single Republican in the first wave' of staffing for his investigation.

'These are bad people,' he said. 'These are people who are going to be after Trump.'

Gingrich also said Trump had phoned him Monday night, and left him with the impression that Mueller's job isn't on the line.

Sessions told his former Senate colleagues that he didn't know one way or the other.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified to a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday that only he has the authority to fire Mueller, since AG Sessions has recused himself from the entirety of the Russia probe

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich insists Mueller is hiring 'bad people'  Democrats who are out to get Trump

'Do you believe the president has confidence in Mr. Mueller?' Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner asked him.

'I have no idea,' Sessions replied. 'I've not talked to him about it.'

On 'CBS This Morning' Gingrich carped that one of the Democratic attorneys Mueller has hired 'worked for the Clinton Foundation.'

'He apparently couldn't find a single pro-Trump attorney to hire and I just think that thats a rigged game. I think that it's a mistake to pretend that this is going to be some neutral investigation.'

In a Tuesday morning Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein confirmed that only he could dismiss Mueller, and even then only for a documented cause.

Sessions, who outranks Rosenstein, has recused himself formally from overseeing any part of the Russia investigation.

The Senate Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (center), asked Sessions on Tuesday if Trump has confidence in Mueller, but he said he didn't know

He explained Tuesday to the Senate panel that his decision was based on a Justice Department regulation dictating that 'employees should not participate in investigations of a campaign if they served as a campaign advisor.'

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told Politico on Monday night that firing Mueller 'would be a disaster.'

'There's no reason to fire Mueller. What's he done to be fired?' he asked.

The White House said in a statement that Ruddy 'never spoke to the President regarding this issue.'

'With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment.'

Ruddy later confirmed that he and the president hadn't discussed the matter personally.
Opinion / Columnist

After oppressing the Zimbabwean people and having literally shred their livelihood by ill intending policies, the self imposing dictator has again flown to United Nations for a Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable development. Goal 14 reads: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.In Zimbabwe Mugabe's government has presided over the unchecked dilapidation and collapse of every aspect of environment and economy. His central government's meddling with local authorities and city governments has weakened the latter to the point of zero performance. As a result city governments have not been able to manage their sewage effluents and garbage disposal to the point that most towns water sources are heavily polluted. Take for example Lake Chivero which is now heavily polluted with raw sewage from Harare and Chitungwiza.Research carried by the University of Zimbabwe on the levels of Lake Chivero pollution has revealed that the lake and all its subsidiary rivers are subject to stress from heavy pollution of metals, pesticides and raw sewage which require a huge financial commitment to rehabilitate the lake for the benefit of water users.Serious cases of pollution have been detected from water samples taken from the Manyame and Hunyani rivers as well as Lake Chivero. According to research, Lake Chivero is highly eutrophic and levels of nutrients in the water are now very high because of raw effluent, domestic and industrial waste being discharged into it, resulting in blue-green algae blooms and water hyacinth. To date the overall levels of weed growth nutrients such as phosphates, nitrates, potassium and sewage effluent are no longer still within acceptable limits according to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for drinking water and Zimbabwe waste effluent standards. As a result of poor garbage disposal, most waste material, diapers and sanitary wear are being washed to the lake in runoff water. This poses a serious health hazard and the Lake Chivero's continued capacity to sustain lives and livelihoods.There is also uncontrolled Population growth in the Lake's urban watershed and this has outstripped the city's service capacity. Poor maintenance of infrastructure has greatly compromised the urban settlement's ability manage their waste waters. Growth of high undeveloped density satellite settlements, with weak revenue bases poses funding problems for services provision and development. Most of these settlements have been under the auspices by Zanu pf party with a large number of these settlements claiming to have been endorsed by the Zimbabwean first Lady, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe in her win the people's affection tours. So city councils gave been afraid to deal with these politically associated and implicating settlements according to council by-laws. Most of these settlements have also been on wetlands. In all cities and towns around \Zimbabwe, there are now settlements on river banks as opposed to the 30m away from the river regulation. The situation is the same in Gweru and Mkoba Rivers. These water bodies and their downstream are heavily contaminated by raw sewage being discharged into them throughout the past decade. Most resident of Gweru have no water and have resorted to digging shallow wells for drinking water.Rivers around the country have also been contaminated with mercury and heavy metals from uncontrolled gold panning around the provinces. This has led also to siltation of dams compounded by rapid deforestation with no trees replacement. Robert Mugabe's speech at the conference only indicated that Zimbabwe is committed to SDGs implementation but he did not give examples of what his government has done to date in compliance with the requirement of Goal 14. It seems President Mugabe only attended the conference in bid and as platform to defend his corrupt government's for failure to preserve the purity of the water bodies in Zimbabwe. This is only what many managed to gather as the reason President Mugabe flew all the way to New York, it was only to say, and I quote part of his speech, "I wish to remind some partners that while they may exclude my country from some financial and technical assistance facilities because of the illegal sanctions they maintain against us, the effects of climate change are not discriminatory. My country is committed to implementing the SDGs and will do so within the means available to it."He also lied hypocritically that he believes that it is in the best interest of all of us that we prioritise life above everything else. We don't see preservation of water bodies in Zimbabwe being prioritised, but are actually being neglected. So President Robert Gabriel Mugabe is misrepresenting our nation just the same when he said Zimbabwe is the second best developed nation in Africa. This is outrageous. He is actually behaving like an angel of Satan, contrary to what Chipanga referred him to.Robert Mugabe should be real to himself and understand that it is not possible for most governments to do business as usual with his unaccountable and his semi-illegitimate government that shuns fair play in elections and persecute political opponents. His government has not been able to deal with, but has actually encouraged corruption of senior government officials, as long as they don't oppose his bid to be to continue to rule Zimbabwe. So rather than mention sanctions, Mugabe has to truthfully deal with issues of governance, corruption, Human rights abuses, and 'electoral, media and security reforms'. Mugabe's government cannot continue with human rights abuse whilst at same time expecting to win international community's approval and support that comes with it. Mugabe's government has thrived on nothing other than lies and misrepresentation. The state of water bodies in Zimbabwe does not warrant Robert Mugabe's lecture to the SDG4s conference participants, let alone his presence anywhere near there.
A massive fire has torn through a famous Mexican restaurant west of Brisbane, causing almost 100 residents to flee and damaging neighbouring buildings.

Firefighters battled to contain the blaze at Amigo's Bar & Grill in Toowoomba's CBD, which began in the kitchen after 11pm on Tuesday, according to reports.

Police declared an emergency situation and closed surrounding streets as horrified onlookers described a 'wall of fire' erupt from the popular eatery.

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A massive fire has torn through a famous Mexican restaurant west of Brisbane

It took firefighters almost seven hours to contain the blaze at Amigo's Bar & Grill in Toowoomba

The fire forced 90 guests staying at nearby Quest Toowoomba apartments, which has a stunning heritage-listed church at the front of the building, to be evacuated.

It took firefighters almost seven hours to contain the blaze, managing to extinguish it just after 6am on Wednesday after a long night of work.

Amigo's Mexican restaurant and Adrenalin Climbing Gym were both destroyed by the raging fire, while the nearby apartment block managed to avoid any damage.

The fire forced 90 guests staying at nearby Quest Toowoomba apartments to be evacuated

A crime scene has been established as investigators work to determine the cause of the blaze

Toowoomba Police Inspector Sharee Cumming told 7 News it took just 20 minutes for Amigo's to be 'completely engulfed in flames.'

'There were 90 people evacuated from Quest, and they were rehoused from staff to other hotels in the Toowoomba area,' Ms Cumming said.

'No one was injured amazingly, Queensland Fire and Emergency services have done an amazing job in being able to contain the fire.'

A crime scene has been established as investigators work to determine the cause of the blaze.

Amigo's Mexican restaurant and Adrenalin Climbing Gym were both destroyed by the raging fire
Guns have been found in a drain following a shooting outside a Shell service station in Sydney's south overnight.

Police found three guns dumped into a drain a few blocks away from the Bexley service station, which officers were called to just before 3am on Wednesday after reports of shots being fired.

It is believed a group of men were in an argument when a second group of men who were armed with firearms began to shoot as they approached the first group.

Police have found three pistols dumped in a drain nearby a service station in Sydney's south where a shooting took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning

Officers were called to a Shell service station in Bexley just before 3am, where it is believed one group of men fired at another group of men

Superintendent Mark Watson said though police believe the first group were fired upon in the very public attack, both groups of men are being viewed suspiciously.

'It's concerning and quite outrageous really. There's nothing to indicate what the motive was in all this, he told Nine News.

'Normally we would consider [the first group] as victims, but when people don't come to the police and report crime, I can't consider them a victim.'

The pistols were found later into the investigation and police are now conducting a thorough sweep of the area.

Police also found bullets and magazines with extra rounds during their search, reported News Corp.

A statement from police notes it is not yet known if anyone was injured during the incident.

Officers have established a crime scene which will be examined by forensic specialists and are looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Kogarah Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Steve Baker, a backbencher who led group of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, has been made junior minister for Brexit in Theresa May's reshuffle

Theresa May appointed an influential Tory backbencher as a junior Brexit minister yesterday as the department was cleared out just days before crucial talks with Europe begin.

Leading Brexiteer Steve Baker, who led a backbench group of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, was promoted during the reshuffle in a signal the PM does not intend to back down from her uncompromising Brexit strategy.

He was handed the role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the EU as two ministers were either sacked or resigned a week before EU negotiations get underway.

Just hours before the appointment, the outspoken Eurosceptic said the UK needed a good, clean exit from the EU consistent with actually leaving and controlling laws, money, borders and trade.

His appointment will appease the right of the party, many of whom fear the PM could be pushed to rethink her vision of a Tory Brexit and reach out to Remainers for a more consensual approach.

In a series of tweets he explained what he believed the Government should seek to achieve from the negotiations, with talks due to begin on Monday.

He said the term hard and soft Brexit was misleading, adding: We need a good clean exit which minimises disruption and maximises opportunity.

In other words, we need the softest exit consistent with actually leaving and controlling laws, money, borders and trade.

He said that meant delivering on the 77-page White Paper so the Government could get on with improving UK and global trade.

The White Paper  published in February  outlined Mrs Mays vision of an independent and truly global United Kingdom.

It also confirmed that the principle of free movement would end and new immigration rules will be phased out.

Mr Baker's promotion will shore up the position of Brexit secretary David Davis, as two of his ministers were either sacked or resigned a week before EU negotiations get underway

Meanwhile the department was cleared out. Brexiteer David Jones was sacked from his junior ministerial role just days after he said it was impossible to say if Mrs May would be PM in six months time given the shock result.

Mr Jones  who led the Welsh arm of the Vote Leave campaign  was replaced by Baroness Anelay.

And Lord Bridges, the departments representative in the House of Lords, resigned to pursue business interests.

In a further blow for David Davis, who was re-appointed as the Brexit minister, his Parliamentary Private Secretary, Stewart Jackson, lost his seat in the general election last week.

He lost even though Ukip did not stand in the Peterborough seat because it wanted to give arch-Eurosceptic Mr Jackson a better chance of winning.

Mr Davis also lost his chief of staff, James Chapman, who accepted a new job at City PR firm Bell Pottinger.

In other departments, Tory veteran Alistair Burt returned to the Government.

Mr Burt, who was a junior minister in John Majors government, returned to the frontbench after being left out of Mrs Mays first administration.

The North East Bedfordshire MP will return to the Foreign Office, where he had previously been a minister from 2010 to 2013, in a joint capacity with the Department for International Development.

Former Tesco executive Baroness Neville-Rolfe, who had been a junior Treasury minister, left the Government.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said fired FBI director James Comey's handling of the Clinton email scandal was even more 'egregious' than he realized when he was advising her opponent, candidate Donald Trump.

'In retrospect in looking at it I think it was more egregious than I may have even understood at the time,' Sessions said Tuesday.

In saying so, Sessions was joining the legions of Democrats who have complained about how Comey handled the investigation into Clinton's email server.

Clinton herself has said Comey's conduct contributed to her loss to Trump, and Trump as a candidate inveighed against Clinton's handling of her emails repeatedly.

In a turnaround that Democrats don't find credible or persuasive, the president cited Comey's handling of the Clinton case as the initial explanation for firing him.

'In retrospect in looking at it I think it was more egregious than I may have even understood at the time,' attorney general Jeff Sessions said of fired FBI Director James Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein wrote the president a letter bashing Comey's conduct, and Sessions called for new leadership at the bureau the day before Trump fired Comey, who was heading up the FBI's Russia probe.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election during a hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 13, 2017

At a Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Sessions testified that he found Comey's conduct 'stunning,' despite his past statements of respect for Comey  and even as he angered Democrats on the committee for refusing to discuss whether he spoke about the Russia investigation to President Trump.

Under friendly questioning from Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, Sessions agreed that Comey exceeded the role of the FBI director during a July 5th press conference, where he called out Clinton for her carelessness, without consulting with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

'In fact it appears he did it without her approval totally that is a pretty stunning thing,' he said.

'It is a stunning thing and it violates fundamental powers,' Sessions added.

President Donald Trump gives a speech on healthcare in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 13, 2017. He railed against Clinton's email scandal during the campaign, then cited James Comey's handling of the affair as the reason for his firing

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on September 26, 2016 in Hempstead, New York. Her campaign was rocked by an FBI investigation into her emails

Then he partly recounted the story of how Comey essentially reopened a closed investigation after additional Clinton emails were discovered on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is married to longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

'The directors thinking was not clear,' Sessions said, saying it would have been better had the investigation 'never been discussed publicly.'

Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island noted that many Democrats at the time were 'unhappy' with how Comey conducted himself.

Reed brought up Sessions' appearances at the time on Fox News, where he called Comey a 'skilled prosecutor' and said 'essentially that "it's not his problem. It's Hillary Clinton's problem."'

'Then in November, on November 6th, after Mr. Comey again made news in late October by reopening, if you will, the investigation, you said, again, on Fox News, "you know, FBI Director Comey did the right thing when he found new evidence,' Reed continued.

'So in July and November, Director Comey was doing exactly the right thing. You had no criticism of him. You felt that in fact, he was a skilled professional prosecutor. You felt that his last statement in October was fully justified so how can you go from those statements to agreeing with Mr. Rosenstein and then asking the president or recommending he be fired?' Reed asked, referencing letters by Sessions and the deputy attorney general that preceded Comey's firing by Trump.

Hillary Clinton has cited the email investigation, Comey, and Russia as reasons behind her defeat

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 13, 2017

Sessions answered that, 'When he found new evidence that came up I think he probably was required to tell Congress it wasnt over, that new evidence had been developed.'

'It probably would have been better and would have been consistent with the rules of the Department of Justice to never have talked about the investigation to begin with,' he added. 'Once you get down that road, thats the kind of thing that you get into,' he concluded.
The Prime Minister let her hair down as she enthusiastically took part in a Mexican wave during the England game against France.

But unfortunately for Theresa May, her fun was short lived as social media was soon awash with memes poking fun at her.

Mrs May was caught on camera trying to get involved at the international friendly the Stade de France.

The Prime Minister enthusiastically took part in a Mexican wave during the England game against France

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's moment of fun soon gave way to a a series of hilarious memes on social media

Her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron led the way as he stood up and flung his arms in the air as the 'wave' went around the stadium.

But when Mrs May decided to get involved, people blasted her attempt as 'cringe', 'awkward' and 'hopeless'.

As cameras panned across the crowd Mr Macron stood up and joined in with the traditional routine.

Moments later, out of time with everyone else, Mrs May jumped to her feet with her arms outstretched before sitting back down.

Her move prompted a chuckle from Home Secretary Amber Rudd who was sat a few seats away.

Commentator Clive Tyldesley even said: 'I think the French president looked a little more confident than the British premier.'

Viewers took to Twitter to make fun of her erratic performance.

Matt Wiles wrote: 'She can't even do a strong and stable Mexican wave.'

Ben Nutland added: 'I've never seen anything more awkward than Theresa May doing a Mexican wave.'

Some people, however, did stick up for Mrs May.

Referring to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's recent awkward high five with MP Emily Thornberry, Tom Conrad said: 'Theresa May's attempt at a Mexican wave a rival for Corbyn's high five.'

Viewers quickly took to Twitter to make fun of her erratic performance

One man wrote: 'Theresa May attempts a Mexican wave and gets ridiculed, however if Corbyn did it he would have been a 'top lad'.

The Prime Minister took time out of negotiating a coalition deal with the DUP for a meeting with Mr Macron in Paris.

The pair discussed terrorism and Brexit before watching France beat England 3-2.
Since last Thursdays electoral earthquake, a myth has sprouted  embraced by Eurocrats in Brussels, pro-Remain politicians and the BBC  that the result amounts to a vote against a so-called hard Brexit.

Theres no proof of this. Both Tories and Labour undertook to withdraw Britain from the EU single market. Staying inside the market is the essence of a soft Brexit.

Unfortunately, the notion that the outcome of the election should be partly seen as anti-Brexit seems to be shared by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond.

Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn ran the election on a platform of taking Britain out of the single market, putting paid to the myth that the vote signals a desire for a 'soft' Brexit

He is alleged by his German counterpart, Wolfgang Schauble, to have said over the weekend that the young who voted for Jeremy Corbyn did so largely out of distaste for Brexit.

Of course, some people may have voted Labour for this reason  but theres no evidence they did so in significant numbers. In any case, the election wasnt really about Brexit: it turned out to be about social care, policing cuts, the winter fuel allowance and continuing austerity.

The two anti-Brexit parties fared poorly. The Lib Dem share of the vote declined slightly, while the equally fanatically pro-EU Scottish Nationalists lost 21 of their 56 seats.

So although pro-Remain politicians and BBC presenters will doubtless go on repeating the canard that the electorate has rejected a hard Brexit (whatever that precisely entails), they havent any facts to support their case.

For all that, Im afraid the outcome could make a soft Brexit more likely. This is because the political arithmetic no longer favours the kind of withdrawal that Theresa May outlined before the election, though unfortunately scarcely talked about during the campaign.

Ruth Davidson, the redoubtable Scottish Tory leader, has indicated she doesnt want a hard Brexit, and the 12 new Scottish Conservative MPs are expected to follow her lead. Another dozen or so English Tory MPs are committed to the softest Brexit imaginable. Mrs May is between a rock and a hard place.

Only the Lib Dems and SNP ran anti-Brexit campaigns - the former lost vote-share, the latter lost seats

Moreover, although Labour is officially in favour of pulling out of the single market  a policy reiterated by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell as recently as Sunday  my bet is that it will increasingly lean towards a softer Brexit to embarrass and undermine Mrs May.

The danger is that our embattled Prime Minister will be pushed towards a soft Brexit by irrepressible Remainers in her own party such as her predecessor David Cameron, who reprehensively spoke yesterday of pressure for a softer Brexit, and Labour mischief-making.

Some unidentified Cabinet members are even said to be in secret talks with Labour MPs to secure cross-party backing for a soft Brexit.

Mrs May is under enormous pressure. Rather than buckle, though, she should do what she failed to do during the election: argue the case in public against a soft Brexit. She should also encourage intransigent Remainers in her party to spell out what they really want.

For the truth is that the soft Brexit, with which the likes of Mr Hammond flirt, is no Brexit at all. If it involves us staying in the single market, we would have no control over our borders.

Thats the predicament of Norway and tiny Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are part of the so-called European Economic Area. These countries cant regulate the influx of workers from the EU.

They also pay into the EU budget in return for membership of the single market. Norways fee is estimated to be about 90 per cent of the United Kingdoms per person. Our annual net contribution to Brussels  about 13 billion  would be barely reduced.

Worst of all, with a Norway-type solution we would have to accept new EU laws without having any influence over them.

The desire to regain control of our borders, and recover our sovereignty, were the two mainsprings of the pro-Leave vote. Both would be sacrificed if Britain were to remain in the single market.

Unfortunately the soft Brexit rumours have been given life by Philip Hammond, who appears to have told his German counterpart that the Tory stance could soften

It would be preferable to stay in the EU rather than accept this kind of soft Brexit. As members of the EU, we at least have a say in the laws that affect the single market. As part of the European Economic Area, we would have to submit impotently to whatever was foisted on us by Brussels.

Why dont the proponents of a soft Brexit ever say this? Because it so obviously runs counter to the aspirations of the vast majority of people who voted Leave and, I dare say, of many who didnt but have come around to the idea of Brexit.

There is perhaps one respectable argument for joining the European Economic Area  which is that as we would not be part of the EUs customs union, we would have time to build up trading arrangements with non-EU countries while trading tariff-free with the EU.

But does anyone seriously think that once we had achieved this unsatisfactory halfway house, in which we would still be answerable to Brussels, we would ever escape to become a truly independent and self-governing country?

Lets put Ruth Davidson and Anna Soubry and the other Tories who publicly advocate a soft Brexit on the spot  and those like Philip Hammond who do so in private  and encourage them to face up to the logic of their position.

The truth is that the term soft Brexit is endlessly and lazily repeated without it ever being properly examined. As soon as it is, it disintegrates into dust. Theresa May should call the bluff of these myopic Tory Remainers.

Dont they realise their antics give comfort to Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels? Mrs May has been weakened by losing her overall majority. Barnier even had the gall yesterday to tell the British Government to hurry up. How overjoyed the Eurocrats will be if they see her under attack by her own party.

And then what? A Tory split can only have one outcome  which is Jeremy Corbyn and his hard-Left clique ruling this country. We came far too close for comfort last week. It wouldnt take much to put this unsavoury extremist in No 10.

A soft Brexit is no Brexit. Its not an option for this country. It certainly isnt worth splitting the Tory Party by fighting over it, and giving cheer to EU negotiators in Brussels.

And despite what Mr Hammond and others may claim, despite all the disappointments of last Thursday, there isnt a shred of evidence that the British people have changed their minds about wanting Brexit.
Megyn Kelly played hooky from work on Tuesday afternoon and joined her new NBC co-workers at the 2017 Mirror Awards.

The embattled host of the network's recently launched news magazine 'Sunday Night' was all smiles as she hit the red carpet at the event alongside two of the biggest names at NBC - NBC News chairman Andy Lack and living legend Tom Brokaw.

The group was on hand to honor Brokaw as he received the Fred Dressler Leadership Award, while also providing some support to the host of the evening, Jenna Bush Hager.

Meanwhile, out in Los Angeles, Don Lemon was also doing the media circuit as he made his way through LAX, and had some not so great things to say about his gal pal's interview with Jones.

Lemon kept on his shades even though things were extra-shady in the airport as he told TMZ that while he would never interview Jones he understood why Kelly had to do what she had to do for her show.

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Megyn makes an appearance: Megyn Kelly attended the 2017 Mirror Awards in NYC on Tuesday afternoon (above)

Team: The event honored Tom Brokaw with the prestigious Fred Dressler Leadership Award (l to r: Andy Lack, Kelly and Tom Brokaw)

Kelly is continuing to feel the heat over her decision to interview InfoWars' host Alex Jones for her Sunday news magazine this week.

Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that was created in memory of the 20 students and six staff members who were massacred in the 2012 school shooting in Newton, Connecticut, announced on Monday that Kelly would no longer host one of their annual Promise Champions Gala,

That announcement came just two days before Kelly was set to take the stage at the event on Wednesday night in Washington DC.

The decision made by the non-profit organization also leaves Kelly with a big gap in her episode that will be airing this Sunday, as she planned to film the gala to run alongside her interview with Jones.

That plan went up in smoke however when she managed to draw the ire of Sandy Hook parents, who lashed out loud and quick as they attacked Kelly for allowing Jones' ideas to be heard by her audience of 6million.

Kelly responded to the controversy on Friday in a statement, saying she wa 'disappointed' but also 'respected the decision' of the charity.

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'I understand and respect the decision of the event organizers but I'm of course disappointed that I won't be there to support them on Wednesday night,' began Kelly in her statement.

'I find Alex Jones's suggestion that Sandy Hook was "a hoax" as personally revolting as every other rational person does.'

She then explained: It left me, and many other Americans, asking the very question that prompted this interview: how does Jones, who traffics in these outrageous conspiracy theories, have the respect of the president of the United States and a growing audience of millions?'

Kelly then offered theories, stating: 'President Trump, by praising and citing him, appearing on his show, and giving him White House press credentials, has helped elevate Jones, to the alarm of many.'

'Our goal in sitting down with him was to shine a light - as journalists are supposed to do - on this influential figure, and yes - to discuss the considerable falsehoods he has promoted with near impunity,' said Kelly.

That statement came roughly 12 hours after news broke that Sandy Hook promise would no longer work with Kelly.

Lover of rings: Also on hand were NBC News chairman Andy Lack and Jenna Bush Hager, who hosted the event (Kelly above)

In Los Angeles, CNN host Don Lemon got a little shady while talking about Kelly's interview with Alex Jones ( l to r: Bob Dotson, Lack, Donald Newhouse, Kelly, Brokaw and David Zasla)

'Sandy Hook Promise cannot support the decision by Megyn or NBC to give any form of voice or platform to Alex Jones and have asked Megyn Kelly to step down as our Promise Champion Gala host,' said Nicole Hockley, co-Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise, in a statement annoucning the NBC hostw as out.

'It is our hope that Megyn and NBC reconsider and not broadcast this interview.'

That statement came after family members and friends of the victims in Newtown, Connecticut took to social media on Monday and implored Kelly to not air the interview.

Their outcry was over comments made by Jones in the wake of the deadly shooting, which he continues to share almost five years later despite a lack of substantive proof backing up his outlandish theory.

Jones initially argued that the government was behind the murders, but later amended that conspiracy to say that there were no deaths at Sandy Hook and the victims were played by child actors.

On Monday, he changed that stance again, telling InfoWars' listeners that he now believes Sandy Hook did happen, and that children died there.

He claimed that his remarks to that effect had been edited from the promotional clip, and added: 'I'm tired of being misrepresented.'

JP Morgan Chase also pulled its advertising from Kelly's upcoming episode featuring the right-wing conspiracy theorist, that is still scheduled to air at 7/6pm central on NBC this Sunday..

Soon after a report emerged claiming that the company was pulling their TV spots, Chief Marketing Officer Kristin Lemkau confirmed that claim and voiced her disdain with the network and Kelly on Twitter.

'As an advertiser, I'm repulsed that @megynkelly would give a second of airtime to someone who says Sandy Hook and Aurora are hoaxes. Why?' she fumed.

S.H.A.D.E: Lemon said he would never interview Jones, but understood that some people had to do what they had to do

The former Fox News host shared a preview of her sit-down with Jones, the popular and very polarizing host of InfoWars, following her most recent show on Sunday night.

She later posted the clip on her Twitter account, writing: 'It was a riveting exchange. Promise you that.'

That comment did not go over well with some however, including Chelsea Clinton.

'There is no justification for amplifying lies (or a liar), particularly about unimaginable tragedy. I hope no parent, no person watches this,' wrote the former first daughter, who is the mother of two young children.

Chelsea is also a former NBC employee, working there for three years from 2011 to 2014 as a 'special correspondent' for the news division.

In the preview of her interview with Jones, the NBC News host demands to know how he can declare something like Sandy Hook a hoax given the loss of young lives and parents who are still grieving for their children.

'Oh I know, but they don't get angry about the half-million dead Iraqis from the sanctions...' starts Jones before he is cut off by Kelly and accused of dodging her question.

'The media doesn't cover all the evil wars...' begins Jones, who again is cut-off by Kelly.

'That doesn't excuse the things you said about Newtown, you know that,' states the host, who actually traveled to Texas to meet with Jones in his own studio.

'Here's the difference, I looked at all the angles of Newtown and I made my statements before the media even picked it up.'

And in 2012, in the wake of the Aurora cinema massacre that saw 12 killed and 70 injured when a gunman opened fire during a screening of The Dark Knight, Jones claimed it was a 'false flag'.

'If you look at the full spectrum of information unfolding right now, 100 per cent chance that the mass murder committed in the suburb of Denver, Colorado, right next to Littleton and Columbine was a false flag mind control event.'

He even blamed President Obama for being behind a series of deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma back in 2013 that claimed the lives of over 30 people.
A video has emerged showing a kindergarten teacher brutally taping a young boy's mouth in a classroom.

It is believed that the boy was not eating fast enough and therefore got punished by the teacher from south-east China.

The woman has been sacked since the incident came to light.

Video shows a female teacher taping her pupil's mouth shut at a kindergarten in China

A report in People's Daily Online stated that the footage had been circulating on social media since yesterday afternoon.

The 10-second clip shows a woman putting adhesive tape around the mouth of a crying boy twice.

Another three children can be seen standing in a line and eating from their bowls.

Jinjiang Education Bureau received complaints from parents who expressed their concerns towards the children's safety after watching the video online.

The woman, surnamed Hong, is a teacher at a bilingual kindergarten in Jinjiang, Fujian Province.

Mrs Shi, the principal of the kindergarten, confirmed to the reporters that the incident occurred on June 7.

'I had no idea about this until some parents sent me the video yesterday,' said Mrs Shi.

'We (the kindergarten) had a meeting discussing the matter and decided to sack the class teacher for such an abusive act.'

The kindergarten's name has not been revealed.

The young boy was crying as the teacher wrapped the tape around his mouth for two times (left). Other children were seen standing in a line and eating from their bowls (right)

The teacher was sacked after being caught on camera treating her pupil in a cruel way

It's understood that the boy's parents had told some workers from the school during a home visit that their son ate too slowly. They asked the school to find a way to make him eat more quickly.

After the video emerged, the boy's parents apparently tried to justify the teacher's behaviour.

'Perhaps the teacher used a wrong method, but I'm sure she was doing it for his (our son's) own good,' said the parents.

The parents decided not to press charges against the teacher.

It's been reported that the Jinjiang Education Bureau might stop funding the kindergarten and revoke its credit ratings if the incident is confirmed to be true.

The kindergarten plans to install cameras in all classrooms and stream the footage to parents, according to its principal Mrs Shi.
The days of spending hours on the beach in the sun or in a tanning booth in a quest for golden-coloured skin could soon be a thing of the past.

Scientists have developed a new treatment that can tan skin without exposure to harmful UV rays - and it means even those with the lightest of skins will be able to get a tan.

The team has now tested the treatment on human skin, and hopes it could drastically decrease the incidence of skin cancer.

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Human skin treated for eight days with new treatment shows significant darkening (right). Areas tested with a control (left) and a weaker version of the drug (middle) show no darkening

HOW DOES IT WORK? In the study, scientists developed a new skin treatment using a class of small molecules. The molecules darken skin by targeting the the process that controls skin pigmentation. Pigmentation of the skin, hair and eye retinas occurs when specialised cells produce melanin. Melanin is a dark pigment that protects the skin from harmful rays and people with darker skin tones naturally produce more melanin. The new treatment works by prompting the pigmentation process to produce more melanin than normal. This leads to the darkening of the skin. Because the treatment forces skin to produce more melanin, it may also help to protect it from the harmful effects of UV rays. Advertisement

Applied as a cream to the skin, the drug allowed red-haired mice to develop a deep tan.

In animal tests, red-haired mice became 'almost jet black in a day or two with a strong enough dose,' the researchers observed.

When the dosage was removed, normal skin regeneration meant the color faded within a week or so.

Like their pale-skinned human counterparts, the mice are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun's ultra-violet rays.

Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital developed the new skin treatment using a class of small molecules.

They have now applied the molecules to the surface of human skin samples.

The molecules were small enough to penetrate the skin, and caused it to darken in colour in just eight days.

Because the scientists only tested the new drug on skin samples rather than on people, they are still unsure of its side-effects.

But they claim the treatment could one day replace sunbeds, which use harmful UV radiation.

Dr David Fisher, lead researcher, told MailOnline: 'The pigmentation induced here did not use UV at all that is one of the most important points.

'UV mutates DNA and causes skin cancer.

'The topical chemical agent in our study induces pigmentation without any need for UV at all, and it probably is protective against UV.'

UV rays from the sun or sunbeds can damage the genetic material in your skin cells.

If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.

'We believe the potential importance of this work is towards a novel strategy for skin cancer prevention,' Dr Fisher said.

Because the scientists only tested the new drug on skin samples rather than on people, they are still unsure of its side-effects (stock image)

WHY IS ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION DANGEROUS? UV rays from the sun or sunbeds can damage the genetic material in your skin cells. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer. Sunburn is a clear sign that the DNA in your skin cells has been damaged by too much UV radiation. Getting sunburn, just once every two years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. Sunburn doesn't have to be raw, peeling or blistering. If your skin has gone pink or red in the sun, it's sunburnt. For people with darker skin, it may just feel irritated, tender or itchy. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

'Skin is the most common organ in our bodies to be afflicted with cancer, and the majority of cases are thought to be associated with UV radiation.'

The molecules in the treatment darken skin by targeting the the process that controls skin pigmentation.

Pigmentation of the skin, hair and eye retinas occurs when specialised cells produce melanin - a dark pigment that protects the skin from harmful rays.

The new treatment works by prompting the pigmentation process to produce more melanin than normal.

This leads to the darkening of the skin, which lasted for ten days.

Because the treatment forces skin to produce more melanin, it may also help to protect it from the harmful effects of UV rays.

Dr Fisher said: 'The non-UV skin darkening described here might be able to help provide some UV protection, which is a major goal.

'We would anticipate that this could be used in a skin topical application, such as cream or lotion, although further research is required first, including safety testing, and optimal formulation.

'We suspect that the best form of sun protection may be a combination of this type of agent plus UV blocking sunscreen.'
Putting plastic into the sea may seem a strange way to address climate change, but for one research team it could offer the chance to preserve marine life.

Experts have created a series of artificial reefs in the Mediterranean Sea that they hope will help to protect the underwater environment from further destruction.

Researchers hope that synthetic coralline algae reefs will offer protection against ocean acidification, as well as providing a framework for natural reefs to grow on.

They have only been in place for a month, but there are already positive signs that the project is working.

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Experts have created a series of artificial reefs (pictured) in the Mediterranean Sea that they hope will help to protect the underwater environment from further destruction. After just one month in place there are already positive signs that the project is proving a success

CORALLINE ALGAE A team of scientists has creeated 90 man-made mini reefs from a rubbery material material, called silicon elastomer, which mimics the way natural coralline algae moves. Each artificial coral is just 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter and clusters containing 20 of the synthetic structures are now anchored into clear resins. A location in the Gulf of La Spezia in north-west Italy, close to existing coralline algae reefs, which play host to to numerous small invertebrates, like crustaceans, mussels and worms, as well as bacteria and microalgae. After just one month in place there are already signs of biofilms, thin layers of chemical and biological precursors to more complex life. In just under a year, the team will take some of the artificial reefs and their inhabitants into the lab, exposing them to the climate altered conditions predicted for the year 2100. This will establish how coralline algae reefs might act as a buffer against climate change. Advertisement

Dr Federica Ragazzola, a marine biologist at the University of Portsmouth, joined forces with Italian government sponsored research and development agency ENEA for the project.

Coralline algae performs a similar ecological function to its more widely publicised namesake, corals, in the Mediterranean.

They form reefs from calcium carbonate, the main chemical in chalk and antacid tablets, which provide shelter to a diverse range of marine life.

But, like corals, they are also vulnerable to erosion from increasing levels of acidity.

The Italian team created 90 man-made mini reefs from a rubbery material material, called silicon elastomer, which mimics the way natural coralline algae moves.

Each artificial coral is just 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter and each of the fronds was 3D printed separately before being assembled.

Clusters containing 20 of the synthetic structures are now anchored into clear resins.

A location in the Gulf of La Spezia in north-west Italy, close to existing coralline algae reefs, was chosen for the experiment according to reports in New Scientist.

Speaking to the website, Dr Ragazzola, from the university, said: 'Coralline algae are particularly ecologically important in shallow, temperate regions.

'The material was chosen to match the property of the algae and, more importantly, is non-toxic to the marine environment.

'After a year, you should start to see some of the species, crustaceans and worms as well as microorganisms invisible to the naked eye, establishing on the mimics, as well as the start of the covering of coralline algae.

'Coralline algae bioconstructions belong to these groups of organism that may play an important role in buffering the pH decrease, thus creating a microenvironment that may help some species to resist future climate changes.'

The artificial reefs will now be monitored to establish if they can play host to a variety of life similar to the real thing.

Coralline algae reefs are home to numerous small invertebrates, like crustaceans, mussels and worms, as well as bacteria and microalgae.

The Italian team created 90 man-made mini reefs from a rubbery material material, called silicon elastomer. Each artificial coral is just 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter and each of the fronds was 3D printed separately before being assembled (pictured)

The artificial corals mimics the way natural coralline algae moves. Clusters containing 20 of the synthetic structures are now anchored into clear resins (pictured) at the bottom of the sea

And after just one month in place there are already signs of biofilms, thin layers of chemical and biological precursors to more complex life.

In just under a year, the team will take some of the artificial reefs and their inhabitants into the lab.

They will to check them for signs of damage after exposing them to the climate altered conditions predicted for the year 2100 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

This will establish how coralline algae reefs might act as a buffer against climate change.

A location in the Gulf of La Spezia in north-west Italy (pictured), close to existing coralline algae reefs, was chosen for the experiment
Opinion / Columnist

Young but old Zanu PF Politics

Jonathan Moyo and the bankruptcy of the Generation 40

Chipanga another Zanu PF sycophant

The youth are the vanguard of the struggle for a new Zimbabwe

The youth are too important to be used just as foot soldiers

Even after purging Mujuru and her colleagues, factionalism remains rife within Zanu PF. Mugabe knows that his leadership can only be secure when there is division and infighting in Zanu PF. In 2013, the Lacoste faction thought the succession debate was a done deal but the master was at work. Doing what he knows best, dividing and conquering. Mugabe through his wife created the new faction nicknamed Generation 40 (G40). Surely, the more the things change in Zanu PF the more they remain the same.One would have hoped that the emergence of this Generation 40 would bring a breath of fresh air to Zanu PF politics and possibly to the succession debate. It is unfortunate, these supposedly young Zanu PF members (young in Zanu PF terms) are young in name only; their politics is the same tired and old Zanu PF politics. Perhaps because the puppet master is a living ancestor.Most people agree, succession debate in Zanu PF is inevitable. The law of nature must take its course and cannot be reversed. Mugabe is in his twilight. But Kasukuwere, a member of the Generation 40 had the audacity to label any succession discussion treasonous. With such threats, you would be forgiven to think that people are discussing the succession of a king. But no, people are discussing the succession of a self-serving frail nonagenarian, a corruption kingpin, an incompetent president if I may add.That said, Kasukuwere's statement is both welcome and worrying at the same time. Welcome in that it has made it plainly clear that the faction Generation 40 does not subscribe to democratic principles. Freedom of expression is alien to this mafia clique. At least, it has laid its autocratic credentials on the table for all of us to see. However, the statement is worrying in that it shows Zanu PF is incapable of ushering in a new dispensation post Mugabe era. A dispensation: where issues and ideas can be openly debated without threats of victimization.Jonathan Moyo, another key figure in the faction Generation 40 waded into the succession debate during his Sapes lecture a few weeks ago. Instead of putting his faction's ideas on the table, he turned the succession debate into a discussion of personalities. Even reducing it further to who joined the liberation struggle the earliest. As if this will help in any way to solve our current challenges.If this is the best the learned professor can do, then Generation 40 is doomed post Mugabe. It's supposed to be a faction of the young, a faction of ideas. I am afraid they are proving that Zanu PF is incapable of transformation. Both factions are behaving the same. Post Mugabe era, Zimbabweans expect to see our politics become a contest of ideas. Let this contest of power for the sake of power die with Mugabe and his generation if there is still anyone else left.We all know Zanu PF is full of sycophants but Kudzanai Chipanga another member of the Generation 40 took bootlicking to another level. Last week, he heaped adulations on Mugabe, even equating him to an angel. If the Mugabes had any shame they would have been embarrassed by such empty flattery. Even some staunch Zanu PF supporter felt uncomfortable with such idolatry.Given the opportunity to address the nation, all Kudzanai could do was sing Mugabe praises. You can only but wonder how such an empty vessel ended up occupying such a position. Surely with leaders like Chipanga how can a new Zimbabwe be born?Pre-independence nationalist leaders did not rise through ranks because they could sing praises but because they articulated issues affecting the people and offered solutions. But in the not so distant future it is not surprising to find this ignoramus being appointed a ministerial post.But this tom foolery is not unique to Zanu PF alone; it cuts across the political divide. Even though most youth leaders in the opposition movement are university graduates, they have not advanced or articulated any clear policies. As the vanguard of the struggle they have been found wanting. They have absconded their responsibility to shape the national discourse.Takura Zhangazha has tried without success to initiate a debate, challenging the neoliberal policies being pushed by both the opposition and government. Unfortunately, no one dared to take him up on the debate. It's as if there is consensus in Zimbabwe over neoliberal policies and he is a madman ranting over nothing.I presume, this adequately describes the interregnum described by Gramsci when he said the old is dying but the new cannot be born. I posit that the youth will only be able to fulfil their historical mandate as the vanguard of our struggle for a new Zimbabwe when they begin to intellectually interrogate national issues and ideas thus shaping the national discourse.There is absolutely no excuse for the mediocrity they have thus far displayed. Thomas Sankara, Malcolm X and many others were able to help transform their societies in their thirties. Mandela's youth league was able to launch Umkhonto we Sizwe by convincing the ANC to change its non-violence policy. Malema's youth league was able to force the ANC to adopt the economic radical transformation policy.It is not enough to chant Mugabe must go or to praise him but the youth must begin to paint the Zimbabwe they want to build. Failure to play this historic and critical role will facilitate their abuse in politics. The youth are too important a resource to be used as foot soldiers in this our struggle.Aluta continua!
NASA is set to reveal the latest discoveries from its ongoing hunt for planets outside of our solar system, in an event next week that could ultimately help guide the search for alien life.

While the space agency has disclosed little information about the findings, the new results from the Kepler mission are said to be the most complete and reliable accounting of distant worlds to date.

The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of confirmed exoplanets over the years, with 21 planets not much larger than Earth now known to exist in the habitable zone  and, the latest catalog will be the best look yet at possible alien worlds.

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While the space agency has disclosed little information about the findings, the new results from the Kepler mission are said to be the most complete and reliable accounting of distant worlds to date

WHAT KEPLER HAS FOUND SO FAR Kepler mission Candidate exoplanets: 4,496

Confirmed exoplanets: 2,335

Confirmed exoplanets less than twice Earth-size in the habitable zone: 21 K2 mission (2014-present) Candidate exoplanets: 520

Confirmed exoplanets: 148 Source: NASA Advertisement

The briefing will take place at NASAs Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley at 11 a.m. (EDT) on Monday June 19.

It will also be live-streamed on NASAs website.

According to NASA, the new catalog is the result of the most sophisticated analyses yet, by the Kepler mission, and will give rise to new lines of exoplanet research.

Scientists from the Astrophysics Division of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, as well as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Caltech will speak at the event on Monday as they reveal the latest planet candidate results.

The Kepler space telescope launched in 2009, in a major breakthrough in the search for Earth-sized planets outside of our solar system that may be in or near the habitable zone of their star.

Just last summer, astronomers revealed theyd discovered 197 new planet candidates, and confirmed 104 planets through the Kepler mission.

The planets, which are all between 20 and 50 per cent larger than Earth by diameter, are orbiting the M dwarf star K2-72, found 181 light years away.

At the time, the researchers led by the University of Arizona said the possibility of life on planets around a star of this kind cannot be ruled out.

Since its launch, the Kepler mission has been plagued by several setbacks  but, it has still continued to spot new objects outside of our solar system.

After the fix, Kepler started its K2 mission, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres

The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of confirmed exoplanets over the years, with 21 planets not much larger than Earth now known to exist in the habitable zone  and, the latest catalog will be the best look yet at possible alien worlds

In its initial mission, Kepler surveyed just one patch of sky in the northern hemisphere, measuring the frequency of planets whose size and temperature might be similar to Earth orbiting stars similar to our sun.

In the spacecraft's extended mission in 2013, it lost its ability to precisely stare at its original target area, but a fix created a second life for the telescope.

After the fix, Kepler started its K2 mission, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Because it covers more of the sky, the K2 mission is capable of observing a larger fraction of cooler, smaller, red-dwarf type stars.




Your first impressions on meeting a new person are likely to be wrong, according to one leading scientist.

The assumptions we make when meeting new people are based largely on their facial expressions and appearance, but this rarely matches up to their personality.

And these hang-ups may spoil our chances of finding a life partner or landing the perfect job, according to Professor Alex Todorov, from Princeton University in New Jersey.

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Faces that look happy, even if they're not smiling, (left) are commonly rated as more trustworthy than faces that appear angry (right). Pictured are computer-generated faces

WHY ARE FIRST IMPRESSIONS OFTEN WRONG? First impressions are likely to be wrong as they are based on shallow assumptions about appearances, according to one leading expert. Professor Alex Todorov, from Princeton University, said faces that appear happy, even if they're not smiling, are commonly rated as trustworthy. However, there is no long-term link between the two. On the other hand, faces that appear angry are wrongly the most likely to be perceived as untrustworthy. And droopy eyes, pale skin and signs of sleep deprivation hint at unintelligence. 'It's obviously a complex story, but the reason we trust first impressions automatically is that they feel right,' Professor Todorov toldVice. Advertisement

Faces that look happy, even if they're not smiling, are commonly rated as more trustworthy, he said.

But this is a false misconception, and there's no link between those who have an agreeable face and the ability for you to trust them.

Droopy eyes, pale skin and signs of sleep deprivation wrongly tend to hint at unintelligence.

Professor Todorov recently explained these findings in a book called 'Face Value: The Irresistible Influence of First Impressions.'

'It's obviously a complex story, but the reason we trust first impressions automatically is that they feel right,' Professor Todorov toldVice.

'The reason we're often wrong is that these impressions are not accurate as inferences of character.'

He added that faces that appear angry are the most likely to be perceived as untrustworthy.

'But obviously that judgement would be a poor predictor of how a person is across time and situations,' he said.

Professor Todorov said people who rely on their hunches may be undermining their own chances of finding the partner of their dreams.

'We never rigorously test our hunches,' he told Vice.

'If you're at a party and your instinct is to turn away, you might miss your life partner.

'You see a new neighbor and decide he's not a nice person, well, you're going to live with him for years.'

Your gut instincts on meeting a new person are likely to be wrong, according to one leading scientist (stock image)

Last year, Professor Todorov conducted an experiment that found our first impressions of others are based on our own experiences.

The study's participants were shown hundreds of faces and asked to judge their trustworthiness, attractiveness, competence and other characteristics.

The results showed that exposure to different faces not only shifts what faces people perceive as typical, but also what faces they evaluate more positively (more typical faces are evaluated more positively).

'Our results show that the mere statistical position of faces imbues them with social meaning - faces are evaluated more negatively the more they deviate from a learned central tendency, or what each person considers a typical face,' Dr Todorov said in 2016.

Droopy eyes, pale skin and other signs of sleep deprivation suggest that you are unintelligent, according to one leading expert (stock image)

'These determinants of impressions are not about facial features per se but about one's learning of faces.

'In other words, although there is no 'average' human face, you like faces that are closer to your own definition of a typical face.'

His results were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

He added our misguided first impressions are becoming more important in the digital world, where employers choose candidates based on their LinkedIn profiles and singles pick potential dates by swiping through photos on Tinder.

'Ideally, you'd post different images on LinkedIn than you would on Facebook,' he told Vice.

'Different images of the same person can generate completely different impressions.

'The person can look attractive and competent in one image and silly and not very smart in another.'

'Face Value: The Irresistible Influence of First Impressions' is available now in the US and UK.
The fastest car ever designed will be put through its paces in the first test of its potentially record breaking capabilities.

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) has been 10 years in the making and will finally take to the track in October.

Originally conceived in 2007, the rocket powered car will attempt to smash the current land speed record sometime in the next few years.

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Former RAF fighter pilot Andy Green will test out the Bloodhound SSC (pictured) for the first time on October 26, 20 years after he set the previous land speed record

NEWQUAY TRIAL Former RAF fighter pilot Andy Green will test out the Bloodhound SSC on October 26, 20 years after he set the previous land speed record. The tests will take place at Newquay Airport in Cornwall. Bloodhound will be powered by its single Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine and will reach speeds of up to 220mph (354km/h) before reaching the end of the 9,000 foot long (2,744m) runway. If the test proves a success, the team will undertake a new land speed record attempt at Hakskeen Pan, a dried-out lake bed in Northern Cape, South Africa, once the final rocket element is ready. This is expected to take place in the next few years. Advertisement

Bloodhound will travel under its own power for the first time at Newquay Airport in Cornwall, in a slow speed test designed to shakedown its design elements, on October 26.

The vehicle will reach speeds of up to 220mph (354km/h) before reaching the end of the 9,000 foot long (2,744m) runway.

The vehicle will be powered by its single Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine.

The rocket booster that will eventually speed the vehicle to 1,000 mph (1,600km/h) will be fitted at a later date, as it is still in development.

It will also be an opportunity for the team to practice live-streaming data and imagery from the car, a key aspect of the mission to share the adventure with a global audience.

Speaking to the BBC, chief engineer Mark Chapman said: 'It will be a big emotional moment for the team.

'We've gone from a computer design to an actual thing that will move down the runway.

'It will be a huge validation for the people who've stood by us all these years; it is happening.

'And, yes, it will also be a great shop window as we look to attract a bit more money to get us over the last few hurdles.'

The day will be the first time that driver Andy Green, a former RAF fighter pilot, will be able to test out the car's instrumentation and controls in the real world.

October day will be the first time that driver Andy Green, a former RAF fighter pilot, will be able to test out Bloodhound's (pictured) instrumentation and controls in the real world

The car (parts pictured) was originally conceived in 2007 and is the result of almost a decade of research

Bloodhound has three power plants (left) that between them generate 135,000 thrust hp, equivalent to 180 F1 cars. Its 6.5ft (2 metre) high tail fin (right), is required for stability at high speeds

And the following Saturday, the public will be able to see Bloodhound in action.

The previous land speed record was set 20 years ago in October by Mr Green in the Thrust SSC.

First, they will seek to reach 800 mph (1,287km/h) before cranking up the power to reach 1000 mph (1,600km/h).

The attempts will take place at Hakskeen Pan, a dried-out lake bed in Northern Cape, South Africa, once the final rocket element is ready.

Driver Andy Green will reach speeds of up to 220 mph (354 km/h) before reaching the end of the 9,000 foot long (2,744 m) runway (pictured)

October will also be an opportunity for the team to practice live-streaming data and imagery from the car, a key aspect of the mission to share the adventure with a global audience. The test will take place at at Newquay airport in Cornwall (pictured)

It currently stands at 763mph (1,228km/h) and the Bloodhound team will seek to beat this in two stages.

The car has been created by a team of Formula 1 and aerospace experts with help from the Army's Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and technicians from the RAFs 71 Squadron who built the tail fin.

It has three power plants, a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet from an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon, a cluster of Nammo hybrid rockets and a 550bhp Supercharged Jaguar V8 engine that drives the rocket oxidizer pump.

The EJ200 jet engine fitted to the car consumes 64,000 litres of air per second, and this would suck all the air from an average sized house in three seconds.

HOW THE BLOODHOUND SSC WILL BEAT THE LAND SPEED RECORD The car has been created by a team of Formula 1 and aerospace experts with help from the Army's Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and technicians from the RAFs 71 Squadron who built the tail fin. The current world land speed record of 763mph (1,227km/h) is held by Thrust SSC, a UK team led by Bloodhound's Project Director Richard Noble and driven by Andy Green. Bloodhound SSC's record-breaking attempt will take place on the Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape in South Africa. The Bloodhound team will seek to reach 800 mph (1,287 km/h) and then 1000 mph (1,600 km/h) in tests to take place at Hakskeen Pan, a dried-out lake bed in Northern Cape, South Africa (artist's impression) Bloodhound has reached 1,000mph, but only in a computer model (pictured). October will be the first time that driver Andy Green will be able to test out the car's instrumentation and controls in the real world It was hoped the run could be attempted in 2016, but this has since been pushed back due to problems during testing. The Bloodhound team scoured the globe to find the perfect desert to run the car on because it needed to be at least 12 miles (19km) long, two miles (3km) wide and perfectly flat. Once they had settled on the Hakskeen Pan, a team of 317 locals were employed to clear the desert, they shifted 15,800 tonnes of stones by hand. At full speed Bloodhound SSC will cover a mile (1.6km) in 3.6 seconds, that's 4.5 football pitches laid end to end per second. Bloodhound has three power plants, a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet from an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon, a cluster of Nammo hybrid rockets and a 550 bhp Supercharged Jaguar V8 engine that drives the rocket oxidizer pump and between them they generate 135,000 thrust hp, equivalent to 180 F1 cars. Bloodhound's wheels spin at 10,200rpm, 170 times per second, and they generate 50,000 radial G. The car has been created by a team of Formula 1 and aerospace experts. At full speed Bloodhound SSC will cover a mile (1.6km) in 3.6 seconds, that's 4.5 football pitches laid end to end per second (the car's specifications are pictured) Bloodhound will have three power plants, an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine, a cluster of rockets and a Supercharged Jaguar V8 engine. Between them they generate 135,000 thrust hp, equivalent to 180 F1 cars. The cockpit is pictured It will go from zero to 1,000mph (1,610km/h) in 55 seconds and back to zero again in a further 65 seconds, covering 12 miles (19km). This deceleration will be at 3G, which has been compared to traveling from 60mph (97km/h) to standstill in one second. The EJ200 jet engine fitted to the car consumes 64,000 litres of air per second, and this would suck all the air from an average sized house in 3 seconds. The rocket system will work in tandem with the car's Eurofighter jet engine, enabling it to travel at supersonic speeds. Advertisement

Between them they generate 135,000 thrust hp, equivalent to 180 F1 cars.

The team behind the Bloodhound SSC previously revealed how they intend to slow it from 1,000mph (1,600km/h) to zero.

After the car reaches its top speed, air brakes and parachutes slow it to 160mph (260km/h).

Breaking to this speed is done at a constant 3G deceleration - equivalent to going from 60mph (95km/h) in a normal car to zero in just one second - for 20 seconds.

At this speed the cars wheels are still spinning 10,000 times per minute.

The current world land speed record of 763mph (1,227km/h) is held by Thrust SSC, a UK team led by Bloodhound's Project Director Richard Noble and driven by Andy Green

This image shows the inner workings of the car's suspension behind the tyre which has been specially designed to run on sand

Attempts to use carbon rotors from a jet fighter in the form of car-like disc brakes shattered at speeds of just half this, so the team needed a new approach.

Instead, they switched to steel rotors.

In tests, these could withstand temperatures of up to 850C (1,560F), and be used again.

The next step will be to test these brakes out at the full 10,000rpm that will be experienced.
Spending too much time on your own can make you more self-centred, a new study has revealed.

And to make matters worse, this increase in self-centredness compounds things by making you more isolated, according to the researchers.

The researchers hope their findings could be used to create more effective therapies for people feeling lonely.

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Spending too much time on your own can make you more self-centred, a new study has revealed. And to make matters worse, this increase in self-centredness exacerbates things by making you more isolated, according to the researchers (stock image)

THE VICIOUS CYCLE Humans evolved as highly social creatures who need groups for survival  as loners would soon die without social support. So being cut off from others in our ancient past was not just sad, but dangerous. As a result, on feeling alone we start to become more focused on ourselves  in an attempt to work out what has gone wrong, researchers said. But over time this compounds the problem  as being self-centred will trigger loneliness, or make it worse. Advertisement

Researchers from the University of Chicago showed that loneliness and self-centredness form a positive feedback loop with one another.

Professor John Cacioppo, lead author of the study, said: 'If you get more self-centred, you run the risk of staying locked in to feeling socially isolated.'

The findings are based on data taken from 229 people aged 50 to 68 over 11 years as part of the Chicago Health, Aging and Social Relations.

Early research treated loneliness as a temporary feeling of distress that had no redeeming value or adaptive purpose.

But Dr Stephanie Cacioppo, who also worked on the study, said: 'None of that could be further from the truth.'

In 2006, the researchers suggested that evolution has shaped the brain to incline humans toward certain emotions, thoughts and behaviour.

And their new findings that loneliness tends to increase self-centeredness fits this evolutionary interpretation.

From an evolutionary-biological viewpoint, people have to be concerned with their own interests, according to the researchers.

But the pressures of modern society are significantly different from those that existed when loneliness evolved in the human species.

Professor Cacioppo said: 'Humans evolved to become such a powerful species in large part due to mutual aid and protection and the changes in the brain that proved adaptive in social interactions.

'When we don't have mutual aid and protection, we are more likely to become focused on our own interests and welfare. That is, we become more self-centred.'

From an evolutionary-biological viewpoint, people have to be concerned with their own interests, according to the researchers. But the pressures of modern society are significantly different from those that existed when loneliness evolved in the human species (stock image)

LONELINESS IS ON THE RISE A recent report by Charities Relate and Relationships Scotland surveyed 5,000 people in the UK and found: Advertisement

- More than one in eight adults, say they do not have a close friend.

- 45 per cent of UK adults felt lonely at least some of the time.

- 18 per cent felt lonely often or all of the time.

- 17 per cent said they either never or rarely felt loved.

- 83 per cent of people in the UK enjoyed good relationships with their friends.

- 18 per cent of people said they had two or three close friends.

In modern society, becoming more self-centred protects lonely people in the short term, but not the long term, because the harmful effects of loneliness build up over time to reduce a person's health and well-being.

Professor Cacioppo said: 'This evolutionarily adaptive response may have helped people survive in ancient times, but in contemporary society may well make it harder for people to get out of feelings of loneliness.'

Dr Cacioppo added that when humans are at their best, they provide mutual aid and protection.

She said: 'It isn't that one individual is sacrificial to the other. It's that together they do more than the sum of the parts.

'Loneliness undercuts that focus and really makes you focus on only your interests at the expense of others.'

The researchers hope that their findings could be used to develop better therapies for lonely people, who have been shown to be more susceptible to a variety of physical and mental health problems.
A wet spring season has experts predicting that summer water levels for the Great Lakes could be higher than normal and above last year's mark through early fall.

The Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit District announced Monday in its six-month water level forecast that summer water levels on lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair and Erie will be at their highest since 1996-1998.

The group's forecast data also shows that as of Sunday, Lake Ontario is up nearly 3 feet (nearly 1 meter) from the level it was at this time last year.

After unusually high precipitation over the Great Lakes, Lake Erie rose seven inches by the end of last month, and Lake Ontario climbed by a staggering 12. Lake Erie now sits at a current level of 573.69 feet

APRIL SHOWERS According to the NOAA, 2017 had the the second wettest April on record, averaging 3.43 inches for the nation, nearly an inch above the 20th century average. Only 1957 had more April rain. Several storm systems impacted the Southern Plains and Mid-Mississippi River Valley in late April with the precipitation continuing into May, resulting in widespread flooding across the region. At the time of the reports release, at least five fatalities were attributable to the flooding with significant impacts on agriculture. During April there were over 200 preliminary tornado reports, continuing an active tornado year. Large tornado outbreaks impacted the central and southern U.S. in early and late April resulting in eight tornado-related fatalities in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. Advertisement

The lake exceeded its highest elevation ever for June, which was set in 1952.

Year-round recording of Great Lakes water levels has occurred since 1918.

By the end of June, the researchers expect Lakes Erie and Ontario to drop a few inches lower than their startling levels from the start of the month.

But, theyll still likely remain inches above the long-term average for several months to come.

The lake levels across all the lakes are currently above their long-term average June levels, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, wrote on Friday in a weekly update.

All of the levels are also above last years levels, except for Lake Michigan-Huron, which is near its level from last year.

Over the last month, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, Erie, and Ontario rose 5,2,1 and 3 inches, respectively.'

After unusually high precipitation over the Great Lakes, Lake Erie rose seven inches by the end of last month, and Lake Ontario climbed by a staggering 12.

After receiving 150 percent of its normal rainfall, Lake Erie sat at a level of 573.69 feet at the start of June  just inches shy of the all-time record set in 1986, at 574.3 feet.

Over the last month, all of the Great Lakes have risen several inches after recent bouts of heavy rain and snow, Cleveland.com reports.

But for some, the effects have been especially dramatic.

Lake Erie hit 20 inches above the June average, and 9 inches above the average for the week.

'All lakes are at higher levels than one month ago,' the US Army Corps of Engineers wrote earlier this month. While Lakes Erie and Ontario are expected to drop to 1 and 3 inches over the course of the month, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, and St. Clair are forecast to rise

Precipitation totals since last Friday ranged from about 0.4 to 0.8 inches across the basin, with highest amounts over the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Basins, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, wrote on June 2.

By the end of May, Lakes Erie and Ontario had received over 150% and 180% of normal total May Precipitation, respectively.

Temperatures over the past week have ranged from 2 below to 4 above normal for this time of year.

The current forecast calls for 0.5 to 2 inches of precipitation, with highest amounts of Lake Huron and the Lake Ontario Basin.

Lake Erie and Ontario typically begin their seasonal decline around this time, bringing water levels down lower.

After heavy precipitation this spring, all of the Great Lakes have risen several inches. And for some, the effects have been especially dramatic

At the beginning of June, Lake Erie was only about 7 inches away from the historical record.

And, levels in Lake Ontario are hitting some of the highest points since 1918, according to Cleveland.com.

As for the other Great Lakes, water levels are expected to rise, rather than drop down.

'All lakes are at higher levels than one month ago,' the US Army Corps of Engineers wrote at the start of June.

And, the forecast continued, Over the next 30 days, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, and St. Clair are forecast to rise 3,2, and 1 inch respectively.




Washing your hands does not just keep them clean, but the act can also cleanse your brain of old ideas, a new study has revealed.

Researchers have discovered that the action can shift goal pursuit, making prior goals less important and subsequent goals more important.

The team has suggested that wiping away dirt serves as a physical proxy for mentally separating ideas that linger from previous experiences.

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Washing your hands does not just keep them clean, but the act can also cleanse your brain of old ideas, a new study has revealed. Researchers have discovered that the action can shift goal pursuit, making prior goals less important and subsequent goals more important

The new discovery was made by a pair of researchers at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

However, prior to the study, physical cleansing had been known to influence a range of psychological experiences, such as guilt from immoral behavior, dissonance from free choice, and good/bad luck from winning/losing.

SIX-STEP TECHNIQUE FOR WASHING HANDS To properly wash your hands using the superior six-step method begin by wetting hands with water and grab either a dollop of soap or hand rub. Begin rubbing your palms together with your fingers closed, then together with fingers interlaced. Move your right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa  make sure to really rub in between your fingers. Then interlock your fingers and rub the back of them by turning your wrist in a half circle motion. Clasp your left thumb in your right palm and rub in in a rotational motion from the tip of your fingers to the end of the thumb, then switch hands. And finally scrub the inside of your right hand with your left fingers closed and the other hand. Advertisement

Some people also have reported taking a shower after committing an 'unclean act' in order to wash away the guilt.

However, the current research has investigated the underlying mental process, which includes cleansing embodies a psychological procedure of separation.

During the study, researchers carried out four experiments that began by bringing participants' attention to particular goals through word games or a short survey, a process called 'priming.'

The subjects were then asked to either evaluate or actually use a handwipe.

Those who used the sanitized clothes were less likely to look back on the previous primed goal, less likely to make behavioral choices consistent with it, and less likely to find it important.

The team has suggested that wiping away dirt serves as a physical proxy for mentally separating ideas that linger from previous experiences. When it comes to finding practical tricks for redirecting one's thinking away from old fruitless pursuits towards better ones

And it was found that their focus was more easily reoriented towards a subsequently primed goal.

'For people who were primed with a health goal, for example, using the handwipe reduced their subsequent tendency to behave in a healthy manner - they were more likely to choose a chocolate bar over a granola bar,' said Ping Dong, a PhD student in marketing who conducted the research with Spike W. S. Lee, an assistant professor of marketing.

Dong also noted that the research examined cleansing's short-term rather than long-term impact on goal pursuit.

Although more work is needed to claim people intent on achieving goals should significantly alter their personal hygiene routines, the findings have suggested that when it comes to finding practical tricks for redirecting one's thinking away from old fruitless pursuits towards new and better ones, an antiseptic wipe may come in handy.

A separate study, conducted by the University of Michigan, found similar results, as during the experiment, the volunteers were less likely to justify their choice if they washed their hands after making it.

The team found that this act can erase doubts you may have about your choices in the day, which has suggested that if you have to make a difficult decision, all you need to do is wash up.

'When people make decisions, they are often faced with choosing between two very attractive options,' explained Spike Lee with the University of Michigan.

'Let's say they are choosing a vacation spot - Paris or Rome. After choosing, let's say, Paris, they justify their choice by thinking to themselves it is the right one because French cuisine is better and the art museums are fantastic.'

'They are justifying their choice by focusing on the positive features.'

'What our study showed was that after people washed their hands they no longer felt they had to justify their choice.'

'They had washed away the compulsion to justify the choice they had made.' The researchers added: 'It's not just that washing your hands contributes to moral cleanliness as well as physical cleanliness.'
It's no secret: Cats tend to be more mysterious in their behaviors than dogs.

Dogs tend to be fairly good at telling their owners what they want, compared to cats, who are notoriously difficult to read.

But veterinary experts say that paying attention to a cat's tail movements can help reveal their mood or intentions.

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A cat with a whipping tail can mean it's on alert, nervous or potentially aggressive, and should not be touched

Dr Carlo Siracusa, an assistant professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told National Geographic that in order to read cat tail signals, you have to pay attention to their whole body, and not just their tails.

WHAT YOUR CAT IS TELLING YOU Asleep with a tapping tail: If the cat appears asleep with a tapping tail, it could be relaxed overall but paying attention to something around it, or if it's actually sleeping, it could be dreaming.

If the cat appears asleep with a tapping tail, it could be relaxed overall but paying attention to something around it, or if it's actually sleeping, it could be dreaming. Whipping tail: This can mean that the cat is on alert, nervous or potentially aggressive, and should not be touched.

This can mean that the cat is on alert, nervous or potentially aggressive, and should not be touched. Straight tail and hooked tip : On a calm cat, this is a greeting

: On a calm cat, this is a greeting Straight-up tail : Can indicate an aggressive cat.

: Can indicate an aggressive cat. Arched back and puffed tail : The cats is afraid of something

: The cats is afraid of something Tail curved downwards: This can mean that the cat is defensive.

This can mean that the cat is defensive. Tail in a low, neutral position : This is a sign of a relaxed cat

: This is a sign of a relaxed cat Cat suddenly bolts : This energy, called 'the zoomies,' is probably an outlet for accumulated frustration, fear or energy that might have been used for catching prey. Advertisement

For example, if a cat appears to be sleeping but is tapping its tail, it could be 'relaxed overall but paying attention to something around him, a sound or movement,' said Dr Siracusa.

However, if the cat is sleeping, it could be dreaming.

A cat with a whipping tail can mean it's on alert, nervous or potentially aggressive, and should not be touched.

On a calm cat, a straight tail and hooked tip is a greeting, while an aggressive cat's tail may just be straight-up.

Cats that are afraid of something tend to have an arched back and tail up and puffed.

If a tail is curved downwards, it can mean that the cat is defensive, while a relaxed cat usually maintains its tail in a low, neutral position.

While tail movements can be confusing to read, a cat's movements can help in reading their mood.

For example, when a cat suddenly bolts to another room, this energy, called 'the zoomies,' our probably an outlet for accumulated frustration, fear or energy.

Cats need stimulation and would be chasing prey and climbing up trees if they mostly spent time outside, said Dr Siracusa.

A straight tail and hooked tip is a greeting in a calm cat, while an aggressive cat's tail may just be straight-up

While homes are safer for cats, they aren't as stimulating.

Dr Nick Dodman, a professor of behavioral pharmacology and animal behavior at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, told National Geographic that cats are hunters and 'speed merchants'.

He agrees with Dr Siracusa that these 'zoomies' could be pent-up energy that cats might have used for catching prey.

In addition, cats are crepuscular, a term which refers to animals that are mainly active during twilight (immediately after dawn and just before dusk).

During the rest of the day, cats usually sleep or nap.

Some cats are also known to exhibit stealing behaviors.

Cats are crepuscular, a term referring to animals that are mainly active during twilight (immediately after dawn and just before dusk). For the rest of the day, cats usually sleep or nap

Cases of sticky-pawed cats have been documented across the world, for example Brigit, a six-year-old tonkinese cat from Hamilton, New Zealand, who every night and often steals men's underwear and socks on neighborhood clothing lines and places them on her owner Sarah Nathan's bed in a proud display, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Some cats have dog-like, retriever tendencies, but stealing may also be an expression of hunting instinct, but with nothing to hunt, says Dr Dodman.

Females bring prey back to provide for their kittens and teach them, but males also exhibit thieving behavior too.

The Munchkin cat breed, nicknamed 'magpie cat', has a tendency to steal shiny objects and catch them for later, says Dr Dodman.
Researchers have revealed the astonishing lengths a male dolphin goes to in a bid to find females.

An Australian team found male humpback dolphins adopt a special 'banana pose' - often while wearing a sea sponge on their head.

They say the display is meant to show off the males prowess in the water - but that females ignore it completely.

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An Australian team found male humpback dolphins adopt a special 'banana pose' - often while wearing a sea sponge on their head.

'Humpback dolphins across northern Australia appear to be using sponges as one component in a multimodal socio-sexual display,' Simon Allen of the University of Western Australia told ABC News.

He believes they don the sponge as they are notoriously difficult to pry off the sea floor.

However, he also had some bad news for the males.

'Every time we've seen it so far, the females appear to essentially ignore the males,' Dr Allen said.

'So essentially 'If you don't want these roses, I'm then going to throw them at you'.'

The 'complex and strange behaviour' sees male humpback dolphins pose with their head and tail lifted from the water, often with a sea sponge on their foreheads to attract females

The team previously documented bottlenose dolphins using sponges as a tool for hunting in Western Australia's Shark Bay.

The Shark Bay dolphins have been studied for more than 35 years, revealing a complex social structure and tool use by a large brained mammal that in some ways resembled human evolution.

Bottlenose dolphins were first observed using sponges to protect their noses in the 19th century.

According to a 2012 study, sponging could have started from a single individual between 120 and 180 years ago before it was taught to other dolphins down the generations, the BBC reported.

The dolphins wear the sponges on their rostrum when foraging on the sea floor, apparently to protect themselves from sharp rocks or shells.

Another study in the same year by scientists at Georgetown University in Washington DC, found that female dolphins that wear basket sponges on their noses to look for fish on the sea floor, associate with other sponge-clad dolphins more than those without the natural accessory.

DOLPHINS CHEW BLOWFISH TO GET HIGH A separate Australian study found dolphins may be chewing on blowfish to get high. The dolphins have even been caught by researchers passing blowfish around to share with their friends. Blowfish are brimming with the toxin tetrodotoxin, found in their skin, flesh and internal organs, which is lethal to most predators, including humans. Australian dolphins may be chewing on blowfish to get high. The dolphins have even been caught by researchers passing blowfish around to share with their friends (pictured) Advertisement

It was originally thought that spongers were solitary but the researchers found that females formed cliques with other sponge-wearing dolphins  even if they were not related to each other.

The sponging technique is a complex hunting tactic that is passed down from a mother to her offspring.
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On his epic bike ride from the Arctic Circle to South Africa, being saddlesore was the least of Reza Pakravans troubles.

The 42-year-old in August 2013 attempted to set the world record for the fastest bicycle journey between Nordkapp in Norway and Cape Town with friend Steven Pawley  an 11,000-mile odyssey across 13 countries and three continents  and has revealed to MailOnline Travel how at times he genuinely feared for his life.

As he prepared to enter the troubled region of Dagestan in the south of Russia, for instance, locals in neighbouring regions told him he wouldnt make it out alive  and in Egypt he found himself caught up in a stand-off between armed militiamen and a tank.

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Reza Pakravan, pictured in northern Kenya, in August 2013 attempted to set the world record for the fastest bicycle journey between Nordkapp in Norway and Cape Town with friend Steven Pawley  an 11,000-mile odyssey across 13 countries and three continents

Pakravan described the roads in Kenya, pictured, as some of the worse in the world - and he needed all his willpower to battle through the tough conditions

He also battled malaria and had to put up with atrocious road conditions.

I felt like giving up many, many times, he said. Here are just a couple of examples. At the beginning of the journey we had 17 continuous days of torrential rain. Freezing and wet conditions in Scandinavia and Russia combined with horrendous roads with the hard shoulders covered in broken glass, which gave us puncture after puncture. It was soul destroying and almost brought me to the point to say screw this, Ive had enough.

Another time was when I battled a long day against some serious headwind, food poisoning, hunger and the worst gravel road in the world in Kenya. We were riding through the night hungry, thirsty and exhausted. The potholes in the horrific road were covered in sand and would trip us up continuously, injuring us at every fall. Covered in blood, battered and bruised, all I could fantasise about was to catch a lift to Nairobi then pack up and go home.

As the trip was a world record attempt, a lot of planning went into it  but the only accommodation that was booked was the first night in Nordkapp.

Daily distances and all the logistics were planned in advance, Pakravan, from London, said. We even sent spares and consumables to two pick-up points along the way, not to waste time looking for stuff as time was of an essence. However, we only booked our first nights accommodation in Nordkapp as we really didnt know where we were going to be each night.

We camped, we spent nights in peoples houses who invited us in, slept under the stars in deserts and some horrible cockroach infested guest houses along the way. We also treated ourselves to a five-star hotel in Egypt, because it was deserted due to the unrest and we managed to book a room for 20 quid.

The scariest moments in the trip also came in Egypt, he said, where he ended up in very close proximity to armed unrest.

Pakravan is pictured here making a campfire in Tanzania - having survived a serious bout of malaria

On the road: This picture shows Reza beginning his epic journey in Norway, with the local reindeer there to see him off

THE COUNTRIES REZA CYCLED THROUGH Norway Finland Russia Azerbaijan Iran Egypt Sudan Ethiopia Kenya Tanzania Zambia Botswana South Africa Advertisement

He said: At some point we entered a small town. Instantly things looked really ugly. Houses were on fire and a car upturned and on its roof, a burnt-out shell. Smoke filtered out from an alleyway between two buildings. As we looked closer, we realised it was not an alleyway at all, but the place where another building had once stood. It had been burnt to the ground. Many of the men carried guns: pistols and AK-47s. There was a standoff between armed militia and an army tank.

The atmosphere thickened and the mood grew tense. We were trapped between the two sides with no way out of the conflicted area. It was scary.

In Egypt he also ended up in hand-to-hand combat with a thief.

He said: We arrived in a dusty town in the south of Egypt. I opened my handle bar bag to put my wallet and my food in, all of a sudden a young guy put his hand in my bag and tried to grab my camera and my valuables. I managed to react quickly and I grabbed his finger and twisted it - and it snapped. He pulled his hand out and screamed.

The man looked down at his finger in disbelief, looked back up at me, and then lunged. We tumbled to the ground together, a mesh of flailing limbs and spinning wheels. I managed to extricate myself and stood back up, only to find him inches from me, shouting and cursing and buzzing about me like a wasp. He pushed me hard in the chest and I stumbled back, but I was caught and steadied by members of the crowd.

I reached forward, locking one hand around his neck and the other around his jawline. And then I began to squeeze and I may not have stopped at all were it not for the arrival of the police. The crowd was cheering me on. It was a surreal moment. One of those moments where you have no idea how you will react until you are actually in that situation.

Nearly there: This image was taken at the end of the journey in South Africa

Making a splash: Reza rests as he nears Victoria Falls, which is on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe

Passing a huge bank of wind turbines in a mountainous region of Iran called Manjil

There was also a hairy moment in Iran, when a motorbike gang took a distinct dislike to him.

He said: We arrived in a town in Iran and while we were in the outskirts of the town we asked for an address of a guesthouse. People pointed, the guesthouse was on top of a hill next to a shrine. As we got closer to the shrine we realised that there was a religious ceremony in full swing.

I was so tired and exhausted that it didnt even cross my mind that we are wearing lycras - not really suitable and respectful given the type of the event. As we were maneuvering through the crowd gathered around the shrine and trying to get to the guesthouse I realised we were being chased by a motorbike gang. I ignored them. They started to verbally harass us. I was feeling really intimidated but carried on ignoring them.

They wouldnt let go and constantly threw abuse at us and swore, even in English. All of a sudden Steve completely lost his cool, he turned his bike around and headed towards them shouting at them at the top of his lungs. To my utter surprise, the cowards escaped so quickly, like they never expected us to confront them.

The Russian region of Dagestan also filled him with fear  but it was also the biggest surprise of the trip.

The two cyclists pause in Iran in front of Isfahan's stunning architecture. Reza described how they were chased by a motorbike gang there as they looked for a guesthouse

Steve and Reza rest their limbs and pose with some friendly policemen in Iran

The pair are pictured here racing towards the finish line in South Africa. They completed the journey in 102 days, which is the fastest anyone had done it in  but apparently Guinness World Records ruled that the record could only be awarded if the time taken did not exceed 100 days

This is the Republic of Kalmykia - a Russian region that's home to Europe's only Buddhist settlement

He said: As I was edging towards Dagestan, a troubled region in the south of Russia, I was hearing more and more stories about deadly attacks. I was so nervous to enter the region. Reading FCO travel advice and BBC news is one thing and hearing people in neighbouring regions telling you that you wont come out alive is another thing. But once I got there, I saw nothing but overwhelming amounts of kindness. Once I was leaving a restaurant, the owner gave me a bag full of food to take with me.

The food he ate on the trip was often quite strange  and at times he couldnt even pinpoint what he was putting in his mouth.

He said: In Scandinavia I had so much reindeer meat, that put me off for life! Dont even get me started about Russia. Who knows what I ate there. Really strange stuff, I cant even describe what we ate. Meat and chicken in stews with tons of stuff in it. In Sudan we had foul. Its the national dish. Its mashed beans garnished with oil, cheese and lemon juice. Also we tried sheeps liver and heart out there. In Ethiopia we had their flat bread called Injera with various things in it including goat meat, eggs, tomato. Also there for the first time I had pasta inside a sandwich! The Italians would have had a heart attack at the thought.

Reza says that he was 'exhausted and annoyed' when this snap of him in Ethiopia was taken

In Ethiopia Reza said that it was always hard to find privacy. Pakravan said that four things helped him power through  a good old British Brooks saddle that minimised saddlesore, a picture of him making a fool of himself in front of kids in Madagascar while doing voluntary work for NGO Seed Madagascar (when things got too serious and tough all I had to do was to look at this picture, it made me laugh), his lovely Koga bike and his iPod

As Pakravan closed in on his goal he faced one final battle  he became seriously ill.

At first, south of Nairobi, he thought his 40-degree fever and bloated stomach was food poisoning, but a doctor told him it was actually malaria.

He ended up in a clinic so basic and un-hygienic that his wounds were cleaned with toilet paper.

Five days later he was on his way again and pressing towards Tanzania.

In the end they just missed out on the record.

They completed the journey in 102 days, which is the fastest anyone had done it in  but apparently Guinness World Records ruled that the record could only be awarded if the time taken did not exceed 100 days.

Still, it was a stunning achievement.

Pakravan added that four things helped him power through  a good old British Brooks saddle that minimised saddlesore, a picture of him making a fool of himself in front of kids in Madagascar while doing voluntary work for NGO Seed Madagascar (when things got too serious and tough all I had to do was to look at this picture, it made me laugh), his lovely Koga bike and his iPod.

Asked whether hed do it again, and the answer is a resounding yes - but slower.
This unlikely pairing proves that dogs are more than just a man's best friend.

A playful pooch was filmed paddling along in the Bahamas with a dolphin by its side.

Footage shows the unlikely duo weaving around each other and happily splashing around.

Water wonders: This unlikely pairing proves that dogs are more than just a man's best friend. A playful pooch was filmed paddling along in the Bahamas with a dolphin by its side

While the little black dog uses its paws and tail to steer itself through the crystal clear waters, the dolphin boasts more speed with the strength of its flippers.

The incredible video showing the interspecies bonding was filmed by Adam Dreffin while he was out running a boat tour - and it was his dog Bella, a small Schipperke, who took the plunge with the dolphin.

The dolphin ducks and dives around little Bella who spins around in excitement before the camera cuts off.

Swimming contest: Footage shows the unlikely duo weaving around each other and happily splashing around

Catch me if you can: The little dog does its best to catch up with the dolphin

The video, filmed last spring, has been watched more than 4,000 times on Instagram via @bahamascatcharters and has done the rounds on YouTube.

Many viewers have deemed the rare encounter 'amazing' and 'cute'.

One fan added: 'I can look at them endlessly.'

It's not the first time a dog and dolphin have been seen swimming together.

Crowd-pleaser: The video, filmed last spring, has been watched more than 4,000 times on Instagram via @bahamascatcharters and has done the rounds on YouTube

In 2015, a canine was spotted swimming with a pod of dolphins in Australia and earlier this year, a golden retriever was seen playing in the shallows of Rockingham Beach in Perth with its flippered friend.

According to Professor Lars Bejder, from the Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, the rare sighting of the dolphin in the shallows suggested it was hunting for fish.

He added that relationships and ways bottlenose dolphins interact with other animals remains unknown.
Opinion / Interviews

Daily News reporter Jeffrey Muvundusi sits down for a chat with Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) leader Jenni Williams.Below are excerpts of the interview.Q: You have relentlessly held anti-government protests, what really inspires you?A: I am inspired to demonstrate as I feel it is a way of playing my role as a citizen and making my voice heard. As a woman and one of colour as well, many years of my life, I have been classified as a second class citizen but in my adult life, I will be heard and raise the issues that are important to me and I will stand by my comrades when they also have issues to protest about.Q: What would you classify as your event of the year so far?A: My event of the year was a recent march to the government complex with child members. I was so proud of them voicing out their issues about the state of education  reciting their poems without fear. For me, that was an inspiring day.Q: You have been arrested and tortured several times by State security agents, what keeps you going?A: If they arrest and torture me, it is because I am saying and doing something right, something that they don't want me to say and that makes me want to say it louder. I believe that it is irresponsible to call yourself a human being or a citizen and then to fail to do the things that humans do  they speak, they act so as to improve their situation. I have rights but I also have a responsibility to play my role so that democracy can work in Zimbabwe. I think too few of us citizens take out responsibility to the nation seriously and just concentrate on the next step without looking beyond the next day. We are also focused on the today because of this regime's mismanagement of our economy and the bad governance being practiced in the corridors of power.Q: You have been labelled an agent of the West, how do you respond to that?A: The words of silly foolish people who seek to suppress the masses whilst looting the riches of our country.Q: Some have accused you of using desperate women during your demos for personal gain from foreign donors, what's your response?A: Once again, these are the words of people who don't even care that citizens have a duty and an obligation to protest, organise and act to demand a better life for all in Zimbabwe. There are many desperate women in Zimbabwe made desperate by a government that does not care for any of us, made desperate by the lack of jobs, affordable food and the need to conduct vending for over 10 to 12 hours day just to feed their children.Q: In your fight for women emancipation, would you say you have achieved your mission?A: I do believe that my work with my Woza comrades has raised the level of respect for women. As we march in the streets, we have shown Zimbabweans a new way to make themselves heard and the issues we campaign for are issues that have affected millions of Zimbabweans. However, the work is not over  domestic violence continue to increase. Women are still not able to access the same things that men access due to systems of patriarchy still practiced by so many. The harsh economic environment has also brought more suffering on women who feel the effects different to men who can more easily escape. Woza is also fighting for free primary education  this campaign started in 2005 and we remain campaigning for it. This work is not yet done. The right to protest is also still far from being respected by the police, so we remain doing our work in the streets and in the African Commission for Human and People's Rights until this right to protest is fully recognised and no one has to suffer as we have suffered at the hands of police.Q: What other strategies are in place in as far as petitioning government is concerned?A: Woza use over 200 methods of protest including engagement meeting policy dialogue and we send delegations to officials. Mostly you hear of marches in newspapers but Woza members are very busy everyday in communities, working, demanding and engaging on this or that issue that they see in their community.Q: What do you make of women who are in leadership positions in Zimbabwe?A: No I do not feel they have represented me well. I am disappointed that many of quickly forget the issues they used to see when they were ordinary citizens  it seems power comes with loss of memory. But this is memory loss does not only happen with women it also happens with men when they get into power. I am just more disappointed when a woman forgets the community's issues because women have a different genetic makeup and should not forget the concerns and should remember to care for their constituency more. I personally feel that the women's movement should not have only campaigned for a quota system but should have also done more work to make women super representatives' so that they could establish their leadership well.Q: We have the First Lady Grace Mugabe, would you say she has really played well her leadership or motherly role?A: I do not understand what the first lady is all about and wonder if she does herself. She is too inconsistent and does not seem to give clear thought to what she is doing. I also believe she is too money-orientated and her honesty seems questionable. Because of her apparent love of money, she will never manage to really make me believe she can play a mother of the nation role. Has she ever taken the time to really do the things other first ladies have done?Q: Turning to politics, where do you see the future of Zimbabwe under Zanu-PF?A: There is no positive future for Zimbabwe under Zanu-PF. The party seems to be unable to allow the government to govern and continue to run the country as if it is the party. As such, Zimbabwe will never get a chance under this part suffocation to recover the economy, find new policies that could kick-start growth. The will only come up with another pack of lies on which to conduct their next campaign and unfortunately Zimbabweans quickly forget that this is the party that in 2013 promised jobs which we have never seen. I really wish Zimbabweans could be wiser this time round and find a way to change from the dictatorship party into some better government that we can put on a very short leash and make them deliver what they promise.Q: With President (Robert) Mugabe at 93, and his party having already endorsed him as the candidate for 2018 elections, what's your take?A: That is a very short-sighted move and abuse of the elderly. They really need to let Mugabe go and rest. He has failed us as a nation and them as a party. It is just another way they are conning us as a nation everyone knows that the president can no longer perform at the level we need so as to fix the economic chaos so please Zanu-PF let the old man go write his memoirs.Q: How, in your view, has the Zanu-PF infighting impacted on our economy?A: It has a very negative effect as it shows that the State has been captured and that very little work can be done without factional fighting stopping it. The factionalism is now pronounced in many different parts of government, security sector and Zanu-PF spaces. It is very worrying. However, I worry if it is purposefully over-reported or sensationalised by some rascals as a way to preoccupy us so we don't dwell on our real issues. Distraction seems to be the current method to keep us from rebelling. I think we should rather watch TV series than follow this nonsense and allow Zanu-PF to implode and pay attention when something rises from the ashes.Q: What do you say about the opposition parties?A: Their weaknesses are that they have become too focused on positions and got too comfortable during the GNU. I wish they could be more serious about formulating real blueprint on what needs to be done with Zimbabwe and not just copy and paste solutions from elsewhere. I wish they could challenge themselves to be more creative on how to conduct election campaigns and how to engage citizens and civics. I wish they could see constructive criticism when it is given and find ways to correct their mistakes. I wish they could stop taking us for granted that we will vote for them because we don't like Zanu-PF. That is disrespecting us and they will not deserve to win if they do that once again.Q: Who do you think is going to be Zimbabwe's next president and why?A: I could not hazard a guess because I think we are in for a surprise.Q: Away from activism what else do you do?A: I am never away from activism, it is in my blood and I take it to all the spaces I am in. I am a part time road runner chicken breeder and pay my bills by selling my birds. I find chicken rearing to be a therapy for me to reduce the effects of the persecution I have suffered from Zanu-PF. I have Makhaya chickens and Boschveld which is a super Makhaya breed. My new venture is in selling chicken feed which I formulate. I also belong to a network of farmers and we help each other to grow our flocks and build our business.
Are you planning a road tripping adventure any time soon?

If so, then you might want to steer yourself through some of the world's craziest driving rules just to cover your back.

A new infographic, released by vwmotorparts.com, reveals some of the wacky road regulations that are set to take you by surprise.

For instance, in Alaska it is illegal to strap a dog to the roof of a vehicle - we'd hope this would go without saying.

While in some parts of Cyprus, drivers will be fined for eating or drinking behind the wheel - even water!

Scroll down for 13 of the more unusual motoring laws from around the globe...

On the right track: A new infographic released by vwmotorparts.com reveals some of the wacky road regulations that are set to take you by surprise

Naked truth: Whether you're male or female, you could get fined for driving without a shirt on in Thailand
Bethenny Frankel announced in late May that she had split from businessman Dennis Shields after less than a year of dating.

And only two weeks later the Real Housewives Of New York City vet was spotted strolling with another man.

The 46-year-old Skinnygirl founder - who has a daughter with ex-husband Jason Hoppy - wore a coverup as she left the beach in the Hamptons with New York event planner Russ Theriot, 37. E! News has claimed they have been dating for weeks.

New kid in town? Bethenny Frankel was seen with 'new beau' Russ Theriot on Sunday as they strolled in the Hamptons area of Long Island, New York

No bikini shots today: The 46-year-old Skinnygirl founder - who has a daughter with ex-husband Jason Hoppy - wore a coverup

Frankel had on a white embroidered Mexican style shirt with a poncho style over a red string bikini.

The reality diva added a cowboy hat and sunglasses to stay under the radar. She appeared to be makeup free.

Russ, who owns The Crew Events in NYC, wore a white T-shirt with a white sweatshirt tied around his waist and black shorts. He too had on sunglasses.

Hunky and funky: Russ often posts cheesy pinup shots on Instagram like this one

The Danger Zone: Here he is dressed like Tom Cruise's Maverick from Top Gun

Theriot tried his hand at acting in New York City in his twenties.

Then he went on to become a businessman, eventually landing at an events company.

The heartthrob is known for posting beefcake images to Instagram with his shirt off so he can show off his six pack. In one shot he was dressed as Tom Cruise's character, fighter pilot Maverick, from the 1986 movie Top Gun.

Hampton cowgirl: The star had her look down, complete with Cartier LOVE bracelets

Hola: Frankel had on a white embroidered Mexican style shirt with a poncho style over a red bikini

In hiding: The reality diva added a cowboy hat and sunglasses to stay under the radar

A source has told DailyMail.com the star is not currently serious with Russ.

The friend added: 'She is having fun doing her thing and is keeping busy with her daughter and work. She is dating, but there is nothing serious.'

Bethenny last dated Shields, who was a longtime friend before things turned romantic.

He was also going through a divorce with his wife of many years.

Man candy: Russ wore a white T-shirt with a white sweatshirt tied around his waist and black shorts. He too had on sunglasses

Hot out of the city: Frankel was smart to escape the humidity in NYC

Frankel has become a mega success thanks to Skinnygirl, but her love life has been a struggle.

The star had a difficult divorce from Hoppy, who she had arrested this year on stalking charges.

Romances that followed were brief as she often said she needed to work on herself before falling in love again.

Love? A source told DailyMail.com that she is not serious about Russ

Chilled? The TV wonder also carried a striped cover up

This sighting comes after Bethenny shared eye-popping Instagram post of herself wearing a barely-there pink bikini while contorting into wheel pose - on top of a car.

Quoting the 1980 Diana Ross song Upside Down, she wrote in her caption: 'Upside down you're turnin' me.'

She added: '#WheelPose helps ur energy & is a great stretch.'

A little more humble: Here the entrepreneur looks more like a regular guy at home

Earlier that day, she'd shared a selfie in which her hair had been exquisitely coiffed and she gave the camera a slightly weary-looking stare through a cake of makeup.

'I got the face on, now who's gonna get me out of these pjs?' Bethenny captioned the photo, which captured her in a short-sleeved white-flecked blue pajama top.

The sharp-tongued Bravo babe was posting to her Instagram Story on Saturday too, wearing a turquoise two-piece and a straw hat.

'Upside down you're turnin' me': Frankel shared an eye-popping Instagram post of herself wearing a barely-there pink bikini while contorting into wheel pose - on top of a car

'I got the face on': Earlier that day, she'd shared a selfie in which her hair had been exquisitely coiffed and she gave the camera a slightly weary-looking stare through a cake of makeup

One video showed the Skinnygirl impresaria standing poolside as she worked at an impressively high tower of small wooden blocks that hadn't yet toppled over.

As she leaned forward, slowly removing one block from a high level while trying to leave the structure standing, she said: 'All right, this means we're getting toward 31.'

Once she'd pulled off the trick, she cried out: 'Ho-ho-ho!' and flung up her arms in victory, heading toward camera and offering a glimpse at her cat-eye shades.

The look: The sharp-tongued Real Housewife Of New York City was posting to her Instagram Story on Saturday too, wearing a turquoise two-piece and a straw hat

'...we're getting toward 31': One video showed the SkinnyGirl impresaria standing poolside as she worked at an impressively high tower of small wooden blocks that hadn't yet toppled over

Next came a video taken much closer up of her moving a block up to the summit of the tower as she pointed out: 'We're at 31 now. It's a nail-biter. Just put that one on.'

Her Snapchat Story on Saturday played host to an image of herself wearing the selfsame bikini, hat and sunglasses as she lounged on a white outdoor sofa.

She was cradling Smalls, one of the two Lhasa Apsos - the other called Biggie - that Bethenny adopted late last year. She'd already got a third dog called Cookie.
She insists that she is not involved romantically with Scott Disick despite the two hanging out together in recent weeks.

And Sofia Richie was seen sans Scott Disick on Monday as she went solo for a coffee run in Beverly Hills.

The 18-year-old daughter of Lionel Richie wore a matching green Adidas tracksuit and black Adidas NMD City Sock running shoes for the casual errand.

All by herself: Sofia Richie, 18, was seen sans 'homie' Scott Disick on Monday as she went solo for a coffee run in Beverly Hills

She wore her chopped blonde hair in a straight style parted down the center and added huge white sunglasses by illesteva to shield most of her make-free complexion.

The model, who was recently getting chummy with Scott Disick in Cannes, spent most of her time on the phone while she held her iced coffee with her other hand.

She had a black handbag that she carried around her left forearm to protect the rest of her possessions while grabbing her caffeine jolt.

Casual: She wore her chopped blonde hair styled straight and parted down the center and white illesteva sunglasses

Though Sofia has gone out of her way to dispel any rumors of a fling between the two, the pair have were recently spotted with Sofia holding onto to Scott's arm as the two walked together during a recent outing at the swanky Nobu Malibu restaurant.

Of course it seems both parties have been keeping in touch since their recent debaucherous trip to Cannes.

Scott had tried his best to get flirtatious with Sofia two weeks ago while they both enjoyed a jaunt on a yacht.

But apparently Sofia was having none of it, with the teen seen blocking his would-be advances.

Multi-tasking teen: The model, who was recently getting chummy with Scott Disick in Cannes, spent most of her time on the phone while she held her iced coffee with her other hand

She later took to Twitter to slam suggestions she was anything more than friends with the 34-year-old.

Sofia tweeted: 'Just so everyone can get their panties out of their a**es, Scott and I are just homies #relax.'

Infamously, prior to the trip, Scott had proclaimed himself a 'horrible sex addict'

The father-of-three confessed to his 'condition' earlier in May on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
He recently sought professional help for mental health issues and addiction following an aggressive breakdown earlier this year.

And on Tuesday, Grant Hackett spoke publicly about his reaction to comedian Dave Hughes, who mocked the champion swimmer at the Logies.

In April, KIIS FM radio host Dave raised eyebrows when he appeared to make light of Grant's mental health struggles while hosting TV's night of nights but the Olympic swimmer said it was water off a duck's back.

No harm done: Grant Hackett spoke publicly this week about his reaction to comedian Dave Hughes, who mocked the champion swimmer at the Logies

'I actually contacted Dave after that and said 'no harm done on my end' - I can see the funny side of all that,' he told Kyle and Jackie O.

'I just don't see the point of [being angry] I said to Hughesy 'it's almost Un-Australian not to be able to cop a little slack and for people to take the piss out of you a little bit.'

Earlier this year, Dave called for Olympian 'whingey' after a private feud with his brother Craig.



'I actually contacted Dave after that and said 'no harm done on my end' - I can see the funny side of all that,' he told Kyle and Jackie O

All good: Dave revealed he recently stumbled across a message that Grant had sent to the comedian on Instagram on May 13

'I love Grant Hackett. He's a great Australian, but he's been a bit whingey,' Dave said during his Logies monolgue.

'See him on Instagram, put a selfie of himself with a black eye and said, 'Look what my brother did'. That's what brothers do, Grant, be a dick and they give you a clip. Look on the bright side, you could be Kim Jong-un's brother.'

Last month, media personality Dave revealed on the Hughesy & Kate show, that Grant had contacted him about the joke and that not seeing the funny side was 'un-Australian.'

Nasty gash: Grant previously shared this snap on Instagram after accusing his brother Craig of 'beating the s*** out of me' during a dispute back in January

Speaking with his on-air co-host Kate Langbroek about the controversial monologue, Dave admitted that Grant was the only person who hadn't contacted him about the joke.

However, he recently stumbled across a message that Grant had sent to the comedian on Instagram on May 13.

Dave proceeded to read the message on-air: Hi Dave, I hope you're well, mate,' the message began. 'I saw the press back home on the Logies. Just letting you know all good from my end, bud.

Family feud? The Olympian has since repaired his relationship with Craig (pictured R). Also pictured Grant (L) and their mum Margaret Hackett (C) on Mother's Day last year

'I know it's all light-hearted humour and if you can't take the p**s out of stuff then it's almost un-Australian. I love your humour, I'm sure I'll see you around the place. All the best, Hacky.'

The joke in question was inspired by Grant's highly publicised breakdown, earlier this year and claims that he was assaulted by his brother.

'He's been a bit whingey,' Dave said in the monologue. 'See him on Instagram, put a selfie of himself with a black eye and said, 'Look what my brother did.'

Dave didn't let it rest their either, with the funnyman quipping that Grant was lucky he hadn't ended up like dead like the brother of North Korea ruler Kim Jong Un, who was assassinated in Singapore.

Water under the bridge: 'I know it's all light-hearted humour and if you can't take the p**s out of stuff then it's almost un-Australian,' Grant said in the message

'That's what brothers do, Grant, be a d**k and they give you a clip. Look on the bright side, you could be Kim Jong Un's brother.

Grant made headlines in Australia in February when he was arrested after a disturbance at his parent's house.

The swimmer was later released without charge.

He was then hospitalised amid fears for his safety and has been based in the US for the past three months while working on his recovery.
Model and author Sophie Dahl looked beautiful in a plunging navy jumpsuit at the Save The Elephants charity dinner on Monday night.

She managed to strike the perfect balance of classiness with a hint of sexiness as she attended the evening held at The Orangery in London.

With its neckline finishing at her sternum, Sophie, 39, teased at her cleavage, whilst displaying her slender physique in the form-fitting jumpsuit.

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Leggy: Sophie Dahl, 39, looked very busty in a plunging navy jumpsuit at the Save The Elephants charity dinner held at The Orangery in London on Monday

Angelic: British actress Anna Friel looked beautiful in a white chiffon gown with a collar and a red lip

Meanwhile, British actress Anna Friel looked beautiful in a white chiffon gown with a collar and a red lip.

Anna added an elegant touch with a pair of diamond drop earrings, and styled her brunette tresses into an updo.

She gave a quirky touch to the ladylike look with the addition of a miniature boxy bag, which was adorned with a bird illustration.

Chic: Anna added an elegant touch with a pair of diamond drop earrings, and styled her brunette tresses into an updo

Trendy: She posed for photos with Ruth Wilson, who kept comfortable in a stylish pair of studded sandals, and layered a long necklace over a black velvet choker

Stunning: Anna gave a quirky touch to the ladylike look with the addition of a miniature boxy bag, which was adorned with a bird illustration

Meanwhile, Cara Delevingne, 24, proudly displayed her elephant inking as she attended the dinner.

Wearing a ruffled teal gown, the model-turned-actress - who has recently shaved her head for a film role - looked beautiful as she enjoyed the evening.

Her stunning gown featured a sheer chiffon overlay which she layered over a matching bodysuit.

Adorable: Cara Delevingne, 24, proudly displayed her elephant inking

Sweet: She's known for her love of inking her body, and got a sweet elephant tattoo last year

The ensemble ensured that she flashed the tops of her lithe pins, whilst semi-concealing the rest of their length with an abundance of ruffles.

The gown gathered at her chest to flare out prettily over her shoulders, and she styled it with the addition of an edgy studded belt.

Cara wore lashings of delicate gold Tiffany & Co. jewellery, including several chunky gold rings.

Her closely cropped hair showed off her beautiful face, and she accentuated her striking blue eyes with heavy smokey eye make up.

Cara - whose life motto is 'embrace your weirdness' - already has a lion tattooed on her right hand as well as the elephant on her right arm.

She also famously let her fellow suicide squad star Margot Robbie ink her toes.

Leggy: As Cara ascended the stairs of the grand location, her chiffon gown kicked out beautifully over her legs and displayed her black lace up heels

Stunning: Her stunning gown featured a sheer chiffon overlay which she layered over a matching bodysuit. The ensemble ensured that she flashed the tops of her lithe pins

Pretty: The gown gathered at her chest to flare out prettily over her shoulders, and she styled it with the addition of an edgy studded belt

She posed for photos with Victoria's Secret model Doutzen Kroes, who hosted the dinner alongside PORTER magazine editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans.

Doutzen, 32, looked beautiful in a dramatic floor-sweeping black gown, and scraped her dark blonde hair off her face.

She fastened a diamante elephant brooch to her chest, and sported bronze smokey eye make-up.

Striking: Her closely cropped hair showed off her beautiful face, and she accentuated her striking blue eyes with heavy smokey eye make up

Individual: Cara - whose life motto is 'embrace your weirdness' - already has a lion tattooed on her right hand as well as the elephant on her right arm

Model behaviour: She posed for photos with Victoria's Secret model Doutzen Kroes, who hosted the dinner alongside Net-a-Porter editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans

Gothic: Doutzen, 32, looked beautiful in a dramatic floor-sweeping black gown, and scraped her dark blonde hair off her face

Dramatic: She fastened a diamante elephant brooch to her chest, and sported bronze smokey eye make-up

She posed with her handsome DJ husband Sunnery James, who wore a smart black tuxedo.

The pair, who have two children together, six year old son Phyllon and two year old daughter Myllen, have been married since 2010.

They showed that they were more loved-up than ever as they affectionately looked at one another whilst being photographed.

Happy couple: She posed with her handsome DJ husband Sunnery James, who wore a smart black tuxedo

Blissful: They showed that they were more loved-up than ever as they affectionately looked at one another whilst being photographed

Beauty: Doutzen looked fresh-faced and youthful as she sported glowing make-up

Also present at the exclusive charity event, which was held to raise money to help protect elephants from ivory poaching, was British film actress Ruth Wilson, who stunned in a mustard silk maxi dress.

She gave a nod to the elephant theme with a long embroidered elephant cardigan, and styled her hair into a chic plaited updo.

Ruth kept comfortable in a stylish pair of studded sandals, and layered a long necklace over a black velvet choker.

Chic: British film actress Ruth Wilson, gave a nod to the elephant theme with a long embroidered elephant cardigan, and styled her hair into a chic plaited updo

Leading the glamour: Arizona Muse, Caroline Weinberg, Natalia Vodianova, Cara Delevingne and Doutzen Kroes all looked sensational in their eveningwear

Also present at the dinner were models Arizona Muse and Natalia Vodianova, who posed for photos with the other catwalk queens.

Arizona wore a mustard yellow silk gown, which exposed her decolletage, and carried her belongings in a black clutch, wearing a gold Carolina Bucci cuff.

Natalia sported a black gown, which featured a structural bow stiffened to create a dramatic silhouette.

Evergreen: Samantha Cameron wore a long forest green gown by Cefinn as she posed for a photo with Lucy Yeomans, who co-hosted the dinner

Floor-sweeping: Natalia Vodianova, Lucy Yeomans, Samantha Cameron and Doutzen Kroes looked sensational in their dramatic looks

Stunning: Doutzen's classy gown skimmed over her supermodel physique, while Samantha styled her brunette locks into a bouncy shoulder-length 'do, and swept her fringe over her face

Line-up: Pictured L-R Bernard Lesirin, Jean Campbell, Caroline Weinberg, Arizona Muse, Natalia Vodianova, Lucy Yeomans, Cara Delevingne, Doutzen Kroes and David Daballen

Chatting away: Natalia Vodioanova and Naomi Campbell were deep in conversation

Looking fabulous: Peter Dundas, Cara Delevingne, and Doutzen Kroes looked amazing at the event
She's settling into single life after splitting with her husband earlier this year.

And Joanna Krupa looked to be enjoying the new found freedom as she was seen on a lunch date in Beverly Hills on Monday.

The 38-year-old stunner was ready for summer in a a skimpy ensemble as she met up with music attorney John Branca for a friendly al fresco meal.

Stunner: Joanna Krupa, 38, was seen on a lunch date in Beverly Hills on Monday

The Real Housewife Of Miami alum dazzled in tiny cut off denim shorts that accentuated her impossibly long legs.

Her LPA Bodysuit 249 let her gorgeous skin tone shine as her shoulders and decolletage were revealed.

The model slipped into a soft pink pair of heels and went virtually accessory free except for a stylish black purse with gold chains.

Model behavior: The model looked ready for summer in a skimpy ensemble

Balancing act: The Real Housewife Of Miami alum dazzled in tiny cut off denim shorts that accentuated her impossibly long legs

Meeting up: She met up with music attorney John Branca for a friendly al fresco meal

Daring to impress, Joanna went with minimal make-up, hardly in need of any thanks to her amazing complexion.

She kept her trademark golden tresses long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders.

Perhaps Joanna has a secret to share as she put her finger up to her lips as she posed for the camera.

Minimal: Daring to impress, Joanna went with minimal make-up, hardly in need of any thanks to her amazing complexion

Dazzle: Her LPA Bodysuit 249 let her gorgeous skin tone shine as her shoulders and decolletage were revealed

Mums the word: Perhaps Joanna has a secret to share as she put her finger up to her lips as she posed for the camera

Always one to try something new, Joanna may be discussing a music career as she made her way to the lunch with Branca, who is a powerful influence in the industry.

The pair shared a kiss on the cheek as they met outside by the restaurant.

They walked together back to the valet with a sure stride that inferred the meeting was quite a success.

Nibbles: The pair shared a kiss on the cheek as they met outside by the restaurant

Beginnings: Always one to try something new, Joanna may be discussing a music career as she made her way to the lunch with Branca, who is a powerful influence in the industry

Meanwhile, it was revealed in May that the blonde beauty had separated from husband Romain Zago in December.

A source told E! that the couple 'just grew apart', after being married for three years.

Since the split, the former Dancing With The Stars contestant has been romantically linked to businessman Nico Santucci.
The Voice Australia fans were left disappointed during Sunday night's episode after the program's official app reportedly crashed.

And Spencer Jones has expressed concerns over the new voting system, saying he is worried his demographic might not be comfortable using mobile technology.

'I was apprehensive,' said the 48-year-old told TV Week. 'A lot of my fans are my age - I was worried they wouldn't get it or understand how to use it.'

Doubts: The Voice's Spencer Jones expressed concerns over the show's voting system, saying he was worried people in his age group might not be comfortable using app technology

While Spencer isn't convinced about the new system, he said it is a sign of the times.

'I think it's a reflection of our society and where we're heading,' he said.

'We just have to accept that it's not the old telephone anymore.'

Too old for technology? 'I was apprehensive,' Spencer told TV Week. ' A lot of my fans are my age - I was worried they wouldn't get it or understand how to use it'

The Team Kelly member was lucky to stay in the competition after finding himself in the bottom two on Sunday's second live show.

He ended up making it through to the top ten, beating out Bojesse Pigram with his stunning rendition of James Bay's Hold Back The River.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.

They're not happy! The Voice fans complained on Twitter the show's official app 'crashed' during Sunday night's episode, meaning their votes were possibly not counted

Furious viewers accused Channel Nine's program of being 'fixed' or 'rigged' after they were unable to support their favourite performers when the app reportedly crashed during Sunday's episode.

One angry fan tweeted: 'Wow, way to go channel 9. The bloody app failed. So just how fair and accurate was the voting tonight?'

During the episode, viewers alleged they were experiencing technical difficulties with the app, which they claimed either 'froze', 'crashed' or didn't allow them to vote.

This led some Twitter users to the rather unlikely conclusion that The Voice producers had deliberately sabotaged the app to 'fix' the results.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting this is the case.

'Rigged couldn't get into app to vote, check results again,' a fan tweeted.

'Just how fair and accurate was the voting tonight?' Viewers accused Channel Nine's program of being 'fixed' or 'rigged' after they were unable to support their favourite performers

Another wrote: 'Why didn't you do a revote? Your app didn't work! Incorrect results, this is wrong!'

'App not working. Makes me wonder how the "votes are counted". Spencer for me!' read an additional comment.

Meanwhile, others confirmed that their votes were eventually counted, despite previously having problems with the app.

'Why didn't you do a revote?' A Twitter fan claimed the results of the vote would be 'incorrect' due to the reported technical problems with the app

What a relief! Meanwhile, other viewers confirmed that their votes were eventually counted, despite previously experiencing problems with the app

At the climax of Sunday's episode, Spencer Jones and Bojesse Pigram from Kelly Rowland's team competed in a sing-off.

Eventually, Bojesse was eliminated from the competition.
It's been seven months since Bella Hadid split with The Weeknd, and the 20-year-old is moving on with Australian model Jordan Barrett.

The stunning star was spotted cozying up to the renowned bad boy through a window of her New York City apartment on Monday.

Wearing nothing but a white tank top and a pair of Brazilian-cut black panties, Bella was seen putting on a flirtatious display for the 20-year-old.

Heating up... Bella Hadid was spotted getting cozy with fellow model Jordan Barrett in her New York City apartment on Monday

Cheeky: Wearing nothing but a white tank top and a pair of Brazilian-cut black panties, Bella was seen putting on a flirtatious display for the 20-year-old hunk

With her bottom out on display, the brunette babe was seen posing for a series of sexy photos in front of what appeared to have been her living room window.

Clearly unconcerned about leaving imprints on the glass, the bombshell was even spotted pressing her bare bottom up against the window.

Jordan watched on as a female friend took pictures of the star showing off for the camera.

At one stage, Bella was seen sidling up to the shirtless hunk, who had made himself comfortable on her sofa.

Getting flirty... The 20-year-old model was also seen affectionately stroking the Australian model's face as Jordan laughed

Making contact: Clearly unconcerned about leaving imprints on the glass, the bombshell was even spotted pressing her bare bottom up against the window

Butt out: With her bottom out on display, the brunette babe was seen posing for a series of sexy photos in front of what appeared to have been her living room window

The look of love... Jordan was spotted gazing adoringly at the stunning beauty as she chatted with him on her couch

After setting up her cell phone on the windowsill, the pair were seen playfully snapping a series of selfies together as Bella climbed all over the sexy model.

She was also seen affectionately stroking his face as Jordan laughed.

Later, the two took their flirt fest to the balcony, where they appeared to continue to snap a series of selfies.

Getting close: At one stage, Bella was seen sidling up to the shirtless hunk, who had made himself comfortable on her sofa

Prime position: After setting up her cell phone on the windowsill, the pair were seen playfully snapping a series of selfies together

Out of hiding: At one stage, the unconcerned beauty appeared to have spotted a photographer, but carried on without hesitation

The great outdoors: Later, the two took their flirt fest to the balcony, where they appeared to continue to snap a series of selfies

After pulling on white T-shirt, Jordan stuck close to the smiling beauty as they chatted and took in the view from outside.

Just hours later, the rumored new couple attended a Charity Foundation Party together.

While appearing to arrive separately, Jordan and Bella stuck close to one another inside the event.

Going public: Just hours later, the rumored new couple attended a Charity Foundation Party together with Bella sporting ROBERI & FRAUD sunglasses

Reunited and it feels so good... While appearing to arrive separately, Jordan and Bella stuck close to one another inside the event

Appearing to have both just emerged from the shower, both models were seen arriving with slightly wet hair as they made their way inside.

It's not the first time the pair have been seen spending time together.

Last month, they were spotted hanging out on a yacht in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival.

Joking around: After pulling on white T-shirt, Jordan stuck close to the smiling beauty as they chatted and laughed

Room with a view: At one stage, the genetically blessed pair were spotted looking out at the view over Manhattan

Something in the hair: Bella was spotted ruffling her shoulder-length locks while continuing to stare at her cell phone

Really, really ridiculously good-looking... Jordan also appeared to have pulled out some of his own trademark modeling poses

Jordan even took to social media to share a photo of the two of them lazing about on a white lounge, as they laid side-by-side on the luxury boat.

In the photo, Bella wears nothing but a lacy white bikini and a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Jordan is dressed in only a pair of black striped pants.

Becoming a habit: It's not the first time the pair have been seen together. Last month, they were spotted hanging out on a yacht in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival

Playboy: The Australian model has something of a reputation, having previously been linked to Hailey Baldwin, Sofia Richie and Lara Stone

Lying around: Last month, Jordan took to social media to share a photo of the two of them lazing about on a white lounge onboard a yacht in Cannes

A fully clothed man lies on the other side of Bella, and all three appear to be taking a nap in the French sunshine.

'Catch up on them Zzzzz's...' he captioned the photo.

Bella is just the latest in a long list of model conquests for the Byron Bay-born stud.

He's previously been linked to Hailey Baldwin, Sofia Richie and Lara Stone.
Ariel Winter was photographed heading out in Los Angeles on Monday in a relaxed ensemble that included a cleavage-baring blue and white checked shirt.

She'd buttoned on the frayed top over a pair of tiny denim shorts, tying her red hair into a high ponytail and slipping on a black pair of high-heeled boots.

The 19-year-old Modern Family actress, who's currently dating 29-year-old Levi Meaden, had slicked her red hair severely back and wound it into a ponytail.

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Aglow: Ariel Winter was photographed heading out in Los Angeles on Monday in a relaxed ensemble that included a cleavage-baring blue and white checked shirt

Ariel had been joined on her sunlit stroll out by a female friend, and the pair were spotted heading into a location of the frozen yogurt shop Menchie's.

Ariel recently chatted to Refinery29 and said of her romance with Levi, with its decade-wide age gap: 'Im happy, and whatever people want to say, they can say.'

Said she: 'I dont understand why someone would even comment on our situation at all. There are tons of people of all ages that live with their boyfriend.'

On the go: She'd buttoned on the frayed top over a pair of tiny denim shorts, tying her red hair into a high ponytail and slipping on a black pair of high-heeled boots

A place in the sun: The 19-year-old Modern Family actress, who's currently dating 29-year-old Levi Meaden, had slicked her red hair severely back and wound it into a ponytail

Company: Ariel had been joined on her sunlit stroll out by a female friend, and the pair were spotted heading into a location of the frozen yogurt shop Menchie's

Conversely, as she's noted, 'There are tons of people that live with their girlfriends, [and] tons of people that dont live together and are super happy. But I'm super happy in the arrangement that we have. We love living together. Its just great.'

The teenager rhapsodized: 'I have to say he is the most incredible person Ive ever met and that Im so lucky to be with him. Hes always complimenting me and making me feel special and beautiful,' she confided.

'We went grocery shopping today, and I was in, like, a weird T-shirt that I kind of hate and my semi-pajama pants, and he still took the time to tell me that I look pretty.'

Holding forth: Ariel recently gave an interview to Refinery29 and said of her relationship with Levi, with its decade-wide age gap: 'Im happy, and whatever people want to say, they can say'

Giving her view: Said she: 'I dont understand why someone would even comment on our situation at all,' adding: 'There are tons of people of all ages that live with their boyfriend'

Ariel's shared in the interview that 'Even when I do feel bad about myself, hes just there to support me and pick me back up when Im feeling down.'

At another point, she'd touched on body image, noting: 'Its hard to be positive about your body all the time. I know because Im honest about my insecurities that people think Im 100% positive about my body all the time, but Im not.'

Ariel's confessed that 'I get really uncomfortable, too,' explaining that 'I just remind myself that this is the body I was given. This is who I am,' she's proclaimed.

She also chewed over fashion and beauty tics, saying: 'Im definitely a makeup at the beach person, and I dont care if people think I look ridiculous - its my beach day!'

Whatever works: Conversely, as she's noted, 'There are tons of people that live with their girlfriends, [and] tons of people that dont live together and are super happy'

Brimming with affection: The teenager rhapsodized: 'I have to say he is the most incredible person Ive ever met and that Im so lucky to be with him'

Quoth Ariel: 'Whether I want to go natural or with makeup or in sweatpants, thats up to me. People are so stressed out about how theyre going to look in their bathing suits that they forget to go to the beach because they want to go to the beach, which defeats the whole purpose. The beach should be a safe space.'

When the conversation turned to future episodes and plotlines on Modern Family, she held forth that: 'I hope to see Alex evolve more as an adult.'

She's said: 'I love that shes in college and that she still gets home to see her family,' but wants 'more storylines about Alex developing her romantic relationship and and also just developing her relationships with other people in general.'

As Ariel's elaborated: 'Id want to see her branch out and have some fun and grow socially a little bit so the world can see that shes not a kid anymore.'

The looks: She also chewed over fashion and beauty tics, saying: 'Im definitely a makeup at the beach person, and I dont care if people think I look ridiculous - its my beach day!'
Her relationship with DIY: SOS presenter Nick Knowles came to a bitter end at the end of last year.

But former Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten hasn't wasted any time in finding a new man - and has paraded him out for the newest edition of OK! Magazine this week.

Having met Scott Walker - who is a film producer - three months ago, not only are the couple having more success than Gemma and Nick ever did, they have already decided to live together.

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'He loves me for me and sticks by his word!' Gemma Oaten throws shade at ex Nick Knowles as she gushes over new man Scott Walker... insisting that she's 'never been in love before now'

'Scott makes me realise Ive actually never been in love before,' Gemma, 33, told the publication. 'Hes made me realise what unconditional love is, and I dont think Id ever understood what that is.

'The difference with Scott to anybody Ive been with in the past is that he loves me for me and sticks by his word.'

The pair have rapidly moved in with each other, after just a few weeks.

I got the place [in London], and Gemma was looking for a new place anyway, so it made sense,' Scott explained.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned: Scott makes me realise Ive actually never been in love before,' Gemma, 33, told the publication. 'Hes made me realise what unconditional love is, and I dont think Id ever understood what that is'

Its weird as Ive never lived with anybody before, except at drama school,' Gemma added. 'I thought it was going to be a massive thing because Im used to coming and going as I please. But now it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

To add even more to the drastic change in circumstances, Scott has children and they live with the couple.

The full interview is in the latest edition of OK! Magazine

'I have two wonderful children,' he explained.

'I think all we need to say is theyre very accepting of us, and very happy.' Gemma added.

The couple's relationship comes after Gemma embarked on a short lived romance with Nick, who she met at the TV Choice Awards in September.

Nick immediately whisked her off for a romantic dinner after the glitzy award ceremony and they began dating, eight months after Nick's separation from wife Jessica Knowles.

But when pictures emerged of the pair enjoying a romantic getaway in Edinburgh, the 54-year-old star abruptly broke up with Gemma.

Nick returned to Jessica, 28, and supported her as she battled cervical cancer.

By January they decided to separate but remained on good terms for the sake of their son, Eddie.
Ice Cube received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday.

The 47-year-old rapper-actor, whose real name is O'Shea Jackson, posed alongside his honor on Hollywood Boulevard outside the Musicians Institute.

He kept it classic in a black Los Angeles Dodgers cap with a short-sleeved button-up Dickies black shirt, black jeans and black leather Nike sneakers.

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Happy day: Ice Cube, 47, smiled Monday as he posed with a plaque marking his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

High-profile pals such as John Singleton and rapper WC were in attendance at the unveiling, where the veteran entertainer thanked his parents Doris Benjamin and Hosea Jackson for their support in his showbiz endeavors.

'Thank you mama for always supporting whatever I wanted to do, whether you was with it or not, you said, "As long as it kept you off the street, you can do it,"' he said, according to ABC7. 'A lot of guys don't have their fathers around, and if you want to make a man like this, stay around your sons. Stay around your kids.'

WC, Ice Cube's collaborator in his group Westside Connection, sparked the crowd with a reference to Ice Cube's 1992 hit It Was A Good Day by asking the audience, 'Today was a good day, ain't it y'all?'

Heart of the city: The rapper's star is located on Hollywood Boulevard outside the Musicians Institute

Family first: The rapper paid tribute to his mother and father for their unwavering support

Good friends: Ice Cube posed between his pals, rapper WC (L) and filmmaker John Singleton (R), who both spoke at the ceremony

We got the beat: The rapper posed alongside his former N.W.A. peer Dr. Dre

WC, whose full name is William Loshawn Calhoun, Jr., praised Ice Cube for the social impact he made with his music both as a solo artist and as one of the members of the rap group N.W.A.

'One thing I can say that he did better than most was utilize his lyrics to wake up spirits,' said WC, 47.

Lots to say: The outspoken entertainer made headlines over the weekend after his blunt criticism of Bill Maher on Real Time Friday, following the host's recent controversy

Proud day: Ice Cube posed with his family on the sentimental occasion

Throwback: The rapper recently re-released his 1992 album Death Certificate to mark its 25-year anniversary

Famed filmmaker Singleton credited Ice Cube for his performance in his acclaimed 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, as he said he 'wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for' the performer, who played Doughboy in the drama.

The role helped Ice Cube's career as well, leading to subsequent films such as Friday, Barbershop and Ride Along, and their sequels.

Ice Cube, a producer on the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, recently re-released his 1992 album Death Certificate in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, adding three new tracks to the record.
Just last month, he was spotted hanging out with Bella Hadid on a yacht during Cannes Film Festival.

And ladies man Jordan Barrett enjoyed the company of the stunning brunette again, at her New York City apartment on Monday.

Shortly beforehand, the 20-year-old Byron Bay native looked hot, sweaty and red faced, as he emerged from a chauffeured car.

Hot and sweaty: Jordan Barrett, 20, appeared redfaced as he emerged from a limo with Bella Hadid, before the pair spent time together in her New York City apartment on Monday

For his off-duty look, Jordan sported a white T-shirt with a graphic of actress Drew Barrymore emblazoned on the front.

Loose-fitting linen pants, black leather slides and a jacket carried in one hand, finished off the attire.

With his signature blonde locks swept into a ponytail, Jordan appeared sweaty and red faced.

Low-key: For his off-duty look, the ladies man sported a white T-shirt with a graphic of actress Drew Barrymore emblazoned on the front, loose-fitting linen pants and black leather slides

Extras: Jordan carried a black jacket and his iPhone in one hand as he exited his chauffeur-driven car

The sighting comes shortly before Jordan put on a flirtatious display with Bella, 20, at her New York City apartment.

Seated at the window, the younger sister of Gigi Hadid wore nothing but a white tank top and a pair of Brazilian-cut black underwear.

With her bottom on display, Bella was seen posing for a series of sexy photos in front of what appeared to have been her living room window.

In profile: With his signature blonde locks swept into a ponytail, Jordan appeared sweaty and redfaced

Chic: Bella Hadid, 20, followed closely behind, sporting a white dress shirt, black corset, flared pants and platform heels

Clearly unconcerned about leaving imprints on the glass, the bombshell was seen pressing her bare bottom up against the window.

At one stage, Bella was seen sidling up to the shirtless hunk, who had made himself comfortable on her sofa.

Just hours later, the pair attended a Charity Foundation Party together.

While appearing to arrive separately, Jordan and Bella stuck close to one another inside the event.

Up close: The sighting comes shortly before Jordan put on a flirtatious display with Bella at her New York City apartment

Cheeky: Clearly unconcerned about leaving imprints on the glass, the bombshell was seen pressing her bare bottom up against the window

Drying off: Jordan was seen wrapped up in a towel as he stood in his hotel window

Keeping it casual: The star sported a low key white outfit and hotel slippers

The sighting comes just weeks after the duo were spotted lounging on a yacht during Cannes Film Festival.

They engaged in friendly conversation, with Bella flaunting her figure in lingerie-inspired swimmers.

Jordan couldn't resist sharing an Instagram photo from his trip to the South of France, posing with Bella and film producer Mohammed Al Turki.

'Catch up on them Zzzzz's,' he wrote in the caption.

Jordan has previously been linked to a bevvy of beauties including Lara Stone, Sofia Richie, Hailey Baldwin and Georgia Fowler.

Heading off: Jordan was seen piling into a taxi with his pals, including Bella

Joking around: The male model was in his element as he chatted to the girls
She's a bikini model turned fashion designer.

And Natalie Roser has found a winning formula when it comes to her new collection of jumpsuits, which she claims are flying off shelves in America.

The 27-year-old told The Daily Telegraph her risque designs suit 'all body types', and are even being purchased by teenagers as a prom dress alternative.

That's a bold claim! Bikini model-turned-fashion designer Natalie Roser claims this VERY revealing new jumpsuit is 'for all body types' - so would you wear it?

Natalie explained her skimpy rompers, which feature a flirty keyhole design, can be worn by everyone and are 'for all body types'.

'I do the different torso sizes,' said the Australian beauty. 'So when you shop online you can select size small and tall or size small and regular.'

On her Roser The Label website, the Maxim cover girl looks fabulous posing in the bright orange ensemble, which retails for AU$77.73.

Flying off the shelves: On her Roser The Label website, the orange romper sells for AU$77.73

Natalie, who is based in Los Angeles, is currently in Sydney with new boyfriend Harley Bonner.

She began dating the Neighbours actor, 26, following her split from personal trainer Dan Adair last year.

Natalie and Dan were engaged to be married, but their ceremony was postponed.

She's a wild one! Natalie, who is based in Los Angeles, is currently in her native Sydney
She's the phenomenally stunning and successful Australian supermodel known as The Body, and with good reason.

But while Elle Macpherson has gone from strength to strength as a model, and businesswoman, there is one arena in which she's yet to have a happy ending.

Despite great loves, two marriages, two sons she adores and epic romances that have been immortalised in song, the beauty has once again found herself facing single life, this time at age 53.

Unlucky in love? But while Elle Macpherson has gone from strength to strength as a model, businesswoman and built an intimates empire from scratch, there is one arena in which she's yet to have a happy ending

As reports emerge that the beauty has split with her second husband, Jeffrey Soffer, a look back at Elle's epic romances leaves a trail of untimely endings.

BILLY JOEL

Love song: Elle was a then-19-year-old model when she met the Piano Man at St. Bart's in 1982, just after his split from first wife, Elizabeth Weber

Elle was a then-19-year-old model when she met the Piano Man in St. Bart's in 1982, just after his split from first wife, Elizabeth Weber.

According to Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography, Billy happened upon Elle, supermodel Christie Brinkley and Whitney Houston, who were all staying in the same hotel, at a piano bar one night while he was having a tinkle on the keys.

The story goes that Billy, then 33, was keen on Christie, then 28, but when he managed to lure the leggy blonde to his hotel room he reportedly found Elle already waiting for him.

Different model: The pair went on to date for around a year, and Billy is said to have written several songs about the Aussie clotheshorse, including This Night, And So It Goes and Uptown Girl. However Billy's heart always belonged to Christie Brinkley and the pair married in 1985

The pair went on to date for around a year, and Billy is said to have written several songs about the Aussie clotheshorse, including This Night, And So It Goes and Uptown Girl.

However Billy's heart always belonged to the woman who would go on to play the Uptown Girl in his music video - Christie Brinkley.

After splitting with Elle, Billy tracked down Christie and the pair married in 1985, remaining husband and wife almost a decade.

GILLES BENSIMON

Snapped up: After her failed romance with pop star Billy Joel, Ell found love with French fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon

After her failed romance with pop star Billy Joel, Elle found love with French fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon.

Despite an age difference of two decades, the model and the creative director of Elle magazine fell madly in love.

The fashionable pair met in 1984 on a photo session for Elle magazine and married less than two years later in May 1986, when Elle was 22 and her husband 43.

However the marriage was short lived, with the couple divorcing just three years later in 1989.

Still close: Although lifelong romance was not on the cards for the couple, Elle has remained friendly with her now 73-year-old ex-husband

Although lifelong romance was not on the cards for the couple, Elle has remained friendly with her now 73-year-old ex-husband.

Thirty years after they first met, Elle was asked her ex to shoot the campaign for latest Elle Macpherson Body range.

The pair posed together happily at the Sydney launch of the range last year.

(He is a) long-time friend and mentor,' Elle revealed at the time. 'I absolutely love our campaign and had fun producing the shoot with Gilles.'

ARPAD BUSSON

New love: Having given marriage a try and failed, Elle didn't walk down the aisle in her next relationship, however, it did bring her two children

Having given marriage a try and failed, Elle didn't walk down the aisle in her next relationship, however, it did bring her two children.

The underwear designer began a relationship with London-based French financier Arpad Busson in 1996.

They have two sons together, Arpad Flynn Busson, known as Flynn, born February 1998, and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson, born February 2003.

Family: They have two sons together, Arpad Flynn Busson, known as Flynn, born February 1998, and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson, born February 2003

Split: In 2005, the pair announced via a statement that they had, 'decided to spend some time apart to consider our future'

Although they were never married, the family lived together in London for close to a decade.

In 2005, the pair announced via a statement that they had, 'decided to spend some time apart to consider our future.'

The partners went on to stress that no third party was involved in their separation and insisted that they remain 'the greatest of friends.'

New life: In 2007, Arpad went on to become engaged to Uma Thurman, with whom he now also has a daughter, four-year-old Rosalind

'We have had, and in many ways continue to have, a wonderful relationship, which has produced two beautiful children,' the statement read.

In 2007, Arpad went on to become engaged to Uma Thurman, with whom he now also has a daughter, four-year-old Rosalind.

The couple split in 2014, and Uma and Arpad faced a bitter custody battle over Rosalind, nicknamed Luna.

JEFFREY SOFFER

New property: In early 2009, Elle began dating Miami property developer Jeffrey Soffer

Meanwhile, in early 2009, Elle began dating Miami property developer Jeffrey Soffer.

The pair split in 2012 but reconciled a few months later, when Jeffrey's injury in a helicopter accident in November 2012 brought them back together.

Second time was a charm, as in March 2013 the couple were engaged, and shortly after married in July 2013 at the Laucala Resort in Fiji.

In 2014, after just one year of marriage, Elle relocated her two sons from London, where they had been raised, to Miami, to be closer to her new husband.

'People are surprised that I ... moved my whole family from London to Miami for love,' she said in the interview with Porter magazine.

Busy lives: The couple had five children between them, Elle raising her two teenage sons, Arpad Flynn, now 19, Aurelius, now 14, and inheriting three stepchildren from Jeffrey's former marriage

The couple had five children between them, Elle raising her two teenage sons, Arpad Flynn, now 19, Aurelius, now 14, and inheriting three stepchildren from Jeffrey's former marriage.

Elle told Vogue: 'Becoming a stepmother has been the biggest gift and I cherish my relationship with all five children. I think love does wonders for every woman. Being a mother is my greatest achievement and my sons are a credit to themselves.'

Speaking about their modern family dynamic to Stellar last year, the supermodel revealed they had different parenting styles but said: 'I don't believe in telling him how to raise his kids.'

'We have a deep respect for each other's profound commitment to parenting, so we would both probably say that the children come first,' Elle said.

She added: 'And that means, at times, that we are separated because of where the kids are and it takes quite a mature person to allow each other to do what we need to do in our families' lives.'

Single again: The supermodel and real estate developer 'are definitely over' according to sources in Miami for Page Six

However despite their best efforts, on Tuesday came the news that Elle and her billionaire husband have reportedly split.

The supermodel and real estate developer 'are definitely over' according to sources in Miami for Page Six.

Their insider claimed: 'She has left their house at Indian Creek in Miami with her kids, and is looking for her own house in Miami. He has been linked to some other women, but insists they are just friends.'

Their insider claimed: 'She has left their house at Indian Creek in Miami with her kids, and is looking for her own house in Miami. He has been linked to some other women, but insists they are just friends'




His luscious locks have become famous in their own right.

But Osher Gunsberg shocked fans on Tuesday, undergoing a change to his mane ahead of an appearance at Sydney's Hair Expo.

The 43-year-old shared a snap to Instagram on Monday of him getting a haircut to look pristine for the event.

New look! Osher Gunsberg has shared a snap to Instagram of him getting his hair cut before Sydney's Hair Expo

The snap showed Osher sitting in a salon chair with a black barber's cape around his neck to catch his discarded hair.

The tattooed hairdresser meticulously cut Osher's brown hair as both men pulled serious expressions.

He captioned the pic: '@aidenxydishair doing me backstage for the @hairexpo awards. See you soon!'

Serious: The tattooed hairdresser meticulously cut Osher's brown hair as both men pulled serious expressions

Osher tagged the International Convention Centre in Sydney's Darling Harbour where the hair expo started on Saturday.

The snap has racked up over 400 likes with many fans commenting on his new, fresh look.

One fan said: 'Looking hot as always Osher!'

Winter is here: One fan likened his new look to a Game Of Thrones star saying: 'You look like Kit Harrington here!'

Another fan likened his new look to a Game Of Thrones star saying: 'You look like Kit Harrington here!'

The snap comes just two weeks after Osher was on the other side of the barber's chair as he 'styled' MasterChef's Matt Preston's hair.

In the funny shot, Osher uses a pink brush to work on Matt's quiff, with Matt, 53, writing: 'I'm loving my new hair stylist!'
Elle Fanning looked stunning when she stepped out for the premiere of her new movie, The Beguiled, in LA on Monday night.

Dressed in a beaded gunmetal gown by Naeem Khan, the 19-year-old actress smiled for photographers as she posed on the maroon-colored carpet.

The undoubtedly heavy dress featured a sweetheart neckline, as well as ruffles at the waist and on the shoulders.

Precious metal: Elle Fanning looked stunning in a Naeem Khan number when she stepped out for the premiere of her new movie, The Beguiled, in LA on Monday night

She accessorized with a pair of matching gunmetal strappy stilettos.

The blonde beauty wore her hair straight and loose around her shoulders, and opted for a slightly smokey eye.

The Maleficent actress was joined by co-star Kirsten Dunst, who looked equally as stunning in a cream creation.

Showing off her trademark quirky style, the 35-year-old actress opted for a lace ankle-length dress, which featured flowers along the bustline.

Dress to impress: Dressed in a beaded gunmetal gown, the 19-year-old actress smiled for photographers as she posed on the maroon-colored carpet

Weighed down: The undoubtedly heavy dress featured a sweetheart neckline, as well as ruffles at the waist and on the shoulders

Collaboration: Elle posed for photos alongside co-stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Howard, and writer and director Sofia Coppola (center)

She wore her blonde hair in loose waves and sported a pink-red lip.

The Marie Antoinette star completed her look with a pair of strappy tan and orange stilettos.

Nicole Kidman also turned out for the premiere in a floor-length blue dress with embellished flowers.

Cream dream: Kirsten Dunst looked equally stunning in a cream creation, which showed off her trademark quirky style

Flower power: The 35-year-old actress opted for a lace dress, which featured flowers along the bustline

Close: At one stage, Elle appeared to share a special moment with Nicole, with the two actresses pressing their heads together

The detailed gown featured sheer pink tulle sleeves with ruffles around the wrists.

The 49-year-old Australian actress wore her long blonde hair straight and parted in the middle.

Joining its stars was the film's writer and director, Sofia Coppola.

On-trend: Joining its stars was the film's writer and director, Sofia Coppola. The 46-year-old Lost In Translation filmmaker looked stylish in a long black jumpsuit printed with white flowers

Feeling blue: Nicole Kidman also turned out for the premiere in a floor-length blue dress with embellished flowers

The 46-year-old Lost In Translation filmmaker looked stylish in a long black jumpsuit printed with white flowers.

Her shoulder-length brown hair was worn loose.

Other stars who turned out to support the film included Courtney Love, 52, Maya Rudolph, 44, Paris Hilton, 36, and Quentin Tarantino, 54.

All-star line-up: Other celebrities who turned out for the film's LA premiere included (L-R) fashion designer Jeremy Scott, Courtney Love and Maya Rudolph

Date night: Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was also on hand, accompanied by his 33-year-old girlfriend, Daniela Pick

Making an appearance... Socialite Paris Hilton also attended the film's premiere in a slinky black dress with slits

Loved up: The 36-year-old was joined by her 32-year-old boyfriend, Chris Zykla, who was seen sweetly planting a kiss on her cheek

Based on the novel by Thomas Cullinan, The Beguiled takes place at an all-girls school in Virginia during the American Civil War.

The women at the school take in a wounded Union soldier, who ultimately turns their world upside down with rising sexual tensions and betrayals.

The film is in cinemas from June 30.

Hanging out: Courtney and Sofia posed for a snap together

Fantastic four: Elle, Nicole, Sofia, and Kristen were happy to pose together

Chill: Elle and Nicole had a laugh together

Party people: It seemed to be a very fun occasion
He plays the iconic role of Spider-Man in the latest Hollywood reboot.

And while the fictional superhero was in-part inspired by a spider web, actor Tom Holland wants nothing to do with the eight-legged creatures in real life.

The 21-year-old British actor told News Corp this week that he has a fear of arachnids before crediting Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth, 33, for helping him land his latest gig.

Fear of spiders: Spider-Man Tom Holland told News Corp this week that he has a fear of spiders

'I don't like spiders, man, just because they are sneaky  they just really scare me,' he said.

'They are hairy  ugh. The more I get asked this question, the more scared I get of spiders so I think I am going to try to convince myself that I am not afraid of spiders.'

Tom follows in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who took on the role of Spider-Man in previous installments.

Terrified: 'I don't like spiders, man, just because they are sneaky  they just really scare me,' he said

Iconic gig: Tom follows in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who took on the role of Spider-Man in previous installments

He went on to thank his In the Heart Of the Sea co-star Chris for helping him land the Spider-Man gig.

'I remember emailing him and being like 'hey man, what's up? Just so you know, I'm auditioning for Spider-Man and I thought it would be really cool if you could put in a good word for me.

'And he emailed back saying 'yeah, I'll let [the producer] know that you are always late and you never know your lines'. So thanks, Chris,' he joked.

He later clarified that Chris actually spoke highly of him to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, which helped him land the role.

Friends in high places: The British actor thanked Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth, 33, for helping him land his latest gig

High praise: Chris spoke highly of Tom to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, which helped him land the role

The stars with both feature in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War film next year.

Meanwhile Tom recently revealed that he was punched in the face in a stunt gone wrong on the Spider-Man set.

He told GQ that his assailant 'cracked [him] in the head', when he failed to spot the flying fist.

He said: I was supposed to dodge it and I just didnt see it coming.

'He had a big metal fist-type thing, and he punched me in the face so hard, like you wouldnt believe.

Tom blamed the accident on his Spider-Man suit, which heavily impaired his sight.

He said: 'I could only see about five feet in front of me, with no peripheral vision.'
Reality TV doesn't get much more real than this.

Sig Hansen, a boat captain seen on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch, seemed a bit gun-shy to venture back into some of Alaska's most dangerous waters in a preview for the show's 12th season finale released Monday.

The Seattle native, 51, said of the area, 'Thats where I had my heart attack,' referring to the incident that took place in February of 2016 amid the fierce waters of the Bering Sea.

Scroll below for video

Flashback: Deadliest Catch star Sig Hansen, 51, experiences a bit of trepidation on Tuesday's edition of the show when he ventures into waters where he previously suffered a heart attack

The crab boat captain continued: 'Now Im back a year later, and I would feel foolish to go up there and push my luck.'

In the health scare, the Northwestern's captain began to experience major health symptoms while filming with a producer on the Emmy-winning program.

'It was a strange heart attack,' Hansen told Yahoo TV last year. 'It wasnt like you see in the movies. I had this really sharp, sharp pain, like a knife, right behind my chest plate. It just kept pushing, and it was making me more angry.'

Cautious: Hansen said he'd 'feel foolish to go up there and push [his] luck' in the wake of the life-threatening incident

Hansen, who shares daughters Mandy and Nina with wife June, said he was checked out at Dutch Harbor, where medics determined he'd suffered 'a full-blown heart attack,' at which point he was airlifted to Anchorage for further treatment.

He said it was 'okay' with him for producers to feature his health crisis on the program.

Nick of time: Hansen said that his life was endangered by a blood clot in the incident, but medics treated him quickly and effectively

'I suppose they could probably really twist it if they wanted to and exploit that, but I dont think they would do that. I think theyre gonna show whats happened.

'Thats the deal,' he said, adding that the show is, in essence, a documentary of what the fishing professionals go through to earn a living.

Hansen's health scare will be chronicled beginning Tuesday on Deadliest Catch, which airs at 9/8c on the Discovery Channel.
They're the only couple who lasted from Married At First Sight this year.

And months after finding love on the hit Channel Nine dating series, Sharon Marsh and Nick Furphy revealed their matching foot tattoos as a symbol of their undying love.

The smitten pair took to the streets of Melbourne on Tuesday to finally reveal their new ink.

Just tattoo of us! Months after finding love on the hit Channel Nine dating series, Sharon Marsh and Nick Furphy revealed their matching foot tattoos as symbol of their undying love on Tuesday

Tatt's serious! The smitten pair took to the streets of Melbourne on Tuesday to finally reveal their new ink

Melbourne carpenter Nick, 30, proudly displayed his 'I love Shaz' marking on the side of his left foot while Sharon, who recently relocated from Perth to be with her man, had 'I love Nick' on the same foot.

In April, blonde beauty Sharon, 31, told Nine Now that they got the permanent ink done while on a holiday in New Zealand.

'We wont say where or what but yeah we got matching tattoos,' she said at the time.

Smitten: In April, blonde beauty Sharon told Nine Now that they got the permanent ink done while on a holiday in New Zealand

'We wont say where or what': The couple kept their designs secret, while claiming 'it was pretty funny' and started as a dare for Nick only

Smitten: The pair are the only couple who lasted from MAFS season four

She claimed it was a dare aimed at Nick, but when he said 'well I'll do it, if you do it' she caved.

They both laughed as they agreed 'it was pretty funny.'

It appears the holiday happened four weeks ago, with Sharon posting a picture to Instagram last month at a winery on Waiheke Island, tagging Nick with her.
Elegance is perhaps not the first word one associates with rocker Courtney Love.

But she looked the picture of it as she showcased her knockout figure in a silk red gown at the premiere of The Beguiled in Los Angeles on Monday.

The Hole beauty seemed in a mirthful mood as she posed up a storm on the pre-screening red carpet.

Red hot: Courtney Love flaunted her figure at the premiere of The Beguiled in LA on Monday

Courtney, 52, was looking great for her age in her flattering silk gown, which highlighted the grunge favourite's pneumatic qualities.

And she proved to be a popular addition to the evening, with Maya Rudolph and Jeremy Scott keen to cuddle up for a photograph.

Courtney was appearing on the carpet for the first time since she slammed a pro-Palestinian activist and accused her of being an 'anti-American fraud' in a Twitter tirade.

Love fired off a series of messages at Linda Sarsour - who helped organize the anti-Trump Women's March earlier this year - in response to her campaign raising money for a Somalian mother who claims she was attacked by a white man in a hate crime and was racially abused.

A Hole new world: Elegance is perhaps not what first comes to mind when rocker Courtney's name is mentioned

Smooth operator: She looked like she was relishing every moment in her silk gown

Rudolph know red: Maya seemed thrilled to be posing up with the grunge favourite

Police said it is not a hate crime, while her alleged attackers say they stepped in because they saw another Somali woman hitting a young child in the face with a shoe.

Love tweeted to Sarsour: 'You're a vile disgrace to women and all mankind @lsarsour. I worked my a** off my entire life to defend women, I didn't create fake stories and lie about them nor rip people off financially.'

Meanwhile The Beguiled, which is set in a Southern girls' boarding school during the Civil War, stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning.

When the sheltered women living there take in an injured enemy soldier the house becomes a hotbed of sexual tension and dangerous rivalries.

Threesome: Jeremy Scott then cosied in with the ladies for a group shot

Lovely pair: Courtney and Maya were looking equally beautiful on the red carpet
Everything You Need for a Home Bar

Home Bar Essentials for Hosting the Ultimate Cocktail Party

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

While attending happy hours and hanging at the pub are always fun, sometimes you want to bring the festivities home. A well-stocked home bar will not only make you feel like a real grown-up, but it is the perfect addition to big parties and casual gatherings at your pad. But where do you begin?

To set up a killer home bar, youll need a few key essentials. Aside from the basic booze, there are a number of tools, accessories, and specialty liquors you should have on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly come cocktail hour.

Now get shakin.

RELATED: Best Rye Whiskeys for Midwinter Drinking

Must-Have Accessories

Cocktail Shaker

You cant expect to make cocktails without a proper shaker. This 24-ounce Izola cocktail shaker not only looks sleek AF, it works like a charm, too. With an airtight seal and a built-in strainer, it has everything you need to prepare a drink that is perfectly shaken, not stirred.

$28 at Amazon.com

Oggi Stainless Steel Ice Bucket

You can't have drinks without ice. Instead of making multiple trips to the freezer throughout the night, keep your cubes close at hand in a stainless steel ice bucket. This bucket can be used as a cube supply for drinks or to keep champagne and white wine chilled.

$20 at Amazon.com

Hella Bitters - Set of Five

One of the fun parts of setting up a home bar is experimenting with new drink recipes and improving your mixology skills. Stocking your bar with a selection of bitters is the perfect way to add dashes of unique flavors to your drinks. This set of five bitters includes everything you need to prepare a variety of cocktails, from citrusy vodka to spicy bourbon.

$25 at Amazon.com

Norlan Whiskey Glass

Your red Solo cup days are a thing of the past. While youll eventually want to have a glass to suit every type of drink, these Norlan whiskey glasses are a great place to start. Made with hand-blown glass, they are specifically designed to enhance the aroma and the flavor of whiskey, but are equally suited to host a Negroni or old fashioned.

$48 at Amazon.com

Rabbit Ice tray

Preparing ice cubes sounds simple in theory, but all too often the process of filling and removing ice from the tray is difficult and messy. With this Rabbit ice cube tray, you can easily prepare dense, slow-melt ice cubes. Simply fill the blue silicone inserts with water and pop them out when the ice has cooled.

$14.55 at Amazon.com

OXO Bar Spoon

From stirring drinks to measuring bitters, a bar spoon is an indispensable tool for the home bar. This spoon from OXO spins while you stir so you can maintain the same grip and gently mix up a Manhattan or martini without worrying about chipping the ice.

$14.50 at Amazon.com a

OXO SteeL Cocktail Strainer

The key to straining a cocktail well is to get a good grip. Luckily, with this strainer, your work is taken care of. Equipped with a non-slip finger rest, this gadget will ensure fruit pieces and stray ice cubes stay in the mixing glass and out of your drink.

$6.99 at Amazon.com

RELATED: How to Make Great Margaritas

VonShef Shot Glass Set

Whether youre measuring out liquor for drinks or throwing back a celebratory sambuca shot with your buddies, shot glasses are great to have on hand. This set includes four 1 oz shot glasses, a stand, and a jigger so you can measure out a round for everyone and keep things tidy when youre done.

$9.99 at Amazon.com

Muddler

If you love a good mojito, youre going to need a muddler. With this tool, you can gently mash up fruits, herbs, and spices to release their flavors and aromas into drinks. This muddler has an extra long structure so your knuckles wont hit the cocktail shaker as you mix.

$15.86 at Amazon.com

Drinking Distilled Cocktail Book

In this cocktail recipe book, Jeffrey Morgenthaler has laid out some of the best cocktail recipes for the home bartender. In addition to recipes, Drinking Distilled lays out bar etiquette, basic bartending skills, liquors and liqueurs 101, and other quippy tips and thoughts on the art of modern drinking.

$11.47 at Amazon.com

Kahnah Bar Cart

You dont need to have free counter space at home to set up a bar space. With a bar cart, you can bring the party to any room in the house and store all your essentials in one place. This bar cart includes a number of storage options including hooks, bottle racks, and a removable traylike top shelf.

$113.29 at Wayfair.com

Booze to Step Up Your Cocktail Game

NOLETs Silver Dry Gin

This gin is a home bar essential, great for a wide range of innovative cocktails and a means for reinventing much-loved classics. Whether your guests want a gin martini or a greyhound, youll be ready.

$44 at Drizly.com

Square One Organic Vodka

A well-made vodka complements and seamlessly brings other cocktail ingredients together. Square One is such a vodka. It is made in an old-world style from 100 percent organic American rye  ideal for Bloody Marys and martinis alike.

$19.99 at Drizly.com

Stillhouse Original Moonshine Whiskey

It doesnt look like your average whiskey bottle: Packaged in a red, 100 percent stainless steel can, this clear corn whiskey has the benefit of being practically unbreakable. The clarity of the liquid makes it extremely mixable so it can be enjoyed in delicious cocktails or a party punch.

$10.99 at Drizly.com

Oak & Cane Rum

This is an American-made rum created in south Florida (that in itself is pretty wild, as most rums are made in the Caribbean and Latin America). With fresh Florida orange peels that bring out subtle notes of vanilla and caramel, it's comparable to an aged rum, yet takes only a fraction of the time to craft. All we care about? Its delicious in homemade mojitos.

$39.99 at Oakandcane.com

Casa Noble Tequila

This premium tequila is produced right in the heart of Tequila, Mexico. With Casa Noble, you can enjoy a smooth tequila sunrise or a great margarita without the ridiculous hangover youd expect from lower shelf brands.

$56 at Drizly.com

Campari

Campari might not be the first thing you think of when planning to stock your home bar, but it is an essential ingredient in a number of classic cocktails. Crafted according to the secret family recipe invented in Italy in 1860, Campari is a complex blend of herbs and spices with orange as the predominant flavor. Use this in endless cocktails, including the famous Negroni.

$29.99 at Drizly.com

Amaro Montenegro

When it comes to home bars, Amaro Montenegro is an invaluable spirit to add to the collection. With a taste that is both bitter and slightly sweet, it has a smooth texture and super-balanced taste.

$34.99 at Drizly.com

Stock up on these home bar essentials and tell your buddies happy hour is at your place tonight.

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He is believed to have separated from his fashion designer wife Jodhi Meares, 46.

And it appears photographer Nick Tsindos is leaning on a friend after his rumoured breakup.

The 29-year-old - who rarely shares photos of himself on social media - posted a selfie of the pair on Monday night.

Leaning on a friend? It appears photographer Nick Tsindos is leaning on his friend Taylah Roberts after his rumoured split from fashion designer Jodhi Meares

In the photo, Nick dresses casually in a denim jacket and T-shirt, and wears a dark grey beanie.

Model and blogger Taylah Roberts, who captured the selfie, wore a loose-fitting orange T-shirt.

Rumours of Jodhi and Nick's separation surfaced in March, just 14 months after they reportedly married in Hawaii.

What happened? The 29-year-old, who rarely shares photos of himself on social media, posted a selfie of the pair on Monday night. Pictured with rumoured ex-wife Jodhi in May 2016

At the time, a source told The Daily Telegraph: 'The designer and her Australian-born photographer husband agreed to separate earlier this month.'

It's believed the couple both agreed to split after struggling to maintain a long distance relationship.

The Upside fashion designer is based in Los Angeles, while Nick lives in Sydney.

Whirlwind romance: Back in March, a source told The Daily Telegraph: 'The designer and her Australian-born photographer husband agreed to separate earlier this month'

Before her whirlwind romance with Nick , Jodhi had been engaged to Noiseworks band member Jon Stevens for three years.

Back in 1999, she married casino mogul and billionaire James Packer before they called it quits in 2002.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Taylah Roberts for comment.
She may star in Orange Is The New Black, but Laverne Cox was all about the color pink when she attended a screening for the hit Netflix series in New York City on Monday.

The stunning 33-year-old was at the Orange Is The New Black Season Five Debut Screening And Conversation At 92nd Street Y alongside many of her co-stars.

Laverne wore a dusty pink pantsuit for the screening, which she teamed with a black corseted bodice.

Pretty in pink: Laverne Cox looked stunning at the Orange Is The New Black Season Five Debut Screening And Conversation At 92nd Street Y alongside many of her co-stars

She also donned a pair of black pointy-toe stilettos, which featured black studs.

Her long brown hair was parted down the middle and worn in loose waves, and she wore a silver pendant necklace, which drew attention to her bust.

Laverne was also snapped leaving her Manhattan hotel as she made her way to the event.

The statuesque star was seen toting a brown designer handbag on one arm as she walked down the street.

Pantsuit nation: Laverne wore a dusty pink pantsuit for the New York screening, which she teamed with a black corseted bodice

Cast photo: Laverne was joined by her co-stars (L-R) Dascha Polanco, Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Nick Sandow and Uzo Aduba

The outspoken star took to Instagram to comment about the event.

'What a delight it was to share the stage with my @ointb castmates tonight at the #92streetY,' she wrote.

'They are all so brilliant. Love them all so much!'

On her way... The actress was also snapped leaving her Manhattan hotel as she made her way to the event

Stepping out: The statuesque star was seen toting a brown designer handbag on one arm as she walked down the street

I'm partnering with @Lyft this pride and want you to #RideOutLoud! Round up and donate your rides for a great cause: lyft.com/round-up. Link in bio #TransIsBeautiful A post shared by laverne cox (@lavernecox) on Jun 14, 2017 at 7:34am PDT

Joining Laverne was co-star Dascha Polanco.

The 34-year-old actress flaunted her famous curves in a white eyelet dress.

She donned a white bodysuit underneath and teamed her ensemble with strappy white stilettos.

White hot: Dascha Polanco was also in attendance. The 34-year-old actress flaunted her famous curves in a white eyelet dress

Going for a spin... The stunning star appeared to have been having a great time, twirling around in her voluminous dress

The brunette bombshell also wore a pair of Chanel logo drop earrings.

Taylor Schilling also opted for white in a boatneck dress, which featured button detailing on the sleeves and a ruffle down one side.

The 32-year-old blonde beauty wore her blonde hair in an updo, leaving just her bangs and a few face framing layers loose.

All white now... Taylor Schilling also opted for white in a boatneck dress, which featured button detailing on the sleeves and a ruffle down one side

Close co-stars: The tight-knit cast happily posed for photos together at the New York screening of their hit show

Uzo Aduba also turned out for the screening, dressed in a fit and flare black lace dress.

The 36-year-old brunette beauty wore her hair straight and loose.

She accessorized with a pair of classic black stilettos and hoop earrings.

Danielle Brooks was another OINTB cast member who made an appearance at the screening.

Black is the new black... Uzo Aduba also turned out for the screening, dressed in a fit and flare black lace dress

All smiles: The 36-year-old brunette beauty wore her hair straight and loose. She accessorized with a pair of classic black stilettos and hoop earrings

The talented 27-year-old looked gorgeous in a knee-length green dress, which featured cut-out shoulders and a fabric overlay.

She teamed her dress with a pair of strappy black stilettos and wore her curly hair in a half-up, half-down 'do.

A casually dressed Nick Sandow was also in attendance.

The 50-year-old actor opted for jeans, a button-up shirt and sneakers.
She attended the 'wedding of the year' between Naza and Folarin Alakija in England over the weekend.

And after the glamorous ceremony, Shanina Shaik flew to Ibiza for an island holiday.

The Victoria's Secret model, 26, shared an Instagram photo of herself on Tuesday while soaking up the sun.

Sheer delight! Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik flew to Ibiza for an island holiday this week, and shared a photo of herself in a see-through lace robe on Instagram on Tuesday

Shanina, who is engaged to DJ Ruckus, flaunted her curves in a sheer white robe which left little to the imagination.

The Australian beauty flashed plenty of flesh in the see-through ensemble as she posed on a balcony.

She appeared to go underwear-free under the outfit, as she enjoyed a relaxing day in the Spanish tourist spot.

Glittering in gold! Over the weekend, Shanina and her fiance DJ Ruckus were guests at Naza and Folarin Alakija's lavish wedding at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

Over the weekend, Shanina and her fiance were guests at Naza and Folarin Alakija's wedding at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

Showcasing her flawless figure, Shanina wore a dazzling gold dress from Galvan London, which retails at around AU$1600.

Keeping her accessories to a minimum, Shanina opted for three Amethyst and diamond rings.

'Weddings make you feel so romantic, don't they?' Keeping her accessories to a minimum, Shanina opted for three Amethyst and diamond rings by Gemporia

Hinting that her own nuptials were not far off, she captioned a photo: 'Weddings make you feel so romantic, don't they?'

Shanina kept her hair and makeup simple, styling her brunette locks in a chic low bun with a few loose strands framing her face.

Giving her Instagram followers an exclusive glimpse at the grand reception, she also congratulated the wealthy newlyweds.

'Congratulations to the now Mr & Mrs Alakija. It was an honour to witness your union as husband and wife,' she wrote.

'Congratulations to the now Mr & Mrs Alakija. It was an honour to witness your union as husband and wife': Shanina later congratulated the newlyweds after their lavish ceremony

The wedding, which saw Robin Thicke perform, featured one million white roses.

Known for his floral arrangements and elaborate decorating of the Kardashian's homes, it was no surprise that Jeff Leatham was in charge of the flowers.

Bringing over 30 staff members to the UK for the ceremony, he was not only working with copious amounts of roses but white orchids as well.

Only the best! Known for his floral arrangements and elaborate decorating of the Kardashian's homes, it was no surprise that Jeff Leatham was in charge of the flowers for the ceremony

Save us a slice! There were no expenses spared at the wedding of Naza and Folarin Alakija

Shanina previously hinted that her own wedding day isn't far off when the couple attended another recent nuptials.

She shared a photo of herself kissing DJ Ruckus, with the caption: 'We are next.'

Speaking to Stellar magazine earlier this year, Shanina revealed that her wedding plans were well under way.

'We're getting there, which is super exciting,' she said. 'We've got the guest list down, and I'm really happy about that.'
The Bachelorette's Georgia Love has criticised a women's magazine for suggesting she was pregnant.

The 28-year-old reality TV star took to her Instagram Story to refute an article by Woman's Day, which was published on Monday.

She wrote: 'Can a girl not eat a big breakfast without being assumed pregnant?!'

'Can a girl not eat a big breakfast without being assumed pregnant?!' The Bachelorette 's Georgia Love has criticised a women's magazine for suggesting she was pregnant

Woman's Day published photos, taken earlier this month, of Georgia enjoying brunch in Bondi Beach with friends.

The images were accompanied by the speculative headline: 'Georgia's baby bombshell: Is the Bachelorette PREGNANT?!'

But Georgia has strongly refuted any suggestion she is pregnant.

'No!' The 28-year-old reality TV star took to her Instagram Story to refute an article by Woman's Day, which was published on Monday

Woman's Day published photos, taken earlier this month, of Georgia enjoying brunch in Bondi Beach with friends

The images were accompanied by the speculative headline: 'Georgia's baby bombshell: Is the Bachelorette PREGNANT?!'

'Can a girl not eat a big breakfast without being assumed pregnant?!' The former WIN journalist captioned a photo of the article.

During her stroll around Sydney's Bondi, Georgia looked fit and fabulous in designer leggings and a red singlet.

After stopping at a cafe for breakfast, the Studio 10 host and a friend went for a walk.

After stopping at a cafe for breakfast, the Studio 10 host and a friend went for a walk

During her stroll around Sydney's Bondi, Georgia looked fit and fabulous in designer leggings and a red singlet

Clarification: Georgia has strongly refuted any suggestion she is pregnant

Georgia has been dating mechanical plumber Lee Elliott after falling in love on The Bachelorette last year.

However, Georgia told News Corp in May that neither were in any hurry to take their relationship to the next level.

'We want to move in together when we both decide we want to stay together every single night, not because of the public perception,' she said.

Personal life: Georgia has been dating mechanical plumber Lee Elliott after falling in love on The Bachelorette last year

However, Georgia told News Corp in May that neither were in any hurry to take their relationship to the next level

'We want to move in together when we both decide we want to stay together every single night, not because of the public perception,' she said

'A wedding isn't on the cards, and a baby definitely is not on the cards': Georgia explained she and Lee wouldn't be rushing down the aisle anytime soon

Georgia explained they were happy with how their relationship is progressing, and wouldn't be rushing down the aisle anytime soon.

'A wedding isn't on the cards, and a baby definitely is not on the cards,' Georgia said.

Since filming The Bachelorette, Georgia has left her regional newsreader position in Tasmania and relocated to Victoria.

She has been a guest host on The Project and Studio 10 and is regular on the Melbourne social scene.
There has been no shortage of unusual characters on the new season of First Dates.

And Tuesday's episode saw moustache-enthusiast Mick, 32, try his luck for a second time on the Channel Seven dating show.

The English singleton enjoyed a date with 27-year-old Chelsea, a pretty brunette with a dislike for retro-inspired facial hair.

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The mo's gotta go! First Dates' Mick (right) shaved his moustache to impress date Chelsea (left) after she compared his distinctive facial hair to a '70s porn star' on Tuesday night's episode

While the pair had chemistry, the date was awkwardness when Chelsea was forced to confess that Mick's moustache was a turn-off.

'And the moustache... is it real?' she asked, referring to Mick's handlebar-shaped facial hair.

While Mick maintained he was proud of his appearance, Chelsea said with slight disgust: 'It's more like 70s porn star!'

'I hope that I'm at least hitting a type for you or something?' Earlier in the episode, Mick reacted with surprise after finding out that Chelsea had never been on a date before

Earlier in the episode, Mick reacted with surprise after finding out that Chelsea had never been on a date before.

'This is literally your first date? I hope that I'm at least hitting a type for you or something?' he said. She confirmed: 'Oh, yeah!'

Chelsea, who is from a small town in Victoria, previously told Woman's Day she had never been on a date before the fly-on-the-wall TV series.

'And the moustache... is it real?' While the pair had chemistry, the date was awkwardness when Chelsea was forced to confess that Mick's moustache was a turn-off

She's not impressed! While Mick maintained he was proud of his appearance, Chelsea said with slight disgust, 'It's more like 70s porn star

How sweet! Despite disagreeing over Mick's facial hair, they ended the date with a kiss

'I was asked out pretty often back home but I could never find the courage to accept any offers,' Chelsea said, revealing her shyness got the better of her.

During the dinner date, the two bonded over their shared appreciation of family, sense of humour and outlook on life.

They ended the date with a kiss and the promise to keep in touch.

Second time lucky? This is Mick's second time on First Dates after he failed to score a second date in a previous episode

'I wasn't surprised when Mick went in for the kiss. We had an amazing connection and I think we were both secretly hoping the other person would make the first move,' Chelsea said.

She also explained they began texting each other after going back to their respective hotel rooms.

Mick has since shaved his moustache to make Chelsea more comfortable kissing him, as pictures of the couple after the show later confirmed.

Still going strong? Mick has since shaved his moustache to make Chelsea more comfortable kissing him, as pictures of the couple after the show later confirmed

This isn't Mick's first time on First Dates.

He previously went on a date with makeup artist Catrin, but she didn't want to see him again after gagging at his choice of entree with an egg yolk.

First Dates airs on Channel Seven at 8.30pm on Tuesday nights
He cheekily mentioned that 'Susanna Morgan' had a ring to it the day prior.

And Piers Morgan had his wish come true, as the voice over announced his stunning co-host as his wife on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

The British presenter, 52, cheered in delight as the clip to introduce them revealed: 'Welcome to Good Morgan Britain. With Piers Morgan and Susanna Morgan.'

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Dream come true: Piers Morgan, 52, cheered in delight, as the voice over announced his stunning co-host Susanna Reid, 46, as his wife on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

The pair have been known for their flirty banter - which is usually fuelled by Piers.

And the outspoken host looked absolutely pleased as Susanna, 46, was introduced as his spouse - leaving her awkwardly reluctant.

Fellow presenters Charlotte Hawkins and weather girl Laura Tobin couldn't help but laugh at the announcement.

The Croydon born broadcaster looked absolutely mortified as a result, stating: 'And the takeover is complete.'

'Welcome to Good Morgan Britain. With Piers Morgan and Susanna Morgan: The outspoken host looked absolutely pleased as Susanna, 46, was introduced as his spouse - leaving her awkwardly reluctant

Hilariously awkward: Fellow presenters Charlotte Hawkins and weather girl Laura Tobin couldn't help but laugh at the announcement

Clearly not getting the message, Piers was back on his flirty form as the show returned after a break and the voice over was back to usual.

'I much prefer the introduction as the start of the show,' he revealed much to the annoyance of Susanna.

This follows on from Monday's show when Piers read out a message from a viewer named Susanna Morgan.

The outspoken host read out a supportive Twitter message from a viewer, ironically named Susanna Morgan - which Piers responded to: 'It's got a certain ring to it.'

'And the takeover is complete': The Croydon born broadcaster looked absolutely mortified as a result

'It has a ring to it': This follows on from Monday's show when Piers read out a message from a viewer named Susanna Morgan

And it isn't difficult to see why Susanna has caught the fancy of Piers, as she appeared on Monday's episode in a 'distracting' plunging figure-hugging dress.

Viewers couldn't peel their eyes away from Susanna Reid's cleavage - causing some to be late for work.

Viewers flocked to social media to compliment Susanna's major flash of flesh:

'Late for work today. I blame @susannareid100. She made it very difficult to get away from the front of the TV this morning.'

'Great boobs': It isn't difficult to see why Susanna has caught the fancy of Piers, as she appeared on Monday's episode in a 'distracting' plunging figure-hugging dress

Sexy style: The TV broadcaster donned a plunging figure-hugging dress for the daytime show with Piers Morgan - leaving fans claiming they couldn't concentrate

'@susannareid100 Thanks for brightening up this am. You looked incredible. Wot a dress. Now rushing out the door. Have a super day x.'

'Susanna Reid's boobs,' one simply stated, while another tweeted, 'Certainly today's dress shows your beautiful assets.'

'I'm just seeing here fabulous boobs in a tight top :)
They both failed to find love on Married At First Sight earlier this year.

But Scarlett Cooper and Andrew 'Jonesy' Jones appear to have formed a close relationship with each other.

In recent Instagram photos, the reality TV stars look very cosy together, with Scarlett writing in a caption: 'Andrew I like u because u r genuine an funny (sic).'

New couple alert? Married At First Sight's Scarlett Cooper (right) and Andrew 'Jonesy' Jones (left) have been getting close in recent weeks

In a photo shared to Scarlett's Instagram account on Saturday, the rumoured couple got very close while enjoying dinner with friends.

Another photo shows firefighter Andrew with his arm around Scarlett, and appearing to hold her hand.

In the accompanying caption, Scarlett praises her great 'friend' Andrew.

Dinner date! In a photo shared to Scarlett's Instagram account on Saturday, the rumoured couple got very close while enjoying dinner with friends

Plenty to talk about? Scarlett and Andrew appeared to get along well during the Married At First Sight reunion special

Scarlett revealed she had been staying over at Andrew's house, before adding: 'Even tho I don't believe it u think I'm gorgeous (sic)'.

She continued: 'Andrew I like u because u r genuine an funny. u confide in me about things u don't tell anyone else, I loved singing with u. Thanks for being my friend (sic).'

It's not the first time Scarlett and Andrew have sparked romance rumours, as the pair were very chatty during the Married At First Sight reunion special.

Catching up? Several media reports have claimed the pair were spotting hanging out together in Perth in March

Several media reports have claimed the pair were spotting hanging out together in Perth in March.

They possibly bonded over their failed matches on Married At First Sight, with Scarlett's 'marriage' to stripper Michael Tomic collapsing early on.

And after his relationship with Lauren Bran ended following their wedding night, Andrew was labeled the 'villain' for mocking second 'wife' Cheryl Maitland.

No match made in heaven! Scarlett's 'marriage' to stripper Michael Tomic collapsed early on
They are known for being notoriously private when it comes to their relationship.

But making a rare public appearance together on Monday night, Dermot O'Leary and his wife Dee Koppang, 38, were among those attending a star-studded dinner hosted by GQ.

The X Factor host, 44, and his wife made a stylish duo for their date night and put on an affectionate display as they arrived at The Ned Hotel in London hand-in-hand.

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Date night: Dermot O'Leary, 44, and his wife Dee Koppang, 38, made a rare appearance in London together on Monday night as they attended London Fashion Week Men's GQ dinner

Dermot was aptly dressed for the occasion and cut a smart figure while donning a two-piece navy suit.

He wore a white shirt and black tie underneath his tailored blazer and finished off his ensemble with a pair of pointed lace-up shoes on his feet.

Dee, meanwhile, oozed glamour as she showcased her enviable curves in a monochrome getup.

The producer paired together a black blouse that was partially unbuttoned to show a hint of decolletage and a long-line white pencil skirt that accentuated her svelte waist with a large buckle belt.

Stylish duo: While The X Factor host was aptly suited and booted, his long-term love oozed glamour in a chic monochrome outfit that stole a look at her lengthy pins and svelte waist

Featuring matching buttons to the belt buckle along the front, Dee's skirt boasted a daring slit that reached up to her thigh and stole a look at her lengthy pins underneath as she strolled along with her beau.

She accessorised her outfit with a stylish pair of beaded earrings that dangled down from her lobes and offset her attire with a foxy red lipstick across her lips.

Dee strutted her way into the plush venue in a pair of gold-lined chunky heels and she and Dermot appeared in high spirits for their outing in the capital.

Inside the dinner, that was hosted by GQ to close London Fashion Week Men, the couple rubbed shoulders with Pixie Lott's fiance Oliver Cheshire, Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams and boxer David Haye.

Model behaviour: Also in attendance at the dinner held at The Ned Hotel in London had been Pixie Lott's fiance Oliver Cheshire (left) and Dougie Poynter (right) in an Emporio Armani dinner jacket

Strike a pose: Model David Gandy cut a suave figure in a pinstriped suit for the event that was hosted by GQ to close London Fashion Week Men

Star-studded: Tinie Tempah (left) was also among those invited to the bash and he joined boxer David Haye (right) inside

Tinie Tempah was also present, along with Dougie Poynter, model David Gandy and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby.

Newlyweds Tom Daley and Lance Dustin Black were in attendance - they had tied the knot in a romantic ceremony held at Bovey Castle last month.

Dermot and Dee, meanwhile, married in Kent back in 2012.

The TV presenter had popped the question to his long-term love the year before during a trip they had taken to New York. His proposal came 10 years after the couple had first begun dating.

Smile: Britain's Got Talent judge rubbed shoulders with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby as they mingled with other guests

Newlyweds: Tom Daley and his huband Dustin Lance Black made sure to dress up for the occassion

Loved-up: They were seen cuddling up together in front of the cameras - the couple tied the knot at Bovey Castle in a romantic ceremony last month

While they are yet to start a family together, Dermot hasn't ruled out having children and in an interview with Fabulous magazine in 2015, he claimed he and his wife were waiting for it to be the 'right time'.

He explained: 'I definitely want kids, but I've got a very busy wife with a very busy life. It's not fair for me to say, "I want kids now".

'I do want kids with my wife, but I want them when we both think it's the right thing to happen.'
She welcomed her first child, a baby girl named Lea, with her partner Bradley Cooper three months ago.

And Irina Shayk was enjoying a rare outing with the infant on Monday, taking her little one for a stroll in Los Angles.

The 31-year-old Russian supermodel was rocking a laid back look for her outing, sporting a tiny pair of denim hotpants.

Doting mum: Irina Shayk was enjoying a rare outing with her baby daughter Lea on Monday, taking her little one for a stroll in Los Angles

She wore a white T-shirt tucked into her shorts, setting off her simple attire with a pair of trainers.

The brunette beauty hid behind a pair of blue-tinted shades and wore her dark hair in loose waves.

Irina looked effortlessly elegant as she stepped out, keeping her make-up to a minimum.

Comfy and casual: The supermodel wore a white T-shirt tucked into her shorts, setting off her simple attire with a pair of trainers

Out and about: Irina was spotted stepping out in New York City with a female friend later on in the evening

Bradley has been in contact with his girlfriend Irina 'numerous times a day' in the two months since their daughter was born.

The American Sniper actor, 42, and the welcomed their first child in March, and although Bradley's hectic schedule has meant he's been away from his newborn daughter, he always makes sure he stays in touch.

Irina and the baby are doing wonderful,' an insider told E! News.

Happy couple: Bradley's hectic schedule has meant he's been away from his newborn daughter, he always makes sure he stays in touch

'She has her mom in town since the baby was born helping her out. Bradley is in touch with Irina numerous times a day.

'It's hard for him to be apart from his new baby when he has to work,' the source said, adding that 'they FaceTime all the time when Bradley can't be there and working his crazy hours.'

The insider said there could be more children on the horizon for the new parents, as they're 'in love' with their little girl.
She had a traumatic start to the New Year after she separated from her husband of two years.

But actress Alice Eve, 35, looked truly content as she stepped out in Beverly Hills for a relaxing mani-pedi on Monday.

The curvy blonde beauty revealed her toned legs in a elegant black skirt and sported an unusual cream jumper with holes all over it.

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Pamper session: Alice Eve, 35, looked truly content as she stepped out in Beverly Hills for a relaxing mani-pedi on Monday

The Oxford educated star opted to go make-up free for the pampering session, showing off her radiant complexion and sparkling blue and green eyes.

Her platinum blonde locks were worn in a bouncy blowdry and like a true Hollywood A-lister she slipped on a pair of Jackie Onassis style shades.

Finishing her English rose look she wore a simple gold chain.

Alice, the daughter of acting heavyweights Trevor Eve and Sharon Maughan, looked relaxed as she casually browsed through her phone during her beauty treatment.

Natural beauty: The make-up free star showed off her glowing complexion as she enjoyed a bit of me time

Casual cool: The Star Trek actress appeared captivated by something on her phone during her beauty treatment

Bombshell: Alice made for an arresting sight as she strolled down the street with a fresh scarlet manicure and nude pedicure

Revitalised and refreshed from her morning pamper session, the Criminal star slipped on a pair of ebony mules to make her way back into the sunshine.

She looked stunning as she made her way out with scarlet nails and a french pedicure while toting a Jamaica emblazoned strappy bag.

The talented actress relocated stateside in 2010, when she landed the role of Irish nanny Erin in Sex and The City 2.

She has since been seen in high profile films Men In Black 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Making waves: Alice, pictured in New York in April 2017, has conquered America in a series of hit films including Men In Black 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness

Separation: Alice is set to divorce her husband of two years, financier Alex Cowper-Smith, who she tied the knot with in a small ceremony on New Year's Eve 2014.

In 2014, Alice married financier Alex Cowper-Smith, her high school sweetheart whom she met while attending Westminster School in London.

The couple met at school but only reunited as a couple in 2014, before finally tying the knot in a small ceremony on New Year's Eve in 2014.

The blonde was previously in a long-term relationship with poet Adam O'Riordan, who she met while reading English at Oxford University.

She will next be seen in thriller Untogether, alongside 50 Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan and When Harry Met Sally's Billy Crystal.
They got married in a secret ceremony in Santa Barbara in September 2014.

But Ashley Tisdale, 31, and Christopher French, 35, looked like a newly-wed couple as they were seen holding hands when they arrived at LAX in Los Angeles, California on Monday.

Not leaving her husband's side, the High School Musical actress proved on trend as ever as she wrapped up snug in a denim jacket.

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Love is in the air! Ashley Tisdale, 31, and Christopher French, 35, arrived at LAX airport, in Los Angeles on Monday

Looking effortlessly chic, the Disney personality kept her airport attire casual with grey baggy jogging bottoms and preen white trainers.

Scraping her golden locks into a high bun, she put the focus on her face which she kept sheltered with her huge sunglasses.

Proving inseparable from his wife, Christopher walked closely to Ashley as the lovebirds headed through the terminal.

Must be love! The married couple - who tied the knot in a secret ceremony in September 2014 - proved inseparable as they made their way home together

For the journey, he also kept his look casual as he styled a T-shirt and cut-off jogging bottoms.

The musician sheltered his eyes from the blazing spell of sunshine with a pair of sexy shades.

They were joined by their adorable fluffy pooch Maui on holiday, who travelled in style as Ashley carried him in a Louis Vuitton designer carry-on.

Head-over-heels! The High School Musical actress and her husband looked more in love than ever as they walked closely by one another through the terminal

The couple have enjoyed two and a half years together after vowing to spend the rest of their lives together.

The musical lovebirds became engaged in 2013 after only a year of dating each other.

Ashley gushed about how Christopher is her best friend and the love of her life in a recent Instagram post.

Revealed: They have enjoyed two and a half years together after vowing to spend the rest of their lives together

Travel in style! Accompanying the couple on their break was their adorable fluffy pooch Maui on holiday, who Ashley carried in a Louis Vuitton designer carry-on

Speaking about how much he means to her, she said: 'A best friend. Trusting, loyal, a good listener, expresses empathy for others, non judgmental, supportive in good & bad times, and fun to be around.

'I'm so lucky you are not only my husband but my best friend.

'Thanks for being my everything.' (sic)

Airport attire! The actress proved on trend as ever as she wrapped up snug in a denim jacket
She's been having a lot of fun playing a pizza restaurant manager in the remake of Goldie Hawn's 1987 classic Overboard.

And Eva Longoria, 42, looked footloose and fancy free as she flashed a lot of toned leg on the set of the remake in Vancouver on Monday.

The youthful actress put on the leggy display in a ivory mini skirt as she reclined on a picnic bench between takes, revealing her sensational legs.

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Legs for days: Eva Longoria, 42, looked effortlessly stunning as she flashed a lot of toned leg on the set of the Overboard remake in Vancouver on Monday

The petite starlet's toned frame was covered up in a baggy teal blue blouse while her character opted for monochrome loafers.

Even though it was a departure from the glamorous couture gowns Victoria Beckham's BFF usually opts for, Eva pulled off the casual look with aplomb.

Her ombre shoulder length locks were styled in soft waves which framed her pretty face perfectly.

Her sparkling brown eyes were enhanced with fluttering lashes and kohl with her make-up completed with bronzer and a berry lip.

Glowing: The youthful actress put on the leggy display in a ivory mini skirt as she reclined on a picnic bench between takes

Multi-tasking: The Desperate Housewives alum looked amazing as she took an important phone call between takes

Looking good: Her ombre shoulder length locks were styled in soft waves which framed her pretty face perfectly

Ever the multi-tasking star, the Desperate Housewives alum took an important phone call between takes and joked around with the film crew as she waited for shooting to commence.

The L'Oreal spokesmodel enjoyed a catch-up and a laugh with Anna Faris, 40, who takes on the titular role of Kate in the remake.

Eva also donned a sporty ensemble as she headed to set earlier in the day.

The star's toned physique was clad in a figure hugging charcoal v-neck, which she teamed with slouchy black joggers and box fresh sneakers.

Toned: Even though it was a departure from the glamorous couture gowns Victoria Beckham's BFF usually opts for, Eva pulled off the casual look with aplomb

Lets do this: Eva looked relaxed as she enjoyed a quick break before filming on the remake began

New friends: Eva and co-star Anna Faris, 40, enjoyed a joke between takes

Hands on: Even Anna couldn't resist a quick feel of the actress' toned pins as she grabbed onto her

Professionals: The two seasoned comedic actresses looked to be discussing a scene before the cameras started rolling

High-fives all round: Eva looked delighted to be getting cracking on the day's filming and appeared to wish co-star Anna good luck

Eva looked happy and relaxed as she readied herself for a full day of filming

In her personal life, Eva recently celebrated her one year wedding anniversary with handsome husband Jose Baston.

Eva and Jose, 49, got married in a romantic ceremony in Mexico in May 2016, before enjoying a honeymoon in Cambodia.

She met the Televisa president through a mutual friend back in 2013, announcing their engagement December 2015.

Rocking it: The actress looked chic in an all-black ensemble and box fresh trainers as she arrived on set

Back in black: The star's toned physique was clad in a figure hugging charcoal v-neck, which she teamed with slouchy black joggers and box fresh sneakers

Stunning: Eva showed off her pert derriere as she was escorted onto set by a technician

Wow factor: The former Young and the Restless star looked glowing from all angles as she strolled onto set

Relaxed vibe: Despite her casual outfit, Eva's make-up and locks were immaculate

Shooting commenced on Overboard last month with both actresses displaying sensational comedic timing during filming.

Anna stars as Kate in the remake, which reverses the premise of the original film in which Goldie Hawn starred as a haughty and married heiress who falls off her yacht and is saved by a carpenter, her real life beau Kurt Russell.

Her character Joanna, mistreats and stiffs the cash-strapped single father named Dean before her fall.

Happy couple: Eva recently celebrated her one year wedding anniversary with handsome husband Jose Baston, pictured in Cannes in 2015

When she comes round, she has no memory of who she is, so Kurt's character takes his revenge by telling her she's his wife and making her look after him and his sons.

In the new version, due out in 2018, Spanish heartthrob Eugenio Derbez plays spoiled playboy Leonardo who loses his memory after falling overboard and is saved by Anna.

Eva plays Theresa, Kate's manager at the pizza restaurant and trusted friend.

The comedy is due out in 2018, 31 years after the original hit, but has yet to set a date.
It's the eagerly anticipated comedy crime drama that centres on the scandalous lives of five women who work at a Florida nail salon.

And Karrueche Tran takes on the role of 'sassy' Virginia with ease, as depicted in scenes from the first episode - which aired on Sunday.

The 29-year-old actress looked sensational in a dramatic faux-fur pink coat as she enjoyed a hot and heavy romp session with her co-star, before aiming a gun at him.

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TV star: Karrueche Tran, 29, looked sensational in the first episode of gritty crime comedy Claws - where she takes on the role of 'sassy' Virginia with ease

Saucy stuff: The rising actress stripped off to enjoy a hot and heavy romp session with her hunky co-star

Karrueche, who has become a highly sought after actress in Hollywood, flaunted her skills in the scenes.

She bravely stripped down to her skimpy pink bondage-style lingerie to get hot and heavy with the hunky actor.

The ex-girlfriend of Chris Brown had no issue flaunting her sensational figure and pert derriere for the risque scene.

The former fashion stylist also parted from her raven tresses with glamorous blonde locks for the show.

Sizzling: The beauty bravely stripped down to her skimpy pink bondage-style lingerie to get hot and heavy with the hunky actor

Bold display: The ex-girlfriend of Chris Brown had no issue flaunting her sensational figure and pert derriere for the risque scene

Getting down and dirty: Karrueche, who has become a highly sought after actress in Hollywood, flaunted her skills in the sizzling scenes

Passionate: Karreuche also goes onto enjoy plenty more sex scenes

Sensational: The star then went on to don a faux-fur pink coat as she dramatically aimed a gun

Further scenes showed her looking cold and calculated as she held a gun up, prepared to fire.

The show is about five women who work at a Florida nail salon and they enter the traditionally male world of organized crime when they begin laundering money for a neighboring pain clinic.

Originally developed as a half-hour, single-camera comedy for HBO, the now hour-long dramedy will instead debut on sister channel TNT.

Produced by Rashida Jones, the first episode debuted on June 11.

Mane attraction: The former fashion stylist also parted from her raven tresses with glamorous blonde locks for the show

Plot: Claws is the eagerly anticipated comedy crime drama that centres on the scandalous lives of five women who work at a Florida nail salon

Storyline: They enter the traditionally male world of organised crime when they begin laundering money for a neighbouring pain clinic

Eaglery anticipated: Originally developed as a half-hour, single-camera comedy for HBO, the now hour-long dramedy will instead debut on sister channel TNT

Speaking about her character at the television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Karreuche described Virginia as 'sassy and full of attitude.'

She revealed: 'Virginia is very over-trendy and her nails on the show show it. Theyre neon green; they glow in the dark; theyre pointy. Its a lot of this going on.'

The beauty continued: 'She is not like myself, so I was able to - one thing I really love is I was able to create a character from Virginia.

'So, if you see some of the images, I am wearing a Kangol hat, a netted shirt, booty shorts, socks, and slides. Just so ridiculous, but just so Virginia.'
A Bachelor in Paradise crew member says Corinne Olympios seemed to lose control of her body during her drunken pool hook-up with DeMario Jackson.

Filming on the fourth season of The Bachelor spin-off was suspended on Sunday, over allegations of misconduct.

The incident that caused Warner Bros to halt production and launch an investigation centered on a hook-up between cast members Corinne and DeMario on the first day of shooting.

DeMario admitted to performing oral sex on Corinne when she put her genitals in his face, but Corinne says she was blacked out drunk and could not have given consent, according to sources who spoke to TMZ.

Now, a BIP crew member has spoken to DailyMail.com, detailing how Corinne appeared more and more drunk throughout the day.

Corinne Olympios (left) 'seemed to go limp' as she was drunkenly hooking up with DeMario Jackson (right) on the first day of filming for Bachelor in Paradise

Corinne and Demario found out when they arrived in Mexico that the storyline would involve the two of them hooking up so they decided to hang out and get better acquainted over drinks, says the source.

Soon they decided to go swimming and when they climbed into the Jacuzzi, they were both loaded. Corinne proceeded to remove her bathing suit and things got increasingly sexual.

There was hugging and kissing and touching, but before long, she seemed to go limp and was sliding under water. Demario kept trying to hold her up and at the same time he appeared to be having intercourse with her. After he finished  which only lasted a few seconds  he lifted her out of the water and laid her on the cement, where he proceeded to have oral sex with her.

She appeared to be unconscious, says the source. At that point some of the crew came out and carried her off to her room. She was limp and seemed unable to walk on her own.'

For the record, DeMario told sources who spoke with TMZ that he did not have penetrative sex with Corinne because of the alcohol he consumed.

Another source told TMZ on Tuesday that Corinne was so wasted hours after the hook up that she could barely stand.

Witnesses said that two hours after the encounter, Corinne was 'stumbling drunk, eyes closed, slurring badly and wearing her clothes inside out'.

'She was on a whole other level,' the source said.

The show was suspended after a producer filed a complaint over what he or she saw of the drunken pool hook-up. Above, DeMario on the current season of The Bachelorette, before he was booted for having a girlfriend

Corinne became largely disliked by her fellow contestants on Nick Viall's season of the Bachelor when she stripped off for a pool photo shoot. She also allegedly stripped off during her pool hook-up with DeMario

The source that spoke with DailyMail.com said they were 'deeply disturbed...not just at what happened, but over the way it was handled.'

One of the things that really disturbed people was that no one called a doctor or paramedic, which some felt they should have. Instead someone made the decision to just let her sleep it off.

When Corinne awoke the next morning, people began filling her in on what happened the night before, because she claimed to have absolutely no recollection of what transpired,' the source said.

Since filming was suspended, the source says that the set has been turned into a crime scene and that investigators with the Los Angeles Police were even called to look it over. Doctors and psychologists were also brought in to interview everyone about what they saw. The source said that lawyers deposed those who witnessed the hook-up and told the cast and crew not to speak out about what they saw.

Corinne is preparing to file a law suit because she feels she was not protected by the shows producers. And she ended up flying home to Miami after she was examined and interviewed, says the source. 'She was totally distraught and even after being told what happened, she insisted she had no recollection of the events.

Corinne and DeMario have been in touch since the incident and are allegedly on good terms.

'DeMario was trying to reach Corinne via email, Instagram and Facebook for a few days. Finally, [he] got a hold of her, they exchanged numbers and they've been talking. They are both speaking and on good terms,' a source told EW.

Sources who spoke to Corinne also say she doesn't blame DeMario fully for what happened. She thinks the producers were at fault for letting the incident unfold and has hired a lawyer to represent her going forward.

The crew stayed on until Monday, when they back to Los Angeles. The source says that everyone is under the impression that the show will be cancelled 'because the brand will be too tarnished to move forward'.

There were also rumors early on that they were going to scrap the show and offer Corinne a show of her own, or try and switch to filming a hurry - up wedding between last years contestants, Evan Bass and Carly Waddell who are engaged, but in the end they abandoned both ideas, paid off the crew, and sent them home.

This was a terrible thing to happen on a show that has been so successful until now, says the source. And you can bet this is far from being over.

The day after the hook-up, a producer filed an official complaint over what happened on the set and production was shut down.

Warner Bros announced that production had been suspended in a statement on Sunday.

'We have become aware of allegations of misconduct on the set of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico. We have suspended production and we are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations,' the statement said.

'Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action,' the statement added.

Bachelor In Paradise was scheduled to premiere August 8 on ABC.

The summer series features previous contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette who are isolated at an exotic resort in hopes of finding love.

The show starts out with an uneven amount of male and female contestants. At the end of the week they pair up and whoever doesn't have a partner is booted from the resort. One of a few new contestants is added after every elimination to turn the tables in favor of one sex.

The cast for season four included several women from the last season of The Bachelor including Corinne, runner-up Raven Gates, Alexis Waters and Jasmine Goode.

DeMario, who was booted from the current season of The Bachelorette for having a girlfriend, was added to the cast. Corinne was also an unpopular character on her season, but made it to the final four girls.
She appeared to regret going under the knife after insisting 'surgery isn't worth it'.

But Danniella Westbrook seems to be feeling happier with the results of her recent facelift, posting a pouting selfie of her 'brand new' face on social media.

The 43-year-old also showed off her impressively toned figure as she slipped into a coral bikini while in Marbella on Tuesday.

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'Brand new today': Danniella Westbrook showed off the results of her recent facelift as she posted a pouting selfie on social media

Sharing a selfie on Twitter, the actress wrote on Sunday: 'Day 4 after a full face lift and neck lift and eyes done im@feeling more like me again! Was looking like an emoji 4 a bit yesterday.'

Sporting a pair of large shades in the snap, she also captioned it with the words: 'Brand new today'.

While recovering from her cosmetic surgery, Danniella also posted a snap of herself in a plunging halterneck two-piece while in Spain.

'Hey you': The 43-year-old also showed off her impressively toned figure as she slipped into a coral bikini while in Marbella on Tuesday

Captioning the picture with the words 'Hey you', she showed off her ample cleavage and taut abs in the bikini snap.

Her social media posts come after she was spotted looking puffy and swollen following cosmetic surgery, while wrapped up in bandages.

She also recently revealed her regret over her decision to go under the knife, insisting 'surgery isn't worth it'.

In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, Danniella referenced her latest procedures and admitted she is 'petrified' about revamping her image once more.

'Surgery isn't worth it': The snaps come after Danniella urged others to reconsider having cosmetic work done, after undergoing a facelift in Poland

The former EastEnders star had spoken of her plans to give her face and body a cosmetic makeover in her bid to get back to a 'happy and healthy life', but the severity of the work she has had to have done has left her with concerns.

She has already endured a six-hour operation on her face and is set to be put through another eight hours of surgery in her bid to build herself a new jaw and prevent her face from collapsing.

Danniella explained she has been forced to undergo the work on her face after previous dental implants had left her with septicemia and osteoporosis.

'I'm petrified it won't work': The former EastEnders star is set to undergo intensive surgery on her face in order to correct damage to her jaw after suffering from septicemia

Her cheeks had disintegrated and her jaw had been left damaged.

But in order to correct her jaw, Danniella was told she needed her face to be made 'smaller' and 'tighter'.

She revealed that surgeons will take bone from her skull to build her jaw in a second operation.

Danniella confessed: 'I'm petrified. I'm petrified that it won't work and my face will be ruined, but also that something might go wrong and I won't wake up at all.

'People don't realise surgery isn't worth it.'

'Wanna go home': Following her first operation, Danniella shared a photo of her face 48 hours post surgery and revealed the swelling and bruising she is suffering from

She encouraged those contemplating cosmetic surgery to 'look at me and think again' to try to warn them of the complications it can bring.

'You could spend the rest of your life getting something fixed that you didn't need in the first place.'

Danniella had shared a photo of herself 48 hours post her first surgery to Instagram, revealing her swollen and bruised face to her fans.

She added the hashtags: '#painispain #wannagohomenow'.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star had been joined by Christopher Maloney over in Poland - who too appeared to have gone under the knife.

They had notoriously fell out in the past, but rekindled their friendship after finding themselves living alongside each other in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Recovering: The star is currently resting up alongside her friend Christopher Maloney - who has also undergone work to his face while in Poland - as she prepares for a second operation

The duo appeared in a video Danniella had shared and were seen covered in bandages as they dined on snacks while recovering from their latest procedures.

Danniella had taken to Instagram with a bikini-top clad picture earlier this month, where she defiantly admitted that despite her fair share of hardships - including 'rape and drug use' - nothing could 'brake her (sic)'.

In the lengthy caption aimed at online trolls under the black and white snap, the former EastEnders actress admitted that her life has been a 'car crash' but that didn't stop her to 'get up and fight each day.'

Danniella, who recently completed a successful stint at a Spanish rehab, looked sensational in the mirror selfie which saw her tame her busty cleavage in place with a tiny bikini top - which also bared her toned abs.

Re-fuelling: The duo were seen in a video together sporting bandages and stocking up on snacks

The former soap star also utilised the image to share what was on her mind: 'Slag me off drag me down troll me stalk me but your never ever brake the Westbrook. I'm 43 and my game is strong (sic)!'

She defiantly continued: 'Yes I've been a drug addict and my life's been a car crash , abused cheated on raped and I've slipped and fallen more than most could even admit let alone face publicly.. (sic)'

'BUT IM ME AND I GET UP AND FIGHT EACH DAY. And right now I GOT ME #thewestbrook (sic),' she ended on an intransigent note.

It came after Danniella revealed on Twitter that she: 'Can't wait to go to Poland on the 6th of June. Face lift boobs and teeth being sorted! About time after a year of hell.'
She shot to stardom on the sixth series of Ex On The Beach, thanks to her on/off romance with Ross Worswick.

But Harriette Harper is now completely loved-up with boyfriend Sam Reece and the duo are currently soaking up the sun on a romantic break in Portugal.

The reality star shared a series of bikini-clad snaps to Instagram, proving why her beau is so besotted, as she flaunted her peachy posterior in a frilled floral two piece.

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Bikini-clad: Harriette Harper posed up a storm poolside as she showcased her enviable figure while holidaying in Portugal with her boyfriend Sam Reece

Posing up a storm by the pool, Harriette donned a floral bikini that featured a triangle top that tied together around the neck and bottoms that boasted a large frill around the outside.

Their high rise cut not only emphasised her slender pins, but gave other holiday-goers a good look at her pert posterior as she sat at the water's edge.

Her scanty swimwear ensured her svelte frame was on full display and drew attention to her plentiful bust and incredibly taut stomach.

The brunette beauty already appeared to be sporting a deep golden glow from her sunbathing sessions overseas and despite the soaring temperatures, she didn't forgo her usual glam.

Peachy: She put on a titillating display as she donned a skimpy floral bikini that showcased her best assets

Her tresses were styled into perfect curls that sat just below her shoulders and she kept her eyes protected from the rays with a pair of aviator shades.

While she cooled off from the heat, Harriette favoured a straw fedora hat and it seems like she and her boyfriend Sam have been having a ball on their getaway.

As well as indulging in cocktails while looking out onto an idyllic sea view, the pair have been making 'amazing memories' together.

Sharing yet more holiday snaps to the photo-sharing site, Harriette posted a selfie with Sam - who previously dated Stephanie Davis - that showed the couple cuddling up together.

Smitten: The Ex On The Beach star shared a selfie where her beau Sam could be seen planting a kiss on her cheek, as she thanked him for the 'amazing memories' they had made on the trip

He planted a kiss on the starlet's cheek, as she gushed alongside her post: 'He loves my freckles. Thanks boo for the amazing memories what a beautiful get away.'

And not forgetting to treat her fans to yet another titillating display, Harriette then posed in a semi-sheer, backless lace dress that flashed a look at her black underwear underneath.

Her romance with Sam first came to light back in March, after pictures surfaced of the pair in the First Dates star's car as he broke down in Salford.

Since then it appears their relationship has been going from strength to strength and the pair had even sparked engagement rumours last month.

Sultry: Harriette then posed in a semi-sheer, backless lace dress that flashed a look at her black underwear underneath

However, sources have claimed drama could be in store for the couple, given Sam's upcoming appearance on Ex On The Beach.

He is following in his girlfriend's footsteps and appearing on the new series of the MTV dating show.

Sam is thought to arrive as an ex to the villa and his addition hasn't gone down too well with his new flame.

According to The Sun, an insider revealed Harriette was 'fuming' with the model because of his link to the show.

They said: 'Sam and Harriette are still together  but they will 100 per cent split up over it. They have argued non stop about him going on.'
He's the former X Factor Australia contestant who finally landed his first major acting role this year.

And Love Child's Dan Hamill has announced his next big career move, telling The Daily Telegraph of his grand plans to become the next James Bond.

'I want to do a role like Bond, that's the trajectory I want to go on,' he said. 'That whole dapper, action hero thing is what every male actor dreams of, so to play a role like that would be phenomenal.'

'That whole dapper, action hero thing is what every male actor dreams of': Love Child's Dan Hamill has announced his grand plans to become the next James Bond

Insisting that he gets told he looks like actor Daniel Craig 'at least once a week', Dan said: 'I can be the Aussie James Bond; I'll contact Daniel Craig's people and see if he needs me to take over.'

Dan also confirmed that he plans to move to Hollywood, claiming that a stint in Los Angeles would be the 'logical step' following his role on Love Child.

If he does manage to audition for the role of James Bond, he will likely be up against Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and Aidan Turner.

Separated at birth? 'I can be the Aussie James Bond; I'll contact Daniel Craig's people and see if he needs me to take over', Dan said. Pictured: Daniel Craig as James Bond

Moving up! Dan also confirmed that he plans to move to Hollywood, claiming that a stint in Los Angeles would be the 'logical step' following his role on Love Child

Suited and booted! Like his super-spy counterpart, Dan enjoys posing in suave suits and ties

Whispers have also been circulating that Daniel Craig will return to the role for another film, despite him previously claiming he had finished with the franchise.

Meanwhile, Dan has enjoyed a steady rise to fame over the past decade, having first appeared on screens as a contestant on reality TV show Popstars in 2004.

In 2015, he returned to reality TV by appearing on The X Factor Australia, placing 12th in the competition.

He has the figure for it! Dan insists that he gets told he looks like former 007 star Daniel Craig 'at least once a week'

Keep trying! Dan has enjoyed a steady rise to fame over the past decade, having first appeared on reality TV show Popstars in 2004 and, later, The X Factor Australia in 2015

Dan's previous acting credits include small roles on Neighbours, City Homicide, Jack Irish and House Husbands.

A man of many skills, he is also the singer of a six-piece cover band.

Dan plans the role of Dr Andrew Patterson in the latest season of Love Child.
She's in high spirits after announcing her second pregnancy on Tuesday's Studio 10.

But despite the happy milestone, Sarah Harris isn't above feeling 'a little insecurity' about taking maternity leave for the second time in two years.

The journalist, 35, told The Daily Telegraph she had watched her friend Talitha Cummins go through an unfair dismissal case with Channel Seven after leaving to have a baby.

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Concerned: Studio 10's Sarah Harris admitted to feeling 'a little insecurity' about taking time off to have her second child after friend Talitha Cummins' legal battle

The TV personality praised Network Ten for their support, as she was able to return to Studio 10 and Shark Tank after four months of maternity leave.

But like any woman in a high profile and competitive job, Sarah did have some concern about taking extended periods of time off.

'I think any woman who says stepping aside and taking time away from her career to have a child and doesn't feel a little insecurity about that is lying,' she said.

Surprise! Sarah revealed on Tuesday's Studio 10 that she was expecting her second child

Sarah explained she had watched her friend Talitha go through her own battle to return to work after giving birth to her son Oliver last year.

'One of my dearest friends, (former Weekend Sunrise newsreader) Talitha Cummins just went through a very high profile unfair dismissal case,' she said.

'I'd like to think we've moved on from those days.'

In April, Talitha reached a confidential settlement with Channel Seven after claiming she was sacked unfairly while on maternity leave.

So grateful: The TV personality praised Network Ten for their support, as she was able to return to Studio 10 and Shark Tank after four months of maternity leave

Legal battle: In April, Talitha Cummins reached a confidential settlement with Channel Seven after claiming she was sacked unfairly while on maternity leave

She commenced legal action just months after revealing her battle with alcoholism on ABC's Australian Story.

Talitha alleged that after giving birth she had been told she would not be returning to her role as Weekend Sunrise newsreader, and was instead offered 5am shifts which were unsuitable to her family arrangements.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Seven had claimed Talitha was a casual employee, had not taken parental leave, and she was not entitled to a return-to-work guarantee.
She briefly dated 'sex addict' Scott Disick last month before he moved on to teen wild child Bella Thorne.

And Ella Ross looked like she had left him in the past, as she happily spent some solo time sunbathing in a park in London on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old beauty flaunted her modelesque frame in a tiny bikini top and denim River Island hotpants as she embarked on the sunny day out in the UK's capital.

Sensational: It looked like Ella Ross, 21, had moved on from her one time fling Scott Disick as she happily spent some solo time sunbathing in a park in London on Tuesday

Ella embraced summer chic in the minuscule khaki-coloured bikini top, which showcased her perky cleavage.

The high-waisted denim cut-offs flaunted Ella's impossibly flat stomach and long, lean legs.

The Stateside star wore her thick, luscious blond locks in a dramatic side parting and covered her striking features with a pair of shades.

Ella, who already sported an enviable golden glow, accessorised with a delicate gold necklace which rested on her collarbone.

Stunning: The beauty flaunted her modelesque frame in a tiny bikini top and denim hotpants as she embarked on the sunny day out in the UK's capital

Skimpy: Ella embraced summer chic in the minuscule khaki-coloured bikini top, which showcased her perky cleavage

Enviable frame: The high-waisted denim cut-off flaunted Ella's impossibly flat stomach and long, lean legs

Mane attraction: The Stateside star wore her thick, luscious blond locks in a dramatic side parting

Beauty: Ella covered her striking features with a pair of cool shades

She decided to go barefoot as she got comfortable on the grassy terrain with her pet pooch.

A towel was laid out for her to relax on and she also placed her chic black handbag on it.

Ella looked like she was having a blast in the scorching London weather as she lay out on her stomach and engaged in cuddles with her dog.

Last month, Ella was said to be shocked after spotting her 'boyfriend' Scott on a dinner date with Bella Thorne, 19, at Catch in Hollywood.

Chilling: She decided to go barefoot as she got comfortable on the grassy terrain

Company: Joining her for the sunny outing was her pet pooch

Unwinding: Ella looked like she was having a blast as she kept herself casually preoccupied in the scorching London weather

No risks: She ensured to adjust her bikini top in place to avoid a wardrobe malfunction

Relaxing: A towel was laid out for her to relax on and she also placed her chic black handbag on it

E! News reported that the British model had plans with the father-of-three for that evening, and after he cancelled on her, she then arrived at the same restaurant he was in with Bella.

Scott and Ella reportedly 'didn't interact' at all during the evening, amid claims Scott has been 'hanging out with a few girls' in recent months, but has kept things 'casual'.

He then travelled to Cannes for the Film Festival, where he was pictured cavorting with nine ladies in one week.

Keeping it off her face: It wasn't long before Ella decided to change hairstyles and tied her locks into a bun

Previous fling: Last month, Ella was said to be shocked after spotting her 'boyfriend' Scott Disick on a dinner date with Bella Thorne, 19, at Catch in Hollywood

Drama: E! News reported that the British model had plans with the father-of-three for that evening, and after he cancelled on her, she then arrived at the same restaurant he was in with Bella

Awkward: Scott and Ella reportedly 'didn't interact' at all during the evening, amid claims Scott has been 'hanging out with a few girls' in recent months, but has kept things 'casual'

Having fun: He then travelled to Cannes for the Film Festival, where he was pictured cavorting with nine ladies in one week

Better on her own: Ella may have dodged a bullet as Scott recently confessed he is a sex addict

Solo: With Scott firmly out of the picture, Ella seemed to be enjoying life as an independent woman

Scott's recently confessed he is a sex addict.

The TV star - who has children Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two, with ex-girlfriend Kourtney announced on Keeping Up with the Kardashians: 'I'm a sex addict. I'm a f***ed up, horrible sex addict.'

The revelation came as Scott explained his decision to bring another woman with him on a family holiday they had taken to Costa Rica at the beginning of the year.

At the time, rumours had been doing the rounds that he and Kourtney were rekindling their romance - they had initially split in 2015.

Bottoms up: Ella's tiny bottoms flaunted her peachy posterior

Spectacular: Her flawless decolletage was on fine form in the bikini top

Bronzed: Ella ensured to spend a lengthy time in the park in order to top up her tan

Preoccupied: She also utilised the time to catch up with her pals on the phone

Enjoying the sunshine: After her session in the park was done, Ella decided to take her dog for a walk
He was pictured tucking into a hearty meat pie in Sydney last week.

And Ben Mendelsohn was been praised for his pastry-scoffing efforts this week, with The Project's Peter Helliar calling it the most Australian paparazzi photo in history.

During an interview on Channel Ten's current affairs show on Tuesday, Ben admitted he has been making the most of Australia's foot culture during his stay.

What a legend! US-based Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn, 48, has been praised for his pastry-scoffing efforts this week, after being photographed eating a meat pie in Sydney

'I've been very homesick, but I've had a meat pie in me and I've got some Vegemite and some Tim Tams and some Jaffas,' the 48-year-old said.

Peter interjected: 'You certainly have a meat pie, you were papped. It's the Aussiest pap shot I've ever seen!'

The comedian then showed a photo of himself eating a pie, telling the audience: 'I've gone out in sympathy and I had someone to pap me eating a meat pie!'

'It's the Aussiest pap shot I've ever seen!' The Project co-host Peter Helliar (right) was particularly impressed with Ben's patriotic choice of afternoon snack

Papped! The comedian then showed a photo of himself eating a pie, telling the audience: 'I've gone out in sympathy and I had someone to pap me eating a meat pie!'

The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor replied: 'That is beautiful, that is beautiful.'

Ben returned to Australia this month to promote psychological thriller Una at the Sydney Film Festival.

In the film, Ben plays the character of Ray who engages in a sexual relationship with his teenage neighbour.

'It was such a great psychological thriller, and I knew Rooney (Mara, actress) was doing it so it was just a no-brainer', he told The Project.

Villain! One of Australia's most versatile and critically-acclaimed actors, Ben Mendelsohn is known for playing 'bad guys' in Hollywood

One of Australia's most versatile and critically-acclaimed actors, Ben is known for playing 'bad guys' in Hollywood.

His famous roles include Andrew 'Pope' Cody in the chilling Australian crime drama Animal Kingdom.

Recently, he played the nefarious Star Wars villain Orson Krennic.
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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..Honest Reporting..12 June '17..An op-ed in theblames Israel entirely for why the Misery of [the] Palestinian people is the result of two historic events marked this year, the Six Day War and the Balfour Declaration. But the only way that itblame Israel is by omitting almost all of the crucial  and inconvenient  historical facts that explain the truth of the current situation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Dr. Conn Mac Gabhann visited Israel with a delegation called the Holy Land Coordination Group, purportedly to better understand the political situation of the region. Unfortunately though, it doesnt seem that he gained much understanding at all.
She's the vivacious former Victoria's Secret Angel, who was deemed the 'hottest woman in the world' in 1998.

And now, it has been reported that model-turned-actress Laetitia Casta, 39, has tied the knot with her film star beau Louis Garrel, 34, on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Corsica.

According to Chi magazine, the good-looking French couple - who appear on the publication's front cover - said their 'I do's' on Saturday in an intimate ceremony on the beach of her father's hometown of Lumino.

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Just married! It has been reported that model-turned-actress Laetitia Casta, 39, has tied the knot with her film star beau Louis Garrel, 34, on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Corsica

It is claimed that the supermodel - who has been dating the actor since 2015 - arrived on the sun-kissed dunes on a rubber dinghy with her three children and her handsome groom.

Accompanying her to the nuptials was her daughter Satheene, 15 - whom she has with ex Stephane Sednaoui - as well as Athena, eight, and Orlando, 10 - from her relationship with her former fiance, Italian actor Stefano Accorsi.

The intimate ceremony was believed to be attended by 40 guests while the wedding officiated by the mayor of Lumio, Etienne Suzzoni.

According to the Italian publication, the celebrations continued until the early hours at decadent Matahari Beach Resort on the island.

Tied the knot: According to Chi magazine, the good-looking French couple - who have been dating since 2015 - said their 'I do's' on Saturday in an intimate ceremony on the beach of her father's hometown of Lumino (Pictured together in 2016)

Before meeting the Arbitrage star, Louis was in a relationship with Italian actress Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, the sister of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni, from 2007 to 2012.

During their five-year romance, the couple adopted a baby girl Celine from Senegal in 2008.

Holding her special day in her father's hometown, the Normandy born-beauty - who's sister Marie-Ange is also a successful model - was originally scouted on the Island at just 15.

The teenager - with her fathers consent - then embarked on a career that would make her one of the worlds leading models, with her career attributed not just to her natural beauty but also to her confidence and her refusal to be 'moulded'.

Standing strong: Previously speaking to Mail on Sunday in 2013, she said: 'I didnt like the idea of changing myself for the industry. I felt to have my teeth straightened and bleached and to starve myself to change my body was not respecting who I was

Previously speaking to Mail on Sunday in 2013, she said: 'I didnt like the idea of changing myself for the industry. I felt to have my teeth straightened and bleached and to starve myself to change my body was not respecting who I was.

'Anyway, it is those tiny little imperfections, like my teeth, that make a model stand out. Perfection is boring.'

During her modelling years she appeared on over 100 magazine covers, the most famous and controversial being her naked pose for Rolling Stone in 1998 when she was named the 'hottest woman in the world'.

Laetitias career changed course when she had her first child at 23 and she moved seamlessly from model to actress with roles in French films and TV series.
Kendall Jenner searching for a new home out of fear for her safety.

The 21-year-old's current pad in the Hollywood Hills was involved in two scary incidents in the space of seven months.

Fool me twice: Kendall Jenner is moving to new home amid safety fears following stalker AND burglary incidents at her Hollywood Hills property

In March, $200,000 of jewelry was stolen from her bedroom, while in August 2016 a stalker gained entry to the property and even made contact with her.

According to TMZ , her mother Kris had warned here about moving to the area, because it is not gated, and is a frequent after-party spot for revelers after a night out in Hollywood.

The KUWTK star bought the six-bedroom home - perched above the legendary Chateau Marmont - from Emily Blunt and John Krasinski for $6.5 million in 2016.

The 4,800-square-foot estate includes a swimming pool, rooftop patio and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Targeted: In March, $200,000 of jewelry was stolen from her bedroom, while in August 2016 a stalker gained entry to the property and even made contact with her

Big news: News crews gathered outside the property after the theft

Now she is looking for home worth more than twice that  $15million  in either Bel Air and Beverly Hills, the site reported.

Cops investigating the March robbery found no suspects or evidence of forced entry; sources revealed afterwards the reality star was actually having a party with a group of friends on the night in question.

Police sources suggested the thief knew exactly where Kendall keeps her jewelry - and if they were invited as a guest it's a theft and not a burglary.

In August 2016 a stalker managed to make his way up the driveway of her home and make contact with her.

She was granted a permanent restraining order against Shavaughn McKenzie who was accused of following the runway model and repeatedly knocking on her car window on August 14.

Nice ice: The 21-year-old star has showed off some of her jewelry on Instagram

History: The KUWTK star bought the six-bedroom home from Emily Blunt and John Krasinski for $6.5 million in 2016

'I've never been so scared in my life,' Kendall said in a court appearance at the time.

Kendall's sister Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in October.

A gang of masked men forced their way into her Paris apartment, tied her up at gunpoint and stole jewelry worth $10million.

As result of the heist, Kim withdrew from the public eye for months, eventually re-emerging at a beauty seminar in Dubai in January.

The incident highlighted how much of their lives the famous family document on social media, including Kim, who had been flashing her $4 million emerald-cut engagement ring on Instagram shortly before the robbery.

Family woe: Kendall's sister Kim Kardashian was the victim of a robbery in October when thieves forced their way into her Paris apartment, tied her up and stole her jewelry
He's been busy filming his new movie Little Italy in Toronto lately.

But Hayden Christensen was paid a visit on Tuesday from not only his long term girlfriend Rachel Bilson, but their adorable two-year-old daughter, Briar Rose.

Still in costume, the proud dad, 36, kissed his little girl on the head as he lifted her up into his arms.

Daddy's little girl! Hayden Christensen was paid a visit on the set of Little Italy in Toronto on Tuesday from not only his long term girlfriend Rachel Bilson, but their adorable two-year-old daughter, Briar Rose

Hayden couldn't have looked happier to have his family join him on set, and gazed lovingly at his daughter as he lifted her up.

Rachel stood nearby, smiling, as she watched the adorable father-daughter moment.

Hayden was clearly on a break from filming, if his wardrobe was anything to go by.

The actor looked ready to cook in his green apron, jeans, and sneakers.

Take your daughter to work day! Hayden couldn't have looked happier to have his family on set, and gazed lovingly at his daughter as he lifted her up, showing off her Ipanema Kids sandals

His daughter wore peach pink shorts, Ipanema Kids sandals, and a grey tank top.

Rachel, meanwhile, wore a red bohemian chic blouse with tassels on the sleeves, tight jeans, and black sandals.

Aside from a brief split in 2010, Hayden and Rachel have been together since 2007.

Step by step: Christensen was clearly having a blast during his father-daughter moment

They welcomed little Briar in 2014.

Meanwhile, Hayden has recently started working on Little Italy, which also stars Emma Roberts.

In an interview with WWD, Emma said of the movie: 'Its a romantic comedy and the director is Donald Petrie, who did How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Miss Congeniality, and he worked with my aunt in Mystic Pizza,' referring to Julia Roberts.

'Its going to be a really fun movie; its one of those where you laugh, you cry, you smile. I feel like I havent seen any of those movies lately and those are what I love.'

Little Italy is slated to hit theaters in 2018.
They flaunted their love on social media after debuting as a couple last year, before parting ways after nine months together.

And now it appears the romance between Lincoln Lewis and Chloe Ciesla is back on.

The 29-year-old actor shared what appeared to be a loved-up Instagram post referencing the 19-year-old blonde on Tuesday.

Back on? It appears the romance between Lincoln Lewis and Chloe Ciesla is back on

The image shows the actor swimming with a woman, who appears to be Chloe, among sharks, and comes on the back of reports the pair have rekindled their flame.

He captioned the picture: 'Not long till I'll be swimming in these clear waters again with this beautiful girl'.

The genetically blessed couple first debuted their romance with a series of loved up posts to Instagram in May, last year.

In one image, the pair lean in for a kiss as they stand on a rock in front of a beach at sunset in the photo, captioning the image: 'Just you and me.'

Proof? The 29-year-old shared what appeared to be a loved-up Instagram post referencing the 19-year-old blonde on Tuesday

On: The genetically blessed couple first debuted their romance with a series of loved up posts to Instagram in May, last year

Loved up: Lincoln Lewis' model girlfriend Chloe Ciesla shared a sweet snap of the couple in Perth, last year

The 19-year-old model further expressed her love for the actor by adding a heart emoji.

Taking to Instagram in March, the son of former professional rugby league star Wally Lewis shared a photo of he and Chloe locking lips, the caption next to the photo simply reading: 'This one'.

Taking to Instagram in March, the son of former professional rugby league star Wally Lewis shared a photo of he and Chloe locking lips, the caption next to the photo simply reading: 'This one'

Bikini babe: Stunning Chloe is certainly not shy to flaunt her runway ready figure on her social media page

It looks like the former Home And Away star may very well have met Chloe in her home state of Western Australia while recently there as a tourism ambassador for the state.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last year about what he looks for in a girlfriend, Lincoln said it was more about a lady's personality as opposed to just physical appearance.

'Just someone with a great sense of humour, someone who's very down-to-earth and normal,' Lincoln told Daily Mail Australia at the 2015 Dally M Awards in Sydney.

Beach babe: Chloe is signed with Vivien's Model Management in Perth and 10 years Lincoln's junior

Perth beauty: It looks like Lincoln may very well have met Chloe in her home state of Western Australia while recently there as a tourism ambassador for the state

'You want someone who can make you laugh. You want someone you can have a very good, deep chat with and not talk about the more material things in life, it's all about the deeper stuff.'

He then added: 'And someone I can go to the beach with and have a good feed with'.

Signed with Vivien's Model Management in Perth, the stunner is certainly not shy to flaunt her runway ready figure on her social media page, with plenty of bikini photos making the cut.

Back in 2014, Lincoln was linked to former Miss World Australia Courtney Thorpe.

The hunky House Husbands star was then rumoured to have hooked up with Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice.
Oprah Winfrey totally squashed her fans' dreams of her one day becoming president of the United States.

'I will never run for public office. That's a pretty definitive thing,' the 63-year-old media mogul told THR's Awards Chatter podcast on Monday.

'I don't know the answer to that. But I will never have to the answer to that because I will never run for public office.'

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Nope-rah! Oprah Winfrey totally squashed her fans' dreams of her one day becoming president of the United States on Tuesday (pictured April 18)

The OWN CEO - who boasts a $3B fortune - clearly prefers her comfy, privileged life and numerous mansions to the stress of politics.

And who could blame Oprah after the controversy of the 2016 election riddled with FBI investigations on both candidates and horrifying Russian interference?

Before selecting Mike Pence, President Donald Trump famously said Winfrey would be his pick for vice president back in 1999.

The 63-year-old media mogul told THR's Awards Chatter podcast on Monday: 'That's a pretty definitive thing. I don't know the answer to that. But I will never have to the answer to that because I will never run for public office'

'Oprah. I love Oprah. Oprah would always be my first choice,' the reality star - who turns 71 on Wednesday - gushed on CNN's Larry King Live.

'If she'd do it, she'd be fantastic. She's popular. She's brilliant. She's a wonderful woman.'
Bella Hadid has denied she's dating bad boy model Jordan Barrett.

The model took to Twitter on Tuesday to set the record straight after the pair were spotted getting cosy at her New York apartment.

'J is like a brother to me,' she insisted when fan noted they look 'so cute' together.

She revealed the pair were teaming up for a project with Vanity Fair.

Bella, 20, was pictured out in the Big Apple later that day. She looked in great spirits as she strutted around in a black and white ensemble.

Big smile in the Big Apple: Bella Hadid stepped out in New York on Tuesday

Setting the record straight: The model said Jordan is 'like a brother' after a fan said they looked 'so cute' together

The beauty stepped out on Tuesday in a ribbed long sleeved white blouse, which gave a peek at her black bra strap.

Bella showed off her tiny waist in her black trousers with white stitching and a flared hemline.

The runway star decided to wear a purse slung across her chest as well as hold on to a mini Dior handbag.

Looking chic: The 20-year-old model looked in great spirits as she strutted around in a black and white ensemble

Focused: The beauty stepped out in a ribbed long sleeved white blouse, which gave a peek at her black bra strap

Grinning ear to ear: Bella showed off her tiny waist in her black trousers with white stitching and a flared hemline, while covering her face with Smoke x Mirrors sunglasses

Bella, who hit the pavement in lace-up black boots, styled her brunette locks into a top knot.

The youngest daughter of Yolanda Hadid painted her lips a pink hue while shielding her eyes behind large framed Smoke x Mirrors aviator sunglasses.

At another point Tuesday, she was seen ambling about town in the same outfit, but with a cross-emblazoned sleeveless white top instead of a full-sleeved one.

She'd also got a different black purse dangling from her shoulder.

Slight changes: At another point on Tuesday, she was seen ambling about New York City in the same outfit, but with a sleeveless white top instead of a full-sleeved one

Detail work: A cross design was emblazoned on the front of that top

Slight changes: She'd also got a different black purse dangling from her shoulder

Bella also posted an Instagram video on Tuesday that saw her blow through a variety of looks whilst advertising her collaborative line with Chrome Hearts.

One of those ensembles featured a red cap over tousled hair, plus a shock of bright red lipstick that popped on camera as she looked over her shoulder.

She also bared her enviably chiseled midriff as she modeled a white crop top she'd worn over a pair of jeans garnished with a chain.

Plugging away: Bella also posted an Instagram video on Tuesday that saw her blow through a variety of looks whilst advertising her collaborative line with Chrome Hearts

Chic: One of those ensembles featured a red cap over tousled hair, plus a shock of bright red lipstick that popped on camera as she looked over her shoulder

Pose: She also bared her enviably chiseled midriff as she modeled a white crop top she'd worn over a pair of jeans garnished with a chain

A male model joined her at times, and at one point, he posed shirtless, embracing her from behind as she left her black jacket open, seemingly with no top on underneath.

Another outfit of hers was redolent of the 1960s, complete with a beehive hairdo, and saw her swinging a purse as she walked about in a black cocktail dress.

Bella and Jordan were snapped on Monday getting cozy through a window of her Big Apple apartment.

Cozy: A male model joined her at times, and at one point, he posed shirtless, embracing her from behind as she left her black jacket open, seemingly with no top on underneath

Retro: Another outfit of hers was redolent of the 1960s, complete with a beehive hairdo, and saw her swinging a purse as she walked about in a black cocktail dress

In between it's nicotine: A close-up of her in that getup was of her smoking a cigarette

The duo were casually lounging together, with Bella wearing black underwear with white top and Jordan going shirtless.

A close-up of her in that getup was of her smoking a cigarette.

They spent time together during Cannes last month; he shared a series of pictures while on a luxury boat with Bella and friends in the French Rivera.

The 20-year-old Australian born model was snapped lounging next to a bikini clad Bella in one Instagram photo.

Having some fun: Bella and Jordan spent time together during Cannes last month; he shared shared a series of pictures while on a boat with Bella and friends; Jordan pictured in stripes

No care in the world: The 20-year-old Australian born model was snapped lounging next to a bikini clad Bella in one Instagram photo

He later posted a picture as he relaxed besides the brunette; Bella appeared distracted by her smart phone in the photo.

The twosome also hit the stage during amfAR's 24th Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cannes in late May.

Bella enjoyed champagne alongside Jordan and fellow model Jessica Hart.

Good times: The twosome hit the stage during amfAR's 24th Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cannes; (from l to r) Irina Shayk, Bella and Jordan on May 25 in Cap d'Antibes, France

Celebrations: Bella enjoyed champagne alongside Jordan and fellow model Jessica Hart; Bella and Jordan with Jessica and Georgia Fowler on May 25 at amfAR in France

Center stage: The stars pictured at the gala in France on May 25

Summer casual: Meanwhile, Bella's mother Yolanda Hadid was pictured in New York City as well on Tuesday, but in the NoHo neighborhood
She confirmed she split with her boyfriend of a year in February to focus on her career.

And now it has been reported that Scarlett Moffatt, 26, and Luke Crodden, 28, have rekindled their romance just four months after they initially parted ways.

At the time, the I'm A Celebrity winner was said to be 'sad' about the break up, having only moved in together in North London weeks beforehand.

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Hotting up! Scarlett Moffatt, 26, and her former flame Luke Crodden, 28, have reportedly rekindled their romance just four months after they initially parted ways

Yet, according to The Sun, the reality-star-turned-presenter and her hairdresser beau are giving their relationship another go with Luke moving into her new abode.

A source said: 'Scarlett and Luke are giving it another go. Her life was manic after the jungle and she wanted to focus on her work. The following months were critical for her career, which is why she needed space from Luke.

Adding: 'Now that Scarlett is more settled, she and Luke have been seeing a lot more of each other and have decided to make it official.'

MailOnline have contacted Scarlett Moffatt's rep for comment.

Having moved to Camden from Newcastle before Christmas, the couple looked to be in a good place with Scarlett taking Luke to the National Television Awards where she was working as a backstage presenter in January.

'Giving it another go': Yet, according to The Sun, the reality-star-turned-presenter and her hairdresser beau are giving their relationship another go with Luke moving into her new abode

Although it was reported at the time that the Gogglebox star had been so busy following her return from the jungle, that she and Luke have been struggling to spend time together and now needed to focus on her career.

The TV star had signed up to be a co-presenter alongside Ant & Dec for their show Saturday Night Takeaway and was also set host a reboot of Channel Four dating show Streetmate.

An insider told the paper: 'At the moment she needs to concentrate on her career. After all, shes got plenty of time to settle down in the future'.

The split will come as a surprise to fans of the reality star, with Scarlett previously making no secret of the fact she felt ready to make a long term commitment to her beau.

In happier times: The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner revealed she and Luke had made plans for the future, and even discussed rings

Together: Scarlett and Luke, pictured together in December, recently moved out of her native Newcastle and to London

Insta-official: Scarlett regularly posted images of she and her beau on social media

'My friend works at a jewellers and he invited me over. I said, "While Im here, I might as well try some rings on"', she told The Mirror last November before heading to the Australian jungle for I'm A Celeb.

'I pointed out which one I liked and what my ring size is, just so Luke knows which one to get in the future. If that isnt a hint, I dont know what is.'

The couple even confided to OK! magazine in December that they had discussed names for their future children.

'Weve had a baby name chat,' she told the publication, with Luke revealing she wanted to call their daughter Aurora.

Priorities: Scarlett will now instead focus on her burgeoning career after winning I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here last year
For years firebrand preacher Wirathu has used the social network as a platform to rail against the country's embattled Muslims, comparing them to dogs and accusing them of raping and killing Buddhists

A Myanmar monk once dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden" for his extremist diatribes says he has been banned from using Facebook, as the site ramps up efforts to clamp down on hate speech.

For years firebrand preacher Wirathu has used the social network as a platform to rail against the country's embattled Muslims, comparing them to dogs and accusing them of raping and killing Buddhists.

His tirades, which have gained him hundreds of thousands of followers online, have been blamed for stoking deadly sectarian violence including riots in 2013 outside Mandalay which killed dozens of people.

But in his latest video, posted on Friday, the monk said he had been banned from using the site for 30 days for repeatedly posting content not allowed by Facebook's monitors.

"I am not sure (if I can keep using my account) as Facebook's team is in the hands of Muslims," he said in the video, put up from a different account.

"Facebook is occupied by the Muslims."

A spokesperson for the site did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move comes at a time when Facebook is facing global pressure to clamp down on hate speech, violent threats or deliberately misleading information on posted on its platform.

Last month its monitors appeared to ban people in Myanmar from posting the word "kalar," a term often used as a slur against the country's embattled Muslim minority.

The move caused uproar online after some users said they had been blocked after writing other words that include the same sound in the Burmese alphabet, such as the word for chair.

Myanmar's government has also been seeking to stifle hate speech after a spike in anti-Muslim actions by nationalists.

Last month Myanmar's top Buddhist authority officially banned the ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha movement to which Wirathu belongs, which responded by simply changing their name.

Censors have also banned a documentary on festering religious tensions between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state from an upcoming film festival for fear it could stoke tensions.
Izzah became radicalised from 18 after watching propaganda videos from the extremist group, and had formed an extensive network of foreign contacts, including IS militants and supporters,

A 22-year-old Singaporean woman who was planning to go to Syria with her child and marry an Islamic State fighter has been detained without trial, the city-state's interior ministry said Monday.

Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, who worked at a community nursery, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

"Izzah was intent on joining ISIS and was actively planning to make her way to Syria, with her young child," the ministry said in a statement, using another name for the Islamic State group.

"She supported ISIS's use of violence to establish and defend its self-declared 'caliphate', and aspired to live in it."

Izzah became radicalised from 18 after watching propaganda videos from the extremist group, and had formed an extensive network of foreign contacts, including IS militants and supporters, the MHA said, some of whom had been killed in Syria or arrested for terror-related activities.

The daughter of Quranic teachers, she believed that having a husband who died in battle would give her "elevated status" and she could easily remarry in Syria, the MHA added. Her family tried to talk her out of it but to no avail.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said the incident demonstrated the threat of self-radicalisation is "very real".

"An individual may fall prey to false narratives and teachings on the internet and social media, such that even a real life support structure may not be able to counter them," the council said in a statement.

Singapore considers itself a prime target for terrorists because of the anti-terror role it plays and the interior ministry has warned that the terrorism threat was at its highest in recent years.

Since 2015, 14 Singaporeans have been detained under the ISA for radicalisation, which allows for detention without trial for up to two years.

The region has been on high alert in recent weeks following a takeover of Marawi in the southern Philippines by Islamist militants flying the black flags of IS.

During a recent regional security dialogue, Malaysian and Indonesian defence ministers said that as IS loses ground in the Middle East, returning fighters from Iraq and Syria will pose a problem in the years ahead.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Monday denounced the sanctions imposed against Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as "unfair" and "illegal".

"Whatever relates to our foreign affairs... no one has the right to discuss," Sheikh Mohammed said during a visit to Paris, calling for "dialogue based on clear foundations" over accusations that Qatar supports extremist groups.

"Qatar is willing to sit and negotiate about whatever is related to Gulf security," Sheikh Mohammed told a news conference.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt this month announced they had suspended ties with Qatar over the emirate's alleged support for extremists, banning all flights to and from Doha and shutting down the offices of the country's national carrier.

The unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis has seen the four countries give Qatari nationals two weeks to leave the country.
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As extreme climate events continue to increase in frequency and severity, industry professionals discuss the role of the insurance industry in developing adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as the implementation of captives for climate-related risks

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Russian President Vladimir Putin offers few policy revelations in his interviews with Oliver Stone but the series gives Western viewers a rare, unfiltered look at his thinking

Oliver Stone, the Hollywood director and triple Oscar winner, puts Russian President Vladimir Putin in US living rooms on Monday by broadcasting interviews with a leader who fascinates and repels many Americans in equal measure.

"The Putin Interviews" is the product of 12 conversations between the Russian leader and Stone between July 2015 and February 2017, cut into four one-hour programs shown from Monday to Thursday on cable network Showtime.

If Putin offers few revelations about policy, staunchly defending his domestic record and offering his perspective on 70 years of Russian-American relations, the series gives Western viewers a rare, unfiltered look at his thinking.

By choosing subtitles rather than dubbing, the director of "Platoon," "Born on the Fourth of July" and "JFK" gives US television audiences the impression of almost being in the same room with the Russian leader.

Putin clearly exercises fascination over Stone, who at one point tells him: "You are an excellent CEO of a company. Russia is your company."

No journalist, he gives Putin free reign to voice his thoughts on geopolitics, accuse the United States of supporting "terrorists" in Chechnya and the Caucuses and voice concern about US military ambitions in Eastern Europe.

Mixed with geopolitics are Putin's musings on a range of lighter topics such as how judo "changed my life for the better" and how being a man makes him less prone to emotional outbursts of women.

"I'm not a woman so I don't have bad days. I'm not trying to insult anyone. That's just the nature of things. There are certain natural cycles," Putin said.

Stone told Australian public television that the point of the series was to challenge the "politically, ideologically driven image" of Putin in the West.

"You have to listen for yourself and judge for yourself," he said, freely admitting that he "liked" and "respected" Putin.

"The man speaks very articulately about what the Russian interests are in the world." But of the future, Stone said he was pessimistic.

"We're sleepwalking towards a nuclear nightmare. When you see my documentary, you can understand why," he said.
US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed an immigration sweep in the Detroit area, but would not say how many were arrested

Iraqi Christians in the US are expressing alarm over the arrests of Chaldean immigrants in the Detroit area for deportation back to the war-torn nation, where they could face persecution.

A number of Chaldeans, part of an ancient Christian minority in Iraq, were detained Sunday in an enforcement sweep, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.

The immigrants targeted had criminal records and were living among a community of tens of thousands of Iraqi Chaldeans in the Detroit area. Many fear returning to Iraq could be dangerous, if not deadly.

Video posted on Twitter showed what appeared to be a row of detained men in handcuffs marching onto a bus, while voices can be heard off camera yelling in protest.

"Why are you doing this? That's someone's grandfather!" someone can be heard yelling.

"Don't sign anything!" another voice exclaims, as others are crying. "You came as a refugee... you have a right to stay!"

Some 30 to 40 people were arrested, according to US media reports. All had been given final deportation orders following criminal convictions, but had remained in the US for years, because Iraq did not accept US deportations.

In a March deal between the US and Iraqi governments, the Trump administration agreed to remove the Middle Eastern country's nationals from its proposed travel ban, in exchange for Iraq agreeing to take in deported immigrants.

The first chartered flight of deportees back to Iraq took place on April 19, raising alarms among US Chaldeans, who fear returning to a region where even the US government characterized as genocide the Islamic State's treatment of Christians last year.

Many in the Detroit-area Chaldean community had voted for Trump, in hopes that he would crack down on the Islamic State, which has massacred religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

In a statement, ICE confirmed Sunday's immigration sweep, but would not say how many were arrested.

"The agency recently arrested a number of Iraqi nationals, all of whom had criminal convictions," ICE said, adding that a majority were taken to a detention center in Ohio.

An agency spokesman would not disclose to AFP when and if the detainees would be flown back to Iraq "for operational security reasons."

The agency said it would release more information in the coming days.
Crown Resorts operates casinos across Australia and the world, although it has this year undertaken a restructure amid China's gambling crackdown which has driven away many big-spenders and hurt revenues

Up to 18 staff from Australian billionaire James Packer's Crown Resorts have been charged with promoting gambling in China, eight months after being detained, the company said Tuesday.

The marketing employees were seized in raids across China in October, including an executive in charge of luring rich Chinese to Australia, as Beijing cracks down on high-roller gambling promotions.

Crown at the time said 18 staff were being held, but did not mention the number in an update to the Australian stock exchange.

"All detained employees in China as well as those employees released on bail have now been charged with offences related to the promotion of gambling and their cases have been referred to the Baoshan District Court," it said.

"As the matter is now before the court, no further comments will be made," Crown added.

Three Australians were among those formally arrested in China, including Jason O'Connor, the executive vice-president of a Crown division called VIP International.

They are suspected of arranging junkets overseas for wealthy Chinese gamblers.

Gaming is illegal in China and companies are not allowed explicitly to advertise gambling.

Crown operates casinos across Australia and the world, although it has this year undertaken a restructure amid China's gambling crackdown which has driven away many big-spenders and hurt revenues.

Last month Crown sold a remaining stake in its Macau venture to joint-venture partner Melco International, after shelving plans late last year for a Las Vegas casino to concentrate on Australian luxury hotel and casino businesses.
Robert Mueller, former FBI director, has been leading a probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election

Donald Trump is considering firing former FBI chief Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating if Russia colluded in last year's bitter election campaign, a friend of the US president said Monday.

Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy made the comments on the eve of testimony at the Senate Intelligence Committee by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the Trump-Russia probe.

His comments came just days after explosive comments by ousted FBI director James Comey to the same committee, suggesting that Trump sought to interfere with the investigation.

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option," Ruddy told PBS "NewsHour" when asked if Trump would let Mueller continue in his role in the Russia probe.

"I personally think it would be a very significant mistake," Ruddy added.

A White House official stressed that Ruddy "speaks for himself," not the Trump administration.

CNN cited a source close to Trump as saying the president was "being advised by many people" to not fire Mueller, who led the FBI between 2001 and 2013.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, warned on Twitter that "If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller. Don't waste our time."

The president sacked Comey in early May. Given that as FBI director Comey was overseeing the probe into Russia, and its possible collusion with the Trump team, the firing has led to questions about potential obstruction of justice.

Sessions, who recommended in a signed memo that Comey be fired, may end up claiming executive privilege as a means of limiting the scope of his testimony.

Trump has expressed frustrations with Sessions, one of the president's earliest high-profile backers.
Philippine troops take positions during an operation to flush out Islamist militant snipers in Marawi, on the southern island of Mindanao

A spokesman for the Islamic State group praised jihadist attacks in the Philippines and Iran, in an audio recording broadcast Tuesday.

The recording broadcast by jihadist accounts on social networks was part of a general appeal to extremists around the world to continue their attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"Children of the caliphate in eastern Asia, we congratulate you for taking Marawi," IS spokesman Aboulhassan al-Mouhajer said, referring to the Philippine city seized by Islamist militants last month.

Thousands of Philippine troops are battling hundreds of insurgents who overran the southern city on May 23, flying black IS flags and using up to 2,000 civilians as human shields.

Fierce fighting in the city has left a total of 58 soldiers and police and more than 20 civilians dead, according to the military which estimates that almost 200 jihadists have been killed.

The IS spokesman also congratulated the perpetrators of last week's attacks in Iran.

Seventeen people were killed and dozens wounded when armed men and suicide bombers attacked Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on June 7, the first strikes claimed by the group in Iran.

The five attackers were killed.

Mouhajer urged "caliphate soldiers" to continue their actions during Ramadan in Iraq and Syria.

He also called for attacks in Europe, America, Australia, Russia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.
Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel Saint Malo shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after the two signed a joint communique agreeing to establish diplomatic relations, in Beijing, on June 13, 2017

Panama and China announced on Tuesday they were establishing diplomatic relations, as the Central American nation became the latest to dump Taiwan for closer ties with the world's second-largest economy.

The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland.

Taiwan is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is one of the most politically sensitive issues for Chinese leaders who pressure trade partners to accept its "one China" principle.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a nationally televised message "to the country and the world" that "Panama and China establish diplomatic relations today".

The two countries issued a joint statement saying: "In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level."

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (L) and Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela, seen during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Panama City, in June 2016

After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement over its status, Panama now "recognises that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo signed the communique in Beijing.

"This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, adding that Panama's decision was in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".

Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an "important step" and started a "new page in our strategic relations"

The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

Panama had long stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.

Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue.

- Taiwan's anger -

Chinese ships are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue

Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

In December China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation ditched the island.

Taiwan reacted furiously to the latest move.

"We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so-called 'one China' policy to continue to suppress Taiwan's international space through various means," the presidential office said.

"This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese people's survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan strait and the region."

Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island's previous Beijing-friendly government.

But relations have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen's China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power in a landslide election victory last year.

Tsai has refused to acknowledge the concept that Taiwan is part of "one China", unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.

Cross-strait tensions have been further exacerbated by a highly unusual call from Tsai to congratulate then US President-elect Donald Trump, who questioned Washington's policy towards the island, including its decision to not formally recognise its government.
Migrants from Eritrea sit on a bus at the al-Laffa border crossing in Sudan's eastern Kassala state on the Eritrea-Sudan border on May 2, 2017

It was Efrem Desta's yearning for freedom that made him flee his home country of Eritrea and enter Sudan illegally, hoping that he could later make it to Europe.

But he and a group of fellow migrants were abducted by Sudanese Bedouin Rashaida tribesmen after they crossed into east Sudan near Al-Laffa village.

"We fled Eritrea because we wanted freedom, but when we got here we were captured by Rashaida," said Desta, 20, speaking in his native Tigrinya language.

"After five days in captivity, we were rescued."

Sudanese security forces, who have stepped up their patrols along the 600-kilometre (370-mile) frontier with Eritrea in a bid to curb migrant smuggling, freed the group.

They were found handcuffed and in chains, security officers said, and have now joined nearly 30,000 other refugees in Wadi Sherifay camp, a vast conglomerate of thatched huts and dusty tracks near the border.

Eritrean migrants sit at the Wadi Sherifay camp on May 2, 2017, after being caught by Sudanese border security illegally crossing the Eritrea-Sudan border in the eastern Kassala state

Most of the rescued Eritreans say they fled their country to escape military conscription, but some do admit leaving to seek better jobs abroad.

Sudanese police and agents of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) say dozens of Eritreans try to enter Sudan illegally every day.

"There are many ways they enter, including walking along the river Gash," one security officer told an AFP correspondent who toured border areas of Kasala state at the beginning of May.

The migrants cross into Sudan on foot after walking for days or in some cases even weeks.

- Key transit point -

"They usually travel at night and hide out during the day in farms, plantations and forests," the officer said, pointing to a patch of trees lining the dry riverbed.

Although Syrians fleeing their brutal civil war fuel the current migration crisis, experts say there are also many Eritreans trying to reach Europe.

Members of Sudanese border security forces patrol the Sudan-Eritrea border for smugglers and illegal migrants near the eastern Sudanese border town of Kassala on May 2, 2017

"An estimated 100,000 migrants travelled across Sudan in 2016, the bulk of them being Eritreans," said Asfand Waqar, analyst at the International Organization of Migration (IOM).

Sudan, in the Horn of Africa, is a key transit point on the migrant route to Europe.

From Kasala the Eritreans travel across Sudan to Libya or Egypt.

Smugglers then cram them aboard rickety boats for perilous Mediterranean voyages aimed at reaching landfall in Europe.

In summer, the long windswept cross-border Gash riverbed comes alive at night with the march of migrants.

"We still don't do night patrols, so it's easy for them to move during the hours of darkness," the security officer said.

Behind him under the scorching midday sun, a group of machinegun-toting border guards crossed the riverbed in pick-up trucks to begin a patrol.

Officers say that their boosted presence along the border had also helped them catch several people smugglers.

"The smugglers, who are mostly Eritrean, have excellent networks and high-tech communications gear," another security officer said.

An illegal migrant from Eritrea sits on a bus at the al-Laffa border crossing in Sudan's eastern Kassala state on the Eritrea-Sudan border as she is deported from Sudan back to her homeland on May 2, 2017

"They know more about us than we know about them."

- Big business -

Migrant smuggling has become a multi-billion-dollar business, experts say.

"It's the financial capability of a migrant that determines how much he would be charged. It's an exploitative system," said Waqar, with the cost ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

An Eritrean woman planning to travel to Europe from Khartoum said she was told to raise $2,500.

Kasala police chief General Yahya Sulayman said Sudan alone cannot stop the smuggling of people along the "long and complicated" border.

Eritrean migrants stand at the Wadi Sherifay camp on May 2, 2017, after being caught by Sudanese border security illegally crossing the Eritrea-Sudan border in the eastern Kassala state

"We need international help, hi-tech communication equipment, vehicles, cameras and even drones to monitor the border," he told AFP.

Washington-based think tank Enough Project says the European Union paid Khartoum millions of euros to buy equipment that would help stem the migrant flow.

Some funding also went to the Rapid Support Force (RSF), a paramilitary group fighting rebels in war-torn Darfur, and whose members are also used for border patrols, the think tank said.

General Sulayman denied that any RSF members were deployed along the Sudan-Eritrea border.

"The border patrols are carried out by police, NISS and Sudanese armed forces," he said.

"All these troops are jointly fighting organised cross-border crime."

Eritreans in camps such as Wadi Sherifay say they live in a constant state of fear.

"The Eritrean military has its agents everywhere. They can catch us and take us back," said one who still dreams of reaching Europe.

"It's not safe for us to be here for long."
Resident living near the plant unsuccessfully argued that the utility had not taken enough measures to prevent an accident linked to a natural disaster

A Japanese court Tuesday gave the green light to switch on two more nuclear reactors despite heavy public opposition, in the latest victory for the government's pro-atomic push.

Local residents lost their bid for an injunction to block the refiring of the No.3 and No.4 reactors at the Genkai nuclear plant in southwestern Japan on safety grounds, according to a district court official.

The site, operated by Kyushu Electric Power, lies some 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Kumamoto prefecture which was hit by a deadly earthquake last year.

Residents unsuccessfully argued that the utility had not taken enough measures to prevent an accident linked to a natural disaster.

The restarts are not likely to happen for at least several months.

The court ruling comes a week after another utility switched on a reactor at the Takahama plant in Fukui prefecture, some 350 kilometres (215 miles) west of Tokyo, bringing the number of running reactors in Japan to five.

Dozens more in the country still remain offline.

The nuclear plant lies some 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Kumamoto prefecture which was hit by a deadly earthquake last year

Japan shut down all of its atomic reactors after a powerful earthquake in March 2011 spawned a huge tsunami that led to meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

It was the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Since then, just a handful of reactors have come back online due to public opposition and as legal cases work their way through the courts.

However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has aggressively promoted nuclear energy, calling it essential to powering the world's third-largest economy.

Much of the public remains wary of nuclear power after the disaster at Fukushima spewed radiation over a large area and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, with some unlikely to ever return.

Last week, Japan's nuclear energy agency said five employees were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation after a bag containing plutonium broke apart during a routine inspection.
Guinean President Alpha Conde (L) presents a student with a tablet computer in October 2015 but his campaign promise of 'one student' one tablet' has yet to materialise

Footage of Guinea's President Alpha Conde, 79, berating and mocking students has morphed into a national debate about his conduct, forcing the government to repeat a promise to provide university-goers with tablet computers.

Tensions began at a student forum held on June 1, when Conde ranted at a booing section of young attendees, accusing them of throwing a tantrum for jumping up and down while chanting "Tablets! Tablets!"

Conde made a "one student, one tablet" campaign promise during a 2015 presidential election that has yet to materialise, with youth groups saying it embodies another failure by his administration to address holes in education financing.

But what has really incensed Guineans is a widely shared video showing Conde's reaction to the students' cries, with both sides accusing the other of disrespect in a society where deference to elders is expected.

"I would like to offer my excuses for the rude behaviour of these people, who are not representative of Guinea's youth," Conde says to attending international dignitaries, before turning his wrath on the students.

"I was a student before you, we made Africa proud of us. You are like baby goats. 'Tablets', tablets'," he mocks. "Like baby goats!"

The expression he uses -- "sauter comme un cabri" (jump like a baby goat) -- is a nod to French president Charles De Gaulle, who used it to mean someone making a big fuss for nothing.

Conde goes to say the tablets are "not a right", even for students in the United States and France, calling his audience "unworthy" of the devices, before threatening to cancel the policy entirely.

"You can jump up and down and shout until tomorrow, it doesn't bother me," Conde declares, jabbing with his finger, his voice raised in anger.

Tensions were so high at the People's Palace in Conakry that the vice-rector of Lansana Conte University, an establishment close to the capital, had a heart attack on the spot and died.

A rector from another university was hospitalised following the incident.

- 'Family argument' -

Although tensions have calmed and the government has attempted to make amends, students are not letting go easily.

"Nobody is asking him anything because now we have understood. He has not kept a promise since he took power," said Mamadou Soumare, a medical student.

On Facebook, commenters such as Guiramba Koikoi Kalivogui told Conde "a promise is a debt," urging him to "have the courage to pay for the tablets."

Others noted a lack of respect on the students' side, while nonetheless calling on Conde to do as he had promised.

The presidency announced last week that Conde had gathered his higher education minister and advisors for a comprehensive meeting on the distribution of tablets to universities.

Advisor Tibou Kamara described a "family argument" that had got out of hand, describing Conde as a "father" who had failed to hand over a "present".

"Some of them lacked restraint in his presence," Kamara told AFP.

According to the higher education ministry, Guinea counts 100,000 university students, with just 600 subsidised tablets distributed so far due to technical problems including the compiling of biometric data.

Guinea ranked 156 of 173 countries globally in terms of spending linked to GDP, according to the most recent available figures from the CIA World Factbook, and the sector is beset by strikes.
SC permits CBSE to declare NEET 2017 results

IANS, New Delhi| Published : 12th June, 2017

The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to declare the results of NEET 2017 for under graduate medical courses.

Staying a Madras High Court order restraining the CBSE from declaring the result of NEET 2017 for under graduate medical courses - MBBS/BDS, the vacation bench of Justice Prafulla C. Pant and Justice Deepak Gupta said that no High Court across the country would entertain any plea relating to the NEET 2017.

Staying May 24 order of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, Justice Pant passing the order said: "The High Court shouldn't have easily and liberally interfered with the schedule."

The apex court order will pave the way for counselling and admission to 56,000 MBBS/BDS seats in the country. NEET exam was held on May 7.

Saying that the High Court order amounted to "diluting the schedule fixed by the Supreme Court" in 2016, the vacation bench said that all the steps taken consequent to its order would be subject to the outcome of the matter before it.

Issuing notice on the plea by the CBSE and individual petitioners Namita Sibal and Apoorva Atul Joshi, the bench directed the listing of the matter after the court reopens after its summer vacation.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh told the bench that as per the schedule, the CBSE had to declare the NEET result by June 8. The NEET is now held as a statutory mandate.

Addressing the court, Additional Solicitor General Singh said there are nearly 13 lakh students who had appeared for NEET - 2017 out of which 10.50 lakh had taken their exam in English and Hindi.

The court was also told that besides English and Hindi, in pursuance to the top court's earlier orders there were question papers in eight vernacular languages too.

Since it was for the first time that NEET question papers were set in eight different languages, ASG Singh said that there was a need for translators and evaluators in eight different languages including Tamil and Gujarati.

The court was told that there were 10 set of question papers with different question but the difficulty level of these question papers was the same.

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A palestinian family eats dinner by candlelight at their makeshift home in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, during a power outage on June 11, 2017

Hamas this week marks 10 years since taking power in Gaza with the Palestinian enclave at risk of conflict and facing electricity blackouts, poverty and Israel's blockade, analysts and officials say.

The situation is likely to be further complicated by the Saudi-led diplomatic row with Qatar, which has been a major donor to the Gaza Strip but may be forced to reduce its support due to the dispute.

Divisions remain deep between the Islamist movement Hamas and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah, based in the occupied West Bank, with reconciliation between the two rivals seemingly a long way off.

"It's the Gazans who pay the price," said rights activist Hamdi Shaqura, with nearly half of the population unemployed and more than three-quarters dependant on humanitarian aid.

Hamas has run Gaza since June 15, 2007, having seized it in a near civil war from Fatah following a dispute over parliamentary elections won by the Islamist movement.

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza have since fought three wars with Israel.

Palestinian youths play volleyball on a street at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2017

Israel's blockade of the strip, now more than a decade old, has heavily damaged Gaza's economy, while the enclave's crossing with Egypt has remained largely closed in recent years as well.

Egypt has also destroyed most of the tunnels Gazans used for smuggling to and from the Sinai peninsula.

Adding to those woes, Abbas's Palestinian Authority has taken steps many analysts say are designed to pressure Hamas, including salary cuts for PA employees in Gaza and slashed electricity payments, further worsening an already severe power shortage.

- 'Big loser is us' -

Those moves have come as Gazans observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and as the summer heat sets in.

"People can no longer buy or sell," said Nahed Abu Salem, who runs a candy shop in the Jabalia refugee camp, with cuts to civil servants' salaries taking a hit on the economy.

Palestinian children fill jerricans with drinking water from public taps during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2017

Ayed Hassouna, a 34-year-old coffee seller, says he spends 300 shekels ($85, 75 euros) every day on a generator to operate a bean-grinding machine, making his business unprofitable.

"In any case, we can't produce anything without electricity," he said.

Many analysts say the situation could further worsen in the enclave of some two million people squeezed between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.

In the past, Hamas backer Qatar has regularly stepped in with financial assistance.

But Qatar now faces a diplomatic crisis, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others cutting ties after accusing it of supporting extremist groups.

"The big loser is us," said Ahmed Yousef, a senior Hamas member who has been a pragmatic voice within the Islamist movement labelled a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

"It is us who are going to pay the price."

Hamas has sought to soften its image in recent months with a new policy document somewhat easing its stance on Israel while still not recognising the country.

But it has also faced increasing isolation.

Relations with Egypt deteriorated after the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi by Egypt's then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

It also lost Syria's support during the Arab Spring uprisings.

- 'It has to decide' -

Gazans are left to endure the fallout.

Palestinian youths play with their dogs on the beach during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Gaza City, on June 10, 2017

They have been receiving three to four hours of electricity per day, but Abbas's reported decision to slash payments has led Israel to reduce supplies.

When that takes effect, the strip will be left with around two or three hours per day.

Concerns have been raised for hospitals and infrastructure such as water treatment facilities -- already at risk.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned of the possibility of a "systemic collapse".

For Yousef, it amounts to a situation where, for many young people, "it's better to die than live".

Young people came together for protests against electricity shortages in January, including one in which thousands in northern Gaza walked to the local headquarters of the electricity company.

Hamas security forces fired warning shots and made arrests as they dispersed the protesters.

Whether the tensions will lead to another escalation between Hamas and Israel is a question constantly being posed.

While UN officials have called for Israel to lift its blockade, citing deteriorating conditions, Israel says it is needed to stop Hamas from obtaining weapons or materials used to make them.

"It cannot be that Hamas collects taxes from the residents of Gaza, and these taxes go to tunnels, to rockets, not to the development of Gaza, to the development of the electricity sector, to the water sector, and now it has to decide what it wants," Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday.

Hamas says it must defend itself in the face of Israel's overwhelming power and that the blockade stops it from importing needed material while stifling its economy.

Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political scientist in Gaza, said he does not see the blockade being lifted until Hamas gives up power in the strip.

But, for him, Hamas agreeing to do so could "avoid more catastrophes".
A Bangladeshi woman mourns next to bodies of relatives (not pictured) after a landslide in Bandarban

Heavy monsoon rains and landslides have killed at least 134 people in southeast Bangladesh, burying many in their homes as they slept, authorities said Tuesday.

Three young children from the same family were among those killed in the disaster, which comes just weeks after a cyclone battered the region and destroyed camps housing thousands of Rohingya refugees.

Police warned the death toll would likely rise as emergency workers reached remote parts of the Chittagong Hills, where telephone and transport links had been cut.

Manzurul Mannan, the government administrator of the worst-hit Rangamati district, said at least 98 people were killed in the hilly region alone.

"The death toll might rise," Mannan told AFP.

At least 30 people were killed in neighbouring Chittagong and another six in Bandarban, officials told AFP, adding about 15 people were missing, feared buried under chunks of mud.

Bangladesh

Many of the victims were from poor tribal communities in the remote hill district of Rangamati, close to the Indian border, where mudslides buried hundreds of homes.

One woman described the ground sliding from beneath their family home in the dead of night, sending them fleeing to a house next door.

"A few other families also took shelter there, but just after dawn a section of hill fell on the house. Six people are still missing," Khatiza Begum told local news website Bangla Tribune at Rangamati hospital.

District police chief Sayed Tariqul Hasan said most of the landslides happened before dawn Tuesday.

"Some of them were sleeping in their houses on hillsides when the landslides occurred," he said.

Police and local authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of people living in slums at the base of hills in the neighbouring district of Chittagong, where 30 people have been confirmed dead.

At least 126 people were killed in that district when a massive landslide buried a village a decade ago.

In the latest incident six people were killed in the nearby district of Bandarban, among them three children buried by a landslide as they slept in their home.

Authorities have opened 18 shelters in the worst-hit hill districts, where 4,500 people have been evacuated, disaster management and relief minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya told reporters.

- 'Constant fear' -

Head of disaster management department Reaz Ahmed said disaster response teams had been deployed but had not yet been able to reach all the affected areas.

"Once the rains are over, we'll get a full picture of the damage and get the recovery work in full swing," he added.

The monsoon rains came two weeks after Cyclone Mora smashed into Bangladesh's southeast, killing at least eight people and damaging tens of thousands of homes.

Rohingya leader Mohammad Anam said the latest rains had further worsened conditions in camps that were badly hit by the cyclone.

"We're living in constant fear of landslides," he told AFP.

Around 300,000 Rohingya, a mainly Muslim stateless ethnic minority, are living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

Heavy monsoon rains also pounded the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong in the district of the same name, disrupting traffic for hours and flooding key roads and business districts.

A ferry sank in the River Buriganga in Dhaka on Monday evening with an estimated 100 passengers aboard, police said, adding all the passengers had managed to swim ashore.

Among the victims in Rangamati district were at least four soldiers who had been sent to clear roads after an earlier landslide.

Thousands of troops are stationed in Rangamati, where a tribal insurgency raged for two decades, and which still suffers sporadic violence.

Bangladeshi fire fighters and residents search for bodies after a landslide in Bandarban

"The soldiers were sent to clear roads hit by landslide in Manikchhari town when they were themselves buried by a second landslide," armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Rashidul Hassan told AFP.

"They fell 30 feet (nine metres) from the main road," he said, adding one soldier was missing and 10 injured, five critically.
Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli has lived in Miami since January 2015 after leaving the country days before the Supreme Court launched a corruption investigation against him

Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli -- accused by his country of corruption and spying on political opponents -- was arrested at his residence near Miami late on Monday, local media reported.

Martinelli, detained at his home in Coral Gables south of Miami, is being held in federal prison and faces extradition to Panama, the Miami Herald quoted the US Marshals Service as saying.

Martinelli will appear in federal court Tuesday morning, the newspaper said.

Panama's Supreme Court ordered his arrest in 2015 over accusations that he used public funds to illegally spy on telephone calls and emails of more than 150 prominent opponents.

Martinelli denies the accusations, saying they are politically motivated. A supermarket tycoon, he governed from 2009 to 2014.

Panama made a request for his extradition last year.

The international police agency Interpol issued a "red notice" on the government's request last month.

Panamanian authorities have opened some 200 investigations into Martinelli's administration, according to Transparency International.

Allegations include accusations that he helped embezzle $45 million from a government school-lunch program, as well as other cases of extortion, bribe-taking, misappropriation of public funds and abuse of power.

Martinelli has lived in Miami since January 2015 after leaving Panama days before the Supreme Court launched a corruption investigation against him.
A statue of a cow is seen during a protest and fast by Indian Hindu devotees against the slaughter of a cow in the southern state of Kerala on June 1, 2017

Eight men have been arrested for violently ambushing a government convoy transporting cows in northwest India, police said Tuesday, the latest assault by vigilantes claiming to protect the sacred animal.

A mob of about 200 Hindu hardliners Sunday blocked the convoy of trucks in Rajasthan state as government officials escorted 80 cows and calves to a state-run breeding programme in India's south.

They attacked the officials after accusing them of taking the cows to a slaughterhouse, local police chief Gagandeep Singla told AFP.

"They stopped the trucks on the pretext of checking documents and then attacked them with sticks and damaged the trucks," he said, adding the mob tried to set the vehicles ablaze.

More than 50 vigilantes have been identified and charged with assaulting public officials, he added. One of those targeted in the 30-minute attack sustained serious head injuries.

Hindus, the majority in India, consider cows sacred and killing the beasts is illegal in many states, with life sentences imposed in some jurisdictions.

The ambush in Rajasthan was just the latest by self-proclaimed cow protection squads -- mobs of Hindu hardliners who attack anyone suspected of abusing the animals.

In April a mob beat a 55-year-old Muslim cattle farmer to death in Rajasthan after accusing him of cow smuggling. The man was transporting cows to a dairy farm.

Muslims dominate the meat industry and are often the targets of assaults.

Human Rights Watch has accused police of often filing complaints against victims and their families instead of the vigilantes, who roam highways near state borders largely with impunity.

Violence perpetrated in the name of protecting cows has surged since Prime Minister Narendra Modi led his right-wing Hindu party to power in 2014.

Critics accuse the Bharatiya Janata Party -- which promised during the election campaign to completely outlaw cow slaughter across India -- of turning a blind eye to the activities of its hardline supporters.

Last month the Modi administration banned the sale and purchase of cattle from markets for slaughter, causing an outcry in states where cow meat is legally consumed.

At least a dozen Muslims have been killed by vigilantes since Modi was elected, drawing global condemnation from rights groups.
Panama's Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi drink a toast after signing a joint communique on establishing diplomatic relations, in Beijing

China delivered another diplomatic punch to Taiwan on Tuesday by establishing relations with Panama at the expense of Taipei, further isolating the island's Beijing-skeptic government.

China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a renegade province waiting to be reunited with the mainland, has been infuriated by President Tsai Ing-wen's refusal to acknowledge the island as part of "one China", unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.

Panama is the third country to switch allegiances to China since Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power last year, China's nationalistic Global Times reported, warning more would follow in a "domino effect".

"This is the cost the Tsai administration needs to pay," the newspaper said in an editorial.

- 'Historic moment' -

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado toasted with champagne in Beijing after signing a communique formalizing the establishment of diplomatic relations while angering Taiwan.

"This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, adding that Panama's decision was in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".

Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an "important step" and started a "new page in our strategic relations."

"It is just the beginning of a roadmap that we are establishing now to broaden our bilateral agenda."

The two countries issued a joint statement saying: "In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level."

After decades of siding with Taiwan, Panama now "recognizes that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory, said the joint communique.

- 'Teach a lesson' -

The Panama move infuriated Taiwan, which is still recognized by around 20 mostly small and economically weak countries, including Haiti, Tuvalu and Burkina Faso.

"Beijing's action has impacted the stable cross-strait status quo. This is unacceptable for the Taiwanese people and we will not sit back and watch our country's interests being repeatedly threatened and challenged," Tsai told reporters in Taipei.

"As the president, maintaining national sovereignty is my biggest responsibility. Greater challenge will bring stronger will. Taiwanese people's faith should not and will not be defeated easily. We will not be shaken."

- Trump factor -

Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island's previous Beijing-friendly government, but relations have deteriorated since Tsai took office.

Taiwan Foreign Minister David Lee speaks at the Foreign Ministry in Taipei on June 13, 2017. Taiwan reacted furiously to the news Panama and China were establishing diplomatic relations

China "is seeking to undermine President Tsai while intimidating Taiwan by narrowing its international space," said Michael Cole, Taipei-based senior fellow with the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham.

Cross-strait tensions have been further exacerbated by a highly unusual call from Tsai to congratulate then US President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump questioned Washington's policy towards the island but later reiterated Washington's One China policy.

"I think the phone call has reinforced Beijing's determination to teach Taiwan a lesson," said Willy Lam, an expert on politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

- Panama Canal -

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced his decision in a nationally televised address.

"The People's Republic of China has always played a relevant role in Panama's economy," he said.

He said the announcement heralded "a new era of opportunities."

Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, a crucial gateway for global trade between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

"It's about who can give the most," said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor of politics at the UNSW Canberra college in Australia. "Taiwan has resources but it can't match China."

Panama's deputy foreign minister Luis Miguel Hincapie, said on television Tuesday that Panama hoped to open commercial offices in Panama and Taiwan to maintain their trade ties.

Through diplomatic ties with China meanwhile, "Panama can become a bridge for Asia to the whole of Latin America," said Trade and Industry Minister Augusto Arosemena on television channel Telemetro.
Members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand in the village of Hazima on the northern outskirts of the Islamic State (IS) group's Syrian bastion of Raqa on June 6, 2017

Islamic State group jihadists waged fierce battles Tuesday in their Syrian stronghold Raqa in a bid to repel US-backed fighters advancing towards the walls of the Old City.

The Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) entered Raqa a week ago, after months of fighting to encircle the northern city that has become a jihadist bastion.

Since then, they have seized one neighbourhood in western Raqa and another in the east, where they are now battling to secure control of the Al-Senaa district that leads to the Old City.

Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the SDF campaign for Raqa, said the jihadist group was putting up stiff resistance.

"There is fierce fighting against Daesh which is making heavy use of mines and snipers and sometimes car bombs," she told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Raqa

She said clashes in Al-Senaa were continuing on Tuesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also reported heavy IS attacks against SDF fighters in the area.

"The district is not yet completely secured because of the repeated jihadist attacks," the Britain-based group said.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the capture of Al-Senaa would be the SDF's "most important advance in the battle for Raqa because it brings them to the centre of the city."

"The main battle for Raqa will take place in the city centre," he said.

He added that a large number of IS fighters were holed up in the Old City, where the jihadist group is also believed to have dug tunnels to facilitate their defence of the area.

Since entering Raqa on June 6, the SDF has captured the eastern neighbourhood of Al-Meshleb, as well as Al-Rumaniya in the city's west.

It is now battling to push from Al-Rumaniya into the neighbouring Hatin district.

- Calls to protect civilians -

The SDF has yet to enter the city from the north, but on Monday captured a military base and adjacent factory after days of clashes and heavy air strikes by the US-led coalition against IS.

IS seized Raqa in 2014, transforming it into the de facto Syrian capital of its self-declared "caliphate".

It became infamous as the scene of some of the group's worst atrocities including public beheadings, and it is also thought to have been a hub for planning attacks overseas.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled from Raqa and its surroundings since US-backed Syrian forces announced an operation to capture the city in November

An estimated 300,000 civilians were believed to have been living under IS rule in Raqa, including 80,000 displaced from other parts of Syria.

Tens of thousands have fled from the city and its surroundings since the SDF announced the operation to capture Raqa in November.

The UN refugee agency said Tuesday it estimated that more than 430,000 people were in need of assistance across the province.

The UN estimates around 160,000 people remain in Raqa city, where conditions have deteriorated, according to activists.

Civilians also risk being caught in the crossfire, with nearly 90 killed in the city, including 18 children, in the week since the SDF entered, according to the Observatory.

Others have been killed or wounded trying to flee the city, either by IS fighters or in air strikes by the US-led coalition.

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called on the SDF and the US-led coalition to protect civilians and respect human rights as they press their offensive.

They urged parties to the fighting to take "all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties", as well as respect detainee rights and provide safe passage for fleeing civilians.

"The battle for Raqa is not just about defeating ISIS," said HRW deputy Middle East director Lama Fakih, using an alternate acronym for IS.

"Coalition members and local forces should demonstrate concretely that the lives and rights of the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Raqa are a parallel priority in the offensive."

Syrian government forces are not involved in the battle for Raqa, but they are advancing in an area southwest of the city, skirting around SDF fighters.

On Tuesday, they seized nine villages and IS positions south of the city, the Observatory said.

Government forces are hoping to secure eastern Aleppo province which neighbours Raqa from IS counterattack, but also to advance towards IS-held Deir Ezzor province east of Raqa.
The British and Irish Lions react after defeat to the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on June 13, 2017

The British and Irish Lions stumbled to a 23-22 defeat to the Otago Highlanders on Tuesday as they suffered the second loss of their tour ahead of next week's first Test against the All Blacks.

The Lions finally found their attacking mojo, scoring three tries to two -- more than doubling their try tally so far -- but lost from a winning position through a late penalty.

They now have two wins and two losses after four outings on their gruelling 10-match New Zealand tour, with the first Test in Auckland looming a week on Saturday.

The match was played at breakneck pace in front of a capacity 27,000 crowd at Forsyth Barr stadium, with both sides attempting to run the ball under the covered roof.

It resulted in a chaotic scramble in the final minutes, when replacement fly-half Marty Banks potted a penalty to give the Highlanders a one-point edge.

Otago Highlanders players celebrate victory against the British and Irish Lions in Dunedin on June 13, 2017

Elliot Daly attempted to return fire but his long-range penalty effort fell just short, before centre Jonathan Joseph's knock-on after the siren dashed hopes of a last-gasp comeback.

The loss against a Highlanders side missing seven players on international duty was a disappointment for Warren Gatland's men, who were looking to build momentum after beating the Canterbury Crusaders on Saturday.

They also have concerns over lock Courtney Lawes, who went off in the first half with head knock. Fullback Stuart Hogg earlier departed the tour after suffering a facial fracture against the Crusaders.

- Haka-free zone -

The Lions showed attacking intent, with captain Sam Warburton among the try-scorers as he fights to secure his Test spot after a run of injuries.

The Highlanders decided against performing a haka before the match and were instead led out by a piper before captain Luke Whitelock handed Warburton a giant claymore sword.

The hosts tested fullback Jared Payne under the high ball early but he proved up to the challenge, prompting them to send the ball wide.

After a penalty apiece, All Black Waisake Naholo scored the first try after Malakai Fekitoa broke the Lions' defensive line and flanker Gareth Evans off-loaded as he was being crashed to the ground.

Joseph hit straight back with a scything run that left Highlanders fullback Richard Buckman flailing, locking up the scores 10-10 at the break.

Scottish winger Tommy Seymour put the Lions into the lead just after the restart, beating Fekitoa in the air as he tried to gather Naholo's cross-field kick.

Warburton then gave the tourists a third try after a dominant Lions scrum, only for Highlander Liam Coltman to retaliate from a lineout drive.

That reduced the arrears to 22-20, and Owen Farrell missed a chance to give the Lions some breathing space with a penalty from out wide.

But Banks made no mistake after the Highlanders won a scrum penalty, coolly slotting over the posts to put the hosts ahead 23-22 with eight minutes to go.

Daly's ambitious kick from 56 metres fell just short before Joseph's mistake ended the match, a harsh result for the try-scorer, who was one of the Lions' standouts.

The Lions' next tour match is against the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday, with the first Test in Auckland a week later.
Thailand and China -- led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha and President Xi Jinping -- are increasingly close friends and have agreed to lay the track that will ultimately cut through the Laos' border to Thailand's south.

Thailand's junta chief on Tuesday said he would invoke his 'absolute powers' to clear hurdles holding up a multi-billion-dollar deal with China to build a high-speed railway.

The two countries, who are increasingly close friends, have agreed to lay the track that will ultimately cut through the Laos' border to Thailand's south.

Beijing's big plan is to link the southern Chinese city of Kunming by rail with Singapore and work has already begun on the line in Laos.

But the deal with Thailand has been beset by delays, including a tussle over the initial loan terms from Beijing.

More recently construction has been set back by a Thai law limiting the number of foreign nationals who can work as engineers and architects on mega-projects inside the kingdom.

On Tuesday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said he would force through the deal, if necessary using Article 44 -- a self-granted law dubbed an absolute power by critics.

"The government must solve the problem otherwise it will hit snags or legal issues and it will look like the government can't achieve anything," he told reporters.

Article 44 is a controversial power Prayut granted himself to make any executive decision in the name of national security.

He has used the law on a raft of issues, from sacking officials to raiding a controversial temple, to deputising all soldiers with policing powers.

His government defends it as a needed tool that bypasses Thailand's sclerotic bureaucracy.

But critics say it is a vivid illustration of the junta's unaccountable powers.

Prayut's comments will be a comfort to Beijing.

The rail deal with China is one of the biggest foreign investment projects in Thailand in years and is part of China's huge regional infrastructure drive.

The first stage of the Thai railway, a high-speed line between Bangkok and the north eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, is alone worth 179 billion baht ($5.2 billion).

The vast majority of technical expertise will come from Chinese engineers, something that may disgruntle Thai construction firms that stand to lose out.

Under junta rule Bangkok has cosied up to Beijing, splurging billions on Chinese arms and welcoming investment from the regional superpower.

Washington's relationship with Bangkok cooled under the previous administration of Barack Obama over the junta's rights abuses.

But Donald Trump has signalled relations may be rebooted by inviting Prayut to visit the White House.
Three more people have been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building but the search goes on for other survivors

Rescue workers pulled a mother and two children from the rubble of a collapsed seven-storey building in the Kenyan capital Nairobi Tuesday, but several people were still missing.

Officials said they had evacuated most residents before the building came down late Monday, but the incident has rekindled the controversy over unregulated construction in the city.

The building collapsed in a poor neighbourhood near Nairobi's international airport southeast of the capital, Red Cross spokeswoman Noellah Musundi told AFP Tuesday.

"The collapse was not completely unexpected, which allowed us to evacuate most of the people," Musundi said of the disaster which struck the Kware area of Mukuru Kwa Reuben, one of Nairobi's biggest slums.

She said the exact number of missing was unclear but that rescuers were still searching for survivors.

But later Tuesday, a senior official announced the rescue of another three survivors: a woman and two children -- a girl and a boy.

"All have been stabilised and evacuated to hospital... for further treatment," said Pius Masai, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU).

- Some refused evacuation -

Police and local residents said the authorities were alerted on Monday after cracks appeared in the building. That prompted an urgent evacuation before it collapsed two hours later, at around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT).

"Most families cooperated and (were) evacuated safely. However, it is believed that some people may have been trapped. Rescue efforts are ongoing," said Masai.

Some residents expressed fears for the fate of family members and neighbours who had not immediately responded to the order to evacuate the seven-storey building in Nairobi's Mukuru Kwa Reuben slum

Resident Dorothy Ouko told AFP she was worried about her 15-year-old son and 22-year-old nephew who had insisted on finishing their dinner before leaving the building.

"My three other kids were out of the house when it collapsed," she said, adding that a neighbour on the sixth floor had also insisted on staying, dismissing fears the building would cave.

"She was in the house with her two children and we don't know where they are now or whether they are alive."

Masai said that by midday, 128 tenants had been accounted for, but it was not immediately clear how many people had been living there.

The rescue operation was hampered by a lack of space and an adjacent seven-storey building that also appeared to be unstable, he added.

Tenants from the neighbouring building were also evacuated, he said.

Images posted on Twitter by the Kenyan Red Cross showed work to clear the rubble with the help of an excavator, with parts of the building's red roof clearly visible.

A fire engine was also on site as well as a number of soldiers.

- No planning permission -

Some 128 people were evacuated from the seven-storey building before it collapsed overnight in a sprawling slum near Nairobi's airport, with the neighbouring structure - of the same height - also evacuated over safety concerns

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero said the structure was built in 2007 without official approval.

"It was one of the buildings that was marked for demolition, but because of issues of security we had not demolished it," he said.

"House owners go to court and obtain orders and you know we cannot demolish houses that have court orders."

But local residents blamed government officials.

"Every time they tell us they are demolishing substandard houses. They demolish one or two and move on. We never get to hear from them until a tragedy like this occurs," said Francis Mwangi, who lives near the collapsed building.

"This is all about corruption and inefficiency."

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with little regard for regulations.

Such incidents have raised questions about the quality of building materials and construction standards in a country where rampant corruption has seen unscrupulous developers using bribes to avoid regulations.

In April 2016, 49 people died when a six-storey building collapsed in a poor neighbourhood northeast of the capital after days of heavy rain caused floods and landslides.

The building, constructed two years earlier, had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.
Google opened its Jakarta office in 2011

Indonesia has reached an agreement with Google over payment of taxes, the country's finance minister said Tuesday, after a long-running dispute with the US tech giant.

The two sides have been locked in a row since last year when the government alleged that the California-based company had refused to cooperate with its tax office.

A senior tax official had claimed the company had not fulfilled its obligations and owed over $400 million in taxes and fines for 2015 alone. Google insisted it had paid all taxes due in Indonesia since opening its Jakarta office in 2011.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told reporters Tuesday that "we had a discussion with them (Google) and reached an agreement based on the 2016 tax report, but because it is confidential we don't disclose the amount".

She did not give further details, and it was not clear whether an agreement had also been reached regarding tax payments prior to 2016.

No one from the tax office or Google's Jakarta office could be reached for comment.

Jakarta has also put pressure on other foreign tech behemoths such as Facebook and Yahoo over their tax arrangements inside Indonesia.

Global tech businesses have flooded Indonesia in recent years to capitalise on the exploding number of internet users in the Southeast Asian nation, where an increasing number of people are going online for the first time using smartphones.

A third of Indonesia's 255 million have access to the internet but analysts say that number is likely to increase as connectivity improves across the sprawling archipelago.
An Iraqi Rapid Response Division member aims his gun towards Islamic State group fighters inside a building in Mosul's western Al-Shifa district on June 12, 2017

The bullets of jihadists rain down outside the Mosul kindergarten, where dozens of terrified Iraqi civilians are sheltering from fighting in their northern city.

Confused, scared and exhausted, the civilians -- mostly women, including one in a wheelchair -- huddle in the pre-school after Iraqi forces brought them in for protection.

The sounds of sniper fire, air strikes, and shelling echo all around them, as Iraqi forces fight to dislodge Islamic State group fighters from a nearby building.

Iraqi forces are fighting to retake Mosul from IS, after the jihadist group overran the city in 2014, imposing its brutal rule on its inhabitants.

Naja Abdallah, 70, says she didn't dare leave her house until Iraqi forces arrived in her district of west Mosul, and even then fled with family members under heavy fire.

"We had no more electricity, no water, no medicine -- nothing but God's mercy," she says, as sniper and artillery fire continue unabated in the Al-Shifaa district outside.

Iraqi forces have managed to retake most of Mosul since launching the battle for IS's last major Iraqi stronghold seven months ago, but the advance has slowed in the last districts under jihadist control.

IS's grip on Mosul has been reduced to the Old City and several nearby areas, but the jihadists are putting up significant resistance and up to 200,000 civilians may be caught in the fighting.

Iraqi fighters inside the pre-school have led women to one room, while they check the identities of the men -- young and old -- somewhere else.

An Iraqi woman stands inside a building in Mosul's western Al-Shifa district as Iraqi forces battle against Islamic State group fighters on June 12, 2017

The anti-IS forces thoroughly screen fleeing civilians in a bid to make sure no jihadists escape among them.

- 'We won't let IS sleep' -

Omran, a 24-year-old who has grown his beard long like all men under IS rule, is one of those who is separated from his family for vetting.

"We've lived through tough, terrifying days. We've really been through a lot," he says, just before he is whisked away.

The fighting intensified around his home in recent days, he says, and his family escaped to their neighbour's house after their own was hit in the fighting.

"I hope to God it all gets better," Omran says.

Women quietly break down into tears after the men are taken away, as an Iraqi commander shouts coordinates over the radio for warplanes and artillery gunmen to target the jihadists.

Sniper fire intensifies around the building, where civilians are holed up with journalists and members of the interior ministry's elite Rapid Response force fighting IS.

Sniper fire hits and gravely wounds a reporter for a local television station, and Iraqi forces intervene to evacuate him to a medical point.

"The sniper will either be killed or flee," says Rapid Response officer Hussein Ali.

Iraqi civilians take shelter inside a building as Iraqi forces battle against Islamic State group fighters in Mosul's western Al-Shifa district, on June 12, 2017

The jihadists are putting up a fight but it's a weak one, he says, an assault rifle in his hands and another slung over his back.

"They have nothing left but snipers and the mines they have been planting."

"We won't let the Dawaesh sleep," he adds, using an Arabic name for IS members.

When the gunfire subsides after about three hours, the Iraqi forces hold up a curtain across the road to block off the view of any jihadist snipers and gradually lead the civilians out of the pre-school to a nearby building.

Iraqi fighters accompany them from building to building all the way to the city's medical school, where the soldiers rest for a few minutes before returning to the frontline.
The Dodd-Frank financial regulation law was adopted after a meltdown of the US mortgage market triggered the global financial crisis of 2008-2009

The White House on Monday issued a roadmap for loosening US banking regulations, including a recommendation to ease "stress tests" for large banks, according to a report published by the Treasury.

President Donald Trump requested the report in a February decree aimed at reducing the financial regulations imposed by the Dodd-Frank financial regulation law, adopted after a meltdown of the US mortgage market triggered the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.

"A sensible rebalancing of regulatory principles is warranted in light of the significant improvement in the strength of the financial system and the economy," the Treasury said.

The 150-page report will feed into Senate debates about gutting Dodd-Frank, which toughened bank regulations, prohibited federally insured banks from engaging in risky trading, and established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oversee credit cards, mortgages and other financial products, among other measures.

While they do not call for scrapping the entire law, the new measures would implement a series of far-reaching changes, especially over the supervision of large banks.

The report calls for the size threshold at which banks are administered stress tests -- which measure how they would weather possible economic shocks -- to be increased from the current $50 billion in assets, even for foreign banks. The recommendations do not provide a level.

Some tests should be conducted every two years instead of annually, the report also says.

The Treasury also set its sights on the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, or CFPB, saying it requires a "significant restructuring."

The agency "was created to pursue an important mission, but its unaccountable structure and unduly broad regulatory powers have led to predictable regulatory abuses and excesses," it said, recommending the president be given the power to fire its director.

The new proposals also target the Volcker rule -- which prohibits banks that make loans and collect consumer deposits from making risky deals with their own funds. The regulation should no longer apply to midsize banks with less than $10 billion in assets, the report says.

It would also require "living wills" -- which lay out how a bank would wind itself down in case of failure without damaging the entire financial system -- to be submitted every two years instead of annually.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed an even more far-reaching act to guy banking regulations by calling for the elimination of many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank law.

It passed without the backing of Democrats, whose support will be required for any measure adopted by the Senate.
Click farms are just one of many online scams that have proliferated in recent years and become a major scourge for social media giants

Three Chinese men were detained in Thailand on Tuesday after police discovered they were running a 'click farm' from a house near the Cambodian border to generate likes for Chinese products on social media.

The trio was arrested on Sunday after police raided their rental home and discovered a rack of some 500 smart phones hooked up to a computer.

Police also confiscated nearly 400,000 Thai SIM cards allegedly purchased for the operation.

The men, in their late twenties and early thirties, told officers they were hired by Chinese companies to boost "likes" for a number of products, including herbal medicines, candy and a tour company.

"They have been charged with working without work permits because they are on tourist visas and smuggling contraband goods," said immigration officer Colonel Ruengdet Thammana, referring to the mobile phones.

Police decided to search the house after they noticed the men rarely left the building or spoke to other people.

Click farms are just one of many online scams that have proliferated in recent years and become a major scourge for social media giants.

Some farms control tens of thousands of fake social media accounts that can be programmed to like pages or posts.

A typical farm might boast hundreds of phones that scammers swap with different SIM cards registered to many accounts.

Or it might be a loose network of real users liking huge quantities of posts for a fee.

The farms are hired by ordinary people and politicians looking to boost their profiles, companies who want to game ranking algorithms to ensure products are given priority, and fake news writers seeking to get their headlines onto 'most read' lists.

India, the Philippines, Indonesia and China -- all countries with low wages but high tech penetration -- have emerged as key click farm hubs.

Web giants face a constant battle to tweak their algorithms to weed out fake traffic and users.

Last month Facebook said it was making changes to its ranking algorithm to keep its users from linking to "low quality" websites, part of an effort to fight spam and misinformation.
The governments in Taipei and Beijing insist that countries can only recognise one of them as legitimate and for years they have kept a tally of their supporters

Panama walking out on its relationship with Taiwan to establish ties with rival China is the latest in a spate of diplomatic dumping that is leaving Taipei increasingly isolated.

Beijing still sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, while the democratic island views itself as a sovereign country, although it has never formally declared independence.

The governments in Taipei and Beijing insist that countries can only recognise one of them as legitimate and for years they have kept a tally of their supporters.

Most states have sided with Beijing, and the numbers doing so have swelled as China's global financial and political clout has grown.

But a dwindling band of nations still formally recognise Taiwan -- mainly developing countries in Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

The diplomatic tug-of-war enjoyed a hiatus between 2008 and 2016, when Taiwan's then-president Ma Ying-jeou called off the competition and nurtured closer ties with the mainland.

But since China-sceptic leader Tsai Ing-wen came to power last year, cross-strait relations have worsened dramatically and erstwhile friends have started to jump ship.

Only 20 states, including the Vatican, now officially recognise Taiwan, with predictions that number will shrink further.

- Recent departures -

In December 2016 the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe severed ties with Taiwan, acknowledging China's "increasingly important" international role, as Beijing pumped billions of dollars into the continent.

In March that year, China announced it was to resume ties with Gambia, after the West African country broke off relations with Taiwan in 2013 citing "strategic national interest".

Prior to that, Malawi had been the last ally to jump ship, in 2008, one of nine that switched under former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian.

After Chen took the helm in 2000, cross-strait relations hit rock bottom because of his promotion of the island's independence.

The other allies lost during his eight-year term were Macedonia, Liberia, Dominica, Vanuatu, Grenada, Senegal, Chad and Costa Rica.

Chen established new ties with three small countries -- Kiribati, Nauru and St Lucia -- bringing the total number of formal friends to 23 by the time Ma took office in 2008.

- Forever friends? -

Taiwan now has just two allies in Africa -- Burkina Faso and Swaziland.

In central and south America, Taiwan counts Belize, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay as official allies.

Chen's ties with Kiribati, Nauru and St Lucia still stand, along with the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in the Pacific.

The Caribbean nations of St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent also still have formal ties.

- Partnerships in question -

The Vatican is widely seen as Taiwan's most powerful remaining ally -- its only one in Europe -- but there have been signs Beijing is working towards resuming relations with the Holy See.

Although there are an estimated 12 million Catholics in China, there have been no diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Beijing since 1951.

China is suspicious of religion and the "official" Catholic Church is run by the government-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association -- but there is also an "underground" Church which swears allegiance only to the pope.

State-sanctioned bishops in China are chosen by the association, while the Vatican insists on its right to appoint all the Catholic Church's bishops.

However, the head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong said last year the Chinese government was willing to reach an "understanding" with the Vatican over the issue, although it is expected to be a lengthy process.

According to Taiwan's local media and some of the island's lawmakers, other allies rumoured to be considering switching ties are El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay.
Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, was arrested in late November with two Cambodians and accused of recruiting foreign couples and Cambodian surrogate mothers to a clinic in the capital Phnom Penh

An Australian nurse denied running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia when her trial began Tuesday, the first case of its kind in the country that recently banned the practice.

Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, was arrested in late November with two Cambodians and accused of recruiting foreign couples and Cambodian surrogate mothers to a clinic in the capital Phnom Penh.

The detentions came just two weeks after Cambodia moved to outlaw the surrogacy industry, which critics say exploits poor women, after a similar ban in neighbouring Thailand pushed the business across its borders.

The trio were also charged with faking documents to obtain birth certificates for the newborns.

In court on Tuesday Davis-Charles said she played no part in arranging surrogacies.

Instead she said her role was limited to providing medical care to a total of 23 surrogate mothers who carried babies for 18 Australian and five American couples.

"They find the clinic" by themselves, she said of the would-be foreign parents, adding that she was also not involved in the recruitment of Cambodian surrogates.

The nurse said she received $8,000 from each couple while surrogates received around $10,000.

All of the infants were born and moved out of Cambodia before her arrest, she added.

Davis-Charles, who is from Melbourne, told the court she left Thailand more than a year ago after Bangkok outlawed commercial surrogacy and moved to Cambodia, which at the time lacked regulations on the industry.

Two surrogate mothers testified in court on Tuesday to receiving $10,000 from Tammy.

Surrogate mother Hor Vanday said she gave birth to a baby girl who was whisked away for a foreign couple.

"I did not see the face of the baby, but I know her father took her away," she recalled. She added that she did not miss the child as she knew it was never hers.

Thailand for years hosted Southeast Asia's most thriving unregulated surrogacy industry that was particularly popular with same-sex couples.

But several scandals in 2014 -- including tussles over custody -- spurred the government to bar foreigners from using Thai surrogates.

Surrogacy consultants say Laos, a poor and opaque communist country to the north, has since emerged as the next frontier for the "rent a womb" business in the wake of the recent bans by Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and India.

A number of Laos-linked surrogacy agencies and IVF clinics have cropped up in recent months, according to consultancy group Families Through Surrogacy. A Thai man was recently arrested for smuggling frozen sperm between the two countries.

Some offer to carry out the embryo transfer in Laos and then provide pregnancy care for the surrogate in Thailand, a wealthier country with vastly superior medical facilities.
Helen Zille, former leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, triggered a controversy in a March tweet praising aspects of colonialism.

South Africa's main opposition party Tuesday removed former leader Helen Zille from all party leadership roles after a disciplinary hearing over a controversial tweet in which she praised aspects of colonialism.

Zille apologised "unreservedly" Tuesday for the tweet, which she posted in March.

Mmusi Maimane, current leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, said Zille "has agreed that it is in the best interests of the party for her to vacate her position on all decision-making structures".

Zille told a news conference that she was "genuinely sorry" and that she realised that her comment was insensitive to South Africans who suffered under colonial oppression.

She said she "apologised unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this tweet and my subsequent explanation of it".

On March 16, Zille wrote: "For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water."

The tweet was followed by a series of comments justifying her outburst, including a comparison between South Africa and Singapore which she said had managed to build a strong state after the end of colonial rule.

The party then suspended her pending a disciplinary hearing and said Zille's action had damaged the DA, which is still struggling to shake off its image as a "white" organisation.

The colonialism comment had also threatened to divide the party itself.

Mmusi told journalists that he had been "personally angered by the tweet" and that the party had no room for those who seek to sow divisions.

Zille, 66, is credited with growing support for the DA among black people, whose votes helped it take control of key cities, including the administrative capital Pretoria and Johannesburg, from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) after local government elections last year.

Maimane said the party risked a protracted legal battle with Zille if the matter was not settled before the 2019 election.

Zille, who has a large twitter following, is no stranger to controversial tweets.

She will remain leader of the Western Cape province.

The ANC on Tuesday slammed Zille's apology, calling it an "unadulterated defence of white supremacy and privilege".

It accused Maimane of having "no real power".

Maimane replaced Zille in 2015 as the DA's first black leader.
US President Donald Trump has argued that the travel restrictions are needed to ward off potential terror attacks

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday took a swipe at a federal court that upheld a block on his controversial travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations.

"Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday kept in place a lower court injunction on the ban, arguing the president had overstepped his authority and that the order discriminated against travelers based on their nationality.

The "S.C." in Trump's tweet is an apparent reference to the US Supreme Court.

The so-called travel ban was already headed for the Supreme Court as another federal appeals court had ruled against the Republican president, and the Justice Department had asked the high court to hear the case.

"The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress," the three justices in the California-based court said in a unanimous ruling.

The judges ruled against Trump on both the effort to bar travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, and on the clause suspending the refugee program for 120 days.

The Trump administration argues the measures are needed to ward off potential terror attacks. Critics say the ban violates the US constitution by specifically targeting Muslim-majority countries.
An Israeli auction house is selling letters composed by Albert Einstein, here depicted in a statue at The Albert Einstein Archives department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on February 11, 2016

Letters from Albert Einstein giving colleagues his thoughts on physics, God and Israel in the 1950s go under the hammer at a Jerusalem auction house on June 20.

The website of Winners auction house describes five signed letters written in English between 1951 and 1954.

The site gave current estimates of their combined value as between $31,000 and $46,000.

In a 1951 letter to eminent physicist David Bohm, Einstein discusses Bohm's linkage between quantum theory and "relativistic field theory".

"I must confess that I am not able to guess how such unification could be achieved," Einstein writes.

The typed letter includes an equation added in neat handwriting and the writer's signature.

Bohm, born in the United States to Jewish immigrant parents, had worked with Einstein at Princeton University before fleeing to Brazil after losing his post in Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts.

In a 1954 letter to Bohm, who was living in Sao Paulo, Einstein empathises with his friend's struggles in his complex theoretical work.

Letters from Swiss-US physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), here shown in an undated portrait, are going for sale in Israel

"If God has created the world his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us. I feel it strongly since fifty years," he writes.

Winners said the letters came from the estate of Bohm's late widow.

Another 1954 letter refers to the possibility of Bohm moving to Israel, which had been founded in 1948.

Einstein, who had turned down an offer to be the fledgling country's president, believed the time was not ripe for such a move.

"Israel is intellectually alive and interesting but has very narrow possibilities and to go there with the intention to leave on the first occasion would be regretable," he wrote.

Bohm did, in fact, take up a visiting professorship at Israel's renowned Technion technological institute in 1955.

"Two years later, he moved to England where he worked in the Universities of London and Bristol," Winners' online catalogue said.

Einstein had earlier served as a non-resident governor of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, and when he died in 1955, he left it his archives -- making it the world's most extensive collection of his documents.
President Donald Trump will host South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In for talks on containing North Korea's nuclear program, officials said Tuesday, amid fresh Pentagon warnings that the Pyongyang regime is a 'clear and present danger to all.'

A White House statement said the two leaders will meet June 29-30 to discuss ways of building on what America frequently calls its 'ironclad' alliance with South Korea.

Moon, a center-left politician who was sworn in last month after a landslide election win, favors engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, rather than the hardline stance taken by the conservative government of his ousted predecessor Park Geun-Hye.

Trump too has signaled a willingness to try a different tack with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

South Korea's new President Moon Jae-In, who was sworn in last month after a landslide election win, favors engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table

Though he often denounced China on the campaign trail, Trump is now leaning on Beijing to help rein in its ally North Korea's weapons program, a move that has sparked anguish among Asian allies who fret China might exact a quid pro quo to make Washington go easy on other regional issues.

News of the talks came as Trump's top military officials, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis and General Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that the threat from North Korea has not diminished.

Mattis called North Korea the 'most urgent and dangerous threat' to peace and security, and said its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope.

'The regime's nuclear weapons program is a clear and present danger to all, and the regime's provocative actions, manifestly illegal under international law, have not abated despite United Nations' censure and sanctions,' the defense chief said in written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning.

Dunford underscored these concerns and said North Korea has 'demonstrated a willingness' to use malicious cyber tools against governments and industry.

The U.S. government issued a rare alert on the activities of a hacking group it dubbed 'Hidden Cobra' on Tuesday, as well, saying the group was part of the North Korean government and that more attacks were likely.

The joint alert from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that 'cyber actors of the North Korean government' had targeted the media, aerospace and financial sectors, as well as critical infrastructure, in the United States and globally.

Trump too has signaled a willingness to try a different tack with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

Hidden Cobra commonly targets systems that run older versions of Microsoft Corp operating systems that are no longer patched, the alert said.

North Korean hacking activity has grown increasingly hostile in recent years, according to Western officials and cyber security experts.

The cyber firm Symantec Corp said last month it was 'highly likely' that a hacking group affiliated with North Korea called Lazarus Group was behind the WannaCry cyber attack that infected more than 300,000 computers worldwide, disrupting operations at hospitals, banks and schools.

Tuesday's alert said Hidden Cobra's cyber attacks have been previously referred to by private sector experts as Lazarus Group and Guardians of the Peace, which have been linked to attacks such as the 2014 intrusion into Sony Corp's Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Pyongyang has test-fired a string of missiles this year, building on launches and atomic tests that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the United States -- something Trump has vowed 'won't happen.'

Trump and Moon will likely discuss a controversial US missile defense system that has been installed in South Korea to guard against North Korean missile threats.

Though parts of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system are already in place, Moon last week suspended further deployment following a furious campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic protests by Beijing against the US missile shield, dealing a blow to Washington's regional security policy.

Officially, the delay is to allow for a new, comprehensive environmental impact assessment, but analysts say the move is a strategic delay by Moon to dodge the tricky diplomatic situation he inherited.

Pyongyang has test-fired a string of missiles this year, building on launches and atomic tests that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the United States. Kim is seen here with former NBA star Dennis Rodman, in North Korea now, in 2014

Trump and Moon will seek to 'advance cooperation on economic and global issues' and 'will also coordinate on North Korea-related issues, including countering the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats,' the White House statement read.

Despite tough talk from the Trump administration, officials accept they have no easy options when it comes to dealing with North Korea militarily.

'It would be a war like nothing we have seen since 1953,' Mattis said Monday, pointing to the end of the Korean War. 'It would be a very, very serious war.'

The official testified as famed NBA player Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea for a visit with Kim.

He played coy when a reporter asked if he ran the trip by Trump, whom he knows from The Apprentice.

'Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need,' said Rodman, who has visited Kim multiple times since 2013.

Trump called Rodman 'smart' for his 2013 trip to Pyongyang.

'Dennis is not a stupid guy. He's smart in many ways; he's very street-wise.'
China has sent pandas to countries it has close ties with, as part of its so-called "panda diplomacy" programme

Two long-awaited giant pandas from China will arrive in Germany in two weeks time, with Berlin rolling out the red carpet for the furry ambassadors' arrival.

The two new residents, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, will fly into Berlin on a special Lufthansa cargo plane on June 24, accompanied by two Chinese vets, Berlin zoo's chief vet, and a tonne of bamboo.

The pandas will be served "bamboo snacks" and water, and their transport box kept dry and odourless with absorbent mats during the 12 hour and 20 minute-long flight.

Meng Meng means "dream" in Chinese while the zoo says Jiao Qing translates to "darling", although the Chinese characters are a composite of "tender" and "festive".

Ahead of their arrival, Berlin zoo, the bears' new home, has built a 1,000 metre square (10,700 square feet) enclosure, which includes a wooded climbing area.

The zoo will also pay a million dollars a year (920,000 euros) for the 15-year contract to host the pair, with most of the funds going towards a breeding research programme in China and the protection of pandas in their natural habitat.

Chancellor Angela Merkel previously announced that Germany was in talks with Beijing to bring a pair of the rare bears to Berlin during a visit to China in 2015

What's so special about pandas?

Famed for its "panda diplomacy", China has sent its unofficial national mascot to only around a dozen countries, to signal their healthy ties with Beijing.

After a period of acclimatisation in their new Berlin home, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing are expected to presented to the public.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to travel to Germany to attend the G20 summit on July 7 and 8, German media has speculated that he and Merkel may jointly unveil the cuddly bears on July 5.

China has previously gifted three pandas to Germany, but the last one, 34-year-old Bao Bao, died in Berlin in 2012 -- he had been the oldest male panda in the world.

Fewer than 2,000 giant pandas are estimated to remain in the wild, in three provinces in south-central China.
The Red Sea islands of Tiran (foreground) and Sanafir (background) are seen in the Strait of Tiran between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia

A controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.

Parliament's legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.

The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament Mostafa Bakry told AFP.

Parliament's defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general vote.

Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.

The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.

The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.

Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.

In the evening dozens of journalists protested against the agreement in central Cairo, before being dispersed by police, journalists' union official Gamal Abdel Rehim told AFP.

Several were briefly arrested before being released but "three reporters are still detained, and contacts are being made with the interior ministry to get them released," he said.
Irans foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called for a permanent peace mechanism in the Gulf to resolve regional spats

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called for a permanent mechanism in the Gulf to resolve crises like the blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of an annual peace mediation in Oslo, Zarif also said Saudi Arabia supported militants inside Iran.

"It is absolutely imperative for our region not to only to resolve this particular conflict or dispute between our southern neighbours in the Persian Gulf through dialogue but in fact establish a permanent mechanism for consultation, conversation and conflict resolution in our region," Zarif said.

He said this could be along the lines of the 1975 Helsinki accords -- agreements signed during the Cold War to reduce tensions between western and Communist nations.

"I think if it worked at the height of the Cold War here in Europe, it should work," Zarif said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing the small but oil-rich emirate of supporting "terrorism" and being too close to Iran, which is Riyadh's regional rival.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated as Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed the deadly June 7 Tehran attack on Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the twin attacks that killed 17 people and wounded dozens.

"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchestan," Zarif said.

He said the militants were "using the territory of one of our neighbours against its will to launch attacks against Iran which only two months ago led to the murder of nine Iranian border guards."

The April 29 attack by Sunni militants took place on the frontier with Pakistan.

"On the Western side the same type of activity is being undertaken, again by using the diplomatic hospitality of other neighbours," Zarif said.
Zimbabwe was once known as the "breadbasket" of Africa for its fertile land and modern farming practices

Zimbabwe has banned the import of corn after enjoying a bumper crop that authorities hope will be enough to feed the nation and stimulate home-grown production, state-owned media reported Tuesday.

Zimbabwe was once known as the "breadbasket" of Africa for its fertile land and modern farming practices. But a programme of seizing farms from white owners begun in 2000 seriously damaged productivity, causing the country to become heavily dependent on food imports.

"Government stopped issuing grain import permits about four months ago and no maize imports are allowed at our borders," Davis Marapira, the deputy agriculture minister, told the state controlled Herald newspaper.

The paper said Zimbabwe is expecting to produce two million tonnes of corn in 2017 -- enough to meet domestic demand.

The southern African country has set aside $200 million (180 million euros) from the Treasury and private coffers to purchase the crop from farmers at the increased price of $390 per tonne in a bid to encourage domestic production, the paper added.

The Herald raised fears that corn from Zimbabwe's neighbours sold closer to the market rate -- around $160 per tonne -- could be smuggled in illicitly by criminals to cash-in on the agricultural stimulus.

Last year the country declared a state of disaster after a regional drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon ravaged crops, left tens of thousands of cattle dead and reservoirs dry.
IS has allegedly used chemical weapons in one attack in Syria this year, on January 8 in Aleppo province, according to global market intelligence firm IHS Markit

The Islamic State group is launching fewer chemical weapons attacks in Syria as their Iraqi stronghold in Mosul, where the arms are made, comes under pressure, according to a report out Tuesday.

IS has allegedly used chemical weapons in one attack in Syria this year, on January 8 in Aleppo province, according to global market intelligence firm IHS Markit.

The figure marks a significant fall in such attacks in Syria, where there were 17 allegations of chemical weapons being used by IS in 2016.

By comparison, so far this year the jihadists have carried out 10 chemical weapon attacks in Iraq, of which nine were in Mosul, on a par with the 21 attacks in the country last year.

The focus of 2017 attacks in Mosul suggests that IS has not yet established chemical weapons production sites outside of the city, IHS Markit said.

"Although it is likely that some specialists were evacuated to Syria and retain the expertise," said the firm's analyst Columb Strack.

Iraqi forces launched the battle to retake Mosul in October last year and are now on the cusp of success.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by fighting since IS overran the city in June 2014.

The jihadists' chemical weapons manufacturing was centred in Mosul and production has been dented by Iraqi forces' campaign to drive IS out of the city, IHS Markit said.

"Nevertheless, the Islamic State probably retains the capability to produce small batches of low quality chlorine and sulphur mustard agents elsewhere," the report said.

Since July 2014, IHS Markit has recorded 41 allegations of IS using chemical weapons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem on June 11, 2017

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he was not seeking an "escalation" in the Gaza Strip after his government moved to reduce electricity supplies to the Hamas-run enclave.

Israel's security cabinet decided on Sunday to reduce the daily amount of electricity supplied to Gaza by between 45 and 60 minutes, Israeli media reported.

Gazans currently receive only three or four hours of electricity a day, delivered from the territory's own power station and others in Israel and Egypt.

Israeli authorities said the move was taken after funding cuts by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who has reportedly been seeking to further pressure his rivals in Islamist movement Hamas.

It has raised fears of a new upsurge in violence, with Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza having fought three wars since 2008.

"Israel has no interest in an escalation and anyone who says otherwise is mistaken," Netanyahu said at a public event on Tuesday.

He said the issue was related to an "internal Palestinian dispute", adding that Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) was refusing to pay for electricity provided to Gaza.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Monday that Abbas recently decided to "significantly reduce" payments.

"It would be illogical for Israel to pay part of the bill," he said.

Hamas also said the cut was made on Abbas's orders and termed it "a catastrophe".

"This decision aggravates the situation and risks an explosion in the Gaza Strip," it said in a statement on Monday.

Hamas has run Gaza since 2007, when it seized the territory in a near civil war from Abbas's Fatah in a dispute over parliamentary elections won by the Islamist movement.

Abbas runs the PA, the internationally recognised Palestinian leadership based in the occupied West Bank.

Multiple attempts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah have failed, but the PA had continued to pay Israel for some electricity delivered to Gaza.

Hamas is considered to be a terrorist group by Israel, the European Union and the United States.

The Gaza Strip is home to some two million people, more than three-quarters of whom depend on humanitarian aid.

Ofer Zalzberg of the International Crisis Group think tank said Hamas may feel the need to respond if it faces mass protests against it over the electricity shortages.

"If we see mass demonstrations against Hamas... then Hamas will need to deflect these measures," he told AFP.

"One of the easiest ways to do so is by sparking another escalation with Israel."
A child suspected of being infected with cholera receives treatment at Sabaeen Hospital in Sanaa, on June 13, 2017

At Yemen's Sabaeen Hospital, code black is an understatement: patients sleep three to a bed, on the bare floor or outside in tents as cholera brings a country torn by war to its knees.

Six weeks into the second outbreak of the deadly disease in less than a year, at least one patient checks in at Sabaeen every 60 seconds, leaving staff unable to cope.

"Over the past two weeks, we've been receiving patients at a rate of one or two, sometimes even three, per minute," said Ismail Mansuri, a doctor treating cholera patients at Sabaeen.

The situation is nearly indescribable in Yemen, where a long-running conflict escalated in 2015 as regional powers joined the fight for control over the country, the poorest in the Arab world.

Two years later, less than half of Yemen's medical facilities are functional as the war has killed 8,000 people, displaced millions and seen port blockades push the country to the brink of famine.

- 'Beyond troubling' -

Cholera re-appeared on April 27 after an initial outbreak in October 2016, and the United Nations says it is now spreading at an "unprecedented rate".

British charity Oxfam estimates the waterborne disease now kills at least one person per hour in Yemen.

A Yemeni man carries a woman suspected of being infected with cholera to Sabaeen Hospital on June 13, 2017

Hospitals have been overwhelmed, with cholera cases putting emergency rooms in constant code black -- when a hospital is unable to cope with the number of patients.

Official figures show more than 920 people have died and 124,000 have been taken ill with cholera since late April, with the rebel-held capital Sanaa hit the hardest.

Few areas remain untouched, with the disease affecting 20 of the country's 22 provinces.

Experts project at least a quarter of a million people will contract cholera in the next six months.

"The hike in contraction is beyond troubling," said Maher al-Hada of Yemen's Center to Fight Cholera.

"We have a good 300 patients come through our doors every day".

Like other medics, Hada struggles to secure access to electricity, clean water and basic medical supplies as Yemen's Saudi-backed government remains locked in a war with Huthi rebels allied with Iran.

Damage to sewage systems, the electricity grid and piping have left Yemen's main water supplies contaminated with the bacteria, and the crisis is only expected to escalate as the rain season approaches.

- 'Die on the spot' -

In the southern province of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based, foul-smelling stagnant water has turned black, attracting mosquitos and insects that experts warn are a potent means of transmitting contagious diseases.

Majid al-Daari, head of the cholera treatment centre at the Al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aden, said his facility has seen more than 200 cases this week alone.

Aid agencies say more aid is needed to stem the spread of cholera, which has killed more than 920 people in Yemen since late April

Umm Hisham Munir, the superintendant at a school in Aden, rushed her two sons to hospital when they began to show symptoms of cholera, a bacterial infection which can be deadly if not treated immediately.

"We're terrified that the disease will just keep spreading. People are poor here. They can't afford medical care. They can't afford to move," Munir told AFP in Aden.

Ammar Abdelmalek, a resident in the rebel-held central Ibb province, said the streets were "flooded" with garbage and sewage.

"This is why we have cholera," said Abdelmalek.

In the northern province of Lahj, Mazen al-Sayed said the privilege of having a car saved his mother's life.

"Honestly it's because I have a car that my mother is still alive. Others die on the spot," said Sayed.

The message from aid agencies is unequivocal: more aid is needed to stem the disease from turning into an all-out epidemic.

The World Health Organization and International Committee of the Red Cross are two of the groups leading the fight against cholera, but even they face an uphill battle.

"WHO is working to access remoted areas heavily affected to reach as many patients as possible," said Omar Saleh, a member of the WHO mission to Yemen.

"The humanitarian situation is alarming," Saleh told AFP. "We are looking at a real disaster. The disease has nothing to do with political affiliations".

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The EU-wide plan to relocate 160,000 migrants from Greece and Italy has been hampered by reluctance by some member states to accept their fair share of refugees

The EU launched legal action Tuesday against Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic for refusing to take in their share of refugees under a controversial solidarity plan.

The move shows the frustration in Brussels over the scheme, which aimed to relocate 160,000 migrants from frontline migrant crisis states Italy and Greece but which has so far seen only 20,000 moved.

"I regret to say that despite our repeated calls, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have not yet taken the necessary action," EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news conference.

"For this reason the (European) Commission has decided to launch infringement procedures against these three member states," he said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

The three eastern European states have led resistance to the plan since its outset in 2015 at the height of the migration crisis, when more than one million refugees landed on Europe's shores.

But Avramopoulos, who is Greece's European commissioner, criticised the countries for expecting the benefits of EU membership while not taking on responsibilities.

"Europe is not only about requesting funds or ensuring security," Avramopoulos said. "Europe is also about sharing difficult moments and challenges and common dramas."

Brussels last month set a June deadline for Warsaw and Budapest to start accepting migrants under the plan to ease the burden on Italy and Greece, or risk sanctions.

Prague also came under pressure after effectively dropping out.

- Stiff penalties -

Under "infringement" proceedings the European Commission, the 28-nation EU's executive arm, sends a letter to national governments demanding legal explanations over certain issues, before possibly referring them to the European Court of Justice.

EU states can eventually face stiff financial penalties if they fail to comply.

Avramopoulos said Hungary and Poland were targeted because they had failed to admit one single person under the "relocation plan" adopted in 2015 to redistribute among other member states 160,000 mainly Syrian, Eritrean and Iraq asylum seekers from Greece and Italy by September.

He said the Czech Republic was targeted for having relocated nobody in the past year and failed to issue any new pledges to admit asylum seekers.

In the latest EU figures, just over 20,000 people have been relocated under the plan, which was in response to Europe's biggest ever migration crisis.

European sources have blamed the delays on a series of factors: governments trying to screen jihadists in the wake of terror attacks, a lack of housing and education for asylum seekers, and logistical problems.

They said some countries were setting unacceptable conditions by refusing Muslims, black people or large families, with Eastern European states the worst for discriminating on religious or racial grounds.
Angola has not seen jihadist violence on its soil

Five Angolan Muslims who have been in detention since December for spreading radical views online and allegedly planning an attack, have denied swearing loyalty to the Islamic State group, their lawyer said Tuesday.

"The accusation that these young Muslims have sworn allegiance and obedience to the Islamic State is based on assumptions," lawyer Sebastiao Assurreira told AFP.

Arrested in December, they were charged in April with creating a radical movement as well as pledging loyalty to IS. Two women arrested at the same time were later bailed.

Prosecutors say the men were preparing an attack and using face-to-face meetings and social media to radicalise others.

But one of the defendants denied they were seeking to inspire violence.

"Our goal was to preach and spread the Islamic faith without inciting violence. We had a Facebook group of 1,500 members to discuss Islam," Ahmed Nladu Jose told AFP from his prison cell.

Angola, where 90 percent of people identify as Christian, is not thought to have suffered a jihadist attack.

Seen by AFP, the charge sheet claims that information obtained from the suspects' computers, phones and books suggested "radical tendencies".

Under Angolan law, they could face between five and 15 years behind bars if convicted of creating a "terrorist organisation" -- and between three and 12 years for belonging to a terrorist organisation.

Assurreira said it was not unusual for people to discuss their faith on social media.

"It is quite normal that they talk about Islam on social networks, they have no weapons and have never been in Syria or Iraq," he said.

"They read and sold books on Islam. I have the right to read Machiavelli and not to apply his principles."

No date has been set for their trial.
Zambia's Edgar Lungu, pictured in 2016, faces challenges to his presidency

Zambia's parliament on Tuesday suspended 48 opposition lawmakers who boycotted President Edgar Lungu's address to legislators in March to protest his contested electoral victory.

The lawmakers from the United Party for National Development (UPND) skipped Lungu's address claiming he was not the legitimate winner of the August 11 vote.

Parliament Speaker Patrick Matibini said they should quit if they did not accept Lungu as the head of state.

"I challenge you to resign on moral grounds if you do not recognise that there is a legitimately elected government," Matibini said in parliament.

"I have, in exercise of my powers, decided to suspend the 48 members of parliament from service for a period of 30 days with effect from today."

Matibini said that the lawmakers would not be paid or have access to the parliament building or lodgings during their suspension.

He also called for police to investigate the UPND's leader, Hakainde Hichilema, on allegations of insulting the office of speaker.

Tuesday's decision is the latest in a long-running battle between Zambia's government and the principal opposition.

Hichilema has launched unsuccessful legal bids to challenge Lungu's victory in last year's election, and the businessman-turned-politician has said he does not recognise Lungu's presidency.

He claims the vote was rigged and accuses Lungu of unleashing an unprecedented bout of political repression in the southern African country, which is known for its relative stability.

Hichilema has been in custody since April accused of treason over allegedly putting the president's life in danger when his motorcade failed to make way for the head of state's limousine during a high-speed incident.

- 'Police sprayed pepper spray' -

"There are dictatorial tendencies... that have been exhibited by our leaders," political analyst MacDonald Chipenzi told AFP.

"There will be no state of emergency, there'll be no curfew, there'll be nothing -- but freedoms will be curtailed by institutions that are supposed to protect you," he added.

Hichilema has claimed that he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.

The alleged motorcade incident occurred on the weekend of April 8-9 as the two men were both travelling to the Western province for a traditional ceremony.

Days later, more than 100 armed police surrounded Hichilema's house outside Lusaka, firing tear gas before taking him into custody.

His lawyer accused police of using excessive force during the arrest and of "torturing" in custody three three aides who were arrested a day earlier.

"The police sprayed pepper spray in their private parts, mouth, ears," Hichilema's lawyer Jack Mwiimbu said.

Alex Ng'oma, a political lecturer at the University of Zambia, called on Lungu and Hichilema to come together in the national interest.

"The relationship has been very, very difficult. The opposition have vowed not to work with the government of the day. There is no constructive criticism -- it's just opposition for the sake of opposition which I think is not good," he told AFP.

"Going forward it is important that the party can govern on the one hand, and the opposition parties on the other hand can adopt a bipartisan approach to these issues."
Bosco Ntaganda, seen here in 2009, is facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague

Bosco Ntaganda will give a full account of his role as a Congolese rebel commander in 2002-03 when he takes the stand at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, his lawyer has said.

Almost two years after his trial opened, the man once dubbed "The Terminator" will take the stand to recall events in 2002 and 2003, when his rebel forces rampaged through the vast central African country's gold-rich Ituri province, murdering and raping civilians and plundering their possessions.

"Mr Ntaganda will describe everything he did in the conflict. Step-by-step and day-by-day and give a full description," his lawyer Stephane Bourgon said.

"What Mr Ntaganda wishes to establish by testifying is to explain exactly who he is and to ensure that people perceive him as a human being. He wants to speak personally with the judges," Bourgon told AFP in an interview on Monday.

Ntaganda, 43, has denied 13 charges of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity committed by his Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), a militia drawn from the Hema ethnic group which prosecutors say targeted the Lendu and other non-Hema groups.

Fighting in Ituri has left some 60,000 dead since 1999 according to rights groups, in a conflict exacerbated by the wealth of regional resources including gold and other minerals used in electronic products.

Ntaganda has been charged with ordering hundreds of deaths through savage ethnic attacks by the FPLC, which was then the armed wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.

- Harrowing witness testimony -

During the prosecution's case, which took 64 days to complete, a witness told the tribunal in The Hague of seeing "tied-up bodies" left in their underwear, "their heads crushed."

Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda, seen here at the opening of his trial in 2015, was once known as 'The Terminator'

Ntaganda "was one of the most important commanders" involved in the savage ethnic attacks carried out by the FPLC, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said at the opening of the trial in September 2015.

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired for two decades in ethnically-charged wars, as rebels battle for control of mineral resources.

The unrest spiralled to encompass armies from at least six African nations, claiming an estimated three million lives in one of the world's most deadly recent conflicts.

At the start of his trial Ntaganda, known for his trademark pencil moustache, and his penchant for cowboy hats and fine dining, told the judges he rejected being called "The Terminator".

The ICC issued two arrest warrants against Ntaganda who evaded capture until unexpectedly walking into the US embassy in Kigali in 2013 and turning himself in.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his New Zealand counterpart Bill English, pictured in January 2017, decided to end the dispute following a phone conversation

Israel and New Zealand will restore ties after a row over Wellington's backing of a UN resolution in December condemning Israeli settlement building, a statement said Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his New Zealand counterpart Bill English decided to end the dispute following a phone conversation, a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

Israel's ambassador to New Zealand will return to Wellington, it said.

The row came after New Zealand was among the countries calling for a vote at the UN Security Council in December on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement building.

The measure passed after the United States refrained from using its veto, enabling the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.

After the resolution passed, Israel recalled its ambassadors to Senegal and New Zealand for consultations.

It has no diplomatic relations with Venezuela or Malaysia, the other two countries that called for the vote.

Israel and Senegal announced earlier this month they were normalising relations after the dispute.
A Tunisian draws on a cigarette in defiance during a protest on June 11, 2017 for the right to eat and smoke in public during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan

Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday dismissed as "absurd" the jailing in Tunisia of people who fail to observe the Ramadan fast.

There is no law against eating or drinking in public during Ramadan, but every year the issue comes to the fore in the North African country.

On Monday, a court sentenced to one month in prison a man who smoked a cigarette in public during the dawn-to-dusk fast.

He was seen smoking outside the Bizerte courthouse by a judiciary official who informed the police and they arrested him.

Prosecuting people on a charge of "public indecency" for smoking or eating in public during Ramadan "is a clear violation of individual freedoms in Tunisia", Amnesty said in a statement Tuesday.

"Imprisoning someone for smoking a cigarette or eating in public is an absurd violation of an individual's personal freedoms," said the rights group's North Africa research director, Heba Morayef.

"Failing to conform to religious and social customs is not a criminal offence."

She said the "authorities should not allow vaguely worded charges to be used to impose harsh sentences on spurious grounds. Everyone should have the right to follow their own beliefs in matters of religion and morality."

On Sunday, dozens of Tunisians demonstrated in Tunis to demand the right to eat and drink in public during Ramadan.

During the holy month, observant Muslims worldwide abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

Tunisia's constitution guarantees "freedom of belief and conscience", but the state is also the "guardian of religion".
Piles of garbage are pictured in a forest area overlooking the Lebanese town of Bsalim, northeast of the capital Beirut in 2016

A "mountain of garbage" dumped at sea off Beirut under a deal between the government and a company has sparked outrage in Lebanon, two years after mass protests over a waste crisis.

For the past 10 days, civil society groups have shared images of trucks carrying rubbish and tipping it into the Mediterranean, a process that is ongoing.

Activists say the waste from the "mountain of garbage" at Borj Hammoud in north Beirut is disposed of under an agreement between the government's Development and Reconstruction Council (CDR) and a private company.

"They are taking garbage from this mountain that has been there for 20 years... and throwing it into the sea," said Wadih al-Asmar, an activist from the "You Stink" campaign behind the protests in 2015.

Environment Minister Tarek al-Khatib on Tuesday confirmed the existence of an agreement between the CDR and a private firm to dump the waste at sea.

Khatib said he had sent letters to the CDR to "rectify" the situation and that he was trying to find the "best way to limit" the damage.

But activists vented their anger on social media, branding the situation "shameful".

"Waste is thrown into the open sea and the environment minister justifies it... he gives them the green light," said the You Stink campaign.

Asmar, the campaign activist, denounced the disposal of the garbage at sea without any treatment, saying it was "killing the marine ecosystem".

Lebanon experienced a major waste crisis in mid-2015, with garbage piling up in the streets of Beirut and its surroundings after the closure of the country's main landfill.

This crisis triggered mass protests, with many taking aim at politicians in a country that has suffered endemic corruption since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

In 2016, the government decided to reopen the landfill and to create two more dumps, one in Borj Hammoud next to the "mountain of garbage" whose stench fills the air in the capital's northern suburbs.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has become a focus in congressional investigations into allegations of Russian election meddling

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions vehemently denied Tuesday that he colluded with an alleged Russian bid to tilt the 2016 presidential election in Donald Trump's favor.

"I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States," Sessions told a closely-watched hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"The suggestion that I participated with any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie."

Addressing allegations that he had unreported meetings with Russian officials while he advised the Trump campaign, Sessions said he had already acknowledged two meetings last year with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

But he denied an alleged third encounter with Kislyak, at an April 27, 2016 reception for Trump at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

"I did not have any private meetings nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower hotel," he told the panel.

"Though I do recall several conversations that I had during that 'Free Speech' reception, I do not have any recollection with meeting, talking to the Russian ambassador or any other Russian officials."
More than 130 soldiers and civilians have been killed in Saudi Arabia's border region since a Saudi-led coalition began air strikes on Yemen in March 2015

A Saudi border guard died Tuesday in a landmine blast along the frontier with Yemen, the interior ministry said.

The mine exploded during a patrol in the kingdom's southwestern Jazan district, a ministry statement said.

More than 130 soldiers and civilians have been killed in Saudi Arabia's southern border regions since a Saudi-led coalition began air strikes over Yemen in March 2015.

The coalition supports Yemen's internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the fight against Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The Huthis, allied with former members of the security forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have carried out retaliatory rocket strikes and engaged in firefights along the border.

The coalition has previously said the rebels laid mines along the border.

The insurgents have also launched ballistic missiles further into the kingdom.

In Yemen itself, more than 8,000 people have been killed in fighting since the coalition intervened more than two years ago, the World Health Organization says.
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee perform onstage at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in April 2017

Reggaeton music has long been a fixture in nightclubs around the Spanish-speaking world, but that hasn't brought it critical acceptance, with the genre rooted in Puerto Rico's marginalized communities.

The genre so scorned by the elites has suddenly found a massive new market with the global success of Luis Fonsi's song "Despacito."

"Despacito" is the first Spanish-language song to hit number one on the benchmark US singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100, since "Macarena" in 1996.

A remix of the song, which features the Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee and an assist from pop celebrity Justin Bieber, spent its fifth week at number one on the latest chart published Monday.

Reggaeton -- defined by its blend of the fast-paced and club-ready rhythms of Jamaican dancehall with a rap vocal delivery that is often pouring with machismo -- took off in Puerto Rico in the 1990s. It was initially simply called "underground."

Puerto Ricans had been active in the birth of hip-hop in New York, while the beats came via Panama, where Jamaicans and other West Indians worked to build the canal.

"Underground was essentially party music, but it also provided a space to offer political critiques about issues like poverty, police brutality and racism," said Petra Rivera-Rideau, an assistant professor in American studies at Wellesley College and author of the book "Remixing Reggaeton."

"As underground spread, it was subject to a censorship campaign in the mid-1990s that, ironically, wound up providing publicity to the music and exposing it to new audiences," she said.

- Bringing out race and sexuality -

Critics attacked reggaeton for its hyper-sexuality, with the Puerto Rican Senate in 2002 holding hearings on the portrayal of women in music videos.

But Rivera-Rideau said that reggaeton also provided a new means of expression, especially for black people in the US Caribbean territory.

"Reggaeton offered an opportunity for artists to articulate connections to the broader African diaspora, particularly urban black youth, and this threatened the fundamental tenets of racial democracy because it called out racism in Puerto Rico," she said.

"Despacito," which means "slowly" in Spanish, is driven by a reggaeton beat with lyrics full of sexual innuendo. Bieber delivers a breathy opening verse and later sings in Spanish -- which he recently mangled in a live performance.

Bieber collaborated for the remix released in April after "Despacito" was already a megahit on Latin charts.

The original video, which came out in January, has amassed more than 1.9 billion views on YouTube -- the most of any 2017 release.

- A hit even without Bieber -

Fonsi has said that Bieber's participation was the Canadian's own idea after he heard the hit playing in a club in Colombia.

While the song was already a major hit, Rivera-Rideau said that the remix with Bieber "exposed the song to many people who had never heard it before."

But complicating the narrative of reggaeton's rise, Fonsi -- not to mention Bieber -- does not hail from the genre. Fonsi, 39, has scored hits over the past two decades with ballads and Latin pop tracks rather than reggaeton.

"Many people have talked about Justin Bieber as appropriating reggaeton for his own gain, and that may be the case, but one could argue that Luis Fonsi is doing the same -- borrowing from a genre associated with a marginalized community for his own commercial success," Rivera-Rideau said.

Fonsi, in an interview with Rolling Stone, said he had not set out to write a "crossover record."

"I felt as though I needed a little bit more movement," he told the magazine.

"That's where Latin pop is headed: It's the right time to put a little rhythm into this record."
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson listens as Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir(L) delivers brief remarks to the media on June 13, 2017, shortly before their private meeting at the US Department of State in Washington, DC

Progress has been made towards resolving the crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors after senior US officials met leading players in the standoff, the State Department said Tuesday.

"I would characterize the mood and the approach to that as being one that is hopeful, that believes that the worst is behind us," spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

Earlier, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose government accuses Qatar of sponsoring extremist groups and has closed its border.

Tillerson and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have been working the telephones attempting to de-escalate the crisis between Riyadh and Qatar, which hosts a huge US air base.

Nauert refused to say whether Washington regards Qatar as a sponsor of terror or whether the closure of the border and ban on Qatari flights in Saudi airspace amount to a "blockade."

"Let's keep in mind that everyone has agreed or these parties are working toward an agreement of combating terrorism, and that is the main focus," she said.

"And let's not get bogged down in all the details about who's calling what when. This is trending in a positive direction. And let's stay focused on that so that we can continue to fight the war on terror."

Earlier, appearing alongside Tillerson -- who last week had urged that the "blockade" be eased -- Jubeir had insisted: "It's not a blockade."
The Inga 1 (rear) and Inga 2 (front) power plants dams are seen on the Congo river in 2013, which the Inga 3 project would complement

The Democratic Republic of Congo said Tuesday it has asked Chinese and Spanish bidders of a colossal dam project to join forces and submit a joint bid.

The request will further delay the huge project, known as Inga 3, that has been planned for around 30 years.

The government had said it would award the contract by the end of last year with an aim to launch construction this year.

In the running for the deal are two consortiums, one led by the Chinese Three Gorges Corporation and another grouped under Spanish construction company ACS.

The Congolese government agency handling the project ADPI asked the two consortiums to present a single, "optimised" offer, but did not set a deadline for starting to produce electricity.

In September last year the agency said it wanted electricity production to start in 2021.

The Inga 3 project is expected to complement two ageing power stations built between 1972 and 1982 on the Inga falls of the Congo River 260 kilometres (162 miles) downstream from the capital Kinshasa.

The dam is expected to generate 4,800 megawatts of power, equivalent to the output of three third-generation nuclear reactors, in a country where less than 10 percent of the population has access to electricity.

South Africa has signed an option to buy 2,500 megawatts of power, with much of the rest planned for mining groups in Katanga in the south east which suffers from chronic electricity shortages.

The World Bank last July froze planned disbursements of a $73.1 million grant aimed at funding technical assistance, saying the country had taken the project in a different strategic direction than had been agreed.

Since then, political uncertainty over the position of Congolese President Joseph Kabila who stayed in power after his mandate ended last year, along with no prospect for elections in the near-term have weighed heavily on the business climate of the country.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met in Washington last month to discuss the moribund Middle East peace process

The leadership of the Palestinian Authority has agreed to halt payments to the families of slain attackers, including suicide bombers, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

Compensation payments to the families of "martyrs" who die carrying out attacks on Israelis are one of the sticking points in the moribund Middle East peace process.

"They have changed their policy, at least I have been informed they've changed that policy," Tillerson told US lawmakers.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman expressed skepticism on Wednesday.

"I did not see any evidence the Palestinian Authority has stopped payments for jailed terrorists and their families," Lieberman told Israeli public radio.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to seek to revive peace talks, and has urged Israel to limit settlement building on Palestinian land, but many differences remain.

Under questioning at a Senate hearing, Tillerson said Washington had pressed Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on the issue of payments to the families of suicide bombers and attackers killed.

"It was discussed directly when president Abbas made his visit with his delegation to Washington," Tillerson said, adding that Trump had raised the issue at the White House.

Just after that May 3 meeting, Tillerson had a "more detailed" meeting with Abbas.

"And I told him you absolutely must stop making payments to family members of quote, 'martyrs'," he said.

"I said it's one thing to help orphans and children, but when you designate the payment for that act, that has to stop.

"Their intent is to cease the payments to the family members of those who have committed murder or violence against others.

"So, we've been very clear with them that this is simply not acceptable to us. It is certainly not acceptable to the American people."

If the change in policy is confirmed, it could be politically awkward for Abbas, who has committed himself publicly to the peace process but is wary of being seen to make concessions.
Travis Kalanick's brash personality and freewheeling management style made him a liability as well as an asset to the global ridesharing giant Uber

Travis Kalanick has been the driving force behind Uber, taking a spur-of-moment idea and turning it into the world's most valuable venture-funded tech startup.

But Kalanick's brash personality and freewheeling management style made him a liability as well as an asset to the global ridesharing giant, prompting his decision Tuesday to take an indefinite leave of absence.

Kalanick frequently recounts how the idea behind Uber was born, when he and a colleague were attending a technology conference in Paris and failed to find a taxi on a cold night.

He dreamt up the "magical" idea of pushing a button to hail a ride, the story goes, and used that to create a company that disrupted a global industry while ruffling the feathers of both regulators and established taxi operators.

Uber now operates in hundreds of cities and more than 80 countries, accounting for bookings of some $20 billion last year.

Its valuation has soared to a whopping $68 billion, unprecedented for a startup which has yet to hit the stock market.

But the hard-charging style which helped Uber succeed has also made Kalanick a target for critics.

He has borne responsibility for allegations of sexism, cut-throat workplace tactics and covert use of law enforcement-evading software.

Uber's image has been tarnished by a series of missteps including a visit by executives to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar, an attempt to dig up dirt on journalists covering the company and the mishandling of medical records from a woman raped in India after hailing an Uber ride.

Uber hired former US attorney general Eric Holder to review allegations of a toxic work culture, and adopted his report calling for a series of reforms and safeguards against abuses.

Kalanick has been humbled by recent events, which included the release of a dash-cam video showing him berating and cursing at one of Uber's drivers.

He cited the recent death of his mother in a boating accident as one of the reasons for his decision to step aside.

"For the last eight years my life has always been about Uber," he said in an email to employees Tuesday.

"Recent events have brought home for me that people are more important than work, and that I need to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve my mother, whom I buried on Friday, to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team."

- Being 'disruptive' -

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, seen at a 2016 press conference in Beijing, has been the driving force behind Uber but has also borne responsibility for its missteps

Uber and Kalanick exemplified the notion of being "disruptive," which in Silicon Valley is seen as a positive force for change.

But as it grew into a global company, both the firm and its founder appear to have come to the realization they need to grow up.

"The ultimate responsibility, for where we've gotten and how we've gotten here rests on my shoulders," Kalanick said.

"There is of course much to be proud of but there is much to improve. For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team. But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve."

Kalanick is likely to retain some control of Uber thanks to a structure giving him super-voting shares along with his co-founders.

He was given credit on Tuesday for stepping aside, regardless of whether it was his decision or the result of pressure from the board of directors.

Vivek Wadhwa, a Carnegie Mellon University fellow who follows the tech industry, welcomed his move.

"Leaders need to step aside when they have peaked, learn critical lessons, rethink strategies...and then reinvent themselves," Wadhwa said on Twitter.
Rwandan police officers from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in armoured vehicles patrol the market in Bangui September 14, 2015; Only small contingents of MINUSCA remain

The United Nations said Tuesday it feared a "security vacuum" in central Africa after the withdrawal of Ugandan, South Sudanese and US troops formerly tracking Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony.

One of Africa's longest-surviving rebel groups, the Lord's Resistance Army has terrorized parts of central Africa for 30 years.

Since being set up by Kony in 1987, it is accused of slaughtering more than 100,000 people and abducting 60,000 children who were forced to become sex slaves and soldiers.

But on April 19, Uganda began withdrawing troops from the eastern Central African Republic (CAR). And 100 special forces soldiers from US Africa Command (AFRICOM) wrapped up their operation, which had cost $600 million to $800 million, the same month.

Kony remains at large.

"The continued threat by the Lord's Resistance Army to regional stability should not be underestimated, in particular as the Ugandan and the South Sudanese forces have now disengaged... along with the United States special forces," said Francois Lounceny Fall, the UN special envoy for Central Africa.

"I am concerned about the impact of this withdrawal as it will create a security vacuum that may be exploited by the LRA and other armed groups operating in the region."

Only small contingents of the Central African Armed Forces and the UN's stabilization force, MINUSCA, remain in eastern Central Africa, but they have limited capacity.

"MINUSCA is not mandated to conduct anti-LRA military operations and the Central African Republic national security forces, which could in the long run fill the gap left by the exit of the Ugandan forces, still require training and structural reforms," the UN envoy added.

The operations to find Kony, however, produced other problems. Ugandan troops were accused of sexually abusing local women and girls, Human Rights Watch reported last month.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - France's finance minister says Greece is on course to reach a crucial funding deal with bailout lenders this week.

"A new crisis on the Greek issue must be calmly avoided," Bruno Le Maire said after meeting Monday with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

The French minister traveled to Athens ahead of a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday of finance ministers from countries using the euro currency.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras shows the way to French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire during their meeting in Athens, Monday, June 12, 2017. Le Maire, is in Athens for meetings aimed at ending a months-long delay in a rescue funding agreement between Greece and bailout lenders.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Loan payouts from the eurozone countries have been delayed for months, and Greece urgently needs them as it faces a July spike in debt repayments worth some 7 billion euros ($7.8 billion).

"We are not far at all from a solution. That solution must be found on June 15," Le Maire said.

Successive Greek governments have viewed France as an ally in bailout disputes, in contrast to the more fiscally hawkish Germans.

Athens is also seeking Paris' help on obtaining a concrete pledge from creditors on debt relief, an issue complicated by disagreement among lenders over the country's growth potential and debt sustainability.

"We're closer than ever to reaching an agreement on the debt issue, one than corresponds to the sacrifices made by the Greek people," Tsipras said after the meeting.

Investors continued Monday to anticipate an end to the months-long delay in reaching an agreement with bailout lenders.

Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange were roughly unchanged at 781 points following a weeks-long surge from just over 600 in early February, while market borrowing rates were also lower. Yields on two-year bonds dropped to 5 percent from above 10 four months ago.

Klaus Regling, head of the eurozone's bailout European Stability Mechanism also appeared optimistic.

"I continue to be convinced that if Greece continues with its reforms, it can end the (bailout) program next year and will regain market access before the end of the program," he said in an interview published Monday.

Prime Minister Tsipras pushed more painful austerity measure through parliament in successive votes that ended Friday, extending draconian budget cuts for roughly five years.

While in Athens, Le Maire will met Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and was due to hold talks with Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras.

___

Follow Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, looks on during his meeting with his Greek counterpart Euclid Tsakalotos, in Athens, Monday, June 12, 2017. France's Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, has begun meetings in Athens aimed at ending a months-long delay in a rescue funding agreement between Greece and bailout lenders. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, right, shakes hands with his Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos during their meeting in Athens, Monday, June 12, 2017. France's Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, has begun meetings in Athens aimed at ending a months-long delay in a rescue funding agreement between Greece and bailout lenders. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, right, walks with his Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos during their meeting in Athens, Monday, June 12, 2017. France's Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, has begun meetings in Athens aimed at ending a months-long delay in a rescue funding agreement between Greece and bailout lenders. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire , right, chats with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during their meeting in Athens, Monday, June 12, 2017. Le Maire, is in Greece for meetings aimed at ending a months-long delay in a rescue funding agreement between Greece and bailout lenders.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the outcome of Britain's general election (all times local):

5:55 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May has sought to rally her rank and file lawmakers behind her leadership after her Conservative Party lost its majority in the House of Commons.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives to attend Holy Communion at St Andrew's Church in Sonning, Berkshire, England, Sunday, June 11, 2017. May is under pressure after the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority in Thursday's election. (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire(/PA via AP)

Britain's Press Association says May, who was greeted with around 25 seconds of table banging and a brief cheer, told lawmakers at the closed-door meeting that she planned to sort out the problems facing her party.

The agency, quoting two unnamed sources from the meeting, said May told lawmakers that she was the one "who got us into this mess" and that she was the "one who will get us out of it."

The session had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, but was brought forward a day so that May could explain the status of her efforts to ally with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party before any deal is finalized.

___

3:20 p.m.

The pound has fallen further amid doubts about Theresa May's ability to form a government and start the Brexit talks on time.

The British currency fell to a two-month low of $1.2659, from $1.2780 late Friday, after officials suggested both the announcement of the prime minister's agenda and talks over Britain's divorce from the European Union could be postponed.

The pound has dropped from $1.2950 before the result of the election, which left no party with a majority.

Investors are trying to gauge what impact the vote could have on the economy and the Brexit talks. Amid the uncertainty, they're selling off the British currency as business leaders warn that the lack of clarity could hinder investments.

___

1:40 p.m.

Germany is angling to host the London-based European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority after Britain leaves the European Union.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert says Germany will apply to move the medicines regulator to the western city of Bonn, which already hosts several national and international agencies.

Seibert says the banking authority would move to Germany's financial capital, Frankfurt - already home to the European Central Bank - if the application succeeds.

He told reporters in Berlin that the exact procedures for the move could be decided at a meeting of EU leaders later this month.

Seibert was unable to say which other countries are applying to host the two agencies.

Britain is set to leave the EU by March 2019.

___

1:30 p.m.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has expressed his concerns for the Northern Ireland peace process if the Conservative government is propped up by the Democratic Unionist Party.

Adams told reporters Monday that he shared the concerns of outgoing Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny that a deal between the two could jeopardize the peace process.

Adams says Ireland's incoming government must act to protect the peace process.

Some involved in the Irish peace process are alarmed at any alliance between Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives and the DUP because the Good Friday peace accords call for the British government to be neutral in the politics of Northern Ireland.

May lost her majority in the House of Commons in last week's election and is looking to get the backing of the DUP's 10 lawmakers.

Republican Sinn Fein won seven seats but historically hasn't taken them up in the London chamber.

___

1:05 p.m.

The European Union's executive arm has indicated that negotiations with the British government over the country's exit from the bloc may not start next week as planned.

European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said "we are quite confident" that technical talks "can start soon, maybe even this week."

However, when asked about whether the Brexit talks would start for real on June 19 as planned, Winterstein said: "I cannot say. This doesn't depend entirely on us."

Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to thrash out details of a parliamentary arrangement with a party from Northern Ireland to get her the votes to run a minority government after last week's election, which saw her Conservative Party lose its majority. Already there are expectations that the Queen's Speech, which would outline the government's legislative agenda for next year, will be delayed from next Monday.

In March, before calling the election, May triggered the two-year timetable for Britain to leave the EU.

___

12:20 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office has declined to confirm that the Queen's Speech would be held on June 19 as previously announced.

May's official spokesman told a media a briefing that the new leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, will soon be releasing a statement on the date.

The uncertainty about the speech laying out the government's legislative program comes as May conducts talks with the Democratic Unionist Party, which is certain to expect concessions for its support. May lost her parliamentary majority in a disastrous election for her Conservative Party last week.

___

11:25 a.m.

Britain's chief negotiator for leaving the European Union says the talks for exiting the trading bloc may not start as scheduled next week.

David Davis told Sky News on Monday that the talks tentatively set to begin on June 19 might not take place because it would clash with the Queen's Speech, which sets out the legislative agenda for the new government.

Davis also suggested the government would focus on the divorce proceedings before moving on to trade.

The EU has said that Brexit talks need to make sufficient progress before trade deals can be discussed, though Britain had argued the discussions should take place simultaneously.

The change of position comes after Prime Minister Theresa May lost her majority in the House of Commons in a disastrous election last week.

___

9:30 a.m.

Senior members in Theresa May's government are moving to support her leadership despite doubts about whether she will remain in power following a disastrous election result.

The prime minister is meeting members of her party Monday after losing her majority in the House of Commons last week.

Seeking to set the tone, David Davis, the cabinet member in charge of European Union exit negotiations, says speculation about her removal is "unbelievably self-indulgent."

Davis told ITV he's loyal to May and there's a distinction between "running a campaign and running a country. Running a country is more difficult and she's formidably good at that."

Davis also sought to reassure the public that any deal between the Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party would not change abortion or gay rights laws.

Boris Johnson speaks to the media outside his ministerial residence in central London, Sunday June 11, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May is making appointments to her Cabinet as she tries to shore up authority undermined by a poor election result. Boris Johnson is reappointed as Foreign Secretary. (Rick Findler/PA via AP)
ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani police say a lone gunman has shot and killed a journalist in the northwestern town of Haripur.

Senior police officer Mohammad Sabir says 39-year-old Bakhshish Illahi, bureau chief of a local daily newspaper and television station, was targeted Sunday near his home while on his way to his office.

Sabir says the journalist was a father of four and had recently joined television channel K-2 and daily newspaper K-2 Times after serving at another local newspaper for 14 years.

Sabir says an investigation hasn't revealed any personal enmity toward Illahi and he was apparently killed for some other reason. He didn't elaborate.

Journalists in Haripur protested the killing.

Pakistan is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on investigations into possible contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer is declining to say whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions should invoke executive privilege in testimony to Congress Tuesday.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer listens as Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta speak during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Spicer told reporters Monday that it "depends on the scope of the questions" and said it was "premature" to say.

Sessions will testify in open session Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence committee, where he'll face questions over his role in the controversy around possible ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

Spicer also declined to say whether Trump agrees with Sessions' decision to testify. But he says the president "believes that the sooner we can get this addressed and dealt with" the better.

Spicer is also refusing to say whether tapes exist of the president's conversations with FBI Director James Comey before Trump fired him. Comey told Congress last week that Trump urged him to drop a probe of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

__

11:20 a.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he wants his testimony before the Senate intelligence committee to be open to the public.

The Justice Department says Sessions has requested Tuesday's committee hearing be open because he "believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."

The Justice Department says Sessions looks forward to answering the committee's questions.

Sessions faces questions about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential campaign. He recused himself in March from a federal investigation into contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign after acknowledging that he had met twice last year with the ambassador. He had told lawmakers at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

__

8:15 a.m.

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway says testimony from former FBI Director James Comey "reflected very poorly on members of the Obama administration as well."

On "Fox & Friends" Monday, Conway noted Comey's testimony that Loretta Lynch, as President Barack Obama's attorney general, directed him to describe the FBI probe into Hillary Clinton's email practices as a "matter" and to avoid calling it an investigation.

Conway stressed that Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has said there should be further investigation.

Conway also said Comey's testimony showed President Donald Trump was not under investigation.

Comey testified that the FBI investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign did not extend to Trump himself during the time Comey was leading the FBI. That investigation continues, as do congressional inquiries.

___

7:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, says her father felt "vindicated" and "incredibly optimistic" following fired FBI Director James Comey's congressional testimony last week.

In an interview Monday on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," Ivanka Trump says political life still surprises her and that "there is a level of viciousness I was not expecting."

When asked what she thought of Comey's testimony, in which he said Trump suggested he drop a probe into former National Security adviser Michael Flynn's Russia contacts, Ivanka Trump said her father felt "very vindicated...and feels incredibly optimistic."

She added: "With all the noise, with all the intensity of the media coverage and obviously what makes headlines, ultimately we're really focused on why the American people elected Donald Trump as their president." She said she's trying to keep her focus on helping her father change the status quo.

___

3:54 a.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is preparing to face former Senate colleagues over his role in the controversy around ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. It's part of an escalating investigation into charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections.

Sessions is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence committee and was due for sharp questioning. It is not yet known whether the hearing will be public or closed.

Fellow Republicans, meanwhile, pressed Trump to come clean about whether he has tapes of private conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey and provide them to Congress if he does - or possibly face a subpoena.

FILE - In this March 6, 2017, file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. Sessions, whose contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential campaign has sparked questions, agreed Saturday, June 10, to appear before the Senate intelligence committee as it investigates alleged Russian meddling in the election. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
SEATTLE (AP) - The Latest on a U.S. appeals court keeping President Donald Trump's travel ban blocked (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he disagrees with a U.S. appeals court's decision to keep blocking President Donald Trump's travel ban.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer arrives for the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Sessions said Monday that the ban is necessary to protect national security. He says the president was within his lawful authority to enact the temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority nations.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision blocking the ban and said the president violated U.S. immigration law.

Sessions says the court's decision "has a chilling effect on security operations overall."

He says the ban should be restored "until we have the ability accurately and responsibly to vet those seeking entry here."

He also is reiterating the Trump administration's argument that the ban isn't based on religion, but safety concerns.

___

12:15 p.m.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the administration is confident that President Donald Trump's travel ban will be upheld by the Supreme Court after its latest legal blow.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision blocking the temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority nations. The ruling Monday says the president violated U.S. immigration law.

Spicer told reporters that the White House is reviewing the opinion but maintains the order is "fully lawful."

He says "these are very dangerous times" and the U.S. needs "every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and committing acts of bloodshed and violence."

___

10:15 a.m.

Another federal appeals court has upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.

The ruling Monday from a unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals deals the administration another legal defeat as the Supreme Court considers a separate case on the issue.

The judges say the president violated U.S. immigration law by discriminating against people based on their nationality and that Trump failed to show their entry into the country would hurt American interests.

They didn't rule on whether the travel ban violated the Constitution's ban on the government officially favoring or disfavoring any religion.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia also ruled against the travel ban May 25. The administration has appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Latvian man has made an initial appearance in U.S. federal court for his alleged involvement in a hacking scheme that caused internet users to lose millions of dollars.

Twenty-eight-year-old Peteris Sahurovs was indicted in 2011 in a "scareware" scheme that targeted the Minneapolis Star Tribune's website.

The indictment says Sahurovs and an accomplice created a phony advertising agency and bought ads on startribune.com, then infected computer users who visited the site with malware. The affected computer users were tricked into buying purported antivirus software.

The scheme generated more than $2 million.

Sahurovs was arrested in Latvia in June 2011 but fled after a Latvian court released him. He was arrested in Poland last fall and extradited to the U.S.

The federal defender's office will represent him, but he hasn't yet been assigned an attorney.
PHOENIX (AP) - Nearly 30 wildfires tore through dry and windy Arizona on Monday, drawing crews from across the Western United States to the state with the most blazes burning in the nation.

Thousands of firefighters were battling 28 wildfires throughout the state, many of them ignited by lightning or people, as gusty winds and parched vegetation fueled the flames, said Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the state forestry department. No one has been injured, and just one empty house has been destroyed.

Some southern Arizona residents were allowed to return home Monday after fleeing last week from a wildfire in the community of Dragoon that burned a vacant home. Evacuation orders were in place for at least 30 houses.

Several horses ignore the smoke from the 14,900 acre Lizard Fire east of Dragoon, Ariz., on June 11, 2017. The fire is burning through dry grass and shrubs and being pushed by erratic winds. A red flag warning is in effect because of the hazardous conditions. The Lizard Fire had merged earlier with the Dragoon Fire on Friday afternoon. The fire may have been started by lightning on Wednesday. (A.E. Araiza/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

Heather Floyd, who lives in Dragoon, said an official came to her house with a warning to evacuate Wednesday. Floyd decided to spend the night at her daughter's home in a nearby town, but her husband stayed behind.

When she left, she took multiple suitcases - one with five days' worth of clothes, and another with photo albums and picture frames she grabbed off the walls.

"It's weird," Floyd said. "What do you pack? It's 10:30 at night, you're not really thinking."

The fire came within half a mile of her house, but she went back the next morning and they have stayed since.

Davila estimates at least 80 square miles (207 square kilometers) across the state are ablaze. She said crews from seven other states are working to control the fires.

Officials closed a section of highway in northern Arizona last week because smoke from a mountain fire restricted visibility. State Route 180 about 10 miles north of Flagstaff will stay closed at least until Sunday, when the state Department of Transportation will re-evaluate.

Arizona has seen 858 fires so far this year that have charred 205 square miles (530.95 square kilometers).

Dry lightning, or lighting without rain, sparked some of the bigger fires burning now. It is more common in summer months leading up to the state's monsoon, said Hector Vasquez, a spokesman for the National Weather Service. Fire danger decreases as more moisture moves in and rain begins accompanying the lightning storms.

The National Weather Service warned residents in eastern and northern Arizona that high winds and low humidity could lead fires to spread more easily.

State forestry officials predicted two months ago that southern Arizona would have a higher fire risk than the northern, forested parts of the state, because winter rain and snow increased the amount of vegetation that fuels fires in later months after it dries out.

___

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the number of fires cited in 2016 was for the entire year, but it was a year-to-date figure.

This June 9, 2017, photo shows a patch of vegetation flaming up as the Lizard Fire burns in the Dragoon Mountains as seen from Johnson Road south of Interstate 10 in Southeastern Ariz. (Mike Christy/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

A couple of firefighters from Golder Ranch put out hot spots from the 14,900 acre Lizard Fire burns near Dragoon, Ariz., on June 11, 2017. The fire is burning through dry grass and shrubs and being pushed by erratic winds. A red flag warning is in effect because of the hazardous conditions. The Lizard Fire had merged earlier with the Dragoon Fire on Friday afternoon. The fire may have been started by lightning on Wednesday. (A.E. Araiza/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

This June 9, 2017, photo shows the Lizard Fire burning in the Dragoon Mountains as seen from Johnson Road south of Interstate 10 in Southeastern Ariz. (Mike Christy/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazilian President Michel Temer said on Monday that recent accusations against him are made up and designed to frame him. The country's top prosecutor is investigating the unpopular leader being on charges of corruption, obstruction of justice and belonging to a criminal organization.

In a 4-minute video published on his social media, Temer denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will remain in office so he can deliver austerity measures and reforms.

"Precisely at the moment we are left with the most serious economic crisis in our history, at a time there were clear signs that the reforms would be approved by Congress, they attributed to my government a bunch of accusations that are made up" and aimed at framing him, the president said. Temer did not specifically name Brazil's top prosecutor Rodrigo Janot.

A street performer juggles knives for tips at a bus station where graffiti reads in Portuguese "Death to Temer" in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, June 12, 2017. President Michel Temer is fighting new allegations that his administration turned Brazil's spy services on a supreme court justice investigating him for corruption, the latest in a series of accusations that threaten to cut short his tenure. Additionally, Temer is proposing unpopular labor market reform proposals. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

If Janot decides to formally accuse the president on any of the three counts, Temer will have to survive a vote in Congress to prevent being suspended from office and tried by Brazil's Supreme Court.

Temer also said Brazil's top electoral court decision not to remove him from office last week proved that the country's democracy is working. The unpopular leader said his office did not interfere in the 4-3 vote on Friday that kept him in the presidency. Two of the four votes in Temer's favor were made by judges he appointed.

While Temer published the video, the executive commission of a key political party in his governing coalition was considering whether to stay with him. The right-leaning Brazilian Social Democracy Party was still deciding whether to keep its five members in Temer's Cabinet. Later Monday, Sen. Jose Serra said the party had decided not to leave.

Party leaders have said they are under pressure to leave because of Temer's plunging popularity, now in the single digits. But at the same time they don't want to lose the support of the president's centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party in the 2018 elections.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Jody Lee Davis Defendant - Appellant No. 16-2008 Decided: June 12, 2017

Before RILEY and BEAM, Circuit Judges, and ROSSITER,1 District Judge.

Jody Lee Davis (Davis) appeals from the district court's decision to impose a 210-month prison sentence and recommend that his federal sentence be served consecutively to potential future state court sentences. For the reasons stated below, we affirm Davis's sentence.

I. BACKGROUND

In 2012 and 2013, Davis was convicted in Iowa state court of numerous crimes, including one count of identity theft, one count of burglary, two counts of theft, and ten counts of forgery. On February 4, 2015, an Iowa state court sentenced Davis to suspended sentences for all of those crimes and placed him on probation.

After being indicted in federal court on methamphetamine charges, Davis pled guilty on November 16, 2016 to Attempted Manufacture and Aiding and Abetting the Manufacture of Methamphetamine. Davis was sentenced on April 12, 2016. At the time of sentencing, probation-revocation proceedings were pending in Iowa state court based on the methamphetamine arrest. After discussing the 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) factors, the district court noted that state-court probation revocation proceedings were pending but specifically stated, I did not consider the pending cases in deciding on a disposition. The district court sentenced Davis to 210 months in prison, recommending to the Bureau of Prisons that the sentence be served consecutively to any term of state imprisonment resulting from the probation revocation.

It is clear that the district court has the discretion to order that [Davis's] sentence run consecutively to his anticipated state sentence in the probation revocation proceeding. Setser v. United States, 566 U.S. 231, 244-45 (2012). This case presents the novel issue of whether it is error for a district court to explicitly not consider the possibility of a state court sentence when ordering that a federal sentence be consecutive to any possible state-court sentence.

II. DISCUSSION

Davis argues his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the district court failed to consider the potential state prison time. The government claims that Davis's argument is really one of procedural error. After careful review, we conclude the district court neither procedurally erred in determining Davis's sentence nor imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence.

A. Standards of Review

Because Davis failed to object to any procedural error, we review for plain error. United States v. Cottrell, 853 F.3d 459, 462 (8th Cir. 2017). To establish plain error, [a defendant] must prove (1) there was error, (2) the error was plain, and (3) the error affected his substantial rights. Id. (quoting United States v. Grimes, 702 F.3d 460, 470 (8th Cir. 2012)).

We review the substantive unreasonableness of sentences under a standard akin to an abuse-of-discretion standard, cognizant that it will be the unusual case when we reverse a district court sentencewhether within, above, or below the applicable Guidelines rangeas substantively unreasonable. United States v. Edwards, 820 F.3d 362, 366 (8th Cir. 2016) (quoting United States v. Sayles, 754 F.3d 564, 567 (8th Cir. 2014)). A sentence may be unreasonable if the district court fails to consider a relevant factor which should have received significant weight; gives significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor; or considers the appropriate factors but commits a clear error of judgment. Id.

B. Procedural Error

Davis claims United States Sentencing Guideline  5G1.3 obligates the district court to examine the length of potential future state terms of imprisonment. According to Davis, by failing to perform this examination, the district court violated the requirement in 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) to craft a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with purposes of sentencing. Davis provides no authority to support his novel interpretation of  5G1.3.

Section 5G1.3(a) applies when the instant offense was committed while the defendant was serving a term of imprisonment  or after sentencing for, but before commencing service of, such term of imprisonment. In both cases, the sentences should run consecutively. Whether or not  5G1.3(a) applies, the district court could not have violated it by imposing the sentence consecutively.

The next two subsections of  5G1.3, (b) and (c), deal with situations where the other term of imprisonment results from relevant conduct to the instant offense of conviction. These subsections do not apply because the prior convictions for theft, burglary, and forgery are not relevant conduct to the making of methamphetamine, and the fact that an offense also results in a revocation of probation does not make the state conviction relevant conduct to the federal conviction. United States v. Jones, 628 F.3d 1044, 1049 (8th Cir. 2011).

Davis turns to the final subsection,  5G1.3(d), which provides, In any other case involving an undischarged term of imprisonment, the sentence for the instant offense may be imposed to run concurrently, partially concurrently, or consecutively to the prior undischarged term of imprisonment to achieve a reasonable punishment for the instant offense. See 18 U.S.C.  3584. He argues that  5G1.3(d) requires the district court to at least consider the potential state term of imprisonment. However, by its express language, this subsection only applies to cases where there are currently existing undischarged terms of imprisonment, not potential future terms of imprisonment. See Setser, 566 U.S. at 237-39 (acknowledging that  3584 does not apply to scenarios in which the state term of imprisonment has not yet been imposed).

Davis has failed to provide any authority requiring the district court to weigh the possibility of future state prison terms. The district court considered all the relevant  3553(a) factors available at the time of sentencing. Setser, 566 U.S. at 244. The district court did not err by expressly not considering the fact that Davis's probation could possibly be revoked.

C. Substantive Unreasonableness

Davis argues his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the district court failed to consider the relevant  3553(a) factors. Because we previously concluded the district court considered all of the  3553(a) factors, [Davis's] substantive unreasonableness argument is without merit. United States v. Lewis, 557 F.3d 601, 615 (8th Cir. 2009).

III. CONCLUSION

We affirm Davis's sentence.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable Linda R. Reade, United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

. Davis insists his claim is based solely on substantive unreasonableness.

. This subsection could arguably be applicable in this case because the crimes were committed after the imposition of a suspended sentence but before Davis began serving it. See United States v. Murphy, 69 F.3d 237, 246 n.8 (8th Cir. 1995).

. The district court did make the federal sentence concurrent to any sentence imposed in two state court cases involving relevant conduct, that is, the manufacture of methamphetamine and the possession of drug paraphernalia.

. Application Note 4(c) to  5G1.3(d) recommends that the federal sentence run consecutively to a state sentence imposed after revocation of probation. While this note only specifically applies to cases where the state revocation occurs before the federal sentencing, the purpose of punishing crimes more seriously when committed during probation would still apply in this case.

ROSSITER, District Judge.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - A 19-year-old man was on life support Monday after he was shot by a sheriff's deputy on Milwaukee's lakefront.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said the man was driving an SUV Sunday evening when deputies tried to pull it over for a traffic violation and he fled. Clarke said the man, identified as Terry Williams, was hit in the head.

He said a female passenger was shot in the shoulder.

Clarke said a loaded handgun was found in the vehicle. He declined to give further details and didn't take questions at a news conference. The shooting is being investigated by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office.

Citizen video shows the SUV driving up a curb with a sheriff's vehicle in pursuit when a deputy appears on foot with a gun drawn. Multiple shots can be heard on the video.

Clarke identified the deputy who fired into the vehicle as Michael Truax, 32, who hired in August. He was put on administrative leave, which is standard. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Truax was on foot patrol at the time and was on the median when the SUV approached. It's unclear from the video if the SUV was heading directly toward Truax.

After Truax fired, the SUV swerved back into the road and hit another car before it stopped. Deputies surrounded it and ordered people out at gunpoint. Williams and the injured woman were removed, and a man who did not appear to be injured was taken from the back seat.
BRENTWOOD, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California high school principal on Monday issued a public apology and handed a diploma to an Army reservist who was not allowed to wear his military uniform at his graduation ceremony last week.

Liberty High School Principal Patrick Walsh apologized to a Harland Fletcher, a private first class reservist in the U.S. Army, and took full responsibility for the mishap at a ceremony where many waved American flags.

Fletcher sat out the Friday ceremony at Liberty High School after the principal told him he would have to wear a cap and gown over his uniform if he wanted to participate.

Army reservist Harland Fletcher walks on stage to receive his high school diploma during a private graduation ceremony Monday, June 12, 2017, in Brentwood, Calif. The Liberty High School principal held the ceremony as an apology for not allowing Fletcher to wear his military uniform during his graduation last Friday. (AP Photo/Linda Wang)

"I made a mistake last Friday night, and I don't mince words. I deeply regret what occurred," Walsh said.

Walsh held a private ceremony at the high school in Brentwood, California that was attended by Fletcher's family and about 100 people, many of them military veterans in uniform who came out to support their fellow serviceman.

Fletcher said he wants to send a message that the military shouldn't be disrespected and that servicemen stand together. "The uniform for me means honor, respect, integrity, and it stands for America's freedom," he said.

The 18-year-old high school graduate said he did not want to make the ceremony about him, but rather highlight what the military is about.

"I didn't really need the apology, but I wanted to send a message that the military is about friendship - brothers and sisters standing together, not just letting someone trample over us," Fletcher said.

Sgt. Duane Edwards, a Vietnam War veteran, attended the ceremony with the rest of the Marine Corps League of Brentwood. He said he wanted to show his support to the graduating senior after he heard about what had happened on the news.

"What was done was completely in violation of the law," Edwards said. California law gives Fletcher the right to wear his uniform during graduation.

Fletcher's wife, Valentina Fletcher, and their 6-month-old son shared in the special moment.

"I think the support is tremendous," Valentina said. "It shows how everyone is here to make sure that the uniform doesn't get disrespected again."

Fletcher is uncertain what he will do in the near future but said he plans to have a long career in the military.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Central African Republic is "on a path to incremental peace" that will be achieved if U.N. peacekeepers keep responding strongly against armed groups, the U.N. envoy for the volatile country said Monday.

But Parfait Onanga-Anyanga told the Security Council an upsurge in violence that erupted in May in several areas involving rival groups was very worrying, including "systematic aggression against peacekeepers."

He also expressed concern that "the already dire humanitarian situation confronting the country is at risk of worsening" if displaced people and refugees who have fled fighting can't return home.

"Over half of Central Africans - or 2.2 million people - need assistance or are food insecure," Onanga-Anyanga said. "This figure represents the highest per capita caseload in the world and bears re-stating with ever more urgency."

He was presenting Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' latest report to the council which said Central African Republic has oscillated over recent months between consolidating gains achieved since President Faustin Archange Touadera's election in February 2016, primarily in the capital Bangui, and "a serious deterioration of the security situation in other parts of the country."

"As relevant as many of the advances to date have been," Guterres said, "the latest spate of violence that erupted in May in some towns in the east and center of the country risks derailing the progress achieved over the last year and spreading with disastrous consequences, both for civilians and the country's stability."

Central African Republic exploded into violence in late 2013 as anger mounted against a Muslim rebel leader who seized power by force. The backlash against Muslim civilians forced most of Bangui's Muslims to flee north or to neighboring Chad and Cameroon. The country held mostly peaceful democratic elections that brought Touadera into the presidency but armed militias persist not only in the largely ungoverned north but elsewhere.

Serious fighting erupted in May in Bangassou, where Onanga-Anyanga said the situation remains "extremely precarious." He also expressed concern about violence in the southern-central prefectures of Ouaka and Mbomou and singled out the situation in Bria, where 80 percent of the civilian population remains displaced by fighting that began May 16.

Onanga-Anyanga said the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSCA, has faced "harsh public criticism" lately, which he said reflects frustration over the government's "lack of capacities" and impatience over persistent insecurity "which is largely self-inflicted."

"Even in the face of those cynics who disparage MINUSCA publicly, our resolve remains stronger than ever before," he said. "Each time MINUSCA exhibits strength against armed groups, it is a victory for stability."

Marco Impagliazzo, head of the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic lay group that works behind the scenes to prevent conflicts and bring warring parties to the peace table, said the organization is planning a meeting in Rome in the coming days with representatives of all 14 armed groups in Central African Republic and representatives of Touadera's government, in the presence of Onanga-Anyanga.

He said the aim is to discuss key issues involving disarmament and demobilization of combatants and the holding of an inclusive political dialogue.
WASHINGTON (AP) - China is a step closer to allowing imports of U.S. beef for the first time in almost 14 years.

The United States and China have agreed on final details of a deal to allow the imports. That's from the Agriculture Department on Monday. The agreement is one part of a bilateral agreement reached following President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) in April.

China imposed a ban on American beef in 2003 after a case of mad-cow disease, a ban that remained in place despite extensive efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations to get it removed.
A look at what's happening all around the majors Tuesday:

___

YO DOWN

New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) follows through on a grand slam in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Saturday, June 10, 2017, in Atlanta. It was the first game of a double header. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Mets may again be without star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, just days after he ended a six-week DL stint. Cespedes returned Saturday from a strained left hamstring but left Monday's game with a sore left heel. He's also been nagged by trouble in his quadriceps this season. Cespedes has been limited to 21 games, batting .278 with seven homers and 14 RBIs.

RYAN TO GO?

Nationals manager Dusty Baker is hopeful slugger Ryan Zimmerman will return from a back injury in time to face Braves knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Zimmerman is 12 for 36 (.333) with two home runs and five RBIs against Dickey lifetime. The rest of the Nats' active roster is batting just .240 with three homers against the veteran right-hander.

UNBEATABLE

The Dodgers have won each of Clayton Kershaw's last seven starts, a streak they'll try to stretch against Cleveland. Kershaw (8-2, 2.20 ERA) hasn't lost a game since May 1 against the Giants and has 23 strikeouts in 14 innings over his last two starts. Trevor Bauer (5-5, 6.10) is up for the Indians.

POWERED UP

The Blue Jays are back to doing what they do best: hitting the ball into the outfield seats. Toronto has homered in 33 of 38 games since the start of May, including five long balls during a three-game series at Seattle over the weekend. Josh Donaldson has powered the team of late, hitting five of his eight home runs this season since the start of June. He and the Jays will try to keep the surge going against Jake Odorizzi (4-3, 3.59) and the Rays.

BIG GUY, BIG STREAK

CC Sabathia seeks his sixth straight victory when the Yankees face the Angels. Sabathia (7-2, 3.66) has a 1.11 ERA during his five-start winning streak and threw eight innings in an 8-0 win over Boston in his previous outing. JC Ramirez (6-4, 4.33) is up for Los Angeles.

STRONG BREW

Jimmy Nelson gets the ball when NL Central-leading Milwaukee opens a four-game set against St. Louis. Nelson (4-3, 3.45) has struck out 27 in 21 innings over his past three starts and has a 2.16 ERA in his last seven outings. Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.88) is set to pitch for the Cardinals.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the fourth inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 7, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson singles in a run against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson, left, rounds the bases on his home run as Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager looks on in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
MIAMI (AP) - U.S. authorities have arrested former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on an extradition warrant from his country.

U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Manny Puri says Martinelli was in custody Monday evening at a federal detention center in Miami. The former president was arrested earlier in the evening near his home in Coral Gables, Florida. He is accused of corruption and spying on opponents in Panama.

Martinelli is expected to appear before a judge for an extradition hearing.

FILE.- In this March 24, 2017 file photo, Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli gestures during a meeting with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, Monday, March 24, 2014. U.S. authorities have arrested Monday June 12, 2017 former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on an extradition warrant from his country. U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Manny Puri says Martinelli was in custody Monday evening at a federal detention center in Miami. He is accused of corruption and spying on opponents in Panama. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

The former president from 2009-2014 has denied wrongdoing and contends the case is political persecution by his successor.

In February, prosecutors in Panama also said they were seeking international help in detaining two of his sons in relation to an alleged scheme to launder bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
NEWPORT, Ark. (AP) - A police officer has been shot and killed in a small northeastern Arkansas town, and manhunt is underway for the suspect.

The shooting was reported about 7:30 p.m. Monday in Newport, about 90 miles northeast of Little Rock. According to an Arkansas State Police statement, 41-year-old Newport police Lt. Patrick Weatherford died shortly afterward at an area hospital. State Police say Weatherford was a 15-year department veteran.

Arkansas State Police have taken the lead in the investigation. No other information was immediately available.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans and Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a new package of sanctions on Russia amid the firestorm over Russia's meddling in the presidential election and investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of President Donald Trump's campaign.

Top lawmakers on two committees - Banking and Foreign Relations - announced the deal, which would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties. The plan also calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on corrupt Russian actors, those involved in human rights abuses and those supplying weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Penalties also would be slapped on those responsible for malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government.

The batch of sanctions would be added to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating.

"The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria," said Republicans and Democrats on the committees.

A procedural vote on the Russia sanctions is expected Wednesday, and the measure is expected to get strong bipartisan support. The legislation was worked out by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, of the Banking Committee, and Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., of the Foreign Relations panel.

The legislation also allows new penalties on key elements of the Russia economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.

House and Senate committees are investigating Russia's meddling and potential links to the Trump campaign, with testimony scheduled Tuesday from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a separate probe.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilizing actions," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the top Senate Democrat. "These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished."
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's recommendation to downsize the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah was applauded by the state's top Republican leaders but marked a stinging setback for a coalition of Western tribes that pushed for protection of lands they consider sacred.

Zinke, a former Republican congressman from Montana, said Monday he's committed to make sure Native American culture is preserved and vowed to push for Congress to approve legislation granting tribes legal authority to "co-manage" some of the Bears Ears site.

The scenic swath of southern Utah with red rock plateaus, cliffs and canyons is on land considered sacred to a coalition of tribes and is home to an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites. But President Donald Trump and other Republicans are critical of former President Barack Obama's late-term creation of the 1.3 million acre Bears Ears National Monument. They say it's an unnecessary layer of federal control that hurts local economies by closing the area to new energy development. They also say it isn't the best way to protect the land.

FILE - In this May 9, 2017, file photo, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rides a horse in the new Bears Ears National Monument near Blanding, Utah. Zinke on Monday, June 12, 2017, recommended that the new national monument in Utah be reduced in size and said Congress should step in to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site are managed. (Scott G Winterton/The Deseret News via AP, File)

Zinke said he discussed the idea with the tribes and that they came away happy with the plan. "I have enormous respect for tribes," Zinke said. "This is working hand-to-hand with the tribes as I said I would do."

Several tribal leaders balked at that characterization, saying they weren't briefed on the plan and consider the idea to be an attempt to temper their criticism. They joined environmental groups in vowing to file lawsuits if Trump accepts the recommendation and shrinks the monument.

"This was really just a cynical effort to distract Indian country from the devastating blow of reducing the size of the monument," Natalie Landreth, an attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. "Bears Ears is not for sale. It's not up for trade."

Ethel Branch, Navajo Nation attorney general, said the lands within Bears Ears are essentially holy lands that hold critical plants, minerals and powers that members of many tribes rely on to heal and strengthen themselves.

"Protection of these lands are non-negotiable," Branch said.

Trump signed an executive order in April directing Zinke to review the designation of 27 national monuments on federal lands, calling the protection efforts "a massive federal land grab" by previous administrations.

Zinke made the Bears Ears recommendation as part of an interim report to Trump. He said he will issue a final report in late August, when he is due to make recommendations on Bears Ears and 21 other national monuments on federal land in 11 states, including Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, Giant Sequoia in California, Nevada's Basin and Range and Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine.

The review also targets five marine monuments in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Zinke toured Bears Ears last month on foot, horseback and helicopter and met with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and other state leaders who opposed Obama's December designation of Bears Ears monument.

"There is no doubt that it is drop-dead gorgeous country and that it merits some degree of protection, but designating a monument ... where multiple-use management is hindered or prohibited is not the best use of the land," Zinke said.

Zinke did not specify how much of the 1.3 million acres should be trimmed.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called Zinke's announcement "an unquestionable victory for Utah."

Noting the contentious nature of the monument designation, Zinke called on Congress to approve a land-management bill for Bears Ears and other federal lands. The Republican-controlled Congress has failed to approve a significant public lands bill in recent years, but Zinke said that was because of veto threats by Obama.

Utah rancher Zeb Dalton was among monument critics who wanted Zinke to recommend rescinding the entire monument. He and other cattle ranchers fear that their grazing rights will be impacted even though the government had said the monument designation will allow grazing to continue.

Dalton said he'll await the new boundaries to find out how much of his land is included.

"Everybody says it needs to be protected; it's already protected," said Dalton, while adding. "I guess reducing the size is better than nothing."

___

Follow Matthew Daly: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

In this photo taken April 26, 2017, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks at the Interior Department in Washington. Ryan Zinke is recommending that the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah be reduced in size and says Congress should step in to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site are categorized. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

FILE - In this July 14, 2016 file photo, then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell looks in to a canyon at Gemini Bridges near Moab, Utah, during a tour to meet with proponents and opponents to the "Bears Ears" monument proposal. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah be reduced in size and says Congress should step in to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site are categorized. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah be reduced in size and says Congress should step in to designate how selected areas of the 1.3 million-acre site are categorized.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn took part in sensitive hiring and policy discussions involving U.S. intelligence as a member of President Donald Trump's transition team, but failed to inform Trump's team that he had conducted political work on behalf of a foreign client of Flynn and might have to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent.

Internal records for Flynn's partner, Bijan Kian, indicate he had not disclosed his work on behalf of a Turkish businessman last year with the Flynn Intel Group or provided any warning that he planned to file as a foreign agent, a current Trump transition official told The Associated Press. Kian, a little-known figure active on the presidential transition team, is emerging as a key player in the political controversy involving Flynn, Trump's fired national security adviser.

"He did not indicate that to us in his transition documents. We would have no reason to know," said the transition official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Kian's role during the post-election period. Almost two months after the transition period, both Kian and Flynn filed in March as foreign agents with the Justice Department, acknowledging their political work for Turkish-run Inovo BV could have principally benefited the government of Turkey.

In this March 15, 2014, photo provided by Alfredo Flores, from left, Vice Admiral Michael Rogers; Paul Monteiro, vice chairman and co-Founder of Nowruz Commission; Bijan R. Kian and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn talk during the Fifth Annual Nowruz Commission Gala at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. As Michael Flynn spent last fall campaigning as Donald Trump's top national security adviser, Bijan Kian, his little-known business partner supervised much of the foreign political work for Turkish interests that has boomeranged back on Flynn, now the target of a federal criminal investigation and congressional inquiries. (Alfredo Flores via AP)

For Kian, who led most of Flynn Intel Group's research and lobbying for a Turkish businessman, the Trump transition role offered influence in the selection of intelligence agency candidates and access to internal discussions of U.S. national security policy. But Kian's participation in the transition - following his management of work that Flynn Intel acknowledged may have benefited Turkey's government - reinforces concerns about the adequacy of the administration's vetting process.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is co-sponsoring a bill to toughen regulation of Americans performing political work for foreign interests, said Tuesday it was "very troubling that an unregistered foreign agent was playing a key role in the Trump administration's transition." She added that "similar to General Flynn, someone working on behalf of foreign governments should never be put in a position where they're making important decisions within our government."

An Iranian-American businessman whose full name is Bijan Rafiekian, Kian did not respond to repeated attempts over two months by the AP to contact him by phone, email and visits to properties listed for him in public records.

Kian described his transition role on his LinkedIn profile as "deputy lead" assigned to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Kian said he provided "policy input, strategic guidance and operational counsel to prepare" candidates for the director of national intelligence, the CIA and other top officials.

Two former transition officials who met with Kian during that period said that Kian was clearly close with Flynn and served as the retired general's sounding board. One of the officials said Kian helped scrutinize then-Rep. Mike Pompeo before he was named Trump's CIA director. The second official said Kian was involved in transition discussions for the National Security Council and the director of national intelligence. That official added that Kian did not expect to get an administration post. Both transition officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the transition's work.

Like Kian, Flynn also worked on the transition while he was under Justice Department scrutiny for the Turkish work. But, as the AP previously reported , Flynn did inform the Trump transition about his Turkish work through his attorneys, who notified the transition he might have to register as a foreign agent. After Flynn joined the administration, his attorneys followed up with the White House counsel's office, disclosing that Flynn would indeed be registering with the government as a foreign agent.

As Flynn's little-known business partner, Kian played a key role last year in supervising much of Flynn Intel Group's foreign work while the former U.S. lieutenant general campaigned for Trump. The research and lobbying they conducted for the Turkish firm has boomeranged on Flynn, now the target of a federal criminal investigation and congressional inquiries.

Flynn's mishandling of his dealings with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. led to his firing in February by Trump from his post as national security adviser and is now a prime focus of special counsel Robert Mueller's wide-ranging investigation into Russian contacts with the Trump campaign. But the inquiries spawned by Flynn Intel's Turkish work pose added legal complications for both Flynn and his associates. Federal investigators are concentrating on possible criminal violations and a House oversight committee inquiry is examining Flynn's records to determine whether he lied to federal officials about his foreign contacts and payments.

It is not clear whether Kian has been drawn into the expanding criminal probe, but he was deeply involved in Flynn Intel Group's creation, financing and operations, according to the Turkish businessman, people familiar with Flynn's company and records submitted to the Justice Department.

Kian connected Flynn with his Turkish client, helped to negotiate their $600,000 contract and oversaw a documentary and an op-ed aimed at an opponent of Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the client and several others who requested anonymity because of the ongoing criminal investigation. The client, Ekim Alptekin, also confirmed to the AP that Kian worked for one of his Turkish companies at the same time he was working for Flynn Intel.

"Content-wise, it was Bijan handling the day-to-day details," Alptekin said during a recent interview in Washington.

Alptekin told the AP he has not been contacted by federal authorities but has consulted with his U.S.-based legal team. "I'm very confident I engaged in a legal contract and was fully transparent from the beginning about what it entailed and what I was doing," he said.

Flynn's attorney, Robert Kelner, did not respond to detailed questions from the AP.

Kian's interests repeatedly intersected with Flynn's business ventures and political activities after Flynn, a former U.S. Army lieutenant general, left the government in 2014. Kian, a former director of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, shared Flynn's strong public opposition to Iran's theocratic government and a common interest in the development of secure communications systems.

Until Trump's election, Flynn served with Kian on the board of GreenZone Systems Inc., a technology firm Kian headed until April. Flynn and Kian co-authored a 2015 op-ed about ISIS militants, and attended galas put on by the Nowruz Commission, a nonprofit run by Kian and his wife promoting the Iranian Nowruz holiday. Alptekin was named a board director of that group in 2011.

For the three months leading up to the election, Kian was Flynn Intel's linchpin, lobbying and managing contractors in the Turkish work. Alptekin said Kian was the intermediary who brought Flynn's firm together last summer with Alptekin's Dutch-based company, Inovo BV. Kian was also the "main one" representing Flynn Intel in contract talks with him last fall, Alptekin said, adding Flynn "wasn't involved at all" in the talks, though he signed the contract.

Inovo ended up paying Flynn Intel $530,000 for research and lobbying aimed at persuading authorities to file criminal charges against Fethullah Gulen, a political foe of Erdogan. Flynn Intel disclosed its contract and other details of its Turkish work last March to the Justice Department, which regulates lobbying and other political activities for foreign interests in the U.S. Flynn and Kian were the only individuals who personally registered as foreign agents for Inovo.

Kian and Alptekin had an existing business relationship when Flynn Intel began its foreign work. Alptekin confirmed Kian had been vice chairman of his Istanbul-based aviation company, EA Havacilik, since November 2011. Alptekin said he and Kian regularly strategized to build an aviation customer base.

Alptekin has denied that any of Inovo's work was done at the direction of Turkey's government, but he is a member of a foreign trade board managed by the country's economic ministry.

Alptekin said he first met Kian during Kian's stint on the Export-Import bank board for the Bush and Obama administrations between 2006 and 2011. Kian promoted U.S. business interests abroad for the bank, meeting officials in Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other nations, according to State Department cables released by WikiLeaks.

In his supervisory role for Flynn Intel, Kian was not always explicit about his ties to the firm, said several people who worked with him.

Kian led a lobbying meeting last October with a representative of the House Homeland Security committee on behalf of GreenZone's secure communications products. But, as the AP previously reported , the session veered into a lobbying pitch for Flynn Intel, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the meeting. Kian and others involved pressed for congressional hearings to investigate Gulen but the request went nowhere, the official said. Kian never identified who he was working for, the official said.

Kian also recruited a freelance editor, Hank Cox, to fine-tune an opinion article in early November. The op-ed, praising Turkey's government as America's "strongest ally" against terrorism and pressing for Gulen's extradition, listed no author, Cox said. After he edited the article, Cox said, he sent it back, listing Kian as the writer.

"I assumed since Bijan was the one who hired me, that he had written it," said Cox.

Days later, Cox was baffled when he learned the op-ed had appeared under Flynn's name.

"I was only vaguely aware of General Flynn at the time but I had no idea I was working for him or his company," Cox said.

Flynn's firm told the Justice Department that Flynn, Kian and Cox drafted the op-ed based on the firm's research for Inovo. The firm said neither Inovo BV nor the Turkish government wrote or directed the op-ed, but Flynn Intel acknowledged it shared a draft with Inovo in advance of publication.

Flynn's op-ed, published in The Hill newspaper on Election Day, drew scrutiny from the Justice Department's foreign agent unit. Pressure from those officials forced Flynn and Kian to file as foreign agents and led in part to the federal investigation now targeting Flynn.

___

Associated Press writer Julie Pace contributed to this report.

___

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Some Cops Under Scrutiny In Laquan McDonald Case Could Possibly Return To Jobs

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 12, 2017 10:18PM



A still from the Laquan McDonald dashcam video.

Four cops who are suspended over their involvement in the Laquan McDonald shooting case could eventually be put back on the Chicago Police Department payroll after the Police Board voted on Monday to push back disciplinary proceedings against the officers, according to the Tribune.

The four officers were suspended without pay last summer for their role in the followup to the shooting. The officers are alleged to have signed off on reports that stated the 17-year-old was moving toward police when Jason Van Dyke shot and killed him. Van Dyke was fired and is awaiting trial for murder. Supt. Eddie Johnson recommended the firing of the other four officers.

Chicago police board puts off hearings to fire 4 officers who backed Ofc. Jason Van Dyke's account of confrontation with LaQuan McDonald.  Derrick Blakley (@BlakleyCBS2) June 12, 2017

Lawyers, for both the prosecution and defense, lobbied the Board to delay the proceedings until after Van Dyke's trial. Any statements made by the police in the course of a disciplinary investigation could have been used in the murder trialwhich attorneys worried could influence the outcome. The cops could be fired for not answering questions in such an investigation.

It's unclear whether CPD will allow the four officers in question back. Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi over the weekend rejected the idea that any of them would at least go back on active patrol. Termination charges were filed by the Superintendent, nothing has materially changed and we have no intentions of returning these officers to the street, Guglielmi said in a statement on Sunday.

McDonald was shot 16 times on Oct. 20, 2014. The video of the shooting wasn't released to the public until more than a year later, in November 2015, immediately prior to Van Dyke being charged. The video sparked a massive wave of public protest and ultimately a yearlong investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The bombshell results of that federal probe found that the Chicago Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of using forceincluding use of deadly forcethat violates the Constitution.

A judge ruled in May against a petition to dismiss murder charges against Van Dyke. His attorney, Daniel Herbert, argued that his client's actions constituted "business as usual" in terms of use of force, since McDonald was allegedly carrying a knife.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Authorities in Mississippi's capital city believe a severed head and a decapitated torso belonged to the same person.

The Clarion-Ledger reports (http://on.thec-l.com/2tdWsgE ) the victim was identified on Monday as 30-year-old Jeremy Jerome Jackson. Both body parts were discovered separately on Saturday in Jackson. The headless torso was badly burned.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart says authorities were able to get a positive fingerprint match from one that hadn't been burned. She says the head had no distortion so facial recognition wasn't a problem. She says DNA also may be tested.

Jackson police chief Lee Vance says the head was discovered on a home's porch hours before the body was found in a field about a mile (1.5 kilometers) away.

Vance says the FBI and other federal agencies are helping investigate.

___

Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com
A Pennsylvania father has been sentenced to a maximum of four years in state prison for allowing his 13-year-old daughter to drink 17 shots of vodka until she passed out and had to be hospitalized.

Charles Younger, 39, of Allentown, learned his fate on Monday after previously pleading guilty to child endangerment.

The girl's mother, 32-year-old Michelle Edwards, also had pleaded guilty to the charge after admitting that she took her daughter to a liquor store. She was sentenced to 23 months in Lehigh County Jail last week.

Charles Younger, 39, a father-of-four from Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to a maximum of four years in state prison for allowing his 13-year-old daughter to drink 17 shots of vodka until she passed out (stock photo)

Police say the parents provided their daughter and another 15-year-old girl with alcohol for the daughter's 13th birthday in January.

Cops were called to the family's home in the 1900 block of Union Boulevard in Allentown on the night of January 7 after the 13-year-old vomited and passed out, having consumed 17 shots of vodka in a span of two hours.

The teen was taken by EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital and later airlifted by helicopter to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where doctors found that her blood-alcohol level was at .32 percent, which is four times the states legal limit to drive.

Younger and Edwards fled the scene as paramedics arrived. The father later told a judge he 'just panicked' when he heard the sirens, but eventually returned, reported the Allentown Morning Call.

During a court hearing last month, Younger said his kids 'mean everything' to him.

On the girl's birthday on January 7, she was airlifted to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (pictured), where doctors found that her blood-alcohol level was four times the legal limit

On Monday, Younger took full responsibility for the incident, telling Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony, 'My stupidity caused my kids to lose both their parents.'

The 39-year-old man has an extensive criminal record, including past convictions for armed robbery and aggravated assault.

At her own sentencing on June 6, a tearful Michelle Edwards, who has four children, told the court, 'this taught me a lesson.'

The Morning Call reported earlier that Edwards had been free on $20,000 bail but was remanded to jail a few days before her sentencing because she was caught using heroin.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio teenager has rescued a 4-year-old boy on his first day on the job as a lifesaver.

Jack Viglianco says he was 20 minutes into his shift at a Lakewood swimming pool Thursday when he heard the boy calling for help. The 15-year-old jumped into the water and helped the child to safety.

Viglianco says his heart was racing during the rescue. He says being a lifeguard is a dream come true.

The Lakewood Aquatics manager says there were 42 rescues last summer at the pools at Lakewood and Madison parks. All the victims were saved.
LONDON (AP) - Britain's prime minister has begun talks with a Northern Ireland-based party Tuesday to see if they can create an alliance to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament.

Theresa May desperately needs the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 seats to pass legislation. The Conservatives are considering an arrangement in which the Northern Ireland party backs May on the budget and her confidence motions and the DUP stands to make huge gains from the deal.

Party leader Arlene Foster seemed buoyant as she arrived at May's Downing Street office.

Leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Tuesday June 13, 2017. The meeting is taking place to see if an alliance can be created to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

The talks with the DUP follow May's apology to Conservative rank-and-file lawmakers in a meeting Monday which signaled she would be more open to consultation, particularly with business leaders demanding answers about the details on Britain's departure from the European Union.

"I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who will get us out of it," she said.

May is under pressure to take on a more cross-party approach to Brexit talks. The Evening Standard, edited by ex-Treasury chief George Osborne, reported that Cabinet ministers have initiated talks with opposition Labour lawmakers to come up with a "softer," less hard-line divorce from the EU.

Pressed on the reports, Environment Secretary Michael Gove declined to deny it. He told Sky News that the reality of the election result meant that May and her government would need to reach beyond party lines.

"The parliamentary arithmetic is such that we are going to have to work with everyone," he said.

Foster will almost certainly ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as part of the deal, as well as guarantees on support for pension plans and for winter fuel allowances for older people.

Though Foster supported Brexit, she also might demand that May pursue a cushioned exit from the EU, given her party's wish that a soft border remain between Northern Ireland and Ireland, an EU member.

Even the idea of an alliance is complicated, however. Some involved in the Irish peace process are alarmed because the 1998 Good Friday peace accords call for the British government to be neutral in the politics of Northern Ireland.

Foster's rivals in Northern Ireland, such as Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams, have objected, describing any partnership between the Conservatives and the DUP as "a coalition of chaos."

"Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed," he said.

The stakes for May are high as lawmakers return for their first day of business Tuesday. Without a so-called confidence and supply deal with the DUP, her party risks losing the vote next week on the Queen's Speech, which lays out the agenda for the government.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for this outcome, and has repeatedly said he was ready to try to form a government.

Meanwhile, the chief EU negotiator has told the Financial Times that Britain that the clock was ticking on Brexit talks, and that Britain should be wary of further delays. Michel Barnier warned that no progress had been made in the three months since May triggered Article 50, starting the process of leaving the union.

"My preoccupation is that time is passing, it is passing quicker than anyone believes because the subjects we have to deal with are extraordinarily complex," he added. "I can't negotiate with myself."

Leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster and Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in London, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Tuesday June 13, 2017. The meeting is taking place to see if an alliance can be created to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster and Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in London, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Tuesday June 13, 2017. The meeting is taking place to see if an alliance can be created to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

British Prime Minister Theresa May sits with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as she holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team inside 10 Downing Street, in London, Monday June 12, 2017. The government Cabinet met for the first time Monday after a reshuffle by Theresa May following last week's general election. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin's spokesman is taking issue with White House criticism of the arrests of hundreds of opposition protesters.

Anti-corruption demonstrations took place Monday in scores of cities throughout Russia. More than 850 people were reported arrested in Moscow and about 500 in St. Petersburg, where the rallies were unsanctioned.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday said the United States "strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters" which he described as an "affront to core democratic values."

A policeman stands in the rain during anti corruption rally in St.Petersburg, Russia, Monday, June 12, 2017. The protest gatherings in cities from Far East Pacific ports to St. Petersburg were spearheaded by Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who has become the Kremlin's most visible opponent. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that "We do not agree with such a statement of the question."

Peskov added: "For those who engaged in provocative actions in violation of the law, the actions of the authorities were taken in full compliance with our legislation."
STOCKHOLM (AP) - Swedish police arrested a man suspected of driving a van that rammed into a cab in central Stockholm Tuesday, in what police said was apparently not a terrorist incident.

Police said the taxi driver was injured, and that the incident was being investigated as attempted murder. There was "nothing to indicate that this is a terrorist incident," spokesman Kjell Lindgren said.

Police say they found "nothing dangerous" in the van, which was abandoned in a southern Stockholm street a few hundred meters (yards) away from where it rammed the cab.

A policeman takes photos at the the scene of an incident, in Stockholm, Tuesday June 13, 2017. A van driver rammed into a cab in central Stockholm Tuesday in what police say was apparently not a terrorist incident. Officers were searching for the driver who fled by foot from the scene. Marc Femenia/TT via AP)

The van belonged to Tjuvgods.se, a courier company founded to help former convicts and recovering drug addicts back into the labor market. A company spokesman, Curre Cederstrom, said the van was discovered missing Tuesday morning.

"We had not even reported it stolen when we heard about this," the Aftonbladet newspaper quoted Cederstrom as saying. He couldn't be reached immediately for further comment.

Police did not say where they arrested the suspect, but earlier said they had searched the southern part of Stockholm for the driver who ran away from the scene.

Eyewitness Per Sturesson told Aftonbladet he first thought "the driver jumped out to see what had happened" after the crash, but "he sped up and continued to drive."

"It felt like he just wanted to get out of the truck in panic," he said.

Swedish media say several vehicles were hit in the incident and barriers closing a street had been hit. Police declined comment on those reports.

On April 7, the driver of a stolen truck killed five pedestrians and injured 14 in central Stockholm. Lawyers for the suspect, Rakhmat Akilov, say he has admitted driving the truck 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) down a main pedestrian shopping street. That case is not expected to come to trial until next year.

___

Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.
BANGKOK (AP) - Three Chinese men arrested in Thailand have acknowledged that they were operating a "click farm," using hundreds of cellphones and several hundred thousand SIM cards to run up "likes" and views on WeChat, a Chinese social media mobile application, Thai police said Tuesday.

Immigration Police Capt. Itthikorn Atthanark said the men explained they were paid according to how many likes and views they generated, each earning 100,000-150,000 baht ($2,950-$4,400) per month. Click farms are hired to inflate an online site's viewership for prestige and profit. Some politicians boast of how many followers they have on social media, while clicks can generate ad revenue.

WeChat is China's most prominent online social media platform, incorporating a text-messaging service as well as marketing for online stores.

Police seized 476 cellphones and around 347,200 SIM cards during the arrests Sunday at a house in Sa Kaeo province, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Bangkok. The men, identified as Wang Dong, Niu Bang and Ni Wenjin, were charged with working without a permit and importing the phones without paying taxes.

Itthikorn said the arrests followed a police stakeout at the Sa Kaeo house after receiving reports of suspicious activity. He said a police search Monday at another residence believed to be engaged in the same activity came up empty-handed, though police believe others connected with the business are still at large. It is still unclear how the men obtained such as large number of SIM cards, which came from Thailand's three biggest cellphone service providers.
MOSCOW (AP) - The man convicted of organizing the 2006 killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has died in prison.

Russian news agencies on Tuesday cited corrections officials as saying Lom-Ali Gaitukayev died on Saturday at a prison hospital in the Vologda region. No cause was stated for his death, but the reports quoted his lawyers as saying he had suffered a chronic illness. His age was not stated.

Politkovskaya, a strong critic of President Vladimir Putin and of Russia's actions in the wars in Chechnya, was shot to death in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building.

Gaitukayev and four other Chechens were convicted in the killing in 2011. Prosecutors said Gaitukayev arranged logistics of the killing at the order of unidentified figures, and he was sentenced to life.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump will welcome the president of South Korea to the White House in late June.

The White House said in a statement Tuesday that Trump will host President Moon Jae-in for two days of meetings beginning June 29.

The White House says Trump and Moon "will also coordinate on North Korea-related issues, including countering the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats."

The two leaders will also discuss ways to advance economic cooperation between their two countries.

Moon assumed presidential duties last month after the National Election Commission declared him winner of a presidential by-election to replace ousted leader Park Geun-hye, who now awaits a corruption trial in jail.

.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - U.S. designer Tory Burch has changed the description of one of her designs, a traditional Romanian-style coat, after her brand angered thousands of Romanians for marketing it as a garment inspired by Africa.

The online group La Blouse Roumaine, which promotes traditional costume, showed on Facebook Burch's design next to a virtually identical Romanian one on display in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Some Romanians claim Burch lifted the design for her Resort 2018 collection and accused her of cultural appropriation. La Blouse Roumaine asked her to "kindly ... give the right credit for your inspiration. "

Burch said Tuesday that "in our effort to summarize the collection, we missed a reference to a beautiful Romanian coat which inspired one of the pieces."
Girl, 14, Robbed While Biking In 3rd Recent Attack On South Loop Female Cyclists

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 13, 2017 4:50PM



In the third attack of its kind in about a week, a female cyclist was robbed of a bag while biking in the South Loop on Sunday night. This time the victim was a teen.

The girl was riding south with a 33-year-old woman in the 1600 block of South Indiana Avenue at around 8:40 p.m. A Buick LaCrosse then pulled up and someone from the car grabbed the 14-year-old's purse, police told Chicagoist. The girl fell off her bike and scraped an arm. Three males were in the car, which fled south on Indiana according to police

Two women were similarly attacked while biking in the neighborhood in separate incidents within the span of a week. A female cyclist, 32, was biking in the 1400 block of South Wabash Avenue at around 1:10 a.m. when a black SUV pulled alongside, according to police. A man riding in the vehicle then grabbed the woman's backpack, although she was able to wrestle it back from the attacker, police said.

And just two days prior to that, a woman biking on a Divvy, near South Calumet Avenue and East 21st Street, was punched in the face by someone who jumped out of a silver car. The offender then stole her bag.

According to ABC7, there have been at least three other attacks, which were not directed at victims on bikes, in the neighborhood since June 2.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Poland's president on Tuesday moved next month's summit of central and eastern European nations to Warsaw, from southwestern Poland, because U.S. President Donald Trump is attending it.

The Three Seas Initiative summit will be held July 6-7, bringing together leaders of 12 nations for talks on strengthening the region through developing energy and infrastructure ties in the territory running from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Adriatic in the south and the Black Sea in the east.

Trump has been invited and the White House has confirmed he will visit Poland and attend the gathering on July 6, before joining the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday, during a visit to Croatia, that for "logistical and security reasons" the summit is being moved to Poland's capital city from Wroclaw.

Duda said it will be an opportunity for the region's leaders to hold talks with Trump. Apart from Poland, the Three Seas Initiative comprises Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.
NEW YORK (AP) - NBC News is moving ahead with plans to air Megyn Kelly's interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones this weekend despite a backlash that has cost the show advertisers and led to Kelly being dropped as host for an event by an organization founded by parents of children killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The network has been taken aback by the response to booking Jones, the "Infowars" host who has questioned whether the killing of 26 people in 2012 at the school in Newton, Connecticut, was a hoax. NBC News Chairman Andy Lack said the story will be edited with the sensitivity of its critics in mind.

"It's important to get it right," Lack said.

FILE - In this April 8, 2016 file photo, Megyn Kelly attends the 2016 Variety's Power of Women: New York in New York. An anti-gun violence organization founded by parents of children killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School has dumped Kelly as host of an event in Washington this week because of her planned interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Kelly said Tuesday, June 13, 2017, that she understands and respects the decision but is disappointed she won't be there. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Reporters have interviewed controversial characters like Syrian President Bashar Assad and child molesters in the past without getting this kind of a reaction, Kelly said in an interview Tuesday.

"What I think we're doing is journalism," she said. "The bottom line is that while it's not always popular, it's important. I would submit to you that neither I nor NBC News has elevated Alex Jones in any way. He's been elevated by 5 or 6 million viewers or listeners, and by the president of the United States. As you know, journalists don't get the choice over who has power or influence in our country."

Sandy Hook Promise, an anti-gun violence group, said it had asked Kelly to step down as host of its Wednesday-night gala in Washington. The group cannot support Kelly or NBC's decision to give a platform to Jones and hopes NBC reconsiders its plan to broadcast the interview, said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director. Hockley, whose 6-year-old son Dylan was killed at Sandy Hook, founded the organization with Mark Barden, who lost his 7-year-old son Daniel.

Kelly said she understood and respected the decision, but was disappointed.

NBC's plans have cost it some advertisers for this week's edition of "Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly." It was not immediately clear how many; only the financial firm JPMorgan Chase has been publicly identified.

"That comes with the territory," Lack said. "It's not unusual. We kind of know when we're doing controversial stories, that's going to happen. It doesn't stop us from doing controversial stories."

To some critics, NBC's timing makes the decision worse - airing on Father's Day an interview that has been publicly denounced by parents who lost young children at Sandy Hook. NBC said it was scheduled for competitive reasons, because Jones had been booked to appear on ABC's daytime show "The View" next week. A representative of "The View" said Jones had canceled his appearance there and he will not be rescheduled.

Lack noted that he had suggested approaching Jones for an interview to David Corvo, the NBC News executive who supervises the network's newsmagazines. He said there's nothing new about putting people on the air even if they're unpopular or have views that are deplorable to many.

"I've got tremendous understanding of why they're so upset, as they have every right to be," he said. "Of course we're looking at it. We're looking at the editorial process."

The interview has put Kelly, who jumped to NBC from Fox News Channel earlier this year, squarely back in the headlines; the New York Daily News called it "Nutwork News" on its front page Tuesday. She was one of Trump's favorite targets during the presidential campaign because he was annoyed at tough questions she asked him at a Fox-broadcast debate.

Jones, for his part, has already denounced the interview as "fake news" and said it was purposeful hit job on him.

"I knew in my gut this was going to blow up in their face," he said on his show.
MARAWI, Philippines (AP) - The Philippine government learned days in advance of a plan by militants aligned with the Islamic State group to lay siege to a southern city and staged an army raid on a militant hideout that prevented a bigger and deadlier attack, officials said Tuesday.

Solicitor General Jose Calida said in a report that the government received intelligence information at least five days before the militants prematurely launched their bloody assault on Marawi city on May 23 after government forces raided the hideout of militant leaders led by Isnilon Hapilon.

Army troops failed to capture Hapilon in the raid, which sparked a gunbattle in a Marawi village, but military officials said the assault forced the gunmen to prematurely start their attack aimed at occupying the Islamic city of more than 200,000 people. The rebel plan was to launch the attack on May 26 or 27, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the country's south.

"Specifically, on 18 May 2017, intelligence reports revealed that the ISIS-inspired local rebel groups were planning to occupy Marawi city, and to raise the ISIS flag at the provincial capitol," Calida said in a report to the Supreme Court, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

"The said attack would have served as the precursor for other rebel groups to stage their own uprisings across Mindanao in a bid to simultaneously establish a wilayah in the region," Calida said, referring to the southern Philippine region and the Islamic State province the militants aimed to create there.

Calida defended President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to declare martial law in the entire southern Mindanao region to deal with the Marawi crisis. Opponents have questioned the grounds cited by Duterte for the martial law declaration and asked the Supreme Court to invalidate his action.

Asked why the government failed to stop the Marawi siege despite its advance knowledge of the plot, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the intelligence information was still being vetted, but the military nevertheless planned a raid on the hideout of Hapilon and other militants behind the plot.

"From our point of view, we were able to stop something that could have been much, much bigger," Abella told a news conference.

Abella was also asked why top security officials led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. joined Duterte in a trip to Russia around the time the government received information about the planned Marawi attack. "They were all on top of the situation. They were actually monitoring everything," Abella said.

When the military managed to verify some of the details of the plot, it staged the raid on Hapilon's hideout, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said. He acknowledged, however, that the military was unaware of the number of armed fighters the plotters could muster.

In his report, Calida said "about 500 rebels marched along the main streets of Marawi and swiftly occupied strategic positions throughout the city" on May 23, adding that the gunmen had "strong combat capability, and seemingly limitless firepower and other resources."

Army Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, a regional military commander, said 150 to 200 gunmen have been isolated in four of Marawi's 96 villages, and dozens of militant snipers have been killed, setting back the militants' lethal firepower three weeks after the bloody siege began.

With the remaining gunmen contained in just a few villages, Padilla said "the worst is over" in Marawi, but added that it was difficult to say when the government could regain full control of the devastated city.

Perched on buildings, some connected by tunnels that gave them mobility, the snipers have made it difficult for troops to wrest back areas under the rebels' control. The gunmen have also used civilian hostages as human shields, Galvez said.

Philippine officials say 191 militants, 58 soldiers and policemen and 26 civilians have been killed in the three weeks of clashes.
LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the British election outcome (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May has made a joke at her own expense as Britain's House of Commons got underway - a reflection of her new humility following a disastrous snap election in which she lost her majority.

Leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster and Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds arrive at 10 Downing Street in London, for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Tuesday June 13, 2017. The meeting is taking place to see if an alliance can be created to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

After House Speaker John Bercow was re-elected without challenge, a chastened May quipped: "At least someone got a landslide."

Labour's unexpectedly strong second-place showing has thrown national politics into disarray. May had called the vote early in hopes of strengthening her majority going into talks on exiting the European Union, but instead found herself in negotiations with a small party in Northern Ireland in order to stay in power.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn countered with a bit of previously unforeseen swagger, wearing a huge red rose - his party's symbol - in his lapel as he sparred with May.

___

2:45 p.m.

Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster has tweeted that discussions with British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party are "going well" and that she hopes for a conclusion soon.

May began talks with the Northern Ireland-based party to see if they can create an alliance to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament.

About two hours after the talks began, May emerged from 10 Downing Street without saying anything and left in a car. May is going to Paris later in the day.

Foster tweeted afterward that "discussions are going well with the government and we hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion."

___

12:50 p.m.

The head of the Democratic Unionist Party has arrived for crucial talks on whether to support Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives in an alliance.

Arlene Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds entered Downing Street at around 12:40 p.m. (1140 GMT, 7:40 a.m. EDT).

The Northern Ireland-based party is being courted by May to create an alliance to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left May short of a majority in Parliament.

May desperately needs the DUP's 10 seats to pass legislation. The Conservatives are considering an arrangement in which the Northern Ireland party backs May on the budget and her confidence motions.

The talks with the DUP follow her apology to Conservative rank-and-file lawmakers in a meeting for the party's poor election result.

___

9:30 a.m.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with a Northern Ireland-based party to see if they can together push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament.

The talks Tuesday with the Democratic Unionist Party follows her apology to Conservative rank-and-file lawmakers in a meeting which signaled she would be more open to consultation, particularly with business leaders demanding answers about the details on Britain's departure from the European Union.

May is under pressure to take on a more cross-party approach to the negotiations surrounding Brexit. The Evening Standard, edited by ex-Treasury chief George Osborne, is reporting that Cabinet ministers have initiated talks with Labour lawmakers.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a meeting with the Leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster at 10 Downing Street after the general election in London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Britain's prime minister has begun talks with a Northern Ireland-based party Tuesday to see if they can create an alliance to push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Larry the 10 Downing street cat yawns whilst lying on the street as the leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster meets with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May in 10 Downing Street n London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. May will meet Foster leader to see if they can together push through the Conservative Party's agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street after the general election in London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
LONDON (AP) - An Indian tycoon facing extradition to India has appeared at a preliminary hearing in a British court.

Co-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team Vijay Mallya confirmed his name and personal details in Westminster Magistrates Court Tuesday.

He is wanted in India to face charges of money laundering and bank demands that he pay back more than a billion dollars in loans to his now-defunct airline.

His lawyer told the court Mallya may face additional charges in India.

The 61-year-old Mallya was arrested in Britain in April and has been free on conditional bail. He moved to Britain in March 2016.

Mallya was famous for his flashy lifestyle and lavish parties attended by fashion models and Bollywood stars.
MOSCOW (AP) - The Latest on Monday's protests in Moscow (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

An organization that monitors political repression in Russia says it has tallied 1,750 people who were arrested in nationwide anti-corruption protests and that about 50 of them remained in custody a day later.

Police detain a protester during anti corruption rally in St.Petersburg, Russia, Monday, June 12, 2017. The protest gatherings in cities from Far East Pacific ports to St. Petersburg were spearheaded by Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who has become the Kremlin's most visible opponent. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

The OVD-Info organization told The Associated Press that it counted 866 detentions in Moscow during Monday's unsanctioned protest and 658 in St. Petersburg. Other arrests were at protests that took place in scores of cities.

Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption activist and aspiring presidential candidate who called for the protests, was sentenced early Tuesday to 30 days in jail.

Most of those arrested face so-called administrative charges that carry fines or short jail sentences. But authorities in Moscow said one detainee faced more serious charges of spraying tear gas into a security officer's eyes.

___

4:55 p.m.

A prominent Russian opposition figure has been sentenced to 15 days in jail in connection with an unsanctioned protest demonstration in Moscow.

Ilya Yashin, a leader of the People's Freedom Party also known as Parnas, was among a reported 860 people arrested on Monday. He was sentenced Tuesday for disobeying police orders.

Yashin told the court that he was not participating in the protest, "just observing what was going on," the Interfax news agency reported.

Yashin's party has an uneasy relationship with Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption activist who called the Monday protests that also took place in St. Petersburg and scores of other cities. The Russian opposition's strength is undermined by factional disagreements.

Navalny was sentenced early Tuesday to 30 days in jail.

___

2:15 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman is taking issue with White House criticism of the arrests of hundreds of opposition protesters.

Anti-corruption demonstrations took place Monday in scores of cities throughout Russia. More than 850 people were reported arrested in Moscow and about 500 in St. Petersburg, where the rallies were unsanctioned.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday said the United States "strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters" which he described as an "affront to core democratic values."

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that "We do not agree with such a statement of the question."

Peskov added: "For those who engaged in provocative actions in violation of the law, the actions of the authorities were taken in full compliance with our legislation."
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on the sexual assault trial of Bill Cosby (all times local):

9:25 p.m.

The jury has wrapped up a second day of deliberations without reaching a verdict in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial.

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Jurors quit for the night around 9 p.m. Tuesday. They'll resume talks Wednesday morning.

Cosby is accused of drugging and violating a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He says their encounter was consensual.

The jury asked to review more than a dozen excerpts from a deposition the TV star gave as part of a lawsuit filed against him by the accuser.

The jury has deliberated a total of about 16 hours over two days.

___

8:40 p.m.

The jury in the Bill Cosby trial is putting in a long day's work as it considers sexual assault charges against the comedian.

Jurors deliberated into the night Tuesday, going outside for some fresh air after 8 p.m.

Cosby is charged with drugging and assaulting a woman at his home in suburban Philadelphia in 2004. He says the encounter was consensual.

The jury got the case Monday afternoon.

___

5:05 p.m.

A jury considering sexual assault charges against Bill Cosby has asked for the testimony of the police officer who took accuser Andrea Constand's initial report.

Jurors wanted the testimony of Detective Dave Mason read back to them Tuesday.

Cosby is charged with drugging and assaulting Constand at his Pennsylvania home in 2004.

Mason testified last week that Constand told him Cosby gave her pills that made her feel woozy. Constand told police she was semi-conscious as he touched her breast and genitals.

Mason testified that Constand said she'd waited about a year to come forward because she felt embarrassed and was daunted by Cosby's standing at his alma mater, Temple University, where she worked for the basketball program.

Cosby's lawyers say Constand's initial report was inconsistent with her later statements.

___

2:30 p.m.

Bill Cosby's spokesman has released a statement from a woman who says Andrea Constand told her of a plan to falsely accuse a "high-profile person" of sexual assault so she could sue and get money.

Andrew Wyatt read the statement from longtime Temple University official Marguerite Jackson on Tuesday as jurors deliberated charges that Cosby drugged and molested Constand at his Pennsylvania home in 2004.

A judge blocked Jackson from testifying at the trial, ruling it would be hearsay.

Jackson says Constand once told her she'd been drugged and sexually assaulted. She says the Temple basketball director immediately recanted, then said she could make a false accusation, win a lawsuit and use the money to go to school and open a business.

Constand said on the witness stand she didn't know Jackson. Constand's lawyer says Jackson isn't being truthful.

___

12:10 p.m.

The jury in Bill Cosby's sex assault trial wants to know what "without her knowledge" means in one of the three counts they're weighing against the 79-year-old comedian.

Jurors asked about the phrasing Tuesday morning during their sixth hour of deliberations, but Judge Steven O'Neill said he couldn't define it for them.

Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He says it was consensual.

The jury is deliberating three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault. The third count covers Cosby's alleged use of pills to impair Constand before groping her breast and genitals.

The panel has also been reviewing Cosby's deposition testimony. Cosby testified under oath more than a decade ago as part of Constand's civil suit against him.

___

10:10 a.m.

The jury in Bill Cosby's sexual assault case is drilling down on what the TV star said happened inside his suburban Philadelphia home and his relationship with the accuser.

Jurors began their second day of deliberations Tuesday by hearing more from Cosby's deposition testimony. Cosby testified under oath more than a decade ago as part of Andrea Constand's civil suit against him.

Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting Constand in 2004. He says it was consensual.

The 79-year-old entertainer did not take the stand at his trial, but prosecutors used Cosby's decade-old deposition testimony as evidence. Cosby says he gave Constand Benadryl to help her relax, then fondled her. Prosecutors believe he gave her something stronger.

Jurors reviewed more than a dozen passages from Cosby's deposition.

___

8:55 a.m.

Bill Cosby has arrived at the courthouse for the second day of jury deliberations in his sexual assault trial.

The 79-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting a woman at his home in 2004. He says the encounter with 44-year-old Andrea Constand was consensual.

Cosby was accompanied by his spokesman into the Montgomery County Courthouse outside Philadelphia on Tuesday. The jury is set to reconvene after deliberating for four hours Monday night. Jurors want to hear more excerpts from a deposition Cosby gave as part of Constand's civil suit against him.

Constand testified last week that Cosby gave her pills that left her unable to resist his assault. Cosby did not take the stand.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done.

___

12:20 a.m.

The jury in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial will start its second day of deliberations by hearing more of Cosby's testimony in the accuser's related lawsuit.

Jurors will reconvene Tuesday morning after deliberating for four hours Monday night.

The case has sparked debate over celebrity, race, power and gender. But the brisk story laid out by prosecutors has focused mostly on what happened one night in 2004 at Cosby's suburban Philadelphia home.

Andrea Constand says she was drugged and molested. Cosby says they enjoyed a mutual "petting" session.

Constand chose to return to court for closing arguments Monday after giving more than seven hours of testimony. Cosby did not take the stand.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done.

___

For more on Cosby, including trial updates, historical photos, videos and an audio series exploring the case, visit http://www.apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial

Andrea Constand walks to the courtroom for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Norristown, Pa.. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby walks to the courtroom for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday having an undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. and declared it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest he was aware of or took part in any collusion between Russia and the election campaign that sent Donald Trump to the White House.

Testifying at a packed Senate hearing, Sessions, who was a close Trump adviser during the battle for the presidency, also rejected any idea of misconduct in the ouster of FBI Director James Comey and vowed to defend his honor "against scurrilous and false allegations."

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Sessions contradicted a contention made by Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week. Comey told the intelligence committee that, after an encounter with President Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Comey implored Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again - but Sessions didn't respond.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, prior to testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"He didn't recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy regarding appropriate contacts with the White House," Sessions said.

The former Alabama senator also defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing when he said he hadn't met with Russian officials during the campaign. Sessions argued that in the context of that hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it."

The attorney general stepped aside from the Justice Department probe into Russian meddling in the campaign on March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Days after that, Sessions also corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about his two meetings with Kislyak.

Ahead of the hearing there had been suggestions that Sessions might have had a third, unreported encounter with Kislyak in April 2016, at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, where candidate Trump was giving his first major foreign policy speech.

Sessions was adamant that he did not have a private meeting with Kislyak at that event. He did allow for the possibility that he encountered him in a reception that he said was attended by a couple dozen people, though he said he had no specific recollection of that.

Democratic senators have seized on the possibility of a third meeting to suggest that Sessions has not been forthcoming about the extent of his communications with the ambassador. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont have sought an FBI investigation.

Sessions testified Tuesday that he recused himself from the current Russia investigation only because of a regulation that required it because of his involvement in the Trump campaign.

"Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong," Sessions added. That was not so, he said.

And while he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions insisted, "I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations."

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon aggressively asked Sessions about suggestions arising from Comey's testimony last week that there was something "problematic" about his recusal.

Wyden asked Sessions what problematic issues existed.

"Why don't you tell me? There are none, Sen. Wyden, there are none," Sessions insisted, his voice rising. "This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters later that Trump thought Sessions "did a very good job" and was especially "strong" on denying any collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

During the hearing, Sessions lent his support to the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is now in charge of the Trump campaign-Russia investigation. "I have confidence in Mr. Mueller," he said.

At a separate hearing Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein declared he'd seen no basis for dismissing Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel after Sessions' recusal. A friend of the president suggested a day earlier that Trump was considering such an ouster.

Rosenstein said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so, and an order from the president would not necessarily qualify.

Mueller also won votes of support Tuesday from the top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both of whom said they have confidence in him.

As for Comey's firing, Sessions told senators that his recommendation had nothing to do with the Russia probe, that he and his second-in-command, Rosenstein, had a "clear view ... that we had problems there, and it was my best judgment that a fresh start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And when asked I said that to the president."

Sessions criticized Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which the White House had initially cited as the ostensible reason for his firing. Comey's decision to announce last year that Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority, Sessions said.

Asked about Trump's own contention that the president fired Comey with the Russia probe in mind, and regardless of any recommendation from anyone else, Sessions said: "I guess I'll just have to let his words speak for themselves. I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically."

Sessions refused to say whether he had ever discussed the Russia investigation with Trump, arguing that he could not disclose private communications with the president.

Democratic senators pressed him on the legal rationale for his refusal to discuss those private conversations, as Sessions acknowledged that Trump had not asserted executive privilege around the hearing. He asserted that "I am protecting the right of the president to assert if it he chooses and there may be other privileges that may apply."

Sessions maintained that he had not been briefed on the Russia investigation between the time of his February swearing-in and his March 2 recusal.

"As such," he said, "I have no knowledge about this investigation, as it is ongoing today, beyond what has been publicly reported. I don't even read that carefully. And I have taken no action whatsoever with regard to any such investigation."

On another hot-button issue, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked Sessions whether Trump records his conversations in the White House. Trump has suggested there might be tapes of his encounters with Comey; Comey said last week that "lordy" he hopes there are.

"I do not," Sessions said when asked whether he knows whether the president records his conversations.

Would any such tapes have to be preserved? "I don't know, Sen. Rubio, probably so," Sessions replied.

___

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann, Sadie Gurman and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, as he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's fiscal 2018 budget. Rosenstein said he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire the special prosecutor overseeing the Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., left, and Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., listen on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., right, with Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., questions Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, as he testified before the Committee's hearing about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions smiles as he testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on migrants and asylum-seekers in Europe (all times local):

5 p.m.

The Polish government spokesman says that Warsaw respects but does not agree with the decision of the European Commission to launch legal actions against Poland and two other countries that have refused to accept refugees as part of a European Union resettlement plan.

The European Commission said Tuesday that Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic have breached their legal obligations to take some refugees as part of the 2015 plan, which is aimed at sharing the burden of 160,000 migrants at camps in Italy and Greece.

Rafal Bochenek, spokesman for the conservative government of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, said the Polish leadership does not agree with the Commission's decision. He said it has been saying from the very beginning that the forced relocation of people is not a good solution to the migration crisis.

___

4:45 p.m.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says his country is not ready to change its view of a European Union migrant sharing plan, following an announcement that the EU is launching legal action against the Czech Republic and two other countries for failing to take in enough refugees.

Sobotka said in a statement on Tuesday: "The Czech Republic doesn't agree with the relocation system based on migrant quotas. And given the worsened security situation in Europe and also that the quota system is not functioning, it won't participate in it."

Sobotka said his government was ready to "consistently defend our view at the EU level and at the relevant court institutions."

The Czech Republic was supposed to accept some 2,600 refugees until September but so far has taken only 12, all of them from Greece.

Czech Interior Minister Milan Chvanec said last week his country won't accept any more refugees as part of the EU's obligatory quotas system.

Sobotka said the quotas system has been very unpopular among the Czech public, and that it has "reduced the trust of the citizens in the EU" and delayed solving the migrant crisis.

___

4 p.m.

The European Commission says it is launching legal action against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for failing to take in refugees under a legally binding sharing plan agreed by the European Union.

The Commission said Tuesday in a statement that it has repeatedly urged the three countries to relocate refugees or at least pledge to do so.

But it said they have not taken action "in breach of their legal obligations," and that it "has decided to launch infringement procedures" on Wednesday.

The scheme to share 160,000 refugees in overwhelmed Italy and Greece among other European countries over two years was endorsed in September 2015 by a qualified majority vote.

The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have until Wednesday to change their minds.
BEIJING (AP) - The Chinese insurer that owns New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel said Wednesday its chairman has turned over his duties to other executives following a report he was detained by regulators amid accusations of possible financial misconduct.

Anbang Insurance Group Ltd. Chairman Wu Xiaohui was "temporarily unable to perform his duties due to personal reasons," said a one-sentence statement on the company website. It said Wu had authorized other executives to do his work and gave no other details.

On Monday, the magazine Caijing reported that Wu, who founded Anbang in 2004 and built it into one of China's biggest insurers, was detained last week by insurance regulators. Citing unidentified sources, it said authorities told the company about the detention but gave no reason.

The logo of the Anbang Insurance Group is seen on the company's offices in Beijing, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. The Chinese insurer that owns New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel said Wednesday its chairman was unable to perform his duties following a report he was detained by regulators amid accusations of possible financial misconduct. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Spokespeople for Anbang did not respond to phone calls or emails. The China Insurance Regulatory Commission did not respond to questions sent by fax.

Anbang has been under scrutiny since a multibillion-dollar global string of asset purchases, including buying the Waldorf for $2 billion, raised questions about how it was paying for its buying spree.

The privately held company said the money was raised from shareholders. It denied a report by another magazine, Caixin, in April that Anbang improperly used payments from policyholders to increase its capital base.

More recently, the company has suffered setbacks including failing to complete several foreign takeovers. That included the proposed purchase of U.S.-based Fidelity & Guaranty Life for $1.6 billion.

In May, Anbang was ordered to stop selling two financial products that regulators said violated industry rules.

Other Chinese insurers also have been investigated following complaints of reckless speculation in stocks and real estate. The chairman of the Chinese insurance regulator is under investigation by the national anti-corruption agency.

Regulators say reducing financial risks in the Chinese economy is a priority this year. Rising Chinese debt levels have prompted concern about the stability of the country's financial system.

Anbang has a reputation for unusually aggressive expansion in a Chinese insurance industry dominated by state-owned companies.

Earlier, the company discussed possibly investing in a Manhattan skyscraper owned by the family of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser. Those talks ended in March without a deal.

Wu rarely talks to reporters or appears in public, but Caijing said he attended a series of public events in recent weeks. That included a May 12 meeting called by the insurance regulator to study a speech by President Xi Jinping about financial regulation.

Anbang said it raised 50 billion yuan ($8 billion) from investors in 2014. That increased its registered capital fivefold to 62 billion yuan ($9.5 billion), the biggest among Chinese insurers.

Caixin's April report said at least 30 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) of that money really was payments from policyholders. The magazine said it was channeled back into the company through a complex ownership structure.

Anbang has more than 30,000 employees serving 35 million clients and has interests in life insurance, banking, asset management, leasing and brokerage services.

___

Online:

Anbang Insurance Group Ltd.: http://en.anbanggroup.com/

A woman carries an umbrella as she walks near the Anbang Insurance Group's offices in Beijing, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. The Chinese insurer that owns New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel said Wednesday its chairman was unable to perform his duties following a report he was detained by regulators amid accusations of possible financial misconduct. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
French actress Isabelle Huppert kicked off her visit in Chinese cities  including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou  by having a conversation with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke in Shanghai on June 10.

Isabelle Huppert speaks as Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke looks on. [Photo provided to China Daily]

During their talk, the award-winning actress shared her experience of acting and exchanged her views about filmmaking with Jia, whose film Still Life won the Golden Lion Award for best film at the 2006 Venice Film Festival.

"I am both an actress and an audience. Each of my performances delivers my own thoughts," the actress said.

Huppert also gave a reading performance of French author Marguerite Duras' L'amant (The Lover) in Shanghai.

As part of the programs of the ongoing annual Croisements ("crossing") festival, which has been one of the biggest foreign cultural events in China since its launch in 2006, Huppert is doing a reading at Guangzhou Grand Theater on June 12 and will appear at Beijing's Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on June 14.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' testimony before Congress (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

Several U.S. officials say President Donald Trump has given his defense secretary the authority to make decisions on U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, amid repeated calls from commanders for more forces.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sets his briefcase down before he testifies at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense budget for the 2018 budget year, on Capitol Hill, Monday, June 12, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The decision, which has been in the works for weeks, was finalized Tuesday. U.S. officials confirmed it just hours after senators berated Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for failing to complete an updated combat strategy for the Afghanistan war.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the decision publicly before an official announcement, say the move gives Mattis the ability to adjust troop levels more quickly. Trump gave Mattis similar authority in Iraq and Syria.

The move allows Mattis to end the current cap on Afghanistan troop levels. That cap has been 8,400.

___

11 a.m.

Sen. John McCain is criticizing Pentagon leaders for not finding a new way ahead for the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan. He is telling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that unless the Pentagon sends Congress a strategy soon, the department will "get a strategy from us."

Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that he will provide details on a new strategy for the war in mid-July. But he said he recognizes the urgency of the matter and that McCain's criticism is fair.

Mattis said the U.S. is not winning the war there and that the military is taking steps to make certain America doesn't pay a price for the delay in the new plan. He did not say what those steps are.

The Taliban has been making gains in Afghanistan.

___

4:30 a.m.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis blamed the inability of Congress to deliver an annual defense budget for what he called a shockingly poor state of combat readiness as the United States faces fierce rivals, including an "urgent and dangerous threat" from North Korea.

Testifying Monday before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis took aim at lawmakers for repeatedly approving short-term spending measures that provide too little money and lack the authority the services need to prepare their troops. He also faulted Capitol Hill for not repealing a law that limits defense spending even though there is broad support for doing away with the measure.

Mattis said: "Congress as a whole has met the present challenge with lassitude, not leadership."

He called Pyongyang's push for nuclear weapons "a clear and present danger."
"Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening" (Simon & Schuster)), by Manal Al-Sharif

Beset by traffic, smog and other distractions, it's easy to forget that driving a car is an act of free will, in theory transcending race, class and gender.

Then imagine what life would be like if American women weren't allowed to drive. Need to go to the hospital? No. Pick up kids after work? No. Visit family or friends? No. The only options are call a driver or wait for a male relative.

Manal Al-Sharif illuminates the insidious nature of that reality in Saudi Arabia. "Daring to Drive" is a brave, extraordinary, heartbreakingly personal story of one woman's battle for equal rights, told through the minute details of an everyday life that boiled over after years of frustrations.

Al-Sharif was arrested for driving; afterward, people bombarded her with both abuse and praise. The story of her time in a filthy jail is riveting, but "Daring to Drive" does far more than explore that episode and its aftermath.

The book provides a rare glimpse into Saudi society, and especially into the lives and emotions of women. Rules - especially for women - are everywhere, and so are the punishments for breaking them. "Every public and most private spaces were saturated with radical books, brochures, and cassette sermons ... (and) these pieces of religious propaganda were overwhelmingly intended to enforce the compliance of women," she writes. "Taboos included wearing pants, styling one's hair, and even parting one's hair on the side - because doing so causes a woman to resemble the infidels."

Al-Sharif's father and mother beat her; teachers beat students; her husband beat her; and other men beat their wives, usually with few consequences. Those passages are searingly painful to read, but Al-Sharif has the rare ability to put her suffering in context. Her family was poor, and her mother and father worked incessantly to provide the barest necessities. They are overbearing, yet absolutely determined to see Al-Sharif get a good education so she can escape the poverty that plagued them.

Despite Kafkaesque obstacles, Al-Sharif manages to become a pioneering computer professional. At school, male professors taught young women by closed-circuit TV, since they couldn't be face-to-face. The women had no way to ask questions, either.

Al-Sharif deftly uses a wide storytelling lens. During a year working in Boston she is shocked to meet so many young Americans overwhelmed by college debt - her education was free in Saudi Arabia. "Daring to Drive" ranges from Al-Sharif's first period to how she struggled to manage a crush on a co-worker to marriage, motherhood and workday issues.

The book ends with a blow-by-blow account of her arrest in May 2011 as part of a larger protest against the driving ban. That November she filed a lawsuit challenging the government refusal to give licenses to women. Soon afterward leading religious scholars warned that doing so would lead to a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce. The experts proclaimed that "within ten years there would be no more virgins" in the country if women were allowed to drive.

Al-Sharif notes that some Saudi royalty are more progressive, but readers are left to ponder how much longer such outdated views will survive. President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia didn't explain much: like previous official trips it showed us pictures of princes, kings and ornate palaces.

Al-Sharif presents a more valuable and honest view: a look into the hearts and minds of people who live in a society that is mostly off-limits to Westerners. Her literary achievement is that despite the huge cultural differences, "Daring to Drive" shows that Saudi women and men have dreams and fears much like our own.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on probes into possible contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia (all times local):

8:55 p.m.

It took about 24 hours, but the White House has knocked down speculation that President Donald Trump considered firing special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The president's personal friend, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said late Monday that Trump was considering terminating Mueller. The claim went undisputed until Tuesday night when White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that Trump "has no intention" of firing Mueller, even though she maintained that "the president has the right to."

A person close to Trump's legal team said earlier Tuesday that there have been no discussions about firing Mueller with the legal team. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Huckabee --- on a trip with Trump, also told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president thought Attorney General Jeff Sessions "did a very good job" in testimony before Congress on Tuesday. She says Trump thought Sessions was especially "strong" on denying any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

___

8:45 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump "has no intention" to fire the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders tells reporters aboard Air Force One that "while the president has the right to" fire Robert Mueller, "he has no intention to do so."

The president has railed against the Russia investigation as a "witch hunt."

Per Department of Justice rules, it's actually up to the deputy attorney general to make that call - though the president could bypass that protocol.

Some of Trump's allies have begun questioning Mueller's credibility as the investigation intensifies.

___

6:00 p.m.

A week after being cut off by Republicans while questioning Trump administration officials, Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California was cut off again while questioning Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Harris was questioning Sessions at a Senate intelligence committee hearing Tuesday about his legal basis for refusing to answer some questions. As Sessions evaded specifics, Harris pressed, prompting Republican Sen. John McCain to interrupt Harris, as he had last week, and say the witness should be allowed to answer.

Last week, panel Chairman Richard Burr admonished Harris. This week, he asked her to simply let him answer.

She did, but wasn't satisfied as Sessions continued to evade. As she asked for a yes or no answer, Burr cut her off for the last time.

Burr said Harris' time had expired.

___

4:30 p.m.

Members of the Senate intelligence committee are expressing confusion over why Attorney General Jeff Sessions will not disclose his conversations with the president.

Sessions won't describe his conversations with President Donald Trump about the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Yet he says he does not have the power to invoke executive privilege, and the president has not asserted it.

Maine independent Sen. Angus King asked a number of questions about the basis for Sessions' refusal to answer questions.

Sessions says the president was not asserting executive privilege and that Sessions was simply protecting Trump's right to do so if he chooses.

___

4:00 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has angrily denied that there were problems related to his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation into Russian activities during the election.

Former FBI Director James Comey testified earlier before the Senate intelligence committee said he knew of reasons why it would be problematic for Sessions to remain involved in the Russia investigation, even before he recused himself.

Sessions raised his voice to the Democratic senator pressing him for an answer, insisting there were no such reasons.

Sessions said to Sen. Ron Wyden: "There are none."

Sessions bristled at Wyden, telling the Oregon senator that people are suggesting through innuendo that he has not been honest.

___

3:55 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says fired FBI Director James Comey should have shared his concerns about a meeting with President Donald Trump with another Justice Department official.

Comey testified last week that he did not tell Sessions that Trump had asked him to drop a probe into National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia because he suspected Sessions would soon need to recuse himself from the Russia probe.

But Sessions says Comey should have relayed his concerns to Dana Boente, who was then acting as deputy attorney general and Comey's direct supervisor. He says Comey should have talked to Boente, especially if he had concerns about Sessions staying involved in the Russia investigation.

___

3:52 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says fired FBI director James Comey's decision to announce that Hillary Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority.

Sessions says he recommended Comey's firing after a number of concerns about his job performance. But his very public handling of the Clinton email investigation was chief among them.

He says Comey's decision to announce the results of the investigation without Justice Department approval was "a stunning development" because "the FBI is the investigative team. They don't decide prosecution."

He called Comey's move "a thunderous thing" and it caused him to conclude "that a fresh start was appropriate."

___

3:36 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he never had conversations with FBI Director James Comey about his job performance before Comey's firing.

Sessions recommended the firing last month, raising questions about whether he violated his recusal from the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia. But Sessions says he had concerns about Comey's job performance even before he was confirmed. He says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein discussed it and "we both agreed that a fresh start at the FBI was probably the best thing."

Sessions says he was involved in Comey's firing because he oversees the FBI. Sessions added that, "to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation" would render him unable to manage the leadership of the FBI would be "absurd."

__

3:20 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he recused himself from the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia because he was involved in the campaign.

Sessions says his recusal was not because he had done something wrong or was, himself, the subject of the investigation. He says he stepped aside because Justice Department rules prevent such a conflict of interest. Sessions became attorney general in February but did not recuse himself from that probe until March.

He says it "became clear to me over time that I qualified as a principal adviser to the campaign and it was appropriate and right for me to recuse myself."

___

3:10 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is contradicting fired FBI director James Comey's testimony about his concerns over a meeting he had with Trump.

Comey testified last week that Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with President Donald Trump again. This was after a February meeting in which Comey said Trump told Sessions and others to leave the room before asking him to drop a probe into National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia.

Sessions says he was not silent, saying he stressed to Comey the need to be careful about following appropriate policies.

He says he is confident that Comey understood and would abide by the Justice Departments rules on communications with the White House about ongoing investigations.

___

3:05 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the suggestion that he colluded with Russians in the 2016 presidential election "is an appalling and detestable lie."

Sessions's comments came during his Senate testimony on whether he met privately with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Sessions says he was there for a speech by then-candidate Donald Trump and members of Sessions' staff also were there.

He says the suggestion he was "aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country which I have served for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie."

Sessions adds that he has no knowledge of "any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign."

___

3:00 p.m.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he did not have third meeting with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

His impassioned response came after Senate Democrats raised questions about whether Sessions privately met with Sergey Kislyak at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Sessions says he was there for a speech by then-candidate Donald Trump and members of Sessions' staff were also in attendance.

But he says he does not recall any private meetings or conversations with Russian officials at that event.

Sessions in March stepped aside from the federal investigation into contacts between Russia and the presidential campaign after acknowledging that he had met twice last year with Kislyak.

___

2:58 p.m.

Senate intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr says that so far, the panel has interviewed more than 35 individuals, including Jeh Johnson, the former secretary of homeland security, in connection with its investigation of Russian activities during last year's campaign.

The North Carolina Republican senator gave the update Tuesday at the beginning of an open hearing to hear testimony from Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Burr says the committee staff met with Johnson on Monday.

___

2:40 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has confidence in the Department of Justice's special counsel investigating Russian interference in U.S. elections.

McConnell told reporters Tuesday that "I have a lot of confidence in Bob Mueller."

The comments came a day after a close friend of President Donald Trump was quoted in a television interview as saying the president was considering dismissing Mueller.

___

11:35 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says he will "defend the integrity" of the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. elections.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein told Rosenstein that she believes it would be "catastrophic" if special counsel Robert Mueller were fired on the orders of President Donald Trump. She said such a move would "destroy any shred of trust in the president's judgment that remains over here."

Rosenstein said he appointed the special counsel, he thinks it was the right thing to do and "I am going to defend the integrity of that investigation."

Feinstein also asked if Rosenstein had an estimate for how long the investigation will take.

"I regret that I do not," Rosenstein said.

__

11:35 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says that a history of political giving is not a disqualifier for those who work for the Department of Justice's special counsel investigating Russian interference in U.S. elections.

Under questioning from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rosenstein said that having given political donations is not a disqualifier. Graham also asked him if it would be a disqualifier to have worked for Hillary Clinton, who ran against President Donald Trump in the election and was a subject of a separate Justice Department investigation into her email practices.

Rosenstein said "I think the answer is no" but said it would depend on the circumstances.

Federal Election Commission records indicate that some members of Mueller's team have made political donations to Democrats, according to a CNN report.

__

11:05 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says he wouldn't follow orders from President Donald Trump or anyone else to fire special counsel Robert Mueller unless they were "lawful and appropriate orders."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Rosenstein at a budget hearing Tuesday what he would do if Trump ordered him to fire Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the U.S. elections and possible Russian ties to Trump's campaign.

Rosenstein said that if he fired Mueller, he would be required to explain it in writing. He added that "if there were good cause, I would consider it. If there were not good cause it wouldn't matter what anyone said."

Rosenstein said Trump has not discussed the special counsel with him.

__

11 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says he consults with a career ethics official when questions arise about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal from the Russia investigation.

Under questioning from Sen. Brian Schatz about the scope of Sessions' recusal, Rosenstein said Sessions "actually does not know what we're investigating, and I'm not going to be talking about it publicly."

If questions arise about what matters Sessions should stay away from, he said, a career official in Rosenstein's office is consulted.

Rosenstein says it would be inappropriate for him to discuss Sessions' recusal and adds, "we don't talk about the subject matter of investigations while they are ongoing."

__

10:40 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire the special prosecutor overseeing the Russia investigation.

The comment came in response to questions from Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. She asked about news reports suggesting that President Donald Trump was already thinking about "terminating" Robert Mueller from his position as special counsel. She asked whether he has seen "any evidence of good cause" to fire Mueller. Rosenstein responded: "No I have not."

Rosenstein says the attorney general would be the only one who could fire Mueller. And since Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the investigation, Rosenstein is acting in that capacity.

He says he is confident that Mueller will have "the full independence he needs" to investigate thoroughly.

__

10:25 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says the White House and President Donald Trump should let the special counsel's investigation continue, and await vindication.

Ryan told reporters Tuesday: "The best advice would be to let Robert Mueller do his job."

The Wisconsin Republican commented in response to a Trump friend, Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, who suggested Monday night that the president was already thinking about "terminating" Mueller from his position as special counsel. Such a move would create a firestorm coming weeks after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

Ryan said the smartest thing for the president to do would be to let the investigation continue and be vindicated.

Said Ryan: "I know Bob Mueller. I have confidence in Bob Mueller."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, prior to testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, center, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's fiscal 2018 budget. Rosenstein said he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire the special prosecutor overseeing the Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's foreign minister has welcomed the fact that his country's ambassador was able to meet a German-Turkish reporter detained in Istanbul almost four months ago.

Deniz Yucel, who works for German newspaper Die Welt, was arrested Feb. 14. Germany's ambassador, Martin Erdmann, spent over an hour with Yucel Tuesday.

Turkish authorities accuse Yucel of disseminating terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred, as well as espionage and ties to the outlawed PKK group - allegations Yucel denies.

The case is one of several sources of friction between Ankara and Berlin.

Germany Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Tuesday his country will continue to press for Yucel's swift release.

German officials were granted consular access earlier this month to another jailed journalist, Mesale Tolu, a 33-year-old German with Turkish roots.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is complaining that vacancies in his administration are dragging on because of delays at the government's ethics office.

But data from the Office of Government Ethics show it's actually moving faster on nominations than it did under President Barack Obama.

With his Cabinet seated around a table at the White House on Monday, Trump said the office, which he referred to as a committee, "has become very difficult to deal with."

President Donald Trump speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 12, 2017, during a ceremony honoring the 2016 NCAA Football National Champions Clemson University Tigers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The ethics office director disputes that. "OGE is not the cause of any delays," Walter Shaub said. "We're moving nominee reports faster during this transition than we did during the last transition, but we can't review reports the White House hasn't sent to us."

Ethics office data show it is giving guidance on nominees in an average of 26 days, compared with 32 days in Obama's first year.

That quicker pace comes even though the Trump appointees have generally had more complex financial entanglements and potential conflicts of interest than those under Obama.

The slowness, the data suggest, is on Trump's end.

As of June 9, the Trump administration had forwarded 331 nominees for ethics vetting, compared with 483 nominees in the same period under Obama, the numbers show.

The ethics office said Trump originally took an unusual approach to picking his nominees - one that did not loop in the ethics office for vetting until after the employees were announced. The office flagged the dangers in that in a letter to the incoming president's transition team in November.

Making announcements before the ethics process led to some embarrassing departures when a few Trump picks could not adequately resolve their conflicts of interest.

Among them was Todd Ricketts, son of the billionaire TD Ameritrade founder, who had been tapped as deputy commerce secretary. Ricketts chose to bow out of the position rather than divest enough of his financial interests to rid himself of conflicts of interest.

By April, the Trump administration adopted the traditional process of waiting until the ethics office had finished its work before announcing picks.

Trump's dig at the office is the latest volley in a long-running tussle between government ethics workers and Trump's lawyers and White House aides.

In late April, the ethics office demanded information from the White House and other executive-branch agencies about what, if any, waivers they had granted to lobbyists and other top officials who are working on government matters similar to what they'd handled in the private sector.

The administration initially said it needed more time to comply - and questioned the office's authority to make the request in the first place. But in the end, all of the federal agencies turned over the waiver information at the beginning of this month as the ethics officials had requested.

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Find all AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The Innocence Project in Puerto Rico has obtained a new trial for two men sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in 1992 of killing a woman and her two young children.

A judge on Tuesday said Juan Melendez and Antonio Ramos should have the right to prove their innocence using DNA evidence.

The ruling comes more than a year after Puerto Rico's former governor approved a law that allows convicts to request DNA analyses based on new evidence or on evidence that was never analyzed or questioned at trial.

It is the second case the Innocence Project in Puerto Rico has taken on. It recently helped free three men found guilty of a 1988 murder.

Both cases share similarities including involvement of the same former prosecutor.
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - The European Union has urged Albania to implement justice reforms, saying it's "essential" for opening negotiations for its accession to the bloc.

Judicial corruption has plagued post-communist Albania, hampering its democratic processes. Parliament unanimously approved a justice system reform last year to ensure that judges and prosecutors are independent from politics, and to root out bribery.

But implementation of the reform has been delayed after two judges' associations complained about its implications at the Constitutional Court.

A statement Tuesday from the EU delegation in Tirana said that "vetting of judges and prosecutors ... needs to start."

A day earlier the United States embassy voiced concern "about attempts to weaken the reform to protect corrupt judges and prosecutors."
A Detroit-area woman is suing Delta Air Lines, claiming it could have prevented a man from molesting her on a flight from South Carolina in 2016.

Christopher Finkley of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was sentenced in March to a week in jail after pleading guilty to simple assault, a misdemeanor.

The woman, Rhonda Costigan, said he put a hand under her shorts while sitting in an open seat.

Costigan told reporters Tuesday that she was 'trapped' in her window seat and 'frozen in terror,' according to WWJ-TV.

Rhonda Costigan (left) of Garden City, Michigan speaks to reporters as she sits next to her attorney, Gerald Acker

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Wayne County, Michigan, says the crew negligently allowed Finkley to roam during a Delta Connection flight to Detroit from Myrtle Beach, despite exposing himself earlier while in first class.

Delta said it's 'dismayed' by what Costigan described but it declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Costigan said she was offered $2,500 in ticket vouchers.

She is now seeking $10million in damages.

ExpressJet Airlines, which flies as Delta Connection, declined to comment.

In Finkley's criminal case, defense attorney Colleen Fitzharris said the trucker did a 'terrible thing' while under stress and the influence of alcohol.

Christopher Finkley, 41, was convicted in March of assault and indecent exposure following the incident on a Delta flight from Myrtle Beach to Detroit in July last year

'He is embarrassed by his conduct and regrets the pain it has caused the victim, the public and his family,' Fitzharris said in a court filing.

Finkley, who was a first class passenger, opted to use the bathroom at the back of the plane when he sat down next to the woman, according to court documents.

Costigan - a waitress and mother of a 15-year-old girl - claimed Finkley put his hands on her legs and started massaging them.

'I looked down and his hands were rubbing my leg,' she toldFox News in April.

'It continued to escalate; he went inside my shorts.'

Court documents state that Finkley told her he 'liked white women' and asked 'where's your man?' as he groped her.

Costigan said she begged him to stop and said her daughter was sitting in the row behind her.

Finkley eventually left the woman alone and went back to his own seat to masturbate.

He later admitted that he liked to sit with his hands in his pants and called it 'his happy place', according to court documents.

Costigan's lawyer Jerry Acker said flight attendants noticed Finkley about 40 minutes into the two-hour flight but claims they failed to restrain him and allowed him to roam freely in the cabin.

Acker said a flight attendant called ahead to Detroit to make sure police were waiting to arrest Finkley.

'What they should've done after they found out he's masturbating and exposing himself in first class... they should've monitored that man and not allowed that predator to run through the cabin,' Acker said.
SANDY, Utah (AP) - The Latest on stalking report days before a Utah shooting that killed a woman her son (all times local):

5:40 p.m.

The family of a boy critically injured in a shooting that killed his mother and brother say his condition has been upgraded and he's talking as he continues to improve.

FILE - This June 6, 2017, file photo, crime scene investigators begin their work as Sandy police investigate a fatal shooting in a Salt Lake City suburb in Sandy, Utah. Police documents obtained by The Associated Press say a Utah woman fatally shot this month along with one of her sons had reported being relentlessly stalked by the man. The documents released Tuesday, June 13, 2017, also disclose that Memorez Rackley and Jeremy Patterson had previously been in a romantic relationship. (Scott G Winterton/The Deseret News via AP, File)

Family spokesman Jeff White said in a statement Tuesday that 11-year-old Myles Rackley is getting stronger. White says his 6-year-old brother Jase will be remembered for his "bigger-than-life smile."

Police records show the younger boy was killed along with mother Memorez Rackley three days after she reported her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Patterson, had been relentlessly stalking her.

Police say Rackley encountered Patterson as she walked her boys home from school and climbed into the car of a woman who saw them arguing and stopped to help. Police say Patterson rammed the car, then got out and opened fire. The daughter of the woman who stopped was also hurt.

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4:50 p.m.

Recordings of 911 calls illustrate the panic that hit a normally calm street in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy earlier this month after a man opened fire on a car full of children in a shooting that killed his ex-girlfriend, her 6-year-old son and injured two other children.

The calls made public Tuesday following a public records request by The Associated Press show that more than a dozen people called police to report that a man used his pickup truck to ram a sports utility vehicle off the road and started shooting as parents were picking up children from a nearby elementary school.

One woman tearfully told dispatchers that a child had been shot while others described taking cover to avoid the gunfire.

Documents released by police said Memorez Rackley three days before the shooting told a police dispatcher that Patterson had been relentlessly stalking her.

___

3:20 p.m.

Police say they couldn't arrest a Utah man on a stalking report days before he killed his ex-girlfriend and her son because the woman didn't want to press charges.

Sandy police Sgt. Jason Nielsen said Tuesday because the former couple didn't live together and weren't related, officers couldn't arrest him unless victim Memorez Rackley wanted them to.

Rackley reported the stalking on Saturday, June 3 and told officers she planned to file for a protective order Monday morning. Rackley initially said she was afraid to have officers contact him about the relentless stalking because it could provoke him.

Utah courts spokesman Geoff Fattah says there's no record of Rackley filing a petition for a protective order before the Tuesday, June 6 shooting that left Rackley and her son dead and two other children injured.

___

10:00 a.m.

A recording of a 911 call obtained by The Associated Press shows a Utah woman told police three days before she and her son were killed that she was worried for her safety and her children's safety because she reported her ex-boyfriend was relentlessly stalking her.

The audio recording released by police Tuesday reveals Memorez Rackley called police three days before the shooting and said Jeremy Patterson had told her he had guns.

Rackley tells a dispatcher in the recording she was terrified Patterson would hunt her and her children down if police got in touch with him about the harassment.

Police reports say she later changed her mind and asked officers to contact him because she said Patterson he followed a friend of hers to try to find her.

She told an officer she would apply for a protective order to keep Patterson away from her.

Court records do not show a protective order was in place before the June 6 shooting that killed Rackley and her 6-year-old son and left her other son critically wounded.

___

9:15 a.m.

Police documents obtained by The Associated Press say a Utah woman fatally shot this month along with one of her sons had reported being relentlessly stalked by the man.

The documents released Tuesday also disclose that Memorez Rackley and Jeremy Patterson had previously been in a romantic relationship.

Rackley told police June 3 that Patterson followed her while she was driving her car in Salt Lake City's suburb of Sandy and confronted her about their breakup while she was in a nail salon.

Rackley died June 6 after getting her children from school.

She was in an SUV with a woman who had picked her up when Patterson rammed it, got out of his pickup truck and opened fire.

The woman's daughter and Rackley's other son were wounded.

___

This story corrects that Patterson, not Rackley, rammed the SUV.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Daily Show is unveiling the Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library this weekend.

The pop-up exhibit will be at 3 West 57th Street in Manhattan, not far from Trump Tower, Comedy Central announced Tuesday. It will feature some of the president's better known one-shots, organized around such categories as "SAD! A Retrospective" and "The Commander-In-Tweet." The 'Daily Show' will highlight Trump's insults and contradictions and allow "verified survivors" to remember being on the receiving end of his social media outbursts.

The exhibit runs Friday-Sunday, and will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
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Pu Songling is known for being behind the fantasy world of co-existing spirits and humans of the 18th century collection Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.

Conteptual poster of Shentan Pu Songling Lanruo Xianzong (The Genius Detective Pu Songling Celestial Tracks of Lanruo Temple) [Photo provided to China Daily]

But now an upcoming movie will include him as the protagonist.

Internet giant iQiyi's film body iQiyi Motion Pictures released the conceptual posters of the upcoming live-action and CGI-hybrid movie Shentan Pu Songling: Lanruo Xianzong (The Genius Detective Pu Songling: Celestial Tracks of Lanruo Temple) on June 9.

A town set in the movieShentan Pu Songling[Photo provided to China Daily]

The movie, the biggest blockbuster hope of iQiyi Motion Pictures this year, has a budget of more than 100 million yuan ($14.7 million).

Adapted from post-1990 writer Teng Da's online novel with the same title, the movie will enliven the fantastic spectacles as well as set dramatical twists to follow Pu's criminal-hunting adventures.

Liu Xiaoguang, known for producing heavy visual effects-studded blockbusters The Monkey King and The Monkey King 2, says his visual team has already done many designs for the sets and characters.

The movie will soon cast A-listers and begin the shooting, according to the company.

More commercial movies were highlighted at the event.

Actress Yan Ni co-stars her 19-year-old daughter Zou Yuanqing in the upcoming comedy I Am Your Mother [Photo provided to China Daily]

Comedy star Yan Ni's new movie I Am Your Mother, her first work to co-star with her 19-year-old daughter Zou Yuanqing, also released promotional posters.

Historical themes support other films, such as Kui Long Yu (The Jade of Kui Dragon), based on the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Qizhen and his loyal official Yuan Bin, and Lie Dong (A Harsh Winter), adapted from a true story of Chinese troops defending Nanjing against Japanese invasion in 1937.

The internet-backed company also highlighted its "17 Project" to support young directors and art-house titles.

Home of the titular protagonist inShentan Pu Songling [Photo provided to China Daily]

The project, which was launched around two years ago, financed the first such movie The Summer Is Gone, winner of a Taipei Golden Horse for best picture in 2016.

Ya Ning, president of iQiyi Motion Pictures, says the project will support another three newbie directors' movies: My Town, Blue Chrysophoron, and Daogao Yizhang (The Good Wins).

The company also announced it will invest in or seek cooperation with upcoming domestic movies backed by famous directors, such as Feng Xiaogang's Fang Hua and Benny Chan's Meow.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. relationship with Russia is at an all-time low and deteriorating further, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, yet he cautioned against taking steps that might close off promising avenues of communication between the two former Cold War foes.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson was noncommittal about a package of new Russia sanctions, saying he's still reviewing the proposed penalties that Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed upon after lengthy negotiations. But it's important, he stressed, that President Donald Trump have the flexibility "to turn the heat up" on Russia if necessary.

At the same time, he also said he doesn't want to preemptively shut down a potentially productive conversation. As an example, Tillerson said talks with Moscow on stabilizing war-ravaged Syria are progressing, but it's too early to tell if the discussions will bear fruit. Imposing more sanctions could lead the Russians to curtail the dialogue.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Top lawmakers on two Senate committees - Banking and Foreign Relations - announced the sanctions deal late Monday amid the firestorm over Russia's meddling in the presidential election and investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of President Donald Trump's campaign.

The plan calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on corrupt Russian figures, those involved in human rights abuses and those supplying weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The package also would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties. And, penalties would be slapped on those responsible for malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government.

If the Trump administration decides to oppose the new sanctions, they could be in a bind. The package is to be added to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating. So the White House would have to reject stricter punishments against Iran, which it favors, in order to derail the parts of the legislation it objects to.

"The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria," said Republicans and Democrats on the committees.

A vote on the Russia sanctions is scheduled for Wednesday, and the measure is expected to get strong bipartisan support. The legislation was worked out by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, of the Banking Committee, and Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., of the Foreign Relations panel.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also participated in the negotiations and pushed for provisions that bars punished individuals from using family members to get around the sanctions.

"This amendment also takes appropriate steps to ensure that current sanctions cannot be unilaterally unwound by this administration," Shaheen said.

The legislation also allows new penalties on key elements of the Russia economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.

House and Senate committees are investigating Russia's meddling and potential links to the Trump campaign. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a separate probe.

The sanctions package is rooted in legislation introduced earlier this year amid concerns on Capitol Hill that Trump may seek to lift sanctions against Russia as part of a plan to forge a partnership between the two countries in key areas, such as counterterrorism. In early January, before Trump was sworn in, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill designed to go beyond the punishments already levied against Russia by the Obama administration and to demonstrate to Trump that forcefully responding to Moscow's election interference wasn't a partisan issue.

Then-President Barack Obama in late December ordered sanctions on Russian spy agencies, closed two Russian compounds and expelled 35 diplomats the U.S. said were really spies. Those penalties were on top of existing U.S. sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine, which have damaged Russia's economy but had only limited impact on Putin's behavior.

A month later, senators introduced another measure that would require the president to get approval from lawmakers before easing Russia sanctions. Cardin, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said at the time that the measure was styled after 2015 legislation pushed by Republicans and approved overwhelmingly in the Senate that gave Congress a vote on whether Obama could lift sanctions against Iran. That measure reflected Republican complaints that Obama had overstepped the power of the presidency and needed to be checked by Congress.

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Contact Richard Lardner on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rplardner
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - An Indiana woman who admitted to fatally smothering her two children was charged Tuesday in the death of a former neighbor.

Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards also filed a weapons charge against Amber Pasztor, 30, of Fort Wayne, in the September slaying of 66-year-old Frank Macomber.

Pasztor has admitted shooting Macomber in the head and leaving his body in woods near her parents' home in Allen County, according to court documents.

Pasztor is due to be sentenced June 29 to 130 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to two counts of murder in the deaths of 7-year-old Lilliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor. She entered the plea June 1 after an Elkhart County judge ruled she was competent to stand trial. She underwent three psychological evaluations to determine whether she was able to assist with her defense.

Pasztor abducted her children on Sept. 26 from their custodial grandparents' home, prompting authorities to issue an Amber Alert. Her children's bodies were found later that day inside Macomber's stolen car parked behind the Elkhart Police Department, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Fort Wayne. Pasztor had flagged down an officer and showed him the bodies.

According to court documents, she told officers she drove the children around northern Indiana and southern Michigan, taking them to a park and a restaurant before smothering them with her hands.

Pasztor told police that she shot Macomber with a hunting rifle, and she gave officers directions to the spot where she had buried Macomber under a tent that the two had bought Sept. 25, court documents filed in Allen Superior Court said.

Pasztor told police she killed Macomber to "send a message to the 'cartels' not to mess with her," court documents said. "The defendant stated that she knew Frank was setting her up to the cartels."

Indiana Department of Child Services records released by a juvenile court say that Pasztor killed her children because she felt they were being threatened with violence by members of a Mexican cartel. Those records also say she suffered from untreated bipolar disorder.

The children's father, Rene Hernandez, 24, of Fort Wayne, was found dead in a wooded area in neighboring Whitley County in June 2010. His body had been frozen and cut into two pieces, police said. That slaying has never been solved.
GREECE, N.Y. (AP) - Water-filled portable dams are being deployed and $1 million in state funding will go toward emergency repairs to wastewater treatment systems in two flood-damaged Lake Ontario communities, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

A temporary emergency barrier system using water-filled dams instead of sandbags is being deployed in Greece in Monroe County and Sodus Point in Wayne County, the Democrat said. The two communities also will get $500,000 each to repair and upgrade flood-impacted wastewater infrastructure.

The Democrat said he has also renewed a request to the Army Corps of Engineers for rock structures to safeguard flood-prone areas.

Last month, Cuomo announced $7 million in state aid to help Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River homeowners impacted by flooding caused by record rainfall.

Cuomo again blasted the U.S.-Canadian panel that controls the outflow of water from Lake Ontario, saying the agency bears much of the blame for flooding in New York's lakeside communities.

"I think they pulled the trigger too late" on increasing outflow, Cuomo said in the Rochester suburb of Greece on Tuesday. "They got behind, and now we have a real problem."

The International Joint Commission responded to Cuomo's comments by saying no one could have predicted the severe flooding throughout the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system caused by record rainfall.

The commission-directed board that controls outflow through a St. Lawrence River dam said Tuesday it would increase water releases starting Wednesday.

The governor returned to flood-damaged Lake Ontario shoreline communities in Monroe and Wayne counties Tuesday amid National Weather Service predictions for more damaging waves and an Army Corps of Engineers forecast of above-average water levels for all five Great Lakes all summer.

Both counties have seen some of the worst damage from flooding that began earlier this spring during heavy rains. Many lakeside communities in an eight-county region stretching from the Niagara River to the St. Lawrence River have sustained at least some damage since May, including shoreline erosion, flooded roads, battered break walls and submerged docks and boat launches.

Cuomo said the flooding has "devastated" the spring-summer tourism season for many lakeside communities.

"When that season gets wiped out, it has economic consequences for the entire year," he said.

Some lakeside residents and local officials have blamed the flooding on the International Joint Commission.

New York residents and officials want the board to release more water through a dam on the river, but the commission also must consider flood-ravaged downstream communities as well as cargo ships that would be hampered by increased currents.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit announced Monday that water levels for all of the Great Lakes are expected to be higher than average into the fall. The agency predicts Lake Ontario's level will start to lower this month but remain higher than average into November.

The Weather Service has issued lakeshore flooding watches for Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon from Wayne County west to the Niagara River due to wind-driven waves.
SAVANNA, Okla. (AP) - A former Oklahoma police officer has been arrested on felony warrants alleging sexual battery, forcible sodomy and accepting a bribe.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says 40-year-old former Savanna officer Jerry "Jay" Gragg was arrested Tuesday in McAlester.

The Bureau of Investigation says Gragg denies the allegations.

The bureau says Gragg is accused of stopping a woman in January when he was a police officer in Savanna in eastern Oklahoma, telling her she had a suspended driver's license and forcing her to touch him inappropriately and perform a sex act.

The bureau says the woman later notified police and provided a blouse containing DNA that was later matched to Gragg.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The threat from the Lord's Resistance Army can't be underestimated following the departure of Ugandan and United States forces that were deployed to pursue the rebels, the U.N. envoy for central Africa warned Tuesday.

Francois Lounceny Fall told the Security Council he is concerned that the withdrawal of troops from the two countries "will create a security vacuum that may be exploited by the LRA and other armed groups operating in the region."

He said the U.N. peacekeeping force in volatile Central African Republic isn't mandated to conduct anti-LRA military operations and the country's security forces lack training and need structural reforms.

In May, the African Union Peace and Security Council also warned that the LRA has not yet been eliminated and could "rejuvenate itself" if countries don't "urgently" fill the void.

Although scores of LRA fighters have surrendered or been killed in recent months, the whereabouts of LRA leader Joseph Kony remain a mystery. Of the five LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005 for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Kony is the only one still at large.

Recent defectors from the rebel group suggest he is sick and hiding somewhere in the vast, ungoverned spaces of central Africa.

The United States, in announcing its pullout from the military mission against the LRA, said in March that the rebel group's active membership is now less than 100. The U.S. first sent about 100 special forces as military advisers to the mission in 2011, and in 2014 sent 150 Air Force personnel.

Uganda announced in April it was ending its manhunt and pulling out 1,500 troops because "the mission to neutralize the LRA has now been successfully achieved."

Fall expressed gratitude to the Ugandan forces and other countries fighting the rebel group, but stressed that "there is a need to remain focused on efforts aimed at the total eradication of the LRA."

He said the U.N. Regional Office for Central Africa which he heads will remain engaged, including by reviewing the U.N.'s regional strategy to address the threat and ensure coordination of key parties.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Changing winds are expected to blow smoke from a fire burning outside Flagstaff into the Arizona city over several days.

The fire has burned nearly 9 square miles (23 sq. kilometers) on Kendrick Mountain's northeastern flank since lightning started it June 1.

Firefighters plan several days of setting fires to burn forest debris near the top of the mountain to help protect a lookout tower and historic cabin. Crews previously wrapped the cabin with flame-resistant materials.

This photo provided by Wyoming Hot Shots, a member of the Wyoming Hot Shots firefighting crew pauses while battling the Lizard Fire near Willcox, Ariz., June 8, 2017. Thousands of firefighters continue to battle almost 30 wildfires burning throughout Arizona as gusty winds and dried vegetation continue to fuel the blazes. (Kyle Miller/Wyoming Hot Shots via AP)

The fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain and is 5 percent contained. Nearby U.S. 180 is closed because of smoke.

To the south, crews made strong gains against a fire burning near Wilcox, Arizona. Lightning sparked the 23 square mile (61 square kilometer) blaze on June 7.

This photo provided by Wyoming Hot Shots, members of the Wyoming Hot Shots firefighting watch a retardant drop while battling the Lizard Fire near Willcox, Ariz., June 10, 2017. Thousands of firefighters continue to battle almost 30 wildfires burning throughout Arizona as gusty winds and dried vegetation continue to fuel the blazes. (Kyle Miller/Wyoming Hot Shots via AP)

This photo provided by the Wyoming Hot Shots, members of the Wyoming Hot Shots firefighting crew watch the moon break through smoke and clouds while battling the Lizard Fire near Willcox, Ariz., June 8, 2017. Thousands of firefighters continue to battle almost 30 wildfires burning throughout Arizona as gusty winds and dried vegetation continue to fuel the blazes. (Kyle Miller/Wyoming Hot Shots via AP)

This photo provided by Kirsten Smith shows a wildfire burning in Benson, Ariz., on June 10, 2017. Nearly 30 wildfires tore through dry and windy Arizona on Monday, June 12, 2017, drawing crews from across the Western United States to the state with the most blazes burning in the nation. Thousands of firefighters were battling 28 wildfires throughout the state, many of them ignited by lightning or people, as gusty winds and parched vegetation fueled the flames, said Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the state forestry department. No one has been injured, and just one empty house has been destroyed. (Kirsten Smith via AP)

In this Wednesday June 7, 2017, photo provided by Heather Floyd, a wildfire burns in Dragon, Ariz. Over two dozen wildfires tore through dry and windy Arizona on Monday, June 12, drawing crews from across the Western United States to the state with the most blazes burning in the nation. (Heather Floyd via AP)

In this Saturday, June 10, 2017, photo provided by Heather Floyd, a wildfire burns in Dragon, Ariz. Over two dozen wildfires tore through dry and windy Arizona on Monday, June 12, drawing crews from across the Western United States to the state with the most blazes burning in the nation. (Heather Floyd via AP)

In this Saturday, June 10, 2017, photo provided by Heather Floyd, a wildfire burns in Dragon, Ariz. Over two dozen wildfires tore through dry and windy Arizona on Monday, June 12, drawing crews from across the Western United States to the state with the most blazes burning in the nation. (Heather Floyd via AP)
CARMEL, N.Y. (AP) - A former New York county district attorney who's the son of TV's Judge Judy has gotten a public apology from a county sheriff as part of the settling of a defamation lawsuit.

Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith posted the apology to ex-Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy on the sheriff's department's website on Tuesday. He apologized for two press releases issued in March 2013 that included statements that Levy had interfered with the investigation of child rape accusations made against a friend of his. Levy had recused himself from the case; his friend later was acquitted.

Smith says he retracted the press releases unequivocally, and that the statements were untrue.

The settlement of the case also includes a payment to Levy of $150,000.
A historian has been charged with stealing the dog tags of U.S. servicemen whose planes crashed in World War II from the National Archives and selling them on eBay.

The U.S. attorney's office in Maryland says in a news release that 32-year-old Antonin DeHays of College Park, Maryland, was charged theft of government records in federal court Tuesday.

According to an affidavit, DeHays repeatedly visited the National Archives at College Park. Prosecutors say he stole dog tags and other documents.

Authorities say the dog tags of a downed Tuskegee airman were stolen and DeHays "donated" them to a museum in Virginia.

Prosecutors say a search of DeHays' home led to the recovery of documents missing from the National Archives.

No phone number could be found for DeHays.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown was named Tuesday as a special envoy to states at the next United Nations Climate Change Conference, further elevating his international profile as a leader on the issue as President Donald Trump backs away from a key international agreement.

The announcement of Brown's role at the November conference in Bonn, Germany, by Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama comes on the heels of the governor's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks to discuss climate change.

"I will lean on Gov. Brown to continue to bring the great leadership he has demonstrated time and time again, and to mobilize a strong contingent of like-minded leaders from around the world, to show the world that we mean business," Bainimarama said during a news conference at the historic governor's mansion in Sacramento.

California Gov. Jerry Brown discusses climate change at a news conference Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. During the event Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the incoming president of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, named Brown to be a special advisor for states and regions in advance of the November gathering in Germany. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The four-term governor has made reducing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting green technology a key tenet of his administration. He's launched non-binding climate change pacts, including the newly formed U.S. Climate Alliance of states committed to upholding the carbon reductions goals in the Paris climate agreement, from which Trump plans to withdraw. Bainimarama on Tuesday joined Fiji in the Under2 Coalition, a pact among cities, states and countries that Brown helped launch in 2015 aimed at keeping the rise of global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius.

Bainimarama hailed U.S. states' commitment to upholding the Paris agreements. He noted Trump's choice to withdraw could bring fireworks to the U.N. conference, known as "COP 23."

"I think the withdrawal of the White House is going to make COP 23 very exciting," he said.

Brown won't be the only governor potentially playing an outsize role at the conference. Fellow West Coast Govs. Kate Brown of Oregon and Jay Inslee of Washington, who also traveled to Sacramento on Tuesday, both plan to attend with other governors in the state's Climate Alliance.

"We're going to play a very important role," Jerry Brown said.

The state agreement is a non-binding commitment to uphold the Paris goals, which include reducing the country's emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels. Many of the 13 states involved already have their own targets in place, and the goal of the coalition is to collaborate and share ideas on using green technology and other means to meet the goal.

"When the president decided to run up the white flag of surrender to the challenge of climate change, we jumped right into the barricades," Inslee said.

California Gov. Jerry Brown, right, watches as Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama signs a climate change accord Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The non-binding international agreement commits the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 80 percent to 95 percent, below 1990 levels. Looking on are from left, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

California Gov. Jerry Brown, center, discusses climate change at a news conference, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. During the event Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, third from left, signed a subnational climate change agreement that calls for the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 80 percent to 95 percent, below 1990 levels. Also seen are Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, left, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee, California Senate President Pro tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, fourth from left, along with several other California lawmakers are other dignitaries. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama, left, discusses climate change as Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, right, looks on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Bainimarama signed a non-binding international agreement that commits the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 80 percent to 95 percent, below 1990 levels. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee, center, discusses climate change at a news conference held by Calif., Gov. Jerry Brown, left, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. During the event Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, signed a subnational climate change agreement, launched by Brown in 2015, that calls for the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 80 percent to 95 percent, below 1990 levels. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, center, discusses climate change at a news conference held by Calif., Gov. Jerry Brown, left, Tuesday, June 13, 2017,in Sacramento, Calif. During the event Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, signed a subnational climate change agreement that calls for the signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 80 percent to 95 percent, below 1990 levels. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, left, talks with California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, after a climate change news conference, held by Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Trump administration more time to file legal papers in its bid to reinstate a ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries.

The justices agreed to a request from Acting U.S. Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall to address Monday's ruling from the federal appeals court in San Francisco. That ruling said the executive order violated federal immigration law. It was the second time a federal appeals court had refused to lift a hold on the revised travel ban.

The new briefing schedule lets the government submit its final brief on June 21, meaning the justices are not likely to act on the case until next week at the earliest. The state of Hawaii, which had challenged the ban, also gets a chance to submit additional briefs.

Earlier this month, the government asked the high court to review a ruling from the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, which said the 90-day ban unconstitutionally discriminated against Muslims.
China's central government has allocated another 30.7 billion yuan (about 4.52 billion U.S. dollars) in funding to help people living in poverty, the finance ministry said Monday.

That has brought this year's total central government poverty relief funds to nearly 86.1 billion yuan, which has all been allocated at local levels, the Ministry of Finance said.

Up to 97.4 percent of the funding has gone to 22 provincial regions in the central and western parts of the country, the main battleground for poverty alleviation, said the ministry.

The central government has assigned 196.1 billion yuan of poverty relief funding over the past four years, representing annual average growth of 19.22 percent. This year's funding marks a 30.3 percent increase year on year.

The Chinese government has vowed to lift all impoverished citizens out of poverty by 2020 to build a moderately prosperous society. In 2016 alone, China helped 12.4 million rural residents move above the poverty line.

By the end of last year, there were 43.35 million people living in poverty in China.
A large rockslide has blocked one of the main roads into Yosemite National Park that will remain closed at least through the weekend, an official said Tuesday.

About 4,000 tons of rock detached from a cliff on Monday, blocking El Portal Road, said park spokesman Scott Gediman.

El Portal Road is a continuation of Highway 140 and the gateway for about a third of the park's visitors who enter from the foothills above the Central Valley.

About 700,000 to 800,000 visitors use that entrance each year, Gediman said.

'This massive slab of rock slid down the cliff, hit a ledge, and broke into many pieces,' he said.

A large rockslide has blocked one of the main roads into Yosemite National Park that will remain closed at least through the weekend, an official said Tuesday

Those pieces fragmented further after hitting the base of the cliff and fanned out over an area more than 1,000 feet wide with debris rolling down to the Merced River.

The park can still be reached by way of Highways 41 and 120.

The three entrances on the west side of the Sierra lead to Yosemite Valley, the park's main attraction.

The closure cut off the valley from the village of El Portal and the city of Mariposa, which are home to most of the park's employees.

About 4,000 tons of rock detached from a cliff on Monday, blocking El Portal Road (seen above), park spokesman Scott Gediman

The closure cut off the valley from the village of El Portal and the city of Mariposa, which are home to most of the park's employees

Commutes that typically take 30 minutes to an hour are now taking two to three hours, Gediman said.

The park's eastern entrance is still closed as plow crews clear near-record snowfall on the road to Tioga Pass, which sits at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
In a story June 13 about a man who took a rifle to a pizza restaurant while investigating an internet conspiracy theory, The Associated Press misspelled Edgar Welch's middle name. It is Maddison, not Madison.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Man arrested in DC 'pizzagate' incident apologizes in letter

A man who walked into a District of Columbia pizza restaurant with an assault rifle, intent on investigating internet rumors dubbed "pizzagate," is apologizing and saying he realizes now "just how foolish and reckless" he was

By JESSICA GRESKO

Associated Press

A man who walked into a District of Columbia pizza restaurant with an assault rifle, intent on investigating internet rumors dubbed "pizzagate," is apologizing and saying he realizes now "just how foolish and reckless" he was.

Edgar Maddison Welch made those statements in a letter submitted to a judge Tuesday ahead of his sentencing set for June 22. In a court document, his attorney asked he be sentenced to 1  years in prison. In a separate document, prosecutors wrote he should be sentenced to 4  years in prison.

Welch, who is from Salisbury, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in March to two charges in connection with the case.

As part of his guilty plea Welch has acknowledged entering the Comet Ping Pong restaurant Dec. 4 with an AR-15 assault rifle and a revolver. He also acknowledged driving to the restaurant from North Carolina to investigate a conspiracy theory about Democrats harboring child sex slaves there. Patrons fled when they saw Welch enter the restaurant, and when he encountered a locked storage closet he fired multiple times. No one was injured.

In his 1-page, handwritten letter filed with the court Tuesday but dated June 2, Welch wrote that he "came to D.C. with the intent of helping people I believed were in dire need of assistance, and to bring an end to a corruption that I truly felt was harming innocent lives."

He wrote that he wanted to apologize and that he acted without considering the repercussions of his actions or the possible harm.

"It was never my intention to harm or frighten innocent lives, but I realize now just how foolish and reckless my decision was," he wrote.

Comet Ping Pong owner James Alefantis has said the "pizzagate" hoax that spread on the internet threw the lives of everyone connected with the shop into chaos.

Welch's attorney Dani Jahn wrote in asking for a 1  year sentence that Welch has previously worked as an emergency medical technician and volunteered in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. She wrote that he's an involved parent to his 7-year-old stepdaughter and 4-year-old daughter. She also noted he surrendered peacefully after realizing that no children were being harmed at the restaurant.

In their own filing, prosecutors wrote that the fact that no one was shot was "entirely the product of good luck -- the fortuitous facts that nobody interfered with the defendant's progress and that nobody was behind the door which he ultimately shot through."

Prosecutors Demian Ahn and Sonali Patel wrote that a "significant sentence" was required not only to punish Welch but to "deter other would-be vigilantes from attempting similar crimes against innocent subjects of the next internet-inspired conspiracy theory."

Welch has pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. As part of the guilty plea, prosecutors will drop a third charge, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, which had carried a mandatory minimum prison term of five years.

Lawyers said in court in March that under sentencing guidelines Welch likely faces 1  to two years in prison as a result of the interstate transportation charge and 1  to five years for the assault charge. Sentences on the charges could run either consecutively or concurrently.

Prosecutors are asking for two years on the first charge and 4  years on the second charge to run concurrently.
Rangers have signed winger Daniel Candeias from Benfica on a two-year contract.

The 29-year-old wide player is a former Portugal age-group international who has yet to make a full international appearance.

He joined Benfica from Nacional in 2014 but failed to make a first-team breakthrough with the Lisbon giants and has instead spent the last three seasons on loan to clubs outside Portugal.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has added a familiar face to his squad (Jane Barlow/PA)

@RangersFC can today confirm the signing of Daniel Candeias from @SLBenfica on a two year deal https://t.co/XlZYQ5H75y #WelcomeCandeias pic.twitter.com/hY1weizaFF  Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 11, 2017

After stints with German side Nurnberg, Spanish outfit Granada, French club Metz and Turkish top-flight newcomers Alanyaspor, he has taken up the chance to move to Scotland.

He joins up for a second time with Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha, who had Candeias in his squad at Nacional in 2011/12.

TRAILER: Watch a full interview with new signing Daniel Candeias on @RangersTV here: https://t.co/8heLzEQw1x pic.twitter.com/M9wZzp5xHm  RangersTV (@RangersTV) June 11, 2017

A Rangers statement said: Rangers are delighted to announce the signing of Daniel Candeias on a two-year-deal from Portuguese side Benfica.

The Glasgow giants are rebuilding after a tough first season back in the Ladbrokes Premiership, when they began with high hopes of challenging Celtic but finished a distant third behind their unbeaten city rivals.
Police in Greater Manchester are under real strain in the wake of the citys suicide bombing after the loss of nearly one in four officers in recent years, the forces chief constable has said.

Ian Hopkins cited official figures which show Greater Manchester Police (GMP)  currently carrying out one of its biggest-ever investigations  had 8,148 officers in March 2010, but this had dropped by 23% to 6,297 by March last year.

Writing on Twitter, he praised his officers for their outstanding work policing the Parklife festival over the weekend along with a protest against Islamist terrorism.

He wrote: Outstanding from @gmpolice officers & staff this w/e policing protest & Parklife. Real strain on everyone not just this weekend  see below.

Under his tweet, he posted a page from the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) 2016 efficiency report for GMP, with a table setting out staffing statistics.

It shows GMPs total workforce fell by a fifth during the period, from 13,189 to 10,506, while the number of community support officers (PCSOs) reduced from 842 to 748  a drop of 11%.

Police officers in England and Wales

The table shows these are set to fall even further over the next three years, with the total workforce expected to be 10,108 by March 2020 with 500 PCSOs.

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham tweeted: @gmpolice are stretched to limit & in middle of on-going investigation.

He criticised the protest against Islamist terrorism, organised by former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson, which drew a counter-demonstration.

These EDL-types who came today need to have a look at themselves, Mr Burnham added. @gmpolice deserve better.

I care about our police being unnecessarily distracted when they are worn out & still working hard to investigate a major incident.

.@gmpolice are stretched to limit & in middle of on-going investigation. These EDL-types who came today need to have a look at themselves.  Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) June 11, 2017

The force, the second largest in England, is investigating the Manchester Arena suicide bombing which left 22 people dead and more than 200 injured.

The figures show GMP will lose more staff than the national average, with the total workforce forecast to drop by 24% between 2010 and 2020, compared with 21% across England and Wales.

About 400 officers were deployed to police Sundays protest and officers made eight arrests for public order offences.

Chief Superintendent John OHare said many officers who had already worked long hours had to operate in extremely challenging circumstances.

More than 1,000 officers have been involved in the investigation into the May 22 attack, with hundreds of witnesses interviewed and thousands of hours of CCTV being examined.

GMP said there are now more than 8,000 entries on its logging system and 700 media devices such as mobile phones have been seized.

Latest update on Manchester Arena Attack (2/2) pic.twitter.com/FB4eyUSeXU  Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 11, 2017

A total of 29 houses have been searched and 22 people arrested during the inquiry, with all now released without charge.

Policing cuts also became a key issue of last weeks general election, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for Theresa May to resign as Prime Minister for presiding over cuts in police numbers as Home Secretary.

The topic came under the spotlight following the Manchester bombing along with Londons two terrorist attacks, with Mr Corbyn slamming Mrs May over Government cuts which have left the police with 20,000 fewer officers than in 2010.
Boris Johnson has urged four Gulf and Arab countries to ease their blockade on Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups and close ties to Iran.

The Foreign Secretary also said Qatar must take seriously the concerns of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain and urgently do more to address support for extremists.

The four countries have cut off sea traffic to Qatar as part of severing diplomatic ties to the tiny, energy-rich nation. Qatar has begun shipping cargo through Oman to bypass the blockade and show it can survive the diplomatic row with its neighbours.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

Speaking after meeting Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Mr Johnson said: I have been in touch with my counterparts across the region about the current tensions with Qatar.

I have urged all sides to refrain from any further escalation and to engage in mediation efforts. In that regard I pay tribute to the work of the Emir of Kuwait.

In finding a resolution, I call on Qatar to take seriously their neighbours concerns. Qatar is a partner of the UK in the fight against terrorism but they urgently need to do more to address support for extremist groups, building on the steps they have already taken to tackle funding to those groups.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will hold talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE (Victoria Jones/PA)

I am also concerned by some of the strong actions which Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain have taken against an important partner, and urge them to ease the blockade on Qatar.

I call on all states to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and to find a rapid resolution through mediation.

Later this week, the Foreign Secretary will hold talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, and urge them to ease tensions and enter mediation.

Mr Johnson will tell them a swift resolution is in the interests of the region and the UK, and express concern about the impact of the blockade on ordinary people in Qatar.
The new Environment Secretary has said Donald Trump was wrong to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

The presidents decision to pull the US out of the worlds first comprehensive agreement on tackling climate change and seek renegotiated terms fair to America drew widespread international condemnation earlier this month.

Michael Gove returned to the Cabinet over the weekend after being sacked by Prime Minister Theresa May as justice secretary last July.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said President Trump was "wrong" to pull out of the Paris agreement (Victoria Jones/PA)

"It is an honour to be appointed Environment Secretary at such an important time for our country" says new Secretary of State @michaelgove pic.twitter.com/6OB7ufpyb1  Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) June 12, 2017

Quizzed on Good Morning Britain about whether President Trump was wrong to withdraw from the accord, Mr Gove said: Yes, I think he is wrong. I think that we need international co-operation in order to deal with climate change.

And I think the Paris Accord which my friend Amber Rudd had a huge role in helping to shape is a significant step forward.

The only way in which you can deal with this challenge, the only way in which we can enhance the environment to pass on to our children in a better state is by working across borders.

The Paris accord commits countries to holding global temperature rises to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, which will require global emissions to be cut to net zero by the second half of the century.

Delighted to welcome @michaelgove as our Secretary of State. Read more here: https://t.co/wVl9Gwadqp pic.twitter.com/VPJsN7LWFj  Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) June 11, 2017

Scientists have warned that failure to curb dangerous climate change will lead to sea level rises, more intense storms and flooding, more extreme droughts, water shortages and heatwaves as well as massive loss of wildlife and reduction in crop yields, potentially sparking conflict and mass migration.

Despite the decision by the US, the second biggest polluter after China, to pull out of the deal, many analysts suggest the shift to a low-carbon economy is now unstoppable, with renewable prices tumbling and new clean technology being developed and deployed.

Thanks @andrealeadsom from all @DefraGovUK and congratulations on new role as Lord President & Leader @HouseofCommons pic.twitter.com/0pjI28dFoH  Clare Moriarty (@ClareMoriarty) June 12, 2017

It's an honour to follow a good friend and great Minister in this incredibly important role https://t.co/edV4mV0dnc  Michael Gove (@michaelgove) June 13, 2017

Speaking of Mr Goves appointment, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said he was entirely unfit to take on the position, adding: It is hard to think of many politicians as ill-equipped for the role of Environment Secretary as Mr Gove.

Beggars belief. One look at Goves voting record shows him unfit for this job: https://t.co/IIzaJRek8I https://t.co/TzIxt4duNp  Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) June 12, 2017

In 2013, in his role as education secretary, Mr Gove was accused of trying to airbrush climate change from the national curriculum  but he told Good Morning Britain he strengthened the position of climate change on school syllabuses.

Asked about the loss of EU subsidies for farmers and if he could guarantee them until the end of the current parliament, Mr Gove said it was a manifesto commitment.

On the issue of the supply of future unskilled labour for farmers as a result of Brexit and the possibility of a visa scheme, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: As we bring migration down to sustainable levels, well do so in consultation with industry and one of our most important manufacturing industries is agriculture, so we need to make sure that the workforce is there and the support is there.

Mr Gove said he wanted to enhance the environment and also ensure the UK continued to produce high quality food, adding the best means to do that was to exercise appropriate humility and listen and learn.
Former Monty Python star Michael Palin has donated his personal archive  including more than 50 notebooks relating to the comedy show  to the British Library.

The archive spans the writer, actor, comedian and TV presenters literary and creative life for more than 20 years, from 1965 to 1987.

The Python notebooks contain drafts, working material and personal reflections relating to Palins writing as part of the surreal comedy troupe.

The comedian could not resist making a joke as he explained his thinking behind the donation.

We're absolutely delighted to have acquired Michael Palin's personal archive which includes 50 'Python Notebooks'! https://t.co/3FX3jnxGmN pic.twitter.com/Uqw8hmMfXU  The British Library (@britishlibrary) June 13, 2017

My work has been inspired by, and created in, this country, so Im very pleased that my archive has been accepted by the British Library, and that they will make it publicly available, so that future generations will know not to make the same mistakes again, he quipped.

Palin has also donated his personal diaries as well as project files, containing material relating to his film, TV and literary work. The files include correspondence, drafts and annotated scripts on later Python projects.

Rachel Foss, the British Librarys head of contemporary archives and manuscripts, said the archive is fascinating and wide-ranging.

Some of the personal archive whichhas been donated to the British Library by former Monty Python star Michael Palin (Tony Antoniou/British Library/PA)

Michaels contribution to comedy, film and television over the past 50 years has been enormous; in particular through Monty Python, which has had an unparalleled influence on British comedy and internationally, she said.

Were looking forward to making it available for researchers, students and everyone with an interest in post-war popular culture. Its particularly exciting to think that the comedy talent of tomorrow may find inspiration from this collection.

The collection will be available to view in the British Library Reading Rooms from spring 2018.
At least two people have died and more than 700 have fallen ill due to food poisoning at a camp for displaced people near the Iraqi city of Mosul.

A woman and a girl died and at least 200 people were rushed from the desert tent camp to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil.

An Iraqi politician who visited the camp overnight and Saudi state television have accused a charity from Qatar of providing the tainted food.

In Baghdad, health minister Adila Hamoud told The Associated Press that 752 people became ill after a meal the previous evening at the Hassan Sham U2 camp, about 13 miles east of Mosul.

In this frame grab from video, a man comforts his daughter as a doctor treats her after she was taken ill with suspected food poisoning in the Hassan Sham U2 camp (Balint Szlanko/AP)

The food was meant for an iftar, a meal with which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Hamoud said at least 300 people remain in serious condition. She refused to speculate whether the poisoning might have been intentional.

Amira Abdulhaliq, from the United Nations refugee agency, said it remains unclear at which point in preparing, packaging, transporting or distributing the meals, the food became contaminated.

So far, we have received around 800 cases, around 200 have been transported to the hospitals in Irbil, she said.

At midday on Tuesday, medics were treating patients in a large tent at the edge of the camp. About 20 to 30 patients, mostly small children, lay on blankets on the floor as several more serious cases were being ferried away by ambulances.

In this frame grab from video, a woman looks at her daughter who was taken ill with suspected food poisoning in the Hassan Sham U2 camp (Balint Szlanko/AP)

At least one new patient was brought in during the day. Most of those afflicted were suffering from stomach cramps and dehydration, resulting from vomiting and diarrhoea.

Raad al-Dahlaki, who chairs the Iraqi parliaments immigration and displacement committee and who visited the camp overnight, said the meal contained rice, a bean sauce, meat, yoghurt and water. He put the number of ill people at 850.

Mr Al-Dahlaki said the food was distributed by a Qatari non-governmental organisation, a charity known as RAF. He added that Iraqi officials were to meet those from the organisation later on Tuesday. The Doha-based charity did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a joint press conference later in the camp, Irbil police chief Abdulhaleq Talaat said seven people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Talaat and Hadi said the food was prepared in an Irbil restaurant by a local NGO, Ain el Muhtajeen, under a donation by RAF. Dr Sabur Ahmed, head of Irbil childrens hospital, said 22 children remained in hospital while the rest have been discharged.

On Twitter, Saudi state television accused RAF of supplying the tainted meals and posted images it said showed the camps children poisoned by the terrorist Qatari RAF organisation.
Enda Kenny has said he hopes his legacy as the Republics Taoiseach will be marked by a modest contribution to improving the country.

In a somewhat reluctant and humble valedictory address to the Dail parliament in Dublin, Mr Kenny said he accepted he had made mistakes but that he always had peoples best interests at heart.

This has never been about me  it has always been about the problems and challenges that the people of our country face, he said.

Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrives at Government Buildings, Dublin, for his last day as Taoiseach (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Kennys speech marked his long-awaited resignation as leader of the Republics minority government after six years in the role.

As part of his last day in office, the veteran Fine Gael politician hosted a Cabinet meeting for the final time in Government Buildings before calling on President Michael D Higgins with a formal letter of resignation.

On his way to Aras an Uachtarain, he stopped off in Dublins north inner city  an area blighted by high unemployment and gangland violence.

Called to North InnerCity on my way to Aras to assure community I may be moving on but Govt remains committed to area pic.twitter.com/JyZNGSvtI3  Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) June 13, 2017

A message was posted on Mr Kennys Twitter feed to say the stop-off was to assure the community he is moving on but the Government remains committed to regeneration.

Mr Kenny told colleagues that he would have preferred to have left office quickly and quietly.

The prospect of making a speech or listening to them, either of glorification or flagellation, is not something that I really relish, he added.

Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD leaves Government Buildings on his way to Aras an Uachtarain. pic.twitter.com/UkjUvNQPIl  Fine Gael (@FineGael) June 13, 2017

He recalled the will of Michael Davitt. The 19th century republican, agrarian campaigner and founder of the Irish National Land League said he left kind thoughts to his friends, forgiveness to others and an undying prayer to Ireland for absolute freedom and independence.

I hope that in the two governments I have led that we have made a modest contribution towards that ambition, Mr Kenny said.

Mr Kenny, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, took over as Fine Gael leader in 2002 after the party suffered near annihilation at the polls.

As he leaves office today Enda Kenny can hold his head high pic.twitter.com/LxP4SPJ4tJ  Colm Burke TD (@ColmBurkeTD) June 13, 2017

He is credited with steadily rebuilding support and, after surviving a leadership heave in 2010, he led it to its best ever election result in early 2011.

Mr Kenny is also the only Fine Gael leader to be re-elected taoiseach.

Among some episodes that will be remembered are his unprecedented attack on the Vatican over clerical child abuse cover-ups.

But his two governments will be marked out for the failure to comprehend and quell fears over water charges and the inability to react quickly and efficiently to a spiralling homelessness crisis which has left unprecedented numbers of families living in hotel rooms.

Delighted to appoint @simoncoveney as Deputy Leader of @finegael. Together we will guide FG's role in Govt and re-energise the party  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) June 13, 2017

Mr Varadkar will head a minority government with the backing of the Independent Alliance, two Independent TDs and a confidence and supply agreement with the main opposition party Fianna Fail.
Details of the frenzied knife attacks on unarmed victims in the London Bridge atrocity have been set out at the inquests into their deaths.

Three terrorists stabbed people in the neck, back and chest during a rampage which left eight dead on June 3, Southwark Coroners Court was told.

The mother of Australian nanny Sara Zelenak was in attendance to hear how her 21-year-old daughter was knifed in the throat on Borough High Street that night.

Julie and Mark Wallace

Julie Wallace, sitting beside her partner Mark Wallace, nodded silently to confirm the spelling of her daughters name.

Coroner Andrew Harris opened and adjourned inquests at the court on Tuesday for five victims of the attack.

He told the families: All of our thoughts and condolences are with you at this terrible time, one of the most horrible things is for parents to be in court hearing the details of a death, particularly a violent one, of their children.

London Bridge

Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, also died in the area on June 3.

A grim account of their injuries was read out to the inquest, detailing where they had been found and how they were identified.

Mr McMullan, from Brent, north-west London, was killed by a haemorrhage after being stabbed in the chest in Borough Market.

Kirsty Boden (Metropolitan Police/PA)

He was found lying outside the post office on Borough High Street and was later identified by his father.

Chef Mr Belanger, originally from Angers, western France, was drinking at the nearby Boro Bistro when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest, the inquest heard.

His body was located in Borough Market and he was identified by dental records and fingerprints while his loved ones spent several days unaware of his fate.

James McMullan

Nurse Ms Boden, from Loxton, Australia, ran towards the danger in a selfless bid to save people.

She was found in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral, on Montague Close, with a stab wound to her chest, and was later identified by DNA and dental records.

Au pair Ms Zelenak, from Brisbane, Australia, was found in Borough High Street, stabbed in the neck, and was subsequently identified by dental records and DNA.

Ignacio Echeverria Miralles de Imperial (Metropolitan Police/PA)

HSBC analyst Mr Echeverria, from As Pontes, north-west Spain, was knifed in the back on London Bridge, having tried to defend a woman with his skateboard.

His body was identified by his brother several days later, the hearing was told. Representatives from the Spanish consulate also attended on behalf of Mr Echeverrias family.

Armed police shot dead ringleader Khuram Butt, 27, and his two accomplices Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, just eight minutes after the first emergency call was made.

The inquest proceedings were suspended by Mr Harris so that the vast police operation was not hampered by his investigation. A hearing will take place on Wednesday into the deaths of Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, and Frenchmen Xavier Thomas, 45, and Alexandre Pigeard, 26.
The 2017 South and Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair (SSACEIF) kicked off in the city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province in southwestern China, on June 12.

The opening ceremony of the 2017 South and Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair was held at the Dianchi International Conference and Exhibition Center in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, on June 12. [Photo by Mi Xingang/China.org.cn]

Themed as "Jointly Creating New Opportunities and Seeking New Development," the expo and fair focuses on exhibiting commodities from South and Southeast Asian countries, facilitating cooperative negotiations between China and those countries, and offering a platform for enhancing multilateral diplomacy, economic ties and cultural exchanges, according to the opening ceremony held on the morning of June 12.

Chen Hao, the secretary of the CPC Yunnan provincial committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of Yunnan provincial people's congress, extended his welcome towards all the guests at the opening ceremony.

As Yunnan Province is located near South and Southeast Asian countries and both sides have a long history of economic and cultural exchanges, the event is expected to promote the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the cooperation of the Lancang-Mekong Sub-region, and the construction of the China and Indo-China Peninsula Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, he said during his speech.

Li Chenggang, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Yang Xiuping, the secretary general of the China-ASEAN Center, and several foreign delegates also delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.

They noted that an increasing number of countries have responded to and have got involved in the Belt and Road Initiative with greater willingness and with expanded areas of cooperation. Yunnan, being an important node city of the Belt and Road Initiative, will offer more opportunities to step up cooperation and mutual benefits between China and South and Southeast Asian countries.

The policy consultation, trade promotion, infrastructure connectivity, financial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and those countries are expected to be deepened through the event and extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits can also be advanced among countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a news briefing held on June 11.

Yunnan is at the junction of Chinese, South and Southeast Asian economic circles and serves as a hub and gateway of South Asia when global goods flow into China. Therefore the event will also propel the circulation of commodities, capital, human resources, technologies and information as well as advancing the deep integration of markets, industries and projects between China and other countries, according to the news briefing.

Jointly held by the China Chamber of International Commerce, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, China-ASEAN Center and Secretariat of China-South Asia Expo, the event will last for seven days with Pakistan and Laos being the theme country and the guest of honor respectively.

There are 17 exhibition halls and more than 8,000 booths set at the Dianchi International Conference and Exhibition Center. A total of 86 countries and regions and over 4,000 enterprises attended the event, among which foreign ones accounted for 41.2 percent.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make a five-day official visit to Poland and Germany in mid-July, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

William and Kate will begin their trip on July 17 in Polands capital Warsaw and end in the German city of Hamburg on July 21.

They are making the trip at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and it is likely to be seen as another Brexit diplomacy tour, helping to maintain and strengthen the UKs relations with Europe as it leaves the EU.

Update: The Duke and Duchess will tour Poland and Germany from 17-21 July visiting Warsaw, Gdansk, Berlin, Heidelberg and Hamburg. pic.twitter.com/AeuYauUtlG  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 13, 2017

It is not thought the couple will be taking their young children Prince George and Princess Charlotte on tour with them.

Kensington Palace declined to comment when asked if the Cambridges would be accompanied by their children.

During their tour William and Kate will also visit Gdansk in Poland, Germanys capital Berlin and Heidelberg.

William travelled to Germany last summer, visiting Dusseldorf for a series of events honouring the role of British armed forces based in the country.

The Duke of Cambridge and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during William's visit to Dusseldorf, Germany (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

During a gala event, where the Duke gave a speech alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel, William claimed the depth of Britains friendship with Germany would not change after Brexit.

The British monarchy has close ties with the European country, as a succession of sovereigns from George I, born in what is now modern Germany and who acceded to the throne in 1714, to William IV, who died in 1830, were also rulers of Hanover in Germany.

The 300th anniversary of what is known as the personal union was celebrated in 2014, and the year before the milestone, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie visited Germany to highlight the event.

The Duchess of Cambridge has yet to make an official trip to Germany (Dominic Lipinski/AP/)

During a state visit to Germany in 2015, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation by British forces.

Kate has yet to make an official trip to Germany and the Cambridges have not toured Poland before on behalf of the Government.

Kensington Palace said full details of the visit would be released at a later date.
Sinn Fein is still committed to powersharing at Stormont as it provides a strategic route to a united Ireland, party president Gerry Adams has said.

Mr Adams dismissed suggestions the republican party was no longer interested in getting a devolved administration back up and running in Belfast.

His remarks came as the faltering talks process took another effective pause, only 24 hours after it resumed.

Locked gates at Stormont in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA)

The initiative restarted on Monday, after breaking for the General Election, but negotiations have again been put on ice on Tuesday as the political focus shifted to Westminster and the anticipated parliamentary deal between the DUP and the Conservatives.

Mr Adams, addressing claims of Sinn Fein disengagement, said: We want into the institutions, because that is what the people desire, that is what the people voted for.

But also because we think strategically that is the way to a united Ireland.

The way forward is not to be in a vacuum, to have stagnation, the way forward is to have that forum working on the basis on which it should have been established.

As he arrived at the Dail in Dublin ahead of Enda Kennys formal resignation as taoiseach, Mr Adams said incoming Irish premier Leo Varadkar needed to put his efforts into restoring powersharing north of the border.

The focus has to be on plan A, which is to get the institutions in place, that is our focus and we would like to think it will be the focus of the incoming taoiseach, he said.

The Alliance Party has warned that the talks process is bereft of impetus and momentum. Exchanges at Stormont Castle on Tuesday are expected to be limited discussions between party officials.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire (David Young/PA)

Secretary of State James Brokenshire and DUP leader Arlene Foster are both in London for talks on the confidence and supply deal that would enable Theresa Mays minority government to function.

The Stormont parties have until a June 29 deadline to reach consensus and re-establish a ruling executive.

Northern Ireland has been without a powersharing executive since March and without a first and deputy first minister since January.
Former Newcastle team-mate Papiss Cisse led the tributes to Cheick Tiote at a memorial service in China on Tuesday.

Tiote collapsed and died aged 30 during a training session with his club Beijing Enterprises last Monday.

Cisse, who played alongside Tiote at St James Park, said at the service: I lived some extraordinary moments with this man and today he is gone.

Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse

He was like a brother. We shared a lot in life. His family was my family.

Tiotes body is due to be flown back to the Ivory Coast where a private funeral will take place.
Theresa Mays premiership has no mandate and no legitimacy, Jeremy Corbyn told Labours MPs as he declared: "We are now a government in waiting".

The Labour leaders campaigning will continue, with plans to visit scores of Tory-held seats in a sign that the Opposition believes Mrs Mays government will fall and another election could happen within months.

The Leader of the Opposition was greeted with cheers and a 45-second ovation as he arrived at the first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party since the election which saw Mrs Mays Tories lose their Commons majority.

The scenes were in marked contrast to the difficult meetings Mr Corbyn had with his critics in the parliamentary party before the election.

He said Labour would remain on a General Election footing due to the instability of the minority Tory government and set out plans to visit 65 Conservative seats over the coming months.

Labour has also gained 35,000 new members since the General Election, he added.

Young people voted in record numbers in the General Election because they wanted real change and a government that will work #ForTheMany. pic.twitter.com/6lcNoXRY9U  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 13, 2017

Mr Corbyn told the MPs and peers: "We must remain in permanent campaign mode on a General Election footing.

"We achieved what we did last Thursday because we were a united party during the campaign and we need to maintain that unity and collective discipline in the weeks and months ahead.

"We will continue to take the fight to the Tories and I will be out campaigning around the country in Conservative marginals in those extra seats we need to gain to deliver the government for the many that almost 13 million people voted for last week.

Lab source on parliamentary guerilla warfare to come: "We will be using every opportunity to halt the Tory programme ..." 1/2  David Hughes (@DavidHughesPA) June 13, 2017

"... and use every mechanism to advance our own manifesto and agenda." Lab source on the battle May faces without a Commons majority. 2/2  David Hughes (@DavidHughesPA) June 13, 2017

"Now as Parliament returns, we have a Government in complete disarray still unable to reach an agreement, it seems, with the DUP and desperately delaying the Queens Speech and Brexit negotiations.

"Far from being strong and stable, the Government Theresa May is putting together is weak, wobbly and out of control. This is a Government on notice from the voters.

Theresa May has no mandate and no legitimacy for policies that do not have the support of the majority of the British people.

The seats Labour would need to take from the Conservatives to become the largest party in a hung parliament

"We are now a government in waiting and we must think and act at all times with that in mind.

"That is our responsibility to the huge numbers who voted for our manifesto last week: a programme to transform Britain for the many that caught the imagination of millions.

"This was a remarkable result achieved because we stayed united and worked as a team and I have no doubt together we can win the next general election, whenever that may be."

In a sign of the parliamentary guerilla warfare that will face Mrs May as she attempts to run a minority government, a Labour source said: In Parliament we will be using every opportunity to halt the Tory programme which doesnt have a mandate and use every mechanism to advance our own manifesto and agenda.

The source added that some of Mr Corbyns critics in Parliament were gracious enough to point out that they hadnt always had confidence in his leadership but they did now and that they had underestimated him.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has heatedly denied that he had any undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador or conversations with Russian officials about the US elections.

He vowed to defend his honour against scurrilous and false allegations.

Testifying at a Senate hearing, Mr Sessions said it was a detestable and appalling lie to suggest that he participated in or was aware of any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Jeff Sessions is sworn-in prior to testifying (Alex Brandon/AP)

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Mr Sessions also contradicted a contention made by former FBI director James Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week.

Mr Comey said that, after an encounter with President Donald Trump in which he said Mr Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Mr Comey implored Mr Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again  but that Mr Sessions did not respond..

He didnt recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy regarding contacts with the White House, Mr Sessions said.

The former Alabama senator defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing by saying he hadnt met with Russian officials during the campaign.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified about his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Mr Sessions argued that in the context of the hearing, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it.

He said he recused himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation only because of a regulation to require the step because of his involvement in the Trump campaign. He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russia probe or had any role in it.

While he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Mr Sessions said: I did not recuse myself from defending my honour against scurrilous and false allegations.

Mr Sessions said he was defending his honour (Alex Brandon/AP)

Despite his statement about the reasons for his recusal, the attorney general did not actually step aside from the Russia probe until March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on his two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Days after that, Mr Sessions also corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about the two meetings with Mr Kislyak.

Democratic Sen Ron Wyden of Oregon asked Mr Sessions about suggestions arising from Mr Comeys testimony last week that there was something problematic about his recusal.

Ron Wyden asked about Mr Comey's testimony last week (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

Mr Wyden asked Mr Sessions what problematic issues existed.

Why dont you tell me? There are none, Sen Wyden, there are none, Mr Sessions insisted, his voice rising. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I dont appreciate it.

As for his role in Mr Comeys sacking, Mr Sessions told senators that he and his second-in-command, Rod Rosenstein, had a clear view  that we had problems there, and it was my best judgment that a fresh start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And when asked I said that to the president.
By Padraic Halpin and Dasha Afanasieva

DUBLIN/LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Allied Irish Banks(AIB) plans to raise up to 3.3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) when it sells a 25 percent stake on the Dublin and London stock markets in the biggest test yet of investor appetite for Irish banks.

The initial public offering (IPO) is set to be one of Europe's largest bank listings since the 2008 financial crisis and the proceeds could extend to 3.8 billion euros if the over-allotment option is exercised fully.

With a price range between 3.90 euros and 4.90 euros, the deal is targeting a similar valuation to that of Bank of Ireland , the state's largest bank by assets.

A source close to the deal said the range was based on a price to book value multiple of between 0.82 and 1.03. Bank of Ireland trades at a multiple of 0.9.

The Finance Ministry said the long-awaited stake sale remains on track despite the Conservative party losing its majority in Thursday's UK election.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan had previously said the price could be driven up if the party, which still won the most seats, secured a convincing majority.

"Market conditions remain favourable and I am encouraged by the strong level of interest shown by investors in the offering to date," Noonan said in a statement.

Dublin rescued the bank in a 21 billion euro taxpayer bailout that began in early 2009 and has been considering cashing out some of its 99.9 percent stake since last year.

One of Ireland's two dominant banks alongside Bank of Ireland, AIB returned to profit three years ago and has since cut its huge stock of impaired loans by more than two thirds become the first domestically owned lender to restart dividends since the financial crisis.

AIB will list its shares on the Irish and London stock exchanges and seek admission to the main markets of each. The government said the sale is expected to be one of the largest IPOs on the UK's main market in 20 years.

AIB is less exposed to Britain's departure from the European Union than bigger rival Bank of Ireland, having made only 14 percent of last year's pre-provision operating profit in the UK.

However, the IPO prospectus said that Brexit could result in an increase in the level of non-performing loans held by banks across Ireland, including AIB, while demand for new loans could decline.

Ireland's substantial stock of non-performing loans, mostly extended for house purchases just before the bursting of Ireland's property bubble in 2008, amounts to 17.5 percent of total lending.

At the end of 2016 AIB's 14.2 billion euros of non-performing loans accounted for 22 percent of its gross loan book. That compares with 9.6 percent at Bank of Ireland.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Davy and Deutsche Bank are global coordinators for the AIB offering. ($1 = 0.8929 euros) (Additional reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Greg Mahlich and David Goodman)
By Maria Carolina Marcello

BRASILIA, June 12 (Reuters) - The main ally of Brazil's scandal-hit President Michel Temer will stay in his coalition despite a move by younger members to break away from what they view as an irremediably corrupt government, party leaders said on Monday.

Speaking just before an executive meeting of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, or PSDB, they said a decision to stick with Temer was based on the need to support his austerity program in congress to balance Brazil's overdrawn fiscal accounts.

Senior leaders of the party have managed to hold back a movement by younger lawmakers who want to quit the government and pull the four PSDB ministers out of Temer's cabinet.

Temer's acquittal on Friday in an illegal campaign funding case dating from the 2014 election strengthened the president's position among some of those wavering in the PSDB.

"The government has retained its legitimacy by not being removed by the electoral court, and our party is committed to its policies that are needed for the recovery of the economy," national executive member Jose Anibal told Reuters.

Temer's unpopular fiscal reforms, particularly an overhaul of the costly pension system, are seen as crucial for Brazil to bring a gaping budget deficit under control and regain investor confidence.

But Temer's administration has been shaken by accusations he endorsed payment of hush money to buy the silence of a potential witness in a corruption probe and took bribes from giant meatpacker JBS SA.

Temer is being investigated for corruption and obstruction of justice. Brazil's top prosecutor is expected to file charges against the president in the coming days.

Another PSDB executive member said a majority of the party's 46 lawmakers in the lower chamber of Congress wanted to abandon Temer's coalition. They are worried voters will punish them at the polls next year for being part of a government widely perceived as corrupt.

"Our party has not won an election in 16 years and the electorate has changed a lot. Voters no longer tolerate traditional political practices," the PSDB leader said, requesting anonymity to speak more freely.

Corruption allegations that led to the ousting of the PSDB's former leader and presidential candidate in 2014, Aecio Neves, have weakened the party and made it imperative to take distance from Temer, he said.

The lawmaker wants the party to remove its ministers from Temer's government while making clear to markets that it fully backs his reform proposals. (Reporting by Alonso Soto and Anthony Boadle; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Andy Home

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Aluminium is still the star of the London Metal Exchange (LME) base metals complex, up by over 12 percent on the start of the year.

After recording a two-year high of $1,981 per tonne in March, LME three-month metal has eased slightly but is largely holding its ground around the $1,900 level.

Compare and contrast with the likes of copper and zinc, both of which have wilted on growing concerns about renewed slowdown in China's construction and manufacturing sectors.

Aluminium is taking a different cue from China, pinning its hopes on what Beijing calls "supply-side reform" to force production cuts in the world's largest producer.

The money men are largely keeping the faith with this narrative, holding a net long position <LME-AH-MNET> of 167,725 contracts as of June 1. That's down from a peak of more than 200,000 contracts at the end of March, but still high by historical standards, which means since the LME introduced its positioning reports in July 2014.

But should fund managers be worried by indications of softness in the physical market?

Graphic on Japanese quarterly premiums:

http://tmsnrt.rs/2sTTjDx

JAPAN PREMIUM FALLS

Japanese buyers are in the process of concluding deals for shipments in the third quarter at a premium of $119 per tonne over LME cash prices.

That's down from $128 per tonne for second-quarter shipments and marks the end of a broader bounce in premiums over the first half of this year.

The drop in Japanese premiums is surprising given a double dose of production disruption in Australia, a key supplier to the Asian market.

Output in the "Oceania" region, which denotes Australia plus the Tomago smelter in New Zealand, slumped by more than 12 percent in the first four months of this year, according to the International Aluminium Institute.

That reflects one outage and one capacity curtailment.

The Portland smelter in the state of Victoria was badly impacted by a power outage in December last year. It lost around two-thirds of its 300,000-tonne per year operating capacity and has only just managed to restore around half of that. Full production is only likely in August, according to majority owner and operator Alcoa.

Rio Tinto's majority-owned Boyne smelter in the state of Queensland has trimmed production by around 15 percent or 80,000 tonnes this year after failing to get a sufficiently competitive power supply contract.

The scare in the last few days about shipments from the Qatalum smelter in Qatar, another supplier to the Asian region, probably came too late to impact the Q3 premium negotiations.

But it may not have mattered much anyway.

LME STOCKS FEED SUPPLY

Every indication is that the Asian region is well-supplied, if not oversupplied.

In part this is down to the steady flow of metal out of the LME warehouse system.

LME headline aluminium inventory fell by almost 700,000 tonnes last year and it is already down by more than that this year.

Although the unwind of structural load-out queues at the Dutch port of Vlissingen is a key driver of falling stocks, a lot of the recent aluminium activity has taken place at good-delivery locations in Asia. There have been "flash" queues at Busan in South Korea and Port Klang in Malaysia in recent months.

And only a part of what has been withdrawn from the LME has gone anywhere near a downstream aluminium processor.

Significant tonnages have been moved to the United States to capitalise on what were higher premiums in that market place.

That trade appears to have lost momentum as the Midwest premium has slipped from its first-quarter highs above 10 cents-per-lb ($220 per tonne) to a current 8.5 cents, basis the CME's premium contract.

Which leaves a lot of ex-LME metal sitting in off-market sheds in the Asian region and being drip-fed into the physical market as stocks financing deals expire.

If this were the only pressure point on regional premiums, aluminium bulls wouldn't have much to worry about.

The dynamics behind the LME stocks declines are well understood and this is ultimately no more than a geographical distribution of what everyone knew was already there.

CHINESE EXPORTS CRANK BACK UP

A more worrying development is what appears to be a new surge in Chinese exports of semi-manufactured products ("semis").

The preliminary snapshot of May's trade figures showed aggregate exports of unwrought aluminium and semis rising to 460,000 tonnes from 430,000 tonnes in April.

April's exports of semis products at 380,000 tonnes were the largest monthly tally since November 2015 and the implication is that, barring an unlikely burst in exports of either metal or alloy, they rose further in May.

It's not an entirely surprising outcome given lots of evidence China's giant aluminium machine is cranking back up again.

The official figures supplied by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association show national production rising by 12.5 percent in the first four months of this year. There are plenty of analysts who think even that growth rate looks too slow.

As ever when China generates more aluminium than it can use itself, exports of semis act as a pressure valve.

The impact this time around, however, might be accentuated by the fact that China's outbound flows have shifted shape from Trade Code 7604 (bars, rods and profiles) to Code 7606 (plate, sheet and strip).

Exports of 7604 have in the past been inflated by a significant flow of what the market has dubbed "fake" semis to Vietnam. This material has been on a world tour but is now back in Vietnam, still not in danger of going anywhere near the global supply chain.

The fear is that this latest surge in Chinese exports, by contrast, is bona fide product that will have an immediate displacement effect on regional physical market dynamics.

TENSION

There is a tension building between the bull narrative of future Chinese production cuts and the current acceleration in exports.

Make no mistake. The prospect of significant aluminium production capacity being closed by Chinese policy-makers is an unprecedented supply side shock for aluminium, even if the scale of the threat is still very hard to determine.

But the drop in Japanese premiums suggests that physical availability is growing, not diminishing. And it will continue doing so as long as China pumps out more semis into the world market.

Bulls aren't panicking yet. That much is evident from the LME price. But they may want to keep a close eye on China's export flows over the coming few months.

(Editing by Edmund Blair)
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's deputy consul general in New York was indicted on Monday on charges of labor trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation, a New York City prosecutor said.

Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement.

Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as a household help for Islam and his family.

"Soon after Mr. Amin's arrival, the defendant allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day ... Even though Mr. Amin had a contract which outlines his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work," the statement said.

"If the victim disobeyed the defendant's orders, Mr. Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the defendant, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe," it said.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh embassy in Washington said it believed Amin had filed the case in bad faith and the allegations were "fabricated" and "baseless".

"It may be noted that Mr. Islam decided to cancel Mr. Amins contract and was preparing to send him back to Bangladesh due to his irresponsible acts," Shamim Ahmad, the spokesman, said.

"We hope the court will give its verdict in the matter judiciously," he said.

Shameem Ahsan, the consul general of Bangladesh, told Reuters over the telephone from New York that Amin disappeared on May 17, 2016 and the very next day the consulate informed the U.S. state department office in New York.

"It is surprising for us that after 13 months he has appeared with these allegations, why did he not raise this issue earlier," he said.

According to the charges, Amin's only form of income came from tips from guests at parties and a "miniscule" amount of money Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

On several occasions when Amin sought to leave, Islam hit him and threatened to harm his mother and young son in Bangladesh, the statement said.

On occasion, Islam also stated that he would have Amin's college-age daughter "shamed" if he did not continue to work as his servant, the statement said. The statement did not make clear what Islam meant by shaming.

The statement also said that in 2014, shortly after an Indian diplomat in New York was charged with labor trafficking, Islam wrote a check for Amin's cash-tip earnings that the latter then had to deposit in a bank account to create the appearance of a paycheck.

In late 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was India's deputy consul general in New York, was arrested and subsequently accused of visa fraud and forcing her housekeeper and nanny to work 100-hour weeks for just over $1 an hour.

Khobragade's arrest and strip search provoked outrage in India and caused a major diplomatic rift between the United States and India. The charges against her were dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity. After she left the United States, a New York grand jury later issued a new indictment for visa fraud.

Last year, a Manhattan federal judge declared the former Bangladeshi consul general in New York and his wife to be in default for ignoring a lawsuit by a former domestic worker who claimed they forced him to work without pay in slavery-like conditions. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Addditional reporting by Serajul Quadir in DHAKA; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker, Tom Hogue and Michael Perry)
BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) - China and Panama will cooperate on trade, investment, maritime matters and tourism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, after the two countries established formal diplomatic ties.

China also welcomed Panama to participate in the Beijing-led "Belt and Road" initiative, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry cited Wang as saying.

Panama's government said earlier it had broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan as it established formal relations with China. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Paul Tait)
A firefighting publicity activity is held in a community in Beijing. [Photo/China.org.cn]

China will set up a community governance system led by grassroots Communist Party of China (CPC) organizations by 2020, according to a guideline released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Monday.

Local governments will play a guiding role in the community governance system which also feature public participation.

Governance capacity in both urban and rural communities will improve significantly by that time, as public services, management and security will be effectively ensured, the guideline said.

Within another five to ten years, a more mature and comprehensive community governance system will offer strong support for the CPC at a grassroots level, while consolidating local governments, the guideline noted.

Issues such as the basic role of autonomous organizations, the participation of social groups and the functions of communities are also included in the guideline.

According to the guideline, on major issues relating to community public interests as well as those that matter to the residents' immediate interests, the community residents' role in the decision making and dispute resolution processes should be enhanced.

Also, community services that are closely related to the residents' interests, such as employment, social security, health, education, housing, public security as well as legal and arbitration services, should be made more widely available, the guideline said.

The guideline called for increased efforts to resolve disputes within communities. Party congress delegates, legislators, political advisors and CPC members and officials should maintain contact with communities and their residents via proper channels, it said.

It urged more support for groups in need, such as the poor, children in difficulty, mentally-challenged people, left-behind children, senior citizens as well as people who have been convicted of crimes or released from prison.

The guideline also requires infrastructure improvements and better environmental management in communities.

To enhance community governance, the guideline pledged more financial investment in this regard. It also encouraged the public to contribute via channels such as charity donations and community foundation endowments.
MANILA, June 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines military said on Tuesday that Islamist militants hold 20 percent of the Marawi City, disputing an earlier claim by Islamic State's news agency Amaq that its "fighters are spread in more than two-thirds" of the southern town.

"On the contrary, out of 96 barangays (neighbourhoods), they are holding portions in Marinaut, Lulut, Mapandi and Bongolo Commercial District, which only comprise 20 percent of the whole Marawi City ... and its getting smaller everyday," Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, head of military command in the region, told Reuters.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said on June 5 that the militants occupied less than 10 percent of the city, which they had tried to overrun in an attack on May 23.

(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Writing by Karen Lema; Editing by John Chalmers)
TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon said on Tuesday that North Korea's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme would make the reclusive state a global threat if it became successful over time.

Shannon made the comment to reporters in Tokyo after his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's top national security adviser, Shotaro Yachi.

Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the mainland United States. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
June 12 (Reuters) - Fugitive former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, wanted by the Central American nation on charges of political espionage, was arrested by U.S. authorities on Monday near Miami, officials for the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Martinelli was taken into custody without incident as he emerged from a home outside Miami on Monday evening, according to Manny Puri, assistant chief of the agency's district office in Miami.

Puri said deputy marshals had placed the residence under surveillance and acted on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the U.S. Justice Department in response to a Panamanian request last September seeking Martinelli's extradition.

Martinelli was transported to a federal detention center in Miami and was due to appear in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to face an extradition hearing, Puri said. The arrest warrant would remain under seal until then, he said.

Interpol also issued a notice for Martinelli's arrest last month.

The former Panamanian leader is accused of using public money to spy illegally on more than 150 political rivals during his 2009-2014 term as president.

"The United States is a democracy where the laws and rights of citizens are respected. The defense team of ex-president Martinelli will exercise the guarantees afforded by the rule of law," Martinelli's spokesman, Luis Eduardo Camacho, said in a statement.

Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon, presided over an infrastructure boom and Latin America's fastest economic growth in recent years, but his administration was tainted by allegations of corruption.

In response to Panama's extradition request last year, he lashed out at the current government and described himself as a victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt.

Martinelli has denied any wrongdoing and said on Twitter last month that his successor, Juan Carlos Varela, was going after him to divert attention from his own problems.

Varela served as Martinelli's vice president but they have sparred bitterly since the transfer of power.

Panama's Supreme Court issued a warrant for Martinelli's arrest in December 2015 after he failed to appear at a Panamanian court hearing on his case. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Michael Perry and Paul Tait)
SOFIA, June 13 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Ankara to discuss the migrant crisis and the situation in the Balkans. (24 Chasa, Trud, Monitor, Standart)

-- The citizens of Trun region in western Bulgarian voted against resuming of gold mining in a regional referendum. The vote will allow the municipality to block the plans of Euromax Services to carry out its investment plans. (Capital Daily, Duma, Monitor)

-- The grey economy has dropped significantly in 2016 to 28.12 percent of the total economy, a new survey by the Association of the Industrial Capital in Bulgaria showed. (Capital Daily, Trud, 24 Chasa, Duma, Monitor)

TRUD - The ruling centre-right GERB party is proposing changes in the electoral code aimed at introducing majority vote in the country.

-- Bulgaria will not raise new debt by 2020 unless there is a need to finance a huge state budget deficit, the head of the parliamentary budgetary commission said. (24 Chasa, Monitor)
By Neil Jerome Morales and Simon Lewis

MARAWI CITY, Philippines, June 13 (Reuters) - More than three weeks after Islamist militants stormed the southern Philippines town of Marawi, civilians trapped in battle-torn neighbourhoods are being driven to daring escapes by the threat of capture, starvation and bombing by the military.

As dawn broke on Tuesday, five police officers and five Christian civilians dashed across the town's commercial district, ducking for cover from a sniper, to reach a government-controlled area on the Agus River western bank.

"We ran the last part," First Officer Lumna Lidasan, 44, told Reuters, indicating on a map a stretch of seven city blocks that leads to Banggolo bridge. "We could see the bridge ahead of us. We had to take cover several times when we saw a sniper."

Almost the entire population of more than 200,000 fled after May 23, when fighters from local groups allied to Islamic State and a few dozen from other countries rampaged through the Muslim-majority town, killing and kidnapping Christians.

The military estimates that, as the siege enters its fourth week, 300-600 civilians are still trapped or being held as human shields in neighbourhoods occupied by the militants.

The insurgents - with skilled snipers, rocket-propelled grenades and high-velocity assault weapons, according to Philippine army officials - have repelled a sustained push by the military to retake the town.

Those stuck in their homes have no running water or electricity and many are near starvation, said Zia Alonto Adiong, a local politician managing rescue and relief efforts.

He said that in a text message pleading for help, one family said they had "started to eat their blankets".

"They are crossing the bridge, taking the risk, because they don't have any option - either they die inside the house or they die getting out," he told reporters on Monday.

At least 100 people have made their way out on foot, braving volleys of sniper fire, said Adiong. Others have swum across the river or townside lake to safety, according to relief workers.

Doctors treating those who escaped say they have been struck by the resilience of people who spent weeks surviving in a conflict zone and witnessing horrific violence.

"Some of the stories that stuck were Muslims helping protect Christian workers by letting them borrow a hijab," said Dr. Gioia Ancheta, head of the psychosocial therapy team.

"THEY WILL KILL THEM"

As they approached the bridge on Tuesday morning, officer Lidasan could see troops waiting on the other side.

Terrified, but realising there was no turning back, the police officers and the Christians they had protected for three weeks, raced across the 25-metre stretch with no cover from snipers nesting in the town's tall buildings.

"We don't think about ourselves, we think about the safety of the civilians," said Lidasan, tears welling in his eyes as he recounted the story to reporters later.

Of the five Christians, who were in Marawi on a construction job when the crisis began, one was shot in the leg by sniper fire on Monday night as the group began their escape. Others were injured by cement kicked up by bullets.

"We crawled because snipers were shooting at us. I was wounded by splinters of cement hit by sniper bullets," said Mateo Velasquez, 33. "My belt bag was hit by a bullet. I thank the money, the coins hit by the bullet."

The 10 men had been trapped since the siege began in a bungalow with its own cellar. They had basic supplies of dried noodles, canned goods and rice, but had to make a regular "suicide mission" to find water, said Lidasan.

Militants patrolled nearby but they managed to stay hidden until they made their dash for freedom.

Most of those in a larger group of 18 civilians were not so lucky, according to a report from the military on Tuesday.

Militants knocked on the door of a house where they were hunkered down, prompting them all to flee through the back door and head towards the river.

"The terrorists ran after them and indiscriminately fired at them, killing five of the civilians and taking the remaining eight as hostages," it said.

(Editing by John Chalmers and Michael Perry)
TAIPEI, June 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday that China's move to establish diplomatic ties with Panama has affected the current stable situation across the Taiwan Strait.

"Taiwan's people cannot accept it," Tsai read in a brief statement during a news briefing.

Panama has established diplomatic ties with China and broken with Taiwan in a major victory for Beijing, which continues to lure away the dwindling number of countries that have formal relations with the self-ruled island. (Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
DUBAI, June 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said on Tuesday that the closure of its airspace to flights from Qatar was within the kingdom's sovereign right to protect its citizens from any threat.

The agency was commenting in reaction to remarks made by Qatar Airways' chief executive that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were violating international law by shutting out Qatari flights.

The airspace closure was to protect the country and its citizens from anything it sees as a threat and as a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

Similar statements were also issued by the UAE and Bahraini aviation authorities after Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker criticised the three Arab countries for the airspace closure in an interview with CNN.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have long been major proponents of open-skies air transport agreements which remove restrictions on flying between states.

These policies helped the region's largest airlines -- Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways to develop their home airports as hubs linking passengers travelling between the east and west.

"From an industry viewpoint it's unfortunate and disappointing when airlines get caught up in broader political sensitivities which inhibit the benefits of competition and consumer choice, which the region is renowned for," independent aviation consultant John Strickland told Reuters.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar a week ago, accusing it of fomenting regional unrest, supporting terrorism and getting too close to Iran, all of which Doha denies.

In all 18 destinations in the region are now out of bounds for Qatar Airways, which has also been forced to close its offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Qatar Airways will now use the aircraft that had been operated on those 18 destinations to fast track its expansion plans, al-Baker later told Al Jazeera in an interview on June 13.

Al-Baker, warning that the blocking of airspace would also hurt competitors by undermining confidence in the region's "air connectivity", did not say which markets it would expand to.

Meanwhile al-Baker has appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency which regulates international air travel under the Chicago Convention, to declare the airspace closure as illegal.

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said it was fully committed to the Chicago Convention but reserved the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary, UAE state news agency WAM said.

The three countries' aviation authorities also said that non-Qatari private and chartered flights from Qatar must submit requests to them at least 24 hours before crossing the airspace.

The request should include a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, as well as the cargo carried by the aircraft, they said. (Reporting by Celine Aswad, Saeed Azhar and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by David Goodman, Greg Mahlich)
By Neil Jerome Morales and Simon Lewis

MARAWI CITY, Philippines, June 13 (Reuters) - Fighting in Marawi City in the southern Philippines entered its fourth week on Tuesday with military officials conceding that troops were struggling to loosen the grip of Islamist fighters on downtown precincts despite relentless bombing.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said the urban terrain was hampering the army's progress because the rebels had hunkered down in built-up neighbourhoods, many of them with civilians they had taken as human shields.

Hundreds of other civilians were still trapped in the ruins of the town and - facing capture, starvation or bombardment from above - several have braved sniper fire to dash across a bridge to safety. Some were shot dead, a few made it alive.

Asked when the fighting would end, Padilla said: "I can't give you an estimate because of compounding developments faced by ground commanders."

The military had set Monday, the Philippines' independence day, as a target date to flush out the militants, both local and foreign fighters who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Flags were raised at ceremony in the town on the insurgency-plagued island of Mindanao, but heavy gunfire resumed early on Tuesday, and the military continued to target the militants with mortars and helicopter-mounted machineguns.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 - hours after several hundred fighters overran parts of the town and tried to seal it off to create an Islamic caliphate - did not show at any independence day events.

Duterte is best known for a brutal war on drugs since he took office a year ago, and he has suggested that funding for the Islamist militants came from the narcotics trade.

Some media reports highlighted the absence of the president at a time of serious conflict, but a spokesman said he was tired and needed to rest.

The Philippines has been fighting twin insurgencies from Maoist-led rebels and Muslim separatists in the south for nearly 50 years. Critics say military action is not enough to bring peace to a region that has long suffered from political neglect and poverty.

'PURE PROPAGANDA'

The seizure of Marawi has alarmed Southeast Asian nations which fear Islamic State - on a backfoot in Iraq and Syria - is trying to set up a stronghold on Mindanao that could threaten their region.

The ultra-radical group's news agency, Amaq, said the military in the largely Christian Philippines had "completely failed" to take back Muslim-majority Marawi.

"Islamic State fighters are spread in more than two-thirds of Marawi and tighten the chokehold on the Philippine army that is incapable of maintaining control of the situation," it said.

Padilla branded the Amaq report "pure propaganda".

Responding to the report, Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, head of military command in Western Mindanao, told Reuters the militants controlled 20 percent of the town.

That is at least twice the area that the military had given a week ago, when it had said the rebels were holed up in a sliver of urban terrain equal to 10 percent and shrinking.

Almost the entire population of about 200,000 fled after the militants tried to overrun it, but the military believes that beyond the checkpoints now fencing off its main roads there are still some 300-600 civilians trapped or being held hostage.

Padilla said about 100 militants were still fighting, down from the estimated 400-500 who stormed the town.

Former military chief Rodolfo Biazon told ABC-CBN television on Monday that the government seemed to be struggling to control the situation because rebel forces could move freely in an out of the town, raising the prospect of reinforcements.

"Marawi has porous boundaries. You see them in one place of Mindanao today, you see them in another place tomorrow," said Biazon, also a former legislator.

As of Tuesday, the number of security forces and civilians who had died in the battle for Marawi officially stood at 58 and 26, respectively. The death toll of militants was put at 202.

Islamic State's Amaq news agency said that at least 200 government troops had been killed and many had abandoned their posts, leaving behind weapons that were seized by the militants.

It released a video showing the insurgents fighting and what it said was the execution of six Christians who were shot simultaneously in the back of the head. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

At dawn on Tuesday, five police officers and five Christian civilians ran through the city's commercial district to reach a government-controlled area on the Agus River's west bank.

The military said that, in another incident, the insurgents knocked on the door of a house where 18 people were hiding. They escaped through a back door, but five were shot dead, eight were captured and only five made it to safety at the river.

(Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)
ANKARA, June 13 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced the isolation of Qatar as "inhumane and against Islamic values", and said the methods used against the Gulf state were unacceptable, and analogous to a "death penalty".

Erdogan's defence of Qatar, in a parliamentary speech to members of his ruling AK Party, comes after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Doha last week, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran - allegations it says are baseless.

"A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar, isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values. It's as if a death penalty decision has been taken for Qatar," Erdogan said.

"Qatar has shown the most decisive stance against the terrorist organisation Islamic State alongside Turkey. Victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose."

Erdogan also said he would hold a conference call on Tuesday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss recent developments.

He said the Saudi King, as the elder statesman in the Gulf region, should take the lead to resolve the crisis.

Erdogan is also due to discuss the dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump in coming days, Turkey's foreign minister said earlier on Tuesday. The Turkish president has vowed to keep supporting Qatar and has said the dispute should be resolved before the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (Reporting by Ercan Gurses and Ece Toksabay; Writing by David Dolan and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler)
BRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - The European Commission is seeking a solution for two ailing banks from Italy's Veneto region that would avoid losses for senior bondholders, a spokesman said on Tuesday, stressing that in any case depositors would not be hit.

Banca Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca are seeking public and private support to avoid a possible liquidation by the end of the month.

"Constructive contacts are ongoing in order to reach a solution for the two banks in line with EU rules, without the bail-in of senior bondholders. Depositors will in any case be fully protected," a Commission spokesman for competition said on Tuesday. Margrethe Vestager is the commissioner in charge of competition.

Earlier on Tuesday Italy's finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan said a solution on the two banks was close. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)
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Shanghai police have apprehended 31 people in connection with 1,300 telecommunication fraud cases with total illegal gains of 4 million yuan (590,000 U.S. dollars).

The gang asked for "brokerage fees" for fake loans, Li Shidong, of the public security department in Shanghai's Jinshan District, said Tuesday.

Police started investigating the case in late March, when a resident surnamed Chen told police he was asked to pay 4,500 yuan via the social networking app WeChat to obtain a loan.

After he made a 4,000 yuan down payment of the brokerage fee, the loan was rejected, with no money returned.

Police found more than 1,300 similar cases had been reported from November 2016 to April 2017, with victims across the country.

With the help of police in Shandong Province, the gang was arrested in late May in Liaocheng City, Shandong.

Twenty of the suspects will face fraud charges, said Li.
By Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, June 13 (Reuters) - Hungary defied the EU and human rights groups on Tuesday by approving strict new rules for non-governmental organisations with foreign funding that further escalates Budapest's conflict with billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

The law drafted by right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government requires NGOs that get money from abroad to register with the authorities.

The government says it wants to ensure greater transparency and protect Hungary from foreign influence, but NGOs say the bill stigmatises them and is intended to stifle independent voices in the central European country.

Orban, 54, has especially focused on NGOs funded by Soros, an American-Hungarian, calling them a "mafia-like" network with paid political activists who threaten national sovereignty.

His government recently passed a law tightening controls over foreign universities in Hungary, which critics say is aimed at the Central European University founded by Soros.

"It is of vital public interest that society and citizens clearly see what interests these organisations represent," the NGO law's authors said in their reasoning. "Foreign interest groups strive to take advantage of civil organisations."

Orban, who plans to seek re-election in April 2018, has taken control of much of the Hungarian media, curbed the powers of the constitutional court and placed loyalists in top jobs at public institutions since coming to power in 2010.

Along with his tough anti-immigrant rhetoric, such attacks on Soros fit well with Orban's political agenda. His Fidesz party has a firm lead over the opposition in opinion polls.

One of the NGOs affected, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ), said it would not comply with the law and would take any legal challenge to international courts.

"The law is a targeted attack and attempt to silence TASZ and all other organisations which have the courage to help those who are oppressed," it said in a statement.

TASZ receives large contributions from Soros' Open Society Foundations, as does another human rights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which also said it would boycott the law.

The laws regulating NGOs and foreign universities have triggered mass protests in recent months in Hungary, and the European Parliament has launched a process that could theoretically deprive Hungary of its EU voting rights - though in practice its ally Poland would be likely to veto such a move.

"COSMETIC" CHANGES

Orban has gained a reputation in Europe as a maverick leader who holds the liberal West in contempt while forging closer ties with Russia, which will build and finance a big new nuclear power polant in central Hungary.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Hungary for the second time this year in August for a judo world championship. Critics have often seen parallels between Orban's policies and Putin's moves in cracking down on his own opposition.

Guy Verhofstadt, president of the liberal group in the European Parliament, urged EU action to protect the rights of civil society in all member states.

"The attempts by some EU governments to silence NGOs are shameful and contrary to the values of the European Union," he wrote. "The European Commission should ... do more to support NGOs inside the EU who face censorship."

Last week Hungary backtracked on parts of the NGO legislation to meet some of the objections from the Council of Europe's advisory panel, the Venice Commission.

However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) dismissed the amendments as "cosmetic" and said the law was about "silencing critical voices in society".

"The amendments do not remove the provision to stigmatize organizations as 'foreign funded,' nor the risk of an organization being legally dissolved by the courts if it does not register as 'foreign funded'," HRW said in a statement.

Soros's Open Society Foundations, which disburse funding to several prominent NGOs in Hungary, also warned on Monday that the law posed serious risks to democracy in the country.

The law "attacks Hungarians who help fellow citizens challenge corruption and arbitrary power," OSF director Goran Buldioski said.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution last month condemning Hungary for the "serious deterioration" in the rule of law and fundamental rights, and called on the government to withdraw the bill on foreign-funded NGOs. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald in BRUSSELS, Editing by Tom Heneghan and Gareth Jones)
OSLO, June 13 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia was supporting militants inside Iran, days after hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed attacks in Tehran.

Relations between the two neighbours are at their most tense in years. Last week Riyadh, along with other Arab governments, severed ties with Qatar, citing its support of Iran as one of the main reasons for the move.

Two days later, the suicide bombings and shootings in Tehran killed 17 people. Iran repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia funds Islamic militants including Islamic State. Riyadh has denied involvement in the attacks.

"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups on the eastern side of Iran, in Baluchistan," Zarif told a news conference held on the sidelines of a conference on peace mediation in Oslo.

Baluchistan province is home to a Sunni population who form a minority in majority Shi'ite Iran.

Iran and Saudi Arabia accuse each other of subverting regional security and support opposite sides in conflicts including those in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

"On the Western side, the same type of activity is being undertaken, again abusing the diplomatic hospitality of our other neighbour," he said, without elaborating.

Iran also accuses the United States for Islamist militancy in the region.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
By Jussi Rosendahl and Tuomas Forsell

HELSINKI, June 13 (Reuters) - Finland's government averted collapse on Tuesday when the nationalist Finns Party split into two groups, leaving newly-elected hardline anti-immigrant leaders in the cold.

Twenty parliamentarians, including former Finns Party leader Timo Soini and all other current Finns ministers, formed a new group called New Alternative.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila, who had said he would break up his three-party coalition over the new Finns leaders, said he was ready to continue with the new group.

"This is a very pleasing solution. We'll continue with the current ministers, and with the current government programme... The situation will be closed in just one day," Sipila told reporters.

Sipila was on his way to hand over his resignation to President Sauli Niinisto when the split was announced, making a U-turn rush back.

The split between hardliners and more moderate members of the nationalists was the latest in a series of blows to Europe's anti-establishment parties.

On Sunday, France's National Front and Italy's 5-Star Movement failed in attempts to win legislative and civic elections, respectively. Last week, Britain's UK Independence Party saw its vote share collapse and won no seats in the British parliament.

The crisis for Finland's government began on Saturday when the Finns Party, previously the second-biggest parliamentary group, chose Jussi Halla-aho as its new leader and replaced three deputy leaders with anti-immigrant hardliners in a shift to the radical right.

They will now be left out of government with 17 MPs, including two who have said they will quit.

Simon Elo, chairman of the New Alternative group, said:

"This decision will likely ruin our political careers...but we are determined to do this...for the right reasons. Today we are not politicians, but we are doing this for the fatherland's sake," said

With New Alternative, the coalition - including Sipila's Centre Party and pro-EU National Coalition Party (NCP) - would have 106 of the parliament's 200 seats.

Analysts had said a change in the coalition set-up could have derailed planned healthcare and local government reforms - central to Sipila's plan to balance public finances.

Finland is recovering from a decade of stagnation. The government, now half-way of its four-year tenure, has sought to improve growth and curb public debt growth by cutting spending and reforming labour laws.

The central bank slightly increased its economic growth projections on Tuesday, but sees the pace declining from this year to 2019.

TURNING FINNS

Finland's Finns Party is transforming for the second time: It was was founded in 1995 after the demise of agrarian populist party SMP, rising from obscurity with an anti-EU platform during the euro zone debt crisis, and expanding into the second-biggest parliamentary party in 2015 election.

But after joining the government, its support dropped due to compromises in the coalition, increasing calls from the party grass root for tougher policy line.

The newly-elected party leader Halla-aho had said he wants Finland to leave the European Union. In 2012 he was fined by Finland's Supreme Court in 2012 for comments on a blog that linked Islam to paedophilia and Somalis to theft.

Speaking to reporters at the party office on his third day as party chairman, Halla-aho said he was disappointed by the split.

"It is hard to believe that this sort of operation and betrayal of voters would happen... I could've not expected such a broad movement," he said. (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl and Tuomas Forsell; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
BELFAST, June 13 (Reuters) - The leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, said on Tuesday that talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May to support a new government were going well and she hoped to successfully conclude them soon.

May, who failed to secure an outright majority after last week's election and is aiming to strike a deal with the DUP to pass her legislative programme, made no comment as she left her Downing Street office.

"Discussions are going well with the government and we hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion," Foster said on Twitter after more than an hour of talks. (Reporting by Amanda Ferguson and Padraic Halpin; editing by Michael Holden)
BRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - The European Union's executive launched legal cases on Tuesday against Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic for not taking in asylum-seekers under a 2015 plan, a sharp escalation in the bloc's divisive migration feuds.

"Regrettably, despite ... repeated calls, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, in breach of their legal obligations stemming ... and their commitments to Greece, Italy and other member states, have not yet taken the necessary action," the Commission said in a statement.

"Against this background ... the Commission has decided to launch infringement procedures against these three Member States." (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel)
By Joseph Ax

NORRISTOWN, Pa., June 13 (Reuters) - The jury deciding Bill Cosby's fate at his sexual assault trial adjourned on Tuesday after 16 hours of deliberations over 1-1/2 days failed to produce a verdict.

The jurors in Norristown, Pennsylvania, reviewed the entertainer's account as well as that of his accuser during a long day on Tuesday. Several members of the jury of seven men and five women looked exhausted as they filed into court around 9:20 p.m. to be dismissed for the night.

Earlier in the day, the jury had asked to rehear the testimony of a police officer who was present in 2005 when Andrea Constand first reported the 2004 incident and reviewed portions of sworn depositions that Cosby gave more than a decade ago.

Cosby, 79, best known for his role as the dad in the 1980s hit TV family comedy "The Cosby Show," is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand at his home in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Constand is one of dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sex abuse, often after plying them with drugs, in a series of incidents dating to the 1960s. The allegation by Constand, a former athletic administrator at Cosby's alma mater, Temple University, is the only one not too old to be the subject of criminal prosecution.

Cosby has denied all the accusations.

In addition to revisiting testimony, the jury also asked Judge Steven O'Neill to clarify how to determine whether Cosby gave Constand an intoxicant "without her knowledge," an element of one of the charges he faces.

O'Neill said he could not provide any interpretation beyond his initial instructions on the charges.

Both Constand, now 44, and Cosby agree the performer gave her pills on the night in question.

Constand, however, testified that she took them only after Cosby intimated they were herbal and that the drugs left her unable to resist his assault.

In his depositions, Cosby said the pills were Benadryl, a common allergy drug whose side effects can include drowsiness, and maintained the subsequent sexual encounter was consensual.

Cosby, who based his long career on a family-friendly comedy style, did not testify.

In his closing argument on Monday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said Cosby's words incriminated him, noting that the defendant apologized to Constand and her mother and offered to pay for Constand's schooling after her mother confronted him.

Defense attorney Brian McMonagle told jurors on Monday that Cosby was guilty of adultery but not sexual assault.

The defense focused on inconsistencies in Constand's statements about certain details of the alleged assault and pointed out that she remained in contact with Cosby for months afterward.

Cosby's attorneys sought to portray her as a woman whose allegations were motivated by money. She settled her lawsuit against Cosby in 2006 for an undisclosed sum, though jurors did not hear about that case.

Also on Tuesday, Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, released a statement from a woman, Marguerite Jackson, who was barred from testifying as a defense witness.

Jackson said she worked with Constand at Temple University and shared a hotel room with her during occasional trips. On an unspecified date, she said, the women saw a news story about a famous man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women.

Constand told Jackson a high-profile man had done something similar to her, according to the statement. After Jackson pressed her, Constand admitted it had not happened but said she could easily use the story to make money off the man, Jackson said.

Cosby's spokesman, Wyatt, said Jackson's statement would "let the world know" that Constand had perjured herself. Constand testified at trial that she did not know who Marguerite Jackson was.

The judge ruled Jackson's testimony was inadmissible hearsay. (Editing by Scott Malone and Bill Trott)
BANGKOK, June 13 (Reuters) - Thailand's prime minister will invoke an executive order to allow construction to start on a $5.5 billion railway project with China, which forms part of Beijing's regional infrastructure drive but has been beset by delays.

The high-speed link, in theory a centrepiece of Chinese-Thai cooperation, has been held up by years of negotiation over everything from cost and loan terms to land development rights.

A Thai government spokesman said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who heads the junta that has ruled Thailand since a May 2014 coup, will invoke Article 44, a security order that gives him the power to push through policy. Prayuth will discuss the matter at a cabinet meeting next week.

The measure, dubbed the "dictators law", has been heavily criticized by rights groups. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said invoking Article 44 would clear hurdles such as building on protected land.

"This is why Article 44 is needed," he told reporters.

The $5.5 billion first phase of the railway will be a 250 km (155 miles) line between Bangkok and the northeastern province of Nakorn Ratchasima.

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said last month that construction would begin in August or September.

Thailand will largely fund the project and China will provide technical assistance under terms agreed so far.

Including later phases, the project intends to build a 873-km rail line linking Thailand's border with Laos to eastern ports and industrial zones.

China wants to connect its cities to trade centres in Southeast Asia, including Thailand's eastern industrial zones, as part of its 'One Belt, One Road' project, while Thailand needs to revamp its aging rail network and boost trade.

Thailand and China have enjoyed warmer relations following the 2014 coup which saw several Western nations downgrade ties with Thailand in response.

The rail project, however, has hit various delays over details including construction funding and technical assistance. (Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Kitiphong Thaicharoen and Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Susan Fenton)
By Leigh Thomas and Caroline Pailliez

PARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - Mass strikes and street protests that for decades gave France an image as a hotbed of labour strife are outdated but could flare anew if a new centrist government ignores unions over labour reforms, the head of the biggest union said on Tuesday.

Polls suggest President Emmanuel Macron's fledgling centrist party will win a crushing majority in elections this weekend.

With opposition parties likely to be left fragmented and weak, a standoff with unions is potentially the only major obstacle to Macron pushing through his reform agenda, starting with an overhaul of France's stringent labour code this summer.

"Sterile confrontation - with unions on one side and bosses on the other and where the only way out is through standoff - is old-fashioned, out of date," CFDT head Laurent Berger told Reuters in an interview.

"But it can come back very quickly because it's in our culture. If we want to avoid sterile confrontation, then there's got to be dialogue at all levels," he added.

The more moderate CFDT surpassed the Communist-rooted CGT union this year to become the biggest in the private sector.

Its ranks have swollen as it has focused on working with the previous Socialist government, abstaining from high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful CGT-led strikes on a previous labour reform under then-president Francois Hollande.

Berger said Macron's government could neither count on the CFDT to be an ally nor an opponent out of principle, insisting that it would be both demanding and vigilant in labour negotiations.

"What I told the president is that there will be moments of confrontation, moments when we don't agree, but that is quite legitimate in democracy, it's no drama," Berger said.

The unions are anxiously awaiting details about Macron's planned labour reform, seeking to present a more united front to Macron's government than they did under Hollande.

They are particularly uneasy about plans the government has flagged to allow labour conditions to be set at the workplace rather than sector level, and the setting of fixed limits on court settlements employers have to pay in dismissal cases.

"When we are able to push on certain points together, it's more effective," the Force Ouvriere union head Jean-Claude Mailly told Reuters in an interview.

Last year, bitter rivalry divided the CFDT and harder line CGT and Force Ouvriere over the previous reform which Hollande pushed through despite weeks of strikes. (Editing by Richard Lough)
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had tough words for the Cuban government on Tuesday, days before President Donald Trump's administration is expected to announce a change in policy toward the island.

Tillerson said Cuba "must begin to address human rights challenges" if it wants the United States to preserve a move toward more normal relations started under former President Barack Obama that has led to an increase in U.S. visitors to the island and U.S. business ties to the country.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle)
By Geert De Clercq

PARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - French utility EDF has appointed an Italian who heads its international operations to run its British unit that is handling the construction of two new nuclear reactors, EDF said.

Simone Rossi, 47, will take up the post of chief executive at EDF Energy in November, succeeding Vincent de Rivaz, who is retiring after 15 years as CEO of the unit.

Rossi, who joined EDF in 2004, will be in charge of the 18 billion pound ($23 billion) project to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C on Britain's west coast.

The contract was signed in September 2016 and construction began this year. The reactors are due to start up in 2025.

Rossi's role will include keeping the project on track, when similar Areva-designed European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) projects in France, Finland and China are running late and over budget.

"There will be a change of style. De Rivaz was a bulldozer who battled for years to get the contract signed. Rossi is a fine strategist, who listens to people," said an EDF executive who has worked with both men.

Rossi, who was chief financial officer of EDF Energy from 2011 to 2015, also previously held the post of CFO at EDF's U.S. joint venture Constellation Energy Nuclear Group before EDF pulled out of U.S. nuclear industry.

As head of EDF's international operations, Rossi oversaw EDF investments in Africa and Latin America, including the Bolero solar plant in Chile, hydro power projects in Cameroon and Brazil and an off-grid solar project in West Africa.

Rossi, a clarinet player, will in his new role have to navigate the UK energy market where EDF is one of six big suppliers facing public and government criticism for energy bills that have doubled in the past decade to about 1,200 pounds ($1,640) a year.

The ruling Conservative Party pledged to cap domestic energy prices in its election campaign, but Prime Minister Theresa May's failure to secure a majority in last week's poll could reduce the risk of more state intervention in power pricing.

Following the appointment of Marc Benayoun to lead EDF's Italian unit Edison early last year, EDF Chief Executive Jean-Bernard Levy has now put his imprint on the two most important EDF business units abroad.

($1 = 0.7847 pounds) (Additional reporting by Karolin Schaps in London; Editing by Edmund Blair)
ROME/BRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Italy is close to agreeing with the European Commission a deal to rescue ailing regional banks Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca while limiting losses for investors, the country's economy minister said on Tuesday.

Italy is racing to get a deal on bailing out the two Veneto-based lenders to stem a deposit flight which has already forced them to raise 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in debt using a state guarantee.

"A solution is now close", Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said in a statement, adding that "talks with European institutions are encouraging".

Padoan said the solution would not entail losses for senior bondholders and depositors, triggering a rally in prices for the two banks' senior bonds.

The yield on a March 2020 senior bond by Popolare di Vicenza fell to 7 percent on Tuesday after rising above 16 percent last week on concerns that the two banks would be wound down under rules that require investors in a bank to take a hit instead of taxpayers.

Italy is seeking to exploit an exception to those rules so as to limit losses only to shareholders and junior bondholders because it fears a full 'bail in' of investors would damage confidence in a still frail banking sector.

"The solution will not involve any form of bail-in," Padoan said.

A spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager confirmed on Tuesday that the authorities were looking for a way to spare senior bondholders from losses, adding that depositors would not be hit.

Europe has introduced bail-in rules to avoid a repeat of the costly bank bailouts seen during the financial crisis.

Italy's government is working with its big banks UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo to get healthy Italian lenders to provide the 1.2 billion euros of private capital that the EC has demanded be raised to allow the rescue to go ahead.

But Italian banks are unwilling to pump more money into the two Veneto rivals after investing 3.4 billion euros to save them from bankruptcy last year.

On Tuesday UBI Banca's supervisory board chairman Andrea Moltrasio said Italy's fifth-largest bank had not been asked yet to take part in the rescue and had other priorities.

However, he later said the bank would consider any proposal from Italy's Treasury should one materialise.

A source familiar with the matter said Italy was still hoping to persuade the EU authorities to reduce the amount of private capital it wants to be raised to save the Veneto banks. ($1 = 0.8927 euros) (Reporting by Steve Scherer and Stefano Bernabei in Rome, Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; Writing by Valentina Za; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' ambassador to the United States said on Tuesday there was no military aspect to steps taken by Arab powers against Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism.

"There is absolutely no military component to anything that we are doing," Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba told reporters in Washington.

"I have spoken and seen (U.S. Defense Secretary) General (Jim) Mattis four times in the last week, weve given them our complete assurance that the steps we have taken will not affect in anyway Al Udeid base or any operations supporting or regarding the base," Otaiba said.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar last week and imposed stringent economic sanctions on it. Doha denies their accusations that it supports Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran.

The countries have designated dozens of people with alleged links to Qatar as terrorists. They also listed 12 entities as having terrorist links.

When asked what, if any, further steps would be taken against Qatar, Otaiba said:

"Weve designated 59 people and 12 entities, its likely that you could see designations of their bank accounts, and perhaps of the banks themselves. And so therell be an escalation of economic pressure, again, short of a policy shift or negotiations that lead to a policy shift.

Otaiba said the four countries were compiling and a list of demands for Qatar.

"Each country has their own set of lists, their own specifications and so were trying to compile and curate that into one master list and it should be handed over to the United States fairly soon," Otaiba said. (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by James Dalgleish and Tom Brown)
Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) revealed yesterday that fifteen applications have been received by the Health Ministry and the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to establish private medical institutions in the country.

In a press briefing held at Colombo the GMOA's Assistant Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said in 1980 there were around 100 State owned medical institutions in India with no private institutions however 30 years later its has exceeded 200 private medical institutions while government owned only 183.

Dr. Aluthge said that the demand for Indian graduate doctors are decreasing in the global perspective due to various shortcomings following the increase of private medical institutions in the country. He added that same situation will prevail in Sri Lanka if the government allows more private institutions to operate in the country.

Indian politicians offer licenses to open up private medical colleges to their supporters as bribes and fortunately our politicians bribe their supporters by permitting them to establish bar or fuel stations. However in future SL politicians would too follow the footsteps of Indian politicians and drop the countrys medical education in a chaos, he said.

He said that according to the international media, one sixth out of 400 medical institutions have been corrupted as most of them were established through political affiliations.

Dr. Aluthge warned that our country will become worse than India if the government allows to establish private medical institutions. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by RM
Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah who is on a three day official visit to Sri Lanka, met with the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne at the Naval Headquarters yesterday. The visiting Pakistan Navy Chief was accorded with a Guard of Honour in accordance with naval traditions upon his arrival. (Navy Media)
Foreign Affairs Ministry announced today that discussions were held between Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Nepal Ambassador Professor Bishwambher Pyakuryal at the Ministry to commence direct flights between Colombo and Kathmandu.

The ambassador met Minister Karunanayake and they focused on means to strengthen bilateral relationships for mutual benefits.

Further discussions were made to expand commercial activities of the two countries and to strengthen cultural programmes, the ministry said.

Ambassador Pyakuryal congratulated the Minister Karunanayake on his appointment and said Nepal would provide its assistance to Sri Lanka in its development projects.

The Minister commended the diplomatic assistance provided by Nepal as an ally of Sri Lanka in the region. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
The Export Development Board (EDB) organised Sri Lankas participation at the SIAL Canada 2017 recently in Toronto, Canada, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Consulate in Toronto and Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada.

Ten Sri Lankan companies namely Orient Lanka Confectionery (Pvt.) Ltd, MAs Tropical Food Processing (Pvt.) Ltd, Pulses Splitting & Processing Industry (Pvt.) Ltd, Edinborough Products (Pvt.) Ltd, Rathna Producers Cinnamon Exports (Pvt.) Ltd, Hero Nature Products (Pvt.) Ltd, Tradlanka Agricultural Enterprises (Pvt.) Ltd, Lions Management (Pvt.) Ltd, Rainforest Foods (Pvt.) Ltd and Sujan International (Pvt.) Ltd from the processed food and beverage sector participated in the Sri Lanka pavilion. Coconut kernel products, spices, confectionery, vegetarian and healthy foods, red and white rice, value-added grains, sauces and pickles and kitul syrup are some of the Sri Lankan products promoted at the event.

Approximately 160 potential trade inquiries were received and according to the evaluation done after the event, it is expected to achieve orders up to a value of US $ 3.0 million during the next 12 months. In addition to the trade fair, the participants joined a two-day market orientation programme including a retail market study visit, awareness seminar and business-to-business (B2B) meetings. This programme was facilitated by TFO Canada in Toronto.

Sri Lanka Consulate General in Toronto in collaboration with the EDB coordinated and made logistic arrangements in Canada for the successful participation of Sri Lanka at SIAL Canada.

Orient Lanka Confectionery (Pvt.) Ltd International Trade Affairs Manager M.A.G. Jamil stated, SIAL Canada 2017 has been a good platform for us to enter into the North American market.

Further, Rain Forest Foods (Pvt.) Ltd CEO J. Edirimanna said SIAL means pure business.

A similar programme organised by the EDB in 2016 in Montreal and eight Sri Lankan companies participated.

The EDB has entered into an agreement with TFO Canada for a four-year programme to develop Canadian market access and capacity building services from 2014 to 2018 with the purpose of promoting trade and economic co-operation between Sri Lanka and Canada. Under this agreement, the EDB proposed to organise Sri Lankas participation at the above event with the TFO Canada, as part of the activities under Implementation of export development activities in Canada.

Canada is a highly import-oriented market and the consumers are specially interested in ethnic, organic, healthy, high-end or exotic foods. Sri Lankas total exports to Canada has increased continuously in the last five years valued from US $ 143 million in 2012 to US $ 179 million in 2016.

Twenty percent of total exports to Canada were processed foods and the beverage sector. Coconut kernel products, edible fish, processed fruits and vegetables are some of the products with high demand from Sri Lanka to Canada.

Caption

Sri Lanka pavilion at SIAL Canada in Toronto
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today claimed that the Education Ministry has distributed among students text books printed on synthetic paper causing health hazards to children aged below 12.

GMOA Assistant Secretary Haritha Aluthge told a news conference said the Education Ministry had printed more than 500,000 Geography text books at a cost of Rs.150 million for use by grade seven without considering the recommendations of the National Planning Department (NPD).

We believe that more than 200,000 books may have been already issued to students, he said.

Dr. Aluthge said Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had submitted a Cabinet paper but the NPD rejected the proposal.

The Education Ministry has not conducted a field study on finance, technical, environmental and health before going ahead on the pilot project. NPD has said the books may cause health issues among students below the age of 12, he said and added the chemicals used in the manufacture of synthetic paper could cause shortage of breath, eye diseases and skin problems. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by Buddhi
With the aim of contributing to the middle-income transition and uplifting their standards of housing requirement, Sri Lankas pioneering infrastructure and multi sector general contractor International Construction Consortium (ICC) introduced today a modern concept of walk-up apartments.

The project Mount Clifford Range proposed by ICC is in partnership with the National Housing and Development Authority (NHDA) under the vision of Hon. Minister of Housing and Development Sajith Premadasas Samata Sevana initiative.

Located in a serene locality in Homagama once again proving ICCs vision towards environmentally friendly development, it includes 43 buildings comprising 16 apartment units each totaling to 688 individual units with each available to the public for just Rs. 5 million.

Each unit shares a space of 640sqft with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and living room with balcony. Additional facilities such as swimming pool, gymnasium, playground, multi-purpose jogging track and a mini market is included for the convenience of the residence to experience a unique lifestyle surrounded by a 24-hour secured environment.

Mount Clifford Range is accessible to roads such as to the Homagama town from the north and Kahathuduwa and Horana from the south. It is just 4km to the Kottawa highway and less than 2km to the Homagama junction.

The area features many upcoming developments such as Techno city, Institute of Technology  University of Moratuwa, NSBM Green University, Faculty of Engineering to name a few, thus making Homagama a leading education and IT hub which aligns with the mega polis plan. This also assures the public a growth of land value and an ideal investment for a life time.

The first phase of the project is scheduled to complete in the 2nd Quarter (Q2) of 2019 with the second phase in Q2 of 2020. The premier housing project development company Nivasie Developers which has decades of proven experience in property development with successful large scale housing development projects is the sales agent for Mount Clifford Range.

251 units have already been reserved, proving the project to be a unique opportunity for those who are in the lookout for affordable housing. With a rich and diverse experience for over 35 years, ICC has proved to be the countrys pioneering Construction Company renowned for maintaining quality standards and timely delivery.
The owners of the Tea factory in Nawalapitiya, which was damaged extensively due to a fire recently, rejected the statement made by Minister Rauff Hakeem that it was an arson attack.

They said the fire was due to a technical defect.

The owners, Naha Udayar and Razik Hajjiyar also condemned Minister Hakeem's statement.

"90% of the people who work in this factory are Sinhalese and that there are no communal minded people in Nawalapitiya as claimed," they said.

They also said so at the time when Kandy District Parliamentarian, Mahindananda Aluthgamage visited the factory to see the destruction cause to the factory.

Minister Hakeem, while participating at Rekiya Piyasa programme the St. Sylvester College in Kandy, said that the Muslim people in the country were harassed by extremists and the fire also was an arson attack. (Suranga Rajanayake)

Pix by Suranga Rajanayaka
Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

~Macbeth (Act V, Scene V)

Through his slogans his brothers tried to hoodwink the masses

MR is a direct product of 1956 transformation

MR is no fool; to portray him as so, would be foolish for any investigator

He ended the three- decade old war that created a hero-saviourimage

A real or imagined cause for complaint, especially unfair treatment or a feeling of resentment over something believed to be wrong or unfair, thats how grievance is defined in our English dictionaries. Mahinda Rajapaksas current spell of whining fits right into that definition. And his whining has not ceased. His family members are being called many times by various investigative agencies. Along with these family members some of his leading supporters, close to nineteen (19), to name a few, Kumar Welgama, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Udaya Gammanpila feature prominently among them. All these cohorts have already been questioned and Gammanpila and Aluthgamage in fact are out on bail. Investigative action takes place when some irregularity in administration, some palpably criminal activity or even some blatantly corrupt practices are smelled of and, an even more dangerous end the stench leads to, is recognized by those men of the law. It is not the law that was in play and practised, most corruptly administered by those who wielded government powers during the Rajapaksa time. It is a different system now. In fact it is a better one than indiscriminate disappearances in white vans, better than killings of antagonistic journalists in broad daylight, better than removal of the Chief Justice by way of a select committee process within 70 hours, it is much better than arbitrary decrees by Executive Presidency.



Arguments for and against Executive Presidency have begun to end. No one is interested in prolonging a system of Executive Presidency as was envisaged and practised by the architects and engineers of the 1978 Constitution. When enormous powers are invested in one single authority, whether that power is very loosely checked by a parliament whose majority is held by the same man or woman who comes from the same political shade of that majority, enormous consequences cascade with or without that parliamentary checking system. JR Jayewardene who introduced this 1978 Constitution enjoyed five sixths (5/6) majority in the 1977 Parliament. The mind that was working on a stronger executive power to deliver goods on time for a long time while he was in the State Council and then in Parliament, as second in command until the physical demise of the incumbent leader (Dudley Senanayake) in almost all governments led by the United National Party (UNP), when he assumed power with real power to back him with that massive majority in the House, introduced a constitution that could have been tolerable if those who held that power were nursed and nurtured in the discipline of era of the first half of the 20th century.



The 1956 transformation that dramatically affected not only the nations blend of leaders and the corners from which they originated, it also pointed to an end which seemed hazy at best and disastrous to the socio-economic balance of the nation at worst. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a direct product of that transformation. His father literally crossed the floor of the House of Parliament along with SWRD Bandaranaike, the leader of that 56 transformation. The 56-transformation, among others, had one singular and most radical influence on our electorate. I purposely use the word electorate as against society for the societal change that the 56-transformation engendered was gradual while on the electorate it was almost instantaneous and is lasting to date. That electoral effect underwent another shocking adjustment in 1977 but it lasted only 17 years; from 77 to94. That 1977 change affected Mahinda Rajapaksa and it threw him out of parliament.



The 1970 - 77 government led by the Bandaranaikes was alleged to have given licence to some willing parliamentarians to exercise unfettered political powers in their respective electorates and the Bandaranaikes gave administrative cover to such exercises. At the receiving end of those thuggish exercises were the supporters and financiers of the UNP. In fact, at the very beginning of the Bandaranaike-led government in 1970, in the wake of the UNPs crushing defeat at the General Elections, JR Jayewardene the then Leader of the Opposition raised in Parliament the unprecedented violence unleashed by the SLFP supporters against the UNPers in the electorates. Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranaikes response was thus: let the SLFP supporters enjoy the unprecedented victory against the capitalist, imperialist-UNP. The words of the first woman Prime Minster in the world were a shameful portrayal of the psyche of all Lankans.



Takeover of the famous Buhari Hotel in Maradana under the Business Undertakings (Acquisition) Act (No. 35 of 1971) is another example of political victimization. Government-sponsored agitation against free-market-oriented business ventures began with a vengeance. MR learnt his ABC of state-sponsored harassing of his opponents under the tutelage of a Master par excellence  Felix Dias Bandaranaike. MRs record-breaking span of ill-governance in the new century is now being questioned by many investigative agencies. His whining is about those investigations and various other allegations that are being debated and argued in the court of public opinion aside from the courts of law. Despite the undisputed fact that it was MRs regime that ended a 27-year-old war against the LTTE terrorists, and considering the sense of patriotism and its resultant hero-saviour image created for the consumption by the masses by the propagandists for the Rajapaksa clan, for MR to suffer an electoral defeat at the hands of his own Partys General Secretary was an insufferable shame. That is to say the least.



Survival in politics is not easy. Especially in the current internet and social media era in which the life cycle of news is measured in minutes not days and weeks as was done about a decade ago, withstanding instant attacks with such unimpeachable authenticity is no mean task. MR has proven over the years that he is a survivor. He has a proven record in employing some of the best in the business in advertising and branding. Slogans such as Uthuru Wasanthaya (Northern Spring), Neganahira Udaawa (Rise in the East), Maanushika Meheyuma(Humanitarian Operation) bear witness to the way he and his brothers tried to hoodwink the masses, especially after the war-victory. Such slogans were used to such an unbearable extent; the brothers became intoxicated in their own lies. When they began believing those lies, those lies had a more dangerous effect on their already-elongated egos. It gave them a sense of righteousness. That sense of righteousness gave them licence to resort to any illegitimate and paralegal ventures.



That phoney patriotism founded on self-righteousness gave them an illusionary warrant for another term of office. So was born the 18th Amendment. In other words, the 18th Amendment was a legal and constitutional manifestation of the avarice and pursuit of power and wealth by MR and his corrupt clan. Now he does not have that power. He does not have the cover that protected his misdoings and corrupt practices. That is a great loss. One cannot underestimate the chaos that this absence of cover creates, not only physically in the day-to-day work routine, the psychological chaos that it creates could be utterly devastating to the psyche of the ruler who is all of a sudden found naked and exposed. His whining is one of paradoxically logical responses to that loss of cover. One can empathize with the man, but to sympathize is to condone his very actions and misdeeds and would be as guilty as the man in question. One may even forgive him, but that forgiveness, if at all, must necessarily follow after justice is effectuated.



MR is no fool; to portray him as so would be foolish for any investigator. Over the years he was in power as President of Sri Lanka, he surely has cultivated many friends and associates who stood by him during the dark nights of struggle and pain; many of those friends and associates may have fled him when he was out of power. But what would eventually stand by him are his own family and his siblings. MR looked after his relatives while in power. His practice of nepotism knew no limits. Even the corrupt practices he is alleged to have been engaged in became exclusive to him and his family. The avarice that grew with him ultimately took its unkind toll. Every corrupt regime ultimately comes to that sad end. One should never disregard historys lessons. How bitter or how drastic those lessons are, they are the only measurable yardsticks by which man can learn. Yet history repeats itself, for man has failed time after time. It is evident that MR and his cohorts are not willing to learn from history. Either they dont know that their historical precedents or they deliberately chose not to regard them with any due weight.

MRs whining is essentially a necessary by-product of the loss of power he suffered. He is amply displaying that he simply cannot come to terms with that by-product.

The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com
 Flash

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, shake hands after signing the joint communique in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday in a televised speech that his country has established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

In the nationally televised address, Varela stressed the historic ties between the two countries, a relationship that goes back more than 160 years.

The move "is also a recognition of the Chinese-Panamanian community, which has played an important role in the economic and social development of Panama, taking part in all of our country's economic, political and social activities, and some even coming to occupy important posts in the Panamanian government," said Varela.

The first group of Chinese immigrants, he noted, arrived in Panama in 1854 to work on the construction of the trans-isthmus railway, which served as the main international cargo route until the Panama Canal was built.

The two countries made history again when the Chinese cargo carrier Cosco Shipping Panama became the first vessel to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal on June 26, 2016, said Varela. China is now the second largest client of the Panama Canal.

The Panamanian president also underscored China's role in leading efforts to boost global integration and opportunities for growth in today's world.

China set up an office of commercial development in Panama in 1996. Since then, the two countries have maintained cooperation in various fields.

Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established after Panama cut its ties with China's Taiwan.
torrential floods: What went wrong?

Despite being a land of rich biodiversity blended together with the ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, Sri Lanka today stands fragile and vulnerable to impacts of climate change.

Adding to the island nations burden of grief, the country recently faced a number of natural disasters with floods and landslides taking the forefront.The Daily Mirror spoke to experts representing the environment and Government sectors, in an attempt to gain a better insight into the causes that resulted in disastrous floods and how flooding could have been mitigated.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, System Ecologist and Chairman of Rainforest Rescue International, Dr. Ranil Senanayake explained the main reasons behind the disastrous floods Sri Lanka experienced recently. According to him, the impact of climate change was listed as one of the main factors that gave rise to the recent flood.



There are many contributory factors that created the recent flood situation. One is the increase of extreme event frequency brought about by climate change. We will be exposed to both heavy rainfall events and strong drought events into the future. While it is the developed countries, which have affected the climate most, we are making a bad situation worse by burning more coal, petrol, diesel and gas attempting to ape the destructive model of development promoted by businessmen and their political buddies, Dr. Senanayake said.



Explaining the causes, he stated that the second reason was the weakening of the soil structures.



He said that this happened mainly due to the removal of forest covers and as a result of pouring chemicals that destroyed the life in the soil, which eventually led to robbing the soil of its cohesive strength.

What we can prevent is the massive loss of life and property at these events. We have to be ready for such events

Next is the willy-nilly urbanisation with no consideration for the physical and cultural geography of a place. Neither the percentage of impervious surfaces created nor the amount of wetlands filled up is important to the greedy developers. With this comes the unchecked dumping of rubbish into the waterways.



Another serious event is the blasting allowed for granite factoring. The shock waves from these blasting sites weaken the soil structures that overlay the rock base, making it easy for water to enter and liquefy the disturbed soil, creating the horrific landslides we have witnessed.

Finally there is no organised official warning, nor response strategy to such events. We have a Climate Change Secretariat, whose responsibility is to model such extreme events and work with all arms of Government to be ready for these extreme events. Attending international conferences alone will not work! he quipped.



When inquired if the flood was preventable by any means, Dr. Senanayake said that heavy rainfall would make such flood situations inevitable. He was of the view that since intense rainfall could not be prevented, the flooding accompanying such events could also not be prevented.



What we can prevent is the massive loss of life and property at these events. We have to be ready for such events in the future and the Government must invest in a flood response plan as well as a drought response plan. The corporate sector as well as the public must be brought into these rapid response plans because as often as needed, these sectors can mobilise resources even faster than the Government.



We should think about future flood events and begin designing houses on stilts as seen in much of Asia for flood-prone areas. The flood-prone areas should be identified and given an early warning system.



We should instruct all Government representatives attending international conferences to fight for holding the global temperature under a 1.5 degree rise without compromise. We should stop clearing our forests and converting our lands from high biomass to low biomass, just to please some foreign investors who have no interest in the well being of our people, Dr. Senanayake added.

Director of Irrigation for Drainage and Flood Systems at the Irrigation Department, Eng. Janaki Meegasthenna said that the main reason for the blockages along rivers and flooding was a direct result of increase in the number of constructions along river banks, especially the construction of bridges, encroachment settlements in wet zones and construction of hotels along river sides.

Forestalling the projects due to protests by residents and political representatives have also played a crucial role..

People dump garbage in the drains thereby blocking the drainage system including culverts. With the high intensity rain fall that we were receiving, the condition was further aggravated. Some of the road constructions including bridges and culverts have been built without analysing the rainfall trends, which is important according to hydrological studies. Also, forestalling the implementation of former projects/project proposals due to protests by residents and political representatives have also played a crucial role in giving rise to the recent floods.



If these project proposals were implemented beforehand, the flood situation could have been mitigated to some length. If action was taken to initiate project proposals such as the Gin - Nilwala diversion to Hambantota, the third phase of the Nilwala River or if the needful was done to commence the work of the Mallawa reservoir, we could have mitigated the risk of floods to a greater extent, she said.



On the other hand, it should also be noted that the Sri Lankan irrigation systems needed to be improved because they are very old systems. These systems were designed BEFORE the impact of the climate change. I think now we need to improve our spill gates, canals and drainage canals. Nowadays, we have implemented the Climate Resilient Improvement Project. Under this project we have already started to improve the drainage system, spill gate canals and expand the existing tanks; especially in areas that are mostly affected by the flood. We are also improving tanks in areas such as Minneriya, Parakrama Samudraya, Giritale, Kawudulu including Nuwara, Tissa, Padaviya tanks and the Yoda Wewa complex, Eng. Meegasthenna added.

Deputy Director of Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Dr. C. H. E. R. Siriwardana elucidated that the Sri Lankan climate was controlled by the North East and South West Monsoons.



However, since geologically the central part of Sri Lanka was made out of particular rock types that were very resistant, the island held the ability to stand out under any weather condition, he said.



Geologically it is the central mountain base that controls the climate and it should be noted that these mountain ranges are very resistant to weathering. These central highlands are responsible for controlling the winds. When the wind collides with the mountain range, this results in producing seasonal rainfall on either side. The wind colliding with the eastern slope results in the North-East Monsoon. When the wind collides with the free ranges in the western slope, it creates the South-West Monsoon, Dr. Siriwardana said.

As a result of deforestation, whatever the waste material come flowing down various waterways. Central highlands produce a lot of sediment which can easily get settled and course through the rivers...

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said that with the changes of the climatic pattern, the rainfall that needed to be dispersed throughout the whole year had fallen in a very short period.

Stating that it was a 400mm - 600 mm rainfall that we experienced recently, Dr. Siriwardana said that various reasons-including the condition of drainages and human activities such as deforestation- that gave rise to soil erosion, could be listed as contributory factors that gave rise to the floods.



As a result of deforestation, waste materials come flowing down various waterways. The central highlands produce a lot of sediment which can easily get settled and course through the rivers in the low-land areas.



Partially, these negative impacts take place due to man-made activities, such as deforestation and mining. We as human beings should bear the responsibility for what has happened to our nature today.



Particularly, when the population grows, lots of small settlements are cropping up while concrete pavements and towns are being created. Earlier we had a dense forest cover that helped in the gradual absorption of water into the ground. However, with the lack of sufficient forest cover at present, there is no way to absorb excess water into the ground. Therefore, the excess water floods the surface, he explained.



He also laid special emphasis on the fact that excessive sand mining could be helpful in some instances although this was not always the case.



He explained that when the sand in the river was excessively mined, the river naturally deepens causing less inundation. However, he also noted that when the sand was removed from the low-land areas, the water table in the area would deepen.

This causes the upper and middle level slopes to give way to erosion causing landslides, he said.



Dr. Siriwardana also provided an insight into what leaves Sri Lanka prone to landslides disasters.



Uprooting of rubber trees and replanting them causes a lot of water to be absorbed into the soil eventually resulting in landslides. The recent landslides in the western slope areas around Kalutara, Galle and Ratnapura are mainly due to the uprooting of rubber tress. When rubber trees are uprooted, a lot of waste material is being produced. This could cause siltation in the lower courses of the river, he said.



A lot of garbage is released into waterways including water bottles, plastic and polythene. This causes severe damage to the environment and are a definite cause of blocking river channels and drainage systems resulting in floods.



Most of the drainage patterns are now blocked due to the emergence of unauthorised buildings-particularly in suburban areas such as Kaduwela, Kalutara and Malabe. Most houses are built blocking regular waterways such as drainages. When the population grows, there is a definite increase in the amount of garbage added to the environment resulting in blocked waterways.



With a construction boom going on in certain areas, soil excavation is also currently rampant. If one travelled from Colombo to Kandy, one could observe a lot of barren lands where certain fertile soil has been cut down and excavated for various construction purposes. If this soil mining is not properly filled and restored, soil erosion could take place. It should be noted that when flash floods occur, everything gets washed away in the process.



Respective authorities should enforce strict regulations with regard to addressing such issues and strictly monitor such activities in order to prevent further environmental disasters, Dr. Siriwardana concluded.

landslides in sri lanka, a man-made Disaster

The South - West Monsoon brought Sri Lanka heavy rains, causing dreadful landslides and floods affecting many districts and more than 576,042 individuals.

National Building Research Organization (NBRO) had issued landslide warnings for areas where showers could still be expected. People have already forgotten about the Monsoon accompanied misfortunes - floods, landslides and most importantly, relief. Nature has become unpredictable and we know that those floods and landslides have been an annual occurrence in the recent past, and we have been mourning with the victims, instead of taking action to mitigate them. We lack preparation and skills needed as a country to face such tragedies. People lack the attitude needed to save their own lives. Eyewitnesses said a man was waiting for a rotti and before he could make his escape, he lost his life within minutes to a landslide. 2017 May has now become unforgettable with the floods and landslides as well as the bitter lessons of nature. Its our responsibility to make sure those natural disasters do not reccur in the coming years.

Unusually heavy rainfalls have caused the immense landslides in the country recently. In the past, it rarely exceeded 100 millimetres but now the rainfall levels have been recorded as high as 200 and even 400 millimetres.



Commenting on the recent landslides the professor said This time it is not normal. Earlier, the landslides used to occur in hilly areas, but this time nearly all the landslides occurred in the foothills of mountains, where the sediments have been deposited. Normally, hilly areas have the hard rocks, that werent seen in these landslides. Populations are moving up the hills and continuing to build more settlements in unsuitable places without taking into account the safety standards or the hazardous elements the place may have in store, he said.



NBRO warning



People living in on steep slopes or close to dangerous cut slopes should be watchful. People should evacuate from the pre-landslide signs like the slant of trees or posts, sudden cracks appear on walls or the ground and sudden appearances of muddy water springs emerging from the ground. People are advised to stay alarmed of landslides in the vulnerable areas and be prepared to move away if heavy rain continues.

Mentioning recent landslides he said: Quarries and road construction are responsible for landslides up to a certain level. But this year, many natural disasters took place due to the rare occurrence of heavy rainfall within 2- 3 hours. There are a huge number of maps and if people take good use of those maps, it will be easier to identify the weak zones that are prone to natural hazards. If the relevant authorities havent done it yet, it should be initiated right away.

According to the researches done by the NBRO, 10 districts have been identified as vulnerable to landslides-including Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Kegalle, Ratnapura, and Badulla in general.

Most of the recent landslides were reported from Ratnapura, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. The heavy rains were a triggering factor as well as a lubricant for these- landslides.



Destruction turned to suffering



Landslides now occur in the Moneragala - Badulla and Kurunegala slopes. Rain was the triggering factor for this years landslides, but the unplanned human settlements and faulty land use have also largely contributed to the disaster. There has been some kind of human activity related to most of the landslides, as per the investigations of NBRO, he said.



Palinda Nuwara landslide was due to improper land use; drone imagery has proof of uprooted rubber plants at the starting point of the landslides. The rubber estate was removed completely and the hollows filled by the rain water saturated the soil with water and made it unstable, causing the landslides. The slope supported the load to move downward faster and the soil in the already open and eroded rubber estate added a massive volume to the sliding river of debris. The landslide took the weakest route down the hill and destroyed a human settlement below which was not supposed to be there, he described.



Referring to the Aranayaka landslide he said:

Aranayaka was a very fertile land. I think we had to keep the agriculture practices only; free from settlements. The changing trend in land usage on top of Aranayaka mountain area was the cause for the landslide that occurred in the area, which began from a small tea estate. Commenting on the situation in Matale, he noted that spontaneous mud springs, sink-holes and cracks on earth were due to the eroding of the limestone basin under the Matale surface.

Traditionally people in the area built houses in an elevated manner accompanied with steps as a precaution to minimise flood risk.

Emphasising on the minor landslides occurring in the Gampaha District, he said that even in Ja - Ela, they were due to unregulated excavations and building houses on land propped up by retention walls.



Improper road construction and excavations and non- renovation of excavated slopes make the soil unstable. Therefore, whenever an extra pressure is applied to the slope; landslides occur.



We have noted a number of cases in hilly regions where the primary cause of a destructive landslide is being an excavated slope not refilled. Those are categorised as huge landslides based on the amount of debris that rolled down the slope.

There are man-made cavities in Ratnapura, as a result of the gem industry. This would cause trouble in future, if those cavities are affected by floods. The tradiotnal adage in the Ratnapura region is Expect floods after 14 days from the (Sinhala and Tamil) New Year.

Traditionally people in the area built houses in an elevated manner accompanied with steps as a precaution to minimise flood risk. Even the traditional knowledge of flood safety is not practised today. There were people who could guess the water level just by checking the clock tower in the Ratnapura town. Timing to get away if water levels rise, he said.

People would assume hills as ideal places to live because they do not see how human settlements and agriculture can disturb the delicate balance



Local authorities failure



Lack of response and cooperation of local authorities with the NBRO, in following the recommendations and land clearance processes have been identified as a major cause for landslides in certain areas.



To minimise harm from landslides, we have issued a circular through the Disaster Management Centre in 2011, stating that for any construction in hilly slopes, a recommendation is mandatory from NBRO. Our recommendation goes directly to the local authorities from where the plans are approved. Many local authorities are following the NBRO guidelines prior to starting projects, but we have noticed that a district which is famous for a sacred Bodhiya, is the weakest in responding to us in assistance. None of the local authorities in that district cooperate with the NBRO. That district was heavily affected by floods and landslides this year. I think the Bulathsinhala area has not practised our recommendations as well. Obviously, we do not deny the right to building houses, but those who are building houses should do it with a sound knowledge of the landscape.



We have been trying to educate them with awareness programs and meetings to get them cooperate with us, but nobody reacted well. However, most of the local authorities cooperate. It seems that certain politicians do not stop the public from building houses in risky areas in fear of losing votes, thus losing the votes and the lives of voters.



Threats

Building houses near river banks is dangerous due to the risk of bank collapses. The Japanese experts were here to investigate the landslides, but they were unable to proceed as our people themselves were living in danger zones on hills. People would assume hills as ideal places to live because they do not see how human settlements and agriculture can disturb the delicate balance.



Faking tragedy



Now in this disaster situation, it is very problematic to keep count on the real victims of flood and landslide, as many fake victims are gathered in relief camps.



While collecting data of landslides, we are carrying our investigations to identify the real victims of natural disasters. It is the same people who wouldnt care a bit about building houses safely that are now bothering our officials to check if their houses are prone to possible threats.



Uprooted rubber plantations are one of the major reasons for floods according the Director. The Kukule Ganga landslide was due to too much of water in the soil he said.



He said there were no rules or methods to force replanting rubber trees again.

The NBRO can only recommend things, we cannot force, make rules or punish the guilty. Institutions powerful enough to act upon breaking laws are therefore mandatory.
What does Patali know about politics that Harini doesnt know?

Sri Lanka is going through great pains to get its economy in order after the
A 32-year-old Sri Lanka Air force (SLAF) Airman attached to the Bandaranaike International (BIA) Airport was arrested with two kilograms of gold jewelry worth more than Rs.10million by the Airport customs officers this morning, Customs media spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa said.

He said the customs found 2.65 kilograms of gold jewelry wrapped to his legs and he was arrested while he was on the way to the airport departure lounge from the arrival lounge.

The suspect was a resident of Dehiattakandiya.

The suspect was trying to hand over the jewelry to a passenger at the Departure lounge, he said.

The customs investigations revealed the suspect had been in the same practice on several previous occasions, he said.

Mr. Kahandawa said that he may have wrapped the jewelry to his legs inside an airport lavatory.

The SLAF confirmed the suspected airman was duty assigned at BIA. (Chaturanga Pradeep and T.K.G. Kapila)
Art and Craft exhibition by the British School in Colombo

Chief guest Ms. Shanta Gunaratna, Principal, Dr John Scarth and other guests at the opening of Dream Works

Dream Works, the biennial month-long Art and Craft Exhibition which opened on Thursday 25th May 2017 at the British School in Colombo is a spectacular art extravaganza which showcases the talent of the juniors of the school. The aim of the art exhibition is to share the enthusiasm and unseen talents and capabilities of young children with their proud parents, grandparents and sometimes even extended family. The brilliant and creative art teachers of the Junior School Ms. Indika and Ms. Noeline have spent a lot of time selecting the themes and the contents for presentation, and also displaying the paintings and 3-D models to ensure maximum effect, with the assistance of members of the Junior School staff.



On display on all the walls of the corridors and the main stairway of the Junior School are a spectacular range of paintings, sculptures, 3-D models with recyclable materials, wall hangings, mobiles, craft work and murals depicting lifestyles, moods, nature, fashion and a bit of history. A wide range of materials have been used in bringing this whole exhibition together; canvas, clay, jute, mesh and wire, grey cloth, used bottles, wood off-cuts and decorative materials for fashion designing are some of them. Items ranging from toothbrushes to drinking straws and popsicle sticks to barbeque sticks have been used to portray fantastic hairstyles to fit in with the theme DreamWorks. Decorative umbrellas, lamp shades and dreamy-curtains add to the creativity of the theme. The imaginative patterns and colour schemes, and the use of the vibrant hues from nature are truly an exhibition of talent from an outstanding showcase school.

The opening ceremony was a riot of colour with costumes designed by the students themselves. It was a super display of dancing talent brought out by our fantastic dance teachers, Ms. Romina and Ms. Nadeeka, in line with the themes of the exhibition. The Principal Dr. Scarth, warmly welcomed the invitees and parents and described that he had a preview of some of the exhibits which were outstanding pieces of work from children of the Junior School. He mentioned that it was a remarkable sight to see the students proudly showing their creations to the parents. Dr. Scarth also mentioned that the clay models showing different hairstyles was his favourite section.

The imaginative patterns and colour schemes, and the use of the vibrant hues from nature are truly an exhibition of talent from an outstanding showcase school

The opening dance was by 5B depicting the life of fishermen to the rhythmic beat of the song Hoiiya Hoiiya. Next came the fabulous dancers from 6D inspired by Polynesian culture; they presented a Hawaiian dance followed by a tribal dance displaying superb movements and expressions. Following them on stage was 5C in their glitzy black and gold costumes, portraying Egyptian murals in imaginative steps  to the beat of Walk like an Egyptian. Pretend by 5A was an enchanting masquerade to the tune of the Beautiful Blue Danube by Yohann Stauss; the ladies in beautiful ball gowns and the gentlemen in their immaculate dress suits were a sight to behold! The dance presented by 6B was inspired by colours and rhythms from Middle-East; the popular song Asha drew whistles and claps from the audience. Next followed the rhythmic movement of the dancers from 5D to the tune of the song Umbrella with the concept drawn from the umbrellas designed by students of Year 3. Vibrant hues from the world of birds were brought alive by 6A. The birds display of talent in dancing made Rio come alive in the BSC Auditorium on May 25 evening. It was a first ever to have witnessed tropical birds rapping along with the music!

Next, the Chief Guest Mrs. Shanta Gunaratna delivered an inspiring speech emphasising the importance of child art education in moulding a well-balanced personality in every child. She said that parents should encourage their children to bring out their creativity and the freedom of expression from a very early age. She also went on to say that the parents of the students of BSC are indeed fortunate as their children get a fantastic opportunity to bring out their creativity and display it in this manner.

Finally, 6C drew inspiration from the colours from the wonderful animal kingdom to bring out their fantastic walk on the ramp for Katy Perrys ROAR!.



The Head Boy Krrish Khanth and the Head Girl Maya Vitarana delivered the vote of thanks at the end of the event. All in all, the opening ceremony and the art exhibition were a marvelous display of talent from the students of the Junior School of the British School in Colombo.
There had been an increase in three-wheeler and bicycle accidents during the past two years, Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said addressing the media at the Ministry this evening.

Minister Silva said that a total of 134 deaths and 142 accidents had been reported in 2016, while 147 deaths and 134 accidents were reported in 2017 to date.

Considering the two years, the number of accidents involving three-wheelers had increased. Accidents involving cars and buses have decreased, the Minister said.

Therefore, the Ministry had decided to launch an awareness campaign and a training programme for three-wheeler drivers.

The Ministry had decided to launch a special programme for a group of 200 three-wheeler driving licence applicants at the Werahera branch of the Department of Motor Traffic, he said.

He said therefore the Ministry had increased the threshold of driving age to 35 years for three-wheelers drivers.

These regulations are expected to be brought for the safety of the lives of the passengers and for the security of the drivers, he added.

The licence will only allow passengers in the vehicle. They cant transport goods, he said.

The Minister said there would be stricter regulations.

One will have to get a special passenger transport licence to transport people.

The Department of Motor Traffic, the Police Department, Department of Attorney General, and the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation would work together to form a national policy on three-wheelers with the support of other stake holders. (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Video By Indika Sri Aravinda
The report by former UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Monica Pinto based on her mission to Sri Lanka last year, was tabled to the UN Human Rights Council yesterday and the report highly criticized Sri Lankas justice system.

The report, which was compiled by Ms. Pinto following her mission to Sri Lanka from April 29 to May 7 last year, was tabled by new Rapporteur Diego Garcia-Sayan at the ongoing 35th session of the UNHRC.

Tabling the report Mr. Garcia-Sayan said although the armed conflict was concluded in 2009, very deep wounds could still be seen in the judicial system.

He said there have been reforms and some steps forward but gradual worsening of the situation in the judiciary during the armed conflict was visible.

Quoting the report, he said there was a lack of equal representation of minority groups in the prosecution services and police force. Problems related to language are very serious and have a very serious effect on justice and on the likelihood of obtaining a fair process if you belong to the Tamil community, he said.

He said authorities were urged to put in place transitional justice mechanism to tackle the past comprehensively and stress was made that there ought to be impartial, credible and effective authorities working in this transition process.

Ms. Pinto in her report said the language problems have a dramatic impact on access to justice and respect for fair trial and due process guarantees for Tamil-speaking people, and need to be addressed urgently.

Commenting on the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, she said it has been during certain periods strongly divided along political lines.

She said she was told of judicial delays that were nothing short of dramatic and criminal proceedings could drag on for 10 to 15 years, even in cases that were not politically sensitive.

For instance, a lawyer mentioned being involved in a trial for rape that had recently been completed after 15 years. There were also examples of civil cases that had been pending for more than 30 years. Divorce matters could take eight or more years to be resolved. Such delays clearly amount to a denial of justice, which especially affects the lives of victims, their families and persons deprived of their liberty, she said adding the Attorney-Generals department also largely contributed to judicial delays.

The report said the Special Rapporteur was told that judges frequently pushed defendants to plead guilty.

Defendants were made to believe they could get a lighter sentence by pleading guilty, which was not always the case, and that their sentence would be shorter than the time they would spend in pretrial detention. When defendants plead guilty, judges can expedite their case and improve their statistics. The Special Rapporteur is alarmed by this practice, which seems to demonstrate a disregard for the interests of justice, it said.

It said the victim and witness protection would continue to be a determining issue in the context of common crimes, abuses and violations committed by members of the security forces, as well as in the context of transitional justice mechanisms that have been created, such as the Office of Missing Persons, or that will be established, such as a truth-seeking mechanism or specialized court.

Referring to impunity, the report said it was widespread and that it has become a normal occurrence, thereby contributing to shattering the publics confidence in its judiciary.

Since the change of government, some positive steps seem to have been taken, as five new cases were reportedly being investigated at the time of the visit, it said.

In conclusion, the 20-page long report said while the democratic gains of the past two years must be welcomed, it is important to recognize that much more could and should have been done to manifest a commitment to genuine reform, in particular in the justice sector, and to create a meaningful and participatory transitional justice mechanisms.

Building a justice system that all sectors of society will trust and be able to rely on to defend and enforce their rights will take time. Bold steps need to be taken, as a sign of the authorities commitment to address the atrocities of the past and, above all, the structures that allowed such atrocities to happen. It is important to remember that justice must not merely be done, but must also be seen to be done, the report said.

Making at least 49 recommendations, Ms. Pinto said the practice of plea bargaining should be clearly regulated in legislation, defendants should never be pressured into pleading guilty and should be informed in a language they understand of all the consequences and implications of pleading guilty.

While urging the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the report said the authorities should study the backlog of tribunals and analyse the causes of judicial delays to design a comprehensive plan to improve the efficiency of the administration of justice, legislation should be urgently amended to allow every person arrested or detained to have access to a lawyer of his or her choice from the moment of arrest, an independent special office should be established to handle the prosecution of State officials and urgent measures should be taken to allow people from different sectors of society to be part of the justice system and to have access to it.

A code of conduct for judges, in line with international standards such as the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, should be set up. The Attorney-Generals appointment should be clearly set out in law and include objective selection criteria, any impeachment procedure should be regulated by a law passed by Parliament, the composition of the Constitutional Council should balance the number of politicians with representation from civil society, the Constitutional Council should set out and publish its rules of procedures, including the criteria used to evaluate candidates suitability for a given position, which should be scrupulously and consistently applied, were among the recommendations.(Lahiru Pothmulla)
From left to right - Ryoichi Hayakawa Striders Corporation , Takeshi Hompo - President Director Chuo Senko, Jayomi Lokuliyana - Co-founder/CEO zMessenger, Janaka Rupasinghe - Co-founder/Director zMessenger

zMessenger, multiple-award winning full service digital marketing agency in Sri Lanka, has entered into a partnership with Japanese Veteran Advertising Agency Network- Chuo Senko to expand its Digital Marketing Technology and Services into the ASEAN region. The agreement for this partnership was signed recently at the zMessengers Head Office in Colombo 02.

Chuo Senko has decades of experience in creative advertising with a client portfolio that includes global brands such as Honda, Hitachi, Aeon-Tokyo Department Store, is in digital acceleration drive to cater to its growing client digital demands. With zMessenger partnership, Chuo Senko gets access expertise and experience of innovative digital marketing firm in the Asian region.

Commenting on the tie-up, Takeshi Hompo  President Director of Chuo Senko (Indonesia) stated, Todays advertising business requires hybrid solutions as clients demand a mix of traditional media as well as digital and mobile marketing. With our decades of experience, we are very solid in carrying out campaigns for traditional media but we are temporary short-on the expertise of digital and mobile media. Thanks to our tie-up with zMessenger, we are now fully-geared to break down barriers and provide an effective hybrid solution that I am sure will have tremendous success with our clientele.

With the inking of the agreement, zMessenger will be able to take its novel stack of MarTech (Marketing Tech) platforms involving AI driven Programmatic Ad buying, Virtual Reality and IoT Solutions to the regional level by collaborating with the two companies as they pitch 360-degree solutions to companies in Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand Cambodia, Myanmar and Japan.

zMessenger and Chuo-Senko being veterans in the Digital marketing and Creative advertising will work with progressive global clients where digital is found everywhere in their customer journeys. zMessenger will combine its 14 year experience in the creation and execution of dynamic mobile and digital campaign strategies with cutting edge MarTech involving Data Analytics , Artificial Intelligence, IoT and Virtual Reality to create extraordinary platform to deliver world-leading brand experiences that are digitally led, data-driven and multi-channel.

Jayomi Lokuliyana- zMessengers Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said Combining the cultural influence, core values of innovation and deep consumer insights with the global caliber of Chuo Senko gives access to Global stage for Digital Innovation

zMessenger has built a reputation for its innovative approach and its commitment in transforming the digital marketing landscape of Sri Lanka, empowering local organizations to keep up with the rapid pace of evolution witnessed around the world. It leverages efficient and innovative digital expertise to create cutting-edge IT-enabled business solutions and mobile strategies across a vast range of industries that includes banking and finance, FMCG, manufacturing, real-estate, mass media, government and aviation.

Since inception, zMessenger has been awarded numerous accolades for its innovative solutions. Most recently, during 2016, the company was presented with the Best Digital Marketing and Social Media Company South Asia award at the South Asian Partnership Summit (SAPS) & Business Awards. Additionally, Jayomi Lokuliyana CEO/Co-Founder of the company, won the Best Female entrepreneur in South Asia by South Asian Business Partnership Awards.

Established in Japan in 1957, Chuo Senko is a global advertising agency network spread across several ASEAN countries including Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The company provides 360 degree marketing services which covers research, strategic planning, creative development, media buying, event planning & operation, digital and CI design & retail shop development.

Expressing her views about the partnership, Jayomi Lokuliyana stated, In keeping with our 2017 theme of Going for Greatness, I am proud to state that we have successfully mapped out a route to expand our expertise in the international stage by tying up with respected agency network. While them being veterans in the advertising field, we are a new generation digital capability partner. Together, I am confident that we will be able to supplement each others synergies and come up with world-class innovative solutions and applications for their clientele, most of whom are large global brands.
My very first memory is of words. I remember looking at the spine of a book and the alphabet turned into words. Words turned into language. It was such a thrilling moment that I held that knowledge to myself. It was the first secret I kept.

Later I wondered if this was perhaps a learned memory  a gift I gave to an intractable middle child with a disturbing penchant for brutal honesty. In fact, I seemed born to angst. I didnt have much time for people and their peculiarities. I wanted to be left alone to live in a world of my making. And books gave those dreams wings.

Every birthday my mother and I would walk down to a rather ambitiously named books and stationery store called Elite. There I would select six hardcover books. Given that I had spent the last year mentally stocking my library, you would think it wouldnt take us too much time. But it did. I would caress each book, stick my nose in each page to inhale the smell of paper, and then insist on having each one gift wrapped, individually.

Only when I finished one would I unwrap the other. It made me feel as if I had a birthday all year long. And attending my party were Elizabeth Bennet, Emma, Mr Darcy, Lorna Doone, Edmond Dantes, and Amyas Leigh. For as long as I can remember, these books were my best friends.

Families are layered, complicated beasts. Mine was no different. It didnt help that I grew into a rebellious, recalcitrant teen. One particularly difficult summer, our lives reached a crisis point when most of my family had to rush to the UK  my father needed open heart surgery.

We were left in the custody of a kind aunt, but I chose to interpret it as abandonment. I locked myself in my grandfathers study in protest. Lined with bookshelves and overwhelmed with a Burma teak desk, it was the only room that no one had laid claim on. And that is when something inexplicably, magically changed. Through literature I chanced upon the stories of my family. In a way that had never been accessible to me.

I came across my mothers collection of Georgette Heyer novels. It is here that I fell in love with fashion. Heyer spends a lot of time describing clothes. A stickler for accuracy about the Regency period, she also introduced me to Beau Brummell, the original dandy. My grandmother, on the other hand, was the original aesthete.

She had a large collection of leatherbound books  I like to think she admired the way they looked and hadnt read them.

A quote from The Catcher in the Rye.

The keeper of the familys morality, her books ran from Desiree by Annemarie Selinko, the biography of Napoleans first love, alongside The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall.

Banned at the time of its publication in 1928, this was one of the most controversial lesbian novels of the time, despite its really chaste nature. My grandfather, the war hero of the 1971 Bangladesh War, had his army books. His newspaper clippings of the war.

His briefing tapes. I fell in love with history and the people who made it. But the books that changed my life were my uncles. KM left home when I was very young  he decided to travel the world with $7 in his pocket. By the time he came back, he had an Afro and had changed his faith and his name.

My hero had become this man I didnt recognise. Until I found his books. Jean-Paul Sartres Intimacy, The Words, The Age of Reason. Albert Camus The Outsider, The Plague, A Happy Death. Simone de Beauvoirs The Second Sex.

Throw in Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and JD Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, and KMs missing years were gifted to me as I journeyed with him. Literally. He had this habit of inscribing the date and the train station where he bought the book. Books showed me how to feel. They werent just about thought. They were my emotion.

It was a strange summer. Lonely. And long. And then my father came back well. But even before they returned I had found my family. I had also found myself. I had the books. Always the books.
The Chief of Army Staff has announced early induction of women in combat role. So far, they have been inducted only in support corps like medical, education, ordnance and signals. The Indian Air Force, which inducted women in ground duty role and as helicopter pilots over a decade ago, has recently inducted three women fighter pilots.

It is, however, the central armed forces like the CRPF which took lead by inducting women in combat role almost 25 years ago. The service conditions of these women personnel mostly deployed or posted in cities are better.

The BSF recently inducted Sonali Mishra, an IPS officer, as the frontier commander of Kashmir, the first woman officer to do so in the history of BSF. Two other women IPS officers earlier inducted never went to field.

Induction of women IPS officers at higher supervisory roles does not pose any challenge either for the organisation or for the individual because they would mostly remain confined to headquarters. The only challenge for them is to overcome the resentment of male subordinates, especially because the deputationist does not have even the elementary knowledge of border guarding/management.

The BSF being under operational control of the Army, the command of Kashmir frontier does not pose any operational difficulties. The toughest that will be expected of Mishra will involve a few visits to the forward defended localities in helicopter and in all likelihood, she would be posted to Delhi after a symbolic stay of a few months in Srinagar.

Challenges however lie ahead for young Tanushree Pareek who recently passed out of the BSF academy as the first woman field (combat) officer of the BSF. The event that largely went unnoticed in the media is a landmark in the 51-year history of the BSF.

Her commitment to the force is reflected in the fact that she consciously chose to give a go-by to the civil services interview in preference to service in the BSF. This heartening gesture should serve as an example to those male candidates who are declining to join the BSF as officers due to harsh service conditions and bleak career prospects.

Tanushree must be conscious of the fact that the life for a field officer in BSF is tough and she will have to spend at least the first 15 years of service in forward locations, where facilities for even men are limited and may be almost non-existent for women. For most part, she will have to lead a lonely life as families cannot stay at border outposts (BOPs).

Being the only woman officer so far, her work will require extensive travelling to supervise the functioning of women constabulary who are deployed all over the countrys border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. She will have to display maturity much beyond her age and function as a friend, philosopher and guide to the constabulary. She will also have to work harder in this male dominated organisation to prove her credentials as a leader.

That the young lady shows promise of living up to these challenges lies in the fact that she was selected over 66 of her male colleagues to command the passing out parade after having excelled in the training.

BSF, the first line of defence, had been feeling the necessity of inducting women, after the erection of a fence along borders as the women folk going across the fence for work could not be frisked by male constables. Ad-hoc arrangement of requisitioning services of ladies from nearby villages was not proving to be effective.

Women were thus finally inducted in the BSF in combat role in 2008, when 637 women constables were recruited. The number of women constables here over the years has risen to about 4,500. It is set to rise to 15 per cent of the total strength of the force. Initially deployed in Punjab, they are now spread over Rajasthan and Bengal borders also.

The male psyche of the organisation received a tectonic jolt upon their induction. The first to be jolted out of their comfort zone were the instructors at the training centre in Punjab. They had to unlearn many things that they were used to while training male constables.

The shortage of accommodation, toilets and other facilities which is endemic in the force had to be made up because women couldnt have been accommodated or expected to go for their daily chores in makeshift tents. Prefabricated huts were thus created overnight. The women did exceedingly well in training and were found to be much more meticulous and hard-working.

Their deployment for duties at BOPs also posed some logistical problems. They had to be deployed in groups and infrastructure had to be created on the BOPs catering to the special needs of privacy and comfort. Initially they could not be deployed at the border for the night so arrangements were made for them to commute from unit headquarters. Even now, they are mostly retained as guards for BOPs at night and not sent out on the border.

Their induction has also brought a realisation in the organisation about gender-related matters and there is increased emphasis on sensitising their male counterparts about issues. Overall, the induction of women constabulary in BSF has enhanced operational efficiency of the organisation. It has also had a sobering effect on the male constabulary.

The leaders however have to plan for the future. After about 10 years in the force, many of the women constables would be in the process of raising a family, which means prolonged absence from duty on maternity leave, etc. This also implies that these girls will have to be stationed at headquarters where reasonable facilities exist for child and medical care.

This in turn will deplete the bayonet strength at BOPs, thus leading to the problem of proper border management. Thus, some of the male constables at headquarters will have to be replaced and sent to BOPs to make up the strength and employ them gainfully at headquarters.

The BSF being the first line of defence, also has a war-time role. How these women combatants will be employed during a war-like situation is another aspect that the commanders have to consider and plan for. Presently, they are not sent for deployment on remote forward defended localities (FDLs) and in anti-insurgency/militant role.

I wish to end with a word of caution and state that the leaders must desist from the tendency to use women constables as trophies. For example, the BSF has started using them for the retreat drill at the Attari/Wagah border. These women are also diverted for several ceremonial functions like a platoon being used for the annual raising day parade or several of them being withdrawn from the border for participation in cultural events related to BSF wives welfare organization, etc.
 Flash

China and Greece have agreed to boost cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative.

China-Greece relations have witnessed steady progress in recent years with frequent high-level visits, substantial economic and trade cooperation and increasing people-to-people exchanges, Chinese official Han Zheng told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday.

Han, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, said this year marks the 45th anniversary for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and China is willing to work with Greece to bring the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Han said China is willing to align the two countries' development strategies and promote practical cooperation in all fields through the Belt and Road Initiative.

He said the CPC attaches great importance to the development of relations with Tsipras' Syriza party and wishes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, contributing to Sino-Greek ties.

Tsipras said Greece attaches great importance to its relations with China and wish to take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to further advance dialogue and cooperation with China in fields such as development and global governance.

He said Syriza party is willing to enhance communication with the CPC on ideas of party and state governance in order to yield more practical results in the two countries' cooperation in all fields.

Han led a Chinese delegation for a visit to Greece from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of the country's ruling Syriza party.

During the visit, Han also held talks with Greek Parliamentary Speaker Nikos Voutsis and Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis, and oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation between Athens and Shanghai.

He also attended New Oriental Chinese Music Scene concert dedicated to the 45th anniversary of Greece-China diplomatic relations and visited the Piraeus port project managed by China COSCO Shipping.
On Saturday, June 17, Community Conversations returns to the subject of Climate Change. Douglas Owens-Pike will be giving a presentation at the Menomonie Public Library from 1-3 p.m. He will present his perspective about how individuals can prepare for the impending crisis caused by climate change.

His expertise in landscape design is focused on reduced care requirements, saving energy and preparing for climate disruption. He will be presenting information from three books, Drawdown  The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken, The New Grand Strategy: Restoring Americas Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century by Mark Mykleby, Patrick Doherty, and Joel Makower, and Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heart Land by Miriam Horn.

Drawdown describes the 100 most substantive solutions to global warming. It presents hands on practices and techniques. This is the story of engaged citizens from around the world.

The New Grand Strategy presents a business plan for America that combines economic analysis with information on demographic shifts, climate change and resource scarcity. This book looks beyond partisan rhetoric to a clear path for a better future.

Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman is about five Americans whose stories show the challenges posed by a changing climate and teach that the solutions must be grounded on humanity as well as science. Protagonists do not brand themselves environmentalists, but recognize the need to safeguard our land. This book has inspired a documentary film which is narrated by Tom Brokaw.
MADISON  It was symbolic of changing times in the states early stage investment world that seven managers of new funds took the stage to open the 15th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference.

The next day as the conference closed, about 30 investors got together to talk about companies they are helping to finance  and to pitch their colleagues on why they should consider putting dollars into the deals, too.

The early stage investing scene in Wisconsin is getting more robust, although Wisconsin remains in no danger of overtaking California, Massachusetts or New York as a venture capital hub.

In fact, if Wisconsin were to match a typical years angel and venture capital activity in Michigan, Utah or Colorado, that alone would be an accomplishment.

The latest Wisconsin Portfolio, an annual report by the Wisconsin Technology Council, provides statistical evidence of what many observers of the early stage economy already suspected. There are more deals taking place in Wisconsin as more promising, high-growth companies are launched.

The Wisconsin Portfolio showed that investments in early stage companies  startups and other companies in their early years  have nearly doubled over five years, from 74 in 2012 to 137 in 2016.

At least 137 Wisconsin companies raised investment capital last year, up 7 percent from 2015. Those same companies raised a total of $276.2 million. The five largest deals exceeded $10 million each; 53 companies raised $1 million or more (up from 46 in 2015); and the average deal size was $2 million, up from $1.6 million in the previous year.

The 25 percent jump in average deal size was one of several indicators that companies raised money far beyond the friends, family and founders stage in 2016.

Wisconsin has been a strong angel capital state since 2005, when Wisconsins Qualified New Business Venture program and its affiliated tax credits for investors was enacted. That program has since been emulated in dozens of states.

Until recently, angel investors claimed most of the credits because they were doing the hard work of finding young companies that needed early cash. In 2016, about half of the state credits went to angels and half to venture capital firms, which indicated many of those young companies have matured enough to attract what investors call Series A money.

For 39 percent of early stage companies that secured funding in 2016, it was their first time doing so. For 61 percent of emerging companies that raised money last year, it was at least their second time at the dance.

Beyond the report, which was based on public data, announced deals and a survey of investors, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Wisconsin is no longer a flyover state when it comes to investment capital.

The seven funds represented in the opening session of the conference have all come on the scene within the past year: The Idea Fund of La Crosse, the Winnebago Seed Fund, Rock River Capital Partners, Bascom Ventures, CMFG Ventures, NM Future Ventures and 30Ventures. They vary in fund size, scope and sectors of interest, but each manager reported seeing higher-quality companies emerging in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.

In late 2004, the Tech Council became the home for what was then called the Wisconsin Angel Network. It had six members. Today, the Tech Council Investor Networks tracks more than 40 networks or funds in Wisconsin.

Along with most of the nation, Wisconsin is still an also-ran when it comes to venture capital.

During a conference discussion on the idea of a corporate fund of funds for Wisconsin, John Neis of Madison-based Venture Investors noted than 82 percent of all venture capital under management can be found in three states: California, Massachusetts and New York. The challenge, agreed Neis and Dan Einhorn of Milwaukee-based Capital Midwest Fund, is to become a leader among states that lie within the coasts.

In Michigan, for example, the 2008 creation of a private corporate fund of funds to attract outside VCs has elevated that state from flyover status to top 10 in many categories.

More young companies in Wisconsin are finding angel and venture capital than ever before. Increasingly, out-of-state investors are finding Wisconsin. In a competitive national landscape, however, theres still a lot of room for growth.
Documentary Screening of 'Set Free Posse: Jesus Freaks, Biker Gang, or Christian Cult?'

Contact: David Trotter, 949-335-2925



ANAHEIM, Calif., June 13, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pastor Phil Aguilar and Director David Trotter are hosting a pre-release screening of Set Free Posse: Jesus Freaks, Biker Gang, or Christian Cult? at 6:00PM on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at Starlight Cinema City Theatres at 5635 East LaPalma Avenue in Anaheim, California. Tickets are $10 per person and must be purchased in advance due to limited seating.



Set Free Posse is a feature-length documentary on the heart and history of Set Free Church and its founder Pastor Phil Aguilar. Founded in 1982 in Anaheim, California, Set Free Church quickly grew because of its unorthodox outreach style including rap, hip-hop, low-riders, and a motorcycle club as well as a weekly show on Trinity Broadcasting Network. While thousands point to Set Free as the starting point of their salvation, Calvary Chapel, Pastor Oden Fong, and a number of cult experts readily labeled the church a 'cult' and warned Christians around the world to avoid associating with the Set Free churches that Pastor Phil Aguilar was helping to start.



"We've spent the last year researching the movement of Set Free churches, scouring archive footage, and interviewing key players," said David Trotter, Director of the documentary film. "Although Phil Aguilar may be a flamboyant character, it's absolutely clear that he as impacted thousands upon thousands of lives for the positive."



The two-hour documentary film follows the rise and fall of the ministry through never-before-seen archive footage and 50+ current-day interviews with Pastor Phil Aguilar and many at the center of this worldwide movement. A number of former leaders from Set Free Church, Calvary Chapel, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the Los Angeles Dream Center were unwilling to participate in the filming.



"No pastor has ever dared to let his whole family tell the real story about his life," said Pastor Phil Aguilar, who is turning 70 years old this year. "This is the good, bad, and ugly story of how God can use a rascal like me to help black sheep come to Jesus."



Tuesday, July 11th Schedule of Events:

6:00PM  Red carpet photos.



6:15PM  Welcome by Pastor Phil Aguilar and Director David Trotter



6:30PM  Screening of Set Free Posse



8:30PM  30-minute Q&A session.

To watch the trailer and purchase tickets, visit www.setfreefilm.com.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
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New Delhi: Infosys has flagged actions by "activist shareholders" as a risk factor, which could potentially require the company to incur significant legal fees and public relations costs.

In its annual filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Infosys said such activities could interfere with the company's ability to execute its strategic plan. Over the past few months, the country's second largest software services firm has been battling allegations by co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and other former senior executives of falling corporate governance standards.

"Responding to actions by activist shareholders can divert the attention of our board of directors, management and our employees and disrupt our operations," Infosys said in the filing. The company, however, did not name any such shareholder. "This may also require us to incur significant legal fees and public relations costs. The perceived uncertainties as to our future direction could affect client and investor sentiment, resulting in volatility in the price of our securities," it warned.

The Bengaluru-based firm also highlighted that negative media coverage and public scrutiny may divert the time and attention of its board and management and adversely affect the prices of its equity shares and ADS. ADS or American depositary share is a US dollar-denominated equity share of a foreign-based company available for purchase on an American stock exchange.

Besides, the company has stated that any restrictions on immigration may affect its ability to compete for and provide services to clients in locations like the US and Europe. The filing noted that the issue of organisations outsourcing work to Indian IT firms has become a topic of political discussion in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Australia and other regions. "Our reliance on work visas for a significant number of technology professionals makes us particularly vulnerable to such changes and variations," Infosys said.

It added that many of these changes are making it more difficult to obtain timely visas and resulting in increased expenses. "These changes could negatively affect our ability to utilise current employees to fulfil existing or new projects and could also result in higher operating expenses," the filing said.
As per rules laid down by BCAS, use of AEP during non-duty hours is a violation of rule 90 of Aircraft Rules, 1934 and rule 18 of Aircraft Security Rule, 2011.

Mumbai: In a bid to curb instances of security breach, private carrier Jet Airways has warned its employees of disciplinary action if they "misuse" passes that allow them access to airports.

In an internal communication, Jet Airways has told its employees that Airport Entry Passes (AEPs) should be used only for official purposes and not during off-hours and for seeing off relatives.

"Any employee found to be at airport wearing AEP when rostered off or pre/post shift times or violating the above rules specified by the BCAS or/and under published rules of sovereign function such as immigration, customs and CISF, the AEP of that employee will be confiscated and strict disciplinary action will be initiated," said the internal circular.

Airport entry passes-- issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)-- allow airport access to airline crew, ground staff, engineers, security personnel and other individuals.

As per rules laid down by BCAS, use of AEP during non-duty hours is a violation of rule 90 of Aircraft Rules, 1934 and rule 18 of Aircraft Security Rule, 2011.

The airline has also instructed its employees to use designated gates for entry and exit.

When contacted, a Jet Airways spoksperson refused to comment offhand on the issue.

In order to strengthen security at airports, BCAS is in the process of mandating biometric identification for airport entry or exit purposes.

A BCAS official had recently said that the biometric system was likely to be in place in another 2-3 months time.

However, the state-run national airports operator AAI has sought 18 months time to be able to execute the biometric access control system across the 43 airports, the official said.

The AAI awarded Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) more than Rs 110 crore worth contract last year for providing biometric access control system at its airports.
Built by Transparency International Ukraine, Prozorro.Sale aims to help reduce the loss of funds during the procurement of items, according to the firm.

Hyderabad: Prozorro.Sale  an Ukrainian e-procurement platform for government tender backed by a central database  on Tuesday piped 18 other startups to win the Hyderabad leg of the Citi Tech for Integrity (T4I) Challenge.

T4I  a global program from leading bank Citi  encourages startups from around the world to create solutions for the public sector. Built by Transparency International Ukraine, Prozorro.Sale aims to help reduce the loss of funds during the procurement of items, according to the firm.

While India may have shifted to an e-procurement platform, the company claims that in comparison to its platform the one India uses is quite basic.

T4I India, which was supported by the ministry of electronics and information technology, the digital India foundation, and several private sector companies such as IBM, Microsoft, MasterCard, PwC, Facebook, Lets Talk Payments and Wipro, said the T4I winners from the six demos will get an aggregate of $5.5 million worth of cash and non-cash prizes.

Meanwhile Crediwatch Information Analytics, which won the special award from the Telangana government and the Peer Choice Award for its product that verifies data, is likely to be rolled out in Telangana soon.

The Audience Choice award went to Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy for its citizen-driven reporting platform on bribery.
New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO has enrolled over 82 lakh new subscribers under its Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017 started on January 1 this year.

Under the scheme, the employers got the opportunity to file the declaration of unregistered employees under the EPFO Act, with a nominal fine of Re 1 per annum on account of damages. According to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) statement, "82,01,533 workers enrolled as on May 31, 2017 under the Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017." "With the enrolment of over 82 lakh subscribers under the scheme, now the total number of contributing members is about 4.5 crore," EPFO Central Provident Fund Commissioner V P Joy told PTI.

Asked about extending the campaign beyond June 30, 2017, Joy said, "There is absolutely no chance to extend it as it was for six months. There is no proposal to extend the scheme also." The campaign was launched earlier to encourage employers to voluntarily come forward and declare details of all such employees who were entitled for membership between April 1, 2009 and December 31, 2016 under EPF & MP Act 1952, but could not be enrolled.

Initially, the scheme was for three months till March 31, 2017 but later it was extended till June 30, 2017. Under the scheme, the employees share of contribution, if declared by the employer as not deducted, shall stand waived. Besides, the damages to be paid by the employer in respect of the employees for whom declaration has been made under this campaign is paid at the rate of Re 1 per annum.

Moreover, no administrative charges are collected from the employer in respect of the contribution made under the declaration. Under the scheme, a declaration can be made under the campaign for the period till June 2017, for which no enquiry under section 7A is initiated.

The EPFO also said that for the benefit of international workers, new instructions have been issued to all field functionaries regarding COC (Certificate of Coverage). The employer is advised to submit the application form for COC one month in advance and the COC is issued prior to departure of the employee from India.

Also, the COC period should not exceed 60 months or the specified period in the social security agreement with that country. COC should not be issued for a period which commence much later than date of posting of the Indian worker in the host country for employment, it said.

There should not be any overlapping of the period of coverage. There should not be gaps when more than one COC is issued to the same posted worker as these results in lack of Social Security coverage during the gaps, it added.

It said that the EPFO e-court Management System launched on May 16, 2017 with objective of having a transparent and electronic case management system. All per/evidence/documents can be filed online and the status can also be viewed online. The body further said that the claim settlement period has been reduced to 10 days from 20 days and grievance redressal period is reduced to 15 days from 20 days.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will address businessmen from leading companies and institutional investors during a two-day visit to South Korea beginning tomorrow.

As part of the visit, industry body Ficci, along with Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is organising a seminar, where Jaitley will address businessmen from leading companies and SMEs as well as corporate and institutional investors. The seminar will focus on the key achievements of the government and long-term investment opportunities in India. "Indo-Korean relations have been growing over the past few years and this visit shall further strengthen mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the two countries," Ficci said in a statement.

A business delegation led by Ficci Senior Vice President Rashesh Shah is accompanying Jaitley to South Korea. The delegation will get an opportunity to highlight the progress made across various development programmes and measures taken by the government to steer the economy towards the higher growth path. It will also highlight the potential areas for further co-operation, especially in areas like manufacturing, ship-building, defence, infrastructure, among others.

"India remains an attractive investment destination in the world. This visit to South Korea will provide a good opportunity for CEOs to talk about the enabling policy environment available for corporates in India as well as to highlight the advantages that India offers to foreign investors," Shah said.
New Delhi: Reduction in GST rates on jobwork of textile yarn and fabric manufacturing to 5 per cent from 18 per cent will give a leg-up to SMEs in power loom, knitting and processing sectors, CITI today said.

According to Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) J Thulasidharan, reduction of service tax on job work would bring relief to the textile industry from the extra burden as bulk of the work is with SMEs and

carried on through job works.

A job work involves a manufacturer sending goods out of the factory for specialised processing job without having to pay taxes. The move "would now help SMEs of power loom, knitting and processing sectors not to face much financial burden", he said in a statement.

Job work in the textile sector is taken as services and was subject to 18 per cent goods and services tax (GST), he said. Under such situation, the manufacturer who does not have integrated composite units to complete the process of embroidery, printing and finishing as per the market requirements would have been in a great loss, Thulasidharan added.

He also welcomed the decision of the GST Council for increasing turnover from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 75 lakh under the composition scheme for traders and manufacturers. This is seen as helping MSMEs grow their business and carry out their activities efficiently.

However, the chairman suggested reduction in GST on speciality textile fabrics, man-made fibres and yarns.
Mumbai: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha has said that the proposed international airport in Purnadar in Pune will open new area of growth for the city. He was speaking at "It's India's Turn Now", a lecture organised at Pune International Centre on Monday.

The land we have received from the Air Force will let us build a new parking area, and help in managing the traffic flow. It will also let us build a new terminal," Sinha told indianexpress.com.

Pune has witnessed a 25 per cent annual growth in aviation traffic ove rpast few years. According to Sinha, India currently has 6.8 million flyers. "The number is expected to touch 8 million by next year," he said.

To handle that kind of air traffic, civil aviation should be ready for that, Sinha added. Construction of a new airport is a huge task that takes around six or seven years to complete. Right from acquisition of land to rehabilitation of the project-affected is a lot of work to do, Sinha added.

According to Sinha, Indias Gross domestic product (GDP) is currently growing at 7 per cent. "If we look at it in the context of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), Indias economy is worth 9.5 trillion dollars. In the next decade, it will contribute 11 trillion dollars to the world economy."
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank today said it has inked an information exchange agreement with the Czech National Bank.

The Reserve Bank (RBI) said it has executed the Letter of Cooperation (LoC) on 'Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information' with the Czech National Bank. The LoC was exchanged between Vladimir Tomsik, Vice

Governor on behalf of Czech National Bank and S S Mundra, Deputy Governor, RBI.

RBI has established memoranda of understanding (MoUs), LoCs and statement of cooperation with many countries to promote greater cooperation and share supervisory information. With this, RBI has signed 40 such MoUs, two LoCs and one statement of cooperation.
The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of over Rs 8 lakh crore, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks.

Mumbai: Clamping down on bad loans, the RBI on Tuesday identified 12 accounts for insolvency proceedings with each of them having over Rs 5,000 crore of outstanding loans, accounting for 25 per cent of total NPAs of banks.

The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of over Rs 8 lakh crore, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks.

These 12 accounts would qualify for immediate reference under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the RBI said. The central bank, however, did not name the defaulters.

The RBI had set up an Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) to advise it with regard to the cases that may be considered for reference for resolution under the IBC.

The RBI said the IAC recommended for IBC reference of all accounts with fund and non-fund based outstanding amo-unt greater than Rs 5,000 crore, with 60 per cent or more classified as non-performing by banks as of March 31, 2016.

The IAC noted that under the recommended criterion, 12 accounts totalling about 25 per cent of the current gross NPAs of the banking system would qualify for immediate reference under IBC, the RBI said.

The RBI, based on the recommendations of the IAC, will accordingly be issuing directions to banks to file for insolvency proceedings under the IBC in respect of these accounts.
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have worked in several films before.

Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan said he and his wife, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, are still in early talks regarding filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's upcoming production.

Recently, Aishwarya had confirmed that the duo was approached by Kashyap to star in a film titled 'Gulab Jamun', to be directed by Sarvesh Mewara.

When asked about the status of the project, Abhishek told reporters on Sunday night here, "That film is not Anurag's film. It is by a new director and he (Anurag) will be producing it. We are still discussing it.

"We can't announce anything yet. I have always maintained that it is better if the film's producer announces it,"

Abhishek said during an event to celebrate 20 years of 'Border'.

The film was directed by JP Dutta, who also gave Abhishek his Bollywood break with the 2000 drama 'Refugee'.

"After few months of the release of 'Border', JP saab came to me and offered me my first film. I am here as an actor today because of him and JP films. I owe them everything," the 41-year-old actor said.

Asked about the trend of remakes and sequels, the 'Dhoom' actor said, "I think a film like 'Border' is still very fresh in everybody's minds, so it will be difficult to remake that. Today, sequels are in trend, but there is only one person who can make a sequel to 'Border' and it is JP sir. If he says no, then I guess there will be no sequels."

'Border', released in June 1997, had Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles.

The movie was based on the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
With yoga holidays becoming a trend now, coupled with World Yoga Day coming up next week, expat entrepreneur in the city, Aine Edwards, talks about organising a unique trip  a yoga retreat from Chennai to Ireland, where she teams up with her dad, Liam Edwards. Though planned for September, Aine has already chalked out the itinerary.

When you think of holidays, what comes to your mind is seeing different places, trying out the cuisine, interacting with locals, et al. But no one thinks of a yoga holiday! exclaims Aine.

Two years ago, when she worked as a scuba instructor in Maldives, Aine organised a yoga holiday to the island country. While I was working, I realised that though people are holidaying, they are not enjoying the vacation to the fullest. That sparked off an idea in me to combine vacations with complete mind-relaxation techniques. Since I am passionate about yoga, I organised a trip with six people who came on board, she reminisces.

Though one has a lot of memories to cherish from holidays, what Aine aims to do is to provide benefit to people from the holidays  During a holiday, most of us will be tired of constantly travelling from one place to another without time to relax. They continuously think of the next days plan and how to utilise the time, etc. So, I want to take people on holidays where they benefit as well as visit places... half the day will be spent reflecting, while the other half will be spent touring around, she says, adding, Tourists normally think of a yoga holiday in India, but why not do the reverse  take a group from India to Ireland, for a retreat on the scenic coastline!

So, why Ireland? She smiles, Its my hometown. Plus, the weather is amazing in Ireland. Its not necessary that we should do yoga only in India. It can be done anywhere that enhances mindfulness. The place I am planning to take people is a farmhouse in Ireland  a very quiet place with less pollution. The place is also very conducive for healing.

The yoga holiday will be in September, for a group of 10, including yoga teacher, Shantala T. Medappa, from Coorg. I have chalked out the 10-day holiday itinerary. The first two days in Cork, next two in Dublin, and a six-day yoga retreat at an Irish country, Aine concludes.

The father-daughter duo has already started planning on doing another yoga holiday in Maldives in 2018.
The 50-year-old who sells keema vada at Kottaimedu suffers from diabetes but his condition worsened and he had to get his foot amputated. (Photo: Facebook/IndianStreetFood)

There are many people who can barely afford their medical expenses but sometimes good Samaritans come to their aid by donating money for their treatment just in time. Recently, the story of a Tamil man unable to afford his leg amputation expenses went viral on social media and now people have come together to collect enough money to help him out in an inspiring tale.

Coimbatore-based vada seller Javed Khan suffers from diabetes but his condition worsened and he had to get his foot amputated. Unfortunately, for him, it was a task to arrange for the money because he didnt earn as much to afford the surgery. Aravind, a regular at his stall decided to visit Javed after his shop was closed for over two weeks when he got to know about his plight.

The story of the 50-year-old who sells keema vada at Kottaimedu was shared by filmmaker Aravind and has got over 4,000 shares. People have gone all out to help him cover the costs of his operation along with the school fees of his two children. He has now received over 1.5 lakh from his regular customers as well as people from Dubai and other places.
Family members suspected that she was a victim of some black magic, and took her to a quack in Bidar district. (Photo: Representational/ File)

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old girl from Latur district of Maharashtra was beaten up and forced to eat cow dung by a `Mantrik' as a remedy for her sickness.

The incident came to light when video of the proceedings went viral on a messaging app. A case has been registered against six persons including the girl's father and the `Mantrik' (quack) at Chakur police station in Latur district.

Vikas Naik, deputy superintendent of police, Chakur, told that an elderly woman is also an accused in the case. Police on Tuesday arrested Prabhakar Kesale (35), Gangadhar Shewale (65), Pandit Kore (37) and Dagadu Shewale (40), while a team has been sent to Bidar district of Karnataka to nab the quack.

The girl, a first year BA student, suffered from perennial stomach ache, DSP Naik said. Family members suspected that she was a victim of some black magic, and took her to a quack in Bidar district on June 4. Another woman from the same village, who suffered from from epilepsy, accompanied her.

At Bidar, as a part of so-called treatment, both were beaten up mercilessly and forced to eat cow dung. One of the accused shot video of the proceedings on

mobile phone. Police took action after some senior police officers received forwarded video on their phones.

Latur police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman Evils and Aghori Practise and Black Magic Act, 2013.
Jammu and Kashmir police detain JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik while he was going for a joint separatist meeting in Srinagar on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Srinagar: The security forces on Monday foiled an attempt made by a heavily armed militants to storm a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Sumbal, about 25-km north of Srinagar, after killing all the four members of a fidayeen squad.

CRPF deputy inspector general M. Dinakaran said that the militants kept firing as they tried to enter the camp.

But the attack was effectively repulsed by the CRPF sentry and the Sumbal Police, Dinakaran said.

Destroy camps too, ultras told

Terror outfits operating in Kashmir have been directed to not only kill security personnel, but also destroy their camps and facilities. This seems to be the new mandate given to subversive elements as has been revealed during preliminary investigations into the fidayeen (suicide) attack on CRPFs Sumbal camp in Bandipora in the wee hours of Monday.

The heavily armed militants tried to enter the 45 Battalion headquarters of the CRPF at Sumbal in Bandipore district after cutting the wire fencing and shooting at the sentry, officials said. They also lobbed several hand grenades to force their entry into the camp at around 4.10 am, security forces said.

Home ministry sources said they were surprised that the four heavily armed militants were carrying large quantity of petrol and other high inflammable material, which clearly shows their intention was to destroy not only the CRPF camp, but also an adjoining facility of the Jammu & Kashmir police. It was certain, sources added, that the attack was carried out by a module of the Lashkar-e-Tayeeba and while all four militants were killed no casualties were reported on part of the security forces.

In wake of revelations made in course of attack on the CRPF camp it has been decided that all facilities of security forces across Kashmir would better equipped to deal with instances of fire by installing high powered extinguishers and water tankers. Home minister Rajnath Singh, who complemented the CRPF for the operation, said that the militants had planned a prolonged siege and extensive damage as they were carrying dry rations.

The militants were armed with sophisticated weapons including AK-47 rifles, grenades and grenade launchers. Home ministry could hand over the case to the NIA for further probe, sources said.

Mr Singh said it was inspiring to see the CRPF men stay awake all night to maintain vigil. He praised the role of J&K police that promptly responded in providing assistance to CRPF personnel in eliminating the four militants.

Probes have showed that militants initially gained entry to the CRPF camp by cutting the barbed wire fencing and shooting at the guards on patrolling duty.

Senior security officials said that all camps and facilities of para-military forces, Army and the state police have been put on high alert as there was specific intelligence about militants being desperate to carry out a big terror attack on the forces following a sustained operation against militants across the Valley, in which as many as 14 have been killed, including chief of Hizbul Mujahideen Sabzar Bhat, have been killed in the past few days.

While our security personnel are maintaining high vigil at all camps, what is surprising is that this module of terrorists, who appear to be from Pakistan, was carrying huge quantity of petrol and other inflammable material. This shows a tactical shift in their strategy as the intention of militants is not to just kill our troops, but destroy our camps and facilities. Now that the Bandipora attack has thrown up a new aspect, adequate preventive measures would be put in place, a senior security official said.
New Delhi: The BJP will talk to all political parties to evolve a broad consensus on presidential nominee in the true spirit of democracy, senior Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

Naidu is part of a three-member committee formed on Monday by BJP president Amit Shah to hold consultations with BJP's allies as well as opposition parties on the presidential candidate for the upcoming poll.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh are the other two members of the BJP committee.

"We have started internal consultations. We are the ruling party and we have to take everyone on board and work towards evolving a broad consensus (for a presidential nominee) and seek their support," Naidu said.

Asserting that the exercise will be done in the "true spirit of democracy", he, however, "appealed to all that they should go by the mandate of the people which is for this government".

He also said that he had already spoken to the party chief and in coming days, they (all the committee members) would be talking to leaders of other political parties.
The bags were apparently manufactured for distribution in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in power. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Ahmedabad: Akhilesh Yadav may have lost power in Uttar Pradesh, but he can claim that he is ruling the roost in BJP-ruled Gujarat's Chhota Udepur.

For some 12,000 school bags distributed in government-run primary schools in this tribal-dominated district bear the picture of the Samajwadi Party leader.

The state education department has ordered an inquiry into how these bags ended up in Gujarat.

#WATCH Bags given to students at govt school in Chhota Udaipur reveal photo of Ex UP CM Akhilesh Yadav under stickers put on bags #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/hwIIUil7mK  ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

The school bags came with stickers of school enrolment drive of Gujarat government. However, beneath these stickers was a picture of a smiling Akhilesh Yadav.

The bags were distributed to students under the state government's `Shala Praveshotsav' programme, an annual drive to enrol students in class 1.

That they have Akhilesh's picture was first discovered by teachers at a school in Vasedi village when the stickers reading `Jilla Panchayat Shala Praveshotsav" came off.

District panchayat had procured 12,000 of these bags through an e-tender from a Surat-based company, said the district primary education officer Mahesh Prajapati.

Minister of state for education Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said an inquiry will be conducted and "action will be taken" against those responsible for this goof-up.

The bags were apparently manufactured for distribution in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in power. Opposition Congress took this opportunity to take a swipe at the BJP government.

"Instead of providing teachers, the government is distributing recycled bags of a former UP government by carrying out this drama of Shala Praveshotsav. It shows how serious the government is towards education," Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said.
New Delhi: Within hours of the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 26 in Washington DC in what will be his first visit to the U.S. since the Trump administration took charge, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka on Monday met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to discuss the IT industry's rising concerns over Mr Trump's review of the H1B visa programme under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the U.S., that have resulted in tighter visa norms in the US and layoffs in the sector.

The issues raised by Sikka in the 45-minute meeting, between Jaitley and the IT czar are expected to top the agenda when Prime Minister Modi meets the mercurial US leader. The visit takes place in the shadow of his biting comments on India while announcing U.S' withdrawal from the Paris Climate deal. India, he said, had made its participation "contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid."

Amid the awkwardness, the US State Department last week confirmed that PM Modi would travel to Washington later this month.

On Monday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement: "This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the U.S."

The two leaders have spoken on the phone at least three times. Apart from the H1B visa issue and the Paris climate deal, the menace of Pak-sponsored terrorism to which the U.S has turned a blind eye apart from Indo-US strategic cooperation including defence ties, India's NSG membership bid, increased Chinese assertiveness in Asia are the issues on the table when PM Modi meets US President Donald Trump on June 26. India-US ties blossomed under the Obama administration, which saw India as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia. Trump has focused on wooing China, seeing it as key to tackling regional problems.
New Delhi/Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh on Tuesday said farmers' suicides in the state are a result of family disputes and not because of debt in agriculture.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "There can be many personal reasons for suicide like family disputes and other reasons but we believe in a farmer who commits suicide due to debt in agriculture."

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala stated that the entire nation and party workers of the grand old party are trying their best to expose the BJP's 'anti farmers' mindset'.

Speaking to ANI, Surjewala said, "We totally reject the BJP's conspiracy and low comments on us. The entire nation and every Congress workers are trying their best to expose the saffron party's anti farmers' mindset. Be it Jyotiraditya, Digvijaya Singh or any MLA, every Congress men will fight in the forefront for the farmers. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, the BJP leaders should listen to the farmers."

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, earlier on Tuesday, was arrested under Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) near Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur.

Scindia, along with his supporters, was stopped from entering Mandsaur at Dhodar while en route to meet the kin of farmers' killed in police firing during an agitation.

Section 151 of the IPC refers to a situation wherein a person or persons knowingly join or continue in assembly of five or more persons after being commanded to disperse.

Speaking to the reporters, Scindia said, "144 laga hai to maine police ko kaha hai mai akele jaunga. Kaun rok sakta hai agar ek insaan akele jana chahta hai? (I have told the police that if I am charged with 144 then I will go alone. Who can stop if a person wants to go alone?)"

Gujarat's Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel, on Tuesday, was detained in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district, who had also come to visit the kin of farmers' killed in police firing.

Hardik led a violent movement in Gujarat last year over a demand for quotas for Patidars.

Mandsaur has become the epicentre of farmers' agitation over a demand for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

During the agitation, six farmers were gunned down by the police, thereby drawing criticism from political parties. The situation forced the district officials to impose Section 144, and restricted prominent personalities from visiting the violence-hit district.

A number of political leaders, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, and social activists, tried to visit Mandsaur but the police didn't let them enter the area.

The curfew has been lifted from Mandsaur, but prohibitory orders remain in place.

Meanwhile, the state government has issued a notification for the judicial probe of the Mandsaur violence. Retired Justice JK Jain will head the one-member judicial commission.
Chandigarh: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police on Monday arrested an inspector on the charge of drug trafficking and seized a large haul of drugs, arms and ammunition from his official quarters.

The raids were carried out in the morning at inspector Inderjit Singhs residence at the Jalandhar police lines, from where he was arrested, and his official quarters at Phagwara.

While drugs were seized from Phagwara, weapons were found at Jalandhar, STF chief and Additional Director General of Police, H S Sidhu, said at a press conference. We hope that with this arrest, we will be able to unearth a network of drug smugglers, he said.

Police seized 7 kgs of narcotics, including 4 kgs of heroin, one Italy-made 9 mm pistol, live cartridges of various calibres and Rs 16.50 lakh in cash.

The inspectors involvement in drug trafficking came to light when the STF, set up by the Congress government to tackle the drug menace in the state, was analysing cases pertaining to large recoveries of narcotics in the last five years.

Its sleuths discovered that Inderjit, as inspector, had seized a large amount of drugs in 2013-14.

But, a pattern was noticed in which most of the accused managed to get acquitted in cases where the inspector had himself carried out investigations and seized drugs.

They were repeatedly acquitted on the grounds that the inspector was not competent enough to investigate the case as he held the rank of head constable. The minimum rank under NDPS rules to investigate such cases is Assistant Sub Inspector, the STF chief said.

There was also a deliberate attempt to tamper with the evidence in several cases, he said, adding that there were glaring discrepancies in investigations, which appeared to be a deliberate attempt to favour the accused.

In 2013-14, Inderjeet was working as a Crime Investigation Agency inspector in Tarn Taran and had made recoveries of 20 kgs of heroin and 54 packets of poppy husk in three cases. In all these cases, the accused were acquitted, Sidhu said.

Then, STF referred these cases to IG, Border Range, Mukhwinder Singh, and the Tarn Taran SSP, who recommended criminal action against the inspector under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The STF chief refused to comment when asked if anyone had been shielding the accused.

Asked if any political link had come to the fore with this arrest, Sidhu said it was a matter of investigation. In case anything comes up, we will take action as per law, he added.

Meanwhile, Inderjits family members alleged that he was arrested at the behest of a senior police officer.

He (Inderjit) had a personal enmity with a senior police officer and that is why he was arrested. We will approach the DGP tomorrow and present him with the facts of the case. The house in Phagwara from where the recovery was made was not even in his name, claimed Nitin Chhabra, the inspectors son-in-law.
Citizens demanding accountability and scrutinising funds will hamper vested interests, which could be the reason behind the political reluctance to set up ward committees.

After the 2010 election, the BBMP promised to set up ward committees and involve citizens in governance. Seven years later, nothing has been achieved and these bodies, if they exist, comprise cronies and yes-men appointed by corporators. Citizens demanding accountability and scrutinising funds will hamper vested interests, which could be the reason behind the political reluctance to set up ward committees. Now, with the court-ordered deadline looming, activist groups are encouraging people to submit applications for membership by June 17, report Aknisree Karthik and Aksheev Thakur.

Earlier this week, an angry outcry began doing the rounds on Facebook: The BBMPs much-lauded plan to set up ward-committees and involve citizens in civic administration, was proposed in 2010, shortly after the election. Members of the Citizens Action Forum say that the plan, which was proposed in 2010 soon after the BBMP election, has made little headway on the ground. These ward committees were proposed to give citizens are more hands-on role in hyper-local governance, by making the corporator directly accountable to his electorate. The lack of effort to spread awareness combined with corporators seizing their opportunity to appoint yes-men and cronies, has made ward committees either liabilities or defunct organisations as far as citizen-driven governance is concerned.

Civic activists, who slam the BBMP for not having created awareness, even allege that members of ward committees are handpicked by the corporator himself.

The BBMP is divided into 198 wards, which means 1980 citizens on board in all. Not too many are aware of the existence of such a committee and even fewer know that they can be part of it too. Civic activists, who slam the BBMP for not having created awareness, even allege that members of ward committees are handpicked by the corporator himself.

"Lot of people are simply unaware of local government, the third tier that runs our city - the BBMP. A large number of citizens do not know which ward they belong to or the name of their corporator. I think BBMP has not done enough to create awareness and invite citizens to participate, said Srinivas Alavalli, coordinator of Citizens for Bengaluru.

The idea of ward committee, explained Alavilli, is to provide representation for public opinion and grievances in a formal setting. They help with the proper utilisation of available funds, prioritise works, monitor implementation and bring issues to the notice of the authorities concerned. They also help with the coordination between various agencies.

So whats standing in the way? Political will, Alavilli said at once. Several corporators have set up ward committees in the past, even before this court ruling. More people being allowed into the system, people who are likely to ask questions or scrutinise spending, will make it difficult for vested interests to thrive! It is a common opinion that this is why ward committees have not been set up, 25 years after they became part of the law.

Saying that the BBMP has failed totally in its attempt to create awareness about the High Court's order to set up ward committees, Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy of the Citizens Action Forum said, "People don't have a clue. Only a handful of informed citizens know about ward committees and how to apply to them. Even Resident Welfare Associations arent totally sure of the procedure.

Parthasarathy added that once ward committees are set up, citizens can exercise their right to question their corporator.

As per the HC order BBMP will be finalising ward committee list this week

 G Padmavathi BBMP Mayor

If more people get into the system via ward committees they will ask questions, scrutinise spending and make it difficult for vested interests.

 Mr Srinivas Alavalli, Citizens for Bengaluru

BBMP has failed totally in its attempt to create awareness about the High Court's order to set up ward committees.

 Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy Citizens Action Forum

What is a ward committee and what purpose does it serve?

A ward committee comprises a group of citizens from within the ward concerned. Their role is raise issues that plague the area and to keep track of corporator efforts to fix them. The purpose of the committee is to bring about transparency, improve governance and strengthen administration.

When was the plan proposed?

The BBMP promised to set up ward committees immediately after the 2010 election. That cycle came to an end and fresh elections were held in 2015. Seven years have passed and nothing has happened on ground, inviting the wrath of citizens

High Court intervention

Despite several orders from the HC to set up ward committees, the BBMP doesnt seem to be in the mood! On April 24, the HC, which was hearing a case on ward committees and garbage management, gave the BBMP one month to ensure that these committees were up and running.

Corporators want yes-men, not watchdogs

Called upon for answers, the BBMP claims 68 ward committees have been finalised. The Namma Bengaluru Foundation, a city-based group, claims that it isnt aware of the functioning of any ward committee. Initiation into these committees should be done in a transparent manner, at the ward level, said Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, NBF. He even suggested making the schedule of the ward committee meeting public so citizens are free to participate in them.

BJP city president and former Opposition leader N.R. Ramesh said the Yediyur BBMP ward was the first to set up a committee back in 2013. "Even today, every single developmental work is discussed and approved by the ward committee."

Why do ward corporators fear setting up ward committees? They feel their powers will b e diluted and that they may have to answer to committee members, said Ramesh. They cannot claim money by producing fake bills on already completed projects. Every developmental project should be discussed and approved by the committee before funds are requested.

Although there are clear guidelines on members of ward committees, which should include a retired engineer, an educationist, an NGO representative, members of SC/ ST and other backward communities, these rules are hardly followed, Mr. Ramesh explained. Corporators only nominate people who are not likely to question them.

BBMP Mayor G. Padmavathi told Deccan Chronicle that the BBMP, in keeping with the High Court order, will be finalising the ward committee list this week. How will they ensure that corporators dont choose their cronies? There is no rule for cross-verification, she said, maintaining that corporators follow HC norms as they suggest names.

As many citizens aren't aware of ward committees and how citizens can become part of them, Citizens for Bengaluru is trying to get people to nominate locally active citizens with leadership qualities. They received over 100 nominations in one hour.

If you wish to nominate active citizens, then here's CfB's link - http://bit.ly/cfbwcnominate
Bhopal: Days after ending his fast, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit the families of the deceased farmers in Mandsaur on Wednesday.

Earlier on Sunday, Chouhan, who started an indefinite fast on June 10, ended his fast by consuming coconut water.

"We will make the state land use advisory service so that farmers get correct and timely information about climate change. I, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi promise that we will irrigate every land. We have decided to implement every policy with the consent of farmers," he said before ending the fast.

He further said not only in India but in the entire world, Madhya Pradesh stands at number one position in the agriculture sector.

He had said that despite falling asleep "intermittently", the farmers and their issues made a constant thorough in his dreams and thoughts and hence, vowed to solve the pertinent matters.

"I slept intermittently and all that while I kept thinking about what all topics - out of the ones we discussed with the farmers - can be worked upon as soon as possible," he said, adding, "kisaan khwaabon mein bhi thhe, haqeeqat mein bhi." (The farmers and their issues were in my thoughts and dreams.)

"I have always tried doing a lot for farmers, and their problem is ours. They are our own. I also thought upon how to increase the productivity and sustain it," he added.

Chouhan also entailed how the families of the deceased met him and asked him to discontinue the fast.

"One thing that made me emotional was the number of our children that we lost in these protests. Their parents came to meet me yesterday and despite such grief befalling upon them, asked me to put an end to the issue," he said.

Commenting about the amenities provided to him in the tent he has made a stay in for the fasting period, he said, "I was told that this was a five-star tent. They even asked me to put an AC, but I said that wasn't required. You don't go on a fast for the farmers by living in AC. We made a meeting room, because I had to meet officials and farmers."
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday revealed the identity of a minor girl who was abducted by an ex-serviceman and held captive for more than 50 days.

He posted a photograph and mentioned the name of the minor girl on his official Twitter handle after he met her parents and announced financial aid.

As the girl who has been abducted is a minor and the case was booked under IPC Section 376 (rape), 376(i), Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), says that the identity of the victim should not be revealed.

Photo retweeted from Naidus official account too

According to POSCO, revealing the identity of a child victim in any form is a crime and attracts legal action.

Mr Naidu posted the family photograph of the victim on his personal Twitter handle with a message revealing her name and said he had extended emotional and financial support to pursue her dreams bravely.

It was retweeted from his official account too. However, the tweets were deleted from both the accounts on Tuesday evening.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday sought details about the implementation of the farmers loan waiver scheme from the governments of TS and AP.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice T. Rajani directed the TS government to file the report explaining how were the farmers identified for the loan waiver and how many benefited from scheme.

The bench directed the AP government to explain the steps taken so far for implementation of the loan waiver scheme.

The bench was dealing with PILs filed separately by one Kolli Siva Rami Reddy, a farmer from Sakhamuru village in Tullur mandal in Guntur district, D. Narasimha Reddy and another from Nalgonda district and Vyavasaya Jana Chaitanya Samiti seeking to declare as illegal the action of the respondent governments in not taking adequate measures to prevent farmer suicides and not releasing adequate compensation to the families of farmers.

C. Damodar Reddy, counsel appearing for petitioner Narasimha Reddy, brought to the notice of the court that the TS government had on August 13, 2014 issued a GO waiving crop loans/gold loans of farmers up to a sum of `1 lakh per farmer family in the state as a onetime settlement.

He submitted that while the GO specified that it was a onetime settlement, the government paid the Rs 1 lakh in four instalments.

Due to the instalment system, none of the farmer benefited from the scheme and till date, many banks have not released the passbooks for crop loans and ornaments under the gold loan claiming that interest arrears were not paid.
INDRAVELLI (ADILABAD): The proposed ban on the sale of cows and bullocks by the Central government has already begun to hit farmers even before it has become law.

Farmers are unable to buy cows and other cattle for agricultural operations without producing a great many documents, which many dont possess.

In Gaurapur village, Indravelli mandal, Adilabad district, Ms Vachalabai, 65, and her son Sakre Sunder, 28, are ploughing their three-acre land without the help of bullocks; the son drags the plough while the mother sows the seeds.

They were unable to buy the animals they needed at the Utnoor cattle market because no one wanted to sell to them because of the heavy documentation and permissions required.

Both buyers and sellers of cattle in rural areas are in a panic because of the governments diktat. Ms Vachalabai said she was told to produce many documents related to her land and take the required permission from the village revenue officer, sarpanch, tahsildar and veterinarian.

She said the restrictions on cow sales will certainly cause loss to farmers, especially tenant farmers. Cattle owners also have to get the relevant certificates from officials to sell their cattle.

Farmers buy cattle after harvest season

Most small and marginal farmers sell their cattle after the harvesting season is over and then purchase new animals just before the next agriculture season so as to avoid having to feed the cattle during the off season.

In tribal and rural areas of Adilabad, the tradition is for tenant farmers to take cows and bullocks on rent for a few months for the agriculture work.

President of the Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) in Adilabad district, Sangepu Borranna, says that the proposed ban on sale of cows and bullocks has started having a negative impact on agriculture and is causing additional problems for already distressed farmers. It was natural for poor farmers to sell their cattle in the agriculture off season and purchase them before the beginning of the next agriculture season.

Most of the time, small and marginal farmers clear their debts with the money they get by selling their cows and bullocks in the market. The proposed ban is likely to create a crisis in the agriculture sector, Mr Borranna says.

The ban will force many farmers to take the extreme step if they are unable to clear their debts or unable to cultivate their land due to the ban on sale of cows and bullocks, he warns.

There are 4.25 lakh farmers in the integrated Adilabad district. Sixty-four per cent of them own less than two acres of land and 24 per cent own less than five acres. There were 1.75 lakh tenant farmers in the old Adilabad district.

Under the Forest Rights Act, 2016, 1.37 lakh acres of land was distributed to tribals and 1.32 lakh acres is under podu cultivation in integrated Adilabad district. Banks dont give crop loans to farmers cultivating lands given under ROFR (Recognition of Forest Rights) and Podu cultivation. These farmers are also not going to be considered for the Rs 4,000 assistance given for agriculture investment by the state government.

Between June 2, 2014 and May 25, 2017, 2,964 farmers committed suicide in Telangana state. Seventy per cent of them were tenant farmers.
The uncle had to carry her body on a bicycle as his plea for an ambulance fell on deaf ears. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Kaushambi: In a re-run of the Dana Majhi incident, the uncle of a seven-month-old girl, who died during treatment at the district hospital, had to carry her body on a bicycle as his plea for an ambulance fell on deaf ears.

The incident, which took place on Monday, prompted the authorities to lodge an FIR against the doctor on duty and the driver of the ambulance on Tuesday. The hospital too has launched an inquiry in this regard.

Seven-month-old Poonam, the daughter of Anant Kumar, a daily wage labourer of Malak Saddi village in Majhanpur tehsil in the district, was admitted to the hospital two days ago after she started vomiting, accompanied by loose motion.

After getting her admitted to the hospital, Kumar left for Allahabad to arrange money for her treatment asking his brother-in-law, Brijmohan, to look after her.

"My niece died during treatment on Monday. Despite repeated pleas to the hospital, no vehicle was made available to carry her body. I had to borrow a bicycle and carry it for almost 10 km to reach the village," Brijmohan told reporters.

When contacted, S K Upadhyay, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Kaushambi, said, "We have taken cognisance of the incident. An inquiry has also been initiated.

Once the report of the inquiry is available, we will take stringent action against the guilty." Hospital sources claimed that an ambulance could not be arranged as there was no budget for fuel. District Magistrate, Kaushambi, Manish Kumar, told that an FIR was lodged against the doctor on duty, Vivek Kumar, and the ambulance driver, Ashish Kumar Pandey, who allegedly refused to carry the body.

On May 20, the pregnant wife of a man from Chak Ahmadipur village in the district was declared "brought dead" by the hospital authorities. As he was denied an ambulance, the man carried the body of his wife on a stretcher for some distance. Subsequently, sensing trouble, the doctors at the hospital arranged for an ambulance to transport the body.

In a similar incident, Dana Majhi, a tribal, had to carry his wife's body on his shoulder for over 10 km, with his daughter walking alongside, in Odisha's Kalahandi district in August, last year as the hospital authorities failed to arrange for a hearse.

The incident had triggered a controversy and led to widespread criticism after it was reported in the media. Last month, a labourer had to carry the body of his 15- year-old son on his shoulders after allegedly being turned away by the doctors at a government-run hospital in Etawah.
Hyderabad: A two-year-old girl accidentally fell down from the first floor balcony of her house on Tuesday in Bahadurpura and was injured seriously.

The girl, Inaya Fatima, was playing on the balcony unattended by parents when her leg slipped and she fell off the building.

Hearing Fathimas screams her parents rushed out and saw her lying on the ground with her head bleeding.

She was rushed to Global Hospital in Lakdikapul where doctors said her condition was critical.

A video of the incident caught on a CCTV camera in the neighbourhood showed the girl slipping and falling on the ground.

Bahadurpura police station inspector T. Laxminarayana said the incident occurred in the afternoon when the girls parents were sleeping. The girl was playing on the first floor. She accidentally fell on the ground, said another police official.

The video went viral on social media and WhatsApp groups in the city. Fatima fell down accidentally. There is no evidence that she was thrown from the building, said Laksmi-narayana after a preliminary investigation.

Meanwhile, child rights organisation Balala Hakkula Sangham demanded an inquiry. The incident occurred due to the negligence of the parents. We demand an unbiased inquiry by police into this incident, child rights activist Achyuta Rao said.
Bengaluru: Ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, now less than a year away, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi did his best to boost the morale of party workers declaring unequivocally that the Congress will not para-drop any leader from outside and will identify local leaders to contest the elections.

Speaking at the KPCCs extended general-body meeting here, Mr Gandhi said, I have already directed the AICC team headed by K.C. Venugopal (party general secretary) to identify and nurture local leaders instead of bringing leaders from outside at the last minute. We want leaders who like the Congress and believe in its philosophy.

As for sitting legislators, he said he had sought a detailed report from the state unit on how many legislators attend the Assembly session and rise to defend the party on the floor of the House.

He also sent a clear signal to ministers to get their act together saying they need to communicate on every good scheme to get the message across to people.

Let us not spend money like the BJP does for propagating their schemes, I do not believe in squandering peoples money. Instead, our ministers must campaign hard by travelling in their respective districts. The Chief Minister alone cannot do this, it needs a team effort, he reasoned. The party should take everyone along, be it senior leaders or party workers, said Mr Gandhi. Yes, I agree that everyone cannot be given power but all can be heard. The Congress is like a family, everyone must be heard and given a sense of belonging. I am happy that the AICCs new team headed by Mr Venugopal is doing this job effectively, he said. He added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the CM of every resident of Karnataka. The peoples voice must be heard as this is not a single mans government but a Congress government which believes in taking everyone along, he stressed.

PM must start listening to Jan ki baat

AICC vice-president, Rahul Gandhis speech was filled with tongue in cheek remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president, Amit Shah. The BJP chief had recently dubbed the Mahatma a chatur baniya.

Addressing the KPCC meeting here, Mr Gandhi said the whole world knows who the Mahatma is. Gandhi had stood steadfast against the British while a few others were busy writing letters to the then colonial rulers (seeking pardon). Everyone knows who went to jail and who were busy writing letters and seeking pardon from the British, let us not waste time reacting to such remarks, he said in a veiled dig at the BJP-RSS.

Training his guns on the PM, Mr Gandhi quipped that the former speaks a lot but has miserably failed to deliver on his own promise of employment generation. Unemployment is rising but he shies away from a healthy debate on the subject, he said.

Making lengthy speeches on Man Ki Baat(a radio programme) will not help, instead Mr Modi should start listening to peoples untold miseries and he would perhaps be a good leader, the Congress leader said.

Siddu & Co vow to work unitedly for Cong win

Expressing their unstinted support for efforts to revive the Congress fortunes beginning from Karnataka, state Congress leaders led by CM Siddaramaiah on Monday assured the leadership that they would work unitedly to bring the party to power not only in the state in 2018 but also at the Centre in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at the KPCC general body meeting here, Mr Siddaramaiah said, The party has given us a lot, it is our turn to give back not only in 2018 but also in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Laying out his plans, Mr Siddaramaiah felt Congress workers need to send out a strong message to stop the false propaganda by the BJP which is playing the Hindutva card. Arent we in the Congress, Hindus? There are a lot more Hindus in Congress than in the BJP. We need to drive home point that Hindutva does not mean driving a wedge between communities, rather it is a uniting glue to bring everyone together. This is the best possible way to blunt their (BJPs) sole card of Hindutva, he said.

AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that being a Keralite and a staunch Congressman for the last five decades, it was always an overwhelming experience to hear that it was Karnataka which had given rebirth to the Congress on many occasions. The polls in 2018 was one such occasion and Karnataka should not miss it, he said.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that CPM is running berserk in Kerala in the name of attack against CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury when it had actually not happened. He was speaking to reporters after meeting Governor P. Sathasivam at Raj Bhavan here where he, along with BJP MLA O. Rajagopal, sought his intervention on the increasing attacks between CPM and BJP-RSS workers in several parts of the state. Kummanam alleged that the CPM activists are attacking RSS -BJP workers for no reason just because two activists of Hindu Sena barged in to AKG Bhavan in New Delhi and shouted slogans. He said that such attacks were happening only in Kerala.

"Ever since Yechury was heckled at AKG Bhavan, there have been numerous incidents where BJP's flags, flag masts, flex boards and BJP's offices came under attack. A total of 348 cases have been reported so far by the police", said Kummanam. He also said that BJP and RSS workers were denied justice and freedom to take out party activities. "This prompted us to meet the Governor," he said.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the Governor with pictures as he is the Central government representative. What is happening in Kerala is LDF government-sponsored anarchy. Unfortunately the police is remaining mute on the attacks being unleashed by the CPM workers. BJP leader B.K. Sajeev's house was attacked and the police didn't turn up even to record his statement", added Kummanam. It should be recalled that only last month Rajagopal had called on the Governor seeking his intervention which then snowballed in to a major controversy. It also saw BJP general secretaries Sobha Surendran unleashing a vitriolic attack against Governor and M. T. Ramesh criticizing him on his Facebook.
The reactions of the Centre and BJP-run states to the agriculture question  with at least six farmers killed in police firing in Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur and the rounding up of farmers peacefully protesting in Maharashtra  suggests that the BJP has little grasp of farm economics. A prominent leader of the RSS-controlled farmers union, the Rashtriya Kisan Sangh, was even quoted as saying that the nations farmers were not a priority for the BJP government. On Sunday, Maharashtra announced loan waiver for farmers totaling Rs 34,000 crore. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said days earlier that any decision on loan waivers would only be announced by October 31. But he clearly realised that the political cost of a continuing agitation, that could turn violent, was best avoided.

Mr Fadnavis is, however, silent on the issue of minimum support price. Shivraj Singh Chouhans Madhya Pradesh government has ruled out a loan waiver. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has, meanwhile, said that states announcing loan waivers must do so entirely out of their own resources. Hes yet to tell us, though, if the `36,000-crore loan waiver bill in Uttar Pradesh, that was announced by the Yogi Adityanath government as Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed himself to this in the Assembly campaign in March, will be footed entirely by Lucknow with no help from New Delhi. With GST to be rolled out soon, and states acting wary if theyll earn less tax revenues as a result, its doubtful if states can cope with loan waivers for farmers without the Centres assistance. However, if farmers remain in debt banks will deny them further loans for the next agriculture operations. These loans are needed as farmers earnings have been devastated due to poor earnings from an abundant crop.

Arguments on banks health are being made to deny loan relief to kisans. These werent made when top corporate groups defaulted on loans of Rs 1,70,000 crore. Farmers are half the countrys population. If they sink into debt and dont get a decent price for what they grow will they be able to enter the market as consumers of goods and services produced outside the village? What will then happen to the national economy? Farmers demands centre on a minimum support price that is 50 per cent above the weighted average input costs, and a loan waiver to tide over as their condition has deteriorated due to crashing prices. The time has come for Parliament to convene to consider the agriculture question as a whole, and for policy measures that need to be taken urgently.
In the event of a natural disaster that disrupts phone and Internet systems over a wide area, autonomous aircraft could potentially hover over affected regions, carrying communications payloads that provide temporary telecommunications coverage to those in need.

However, such unpiloted aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are often expensive to operate, and can only remain in the air for a day or two, as is the case with most autonomous surveillance aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force. Providing adequate and persistent coverage would require a relay of multiple aircraft, landing and refueling around the clock, with operational costs of thousands of dollars per hour, per vehicle.

Now a team of MIT engineers has come up with a much less expensive UAV design that can hover for longer durations to provide wide-ranging communications support. The researchers designed, built, and tested a UAV resembling a thin glider with a 24-foot wingspan. The vehicle can carry 10 to 20 pounds of communications equipment while flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Weighing in at just under 150 pounds, the vehicle is powered by a 5-horsepower gasoline engine and can keep itself aloft for more than five days  longer than any gasoline-powered autonomous aircraft has remained in flight, the researchers say.

The team is presenting its results this week at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Conference in Denver, Colorado. The team was led by R. John Hansman, the T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and Warren Hoburg, the Boeing Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Hansman and Hoburg are co-instructors for MITs Beaver Works project, a student research collaboration between MIT and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

A solar no-go

Hansman and Hoburg worked with MIT students to design a long-duration UAV as part of a Beaver Works capstone project  typically a two- or three-semester course that allows MIT students to design a vehicle that meets certain mission specifications, and to build and test their design.

In the spring of 2016, the U.S. Air Force approached the Beaver Works collaboration with an idea for designing a long-duration UAV powered by solar energy. The thought at the time was that an aircraft, fueled by the sun, could potentially remain in flight indefinitely. Others, including Google, have experimented with this concept, designing solar-powered, high-altitude aircraft to deliver continuous internet access to rural and remote parts of Africa.

But when the team looked into the idea and analyzed the problem from multiple engineering angles, they found that solar power  at least for long-duration emergency response  was not the way to go.

[A solar vehicle] would work fine in the summer season, but in winter, particularly if youre far from the equator, nights are longer, and theres not as much sunlight during the day. So you have to carry more batteries, which adds weight and makes the plane bigger, Hansman says. For the mission of disaster relief, this could only respond to disasters that occur in summer, at low latitude. That just doesnt work.

The researchers came to their conclusions after modeling the problem using GPkit, a software tool developed by Hoburg that allows engineers to determine the optimal design decisions or dimensions for a vehicle, given certain constraints or mission requirements.

This method is not unique among initial aircraft design tools, but unlike these tools, which take into account only several main constraints, Hoburgs method allowed the team to consider around 200 constraints and physical models simultaneously, and to fit them all together to create an optimal aircraft design.

This gives you all the information you need to draw up the airplane, Hansman says. It also says that for every one of these hundreds of parameters, if you changed one of them, how much would that influence the planes performance? If you change the engine a bit, it will make a big difference. And if you change wingspan, will it show an effect?

Framing for takeoff

After determining, through their software estimations, that a solar-powered UAV would not be feasible, at least for long-duration use in any part of the world, the team performed the same modeling for a gasoline-powered aircraft. They came up with a design that was predicted to stay in flight for more than five days, at altitudes of 15,000 feet, in up to 94th-percentile winds, at any latitude.

In the fall of 2016, the team built a prototype UAV, following the dimensions determined by students using Hoburgs software tool. To keep the vehicle lightweight, they used materials such as carbon fiber for its wings and fuselage, and Kevlar for the tail and nosecone, which houses the payload. The researchers designed the UAV to be easily taken apart and stored in a FedEx box, to be shipped to any disaster region and quickly reassembled.

This spring, the students refined the prototype and developed a launch system, fashioning a simple metal frame to fit on a typical car roof rack. The UAV sits atop the frame as a driver accelerates the launch vehicle (a car or truck) up to rotation speed  the UAVs optimal takeoff speed. At that point, the remote pilot would angle the UAV toward the sky, automatically releasing a fastener and allowing the UAV to lift off.

In early May, the team put the UAV to the test, conducting flight tests at Plum Island Airport in Newburyport, Massachusetts. For initial flight testing, the students modified the vehicle to comply with FAA regulations for small unpiloted aircraft, which allow drones flying at low altitude and weighing less than 55 pounds. To reduce the UAVs weight from 150 to under 55 pounds, the researchers simply loaded it with a smaller ballast payload and less gasoline.

In their initial tests, the UAV successfully took off, flew around, and landed safely. Hoburg says there are special considerations that have to be made to test the vehicle over multiple days, such as having enough people to monitor the aircraft over a long period of time.

There are a few aspects to flying for five straight days, Hoburg says. But were pretty confident that we have the right fuel burn rate and right engine that we could fly it for five days.

These vehicles could be used not only for disaster relief but also other missions, such as environmental monitoring. You might want to keep watch on wildfires or the outflow of a river, Hansman adds. I think its pretty clear that someone within a few years will manufacture a vehicle that will be a knockoff of this.

This research was supported, in part, by MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

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The alert posted some three dozen technical indicators that a system had been compromised by Crash Override.

Two cyber security firms have uncovered malicious software that they believe caused a December 2016 Ukraine power outage, they said on Monday, warning the malware could be easily modified to harm critical infrastructure operations around the globe.

ESET, a Slovakian anti-virus software maker, and Dragos Inc, a US critical-infrastructure security firm, released detailed analyses of the malware, known as Industroyer or Crash Override, and issued private alerts to governments and infrastructure operators to help them defend against the threat.

The US Department of Homeland Security said it was investigating the malware, though it had seen no evidence to suggest it has infected U.S. critical infrastructure.

The two firms said they did not know who was behind the cyber attack. Ukraine has blamed Russia, though officials in Moscow have repeatedly denied blame.

Still, the firms warned that there could be more attacks using the same approach, either by the group that built the malware or copycats who modify the malicious software.

"The malware is really easy to re-purpose and use against other targets. That is definitely alarming," said ESET malware researcher Robert Lipovsky said in a telephone interview. "This could cause wide-scale damage to infrastructure systems that are vital."

The Department of Homeland Security corroborated that warning, saying it was working to better understand the threat posed by Crash Override.

"The tactics, techniques and procedures described as part of the Crash Override malware could be modified to target U.S. critical information networks and systems," the agency said in an alert posted on its website.

The alert posted some three dozen technical indicators that a system had been compromised by Crash Override and asked firms to contact the agency if they suspected their systems were compromised by the malware.

Dragos founder Robert M. Lee said the malware was capable of attacking power systems across Europe and could be leveraged against the United States "with small modifications."

It is able to cause outages of up to a few days in portions of a nation's grid, but is not potent enough to bring down a country's entire grid, Lee said by phone.

With modifications, the malware could attack other types of infrastructure including local transportation providers, water and gas providers, Lipovsky said.

Power firms are concerned there will be more attacks, Alan Brill, a leader of Kroll's cyber security practice, said in a telephone interview.

"You are dealing with very smart people who came up with something and deployed it," Brill said. "It represents a risk to power distribution organizations everywhere."

Industroyer is only the second piece of malware uncovered to date that is capable of disrupting industrial processes without the need for hackers to manually intervene.

The first, Stuxnet, was discovered in 2010 and is widely believed by security researchers to have been used by the United States and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear program.

A spokesman for Ukraine's state cyber police said it was not clear whether the malware was used in the December 2016 attack. Ukraine's state-run Computer Emergency Response Team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Kremlin and Russia's Federal Security Service did not reply to requests for comment.

Crash Override can be detected if a utility monitors its network for abnormal traffic, including signs the malware is searching for the location of substations or sending messages to switch breakers, according to Lee, a former U.S. Air Force cyber warfare operations officer.

Malware has been used in other disruptive attacks on industrial targets, including the 2015 Ukraine power outage, but in those cases human intervention was required.

ESET said it had been analyzing the malware for several months and had held off on going public to preserve the integrity of investigations into the power system hack.

ESET last week provided samples with Dragos, which said it was able to confirm the malware was used in the Ukraine grid attack.

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I have to tell you about this, even though some of the forecasts are crazy extreme. For several forecast cycles, the models have suggested t...
Finnish company HMD Global, which owns the rights to market Nokia branded phones, will be launching three Android-powered Nokia smartphonesNokia 6, 5 and 3 at an event in New Delhi at 12pm today.

Earlier this month, Nokia sent out press invites for an event in the country on June 13, but never confirmed the purpose of the event. Late last week, the firm revealed it, with an event invitation reading, Lets join hands and welcome a new era of Nokia smartphones.

Nokia first unveiled Nokia 6, 5 and 3 in late February at the Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona. Since its launch, Nokia marketing partner HMD Global has been releasing the trio devices to other markets across the globe, and now its all set to launch the devices in India.

To recall, Nokia 6 features a 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, which can further be expanded via microSD card, a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.

The Nokia 5 features a 5.3-inch HD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, runs on Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 processor and Adreno 505 GPU, coupled with 2GB RAM and have 16GB storage option, 13MP rear camera, and an 8MP front camera. It will be available in four colours  Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue, and Copper.

The entry-level Nokia 3 features a 5-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, powered by MediaTek MTK 6737, coupled with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. The front and rear camera have both 8MP sensors. The device will feature four coloursSilver White, Matte Black, Tempered Blue and Copper White.

All of the Nokia smartphones will run on the latest version of Android Nougat 7.1.1.

The specifications of all Nokia-branded Android smartphones are mid-range, and so is there price, which have been leaked ahead of launch. According to a report by Nokiapowerusers the Nokia 3 will cost of Rs 9,000; Nokia 5 will be around Rs 12,000 and Nokia 6 may cost Rs 15,000 in India.

Also, the much-awaited release of these three Android-powered smartphones will determine the success of Nokia as a company in the well established smartphone market, presently ruled by Samsung and Apple.

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Finnish company HMD Global, who now owns the rights to market Nokia products, has launched the first series of Nokia-branded Android smartphones in India.

Nokia first unveiled Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 in late February at the Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona. Since its launch, Nokia marketing partner HMD Global has been releasing the trio devices to other markets across the globe. The trio have finally arrived in the Indian market.

To recall, Nokia 6 features a 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, which can further be expanded via microSD card, a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.

The Nokia 5 features a 5.3-inch HD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, runs on Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 processor and Adreno 505 GPU, coupled with 2GB RAM and have 16GB storage option, 13MP rear camera, and an 8MP front camera. It will be available in four colours  Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue, and Copper.

The entry-level Nokia 3 features a 5-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, powered by MediaTek MTK 6737, coupled with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. The front and rear camera have both 8MP sensors. The device will feature four coloursSilver White, Matte Black, Tempered Blue and Copper White.

In the aftermath of millions of Android smartphones infected by malware attacks, Nokia promises to release monthly security updates to all the three devices to provide a safer Android ecosystem, meaning all the Nokia-branded smartphones will be running the latest version of Googles Android mobile operating system.

The specifications of the Android-powered smartphones are mid-range, and so is there price.

The Nokia 6 will be exclusively available on the Amazon India at a price of Rs 14,999 from July 14. On the other hand, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 will be available through offline stores at a price of Rs 12,899 and Rs 9,499, respectively. While the Nokia 5 will go on sale from July 7, the Nokia 3 will hit the stores on June 16.

The release of the three Android-powered smartphones will determine the success of Nokia in the Indias smartphone market, presently ruled by Samsung and Apple.

Ajey Mehta, Vice President India, HMD Global, said, Nokia is a trusted and well-loved brand across the world and especially in India.

We intend to break the clutter in a market dominated by undifferentiated products by providing a great user experience while living up to the Nokia brand promise of simplicity, trust, reliability and quality, he added.

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Washington: The United States is looking forward to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington later this month, the State Department has said.

"We look forward to having the (Indian) Prime Minister here in Washington? I believe it's later this month," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.

Modi is expected to travel to Washington at the invitation of US President Donald Trump for a meeting at the White House later this month. Actual dates of the meeting have not been announced yet.

This would be Modi's first trip to the US under the Trump administration. The two leaders have spoken over phone for at least three times.

Under the previous Obama Administration, Modi had a record number of eight meetings with Barack Obama. Modi traveled to Washington three times and Obama made a historic trip to India to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in 2015.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the two leaders were expected to set forth a 'common vision' on expanding the US-India partnership. (PTI/AP)

Washington: The maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "set forth a vision" to expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious way, the White House has said.

The leaders of the world's two largest democracies, home to 1.6 billion people, will meet on June 26 to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H-1B visa rules.

"I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference.

Spicer said the two leaders were expected to set forth a "common vision" on expanding the US-India partnership. He cited fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as shared priorities.

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens,"

Spicer said.

Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

"The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question.

The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.



Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries.

In his announcement of the decision for which he received a global condemnation, Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal. "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said.

Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations. Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised a federal appeals court one day after it handed him another legal setback by refusing to revive his US travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations, and appeared poised for the nations top court to weigh in.

On Monday, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals became the second federal appeals court to reject the Republican Trump administrations bid to undo a Hawaii federal judges decision that blocked the temporary travel ban in a dispute headed to the US Supreme Court.

The three-judge panel said Trumps March 6 order violated existing immigration law, but did not address whether it was unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims. Trumps 90-day ban targets travellers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. SC Trump said in a post on Twitter, apparently referencing the US Supreme Court.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

A.G. Lynch made law enforcement decisions for political purposes...gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

The nations top court, which leans conservative after Trumps appointee won confirmation as the ninth justice earlier this year, could act as soon as this week on his administrations request to reinstate the order.

The 9th Circuit, headed by Democratic appointees, largely left in place a nationwide injunction by Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii that stopped parts of the order, which Trump contends is needed to prevent terrorism in the United States.

Those who have challenged the travel ban dispute that it is needed to protect Americans and argue that the order violates the US Constitutions bar against favouring or disfavouring a particular religion.

Another appeals court, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, last month upheld a Maryland judges ruling that also blocked Trumps ban.

Trump has been on the losing side in all four court rulings on the March order and has asked the US Supreme Court for an emergency review.

In a statement on Monday, US attorney general Sessions said Trumps executive order was lawful and that the court rulings have had a chilling effect on security operations.
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The eyes of Washington turn again to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, where embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces questions over his Russia contacts and role in the firing of FBI director James Comey.

It will be the first sworn public testimony from Sessions, a longtime former senator, since he was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed as the nation's top law enforcement officer in February.

It comes as political intrigue pulses through the US capital following explosive testimony by Comey before the same panel last week, and as Trump has expressed frustrations with Sessions, one of his earliest high-profile campaign backers.

In his riveting appearance Thursday, Comey said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was aware of information that would have made it "problematic" for Sessions to be involved in investigations into alleged Russian meddling in last year's election.

Comey said he could address the details only in a classified setting -- heightening the suspense about what might be asked and answered on Tuesday.

The president sacked Comey in early May. Given that as FBI director Comey was overseeing the probe into Russia and its possible collusion with the Trump team, the firing has led to questions about potential obstruction of justice.

But Sessions, who recommended in a signed memo that Comey be fired, may end up claiming executive privilege as a means of limiting the breadth of his testimony.

Whether executive privilege is invoked "depends on the scope of the questions," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Monday.

"To get to a hypothetical at this point would be premature," he added.

Although Sessions, a genteel 70-year-old from the southern state of Alabama, backed Trump's campaign, he was also one of the first administration officials to fly into turbulence.

During his January confirmation hearing, he failed to disclose meetings he held with Russian officials.

- Third Sessions-Russia meeting? -

On March 1, The Washington Post reported that he met twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe the next day.

"He didn't tell us the truth," Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told MSNBC Monday.

There are now "things that indicate he had a third meeting," Leahy added. "Let's find out under oath what it was."

Sessions may be under a further cloud after Comey suggested the attorney general may have failed to take appropriate steps to protect the FBI chief.

At the conclusion of a February 14 meeting, Comey testified, Trump urged everyone else but Comey to leave the Oval Office, including Sessions.

Comey recalled that he felt "something big" was about to happen, and "my sense was the attorney general knew he shouldn't be leaving."

Sessions heads to Capitol Hill in a perilous position with his boss, with US media reporting Trump has grown displeased with his attorney general, notably for his recusal on the Russia probe.

Trump made his frustration known publicly on Twitter on June 5, when he criticized Sessions's office for the way it acted on the president's travel ban on visitors from some Muslim-majority countries.

During a White House meeting Monday, cabinet members including Sessions offered a chorus of flattery for the president despite the crises buffeting the administration.

"It's an honor to be able to serve you," Sessions said.

He may face questions about new comments on Monday by a Trump confidante who suggested that the president was considering firing Robert Mueller, a special counsel with sweeping powers whom the Justice Department appointed to lead an independent Trump-Russia probe.

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option," Chris Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax, told the PBS News Hour, speaking of Trump.

Democrats warned that Congress would turn around and re-appoint Mueller as independent counsel if Trump dismisses him.

A White House official downplayed Ruddy's comments, saying "Chris speaks for himself."
Washington/Jaipur: A village in Rajasthan's Mewat region will be named after US President Donald Trump, a top Indian sociologist and social worker has said, prompting the state government to rule out any such plan.

"I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village," Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak said at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC. This, he said, is part of his effort to enhance India-US relationship.

However, the Rajasthan government officials have said there is no such proposal with the government to rename any village after the name of the US president.

"It is the government which renames a village and there is laid down procedures for that. As of now, there is no such proposal with the department to name a village after the us president. I have nothing to comment on what Mr Pathak has said," Alok, Rajasthan government's principal secretary of the revenue department, told in Jaipur.

Mewat region falls under Alwar district and the Alwar District Collector Rajan Vishal also said there was no such proposal.

"The competence of renaming a village lies with the government and no private man can do that. We have no such proposal or request in this regard," Vishal said.

Giving a presentation to local community and political leaders in the US, Pathak said that he is working to provide affordable sanitation and toilets to the masses and end the practice of manual scavenging.

In his address, he urged the Indian-American community to help realise the goal of sanitation and cleanliness in India. The cost of one toilet ranges from USD 25 to USD 500, depending on nature of construction. Technology remains the same, he said.

Republican leader from Virginia, Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia Governor, highlighted the role the Indian American community plays in the US, adding "the US has a very strong relationship with India."

He and other local politicians also explored the option of adopting the technology of Sulabh international in Virginia and Maryland.

"Rural areas of Virginia have a problem in building toilets and its maintenance cost is very high. Several officials from both Virginia and Maryland have expressed their interest in adopting it locally so as to bring the cost down," said Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia.

Congresswoman Barbara Comstock also felicitated Pathak on the occasion.
Washington: US President Donald Trump held the first meeting of his full Cabinet on Monday, vowing to take the fight against terrorism to the very end and said we are going to starve the beast by stopping its funding.

One of the big things that we did - and youre seeing it now with Qatar and all of the things that are actually going on in a very positive fashion - we are stopping the funding of terrorism, Trump told reporters at the White House.

They are going to stop the funding of terrorism. Its not an easy fight, but thats a fight were going to win. You have to starve the beast. And were going to starve the beast, believe me, Trump said, without naming the countries which would stop the funding.

Weve had tremendous success against ISIS in our fight in the Middle East, where were doing very, very well.

Trump recently returned from his first trip overseas, during which he visited Saudi Arabia where he sealed economic and military deals for the US worth US $350 billion. Besides Riyadh he also visited Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy.

He said the deals he signed in Saudi Arabia will bring many thousands of jobs to the US and help Riyadh take a greater role in providing stability and security in that region.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump had singled out Iran, blasting its alleged support to terrorist groups. Soon after his visit, the Saudi Arabia-led consortium of Sunni Gulf states last week suspended all ties to Qatar over what they say is the states support for extremist groups and its proximity to Shia Iran.

Qatar has denied all the allegations.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is engaged with its allies to ensure that they know where their common interest lay and what the expectations are.

They must do more. They must meet their obligations, both in the national security point, but also for greater stability and prosperity, he said.

And to our adversaries, we are engaging and will engage from the position of strength to protect Americas national interest and we expect to make progress in resolving some of the differences, Tillerson said.

Giving her brief summer report, Indian-American Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, said it is a new day at the UN.

We now have a very strong voice. People know what the US (stands) for. They know what we are against, she said.

Energy secretary Rick Perry told his Cabinet colleagues he attended the gathering of energy ministers from around the world in Beijing last week.

They needed to hear why America is stepping away from the Paris Accord. (And) they did ... We are still the leaders in the world in terms of climate, but we are not going to be held hostage through some executive order that we all thought out, Perry said.

US defence secretary James Mattis said he was grateful for the sacrifice our people are making to strengthen the military and for the diplomats to negotiate from the position of strength.

The Director of National Intelligence Dave Coats said the intelligence community has never faced diversity of threat to the country in their lifetimes.
Islamabad: India has issued a medical visa to a two-and-a-half-month-old baby from Pakistan, suffering from a heart disease, after his father sought intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Swaraj's intervention came after the infant's father brought the matter to her notice on Twitter.

Earlier this week, Ken Sid, a Pakistani national, reached out to Swaraj through the social media platform for a medical visa for his son, who has a heart complication which cannot be treated in Pakistan.

"The child will not suffer. Please contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa," she had said. The family had been trying to get a visa for three months.

"It is heartening to see humanity prevailing despite many differences. Thank you for your efforts. Humanity prevails! God bless everyone," the child's father tweeted.

An official at the Indian High Commission said that a four-month medical visa has been issued to the family so that the boy could undergo heart surgery in India.

Ailing Pakistanis frequently need to travel to India on medical visas to seek treatment for complicated health problems. Indian hospitals have previously reported receiving around 500 patients from Pakistan every month.

Many of the unwell needed a liver transplant, which costs between Rs 2-3 million. In 2015, five-year-old Basma from Pakistan had been granted a visa to India for an emergency liver transplant surgery.

There are now many tales like hers, sometimes with footnotes on how the travelling patients were helped financially by Indians.

However, the visa process for travellers who want to visit India for medical reasons has slowed amid rising tensions between the two countries over a number of reasons, including the issue of cross-border terrorism and Pakistani military sentencing to death Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage.
Panama's Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second from right, sign a joint communique on establishing diplomatic relations, in Beijing. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: Panama and China announced on Tuesday they were establishing diplomatic relations, as the Central American nation became the latest to dump Taiwan for closer ties with the world's second-largest economy.

The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland.

Taiwan is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is one of the most politically sensitive issues for Chinese leaders who pressure trade partners to accept its "one China" principle.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a nationally televised message "to the country and the world" that "Panama and China establish diplomatic relations today".

The two countries issued a joint statement saying "In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level."

After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement over its status, Panama now "recognises that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Panamanian counterpart Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado signed the communique in Beijing. "This is a historic moment, China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, adding that Panama's decision was in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".

Saint Malo said Panama and China had made an "important step" and started a "new page in our strategic relations" The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

Panama had long stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing. Chinese ships, after those from the United States, are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue.

Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan and it is unlikely to be the last, said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor of politics at the UNSW Canberra college in Australia. "That change is representing a longer term trend of atomic decay where the circle of countries that recognise Taiwan one by one seem to be shifting to the mainland," Thayer said.

"It's about who can give the most Taiwan has resources but it can't match China." In December China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe after the African nation ditched the island.

Taiwan reacted furiously to the latest move. "We strongly condemn Beijing for manipulating the so- called 'one China' policy to continue to suppress Taiwan's

international space through various means," the presidential office said. "This kind of action is not only an open threat to Taiwanese people's survival and welfare but also an open provocation to peace and stability in the Taiwan strait and the region."

Diplomatic tussles between Taiwan and Beijing eased under the island's previous Beijing-friendly government. But relations have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen's China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party was swept to power in a landslide election victory last year.

Tsai has refused to acknowledge the concept that Taiwan is part of "one China", unlike her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou.
A US missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, is seen at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea. (Photo:AP)

Seoul: South Korea said Tuesday a drone believed sent from North Korea had been spying on a US missile defence system before it crashed.

The remains of the small drone, which was equipped with a camera, were retrieved by the South's military last week from a hillside where it had crash-landed close to the heavily-fortified inter-Korean border.

The military analysed the contents of the camera's 64-gigabyte memory chip and said it had been spying on the missile defence system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

"It has been confirmed that it took photos of the THAAD site in Seongju," a defence ministry official told journalists Tuesday. He said they had "high suspicions" that the drone was from North Korea as it was similar to previous drones sent across the border by Pyongyang.

The drone, which was flying at an altitude of between two and three kilometers, started photographing a few kilometers north of the South's southeastern county of Seongju. It swept over the site before making a U-turn a few kilometers south of the site, the official said. Of the hundreds of photos on the memory chip, at least 10 were an overview of the THAAD site.

"Two missile launchers and the fire control radar of the system which have already been deployed were also included in the pictures," he added.

Seoul agreed last year to deploy the missile interceptor system to guard against threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, despite angry opposition from China which believes THAAD could undermine its own military capabilities.

Two missile launchers are already in place but Seoul has decided to suspend any further deployment until an environmental impact assessment ordered by new President Moon Jae-In is finished. South Korea has repeatedly accused the North of flying suspected spy drones across the tense border.

In January last year South Korean soldiers fired warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone that crossed the western part of the border, the most sensitive part of the Demilitarised Zone.

In September 2015 South Korea triggered an anti-aircraft warning and sent an attack helicopter and fighter jet to track down a drone that crossed the border, without success.

A year earlier a South Korean fisherman found the wreckage of a North Korean drone in his net near a front line island south of the rivals' disputed Yellow Sea border. A few months previously, crashed drones equipped with cameras were found in three different places near the border.

After a joint investigation with US experts, Seoul said they were flown from North Korea and had been pre-programmed to fly over South Korean military installations.
Helsinki: Finland's Prime Minister was to tender his coalition government's resignation on Tuesday after ousting a populist, anti-immigration and eurosceptic party whose new leader has been convicted of hate speech.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila, who has headed a coalition made up of his Centre Party, the conservative National Coalition and the Finns Party since May 2015, announced Monday he wanted to end to the coalition after the Finns elected Jussi Halla-aho as party leader, saying a collaboration was impossible.

Halla-aho, 46, replaces moderate Timo Soini, who has led the party for 20 years. Sipila was scheduled to meet President Sauli Niinisto on Tuesday at 1200 GMT to formally submit his government's resignation.

The president is expected to give Sipila a mandate to form a new coalition, enabling him to govern until the end of the legislature in 2019.

The Swedish People's Party, representing the Swedish-speaking minority, and the Christian Democrats have said they are willing to hold talks aimed at joining the government, while the left-wing opposition the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Left have insisted that new elections be called. Sipila appears to be opposed to a vote.

"The goal is to have a viable government as soon as possible in line with the current government program," daily Helsingin Sanomat quoted him as saying. The head of the conservative party, Finance Minister Petteri Orpo, said the future government must be founded on the same principles as the current one.

"We have had a turn of events in Finland. It would be a great pity if the political line would change," he said. After Halla-aho's election on Saturday, the conservatives swiftly rejected any cooperation with the Finns Party. "Undeniable human dignity is the foundation of Western democracy," Orpo said on Monday.

The three coalition party leaders met on Monday, after which it was abundantly clear they would not be able to work together, especially on the subject of immigration. "All decisions are based on values, but compromises are needed when there are three parties in the government.

The elastic couldn't be stretched any further to accomodate Halla-aho," Sipila said late Monday in an appearance on public broadcaster YLE.

"The new leadership's view of justice, equality, human rights and so on are not the same as the Centre Party's." Defense and European affairs were other problematic areas, he said. Hallo-aho is expected to get what he has appeared to want all along: to return his party to opposition.

Participating in the three-party coalition has come at a heavy price for the Finns Party. Its support has almost halved from 17.7 percent in the May 2015 general election to 9.0 percent in a poll published Thursday by public broadcaster YLE.

A member of the European Parliament, Halla-aho has said he wants to steer the party further to the right and push for tougher immigration policies. Halla-aho has seen his star rise in recent years, in part because of his explicit writings against immigration and Islam.

In 2012, Finland's highest court upheld a conviction and fines against him for inciting ethnic hatred and blasphemy in a 2008 blog post where he criticised Islam and made offensive remarks about Somalis.

Earlier this year, he demanded that the European Commission penalise civic organisations which rescue migrants from drowning when their ships founder in the Mediterranean. Halla-aho is a father of five and a former lecturer in media eval languages.
The officers found the body in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place. (Representational image)

Dubai: An Indian woman was brutally beaten and stabbed to death in Kuwait and her body lying in a pool of blood was recovered from a flat, according to a media report.

The woman was found dead in a flat in Khaitan area and her husband was nowhere to be found, the Arab Times reported.

The flat mate of the deceased woman notified the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry about the lifeless body inside the house, and a team of rescue men went to the scene, a security source was quoted as saying.

The officers found the body in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place.

The body was handed over to the forensics department and an investigation was in progress to determine the whereabouts of the husband and bring the suspect to justice.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's aviation body said on Tuesday that the closure of its airspace to flights from Qatar was within the kingdom's sovereign right to protect its citizens from any threat.

The comments were in reaction to remarks by Qatar Airways' chief executive that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were violating international law by shutting out Qatari flights.

The airspace closure was to protect the country and its citizens from anything it sees as a threat and as a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

Similar statements were also issued by the UAE and Bahraini aviation authorities after a CNN interview of Chief Executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, who criticised the three Arab countries for the airspace closure.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have long been major proponents of open-skies policies, which remove restrictions on flying between states.

These policies helped the region's largest airlines -- Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways -- to emerge as super connectors linking passengers travelling between East and West.

"From an industry view point it's unfortunate and disappointing when airlines get caught up in broader political sensitivities which inhibit the benefits of competition and consumer choice, which the region is renowned for," independent aviation consultant John Strickland told Reuters.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar a week ago, accusing it of fomenting regional unrest, supporting terrorism and getting too close to Iran, all of which Doha denies.

In all, 18 destinations in the region are now out of bounds for Qatar Airways, which has also been forced to close its offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Al Baker had appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency that administers the Chicago convention that guarantees civil overflights, to declare the airspace closure as illegal.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said it is fully committed to the Chicago convention, but that the state reserves the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

The three countries' aviation bodies also said that non-Qatari private and chartered flights from Qatar must submit requests to them at least 24 hours before crossing the airspace.

The request should include a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, as well as the cargo carried by the aircraft, they said.
Islamabad: Pakistan expects China to fund a long-delayed Indus river mega dam project in Gilgit-Baltistan, part of disputed Kashmir, with work beginning next year, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said in an interview.

Pakistan has been keen for years to build a cascade of mega dams along the Indus flowing down from the Himalayas, but has struggled to raise money from international institutions amid opposition from its nuclear-armed neighbor India.

Those ambitions have been revived by China's Belt and Road infrastructure plans for Pakistan, a key cog in Beijing's creation of a modern-day Silk Road network of trade routes connecting Asia with Europe and Africa.

The $12-$14 billion Diamer-Bhasha dam should generate 4,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and a vast new reservoir would regulate the flow of water to farmland that is vulnerable to increasingly erratic weather patterns.

Iqbal, the Islamabad lead on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said a Chinese company from a Beijing-picked shortlist and a local partner would build the dam over a 10-year period, and work should begin in the "next financial year", which begins in July.

"This water reservoir is most critical for food security in Pakistan, so is a very high priority project for Pakistan," Iqbal told Reuters late on Monday at his ministerial home in Islamabad.

China and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding in December for Beijing to help fund and develop Pakistan's Indus Basin dams, though no timelines have been released. Pakistan estimates there is 40,000 MW of hydro potential.

The Diamer-Bhasha dam and reservoir would displace more than 4,200 families in nearby areas and submerge a large section of the Karakoram Highway to China, Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority estimates.

Iqbal said Pakistani and Chinese engineers are also surveying other projects, including the 7,100 MW Bunji hydro power project that will be the first in the cascade that stretches down to the Tarbela Dam near Islamabad.

India's foreign ministry and ministry for water resources did not respond to requests for comment.

India has previously opposed any construction in the Indus Basin it claims as its own, and has criticized CPEC because the $57 billion corridor runs across disputed territory.

India this year fast-tracked $15 billion worth of dam projects on its side of Kashmir, despite fears from Islamabad that the power stations will disrupt vital Indus water flows into Pakistan.

Iqbal, a close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said India needs to "stop its myopic thinking towards CPEC" and accept the Chinese funded project is going ahead. Better still would be for India to become part of Beijing's Belt and Road plans, he said.

"USD 20 Billion plus"

Future CPEC plans are increasingly focused on how Beijing can help build up Pakistan's ailing industries, creating special economic zones and opening up sectors from mining to agriculture to Chinese firms.

But Iqbal said infrastructure construction won't stop, with contracts set to be signed for roads and for mass rail transport systems in Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi.

He said about $10 billion in new deals should be signed in the next year on top of Chinese pledges topping $50 billion, and that was likely to double by 2020.

"I would say conservatively $20 billion plus (in new investment by 2020)," Iqbal said, adding this would also include private investment.
A key Uber executive left the company today as the ridesharing giant prepared to release results of a far-reaching independent inquiry into misconduct and ethical practices.



A source familiar with the matter said Emil Michael, a senior vice president reported to be close to chief executive Travis Kalanick, left the company.



Uber was bracing for more turmoil -- with some reports saying Kalanick himself may take a leave of absence -- with a report prepared by former US attorney general Eric Holder set to be given to employees tomorrow.



Uber's board met yesterday with Holder and consultant Tammy Albarran to discuss the findings and "unanimously voted to adopt all the recommendations" of the report, according to the source.



The recommendations were not immediately known, but Uber is facing pressure to rein in its no-holds-barred management style led by Kalanick and to reform a workplace culture criticized for discrimination and cutthroat practices.



Uber also faces questions about its covert use of law enforcement-evading software and tactics apparently aimed at disrupting rivals in the ridesharing business.



As part of the revamping at Uber, Nestle executive Wan Ling Martello was named as an independent board member, according to a source close to the company.



Michael had been linked to a number of questionable practices at Uber, media reports said, including a visit to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar and an attempt to dig up embarrassing information on journalists.



An email from Michael announcing his departure said he would be replaced by another vice president, David Richter, according to the New York Times, which first reported Michael's departure.



"It's safe to say that this week will be the week we finally learn just how committed Travis Kalanick and the rest of the senior leadership team at Uber is to meaningful cultural change," said Jan Dawson, an analyst with Jackdaw Research.



The report comes after a series of embarrassing revelations for the company over the past few months.



Last week, Uber said it had fired 20 people following preliminary results of the investigation, after examining 215 claims of discrimination, harassment, unprofessional behavior, bullying, retaliation and "physical security."



The company also ousted Eric Alexander, who headed Asia- Pacific operations, after reports said he read and discussed medical information about a woman raped in India in 2014 during an Uber ride.



Last month, Uber fired executive Anthony Levandowski, who came from Google's self-driving car unit now known as Waymo, for failing to meet a deadline to turn over information for an internal investigation.



Waymo's lawsuit contends that Levandowski in December 2015 downloaded files from a highly confidential design server to a laptop and took the data with him to the startup.



Top engineering executive Amit Singhal resigned in February after the ride-sharing titan learned he ended his career at Google after a sexual harassment complaint, reports said.



In March, Uber's president Jeff Jones resigned after just six months.



The woes so far have not hit Uber's growth trajectory, but some analysts say its problems won't fixed without a change in leadership.



The privately-held firm is valued at about $68 billion, making it the largest "unicorn" or venture-backed startup.



Uber does not file full financial reports but indicated its bookings last year doubled to USD 20 billion, with net revenue totaling USD 6.5 billion and an adjusted net loss of USD 2.8 billion not counting China operations that it sold.
The Karnataka government is keen on coming out with a policy addressing various issues in the Information Technology sector including "forced resignation" adopted by the firms, but not before listening to the problems faced by IT industry leaders and employees, state IT Minister Priyank Kharge said today.



"We are keen on coming out with a policy addressing various problems including "forced resignation" adopted by IT companies, but not before listening to the problems faced by IT industry leaders and employees," Kharge told PTI in an interaction here.



Kharge said he would like to look into the allegations of alleged flawed appraisal process followed by IT companies.



He said he cannot base his opinion after listening to a single stakeholder, but the entire ecosystem as he was the custodian whose responsibility is not only to provide jobs but also safeguard jobs.



The IT employees' associations have been alleging that the appraisal process of companies are not transparent and is irrespective of employees' performance.



They have also been claiming that the restructuring activity has not been done on performance basis, and thousands of employees who were terminated were actually good performers as they were rated good in appraisals earlier and also appreciated and awarded for their work from both the client and the company.



The affected employees claim their former employers pressured them to hand in resignations instead of sacking them, thereby saving on the expense of severance pay.



After meeting the IT Employees Association recently, Kharge had said government will provide legal help to it, including Forum for IT employees (FITE), to solve the employees' problems including layoffs.



FITE members had held hour-long deliberations with the minister and sought government intervention to stop "arbitrary" IT layoffs and sought withdrawal of its decision to exempt IT companies from labour law, among other demands.



Kharge had said he would take up any demand for formation of trade unions in information technology sector for discussion if the workers bring it to the notice of the state government.



Kharge had also said it would be difficult for the government to pitch for formation of trade unions on its own, because IT is a tricky industry,unlike traditional businesses, where the growth story does not have quick highs and lows.



The rising automation in IT industry and growing threat of protectionism in US has forced the USD 150-billion outsourcing industry to battle slowdown.



Various employees' fora have been demanding an inquiry against companies resorting to forceful resignations and reinstatement of employees forced to resign illegally.
Quota stir leader Hardik Patel was today arrested in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh when he was heading to Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers killed in police firing last week.



Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch to prevent the commission of cognisable offences, City Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan said.



The Patidar Andolan leader was accompanied by Janata Dal (U) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest. The two were, however, released on bail later and transported out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles, Diwan said.



Patel was picked up on his way to Mandsaur to express solidarity with distressed farmers and meet the kin of those killed in police firing during the agrarian unrest on the issue of loan waiver and several other demands.



Lashing out on authorities after his arrest, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country."



He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.



The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6, when five of them were killed in police firing at Mandsaur.



Subsequently, the farmers' protest witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other districts of western Madhya Pradesh including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.



Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.



However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he had assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in Mandsaur would be punished severely.



A high-voltage political drama was also witnessed on June 8, when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing.
Gorkhaland supporters today pelted stones at the police in various parts of Darjeeling as they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices in the hills, where their indefinite bandh entered its second day.



Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed.



"The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters pelted stones at police forces in various parts of Darjeeling as they were stopped by the forces from enforcing shutdown in government offices. After we chased them, they ran away," a senior police official said.



At around 10 am, a huge GJM procession chanting slogans against the state government and demanding separate Gorkhaland marched to various government offices in Chowkbazar area to stop people from reporting for work.



When stopped by the police, the GJM supporters turned violent and pelted stones. The police chased and dispersed the crowd, he said.



Senior police officers like Jawed Shamim, Siddinath Gupta, who are members of the three-member committee set up by the government in Darjeeling, were seen with huge police contingents in various parts of the hills.



Shops downed shutters where the stone-throwing occurred.



The GJM leadership has, however, accused the police of resorting to unprovoked lathi charge on the GJM procession.



"The police resorted to unprovoked lathi charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.



The government offices yesterday recorded "normal" attendance although some stray incidents were reported during the GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh in government and GTA offices in Darjeeling hills which began on June 12.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate diplomatic measures with the authorities in Sri Lanka and arrange for an early release of the 135 fishing boats and 11 fishermen currently in neighbouring island nation's custody.



In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami said that 135 fishing boats belonging to fishermen from Tamil Nadu, of which 61 were apprehended in 2015, 53 were apprehended in 2016 and 21 were apprehended in 2017, continue to remain impounded in Sri Lankan custody.



Palaniswami said that Sri Lankan Government is following a deft strategy of not releasing the fishing boats thereby pushing our fishermen into a poverty stricken state, depriving them of their only means of livelihood.



"It has been pointed out many times that these fishing boats are perilously berthed and are in imminent threat of irreparable damage due to long periods of disuse and the onslaught of the monsoon", he said adding hopes of release arose when the Government of Sri Lanka had committed to considering the release of the boats, which has rapidly dissipated as no decision has been taken so far in this regard.



"I request you to kindly take up this issue urgently with the concerned authorities in Sri Lanka and arrange for an early release of the 135 fishing boats and 11 fishermen currently in Sri Lankan custody", the chief minister said.


Several people were wounded when shots were fired at a commuter rail station near the southern German city of Munich today and one person was detained, police said.



"Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded" at an S-Bahn station in Unterfoehring, a northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city, police tweeted, and that the scene was now "secured".



A Munich police spokesman, Marcus da Gloria Martins, later told reporters there was no indication of a "political or religious" motive behind the incident.



"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons," he said.



Martins said that the unidentified man had tried to push at least one police officer in front of an incoming train, leading to a scuffle during which he took the female officer's gun and fired.



"The police officer was shot in the head and critically injured," Martins said.



Two other people at the station were seriously injured but their lives were not believed to be in danger. They were being treated in local hospitals.



"The assailant was arrested. He was also injured. There are no indications of further perpetrators," according to another police tweet.



"The area around the suburban train station Unterfoering has been cordoned off."



Last July, an 18-year-old, David Ali Sonboly, shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage.



Police said the German-Iranian teen was "obsessed" with mass murderers such Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the Islamic State group.



And in March, an axe-wielding attacker wounded nine people in a bloody rampage at a railway station in the western city of Duesseldorf.



The 36-year-old Kosovan national had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of high anxiety and self-harm, police said, ruling out a terrorist motive.



Instead, they suggested he might have carried out the attack at the station to end his own life.



The suspect was taken into custody after jumping off a bridge.



German authorities have been on high alert since a series of attacks claimed by IS.



The most deadly came last December when a Tunisian rejected asylum seeker rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in an attack that killed 12 people and wounded dozens of others.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi announced on Twitter that he is headed abroad to visit his grandmother.



Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them, he tweeted.



He did not mention where is heading to and for how many days. But Congress officials said he will probably be heading to Italy as his grandmother Paola Maino lives there. As the exact dates are kept under wraps for security and other reasons, he could be leaving Delhi for abroad as early as Tuesday night. He could be away for ten days, they said.



In March this year, Rahul visited the US, where his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had gone for a health check-up.



As his latest foreign visit comes in the midst of the upcoming presidential election and other developments like the farmers agitation, the BJP took a dig. "Rahul Gandhi visits India in between his foreign vacations," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao.



The Congress said the controversy over Rahul Gandhi's trip was unnecessary. "Rahul is going to Italy to visit his 93-year-old grandmother, to see how she's been. We strongly criticise those who are trying to politicise this," said party spokesperson R S Surjewala.



Last week, Rahul had traveled to meet the families of the six protesters killed in police firing in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. He was briefly detained by police with curfew imposed in several districts after farmers protests turned violent.



As Rahul will be away now, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will be in discussion with other opposition leaders over the election of the President of India, scheduled for next month. Opposition leaders will meet in Delhi to discuss their strategy on Wednesday.


With the farmers' agitation gaining ground in the BJP ruled states including Rajasthan, the Congress party will hold a state-wide demonstration in support of farmers' demands.



Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that the demonstration will be held on June 14 across all 33 districts of Rajasthan. Addressing a press conference at state headquarters in Jaipur, Rajasthan Congress chief told media, "On 15th Congress will hold state wide demonstrations. We demand farmer loans to be waived off, assurance of 50 percent profit, procurement of agriculture produce, regular bonus and subsidy for milk producers. The condition of farmers in Rajasthan has worsened from last 3 years." On Wednesday Sachin Pilot along with Avinash Pande AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will jointly participate in the rally and sit for demonstration at Sikar district.



Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, and an organisation owing allegiance to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have also warned the government to stage a protest from June 15. The organisation said that farmers have made a lot of efforts so that state government should understand the problems of farmers but nothing came for the help of farmers. A senior member of the organisation said, "It noted that its government's responsibility to ensure that no untoward incident like Madhya Pradesh is repeated in Rajasthan".



Farmers have also threatened that if their demands are not met they will agitate on the lines of farmers at Mandasur, which claimed the lives of five in a police firing. BKS general secretary Kailash Gandolia said , "We will stage a protest in all seven divisional headquarters of Rajasthan and we will sit for dharna with our families and cattle unless Vasundhara Raje government does not fulfill our promises."



The agitation is being spearheaded in the state by Kisan Mahapanchayat, an organisation of former BJP leader Rampal Jat, Apart from Kisan Mahapanchyat, the Kisan Mahasabha affiliated to Communist Party of India (Marxist) will support the protest.
Former Karnataka chief minister and state JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy was today denied anticipatory bail by a special court here in an illegal mining case.



Lokayukta Court judge Gopal rejected the prayer of Kumaraswamy, who has been summoned by the Lokayukta's special investigation team in connection with the case.



Kumaraswamy, the son of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, is accused of putting immense pressure on the then Commissioner of Mines, Gangaram Baderiya, to clear a file in favour of Janthakal mining firm in 2007, when he was the chief minister.



Baderiya, now the principal secretary (revenue), was arrested by the SIT on May 15 for allegedly allowing the firm to illegally lift one million tonnes of mined ore in Chitradurga based on forged documents.



The SIT has summoned Kumaraswamy, following the arrest of Baderiya. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy said he had no role in the case and would come out clean. "I do not have any role in this case... My legal team will bail me out... I will prove myself innocent," the state chief of the Janata Dal (Secular) said.



Earlier, Kumaraswamy had accused the Congress government of targeting him ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.
At least nine paramilitary CRPF personnel were injured, three of them critically, when militants hurled grenade on their camp in Lariyar village of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Tuesday.



A police official said that the attack took place on 180 Bn Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Lariyar, Tral, 38 kms from here at around 6 pm. "Nine CRPF personnel were injured as the grenade exploded inside the camp. The injured have been shifted to the hospital where the condition of three of them is stated to be critical," he said and added the area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.



This was the second attack on CRPF in Tral area in less than 24 hours. On Monday evening at least two CRPF personnel were injured after militants fired UBGL grenade at a camp in main town Tral. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the grenade attacks.



Tral, a hometown of Hizbul Mujahedeen poster boy Burhan Wani, killed in an encounter last year, is located just 12 kms from the National Highway and connects the valley with rest of the country. It has emerged as the new training ground for various militant outfits in south Kashmir.



"Tral had a presence of banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists always but post Burhan killing, it has become a new hub of militancy in the Valley and especially south Kashmir," said a senior police officer.



"Till a few years back north Kashmir's Sopore town was considered as hub of terror but now Tral has gaining notriety. Militancy practically never ended in these two areas and after Burhan's killing, it has even grown stronger.The situation may worsen in the absence of an aggressive clampdown on militancy," he said and added it has been very difficult to generate information about the militant movement or their hideouts as they enjoy considerable support here.



Flanked by river Jehlum on the west and dense Bujkamla forest in the east, Tral has always considered a transit point for militant groups who infiltrated from North Kashmir before fanning out to the south.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will scrap a provision in its examination bye-laws which gives scope for unreasonable spiking of the scores of candidatesnot the entire moderation policy adopted since 1992.



What will go is the Clause (e) under Rule 59 of the examination bye-laws that provides for moderation to maintain a near parity of pass percentage of the candidates in the current year vis-a-vis preceding years, subject-wise and overall.



This is the provision that has been leading to spiking of marks for last several years. We will amend our bye-laws and scrap this provision. Other provisions under the moderation policy is fine as they , a CBSE official told DH.



However, the bye-laws have to be amended before November this year for ending the spiking of board marks from 2018 as filling of the forms by the students for the next board examinations will begin in almost all States from this month, he added.



Moderation of examinations scores is done by the institutions all over the world to bring uniformity in the evaluation process, the official said. When there are multi-sets of question papers and large number of examinees, moderation is required to deal with the possibility of examiners' subjectivity, compensate students for vagaries and level up the mean achievements in the set-wise performance of the candidates attributable to the difference in the difficulty level of different sets of question papers, he said.



Upto this point, the policy is fine because there would hardly be increase of two or three marks in the scores when we level up the mean achievements in the set-wise performance of the candidates. But why should we have a provision to bring parity in the pass percentage of students of this year with those of previous years? This provision is irrational, the official added.



Though the CBSE is determined to amend its moderation policy before the next board examinations, it requires other school boards also to come on the same page. There was a common consensus on the issue in a meeting held on April 24. All the school boards agreed that there should be spiking of marks in the name of moderation. We just have to sit once again and give it a final shape with common consensus, the CBSE official said.



All school boards in the said meeting decided to constitute an inter-board working group comprising the heads of the school board of Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Manipur and the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) with the CBSE chairman being its convener.



The terms and conditions of the working group has to be finalised by the HRD Ministry. We have not yet received any communication so far (from the Ministry). The process will soon begin as the Ministry also wants to see the end of the spiking of board examinations marks from 2018, the official said.
A BJP committee comprising union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi before this weekend for consultations on the presidential election.



As a first step for evolving a consensus, the panel is expected to seek the views of the Congress president and later other opposition leaders on the names they have in mind. Later, in subsequent rounds, the panel may propose what the NDA leaders have in mind, BJP officials said.



Leaders of top opposition parties will meet here on Wednesday to work out their strategy. This will be the first meeting of the 10-member group set up after Sonia Gandhi held consultations with other opposition leaders.



Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have "zeroed" in on some names, the final call on the candidate could be taken on the basis of response of the opposition parties and senior BJP leaaders, they said.



Already, Shah has been sounding out to members of the party's parliamentary board, the highest decision making body of BJP, about the "broad considerations" before the party for the selection of person to succeed President Pranab Mukherjee, whose term ends next month.



Among the names on the BJP's list, those of former Punjab chief minister and Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal, Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murumu, and Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot are said to be ranked high, party officials said.



Badal's name was taken up for consideration as some BJP leaders thought that he could command wide support across the political spectrum because of his close ties withe such parties like the DMK and the Janata Dal(United).



As a dalit leader from Madhya Pradesh, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister's name had cropped up during several discussions. Similarly, Draupadi is a Santhal tribal from Odisha. Many BJP officials believe that these candidates would not be rejected by the opposition, which has adopted a "wait and watch" approach.



The names that are on the opposition leaders' mind include former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as those of former Speaker Meira Kumar and former Defence Minister Sharad Pawar.



After his visits to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Shah went to the residence of Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday. Later, Naidu said the BJP would talk to all political parties to evolve a broad consensus on presidential nominee in the "true spirit of democracy."



"We have started internal consultations. We are the ruling party and we have to taken everyone on board and work towards evolving a broad consensus (for a presidential nominee) and seek their support," Naidu said.



Naidu, however, added that his "appeal to all is that they should go by the mandate of the people which is for this government." The poll to elect the next president will be held on July 17 and counting will take place on July 20. The term of incumbent Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24 and that of Vice President M Hamid Ansari on August 10.



Meanwhile, the government set up a committee of secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha to oversee arrangements for the swearing-in of the new President around June 25. The nomination process is being opened by the Election Commission from Wednesday.




Resentment is brewing in the dalit community in Saharanpur, which had witnessed large scale clashes between thakurs and dalits, that claimed three lives and left around two dozen others injured, over police action against supporters Chandrashekhar, the Bheem Army founder and the main accused in the Saharanpur violence.



Dalit community members have alleged that the police have been conducting late night raids on their houses and arresting the youths on trumped up charges.



On Monday hundreds of dalit women created a rukcus inside the police lines in Saharanpur in protest against what they alleged indiscriminate arrest of the community members.



Another group of dalit women blocked traffic on the busy Saharanpur-Muzaffarnagar road to register their protest against the police action.



Dalits in large numbers also held a demonstration before Behat police station in the district in protest against the arrest of a youth from Patherwa village for being an alleged member of the Bheem Army. The youth was later released after the demonstration, police said.



''The police has been harassing innocent people...a large number of dalit have been detained on fake charges,'' alleged BSP leader Naresh Gautam in Saharanpur.



Dalits have been holding demonstrations across the district to protest the arrest of Chandrashekhar. Chandrashekhar was arrested from Himachal Pradesh by the Special Task Force (STF) of UP police a few days back.



Congress has already announced its support for Chandrashekar. State Congress vice-president Imran Masood slammed the UP government for decalring reward of rs. 12 thousand on his head and warned that there would be ''serious consequences'' if the dalit leader was ''tortured'' in police custody.



Three persons were killed and over two dozen others injured when members of thakur and dalit communities clashed following a dispute over taking out a procession at Shabbirpur village in the district last month.
The crisis in the Darjeeling hills today deepened after several parties, including the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), decided to push for a separate state and unanimously adopted a resolution in favour of it.



The GJM last week had called for a meeting of all hill parties. The meeting was attended by the GJM, the GNLF, the Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (apolitical) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists.



Two other parties from the hills, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) did not attend the meet, but their leaders expressed their support for a separate state.



The GNLF, an ally of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the civic polls that took place last month, has emphasised the need for a separate state.



"We have unanimously decided to fight for the separate state of Gorkhaland. We have also adopted a resolution in favour of it. Now our fight will not stop until and unless Gorkhaland is achieved," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.



Giri claimed that the BJP district leadership too attended the meeting. But, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said "We are not aware of any of our leaders attending any kind of all-party meet in Darjeeling."



The Centre today dispatched 600 additional para-military personnel to assist the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy in the Darjeeling hills, which witnessed incidents of stone pelting on the second day of the indefinite bandh.



The Centre also sought a detailed report on the prevailing situation in the hill district from the West Bengal government.
Pourakarmikas on Tuesday called off their state-wide strike after Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya and Municipal Administration Minister Eshwar Khandre assured them that their demands would be met.



However, the Karnataka Pourakarmikara Mahasangha said they have only postponed their agitation and would resume it after June 20 if their demands are not met.



Addressing the pourakarmikas at Bannappa Park near the BBMP head office, Anjaneya said the decision to regularise pourakarmikas will be taken at a meeting chaired by the chief minister on June 20. He said the government will also consider extending the benefits of Arogya Sanjivini scheme to all pourakarmikas and sanction Rs 6.5 lakh to each one of them to construct a house. A forum Pourakarmikara Shoshane Mukta Sangha will be created to prevent their exploitation.



We assure you that hiring pourakarmikas on contract will be abolished. We will regularise 10,000 pourakarmikas. We will ensure that there is direct transfer of salaries through RTGS, the minister told the gathering.



In his address, Khandre hailed the pourakarmikas and called them flag-bearers of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.



The civic workers started their indefinite strike on Monday demanding their regularisation and payment of their salaries directly into their accounts through RTGS instead of involving contractors or middlemen. The protesters spent the night under the pandal. By morning, the number swelled. Due to the agitation, traffic was disrupted on the busy Kempegowda Road. A large number of policemen were deployed to ensure law and order at the venue.



After calling off the strike, Rajya Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangha president Narayan wanted to take out a rally of more than 6,000 civic workers from Bannappa Park to the BBMP head office as a token of gratitude but on the directions of the police, the plan was dropped.




The city police will take the three Pakistani nationals and the Keralite again into custody, this time for questioning over their motive for obtaining Aadhaar cards.



Sameera (25) and her two cousins Kiran Ghulam Ali (26) and Kashif Shamsuddin (30), all from Karachi, Pakistan, along with the Keralite Mohammad Shihab, were arrested on May 25 by Central Crime Branch sleuths on the charge of staying illegally in the country for the past nine months. The three had even obtained Aadhaar cards after fabricating documents with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) officials.



During the course of investigation, we stumbled upon more information. We have to question them on the reasons why they procured Aadhaar cards, City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood said on Tuesday.



The investigating officials may also visit Qatar to verify and corroborate all information they have retrieved from the three Pakistani nationals and the Keralite.



The police are also probing the travel routes of the accused from Kathmandu to Patna and then to Bengaluru. It is impossible for the four accused, at least the three Pakistanis, to cross the Indo-Nepal border without help from others who are yet to be identified, the police said. We have collected information from the accused and we are in the process of verifying and corroborating it, said a senior police officer privy to the investigation. We have also involved the central intelligence agencies and agencies abroad who have been kept in the loop about all information we have procured from the accused so far, the officer said.



While in police custody earlier, the four told the police that they had come to India for love. Shihab fell in love with Sameera but her parents objected. Hence Sameera, with the help of two of her cousins Kiran and Kashif, who were also in love with each other, planned to elope, come to India and settle down with the help of Shihab. The three travelled from Qatar to Muscat, and from Muscat to Nepal, joined Shihab there and the four travelled to Patna and then to Bengaluru.



We are verifying their version and the exact reason why they settled down in the city. Our job is not to accept what anyone says, but probe and verify the facts to ascertain the truth. We will do our homework till we get answers to all the questions, Sood added.


Distress calls to the Namma 100 emergency response service are being answered in just two rings, according to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Praveen Sood.



The response is so quick that some of the callers hung up assuming they had dialled a wrong number only to call us back, he told journalists on Tuesday.



On Monday, the police control room received 3,200 calls, all of which were answered in two seconds. The majority of the calls were about trivial issues that could be handled by police constables in Hoysala patrol vehicles. Members of the public sometimes call senior officers like inspectors, assistant police commissioners and deputy commissioners of police to report trivial issues.



Sood appealed to citizens to make use of Namma 100 as a single point of contact for any emergency and said appropriate police officers would attend to the problem depending on the gravity of the matter.



The city police chief said people need not remember different phone numbers for womens, childrens or elders helpline. We expect more and more people to make use of this service as our control room is well-equipped and capable of handing 8,000 calls per day, he said.



This apart, phone numbers for ambulance, fire and other emergency services will be integrated with Namma 100 as it is a round-the-clock service with state-of-the-art technology. Police are also considering integrating the universal emergency number (112) with Namma 100.



Besides receiving calls and despatching Hoysala patrol cars to crime or accident spots, the police control room also has a team that monitors the response time, analyses the calls and records the type of help provided. The team also generates feedback based on the action taken report.



Sood said such an approach would not only help improve the service but also weed out staff members who fail to respond in time.


There seems to be a steady increase in the number of deceased donor organ donations (cadaveric transplants) in Karnataka.



From 39 deceased donor organ transplants in 2014, the number has risen to 70 in 2016. This year alone saw 32 organ transplants, with the number of kidneys being the highest.



The demand for kidneys is more because a lot of diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, misuse of painkillers, use of aspirin due to over-the-counter sale, etc, affect kidneys more than any other organ, said Dr T S Prabhakar, Joint Director (Medical), Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka.



With 3,000 patients waiting for organ transplants, there is a shortage of organs being donated in the state.

The number of organ transplants has increased, but there should also be a match between the donor and the recipient, said Manjula K U, the chief transplant co-ordinator, Jeevasarthakathe.



Jeevasarthakathe, earlier known as ZCCK (Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation), is an independent body that monitors and operates cadaver organ transplants in the city. It is now taken over by the government of Karnataka and has been expanding its reach across the state.



Hospitals inform Jeevasarthakathe whenever there is an organ donation by patients who are declared brain-dead. It is through this committee that the transplants are routed as it holds a registry of people in need of organs.



According to doctors who conduct organ transplants, there are many reasons for considerable disparity between the requirement of organs and the number of donations that follow.



The match between blood groups and body types of donor and recipient, availability of the organ at a particular time, proximity of the patient from the hospital, post-transplant medication that may cost around Rs 18,000, etc, play a great role in a transplant taking place, said Dr Bhagirath Raghuraman, head of heart transplantation, Narayana Health City.



Counselling families

According to experts, people are not reluctant to give their loved ones organs, but they are not aware of the nuances of transplant and the reasons why it should take place.



There is great potential in the number of cadavers that come into hospitals from which organs can be retrieved, while families have to be counselled clearly in order to get their consent, said Dr Olithselvan, chairman, division of liver transplant, Manipal Hospitals.



We need to turn our attention to doctors. Not only surgeons, but also neurologists and neurosurgeons who need to come forward and do their job. We should be transplanting one organ every day with such a potential, Dr Olithselvan said.



Doctors should know that this is not an extra burden but part of their curriculum to explain to the people.

The doctors concerned do not find enough time to educate the general public about what is brain death, that it is as bad as death itself. That way with consent from patients and their families we can retrieve more organs, Dr Prabhakar said.



Dr C N Manjunath, the director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said there were certain religious beliefs where the family thinks the person should not be hurt after their death. Although such emotional barriers are breaking, the number of donations is much below the requirement. ICUs in hospitals should also be sensitised and there should be co-ordinators who can manage such matters, he said.



Future requirements

Jeevasarthakathe is planning to expand its reach for better service. Now organ transplant is being taken up only in Bengaluru and Mangaluru and to some extent in Belagavi. We are planning to start three more centres in a year. We are planning to retrieve the organs in all district hospitals. In each zone, we will create transplant centres, Dr Prabhakar said.



Under the plan, all the 30 districts will have one retrieval centre. We now have a position for a convener which did not exist earlier, who is supposed to look after awareness programmes. We have a set of five transplant co-ordinators to assist him, he said.



According to doctors, there should be grief counsellors, who are non-medical staff, to help the patients family understand the nuances of organ transplant. They will be hired by the government.



A heart transplant that changed his life

Ashok Chungani, a 59-year-old wedding planner, is the recipient of a heart of a 30-year-old who died in an accident.

He underwent the heart transplant two years ago after a four-month wait. He was asked for a transplant as his heart was pumping at a rate of 20% and he was unable to even move around inside his house.

I was care-free for the first two months, but the next two months, I did not want to live and was frustrated, Chungani said. I have the heart of a 30-year-old. I live on an angel heart. My energy is back, he said.

Chungani has now resumed work and continues taking medication as advised by the doctors. He said he would love to meet the young mans parents who gave him the heart.

I will keep searching for them if it is possible, he said.




Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy was treated at a private hospital after he bit his tongue while having food on Tuesday evening.



According to BJP MLC Ganesh Karnik, Shankaramurthy was having upma in his chamber in Vidhana Soudha around 7 pm, after the Council was adjourned for the day. He was finalising the agenda for the Council proceedings for Wednesday with his staff. He had not yet signed the agenda. His party colleagues as well as Basavaraj Horatti (JD-S) were present.



Shankaramurthy accidentally bit his tongue which began bleeding. Soon, duty doctors from the Legislators Home attended on him. As the bleeding did not stop, his staff and Karnik took him to Vikram Hospital, where he regularly goes for consultation.



Health check-up

Shankaramurthy, 75, is diabetic. Doctors at the hospital treated him, conducted a health check-up and allowed him to go home around 9.40 pm. He was treated as an outpatient, said Karnik. A host of senior BJP leaders including B S Yeddyurappa and K S Eshwarappa visited him.



The incident happened on a day when a notice by the ruling Congress seeking to move a no-confidence motion against him was admitted. Hence, there was speculation that this upset his health.

Karnik said, In all probability, he will be attending the House on Wednesday.


The Legislative Council on Tuesday admitted a notice by the ruling Congress seeking to move no-confidence motion against Chairman D H Shankaramurthy.



Shankaramurthy, however, said the notice was not as per the procedure and against the principle of natural justice.



As the notice does not mention any specific charge or any instance against me, I will not be able to reply to it. Hence, the notice is not as per the procedure and it is against the principle of natural justice (sic), he stated, adding that he is allowing it to be admitted only to uphold the dignity of the House.



In a curious development on Tuesday night, JD (S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said his party will not support the Congress on the motion against Shankaramurthy. At present, the JD (S) is supporting the BJP in the Council. The status quo will be maintained, he said. This would mean the no-confidence motion would be defeated in the House.



Home Minister G Parameshwara, also the state Congress president, met JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda.



He sought JD(S) support to oust Shankaramurthy.



The party (Congress) is short of two members to prove majority in the Council. The Congress and the JD(S) already have an understanding in the BBMP. The two parties are now coming together for the election of the new Council chairman. But, we have not discussed on who should be the new Chairman. The alliance is confined only to the Council and not the 2018 Assembly elections, Parameshwara told reporters after meeting

Gowda.



Within five days

In the House, the Chairman will decide on the date of discussion on the motion. As per the rule book, discussion on the motion has to be allowed within five days of admitting it. The Congress is setting a bad precedent by seeking to move the motion. Never in the history of the Council has the presiding officer been removed, Shankaramurthy later told reporters.



Asked whether he can preside over the House during the debate on the no-confidence motion, Shankaramurthy said he also has the right to vote on the motion. I am the Chairman of the House till the motion is passed. So I can sit in my place, he added.



The Congress members, including Parameshwara, supported the move seeking the Chairmans ouster.

Party leader V S Ugrappa and five other MLCs had submitted the notice to the Legislative Council secretariat on May 30, charging Shankaramurthy with being partisan and hence they had lost confidence in him.



The Congress move to oust the chairman now hinges on the JD(S) support. In the 75-members Council, the Congress has 36 MLCs, the BJP 23 and the JD(S) 14. The ruling party is short of two members to win the motion, and it is hopeful that the JD(S) will stand by it.



The JD(S) is said to be playing the cards close to its chest.



Not as per procedure

Earlier, Shankaramurthy argued that the notice is not as per the procedure and that it does not even satisfy any of the conditions for admission in the House.



He extensively quoted the Parliamentary Procedure: Law, Privileges, Practice and Precedents by Subash C Kashyap and Practice and Procedure of Parliament by M N Kaul and Shakdher.


A Lokayukta special court rejected an anticipatory bail application filed by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in an illegal mining case. Following this, Kumaraswamy moved the High Court of Karnataka seeking bail. The matter is yet to be listed for hearing.



The Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing illegal mining cases in the state, had registered a case against Kumaraswamy based on the statement by senior IAS officer Gangaram Baderiya.



The SIT had arrested Baderiya for according permission to Janthakal Enterprises in 2006 based on forged letters purportedly issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. During questioning, Baderiya had stated that he had accorded permission on instructions from the then chief minister Kumaraswamy.



When the SIT summoned Kumaraswamy to appear before the investigating officer, he had filed a regular anticipatory bail besides seeking interim anticipatory bail. An ACMM court had in May 2017 granted Kumaraswamy interim anticipatory bail.



Lokayukta special court judge Gopal on Tuesday rejected Kumaraswamys anticipatory bail. The special public prosecutor appearing for the SIT contended that further interrogation of Kumaraswamy was required in the wake of Baderiya's statement. The SIT also apprised the court 10 days ago that it has included Kumaraswamy as an accused in the case.



Sources in the SIT said that no fresh notice has been issued to Kumaraswamy to appear before the investigating officer. However, he may be asked to appear for further questioning, an official said.



Meanwhile, former minister G Janardhana Reddy on Tuesday submitted evidence to the SIT in support of his allegation made 10 years ago, that Kumaraswamy had received Rs 150-crore kickback from mining companies in Ballari. After submitting the evidence at the SIT office, Reddy said he has submitted a pen drive and several bank statements to substantiate his allegations.



Pressure from CMs office



The case relates to granting permission to Janthakal Enterprises, a company owned by mining baron Vinod Goel, to lift iron ore on the basis of two forged letters of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The Lokayukta report on illegal mining (part-2) had stated that Janthakal Enterprises submitted forged MoEF letters of no objection to lift and transport iron ore in old dumps in Chitradurga.



A note by Gangaram Baderiya before the permission was accorded states that there was tremendous pressure from the Chief Minister's Office as well as the chief minister''. The note also stated that the chief minister has given an ultimatum that the permission should be given within two hours, without loss of time''.




Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will try to seek a common ground on saving and creating jobs when they meet in Washington on June 26.



Modi is likely to tell Trump that Indian companies not only created jobs in America, but professionals from India also contributed to the US economy.



He will try to ensure that Trump agrees on a win-win proposition that continued growth of India would support hundreds of thousands of jobs in America, sources in New Delhi told DH.



Trump, for his part, is expected to nudge Modi to continue reforms and open up the economy further to spur growth and make it easier for the US companies to do business in India.



Make in India

The White House has signalled that Trump would like to see Modis Make in India initiative creating more opportunities for the US companies in India and thus create and support more jobs in America, sources in New Delhi said. Modis visit to Washington DC on June 25 and June 26 is going to be his first after Trump took over as the US President in January.



New Delhi is keen to use the opportunity to dismiss the perception that Indian professionals in America were taking away jobs from the US citizens.



New Delhi noted that the Trump administration toned down its Buy American, Hire American rhetoric ahead of Modis visit to Washington.



Modi will highlight that Indian technology companies directly or indirectly supported over 4,00,000 jobs in America between 2011 and 2015, registering a 10% annual growth.



He will also point it out to the US president that the Indian companies paid over $20 billion as taxes, $7 billion towards social security contributions and impacted over 1,20,000 American lives through Corporate Social Responsibility contributions.



America first

Trumps America First policy and his anti-immigrant campaign pitch caused unease in Indias $150 billion IT industry, which sent over 80,000 professionals to the US over the past 10 years.



Modi will convey to Trump Indias concerns over the move tocurbuse of H-1B Visa by skilled professionals from India and other countries to stay and work in America.




By Ellen Knickmeyer

12 June 2017

SAN FRANCISCO (Associated Press)  The Trump administration on Monday threw out a new rule intended to limit the numbers of endangered whales and sea turtles getting caught in fishing nets off the West Coast, even though the fishing industry had proposed the measure.

The National Marine Fisheries Service said it decided the new protection was not warranted.

The action is one of the first by the Trump administration targeting protections for threatened species off the Pacific coast, said Catherine Kilduff, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity conservation group.The regulation was designed to reduce the numbers of humpback whales, leatherback sea turtles, and other large creatures that accidentally become tangled in mile-long nets set adrift by commercial fishermen overnight to catch swordfish off California and Oregon.The regulation allowed for shutting down swordfish fishing with the drift nets for up to two fishing seasons if too many of the endangered animals were getting caught in the nets. [more]
Did You Know These Facts About Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot?
The men were apparently receiving a payment of 150,000 baht every month (Rs 28,4,443) from a Chinese company to artificially boost engagement on a popular social media platform.

Have you ever posted on a Facebook page and received some random comments on the post hawking a website or a product? If you have a social media presence, you would have definitely come across click baits or auto-generated comments from bots as a publicity attempt by companies to boost their products or content.

A form of fraud, click farms are usually made up of low-income workers whose only job is to click on advertising links all day in order to artificially boost engagement. Sometimes hundreds of thousands of bots are also used to obtain followers or promote content online through bot farms. These bots are essentially fake accounts that try and disguise themselves as actual people on social media platforms and can be programmed to function automatically.

One such click farm/bot farm was reportedly uncovered in Thailand. As per the Bangkok Post, three Chinese men were found running a massive bot operation. The men named, Wang Dong, Niu Bang, and Ni Wenjin, were said to be in possession of 347,200 unused SIM cards from various Thai telecom operators, along with a total of 474 iPhones. The men were using a rack full of iPhone 5S, 5C, and 4S models alongside 10 computers/laptops to artificially boost engagement for a Chinese company on WeChat, the most popular social network in China.

The men were apparently receiving a payment of 150,000 baht every month (Rs 28,4,443) from the company in question, which also supplied them with the iPhones and computers to run the click farm. However, The trio refused to name the organisation that hired them and supplied them with all the equipment. The men were later arrested on multiple charges by the Thai police, including overstayed visas, possessing and using unregistered SIM cards, smuggling and working without an official permit. The matter is currently under further investigation.
The Taimen is reportedly the codename for a device that tipped to be a larger than the second-gen Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones

Google is expected to introduce the second-generation Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in October this year. The company is already rumoured to be working on these smartphones under the codenames Walleye and Muskie respectively, along with a third device codenamed Taimen. Now, Android Police reports that Google has cancelled second generation of the Pixel XL smartphone in order to concentrate on the Taimen. The website notes that the information is based on reports from three different sources. There is very little information about Google Pixel XL 2 (Muskie), and the reasons for its purpoted discontinuation are unknown.

Taimen is tipped to be a larger device than the Muskie and Walleye. With smartphone makers adopting a new design language with thinner bezels for their flagship this year, Google might be planning to launch 'Taimen' as its second smartphone instead of previously rumoured Muskie.

At the time of the launch of the Pixel last year, Google confirmed that it plans to launch two smartphones a year. Something it did with the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. HTC is said to be the preferred hardware partner for 2017, while Coolpad, LG and TCL are reportedly bidding for the 2018 versions of the phone.
Nokia, the name, the brand, has an instant recall value and HMD Global has been riding high on the fact since the company first introduced the world to the Nokia 3( 5890 at flipkart), 5, 6 and the nostalgic feature phone, Nokia 3310. The phones promise the purest and most secure Android experience, along with reliable after-sales services; something most smartphone makers push under the rug after they manage to rope in buyers. But, we are not here to debate if Nokia sticks to its commitment of timely OS updates and dependable service. We are not even here to discuss or question the technology that drives the new Nokia smartphones.

One thing that HMD Global seems to have done right is the way it plans to sell the newly launched Nokia 3, 5 and 6 in India. If you didnt already know, the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5( 7999 at amazon) will be offline-exclusives. Strange right? In this world of flash sales and split second transactions, here comes a brand, years late in the smartphone revolution, launching two of its three debut devices through good-old brick and mortar stores. Heres why the move is a stroke of genius.

First and foremost, Nokia is back and we are all very nostalgic, but the brand is at a huge disadvantage in the online space because of well established players like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung, Honor, Coolpad, Meizu, Lenovo, Yu and many more. In fact, most major smartphone players in India have already tried and tested the online-only approach and it has proven to work well for these companies. Why? Well, because a lot of these companies have extremely tight budgets to be able to set up widespread offline distribution channels and its cheaper to sell online. Of course there is also the fact that online sales tend to garner more eyeballs.

Ajey Mehta, India Vice President for HMD Global tells Digit, Our channel strategy is a function of who the target consumer is, what is the value proposition we are delivering and what is the price point. So we start with the consumer, what does the consumer want, where does the consumer shop. We felt the Nokia 6 would have a far better chance and opportunity in online and 5 & 3 would have a greater opportunity in offline.

In case of Nokia, HMD is entering India at a very crucial juncture. Not only do the Nokia 3 and 5 become free from competing with the better established online strategies of other smartphone companies, they also stands at the cusp of one of the biggest tax reforms in the country - GST.

Right now, most online/ecommerce smartphone retailers sell through places like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In these cities, VAT on smartphones is around 5 percent as opposed to 10-12 percent in other cities. This gives online sellers an advantage of selling smartphones at lower prices. With GST, however, the gap between online and offline prices will become quite narrow, bringing about a sense of uniformity in the market. At such a time, Nokia, with its presence in 80,000 plus retail stores and 400 exclusive distribution partners, will have a good upper hand against brands that have limited offline availability, especially at the below Rs 13,000 price point.

That said, the offline smartphone market in India is still pretty big and all the more lucrative now, thanks to GST. As per analysts, the online channel makes up for only 30-33 percent of India's smartphone market. Chinese smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo are good examples of how a well established offline distribution channel can help ramp up sales, something even Xiaomi and OnePlus are trying to work on now. Realising this, even ecommerce players Amazon and Flipkart are looking to develop an offline sales presence. As per a recent report, Amazon is looking to enter the offline channel with brands like Coolpad, Huawei, Motorola and OnePlus. Flipkart, too, is in the process of finalising its offline strategy. So, an offline-only route is already shaping up to be a good move for Nokias much awaited comeback.

Another plus for Nokia and HMD will be the formers brand value. Yes, Nokia lost a significant chunk of its brand value to Apple after the iPhone launch in 2007, but it still has great recall. Nokia is still the highest ranking brand in Finland, according to a recent Brand Finance survey. Nokias global brand value also went up 62 percent after the launch of the Nokia 3310. Figures aside, there seems to be a general sense of positivity and anticipation around the Nokia Android phones, no matter the specs, and HMD is confident of its market strategy.

Does a phone lend itself to a great tactile experience that you have to touch and feel to buy? If so, we go offline. If the phone is looking fantastic from a specs point of view then maybe online. Its humbling to see the kind of faith distribution partners are putting in our brand, says Mehta, explaining the reason behind the company's offline-only choice.

Why then go online for Nokia 6? Mehta tells us that they are following their own example in China. The company sold a ton of products in China, says Mehta. The Nokia 6 retailed through Chinese ecommerce platform JD.com and HMD experienced that 75% of the consumers were millennials. The company anticipates a similar response in India.

Let us know what you think of Nokia's offline-only approach for the Nokia 3, 5. Will you be heading to a store to pick up your Nokia device?
Samsung's refurbished Galaxy Note 7 is said to launch as Galaxy Note FE, wherein FE stands for Fan Edition

Samsung's refurbished Galaxy Note 7 is tipped to launch in South Korea on July 7. According to Korea-based, ETNews, the refurbished handset will launch as Galaxy Note FE, wherein FE stands for Fan Edition. The smartphone was earlier rumoured to be called the Galaxy Note7R and launch at the end of June.

Samsung confirmed its plan to refurbish and sell Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in March, and the handset has received both WiFi and FCC certifications. The report also suggests that Samsung is planning to offer 4.5 lakh units instead of the previously rumoured 3 lakh units. The fact that the company increasing the available stock further highlights the fact that there is a demand for the Galaxy Note 7 despite its issues.

The report also adds that the Samsung Galaxy Note FE will be the third smartphone to come preinstalled with the company's own Bixby virtual assistant. Samsung had announced Bixby alongside the launch of Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, and while it is aimed at competing against Google Assistant and Apple's Siri, it didn't not offer the same number of features at launch. The virtual assistant lacked support for voice at launch and may not be included with Galaxy Note FE at the time of launch.

The Samsung Galaxy Note FE will most likely feature same 5.7-inch Quad HD display and use company's own Exynos 8890 processor. The refurbished model is tipped to launch with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, along with support for expandable storage. The handset will feature a 12MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera and a smaller redesigned 3200mAh battery. While initial rumours suggested that the handset will retail at half its original cost, the new report claims that it will retail for 7,00,000 Korean Won approximately Rs. 39,900. The launch of refurbished Galaxy Note 7 will be limited to certain markets and the company had earlier confirmed that it will not launch the device in India.
Its been about a full year since Google announced the Daydream View headset and its very own Daydream platform. Why is Daydream important? Because it has Googles name attached to it. With the company launching the Daydream View headset in India today, Googles virtual reality efforts suddenly become more relevant for us. Not only is it a VR headset, its a mobile VR headset, which should make more headway in price sensitive markets like ours. But, as much as weve talked about the headset, Daydream View is actually about the Daydream platform than the headset itself. To better understand this, consider the cartoon Jonny Quest  Daydream View is the device, while Daydream is QuestWorld.

Whats Daydream?

Aptly named, VR headsets are pretty much the equivalent of daydreaming right now. You see that they have some place in the future of technology, but no ones made a very convincing demonstration just yet, at least on the mobile front. Thats admittedly my personal opinion, but if you plan to buy one of these you must understand what Daydream really is.

Simply put, Daydream is Googles attempt at facilitating the development of VR apps. Its a platform that comes with guidelines and recommendations aimed at improving and extending virtual reality in mobile phones. The Daydream platform puts forth recommendations for handsets, headsets and apps, thereby democratising the virtual reality ecosystem in the long run.



The Daydream View is more than just the headset

For example, one of the recommendations Google makes is for low latency displays on Daydream compatible headsets. This is part of the reason why every Daydream capable headset has an OLED display panel right now. Phones like the Moto Z, Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel come to mind. Similarly, phones should have at least an FHD (1080p) display panel, while Google strongly recommends a QHD display. Youll find more such recommendations and guidelines in the Android Compatibility Document here.

What we mentioned above are recommendations and guidelines for smartphones, but the purview of Googles Daydream platform extends to headsets and app development as well. So, if developers follow Googles guidelines, every app they design will work on every other Daydream compatible smartphone, which itself will work with Daydream compatible headsets.

Where does Daydream View come in?

While Google is selling the Daydream View for Rs. 6,499 in India, its a reference device for all practical purposes. Manufacturers who build Daydream compatible headsets will use the Daydream View as the starting point and make changes to it. Consider it the Nexus/Pixel for future Daydream compatible VR headsets. Some may choose to change the design, while others may put more sensors. Still others may have a different controller designs, and so on. Thats where innovation comes in. Much like Android phones, there will be budget and flagship headsets here.



The controller is a singular elements of the Daydream View

Its worth noting that Google has already announced an upgrade to the Daydream View, adding its new WorldSense technology at Google I/O this year. Future headsets should make use of this technology and add their own tweaks as well. Currently, the Daydream View headset thats been launched in India has only Bluetooth and NFC chips inside, the former connecting to the controller, while the latter connects to the phone. That also means Daydream compatible phones should have NFC right now.

Google as a gatekeeper

Much like Android, Google is the gatekeeper for the Daydream platform. What remains to be seen is how well it performs this function. To use the Daydream platform, a manufacturer must adhere to Googles guidelines. Essentially, additions are allowed, omissions are not.

Future fragmentation

Though Daydream isnt an operating system, it shares another similarity with Android, in the fact that its open to all developers. So, anyone can build a Daydream compatible app, while any OEM can build a Daydream compatible phone or headset. While being open source was Androids greatest strength, its also the OS greatest weakness.

Being open sourced has led Android to be massively fragmented, and Googles efforts at bringing things together seem to have failed so far. Its evident from the fact that OEMs have largely ignored Android Marshmallow on mid and budget ranged smartphones. Interestingly, one of the chief requirements of Daydream/Daydream View is Android Nougat or above.



Samsung Gear VR works on the Oculus platform

In this case though, fragmentation is more likely in the VR space at large than in Daydream itself. This is one of the chief differences between Samsungs Gear VR and Daydream View, the former works on the Oculus platform, while the latter is of course running on Daydream. The battle is sort of like iOS and Android. Oculus, Google, Sony, Steam all have platforms meant for VR, and the race is on to get developers excited about each. More developers mean more apps, which in turn means you have more to do, and hence headsets are more value for money. So, Daydream apps will work with all Daydream compatible smartphones, but Daydream compatible smartphones may not be compatible with Playstation VR or Oculus platforms.

Daydream vs Cardboard

Believe it or not, Google Cardboard was also a VR platform, albeit a rudimentary one at that. Daydream is a more evolved platform, that is capable of better and more advanced mobile VR. Googles WorldSense technology is an example of this. The technology allows the headset to function without external sensors or headphones, making it a true Standalone VR headset.



OnePlus Cardboard, an example of Google Cardboard

On the other hand, Google Cardboard was essentially a way to provide entry level VR experiences to those interested in it. Made literally out of Cardboard, the headset was cheap and easy enough to be a DIY project. All it essentially was, was a way to get the lenses in front of a smartphone screen. The basic similarity between the two platforms is in the fact that developers can build more advanced apps for the Daydream View.

So, is mobile VR ready for the mainstream?

Far from it, the Daydream platform is essentially Google announcing that its serious about virtual reality. To be precise, the company was serious a year ago and has improved its work this year. Daydream may eventually lead to the future of mobile VR, but if youre expecting HTC Vive or Oculus Rift like experiences, thats a far cry right now. Not that those two headsets are the gold standard for VR any way.

Daydream's worth as a platform will only be known once developers start taking more interest. On the other hand, many agree that the VR headset designs (Daydream View included) are a key roadblock in bringing virtual reality to the mainstream. They're uncomfortable, bulky and don't really make practical sense.
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PSU gets $5M for art museum

PORTLAND (AP)  A prominent Portland philanthropist announced he's donating $5 million for an art museum on the campus of Portland State University.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the 7,500-square-foot museum will bear Jordan Schnitzer's name and occupy parts of two floors of Neuberger Hall.

The university is planning a $70 million renovation of the building, backed by $60 million in state bonds approved by the Oregon Legislature two years ago. Construction is expected to begin this summer and finish in 2019.

The school still must raise another $5 million to pay for the project.

The museum would be the third such facility on a Pacific Northwest campus funded in part by Schnitzer.




Gene Colin remembered for his work, generosity



Journal Construction Editor By BENJAMIN MINNICK Journal Construction Editor

Gene J. Colin died June 6 doing what his family said was one of his favorite things: working at Ferguson Construction.

Colin

Colin was 76, and died of natural causes.

He worked at the Seattle construction company for about 50 years, and was chairman emeritus when he passed away.

Gene was the recipient of many awards and an active supporter of a great number of charitable organizations, wrote David D'Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, in a news release. Most importantly, Gene will be remembered as a great man with a huge heart who affected the lives of countless individuals.

In a 2010 interview with the DJC, Colin said he grew up in the New York/New Jersey area, and worked summers with his father, who was a stone mason and opened a construction company in the late 1940s.

Colin graduated from Rutgers University with a civil engineering degree, and was drafted by the Army and stationed in Japan for about three years during the Vietnam War.

After his service in 1965, he met an Army buddy in Seattle and they hatched a plan to travel to California to seek their fortunes. But they didn't have enough money, so they ended up taking jobs at Boeing.

At Boeing, Colin worked in the construction facilities division, and represented the company on its new space center in Kent. He also supervised some work Ferguson Construction was doing at the space center.

In 1967, Colin was one of many Boeing workers who began to worry about their jobs. I had a strong feeling that I was last in and first out at Boeing, Colin said in 2010 about his two-year stint there.

Colin left Boeing to join Ferguson, starting as a gofer and working his way up to president by 1980.

When company founder Hugh Ferguson retired in 1982, Colin and three others bought the company. Two years later, he became sole owner when the others left.

Colin was responsible for many projects at Ferguson Construction, including a 25,000-square-foot distribution center built in 1973 for Bernie Brotman. About a decade later, Colin got a call from Bernie's son, Jeff Brotman, who wanted him to renovate a building on Fourth Avenue for a new venture called Costco Wholesale.

That job led to many more at Costco, and helped transform Ferguson Construction into an industry leader.

But Colin wasn't all business. He also gave back to the community, especially in education. He served a term as board chair of the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board, and was on the boards of South Seattle College Foundation, Eastside Catholic High School, Seattle Nativity School and AGC of Washington Education Foundation.

Colin also chaired the boards of the AGC Government Affairs Council, Washington State Building Code Council and Pacific Medical Centers.

In 1995, Colin accepted a challenge from Roland Dewhurst, who headed up the AGC Southern District office at the time and later became CEO of AGC of Washington. The challenge? Walk together from the AGC offices in Tacoma to the AGC offices in Seattle  nearly 40 miles  to raise money for the association's Education Foundation.

In the 2010 interview, Colin said they left at 4 a.m. and arrived in Seattle at 4 p.m. Colin said he hit the wall when he reached downtown Seattle, but Dewhurst egged him on and both reached their destination  and together raised $60,000.

In 1998, Colin came up with a plan to celebrate Ferguson Construction's 50th anniversary by having a team of employees scale Mount Rainier. He thought it would be good to combine the climb with the American Lung Association's Climb for Clean Air event. Ten of the 11 climbers made the summit and raised $33,000 for the cause.

Diane Kocer, executive director of AGC Education Foundation, said Colin's death will be a big hit for many nonprofits in Seattle: His heart was big.

Colin is survived by his wife, Susan Janus, and his children Ryan Hazlett (Jessica), Crista Haugen and Carla Colin.

Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave. in Seattle. Visitation will begin an hour prior to the service. A private interment will be held at a later date.

Remembrances can be made to the AGC Education Foundation, Seattle Nativity School and South Seattle College through the 13th Year Promise Scholarship and the Gene Colin Two-Year College Scholarship.





Benjamin Minnick can be reached by email or by phone at (206) 622-8272.




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The report on Mica-affected homes in Donegal has been published today.

The Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks found that there is likely to be approximately 1,200 dwellings affected in Donegal although there may be as many as 4,800 dwellings potentially affected, as well as 541 social housing units.

The panel's report concludes that the nature of the problem is manifested primarily by the disintegration of the concrete blocks used in the construction of the affected dwellings in counties Donegal and Mayo. This, in turn, has resulted in the appearance of a particular pattern of cracking in the external render of these dwellings. The dwellings are single storey, dormer and two-storey with both housing estates and one-off rural types constructed by contract and by self-build affected. On the basis of the information received, the Panel is of the view that the reason for the widespread pattern cracking in the affected dwellings is primarily due to excessive amounts of materials in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks which gave rise to deleterious effects. The material in County Donegal was primarily muscovite mica while in County Mayo it was primarily reactive pyrite.

This, in turn, has resulted in the appearance of a particular pattern of cracking in the external render of these dwellings. The dwellings are single storey, dormer and two-storey with both housing estates and one-off rural types constructed by contract and by self-build affected.
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Months of lobbying by Cllr. Niamh Kennedy, has resulted in confirmation today, that work will begin this year both on Tirconnail Bridge in Donegal Town and Fintra Bridge on the R263, between Killybegs and Kilcar.

Speaking as she stepped down after a year as chair of the Donegal Municipal District of Donegal County Council, Cllr Kennedy said she was delighted to receive confirmation of major progress on both bridge projects.

"Minster for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, has approved a maximum of 700,000 on the Tirconnail Bridge," she said, "and a further report is to be sought from Donegal County Council about upgrading proposals for Fintra Bridge following which work should also begin before the end of 2017".

Cllr Kennedy, who is a member of the Independent Alliance group of representatives, said she was confident that, once the technical details of the Fintra Bridge design had been resolved, Minister Ross was committed to supporting the progression of this project.

"My understanding is that the initial proposals for the proposed curve of the new Fintra Bridge were not in line with standards laid down by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). Once these technical adjustments have been made, the project should proceed without undue delay," Cllr Kennedy said.

She added that she was delighted at the announcement of funds for the Tirconnail Bridge in Donegal Town.

"Given the need to update the tender package and to go through the procurement process, it will be year-end before construction can commence," Cllr Kennedy said.

She noted that costs of 18,000, which are predicted over the next five months, will have to be carried by the Council for now and recouped from the Department through a grant in 2018 when most expenditure will be incurred.

She added: "This bridge is part of an important link road within Donegal Town. It has been necessary for the Council to apply a 3.5 tonne weight restriction to this bridge because of the poor structural condition of the bridge.

"It is clear that major rehabilitation works are required at this bridge and the proposed option of a replacement bridge deck and associated works at a total cost of 700,000 is the best overall solution. I am deeply grateful to Minister Ross for the attention he has given to these two bridge projects.

Minister Ross today said: Tirconnail Bridge is at the heart of the community. However, due to the Bridges age and general wear and tear, it was nearing the point of danger to those using and relying upon it.

"Todays announcement, and the works that will follow, will improve the efficiency and safety of the entire local transport network. This upgrade will ensure the connectivity in the town is maintained, helping the local economy while also providing safe pedestrian access.

With regard to Fintra Bridge, Minister Ross said: Some months ago I met with Councillor Niamh Kennedy and a delegation from the Donegal County Council who impressed upon me their concerns for the bridges. Thanks to Councillor Kennedys tireless work highlighting the need for these works, I am now pleased to confirm that this project will go ahead.
James Comey was fired either as director of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) or the FBCP (Federal Bureau of Clinton Protection) or both.

It appears that Comey may have well been lying under oath considering his timeline of events with President Trump dont add up.

What Comey did say was that he had that he had a friend, a professor at Columbia, leak information to the New York Times. I wonder if Reality Winner  yes, thats actually a persons name  will have someone to chat with now that shes in jail and denied bail after also being accused of leaking classified information to a news outlet.

If we stand by the laws of which this country was built, Winner and Comey will both be locked away until theyve learned their lesson that they simply cant do what they did. These are as shameful as individuals as we have because in reality  no pun intended -- the Rosie ODonnels, Whoopi Goldbergs and Mandonnas of the world really dont matter. They cant relay classified information without scumbags such as Comey and Winner initially doing so.

Comey said he needed to get information out to the public square. Huh? No, no you didnt.

There are so many things wrong with that comment. Of course, there are apologists out there who dont care that the country is under attack and cannot get back on a solid foundation while individuals inside our borders are doing everything to keep it derailed.

They are not patriots. Patriots are the people that do their part to make the country the best in the world.

They should be terrified of possible actions against them. Comey is already shamed beyond belief and the only thing we know about Winner is she is a quite a loser.

Lets face it, Comey is about as dull as they get, but he was quite comical with some of his comments, albeit unintentional, during Thursdays hearing.

Discussing Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusal from the Russia probe, Comey said, We also were aware of facts that I cant discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.

OK, Comey (thankfully I dont need to refer to him as Director anymore), for starters, lets look at your open setting statement. Is giving permission to your professor friend to leak material to the New York Times not eventually an open setting? Secondly, Sessions did recuse himself from the Russian probe, so that statement is worthless, which pretty much sums up Comeys time at the FBI.
Hyundai will more than double its SUV model range in the next five years with the arrival of a tiny city-focused model and a large SUV.

Speaking at the release of the Kona small SUV  a crucial pillar expected to grow Hyundai Australia's sales by at least 10 percent  Hyundai's global vice chairman Euisun Chung confirmed it was only the start of an SUV model offensive.

The Kona is the public face of that SUV expansion, ushering in a new look that includes a distinctive split-layer grille and slimline LED headlights.

"Our plan is to come up with A segment SUV  by 2020," said Chung through a translator. "We are also planning to roll out a large SUV, or E segment SUV, which is bigger than Santa Fe.

"We want to have a full SUV lineup  to expand our customer's choice."

SUV sales have been booming globally and in Australia for the first time SUVs have outsold traditional passenger cars early in 2017.

Chung also said there was an intense focus on environmentally friendly vehicles, including electric cars, hybrids and hydrogen vehicles.

"We will continue to focus more on eco cars, for example EVs and hydrogen electric vehicles," he said.

Another senior executive confirmed there was an all-electric version of the Kona in development, something that would be offered in some markets from 2018.

"We are targeting a mass production of Kona EV from next year," he said. "The driving range is very important  we are looking at a driving range of 390 kilometres or more."

He also said there was a hydrogen fuel cell version of the Kona in development.

"Clean mobility is a core strategy of Hyundai motor company in future."

Late this year Hyundai Australia will launch the Ioniq (pictured below), a Toyota Prius-fighting hatch to be offered as a pure electric car, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
File sharing and collaboration platform Dropbox will deploy a proxy server as a Point-of-Presence (POP) in Sydney within two months to accommodate user growth across the ANZ region, according to Daniel Iversen, the companys head of solutions architecture (APAC).

Dropbox has experienced extraordinary growth in the region over the last 12 months, Iversen told Dynamic Business. 44% of the ASX 200 have a Dropbox Business account, up from 34% last year, and 99% of ASX200 companies have a Dropbox footprint of some kind.

We know that the ANZ market is an early adopter of technology and is forward-leaning when it comes to trends, tools, and collaboration. Our data shows that our local customers are the highest users of Dropbox through mobile devices and the rate of adoption of Dropboxs collaborative workspace Paper in ANZ is amongst the highest in the world.

The decision to invest in the local PoP is a direct response to this growth. It will deliver an enhanced experience to local users with better performance and faster upload and download speeds. While there are many variables that will determine the exact improvement in speed of uploads and downloads, when a PoP was installed in Japan, users saw uploads become up to 100% faster and downloads become up to 50% faster. We anticipate that the experience will be consistent for our users across Australia and New Zealand.

Iversen also revealed that the number of local business clients sharing files internationally has nearly doubled since 2014, increasing from 21.1% to 40.8%. He attributed this growth to an increasing number of business across the ANZ not only becoming globally-minded but also fostering a culture of collaboration, both internally and externally.

He added, A major trend we are seeing is the need to make external collaboration simple, effective and productive. Specifically, businesses are building their network of partners, suppliers, consultants, advisors etc, and all these external parties need to collaborate with each other.

Nevertheless, Iversen said workplace collaboration remains extremely fragmented. He explained, In a typical organisation, a teams information is scattered across a number of channels, including email, the company server, a users desktop, private folders and so forth. He pointed to research highlighting the inefficiencies that arise when the means of collaboration and communication are scattered:
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The European Parliament's commitment to a stronger, flexible, simpler and participatory cohesion policy, emphasised in a report adopted on 13 June, has been welcomed by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) as a key step ahead in the mobilisation of key stakeholders under the # CohesionAlliance. Its aim is to ensure that Brexit and budgetary constraints do not weaken the EU's main investment tool and to make sure that citizens and local communities can rely on improved European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds after 2020.

Michael Schneider, State Secretary of Saxony-Anhalt and President of the CoR's EPP Group. "We hope to form a strong Cohesion Alliance with Members of the European Parliament in order to pave a way toward a strong and effective cohesion policy post-2020," he added. "We warmly welcome the adoption of the report on post-2020 EU cohesion policy by the European Parliament today. It substantially reinforces our Cohesion Alliance, calling for the strengthening of this most impressive European instrument of solidarity and bridge-building between European communities. In particular, we fully support the report's call for an adequate budget, policy simplification and respect for the partnership principle," said the CoR rapporteur on the future cohesion policy State Secretary of Saxony-Anhalt and President of the CoR's EPP Group. "We hope to form a strong Cohesion Alliance with Members of the European Parliament in order to pave a way toward a strong and effective cohesion policy post-2020," he added.

Kerstin Westphal (S&D/DE), said: "The European Parliament has made it clear that citizens want cohesion policy to continue to reduce disparities across the EU and support inclusive and sustainable growth in all regions. We are aware that the Brexit impact and the hard negotiations on the next EU budget risk weakening this policy, reducing its capacity to support EU citizens and businesses. Together with the Committee of the Regions, we will need to mobilise and involve all stakeholders and beneficiaries in making visible what cohesion policy means for our communities, ensuring that the voice of our citizens, of our regions and cities, is heard in Brussels and in capital cities. By working together we can pave the way for a strong, flexible, visible and easy-to-use cohesion policy, helping the 27 to deliver inclusive growth and tackle crucial challenges such as climate change and migration." After the vote, the European Parliament's rapporteur on building blocks for a post-2020 EU cohesion policy , said: "The European Parliament has made it clear that citizens want cohesion policy to continue to reduce disparities across the EU and support inclusive and sustainable growth in all regions. We are aware that the Brexit impact and the hard negotiations on the next EU budget risk weakening this policy, reducing its capacity to support EU citizens and businesses. Together with the Committee of the Regions, we will need to mobilise and involve all stakeholders and beneficiaries in making visible what cohesion policy means for our communities, ensuring that the voice of our citizens, of our regions and cities, is heard in Brussels and in capital cities. By working together we can pave the way for a strong, flexible, visible and easy-to-use cohesion policy, helping the 27 to deliver inclusive growth and tackle crucial challenges such as climate change and migration."

With regards to improving the policy implementation, rapporteur Westphal emphasised the need to ensure a real involvement of stakeholders at all levels, by fully respecting the partnership principle: " The current Code of Conduct should be strengthened by introducing minimum requirements for partnership involvement, " she said. This point is also of central importance also in the CoR's position, which calls for mandatory provisions to ensure that cohesion policy fulfils its unique function of bringing EU, national, regional and local institutions together with local actors.

In relation to the debate over strengthening and diversifying legal requirements for the access to cohesion policy funding (so called "conditionalities"), the Committee welcomes the Parliament's position against macro-economic conditionality (a rule allowing the freezing of ESI funds in countries where national governments do not comply with budgetary consolidation commitments). According to the CoR, cohesion policy must not be subject to conditionalities that cannot be influenced by local and regional authorities. More in general, the Committee fully shares the Parliament's request that the link between cohesion policy and economic governance under the European Semester must be balanced, reciprocal and non-punitive.

Contact:

Pierluigi Boda

Tel. +32 2 282 2461

GSM +32 473 85 17 43
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Citizens in Cluj-Napoca have today highlighted youth, mobility and unemployment as the main concerns for their region during a town hall debate, organised with support from the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The event launched the CoR's "Reflecting on Europe" campaign  an initiative which offers space for citizens to present their ideas, thoughts and opinions on the future of the European Union  in Romania, with the aim for it to be replicated in other cities and regions. The debate took place alongside the EU conference on Open Innovation 2.0.

Historically called "The Heart of Transylvania", the city of Cluj-Napoca is a green and dynamic city focused on entrepreneurship. Being home to one of the largest universities in the country, it was no surprise that calls for greater support for youth and education policies from the local, national and EU levels were voiced.

''You are all pioneers thanks to the Cluj-Napoca mentality towards citizen and business inclusion in decision-making. By voicing your experiences and concerns, we can take better account of citizens' views and use them to shape the well-being of the entire community and the EU at large" Markku Markkula , President of the European Committee of the Regions, underlined.

"In order to have a stronger European Union, we have to listen more to the voice of the people from cities and regions of European Union" said Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and member of the CoR. The former Prime Minister added: "They will make Europe stronger through a bottom-up process of consolidation of the European Union."

The CoR is committed to making citizens' voices heard in shaping the on-going political debate on the future of Europe and to bring their concerns and concrete proposals to the EU level debate. Statements and conclusions of this debate as well as an online survey carried out during the event will feed into the CoR contribution to the Reflection on the EU.

The format of the CoR town hall debate fills well into the context of the Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) conference given the participatory nature and ambition to co-create answers to European societal challenges, which go beyond the scope of what any one organization or person could do alone. Local and regional efforts are crucial to create the necessary open and functional innovation ecosystems that will allow for completion of the Digital Single Market.

Background

The European Committee of the Regions is organising a series of open debates in towns, cities and regions. Citizens views will be formally fed back in a report to be submitted to the European Council's President. The Committee is also encouraging regional and local councils to hold their own debates, including in their own institutional bodies, on the future of Europe to ensure that citizens' are heard during this time of reflection.

Contact:

PresseCdr@cor.europa.eu
The show notes for Episode 36 are at http://www.eclectablog.com/2017/06/episode-36-one-trillion-reasons-the-gop-wont-give-up-on-trickle-down-with-special-guest-nick-hanauer.html

When Kansas Republicans who control both State houses were forced to join with the states Democrats to overturn Governor Sam Brownbacks veto of the bill that would roll back his 2012 tax cuts for the rich this week, no one had more right to say I told you so than Nick Hanauer.

Hanauer called the unfunded tax breaks a controlled experiment in trickle-down economics.

Cutting taxes on the wealthy had sent the state into recession and huge budget shortfalls, even as taxes rose on the bottom 20%. And though the top 1% got a tax break larger than the yearly income of a member of the bottom 20%, the states GDP was lower at the end of 2015 than it was before the cuts went into effect.

You know who agreed that Kansas was a controlled experiment in trickle-down economics?

The Ronald McDonald of tax breaks  Grover Norquist.

Kansas is the future, he told an interviewer in 2015. Kansas is the model.

Just two years later hes saying:

If youre a Republican looking for a model, he says, Kansas is not the model.

Trickle down economics is now as proven a failure as the Iraq War, the Microsoft Zune the Bushs Brothers political acumen but thats not stopping Donald Trump, Paul Ryan and the national GOP from going in for another trickle on the premise that our biggest

Weve had it backward for the last 30 years, Hanauer said in 2012 in a TED talk that created a national sensation. Rich businesspeople like me dont create jobs.

But Hanauer has been trying to create jobs with his unique brand of anti-inequality politics argued from a massively successful business owners point of view. He makes the plutocrats case for a $15 an hour minimum wage and expansion of overtime pay from the point of view that both are job creators  while the employers who chronically underpay forcing taxpayers to subsidize their workforce are the job killers.

Hanauer is a proud progressive who puts his money where his politics are, continually calling for a better Democratic Party that will more eagerly raise his taxes.

We wanted to give him a chance to say I told you so and hear his vision for a Democratic party that breaks out of the nasty stream of trickle-down economics.

Nick Hanauers personal website: NickHanauer.com/

Nick Hanauer on Twitter: @NickHanauer

Nick Hanauer at Politico: Whatever Happened to Overtime?

Lauren Dezenski at Politico: Conservative PAC takes aim at Warren during book tour

Center for Media and Democracy: Who is Behind Billionaire PAC Targeting Elizabeth Warren?

Devashree Saha and Sifan Liu at the Brookings Institute: Increased automation guarantees a bleak outlook for Trumps promises to coal miners

Hiroko Tabuchi at the New York Times: Coal Mining Jobs Trump Would Bring Back No Longer Exist

Eclectablog: American workers left behind: Trumps trade stances will lead to even more robots taking our jobs

LOLGOP at Eclectablog: GOP still determined to uninsure tens of millions while were Comey-tosed  heres how we fight back

Folks, if you're wondering what to do now that Comey has testified: DEFCON 5 ON TRUMPCARE. ALL HANDS ON DECK. Timeline & how to fight: 1/  Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017

(Actually, before the timeline & how to fight: it's actually Defcon 1, "nuclear war imminent," not Defcon 5, "normal readiness." Thx.) 1.5/  Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017

Casey Quinlan at Think Progress: House votes to dismantle key Dodd-Frank regulations

David Dayen at The American Prospect: Dismantling Dodd-Frank  And More

Lucinda Shen at Fortune: Donald Trump Is Targeting an Agency That Has Recovered $11.8 Billion for Consumers

Donna Borak at CNN Money: House GOP bill would give Trump greater power over Wall Street regulation

Mike Wilkinson at Crains Business Detroit: Has your town recovered from Great Recession? Check our property value map and searchable database

FLINT UPDATE

Karen Bouffard at The Detroit News: Some state, Flint employees can be sued in water case

Give us a five-star review at iTunes!

Intro and Outro music: Zoolookologie by Jean-Michel Jarre from the album Zoolook.

The Sit and Spin Room logo by Anne C. Savage.
Several high-tech industry companies that have opposed the United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement have pledged to continue their environmentally conscious efforts.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai promised to stay the course in his tweeted response:

Disappointed with todays decision. Google will keep working hard for a cleaner, more prosperous future for all.

 Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 1, 2017

Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement is bad for the environment, bad for the economy, and it puts our childrens future at risk, wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

For our part, weve committed that every new data center we build will be powered by 100% renewable energy, he added.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff tweeted a statement of his companys resolve to promote sustainability.

Deeply disappointed by President's decision to withdraw from ParisAgreement. We will double our efforts to fight climate change. pic.twitter.com/cmCLf9CoVY

 Marc Benioff (@Benioff) June 1, 2017

Microsoft believes that climate change is an urgent issue that demands global action, President Brad Smith posted on LinkedIn. Weve sent letters to and held meetings on this topic with senior officials in the State Department and the White House.

Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this week urged President Trump to keep the U.S. in the agreement, he told employees in an email.

Climate change is real, Cook said. Although disappointed with the pullout, he pledged to continue the companys environmental push.

Why Trump Withdrew From the Paris Agreement

Compliance with the terms of the agreement could cost America as much as 2.7 million lost jobs by 2025, including 440,000 fewer manufacturing jobs, President Trump said, citing a study by National Economic Research Associates.

By 2040, compliance would cut production for various sectors, costing close to US$3 trillion in lost GDP and 6.5 million industrial jobs, Trump said, based on the studys findings.

Other studies, carried out not only by environmental organizations, but also by Citibank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, have concluded that failure to curb climate change could cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars, according to a New York Times news analysis.

The Paris Agreement could legitimately be branded as an economic accord, given the potential financial impact on the countries that agreed to it, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

However, given the impact on climate is both disputed and indirect, it likely would have been more accurate to call this an accord thats more directly focused on pollution, because the core measurements were tied to that, he told TechNewsWorld.

The Paris Agreement was more of a political vehicle and one that was long on promise but very short on actual content, Enderle said, adding that it lacks teeth to ensure compliance.

It appears that Trumps decision this week has triggered a process that will continue into 2020, likely ensuring that climate change will be a significant issue during the next presidential election.

Seeking a Brave New World

The Trump administration will begin negotiations either to re-enter the Paris Agreement or to create a new one on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its people, its taxpayers, the president said.

However, France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated.

Overpopulation and the environment are issues that must be addressed now, said Jim McGregor, principal at Tirias Research.

If theres something awry with the current agreements, we need to address those issues, either with modifications to the agreement or a new one  not just walk away, he told TechNewsWorld.

The U.S. should be the leader, not the anchor holding us back by not signing the accords, McGregor added.

What High-Tech Companies Can Do

Any number of companies are acting consciously to improve their environmental impact, noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

For example, Dell EMC has a variety of initiatives, he told TechNewsWorld, including using recycled materials in their packaging  and an initiative to recycle plastics floating in the ocean.

Still, many tech companies talk the talk but dont walk the walk when it comes to the environment, Tirias McGregor pointed out.

The fact that both supporters and opponents of environmental issues know much of what theyre saying isnt true, makes positive change almost impossible to accomplish, Enderle said.

The tech industry is all about data and accuracy, he remarked, and it could use these tools to cut through the dishonesty and help those that truly want to make change.
For several years now, Salesforce has built distinct product lines that all work off the same platform and can integrate in interesting ways. There are product lines for the enterprise, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), business-to-business (B2B) firms and business-to-consumer (B2C) operations  and probably some others that I havent considered. For instance, the AppExchange contains a wealth of apps for very specialized types of front-office business, as well as some back-office apps, like accounting.

Weve recently seen product announcements for account-based marketing (ABM), partner relationship management (PRM), e-commerce, and a variety of analytics implementations. While supplying its core customer relationship management market, Salesforce also has been evolving as a provider of more generic products and tools that any business can use to develop unique solutions to its business processes.

The rationale for all of these new products is simple. Salesforce has advised my financial analyst friends that it is on track to generate more than US$10 billion in revenue from its SaaS business in its current fiscal year. Thats $10 billion of recurring revenue, which is quite an accomplishment. However, in doing this, the company bumps up against the same constraints that conventional companies encounter.

Broadening the Footprint

All companies need to extend product lines and attract ever-larger populations of customers. A conventional company brings out a lower-cost product for downstream markets that are more price sensitive, along with higher-priced solutions for customers who might require more handholding or glitz.

Product companies do it with form factors, features and even colors. If youre a Software as a Service company, though, many of those avenues are blocked by the very democratization of the product that made subscriptions so appealing in the first place. Subscription products come pretty much in one flavor  theres no B-grade.

That leaves other approaches to broadening the footprint that often are more useful than common line extensions. Thats one reason Salesforce continues to add specificity to its solution set. For instance, at one point not too long ago, it was enough to offer tools for building websites running on the platform.

Today, a website isnt enough. The site has to be able to take an order and offer multiple ways to deliver products and services, up to and including connecting the brick-and-mortar store with the site and the catalog, AND connect to the billing system. Thats e-commerce in a nutshell.

Similarly, vanilla CRM once was enough to excite anyone carrying a bag and trying to ride herd on a lot of customer data  but no more. As the indirect channel shows, selling is multilevel, and the tools needed by original equipment manufacturers to sell and service distributors are qualitatively different from the tools used in direct sales by the channel associated with a distributor.

Nonetheless, everybody wants a view into the data so that each can better manage its part of the universe. So it becomes essential for CRM to inform PRM of field activity, just as its important for PRM to inform the field about features, functions and special opportunities. In between, the OEMs need to deal with distributors over market development funds, deal registration, discounts and commissions. The result is the modern PRM-CRM hookup.

Account-Based Marketing

Of course, thats not all. Selling and servicing end customers is qualitatively different from servicing business customers, which is not unlike an indirect channel set-up  but the business processes are totally different.

In a B2B setting, one company might serve as a component supplier to another, and the indirect channel aspects of the relationship may be completely lacking. If you sell components like electric motors, plumbing fittings or chemical reagents, your customer isnt so much adding value to your stuff (as in an indirect channel) as it is simply outsourcing a part of its business process that could, if needed, be done in-house.

Your job is to do the work better, faster, with fewer errors  and of course, cheaper. Into this milieu, Salesforce last week introduced enhanced account-based marketing.

If you are marketing to enterprises, you might gear up for a long sales cycle with a purchase decision by committee. If youre selling to end consumers, just the opposite might be true. You might need to tightly script the customer journey  decisions can be made in a flash, and one mistake can cost you the business.

Consequently, theres a raft of what at first might seem like overlapping marketing apps, but when you begin to tease apart the target business processes, you realize one tool set is more appropriate than another. Its the difference between marketing and account-based marketing.

Chaos Reduction

We havent even looked at how developers for all of these different approaches to markets deal with modifying the underlying apps  but theres a whole story there too. While the technology might be the same under the skins, theres still a lot of process understanding to be done before it all makes sense.

Of course, Salesforce Trailhead is there to help with self-paced training  and with more than 100 badges to earn, theres a lot of differentiation to consider.

So it goes. Salesforce is not the only vendor doing all of this, but it seems like the one most oriented to dealing with end-to-end process automation in a variety of instances. As I said at the beginning, it has had to find ways to increase the addressable market, and it has. The result has been more order and less chaos, which you sometimes can find in an extended product set. Good enough.
One of the interesting things atDell EMC World last week came from Karen Quintos, the most powerful woman at Dell.

Karen is responsible for its Entrepreneur in Residence program, which, among other things, focuses on equipping and helping woman entrepreneurs. Dell Technologies apparently has created Alice, a female-focused artificial intelligence focused on helping support and drive innovative firms backed by women.

This is important, because it appears that only 3 percent of venture capitalist-funded new firms are founded by women  even though, on average, firms founded by women outperform those founded by men by 2x, suggesting that in addition to being sexist, a gender-discrimination strategy is financially stupid.

If investors were to support women as entrepreneurs more than they currently do, their returns on investment funds would be higher. Well, Dell Technologies AI named Alice, as in Alice in Wonderland, I guess, is designed to fix this problem.

Ill explain and then close with my product of the week: Amazons new Echo Show.

Getting Alice Into Wonderland

The VC funding process is bit ugly for anyone who goes through it. In many cases, I think, it is more of a beauty contest then a full review of the potential for the idea. Ive been through this process a few times, and the folks who get funding often seem to fall into three areas: people the VCs know directly or indirectly and think can execute; people who are bringing forward a solution that is trending (like social media was at one time); and people who could sell refrigerators to Eskimos.

Much of what I see getting funded is crap that either fails or is overhyped to the public market, where it eventually fails. Virtually the entire dot-com wave, and properties like Snapchat and Twitter, are examples of overhyping  though in those cases, the VCs did make a lot of money. It was the poor suckers who bailed them out who mostly got screwed.

There are actually a lot of women in the VC ranks, but they tend to be junior. While I dont have empirical evidence, based on my experience it seems that women often are more competitive with other women than with men. That makes them more likely to torpedo each other and not favor a company run by another powerful woman.

On the other hand, men tend to favor male-run firms in order to maintain the male-dominated status quo. Those factors pretty much screw women looking for VC investment in companies theyve founded.

Add to this the fact that if not many female-run firms make it through the VC process, that means not many women get experience with it. That showcases a problematic cart-and-horse issue. Female CEOs dont get the experience they need, because they usually arent at the table before they become CEOs.

If you know the stats as an Angel investor, youll likely push to have a male CEO in a firm you invest in even before VCs take a look at the offering.

There clearly is a path through this mess for firms headed by women, but that path is as dangerous as following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. The women leading those firms wont get by with advice from the White Rabbit or even the Cheshire Cat. They need to have a conversation with Alice  who knows not only a way through Wonderland, but also the path to goal achievement.

Alice the AI

While there have been prior efforts to create services and solutions to help women through the nasty VC process, they were based largely on male-oriented offerings that were patched by men in order to address the problem.

Women and men approach problems very differently, and women have a much different path and more difficult problem than their male counterparts confront. Repurposed tools  particularly if theyre repurposed by men  are largely unsuccessful.

To get down the rabbit hole, women need someone who really understands the problem from a womans perspective: They need Alice, not the Mad Hatter in drag. (OK, now you too cant get Johnny Depp in a dress out of your head.)

The really important thing to know about the current generation of AIs is that they not only can provide a tremendous amount of depth and understanding in terms of help, but also can scale a wall beyond human capabilities. That means this effort could help a lot of potential Alices find better rabbit holes (VCs) and get through them.

I think it will occur to a number of schools that creating female-oriented development programs that include training on and with Alice as part of their core curriculum will result in a lot more women graduating and becoming successful entrepreneurs.

Wrapping Up: Maybe a Family of AIs

It strikes me that this Alice in Wonderland metaphor for the VC funding process could use two additional resources.

First, even though they already have access to better tools than firms run by women, male-run startups also could use an AI. It would both help them get through the process and ensure that their firm was fully fleshed out, so the chance if failure would be lower.

VCs also could use an AI that could teach them how to behave less like the crazy Queen of Hearts. It would make them far better at picking firms that eventually will be successful instead of firms they can use to trick future public investors into betting on their false promises of long-term success. Just saying, this entire process should look a lot less like a Wonderland run by a pot-smoking caterpillar, and far more like something that is focused on long-term solid returns on investment and real sustainable business success.

Alice certainly will help  particularly with women  but she may need to get married and have a diverse set of kids if this entire process is to be better optimized.

What if you added video capability to the Amazon Echo? If youve ever wondered about that, then youll see the answer when the Amazon Echo Show ships next month. Youd be surprised how much having a screen enhances this product.

For instance, if you just use it for music, you can have it show the lyrics of songs so you can sing along better. If you use the Echo to shop, it can display the shopping cart before you say buy. If you want to use the Echo Show as an alarm clock, this version actually can show the time. It also contains the latest attempt at a video phone  likely as a hedge against the recently launched Microsoft Cortana based Invoke personal assistant, which can be used for Skype calls, but not with video.

Among the Echo Shows other advantages are bigger, more directional Dolby speakers than the round products have; an ability to sense user proximity with the camera; allowing the screen to power down and up automatically, likely saving a lot of power  and guarding against keeping you awake at night.

In addition, it can show breaking news, weather, or interesting questions to ask Alexa when you walk by. It also can promote products you might not have thought about buying (not sure if that is a feature or a problem).

Oh, and it plays movies and videos, including security camera feeds, all through voice control. One of the really time-killing features Ive discovered is playing YouTube videos on this thing.

I will mention one problem: Like Echos in general, the Show will respond to Alexa or whatever trigger name is in use when it hears it on a PC or TV. That can result in some rather strange video responses.

I actually like the Echo Show better than the original Echo, for a number of reasons. It costs US$229, but Amazon currently has a special promotion, offering $100 off if you buy two, which will be useful for video calls, although you also can place them using the Alexa app.

In the end, the Echo Show is an impressive upgrade to the original Echo, and its my product of the week.
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.
Uber Technologies on Monday lost its second-most-important executive in a shakeup stemming from an internal investigation into sexual harassment charges. The changes at the top reportedly could include the temporary loss of Ubers founder and chief executive, Travis Kalanick.

Emil Michael  who served as the companys senior vice president of business and a key lieutenant to Kalanick  is out.

I can confirm that Emil Michael is no longer with the company, Uber spokesperson Matthew Wing told the E-Commerce Times. I have no additional comment beyond that.

Toxic Environment

The Michael ouster came at a critical juncture in the companys short history. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder reportedly has presented findings of his investigation into corporate culture at the firm, following reports of widespread sexual harassment.

Holder, now a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling, presented his findings to the Uber board, according to multiple reports, and those findings will be made public Tuesday. Among the recommended changes are a leave of absence for Kalanick, widely blamed for fostering a problematic corporate culture at the firm.

From all accounts its just an incredibly toxic environment, said Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

When youre building a company thats still relatively new, you cant grow with that kind of toxic environment very long, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Thumbs Down

The shakeup follows months of reports that Uber operates like a Silicon Valley version of Game of Thrones, with employees pitted against each other for the sake of pleasing management.

There have been numerous complaints from female engineers who said they were victims of sexual harassment. Further, they were subjected to high-level efforts to sabotage their work and drive them out of the company when they complained, according to reports.

The recent turmoil followsrevelations made earlier this year by former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, of a series of sexual harassment and discrimination efforts against her and other female employees. Fowler essentially was driven out of the company and given poor performance reviews when she left, she claimed.

At the time, Uber already had been under fire for bypassing a wildcat strike at John F. Kennedy International Airport in protest of the Trump administrations travel ban. Kalanick also had been called out for joining the new administrations business advisory council, but later stepped down.

Federal officials had begun looking into the companys controversial greyball software, which allegedly was used to avoid tracking by authorities in Portland, Oregon, and other cities.

Uber is in need of a major reset, because its internal culture has put the firm at risk of self-destructing, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

The situation at Uber is odd, at best, especially in the ways it illuminates the thin line between innovative and pathological behavior, he told the E-Commerce Times. Over the past few months, the company and its executives, including its CEO, have regularly stepped over that line and essentially brought greater scrutiny and the possibility of punishment onto themselves.

Uber has taken several recent steps to address its sexual harassment and overall corporate culture problem.

Housecleaning Efforts

About 20 Uber employees were terminated in connection with an internal investigation that uncovered 215 allegations of sexual harassment or gender bias at the company, the Perkins Coie law firm reportedly disclosed last week. A spokesperson referred the E-Commerce Times questions to Uber.

Uber last week announced that Frances Frei, a professor of service management and the senior associate dean for executive education at Harvard Business School, had been hired as senior vice president, leadership and strategy, and would act as a partner to Ubers human resources officer Liane Hornsey.

The company also named Nestle SA executive vice president Wan Ling Martello to its board of directors, adding another female executive to the board. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington previously was the only woman on the board.

The full Holder report is expected to be made public on Tuesday, when employees will learn how the company aims to move forward and regain its footing.
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(Photo: REUTERS / Osservatore Romano)Pope Benedict XVI meets David Cooney (L), the new non-resident ambassador from Ireland to the Vatican, during a meeting at Clementine Hall in Vatican May 4, 2012. REUTERS / Osservatore Romano

The Bishop of Ferns Denis Brennan is the second Catholic leader in recent days to address the issue of increased hostility towards the church in Ireland, a country that was once considered a bedrock of Catholicism.

He warned a newly ordained Catholic priest about the hostility he will face in a changed Ireland, The Irish Times reported on June 11.

'You will feel the anger and hostility people have for the church in general directed at you,' one new priest was told

The Church in Ireland is undergoing "persecution", with people directing "anger" at clergy, bishops have warned, The Catholic Herald reported.

In an address at the ordination of a new priest in County Wexford, Bishop Brennan said, "You will feel the anger and hostility people have for the church in general directed at you."

"There is a lot of concern in church circles these days about the future," he added. "This is understandable given the volume of criticism and negativity directed at the church over recent times."

The bishop said, however, that Catholics should not be fearful, and this was not the first time people had written off the Church.

"In these Pentecost days we need to cast off our fears too, we are not the first generation of Christians to worry and wonder about the future. In every age people have written the obituary of the church and our age is no exception," the bishop said.

With 3.7 million members, the Catholic Church is the most populous Christian denomination in Ireland, comprising 78.3 percent of the population, according to Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Ireland

But young people have started to show the same bent towards secularism that has become common in other European nations.

The Irish Times also reported the words of Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore, who said hostility to the Church is now a "settled part" of Irish culture.

"People from abroad are often astonished at the antipathy to the church displayed in our country," he said, adding that you don't "have to be paranoid" to believe the Church is undergoing persecution.

"It is not physical persecution but it is no less real for that. It is more subtle. It takes the form of gradual exclusion of church people or activities from the public space," he said.

"There is denigration of religious beliefs, practices and institutions on radio, television and on social and other media. There is often a focus on bad news about the church to the almost total exclusion of any good news."
With the growing political divide, a less than perfect public image of the teaching profession, and the financial realities facing our schools, numerous pressures have converged to raise challenges for educators across the nation. As these and other pressures mount, there has never been a better time for teachers to insert themselves into the change equation by becoming teacher leaders.

You dont have to be Wonder Woman or Superman to become a teacher leader. However, you do need a workman-like drive and a relentless passion to successfully initiate an activity that makes school a better place for kids and to inspire others to join you in the work. Its likely that many of you are already doing teacher-leadership work naturally. To continue growing your leadership, begin with simple, low-stakes activities and build up to wherever your passion drives you.

1. Mentor New Teachers

Early-career teachers fearlessly enter their classrooms with great amounts of energy and enthusiasmpositive attributes that are quickly tempered by the fires of experience. However, with mentor support, those first few years of classroom experience can produce confident teachers who choose to stay in the profession .

All experienced teachers can support newer staff members in their buildings. Mentoring can be as easy as making sure new teachers know where the bathrooms are and the best times to get a cup of coffee. It can also be more involved, such as helping with curriculum development, classroom management, or parent engagement. You can even be a new teachers shoulder to cry on or chief cheerleader. The key is developing a strong peer relationship and then allowing novice teachers to figure out what they need to improve their instruction. For additional tips on cultivating meaningful mentorship, see my previous article for Education Week Teacher, Mentoring Novice Teachers to Become Teacher-Leaders .

Most mentors gain as much as their mentees, and sometimes even more, from these relationships. For example, recently one of my mentees asked me a question about contacting parents of low-performing students. His question helped me see that I had not been communicating my expectations for each student clearly to parents, especially parents of English-language learners. To remedy this, I have augmented my communication protocols by creating academic notification templates written in Spanish, as well as making use of the online translation services provided by my employer. Increased communication has already resulted in student progress, and with these steps in place, I believe it will be even more effective next year.

2. Continue Your Education

Few things build personal and professional capacity faster than self-directed inquiry. If youre curious about anything from flipping the classroom to standards-based grading , you can find a colleague with experience in that area, join a related social media group, or enroll in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). You can also engage in the Center for Teaching Qualitys blogging roundtable discussions, where educators have conversations on topics like teacher shortages , teacher-powered schools , and collective leadership . As you expand your repertoire, share your experience with your colleagues. The trick is to find your tribe and go.

For a more formal approach, consider pursuing additional credentials as a way to prepare for future leadership roles. For example, English-as-a-Second-Language or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification can open up doors to new leadership opportunities. By documenting your expertise, you establish credibilitybut you cant rely on serendipity to provide you with the skills and credentials to succeed; teacher leaders proactively seek out these opportunities and take advantage of them.

3. Advocate for the Profession

When people hear the phrase teacher leadership, most think of national opportunities , but advocacy doesnt have to be high profile. Every teacher can lead a grade-level team, serve on a district curriculum committee, or organize teachers union members at the local level.

One of the key roadblocks to meaningful educational reform is a widespread misunderstanding of what educators actually do. When teachers communicate the intricacies of their daily professional lives, a clearer picture emerges. Begin your advocacy by sharing your experience as a teacher when youre in a casual social situation with friends and family.

Years ago, while my father-in-law and I were talking about teaching, he told me he didnt understand why a teacher would need an answer key, since they should know the material if theyre teaching it! My father-in-law is an avid woodworker, so I asked him to imagine that he needed to make several identical pieces for a projectwould he use a template? That was the moment where he began to see that there is more to what a teacher does than what he experienced as a student in the classroom. Years later, my father-in-law and I now have discussions about how local elections impact our schools.

Making evidence of the work you do public is critical to elevating the image of our profession, as well as educating local voters. Consider sharing your stories with a broader audience by posting education-related articles on social media or writing a blog using resources from the National Blogging Collaborative .

4. Advocate for Policy Change

I suggest starting small by attending a local school board meeting. Educate yourself on local, state, or national education issues and write your representatives asking them to support your views. Escalate your involvement by requesting to meet with legislators locally when they are out of session. Before the meeting, research your representatives voting history, values, and beliefs.

Meeting your elected representative may seem daunting, but remember that when it comes to teaching and learning, youre the expert. As a constituent and an educator, your opinion matters. Begin with a brief introduction and gradually get to know your representative. If you belong to a union, ask your state affiliate to connect you with lobbyists who can share tips on influencing policy makers. You can also consider working with one of the many other organizations that equip teachers to become policy advocates, such as Teach Plus , Hope Street Group , or America Achieves .

All of the above opportunities are things that any teacher can do. To launch your teacher leadership, you simply need to find a comfortable spot to start, gain experience, put on your work boots, take chances, and then courageously press forward. As a teacher, you inspire students daily; why not inspire your fellow teachers to be teacher-leaders as well?
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Bobbi Kristina Brown's ex-boyfriend, Nick Gordon, was arrested due to domestic abuse against his current girlfriend, Laura Leal.

He appeared in court on Sunday after being arrested a day earlier.

According to a police report, Gordon claimed he was the one who was getting abused.

"Gordon stated that he never hit his girlfriend because [he] really cares for her," the report explained. "Gordon also advised that he is the one that was abused and punished. Gordon stated that Laura Leal hit and punched him repeatedly. Gordon stated that Laura Leal is not telling the truth and wishes to press charges on her."

In the meantime, he will be forced to wear a GPS tracker and is ordered not to interact with Leal.

His girlfriend claims that he became violent and punched her in the head multiple times during an argument in their Florida home.

After she went to the police, Gordon was quickly arrested.

Within the past months, Gordon has been in the headlines for being found guilty of Brown's death.

Brown drowned in a bathtub, coincidentally, similar to how her mother, Whitney Houston, died.

It has been said that Gordon "placed her in a bathtub, unconscious after he injected her with a toxic mixture."

Since then, he has been ordered to pay Brown's family $36 million dollars.

Gordon has a bail set at $15,500 and will reappear in court this upcoming August.
Credit: Kurush Pawar, via CC BY S.A- 2.0, Flickr

Fourteen banks, 13 of which are public sector banks, stand to lose nearly 4,300 crore on account of the loans they have advanced to the grounded Kingfisher Airlines (KFA). Of this amount, the State Bank of India (SBI), India's largest bank and the biggest lender to the KFA, expects to make a loss of over 900 crore. This was revealed in an internal assessment prepared by a senior SBI official in December 2016. The assessment, which was not put out in the public domain, was recently shared with the Economic and Political Weekly by a whistle-blower.

The assessment of loss was prepared on 7 December 2016 by Govind Subbanna, chief general manager of the SBI's Mumbai-based "mid corporate group" and submitted as a memorandum to the bank's "Special Committee of the Board for Monitoring Large Value Frauds (5 crore and above)" for its meeting that was scheduled and held nearly two months later on 17 February 2017.

Analysing various assets pledged by the KFA as security against loans, the memorandum concludes that not only does the market value of these assets amount to just 1,565 crore, but the recoverable value works out to only 1,071.64 crore against an exposure of around 4,457 crore. The total loss to the SBI and the other banks is calculated as the difference between their individual exposures and their share in this recoverable value. SBI, which has the largest exposure to the KFA amounting to 1,202 crore, declared the loan as a non-performing asset in 2011 and classified it as a "fraud" in September 2016. The memorandum pegs the bank's recoverables at arund 200 crore. This assessment offers a first peek into the losses that Indian banks stand to incur on loans disbursed to the beleaguered airline, which was grounded in 2012 by India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

A detailed questionnaire was sent to the SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya by email and also by regular post on 17 May 2017. On 8 June, a spokesperson of the SBI responded to the questionnaire sent by the EPW through email stating that, "It is a policy of the Bank not to comment upon Individual accounts and it's treatment [sic]."

Large Exposure

As many as 17 banks had extended term loans to KFA between 2009 and 2012, a period when the airline's business steadily deteriorated and it found itself unable to repay its dues. In 2010, 14 of these banks formed a consortium to pursue these loans together. On 21 December that year, the consortium of banks signed a Master Debt Recast Agreement (MDRA) with KFA. The MDRA merged all the loans into a single term loan. Various assets that KFA had pledged to the banks as security were also pooled together. To this the MDRA added a personal guarantee offered by Vijay Mallya and a corporate guarantee by United Breweries (UB) (Holdings), a listed company which is a parent to the KFA.

In the case of a recovery, banks agreed to share the proceeds proportionate to their respective share in the total exposure. The SBI memorandum in the possession of the EPW uses the total outstanding exposure as on 31 January 2014 to calculate banks' respective shares. As on that date, the airline owed 6,955 crore to the banks, including interest. Thirteen of these are public sector banks, facing 99% of the total exposure, led by the SBI (26.9% share), followed by IDBI Bank (12.7% share), and Punjab National Bank (11.7%) (see Table 1 for all the banks' exposures). Axis Bank, the only private lender, has a mere 0.8% share in exposure.

For the purpose of loss calculation, the memorandum considers SBI's exposure to be 1,201.19 crore and not 1,874.66 crore due on 31 January 2014. The SBI spokesperson did not clarify how and why this reduction came to be. Assuming that this was on account of some recoveries the banks made in the intervening period, and further assuming that these recoveries were shared with other banks in terms of the MDRA, we have adjusted the consortium's total exposure based on the fall in SBI's exposure. Accordingly, the total exposure is assumed to have reduced from 6,955.97 crore to 4,457.11 crore.

Many Assets Deemed Worthless

The memorandum's calculation of losses is based on its analysis of how much value can be recovered from KFA's assets that were pooled under the MDRA. Interestingly, it does not consider recoverable value of the guarantees made by Mallya and UB (Holdings), even though these were also a part of the MDRA. We will come to that later.

The total market value of all current and fixed assets of KFA are shown to have a write-down value (WDV) of 395 crore as on 31 March 2013. But this entire asset base is worthless, according to the memorandum. While the WDV of current assets of the company, including spares, consumables and book debts, was 186.12 crore on 31 March 2013, their realisable value is considered zero. According to the memorandum, this is because "the spares are spread across various airports and the value, quantity and quality of the same is unascertainable as on date."

Similarly, while the WDV of KFA's fixed assets, such as ground support equipment, was 131.09 crore as on 31 March 2013, the memorandum finds them worthless because "these are not easily identifiable and spread over at various airports, as the company is defunct since December 2012." The third set of assets deemed worthless are two helicopters owned by the airline, whose WDV was 78 crore on 31 March 2013. The "DGCA ... informed that these two helicopters are stationed at Juhu Aerodrome, Mumbai. These are in unserviceable condition. Hence realisable value is considered 'nil,'" the memorandum states.

Kingfisher Airlines Properties

Two real estate properties of the airline were pledged to the banks: Kingfisher House, the airline's erstwhile headquarters near the Mumbai airport, and the Kingfisher Villa in Goa. The Goa villa was sold in March 2017 to Sachiin Joshi, a businessman, for 73 crore, after three auctions failed to find buyers (PTI 2017b). These were held in October 2016, December 2016 and March 2017 at reserve prices of 85.29 crore, 81 crore and 73.1 crore respectively.

Joshi's purchase, which has been described as a "private transaction," was not reflected in the memorandum since it was prepared three months earlier, in December 2016. The price Joshi paid is slightly higher than the memorandum's recovery estimate of 68.23 crore, but lower than the true market value of 85.29 crore, which it attributed to a July 2016 valuation by P C Gupta, a valuer.

Kingfisher House in Mumbai still has no takers. The memorandum states that its market value is 106.95 crore based on a June 2016 report by Bhide Associates, a consultancy firm. It estimates the recovery value to be 85.56 crore. In the last auction held in March 2017, the House failed to find bidders for a reserve price of 103.5 crore (PTI 2017a).

Kingfisher Brand Worth 266 Crore?

Despite its pessimism about KFA's physical assets, the SBI memorandum is strangely upbeat about the airline's brand value. KFA owns nine trademarks such as the 'KFA's trademark, logo, and taglines like "Fly Kingfisher" and "Fly the good times." Their patent registration restricts their use to the airlines business only, and not to beer or water. The SBI memorandum reports that the market value of these nine trademarks is between 6.37 crore and 313.8 crore based on valuation conducted in 15 different business scenarios by RBSA Valuation Advisors LLP, which submitted its report on 28 February 2015. The memorandum states a very wide range of the recoverable value of these trademarks: between 5.4 crore and 266.7 crore.

This is surprising. The realisable value of these trademarks is what a buyer would be expected to pay to use these trademarks on another airline. Obviously, the buyer would expect to recover this expenditure by gaining advantage of the "Kingfisher Airlines" brand. This seems improbable, as has been evident from the consortium's failure to sell these trademarks. In April 2014, the consortium of banks led by SBI invited expressions of interest from the public for purchasing the nine trademarks. "The response to the public notice was not evident," according to the SBI memorandum.

Then, the consortium tried to sell the trademarks at two auctions: the first, held on 30 April 2016, had a reserve price of 366.7 crore, while the second was held on 25 August 2016 at a reserve price of 330.03 crore. Both failed. After the first auction failed, a Press Trust of India (PTI) report quoted an anonymous banker saying, "It is better to start a new airline company than to buy this brand and revive it." After the second auction failed, an anonymous intellectual property rights expert told the PTI: "[The] value of trademark [sic] of the entire group has gone down to almost nothing and nobody will like to buy it."

Yet, the SBI memorandum seems upbeat about selling the trademarks, and proposes now to value and auction the nine trademarks separately. It is not clear if this excercise has begun.

Trademark Attraction

The SBI does not seem to have learnt from banks' earlier encounters with Kingfisher's brand values. In 2011, a year before it was grounded, the KFA brand was valued at nearly 4,100 crore by consultancy firm Grant Thornton. This valuation, which the consultancy had said was only for "internal purposes" and not an investment advice, was nevertheless used by the airline as collateral to borrow more money from banks such as IDBI Bank, which, as a charge-sheet prepared by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed, preferred the brand valuation as a collateral over tangible assets such as shares of United Spirits, a well-to-do sister concern which is under the UB Group. The CBI later arrested former IDBI Bank chairperson and other senior officers.

In 2016, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs sent a notice to Grant Thornton for its brand valuation, according to a report in Mint newspaper (Sanjai and Upadhyay 2016). The consultancy clarified to the publication that it stood by its valuation which was "appropriate in the context of when it was done and the purpose for which it was done" (Upadhyay 2016). Going by this, the question arises as to whether the SBI should be pinning hopes on a brand valuation of KFA prepared in 2015. After all, between then and when the memorandum was signed, the airline and its founder have arguably become national icons of corporate defaulters to public sector banks (even though they are nowhere the largest). Several warrants have been served on Mallya, who has since resigned his membership of the Rajya Sabha or the upper house of Parliament and moved to the United Kingdom in an apparent self-exile, and from where he now faces extradition.

Shares of United Spirits

ICICI Bank, which had lent 450 crore to the airline, sold its entire exposure to SREI Venture Capital's Indian Global Competitive Fund in July 2012. ICICI's loan was backed by shares of United Spirits. In 2014, when its share price increased following news of its partial sell-out to Diageo Plc, IGCF sold all its pledged shares of KFA and earned 1,341 crore. After adjusting 690 crore against its exposure in KFA, it deposited the remaining 651.15 crore in the Karnataka High Court.

The banks now want this balance amount. They filed a suit in a civil court in Bengaluru to this effect, but this plaint was dismissed on 16 July 2016. The banks have challenged this verdict before the Karnataka High Court (SBICap Trustee Company Ltd v IDBI Trusteeship Services Ltd and others, 2016). Their petition had not been admitted at the time of writing this article on 11 June. Yet, an amount of 651.15 crore has been included in the SBI memorandum as a "receivable," and forms a substantial chunk of the total 1071.64 estimated recovery of the bank.

Likely Losses

This is the reason we argue that SBI has overstated its recoveries. Excluding the amount pending before the Karnataka High Court, the consortium's recoveries fall to 420 crore and their losses work out to 4,037 crore, with SBI losing 1,160 crore out of its exposure of 1,201 crore. Additionally, assuming that KFA's trademarks are worthless gives us the worst-case scenario, under which the bank consortium's losses are 4,303 crore as their recoveries fall to 153 crore, which is the value of both the real estate properties (see Table 2).

Other Recovery Cases

As we mentioned, the memorandum surprisingly does not analyse recoveries from the guarantees offered by Mallya and UB (Holdings). In fact, after it was prepared, the consortium initiated two court cases that can tilt all these calculations.

In 2013, after the loan to KFA was classified as an NPA by most banks, the consortium had filed an application before the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Bengaluru (SBI and Ors v Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and Ors, 2017) demanding a recovery of 6,203.35 crore invoking these two guarantees and additionally dragging Kingfisher Finvest (India) Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of UB (Holdings), for recovery. The demanded amount was based on KFA's dues as on 31 May 2013. In its application, the consortium sought payment of interest at 15.2% per annum from 1 June 2013 until the date of payment. On 19 January 2017, the DRT ruled in favour of the banks ordering Mallya, KFA, UB (Holdings) and Kingfisher Finvest Ltd to "jointly and severally" pay the demanded sum to the banks.

The other legal victory against KFA was in a suit that the consortium along with engine and oil suppliers (who had also claimed unpaid dues of about 524 crore) filed before the Karnataka High Court to "wind up" UB (Holdings) for failing to discharge its obligations as a corporate guarantor. On 7 February 2017, the high court ruled in favour of the petitioners and ordered an official liquidator to take charge of the company's assets and proceed with their sale.

It is not clear why the SBI memorandum did not take into account the probablity of winning these cases, even as it considered 651 crore as a receivable when their claim over the amount has not even been admitted by the high court. Both these court victories came after the memorandum was prepared but well before it was presented to the Special Committee of SBI's board on 17 February 2017. The documents made available to the EPW suggest that the memorandum was not updated to reflect recoveries resulting from these victories.

This is surprising. After all, the consortium spent considerable resources and several years fighting these legal battles. Instead, the SBI memorandum only mentions the DRT case as part of a timeline of developments in the KFA account. The timeline does not mention the winding up petition at all. In the questionnaire sent to SBI chairperson Bhattacharya, we asked why this was so. We had also asked if the memorandum had been updated, or if the committee took cognisance of the court victories and ordered a fresh study. Since SBI has a policy to not discuss individual accounts, we do not know the present position.

To speculate, it is possible that the banks are pessimistic about any actual recovery from these assets. For instance, the assets of UB (Holdings) may not be sufficient for banks to recover their dues. As the high court judgment remarks on its winding up petition, the quantum of the consortium's claims renders UB (Holdings) "commercially insolvent and a mere skeleton (with) ... some assets and liquidity" (IAE International Aero Engines AG and others v United Breweries (Holdings), 2017).

Hoping for a One-time Settlement?

Perhaps this is why the consortium of banks has never closed their doors on a one-time settlement with KFA and Mallya. In March 2016, Mallya, on behalf of Kingfisher Airlines, UB (Holdings) and Kingfisher Finvest offered a settlement amounting to 4,000 crore, which consisted less of actual cash and more of an array of receivables such as a recall of pre-delivery payments to Airbus, and some financial claims the company has made in court against an engines supplier. These offers were made after the banks had reached the Supreme Court with a request for Mallya to declare, on oath, all his financial interest in India and abroad, including those of his family. (The banks had landed at the Court's doors after this request was not considered by the DRT and subsequently the Karnataka High Court.)

This offer was rejected by the banks for lacking bonafide intentions, a claim that the Karnataka High Court judgment (on UB Holdings' winding up petition) supported by saying that Mallya's proposal showed "lack of bona fides" as it was "hedged" with conditions that were "practically impossible of compliance." The court judgment mentioned that Mallya made a second offer, which was also rejected by the banks (IAE International Aero Engines AG and others v United Breweries (Holdings), 2017). Yet, the consortium has reiterated that it is still open for a settlement, but that they require a proof of bonafide intention from Mallya. Before the Supreme Court, the consortium has demanded that Mallya can prove this by declaring all his assets on oath and making a "substantial" deposit before the Court (State Bank of India and others v Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and others, 2016).

On 9 May 2017, the Supreme Court found Mallya guilty of contempt of court for not declaring these assets, but ordered him to be present before the Court on 10 July 2017 for contempt proceedings. Interestingly, the guarantees offered by Mallya and UB (Holdings) are themselves under legal challenge. In 2013, before the banks had approached the DRT, Mallya and UB (Holdings) filed a civil suit in the Bombay High Court claiming that they were coerced into offering their guarantees, and appealed that these guarantees be termed invalid. They have additionally appealed for a decree that the liability under the guarantees is limited to 1,601.43 crore "based on admissions by the consortium of lenders" (UB (Holdings) 2016).

This is unlikely to go through. The Karnataka High Court referred to the coercion claim as "sham and moonshine" remarking that it was more likely that the banks were the ones being coerced (IAE International Aero Engines AG and others v United Breweries (Holdings), 2017). Still, according to its status on the Bombay High Court website, the suit is still is at a "pre-admission" status even though four years have passed; the last hearing in the case was in June 2015 (United Breweries (Holdings) and others v State Bank of India and others, 2013).

Open Questions

The revelations of the memorandum, and the means by which it has been brought to light, raise important questions about SBI's self-confessed policy to not reveal details about its loan to KFA. As we described earlier, the memorandum records a fall in SBI's exposure to the airline from 1,874.66 crore in 2014 to 1,201 crore in December 2016. The Karnataka High Court judgment mentions that 544 crore were recovered from stock sales. But that does not justify the 673 crore reduction in KFA's liabilities to SBI alone.

In November 2016, the DNA newspaper published an "exclusive" story that the bank had transferred several bad loans, including those of KFA, to the Advance Under Collection Account or AUCA, which, as the publication described, is "a bin for toxic loans," a mechanism through which non-performing assets are taken off the bank's balance sheet without ending recovery efforts. As SBI head Bhattacharya clarified later, this does not amount to a write-off. (Rai 2016a, 2016b).

But the memorandum in our possession reveals that the KFA loan was moved to the AUCA as early as March 2014. That even two years later this information was considered "exclusive" shows that we know far less about this murky topic than the SBI is willing to disclose even in its internal documents.

CASES CITED

IAE International Aero Engines AG and Others v United Breweries (Holdings) (2017): Company Petition No. 57/2012, Bengaluru: High Court of Karnataka.

SBICap Trustee Company Ltd v IDBI Trusteeship Services Ltd and Ors (2016): Writ Petition 42942-42943/2016, Bengaluru: High Court of Karnataka.

State Bank of India and others v Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and Others (2016): Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 6828-6831 of 2016, New Delhi: Supreme Court of India.

State Bank of India and Others v Kingfisher Airlines Limited and Others (2017): OA No. 766/2013, Bengaluru: Debt Recovery Tribunal, Karnataka.

United Breweries (Holdings) and Others v State Bank of India and Others (2013): Suit No. 311/2013, Mumbai: High Court of Bombay.

REFERENCES

PTI (2016): "No Takers for Brand Kingfisher, Trademarks," 30 April,http://www.thehindu.com/business/No-takers-for-brand-Kingfisher-trademarks/article14266333.ece.

 (2016): "Kingfisher Auction Finds No Takers Again, Trademark Is Worth 'Almost Nothing,'" 26 August, http://www.firstpost.com/business/kingfisher-auction-finds-no-takers-again-trademark-is-worth-almost-nothing-2976976.html.

 (2017a): "Any Takers? Lenders to Auction Kingfisher House in Mumbai, Goa Villa Today," 6 March, http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/any-takers-lenders-to-auction-kingfisher-house-in-mumbai-goa-villa-today-117030500192_1.html.

 (2017b): "Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Villa in Goa Finally Sold for 73.01 crore," 8 April, http://www.rediff.com/business/report/vijay-mallyas-kingfisher-villa-in-goa-sold-for-rs-7301-crore/20170408.htm.

Rai, Dipu (2016a): "DNA Exclusive: SBI Writes Off Loans of 63 Wilful Defaulters," DNA, 16 November, http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sbi-writes-off-loans-of-63-wilful-defaulters-2273834.

(2016b): "Write-off: Will SBI's Play on Words Help Recover Loans?" DNA, 17 November, http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-write-off-will-sbi-s-change-in-terminology-really-help-recover-bad-loans-2274217.

Sanjai, PR and Jayashree P Upadhyay (2016): "Kingfisher Airlines Brand Valuer Grant Thornton Now in Dock," Livemint, 15 March, http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ha3FlmyHooYZLVRDoIic8O/Kingfisher-Airlines-brand-valuer-Grant-Thornton-now-in-dock.html.

UB (Holdings) (2016): "Annual Report 201516."

Upadhyay, Jayashree P (2016): "Grant Thornton India Stands by Its Kingfisher Airlines Brand Evaluation," Livemint, 15 March, http://www.livemint.com/Companies/V2o6bVq02wdz9nU4VQws4K/Grant-Thornton-India-stands-by-its-Kingfisher-Airlines-brand.html.
An IT security certification can provide a key boost for your career, but with so many different certifications available (and so many organizations more than happy to take your money for training and testing), its important to make sure that the time and investment are well spent. The right certification can serve as a key differentiator in applying for jobs, demonstrating both your commitment to the field and the specialized knowledge youve gained.

Still, a certification on its own doesnt mean very much  its about helping you stand out from the crowd by highlighting specific skills, but its always going to be secondary to your professional experience.

The certification debate rages on, said AsTech CTO Jason Kent. On the one hand, there are plenty of skilled professionals that I would say are experts and have no certifications. On the other hand, there are plenty of very good folks with many certifications.

Also read: Cybersecurity Employment in 2022: Solving the Skills Gap

How to Choose a Security Certification

Thycotic chief security scientist Joseph Carson told eSecurity Planet that choosing a certification should ultimately be about deciding which skillset or professional direction you want to focus on. Certifications range from penetration testers, government/industry regulatory compliance, ethical hacking, to industry knowledge, he said. Some certifications are entry level, and some require several years of experience, with peer references, before getting certified.

And for most certifications, theres an additional benefit: rather than simply highlighting your knowledge and experience, they can be a great way to expand that knowledge and learn new things.

My advice for anybody that asks me which certifications they should get is this: find a certification in a subject that you wish to learn about, Palo Alto Networks CSO Rick Howard said. If you are going to study the subject anyway, you might as well get a certification out of it.

Also read: How to Get Started in a Cybersecurity Career

The Top Cybersecurity Certifications

With that advice in mind, here are 15 cybersecurity certifications particularly worth considering.

CompTIA Security+

Security+ is CompTIAs entry-level certification, the one the trade association calls the first security certification a candidate should earn. Candidates are advised to have at least two years of experience in IT admin with a security focus prior to pursuing it. The 90-minute exam, with up to 90 questions, ensures that you have the skills needed to assess the security posture of an enterprise environment and recommend and implement appropriate security solutions; monitor and secure hybrid environments; operate with an appropriate focus on governance, risk, and compliance; and identify, analyze, and respond to security events and incidents. AsTechs Kent said of Security+, This crosses several domains and is a basic introduction to security. I dont know that anyone has been hired for this certification, but, as I said, its a great start. As of mid-2022, the cost is $381 USD.

SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner)

SSCP from (ISC)2 is a mid-level certification designed for IT administrators, managers, directors, and network security professionals responsible for the hands-on operational security of their organizations critical assets. Candidates must have at least one year of paid work experience in one of the exams topic areas. It covers seven security domains: security operations and administration; access controls; risk identification, monitoring and analysis; incident response and recovery; cryptography; network and communications security; and systems and application security. A variety of training options are available, both online and in person. The 125-question exam takes up to 3 hours to complete. As of mid-2022, the cost is $249.

CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

CISSP, perhaps the best-known security credential, is an advanced certification from (ISC)2, requiring at least five years of paid work experience in two or more of the eight areas covered by the exam: security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communication and network security, identity and access management (IAM), security assessment and training, security operations, and software development security. A four-year college degree or regional equivalent, or an additional (ISC)2 credential from an approved list, satisfies one year of the required experience. Two exam formats are available: a four-hour streamlined Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) exam that adjusts questions and scoring based on answers to initial questions, or the full linear exam, which takes six hours. As of mid-2022, the cost is $749 USD.

CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)

The CEH certification from the EC-Council was introduced in 2003 and is now in version 11. Prerequisites include either taking a five-day, 20-module training course, or having proof of two years of work experience in a security-related field. Micro Focus security researcher Simon Puleo said of the credential, I feel this is an important certification because it sheds light on the tools and methods of the dark side of security, specifically malicious hackers. It is a difficult certification as it is highly technical, but I think that it is worthwhile for everyone in the industry to take on a think like a bad guy perspective, as only then will they come to see where vulnerabilities exist. Pricing for the four-hour CEH exam varies, as its often bundled with training by accredited partners.

See our pentesting tutorials on Metasploit, the Burp Suite and SIEM testing

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)

CISA is ISACAs (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) high-level certification designed for those who audit, control, monitor, and assess an organizations information technology and business systems. A minimum of five years of related professional experience is required, though a masters degree in information security or information technology can be substituted for one year of experience, and 60 to 120 completed university semester credit hours (the equivalent of a two-year or four-year degree) can be substituted for one or two years, respectively. The exam consists of 150 questions covering five job practice domains: information systems auditing; governance and management of IT; information systems acquisition, development, and implementation; information systems operations and business resilience; and protection of information assets. A wide variety of training options are available. As of mid-2022, the cost of the exam is $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members.

CISM (Certified Information Systems Manager)

CISM is a high-level certification offered by ISACA, designed for those with technical expertise and experience in IS/IT security who want to make the move from team player to manager. A minimum of five years of professional information security management work experience is required, though a CISA or CISSP certification, or a postgraduate degree in a related field, can be substituted for two years of experience. The exam includes 150 questions covering four topic areas: information security governance, information security risk management, information security program development and management, and incident management. An online review course and practice quiz are available. As of mid-2022, the cost of the exam is $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members.

GSEC (GIAC Security Essentials)

GSEC is the entry-level certification from the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC), an independent entity formed in 1999 by the SANS Institute. GSEC is intended for anyone new to cyber security who has some background in information systems and networks. It confirms that certificate holders are qualified for hands-on IT security roles by validating their understanding of information security. The certification covers active defense, defense in depth, access control, cryptography, defensible network architecture and network security, incident handling and response, vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, security policy, IT risk management, virtualization and cloud security, and Windows and Linux security. The 4-5 hour exam includes up to 180 questions. Training is available in a variety of formats. As of mid-2022, pricing for the exam, including two practice tests, is $949.

GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler)

The GCIH certification validates your ability to detect and resolve computer security incidents using a wide range of essential security skills. Its designed for incident handlers, incident handling team leads, system administrators, security practitioners, and security architects. Certificate holders have the knowledge required to manage security incidents by understanding common attack techniques, vectors and tools, and to respond to those attacks when they occur. Key topics include drive-by attacks, endpoint attacks and pivoting, evasive techniques, incident response and cyber investigations, memory and malware investigations, Metasploit, netcat, network investigations, networked environment attacks, password attacks, post-exploitation attacks, reconnaissance and open-source intelligence, scanning and mapping, SMB scanning, and Web application attacks. The four-hour exam, including 106 questions, can be administered remotely or in person. Training is available in a variety of formats, including live and on demand. As of mid-2022, pricing for the exam, including two practice tests, is $949.

GCIA (GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst)

The GCIA certification ensures that you have the skills required to configure and monitor intrusion detection systems, and to read, interpret, and analyze network traffic and related log files. Its designed for system analysts, security analysts, network engineers, network administrators, and hands-on security managers. Key topics include advanced analysis and network forensics, advanced IDS concepts, application protocols, concepts of TCP/IP and the link layer, DNS, fragmentation, IDS fundamentals and network architecture, intrusion detection system rules, IP headers, IPv6, network traffic analysis, packet engineering, SiLK and other traffic analysis tools, TCP, tcpdump filters, UDP and ICMP, and Wireshark fundamentals. The four-hour exam includes 106 questions. Training is available in a variety of formats, including live and on demand. As of mid-2022, pricing for the exam, including two practice tests, is $949.

GSE (GIAC Security Expert)

GSE is one of the most prestigious credentials in IT security. While registration has closed for 2022, its likely to be offered again in 2023. Prerequisites include the GSEC, GCIH, and GCIA certifications detailed above. As GIAC puts it, Individuals who make the effort to not only learn but master all of the essential elements of information security belong in a very special group. These individuals will be the elite of information security and the top practitioners in the field. Those who pursue an in-depth technical education in all areas of information security are the target audience for the GSE certification. The performance-based, hands-on exam sets it apart from other certifications  it includes both a multiple-choice test, currently priced at $559, and a hands-on lab component, priced at $2,699.

Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

The Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, offered by Palo Alto Networks and administered online by Coursera, is designed to prepare students for entry-level careers in cyber security. The certificate requires completion of four individual courses: Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Foundation, Palo Alto Networks Network Security Fundamentals, Palo Alto Networks Cloud Security Fundamentals, and Palo Alto Networks Security Operations Fundamentals. Key skills acquired include managing and encrypting a zero-trust environment, deploying VPNs and SSL/SSH encryption, analyzing firewall logs and configuring security controls, and mitigating vulnerabilities using packet capture and analysis. The courses required for the certificate can also be used to prepare for the Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-Level Technician (PCCET) exam. All four courses take approximately six months to complete at a suggested pace of two hours per week. After a seven-day free trial, access costs $39 per month.

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate

The IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, based on the NICE Frameworks Cyber Defense Analyst role, is designed for learners entering the workforce, professionals switching careers, and IT professionals who need to enhance their cyber security skills. The certificate requires completion of eight individual courses: Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks; Cybersecurity Roles, Processes & Operating System Security; Cybersecurity Compliance Framework & System Administration; Network Security & Database Vulnerabilities; Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics; Cyber Threat Intelligence; Cybersecurity Capstone: Breach Response Case Studies; and the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Assessment. Administered online by Coursera, it takes approximately eight months to complete at a suggested pace of four hours per week. After a seven-day free trial, access costs $49 per month.

IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization

The IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization is an introductory online course, offered by IBM and administered by Coursera, which covers cyber security tools and processes, system administration, operating system and database vulnerabilities, types of cyber attacks, cryptography, digital forensics, and basics of networking. The specialization requires completion of four individual courses: Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks; Cybersecurity Roles, Processes & Operating System Security; Cybersecurity Compliance Framework & System Administration; and Network Security & Database Vulnerabilities. All four courses are part of the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate described above, allowing you to proceed to that certificate after achieving the specialization. The specialization takes approximately four months to complete at a suggested pace of four hours per week. After a seven-day free trial, access costs $49 per month.

Security Analyst Fundamentals Specialization

The Security Analyst Fundamentals Specialization, offered by IBM and administered by Coursera, focuses on key concepts around digital forensics, penetration testing and incident response. It requires completion of three individual courses: Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics; Cyber Threat Intelligence; and Cybersecurity Capstone: Breach Response Case Studies. As with the Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization, all three courses in this case are part of the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, allowing you to proceed to that certificate after achieving the specialization. The specialization takes approximately four months to complete at a suggested pace of five hours per week. After a seven-day free trial, access costs $39 per month.

Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks

Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks, offered by IBM and administered by Coursera, is the first component in both the IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization and the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate described above. Its designed to provide you with the background needed to understand basic cyber security, covering the history of cyber security, key terms and roles in cyber security, types and motives of cyber attacks and their impact on organizations and individuals, key security concepts that are important in any cyber security position, and an overview of key security tools. The course takes approximately 20 hours to complete. After a seven-day free trial, access costs $49 per month.

Read next: How to Create an Incident Response Plan
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A man who died after being struck by a train in Chelmsford has been named locally.

Officers were called to Stump Lane in Springfield after reports that somebody had been injured on Thursday morning (June 8).

British Transport Police cordoned off the bridge over the tracks while emergency services attended the incident.

But Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Daniel De La Vega Roldan, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tributes have been paid online to Daniel, who lived in Chelmsford and worked in the city's Nando's restaurant.

Speaking on behalf of Daniel's colleagues, a Nando's spokesman said: "We are incredibly saddened by the loss of one of our team and our thoughts go out to his family and friends."

Tomorrow (June 14), an inquest will be opened into Daniel's death, which is not being treated as suspicious.
In a sharp diplomatic move, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt cut their diplomatic relations with the tiny Gulf state of Qatar, closing their borders to Qatari planes and vessels and giving Qatari nationals in their countries two weeks to leave. The move is seen as aimed at pleasing Western governments who accuse Qatars government of sponsoring extremists and terrorist groups including ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Before 2011, not many in the West took notice of Qatar  a tiny state with the worlds biggest per-capita-GDP. Since then though, the West has learned about Qatar backing up the rebel groups in Syria and Libya as well as providing troops to help suppress unrest in neighboring Bahrain. The contradiction was typical of a country that has been guided by an inconsistent and scattered foreign policy. Qatar is home to one of the biggest American military installations in the Middle East, a home base for the US operations in Iraq. However, while nurturing relations with Washington, Doha has also managed to build bridges with Tehran, develop ties with Hezbollah and Hamas and also attempted to improve its relations with Israel. However, this scattershot approach to foreign policy has not remained unnoticed: Qatar cant be an American ally on Monday that sends money to Hamas on Tuesday, John Kerry, then a US senator, said in 2009.

Qatars Gulf neighbors are even less pleased with its unconventional foreign conduct charted by Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir who came to power in a bloodless coup in 1995. Al-Thani was perceived as a maverick who undermined Gulf unity and meddled in the affairs of neighboring countries. Gulf leaders were hoping that his 2013 abdication in favor of his 33-year-old son Tamim would improve the state of Qatars foreign policy especially after the then Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz summoned him to Riyadh and demanded pledges of loyalty. However, by 2014, the Saudis were so infuriated by Tamims continued foreign adventurism that they withdrew their diplomats from Doha. Although the diplomats eventually returned to their embassies, tensions were never really resolved  hence the recent developments.

The challenge for Western leaders is the fact that the tensions between Qatar and its neighbors reveal deeper contradictions among the Gulf states. Saudi Arabia has been, for example, also criticized for its support of extremist Islamic thought and hardliners in Syria and a leaked Hillary Clinton memo also names Riyadh as a sponsor of radical Sunni militias. A UK government report also identified Saudi Arabia as a key sponsor of groups involved in radicalizing young Britons.

This all leaves Western policymakers in a tricky situation because Qatar is a major investment destination for British, American and French energy companies who have ploughed billions into gas export facilities. Qatar itself is a major investor overseas who has pledged to invest 5 billion pounds in the UK in the run-up to Brexit. However, while Western countries cannot simply pick a side, Donald Trump will have to deal with a diplomatic crisis that he helped unleash by his visit to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip.

And although President Trump has already declared his support for the move to isolate Doha, openly accusing the emirate of backing extremists, he should also be well aware that the US would struggle to find a new home for its troops and planes if these were asked to move from the Qatar-based al-Udeid airbase, not to mention that this whole crisis, if left unchecked, threatens to reveal the murkier side of that relationship.

In Qatar v Saudi Arabia, the West Cant Afford to Pick a Side  Expert Comment by Peter Salisbury  Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs.

(The Expert Comment can be downloaded here)
The European Union is to tell Theresa May that it will take a year to prepare a new mandate for the UKs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Bernier, thus effectively killing the divorce talks if London wishes to discuss a future trade relationship at the same time as the Brexit deal. Brussels is getting increasingly impatient with the poor state of the British side of the negotiations, which are supposed to begin on 19 June, the same day as the Queens speech. By then it will be also clear whether Mrs. May has managed to secure the support of a majority of the MPs for her agenda in her hung parliament.

The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) sent a note to the European Commission last week signaling that the government was operational and pre-negotiation talks about logistics should begin this week as planned. Olly Robbins, Mrs. Mays EU adviser, told his European counterparts that the prime minister has directed that the procedures for preparing the negotiations for the formal withdrawal from the European Union should start as soon as possible. However, Brussels remains skeptical about the ability of Mrs. Mays minority administration to make effective decisions.

The possibility of an additional year in the Brexit negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty illustrates the intense frustration in Europes capital city. The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had privately urged Mrs. May to hold an election to secure majority and an EU source disclosed that EU officials had also been secretly briefing the UK government on the 27s negotiating positions for months to allow it to prepare its response. They have had everything, sometimes before senior people here have seen the positions, the source said. May has known about the sequencing of talks since last September. None of this has been a surprise to her.
The EU Commission asked the member states for a mandate to negotiate with Moscow a deal on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project despite Gazprom claiming that this step is unnecessary. The EU, however, said that it was seeking legal certainty regarding the offshore section of the pipeline as part of it lies outside the EU jurisdiction. The Commissions legal services say internal market legislation is not applicable to the offshore parts of the pipeline. The Nord Steam 2 project claims that the EUs Third Energy Package does not apply to the pipeline but the EU Commission says it applies to the onshore section.

Central European EU member states as well as the Baltic states and Denmark argue that the project will increase the blocs dependence on energy from Russia, which already supplies a third of the EUs needs. This new route coupled with the Turkish Stream project is meant to bring Russian gas to Europe by bypassing Ukraine, thus siphoning off the former Soviet state, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech and Slovak Republics from transit tax revenues. Its supporters, however, say that the project will make gas cheaper for European customers.

Council President Donald Tusk also has a negative opinion of the project. A few days ago he wrote to the Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to inform him that the project would not serve for the best of the EU. The idea that the Commission should take over the North Stream 2 talks is not new. The Commissions concern is that the pipeline must be backed by a legal framework. For the EU executive to take charge of the talks, at least 16 out of 28 member states must vote in favor as the decision is to be decided by qualified majority vote.
Sunday (11 June) was the first day that Ukrainian nationals could travel to the European Union visa-free. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described the event as a dramatic exit from Russias grip as thousands were crossing the EU-Ukraine border. The visa-free regime for Ukraine has started! Glory to Europe! Glory to Ukraine! Mr. Poroshenko tweeted.

Later on Sunday, Ukrainian President met with his Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska on the Slovak-Ukrainian border, unlocking a mock door to the EU designed as a Ukrainian passport. We have waited so long for this, Mr. Poroshenko said. I am sure that this day, 11 June, will go down in the history of Ukraine as a final exit of our country from the Russian empire and its return to the family of European nations. Slovak President Kiska added: Welcome to Europe, I want to call on you to continue carrying out reforms.

EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, joined in the celebrations in a video address stressing that today we bring down the barrier between the people of Ukraine and the people of the European Union. Ukraine has delivered reforms its citizens were asking for and we of the EU have kept our promise. This is what we call a win-win solution.

The visa-free travel is symbolic for Ukraine which saw a pro-EU revolt topple the former pro-Russian government in 2014. The riots sparked Russias annexation of the Crimea peninsula and an ongoing conflict with the Russian separatists. However, no visa only applies to those with biometric passports containing a microchip with personal data including fingerprints for stays up to 90 days every six months. Ireland, Britain, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are exempt from the visa-free regime for Ukrainians.
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/Prefectoral Palace PressRoom/Angelo Marcopolo/- A Record High popular Abstention, Never seen before in France's History, and a Dispersion of Voters among Many Different Political Parties, even several Small ones, Resulted in the UnExpected Consequence for Frontruner Macron's new Party to get Only a Tiny Minority of Registered Voters : just about ...13 % !



Confused by Dithyrambic Polls already Before this 1st Round of the Parliamentary Elections, almost all picturing Macron's "Walking Republic" as No 1, and by even More Dithyrambic Polls after this Election, picturing Macron as due to snatch more than 400 MPs, most People were pushed to Lose touch with Realities on the Ground...



But, when the Dust settled, behind all that Broo-ha-ha repeatedly mirrored and exagerated by Establishment's Medias, the Real Facts emerged through all those Smokescreens, Hard as Rocks, Steading up, in the middle of Gray Clouds... Like SleepWalkers, or Financial Geeks, who had Lost Sight of Real Economy, French People started to Realize what had really happened, and it was astonishing :



- An UnPrecedented Abstention, Sky-rocketed as High as More than 52,5% ("Blank/Void" included), i.e. a Big Absolute Majority of People Refused even to cast a Vote !



>>> And inside that 47,5% Minority which Voted, Only a Tiny Part of about ...13% among Registered Voters said that they wanted Macron's policies...



On the Contrary, a very Big, Giant Majority of ...87% among Registered Voters, Refused to Cast a Vote for Macron's policies, Prefering, Instead, either to Abstain, or to Vote for Anyone Else, amidst the 17 Different Political Parties which competed.



Indeed, by Far, the Biggest Part of those who Voted : About 34,5% of Registered Voters, expressed their Preference for various Other Candidates, (i.e. almost X 3 Times More People, than Macron's voters)...



=> The Obvious Question, thus, Raised by Today's exceptionaly important, 1st Round of French Parliamentary Elections 2017, therefore, is the Following :



>>> How could Anyone seriously claim, in a Non-Autocratic State, i.e. in a Democracy, to really Govern for 5 Years, Decide and Impose really Important Measures, on "Hot" Controversial Issues, deeply Affecting People's Lives and Society at large, (as a French Government, which has to be Supported by the Parliament, that adopts also all Legislative Bills, Budgets, etc), based just on such a Tiny Minority of Only ...13 % of Registered Voters ?

This ..."Mission Impossible" Query, already, Started to be Raised from Tonight, immediately after the Poll Stations closed.



And, not only by the Right side of the Political spectrum, which Marks, however, all Together, about 18 % of Registered Voters, and some 37,5% of the Votes Casted. (i.e. much More than the Macronists, which Stay at Only 13% of Registered Voters, or 28% of Votes Casted).

Nowadays, the French Right might Also Attract several among the 4,3% of Votes Casted for "Ecologists", (as it already Started to be done Recently, f.ex. during the 12/2015 Regional Elections in Strasbourg's "Great East" New Region - See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/franceregionelelectionsrepublicanswithgreensorfnrightistsforstrasbourg.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/sarkozyautonomousalternativewinsregions.html), particularly given Macron's Bad Record against Natural Environment, f.ex. with Foreign Mining Companies in Brittany Region, and/or even some among the "Various" Candidates : 2,5%, etc., Resulting in a potential "Block" of More than 41% of Votes Casted.



More Important : Obviously, it's usual Voters of the Right who formed the Bulk of that 52,5% Crowd of People who, Exceptionaly, Abstained Today, (given the Unexpected Results of the Presidentials), so that the Right has, still, to Benefit, much More from a possible Return Back to the Polling Stations by former Abstentionists, Next Sunday, with a Greater Participation.



- But, one of the Strongest Contests of Macron's "Legitimacy", came, this Evening, from his ... Left : The Suprizingly efficient in 2017, Melenchon of the "UnSubjugated" or "UnSubordinated" Party ("InSoumis", in French), a former Presidential Candidate, clearly Warned now Macron that he does Not have, in fact, enough Political Power to pass Sweeping Reforms against Workers' Rights or basic Individual Freedoms, and "Certainly Not any Legitimacy" to do so, (Contrary to what he notoriously Expects to do, already from this Summer, including, according to the Latest News, even on BioEthics)...



=> Melenchon's Party, who is Leading the "Left" on 2017, significantly launched a Call to Vote, on the 2nd Round, Only for its own Candidates (the "UnSubrugated"/"InSoumis"), those of the Small former "Communist Party", or those among the sharply Declining "Socialists" <<who have Signed a Petition against>> a controversial Law already Restricting some of Workers' Rights under former President Hollande, recently. But, Melenchon and his Party, clearly ... Ommitted to even mention here Macron's "Let's Walk !" (or "Let's Go On !" : "En Marche !", in French) Party.



This obviously Means that Macronists Risk to remain Alone, (much More Isolated than what his former "Socialist Party" used to be), withOut enough Support from Others to be Vainly Expected in the forthcoming, 2nd Round of French Legislative Elections...



Made also by a shaky "Magma" of last-minute Recycled, former "Socialists", (as f.ex. in Greece, since PASOK's Historic "Collapse", etc), added to a Few UnPopular Declining Centrists and 1 or 2 Opportunistic, former Staffers from the Center-Right, "Mixed" in an UnPrepared, makeshift "Patchwork", set up too Hastily, of various so-called "Civil Society", UnExperienced and Unknown Candidates, Macron's "Do it Yourself", "Ready Made" Party's Candidates have Nothing which might have made Voters' "Dream" of...



On the Contrary, up to the Last Minute, at the Eve of this Election, various Converging, Factual "Revelations" were Growing about several alleged "Corruption" and/or Other Shocking Problems found among Many such "Macronist" Candidates, both in "Social Medias" and in Mainstream Press :

Such Issues go from Suspicions of Abusing Public Sector Jobs in order to get undue Financial Benefits for themselves or their Family and Pals, (even the f. Secretary General of "En Marche !" Party, Richard Ferrand, is notoriously mixed with such an Affair, generating, f.ex. a 580.000 uros liquidity, etc., on which a Judicial "Enquiry" just Started, while anOther such Candidate is Prosecuted and brought to Court) ; various dishonest "Tricks" and/or Cover-ups, including, f.ex., gross Falsification of Diplomas, abused in order to get a Qualifying Training and/or Job, (for which, at least one Macron's Candidates has already bee found Guilty and Condemned by French Courts, etc), or the setting-up of "Smoke-Screen" Companies Abroad, f.ex. at USA's Delaware Federated State and/or other pittoresque Locations accross the World usualy Famous for "Tax Evasion" attempts ; a Long Series of alleged "Fake Work" Cases, spreading from several MEPs' EU "Parliamentary Assistants" Jobs, reportedly abused just in order to do various Other, UnRelated Tasks, often Far Away from EU Issues, or lavish Remunerations for "Reports" Never produced, many Family Members Hired for Years, (as in the case of former Main Opposition's Candidate, Fillon's wife, Penelope, mutatis-mutandis), etc.



-------------------------------------------



Thus, French People's massive DesIllusion, (that Today's Historic, Record-High mass Abstention, already reveals : Comp. Numbers cited Supra), might Also take some initialy UnExpected Forms :



In Addition to various, mainly Young People's spontaneous Public Demonstations, wich suddenly Erupted when Macron's Presidential "push" was confirmed, (some of which seem to have been, Recently, oppressed by abuse of DisProportionate Violence by some Police teams, as Denounced "Amnesty International" and others, nowadays),



it's even a strong Regional Dimension, (with, at least potentialy, risky pro-Autonomy slipery slopes), which Emeges from the Latest Facts revealing Regionaly UnEqual Electoral Results :



- Already, all accross the area surrounding Strasbourg, HeadQuarters of PanEuropean CoE Council and EU Parliament's full Plenary Sessions, as well as EuroOmbudsman, EuroCorps, Shengen's Secretariat, etc., (i.e. at the "Lower Rhine" Department), the Right side of the Political Spectrum wins much More Votes than the Macronistes :



=> The Right already got here, (in "Bas-Rhin" Department, around Strasbourg), a Total of almost 23 % among Registered Voters, and around 50% of valid Votes.



Comparatively, the Macronistes didn't get but Only about 12 % among Registered Voters, and just 26% of valid Votes, (i.e. almost ...the Half !).



And, neither here, nor elsewhere, they canNot count on Any eventual "Transfert" of Votes from the Left (of Melenchon, etc), as we explained Supra.



------------------



+ An even More pronounced Advance of the Right side of the Political spectrum, should, normaly, have become Today very Visible accross the much Wider Territory of the New Big Region of Strasbourg, named "Great East", (which Borders Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium), at the Heart of EU' EuroZone, taking into account Both its Recent Voting Record (f.ex. in the December 2015 Regional Elections and in the April/May 2017 Presidentials), as well as in this 1st Round of the 2017 Legislatives, as it results f.ex. from the relevant MAPs of Votes, published by Mainstream French Medias, (including "Figaro" Newspaper, etc) :







Such an Exceptional persistence, among the Local People, of their Voting Habit for the Right, canNot be found, Today, in all Other Regions of France.



+ The Only, few Exceptions, concern, f.ex. anOther "Sensitive" Region : that of Corsica island, at the South-East, where the only Candidates who were Qualified to run also in the 2nd Round are : 1 from the Center-Right "Republicans", and 3 from the Regionalists-Autonomists Corsicans...



= Similarly, in Strasbourg's surrounding Area, that of "Bas-Rhin" Department, (Comp. Supra), the Regionalists/Autonomists of "Unser Land" ("Our Land", in the Regional Dialect of "Alsacian", close to German), Won More than 7 % of valid Votes, and at least one among their Leading Candidates was Qualified for the 2nd Round, (near Saverne city, Historic and Geographic Symbol of direct Links between the Rest of France and Alsace).



The Voting Results obtained Today by Alsacian Regionalists/Autonomists of "Unser Land", should, normaly, be Even Bigger at the Adjacent Area of "Haut-Rhin" Department, (Neighbouring both Germany and Switzerland), which, Together with "Nas-Rhin", used to Form the Historic Region of "Alsace", until December 2015, to which refers "Unser Land".



Those Regionalists (to which should be Added also certain other "Various Right" Candidates) openly Revendicate a Status similar to that of Neighbourng Germany's Federated States or "Lander", and Swiss Federation's "Cantons", or Italy's exceptional Region of "South Tyrol", etc.



They had Never Before obtained such a Growing Electoral Impact, (possibly Due also to their Call for some "Direct Democracy" tools, as, f.ex. Popular Referenda, like in Switzerland, etc), until nowadays' Macron's Minority Governing claims, (Comp. Supra and at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronwithminorityfacesparliamentaryelection.html ).



++ Mutatis-mutandis, an, at least potentialy, more or less Similar or Equivalent Political Contradicion between Outer Regions and Paris' Central Governance, that Macronists currently Attempt to Monopolize, can be observed, Today, also at Reunion and Mayotte Islands, Won now by the Right, (etc).



--------------------------------



Concerning Strasbourg City itself, (a former ..."Socialist Island", surrounded by an "Ocean of the Right", Except during 2007 and 2009 Nicolas Sarkozy's brillant Wins in Both the National and European Elections), on the Contrary, Macronists are Now trying to Seize almost All the Town, even if, in Fact, they don't represent yet but Only a Minority of 17% of Registered Voters...



Paradoxically, the, nowadays, No 2 Political Movement in Strasbourg City, which has Recently become that of MEP Melenchon's "UnSubjugated" New Party (New Left), already since the Presidential Elections of April/May 2017, was Totaly Excluded, at the Last Minute, even from the slightest Representation, in All 3 Constitencies of the City, from the 2nd Round of the Legislative Elections, Next Sunday !



The Biggest Fight, (also in order to Exclude all the Right side of the Political spectrum, even the Main Opposition Party of Christian-Democrats/EPP's Center-Right "Republicans"), was given at the Center of Down-Town Strasbourg City, in its 1st Constituency :



There, in an UnPrecedented situation of the 3 (Three !) biggest Candidates Opposed to Macron, getting All around 13% of valid Votes each (sic !), After Exceptionaly Delaying the anouncement of Final Results for a Long Period of Time, during which, even ...Contradictory "News" had circulated, (including among Mainstream, Public Sector Medias), about the "Socialist" Candidate having been alledadly Eliminated from the 2nd Round, and while Strasbourg's current "Socialist" Mayor was making an Unusualy Long and Direct Intervention at Local mainstream Medias for these Elections to the National Parliament in Paris, Finaly, it was announced that Both Melenchon's "UnSubjugated" Candidate from the New Left, (an estimated Scientific Research Senior Official on Physics, Dr. Brohm), and Main Opposition Party's "Republican" (Center-Right) Young Rising Star, Elsa Schalk, also vice-President of the New "Great East" Region and Municipal Counselor, were All Excluded, to the Benefice of the "Socialist" Candidate, a former Parliamentary Assistant, Elkouby, only for a Tiny alleged Difference of just a Few Dozens of Votes !



Elsa, a French Lawyer born here in Alsace and Cooperating frequently with Neighbouring Germany, the Youngest Big Candidate, wishing to ReNew the Political Life (also thanks to some Interesting Ideas about regurlarly Consuling the People before Deciding on Legislative Bills, etc), might have Hoped, however, to Attract around her a Potential of about 32% among the valid Votes, and possibly Add a "Push" from the Numerous former Abstentionists, in the forthcoming 2nd Round of the Legislatives, in order to eventualy Win against an unknown Macronist, agent of a "Big Pharma" Foreign MultiNational Headquartered in Texas (USA).



That incident Also Excluded France's Main Opposition Party, that of "Republicans" (Center-Right), practicaly from All mainly Urban Constituencies of Strasbourg, since, After Elsa's UnExpected Exclusion at the 1st of them, there was Nothing Left for the "Republicans", Neither in the City's 2nd Constituency, where their Former Representative, (who Now intervened as "Independent", having been "Suspended" from the "Republicans", while also, Traditionaly Keeping some Controversial and UnPopular Positions on Issues, Opposed to his former Party, f.ex. about Turkey's EU Bid Claims, etc), was Droped by the People themselves, getting Only 10% of valid Votes.



It's Only a former ...Sarkozyst, the current Secretary General of the "Republicans" in the "Bas-Rhin" Department, (where the Right got a Majority : Comp. Supra), who Succeeded to be Qualified for the 2nd Round of the Legislative Elections in Strasbourg : the combative Georges Schuler, a Teacher, and popular Mayor of Reichstet Village. Schuller seems to have a Protential to Attract about 33% among various Converging valid Votes around him, and Count on a Big "Push" by former Abstentionists in the 2nd Round, in order to Hope Win against a Macronist who got 39% Today. But that's just in the 3rd Constituency, which doesn't realy include, but Only a Part of Strasbourg City itself, the Rest being composed by several Villages, in the surrounding area.



On the Contrary, the "Socialist" Candidate there, Serge Oehler, was Crushed, Droping Down to Only 6% of valid Votes, (2,8% of Registered Voters !), just After having let the Turkish Government practicaly "Buy a Part of Strasbourg's City", in order to Establish ... "Imams' Schools", as a Local French Weekly Newspaper has Denounced, but also allowed a brand New Mosque to be Build and Funded by anOther Controversial Foreign Government : Qatar, which has just been notoriously Denounced, even by Arab Countries as Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrein, followed by Jordany, etc., as well as by New USA President Don Trump himself, to "Fund, at the Highest Level, Islamic Radicalism" propaganda, and even Islamist "Terrorism" !

Such moves, obviously Risking to Transform anOther Strasbourg City's Suburb in a new "Molenbeek"-on-Rhein, (from the Name of that Brussels' Islamized Suburb, notorious for having bred Many Islamist Terrorist Killing People in Belgium and in Paris, etc), were committed Earlier by Oehler, at anOther Side of the City, that he was, until Recently, Reprsenting in Strasbourg's "Socialist" Municipality, But from which he Now Left, apparently Attempting to ...Escape at the Opposite Side of the City and near some Outer Villages, perhaps believing, in vain, that Nobody would Know there his recent Record in his Former Constituency, where he, naturaly, would Not Stand to live among such a Suddenly, Heavily and Dangerously "Islamized" Context, that he had Served himself to Artificicialy Provoke, (Sadly Wasting a Good Socio-Political Heritage that had Left his Father, John Oehler, a former Leading Political Figure of the Socialist Party in Strasbourg in the Past).

-------------------------------------





Thus, it's Only an Atypical "Socialist" Candidate who might have a Chance at the 2nd Round in downtown Strasbourg, (after Narowly evicting a Melenchon Party's Candidate in the 2nd Constituency of the City) : "Political Science"-educated Philippe Bies, a CoE's MEP and Rapporteur on Climate Change and Refugees, Experienced on Urban Planning and particularly on Housing, who has also shown an Interest in Democratic Dialogue with Citizens, known to be personaly close to former EU Minister, JHA Minister, and Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. He might Hope to Gather, around him, a Potential of almost 33% among valid Votes of the 1st Round, Adding possibly several Former Abstentionists in the forthcoming 2nd Round, in order to Bypass a Macaronist who got there just 35% of valid Votes in the 1st Round, but withOut any obvious "Reserves" for Next Sunday.



-------------------------------------------



At any case, as far as it concerns all France, Nation-Wide, both Technicaly, and Theoreticaly, Many Possibilities Remain still "Open" for the Crucial and Final, 2nd Round of those "Bumpy" French Legislative Elections, Next Week, on the 18th of June :



Indeed, until Now, it's ...Only 10 MPs who have been already Elected, while it still Remain a Huge Number of ...567 (Five Hundred Sixty Seven) MPs to Elect on the 2nd Round, Next Sunday !



- And, given the current, "exceptional", political Context, "we do Not yet Know how the Transfert of Votes" (from the Various and Numerous 1s Round Candidates, to the 2 remaining Candidates Qualified for the Second Round) "will work now", Observed an Experienced Senior French Official, speaking to "Eurofora"...



=> So that, manifold "Surprises" are Not Excluded at all, during the Next Few Days.



Particularly if the French People succeed to Really Wake Up from those Grey Clouds of Establishment Medias "SleepWalking" (Comp. Supra), and Start Looking at the Real Facts !



(../..)
There are currently around 50.00 illegal irish emigrants living in the US.Thing is if you are illegal you then cannot leave easily.My niece lived in New York illegally. She wanted to visit home as she was shortly getting married to a US citizen. Flags went up!! lots of problems but just after 9/11 she was granted permission to stay... yes she was getting married to a New York fireman ....his station had lost several firefighters at the twin towers. One complete crew didn`t return to base that day. Her fiancee survived.. could they refuse her???With TRUMP trying to call the shots about immigration do you honestly think now is the time to try and become an illegal in the US?
It is not required to transfer it at all. The Proof of Funds is required to prove to the Government of Canada that you can support yourself if no job is forthcoming and have the funds available to set yourself up in Canada.
sanajn said: Hi,



We are a family of three, looking to rent a place a three bedroom place( preferably Villa) in Dubai. We have short listed the following areas:



Al Furjan

Jumeirah Vilage Triangle

Springs



Does anyone have the experience of living in these communities? Are they good and self sufficient in terms of markets, parks, gyms and pools?

Also we have to travel to the internet city daily for work so how's the commute?



Suggestions would be appreciated.



Thanks Click to expand...

I know the springs well, gated communities by Emaar, some of the communities are better than others however the communal areas are well kept ( Grass, lakes etc) pools are nice and they are close to shops. Internet City isnt too far but in hour there are traffic jams. Friend lives in JVT i don't think has any communal pools at all however they are building a mall but it isnt finished and they dont have a vast amount of shops as the Springs does. Al Furjan no clue sorry. My preference for community feel, close proximity to the centre of Dubai, Malls, beach etc would be the Springs however you have to get the right villa. I reside in the Greens which is just around the corner from the Springs and love it there
I was told that I have 3 or 4 stages left before getting an outcome for my Permanent Residency.



I asked how long that would take and they couldn't say.



Anyone know how long this process can take?



Been waiting over 21 months now.


Employers in the UK are totally unprepared for the fall in migration that the new Government has pledged to deliver once the country leaves the European Union, according to new research.With formal Brexit negotiations set to start within days, a survey from think tank the Resolution Foundations, has identified a huge gap between the kind of immigration system employers expect and what the Government is planning.The research highlights the fact that it is not just the new Government, but businesses too, that need to step up their preparations for Brexit with 47% of over 500 employers with EU nationals having totally unrealistic expectations of what the post-Brexit immigration regime might be.Some 17% of firms expect no change to the current system of freedom of movement for EU nationals to the UK, while 30% expect to see that system maintained for those with a job offer.The Prime Minister in contrast has ruled out either option, stating that demand will control migrant numbers. The Conservative Party has stuck consistently to its pledge to reduce net migration down to tens of thousands.More immediately the survey found that 46% of employers who employ EU nationals do not expect any change in the number in their workforce over the next 12 months and 24% expect to increase the number of migrant workers they employ, while 26% expect to reduce numbers.The Foundation says that lower migration, coupled with a higher minimum wage and a tightening jobs market, could put an end to the era of readily available cheap labour that has characterised the UK labour market in recent years.The gap between what businesses want from a future migration regime, and what the Government is likely to offer, is even starker. Some 65% of firms say that either no change to existing freedom of movement (38%) or a switch to allowing movement for all with a job offer (26%) would be best for their business.The Foundation says that while Britains post-Brexit migration policy should not be solely determined by what businesses want, it is vital that the new Government listens to business and gives firms the clarity they need to start preparing for a new immigration regime and that ensuring a smooth transition towards a lower migration post-Brexit labour market should be a key objective as failure to do so could deal a major blow to productivity and with it prospects for future pay and jobs growth.Many British firms are totally unprepared, particularly when it comes to migration. Ministers have compounded this uncertainty by choosing not to answer questions over what a post-Brexit immigration regime might be, said Torsten Bell, director of the Resolution Foundation.Whatever peoples views on Brexit, the journey not just the destination matter hugely to growth, jobs and living standards. Now is the time for both firms and government to focus on how we navigate that journey and the changes to our labour market it brings, he added.Reconciling the differences between what Government has pledged and what business wants is vital, according to Stephen Clarke, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation. This is particularly important for firms in migrant-reliant sectors such as agriculture, food manufacturing, hospitality and construction. In these sectors business models may need to be rethought, new temporary worker systems navigated or failing that operations closed or moved abroad, he explained.
Jimmy Galindo, the former West Texas official accused of splitting about $850,000 in bribes with state Sen. Carlos Uresti, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in San Antonio.

Galindo, who was county judge of Reeves County from January 1995 to December 2006, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and failure to file a 2013 tax return.

Galindo, 53, struck a deal with federal prosecutors May 18, agreeing to fully cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of any and all criminal transactions known to the defendant, including the case against Uresti.

Uresti, the San Antonio Democrat serving Senate District 19, is accused of using his consulting company, Turning Point Strategies, and his law firms bank accounts to pay Galindo his share of the bribes they received from a Lubbock businessman.

During a 45-minute court appearance, Galindo kept his answers short, replying Yes, your honor, No, your honor, and I plead guilty, to U.S. Magistrate Judge John Primomos questions.

David Botsford, Galindos lawyer, declined to comment after the hearing.

Federal prosecutors accused Galindo of conspiring with the businessman, Vernon Farthing III, and Uresti to ensure that Farthings company  Physicians Network Associates  was awarded a contract to provide medical services for inmates at the Reeves County Correctional Center.

Uresti, 53, and Farthing, 44, were indicted by a federal grand jury May 16 on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They have each entered not-guilty pleas.

Separately, Uresti faces 13 charges carrying more than 200 years in prison over his involvement in FourWinds Logistics, a bankrupt oil field services company for which he provided legal services and received commissions for attracting investors. Uresti also has pleaded not guilty to those charges, which include securities fraud and wire fraud.

FourWinds CEO Stan Bates and consultant Gary L. Cain also were charged in that case and have pleaded not guilty. Three FourWinds officials already have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. They each face up to five years in prison and as much as a $250,000 fine. FourWinds demise and a subsequent FBI investigation were reported by the San Antonio Express-News in August.

Galindo is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 17 before U.S. District Judge David Ezra. The bribery charge is a felony that carries up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of failure to file a tax return is a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Galindo was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. He is restricted from traveling outside the state and not allowed to have firearms.

I will physically remove the shotgun that is in his possession, Botsford told Primomo. Botsford most notably represented ex-Gov. Rick Perry in an abuse-of-power case. Perry was indicted by a grand jury over his alleged effort in 2013 to force out the Travis County district attorney, but the case was dismissed last year.

In exchange for Galindos plea, the government agreed that his sentence on each charge should run concurrently, rather than stacked, which caps the maximum time in prison Galindo can receive to five years. Prosecutors also wont object to less severe sentencing because he accepted responsibility for his crimes.

According to his plea document, Galindo helped Farthings company land a multimillion-dollar medical contract at the Reeves County Correctional Center in 2006. In exchange, the document adds, Farthing agreed to hire Uresti as a consultant for marketing at $10,000 a month, though the amount was later reduced.

Uresti, in turn, agreed to pay Galindo about half the money the senator received from Farthings company, the plea document says. Uresti was retained as a consultant from Sept. 15, 2006, until Sept. 30, 2016, the document adds.

In helping Farthings company obtain the contract, Galindo provided the company information that was not known to the general public, the plea document says. Physicians Network Associates then incorporated that information in its bid, which was disadvantageous to Reeves County, the document adds.

Last week, Uresti asked a federal judge to throw out charges that he was involved in the bribery scheme.

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.

In his motion to dismiss the indictment, Uresti argues that the alleged payments to Galindo were made after he stopped serving as county judge.

The payments from Uresti to Galindo started around Jan. 1, 2007, and continued through Sept. 30, 2016, according to the charging documents.

Uresti contends that the charge that he conspired to commit bribery fails to state an offense because it does not allege the payment of bribes for future official actions, and instead only alleges gratuities allegedly paid for past actions alleged to already have been taken.

Uresti cited a 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2013 that found gratuities are not criminalized under federal law. However, he noted other circuits have ruled otherwise. Uresti wants to preserve the issue in case the U.S. Supreme Court decides to review it.

We dont agree at all that these were bribes or gratuities because they were legal transactions, Mikal Watts, Urestis lawyer, said last week. The motion raised specifically the issue of whether the law even applies to alleged payments made after an official  has already acted.

Meanwhile, Uresti has asked for a continuance in both his cases, which are slated for trial next month, because Gov. Greg Abbott called a special legislative session that is scheduled to start July 18.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad has set a hearing for Friday on the request for the continuance in the FourWinds case. Bemporad also is scheduled to take up a few other requests in that case. Uresti wants the charge that he acted as an unregistered securities broker dismissed. He also wants an order denying prosecutors request to have Watts removed as his lawyer. Prosecutors allege that Watts has a conflict of interest.

pdanner@express-news.net

Twitter: @AlamoPD
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A local chef aims to shake up all of the stereotypes that go along with senior dining.

So toss out the notion of the traditional meatloaf and replace it with tangy, fall-off-the-bone pork tenderness that is the product of a marriage between a high-heat oven and an outdoor charcoal grill.

Jeannette Garcia has worked in the kitchen at Brookdale Senior Living Solutions in Castle Hills for 14 years, and the veteran chef refuses to play it safe when it comes to flavor.

When you think of the generation that we are serving, people think that were serving meat and potatoes, all day, every day, and that isnt the case, Garcia said. We wanted to go more gourmet.

A born-and-raised San Antonian, Garcia owned and operated Las Tortillas on Fredericksburg Road for eight years before going to work at Brookdale. She said she didnt like the paperwork involved in running a daily business and wanted to get back to focusing on the food.

A five-person kitchen staff serves up a daily breakfast, lunch and dinner to the 72 residents of the facility. The menu traditionally features poultry, beef and seafood options, with as many as five menu items available at any given meal.

More Information



Recipe: Ancho-rubbed Grilled Barbecue Ribs See More Collapse

But even with Garcias modern direction, liver and onions still has a place on the serving line.

Thats the one old-school recipe that they continue to love, Garcia said. But folks will say, What about this? or What about that? If they give us a suggestion, well do our best to honor that within 10 days.

Eggplant Parmesan and other vegetarian meals have been warmly received, but occasionally, the recipes fall a little flat. Garcia bases success on any new menu offering by walking the dining hall and gauging what ends up in bellies instead of the trash.

Ive been here so long, I have a personal connection to the residents, she said. They have given me that trust, and they will try new things.

Brookdale residents are weighed on a monthly basis. If Garcia can fatten them up a tad, she considers it a compliment.

Garcia, 52, has a special treat planned for Sundays Fathers Day menu: ancho-rubbed grilled barbecue ribs that proved a recipe worth saving when the Food Shack tested it last week.

The name of the recipe is a bit odd since there arent any actual ancho (dried poblano) peppers or powder in the recipe, so consider it more of an interpretation.

Traditionally an indoor chef, Garcia got the idea for the ribs after Brookdale installed a new outdoor cooking pit that added charcoal to the range of cooking possibilities. She started grilling chicken leg quarters and of course offered the traditional burgers and hot dogs, but the added caramelization the grill offered sealed the deal with the rib recipe.

The rub is heavy on paprika, light brown sugar, garlic powder and onion powder, and produces a crimson hue when applied to a big rack of spare ribs.

Most of the heavy-lifting is done in an oven set to 450 degrees for 90 minutes, and the aroma of foil-wrapped spare ribs can take over the home.

After the oven, the ribs are transferred to a charcoal fire. The barbecue sauce, which simmer while the ribs are in the oven, is used to baste the ribs and for dipping at the table, and its legit. Its ketchup based but has enough apple-cider vinegar to produce a pleasant bite.

The sauce chars quickly and requires an attentive grillmaster, but there are worse jobs than painting meat candy.

Readers, if you have a great recipe, or a barbecue or cooking tip, please email me the details, along with your name and daytime contact number, and you could be in my column.

cblount@express-news.net
Gov. Greg Abbott has been signing some  and so far has vetoed none  of the education bills of local importance that Bexar County lawmakers fought to get on his desk.

San Antonio College had reason to celebrate Monday when Abbott signed Senate Bill 2118, which enables community colleges to offer bachelors degrees that are in higher demand than local universities have the capacity to handle. A current junior college baccalaureate pilot program does not include the Alamo Colleges, but the community college district has for years asked the Legislature to expand it.

SAC leaders already are making plans to offer a bachelor of science degree in nursing, which could help alleviate a long-standing shortage of nurses in Bexar County, Alamo Colleges administrators said.

We are moving quickly, SAC President Robert Vela said last month. As soon as the governor signs it, we are going to start working on all the criteria, all the parameters and benchmarks and everything that weve got to do to begin the process.

SAC could accept its first BSN cohort by 2019, Vela said.

The state budget, also signed Monday, contains an increase for community college success points, such as high graduation and persistence rates, that would mean an additional $541,000 per year for the Alamo Colleges, district spokesman Leo Zuniga said.

Abbott signed Senate Bill 179, called Davids Law, on Friday. It will allow temporary injunctions against social media accounts used to harass or bully children and will criminalize electronic harassment of minors if prosecutors can prove the harassers intended for their targets to harm themselves.

The measure, which had bipartisan support, also will require schools to notify parents within a day if their children have been bullied and to notify the parents of children accused of bullying. It was named after David Molak, a high school student from Alamo Heights who killed himself last year after being bullied relentlessly on social media.

Abbott last month signed Senate Bill 160, which will keep the Texas Education Agency from using the number of students in special education as a performance indicator for school districts. Sen. Jose Rodriguez, an El Paso Democrat, introduced it in response to Denied, a Houston Chronicle series that illuminated the effects of the TEAs target of having no more than 8.5 percent of public school students enrolled in special education.

Abbott on Monday also signed a Menendez bill that will require school districts to notify parents of students who are receiving interventions for learning difficulties, based on concerns that schools have been using such interventions in lieu of special education services.

Child nutrition department heads in the North East and San Antonio ISDs testified in favor of allowing schools to redistribute surplus cafeteria food on campus, which would ease hunger for food-insecure students. Abbott on Friday signed legislation to that effect by state Sen. Borris Miles, a Houston Democrat.

The governor also signed a bill last month replacing the states tech-prep program with the national Pathways in Technology Early College High School program, creating grants that SAISD plans to apply for.

Among the bills Abbott has not signed is Senate Bill 1553, also authored by Menendez, that would tighten the allowable use of criminal trespass warnings by school districts, modeled on the San Antonio Independent School Districts existing policy. Districts often issue the written warnings to parents or guardians of students and Menendez cited a 2014 Express-News article that noted SAISD only issued seven such warnings in the 2013-2014 school year, far fewer than in Bexar Countys other large school districts.

SAISD requires officials to give a verbal warning before issuing a written notice banning them from a campus. If issued in response to an egregious act, the verbal and written warnings can be issued at the same time, Menendez said. His bill also would require schools to have a formal appeals process available for those who receive the warnings.

All I hear from teachers and principals is the best schools are ones with a high level of parental involvement, Menendez said, but a districts use of criminal trespass law runs counter to that if youre barring a parent or guardian from being at the school.

Nor has Abbott signed House Bill 22, an accountability overhaul which drew praise from local school districts. It was proposed by Rep. Dan Huberty, a Houston-area Republican who chairs the House Public Education Committee. Among other factors, North East ISD was pleased that it would enable districts to develop ratings using their own indicators, and that A-F grades for campuses would begin in 2019 instead of next year, district spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said. The superintendent of Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, Greg Gibson, said in a blog post that he liked HB22 because it would reduce the grading system to three categories.

Abbotts office has not responded to messages seeking the governors position on these and other as-yet-unsigned bills, including locally supported legislation that would add dual credit performance to the school accountability system; provide incentives for traditional and charter school district partnerships; and increase per-student funding for new campuses.

Staff writer Lauren Caruba contributed to this report.

amalik@express-news.net
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About 15 volunteers shuttled dogs onto a small plane early Tuesday, where the pilot, Dr. Peter Rork, worked up a sizable sweat packing their crates like a game of three dimensional tetris, occasionally calling for different sizes to make it all fit.

Oreo the border collie, Mary the momma and her six babies, Pete the little one, shoehorned in at the last minute  these and 45 other dogs took off in the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan at 5 a.m. for an eight-hour trip to Idaho, with a planned stop for fuel in Fort Collins, Colordado.

So began Rorks longest flight yet for Dog Is My CoPilot, a Wyoming-based non-profit group he leads that connects cities with too many available rescue dogs with places that have rescuers, but not enough dogs.

Like Idaho, for example. San Antonio Pets Alive pulled the canines from the city pound  all of them in line to be euthanized if they couldnt be adopted  and sent them to the Idaho Humane Society in Boise and the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley in the town of Hailey, where there are waiting lists to adopt dogs.

Theyve done it once before, partnering with Dog is My CoPilot, Port San Antonio, and Atlantic Aviation, the fixed-base operator at Port San Antonio where the plane was loaded. It was part of SAPAs Headin Home program, which also includes ground transports.

We have not euthanized for space for years, have a wonderful supportive community and surrounding areas but just dont have enough dogs for adoption, said Dee Dee Bowring of the Idaho Humane Society. We began a transfer program about six years ago and love to add new partners.

Headin Home takes animals out of San Antonio kennels and foster homes and sends them to partner shelters in Michigan, Washington, Vermont, Wyoming, Oregon and now, Idaho. Maureeen ONell, the SAPA executive director, said getting the collaboration was a matter of serendipity and hard work.

Its just this lovely, brilliant, dynamic, organic coming together of people who just really care about these dogs and know that this is a really fantastic outcome for them, ONell said. So we just keep locking arms with people who care like we care and are willing to step up and do something and get them into really happy homes.

Lindy Hardin, a volunteer with SAPA since it opened five years ago and the groups board president, lifted the crates and checked shipping labels before handing them off.

Its so important that we get them out quickly, Hardin said. If we send them off and open that kennel space we save a dog from the euthanization list. That kennel space is so valuable.

SAPA, which paid $5,000 to cover Dog is My Co-Pilots costs, uses approximately 100 kennel spaces in four facilities and hundreds of foster homes to take dogs off that list. ONell said the group tries to take those with curable medical conditions that adopters might pass over for healthier animals.

The executive director at the Idaho Humane Society in Boise, Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, is an orthopedic surgeon, so that shelter has become a magnet for animals that need surgery. Having an outlet for animals with those specific needs creates room for others that are potentially easier to adopt.

For every animal that is in a shelter, there is a human responsible. This is not a dog problem but a people problem, Rork said in a Dog is My Co-Pilot news release. We only transport to facilities that will never put down a healthy, adoptable animal.

jpolcyn@express-news.net
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The USS Texas was one of the most feared battleships in the U.S. Navy. Armed with anti-aircraft guns during World War I, its crew kept German fleets from severing Allies supply lines. It then became the U.S. Atlantic Fleets flagship during World War II, serving in Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Decades later, the 103-year-old Battleship Texas is still at war with two of its most challenging adversaries to date  water and rust.

On Sunday, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials closed Battleship Texas after crews noticed around noon the ship was off-kilter. A leak in the vessel allowed water to gush in, ripping a hole in the boat and causing it to tilt 8 degrees to one side.

By Monday morning, emergency crews  including dive teams  had patched a 6-inch-by-8-inch hole in the boat. But water continued to pour out of the ships starboard side. And there are likely countless leaks yet to be found, said Justin Rhodes, director for the southeast region of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Theres no word yet on when the memorial ship, decommissioned after World War II and stationed just north of La Porte, will reopen.

The ships weakening steel hull, it appears, is no match for salt water. Minor leaks on the boat are now the norm  more than 90 were patched in 2012, the last year water seeping inside the hull prompted a shutdown of the attraction. Additional leaks necessitated more patching less than a year ago.

This story is about the fight between water and steel, and water always wins that fight, said Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation. Hopefully, this is the wake-up call we need to stop spending money on patch jobs and water pumps and to focus on getting her out of the water.

Officials said the current crisis places them in a race against time as water seeps into the ship faster than crews can pump it out. In the short term, officials are trying to keep the boat from tilting further. With each degree, another portion of the vessel that is normally above water is submerged, putting additional stress on the hull and causing more leaks.

In the long term, officials worry this is the ships final cry for help, as erosion further exhausts any remaining time crews have to save the boat from being entrenched in the Houston Ship Channel.

The ship is speaking to us in her language, and shes been telling us for years that she needs rescuing because shes deteriorating, Bramlett said.

About 250,000 people visit the USS Texas every year. The ship, and the nearby San Jacinto Battleground historic site, encompass one of two significant historical sites in the southeast region of the states park and wildlife service, Rhodes said.

Most of Mondays visitors  tourists from Japan, retirees getting in a morning bike ride, a visiting family from Tyler  did not know the ship was closed.

One, 64-year-old John Mccracken, was aware. He wanted to show his 5-year-old grandson the vessel while it still floated in the waters.

Its the pride of Texas, Mccracken, a native Houstonian, said, as his grandson, Ryan Billett, ran along the dock by the ship.

Like many other visitors that day, Mccracken first saw the ship when he was in elementary school. He toured it with his Boy Scout troop. And he thinks the boat merits saving.

No matter what the cost is, this ship needs to be preserved, Mccracken said.

Except for two years in Galveston in the late 1990s, the USS Texas has been moored at the San Jacinto Battleground since 1948. It has been the site of countless family outings, elementary school field trips and history buff pilgrimages.

Pretty much every fourth-grader in Southeast Texas came through the site, said Rhodes, with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He grew up three hours away, near Tyler, and still made the trip in elementary school.

Visitor Rick Stewart, 71, used to picnic by the ship with his family in the 1950s.

The current fear isnt that the boat would sink  the bayou isnt deep enough to submerge the ship completely. Its that, if enough water pours in, the vessel would roll on its side.

Its a scene that conjures memories of a similarly dire situation in 2012 that forced park officials to close the museum for three months as crews worked to patch more than 90 leaks and spent more than $2 million to save the vessel.

You know, 2012 was a brutal year, Bramlett said. And it feels like its happening all over again.

This most recent leakage comes at a time when state and local officials are in the middle of devising a plan to save the vessel after years of financial setbacks and major leaks.

Bramlett leads the foundation set on making sure the USS Texas is preserved for future generations.

The ship caught the attention of Texas officials who have unsuccessfully pleaded with Congress to help with rehabilitation costs and then turned to fundraising, federal grants and state funding to support their efforts. The long-term plan is to take the ship out of the water.

But early efforts to repair the vessel and put it in dry berth, or an above-water setting, were put on hold after state park officials, who operate the vessel, deemed the undertaking too costly.

Bramlett said a new effort to get the ship out of the water is underway. In about eight to 10 weeks, two engineering firms will release assessments of what it will take to give the ship a dry berth.

Bramlett said hes hoping for a $37 million to $48 million estimate this time.

To help finance costs, the Battleship Texas Foundation will launch a campaign to raise funds.

The goal is to control when the ship is in and out of the water. But lifting it is no easy task. Aside for the ships eroding hull, its internal structural supports are also weak.

For the last four years, state officials and the foundation have spent $35 million on repairs, replacing steel throughout the ship from the bow to the stern.

In 2010, the battleship underwent emergency repairs and pumping to prevent it from sinking. That was followed by the 2012 repairs. In 2013, park crews discovered about four fist-sized leaks throughout the year. In 2014, parks and wildlife documents show the battleship underwent ultrasonic testing and corrosion analyses.

The engineering firm that conducted the analyses concluded the battleship contained corroding hot spots. The study also determined that the ships protective coating system needs to be replaced if it is to remain berthed at the Battleship Basin.

Today, the USS Texas remains the last U.S. battleship of its kind that has seen two world wars.

The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Texas on March 12, 1914.

At one time, it was the most powerful weapon in the world, becoming the first U.S. battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns and the first to control gunfire with computers for increased firing accuracy.

The battleships final mission came in 1945, after the surrender of Japan. It carried soldiers stationed across the Pacific home from war. Three years later, Texas was decommissioned and became a memorial ship.

For some, the ship inspired a sense of humility  a reminder of the sacrifice veterans made for the U.S.

It connected others to their roots. Kim Ashbury, 49, who manages the on-site gift shop keeps a black-and-white photo at her desk of her mother, standing in front of the boat months after it arrived at its current site. Her mother drove from Orange to see it.

At the end of the day, this isnt just Texas history. Its also national history, and all eyes are on us to see how we preserve it, Bramlett said. Our current situation is the future situation for many other ships around the country.
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The San Antonio City Council that will be sworn in and seated next week is poised to become the most progressive municipal body to ever govern a city that typically leans left.

The new councils composition is both heavily progressive and largely a clean slate for incoming Mayor-elect Ron Nirenberg, whos often been criticized for his inability to create voting blocs on the council to further his agenda.

Now, though, with the built-in power of the mayors bully pulpit and several council members who appear eager to work with him, Nirenberg may find a solid coalition of members regularly in his corner.

Still, the new mayor will have to work with his council colleagues, identifying their priorities and finding ways to promote their districts agendas while he works to implement his priorities and vision for San Antonio.

With six new council members, Nirenberg has an opportunity to craft a largely unified council, and political consultant Christian Archer, who didnt work for any of the candidates in this election, said he thinks the new mayor will be successful.

Council members will look to Nirenberg, Archer said, to set a good, strong agenda.

By and large, council members will want to support Nirenbergs agenda, which includes ethics reform, a housing policy that keeps people in their homes and a major transportation plan that could ultimately lead to a public vote on rail in San Antonio  especially if he establishes that he wants to help them get their agendas done for their districts, Archer said.

The biggest thorn in Nirenbergs saddle will likely be Clayton Perry, the new councilman in District 10 on the Northeast Side. A military veteran, Perry is a law-and-order conservative who says he plans to fight for his districts right-leaning values.

Perry expects to find some common ground with his colleagues, predominantly in the crime-fighting arena. Reducing crime is a battle cry for nearly every council campaign to unfold here in recent years.

I want to get the number of police officers where they ought to be and get the crime trend line going down instead of up, said Perry, who also wants to ensure that the city and its military bases work closely to protect the military missions in San Antonio.

But talk about rail, and Perry starts to recoil.

Ive talked with a lot of people in District 10, and theres a lot of concerns about rail and the cost that comes along with that, he said.

Across the city, District 6 Councilman-elect Greg Brockhouse could be a surprising figure. Hes served inside City Hall as a council aide, but more recently, he helped with marketing and political consulting for the San Antonio Police Officers Association and, to a lesser extent, the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association.

But he said Nirenberg can use his expertise, for example, with the fire union, to reach a new contract. People have expectations about who they think Brockhouse is because of his work, but he says its not so clear-cut.

I led an anti-streetcar movement that turned into a rail issue, but Im not anti-rail, he said. People, I think, have painted me into something Im 100 percent not. And I think Im going to stun some people with where I stand on issues when Ive got a chance to be me.

Brockhouse supports public votes on rail, which is now required by the City Charter, but he could be an advocate on the issue for Nirenberg.

What better asset do you have than the guy who fought the project being with you on a rail project? I bring in an opportunity to turn what I have, the credibility and things Ive done, into an asset as opposed to a hindrance, and I think we keep coming at that, Brockhouse said.

Others, such as Roberto Trevino and Rey Saldana, say they have similar worldviews as Nirenberg and that theyre excited about serving under him.

I know hes got an active agenda, and I look forward to working with him on it, Trevino said. I think that theres going to be, on top of that, a lot of new council members who want to do a lot of good things, so its going to be an exciting time.

Voters have largely sent a clear message of the kind of leadership they want at City Hall: an inclusive mayor strong on ethics who was recently endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, along with a majority of council members who are seen as either liberal or progressive.

Among them are environmentalist Ana Sandoval, the new District 7 councilwoman; District 9 Councilman-elect John Courage, a lifelong Democrat; lawyer Manny Pelaez, District 8s councilman-elect, who takes over for Nirenberg there; and Saldana, who is both the longest-serving and still youngest member of the council.

As mayor, Nirenberg will have built-in support and an easier time accomplishing his agenda, Saldana said. While ideas that Nirenberg had brought forward  like a charter amendment on moving elections to November, adding more teeth to the SA Tomorrow Plan and adding an ethics auditor had philosophical support from others, its tough to go against the will of a mayor, Saldana said. He did just that recently when he led an initiative for the city to sue the state over its sanctuary-cities bill  a push Nirenberg supported and Mayor Ivy Taylor, whom Nirenberg defeated in Saturdays runoff, opposed.

In the past, Nirenberg said, he saw confusion between consensus-building and rubber-stamping. His plan as mayor is to work with his colleagues to find consensus rather than demanding unanimity.

Though that work is already underway in an unofficial capacity, it will begin unfolding  quickly  next week.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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Inside the walls of the ultramodern Geekdom office space downtown, surrounded by hip techies and entrepreneurs, brothers Alberto and Jason Pina are focused on providing a basic type of housing that gets little respect  mobile homes.

Since launching Braustin Mobile Homes in January, the brothers are using virtual reality goggles, drones and e-commerce to provide customers a more progressive and consumer-friendly shopping experience than one typically encounters when buying a home.

The brothers goal is to put as many working people as possible into quality, affordable homes. They proudly proclaim they can do that at a price of $28 to $29 per square foot, while the average cost of new residential construction in San Antonio runs around $115 per square foot.

Not everybody in our town can live in the Stone Oak area, you know, said Alberto Pina, 31, the companys president and co-founder. I guess we just dont think you need to be a six-figure earner to become a homebuyer in this city.

Unlike some of their competitors, the Pinas post prices on their website for all of the mobile homes they sell.

Most of their sales are made online or over the phone.

With the millennial generation being the dominant buying demographic in this space, were used to buying on Amazon or buying on eBay, Alberto Pina said. We just figured Why not move that to the manufactured housing industry?

So far, Braustin Mobile Homes  a small operation with only four employees, including the Pina brothers  has sold 10 homes for a total of $546,273. The company expects to sell five more homes by the end of June.

The company sells homes statewide. It can also help customers secure financing to purchase a mobile home.

There arent too many lenders that loan on manufactured homes, Alberto Pina said. The ones that do, we have working relationships with.

The Pinas company operates under a virtual dealership concept. Customers can use virtual reality goggles to tour the floor plans for different mobile homes and get a visual of what their home will look like once its finished.

Customers also can take virtual tours using their cellphones, tablets or computers.

This approach allows Braustin Mobile Homes to keep its overhead and its prices low.

Were consistently selling the same home from the same factory for $5,000 to $10,000 less just because we dont have to pay for 50 (dealerships) across the state, Alberto Pina said.

Im not sure if well ever get to the point where we have a physical dealership. Because then that drives our overhead higher.

While the company doesnt target homebuyers of certain income levels, its customers typically have been low- to middle-income earners, the Pinas said. Many of them are buying a home for the first time.

The majority of our customers are just the salt of the earth  blue-collar, hardworking people, said Jason Pina, 29, the companys vice president of sales. With our upfront pricing, we really provide a different opportunity for them.

Some customers have already chosen the land where they want to build their home when they approach Braustin Mobile Homes. Others ask the company to help them find land that will make a suitable homestead.

The Pinas hired White Cloud Drones, another company housed in the Geekdom office, to capture aerial footage of raw land being transformed into a home site complete with a foundation, water and septic services, electrical services and a driveway. That aerial footage will be made into an educational video for customers.

Braustin Mobile Homes also partnered with an investor who purchased a rundown mobile home park south of San Antonio off Texas 16. That space is being renovated into a place where customers can physically walk through stock models of mobile homes sold by the company. It will open next month.

The consumer experience becomes more important with larger purchases, such as buying a home, said Tony Ciochetti, a professor of finance and real estate at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

People are making probably the biggest investment theyre going to make in their whole life  and they tend not to do that in a flippant mode, Ciochetti said of buying a home.

Posting prices online is a phenomenal marketing technique, Ciochetti said. The drone usage brings a different perspective to the buying and selling process, he added. That technology is creeping in everywhere, he said.

All of the homes sold by Braustin Mobile Homes are made at a factory in the Central Texas town of Belton.

The Pinas say theyve found their prices are most competitive in West Texas, where customers have told them other mobile home dealers are charging $20,000 more for the same home model.

Our overall goal is just to help as many people as we can achieve the goal of homeownership  Get out of the rent race and build their own equity, get their own place, Alberto Pina said.

pohare@express-news.net
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By now, the shocks shouldnt be so shocking.

The results of Saturdays runoff, though, managed to stun even in the Trump era, particularly in the mayoral race, where a politically isolated councilman handily ousted an incumbent backed by the business establishment, and in District 9, where a deeply conservative constituency elected a progressive who had the endorsement of a political organization launched by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Behind the shocks are some uncomfortable reasons for the upsets.

Mayor Ivy Taylor, in her race against Mayor-elect Ron Nirenberg, was banking on the support of North Side conservatives who helped elect her to the seat two years ago. Yet she made some unforced errors during her campaign that did not endear her to these voters.

The most damaging might have been a remark by Taylor in April at a mayoral forum where she was asked what she believed were the deepest systemic causes of generational poverty in San Antonio. She attributed it to broken people who are not in a relationship with the Creator.

The last time I checked, Texans  conservative Texans in particular  still love to urge the underclass to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, a reflection of the culture of individualism and personal responsibility that runs deep throughout the state. A lecture to pray ones way out of poverty probably didnt make much sense even to the citys most devout residents.

Two years ago, Taylor prevailed in a runoff against former Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, a hyper-partisan figure fresh off a run for lieutenant governor. In that race, many of Taylors supporters voted against Van de Putte as much as they voted for the mayor.

The Taylor campaign tried to rebottle that lightning this year, painting Nirenberg as a liberal. The District 8 councilman eluded the label, though, schooled by his tenure in the citys most ideologically diverse district.

He delivered strong debate performances as well, focusing on issues that polled as major concerns: crime, traffic, ethics and jobs. He gambled on the hope that voters felt underwhelmed by Taylors leadership; it turned out, enough did.

Even more shocking than Nirenbergs commanding win was the triumph of liberal Democrat John Courage over pro-business candidate Marco Barros in District 9.

With the establishment firmly behind him, Barros wasnt worried about Courage.

My team thinks were going to win with 70 to 72 percent, he told San Antonio Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia last month. I think hes going to have a very difficult time, because its a very conservative district.

Barros was correct about the nature of the district. And who could blame him for the rosy impression of his opponents odds?

Despite the winning last name, Courage carried the aura of an also-ran. He had racked up two losses in past council races, not to mention two unsuccessful challenges to U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith and a loss to state Sen. Donna Campbell.

And the longtime Democratic activist was so progressive, hed earned a ringing endorsement from Our Revolution, a Washington-based political organization formed by Sanders from the ashes of his presidential bid.

The mission of Our Revolution is to support a new generation of progressive leaders.

Were the voters of District 9 aware of Courages pedigree? Or were they simply more aware of his last name  and, for that matter, Barros?

It wouldnt be the first time surnames trumped substance in District 9.

In 2013, then-Mayor Julian Castro coasted to re-election after none of his six challengers mounted a legitimate campaign. In Districts 9 and 10, though, about a quarter of voters cast ballots for Rhett Smith, the only easily identifiable Anglo male on the ballot.

A perennial candidate who has run as a Libertarian, Republican, Democrat and Green Party member, Smith acknowledged at the time that his last name likely vaulted him to second place.

I was the only Anglo on the ballot, he said. I dont consider it a real good test since Castro and I never had a face-to-face forum. So maybe people were just voting along ethnic lines.

This year, maybe people did the same.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
At least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured when six terrorists with assault rifles and suicide vests attacked the Iranian Parliament and the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic.

The June 7 attack was the worst terrorist strike against the Islamic Republic in years and the first inside Iran by the Islamic State group, or ISIS, which claimed responsibility.

But what is the tomb of Irans revolutionary founder and what does it mean to Iranians?

Heres what you need to know:

What is the Mausoleum of the Ayatollah Khomeini?

The mausoleum is the burial place of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, an Iranian religious and political leader who transformed Iran into the worlds first Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution, in which he and his supporters overthrew the pro-Western regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

After the shah fled, a national referendum was held and Khomeini won a landslide victory.

His victory elevated him to the status of national hero, and he was appointed Irans political and religious leader. Islamic law was introduced across the country. The ayatollah died June 3, 1989.

What does the shrine mean to Iranians today?

The mausoleum is one of the most important symbols of Iranian pride. Its famously referred to within Iran as the holy shrine, as many Iranians hold it in equal reverence to other sacred shrines of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

The mausoleum is in the southern part of Tehran next to the Behesht-e-Zahra martyrs cemetery, where many fallen soldiers of the Iran-Iraq War are buried, along with famous artists and activists from the revolution. But the cemetery has become more than just a final resting place. Over an average weekend, thousands of people come to picnic near the graves of family members.

The shrine is symbolically used by politicians and is sometimes visited by foreign dignitaries. Earlier this month, thousands of Iranians had gathered to mark Khomeinis death anniversary, as they do each year.

How was the shrine built?

Soon after his death, some members of Khomeinis office bought the land and began to build a marble tomb. Public donations and religious endowments financed the shrine.

It initially constituted only a grave and burial chamber. In the 1990s, the government authorized the construction of a $2 billion cultural and tourist center on the site. Its 20,000-car parking lot and proximity to the city have turned the burial site into a major tourist attraction.

The building has a 26-foot dome and four minarets. It forms a key part of Tehrans skyline.

Why would ISIS target it?

ISIS has long declared its hatred for the Shiite Muslim community, which it regards as heretics. The Islamic Republic was one of the first countries to engage with ISIS, in defense of Iraqs southern, largely Shiite-populated cities.

The groups aim is to establish a Sunni theocracy  and eventually an empire or caliphate  to rival Irans Shiite theocracy. The hostility runs deep. While this is the first successful attack within Iran, the groups extreme form of Sunni Islam has inspired suicide bombings of Shiite mosques in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.

Iranian authorities announced last year that they had dismantled 20 terrorist cells and foiled a plot involving 50 targets throughout the country.

The conflict between Sunnis and Shiites has a long history that began with a disagreement over who should have succeeded Muhammad after his death in 632. Sunnis supported Abu Bakr, the prophets friend; Shiite Muslims felt the rightful successor was the prophets son-in-law and cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  Summer is a great time to gather family and friends and fire up the grill. The intense, direct heat of grilling gives food a wonderful crusty texture and flavor that we love.

We can thank the Maillard reaction for the great grilling flavor. This happens when heat, proteins, and sugars in food react in a process to create hundreds of different flavor compounds. These compounds then interact to form even more nuanced flavors and aromas, giving each food distinctive flavors, said Duitsman.

The Maillard reaction can occur on any piece of food, not just meats, depending on its protein and carbohydrate content. This is why grilled vegetables are so sweet and delicious.

If your family doesnt like vegetables, try them grilled, said Duitsman. Carrots and other root vegetables, for instance, have lots of complex carbohydrates, so will undergo extensive caramelization when grilled.

The Maillard reaction can develop when food is cooked at lower temperatures over a longer period but kicks in above 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

It may take meat hours to brown at 250 degrees in the oven as deeply as 15 minutes on a grill, and the mixture of flavor compounds will differ. As temperatures increase, caramelization becomes more pronounced, intensifying flavor, said Duitsman.

AVOID CHARRING

Unfortunately, at high temperatures, proteins in meat, chicken and fish can naturally form carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

This is especially likely if the meat is charred  which reduces the overall quality and taste of the food, said Duitsman. Luckily, charring can be easily avoided.

Tips to avoid charring include thawing meat before grilling so that it cooks evenly, trimming the fat from the meat before cooking, and removing the skin.

Marinating meat for at least 30 minutes before grilling has been shown to reduce the formation of HCAs. Cook foods near the outside of the flame, rather than directly over it, and keep a spray bottle of water handy for flare-ups.

It is also a good idea to flip your meat frequently and use a thermometer to monitor internal temperatures of food, to avoid overcooking and charring.

If meat is charred, scrape off those areas before eating. Try pre-cooking meat partially and finish with grilling so there will be less grill time, reducing the amount of possible carcinogens.



BLACK PEPPER AND HCAs

Good news from recent research indicates that the use of black pepper can greatly reduce the formation of HCAs.

In order to get the best affect without having too strong of a pepper taste, the lead researcher, J. Scott Smith, professor of animal sciences and industry with Kansas State University, suggests blending black pepper with other spices, like oregano and garlic.

His research focuses on adding antioxidant-rich spices to block formation of HCAs.

Blending pepper with antioxidant-rich spices works so well in ground beef patties and on steaks that the spice formulation eliminates nearly 100 percent of HCAs, Smith said. In these cases, the spices are added at a level that is quite practical, so the result is flavorful and healthy.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

For persons that love to grill and plan to do it often this season, be sure you are well equipped.

* Use long tongs to turn solid food. Forks will pierce food and cause the juices to be lost.

* Use spatulas for turning foods such as burgers and fish so that food holds together. A large spatula with a stiff thin blade works well.

* Keep a squirt bottle with water handy to put out flare-ups and reduce char on food.

* Use vegetable cooking spray on grill racks for easy clean-up.

* Heat the grill for 10-15 minutes before adding food.

* Keep about three-fourths of an inch between foods to ensure even cooking.

* To avoid overcooking, remove each food item when its done and keep it warm while remaining food continues to cook. Always have an extra clean plate or platter handy. Dont put cooked meat on the same plate that held raw meat.

* Dry spice rubs can be used to boost flavor, but sticky sauces should be added just before serving since they will char easily.

Source: Dr. Pam Duitsman, (417)881-8909
Over 70 breeds of cattle can be found in the United States today. However, only about 12 to 15 breeds have a major influence on the cattle industry.

Last week, we reviewed the most common breeds of dairy cattle. This week well look at the most common breeds of beef cattle in the United States, considering the same factors  appearance, hardiness, fertility, history and production uses.

Although a large portion of the beef industry relies on crossbreeding to enhance the genetics of purebreds, management and consistency in product quality vary. Therefore, we will focus on purebreds.

Angus

Appearance

Color : Black or red.

: Black or red. Markings : None.

: None. Size : Medium. Cows weigh around 1,200 pounds; bulls weigh over 1,800 pounds.

: Medium. Cows weigh around 1,200 pounds; bulls weigh over 1,800 pounds. Horns: Naturally polled.

Other characteristics

Region: Nationwide.

Nationwide. Living conditions: Hardy cattle that can survive harsh winters, during snowfall and storms. Red Angus are said to adapt to warmer climates better than the more dominant Black Angus.

Hardy cattle that can survive harsh winters, during snowfall and storms. Red Angus are said to adapt to warmer climates better than the more dominant Black Angus. Calves: Bulls are sought after for breeding and cows calve easily because of their dominant polled gene. Additionally, Angus calves mature faster than other breeds. Purebred calves are usually too small to go to market when they are born, so crossbreeding with dairy cattle is common for veal production.

Bulls are sought after for breeding and cows calve easily because of their dominant polled gene. Additionally, Angus calves mature faster than other breeds. Purebred calves are usually too small to go to market when they are born, so crossbreeding with dairy cattle is common for veal production. Health and temperament: Angus cattle are relatively docile and hardy. Even with minimal days on feed they manage to produce Prime and Choice grade meats.

History

The first Angus cattle were brought to the United States in 1873 when George Grant imported them from Scotland to Kansas. Although the cattle were rejected at first, their value was eventually realized and 1,200 cattle were imported into the Midwest from 1878 to 1883.

Uses

Angus cattle are a staple of the American beef industry. It is the most common breed of beef cattle in the U.S., known for superior muscling and marbling qualities. To be labeled Certified Angus Beef by USDA Graders, cattle must meet 10 criteria:

Modest or higher marbling

Medium or fine marbling texture

A maturity

10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area

Less than 1,050-pound hot carcass weight

Less than 1-inch fat thickness

Superior muscling

No hump on the neck exceeding 2 inches

Practically free of capillary ruptures

No dark cutting characteristics

NOTE: Red and black varieties are considered separate breeds in the United States, but have similar characteristics, which is why they were combined.

Charolais

Appearance

Color : White to creamy white.

Markings : None.

Size : Large. Cows weight 1,250 to 2,000 pounds and bulls weigh 2,000 to over 2,500 pounds.

Horns: Naturally horned.

Other characteristics

Region : Widespread in the United States. Introduced to southern states from Mexico, first, and later to New England states from Canada.

Living Conditions : Able to perform well under a variety of environmental conditions.

Calves : Charolais cattle produce heavy calves. Bulls have developed a reputation for grading up and herd improvement. Cows have a relatively easy time calving.

Health and temperament: Charolais are rugged, large muscled cattle. They are able to graze aggressively in warm weather and withstand cold weather. Although they are not the most docile breed, Charolais are gentle natured.

History

In 1934, Charolais cattle were brought to the United States from Mexico. Imports stopped in the mid-1940s due to an outbreak of Hoof and Mouth Disease. The quarantine between the United States, Canada and Mexico lasted until 1965 when Canada opened its doors again. New bloodlines were then introduced to the New England states.

Uses

Charolais cattle are raised for beef. They are known for their superior growth ability and heavily muscled loins and haunches. They produce increased carcass weights, better yield grades and more marbling.

Gelbvieh

Appearance

Color : Red.

Markings : None.

Size : Large. On average, cows weigh around 1,650 pounds and bulls weigh around 2,200 pounds.

Horns: Originally horned, but now a majority are polled.

Other characteristics

Region : Widespread throughout the United States. Ranks fifth in number of animals among beef breed associations in the United States.

Living conditions : Able to adapt to many different climate conditions. In addition to the U.S., they have been introduced in Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

Calves : The breed has superior fertility, calving ease, mothering ability, and growth rate of the calves.

Health and temperament: Gelbvieh are known for their quiet temperament, quick maturity, longevity, muscling and high rate of grain and feed efficiency.

History

In July of 1971, Gelbvieh were introduced to the United States by Carnation Genetics by importing semen from Germany.

Uses

While the breed was originally selected for meat, milk and work, today, it is used primarily for beef production. Gelbvieh produce high cutout yields. They are known as a lean breed and a source of high quality, tender young beef.

Hereford

Appearance

Color : Red and white.

Markings : Hereford cattle are easily recognized by their hides, marked with a white face, crest, dewlap and underline.

Size : Medium. Cows weight around 1,200 pounds and bulls weigh up to 1,800 pounds.

Horns: Herefords, typically, have short, which horns, but a polled strain has emerged in North America and the United Kingdom.

Other characteristics

Region : Worldwide.

Living conditions : The hallmark of the breed is its ability to produce a high yield of beef from eating native grasses. The hardy breed flourishes in a wide range of climates on almost every continent, today.

Calves : Herefords are known for their longevity. Many females produce calves beyond the age of 15 years.

Health and temperament: While Hereford cattle are considered a hardy breed because of their adaptability to various environments and ability to graze easily, they are known for a few health issues. Some common health risks include eye cancer, vaginal prolapse, dwarfism and higher risk for sun damage due to the light pigmentation of their udders.

History

Hereford cattle originally came to the United States in 1817, when Henry Clay brought a bull and two females to Kentucky. However, the first breeding herd was established in 1840 by William H. Sotham and Erastus Corning in Albany, New York.

Uses

Herefords were developed to produce a high yield of beef, while maximizing efficiency of production. These characteristics have made Herefords one of the most popular breeds of cattle worldwide with more than 5 million spread across over 50 countries.

Limousin

Appearance

Color : Light wheat to darker golden red. There are also black varieties.

Markings : None.

Size : Large. Males range in size from 2,200 to 2,500 pounds. Females weigh between 1,500 and 1,600 pounds.

Horns: The Limousine is known for lighter horns, which curve forward. However, many are dehorned as calves. Additionally, polled varieties have been developed.

Other characteristics

Region : Widespread throughout the United States, and present in about 70 countries worldwide.

Living conditions : Limousins adapt easily to different climates and environments.

Calves : A major reason Limousins have become popular is because of their ease of calving.

Health and temperament: Once known for poor temperament, Limousine cattle have improved disposition over the years. They are also known for being heavily muscled and lean.

History

The Limousine breed got a late start in the United States when compared to others. The first bulls imported permanently into the United States arrived in the fall of 1971.

Uses

Limousins are selected for their higher dressing percentages and yield, high feed conversion efficiency and their ability to produce lean, tender beef.

Shorthorn

Appearance

Color : Red, white, roan.

Markings : Red and white (at least 30 percent red or white and 70 percent the opposite), red with white marks (a red body with some white marks on the underline, sides and one or more legs or face), roan (an intermingling of red and white hair over the entire body), also found in solid reds and whites.

Size : Medium. Bulls weigh about 2,200 pounds and cows weigh 1,700 pounds.

Horns: Yes, but can also be polled.

Other characteristics

Region : Found throughout the United States.

Living conditions : Hardy and adaptable to various environments.

Calves : Shorthorns are known for increased calving ease and fertility.

Health and temperament: Shorthorns are known for their longevity, feeding efficiency and durability. They are also known for their docile temperament. One major drawback, caused by a recessive gene is tibial hemimelia (TH), which causes severe deformities in newborn calves.

History

Although Shorthorns were introduced in the United States in 1783, they werent separated into Milking Shorthorn and Beef Shorthorn breeds until the latter half of the 2th century.

Uses

Shorthorns produce high-quality beef with good marbling.

Simmental

Appearance

Color : Traditionally, red and white. However, are commonly solid black and red colors in the United States today.

Markings : Traditionally, a majority red with white markings on their f ace, crest, dewlap, underline, tails and sometimes spotted backs. Presently, solid colored.

Size : Large. Cows range in size from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds and bulls weight around 2,900 pounds.

Horns: They can be horned or polled.

Other characteristics

Region : The American Simmental Association registers about 80,000 cattle annually throughout the United States.

Living conditions : Easily adaptable to different climates and production structures.

Calves : Simmentals are known for calving ease and good mothering traits. They have short intervals between calving, high fertility rates and the ability to reproduce long-term.

Health and temperament: Simmentals are heavily muscled, fine-lined, well conformed and docile. They are also known for high fertility, longevity, early maturity, good growth rates and efficient feeding. They are also easy to handle and make good grazers.

History

Simmental semen was introduced to the United States in 1967, followed by the first Simmental bull in 1971.

Uses

Simmentals all over the world produce high beef yields. The heavy muscling, length and overall size and weight of the animal are combined to produce high-quality carcasses of solid red meat with a minimum of waste fat.

Related Content

Resources
Boring through the salt crust on Lake Mackay on the WA-Northern Territory border to assess potassium rich brine for Sulphate of Potash fertiliser production by Agrimin Ltd. The addition of high sulphate content beneath the crust on Lake Wells, north-east of Laverton, makes the brine there suitable for additional production through conversion of Muriate of Potash, according to Australian Potash Ltd
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Aleksei Navalny being arrested in March 2017More than 1,500 supporters of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny were detained during June 12 anti-corruption demonstrations across Russia, including 866 in Moscow and 548 in St. Petersburg.

Frances AFP news agency reported that many people still awaited processing while others were shuttled to court for hearings on June 13.

Weve left the station. They are taking us to Tverskoy district court, opposition politician Ilya Yashin said in a tweet from Moscow.

Russias Investigative Committee said one protester sprayed tear gas into the eyes of a riot-police officer and would be charged.

Navalny was detained before the demonstration in Moscow started. He was sentenced to 30 days in prison for staging unsanctioned rallies.

The White House Monday called on Russia to release all of the demonstrators, saying their detention was an affront to core democratic values.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said the detention of peaceful demonstrators threatens the fundamental freedoms of expression. Amnesty International said the crackdown demonstrates the authorities utter contempt for fundamental human rights.

Russias presidential Council for Human Rights said Monday police in Moscow acted calmly and in a correct way despite attempts of teenage protesters to provoke them to violence.

But witnesses and media reports said police violently dispersed protesters and beat others in police vehicles.

Navalny called for the June 12 rallies to protest alleged corruption and cronyism presided over by President Vladimir Putin.

He also led protests in March when more than 1,000 demonstrators were detained in Moscow.

Navalny was detained during the March demonstrations and served 15 days in jail.

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
CHAPTER ONE

Vicky Pattison By Brian Aris

Becky

My Uber driver is the chattiest man in London, possibly the UK. Ive been in this car for only seven minutes and already I know that his name is Dave, that he lives in Shoreditch (but moved there before it got all up its own arse and full of bloody vegan restaurants), he likes watching The Chase, loves a good jigsaw puzzle when hes in the mood, and plans on having a Morrisons own brand Tikka Masala for his tea. I try my best to be nice and polite and interested in Dave  nice and polite and interested are the three words people would most use to describe me  but today has been extra-long and a bit crap. Its not that I dont care about Daves onion bhaji or naan bread side dish-based dilemma. Its just right now I havent quite got the energy for small talk. So shushy please, Dave, shhhhuuusssshhhhyyyy.

Instead I make vaguely interested noises and stare out of the cab window as the hustle and bustle of central London whizzes by in a blur of headlights, engine smoke and speeding motorbikes weaving in and out of the traffic. As Dave segues into a passionate speech about his favourite flavours of crisps, I find myself unable to stop the yawn that escapes my mouth with a sleepy squeak.

You alright, love? Dave asks into the rear-view mirror, his bushy grey eyebrows raising in question.

I smile kindly, feeling bad for yawning in the middle of his big Quavers versus Wotsits monologue.

Yeah, sorry about that. I shrug my shoulders apologetically, remembering how tight and stiff theyve been feeling recently. One of those days, you know?

He nods. You do look knackered, to be fair. All washed out and fed up. Not being funny or anything.

Mad Bitchy Dave, Maaaaadddd Bitchy . . .

I pull a face. If hed said that to my sister Lizzie, shed have leant over the back seat and probably punched him directly in the throat while giving him an acerbic piece of her mind. Sadly, I dont have Lizzies gigantic metaphoric lady balls but Im not a complete pushover. Thats right, I can stand up for myself when I need to. And I totally intend to give Dave a three-star rating on the Uber app instead of the five-star rating Id usually award. AHA! Howd you like me now? Yeah, Dave, thats right  I roll like that. Im so thug life.

I pull out my phone and open my camera app, jumping in fright as it illuminates my face. Dave might be a cheeky bastard, but he is right. Im looking pretty rough tonight  in fact, I look like a bag of piss. I sigh to myself as we drive down Marylebone Road. This day just gets better and better. I love my job, I really do, but its hard work and sometimes it gets to me. Im a commissioning editor at a big publishing house called Richmond Books and one of my authors is behaving like a complete and utter fruitcup just one week before the release of her debut novel. Its all got out of hand and dealing with her has been incredibly stressful  trying to calm her down is like trying to push water uphill with a fork  and now I look terrible on date night, of all nights. Date night, by its very nature, is the night Im supposed to look gorgeous, irresistible, like a glowing goddess of seduction and sophistication and instead I look like a foot. Daniel and I may have been together since we met at university in Leeds, he may have seen me with Jolen tash-bleach blobbed on my upper lip and I may have found him lying in bed covered in half-eaten kebab and dressed as a giant baby after one particularly prolific rugby team night out, but Friday night is the night that we forget all that and, regardless of our busy schedules, social lives, family dramas or even the fact that we live together, we go out. Like the two loved-up adults we are. We go out and chat lovely chat, kiss amazing kisses, catch up with each others news, laugh and eat and drink and go home and make love like its the first time. Okay, perhaps not the first time  we were both virgins the first time and it was super awkward, really fast and a little bit shit. So I suppose what I mean is we go home and make love like its the fifth time (we found our stride by the fifth time  it was plain sailing in the sex department from that moment on. Id give us a four star rating on the uber app.)

I rummage around my handbag for my favourite Charlotte Tilbury bronzer and highlighter, to try to make myself look less like Ive been dragged through a hedge backwards. It takes me ages to find them because my bag is overflowing with stuff and jam-packed with general rubbish. My best friend Lauren calls me Mary Poppins because my bag is so big and holds stuff for every eventuality. Plasters, needle and thread, spare toothbrush, make-up, ballet flats, iPad, passport, charger, tissues, painkillers and a tangle teezer. I just like to be prepared, is all. Whats so wrong with that? When you grow up with a mum who takes off to God-knows-where when youre fifteen, a little sister whos a real handful and a dad who, while totally lovable, is clueless to most practical aspects of bringing up two daughters, you learn to prepare for . . . well, for everything.

Once Ive found it, I pat the highlight across the top of my cheekbones and on my cupids bow before fishing out my favourite nude NARS lipstick and applying a slick across my lips. I take out my comb and run it quickly through my dark brown bob so that it settles back into the chic, sleek and sharp style that cost me almost a weeks salary.

There. I smile at myself in the camera screen. Thats better. I look human, at least. A slightly weary human, maybe  a human with the flu, perhaps? Or six small children? But human nevertheless.

When we pull up outside Nandos in Bayswater, there he is. Waiting outside the glass double doors looking like something out of a Hugo Boss advert. Daniel Balfour. Boyfriend of nine years, fully paid member of the stud muffin society, love of my life and all-round sort. I watch, smiling, as he leans down to pet a pug whos just run over to sniff his shoes. The owner of the pug  an elderly woman  beams at Daniel in delight as he coos over the dog. Daniel has that effect on people and small dogs apparently. They love him. Hes genuinely good and nice and all of the things you want the love of your life to be (FIT! He is insanely FIT!). I watch him say goodbye to the elderly lady with a charming wave and my rubbish week, my crazy author, my sleep-deprived and haggard appearance starts to fade. Daniel Balfour  the ultimate cure for a shitty day.

I laugh as Daniel spots me exiting the Uber. He looks even smarter than usual in a sharp navy Armani suit, his blond hair foppish and shiny, a strand falling delightfully over one gorgeous blue eye. God, what have I done to deserve this man? I thought.

Hello, angel. He grins, leaning in for a kiss.

Hello, you. I accept the kiss gratefully, reminded of the way me and Lauren accepted our first gin and tonics in the airport after that juice retreat we did in Marrakech. Ahhhhh, good times.

Mmmmmm. Daniels kisses are insane. Not that I have many men to compare with (only two  well, two and a half as I sort of kissed Jonny Miller in year seven but the dinner lady caught us behind the PE equipment shed so our moment of passion was cut short. I still count it though) but Im pretty sure that if there was a national kissing Olympics hed take the gold, silver and bronze for team GB.

I giggle as I take him in in his suit. And then I peer down at me in my TopShop shift dress and River Island shoes. We dont exactly look like the kind of people whod frequent Nandos on a Friday night. But its where Daniel took me for our first date in Leeds and I must admit, I do have an enormous soft spot for their hummus and peri-peri drizzle.

Daniel opens the door for me, ever the gentleman, and Im struck by how quiet it is in here tonight. In fact, its silent. There are no other customers! I glance at Daniel with a frown, desperately hoping that they havent been closed for bad hygiene standards. As I said, I love their hummus and peri-peri drizzle but if it turns out theyve got rats or something Ill be changing date-night venue to Pizza Express quicker than you can say garlic dough balls. But Daniel just grins, unfazed by the fact that its 7.30 on a Friday night and were the only two people in Nandos. This man is cool as a cucumber in a bowler hat, and ah well, if hes not worried by our restaurants apparent lack of popularity, Im not either. I suppose he can protect me from the killer rats.

Daniel takes my hand and leads me to a booth decked out with roses of pink, white and yellow and tiny candles nestled in little jam jars. The leather seats are scattered with pink rose petals. There is no menu, no placemats, no cutlery, no garlic peri-peri sauce on the table. Huh? And then I notice that the music playing isnt the usual Nandos Samba, but the strains of a Pussycat Dolls song. The song that was playing the first time Daniel and I kissed on the sweaty, dark dance floor of Starlitez nightclub in Leeds town centre on their buy three Jagerbombs for a fiva night.

Daniel? I turn to him, a happy but slightly confused smile spreading across on my face. I look around and theres no one else around. Not even a waitress.

Daniel gestures to the decorated booth, looking slightly nervous. Is this . . . is this okay?

Its beautiful, I reply softly.

And then it occurs to me.

Is he . . . is he about to do what I think hes about to do?

Slowly, Daniel lowers himself onto one knee.

Macho Peas! This is happening.

I feel the tears slide down my face before hes even got the words out. I start to laugh. He laughs at my laughing.

Bex, he says, his voice catching. Nine years ago today I saw you in the student union, sitting cross-legged, wearing those big nerdy glasses and a fruit of the loom jumper, your hair all piled on top of your head like a birds nest, nursing a pint of snakebite and black and reading a copy of Pride and Prejudice. I knew then that you were special, that you were different. And I was right. Youre everything to me. The only person in my life who expects nothing from me and in turn gives me so much happiness. You light up my life and I want to light up yours for as long as we, you know, he laughs, a little embarrassed, both shall live.

Through the blur of my tears I see him pull a red velvet box from his inside jacket pocket. He opens it to reveal a beautiful platinum ring with an elegant princess-cut diamond nestling on the top. Holy hummus and pittas, this is DEFINITELY happening.

Daniel, is all I can manage to choke out.

Bex. Will you marry me?

*

Im engaged! I cant believe that Im engaged. I always knew Daniel and I would take the step eventually. Were soulmates, so of course we were always going to get married one day. But I didnt expect him to ask this year! Hes been so busy working at his dads company, trying his hardest to impress his frankly unimpressible father, that I didnt expect hed have the time to think about marriage. But he has and he did and now were engaged. I have a fiance! I am a fiancee! Oooohhh, I feel so grown-up and fancy!

A waitress arrives with our food and another sashays over with the off-menu bottle of champagne that Daniel has clearly had them bring in from a nearby wine shop. Two plates piled high with chicken, chips, halloumi, sweet potato mash and of course hummus and peri-peri drizzle are served. I look around and I cant help thinking how unusual this all is. The candlelit booth, the soundtrack  a playlist of all the songs we listened to at university. It feels surreal, like the most romantic restaurant in the world, not Nandos Bayswater. I cant believe the thought and effort hes put into this. I well up again thinking of all the adorable little personal touches and the lengths Daniel has gone to in order to make this special and perfect.

I was thinking a late summer wedding, Daniel says, tucking into his chicken wrap. I know its only four months away, but why wait?

A flicker of excitement ignites in my stomach. Daniel and I usually plan and research and plan again and outline every big decision on our lives. Planning a wedding for four months time? It feels so spontaneous and romantic, like he cant wait and wants to become my husband as quickly as possible. My husband. I like the sound of that.

Sounds perfect, I say. I think about a late summer wedding. Golden skies, bridesmaids in palest pink, Pimms and Prosecco and big bowls of strawberries dipped in white chocolate, candles flickering in jam jars as the sun sets.

I sigh happily and shove a big forkful of mash into my mouth, as Daniel excitedly mentions beautiful St Johns Church near our flat in Notting Hill that might work as the venue.

Work might have been tricky this week, but its amazing how much can change in the space of a few hours  my nutty author, rude Uber driver and stressful week have just faded completely away. Im so incredibly lucky.

Im so excited, Daniel says, lifting his champagne glass up in a toast.

Me too, I say, clinking my glass against his. This is the happiest day of my life!
The Duchess of Cambridge has hailed the medical team at King's College Hospital as "remarkable".

Duchess Catherine

The 35-year-old royal visited the hospital on Monday (12.06.17) to meet with the staff and patients who were involved and affected by the horrific terror attack that took place in London's Borough Market and London Bridge earlier this month.

The centre saw a total of 14 members of the public admitted to King's College Hospital following the horrific incident, and Duchess Catherine believes the team's fast response to the fatalities and injuries that came flooding through their doors was "amazing".

Speaking to the staff during her visit, which has been reported on Hello! Online, the brunette beauty - who has three-year-old son Prince George and two-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte with her husband Prince William - said: "I suppose at the time you didn't know how big or what the extent of the incident was.

"You just got your heads down and got on with it. The response was amazing.

"What you do is remarkable."

Although Catherine - who was formerly known as Kate Middleton prior to marrying the Duke of Cambridge - "presumes" the staff are "trained to cope" with such a tragedy, she also believes when a terrifying incident takes place everyone remains focused and sets to work on caring for those injured.

She added: "It must have been a busy night for you. The teamwork seems fantastic. Have you ever experience anything like this before? The quick response everyone had was really impressive. Well done.

"I presume you are trained to cope with this but hope this kind of incident never happens.

"I suppose you have a job to do and you just get your head down and get on with it."
Laila Morse has slammed 'EastEnders' for no longer being "fun".

Laila Morse

The 71-year-old actor was made famous by her portrayal of Big Mo in the BBC soap which she starred in for almost two decades between 2000 and 2016, but she has now hit out at the programme for not having the "kick" that it used to, and failing to make audiences laugh.

She said: "I still watch 'EastEnders', but it feels like all fun has gone. It used to make people laugh. It's not like that any more, it's just not got the kick in it that it used to have."

Laila's character was written out of the show last year when she left the East End to move to Kent, but the star isn't happy she "never officially left the show", as her 16 years of service to the programme went without so much as a "leaving party".

She added: "People come up to me in the street everyday and ask why I'm not in 'EastEnders' any more as Big Mo used to make people laugh. All of a sudden my character disappeared and I wasn't in it any more, but I've never officially left the show - I've never had a leaving party or a present."

But because she never officially left, Laila hopes there's room for Big Mo to make a return to Albert Square in the future.

She told The Sun newspaper: "I hope Big Mo comes back. I like all the cast, they're lovely people, so it would be good to film with them again."

Meanwhile, soap bosses recently introduced the Taylor family to the show, who caused a raucous when they arrived in Albert Square, and Lorraine Stanley - who plays matriarch of the family Karen Taylor - has hailed her character as a loving "lioness" who is "not to be messed with".

She said: She's a lioness, she smokes fags - 20 a day - and she has a heart of gold. She doesn't have a job, as she's got two younger sons with learning difficulties, and that takes up a lot of her time. She does everything for her kids - she's a strong woman who's not to be messed with. She doesn't take nothing off no one!"
Phil Davis had to choose between starring in 'Poldark' or the new drama 'Riviera' - but "plumped" for the latter because it had a bigger role on offer.

Phil Davis

The 63-year-old actor turned down the chance to reprise his role as lovable scamp Jud Paynte in the BBC show for the third series in favour of playing British art fraud investigator Jukes in Sky Atlantic's TV thriller because it had more lines for him.

Speaking on 'This Morning' on Tuesday (13.06.17), he said: "It wasn't possible to do them both. 'Poldark' were very frank with me and said there wasn't much of a storyline for me and they wouldn't need me for the whole eight episodes so I plumped for this."

Although he decided against returning to 'Poldark' this time, Phil has admitted he never expected his scene with Aidan Turner - who plays the titular character - to go "viral" after the handsome actor whipped his shirt off.

He joked: "It's a mystery to me and they refused to let me take my shirt off in case I put him to shame. No idea at all, it was the stills from it that went viral."

Phil got to spend a large chunk of the summer last year in the South of France shooting the forthcoming show and has admitted it was "wonderful" to be abroad.

He said: "I didn't the full seven months in the South of France. It was a wonderful job because I would go there for a week and then I'd come home for two weeks and then another week. It was just the perfect way to spend the summer."

However, the show's lead Julia Stiles - who plays an art curator called Georgia Clios - couldn't say the same as she had to spend the full seven months out there.

She explained: "It was a fantastic place to work and spend seven months but winter came and we still had to pretend we were in summertime so we had fake tan and skimpy dresses and we were freezing but this private jet that we shot in - you don't realise that they have to turn the air off because of sound so we were trapped in this titanium box in the sweltering heat that ended up being an airless sauna."
Pippa Middleton is wanted for this year's series of 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

Pippa Middleton

The 33-year-old socialite - the sister of Duchess Catherine - is reportedly being eyed up for the forthcoming instalment of the ballroom and latin show but bosses don't think they'll be able to afford her fee now that she's so in demand around the world.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "It would be such a coup [if producers managed to bag the brunette beauty for the programme]. We're just not sure the BBC can afford her fee. Who knows what will happen when the celebrities are announced."

However, although producers are no doubt willing to part with a lot of cash to ensure they bag author, Pippa has somewhat of a busy year thus far as she's just tied the knot with her partner James Matthews and the pair are currently in Australia on honeymoon.

Meanwhile, this year's series of 'Strictly...' will be slightly different as head judge Len Goodman - who was on the show for 12 years - decided to walk away from the panel at the end of last year and has now been replaced by talented dancer Shirley Ballas.

And the programme's host Tess Daly believes she was the right choice to replace the legendary choreographer because she has a lot of "experience" and will be able to help Darcey Bussell keep Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli "in line".

Tess - who presents 'Strictly' with Claudia Winkleman - said: "They absolutely had to go for experience - after all, she's replacing Len, who was the voice of wisdom and the most experienced. So you go for the person who brings that experience with them.

"I think she'll be amazing - firm, fair, a little bit fierce and quite fabulous. That's my prediction. She'll help Darcey keep her naughty boys in line."
A new textile policy can be expected to be finalised by the government in the next three months, according to a senior official. The draft for the policy will be finalised once consultations are done with the stakeholders. The new policy is expected to create 35 million additional jobs in India and achieve $300 billion in textile exports by 2024-25.

Response and output from foreign players who will participate in the upcoming Textile India 2017 conference will be taken into account while formulating the policy, said Anant Kumar Singh, textiles secretary, while addressing the media at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event.

The Textile India Conclave and Exhibition will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from June 30 to July 2. It will showcase a wide range of Indian textiles and handicrafts at more 1,000 stalls. The event will play host to over 2,500 international buyers, retailers, agents and designers and over 15,000 domestic buyers. (KD)

A new textile policy can be expected to be finalised by the government in the next three months, according to a senior official. The draft for the policy will be finalised once consultations are done with the stakeholders. The new policy is expected to create 35 million additional jobs in India and achieve $300 billion in textile exports by 2024-25.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Ascena Retail Group's gross margin on a GAAP basis for the third quarter of fiscal year 2017 has decreased to $948 million, or 60.6 per cent of sales, compared to $1,017 million or 60.9 per cent of sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2016. Gross margin, in terms of dollars, decreased primarily as a result of the decline in comparable sales.

Net sales on a GAAP basis for the third quarter of 2017 were $1.565 billion compared to $1.669 billion in the year-ago period. The decrease in sales reflected the impact of the 8 per cent comparable sales decline. The company's overall comparable sales decline was caused by store traffic, which was down high single digits to low double digits across the Premium Fashion, Value Fashion and Plus Fashion segments.

"We continue to move aggressively to navigate our current environment. As a result of a $300 million, multi-year technology and infrastructure investment cycle, we have developed a highly efficient supply chain and foundational omni-channel platform that will enable us to respond to the fundamental changes in consumer behavior that are disrupting our industry. We have amplified our development of cost efficiencies, and recently increased the cost takeout target of our Change for Growth transformation programme to a range of $250 to $300 million by fiscal 2019. This new target is as much as double our previously announced $150 million target, and we remain determined to further increase the intensity and the scope of our programme activity," said David Jaffe, president and chief executive officer.

"In addition to a highly efficient cost structure, todays hyper-competitive environment requires meaningful differentiation and deep customer connectivity, and we must improve execution across our portfolio. We are focused on delivering unique, compelling fashion, maintaining highly relevant brands, and providing an outstanding experience for our customers. At the brand level, our teams are driving initiatives to increase customer engagement, including clienteling programmes and unique in-store events. At the enterprise level, we are working aggressively to accelerate our product development cycle and to elevate our digital capabilities through implementation of new customer experience management tools," added Jaffe. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is apprehensive about made-ups and garments as their job work still come under 18 per cent service tax slab. It has requested the GST Council to reconsider and bring them under the 5 per cent slab. The Council recently revised GST rates on job work of textile yarn and fabric manufacturing from 18 to 5 per cent.

Retaining 18 per cent service tax slab for made-up and garment sector will have a serious implication on the cost escalation of the final goods of made-up and garments and will be uncompetitive in the domestic and international market, said CITI in a statement.

With regard to some of the speciality textile fabrics like impregnated, coated, covered or laminated of cotton still remain under 12 per cent GST slab which is unsustainable and will be having huge bearing on the final cost. The micro dot coating that is done only sustains about 1.3 to 1.4 per cent of input credit. A jump from 5 per cent GST to 12 per cent of GST on an input credit of 1.3 per cent will inflate the product cost as the industry will not be able to absorb the same. Hence, CITI is of the view that it would be justifiable to retain the same at 5 per cent GST slab.

Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is apprehensive about made-ups and garments as their job work still come under 18 per cent service tax slab. It has requested the GST Council to reconsider and bring them under the 5 per cent slab. The Council recently revised GST rates on job work of textile yarn and fabric manufacturing from 18 to 5 per cent.#

J Thulasidharan, chairman of CITI has also reiterated the confederations unmet demand of reducing GST on man-made fibres and yarns to 12 per cent or refund inverted tax at fabric stage which will have win-win situation both for industry and government. If 12 per cent rate is imposed on MMF/synthetic fibre & yarn industry then textile manufacturers would be able to bear the cost and government would have no revenue loss.

He added, "We have provided micro and macro scenario to textile secretary during our representation on June 9, 2017 of 12 per cent rate on MMF where revenue collection of government is also not affected as well as industry would also be able to bear the cost."

Besides, alternative has also been suggested that if government is unable to revise the MMF rates then government must allow refund of unutilised credit accumulated at the stage of fabric manufacturing to the extent of 5 per cent. This has been provisioned under the GST Act where GST Council has been given the power to recommend for the refund of unutilised credit under inverted duty structure case.

He also highlighted the issue of delay in the transfer of input tax credits and inverted duty structure problem of the industry at fabric stage which will aggravate the problem of working capital requirement of the industry. Chairman CITI is of the view that if government accommodates industry's demand of 12 per cent rate on MMF and synthetic yarn or refund of duty under inverted duty incidence at fabric stage as prescribed in GST Act, then industry can upscale the investment and production which is desirable under current economic environment.

Thulasidharan has welcomed the announcement made by finance minister Arun Jaitley and GST Council on revision of GST rates on job work of textile yarn and fabric manufacturing activity from 18 to 5 per cent. He said, I am extremely thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley, and Union Textile Minister Smriti Zubin Irani and GST Council for reducing service tax on job work and bringing relief to the textile industry from the extra burden as majority of the work of textile manufacturing is with SMEs and is carried on through job works especially in the power loom, knitting, processing and garment manufacturing sectors.

He explained that this would now help SMEs of powerloom, knitting and processing sectors not to face much financial burden. Job work under textile sector after producing grey fabric or after producing yarn are taken as services and were subjected to 18 per cent GST. "Under such situation, the manufacturer who does not have integrated composite units to complete the process of embroidery, doubling, printing and finishing as per the market requirements would have been in great loss as high taxed would have added to their cost and dented their profitability," said the chairman.

He also thanked the government and GST Council on behalf of the textile industry for increasing turnover from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 75 lakh under composition scheme for traders and manufacturers which will help MSME to grow their business and carry out their activities efficiently.

The chairman on behalf of textile industry has submitted and endorsed the commitment of the industry to promote 'Make in India', 'Zero-Defect & Zero-Effect' and job creation in textile manufacturing sector. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Bangladesh's (Ba3 stable) sovereign credit profile is supported by the robust growth of an economy that is bolstered by garment manufacturing industry exports, says a recent report. However, weakening inflows of remittances from overseas-based workers could hurt consumption. The RMG industry makes up about 70 per cent of Bangladesh's total exports.

The ready-made garment industry of Bangladesh also accounts for significant foreign investment inflows. While the agricultural sector is still the biggest employer in Bangladesh, the garment industry employs over three million workers and offers continued opportunity for labour productivity gains that will support future economic development and growth, according to the 'Government of Bangladesh - Garment Industry Sustains High GDP Growth But Lower Remittances Pose Downside Risks to Consumption' report by Moody's Investors Service.

"Bangladesh will continue to invest in its garment manufacturing sector to capitalise on its strong comparative advantage of abundant low-cost labour," said William Foster, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's. "It will remain a leading global supplier of basic garments and the industry will continue to drive the nation's growth, exports and job creation."

Bangladesh's (Ba3 stable) sovereign credit profile is supported by the robust growth of an economy that is bolstered by garment manufacturing industry exports, says a recent report. However, weakening inflows of remittances from overseas-based workers could hurt consumption. The RMG industry makes up about 70 per cent of Bangladesh's total exports.#

The country's focus on low-value garment exports helps to insulate it from the impact of higher trade tariffs that could result from greater protectionism globally.

Nonetheless, while Bangladesh's garment industry benefits from some of the lowest wage levels in the world, the country's overall economic competitiveness lags that of its peers such as Vietnam (B1 positive), Cambodia (B2 stable) and Sri Lanka (B1 negative). When factoring in the quality of its physical infrastructure, skill levels and transparency of the business environment, the country's low competitiveness hampers the ability of its economy to absorb shocks, notes the report. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The rate of import growth at the US major retail container ports has begun to slow after double-digit surges earlier in 2017 but volume should nonetheless hit an all-time high by the end of summer with some of the largest import volumes expected, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.Year-over-year comparisons are slowing down but thats largely because we had some unusual numbers early this year and strong volume in the second half of last year. Despite that, were expecting some of the largest import volumes weve ever seen, and thats because retailers are responding to strong consumer demand, NRF vice president for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said.

The rate of import growth at the US' major retail container ports has begun to slow after double-digit surges earlier in 2017 but volume should nonetheless hit an all-time high by the end of summer with some of the largest import volumes expected, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.#

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.61 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in April, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 4.8 per cent from March and up 11.3 per cent from April 2016. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.May was estimated at 1.69 million TEU, up 3.9 per cent from the same time last year. June is forecast at 1.64 million TEU, up 4.1 per cent from last year; July at 1.68 million TEU, up 3.5 per cent; August at 1.74 million TEU, up 1.6 per cent; September at 1.64 million TEU, up 2.8 per cent, and October at 1.69 million TEU, up 1.3 per cent.The August figure would be the highest monthly volume recorded since NRF began tracking imports in 2000, topping the 1.73 million TEU seen in March 2015. The May and October numbers would be among the five highest ever recorded.Aprils 11.34 per cent year-over-year figure and a 15.8 per cent year-over-year increase in March were unusually high anomalies because of where Lunar New Year fell on the calendar and affected production at factories in Asia.The first half of 2017 is expected to total 9.6 million TEU, up 6.4 per cent from the first half of 2016. Cargo volume for 2016 totaled 18.8 million TEU, up 3.1 per cent from 2015, which had grown 5.4 per cent from 2014.NRF has forecast that 2017 retail sales - excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurants - will increase between 3.7 and 4.2 per cent over 2016, driven by job and income growth coupled with low debt. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside, but nonetheless provides a barometer of retailers expectations.Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said the falling rate of growth in imports has been reflected in lower industrial output growth at factories in China, which increased 6.5 per cent in April compared with 7.6 per cent in March and is expected to drop further when May numbers are released.We can assume that part of the reason for the lower-than-expected increase was due to continuing slow growth in the Western Hemisphere. Retail sales continue to hold up but nothing coming out of Washington suggests an impetus to growth, Hackett said. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Actor Arjun Rampal poses for a mug shot as mafia don Arun Gawli in a new poster of Daddy, announcing the film's release on July 21.

Arjun portrays the gangster-turned politician Arun Gawli, and flaunts long tresses, a beard and an intense look to play the part. The movie also features Farhan Akhtar and Aishwarya Rajesh.

A political crime drama film, Daddy is co-written and directed by Ashim Ahluwalia.

Also Read: Reason Why He DIVORCED Amrita Singh? It's Better To Have A Hot & S*xy Wife: Saif Ali Khan

A description of the movie reads in a statement, "The story is about Gawli, a man who scripted his own destiny, eventually going on to become one of India's most feared mobsters.''

''Now, he remains an enigmatic figure; at once a volatile, power-hungry gangster for some and the venerated 'Daddy' or a modern day Robin Hood for the working-class neighbourhood he belongs to."

It is narrated from multiple perspectives and spans over four decades. With inputs from IANS.
Yesterday we teased you with the first glimpse of Ajay Devgn- Emraan Hashmi starrer Baadshaho which gave you a little hint about the plot of the film.

Now, it's time for the first poster of the film which was revealed by the makers this morning. And yes, all Ajay Devgn fans need not fret! Because this time, the actor does make an appearance on the poster.

In this new poster, we get to see a badass Ajay Devgn who has a bandana tied around his face to hide his identity. Watch out for those two guns! Yes, the real action hero is back...

Ajay's leading lady Ileana D'Cruz was quoted as saying, "He is a far bigger prankster than Akshay. He is unbelievable and puts in a lot of effort in order to execute a prank. But he does it only to maintain a light atmosphere on the sets.

But when I was working with Akshay on Rustom, he sent a message to Milan Luthria from my phone. I was yet to start working with him at that point. I had to do some damage control and explain to Milan that it wasn't me, but Akshay who sent the message. In Ajay's case, you're not even left with any room for damage control. So, you can imagine!"

His other co-star Esha Gupta meanwhile couldn't stop singing praises for Ajay. She was quoted saying, "Ajay knows his camera, the lighting, and everything. There is so much I learnt just by observing him. Once or twice he suggested me to do certain things. He doesn't interfere but since he has been here for so long, he will suggest how to do things for the better and let you have your space."

Directed by Milan Luthria, Baadshaho also stars Emraan Hasmi and Vidyut Jammwal and is slated to hit the theatrical screens on 1st September.

Did you guys like this new poster featuring Ajay? Let us know in the comments section below.
Dhool is the 2003-released Tamil movie, which featured National award-winner Vikram and Jyothika in the lead roles. The mass entertainer, which was written by Bharathan and directed by Dharani, emerged as one of the biggest successes in the career of Vikram.

The movie, which depicted the story of Arumugham and Eshwari, who come to Chennai city representing their village, to meet the minister. Reema Sen and Vivek essayed the other pivotal roles in the movie.

Let us see who would fit into the characters of Dhool, if it is made in Malayalam now....

Nivin Pauly As Arumugham The best choice for the role, if Dhool is remade in Malayalam. Nivin Pauly is an actor who can totally satisfy the masses with his exceptional charm and screen presence. The role of Arumugham, played by Vikram in the original, will be safe in Nivin's hands. Manjima Mohan As Eshwari Jyothika's portrayal of Eshwari, the chubby village girl, was widely appreciated by both the audiences and critics. If the movie is being remade in Malayalam, Manjima Mohan will be a good choice for the role. Anu Emmanuel As Swapna The character of Swapna, the model who comes to live in Arumugham's locality and later develops a crush on him, was played by Reema Sen in the original. Anu Emmanuel can do justice to this role, if the movie is being remade in Malayalam. Aju Varghese As Narain Aju Varghese will be a perfect cast as Narain, the close friend of Arumugham who is in love with Swapna. The role was originally played by the renowned comedian Vivek. Manoj K Jayan As Minister The role of the corrupted minister, who hides his real intentions from the innocent villagers, will be perfect for the talented actor Manoj K Jayan. Senior actor Shayaji Shinde had essayed the role in the original.

Dhool marked the second association of Vikram with hitmaker Dharani, after the huge success of Dhil. The movie had played a key role in cementing lead actor Vikram's star status in the Tamil Nadu, and his entry into the top league of Tamil movie industry.

The role of Easwari, played by Jyothika was originally written for the popular actress Simran. But the actress couldn't take up the offer due to extremely busy schedule. Eventually, Jyothika was zeroed in for the role, thus marking her first onscreen collaboration with Vikram.

Dhool was later remade in Telugu under the title Veede, with Ravi Teja in the lead role. The movie also remade in Punjabi, Bengali, and Sinhalese languages. Dhool had completed a successful 25-weeks at the theatres, within its lifetime run.
Come this Eid, you will witness an orthodox yet stylish DJ in action. Not the disco jockey, but our very own Stylish Star Allu Arjun as Duvvada Jagannadham.

The teaser, trailer and couple of audio tracks have already been successful in mesmerizing the audience, and the complete jukebox which got released on Sunday has started enthralling the fans.

The audio function was mostly braced with the cast and crew of DJ but it was these "two special chief guests" who stole the final moment. The audio cover was unveiled by Allu Aravind's grandson, Ayaan (Allu Arjun's son) and producer Dil Raju's grandson, Ayansh.

Few highlights of the event that took place at Shilpakala Vedika are as follows:

Dil Raju And Harish Shankar's Respect To Suma

The Rahul Dravid of Telugu Television, Suma is one of the most senior, respected and a fabulous anchors who comperes almost all of Telugu movie audio launch events.

Not just the audience, but the cine folks too are fans of Suma and she is one such anchor who commands love and affection from all sections of cine people.

However, the producer and director of the movie went an extra mile by passing the honour to Suma of launching a song during the event. Suma was stumped by their gesture and the fans acknowledged the decision through their wide cheers.

Harish Shankar's Speech

The Gabbar Singh director is not just a good director, but as well a great orator. It was his speech which was the major attraction of the event and he was successful in grabbing the audience's attention throughout his speech.

Harish thanked actor Ravi Teja for helping him to earn himself a director's tag and the director also remembered his favourite on-screen star, Pawan Kalyan, for elevating him as a star director.

The commercial director remembered a couple of instances with the Power Star during the days of Gabbar Singh and attributed the source of inspiration for a couple of dialogues in DJ to the Power Star.

Harish as well claimed that the director was more a Pawan Kalyan fan and then a film director. He urged fans to keep the ignited fire glowing in order to achieve their goals as it was his vision and internal force which drove him to become a director.

Dil Raju's Commitment

Despite the sudden demise of Dil Raju's wife, Smt. Anitha, the passionate producer joined the unit during the shooting of the movie, kept the team motivated and ensured that his personal loss never affected the team of DJ under any circumstances. This shows his commitment and dedication towards cinema.

Bunny's Dedication

We all know Bunny is one of the most versatile and talented actors of the contemporary generation. It is once again proved with DJ as the Stylish Star, who is seen in a Brahmin avatar for which he has undergone a strict regime.

The actor was praised by the lyric writer and the director of the movie for converting himself into a vegetarian till the shoot of the movie was completed. Allu Aravind too, lauded his son for practising the accent of chants and body language in order to attain perfection.

Power Star

During Mega family audio launch events, the highly exuberant Power Star Pawan Kalyan fans are seen and heard in a euphoric manner whenever PK's name or reference is taken or witnessed, and this religious practice continued at this event too.

If Harish Shankar speech was constantly applauded by the jubilant fans of Pawan Kalyan, then Dil Raju's mere mention of Gabbar Singh's name received a non-stop adulation from fans of the Power House.

Duvvada Jagannadham which stars Allu Arjun & Pooja Hegde in the lead also boasts of Rao Ramesh, Subbu Raju and Manohar in key roles. Devi Sri Prasad who has already rendered rocking chartbusters is deemed as the second hero of the movie. Being directed by Harish Shankar, the movie is all set to entertain fans on 23rd June.
CAMBRIDGE, England, August 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Carfilzomib Accepted in Combination with Dexamethasone Alone for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Multiple Myeloma who have Received At least One Prior Therapy

Patients Treated with Carfilzomib in Combination with Dexamethasone Showed a Significant Increase in Progression-Free Survival Compared to Bortezomib with Dexamethasone

Carfilzomib is the First and Only Proteasome Inhibitor to Demonstrate Statistically Significant Improved Overall Survival in a Head-to-Head Trial

Today, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has published its advice accepting the use of KYPROLIS (carfilzomib) in combination with dexamethasone alone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. The advice takes into account the continuing availability of the Patient Access Scheme (PAS) agreed or a list price that is equivalent or lower.[1]

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/475485/Amgen_Logo.jpg )

The SMC advice guides NHS Boards and Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees (ADTCs) on the use of carfilzomib within NHS Scotland. It has taken into account the views of patient group representatives and clinical specialists in a Patient and Clinical Engagement (PACE) meeting.[1]

"This is great news for patients in Scotland. The approval of carfilzomib and dexamethasone for use on the NHS gives myeloma patients, whose cancer has come back, an important new treatment option," said Shelagh McKinlay, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Myeloma UK. "We are especially pleased that the approval covers all patients who have had one prior treatment as carfilzomib and dexamethasone has been shown to be very effective in prolonging survival in relapsed myeloma patients, and should be available to doctors as a prescribing option for their eligible patients."

Clinical experts consulted by the SMC considered that carfilzomib plus dexamethasone is a therapeutic advance as it provides an opportunity to increase overall and progression-free survival when compared to bortezomib plus dexamethasone; one of the current standard of care for relapsed multiple myeloma. It also concluded that carfilzomib is associated with a reduced rate of peripheral neuropathy.[1]

The key evidence to support the use of carfilzomib in combination with dexamethasone in the treatment of adults with relapsed multiple myeloma was based on the large Phase 3 randomised study, ENDEAVOR (n=929). This first ever head-to-head clinical trial, comparing two proteasome inhibitors, showed that adults treated with carfilzomib plus dexamethasone lived almost twice as long without their cancer progressing (progression-free survival; PFS) compared to bortezomib plus dexamethasone (18.7 months vs. 9.4 months).[2] Moreover, in a planned interim analysis of overall survival (OS), carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) reduced the risk of death by 21 percent compared to bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd), resulting in a 7.6 month survival benefit (median OS 47.6 months for Kd versus 40.0 for Vd, HR=0.79; 95 percent CI: 0.65 - 0.96; p=0.01).[3]

"We are pleased with the outcome from the Scottish Medicines Consortium, which follows the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's recommendation for carfilzomib. This means that suitable patients in England, Wales and Scotland will have access to a treatment with proven evidence to prolong progression-free and overall survival," said Tony Patrikios, Executive Medical Director at Amgen UK and Ireland. "We know that time free of disease is precious and we are committed to advancing care for people with this difficult-to-treat blood cancer. We see carfilzomib as the backbone therapy for the management of relapsed multiple myeloma."

In the UK, it is estimated that there are approximately 17,500 people living with myeloma[4] and it accounts for around two percent of all cancers.[4] In Scotland, it is estimated that there are 473 new cases and 273 deaths due to multiple myeloma each year.[5] It is estimated that over 1,300 patients will be eligible for treatment rising to over 1,700 patients by year five.[1]

Following the publication of the SMC's advice, NHS Boards in Scotland now have a maximum of 60 days to include carfilzomib in their formularies for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. The advice is contingent upon Amgen UK providing carfilzomib to NHS Scotland within the terms of the agreed PAS.

Please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics for full prescribing information: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/31222.

About carfilzomib (KYPROLIS) for Injection

Carfilzomib is an irreversible proteasome inhibitor for use in the treatment of adults with multiple myeloma after one prior treatment. Proteasomes play an important role in cell function and growth by breaking down proteins that are damaged or no longer needed.[6]Carfilzomib has been shown to block proteasomes leading to an excessive build-up of proteins within cells.[7]Carfilzomib can cause cell death, especially in myeloma cells because they are more likely to contain a higher amount of abnormal proteins.[7]

Important European Union Product Safety Information for Carfilzomib

This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring. Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at http://www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard . Adverse events should also be reported to Amgen Limited on +44(0)1223-436441.

Carfilzomib treatment should be supervised by a physician experienced in the use of anti-cancer therapy. The most serious side effects that may occur during carfilzomib treatment include cardiac toxicity, pulmonary toxicities, pulmonary hypertension, dyspnoea, hypertension including hypertensive crises, acute renal failure, tumour lysis syndrome, infusion reactions, thrombocytopenia, hepatic toxicity, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/haemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS).

AboutAmgen

Amgenis committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgenfocuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980,Amgenhas grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visithttp://www.amgen.co.uk.

References:

[1] SMC Detailed Advice Document carfilzomib 10mg, 30mg, 60mg powder for solution for infusion (Kyprolis). SMC No. (1242/17). Available at: http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk . Accessed August 2017.

[2] Dimopoulos, Meletios A et al. Carfilzomib and dexamethasone versus bortezomib and dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (ENDEAVOR): a randomised, phase 3, open-label, multicentre study. The Lancet Oncology. 2016;17(1):27-38.

[3] Dimopoulos, Meletios A et al. Overall Survival of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Treated with Carfilzomib and Dexamethasone versus Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in the Randomized Phase 3 ENDEAVOR Trial. Abstract: 16th International Myeloma Workshop. March 2017.

[4] Myeloma UK - Myeloma: Essential Guide. Available at: https://www.myeloma.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Myeloma-UK-Living-well-with-Myeloma-Essential-Guide.pdf . Accessed August 2017.

[5] ISD Scotland Cancer Statistics Multiple Myeloma. Available at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Multiple-Myeloma/ Accessed August 2017.

[6] Moreau P, Richardson PG, Cavo M, et al. Proteasome Inhibitors in Multiple Myeloma: 10 Years Later.Blood. 2012; 120(5):947-959.

[7] Kyprolis (carfilzomib). Summary of Product Characteristics. December 20, 2016. Available at https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/31222 . Accessed August 2017.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/02/17 -- Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX: BPF.UN) and Boston Pizza International Inc. ("BPI") today announced that they will issue 2017 second quarter results via news release and on the Fund's website at www.bpincomefund.com on the morning of August 10, 2017.

The Fund will host a conference call with BPI's President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Pacinda and Chief Financial Officer, Wes Bews to discuss the results for the second quarter which ended on June 30, 2017. The call will take place on Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time (11:30 a.m. Eastern Time).

To participate in this conference call, please dial the following toll free number approximately ten minutes prior to the commencement of the call:

1-800-319-4610 or 604-638-5340

A replay will be available until September 10, 2017 by dialing:

1-855-669-9658 or 604-674-8052 and enter the access code: 1527 followed by # sign.

The trustees of the Fund have approved the contents of this news release.

 Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership. All Boston Pizza registered Canadian trade-marks and unregistered Canadian trade-marks containing the words "Boston", "BP", and/or "Pizza" are trade-marks owned by the Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership and licensed by the Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership to Boston Pizza International Inc.

Contacts:

Wes Bews

Chief Financial Officer

604-270-1108

investorrelations@bostonpizza.com

www.bpincomefund.com






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Level 3 Communications Inc. (LVLT) said that it has been notified of an unsolicited 'mini-tender' offer by TRC Capital Corporation to purchase up to 2 million shares of Level 3 common stock, representing approximately 0.55 percent of Level 3's shares of common stock outstanding.



TRC Capital's offer price of $50.50 per share is approximately 4.3 percent below the $52.77 closing price per share of Level 3's common stock on September 22, 2017, the last trading day before the commencement of TRC Capital's offer.



On October 31, 2016, Level 3 entered an agreement and plan of merger with CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL), that provides for the acquisition of Level 3 by CenturyLink, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. Under the Merger Agreement, each share of Level 3 common stock will be converted at the effective time of the merger into $26.50 in cash and 1.4286 shares of CenturyLink common stock. Level 3 and CenturyLink have previously announced that they expect the merger to close in mid-to-late October 2017, subject to the satisfaction of the remaining conditions to closing.



The Level 3 board of directors recommended that Level 3 stockholders approve the Merger Agreement and, on March 16, 2017, Level 3 stockholders approved the Merger Agreement. As of September 22, 2017, based on the then closing price of CenturyLink shares, the last trading day before the commencement of TRC Capital's offer, each Level 3 share of common stock would convert into merger consideration with a value of approximately $52.99.



TRC Capital's offer price of $50.50 per share is approximately 4.7 percent below this merger consideration value.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Regulatory News:

Eurofins Scientific (Paris:ERF) (EUFI.PA), a world leader in biopharmaceutical testing, announces the acquisition of Alphora Research Inc. ("Alphora"), a full service contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) for complex and niche small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Alphora has extensive capabilities in multi-step syntheses, as well as the development of cytotoxic and highly potent APIs. It operates two fully integrated facilities to address a wide array of API challenges, providing a full spectrum of complex API development, testing and manufacturing services. As such the company supports biopharmaceutical companies from the preclinical phase through to commercialization of niche products, and is an ideal complement to Eurofins' discovery and other biopharmaceutical testing activities. Alphora has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2003, and expects to generate revenues in excess of CAD 30m in 2017, with organic growth and EBITDA margin well above Eurofins' objectives.

Alphora's expertise in API development, testing and manufacturing provides Eurofins entry into the dynamic and growing CRDMO market. It is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the strong growth and positive trends in the API industry, which are driven by the increasing importance of outsourcing in biopharmaceutical R&D, limited API manufacturing capacity in North America, and increased funding for early stage discovery and development. Furthermore, Alphora is ideally positioned to support the development of discovery candidates that emerge from Eurofins' extensive drug discovery platform. In addition to Eurofins' existing capabilities in preclinical, clinical, and GMP product testing, this acquisition of Alphora further strengthens the Group's highly compelling and integrated offering to enable clients to progress through the entire drug development process.

Comment from Dr. Gilles Martin, Eurofins CEO: "We are pleased to welcome Alphora to the Eurofins Group. Alphora's competencies and footprint further strengthen Eurofins' global leadership in the rapidly-growing biopharmaceutical testing market. We look forward to strengthening their portfolio and operating footprint by providing access to the full range of services and capabilities of the Group."

For more information, please visit www.eurofins.com

Notes for the editor:

Eurofins a global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins Scientific through its subsidiaries (hereinafter sometimes "Eurofins" or "the Group") believes it is the world leader in food, environment and pharmaceutical products testing and that it is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for agroscience, genomics, discovery pharmacology and for supporting clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the key emerging players in specialty clinical diagnostic testing in Europe and the USA. With over 28,000 staff in 310 laboratories across 39 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 130,000 analytical methods for evaluating the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin and purity of biological substances and products, as well as for innovative clinical diagnostic. The Group objective is to provide its customers with high-quality services, accurate results on time and expert advice by its highly qualified staff.

Eurofins is committed to pursuing its dynamic growth strategy by expanding both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions and the most comprehensive range of testing methods.

As one of the most innovative and quality oriented international players in its industry, Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients' increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the expanding demands of regulatory authorities around the world.

The shares of Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0000038259, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP).

Important disclaimer:

This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgement of Eurofins Scientific' management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are made based on the information available to the Company's management as of the date of publication, but no guarantee can be made as to their validity.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612005978/en/

Contacts:

Eurofins Scientific

Investor Relations

Phone: +32 2 766 1620

E-mail: ir@eurofins.com
NORD-MICRO qualifies MEMSCAP latest Pressure Transducers for major commercial aircraft cabin pressure control systems

Regulatory News:

MEMSCAP (Paris:MEMS) (NYSE Euronext: MEMS), the leading provider of innovative solutions based on MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology, today announces that Nord-Micro GmbH Co. OHG (Nord-Micro) has selected MEMSCAP to provide pressure transducers for their cabin pressure control systems.

Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, Nord-Micro is a well-established global player in the aerospace business and the world leader in Cabin Pressure Control Systems (CPCS) for large commercial aircraft. With more than 40 years of experience, continuous growth and improvement, Nord-Micro today is a well-known 1st Tier OEM supplier and the reliable partner of choice for major commercial customers all around the world.

Cabin Pressure Control Systems from Nord-Micro provide safety, high reliability, low operating costs, low crew workload and high passenger comfort. Nord-Micro Cabin Pressure Control Systems incorporate intelligent software that provides optimum cabin pressure control based on numerous aircraft parameters. Individually controlled outflow valves can even optimize the ventilation of cabin air based on cabin layout and passenger load.

The MEMSCAP product baseline relies on MEMSCAP SP82 sensor technology and on company's proprietary transducers calibration methods. As an offspring of the recent Norwegian R&D funded project, MEMSCAP has developed a new version of its SP82 pressure sensors with important improvements in terms of stability and accuracy.

In addition to its former and current collaboration with Nord-Micro with TPS3100 products, MEMSCAP will now supply Nord-Micro a version of its TPS1200 pressure transducer, as well as a new analog output transducer named TP400. These sensors have been designed and qualified to be fully integrated within Nord-Micro Cabin Pressure Control Systems and will be qualified for the use in a major commercial single-aisle aircraft program.

"Nord-Micro is a famous 1st Tier Original Equipment Manufacturer supplier and the reliable partner of choice for major commercial aerospace customers all around the world", states Roy Grelland, General Manager of MEMSCAP Standard Products Business Unit. "MEMSCAP has been supplying transducers and switches to Nord-Micro for several years now. We consider Nord-Micro as one of our most important customers. The fact that we have been selected to supply transducers for this new program confirms our ability to deliver high-end products at a consistent quality level to very demanding market segments. It is also important to thank the Norwegian government for its support in our R&D projects over the last years as it significantly helped us create a new generation of ultra-stable and accurate sensors in a timely fashion".

MEMSCAP modular aerospace products are designed for all the aeronautics control systems worldwide, and their applications range from engine control, altitude and cabin pressure control, air data, to altimeters, air speed indicators and space applications.

Specifications and details for MEMSCAP avionics products can be obtained by contacting MEMSCAP at info@memscap.com or by contacting our office in Skoppum, Norway.

About Nord-Micro

Nord-Micro is a UTC Aerospace Systems Company. Please visit the following websites for more information: utcaerospacesystems.com ; www.utc.com ; www.nord-micro.com.

About MEMSCAP

MEMSCAP is the leading provider of innovative micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based solutions. MEMSCAP standard and custom products and solutions include components, component designs (IP), manufacturing and related services. MEMSCAP customers include Fortune 500 businesses, major research institutes and universities. The company's shares are traded on the Eurolist of NYSE Euronext Paris S.A (ISIN: FR0010298620-MEMS). More information on the company's products and services can be obtained at www.memscap.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612005495/en/

Contacts:

MEMSCAP

Nicolas Bertsch, Ph: +33 4 76 92 85 00

Chief Operating Officer

nicolas.bertsch@memscap.com

or

MEMSCAP

Roy Grelland, Ph: 47 3308 4000

General Manager, Standard Products Business Unit

roy.grelland@memscap.com
Regulatory News:

REGULATED INFORMATION

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Kiadis Pharma N.V.("Kiadis Pharma" or the "Company")(Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels: KDS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative products to make bone marrow transplantations for patients suffering from blood cancers and inherited blood disorders safer and more effective, today announces that it has raised 5 million in gross proceeds through a private placement (the "Transaction") of new shares (the "New Shares") completed prior to the open of the market today.

The Company has placed 746,269 New Shares with a small group of existing and new institutional investors at a price of 6.70 per New Share, which represents a 11% discount to the closing price of June 12, 2017. The New Shares represent 5.3% of the current number of outstanding shares (pre-Transaction) and will bring the total number of shares (post-Transaction) to 14,712,770. In addition, the investors have received 746,269 5-year warrants entitling them to subscribe for 746,269 new Company shares at a warrant exercise price of 7.70 (the exercise price being subject to adjustment in case of certain corporate and dilutive events).

The New Shares will be admitted to trading on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels following their issuance, which is expected to take place on June 15, 2017.

Kiadis Pharma will use the net proceeds of the Transaction to advance the clinical development of the Company's ATIR products and for general corporate purposes.

Arthur Lahr, Chief Executive Officer of Kiadis Pharma, commented: "Having recently filed a Marketing Authorization Application for ATIR101 with EMA, the Company continues to make good progress regarding the Phase III trial and preparing for EU commercialization. We executed this private fundraising to quickly augment our cash position while we work on broader funding initiatives. In this Transaction, we are pleased to see existing shareholders increasing their holdings, and welcome new specialist healthcare investors."

Chardan acted as Sole Bookrunner and Placement Agent for the Transaction. Saola Healthcare Partners acted as financial advisor to Kiadis Pharma.

About Kiadis Pharma

Kiadis Pharma is focused on cell-based immunotherapy products for the treatment of blood cancers and inherited blood disorders. The Company's product candidates, ATIR101 for blood cancers and ATIR201 for inherited blood disorders, have the potential to make allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) safer and more effective.

Based on the significant and positive results from the single dose Phase II trial with lead product ATIR101 in patients with blood cancer, which were presented on December 5, 2016 at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the Company has initiated a Phase III trial with ATIR101, having received regulatory approval in various countries to start dosing patients. In addition, and based on the positive Phase II results, the Company has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval of ATIR101 across Europe as an adjunctive treatment in HSCT for malignant disease. ATIR101 has been granted Orphan Drug Designations both in the US and Europe.

The Company's second product candidate, ATIR201, addresses inherited blood disorders with an initial focus on thalassemia. ATIR201 Phase I/II clinical development has been initiated recently with regulatory approvals having been received in various European countries to start the trial.

Kiadis Pharma was granted an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) certificate for manufacturing quality and non-clinical data by the EMA. The Company's shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels. For more information visit www.kiadis.com

Important information about forward-looking statements

This announcement specifies certain forward-looking statements of the Company's management. Forward-looking statements are statements that estimate the happening of future events and are not based on historical fact. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as "may", "shall", "could", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "predict", "probable", "possible", "should", "continue", or similar terms, variations of those terms or the negative of those terms. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and may not be accurate indications of when such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information The Company has when those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements specified in this announcement have been compiled by the Company's management on the basis of assumptions made by management and considered by management to be reasonable. The Company's future operating results, however, are impossible to predict, and no representation, guaranty, or warranty is to be inferred from those forward-looking statements. The persons into whose possession this announcement comes are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Statements relating to the Company's future business and financial performance;

Statements relating to future clinical research results and timing of regulatory approvals of the Company's products;

Statements relating to the Company's competitive position; and

Other material future developments that the person into whose possession this announcement comes may take into consideration.

Actual results of the Company's operations may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors some of which include, among other things: actual results of the Company's clinical trials; development of competing therapies by other companies targeting the same disease indications; the Company's ability to effectively manage its growth, including implementing effective controls and procedures and attracting and retaining key management and personnel; changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles; the availability of capital resources, including in the form of capital markets financing opportunities; and general economic conditions.

Important Legal Information

This announcement contains inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU No. 596/2014).

Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Directive (as defined below). This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities of Kiadis Pharma N.V. (the "Company") in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, and the distribution of this communication in jurisdictions may be similarly restricted. This announcement should not be regarded as an opinion or recommendation concerning the purchase or sale of securities of the Company. Persons into whose possession this communication comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdictions.

The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an available exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States.

In the United Kingdom this announcement is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, and any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to, and will be engaged in only with, Qualified Investors who are (i) investment professionals falling with Article 19(5) of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order or (iii) other persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Persons who are not relevant persons should not take any action on the basis of this announcement and should not act or rely on it.

The Company has not authorized any offer to the public of securities in any Member State of the European Economic Area. With respect to any Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each a "Relevant Member State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of securities requiring publication of a prospectus in any Relevant Member State. As a result, the securities may only be offered in Relevant Member States (i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive or (ii) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive. For the purpose of this paragraph, the expression "offer of securities to the public" means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable the investor to decide to exercise, purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including Directive 2010/73/EU, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in The Netherlands the securities are not and may not be offered other than to persons or entities who or which are qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) as defined in Section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht) and in Belgium the securities may not be offered other than to persons or entities who or which are qualified investors as defined in Article 101 of the Belgian law dated 16 June 2006 (Wet op de openbare aanbieding van beleggingsinstrumenten en de toelating van beleggingsinstrumenten tot de verhandeling op een gereglementeerde markt).

Any investment decision in connection with the offering mentioned herein must be made on the basis of all publicly available information relating to the Company and the securities to be placed ("Placing Shares"). The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness.

This announcement does not purport to identify or suggest the risks (directly or indirectly) which may be associated with an investment in the Company or the Placing Shares.

In connection with any offering of the Placing Shares, Chardan Capital Markets, LLC. (the "Placement Agent") and any of its affiliates acting as an investor for their own account may take up as a proprietary position any Placing Shares and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such Placing Shares. In addition, the Placement Agent or its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with which the Placement Agent (or its affiliates) may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Placing Shares. The Placement Agent does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.

The Company's CEO Arthur Lahr is responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on behalf of Kiadis Pharma N.V.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006386/en/

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

Kiadis Pharma:

Arthur Lahr, CEO

Kiadis Pharma

Tel. +31 20 314 02 50

communication@Kiadis.com

or

International Media and Investor Contact:

Mary-Jane Elliott, Lindsey Neville, Hendrik Thys

Consilium Strategic Communications

Tel: +44 (0) 203 709 5708

Kiadis@consilium-comms.com
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Ashtead Group Plc. (AHT.L), an equipment rental company, reported Tuesday that its fiscal 2017 profit before taxation increased 5 percent to 180.6 million pounds from last year's 151.3 million pounds. Earnings per share were 24.2 pence, up 4 percent from 20.4 pence last year. Underlying pre-tax profit was 188.8 million pounds, compared to 163.5 million pounds a year ago. Underlying earnings per share were 25.3 pence, compared to 22.0 pence a year ago. EBITDA, a key earnings metric, grew 9 percent to 380.1 million pounds from 308.4 million pounds last year. Revenue increased 11 percent to 830.6 million pounds from 666.0 million pounds in the prior year. Underlying rental revenue went up 11 percent to 727.4 million pounds from 584.8 million pounds a year ago. Further, the company said its Board is recommending a final dividend of 22.75p per share, higher than last year's 18.5 pence. This brings total dividend for the year of 27.5 pence for the year, an increase of 22%. If approved at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, the final dividend will be paid on September 15 to shareholders on the register on August 18. Regarding the current trading and outlook, Ashtead's chief executive, Geoff Drabble, said, 'Looking forward, our markets remain good and Spring has seen a good seasonal uplift in fleet on rent, with record levels of physical utilisation for this time of year. We expect a similar level of capital expenditure in 2017/18, consistent with our 2021 strategic plan. .. with both divisions performing well and a strong balance sheet to support our plans, the Board continues to look to the medium term with confidence.' 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.
New Predix-powered solutions, partnerships accelerate the transformation journey beyond the factory walls and drive the next industrial revolution

GE Digital announces integration of ServiceMax field service management solution and Asset Performance Management portfolio to transform service operations, reduce cost and eliminate unplanned downtime

GE Ventures launches Avitas Systems, a new venture that will transform inspection services with advanced robotics, data analytics and artificial intelligence

GE Power releases Predix-powered 'Digital Utility' to connect real-time machine and operations data with energy trading to drive more profitable utilities businesses

Today at Minds Machines Europe, GE (NYSE:GE) charted the course for digital industrial growth, unveiling new solutions that are purpose built for industrial assets, environments and operations. The event outlined the path to greater productivity for customers who take advantage of advances in the company's leading Asset Performance Management (APM) and ServiceMax industrial applications, powered by Predix, GE's platform for the Industrial Internet.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005399/en/

(Photo: GE)

"Europe can lead the digital industrial era," said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. "Investment in technology, such as automation, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence along with new skills can transform industry and drive productivity. GE has long been committed to Europe, and we are invested in its future."

Delivering the Industrial Service Model of the Future

Transformation of the current industrial service model is a critical element of the digital industrial journey. Most companies today lack the ability to combine insights from data with actions in real time when managing and servicing assets. This contributes to unplanned downtime, which has significant impact on industrial productivity.

To reduce cost and eliminate downtime, it is critical for asset-intensive industries to shift from a reactive, break/fix service model to a predictive model. This change will help companies better understand potential equipment issues preemptively or act upon them quickly with the correct tools and parts.

To achieve this, GE Digital unveiled an integrated solution to deliver the industrial service model of the future that combines the power of ServiceMax, its cloud-based field service management (FSM) solution, with its intelligent Asset Performance Management portfolio. Available in late 2017, the combination of ServiceMax APM will enable industrial companies to transform how they predict, manage and service the entire asset lifecycle.

"The Industrial Internet is enabling companies to take advantage of possibilities that previously seemed out of reach. But in many ways, we are still in the early stages of this transformation journey as companies seek to move from gaining insight to taking action and as automation gives way to autonomous systems," said Bill Ruh, CEO, GE Digital. "GE Digital is helping companies use technology and information to transform how they operate and create new possibilities from delivering the industrial service model of the future to creating entirely new business models."

GE Digital's APM and FSM solutions automatically collect and analyze service data from predictive maintenance needs to failure information and recommended work actions to help industrial companies move beyond traditional asset monitoring to advanced predictive maintenance and asset performance management.

This new approach also provides enhanced scheduling capabilities. Matching customers' service workforces with their service needs, the offering helps industrial companies dispatch the right engineers to the right job at the right time and ensure they are qualified, prepared and equipped to successfully complete their work. Receiving updates from workers in the field, the software provides a closed loop from issue identification to resolution, while 'learning' about the most efficient issue resolution methods over time to improve analytics with each alert.

As companies accelerate digital transformation through the combination of GE Digital's APM and ServiceMax offerings, they can more proactively manage the entire asset lifecycle, increasing productivity and operational efficiencies that can open the door to future business growth.

Transforming service at the edge

Additionally, GE Ventures today launched Avitas Systems, a new data-driven company that will use predictive data analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver advanced inspection services to the oil and gas, transportation and energy industries.

"The inspection services industry requires cutting-edge technologies to avoid unplanned asset downtime and deliver new, valuable insights," said Alex Tepper, Managing Director of Avitas Systems. "We deploy state-of-the-art robotics and cloud-based technology to give customers the customized service and insights-based data they need to advance from reactive to predictive repair no matter where their assets are located."

The Avitas Systems solution, using the Predix platform, is built to support the unique service needs of companies with remote assets, particularly in the oil and gas, transportation and energy industries. The solution helps customers analyze inspection data, integrates regulatory and external sources, such as weather, identifies defects automatically and recommends optimal inspection and maintenance schedules. The system can fuse data from diverse sources and independently analyze the relationships between them for deeper insights - and incorporates user feedback to make defect detection smarter and more accurate.

By reducing high-risk tasks through robotics, Avitas Systems can make inspection processes safer and more efficient through data automation, decreasing costs by up to 25%. By performing inspections based on anticipated risk, instead of regular time intervals, Avitas Systems can also help to increase asset longevity.

GE estimates that service transformation represents a $40 billion market opportunity. With ServiceMax APM and Avitas Systems, GE is helping industrial companies manage, optimize and gain insight into their assets across each stage of the lifecycle all driven by Predix. As the only platform that provides computing capabilities from the edge to the cloud, Predix gives GE customers visibility, control and analytic insights to every part of their industrial infrastructure and operations.

Transforming Energy Management and Customer Operations

GE also announced a suite of new industrial applications, solutions and partnerships to help companies take advantage of the Industrial Internet - moving beyond the factory walls to enable the digital industrial companies of the future. The solutions build on GE's expansive suite of Predix-powered tools and applications purpose-built for the Industrial Internet.

Data-Optimized Energy Trading the 'Digital Utility': To help utilities navigate the changing energy market, GE Power unveiled the 'Digital Utility,' a suite of Predix-based applications that connect real-time machine data with a utility's profitability. The new Business Optimization software is first of its kind, bringing analytics to the business side of power and utilities companies to help energy traders act profitably in long-term, day-ahead and short-term wholesale markets. The Digital Utility includes updates to GE Power's Operations Optimization software, incorporating closed-loop analytics to improve generation efficiency for entire fleets. Additionally, GE's APM solutions for energy businesses now connect all assets across the entire Electricity Value Network (EVN) in an integrated application, providing customers with a single view of assets spanning power generation to the grid.

To help utilities navigate the changing energy market, GE Power unveiled the 'Digital Utility,' a suite of Predix-based applications that connect real-time machine data with a utility's profitability. The new Business Optimization software is first of its kind, bringing analytics to the business side of power and utilities companies to help energy traders act profitably in long-term, day-ahead and short-term wholesale markets. The Digital Utility includes updates to GE Power's Operations Optimization software, incorporating closed-loop analytics to improve generation efficiency for entire fleets. Additionally, GE's APM solutions for energy businesses now connect all assets across the entire Electricity Value Network (EVN) in an integrated application, providing customers with a single view of assets spanning power generation to the grid. Advanced Utility Operations: GE Digital alliance partner PwC showcased its Predix-powered commercial operations solution for utility companies. This solution enables executives to identify margin 'leakage.' The solution analyzes plant performance data from GE's Operations Optimization application, commercial data from dispatch and market-facing system from GE's Business Optimization application. The solution is expected to launch this summer.

GE Digital alliance partner PwC showcased its Predix-powered commercial operations solution for utility companies. This solution enables executives to identify margin 'leakage.' The solution analyzes plant performance data from GE's Operations Optimization application, commercial data from dispatch and market-facing system from GE's Business Optimization application. The solution is expected to launch this summer. Insight-Based Energy Management: GE Digital and EY highlighted the Manufacturing Energy Management Solution (MEMs) from EY, powered by Predix, which helps transform how OEMs manage energy consumption. MEMs offers analytics for real-time decision making, providing immediately available data and giving insights into energy consumption at the enterprise-wide and individual operating center levels. MEMs helps manufacturers manage energy consumption in production, factor energy usage into planning and execution decisions as well as improve cost, efficiency, innovation, greenhouse gas emissions and water conservation.

GE Digital and EY highlighted the Manufacturing Energy Management Solution (MEMs) from EY, powered by Predix, which helps transform how OEMs manage energy consumption. MEMs offers analytics for real-time decision making, providing immediately available data and giving insights into energy consumption at the enterprise-wide and individual operating center levels. MEMs helps manufacturers manage energy consumption in production, factor energy usage into planning and execution decisions as well as improve cost, efficiency, innovation, greenhouse gas emissions and water conservation. Reduced Carbon Dioxide Emissions: GE Distributed Power and Dalkia announced that through GE distributor Clarke Energy, the companies have equipped more than one-third of Dalkia's 170+ Jenbacher gas engines with GE's myPlant* APM solution, powered by Predix. In total, the fleet of engines could power more than 240,000 French households, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions which equates to taking nearly 100,000 European cars off the road annually.

Predix-Powered Clean Energy: GE Renewable Energy and Fina Enerji signed a 10-year full service agreement that covers 150 GE wind turbines in Turkey. The deal will implement GE's Predix-based Digital Wind Farm hardware and software solutions, which use data analytics to increase wind farm operations. With these digital capabilities, GE Renewable Energy will help develop smarter wind power forecasts for the Turkish market.

GE Renewable Energy and Fina Enerji signed a 10-year full service agreement that covers 150 GE wind turbines in Turkey. The deal will implement GE's Predix-based Digital Wind Farm hardware and software solutions, which use data analytics to increase wind farm operations. With these digital capabilities, GE Renewable Energy will help develop smarter wind power forecasts for the Turkish market. Predix-Enabled Additive Manufacturing: GE Additive will add Predix edge technology to its Concept Laser M2 cusing additive machines. This move allows customers to remotely monitor and collect data from their machines helping them analyze trends and uncover insights to improve asset performance and operations.

GE Additive will add Predix edge technology to its Concept Laser M2 cusing additive machines. This move allows customers to remotely monitor and collect data from their machines helping them analyze trends and uncover insights to improve asset performance and operations. Data-Driven Drilling: Last year, GE's Marine Solutions and Maersk Drilling announced a partnership to collaborate on a data analytic-driven pilot project, aimed at increasing Maersk's drilling vessel's productivity by reducing maintenance costs by up to 20 percent and increasing drilling productivity. The deployment of SeaStream* Insight, GE's APM solution for Marine powered by Predix, is already showing great potential, and Maersk and GE are looking to expand onto Maersk's second rig, Interceptor, to broaden the outcomes achieved from the pilot project.

Together, these solutions and deployments advance GE's vision for the Industrial Internet with a portfolio designed to accelerate customers' transformation journeys and create new paths to growth for customers of every size and scale.

Minds + Machines Europe 2017 convenes the best and the brightest of the technology world -including GE customers, developers, partners, industry luminaries, and technology thought leaders. This year's event dove deeper into the technology driving digital industrial transformation.

ABOUT GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005399/en/

Contacts:

GE Digital

Amy Sarosiek, +1 224-239-6028

Amy.sarosiek@ge.com
CIAM Pioneer One of Two Providers that "Lead the Pack" with Highest Score Possible In Privacy Controls, Analytics and CIAM Vision, Among Others

PORTLAND, Oregon, June 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Janrain, the company that pioneered the Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) category, today announced it has been named a leader in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)--evaluated in both current offering and strategy--by independent research firm Forrester in The Forrester Wave': Customer Identity and Access Management Q2 2017. Janrain manages more than 1.5 billion consumer identities for 2,100+ global brands across a wide range of global industries, including banking, insurance, manufacturing, retail, healthcare/life sciences, media/communications, travel/transportation, and utilities/energy.

The report recognizes Janrain as an early entrant in the CIAM market, having been founded in 2002. Janrain has a CIAM vision that is "more differentiated than other solutions" in this report while supporting "a broad range of security certifications including SOC2 and Privacy Shield."

Janrain, the only CIAM provider to obtain the CSA Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR) Level 2 certification, has also obtained independent certification of its privacy practices from TRUSTe, having met all the criteria for a clean SOC2 Type II audit for Security, Confidentiality and Availability Trust Principles. Other certifications include ISO/IEC 27001:2013, the HIPAA/HITECH Security Rule, and soon PCI.

"We believe the Forrester Wave report on CIAM clearly validates Janrain's industry leadership, especially in the areas of security, privacy and scalability as we continue to break new ground with an ongoing series of industry firsts," said Jim Kaskade, CEO of Janrain. "Not only is Janrain the first CIAM provider to be GDPR ready, the first to provide Consent Lifecycle Management for GDPR, and the first to integrate a fraud score into a CIAM solution, but we're the only CIAM provider to support its clients in 65 countries with 200+ cloud data centers, while offering 99.999% availability for its clients' mission critical applications."

With respect to strategy and market presence, Janrain earned scores of 4 or 5 (out of 5) for the following criteria:

CIAM vision

Partner ecosystem

CIAM installed base

Verticals and geographies

In terms of current offering, Janrain earned scores of 4 or 5 for the following criteria:

Social registration and login

Privacy controls

Analytics

Integration and APIs

Scalability and availability

Administration

Security certifications and standards support

"Getting such marks from Forrester and other important research firms shows you can't select a CIAM vendor without considering Janrain. Couple this with our ongoing list of industry-first innovations and proven impact we have on our client businesses, this should render the vendor selection decision a much easier one," Kaskade added. "Our clients report a 60% reduced threat exposure, 10X improvement in customer experience, 3X boost in registrations and login activity, and 50% reduced time to market for application developers. This is what drives Janrain's success. If you need a CIAM vendor that satisfies complex, global, and mission critical requirements, we're your only choice."

For more information about this report, please visit:

Forrester Wave: CIAM Q2 2017 Report

Janrain's Blog

About Janrain

Founded in 2002, Janrain pioneered Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) and is widely recognized by industry analysts as a global CIAM leader. The Janrain Identity Cloud provides identity management, security and activation solutions that enable seamless and safe customer experiences across their digitally connected world, while providing enterprise organizations with deep customer insights. Janrain's identity capabilities include social and traditional login and registration, single sign-on, customer profile data storage and management, customer segments, customer insights and engagement solutions. The company powers brands like Pfizer, Samsung, Whole Foods, Fox News, Philips, McDonald's and Dr Pepper. Janrain is based in Portland, Oregon, with offices in London, Paris and Silicon Valley. For more information, please visit www.janrain.com and follow @janrain.

Media Contact:

Chris Blake

MSR Communications

Phone: 1-415-989-9000

E-mail: chris@msrcommunications.com
IRW-PRESS: Altiplano Minerals: Altiplano meldet erste Bohrergebnisse und Betriebsupdate von Farellon

Altiplano meldet erste Bohrergebnisse und Betriebsupdate von Farellon

13. Juni 2017. Altiplano Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V: APN, OTCQB: ALTPF, FWB: 9AJ1) (APN oder das Unternehmen) freut sich, ein Projektupdate bereitzustellen, einschlielich der ersten Kupferergebnisse der Splitterprobennahmen und der Bohrungen beim Kupfer-Gold-Erzgangsystem Farellon in der Nahe von La Serena (Chile).

Die Neigung Farellon wurde bis dato uber 240 Meter bis in eine Tiefe von 25 Metern unterhalb des Stollens Alejandro weiterentwickelt, wo fruher Kupfer-Gold-Erz bis in eine Tiefe von 70 Metern abgebaut wurde (Abbildung 1). Die historische Produktion beim Erzgangsystem Farellon belief sich Berichten zufolge auf etwa 300.000 Tonnen mit einem Durchschnittsgehalt von 2,5 Prozent Kupfer und 0,50 Gramm Gold pro Tonne.

Die ersten Ergebnisse sind positiv, liegen im erwarteten Bereich und stimmen mit den historischen Ergebnissen sowie mit den Ergebnissen des Comet Joint Venture (das CJV) im Stollen Alejandro uberein. Den aktuellen Probennahmen und Bohrungen bei der Neigung Farellon und dem daruber liegenden Stollen Alejandro zufolge weist das Erzgangsystem zwischen 95 und 210 Meter eine konsistente Machtigkeit von etwa 1,6 bis 1,8 Metern sowie einen konsistenten Gehalt von 1,17 bis 1,21 Prozent Kupfer auf. Diese Zone weist einen konsistenten hochgradigen Abschnitt von 0,5 bis 0,6 Metern mit uber 3,2 Prozent Kupfer auf. Das CJV geht davon aus, in den kommenden Wochen unterhalb des hochgradigen Abschnitts zu bohren.

http://www.irw-press.at/prcom/images/messages/2017/40049/APN NR June 13 Drill results and Operations Update FINALv2_DE_PRCOM.001.jpeg

Bis dato sind die Probenergebnisse von drei Punkten entlang der 240 Meter langen Neigung Farellon eingetroffen: das Ergebnis einer Splitterprobe beim 95-Meter-Abschnitt der Neigung sowie des Erzgangsystems, des Bohrlochs 001 bei 120 Meter und des Bohrlochs 002 bei 210 Meter. Die Ergebnisse sind in Tabelle 1 unten angegeben. Die Goldgehalte sind noch nicht eingetroffen, werden jedoch zurzeit im Labor analysiert.

http://www.irw-press.at/prcom/images/messages/2017/40049/APN NR June 13 Drill results and Operations Update FINALv2_DE_PRCOM.002.jpeg

Tabelle 1: Splitterprobe und Bohrergebnisse

http://www.irw-press.at/prcom/images/messages/2017/40049/APN NR June 13 Drill results and Operations Update FINALv2_DE_PRCOM.003.png

CEO John Williamson sagte: Wir sind mit den in diesem Update bereitgestellten Ergebnissen sehr zufrieden, da sie sowohl in puncto Gehalt als auch in puncto Machtigkeit mit den historischen Daten ubereinstimmen. Wir sind davon uberzeugt, dass die Ergebnisse des Bohrprogramms die Groe dieses Projekts fur unsere Investoren bestatigen und detaillierter beschreiben werden. Wir entwickeln das Projekt rasch weiter und werden in Kurze weitere Nachrichten zu den Bohrungen und Analyseergebnissen veroffentlichen.

kann. Nahere Einzelheiten zu Altiplano finden Sie auf der Webseite www.altiplanominerals.com.

FUR DAS BOARD: John Williamson e.h. President und CEO Tel: (780) 437-6624- Weitere Informationen erhalten Sie uber: Lisa May, Investor Relations lisam@altiplanominerals.com Tel: (778) 288-2737 Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Laura Welsh: lwelsh@renmarkfinancial.com Tel.: (416) 644-2020 oder (514) 939-3989 www.renmarkfinancial.com

Die TSX Venture Exchange und deren Regulierungsorgane (in den Statuten der TSX Venture Exchange als Regulation Services Provider bezeichnet) ubernehmen keinerlei Verantwortung fur die Angemessenheit oder Genauigkeit dieser Meldung.

Diese Pressemeldung enthalt gewisse Aussagen, die als zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen gelten. Samtliche in dieser Pressemitteilung enthaltenen Aussagen - mit Ausnahme von historischen Fakten -, die sich auf Explorationsbohrungen, Abbauaktivitaten und andere vom Unternehmen erwartete Ereignisse oder Entwicklungen beziehen, gelten als zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen. Obwohl das Unternehmen annimmt, dass die in solchen zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen zum Ausdruck gebrachten Erwartungen auf realistischen Annahmen basieren, lassen solche Aussagen keine Ruckschlusse auf die zukunftige Performance zu. Die tatsachlichen Ergebnisse oder Entwicklungen konnen wesentlich von jenen der zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen abweichen. Zu den Faktoren, die dazu fuhren konnten, dass sich die tatsachlichen Ergebnisse erheblich von jenen in den zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen unterscheiden, zahlen unter anderem Marktpreise, Abbau- und Explorationserfolge, Kontinuitat der Mineralisierung, Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf den Erhalt der erforderlichen Genehmigungen, Lizenzen und Rechtsanspruche, Verzogerungen aufgrund mangelnder Kooperation Dritter, Anderungen in der Regierungspolitik hinsichtlich der Exploration und Forderung von Rohstoffen, sowie die dauerhafte Verfugbarkeit von Kapital und Finanzmittel und die allgemeine Wirtschafts-, Markt- oder Geschaftslage. Die Anleger werden darauf hingewiesen, dass solche Aussagen keine Garantie fur zukunftige Leistungen darstellen, und dass sich die tatsachlichen Ergebnisse oder Entwicklungen erheblich von jenen unterscheiden konnen, die in den zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen angenommen wurden. Anleger, die nahere Informationen zum Unternehmen wunschen, werden auf die laufende Berichterstattung des Unternehmens unter www.sedar.com verwiesen.

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AXC0049 2017-06-13/09:39
Two-Thirds of World's Population Now Connected, According to GSMA Intelligence

The world's mobile industry has signed up its 5 billionth unique mobile subscriber, according to real-time data from GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the GSMA. The 5 billion milestone means that more than two-thirds of the global population is now connected to a mobile service. It has taken four years to add the latest 1 billion subscribers.

"Reaching the 5 billion subscriber milestone is a tremendous achievement for an industry that is only a few decades old, and reflects the many billions of dollars that mobile operators have invested in networks, services and spectrum over many years," commented Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. "Today mobile is a truly global platform, delivering connectivity and, perhaps more importantly, social and economic opportunities to citizens in all corners of the world. This massive reach allows the mobile industry to be a key player in delivering global initiatives such as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals1

India To Drive Future Subscriber Growth

More than half (55 per cent) of mobile subscribers are based in the Asia Pacific region, which is home to the world's two largest mobile markets: China and India. China accounts for more than a billion of the world's subscribers, while India accounts for 730 million.

The most highly penetrated region in the world is Europe, where 86 per cent of citizens are subscribed to a mobile service. Sub-Saharan Africa is the least penetrated region at 44 per cent.

It is forecast that the number of unique mobile subscribers worldwide will increase to 5.7 billion by the end of the decade2. By that point, almost three-quarters of the world's population will subscribe to a mobile service. India is expected to account for the largest share of growth over this period, responsible for around 30 per cent of new unique subscribers by 2020.

"Subscriber growth opportunities over the coming years will be focused on connecting mainly rural, low-income populations; operators are developing a range of sustainable solutions to deliver affordable connectivity to underserved communities," added Granryd. "Meanwhile, in mature markets where subscriber growth is slowing, operators are evolving their business models to capture increasing value within the expanding mobile ecosystem, and providing the platform for a new digital world as we enter the 5G era."

Region Unique mobile subscribers (millions) % of global subscriber base Subscriber penetration (% of population) Asia Pacific 2,765 55% 68% - China 1,081 21% 78% - India 730 14% 54% Europe 465 9% 86% Latin America 459 9% 71% Sub-Sahara Africa 436 9% 44% Middle East North Africa 391 8% 63% North America 292 6% 80% CIS 227 5% 79% TOTAL: 5,035 100% 67%

Unique Mobile Subscribers by Global Region, Q2 2017

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Tracking The World's Mobile Subscribers

GSMA Intelligence tracks the number of unique mobile subscribers worldwide in real time at www.gsmaintelligence.com. This number is calculated using GSMA Intelligence's extensive database of mobile statistics and forecasts, which comprises tens of millions of individual data points, updated daily.

A 'unique mobile subscriber' is defined as an individual person that can account for multiple 'mobile connections' (i.e SIM cards). According to GSMA Intelligence, the world's five billion unique mobile subscribers today account for approximately 7.7 billion mobile connections (excluding M2M).

View the 5 billion subscriber infographic here.

-ENDS-

About The GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with almost 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

1 In September 2015, the UN introduced a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17-point plan aims to end poverty, combat climate change and fight injustice and inequality. The GSMA is supporting the SDGs as part of its betterfuture campaign. http://www.gsma.com/betterfuture/

2 http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/number-of-global-mobile-subscribers-to-surpass-five-billion-this-year/

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005097/en/

Contacts:

For the GSMA

Sophie Waterfield

+44 77 7945 9923

Sophie.Waterfield@webershandwick.com

or

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com
LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The large and diverse flavoured spirits category will stage a modest recovery over the next few years, ending a recent trend of long-term decline, according to a new joint report from just-drinks and the IWSR.

This positive top-line figure, however, disguises negative trends in many of the main markets for the hugely-diverse, 150m-case flavoured spirits category. Seven out of the sector's top ten are expected to record sales declines in the period to 2021.

The challenges outlined in the Global Flavoured Spirits Insights report are encapsulated by the liqueurs segment, which shed some 13m cases between 2011 and 2015, seeing its slice of the global flavoured spirits market drop to 48% in the process.

Notoriously hard to assess because of its sheer diversity, the liqueurs segment is led by cream products, which have largely held their own in recent years, while range liqueurs (which includes brands such as Bols and De Kuyper) and low-strength vodkas have fallen back.

Meanwhile, bitters/spirit aperitifs reached a 25% share of the global flavoured spirits market in 2015 - amounting to just over 38m cases - thanks to the growth of marquee bitters brands Jagermeister and Fernet-Branca. Spirit aperitifs, led by Aperol, are now gaining ground.

Traditional aniseed liqueurs - pastis in France, raki in Turkey and Sambuca in Italy - are generally in the grip of long-term decline thanks to an ageing consumer base in their home markets.

The joint Global Flavoured Spirits Insights report was published last week.

About the IWSR

The IWSR is the leading source of data and analysis on the beverage alcohol market. The IWSR's database, essential to the industry, quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer and mixed drinks by volume and value, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends. Our data is used by all of the largest multinational companies, as well as many more local companies. The IWSR's unique methodology allows us to get closer to what is actually consumed and better understand how markets work. The IWSR conducts face-to-face interviews with over 1,500 companies in 118 countries each year, with further input from 350 companies. The IWSR tracks overall consumption and trends at brand, quality and category level. The IWSR Magazine, written by the IWSR's specialist international analysts, features industry news, new products, interviews with key industry players and in-depth market analysis based on unique access to the IWSR's data."

About just-drinks.com

just-drinks.com is the online news, insight and research portal for the global drinks industry. Our editorial team includes contributors from around the world, while our commentators comprise experts in their respective fields of beer, bottled water, soft drinks, spirits (both brown and white) and wine. Under the direction of managing editor Olly Wehring, we offer an impartial voice and are driven by our passion for the drinks industry.

For further information and images please contact James Lawley, Public Relations at Aroq Limited on +44-(0)-1527-573-606, email james.lawley@aroq.com
LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

UST Global, a leading digital technology services company with its European HQ in London, today announced that it has signed a 3-year contract with PFG's (Provident Financial Group) Consumer Credit Division to support a significant and ongoing digital technology transformation. PFG's Consumer Credit Division specialises in the provision of loans to people in the non-standard credit market.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160714/813943 )



The 3-year engagement will include designing, launching and running an offshore 24x7 Operations Command Centre, Technical Support Centre and Security Operations Centre. Additionally, UST Global has been selected to provide development, testing and support capability in the areas of Business Intelligence and Master Data Management. UST Global will focus on supporting the PFG Consumer Credit Division's objective to continually improve its capability to provide performing, available and secure IT services to customers and colleagues.

Jonathan Vardon, CIO, Consumer Credit Division at PFG, said, "The financial services industry in Europe is continually undergoing significant market change with rapid shifts driven by digital disruption and innovation. We already lead the market in terms of size and heritage but we want to build on this more. We aretransforming the sector with market leading apps and technology that will deliver best-in-class customer experience. In UST Global, I am confident we have a partner who understands our strategic ambitions, can deliver essential support services and work successfully alongside us, making our digital transformation a reality."

James Jarvis, Vice President Europe, UST Global, said, "UST Global is one of the fastest growing digital technology services firms in the world. Our clients, best-in-class enterprises are accelerating their digital transformation to be agile, customer-centric and data-driven by leveraging UST and our technology and execution capabilities. We are very proud to have been selected by PFG's Consumer Credit Division and look forward to a highly successful strategic partnership."

About UST Global

UST Global is a leading digital technology services company that provides powerful solutions for Global 1000 companies. UST Global's mission is to lead companies through critical digital transformations to drive higher business value. UST Global specializes in six next-generation digital services - design, cyber security, mobile, social, analytics and cloud. Powered by the mantra 'fewer clients, more attention', UST Global strives for excellence in providing their clients high quality services and a commitment to long-term success. Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, UST Global has over 17,000 associates; operating in 25 countries across four continents.

For more information, please visithttp://www.ust-global.com .

Media Contact:

UST Global

Manoj M Mani

Manoj.Mattamana@ust-global.com

+91-9632000553

Media Relations

Media.Relations@ust-global.com


Regulatory News:

With a platform designed specifically for tenants in G La Galerie centers, La Galerie des Services offers a dedicated space to meet the operational needs of retailers and their brands. It consolidates all the tools available, combined with a range of exclusive new services.

With the G La Galerie single brand, Mercialys (Paris:MERY) has chosen proximity as a core focus for its shopping centers, while positioning itself as an outstanding partner for its tenant retailers. By deploying innovative, efficient and effective tools and services, Mercialys is able to support its retailers and their brands each day. Its mission is to help them operate and develop their business, through a range of carefully thought out services that are closely aligned with their operational needs. Today, Mercialys is taking this to the next level and creating an ecosystem that brings together all the tools available to retailers in one dedicated, fully secure platform.

FIVE CORE OPERATIONAL FEATURES

Designed as an operational tool, this intuitive platform offers an ergonomic, easy-to-use interface, with all the services organized around five key features:

CONSULT

A document base that groups together all the useful information you might need: shopping center opening times, map, delivery conditions, safety and security procedures, etc.

EXCHANGE

The reporting of sales figures online each month also makes it possible to share data on G La Galerie's commercial performances.

COMMUNICATE

Simplified access to the shared G La Galerie communications tools for managing your job offers and your store's information, while further strengthening your visibility within the shopping center.

LOYALTY

With the "Challenge Fidelite" loyalty challenge app and the competitions, retailers can build strong links with G La Galerie's loyal customers.

DEVELOP

Solutions for developing your business beyond your store's physical limits by exploring new forms of contact with e-commerce (Cdiscount marketplace) and pop-up retail.

BUSINESS-BOOSTING SOLUTIONS

With this unique interface and its innovative services, La Galerie des Services offers a range of efficient solutions for Mercialys retailers to manage their business more effectively, establish more extensive relations with their customers and even accelerate their development. With this new platform, Mercialys is looking to build more fluid and stronger trust-based relationships with tenant retailers, committed to serving their expectations and their needs.

La Galerie des Services is already operational and its range of benefits are open to Mercialys' partner retailers

This press release may be consulted at www.mercialys.com

About Mercialys

Mercialys is one of France's leading real estate companies, focused exclusively on retail property. At December 31, 2016, Mercialys' property portfolio comprised 2,229 leases, with an annualized rental value of Euro 181.9 million.

At December 31, 2016, Mercialys owned properties with an estimated value of Euro 3.8 billion (including transfer taxes). Mercialys has had "SIIC" real estate investment trust (REIT) tax status since November 1, 2005 and has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A (ticker: MERY) since its initial public offering on October 12, 2005. At December 31, 2016, there were 92,049,169 Mercialys shares outstanding.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets.

These forward-looking statements are subject by definition to certain identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results forecast in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Mercialys shelf registration document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2016 for more details regarding specific risk factors that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys gives no undertaking whatsoever to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, or to report new information, new future events or any other circumstances that might cause these statements to be revised.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005629/en/

Contacts:

Mercialys

Investors Relation Contact :

Alexandre Leroy, Tel : 33(0)1 53 65 24 39

or

Media Contact :

Nathalie Raillard, Tel : 33(0)6 89 10 10 15
LONDON, August 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Hawes & Curtis has launched a new brand identity, which came to market in the 'Timeless Style Since 1913' campaign for Autumn/Winter 2017, marking the first major rebrand in its 104-year history.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/547135/Hawes_Curtis_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/547136/HW_AW17_Collection.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/547137/HW_AW17_Menswear_Collection.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/547138/HW_AW17_Womenswear_Collection.jpg )

The Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign draws on the notion that style is eternal whereas fashions may change from decade to decade. Since Hawes & Curtis was founded in 1913, the Jermyn Street shirtmaker has designed timeless tailoring that transcends trends.

The new collection is a fresh take on Hawes & Curtis' iconic styles. Simple, timeless and beautifully crafted designs are combined with cool sophistication to create classic essentials for today.

With a premium, atmospheric look for Autumn/Winter 2017, the new campaign kicks off with a streamlined website which has been redesigned with the customer in mind. Inspired by Hawes & Curtis' original crest, the logo has also been sensitively updated with modern typography whilst still nodding to the brand's heritage.

Touker Suleyman Hawes & Curtis CEO said: "The relaunch celebrates the rich heritage and bright future of Hawes & Curtis. The new identity marks an exciting time for the brand."

The Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign and rebrand launched on the 17th August.

Notes about Hawes & Curtis

Hawes & Curtis is a quintessentially British brand specialising in fine tailoring and accessories for men and women. Founded in 1913 by Ralph Hawes and George Frederick Curtis, the brand continues to deliver the promise of exceptional quality, innovation and outstanding value.

Hawes & Curtis opened its first store in the Piccadilly Arcade and has had many distinguished clients through its doors, including the Duke of Windsor, Lord Mountbatten and Fred Astaire.

As a result of Hawes & Curtis' commitment to impeccable service and product excellence, the brand has been awarded four Royal Warrants. Hawes & Curtis operates more than 20 stores in the UK and a store in Germany. The flagship store remains on London's Jermyn Street, famous for its resident shirtmakers.

For press enquiries:

Amelia Williams at awilliams@hawesandcurtis.com +44(0)207-298-2707

Visit our media centre: http://www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk/media-centre
IRW-PRESS: YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc.: YDreams Global: Neueste Entwicklungen im Unternehmen

YDreams Global: Neueste Entwicklungen im Unternehmen

9. August 2017 - YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. (YDreams Global oder das Unternehmen) (TSXV: YD; YDRMF: USA; FSE: A2AP0L) mochte den Aktionaren einen Bericht seines CEO, Daniel Japiassu, uber die jungsten Entwicklungen im Unternehmen bereitstellen.

Ich danke Ihnen, dass Sie YDreams Global unterstutzen und als Aktionar am Unternehmen beteiligt sind.

Es ist etwas mehr als ein Jahr her, dass YDreams Global zu einem an der TSX-V notierten Unternehmen wurde. Ich mochte Sie gerne uber unsere Vision, unsere Ergebnisse und unsere Plane informieren, YDreams Global als ein internationales Referenzunternehmen fur immersive Technologie und Innovation in den Bereichen Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Internet der Dinge und kunstliche Intelligenz zu etablieren.

Die Herausforderung im Jahr eins nach der Borsennotierung bestand darin, YDreams zu einem international aufgestellten Unternehmen zu entwickeln. Die intern entwickelte Technologie, die Projekte, die wir seit gut zehn Jahren durchfuhren, und unser exzellentes Design zeichnen sich weltweit durch hochste Qualitat aus.

Dies hat sich auf jeder internationalen Tagung, an der wir in diesem ersten Jahr teilgenommen haben, bestatigt. Ich hatte die Gelegenheit, YDreams Global renommierten Marken, professionellen Sportmannschaften und Ligen, staatlichen Behorden in China, Dubai, Frankreich und Kanada, mehreren Fonds und namhaften Museen vorzustellen. Immer wieder konnten wir mit unserem Technologie- und Design-Portfolio in Staunen versetzen, und dies bekraftigt unsere Stellung als ein Referenzunternehmen. Infolge dieser Meetings ergaben sich zahlreiche Gesprache uber geschaftliche Chancen.

Es ist wichtig anzumerken, dass sich dadurch unsere Pipeline diskutierter Angebote vom zweistelligen in den dreistelligen Millionenbereich verlagert hat. Groere und komplexere Projekte bedingen auerdem langere Verhandlungszeitraume, in denen der Wahrung der Vertraulichkeit groere Bedeutung zukommt.

Im Jahr eins haben wir dafur Sorge getragen, starke strategische Partnerschaften aufzubauen. Dabei haben wir uns vor allem auf China, Dubai und Nordamerika konzentriert. Ich mochte mir hier kurz die Zeit nehmen, Sie uber unsere aktuelle Planung und unsere bisherigen Fortschritte zu informieren, damit Sie eine klare Vorstellung von unserer Vision erhalten.

Wenn Sie unsere Unternehmensnachrichten verfolgen, ist Ihnen bekannt, dass wir eine Partnerschaft mit einer wichtigen Gesellschaft in Dubai eingegangen sind. Diese vermittelte uns Kontakte mit Entscheidungstragern der Regierung von Dubai; weniger als zwei Monate nach Unterzeichnung der Partnerschaftsvereinbarung befinden wir uns nun in Verhandlung uber Angebote mit enormem Potenzial, was ein gutes Indiz dafur ist, dass sich diese Partnerschaft langfristig und sehr erfolgreich gestalten wird.

Sie haben moglicherweise auch uber die Planung eines Joint Ventures mit einer traditionellen deutschen Gesellschaft gelesen, hinter der ein milliardenschwerer Fonds steht, der den Eintritt in den gigantischen chinesischen Markt ermoglicht. Diese Planung schreitet ebenfalls voran, sodass wir demnachst uber eine Prasenz in China verfugen durften.

Damit komme ich zum Jahr zwei und zu unseren Expansionsplanen, mit denen bedeutende Projekte und Umsatze generiert werden sollen. Wir hoffen, dass das zweite Jahr nach der Borsennotierung bahnbrechend wird. Wir sind momentan dabei, unser neues Produkt, Arkave VR, am Markt einzufuhren. Ziel ist die Einrichtung eines weltweiten Netzwerks von Virtual-Reality-Arenen, hunderten von im Franchising organisierten Stores, die unsere patentierte Technologie und unsere Games einsetzen. Arkave VR ist ein Produkt mit dem Potenzial, weltweit sehr viel lukrativere Geschafte zu generieren als andere gleichartige Produkte.

Und dies ist erst der Anfang. Daher haben wir einen neuen Unternehmensbereich geschaffen, YDreams Ventures, um auf der Grundlage unserer Technologie neue Geschaftsfelder zu erschlieen, die sich jeweils auf die Einfuhrung von Produkten und die Erzielung von exponentiellem Wachstum konzentrieren. Mit diesem Unternehmensbereich werden zudem ausgewahlte Startups beschleunigt und unterstutzt, die in unseren Kompetenzbereichen tatig sind: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Internet der Dinge und kunstliche Intelligenz.

Wir fuhren auerdem neue interaktive Ausstellungen ein, die intern konzipiert und umgesetzt wurden. Im Juli haben wir eine groe und umfassende immersive Ausstellung eingefuhrt, mit der junge Menschen daruber informiert werden, wie man Krebs verhindern kann und wie wichtig die Fruherkennung ist. Das Projekt lief ein Jahr lang und generierte erhebliche Einnahmen fur YDreams Global. Dies war ein schones, universelles Projekt, eine einmalige Erfahrung, die wir gerne mit dem Rest der Welt teilen mochten, indem wir die Ausstellung weltweit in Lizenz vergeben.

Wir gehen davon aus, dass wir bald weitere Einzelheiten zu neuen Projekten und zu unserem Expansionsplan fur Arkave VR, unter anderem einen Termin und Standort fur unseren Flagshipstore, bereitstellen konnen. YDreams Global besitzt das Potenzial, sich zu einer gigantischen Marke zu entwickeln. Wir arbeiten intensiv daran, dass dieser Traum tatsachlich Wirklichkeit wird. Wenn uns die Erfahrung von Jahr eins etwas gezeigt hat, dann dies: Es ist nicht nur moglich, diesen Traum zu verwirklichen, sondern auch der Zeitpunkt dafur ist ideal, da er mit der massenhaften Verbreitung von Technologien zusammenfallt, die wir in den vergangenen Jahren entwickelt und erprobt haben.

Ich danke Ihnen fur Ihre Unterstutzung unseres Unternehmens und freue mich auf die viel versprechende Zukunft, die vor uns liegt.

Wenn Sie Fragen haben, konnen Sie sich gerne an uns wenden; wir werden dafur sorgen, dass Sie eine Antwort erhalten: hey@ydreamsglobal.com

Uber YDreams Global

YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. (www.ydreamsglobal.com) ist ein Technologieunternehmen mit Niederlassungen in Vancouver, Dubai, Sao Paulo und Rio de Janeiro, das Augmented Reality- und Virtual Reality-Technologien, Design und Informationen miteinander kombiniert, um auf die Herausforderungen und Bedurfnisse der Benutzer und Konsumenten von heute zu reagieren.

YDreams Global unterstutzt Unternehmen und Marken als Partner bei der Neugestaltung ihrer Strategien durch Projekte, bei denen der Mensch im Mittelpunkt steht, und vernetzt digitale Erfahrungen mit physischer Prasenz und physischen Standorten. YDreams Global nimmt zukunftige Herausforderungen vorweg und verbindet sie mit den Bedurfnissen des Marktes, erstellt innovative Konzepte und bringt sie mit internationaler Kompetenz zur Geltung.

YDreams Global hat bereits mehr als 1.000 Projekte fur internationale Kunden wie Adidas, Cisco, Nokia, Nike, Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola, Santander, AmBev, Qualcomm, Unilever, City of Rio und Fiat entwickelt.

Nahere Informationen erhalten Sie uber:

Daniel Japiassu Director & Chief Executive Officer Tel: 604-646-6910 hey@ydreamsglobal.com | www.ydreamsglobal.com | www.youtube.com/ydreamsglobal YDreams Global Technologies Inc. # 1470 - 701 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V7Y 1C6

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Kostenloser Abdruck mit Quellenangabe erlaubt.

ISIN CA98421E1043

AXC0116 2017-08-09/11:09
AMSTERDAM, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Diageo Reserve, the luxury portfolio of Diageo, has announced the creation of a new Global Cocktailian role - the first of its type in the industry - in order to forge more meaningful relationships between the Reserve business and the wider luxury industry. The role will be filled by award-winning Canadian mixologist, educator and industry advocate, Lauren Mote.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/522466/Diageo_Reserve_Cocktailian.jpg )

Announcing the appointment, Cristina Diezhandino, Managing Director Diageo Reserve, said the role of Global Cocktailian was a significant appointment for the business and a step forward in placing Reserve brands into culture and lifestyle through knowledge, passion and storytelling.

"Diageo Reserve was founded on breaking new ground and is globally recognised as a benchmark in the luxury industry. Therefore we need to be at the forefront of trends - transcending the drinks category to draw learnings from other categories in order to deliver our vision of making luxury experiences available, accessible and aspirational to everyone," Diezhandino said.

"From our 2016 World Class: Future of Cocktails[1] report we know that people now value experiences over possessions and we are seeing the rise of the emotional economy with people looking for deeper connections to brands. Therefore we are very excited to appoint Lauren - a hugely respected contributor to the global drinks industry with an exceptional mix of passion, skills and experience - as a storyteller and trendsetter who will help us bring these deeper connections to life."

"As an award-winning bartender, business owner and drinks authority, Lauren will be a passionate advocate for luxury craftsmanship and our Reserve portfolio, working with influencers and the media, and her expertise will help support our commercial development and innovation streams. In addition, she will be a figurehead for our industry-leading World Class program, working alongside our World Class Bartender of the Year to promote the craft of bartending and inspire people across the globe to drink better."

Speaking of her new role, Lauren Mote said: "Having won the 2015 World Class Bartender of the Year National Final in Canada, I'm hugely passionate about the role this program plays in heroing the craft of bartending and great drinks - so I'm really looking forward to taking a greater advocacy role. But more widely, I am looking forward immensely to working with the Diageo Reserve community and other industry pioneers to help create luxury drinking experiences for consumers."

1. World Class: Future of Cocktails 2016 in association with The Future Laboratory

Diageo Reserve focuses on the global luxury opportunity and brings together brands built on strong legacy, craftsmanship and authenticity. Its award-winning portfolio includes Johnnie Walker Blue Label, CAroc, Don Julio, Bulleit, Tanqueray No. Ten, Ketel One, Zacapa and a fine collection of Single Malts.
Leading analytics and optimization firm offers the first-of-their-kind cross-stack analytics, troubleshooting, and benchmarking tools for programmatic publishers

NEW YORK and PARIS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Today, Adomik, the leading provider of programmatic ad analytics and yield management technology for publishers, has released its UNIFY products, the first-of-their-kind cross-stack analytics tools. UNIFY solves current publisher pains resulting from the new reality of managing yield holistically across a complex array of SSPs, Exchanges, and other demand sources.

UNIFY addresses three major hurdles facing publishers: multi-vendor data siloes, the lack of benchmarking within the programmatic marketplace, and header bidding opacity.

A Single Record of Truth: Publishers today are challenged by a plethora of vendors and the resulting siloed data. Programmatic teams spend an inordinate amount of time shaping data before it can be used to make decisions to drive the business. Adomik's new tools cut through the clutter, and provide a "single record of truth" from which publishers can make better, more rapid decisions about which partners add the most value. Adomik's cross-stack unified data helps publishers rapidly optimize the setup of each partner to improve overall revenue, avoid yield management mistakes, immediately spot and de-bug monetization issues, and monitor demand across the stack to spot revenue opportunities.

Market Benchmarking: With Adomik MarketWatch, publishers can view real-time snapshots of the programmatic marketplace to understand their position within it, understand where they are missing campaigns or buyers, and understand if increases or decreases in revenue match the market or are unique to their demand ecosystem.

Header Transparency: Publishers are also at a disadvantage in the current era of header bidding -- as many of today's tools lack sufficient reporting and analytics. With Adomik Header Bidding, publishers can easily monitor the activity of each demand partner and troubleshoot and optimize when necessary. With Adomik's Header Bidding analytics, publishers understand and maximize the partnerships that contribute most meaningfully. Adomik's Header Bidding analytics also clarify the impact of time-outs and latency so publishers can achieve the delicate balance between revenue and user experience.

"UNIFY delivers answers to the myriad of holistic yield questions our customers have been asking us more and more since the advent of header bidding", said Jeff Bernard, Adomik's co-founder and Chief Product Officer. "It is designed to provide a single record of truth across all of your programmatic partners so you can make better and faster yield decisions."



Adomik's new UNIFY cross-stack analytics tools help modern publishers answer questions like:

What is my total revenue from Buyer or Brand X across my 'stack'?

Who are my top buyers in the U.K on all my 300x250s?

How can I make more from my header setup each day?

Which header partner is contributing the most to page latency and poor user experience?

Where is the drop in revenue coming from and what can I do about it?

Am I missing revenue from major programmatic buyers?

Are my Private Deal CPMs in line with the market?

To read a case study about a premium publisher using these tools, click here.

About Adomik: Adomik is a leading provider of programmatic analytics and programmatic yield management technology for media sellers. The Company's ad analytics and yield management software enables media companies to operate more confidently in today's programmatic ad ecosystem. For more information, visit www.adomik.com.



CONTACT: Trip Foster, trip@adomik.com, 917-512-1693
LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ITE is pleased to host the 2017 edition of the globally recognised Africa Oil Week, the world's longest running oil and gas conference on the African continent, from the 23rd - 27th October in Cape Town, South Africa.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521586/Africa_Oil_Week_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521585/Africa_Oil_Week_Cape_Town.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521584/Africa_Oil_Week_Auditorium.jpg )

Africa's premier event is host to over 1,250 industry players from around the world, bringing together cross-continent multinationals and offering a content rich programme, a quality industry exhibition and five-star networking. Regarded for its high-level participation and onsite deal-flow, with sizeable in-room investor and finance potential, Africa Oil Week delivers exposure of Africa-wide state and private acreage opportunities, transaction and new venture assets and potential, exploration and production developments, and an overview of Africa's hydrocarbon future.

Held at the Cape Town Convention Centre, this event continues to provide the most trusted and reliable platform for governments, national oil companies, corporate players, independents and financiers, along with service and supply operators, to share deep insight and linchpin strategies and engage in meaningful debate and conversations set to drive and strengthen Africa's rapidly evolving upstream industry.

With over 160 speakers from the corporate and public sphere, this year's event promises a programme designed around industry solutions that set the standard for adjusting business models to new demands. Experts will share strategies that enable the upstream industry to advance carefully, yet optimistically, as the investment environment improves, with companies pursuing asset deals, and oil price gains remain in place. Innovation, flexibility, capabilities, technology and reforms are the keywords of the new strategies being deployed to face the future of the upstream industry with confidence and Africa Oil Week provides opportunities for exploring them all.

Also being held during the week is the 17th Africa Independents Forum (23rd Oct, 5th Africa Local Content Forum (23rd Oct) and the 5th Young Professionals in Oil, Gas & Energy session and the 80th PetroAfricanus Dinner, hosted by ITE on 24th October at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel, and the 9th Global Women Petroleum & Energy Club Luncheon (25th Oct).

Register by 16th August to qualify for an Early Bird Discount.

For more information: www.africa-oilweek.com
Exclusivity on new asset and placing

GCP Student Living plc (the "Company" or "GCP Student Living", together with its subsidiaries the "Group")

LEI: 2138004J4ID66FK38H25

Proposed Placing

GCP Student Living, the UK's first REIT focussed on student residential assets, today announces that it is seeking to raise gross proceeds of 70 million through a non pre-emptive placing of new ordinary shares (the "Placing" and the "Placing Shares" respectively") in accordance with the terms and conditions of the 2017 Placing Programme set out in the prospectus issued on 2 February 2017 (the "Prospectus").

The Placing Price will be 142 pence per Placing Share, which represents a 6.75 pence discount to the closing mid-price per ordinary share on 12 June 2017 of 148.75 pence. The Placing will be NAV accretive for existing Shareholders.

Background to the Placing

The Company has entered into an exclusivity arrangement in respect of the acquisition of its second forward-funded development. The property, Circus Street, is located in a city centre location in Brighton within short walking distance of its iconic pier, vibrant shopping district and transport links.

The property will primarily serve the University of Sussex, a UK top 20 university, and Brighton University with c.36,000 students including c.6,100 international students.

The Directors believe that Brighton demonstrates the strong supply-demand imbalance for student residential accommodation in the UK which is typical of the Group's investments, with a shortage of modern, purpose-built accommodation driven by supply restrictions and strong demand driven by domestic and international students alike.

It is currently expected that construction of Circus Street will be completed ahead of the 2019/2020 academic year following which it will offer high specification student accommodation and c.30,000 square feet of commercial office space. Licensing fees will provide a 5.5% coupon through the construction phase which will support the Company's objective of regular, sustainable dividends and modest capital appreciation over the longer term.

The student accommodation will provide c.450 modern beds. It is currently expected the student accommodation will be contracted to a subsidiary owned and guaranteed by an established global, Higher Education Institution with a long term track record in the provision of educational services on a 21 year lease, with upward only annual uplifts of RPI plus 50bps capped and collared at 5% and 2% respectively.

It is currently envisaged that the commercial space will generate ancillary revenues through medium to long term leases.

The acquisition of Circus Street through a forward-funded arrangement would enable the Group to secure a city centre asset in Brighton, a growing cosmopolitan city and one of the largest commercial centres in the South East of England, at an attractive valuation relative to acquiring assets which are already operational. Further, such arrangement enables the Group to provide modern, purpose-built, accommodation in an attractive location where suitable existing assets are unavailable.

The final acquisition price for Circus Street, including agreed costs of construction, is expected to reflect a net initial yield consistent with the blended yield of the Group's existing portfolio of standing assets of 5.1% (the net initial yield average excludes Woburn Place, London, which is to be refurbished ahead of the 2018/19 academic year).

The Investment Manager, Gravis Capital Management Ltd, is in advanced negotiations with the vendor of Circus Street.

As set out in the Prospectus, the Company further benefits from a forward purchase agreement in respect of Podium, Egham a high specification, purpose-built, private student accommodation asset in the same locality as the Group's 'The Pad' asset adjacent to Royal Holloway, University of London. Royal Holloway is a UK top 30 university with c.9,800 students from more than 100 countries.

Podium remains on schedule to be completed for the 2017/18 academic year and will provide approximately 180 beds.

The Directors (as advised by the Investment Manager) currently anticipate that there will be a modest uplift to the valuation of Podium on acquisition arising from the attractive, pre-determined, pricing secured pursuant to the forward purchase agreement.

The Pad provides c.220 beds and has been fully occupied since acquisition.

The acquisition cost for both assets, in aggregate, is approximately 95 million and is expected to be funded by the net proceeds of the Placing, the Company's existing resources and further borrowings, as required.

Benefits of the Placing

The Board believes the Placing will have the following benefits to Shareholders and the Company:-

the acquisition of additional assets with attractive rental characteristics will further diversify the Company's investment portfolio and reduce portfolio concentration risk;

growing the equity base over which the fixed costs of the Company are spread will reduce its on-going costs per ordinary share;

an increase in the market capitalisation of the Company should make the Company more attractive to a wider investor base; and

the introduction of any new shareholders pursuant to the Placing will further diversify the Company's Shareholder register and potentially enhance liquidity in the ordinary shares.

Terms of the Placing

The Company is targeting gross proceeds of 70 million through the Placing of 49,295,774 Placing Shares. The Placing is being made pursuant to the terms and conditions set out in the Prospectus and is currently expected to close at 1.00pm (London time) on 4 July 2017.

The Placing Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares, including for the Company's quarterly dividend in respect of the period ended 30 June 2017 and which is expected to be declared in late July 2017.

In the event the number of Placing Shares applied for under the Placing exceeds 49,295,774 it may be necessary to scale back applications under the Placing. In such event, Placing Shares will be allocated at the discretion of the Board.

The Placing is not being underwritten.

Applications will be made to the FCA for admission of the Placing Shares to the premium segment of the Official List and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and that unconditional dealings in the Placing Shares will commence at 8.00am (London time) on 7 July 2017.

The Placing Shares will be issued in registered form and may be held in uncertificated form. The Placing Shares allocated will be issued to Placees through the CREST system unless otherwise stated. The Placing Shares will be eligible for settlement through CREST with effect from Admission.

Expected timetable

2017

Latest time and date for receipt of Placing commitments1.00pm on 4 July

Announcement of the results of the Placing5 July

Admission of Placing Shares to the Official List and to trading 8:00am on 7 July

Crediting of CREST stock accounts7 July

Share certificates dispatched (where appropriate) w/c 10 July (or as soon as practicable thereafter)

The Placing may close earlier (or later) than indicated above at the absolute discretion of the Company, in consultation with Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, which is acting in its role as sole bookrunner for the Company. In such event, the Company will notify investors by the publication of a notice through a Regulatory Information Service.

Dealing codes Ticker DIGS ISIN for the Placing Shares GB00B8460Z43 SEDOL for the Placing Shares B8460Z4

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement will have the same meaning as set out in the Prospectus.

An electronic copy of the Prospectus is available at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm and on the Company's website at www.gcpuk.com/gcp-student-living-plc/investor-relations/publications/all.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

For further information, please contact: Gravis Capital Management Ltd +44 20 7518 1490 Tom Ward tom.ward@gcpuk.com Nick Barker nick.barker@gcpuk.com Dion Di Miceli dion.dimiceli@gcpuk.com Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited +44 20 7710 7600 Neil Winward neil.winward@stifel.com Mark Young mark.young@stifel.com Tom Yeadon tom.yeadon@stifel.com Buchanan +44 20 7466 5000 Charles Ryland charlesr@buchanan.uk.com Vicky Hayns victoriah@buchanan.uk.com

AboutGCP Student Living

The Company was the first student accommodation REIT in the UK, investing in modern, purpose-built, private student residential accommodation and teaching facilities. Its investments are located primarily in and around London where the Investment Manager believes the Company is likely to benefit from supply and demand imbalances for student residential accommodation.

The Group has a property portfolio with a valuation of c. 614 million comprising six modern standing assets with c.2,000 beds. In addition, Scape Wembley (2017/18) and Woburn Place, London (2018/19) are expected to add a further 1,000 beds over the next two academic years following completion of construction / refurbishment.

Its assets are primarily located in and around London and are mainly occupied by international students offering high specification facilities and hotel-level concierge type services which the Investment Manager believes are attractive to overseas students.

Important Information

The content of this announcement has been prepared by, and is the sole responsibility of, GCP Student Living plc.

The information contained in this announcement is given at the date of its publication (unless otherwise marked) and is subject to updating, revision and amendment from time to time. Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks to the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this announcement. The distribution of this announcement and any other documentation associated with the Placing into jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession these documents come should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws or regulations of any such jurisdiction.

In particular, such documents should not be distributed, forwarded to or transmitted, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in, into or from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or any other jurisdiction where to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws or regulations of any such jurisdiction.

The Placing Shares have not been registered and will not be registered in the United States under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended or any other applicable securities laws and may not be offered, sold, exercised, resold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or to or for the account or benefit of any US Person (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act), except pursuant to an exception from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction in the United States.

There will be no public offer of the Placing Shares in the United States. The Placing Shares are being offered and sold outside the US to non U.S. Persons in offshore transactions in reliance on the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Regulation S thereunder. The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission in the US or any other US regulatory authority, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Placing Shares or the accuracy or adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the US.

The Placing Shares have not been registered under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa and, subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered or sold within Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa or to any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa.

This announcement does not constitute a prospectus relating to the Company and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any shares in the Company in any jurisdiction nor shall it, or any part of it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with or act as any inducement to enter into, any contract therefor. Recipients of this announcement are reminded that applications for Placing Shares may be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the Prospectus.

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting only for the Company in connection with the matters described in this announcement and is not acting for or advising any other person, or treating any other person as its client, in relation thereto and will not be responsible for providing the regulatory protection afforded to clients of Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited or advice to any other person in relation to the matters contained herein.

None of the Company, Gravis Capital Management Limited or Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, or any of their respective affiliates, accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to this announcement, including the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of the announcement or its contents. The Company, Gravis Capital Management Limited and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, and their respective affiliates, accordingly disclaim all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which they might otherwise have in respect of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
PUNE, India, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The report"Smart Fleet Management Marketby Transportation (Automotive, Rolling Stock, Marine), Hardware (Tracking, Optimization, ADAS, and Diagnostic), Connectivity (Short, Long, and Cloud), Solution (Tracking and Optimization), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets', the Smart Fleet Management Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2017 to 2022, to reach USD 462.48 Billion by 2022. Some of the major factors responsible for the growth of the market are government regulations for safety and increase in demand for real-time tracking and fleet monitoring by fleet operators to reduce transportation cost and increase operational efficiency.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 107 market data tables and 50 figures spread through 167 pages and in-depth TOC on"Smart Fleet Management Market - Global Forecast to 2022"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-fleet-management-market-174736821.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Real-Time Monitoring: Promising technology in Smart Fleet Management Market

Fleet operators track vehicles in real time to reduce idle time and transportation cost. The purpose of this is to provide effective fleet tracking, real-time monitoring, a dedicated remote server for fleet data, and security features in a single system. With the adoption of technologies, a transporter or service provider can measure maintenance cost and monitor the driver's behavior. The fleet management data can also be downloaded to analyze data better and make a cost effective decision or enhance safety. For instance, managers can get the data of fuel efficiency based on the route taken. The market for these technologies is growing rapidly, and regulatory bodies in Europe and North America are looking forward to mandating some of these technologies.

Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=174736821

ADAS Systems: Upcoming mandates in Asia-Pacific to drive the demand

The global Smart Fleet Management Market is estimated to be dominated by the ADAS systems during the review period. ADAS systems have higher adaptability in all passenger cars in most of the advanced economies of Europe and North America. Furthermore, the economies of Asia-Pacific region are focusing on mandating safety features for ADAS systems. These factors make the ADAS systems one of the most prominent technologies in the Smart Fleet Management Market.

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=174736821

Asia-Pacific: Largest market for Smart Fleet Management Market

Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the largest market for smart fleet management in 2017, owing to the increasing transport facilities in countries such as Japan, China, and India and stringent safety regulations in these countries. Changing government approach towards fleet operators, drivers, passengers, and goods safety has imposed many regulations, which mandate transportation OEMs to deliver vehicles with installed safety features. Additionally, improving socio-economic conditions in countries such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia have resulted in the growth of demand for premium segment fleets, which in turn has boosted the market for smart fleet management in these countries.

The report covers all the major players in the global Smart Fleet Management Market such as Continental AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), and Otto Maritime Limited (Singapore) among others.

Browse related reports:

Connected Car Devices Market by Communication Type (V2V, V2I, V2P), Connectivity Type (DSRC, Cellular Network), Product Type (Das, Telematics), Vehicle Type (PC, LCV & HCV), Electric Vehicle Type (BEV, HEV, PHEV, FCV) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/connected-car-devices-market-233573128.html

ADAS Market by Type (ACC, HUD, TPMS, LDWS, Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Front Lights, Electronic Brake Assist, Park Assist, Night Vision, Pedestrian Detection, Road Sign Recognition, Drowsiness Monitor), Sensor Technology (Ultrasonic, Image, RADAR, LIDAR, Infrared), Vehicle Type, & by Region - Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/driver-assistance-systems-market-1201.html

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SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Global Payout, Inc. (OTC PINK: GOHE) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that its majority owned subsidiary MoneyTrac Technology, Inc., ("MTT") has executed a Joint Venture agreement ("JV") with Compliance Financial Network Corp ("CFN"), an innovative compliance technology and cash logistics company.

The JV provides MTT with the opportunity to integrate pivotal compliance solutions and features within its existing electronic payment processing technology, which is powered by the Virtu Network Solutions ("VNS") platform. The Company contends these features will aid in the ability to more effectively manage and mitigate risk as well as comply with all federal, state and county level regulatory requirements.

Additionally, MTT believes that this integration may especially benefit many of the businesses they are targeting that operate within "high-risk" or "alternative" industries. These organizations are typically under added compliance-related scrutiny from federal, state and county regulatory officials to meet all necessary AML/BSA and FinCEN as well as KYC and KYCC mandates, and Virtu Network Solutions will meet that need.

"We are incredibly pleased to have finalized this JV with our partners at CFN," said MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. COO, Vanessa Luna. "For our existing and future clients operating businesses in high-risk industries, maintaining strict compliance procedures is crucial to the livelihood of their business. Integrating CFN's proprietary compliance processes into our electronic payment processing technology will provide our clients with the most comprehensive compliance features possible and will provide the opportunity for optimum financial management from all angles," Ms. Luna further remarked.

"Part of CFN's central commitment is to deliver its comprehensive Regulatory Technologies (RegTech) and compliance solutions to the various challenged business types across the nation," said Christian Murray, Co-Founder, and CEO of CFN. "We understand the many regulatory and compliance-related challenges our financial institutions have and deliver solutions to solve these complex requirements. We truly believe this JV with Global Payout is an exciting and unique opportunity for us to broaden this commitment by extending our solutions to Global Payout's growing client base in alternative industries who are often challenged with obtaining and keeping depository business banking services to meet the needs of their clients," Mr. Murray commented further.

About Global Payout, Inc.

Since the Company's inception in 2009, Global Payout, Inc., www.globalpayout.com, has been a leading provider of comprehensive and customized prepaid payment solutions for domestic and international organizations distributing money worldwide. In 2014, Global introduced its first online payment platform called the Consolidated Payment Gateway (CPG), which allowed its enterprise clients to transfer money to international bank accounts, mobile accounts, and prepaid card accounts. The development of the CPG became the foundation for the introduction of its new, state of the art FINTECH payment system in 2017, for both online and mobile applications to allow account holders to maximize an expanded suite of financial services and minimize operational costs. Global will continue to offer their FINTECH payment system to many vertical markets for support of foreign currency exchange and digital currency, including ongoing support of the banking industry and international governments.

About MoneyTrac Technology

MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. is a pioneer in offering a full-service solution for alternative banking and electronic financial solutions and provides all aspects of financial technology including E-Wallet and mobile apps services for businesses and companies in various "high-risk" industries. MoneyTrac's technology platform allows for its clients to access their financial information from anywhere in the world, in addition to providing tracking and compliance to help them manage and control the flow of all revenue through their business.

About Compliance Financial Network

Compliance Financial Network (CFN) brings innovative and unique solutions to the market to properly manage and mitigate risk as well as comply with all federal, state and county level regulatory requirements. CFN's core focus is delivering technology solutions to financial institutions and alternative industries to meet all necessary AML/BSA and FinCen as well as KYC and KYCC mandates.

CFN operates with integrity and complete transparency with all clients and financial partners to ensure long-term solutions. They pride themselves as being a company who understands the needs of the clients and the needs of their banks and financial institutions. CFN continues to forge new partnerships within the banking and financial industry and is always open to exploring a fit based on the values they stand by.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may", "will", "to", "plan", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "could", "would", "estimate", or "continue", or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Global Payout, Inc.

www.globalpayout.com

MoneyTrac Technology, Inc.

www.moneytractechnology.com

Compliance Financial Network

www.cfncorp.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone: 619-795-5810

Email: investorinfo@globalpayout.com






LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Shares of Capita Group plc (CPI.L) were gaining around 14 percent in London trading after the business process management services company said Tuesday that its overall performance of trading businesses in the year to date is in line with expectations.



The company said it is making good progress on executing strategic initiatives laid out at the end of 2016 to reposition the firm.



'We remain confident that the decisive actions we commenced in 2016 will make Capita a simpler business, better positioned to exploit our fundamental strengths and generate renewed sales performance, supporting a clear pathway to return to sustainable profitable growth in 2018 and beyond,' the company said in its statement.



The company also said it is on track to realise net incremental benefits in line with expectations.



In its trading update, the company noted that the turnaround of IT Services is progressing better than expected, with improving profitability following the restructuring of the divisional management team and operating model. There are also steady signs of improvement in Capita Europe, its customer management operations in Germany and Switzerland.



However, trading across property, employee benefits consulting and learning services operations is yet to improve.



Following recent media coverage, Capita confirmed that it has entered a period of exclusive engagement with British Airways to explore forming a potential partnership to support its global customer contact operations. No final decisions regarding the outcome of this engagement have been made.



The company also said it continues to expect the majority of sales decisions by value to come in the second half of this year.



Further, the firm said its Board is making good progress in the search to select a new Chief Executive and the selection process is moving forward with a shortlist of strong candidates.



Looking ahead, Capita said that as previously stated, 2017 is expected to be a transitional year for the Group.



In London, Capita shares were trading at 625 pence, up 13.53 percent.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Critical Elements Corporation (the "Corporation" or "Critical Elements") (TSX VENTURE: CRE)(OTCQX: CRECF)(FRANKFURT: F12) announces the appointment of Lloyd Mayappo, former Cree Chief in Eastmain from 2005 to 2008, as a Cree relation coordinator. Mr. Mayappo speaks fluently French, English and Cree which is an important communication asset and will facilitate employees integration. This nomination illustrates the importance of Critical Elements in maintaining good relations with the community and encourages collaboration development that are favourable for the company and for members of the Cree Nation.

Well established in his community, Lloyd Mayappo has demonstrated his strong leadership skills. His expertise is based on more than 30 years of experience as a foreman, project manager and contact person within the Eastmain Cree Nation. His role at Critical Elements will be to act as a conduit between the Corporation and the community. He will support the leadership team in hiring Cree Nation employees and will advise them on the steps to take as to engage the community in the company's operations.

"We are very proud to have Lloyd Mayappo on our team," said Jean-Sebastien Lavallee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Critical Elements. "His strong experience as a program manager and community relations officer will be an undeniable asset as to providing advice on hiring and communicating with the Eastmain Cree community."

Since the very beginning, Critical Elements, an advanced exploration mining company, is committed to maintaining good relations with the Cree Nation community. It attributes great importance to carrying out its projects all the while respecting the population of the region. In fact, consultation procedures carried out to date have made it possible to establish a dialogue with the community.

About Critical Elements Corporation

A recent financial analysis (Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Rose lithium-tantalum Project, Genivar, December 2011) of the Rose project, 100% owned by Critical Elements, based on price forecasts of US $260/kg ($118/lb) for Ta2O5 contained in a tantalite concentrate and US $6,000/t for lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) showed an estimated after-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 25% for the Rose project, with an estimated Net Present Value (NPV) of CA $279 million at an 8% discount rate. The payback period is estimated at 4.1 years. The pre-tax IRR is estimated at 33% and the NPV at CA $488 million at a discount rate of 8%. (Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability). (The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature). (See press release dated November 21, 2011.) The PEA includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized.

The conclusions of the PEA indicate that the operation would support a production rate of 26,606 tons of high purity (99.9% battery grade) Li2CO3 and 206,670 pounds of Ta2O5 per year over a 17-year mine life.

The project hosts a current Indicated resource of 26.5 million tonnes of 1.30% Li2O Eq. or 0.98% Li2O and 163 ppm Ta2O5 and an Inferred resource of 10.7 million tonnes of 1.14% Li2O Eq. or 0.86% Li2O and 145 ppm Ta2O5.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Jean-Sebastien Lavallee, P.Geo.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

819-354-5146

jslavalle@cecorp.ca

www.cecorp.ca



Investor Relations:

Paradox Public Relations

514-341-0408




DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / Texas' acclaimed residential property industry mogul, Marcus Hiles emphasizes that LEED Certification, among a plethora of apartment construction projects, is one of the most cost-effective, efficient, and demanded housing types highly regarded by today's rental consumer. The fact that LEED-Certified Apartment Construction has increased by tenfold since 2008, underscores its importance in the marketplace. Hiles' projects illustrate in solid numbers that the LEED combination of healthy materials, focus on performance, smart grid thinking, and efficient water use are directly related to higher financial returns and rental rates, optimized health and productivity of residents, improved public relations, as well as significant savings in expenditures for energy and operating costs.

Founded in 1993 by a group that included Rick Fedrizzi, the U.S. Green Building Council, USGBC, and the LEED certification system, an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, has grown rapidly. Over a period of ten years, the organization expanded to 14 billion square feet in registered, certified space, with buildings located in 150 countries according to Forbes Magazine. The rapid growth is the result of a meeting of the minds between business and environmentalists. Marcus Hiles agrees with Fedrizzi's comment in The Guardian, acknowledging that "sustainability is profitable and that profitability can be sustainable." Fedrizzi adds, in his book titled Greenthink, "The way it works is that developers, owners and tenants see significant savings and environmental benefits from green buildings, while USGBC members see significant financial returns." The concept has been embraced even by the most venerable of financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, as noted by Fortune Magazine, and the biggest of tech firms, as the New York Times stated in a piece about Intel's $1 billion Ho Chi Minh City chip factory voluntarily seeking USGBC certification.

As superyacht owners request hybrid, fuel-saving propulsion, luxury travelers seek sustainable accommodation, and corporations experience financial benefits related to green buildings, the demand for LEED Certified Apartment Construction continues to follow suit. The USGBC website reports the trend remains mainly because owners of green buildings faced an average of 19.2 percent improvement in ROI for existing buildings and about a 9.9 percent new project return. According to a Smart Market Report from McGraw Hill, multifamily builders cite reasons for building to LEED standards, with more than half citing customer demand, three-quarters citing savings on energy use, and about 70 percent recognizing government or utility incentives, with about 65 percent acknowledging a competitive market advantage over less sustainable properties.

Marcus Hiles placed himself ahead of the curve early on, using his intuition to satisfy market demand for healthier lifestyles and wellness environments among apartment rental customers through his companies under the Western Rim Properties umbrella. Nurturing neighborhoods, not projects, and forging important bonds among employees, residents, and locations through mentorship, work ethic, and philanthropic activities, Hiles has emerged as a lifestyle leader in the multifamily market. With more than 15,000 upscale residential properties under his wing across the state of Texas, Hiles continues to advance the industry, acting on opportunity to create appealing, affordable high-end developments attentive to green standards.

Marcus Hiles - Chairman & CEO of Western Rim Property Services: http://www.MarcusHiles-News.com

Marcus D Hiles Founder Of Texas based Western Rim Property Services: http://www.marcusdhiles.com

Marcus Hiles (@marcus.hiles) - Instagram photos and videos: https://www.instagram.com/marcus.hiles/

Contact Information

MarcusHiles-News.com

www.MarcusHiles-News.com

marcus@marcushiles-news.com

SOURCE: Marcus Hiles
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / Theralase Technologies Inc. ("Theralase" or the "Company") (TSXV: TLT) (OTCQX: TLTFF), a leading biotechnology company focused on the commercialization of medical devices to eliminate pain and the development of Photo Dynamic Compounds ("PDCs") to destroy cancer, announced todaythat its latest research on dosimetry planning and Phase Ib Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer ("NMIBC") clinical study data ("Study") was recently presented on June 9th, at the 16th International Photodynamic Association ("IPA") World Congress held from June 8th to 13th, 2017 in Coimbra, Portugal.

The IPA was founded in 1986 and its membership consists of some of the most prominent international clinicians and scientists involved in performing and researching Photo Dynamic Therapy ("PDT") and Photo Diagnosis ("PD"). The IPA promotes the study of diagnosis and clinical treatment using light and Photo Sensitizers ("PSs"), and disseminates this knowledge to IPA members, the medical community and the general public. The IPA World Congress is held every two years and is quickly becoming known as the premier forum to communicate outstanding advances in the clinical and research aspects of PDT and PD.

The clinical data for the initial three patients treated in the Study with the recommended starting dose of TLD-1433 PDC (0.35 mg/cm2), which laid the groundwork for an advanced, personalized and patient specific PDT platform technology was presented at the 16th IPA World Congress.

Theralase is using the Study to evaluate its lead PDC, TLD-1433, for the: primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, secondary endpoint of Pharmaco Kinetics ("PK") (movement and exit of drug within tissue) and exploratory endpoint of efficacy.

A Theralase affiliated researcher presented, "Creating and monitoring a steep PDT-dose gradient for intravesical Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer." US

To view the TLD 1433 PDC Molecule, please click on the link below:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLTFF11.jpg

The Theralase patented PDC, TLD-1433 has demonstrated pre-clinically that it is:

Highly soluble and stable in water (demonstrating versatility to be used intravesically (instilled through a catheter) into the bladder or intravenously into tissue)

Exceptional ability to destroy in-vivo tumors across various animal models

Proven safe in Good Laboratory Practice ("GLP") pharmacology and toxicology studies

Photographic data demonstrating how TLD-1433 had the ability to localize specifically to human bladder cancer tumours during the Phase Ib NMIBC clinical study, staining them yellowish after a sixty minute intravesical installation, while leaving healthy bladder urothelium untouched.

To view the image of a cancer tumour in Phase Ib, please click on the link below:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLTFF1new.jpg

The Target Light Radiant Exposure ("Dose") of 90 J/cm2 (+/- 20%) was achieved in the first 3 patients based on 6 light dose sensors.

To view the image of the Graph for Target Light Radiant Exposure, please click on the link below:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLTFF2.png

The clinical evidence of the primary outcome measure of safety and tolerability demonstrated that there were no Significant Adverse Effects ("SAEs") observed in the patients during the 30 day follow-up period post treatment and the only Adverse Events ("AEs") reported during that period were mild or moderate in nature, and hence not clinically significant, with over 80% of them (9/11) completely resolved within 21 days of treatment. These clinical findings on the first 3 patients supported the conclusion of achievement of the primary outcome measure of safety and tolerability of the PDT treatment.

The clinical evidence of the secondary outcome measure of PK demonstrated that the amount of TLD-1433 resident in plasma was less than 1 ng/ml after 24 hours and virtually negligible 72 hours post treatment. The amount of TLD-1433 resident in urine was less than 100 ng/ml after 24 hours and virtually negligible 72 hours post treatment.These clinical findings on the first 3 patients supported the conclusion of achievement of the secondary outcome measure of PK of the PDT treatment.

To view the graphs of the concentration of Plasma and Urine in Samples, please click on the following link:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLTFF3.jpg

to view the images of the Fiber Optic Cage, please click on the following link:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLT1new2.jpg

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLT2new.jpg

to view a Bar Graph of the Dosimetry, please click on the following link:

https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/TLT3new.jpg

Note: Data points represent average TLD-1433 concentrations per ml of sample (mean +/- standard deviations). n = 3 patients.

The TLC-3200 Medical Laser System ("TLC-3200") combines laser light delivery and dosimetry via the TLC-3400 Dosimetry Fibre Optic Cage ("TLC-3400" or "DFOC") to deliver laser light energy of a specific wavelength ("nm") and energy density ("J/cm2") to the bladder wall. The TLC-3200 then visibly signals the surgeon via a computer monitor when this irradiation has been achieved and to discontinue treatment.

The DFOC thus allows the surgeon to adjust Dose delivery in direct response to: bladder shape, volume and diffuse reflectance of the bladder wall, thus providing a consistent Dose to the patient's inner bladder wall surface.

The current approach taken by Theralase in personalizing the drug and light delivery during PDT treatment of NMIBC allowed the achievement of the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, as well as the secondary endpoint of PK on the first three patients. This initial analysis allowed the determination of the preferable dose (light and PS) ultimately maximizing the success of subsequent phase II clinical trials.

Conclusions of the presentation included:

TLD-1433 has good selectivity compared to other PSs

Intravesical instillation is adequate to deliver TLD-1433 to NMIBC

Laser light of 525 to 532 nm in wavelength provides effective activation of the PDC up to 2 to 3 mm, more than sufficient for NMIBC

Irradiance across the bladder surface is heterogenous

TLD-1433 NMIBC PDT produces non-clinically significant AEs.

Longer term observations will determine the efficacy of the PDT treatment

Roger Dumoulin-White, President and CEO of Theralase stated that, "Theralase is delighted that the latest dosimetry planning and Phase Ib clinical study results were presented to such a respected group of international researchers and clinicians at the 16th IPA World Congress. This research will ultimately allow Theralase to successfully commercialize this next generation PDT technology, after efficacy has been proven, now that safety, tolerability and PK have been established."

Based on these clinical findings, the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board ("DSMB") has unanimously decided that the primary and secondary objectives for the first part of the Study have successfully been met and an additional 6 patients are now eligible to be enrolled into the Study to be treated at a therapeutic dose of the PDC (0.70 mg/cm2) and monitored for 180 days, according to the endpoint criteria.

About Theralase Technologies Inc.

Theralase Technologies Inc. ("Theralase" or the "Company") (TSXV: TLT) (OTCQX: TLTFF) in its Therapeutic Laser Technology ("TLT") Division designs, manufactures, markets and distributes patented super-pulsed laser technology indicated for the treatment of chronic knee pain, and in off-label use, the elimination of pain, reduction of inflammation and dramatic acceleration of tissue healing for numerous nerve, muscle and joint conditions. Theralase's Photo Dynamic Therapy ("PDT") Division researches and develops specially designed molecules called Photo Dynamic Compounds ("PDCs"), which localize to cancer cells and then when laser light activated, effectively destroy them.

Additional information is available at www.theralase.com and www.sedar.com.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which reflect the current expectations of management of the Corporation's future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed use of proceeds. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "potential for" and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Corporation's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements; including, without limitation, those listed in the filings made by the Corporation with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in the news release are based upon what management currently believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Corporation cannot assure prospective investors that actual results, performance or achievements will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise except as required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchanges) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For More Information:

Roger Dumoulin-White

President & CEO

1.866.THE.LASE (843-5273) ext. 225

416.699.LASE (5273) ext. 225

rwhite@theralase.com

www.theralase.com

SOURCE: Theralase Technologies Inc.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Vemanti Group Enters Agreement With Plutos Capital Group To Expand Investments Into Vietnam & Southeast Asia

Vemanti Group, Inc., "Company", a diversified holding company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with investment bank Plutos Capital Group, "PCG", to bring institutional offerings and investments to and from Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The new agreement will leverage PCG's institutional investment resources and management experience to strengthen the Company's reach into Vietnam and Southeast Asia where opportunities abound. This will include a variety of financing options, acquisitions, divestitures, or recapitalizations for companies looking to structure and finance their strategic growth plans in the United States.

"We are thrilled about this new relationship and the opportunity to create additional value for our clients from the fast-growing economies of Vietnam and Southeast Asia. We believe overall conditions for the region are very positive. With Vemanti's knowledge and experience, we trust our clients will be pleased as we make their offering(s) available to the region's entrepreneurs and investors," stated Kari Laitinen, PCG's Managing Director.

Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti, commented, "Having such agreement in place with PCG provides us with immediate access to first-class investment banking expertise and financial resources. This partnership resonates deeply in our strategy of being an investment conduit between the US and the fourth largest market in the world. PCG's capacity and track record will definitely be an advantage as we navigate through the fundamental drivers and outlook among these booming economies to capture the right investment opportunities."

The 2017 edition of "Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India", a bi-annual publication on regional economic growth, development and regional integration in Emerging Asia, prepared by the Asia Desk of OECD Development Centre, in co-operation with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) states that real GDP growth is expected to remain robust at an average of 6.2% over 2017-21. The Philippines and Vietnam are the 2 countries that are expected to grow the most among the ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) countries at an average rate of 6.1% and 6.2% per year respectively to 2021.

About Vemanti Group, Inc.

Vemanti Group, Inc. is a diversified holding company that's looking to be active in high-growth and technology-driven emerging markets. The Company plans to grow by adding value-added and fundamentally-sound businesses to its portfolio and by focusing on opportunities in the emerging markets of Vietnam and Southeast Asia where the economic force is projected to be a strong driver of global growth for years to come.

About Plutos Capital Group, LLC

PCG, a subsidiary of Plutos Sama, LLC, is a full-service investment bank focused on the needs of middle-market businesses with revenues of $10 million to $500 million USD. PCG is also an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction of Global Emerging Capital Group, a New York Stock Exchange Member firm, located at 44 Wall Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10005.

PCG advises corporations in structuring and financing their strategic growth plans. This includes a variety of financing options, acquisitions, divestitures, and recapitalizations. PCG's senior investment bankers bring extensive industry and cross-border expertise, strong relationships with institutional investors and significant transactional experience to each engagement. Team members have been actively involved in numerous corporate financings and M&A transactions across an array of key industry sectors.

Legal Disclaimer

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 and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control.

Contact Information



Vemanti Group, Inc.

Investor Relations

(800) 768-1288

ir@vemanti.com
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / Renowned property investor Jacob Frydman of New York City shares thoughts on the unprecedented amount of Manhattan's office leases reaching a two-year high, as noted by the Savills Studley Report, and why this has taken place. The regular guest-analyst on television programs such as Bloomberg TV and Fox News specializes in emerging market trends, and has conducted real estate transactions totaling over $2 billion.

During 2016's second quarter, leasing activity reached an eight-quarter high of 8.0 million square feet (msf). Boosted by several large transactions in Grand Central, and a consistently strong Midtown South market, the record quarter marked only the second time in two years that over 5.0 msf were leased. Jacob Frydman remarked that Manhattan's office sector has not only rebounded from its crash of 2008, but that it is actually performing better than it had prior to.

Grand Central experienced five major transactions, including three of the top four in Manhattan, which totaled over 1.0 msf leased. A deal with NYU's Langone Medical Center was the largest of these; the center acquired an office space with almost 400,000 sf on East 41st Street. Midtown South exceeded a long-term quarterly average of over 1.0 msf for the tenth time in twelve quarters, proving to be the city's most consistent market. The district has had nearly 500,000 sf of sublet space added, a sign of its willingness to adapt to small and innovative technology, advertising, media and information (TAMI) tenants.

Vacancy rates fell across the board with an average rate of 8.8%, and Midtown South reporting the lowest rate of 6.3%, remaining one of the tightest Central Business Districts in America. Driving competition was the TAMI sector, as these tenants accounted for 41% of new leases acquired over 10,000 sf. As a result of the persistent demand for 20,000 to 50,000 sf spaces, Cushman & Wakefield's second quarter statistics reported a June average rent price of $72.99 per square foot (psf), the highest since September of 2008.

At 13.6 msf leased during the first six months, 2016's brisk start is well above historical averages, and New York continues to be one of the nation's leading cities in employment growth. Jacob Frydman expects tenants to continue to push demand, and believes the market is fundamentally strong enough to produce activity that surpasses 2012 and 2013 levels, both benchmark years.

Over his 30-year career, Jacob Frydman has become a recognized authority in the real estate investment industry. His impressive experiences with structuring, financing, and executing highly complex real estate transactions have led him to acquire over five million square feet of property amounting over $2 billion. He often discusses business, law, and ethics at Columbia University and in the Master's Lecturer series at New York Law School. An avid philanthropist who cares greatly for his Jewish community, Frydman also supports many charitable committees, including The Chabad of Dutchess County and The Brem Foundation.

Jacob Frydman - Blog - JacobFrydmanNews.com: http://JacobFrydmanNews.com

Jacob Frydman (@jacobfrydman) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacobfrydman

Jacob Frydman -- Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/jacob-frydman

Contact Information:

JacobFrydmanNews.com

contact@jacobfrydmannews.com

www.JacobFrydmanNews.com

SOURCE: Jacob Frydman
Regulatory News:

27 July 2017

RELX Group announces today the appointment of Suzanne Wood as a Non-executive Director of RELX NV and RELX PLC with effect from 26 September 2017, subject to shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting of RELX NV to be held that day. She will also be appointed a Non-executive Director of RELX Group plc.

Ms Wood is currently the Group Finance Director of Ashtead Group plc, a FTSE 100 international company which specialises in renting construction and industrial equipment. From 2003 until her appointment as Finance Director in 2012, Ms Wood was Chief Financial Officer of Ashtead Group's largest subsidiary, Sunbelt Rentals Inc in the US. Previously, she also served as Chief Financial Officer of two US publicly-listed companies, Oakwood Homes Corporation and Tultex Corporation. Ms Wood, who is a US citizen, is a Chartered Accountant and trained with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where she started her career.

Commenting on the appointment, Anthony Habgood, Chairman said:

"I would like to welcome Suzanne to RELX Group. With more than 30 years' experience in senior finance roles in the US and UK, and financial experience at Board level in publicly-listed companies on both sides of the Atlantic, Suzanne will be a valuable addition to our Boards. Suzanne's appointment continues RELX Group's ongoing evolution of its Boards and I look forward to her joining us later in the year."

In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.13 (1) to (6) Ms Wood has advised that Oakwood Homes Corporation, of which she was Chief Financial Officer, filed a plan of reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in 2002. There are no additional details to disclose under Listing Rule 9.6.13 (1) to (6) in respect of the appointment of Ms Wood.

-ENDS-

Issued on behalf of RELX PLC and RELX NV

Notes to Editors

About RELX Group

RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX.The total market capitalisation is approximately 32bn/36bn/$42bn.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170726006031/en/

Contacts:

ENQUIRIES:

RELX PLC and RELX NV

Colin Tennant (Investors)

+44 (0)20 7166 5751

or

Paul Abrahams (Media)

+44 (0)20 7166 5724
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A) ("Shaw") announced today that it has entered into a share purchase agreement ("SPA") with GI Partners portfolio company Peak 10 Holding Corporation ("Peak 10") to sell 100% of its wholly-owned subsidiary ViaWest, Inc. ("ViaWest") for approximately C$2.3 billion (US$1.675 billion) (the "Transaction"). ViaWest provides hybrid IT solutions, including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

"The ViaWest acquisition in 2014 marked a pivotal moment in Shaw's history and provided a growth engine which has delivered, and continues to deliver, strong results. The outlook for ViaWest remains robust, though the North American colocation and managed services industry is consolidating and scale is becoming an important factor for continued long-term success. We believe the combination of ViaWest and Peak 10 creates a platform for growth and ensures the combined entity's customers and employees are well positioned for the future. I would like to personally thank Nancy, her management team, and all 600 of ViaWest's employees for their commitment and dedication during the three years of Shaw's ownership," said Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications.

"The combination of ViaWest and Peak 10 creates the largest privately held and most respected provider of data centre infrastructure, cloud technology and managed IT solutions in North America with a national footprint," said Nancy Phillips, President & CEO of ViaWest. "We believe that bringing together these hybrid IT infrastructure companies strengthens ViaWest's position among its competitors and, as a combined entity, will be able to further leverage and maximize growth opportunities."

"We will continue to partner with the new entity to leverage its combined expertise and scale to provide our Western Canadian data centre customers with greater innovation and breadth of services, which is consistent with our best-in-class partner-led approach," Mr. Shaw said.

Fairness Opinion

As exclusive financial advisor to Shaw, TD Securities Inc. ("TD Securities") provided an opinion to the Board of Directors of Shaw that, subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations provided therein, the consideration to be received by Shaw pursuant to the Transaction is fair to Shaw, from a financial point of view.

Transaction Details

The purchase price of approximately C$2.3 billion (US$1.675 billion), represents an attractive return on Shaw's original investment of US$1.2 billion, or approximately C$1.3 billion at the prevailing exchange rate at the time. Consideration pursuant to the Transaction is comprised of all cash.

Shaw expects to realize net cash proceeds from the Transaction of approximately C$900 million after the repayment of ViaWest level indebtedness of approximately US$580 million, repayment of the US$380 million Shaw credit facility borrowings associated with the original investment and subsequent INetU acquisition, and estimated Transaction expenses and taxes.

The Transaction is subject to customary conditions, including U.S. regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of fiscal 2017(1). The Transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

Advisors and Legal Counsel for Shaw

TD Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Dentons Canada LLP provided legal advice.

About Shaw Communications

Shaw Communications Inc. is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony and video. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE - SJR, and TSXV - SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this news release that are not historic constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to: statements related to the sale of ViaWest, the expected net cash proceeds (repayment of ViaWest level debt) therefrom. These statements are based on assumptions made by Shaw that it believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, including without limitation, that regulatory approvals will be received and other conditions to closing the Transaction will be satisfied. There is the risk that one or more of these assumptions will not prove to be accurate and this may affect closing of the Transaction. Undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement. Except as required by law, Shaw disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

(1) Note: Shaw has an August fiscal year-end.

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Inquiries:

Investor Relations

investor.relations@sjrb.ca

www.shaw.ca



Shaw Communications Inc.

Media Inquiries:

Chethan Lakshman

VP External Affairs

(403) 930-8448

chethan.lakshman@sjrb.ca




PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY and MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Braeburn") and Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) ("Knight"), a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that Knight's New Drug Submission (NDS) has been accepted for review by Health Canada for PROBUPHINE (buprenorphine subdermal implant) for the treatment of opioid drug dependence.

"Probuphine is a unique and innovative product that has the potential to address an important unmet need for opioid dependent patients," said Jonathan Ross Goodman, Chief Executive Officer of Knight. "With Probuphine, Knight is continuing to advance its portfolio of opioid supportive therapeutics, which includes Movantik, a product for opioid-induced constipation we in-licensed from AstraZeneca and began commercializing in March of this year."

"Opioid addiction is an overwhelming public health epidemic in North America. This is another important milestone for Probuphine, an innovative treatment approach with the potential to reduce the risks of diversion, abuse and accidental pediatric exposure," said Mike Derkacz, President and CEO of Braeburn. "We look forward to working with Knight and Health Canada to bring this important treatment option to Canadian patients."

Knight and Braeburn signed an exclusive distribution and sublicense agreement in February 2016 granting Knight the exclusive right to distribute Probuphine in Canada.

About PROBUPHINE

Probuphine is the only subdermal implant designed to deliver buprenorphine continuously for six months following a single treatment, and to promote patient compliance and retention. Buprenorphine, which is the active ingredient in multiple approved drug products for the treatment of opioid dependence, is currently available in sublingual and buccal formulations that require self-administration by patients on a daily basis.

Probuphine was developed using ProNeura, the continuous drug delivery system developed by Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Titan") that consists of a small, solid implant made from a mixture of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and a drug substance. The resulting construct is a solid matrix that is placed subdermally, normally in the upper arm in an outpatient office procedure, and removed in a similar manner at the end of the treatment period. Titan licensed the rights to commercialize Probuphine in the U.S. and Canada to Braeburn in 2012. Braeburn obtained Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval for Probuphine in May 2016. Braeburn received a dedicated reimbursement code (J-Code) from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in January 2017 and deployed a new field force to expand commercialization efforts.

The efficacy and safety of Probuphine has previously been studied in several clinical studies. In July 2016, the results of the first comparative trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of a six-month buprenorphine implant relative to sublingual buprenorphine in patients with opioid use disorder were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study showed that Probuphine was non-inferior to sublingual buprenorphine on the primary endpoint of at least 4 of 6 months with no illicit opioid use by drug testing and self-report among opioid-dependent adults previously stabilized on sublingual buprenorphine.

Additionally, relative to participants using sublingual buprenorphine, participants maintained on Probuphine were more likely to sustain abstinence from illicit opioids. At 6 months, 85.7% of the Probuphine implant group remained abstinent each month relative to 71.9% of the sublingual buprenorphine group. In the Probuphine implant and sublingual buprenorphine groups, 81/84 (96.4%) and 78/89 (87.6%) of participants, respectively, were responders. While the trial was designed to assess non-inferiority, the buprenorphine implant was shown to be superior to sublingual buprenorphine based on the responder rate.

The most recent study enrolled 177 subjects who were randomized to receive either the Probuphine implants or sublingual tablets, for a treatment period of six months. Subjects in one group received four Probuphine implants plus daily placebo sublingual tablets. A second group received four placebo implants plus daily sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone tablets (less than or equal to8mg/day).

The study met its primary objective of showing non-inferiority based on comparison of the proportion of treatment responders in each treatment arm. A responder was defined as having at least four out of six months free of illicit opiates based on urine testing and subject self-report. Additional analyses consistently demonstrated that Probuphine was non-inferior to sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone arm.

About Braeburn Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, an Apple Tree Partners company, is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company delivering individualized medicine in neuroscience. Long-acting therapeutic treatment options can be essential to improving patient outcomes and facilitating recovery in neurological and psychiatric disorders, which are often complicated by stigma and present significant public health challenges. Braeburn's commercial product, Probuphine (buprenorphine) implant was approved by the FDA in May 2016. Braeburn's investigational product pipeline consists of long-acting implantable and injectable therapies for serious neurological and psychiatric disorders, including opioid addiction, pain, and schizophrenia. Braeburn's pipeline products are at various stages of clinical development and include weekly and monthly CAM2038, subcutaneous injection depot formulations of buprenorphine, being investigated in opioid addiction and pain, BB0417 buprenorphine/granisetron injectable for acute pain, and BB0817, six-month risperidone implant being investigated in schizophrenia. More information on Braeburn can be found at www.braeburnpharmaceuticals.com.

About Knight Therapeutics Inc.

Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the company's web site at www.gudknight.com or www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time they were prepared, but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law.

Probuphine Indication and Important Safety Information

Probuphine is indicated for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in patients who have achieved and sustained prolonged clinical stability on low-to-moderate doses of a transmucosal buprenorphine-containing product (i.e., doses of no more than 8 mg per day of Subutex or Suboxone sublingual tablet or generic equivalent).

Probuphine should be used as part of a complete treatment program to include counseling and psychosocial support.

Probuphine is not appropriate for new entrants to treatment and patients who have not achieved and sustained prolonged clinical stability, while being maintained on buprenorphine 8 mg per day or less of a Subutex or Suboxone sublingual tablet or generic equivalent.

Contacts:

Knight Therapeutics Inc.

Jeffrey Kadanoff, P.Eng., MBA

Chief Financial Officer

514-484-GUD1 (4831)

514-481-4116 (FAX)

info@gudknight.com

www.gudknight.com



Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sherry Feldberg

MSLGROUP Boston

781-684-0770

braeburnpharma@mslgroup.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 --

Historic Drilling Highlights: D-445: 42.5m @ 3.92 g/t gold ML-86: 48.8m @ 2.96 g/t gold ML-338 73.2m @ 2.05 g/t gold

Corvus Gold Inc. ("Corvus" or the "Company") - (TSX: KOR) (OTCQX: CORVF) announces its planned 2017 exploration and resource development program for the newly acquired Mother Lode project in Nevada, approximately 10 kilometres from the Company's North Bullfrog project (Figure 1). Corvus completed the purchase of 100% of the Mother Lode property with the issuance of 1,000,000 Corvus common shares (deal announced June 6, 2017, NR-17-6).

The 2017 Mother Lode work plan will focus on the preparation of a mineral resource estimation to comply with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") requirements ((i)historical estimate is 8.5Mt at an average grade of 1.6 g/t gold totaling 433,000 ozs of gold with the last significant exploration program occurring in the late 1980's; past heap leach production included 34,000 ozs of gold at an average grade of 1.8 g/t). The Mother Lode Project has areas of potential mill and heap leach grade mineralization within a low strip ratio, open pit configuration offering potential as a satellite operation for Corvus' North Bullfrog project.

To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1097066_Fig1.jpg

(i) Quoted historical resource numbers are not NI 43-101 estimates

Jeff Pontius, President and CEO of Corvus said, "The Mother Lode project has potential as a large satellite operation for Corvus' North Bullfrog project. In reviewing the project data, a number of areas have emerged that outline large potential for mineralization which could allow for an expansion of the proposed milling operations at the North Bullfrog project. The project has not been explored since the late 1980's when gold was trading at $400/oz or below. Additionally, the bulk of the past drilling on the project was vertical to depths of less than 200 metres and many times ended in mineralization. The Mother Lode has a unique value add and synergy potential for Corvus' North Bullfrog project."

Mother Lode Exploration Potential

The Mother Lode project area hosts a relatively high-grade, open pit, mixed sulfide-oxide, deposit in both Tertiary volcanic-sedimentary rocks and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. The deposit has at least three shallow, north dipping, tabular zones of mineralization with higher grade (+2 g/t Au) core areas localized along major District scale, north trending structural zones. In addition, the large tabular bodies reflect sympathetic low-angle structures to the basial Fluorspar Canyon Fault ("FCF") which is a large regional listric, detachment related, structural zone extending for many tens of miles to the west. In the area of the Mother Lode deposit the FCF rotates into a north-south structural zone which was key in the structural development of the rocks that host this large, high-grade deposit.

The key exploration targets on the Mother Lode project are (see Figure 2):

I. The expansion of the main deposit's high-grade zones. The main deposit hosts a large high-grade core zone that is related to a major N-S trending structural zone that dislocates the large FCF. This major fault intersection has created extensive fracturing and a highly favorable area for gold mineralization. The core area is a couple hundred metres wide and could extend for several hundred metres to the north. The historic vertical drilling poorly evaluated this high angle structural zone and follow-up angle drilling could enhance the zones already high- grades. High-Grade Main Zone Target(i) Gold Grade Drill Hole # from (m) to (m) Interval (m) (g/t) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-85 48.8 134.1 85.3 1.52 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-86 68.6 117.3 48.8 2.96 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-115 86.9 140.2 53.3 2.14 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-442 129.8 184.4 54.6 2.91 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-445 80.9 123.4 42.5 3.92 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-447 123.4 159.8 36.4 1.92 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)Historical non-Corvus drill intercepts

II. Exploring the FCF structure at depth below the existing shallow drilling. The FCF has only been tested by (historical) drilling in a couple locations and those areas have returned encouraging results with the two holes ending in mineralization in the fault. In addition, the lower plate, limestones and shales, which host substantial mineralization to the south have never been tested particularly below the large Mother Lode main deposit. FCF Deep Targets(i) Gold Grade Drill Hole # from (m) to (m) Interval (m) (g/t) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-234 141.7 182.9 41.1 1.61 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-467 182.9 225.4 42.5 1.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)Historical non-Corvus drill intercepts

III.The Western and Northern extensions of the existing deposit. The current deposit is open to the north and west with the last holes drilled intersecting good grade mineralization over broad widths. Additionally, other scout drilling to the north and west did not drill deep enough to intersect the mineralized zones from the south. This is an artifact of the prevailing exploration philosophy of the time which commonly limited drilling to less than 200 metres, vertical holes and not designed to actually test the target. Western Expansion Targets(i) Gold Grade Drill Hole # from (m) to (m) Interval (m) (g/t) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-120 112.8 178.3 65.5 1.31 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-180 150.9 182.9 32.0 1.82 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-182 123.4 173.7 50.3 1.89 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-183 137.2 198.1 61.0 1.65 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)Historical non-Corvus Gold drill intercepts Northern Extension Targets(i) Gold Grade Drill Hole # from (m) to (m) Interval (m) (g/t) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-171 118.9 146.3 27.4 2.25 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-466 164.4 182.6 18.2 1.55 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML-338 261.2 334.4 73.2 2.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)Historical non-Corvus drill intercepts

In addition to the three key target areas outlined above, the project has two other targets that will be addressed in 2017. The first is a previously discovered deposit called the "Shear Zone" along the southwest edge of the property where mineralization extends down dip and along strike onto the Mother Lode property. The second area is the northern projection of two large structural targets associated with the Daisy deposit to the west of Mother Lode. Corvus will be doing first pass scout drilling on these targets this year as well.

To view Figure 2, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1097066_Fig2.jpg

Mother Lode Mine Development Plan

The Mother Lode mine development program will focus on three key initiatives:

1. Mineral resource estimation in compliance with NI 43-101 for incorporation into a technical report as well as a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") to be prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. This program will be integrated with the exploration project to confirm the existing drill database as well as testing new and deeper targets. The drilling plan is being developed in consultation with qualified persons ("QP") who will be involved in the NI-43-101 study. 2. Advancement of the preliminary metallurgical studies for both milling and heap leaching of the Mother Lode mineralization. In addition, test work will also be conducted on the application of the Atmospheric Alkaline Oxidation ("AAO") recovery enhancement method for both mill and heap leach material. The AAO test work at the North Bullfrog project has returned encouraging results from similar types of mineralization as Mother Lode. These metallurgical studies will be done in consultation with the QP's to generate definitive results expected be incorporated into the planned PEA study. 3. Mine permitting preparation will also be a focus with the initiation of long lead time initiative such as ground water, air and cultural surveys. The goal will be to allow the integration of the Mother Lode resource into the North Bullfrog mine development plan as soon as possible to maximize its financial impact on the overall project.

The overall exploration and mine development program has already begun with surface mapping/sampling and metallurgical test work on the ore zones exposed in the existing open pit. The drilling program is scheduled to begin in September with both Reverse Circular ("RC") and Core programs. The initial phase of the work is budgeted at approximately CAD $3 million.

The historic estimates for the Mother Lode property contained in this news release should not be relied upon. These estimates are not NI 43-101 compliant. While the Company considers these historical estimates to be relevant to investors as it may indicate the presence of mineralization, a qualified person for the Company has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources as defined by NI 43-101 and the Company is not treating these historical estimates as a current mineral resource.

About the North Bullfrog Project, Nevada

Corvus controls 100% of its North Bullfrog Project, which covers approximately 72 km2 in southern Nevada. The property package is made up of a number of private mineral leases of patented federal mining claims and 865 federal unpatented mining claims. The project has excellent infrastructure, being adjacent to a major highway and power corridor as well as a large water right. The Company also controls 65 federal unpatented mining claims on the Mother Lode project which totals 522 hectares, of which it owns 100%.

The North Bullfrog project includes numerous prospective gold targets at various stages of exploration with four having NI 43-101 mineral resources (Sierra Blanca, Jolly Jane, Mayflower and YellowJacket). The project contains a measured mineral resource of 3.86 Mt at an average grade of 2.55 g/t gold and 19.70 g/t silver, containing 316.5k ounces of gold and 2,445k ounces of silver, an indicated mineral resource of 1.81 Mt at an average grade of 1.53 g/t gold, and 10.20 g/t silver, containing 89.1k ounces of gold and 593.6k ounces of silver and an inferred resource of 1.48 Mt at an average grade of 0.83 g/t gold and 4.26 g/t silver, containing 39.5k ounces of gold and 202.7k ounces of silver for oxide mill processing. The mineral resource for the mill process was defined by Whittle optimization using all cost and recovery data and a breakeven cut-off grade of 0.52 g/t gold. In addition, the project contains a measured mineral resource of 0.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.25 g/t gold and 2.76 g/t silver, containing 2.4k ounces of gold and 26.6k ounces of silver, an indicated mineral resource of 22.86 Mt at an average grade of 0.30 g/t gold and 0.43 g/t silver, containing 220.5k ounces of gold and 316.1k ounces of silver and an inferred mineral resource of 176.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.67 g/t silver, containing 1,077.4k ounces of gold and 3,799.2k ounces of silver for oxide, heap leach processing. The mineral resource for heap leach processing was defined by Whittle optimization using all cost and recovery data and a breakeven cut-off grade of 0.15 g/t.

Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance

Jeffrey A. Pontius (CPG 11044), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Pontius is not independent of Corvus, as he is the CEO & President and holds common shares and incentive stock options.

Carl E. Brechtel, (Nevada PE 008744 and Registered Member 353000 of SME), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has coordinated execution of the work outlined in this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Brechtel is not independent of Corvus, as he is the COO and holds common shares and incentive stock options.

The work program at North Bullfrog was designed and supervised by Mark Reischman, Corvus Gold's Nevada Exploration Manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project log and track all samples prior to sealing and shipping. Quality control is monitored by the insertion of blind certified standard reference materials and blanks into each sample shipment. All resource sample shipments are sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, for preparation and then on to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, or Vancouver, B.C., for assaying. ALS Chemex's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples are forwarded to ALS Chemex and an ISO compliant third party laboratory for additional quality control.

For additional information on the North Bullfrog project, including information relating to exploration, data verification and the mineral resource estimates, see "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for Combined Mill and Heap Leach Processing at the North Bullfrog Project, Bullfrog Mining District, NYE County, Nevada" dated June 16, 2015 as amended and restated May 18, 2016 which is available under Corvus' SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Corvus Gold Inc.

Corvus Gold Inc. is a North American gold exploration and development company, focused on its near-term gold-silver mining project at the North Bullfrog and Mother Lode Districts in Nevada. In addition, the Company controls a number of royalties on other North American exploration properties representing a spectrum of gold, silver and copper projects. Corvus is committed to building shareholder value through new discoveries and the expansion of its projects to maximize share price leverage in a recovering gold and silver market.

On behalf of

Corvus Gold Inc.

Jeffrey A. Pontius, President & Chief Executive Officer

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the expectations regarding preparation of reports; potential for new deposits and expected increases in a system's potential; anticipated content, commencement and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the potential to develop multiple YellowJacket style high-grade zones, the Company's belief that the parameters used in the Whittle pit optimization process are realistic and reasonable, the potential to discover additional high grade veins or additional deposits, the potential to expand the existing estimated resource at the North Bullfrog project, the potential for any mining or production at North Bullfrog, are forward-looking statements. Information concerning mineral resource estimates may be deemed to be forward-looking statements in that it reflects a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the Company's inability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's 2014 Annual Information Form and latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis filed with certain securities commissions in Canada and the Company's most recent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings in Canada may be accessed via www.sedar.com and filings with the SEC may be accessed via www.sec.gov and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

Cautionary Note Regarding References to Resources and Reserves

NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates contained in or incorporated by reference in this press release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014 (the "CIM Standards") as they may be amended from time to time by the CIM.

United States investors are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards differ significantly from the requirements and terminology of the SEC set forth in the SEC's Industry Guide 7 ("SEC Industry Guide 7"). Accordingly, the Company's disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Without limiting the foregoing, while the terms "mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "measured mineral resources" are recognized and required by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards, they are not recognized by the SEC and are not permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource will ever be converted into reserves. Further, inferred resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of the inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher resource category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves" as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. The term "contained ounces" is not permitted under the rules of SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, the NI 43-101 and CIM Standards definition of a "reserve" differs from the definition in SEC Industry Guide 7. In SEC Industry Guide 7, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made, and a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis of designated reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our latest reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. U.S. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any defined resource will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves.

This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.

Contacts:

Ryan Ko

Investor Relations

Email: info@corvusgold.com

Phone: 1-844-638-3246 (toll free) or (604) 638-3246




A multi-center trial demonstrated that MammaPrint identified 30% more low risk patients than the 21-gene test. MammaPrint Low Risk patients had an excellent 98.9% 5-year metastasis free survival

Data from the I-SPY 2 trial reported that adding pembrolizumab to standard neoadjuvant therapy improved pathological complete response rate in hormone receptor positive (HR+) MammaPrint High Risk patients

MINDACT follow-up data compared standard anthracycline-based chemo regimens to an experimental docetaxel and capecitabine (DC) regimen and demonstrated no significant difference between them. Lymph node negative, estrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative MammaPrint High Risk patients treated with chemotherapy had a 94.6% metastasis free survival

Agendia, Inc., a world leader in personalized medicine and molecular cancer diagnostics, today announced further details on three studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago earlier this week. These studies further demonstrate the clinical utility of Agendia's MammaPrint 70-Gene Breast Cancer Risk-of-Recurrence Test.

A scientific presentation by David Dabbs et al. compared breast cancer risk stratification using the MammaPrint 70-gene signature, and the 21-gene signature in a large multi-center analysis. The results demonstrated that the 70-gene signature identified 30% more Low Risk patients than the 21-gene signature with fewer distant metastases and deaths resulting in an excellent 5-year distant metastasis free interval (DMFI) of 98.5%. Furthermore, the MammaPrint 70-gene signature detected 30% more high risk patients. Among the patients who had a distant event or death, when the two tests provided discordant results, the 70-gene signature correctly predicted a High Risk classification in 72% of the cases compared to 0% (zero) correct for the 21-gene assay.1

"The decision to use chemotherapy for the treatment of early breast cancer is one of the most challenging decisions that we face as physicians," said Dr. William Audeh, Chief Medical Officer at Agendia. "We believe that it is important for patients to know what their options are and to work with their physician to make their treatment decision with confidence. For patients with early-stage breast cancer, MammaPrint is the only test with the highest level of evidence (Level 1A), to help physicians make the critical decision that chemotherapy might not be part of the treatment management plan."

A second scientific presentation reported results from the I-SPY 2 multi-center trial. Rita Nanda et al. investigated how adding the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, to standard neoadjuvant treatment impacted pathological complete response (pCR) rate in a selected HR+ MammaPrint High Risk patient cohort. The results demonstrated that adding pembrozilimab to standard neoadjuvant therapy improved pCR rates in all HER2 negative breast cancers within the I-SPY 2 trial, and marks the first time that an agent has graduated to phase III in HR+/HER2- patients.2

The third scientific presentation reported follow-up results for the landmark prospective, controlled, randomized Microarray In Node-negative and 1 to 3 positive lymph node Disease may Avoid ChemoTherapy (MINDACT) trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2016. Fatima Cardoso et al. analyzed the patient cohort within the trial who received and were randomized to chemotherapy. The optional randomization compared standard anthracycline-based regimens (AT) in the control arm to an experimental docetaxel oral capecitabine (DC) regimen.

This study found that in all study endpoints, DC did not improve patient outcomes compared to AT, including those patients that were in the concordant clinical high risk/MammaPrint High Risk arm of trial.3

According to Dr. Audeh, "The breadth of data presented at ASCO this year is testament to the many valuable applications of the MammaPrint test in improving how patients with early-stage breast cancer are managed. Of particular interest is the new data from MINDACT which demonstrated that patients with MammaPrint High Risk results that were randomized to receive chemotherapy showed good survival at five years whether they had received a standard chemotherapy regimen, or an experimental regimen. These are higher rates of response than previously seen in immunotherapy trials in ER positive cancer, and may be due to the selection of only MammaPrint High Risk patients. It is also encouraging to see the efficacy data from the I-SPY 2 trial which explores MammaPrint's utility in aiding to tailor treatment in the neoadjuvant setting."

1 Multi-institutional comparison of breast cancer risk stratification by 70-gene signature and 21-gene assay. Poster presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago Illinois.

2 Pembrolizumab plus standard neoadjuvant therapy for high-risk breast cancer (BC): Results from I-SPY 2. Poster presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago, Illinois.

3 Cardoso F, et al. Standard anthracycline-based vs. docetaxel-capecitabine in early breast cancer: Results from the chemotherapy randomization (R-C) of EORTC 10041/ BIG 3-04 MINDACT phase III trial. Poster presented at ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago, Illinois.

Ends

About MammaPrint

MammaPrint is a FDA-cleared in vitro diagnostic test, performed in a central laboratory, using the gene expression profile of breast cancer tissue samples to assess a patients' risk for distant metastasis within 5 years. MammaPrint also carries the CE Mark which certifies that the test complies with the quality standards set by the European In Vitro Diagnostic Directive, enabling the use of the test in the European Union. MammaPrint is indicated for use by physicians as a prognostic marker only, along with other clinical-pathological factors. The test is not intended to determine the outcome of disease, nor to suggest or infer an individual patient's response to therapy.

About Agendia

Agendia is a privately held, leading molecular diagnostics company that develops and markets genomic diagnostic products, which help support physicians with their complex treatment decisions. Agendia's breast cancer tests were developed using an unbiased gene selection by analyzing the complete human genome. Our offerings include MammaPrint, a 70-Gene Breast Cancer Risk-of-Recurrence test, and BluePrint, a Molecular Subtyping Assay that provides deeper insight leading to more clinically actionable breast cancer biology.

In addition, Agendia has a pipeline of other genomic products in development. The company collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, leading cancer centers and academic groups to develop companion diagnostic tests in the area of oncology.

For more information on Agendia or the MammaPrint and BluePrint tests, you can visit Agendia's patient site at www.KnowYourBreastCancer.com or the corporate site at www.agendia.com.

Follow Agendia, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with the latest news.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005687/en/

Contacts:

Instinctif Partners

Daniel Gooch Dr Lynne Trowbridge

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7866 7905

Email: agendia@instinctif.com
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- As previously announced earlier today, Shaw Communications Inc. ("Shaw" or "the Company") (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A) has entered into a series of transactions that enhance the Company's long-term growth prospects. "Today represents another important milestone regarding our commitment of becoming Canada's leading connectivity provider. We believe that both transactions are optimizing the value and strategic positioning of our portfolio of assets and will generate long term benefits for all of our stakeholders, including our employees, customers and shareholders," said Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications.

The transactions announced today include a share purchase agreement with GI Partners portfolio company Peak 10 Holding Corporation ("Peak 10") to sell 100% of Shaw's wholly-owned subsidiary, ViaWest, Inc. ("ViaWest"), for approximately C$2.3 billion (US$1.675 billion) (the "ViaWest Transaction"). ViaWest provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Concurrently, Shaw also announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Quebecor Media Inc. ("Quebecor") to acquire 700 MHz and 2500 MHz wireless spectrum licences for $430 million (the "Spectrum Transaction"). The spectrum licences being acquired comprise the 10 MHz licences of 700 MHz spectrum in each of British Columbia, Alberta, and Southern Ontario, as well as the 20 MHz licences of 2500 MHz spectrum in each of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto.

"Considering the acquisition of WIND (now Freedom Mobile) in 2016, we now have more synergistic investment opportunities as a leading enhanced connectivity provider within our Canadian footprint," Mr. Shaw said. "We believe this incremental investment in our wireless business, particularly with the addition of the 700 MHz spectrum, will materially improve our long-term wireless customer experience, and will further enable our ability to offer converged network solutions to our customers."

"We are excited about our wireless opportunity, and the additional spectrum and network investment will create a compelling wireless experience for our existing and future customers," Mr. Shaw said. "We are pleased that we have entered into an agreement with Quebecor, and we are excited about putting this spectrum to use for the benefit of Canadians."

ViaWest Transaction Details

The purchase price of approximately C$2.3 billion (US$1.675 billion), represents an attractive return on Shaw's original investment of US$1.2 billion, or approximately C$1.3 billion at the prevailing exchange rate at the time. Consideration pursuant to the ViaWest Transaction is comprised of all cash.

Shaw expects to realize net cash proceeds from the ViaWest Transaction of approximately C$900 million after the repayment of ViaWest level indebtedness of approximately US$580 million, repayment of the US$380 million Shaw credit facility borrowings associated with the original investment and subsequent INetU acquisition, and estimated ViaWest Transaction expenses and taxes.

The ViaWest Transaction is subject to customary conditions, including U.S. regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of fiscal 2017(1). The ViaWest Transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

TD Securities Inc. ("TD Securities") acting as exclusive financial advisor to Shaw, provided an opinion to the Board of Directors of Shaw that, subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations provided therein, the consideration to be received by Shaw pursuant to the ViaWest Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to Shaw.

Spectrum Transaction Details

The Spectrum Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and all necessary regulatory approvals from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ("ISED") and under the Competition Act. The Spectrum Transaction has received all required internal approvals at Shaw and Quebecor and is not subject to approval by the shareholders of Shaw or further approval by the shareholders of Quebecor.

The Spectrum Transaction will be funded using a combination of cash proceeds from the ViaWest Transaction, cash on hand and/or Shaw's existing credit facility, and is expected to close in the Summer of 2017.

In addition to the spectrum acquisition cost, capital expenditures associated with the deployment of the acquired spectrum are estimated to be approximately $350 million. The Company expects the majority of the capital related to the network build to be incurred during fiscal 2018(1), which reinforces Shaw's commitment to the wireless space, and improves our long-term wireless growth prospects.

Additional Details

Shaw's pro forma net debt to EBITDA leverage metric, assuming closing of both the ViaWest Transaction and the Spectrum Transaction, is expected to be below the low end of our target 2.0x-2.5x, and our $1.5 billion credit facility will be fully undrawn.

Shaw will discuss the ViaWest Transaction and the Spectrum Transaction in conjunction with our third quarter fiscal 2017 results on the previously-scheduled conference call for Wednesday June 28, 2017.

Advisors and Legal Counsel for Shaw

TD Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Dentons Canada LLP provided legal advice with respect to the ViaWest Transaction. Dentons Canada LLP provided legal advice with respect to the Spectrum Transaction.

About Shaw Communications

Shaw Communications Inc. is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony and video. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE - SJR, and TSXV - SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this news release that are not historic constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to: statements relating to the sale of ViaWest and the net cash proceeds (and repayment of ViaWest level debt) therefrom, the acquisition of the spectrum licenses from Quebecor and the capital expenditures associated with the deployment of the acquired spectrum, the impact of the transactions on Shaw and its stakeholders, including wireless customers, and Shaw's pro forma leverage metric. These statements are based on assumptions made by Shaw that it believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, including without limit, that: regulatory approvals will be received and the other conditions to closing of the transactions will be satisfied; expected business and financial results for Shaw and its wireless business will be realized; there is no significant market disruption or other significant changes in economic conditions, competition or regulation; the successful deployment of LTE Advanced network, other growth plans and the converged network solution in a timely and cost effective manner to yield the results expected for Shaw and its wireless business; and the acquired spectrum will provide expected benefits to Shaw and the service offering for its customers. There is the risk that one or more of these assumptions will not prove to be accurate and this may affect closing of the transaction and/or the business, operational and financial expectations for Shaw. Undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement. Except as required by law, Shaw disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

"EBITDA" does not have a standard definition prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies. EBITDA is equivalent to "Operating income before restructuring costs and amortization" which is often used in the Company's disclosure and is defined as revenue less operating, general and administrative expenses. For discussion on this measure, see 2016 Annual Report under "Key Performance Drivers"

(1) Note: Shaw has an August fiscal year-end.

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Inquiries:

Investor Relations

investor.relations@sjrb.ca

www.shaw.ca



Shaw Communications Inc.

Media Inquiries:

Chethan Lakshman

VP External Affairs

(403) 930-8448

chethan.lakshman@sjrb.ca




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. ("Sabina") or (the "Company") (TSX: SBB) is pleased to announce the final results from the spring exploration diamond drilling program at its 100% owned Back River Gold Project in Nunavut, Canada.

Approximately 2,700m of drilling in five drill holes were completed during this first phase of exploration. Two of these drill holes were completed at the Llama extension target with encouraging results. Drill hole 17GSE513 stepped-out approximately 300 m down plunge of the existing resource structure at Llama and was successful in intersecting over 48 m of altered and mineralized iron formation that includes 6.52 g/t Au over 8.3 meters from 618.90 m to 627.20 m. The Llama mineralized zone has now been intersected to approximately 550 m vertical depth and remains open.

Bruce McLeod, President and CEO stated "we are very excited about the results from the Llama Extension drilling as they continue to demonstrate the considerable quality and the upside potential for growth of our existing deposits. At the Umwelt Vault zone, announced in May, we believe we have the potential to grow a high grade portion of the deposit with grades that are 2 to 3 times our resource average. At Llama we have demonstrated that the mineralized structure continues well below the current resource limits. Both Llama and Umwelt are analogous to other iron formation deposits around the world, including Goldcorp's Musselwhite complex where mining continues along structures that are well in excess of 1,000 m and are still open. We are excited to have achieved our objectives at both Llama and Umwelt for our spring campaign. I look forward to our second phase of drilling on these targets scheduled for this summer and the continued demonstration of the significant upside resource growth potential at the Back River District."

Llama Extension Target

The Llama Deposit hosts 3,557,000 tonnes of 6.50 g/t Au for 743,000 ounces of Measured and Indicated resources, as well as 295,000 tonnes of 6.77 g/t Au for 64,000 ounces of Inferred resources. An open pit development for a portion of this resource is included in the current feasibility study, however; there is significant upside for inclusion of an underground development in future studies.

Drill holes 17GSE512 and 17GSE513 were designed for testing the down plunge extension of the Llama mineralized structure approximately 300 meters down plunge from the current resource limits at a vertical depth of approximately 550 m. The first drill hole 17GSE512 was designed as a positioning hole on the structure and was successful in intersecting both the east and west limbs of the Llama syncline and a significant portion of upper iron formation stratigraphy. Significant assays returned from this drilling included 6.30 g/t Au over 2.65m in west limb lower iron formation. The second hole 17GSE513, designed as a 60 m undercut on the same cross section successfully targeted a significant portion of lower iron formation stratigraphy (host to a majority of the Back River resources). Over 100 m of lower iron formation was intersected in this drill hole, with numerous mineralized sections containing pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and visible gold. Assays returning gold values that include 6.52 g/t Au over 8.30 m from 618.90 m to 627.20 m are shown in Table 1 below. Present within the large iron formation were two felsic dykes, lithologies which are typically associated with gold mineralization in the Goose area deposits. In addition, a previously unknown near surface, low grade zone of iron formation with alteration, mineralization and quartz veins in clastic sediments was intersected from 69 m to 109.85 m.

Further drilling on the Llama extension zone is being assessed for a summer program commencing in August.

Table 1.0 - Table of Significant Drill Intersections from Spring 2017 Drilling

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole ID Area Azimuth Dip Easting Northing Depth ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE511 UM 215 -75 430749 7270541 176 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE511B UM 214 -73 430748 7270541 806 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE512 LL 231 -67 429644 7271516 638 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE513 LL 230 -69 429666 7271537 719 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE514 LL 231 -56 429739 7271499 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE514B LL 231 -56 429739 7271499 161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17GSE515 CON 278 -60 432402 7269789 227 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: LL = Llama, UM = Umwelt and CON = GNS\Convergence. NSV = No Significant Values (iii)True Widths have not been determined, with the exception of hole 17GSE511B where true widths are estimated at greater than 90% of drill the interval(iii) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Lithology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abandoned - NSV ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 728.00 729.00 1.00 3.01 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 734.00 747.50 13.50 16.86 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 736.75 744.70 7.95 27.11 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 751.60 752.80 1.20 2.07 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 755.50 756.55 1.05 12.30 Clastic Sediments ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 457.30 458.30 1.00 1.25 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 556.40 557.00 0.60 6.90 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 584.60 587.10 2.50 1.40 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 599.00 608.00 9.00 2.96 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 603.55 606.20 2.65 6.30 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 98.75 101.00 2.25 1.84 Silicate Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 104.25 105.05 0.80 1.56 Silicate Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 107.00 107.75 0.75 1.34 Silicate Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 577.55 584.25 6.70 1.11 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 589.50 590.55 1.05 2.06 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 602.90 604.00 1.10 2.99 Clastic Sediments ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 606.30 612.50 6.20 2.05 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 615.20 617.25 2.05 1.35 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 618.90 627.20 8.30 6.52 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 633.80 635.25 1.45 5.27 Quartz Porphyry Dyke ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 640.60 645.20 4.60 1.45 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 649.60 651.55 1.95 1.20 Oxide Iron Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abandoned - NSV ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSV ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSV ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: LL = Llama, UM = Umwelt and CON = GNS\Convergence. NSV = No Significant Values (iii)True Widths have not been determined, with the exception of hole 17GSE511B where true widths are estimated at greater than 90% of drill the interval(iii)

In additional drilling, one drill-hole 17GSE515 to a depth of 227 m targeted the eastern end of the GNS\Convergence trend and intersected a short interval of iron formation with weak mineralization and alteration with no significant gold values. Drilling to a depth of 161 m, in one hole 17GSE514B was completed 80 m to the southeast of Llama Extension hole 17GSE513 with the purpose of further exploring a mineralized zone intersected near the top of the hole. No appreciable gold values were encountered in this drill hole. A geophysical survey was completed near the zone, and was extended to cover this target in the Spring. Surface mapping is planned for this summer.

Umwelt Vault Zone

As previously announced on May 23, 2017, drilling was completed at the Umwelt Vault Zone targeting a particularly high grade zone that could offer opportunities to positively impact project economics. Drill hole 17GSE511B returned an intersection of 16.86 g/t Au over 13.5 meters. Additional assays from this hole are presented in Table 1 above. Further follow up drilling at this target will be conducted during phase two of the program later this summer.

Qualified Persons

The Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 as pertains to the Back River Project, is James Maxwell P.Geo, Exploration Manager, for the Company. All drill core samples selected within the exploration program are subject to a company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials and duplicates analysis. All samples are sent to SGS Canada Inc. located in Burnaby, British Columbia where they are processed for gold analysis by 50 gram fire assay with finish by a combination of atomic absorption and gravimetric methods. Additionally, analysis by screen metallic processes is performed on select samples.

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is a well-financed, emerging precious metals company with district scale, world class undeveloped assets in one of the world's newest, politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada.

In September, 2015, Sabina released a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned Back River Gold Project which presents a project that has been designed on a fit-for purpose basis, with the potential to produce approx. 200,000 ounces a year for approx. 11 years with a rapid payback of 2.9 years. At a US$1,150 gold price and a 0.80 exchange rate, the Study delivers a potential after tax internal rate of return of approximately 24.2% with an initial CAPEX of $415 million.

The Project is advancing through the environmental assessment process with final public hearings with the Nunavut Impact Review Board completed during May 31 - June 3, 2017 in Cambridge Bay.

In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a significant silver royalty on Glencore's Hackett River Project. The silver royalty on Hackett River's silver production is comprised of 22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all silver produced thereafter.

The Company had cash and equivalents of C$43m at March 31, 2017.

All news releases and further information can be found on the Company's website at www.sabinagoldsilver.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All technical reports have been filed on www.sedar.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (the "forward-looking statements"), including our belief as to the extent, results and timing of exploration programs and various studies including the FS, and exploration results, reserves estimates, potential production from and viability of the Company's properties, production and operating costs and permitting submission, timing and receipt of necessary permits and project approvals for future operations and access to project funding. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, commodity prices, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government and regulatory authorities and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with exploration and project development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of mineral resources and reserves; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary licences and permits; environmental liability and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers or directors; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Back River Project and general risks associated with the mineral exploration and development industry described in our Annual Information Form, financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com.

Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Bruce McLeod, President & CEO 375-555 Burrard Street, Two Bentall Centre Vancouver, BC V7X 1M7 Tel 604 998-4175 Fax 604 998-1051 http://www.sabinagoldsilver.com

To view Figure 1 - Plan map of 2017 Spring drilling with detail for the Llama Extension Zone, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1097096_Figure-1.pdf

To view Figure 2 - Llama Extension cross section at 4000N, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1097096_Figure-2.pdf

To view Figure 3 - Llama Extension Long Section, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1097096_Figure-3.pdf

Contacts:

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Nicole Hoeller

Vice-President, Communications

1 888 648-4218

nhoeller@sabinagoldsilver.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures were lower Tuesday morning, giving back a fraction of yesterday's gains, as OPEC data showed a surprise increase in production from Iraq. It's the latest sign the cartel is struggling to achieve full cooperation with its supply quota plan that was recently extended for another nine months. Thus far, the deal with Russia has done little to re-balance oil markets, as reflected in sub-$50 oil prices. OPEC's output rose 1% to over 32.14 million barrels in May. Libya and Nigeria are exempt from the supply quota plan, so they along with Iraq were pumping oil at a particularly fast clip. WTI light sweet crude oil for August was down 13 cents at $45.94 a barrel. U.S. inventories data is out over the next few days. Analysts expect a drawdown following last week's surprise build in stockpiles. 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.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- VPR Brands, LP (OTC PINK: VPRB), a market leader specializing in vaporizers and accessories for essential oils, cannabis concentrates, and extracts, will be a sponsor of the The Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo (CWCBExpo) at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York this June 14-16th. The CWCBExpo is the definitive business event for the cannabis industry. Exhibitors and sponsors bring cutting-edge solutions to owners and managers of businesses in this fast-growing industry, and a wealth of opportunity and knowledge to those looking to enter the market with potential partners and investors.

"We have decided that sponsoring the event, which will give us the opportunity to insert one of our catalogs into every attendee bag when they arrive, would be best the best way to showcase our products, which are the cornerstone of our company. The evolution of our HONEYSTICK brand offering has grown exponentially in 2017 and our new catalog and website have been very well received by our customers. We have printed and have and will be distributing over 25,000 of our new product catalogs at trade events such as this as well as through our distributor partners just in the second quarter alone. Sponsorships like this will continue to be part of our and sales and marketing plan going forward," said Kevin Frija, CEO of VPR Brands, LP.

"This is the largest Cannabis Conference in the Northeastern United States, with a very diverse exhibitor roster and some very famous presenters and other industry experts speaking. It is a great event for us to sponsor to show our support for the industry and further expand and create awareness of our HONSYSTICK Brand."

About Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions (CWCBExpo)

The professionally run Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions (CWCBExpo) are produced by Leading Edge Expositions in partnership with the International Cannabis Association (ICA). The events are the premier professional forums for dispensary owners, growers, suppliers, investors, medical professionals, government regulators, legal counsel, and entrepreneurs looking to achieve business success and identify new areas of growth in this dynamic industry. To learn more about the coast-to-coast CWCBExpos in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, go to www.cwcbexpo.com.

About VPR Brands, LP:

VPR Brands is a technology company, whose assets include issued U.S. and Chinese patents for atomization related products including technology for medical marijuana vaporizers and electronic cigarette products and components. The company is also engaged in product development for the vapor or vaping market, including e-liquids. Vaporizers and electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes) are devices which deliver nicotine and or cannabis through atomization or vaping, and without smoke and other chemical constituents typically found in traditional products. For more information about VPR Brands, please visit the company on the web at www.vprbrands.com and www.vapehoneystick.com

Forward-looking statements:

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions, and other factors discussed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Contact Information:

VPR Brands, LP

Kevin Frija

CEO

(954) 715-7001

info@vprbrands.com

www.vprbrands.com




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces an article discussing Cannabix Technologies Inc. (CSE: BLO) (OTCQB: BLOZF) and its efforts to develop a highly sensitive marijuana breathalyzer using its patented FAIMS technology.

The legalization of cannabis throughout the United States and Canada has been a boon for businesses and consumers, but law enforcement has been struggling to adapt to new challenges facing drug detection. There's growing evidence that 'high' driving has at least some negative side-effects, but there's no easy way to detect the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at road-side until such a point of care device is created.

Forensic Expert Added to Scientific Team

Cannabix Technologies recently announced the addition of Dr. David Hasman to its scientific team. With a PhD in Chemical Physics from the University of California, Dr. Hasman has worked with the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Forensics Sciences department for several years before eventually forming Procyon Research Inc. to focus on GC/MS and LC/MS/MS method development in forensics, natural products, and environmental disciplines.

Dr. Hasman's addition to the company's Florida-Vancouver scientific team will broaden its testing capabilities in Vancouver with human subjects and sets the stage for trials designed to prove the effectiveness of its patented FAIMS device following preliminary human subject testing in March. These earlier studies confirmed that the device is capable of detecting THC levels in real-time using mass spectrometry after inhaling cannabis.

"We are excited to have Dr. Hasman join our Vancouver team as we prepare for trials using the patented FAIMS device with court accepted techniques of mass spectrometry," said Cannabix Technologies' Dr. Raj Attariwala. "His expertise in toxicology and forensic mass spec have been instrumental with government toxicology and forensic mass spec have been instrumental with government toxicology labs during the recent fentanyl crisis in BC and his skills will be invaluable as we prepare for trials with the Cannabix marijuana breathalyzer device."

Working Quickly to Deliver a Device to Law Enforcement

Cannabix Technologies has made tremendous progress over the past several months bringing its alpha version to a beta and beta 2.0 prototype. After preliminary testing on human subjects in March, the company announced that it would be further testing its prototypes by calibrating decay signal intensities with a refined breath collection component. The goal is to create a marijuana breathalyzer that can be used the same way as an alcohol breathalyzer.

In recent months, the company has substantially increased its testing ability with new equipment and staff joining the Vancouver operation. The scientific team has also been developing a new "front end" breath intake system while optimizing the performance, accuracy, and sensitivity of the prototypes. The upcoming scientific trials will edge Cannabix closer to bringing the innovative technology to market for law enforcement.

It's difficult to overstate the demand for such a device among law enforcement agencies across North America. Roadside breathalyzers would provide law enforcement with immediate feedback and it's already well understood by the general public and officers. At the moment, police must use invasive blood tests or ineffective mouth swabs as a proxy until this technology is perfected.

"The high resolving power of the FAIMS device with its capability for real-time detection of THC and its metabolic breakdown products will aid in establishing key metrics for measuring in-vivo THC metabolism and should permit detection capabilities similar to that of blood tests," added Dr. Attariwala. "The current human testing on the FAIMS based Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer has shown impressive results thus far."

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/cannabix-set-begin-trials-bc-new-hire/

For more information, visit the company's website or CannabisFN's company profile.

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media featured company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from your smart phone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/.

Contact:

Frank Lane

2063697050

flane@cannabisfn.com




SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 --The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER),with products bottled under the trademark Alkaline88, (the "Company") is pleased to announce that Valu Merchandisers Company (VMC), headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, is now distributing Alkaline88 water in the 1-gallon, 3-liter, 1-liter 700ml and 500ml sizes. VMC is a subsidiary of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG).

The Company is the creator of an innovative, state-of-the-art, proprietary electrolysis beverage process. The Company packages and sells its alkaline water in 1-gallon, 3-liter, 1-liter, 700ml and 500ml sizes to over 31,000 retail locations in all 50 states.

AWG is the United States' largest cooperative food wholesaler. AWG and VMC operate an extensive distribution network of 11 highly efficient distribution centers, serving over 3,800 retail locations. AWG centers are located in Kansas City, KS; Springfield, MO; Oklahoma City, OK; Goodlettsville, TN; Southaven, MS; Fort Worth, TX; Pearl River, LA; Norfolk, NE; and Kenosha, WI. In addition, VMC's main warehouses are in Memphis, TN, and Fort Scott, KS. These two warehouses are located within 450 miles of two of our premier Company-packing facilities, CFORCE Bottling (Navasota, Texas), and Grand Springs Bottling, (Alton, Virginia), which should make VMC an ideal new distributor for the Company.

"To accelerate our exposure to VMC customers, the Company will be attending VMC's annual Fall Food Show on August 9 and 10. Alkaline88 will be a featured Extreme Show Pricing (ESP) item at the show, a designation that is reserved for only 50 top-selling items at each show. We will be featured and supported by VMC and its team to ensure a successful launch," comments Richard A Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company Inc.

About Valu Merchandisers Company Valu Merchandisers Company (VMC) is a subsidiary of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. based in Kansas City, Kansas. Their mission is to provide a cost effective general merchandise program, staffed by retail-oriented associates, which provide product and services at a lower cost than alternative suppliers, allowing their retailers to compete with all classes of trade. VMC provides general merchandise, health & beauty products, season merchandise and specialty food products to over 3,800 stores in 30 states. They also support a growing international retail base, including stores in the Caribbean, Central America & South America and the Middle East.

About Associated Wholesale Grocers Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving over 3,800 locations in 30 states from 11 full-line wholesale Divisions. The consolidated run-rate sales for AWG is $10 B. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, AWG also operates subsidiary companies which provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, retail accounting, digital marketing services, military commissary supply, and AWG is a wholesale supply provider of health and beauty care, general merchandise, specialty/international foods and pharmaceutical supply.

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER) has developed an innovative, state-of-the-art, proprietary electrolysis process that produces healthy alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing for retail sale of its cost-effectively packaged Alkaline88 water beverage products. Visit: www.thealkalinewaterco.com.

About Alkaline Water Products

Alkaline88's premier alkaline water is an 8.8 pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with trace minerals and electrolytes. The product offers consumers the unique opportunity to purchase alkaline water in conveniently packaged 500ml, 700ml, 1-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. is currently in the midst of a national mass-market expansion program, where the product is already available for consumer sales at a growing number of major retail locations across many parts of the United States. Learn more about the science behind alkaline water by visiting www.thealkalinewaterco.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements." Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future.. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products and operating as a development stage company, our ability to raise the additional funding we will need to continue to pursue our business and product development plans, competition in the industry in which we operate and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in the reports and other documents we file with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3147949



The Alkaline Water Company Inc.



WTER Investor Relations



IRTH Communications

Robert Haag

Managing Partner

866-976-4784

investors@thealkalinewaterco.com




LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Startup company LookWithUs.com, Inc. today unveiled its beta version of its LookWithUs software, a social collaboration and communication platform for business and personal use. For the first time, individuals and groups can function like an onsite team to use text, voice, video, images, links, and attachments naturally, while collaborating on projects. A free beta version of LookWithUs software is available now.

File-storage sites like Dropbox and Box.com, and hosted office suites like Google Docs and Microsoft 365, have enabled improvements in how teams share and manage documents online. LookWithUs takes collaboration further and offers users features for accessing and co-working on the same file, plus social communication tools, in a single platform. Instead of annotating a file using simple text comments, or the traditional "track changes" function of some office apps, LookWithUs users can record an audio or video message, attach a supporting document, web links, and even YouTube and Vimeo videos and add them to the file. LookWithUs has been awarded the patent on its key technology, which is the ability to add rich media files to any digital object.

LookWithUs simplifies the problems of organizing, collaborating, and communicating within teams by significantly streamlining business resources, workloads, and processes while reducing the volume of emails, phone calls and meetings.

Users create projects starting with Microsoft Office files, PDFs, images, or virtually any other file type, then invite others to participate in and contribute to the project. Projects can be kept private and accessible by invitation only, or can be publicly available via a link.

Participants add their own notes via text, voice, video, web links or even YouTube videos to the project file, and a marking indicates the exact reference point within the file. Files and annotations are securely bound together and hosted on the LookWithUs cloud so they remain protected and accessible from anywhere -- and those working on a project can access the files even if they do not have that file's supporting software installed.

Key benefits of LookWithUs include:

Combine multiple applications into a single easy-to-use collaboration platform

Share and work on any file type using any browser

Manage a collection of files, comments, interactions, links and more in a single project that is automatically backed up and auditable

Control access and interaction levels on comments, files and projects

Eliminate the dreaded "reply to all" deluge of emails and email attachments that proliferate as teams collaborate on business documents

Eliminate version control headaches

Upload a public project, and invite the world to see or even participate in music, film, creative writing, art, fashion, wikis, and more

"LookWithUs reflects the way people interact, collaborate, and communicate with each other every day," said LookWithUs CEO Mark Smith. "It's a powerful but simple, intuitive social collaboration platform with sophisticated file viewing and management capabilities."

Examples of how users put LookWithUs software to work:

Sales and marketing: Collateral, graphics, and other content can be shared publicly or with a limited group of users, who can add comments or questions.

Law: Organize all client and case materials, depositions, audio recordings, documents, emails, and billing information in a single virtual binder. Share documents with clients and colleagues electronically to eliminate unnecessary printing, faxing, and couriers.

Education: Teachers can invite students to collaborate securely online, encouraging feedback while keeping student comments visible only to the teacher. Students can upload research projects and papers as digital files, then add videos, files, and web links to support their work.

Beta users can sign up at www.lookwithus.com.

Follow Us:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LookWithUs

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lookwithus

About LookWithUs

LookWithUs was founded by a team of individuals with domain expertise in the technology and media industries. The LookWithUs patented software rose out of a desire to create a modern, social, web-enabled communication platform, and its vision expanded as its value to the business community was identified. The company is based in Los Angeles, California. For more information please visit www.lookwithus.com or call 800-576-2208.

LookWithUs

800-576-2208

www.lookwithus.com
Hong Kong Stock Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

ZHEJIANG EXPRESSWAY CO. LTD.

(A joint stock limited company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability)

(Stock code: 0576)

PROPOSED DISCLOSEABLE TRANSACTION IN RELATION TO

THE PROPOSED SPIN-OFF AND SEPARATE LISTING OF SPINCO

ON THE SHANGHAI STOCK EXCHANGE

THE PROPOSED SPIN-OFF

Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 16 November 2012, 7 May 2013, 2 May 2017 and 23 May 2017 in relation to the Proposed Spin-off (the " Announcements "). Terms defined in the Announcements shall have the same meanings therein, unless the context otherwise requires.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has confirmed that the Company may proceed with the Proposed Spin-off. By the Approval for the Initial Public Offering of Shares of Zheshang Securities Co., Ltd. issued by the CSRC on 12 May 2017, the CSRC has formally approved SpinCo's application for the A Share Listing. According to the latest listing timetable, SpinCo has launched its initial public offering in the PRC on 13 June 2017 and the dealings in the A shares of the SpinCo on the Shanghai Stock Exchange are expected to commence on 26 June 2017.

The Proposed Spin-off is conditional upon, among other things, the approval of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and completion of the Offering. Further announcement(s) will be made by the Company in relation to any material development with respect to the Proposed Spin-off and the A Share Listing as and when appropriate.

PROPOSED DISCLOSEABLE TRANSACTION

As at the date of this announcement, the Company has an indirect interest of approximately 52.15% in SpinCo. It is expected that if the Offering proceeds, the total number of shares to be offered under the Offering will be 333,333,400 shares and the offer price is RMB8.45 per share.

It is contemplated that immediately following the completion of the Proposed Spin-off, the indirect interest of the Company in SpinCo will be reduced to approximately 46.93% and SpinCo will continue to be an indirect subsidiary of the Company.

The Proposed Spin-off will result in a reduction of the indirect shareholding of the Company in SpinCo, so it will constitute a deemed disposal on the part of the Company under Rule 14.29 of the Listing Rules. Since it is contemplated that one or more of the relevant percentage ratios of the Proposed Spin-off exceeds 5% but is less than 25%, the Proposed Spin-off will constitute a discloseable transaction of the Company subject only to reporting and announcement requirements but exempt from shareholders' approval requirement.

NO ASSURED ENTITLEMENT TO SHAREHOLDERS

Due to the legal and regulatory impediments to the Company's provision of the Assured Entitlement to the Shareholders in respect of the Proposed Spin-off, the Company applied to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for the Waiver and the Waiver was granted to the Company on 22 March 2013. Accordingly, the Shareholders will not be entitled to any distribution in specie of, or preferred application, for the A shares of SpinCo in connection with the Proposed Spin-off even if it materializes.

Having considered the benefits that the Proposed Spin-off may bring to the Group as set out in the section headed "Reasons for and benefits of the Proposed Spin-off" below, the Board considers that the Proposed Spin-off in the absence of the Assured Entitlement is fair and reasonable and in the interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole.

GENERAL

Shareholders and potential investors should note that the Proposed Spin-off is subject to, among other things, the approval of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the completion of the offering. There is no assurance that the Proposed Spin-off will take place. Accordingly, Shareholders and potential investors are reminded to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company.

THE PROPOSED SPIN-OFF

Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 16 November 2012, 7 May 2013, 2 May 2017 and 23 May 2017 in relation to the Proposed Spin-off.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has confirmed that the Company may proceed with the Proposed Spin-off. By the Approval for the Initial Public Offering of Shares of Zheshang Securities Co., Ltd. issued by the CSRC on 12 May 2017, the CSRC has formally approved SpinCo's application for the A Share Listing. According to the latest listing timetable, SpinCo has launched its initial public offering in the PRC on 13 June 2017 and the dealings in the A shares of the SpinCo on the Shanghai Stock Exchange are expected to commence on 26 June 2017.

Change of the shareholding structure of SpinCo

As at the date of this announcement, the Company has an indirect interest of approximately 52.15% in SpinCo. It is expected that if the Offering proceeds, the total number of shares to be offered under the Offering will be 333,333,400 shares and the offer price is RMB8.45 per share.

It is contemplated that immediately following the completion of the Proposed Spin-off, the indirect interest of the Company in SpinCo will be reduced to approximately 46.93% and SpinCo will continue to be an indirect subsidiary of the Company.

The shareholding structure of SpinCo as at the date of this announcement is set out below:

https://photos.prnasia.com/prnk/20170613/1874744-1

The shareholding structure of SpinCo immediately following completion of the Proposed Spin-off is set out below:

https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170613/1874744-1-b

Conditions

The Proposed Spin-off is conditional upon, among other things, the approval of the Shanghai Stock Exchange to the A Share Listing and completion of the Offering. Further announcement(s) will be made by the Company in relation to any material developments with respect to the Proposed Spin-off and the A Share Listing as and when appropriate.

Intended use of proceeds

SpinCo is estimated to receive net proceeds of approximately RMB2.76 billion from the Offering (after the deduction of the underwriting fees and other expenses in relation to the A Share Listing). SpinCo intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to increase the net capital and expand the business of SpinCo (including but not limited to expanding its investment banking business and enhancing its research team).

INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY, THE GROUP AND SPINCO

The Company is an infrastructure company principally engaged in investing in, developing and operating high-grade roads. The Group also engages in securities related business carried on by SpinCo.

SpinCo is a joint stock limited company restructured in the PRC on 12 September 2012 and is an indirectly-owned subsidiary of the Company. As at the date of this announcement, it is engaged in securities related business (including but not limited to securities brokerage, investment banking, proprietary trading and asset management).

Set out below is certain financial information in relation to SpinCo Group for the two years ended 31 December 2016, respectively, as extracted from the PRC audited consolidated financial statements of SpinCo for the relevant years:

For the year ended

31 December 2015 For the year ended

31 December 2016 (Audited) (Audited) RMB RMB Net Profit before tax 2,525,081,495.76 1,643,219,655.04 Net Profit after tax 1,834,338,303.77 1,240,999,462.08 Net assets 8,449,116,259.83 9,565,498,901.73

REASONS FOR AND BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED SPIN-OFF

The Board believes that the Proposed Spin-off would be in the interests of the Group as it would enable the market to appraise and assess the value of the Group more effectively and provide a separate fund raising platform for SpinCo, which will allow SpinCo to develop new businesses and become more competitive and will in turn benefit the Group.

The Proposed Spin-off is designed to facilitate the future growth of both the SpinCo Group and the Remaining Group. As the SpinCo will remain as a subsidiary of the Company, the Company's shareholders will continue to enjoy the benefits from the development of the securities related businesses.

As the Proposed Spin-off will not result in the Company's loss of control over SpinCo, the Proposed Spin-off will be accounted for as an equity transaction and will not result in the recognition of any gain or loss in the Company's consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.

Having considered the benefits that the Proposed Spin-off may bring to the Group as set out above, the Board considers that the Proposed Spin-off is fair and reasonable and in the interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole.

NO ASSURED ENTITLEMENT

Under the Listing Rules, a listed issuer is required to have due regard to the interests of its existing shareholders by providing them with an assured entitlement to the shares in the entity which is proposed to be spun-off for separate listing. After due and careful consideration of the Proposed Spin-off and having taken into account the advice from the Company's PRC legal counsel, the Board has resolved not to provide the Shareholders with the Assured Entitlement under the Proposed Spin-off for the following reasons:

The shares proposed to be offeredby SpinCo and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange are A shares which, under the relevant PRC laws, are only available for subscription by investors within the PRC (excluding Hong Kong , Macau and Taiwan regions).

, and regions). Individual investors who are foreign natural persons cannot invest in the A share market of the PRC, except for those from Hong Kong , Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan who work and live in the PRC or those foreign natural persons who have obtained the permanent resident permit in the PRC. As to institutional investors, those who are foreign legal persons are not permitted to invest in the A share market of the PRC other than as explicitly provided under the relevant PRC laws and regulations (that is, in the capacity of qualified foreign institutional investor in accordance with Measures for the Administration of Securities Investment within the Borders of China by Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors, Measures for the Pilot Programme of Domestic Securities Investment by RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors or in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Measures for Foreign Investors' Strategic Investment in Listed Companies). Accordingly, there are legal impediments and it is not feasible to make available an assured entitlement to the shares in SpinCo to all the existing shareholders of the Company under the relevant PRC laws and regulations.

Due to the legal and regulatory impediments to the Company's provision of the Assured Entitlement to the Shareholders in respect of the Proposed Spin-off as mentioned above, the Company applied to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for the Waiver and the Waiver was granted to the Company on 22 March 2013. Accordingly, the Shareholders will not be entitled to any distribution in specie of or preferred application for the A shares of SpinCo in connection with the Proposed Spin-off even if it materializes.

Having considered the benefits that the Proposed Spin-off may bring to the Group as set out in the section headed "Reasons for and benefits of the Proposed Spin-off" above, the Board considers that the Proposed Spin-off in the absence of the Assured Entitlement is fair and reasonable and in the interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole.

OVERLAPPING OF DIRECTORSHIPS

As the Company is an indirect controlling shareholder of SpinCo, there is an overlapping of directorships between the Company and SpinCo. There are nine directors on the board of SpinCo, comprising six directors and three independent directors. Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu, two executive Directors, are also members of the board of directors of SpinCo.

Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu were appointed to the board of SpinCo to represent the interests of the Company. Neither of them takes part in the daily operation of SpinCo.

Mr. Wu Chenggen is a director and the chief executive officer of SpinCo. The daily operations of SpinCo are principally managed by Mr. Wu Chenggen and other non-director senior management of SpinCo. Mr. Wu Chenggen is responsible for overseeing SpinCo's day-to-day operations and management, and implementing decisions and plans approved by the board of directors of SpinCo. Except for Mr. Wu Chenggen, all other directors of SpinCo (including Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu) do not take part in the daily operations of SpinCo.

If any situation of conflict of interest arises, Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu will, if required, abstain from voting on the relevant resolutions in the meetings of the boards of the respective companies in accordance with the respective articles of association and PRC laws. Under the Company's articles of association, each Director has one vote at the meetings of the Board regardless of whether he/she is an executive or non-executive Director. If in any circumstances where Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu were required to abstain from voting on relevant resolutions in any board meeting of the Company due to their directorship in SpinCo, there will remain four out of six Directors (excluding the INEDs), or seven out of nine Directors (including the INEDs) who would be entitled to vote. Similarly, at SpinCo's level, there will be four out of six directors (excluding the INEDs), or seven out of nine directors (including the INEDs) who will be entitled to vote if Mr. Zhan Xiaozhang and Ms. Luo Jianhu were required to abstain from voting. Therefore, there will be sufficient non-common members of the Board to function independently and properly.

LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS

The Proposed Spin-off will result in a reduction of the indirect shareholding of the Company in SpinCo, so it will constitute a deemed disposal on the part of the Company under Rule 14.29 of the Listing Rules. Since it is contemplated that one or more of the relevant percentage ratios of the Proposed Spin-off exceeds 5% but is less than 25%, the Proposed Spin-off will constitute a discloseable transaction of the Company subject only to reporting and announcement requirements but exempt from shareholders' approval requirement.

Since no Shareholders' approval is required for the Proposed Spin-off, the Company will not form an independent board committee to advise the Shareholders on the implications of not providing the Assured Entitlement. Please refer to the section headed "No Assured Entitlement" for (i) the reasons why the Board has decided not to provide the Shareholders with the Assured Entitlement under the Proposed Spin-off and (ii) the view of the Board on the implications of not providing the Assured Entitlement.

GENERAL

Shareholders and potential investors should note that the Proposed Spin-off is subject to, among other things, the approval of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and completion of the Offering. There is no assurance that the Proposed Spin-off will take place. Accordingly, Shareholders and potential investors are reminded to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company.

DEFINITIONS

In this announcement, unless the context specifies otherwise, the following defined expressions have the following meanings:

"A shares" the shares of an issuer which are listed on the A-share market of a stock exchange on the PRC "A Shareholders" the holders of A shares of SpinCo "A Share Listing" the proposed listing of the A shares of SpinCo on the Main Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange "Assured Entitlement" in relation to the Proposed Spin-off, means the assured entitlement to the A shares of SpinCo either by way of a distribution in specie of the A shares of SpinCo held by the Group or by way of preferred application in any offering of existing or new shares in SpinCo under the Offering "Board" the board of Directors "Company" Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd., a joint stocklimited company incorporated in the PRC with limited liability "CSRC" the China Securities Regulatory Commission "Director(s)" director(s) of the Company "Group" the Company and its subsidiaries "H shares" overseas listed foreign shares in the ordinary share capital of the Company, with a par value of RMB1.00 each, which are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange "H Shareholders" the holders of H shares "Hong Kong" the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC "Hong Kong Stock Exchange" The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited "INED" the independent non-executive director "Listing Rules" the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange "Offering" the proposed initial public offering of the A shares of SpinCo in connection with the A Share Listing "PRC" the People's Republic of China, for the purpose of this announcement, excludes Hong Kong, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan "Proposed Spin-off" the proposed spin-off and separate listing of SpinCo on the Shanghai Stock Exchange "Remaining Group" the Group excluding the SpinCo Group "SpinCo" Zheshang Securities Co., Ltd, a joint stock limited company restructured in the PRC on 12 September 2012 and is an indirectly-owned subsidiary of the Company "SpinCo Group" SpinCo and its subsidiaries "Shanghai Stock Exchange" the Shanghai Stock Exchange "Shareholders" shareholders of the Company "Waiver" a waiver from strict compliance with the requirements of offering the Assured Entitlement to the Shareholders under paragraph 3(f) of Practice Note 15 of the Listing Rules

On behalf of the Board

ZHEJIANG EXPRESSWAY CO., LTD.

ZHAN Xiaozhang

Chairman

Hangzhou, PRC, 13 June 2017

As at the date of this announcement, the executive directors of the Company are: Mr. ZHAN Xiaozhang, Mr. CHENG Tao and Ms. LUO Jianhu; the non-executive directors of the Company are: Mr. WANG Dongjie, Mr. DAI Benmeng, and Mr. ZHOU Jianping; and the independent non-executive directors of the Company are: Mr. ZHOU Jun, Mr. PEI Ker-Wei and Ms. LEE Wai Tsang, Rosa.




NEW YORK, 2017-06-13 14:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeSci Advisors, a leading life sciences-focused investor relations consultancy, announced today the eighth placement of a female executive to a life sciences company board as part of their Board Placement Initiative (BPI). LifeSci Advisors launched BPI last year with the goal of connecting female executives in the life sciences industry with companies looking for board candidates. The company is pleased to share that Patricia S. Andrews, CEO of Boston Biomedical, has joined the Board of Directors of GlycoMimetics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on cancer and sickle cell disease. Ms. Andrews' placement marks the eighth successful connection made by the program in less than a year, with LifeSci Advisors looking to match more candidates in the coming months.



"I'm honored to serve on the Board of Directors of GlycoMimetics, which has impressed me with its management team and very promising pipeline of treatments targeting some of today's most serious medical challenges in oncology," said Ms. Andrews. "I believe these clinical assets have potential in areas of high unmet need and should be quickly advanced towards commercialization. I would like to thank LifeSci Advisors for facilitating this introduction."



Ms. Andrews was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Boston Biomedical in April of this year. Since joining the company in 2013, Ms. Andrews has been a key driving force leading all aspects of commercial operations and medical affairs. Before joining Boston Biomedical, Ms. Andrews served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Incyte, a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company, where she led the transition from a clinical-stage research and development organization to a successful commercial enterprise, with the launch of its first-in-class, first-in-disease orphan oncology product, Jakafi. Prior to Incyte, Ms. Andrews spent 17 years at Pfizer, culminating in her role as Vice President and General Manager of the U.S. Oncology Business Unit, a $900 million portfolio of products in colorectal cancer, breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Ms. Andrews received her MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from Brown University.



"Pat has an incredible depth of experience as an operational leader and as a commercial development expert in the oncology treatment space," said Michael Rice, Founding Partner, LifeSci Advisors. "The GlycoMimetics Board of Directors will benefit greatly from her insight and expertise, and we are thrilled that LifeSci Advisors' Board Placement Initiative has been able to play a role in facilitating this appointment. It is our hope that our Board Placement Initiative will continue to support women in our industry and make the life sciences industry a more diverse and inclusive space."



"It's an asset to our Board and GlycoMimetics as a whole to be able to leverage Pat's commercial experience in oncology," said Rachel King, CEO of GlycoMimetics. "Her track record of leadership in transitioning other companies to the commercial stage will be particularly helpful to us as we continue to advance our pipeline. I'd like to thank LifeSci Advisors for its Board Placement Initiative, which assisted in helping to identify several outstanding candidates, including Pat."



LifeSci Advisors' Board Placement Initiative is accepting resumes from interested candidates and referrals on an ongoing basis. Resumes or open board seat positions can be sent to boarddiversity@lifesciadvisors.com. You can find out more information about BPI and LifeSci Advisors' commitment to board diversity by visiting www.lifesciadvisors.com/board-diversity-initiatives.



About LifeSci Advisors, LLC: LifeSci Advisors, LLC (www.lifesciadvisors.com) is a unique investor relations consultancy founded to provide companies in the life sciences a comprehensive solution to investor communications and outreach. With a local presence in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, London, Geneva and Tel Aviv, the firm provides the highest quality service for its clients through its deep sector specialization. Our roster of PhDs enables us to better understand our clients' R&D, regulatory, and commercial strategy, and our team of capital markets, investor relations, and public relations specialists help our clients effectively communicate to the marketplace. This combination of life sciences, capital markets, and investor relations competencies allows us to provide a valuable and highly differentiated service offering to our clients.



About LifeSci Partners: LifeSci Partners (www.lifescipartners.com) is the leading provider of comprehensive consulting services in the areas of investor relations, corporate communications, public relations and capital markets advisory. Combining deep domain expertise in the life sciences and decades of experience in capital markets and public relations, we deliver unparalleled services to life sciences companies globally. LifeSci Partners has a physical presence in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, London, Geneva and Tel Aviv.



For further information, please contact: Michael Rice Founding Partner LifeSci Advisors, LLC (646) 597-6979 mrice@lifesciadvisors.com

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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Producer Price Index of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Final Demand for May will be released at 8.30 am ET Tuesday. Economists are looking for consensus of 0.1 percent, while the prior PPI-FD was 0.5 percent. Ahead of the data, the greenback traded mixed against its major rivals. While the greenback held steady against the franc and the euro, it dropped against the pound and the yen. The greenback was worth 1.1218 against the euro, 110.01 against the yen, 0.9669 against the franc and 1.2735 against the pound as of 8:25 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Peak 10 Inc., a portfolio company of GI Partners, and ViaWest Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR_B.TO, SJR, SJR_A.TO), said that they reached a definitive agreement by which ViaWest will be acquired by Peak 10 for all-cash consideration of US$1.675 billion and the companies will combine.



GI Partners, a former investor in ViaWest, acquired Peak 10 in 2014 and will remain the majority shareholder of the combined company, Peak 10 said.



Shaw noted that the purchase price of about C$2.3 billion or US$1.675 billion, represents an attractive return on Shaw's original investment of US$1.2 billion, or about C$1.3 billion at the prevailing exchange rate at the time. Consideration pursuant to the ViaWest Transaction is comprised of all cash.



Shaw expects to realize net cash proceeds from the ViaWest Transaction of approximately C$900 million after the repayment of ViaWest level indebtedness of approximately US$580 million, repayment of the US$380 million Shaw credit facility borrowings associated with the original investment and subsequent INetU acquisition, and estimated ViaWest Transaction expenses and taxes.



The ViaWest Transaction is subject to customary conditions, including U.S. regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of fiscal 2017.



Separately, Shaw Communications announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Quebecor Media Inc. to acquire 700 MHz and 2500 MHz wireless spectrum licences for $430 million.



The spectrum licences being acquired comprise the 10 MHz licences of 700 MHz spectrum in each of British Columbia, Alberta, and Southern Ontario, as well as the 20 MHz licences of 2500 MHz spectrum in each of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto.



Shaw noted that the Transaction will be funded using a combination of cash on hand and Shaw's existing credit facility. The deal is expected to close in the Summer of 2017.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Australian models brought them to the U.S. and now Pitney Bowes is helping sell them internationally

Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI), a global technology company providing innovative technology solutions to power commerce, announced today that Australian footwear and accessory retailer Tony Bianco is now a globally-optimized ecommerce site, bringing their coveted shoes, handbags and accessories to shoppers around the world.

While Tony Bianco's designs have been highly sought after in Australia for over forty years, the brand was catapulted into the world's most influential fashion magazines and best-dressed lists by Australian models. Today, many top celebrities and models in the U.S. and throughout Europe can be seen wearing a variety of Tony Bianco shoes and accessories. Influential fashion bloggers and fashionistas around the world are tagging their social posts and snaps with TONYBIANCO and women in dozens of countries want the shoes delivered right to their door.

To help accelerate their international expansion and cross-border demand, Tony Bianco is working with Pitney Bowes to provide a seamless, localized online shopping experience to customers around the world with the Pitney Bowes Complete Cross-Border solution. Now Tony Bianco can reach shoe lovers around the world and allow them to pay in local currency with fully landed costs that are guaranteed-so no surprises upon delivery. Global shoppers get the shoes that help them stand out and Tony Bianco's fantastic brand becomes better known around the world.

"A global footprint is essential for us. We have demand across the world and need to get our shoes and accessories to a diverse group of markets," says Adam Bianco, Director, Tony Bianco. "By partnering with Pitney Bowes, we can sell to shoppers in more than 150 countries and territories and their end-to-end technology offers a seamless localized experience to our customers."

"Tony Bianco is highly-respected worldwide because of their unique designs and impeccable craftsmanship and materials," said Lila Snyder, Executive Vice President and President, Global Ecommerce for Pitney Bowes. "We are proud that they chose to expand globally with us by harnessing the value of our Complete Cross-Border solution. We reduce complexity and take on much of the risk of selling cross-border including guaranteed currency conversions and fraud protection to help retailers like Tony Bianco realize their global growth strategies."

Pitney Bowes' cross border solutions are available as part of the Pitney Bowes Commerce Cloud, a commerce enabler, providing access to solutions, analytics and APIs across the full commerce continuum with speed and agility.

About Tony Bianco

Tony Bianco is Australia's leading fashion footwear brand recognizing that being an individual is the essence of true style.

Our fashion forward collection of shoes embodies the attitude of High street London and the spirit of Soho NY. It represents the perfect harmony of creative, cultural and on-trend infusions.

The Tony Bianco signature denotes a heightened focus on detail, superior quality and unique luxurious materials. The contemporary styling reigns supreme, inspiring and surprising with undertones of mystery.

The Tony Bianco girl is a well-blended mix of street-smart modernist, epitomizing cool with an effortless ability to switch their looks day or night; from androgynous to glamour, vintage meets modern to everyday, street-luxe dressing.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company powering billions of transactions physical and digital in the connected and borderless world of commerce. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on products, solutions, services and data from Pitney Bowes in the areas of customer information management, location intelligence, customer engagement, shipping, mailing, and global ecommerce. And with the innovative Pitney Bowes Commerce Cloud, clients can access the broad range of Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs to drive commerce. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes, the Craftsmen of Commerce, at www.pitneybowes.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005276/en/

Contacts:

Pitney Bowes Inc.

US:

Brett Cody, 203-351 6079

Brett.Cody@pb.com

or

Australia:

Kathleen Sweetapple, +61 424 065 874

Kathleen.Sweetapple@pb.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 13, 2017) - Quadron Cannatech Corporation (CSE: QCC) (the "Company" or "Quadron") announces the completion of its next generation extraction and processing facility which incorporates Quadron's latest proprietary CO 2 extraction technology.

Rosy Mondin, President and CEO of Quadron commented, "The deployment of this advanced research and development facility provides Quadron with the necessary tools and environment required for the advancements of automated solutions and processes. Such research is imperative to the continued development of Quadron's intellectual property, and is highly complementary to the sale of our custom-branded accessories business. We anticipate these two verticals to provide recurring revenues and rapidly grow in tandem in the second half of 2017 and beyond."

Engaging in research to continuously update and modernize Quadron's line of extraction equipment and methodologies gives Quadron a leading-edge advantage. This on-going R&D will help generate new revenue opportunities and market growth for Quadron as its product and service offerings expand to a variety of markets and industries, and address the emerging needs of authorized cannabis industry participants, patients, growers, processors, and manufacturers.

Consumption data from legalized jurisdictions is trending away from dried cannabis to cannabis oil and oil-based products which are consumed in a variety of ways. Delivery of this oil is done using different types of hardware (such as vapor pens) and other means of consumption (such as capsules). Quadron, being a leader of innovation, automation and oil extraction of cannabis is well positioned to capture this growing mega trend of oil consumption in the cannabis industry.

The move towards extract-based products also supports public health policies that provide for safer and more discreet alternatives to combustion-based methods of cannabis consumption.

About Quadron: Quadron focuses on ancillary equipment, products and services for the authorized cannabis industry, providing automated extraction and processing solutions, and sales of end user delivery solutions such as vape pens, capsules and other safer consumption solutions for patients.

For more information, visit: www.quadroncannatech.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

QUADRON CANNATECH CORPORATION

Rosy Mondin

President and CEO

rosy@quadroncannatech.com

Investor Relations Contact:

KIN Communications Inc.

Caleb Jeffries, VP, Investor Relations

1-866-684-6730

QCC@kincommunications.com

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Crew Energy Inc. (TSX: CR) ("Crew" or the "Company") has been informed by the Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership ("Alliance") that it has detected slope movement in the vicinity of its pipeline system near the Wapiti River, approximately 25 km southwest of Grande Prairie. Alliance plans to expose the affected section of pipe in order to conduct the necessary inspections subject to regulatory requirements. To accommodate this work, Alliance will be required to reduce system operating pressure at this location for the duration of the work, which in turn will cause a reduction in firm transportation service capability and zero flow restrictions at certain receipt points including Crew's BC58 Septimus delivery point.

This suspension will result in all of Crew's Montney production being shut-in until the situation is resolved, representing approximately 90 mmcf per day of natural gas and associated liquids or approximately 18,000 boe per day. The work is expected to commence today, June 13, 2017, and is currently anticipated to last for a period of three to five days. Crew's ability to mitigate this outage by delivering additional volumes to the Enbridge (Spectra) T-North Fort Saint John mainline is not available due to planned maintenance on that pipeline which overlaps with the Alliance outage.

As a result of this unplanned outage, the Company's previously announced second quarter 2017 production guidance of 20,000 to 21,000 boe per day will be impacted by an average of 200 boe per day for each day Crew's Alliance service is unavailable. Based on Alliance's expectation of a three to five day outage, second quarter production is expected to be impacted by approximately 600 to 1,000 boe per day. The Company currently has three drilling rigs at work in northeast B.C., an inventory of 19 drilled and uncompleted wells and one frac spread at work with a second expected at West Septimus this week, allowing the Company to maintain our full year guidance of 24,000 to 26,000 boe per day.

This event further highlights the importance of maintaining multiple egress options for Western Canadian natural gas production and the strategic advantage of Crew's land base, which is proximal to all three major pipeline export systems out of Western Canada. In order to take advantage of this strength, Crew is proceeding with the tie-in of its expanded 120 mmcf per day West Septimus gas processing facility into the TransCanada Pipeline system with work on the tie-in expected to commence in the fall of 2017 and conclude by April of 2018.

Crew Energy Inc. is a dynamic, growth-oriented exploration and production company, focused on increasing long-term production, reserves and cash flow per share through the development of our world-class Montney resource. Crew is based in Calgary, Alberta and our shares are traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "CR".

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends", "forecast" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking information and statements pertaining to Alliance's plans to conduct pipeline work, the timing and duration thereof, the anticipated suspension of Crew's Montney production in the area and duration thereof, production forecasts for the second quarter and the year 2017 and Crew's plans to tie in its West Septimus facility into TransCanada and timing thereof.

The forward-looking information and statements included in this press release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and Crew does not assume any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the included forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

BOE equivalent

Barrel of oil equivalents or BOEs may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 mcf: 1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different than the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

Contacts:

Dale Shwed

President and C.E.O.

(403) 266-2088



John Leach

Senior Vice President and C.F.O.

(403) 266-2088



Rob Morgan

Senior Vice President and C.O.O.

(403) 266-2088

investor@crewenergy.com




AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 2017-06-13 15:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellium N.V. (NYSE:CSTM) (Euronext Paris:CSTM) will present its wide range of aerospace solutions, including the latest innovations in its Airware technology, at the International Paris Air Show (June 19 to June 23, 2017). Constellium will also reveal an interactive and immersive experience of its aerospace offerings with its new Virtual Reality module and 3-D app.



New innovations in Airware, the solution of choice for aerospace applications A game changer in the aerospace aluminium market, Constellium's Airware solution provides high performance aluminium-lithium alloys tailored for aircraft and spacecraft structures. Airware lower density and improved material properties enable optimized structural designs, leading to an overall weight reduction and decrease in CO2 emissions.



No fewer than seven different Airware alloys are on planes flying today. Current applications include internal wing structures and fuselage of the Airbus A350 XWB, the fuselage of the Bombardier C Series, the NASA Orion Crew Module, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 Launcher.



Building on its success, Constellium is expanding the Airware portfolio with new additions:



-- Airware  2074, a high performance external fuselage sheet product offering a combination of low density and very high damage tolerance properties. -- A new Airware  external fuselage sheet product with very low density enabling direct substitution of current skin materials. -- Airware  2065 and 2076, the latest high performance extruded solutions delivering improved performance for wing and fuselage structures.



Experience Constellium's aerospace solutions in VR & 3-D at the Paris Air Lab



Constellium will introduce its Virtual Reality module for aerospace solutions at the Paris Air Show, and its new 3-D app, available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. With these, visitors will be able to explore Constellium's aerospace product offerings - from the fuselage, outer wings and center wing box, to the engine and landing gear.



Constellium's Chalet will be located in B-45. The Virtual Reality module and the 3-D app will be presented at the Paris Air Lab space and located at the Concorde Hall of the Air and Space Museum.



About Constellium Constellium (NYSE:CSTM) (Euronext Paris:CSTM) is a global sector leader that develops innovative, value added aluminium products for a broad scope of markets and applications, including aerospace, automotive and packaging. Constellium generated 4.7 billion of revenue in 2016. www.constellium.com



Forward Looking Statement



Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release may contain "forward looking statements" with respect to our business, results of operations and financial condition, and our expectations or beliefs concerning future events and conditions. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as, but not limited to, "believes," "expects," "may," "should," "approximately," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," likely," "will," "would," "could" and similar expressions (or the negative of these terminologies or expressions). All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Many risks and uncertainties are inherent in our industry and markets. Others are more specific to our business and operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of Constellium and Wise to achieve expected synergies and the timing thereof; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; Constellium's increased levels of indebtedness as a result of the acquisition of Wise Metals, which could limit Constellium's operating flexibility and opportunities; the potential failure to retain key employees as a result of the acquisition of Wise Metals or during the integration of the business, the loss of customers, suppliers and other business relationships as a result of the acquisition of Wise Metals; disruptions to business operations resulting from the acquisition of Wise Metals; slower or lower than expected growth in the North American market for Body-in-White aluminium rolled products and other risk factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and as described from time to time in subsequent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The occurrence of the events described and the achievement of the expected results depend on many events, some or all of which are not predictable or within our control. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.



Constellium



Christel des Royeries - Corporate Communications Phone: +33 1 73 01 46 73 christel.des-royeries@constellium.com



Ryan Wentling - Investor Relations Phone: +1 (212) 675-5450 investor-relations@constellium.com



Josee Robert - Communications Phone: +33 (0) 1 73 01 46 85 josee.robert@constellium.com



Media relations Constellium Corporate Emilie Humann Phone: +33 (0)7 77 26 24 60 emilie.humann@clai2.com

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CRESCO, PA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/10/17 -- NSAV Holding, Inc. (OTC: NSAV), today announced that its subsidiary, Hemp Beer Inc., will officially launch its e-commerce website on September 5, 2017. The state of the art website will market Hemp Beer and a host of related products. Hemp Beer Inc., will be spun-out as a separate publicly traded company later this month. NSAV plans to develop and market a premium line of hemp beer in both the U.S. and China, two of the world's largest beer consumers. Analysts forecast the global hemp-based foods market to grow at a CAGR of 20.3% during the period 2016-2020.

Last week the Company announced that it will spin-off 20% of Hemp Beer Inc. to its shareholders, who will be awarded with a share dividend based upon their holdings of NSAV on the August 22, 2017 record date. Shareholders will receive approximately one share of Hemp Beer Inc. common stock for every 17 shares of NSAV common stock that they hold on the record date. The dividend will be payable on or around September 5, 2017.

James Tilton, president of NSAV stated, "There can be no denying that online sales of hemp related items, especially food and beverage products, are increasing at an unimaginable rate and NSAV is poised to take full advantage of this. I'm sure all of our shareholders can now see why I chose Hemp Beer to be our first spin-off into a standalone public company."

NSAV's vision is the establishment of a fully integrated technology company that provides turnkey technological solutions to the legal medical cannabis and hemp industries, as well as other areas of the medical industry. Over time, the Company plans to provide a wide range of services such as software solutions, e-commerce, advisory services, financial services, patents and trademarks and information technology.

For further information please contact NSAV at 1 (480) 326-8577 or tenassociates33@gmail.com

The NSAV corporate email address is info@nsavholdinginc.com

The NSAV corporate website can be accessed at http://nsavholdinginc.com

The NSAV Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/NSAV_MJTechCo

The NSAV Facebook account can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/NSAVHolding

This press release contains certain 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, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of NSAV Holding, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. NSAV Holding, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by NSAV Holding, Inc. or any other person.

Contact

TEN Associates LLC

1 (480) 326-8577

tenassociates33@gmail.com




DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Calyx Software, a leading provider of comprehensive mortgage software solutions for banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers, announced Portfolio Underwriter', an advanced automated underwriting system (AUS) from LoanScorecard', is now available to Point  and PointCentral  clients.

Portfolio Underwriter allows portfolio lenders to customize credit decisioning and safely originate non-agency loans that they intend to put on their balance sheets. It captures a portfolio lender's program guidelines within its engine and delivers a rules-based underwriting decision in seconds. Results of the decision are documented in a findings report. This report includes program-specific, conditional underwriting criteria utilized in the data analysis.

Portfolio Underwriter seamlessly integrates with Calyx Point and PointCentral loan origination systems. The connection facilitates bidirectional data flow and provides a single system of record for all loan documentation. Centralization of processes and documents streamlines preparation for audits, board reviews and regulatory submissions.

The solution helps portfolio lenders by:

Providing a mechanism to safely and easily communicate underwriting criteria for new niche products.

Conducting extensive loan file data checks and in-depth credit report reviews.

Allowing them to manage exceptions based on valid compensating factors on the loan, rather than loan officer "discretion."

Ensuring consistent, transparent credit policy application to demonstrate Fair Lending and improve efficiency.

"Manually underwriting portfolio loans not only exposes lenders to Fair Lending issues, but is also time consuming and costly," said Ben Wu, Executive Director at LoanScorecard. "By incorporating automated technology like Portfolio Underwriter, portfolio lenders using Point and PointCentral can improve efficiency by streamlining decisioning for their unique programs and focus on more complex transactions."

"The predominant focus of Fair Lending violations is how and why loans were approved; therefore, it is critical to have an AUS in place to demonstrate the standard practice of quality underwriting," said Bob Dougherty, Vice President of Business Development at Calyx Software. "While lenders are certainly familiar with agency AUSs, they are also aware of gaps in automated decisioning for their portfolio products. Portfolio Underwriter helps lenders who originate portfolio loans automatically determine the appropriate response for their institution-ensuring compliance with Fair Lending at the point of sale and in the underwriting process."

For more information, visit CalyxSoftware.com.

About Calyx Software

Calyx Software  is a provider of innovative solutions to help streamline and simplify all phases of the loan process. The company's offerings include its Point  and PointCentral  loan origination systems for banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers; INK-it  , a secure electronic signature solution; and WebCaster  , a consumer website development tool. For more information call (800) 362-2599 or visit www.calyxsoftware.com.

About LoanScorecard

LoanScorecard' is a leading provider of automated underwriting and loan pricing solutions designed to meet today's regulatory challenges and capitalize on today's market opportunities. The company's Portfolio Underwriter' can be tailored to capture a lender's specific credit policy and render underwriting findings that demonstrate a consistent loan manufacturing process to auditors and investors. Portfolio Producer' electronically distributes wholesale and investor products and pricing to third-party originators (TPOs), providing TPOs with a real-time, interactive tool to determine borrower fit and price for non-agency programs, and enabling them to submit qualified loans to wholesalers and investors with confidence. Additionally, as the industry's first QM engine, LoanScorecard helps institutions address CFPB regulations through its QM Findings ' , the industry's first qualified mortgage (QM) engine which has rendered more than 4 million QM findings reports to-date. For more information, visit loanscorecard.com or call 800-617-0892.

Contact:

Campbell Lewis Communications

Jessica Ruiz-Krout

212.995.8058

jessica@campbelllewis.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that President Donald Trump imposed travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries not because he was against any religion but to protect national security. The Attorney General was responding to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision upholding injunction on President Trump's revised executive order imposing a travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations. 'President Trump's Executive Order is well within his lawful authority to keep the Nation safe. We disagree with the Ninth Circuit's decision to block that authority,' he said in a statement Monday. Sessions cited Trump's recent speech in Saudi Arabia, where he called upon leaders in the Muslim world to join the United States in protecting religious freedom for all, including the freedom to be free from violence and terror. Recent attacks confirm that the threat to the United States is 'immediate and real,' according to Sessions. He warned tat it may not be possible to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from some war-torn, failed states that shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda. He pointed out that this injunction prevents the President from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall. He vowed that the Department of Justice will continue to seek further review of the lower court's decision by the Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit said that by signing the revised order, the President violated U.S. immigration law. The Trump administration earlier this month had petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily lift the injunctions and allow the order to take effect, which would require support from five of the nine Justices. A revised Executive Order signed by Trump on March 6 halts the entire US refugee program for 120 days, and bars entry of refugees from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days while the US government reviews their screening procedures. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 13, 2017) - Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (TSXV: SSV) (OTCQB: SSVFF) (FSE: SEG1) ("Southern Silver") has closed the first tranche of its previously reported Brokered private placement by issuing 6,372,500 units at a price of $0.40 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,549,000. Gravitas Securities Inc. is the lead agent of the $5 million placement of Units. Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share for a period of three years at an exercise price of $0.55 per share. Securities issued pursuant to this tranche of the private placement, including common shares, share purchase warrants and finder's warrants issued as finder's fees, carry a legend restricting trading of the securities until October 14, 2017.

Net proceeds from this private placement are intended to be used to contribute to the Company's proportionate share (40%) of the costs associated with continuing exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas property near Durango, Mexico together with the Joint Venture partner of the Company, Electrum Global Holdings L.P. (60%), and for additional working capital. Further exploration work in 2017 and 2018 is to be funded by the two Joint Venture partners and is expected to consist of RC, RAB and core diamond drilling in order to:

Extend the known mineralization at the Blind and Blind Shoulder targets to increase the current resource. Explore for accumulations of potential new mineralization elsewhere in the larger area of the Cerro Las Minitas property.

Further work is currently ongoing on the balance of the larger property area including continued surface work and sampling, exploratory RAB/RC drilling and additional core drilling of certain defined targets.

Final closing is expected to occur no later than June 30th, 2017 or such other date as the Lead Agent and the Company may agree and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

The Company is pleased to announce that Fort Capital Partners has been appointed to act as a financial advisor to Southern Silver to assist in exploring and evaluating strategic options to enhance shareholder value. Fort Capital Inc. is a boutique investment banking advisory firm that works with public and private companies in Canada with extensive experience in the mining industry. The firm draws from collective capital markets experience to provide its clients with proven, accessible and independent investment banking advice and transaction execution.

About Southern Silver Exploration

Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is a precious metal exploration and development company with a focus on the discovery of world-class mineral deposits in north-central Mexico and the southern USA. Our specific emphasis is the Cerro Las Minitas silver-lead-zinc project located in the heart of Mexico's Faja de Plata, which hosts multiple world-class mineral deposits such as Penasquito, San Martin, Naica and Pitarrilla. We have assembled a team of highly experienced technical, operational and transactional professionals to support our exploration efforts in developing, along with our partner, Electrum Global Holdings LP, the Cerro Las Minitas project into a premier, high-grade, silver-lead-zinc mine. The Company engages in the acquisition, exploration and development either directly or through joint-venture relationships in mineral properties in major jurisdictions. Our property portfolio also includes the Oro porphyry copper-gold project located in southern New Mexico, USA.

Robert Macdonald, MSc. P.Geo, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for the supervision of the exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas Project and for the preparation of the technical information in this disclosure.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Lawrence Page"

Lawrence Page, Q.C.

President & Director, Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

For further information, please visit Southern Silver's website at southernsilverexploration.com or contact us at 604.641.2759 or by email at ir@mnxltd.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Southern Silver Exploration Corp. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

This news release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States.
FOOTHILL RANCH, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- The Skype for Business landscape continues to flourish, with approximately 75 percent of U.S. enterprises conducting Skype for Business trials.(1) Today, Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) announced the newest release of CX-E. An enterprise-class Unified Communications (UC) platform, CX-E enhances the Skype for Business user telephony experience with Click-to-Call functionality and the handling of complex call forwarding scenarios.

"AVST is the only company that offers a UC platform that connects Skype for Business with all major PBX brands while enabling key enterprise-class UC applications including best-of-breed unified messaging," said Jim Burton, Founder and CEO of CT Link and Co-Founder of UCStrategies.com. "We have found that customers who have deployed Skype for Business have a requirement to manage complex call processing flows across multiple PBX brands as well as deploy a highly flexible unified messaging solution. AVST addresses those needs. It's a perfect fit."

Many large enterprises currently:

1. Use Skype for Business for Instant Messaging and Presence;

2. Have Cisco, Avaya or other enterprise-class telephony switches (PBXs) for call control; and

3. Are considering Skype for Business as a full or partial PBX replacement in the future.

"Enterprises are on a journey to Skype for Business," said Tom Minifie, AVST's Chief Technology Officer. "AVST helps them transition over time, with their desired feature set, at their chosen pace."

Skype for Business users can now easily and effectively have desktop telephony access across a mixed PBX landscape -- Cisco, Avaya and more. The enhanced Click-to-Call functionality in this version of CX-E provides a telephony experience where calls can be initiated from the Skype for Business client through an existing PBX.

The latest version of CX-E addresses key enterprise security requirements including support for enhanced security via mobile devices. Security continues to be one of the most defensible areas of tech spending. According to Gartner, security risks far outpace business needs and industry changes as the primary spending driver, with over 50 percent of surveyed organizations pointing to risks such as breaches or other security incidents, and privacy concerns as leading issues.(2) Customers can be confident that data remains secure when retrieved from AVST's Mobile Client on iOS and Android devices.

New features in this latest release of CX-E include:

Improved Skype for Business integration enabling forwarding of calls to CX-E in certain conditions such as Do Not Disturb and Presentation Mode;

Skype for Business Click-to-Call client with auto-dial mode;

VMware vSphere 6.5 support;

Mobile Client inactivity timeout; and

Android 7 support.

The latest version of CX-E is now available through AVST's reseller channels worldwide. For more information about AVST's products, visit the company website at www.avst.com.

(1) InfoTrack for Unified Communications: Impact of Microsoft Skype for Business on the Enterprise Voice Market, Sept 2016

(2) Gartner, Survey Analysis: Trends in End-User Security Spending 2017, Jan 2017, Analyst(s): Deborah Kish, Dale Gardner, Nandita Iyer

About AVST

With more than 35 years of continuous innovation, Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) is a trusted developer of software-based, enterprise-class Unified Communications (UC) solutions.

Our mission is to design, deliver and support communications solutions that transform the productivity of individual workers, teams and enterprises while leveraging the value of their existing and evolving IT infrastructure.

Thousands of businesses worldwide rely on AVST's advanced voice, mobility, team communications, and business process UC solutions to meet their mission-critical communications requirements. The world-class interoperability and flexibility of AVST's UC platform provides a future-proofed bridge to their digital future.

Headquartered in Orange County, California, AVST maintains facilities in Seattle, Washington, Victoria B.C., Canada, the United Kingdom, and has remote sales offices throughout the United States. AVST's UC solutions are sold and supported worldwide by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. To learn more about AVST, our products and partners, please visit www.avst.com or you can follow us at Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Stephanie Olsen

Lages & Associates

(949) 453-8080

Email Contact




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Canada will need more pipelines built through to 2030 to transport an additional 1.3 million barrels per day of oil sands production to markets across North America and around the world, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) announced today in its 2017 Crude Oil Forecast, Markets and Transportation report.

Overall Canadian oil production will grow to 5.1 million b/d in 2030, up from 3.85 million b/d in 2016. This 1.3-million-b/d growth will be driven by a 53-per-cent increase in forecasted oil sands production of up to 3.7 million b/d in 2030 from 2.4 million b/d in 2016.

Conventional oil production is expected to remain flat, producing 884,000 b/d on average throughout the outlook.

New offshore production from the Hebron project in Newfoundland and Labrador, expected at the end of 2017, will contribute to a rise in eastern Canadian output to 307,000 b/d by 2024, but thereafter, due to natural declines, forecasted production will drop to 186,000 b/d by 2030.

The projected growth will exceed the existing pipeline transportation capacity, highlighting the urgent need for pipelines heading east, west, and south. Today, the pipeline network can transport 4 million b/d of oil and oil products but by 2030 it will need to move more than 5.5 million b/d. Increased pipeline capacity to reach more Canadians and new, growing markets around the world will ensure Canada remains globally competitive.

Capital spending in the oil sands is expected to decline for the third consecutive year to $15 billion in 2017 from $34 billion in 2014. Drilling by conventional crude oil producers is forecast to increase 70 per cent compared to 2016 levels, but will still be 40 per cent lower than in 2014.

At present, Canada's oil industry faces a number of challenges tempering long-term growth prospects, including uncertainty related to provincial and federal climate change policies in Canada, potential protectionist policies in the U.S., and diverging regulatory efficiencies between Canada and the U.S.

Among its biggest challenges continues to be pipeline constraints. In the past year pipelines such as the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, Enbridge Line 3, and Keystone XL have been approved and, when built, will provide much-needed pipeline capacity to access North American and Asian markets. However, Energy East - a portal connecting Canada to Europe and beyond - is still needed to further connect Canada's growing supplies to diverse markets.

Earlier this month CAPP released the Global Energy Pulse, its first-ever international research into world views on oil, natural gas, Canada and the world's energy future. Among the key findings, Canada ranked No. 1 as the preferred supplier for oil and natural gas to global markets.

The 2017 Crude Oil Forecast, Markets and Transportation report can be downloaded here.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers quotes: Tim McMillan - President and CEO

-- "The urgent need for new pipelines to increase our competitiveness continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing our industry. Without access to emerging new markets we're putting our economy at risk." -- "It is imperative we get our oil to markets in all directions to ensure fair market value for our natural resources, and provide the world with a source of safe, reliable, and secure energy from Canada." -- "Canadian oil producers continue to face a number of challenges such as industry competitiveness, regulatory uncertainty, and low commodity prices, in addition to lack of access to new markets. The success of Canada's energy future relies on the ability to overcome these challenges." -- "Innovation and leading-edge technology in the oil sands - through initiatives such as Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance - will allow Canada to become a global leader in producing energy for a growing world with less impact on the planet." -- "Canada's ability to produce oil responsibly and sustainably positions us as a global leader. Our world-class regulatory system guarantees we meet stringent standards exceeding other producing nations."

Supporting Messages

-- The International Energy Agency reports oil represents 31 per cent of the world's energy demands and continues to be the largest energy source through to 2040. -- China's and India's combined demand growth is 10.1 million b/d - equal to more than 90 per cent of the world's increased demand from 2015 to 2040. -- About 99 per cent of Canadian exports - over 3.3 million b/d in 2016 - is exported to the U.S., while less than one per cent is shipped overseas. -- Since 2008 the U.S. has added 4.4 million b/d of oil to its energy portfolio, making it both Canada's biggest customer and its biggest competitor. -- In 2016 Canada imported 613,000 b/d into Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Angola, and Norway. -- CAPP's annual forecast is based on a survey of our producing members, and uses a methodology that accounts for historical and future capacities. Data was collected from producers in March and April 2017.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) represents companies, large and small, that explore for, develop and produce natural gas and crude oil throughout Canada. CAPP's member companies produce about 80 per cent of Canada's natural gas and crude oil. CAPP's associate members provide a wide range of services that support the upstream crude oil and natural gas industry. Together CAPP's members and associate members are an important part of a national industry with revenues from crude oil and natural gas production of about $120 billion a year. CAPP's mission, on behalf of the Canadian upstream crude oil and natural gas industry, is to advocate for and enable economic competitiveness and safe, environmentally and socially responsible performance.

Press conference details: Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 8:30 a.m. MST Conference call details: (416) 340 2218 (Local) (800) 273 9672 (Toll-free Canada/U.S.) Please ask the operator to be connected to the CAPP media call

Contacts:

Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)

Chelsie Klassen

403-267-1151

chelsie.klassen@capp.ca




MANCHESTER, NH--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) - Questar, a SalesEdge customer, is recognized for business growth achieved using Qvidian Proposal Automation. By streamlining the sales organization's RFP response processes, Questar achieved significant revenue growth.

At Connect17, Qvidian's annual user conference, Leif Ueland, Director of Sales Operations at Questar, accepted the Qvidian Annual Excellence Award for Business Growth.

After 40 years as primarily a provider of specialty assessments, Questar set an ambitious goal to become the premier provider of high-stakes grades 3-8 statewide assessments. In June of 2015 -- and within six months of fully implementing Qvidian -- Questar won Mississippi's statewide assessment contract. The State of New York awarded Questar its state contract over their incumbent assessment provider shortly thereafter, and less than a year after that, Tennessee followed suit.

This business growth is directly attributed to the Questar proposal team's focus on creating higher-quality RFP content and more effectively managing RFPs and proposals using Qvidian Proposal Automation software. At Qvidian's Connect17 conference, Leif Ueland shared, "One of the amazing aspects of this story is that proposals have emphatically been at the center of this explosive, headline grabbing growth. Questar's growth didn't happen until we completely transformed how we approached proposals."

SalesEdge, a value-added reseller of Qvidian Proposal Automation, provided Leif Ueland and the Questar proposal team with guidance and training to effectively use Qvidian proposal automation software technology. Kym Harrington, SalesEdge President shared, "We celebrate Questar's success, and stand ready to help the team to achieve its next objectives."

To learn how organizations like Questar improve their sales performance using Qvidian Proposal Automation to streamline RFP response processes and to automate sales critical documents including sales proposals and statements of work, contact SalesEdge to request a solution demonstration.

About SalesEdge LLC

SalesEdge helps organizations increase sales performance by automating critical selling documents that enable sales and marketing teams to win more business. Using RFP response and proposal automation software, sales and marketing teams quickly create professional looking proposals in significantly less time. SalesEdge has averaged over 40 percent growth during the past three years, placing it within the top fastest growing women led companies in NH. Connect with SalesEdge at www.SalesEdgeLLC.com or 888.577.7382 ext. 701.

About Questar Assessment Inc.

Questar Assessment Inc. is a K-12 assessment solutions provider focused on building a bridge between learning and accountability. As a wholly-owned, independently-operated subsidiary of Educational Testing Service (ETS), we share a belief that better measurement solutions can make a positive impact on education. Our fresh approach to meaningful assessment, our technical innovations that set the standard for scalability and reliable online testing performance, and the way we are reimagining how assessments can empower educators with insights that improve instruction are raising expectations about what it means to be an assessment partner. Questar is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and can be reached at questarai.com or 800-800-2598.

Contact:



Jeanne Schulze

Director, Marketing

SalesEdge LLC

jschulze@salesedgellc.com

888.577.7382 ext. 708
The New Article Explains the Inspiration Behind the Job Creation Summit, Which Will be Held on June 14 and 15 in Scranton, PA

SCRANTON, PA / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / The founders of the North East Regional Employment and Training Association (NERETA) are pleased to announce that they have just posted a new article to their website that focuses on their upcoming Job Creation Summit in Scranton, Pennsylvania on June 14 and 15. The article also goes into detail about many of the experts who will speak at the event, as well as the inspiration behind holding the summit.

To read the new article in its entirety, and also learn more about the upcoming Job Creation Summit and the eight-month post-conference courses that will follow it, please check out http://summit.nereta.org at any time.

As the new article notes, the Job Creation Summit will feature a number of experts in economic growth, who will speak about federal budget cuts and how state and local administrators should respond to them.

"Ultimately, it will not be what Washington D.C. does, but what local regions do that will determine the future of the U.S. economy," said Colleen LaRose, founder and president of the NERETA.

"This is why we are holding the Job Creation Summit - to bring together experts from all the different constituencies represented in economic growth strategies to teach teams of local administrators not only how to cope, but how to grow their economy. As businesses in these growing economies also grow, they can help support other local needs. And, as local economies grow, so will the national economy."

Bill Holstein, international business journalist and author of The Next American Economy: Blueprint for a Real Recovery, will be the moderator of the Job Creation Summit. Holstein, who has spent decades traveling across the United States and the world to understand who is winning and losing in the global economy, said all players in a region need to learn what they can do to optimize growth.

"The key is the concept of clusters of related economic activity," Holstein said, adding that in his experience, regions that are winners have found a niche to specialize in and then collaborate to help that region become known for that specialty.

Charles Vollmer, founder of Jobenomics, will speak at the luncheon on June 14. His presentation will focus on the new digital economy and why regions should stop relying on old, industrial era economics. Linda Cruz Carnall, NE Regional Director at U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, will also attend the summit, and will share information about new funding available through the EDA.

"Other speakers we have coming include the director of technology transfer from Cornell University, Alice Li, Dr. Patricia Greene from Babson University's Entrepreneurship program, Maria Meyers from Sourcelink, Erik Pages from Entreworks, and Laurence Gottlieb - President and CEO Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, to name just a few," LaRose said.

About the NERETA Job Creation Summit:

The purpose of the NERETA Job Creation Summit and eight-month post-conference courses (one webinar per month) is to assist local higher education, workforce development and economic development professionals to align their strategies to improve local workforce capabilities in both technology and business ownership skills and boost a competitive advantage for their region. For more information, please visit http://summit.nereta.org.

Contact:

Bill Holstein

bholstein2011@gmail.com

914-400-5596

SOURCE: NERETA
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK: USMJ) ("USMJ") recently announced a deal shift in the planned transaction with Alternet Systems, Inc. (ALYI) in conjunction with the acquisition of the controlling interest in USMJ by American Cannabis Innovations Conglomerated ("ACI"). The ACI acquisition is part of ACI's overall strategy to acquire early stage, undervalued businesses with intellectual properties validated by market tests, and commercial or consumer sales. USMJ plans to acquire ALYI's Point of Sale (POS) technology to further develop and market test a Cannabis Industry specific POS. USMJ had previously planned to maintain the POS technology within ALYI and orchestrate an equity swap between the two Companies. Alternatively, ALYI has entered into an agreement to go a different direction acquiring a private Lithium Intellectual Property Company that has entered into a strategic agreement with Lithium Exploration Group, Inc. (LEXG), among other strategic developments. USMJ, ALYI, and LEXG will all meet later this week near LEXG's home city of operation in Phoenix, AZ.

Learn More About USMJ: growusmj.com

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

North American Cannabis Holdings Contact:

Steven Rash

Phone: +1-972-528-0162

Email: Info@growusmj.com

SOURCE: North American Cannabis Holdings
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 13, 2017) - Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE: ATT) (OTCQB: ATTBF) (the "Company" or "Abattis") is pleased to provide an update of recent developments and achievements.

Testing Revenues at Northern Vine LabsTM

Since the launch of its first lab in May of 2017, the Company's subsidiary, Northern Vine Canada Inc. ("Northern Vine"), has been successfully accepting cannabis flower, oil and edible samples at its lab in Langley, BC. The team of scientists continues to perfect their methods and are successfully issuing Certificates of Analysis ("COA's") to early lab clientele.

Capacity Expansion at Northern Vine LabsTM

Due to demand for testing at Northern Vine LabsTM, the Company has commenced the process of enhancing its security to Level 6 to increase the amount of controlled substances it can hold and process in the lab. This will enable Northern Vine to significantly increase the volume of services it can provide to licensed producers and ACMPR patients.

Extraction Technology

On April 20, 2017, Abattis signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Suzhou Raybot Material Tech Corp. ("Raybot"). The agreement allows Abattis to use Raybot's proprietary extraction technology and to exclusively sell the extraction equipment and services. The Company has now received one of Raybot's extraction machines at its Northern Vine lab and has commenced testing of the machinery. The results of the testing will be disclosed once testing is complete.

"We are very excited and eagerly await the results of this technology," stated Abattis President & CEO, Robert Abenante. "This technology has the potential to significantly disrupt the cannabinoid extraction process. With a growing supply chain and increasing consumer demand for derivative products, being able to cost effectively extract cannabinoids at an industrial scale will allow us to have a significant competitive advantage over competing extraction technologies."

Formulations at Northern Vine LabsTM

The team of scientists at Northern Vine, led by Dr. David Galvez, have begun formulation efforts on a proprietary cannabinoid infused product for strategic marketing, with intended distribution as early as fall of 2017. The team has identified an array of unique ingredients and delivery methods for maximum bioavailability and product efficacy and has begun brand development and marketing efforts around this initiative.

Distribution at Vergence NaturalsTM

The relaunch of the Company's Sales and Marketing subsidiary, Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals ("Vergence"), is well underway. The Company has been evaluating and performing due diligence on several products to distribute through its established channels. Vergence will also be the exclusive distribution channel for proprietary products it intends to formulate at Northern Vine LabsTM.

Education and Awareness

The Sales and Marketing team at Northern Vine has begun the implementation of a series of outreach initiatives to further its educational knowyourmedicine campaign. Once live, the campaign will reach audiences through several mediums, including social media and print magazines. The Company remains committed to bringing awareness to the masses in this rapidly developing industry.

Management Additions

With the increased activity in its primary divisions, the Company has been working to add key positions to its management team in order to support the Company's aggressive growth targets. Key appointments will be announced once finalized in the coming weeks.

"I am very excited by the Company's rapid growth and pleased by the high level of talent the Company has been able to attract," said Mr. Abenante. "I believe we are well positioned and have the right people in place for continued growth of the Company."

About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp.

Abattis is a life sciences and biotechnology company which aggregates, integrates, and invests in cannabis technologies and biotechnology services for the legal cannabis industry developing in Canada. The Company has successfully developed and licensed natural health products, medicines, extractions, and ingredients for the biologics, nutraceutical, bioceutical, and cosmetic markets. The Company is also seeking to acquire exclusive intellectual property rights to agricultural technologies to be employed in extraction and processing of botanical ingredients and compounds. The Company follows strict standard operating protocols, and adheres to the applicable laws of Canada and foreign jurisdictions.

About Northern Vine Canada Inc.

Northern Vine Labs is licensed by Health Canada (Dealers License) for the possession of Cannabis and related active ingredients, as well as the production of extracts for the purpose of analysis. Northern Vine Labs product certification and quality assurances programs incorporate global best practices and procedures for application in the legal Canadian cannabis market.

About Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals Corp.

Vergence, dba Vergence NaturalsTM, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abattis, based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The Vergence team are bioceutical marketing specialists focused on health products to penetrate the fast growing market for natural, safe and effective natural products that meet unmet wellness needs.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

ABATTIS BIOCEUTICALS CORP,

"Rob Abenante"

Robert Abenante, President & CEO

For more information, please visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com or www.northernvinelabs.com.

For inquiries, please contact the Company at (604) 336-0881 or at news@abattis.com.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the expected volume of services to be provided at the Northern Vine lab, the timing of results of testing of the Raybot machine, that the Raybot technology has the potential to significantly disrupt the cannabinoid extraction process and will allow the Company to have a significantly competitive advantage over competing extraction technologies, the timing of product initiatives to be formulated at Northern Vine lab, the expected reach of the Company's knowyourmedicine campaign, the Company's short and long-term growth plans, the Company's goal to become one of the premier companies in the cannabis sector, and the Company's plan to acquire exclusive intellectual property rights to agricultural technologies. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including that the Raybot technology may not work as expected or at all, the Company will be unsuccessful in developing new product formulations in the time expected or at all, the Company will not be able to execute its proposed business plan in the time required or at all due to regulatory, financial or other issues, the Company's competitors may develop competing technologies, changes in regulatory requirements and other factors beyond the Company's control. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements are made as at the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, where as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 --



WHO: OneSpin Solutions, provider of innovative formal verification solutions for highly reliable, digital integrated circuits (ICs),

WHAT: Will demonstrate its comprehensive safety critical formal verification for automotive and mission-critical applications at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Booth #1547. Other demos will showcase additional design verification solutions from OneSpin including, Quantify Fault Observation Coverage, SystemC/C++ Formal Verification Environment and Equivalence Checking-Field Programmable Gate Array (EC-FPGA).

WHEN: June 19-21 from10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

WHERE: Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas

DAC Program Features OneSpin Experts

Jim Hogan, managing partner of Vista Ventures, will guide OneSpin Chief Executive Officer Dr. Raik Brinkmann and other industry thought leaders in a discussion on "Artificial Intelligence & Convolution Neural Networks" Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the DAC Pavilion. Panelists will explore artificial intelligence, its applications and predictions.

OneSpin's Muhammad Haque Khan, product specialist, synthesis verification, and representatives from Technical University of Chemnitz, Germany, will present a technical poster "Requirement-Driven Synthesis of UVM Testbench Components." It will describe how to synthesize a universal verification methodology (UVM) testbench directly from requirements through the use of formal properties expressed as operational assertions. The Designer Track Poster Session begins Tuesday at 5 p.m. on the Exhibit Floor.

Dr. Ashish Darbari, director of product management, will join a panel of experts for "Verification Necessity: When is Enough Too Much?" Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to address verification complexity and building an efficient verification flow.

OneSpin Parties at DAC

OneSpin is hosting "Verified," a new DAC party with a verification theme, Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. at Easy Tiger, along with Avery Design Systems, Blue Pearl, Breker Verification Systems, the ESD Alliance and Verific. To request an invitation, go to: http://bit.ly/2smue6H

It will be a co-sponsor of this year's Heart of Technology (HOT) benefit party for the Gary Smith Memorial Scholarship Endowment at San Jose State University Monday from 7 p.m. at Speakeasy. A limited number of tickets is available at the OneSpin booth.

About OneSpin

OneSpin Solutions as established itself as a leader in formal verification through a range of advanced electronic design automation (EDA) solutions for digital integrated circuits. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, OneSpin is passionate about enabling users to address design challenges in areas where reliability really counts: safety critical verification, SystemC/C++ high-level synthesis (HLS) code analysis and FPGA equivalence checking. Its advanced formal verification platform and dedication to getting it right the first time have fueled dramatic growth over the past four years as it forges partnerships with leading electronics companies to pursue design perfection. OneSpin: Making Electronics Reliable.

Engage with OneSpin at:

Website: www.OneSpin.com

Twitter: @OneSpinSolution

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onespin-solutions

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneSpinSolutions

OneSpin, OneSpin Solutions, OneSpin 360, Fault Injection App (FIA), Fault Propagation Analysis (FPA), Fault Detection App (FDA) and the OneSpin logo are trademarks of OneSpin Solutions GmbH. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, contact:

Nanette Collins

Public Relations for OneSpin Solutions

(617) 437-1822

Email Contact




The ongoing digital transformation of business-to-business (B2B) payments has been well chronicled. Part of that transformation can be found in the advancement of alternative cash cycle finance capabilities, led by nonbank financial technology (fintech) vendors during the past 10 year. There is much debate about the actual opportunity for supply chain finance, probably as much as is there is confusion around the definitions. In the view of the author, the market is globally robust with a more than trillion dollars of estimated available open account financing still ripe for working capital improvements on either side of the supply chain. In a new research report, Supply Chain Finance: Fintech Vendor Overview, the author delves into the current state of this global market and some of the varied fintech solutions available for companies of all sizes. Highlights of the report include:

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.
CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- MasterControl, a leading global provider of enterprise quality management systems (EQMS) and quality consulting services, today announced the release of a new white paper, "eTMF Management Essentials." MasterControl developed the white paper as part of its ongoing efforts to help the industry better understand and align their processes with evolving technologies, the increasing focus on transitioning from paper trial master files (TMF) to electronic trial master file (eTMF) management in clinical studies, and the changing regulatory landscape.

"If an organization that is engaged in a clinical trial desires to uphold compliance, they must effectively manage and maintain all trial-related content, documents and data to support the claims of the trial and also prove that the trial was conducted in a complaint manner," said Patricia Santos-Serrao, RAC, director of clinical and regulatory solutions of MasterControl Inc. "The collection of this information makes up the trial master file, which can be streamlined if created electronically in the form of an electronic trial master file or eTMF. The eTMF needs to be both accurate and organized in a way that is acceptable for evaluation by regulatory inspectors as well as sharing internally and externally. This white paper provides insights for organizations to leverage an eTMF to better manage clinical trials and, ultimately, bring products to market faster."

In the white paper, MasterControl introduces and defines the TMF, proposes TMF document management strategies, and discusses the TMF Reference Model, which is the industry standard of organization and best practices related to TMF management that is recognized by all clinical trial stakeholders, with a view to be adaptable and adopted by any organization.

It also provides a TMF Reference Model (Version 3.0) Artifacts Cheat Sheet, which is valuable to anyone seeking a best-practice approach. The TMF Reference Model is managed under the auspices of the Drug Information Association (DIA) Document and Records Management Community.

The eTMF Management Essentials white paper is available for download directly from MasterControl at http://www.mastercontrol.com/laboratories/eTMF-Software-Systems.html or upon request at the MasterControl booth #1632 at the DIA Annual Meeting June 19-21, 2017 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

About MasterControl

MasterControl Inc. produces enterprise software solutions that enable life science and other regulated companies to deliver life-improving products to more people sooner. MasterControl's integrated solutions securely manage a company's critical information throughout the entire product lifecycle while reducing overall costs and increasing internal efficiencies. More than 1,000 companies worldwide ranging from five employees to tens of thousands use MasterControl's suite of scalable cloud solutions for document management, quality management, electronic batch record management, supplier management, and clinical and regulatory information management. MasterControl solutions are known for being easy to implement, easy to validate and easy to use. For more information, visit www.mastercontrol.com.

Media Contact:

Tim Rush

Springboard5 Marketing

801-208-1100

tim.rush@springboard5.com




TOP 5 VENDORS IN THE GLOBAL SMART WEAPONS MARKET FROM 2017-2021: TECHNAVIO

Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recentglobal smart weapons marketreport until 2021. This research report also lists five other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.

The research study by Technavio on the global smart weapons market for 2017-2021 provides a detailed industry analysis based on the platform (naval, land-based, and aerial) and geography (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA).

"The global smart weapons market is projected to reach more than USD 16 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of nearly 6% over the forecast period. The growing focus on the development of smart drones is a key factor boosting the market growth," says Moutushi Saha, a lead analyst at Technavio for defense research.

Competitive vendor landscape

The global smart weapons market is characterized by the presence of global and regional vendors to gain maximum market shares. In-house manufacturing capacities, global footprint network, product offerings, R&D investments, and a strong client base have become key focus areas that help in providing a competitive edge in the market.

The prospects of the market vendors are largely dependent on the market conditions, regulatory government support, and development of the industry. Vendors who focus on expanding geographically and improving their product offerings are likely to flourish in the market.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free

Top five vendors in the global smart weapons market

General Dynamics

General Dynamics and its subsidiaries are engaged in aerospace and defense businesses globally. The company develops several smart weapons, which are used by the army, ground vehicles, naval ships, and military planes. Some of these weapons are ADM, Stinger missiles, Tomahawk missiles, and XM982 Excalibur precision-guided artillery.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is engaged in the production and supply of advanced technology systems and solutions to global defense and aerospace industries. It develops the smart weapons that help in providing enhanced accuracy while firing a missile or munition, including Paragon direct attack munition, PDAM, DMLGB, and BRU-57 smart bomb rack.

MBDA

MBDA and its subsidiaries design and manufacture missiles and missile systems for the navy, army, and air force sectors worldwide. It has business operations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US.

Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK is engaged in the development and supply of advanced weapon and space systems. Orbital ATK develops smart weapons such as GMLRS alternative warhead, XM25 CDTE systems, Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AGM-88E), Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket, and 120 mm XM395 Precision Mortar.

Raytheon

Raytheon provides solutions to the defense and government markets across the world. It offers electronics, mission systems integration, and other capabilities in the areas of sensing, effects and command, control, communications, and intelligence systems, along with a broad range of mission support services.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Military Fire Control Systems Market 2017-2021

Global Military Aircraft Battery Market 2017-2021

Global CBRND Market 2017-2021

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like aerospacedefense technology, and aerospace components. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, resellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170606006002/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE: WHN) is pleased to announce that Dr. Jeffrey Hedenquist, an independent consultant and one of the world's leading experts on epithermal gold systems, recently visited Westhaven's 100% controlled Shovelnose gold property, located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), approximately 30 km south of Merritt, British Columbia.

Dr. Hedenquist stated that, "The Shovelnose property features an epithermal vein system at a shallow level of erosion that is locally anomalous in precious metals, commonly associated with colloform-banded quartz veinlets. Most drilling has tested depths of only 100-150 metres, meaning that potential remains deeper in structurally controlled feeder zones, as discussed in my report."

The results of Dr. Hedenquist's technical review are summarized below or for the full report please go to the website: http://westhavenventures.com/projects/shovelnose-gold/details/

-- The epithermal characteristics, size, and local indications of mineralization at the Shovelnose property indicate that untested potential remains, particularly in that most of the 39 drill holes tested shallow intervals, less than 100 to 150 m depth. Only half a dozen holes were drilled to approx. 200 to 300 m depth over approx. 1 km strike length in the Mik-Tower-Alpine area, with azimuth within +/-30 degrees of east-west. -- There is alteration and vein evidence for the prospect to be continuous at least approx. 1.5 km west of the Mik-Tower-Alpine area. Given the extent of till cover in the area, it is also possible that the focus of the system is lateral from the principal area that has been drilled. -- There is evidence, both at surface and in some drill holes - particularly those recently drilled at Alpine - for the hydrothermal system to be prospective for gold mineralization.

Current Work

Approximately 50 line kilometres of ground magnetics was just completed. The purpose of this program is to increase the resolution of the survey to 50-m line spacing to more clearly indicate favorable structures at the Tower, MIK and Alpine zones where drilling has traced a broad zone of near surface, low grade gold-silver mineralization. Additionally, an assessment of clay mineralogy is underway to determine paleotemperatures to help vector towards potentially higher grade mineralized conduits lateral or deeper to the present area of drilling. Results of both these programs will be available shortly.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

WESTHAVEN VENTURES INC.

Gareth Thomas, Director

About Westhaven Ventures Inc.

Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose, Prospect Valley and Skoonka gold projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please visit Westhaven's website at www.westhavenventures.com.

Qualified Person Statement

L. John Peters, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 has read and takes responsibility for this release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Westhaven Ventures Inc.

604-681-5558

www.westhavenventures.com




Microsoft Announces Top Partners for 2017

LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --PowerObjects, an HCL Technologies Company, has won the 2017 Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year Award for Dynamics 365 Consulting and Systems Integration. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

"Being recognized by Microsoft with an award at this level is very affirming to our team," says Jim Sheehan, SVP of PowerObjects, an HCL Technologies Company. "With our global expansion and rapid growth, we are proud to stand out as a top partner worldwide."

Awards were presented in several categories, with winners chosen from a set of more than 2,800 entrants from 115 countries worldwide. PowerObjects was also recognized as a finalist for the Cloud Customer Relationship Management Partner of the Year Award.

"The outstanding innovation and expertise the Microsoft partner community continues to provide is demonstrated by this year's awardees," said Ron Huddleston corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft Corp. "We applaud PowerObjects, an HCL Technologies Company on being the 2017 Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year for Dynamics 365 Consulting and Systems Integration."

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year.

About PowerObjects, an HCL Technologies Company

PowerObjects, an HCL Technologies Company is a leader in delivering Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions through unparalleled offerings of service, support, education, and add-ons. Winner of the 2017 Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year Award for Dynamics 365 Consulting and Systems Integration, PowerObjects has built an unmatched team of Dynamics 365 experts that help organizations increase productivity, streamline business processes and build better relationships.

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467009/Power_Objects_Logo.jpg
Regulatory News:

The Combined General Meeting of Sopra Steria Group (Paris:SOP) shareholders took place in Paris on Tuesday, 13 June 2017 and was chaired by Pierre Pasquier, Chairman of Sopra Steria Group.

All 18 resolutions submitted by the Board were approved.

Among the resolutions adopted at the Meeting, Sopra Steria Group shareholders, validated the payment of a dividend of 2.20 per share in respect of 2016, with an ex-date of 3 July 2017, which will be payable as of 5 July 2017;

Below the results of the vote are available on the company's website: http://www.soprasteria.com/en/investors/investors-relations/shareholders-meetings

Disclaimer

This document is a free translation into English of the original French press release. It is not a binding document. In the event of a conflict in interpretation, reference should be made to the French version, which is the authentic text.

Result of Vote Sopra Steria Group Combined general meeting of 13 June 2017 Number of shares with voting rights 20,525,249 Number of shareholders attending the Meeting or being represented or voting by post 660 Number of shares attending the Meeting or being represented or voting by post 21,396,628 Participation rate in percentage of exercisable voting rights 81.00%

Ordinary General Meeting in favor abstention against hour Resolution Vote Vote Vote 15:26:10 1 Approval of the individual financial statements for the financial year ended 31 December 2016; approval of non-deductible expenses 21,385,509 99.95% 2,922 0.01% 8,197 0.04% 15:26:33 2 Granting of final discharge to members of the Board of Directors 21,221,697 99.18% 445 <0.01% 174,486 0.82% 15:26:58 3 Approval of the consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 21,395,787 >99.99% 530 <0.01% 311 <0.01% 15:27:19 4 Appropriation of earnings and determination of the dividend 21,193,659 99.05% 532 <0.01% 202,437 0.95% 15:27:42 5 Approval of agreements governed by Articles L. 225-38 et seq. of the French Commercial Code 17,521,526 81.89% 2,801 0.01% 3,872,301 18.10% 15:28:09 6 Opinion on items of compensation due or granted in respect of financial year 2016 to Pierre Pasquier, Chairman 18,528,700 86.60% 1,403 <0.01% 2,866,525 13.40% 15:28:35 7 Opinion on items of compensation due or granted in respect of financial year 2016 to Vincent Paris, Chief Executive Officer 18,612,587 86.99% 1,164 <0.01% 2,782,877 13.01% 15:29:03 8 Approval of the principles and criteria for the determination, distribution and allocation of items of compensation for the Chairman in respect of financial year 2017 17,467,207 81.64% 1,137 <0.01% 3,928,284 18.36% 15:29:32 9 Approval of the principles and criteria for the determination, distribution and allocation of items of compensation for the Chief Executive Officer in respect of financial year 2017 18,308,375 85.57% 3,523 0.01% 3,084,730 14.42% 15:29:56 10 Ratification of the co-optation of Emma Fernandez as a director for a term of one year 21,283,666 99.47% 3,089 0.01% 109,873 0.51% 15:30:17 11 Setting of directors' fees at 500,000 21,360,311 99.83% 2,848 0.01% 33,469 0.16% 15:30:45 12 Authorisation granted to the Board of Directors, for a period of 18 months, to allow the Company to buy back its own shares pursuant to Article L. 225-209 of the French Commercial Code 16,162,671 75.54% 2,929 0.01% 5,231,028 24.45% Extraordinary General Meeting 15:31:18 13 Delegation of powers to the Board of Directors, for a period of 18 months, to issue share subscription warrants to be allotted to shareholders free of charge in the event of a takeover bid, up to a nominal amount equal to the amount of the share capital 14,797,288 69.16% 2,953 0.01% 6,596,387 30.83% 15:31:53 14 Delegation of powers to the Board of Directors, for a period of 26 months, to decide to increase the share capital, without pre-emptive subscription rights for existing shareholders, via issues to persons employed by the Company or by a company of the Group, subject to enrolment in a company savings plan, up to a maximum of 3% of the share capital 20,906,001 97.71% 3,739 0.01% 486,888 2.28% 15:32:17 15 Appointment of Christian Bret as a non-voting director for a term of one year 16,885,064 78.91% 853 <0.01% 4,510,711 21.08% 15:32:40 16 Amendment of the Company's Articles of Association to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements 21,390,476 99.97% 655 <0.01% 5,497 0.03% 15:33:12 17 Delegation of powers to the Board of Directors to amend the Company's Articles of Association to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and corresponding amendments to Article 17 of the Company's Articles of Association, "Powers of the Board of Directors" 17,435,893 81.49% 3,022 0.01% 3,957,713 18.50% 15:33:32 18 Powers granted to carry out all legal formalities 21,391,948 99.98% 565 <0.01% 4,115 0.02%

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006309/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Sopra Steria Group

Olivier Psaume

investors@soprasteria.com

+33.1.40.67.68.16

or

Press Relations

Image Sept

Caroline Simon Simon Zaks

caroline.simon@image7.fr / szaks@image7.fr

+33.1.53.70.74.65 / +33.1.53.70.74.63
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces a securities class action lawsuit against Snap Inc. ("Snap" or the "Company") (NYSE: SNAP). Investors, who purchased or otherwise acquired shares (1) pursuant and/or traceable to Snap's initial public offering on or about March 2, 2017 (the "IPO"); and/or (2) on the open market between March 2, 2017 and May 15, 2017, are encouraged to contact the Firm in advance of the July 17, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

If you purchased Snap shares during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esq., of Khang & Khang LLP, 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA 92612, by telephone at (949) 419-3834 , or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.

There has been no class certification in this case yet. Until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may choose to take no action and remain a passive class member.

According to the Complaint, during the Class Period, Snap made false and/or misleading statements about its reported user growth. On May 10, 2017, post-market, the Company issued its first quarterly report as a public company, disclosing disappointing user growth, being the slowest year-to-year growth rate in at least two years. Following this news, Snap's stock price dropped materially, which harmed investors according to the Complaint. On May 16, 2017, a report was published stating that former Snap employee, Anthony Pompliano, had filed a lawsuit against Snap, "claim[ing] he was fired after three weeks on the job for raising questions about allegedly false growth metrics [and] seeking whistleblower protection against retaliation by [the] company."

If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit, or if you have any questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone at (949) 419-3834 , or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

Contact:

Joon M. Khang, Esq.

Telephone: 949-419-3834

Facsimile: 949-225-4474

joon@khanglaw.com

SOURCE: Khang & Khang LLP
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- US Oil Sands Inc. ("US Oil Sands" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: USO), an innovator of oil extraction technologies, announces that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with ACMO S.a R.L. ("ACMO"), the Company's largest shareholder, for a US$5 million senior secured convertible loan facility (the "Loan Facility") to fund the remaining PR Spring Project (the "Project") start-up costs and to provide working capital for the Company (the "Financing").

In conjunction with the Financing, the Company will be seeking to obtain from a majority of disinterested shareholders written consent for the Financing and the delisting of the common shares of the Company from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). If a majority of disinterested shareholders do not provide their consent in a timely manner, the Board will likely approve seeking creditor protection as management and the Board of Directors believe that the Company has exhausted all other financing alternatives. The Board and management expect that under any such creditor protection proceedings, the shareholders of US Oil Sands would experience greater dilution than under the terms contemplated by the Financing and it is possible that all existing equity holdings in the Company may be extinguished.

FINANCING

The Loan Facility consists of US$2.5 million available on closing and a further US$2.5 million available upon the Project producing 500 barrels per day of oil for five consecutive days. The Loan Facility will rank pari passu with the Company's US$7.5 million loan (the "Existing Loan"), will not bear any interest and will mature 10 years from the closing date. At any time between the closing date and maturity, the Loan Facility may be convertible into that number of common shares of the Company that provides ACMO with 90% of the Company's fully diluted common shares outstanding when combined with its existing share holdings. ACMO currently holds 31% of the Company's common shares and 58% on a fully diluted basis when including the 24 million warrants issued in connection with the January 2017 financing transaction. Pursuant to the Loan Facility transaction, ACMO will cancel the aforementioned 24 million warrants.

The policies of the Exchange do not permit the completion of the Loan Facility on the terms currently contemplated due to, among other things, the conversion rights attached to the Loan Facility. Therefore, the Company is seeking the consent of a majority of disinterested shareholders to a voluntary delisting of the common shares from the Exchange in order to proceed with the Loan Facility.

In conjunction with the Financing, the Existing Loan will be amended so that its repayment date will be extended to January 12, 2019, interest payable in respect of the Existing Loan will be reduced to zero percent per annum and all accrued and unpaid interest will be forgiven.

Upon closing, the Company will reconstitute its Board of Directors such that the number of directors will decrease from five to three, each of which will be nominees of ACMO.

Completion of the Financing is subject to negotiation of definitive agreements which will require final Board approval and satisfaction of the conditions therein.

WRITTEN CONSENTS

Application will be made to the Exchange to delist the Company's common shares from trading on the Exchange subject to obtaining written consents from a majority of disinterested shareholders. ACMO is the only shareholder who has an interest in the Financing and will be excluded from providing consent for purposes of satisfying this condition. The Company has prepared a form of shareholder consent letter and will be contacting shareholders to obtain their written consent. To obtain the form of consent or if shareholders have any questions relating to the Financing or the delisting, shareholders are encouraged to immediately contact the Company as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cameron Todd, Chief cameron.todd@usoilsandsinc.com 1 403 233 9366 ext. 21 Executive Officer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glen Snarr, glen.snarr@usoilsandsinc.com 1 403 233 9366 ext. 24 President & Chief Financial Officer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Copping, jack.copping@usoilsandsinc.com 1 403 233 9366 ext. 27 Manager, Corporate Development ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Company asks that shareholders deliver their written consent to Glen Snarr by email at glen.snarr@usoilsandsinc.com or by fax at 587-353-5373, preferably no later than Friday June 16, 2017, at which time the Board of Directors will assess the level of shareholder support for the Financing and its alternative course of action to apply for creditor protection.

In the event that the Company delists from the Exchange, the Company will continue to be a reporting issuer under Canadian securities laws and will remain subject to Canadian continuous disclosure requirements. It is the Company's understanding that, following the Exchange's bulletin notice to delist, the Exchange will keep the trading of the common shares of the Company open for a short period of time, after which time such shares would not be able to be traded on the Exchange. The Company would seek to develop a grey market or another mechanism to facilitate trading of its shares.

PR SPRING PROJECT UPDATE

This past week for the first time, the Company introduced oil sands into the PR Spring extraction plant, as the damaged decanting centrifuge has been repaired, replaced and tested. The plant is now in the final stage of start-up and working through normal start-up issues and challenges.

ABOUT US OIL SANDS INC.

US Oil Sands is engaged in the exploration and development of oil sands properties and, through its wholly owned United States subsidiary US Oil Sands (Utah) Inc., has a 100% interest in bitumen leases covering 32,005 acres of land in Utah's Uinta Basin. The Company plans to develop its oil sands properties using its proprietary extraction process which uses a bio-solvent to extract bitumen from oil sands without the need for tailings ponds. The Company is in the pre-production stage, anticipating the commencement of bitumen production and sales once it has completed start-up of the Project.

The foregoing contains forward-looking information relating to the future performance of the Company including expectations relating to the completion of start-up procedures and expectations relating to the delisting of the common shares of the Company from the Exchange, completion of the Financing and the potential impact to the Company if the Financing is not completed, the likelihood of the Company proceeding with creditor protection proceedings if the required written consent from shareholders is not obtained in a timely manner and possible impact of such proceedings on shareholders and the development of grey market trading following delisting. Forward looking information is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary consents from shareholders and approval from the Exchange, the ability of the Company to negotiate definitive documentation in respect of the Loan Facility and meet the conditions thereunder, the sufficiency of demand and interest to enable the Company to facilitate trading in the Company's common shares following delisting, the actual results of exploration activities, changes in world commodity markets or equity markets, the risks of the petroleum industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the oil and gas industry, and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities (available at www.SEDAR.com). Forward-looking statements are made based on various assumptions and on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made.

Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information contained herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these assumptions, beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

US Oil Sands Inc.

Cameron Todd

CEO

+1 403 233 9366



US Oil Sands Inc.

Glen Snarr

President & CFO

+1 403 233 9366

info@usoilsandsinc.com



Investor Relations: US Oil Sands Inc.

Jack Copping

Manager, Corporate Development

+1 403 233 9366 ext. 27

jack.copping@usoilsandsinc.com

www.usoilsandsinc.com




Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Date of purchase: 13 June 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 25,000 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,234 pence 15.71 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,223 pence 15.57 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,228.64 pence 15.65 USD

PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 18.86 GBP 14.61 which was calculated as of 6 June 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has 239,430,314 outstanding Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006331/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings@maitland.co.uk
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or "MamaMancini's") (OTCQB: MMMB), a marketer of specialty pre-prepared, frozen and refrigerated all natural food products (as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture), today announced that Mr. David McGuire had been appointed a new member of the board of directors.

Mr. McGuire is the Founder and CEO of M2 Compliance Incorporated since 2010. M2 Compliance is a leading EDGAR & XBRL filing agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. McGuire established M2 with the goal to create a technology-driven, back-office platform for regulatory compliance requirements that would significantly reduce costs associated with these services while increasing the efficiencies of the most complex tasks. M2 has grown to serve nearly 600 publicly traded companies and reporting issuers across the world and was ranked as the most active filing agency during 2016.

Carl Wolf, chairman and chief executive officer of MamaMancini's Holdings, said, "It is my pleasure to welcome David as a new member to the board of directors. I believe that David's experience as an entrepreneur and his overall insight into our business will be a valuable asset to the Company. I'd also like to thank Dan Altobello, who retired from the board, for his years of service and dedication."

About MamaMancini's

MamaMancini's is a marketer and distributor of a line of beef meatballs, turkey meatballs, and chicken meatballs all with sauce, five cheese stuffed beef, turkey and chicken meatballs all with sauce, original beef and turkey meatloaves and bacon gorgonzola beef meatloaf, and other similar Italian cuisine products. The Company's sales have been growing on a consistent basis as the Company expands its distribution channel, which includes major retailers such as Costco, Publix, Shop Rite, Price Chopper, Jewel, SaveMarts, Luckys, Lunds/Byerly's, SuperValu, Safeway, Albertsons, Spartan Stores, Bashas, Whole Foods, Shaw's Supermarkets, Kings, Roche Brothers, Key Foods, Stop-n-Shop, Giant Stores, Giant Eagle, Food Town, Randalls, Kroger, Shoppers, Marsh's Supermarkets, King Kullen, Lowes Stores, Central Markets, Weis Markets, Ingles, and The Fresh Market.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain "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. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in the Company's 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2016 and other filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:



Carl Wolf

Chairman and CEO

MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc.

Stock Symbol: MMMB

973-985-0280



www.mamamancinis.com

carl@mamamancinis.com




EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or "MamaMancini's") (OTCQB: MMMB), a marketer of specialty pre-prepared, frozen and refrigerated all natural food products (as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture), today announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, ended April 30, 2017.

First Quarter Highlights:

First quarter of fiscal year 2018 revenue increased 37% to $5.4 million compared to $3.9 million in prior year period.

Net income for the first quarter was $128,000 versus net loss of $(226,000) in prior year period; a $354,000 increase.

Net income available to common stockholders was $81,000, or $0.00 per diluted share, during the first quarter of fiscal 2018, compared to a net loss of $(290,000), or $(0.01) per diluted share in the same quarter last year.

Cash EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial metric (please refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures paragraph below), for the first quarter was $513,000 compared to $192,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Cash flow from operating activities was $526,000 compared to ($438,000) in the year ago quarter.

Carl Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of MamaMancini's, commented, "We are off to a good start in fiscal 2018. Our strategy of focusing on selling our products into the food service area, on the perimeter of the retail grocery store, continues to gain traction. This section of the store offers fresh, minimally or non-processed, healthy foods where superior revenue and margin opportunities exist. This strategy has allowed us to develop larger retail store accounts that drive revenue and permits us to operate more efficiently. Breaking into profitability has been an important strategic goal. We now have now achieved profitability in each of the last three consecutive quarters. Our sites are now focused on achieving our first full year of profitability at the conclusion of the next quarter."

Mr. Wolf concluded, "Looking ahead, our goal is to get to a $40 million run rate by late summer of calendar 2017. This is not our internal projection but our goal. The key to the business right now is execution, which will cause the company to ramp up from a $20 million run rate to a $40 million run rate in less than a year. We expect a double-digit sequential revenue increase in the upcoming second quarter over the first quarter with similar increases in net income and cash EBITDA. That is a major undertaking. We are excited with the opportunities ahead."

First Quarter 2018 Results

Sales, net of slotting fees and discounts, were $5.4 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2018, a 37% increase compared to $3.9 million reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The Company has sold into approximately 38,600 SKU's in 11,700 retail and grocery locations at April 30, 2017 as compared to approximately 35,000 SKU's in 11,400 retail and grocery locations at April 30, 2016. Gross profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 was $1.9 million, or 35% of sales, compared to $1.5 million, or 38% of sales, in the year ago period. Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 was $128,000, compared to a net loss of $(226,000) in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Outlook

The Company's strategy of developing larger customers and exiting underperforming accounts that do not generate attractive returns has achieved improving operating results. The Company expects a continuation of revenue growth for the foreseeable future as it continues to develop larger accounts and introduce new product lines. As a result, the company is anticipating fiscal 2018 revenues to increase substantially over prior year and report continued profitability.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses Cash EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company defines Cash EBITDA as earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization plus any non-cash stock payments for expenses. The Company believes that the use of Cash EBITDA is useful to investors and other users of its financial statements in evaluating the Company's operating performance because it provides them with an additional tool to compare business performance across companies and across periods. The Company uses Cash EBITDA in conjunction with traditional GAAP operating performance measures as part of its overall assessment of its performance, for planning purposes, including the preparation of its annual operating budget, and to evaluate the effectiveness of its business strategies. Management does not place undue reliance on Cash EBITDA as its only measure of operating performance. Cash EBITDA should not be considered as a substitute for other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP.

Conference Call

The Company has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, June 14, 2017, at 9:00 am ET to review the results.

Interested parties may participate on the conference call by dialing (844) 889-4326 or (412) 317-9264. A replay of the conference call will be available by dialing (877) 344-7529 or (412) 317-0088, confirmation code 10103610, through March 31, 2017.

About MamaMancini's

MamaMancini's is a marketer and distributor of a line of beef meatballs, turkey meatballs, and chicken meatballs all with sauce, five cheese stuffed beef, turkey and chicken meatballs all with sauce, original beef and turkey meatloaves and bacon gorgonzola beef meatloaf, and other similar Italian cuisine products. The Company's sales have been growing on a consistent basis as the Company expands its distribution channel, which includes major retailers such as Publix, Shop Rite, Jewel, Save Mart, Lucky's, Lunds and Byerlys, SUPERVALU, Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods Market, Shaw's, Kings, Roche Bros., Key Foods, Stop & Shop, Giant, Giant Eagle, Foodtown, Sam's Club, SpartanNash, Hy-Vee, Topps, Kroger, Shoppers, Marsh, King Kullen, Central Markets, Weis Markets, Ingles, and The Fresh Market. The Company sells to distributors such as Sysco, AWI, UNFI, Driscoll Foods, SUPERVALU, Monterrey Provision Co., Burris Logistics and C&S Wholesale Grocers. In addition, the Company sells a wide variety of its products through QVC, the world's largest direct to consumer marketer, via on air presentations, auto ship programs, and direct purchases through the internet.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain "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. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in the Company's 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 and other filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Financial Tables to Follow

MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets April 30, January 31, 2017 2017 ------------ ------------ (Unaudited) Assets Assets: Cash $ 436,447 $ 666,580 Accounts receivable, net 2,301,737 1,817,820 Inventories 180,929 443,623 Prepaid expenses 79,686 135,747 Due from manufacturer - related party 2,016,046 2,079,708 ------------ ------------ Total current assets 5,014,845 5,143,478 ------------ ------------ Property and equipment, net 1,311,777 1,175,508 Deposit on machinery and equipment 423,383 - ------------ ------------ Total Assets $ 6,750,005 $ 6,318,986 ============ ============ Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 770,071 $ 484,752 Line of credit, net 1,608,191 1,363,145 Term loan 140,004 140,004 Note payable - net 1,666,950 1,401,906 ------------ ------------ Total current liabilities 4,185,216 3,389,807 ------------ ------------ Term loan - net of current 478,327 513,328 Note payable - net of current portion 751,055 1,298,819 Notes payable - related party 117,656 117,656 ------------ ------------ Total long-term liabilities 1,347,038 1,929,803 ------------ ------------ Total Liabilities 5,532,254 5,319,610 ------------ ------------ Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' Equity: Series A Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 120,000 shares authorized; 23,400 shares issued and outstanding, respectively -- -- Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 19,880,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding -- -- Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 250,000,000 shares authorized; 27,947,539 and 27,810,717 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 279 278 Additional paid in capital 15,961,978 15,825,029 Common stock subscribed, $0.00001 par value; 66,667 shares, respectively 1 1 Accumulated deficit (14,595,007) (14,676,432) Less: Treasury stock, 230,000 shares, respectively (149,500) (149,500) ------------ ------------ Total Stockholders' Equity 1,217,751 999,376 ------------ ------------ Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 6,750,005 $ 6,318,986 ============ ============ MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) For the Three Months Ended ---------------------------- April 30, April 30, 2017 2016 ------------- ------------- Sales - net of slotting fees and discounts $ 5,357,301 $ 3,923,977 Cost of sales 3,457,723 2,448,778 ------------- ------------- Gross profit 1,899,578 1,475,199 ------------- ------------- Operating expenses Research and development 25,588 30,562 General and administrative expenses 1,557,828 1,499,857 ------------- ------------- Total operating expenses 1,583,416 1,530,419 ------------- ------------- Income (loss) from operations 316,162 (55,220) ------------- ------------- Other expenses Interest expense (170,657) (161,762) Amortization of debt discount (17,280) (9,125) ------------- ------------- Total other expenses (187,937) (170,887) ------------- ------------- Net income (loss) 128,225 (226,107) Less: preferred dividends (46,800) (64,521) ------------- ------------- Net income (loss) available to common stockholders $ 81,425 $ (290,628) ============= ============= Net income (loss) per common share - basic $ 0.00 $ (0.01) ============= ============= Net income (loss) per common share - diluted $ 0.00 $ (0.01) ============= ============= Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic 27,810,717 26,507,516 ============= ============= - diluted 32,532,135 26,507,516 ============= ============= MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) For the Three Months Ended ---------------------------- April 30, April 30, 2017 2016 ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net income (loss) $ 128,225 $ (226,107) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation 107,081 76,703 Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs 17,280 9,125 Share-based compensation 90,150 179,208 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: (Increase) Decrease in: Accounts receivable (483,917) (248,619) Inventories 262,694 (254,233) Prepaid expenses 56,061 (15,087) Due from manufacturer - related party 63,662 51,730 Increase (Decrease) in: Accounts payable and accrued expenses 285,319 (10,582) ------------- ------------- Net Cash Provided by (Used In) Operating Activities 526,555 (437,862) ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Cash paid for fixed assets (666,733) (18,650) ------------- ------------- Net Cash Used In Investing Activities (666,733) (18,650) ------------- ------------- CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Repayment of note payable (300,000) - Borrowings (repayments) of line of credit, net 245,046 481,039 Repayment of term loan (35,001) (30,000) Repayment of promissory notes - (79,490) ------------- ------------- Net Cash (Used In) Provided By Financing Activities (89,955) 371,549 ------------- ------------- Net Decrease in Cash (230,133) (84,963) Cash - Beginning of Period 666,580 587,422 ------------- ------------- Cash - End of Period $ 436,447 $ 502,459 ============= ============= SUPPLEMENTARY CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Cash Paid During the Period for: Income taxes $ - $ - ============= ============= Interest $ 66,941 $ 72,311 ============= ============= SUPPLEMENTARY DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Stock issued for Series A Preferred dividends $ 46,800 $ 131,513 ============= ============= Accrued dividends $ 46,800 $ 64,521 ============= ============= Debt extension fee included in principal balance of note $ 52,236 $ - ============= =============

Contact:



Carl Wolf

Chairman and CEO

MamaMancini's Holdings, Inc.

Stock Symbol: MMMB

973-985-0280



www.mamamancinis.com

carl@mamamancinis.com




GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS -- (Marketwired) -- 06/13/17 -- Tethys Petroleum Limited ("Tethys" or the "Company") (TSX: TPL) HEREBY GIVES NOTICE THAT an extraordinary general meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders of ordinary shares of the Company will be held at the offices of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower, 22 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 4E3, Canada on July 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time - local time in Toronto, Canada).

The Meeting has been convened pursuant to a Member's requisition made by Olisol Petroleum Limited ("Olisol") in accordance with Regulation 35(B) of the Articles of Association of the Company for the following purposes:

Resolutions 1.1 to 1.4 - Removal of Directors

To propose each of the following separate resolutions as ordinary resolutions of the Company, the removal of which shall take effect from the conclusion of the Meeting if the resolutions are approved:

1.1 to remove William P. Wells as a director of the Company;

1.2 to remove Medgat Kumar as a director of the Company;

1.3 to remove Adeola Ogunsemi as a director of the Company; and

1.4 to remove any person who became a director between May 23, 2017 and the date of the Meeting,

all as more particularly described and set forth in the management information circular of the Company to be mailed to shareholders (the "Circular").

Resolutions 2.1 to 2.5 - Appointment of Directors

To propose each of the following separate resolutions as ordinary resolutions of the Company, the appointment of which shall take effect from the conclusion of the Meeting if the resolutions are approved:

2.1 to elect Piers Johnson as a director of the Company;

2.2 to elect Bill Roberts as a director of the Company;

2.3 to elect Robert James Nash as a director of the Company;

2.4 to elect Vladimir Griguletsky as a director of the Company; and

2.5 if resolution 1.1 is approved, that a person to be nominated by Pope Asset Management (not being William P. Wells or Kenneth May) be appointed as a director of the Company,

all as more particularly described and set forth in the Circular.

Management and the Board of Directors will oppose the resolutions and management will be soliciting votes against all of the proposed resolutions.

The details of all matters proposed to be put before shareholders at the Meeting will be set forth in the Circular. At the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to vote on the resolutions, all as more particularly described in the Circular. To be approved, each resolution must be approved by a majority of the votes attached to the ordinary shares held by shareholders present in person or by proxy at the Meeting. Apart from Resolution 2.5, which is conditional on the approval of Resolution 1.1, the resolutions are not conditional on each other, so any or all of the resolutions may be approved even if the others are not.

Only shareholders of record as of June 28, 2017, the record date, will be entitled to receive notice of the Meeting and to attend and vote at the Meeting. Each outstanding ordinary share will entitle the holder thereof, as of the record date, to one vote at the Meeting.

Resolutions Excluded from the Business of the Meeting

Olisol also requested that the following resolutions be included in the business of the Meeting, however, the Board of Directors, following receipt of legal advice, does not regard these proposed resolutions as being appropriate matters for decision by the shareholders and those resolutions have therefore been properly excluded from the notice of the Meeting for the reasons set out below.

3.1 Resolution to re-list on the London Stock Exchange This is a matter for decision by the Board of Directors of the Company. The Board decided to apply to the United Kingdom Listing Authority ("UKLA") to cancel the standard listing of the Company's ordinary shares (the "Shares") from the Official List of the UKLA and the cancellation of trading in the Shares on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (together, the "Cancellation"), following a determination by the Company, and after taking legal advice, that the costs of maintaining a dual listing on the London and Toronto stock exchanges was unnecessarily expensive for a company of Tethys' size and that following the Cancellation, the Shares would continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange which should provide shareholders with liquidity and places sufficient corporate governance requirements upon the Company. Further, the Company's conclusion, that the London listing be cancelled, was supported by the limited trading and liquidity of the Shares on the London Stock Exchange (meaning that limited benefit was brought by that listing). 3.2 The Board of Directors to report to the shareholders on the performance of the Company and provide details of commercial contracts The Company complies with Canadian securities laws and relevant accounting rules in disclosing material information. The information being sought by Olisol is already required to be disclosed by those laws and accounting rules or is confidential in nature and not appropriate (or required) for disclosure and not a matter for shareholders to vote on. Further, as previously disclosed, on January 26, 2017 Tethys and each of its Kazakhstan subsidiaries commenced legal action against Olisol, Olisol Investments Limited, Eurasia Gas Group LLP ("EGG") (a company affiliated with Olisol) and certain of their respective principals in the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. The legal action was to seek, among other things, damages arising from failure to meet contractual obligations under an Investment Agreement and damages arising from unlawful interference with Tethys' business activities, including issuing erroneous press release information about Tethys as alleged. Tethys intends to enforce its rights and legitimate interests to the fullest extent permitted by law, to protect its shareholders, investors, assets, investments, management and employees. 3.3 The Board of Directors be authorised to remove Kenneth May as Chief Executive Officer This is a decision for the Board of Directors and the current board supports Kenneth May in his role as Chief Executive Officer. If a new board is elected, they can determine what changes to the management of the Company they feel are appropriate. 3.4 The Board of Directors of the Company shall take all necessary steps to cause the Company's indirect subsidiary, TethysAralGas LLP, to comply in all respects with the terms of the joint venture agreement between it, Eurasia Gas Group LLP, and Aral Oil Terminal LLP dated March 26, 2012 The Company does not believe there is a valid agreement between the parties referred to above. The Aral Oil Terminal LLP ("AOT") is a joint venture between Olisol Investments Limited, the parent company of Olisol, and a Tethys subsidiary, Transcontinental Oil Transportation SPRL. The General Director of the AOT is Alexander Skripka. Mr. Skripka is also the owner of EGG. He is also a joint owner and Director of Olisol and he is the representative who signed the Member's requisition on behalf of Olisol. TethysAralGas LLP ("TAG") formerly sold oil to EGG under an oil sales agreement. Legal title to the oil passed to EGG when it took delivery of the oil at the wellsite. EGG was responsible for transportation and used trucks to transport the oil to the AOT where it was loaded to rail cars. EGG paid a fee to the AOT for oil transshipment services. Accordingly, there was previously a contractual relationship between TAG and EGG for the sale of oil and a separate unrelated contractual relationship between EGG and the AOT for oil transshipment services. There is no contractual relationship, or indeed any requirement for a contractual relationship, between TAG and the AOT since legal title for oil sold by TAG passes to EGG at the wellsite. As there is no joint venture between TAG, EGG and AOT, there is no aspect of the relationship between TAG, EGG and AOT to be placed before shareholders at the Meeting. 3.5 Revocation and rescission of resolutions passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held on January 27, 2017 The January meeting was properly constituted and held and voted on by shareholders, so it is not open to revote on the matter. 3.6 Directors to report to shareholders on nature and status of criminal proceedings against management of the Company's indirect subsidiary, TethysAralGas LLP As previously disclosed, the proceedings referred to were initiated by Alexander Abramov, the former co-Chairman of Tethys and a joint owner of Olisol, in his capacity as Chairman of the Company but without consultation with, or approval by, the rest of the Board of Directors. Mr. Abramov was removed from the Board by a majority vote and in accordance with the Company's Articles of Association. As previously disclosed, the Board believes the allegations were improperly made and led to a raid on the Company's offices in Kazakhstan by armed law enforcement officers, the seizure of computer equipment and records and the interrogation of employees. The Company has been notified by its legal adviser of an official ruling by the Kazakh authorities that the proceedings have now been cancelled due to a lack of evidence.

Contacts:

Tethys Petroleum

info@tethyspetroleum.com

www.tethyspetroleum.com




Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) ("Sequans", or the "Company"), a leading provider of single-mode 4G LTE wireless semiconductor solutions for Internet of Things ("IoT") and a wide range of broadband data devices, today announced that it intends to offer newly issued American Depositary Shares (ADSs), representing ordinary shares, in an underwritten public offering under an effective shelf registration statement (the "Offering") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The final terms of the Offering will depend on market and other conditions at the time of pricing. Sequans intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes.

Canaccord Genuity is acting as the sole book-running manager of the offering.

The ADSs described above are being offered by Sequans pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, including a base prospectus, previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the SEC. The securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to this offering may also be obtained, when available, from the Syndicate Department of Canaccord Genuity Inc., Attention: Syndicate Department, 99 High Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, or by telephone at (617) 371-3900, by email at prospectus@canaccordgenuity.com. Before you invest, you should read the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus and other documents Sequans has filed or will file with the SEC for more complete information about Sequans and the Offering.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading provider of single-mode 4G LTE wireless semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things ("IoT") and a wide range of broadband data devices. Founded in 2003, Sequans has developed and delivered seven generations of 4G technology and its chips are certified and shipping in 4G networks around the world. Today, Sequans offers two LTE product lines: StreamrichLTE, optimized for broadband devices, including CPE, mobile and portable routers, and high-performance IoT devices, and StreamliteLTE, optimized for lower data rate and narrowband IoT devices. The Company is based in Paris, France, with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, South Korea, and China.

Safe Harbor

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the proposed public offering and the intended use of proceeds from the offering. The offering is subject to market and other conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including market conditions, risks associated with the cash requirements of our business and other risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Disclaimer

The announcement is for information purposes only and does not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute a public offering by Sequans, nor a solicitation of an offer to subscribe for securities in any jurisdiction outside the United States, including France. No prospectus (including any amendment, supplement or replacement thereto) or any other offering material has been prepared in connection with the offering of the ADSs that has been approved by the Autorite des marches financiers or by the competent authority of another State that is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorite des marches financiers; no ADSs have been offered or sold nor will be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France; the prospectus or any other offering material relating to the ADSs have not been distributed or caused to be distributed and will not be distributed or caused to be distributed to the public in France; such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to persons licensed to provide the investment service of portfolio management for the account of third parties, qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) and/or restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d'investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in Articles L. 411-2, D. 411-1, D. 411-4, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D. 764-1 of the French Code monetaire et financier. The direct or indirect distribution to the public in France of any so acquired ADSs may be made only as provided by Articles L. 411-1, L. 411-2, L. 412-1 and L. 621-8 to L. 621-8-3 of the French Code monetaire et financier and applicable regulations thereunder. This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or to purchase any of the ADSs and neither this communication nor anything herein shall form the basis of any contract or commitment whatsoever. Any contact with potential qualified investors in France does not and will not constitute financial and banking solicitation (demarchage bancaire et financier) as set forth in Articles L. 341-1 and seq. of the French Code monetaire et financier

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Contacts:

Sequans Communications S.A.

Media Relations:

Kimberly Tassin, +1-425-736-0569

Kimberly@sequans.com

or

Investor Relations:

Claudia Gatlin, +1-212-830-9080

Claudia@sequans.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 13, 2017 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the "Company") (TSX: PCY, OTC PINK: PRPCF, Frankfurt: 1P2) is pleased to announce that all proposed resolutions were approved at the Company's Annual General Meeting of shareholders held on June 13, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia (the "Meeting"). The number of directors was set at five and all director nominees, as listed in the Management Information Circular dated April 27, 2017 (the "Information Circular"), were elected as directors of the Company at the Meeting to serve until the next annual general meeting. According to the proxies received and shares voted in person at the Meeting, the results were as follows:

Director Votes FOR(1)(2) Votes WITHHELD(1)(2) John Lee 99.58% 00.42% Greg Hall 99.63% 00.37% Harald Batista 99.69% 00.31% Masa Igata 99.63% 00.37%

Notes:

1. There were 218,997 non-votes reported by the Scrutineer of the Meeting in respect of the above motion.

2. The percentages reported in this news release are calculated on the votes cast in person and by proxy at the Meeting which total 1,890,246 with respect to the above motion.

Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Accountants have been appointed as auditors of the Company again, for the ensuing year and the directors have been authorized to fix their remuneration.

An ordinary resolution of the disinterested shareholders of the Company was approved to amend the terms of the equivalent of 114,768 warrants previously issued on June 24, 2015 and exercisable at an equivalent price of $6.00 per Common share, by extending their expiry date by three years to June 24, 2020.

An ordinary resolution of the disinterested shareholders of the Company was approved with respect to the issuance of 59,659 debt settlement units to some of the Company's directors and officers at a price of $4.00 per debt settlement unit.

An ordinary resolution of the disinterested shareholders of the Company was approved with respect to amendments to the Company's share-based compensation plan (the "Plan") to increase the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.

Voting results for all resolutions noted above are reported in the Report on Voting Results as filed under the Company's SEDAR profile on June 13, 2017.

The Company further announces that pursuant to the terms of the Plan, which was approved by shareholders at the Company's annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 2, 2016 and amended as above, it has granted in aggregate, 145,000 incentive stock options (the "Options"), to various directors, officers and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $3.30 per Common share for a term of five years expiring on June 12, 2022 and vest at 12.5% per quarter for the first two years following the date of grant.

About Prophecy



Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that is engaged in worldwide mineral and energy exploration and development. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"JOHN LEE"

Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.604.563.0699

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecycoal.com

www.prophecydev.com

SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp.
CALGARY, Alberta, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

(All dollar figures are expressed in Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Madalena Energy Inc. ("Madalena" or the "Company") (TSXV: MVN and OTCQX: MDLNF) announces that, in connection with the previously announced services agreement ("Services Agreement") the Company entered into with Hispania Petroleum S.A. ("Hispania"), it issued an aggregate of 4,758,333 common share purchase warrants ("Warrants") to Hispania for services rendered pursuant to the Services Agreement. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share ("Common Share") in the capital of the Company at any time prior to January 8, 2019 at an exercise price of $0.145. The Common Shares issuable on exercise of the Warrants will be issued to Hispania as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares of the Company.

The Warrants issued in connection with the Services Agreement and the Common Shares issued on exercise thereof are subject to a four month plus one day hold period.

About Madalena Energy

Madalena is an independent, Canadian Argentine focused upstream oil and gas company with operations in four provinces of Argentina where it is primarily focused on the delineation of unconventional oil and gas resources. The Company is implementing horizontal drilling and completions technology to develop both its conventional and resource plays.

Madalena trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MVN and on the OTCQX under the symbol MDLNF.

Jose David Penafiel, Chief Executive Officer, email: jpenafiel@madalenaenergy.com, phone: +1(403)262-1901; Alejandro Penafiel, Interim Chief Financial Officer, email: apenafiel@madalenaenergy.com , phone: +1(403)262-1901
TechnipFMC (NYSE and Euronext: FTI) has been awarded an extension to its ongoing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract from Statoil in the Norwegian North Sea.

The ongoing EPC project covers the provision of subsea equipment including template structure, manifold and two subsea trees including wellheads and modifications of control systems to the Visund Nord IOR* project, whereas the extension includes installation of the template structure and manifold as well as delivery and installation of flowline spool and umbilical. The project will be executed as an integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (iEPCI).

Hallvard Hasselknippe, President Subsea Projects of TechnipFMC, commented: "This is our second iEPCI contract with Statoil. Our first iEPCI contract for the Trestakk project is progressing well and we are very honored that Statoil has again selected us for the Visund Nord development."

*Improved Oil Recovery

Important Information for Investors and Securityholders

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "scheduled," "estimated" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. Known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the Company's ability to successfully deliver, and Statoil's acceptance of, the subsea products ordered. For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results, please see our risk factors set forth in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which include our Registration Statement on Form S-4, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

About TechnipFMC

TechnipFMC is a global leader in subsea, onshore/offshore, and surface projects. With our proprietary technologies and production systems, integrated expertise, and comprehensive solutions, we are transforming our clients' project economics.

We are uniquely positioned to deliver greater efficiency across project lifecycles from concept to project delivery and beyond. Through innovative technologies and improved efficiencies, our offering unlocks new possibilities for our clients in developing their oil and gas resources.

Each of our more than 40,000 employees is driven by a steady commitment to clients and a culture of purposeful innovation, challenging industry conventions, and rethinking how the best results are achieved.

To learn more about us and how we are enhancing the performance of the world's energy industry, go to TechnipFMC.com and follow us on Twitter @TechnipFMC.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006305/en/

Contacts:

TechnipFMC

Investor relations

Matt Seinsheimer, +1-281-260-3665

Vice President Investor Relations

Matt Seinsheimer

or

James Davis, +1-281-260-3665

Senior Manager Investor Relations

James Davis

or

Media relations

Christophe Belorgeot, +33 1 47 78 39 92

Vice President Corporate Communications

Christophe Belorgeot

or

Delphine Nayral, +33 1 47 78 34 83

Manager Public Relations

Delphine Nayral

or

Lisa Adams, +1-281-405-4659

Senior Manager Digital Communications

Lisa Adams
According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global fiber optics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 11% during the forecast period.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170628006206/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global fiber optics market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This research report titled 'Global Fiber Optics Market 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This report also includes an up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free

The market research analysis categorizes the global fiber optics market into five major product application segments, of which the top three are discussed in detail below. They are:

Telecommunication

Data center

CATV

Military

Oil and gas

Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Telecommunication

The global fiber optics market for telecommunication accounted for more than 73% of the market share in 2016. Telecommunication gets inputs from various sources, which may be voice calls or internet data or any other information. Previously, the communication channel was made of copper wires, which used to transmit electrical signals. Electrical signals had many drawbacks such as slow data transmission and increased interference due to the high data rate. Copper wire was even bulkier taking up more space and needed repeaters to boost power at very frequent intervals. The fiber optics cable has revolutionized telecommunications.

"The fiber optics cable is used to transmit data for long distance with very high bandwidth, causing more data to be sent per time frame. This information is sent to transmitter circuitry, which converts data into a light source which is transmitted via fiber optics," says Raghu Raj Singh, a lead analyst at Technavio for lightingresearch.

Data center

Data centers are a large group of networked computers used by the organization for remote storage, processing, or distribution of a large amount of data. With growing market of cloud computing, there is a high increase in demand for data centers. With the increase in internet penetration worldwide, there is a tremendous amount of data flow from users to data centers and again back. With such high demand, higher success in data centers can be achieved by faster transmission without loss and the ability to transmit more data per cable.

"The growing number of data centers is driving the demand for high-performance fiber optics that would address the need for increasing bandwidth and minimizing the power consumption and cooling," says Raghu.

CATV

Fiber TV uses fiber optic cables for transmitting information to TV. It uses glass wire or high plastic wires to transmit light, which is again decoded into information when reached to TV, while other regular CATV uses copper and is wrapped with aluminum foil to transmit signals, which is then decoded to specific colors, audio, and frames. The fiber optics cable is used for long distances while maintaining sound and good picture. Due to its features, such as better quality, more programs at a lesser cost, and good customer experience, it is said to be more reliable than another TV. These fiber optic threads are routed directly to home and are then connected to the cable, which is already installed.

This market revenue is growing because of rising broadband penetration and digitalization of CATV, i.e., fiber TV with the internet, fiber TV with intranet, and home phone and only fiber TV. The applications and upgrades for TV are increasing, leading to a combination of devices and channel plans.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's market research analysts in this report are:

Corning

Furukawa Electric

Optical Cable

Prysmian

Sterlite Technologies

YOFC

Browse Related Reports:

Global UV Lamp Market 2017-2021

Global Architectural Lighting Market 2017-2021

Global Lighting Market 2017-2021

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170628006206/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
Nearly 40 years ago, a respected doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine with some very good news: Out of nearly 40,000 patients given powerful pain drugs in a Boston hospital, only four addictions were documented.

Doctors had been wary of opioids, fearing patients would get hooked. Reassured by the letter, which called this rare in those with no history of addiction, they pulled out their prescription pads and spread the good news in their own published reports.

And that is how a one-paragraph letter with no supporting information helped seed a nationwide epidemic of misuse of drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin by convincing doctors that opioids were safer than we now know them to be.

On Wednesday, the journal published an editors note about the 1980 letter and an analysis from Canadian researchers of how often it has been cited  more than 600 times, often inaccurately. Most used it as evidence that addiction was rare, and most did not say it only concerned hospitalized patients, not outpatient or chronic pain situations such as bad backs and severe arthritis that opioids came to be used for.

This pain population with no abuse history is literally at no risk for addiction, one citation said. There have been studies suggesting that addiction rarely evolves in the setting of painful conditions, said another.

Its difficult to overstate the role of this letter, said Dr. David Juurlink of the University of Toronto, who led the analysis. It was the key bit of literature that helped the opiate manufacturers convince front-line doctors that addiction is not a concern.

Hospital databases were so limited in 1980 that we cant be confident there werent more problems, or cases discovered after patients were discharged, Juurlink said.

The letter was written by Dr. Hershel Jick, a drug specialist at Boston University Medical Center, and a graduate student.

Im essentially mortified that that letter to the editor was used as an excuse to do what these drug companies did, Jick told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday. They used this letter to spread the word that these drugs were not very addictive.

Jick said his letter only referred to people getting opioids in the hospital for a short period of time and has no bearing on long-term outpatient use. He also said he testified as a government witness in a lawsuit years ago over the marketing of pain drugs.

Use grew in the 1990s when drugs like OxyContin came on the market, and more people using opioids for chronic pain developed dependence .

The new editors note in the journal says: For reasons of public health, readers should be aware that this letter has been heavily and uncritically cited as evidence that addiction is rare with opioid therapy.

The journals top editor, Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, said, People have used the letter to suggest that youre not going to get addicted to opioids if you get them in a hospital setting. We know that not to be true.

The journal also published a report from Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, pledging to work with industry to develop new ways to reverse and prevent overdoses, to treat addiction, and to find novel, non-addictive drugs for chronic pain.

In the next six weeks, NIH will hold three workshops with drug company leaders to identify next steps, Collins said. The goal is to cut in half the usual amount of time to develop new treatments  a target borrowed from the Cancer Moonshot project launched by former Vice President Joe Biden to make a decades worth of progress toward cures in half that time.

Details have not been worked out, but it could resemble similar partnerships on Alzheimers, diabetes and some other diseases where scientists from government and industry determine pressing needs, develop a work plan and split the cost, Collins said.

Industrys interest in this has been muted until recently, Collins said. Now, they feel the responsibility and the opportunity to take part in this and theyre not going to stand back and watch.

With the Food and Drug Administration wanting to speed work on new pain drugs, the stars are aligning, Collins said. I think we can make real progress now.
Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR), a nonprofit network of entrepreneurs, investors and universities dedicated to solving international entrepreneurs immigration problems, received a $200k donation.

Silicon Valley Bank and Brad Feld (co-founder of Foundry Group and Techstars) through his Anchor Point Foundation provided the match donations.

The funds will continue to fund Global EIRs mission to help international entrepreneurs access U.S visas in order to build American businesses and create jobs.

Led by Craig Montuori, Executive Director, the nonprofit matches highly-skilled foreign entrepreneurs with universities so that immigrant entrepreneurs can provide expert mentorship to entrepreneurial-minded students. In return, these entrepreneurs receive access to the visas they need to build their businesses inside the United States, ultimately contributing to the growth of the U.S. job market.

Currently, there are Global EIR programs in four states across 13 college and university campuses, including the University of Massachusetts, Boston; the University of Colorado, Boulder; the University of Alaska, Anchorage; and San Jose State University.

Since the creation in 2014, the nonprofit has attained 42 visas for international entrepreneurs who have started their own companies, creating 123 new jobs and raising $29.9 million in capital in the process.

On top of the $100k donation from Silicon Valley Bank, the companys General Counsel, Michael Zuckert, will join Brad Feld on the Global EIR board. Zuckert will provide strategic guidance to the organization, drawing on his legal and government affairs experience.

Global EIR is a recent graduate from the Techstars Boulder accelerator program and is the first nonprofit to go through the accelerator.

FinSMEs

13/06/2017
Oath Craft Pizza, a Boston, MA-based pizza company, raised $7M in a Series B funding.

The round, which has brought total funding to date to $16M since inception, was led by venture capital firm Breakaway Ventures.

Founded in November 2015 and led by Patrik Hellstrand, CEO, Oath Craft Pizza is a fast-casual pizza restaurant which features proprietary pizza crust and sustainably sourced toppings and is committed to serving the communities they are in by supporting local causes and events.

The company intends to use the funds to expand into the East Coast, with the opening of additional locations in 2017, including their first restaurant outside of the Boston area, which will open later this fall in the D.C. area., inside the Mosaic District, an upscale shopping and dining complex in Fairfax County, VA.

Oath Craft Pizzas next Boston area restaurant opening later this summer will be located in the Central Square neighborhood in Cambridge near MITs campus [181 Massachusetts Avenue]. The Central Square restaurant marks their sixth location, joining four existing Boston area restaurants as well as the original location in Nantucket.

This fall, the company will also open a new restaurant in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston [1350 Boylston].

FinSMEs

13/06/2017
Proterra, a Burlingame, Calif.-based developer of heavy-duty electric transportation, closed a $55m Series 6 funding round.

The round, which came on the heels of an oversubscribed $140m Series 5 in January, was led by Generation Investment Management LLP, with participation from BMW i Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to increase production at its manufacturing facilities in South Carolina and Los Angeles, while also bolstering research and development efforts at the companys headquarters in Silicon Valley.

Led by Ryan Popple, CEO, Proterra designs and manufactures zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to reduce operating costs while delivering clean transportation to local communities across the United States. The company has sold more than 400 vehicles to 39 different municipal, university, and commercial transit agencies in 20 states.

FinSMEs

13/03/2017
Protix, a Dongen, The Netherlands-based insect proteins company, closed 45m funding round.

Backers included Aqua-Spark, Rabobank, BOM and other private investors.

The company intends to use the funds to scale production of insect proteins.

Founded in 2009 by Kees Aarts and Tarique Arsiwalla, two former McKinsey & Company colleagues, Protix breeds insects for animal feed, as insects offer a low-impact protein alternative that can be cultivated on a variety of food scraps.

The company serves the animal feed industry while also developing food applications for consumers. Their products are used in over 12 countries to date  in feed applications ranging from pig and poultry to pet food specialties.

FinSMEs

13/06/2017
Software exporter Wipro Ltd said on Monday the payable date for its American Depository Receipts (ADR) bonus issue is yet to be determined.

The clarification from India's third-largest software services company came after its US-listed shares slumped nearly 49 percent to $5.35 in pre-market trading.

The trading of the shares, which was halted for a while, are currently down 1.5 percent at $10.29.

"The company felt that it was important to clarify to the market that the payable date and ex-dividend date for its ADR bonus issue, or stock dividend, are yet to be determined," Wipro said.

Wipro, in May, told its investors that the board has fixed June 14 as the record date to determine eligible shareholders entitled to receive bonus share equity for its Indian-listed shares.

In April, the company announced the issue of bonus shares in 1:1 ratio and said that its board would also consider a proposal for buyback of shares around July.

Wipro's US-listed shares have been down nearly 6 percent over the past four sessions, following media reports of a sale of a part or whole company. However, the company denied the news reports last week.

Wipro, like other Indian software exporters, has been struggling with US. President Donald Trump's tough stance on H1-B visa rules.

Trump has ordered a review of the US visa programme that brings high-skilled foreign workers into the country, potentially affecting hiring plans of technology firms and outsourcing companies.
New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO has enrolled over 82 lakh new subscribers under its Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017 started on 1 January this year.

Under the scheme, the employers got the opportunity to file the declaration of unregistered employees under the EPFO Act, with a nominal fine of Re 1 per annum on account of damages.

According to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) statement, "82,01,533 workers enrolled as on 31 May, 2017 under the Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2017."

"With the enrolment of over 82 lakh subscribers under the scheme, now the total number of contributing members is about 4.5 crore," EPFO Central Provident Fund Commissioner V P Joy told PTI.

Asked about extending the campaign beyond 30 June, 2017, Joy said, "There is absolutely no chance to extend it as it was for six months. There is no proposal to extend the scheme also."

The campaign was launched earlier to encourage employers to voluntarily come forward and declare details of all such employees who were entitled for membership between 1 April,2009 and 31 December, 2016 under EPF & MP Act 1952, but could not be enrolled.

Initially, the scheme was for three months till 31 March, 2017 but later it was extended till 30 June, 2017.

Under the scheme, the employees share of contribution, if declared by the employer as not deducted, shall stand waived.

Besides, the damages to be paid by the employer in respect of the employees for whom declaration has been made under this campaign is paid at the rate of Re 1 per annum.

Moreover, no administrative charges is collected from the employer in respect of the contribution made under the declaration.

Under the scheme, a declaration can be made under the campaign for the period till June 2017, for which no enquiry under section 7A is initiated.

The EPFO also said that for the benefit of international workers, new instructions have been issued to all field functionaries regarding COC (Certificate of Coverage).

The employer is advised to submit the application form for COC one month in advance and the COC is issued prior to departure of the employee from India.

Also, the COC period should not exceed 60 months or the specified period in the social security agreement with that country. COC should not be issued for a period which commence much later than date of posting of the Indian worker in the host country for employment, it said.

There should not be any overlapping of the period of coverage. There should not be gaps when more than one COC is issued to the same posted worker as these results in lack of Social Security coverage during the gaps, it added.

It said that the EPFO e-court Management System launched on 16 May, 2017 with objective of having a transparent and electronic case management system. All per/evidence/documents can be filed online and the status can also be viewed online.

The body further said that the claim settlement period has been reduced to 10 days from 20 days and grievance redressal period is reduced to 15 days from 20 days.
Domestic airline companies may be left with no choice but to increase air fares going ahead, as the rollout of the Goods and Services tax (GST) from 1 July is likely to push up cost of operations.

The government will levy tax on any import of spare components by airline companies under GST, which is not taxable under the current regime. Similarly, aircraft lease rentals will also attract GST, The Economic Times report said.

Under GST, airlines will be taxed for importing spares for their use and on aircraft lease rentals, and these are not being taxed in the current regime. Any new tax on the aviation industry, which operates under thin margins, may drive fares higher, The ET report said quoting a senior airline executive.

Besides this, domestic aviation companies will also have to deal with reduction in input tax credits on revenues earned through economy class seats, which is expected to crimp operating flexibility, said the report.

Domestic aviation companies also complain that lower input tax credits on economy class travel could further dent revenues, especially, of no-frills carriers such as SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir that mainly deal in economy class seats.

However, foreign carriers are in an advantageous position over their domestic counterparts, as the government allows foreign airlines to fully reclaim input tax credits on premium travel. Since, most foreign airlines sell a major portion of premium class travel, the new regime is expected to benefit overseas players.

For premium travel (IGST rate of 12 percent), full ITC reclaim is available on both input goods and services. Our Indian-based members are concerned that the ITC restriction associated with the economy class may favour foreign carriers over domestic carriers as the former tend to sell a larger portion of premium class travel. It is requested that full ITC reclaim ability also apply on economy class travel," the report said quoting Alexandre de Juniac, director general of global industry grouping IATA.

Another key issue facing local aviation firms is that the introduction of GST will make direct flights to international destinations expensive for players such as Air India, while stopover flights via hubs of international carriers could cost less.
New Delhi: With call for protectionism growing across the globe, domestic markets are also required to be protected against unfair trade practices, a senior steel ministry official said Tuesday.

"When big and established economies are protecting their industries, we need to be clear that our domestic markets are also required to be protected against unfair trade practices," said Syedain Abbasi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel.

He said the steel ministry has gone the extra mile to protect the domestic players from cheap imports.

"Steel industry is very clear about it which is why after the issue of MIP...anti-dumping duties, what we have in place is a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured iron and steel products," he said.

On 3 May, the government approved the National Steel Policy that aims to achieve steel making capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030 with an additional investment of Rs 10 lakh crore.

The Cabinet has also approved a policy for use of domestic steel products in government organisations.

Abbasi said that the budget for infrastructure has also gone up this year. Huge investments will be made in oil & gas, slurry pipelines, ports shipping, airports etc.

However, these are also the areas affected by unfair foreign competition.

For the protection of domestic players, the government has imposed anti-dumping duties on certain steel products so cheap items cannot enter the country, he said.

"Steel industry is poised...the only country which is showing growth in terms of market growth is India. Two years back we were fourth largest steel producer, now we have become second largest, overtaking Japan," the official said.

Indian steel sector is growing at a rate of 6-7 percent per annum in terms of production.
New Delhi: A farmers' association has asked the government to roll back 5 percent GST on raw tobacco and exempt it from the tax bracket like any other agricultural crop.

Fearing drop in prices of tobacco leaves and raw tobacco post GST, tobacco farmers across Andhra Pradesh have stalled auctions in all platforms, said the Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) in a statement.

Terming the tax rate on tobacco "unrealistic", farmers said it will severely endanger their livelihoods and asked the government to do away with it in the upcoming GST-Review meeting on 18 June.

"Farmers from different auction platforms in the Southern Black Soil (SBS) region decided not to bring our produce to the market to protest 5 percent GST on tobacco leaves and 28 percent on unmanufactured tobacco," said FAIFA Vice President Gadde Seshagiri Rao.

According to FAIFA, raw tobacco and unmanufactured tobacco were exempted from the central excise from the time of Charan Singh government considering their difficulties.

The association has requested to "maintain status quo" in this regard by treating tobacco "on par with other agricultural crops".

FAIFA claims to represent farmers of commercial crops from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat etc.
New Delhi: Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka today met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley amid industry-wide concerns around tighter visa norms in key markets like the US and layoffs in the sector. The 45-minute meeting, between Jaitley and Sikka accompanied by other top company officials, also assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US later this month.

Over the past few months, Indian IT companies are confronted with closer scrutiny and tighter visa norms in the US, a market that accounts for nearly 60 percent of India's IT exports.

According to sources, Infosys had sought the meeting. However, Sikka declined to comment on the proceedings after the meeting. COO UB Pravin Rao was also present at the meeting.

Asked about concerns around layoffs in the sector, Sikka said the company has announced 10,000 jobs in the US and continues to hire in India as well.

"We have announced 10,000 jobs in the US and we are continuing to hire lots of jobs in India. I think that the future is all about innovation," he said. He added that Indian IT companies are creating "tremendous amount of value" in the US.

With rising protectionism across markets like Singapore and Australia, companies are beginning to adjust their business models to reduce their dependence on visas and hiring more locals instead. The ramp up in local hiring is also aimed at placating the Donald Trump administration in the US that has been critical of outsourcing firms.

The US had accused Infosys and its peers TCS and Cognizant of unfairly cornering the lions share of US H-1B work visas, taking jobs away from American workers.

The tightening of visa norms not only pushes up operational costs for these tech firms, but also makes movement of skilled workforce difficult.

Infosys has already announced that it would hire 10,000 Americans over the next two years and set up four innovation hubs in the US. However, it wasn't clear if the discussions included GSTN at the meeting.

Infosys had received the contract for GST Network (GSTN), which is responsible for providing the technology backbone for Goods and Services Tax and connecting the databases of states and the Centre.
Lenders' worst fears are coming true. After various state governments announced plans to waive off agriculture loans, farmers across the country have stopped repaying their debt, according to a report in The Times of India.

As of now, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have announced waivers. With farm loan waiver becoming a key political plank to win elections, farmers in states that are going for elections this year are hopeful that they also will get the benefit. This is prompting them to stop repaying loans, even though they are financially better placed.

If I expect someone to write me a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to take over my loan, I am going to stop repaying. This is what is happening in many states, a CEO of a bank has been quoted as saying in the report.

Last month, PTI reported recovery of farm loans in Punjab has been adversely hit with growers awaiting the implementation of the debt waiver scheme promised by the Congress-led state government.

With about 30 percent farmers' accounts turning "irregular" in the state, banks had urged the state government to take a quick decision on the matter in order to clear the situation of "uncertainty".

"The loan recovery of rabi season has dropped because farmers are waiting for the debt waiver scheme," Punjab State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) Convener and Punjab National Bank General Manager (Punjab) P S Chauhan had told PTI.

Whenever political parties have used farm loan waiver to win votes, bankers have seen this happening.

Economists and agriculture experts have always warned that such waivers help politicians meet their narrow political ends but are no solution to the recurring problems in the farm sector. Such waivers only destroy the credit culture of the farmers, prompting them to stop repayment, even if they are in a position to.

With Uttar Pradesh leading the way, it looks like all states will now be forced to take the populist route to avoid an agitation by farmers.

It has to be remembered this is happening at a time when public sector banks are struggling with huge bad loans. Banks' farm loans stand at more than Rs 10 lakh crore.
The decision to waive off agriculture loans of farmers from Maharashtra by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis could force the state government to slash budget of several projects and development schemes.

Not just that, the farm loan waiver decision could also delay the implementation of the keenly awaited 7th pay commission to the state government staff.

As the state is expected to take a hit of around Rs 25,000-Rs 27,000 crore due to farm loan waiver decision, the seventh pay commission payout to state government staff could be delayed by at least a year, said The Times of India report.

"Implementation of the 7th pay commission will be pushed back by at least a year.Government is not in a position to take that burden this year too," TOI report quoted a government official as saying.

An estimated Rs 15,000 crore will be required for state to implement the 7th pay commission and clear arrears from January 2016. A total of nearly 19 lakh staff will be the key beneficiaries, while the state would require an extra Rs 5,000 crore annually to keep revising their pay structures, the TOI report said.

The farm loan waive off burden comes at a time when the state's debt has exceeded Rs 4 lakh crore.

Bowing to pressure from the farmer's agitation across the state for past several weeks, the Fadnavis government took a decision to waive off farm loans of all the farmers from the state. Several state governments have been forced to take decision to write off farm loans in recent months.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley in a statement a day before stated that state governments giving farm loan reliefs will not get any help from the central government.

The growing farmers' resentment in most of the states came after Uttar Pradesh's new government wrote off Rs 35,000 crore in farm loans, keeping with the promise made during state polls.

Similarly, states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab, too, have been witnessing growing agitation from the farmers for agriculture loan relief.

In most of the states, loans of small farmers accounts for nearly 80 percent of the fiscal deficit last year, Hindustan Times report said.

In 2009, the UPA government in a biggest farm debt waiver wrote off farm loans of Rs 72,000 crore.
Mumbai: Only one fourth of the 51 banks in the country are rated 'high' for complying with Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) codes, which focuses on fair treatment of customers.

BCSBI is an independent body set up by the RBI. It's objectives are to promote good banking practises, setting minimum standards, increasing transparency, achieving higher operating standards and promoting a cordial banker-customer relationship.

Of the 12 banks rated 'high', only one public sector lender, IDBI Bank, featured in the list and the rest were private and foreign banks, according to the annual code

compliance rating released by BCSBI today.

Among the banks that scored high rating include RBL Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, DCB Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC and Citibank. RBL Bank's score was highest at 95.

In the fiscal 2016-17, all banks average score in code compliance stood at 77 which was slightly lower than the score of 78 in the year ended 2014-15, the report said.

"Although private and public sector banks secured a score of above average to high and average to above average respectively, there was a marginal decrease in the overall average score of banks to 77 in the fiscal 2017, from 78 in the fiscal 2015," the report said.

BCSBI's chairman A C Mahajan said fall in average score from 78 to 77 was a matter of concern.

"Not only have overall average scores fallen, even some banks have been downgraded," Mahajan said.

He said with stiff competition among banks to retain customers, lenders need to look into areas that need improvement and pay close attention to monitoring code

compliance.

The rating covered public sector, private, foreign and scheduled urban cooperative banks.

Banks were rated on their fair banking practises based on five broad categories  information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer centricity and

customer feedback.

Some additional feedback was also taken from 8,485 banking customers across the country.
New Delhi: Tata Motors today announced the appointment of Girish Wagh as the head of its Commercial Vehicle Business Unit.

Wagh, who will take charge with immediate effect, has also been appointed as a member of the Executive Committee (ExCom), the company said in a statement.

He is currently head of the company's heavy and medium commercial vehicles division.

Wagh will closely work with Ravindra Pisharody for a smooth transition, it added.

Citing personal reasons, Pisharody had resigned on 5 June, the day the company announced appointment of Executive Director Satish Borwankar to a newly created position of Chief Operating Officer.

The company had also extended the tenure of Borwankar as executive director by two years.

Tata Motors said the replacement of Wagh as the 'Head of Product Line MHCV' will be announced in due course.

In the meantime he will continue to oversee the MHCV related scope of responsibilities, it added.
Mumbai: Small-time actress Kritika Chaudhary (30) was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence in suburban Andheri on Monday, police said.

Police suspect it to be a case of murder, an investigating official said.

The incident came to light at around 3.45 pm when Chaudhary's neighbours complained of foul smell emanating from her flat and informed police.

Chaudhary was a resident of Bhairavnath Society in Char Bungalow area in Andheri (West).

After getting the information, Amboli police rushed to the spot and broke open the door which was locked from outside for the last three-four days, an official said.

After entering her flat, police found a decomposed body of a woman, who was later identified as Chaudhary, he said.

Initially, Amboli police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), the official said, adding that it came to fore during the investigation that Chaudhary was murdered by unidentified person(s).
The promotional strategy of Bumpy's upcoming heist comedy Bank Chor has consciously followed the art of self deprecation. From its lead actor Riteish Deshmukh asking journalists to roast him to the makers encouraging spoofs of the trailer on social media, the film admittedly does not take itself seriously.

Its newest song, 'Jai Baba Bank Chor', follows a different path. It glorifies the titular character, Baba Bank Chor, played by Riteish Deshmukh. It is all praise for the protagonist but at the same time, also makes fun of an immensely popular action trilogy from the same production house - Dhoom.

The makers defend the tacky Photoshopping and unwarranted use of footage, from Sanjay Gadhvi's 2004 film Dhoom, his 2006 film Dhoom 2 and Vijay Krishna Acharya's 2013 film Dhoom 3, by claiming that Baba Bank Chor is attempting to 'steal the spotlight' from the Dhoom stars since he plays a 'chor' or thief in the film.

As lame as the explanation by the makers is, it does not match up to the quality of this video.

In the process of making this utterly ridiculous video, the production house has not continued its self deprecating ways, this time rather unintentionally, but also soiled one of its most successful brands in Dhoom.

Bank Chor also stars Vivek Oberoi, Rhea Chakraborty and Sahil Vaid. It is produced by Ashish Patil's Y Films. It is slated to release on 16 June.
Assistant Superintendent Christina Spielbauer looks forward to carrying on the legacy of a mentor while the Carlisle Area School Board takes the time to re-examine the job duties and goals of the office of superintendent.

The board announced a plan Tuesday to appoint Spielbauer acting superintendent to replace John Friend who retires June 30. Her appointment and salary adjustment is on the agenda for Thursdays board meeting.

John has been a great leader for the school district, Spielbauer said. He has taken the district to the next level for which we are all grateful. He has been my mentor for 17 years and that is a huge loss for me, but I wish him well in his retirement.

I am honored the board is extending the opportunity for me to provide consistency and continuity for the school district, she said. The goal is to continue what the school district is doing.

Staff changes

If appointed, Spielbauer will serve as acting superintendent for a one-year term starting July 1. The board Thursday could vote to increase her annual salary by $15,500 from the current $124,500 to a proposed $140,000.

Wilson Middle School Principal Colleen Friend, the wife of John Friend, is on the agenda to be appointed acting assistant superintendent to replace Spielbauer at a salary next school year of $115,000.

Assistant Principal Walter Bond may become the acting principal to replace Colleen Friend while Allison Thumma, a seventh-grade teacher, is on the agenda to be appointed acting assistant principal for Wilson. Bond is set to make $80,000 next year while Thumma could make $67,244 if the board approves the changes.

Board members may also consider a 2.5 percent retroactive pay increase for John Friend that would increase his salary for 2016-17 to $167,075.

Time for diligence

Spielbauer was selected because of her extensive experience in district administration, having served as assistant superintendent since 2010, Board President Paula Bussard said Tuesday.

She said Spielbauer brings to the position strong leadership skills along with an emphasis on improving academic achievement and addressing education equality. Not only is Spielbauer aware of current district goals, she is involved in executing many of the objectives outline in the district strategic plan, Bussard said.

There is a need for continuity and consistency as the board steps back over the summer months to reexamine the job description of superintendent in the context of district priorities, Bussard said. Hopefully by September, we can agree to all that. We wanted to make sure a team was in place on July 1  the day after Johns retirement. We wanted no gap in accountability.

The summer tends to be a busy time for Carlisle Area School District administrators as they prepare for the arrival of Army War College families in July and the hiring of new teachers in August.

The appointment of an acting superintendent gives the board time to not only reexamine the chief executive job, but to receive community input in the process leading up to recruiting a permanent superintendent by July 1, 2018, Bussard said.

Background with district

When asked Tuesday if she plans to apply for the permanent position, Spielbauer would not say, preferring to let the school board work through the preliminary steps.

I am thankful to the board for the opportunity, Spielbauer said. I look forward to working with the administration and teachers on continuing to make the Carlisle Area School District a great place.

The child of a military family, Spielbauer first came to Carlisle when her father was a student at the Army War College and continued on as a faculty member.

She earned a bachelors of science degree in elementary and special education before becoming a learning support teacher and a home-bound tutor for the district in 1998.

Spielbauer worked as a teacher for Carlisle for four and a half years before becoming assistant principal at Wilson Middle School for two and a half years. She worked as the assistant director for special education at Northeastern School District in York County for almost two years before returning to Carlisle as its director of special education for three years.

During that time Spielbauer earned a masters degree in educational leadership along with a superintendents letter of eligibility from Shippensburg University. She also participated in a doctoral study program at Widener University and has served as an adjunct professor of special education at Wilson College and Shippensburg University.

As assistant superintendent, Spielbauer has instituted school improvement planning teams in each building; managed the district workforce including the supervision of all building principals; and improved educational equity by implementing programming at the high school that engages underrepresented students in college planning.
The friendly banter between Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon in this weeks release Raabta, coupled with scenic locales of Budapest in the first half keeps you hooked. Post-interval, we are transported to an era that has no references but abounds in designer costumes, and its all down hill from there.

Something similar ails Behen Hogi Teri too, another release this week. The efforts involved to woo the girl next door, the perfect milieu of Lucknow and dollops of situational laughter, all contribute to a joy ride till the time goons from Haryana and Rajkummar Rao occupy a major portion of the second half. Its a catastrophe.

Both the films suffer from the same syndrome, which is a common phenomenon within Hindi films  the curse of the second half.

Curse of the second half is a very popular jargon, which critics often use at screenings. The origin of the term itself lies in the American political system where it is perceived that the second term of American presidents is often plagued by some problem or the other. But in a cinematic context, the second half, to a large extent, determines the fate of a film because what you carry in the end is also what you carry in your review or opinion piece.

Call it the writers block or the screenplay trauma, most flicks these days often ruin their second half after having begun on a promising note.

When Raabta enters its second half and takes us back to an unknown era, we know exactly the things that will happen after the interval gong strikes.

Similarly, after an entertaining and breezy first half of Behen Hogi Teri, when Haryanvi goons make their way into the plot, its all a nosedive from there. Prawaal Ramans Dobara, a remake of the hit horror film Oculus, hammered the same idea.

If the story is narrated in a non-linear format, right from the moment the events start to happen one gets a sense of what the conclusion will be. A lot about the plot was revealed by the beginning credit itself. Similarly, while the post interval sequences look stretched in Phillauri, Raees and Kaabil  the two big tickets of this year, lose their plot completely in the second half.

Few recent films that come to mind, which took a downward spiral post-interval, are Kahaani 2, Naam Shabana, Dear Zindagi and Fan.

Naam Shabana looked so bizarre that both the halves were completely disconnected from each other and looked like two different films. While the first half of all the films mentioned was breezy, the second half looked compromised and contrived at the same time. When you see these films, it's evident that commercial considerations forced the makers to tamper with the plot.

Now that most screenplay writers are exposed to the foreign way of writing, it becomes all the more important to work a plot around the interval.

Its strange but true that India is the only country in the world where the film-going experience is divided into pre interval and post interval sessions. The practice has been there since the fossil age and thus writers too follow a similar format. That also means that writers keep in mind the interval theme and thus a forced break to the plot automatically seeps into their mindset.

The interval system largely plays a spoiler when the film in question is a thriller or a horror. Seamless viewing is the reason why Hindi films attain the tag of a successful film when screened abroad. Seamless viewing abroad, without any obstruction, helps viewers sees the film in a panoramic perspective and that surely is no rocket science.

Its difficult to do away with a system where samosa and cold drinks sometime earn much more than regular ticket costs. Till then happy viewing.
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty is currently busy shooting for the eighth season of the reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi in Spain. Now that he has had a successful run in both films and on television, he is expanding his horizons to the digital space.

DNA reports that Shetty is planning to direct a web series soon after wrapping up his current projects. The same report quotes him as saying, "Yes, we are planning something big on the web series front. Theres still time for that so I wont divulge too many details. But theres something we are working on.

As soon as Shetty returns from Spain, he has his next film, Golmaal Again to wrap as it is scheduled for a Diwali 2017 release. He has already shot the first schedule with the ensemble star cast in Hyderabad and will soon proceed to the next one. Golmaal Again is the fourth installment in the super successful Golmaal franchise and stars Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Tabu, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Khemu, Shreyas Talpade, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Johnny Lever and Prakash Raj.

Also, he is considering a film with Ranveer Singh which is in the pre-production phase. It is also speculated that he is all set to introduce Telugu superstar Prabhas in Hindi cinema in a film alongside Salman Khan.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently shooting for upcoming highly anticipated project Thugs of Hindostan alongside Aamir Khan and Fatima Sana Shaikh in Malta, took some time off from work to go out for a movie here with his co-stars.

"A Sunday and stepped out with my co-stars Aamir and Fatima to a movie... walking care free on the streets, to a movie theatre," Amitabh posted on Twitter on 11 June.

T 2452 - A Sunday and stepped out with my co stars Aamir and Fatima to a movie .. walking care free on the streets, to a movie theatre ! YO pic.twitter.com/hVfqVWrIgB  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) June 11, 2017

Earlier, this month, Mr Bachchan had posted about his travel itinerary on his official blog and wrote, "in the early hours of Mumbai morning, a stepping on to the vehicle of air transport for distant land .. to begin the shooting of Thugs of Hindostan in Malta."

In another blog explaining the schedule, he said, "Over the waters of the Arabian Sea and on to the sand coloured land of Doha, where we pick up some gasoline for the onward journey. And then on to Malta, flying over Saudi Arabia, over Cairo in Egypt, turning right on to the Mediterranean and driving in the skies straight to the island of Malta."

He had also taken to Twitter to share some images of the same:

T 2444 - Up and away to Malta for the 1st schedule of TOH .. Thugs of Hindostan .. Glory be .. !! pic.twitter.com/DEx4jHuLq5  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) June 3, 2017

In a report by Indian Express, Aamir Khan expressed his happiness and excitement to be working opposite the megastar. He said, "I am most excited to work with Amitabh Bachchan for the first time. It is a dream come true. Ive always been his huge fan.

Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film will also feature Katrina Kaif. Acharya had previously paired with Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif in Yash Raj Film's Dhoom 3 (2013). He is an established dialogue writer in the industry and has dialogues of films like Guru (2007) , Raavan (2010) and Dhoom 1 (2004), Dhoom 2 (2006) and Dhoom 3 (2013) to his credit.

"The set of the film is in a high security water zone, with restricted access. Both these ships have been built in the early eighteenth century style, when vessels would carry cannons and other weapons. An international crew has been hard at work creating these elaborate ships in Malta. Most of the portions filmed on board these ships involve high octane action," Acharya said in a statement, as reported by PTI.
By Benjamin Lesser and Elizabeth Dilts

| NEW YORK

NEW YORK In three years of managing investments for North Dakota farmer Richard Haus, Long Island stock broker Mike McMahon and his colleagues charged their client $267,567 in fees and interest - while losing him $261,441 on the trades, Haus said.McMahon and others at National Securities Corporation, for instance, bought or sold between 200 and 900 shares of Apple stock for Haus nine times in about a year - racking up $27,000 in fees, according to a 2015 complaint Haus filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).Haus alerted the regulator to what he called improper churning of his account to harvest excessive fees. But the allegation could hardly have come as a surprise to FINRA, the industrys self-regulating body, which is charged by Congress with protecting investors from unscrupulous brokers.FINRA has fined National at least 25 times since 2000. As of earlier this year, 35 percent of Nationals 714 brokers had a history of regulatory run-ins, legal disputes or personal financial difficulties that FINRA requires brokers to disclose to investors, according to a Reuters analysis of FINRA data.McMahon did not respond to requests for comment. National declined to comment.National is among 48 firms where at least 30 percent of brokers have such FINRA flags on their records, according to the Reuters analysis, which examined only the 12 most serious incidents among the 23 that FINRA requires brokers to disclose. That compares to 9 percent of brokers industry-wide who have at least one of those 12 FINRA flags on their record.In total, the 48 firms oversee about 4,600 brokers and billions of dollars in investor funds. For a graphic with the complete list of firms and statistics on each, see: tmsnrt.rs/2rtbhOlFINRA officials acknowledged in interviews with Reuters that the longstanding hiring practices at certain firms are a threat to investors. But they also argued that they can do little to stop firms from hiring high concentrations of potentially problematic brokers because doing so is not illegal.That leaves investors like Haus vulnerable to a small group of brokerages that regularly hire advisors with blemishes on their backgrounds that would make them unemployable at most firms, former regulators and industry experts said.The dozen FINRA flags examined by Reuters include regulatory sanctions for misconduct, employment terminations after allegations of misconduct and payments by firms to settle customer complaints. They also include brokers personal financial troubles, such as bankruptcies or liens for nonpayment of debts. [L1N1J9032] (For full coverage, including an explanation of Reuters methodology, see: here ) Last year, a FINRA official told Reuters, the regulator identified 90 firms as posing the highest risk to investors and flagged them internally for higher scrutiny. But FINRA declined to name the firms publicly or to release statistics showing the concentration of brokers with a history of FINRA flags within each firm.In an interview with Reuters, FINRAs executive vice president of regulatory operations, Susan Axelrod, declined to comment on any specific firm identified by Reuters. She would not directly address why the regulator will not publicly name the firms it identified as high-risk.Lets just say those are not new names to us, she said of the firms identified by Reuters.FINRA Chief Executive Robert Cook, however, addressed its unwillingness to name names in a speech on Monday morning in Washington at Georgetown University, according to prepared remarks released by FINRA.We must consider fairness and due process, Cook said. FINRA does not possess a crystal ball - someone who we may identify as a high-risk broker for oversight purposes is not necessarily a bad actor.The regulator has created a dedicated unit focused on those high-risk firms, Axelrod told Reuters, but she declined to discuss its budget, staffing or specific duties. Cook on Monday said the unit included an unstated number of examiners and managers with experience dealing with high-risk brokers.FINRA makes data on individual brokers backgrounds available through its Brokercheck website, which Axelrod said provides unparalleled transparency to investors. That site allows the public to search histories of complaints and sanctions against individual brokers  but only one at a time.The regulator will not release the data in bulk form, such as a database, that would enable researchers to identify firms with high concentrations of brokers with a history of FINRA flags.Reuters analysed the FINRA data after receiving it from researchers at Columbia University Law School DataLab, who wrote computer code to extract it from the regulators website.Reuters sought comment from officials at all 48 firms. Some responded that many of the FINRA-mandated disclosures do not necessarily equate to misconduct by brokers, such as when a firm pays a client to settle a complaint without admitting wrongdoing.Cook, the FINRA chief, echoed that point in his speech Monday.A broker who has an unpaid lien because of a debt accrued due to a medical issue in her family must disclose that lien, he said. That event should not be treated the same as fraud or stealing money from customers.At least one executive from a firm identified in the Reuters analysis serves on FINRAs 24-member Board of Governors - Brian Kovack, president of Fort Lauderdale-based Kovack Securities Inc.Thirty-four percent of the firms 388 brokers have a history of FINRA flags, according to the Reuters analysis.In a statement, Brian Kovack attributed those figures to the firms decision to take on a large number of new brokers from another brokerage in 2014, which prevented the firm from using its usual vetting process for new employees.Asked why, three years later, the firm still has a high concentration of brokers with FINRA flags, Kovack said it took considerable time to ensure the review of new brokers backgrounds was fair and transparent. After the review, the firm asked some advisors to leave, Kovack said, without specifying how many or the reasons they were dismissed.SELF-REGULATION

FINRA is not a government agency, but rather an industry-financed self-regulatory organization - as FINRA puts it - that is not subject to public records laws and receives no taxpayer support.Its annual operating budget of about $1 billion - supporting about 3,500 staffers in 16 offices - comes primarily from dues paid by member firms and individual brokers. FINRA has the power to fine, suspend and ban firms and brokers, and it can refer potentially criminal cases to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Last year, in an unlikely collaboration, Senators Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, sent FINRA a letter demanding the regulator do more to stop broker misconduct and to prevent those with troubled histories from concentrating in the same firms.

FINRA is not doing nearly enough to fulfil its investor protection mission, the letter read.The regulator responded with a letter on June 15 of last year saying that it closely oversees firms to determine whether they present a heightened risk to investors.From 2013 to mid-2016, the regulator told the senators, it identified 279 high-risk brokers. After identifying them, the regulator permanently banned 238 brokers from the industry for subsequent violations.FINRA oversees about 3,800 brokerages and 630,000 brokers.In interviews with Reuters, Axelrod pointed to firms that FINRA expelled. The regulator shut down about 130 firms in the six years ending in January 2017, with many cited for securities fraud, misuse of funds or falsifying records.But the Reuters analysis of FINRA data found that the regulator did not expel the firms chief executive in 58 percent of those cases, leaving him or her free to join other brokerages. The brokers at those banned firms typically were also able to continue working in the industry.Axelrod said that FINRA gives extra scrutiny to former executives of expelled firms after they show up with new jobs at other firms.OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE

Regulators in at least one state think more can be done to crack down on brokers and brokerages with track records of violations.Massachusetts securities regulators are considering changing their licensing practices after completing a review last year of brokerages with a high proportion of brokers with troubled histories.The evidence is pretty overwhelming that there is a practice here - a history here - of people moving from one firm to another and re-offending, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin told Reuters. We cant simply stand by and say, The companies will do a better job. They wont do a better job unless they feel some incentive.Some former regulators contacted by Reuters agreed with FINRAs policy of withholding its internal risk ratings of firms from the public.Susan Merrill - former head of enforcement at FINRA and now a partner with the law firm Sidley Austin LLP - said that releasing such ratings would be unfair to firms who have not necessarily broken laws or regulations.If there is a finding by the regulator, Merrill said, then thats fair game.FINRAs former CEO, Richard Ketchum, told Reuters last June that the regulator was considering publicly disclosing more information about firms with high concentrations of problematic brokers.We are looking hard at questions about how we can appropriately and fairly provide that broader disclosure ... when firms have concentrations of persons that have similar problems, Ketchum said in an interview.

Cook said Monday that FINRA was considering additional measures to rein in high-risk brokers, but he didnt go into specifics.WOLVES OF WALL STREET

Many of the 48 firms identified by Reuters regularly cold-call customers on the phone with high-pressure sales pitches, according to regulatory complaints and sanctions against the firms and their brokers.Long Island, New York, has historically been a haven for boiler-room brokerages, which inspired the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the true story of broker Jordan Belfort and his firm, Stratton Oakmont. Belfort pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering in 1999.FINRA warned in a news release last year that boiler-room tactics were on the rise, particularly those targeting the elderly and other vulnerable investors.Brokers generally know which firms will hire them despite past sanctions, said Dean Jeske, a lawyer at Foley & Lardner and FINRAs former deputy regional chief counsel for enforcement in the Midwest.When you get a mark on your (record), its hard to get a job at Morgan Stanley or Merrill Lynch, Jeske said.Mike McMahon has had little trouble landing jobs at brokerages despite a trail of allegations and settlements.McMahon left National in 2014 and later joined a smaller firm, Long Island-based Worden Capital Management - where 43 percent of 79 brokers had a history of FINRA flags as of earlier this year.Forty-one percent of the firms brokers had at some point in their careers worked at firms that were later expelled by FINRA, according to the Reuters analysis.Jamie Worden, head of Worden Capital, said in a statement that his firms compliance team vets all prospective brokers and that FINRA-mandated disclosures do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.The public disclosures only represent a sliver of the information surrounding any circumstance, Worden said.McMahon, National and another firm where he worked have agreed to pay a total of $1.35 million since 2007 to settle 10 separate client complaints involving McMahon, according to McMahons record on FINRAs BrokerCheck website.In addition, McMahon currently faces four additional complaints to FINRA - which have yet to be resolved in a settlement or arbitration ruling - from clients he advised while working with National, the regulators records show.McMahon denied any wrongdoing in several of the settled complaints.Haus - the customer who lost more than half a million dollars with McMahon and others at National - told Reuters that the ordeal made him contemplate suicide.

I was ashamed, said the soybean farmer and U.S. military veteran. I didnt want to tell anyone Im losing my life savings.Haus settled his complaint against National in November for an undisclosed amount of money. The settlement required him to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and he has since not responded to Reuters inquiries.HIRING OPPORTUNITY

In many cases, the firms identified by Reuters continue to operate after years of repeated run-ins with FINRA and other regulators.Take Los Angeles-based WestPark Capital Inc, where about half of the firms 95 brokers have FINRA flags on their records. More than 47 percent of WestPark brokers once worked at firms that were later expelled by FINRA.Regulators including FINRA and the New Jersey Bureau of Securities have sanctioned WestPark six times in the past 11 years for a variety of alleged violations.In 2004, FINRA suspended WestParks chief executive, Richard Rappaport, for 30 days from his management role and fined him and the firm $50,000 in response to allegations that WestPark omitted critical information from investment research reports and lacked supervisory controls. Without admitting wrongdoing, Rappaport agreed to the punishment in a settlement with FINRA. But he then ignored the suspension and continued to actively manage WestPark, according to FINRA disciplinary records reviewed by Reuters.His punishment for ignoring the 30-day suspension? Another 30-day suspension from FINRA and a $10,000 fine.In 2016, West Park saw a hiring opportunity. The firm started taking on dozens of brokers from Newport Coast Securities - a firm that FINRA banned from the industry that year for excessive trading in client accounts to rack up fees and for recommending unsuitable investments. Newport appealed the expulsion.By early 2017, WestPark had hired about 40 brokers from Newport Coast - including its former CEO, Richard Onesto.WestPark and Rappaport declined to comment. Onesto did not respond to requests for comment.PUMP AND DUMP

Another firm Reuters identified in its analysis - Windsor Street Capital - has been fined 12 times by FINRA since 2000 but may now face much stiffer penalties from the SEC.Fifty-eight percent of the firms 48 brokers had FINRA flags on their records, according to the Reuters analysis. Over the years, FINRA fines have cost the firm about $300,000, and Windsor has appealed two other fines totalling more than $1 million.In January, the SEC brought administrative actions against Windsor Street Capital and its former anti-money laundering officer, John Telfer, for allegedly facilitating a $25 million pump-and-dump scheme - in which investors promote or pump the value of a dubious stock they own just before selling, or dumping it.Windsor declined to comment to Reuters but denied any misconduct in an SEC filing.The SEC alleges that Windsor allowed clients to sell hundreds of millions of unregistered penny stocks through Windsor brokerage accounts and did not report the suspicious transactions to the U.S. Treasury Department.The Windsor clients bought stock in dormant shell companies, spread false information to promote the companies products and then dumped the shares as other investors bought in at inflated prices, the SEC alleges in a case that is still pending.Windsor made about $500,000 in commissions and fees from transactions related to the scheme, according to the SEC.When asked if FINRA investigators contributed to the SECs investigation, an SEC official declined to comment and pointed to the agencys press release, which only credits SEC investigators.FINRA did not respond to requests for comment on whether it had a role in the Windsor investigation.HAPPY NEW YEAR!

At Long Island-based Joseph Stone Capital, 71 percent of the firms 59 brokers had FINRA flags on their records, according to the Reuters analysis.Joseph Stone was investigated by the state of Montana after one of its sales representatives, Lawrence Sullivan, cold-called the office of Montanas Commissioner of Securities and Insurance to pitch an investment on January 15, 2016, according to a report on the incident by the regulator.The securities commission launched an investigation into the firm after the call, during which Sullivan quickly backtracked and denied he was pitching securities, according to the report.Reuters could not reach Sullivan for comment. The staffer he called - Patrick Navarro, an assistant analyst at the state regulator - did not respond to requests for comment.Investigators ultimately unearthed fraudulent and unethical practices, including excessive trading in client accounts - resulting in commissions totalling 28 percent of the $877,493 invested by clients in Montana, according to the regulators report.The firm settled with the state on April 18, agreeing to pay $30,000 in restitution to clients without admitting wrongdoing.During the call that got the firm into trouble, Sullivan pitched Navarro on an investment in Paypal stock, the report said. After Navarro informed Sullivan that he worked for the states securities regulator, Sullivan blurted out Happy New Year! and hung up. (Edited by Lauren LaCapra, Janet Roberts and Brian Thevenot)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Verizon Communications Inc said on Tuesday it closed its $4.48 billion acquisition of Yahoo Inc's core business and that Marissa Mayer, chief executive of the internet company, had resigned.The completion of the acquisition marks the end of the line for Yahoo as a standalone internet company, a storied tech pioneer once valued at more than $100 billion.Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. wireless operator, is combining Yahoo with AOL, which it bought two years ago, to form a new venture called Oath, led by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Oath's more than 50 brands include HuffPost, TechCrunch and Tumblr.

"Given the inherent changes to my role, Ill be leaving the company," Mayer wrote in an email to employees on Tuesday that she also posted on Tumblr. "However, I want all of you to know that Im brimming with nostalgia, gratitude, and optimism."

The closing of the deal, announced in July, had been delayed as the companies assessed the fallout from two data breaches that Yahoo disclosed last year.Reuters reported last week that Verizon plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, or 15 percent, of the 14,000 employees at its Yahoo and AOL units. Verizon is expected to make cuts as early as Wednesday. Yahoo cut 15 percent of its workforce last year and AOL cut 500 jobs.

On June 16, the remainder of Yahoo not acquired by Verizon will be renamed Altaba Inc, a holding company whose primary assets will be its 15.5 percent stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and a 35.5 percent holding in Yahoo Japan Corp.Thomas McInerney, a Yahoo board member, will become Altaba's chief executive officer. (Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Bill Rigby)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
London: Vijay Mallya, the co-owner of Formula One team Force India, could face further charges and a second request to extradite him from Britain to India, a London court heard on Tuesday.

The flamboyant Indian liquor and aviation tycoon, 61, was arrested by British police in April on behalf of the Indian authorities, who accuse him of fraud.

Mallya's lawyer, Ben Watson, told a hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates' court on Tuesday that India was believed to be preparing a second extradition request with further separate charges."I don't know its contents," Watson said.

India is seeking Mallya's extradition over unpaid loans tied to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the businessman fled to Britain in March last year.

Banks are seeking to recover about $1.4 billion that the Indian authorities say Kingfisher owes.Mallya has repeatedly dismissed the charges against him.

"I deny all allegations that have been made," he told reporters as he arrived at court. "I have enough evidence to prove my case. "The next hearing will be held on July 6 when Mallya, who was granted an extension to his bail, was told he need not attend.

The full extradition hearing was provisionally listed to start on 4 December and to last two weeks. Aaron Watkins, the lawyer representing the Indian government, told the court that prosecutors in Britain were still waiting for documentation and evidence from India and this was expected to arrive in the next month.

However, any delays or a second extradition request could push the case back to April next year, the court heard. Britain's extradition process can be complicated and take a long time to conclude.

The judge will make a decision based on whether there is a prima facie case against Mallya and if the alleged crimes would be offences in Britain as well as India. That ruling can be challenged in a higher court before being passed to the home secretary (interior minister) for approval.

That decision can also be appealed to the courts.Mallya, who has a base in London and a country home bought from the father of triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, on Friday dismissed speculation of a possible sale of his Force India team.
It's becoming increasingly different to differentiate between what's real and what's fake in the news these days. All it takes is one angry tweet based on unconfirmed information and all hell breaks lose. Today's Steaming Pile attempts to clear up some of these chunks of fake news for you.

The website Post Card describes itself as "a news and current affairs portal". But it appears it too has fallen prey to the virus of fake news, caught apparently off-guard as it was for the second time. This time the website posted a photo on its Facebook page about a 'quote' by AR Rahman which the musician never actually made. The first time the website was infected by the bug was when the site misquoted author Arundhati Roy and claimed that Roy had said that "India cannot achieve its objective in the occupied Valley even if its army deployment raises from 7 lakh to 70 lakh," something which Roy had never said in the first place.

But back to Rahman, Post Card posted the following picture on its Facebook page:

As anti-fake news site Social Media Hoax Slayer pointed out, Post Card had very lifted parts of an interview from the book AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music by Nasreen Munni Kabir, published in Scroll. This fact was also confirmed by The Quint.

The actual quote by Rahman about his mother went like this:

'My mother was a practising Hindu My mother had always been spiritually inclined. We had Hindu religious images on the walls of the Habibullah Road house where we grew up. there was also an image of Mother Mary holding Jesus in Her arms and a photograph of the sacred sites of Mecca and Medina. In 1986, ten year after my father died, we happened to meet Qadri Saaheb again. The peer was unwell and my mother looked after him. He regarded her as a daughter. There was a strong connection between us. I was nineteen at the time and working on a session musician and composing jingles.' (sic)

In fact, the words 'beef' or 'cow' have not been mentioned even once in the Scroll article.

Post Card wittingly or unwittingly added a dash of 'creativity' to the original quote, twisting it and giving it a unique angle. The timing however  when the issue of cattle slaughter is a highly sensitive topic in the country  is terribly unfortunate.
Barely 400 kilometres from Delhi, the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva groups have been conducting training camps that put schoolchildren through the paces of using firearms and swords. After Firstpost received information about these camps, we decided to investigate the activities of these organisations and their structure.

We left for Rajasthan's Hanumangarh  one of the many places running such camps in the name of instilling patriotism into young hearts and minds. It was important to make a visit, because in recent times the meaning of patriotism has turned a bit cloudy, and in some circles, it seems to have been forgotten that patriotism and love for one's country does not mean hating another community and lynching people under the pretext of protecting cows.

Upon arriving at this city  that borders Sri Ganganagar, people dressed in saffron and gamchhas were visible all over the place. We were later informed by one of the Bajrang Dal members that this was a new trend in this part of Rajasthan, indicative of the growing influence of such groups in the area.

Upon checking into our hotel room, it was a matter of minutes before three people came knocking at the door. Upon asking them to identify themselves, pat came the answer: "Bajrang Dal members". They came in, did not speak a word and sat on the sofas inside the room. This created a bit of an awkward atmosphere, complete with hints-a-plenty that we were no longer in a 'safe zone' and would be subject to constant surveillance from this point on. Efforts on our part to strike up conversations fell on deaf ears. After a brief look around the room and a glance at our belongings, they left and told us that their leader would meet us in some time.

We waited for their leader Ashish  who heads up Bajrang Dal and VHP in the Jodhpur region  for a while, but there was no sign of him. We were losing hope and began to think they had grown suspicious of us, when a few minutes later my phone rang. The call was from Ashish. We were asked to meet him and his team in the basement of the hotel in which we were staying. There was a palpable sense of excitement and nervousness as we went downstairs to meet that dozens of young men waiting for us. Initially, reluctant to speak, they slowly opened up and went on to speak about their activities at length. But this was only after we had built a good rapport with them and they were confident that we were sympathetic to their cause.

They confessed on the camera that they ran this camp in which they taught school children the art of handling sophisticated weapons. All this was devised to counter the threat of the Islamic State in India and the internal enemies within the country. They also confessed their role in attacks on people in the name of protecting cows and dealing with 'love-jihadis', clearly indicating that these men had taken the law in their own hands and were not letting the police do its duty and fulfil its responsibilities.

The men also confessed that they were helped by the administration to carry out all of this and with the BJP coming to power in the state, they were filled with confidence, particularly with there being some among mainstream political parties and government helping them. They also claimed that it was due to their work on the ground that the BJP won the election, but the party hardly acknowledges it.

Ashish went on to add that his men do everything they can to preserve Hindu culture, stop cow-smuggling and prevent love jihad. They, according to him, are also preparing themselves against the ever-present threat of the Islamic State. "It wouldn't be right to say that the administration completely cooperates with us, but there is always some help from them as they know what we have been doing is right," he added.

On being asked about the killing of Pehlu Khan, Ashish, confessed that it was his men who killed him, but the intention was not to kill. He was killed by mistake.

When interrogated about the training camp, he firmly said, "There is nothing new about the camps as we teach people the art of self-defence; we can see terror activities are gaining ground and it is important to keep ourselves prepared for that challenges. The organisation is also running a training camp in Pali  on the border with Pakistan  right now for young girls, in which they are trained in the art of self-defence."

"We have a good number of people associated with us, we are successful in mobilising people, mostly on the issue of love jihad," said Ashish, adding, "The issue of love jihad is very rampant and Muslim organisations are giving money to Muslim men to trap Hindu girls and convert them."

Commenting on the role of governments and how their work is affected, Ashish said, "Since the BJP came to power, our workers have some confidence, considering the fact that there are people in the BJP who have been associated with the RSS, and have come to the rescue. However, when the BJP comes to power, it forgets that it is because of us that it has come to power. Look what has happened in Assam  the RSS worked on the ground for decades on end, but all the credit for winning the election goes to some prominent face in the party."

On the topic of the training camp, Ashish said that all legal formalities are completed in order to organise these camps, and he shared details of the events. However, when contacted, police officials including Superintendent of Police Yadram Phansal denied having any knowledge about the camp and said the police couldnt act as there wasn't any complaint against the Bajrang Dal. However, in the pictures (see above), one can clearly see the police escorting a bunch of youths parading on the street.

***

Reporter's diary

Since the inception of this investigation, I knew that I was taking a great risk, going into unknown territory to meet people I had never met. This was definitely not a simple thought to stomach when considering that the people I was going to meet were from the Bajrang Dal and VHP, who have had a history of violence. To get over this fear, I decided to identify myself as Anupam Kumar  clearly Pehlu Khan was on my mind and the fear of revealing my real identity was lurking inside me. However, I decide not to back out and go ahead with this story and capture these people on camera.

We were done with our job, had investigated details the story, and were ready to return from Hanumangarh to Delhi when a local informer acting as a journalist stepped in and informed these people of my real identity as a Muslim. Shortly after, the police was there asking us to get out of our vehicle. Vijay Pandey, Anupam Pandey and I were in the vehicle at the time. Vijay, a photo journalist and Anupam, a journalist based in Delhi and I were taken to the police station in different cars and threatened with false cases and arrests until our friends from Delhi began calling in, demanding our immediate release.

The policemen were harsher to us than the Bajrang Dal activists. One of them told the leader of the Bajrang Dal, If you dont file a case against him, I will. One of the policemen also threatened to beat me with his shoes, regardless of whether or not he was suspended afterwards. All this clearly made us believe that they didnt want us to do our work freely. Even after we had identified ourselves and shown them our identity cards and other documents of identification, they were not willing to let us go.
The ongoing unrest in West Bengal's northern hills continued on the second day of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (GJM) indefinite shutdown as supporters pelted stones at the police in various parts of Darjeeling on Tuesday.

Security forces were attacked as they attempted to stop GJM supporters from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.

Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills, while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizeable number of women police personnel were also deployed.

"The GJM supporters pelted stones at police forces in various parts of Darjeeling as they were stopped by the forces from enforcing shutdown in government offices. After we chased them, they ran away," a senior police official said.

On Sunday, in an attempt to counter GJM's shutdown, West Bengal government had issued an order that all its offices will remain open in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, adding that it was mandatory for employees to attend work.

At around 10 am on Tuesday, a huge GJM procession  chanting slogans against the state government and demanding separate Gorkhaland  marched to various government offices in Chowkbazar area to stop people from reporting for work.

"When stopped by the police, the GJM supporters turned violent and pelted stones. The police chased and dispersed the crowd," the police officer said.

The shutdown call given by GJM was mainly targeted at the central and state government offices, and those of the hill development body, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. Educational institutions and transport were kept outside its purview.

The shutdown has led to spurts of violence in the state with several state government offices torched, vandalised or forcibly shut. The Block Development Office (BDO) in Darjeeling's Bijanbari, was allegedly torched by a group of GJM activists on Monday. Three GJM workers were arrested after the incident, and several others were detained.

The PWD office in Darjeeling town was also allegedly set on fire, while another BDO in Darjeeling district's Pulbazar was vandalised by pro-Gorkhaland activists on day one of the shutdown. A hydro project in Sonada was ransacked by the shutdown supporters, who also forcibly shut a panchayat office at Sukna.

The GJM leadership, however, has accused the police of resorting to unprovoked lathi charge on the GJM procession.

"The police resorted to unprovoked lathi charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

To avert any ugly turn of events, massive security arrangements have been put in place at all important roads and public offices. Six columns of army personnel have been deployed in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong towns since Thursday.

The state police, along with the CRPF and combat force personnel, were seen manning the important and critical points in Darjeeling, wearing protective body armour and helmets.

With inputs from agencies
There is a quiet crisis in higher education in India which runs deep, said the National Knowledge Commission in its report to the nation (2006-2009). Lately, there seems to be an air of absolute disregard to the concerns regarding  access, equity and quality in our higher education system. Since this piece discusses the privilege aspect of education, it shall focus on the first two factors  access and equity.

In JNU, students and teachers alike have been resisting the UGC notification, unilaterally imposed by the JNU administration, fearing that it would drastically compromise the unique admission policy of the university, which is far more inclusive than what the notification purports. As per the last admission notice (which was put on hold after strong protests) numbers of M.Phil/PhD seats were to be brought down from 1,000 to just 194.

It is one of the many examples of states attempt to erode the autonomy of public universities by trumping the statutes establishing those institutes simply through inordinate notifications or circulars. By governments own confession the UGC has failed to do justice with its mandate in the light of massification of higher education. The review committee (headed by former UGC chairperson Hari Gautam) has thus called for scrapping the regulatory body itself and has averred any reshaping or restructuring of the UGC or amending the UGC Act will be a futile exercise.

There are several other ancillary concerns regarding structural deprivation of vulnerable groups from higher education. Though we have been acknowledging them in our reports and recommendations, we still continue to take a completely distorted route towards our improvement.

The crisis of choice and finance

There is a growing concern that the present market economy is causing an acute devaluation of humanities as an academic currency, leading to what some call  educational apartheid. And this apartheid is not limited to India alone; it is the trend in many nations undergoing industrialisation. Placements, as we know them, come more from management and science streams than liberal arts or humanities. Much like British who consciously designed the educational policy of India to sustain their colonial project and create a class that helps in efficient administration of the state, our youth today is better trained to serve the interest of business enterprises (often MNCs) than any other entity. The element of critical thinking and realisation of their roles as individual social beings, potential entrepreneurs or leaders  unfortunately remain untapped. Nurturing hyper-specialised robot like humans compromises the future of post-industrialised Indian society, which would need people capable of navigating cultural differences and lead in an increasingly interdependent, border-collapsing world.

TISS is an interesting case study of this onslaught. In March 2017, TISS director S Parasuraman announced closure of three crucial UGC funded centre(s)  Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies, Advanced Centre for Womens Studies and the Nodal Centre for Excellence under the Scheme of Human Rights, citing failure of UGC to release the fund for these centre(s). Also, recently the institute notified  it will not be providing any financial aid to SC/ST and OBC students (with family income below government norms). The reason cited was non-reimbursement of the cost borne by the institute by the central and state government despite repeated requests.

Therefore, we see exclusion happening at two levels  choice of courses and financial deprivation which is like  teaching the fish to climb the tree and simultaneously depriving her of water so that she cant swim. As a ramification, angry, even violent student protests have become a common feature in Indian universities. In April this year, Panjab University saw massive protests against a meteoric annual fee hike, surpassing hundred percent in many courses. The demand was simple  to take back the arbitrary increment and not to pass the buck and debt onto the students who in all likelihood would not be able to bear it. Sedition charges were slapped on 66 protesting students for raising slogans against the MHRD, the UGC and the Panjab University administration. Those protesting for their right of affordable access to education became anti-nationals overnight.

Towards privatisation

TISS, PU and other educational institutes are symptomatic of the decay that has crept into our higher education system. When a socialist state like ours, starts failing to ensure affordable education and succumbs to market pressures, we must know that the very outlook towards the idea of education is changing. As a follow up to the recommendation under the National Education Policy 2016, an agency, recently rechristened as  Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA) has been approved to facilitate private investors push their loans in the higher education sector.

This is reminiscent of the Ambani Birla report titled 'A Policy Framework for Reforms in Education' submitted to the Prime Ministers Council on Trade and Industry on 24 April, 2000. It says firstly, we must fundamentally change our mindset of  seeing education as a component of social development and strive to become a new information society; secondly, education is not a social expenditure but an investment in Indias future; thirdly, the government should legislate a Private University Bill to encourage establishment of private universities especially for courses related to science and technology, management and finance; and finally, the foreign direct investment in education sector must be allowed.

For those with an eye, it is easy to read between the lines of these suggestions.

Language and identity induced bias

We have come off the age when Macaulay asserted - a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia and introduced English as a medium of instruction. Post-colonisation English has grown to be most widely spoken language in the world. Training our young minds in English is important to make them globally competitive but unfortunately, our system is still prejudiced towards socially underprivileged students belonging to villages where education is mostly imparted in vernacular medium. They find it difficult to cope with academic assignments because most of them are in English. This linguistic hegemony (which is not limited to universities) has become a source of denigration for those who cannot express themselves in English. Very few universities make arrangements for remedial classes and run courses for teaching the language but that too is a half-hearted formality in most cases  barring exceptions like JNU, which has a committed and well functioning linguistic empowerment cell.

Further religious minorities (especially Muslims) and those belonging to the SC/ST community face biases in our universities, which though not reflected on paper, but are present in the majoritarian mindset of different university administrations. In a 2013 MHRD report, it was pointed out that only 11 out of 100 Muslims in India take up higher education, which is dismal as compared to other communities. If we look at the overall composition of the student body, according to a survey  SC students constitute 12.2 percent, STs 4.4 percent and Muslims 3.9 percent of the total number.

Even when students belonging to these groups get into public universities, they are more vulnerable to discrimination than any other student. Najeeb Ahmad and Rohith Vemula are two extreme cases of such structural discrimination. Vemulas scholarship at University of Hyderabad was illegally denied for seven months. He was thrown out of the hostel along with four other Dalit scholars and was asked to stay away from mess and other common areas, merely on the accusation that they attacked members of the ABVP. Humiliated and heartbroken, Vemula committed suicide writing down in his suicide note that he felt just empty. After that, the debate was not about what led to Vemulas extreme step; rather it centered on questioning his very identity  whether he was a Dalit or an OBC?  So that the charges on the authorities can be cut down. And by the way, suspension of all four Dalit students was revoked after Vemulas suicide.

Ahmad has been missing from his JNU hostel since 15 October, 2016. He was repeatedly assaulted by right wing ABVP activists immediately before his disappearance. The original report by the Proctors office recommended strict punishment for Ahmads assaulters. With his sensibilities or whatever, the vice-chancellor found it sufficiently strict  to transfer accused assaulters from their existing hostel to a new hostel. Chief Proctor AP Dimri resigned because of alleged differences with the administration, fostered since he served a show cause notice to the ABVP members for violently beating Najeeb before he went missing. Like Vemulas caste was made an issue to divert the attention from actual probe, The Times of India blunder (still available online) suggested that Ahmad, being a Muslim probably had connection with the IS. Judiciary, however, could see what the vice-chancellor, who is yet to find acceptance among students and teachers of JNU, couldnt. While recently transferring the case to the CBI, the Delhi High Court bench comprising Justices GS Sistani and Rekha Palli noted  If today it is Najeeb, tomorrow it could be anybody, just because he belongs to some other community or a political body.

How safe are our public universities for religious minorities and Dalits? How accessible are they for the underprivileged who have limited financial resources to support their education? How supportive are they for non-English medium students? Should students only be groomed and encouraged to opt for market driven courses? Or should they be allowed to pursue their dreams based on their interest, talent and inner calling? What can be the degree of UGCs intrusion in university autonomy? Or should there be a UGC intrusion in university autonomy at all?

These are some of the pressing questions that need to be urgently addressed.

Part 1: Fee hike in private schools: Ambiguous regulation of fees is making education a privilege
Legislation that would bestow charity motorcycle rides many of the same rights as funeral processions passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Monday.

As an avid motorcycle rider myself, who has taken part in many of these large group rides, I have noticed a growing issue with such events, Keller said in a news release. My legislation would bring these rides into compliance with the state vehicle code and make them safer for both the participants and other motorists.
Loan waiver is turning out to be the Mandal Commission report of our times.

With the Narendra Modi government offering loan waiver to farmers of Uttar Pradesh, cultivators in every part of the country now want a similar dole, just like the castes and communities who'd fallen over each other to be part of the Mandal report.

On Monday, Haryana farmers pressed for loan waivers by calling for state highways to be blocked for three hours on 16 June. The Haryana government has since started collecting details of outstanding farm loans in the state.

Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, farmers read out a list of 13 demands and announced mahapadav (large gatherings) at eight places from 15 June.

Farmers from Haryana and Rajasthan are just the latest to announce protests for loan waivers, increased minimum support price for crops and other sops for reducing stress on the agriculture sector.

There is, obviously, a pattern. Farmers have realised that state governments are wary of countrywide agitations that may bring the nation to a halt and completely alter the political scenario. Farmers have been emboldened by the decision of the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments to consider their demands, even if it means putting the state budgets under even more stress.

It is interesting to see how the tide has turned. A few days after protests in Maharashtra began, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis argued that the agitators were not genuine farmers but political puppets. When the Opposition earlier sought debt waiver for farmers, he ridiculed them and asked how it would stop suicides in rural Maharashtra.

But Fadnavis has now been forced to announce the 'largest debt waiver' in the history of Maharashtra.

Faced with a similar demand, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan initially refused to meet the protesters. Like Fadnavis, he too branded the movement a political conspiracy. When five protesters died in police firing in Mandsaur, he refused to acknowledge that his government was responsible. Then he went on an indefinite fast and called it off after a few hours. Finally, he too, announced a loan waiver.

Incidentally, as journalist P Sainath pointed out in his YouTube explainer, when the government announced it would double farmers income by 2022, the head of the Group of Ministers to look into that was none other than Chouhan himself.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaih has been delaying a decision, primarily in the hope of announcing it just before the Assembly polls. Here, ironically, the Opposition BJP has been threatening that the demands be met immediately, lest it kickstart a political movement. With farmers breaking the resolve of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments, it is unlikely that Siddaramaih would be able to hold off his own announcement of a debt waiver for too long.

In principle, the farmers' demands of a waiver is wrong. The contract between the lender and borrower is based on the principle that both sides will fulfill their obligations. But farmers have been left with no choice because of falling prices and years of droughts that have brought them to the edge of ruin.

The average income of farmers, according to the last report of National Sample Survey Organisation, is just around Rs 6,000 per month. In 17 Indian states, farmers earn less than Rs 1,800 per month. This makes it impossible for them to get out of the cycle of debt, especially when prices of crops remain abysmally low.

This disparity in income and prices has created, among farmers, a Mandal-like rush for special assistance. They see debt waiver as the new quota to help them rise up the social and financial ladder and cut their past loose.

In 1990, when VP Singh announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, it led to a social upheaval, where even seemingly well-off castes and communities  the Jats for instance  wanted a piece of the quota pie. The similarities can be seen in the dynamic of the farmers' stir, which began in Marathwada and spread to the more affluent farmers of Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab.

Like the then prime minister who announced the implementation of the Mandal report for quick political gain, the BJP has unleashed a storm by announcing and implementing debt waiver in Uttar Pradesh before the Assembly polls. After inaugurating a tempest, it is now arguing that states should generate their own finances to address the demands of farmers.

But the genie is out of the bottle. Expect it to kick up a storm across India.
Hardik Patel's attempts to fish in troubled waters have been thwarted as the local administration and police in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur have decided to deny him entry in the district. Mandsaur has been ground zero for farmers' agitation and mob violence that resulted in five deaths.

Patel, who had led a mass agitation seeking reservation for Patidars in Gujarat in 2015, is expected to arrive at Mandsaur on Tuesday after meeting farmers at Udaipur in Rajasthan. However, Patel is a week too late. Violence and arson in Mandsaur district was raging out of control last week and Patel's late reaction is not lost on the farmers of Mandsaur. Several farmers said they were aware of Patel's intentions and felt that if Patel truly wanted to do something for his "farmer brothers", he would have visited earlier.

Superintendent of Police, Mandsaur, Manoj Kumar Singh, however, told Firstpost that the officials haven't received any information about Patel's arrival. "We don't have official confirmation or information about Hardik Patel's visit. Even though curfew has now been lifted in Mandsaur, Section 144 is still imposed. We had to stop Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh and others from entering Mandsaur. We didn't allow Madhya Pradesh minister for women and child development Archana Chitnis," Singh told Firstpost.

Investigators probing into the role of men aged between 17 to 25 years, who might have been involved in rampaging and inciting mob violence, while pretending to be farmers, are also trying to verify whether these youths are also aligned with Patel.

Patel spent six months in exile in Udaipur after a Gujarat High Court order and returned to his hometown in January 2017. He was released from jail in Gujarat in July 2016 after nine months in confinement.

"We have inputs that a week prior to farmers' agitation, a group of Patidar youths from Madhya Pradesh had a meeting with Patel in Jaipur. We are probing this angle," an officer, investigating the agitation and killing of the farmers, told Firstpost. According to Madhya Pradesh Patidar Samaj Sangathan, the Patidars from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan have been working closely to launch a movement against all three state governments.

Patidars from Madhya Pradesh are usually supporters of the BJP. However, in sharp contrast, the Patidar farmers, who make up for the majority in the Malwa belt, say that their battle is related to farmers' distress whereas Patel is fighting for caste issues. They, therefore, wonder whether they should back him and why. Population of Patidars in Mandsaur district is about 10 lakh.

Caste is not an issue, in the otherwise peaceful region, and the credit goes to the protesters that even when the farmers' agitation was peaking, they did not lose focus of their agitation. The focal point of the agitation never changed and remained about low price for produce, non-implementation of Swaminathan Committee's formula for Minimum Support Price, delay in payments at grain mandis, etc.

Khemraj Patidar, a resident of village Nayakheda and uncle of Chain Ram Patidar, who was one of the five people killed on 6 June, said, "Patel is fighting for caste. His politics is about caste. While the Patidars of Mandsaur, Neemuch and other districts are fighting a battle related to farmers' issues, he is talking about caste. Why should we back him?"

Whether or not Patel plans to visit Mandsaur to further his political ambitions is up for speculation, but the fact remains that the farmers of Madhya Pradesh have no interest in Patel's politics. Attempts to polarise the farmers along caste lines in the region is hence useless.

Rajesh Tomar, a resident and a businessman in Mandsaur, decoded the demographic equation in the district: "The Patidars are wealthy and dominant farmers in the region with interests in business other than farming as well. In the past several decades, the issue of caste politics has never been on the agenda of the Patidars of Madhya Pradesh. Therefore, they are not sure of Patel's intentions as they are clearly not looking for a caste leader. It is obvious to all in the district that Patel is attempting to lift his own, non-existent political career by taking advantage of the situation here."

According to a Bhopal-based senior police official, "Patel is hoping to enter Mandsaur as his target is the younger generation  the sons of Patidar farmers who have not taken up farming as a means of livelihood yet seem keen on aligning with him to get a political identity. He won't be allowed to enter Mandsaur."
Ahmedabad: The BJP may have ended Akhilesh Yadav's reign in Uttar Pradesh, but the Samajwadi Party chief has made a comeback of sorts, and of all places, in saffron stronghold Gujarat.

In a curious turn of events, some 12,000 school bags distributed in government-run primary schools in the state's tribal-dominated Chhota Udaipur district bear Akhilesh's picture.

The education department has now ordered an inquiry into how these bags landed up in Gujarat.

The school bags came with stickers of the Gujarat government's school enrollment program. Beneath these stickers, however, is a smiling Akhilesh.

The bags were distributed to students under the state government's 'Shala Praveshotsav' programme, an annual drive to enroll students in class 1.

That they have Akhilesh's picture was first discovered by teachers at a school in Vasedi village when the stickers reading 'Jilla Panchayat Shala Praveshotsav' came off.

The district panchayat had procured 12,000 of these bags through an e-tender from a Surat-based company, said district primary education officer Mahesh Prajapati.

Minister of state for education Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said an inquiry will be conducted and "action will be taken" against those responsible for this goof-up.

The bags were apparently manufactured for distribution in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

The opposition Congress took this opportunity to take a swipe at the BJP government.

"Instead of providing teachers, the government is distributing recycled bags of a former Uttar Pradesh government by carrying out this drama of Shala Praveshotsav. It shows how serious the government is towards education," Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said.
Amid raging debate over the role of the press and its freedom in the country, Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Monday said only a "free and responsible" media could hold power to account in this age of "post-truths" and "alternative facts".

Addressing the re-launch event of the Congress-run National Herald newspaper, Ansari said in Bengaluru that the country's constitutional framework allows state intervention to ensure smooth working of the press and the society, but "such intervention should only be in the interest of the public at large".

Here is the full text of the vice-president's speech:

Today is a memorable occasion, the resurrection of a happening in our freedom struggle, a reminder to a younger generation of the role that media in the hands of people committed to a cause could do to motivate the public.

This is the 70th year of our independence and the National Heralds return to active media space with a commemorative edition is worthy of being celebrated.

Conceived by Jawaharlal Nehru, the National Herald began its publication from Lucknow in 1938 and soon became the voice of our independence movement. Its banner of freedom in peril has an abiding relevance.

The history of journalism in India is closely linked to the history of our freedom struggle. Indian journalists were not mere news providers. They were freedom fighters and social activists, who fought not only to rid India of foreign rule but also to rid our society of social prejudices, casteism, communalism and discrimination.

The Press played an important role in educating, convincing and mobilizing our people. Many founding members of the Congress in 1885 were journalist. The most inspiring of the journals, like Tribune, Hindustan, Leader, Sudharak, Kesari, Akbar-i-Aam, The Hindu and Swadesh were edited by prominent leaders like Tilak, Gokhale, Subramanya Iyer, Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malviya and Agrakar. It was summed up by a poet:

Khincho na kamanon ko na talwar nikalo

Jab top muqabil ho to akhbar nikalo

The Press emerged as a tool for national awakening. It became a medium of nationalist political participation for the masses. The Press was a medium for propagation of modern ideas of democracy, freedom and equality. The English Press emerged as a medium of communication between nationalists across the country and played a role in welding India into a single nation and in giving the Indians a sense of national identity. This was crucial in mobilizing the masses for various nationalist and social causes.

Gandhiji was associated with six journals, and editor of two very influential weeklies. He published no advertisement; at the same time he did not want his newspapers to run at a loss. 'Young India' and 'Harijan' became powerful vehicles of his views on all subjects. He wrote on all subjects. He wrote simply and clearly but forcefully. For Gandhiji, journalism was a public service. He said,

In my humble opinion, it is wrong to use a newspaper as a means of earning a living. There are certain spheres of work which are of such consequence and have such bearing on public welfare that to undertake them for earning one's livelihood will defeat the primary aim behind them. When, further a newspaper is treated as a means of making profits, the result is likely to be serious malpractices. It is not necessary to prove to those who have some experience of journalism that such malpractices do prevail on a large scale.

Jawaharlal Nehru was described by Gandhiji as an artist, an ardent patriot, a humanitarian and an internationalist. his journalistic ethics were a reflection of those of the Mahatma. He believed that the media was a pillar of democracy. He envisioned a free, unfettered and honest press. He watched over the interests of media persons in independent India. The Working Journalists Act, which tried to give a degree of protection to journalists, to ensure freedom of press, was largely his doing. The Act, I believe, is now in disuse, and short term contracts, that make journalists beholden to the preferred lines of the publications, are in vogue.

In this age of post-truths, and alternative facts, where advertorials and response features edge-out editorials, we would do well to recall Nehrus vision of the press playing its role of a watchdog in democracy and look at the ethos and principles that powered his journalism.

In an open society like ours, we need a responsible press to hold power to account. This is why freedom of press under Article 19 (1)(A) of the Constitution, is subject only to reasonable restrictions in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, decency, contempt of court, defamation and incitement to an offence.

The Supreme Court has held that freedom of speech and of the press is the Ark of the Covenant of Democracy1 because public criticism is essential to the working of its institutions. Another pronouncement of the Court bears reiteration:

But what is called for today, in the present times, is a proper balancing of the freedom of press and said laws consistent with the democratic way of life ordained by the Constitution. Over the last few decades, press and electronic media have emerged as major factors in our nations life. They are still expanding and in the process becoming more inquisitive. Our system of government demands as do the systems of government of the United States of America and United Kingdom- constant vigilance over exercise of governmental power by the press and the media among others. It is essential for a good Government. 2

The duty of the State is thus clear. A free media is not only beneficial but necessary in a free society. If press freedom is attacked, it will result in the jeopardising of citizens rights. When faced with unjust restrictions and the threat of attack, self-censorship in the media can have the opposite effect, aiding the covering up of abuses and fostering frustration in marginalized communities.

Our Constitutional framework provides for required intervention by the State to ensure smooth working of the press and the society. The laws provide that such intervention should only be in the interest of the public at large. By the same token, the State shall not impede the free flow of information that will go a long way in protecting and promoting citizens rights.

The media, if it is to remain true to its calling, has to do likewise.

I am happy to learn that National Herald resumes publication in both print and digital formats. I am sure that it will uphold the standards of journalism that Jawaharlal Nehru enshrined in his newspaper.

Jai Hind.

You can watch the vice-president's full speech here:

With inputs from PTI
The Bombay High Court in Indubai Jaydeo Pawar vs Draupada case recently ruled that a one-night stand is not a marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) and therefore, a child born out of such a relationship would not be a legitimate child. Based on this, the court ruled that while a child born from a one-night stand would enjoy rights over the fathers property, he would not have any claim over his fathers ancestral property.

An important observation made by the court was that while the HMA applies only to marriages, the Indian society is undergoing changes which have led to grey areas raising questions such as whether children born out of live-in relationships are legitimate and whether homosexual unions are marriages.

Indian courts have in fact been confronted with such issues in the past: one such instance is where the Indian Supreme Court determined whether a woman in a live-in relationship is entitled to palimony (the equivalent of alimony).

Such instances indicate that even when a particular relationship does not fall within the societys traditional notion of marriage, Indian courts today are mindful of the purpose for which marriage laws were enacted and are accordingly deciding cases under the HMA.

Meaning of marriage under the HMA

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 is the legislation which relates to marriages among Hindus and applies also to Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. The provisions of the HMA deal with the conditions for a Hindu marriage (such as valid consent, the minimum marriageable age for the bride and groom, etc), registration of Hindu marriages, grounds for divorce, etc. The HMA also contains provisions dealing with the legitimacy of children of void and voidable marriages (Section 16) and permanent alimony and maintenance (Section 25).

While marriage is not defined under the HMA, Section 7 of the Act lays down that a Hindu marriage may be solemnised in accordance with the customary rites and ceremonies of either party. Section 7 further elaborates that where the rites and ceremonies include the saptapadi (the taking of seven steps by the bridegroom and the bride jointly before the sacred fire), the marriage is only said to be complete when the seventh step is taken. The provisions of HMA thus apply to marriage as understood in accordance with Section 7. At present, the HMA does not apply to other relationships.

Court decisions on the application of HMA to non-marriages

Indian courts are increasingly allowing claims under the HMA in cases involving relationships which are not marriages. In 2015, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that an unmarried couple living together under the same roof will be presumed to be married, and the woman would be entitled to inherit legal property after the death of her partner. The court, however, noted that this presumption can be rebutted by leading unimpeachable evidence. The court affirmed its observation in an earlier 2010 case of Madan Mohan Singh vs Rajni Kant (AIR 2010 SC 2933).

In Uday Gupta vs Aysha case (2014), the Supreme Court clarified that children born out of live-in relationships could not be termed illegitimate. When applying Section 16 of HMA to non-marriages, the Supreme Court has preferred the purposive interpretation approach i.e. the court has interpreted the legal provisions by determining the purpose and intent behind enacting the legislation.

In Bharatha Matha vs R Vijaya Ranganathan case (AIR 2010 SC 2685), the court was faced with the issue of determining the legitimacy of children born out of live-in relationships and observed, It is evident that Section 16 of the (Hindu Marriage) Act intends to bring about social reforms, conferment of social status of legitimacy on a group of children, otherwise treated as illegitimate, as its prime object.

In May 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that a man is obliged to pay alimony (maintenance) to a woman with whom he was in a live-in relationship. In the United States, courts are known to grant palimony (a portmanteau of the words pal and alimony) which is the equivalent of alimony in a live-in relationship.

Broadening the scope of marriage under the HMA

Law has always been understood as dynamic i.e. it changes with the needs and demands of the time in which it operates. When the HMA was first enacted in 1955, relationships such as live-in relationships and homosexual unions were unheard of. Today, relationships which are not in the nature of marriage are more prevalent in the society, which has led to the emergence of grey areas in marriage laws.

While Indian courts started grappling with these issues only recently, countries such as the United States had started dealing with these issues much earlier. In 1977, the California Supreme Court dealt with palimony in the landmark case, Marvin vs Marvin (18 Cal 3d 660) which led to many such actions being filed in the United States. Similarly, under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, same-sex couples can enter into a civil partnership and enjoy almost the same rights and obligations as opposite-sex couples do in marriages.

There is a need to bring amendments to the Indian law to grant legal status to relationships such as live-in relationships. A possible disadvantage of not treating certain kinds of relationships as marriage is that couples in live-in relationships (who are not ready to commit to a marriage) may be forced to marry to give legitimacy to their relationship and secure rights under the HMA.

Further, the legitimacy of children from live-in relationships also remains questionable. While Indian courts have certainly upheld rights of the partners and children in a live-in relationship, the meaning of such a relationship is not clear. The Supreme Court had provided certain guidelines on the meaning of live-in relationship in a maintenance case under the Domestic Violence Act; the Legislature could incorporate these guidelines under the HMA.

The provision under HMA could also be made gender-neutral wherein a female partner could be ordered by the court to pay maintenance to her male partner depending on the financial status of the partners. Indian courts have held that a financially poor husband is entitled to maintenance from his wife. It is also possible that a woman entered into a live-in relationship with a man on a promise that he would marry her in the future. Cases of false promises of marriage in order to establish sexual relations with a woman are not unheard of in India, therefore, it is desirable that the HMA is made applicable to live-in relationships.

The issue of treating homosexual unions as marriage has not yet been ruled in by courts in India. The Supreme Court in Suresh Kumar Koushal vs Naz Foundation upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the IPC which criminalises homosexuality. With more people of the LGBT community openly expressing their sexuality, live-in relationships involving same-sex couples are conceivable, and the issue of maintenance to homosexual partners in a live-in relationship could arise in the future.

As pointed out in an article by Nayantara Ravichandran, it would be problematic to include homosexual unions under the HMA due to conflicting religious beliefs. The appropriate way forward in such a case could be to recognise such relationships as a civil partnership (similar to the United Kingdom law).

A concern which was raised by the petitioner in Uday Gupta vs Aysha was that treating marriages which are not solemnised according to customary Hindu traditions would undermine the very institution of marriage. However, if we compel couples to marry, it would curtail their freedom of choice. The scope of marriage under the HMA must, therefore, be expanded to accommodate the changes in society and to provide legal protection to the rights of partners and children born out of non-marriages.

Devika Agarwal is a research fellow at Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. She is also a volunteer at Strategic Advocacy for Human Rights. The The views expressed in this article are personal.
A team from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), which runs the Asia's premier Shangri-La Dialogue, is in Delhi for damage control over the diplomatic faux pas post the Shangri-La Dialogue, reported The Hindu.

According to The Hindu, a senior fellow of the institute, Tim Huxley is in the capital to engage with key stakeholders in the Indian security establishment. He will be working closely with the Indian government to ensure that India is fully represented at next year's SLD.

This is following India's decision to withdraw from the dialogue after it was informed that the Minister Of State For Defence, Subhash Bhamre, who was filling in for Defense Minister Arun Jaitley, would only be accommodated at a "plenary session" on the last day of the three-day event and not on one of the main panels as Pakistan's Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, which turned out to be a deal-breaker for India, reported The Economic Times.

A senior official privy to the decision told The Hindu that the organisers of the event told the government that "Indian minister did not rank as highly as Hayat" and that Pakistan's civil military relations are different from India and could have been overlooked. "Obviously, we were not going to accept this kind of differentiation between India and Pakistan," said an Indian official to The Hindu. The Indian High Commission in Singapore then informed the Singapore MFA that "under the circumstances", the delegation from New Delhi was pulling out as the speaking slot confirmed was "not in line with their expectations".

By pulling out, India also lost an opportunity to meet with US Defense Secretary James Mattis that could have been significant ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the US and possible dialogues with the defense ministers from Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Canada.

As most countries in South and Central Asia joined the Chinese project, India lost an opportunity to make rebuttals on the presentations made by General Hayat on the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor project.

While the Singapore government has taken the responsibility of what they call an 'oversight' in the programme but the damage has been done. A senior Indian official told The Hindu, the decision to re-engage with subsequent Shangri-La Dialogues would have to be taken at a very senior level in government but it's over for now.

With inputs from agencies
The India-US nuclear deal was initiated in 2005, after nearly 30 years of US-imposed sanctions since India tested its first nuclear weapon (1974).

On 18 July, 2005, the then prime minister, Manmohan Singh visited Washington, and in a joint statement with George W Bush, India and the United States agreed to enter into a civil nuclear agreement.

This landmark agreement saw an implicit recognition  for the first time  of India as a nuclear weapons power.

Singhs visit also coincided with the completion of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnerships (NSSP) which had been announced in January 2004, and which aimed to increase cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programmes, high-technology trade, and missile defence.

The core of this agreement, in the area of nuclear energy, was the emphasis on non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Even though India did not officially join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), through this agreement it was afforded the same benefits and advantages as other leading nuclear powers, like the United States.

The then Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said, India committed itself in public, very specifically to a series of actions to which it had not previously committed itself. Actions, which will, in effect, in a de facto sense, have India agreeing to the same measures that most of the NPT states have agreed to.

While the joint statement and related press releases list a wide range of responsibilities and actions, three essential ones were:

1. India would move to separate civilian and military nuclear facilities. Indias impetus  which was acknowledged by Bush  to continue developing its nuclear facilities has to do with its increased reliance on fossil fuels to meet is energy needs. Thus, safe, civilian nuclear energy would help in the sustainable development of Indias economy.

2. India would place these civilian nuclear facilities under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

3. India would refrain from transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies to states that do not have them and supporting international efforts to limit their spread.

The US, for its part, would work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India, including granting India a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which would allow members to trade nuclear material with India even though it was not a part of the NPT. As part of the earlier sanctions, India had been isolated from the NSG.

Despite opposition from parties in both the countries, Congressional approval for the US-India Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (123 Agreement) came in October 2008. Before that, on 25, September 2008, Singh visited Washington and addressed Bush on the imminent completion of the deal.

He said, I am mentioning civil nuclear initiative because for 34 years, India has suffered from a nuclear apartheid. We have not been able to trade in nuclear material, nuclear reactors, nuclear raw materials. And when this restrictive regime ends, I think a great deal of credit will go to president Bush. And for this I am very grateful to you, Mr President.

In 2009, as Barack Obama entered the White House, concerns were voiced about US involvement with Pakistan and China, and how that would affect US ties with India following the Bush administration. However, during Singhs visit to Washington in November, 2009, Obama vowed to uphold the historic nuclear agreement.

In a joint statement issued by Singh and Obama, India and US reaffirmed the terms of the nuclear agreement, emphasised their respective moratorium on nuclear testing and the increasing need to work towards global non-proliferation.

They looked forward to the Nuclear Security Summit convened in Washington in April 2010, which saw a more urgent call for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially in response to non-state agents acquiring WMD. Singh addressed the summit and outlined Indias unwavering commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament, and the use of nuclear energy for safe and clean energy.

He also announced the establishment of Indias Global Centre for Global Energy Partnership.

In September 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington for the first time after taking office, the nuclear deal was once again discussed. This proves how, through the years, the nuclear deal has been the bedrock of India-US ties. Despite this, however, not much has been accomplished in terms of nuclear energy as part of this deal. Indeed, according to a piece in The Indian Express, India has not bought a single reactor from the US over the decade since the deal was signed.

Instead, achievements of the deal have been measured against different yardsticks  the most important being the burgeoning diplomatic and economic relationship between India and the US  which acquires immense significance when compared to the complete alienation of the two countries following Indias 1974 nuclear test.

Finally, according to The Times of India, during Modis June 2016 visit to Washington, he and Obama decided upon the establishment of six nuclear reactors in India built by the American firm Westinghouse. Additionally, Obama expressed support for Indias application to enter the NSG. Thus, even though this will be the first policy decision based upon this longstanding nuclear deal, the favourable light that it shines on India-US ties truly represent the effects of this deal.
After nearly four years of an explosion and subsequent fire onboard INS Sindhurakshak that claimed 18 lives, the Indian Navy has decommissioned the submarine, reported The Indian Express.

The decision was taken after two Board of Inquiries (BoIs) constituted by the Ministry of Defence suggested that the kilo-class diesel-electric submarine is not seaworthy and not fit to sail again.

The submarine however will not be scrapped unlike most of the other decommissioned navy vessels.

The Ministry of Defence will decide whether the vessel will either be used for target practice or be sunk into the sea, the report added.

According to another report in NDTV.com, the submarine could be used as a training platform for navy sea divers.

The divers presently train at the Cochin Diving School and also at Submarine training school in Vishakapatnam. In both places, however they are trained under simulated conditions  in specially built tanks, where changes in weather and sea conditions are difficult to replicate.

Having a real submarine deep in the sea for the training of divers would be of immense value to them, NDTV.com reported quoting a source.

The blast had taken place onboard Sindhurakshak on 14 August 2013 while it was berthed in Mumbai and was preparing to leave for a routine operation. The explosion took place in the forward compartment where the weapons bay was located.

In an internal inquiry it was found that critical Standard Operating Procedures were violated which triggered the explosion in the ordinance on board, reported NDTV.com.

A year later, the 16-year-old submarine was airlifted and anchored at South Backwater in the Naval Dock following salvage operations by Resolve Marine India Ltd for about Rs 240 crore, reported The Times of India.

India had bought INS Sindhurakshak in 1997 for $113 million and later upgraded it for $156 million (around Rs 800 crore).

The accident, perhaps the worst in the submarine-arm of the Indian Navy, has spurred the Navy to put in place strict remedial measures for instance, "rigid safety audits and examination by operational commands prior to sorties NDTV reported three years ago quoting then navy chief Admiral Robin Dhown.

Incidentally, this was not the first major accident to befall Sindhurakshak.

In February 2010 a fire had broken out aboard the submarine when the vessel was in Visakhapatnam. One sailor was killed and two others were injured. Navy officials reported that the fire had been caused by an explosion in the submarine's battery compartment.
What began in Uttar Pradesh is slowly spreading to other agriculture-heavy states in the country  demand for huge farm loan waivers. After Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath announced a Rs 30,000 crore farm loan waiver, Maharashtra followed with an even bigger loan waiver, initially estimated to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore. Farmer bodies in others states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, have raised similar demands. There is a good possibility that the actual size of the farm loan waiver will be much bigger than what is originally estimated in all these states.

For instance, Maharashtra has 1.36 crore farmers with total loans amounting to Rs 1.14 lakh crore loans. No matter how hard the government tries to minimise the damages, Rs 35,000 crore will be too small to appease the miffed farmers. It is not feasible at this stage to work out the combined size of these schemes but this will certainly be much bigger than the Rs 70,000 crore doled out by the Congress-led UPA government in 2008.

It is not, therefore, surprising why the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is distancing itself from the farm loan waivers, refusing to share any burden. On Monday, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley refused to be a party of the loan waiver talks saying states which want to go in for farm loan waivers need to generate funds for themselves.

Jaitley is right. After all, why should the Centre take the burden of states' largesse? The central government already has enough burden on its shoulders-sinking state-run banks that cry for recapitalisation, faltering economy that begs much higher public spending, committed pay outs to the government employees and so on.

But, how did this whole chain of farm loan waivers begin in the first place? It was none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi who promised the loan waiver to farmers in Uttar Pradesh first. In the run up to the Uttar Pradesh election campaign, Modi had said farm loan waiver will be taken up in the first Cabinet meeting once BJP comes to power in the state. The Adityanath government fulfilled this promise, however, it triggered similar demands from farmers in other states and massive, violent agitations across the country which brings us to this question

How can the Centre wash its hands off the loan waivers when it was the prime minister himself who set the ball rolling by bringing farm loan waivers in election agenda?

To start with, promising a loan waiver was a big mistake by Modi for well-known reasons. Such a measure instantly and irrevocably destroys the credit culture of the farmer in an entire geography and even lessens the chances of these farmers for securing future credit with ease. It happened during the 2008 UPA government's regime. Also, never in the past have state-run banks (which are the obvious targets to roll out populist policies) been compensated on time for waiving loans. Hence, this puts a major burden on balance sheets of banks.

However, along with BJP and the prime minister, the Congress, too, has to share the blame for inculcating the loan waiver culture in India's agricultural sector.

For the Congress too, loan waiver promise has been the biggest poll plank in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh elections. Party vice-president, Rahul Gandhi assured the farmers that the waiver will happen within 10 days after his party comes to power. For a seasoned politician, offering freebies has become the easiest way to pursue the poor man's votes. But, a politician rarely thinks about the deeper damage an announcement like this is likely to cause to the credit culture and state finances. This is the reason why the Reserve Bank of India has repeatedly cautioned against such an exercise.

If one looks at the RBI's credit growth figures, funding shortage has never been an issue for farmers. Every year, under the target set by the Union Budget and also to comply with priority sector lending rules, banks lend heavily to the sector. Despite this the sector continues to be economically stressed. It tells us tat the farmers do not need the money or the freebies. The problem lies somewhere else. May be the solution lies in offering better farm technology, assistance to procure and store farm products and get good value for the farmer for the produce.

States which are forced to implement loan waiver will have heavy financial burden for many years to come. This will also break the backs of state-run banks that have lent huge sums to farmers, mainly on account of vanishing credit culture. It is ironical that the Centre is washing off its hands the crop waiver exercise after initiating the idea in this round as an easy political tool to win votes.
Kerala Government said on Tuesday that it has no objection to transfer to CBI, the investigation into the alleged suicide of Jishnu Pranoy in Thrissur.

Talking to reporters, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government has approved the request made by relatives of the student in this regard.

Earlier, the chief minister had visited CPM Kozhikode district committee office at which two steel bombs were hurled by miscreants a few days ago.

The government had come under flak from various quarters, including LDF partner CPI, for the "high-handed" police action against the mother of Jishnu and others.

As a mark of protest over the police "highhandedness" against Jishnu's family, a state-wide hartal was observed on April 6 in response to a call by the Congress-led UDF and the BJP.
U.S. Congressman Scott Perry will host a public town hall meeting Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School.

The town hall will run from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the dome gym of the high school, located at 6746 Carlisle Pike. Doors will open at 8:15 a.m., and signs will direct attendees from the Dapp Road entrance to the parking area.

For me to effectively represent our constituents in Congress, I regularly seek all viewpoints on the issues facing our country," Perry said in a news release. "These town halls are great opportunities to hear what everyone has to say on current matters. I thank the Cumberland Valley School District for graciously hosting this event."

Perry's office said he has conducted 19 in-person town hall meetings in the four counties he's served since he's been in Congress. He's also held Facebook and tele-town hall events.

Space is limited for the town hall, and RSVPs are required for each person attending the event. A valid photo ID will also be required for entry to the town hall with the confirmation ticket, and information on the ID must match the RSVP.

Children younger than 16 will be admitted without an ID but are still required to RSVP.

To RSVP, visit https://perry.house.gov/town-hall, or contact Perry's Washington office at 202-225-5836.

The event will be streamed live through Perry's Facebook page.
Makers of In the Shade of Fallen Chinar, a documentary that portrays conflict-torn Kashmir through the eyes of young artists, will approach Kerala court as the central government has banned its screening along with two other documentaries.

The central government is failing to see the limits of its federal reach out, Shawn Sebastin, co-director of the In the Shade of Fallen Chinar, told Firstpost.

We are approaching the court. We will fight it out. And it has to be. Otherwise, such practices will be repeated, Shawn added.

All the three documentaries denied screening at international documentary and short film festival in Kerala between June 16 and 20 discuss uneasy themes for the central government.

While Shawns 16-minute long documentary features hardships of Kashmiri youth, a 45-minute-long documentary directed by Ramchandra PN Unbearable Being of Lightness is shot in the backdrop of Hyderabad University research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide and the third one is Kathu Lukoses March March March on Jawaharlal Nehru University protests.

Directed along with my friend Faizal NC, the movie features how youngsters in Kashmir vent their anger through art. We have featured musicians and painters, mainly from Kashmir University. These youngsters were born into conflict and grew up seeing it worsening, Shawn added.

The film, which is available on Youtube, was selected in the competition section for the fest and has been screened twice at different venues in the south India.

Shawn said that they are yet to ascertain specific factors that irked the ministry and have not received any official communication and condemned the practice of censorship tools creeping into the documentary film space in the country.

If not rectified at its nascent stage, what lies ahead for documentary film makers are the watchful eyes of authorities and strangling by the government that curtail the freedom of expression central to the medium, Shawn added.

On Sunday, while announcing central governments decision to deny screening for the three documentaries, chairman of Kerala State Film Academy and filmmaker Kamal said its an evidence of depriving the freedom for creativity.

He said that it clearly shows there exists cultural emergency and we are going through undeclared emergency period.

Kamal also added that the academy will file an appeal against the Center's decision, though chances of the decision being revoked are less as the festival is scheduled to begin in a few days.

Kathu Lukose, maker of March March March, told Firstpost that she feels agitated in learning the central governments decision.

They have not seen my documentary. By just reading a synopsis, they have said no. I dont know what to say, Kathu, who was a student at JNU when the protests were at its peak, said.

March March March chronicles the aftermath of the February 9, 2016, incident in which some students of the JNU were accused of raising anti-national slogans.

The film narrates the series of agitations, arrests and protests that followed, leading up to the Student Union elections that were held in September last year.

It is the first independent work of Kathu, who graduated from JNUs School of Arts and Aesthetics last year.

While Kathu did the direction and cinematography for the film, it was produced by her mother Mary Lal.

I am going to approach court on Tuesday. I am touch with Fazil, the maker of Kashmir film. We will be going to court. Such moves are unacceptable, Kathu added.

Kathus documentary has not been screened anywhere so far. This was her first independent film and the fest was her first platform to screen the same.

I am thinking of uploading the movie on Youtube. Soon, I may do it, Kathu added.

Meanwhile, Ramachandra PN, the maker of third documentary Unbearable Being of Lightness told Firstpost that the same was screened in Kolkata film fest organized by the state government in 2016 November.

I am surprised what happened now. We have screened the film in Kolkata officially. Now, after seven months, its being denied permission, Ramachandra said.

Its a political move. Just by reading a synopsis, they have said no. It is weird, he added.

Following central governments decision, Ramachandra has uploaded the documentary on his blog.

Meanwhile, Keralas cultural affairs minister A K Balan said that just because a documentary deals with current socio-political issues, it can't be branded anti-national.

Balan said the fascist way of silencing critics by threat had been prevailing in the country for quite some time.

"Why some people are scared when current social issues are portrayed in art forms? Artists always discuss topical issues. Recently, we also witnessed murders of free thinkers and those who dare to speak the truth. The short film ban is the latest in that episode," Balan posted on his Facebook page.

Recalling that Kerala has been successfully hosting the documentary and short film festival for the last 10 years, Balan said no other state was organising such a fair.

"Apart from Kerala festival, Indian documentaries have screening opportunities only in festivals organised abroad. Cultural leaders should protest against this," he added.

In the five-day-long 10th edition of documentary and short film fest around 260 short films and documentaries are expected to be screened.
India has handed over concrete evidence to Pakistan that the protests in Kashmir are supported from across the border and that designated terrorist organisations continue to operate freely in Pakistan, India told the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on Tuesday in response to a Pakistani statement.

Contrary to Pakistans claims, and in gross violation of UN Security Council resolution 1267, the designated terrorist entities and organizations continue to carry out their activities freely in Pakistan as reported in their local print, audio-visual and social media, India said exercising its Right of Reply during a general debate on all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights at the HRC during its ongoing 35th session.

Concrete evidence about cross-border encouragement and support for the protests in Kashmir has been handed over to Pakistan, India added, calling Pakistans comments on Kashmir as unsolicited and unwarranted.

Pakistan had earlier in the day said that the UN Security Council resolutions and agenda remain clear and valid till this day, dismissing those seeking self-determination as militants is ridiculous. Describing the situation in Kashmir as Indias national shame, Pakistan said that this hateful cycle can only be stopped through political dialogue.

Pakistan keeps referring to UNSC resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir. However, it very conveniently forgets its own obligation under these resolutions to first vacate the illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, India claimed.

India also criticised Pakistan for "blatantly" disregarding its other commitments saying, "be it under the 1972 Simla Agreement, the 2004 joint declaration foreswearing terrorism as well as the understanding between our two Prime Ministers at Ufa in Russia".

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have chosen and reaffirmed their destiny repeatedly through India's well-established democratic processes, while Pakistan has witnessed continuous degradation and weakening of its institutions," India retorted.

India mentioned Pakistans "deplorable" human rights record in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan. "It has had no hesitation in using air power and artillery against its own people, not once but repeatedly over the years, India said.

India said Pakistan should do some deep introspection dismantling its the terrorism infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir which would go a long way in bring peace and stability in the region and beyond.

This is the second time that the two countries have clashed on Kashmir in the current session of the HRC.
New Delhi: National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman Gairul Hasan Rizvi on Tuesday favoured according the minority community status to Kashmiri Pandits and said he would take up the matter with the Centre.

Rizvi said that it would enable governments to extend various benefits to Kashmiri Pandits, which is in minority in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NCM does not have jurisdiction in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants it the status of special autonomous state.

However, Kashmir Pandits can enjoy due benefits in the rest of the country if the community gets the minority status.

At present, there are six notified minority communities in the country  Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi and Jain.

"Kashmiri Pandits should get the minority community tag, mainly because they are in minority in their state, Jammu and Kashmir," Rizvi said.

Rizvi said he would take up the matter with union minister of state for minority affairs (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and stakeholders involved.

The NCM chairman, however, said his view on the issue should be seen as personal.

Community members welcomed Rizvi's comment on the matter, which they said had taken a back seat over the past five years.

The members said they would take up the issue again with the authorities.

Manoj Bhan, the general secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch, said the organisation and others would provide the authorities with whatever documents they would require in according the Pandits minority community status.

"We had raised the issue with the authorities two-three times (during UPA-II regime), but nothing happened then.We deserve the status," Bhan said.

According to Bhan, the population of Kashmir Pandits is between 4 lakh and 5 lakh in the country.

Some of the key benefits the community members stand to gain if accorded the minority community tag:

* Students whose family's annual income is below Rs 4.5 lakh are eligible for scholarships

* Educational institutions managed by them will be recognised as minority institutions. At such institutions, up to 50 per cent of the seats will be reserved for community students

Some key welfare schemes the Centre implements for minority communities:

* Scholarship schemes (pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means)

* Padho Pardesh (scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies for community students)

* Free coaching and allied schemes

* Skill training such as learn and earn, Nai Manzil

* Prime Minister's New 15-point programme which aims at ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities besides their educational empowerment.
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday said it would support the agitating farmers by holding a series of farmers' mahapanchayats (mega-gathering) beginning with a 72-hour-long satyagraha in Bhopal on Wednesday.

"Congress will hold a series of farmers' mahapanchayats beginning with a 72-hour-long Satyagraha from Wednesday at TT Nagar Dussehra Maidan. Subsequently, a mahapanchayat will be held at Khategaon on 17 June," state Congress chief Arun Yadav said. Then there would be a mahapanchayat at Sagar on 19 June.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan makes "empty announcements" whenever farmers take to the streets, he said.

"Chouhan made several announcements in the past whenever farmers protested, but no action was taken on the ground. Chouhan is known for empty announcements. Three farmers have committed suicide in the last three days," Yadav said.

Asked about the allegation that Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik was seen asking her supporters to set a police station on fire, Yadav said it was only a half-truth.

"Police misbehaved with Khatik and drenched her with water. The dignity of a Dalit woman was violated. So she must have said it in a fit of anger," the state Congress chief said.
Civil society members and leaders of Opposition parties on Tuesday dubbed the killing of five farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh "murder by state machinery" and demanded an inquiry by a sitting high court judge.

A delegation comprising social activists Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and politicians Kalpana Parulekar of the Congress, and Paras Saklecha of the Aam Adami Party was detained at Dhodhar in neighbouring Ratlam district when it tried to visit Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers killed in the 6 June police firing.

The Madhya Pradesh government had on Monday appointed a one-member judicial commission of Justice JK Jain (retired) to probe the police firing. The commission has been mandated to submit its report within three months.

"Independent persons and agencies are denied entry while the full might of the state appears to be influencing and torturing witnesses to the murder of farmers by police, causing the disappearance of material evidence and running an extortion racket by intimidation," a statement issued by the delegation members said.

They demanded that all civil and police officials responsible for the firing should be booked and cases against protesting farmers be withdrawn.

They said that the government's failure in ensuring adequate remuneration for agricultural produce seemed to be the reason for the widespread discontent among Madhya Pradesh farmers and the state government's inaction has further fuelled the unrest.

A 'Shaheed Kisan Mahapanchayat' will be held in Madhya Pradesh on 6 July to support the farmers' protests across the country, the delegation members said.

A plan is also afoot to set up a people's tribunal on police firing and alleged torture of farmers at Mandsaur.
New Delhi: Farmers unions on Tuesday filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in connection with the Mandsaur police firing, in which six peasants were killed.

In the complaint, the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh  an umbrella body representing 62 unions  sought action against Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the police firing at farmers who, it said, were protesting peacefully.

The Mahasangh alleged that the protesting farmers were shot at from point-blank range and it cited various news reports to back its claim.

It asked the NHRC to send its officials to Mandsaur for inquiry and sought appropriate action.

Various unions are set to hold nation-wide demonstrations across the country this week against the BJP government for failing to resolve farmers' problems.
Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday said the exact quantum of the loan waiver to be given to farmers was yet to be worked out.

"The quantum of loan waiver will only be known after the committee arrives at a decision on the criteria for loan waiver. It will be for the committee to decide on whether to grant loan waiver only to those farmers, whose livelihood is solely dependent on farming and whether to exclude rich farmers from the purview of the loan waiver package," he said.

Farmers in the state, who had been agitating to press for their several demands since 1 June, on Sunday called off their protests, after the Maharashtra government announced a loan waiver and decided to form a committee to decide the criteria of debt relief.

When asked about how the state government intended to raise funds for the loan waiver, the finance minister said the government would appoint a committee comprising farmer leaders and government officials, which would work out the eligibility criteria and then arrive at the quantum of loan waiver package.

"The government has many options like tapping the unused funds in the personal ledger account (PLA) of the government departments to raise the requisite funds for the loan waiver package," he said while assuring that the state's finances were sound.

Replying to queries, he said the proposed joint committee of the government and farmer leaders would meet on who amongst the farmers should be considered eligible to avail the loan waiver.

Mungantiwar said that the government departments have unused funds received from the state and the Centre, which are parked in the PLA.

Besides this, the government can raise additional funds through raising non tax revenue (NTR), which is generated out of fines, government fees and other charges, he said.

At present the government NTR income is Rs 16,000 crore, which it intends to raise it to Rs 26,000 crore, he added.

After the Goods and Services Tax (GST) comes into effect from 1 July, the state's income is set to rise by Rs 14,000 crore, Mungantiwar said.

"Apart from that, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has about Rs 16,000 crore of unutilised funds and City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has about Rs 40,000 crore of such funds," he said.

However, sources in the finance department said that the government will have to weigh in the factor of allocation for the arrears of Seventh Pay Commission.

Sources added that the amount would be around Rs 15,000 crore and the arrears are payable from January 2016.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday appointed Justice J.K. Jain (retired) to head the one-member judicial commission to probe the 6 June police firing in Mandsaur in which five protesting farmers were killed.

The commission will probe the police firing and farmer deaths and submit its report within three months of the issuance of a gazette notification on its constitution, official sources said.

The probe panel, to be based in Indore, will probe under what circumstances the police firing and subsequent deaths occurred; was the police action appropriate to the given situation; if not, who all are guilty; and whether civil and police officials in the district had taken adequate necessary steps in the run-up to the incidents or not.

The farmers were on protest since 1 June to demand a loan waiver and remunerative prices for their farm produce.

After the farmers' killing, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had ordered for a judicial probe.
The Maoists, who have been largely active in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, have reportedly been building an entirely new Red Zone along the western border of the state, according to The Indian Express.

In a 25-page document retrieved in April by the Chhattisgarh Police, the new Maoist corridor was said to cover the forest pockets in Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, Gondia district in Maharashtra and Rajnandgaon, Kabirdham and Mungeli districts of Chhattisgarh, the report.

However, it is not the first time Rajnandgaon has been linked with left-wing extremists (LWE). In 2009, the then Superintendent of Police Vinod Choubey was killed in a Maoist ambush along with 29 other policemen, according to this report by The Hindu.

Though there have been some reports of Maoist movement in Kabirdham, which incidentally is the home district of Chief Minister Raman Singh, there have been no reports of them operating in Mungeli.

The Maoists document described the new area as the MMC (Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Confluence) zone. It shared that their idea is to create an entity like the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee in Bastar.

The MMC is the second Red Zone that the Maoists are building after their Bolangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund division.

The document, which reviews progress in the new zone, was drafted by 'MMC Leading team' in March 2017. It mentions location-specific issues like differential pricing of bamboo and even demonetisation, which the Maoist leadership is likely to take up.

The Maoist document calls for increased efforts for elevated political awareness of the Naxal movement, while cautioning its cadre to remain mobile and instead of staying in one place and attack security forces by laying ambush.

According to the same The Indian Express report, the Maoists have sent 58 senior and mid-level cadres to operationalise the MMC. There are also indications that the top Maoist leadership have visited the region to push the process.

Meanwhile, the security forces are also stepping up their game to match with the level of Maoist activity in the country.

Since the April ambush in Chattisgarh's Sukma, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has conducted about 200 special operations, apprehending 26 Maoists and seizing a huge cache of munitions.

"Post the Burkapal incident in Sukma, we have reworked our operational strategy in south Bastar and the focus is now to conduct joint intelligence-based operations," newly-appointed CRPF Director General RR Bhatnagar had told PTI in May.

All special operations post-Sukma were either led by the CRPF or its special jungle warfare guerrilla force, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a dossier accessed by PTI said.

Efforts are also being taken to have the state police personnel form an essential part of the patrol party along with the CRPF, an official told PTI.

About 10 states in India are currently LWE-affected.

After the Sukma attack, the strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the CRPF has been shifted from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh's Raipur for effective operational coordination between multiple security forces.

The lead anti-Naxal operations force is also deploying a fresh squad of about 2,000 CoBRA commandos in and around Sukma district.

Even in Odisha, where there is strong Maoist presence in the Malkangiri district, the BSF decided in April to introduce two bulletproof boats to patrol the Balimela reservoir.

The Maoists' hub is a cut-off area comprising about 150 villages, which is separated by the Balimela reservoir.

In 2016 alone, 39 Maoist ultras were neutralised while the red rebels killed 23 civilians and three security personnel a report of the home department standing committee told the Assembly in March.

According to the report, large number of villagers including militia supporters and sympathisers from Kalimela, Padia and Mathili areas of Malkangiri district had distanced themselves from the Maoists.

"This signals a progressive turn around in the LWE situation in the state. The government had been focusing on both security and developmental measures to effectively counter LWE menace," the report said adding that recruitment of cadres by CPM and its mass support base declined.

With inputs from PTI
Mohan Abhyas insists he is the wrong person for me to interview. "There are many others who have got a better rank than me in Hyderabad and in south India," he said, reeling off the names and the ranks they secured, asking me to contact them instead.

17-year-old Abhyas has secured 64th rank in the IIT-JEE Advanced examination but even this high rank left him disappointed. He had hoped to get a rank in the top 20. He had reason to because after all he was the topper from south India in IIT Mains and sixth in the country. In the Andhra Pradesh EAMCET (Engineering Agriculture Medical Common Entrance Test), he stood first and fifth in Telangana EAMCET.

"It is embarrassing that a lower rank person like me is interviewed when there are others who have done better,'' he said shyly. It is almost as though he is unaware of the circumstances despite which he has achieved this position.

Abhyas is the son of Subba Rao and Surya Kala  they make their living by selling Hyderabadi Irani samosas. Abhyas and his family lives in a two-room home in Kukatpally area of Hyderabad. Across the same lane from their home, they have a one-room setup with a shed, where they make samosas and savouries to be sold in the market. Kala and her mother prepare the samosas. Rao fries them and then sets off on his bicycle street after street, selling the samosas. "I can sell three for Rs 10. If we sell to a shop, the margin is much less,'' said Rao.

Abhyas has taken difficulties and problems in his stride and has not let those trying circumstances become an excuse for not achieving his dreams. "Till two years ago, I would help my parents by doing the filling in the samosas, but for the last couple of years, I was not able to,'' he said, almost apologetically.

And that's because Abhyas would stay in school from 7 am till late in the night. He sought permission from the Narayana Junior College management to stay on at the institution after formal study hours as it wasn't easy for him to focus on his studies at home, where he lives with his parents, grandmother and sister. Abhyas' parents did not want their son to continue in their footsteps  spending a lifetime filling samosas and selling them.

Rao had dropped out of school after Class XI. Abhyas' grandfather, who came all the way from Bhimavaram, a town in coastal Andhra Pradesh, said, "My son couldn't study, but my daughter-in-law is a gold medallist in BA Telugu in college," adding that Abhyas' was named after the concept of 'Akshara Abhyasa'  a formal initiation into learning undertaken by many families. Kala said that as parents, they knew the importance of education but they never hankered after ranks and did not push their children to study long hours. "I would often say take rest, but he would not listen,'' said Kala, beaming from ear to ear, immensely proud of what Abhyas has achieved.

Mohan's sister Nishchayi is now in tenth class and obviously inspired by her sibling, wants to join the civil service and become an IAS officer.

Abhyas says that he is hoping to join IIT Mumbai. "I need to check as to what is the scope for different streams before I decide what I will take but what I am sure is I want to become a scientist,'' says Abhyas. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam has been a big inspiration and influence on Abhyas.

The other dream is to ensure a better life for his parents and family. "There is nothing wrong in making samosas but they have worked so hard for me. It is not easy. If I can mechanise the work and make it easy for them, then they can continue with the samosa business. Otherwise, no,'' he said.

Friends have arrived and plans have been made to go to a nearby shopping mall. That is, if Abhyas can get away from the continuous stream of media crew and visitors coming in to congratulate him. His parents have already prepared 300 instead of the daily quota of 200 samosas to offer to the visitors.

"I don't know swimming but I want to buy a swimsuit this evening. We are planning to go to a water park tomorrow," he said, eyes shining with excitement, certainly deserving of the outing after having created quite the splash.
New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on 26 June hold talks with President Donald Trump on a range of issues, including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H1B visa rules, in their first bilateral meeting after the new administration took over in the US.

The External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi on Monday said that their meeting would provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement "on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership." Modi's US visit would begin on 25 June, it said.

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump "looks forward" to his meeting with Modi on June 26 and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral ties to "advance our common priorities: fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region."

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the US-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said. He said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership "in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her annual press meet last week, however, said Modi would also raise the issues surrounding the US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers.

Almost 1.8 million H-1B visas have been distributed in fiscal years 2001 through 2015, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. From fiscal years 2001 to 2015, workers from India received the largest share (50.5 percent) of all H-1B visas for first-time employment.

Despite the recent hiccups over the issue, US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from $19 billion to $115 billion in 2016, according to the White House. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has already made it clear that his country recognises India as a major defence "partner partly out of respect" for New Delhi's "indispensable role" in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.

The US was exploring "new ways" to address new challenges as well from maritime security to the growing threat posed by the spread of terrorism in Southeast Asia, Mattis has said. Regional security situation including Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and other international issues are expected to figure prominently during the meeting of the two leaders.

Modi's visit also comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries. Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

"India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said. Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations.
Hardik Patel, who had led a mass agitation seeking reservation for Patidars in Gujarat in 2015, was arrested on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh when he was heading to Mandsaur to meet the family of the farmers killed in alleged police firing last week.

As per an ANI tweet, the activist was detained in Neemuch:

Madhya Pradesh: Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel detained in Neemuch, on his way to #Mandsaur pic.twitter.com/UgaDFe69jr  ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

Neemuch superintendent of police Abhishek Diwan said Patel was arrested from Nayagaon in Neemuch to prevent the commission of cognisable offences. The Patidar andolan leader was accompanied by Janata Dal(United) leader Akhilesh Katiyar, who was also placed under arrest. The two, however, were released on bail later and transported out of Madhya Pradesh in police vehicles, Diwan added.

Lashing out on authorities after his arrest, Patel said, "I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country." He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.

"Hardik Patel neither sought permission to visit Mandsaur nor was he allowed by the administration. That's why, he was not allowed to go to Mandsaur," district magistrate OP Shrivastava said. To meet the family members of the deceased farmers, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be visiting Mandsaur tomorrow, as per ANI :

#FLASH: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit Madhya Pradesh's #Mandsaur tomorrow, to meet families of the deceased farmers. pic.twitter.com/RAaR99PoSI  ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

The chief minister on Monday announced a few declarations for the benefit of the farmers. One declaration being: "purchase of any farm produce below the minimum support would be considered a criminal act," as reported by Times Now.

According to officials, the chief minister is also expected to meet the farmer leaders.

Hardik Patel reportedly said the Patidar community in Gujarat and Rajasthan supports the farmers in Madhya Pradesh, according to PTI. When Patel was questioned about what would happen if he was stopped, he said: "I will do my work and police and administration will do their job," as per PTI. Patel had spent six months in exile in Udaipur after a Gujarat High Court order. Patel then returned to his hometown of Gujarat in January 2017.

During this time, he was staying at a former Congress MLA's house. In July last year, he was released from jail in Gujarat after being confined for nine months, according to the report.

Prior to Patel's detention, other activists were also detained from entering Mandsaur.

As per a previous Firstpost report, Yogendra Yadav, social activists Medha Patkar and Swami Agnivesh, and JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union) president Mohit Kumar Pandey were stopped on Sunday from entering Mandsaur.

Thereafter, Pandey along with from various farmers' outfits across the country sat on protest on the Mhow-Neemuch Highway. Following this protest, a total of 30 activists were stopped by the police at the Dhodhar toll plaza.

The activists were visiting Mandsaur to meet the families of the five persons killed in police firing. The police said that the activists' visit could disturb peace in the area.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was detained on his way to Mandsaur to meet the family members of the farmers killed in police firing, as per PTI.

With inputs from PTI
Washington: The maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "set forth a vision" to expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious way, the White House has said. The leaders of the world's two huge democracies, home to 1.6 billion people, will meet on 26 June to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues including terrorism and India's concerns over possible changes in H1-B visa rules.

"I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference.

Spicer said the two leaders were expected to set forth a "common vision" on expanding the US-India partnership. He cited fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as shared priorities.

"President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said. Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

"The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question.

The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from $19 billion to $115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on 25 June, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries. In his announcement of the decision for which he received a global condemnation, Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

"India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said. Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

Modi had vowed that India, the world's third-largest polluter, would go "above and beyond" its commitments, as external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj rejected suggestions India acted disingenuously in signing the pact. Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

Trump had invited Modi to Washington after the prime minister rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration. During the call, Trump underscored that the US "considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world".

Ties between New Delhi and Washington warmed during the Obama years as India sought greater foreign investment and trade ties with Western nations. But obstacles have already emerged in the early months of the Trump presidency.

A proposed overhaul of H-1B visas  working permits used by thousands of Indian software engineers to work in the United States  has caused immense concern. Modi's flagship "Make In India" policy, designed to reboot local manufacturing and ramp up exports in tandem with foreign investors, could also run aground on Trump's "America first" instincts.

Major US firms such as Walmart and Apple have grown frustrated by regulations and tariffs imposed by Indian authorities as they seek to crack what is a potentially massive market.

With inputs from agencies
Bhubaneswar: Congress on Tuesday accused the NDA government at the Centre of ruining the country's economy and termed BJP as the biggest non-performing asset (NPA).

The party also claimed that GDP nosedived due to the demonetisation move, while investment touched its lowest ebb.

"Our economy has shattered during NDA rule as BJP has become country's biggest NPA. Economic growth has slowed down sharply, driven mainly by demonetisation. GDP decelerated at 6.1 per cent during January-March 2017," Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Anil Shastri told reporters.

Slamming the BJP for celebrating completion of three years of NDA government by organising 'Modi Fest' and 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', Shastri said there is nothing to rejoice about the failures of Modi regime on all fronts.

Dubbing demonetisation as a "himalayan blunder", he said it wiped out livelihood of millions, while seven months after the drive, the BJP government cannot tell how much black money was found and how much fake currency detected.

He said the Gross Value Added (GVA) growth of industry has fallen from 10.7 per cent in March 2016 to 3.8 per cent in March 2017, a decline of nearly 7 percentage points.

Terming the Make in India campaign as flop, the Congress leader said the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which was growing at 5.3 per cent in February 2016, dropped to 1.9 per cent in March, 2017, while only 14 per cent FDI was received in core manufacturing sectors.

As BJP confined to slogans, advertising and rhetorics, nothing concrete was done and bank credit growth stood at 5.3 per cent in 2016-17, lowest in 63 years, Shastri said.

Stating that the country witnessed lowest investment rate in 14 years, he said new investment proposals fell from Rs 2,20,000 crore in 2008 to Rs 80,000 crore in 2016.

On PSU banks, he said the NPA grew to Rs 6,14,872 crore in March 2017 from Rs 1,73,800 crore in March 2014.

Ridiculing the Centre's slogan about ease of doing business, the CWC member said "It has become cease of business as India's ranking in ease of doing business remained virtually unchanged at 130, despite false bravado and foreign jaunts."

Claiming that value of stalled projects is estimated at Rs 77,700 crore as on December 2016, he said falling exports show the economy is sluggish.

As job and growth scenario turned gloomy, about 45 crore people including 25 crore labour and 15 crore daily earners are affected, Shastri said adding farmers are forced to sell their produce for a pittance.

Turning to rural electrification, he said BJP promised to electrify 18,452 villages in 3 years, but electrified only 13,432 villages, leaving 5,020 villages untouched. It merely changed the name of Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana.

Stating that the promise of housing for all remained hollow, Shastri claimed the BJP government promised two crore houses by 2022, but in three years it completed 1,02,676 houses and at this pace, it will take 600 years to construct two crore houses.

On oil prices, he said BJP is profiteering at the cost of common people as prices of petrol and diesel see no cuts, despite 55 per cent fall in international crude prices.

Instead of passing the benefits to people, the BJP regime earned a windfall of USD 40 billion or Rs 2,33,000 crore, he claimed.

Accusing the Centre of unleashing tax terrorism, Shastri said tax officials with unlimited powers can now raid and harass honest tax payers without any reason.

While plans for 100 smart cities by 2020 has become a 'jumla' with only 60 cities being identified so far, the digital India call remains a non-starter, he said adding, only 16,355 panchayats have been covered in three years as against the target of covering 1,00,289 panchayats in the first phase.
Lucknow: Road safety norms should be made a part of the syllabus, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath suggested on Tuesday as he lamented that a large number of accidents were occurring due to traffic rule violations.

He also directed the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) and other departments to formulate plans to ensure safe travel.

"It is a matter of concern that every day we see that due to the violation of traffic norms, accidents are taking place," Adityanath said.

It should be seen as to "how road safety norms can be made a part of the syllabus" so that ordinary citizens can be made more aware, he said.

"The accidents which are happening, are taking place due to lack of awareness about traffic rules. UPSRTC and other departments working in the field of road transport should formulate plans to ensure passengers enjoy the safe journey," he said.

He was speaking at the signing of an agreement between the transport departments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in Lucknow.

Adityanath's comments come in the backdrop of several major accidents taking place in Uttar Pradesh in recent days.

On 5 June, 25 passengers were charred to death and many others were injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck and burst into flames on National Highway 24 in Bareilly.

In another accident on 11 June, ten people, including five women, of a family drowned after their car fell into a canal at Makera area in Mathura. Scores of other accidents have also taken place.

Adityanath said the agreement between the transport departments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan would help in strengthening the cultural roots.

The agreement will improve the connectivity Delhi-Jaipur, Ajmer-Haridwar-Meerut, Bikaner, Ganganagar, Jodhpur, Aligarh, Firozabad, Kota, Bhilwara, Bareilly, Rupaidiah, Sawai Madhopur, Alwar and other places, he said.

"This will strengthen the political and cultural roots of the country," he said.

"Can there be any resident of Uttar Pradesh, who will not be interested in associating himself with the soil of Mewar. At the same time, can there be any resident of Rajasthan who will not be curious to come to the oldest city of the world Kashi (Varanasi) and Prayag (Allahabad) and also have a glimpse of 'Ram Lalla' in Ayodhya and witness the 'leela' of Lord Krishna in Mathura," Adityanath said.

He said that whenever there is a strain in the inter-state ties, it is the people who are most affected. The job of the government is to work for the welfare of the public and not indulge in populist measures, he said.

Referring to Aadi Shankaracharya, the chief minister said, "A saint from Kerala established a 'sanskritik peeth' (cultural bench) in the four corners of the country. This is the strength of our country. Transportation provides strength to our cultural roots."

Adityanath also mentioned that a part of the 'chaurasi kosi parikrama' lies in Rajasthan. The 'chaurasi kosi parikrama' refers to a circumambulatory trek across several religious places.

Adityanath said that he had spoken to union minister Nitin Gadkari about the comprehensive development of the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh comprising seven districts, Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Aligarh, Etah, Hathras and Kasganj.

"The state government will build a new circuit for the development of the region," he said.
National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) may split into three factions following the death of its leader Sangwang Sangnyu Khaplang, providing Indian security forces with an advantageous position to contain the insurgency in the region, as per GM Srivastava, a security expert.

The former Assam DGPs speculation sheds new light on the ongoing debate on what Khaplang's demise would entail for the Naga peace process  initiated by the Indian government with NSCN-Ks rival group NSCN-IM.

Srivastava said that the lack of a suitable leader in the outfit is likely to trigger a power tussle, resulting in its split and thus weakening it.

"Khaplang was a revered leader among the Nagas. But there is hardly anyone in NSCN-K with an equal stature. Anyone claiming his position as the chairman of the group is likely to be contested," he added.

Being one of the three figures who are seen as representations of the idea of 'One-People-One-Naga nation', Khaplang commanded both fear and respect from both the sides of India-Myanmar border. The other two were Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu, leaders of the NSCN-IM group.

Only recently, Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu received flak from the media for eulogising Khaplang  a separatist leader.

But similar condolence messages poured in the media from across the state soon after, silencing critics of the chief minister.

On the other side of the border, Khaplang enjoyed supreme command over the Naga areas of Myanmar. The Myanmar government had also granted him a small territory.

"Interestingly, while Khaplangs relations with India splintered, in his last years, ties with Naypyidaw improved to the point that he was given a semi-autonomous patch of territory in the Taga region, near the India-Myanmar border," Sanjoy Hazarika, director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, wrote for The Wire.

Srivastava said that though reports suggest the outfit has appointed Khango Konyak as the new chief, differences may crop up soon about whether a Naga from India or one from Myanmar should head the group.

"The final outcome will depend on which section has more number of people," he said.

North East Today reported that Konyak was appointed the head of the outfit after Khaplangs death as he was the second-in-command. Khango, who is from Nagaland, may not be accepted as leader by the Myanmarese Nagas.

Khaplang was a Hemi Naga of Myanmarese origin and had strong influence in Myanmar, which is unlikely to be enjoyed by a leader of Indian origin.

"This divide in the outfit may result in (formation of) one group resorting to talks with the Indian government with the other likely to refrain. The third group will remain with the conglomerate of the terror goups, jointly known as United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia," Srivastava said.

He also added that it is the right time for the Indian security agencies to claim an advantageous position in containing insurgency in the region.

"Insurgency in the North East region will never remain the same in the absence of Khaplang," he added.

The Indian government seems to be playing a pro-active role in causing the split in NSCN-K. Soon after Khaplangs death, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju promised rehabilitation to the Indain Nagas in the outfit.

We appeal that all Indian Nagas in NSCN-K should surrender and return to the mainstream. We will rehabilitate them. We (Indian government) are giving rehabilitation packages," Rijiju said.

The government of India signed a ceasefire agreement with both the insurgent groups NSCN-IM and NSCN-K in the year 1997 and 2001 respectively.

But the NSCN-K group unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement in the year 2015 and launched an attack on the Indian security forces at the India-Myanmar border, killing 18 Indian soldiers.

In spite of the fact that the Government of India signed a memorandum of agreement for peace talks with NSCN-IM, a thriving NSCN-K posed a challenge to the peace process.

In April 2015, Khaplang along with Paresh Baruah, chief of the United Liberation Front of Assam, formed the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia, which has been launching attacks on the Indian security forces. The group which is a conglomerate of five separatist groups was headed by Khaplang himself.

Khaplang also accommodated insurgent groups in his territory in Myanmar.
Washington/Jaipur: A village in Rajasthan's Mewat region will be named after US President Donald Trump, a top Indian sociologist and social worker has said, prompting the state government to rule out any such plan.

"I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village," Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak said at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC.

This, he said, is part of his effort to enhance India-US relationship.

However, the Rajasthan government officials have said there is no such proposal with the government to rename any village after the name of the US president.

"It is the government which renames a village and there is laid down procedures for that. As of now, there is no such proposal with the department to name a village after the us president. I have nothing to comment on what Mr Pathak has said," Alok, Rajasthan government's principal secretary of the revenue department, told PTI in Jaipur.

Mewat region falls under Alwar district and the Alwar District Collector Rajan Vishal also said there was no such proposal.

"The competence of renaming a village lies with the government and no private man can do that. We have no such proposal or request in this regard," Vishal said.

Giving a presentation to local community and political leaders in the US, Pathak said that he is working to provide affordable sanitation and toilets to the masses and end the practice of manual scavenging.

In his address, he urged the Indian-American community to help realise the goal of sanitation and cleanliness in India. The cost of one toilet ranges from $25 to $500, depending on nature of construction. Technology remains the same, he said.

Republican leader from Virginia, Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia Governor, highlighted the role the Indian American community plays in the US, adding "the US has a very strong relationship with India."

He and other local politicians also explored the option of adopting the technology of Sulabh international in Virginia and Maryland.

"Rural areas of Virginia have a problem in building toilets and its maintenance cost is very high. Several officials from both Virginia and Maryland have expressed their interest in adopting it locally so as to bring the cost down," said Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia.

Congresswoman Barbara Comstock also felicitated Pathak on the occasion.
The decision to impose Bengali language in all schools from Class I to Class IX by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has sparked violent protests in Gorkha-led Darjeeling. On 6 June, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) took out procession in the hill during the visit of Mamata.

GJM supporters, led by the party chief Bimal Gurung, took out the procession and shouted slogan like "Go back Mamata". Trinamool Congress alleged that the GJM activists have torn the pictures of Mamta and posters of the party.

While Mamata accused GJM of fanning divisive politics in the hill region, West Bengal BJP unit accused the chief minister of 'step-motherly' attitude towards GJM. "A GJM delegation met me and complained about the step motherly attitude of the state government. How Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is not allowed to work properly and they don't receive funds regularly. The GJM delegation told me how they are being hounded and victimised by the state government. The autonomy of GTA is only on paper, the reality is something else," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told PTI. GJM and BJP are allies in Darjeeling.

On 8 June, the army was deployed in the restive town after GJM supporters indulged in violence and arson. PTI reported that the troops were brought in after the protesters damaged police vehicles and set some of them ablaze, prompting the police to fire teargas and lathicharge the violent GJM supporters.

Accusing the West Bengal government of interfering in the working of GTA - the development body in the north Bengal hills, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri on Wednesday said a separate state was now the only solution for the Darjeeling hills.

"A separate state is the only solution for the development of our people," Giri told IANS. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not let the GTA run smoothly. The board faced a lot of interference from the state government since the time of t's inception," he alleged. The GJM and other organisations fighting for a separate state said that the state of Gorkhaland is not only for Darjeeling, but for about 4 million to 10 million Gorkhas estimated to reside across India.

Expressing discontent at the powers given to the GTA, Giri claimed there were still a host of major issues in the hills that is needed to addressed.

"The GTA hasn't changed anything there. There is a constant issue with electricity in the hills. We are also not able to constitute the boards for school service commission, college service commission and subordinate service commission board in the hills," he said.

Language is at the heart of the Gorkhaland crisis which has been ongoing for over decades. Supporters of Gorkhaland want a separate Nepalese-speaking region.

Historically, until 1905, when the then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, effected the partition of Bengal, Darjeeling was a part of the Rajshahi division, now in Bangladesh. From 1905 to 1912 Darjeeling formed a part of the Bhagalpur division now in Bihar. It was given back to Rajshahi in 1912 and remained with the Rajshahi division till Partition.

The demand for a Gorkhaland is one of the oldest in the country. Speaking to The Business Standard, GJM spokesperson Harka Bahadur Chhetri said, "This demand is among the oldest such demands across the country." The first plea, The Indian Express reported, made for an administrative set-up outside of Bengal was in 1907 to the Morley-Minto Reforms panel. Thereafter, numerous representations were made every few years, first to the British government and then to free India's government for separation from Bengal.

The demand for Gorkhaland is based on ethnic identity. "We want a homeland for ourselves  for our own identity. Although we are bona fide Indian citizens, we are still called 'Nepali'. To get rid of the stigma we feel it's essential that we have our own state," Amar Singh Rai, GJM leader, told Scroll.

In 1952, The All India Gorkha League submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru demanding separation from Bengal. In 1955, president of District Shamik Sangh Daulat Das Bokhim submitted a memorandum to the chairman of State Reorganisation Committee and demanded creation of separate state consisting of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar district.

From 1977 till 1981, the West Bengal government passed a unanimous resolution supporting the creation of an autonomous district council consisting Darjeeling and adjoining areas. The bill, reported The Indian Express, was forwarded to central government for consideration. In the 1980s, the demand for a separate statehood intensified under the leadership Gorkha National Liberation Front supremo Subhas Ghising.

Between 1986-1988, the protests turned violent and at least 1,200 people were killed. Ghising, a former soldier, led a prolonged violent struggle in the 1980s for a separate Gorkhaland state, before signing an agreement on 22 August, 1988 with the central and state government for creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), an autonomous governing body for the hills. He chaired the DGHC till 2008. Ghising lived-in-exile from the hills after his GNLF was sidelined in early 2008 by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that spearheads the movement now.

As Left Front limped to its last phase of clout in Bengal, the movement for Gorkhaland shifted under the leadership of the GJM under the leadership of Bimal Gurung.

A 2007 agitation, led by GJM, led to the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, with its powers expanded vis-a-vis the earlier Hill Council. The 2007 agitation also ensured the state and Centre initiative for a permanent solution in the by bringing it to the sixth schedule of the Constitution giving some degree of autonomy to a predominantly tribal area. But the Gorkhas opposed this sixth schedule and intensified their demand for a separate statehood.

As the Trinamool Congress formed the new goverment in Bengal, the four-year long movement came to an end with Mamata declaring the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and making Gurung its leader. However, in 2013 after the formation of Telangana, Gurung quit as GTA chief and severed ties with the Mamata government, saying that people have lost all faith.

In 2017, when asked why was the demand for a separate statehood being revived, Gurung told The Indian Express, "We were fooled by state government when we signed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). Nearly 50 departments were to come under GTA but only three or four came. Nearly five years have passed and nothing happened. We were not allowed to work and GTA became a sham Then suddenly, government imposed Bengali on us, making it mandatory to be studied in schools. What about our mother tongue Nepali? Then police lathicharged us."

With inputs from agencies
On World Blood Donor Day, Kerala governor P Sathasivam will inaugurate the celebrations organised by Terumo Penpol in association with All Kerala Donors Society at Vylopilly Samskrithi Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on 14 June at 10 am, media reports said.

Every year, 14 June is honoured as World Blood Donor Day and this year the theme is What can you do? Give blood. Give now. Give often.

According to The New Indian Express, institutions like colleges, schools and NGOs will be felicitated by the governor for their contribution towards blood donation. On the occasion, there will be several events including games.

The aim of the celebrations is to spread awareness on the importance of donating safe blood and also ensure participation of every individual during emergency situations.

In 2016, a report by IANS says more than 300 people participated in a two-day blood donation awareness programme in New Delhi keeping in mind the scarcity of voluntary blood donors in the country.

The programme included lectures, short films on the need for blood donation and other activities.

According to the World Heath Organisation (WHO), voluntary, unpaid blood donations must be increased rapidly in more than half the world's countries in order to ensure a reliable supply of safe blood for patients whose lives depend on it.

Only 62 countries get close to 100 percent of their national blood supplies from voluntary, unpaid blood donations, with 34 countries still dependent on family donors and even paid donors for more than 75 percent of their blood supply. Voluntary blood donation is important during the transplant of the surgeries like kidney and liver during the operative procedures.

According to NDTV, every pint of blood donated can save more than three lives so if a person begins donating blood at the age of 18 years within a gap of every 90 days until he reaches 60, he would have donated 30 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 500 lives. Despite there being no harmful or even profound effects of blood donation on the body, there is an acute shortfall of more than 2.5 million pints in India. Currently, blood donation shortage is 9 percent, lesser than a 17 percent blood shortage that existed in 2014.

With inputs from IANS
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was on Tuesday arrested in Srinagar to prevent him from taking part in a separatist-called meeting.

Malik was taken into custody in the Abi Guzar area when he was proceeding to Aali Kadal in the Old City.

Earlier, moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and his secretary-cum-advocate Shahid-ul-Islam were put under house arrest to restrain them from attending the same meeting.
New Delhi: The AAP on Monday attacked the Centre over the release of 11 Pakistani civilians, saying the government is following a dual policy towards Pakistan.

Senior party leader Ashutosh said on the one hand, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says there cannot be talks with Pakistan alongside terror and on the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

He was referring to the interaction between the two premiers at Astana in Kazakhstan.

"What was the pressing need that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to embrace Sharif. Pakistan is preparing to hang Kulbhushan Jadhav and India is releasing 11 of their citizens," Ashutosh said.

Jadhav was sentenced to death on 10 April by a Pakistan military court for alleged espionage.

India maintains that Jadhav, a forrmer naval officer, was kidnapped from Iran and brought to Pakistan by its security agencies.

Sharif and Modi had last week met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) meeting.
Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party's national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday sought to put the BJP government in Gujarat on the dock asking how bags bearing his picture was distributed in that state.

In a curious turn of events, some 12,000 school bags distributed in government-run primary schools in Gujarat's tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district bear Akhilesh's picture.

The school bags came with stickers of the Gujarat government's school enrolment program. Beneath these stickers, however, is a smiling Akhilesh.

The bags were apparently manufactured for distribution in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

"The question is how bags of Uttar Pradesh are being distributed in Gujarat. The photograph is being hidden with sticker but Samajwadi work and colour is visible", Akhilesh said in a tweet.

The bags were distributed to students under the Gujarat government's 'Shala Praveshotsav' programme, an annual drive to enrol students in Class I. The education department of Gujarat has now ordered an inquiry into how these bags landed up there.

That they have Akhilesh's picture was first discovered by teachers at a school in Vasedi village when the stickers reading 'Jilla Panchayat Shala Praveshotsav' came off.

The district panchayat had procured 12,000 of these bags through an e-tender from a Surat-based company, said district primary education officer Mahesh Prajapati.

The opposition Congress took this opportunity to take a swipe at the BJP government in Gujarat.

"Instead of appointing teachers, the government is distributing recycled bags... It shows how serious the government is towards education," Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said.
New Delhi: Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Monday said that he, along with the members of India Against Corruption (IAC), will launch a campaign against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from Karol Bagh on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Mishra said that under the banner of IAC, they would send proof of Kejriwal's "scams" to every assembly constituency, and that teams were being formed in each constituency.

He would be working with old friends from the IAC and Anna Hazare's team, Mishra said. He said the date for a referendum on "Right to Recall" would be announced soon.

On 6 May, Mishra was sacked by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a minister in the Delhi government, citing poor performance. A day later, Mishra made allegations of corruption against Kejriwal and Satyendar Kumar Jain. On 8 May, he was suspended from the party.

Mishra has been protesting and levelling allegations of corruption against Kejriwal and Jain for the past one month.
Kolkata: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday declined to comment on farm loan waivers, but accused the Congress of instigating and politicising the farmers' stir in Madhya Pradesh.

"The role of Congress leaders in farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh has proved that they are instigating the farmers. The party and the family (Gandhi family) which has ruled the country for more than 60 years is talking about welfare of farmers. What have they done for all these years? Were they sleeping?" Singh wondered.

He alleged that three Congress MLAs were involved in the violence in Madhya Pradesh and were trying to score political brownie points on the issue.

While the Narendra Modi government was working for the speedy development of villages and welfare of the poor and the farmers, the Congress was feeling frustrated and scared, he said.

"Rahul Gandhi is expressing solidarity with farmers. Where was he when farmers were deprived of basic amenities for irrigation? It is the Narendra Modi government which took steps for the development of farmers," he said.

To a question whether the Centre will waive loans of the farmers, Singh declined to give a direct reply and said, "A lot of schemes were just on paper. We gave a lot of funds so that these schemes can be properly implemented."

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said the Union government would not partake in states' fiscal leverage in waiving farm loans and made it clear that the cost has to be borne by them.
Shivpuri: Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik has been booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station, amid violent protests by farmers in Madhya Pradesh.

A video, which recently went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on 8 June when Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, was staging a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Karera's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others early on Tuesday.

The Congress MLA and others have been booked under IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.

On 8 June, Khatik was leading a protest march during which an effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was burnt. The police poured water on the effigy in a bid to douse the flames, in which the woman legislator got partially drenched.

This irked Khatik, who later sat on a protest at the police station along with her supporters and the video was shot during the sit-in.

The video showed the MLA purportedly asking her supporters to set the police station on fire.

The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on 1 June, took a violent turn on 6 June when five cultivators were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district.

Subsequently, the farmers' protests witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other western Madhya Pradesh districts, including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.

However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in Mandsaur would be punished severely.
Slamming the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Swaraj India on Tuesday said it was trying to hide something on the farmers' killing and therefore, not allowing anyone to visit Mandsaur.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said that since last week, the government did not allow any political leader or activist to visit Mandsaur and meet the kin of the farmers.

"One week has passed since the killing of the five protesting farmers in Mandsaur in police firing. By stopping the leaders, who wanted to meet the kin, the government is trying to hide something and that must be revealed," Yadav said after returning from Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.

Yadav's remarks came a day after he, along with social activist Medha Patkar and Swami Agnivesh, were not allowed to meet the families of the farmers who had died on 6 June.

Lashing out at the government over police firing on protesting farmers, Yadav said, "the way in which the farmers were killed in police firing shows it was a murder".

He also alleged that the farmers were beaten to death after the firing had stopped.

"If we talk to any leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, they shall boast of the enhanced farming but the fact is that the agricultural policy is production oriented and not producer-oriented," he said.

He said that demonetisation has also played a major role in the low demand for the produce. "After demonetisation, the demand dropped drastically," he said, adding that until last month there was a restriction on withdrawal of money from the banks.

He also alleged that the money for the crops that was deposited in the farmers' bank accounts was deducted by the banks without any prior information to the farmers. "This is completely illegal," he said.

Yadav also said the farmers in Mandsaur and Neemuch were protesting as they were not getting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their crops, as the prices fell drastically as compared to last year.

Meanwhile, Swami Agnivesh said in Madhya Pradesh that "the citizens don't have the freedom to move anywhere as they are not allowed to go anywhere".

He also slammed the government for not implementing the MS Swaminathan recommendations as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in its manifesto.

The National Commission on Farmers (NCF), constituted under the chairmanship of Swaminathan, had suggested a Minimum Support Price (MSP) including an additional 50 percent over and above the total expenses incurred on farming.
As farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh is finally quelling, a video, which surfaced on Monday, shows a state Congress leader issuing threats, saying that farmers from Satna will "fire bullets at the state government". The video featuring district Congress committee (rural) chief Dilip Mishra comes close on the heels of a furore over a clip of a woman Congress MLA purportedly instigating people to set a police station ablaze.

"Farmers at this gathering have vowed that under the leadership of Opposition leader Ajay Singh, they will fire bullets at the state government. I appeal to people of the state to open fire on the government," Mishra said at Sinhpur village on Sunday evening.

#WATCH Congress' Dilip Mishra says,Satna's farmers will fire on MP Govt under leadership of senior Cong leader Ajay Singh (aka Rahul bhaiya) pic.twitter.com/UfhxbCP0nx  ANI (@ANI_news) June 12, 2017

The video of Mishra's speech has since gone viral on social media.

The gathering was held to pay tribute to the five farmers who were killed in the police firing in Mandsaur on 6 June. When contacted, Satna superintendent of police Mithilesh Shukla ordered an inquiry into the matter and said action would be taken soon. District Collector Naresh Pal said the administration has taken cognisance of it.

However, Mishra said his comments were twisted and there was nothing inflammatory in his speech. Ajay Singh also denied that Mishra had said anything provocative.

FIR registered against Shakuntala Khatik

Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged against Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik in Karera police station for inciting a mob to resort to violence against the state, reported ANI.

In another video that rocketed around the internet last week, Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment, was seen staging a protest at Karera police station in Shivpuri district against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur. She was leading a protest march, during which an effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was burnt.

The police poured water on the effigy in a bid douse the flames, in which the woman legislator got partially drenched. This irked Khatik, who later sat on a protest at the police station along with her supporters and the video was shot during the sit-in.

The video showed the MLA purportedly asking her supporters to set the police station on fire.

I told police if they can't ensure women safety then why are they sitting in police station, set it on fire: Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik. pic.twitter.com/AF4axzP2yG  ANI (@ANI_news) June 12, 2017

However, Congress leader Sachin Pilot had said his party will never instigate violence for political benefits. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday had said several videos have emerged in which Congress leaders are seen inciting agitators to torch vehicles and ransack police stations in Madhya Pradesh.

With inputs from PTI
Chandigarh: Putting an end to speculation, former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday said that he is not in a race to become the country's next president.

When a reporter asked that his name was doing the rounds as a probable (NDA) candidate for the president's post, 90-year-old Badal dismissed it as merely a rumour.

The veteran Akali leader then added, "My health does not allow me ... (to take up responsibility of the highest office)".

Recently, in his home constituency Lambi also, Badal had echoed the same sentiments, "I have listened to rumours about my name, but there is no truth. I want to serve my own state till I am alive and moreover, I am not keen for this post."

Badal, a five-time chief minister, also indicated during a brief interaction with reporters in Chandigarh on the sidelines of a party meet, that he may not attend the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly, which commences in Chandigarh on Wednesday, on health grounds since he was not feeling well.
Expert Committee Constituted to examine Rules on Movement of People Near Indo-Myanmar Border

Published: June 13, 2017

Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted an expert committee to examine the rules which allow free movement of people near Indo-Myanmar border. Indian and Myanmarese citizens are permitted free movement within 16 km of the international border, but these rules are widely exploited by militants for smuggling arms, drugs, and fake Indian currency.

The decision to constitute an MHA panel was taken at a meeting of chief ministers of the northeastern states which share a border with Myanmar. This is for the first time that meeting with the state governments has been called to discuss the issues concerning the Myanmar border. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram, and the Home Minister of Nagaland.

Salient Highlights

The expert committee would be headed by the special secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The panel will examine the rules and regulations adopted by the border states for free movement of the people. It has to suggest for uniform and effective implementation of free movement regime in the states which share a porous border with Myanmar

The committee has to come up with standard operating procedures common to all the four states that will provide effective measures to filter out militants, criminals and contraband at the border without causing inconvenience to genuine people.

The panel has to submit its report within three months.

Background

India shares 1,643-km long border with Myanmar that passes through four states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. At present, both Indian and Myanmarese citizens are permitted a visa-free movement regime within 16 km on either side of the border. They are permitted to stay up to 72 hours with valid permits. These rules were kept in place in view of the traditional and social ties among the border people. There are over 240 villages with an estimated population of 2.5 lakh people living within 10 km of the border. However, Indias international border with Myanmar is very porous with cross-border movement of insurgents and smuggling of arms and ammunition being very common.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2017

Topics: Arunachal Pradesh  Indo-Myanmar  Manipur  Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)  Mizoram  Nagaland  National  States

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New Delhi: The process for electing India's 13th President will be set in motion formally on Wednesday when the Election Commission issues a notification paving the way for filing of nominations for the 17 July contest in which the ruling NDA seems to have an edge.

The last date for filing of nominations is 28 June. Scrutiny will follow on 29 June and the last date for withdrawal is 1 July. The vote count will be on 20 July, four days before incumbent Pranab Mukherjee's term ends. The new President is set to take charge the next day.

The electoral college for choosing the President consists of 4,896 voters. While the Lok Sabha has 543 voters and the Rajya Sabha 233, the overwhelming majority (4,120) come from state assemblies. The total value of votes in the election is 10,98,903  5,49,408 for MPs and 5,49,495 for MLAs.

The value of each vote of an MP is 708 but this differs for MLAs from state to state. The value of an MLA's vote in Uttar Pradesh is the highest (208) and the least (7) in Sikkim.

The NDA is short of the half-way mark by about 18,000 votes. But it expects to gain the support of many smaller parties besides all the factions of the feuding AIADMK which alone has a vote value of over 26,000.

In 2012, Mukherjee, the nominee of the Congress-led UPA, got 7,13,763 votes while his sole rival PA Sangma, fielded by the BJP-led NDA, secured 3,15,987 of the total vote value of 10,29,750. Mukherjee assumed office on 25 July, 2012.

The election will see secret ballot and political parties can't issue a whip to MPs or MLAs. The Election Commission has said that special pens will be provided to voters in view of a row that surrounded during voting for a Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana last year.

"Electors have to mark the ballot only with this pen and not with any other pen. Voting by any other pen may lead to invalidation of the vote", Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has said.

A nomination paper has to be subscribed by at least 50 electors as 'Proposers' and by at least another 50 as 'Seconders'.

The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.

Every elector can have as many preferences as the candidates contesting the election and the winner has to secure the required quota of votes to be declared elected.

Secretary General of Loksabha Anoop Mishra will be the Returning Officer. Votes will be cast in Parliament House and in state assemblies. The vote count will take place in Delhi.

Assistant Returning Officers will be appointed in all state capitals, besides Delhi and Puducherry. Each candidate will be allowed to deploy a representative at the venue of polling.

"MPs are expected to vote in Parliament House in Delhi and the MLAs in their assemblies but they can vote at another polling station in case of exigency", Zaidi said.

The BJP on Monday had said that it was ready for a consensus candidate and has formed a three-member committee of senior ministers to talk to other political parties.

Its members are two former BJP Presidents Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley.

The BJP has not given any indication about its likely nominee but opposition parties including the Congress have held parleys to find a consensus candidate. Speaker of Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan and tribal leader Draupadi Murmu's names are doing the rounds as possible government's choice for the Presidential election.

The opposition parties will meet on 14 June to formally begin discussions on the presidential and vicepresidential elections.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has initiated moves to bring the opposition on a common platform.

She has set up a 10-member sub-group of representatives from opposition parties to take forward the deliberations.

The sub-group consists of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge from Congress along with Shard Yadav, Lalu Prasad, Sitaram Yechury, Derek O'Brien, Ram Gopal Yadav, Satish Chandra Mishra, R.S. Bharathi and Praful Patel.

Gandhi had earlier convened a luncheon meeting of opposition leaders which brought together leaders from 17 parties.

The names of former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar are doing the rounds. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, whose name figured initially, has said he is not interested in contesting.
Vadodara: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary CP Joshi on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for the current plight of farmers in the country.

He also criticised Union finance minister Arun Jaitley over his recent statement that state governments have to fund schemes like loan waivers through their own resources.

"The prime minister is responsible for the current plight and woes of farmers. Modi has failed to implement his electoral promises like awarding better renumeration for crops and hike in the minimum support price (MSP)," the former Union minister told reporters.

He said the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government under Manmohan Singh had announced loan waivers worth Rs 77,000 crore during its tenure.

"The Congress government never asked the state governments to fund loan waivers," Joshi said referring to Jaitley's statement.

He said the country's economic growth has decelerated under the Modi regime.

Recently, farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh held protests for their various demands, including a complete loan waiver.
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday flew abroad on a short vacation to spend some time with his grandmother, days ahead of his birthday.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them!," he said on Twitter.

Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them!  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) June 13, 2017

Rahul has taken on the Modi government aggressively on its third anniversary. He also met the families of farmers killed in police firing in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

Sources in the party said they were not sure how long would be Rahul's sojourn, but indicated he would celebrate his birthday abroad with his maternal family. The scion of the Gandhi family turns 47 on 19 June.

The Congress vice-president's travel comes in the wake of crucial meetings taking place on the presidential election, the process for which will start tomorrow with the issue of notification and start of filing of nominations.

The all-important sub-group of the Opposition leaders would be meeting tomorrow to evolve strategy for the 17 July presidential election.

The Congress party is also planning to "expose" the Modi government for "failing" to fulfill the promises made to farmers by organising an agitational plan jointly with other parties.

He last travelled to get his mother Sonia Gandhi back from an undisclosed location, after she had travelled abroad for medical treatment for an unannounced ailment.
Bhubaneswar: Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on Tuesday demanded an apology from the Congress for its leader Sandeep Dikshit's comment likening army chief General Bipin Rawat to a "goon on the street".

Apologies and regrets expressed by individual leaders are not enough, said Singh, a former army chief himself. "Congress as a political party should apologise for his (Dikshit's) remark, which is inappropriate and condemnable."

The minister said the army does not indulge in politics in any form and works for the nation with complete dedication and commitment.

"Army men engage themselves sincerely to safeguard the country's frontiers and keep the people secure...the controversial statement should be condemned by all," he said.

"I am deeply hurt by whatever has been said," he added.

Dikshit, an ex-Congress member of Parliament and son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had on Monday said: "Ours is not a mafia army like the Pakistani Army which makes statements like goons. It looks bad when our army chief gives a statement like a sadak ka goonda (goon on the street)."

BJP has lashed out at the Congress over the statement and demanded Dikshit's expulsion from the party. The Congress distanced itself from the remarks.

Dikshit later withdrew his statement and tweeted, "I have reservations on a comment of the army chief, but I should have chosen appropriate words. I apologise."
Dhaka: Bangladesh's deputy consul general in New York was indicted on Monday on charges of labour trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation, a New York City prosecutor said.

Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement.

Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as a household help for Islam and his family.

"Soon after Amin's arrival, the defendant allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day ... Even though Amin had a contract which outlines his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work," the statement said.

"If the victim disobeyed the defendant's orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the defendant, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe," it said.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh embassy in Washington said he had no information on the issue. The Bangladesh consulate in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An official of the US State Department said it informed Bangladeshi officials of the arrest. Reuters was not able to determine if Islam had an attorney. According to the charges, Amin's only form of income came from tips from guests at parties and a "miniscule" amount of money Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

On several occasions when Amin sought to leave, Islam hit him and threatened to harm his mother and young son in Bangladesh, the statement said. On occasion, Islam also stated that he would have Amin's college-age daughter "shamed" if he did not continue to work as his servant, the statement said. The statement did not make clear what he meant by shaming.

It said that in 2014, shortly after an Indian diplomat in New York was charged with labour trafficking, Islam wrote a check for Amin's cash-tip earnings that the latter then had to deposit in a bank account to create the appearance of a paycheck.

In late 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was India's deputy consul general in New York, was arrested and subsequently accused of visa fraud and forcing her housekeeper and nanny to work 100-hour weeks for just over $1 an hour.

Khobragade's arrest and strip search provoked outrage in India and caused a major diplomatic rift between the United States and India. The charges against her were dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity, but after she left the United States, a New York grand jury later issued a new indictment for visa fraud.
WASHINGTON U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday that the blockade against Qatar by Gulf states including Saudi Arabia was a "very complex situation" and it was an area where common ground had to be found.

Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee that Qatar's emir had inherited a difficult situation and was moving in the right direction.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of backing terrorism. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Mike Stone; Editing by Richard Chang)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Recently, even while Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif was preparing to meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Astana, for the meeting of heads of states at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the Islamic State (IS) claimed the killing of a Chinese couple in Quetta, Balochistan, in an attack that indicated a revived focus on China as an enemy. The Pakistan Army rushed into operations immediately, and Chinese nationals in the area were moved out of the area to Karachi, for their move back to China.

Given the billions of dollars that have been promised under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the sensitivities of the 'all-weather friend', the Pakistan government has been demonstrably proactive in plans to provide protection to Chinese nationals. But, it is likely to be a tricky job, that will only get more difficult going forward.

While India has been aggressively protesting CPEC as an infringement of its sovereignty, and worrying about the investment that it commits to Pakistan, a quiet revolution may already be in the making as an unprecedented number of Chinese nationals move into the country as part of it and other programs.

Chinese nationals have come under attack several times in Balochistan. Local resistance groups in the province resent the influx of foreigners, who are seen as exploiters. Chinese nationals have also faced a deteriorating law and order problem in major urban centres. Chinese businessmen have been robbed and sometimes assaulted.

The reaction of provincial police has been lackadaisical. A reverse problem is also apparent. Chinese nationals have been arrested for cyber crimes among others, though these reports are usually suppressed.

Given the vital importance of CPEC to the Pakistan Army  its large projects are after all being managed by its own business fronts  it has taken the protection of Chinese nationals into its own hands. The army launched a dedicated unit for this purpose, numbering a reported 15,000.

Provincial governments have also upped their security capabilities. Sindh is raising a protection force of about 2,600 to protect Chinese working on projects and businesses. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has been eyeing Chinese contracts worth several billions of dollars, is trying to locate and register all Chinese nationals working in the area and is creating its own police units for their protection.

These new units are being created on the lines of the Punjab Special Protection Unit, which was one of the first such efforts to protect foreigners. According to its website, it has 3,829 officers and jawans, along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts "to provide security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province.

They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province. Unsurprisingly, its senior positions are occupied by ex-Army officers. Apart from providing the Army with post-retirement benefits, it keeps the whole enterprise within the (khaki) family.

These enthusiastic efforts notwithstanding, the problem is multiplying. Chinese nationals are not only coming in larger numbers, they are flowing outwards to the suburban areas. Chinese nationals have long been active in most cities, involved in small trades like dentistry, parlours and shoe making in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. Others were involved somewhat 'unsavoury' activities like running "massage parlours" for a growing Chinese business community in the capital.

Following the announcement of the CPEC, however, this number has been increasing steadily. Today, according to one count, there are about 4,00,000 Chinese nationals across the country, including 25,000 in Islamabad alone. This is probably far lower than the actual numbers. For instance, no one is clear as to how many Chinese are present in Gilgit-Baltistan, where many had immigrated decades ago.

Chinese labourers and workers have long been involved in the building of the Karakorum Highway, together with contractors and staff. There is even a graveyard for Chinese workers who were killed in its construction in earlier times, but which has since become symbolic for the 'bilateral friendship' visits. Reports also indicate that Chinese nationals are involved in dubious land deals as well as setting up small "import-export" businesses that fleece locals. An unknown number reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of various road projects.

There are already some indicators of the social effects of the rising Chinese population. The countrys first Chinese-language weekly newspaper Huashang, claiming a readership of 60,000, has been operative for the last two years. Chinese language centres are multiplying, with Confucius centres in major universities and a plethora of "Institutes" offering language courses.

In characteristic South Asian fashion, political heads have gone overboard in spreading enthusiasm for everything Chinese. For instance, the Punjab Chief Minister announced scholarships for Pakistanis to study Chinese right from 'the dragon's mouth'. About 400 have already been trained in China. The Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) plans to separately send 15,000 students to China. It is also offering local short courses for Pakistanis desirous of "doing business" related to CPEC. In 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqian had promised  a thousand Chinese teachers and certainly Beijing has more than kept its word, as teachers fan out to every province. The private sector is also waxing enthusiastic. A masala producers marketing video featuring a Chinese woman had about 2 million hits, while catchy stories of marriage between Chinese women and Pakistani men are doing the rounds.

In 2013, Keqian had promised, "a thousand Chinese teachers" and Beijing has more than kept its word, as teachers have fanned out to every province. The private sector is also waxing enthusiastic. A masala producer's marketing video featuring a Chinese woman had about two million hits, while catchy stories of marriage between Chinese women and Pakistani men have been doing the rounds.

All this, however, doesn't mean that Pakistanis are not worried. Cautious articles in English media appear to cheer the cultural wave but end up sounding alarmed.

The "leak" by Dawn of a CPEC master plan, that seeks to virtually make a colony out of the country, would certainly have set alarm bells ringing in sensible quarters.

Much of the "master plan" itself is unsurprising since it virtually replicates what China has done in African countries. However, what is worrying is the backing of a fibre optic link (that began long before Gwadar was even thought of) which will, among other things, broadcast Chinese television and media to the hapless Pakistanis, who still 'sneak watch' Indian soaps.

The existing cultural ingress is bad enough, but the extent of the planned invasion is far worse. Islamabad may look for ways to stem this tide and diversify its investor list. Perhaps it may even look for Indian business, which in its basic operating principles are hardly different from Pakistan's. For India, a sinicised Pakistan is hardly something to be enthusiastic about. Certainly, there may be far fewer terrorists about as a result. China may quite simply buy the ground from under their feet.

The author is former director of the National Security Council Secretariat
WASHINGTON A friend of former FBI Director James Comey said on Tuesday he is turning over any memos of Comey's conversations with President Donald Trump in his possession to the FBI, MSNBC reported.

It said the friend, Columbia Law School professor Daniel Richman, confirmed to NBC News that "he's now turning over any Comey memos that he has in his possession to the FBI."

Comey, who was fired by Trump last month, said in congressional testimony last week that he gave a memo describing his conversations with Trump to a close friend and told him to share its contents with a reporter. [nL1N1J50C1]

MSNBC reported that Richman also said Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading an investigation into Russian links with the Trump campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, has been in touch with the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss how the panel can get access to the memos. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
San Francisco: President Donald Trump suffered another legal setback on Monday as a second federal appeals court refused to revive his travel ban on people entering the United States from six Muslim-majority nations in a dispute headed to the US Supreme Court.

The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals used narrow grounds to reject the Trump administration's bid to undo a Hawaii federal judge's decision blocking the temporary ban. It said the Republican president's 6 March order violated existing immigration law. But the three-judge panel - all Democratic appointees - did not address whether it was unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims.

A second court, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, on 25 May upheld a Maryland judge's ruling that also blocked Trump's 90-day ban on travellers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The 4th Circuit had ruled that the ban, which replaced an earlier 27 January one also blocked by the courts, "drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination" aimed at Muslims.

The 9th Circuit largely left in place a nationwide injunction by Judge Derrick Watson that stopped parts of the order, which Trump said was urgently needed to prevent terrorism in the United States. That ruling came in a lawsuit challenging the order brought by the state of Hawaii, which stated the ban would harm its universities and tourism industry.

Even before Monday's ruling, the case was on the fast track to the Supreme Court, where the administration on 1 June filed an emergency request seeking to reinstate the order and hear its appeal of the 4th Circuit ruling. The Supreme Court could act on the administration's request as soon as this week.

Trump has been on the losing side in all four court rulings on the March order. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the administration is reviewing Monday's decision and expressed continued confidence that the order is fully lawful and ultimately will be upheld by the Supreme Court.

"I think we can all attest that these are very dangerous times and we need every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and committing acts of bloodshed and violence," Spicer told a briefing.

The 9th Circuit upheld the block on Trump's three-month travel ban for the six countries and four-month suspension of all refugee admissions. But the court pared back part of Watson's injunction in order to allow the government to conduct internal reviews of vetting procedures for these travellers.

The administration said the travel ban was needed to allow time to implement stronger vetting measures, although it has already rolled out some new requirements not blocked by courts, including additional questions for visa applicants.

Rather than focusing on Trump campaign statements as the Virginia-based court did, the 9th Circuit said the language in the executive order itself did not make a rational case for why a travel ban was needed.

"The order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," the court wrote, referring the combined populations of the six countries.

Attractive Way

Under immigration law, the administration was required to make findings that entry of the people in question would be detrimental to the United States but failed to do so, the court said.

Stephen Vladeck, a professor at University of Texas School of Law, said the 9th Circuit provided an easier path for the Supreme Court to keep the travel ban on hold because it avoided entirely the controversy over Trump's campaign statements.

"It provides a very attractive way to leave the injunction in place without setting broader doctrinal rules about which they may have pause," Vladeck said.

Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Monday was the deadline for the ban's challengers to respond to the administration's request that the order be allowed to go into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents people challenging the ban in the separate Maryland suit handled by the 4th Circuit, filed court papers urging the court not to take up the case, saying the order will become moot on Wednesday, 90 days from when Trump issued it.

Lawyers for Hawaii called the order a "thinly-veiled Muslim ban."

Trump's earlier 27 January order also included Iraq among the countries targeted and a total ban on refugees from Syria. The March order was intended to overcome the legal issues posed by the original ban but was blocked before it could go into effect on 16 March.

The suits by Hawaii and the Maryland challengers argued that the order violated federal immigration law and a section of the Constitution's First Amendment that prohibits the government from favouring or disfavoring any particular religion.

Hawaii's court papers mentioned a series of Trump Twitter posts on 5 June. Trump described the order as a "watered down, politically correct" version of his original one.
Washington: The visa ban is about national security and not against any religion, US attorney general Jeff Sessions said after a US appeals court upheld a decision blocking president Donald Trump's revised executive order imposing a travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations.

"President Trump knows that the country he has been elected to lead is threatened daily by terrorists who believe in a radical ideology and that there are active plots to infiltrate the US immigration system, just as occurred prior to 9/11," Sessions said in a statement on Monday.

He was reacting to the Monday's ruling by a three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit against the revised travel ban.

The bench had unanimously ruled against the ban, saying the executive order signed by Trump "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress" to oversee immigration.

"The president is committed to protecting the American people and our national security, and we are proud to support his mission to put America first by defending his right to keep us safe," Sessions said, adding : "This is the reason why the Department of Justice will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court."

Sessions said that the president's executive order is "well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe".

"We disagree with the Ninth Circuit's decision to block that authority," he said.

The recent attacks confirm that the threat to the nation is immediate and real, he said.

"Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states," he said.

Sessions cautioned against placing "our nation at risk until we have the have the ability accurately and responsibly to vet those seeking entry".

"The president was clear in his landmark speech in Saudi Arabia: this is not about religion; it is about national security. In fact, he called upon leaders in the Muslim world to join the United States in protecting religious freedom for all, including the freedom to be free from violence and terror," Sessions said.

He said that the executive branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the constitution but "unfortunately, this injunction prevents him from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall."

Monday's ruling was the latest in a string of judicial blows to Trump's efforts to prohibit the entry of citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the US government reviews their screening procedures.

The executive order also called for a 120-day ban on all refugees.
Panama forges Diplomatic ties with China and breaks away with Taiwan

Published: June 13, 2017

Panama has established formal diplomatic ties with China and broke all of its relationship with Taiwan in a move that is seen as a victory for China in its drive to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world. China claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Panamas Stand

Panamas President Juan Carlos Varela has announced that his country has upgraded its commercial ties with China and has established full diplomatic links with China. China is the second most important customer of the Panama Canal and the leading provider of merchandise to a free-commerce zone situated in the city of Colon in Panama.

In addition, Panama has stated that it is breaking off its formal relations with Taiwan. Panama has said that henceforth it recognizes One China in the world and consider Taiwan to be an inalienable part of Chinas territory. Hence, it has said that it will not maintain any more official relationship or official exchanges with Taiwan.

China has welcomed the decision taken by Panama. China in the recent years has been showering a lot of favours throughout Central America to woo them to break ties with Taiwan.

Taiwans Response

Taiwan has said that it will immediately cut ties and cease all bilateral cooperation projects with Panama. It has also said that it will recall all of its diplomatic staff and technical advisers out of Panama. Panama is one of Taiwans oldest friends. Panama was one of the largest economies to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Panama is one of Taiwans oldest friends. Panama was one of the largest economies to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Background

Taiwan now has just 20 formal diplomatic partners after Panama has switched its ties. Of them, 12 partners belong to Latin America and the Caribbean.

China and Taiwan are being ruled by separate governments since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Chinas constitution claims Taiwan to be a part of its own territory. While both the sides maintained an undeclared diplomatic truce in recent times, the relationship got deteriorated after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office last year.

At chinas insistence, Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations and many other multinational bodies like the World Health Organization and other international gatherings.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2017

Topics: china-taiwan  International  Panama Canal  Panama-China  Panama-Taiwan

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Frankfurt Am Main: The European Union's door remains open if Britain changes its decision to leave the 28-member bloc, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said while acknowledging such a move is unlikely.

"If they wanted to change their decision, of course they would find open doors, but I think it's not very likely," Schaeuble told Bloomberg Television in his first public comments on last week's election in Britain which saw Prime Minister Theresa May lose her parliamentary majority.

He noted a pro-European surge in France for President Emmanuel Macron and a youth vote in Britain that swung sharply to the left-wing Labour Party, in favour of closer post-Brexit ties, as proof of greater EU support among the young.

Nevertheless, "Brexit is a decision we have to accept by the British voters," he said. "It would not be helpful if we started speculation... we take it as a matter of fact, it's a matter of respect."

The British government has been in disarray since a snap election last Thursday, called by May in an effort to boost her majority but which resulted in a hung parliament.

May is scrambling to strike a deal for the support of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) 10 lawmakers, but the clock is ticking on the two-year EU exit talks period she triggered in late March.

"My preoccupation is that time is passing  it's passing quicker than anyone believes... That's why we're ready to start very quickly. I can't negotiate with myself," Michel Barnier, the EU's Brexit negotiator, told European newspapers including The Financial Times.

"Let's start the negotiation," Schaeuble told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

"We will minimise the potential damage and maximise the mutual benefit... at the end we will always come to reasonable decisions."
BERLIN Germany again demanded that Turkey release jailed German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Roth has told Yucel's employer, Die Welt newspaper."We have repeatedly made our demands clear to the Turks, and we will not back down," Roth told the newspaper. "We expect the immediate release of Yucel from pretrial detention and a process that follows the rule of law."Roth, who met with Yucel's wife and one of his attorneys in Istanbul on Tuesday, said it remained unclear of what crime Yucel had been accused.German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Yucel had asked for improved conditions during a visit with German ambassador Martin Erdmann in Turkey on Tuesday.

"I am relieved that Deniz Yucel says he is in good shape," Gabriel said. "But that does not change our demand that we want to see him released and that he and his colleagues receive a speedy and fair process."Turkish authorities arrested Yucel, who holds both German and Turkish citizenship, in February on charges of propaganda in support of a terrorist organisation and inciting public violence. Yucel denies the charges.

Turkish officials have rejected Germany's demands for Yucel's release and say his case will be decided by the courts. No timetable for the case has been released.Germany's ambassador to Turkey, Martin Erdmann, spoke with Yucel for over an hour on Tuesday, according to a foreign ministry source.

"The support from Germany - readings, concerts and car processions - are doing him good. He knows he is not so alone and that he has not been forgotten," said the source.Ties between Germany and Turkey have been strained for over a year over a range of issues, including the Yucel case, Ankara's anger over a German parliamentary resolution calling the murder of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, and Germany's statements criticising mass arrests after the failed July 15 coup in Turkey.Germany's cabinet last week backed plans to withdraw its troops from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey following Ankara's refusal to allow German lawmakers access to the base. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Qatar: Saudi Arabia's aviation body said on Tuesday that the closure of its airspace to flights from Qatar was within the kingdom's sovereign right to protect its citizens from any threat.

The comments were in reaction to remarks by Qatar Airways' chief executive that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were violating international law by shutting out Qatari flights.

The airspace closure was to protect the country and its citizens from anything it sees as a threat and as a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

Similar statements were also issued by the UAE and Bahraini aviation authorities after a CNN interview of chief executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, who criticised the three Arab countries for the airspace closure.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have long been major proponents of open-skies policies, which remove restrictions on flying between states.

These policies helped the region's largest airlines  Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways  to emerge as super connectors linking passengers travelling between East and West.

"From an industry view point it's unfortunate and disappointing when airlines get caught up in broader political sensitivities which inhibit the benefits of competition and consumer choice, which the region is renowned for," independent aviation consultant John Strickland told Reuters.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar a week ago, accusing it of fomenting regional unrest, supporting terrorism and getting too close to Iran, all of which Doha denies.

In all, 18 destinations in the region are now out of bounds for Qatar Airways, which has also been forced to close its offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Al Baker had appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency that administers the Chicago convention that guarantees civil overflights, to declare the airspace closure as illegal.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said it is fully committed to the Chicago convention, but that the state reserves the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

The three countries' aviation bodies also said that non-Qatari private and chartered flights from Qatar must submit requests to them at least 24 hours before crossing the airspace.

The request should include a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, as well as the cargo carried by the aircraft, they said.
Islamabad: Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed hopes for a swift resolution of the crisis engulfing the energy-rich nation of Qatar.

Sharif's office issued a statement on Tuesday, following his return from Saudi Arabia. It quotes the prime minister as saying he hopes the dispute between Qatar and its Arab neighbors will be resolved soon.

It says Sharif's visit reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment for Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and quotes King Salman as saying the joint fight against terrorism is in the interest of all Muslims countries.

Pakistan has close ties with the kingdom but also business ventures in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and its allies severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar earlier in June, after accusing it of supporting terrorist groups, a charge denied by Doha.
Doha: The United States ambassador to Qatar said on Tuesday she is leaving her post in Doha, in the midst of the worst diplomatic crisis involving America's Gulf allies in years.

"This month, I end my 3 years as US Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honour of my life and I'll miss this great country," Dana Shell Smith said on Twitter on Tuesday. However, Shell Smith did not say why she was stepping down, if she was staying within the diplomatic service or who would replace her.

Many United States ambassadors leave their posts after serving around three years.

Her departure comes with Washington sending mixed signals over the Gulf crisis, which saw Saudi Arabia and several of its allies cut ties with Qatar claiming that Doha supported extremist groups.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations.

United States president Donald Trump has signalled his support for the Saudi-led move but other United States officials have been more cautious and called for dialogue to end the crisis.

Shell Smith was appointed the ambassador to the Gulf emirate by Barack Obama in 2014.

In May, she appeared to express dissatisfaction with political events back home in another message posted on social media.

She took to Twitter in the hours after Trump's dramatic sacking of FBI director James Comey, tweeting: "Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions."

Qatar is home to Al-Udeid, the largest United States airbase in the region, which houses around 10,000 troops.
Dhaka: At least 51 people were killed and 11 others injured in landslides in Bangladesh following three days of heavy rainfall across the country, a top disaster management official said on Tuesday.

A total of 29 deaths were reported in Rangamati district, 16 in Chittagong, and six in Bandarbad, director general of Bangladesh Disaster Management Department (DMD) Reaz Ahmed told Efe news.

Earlier, Rangamati additional police chief Mohammad Shahidullah said the heavy rain was disrupting rescue operations.

"The weather is very bad here and the area is hilly, so it has become very difficult for us to conduct rescue operations," he said.

Dijen Roy, a spokesperson from the Chittagong office of the Meteorological Department, said they have recorded 131 millimetres of rain in the district in the past 24 hours, and the rain is expected to continue due to a persistant depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Dhaka's flood forecasting centre said water levels in all major rivers are rising, while some rivers were already flowing over their respective danger mark.
The Islamic State group has called for more terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan by sending an audio message through secretive messaging app Telegram.

In the audio message circulated on Monday, Islamic State official spokesman Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer praised the attack in the Iranian capital last week when suicide bombers and gunmen left 17 people dead, after targeting the parliament building and a mausoleum in Tehran.

He said the country is "weaker than a spider's web", and called for more assaults.

"O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates, and fight them with the strength of one man," al-Muhajer was quoted as saying.

Al-Muhajer also called for attacks in other parts of the world, saying "heaven is reached under the shadow of swords".

"To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others, your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done," he said.

In 2017, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks in Britain, Egypt, Iran and the Philippines that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.

Telegram Messenger has become a favoured tool of terrorists to disseminate propaganda due to its impenetrable security.

With inputs from agencies
Norway: Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called for a permanent mechanism in the Gulf to resolve crises like the blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of an annual peace mediation in Oslo, Zarif also said Saudi Arabia supported militants inside Iran.

"It is absolutely imperative for our region not to only to resolve this particular conflict or dispute between our southern neighbours in the Persian Gulf through dialogue but in fact establish a permanent mechanism for consultation, conversation and conflict resolution in our region," Zarif said.

He said this could be along the lines of the 1975 Helsinki accords  agreements signed during the Cold War to reduce tensions between western and Communist nations.

"I think if it worked at the height of the Cold War in Europe, it should work," Zarif said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar on 5 June, accusing the small but oil-rich emirate of supporting "terrorism" and being too close to Iran, which is Riyadh's regional rival.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated as Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed the deadly 7 June Tehran attack on Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the twin attacks that killed 17 people and wounded dozens.

"We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Balochistan," Zarif said.

He said the militants were "using the territory of one of our neighbours against its will to launch attacks against Iran which only two months ago led to the murder of nine Iranian border guards."

The 29 April attack by Sunni militants took place on the frontier with Pakistan.

"On the Western side the same type of activity is being undertaken, again by using the diplomatic hospitality of other neighbours," Zarif said.
On 2 June, United States President Donald Trump delivered on his campaign promise of pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Now, he has turned focus on changing the US policy towards Cuba, tightening restrictions on trade and travel. However, what Trump may have covertly been working towards, is withdrawing the US from the Iran Nuclear Deal, which was signed between the P5+1 (the US, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, China and Germany) and Iran, or at least renegotiating it.

After assuming power, Trump slammed the Iran government for not living up to the spirit of the nuclear deal, as Politico reported."Were analysing it very, very carefully, and we'll have something to say about it in the not-too-distant future," Trump said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had also said that the US administration will conduct a comprehensive review of its Iran policy.

The Iran Nuclear Deal promised to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for restricting the country's nuclear activities. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was implemented to ensure that Tehrans "nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful." Iran reaffirmed that under no circumstances will it ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.

During his presidential campaign, Trump criticised the deal and vowed to either renegotiate it or completely dismantle it if he becomes the president. Now, under Trump, the Iran Nuclear Deals fate could meet a similar fate to that of the Paris Accord. The presidents provocative statements against Iran and his self-claimed instigation of the Gulf countries to cut ties with Qatar might be a way of isolating Iran even further to get it on the negotiating table.

Unlike the Paris Accord, Trump cannot pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal without provoking the other signatories. A CNBC report says that it could have serious ramifications for the United States if the other nations believe that it is trying to scuttle the deal without any provocation from Tehran. To avoid such serious consequences, Trump is possibly trying to divert global attention to Irans support to terrorist organisations.

Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism, tweeted Trump soon after the Gulf countries severed ties with Qatar. His trip to Saudi Arabia and his speech seems to have emboldened the countries to take this step. In his address, Trump called on to the Muslim leaders to isolate a nation he said had fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. He was referring to Iran.

...extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017

From Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region, Trump had said. This open vilification, even from Trump, does not bode well. This might be the first step of his plan to shift attention to Irans alleged support for terror groups to pressurise it into renegotiating the deal, which Tehran has opposed until now.

The immediate trigger for the Gulf crisis are the alleged comments made by Qatari ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in favour of Iran. As this Dailyo report points out, Qatar is just a pawn in the Saudi Iran rivalry. This rivalry was taken to an extreme level and worsened by Trump's comments during his trip to Saudi Arabia. By attacking an important ally of Iran, the Gulf countries and Trump are possibly indirectly attacking Tehran

Iran's president Hassan Rouhani has said there is no chance of any renegotiation and he dismissed Trumps comments as just slogans.

Trump had called the Iran Nuclear Deal the worst deal ever negotiated during his campaign and said that the fundamental flaw in the deal was that even though the P5+1 limited Irans nuclear ambitions, it did not address Irans human rights record.

"I think this was one of the mistakes in how that agreement was put together, is that it completely ignored all of the other serious threats that Iran poses," the CNBC report quoted Tillerson as saying.

On 7 June, terrorists attacked Irans Parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, killing at least 12. While even some the Gulf countries expressed condolences to Iran, the White House issued a statement in which Trump has blamed Tehran itself for the attack.

We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote, read the White House statement.

Trump has also got Michael DAndrea, a Central Intelligence Agency officer who oversaw the hunt for Osama bin Laden, to run the agencys Iran operations. The New York Times reported that Trump administration is invoking the hard line the president took against Iran during his campaign.

By constantly referring to Tehrans support to terrorism and bringing it in the limelight, Trump might be pushing it to the negotiating table. It is possibly impractical for Trump to dismantle the deal. If the unity of the countries that negotiated the deal falls apart all of the safeguards that the IAEA has put in place under the deal will go away, a Slate report quoted expert on nuclear non-proliferation at Middlebury College Jeffrey Lewis as saying.

You could end up with a situation in which there are no sanctions, and we have no idea whether theyre building a bomb or not. And by the time we figure it out, it might be too late, he added.

The Trump administration has already notified Congress that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal. Without any violation by Iran, the US does not have any viable reason for Trump to kill the deal. The best option he has to fulfill his campaign promise is to get the Iranians to renegotiate by isolating it even further. However, Trump's efforts might only miff Tehran and further strain the ties between the US and its European allies.

The European Union's foreign policy chiefs have already reaffirmed their commitment to the Iran Nuclear Deal and it is highly unlikely that they will follow Trump's plan to renegotiate the deal. The European Union reiterates the need for continued full and effective implementation of the JCPOA throughout the lifetime of the agreement, the EU foreign ministers said in a joint statement. Some European, Chinese and Russian companies are also vying for major roles in Iran's oil and gas industry. The Royal Dutch Shell has taken steps to re-enter Iran and France's Total has announced that it would develop a massive natural gas field in Iran, according to this CNBC report.

Considering the Chinese and European interests in Iran, Trump might anger his allies even further by attempting to renegotiate the Iran deal and proposing sanctions on the country, which will harm European and Chinese businesses in Tehran.
RBI to release New batch of Rs 500 Currency Notes

Published: June 13, 2017

Reserve Bank of India has said that it will release new batch of Rs 500 currency notes whose design will be similar in all respects to the Rs 500 rupee banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series which were released post demonetisation.

Salient Highlights

The new batch of Rs 500 banknotes will have inset letter A in both the number panels.

It will bear the printing year as 2017 on the reverse side.

The new notes will have the signature of RBI Governor Dr. Urjit R. Patel.

The old Rs 500 notes released in the wake of demonetisation would continue to remain as legal tender.

RBI has said that it has no plans to release new denomination currencies in the near future as it aims to promote cashless transactions in the country.

The banknotes will also have Swachh Bharat logo printed on the backside of the banknote. In addition, some of the notes would carry an additional character in between the prefix and the number of the banknote.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2017

Topics: Banking  RBI

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Beirut: A spokesman for the Islamic State group praised jihadist attacks in the Philippines and Iran, in an audio recording broadcast on Tuesday.

The recording broadcast by jihadist accounts on social networks was part of a general appeal to extremists around the world to continue their attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"Children of the caliphate in eastern Asia, we congratulate you for taking Marawi," IS spokesman Aboulhassan al-Mouhajer said, referring to the Philippine city seized by Islamist militants in May.

Thousands of Philippine troops are battling hundreds of insurgents who overran the southern city on 23 May, flying black IS flags and using up to 2,000 civilians as human shields.

Fierce fighting in the city has left a total of 58 soldiers and police and more than 20 civilians dead, according to the military which estimates that almost 200 jihadists have been killed.

The IS spokesman also congratulated the perpetrators of last week's attacks in Iran. Seventeen people were killed and dozens wounded when armed men and suicide bombers attacked Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on 7 June, the first strikes claimed by the group in Iran. The five attackers were killed.

Mouhajer urged "caliphate soldiers" to continue their actions during Ramadan in Iraq and Syria. He also called for attacks in Europe, America, Australia, Russia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.
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Did he meet Russian officials or proxies on behalf of the campaign? What was Sessions' involvement with the Trump foreign policy team? Were there interactions with Russians? Why did Sessions recuse himself from the Russia investigation? What role did Sessions play, if any, in the dismissal of Comey?

"I'm concerned that the US president does not recognise the Russian threat," Warner says.

"Did not have any private meetings, do not recall any meetings with Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel. Do not remember talking to Russian ambassador or any other officials."

"Recused myself from one case. Did not recuse myself from defending against scurrilous rumours. Did not recuse myself from defending my honour"

Sessions says justice department regulations required him to recuse himself I recused myself not because of any wrongdoing, but because of department regulation... employees should not participate in an investigation of a campaign if they participated as a campaign adviser.

"I stepped aside not because I did anything wrong, but I had a duty to run the FBI. That included firing Comey. Absurd to suggest that a recusal from a single investigation renders the attorney-general unable to conduct the leadership of FBI. There are thousands of investigations."

"I stepped aside not because I did anything wrong, but I had a duty to run the FBI. That included firing Comey. Absurd to suggest that a recusal from a single investigation renders the attorney-general unable to conduct the leadership of FBI. There are thousands of investigations."

"Comey expressed concern about proper communications protocol with the White House and the president. I responded by agreeing that the FBI and the Department of Justice needed to be careful. I was confident that he understood and would abide by well-established rules limiting communications with the White House.

"There's nothing wrong with the president having a communication with the FBI director. What's problematic is for justice department officials to share information about investigations that have not been properly cleared at top levels."

"Haven't interacted with Mueller, who is overseeing Russia investigation. I have confidence in Mueller. No idea if president has confidence in Mueller. Haven't talked to him about it."

"Won't comment on conversations with president Trump or other White House officials. Not invoking executive privilege. Only the president can do that."

Sergey Kislyak is the star of the Sessions testimony - as a 'forgettable' man. Just as America's crown prince Jared Kushner forgot to mention his meetings with certain Russians, Jeff Sessions, the attorney-general, also does not "recollect" his contacts with the Russian ambassador. "I don't remember, I have no recollection" are the main soundbites we'll be left with at the end of this movie.

Sessions can't confirm he met Russian ambassador "I didn't know he was going to be there. Don't remember speaking to him before or after the event."

I was there. Without revealing any conversation that took place. I left. I believe everyone left. Comey was sitting in front of the president's desk. They were talking."

Did he discuss Comey's Russia probe with Trump? Im unable to discuss that. Reasons for former FBI director's termination were made public by Trump."

"It was a stunning development that Comey held a press conference to announce that no charges would be levelled against Hillary. Comey usurped the prerogatives of justice department prosecutors by doing that. It is the FBI's job to investigate, not to prosecute. Comey's conduct showed a lack of discipline. FBI needed a fresh start."

In his deep Southern drawl, Sessions plays dodge at the Senate intelligence testimony on alleged Russian collusion in the US election in a town full of lawyers having the time of their life. Most questions by Republican Senators are sitting ducks, waiting to be slapped down with a one word answer: "No". The storyline so far is clear: Allow Republicans to feather their nests ahead of the mid-term elections due in 2018. Republicans enjoy a slim majority in the US Senate, Trump has not had a single legislative victory in almost half a year as president and Washington has slowed to a crawl, consumed by the many distractions of the Trump train. Since this is heading nowhere as of now, how about a post-it on Sessions' India angle: He's second to none in his opposition to the H1B visa which is going to figure prominently in the upcoming Trump-Modi summit.

"I was one of the last persons to leave. We finished the briefing. People filtered out. Eventually, I left. Knew former FBI director Comey could handle himself."

Marco Rubio asks the question we're all dying to know. Are there tapes of Trump's conversations with Comey and anyone else? Sessions pours cold water, says he has no idea.

Remember, Trump has refused to answer whether such tapes, do in fact exist. Lawmakers have asked the White House to turn them over.

"I didn't have any formal meetings with him. I'm confident of that... but I may have had an encounter with him during the reception," Sessions says.

Trump will be mighty pleased with Jeff Sessions. Here is a US president who decides policy in 3 am tweets, shocking his entire White House and Sessions is defending the right to stay mum and telling the Senate why secrecy is best during ongoing investigations. Just for context, the leaky vessels in the Trump administration have busted all records. It's Trump's closest aides who've gone all in to leak Russia stories, especially after Stephen Bannon was ousted from the National Security Council. The trouble with the Comey testimony, although sensational, is that it boils down to one man's word against another. That's not in the realm of law, it's politics. Meanwhile, the embattled Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak hosted high powered Washington insiders and diplomats at the Russian Embassy Monday night and encouraged attendees to pose with "I love Russia" photos and post on social platforms.

"The president has not invoked executive privilege to prevent me from answering questions. But I can't answer certain questions because the president might choose to do so in the future."

"The president has not invoked executive privilege to prevent me from answering questions. But I can't answer certain questions because the president might choose to do so in the future."

Im not sure. Executive privilege is not waived by going in camera or in closed session," says Sessions.

In his deep Southern drawl, Sessions plays dodge at the Senate intelligence testimony on alleged Russian collusion in the US election in a town full of lawyers having the time of their life. Most questions by Republican Senators are sitting ducks, waiting to be slapped down with a one word answer: "No". The storyline so far is clear: Allow Republicans to feather their nests ahead of the mid-term elections due in 2018. Republicans enjoy a slim majority in the US Senate, Trump has not had a single legislative victory in almost half a year as president and Washington has slowed to a crawl, consumed by the many distractions of the Trump train. Since this is heading nowhere as of now, how about a post-it on Sessions' India angle: He's second to none in his opposition to the H1B visa which is going to figure prominently in the upcoming Trump-Modi summit.

"I was one of the last persons to leave. We finished the briefing. People filtered out. Eventually, I left. Knew former FBI director Comey could handle himself."

Marco Rubio asks the question we're all dying to know. Are there tapes of Trump's conversations with Comey and anyone else? Sessions pours cold water, says he has no idea.

Remember, Trump has refused to answer whether such tapes, do in fact exist. Lawmakers have asked the White House to turn them over.

"I didn't have any formal meetings with him. I'm confident of that... but I may have had an encounter with him during the reception," Sessions says.

Trump will be mighty pleased with Jeff Sessions. Here is a US president who decides policy in 3 am tweets, shocking his entire White House and Sessions is defending the right to stay mum and telling the Senate why secrecy is best during ongoing investigations. Just for context, the leaky vessels in the Trump administration have busted all records. It's Trump's closest aides who've gone all in to leak Russia stories, especially after Stephen Bannon was ousted from the National Security Council. The trouble with the Comey testimony, although sensational, is that it boils down to one man's word against another. That's not in the realm of law, it's politics. Meanwhile, the embattled Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak hosted high powered Washington insiders and diplomats at the Russian Embassy Monday night and encouraged attendees to pose with "I love Russia" photos and post on social platforms.

"The president has not invoked executive privilege to prevent me from answering questions. But I can't answer certain questions because the president might choose to do so in the future."

"The president has not invoked executive privilege to prevent me from answering questions. But I can't answer certain questions because the president might choose to do so in the future."

Im not sure. Executive privilege is not waived by going in camera or in closed session," says Sessions.

"Not to my knowledge. I do not recall that," Sessions says.

"Not to my knowledge. I do not recall that," Sessions says.

US attorney-general Jeff Sessions is all set to testify publicly to a Senate panel on Tuesday, setting up another potentially dramatic congressional hearing on possible ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Sessions is likely to face questions by the Senate intelligence committee over his dealings with Russian officials during the campaign and whether he had a role in firing former FBI director James Comey, who testified last week before the same panel.

Until the panel chairman's statement on Monday, it had been unclear whether Sessions would testify in an open or closed setting.

Comey told the panel last Thursday that the FBI had information in mid-February on Sessions that would have made it "problematic" for him to continue leading a federal probe into Russian attempts to influence the presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the inquiry in March after media reports that he had been in two previously undisclosed meetings last year with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

Members of the committee are likely to ask Sessions about a possible third undisclosed meeting that is now under investigation, according to media reports.

Sessions, a former senator and an early supporter of Trump's election campaign, will be the most senior government official to testify to the committee on the Russia issue. The matter has dogged the Republican president's early months in office.

A justice department spokeswoman said Sessions requested the open setting because "he believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."

Let's take a closer look at the man who has become a key figure in the probe:

Who is Jeff Sessions?

Blunt and plainspoken, Sessions, 70, went from a GOP foot soldier to prosecutor to politician and ultimately one of president Donald Trump's leading champions, sharing his hardline views on national security and immigration. Trump rewarded his loyalty on the campaign by tapping him as the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Sessions is a devout Methodist who came of age in the segregated south. He cut his teeth as a federal prosecutor in Mobile, Alabama, at the height of the drug war, and many of the policies he has tried to implement as attorney-general have roots in that time period. As a United States attorney in 1986, Sessions faced allegations of racially charged remarks, and they cost him a federal judgeship. Sessions has called those allegations "false charges," and said they were hurtful and has tried to move past them.

What were his Senate priorities?

Sessions generally leant right of his Republican colleagues, often articulating more conservative views than those of party leaders in the Senate.

Sessions was a leading opponent of the Senate's 2013 immigration overhaul, which he called too permissive. He instead advocated for broad presidential powers to curtail immigration, an issue that drew him to candidate Trump early. He opposed efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, supported expanded government surveillance and criticised the Voting Rights Act as placing an unfair burden on states. He joined a bipartisan push to reduce federal sentencing disparities that treated crack cocaine offences much more harshly than crimes related to powder cocaine, a disparity that disproportionally impacted minority communities. But he later opposed the Senate's effort to overhaul the criminal justice system, warning it could lead to violence.

What has he done in the justice department?

As attorney-general, Sessions has quickly worked to undo Obama-era policies. He signalled his strong support for the federal government's continued use of private prisons, reversing a directive to phase out their use. He also recently directed the nation's federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible against the vast majority of suspects, a rollback of Obama-era policies that aimed to reduce the federal prison population and show more lenience to lower-level drug offenders.

Keeping with the Trump administration's anti-immigration agenda, Sessions has also urged federal prosecutors to intensify their focus on immigration crimes such as illegal border crossing or smuggling others into the United States. And he has threatened to withhold coveted grant money from localities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as they try to detain and deport people.

What's the trouble?

Sessions has been dogged by the Russia investigation. He recused himself from the federal probe in March after acknowledging that he met the Russian ambassador to the United States twice in 2016. He told lawmakers at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Questions are swirling about possible additional encounters with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. Senate Democrats have raised questions about whether the men met at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. The justice department has said that while Sessions was there, for a speech by Trump, there were no meetings or private encounters.

Media reports last week said Sessions offered to resign because of tensions with Trump over his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's Russia probe. The matter is also being investigated by several congressional panels, including the committee.

Russia has denied interfering in the US election. The White House has denied any collusion with Moscow.

Critics charged that by firing Comey on 9 May, Trump was trying to hinder the FBI's Russia probe and the ex-FBI chief added fuel to that accusation with his testimony last week. Trump has denied he tried to interfere with the probe.
London: A 21-year-old British man, who travelled to the Islamic State-controlled area of Syria in 2014, says that he has escaped from the clutches of the dreaded terror group and he now "hate them more than the Americans."

Jack Letts from Oxford, dubbed "Jihadi Jack", is suspected of going to Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State(IS).But he claims he is opposed to the Islamic State and has left their territory and is now being held by Kurdish forces fighting the group.

Letts spoke to the BBC via text and voice messages.

Speaking about leaving the Islamic State territory, Letts said, "I found a smuggler and walked behind him through minefields." He added that along with the smuggler, he eventually made it near a Kurdish point where they were shot at twice and had to sleep in a field.

He said he is now in solitary confinement in a jail in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Letts converted to Islam while at Cherwell comprehensive school in Oxford.

He travelled to Jordan, aged 18, in 2014, having dropped out of his A-levels. By the autumn of that year, he was in IS-controlled territory in Syria.His family deny he went there to fight and instead say he was motivated by humanitarian reasons.He married in Iraq and now has a child.

He said that he had been injured in an explosion and had gone to Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in Syria, to recuperate.He claimed he became disillusioned with the group about a year ago after it killed its former supporters.

"I hate them more than the Americans hate them.I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me," he said.

He claimed he had escaped from low-security detention and had been in hiding when he managed to find a people smuggler to take him out.His parents have pleaded not guilty to charges of funding terrorism after being accused of sending cash to their son.

John Letts and Sally Lane told the BBC that, having not heard from their son for several weeks, they suddenly received a message saying he was in a safe zone.

"It was the news we've been waiting for for three years -ever since he went out there - and now we just want to get him home," said Lane.

They believe their son is not being treated badly but are concerned about his mental health. Letts' parents are calling on the British authorities to do "whatever they can" to help him.The government had told them that they could only help if he left IS territory but now he is out "no-one wants to take responsibility", said Lane.

Letts, an organic farmer, acknowledges that his son "will have to account for his actions" once he returns to Britain, but the family is not convinced "he has done anything at all", from what he has told them.

The UK government advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq and a number of people who returned from these areas have been prosecuted.

Asked by the BBC why the UK government should help him, Jack said, "I don't want anyone to help me."I'll just chill here in solitary confinement till someone decides it's easier to kill me," he added.
Washington: Pentagon chief James Mattis has warned that North Korea poses the most urgent threat to international peace and security, calling the regime's weapons program a "clear and present danger" to all.

In written testimony to lawmakers ahead of a hearing on the Pentagon budget, Mattis on Monday said North Korea is increasing the pace and scope of its nuclear weapons program that leader Kim Jong-Un has stated will one day be capable of delivering a bomb on the United States. "The most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security is North Korea," Mattis said.

"The regime's nuclear weapons program is a clear and present danger to all, and the regime's provocative actions, manifestly illegal under international law, have not abated despite United Nations' censure and sanctions."

The defense secretary also warned of a return to "Great Power competition," where countries like Russia and China are gaining military assertiveness and placing long-held global security protocol at risk.

"Both Russia and China object to key aspects of the international order so painstakingly built since the end of World War II," he said.

Pyongyang has test-fired a string of missiles this year, building on launches and atomic tests that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the United States  something President Donald Trump has said "won't happen."
Munich: Several people were wounded when shots were fired at a commuter rail station near the southern German city of Munich on Tuesday and one person was detained, police said.

"Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded" at an S-Bahn station in Unterfoehring, a northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city, police tweeted, and that the scene was now "secured".

A Munich police spokesman, Marcus da Gloria Martins, later told reporters there was no indication of a "political or religious" motive behind the incident.

"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons," he said.

Martins said that the unidentified man had tried to push at least one police officer in front of an incoming train, leading to a scuffle during which he took the female officer's gun and fired.

"The police officer was shot in the head and critically injured," Martins said.

Two other people at the station were seriously injured but their lives were not believed to be in danger. They were being treated in local hospitals.

"The assailant was arrested. He was also injured. There are no indications of further perpetrators," according to another police tweet.

"The area around the suburban train station Unterfoering has been cordoned off."

In July 2016, an 18-year-old, David Ali Sonboly, shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage.

Police said the German-Iranian teen was "obsessed" with mass murderers such Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the Islamic State group.

And in March, an axe-wielding attacker wounded nine people in a bloody rampage at a railway station in the western city of Duesseldorf.

The 36-year-old Kosovan national had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of high anxiety and self-harm, police said, ruling out a terrorist motive.

Instead, they suggested he might have carried out the attack at the station to end his own life.

The suspect was taken into custody after jumping off a bridge.

German authorities have been on high alert since a series of attacks claimed by Islamic State.

The most deadly came in December 2016 when a Tunisian rejected asylum seeker rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in an attack that killed 12 people and wounded dozens of others.
Several people have been injured in a shooting at a local train station in Munich on Tuesday, German police tweeted.

Munich Police spokesman Michael Riehlein said that the incident took place on Tuesday morning when police were carrying out a check at the Unterfoehring subway station, The Telegraph reported. The report added that a police officer has been injured.

Quoting the Munich police, Associated Press reported that the policewoman's injuries were serious and the suspect was also injured. The suspect is in custody, the report further added. Police added that they have secured the area. Bavarian public radio, citing the police, has said it was probably not a terrorist attack.

Bavarian radio also said, "According to police information it is probably not a terrorist attack". "There is no danger to the public," said a spokeswoman for the police, Reuters reported.

With inputs from agencies
It is worth noting that Donald Trump will host Narendra Modi in their first face-to-face meeting on 26 June at the White House, not the US president's favourite Mar-a-Lago retreat where he schmoozed with Chinese president Xi Jinping or Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Is it, as the speculation goes, the Florida heat? Or does the White House provide the setting for a more austere discussion between two leaders who have never met before? Should we conclude that 'dealmaker' Trump is willing to see what Modi has to offer but unwilling to commit more, or share a gooey chocolate cake the way he did with Xi?

Trouble is, with Trump one isnt sure.

For all you know, at the first sight of Modi he may junk the handshake for a bear hug and set the course for a closer relationship based on 'personal chemistry'. If there's one predictable thing about Trump, it is that he's unpredictable. During the presidential campaign, we were promised a 'friend' of India at White House. What we got instead was a revisionist leader who badmouthed us on the Paris Agreement and is threatening to throw out skilled Indian workers.

The current synergy between New Delhi and Washington is the result of decades of concerted effort and significant personal investment from leaders on both sides. The distance between mutual distrust of Cold War and sealing of a civil nuclear agreement or military logistics pact has not been covered in a day. And along with Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, credit must also go to Modi for shedding the "hesitations of history".

However, as Carnegie India director C Raja Mohan argues in The Indian Express, "Having brought India out of its defensive shell, Modi now finds he must deal with an America that is retreating into one The traditional props that have framed India-US relationship over the last two decades  including those on shared democratic values and a common interest in Asian balance of power  can no longer provide an effective guidance to the Trump era."

To ensure the continuity in relationship while dealing with a leader who is innocent of history, callous about alliances, suffers from attention-span disorder, places personal relationships above national and geopolitical considerations and appears to be thoroughly incompetent for the job he has been elected to do, Modi may need to revise his strategy.

In contrast with his recent Europe and Russia tour, Modi cannot depend on bolstering India-US ties within the broader framework of shared democratic values, mutual interests and concerns. He faces the challenge of ensuring continuity in bilateral relationship within the narrow paradigm of personal equations and not the hard-boiled distillation of mutual strategic interests drawn up by experienced foreign policy hands.

To understand how this works, we need only look at the churning in global geopolitics within just over a 100 days of Trump taking the White House. Longstanding NATO allies, strategic and trading partners have either been left fuming or confused.

Countries whom Trump repeatedly vilified during his presidential campaign have turned into allies overnight. One by one, Trump has rubbed Mexico, Canada, Germany, France, South Korea, and Australia the wrong way while cosying up to the House of Saud and China: two countries that Trump has repeatedly accused of doing heinous things.

In a June 2014 Facebook post, then Republican hopeful Trump blasted Saudi Arabia for "enslaving women" and "killing gays" and accused Hillary Clinton of benefiting from dirty money.

Trump also accused Saudi Arabia of funding global terrorism and suggested that the House of Saud may have been responsible for the 9/11 attacks. As Washington Post points out, while discussing the redactions in the 9/11 commission report with Fox News last April, Trump said: "It's going to be very profound having to do with Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia's role on the World Trade Center and the attack."

His antagonism towards Saudi Arabia goes as far back as 1987 when he shelled out almost $100,000 to place a full-page ad in leading newspapers, accusing them, among other countries, of sucking the US dry and demanding that these countries should "pay the US for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests."

As Trump landed in Saudi Arabia for his first presidential trip abroad, he seemed so taken in by Saudi hospitality that he forgot his past accusations, the delicate balance of power in the Gulf, America's troubled relationship with its 'ally' and clasped the House of Saud in such a tight embrace that they felt emboldened enough to flex their muscles and engineer a diplomatic coup against Qatar, a longstanding US ally. Not to speak of arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars.

Similarly, after spewing regular invective against China and accusing it of exploiting US workers, industry and manipulating currency, Trump met Xi and promptly declared him to be a "great guy" with whom he has "great chemistry". His carte blanche resulted in the Dragon further raising the stakes with regard to the South China Sea and upsetting the balance of power in Asia.

As Jackson Diehl writes in Washington Post, in forcing Trump to reverse his outlook, both China and Saudi Arabia embarked on a two-pronged strategy: Cultivating a personal relationship with Trump, avoiding the protocols and foreign policy verticals in Washington and opening a back channel through Jared Kushner, the ambitious yet naive son-in-law. While Trump family's business interests were 'taken care of' in China, in Saudi Arabia, deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman struck up deals for an 'Arab NATO'.

In this new paradigm where the Trump family is worth more than Trump administration, there is little chance that India will be able to influence the US president into reversing his policy decision on the H1B visa programme. India lacks the swiftness or improvisation of the Saudis and the Chinese  and places foreign policy within the realm of ideals and principles rather than realpolitik  for it to try and open a similar conduit through Kushner.

Therefore, when Modi arrives in the US on 25 June and meets Trump the next day, he might look for an incident-free meeting. Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer has hit the right notes, predicting a dovetailing of interests between 'Make America Great Again' and 'Make in India'. It remains to be seen how Spicer's assertion that Modi's vision for 'new India' will create jobs in the US, pans out. India would do well not to be taken in by mere rhetoric.

It is okay if Modi fails to gain any major concessions from Trump. The key will be to weather the storm and, going ahead, set a working relationship based on a personal equation. The superstructure of the India-US relationship has enough built-in insurances to survive four (or even eight) years of Trump uncertainty.

In the end, the bilateral ties are greater and more important than the vagaries of a fickle showboat.
Washington: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and violent extremist organisations are the key challenges before America, Defence Secretary James Mattis has said insisting that the US military requires a balanced inventory of advanced capabilities to act decisively.

"In today's strategic environment, five key challenges Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organisations  most clearly represent the challenges facing the US military," Mattis told members of the House Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing on Monday night.

"They serve as a benchmark for our global posture, the size of the force, capability development, and risk management," he said.

Over the past several decades, each of these state actors have developed capabilities and operational approaches to counter US strategic and operational centres of gravity, he said.

"For Russia and China, specifically, the lessons-learnt spurred dramatic tactical, operational, and strategic adaptations," he said.

"Today, Russia continues to invest in a full-range of capabilities designed to limit our ability to project power into Europe and meet our alliance commitments to NATO, said Mattis.

Similarly, Mattis said, China has embarked on a significant programme to modernise and expand strategic and conventional military capabilities.

"North Korea's nuclear weapons development, combined with efforts to develop a nuclear-capable ballistic missile capability, is specifically intended to threaten the security of the homeland and our allies in the Pacific. Over the past year, North Korea conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests.Moreover, North Korea has demonstrated a willingness to use malicious cyber tools against governments and industry," he said.

Observing that Iran seeks to assert itself as the dominant regional power in West Asia, he said Tehran continue to support international terrorist organisations like Hezbollah, and support proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen to assert influence and counter the influence of the US and its Allies.

"Finally, violent extremist organisations such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda remain a threat to the homeland, our allies, and our way of life, Mattis said.

A review of these five challenges demonstrates that the US military requires a balanced inventory of advanced capabilities and sufficient capacity to act decisively across the range of military operations, Mattis said.
WASHINGTON U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday that he would present options on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump "very soon," saying the strategy would take a regional approach rather than looking at the war-torn country in isolation.

"We are taking a regional approach to this. ... We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee.

Reuters reported in late April that Trump's administration was carrying out a review of Afghanistan and conversations were revolving around sending between 3,000 and 5,000 U.S. and coalition troops to Afghanistan. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Mike Stone; Editing by Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Moscow: Russian Opposition politician Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days, and over 1,500 of his supporters were arrested after demonstrations across the nation against government corruption.

The protests were the second mass action since March called by Navalny, who has announced his intention to run for president next year and has drawn a new generation to the streets through a relentless online campaign.

A Moscow court, sitting late on Monday, found the 41-year-old Navalny guilty of organising unauthorised protests and sentenced him to a month in administrative custody, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter.

The OVD-Info rights group told AFP that more than 1,500 of his supporters had been arrested during the protests across the country on Monday, including 823 in Moscow where riot police tried to push the crowds back, sometimes by beating them with batons.

As riot police grabbed people and led them to police vans others demonstrators shouted "Shame!", "Putin is a thief!" and "Freedom to Navalny!" Police held an estimated 600 protesters in Saint Petersburg, said the NGO, which tracks arrests and said more than 100 detentions had also been made in cities including Vladivostock, Kaliningrad, Norilsk and Sochi.

Thousands of Russians, many very young, chanted "Russia without Putin!" in the streets of dozens of cities during Monday's protests. The United States condemned the arrests, a rare criticism of human rights violations and the Kremlin from Donald Trump's administration.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called "on the government of Russia to immediately release all peaceful protesters," detained in nationwide marches.

Navalny himself was picked up by police as he headed to the Moscow event. Thousands took to the streets in other cities across Russia, with the authorities sanctioning some gatherings and banning others.

Some reports said authorities threatened university students with expulsion if they attended the protests.

Navalny's anti-corruption videos have needled the country's ruling elite and drawn crowds to the streets not seen since the protests against President Vladimir Putin's reelection for a third term in 2012.

Navalny, who plans to stand against Putin in presidential elections in March, appeared before a judge Monday evening.

He faces up to 30 days in administrative custody for breaking rules on organising demonstrations, his lawyer said.

President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani voiced his concern after Navalny's arrest and an EU spokesman deplored "the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters and the violence used by Russian authorities against them".

Rights group Amnesty International condemned "alarming scenes" of detentions and violence towards demonstrators, calling for their immediate release. The recent rallies were galvanised by a film released by Navalny in early March, which accused Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling vast personal wealth through a shadowy network of foundations.

It has been viewed over 22 million times. "Putin has been in power for 17 years and is not planning to leave. He has usurped all power," said protester Alexander Tyurin, 41.

Another protester Yevgeny, 19, said he had been expelled from university after participating in a previous rally.

"Our government shouts that enemies are everywhere and is becoming closed in on itself," he said. "We want turnover among those in power. Pressure on young people has increased." Navalny has brought a new generation to the streets through his embrace of YouTube.

His team was broadcasting from a studio set up in Moscow, though the electricity was periodically cut, forcing the presenter to speak in total darkness.

Moscow police said Navalny would be charged with administrative offences of resisting arrest and a second violation of demonstration organisation rules.

The wave of protests called by Navalny coincides with a public holiday, Russia Day, when Putin hands out awards and holds a reception in the Kremlin.

Turnout was difficult to calculate as ordinary people mingled with those protesting, but thousands filled the Tverskaya Street area in Moscow, many waving Russian flags and banners.

On the eve of the event  which was authorised  Navalny announced the protest was changing location to Tverskaya because the authorities had blocked his efforts to set up a stage and sound equipment. They "are forbidding any contractors from getting us a stage and sound," he wrote on his blog Sunday.

"We are cancelling the rally on Sakharov Avenue and moving it to Tverskaya Street," a main thoroughfare to the Kremlin, he said.

The protest ended up coinciding with City Hall Russia Day events such as the reenactment of various eras in Russian history, from World War I trenches to a Renaissance fair and sword fighting.

In surreal scenes, dozens of buses filled by policemen were parked nearby ahead of the rally while ordinary people gawked at actors in period costumes. Later, however, riot police and the national guard moved in, even on people sitting in nearby cafes, shouting "Go away! There is an unauthorised protest here!"
Beijing: In a major blow to Taiwan, Panama on Tuesday broke off diplomatic ties with it and established relations with China as cash-rich Beijing exerted its economic clout to wean away handful allies of Taipei.

Regarded as a diplomatic coup for Beijing, China and Panama signed a joint communique, formally establishing diplomatic relations.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held a meeting with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

They signed the joint communique in which Panama has recognised 'One China', which means that Taiwan is part of the Chinese mainland.

Taiwan expressed "anger and regret" over the "very unfriendly" diplomatic turn by Panama that "yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities".

It accused Panama of "bullying" Taiwan while "ignoring the many years of friendship" between the two countries, and added it would "not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy".

Last June Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen, a strong advocate of Taiwan's independence from China visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as president. The switch by Panama leaves Taiwan with a handful of allies around the world.

Few months ago, Sao Tome and Principe has switched sides. Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation had demanded a huge amount of financial support.

The move by Panama comes as China began construction of a container port with natural gas facilities in northern province of Colon last week.

For long, Panama has maintained that it has commercial ties with China and diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan, which broke away from China in 1949, is coming under immense pressure from China's push with huge funds of Belt and Road Initiative. Panama is the latest country to cut ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan has left with few allies, mostly small countries. They include Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia In Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland, The Holy See, Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau.

Panama did not give any reason for changing its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic cooperation with China in recent years, BBC reported.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year.

The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road infrastructure-building initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the United States is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing, the report said.
By Elida Moreno and Philip Wen

| PANAMA CITY/BEIJING

PANAMA CITY/BEIJING Panama has established diplomatic ties with China and broken with Taiwan in a major victory for Beijing, as it lures away the dwindling number of countries that have formal relations with the self-ruled island.Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a televised address on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal."I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Varela said.Taiwan's government said it was sorry and angry over Panama's decision, and it would not compete with China in what it described as a "diplomatic money game"."Our government expresses serious objections and strong condemnation in response to China enticing Panama to cut ties with us, confining our international space and offending the people of Taiwan," David Lee, Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs, told a briefing in Taipei.Taiwan would immediately end cooperation with and assistance for Panama, and evacuate embassy and technical personnel "in order to safeguard our national sovereignty and dignity", Lee said. China is deeply suspicious of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who it thinks wants to push for the island's formal independence, although she says she wants to maintain peace with Beijing.China and Taiwan have tried to poach each other's allies over the years, often dangling generous aid packages in front of developing nations, although Taipei struggles to compete with an increasingly powerful China.Panama is the second country to switch its recognition to Beijing since Tsai took office last year, following a similar move by Sao Tome and Principe in December, trimming to 20 the number of countries that formally recognise Taiwan.

Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, and its remaining formal ties are with mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his counterpart from Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo, in Beijing on Tuesday and signed a joint communique establishing ties."This is a historic moment. China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, describing Panama's decision as in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times". CHINESE LARGESSE

Panama said it recognised there was only one China, with Taiwan belonging to the Asian giant, and that it was severing ties with Taipei."The Panamanian government is today breaking its 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan, and pledges to end all relations or official contact with Taiwan," it said in a statement.The establishment of links with Panama is a coup for China, which has been showering largesse on countries in Central America in recent years in an attempt to get them to break with Taiwan.As recently as December, Panama's deputy foreign minister had said he did not expect any change in Panama's relations with Taiwan or China.Panama is one of Taiwan's oldest friends, but some diplomats in Beijing had earlier speculated that the Central American country could become the next nation to break ties.

Tsai visited Central American allies this year but did not stop in Panama.In Beijing, Panama's foreign minister de Saint Malo said President Varela had expressed 10 years ago his interest in establishing ties with China, and that she hoped the move would lead to trade, investment and tourism opportunities, especially for "exporting more goods from Panama to China". Matt Ferchen, an expert on China's relations with Latin America at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing, said Panama's switch was bad news for Taiwan's relations in Central America, where it still has ties with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua."It sets a sort of precedent that could very well influence the rest of the region," Ferchen said.In addition to financial support, China offers the lure of growing international influence.Still, Ferchen said it was premature to read Panama's shift as a big gain for China's influence in the backyard of the United States."If it becomes perceived that way in the United States among Congress and the U.S. presidential administration, or the U.S. military, you could really be stepping on some sensitive feet," he said. (Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City, Faith Hung in Taipei and Michael Martina and Philip Wen in Beijing; Writing by Gabriel Stargardter and Tony Munroe; Editing by Paul Tait and Michael Perry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Panama City: Panama broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switched to Beijing, accepting its One China policy, the countries announced on Monday.

"In light of the interests and wishes of both peoples, the Republic of Panama and People's Republic of China have decided to grant each other, from the date of this document's signing, mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level," the note said.

After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement, Panama now "recognises that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan forms an "inalienable part of Chinese territory".

The new relationship with Beijing was starting Monday, and the previous one with Taiwan ending, the note added.

The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

Taiwan, considered a rebel province by Beijing, is recognised by around 20 countries worldwide and the issue of its status has risen again with the election of United States president Donald Trump.

Panama long had stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.

Today, Chinese ships are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue.

Panama over the years received generous aid, and millions of dollars in cooperation funds from Taipei. But it was simultaneously pressed for decades by Beijing to adopt its stand.

The dispute rose in December after Trump, elected president a month earlier, spoke to Taiwan's president by telephone.

Trump became the first president or president-elect to speak to a Taiwanese leader since at least 1979, when the United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan as part of its recognition of the People's Republic of China.

In the statement, Trump's office said the two leaders had noted "the close economic, political, and security ties" between Taiwan and the United States, but the very contact threatened to upend almost four decades of United States foreign policy.

After years of heavy rhetoric, relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification.

The offer was rejected, but Taiwan did relax rules on visits to and investment in China. There were also limited talks between the two sides' unofficial representatives.

But Chinese concern rose in 2000, when Taiwan elected Chen Shui-bian, who had openly backed independence, as president.

Chen was re-elected in 2004, prompting China to pass a law the following year, stating China's right to use "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan if it tried to secede from China.
Warsaw: Poland on Tuesday denounced as "illegal" possible EU sanctions against Warsaw for refusing to take in its share of refugees under a controversial solidarity plan.

Three diplomats told AFP on Monday they expected eastern EU members Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to face sanctions over their refusal to participate in relocating 1,60,000 refugees under a 2015 plan to ease the burden on frontline states Italy and Greece.

The European Commission headed by Jean-Claude Juncker is expected to make a decision on legal action on Tuesday, with a formal announcement on Wednesday.

But Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski responded, "We're not at risk.We won't react, we're not going to explain to them (the Commission) that this is illegal."

"You can't link relocation, or forced re-settlement, to any kind of European policy," Waszczykowski told Polish media on Tuesday.

"Most of these people aren't refugees, they're migrants, who arrived in Europe illegally and they don't want to be re-settled in Poland, this would have to be done by force," Waszczykowski added.

Brussels set a June deadline for Warsaw and Budapest to start accepting mainly Syrian, Eritrean and Iraq asylum seekers. Prague has also come under pressure after effectively dropping out of the relocation plan.

Under "infringement" proceedings the European Commission, the 28-nation EU's executive arm, sends a letter to national governments demanding legal explanations over certain issues, before possibly referring them to the European Court of Justice.

EU states can eventually face stiff financial penalties for failing to comply.

Rafal Bochenek, spokesman for Poland's right-wing government, on Tuesday dubbed the Commission's threats of legal action "surprising", accusing it of "weakness" and "inability to cope" with migrant crisis.

Warsaw has offered to send humanitarian aid to refugees camps or war zones in West Asia.

Echoing earlier fiery rhetoric by Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, Bochenek said that the refugee relocation plan posed a security "threat" to EU members.

By the start of June, less than 20,000 of 1,60,000 refugees had been relocated under the plan, created in response to Europe's biggest ever migration crisis.

European sources have blamed the delays on governments trying to screen jihadists in the wake of terror attacks, a lack of housing and education for asylum seekers, and logistical problems.

They said some countries were setting unacceptable conditions by refusing Muslims, black people or large families, with Eastern European states the worst for discriminating on religious or racial grounds.
Fighting in Marawi City in the southern Philippines entered its fourth week on Tuesday with military officials conceding that troops were struggling to loosen the grip of Islamist fighters on downtown precincts despite relentless bombing.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said the urban terrain was hampering the army's progress because the rebels had hunkered down in built-up neighbourhoods, many of them with civilians they had taken as human shields.

Hundreds of other civilians were still trapped in the ruins of the town and  facing capture, starvation or bombardment from above  several have braved sniper fire to dash across a bridge to safety. Some were shot dead, a few made it alive.

Asked when the fighting would end, Padilla said, "I can't give you an estimate because of compounding developments faced by ground commanders."

The military had set Monday, the Philippines' independence day, as a target date to flush out the militants, both local and foreign fighters who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Flags were raised at ceremony in the town on the insurgency-plagued island of Mindanao, but heavy gunfire resumed early on Tuesday, and the military continued to target the militants with mortars and helicopter-mounted machine guns.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared martial law in Mindanao on 23 May  hours after several hundred fighters overran parts of the town and tried to seal it off to create an Islamic caliphate  did not show at any independence day events.

Duterte is best known for a brutal war on drugs since he took office a year ago, and he has suggested that funding for the Islamist militants came from the narcotics trade.

Some media reports highlighted the absence of the president at a time of serious conflict, but a spokesman said he was tired and needed to rest.

The Philippines has been fighting twin insurgencies from Maoist-led rebels and Muslim separatists in the south for nearly 50 years. Critics say military action is not enough to bring peace to a region that has long suffered from political neglect and poverty.

The seizure of Marawi has alarmed Southeast Asian nations which fear Islamic State  on a backfoot in Iraq and Syria  is trying to set up a stronghold on Mindanao that could threaten their region.

The ultra-radical group's news agency, Amaq, said the military in the largely Christian Philippines had "completely failed" to take back Muslim-majority Marawi.

"Islamic State fighters are spread in more than two-thirds of Marawi and tighten the chokehold on the Philippine Army that is incapable of maintaining control of the situation," it said.

Padilla branded the Amaq report "pure propaganda".

Responding to the report, Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, head of military command in Western Mindanao, said the militants controlled 20 percent of the town.

That is at least twice the area that the military had given a week ago, when it had said the rebels were holed up in a sliver of urban terrain equal to 10 percent and shrinking.

Almost the entire population of about 2,00,000 fled after the militants tried to overrun it, but the military believes that beyond the checkpoints now fencing off its main roads there are still some 300-600 civilians trapped or being held hostage.

Former military chief Rodolfo Biazon told ABC-CBN television on Monday that the government seemed to be struggling to control the situation because rebel forces could move freely in an out of the town, raising the prospect of reinforcements.

"Marawi has porous boundaries. You see them in one place of Mindanao today, you see them in another place tomorrow," said Biazon, also a former legislator.

As of Tuesday, the number of security forces and civilians who had died in the battle for Marawi officially stood at 58 and 26, respectively. The death toll of militants was put at 202.

Islamic State's Amaq news agency said that at least 200 government troops had been killed and many had abandoned their posts, leaving behind weapons that were seized by the militants.

It released a video showing the insurgents fighting and what it said was the execution of six Christians who were shot simultaneously in the back of the head. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

At dawn on Tuesday, five police officers and five Christian civilians ran through the city's commercial district to reach a government-controlled area on the Agus River's west bank.

The military said that, in another incident, the insurgents knocked on the door of a house where 18 people were hiding. They escaped through a back door, but five were shot dead, eight were captured and only five made it to safety at the river.
Reuters: US attorney general Jeff Sessions will testify publicly to a Senate panel on Tuesday, the committee's chairman said, setting up another potentially dramatic congressional hearing on possible ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Sessions is likely to face questions by the Senate Intelligence Committee over his dealings with Russian officials during the campaign and whether he had a role in firing former FBI Director James Comey, who testified last week before the same panel.

Until the panel chairman's statement on Monday, it had been unclear whether Sessions would testify in an open or closed setting.

Comey told the panel last Thursday that the FBI had information in mid-February on Sessions that would have made it "problematic" for him to continue leading a federal probe into Russian attempts to influence the presidential election.

Sessions recused himself from the inquiry in March after media reports that he had been in two previously undisclosed meetings last year with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

Members of the committee are likely to ask Sessions about a possible third undisclosed meeting that is now under investigation, according to media reports.

Sessions, a former senator and an early supporter of Trump's election campaign, will be the most senior government official to testify to the committee on the Russia issue. The matter has dogged the Republican president's early months in office.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said Sessions requested the open setting because "he believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."

Sessions is scheduled to testify from 2.30 pm (1830 GMT) on Tuesday.

Media reports last week said Sessions offered to resign because of tensions with Trump over his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's Russia probe. The matter is also being investigated by several congressional panels, including the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Russia has denied interfering in the US election. The White House has denied any collusion with Moscow.

Critics charged that by firing Comey on 9 May, Trump was trying to hinder the FBI's Russia probe and the ex-FBI chief added fuel to that accusation with his testimony last week. Trump has denied he tried to interfere with the probe.
WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen said he has been asked to testify on Sept. 5 before the House Intelligence Committee, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The House committee is among those investigating alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election and any possible collusion with the president's campaign or associates.

(Writing by Susan Heavey)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Julia Edwards Ainsley and Patricia Zengerle

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appearing at a high-stakes Senate hearing, on Tuesday denounced as "an appalling and detestable lie" the idea that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.Sessions, a senior member of Republican President Donald Trump's Cabinet and an adviser to his presidential campaign last year, testified about his conversations with Russian officials and whether he intentionally misled Congress, as the Senate Intelligence Committee probes the Russia matter."I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected with the Trump campaign," Sessions said."The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honour for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," he said.Sessions is the most senior member of Trump's administration caught up in the controversy over whether associates of the president colluded with Russia to help Trump win the election.The committee's chairman, Republican Richard Burr, told Sessions the hearing was "your opportunity to separate fact from fiction" and "set the record straight on a number of allegations reported in the press."Even before Sessions testified, attention in Washington swivelled to whether Trump might seek to fire Robert Mueller, named last month by the Justice Department to head a federal probe into the Russia issue.Sessions told the senators that he has confidence in Mueller but said he had "no idea" if Trump did because he had not spoken to the president about the matter. Asked whether he would ever take any action to remove Mueller, Sessions said, "I would not think that would be appropriate for me to do."

Such a move would be complicated and potentially politically explosive. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the person who would be responsible for carrying out any such dismissal, told a different congressional panel on Tuesday he would not fire Mueller without good cause and he had seen no such cause.Sessions appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee just five days after James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director on May 9, told the panel Trump ousted him to undermine the agency's investigation of the Russia matter. Sessions had written a letter to Trump recommending Comey's firing.Burr said he wanted to know from Sessions what meetings he had with Russian officials or their proxies on behalf of the Trump campaign, why he recused himself from the Russia investigation and what role, if any, he played in the firing of Comey.The testimony by Comey marked the latest chapter in a saga that has dogged the Republican Trump's first five months as president and distracted from his domestic policy agenda including major healthcare and tax cut initiatives.

Sessions is a former Republican U.S. senator and an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign.MEETINGS WITH AMBASSADOR

In March he acknowledged he met twice last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Sessions said he did not mislead Congress because the encounters were part of his job as a U.S. senator, not as a Trump campaign representative. But Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March after the revelations of the two Kislyak meetings.The abrupt dismissal of Comey prompted Trump's critics to charge that the president was trying to interfere with a criminal investigation.

Asked about media reports that he had met with Kislyak on a third occasion at a Washington hotel last year, Sessions testified that did not remember meeting or having a conversation with the ambassador at the event. Sessions said he "racked my brain" and had no meeting with any Russian in his capacity as a Trump campaign adviser.Sessions said he did not recuse himself because he felt he was a subject of the investigation himself but rather because he felt he was required to by Justice Department rules.U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump in part by hacking and releasing damaging emails about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.Trump has been publicly dismissive of the Russia investigation for months. A Trump confidant, Chris Ruddy, told "PBS NewsHour" on Monday the president was weighing whether to fire Mueller.Amid the firestorm over Comey's dismissal, the Justice Department's Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to oversee the probe into Russian election interference and any collusion by Trump aides. Russia has denied interfering in the U.S. election. The White House has denied any collusion.If Trump were targeting Mueller, dismissing him would not be a simple matter. Trump could recommend to the Justice Department that the special counsel be fired. Since Sessions is recused from these matters, he would likely would send such a recommendation to Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. (Reporting by Julia Edwards Ainsley and Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan, Amanda Becker, Warren Strobel, Steve Holland, Daqvid Alexander and Mohammad Zargham; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Mica Rosenberg

U.S. immigration authorities are arresting Iraqi immigrants ordered deported for serious crimes, the U.S. government said on Monday, after Iraq agreed to accept U.S. deportees as part of a deal to remove it from President Donald Trump's travel ban.Dozens of Iraqi Chaldean Catholics in Detroit, Michigan were among those targeted in immigration sweeps over the weekend, according to immigration attorneys and family members, some of whom feared they would be killed if deported to their home country where they have faced persecution. Kurdish Iraqis were also picked up in Nashville, Tennessee in recent days, attorneys, activists and family members told Reuters. The actions came as part of the Trump administration's push to increase immigration enforcement and make countries, which have resisted in the past, take back nationals ordered deported from the United States."As a result of recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq, Iraq has recently agreed to accept a number of Iraqi nationals subject to orders of removal," said Gillian Christensen, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Christensen said the agency arrested individuals who had criminal convictions for violations ranging from homicide to drug charges and had been ordered removed by an immigration judge. She declined to give more details, citing the ongoing nature of the operation.An Iraqi official said Iraqi diplomatic and consular missions would coordinate with U.S. authorities to issue travel documents for the deportees when they can be proven "to be 'Iraqi' based on our records and investigation."The Iraqi official said around 100 people were arrested just in Detroit over the weekend.

Reuters could not independently confirm all of the cases.The moves come after the U.S. government dropped Iraq from a list of countries targeted by a revised version of Trump's temporary travel ban issued in March. The March 6 order said Iraq was taken off the list because the Iraqi government had taken steps "to enhance travel documentation, information sharing, and the return of Iraqi nationals subject to final orders of removal."There are approximately 1,400 Iraqi nationals with final orders of removal currently in the United States, according to U.S. officials.

Iraq had previously been considered one of 23 "recalcitrant" countries, along with China, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and others, that refused to cooperate with ICE's efforts to remove nationals from the United States, according to ICE.At least some of the people who were picked up came to the United States as children, got in trouble years ago and already served their sentences, according to immigration attorneys and local activists. They had been given an effective reprieve from deportation because Iraq would not take them back."I understand these are criminals, but they paid their dues," said Eman Jajonie-Daman, an immigration attorney in Detroit who had been receiving frantic phone calls from clients' families over the weekend. "But we cannot send them back to die." TRUMP SUPPORTERS

Some of the weekend arrests took place in Michigan's Macomb County, which Trump won by 53.6 percent in the 2016 Presidential race, backed by many in the Iraqi Christian community.The community is home to many refugees who have fled Iraq in the face of religious persecution, according to the Chaldean Community Foundation. At least one family of Trump supporters has been affected by the recent enforcement actions.Nahrain Hamama said ICE agents came to her house on Sunday morning and arrested her 54-year-old husband Usama Hamama, a supermarket manager who goes by "Sam." He has lived in the United States since childhood and has four U.S.-born children. During the election, all his U.S. citizen relatives were Trump supporters, Hamama said."He forgot his language, he doesn't speak Arabic anymore. We have no family there on both sides. Where would he go? What would he do? How would he live?" Hamama said. She fears for his health and that he will be targeted by groups in Iraq because of his religion, made more visible because of a cross tattooed on his wrist. Sam got in trouble with the law in his 20s, in what his wife called a "road rage" incident where he brandished a gun during a fight in traffic. He served time in prison and was ordered deported after being released. For the past seven years he has regularly checked in with immigration officials, his wife said. "It is a shame that for one mistake, that he paid for legally, now he has to pay with his own life." (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington, Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago, and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Andrew Hay)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Miami: United States authorities have arrested former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli on an extradition warrant from his country.

United States Marshals Service spokesman Manny Puri says Martinelli was in custody on Monday evening at a federal detention center in Miami.

The former president was arrested earlier in the evening near his home in Coral Gables, Florida. He is accused of corruption and spying on opponents in Panama.

Martinelli is expected to appear before a judge for an extradition hearing. The former president from 2009-2014 has denied wrongdoing and contends the case is political persecution by his successor.

In February, prosecutors in Panama also said they were seeking international help in detaining two of his sons in relation to an alleged scheme to launder bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
JNU        -:        ,  -    
Washington: Attorney-general Jeff Sessions steps back into a familiar arena on Tuesday when he testifies before the Senate intelligence committee about his role in the firing of former FBI director James Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

Last week, Comey raised additional questions about Sessions' involvement, saying the FBI knew of reasons why it would be problematic for the attorney-general to stay involved in the Russia investigation well before Sessions recused himself in March. Comey declined to elaborate in an open setting and Sessions accepted the intelligence committee's invitation to appear in part so he could address those comments.

The former Republican senator took over the justice department with a tough-on-crime agenda that included quashing illegal immigration, rooting out drug gangs and leading the charge in helping cities fight spikes in violence. But the Russia investigation continues to cast a shadow over his tenure.

A look at the man who has become a key figure in the probe:

Who is Jeff Sessions?

Blunt and plainspoken, Sessions, 70, went from a GOP foot soldier to prosecutor to politician and ultimately one of president Donald Trump's leading champions, sharing his hardline views on national security and immigration. Trump rewarded his loyalty on the campaign by tapping him as the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Sessions is a devout Methodist who came of age in the segregated south. He cut his teeth as a federal prosecutor in Mobile, Alabama, at the height of the drug war, and many of the policies he has tried to implement as attorney-general have roots in that time period. As a United States attorney in 1986, Sessions faced allegations of racially charged remarks, and they cost him a federal judgeship. Sessions has called those allegations "false charges," and said they were hurtful and has tried to move past them.

What were his Senate priorities?

Sessions generally leant right of his Republican colleagues, often articulating more conservative views than those of party leaders in the Senate.

Sessions was a leading opponent of the Senate's 2013 immigration overhaul, which he called too permissive. He instead advocated for broad presidential powers to curtail immigration, an issue that drew him to candidate Trump early. He opposed efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, supported expanded government surveillance and criticised the Voting Rights Act as placing an unfair burden on states. He joined a bipartisan push to reduce federal sentencing disparities that treated crack cocaine offences much more harshly than crimes related to powder cocaine, a disparity that disproportionally impacted minority communities. But he later opposed the Senate's effort to overhaul the criminal justice system, warning it could lead to violence.

What has he done in the justice department?

As attorney-general, Sessions has quickly worked to undo Obama-era policies. He signalled his strong support for the federal government's continued use of private prisons, reversing a directive to phase out their use. He also recently directed the nation's federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible against the vast majority of suspects, a rollback of Obama-era policies that aimed to reduce the federal prison population and show more lenience to lower-level drug offenders.

Keeping with the Trump administration's anti-immigration agenda, Sessions has also urged federal prosecutors to intensify their focus on immigration crimes such as illegal border crossing or smuggling others into the United States. And he has threatened to withhold coveted grant money from localities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as they try to detain and deport people.

What's the trouble?

Sessions has been dogged by the Russia investigation. He recused himself from the federal probe in March after acknowledging that he met the Russian ambassador to the United States twice in 2016. He told lawmakers at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Questions are swirling about possible additional encounters with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. Senate Democrats have raised questions about whether the men met at an April 2016 foreign policy event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. The justice department has said that while Sessions was there, for a speech by Trump, there were no meetings or private encounters.
Ministers from Japan and the United States on Tuesday reiterated their opposition to North Korea's weapons programme, and urged China to pressurise the Kim Jong-un-led regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

United States' Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon met the Japanese National Security Advisor, Shotaro Yachi, after which he said that North Korea's nuclear and missile tests are a global threat, reports Efe news.

Shannon said that both countries have agreed to urge China and the international community to convince Pyongyang that its nuclear programs "do not create any hopeful path to the future".

"We underscored the important role that China can play in this process, and also the important role that the United Nations Security Council and other organisations within the international community can play in bringing this message home to North Korea loud and clear," Shannon added.

After his two-day visit to Tokyo, where he also met Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, Shannon is scheduled to travel to Seoul to discuss the United States-South Korea alliance.

The visit comes amid heightened military tensions in the region, with Pyongyang's repeated weapons tests, the latest that took place last week.
Washington: Senate Republicans and Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a new package of sanctions on Russia amid the firestorm over Russia's meddling in the presidential election and investigations into Moscow's possible collusion with members of president Donald Trump's campaign.

Top lawmakers on two committees  banking and foreign relations  announced the deal, which would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties. The plan also calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on corrupt Russian actors, those involved in human rights abuses and those supplying weapons to the government of Syrian president Bashar Assad.

Penalties also would be slapped on those responsible for malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government.

The batch of sanctions would be added to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating.

"The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyber attacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria," said Republicans and Democrats on the committees.

A procedural vote on the Russia sanctions is expected Wednesday, and the measure is expected to get strong bipartisan support. The legislation was worked out by Senators Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, of the banking committee, and Senators Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., of the foreign relations panel.

The legislation also allows new penalties on key elements of the Russia economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.

House and Senate committees are investigating Russia's meddling and potential links to the Trump campaign, with testimony scheduled Tuesday from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a separate probe.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish president (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilising actions," said Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the top Senate Democrat. "These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished."

The sanctions package is rooted in legislation introduced earlier this year amid concerns on Capitol Hill that Trump may seek to lift sanctions against Russia as part of a plan to forge a partnership between the two countries in key areas, such as counter-terrorism. In early January, before Trump was sworn in, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill designed to go beyond the punishments already levied against Russia by the Obama administration and to demonstrate to Trump that forcefully responding to Moscow's election interference wasn't a partisan issue.

Then-president Barack Obama in late December ordered sanctions on Russian spy agencies, closed two Russian compounds and expelled 35 diplomats the US said were really spies. Those penalties were on top of existing US sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine, which have damaged Russia's economy but had only limited impact on Putin's behaviour.

A month later, senators introduced another measure that would require the president to get approval from lawmakers before easing Russia sanctions. Cardin, the top Democrat on the foreign relations committee, said at the time that the measure was styled after 2015 legislation pushed by Republicans and approved overwhelmingly in the Senate that gave Congress a vote on whether Obama could lift sanctions against Iran. That measure reflected Republican complaints that Obama had overstepped the power of the presidency and needed to be checked by Congress.

The White House said last week it has no plans to scale back existing sanctions against Russia, as relations have soured.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Trump administration "is committed to existing sanctions against Russia" and will keep them in place "until Moscow fully honours its commitments to resolve the crisis in Ukraine."

Defense secretary Jim Mattis on Monday underscored the distrust between Moscow and Washington, telling the House Armed Services Committee that he's seen nothing to indicate that Russian president Vladimir Putin is interested in cooperation with the United States.

"Mr Putin has chosen to be a strategic competitor," Mattis said.
The alleged mastermind behind the Blue Whale Suicide challenge, Ilya Sidorov, was arrested last week in Moscow. A postman by profession, 26-year-old Sidorov, has been accused of encouraging teenagers to cut themselves and commit suicide.

The Blue Whale Challenge  an online game encouraged its members, mostly children aged 10 to 14 years, to complete a list of 50 tasks that ranged from self-harm, listening to odd music, watching horror movies and waking up at unusual hours of the night. The tasks culminated in asking the participants to kill themselves, as the only way to complete the challenge.

Believed to have originated in Russia, the challenge spread across Eastern Europe and into Brazil, Argentina and Portugal, claiming nearly 150 lives so far. Countries in Europe are on alert, and authorities in the UK are issuing warnings about online suicide groups that target teenagers on social media.

If you, or someone you know, are feeling upset or suicidal, there's always someone to talk to.

Counsellors at iCALL can be reached on 022-2552 1111 from Mondays-Saturday, between 8 am-10 pm or at icall@tiss.edu

For The Silver Lining, call on 022-2550 7663 or write to thesilverliningcentre@gmail.com

For Institute of Exceptional Children, dial 022-23003064
Ali Kassem had never seen the sea before he fled his home in Syria for Lebanon, but now he's a regular in the waves and, dreams of his own surf school. Dressed in a purple wet suit, the 17-year-old confidently coats his board with wax and smears sunscreen on his face before dashing into the sea. He disappears behind one wave and another, until his small figure is barely visible from the beach at all, as though he were headed for the horizon.

Kassem is from Aleppo city, though he says he remembers little from his childhood in Syria. His father has worked in Jiyeh for the past 25 years, and after Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, he decided to bring his family to Lebanon as well. Kassem has two brothers and three sisters, but speaks little about his family and his life, before he became a refugee. A third brother died in the conflict, "killed in Aleppo at the beginning of the war", he says, without giving more details.

Kassem's entry into surfing came through Ali el-Amine, who became his mentor after meeting him in 2015. Kassem has stuck with the sport, convinced it can help him "build a better life". During the summer, he works at Amine's school, repairing boards, welcoming customers and helping during lessons. The job provides income that helps his family, along with his father's wages and support from the UN refugee agency.

"Right now I'm teaching my younger brother how to surf, and I'm going to teach my younger sister as well," he says.

But, while Kassem says he has become used to life in Lebanon, he still dreams of returning home. His ultimate goal is "to become the first professional surfer in Syria and open a surf school in Latakia when the war is over". The school project might still be far off, but Kassem already has a name for it: "It will be called Surf Syria," he says.
The Bonne Terre City Council met in regular session Monday evening and during the meeting they heard from Sharo Shirshekan.

Shirshekan presented the council with a deed for the remaining apartments behind city hall aside from those he already donated to the city. He had given Bonne Terre City Attorney Seth Pegram the agreement to look it over before he presented it to the council.

Shirshekan asked Pegram if he was OK with the agreement. Pegram asked if Shirshekan had done a title search on the property to make sure there werent any other liens on the property. Shirshekan responded that he had and there is no money owed on the property.

I reviewed the special warranty deed a few weeks ago and I am OK with that as well, said Pegram. I had read the deed before and it is acceptable. We just need an ordinance for the mayor to sign off on it.

The council amended the agenda and passed the ordinance allowing the council to accept the apartments and have the mayor sign the deed agreement.

With everything approved by Pegram, Shirshekan turned to the council and said the deed was a gift from God.

I want to thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity, said Shirshekan. For saving us and bringing us all together. For choosing us, because Jesus says I choose you, you dont choose me. For investing in this project, I want to thank Him. Im going to hand you this ... this is yours.

Shirshekan handed the deed over and everyone gave him a standing ovation. After the applause faded he said the only piece of the property left is the gymnasium.

Believe it or not, originally it was designed to be either a community center or be a fire department, said Shirshekan. I was in favor of a fire department, but you decide what you want and I will keep it until you are ready for it. Its yours whenever you are ready for it.

Shirshekan received many thanks from the council, fire department and everyone in the room.

Bonne Terre City Administrator Jim Eaton said they have now received 63 apartments all together from Shirshekan.

We will be in a position now, as soon as we can guarantee phone service and TV services, to put them on the open market, said Eaton. There is a waiting list now and we will have an office over here where someone will handle the rental of the properties from the East Missouri Action Agency.

Eaton said he hopes they will be ready to start renting the apartments in coming weeks.

The council also addressed the issue of pets and will revisit their earlier decision of deciding there would be no pets allowed.

Eaton said now that the city has an opportunity to have a steady flow of revenue coming in, adding they will be paying off some old debts before they can move forward with any new plans for the money.

I would say it will be a year before we really need to look into where we will use the extra revenue," Eaton added.

Shirshekan said he has a few final touches to make, but the units are basically complete.

It has been approximately 12 years since Shirshekan received the keys and deed to the old North County High School. Since then he has turned the campus into the city hall, police department, Veterans Park, Senior Nutrition Center and now apartments. All of which he turned over to the city of Bonne Terre free of charge.

For nine years the apartments sat unfinished, and he briefly decided to let the project go and auction it off in December 2014. His original plan was to create the apartments and turn them over to the city to help generate revenue.

The council at the time had no interest in the receiving the apartments. After an auction and the winning bidder falling through in May 2015, Shirshekan approached the council again with the same offer he had made years earlier.

After much discussion the council accepted the offer and work began to complete more units. First the city received the Senior Nutrition Center and 10 apartments, and now the remaining 53 apartments.

Be watching for more news coming out of the council meeting in separate stories in coming days.
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The US government is strengthening its crackdown on combatting corporate concentration in the meat sector, with a US$375 million cash injection. In the first round of... Read More
The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times Eastern Daylight Time):

5:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he wants every high school in America to offer apprenticeship programs.

Trump also says at a round table conversation at Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin that he loves the "name Apprentice"  a reference to the reality television show he used to host.

The round table includes students, local CEOS and officials including the superintendent of the Waukesha School District.

Trump also took a tour of the school that included a stop at a classroom filled with tool and die machines. He's with his daughter, Ivanka Trump, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The White House says apprenticeships could match workers with millions of open jobs. But the administration is reluctant to devote more taxpayer money to the effort.

___

4:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump is again highlighting the stories of people whose health care premiums have skyrocketed as he tries to push a GOP replacement plan.

Trump met with what the White House has been referring to as "victims" of former President Barack Obama's health care law after landing in Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon.

Trump says too many people have been forced off their insurance plans or forced to pay more.

He says, "These citizens deserve so much better."

The president is expected to tour Waukesha County Technical College as well as lead a workforce development round table discussion while in town.

He'll also be delivering remarks at a fundraiser for Gov. Scott Walker before heading back to Washington.

___

12:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump is having lunch with Republican senators to discuss the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

Trump said President Barack Obama's health care law "had been broken and it's been a broken promise." He said a replacement will be "generous, kind" and show "heart" and promised more funding.

Attendees at the lunch include Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins.

Trump accused congressional Democrats of obstruction and said they would not provide even one vote for "the best plan ever."

Senate Republicans are winnowing down policy options in search of 51 votes to advance House-passed legislation this summer.

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10:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is teaming with his daughter Ivanka to promote greater use of apprenticeships to spur job creation and help put people in jobs that often go unfilled.

The Trumps will appear later Tuesday with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on a visit to Waukesha County Technical School.

The administration says apprenticeships could match workers with the nation's estimated 6 million open jobs but he's reluctant to spend more taxpayer money on the effort.
Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday after OPEC detailed supply cuts around the world, but the cartel also said overall production rose in May, and crude stayed well below $50 a barrel despite the modest recovery.

Following the close, crude prices slipped after industry group the American Petroleum Institute said crude stocks rose by a surprising 2.8 million barrels for the week to June 9, counter to forecasts for a 2.7 million-barrel drawdown.

Benchmark Brent crude settled 43 cents higher at $48.72 a barrel while U.S. light crude settled up 38 cents to $46.46 a barrel.

The market will watch to see whether the API data is confirmed by official figures due Wednesday morning from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The world's top exporter Saudi Arabia outlined cuts to customers in July that included a reduction of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) to Asia as well as deeper cuts in allocations to the United States.

Riyadh is leading an effort by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other oil producers to cut output by almost 1.8 million bpd until March 2018 to curb oversupply.

Those efforts thus far have largely not succeeded. Brent futures are trading at higher prices for further-dated contracts, which is an encouragement for more production rather than less.

"Crude oil is still struggling to rebound," said Olivier Jakob, strategist at Petromatrix, adding that OPEC's gradual approach to rebalancing was giving U.S. producers time to drill new wells that were undermining the impact of the group's cuts.

OPEC's monthly report showed output from the group rose by 336,000 bpd in May to 32.14 million bpd, led by a recovery in Nigeria and Libya which are exempt from supply cuts. The report said the market was rebalancing at a "slower pace."

"By some accounts this increase is a troubling threat to OPEC compliance, but we note that it was driven by 352,000 bpd of additional supply from Libya and Nigeria," wrote Tim Evans, energy analyst at Citigroup.

The market's weakness can be seen in technical activity surrounding Brent crude, where the 50-day moving average fell through the 200-day moving average on Monday, an indicator of a near-term weakening trend also known as a "death cross."

The last time this happened, in mid-2014, preceded a massive selloff in oil that dropped Brent from $108 a barrel to about $47 a barrel in the span of five months.

Trade data show OPEC shipments to customers averaged around 26 million bpd in the last six months of 2016 and are set to average around 25.3 million bpd in the first half of this year.

U.S. drilling activity has continued apace <RIG-OL-USA-BHI>, driving up U.S. output <C-OUT-T-EIA> by more than 10 percent since mid-2016 to above 9.3 million bpd.

Traders said market intelligence firm Genscape had forecast a draw down of more than 1.8 million barrels at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude futures. (Additional reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Dale Hudson and David Gregorio)
The Senate on Tuesday narrowly turned back a bipartisan bid to rebuke Saudi Arabia and reject President Donald Trump's plan to sell the kingdom more than $500 million in precision-guided munitions, sparing the new Republican administration an embarrassing defeat.

The vote Tuesday was 53-47, clearing the way for the sale to be finalized. The precision munitions are part of Trump's proposed $110 billion arms package to Riyadh, which the administration said would create U.S. jobs while also improving a key ally's military capability.

But opponents of the deal, led by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., have been sharply critical of Riyadh's role in Yemen's civil war and the kingdom's human rights abuses. They said they feared the sophisticated weapons could be used in the conflict against Yemeni civilians.

Despite coming up short, Murphy declared a partial victory as the resolution of disapproval secured 20 more votes than did a similar measure he and Paul authored in September to stop the sale of more than $1 billion worth of American-made tanks and other weapons to Saudi Arabia.

"Today's vote total would've been unthinkable not long ago, but Congress is finally taking notice that Saudi Arabia is using U.S. munitions to deliberately hit civilian targets inside Yemen," Murphy said.

Paul, who challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination as a leader of the party's non-interventionist wing, sharply criticized Saudi Arabia during remarks on the Senate floor. He called Riyadh the "No. 1 exporter of Jihadist philosophy" and said the munitions sale threatens the lives of innocent Yemenis.

"I am embarrassed that people would bring up trying to feather the nests of corporations in order to sell these weapons," Paul said. "Saudi Arabia is not a reliable ally."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other senators supporting the sale said the United States can't deny its Middle East allies the weapons they need to combat Islamic State extremists and check Iran's aggression in the region.

The war in Yemen is pitting the country's internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition against the Iranian-backed Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are allied with army units loyal to a former president. The Saudi-led coalition, which is supported by the United States, has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March 2015, and thousands of civilians have been killed in the fighting, according to the U.N.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said rejecting the sale of precision munitions to Saudi Arabia would be a victory for Iran.

"If you don't think containing Iran and keeping them from toppling Yemen, Iraq, Syria (and) Lebanon is not in our national interest, you're making a huge mistake," he said.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, suggested that at least a portion of the votes to block the munitions sale came from senators who wanted to embarrass Trump.

"I'm afraid this vote is somewhat about some members wanting to get a piece of President Trump's hide," Corker said.

Trump's decision to move ahead with the sale appeared to reverse an Obama administration decision to hold sales of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia's armed forces after a Saudi airstrike on a funeral in Yemen last year killed more than 140 people.

___

Contact Richard Lardner on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rplardner
President Donald Trump says the continued decline in the number of health care subscribers is a sign that the "obstructionist Democrats gave up."

Trump tweeted Tuesday, "2 million more people just dropped out of ObamaCare. It is in a death spiral. Obstructionist Democrats gave up, have no answer = resist!"

About 16 percent of consumers who signed up for coverage this year through health insurance markets had canceled by early spring, continuing a trend also reflected during the Obama years.

Figures released from the Health and Human Services Department on Monday show that 10.3 million people were signed up and paying their premiums as of March 15. That's 1.9 million fewer than the 12.2 million who initially signed up during open enrollment season, which ended Jan. 31.
Nigel Farage, Fox News contributor and former UK Independence Party Leader, on Tuesday said that the Brexit movement has taken a considerable hit following the disastrous general election, in the United Kingdom, where Prime Minster Theresa Mays Conservative Party fell eight seats short of the majority.

There is now talk of a significant watering down to whats called a soft Brexit, which sounds all very jolly and lovely. Are we going to leave the European Union? Yes, of course we are. Will we leave the Treaty of Rome? Yes, of course we will. But there is a real possibility now that well finish up in two years time still paying the money, still having their courts having a say, still having their laws, and maybe even open, free movement borders, said Farage during an interview on the FOX Business Network.

He added, I felt this time last year we climbed a mountain, I feel were halfway back down there again.

Farage also called Sen. John McCain a member of the bitter and twisted club, after the Arizona Republican Senator said former President Obama had more American leadership than President Trump during an interview on Sunday with the Guardian.

Even if Donald Trump was able to produce a few fish and a few loaves and feed the 5-thousand, I think Sen. McCain would still criticize him, said Farage. I have to say that I now disregard virtually everything that man says. There is no doubt that after that nine day tour that Trump took, and in particular the speech in Riyadh, that he has now established himself overseas as a man of some considerable measure.
Former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey says President Obama may be guilty of obstruction of justice in the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email.

President Obamas statement that he thought she shouldnt be charged because she didnt intend to violate the law is the real Clinton obstruction because that is a statement by him that this is the way I want that investigation to come out, Mukasey said Tuesday in an interview with FOX Business Network's Maria Bartiromo. He was introducing an element that was not in the statute to know youre violating the law and he was saying that, that was the way he wanted the investigation to end. Obviously the Justice Department picked up on that.

In his testimony last week, former FBI Director James Comey said Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked him to call the Hillary Clinton probe a matter, not an investigation, but Mukasey said thats not breaking the law.

Thats, I think, not obstruction because shes simply playing the same card the Clinton campaign is playing, Mukasey said.

On Tuesday, President Trump said on Twitter that Lynch committed a crime and gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection.

A.G. Lynch made law enforcement decisions for political purposes...gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

Meanwhile Democratic lawmaker Diane Feinstein said she wanted to open an investigation into Loretta Lynchs statement, but Mukasey said calling it a matter is just the tip of the iceberg.

Then youre talking about how come the Justice Department didnt use the Grand Jury. How come they interviewed her at the end and two days later Jim Comey came out with a statement, Mukasey said, noting that the Lynch interview was not recorded. This was an un-serious investigation.
Talk about puppy love.

Stephen Watt, who knew how much his new bride Keri loved pugs, arranged for a special guest to make a grand appearance on their wedding day  and Scotland-based wedding videographer John Paul Lusk from Leven Films was there to capture the entire moment on camera.

Stephen is one of my closest friends, weve been mates since high school, Lusk told STV News. Keri absolutely loves pugs, shes wanted one for years. So Stephen arranged with one of the breeders they knew of to get one from a litter and he called me to let me know his plan.

On the special day, Stephen pulled out a wrapped present at the reception  a rubber squeaky duck.

DOG CRASHES LIVE RUSSIAN NEWS BROADCAST

A duck, seriously? asked Keri, who appeared amused by the moment.

See, if you point it at that fire exit, the groom responded.

A pug breeder suddenly walked in with a pug puppy wrapped in a blanket.

It was wonderful to be able to capture her reaction, said Lusk. They havent got a name for her yet, but theyll be excited to see her again soon."

She is the runt of her litter and Ive only just noticed she has a wee love-heart on the top of her head  could not have chosen a better pug to bring into our lives, added Stephen.

The couple, who married at Loch Lomond, will take their new fur baby home once they return from their honeymoon.

It was the best day ever and that just topped it all of course, said Keri.
Smirnoff has just joined the ever-growing list of companies that are trying to troll President Trump.

Smirnoff, a vodka brand which was first founded in Moscow in 1864, is apparently making light of its own ties to Russia in a new outdoor advertising campaign that has already been spotted by commuters in the New York area.

YOU COULD WIN DINNER WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

Made in America, reads the ad. But wed be happy to talk about our ties to Russia under oath.

The ads are presumably taking a jab at Trumps remarks following former FBI Director James Comeys Senate Committee Hearing on Thursday, during which Comey implied that Trump fired him over his ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The following day, Trump vowed that he would be 100 percent willing to testify under oath about Comeys accusations of Trump demanding his loyalty on the matter.

MIDDLE EASTERN AIRLINE TROLLS TRUMP WITH AIRFARE PROMOTION

A Twitter user by the name of Kate Kosturski is credited with uploading the first photo of the ad on June 10. Furthermore, her original post has already been retweeted more than 6,300 times and earned over 12,500 likes as of Tuesday morning, mostly by social users (and former "Star Trek" star George Takei) who were just tickled by Smirnoffs snarky joke.

For customers curious about Smirnoffs actual ties to Russia, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported that the company was founded by Pyotr Smirnov, who began distilling vodka in 1864. Following a revolution in the early 20th Century, Pyotrs son Vladimir escaped Russia and registered the company in Europe. The manufacturing of the product was later moved to the United States.

The company is now owned by Diageo, a large, muiti-brand British alcoholic beverage and spirits company.

According to AdWeek, a New York City advertising agency called 72andSunny is responsible for developing Smirnoffs new outdoor campaign.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

As mentioned above, Smirnoff isnt the first company  or even the first beverage company  to troll Donald Trump in its advertising campaigns. Leading up to the 2016 election, a Mexican brewery called Cerveza Cucapa sold Trump t-shirts which transformed into anti-Trump t-shirts after exposure to heat, and in April 2017, a Canadian beer brewery by the name of Maverick released a limited edition Fake News Ale with a caricature of Trump on each can.
The family of an Austrian girl swapped at birth was awarded more than $100,000 in damages after she discovered the mistake  more than 20 years later.

Doris Gruenwald was 22 when she went in for a routine blood test  and learned she was not biologically related to the parents who raised her, local media reported this week.

It was a huge shock for me and my daughter, Evelin Gruenwald told the Krone daily last year.

University Hospital Graz suggested that the mix-up did not happen there, rather, it happened at a later time and somewhere else. The court rejected this idea, ruling that the mix-up occurred at the clinic between the birth and the mother receiving the child. After ruling there was gross negligence, the court awarded Doris Gruenwald and both parents $33,630 each as well as costs for Gruenwalds adoption by the couple.

MISSISSIPPI GIRL HELPS DELIVER BABY BROTHER

Gruenwald has said still does not know who her biological parents are, though the clinic offered free DNA tests to women who had given birth between October 15and November 20, 1990. Only 30 women responded and took advantage of the tests and there were no matches, AFP reported.

The local health authority says it plans to appeal the judgment, saying the court failed to establish that the mix-up occurred at the hospital.
Police are investigating a claim by a Los Angeles County coroner's investigator that an anesthesiologist used a painkiller to hasten the death of a gravely injured boy to increase the likelihood his organs could be harvested without deterioration, a newspaper reported Monday.

The investigation involves an 8-year-old who went into cardiac arrest after nearly drowning in a washing machine in 2013 and was removed from life support at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles Times said.

The county's chief medical examiner at the time listed significant causes of death as near-drowning and fragile X syndrome, a genetic abnormality that causes intellectual and physical disabilities.

At the time of the autopsy, coroner's investigator Denise Bertone raised questions about the dose of the painkiller fentanyl given to the boy and pressed for re-examination of the case until a subsequent medical examiner added fentanyl toxicity as a significant cause of death.

However, the manner of death  accident or homicide  remains open pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Bertone's allegation is outlined in a whistleblower lawsuit she filed last month claiming she suffered work retaliation for raising questions. The county has yet to respond to the suit in court.

The allegation is "factually wrong and patently offensive," a lawyer for the anesthesiologist, Dr. Judith Brill, said in an email to the Times.

Attorney Mark Werksman wrote that Brill's "only concern was to assure that this child, who had drowned and was never going to recover, would not suffer any pain following the removal of life support."

Brill, 65, is a professor emeritus of clinical anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at UCLA.

The case is a rare instance of a criminal investigation into medical procedures used in organ donation. In 2007, a San Francisco surgeon was accused of hastening the death of an organ donor by using excessive amounts of drugs, but a jury acquitted him of the charge of dependent adult abuse.

"As you can imagine, this is very complicated," said Capt. William Hayes, who is in charge of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. "We need to clearly understand what was done and the implications of those actions."

The lawsuit does not name the child, but the Times said Bertone confirmed in an interview that he was Cole Hartman of Castaic.

According to the coroner's report and a 911 recording, his father came in from mowing the lawn on July 31, 2013, and found Cole headfirst in a running washing machine. His parents estimated he could have been underwater for up to 25 minutes.

Paramedics got his heart restarted and he was driven by ambulance to a hospital and later flown by helicopter to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Physicians told Cole's family that he was not brain-dead but "would never recover normal neuro function and . could never awaken," according to an entry on his medical chart.

His parents decided to take him off life support and donate his organs.

The process required organ harvesting to wait until a ventilator was removed and Cole's heart stopped beating on its own, a procedure known as donation after cardiac death. The process has time constraints because organs can begin deteriorating immediately, some becoming unsuitable for transplantation after 30 minutes.

In addition, physicians don't know for certain whether patients in vegetative states experience pain so they administer painkillers.

The Times said that in a portion of the medical chart it reviewed, Brill did not mention fentanyl but wrote that "comfort care was provided throughout."

UCLA's policy allows the use of opioids "in doses that are clinically appropriate to prevent discomfort," the newspaper reported. Under the policy, "interventions intended to preserve organ function, but which may hasten death, are prohibited."

Cole's ventilator was removed at 10:40 a.m. The chart said his heart stopped at 10:59 a.m. and Brill declared death four minutes later.

The coroner's office assigned Cole's case to Bertone, a registered nurse who was the only full-time pediatric death investigator.

Bertone, who said she reviewed the full medical charts and autopsy records, claims in her lawsuit that the boy "continued to gasp for air" and that Brill then gave him fentanyl "with the purpose of inducing his death."

Bertone's suit and coroner's records state that the administered dose was 500 micrograms. Bertone said she had concerns about that dose being given to a boy who weighed 47 pounds.
A group of motorcycle riders in Indiana came together to fulfill a terminally ill cancer patients last wish: to hear a Harley one last time.

Stanley is a veteran and was an avid biker until he was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer in February. This past week, Stanleys health took a turn for the worse.

Stanleys brother-in-law Michael Smith informed David Thompson, who took the liberty of organizing a group to help Jon Stanley hear the roar of a motorcycle before he passed away. A few hours Thompson posted details of the event on Facebook, more than 100 bikers gathered together to ride past Stanleys house and grant his last wish.

GOOD SAMARITANS SAVE WOMAN TRAPPED IN HOUSE FIRE

Stanley was brought down from the house and got to sit in a sidecar while the engines revved. Stanleys wife, Brenda, told WBND, thats the last thing he heard, the revving, the bikes. I know hes happy.

Stanley passed away peacefully later that night.

The funeral will take place on Saturday, June 24th. A bike and hurse will pull Stanley to his final resting place. A Go Fund Me has been created to help raise money to cover the costs of the funeral. Stanley wants to be buried next to his mother and father in South Bend.



Click for more from WSBT.
George and Amal Clooney are new parents! The couple welcomed daughter Ella and son Alexander this morning, according to People, and the whole family is "healthy, happy, and doing fine," the first-time dad said in a statement. George, 56, and Amal, 39, first announced their pregnancy in February.

The Clooneys aren't the only ones having double the fun. Beyonce, 35, also announced in February that she and husband Jay Z are expecting twins, writing on Instagram that they have been blessed two times over.

Pregnancies with multiple babies arent as rare as they once were, but theyre still an uncommon event. So in celebration of both couples' happy news, here are 10 fascinating things you may not know about twinsidentical, fraternal, and otherwise.

Twin births are on the rise

There were 135,336 twin births in the United States in 2014, the latest year for which data is available. That means about 3.4% of all babies born that year were twinsa record high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The twin birth rate has been climbing steadily since 1980, and experts say that the prevalence of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies has likely played a role.

Older moms are naturally more likely to have twins

Even without IVF or other fertility treatments, women are more likely to have twins as they get older, says Christine Greves, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando.

It may have to do with evolution, says Dr. Greves. Women at an older age wont be able to have babies for much longer, so it makes sense that theyd have more at one time.

Twins live longer than singletonsand so do their moms

In a 2016 study from the University of Washington, researchers found that identical twins tend to live longer than fraternal twins, and all twins tend to live longer than the general population. "There is benefit to having someone who is socially close to you who is looking out for you, said study author and postdoctoral researcher David Sharrow, PhD, in a press release. They may provide material or emotional support that leads to better longevity outcomes.

Theres good news for moms of twins as well: In 2011, University of Utah researchers discovered that women who give birth to twins tend to live longer than other mothers. (Its not because having twins makes you healthier, say the researchers, but that healthier women are more likely to have twins.)

There are more than two types of twins

Everyone knows the difference between identical and fraternal twins, but those arent the only possibilities. Some siblings are mirror-image twins, with birthmarks on opposite sides of their bodies, for example.

Twins can also be conceivedand bornup to 24 days apart, when a woman ovulates more than one egg in a cycle but the eggs are released at different times. Last year People reported on an Australian woman who experienced this extremely rare phenomenon, known as superfetation or interval birth.

RELATED: 15 Factors That Affect a Woman's Fertility

Twins can have different skin colorsand even different fathers

Twin girls born to Whitney Meyer and Thomas Dean in 2016 were far from identical: One has light skin like her Caucasian mother, and one has a darker complexion like her African-American father. We dont know how often it happens because not all cases come to our attention, Nancy L. Segal, PhD, director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, told People.

Babies born at the same time to the same mom can even have different dads. One of these rare cases, which occurs when a woman has sex with two different men during her ovulation window, occurred last year in Vietnam.

Theres a gene for fraternal twins

Its often assumed that twins run in families, but so far research only shows a link between genetics and fraternal twins. A 2016 Dutch study identified two gene variants that increased a womans odds of having twins by 18% and 9%. If women had both variants, it boosted their odds by 29%.

Twins are more likely to be left-handed

About one in five twins, both fraternal and identical, are left-handed, according to a 1996 Belgian study. Thats about double the rate in the general population.

RELATED: 20 Little-Known Facts About Being Left-Handed

Tall women are more likely to have twins

A 2006 study found that, on average, mothers of multiples tended to be about one and a quarter inches taller than mothers who had only single births. The study authors speculated that taller women tend to have higher levels of insulin-like growth factora protein released by the liver thats been linked to height as well as twin births.

Twins should be delivered at 37 weeks

To reduce the risk of stillbirth and complications, experts say that the best time to deliver twins is at 37 weeks gestationor 36 weeks, if the babies share a placenta.

For a lot of twin pregnancies, early delivery happens naturally. A lot of twins dont make it to 39 or 40 weeks full-term, because the mothers uterus is stretched significantly more at an earlier point in the pregnancy, says Dr. Greves. This also puts twin pregnancies at an increased rate of pre-term labor (before 37 weeks)one reason why twin moms-to-be are often encouraged to take it easy earlier on in their pregnancies.

C-sections arent the only delivery option

C-sections are more common with twin deliveries than with single babies, but vaginal births can be safe, as well, says Dr. Greves. If both heads are down and the babies are cooperating and the placentas in the right position, we love to try for vaginal delivery, she says.

After the first baby is delivered, Dr. Greves says the second usually comes along quicklyalthough thats not always the case. There have been times when Ive waited a few hours for the second baby, she says, but usually its less than an hour.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.
Theres no denying that during childbirth your nurses can provide a wealth of information and be a vital source of support.

Their ultimate responsibility is to facilitate care so that their patients  mom and baby  get through labor and delivery safely, Jeanne Faulkner, a registered nurse in Portland, Oregon, and author of Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth for Mother and Baby, told Fox News.

WHY ITCHY SKIN DURING PREGNANCY SHOULDN'T BE IGNORED

Labor and delivery nurses are tasked with making sure women and their families are comfortable, and that they honor their patients preferences and culture. They must also monitor moms and their babies for possible complications, and, when necessary, perform medical procedures like administering an IV or transferring patients to the operating room.

But sometimes, these nurses behavior may go off course. Fox News talked to a handful of women whose labor and delivery nurses stepped out of line  and talked to experts to learn what you should do if you find yourself in one of these situations.

If youre denied an epidural

Although most women go into the hospital with a birth plan, childbirth can be unpredictable, and some nurses might not be comfortable with their patients plans simply due to their own personal style or preferences.

Then-45-year-old Hollis Heavenrich-Jones of Lincolnwood, Illinois, encountered this issue the night before her due date, when she was admitted to the hospital to be induced.

Everything was going smoothly, but once she arrived in the delivery room, she realized her son was lying on her sciatic nerve. Every time I had a contraction, there would be this pain shooting down my leg in addition to the contraction, and it was very uncomfortable, she told Fox News.

When Heavenrich-Jones asked her nurse to order an epidural, the nurse said, I think its a little early for that,Heavenrich-Jones said.

It made me feel helpless and diminished, she went on. I also felt that I was being whiny and complaining too much.

About an hour later, when her OB-GYN came in to check on her, Heavenrich-Jones told her what happened. [The OB-GYN] said, No, this is your delivery, you get to choose when you need an epidural, not the nurse. And she went and ordered it, Heavenrich-Jones described.

SEX DURING PREGNANCY: 7 DO'S AND DON'TS

What you can do

If youre not in active labor yet, its not a good idea to get an epidural. Thats because the IV fluids given alongside an epidural can dilute the natural oxytocin the woman produces and keep her immobilized in bed, ultimately impacting the course of her labor, Faulkner said.

Yet every woman and every birth is different.

If you want things for your labor and birth that are safe, reasonable, and promote a healthy labor and delivery, and you dont have any clear indications [for] why you shouldnt, then you should be able to have what you want, Faulkner said.

Although moms may feel vulnerable during labor, they should ask plenty of questions to get all of the information they need and have the confidence to ask for what they want. If they find themselves in need of extra support, they can ask the charge nurse, their provider, their partner or a doula to help them advocate. Ultimately realize that the choices you make are your decisions, Faulkner said.

If youre shamed for not breast-feeding

The rise of natural childbirth and intensive parenting has created an ethos in society that theres a right way to be a good mother, and those ideas have been expressed most significantly with breast-feeding, Amy Tuteur, an OB-GYN in Boston, Massachusetts, and author of Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting, told Fox News.

In fact, in 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) joined forces to establish the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a global program to promote breast-feeding in hospitals and birth centers.

But all that, plus the known benefits of breast-feeding for babies whose moms can, doesnt mean nurses can shame women into the practice.

Cori Magnotta, of Portland, Connecticut, faced this problem firsthand.

Just a few minutes after the 33-year-olds son was delivered in 2014, Magnotta gave her son a pacifier because he was crying. The nurse then gave her a dirty look and asked about her plans to breast-feed. She told me that he would never take my breast because I had given him a pacifier, she recalled.

THE 5 BEST FOODS FOR BREAST-FEEDING MOMS

Magnotta took the pacifier out of her sons mouth and let him cry for half an hour. My heart instantly dropped  I felt like I screwed up at six minutes old.

Despite seeing lactation consultants and making continued attempts to breast-feed and pump, Magnotta only produced a few drops of colostrum  the first milk after delivery  and her son didnt gain any weight, which suggested the feedings werent sufficiently nourishing him.

After 24 hours, Magnottas doctors informed her shed need to switch to formula for her son. Yet when the same nurse came in and saw her preparing a bottle, she told Magnotta: Dont do that because your body produces antibodies and your body knows what the baby needs. Babies who arent breast-fed are more sickly.

My body didnt do what it was supposed to do, and here I am being told it works for everybody, Magnotta recalled.

Six weeks later, Magnotta was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a condition doctors said she developed while pregnant and the reason her milk did not come in.

I suffered from postpartum depression, and I think feeling like a failure for not being able to feed my baby really contributed to that, she said.

What you can do

If you feel criticized about your choice to breast-feed or not, always speak up. If the patient says, This is not working for me, and her nurse doesn't become more supportive of the woman's choices, then it's time to ask for a different nurse, Faulkner said. Yes, that's uncomfortable but patients deserve to feel supported and [for] nurses have to know when they're crossing the line.

7 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO A WOMAN TRYING TO GET PREGNANT

If youre pushed to get pain relief

When Niki Sawyers, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was in labor with her third child in 2014, she was tolerating labor well despite being induced. When the nurse asked her about an epidural, Sawyers said she wanted to wait to make that decision. Yet Sawyers said because the anesthesiologist was available, the nurse talked her out of waiting. Youre going to want it. If you dont get it now, when you do want it, youre not going to be able to get it, Sawyers recalled the nurse telling her. I basically fell into her routine  and how she does things, Sawyers said.

What you can do

Its important to know that the anesthesiologist may not always be available right away because theyre working with other patients or are called to emergencies. Also, because pain can look different for each woman and it only gets worse, the nurse will want to make sure you get pain relief before it feels overwhelming.

Sometimes when moms wait until the pain is terrible then it can be delayed, and those are the times we see moms really regret waiting, Katrina Peschl, a charge nurse at Fairview Northland Medical Center's Birthplace in Princeton, Minnesota, told Fox News. Be sure to explain to the nurse why you may want to wait and ask her to explain your options. Your labor and delivery nurse should be your best friend and fully honest, Peschl said.

5 WAYS PARENTS CAN RAISE YOUNG GIRLS WITH HIGH SELF-ESTEEM

If youre persuaded to circumcise

After Niki Sawyers gave birth and declined circumcision for her son, the nurse asked, Are you sure about that? which Sawyers said she felt was condescending and insinuated that she should have the procedure done. You might be making a decision based on pure motherly instinct and then all of a sudden youre being questioned by the medical professionals around you, and you may second guess yourself, which is what happened to me, she said.

The next day, her doctor came in with the consent form and assured her it was the best decision for her baby. Sleep deprived and feeling unsure about her decision, Sawyers signed the paper. It happened so fast, I would definitely take it back, she said.

What you can do

Its always a good idea to be prepared with the facts before you give birth and understand why youre making a decision. Always ask the nurse questions to understand her point of view. Yet if you feel coerced, you should know that every decision is in your control no matter what. If they have this gut feeling that they shouldnt or they may regret it, [its important] to just stand up for themselves and say No, Peschl said.

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If youre criticized for extended breast-feeding

For 28-year-old Grace Vinton, of Danbury, Connecticut, the lack of support for her choice to breast-feed took her by surprise.

After having a cesarean section to deliver her son, the nurses told Vinton, then 26, that there was a measles outbreak in New Jersey so her 2-year-old daughter, who she was also breast-feeding, wouldnt be allowed in her room.

Why are you still nursing her? the nurses asked. I was sobbing; there was nothing else I could do about it. I had to nurse my baby, Vinton said.

The nurses suggested Vinton go down to the main lobby waiting room, in her wheelchair and in pain to nurse her daughter  every three hours for three days until she was released from the hospital. Although she understood their policy, Vinton said she had never been comfortable nursing in public and she wished they would have allowed her to at least nurse her daughter in a private, quiet place in another room in the hospital.

I was very traumatized by the whole thing because I had to go in public and was basically forced to nurse my toddler, Vinton said. Theres not really a good way to nurse a toddler in a wheelchair when youve just had a C-section.

What you can do

If you feel criticized about your choice to breast-feed or not, always speak up. If the patient says, This is not working for me, and her nurse doesn't become more supportive of the woman's choices, then it's time to ask for a different nurse, Faulkner said. Yes, that's uncomfortable, but patients deserve to feel supported and nurses have to know when they're crossing the line.
Have we lost our sense of humor?

Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of The View, asked this question when talk turned to how a Florida high school punished a top student for some tongue-in-cheek classroom oratory. J.P. Krause, a 17-year-old rising senior, was disqualified from the senior class presidency after he gave a humorous speech that ribbed another candidate and jokingly suggested building a Trump-like wall to protect against the archrival high school.

So it seems we havent just lost our sense of humorweve also lost sight of the First Amendment on campus. Whether it be the shutting down of an Ann Coulter speech at Cal Berkeley or the shouting down of a Charles Murray speech at Middlebury College, free speech rights are often getting run over these days in our halls of education.

Administrators at Vero Beach High School on Floridas Atlantic Coast clearly need a refresher course in those freedoms, in light of their inexcusable treatment of J.P. Krause. It all started when he was asked, in his AP History Class, to say a few words on behalf of his campaign to be senior president. He decided to take a lighthearted approach, offering obviously silly and made-up contrasts between himself and his opponent.

Classmates were appreciative; he won the election (even, as one wag put it, without a hint of Russian involvement.)

But the school administration wasnt smiling. The principal summarily disqualified J.P and imposed a detention, on the grounds the schools anti-harassment code had somehow been violated. This punishment goes on J.P.s record.

High school students, particularly those campaigning in a school election, cannot be punished for innocuous humor and political satire of the sort J.P. engaged in.

The school says J.P. humiliated his opponent. But thanks to a student who recorded the speech, we know J.P. did no such thing. Here is the sum and substance of his comments:

Thank you all for coming here today. Id just like to say that Im hoping that Id be able to win your vote with a brief speech. I represent everything [my opposing candidate] does not. I am all for freedom, equality, and liberty. [She] wants to advance communist ideals into our very fabric of our government. She will expand the government so you will not be able to do anything. She will likely create a dress code for you all. She will raise taxes to 80%. I do not want any taxes for our students. Our student body is the most . . . is one of the smartest in our county. She wants, represents Sebastian River High School [the rival high school]. What I wantwhat I propose, is that we build a wall, between here and Sebastian River, and we make Sebastian River pay for it. Thank you all, and I hope I win your vote tomorrow.

Clearly, the speech reflects nothing more than good-natured, humorous, all-American campaigning for office. Joy Behar, another co-host on The View, recognized its comedic cleverness: You take whats in the Zeitgeist, and you put it into another situation . . . it was smart.

Indeed, the school had previously recognized J.P.s intelligence, and sent him to represent the school at a national academic competition on the very day of the electionwhere he and his team placed third in the country.

When he returned from representing his school with honor, he found out that school officials had dishonorably taken away the election result he earned.

Their action defied not just common sense, but also the Constitution. As the Supreme Court has held, [N]either students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, the court established that a student speech may not be censored unless it causes a substantial disruption of, or a material interference with, school activities. J.P.s speech did neither. It simply employed innocent sarcasm in pursuit of his fellow students votes.

In a case called Saxe v. State College Area School District, then-Judge Samuel Alito, writing for the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, struck down a school districts harassment policy as overbroad, because it banned even simple acts of teasing and name-calling. The schools policylike the one used against J.P.had no threshold requirement of pervasiveness or severity, so it could be used to ban or punish any comments that might somehow offend someone. This blunderbuss approach went too far, the court held, because it could bar core political speech, even if it poses no realistic threat of substantial disruption.

The Supreme Court has recognized the classroom as a marketplace of ideas, and emphasized that the nations future depends on leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas. High school students, particularly those campaigning in a school election, cannot be punished for innocuous humor and political satire of the sort J.P. engaged in.

Shaking her head over J.P.s plight, Whoopi Goldberg noted that the First Amendment is the bedrock of our democracy. Just so. Thats why J.P.s school should reverse its decision and reinstate him as the rightful winner of his senior class election. The Constitution demands nothing less.
The media is abuzz with questions for President Trump, former FBI Director James Comey, and others about various scandals and investigations. Those questions are important and require answers, but our domestic preoccupations are distracting us from other questions of equal import.

The U.S. is at war in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere with ISIS, al Qaeda, and other Salafi-Jihadi groups. Our strategy in that war, particularly in Syria, is incoherent and internally contradictory, however. As people demand answers to questions about domestic scandals, we must also demand answers to six key questions about how America can secure its people and interests against the large and growing threats from the Middle East.

How will we defeat ISIS? The U.S. military has been briefing steady progress in the war against ISIS. It highlights ground retaken by Iraqi forces in Mosul and by Kurds in Syria. It suggests that ISIS will basically collapse once it has lost Mosul and Raqqa, in Syria. Assessments by the Institute for the Study of War contradict that view. ISIS still controls Deir ez-Zour, a sizable city southeast of Raqqa, to which it has already relocated leadership and resources. Our Kurdish partners cannot drive that far south through Arab lands. Our reliance on Kurds and refusal to fight the regime of Bashar al Assad have severely hindered the formation of an indigenous Arab force against ISIS in Syria, moreover. How does the U.S. imagine that success against Raqqa will lead to clearing the rest of the Euphrates River Valley? And even if the U.S. finds partners to retake the cities, ISIS is already reverting back to the insurgent-terrorist mode it used before it had seized them. What is the plan to continue the pressure on ISIS to stop it from continuing in this mode while preparing its next comeback?

How will we defeat al Qaeda? The U.S. has focused on ISIS in Syria, taking little action against the large and powerful forces closely associated with al Qaeda. The Syrian al Qaeda affiliate has rebranded itself, but remains part of al Qaeda and pursues the same goals of establishing a global Caliphate. It and its partners control Idlib Province in northwestern Syria and are strong elsewhere in central and southern Syria. The U.S. military keeps saying that it will deal with al Qaeda after it has defeated ISIS. What is the plan for doing that? How do operations against ISIS support or hinder that plan?

How will we ensure that we wont have to fight son of ISIS or son of al Qaeda? Both ISIS and al Qaeda gained ground in Syria in response to the brutality of Bashar al Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies. The sectarian policies of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki created the Sunni Arab protest movement in that country that opened the door to the ISIS invasion in 2014. Military success against these groups will not resolve the underlying political grievances that created support for them in the first place. Yet the U.S. has not done remotely enough to address this problem in either Syria or Iraq. The failure to form a sizable local Sunni Arab force in Syria suggests that the Sunni Arabs do not believe that their grievances will be redressed. What is the U.S. doing to press Assad and the Iraqi government to resolve the political crises that allowed ISIS and al Qaeda to arise?

How will we contain Iran? The Trump administration makes much of its plans to contain and pressure Iran. Yet Iran is militarily stronger than it has ever been. Tens of thousands of Iranian proxy forces, led by elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Qods Force, are the army keeping Assad in power and alive. The removal of these forces without any replacements would open the door to al Qaeda and ISIS expansion. The U.S. thus relies on the unprecedented forward deployment of Iranian military power to pursue its anti-ISIS campaign. How can America depend on an Iranian-controlled army in Syria while containing Iranian military power in the region?

How will we come to terms with Turkey? Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a troublesome ally. Erdogan supports Islamist groups in Syria closely associated with al Qaeda. He fears Kurdish efforts to form an autonomous region in Syria and to create a larger Kurdistan that would reach into Turkeys Kurdish population. He sees American support to Kurds fighting ISIS in Syria as U.S. backing for Kurdish terrorism in Turkey. Yet Turkey is still a NATO ally. It is also an essential player in any settlement in Syria. Unequivocal and unrestricted American support for Kurds in Syria is driving the U.S. steadily toward conflict with Turkeyweve already had to deploy U.S. forces to stop the Turks from attacking our Kurdish allies twice. How can the U.S. reconcile our dependence on Kurdish forces with the need to get Erdogan to work with us, stop backing Islamist groups, and accept a stable outcome in Syria?

How will we reduce Russian influence? Russia has established a massive airbase in Syria, giving it a major military position on the Mediterranean for the first time in decades. Vladimir Putin has used that base to constrain American actions in Syria, to threaten Turkey, and as a hub for further expansion in the Mediterranean. The hue-and-cry about Russias interference in U.S. elections and the Russian threat to America has oddly ignored these developments. How can the U.S. make the strong stand against Russia that many on both sides of the aisle now demand while tolerating this unprecedented expansion of Russian military power? How can the U.S. hope to pressure Assad to stop his efforts to oppress Syrias Sunni majority while Russia provides him an air force to do just that?

The Trump administration, Congress, and their critics on all sides must answer these questions if we are to arrive at any strategy in the Middle East that has a chance of securing our people and interests. We must stop focusing on our own internal dramas so much that we ignore the increasingly dangerous world around us.
Editor's note: The following column originally appeared in The Hill newspaper and on TheHill.com.

Last week James Comey testified that while he was FBI director, he felt pressured by President Trump to drop an investigation into one man.

Also last week, U.S. allies went to war to oust Islamic State terrorists from their command center in Raqqa, Syria, a sharp shift from the orders once given by the very same man.

The man at the center of both stories is Trumps former national security advisor.

Yes, Michael Flynn had an even worse week than Trump.

Comey told Congress the president pushed him to let this go, referring to the FBI investigation into Flynn, who has financial ties to Russia and Turkey. Flynn took money from both nations before the election without proper disclosure.

But despite Flynns central role in the growing scandal, last weeks media spotlight locked in on personalities: Comey versus Trump.

The headlines focused on Comey calling the president a liar and whether his testimony was strong enough to build a case for an obstruction of justice charge against Trump.

That is a strangely narrow view of the damage coming from the possible corruption in the White House.

The scandal being overlooked is that the president for some reason made Americas national security secondary to his allegiance to Flynn.

As he took office, Trump knew he was allowing a man to become his national security advisor who broke the law by failing to disclose that he took money from companies tied to foreign powers. In the case of Turkey, he took money to represent its interests in Washington.

Most alarming, in the days before Trump became president, the Obama administration advised Flynn that they planned to take the fight against the terrorists to Raqqa. Susan Rice, then the national security advisor to President Obama, spoke to Flynn because the fight was certain to continue under the Trump administration.

And what did Flynn tell Rice?

The Washington Post reported Flynn said bluntly: Dont approve it. The attack was delayed from January until last week.

Why did Flynn and the incoming Trump team delay the offensive?

As Vera Bergengruen reported for McClatchy newspapers last month, Flynns stand-down order to Rice and the Pentagon was consistent with the wishes of Turkey, which had long opposed the United States partnering with Kurdish forces  and which was his undeclared client.

Turkeys president, Recep Erdogan, was concerned that close ties between the U.S. and Kurdish forces trained to lead the fight might result in the U.S. eventually supporting independence for Kurdish majority areas of Turkey.

The Justice Department was alarmed about Flynn and Turkey in part because of an opinion article Flynn wrote in The Hill on Election Day. After the article appeared, officials at Justice were worried about potential ties between Lt. Gen. Flynn and others who might be acting on behalf of the government of Turkey, according to records released to The Daily Caller.

In addition, before becoming the national security advisor, Flynn also appears to have held conversations with the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions against Russia.

And Flynn also then lied about those conversations to Vice President Pence.

When the president was told that the Russians potentially could blackmail his national security adviser with that information, he did nothing for more than two weeks.

Well, he did something. He soon fired the acting attorney general who told the White House about the damning conflict of interest. It took a lot longer for him to fire Flynn  and that happened only after news reports that the Justice Department had told the White House about Flynns conflicts.

On Friday, Trump denied asking Comey for an end to the investigation into Flynn.

That leads to the question of why Comey would perjure himself before Congress.

Trump, on the other hand, has a clear distaste for the House and Senate investigations into his campaigns ties to Russia.

And once again that centers on protecting Flynn.

In late April, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released documents showing that after Flynn was fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, he was explicitly informed it was illegal for him to accept money tied to any foreign government without advance approval by Pentagon officials.

But despite the warning, Flynn, by his own later admission, took money from firms tied to foreign governments, specifically Turkey and Russia. And Pentagon officials said they had no records of Flynn requesting permission from the Army for foreign employment.

Cummings told reporters he wanted to know why Flynn took the risk of secretly accepting money tied to governments in Turkey and Russia when he knew he was breaking the law.

Our next step, in the Congressional inquiry, Cummings explained to the reporters, is to get the documents we are seeking from the White House so we can complete our investigation.

The White House immediately shut that down. They said documents related to Flynns security clearance would be kept from Congress because they include classified information.

Even before he testified, public opinion was on Comeys side in his battle with the administration.

According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, 61 percent of Americans believe Trump fired Comey to protect himself. The same poll found that 56 percent believe Trump is trying to interfere in the Russia investigation.

It is clear that Trumps team thinks they can weather the storm if this remains a clash between two political personalities  Trump and Comey.

But others in the Trump campaign  especially Flynn  are part of the rising swamp threatening the Trump White House.
President Trump seems to have precipitated a crisis with Qatar by effectively siding with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Arab states on the issue of Qatars financing of terrorism. It may even have hastened the departure of our U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Shell Smith, an Obama holdover who effectively asked to leave by disrespectfully tweeting on May 9: Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions.

You know what? All of this is just fine. While the extreme reactions of Qatar and the Gulf states may have not been the direct goal, it is a step in the process of forcing them and others to choose sides in the global fight against Islamist terror.

Qatar has been funding plenty of the usual suspects like al Qaeda and its many offshoots, ISIS and other jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood as well as Hamas and Hezbollah. The United States has avoided pushing too hard about this due to the CENTCOM headquarters and air base supporting operations against ISIS hosted in Qatar.

There are also inaccurate claims that we gain assistance against terrorism from turning a blind eye to Qatari actions. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates disputes this, saying he was unaware of any time Qatar went after the terrorist financing of Hamas, Taliban and al-Qaeda.

While there is certainly danger in all of this, there is also a major opportunity to make some new rules. One of those should be that financing terror will cost you more than just money.

Qatar did act as mediators and then bag men in negotiating and delivering the massive ransom President Obama paid to the Taliban for the release of Bowe Bergdahl. But that just ends up being more terror financing with the dubious distinction of having the U.S. seal of approval on it.

The Saudis, United Arab Emirates and others recalled Ambassadors and started a blockade of Qatar last week to pressure it on this issue and to also use it in their own ongoing power struggles. This has caused considerable doom-saying among those who fear change.

But while there is certainly danger in all of this, there is also a major opportunity to make some new rules. One of those should be that financing terror will cost you more than just money.

Qatar is far from the only one smiling at us while doling out satchels of cash to the bad guys. The Saudis are arguably worse, but you have to start somewhere and President Trump determined he could enlist the Saudis in this endeavor. This is a version of that French Foreign Legion tactic pour encourager les autres, where one malefactor is chosen for a very public punishment to encourage the others toward better behavior.

Much has also been made of the difference in tone of statements between President Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson on this issue. You would think none of these people have ever heard of the tried-and-true tactic of Good Cop/Bad Cop.

The goal is not to start a war, it is to get Qatar, and others, to stop funding terrorism. So when the president raises the big stick and threatens to give them a few whacks, his diplomats can sweep in and offer a less painful alternative.

This also has the benefit of putting pressure on Iran by rallying the Gulf Arab states to a stronger partnership with us. After eight years of President Obamas delusion that the Iranians were partners for peace, this is a much-needed change. That point was made quite clear with a jobs program for U.S. defense contractors in the form of a huge military sale to Saudi Arabia.

So, everybody needs to lighten up and give the President some room to do the deal-making he is known for. Of course this is high stakes and the risks are real. But the status quo has given us a global Islamist threat that acts and inspires terror anywhere it wants. Cutting off its funding is an obvious place to start and we will all benefit from that.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is turning into a witch hunt and it needs to be shut down immediately.

Ex-FBI Director James Comey, who admitted sparking the probe by leaking information to The New York Times, is nothing more than a calculating, cunning partisan political hack at home in the D.C. swamp. During last week's hearing, Comey admitted that he intentionally gave a memo to his friend hoping it would lead to appointment of a special counsel.

I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter, Comey told lawmakers. Didn't do it myself for a variety of reasons, but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel. And so I asked a close friend of mine to do it.

What Comey's admitting to under oath cannot be overlooked here or understated. His end goal was the appointment of the special counsel, which just so happens to turn out to be his longtime friend, Robert Mueller.

By leaking information, Comey could be putting himself again in serious legal trouble. If those memos were classified -- and several legal experts are arguing they are -- Comey may have broken the law. Comey created those memos on government computers in a government truck, making it property of the U.S. government, not James Comey. In addition to that, there are nondisclosure agreements that the FBI rules that exist that Comey also could have violated.

Leaks aside, Comey's relationship with Mueller is a massive conflict of interest. It's why it is time to now shut down this political witch hunt that is really aimed at stopping the president, delegitimizing him and hopefully, in the minds of some, making sure he gets thrown out of office. It's that serious.

We have a guy, Comey, who is beyond disgruntled and angry after being fired by the president and now one of Comey's closest friends is leading the investigation as the special counsel. I don't care if you're left, right, Republican, Democrat, does that sound fair, honest, objective to you? Of course not.

Conflict of interest rules disqualify Mueller from being special counsel in a case involving his pal. And if that's not bad enough, four members of Mueller's team have donated to Democrats.

Not to mention, why did James Comey wait until his hearing last week to actually mention the fact that Loretta Lynch, the then-attorney general, tried to interfere with an FBI investigation? He testified that she instructed him to soft-peddle his investigation by calling it a matter. This on top of her infamous meeting on the tarmac with Bill Clinton.

The real collusion that Mueller is never going to probe is not with President Trump and the Russians, it appears to be between the Clinton campaign, the Obama administration, Loretta Lynch and James Comey.

Lets pull the plug on this witch hunt and go after the real lawbreakers.

Adapted from Sean Hannity's monologue on "Hannity," June 12, 2017
June 13, 2017, may be remembered as the day in which the Democratic campaign to take down Donald Trump over the Comey investigation finally fell apart. Attorney General Jeff Sessions came to defend himself against a series of baseless charges, and was treated by several Democratic senators with the contempt that might seem excessive had he been the head of a particularly nasty criminal syndicate.

No one watching the hearing could fail to be impressed by the Attorney Generals candor, by his willingness to open himself up and answer all of the charges directed his way. At the same time, the badgering of the witness by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the refusal to give him time to answer, the attempt to throw him off guard, the heavy-handed speechifying under the guise of posing a question, and the innuendo of Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), are going to be remembered as an embarrassment that will ring down the curtain on the investigation.

Its pretty easy to smear people, but then there comes a time when the person smeared gets a chance to respond, and thats what happened when Jeff Sessions took the microphone. I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president, he said, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations.

Then theres the idiocy of supposing that, if the Russians had wanted to influence the campaign, the way to do so would be to send the ambassador to meet with a campaign official in approximately the most public venue in all of Washington.

One of those smears is reported to have come from former FBI Director James Comey, who speculated that then-Senator Sessions had met with the Russian Ambassador at the Mayflower Hotel on April 27, 2016. Thats when then-candidate Trump delivered a major foreign policy speech in the hotels ballroom. As it happens, I know something about that. I was there, as someone who, along with Bob Tyrrell and my wife Esther Goldberg, had prepared a draft of the speech. We sat ourselves down in the second row, and it was thrilling to hear some of our words played back for us.reported to have come from former FBI Director James Comey,

Just before the speech was given, a bunch of bigwigs entered the ballroom from a private reception where they had met with Trump. Jeff Sessions was one of them, and he sat in the row just ahead of us. We shook hands and settled back for the speech. When it was over, I saw him hang back a bit, and then exit alone. If he had met with a Russian ambassador I think Id know. And it didnt happen.

Comey had no evidence about any such meeting. If he was the source of the rumor, that tells you something about his willingness to smear people.

Apart from that, theres the idiocy of supposing that, if the Russians had wanted to influence the campaign, the way to do so would be to send the ambassador to meet with a campaign official in approximately the most public venue in all of Washington. Behind us the cameras were all rolling, and in the room were a few great Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. And thats where the Russians and Sessions were going to have their cozy little tete-a-tete? As Tom Cotton noted, thats not exactly how James Bond did things.

Just as ludicrous was the suggestion, from Sen. Heinrich, that the Attorney Generals refusal to reveal private conversations with the president amount to obstruction of justice. In like circumstances, Eric Holder refused to reveal private conversations about government policy he had had with President Obama. As long as were a government of separation of powers, Congress doesnt have the right to direct the executive branch in the exercise of its duties, or to require that executive deliberations about how to carry out those duties be revealed to it.

Consistent with long-standing Department of Justice practice, said Sessions, I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect confidential communications with the President. Sessions made clear that, while he wasnt invoking executive privilege over the matter, he was not going to talk about private conversations with the president in order to preserve his right to do so. Only the president could invoke the privilege, said Sessions, and if he disclosed the nature of the conversation before the committee hed deprive the president of that option. That was a perfectly clear statement of principle, which the Democrats tried to twist against him, in an especially fatuous manner.

If you didnt see the hearings, I invite you to catch a moment or two of them on YouTube. Youll see how a gentle and decent man, one who feels dishonor like a stain, acquits himself against the scurrilous attacks by people in every respect his moral inferiors.
Several Republican senators have indicated that they would be willing to support a health care bill that funds Planned Parenthood or some abortion services, Fox News has learned.

The GOP is worried that any bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare would have to be carefully structured to hold the support of moderate and conservative Republicans. However, the apparent concession by conservatives might give leadership more room to maneuver.

The pressure is on Senate Republicans to try to move a bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare before the Fourth of July recess. The House of Representatives passed its own bill, the American Health Care Act, last month.

Fox News has also learned that Senate GOP leaders have been sending policy proposals to the Congressional Budget Office for evaluation and scoring. However, a full bill was not expected to be presented at the weekly Republican luncheon Tuesday.

Senate Republicans are winnowing down policy options in an effort to get the necessary 51 votes to pass any health care legislation. Some believe any bill will only get 50 votes, necessitating a tie-breaking intervention by Vice President Mike Pence.

Meanwhile, the government said Monday that about 16 percent of consumers who signed up for coverage this year through Healthcare.gov and its state counterparts had canceled their plans by early spring.

Figures released from the Health and Human Services department show that 10.3 million people were signed up and paying their premiums as of March 15. That's 1.9 million fewer than the 12.2 million who initially signed up during open enrollment season, which ended Jan. 31.

In the first part of last year, the dropout rate was similar, about 13 percent. It increased as the year went on. Monthly enrollment averaged about 10 million people in 2016.

Some of the main reasons for dropping out include finding job-based insurance, problems paying premiums, and becoming eligible for Medicare.

A new analysis from HHS also found higher dropout rates in areas where insurers have left the program. About one-third of U.S. counties only had one participating insurer this year, and next year there may be areas with no available carrier.

The Trump administration said the numbers are a sign of continuing problems with Obamacare, such as sharp premium increases and the departure of some major insurers that suffered financial losses. Democrats have accused Trump of trying to "sabotage" Obama's signature domestic achievement

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
President Trumps legal team may be prepared to show a trail of leaks to The New York Times by former FBI Director James Comey  dating back to at least March  in a pair of complaints set to be filed to the Justice Department inspector general and Senate Judiciary Committee, a source close to the team told Fox News.

An independent Fox News review of The New York Times reporting dating back to January reveals a host of stories sourced from top FBI and DOJ officials  or those privy to their conversations  that either paint Comey in a positive light or push a message he was unable to personally disclose.

Though Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 3 hed never been -- or directed another FBI official to be -- an anonymous source for news reports about the Trump and Hillary Clinton investigations, the then-FBI chief did not deny orchestrating leaks using, for instance, an old friend who works at Columbia University, or providing the information to a wide enough group to ensure it would leak.

And in reference to a separate case, he acknowledged sending his infamous letter to lawmakers last fall announcing a revival of the Clinton email probe knowing full well what they'd do: "Did I know they were really going to leak it? Of course, I know how Congress works.

Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, was open about at least one leak in testimony last Thursday.

He admitted to using an ex-U.S. attorney, later identified as Columbia University Prof. Daniel Richman, to leak to The Times the contents of alleged memos Comey wrote about his one-on-one interactions with Trump. He was not asked if he had ever used Richman on other occasions; however, Richman is mentioned in 151 results in a New York Times search dating back to 1993, with 11 of those articles also featuring Comey and six of them being authored by Michael S. Schmidt  who later wrote the Comey memos story which Comey told Congress he directed Richman to leak.

Dating back to at least Jan. 10, The Times has published confidential information related to Trump and the FBI, mostly sourced anonymously from senior officials in the FBI and DOJ:

Jan. 6  Comey, in written testimony, said he briefed then-President-elect Trump while the two men were alone in Trump Tower on this date. The briefing dealt with the salacious and unverified dossier alleging that Russia had compromising information about Trump. According to Comeys account, both he and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper decided Comey should be the only one to brief Trump. One of the reasons for this arrangement, Comey wrote, was because he was staying on as FBI director  though no official announcement had been made about this and subsequent reports indicate Trump didnt ask Comey about remaining in his capacity until this meeting took place.

Jan. 10  The Times reports on the Comey/Trump dossier meeting, citing 2 officials with knowledge of the briefing. More inside-the-FBI information also exists in the article, including when the FBI first became aware of the dossier and the troubles agents had confirming the documents details.

Jan. 24  Though Trump hadnt made an official announcement, The Times reports Comey would be staying on as FBI director. Comey had reportedly told a large group about the news, in this case special agents in charge from across the nation. Trumps request that Comey remain on allegedly occurred during the Jan. 6 Trump Tower meeting. Schmidt wrote the story.

Feb. 24  Following a CNN report about contacts between Trump associates and Russia, The Times reports (the same day) that both Comey and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe allegedly called White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to assure him the CNN report was false. Priebus asked the FBI leaders if they could refute the report in public, though they both declined. When the reported calls between the FBI officials and Priebus surfaces, Trump is infuriated and tweets that the FBI needs to work aggressively to stop the leaks.

March 1  A DOJ official confirms to The Times that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had a pair of conversations with Russian official Sergey Kislyak despite Sessions Jan. 10 testimony that he hadnt had contact with Russians in a campaign capacity. This news, and the ensuing firestorm, leads to Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation. Comey said in his June written statement that he knew as far back as mid February that Sessions would likely be recusing himself. This was one of the reasons he gave for not telling Sessions about his interactions with Trump. Schmidt contributed to this article.

March 4  Trump infamously tweets that his phones had been tapped at Trump Tower by the Obama administration during the transition. A senior law enforcement official from the Obama Administration tells The Times that Trumps claim is 100 percent untrue. Schmidt contributed to this article.

March 5  Several senior American officials and senior FBI officials tell The Times that Comey argued that Trumps surveillance claim was false and had to be publicly corrected, even going so far as to ask DOJ to push back on the allegation. The Justice Department does not do so, though Comeys concerns are voiced in the article without him ever giving an on-the-record quote. Schmidt contributed to this article.

March 6  The Trump administration pushes back on the reported Comey concerns publicized in the previous days Times story. Comey was said to be disturbed by the claims because the Trump allegations insinuated the FBI had broken the law. Schmidt wrote this article.

April 22  The Times publishes a very lengthy profile of Comey featuring several in-depth, inside-the-room details and on-the-record quotes from Richman. The piece portrays Comey as a man attempting to shield the FBI from politics while struggling to do the right thing. Schmidt contributed to the article.

May 9  Comey is fired by Trump.

May 10  Richman is quoted in a Times story about Comey and foreshadows the alleged request for loyalty Trump made of Comey: With a president who seems to prize personal loyalty above all else and a director with absolute commitment to the Constitution and pursuing investigations wherever the evidence led, a collision was bound to happen.

May 11  In the afternoon, Trump gives an interview to Lester Holt in which Trump calls Comey a showboat. Later that night, The New York Times publishes details of an alleged dinner meeting between Trump and Comey in which Trump demanded loyalty and Comey demurred. The article, written by Schmidt, cites associates of Comey.

May 12  A tweet from Trump, ostensibly sent in response to the latest Times story, suggests Comey is the source of the leak and tells him he should hope Trump doesnt have tapes of their conversations.

May 16  Comey testified in June he woke up in the middle of the night and decided he needed to get his side of the story out (though most of the details were already reported in the May 11 article). That day, the story about Comeys alleged memos of the Trump meetings is reported in a New York Times story. Schmidt wrote the article. This is the only leak Comey has acknowledged some role in.

A spokesperson for Trumps legal team said Monday there was no update on the filings.

Fox News John Roberts contributed to this report.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson told Fox News' "Hannity" Monday that his goal was to "get people to move up the ladder of opportunity" through home ownership.

"Home ownership is the basis for wealth creation in this country," Carson told host Sean Hannity. "The average net worth of a homeowner is $200,000. The average net worth of a renter is $5,000. So, weve got some definite work we need to do there."

Carson, a former candidate for the 2016 presidential nomination, has kept a low profile so far at the head of HUD. However, he was the subject of controversy in recent weeks when he described poverty as a "state of mind" and compared African slaves brought to America to immigrants.

"People dont like change. They like the comfort zone in which they sit and when somebody starts talking about changing it, they become very anxious," Carson said. "I understand that, and so I expect that there will be people who are anxious about some of the things that I say, but they wont be anxious once they see the results."

Carson, who rose from the projects of Detroit to become a world-renowed brain surgeon, also said he hoped to show low-income kids possible paths off the streets.

"Were going to help people. Were not just going to say, Youve got to do it. [or] Youve got to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Were going to help people do this, but were going to give them the vision."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in Senate testimony Tuesday, said he does not recall having had a third meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during last year's presidential campaign.

Though Sessions has disclosed two other meetings, he was pressed on a possible third meeting at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington in April 2016. Sessions and staff were there for a speech by then-candidate Donald Trump along with Russian officials, but Sessions testified Tuesday that he did not have any private meetings at the Mayflower Hotel.

I would have gladly reported the encounter that some say occurred in the Mayflower, if I remembered it, or if it actually occurred, which I dont remember that it did, Sessions said in response to questions from intelligence committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C.

Sessions told the panel that he did not have any conversations or private meetings, and that the extent of his privacy was the reception area that was shut off from the main crowd with two to three dozen people.

Burr asked if he attended the event as a surrogate of the Trump campaign or a senator.

I came there as an interested person very anxious to see how President Trump would do in his first major foreign policy address, Sessions said. That was my main purpose of being there.

Sessions told lawmakers that he attended the event with his then-legislative director who was with him at the reception.

Sessions acknowledged his two other meetings with Kislyakone on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in July 2016, and one in his Senate office in September. He did not initially disclose them in his confirmation hearing, but defended that omission as an honest lapse on Tuesday.

Mr. Chairman Ive racked my brain to answer those questions correctly, and I did not, I would just offer for you, that when asked about whether I had any meetings with Russians by a reporter in March, we immediately recalled the conversation encounter I had at the convention and in the meeting in my office, Sessions said. I never intended not to include that.

When pressed again on the possibility of a meeting at the Mayflower Hotel by committee Ranking Member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Sessions said he did not recall any meeting but that if one had occurred, it was nothing improper.

Sessions later said he could not say with certainty that he did not have an encounter with Kislyak.

Sessions gave an opening statement denying any and all collusion with the Russians and called the allegations a lie.

I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign in the United States, Sessions said. The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion, of the Russian government to hurt this country which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in dramatic Senate testimony, on Tuesday decried suggestions he colluded with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign as an appalling and detestable lie -- while staunchly defending his role in the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election, Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee. I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign.

The attorney general addressed the same Senate panel that heard last week from Comey, becoming the highest-ranking official to testify in the Russia investigation.

Democrats used the forum to pepper Sessions with tough questions, at times accusing him of "stonewalling" and impeding the congressional probe.

The normally reserved Sessions showed his feisty side in response, pushing back on what he called the "secret innuendo" being leaked about his contact with Russians and challenging portions of Comey's testimony.

In a fiery opening statement, Sessions specifically contradicted Comeys claims that he remained silent when the former FBI director expressed his concerns over a meeting with President Trump.

I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow Department policies regarding appropriate contacts with the White House, Sessions said, adding he was confident that Comey understood the rules on communicating with the White House about ongoing investigations.

Sessions had earlier recused himself from all matters relating to the Russia investigation after it was reported he had failed to disclose two meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden asked Sessions about conflicting accounts rising from Comeys testimony and claims that there was something problematic about Sessions role before his recusal.

Asked what issues might be problematic, Sessions raised his voice: "Why don't you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden, there are none ... This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

Democrats appeared to be looking for evidence that Sessions' contact with Russian officials was more significant than previously thought. Sessions has said neither of the two disclosed encounters had anything to with the Trump campaign in 2016 and that the meetings took place in his role as a lawmaker.

Sessions flatly denied a third meeting with the Russian liaison at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington during a campaign event in April.

I did not have any private meetings nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel, he said. I did not attend any meetings at that event. Prior to the speech, I attended a reception with my staff that included at least two dozen people and President Trump. Though I do recall several conversations I had during that pre-speech reception, I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian ambassador or any other Russian officials.

Tuesday was Sessions first time in the witness seat since his confirmation hearing in February.

Sessions' testimony came on the heels of Comeys explosive testimony last week on Russias medding in U.S. elections and allegations that Trump tried to kill a related investigation.

During Comeys hearing, he hinted at Sessions' role in the controversy.

We were also aware of facts that I cannot discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia investigation problematic, Comey said.

The Justice Department and Sessions himself have pushed back on such suggestions. Sessions also has faced questions from Democrats about why he was involved in recommending Comey's firing even after he recused himself from the Russia investigation. However, Sessions said Tuesday he had a duty to oversee the Justice Department and FBI, and a "fresh start" was needed at the FBI.

He also said he has the right to defend himself.

I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president. I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations, he said.

Unlike Comey, who bluntly said he tried to avoid one-on-one encounters with Trump and began documenting their interactions, Sessions is a staunch supporter of the president.

Sessions was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump and was then-candidate Trumps adviser on almost every major decision and policy proposal pushed on the campaign trail.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio asked Sessions whether Trump had recorded conversations he had in the White House with Comey  something Trump hinted he had done then walked back.

Comey said last week that he hopes there are tapes and encouraged the White House to release them.

"I do not [know]," Sessions said when asked whether he knows whether the president records his conversations.

Comey had also said that Sessions had lingered in the Oval Office following a group meeting, just before the private encounter during which Comey has said Trump asked him to pull back on his investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. As Trump tried to shoo everyone out to talk alone with Comey, Sessions lingered, in Comey's account. Comey suggested this indicated the attorney general's awareness that it was improper for Trump and Comey to meet alone together, given the specter of the Department of Justice's investigation into Russia's election meddling and possible ties with the Trump campaign.

But Sessions disputed that was why he lingered, suggesting there was really nothing to it.

"I do recall being one of the last ones to leave, I don't know how that occurred," Sessions said. "I eventually left."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Megyn Kelly suddenly finds herself at the center of a media uproar over one of her first interviews at NBC.

Her sitdown with Alex Jonesradio host, conspiracy theorist and longtime lightning rodhas sparked intense criticism even before it airs on her new magazine show this Sunday.

The controversy has already prompted one major advertiser, JP Morgan, to pull its commercials from NBC to avoid being associated with any promotion for the show.

This reflects a collision between the journalistic imperative to talk to people in the news, no matter how disreputable, and the raw emotion of those who feel brutalized by such a person. As pressure builds on NBC to pull the Sunday Night interview, even Jones is insisting it shouldnt run.

Kelly says the outrageous nature of some of Jones' claims is the reason she believes it was important to conduct the interview.

Jones, whose site is called Infowars, has embraced a number of conspiracy theories without a shred of evidence, such as calling the 9/11 attacks an inside job. But none has proved as hurtful as his contention that the murder of 20 students and six adults at Connecticuts Sandy Hook elementary school was a hoax. He literally accused the parents mourning the death of their children of being actors.

The family of Vicki Soto, a teacher killed in the attack, told Kelly in a Facebook posting that it was greatly disappointed in her decision to interview Jones: Alex and his followers have done nothing but make our lives a living hell for the last 4-1/2 years.

One of those grieving parents, Nelba Marquez-Greene, called the interview an egregious offense to the relatives of those killed in the 2012 massacre. She told the Washington Post that to give Alex Jones a platform on Fathers Day is especially cruel to me. The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, a nonprofit group opposed to gun violence, has dropped Kelly as host of an annual gala being held tomorrow in Washington.

Kelly, the former Fox News prime-time host who joined NBC this year, responded in a statement provided by the network:

I find Alex Jones's suggestion that Sandy Hook was a hoax as personally revolting as every other rational person does. It left me, and many other Americans, asking the very question that prompted this interview: how does Jones, who traffics in these outrageous conspiracy theories, have the respect of the president of the United States and a growing audience of millions?

President Trump, by praising and citing him, appearing on his show, and giving him White House press credentials, has helped elevate Jones, to the alarm of many. Our goal in sitting down with him was to shine a light - as journalists are supposed to do - on this influential figure, and yes - to discuss the considerable falsehoods he has promoted with near impunity.

Kelly added that she was disappointed to be dropped from the gala but that I understand and respect the decision of the event organizers.

Dan Abrams, ABCs chief legal analyst, defended the Kelly interview today on Good Morning America, saying Ive interviewed murderers before, so has every major network. And we dont get this kind of backlash.

He added that: What Alex Jones says is often reprehensible. Sometimes its crazy. Hes also incredibly influentialThe notion that the answer to that is to ignore him is absurd.

In a preview clip, Jones offered an ambiguous response when Kelly asked him about the Newtown massacre.

Well, Sandy Hooks complex because I have had debates where, we devils advocates have said the whole story is true, and then I have had debates where I have said, that none of it is true, he said.

Kelly responded: When you say parents faked their childrens death, people get very angry.

Well I know, but they dont get angry about the half million dead Iraqis from the sanctions, or they dont get angry about Kelly interrupted to call that a dodge.

Jones said he had looked at all the angles of Newtown, and I made my statements long before the media even picked up on it.

In a strange rant last week after the interview, which was done at his Austin studio, Jones said Kelly is not feminine but is cold, robotic, dead. He now writes that NBC should cancel the segment because it is a rigged report that misrepresents his views. Theyre scared of what were doing, he said.

Twice in recent months, Jones has retracted unfounded conspiracy theories. In March, he apologized to the owner of a Washington pizzeria for saying that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign manager were using it as a child sex trafficking ring.

Last month, Jones apologized to Chobani for accusing the yogurt company of supporting migrant rapists who spread disease at its Idaho headquarters.

The decision by JP Morgan to pull its advertising, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was followed by this explanation from Kristin Lemkau, the banks chief marketing officer.

As an advertiser, she tweeted, I'm repulsed that @megynkelly would give a second of airtime to someone who says Sandy Hook and Aurora are hoaxes. Why?

Chelsea Clinton, a former part-time correspondent for NBC, added her voice on Twitter: I hope no parent, no person watches this.

The pain of the Sandy Hook families is both understandable and heartbreaking. To them, a man who denies the biggest tragedy of their lives, who essentially calls them liars, should not be given a platform by a major network.

At the same time, journalists have always interviewed criminals and outcastsfrom Saddam Hussein to Bashar al-Assad, from Charles Manson to O.J. Simpson, from racists to child molestersas a way of telling a larger story. The key is whether these infamous characters are aggressively confronted or passively given ink and airtime.

Until Megyn Kellys interview with Alex Jones hits the airwaves, it will be impossible to fully answer that question.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday adamantly defended his involvement in James Comeys firing, saying his recusal from the Russia investigation did not preclude him from overseeing the FBI.

And he also made clear that he wont stay quiet in the face of allegations against him.

I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president. I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations, Sessions said, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Several Democratic senators have questioned Sessions role in seeking Comeys ouster as FBI director, considering the attorney general had recused himself from the probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.

But Sessions testified Tuesday its absurd to suggest his recusal would render him unable to manage department leadership.

Sessions, under questioning, also pointed to the reasons why he wanted Comey to go.

He said the bureau needed a fresh start and criticized Comeys handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe. He described Comeys decision to unilaterally announce the results of the FBI probe last summer as a usurpation of Justice Department power.

Comey, testifying before the same committee last week, defended his decision to announce the results on his own. Comey in part cited then-Attorney General Loretta Lynchs tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton -- the husband of the subject of the investigation -- which Comey said concerned him.


Attorney General Jeff Sessions got into a fiery exchange with one of his former colleagues during testimony Tuesday, after Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., opened up his line of questioning with an accusation that Sessions was "stonewalling."

After thanking Senate Intelligence Committee leaders for holding the Russia-related hearing in public, Wyden declared, "The American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged and off-limits, or that they cannot be provided in public, or that it would be quote 'inappropriate' for witnesses to tell us what they know."

Sessions had claimed earlier in the hearing that he is unable to reveal confidential communications with President Trump and doubled down on that notion in his response to Wyden.

"I am not stonewalling," Sessions argued, adding he was simply "following the historic policies of the Department of Justice. You don't walk into any hearing, or committee meeting, and reveal confidential communications with the president of the United States, who is entitled to receive confidential communications in your best judgment about a host of issues."

Things got even more tense, however, when Wyden asked Sessions to respond to a claim that former FBI Director James Comey had made before the committee just last week regarding Sessions' recusal from the ongoing FBI investigation into claims of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to the Trump campaign.

'This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it'  Attorney General Jeff Sessions

"Mr. Comey said that there were matters with respect to the recusal that were problematic, and that he couldn't talk about them. What are they?" Wyden asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Sessions fired back, before claiming "there are none." And Sessions wasn't done yet.

"This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it," Sessions said. "People are suggesting through innuendo that I have been not honest about matters, and I've tried to be honest."

Sessions went on to say that "some of that leaked out of the committee that [Comey] said in closed sessions."

Wyden attempted to end his line of questioning by suggesting one of Sessions answers with respect to Comey's firing "doesn't pass the smell test." Sessions managed to get in a final response, arguing that his signing off on Comey's firing did not violate his recusal from the Russia investigation, as Wyden alleged.
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The Senates Russia probe will hit a new level of intensity Tuesday when Attorney General Jeff Sessions becomes the highest-ranking official to testify  in what Senate Intelligence Committee leaders confirmed will be an open hearing, in the spirit of last weeks dramatic session with James Comey.

The circumstances are different for Sessions appearance. While Comey was a witness scorned by President Trump and ready to dish on the leader who fired him, Sessions remains the top law enforcement official in the country, working for Trump's administration.

But lawmakers  particularly Democrats  are preparing tough questions for Sessions both about Russias contact with Trump campaign associates and the circumstances of Comeys firing.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who had called for Sessions testimony to be public, welcomed the open hearing as a positive step but said the attorney general should be forthcoming regarding unanswered and troubling questions.

MUELLER'S LEGAL BUILD-UP RAISES FLAGS

He called for Sessions to clarify what involvement he had in the Russia probe before his recusal; what safeguards are now in place; and why he felt it was appropriate to recommend Comeys firing when he was leading that investigation.

Recommending Director Comeys firing would seem to be a violation of his recusal, and Attorney General Sessions needs to answer for that, Schumer said in a statement.

For the Trump team, Tuesdays open hearing runs the risk of escalating the political drama surrounding the Russia probe and continuing to distract from the policy agenda the administration is trying to jump-start.

But Sessions apparently wanted to testify in public, to help clear the air.

He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions tomorrow, a Justice Department spokesperson said.

Sessions had been set to testify before a budget-related subcommittee on Tuesday but, in letters to key lawmakers, said the intelligence committee that heard from Comey would be the more appropriate venue considering the Russia-related questions.

It was initially unclear whether the hearing would be open, but committee leaders announced Monday it would be public.

The hearing is now set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday in open session.

On Fox News Sunday, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he also has questions about Sessions participation in Comeys firing.

[Sessions] had already recused himself and then, suddenly, he's the one apparently recommending to the president that Comey be fired and the president has  declared it was all about the Russian investigation, Reed said.

The Trump administration has given numerous reasons for Comeys firing, including his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe. But Comey testified last week that he thinks the Russia probe was the driving force.

Reed, further, said he has questions about Sessions past meetings with Russian officials beyond those hes already declared.

That will come up, he vowed.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe after acknowledging he met twice last year with the Russian ambassador.

During his testimony last week, Comey suggested there might be more to Sessions' recusal from the Russia probe, telling lawmakers he believed it was inevitable that Sessions would recuse himself and there were facts he could not discuss in an open hearing.

The Department of Justice, however, issued a statement standing by the original explanation that Sessions recused himself due to his participation in Trumps campaign.

[I]t was for that reason, and that reason alone, spokesman Ian Prior said.

Republicans have moved to downplay the Russia controversy in the wake of Comeys testimony, claiming the fired FBI director affirmed some of Trumps key claims. On Fox News Sunday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel appealed to lawmakers to drop their line of investigation regarding the question of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

This is a fishing expedition, she said. Im calling for an end to the investigations about  President Trumps campaign colluding with the Russians. Theres been no evidence of it.
President Trump on Tuesday accused former Attorney General Loretta Lynch of "illegal" behavior in her handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's secret email server, alleging the ex-top cop provided "protection" for the Democratic presidential nominee.

The president drew attention to Lynch ahead of a Senate hearing where his own AG, Jeff Sessions, is set to testify on the Russia investigation.

Trump's tweet appeared to draw on the related June 8 testimony of former FBI Director James Comey -- whom Trump controversially fired. Comey revealed to Congress that Lynch told him to call the investigation a "matter" when speaking to the press and said he was also troubled by Lynch's meeting on a Phoenix tarmac with former President Bill Clinton. Comey was so disturbed by the incidents, he held a press conference himself to discuss the case before presenting his findings to Lynch.

"A.G. Lynch made law enforcement decisions for political purposes...gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!" Trump tweeted.

Trump's Twitter megaphone was the loudest strike in a growing drumbeat of officials calling for Congress to focus on Lynch. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday he wanted Lynch to testify. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said he wanted to see any memos Comey may have written about Lynch.

Trump on Tuesday also knocked one of his favorite targets, the news media, for an agenda of hate, though he didnt specify which story or stories had riled him up.

Trump wrote: The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad!

He added later: "Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???"

And the day after an appeals court cited one of his tweets in the judges opinion to uphold the block of Trumps travel ban, Trump took to Twitter to rail against the courts decision at such a dangerous time for America.

Trump has frequently criticized the 9th Circuit, considered among the most liberal in the country. Mondays decision by the court of appeals to uphold a lower courts injunction on Trumps controversial executive order temporarily banning immigration from several Muslim-majority countries again drew the presidents ire.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again  Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C. Trump tweeted.

The S.C. initials at the end of the tweet likely referred to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Trump has said he intends to continue waging his battle to implement the ban.
Christopher Ruddy, the founder of Newsmax Media and close friend of President Trump, told PBS News Hour Monday that he believes the president is considering perhaps terminating special counsel Robert Mueller, the man charged with investigating Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion with Trumps campaign.

The comments come amid increasing frustration at the White House and among Trump supporters that the investigation will overshadow the president's agenda for months to come.

When reached by Fox News after the remarks, Ruddy said, while I am not claiming the president said it to me, I am confident of my sourcing. He is definitely considering it as an option.

A source close to the Trump legal team, though, later told Fox News that Ruddys statement just came from watching another Trump lawyer, Jay Sekulow, discuss the Mueller probe on ABCs This Week  and Sekulow did not directly suggest the president was thinking about firing Mueller.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said Ruddy never spoke to the president regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the president or his attorneys are authorized to comment.

The New York Times reported that to fire Mueller, Trump would have to order Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein to turn back regulations that protect the special counsel from being fired for no good reason. If Rosenstein refused, Trump could fire Rosenstein.

As Mueller builds his legal team, Trump's allies have begun raising questions about the former FBI director's impartiality, suggesting he cannot be trusted to lead the probe.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an informal Trump adviser, tweeted Monday, "Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring."

Just weeks ago, Gingrich had heaped praise on Mueller, hailing him as a "superb choice" for special counsel whose reputation was "impeccable for honesty and integrity."

But after the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey last week, Gingrich said he'd changed his mind.

"Time to rethink," he tweeted Monday, citing Mueller's hiring decisions and Comey's admission that he'd instructed a friend to share with reporters notes he'd taken of his private conversations with Trump in order to force the appointment of special counsel.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter offered a similar message, tweeting, "Now that we know TRUMP IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, Sessions should take it back & fire Mueller."

The talk about dismissing Mueller appeared to be coming from Trump allies  including some close to White House strategist Steve Bannon  who are increasingly frustrated with the prospect of a long and winding probe.

They say Trump did not collude with Russia and see the investigation as a politically motivated sham that handicaps Trump's ability to execute his agenda, according to one person who advises the White House on how to handle the probe. The person demanded anonymity to discuss strategy on the sensitive matter.

Ruddy appeared to be basing his remarks, at least in part, on comments from Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump's legal team, who told ABC in an interview Sunday that he was "not going to speculate" on whether Trump might at some point order Rosenstein to fire Mueller.

"Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive. But the president is going to seek the advice of his counsel and inside the government as well as outside. And I'm not going to speculate on what he will or will not do," Sekulow said. Still, he added, "I can't imagine that that issue is going to arise."

Fox News' Serafin Gomez, Ed Henry and John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report
Virginia voters are picking their nominees Tuesday for one of just two gubernatorial races this year, in contests where President Trump looms as a major factor.

On the Republican side, underdog Corey Stewart has made his devout support for Trump a dominant focus of his campaign.

But former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie, a more mainstream GOP candidate, has distanced himself from Trump and his policies. A third candidate, state Sen. Frank Wagner, is also running in the GOP primary.

On the Democratic side, former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam are facing off, each vying to be the face of the Trump resistance.

Though Perriello previously voted for an anti-abortion amendment, the former congressman now offers a more liberal platform against Trump and his business policies, promising to raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for social programs and arguing against two proposed natural gas pipelines. Perriello has been endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and bankrolled by Democratic super donors George Soros and Donald Sussman.

Northam, a more traditional candidate, opposes tax increases. He's courted reliable Democratic voters, saying he is the more pragmatic choice who can win in the general election. Hes also a Trump critic, having called him a narcissistic maniac.

Polling stations are open Tuesday between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. to determine who will take the place of the current Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who cant run for a second consecutive term under the term limit law unique to Virginia. New Jersey is the only other state holding a gubernatorial contest this year.

Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, also is a proponent for preserving Confederate history and deporting all illegal immigrants upon arrest.

Gillespie, a moderate GOP insider, aims to make a modest cut to income tax. The former chairman is backed by most of the state party establishment, and has the fundraising advantage.

Wagner has criticized Gillespie as being unrealistic in his proposed tax cuts, and aims to implement a gas tax increase for transportation projects.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump is reviving his effort to overhaul ObamaCare and reverse what he describes as the death spiral, as fresh figures show premiums soaring and the number of counties growing where there will soon be no insurance option under the program.

While Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified on the Russia probe Tuesday afternoon, Trump headed to Milwaukee to discuss the health care push and meet with so-called victims of the Affordable Care Acts problems.

"Millions of American families, and I mean millions, continue to suffer from Obamacare while congressional Democrats obstruct our efforts to rescue them," said Trump. "The Democrats have let you down, big-league ... These citizens deserve so much better."

Before that, the president met with numerous Republican senators to discuss the status of repealing and replacing the law.

Trump set the stage for the meeting in a Tuesday morning tweet: 2 million more people just dropped out of ObamaCare. It is in a death spiral. Obstructionist Democrats gave up, have no answer = resist!

But so far, the victory Trump celebrated when ObamaCare repeal legislation passed the House has not come close to being replicated on the Senate side. The pressure is on Senate Republicans to try and move a bill before the Fourth of July recess, and its unclear where discussions stand.

Asked about the status, Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told Fox News, I have nothing to say right now about health care.

Yet the problem of rising premiums and fleeing insurers hasnt gone away.

According to a White House official, individual market premiums more than doubled from 2013 to 2017. Applying pressure to Republican senators, the official noted that several states represented by those in Tuesdays meeting saw premium increases well over 100 percent.

A recent New York Times analysis also found 35,000 people in 45 counties could have no insurance options to choose from next year under Affordable Care Act marketplaces. And many more could have just one insurance option.

Anthem became one of the latest to announce a market pull-out, declaring it would leave Ohio in 2018. Earlier this year, Humana announced it will pull out of the ObamaCare exchanges entirely.

In legislative discussions in the Senate, one of the big problems for Republicans is the Medicaid expansion. Moderates wants the expansion to be phased out in seven years; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has offered three years. The talks are delicate because with 52 Senate Republicans, McConnell can only afford to lose two of his members to pass a bill.

A key Senate Republican voiced confidence in McConnell over the weekend but also floated a backup.

"My advice is, if we can't replace ObamaCare by ourselves, to go to the Democrats and say this -- 10 percent of the sick people in this country drive 90 percent of the costs for all of us. Let's take those 10 percent of really sick people, put them in a federal managed care system, so they will get better outcomes, and save the private sector market, if we can't do this by ourselves, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on CBS Face the Nation.

As for Senate Democrats, theyve talked about fixing ObamaCare but dont sound willing to work with Republicans if the focus is on scrapping the health care law.

"We may be days or even weeks away from the Republicans moving directly to the floor a significant bill that would affect tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of Americans -- give big tax cuts, cut back on health care, defund Planned Parenthood without a single public hearing, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told CNN. That's also wrong."

Fox News Kristin Brown, Mike Emanuel and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes recommendation on Monday to reduce the size of the new 1.3 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in Utah could foreshadow a string of battles to shrink parkland in states across the country.

The Trump administration is reviewing 26 other national monuments, and Bears Ears was the first to be flagged by Zinke.

The Interior secretary  who also said Congress should decide how selected areas of the site are categorized  was tasked by President Trump back in April with reviewing western national monuments that were designated since 1996 and total 100,000 acres or more.

Bears Ears  the first national monument proposed by Native American tribes  has been the most controversial and high profile of the sites under review.

After discussions with Native American groups, then-President Barack Obama used the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate Bears Ears and Nevadas Gold Butte as monuments in the waning days of his presidency  a move praised by environmentalists and Native Americans, but panned as a midnight monument by Republican lawmakers, ranchers and those in the oil and gas industries.

Zinkes recommendation flipped the tables when it came to responses.

Secretary Zinkes exemplary effort to engage with local Utahns is to be commended, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, said on Monday. A locally-driven, legislative approach is the best way to strike a balance among the people who love and use the vast acreage surrounding the Bears Ears.

Native Americans, environmentalists and executives from numerous outdoor clothing companies slammed Zinkes recommendation. Industry giants like Patagonia and Arcteryx have already pulled out of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City  the largest outdoor retailer show in the world and a major economic force in the state.

Secretary Zinkes recommendation that the president shrink the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument ignores the law and public outcry, Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia, said in a Facebook post. Bears Ears holds irreplaceable cultural, ecological and recreational value and it needs our protection. If the president decides to usurp Congresss authority and shrink the boundaries on his own, Patagonia will take legal action to defend our public lands.

Ethel Branch, Navajo Nation attorney general, said the lands within Bears Ears are essentially holy lands that hold critical plants, minerals and powers that members of many tribes rely on to heal and strengthen themselves.

"Protection of these lands are non-negotiable," Branch said.

Despite Zinkes recommendation enjoying widespread support from Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the states congressional delegation, the same cannot be said for monuments under review in other western states.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, said last week that he would take any and all legal action necessary to preserve six California monuments. The monuments in California, which include Giant Sequoia monument in the southern Sierra Nevada and the San Gabriel Mountains monument outside of Los Angeles, are overwhelmingly popular in the Golden State.

In a letter to the Interior Department, Becerra said he believed that California will not be the only state to fight Trumps executive order.

I expect that I will be joined by many of this countrys state attorneys general in using all of the legal tools at our disposal to ensure that the rule of the law is followed, he wrote.

The national monument battle, however, isnt totally a partisan issue.

Republican Rep. Scott Tipton and Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado wrote to Zinke in May to voice their support for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which was designated by then-President Bill Clinton in 2000 and encompasses 178,000 acres.

We believe any review of Canyons should conclude that no changes to the designation are necessary, they wrote, according to the Durango Herald.

While Zinkes recommendation asks Congress to look into Bears Ears, it is still unclear what powers Trump has regarding the monuments.

Congressional leaders and courts have in the past contested many national monument designations  Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, took heat for Jackson Hole National Monument, which later became Grand Teton National Park. Some monuments also have been scaled down, or enlarged, over the years by presidential orders or by Congress, but no president has ever attempted to eliminate his predecessors monument decisions. If Trump tries to do so, the matter will most likely end up in court.

Its really unclear what powers the president has to abolish these monuments, James Morton Turner, an associate professor of environmental studies at Wellesley College, told Fox News.
The U.S. ambassador to Qatar announced she is stepping down this month amid tension between the two nations over terrorism funding.

Dana Shell Smith, a President Obama appointee who has held the post since 2014, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that she is resigning.

It has been the greatest honor of my life and I'll miss this great country, she tweeted.

QATAR TAPS FORMER US ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HELP EASE REGIONAL CRISIS

Though Smith did not give a reason for her sudden departure, she has been highly critical of President Trump the past few months. She also defended Qatar before the president made critical comments about the country last week.

As several Gulf nations sought to isolate last week Qatar by breaking off diplomatic relations with the country, Shell Smith tweeted an eight-month old memo from the U.S. embassy in Qatar lauding the country for its efforts to counter terrorist financing.

TRUMP SAYS QATAR MUST END TERRORISM FUNDING

A day later, Trump fired off a series of tweets accusing Qatar of funding terrorism and financing radical Ideology.

Shell Smith was one of the diplomats that the New York Times said was carrying out a quiet revolt against the Trump administration. After Trump fired FBI director James Comey, she tweeted: Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions.

She is a career diplomat who speaks Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and Hebrew, according to her State Department bio.
Enormous labyrinth terrains crisscross the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

As methane and ethane rain down, they slowly carve away at the landscape by some undetermined method to create mazes that stretch for tens of kilometers. New research has revealed how extensive these puzzling mazes are on Titan's surface, and provides insight into how they formed.

First spotted by NASA's Cassini mission in 2010, the labyrinths bear a faint resemblance to geographic features found on Earth, in places like Papua New Guinea and China, as well as on Mars . Cassini only recently completed mapping the surface of Titan , revealing that the mazelike features make up a little over 1 percent of the moon's landscape. [ Deep, Flooded Canyons Found on Saturn's Moon Titan (Video) ]

"When we first saw them, we knew the terrain was special," Cassini team member Michael Malaska told Space.com. Malaska, a planetary geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, presented efforts to characterize the labyrinth terrain at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in The Woodlands, Texas, in March. At the same meeting, Thomas Cornet, a researcher at the Saclay Nuclear Research Center in France, modeled how parts of the alien landscape might dissolve to form the labyrinth features.

"Now we know pretty much where they all are," Malaska said.

A massive maze system

Titan's labyrinths spread across several tens of kilometers yet make up a very small percentage of the moon's overall surface features. But they aren't unique to Saturn's moon; similar landscapes can be found on Earth and Mars.

A lot of places on Titan "look almost exactly like some of the places we have here on Earth," Malaska said.

On Earth, one of the most famous examples of labyrinth terrain is also home to the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. The massive sinkhole that houses the instrument is part of the island's unusual geography. Limestone caves carved out by water create channels and sinkholes, including the one that contains the enormous telescope.

But Titan's labyrinths make the telescope's sinkhole seem puny.

"The ones on Titan are way bigger," Malaska said, estimating that they are easily 10 times the size of Arecibo's home.

Other labyrinth terrains on Earth can be found in Canada, New Guinea, Cuba, China and Australia.

Mars' polar caps host similar features. Their so-called " Swiss cheese terrain " is thought to form from sublimation, as the carbon-dioxide ice jumps straight to gas (rather than melting and then evaporating).

Carving mazes

In December 2007, Cassini swooped over Titan, snapping images of its unusual surface. Those photos revealed strange the labyrinth-like terrain. The massive labyrinth landscapes on Titan are elevated plateaus that have been carved away over time, with intersecting valleys or ridges. Some of these valleys are open and interconnected, which Malaska said could result from flowing liquid. Others are closed systems, hinting at a different possibility. As distances between the protruding ridges spread, the labyrinths progress from carved plateaus to narrow valleys, then on to more individualized ridges.

Malaska, who helped classify the various labyrinths, thinks the unusual landscapee on Saturn's moon formed by dissolution, where the liquids interact with and dissolve the organic material on the ground, similar to processes on Earth. On Titan, that liquid would be methane and ethane, which rain from the sky there. As the unusual precipitation seeps into the ground, it interacts with the organic material at the surface. According to Malaska, the massive plains would have started off as a single gigantic block with a wealth of minor pits. As the liquid interacted with them, the pits would slowly grow, carving away at the surface. Over time, the enormous plain would be cut into the labyrinths spotted by Cassini today, he said.

But dissolution isn't the only way to form the mazelike structures. Rainfall and wind , which play a role in sculpting labyrinths on Earth, also could have carved the strange features, Malaska said. Another potential cause is sublimation, when frozen material jumps from a solid to a gas without hitting the liquid stage in between. Each of these factors could have had a hand in the formation of Titan's labyrinths.

While sublimation seems to have formed the labyrinths on Mars' poles, the process is unlikely to have been solely responsible for Titan's. The moon's cold temperatures mean that only a handful of molecules can make the jump straight from solid to gas. Although some gases, such as acetylene and ethylene, have been spotted on Titan, Malaska said the conditions aren't right for that process to form the labyrinths.

Cornet agreed. "Sublimation is quite difficult [on Titan]," he said.

To test the role of dissolution, Cornet and his colleagues examined how the landscape might look if dissolution were the primary sculptor. By adjusting an Earth-based model to work under Titan's conditions, the scientists were able to follow the evolution of hypothetical Titan terrain over millions of years. Then, they compared it to what Cassini saw on Saturn's moon.

The results of the simulations bore striking similarities to the features found on Titan, the researchers said. "We know that dissolution should play a role in the landscape evolution," Cornet told Space.com. He presented the team's results at LPSC as well.

Cornet and his colleagues found that labyrinth landscapes on Titan could form within a few million years, assuming Earth-like rainfall rates. However, the actual rainfall rates on Titan remain a mystery.

In contrast, Malaska said the labyrinths are some of the oldest features on the moon, likely billions of years old. The disconnect could be explained by differences in rainfall rate, but another factor could be that the exact chemical composition of Titan's surface remains unknown. While Cassini has provided glimpses of the Titan landscape in its tour over the past decade, it hasn't been able to provide the detailed look that's required for scientists to understand the surface composition.

"After 13 years, we don't have a clue [about the surface composition]," Cornet said.

"That's actually one of the big outstanding mysteries," Malaska added. Although Cassini dropped the Huygens probe on Titan soon after its 2004 arrival, it provided a tantalizing panorama without revealing the makeup of the moon. The short-lived probe, which dropped through the atmosphere to land on the moon, provided a total of 3.6 hours of information about the surface of Titan while Cassini was over the horizon.

"We saw the picture from Huygens of all that orange landscape, and we don't know what that is," Malaska said.

Cassini won't be able to offer any more clues. The spacecraft made its final flyby of Titan in April 2017. On Sept. 15, it will deliberately crash into Saturn.

However, researchers may glean more answers in a few decades. As part of NASA's New Frontiers program, two missions to Titan have been proposed. If one is selected to visit the Saturnian moon, these and other outstanding questions, including how the puzzling labyrinths formed, could be answered.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd at @NolaTRedd , Facebook , or Google+ . Follow us at @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com .
Two years ago, a Delta Air Lines passenger found an unpleasant surprise in his seat pocket and now that passenger wants the airline to pay up.

Gabriel Ybarra was flying from Los Angeles to Atlanta in 2015 when he reportedly reached into the magazine pocket in front of his seat to grab his wallet-- but was stabbed by a sharp needle, TMZ reports.

After pulling the needle out of his finger, which was bleeding profusely, Ybarra told TMZ he saw his life flash before his eyes.

DELTA FIGHTS BACK AGAINST WOMAN WHO CLAIMS AIRLINE HELD DOG HOSTAGE AT GUATEMALAN AIRPORT

The passenger says he went to the doctor immediately after the incident, where he had to undergo a number of tests and take medication to make sure he didnt contract any diseases like HIV, according to TMZ.

Now, Ybarra is suing the airline claiming that, as a result of the incident he was forced to take medications that caused months of dizziness, headaches, body aches and diarrhea, and that he couldnt perform his duties as a husband for months, TMZ reports.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

This isnt the first time Delta has found itself in legal trouble.

In May, a family from New York filed a lawsuit against the airline after an agent smacked a 12-year-old boy's phone out of his hand for filming peoples reactions to a delayed flight.
An 18-year-old suspect is being held in connection to Mondays deadly shooting of a police officer in a small northeastern town after a manhunt that stretched on for hours, Arkansas State Police said.

Lt. Patrick Weatherford, a 15-year department veteran, was shot in the line of duty in Newport, about 90 miles northeast of Little Rock. The officer died shortly afterward at a nearby hospital.

The Arkansas State Police said on Tuesday that Weatherford was responding to a vehicle break-in when he was shot.

The 18-year-old suspect surrendered to police after the shooting, according to investigators. No charges were immediately filed, Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said.

There should be no fear in the community of further violence, Sadler added.

GEORGIA PRISON GUARDS KILLED, SUSPECTS ESCAPE

"Obviously our hearts are broken today," Newport Police Chief Michael Scudder said. "We're grieving the loss of one of our own."

Weatherford, 41, was a lieutenant in the criminal investigations division at the Newport police department. He studied criminal justice at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and attended the FBI National Academy, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was named Jackson County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2016.

OHIO TRIPLE-MURDER SUSPECT LINKED TO MORE KILLINGS

Today, we mourn the death of a distinguished member of the Arkansas law-enforcement community, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said in a statement. Lt. Weatherford was a 15-year veteran of the Newport police force who just last year was recognized as the Jackson County officer of the year for his outstanding performance and unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our state.

We are forever indebted to men and women like Lt. Weatherford, who put their lives on the line every day to keep others safe, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.) wrote in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
"You have to find some type of peace because if not, you're going to drown."

Nearly 17 years in prison for someone else's crime: A Kansas City's man freedom only came when his look-alike showed up in prison too.

Richard Jones is enjoying his first weekend of freedom after nearly 17 years behind bars.

He always maintained his innocence when KCK police linked him to a 1999 robbery. Eyewitnesses pointed to his mugshot back then.

But they couldn't be sure. When presented with side by side images of another man.

Now he has his life back, thanks to his faith and the tireless work of wrongful conviction advocates.

Richard Jones is free for the first time this century. Nearly 17 years behind bars for a crime he always said he didn't commit.

FOX 4's Rob Collins talked with Jones and his father about time in prison, his release, and what's next for the man who says the system failed him.

Richard Jones' father, Fred, couldn't believe it when he got the news his boy was free.

"She said, 'they let him go' and I said, 'nuh-uh.' She said, 'yeah, they let him go. He'll be out first thing in the morning.'"

According to independent studies, between 2 and 5 percent of inmates in the US are innocent. The Midwest Innocence Project says it takes 7 to 10 years to exonerate an innocent prisoner.

"I didn't know what he looked like anymore, because he was so young when he went there, I didn't know what he looked like," Fred explained.

But nearly 20 years ago, a robbery victim and an eyewitness apparently did. In court, there was no DNA, no fingerprints, no physical evidence, just testimony. But it was enough to get a conviction and a sentence of 19 years.

"It's not something you wrap your mind around. It's surreal. It's hard to believe you're actually going through it," Richard said.

Read more from FOX 4 Kansas City.
U.S. authorities have arrested former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on an extradition warrant from his country.

U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Manny Puri says Martinelli was in custody Monday evening at a federal detention center in Miami. The former president was arrested earlier in the evening near his home in Coral Gables, Florida. He is accused of corruption and spying on opponents in Panama.

Martinelli is expected to appear before a judge for an extradition hearing.

The former president from 2009-2014 has denied wrongdoing and contends the case is political persecution by his successor.

In February, prosecutors in Panama also said they were seeking international help in detaining two of his sons in relation to an alleged scheme to launder bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
A Wyoming college student who was caught shoplifting claims she was studying kleptomania.

The student, 23-year-old Lydia Marie Cormaney, was arrested June 5 after attempting to leave a Walmart in Gillette, Wyo., with close to $2,000 worth of merchandise, The Gillette News Record reported.

RECORD SHOP OWNER GUILTY IN ADDICT-FUELED SHOPLIFTING RING

Investigators allegedly found thousands of dollars worth of stolen items in Cormaneys dorm room, according to court records. The student told officers she started shoplifting after being forced to move into a new dorm room, away from her roommate who had many of their household items.

Cormaney said she was once caught leaving a Walmart with three flat-screen televisions.

SHOPLIFTER CALLS 911 AFTER HIDING IN DRESSING ROOM, GETS LOCKED INSIDE STORE

Cormaney, who made an initial court appearance on June 8, faces three felony charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A U.S. Army reservist who was barred from his Northern California high school graduation on Friday for wanting to wear his military uniform had his own private ceremony on Monday after getting a public apology.

Surrounded by more than 100 people  many of them military veterans in uniform who came out to support their fellow serviceman  18-year-old Harland Fletcher received his diploma.

WEST POINT ALUM FOLLOWS GREAT GRANDFATHER, A CENTURY AFTER HE GRADUATED MILITARY ACADEMY

The uniform for me means honor, respect, integrity, and it stands for Americas freedom, said Fletcher, a private first class reservist with the U.S. Army.

I didnt really need the apology, but I wanted to send a message that the military is about friendship  brothers and sisters standing together, not just letting someone trample over us," he added.

Liberty High School Principal Patrick Walsh apologized to Fletcher, taking full responsibility for the mishap. He'd initially said the student would have to wear a cap and gown over his uniform if he wanted to participate.

I made a mistake last Friday, and I dont mince words, Walsh said. I deeply regret what occurred.

ARMY VETERAN IN NYC REUNITED WITH STOLEN SERVICE DOG

Sgt. Duane Edwards, a Vietnam War veteran, attended the ceremony with the rest of the Marine Corps League of Brentwood. He said he wanted to show his support to the graduating senior after he heard about what had happened on the news.

What was done was completely in violation of the law, Edwards said. California law gives Fletcher the right to wear his uniform during graduation.

Fletchers wife, Valentina Fletcher, and their 6-month-old son shared in the special moment.

UNIFORMED MARINE BARRED FROM WALKING IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY

I think the support is tremendous, Valentina said. It shows how everyone is here to make sure that the uniform doesn't get disrespected again.

Fletcher is uncertain what he will do in the near future but said he plans to have a long career in the military.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A California couple has pleaded guilty to hoarding more than 170 Yorkshire terriers and Yorkie mix dogs in mice-infested, filthy conditions that one attorney has described as a disturbing case of animal abuse.

Christine Calvert and Mark Vattimo, of Poway, entered pleas Monday to animal neglect. They face probation and counseling and can't own pets for a decade.

COMPULSIVE HOARDER FOUND CRUSHED TO DEATH UNDER TRASH PILE

Investigators who went to their Poway home in January found dozens of dogs in a dark room. The floor and walls were covered in excrement, and the dogs had a variety of problems, including fleas, poor teeth, overgrown nails and matted hair.

One dog was missing part of a leg, Fox 5 reported.

The shocking conditions and sheer number of animals in the defendants home make this a particularly disturbing case of animal abuse, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis had said in February.

WOMAN WANTED FOR ANIMAL ABUSE CHARGES FOUND WITH 42 CATS IN HER CAR

About 30 dogs were seized later at another location and another 46 were found in a motor home in Primm, Nevada, where Calvert was arrested after fleeing the state.

The dogs  including puppies born to some of the animals  were put up for adoption.

Click for more from Fox 5.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S. Army has commissioned a study to determine whether an anesthetic injection to the neck alleviates symptoms of post-traumatic stress disordera treatment that, if proven effective, could be a big step toward easing an affliction affecting hundreds of thousands of troops who have returned from combat.

The $2 million Army study constitutes the first large-scale randomized control research into use of the shotscalled stellate ganglion blocksto treat PTSD. The injections have been used for decades for arm pain and shingles.

In recent years, some military doctors have begun treating PTSD patients, particularly Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets, with the injections. The shots interrupt messages along nerve fibers that control the fight-or-flight response.

That early clinical experience has produced promising results, with troops experiencing near-immediate relief of anxiety, hyper-vigilance, social withdrawal and other symptoms, said military doctors who have administered the treatment. They include Col. Jim Lynch, command surgeon at the joint Special Operations Command-Africa, which deploys elite troops to train local forces and conduct missions in Africa.

Once people have the shot, they get dramatically better immediately, Dr. Lynch said. The shot isnt a cure, he said, but eases symptoms enough to allow talk therapy, pharmaceuticals and other approaches to achieve long-term improvements.

The treatment occupies an unusual medical netherworld. Most of the doctors who have administered it said they firmly believe it works. The wider military, hewing to standard medical practice, wont endorse the treatment without evidence from a controlled trial such as the one the Army has commissioned.

It has yet to be proven that it really does work, said psychologist Ron Hoover, who oversees the new PTSD study on behalf of the Army. The Army takes a fairly conservative position about treatments or any kind of medical care. They dont want to risk service members lives or experiment on them.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal
A former journalist from St. Louis accused of threatening Jewish organizations as a way to harass his ex-girlfriend has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking.

Juan Thompson also pleaded guilty to a charge of conveying false information and hoaxes. He apologized during his court appearance Tuesday in New York.

Federal prosecutors said Thompson sometimes used his girlfriend's name while making threats against Jewish community centers, schools or other facilities.

They said one message claimed he had placed two bombs in a Jewish school and was "eager for Jewish Newtown," a reference to the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut.

The government collected evidence from about two dozen laptops, tablets and cellphones seized from his home.

Thompson was fired from the online publication The Intercept last year.
A Florida man already serving time for a child pornography avoided additional jail time Monday for attempting to hack into the Clinton Foundations computer network hundreds of thousands of times in 2015.

Timothy Sedlak, 44, of Ocoee, Fla., was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams in New York City, according to Reuters.

Sedlak will carry out his 18 months while serving the 42-years he was sentenced to for having child pornography on his computer. Authorities found the pornography when they looked through his computers while investigating the hacking.

FLORIDA PUPPY TRANSACTION LEADS TO DEADLY SHOOTING, FAMILY SAYS

Sedlak carried out almost 400,000 unsuccessful efforts to gain access to the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundations computer network furing June 2015 to July 2015, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors argued that Sedlak was entitled to two more years in prison for the profound cyber threats, according to court papers.

The work of hackers like Sedlak who are motivated to target U.S. government officials and political candidates can have severe consequences of undermining public confidence and trust in our government institutions and political system, the prosecutors wrote.

Federal agents found 42 computers in Sedlaks home while carrying out a search warrant in Sept. 2015. The computers were reportedly operating a password-cracking program, the prosecutors stated.

The U.S. Secret Service interrogated Sedlak regarding documents agents discovered that referred to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, according to court papers.

FLORIDA SHERIFF WHO URGED CITIZENS TO ARM THEMSELVES STANDS BEHIND MESSAGE

Sedlak, who identifies himself a private investigator, informed the agents that he was examining whether charities and foundations were unintentionally supplying finances to Islamist militant groups, and he stated the Clinton Foundation came up in his research, court papers stated.

Authorities found the child pornography files on Sedlaks computers, which included photos of Sedlak sexually abusing a young child, after his arrest, prosecutors stated.

Sedlak was charged in Florida with producing and possessing child pornography files and found guilty by a federal jury in May 2016.
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who was in office from 2009 to 2014, was detained Monday near his home in Coral Gables, an upscale Miami suburb.

He was arrested on an extradition request, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

The 65-year-old former president faces numerous charges in his come country, including accusations he spied illegally on his political rivals and intercepted the telephone calls of more than 100 people, including politicians, business and labor leaders, and critical journalists.

LAWYER: PANAMANIAN EX-PRESIDENT MARTINELLI, ACCUSED IN $45M CORRUPTION PROBE

In February, prosecutors in Panama said they were also seeking international help in detaining two of his sons in relation to an alleged scheme to launder bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Martinelli had left Panama on Jan. 28, 2015, claiming he was a victim of political persecution.

The former president said in numerous Twitter posts that he would not return to Panama until there were guarantees that his rights would be protected and that the administration of his successor, Juan Carlos Varela, would not interfere with the justice system.

PANAMA CHARGES 17 PEOPLE LINKED TO ODEBRECHT BRIBE CASE

Dozens of former Martinelli administration officials have been charged with corruption in cases involving millions of dollars, the Panamanian Attorney General's Office said.

The Panamanian Supreme Court is scheduled to hold a hearing in the Martinelli case on Wednesday.

The Associated Press and EFE contributed to this report.
An Illinois officer was wounded early Tuesday in a gun battle with a burglary suspect who was killed, police said.

The Jerseyville officer was being treated at a hospital, Fox 2 Now in St. Louis reports.

Hes alert, hes talking but he does have injuries, Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby said.

Officers had gone to DJs Bar and Grill around 1 a.m. in response to a burglary alarm, the station reported. The bar was closed.

Blackbory said the officers saw the suspect run out of the bar and chased him on foot for several blocks.

GEORGIA PRISON GUARDS KILLED, INMATES ESCAPE

The chief said the suspect opened fire when the officers rounded the corner between two houses.

He said the officer who was shot returned fire.

The officer was struck several times by gunfire, Blackbory said, according to KMOV-TV. "The suspect was also struck several times.

VIRGINIA OFFICER SHOT WHILE SERVING WARRANT

The suspect was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

A Jersey County Sheriff deputy also fired his weapon, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.

Blackbory said the wounded officer was 30 and joined the Jerseyville force in 2014. He was also a former member of the St. Louis Police Department.

Illinois State Police were investigating the shooting.

Jerseyville is about 50 miles from St. Louis.

Click here for more from Fox 2 Now.
An ex-journalist pleaded guilty in a Manhattan court Tuesday to counts of cyberstalking and conveying false information in connection to a string of bomb threats targeting Jewish community centers nationwide, local media reported.

Juan Thompson, 31, was suspected in at least eight bomb threats against community centers in Michigan, Texas, California and New York. Thompson made the threats to disparage his ex-girlfriend, federal officials said.

DEFECTIVE BOILER IN NYC HIGH-RISE TRIGGERS CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK, DOZENS REPORTED HURT

Thompson was smirking during the court proceeding, the New York Daily News reported.

Thompsons cyber-stalking campaign took place from Jan. 28 to Feb. 22, the Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Office said.

JEWISH CENTER BOMB THREATS: EX-JOURNALIST TO PLEAD GUILTY

The ex-journalist had pleaded not guilty during an April 10 court appearance in New York City.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Latest on the deaths of five people in two locations in northeastern Ohio (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

Ohio authorities say a suspect in the slayings of five people in two cities has been charged in two of the killings.

The Stark County sheriff's office says 45-year-old George Brinkman Jr. was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder.

Investigators say Brinkman worked for 71-year-old Rogell Eugene John and 64-year-old Roberta Ray John in North Canton and was watching their house while they were on vacation. They were found dead Monday.

Brinkman is also a suspect in the North Royalton killings of a mother and her two college-age daughters, who were found dead Sunday. The sheriff says authorities are trying to figure out a connection between Brinkman and the three women.

He was taken into custody Tuesday after a standoff in Brunswick. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

___

12:35 p.m.

An Ohio sheriff says the suspect in the deaths of a woman and her college-age daughters is also believed to have killed a married couple in another city.

Stark County Sheriff George Maier identified the suspect Tuesday as 45-year-old George Brinkman Jr.

Maier says Brinkman worked for 71-year-old Rogell Eugene John and 64-year-old Roberta Ray John in North Canton and was watching their house while they were on vacation.

The sheriff says the couple was killed after the three women were killed in North Royalton. He says authorities are trying to figure out a connection between Brinkman and the mother and daughters.

Brinkman was taken into custody early Tuesday after a standoff in Brunswick. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

___

9:50 a.m.

Ohio police say a suspect in the deaths of a mother and her two adult daughters may also have been involved in a separate double homicide nearby.

The 45-year-old man was taken into custody early Tuesday after a standoff in Brunswick, south of Cleveland.

Police say he is suspected in the deaths of the three women found dead Sunday night in a North Royalton home.

A husband and wife were also found dead at a home in nearby North Canton.

Cleveland.com reports that North Royalton Detective Dave Loeding says the suspect possessed evidence linking him to the deaths of the couple.

Police say the suspect had a handgun and was subdued with a stun gun.

No information has been released about a motive.
A body that washed ashore on a beach in Massachusetts has been identified as a boater who disappeared last week after his boat capsized in a nearby river, a medical examiner says.

Investigators were called out to Salisbury Monday morning to inspect Chhoeun Chhouns decomposing body, which was pulled ashore by beachgoers, Fox 25 Boston reports.

Everyone on the beach thought it was like a dead sea creature, Maria Sammy, a witness, fold Fox 25 Boston.

The 44-year-old Lowell mans boat capsized near the mouth of the Merrimack River last Tuesday but a police and Coast Guard search of the waters only turned up wreckage of the vessel.

While this is a tragic loss, it will hopefully bring some closure for Mr. Chhouns family and friends, Salisbury Police Chief Thomas Fowler said, according to Fox 25 Boston.

Click for more from Fox 25 Boston.
A Michigan woman said she was kicked out of a Grand Rapids mall by security guards because of her outfit, and the mall later apologized.

Hannah Pewee wrote on Facebook that she was kicked out the Woodland Mall after a customer complained about her outfit to security. Pewee said her outfit, a tank top and shorts, was similar to what others were wearing that day. The temperatures neared 90 degrees that day, according to AccuWeather.

MICHIGAN VIETNAM VET IS TRUMPS 1ST MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

The Woodland Mall should be ashamed of themselves, as well as that anonymous complainer, Pewee wrote in the post.

But apparently, how I was dressed (see photo below) was too slutty for the public, as I was kicked out of the Woodland Mall today, Pewee wrote.

Pewee wrote a follow-up later stating that her intention was not to attack the mall, but I definitely think that they need to clean up their act. Their clothing policy on their website doesnt say anything about clothing lengths.

MICHIGAN DRUG DEALER SERVING LIFE SENTENCE ASKS FOR PAROLE

The Woodland Malls office commented in Pewees post and apologized for her experience. The mall referred Fox News to this apology that was posted: We have apologized to Hannah and we apologize to our community. It is never our intention to shame or embarrass anyone. Were going to make sure that everyone on our team is aware of how to handle situations like this in the future. We dropped the ball on this one.
A Detroit-area woman is suing Delta Air Lines, claiming it could have prevented a man from molesting her on a flight from South Carolina in 2016.

Christopher Finkley of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was sentenced in March to a week in jail after pleading guilty to simple assault, a misdemeanor. The woman said he put a hand under her shorts while sitting in an open seat.

She told reporters Tuesday that she was "trapped" in her window seat and "frozen in terror." The AP doesn't usually identify victims of sexual abuse, but the woman said she could be identified by her first name, Rhonda.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Wayne County, Michigan, says the crew negligently allowed Finkley to roam during a Delta Connection flight to Detroit from Myrtle Beach, despite exposing himself earlier while in first class.

Delta said it's "dismayed" by what the woman described but it declined to comment on the lawsuit. The woman said she was offered $2,500 in ticket vouchers.

ExpressJet Airlines, which flies as Delta Connection, declined to comment.

In Finkley's criminal case, defense attorney Colleen Fitzharris said the trucker did a "terrible thing" while under stress and the influence of alcohol.

"He is embarrassed by his conduct and regrets the pain it has caused the victim, the public and his family," Fitzharris said in a court filing.
A Minnesota man is accused of abusing his infant daughter by rubbing hot sauce in her eyes, snapping a towel and throwing fireworks in her face, a complaint alleged.

Shawn Michael Foltz, 31, was arrested and charged on Friday with neglect of a child, malicious punishment of a child and third-degree assault, according to Duluth News Tribune. Officials found out about the abuse after the 2-month-old girl's mother brought her to the hospital with bruises throughout her face and body, the criminal complaint alleged.

DOG-POOP DISPUTE ENDS WITH 1 MAN JAILED, 1 WITH WOUNDED HAND

The mother said Foltz claimed the infant received those injuries when an older sibling hit her with a toy gun. However, Foltz later told police during questioning that he would snap a towel in the baby's face and hit her bottom with a wooden spoon or vinyl flooring because he was frustrated with her crying, according to the complaint. Other times he would splash hot water and throw fireworks at her face, causing burns on her body.

TWO GEORGIA PRISON GUARDS SHOT AND KILLED BY INMATES; SUSPECTS ARE ON THE RUN

The abuse continued for about two months, with Foltz rubbing hot sauce and cayenne pepper in the baby's eyes and blocking her airway until she turned blue, Duluth News Tribune reported.

Foltz would also plot ways to abuse his daughter while at work, the complaint alleged.

Foltz is being held at Clay County Jail with a $100,000 bond.
A man whose body was found decapitated over the weekend in Jackson, Mississippi has been identified.

The Jackson Police Department (JPD) identified the victim as 30-year-old Jeremy Jerome Jackson.

Police said a head was found on the porch of a home in Jackson on Saturday. A severely burned torso was also discovered about a mile away from the home hours later, according to police. Both the head and the torso belonged to Jackson. Police are treating the case as a homicide and the cause of death is decapitation.

Jeremy Jerome Jackson-30, cause of death, decapitation. Jackson also suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to the leg, read a tweet from the JPD.

SUSPECT IN OHIO TRIPLE MURDER MAY HAVE KILLED 2 OTHERS

JPD spokesperson Tyree Jones said officers have a couple of leads in the case but no person of interests

This incident where his head was severed from the body of course brings a lot of various concerns, Jones told Fox News. No homicide is normal but thats definitely something we havent experienced here.

REWARD BOOSTED FOR INMATES IN KILLINGS OF PRISON GUARDS

Police were able to identify Jackson with a fingerprint match. According to Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart, Jacksons face was recognizable.

The FBI and other federal agencies are assisting with the investigation. A $20,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the death of Jackson. People with tips are being asked to call the JPD at 601-355-8477.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The co-creator of Oculus Rift is going from building a virtual reality headset to building a virtual wall.

Palmer Luckey, one of the founders of the Facebook-owned Oculus VR, is focusing his efforts on a new startup that aims to develop surveillance technology to be used along national borders and at military bases.

His new project comes just months after he left the VR company he founded and has been touted as a virtual wall that can be set up along the border with Mexico or the perimeter of a military installation.

We are spending more than ever on defense technology, yet the pace of innovation has been slowing for decades, Luckey said in a recent e-mail to the New York Times. We need a new kind of defense company, one that will save taxpayer dollars while creating superior technology to keep our troops and citizens safer.

Luckey has already secured meetings with Steve Bannon and other White House representatives, according to published reports, and pitched his new tech as a more cost-effective alternative to a physical wall.

This past April, Luckey met with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, as well, to discuss the new technology. The meeting was confirmed in a log of Zinkes meetings for the month that was publicly posted after a Freedom of Information Act request. According to reports, a Zinke spokesman said there has been no action from the meeting.

The startup has even gotten the attention of investor Peter Thiel, a close ally and consultant of President Trumps who served on his transition team. Theil is considering investing in the startup, according to several reports.

The company co-founded by Luckey was sold to Facebook in March 2014 for $2 billion. Luckey stayed on to work with Facebook. However, this past March he left after an industry backlash when it was reported that he had donated $10,000 to a pro-Trump group that created anti-Hillary Clinton memes. He later said in a Facebook post that he had donated to the group because he thought they had fresh ideas.

Luckeys virtual wall project employs a technology known as lidar, for light detection and ranging, that uses remote sensing lasers, scanners and GPS receivers to survey land and distinguish among several moving targets. For example, the system can determine the difference between a coyote and a human being moving across land that is being surveilled.

The proposed system could be mounted on poles, which could then be strategically placed along a perimeter to monitor activity.

Security experts say that the technology is nothing new, but implementing it could prove difficult.

The concept [of the virtual wall] is certainly viable. Weve had this technology for some time and its getting better, but the problem is people responding to an incident, Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical intelligence for geopolitical analysis firm Stratfor, tells Fox News. Thats where the limit is. You can record it, but you cant always stop it.

The tighter security gets, the more it forces corruption, he adds. Basically, its people who become the weak link in the fence.

The technology for the virtual border has, in one form or another, been around for some time.

In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security initiated a program called SBInet, under its Secure Border Initiative, to integrate personnel, infrastructure, technology and rapid response to secure U.S. borders.

A part of the SBInet initiative was Project 28, a pilot program tested along a 28-mile stretch of the border in southern Arizona. The pilot program involved the placement of nine high-tech surveillance towers that used radar, high-definition cameras and wireless networking to send real-time information to Border Patrol agents.

The project hit multiple snags, however, and in 2008 SBInet officials ordered contractor Boeing to stop work because U.S. Customs and Border Protection had not received proper permissions from the Department of the Interior.

In 2010, the project was frozen after Janet Napolitano, then head of the Department of Homeland Security, diverted $50 million from funding to support other efforts.
Authorities in Georgia announced Tuesday that they were offering a $60,000 reward for information leading to the recapture of two escaped inmates suspected of shooting and killing two prison guards on a transport bus.

Investigators say Donnie Russell Rowe, 43, and Ricky Dubose, 24, overpowered the guards at around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, as 33 inmates were being driven between prisons. One of the pair shot and killed both guards before they carjacked a driver who happened to pull up behind the bus as it stopped on a rural highway, said Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.

"We are still desperately looking for these two individuals. They are armed with 9 mm pistols that were taken from these correctional officers. They are dangerous beyond description. If anyone sees them or comes into contact, they need to call 911 immediately," the sheriff said.

Sills was emotional as he described the scene.

Escaped inmate accused of killing 2 corrections officers was part of Ghostface Gangsters: https://t.co/kNcjTEaw7l pic.twitter.com/1opFE9dw45  11Alive News (@11AliveNews) June 13, 2017

"I saw two brutally murdered corrections officers, that's what I saw," he said. "I have their blood on my shoes."

How the inmates managed to reach and overpower the guards remains under investigation, Sills said.

"They were inside the caged area of the bus," he said. "How they got through the locks and things up to that area I do not know."

This is the car escaped inmates accused of killing prison guards might be in. It has UGA Bullldogs front plates & GA tags RBJ6601 #fox5atl pic.twitter.com/gEvGVU5SEX  Marc Teichner (@mteichnerfox5) June 13, 2017

Protocol is to have two armed corrections officers on the bus, but the officers don't wear bullet-proof vests during transfers, Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier said.

"We lost two of our fellow officers, two of our kin. We see our officers as our family," Dozier said.

The inmates on the bus were being moved from a state prison in Hancock County to a diagnostics center in Jackson, where their next placement was to be determined, Dozier said, adding that inmates do not know their transfer dates ahead of time.

Fox 5 Atlanta reported that the inmates had been spotted in the town of Madison, where local police say they broke into a house and changed out of their white prison uniforms, which they reportedly left at the scene before fleeing.

Rowe, whose nickname is Whiskey, was convicted of armed robbery and is in prison for life without parole. Dubose was also convicted of armed robbery. Rowe has been in prison since June 2002. Dubose has been in prison since July 2015. Dubose was allegedly a member of the Ghostface Gangsters, a white supremacy street gang, according to WXIA.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal urged the public to be "vigilant and cautious" as the inmates remain at large. He also offered his condolences to the families of Monica and Billue.

"The selflessness and courage of these two brave souls will not be forgotten, nor will their sacrifice and service. Sandra and I mourn alongside their families and communities, and we offer our deepest sympathies to their loved ones," Deal said in the statement.

"Our heartbreak is matched only in our resolve to bring their murderers to justice. No effort will be spared in pursuit of the killers, and no state resources required in this endeavor will be spared."

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has condemned the killings and said during a testimony before a Senate budget panel in Washington Tuesday morning that federal resources are being committed to help catch the fugitives.

An attack on any American law enforcement officer is an attack on every American law enforcement officer and the principles we all believe in, Rosenstein said.

Monica was 42 and leaves behind a wife, while Billue was 58 and is survived by his father and siblings. The officers' families are "dealing with it the best they can at this point," Dozier said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Another appeals court, another defeat for the Trump administration.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday refused to reinstate President Donald Trump's executive order banning travelers from six mostly Muslim countries. A three-judge panel said the administration failed to show that blocking citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen was needed to protect the U.S. The court also found that the president's order ran afoul of an immigration law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of nationality.

Another federal appeals court, the Virginia-based 4th Circuit, last month also refused to reinstate the travel ban, a decision Trump has already appealed to the Supreme Court. Here's a look at how the rulings compare and what might come next.

___

HOW DO THE RULINGS DIFFER?

Critics of the ban have asserted that the president's order was motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment, in violation of the Constitution's separation of church and state. The 4th Circuit's ruling took that question head-on, agreeing that the ban officially disfavored Islam  as evidenced by Trump's campaign statements calling for a "total and complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the U.S.  and was thus unconstitutional.

But the 9th Circuit sidestepped that question, saying they didn't need to answer it because the legality of the travel ban could be decided on narrower grounds: It violated immigration law.

While the president has broad authority over immigration, the judges said, to invoke that authority in this case, Trump would have to show the entry of citizens from the six countries would harm the U.S. He made no such showing, they said.

"National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power," the judges wrote.

By avoiding the question of Trump's motive for banning the travelers, the 9th Circuit avoided a thorny issue about whether courts should consider the president's campaign-trail statements.

The 9th Circuit, however, did not completely ignore the president's statements. The judges pointed to a June 5 tweet by Trump saying the executive order was aimed at "dangerous countries." That helped demonstrate that he was not assessing whether the roughly 180 million citizens of the six countries had ties to terrorism, they said.

___

WHAT ABOUT THE REFUGEES?

In addition to banning travelers from six mostly Muslim nations for 90 days, Trump's executive order called for a suspension of the nation's refugee program. In his March ruling striking down the travel ban, a federal judge in Hawaii also held that the suspension of the refugee program was unconstitutional.

The 9th Circuit rebuffed the administration's efforts to reinstate that part of the order as well. The court said the president was required to consult with Congress in setting the number of refugees that would be allowed into the country in a given year and could not decrease that number mid-year.

That issue wasn't before the 4th Circuit, because in the Maryland case it considered, the lower court judge had not struck down the refugee program's suspension.

___

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said after Monday's ruling that the ban was necessary to protect national security, and the president was within his lawful authority to enact it.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the administration was confident that the travel ban would be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The administration has asked the Supreme Court to immediately reinstate the ban on travelers.

At the Supreme Court, anything is possible if you have five votes  a majority of the court. The justices have a range of options in front of them. They could order an unusual June argument and try to resolve the travel ban lawsuits before they leave town for the summer. They also could essentially do nothing, leaving the two appeals court rulings in place.

One reason the court might feel some responsibility to act  and sooner rather than later  is because the administration has asked for expedited review. The court typically also has the last word when a federal court strikes down a law or presidential order.

The 9th Circuit's more narrow focus on immigration law may appeal to conservative justices on the Supreme Court who might be loath to extend their review beyond the text of the executive order to include the president's campaign statements about a Muslim ban, said David Levine, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

"They don't need to psychoanalyze the president," he said. "They don't need to go beyond the four corners of the order."

___

Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Mark Sherman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Some Rhode Island residents say they never received a warning about military training exercises last week that included helicopters buzzing over the treetops and simulated explosions.

Army representatives referred comment Tuesday to the Rhode Island National Guard, which says it tried to help alert residents of a Providence neighborhood before the Friday night exercise.

A National Guard spokesman says the Army wanted an urban environment to practice special operations tactics.

The Army sent a release on June 4 saying there would be a week of training throughout the state and nearby residents would receive more specifics.

An automated message was sent to nearby cellphones shortly before the exercise.

The spokesman says police and Army personnel also went door to door near the training site, but notifying everyone was impossible.
Rolling Stone has settled a University of Virginia fraternity's defamation lawsuit over a 2014 discredited story about a rape on campus, the Virginia Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi announced Tuesday.

The magazine agreed to pay $1.65 million to Phi Kappa Psi by Aug. 31, a source told the Daily Caller on Monday. The fraternity had sued Rolling Stone for $25 million.

The chapter at the university filed the lawsuit after Rolling Stone published the article titled "A Rape on Campus," which told a story of a student named "Jackie" who claimed she was raped by members of the fraternity. The article was later discredited.

ROLLING STONE SETTLES, BUT FIGHT OVER UVA RAPE STORY ISN'T OVER

Rolling Stone claimed that the fraternity knew about the factual inaccuracies in the article, but didn't speak up about it before it went to print, according to documents filed in the case.

"The chapter looks forward to donating a significant portion of its settlement proceeds to organizations that provide sexual assault awareness education, prevention training and victim counseling services on college campuses," the chapter said Tuesday.

In April, the university's Associate Dean Nicole Eramo reached a $3 million settlement with the magazine  $2 million from writer Sabrina Rubin Erdely and $1 million from Rolling Stone. Eramo argued that the magazine ruined her reputation by making her appear dismissive of the rape allegations.

ROLLING STONE WRITER DESCRIBES MOMENT UVA STUDENT BACKED OFF GANG RAPE STORY

"We are delighted that this dispute is now behind us, as it allows Nicole to move on and focus on doing what she does best, which is supporting victims of sexual assault," Libby Locke, an attorney for Eramo, said in a statement in April.

Another lawsuit that involved three former fraternity members was also dismissed in 2016, The Associated Press reported.

Rolling Stone initially asked a judge last December to overturn the jury's decision to award Eramo $3 million. They argued there was no evidence Erdely acted with actual malice. However, both sides settled before the judge officially ruled on the issue.

Fox News' Shira Bush and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police linked two more deaths to a man who was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the murders of two college students and their mother over the weekend.

George Brinkman, 45, who served time in prison for forgery, was accused Tuesday of shooting to death Rogell and Roberta John in Lake Township, Fox 8 Cleveland reported.

Rogell John, 71, and his 64-year-old wife were killed soon after returning home from vacation Sunday and encountering Brinkman, who was house-sitting for them while they were away, the Stark County Sheriffs Office said.

At some point there was a situation that followed, leading to the deaths of the Johns, Michaela Madison, a spokeswoman for the office, told Fox News.

Their son found their bodies on Monday.

Brinkman is a suspect in the murders of Taylor Pifer, 21, Kylie Pifer, 18, and their mother Suzanne Taylor, 45. Their bodies were found Sunday night in North Royalton.

Brinkman was taken into custody Tuesday morning after an hours-long standoff at a home in Brunswick.

Police said Brinkman had a gun and was drinking whiskey as he refused to surrender for almost nine hours. There was a woman inside the home, but she was released unharmed, according to Fox 8.

"No shots fired, but a Taser was utilized to take him into custody," Brunswick Police Lt. Robert Safran said.

Brinkman was then taken to a hospital for evaluation, Safran said.

Brinkman served time in prison for forgery and other crimes in the 1990s, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Police went to Suzanne Taylors home in response to a 911 call from her boyfriend. The recording was released Monday.

Scott Plymale told the 911 dispatcher the older daughters boyfriend, Dale Koster, found the bodies, WOIO-TV reported.

They didnt answer the door and he picked the lock and went in, Plymale says during 911 recording obtained by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He said the bedroom door is closed and he opens the bedroom and he says there is a dead body in here.

Plymale is also heard saying that Koster called him earlier and said something was wrong because all the cars were there and all the doors were locked and he didnt hear the dog.

He also says that when he went to the house Saturday and dropped off flowers, he saw all their cars in the driveway and her friend Georges car.

The paper posted a photo of Brinkman in a "Arrive. Raise Hell. Leave" t-shirt.

The mother was found in her bed with her daughters, People reported.

The magazine reported that the bodies were under covers, almost as though theyd been tucked into bed.

The older daughter had been stabbed. The causes of death of the other two women were not disclosed.

Family members told Fox 8 Tuesday that Brinkman and Suzanne Taylor were long-time friends but not lovers.

Suzy thought he was actually really a friend. We had meals together, he spent holidays here, I mean, he was a friend, so I dont know what made him so angry, her mother, Marcia Taylor, told the station.

A woman who says she was the stepmother of the two sisters told WOIO Kylie attended Bowling Green College and Taylor attended Kent State University.

Click here for more from Fox 8 Cleveland.
The Fort Worth police officers were just a few hours into their shift when they responded to what is considered the lowest priority 911 call.

But when the officers got to the elderly man's house and saw it was 85 degrees inside with a broken AC unit, they knew they had to help.

At 95 years old, Julius Hatley may be a little difficult to understand, but his infectious laugh says all you need to know about the World War ll vet.

Hatley woke up Thursday morning drenched in sweat. His old window AC unit had stopped working. Unsure of what to do, he called 911.

Officer William Margolis and Christopher Weir responded to Hatley's Fort Worth home just after 8 a.m. The men took one look at the disabled unit and quickly came up with a solution.

I talked to my partner and I talked to the gentleman and said, Look, were going to help you out. I'll be back in just a little bit. I promise you. Margolis said.

The officers went to Home Depot to buy Hatley a new AC unit. Officer Weir snapped a photo of his partner at the checkout counter. Weir shared the picture on social media. The kind gesture quickly spread online.

Click for more from Fox 4.
President Donald Trump has called the mayor of a small Chesapeake Bay island after learning that it overwhelmingly supported him.

The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, reported Monday that Trump called the mayor of Tangier, Virginia, after CNN reported on the island last week.

About 87 percent of residents who cast ballots in November voted for Trump. The island's population is about 450.

Mayor James "Ooker" Eskridge told CNN he loved Trump as much as a family member.

That prompted the president to call.

Tangier is sinking from erosion and sea-level rise. Scientists predict it may have to be abandoned in 25 years.

Eskridge said Trump told him not to worry, saying the island has been there for hundreds of years and will be around for hundreds more.

___

This story has been corrected to fix the name of The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, in the summary.
A well-respected pain management doctor who blew the whistle on patient safety problems at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Missouri will be fired by the VA  despite being backed by powerful U.S. senators, the VAs own Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the White House.

Dr. Dale Klein, a double-board-certified physician and Yale University fellow, had been hired to open and run a pain management clinic at the Southeast Missouri John J. Perishing VA facility in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, at an annual salary of $250,000.

But last year a clash between VA and Klein, who said he discovered that VA administrators were creating secret patient wait lists and manipulating wait-time records for patients to hide from top administrators long delays in rendering care to vets. He also said some veterans were not taking their prescriptions and instead selling their prescriptions on the black market, while others were becoming addicted to pain medication because they were not monitored and treated properly.

When he reported the problems, his superiors did nothing, Klein said. So he went to the OIG, which investigated Kleins claims and issued a report. Klein also detailed for the VA changes he believes need to be made to properly care for patients.

In May 28, 2016, after Kleins superiors found out he had blown the whistle on what he saw as serious problems, the VA closed his clinic, he said, adding that he was then forced to sit in a room with no duties and no patients for more than a year while still receiving his full salary.

Immediately after the VA found out I made these disclosures, I started to get retaliated against, Klein said, noting the VA put him on administrative leave and moved to fire him not based of substandard care or lack of clinical competence but for consistent acceleration of trivial matters through his chain of command.

A months-long standoff then began between the VA and Klein.

Then, on May 12 of this year, the VA told Klein that he must start

seeing patients again by May 24, but without providing a safe clinical area to properly care for his patients. Because the patient care and safety issues were never addressed, Klein continued to request a response to his concerns. On May 31  literally hours before the OIG report was issued -- a note was slipped under Kleins office door telling him he would be dismissed and had

until this Wednesday to appeal his dismissal. A date for his dismissal was not included.

Dr. Klein is employed as a physician at the Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center, and like all of our employees at VA, we expect him to do his job and, in his case, see patients, James Hutton, spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs, told Fox News. Since this is a pending matter we cannot discuss details of this case.

Meanwhile, the OIG completed its investigation of Kleins accusations and issued a report on the matter, backing a number of Kleins complaints about poor management of patients at the facility, his attorney said.

Specifically, the OIG substantiated Kleins allegation of poor management of long-term opioid therapy for pain for 10 patients the OIG reviewed. The OIG also found that a provider lacked knowledge of safe and effective methods for tapering patients opioids.

The OIG also substantiated other allegations Klein made, including that opioid prescriptions were written for patients without documentation of an opioid risk stratification tool to identify high-risk patients and that some providers did not consistently use urine tests to evaluate whether patients were consistently using the medication they were prescribed.

The OIG report identifies the hazardous conditions, yet the VA has not provided me, my client, the Office of Special Counsel, Senate or the veterans any evidence that they have taken any steps to correct the hazardous conditions addressed in the OIG's report, said Natalie Khawam, an attorney with the Whistleblower Law Firm, which represents the physician.

The Office of Inspector General confirmed all of my client's concerns, evidencing he was just trying to protect our veterans, Khawam said. Instead of the VA rewarding him for his commitment to veterans, they continue to retaliate against him, and have proposed his termination again.

Klein has been getting support from other quarters besides the VAs OIG. The White Houses Office of Special Counsel made it clear that since the doctor was a whistleblower, he could not be fired.

It could set a bad precedent for other whistleblowers because they're going to say I don't want to risk my livelihood, my career, my security because I see what happened to Dr. Klein and I don't want that to happen to me or my family, Khawam said.

The OIG report identifies the hazardous conditions, yet the VA has not provided me, my client, the Office of Special Counsel, Senate or the veterans any evidence that they have taken any steps to correct the hazardous conditions addressed in the OIG's report.  Attorney Natalie Khawam

Further, the VA clinic has allegedly ignored letters from Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chair Ron Jonson, R-Wisconsin, and also Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, who in May publicly called for the scandal-plagued agency to halt retaliation against Klein.

Khawam noted that in addition to backing from Senators Johnson and McCaskill, President Trump has said the VA "can't tolerate substandard care for our vets" and is demanding accountability for the systematic abuses that whistleblowers are echoing.

Veterans also have rallied and marched in support of Klein, Khawam said.
An hours-long standoff in Virginia ended with one person in custody and a police officer in surgery for a gunshot wound.

Virginia Beach Police spokeswoman Tonya Pierce said the incident began around 6:30 a.m. when officers were serving a search warrant. One officer was shot and another was slightly injured.

The suspected shooter then barricaded his or herself inside the home.

More than six hours later, the barricade situation was peacefully resolved and the suspect was taken into police custody, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Additional information was unavailable.

TWO GEORGIA PRISON GUARDS SHOT AND KILLED BY INMATES; SUSPECTS ARE ON THE RUN

Brian Luciano, president of the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association, told reporters that the officer who was shot was headed into surgery to treat a wound in his shoulder. He said the officer was alert and talking.

"It was a relief for everyone to be able to talk to him and wish him the best" before surgery, said Luciano, who declined to name the officer. "When something like this happens, it brings home the seriousness and dangers of the profession. But everyone is thankful and very relieved that he's going to be OK."

Pierce said the other officer sustained very minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for evaluation, WAVY.com reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
It pays to be honest and responsible, especially in this Wisconsin town.

A police officer in Wausau issued a warning to a driver after finding a humorous note on a car parked in an overdue meter spot last weekend.

Parking Control Officer Jim Hellrood was making his rounds in the neighborhood when he came upon a vehicle that was parked in a metered lot overnight, the Wausau Police Department wrote on its Facebook page on Monday. Just as he was about to write a ticket, he spotted a note scribbled on a piece of paper.

"Please take pity on me. I walked home...safe choices =)" the note read.

AUSTRALIAN DOG GETS NEW JOB AFTER FAILING POLICE PUP TRAINING

Instead of issuing a ticket, Hellrood issued a warning with the phrase, "pity granted."

"Hellrood can appreciate people making safe choices, and a good sense of humor," the department wrote.

"Thanks to this resident for sharing!"

It's unclear why the vehicle owner wasn't able to drive that night, but his funny plea to the officer has garnered more than 2,000 reactions on Facebook.
Authorities in Mexico's Baja California Sur state say two heads have been found in a cooler just two blocks from the tourist zone of Cabo San Lucas.

One day earlier, the state prosecutor's office announced that two dismembered bodies were found in another cooler in the tourist corridor.

On Sunday, state prosecutors also said the total bodies found after several days of excavation of clandestine graves had reached 18.

The bodies of five women and 13 men were found in 12 graves near the Cabo Pulmo nature reserve. They were discovered off a road that runs between the reserve and the resort of San Jose del Cabo.

The wave of killings in recent months is believed to be tied to battles between drug gangs, including factions of the Sinaloa cartel.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, another journalist has come under attack in Mexico. This time the victim is a woman who hosts a program on an indigenous radio station in the southern state of Guerrero.

State security spokesman Roberto Alvarez Heredia said Marcela de Jesus Natalia was shot in the head on Saturday as she left the government-owned station on the town of Ometepec.

Alvarez says he doesn't know of any threats against de Jesus Natalia, who also has worked for a local family aid agency.

At least six journalists have been killed since the beginning of March in Mexico, prompting an outcry that has led the government to promise efforts to protect journalists.

Guerrero has suffered repeated waves of violence by drug-based criminal gangs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
The former governor of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state has been sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison for corruption and money laundering.

Sergio Cabral was arrested in November on charges of receiving bribes and laundering money as part of a colossal graft probe roiling Brazil.

His sentence was handed down Tuesday by Judge Sergio Moro who heads the investigation of the corruption-kickback scandal at Brazil's state-owned oil company Petrobras.

Prosecutors have said Cabral received hundreds of thousands of dollars a month from several companies in exchange for help getting building contracts that ranged from projects in slums to refurbishing Rio's Maracana Stadium.

Cabral's lawyer Rodrigo Roca says he'll appeal the sentence.
The Manchester Arena bomber in last month's deadly attack at an Ariana Grande concert had been planning the incident for months, a report said.

Salman Abedi, his brother and father had been under surveillance since he arrived in Libya, officials in the country told the BBC. Abedi, who detonated a bomb at the arena on May 22, killing 22 people, had been planning to carry out the attack since December, according to security officials. Abedi died in the blast.

MANCHESTER ATTACK: SUSPECT VISITED SYRIA AND HAD 'PROVEN' TIES TO ISIS, FRENCH MINISTER SAYS

Greater Manchester police have been piecing the 22-year-old's movements in weeks following the bombing. Officials released photos of him in Manchester walking through the streets and rolling a blue suitcase, which may have contained bomb-making materials. They also released photos of a white Nissan Micra seized in Manchester, saying "significant evidence" had been found inside.

Twenty-two people were arrested in connection with last month's attack, however they have been released without charge, British police announced on Sunday. Authorities made the arrest on suspicion of terrorism offenses during their search for the "network" of people that helped the bomber leading up to the day.

MANCHESTER TERROR ATTACK SUSPECTS: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

Police believe Abedi built the carefully assembled bomb himself, though it's still unclear "whether he acted alone in obtaining the materials for the device ... and whether others knew or were complicit in the storage of materials knowing what was being planned," Russ Jackson, head of counterterrrorism policing for northwest England, told The Associated Press.

Detailed photos of the bomb revealed that it was packed with shrapnel  created to cause as much damage as possible.

MANCHESTER BOMBING SIGNALS NEW ISIS STRATEGY OF TARGETING CHILDREN

Abedi, who was born in the United Kingdom to Libyan parents, traveled Libya four days before the attack, police said. He apparently fooled his parents by telling them he was heading to a pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Meccas, reports said. He is believed to have traveled to Syria weeks before and showed he had "proven" linked to the Islamic State group.

Just before detonating the bomb, Abedi called his mother and said, "Forgive me," Special Deterrent Force spokesman Ahmed bin Salem said. Abedi's mother and three siblings in Libya were summoned for questioning earlier in the investigation. Abedi's brother Hashim and his father are still being held for questioning in Libya. Hashim is accused of knowing about his brother's plans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
American student Otto Warmbier was released from a North Korean prison over a year after he was detained and accused of swiping a sign of the late dictator Kim Jong Il from a hotel.

Below are a series of events that led to his release.

January 2016 - Warmbier, an American college student, is imprisoned in North Korea.

March 2016 - Warmbier is sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

March 2016-present - The United States consistently urges that North Korea allow Sweden consular access to Warmbier and three other American citizens, and pushes for their release.

February 2017-present - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson briefs President Trump on the situation. The president directs the secretary to take all appropriate measures to secure the release of American hostages in North Korea. The secretary begins the effort and routinely updates the president.

OTTO WARMBIER IN COMA, PARENTS SAY

May 2017 - U.S. State Department special representative for North Korea policy met high-level representatives from the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo, Norway, and the North Koreans agreed that the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang will be authorized to pay a consular visit to all four detainees.

May 2017 - After Sweden is granted visitation rights to a detained American, the North Koreans then urgently request to have an in-person meeting with the United States in New York City.

June 6, 2017 - State Department Special Representative Joseph Yun meets in New York City with Pak Gil Yon, North Koreas ambassador to the United Nations. During this meeting, Yun learned about Mr. Warmbier's condition. Warmbier has reportedly been in a coma for over a year.

June 6-11, 2017 - After consulting the president, Tillerson instructs State Department representative Yun to prepare to travel to North Korea with the intention of bringing Warmbier back to the United States. The State Department promptly organized a medical team and an airplane to travel to North Korea. North Korea was informed a delegation would travel to Pyongyang.

DENNIS RODMAN ARRIVES IN NORTH KOREA

June 12, 2017 - The North Koreans met the American delegation in Pyongyang. Upon arrival, the State Department representative demanded to visit Warmbier and Yun and two doctors visited him that morning. The visit was the first time the United States was able to confirm Warmbiers status after he was sentenced. Yun immediately demanded the North Koreans release Warmbier on humanitarian grounds. Arrangements were made for Warmbier to leave North Korea.

June 13, 2017 - Warmbier was evacuated from North Korea, accompanied by a medical team and a State Department representative. Otto will travel to Ohio, where he will be reunited with his family.
The release of 22-year-old college student Otto Warmbier from a North Korean prison on Tuesday leaves three American citizens still behind bars in the volatile country.

In the past, North Korea has generally quickly released any American citizens it detained  waiting at most for a U.S. official or statesman to come and to personally bail out detainees. But if Warmbiers more than two years in prison  out of a 15-year sentence  is any indication, that trend appears to be changing.

While U.S. government officials have lobbied for the release of these prisoners, little progress has been made as relations between Washington and Pyongyang deteriorate amid the latters continued missile tests and refinement of nuclear weapons.

Here is a look at the three American citizens being held in North Korea:

Kim Hak-song

North Korean officials announced in early May that Kim Hak-song  who worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST)  on charges of unspecified hostile acts against the country.

Very little is known about Mr. Kim besides the fact that he worked at PUST  a university founded in 2010 evangelical Christians and funded in large part by churches in the U.S. and South Korea. The majority of students at the school are children of North Koreas elite.

Reuters reported that a message by Kim Hak Song dated February 2015 on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo said he was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental farm at PUST and was trying to help the North Korean people learn to become self-sufficient.

Tony Kim (also goes by his Korean name, Kim Sang-duk)

Just days before the arrest of Kim Hak-son, officials in North Korea detained Tony, according to Park Chan-mo, the chancellor of PUST, as he was trying to leave with his wife on a flight to China.

The Swedish embassy in Pyongyang said Sunday it was aware of a Korean-American citizen being detained recently but could not comment further. The embassy looks after consular affairs for the United States in North Korea because the two countries do not have diplomatic relations.

The State Department also said it was aware of the report about a U.S. citizen being detained, but declined further comment "due to privacy considerations."

Park said he was informed that the detention had "nothing to do" with Kim's work at the university but did not know any further details.

Kim previously taught Korean at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in Yanji, China, not far from the North Korea border, said the school's Communist Party committee secretary.

As of Monday morning, North Korea's official media had not reported on the detention and there so far have been no details on why Kim was detained.

Kim Dong Chul

The plight of the Korean-American businessman is probably the most hazy case of all the Americans being held in North Korea.

TIMELINE OF EFFORTS TO FREE OTTO WARMBIER

A former resident of Virginia, Kim was living in China with his wife and operating a business in a special economic zone of North Korea when he was detained in October 2015 while in the city of Rason. His detainment was not made public until North Korean officials introduced him to a visiting news crew and allowed him to be interviewed through an interpreter.

It was later revealed that Kim had been detained on suspicion of engaging in spying and stealing state secrets. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor after a brief trial in Pyongyang. North Korea's Supreme Court found Kim guilty of espionage and subversion under Articles 60 and 64 of the North's criminal code.

OTTO WARMBIER IN A COMA, FAMILY SAYS

When he was paraded before the media in Pyongyang last March, Kim said he had collaborated with and spied for South Korean intelligence authorities in a plot to bring down the North's leadership and had tried to spread religion among North Koreans before his arrest.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service, the country's main spy agency, has said Kim's case wasn't related to the organization in any way.
Lawmakers in Norway on Monday pushed a plan to ban full-face veils in schools and universities, in a move that follows several other European countries.

The majority party argued that the veils hinder students and teachers ability to communicate.

These clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education. Torbjorn Roe Isaksen, the Minister of Education and Research, said.

Opposition lawmakers questioned and criticized the bills relevance, stating that the full-face veil is not widely worn across Norway.

This is a marginal problem in the integration context, Linda Noor of Minotenk, a think tank, said.

European countries that currently have restrictions on full-face veils in public places include France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria and Austria.

AUSTRIA BANS FULL FACE VEILS

The acting Minister of Immigration and Integration, Per Sandberg, said that employees and students who insist on wearing a veil risk losing their job or expulsion from college.

We have every reason to believe this will be approved by Parliament, Isaksen, said in a statement.

HUNGARIAN COURT REJECTS VILLAGE'S BAN ON MOSQUES, BURKAS

If the ban is approved, Norway would be the first Nordic country to have a ban on full-face veils for both children and adults, according to the New York Times. Headscarves, hats, and caps will be allowed.

Parliament is expected to approve the ban next year, the BBC reported.
North Korea is accused of spying on a U.S. missile defense shield after South Korean officials discovered a drone with a camera attached near the border last week, South Korean military said.

Officials believe the drone came from North Korea because it had similar features as the aircrafts that were found on an island near the demilitarized zone in 2014, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The twin-engine blue drone was found in a forest and believed to have crashed because it ran out of fuel before reaching North Korean territory.

DENNIS RODMAN ARRIVES IN NORTH KOREA TO 'TRY AND OPEN A DOOR' TO PYONGYANG

The Sony-made camera took 10 photos of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), a U.S. system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, a South Korean official confirmed. There were hundreds of other photos also stored on it.

Officials are still inspecting the drone and camera to determine if the photos have been transmitted to Pyongyang.

"We will come up with measures to deal with North Korean drones," the South Korean official told Reuters.

NORTH KOREA COULD REPORTEDLY WREAK HAVOC WITH HIGH-ALTITUDE NUCLEAR BLAST

North Korea has touted its drone program in recent years, and South Korean officials believe its military has about 300 drones. In 2014, several suspected North Korean drones were found south of the border. Unlike the one found last week, the 2014 drones had singles engines and Japanese-made cameras.

The anti-missile defense system has been in the Seongju region of South Korea since last year, a defense toward North Korea's growing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program. The drone discovery also came four days after North Korea tested new anti-ship missiles. At the end of March, the rogue state also tested a short-range Scud ballistic missile off its eastern coast that landed in the Sea of Japan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Poland's president says a summit of central and east European nations will be held in Warsaw, not in southwestern Poland as previously planned, because U.S. President Donald Trump is coming to town.

The Three Seas Initiative summit will be held July 6-7, bringing together leaders of 12 nations for talks on developing energy and infrastructure ties.

Trump has been invited and the White House has confirmed he will visit Poland on July 6, before joining the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. It's unclear whether he will participate in the Three Seas meeting.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday, during a visit to Croatia, that for "logistical and security reasons" the summit is being moved to Poland's capital city from Wroclaw.
Venezuelas Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz said her family is receiving death threats and that the government of Nicolas Maduro would be to blame for "any damage" her loved ones were inflicted.

"I want to hold Venezuelan government officials responsible, especially from the Executive [branch] of anything that happens to my family, said the once firm ally of Maduro and now openly critical of the government.

It is inadmissible that my family is being subjected to threats," she said in an interview with the radio station Union Radio.

She said her family members are being harassed, persistently followed by patrol cars that look like [the Venezuelan intelligence service] Sebins."

VENEZUELA COURT REJECTS CALL TO STOP CONSTITUTION REWRITE

"This is an issue that they have to resolve with me, not with my family," she noted.

A long-time government loyalist, Ortega Diaz broke publicly with the Maduro administration in late March when she decried a Supreme Court decision gutting congress of its last remaining powers.

Since then, the gulf between Ortega Diaz and the government has only grown, with her repeatedly questioning the validity of convoking a special assembly to rewrite the constitution without the proposal first facing a referendum.

VENEZUELAN 'DAUGHTERS OF CHAVISMO' EXPOSED LIVING LAVISHLY OVERSEAS

"It is the sovereign people who have the authority to convene" a constitutional convention, Ortega Diaz said last week.

Maduro's terms call for allotting a specific number of votes to specific population sectors such as the disabled, fishermen and retirees, as well as one per municipality. Analysts say those terms will heavily favor the government.

The nation's chief prosecutor is also accusing Maduro and his administration of "destroying the legacy" of the late President Hugo Chavez, the founder of the governing leftist PSUV party and mentor of the incumbent head of state.

"Chavismo is a current of thought, it's a philosophy of life, and this is the principal legacy of President Hugo Chavez," the attorney general said.

More than 60 people have been killed and 1,000 injured nationwide in a wave of unrest unleashed after the controversial Supreme Court ruling in late March.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bowling Green barber Bill Crowe moonlights as a poet. Its something he has been doing for years.

Hes had no formal training, just gets inspired to write from time to time, said his wife, Ann.

Sometimes, Crowe finds inspiration for his poems in everyday life at home on the farm, where he is moved to see Gods gift. After a favorite Border Collie died, he wrote a poem to help ease his pain.

The barber saves his nearly 100 poems written over a lifetime in a file folder. He says he has no interest in seeing them published.

Crowe, 79, has been a barber in Caroline County for 36 years. He loves to chat with a customer while giving a haircut. His regular clients include soldiers from nearby Fort A.P. Hill. Hes a veteran himself, having served in the Air Force.

His barbershop is located in the Free Mason Lodge 125 building on Chase Street, less than a half block behind Main Street. Hes in the shop from 711 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

He and his wife live in King William County, about 15 miles northwest of Aylett and about 20 miles south of Bowling Green.

Bill grew up in the Hanover County village of Mechanicsville, which was very rural at the time, said Ann. His parents owned a few acres near Beaver Dam Creek, where the first of the Seven Days Battles of the Civil War began June 26, 1862.

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, defending Richmond, launched attacks against Union Maj. General George B. McClellans right flank drawn up behind Beaver Dam Creek. Confederate Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill led the attack. A sketched portrait of Hill hangs on a front wall inside Crowes barbershop.

When Bill turned 16, his Dad gave him a car to drive, Ann Crowe said. But not long after that, Bill traded his car for a gray horse named Smokey and he rode his horse all around the battlefield.

His battlefield rides proved memorable. In 1958, while stationed at an Air Force base in Montana, Bill Crowe wrote his first poem, The Seven Days Battles. Also, before leaving the Air Force, he decided to become a barber, buy a farm and train dogs and horses. Given his Air Force service, he would call his farm Wingmont.

Bill and Ann Crowes 286-acre Wingmont Stables and Kennels farm is also home to their 11 horses, their five dogs and about 50 boarding dogs. Their horses graze in 17 pastures and are stalled at night. Ann Crowe describes the kennels as actually a dog resort, complete with pool and acres of fenced-in play areas.

Crowe turns 80 on July 17. Has he thought about retiring? No. Ill keep on working as long as my joints keep working, he said.

So what are Bill Crowes poems like? Here are some abbreviated samples, including his first.

The Seven Days Battle

Mechanicsville, VA. 1862

The Seven Days Battle

Of our Civil War years

Was when our Southern men

Pushed bravery past fears.

The battlefields are hell

When boys fall in despair.

Grasping for home and pride,

For peace and love to share.

A Good Collie Comes By

Today I walked the pastures alone

For the pain of loss left me cold as stone.

No more my collie, my beautiful Jock,

To run the green hills and gather the flocks ...

Shooting stars appear and race through the sky,

Once in a lifetime a good collie comes by.

Im thanking you Lord for all you have done.

Miracles still happen and you gave me one!

Lifes All Beautiful Down on the Farm

Some toil, some sweat, some time to sleep,

The shelling sound of ripe corn to reap.

The rooster crows the crack of dawn

While in the meadow play the doe and the fawn.

Twas in the heavens, God gift to thee

To abide in a family of Christianity.

O God gives love with grace and charm,

Lifes all beautiful down on the farm.
Monday marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Loving v. Virginia, which effectively struck down bans on interracial marriage in Virginia and 15 other states.

The court ruled unanimously that Virginias anti-miscegenation statutes violated the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

In delivering the courts opinion on June 12, 1967, Chief Justice Earl Warren said: Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the state.

Much has changed since the historic victory of Richard and Mildred Loving, a mixed-race couple from Caroline County, whose story was told in the film Loving.

The Pew Research Center reported last month that as of 2015, 17 percent of U.S. newlyweds had a spouse with a different race or ethnicity. That was up from 3 percent in 1967.

More broadly, one in 10 married people in 2015  not just those who recently married  had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity, according to the Pew analysis of U.S. census data. This translates into 11 million people who were intermarried, Pew reported, noting that the increase has dovetailed with growing social acceptance.

The Lovings story

Richard and Mildred Loving married in June 1958 in the District of Columbia. They returned to Virginia and about a month later were arrested at Mildred Lovings parents home and charged with violating state laws against interracial marriage.

In 1959, the Lovings pleaded guilty in a Caroline County court to unlawfully cohabitating as a married couple. A judge suspended their one-year jail terms on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return together for 25 years.

After they were convicted, the Lovings moved from Caroline County to Washington. In 1963, Bernard S. Cohen, a lawyer working with the American Civil Liberties Union, took on an appeal of the Lovings convictions. He would later work with another attorney, Philip J. Hirschkop.

In March 1966, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the states laws against miscegenation, but found the conditions of the Lovings suspended terms so unreasonable as to render the sentences void. In June 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling.

Richard Loving was killed in June 1975 when his car was struck in Caroline by a drunken driver. Mildred Loving died of pneumonia in March 2008.

Cohen, a Democrat, served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1980 to 1996.

Fifty years after the Supreme Courts ruling, the Pew report found significant regional differences in intermarriage.

In the Honolulu metro area, 42 percent of newlyweds were married to a spouse of a different race or ethnicity, compared with 3 percent in Jackson, Miss., and in Asheville, N.C., according to combined data from 2011 to 2015. In the Richmond area, 12 percent of newlyweds were married to a person of a different race or ethnicity, according to the Pew report.
Today, June 14, we commemorate the adoption of the American flag. For more than 200 years, Old Glory has served as a symbol of our nations freedom and as a source of pride for our citizens. In patriotic parades and musical salutes, we support our military and recognize the significance of the Stars and Stripes.

Flag Day is also a time to honor our nations veterans who have willingly served to protect the flag and the ideals it represents. With each ceremonial fold of the flag, we recognize the principles on which our country was founded: Liberty, unity, justice and sacrifice.

On Flag Day, I stand with more than three-quarters of a million American Legion Auxiliary members across the nation as we honor our service members and reflect on their commitment to our country.

Whether you are a veteran, the loved one of a service member or a patriotic citizen, there are many ways to honor local heroes, such as visiting veterans homes, assisting with recognition ceremonies, collecting personal memories and photos from veterans to create keepsake journals, or simply flying the U.S. flag in tribute to their sacrifice.

As you wave the flag today, remember that showing your gratitude for veterans does not have to be limited to Flag Day, Memorial Day or Veterans Day. Throughout the year, join the American Legion Auxiliary in serving veterans, military and their families who have sacrificed for our freedom.

Thank you to all who have served Old Glory. Happy Flag Day!

Janet Skerry

Spotsylvania

The writer is president of the Spotsylvania American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 320.
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Harvest of summer crops is in full swing in South Africa. I finished my dry beans and soya beans in April and have about one week to go with the maize.

Yields have been excellent, which is a great relief after the drought of the previous season.

Unfortunately, this bumper crop doesnt translate into bumper profits. In South Africa, grain prices are traded on a futures exchange.

See also: Read more from our Arable Farmer Focus writers

Prices are determined by three main factors. First, the international price of that commodity. Second, the currency exchange rate and third, local supply and demand of the specific product.

There are many other forces at play, but these are the main factors.

Import and export parity are calculated from the international price and exchange rate, together with freight charges, depending on whether the commodity is entering or leaving the country.

Last year, South Africa experienced the worst drought in recorded history. We only produced just over 7m tonnes of maize.

This was less than demand and we had to import about 2m tonnes. As a result we received very good prices  about import parity. So while my yields were down, profitability was still good.

This year, the country has produced our biggest crop ever, about 14.2m tonnes, and it is projected that we will have to export about 4m tonnes.

This means our price is near export parity. So even though my yields are excellent, profit is fair.

Soil conditions

Throughout this years harvest, I have noticed two main correlations. First, wherever there is any soil acidity, the yield is down. The worse the acidity, the worse the yield.

Second, the higher the organic carbon in the soil, the greater the yield. My highest-yielding field this year was the one with the highest organic matter. My lowest-yielding field was one with serious acidity issues.

To stay profitable, one has to produce above average crops in good years and bad. I believe that the best way to do this is to address any acidity issues and then no-till those fields together with cover crops.

Bruce Shepherd farms in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He plants 500ha of rain-fed summer crops across 3,000ha. He also runs 2,600 weaner oxen on pastures, finishing them in a feedlot with maize grown on the farm.
Government funding is being provided in Northern Ireland to kick-start a land mobility scheme, aimed at linking up older farmers with no successor with younger farmers keen to expand their businesses.

The plans have been developed by the Ulster Farmers Union and the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster (YFCU), based on a similar scheme, which is already operating in the Republic of Ireland.

In total, the department of agriculture for Northern Ireland has pledged 120,000 over two years to the project, with most of these funds being used to pay for a programme manager to run the initiative.

See also: Succession scheme to link new entrants and retiring farmers

According to the YFCUs advert, the managers primary role will be to promote land and enterprise mobility, through collective arrangements such as partnerships, shared farming arrangements and leases between younger farmers and older landowners.

This will involve setting up a database of interested farmers and establishing a brokerage service.

Welcoming the funding, YFCU president James Speers said: This funding supports the clear desire of our members to bring innovation to the industry and develop more productive methods of land use.

UFU president Barclay Bell added that the funds would help put farmers facing the challenge of succession in touch with younger farmers who want to get involved in farming.

A study released by the two organisations last year showed that 48% of farmers in Northern Ireland have no succession plans in place, while 77% of those farmers said they would need some form of income from the farm when they retire.
The Blue Force tractor club has completed a coastline challenge across the UK and Ireland to celebrate 100 years of blue tractor production.

A New Holland T6.145 and a T6.180, built in Basildon, Essex, were lent by the manufacturer for the challenge.

The machines were piloted by Phil Gibson, Blue Force chairman, and the clubs treasurer, Peter Phelov.

The 5,000-mile trip took a total of 51 days, starting on 13 April 2017 and finishing in Basildon on 2 June 2017.

See also: Where farmers in need can find charity help

Each tractor towed a shepherds hut for the entire trip with one housing sleeping quarters while the other provided fuel, oil and other supplies.

The real winners are the two charities, Cancer Research UK and Steps Conductive Education Centre, Loughborough.

A tidy sum of 13,000 has been raised so far, with a target of 25,000 by the end of the year, to be evenly split between the two.
Story Highlights Trump's approval at 37%; previous weekly low average was 38%

His weekly disapproval rating of 58% is highest of his administration

8% of Democrats approve, contrasted with 83% of Republicans

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Donald Trump's job approval weekly average edged down to 37% during the week ending June 11. This rating is one percentage point below the previous week's rating and is the lowest weekly average of his administration. His disapproval rating for the same week, 58%, was his highest to date.

Trump has averaged 40% approval and 54% disapproval across the 20 full weeks of his administration. Trump's approval rating started out as the lowest for any new president in Gallup's records. His weekly approval and disapproval ratings have remained consistent, for the most part registering within three points above or below their overall averages.

Last week's 37% weekly average is the bottom end of his range of approval ratings, although not significantly different than his 38% average rating the week before, or than the two weeks of 38% averages in mid-May (May 8-21).

Trump's approval ratings are also near his administration's low point when looking at the three-day approval ratings Gallup reports daily. For June 10-12, Trump averaged 36% approval, one point above his low of 35% measured March 26-28. Trump's current three-day average of 60% disapproval is, by one point, the highest of his administration.

Impact of Paris Agreement Withdrawal, Comey Testimony Not Clear

Despite the president's claim on Monday at a Cabinet meeting that "Never has there been a president, with few exceptions -- in the case of F.D.R. he had a major Depression to handle -- who's passed more legislation, who's done more things than what we've done," his administration has been roiled by controversies.

Most recently, Trump ran into a buzz saw of criticism with his decision, announced June 1, to withdraw the U.S. from participation in the Paris climate accord. He has also been under significant political scrutiny over the June 8 testimony of former FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Those events coincided with the lower averages seen in the past two weeks. But, given that his averages were almost as low in the weeks leading up to them, it is difficult to establish direct causality between specific events and the president's ratings.

High Levels of Polarization in Views of Trump Continue

The highly polarized nature of Americans' views of Trump (and Obama before him) have been well-documented, and that pattern continues:

Trump's 8% average approval rating among Democrats last week is right at his 9% average to date.

His 83% approval among Republicans is three points lower than his average among that group.

Among independents, his approval is 31%, five points lower than his average among that group.

Bottom Line

Trump's job approval ratings are among the worst of his administration so far, with his latest weekly average his lowest by one point and his three-day average just above the low point of 35% recorded in March.

Trump's approval ratings have bounced back from previous low points to levels above 40%, but this time Trump seems to be in a more sustained slump, with his rating averaging below 40% for four of the past five weeks.

Trump continues to have the lowest ratings for a newly elected president in Gallup's history of approval ratings. The previous low first-year approval rating in June for an elected president was Bill Clinton, with a 37% approval June 5-6, 1993. The approval ratings of all other presidents since 1953 in June (May in the case of Eisenhower) of their first year after being elected were above 50%.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Explore Trump's approval ratings in depth and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center.
In November, Albany will celebrate its 66th annual Veterans Day Parade and honor another veteran of the year.

Organizers hope that veteran will be a woman, and all female veterans will be honored as parade grand marshals.

Al Severson, vice chair of the Veterans Commemoration Association, which sponsors the annual parade and ancillary festivities, said it's about time.

Ive been involved with the parade since the 1970s and it struck us recently that although we have honored women veterans ... as distinguished veterans, weve never honored a woman as veteran of the year, Severson said. We hope that this is the year we do.

Some 350,000 women served in military branches during WWII, 100,000 served in Korea and more than 11,000 in Vietnam.

Today, more than 200,000 women serve in all branches of the military, including 74,000 in the Army, 53,000 in the Navy, 62,000 in the Air Force and 14,000 in the Marine Corps.

I thought that maybe some of the older veterans might not like the idea, Severson said. But the response has overwhelmingly been positive. Most have said its a great idea and long overdue.

Severson said men will not be excluded for nomination, but he encouraged people to nominate women as well.

We hope to recognize women who have assisted at all levels of the war effort in some way, Severson said. To be named veteran of the year, they will need to have a military record, but we also hope to recognize those who served by working as Rosie the Riveter or in other war efforts.

In addition to Severson, Veterans Commemoration Association officers are Patty Louisiana, president; Doug Diller, second vice-president; Kate Benson, secretary; and Marilyn Myers, treasurer.

Louisiana said the idea to seek a female veteran of the year came about after she spoke with a Corvallis resident who had served as a lieutenant in the Navy during the Korean War. She worked in hospitals in San Diego. Her responsibilities included meeting the hospital ships that were carrying injured soldiers home.

She talked about the work she did as a nurse in the U.S. Navy, but wondered if she was a veteran as she only met the ships, Louisiana said. She was sure she helped 'her boys,' as she called them. She served with honor and yet never really considered herself or really knew if she was a veteran.

Louisiana arranged for the woman to ride in last years parade in a bright red Corvette.

Although parade applications wont be available until August, nomination forms for veteran of the year are available by contacting Severson at The Frame House, 434 First Ave. W.

Nominees must be honorably discharged and volunteer in their communities.
After a difficult pregnancy three years ago, Thalia Ghazey-Bates of Northampton gave birth to her twins two months early. When the babies were finally able to come home, she and her husband had to be on high alert: Sometimes they would stop breathing.

Basic care, like nursing also was a challenge. When her husband wasnt at home, shed hold one baby to her breast while the other sat in a car seat, which she would rock with her foot.

With a 3-year old needing attention, too, there were few breaks, and lots of questions. But Maggie Krone, a developmental specialist from REACH, a state-funded early intervention program, was there at least two hours per week to lend a hand and ensure the infants were developing on track.

It is like having an aunt or an uncle or a grandparent who is professionally trained, said Ghazey-Bates.

REACH, run through the western Massachusetts human service organization ServiceNet, helps parents of children  from birth to age 3  who have developmental delays or may be susceptible to them. The services are covered by most insurance plans, including MassHealth and parents are never asked to pay out of pocket, says Amy Swisher, vice president of community relations at ServiceNet. What insurance wont cover it, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health fills in, she says.

At first, Krone was there to hold a baby or give Thalia emotional support when her husband, Spencer Ghazey-Bates, was at work. Sometimes she would read to the oldest child.

As the babies, Lilliah and Ryland, grew, Krone would play with them, teaching them words and other social skills, a boost Ryland seemed to need more than Lilliah, says Ghazey-Bates. When it seemed that Ryland was lagging behind in gross motor skills, too, a physical therapist began visiting, to work on strengthen his core muscles to help him crawl and then walk.

At around age 1, Ryland started having episodes where he would seem to space out, and it was another REACH developmental specialist, Lisa Musante, who sensed something was wrong. She encouraged the parents to consult a neurologist, which resulted in a epilepsy diagnosis. Ryland now takes medication to control his seizures.

Without REACH I dont think we would have been able to manage their needs as well, Ghazey-Bates said.

Early involvement

The goal of the REACH program is to catch developmental delays early. Its a service thats been supporting families for 40 years with a team that now numbers 70 professionals. Developmental specialists do an initial assessment to understand the childs needs. From there, occupational, physical and speech therapies are planned and social workers are available to answer parents questions.

REACH is providing assistance to 580 children in Hampshire and Franklin Counties and the North Quabbin area.

When a child is born prematurely  or with a condition such as Down syndrome in which delays are expected  parents are matched at the hospital with a REACH specialist or a team to guide them through the first months or years of the childs life.

If a child has a delay, the sooner we can intervene, the better, Musante said.

Sometimes the connection comes later when a parent thinks their child is struggling or a pediatrician notices that a baby is not crawling or talking like he or she should be.

Working through play

Thats how Gohan Holzhauer Page of Northampton, a quiet 2-year-old, got connected to REACH.

His doctor thought that he was behind the speech curve, said his father, Jason Page, so the REACH people came and did and evaluation and we went from there.

Page says having a developmental specialist come to the familys home regularly has been a big help as he doesnt have a car.

They bring a ton of toys for him to play with, he said.

Gohan language skills have shown signs of improvement, said his mother, Mariah Holzhauer.

He didnt really speak before. Now, he will ask for juice when he wants it, she says. He has been doing a lot better.

Father and son were are at a REACH play group in Amherst on a recent Tuesday morning where about a dozen children, each with a parent or caregiver, were busy with a variety of activities. Some were playing on a wooden slide, others were pretend cooking in a mini kitchen. The walls were covered in finger paintings.

The two-hour play group meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The children, all of whom have been individually evaluated by REACH staff and have set goals, are working on a range of difficulties from motor and speech delays to social skills.

The session is a combination of free and structured time.

Though it looks like play, all of the activities have a purpose, Musante says. For example they may encourage the children to use language, imitate an action or even just learn to focus their attention.

During circle time, when all the kids and parents are seated on the floor, Musante hands out yellow rubber ducks: Put the duck on your head on your head, she sings, put your duck on your chin on your chin

Gohan, sitting in his dads lap, follows along, as do the other children.

This programs been good  we are really blessed, says Michelle Vigeant later, who is there with her 2-year-old son Gabriel. He is jumping up and down on a foam play structure with a group of kids as she talks. She says she connected with REACH in January over her concern that Gabriel seemed uninterested in other children.

She has seen a big change in him since. He has been sleeping better at night, she says, and plays well with the other children. He has been blossoming socially, Vigeant said.

The Ghazey-Bates family also found much needed community support in this play group during the first years of their twins lives. Their older son, Robby, who was an excessively shy 2-year old, also played here during a six-month stint in the REACH program.

It was just really reassuring to see all the different people working with their own set of circumstances, Thalia Ghazey-Bates said. It gave you a sense of community and often when there is a disability in the family, your community feels small.

The next steps

Before children in the program turn 3, REACH social workers and developmental specialists work with them and their families to determine whether they will need an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), an outline of extra educational supports, when they begin school.

Lilliah Ghazey-Bates didnt need one, but Ryland has a plan in place when he starts preschool at Bridge Street Elementary School in Northampton in the fall. It outlines safety precautions for his epilepsy  he will need someone with him when he goes up and down stairs  and speech therapy, to continue working on his pronunciation and vocabulary.

Mostly, Ryland has caught up to his sister, Ghazey-Bates says. They are rambunctious 3-year-olds who enjoy playing tag and drawing together. In addition to making gains in his speech, Ryland now can take off his shoes without help from his mother, she says, and walk all the way to the YMCA, a few minute walk from his house, without getting tired, thanks to his strengthened muscles.

REACH, Ghazey-Bates says, has had a deep impact on her family.

It takes a village to raise a child  having a professionally trained village is really nice.

Lisa Spear can be reached at Lspear@gazettenet.com.

>InfoboxHead<How to connect

>InfoboxTextIndent<To schedule an assessment, call 665-8717 or go to servicenet.org and complete the form located in the Child and Adolescents section under REACH.
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
Some of the students walking across the stage to receive their diplomas had serious faces, only grinning slightly for photos. Others walked fast and looked like they were trying to get out of the spotlight as quickly as possible. A few waved or pointed to the crowd, taking a second to soak in the glory of the moment.

But most? Most just smiled radiantly as they were recognized for completing high school.

The commencement ceremony for Crescent Valley High Schools class of 2017 was Monday night, and the occasion celebrated a group of 215 seniors.

One of the best received speeches of the night was by Dakota Jans, a senior who has participated heavily in school theater.

Since I was a kid Ive dreamed of speaking at my graduation, and it wasnt going to be because I was valedictorian, so I feel very privileged to do this, he said.

Jans centered his speech around a commencement address guide called xxhollabacks 10 tips for giving a dank graduation speech.

Tips included telling a personal story and using vocabulary to sound smarter. Jans executed this by telling a story about how before he transferred to Crescent Valley as a sophomore, he tried to look up the schools name in the dictionary, but could only find its component words.

What I learned, he said, is that a crescent (sic) is a type of French pastry and a valet is a system of parking.

He also followed a tip to give advice people dont want or need, by quoting a Panda Express fortune cookie.

Do not let your good choices or bad choices define you, he said. And I know a thing or two about good choices. Im getting a bachelors degree in fine arts.

The audience cheered, and Jans continued:

You were supposed to laugh at that. You obviously have more faith in me than my parents do.

Jans ended on a more serious note though.

Moving to Corvallis and meeting all of you has been the greatest experience of my life. I truly know all of you will go on to great things and I just want to say I love you all and thank you.

The event also had some serious moments, such as when student body co-presidents Caroline Doyle and Will Macy honored two members of the class of 2017 who died before graduation: Zach Peters and Seniu Maitland.

(Peters) smile was so contagious, and his dance moves were incredible, said Doyle.

Anyone who knew (Maitland) knows his spirit of friendship and toughness lives on, said Macy.

Connor Price, another member of the class, started with an old joke:

What do you call a fish with no eyes? he said. A Fsshh. And you know what that fish doesnt do? Blink.

Price then talked about how when he started high school he was warned that it would pass in the blink of an eye.

I blinked, and here we are four years later, he said.

He then encouraged the audience to take time to enjoy life and not let it fly by without being enjoyed. Be like the fish with no eyes, he said.

Dont blink, or youll miss life, he said.

Steve Kunke, who was the interim principal at the school this year, read a list of words that members of the class of 2017 had used to describe the group in a survey of the class, which included the words kind, caring, friendly, hard working, motivated, determined, dedicated and awesome.

Ive had so many people remark on what an amazing group you are, and I could only agree, he said.

Kunke ended his address by sharing a last bit of advice.

My hope is you never give up on the chance you have each day to make a difference in the world.
Where most people see the bare exterior walls of a building as bland or unattractive, Dan Hitchcock sees his next mural.

"I think if we get out here and paint murals and just take boring commercial surfaces and turn them into something really fanciful, it's a great way of changing our world a little bit," Hitchcock said.

The 62-year-old Corvallis muralist will soon complete a second mural behind Old World Deli in celebration of the restaurant's 40th anniversary.

Owner Ted Cox loved the idea when Hitchcock proposed it in 2016 and hired him to paint two historic landmark murals.

"I knew the afternoon that he came in that I had a gift handed to me," Cox said.

The first mural Hitchcock painted was a black-and-white image of a Thorpe truck and people on the same site in 1910.

"The black-and-white (mural) was his first big project, and it was to complement the museum that is coming in," Cox said.

The current project he's working on is a 25-by-50-foot bright orange mural called the "Trompe l'oeil," which is French for "fool the eye," Hitchcock said. It is on the wall to the right of the Thorpe truck mural.

Most murals are on a flat surface, but this wall presented a challenge with 12 utility pipes, a window and a door to paint on. So, Hitchcock painted a window next to a real window, and a door with someone peeking out next to a real door to create the desired illusion.

People have walked up and mistaken the painted door for the real thing.

"More than once I've seen people laugh, because they were buffooned on it," Cox said.

Hitchcock added, "We like the trompe l'oeil effect and are playing that to the max."

He's also painted statues and golden oval faces, and will soon add gargoyles to the mural.

Each mural project usually takes three weeks to finish, with four to five hours of painting per day. The "Trompe l'oeil" has been in the works two months, Hitchcock said.

Dan and his wife, Mae, work together on most of the mural projects. One of them plays art director, while the other paints, he said.

"Mae is a true natural with color selection and color matching, and she picks most of our colors," he said.

The two have also painted nine sets for Corvallis Theatres at Corvallis High and Crescent Valley high schools the past five years, including "Cats," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Mary Poppins." Their daughter, Ivy West Hitchcock, 19, is currently finishing her Life Skills class at Corvallis High School.

The Hitchcocks originally met and married in Dallas, Texas, in 1982. They painted film and theater sets there, including working with Capitol Records on a set for Phil Collins' "That's All" music video and designing the stage for Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" touring production.

But, Hitchcock said, "I'm out of that scene. It's just too fast paced. You have to be willing to travel and work long, long hours."

The couple also have painted portrait murals of James Brown in Dallas and Jimi Hendrix in downtown Seattle. Both gained national media attention.

They've created several art projects at the Oregon Country Fair the past 25 years, painted murals in Eugene, in addition to signs and murals of old-growth logging that can be seen in Alsea, where they lived for years.

The Hitchcocks have painted eight murals in Corvallis so far. The first, in 2015, was of a classic orange pickup truck at Jerry's Precision Muffler Repair on Buchanan Avenue.

Their other murals can be seen at the Green Room on Ninth Street and Troubadour Music Center on Second Street.

Owners from Franklin Press asked Hitchcock to paint a historical mural based on an old photograph for their 135th anniversary this year for their location on Fourth Street and Monroe Avenue.

The Franklin Press was the job shop for the Gazette-Times in 1882, Hitchcock said.

The Franklin Press owners liked it so much, he was commissioned to begin painting the same mural last Monday at their main location on Philomath Boulevard.

"The Franklin Press was kind enough to print their annual calendar with our murals featured for 2017," Hitchcock said.

The Hitchcocks recently completed a mural titled "Oregon" on the back of the Buckingham Palace Antique Store, at Third Street and Western Boulevard, across from La Rockita.

Hitchcock said the murals really pique people's curiosity, and it is common for people walking by the riverfront or driving by to holler words of encouragement as he works on the murals.

"I always say, 'I couldn't have a bikini car wash or set myself on fire and have people yell at me.' It's fascinating how people love it," he said.

Hitchock has approached other mid-valley businesses with interest in painting their walls, including the possibility of doing a bicycle mural soon.

"I've been doing murals (in Corvallis) for two and a half years, and I would love to see us do some really incredible stuff all over town because people are uplifted by it," he said.
President Donald Trump is taking the United States down the wrong path and trying to revive a time that doesn't exist anymore.

The fastest job growth not just in the United States but in the world is in the energy efficiency/renewable sector. The coal industry in the U.S. employed about 76,000 people in 2014 and 50,000 in 2016. The solar industry employs more than 260,000 people and posted a 25 percent increase last year.

Ignore the trashing of the planet, climate and any effects short- and long-term we are causing and just think about economics and energy.

Nuclear power costs are out of control. The latest plants in Georgia and South Carolina have bankrupted Westinghouse and will soon bring down Toshiba. Trojan, our only nuclear plant, cost $460 million to build and $404 million to shut down. This doesn't include the cost of taking care of the waste, now $6 billion to $8 billion.

The last small-scale utility solar with batteries cost 11 cents per kilowatt hour in Hawaii, six months ago. A plant 10 times that size came in at 4.5 cents per kilowatt hour in Tucson.

Natural gas and fracking are putting coal out of business. (That doesn't even consider the detrimental environmental effects of fracking.) Automation, as in many businesses, has made coal a lot less job friendly.

China has taken short cuts and ignored its air; now its people would like to breathe. More than 1 million deaths per year in China are attributed to polluted air. Los Angeles and New York used to have filthy air, before the Clean Air Act, passed by Richard Nixon. Trump wants to go back with his wish to dismantle the EPA. China is now the largest producer and user of windmills, solar water, solar electric and solar inverters.

Trump complained about the draconian financial and economic burdens of a nonbinding agreement. Trump's only compass seems to be if Obama did something, he feels obligated to undo it. The U.S. can unilaterally change its emissions target under the agreement  it doesnt have to "renegotiate" it  and financial contributions are voluntary. Renegotiating a better deal on an agreement that took years of negotiating among 190 countries, when those countries bent over backward to meet the U.S. requirements of voluntary emission cuts and making it nonbinding, is absurd. Trump is just pretending to be a great negotiator.

Yes, China can build hundreds of coal plants, in principle. But China has canceled the building of many new coal plants and absolute coal use has declined for three consecutive years. Trump said India may double its coal production, but India is slowing its growth of coal.

At home, heat pump water heaters use a third of the energy of standard ones, ductless heat pumps are way more efficient than old furnaces and air-conditioning units, houses are more efficient, but we still have a long way to go to meet many European codes that require zero very low energy use.

For transportation you can now buy 240-mile Chevy Bolts, 50 miles per gallon Kia Niros, 58 mpg Hyundai Ioniqs. Tesla got more than 300,000 orders for its Model 3, and other companies are charging ahead with electric cars, rather than listening to Trump.

A combination of solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, load shedding, ice storage, utility controlled water heaters will power our future and create lots of jobs.

Trump is missing the point and misleading us into thinking that getting rid of international agreements, federal regulations, research into best practices, or ignoring science, will make us more prosperous.
OK, that's enough for a day or two about the Legislature's transportation bill or the struggle to reform public pensions or efforts to balance the state budget.

Instead, let's take a moment to bring you up to date on the Legislature's work on the issues that really matter to people: For example, should the marionberry pie be designated the official pie of Oregon? Should the border collie be named the official dog of the state  or should that honor go to rescue dogs? Should the noble osprey shove the melodic western meadowlark out of its perch as the state's official state bird? Should the work of Robbie Harding of Bend be recognized as the official tartan of Oregon?

All of these measures have been introduced at some point during this legislative session, usually in the form of concurrent resolutions. Some of these measures are still alive as we move into the session's last month; others never got much traction and have been swept into the dustbin.

We know what some of you are thinking: "The Legislature still is $1.4 billion away from balancing the budget, and they're spending time thinking about border collies, adorable as they are? How is this not a waste of our time?"

We beg to differ. Say what you will about the Legislature, (and we have), but there's no doubt about how hard legislators work. Surely there can be room for some lighter fare. Besides, it's not unusual for some of these measures to start as projects launched by schoolchildren; for those students, tracking these bills can be a fascinating civics lesson.

So here's an update about some of these measures:

 Our guess is that Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, naming the border collie the state's official dog, clashed with House Concurrent Resolution 16, which would have given that honor to rescued shelter dogs. In any event, both measures have languished, perhaps awaiting a compromise measure to honor rescued shelter border collies.

 It's been smoother sailing thus far for Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, sponsored by Sen. Fred Girod, which would designate the osprey as the state's official bird. That honor currently is held by the western meadowlark, but Girod's resolution notes that the Legislature never has signed off on that designation. Girod notes that the meadowlark is an "unoriginal choice" in that it also is the state bird of five other states. "Oregon flies with her own wings," Girod wrote, "and those wings are best represented by the osprey." The measure has passed the Senate and is now before the House.

 No such luck for Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, which would name the Kiger mustang as the official state horse. The measure has not made it out of the Senate.

 The tartan measure, House Concurrent Resolution 13, honors Harding, of the High Desert Celtic Society and the Caledonian Society of Bend, who has designed a tartan featuring colors meant to represent the state of Oregon: blue, gold, green, white, taupe, crimson, azure and black. The tartan has been sent to the Scottish Tartan Authority in (naturally) Scotland and has received worldwide recognition in the International Tartan Index. We're not sure what all that means, but we still are enthusiastic about it, and so is the House, where the measure passed unanimously.

 We've saved the tastiest for last: House Concurrent Resolution 19 would designate the marionberry pie as the state's official pie. We already have endorsed this measure, so it pleases us to report that the resolution has passed the House and is awaiting action by the Senate. All we have to add now is this: We would like to be invited to the session at which Gov. Kate Brown signs the bill, because we think pie will be served. (mm)
Attempted rape in Beuel : Suspect had already attacked a young woman in Bonn in May

Beuel After the attempted rape in Beuel, an arrest warrant has been issued against a 27-year-old for suspected sexual assault. The suspect had already attacked a woman in the centre of Bonn in May.

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After the attempted rape near the Kennedy bridge in Beuel, the suspect remains in custody. On Monday afternoon, an examining magistrate issued an arrest warrant on the basis of strong suspicion of a sexual assault. The law provides a sentence for this crime of not less than a year.

On Monday, the General Anzeiger learned the 27-year-old had already come to polices attention at the end of May by being violent towards a woman in Bonn city centre. According to GA information, the Syrian kicked and hit a 19-year-old woman in front of Cafe Blau on Franziskanerstrae in the early hours of Ascension Day. Two men came to the aid of the young woman and held onto the attacker as he continued to insult the woman. Police then took him into custody.

27-year-old came to Germany in 2015

In both cases he was drunk. In May he was released. As well as the violent attacks, he has also apparently carried out several thefts. According to this newspapers information, the 27-year-old came to Germany with the wave of migrants in 2015 and has been living for almost a year in the Bonn region. He has been living for several months in a home in Meckenheim. As a migrant from a civil war country, he currently enjoys special protection and residency status. This residence status expires at the end of 2017.

The Bonn police have continued with their investigations and can verify the circumstances of the crime. Both the victim and the witness have given a detailed description of events, said police spokesman Robert Scholten. The collection of evidence at the crime scene has also been completed.

Woman cried for help

The 22-year-old woman was attacked at around 2am on the Kennedy Bridge. The perpetrator then violently pushed her down the stairs towards the Rhine. The woman screamed for help. He then pulled the woman into bushes in the Rheinaustrae area and continued to physically attack the woman, who was lying on the ground. On the basis of current information, he tried to rape her.

A witness saw what was happening and called the police. When the perpetrator noticed a patrol car approaching, he let go of the woman and fled towards the Rhine. He then jumped into the river and swam off. As the suspect jumped into the Rhine, the magistrate considered on Monday there was a risk of absconding.

No further emergency calls to police
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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.
Apple iPhone 8 display and back panel images leaked online News oi -Samden Sherpa First alleged iPhone 8 parts leaked online.

As we are getting close to the launch day of Apple's next flagship, several prominent leaks are now starting to appear online. And the leaks seem to get better each time as we are seeing more concrete information from the new ones.

Well, we have yet again come across a new leak and this time it provides us a look at the components of the upcoming iPhone. Interestingly, it looks like there is going to be more than just one iPhone. The images that have been leaked show parts most probably for the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 and 4.7 and 5.5-inch devices which could be the 7 series smartphones.

The images have been leaked by a case manufacturer who had also received the pictures from a glass supplier in China.

In any case, on analyzing the images, the first photo shows the front and back panels of the iPhone 8. While Samsung will be providing screens for Apple iPhones, the front panel seems to have a super thin bezel around all sides with a slightly thicker bezel on the top bar. Basically, that area will feature the front-facing camera, microphone, and speaker. Some of the recently leaked renders also show similar designed front panel.

Talking about the rear panel, it features a vertical dual-lens camera setup. It looks like there is a separate protruding lens component and the flash is placed between the cameras. However, the most important thing here is that there is no rear Touch ID. Now, this could only mean that Apple might be actually including the Touch ID into the display of the device. Has Apple finally got the technology to work? We will be doing some more research on this.

Meanwhile, the second leaked photo shows the two alleged iPhone 8 components next to components which we are assuming is for the 4.7-inch iPhone 7s and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus.

The two smartphones have been rumored to be launching alongside the OLED iPhone 8. That being said, from the image we can make out that all the three back panels look glossy meaning they are most likely made from glass. It further suggests that since glass is used all the three devices could support wireless charging. Rumors have also hinted at the same thing.

However, while the images look real we are still speculating the authenticity of the image. We will not be 100 percent convinced until we see similar leaks of parts at least that will confirm the design. Whether its real or fake, these images do provide us with a glimpse of what an actual iPhone 8 might look like. In any case, these new images should not be taken seriously and be viewed with a pinch of salt.

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Huawei Honor 9 crosses 350000 registrations in a single day News oi -Vijeta Huawei Honor 9 has been registered more than 350000 times through an online retailer in just one day after its release in China.

Huawei unveiled Honor 9 in China on Monday and the device has already received 3,50,000 registrations. The figures are enough to throw a light on the popularity of the brand. However, what's even more interesting is that Honor 9 is available with total 8 online retailers in China and the mentioned registration figures are projected only from one retailer.

It is worth mentioning here that number of registrations is only a figure of popularity as there are no charges applied for registration. It is not to be confused with per-order where consumers need to a pay a part of the total sum a smartphone costs in order to receive the device as soon as possible after its release.

The device has been priced at CNY 2,700 (approx. $400) and CNY 3,000 (Approx. $440) for 64 GB and 128 GB variants respectively.

Huawei had recently announced that it sold more devices than Apple in 2016 and is only behind Samsung in becoming the world's leading brand in smartphone sale by units.

Huawei Honor 9 is a mid-range smartphone. It boasts a 5.15" 1080p display, with DCI-P3 color space which is a technology also used on the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8. The phone houses a HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset that operates at a frequency of 2.36 GHz. The chipset is clubbed with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM. An optional variant of the device offers 128 GB ROM. The phone also has a dual camera setup with 12 MP and 20 MP rear cameras.

If launched in India the device is expected to be priced at Rs. 26000.

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LG will likely work with Google to manufacturer Pixel-successor codenamed Taimen News oi -Samden Sherpa Bug report reveals that LG is manufacturing rumored Pixel XL successor taimen

As per what we have heard and read in several reports, Google's 2017 smartphone lineup included three different models for this year's Pixel lineup. However, it seems that we will be seeing only two smartphones now. Considering that information that we came across earlier Google is dropping the XL successor code-named "Muskie" and we might not see this variant being launched at all.

Basically, the company has decided to do so because it is shifting its focus on another smartphone codenamed "Taimen". While this is quite surprising we have yet again learned some new information about the Taimen variant.

Fresh leak now suggests the "Taimen" variant will be manufactured by LG. The South Korean company had previously partnered with Google for the Nexus devices and now it seems that Google is collaborating with the same company again.

The news comes from 9to5Google and the publication reports that they had found a bug report entry from March 2017 in the Android Issue Tracker and the report had information about LG'S involvement in the testing. The report describes a "USB PD Compliance Failure" for a device called Taimen. And the interesting part is that the report was published by an LG employee, who was then asked by a Google rep to move the entry under Android>Partner>External>LGE>Taimen >power in the Issue Tracker.

So considering this report, it only suggests that LG is working on a device most presumably the "Taimen." Meanwhile, Google hasn't officially disclosed anything. But we are assuming that the search giant is continuing its process of involving different manufacturers for production its Pixel lineup. Just to recall, last year's Pixel and Pixel XL were developed by HTC. So Google going for a new OEM is a strategic move.

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Nokia 3 benchmarks surface online just before India release News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia 3 will be released in India today along with Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.

HMD is all set to launch three new smartphones in India today. The company is hosting an event in New Delhi for the same.

We already know that the three Nokia Android smartphones - Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will be launched today in India. There are reports pointing out that these smartphones will be priced somewhere between Rs. 9,000 and Rs. 16,000. Now, the Nokia 3, which is the entry-level smartphone among the trio has been spotted on Geekbench revealing its performance.

Entry-level smartphone on Geekbench

While the specifications of the Nokia 3 are known ever since its announcement at the MWC 2017 in February, the benchmark listing shows the construction of the device and gives us an idea of what we can expect from it in terms of performance. Usually, only the high-end and premium smartphones will surface on the benchmark database and it is one of the most renowned benchmarking apps.

Nokia 3 benchmark scores

From the Geekbench listing, we come to know that the Nokia 3 has scored 546 points in the single-core test and 1,541 points in the multi-core test. Of course, the device can't compete with the high-end offerings such as Nokia 9 or any other strong performer.

Various models of Nokia 3

Besides revealing the performance scores, the Nokia 3 (check out our Nokia 3 first impressions) model that has surfaced on the benchmark database carries the model number TA-1032. This is the variant that received the Bluetooth SIG certification in March. Also, it matches the TA-1030 variant that cleared TENAA. It looks like TA-1030 comes packed with a quad-core 1.25GHz MediaTek MT6737 SoC, 2GB RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat OS. We can expect it to be aimed at the Asian markets.

Android O confirmed

Despite the entry-level specs and performance, HMD has confirmed that the Nokia 3 along with Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will receive the Android 8.0 O update.

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Nokia 6

The Nokia 6 is the high-end model among the trio and it bestows a 5.5-inch FHD 1080p IPS LCD display. Under its hood, there is an octa-core Snapdragon 430 SoC teamed up with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space. The default storage can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.

On the imaging front, the Nokia 6 flaunts a 16MP main snapper at its rear with dual-LED flash and PDAF. The front facer is an 8MP selfie shooter. The aperture of both the cameras are identical at f/2.0. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, this smartphone comes with dual speakers, NFC, OTG, and a fingerprint sensor as well. A 3000mAh battery powers this smartphone with fast charging support.

Nokia 5

The Nokia 5 is given a 5.2-inch HD 720p IPS LCD display. This device also runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and is equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 430 SoC. The processor is teamed up with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage space that can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.

The imaging aspects of the Nokia 5 include a 13MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and dual-LED flash. Up front, there is an 8MP selfie snapper with the same aperture. The other specs are similar to the Nokia 6 and these include 4G LTE, NFC, OTG support and a 3000mAh battery.

Nokia 3

The Nokia 3 is the entry-level smartphone among the trio. This smartphone adorns a 5-inch HD 720p IPS LCD display. It is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 SoC paired with similar RAM and storage as the Nokia 5. The imaging department comprises of dual 8MP cameras at both the front and rear. The other goodies on board the Nokia 3 include Android Nougat, OTG support, 4G LTE and a 2650mAh battery.

Targeted at the budget smartphone buyers, the Nokia 3 features a polycarbonate body with metallic frames at the sides.

Price and availability

As mentioned above, the Nokia 6 priced at Rs. 14,999 will be exclusive to Amazon. The pre-registrations for this smartphone will debut on July 14. The Amazon Prime customers who buy the Nokia 6 will get Rs. 1,000 off on the purchase.

The Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 will be offline exclusive smartphones. The Nokia 5 priced at Rs. 12,899 will be available for pre-booking starting from July 7 while the entry-level Nokia 3 priced at Rs. 9,499 will be available for pre-booking from June 16.
OnePlus 5 to arrive with UFS storage, hints company CEO News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Yet another OnePlus 5 feature hinted.

OnePlus 5, the upcoming flagship killer smartphone is all set to be unveiled on June 20. The India launch is slated for June 22 and will happen in Mumbai.

The confirmation regarding the launch date of this smartphone hasn't marked an end to the rumors and leaks. In fact, the speculations have increased since the confirmation on the launch date came in. Besides the gossip mongers, the OnePlus CEO, Lui Zuotu (Pete Lau) himself has been revealed the hints one by one, thereby building the hype around the OnePlus 5.

Now, the OnePlus CEO has come up with another hint that tips the type of storage that they will use on the OnePlus 5.

UFS storage confirmed

According to the latest Weibo post made by the company's CEO, the OnePlus 5 will arrive with the UFS (Universal Flash Storage). Though the post doesn't confirm this directly, it reads, "Now the flagship machine UFS have become a selling point, too much fun."

It's beneficial

The UFS storage is a common flash storage that is used on gadgets such as mobile phones, cameras, and other devices. The UFS storage is aimed at reducing the confusion and removing the necessity to have various types of storage cards on different devices.

What else to expect?

Taking this as a confirmation from the OnePlus CEO, we can say that the OnePlus 5 will be a cutting-edge smartphone with 128GB UFS type internal storage space, 8GB RAM and Snapdragon 835 SoC. With these specifications, the upcoming flagship killer won't be a disappointing offering, we believe.

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Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aka Note FE release pegged for July 7 News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Galaxy Note FE will see the light of the day early next month.

There's good news for those Samsung fans who were waiting to witness the launch of the refurbished Galaxy Note 7. The device is expected to be unveiled early next month, claims a fresh report.

As per the latest report by Korean publication ETNews, Samsung will be launching the alleged Galaxy FE, the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 early in July. The report claims that the device will be made available for purchase on July 7. While the earlier speculations pointed out at a June 30 release, it is said that the company has faced some kind of delay, thereby pushing the launch of the refurbished device by a week.

Reason for delay

It looks like Samsung has decided to boost the number of devices available for purchase from 150,000 to 450,000. It is said that this is one of the prime reasons that has delayed the launch of the Galaxy FE.

Bixby assistant could be included

It looks like Samsung has decided to make the Galaxy FE an appealing one. We say this as there is a claim that the Bixby digital assistant has been included in the refurbished Galaxy Note 7. The Samsung representative who revealed this information states that the company is yet to confirm fro when Bixby will be available on the device.

Talking about the price and availability, the report going on revealing that the Galaxy Note FE will be priced equivalent to $620 (approx. Rs. 40,000) in South Korea. Lately, a Korean retailer had listed the device online for the same price.

Notably, the Samsung Galaxy Note FE will not be officially launched in the western markets. Other countries including India will get this device after its South Korean release.

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Will Nokia write a new success story in India with its Android smartphones? News oi -Rohit Nokia 6 is priced at Rs. 14,999, Nokia 5 will retail at Rs. 12,999 and Nokia 3 will sell at Rs. 9,499 in the Indian market

The day has finally come when you can purchase Android powered Nokia smartphones in the India market. The Finnish group HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones today announced the first installment of Nokia Android phones- Nokia 6 (Rs. 14,999), Nokia 5 (Rs. 12,999) and Nokia 3 (Rs. 9,499) for the Indian consumers.

Priced aggressively, the Nokia Android smartphones can be a real threat to sub Rs. 15k smartphones from the popular brands such as Lenovo, Motorola, Huawei, Micromax, Xiaomi, etc.

Moreover, the Nokia handsets are more than just the metal-glass devices backed by Google's mobile OS. They tend to make consumers nostalgic and take them back to the good old days of Nokia when phones were not fighting for megapixels and multi-core processors.

In the words of Ajey Mehta, Vice President India, HMD Global, "Nokia is a trusted and well-loved brand across the world and especially in India. Today's announcement scripts a new chapter for Nokia phones in this country as we set out to capture the hearts and minds of an entirely new generation of fans through an inspiring and purpose-led approach".

We can agree to the statement made above but would you really purchase a handset just for the fact that it brings back certain memories of your first or second phone. Nokia is undoubtedly considered as the people's brand in the Indian market but its prolonged absence from the Indian phone space and the recent dominance of Chinese brands cannot be watered down with just three smartphones. The company has to meet certain expectations associated with the brand name and deliver on areas where the popular Chinese brands are lacking.

I believe one such element is the 'Customer Service Support'. During the launch event, the HMD group backing the Nokia devices mentioned that the company is investing in a robust after-sales network branded 'Nokia Mobile Care'. And by the end of June 2017, over 300 cities will have a Nokia Mobile Care presence.

In addition, consumers will have the opportunity to avail a device pick-up/drop service in 100 more cities. This is not it, for tech savvy consumers of today, Nokia will also have Nokia Mobile Care support in the form of voice and web support.

HMD team also mentioned that the three Nokia devices will also deliver on consistency and regular Android updates, which are often ignored in handsets from some of the Chinese and Indian brands.

I had a chance to experience the Nokia handsets last month and as far as their initial impressions are concerned, they seem pretty loaded and offer a value for money package. More so, the handsets present a durable, simple and reliable design which is a trademark of Nokia as a brand.

The new line-up comprises of Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and the Nokia 3. To sweeten up the deal, Nokia is also offering cash backs and discounts. The Nokia 6 will be exclusively available on Amazon.in at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 14,999. Amazon Prime members will get a discount of Rs. 1,000 on purchase of the device using Amazon Pay balance.

The Nokia 5 will retail at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 12,899 and Vodafone consumers will get 5GB data per month at Rs. 149 per month for 3 months on their Nokia 5. Consumers will also get Rs. 2,500 off (Rs. 1800 on hotels and Rs.700 off on domestic flights) on Makemytrip.com.

Nokia 3 will be available at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 9,499 and will offer all the additional benefits as you get with the Nokia 5.

While the handsets offer a good balance of hardware and software, it's too early to give a verdict on the success of brand's second inning in the Indian market. I believe Nokia wasted too much time to board on Android train but then it gave them enough time to study the market dynamics.

This can be an advantage for the brand that can once again tap the market and become a household brand. However, only time will tell how consumers will react to Nokia's comeback on the Indian soil with the first lot of Android devices. Stay tuned on GIZBOT for more on Nokia smartphones.

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Rcom is now offering discount to postpaid users News oi -Priyanka The offer is only available where the company is offering 4G services i.e Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications has come up with the new offer in which the company is offering discounts to its postpaid plans for one year.

However, the offer is only available where the company is offering 4G services i.e Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Rcom is offering three plans ranges from Rs 239 to Rs 499.

The first plan which starts with Rs 239 where the company is offering 6GB data, the second plan starts at Rs 399 in which users will get 15 GB data,and the third plan at Rs 499 where users will get 30GB data.

To recall the company has announced 1GB data for 70 days at Rs 148 but there is a catch as this offer is only for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The new plan is providing 1 GB data per day for 70 days which means 70 GB data along with a talk time of Rs 50 and subscribers can also make the call at 25 paise per minute.

The company is also planning to launch two new plans of FRC 54 and FRC61. Meanwhile, RCom has recently said that its shareholders have approved the demerger of tower business into Brookfield Infrastructure Group.

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Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 12, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 36 strikes consisting of 64 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 the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 37 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed four ISIS tanks, six ISIS oil tanks, two ISIS wellheads, an ISIS oil separation tank, an ISIS oil refinery, an ISIS oil truck and an ISIS oil still.

-- Near Raqqa, 23 strikes engaged 20 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 16 fighting positions, two vehicles and two ISIS boats; damaged five ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Fallujah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

-- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed a mortar system.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed five fighting positions, two supply caches, a mortar system, a command-and-control node, an artillery system and a vehicle; and damaged two fighting positions.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tunnel.

June 10 Strikes

Additionally, 12 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 10 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, a tunnel, a weapons storage facility, and a command-and-control node; damaged an ISIS factory; and suppressed a sniper.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed four barriers, a command-and-control node, a vehicle-borne-bomb facility and a fuel storage facility; and damaged seven ISIS supply routes.

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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Mattis Asks Congress for Stable Budgets, End to Sequestration

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2017  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis today launched a full-throated attack on looming across-the-board spending cuts during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, saying "no enemy in the field has done more to harm the combat readiness of our military than sequestration."

The sequestration provision of the Budget Control Act of 2011 imposes across-the-board spending cuts if Congress and the White House cannot agree on more targeted cuts.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee about the president's fiscal year 2018 defense budget request, Mattis also addressed the erosion of American military dominance in a time of increased uncertainty and dangers.

The proposed fiscal 2018 budget calls for a $639.1 billion topline. This breaks down to $574.5 billion for the Defense Department's base budget requirements and $64.6 billion for overseas contingency operations.

'No Room for Complacency'

The American military remains the strongest force on the face of the Earth, but "there is no room for complacency, and we have no God-given right to victory on the battlefield," Mattis said. "Each generation of Americans, from the halls of Congress to the battlefields, earn victory through commitment and sacrifice."

Sequestration was designed to be so injurious to the military that it would force Congress to compromise so its imposition would not be necessary. It remains in effect unless Congress changes the law. Mattis noted that in nine of the past 10 years, Congress has enacted 30 separate continuing resolutions to fund DoD, adding that this inhibits readiness, innovation and modernization.

"We need bipartisan support for this budget request," the secretary told the committee. "In the past, by failing to pass a budget on time or eliminate the threat of sequestration, Congress sidelined itself from its active constitutional oversight role. Continuing resolutions coupled with sequestration blocked new programs, prevented service growth, stalled industry initiative and placed troops at greater risk. Despite the tremendous efforts of this committee, Congress as a whole has met the present challenge with lassitude, not leadership."

Previous defense secretaries, he noted, have warned Congress of the erosion of capabilities sequestration would bring. It is only thanks to the troops themselves, he said, that the problems are not greater.

The secretary urged the committee and other members of Congress to "fully fund our request, which requires an increase to the defense budget caps" and to pass a fiscal 2018 defense budget in a timely manner "to avoid yet another harmful continuing resolution" and to "eliminate the threat of future sequestration cuts so we can provide a stable budgetary planning horizon."

Concurrent Factors

Congress must take into account external factors that influence budget deliberations, Mattis said. The first is that the United States military has been at war for 16 years  the longest period in the nation's history. "America's long war has placed a heavy burden on men and women in uniform and their families," he said.

The second concurrent force acting on the department is a worsening global situation, the secretary told the House panel. "We must look reality in the eye; Russia and China are seeking veto power over the economic, diplomatic and security decisions on their periphery," he said. "North Korea's reckless rhetoric and provocative actions could continue despite United Nations censure and sanctions, while Iran remains the largest long-term challenge to Mideast stability. All the while, terrorist groups murder the innocent and threaten peace in many regions and target us."

A third force acting on DoD are adversaries contesting U.S. military capabilities. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States had uncontested superiority in every military domain or realm, the secretary said. "Today, every operating domain  is contested," he said.

Technological change is another force acting on the department. This mandates new investment, innovative approaches and new program starts  something denied under continuing resolutions, Mattis said.

All these forces require a stable budget and increased funding "to provide for the protection of our citizens and for the survival of our freedoms," he said.

Five Priorities

The secretary said the fiscal 2018 budget reflects five priorities, the first being to continue to improve warfighter readiness.

The second priority is to increase the capacity and lethality of military capabilities. The third priority is to reform the way DoD does business, and he promised the lawmakers the department will accomplish a clean audit. He also called on Congress to support DoD's request to conduct another round of base closures and realignments, saying this could save up to $2 billion a year.

The fourth priority is to keep faith with service members and their families. "Talented people are the department's most valuable asset, but we must constantly balance these requirements against other investments critical to readiness, equipment and modernization to ensure the military is the most capable warfighting force in the world," he said. "Investment in military compensation, blended retirement, the Military Health System and family programs are essential to fielding the talent we need to sustain our competitive advantage on the battlefield."

Support for the overseas contingency operations is the fifth priority of the budget, the secretary said. These funds focus on operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, as well as bumping up U.S. capabilities in Europe.

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'Thunderbolt assassins' prove their lethality in artillery exercise

By Sgt. Jacob Kohrs, 17 Field Artillery Brigade Public AffairsJune 12, 2017

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. -- An M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) moves off of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The HIMARS races to its firing spot, the launcher-loader module moves into position, and the operator presses the button. Within a matter of minutes, six rockets head towards their targets and the HIMARS moves back onto the C-17 to return to its base location.

This speedy maneuver -- a HIMARS Rapid Air Infiltration, live fire mission -- was recently conducted by a HIMARS crew from A Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, the unit also known by the moniker "Thunderbolt assassins". The operation was in support of the 62nd Airlift Wing's rapid mobility exercise.

The exercise is a scenario-based training operation to improve broad-spectrum mission readiness and interoperability between the Army and the Air Force. It also demonstrates the forcible entry capabilities of the C-17 and HIMARS launchers as an operational and strategic strike package in support of combatant commanders.

"A HI-RAIN is an air mobile version of a field artillery raid which is the classic artillery mission," said Cpt. Jamie Holm, commander of A Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment. "We have a known target and use speed for security to put rockets on a target that will shape and make way for a larger operation."

He goes on to say that this type of operation is crucial as the military moves into a multi-domain battle (MDB) mindset. The MDB strategy will give combatant commanders the ability to open access across the different domains of air, land, maritime, space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum.

"This is a critical step in validating our role in the Asia-Pacific response force," said 2nd Lt. Joe McNeil, platoon leader for 1st Platoon, A Battery. "It validates our ability to integrate into different units from the Army, Air Force and Marines, and to support any kind of mission with fires."

This particular training mission consisted of loading a HIMARS and a Fires Directions Center Truck onto a C-17 and flying from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Wash., to Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif. As soon as the aircraft lands, the HIMARS and Fire Directions Center Truck unload. The HIMARS moves to the firing point, receives the fire mission, and sends six rockets down range within 20 minutes. Afterwards, both vehicles reload the aircraft and return to the JBLM.

"We have been rehearsing for the past two weeks for this mission," said McNeil. "After receiving the orders, we started with the joint training. We worked with the Air Force to making sure that we had a plan between us on how we will get the vehicles on and off the aircraft, tied down to the aircraft, landing procedures, shooting, how to get back on, and other similar procedures."

In April, the 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment worked with the 5-11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, to test the range on the high frequency radio that would communicate the firing missions. The Marines sent fire missions through the high frequency radio from Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Calif., to Yakima Training Center, Wash., with great success.

"We were trying to replicate the same thing here by receiving the fire mission over high frequency from the brigade FDC at JBLM," said McNeil. "We have found that the advantage of using the high frequency is that, it might not be able to send a lot of data through it, but the range makes up for it. We were able to receive a two rocket fire mission here, in California, from JBLM in Washington. The mission came up really quickly and we had no issues getting it at all."

Twelve minutes after leaving the aircraft, the first rocket shot off and within three minutes, four rockets hit their target.

"If it wasn't for the safety verifications, we would have shot the first fire mission within two minutes of leaving the aircraft," said 1st Lt. Robert Sincero, the A Battery executive officer. "We were worried that we would have some communication issues, since we ran into so many during our rehearsals earlier this week. In the end though, the communications between the truck, the launcher and JBLM worked flawlessly."

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft has capabilities that also contributed to the speed and accuracy of the operations.

"One of the biggest advantages with working with the Air Force is that they have a type of Wi-Fi system that we are able to hook the HIMARS into so that we don't lose GPS signal," explained McNeil. "This is insanely important for us because if the GPS is lost, then the system in the HIMARS has to be reset. We can lose a minimum of six and a half minutes if we have to reset the system."

McNeil continued, "Not having to reset the system allows for a quicker response time coming off of the aircraft and being able to fire multiple missions in the allotted time. Overall, this mission was a true success."

"Even though the nature of war is immutable, it's characteristics and form are always changing," said Holm. "This type of mission is how we as a military are adapting to today's characteristics and form."

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Iran urges regional nations to exercise restraint to address tensions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, June 12, IRNA -- Present challenges in the region are the consequence of the flawed US-PGCC Conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh, says Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi while urging the regional countries to exercise restraint and try to use negotiations to settle their disagreements.

'As I said before, the Riyadh meeting by having a faulty architecture and taking place at an inappropriate time, could have bode for severe consequences across the region regarding the interference by others,' Qasemi said during his weekly press conference on Monday.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the countries in the region, regarding the present situation and challenges faced by them, could embark on taking a positive approach and sit at the negotiation table to settle tensions and do something to further promote stability in the region," Qasemi said.

US President Donald Trump recently visited Saudi Arabia to meet with heads from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.

In a Twitter message he had said that his visit of the region was going to secure Americans "jobs, jobs, jobs."

A 110-billion dollar arms sale pact was signed during his visit to the kingdom.

2044**1771

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Bonhomme Richard, 31st MEU Depart Okinawa

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170612-01

Release Date: 6/12/2017 8:39:00 AM

By MC2 Kyle Carlstrom , USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs

OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- Amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, after embarking 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) personnel, equipment and supplies, June 8.

Bonhomme Richard, together with the 31st MEU, are scheduled to train alongside Australian counterparts in the biennial exercise Talisman Saber and serve as a ready-force for any type of contingency while on the multi-month deployment.

"It's great to have the Marines of the 31st MEU back onboard," said Capt. Larry McCullen, commanding officer of Bonhomme Richard. "The safe execution of the on load stands as an example of the professionalism and precision of this team when we come together onboard this great warship. I look forward to the training that our Sailors and Marines will accomplish together."

Bonhomme Richard Sailors and 31st MEU Marines will train to develop a rapid ability to mobilize people and equipment, to enhance interoperability with Indo-Asia-Pacific partners and allies, improve Navy-Marine Corps contingency response capability and demonstrate U.S. commitment to the region.

Bonhomme Richard is the flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which also includes the amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48).



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10 suspected militants arrested in Bangladesh amid crackdown

Iran Press TV

Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:37PM

Police in Bangladesh have made 10 fresh arrests as a crackdown on members of an outlawed militant group widens across the country.

Security officials said on Monday that six young men, aged between 19 and 23, had been arrested overnight in a raid on their hideouts in the capital Dhaka.

Police counter-terrorism chief Monirul Islam said the six had been plotting to kill a top Islamic scholar during the current holy month of Ramadan. He said the outspoken cleric, whose name was not disclosed, was known for his criticism of Takfiri ideologies.

Islam said the suspected militants had been closely watching the scholar's house and the plan to kill him was going ahead. He added that all those arrested were members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned group which is routinely blamed by the government for attacks on bloggers, publishers, writers, members of minority groups and foreigners.

Later reports said the suspects would be kept in custody for interrogation as police received authorization from a judge in Dhaka.

Police also carried out a raid on a militant hideout in a northwestern district of Dhaka on Monday. Three people were arrested in the raid while police seized explosives and guns. Also a writer, whose works are believed to have inspired young people to join militant groups, was arrested earlier in the day.

Bangladesh insists that the JMB was behind a deadly siege on a restaurant in Dhaka's diplomatic zone last July. Twenty people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the attack claimed by the Daesh terrorist group. The Takfiri group, which is mainly operating in the Middle East, has vowed to carry out other attacks in Bangladesh.

Some 60 suspected militants have been killed across Bangladesh in the crackdown launched since the hostage-taking in the restaurant. The government has vowed to continue the crackdown until it crushes militancy in the South Asian country.

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Fire trade between India, Pakistan kills 2 civilians in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Mon Jun 12, 2017 3:4PM

Fire exchanges between Indian and Pakistani troops have left at least two civilians dead and three others injured in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

A Pakistan army statement said the casualties occurred on Monday after Indian troops targeted civilians in Jandrot and Hot Spring sectors across the Line of Control (LoC), which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Media reports said the two teenagers, who were residents of Bhabra village, lost their lives when Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked shelling" along the LoC.

Reacting to the development, Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, an Indian army spokesman, claimed that Pakistani soldiers had fired at Indian positions in two sectors earlier in the day and added that there had been no report of casualties.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been claimed in full by both India and Pakistan since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.

The restive region has witnessed an increase in mass protests and violent attacks since early July, when Burhan Wani, a top figure in a pro-independence group, was killed in a shootout with Indian troops.

As many as 100 people have so far been killed and several thousands of others injured during clashes between protesters and Indian security personnel.

Relations between India and Pakistan have further been strained in recent months, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for a raid on an army base in Kashmir in September, which killed 19 soldiers.

Since then, there have been repeated outbreaks of firing across the LoC, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians.

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EU Hopes Kosovo Can Form Government Swiftly After Election

RFE/RL June 12, 2017

A senior European Union official has expressed hope that Kosovo will soon get a new government following snap parliamentary elections that left no party in a position to govern without what could be tough efforts to build a coalition.

"The outcome is definitely one which is not creating immediately a clear majority for a government, and I hope that it doesn't take again up to nine months as it was the case last time, because it is so important for this country to stay committed to reform," EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in Brussels on June 12.

"For us it is crucial that the country and its representatives are committed to the European perspective," Hahn said, adding that "better living conditions [are] only achievable embedded into the European Union."

Preliminary results suggest the ruling center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the most votes in the June 11 elections, but it appeared unlikely to have won enough seats to govern even with its planned coalition partners.

The vote also confirmed the strong rise of the nationalist Self-Determination Movement (VV) party, which nearly doubled its support since the last elections and looked set to finish second in the overall vote.

With more than 90 percent of the ballots counted, the coalition headed by the PDK of President Hashim Thaci was leading with 34.65 percent of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission. The PDK coalition includes former Prime Minister and rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).

The nationalist VV, also known as Vetevendosje, had 26.59 percent of the vote, just ahead of a coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which had 25.82 percent.

If those results are borne out, no single group would be able to govern alone, making further coalition attempts likely.

Turnout was put at 41.79 percent in Kosovo's third elections since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The country is recognized by 114 other countries but not by Serbia and Russia.

Haradinaj, the PDK-led coalition's candidate for prime minister, declared victory, telling supporters at a rally in Pristina that "we know that there is a lot of work ahead of us. But we are going to achieve them together."

The PDK coalition, with a large number of former guerrilla fighters, has been dubbed the "war wing" by Kosovo's media.

If Haradinaj does assume the prime minister role, it would complicate relations with neighboring Serbia, which has issued an international arrest warrant against him on suspicion of committing war crimes when he was a guerrilla fighter during Kosovo's 1998-99 independence war.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the victory of hard-liners in the elections will create "a lot of difficulties and problems," but added that the EU-mediated dialogue with Kosovo must continue.

Haradinaj, 48, has been tried twice and acquitted of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Haradinaj was elected prime minister of Kosovo in 2004 but resigned after 100 days in order to surrender himself for trial in The Hague. He has denied all charges.

His coalition and allies appeared unlikely to get the 51 seats in the 120-member parliament needed to govern.

Parliamentary rules reserve 20 seats for ethnic Serbs and other minorities. The PDK is looking to form a coalition with the 10 deputies representing the non-Serbian minorities, including ethnic Turks and Roma.

Any new cabinet will have a tough job dealing with the many problems facing the country, which is predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians.

Many of Kosovo's 1.8 million inhabitants blame politicians from all sides for a stubbornly high unemployment rate that hovers around one-third of workforce despite solid economic expansion of about 4 percent annually in one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Other key priorities the next government faces include establishing better control over privatization and creating a functioning war crimes court and prosecution office, which would start the process of sidelining wartime leaders from political and public life.

Yet the biggest issues surrounding the vote are a pair of agreements signed in 2015: one setting the border with Montenegro and another with Serbia that increases powers held by ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

Those issues have helped stall reforms in the legislature and angered the electorate in a country where about one-third of the population is under the age of 15.

"For more than a year we didn't have a functional government, and now I don't trust them," said Islam Fehmiu, a retiree from the capital, Pristina.

"Parliament couldn't finish its sessions. I have very low hopes. The preelection coalitions are looking out only for their own interests and I absolutely think they won't solve ongoing issues such as border demarcation with Montenegro," Fehmiu added.

The election marked the rise of the Self-Determination Movement, which was a disruptive opposition force in the previous parliament and would make any coalition-building difficult. VV supporters at one time released tear gas inside parliament and threw firebombs outside it to protest the deals with Montenegro and Serbia.

Albin Kurti, the party's candidate for prime minister, said the VV would fight corruption, jail former officials, end talks with Serbia, and seek a closer union with neighboring Albania.

With reporting by Alan Crosby, Amra Zejneli in Pristina, Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels, AP, BBC, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-eu-hopes- can-form-government-swiftly/28542916.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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Central African Republic: UN mission determined to fulfil mandate despite attacks on peacekeepers

12 June 2017  The United Nations envoy for the Central African Republic today warned against increasing attacks on civilians and peacekeeping personnel while stressing the need to reenergize the political process to achieve sustainable peace in the conflict-torn country.

"The intensity of the attacks, their premeditated nature and the targeting of ethnic minorities, are a reminder of the darkest moments of the Central African political and security crisis," said the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, in his briefing to the Security Council.

"The new and disturbing fact is the systematic and fierce aggression against the peacekeepers," he added.

The envoy provided an update on the situation in Bangassou, where "political spoilers" demonstrated their intention of carrying out a de facto ethnic cleansing of the town. He said that the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) has gradually regained control of the town, but anti-Balaka elements continue to pose a serious threat to civilians and peacekeepers.

Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian, plunged the country of 4.5 million people into civil conflict in 2013. According to the UN, more than half the population is in dire need of assistance. Despite significant progress and successful elections, CAR has remained in the grip of instability and sporadic unrest.

The situation in the southern-central prefectures of Ouaka and Mbomou remains complex as fighting continues between ex- Seleka factions the Popular Front for the Central African Renaissance (FPRC) and Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC).

He also expressed deep concern about the evolving situation in Bria, where some 80 per cent of the civilian population has been displaced.

Meanwhile, an outbreak of violence in the northwest prefectures of Ouham and Ouham Pende, was abated through a tripartite local mediation initiative at the end of May, with local and traditional authorities firmly in the lead and MINUSCA in a facilitation role.

The security situation in Bangui remains relatively calm thanks to continuous and integrated political and military efforts.

Despite harsh public criticism, Mission's resolve 'remains strong'

Mr. Onanga-Anyanga said that lately MINUSCA has been under harsh public criticism within CAR with each side expecting MINUSCA to fight its perceived enemy.

Even in the face of those cynics, MINUSCA's resolve remains stronger than ever, he said.

"Each time MINUSCA exhibits strength against armed groups, it is a victory for stability [] Each time tensions are defused through dialogue, it is another gain for peace, and we close the distance to achieving the end-state of the mission a little bit more," he said.

In this context, he said, "all constructive peace efforts need to be energized," noting that the National Consultative and Follow-up Committee can provide an essential forum where the Government and the armed groups would not only discuss the modalities of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme but also broader issues related to peace and stability in the country.

He said that he believes the African Peace and Reconciliation initiative remains an essential element to facilitate an inclusive national dialogue with the support of the sub-region and finds recent contacts between the Government and the African Union and other parties encouraging.

Also briefing the Security Council was the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, who provided an update on the human rights mapping report that covered major violations committed in the country from 2003 to 2015.

The report detailed 620 incidents, including horrific accounts of entire villages being burnt to the ground and multiple incidents of gang rapes of women and gifts, and extra-judicial killings. The vast majority of incidents were attributed to the Seleka /ex- Seleka and the anti-Balaka, and the Central African defence and security forces.

"This long list and patterns of past violations and abuses is unfortunately resuming today," he said, adding that "this is therefore a timely moment to send an unequivocal message to the perpetrators of violations that their actions are being watched and documented, and that they will be held accountable."

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Theres often a tension in education between the traditional and the progressive. But when the traditional hauls us back 2000 years, we ...
Angola: Funds urgently needed as Congolese refugee influx overwhelms services, warns UN agency

12 June 2017  As refugees fleeing violence and communal tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to arrive in neighbouring Angola, the United Nations refugee agency has appealed for more resources to cope with the influx and to provide those coming with the support they urgently need.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), some 30,000 people have arrived in Angola's Lunda Norte province since April and there are fears that the number could reach 50,000, with about 300-500 people arriving daily.

"Angola is providing a warm welcome, but reception centres accommodating refugees, are full beyond their capacity and basic services cannot be maintained without immediate donor support," said Valentin Tapsoba, the UNHCR's Africa Bureau Director, in a news release today.

He added that the refugees are traumatized and humanitarian agencies require urgent support to ensure that life-saving assistance and protection can be provided to those in need.

The arrivals have mostly been from the Kasai provinces in the DRC, where they were at risk of serious human rights violations and abuses, including physical mutilation, killing, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention in inhumane conditions.

The Kasais were the location of the discovery of some 42 mass graves, in April by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The discoveries further underscored the gravity of the situation.

About 1.3 million people remain displaced internally in the DRC.

Those reaching Angola also expressed fear returning back unless the situation allows for safe and dignified return, noted UNHCR in the release.

Sustaining life-saving assistance not possible without more funding  UNHCR

In the news release, the UN refugee agency also said that Angola, a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, has historically hosted refugees from its neighbours  including DRC.

Prior to the recent influx, the country housed some 15,600 refugees  including more than 13,400 from the DRC.

However, with arrivals increasing and apprehensions that the situation could get much worse additional funding is urgently needed.

"Sustaining life-saving assistance won't be possible without more funding," said UNHCR, noting that together with its partners, some $65 million are required  of which the UN agency needs $35 million (until the end of the year) to reach refugees in remote parts of Angola, who are the most vulnerable.

Current humanitarian efforts are supported with $10 million by the UN Central Emergency Fund, a limited pool of financial resources that provides funding to critical, life-saving humanitarian rapid response and underfunded operations around the globe.

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Surge in Suspected Boko Haram Attacks Hits Northern Cameroon

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka June 12, 2017

Suicide bombers attacked two border towns and a military base in northern Cameroon over the weekend, according to local officials. The violence is part of a recent string of attacks in the border area attributed to militant group Boko Haram.

Five suicide bombers crossed from Nigeria into the Mayo Sava division of northern Cameroon on Saturday, said Babila Akao, the most senior government official in that area.

He told VOA by phone that the bombers were targeting the towns of Mora and Kolofata, but only two were able to detonate their vests.

During an emergency security meeting the day before the attack, Akao said, soldiers and members of the local self-defense groups had been deployed to control the northern entrance to Mora from Nigeria and seal all entrances into the towns and surrounding villages, if necessary. He said the blasts claimed no victims aside from the two bombers, but many self-defense group members were wounded.

He said security forces shot dead a third suicide bomber and are searching for two attackers who ran without detonating their vests.

On Sunday, the government announced that another suicide bomber had blown herself up at a military base near Mora, killing one soldier.

It was the 27th reported suicide bombing this year on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria. A third of those attacks have taken place in the past two-and-a-half weeks, including an attack on a camp for internally displaced persons, also in Mora.

Earlier this month, the United Nations cautioned people against traveling to the Far North region of Cameroon, saying that the arrest of the Boko Haram commander in charge of the town of Kousseri had triggered a surge of violence. The government has not confirmed that arrest.

Attacks in the border area also appear to have increased since the start of Ramadan.

The Council of Muslim Dignitaries and Imams of Cameroon has dispatched its members to the area to educate the population and instruct local Muslim clerics to be watchful.

The council's president, Moussa Oumarou, says terrorists use this holy month of fasting to deceive young Muslims that if they die fighting for Allah they will go straight to paradise. He says poverty makes youth more vulnerable to that message.

The governor of the Far North region, Midjiyawa Bakari, declined to comment on the cause of the violence, but said residents should remain on alert.

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Army prepares to field disaster response communication tool suite

By Amy Walker, PEO C3T Public Affairs June 13, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- If disaster strikes the U.S. homeland, a new network communications tool suite will enable Army National Guard Soldiers to provide first responders with network and phone communications, even when local infrastructure has been destroyed.

"In a disaster situation, interoperable communications between the military, first responders and other [non-government] agencies is always critical," said Maj. Gen. Timothy McKeithen, deputy director for the National Guard. "Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina [taught us that] it's all about timing -- a few minutes, compared to an hour or days, in communicating is huge when it comes to your property, life and family members."

The Army is preparing to field the new Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal (DIRECT) tool suite to all U.S. states and territories with a National Guard presence, Fielding completion is currently projected for 2021.

"We are fielding this new equipment to help us interoperate and better communicate up and down [and across the various chains of command], and we are excited about it," McKeithen said. "That interoperability will allow us to move quicker, to act quicker and get things done."

DIRECT securely leverages National Guard organic Warfighter Information Network-Tactical network equipment to enable service members to provide emergency responders with commercial phone and internet access, along with commercial wireless and 4G LTE, during domestic natural disasters, emergencies and civil support operations.

The system also has a bridging capability that connects radios operating on different frequencies, and it enables interconnection between cell phones, internet telephones, and military and first responder radios in order enable seamless collaboration.

"If commercial cellular phone and internet services are down in a disaster situation, we need to be able to have an alternate means to communicate," said Maj. Gen. Garrett S. Yee, Headquarters Department of the Army, Acting Director of Cybersecurity Directorate, Office of the Chief Information Officer/G-6. "This bridging capability allows us to communicate from a radio to a cell phone, land line or another radio on a different frequency. Reliable communication in an emergency is critical for first responders."

With support from the Delaware Army National Guard 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, the Army demonstrated the DIRECT communications kit during the 2017 National Guard G6 Mission Command Workshop in Little Rock in mid-May. During the demonstration, the 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion Soldiers successfully operated and briefed the DIRECT capabilities to senior Guard and active-duty Army leaders and workshop attendees.

Additionally, the unit integrated and provided communication services to the Arkansas State Police. Representatives from Project Manager WIN-T, assigned to the Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical, which manages the DIRECT capability for the Army, were also on site to brief and answer questions.

"The criticality of being able to communicate on day one can't be underestimated. Our mission requires interoperability among all the different agencies, especially in a homeland situation where we have diverse first responders coming in," Yee said. "We all need to have a single platform to enable interoperability and this system is a big part of that."

Not only does DIRECT provide interagency communications throughout an incident site, but the robust WIN-T network also enables reach-back capabilities so first responders can benefit from the knowledge and leadership of subject matter experts anywhere in the world. The Army is also working to ensure that DIRECT is compatible with FirstNET, a nationwide broadband network being created by the U.S. Department of Commerce to support first responders.

"In a domestic operation, whether it be a natural disaster or a CBRNE [chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives] event, DIRECT enables and enhances the communication capabilities between the first responders, the military, and local township, county, and state authorities," said Lt. Col. Joseph Yawn, deputy brigade commander for the Delaware Army National Guard 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade.

"It ties all the communications together, not just voice but the data transfer, emails, and teleconferencing," he said. "That is huge because during Hurricane Katrina they didn't have that capability. [Now,] if someone is on a hand held radio and they need to reach the top, and the only thing at the top is a cell phone, we can do that. It ties all the communication venues together. I see a definite need for it."

To support DIRECT, the Army installed commercial internet and phone packages at each of the five WIN-T Regional Hub Nodes to support these commercial capabilities globally. Regional Hub Nodes (RHNs) are the largest satellite transport nodes in the Army's tactical network, enabling the exchange of robust network communication in, out and within theater. Leveraging the nodes for commercial transport capabilities enables responders to call any commercial cell phone or landline or obtain internet access, even when commercial towers are down.

"I think it is absolutely imperative that our first responders can integrate into the network as quickly and seamlessly as possible," said Col. Karen Roe, commander of the 21st Signal Brigade, which supports RHN operations.

"If they are worried about the network, they are less focused on their jobs," she continued. The RHNs do the same thing for our first responders as they do for our military. If our customers know that on a quick timeline they can gain access to the network, they will be more focused on executing their mission. The RHN is that rapid tactical interface."

DIRECT will replace the Army National Guard's legacy Joint Incident Site Communication Capability (JISCC.) Although JISCC assisted first responder communications, it did not enable the military and first responders to directly communicate over the Army's robust WIN-T satellite--based network, which enables mission command and voice, video and data communications anywhere in the world without need of static infrastructure.

Additionally, unlike JISCC, DIRECT falls under a funded Army program of record, so training and sustainment are built into the program. This stability will enable the Guard to more cost effectively operate, manage and maintain the equipment.

During the Army National Guard Mission Command Workshop demonstration in Little Rock, WIN-T program office engineers answered questions from Soldiers of the various states and territories that will receive this equipment. "We have never conducted a demonstration of this magnitude," said Army Maj. Adrian Smith, DIRECT project lead for Project Manager WIN-T Increment 1, who is also a member of the Florida Army National Guard.

"Demonstrating DIRECT during the Mission Command Workshop paid big dividends for the WIN-T program office and the DIRECT Program," he said. "It definitely cleared up any misperceptions, while at the same time created excitement over the system's capabilities to seamlessly support first responders."

In August 2016, the Army conducted a pilot also supported by the Delaware Army National Guard 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion at Georgetown, Delaware, and a system logistics demonstration with the same unit in February 2017 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The Army conducted an additional pilot in November 2016 in Towson and Reisterstown, Maryland, supported by Maryland National Guard Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment and the 629th Network Support Company.

The primary purpose of these risk reduction efforts was to provide training on the DIRECT equipment and allow Soldiers to operate the equipment and provide feedback to the WIN-T program office for continual system improvements. Upcoming pre-fielding pilots will include National Guard units from Florida, California and Hawaii.

When fielding begins, where possible, the system will be fielded simultaneously with scheduled WIN-T Increment 1 technical refresh upgrades. This fielding schedule will take advantage of facilities and resources already in use, and it is expected to minimize unit disruption increase efficiencies in time and cost.

"Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 both taught us that without strong and seamless interagency communications, lives can be lost," said Lt. Col. Mark Henderson, product manager for WIN-T Increment 1, which manages DIRECT for the Army. "DIRECT enables all the various agencies at a humanitarian disaster or incident recovery site not only to communicate with each other but with those in the rear supporting and coordinating operations. The more information that can easily and securely be shared across the entire rescue effort, the faster and more effective the response to the American people."



-----------

The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's mission command network to ensure force readiness. This critical Army modernization priority delivers tactical communications so commanders and Soldiers can stay connected and informed at all times, even in the most austere and hostile environments. PEO C3T is delivering the network to regions around the globe, enabling high-speed, high-capacity voice, data and video communications to a user base that includes the Army's joint, coalition and other mission partners.

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USS Carney Arrives in Rota, Spain

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170613-04

Release Date: 6/13/2017 7:51:00 AM

From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain June 12, for a mid-patrol availability period.

Carney is currently on its third forward-deployed naval force ballistic missile defense patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

Quote:

"So far, this patrol we've taken part in exercise Joint Warrior and Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) with our NATO allies and partners. The training was strenuous and challenging, but the ship and crew are now more prepared to face the challenges of operating in U.S. 6th Fleet. We also had the opportunity to build upon our strong friendships through port visits to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and our host nation, Spain. I'm extremely proud of the growth and professionalism displayed by every Carney Sailor throughout this patrol."

-Cmdr. Peter Halvorsen,

commanding officer, USS Carney

Quick Facts:

Carney participated in Joint Warrior 17-1, a semi-annual, U.K.-led multinational exercise led by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff in the U.K. which is conducted to improve interoperability between NATO and partner navies.

Once Joint Warrior concluded, Carney participated in FOST with the Royal British Navy. FOST's training prepares all types of surface warships, submarines and auxiliaries for peacetime, peace-support, and war-fighting operations. The FOST certification aims to certify NATO ships in advanced warfare areas.

After Joint Warrior and FOST, Carney contributed to Operation Atlantic Resolve and patrolled in the Baltic Sea to show the U.S. Navy's commitment to NATO partners and allies in the region.

During the first half of its patrol, Carney visited Faslane, Scotland; Plymouth, England; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Kiel, Germany; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Carney held receptions for distinguished visitors in Amsterdam and Kiel.

Carney is currently on its third forward-deployed naval force ballistic missile defense patrol.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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US drone strike kills two militants in Pakistan

Iran Press TV

Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:48PM

Pakistani officials have announced the death of a key militant commander in an airstrike allegedly carried out by a US drone.

Three intelligence officials said on Tuesday that Abu Bakr, a commander of the Haqqani militant Network, was killed earlier in the morning when his house in northwestern Pakistan was targeted by missiles.

They said Abu Bakr's house was located in Dewal, a village some five kilometers south of the city of Thal, where a US drone had been seen hovering. They said the militant commander was inside the house as two missiles hit the property.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an aide to the militant commander was also killed in the strike.

Residents said three more people, including a boy, were injured in the attack.

Local media said Abu Bakr, known by his original name Omar, was from Afghanistan's Khost province and had been living in the tribal regions of Pakistan over the past years. He then moved to Dewal after the Pakistani army launched a massive crackdown to hunt key militant leaders in the restive Waziristan region.

There was no official confirmation from Washington neither from US military officials based in the region. Some reports said the drone strike, if confirmed, could be related to a recent attack in the diplomatic region of the Afghan capital, Kabul, which killed some 150 people. The Afghan government has blamed the Haqqani network in Pakistan for the high-profile attack. However, in a later audio message issued by senior leaders, the group denied any involvement.

Islamabad has repeatedly criticized Washington for carrying out uncoordinated airstrikes in its territory, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty.



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Russia, China challenging US military dominance: Mattis

Iran Press TV

Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:58PM

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has warned that Russia and China are challenging America's military dominance with technological advances, "placing the international order under assault."

Mattis made the statement to the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Monday as part of his testimony at a hearing on the Defense Department's 2018 budget request.

"A return to great power competition, marked by a resurgent and more aggressive Russian Federation and a rising, more confident, and assertive China, places the international order under assault," the Pentagon chief said.

He said the US military dominance in sea, land and air was being threatened with Russian and Chinese technological advances.

"Our command of the seas is threatened by long-range, land-based guided munitions battle networks designed to attack our ships at increasingly longer ranges. Our undersea superiority, unquestioned since the end of the Cold War, and a key competitive advantage, is challenged by both Russia and China," he stated.

Mattis also said there was no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted a positive relationship with the United States, saying it had chosen to be a "strategic competitor."

"At this time ... I do not see any indication that Mr. Putin would want a positive relationship with us. That is not to say we can't get there as we look for common ground," he said.

Mattis attended the wide-ranging hearing with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, who said the United States had an adversarial relationship with Russia.

Washington and Moscow have a number of diverging interests, including in Syria and Ukraine.

Mattis also blamed Congress for approving short-term spending measures that provide too little money for what he called a shockingly poor state of combat readiness as the United States faces fierce rivals, including what he described as an "urgent and dangerous threat" from North Korea.

US senators on Monday reached a wide-ranging bipartisan agreement to impose new sanctions against Russia and limit President Donald Trump's powers to lift the bans without congressional consent.

The financial penalties target what the lawmakers call "malicious cyber activity" by Russia, referring to the country's alleged cyber attacks against the Democratic Party in last year's presidential election.

They also take aim at individuals supplying weapons to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. The bans can also be applied to individuals tied to Russia's intelligence and defense sectors.

The measures are part of an amendment to a broader anti-Iran bill that proposes a range of non-nuclear sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its defensive missile program.

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Thousands of NATO troops join 'Iron Wolf' drills in Lithuania

Iran Press TV

Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:39AM

The NATO military alliance has launched large military drills in Lithuania with the participation of over 5,000 troops from 10 members as part of a broader series of exercises at the Russian doorstep.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the land-training maneuvers, dubbed Iron Wolf 2017, began Monday and are set to last until June 23 in southern, central and eastern Lithuania.

The drills are meant to test the capabilities of the German-led Forward Presence (eFP) Battalion Battle Group, also including troops from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. Luxembourg will also join the group in July.

Lithuanian troops from the Iron Wolf Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Zemaitija Brigade Motorized Infantry unit will supervise the exercise. The unit is tasked with planning and arranging defensive and offensive operations.

Lithuanian Land Forces commander Brig. Gen. Valdemaras Rupsys said at a news conference that the exercise will also be conducted in populated areas "in order to ensure the quality of the country's defense readiness and our interoperability with allies."

Troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Poland and Portugal are also participating in the drills.

Separately, nearly 1,500 British, Polish, American and Lithuanian troops will participate in exercises in the Suwalki Gap, a small patch of land between Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad from June 17-19.

"This operation is held for the first time. The main task of the drills is to get ready to receive allies in Lithuania. This is solely a tactical procedure: how [the allies] will cross the border through the territory controlled by our forces, how they will move on further into Lithuania," Sputnik news agency quoted Brig. Gen. Rupsys as saying.

These drills are part of a broader NATO exercise, dubbed Saber Strike, which are being held in the Baltic states  Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia -- as well as Poland.

According to the Lithuanian ministry, NATO's so-called Enhanced Forward Presence force has been deployed to the three Baltic states and Poland to "deter aggression throughout Europe."

NATO's deployment to the Baltic states and Poland has been sharply criticized by Russia.

Moscow slams the US and its allies for gradually building up their military presence near its borders. Russia says NATO's deployment near its borders poses a direct threat to the country's national security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rapped NATO over what he termed as the military alliance's constant attempts to drag Moscow into a military confrontation.

In response, Russia has beefed up its military capacity and deployed the S-400 air missile defense system together with nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland and Lithuania.

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Pentagon Under Fire As Mattis Admits U.S. Is 'Not Winning' War In Afghanistan

RFE/RL June 13, 2017

The United States is "not winning" in Afghanistan as the Taliban surges there and a new strategy to change the situation will be presented by mid-July, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress on June 13.

The Pentagon came under fire from lawmakers for not completing a new strategy for the 16-year-old war, to which Mattis responded in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that "we recognize the need for urgency," and criticism over the lack of a new plan was "fair."

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible," he said, adding that the Pentagon was likely to seek a 3-5 percent increase in its budget from 2019 to 2023.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan and army officials have told Congress that they could use an infusion of forces to bolster support for the Afghan Army.

'Regional Approach'

On June 12, Mattis said a new U.S. strategy would take a "regional approach" rather than addressing the country's long-running war in isolation.

U.S. media have reported that the Defense Secretary will recommend sending another 3,000-5,000 U.S. troops to break what he has called a "stalemate" between U.S.-backed government forces and the Taliban.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon was considering a request for roughly 3,000 more troops, mainly for noncombat duties such as training and advising. That decision, however, has been stalled by the broader review by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump of Afghan policy and a push for NATO to contribute more troops.

Mattis, when pressed again about the plan, said getting a government-wide strategy can't be done quickly and that there are ongoing efforts to ensure NATO participation so that it's "not all on the backs of American taxpayers."

Growing IS Threat

A resurgence by the Taliban has come amid a growing threat from Islamic State militants trying to establish a foothold in the country and the upturn in violence has led recently to the deaths of several Americans.

The war in Afghanistan has dragged on since October 2001. A U.S.-led coalition ended its combat mission against the Taliban in 2014, but they have become increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.

Mattis said in his June 13 testimony that recent strikes against pro-Syrian forces were in self-defense as the United States takes all necessary measures to protect its soldiers on the ground.

Last week the United States shot down a pro-Syrian government drone that fired toward U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria, but "hit dirt" and caused no injuries. On the same day, the U.S. hit two pro-Syrian government pickup trucks near the southern town of At Tanf.

Russia said on May 10 that it had told the United States it was unacceptable for Washington to strike pro-government forces in Syria.

With reporting by CNN, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mattis-congress- losing-afghanistan/28546864.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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Haqqani Network Commander Reportedly Killed By Drone Strike In Pakistan

RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal June 13, 2017

A suspected U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan has killed a commander of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, local officials say.

A security official said on June 13 that the commander, identified as Abubakar, died in an overnight strike in the Speen Tal area of the Hangu district.

A resident of Dewal village, Behram Khan, said three more people were injured in the strike, including a boy.

Khan said Abubakar was from Afghanistan's Khost Province and that his original name was Omar.

He added that the slain commander moved to Dewal from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district after the Pakistani military launched a counterterrorist operation there in 2014.

The drone strike comes after a May 31 truck bombing in Kabul killed more than 150 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network for the blast.

However, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Afghan Taliban's second-in-command and head of the Haqqani network, denied any involvement in an audio message distributed to the media late on June 11.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-afghanistan -haqqani-network-commander- killed-drone/28545228.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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U.S. Secretary Of State: Bilateral Relations With Moscow Continue To Deteriorate

Mike Eckel June 13, 2017

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said ties between Washington and Moscow were continuing to deteriorate, telling senators that the U.S. administration was still trying to stabilize the relationship.

Tillerson's June 13 comments to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee came one day after Congress moved closer to cementing existing sanctions on Moscow, and imposing new ones for Russia's alleged interference in last year's election, among other issues.

At a hearing on the State Department's new 2018 budget, senators grilled Tillerson on the department's priorities, not only Russia, but also China, North Korea, Syria, and other places.

Tillerson told senators that bilateral relations with Russia were at an all-time low. But he also ducked questions about whether he, or the White House, would support the new sanctions, or if the White House might try to veto it.

"We would like the flexibility to turn the heat up on Russia," he said. "We have some channels where we're starting to talk, but what I wouldn't want to do is close the channels off."

Russia Threatens Retaliatory Measures

President Donald Trump has voiced support for a more conciliatory approach to Russia, and immediately following his election, the Kremlin sent messages that suggested it was hoping for some sort of sanctions relief.

In recent weeks, however, as it became clear that the White House was not moving to lift existing ones, and as Congress moved to impose new ones, Moscow's tone has sharpened.

Last week, Russian officials threatened retaliatory measures, including seizing a U.S. Embassy property in western Moscow. That appeared targeted at the U.S. seizure of two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, which U.S. law enforcement said had been used for intelligence gathering purposes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 13 that Moscow is "closely following" the new sanctions legislation. Asked about the bipartisan initiative, Peskov said the Kremlin's impression was "negative."

The new measures targeting Russia, agreed to by Republican and Democratic senators on June 12, were contained in an amendment to be attached to a pending Iran sanctions bill. A vote is expected before the end of the week.

The measures would cement into law existing sanctions over Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, which were imposed by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. That would make it harder for Trump to lift them unilaterally.

They would hit Russians accused of human rights abuses, supplying weapons to Syria's government, and conducting cyberattacks on behalf of Russia's government.

They would also sanction Russian mining, metals, shipping, and railway companies, going beyond the energy and financial firms previously targeted.

"The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria," a group of Republican and Democratic senators backing the amendment said in a statement released on June 12.

Tillerson's comments echoed earlier comments by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who told House lawmakers on June 12 that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't appear to want an improvement of relations with Washington.

"At this time  I do not see any indication that Putin would want a positive relationship with us," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee. "That's not to say we can't get there as we look for common ground. But at this point, he has chosen to be competitive, a strategic competitor with us, and we'll have to deal with that as we see it."

More Questioning

Tillerson's testimony also comes as other administration officials faced more questioning from lawmakers on the issue of ties between associates of Trump and Russian officials, an issue that has dogged the White House since before Trump's inauguration.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who heads the Justice Department and nominally oversees the FBI, was set to testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee later on June 13, about his interactions with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Along with committees in the House and Senate, the FBI has been conducting a criminal investigation.

Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on May 9, and bragged to Russian officials a day later about it, according to a document of the meeting read to the media by a U.S. official.

During his June 8 Senate testimony, Comey suggested possible conflicts of interest or even obstruction of justice.

Sessions, meanwhile, had recused himself from oversight of the FBI's Russian probes, owing to his meetings with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

However, he ultimately co-signed the letter recommending Comey's firing, something Comey suggested was unusual.

Another former FBI director, Robert Mueller, was then appointed by the Justice Department to conduct the Russian investigation. That probe continues.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tillerson-moscow- bilateral-relations/28546832.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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One of my friends drives for Uber and because he drives his mom's Beamer, he's an Uber-Premium driver. He says he gets a lot of nice and interesting customers. He mentioned a couple he picked up a few days ago who were celebrating because they had just been approved for Japanese citizenship. They had to invest $5,000,000 in Japan to get the citizenship and they'll have to give up their U.S. citizenship. They mentioned they mostly just wanted to get their money out of the U.S. because they fear Trump. I would have liked to have talked to them to find out more.





After Trump announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, French President Emmanuel Macron invited American scientists to come work in Paris. Canada has also been very encouraging to skilled workers. France has since put up an official Make Our Planet Great Again website which encourages American teachers, researchers, entrepreneurs, etc to relocate to France. I started filling out their form and got this page:

Your new homeland.



With a number of Nobel Prizes and Fields medals, leading research universities, top ranked research bodies (CNRS #1 Nature Index worldwide, CEA #2 Thomson Reuters Innovation, etc.), top-level research infrastructure and laboratories as well as an effervescent startup ecosystem, France is a home for excellence in science and innovation.



France is a driving force of science and technology in Europe, with a strong involvement in the H2020 program.



Frances laboratories are particularly active and among the world leaders in the previously mentioned scientific domains: non-exhaustive examples include a leading position in climate modeling intercomparison exercises, earth observation as part of the ESA, or in advanced solar photovoltaics and breakthrough energy storage solutions.



France is at the forefront of future innovation and industry, notably green tech and green finance that will keep driving growth and meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.



More than ever, France enjoys unique structural strengths that make it one of the most competitive countries in Europe for science and innovation: 2nd European economy, most dynamic European country in terms of demography, a productive, well-educated and well-trained workforce, most attractive R&D intensity level in Europe, unique central position, high levels of infrastructure, solid financial environment, favorable lifestyle environment, etc.



On top of these structural advantages, researchers and university professors will find a welcoming environment to help them fulfill their goals and reach great scientific achievements.



International researchers and university professors, France is here for you!

And then this page about eligibility and how to apply and get a research grant. Stuff like this: "Senior researcher: Up to 1.5M for 4 years grant (salary + 2 working staff + 2 students + working expenses) allowing to develop projects within and benefiting from the hosting laboratory environment."





Yes you can apply for a 4 year all expenses grant that includes a work visa and residency permit. And there's this: "You will be able to stay in France at least for the duration of the grant, and longer if you are granted a permanent position. There is no restriction on your husband / wife working in France. If you have children, note that French public schools are free, and the tuition fees of universities and grandes ecoles are very low compared to the American system."




Saudi Civil Aviation General Authority confirms commitment to prevent all Qatari airlines and aircraft from landing at Kingdom's airports

Saudi Press Agency

Tuesday 1438/9/18 - 2017/06/13

Jeddah, Ramadan 18, 1438, June 13, 2017, SPA -- The General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement yesterday that it is committed to its decision issued on 10/9/1438 H, corresponding to 5/6/2017, on banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the State of Qatar from landing at the Kingdom's airports or transiting its sovereign airspace.

The statement added that the decision does not include the aviation companies and aircraft not registered in the Kingdom or Qatar, and wishing to cross the Kingdom's airspace to and from Qatar.

It noted that with regard to the passage of private and aircraft crossing the Kingdom's airspace from and to Qatar, non-Qatari private and crossing aircraft must submit a prior request to the concerned authority at the General Authority of Civil Aviation at least 24 hours, including a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, and the cargo being carried by the aircraft.

The Authority also reiterated its full commitment to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation "Chicago Convention 1944" and other relevant conventions to ensure the safety of international civil aviation, and the flow of international air traffic over the skies of the Kingdom. At the same time, the Kingdom reserves its sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary.

The Authority also affirmed its commitment to international resolutions on the fight against terrorism and aviation security, particularly the Security Council Resolution No. 2309, adopted by the Security Council at its 7775th session held on 22nd September 2016, in which it expressed its commitment to the sovereignty of all States, including their sovereignty over the airspace above their territories, territorial integrity, and political independence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The Security Council also expressed its concern in the same resolution that the civil aviation may be used as a means of transporting foreign terrorist fighters, and noted in this regard that Annex 9 Governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, concluded in Chicago on December 7, 1944 "Chicago Convention," recommends standards and practices related to the detection and prevention of terrorist threats related to civil aviation.

The Authority said that it would exercise its right to impose further measures that could guarantee the security and safety of its sovereign airspace from any threat or risk in accordance with the laws and conventions governing the movement of air traffic over its airspace.

--SPA

12:45 LOCAL TIME 09:45 GMT

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UAE General Civil Aviation Authority confirms commitment to prevent all Qatari airlines and aircraft from landing at UAE's airports

Saudi Press Agency

Tuesday 1438/9/18 - 2017/06/13

ABU DHABI, Ramadan 18, 1438, June 13, 2017, SPA -- In light of the boycott being enforced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Qatar, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in a statement on Monday that it is committed to its decision issued on 10/9/1438 H, corresponding to 5/6/2017, banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the State of Qatar from landing at the State's airports or transiting its sovereign airspace.

The statement added that the decision does not include the aviation companies and aircraft not registered in the UAE or Qatar, and wishing to cross the country's airspace to and from Qatar.

It noted, in regard to the passage of private and chartered aircraft of the UAE airspace from and to Qatar, non-Qatari private and chartered flights, must submit a prior request to the concerned authority at the General Civil Aviation Authority at least 24 hours, including a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, and the cargo carried by the aircraft.

The GCAA also reiterated its full commitment to the provisions and of the Convention on International Civil Aviation "Chicago Convention 1944" and other relevant conventions to ensure the safety of international civil aviation, and the flow of international air traffic over the skies of the UAE.

At the same time, the State reserves the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary.

The authority also affirmed its commitment to international resolutions on the fight against terrorism and aviation security, particularly the Security Council Resolution No. 2309, adopted by the Security Council at its 7775th session, held on 22nd September 2016, in which it expresses its commitment to the sovereignty of all States, including their sovereignty over the airspace above their territories, territorial integrity, and political independence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The Security Council also expresses its concern in the same resolution that the civil aviation may be used as a means of transporting foreign terrorist fighters, and notes in this regard that Annex 9 Governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, concluded in Chicago on December 7, 1944 "Chicago Convention," recommends standards and practices related to the detection and prevention of terrorist threats related to civil aviation.

The GCAA said that it would exercise its right to impose further measures that could guarantee the security and safety of its sovereign airspace from any threat or risk in accordance with the laws and conventions governing the movement of air traffic over its airspace.

--SPA

13:01 LOCAL TIME 10:01 GMT

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Bahrain reaffirms commitment to Qatari flights ban

Saudi Press Agency

Tuesday 1438/9/18 - 2017/06/13

Manama, Ramadan 18, 1438, June 13, 2017, SPA -- Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority has reaffirmed commitment to its decision on June 5 banning all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in Qatar from landing at the Kingdom of Bahrain's airports or traversing Bahrain's sovereign airspace.

The decision does not include the aviation companies and aircraft not registered in Bahrain or Qatar, and wishing to traverse the kingdom's airspace to and from Qatar.

The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT) said that with regard to the passage of private and chartered aircraft traversing Bahrain airspace from and to Qatar, non-Qatari private and chartered flights, must submit a prior request to the concerned authority at the General Civil Aviation Authority at least 24 hours, including a list of names and nationalities of crews and passengers, and the cargo being carried by the aircraft.

The ministry reiterates its full commitment to the provisions and of the "Chicago Convention 1944 on International Civil Aviation" and other relevant conventions to ensure the safety of international civil aviation, and the flow of international air traffic over the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain. At the same time, the Kingdom of Bahrain reserves the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security whenever necessary.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to international resolutions on the fight against terrorism and aviation security, particularly the Security Council Resolution 2309, adopted by the Security Council during its 7775th session, held on 22nd September 2016, in which it expresses its commitment to the sovereignty of all countries, including their sovereignty over the airspace above their territories, territorial integrity, and political independence in compliance with the United Nations Charter.

The UN Security Council (UNSC)'s same resolution also expressed concern that the civil aviation may be used as a means of transporting foreign terrorist fighters, and notes in this regard that Annex 9 "Governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, concluded in Chicago on December 7, 1944 "Chicago Convention," recommends standards and practices related to the detection and prevention of terrorist threats related to civil aviation.

The Bahraini Civil Aviation Authority said that it would exercise its right to impose further measures that could guarantee the security and safety of its sovereign airspace from any threat or risk in accordance with the laws and conventions governing air traffic movement over its national airspace.

--SPA

13:14 LOCAL TIME 10:14 GMT

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Erdogan Says Anti-Qatari Sanctions Contradict Islamic Values

Sputnik News

14:15 13.06.2017(updated 14:29 13.06.2017)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated commenting the sanctions recently imposed against Qatar by a number of states in the Middle East and Africa that depriving Qatari people from food and water, travel, or worship is non-humanitarian, non-Islamic.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the sanctions recently imposed against Qatar by a number of states in the Middle East and Africa over alleged Doha's support of terrorism, and said that such actions do not reflect the ideals of Islam.

"Depriving Qatari people from food and water, travel, or worship is non-humanitarian, non-Islamic," Erdogan said during a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting, as quoted by Daily Sabah on Tuesday.

On June 5, several countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, a number of other states in the days to follow, announced either completely breaking off or reducing diplomatic relations with Qatar over its alleged support of terrorism, and have even cut off transport with the Gulf state.

On June 6, Erdogan said that Turkey would continue to develop relations with Qatar, adding that sanctions were not the solution to the problem.

 Sputnik

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Mattis 'Shocked' by US Military's Lack of Readiness Following Sequestration

Sputnik News

03:01 13.06.2017

James Mattis said in a written statement to the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that he has been very disturbed by the US military's lack of readiness.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said in a written statement to the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that he has been very disturbed by the US military's lack of readiness after four years of budget sequestration.

"I have been shocked by what I've seen with our readiness to fight. For all the heartache caused by the loss of our troops during these wars, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration," Mattis stated on Monday. "It took us years to get into this situation. It will require years of stable budgets and increased funding to get out of it."

Mattis delivered the statement to the Armed Services Committee as part of his testimony at a hearing on the Defense Department's 2018 budget request.

The US defense chief also said 16 years of war had taken a considerable toll on the US military.

"This period represents the longest continuous stretch of armed conflict in our nation's history. America's long war has placed a heavy burden on men and women in uniform and their families [and] has exhausted our equipment faster than planned," Mattis wrote.

The Defense Department has requested a $639 billion budget for next year.

 Sputnik

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Pentagon Chief: US 'Not Winning' in Afghanistan

By Carla Babb June 13, 2017

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told lawmakers Tuesday that the United States is not gaining in the fight to stabilize Afghanistan and vowed to present a strategy to Congress "by mid-July."

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now, and we will correct this as soon possible," Mattis told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Mattis acknowledged that the Trump administration was currently in a "strategy-free time" concerning Afghanistan, where American troops have fought for 16 years.

The defense secretary called on Congress to provide the Department of Defense with a budget, "not a continuing resolution," that is "passed on time," in order to push the U.S. military through readiness shortfalls while maintaining a support role in two wars.

Republican Senator John McCain, the chair of the committee, agreed that Congress needs to pass a budget but said lawmakers also needed to see an Afghanistan plan from the Pentagon on how to move forward.

"It makes it hard for us to support you when we don't have a strategy," McCain said.

The Arizona senator noted the last administration's plan in Afghanistan was simply "don't lose," which McCain said has not worked.

'Change in approach'

Secretary Mattis equated "winning" in Afghanistan with the Afghan government's ability to handle the enemy's level of violence, which he said will require a "residual force" of U.S. and allied forces to train Afghan troops and maintain high-end capabilities.

"It's going to take a change in approach," Mattis said.

But he said the United States cannot quit on Afghanistan because problems that threaten the U.S. and its economy arise out of "ungoverned spaces."

On Saturday, a uniformed member of the Afghan Special Forces turned his gun on U.S. military personnel, killing three American soldiers and wounding one other.

The U.S. Defense Department said 25-year-old Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 29-year-old Sgt. William M. Bays and 22-year-old Corporal Dillon C. Baldridge of the Army's 101st Airborne Division were killed during the attack in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.

Senator McCain highlighted the attack on Tuesday. He said that Congress and the Department of Defense should not ask the families of service members to "sacrifice any further" without an Afghanistan strategy in place.

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Tillerson Defends Proposed Cuts to Diplomacy, Foreign Aid Programs

By VOA News June 13, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has defended President Donald Trump's proposal to sharply cut spending on diplomacy and foreign aid while proposing large increases in military spending.

The president's 2018 proposed budget would cut spending at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by 32 percent and boost Defense Department spending by about 10 percent.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee budget hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, Senator Ben Cardin, the committee's top Democrat, criticized Trump's budget proposal  saying it would endanger the lives of Americans.

"Slashing our foreign operations and foreign assistance makes the world more dangerous for Americans and for America," Cardin said. "Yet that is precisely what that budget would do. The budget takes a penny wise, pound foolish approach that would cost lives and endanger Americans here at home."

"I'm convinced we can maximize the effectiveness of these programs and continue to offer America's helping hand to the world," Tillerson told committee members during his first public testimony on Capitol Hill since his confirmation hearing in January.

Congress is responsible for setting the federal budget and the president's budget proposal faces bi-partisan opposition in both the Senate and the House.

Committee Chairman Bob Corker, a Republican, predicted Trump's budget proposal would not remain intact as it makes its way through Congress.

"The budget that's been presented is not going to be the budget that we're going to deal with," Corker said.

Tillerson told lawmakers a review of the State Department and USAID is underway to determine how to reorganize them. He said the review would be completed at the end of 2017.

The Trump administration has defended the cuts by maintaining that other countries must do their "fair share" as the U.S. plans to reduce the amount of money it has traditionally committed to overseas spending.

Sixteen retired generals and other former military officers said they would submit joint testimony to the Senate Wednesday emphasizing the importance of foreign aid to national security.

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Ethiopia's Civil Society Getting Squeezed

By Salem Solomon June 13, 2017

From an internet shutdown to convictions of journalists and opposition members, Ethiopia's civil society has felt like it's under attack in recent weeks.

On May 24, Getachew Shiferaw, editor of the news website Negere Ethiopia, was convicted of "inciting violence" because of a private Facebook conversation. The Ethiopian Federal Court initially charged Shiferaw under the country's anti-terrorism law, but later charged him under the criminal code and sentenced him to time served since his arrest in 2015.

On May 25, a court sentenced Ethiopian opposition spokesman Yonatan Tesfaye to six-and-a-half years in prison on charges that he encouraged terrorism with comments on Facebook. Yeshiwas Assefa, newly elected president of the Semayawi (Blue) Party, called the verdict "disappointing and embarrassing."

"Yonatan is sentenced to six years and six months just because of what he wrote on Facebook as something that encourages terrorism. He was expressing his thoughts freely. This is what we fear would bring people to protest in our country," he told VOA.

The following day, May 26, two men, Tufa Melka and Kedir Bedasso, were charged with terrorism for their role in a stampede that occurred in October 2016 at a cultural festival in the Oromia region. The men are accused of yelling things into the microphone that led to chaos and the death of 55 people.

Gemeda Wariyo, a protester who grabbed the microphone and admitted to chanting "down, down Woyane" is in exile now and wasn't mentioned in the court documents. "Woyane" is a colloquial term used to describe the ruling party in Ethiopia.

"I took the microphone in a peaceful protest," he told VOA Amharic. "I was the one who protested and I don't know the men blamed for grabbing the microphone."

And in early June, the government cut off internet access nationwide, stating that the measure was needed to prevent high school students from cheating on final exams by sharing answers on social media.

In a press conference, Communications Minister Negeri Lencho denied the move was to control free communication.

"The only reason is to help our students to concentrate on the exams because we know we are fighting poverty," he said.

As of June 8, internet access including social media sites was restored, according to published reports.

'Under assault'

In a new report, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international think tank, concluded that the targeting of civil society and restrictions on free speech fit a pattern in Ethiopia. Over the past two decades the space for political opposition has been steadily constricted and civil liberties taken away, the report said.

Two laws in particular, the Charities and Societies Proclamation and the Anti-terrorism Proclamation, both passed in 2009, have given the government wide latitude to imprison opposition members and journalists and shut down groups advocating for human rights, Carnegie found.

Saskia Brechenmacher, an associate fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who worked on the report, said anti-terrorism laws have been used across Africa to stifle dissent.

"Those laws have become very effective tools, especially in moments of crisis as we are seeing right now," she said. "Ahead of elections or during moments of sustained protests, [they are used] to target selectively, particularly activists and journalists that are seen as particularly threatening."

Brechenmacher said Ethiopia also cracks down on civil society groups through a provision in the charities law, which prevents organizations from receiving more than 10 percent of their funding from abroad.

"Many organizations had to switch their mandate and activities and turn more toward developmental and civil liberties because they couldn't carry out the kind of work they had been doing before," she said.

Brechenmacher said these restrictions represent an abrupt reversal for a country that was becoming more open prior to the crackdowns that followed the 2005 elections.

"Ethiopia showcases what a dramatic effect this could have on independent civil society and the amount of information that is available in a country," she said. "And also it really testifies the extent to which this does not really address the grievances that citizens have vis-a-vis the government and therefore those grievances will find another outlet."

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Second US Appeals Court Upholds Injunction on Trump Travel Ban

Sputnik News

20:36 12.06.2017(updated 21:25 12.06.2017)

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction on US President Donald Trump's second executive order on immigration.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the ruling of a district judge in Hawaii who issued an injunction on US President Donald Trump's second executive order on immigration, also known as the travel ban, court documents revealed on Monday.

"[W]e affirm the injunction as to Section 2(c), suspending entry of nationals from the six designated countries for 90 days; Section 6(a), suspending USRAP [US Refugee Admissions Program] for 120 days; and Section 6(b), capping the entry of refugees to 50,000 in the fiscal year 2017," the court decision stated. "We vacate the portions of the injunction that prevent the Government from conducting internal reviews."

The court decision did not include a ruling on claims made by the US federal government that Trump has the power to enact such a law under the Constitution, instead leaving that decision up to a higher court.

"The President recently confirmed his assessment that it is the 'countries' that are inherently dangerous, rather than the 180 individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the President's 'travel ban,' " the court ruling said.

After the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction on the temporary travel ban last month, the US Justice Department decided to appeal to the US Supreme Court.

On January 25, Trump issued an executive order temporarily blocking nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States, and suspending refugee admissions for 120 days. The implementation of the order was restricted by a US federal court on February 3.

On March 6, Trump introduced a revised version of the temporary travel ban, but it too was blocked by a federal court ruling nine days later.

A US federal judge in Hawaii indefinitely extended on March 30 a court order blocking Trump's new travel ban.

 Sputnik

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Trump Attacks Latest Court Ruling Against Travel Ban

By Ken Bredemeier June 13, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump is assailing the latest federal appellate court decision blocking his executive order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries where terrorist attacks have occurred.

"Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country," Trump posted on his Twitter account Tuesday, adding, "S.C." in an apparent reference to the government's appeal to the Supreme Court.

The appellate court said the president overstepped his authority when he issued the March 6 executive order.

Monday's decision in San Francisco was the second against Trump's attempts to curb travel from Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya. Earlier, the Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Maryland judge's ruling blocking parts of the order.

'Not a one-person show'

In the San Francisco ruling, a three-judge panel said that while the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act gives the president broad powers to both control entrants to the United States and protect U.S. security, "immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show."

The 4th Circuit focused largely on statements and tweets made by President Trump that indicated his order was a ban on Muslims, something he advocated during his campaign for president. But the 4th Circuit was only ruling on the portion of the law restricting travel from the six countries for 90 days.

"In suspending the entry of more than 180 million nationals from six countries, suspending the entry of all refugees, and reducing the cap on the admission of refugees from 110,000 to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year, the president did not meet the essential precondition to exercising his delegated authority: The president must make a sufficient finding that the entry of these classes of people would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States,'" the judges wrote.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Trump administration disagrees with the 9th Circuit's decision and "will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court."

"Recent attacks confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real. Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaida, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states," Sessions said.

US security

The 1952 immigration law gives the president authority to restrict the entry of foreign nationals if they are deemed "detrimental to the interests of the United States," the judges wrote.

But they said, "The order does not tie these nationals in any way to terrorist organizations within the six designated countries. It does not identify these nationals as contributors to active conflict or as those responsible for insecure country conditions. It does not provide any link between an individual's nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism or their inherent dangerousness."

The judges said the travel order does not actually curtail travel on the part of individuals, but rather on countries that it says are inherently dangerous. In this, they did cite one of the president's tweets: "That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!"

Refugees

Similarly, the judges found no adequate explanation for the restriction of refugee admissions to 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year that ends September 30. Noting that the administration of former president Barack Obama had established a level of 110,000 and justified it on humanitarian grounds, the judges said the order "gives no explanation for why the 50,001st to the 110,000th refugee would be harmful to the national interest, nor does it specify any further threat to national security."

"We do not anticipate any change to the current status of refugee admissions processing as a result of the 9th Circuit ruling," a State Department spokesperson told VOA Monday.

The State Department, which oversees in part the early stages of refugee admission to the United States, said last week that it would be processing refugee applications under the original cap for the fiscal year, rather than under the significantly reduced number set by Trump's executive order.

More than 47,000 refugees have resettled in the United States since October, at a greatly reduced pace since the first travel ban was signed January 27. In recent weeks, that number has been about 800 to 900 refugees a week. The State Department said it could not speculate about the final number of refugees that would ultimately come to the U.S. by the end of September; at the current rate, that would mean about 60,700 refugees overall for the year.

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"This is a weblog that is truly welcome in blogtopia  a new blog doesn't seem to be frantically trying to score points for any party. That does NOT mean it's afraid to take a stand or be critical....You really can't predict exactly where The Debate Link will come down on all issues. It's not chanting anyone's mantra." -- The Moderate Voice "[A]n emerging genius in legal scholarship and commentary." -- Jim Chen "It's on my 1st cup of coffee rss feed." -- Hanno Kaiser "I heart this blog.... he referenced Wittgenstein, and it was entirely appropriate and non-pretentious." -- kath.A.rine "[F]unny, thoughtful, acclaimed ...." -- The Core
BDS Precise Service System covers over 300 Chinese cities

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 19:43, June 12, 2017

BEIJING, June 12 -- The Precise Service System of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been used in creating 317 smart cities in China, according to the Smart BDS Precise Application Summit opened on Monday.

BDS Precise Service System can provide precise positioning services for household gas and heat, power grid, water supplies,drainage and smart transportation.

Sun Jiadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Beidou has a wide range of applications and its precise positioning services should be developed practically.

Beidou precise positioning services have been used in Beijing Gas Group to detect and locate gas leaks in pipelines.

Ran Chengqi, an official at Beidou Navigation Satellite System, said with the development of Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, there will be an increasing need for precise positioning in industries like unmanned vehicles, drones and robots.

The value of the Beidou industrial chain could reach 240 billion yuan by 2020.

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China, Panama establish diplomatic relations

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 11:21, June 13, 2017

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, the vice president and minister of foreign affairs of Panama, on June 13. The two signed the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, the main contents of which are as follows:

The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, in accordance with the interests and aspirations of the peoples of the two countries, have decided to recognize each other and establish ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations from the date of signature of the communique.

The two governments agreed to develop friendly relations on the basis of principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

The government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that there is only one China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The government of the Republic of Panama has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and promised that it will have no official relations or contact with Taiwan.

The government of the People's Republic of China appreciates that position of the Panamanian government.

Panama President Juan Carlos Varela made the announcement on Monday night (local time). He said Panama and China have the potential for cooperation in many areas, and establishing diplomatic relations is in the interest of the Panamanian people.

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Kim Jong-un's Assassinated Brother May Have Received Money From US Intelligence

Sputnik News

17:08 12.06.2017(updated 17:09 12.06.2017)

Kim Jong-nam, the slain half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, had $120,000 in cash in his possession on the day of his assassination, which he may have received from the US intelligence services, media reported Monday, citing Malaysian investigators.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  On February 13, Kim, traveling by the name of Kim Chol, was killed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before boarding a flight to Macau, where he resided with his family in exile.

During his stay in the country, Kim met with a US national believed by Malaysian authorities to have close links to a US intelligence agency, the Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.

Malaysian investigators suspect that Kim passed some intelligence data to his US contact, according to the outlet.

"It may well have been in return for the information he provided," a Malaysian official said, as cited by the newspaper, referring to the cash found in Kim's possession on the day of the killing.

The meeting may have caused Pyongyang's decision to silence Kim, the outlet suggested.

Kim was likely to leave the country without declaring the received sum of money, as he traveled with a diplomatic passport allowing him to avoid a number of normal checking procedures when entering and leaving the country, the same reports noted.

Malaysian investigators suspect that Kim was killed with a doze of the VX nerve agent, a substance listed as a chemical weapon by the Chemical Weapons Convention and classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.

Two women, Indonesian and a Vietnamese nationals, were arrested and charged with Kim's murder while Malaysian officials are reportedly looking for seven North Korean suspects in the murder probe.

 Sputnik

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Addressing Board, UN atomic energy chief takes up DPR Korea safeguards issue

12 June 2017  The head of the United Nations atomic energy agency today briefed its governing board on its activities, including nuclear safeguards issues with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran, and nuclear technology's contributions to countries' development.

"I remain seriously concerned about the nuclear programme of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano told the Agency's Board of Governors. "It is deeply regrettable that the DPRK continues to show no sign that it is willing to comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions."

Earlier this month, the Security Council strongly condemned the DPRK's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities and decided to extend the existing sanctions to more individuals and entities.

Mr. Amano called on the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under those resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency, and to resolve all outstanding issues, including those that have arisen during the absence of Agency inspectors from the country.

He also expressed his intention to enhance the Agency's readiness to play an essential role in verifying the DPRK's nuclear programme.

On Iran, Mr. Amano said the Agency is verifying and monitoring the country's implementation of all its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement reached between international negotiators and Iran.

He said the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its safeguards agreement, with evaluations ongoing about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.

Mr. Amano said that the IAEA has received an invitation to be represented at the second session of the UN Conference to negotiate a legally binding nuclear weapons ban to be held in New York from 15 June to 7 July.

"After this meeting of the Board, I plan to respond to the President of the Conference, considering all relevant factors," he said.

On technical cooperation, he explained how nuclear technology can contribute to health, agriculture and other aspects of sustainable development, citing such examples as how patients with cancer or arthritis in Sri Lanka benefited from improved radioisotope-based therapy processes and how the agency's support made it possible for experts to analyse pesticides in crops in Panama.

On nuclear energy, he reported that there are 449 power reactors in operation in 30 countries. Installed nuclear capacity is now the highest that it has ever been at 392 gigawatts electrical. Twenty new reactors were connected to the grid in the last two years, the highest number since the 1980s. Sixty power reactors are being built around the world, mostly in Asia, he said.

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India Deploys Warship to Monitor Marine Traffic in Malacca Strait

Sputnik News

11:41 12.06.2017

The Indian Navy has deployed a warship near the Strait of Malacca on a permanent basis to monitor the world's busiest shipping route from its western edge. The ship was deployed last week and will remain in international waters for a longer period to patrol the area.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The decision to monitor movement on this strategically important shipping route is a result of the increased presence of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). India's aircraft, which was deployed to check piracy activities, intercepted a Yuan class conventional submarine in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands near the Strait of Malacca in April this year.

"It's not for patrol or deployment, but only for awareness of the busiest sea lane of communication that passes through these straits," The Tribune quoted a top naval source.

Chinese presence

It is expected that the deployment of People's Liberation Army Navy's ships and submarines presence will further increase in the backyard of India following submarine deals with Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"China's submarine deal with India's immediate maritime neighbors is motivated by Beijing's self-interest in terms of providing a fillip to its nascent defense industry, financial gains and creating strategic dependence among the IOR countries," Captain Gurpreet S Khurana (Indian Navy), Executive Director, National Maritime Foundation, told Sputnik. "This, however, would upset the military balance in India's neighborhood, creating problems of unintentional naval encounters at sea and water space management. India can do little to offset these new complications in the regional context. It is, nonetheless, doing the needful to ensure its immediate security concerns at various levels. At the national-strategic level, for instance, it is enhancing maritime engagement with its neighboring countries to foster greater trust. At the military-strategic level, the Indian Navy is bolstering its sub-surface (underwater) component of its Maritime Domain Awareness."

In the backdrop of the enhanced joint maneuvering of China and Pakistan, the Indian Navy started renewing its maritime policy to ensure that its dominance cannot be challenged in the IOR. In January this year, India's top security establishment including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval discussed a new security architecture which includes repositioning of military assets and establishment of a new war doctrine aimed to ensure its dominance in the Indian Ocean by 2020.

Joint patrol

In 2006, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand launched the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) to ensure the security of the Strait of Malacca and Singapore. MSP comprises the Malacca Strait Sea Patrol, the "Eyes-in-the-Sky" Combined Maritime Air Patrols, as well as the Intelligence Exchange Group. This is the route through which 80% of China's crude and oil imports from the Middle East and Africa must pass. Japan and South Korea are also dependent on this route for trade.

Currently, the Indian Navy is persuading the countries monitoring the Strait of Malacca to join them in patrolling the straits connecting the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

 Sputnik

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India Plans to Cancel Defense Deals Worth $3 Billion

Sputnik News

11:25 12.06.2017(updated 12:39 12.06.2017)

The Indian government is set to announce the scrapping of defense deals worth more than $3 billion of naval helicopters, armored recovery vehicles and torpedoes. Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has moved a recommendation to scrap long-delayed defense purchases in favor of 'Make in India' program.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The first such recommendation is for armored recovery vehicles which were contracted with India's state-owned BEML in 2012 for $275 million. The contract was for 204 WZT-3 made by Polish company Bumar and imported by BEML. The deal is supposed to be scrapped over corruption charges, and lack of indigenization efforts by BEML. Indian Army had purchased 352 WZT-3 in three previous contracts from 1999 to 2005. As state-owned DRDO has developed armored recovery vehicle (ARV) and private firms like L&T are interested in supplying them to the Army, the government may opt for the indigenous ARVs.

Jaitley is also not in favor of purchasing 18 naval multi-role helicopters of Sikorsky S-70B due to prolonged contract negotiation including high cost quoted by the firm in 2014. Indian Navy had issued the tender nine years ago to replace UK's Westland Sea King. India's state-owned HAL is also working on naval multi-role helicopters and is expected to find support from Narendra Modi government.

"To my mind, it makes little sense because what is intended to be achieved by scrapping these programs and awarding them to the Indian companies can be achieved even by going ahead with them as in either case the Indian companies will need to tie up with the foreign vendors to manufacture the desired platform or equipment in India," Amit Cowshish, former financial advisor to the Indian Defence Ministry, told Sputnik. "This is what Buy and Make category is all about. The government can lay down any conditions it wants the foreign manufacturers to adhere to in regard to the transfer of technology under this category."

The government is also looking to scrap the 300 million euro contract for the purchase of 98 Blackshark torpedoes, manufactured by a Finmeccanica subsidiary, in favor of another contract which will have a 'Make in India' component.

Last month, the Arun Jaitley-led India's Defense Acquisition Council had scrapped the short-range surface-to-air missile system (SRSAM) in favor of $2.7 billion purchase of DRDO's developed Akash missile. Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with Spyder, Rosoboronexport with Tor M1, and Saab with the Bamse SRSAM were in competition for this contract.

 Sputnik

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India Plans Purchasing Weapons to Protect Air Force Bases Across Country

Sputnik News

17:52 13.06.2017

India's Defense Ministry issued a request for information (RFI) from arms manufacturers, aiming to beef up the Garud Commando Force, a special unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

New Delhi (Sputnik)  Suppliers will have to respond to the IAF by July 8. The RFIs suggest the IAF will recruit 8,000-10,000 more people for the Garud force to protect 54 IAF base stations. The terror attack on Pathankot air base last year forced India to provide advanced weapons and equipment to the IAF commandos.

The request points to likely acquisition of 50-60 armored vehicles along with military equipment to protect its personnel during operations. The IAF needs a 5-meter-long vehicle with a crew capacity of six for its special forces. Among other specifications, the IAF has demanded a minimum 350-kilometer operating range with a speed of 100 kmph on a level highway. The vehicles will be designed in such a way that the Garud forces would be able to mount and fire a 5.56mm light machine gun.

The IAF will also equip its commandos with 600 7.62mm rifles with sights and accessories and 200 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher compatible with it.

Garud Commando Force will also receive approximate 1,800 sub-machine guns and 2,000 9mm pistols, according to the RFI issued by the Indian Air Force.

 Sputnik

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Iran's Foreign Minister Says In U.S. Best Interests To Abide By Nuclear Deal

June 12, 2017

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States has sent signals that are "not very promising" on a 2015 nuclear accord struck with major powers, but in the end will likely abide by the deal because it is in the country's best interests.

"Unfortunately the behavior from the new administration in Washington is not very promising," Zarif told reporters after meeting his Norwegian counterpart on June 12 in Oslo.

"I believe the U.S. administration will find it in the interest of the United States, as well as the interest of international peace and security, to live up to its commitments," he added.

The nuclear agreement with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia put limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for the easing of economic sanctions against Tehran.

U.S. President Donald Trump has routinely criticized the deal, calling it a "disaster." During his presidential campaign, he vowed to pull the United States out of the agreement but has since backed off those comments.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Iran Front Page

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-says-nuclear-deal- in-us-best-interests/28543351.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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Zarif Says Saudi Arabia Supports Terrorists In Western, Eastern Iran

RFE/RL June 13, 2017

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused Saudi Arabia of "actively" backing terrorist groups in western and eastern Iran.

Speaking on June 13 on the sidelines of a conference in Oslo, Zarif said Tehran has "intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups" in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan and is home to a large Sunni population.

"On the Western side, the same type of activity is being undertaken," Zarif said.

Zarif's remarks came in the wake of deadly attacks on Iran's parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on June 7.

Islamic State (IS) extremists claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Iranian officials have repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia funds Islamic militants, including IS.

The Sunni-ruled Saudi monarchy, Shi'ite Iran's regional arch-rival, denied involvement in the attacks.

Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States, has long accused Iran of supporting terrorism.

Washington also accuses Iran of fomenting unrest across the Middle East and of backing terrorism.

At an Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh last month, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of fueling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and called for its international isolation.

Also last month, the Saudi mission to the United Nations accused Iran of "deception" and of "supporting terrorism and threatening stability in the region."

In a letter on May 17 to the UN Secretary-General and to the president of the UN Security Council, the mission said Iran violated international law through its practices and caused war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The letter said the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is a tool that exports extremist Iranian ideology and spreads terrorism in the world by supporting extremist militias with arms, money, and people. It cited the militant Hizballah organization and sectarian militias in Iraq as an example.

With reporting by Reuters and Press TV

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-zarif-saudi-arabia- supports-terrorists/28546647.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 security forces retake 5 villages east of Mosul from Daesh

Iran Press TV

Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:27PM

Iraqi government forces have managed to seize back five villages east of Mosul as they are battling Daesh Takfiri terrorists in joint operations with allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units to push the extremists out of the country's second largest city.

The media bureau of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command announced in a statement on Monday that soldiers from the 15th Infantry Division had liberated the villages of Lower Sheikh Qora, Tisha al-Atshanah, al-Shuhada, Aziziyah and al-Mowali east of al-Mahalibiyah district, Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported.

Meanwhile, Iraqi government forces have advanced in Mosul's Old City, which serves as Daesh's last bastion in the city.

Captain Adel Haider of Nineveh Provincial Police told Basnews news agency that Federal Police forces had launched an offensive against Bab al-Sinjar popular market, engaging in fierce clashes with Daesh extremists.

"Security forces laid a complete siege to the market and killed 23 militants, including bombers," Haider said, adding that Iraqi Air Force fighter jets backed the operation.

Also on Monday, DPA news agency quoted Iraqi security sources as saying that field hospitals in Mosul had received the dead bodies of 21 Daesh terrorists.

The corpses, which bore gunshot marks in the head, had been strewn on streets in several areas retaken from the extremist group.

The sources added that the terrorists had probably been executed by unknown individuals in those neighborhoods.

Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by their Arabic name, Hashd al-Sha'abi, have made sweeping gains against the Takfiri elements since launching the Mosul operation on October 17, 2016.

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.

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Iraqis Explain Why Campaign to Liberate Mosul Has Lasted Eight Grueling Months

Sputnik News

18:03 13.06.2017(updated 21:07 13.06.2017)

The Iraqi-led coalition is on the brink of driving Daesh out of Mosul, eight months after the offensive began to liberate the city, Iraqi volunteer fighters told Sputnik.

Iraqi government forces, with the backing of the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, launched an operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul in October 2016.

Eight months later, Iraqi forces have announced the imminent liberation of the city from Daesh (ISIS).

On June 10, Iraqi federal police commander Raed Jaudat announced that police had freed the Zanjili district of Mosul, one of the last neighborhoods under Daesh control.

On Tuesday, Mahmud al Surji, a spokesman for the Iraqi volunteer forces, told Sputnik that Iraq's 9th Armored Division is conducting a successful offensive against Daesh. The army is attacking the terrorists' last stronghold in the city, in the Bab Sinjar district of western Mosul.

"The district will be liberated in the next few hours," al Surji told Sputnik.

Habib Hadi al Sadr, Iraq's ambassador to Egypt and the country's permanent representative at the Arab League, told Sputnik that the operation has taken this long because Daesh uses civilians as human shields.

As a result, Iraqi government forces did all they could to minimize civilian casualties, including aiming artillery fire with the utmost caution.

Hadi al Sadr also discussed the recent conflict between Qatar and several of its Arab neighbors, who have announced sanctions against the Gulf state. He said that since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Baghdad has sought to take a neutral position in foreign affairs.

"Iraq takes the most neutral position possible and only fights with its main enemy  terrorism," al Sadr said.

He added that Iraq is keen to build long-term cooperation with Russia, since Moscow played no part in the 2003 invasion which devastated the country, one Putin described as a "big political mistake."

The city of Mosul has been occupied by Daesh since June 2014. The operation to retake it began on October 17, 2016 and resulted in the liberation of the east of Mosul in January.

The operation to liberate the city's western areas began in February; since then half a million people have fled to the city's West.

Iraqi troops and their allies, including local Sunni militias and the US-led coalition against Daesh, are involved in the offensive.

Civilians in Mosul have endured chemical weapons attacks launched bny Daesh as well as bombs dropped by the US-led coalition. One US airstrike in March killed over 200 civilians in the neighborhood of Mosul al-Jadida, where Iraqi and coalition forces are battling Daesh militants.

Local residents have reported that the airstrike hit an explosive-filled truck used by Daesh, causing a massive explosion that collapsed nearby residential buildings.

 Sputnik

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S. Korean president emphasizes need for denuclearized Korean Peninsula

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 20:06, June 12, 2017

SEOUL, June 12 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday reiterated the need to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula during a meeting with the visiting special envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, met with Moon in the presidential Blue House in Seoul as Abe's special envoy. He carried a letter from Abe, according to the Blue House.

It was the reciprocal visit of Moon's dispatch of his special envoy to Japan following his inauguration on May 10.

During the meeting, Moon said the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will be mandatory for peace in the world and Northeast Asia as well as for South Korea's survival.

From that perspective, Moon said, South Korea and Japan were on the same page. Moon shared Abe's view that stronger sanctions and pressures would be needed to completely denuclearize the peninsula.

Moon, however, noted that it would not end up with pressures and sanctions as the DPRK should be brought to a dialogue table for the denuclearization, saying it would be necessary to send a message that relevant parties will help if Pyongyang gives up its nuclear program.

The South Korean leader vowed to closely cooperate with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in dealing with the DPRK's nuclear ambition.

Touching on the South Korea-Japan relations, Moon said the bilateral agreement on the wartime sexual slavery victims, called comfort women, was not acceptable to South Korean people, especially the victims themselves.

Seoul and Tokyo, Moon said, should squarely face that point and recognize that it takes time to solve the issue.

The final and irreversible agreement on the comfort women was reached in December 2015 under the Park Geun-hye government despite strong opposition from both conservative and liberal South Koreans.

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Seoul Finds North Korean Drone Spying on THAAD Site

Sputnik News

09:34 13.06.2017(updated 09:39 13.06.2017)

According to media reports, South Korea has found a crashed small North Korean camera-equipped drone after it spied on the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  South Korea has found a crashed small North Korean camera-equipped drone after it spied on the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), local media reported on Tuesday.

The drone was analyzed by the military and confirmed to have taken photos of the site.

"It was confirmed that [the craft] took photos of the THAAD site in Seongju," a South Korean defense official said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

The distance between the border with North Korea and the site of the THAAD system is about 270 kilometers (167.7 miles). The site is located in Seongju County of North Gyeongsang Province.

Seoul is seeking to defend itself amid Pyongyang's ongoing nuclear and missile tests. The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage.

The system's deployment, however, sparked concern in both Russia and China, the latter of which has said the move was disproportional and destabilizing for the region.

 Sputnik

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Russia arrests opposition leader Navalny ahead of protests, wife says

Iran Press TV

Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:31PM

Russian authorities have arrested a prominent opposition leader before he was reaching the site of a mass protest rally in the capital Moscow.

Yulia, the wife of Alexei Navalny, said Monday that he was arrested outside his home en route to the centerpiece demonstration on the Tverskaya Street. There was no official confirmation on the arrest, which Yulia said came half an hour before the protest was to begin.

Tverskaya, known in Soviet times as Gorky Street and one of Moscow's main thoroughfares, had been picked up by Navalny the location of a big protest rally on Monday. However, it was closed off to traffic earlier in the day for an extensive commemoration of the national holiday Russia Day.

Navalny said officials had even pressured contractors hired to build a stage at the venue to stop their work.

Police in Moscow also warned that they would be tough on any act of provocation during the Russia Day commemorations, saying any such act would be "a threat to public order and will be immediately suppressed."

Other police sources said that the protests on Tverskaya would be tolerated as long as protesters did not carry placards or shout slogans.

Thousands rally across Russia against corruption

Thousands of demonstrators on Monday marched in different cities across Russia to protest against corruption. Monday's rallies were the second mass action called by Navalny since March 26.

Hundreds of protesters had been also detained during the March rallies against corruption.

A day after the demonstrations, the Kremlin denounced as a "provocation" the protests, claiming that young demonstrators, who had taken to the streets to protest against corruption and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, had been "promised financial rewards in the event of their detention by law enforcement agencies" during the protests.

According to reports, police detained over 200 people during Monday's anti-corruption rallies.

"About 121 people were detained in Moscow up to this point. In Saint-Petersburg - 137," OVD-Info, an NGO, wrote on Twitter, following reports of detentions in the far-eastern Vladivostok and the southern resort Sochi.

Navalny is currently regarded as the most prominent opposition figure in Russia. He was briefly arrested along with some 1,000 people after protests in late March, which came following his allegations about corruption in the government.

He again made the headlines in April when an attacker doused his face with a green antiseptic liquid. The outspoken opposition leader has announced that he would run for the presidency in the 2018 election.

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Russian Police Detain Opposition Leader Navalny, Hundreds of Supporters

By Ken Bredemeier June 12, 2017

Russian police detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny and hundreds of his supporters throughout the country Monday in anti-corruption protests aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies.

Navalny, who has announced his intention to run for president next year against Putin, was detained outside his home in Moscow shortly before demonstrators took to the streets there, in St. Petersburg and other cities.

A White House spokesman said the United States condemned the detentions. He said "detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers, and journalists is an affront to core democratic values. The United States will monitor this situation, and we call on the government of Russia to immediately release all peaceful protesters."

Reporters witnessed hundreds of protesters being detained, with one non-government organization tracking the demonstrations reporting that at least 600 were arrested in the capital and another 300 in St. Petersburg. More than 3,000 protested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, with other rallies in the southern resort Sochi, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Tomsk and Vladivostok.

More than 3,000 protested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, with other rallies taking place in the southern resort Sochi, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Tomsk and Vladivostok.

Police in Moscow used pepper spray on the protesters and sometimes pushed them back by beating them with batons.

As police led the demonstrators to police vans, some of the protesters shouted, "Shame!", "Putin is a thief!" and "Freedom to Navalny!"

Authorities had agreed to a location for the protest in central Moscow, but Navalny moved it late Sunday to a main thoroughfare leading to the Kremlin after he said that officials blocked construction of a stage and sound system at the original site. He claimed that authorities refused to supply him with sound and video equipment.

Moscow city hall labeled the change in the protest site a provocation and said that demonstrations would be viewed as a threat to public order, leading to the detentions.

Navalny's aides had been broadcasting about the lead-up to the protests from a Moscow studio, but authorities cut off power to the building just as the 41-year-old Navalny was being detained by police.

"They turned off the electricity in the studio," presenter Leonid Volkov said in complete darkness shortly before the channel went off air. It came back online after a few minutes.

Navalny's anti-corruption videos have provoked the country's most powerful officials, including one accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally, of living far beyond his means. Medvedev has called the accusations politically motivated "nonsense" and called Navalny a charlatan.

In a blog post published last week, Navalny wrote, "I want changes. I want to live in a modern democratic state and I want our taxes to be converted into roads, schools and hospitals, not into yachts, palaces and vineyards."

White House correspondent Pete Heinlein contributed to this report.

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After Moscow Protest Crackdown, Kremlin Critics Question Navalny's Tactics

Carl Schreck June 13, 2017

Russia's liberal opposition has long been plagued by infighting. And fresh fissures have emerged over chief Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny's decision to move an anticorruption protest in Moscow to the city center, where hundreds were detained by police on June 12.

Kremlin critics have accused the opposition leader of deflating the momentum of antigovernment forces by altering the site of this week's protest less than 24 hours before the event.

Authorities made good on their warning that they would intervene in any "unsanctioned" protest on the central Moscow thoroughfare where Navalny had urged his supporters to gather rather than at a site just outside the center that City Hall had authorized.

Police detained more than 800 people, including scores of young people, drawing censure from Washington and Brussels.

Navalny was detained at his apartment building ahead of the protest and later sentenced to 30 days in jail after being found guilty of violating laws on public gatherings and resisting police.

The last-minute change of plan left a weakened turnout at the original site, where a few thousand people ultimately gathered for the rally, which state TV covered as a subdued, lightly attended, and disorganized affair.

"I will say just a few words: Navalny has weakened the protest movement," veteran human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov, a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin, told the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper at the authorized rally on June 12.

Andrei Zubov, a prominent historian once fired as a professor at an elite Moscow university for his criticism of Russian expansionism in Ukraine, echoed that sentiment on June 13, saying both the originally planned rally and the protest on Moscow's central Tverskaya Street "failed."

Compared to substantial protests in other Russian cities, "Muscovites turned out to be disconnected, disoriented, and demoralized," Zubov wrote on Facebook. "And city authorities are not responsible for this, alas, but rather the organizers of the rally."

Jail Time 'At Best'

Navalny is seeking to run in the 2018 presidential election, which is expected to hand Russian President Vladimir Putin a fourth term. The June 12 protests in more than 100 cities were aimed at further galvanizing Navalny's base after nationwide anticorruption rallies in March that rattled Russia's ruling elite.

Both Navalny and his key associates said they were pleased with ample turnouts in major cities across the country on June 12 that included many young people who have grown up knowing no other government than Putin's.

"I rate today's actions very well," Navalny told reporters just before midnight on June 12 in a Moscow courtroom, shortly before he was handed his jail sentence. "We had an excellent geographic reach. A lot of people came out...There were rallies in cities where they'd never happened before."

But the focus of the protests was undoubtedly Moscow, where Navalny said on the eve of the event that organizers were unable to secure sound and stage equipment for the original rally at Prospekt Sakharov due to alleged pressure on contractors by city authorities.

Such official pressure on private firms doing business with opposition groups is not unusual in Russia, and Navalny cited organizers' inability to rent the equipment as the reason for changing the rally site.

He insisted the law was on the side of the protesters, noting that Russia's constitution guarantees citizens' rights to gather peacefully. Several Kremlin opponents, however, accused Navalny of goading his followers into a guaranteed confrontation with police.

"Navalny drummed up some more PR for himself, and those who hit the streets for him will earn some jail time at best," Roman Roslovtsev, an activist who has been repeatedly jailed for one-man protests in which he wears a Putin mask, wrote on Facebook.

Other prominent anti-Kremlin activists, meanwhile, said they backed Navalny's decision. Ilya Yashin, a veteran opposition politician detained during the protest, said, "You can't just allow authorities to treat protesters like sheep and herd them into a pen."

"You can't play these games with authorities forever," Yashin told RFE/RL in an interview following his detention. "At some point, you have to stand firm and show that we have rights, that we know our rights and are ready to defend them."

Mystery Stage

In the end, a stage and a sound system were set up for the rally at the original rally site, where attendees largely vented their anger over a Kremlin-backed plan by city authorities to raze Soviet-era housing.

Navalny's top deputy, Leonid Volkov, said on the opposition leader's YouTube channel on June 13 that he and his associates have no idea where the equipment came from or who procured it. He suggested authorities secretly brought it in to discredit Navalny's justification for moving the protest.

Moscow authorities and the Kremlin accused Navalny of a "provocation" in moving the rally site, while state-controlled media and Kremlin loyalists suggested the presence of the stage and sound system proved that Navalny and his fellow organizers had lied.

Sergei Sharov-Delaunay, a rights activist and head of the nongovernmental advocacy group Russia Behind Bars, told Current Time TV that Navalny, like any politician, makes mistakes but that "his overall approach is correct."

"His goal is to become the exclusive opposition leader and the only possible opposition presidential candidate in the next political cycle," Sharov-Delaunay told the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "And he is working toward this goal consistently and rather successfully."

The unsanctioned protests, Sharov-Delaunay added, show Navalny as "a decisive leader who is not prepared to cave to authorities."

Andrei Loshak, a prominent opposition-minded journalist, said that, while he did not completely understand Navalny's decision to move the rally, he was deeply impressed by young protesters who flooded to Tverskaya Street -- a demographic Navalny has courted with his irreverence and new-media savvy.

Loshak wrote on Facebook that he heard one young woman tell her boyfriend after witnessing riot police wrench protesters from the site: "Thanks for dragging me here. I learned a lot today."

"There will be more and more like her -- and that's a very bad sign for authorities, and a very good sign for the rest," Loshak wrote.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/navalny-moscow-protest- crackdown-critics-tactics/28546806.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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Russia Criticized For Detaining More Than 1,500 Anticorruption Protesters

RFE/RL June 13, 2017

The United States, the European Union, and human rights groups have condemned the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters across Russia.

An estimated 1,560 supporters of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny were detained during the June 12 anticorruption demonstrations in cities and towns nationwide, including 866 detained in Moscow and 548 detained in St. Petersburg.

OVD-Info, a Moscow-based nongovernmental organization that monitors police actions at protests, said most of the detainees had been released by early on June 13.

However, France's AFP news agency reported that "many people still awaited processing while others were shuttled to court for hearings" on June 13.

"We've left the station. They are taking us to Tverskoy district court," tweeted opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who was among those detained in Moscow.

Russia's Investigative Committee said one protester "sprayed tear gas into the eyes of a riot-police officer" and would be charged.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on June 13 criticized the actions of the demonstrators as "dangerous for the public" and defended police action against them.

"Their actions were dangerous for the public and the police take adequate measures against such individuals," Peskov told journalists in Moscow.

Navalny himself was detained before the unauthorized demonstration in the capital started, and sentenced to 30 days in prison for staging unsanctioned rallies.

Speaking to journalists in the Moscow courtroom where he was sentenced late on June 12, Navalny said the protests had been "good" and that "very many people came out" across a "wide geographic area."

"We have seen amazing things: in Saratov, 6,000 people came out, there was a huge rally in Penza," Navalny said. "There have been rallies in cities that haven't seen them for ages. For example, the previous protests in Norilsk happened [in the 1950s], when there was a prison uprising. So the geographical reach of the these protests is unmatched, and that was our primary goal. So we think it was a successful event."

The White House on June 12 called on Russia to release all of the demonstrators, saying their detention was "an affront to core democratic values."

But Peskov said Moscow would not listen to the calls from Washington to release detained protesters.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said the detention of peaceful demonstrators "threatens the fundamental freedoms of expression," while rights watchdog Amnesty International said the crackdown "demonstrates the authorities' utter contempt for fundamental human rights."

Meanwhile, Russia's presidential Council for Human Rights said on June 12 that police in Moscow acted "calmly" and in a "correct" way "despite attempts of teenage protesters to provoke them to violence."

However, witnesses and media reports said that police violently dispersed the protesters and in some cases detained activists were severely beaten in police vehicles.

Navalny called for the nationwide rallies to protest what he alleges is a system of corruption and cronyism presided over by President Vladimir Putin.

The opposition leader was hoping to build on momentum gained by a national anticorruption protest on March 26, which ended with more than 1,000 people detained in Moscow alone.

Navalny was detained amid those demonstrations -- the biggest antigovernment rallies since a wave of protests that he helped lead in 2011-12 -- and served 15 days of administrative detention in jail.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time TV, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-criticized- arrest-hundreds-protesters-anticorruption -navalny-rallies/28544689.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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Mattis: Russia Appears to Be in Violation of Open Skies Treaty

Sputnik News

18:07 13.06.2017(updated 18:08 13.06.2017)

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis accused Moscow of violating the Open Skies Treaty.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said in a congressional testimony on Tuesday that Russia most likely has violated the Open Skies Treaty.

"We will be meeting with State Department and National Security staff here in the very near future. There certainly appears to be violations of it [the treaty]," Mattis told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in March 1992 and became one of the major confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War. It entered into force on January 1, 2002, and currently has 34 states parties, including Russia and most NATO members.

 Sputnik

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US Senators Back Legislation Strengthening Russia Sanctions

By VOA News June 13, 2017

A group of U.S. Senators agreed Monday on legislation to strengthen sanctions against Russia, including a provision that would require congressional review if the White House relaxed, suspended or terminated sanctions already in place.

The bipartisan agreement comes in the form of an amendment to legislation the Senate is already considering on sanctions for Iran. The bill is expected to have strong support when it goes before the full Senate, and would have to then pass in the House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump.

A statement from Republican and Democratic leaders on the Senate banking committee said the amendment "expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria."

The measure would strengthen existing sanctions targeting Russian energy projects, while imposing new sanctions on those involved in serious human rights abuses, supplying weapons to the Syrian government, carrying out malicious cyber activities and doing business with Russian intelligence and defense.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday that Russia takes a negative view of the proposed legislation and would not listen to U.S. calls for the release of political protesters arrested Monday during anti-government demonstrations organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The anti-corruption rallies took place Monday in cities across Russia. Police arrested 850 people at a protest in Moscow and another 500 in St. Petersburg, where the rallies were unsanctioned.

The U.S. called on Russia to release "peaceful" protesters arrested Monday. Peskov said police acted in accordance with Russian laws and the protesters were engaged in "provocative actions."

The House and Senate, as well as a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, are all investigating Russia's activities related to last year's U.S. elections, as well as potential links to Trump's campaign. The U.S. intelligence community concluded in a January report that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign meant to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton and help Trump's chances of winning.

"These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

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Qasemi: US measures in Syria suspicious

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, June 12, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday that the US measures in Syria are suspicious to some extent and their sectional behaviors are not justifiable.

Speaking to reporters in his weekly press briefing, he said the Americans for many times have declared that they are in fight against terrorism, but the past performance proves that they lack honesty.

He advised them to mind their firm determination in the fight against Daesh (the ISIS terrorist group) and other terrorist groups instead of taking any other action inside Syria and fight against terrorism will be the final way out of this dilemma.

They should be more accountable in dealing with ongoing realities in the region and Syria, he said.

On Astana trilateral meeting, he said the new round of Syria talks, participated by Russia, Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran, is due to be held in the Kazakh capital, Astana within coming days.

"If participant countries reach required understanding in Astana meeting, this will lead to formation of Astana five," he said.

In macro and political issues it will be much easier to reach understanding, but other issues such as technical and creation of low-tension districts will be time consuming, Qasemi said.

In a related news, Russian foreign minister said on Monday that new round of Syria talks, is due to be held in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on June 20.

1430**2050

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Tillerson: Trump Has No Authorization to Target Assad, Iranian Proxies in Syria

Sputnik News

18:42 13.06.2017(updated 19:46 13.06.2017)

President Trump has no Congressional authorization to order strikes against Damascus or Iran's proxies in Syria, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  President Donald Trump has no Congressional authorization to order the US military to target groups backed by Iran in Syria, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a hearing on Tuesday.

"I would agree with that," Tillerson said when asked if there was no legal authorization from Congress to target Syrian President Bashar Assad or Iranian proxies.

Tillerson stressed that the US mission and purpose in Syria has not changed from its focus on defeating Daesh. The US-led coalition has been fighting the terrorist group in Syria since 2014 without UN approval or Assad's request.

On June 8, the coalition bombed pro-Damascus forces in Syria near the town of al-Tanf. On June 6, the coalition conducted a strike on pro-Syrian government forces as they entered a de-confliction zone and allegedly posed threat. On May 18, the coalition hit pro-Assad fighters near al-Tanf for the first time.

On April 6, US Navy destroyers fired 59 cruise missiles at the Ash Sha'irat Airbase in western Syria, calling their attacks a "warning" to Damascus following a chemical weapons incident in Idlib province which Washington claimed was carried out by Syrian government forces. The claim was rejected by Damascus. The world is still waiting for the US and its allies to provide any proof for its claims of Syrian government involvement in the alleged chemical attack.

Furthermore, on September 16, US-led coalition aircraft carried out four strikes against the Syrian Army near the Deir ez-Zor airport, killing nearly 100 people, according to reports.

Last month, Senators Jeff Flake and Tim Kane introduced a bill to update the 2001 Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed in response to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Every president since George W. Bush has used the AUMF to conduct military operations in countries where it says terror groups are present, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

 Sputnik

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Taiwan breaks ties with Panama

ROC Central News Agency

2017/06/13 13:11:39

Taipei, June 13 (CNA) Taiwan is cutting diplomatic ties with Panama after the Central American country switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Foreign Minister David Lee () announced Tuesday.

"To safeguard our nation's sovereignty and dignity, we've decided to terminate diplomatic ties with Panama immediately," Lee said at a press conference at which he also expressed Taiwan's "deep anger and regret" toward Panama's decision.

Taiwan will also halt all bilateral cooperative projects, cut all assistance to Panama, and pull out its diplomatic staff and technical missions from the country, Lee said.

Even though the two countries had diplomatic ties for over a century, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela caved in to Beijing for "economic interests" and ignored Taiwan's long-term assistance that supported its overall development, Lee charged.

Lee described Panama's diplomatic switch as "most unfriendly" and accused Panama of "deceiving the Republic of China government to the last moment," and he expressed Taiwan's "strong dissatisfaction and anger" over the moves.

But he reaffirmed that Taiwan will not engage in a contest of "checkbook diplomacy" with Beijing.

Taiwan also "strongly protests and condemns Beijing for luring Panama to switch diplomatic ties, squeezing Taiwan's space in the international community and hurting the Taiwanese people's feelings."

Though Lee bashed Panama for keeping Taiwan in the dark about the move, there were signs of Panama's intentions, and Taiwan used every means to keep the Central American country from moving in that direction, the foreign minister said, without going into detail of what Taiwan tried to do.

One of the signs was that Panama never announced a successor after Panama's ambassador to Taiwan Alfredo Martiz Fuentes left his post on April 30 to take over as Panama's social security chief, even though Martiz told President Tsai on April 20 that bilateral relations were solid.

Also, Taiwan's new ambassador to Panama Miguel Tsao () was never able to present credentials after arriving there in mid-May.

The change in ties comes nearly a year after President Tsai Ing-wen () visited Panama in June 2016 on her first overseas state visit after taking office in May to cement ties with the country.

During the visit, Tsai attended the inaugural ceremony of the expanded Panama Canal and witnessed Taiwan's donation of 3,000 boxes of flu medicine to the country in an effort to help Panama combat a H1N1 flu epidemic.

Taiwan's response came after President Juan Carlos Varela of Panama announced earlier Tuesday Taiwan time that Panama was establishing diplomatic ties with China.

Panama's Vice President Isabel Saint Malo signed a joint communique with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi () in Beijing on Tuesday establishing diplomatic relations in which Panama stressed it would not maintain any official ties with Taiwan.

Panama also agreed to recognize that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it.

Panama's decision leaves Taiwan with only 20 diplomatic allies in the world, 11 of them being in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The decision was widely seen as part of China's mounting efforts to squeeze Taiwan since Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, which has adopted a less conciliatory attitude toward China than its predecessor, took office on May 20, 2016.

Bilateral relations between Panama and the Republic of China went back more than a century. The two sides established diplomatic ties on Jan. 16, 1910 when China was still under the Qing dynasty, to be soon succeeded by the Republic of China.

The Central American nation was the second diplomatic ally to cut ties with Taiwan since Tsai took office, the first being Sao Tome and Principe, which recognized Beijing in December 2016.

In March 2016, two months after Tsai won the presidential election, China re-established official ties with Gambia, more than two years after the small West African country cut off relations with Taiwan, then under President Ma Ying-jeou ().

Despite longstanding ties, Taiwan could not compete with China in terms of economic influence in Panama.

In the first 11 months of 2016, Panama was only Taiwan's 72nd largest trading partner with bilateral trade totaling US$148.12 million.

Panama has actively sought to establish ties with China in the past. According to a diplomatic message of the U.S. State Department released by WikiLeaks, Panama tried to open relations with Beijing in 2009 without success.

(By Scarlett Chai and Lilian Wu)

Enditem/ls

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Taiwan to re-evaluate cross-strait situation after Panama severs ties

ROC Central News Agency

2017/06/13 21:05:42

Taipei, June 13 (CNA) Although Taiwan's government has consistently expressed goodwill in the development of bilateral relations with Beijing, government agencies will now re-evaluate the cross-strait situation after cutting ties with Panama on Tuesday, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang () said.

Huang made the comment when briefing the media after President Tsai Ing-wen () called a press conference to respond to Panama's announcement earlier in the day that it was switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

Earlier on Tuesday, Panama's Vice President Isabel Saint Malo signed a joint communique with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi () in Beijing, formally establishing diplomatic relations, in which Panama stressed it would not maintain any official ties with Taiwan.

Panama also agreed to recognize that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it.

Tsai's move came after Presidential Office Secretary General Joseph Wu () responded to Panama's decision at a press conference.

Describing Beijing's action as a "mistake" that hurts the cross-strait status quo and pushes cross-strait ties from peace toward confrontation, the Presidential Office statement said the government now plans to re-evaluate the cross-strait situation.

When asked whether the statement means Taiwan and China will return to a confrontational relationship, Huang said that since the new government took office in May 2016, it has consistently sought peaceful and stable cross-strait ties and regional security on the basis of goodwill, adding that Taiwan has made every effort to avoid confrontation.

Discussing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party government's China policy, Huang said that the government has displayed the utmost goodwill toward Beijing. It has also consistently called on the Chinese government not to set any preconditions for healthy exchanges and the stable development of bilateral relations, so the two governments can jointly shoulder the responsibility of maintaining regional peace.

In such a situation, the Chinese government also needs to take responsibility, Huang added.

Asked whether Taiwan will change its stance on extending goodwill toward China, Huang said that as an active member of the international community, Taiwan's international responsibility is helping maintain regional peace and stability and cross-strait peace and security.

However, under this principle the government should certainly do everything in its power to protect its territory, Huang said, adding that relevant government agencies will therefore re-evaluate the current cross-strait situation.

(By Claudia Liu and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/AW

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Taiwan Outraged by Panama's Decision to Cut Diplomatic Ties With Taipei

Sputnik News

07:57 13.06.2017

Taiwan's Foreign Minister David Lee said that Taiwan regrets and is outraged by Panama's decision to break diplomatic ties with the island.

BEIJING (Sputnik)  Taiwan regrets and is outraged by Panama's decision to break diplomatic ties with the island, Taiwan's Foreign Minister David Lee said on Tuesday, adding that Taipei would cut ties and halt all cooperation projects with Panama City.

"Panama succumbed to Beijing's influence for the sake of economic interest, informing Taiwan on a unilateral rupture of diplomatic relations, what we regret and what we are outraged by," Lee told a press conference as quoted by the CNA news agency, adding that Taiwan would cut all contacts and cooperation with Panama and pull out its diplomatic staff from the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela said the Central American country was breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establishing official relations with China.

Taiwan now has formal ties with 20 governments, 12 of which are Latin America and the Caribbean.

After Chinese Nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's Communists, the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949. Since then, Beijing has viewed the self-ruled, democratic island as a breakaway province. The United States, along with many other countries, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and sticks officially to the "One China" position, but has kept informal relations with the island after severing diplomatic ties with it in 1979.

 Sputnik

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Panama Switch to China Hardens Defiance in Taiwan

By Ralph Jennings June 13, 2017

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday his Central American country would switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, a move analysts said is a major success to Beijing in its drive to isolate the self-governing island it claims as its own territory.

In a televised address on Monday Varela said Panama, which has strategic significance to China, was upgrading its commercial ties with Beijing and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal. "I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," he said.

Panama's sudden break in relations with Taiwan has hardened the Asian government's defiance against China, which it suspects of engineering the move, with no signs of Taipei meeting Beijing's longer-term demands. Taiwan reacted by severing formal ties with Panama and all aid.

Taiwan's government vented toward China as well as Panama, which announced the cut in diplomatic relations after recognizing Taiwan's government for more than a century. Taiwan warned China against inflaming ill will in Taiwan.

China keeps pressure on

"Mainland China's suppression of our country's international space, interference in our international participation and temptation of our allies to break ties are all still present and have not eased," said Chiu Chui-cheng, spokesman for the Taiwan government's Mainland Affairs Council.

"We would like to severely warn mainland China here against pushing, step-by-step, cross-Strait relations to a dangerous brink from which it cannot turn back," he said.

China, supported by a $11.2 trillion economy and more than 170 diplomatic allies, has taken a series of measures over the past year to pressure Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen into negotiations with a pre-condition that each side see itself as part of one country.

Taiwan citizens like their democracy

Most Taiwanese prefer their democratic self-rule to a tie-up with China, opinion polls have found.

"I think mostly we are getting tired of Taiwan being isolated," said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan, referring to the erosion of diplomatic relations. "We have to tell China you cannot threaten Taiwan's existence forever. You have to let people live."

Tsai rejects China's conditions for dialogue and officials in Taipei believe Beijing has retaliated by forming ties with former Taiwan ally Sao Tome and Principe in December. Also that month China passed an aircraft carrier near Taiwan's coastlines. Last month, Beijing blocked Taipei from observing the World Health Organization's annual assembly.

China leaves door ajar

But analysts said China just wants to warn Taiwan without fanning outrage and while holding a door open in case Tsai shifts to a Beijing-friendlier policy. An enraged Taiwanese public is seen as more likely to elect people who take a tougher stand against Beijing.

China will use caution in paring down Taiwan's remaining 20 diplomatic allies, which are mostly poor countries in Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, said Alex Chiang, international relations professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

"I think China will be selective because they don't want to embarrass Taiwan, so I think they will only try to go slowly and also give time to Taiwan to react," Chiang said. "China still has some hope to have a friendly relationship with Taiwan, but if you push too hard, if our diplomatic ties (go) down to five or six, then it's going to be very difficult for Taiwan."

Taiwan will survive

Taiwan can get by on fewer than 10 allies if needed, political scientists have said. The Taipei government looks to them largely for a voice in the United Nations, which Taiwan left in 1971 when the global organization admitted China.

Taiwan maintains strong informal relations with Japan and the United States, as well. Both may help Taiwan in a deeper diplomatic crisis, Lee said.

Taiwan offers development aid to its allies and before 2008 it would vie with China to give higher sums of money to make allies switch sides.

Under former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, no allies switched sides, but three other Latin American and Caribbean countries expressed interest in formalizing relations with China and may now be able to do that, Chiang said.

Panama's decision follows several years of private discussions between Chinese and Panamanian leaders.

China is the second biggest investor in the Panama Canal, the chief marine shipping link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, after the United States, reported the Latin American news website El Universo. Over the past fiscal year, China sent 38 million tons of cargo, or 19 percent of the total, through the canal, it said.

In June last year Tsai visited Panama to improve ties. She attended a ceremony for the a Panama Canal expansion and saw Taiwan donate 3,000 boxes of flu medicine to fight an epidemic according to the Taipei-based Central News Agency.

China's Foreign Ministry said on its website Tuesday that Panama had agreed to recognize only Beijing as the government of China.

Panama's president "for business interests went along with the authorities in Beijing by making a diplomatic switch," Taiwan's ministry said in a statement. "This is an extremely unfriendly act and the last time [Taiwan] will be cheated."

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Turkey sends military team to assess deployment in Qatar amid embargo

Iran Press TV

Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:22PM

Turkey has dispatched a team of military experts to Qatar to evaluate troop deployment, as several Arab states have imposed an all-out embargo against the peninsula over allegations of supporting terrorism.

The country sent a three-member team to Qatar on Monday to assess the situation and coordinate preparations for likely deployment of forces, the Turkish military announced in a Thursday statement.

According to the statement, the Turkish military teams have been making similar visits to Qatar since 2015, following a 2014 agreement to set up a Turkish military base in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

Last week, the Turkish parliament and the president passed legislation for increased military cooperation with Qatar, which foresees troop deployment and military training.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, the Maldives, and Egypt recently broke off ties with Qatar. In their apparent bid to secure US support and that of Israel, the four countries cited Qatar's links with Hamas and accused it of supporting terrorism, an accusation that the Qatari government denies.

The regional countries also blocked their transit routes to Qatar and ordered most of Qatari nationals to leave. The measures have also made family visits difficult. Qatari airways have also been banned from using the airspace of the Saudi-led bloc of countries.

'Death sentence' against Qatar

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the Arab countries which severed ties with Doha, slamming the measure as a "death sentence" against the Qatari nation. "A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar.

Isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values. It is as if a death penalty decision has been taken for Qatar," Erdogan said in a parliamentary speech to members of his ruling AK Party.

Erdogan praised Qatar for taking what he called "the most decisive stance" against Daesh Takfiri terrorists alongside Turkey and noted, "Victimizing Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose."

Erdogan said he will discuss the current circumstances with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani through a conference call on Tuesday.

The Turkish president called on Saudi King Salman to take a leading role in resolving the crisis.

Erdogan also plans to discuss the Qatari crisis with US President Donald Trump in the coming days.

The Turkish president has pledged to continue support for Qatar and help resolve the dispute by the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International criticized the punitive measures against Qatar, saying the restrictions violate the human rights of the Qatari people.

Some analysts say the diplomatic war on Qatar is because Doha acts more independently of Riyadh in its foreign policy, including in its relations with Iran.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly met with members of the foreign ministry, ministry of military affairs, and other institutions to discuss preliminary steps to shut down the Jerusalem al-Quds bureau of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera broadcaster, as the diplomatic rift escalates between a Saudi-led bloc of countries with Qatar.

Israel has on several occasions alluded to its efforts to develop its ties with certain Arab countries. Back in January 2016, Netanyahu said during an interview with CNN that Saudi Arabia now saw Tel Aviv "as an ally rather as an enemy."

Meanwhile, Kuwait has been playing the role of mediator between Qatar and the four Arab states. Last week, Kuwait's emir traveled to Qatar after his visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his efforts to help mediate a solution to the diplomatic row among Arab countries.

Iran and Turkey have also started shipping food to Qatar in a bid to help the country to overcome its food shortage caused by the embargo.

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With US help, Ukraine may put brigades through new combat training center by 2018

By C. Todd Lopez June 12, 2017

WASHINGTON -- By 2018, Ukrainian brigades will be better equipped to face separatists in the Donbass region after rotating through a combat training center in western Ukraine that the California National Guard helped to establish.

Col. Nick Ducich, who serves as commander of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which is part of the California National Guard, was instrumental in helping the Ukrainian military build the combat training center. He began formulating the idea for the center back in November 2015, when he was beginning a 14-month deployment to the region.

Ducich met June 7 with reporters in the Pentagon to discuss operations in Ukraine during his deployment. He relayed that he took 54 Soldiers from the California National Guard with him to the Ukraine, which has had a partnership with the California National Guard for more than 24 years as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program.

Ducich explained that the new combat training center is co-located with the existing International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in Yavoriv, near the country's border with Poland. The IPSC already hosts the Rapid Trident exercise each year and so is used to the demands of a training center, Ducich said.

"It's a pretty immense training area, so the foundation was there," Ducich said.

At the IPSC, he said, efforts focused on the training and mentoring of newly assigned personnel, including Ukrainian staff, instructors, and observer-controller trainers, and the soldier participants. The effort was part of an ongoing effort to help Ukrainian forces to achieve defense reform as well as full interoperability with NATO by 2020.

The IPSC added infrastructure such as a site for dedicated to training for military operations in simulated urbanized terrain. Staff instituted "effective range control for terrain management, safety procedures and remediation of unexploded ordnance, among other requirements," Ducich said. These additions "elevated the efficiency and effectiveness of the training area."

During his time in the Ukraine, Ducich reported that he saw five battalions of soldiers from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense rotating through the training center, with each unit on 55-day rotations. Those battalions had previously been fighting separatist forces to regain full control of the Donbass, a heavily populated region that makes up the eastern half of Ukraine.

"These rotations consisted of individual and collective training requirements, emphasizing leader development, team building, and combat arms synchronization, to reflect the necessary interoperability defense reforms," Ducich explained.

"The individual training included marksmanship, movement techniques, communications, and medical combat care," he continued. "The collective training began with pairs, elevating through squad, platoon, company and finally battalion-level events, highlighting defensive operations."

After their training rotations, the Ukrainian units returned to fighting. Ducich said some of the soldiers from each rotation were interviewed within 60 to 90 days after their rotations regarding the effectiveness of their training they received at the center.

"From that, we also learned what the newest techniques that the enemy was using, to try to see how we could adjust the training," Ducich said. "So we were a learning, adaptive organization, within ourselves, of taking that flow of combat scenarios and actualities from the Donbass and incorporating them into the training plan within the 55-day construct."

Those lessons learned helped refine the focus at the training center to implement enhancements in training for large-scale movement, gunnery, indirect fires, and integration of weapons systems such as air defense capabilities.

The new combat training center is in its infancy, according to Ducich, and there's still a lot to accomplish. Right now there are only battalions rotating through the training center, but he hopes that brigade-sized elements will be able to rotate through by 2018.

Ducich said that from what he has seen, he thinks the Ukrainian ground forces are doing remarkably well.

"At brigade level, they are outstanding," he said. "They have been able to hold the line and begin the integration of the new weapons systems and rectify some of the logistical shortfalls that those brigades went to the Donbass with. I see the Ukrainian armed forces getting only stronger each day, whether it be logistically, or in their defensive posture, and in their capabilities."

Ducich said the Ukrainian army had suffered from more than 20 years of "neglect" in terms of funding, but the country is now mobilizing its defense industry, ramping up new capabilities, and focusing on both officer and NCO development.

"So they are playing catch-up while engaged in conflict at the same time," he said. "So I have a lot of patience for where they are right now. They are getting stronger every day. They had so many obstacles they had to overcome, on top of engaging an enemy in their own backyard."

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Civil War in Ukraine May Stop if Kiev Implements Minsk Deal - Kremlin

Sputnik News

14:51 13.06.2017

Kiev is able to stop the civil war in Ukraine if it makes efforts to implement the Minsk deal, the Kremlin said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The civil war in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbass can only be stopped if authorities in Kiev fully implement the Minsk agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"Calling things by their proper names, this is a civil war, which can be only stopped by Ukraine itself through the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Peskov told reporters.

Commenting on a proposed Ukrainian law calling to recognize Donbass as occupied by Russia, Peskov said that "Russia does not occupy any territories."

The Donbass conflict erupted in April 2014 as a local counter-reaction to the West-sponsored Maidan coup in Kiev that had toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February. Residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions held independence referendums and proclaimed the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Kiev has since been conducting a military operation, encountering stiff local resistance.

In February 2015, Kiev forces and Donbass independence supporters signed a peace agreement in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. The deal stipulates a full ceasefire, weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in Donbass, as well as constitutional reforms that would give a special status to the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Despite the agreement brokered by the Normandy Four states (Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine), the ceasefire regime is regularly violated, with both sides accusing each other of multiple breaches, undermining the terms of the accord.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 2 that new agreements on the crisis settlement in Ukraine should not be discussed until the already existing agreements have been fully implemented.

 Sputnik

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. (TSX Venture:CEM) ("Constantine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce commencement of a 7000 meter program with two drills at the Palmer Joint Venture Project, Alaska (Palmer or Project) as part of a US$ 7.0 million total budget. Palmer is a high-grade volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) project, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 8.1 million tonnes grading 1.41% copper, 5.25% zinc, 0.32 g/t gold and 31.7 g/t silver*.



The majority of 2017 drilling is dedicated to discovery of new mineral deposits. The balance is for expansion and upgrade of the existing South Wall-RW Zone resource, and geotechnical studies. Palmer is host to numerous high-quality prospects with large hydrothermal alteration zones and high-grade base and precious metal mineralization exposed at surface  most of which have never been drilled. Property-wide airborne electromagnetic geophysical surveying, geological mapping and prospecting work are also included in the summer exploration plans.

Priority exploration targets include the Cap, Nunatak, HG, and JAG prospects that collectively define a several kilometers long, stratigraphically linked corridor of mineralization that is parallel to the South WallRW Zone trend. It is anticipated that the airborne geophysical survey, which is scheduled to start mid to late June, will contribute to the property-wide drill targeting.

About the Palmer Project

Palmer is an advanced stage, high-grade volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) project, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 8.1 million tonnes grading 1.41% copper, 5.25% zinc, 0.32 g/t gold and 31.7 g/t silver*. The Project is being advanced as a joint venture between Constantine (51%) and Dowa (49%), with Constantine as operator. The project is located in a very accessible part of coastal Southeast Alaska, with road access to the edge of the property and within 60 kilometers of the year-round deep sea port of Haines. Mineralization at Palmer occurs within the same belt of rocks that is host to the Greens Creek mine, one of the worlds richest VMS deposits. VMS deposits are known to occur in clusters and with at least 25 separate base metal and/or barite occurrences and prospects on the property, there is abundant potential for discovery of multiple deposits at Palmer.

About the Company

Constantine is a mineral exploration company led by a proven technical team with a focus on premier North American mining environments. In addition to the Companys flagship copper-zinc-silver-gold Palmer Joint Venture Project, Constantine also controls a portfolio of high-quality, 100% owned, gold projects in the Timmins camp Ontario. This includes the large, well located Golden Mile Property in Timmins and the Munro Croesus Gold Property that is renowned for its exceptionally high-grade past production. Management is committed to providing shareholder value through discovery, meaningful community engagement, environmental stewardship, and responsible mineral exploration and development activities that support local jobs and businesses.

Please visit the Companys website (www.constantinemetals.com) for more detailed company and project information.

On Behalf of Constantine Metal Resources Ltd.

Garfield MacVeigh

President

* 8.125 million tonne inferred resource grading 1.41% copper, 5.25% zinc, 0.32 g/t gold and 31.7 g/t silver. See the Company's news release date May 11, 2015 and available on www.sedar.com. Resource estimate utilizes an NSR cut-off of US$75/t with assumed metal prices of US$1200/oz for gold, US$18/oz for silver, US$2.75/lb for copper, and US$1.00/lb for zinc. Estimated metal recoveries are 89.6% for copper, 84.9% for zinc, 75% for gold (61.5% to the Cu concentrate and 13.5% to the Zn concentrate) and 89.7% for silver (73.7% to the Cu concentrate and 16% to the Zn concentrate) as determined from metallurgical locked cycle flotation tests. An Inferred Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or quality can be estimated on the basis of geological evidence and limited sampling and reasonably assumed, but not verified, geological and grade continuity. Confidence in the estimate is insufficient to allow the meaningful application of technical and economic parameters or to enable an evaluation of economic viability worthy of public disclosure.

Darwin Green, VP Exploration for Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. and a qualified person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

Notes:

Forward looking statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, "forecast", expect, "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", budget" and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the expected. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Companys expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
GEIGER COUNTER LIMITED

Date of Announcement: 13/06/2017

RELEASE OF INTERIM REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Directors announce the release of the Interim Report and Financial Statements for the Six Months to 31 March 2017.

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

During the first few months of the six month period under review there was a sharp rise in the underlying spot price of uranium as the prospect of a production cut in mining from Kazakhstan gave investors hope that uranium mining may become profitable once more. Uranium equities rallied strongly on the back of this news and by mid-February 2017 your Company's NAV had risen some 70 per cent since the start of October 2016. Unfortunately doubts about the continuation of production cuts and sluggish attempts by Japan to restart their nuclear plants put paid to the bullishness of the market and prices fell back towards the end of March.

Despite the sell-off the Company's net asset value rose by 28.4 per cent over the six months with good returns seen from stocks such as NexGen. The Company's share price rose by 44.7 per cent over the six months and as a result the discount contracted to 11.7 per cent at the end of March.

I would like to thank Shareholders for continuing to support the Company and for ensuring that the annual Continuation Vote was passed at the Annual General Meeting in March. Although there has been a fall back recently the sharp rise in share prices and asset values earlier this year reinforces the Board's view that this unique sector is still severely undervalued.

The Board of Geiger Counter Limited have recently announced that it is reviewing, with its advisers, a potential bonus issue of subscription shares to existing shareholders on the basis of one subscription share for every two existing ordinary shares held on the record date for the bonus issue. We expect to issue a Circular in the near future with full details of this proposal.

George Baird

Chairman

June 2017





INVESTMENT ADVISER'S REPORT

The most significant event to influence the sector during the interim period was the announcement by the Kazakh state-owned uranium mining company, Kazatomprom, in mid-January that it would cut national production by 10% during the calendar year 2017 and that it is willing to make further cuts if necessary to rebalance the market. By implication, nearly all mine production is currently uneconomic. We believe this telling shift to a more commercially minded strategy by the lowest cost and largest global uranium producer, that has a market share of approximately 40%, represents a fundamental turning point that will allow the oversupplied market to rebalance. This move by the market's dominant producer outweighs the prior curtailment already undertaken by commercial western mine operators.

Over the interim period the spot uranium price rose 7% in sterling terms, though behind this improvement there was considerable volatility. Prices initially declined around 20% into December, arguably prompting Kazakhstan's decision to cut output which drove a strong 50% rally to US$26.75/lb by mid-February. Prices subsequently retreated to US$23.25/lb by end-March. NAV performance mirrored this trend. Again helped by the significant weighting to Western Athabasca explorers, notably NexGen, the Fund NAV increased 42.9% over the half-year. This compares to sterling returns of around 31% for both the Solactive Uranium Index and URA equity ETF.

Kazatomprom's strategy is particularly important given the sluggish pace of Japanese reactor restarts since the Fukushima accident in 2011. Latterly, however, news from Japan has been more encouraging with more facilities being approved for reactivation, suggesting restart momentum is improving. An attempt by TEPCO's to extract itself from costly legacy purchase agreements with Canada's largest uranium producer, Cameco, may place greater financial burden on the Japanese government to provide additional funding assistance to foot the potential US$1bn bill should it fail. In-so-doing this may spur further central government efforts to switch reactors back on. Cameco will further curb annual mine output in response to TEPCO's move.

While efforts by TEPCO, which owns the Fukushima facilities, highlight its specific need to reduce its uranium inventory, the broader contracting cycle for the nuclear power industry worldwide will need to accelerate. Currently long-term contracted volumes are around 75% below the levels at the height of the 2005 bull market. As illustrated by the supply curtailment and retrenchment of commercial mine operators over the last two years, high priced legacy contracts signed in the previous bull market are beginning to roll-off but will need to be replaced. A similar situation also exists for enrichment market and an increase in facility utilisation will also act to reduce oversupply.

There still appear to be doubts as to whether Kazakhstan will maintain the cuts beyond the end of this year as illustrated by expectations of market consultant UxC which forecasts only partial supply cuts during the next two years. As a result initial enthusiasm following the Kazakh announcement has dissipated and much of the immediate uranium price improvement has unwound. However, following discussions with consultants that have helped Kazatomprom adopt more commercial practices we believe the region is open to making deeper and longer lasting cuts in order to rebalance the market. In addition we believe a proportion of the region's uranium output may be retained to use as trading inventory, potentially removing immediately available material from the market and providing some relief to spot pricing.

Latterly the LNG market has become increasingly competitive as US shale output rises. Falling LNG prices in Asia may also have weighed on uranium sentiment and spot prices though importantly long-term U3O8 contract prices have remained little changed at US$31/lb and continue to trade at a significant premium to the spot price with a premium provided for longer-term security of supply. Japanese LNG buyers are believed to be pushing hard for lower prices but also shorter, more flexible contracts which may also reflect a requirement for flexibility should momentum on the country's nuclear restart programme improve as recent news suggests. Crucially, Japanese and US installed nuclear power generating costs, as elsewhere, remain competitive with gas power generation at current commodity prices.

China's focus on air quality remains a key long-term driver for uranium demand, as a meaningful source of zero carbon base load power. China's initial focus on closing inefficient coal power stations and metal smelters to reduce chronic air pollution emissions is likely to be a multi decade theme extended by an emerging middle class seeking to improve health and quality of life. Given the population's sensitivity to this issue political impetus to the industry's expansion is likely to remain high. Importantly, in addition to the political motivation to develop nuclear generating capacity China's replicable reactor design is providing significant cost benefits allowing power generation operate at a lower all-in cost per KWh than a comparable coal power station fitted with scrubbers and flue gas desulphurisation to reduce emissions. This is will provide an important competitive foundation for China's future domestic and international expansion plans.

China currently has 36 operating reactors, 21 in construction and more expected to start construction shortly and remains the primary growth driver for nuclear power. China expects to generate 58GWe by 2020-21 and 150GWe by 2030, with 6-8 reactors being approved each year. These are predominantly going to incorporate latest Generation III technology that have longer lives and improved security features relative to previous reactor models that make up the majority of the current global reactor fleet. In addition, China is seeking to establish international export credentials for its capability. As example, China National Nuclear Corporation has now signed contracts to build reactors in Pakistan and Argentina, whilst utility China General Nuclear is working with EDF to progress development of Hinkley Point in the UK. The two main western constructors, Areva and Westinghouse, are currently mired in debt which is stymying their ability to sign new reactor construction contracts. The success of these reactor build outs will provide a stage to showcase the ability of CNNC and CGN to export reactors globally in the future.

Robert Crayfourd and Keith Watson

New City Investment Managers

June 2017

For further information please contact:

Craig Cleland - CQS (UK) LLP - 020 7201 5368

Lisa Neil - R&H Fund Services (Jersey) Limited - 01534 825 336

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f4994df-2661-4e1a-8b1b-bc35e295c913
White Mom Birthed 3 Black Babies To Make A Divinely Different Family

Aaron and Rachel Halbert are used to getting looks. Through a process called embryo adoption, this white mom birthed 3 black babies. It makes for a family that looks different from other families. Those differences often cause people to stare. But those differences are precisely what makes the Halbert family so wonderfully special!

A Special Calling

Aaron grew up as a child of evangelical missionaries in Honduras. So, hes been perfectly comfortable with racial diversity since a young age. Growing up in the deep South, his wife Rachel was more accustomed to seeing racial prejudice. But that all changed after she took a few missions trips to Haiti.

The couple decided early on in their relationship that adoption was a wonderful way to live out their pro-life beliefs. While trying to conceive naturally, they also began exploring options for adoption. They figured theyd leave it up to God to put their family together the way He saw fit.

And the Lord opened the adoption door first, Rachel said.

RELATED: Nurse adopts the abandoned baby with a rare birth defect she helped save

Knowing its much more difficult for adoption agencies to find homes for non-Caucasian children, Aaron and Rachel explained how they had a heart for creating a racially diverse home. And soon they adopted a little boy and little girl, both with darker skin than their own.

We believe when you look into any human's eyes, you look into the face of an image-bearer of God  into the eyes of a person whose soul is eternal. While that is the common thread of all humanity, it doesn't mean our racial differences are insignificant. We see the human family's varying physical characteristics as awesome reminders of God's creative brilliance. It's not that we think race doesn't exist, or that we don't see it. In fact, it's the opposite  we see it, and we embrace it, Aaron said.

The Halberts happy home soon grew again. But this time through the process of embryo adoption.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jun 13, 2017) - Candelaria Mining Corp. ("Candelaria" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CAND)(OTCQX:CDELF)(FRANKFURT:29LN) is pleased to announce additions to its senior management team. Effective immediately, the Company has appointed Mr. Curtis Turner to be the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and a member of the Board of Directors. In addition, Mr. Ramon Perez, acting CEO, will be appointed as the Company's President and will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Lastly, Mr. Erick Bertsch will assume the role of Vice-President, Corporate Development.

Mr. Sokhie Puar has resigned from his current position as the President of the Company, and will remain as a member of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Curtis Turner - newly appointed CEO and Director

Mr. Turner has over 15 years' experience in the mining industry, which includes significant experience in Mexico where he oversaw permitting processes and technical work. Mr. Tuner previously held a senior management position at Argonaut Gold Inc., where he was a key member of the team that successfully completed four acquisitions totaling over $700 million. Prior to his position at Argonaut Gold Inc., Mr. Turner was employed by Yamana Gold Inc. and Meridian Gold Inc. in increasing levels of responsibility in the accounting and finance areas.

Mr. Ramon Perez - newly appointed President and current Director

Mr. Perez has been with the Company since the completion of the qualifying transaction of Candelaria in March 2016. He brings a wealth of experience in project acquisition and financing in Mexico, banking and capital markets management in the natural resource sector.

Mr. Erick Bertsch - Vice-President, Corporate Development

Mr. Bertsch has over 23 years of experience in the mining industry. He began his career working as a field technician for a variety of exploration companies operating in Canada, the United States and Mexico. He brings 14 years' experience in shareholder management and investor relations. Previously, he served as Vice President, Corporate Development for Great Panther Silver Ltd. and most recently, Columbus Gold Corp..

Mr. Perez, President, commented, "We are excited by our recent press releases. Firstly, the CAD $9.7 million strategic investment by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., and now the strengthening of our management team. These two recent events have allowed us to outline a roadmap to increase shareholder value in the current and upcoming fiscal year and further advance the Company's Caballo Blanco Project."

About Candelaria

Candelaria Mining is a Canadian-based gold development and exploration company with a portfolio of highly prospective projects in Mexico, one of the world's best mining jurisdictions. Candelaria's 100% owned Caballo Blanco Project hosts NI 43-101 Indicated Resources of 521,000 ounces of gold and 2,170,000 ounces of silver (31,220,000 tonnes grading 0.52 g/t gold and 2.16 g/t silver) and Inferred Resources of 95,000 ounces of gold and 590,000 of ounces silver (8,630,000 tonnes grading 0.34 g/t gold and 2.14 g/t silver). Potential exists to increase these estimated resources through continued drilling and exploration. For more information on resource estimates, please see the Company's news release dated May 8, 2017.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Curtis Turner, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking information"), including but not limited to the exploration potential at the Caballo Blanco Project, and future exploration and production plans of Candelaria. This forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that are based on current expectations, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such information. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the global economy; the price of gold; developmental, funding and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with mining operations; and the ability of Candelaria to fund its capital requirements and exploration and development activities. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and United States available at www.sedar.com. Readers are urged to read these materials. Candelaria assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by law.
Vancouver - 92 Resources Corp. (the Company) (TSX.V: NTY) (FSE: R9G2) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $140,000 in funding, under the Northwest Territories Mining Incentive Program (MIP), for Project expenses related to the exploration of the Companys wholly owned Hidden Lake Lithium Project (the Project or Property). The Property is situated within the central parts of the Yellowknife Lithium Pegmatite Belt along Highway 4, approximately 40 km east of Yellowknife.

Funding provided under the MIP, with a 2017-18 program budget of $1,000,000, may be applied for annually by mineral exploration companies operating in the NWT. The grant provides for up to 50% of eligible project expenditures, to a maximum of $200,000 depending on the number of successful applicants. The Company is pleased to report that it was highly ranked relative to its peers during the application process, with a significant portion of the MIPs available funding awarded.

Company President and CEO Adrian Lamoureux comments, We are very excited to receive this support from the Northwest Territories through its MIP program, and we look forward to putting this money to work and create value for both our shareholders and Project stakeholders.

The Company is in the late stages of planning its 2017 summer field program, which will focus on mapping and channel sampling of the HL6 and HL8 spodumene pegmatite occurrences, which were discovered at the end of the of the 2016 exploration program. A grab sample from HL6, located approximately 1.4 km along trend of the D12 pegmatite, returned 1.86% Li2O. The extent of the HL6 pegmatite is poorly constrained, providing considerable exploration upside given its similar character to D12, significant presence of spodumene, and its location ~1.4 km along trend from D12, inferring both D12 and HL6 may potentially be part of one larger body.

This surface delineation work will set the stage for the Projects maiden drill program, targeted for the latter half of 2017. The overarching objective of the drill program will be to delineate sufficient tonnage/grade to support an initial mineral resource estimate for the Project.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

William Miller P. Geo. of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About 92 Resources Corp.

92 Resources Corp. is a modern energy solution company, focused on acquiring and advancing strategic and prospective modern energy related projects. The Company currently holds three principal assets in Canada: the Hidden Lake Lithium Property, NWT, the Pontax Lithium Property, QC, and the Golden Frac Sand Property, BC.

The Hidden Lake Lithium Property is strategically located within the heart of the Yellowknife Pegmatite District with 2016 exploration results returning 1.90% Li2O over 9 m and grab samples up to 3.3% Li2O. The Property is easily road accessible and its proximity to infrastructure provides for numerous development advantages.

The Pontax Property is located within Quebecs lithium district, and covers several historic pegmatite occurrences that are adjacent to known spodumene bearing pegmatite(s). The underlying geology includes over 20 km strike length of the Pontax Greenstone Belt, which is also a favourable geological environment for gold occurrences.

The Golden Frac Sand Property covers more than a 4 km length of the Mount Wilson Formation, which consists of high purity, white, quartzite and friable sandstones. Its strategic location in western Canada and proximity to infrastructure, provides competitive access to the oil and gas markets where high-quality frac sand is an essentially input. The adjacent Moberly Silica Sand Mine, owned and operated by Heemskirk Canada Ltd., produces a number of high-purity products and as of February 2017, became subject to a takeover bid by Northern Silica Corporation valued at $42.3 million AUD.

For further information, please contact Adrian Lamoureux, President & CEO at Tel: 778-945-2950, E-mail: adrian@92resources.com or visit www.92resources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

ADRIAN LAMOUREUX

Adrian Lamoureux, President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward Looking Statements:

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, expects and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Companys future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.


Vancouver, June 13, 2017 - Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (TSXV: SSV) (OTCQB: SSVFF) (FSE: SEG1) ("Southern Silver") has closed the first tranche of its previously reported Brokered private placement by issuing 6,372,500 units at a price of $0.40 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,549,000. Gravitas Securities Inc. is the lead agent of the $5 million placement of Units. Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share for a period of three years at an exercise price of $0.55 per share. Securities issued pursuant to this tranche of the private placement, including common shares, share purchase warrants and finder's warrants issued as finder's fees, carry a legend restricting trading of the securities until October 14, 2017.

Net proceeds from this private placement are intended to be used to contribute to the Company's proportionate share (40%) of the costs associated with continuing exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas property near Durango, Mexico together with the Joint Venture partner of the Company, Electrum Global Holdings L.P. (60%), and for additional working capital. Further exploration work in 2017 and 2018 is to be funded by the two Joint Venture partners and is expected to consist of RC, RAB and core diamond drilling in order to:

Extend the known mineralization at the Blind and Blind Shoulder targets to increase the current resource. Explore for accumulations of potential new mineralization elsewhere in the larger area of the Cerro Las Minitas property.

Further work is currently ongoing on the balance of the larger property area including continued surface work and sampling, exploratory RAB/RC drilling and additional core drilling of certain defined targets.

Final closing is expected to occur no later than June 30th, 2017 or such other date as the Lead Agent and the Company may agree and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

The Company is pleased to announce that Fort Capital Partners has been appointed to act as a financial advisor to Southern Silver to assist in exploring and evaluating strategic options to enhance shareholder value. Fort Capital Inc. is a boutique investment banking advisory firm that works with public and private companies in Canada with extensive experience in the mining industry. The firm draws from collective capital markets experience to provide its clients with proven, accessible and independent investment banking advice and transaction execution.

About Southern Silver Exploration

Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is a precious metal exploration and development company with a focus on the discovery of world-class mineral deposits in north-central Mexico and the southern USA. Our specific emphasis is the Cerro Las Minitas silver-lead-zinc project located in the heart of Mexico's Faja de Plata, which hosts multiple world-class mineral deposits such as Penasquito, San Martin, Naica and Pitarrilla. We have assembled a team of highly experienced technical, operational and transactional professionals to support our exploration efforts in developing, along with our partner, Electrum Global Holdings LP, the Cerro Las Minitas project into a premier, high-grade, silver-lead-zinc mine. The Company engages in the acquisition, exploration and development either directly or through joint-venture relationships in mineral properties in major jurisdictions. Our property portfolio also includes the Oro porphyry copper-gold project located in southern New Mexico, USA.

Robert Macdonald, MSc. P.Geo, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for the supervision of the exploration on the Cerro Las Minitas Project and for the preparation of the technical information in this disclosure.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Lawrence Page"

Lawrence Page, Q.C.

President & Director, Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

For further information, please visit Southern Silver's website at southernsilverexploration.com or contact us at 604.641.2759 or by email at ir@mnxltd.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Southern Silver Exploration Corp. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

This news release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States.


TORONTO, June 13, 2017 - RNC Minerals ("RNC") (TSX: RNX) is pleased to announce the voting results of its annual and special meeting of shareholders held today in Toronto.

Election of Directors

The nominee directors listed in RNC's management information circular dated May 10, 2017 were elected as directors. The shareholders represented by proxy at the meeting voted as follows:

Director Votes For (by proxy) Peter Goudie 76,856,565 98.39% Scott M. Hand 69,627,160 89.13% Peter C. Jones 69,520,110 89.00% Donald McInnes 66,845,439 85.57% Frank Marzoli 69,570,610 89.06% Gilles Masson 76,865,665 98.40%

Other Items

The resolution to authorize an amendment to the Articles of the Corporation to change the name of the Corporation from "Royal Nickel Corporation" to "RNC Minerals Corp." or such other name as may be determined by the Board and applicable regulatory authorities was approved by 99.4%.

The resolution to reappoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Accountants, as auditors of the Company to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and to authorize the directors to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditors was approved by 99.5%

The resolution to amend and restate the Corporation's shareholder rights plan and to extend its expiry date was withdrawn by the Corporation's board of directors prior to the commencement of formal business at the meeting. Accordingly, the plan lapsed as of June 13, 2017.

About RNC

RNC is a multi-asset mineral resource company focused primarily on the acquisition, exploration, evaluation and development of base metal and precious metal properties. RNC's principal assets are the producing Beta Hunt gold and nickel mine in Western Australia, a 50% interest in the nickel joint venture with Waterton that holds the Dumont Nickel Project in the Abitibi region of Quebec, and a 30% stake in the producing Reed Mine in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake region of Manitoba, Canada. RNC also owns a majority interest in the West Raglan and Qiqavik projects in Northern Quebec. RNC has a strong management team and Board with over 100 years of mining experience at Inco and Falconbridge. RNC's common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol RNX. RNC shares also trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol RNKLF.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of RNC, production guidance and the potential of the Beta Hunt and Reed mines.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RNC to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to RNC's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although RNC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and RNC disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE RNC Minerals







Contact



Rob Buchanan, Director, Investor Relations, T: (416) 363-0649, www.rncminerals.com
VANCOUVER, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evolving Gold Corp. (CSE:EVG) (FSE:EV7) (OTCB:EVOGF) (the Company) is pleased to announce it has acquired, by map staking, a package of 57 claims located next to Osisko Minings Quevillon Property, which the Company has named the Nicobi Property (the Property). The acquired claims have similar geology to Osiskos Quevillon Property. Multiple geochemical anomalies located glacially down-ice from the Property indicate a possible source located within these mineral claims. Figure 1 shows the claims owned by the Company and can be found at (https://www.evolvinggold.com/images/Figure_Desmaraisville.jpg).



The 57 Nicobi claims cover 3193.05 ha (31.93 km2), and include the volcanic mafic to felsic units and synvolcanic equivalents of the Obatogamau Formation, which host a number of historic gold, copper and silver deposits and showings. Nicobi is surrounded on either side by the intrusive rocks of the Lichon pluton. Copper mineralization was found 2 km away from the Property in quartz veins and sulfide mineralization within the Lichon pluton (Le Tac). Historic gold and copper discoveries in the Obatogamau Formation just west of the Property are of either of two types: Intrusion Related Gold deposits: Kerromac, Glencona and Certac; or Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides: Lac Cere, Le Tac Sud. Less than 15km northwest of the Property is the active Lac Bachelor gold mine, hosted in the same intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks of the Obatogamau Formation found on the Nicobi Property.

Two faults cross the Nicobi property in a WNW to ESE trend. They are located in the Doda shearing corridor, a major structural feature that is a component of the Casa Berardi Fault Zone. It has the potential for serving as a structural control for orogenic gold deposits as demonstrated by the Casa Berardi mine and the Vezza and Douay deposits, currently in the development stage. Hundreds of metallic showings are also associated with this Fault Zone.

MERN lake-bottom surveys conducted in 2013 defined geochemical anomalies in gold, copper, zinc and titatinum down-ice from the Nicobi Property. The glacial drift direction (south) indicates that the source of those anomalous samples could be located on the Property, in association with the geological features listed above. Table 1 includes the different metallic anomalies reported down ice from the Property. The location of the metallic anomalies along with the regional claims and simplified geological features can be seen in Figure 2 at (https://www.evolvinggold.com/images/Figure_Geology.jpg).

Table 1: Metallic Anomalies from Government Sampling Programs Anomaly Reference (MERN) Sediment Type Anomalous Elements 2013128558 Lake Cu, Ti 2013128559 Lake Cu, Ti, Zn 2013128560 Lake Au, Cu, Ti, Zn

A geochemical till-sampling survey conducted on behalf of Evolving Gold in the fall of 2016, up ice and proximal to the 2013 lake-bottom anomalies, revealed various Au, Cu, Ti and Zn anomalies in till samples. Two samples which returned as much as 142 and 674 ppb of gold are contiguous and are open to the north. Multiple arsenic, copper and zinc anomalies have also been encountered in proximal samples. Evolving Gold intends to conduct further prospecting and more extensive till sampling programs on the Nicobi Property during the coming field season.

Qualified Person

Steven Lauzier, P. Geo OGQ, a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 guidelines, has reviewed and approved the technical content provided in this news release.

About Evolving Gold

Evolving Gold is focused on exploring the 72.5 square kilometre (total area) Lithium Lakes property in Quebec, located about 10 km north of the Route du Nord and between eight and 30 km from Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi Project.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

EVOLVING GOLD CORP.

R. Bruce Duncan

President, CEO & Director

Investor Relations:

Tel: 604.685.6375

TF: 866.604.3864

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 13, 2017) - RT Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RTM) (OTC: RTMFF) (the "Company") announces that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty, in the Dog Lake Gold Property (the "Property") located approximately 59 km northeast of Wawa, Ontario, for consideration of $10,000 and 1,500,000 common shares of the Company.

The Dog Lake property consists of 75 units in 9 claims for a total area of approximately 1,112 hectares. The Property is located 20 km east of Island Gold Mine and 3 km west of Missanabie.

The Vendor of the Property is Michael Tremblay, Field Consultant to the Company and the 2013 Ontario Prospector of the Year.

This transaction is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT RT MINERALS CORP.

RT Minerals Corp. is a junior resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and evaluation of primarily gold and diamond properties in Canada. The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RTM" (OTC Pink Sheets "RTMFF"). The Company's principal mineral properties in Canada include the 100% owned Ballard Lake diamond and gold property; the 100% optioned Norwalk gold property; and the 100% optioned Dill River gold property, all located near Wawa, Ontario.

For more information on the Company and its properties, please visit the Company's website at www.rtmcorp.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Antoniazzi

President and Chief Executive Officer

RT Minerals Corp.

Telephone: 604-681-3170

Fax: 604-681-3552

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release relating to the Company's exploration activities, project expenditures and business plans are approximate and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities legislation. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements represent management's best judgment based on current facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable, including that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as adverse market conditions, mechanical failure, unavailability of parts, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, or adverse weather conditions, that there are no material unanticipated variations in budgeted costs, that contractors will complete projects according to schedule, and that actual mineralization on properties may not achieve any category of resource(s). The Company makes no representation that reasonable business people in possession of the same information would reach the same conclusions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, fluctuations in the price of gold, equity markets or in currency markets could prevent the Company from achieving its targets. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that drill results reported in this news release or future releases will lead to the identification of a deposit that can be mined economically, and further work is required to identify resources and reserves. We seek safe harbour.
Cordoba Announces Concurrent Bought Deal Equity Financing

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 13, 2017) -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Cordoba Minerals Corp. ("Cordoba" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CDB) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX"), whereby Cordoba will acquire (the "Transaction") HPX's 51% interest in the San Matias Joint Venture ("San Matias") through the acquisition of HPX Colombia Ventures Ltd. ("Ventures"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HPX, for consideration of 92,681,290 Cordoba common shares (the "Consideration").

In connection with the Transaction, Cordoba has entered into an agreement with BMO Capital Markets, acting as bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase for resale, on a bought deal private placement basis, 12,346,000 subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") of Cordoba at a price of C$0.81 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds to Cordoba of approximately C$10 million (the "Concurrent Financing"). The net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will be used to fund exploration expenditures at San Matias, to repay up to C$1.5 million of HPX expenditures that are not being converted into Units, and for general corporate purposes.

Transaction and Concurrent Financing Rationale

Cordoba to become the operator and 100% owner of the highly prospective San Matias copper-gold project in Colombia;

Transaction allows Cordoba and HPX to simplify the current investment and shareholding structure to unlock value;

Transaction is neutral for HPX from the perspective of its current San Matias ownership - HPX will exchange its current ~69% controlling economic interest in San Matias (consisting of a 51% direct stake in San Matias and a 36% ownership interest in Cordoba) for a ~69% ownership interest in Cordoba (pre-financing);

Concurrent Financing will broaden Cordoba's shareholder investor base, fund Cordoba's work program for the next 12 months, and result in a pro forma ownership interest of approximately 67% for HPX;

Increased market capitalization and improved capital markets profile is expected to enhance Cordoba's trading activity and liquidity; and

Cordoba to benefit from the continued support of Robert Friedland, and from HPX as the controlling shareholder.

Mario Stifano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordoba stated, "The consolidation of San Matias is a unique opportunity for Cordoba shareholders as it positions the Company favorably to continue advancing the highly prospective San Matias district as the 100% owner of the project, rather than as a minority joint-venture partner. We believe this transaction has the potential to unlock significant value for shareholders both in the near-term and longer term."

Robert Friedland, Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of HPX, added, "We are delighted to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Cordoba as the company embarks on realizing the promise of the San Matias Copper Gold Project for all stakeholders. We see tremendous mineral potential in Colombia, and Cordoba now is better positioned to explore its extensive land package and to acquire additional prospective projects in Colombia in keeping with its goal of becoming the leading copper-gold exploration company in the country."

Transaction Overview

The Consideration will be paid to HPX on closing of the Transaction and will consist of the issuance by Cordoba of 92,681,290 Cordoba common shares, such that HPX will convert its existing 51% direct economic interest in San Matias to a 51% direct economic interest in Cordoba. Combined with HPX's existing 36% ownership interest in Cordoba, HPX will hold a combined 69% ownership interest in Cordoba prior to the Concurrent Financing. In addition, Cordoba will issue 12,364,623 Units (as defined below) to HPX at a deemed price of C$0.81 per Unit, that being the same price as the Concurrent Financing, to compensate HPX for approximately C$10 million of HPX joint venture expenditures incurred by HPX in connection with the San Matias property since November 10, 2016, when HPX earned a 51% interest in San Matias.

Cordoba's board of directors (the "Board"), with certain interested directors abstaining, has unanimously approved the Transaction and recommends that Cordoba shareholders vote in favor of the Transaction. All of the directors and officers of Cordoba who are not interested in the Transaction or related to HPX, who own approximately 2.1% of Cordoba's issued and outstanding shares, have agreed, among other things, to support the Transaction and vote their Cordoba shares in favor of the Transaction.

As required by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, Cordoba will seek minority shareholder approval of the Transaction, including the issuance of the Cordoba common shares and Units in connection with the Transaction. Further information regarding the Transaction will be contained in a management information circular that Cordoba will prepare and file in due course in connection with an annual and special meeting of Cordoba shareholders, which is expected to be held in July, 2017. Closing of the Transaction is expected to occur shortly thereafter.

The Board, with interested directors abstaining, based in part on the recommendation of the Special Committee (as defined below), has unanimously determined that the proposed Transaction is fair and in the best interests of the Company and will recommend that disinterested shareholders vote in favor of resolutions supporting the Transaction.

Copies of the Agreement, which includes the form of Investment Agreement (as defined below), and the form of support agreement, and certain related documents will be filed with securities regulators and will be available under Cordoba's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Investment Agreement

Upon closing of the Transaction, subject to certain conditions set out in an investment agreement (the "Investment Agreement") to be entered into between Cordoba and HPX, HPX will have certain Cordoba board nomination rights (described below) and the right to participate in any future equity offerings completed by Cordoba in order to maintain its pro rata ownership in Cordoba.

Following completion of the Transaction, the Board is to be comprised of seven directors with HPX being entitled to nominate four of those directors, with at least one of such nominees being independent. The Investment Agreement provides for HPX's nominees to the Board to be reduced to less than a majority of the directors if HPX's ownership interest in Cordoba is diluted to below 50%, with further proportional reductions thereafter.

HPX has also agreed to not sell or transfer any of the Consideration or the securities comprising its Units for a period of at least 180 days following the closing of the Transaction.

HPX's entitlements under the Investment Agreement will remain in place as long as HPX's ownership interest in Cordoba remains at or above 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Cordoba.

Concurrent Financing

In connection with the Transaction, Cordoba has entered into an agreement with BMO Capital Markets, acting as bookrunner on behalf of the Underwriters, to complete the Concurrent Financing.

The gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, less the expenses of the Underwriters, will be deposited and held in escrow and shall be released immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction upon the satisfaction of certain conditions (the "Release Conditions") or upon the termination of the Agreement.

Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the holder thereof to receive one unit (a "Unit"), with each Unit consisting of one Cordoba common share and one-half of one Cordoba common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant") for no additional consideration or further action on the part of the holder thereof upon satisfaction of the Release Conditions. Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Cordoba common share at an exercise price of C$1.08 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Concurrent Financing.

If the Release Conditions are not satisfied prior to September 29, 2017, or the Agreement is terminated pursuant to its terms, the escrow agent will return to the holders of the Subscription Receipts an amount equal to the aggregate purchase price paid for the Subscription Receipts held by them, together with a pro rata portion of interest earned on the escrowed proceeds and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled and be of no further force or effect.

The Subscription Receipts will be distributed by way of a private placement in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and may also be sold in the United States pursuant to applicable exemptions.

The Company has also granted the Underwriters an option, exercisable until 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Concurrent Financing, to purchase at the offering price up to an additional C$3 million of the Subscription Receipts purchased in the Concurrent Financing.

Closing of the Concurrent Financing into escrow is expected to occur on or about July 11, 2017 and is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including approval of the TSX-V.

Conference Call

Cordoba will host a conference call on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 1:00 pm EDT to discuss the details of the Transaction.

The telephone numbers for the conference are toll-free 1-800-319-7310 and 416-915-3227 and the Guest Code is 25381#.

Advisors

The Board appointed a committee of independent directors (the "Special Committee") to review and assess the Transaction. Haywood Securities Inc. ("Haywood") is acting as a financial advisor to the Special Committee. Haywood has provided the Special Committee with an opinion, subject to the assumptions and limitations contained therein, that the consideration to be paid by Cordoba pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to Cordoba. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP was retained as legal advisor to the Company and the Special Committee. Stikeman Elliott LLP acts for HPX.

About Cordoba Minerals:

Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a Toronto-based mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and acquisition of copper and gold projects in Colombia. Cordoba has a joint venture with High Power Exploration on the highly prospective, district-scale San Matias Copper-Gold Project located at sea level with excellent infrastructure and near operating open-pit mines in the Department of Cordoba. For further information, please visit www.cordobaminerals.com.

About High Power Exploration (HPX):

HPX is a privately owned, metals-focused exploration company deploying proprietary in-house geophysical technologies to rapidly evaluate buried geophysical targets. The HPX technology cluster comprises geological and geophysical systems for targeting, modelling, survey optimization, acquisition, processing and interpretation. HPX has a highly experienced board and management team led by Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland, President Eric Finlayson, a former head of exploration at Rio Tinto, and co-chaired by Ian Cockerill, a former Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields Ltd. For further information, please visit www.hpxploration.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY

Mario Stifano, President & CEO

Cordoba Minerals Corp.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Transaction, including the Concurrent Financing, and with respect to the closing, costs and benefits of the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. The timing and completion of the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing are subject to customary closing conditions and other risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, required regulatory and shareholder approvals. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing will occur on the timetable or on the terms and conditions contemplated in this news release. The Transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made, underlying estimates and assumptions made by management and management's good faith belief with respect to future events, performance and results, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally, which could cause actual results to differ materially from what is currently expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
That famous Boston accent -- pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd -- is rare around Harvard Yard itself. Most professors and students come from elsewhere. So it was with some enthusiasm that I greeted those unmistakable flat As coming at me from a neighboring barstool at the joint I had slipped into before the start of a conference near Harvard. It was like sighting a rare bird in its native habitat. It was also an unexpected brush with a culture that, too often, is invisible to so many of us.The man speaking was a guy around 30. He looked and talked remarkably like the actor Ben Affleck, who was raised nearby and effortlessly produces a rich Boston accent for his working-class film roles. Beside the man was a blond waitress with a permanent grin. She joshed with him, clearly a regular, and they swapped stories. It was a nice scene.Then it took a bleak turn. They began talking about friends and family who had ruined or lost their lives to heroin or methamphetamine addictions. The waitress told a horrifying story of saving the life of her next-door neighbor, and mentioned almost casually that her younger sister had died at age 22 of an overdose. The man talked about his best friend becoming hooked, an addiction he was apparently still battling.The bartender, an African-American woman originally from Phoenix, said she had learned on visits home how to deal with the many friends and acquaintances there who were using. I hate to say it, but you know, its like in the zombie apocalypse. Once they go there, you have to cut them off entirely and have no contact anymore. Or else you get sucked in too.While one conversation in a bar doesnt prove anything, the three people I encountered seemed emblematic of what is happening to too many Americans. They all had jobs, but the details of their lives seemed grim. They were on the fringes of the opiate and meth crisis that is chewing up the lives of the working class.So it was with this dark vision in my mind that I went back across the street to the conference, which was entitled Cities and Equity in the Era of the Trump Presidency and was sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The opening speaker was the economist and urbanologist Richard Florida, and he was talking about his new book,The old urban crisis, Florida said, was about center cities and neighborhoods falling into disrepair, abandonment and poverty. The new crisis is about a small number of cities -- Boston, London, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo and a few others -- being too rich and leaving other cities and many of their own inhabitants behind. This small group of elite places forges ever forward, while many -- if not most -- others struggle, stagnate or fall behind, Florida writes in the book. I call this process winner-take-all urbanism.Winner-take-all urbanism, according to Florida, produced the election of President Trump, as well as less-heralded events preceding it. The Newark, N.J.-born professor told about moving to Toronto, a city celebrated for its quaint neighborhoods and as the one-time home of the late urbanist writer and activist Jane Jacobs, only to see the election of Rob Ford as mayor. The ascent of Ford, the crack-using buffoon who won office on an anti-urban agenda that included ripping out bike paths, foreshadowed the election of Trump, Florida said. It was those left out of the new urban vision who voted for Trump in an effort to take back their cities and country.Florida, of course, is hardly alone in noticing this emerging urban inequality: There were plenty of ideas at the conference for ways to begin countering it. Amy Cotter, who is leading the Lincoln Institutes Legacy Cities Initiative, thought we should be encouraging young people to move to buzz-starved cities, places like Youngstown, Ohio. People can find a quality of life and authenticity you cant find elsewhere, and at an affordable price, she said.Mark Muro of the Brookings Institution described the tech industries -- successful though they might be -- as having U-shaped job curves, producing great wealth at the top end but low-paying service jobs at the bottom. He says that policies like guaranteed-income plans or government contributions to 401(k) plans could help to address this.Florida proposed shifting money and power back to states and cities in a revival of the new federalism policy ideas of the 1980s. Many Republicans and conservatives have long favored this, and Florida thought that perhaps now might be the right time to try it.For me, I believe it means looking at many issues that are not on liberal city agendas, such as the winner-take-all airline regulatory policies that have left many cities with poor air service and therefore a more difficult time with economic development. It means talking about more than just better transit, improved streets and a carbon tax.On the last night of the conference I went back to the bar, and it was no longer the place of grim conversation that I had encountered before. This time it was full of happy, talkative people enjoying a few beers after a day of work or study. It was another reminder that we are in an era of two Americas, and that without more balance in our policies toward our cities we risk entering not a new urban age but a new Dark Age.
When news broke last week that health insurer Anthem would not be participating in Ohios marketplaces -- leaving more than 10,000 residents without insurance options -- it confirmed what many people had feared: that the uncertain future of the Affordable Care Act would send insurers fleeing state marketplaces. The news in Ohio came on the heels of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City pulling out of Missouri exchanges, leaving 25 counties and 67,000 people in the northwest corner of the state without an insurer.Health experts had been predicting these kinds of effects, given the general uncertainty over how, or whether, Congress will act on the landmark legislation. Insurers are in the business of making a profit, or at the very least not having huge losses. So actuaries in some companies are just throwing up their hands, says Tim Jost, professor emeritus of health care law at Washington and Lee University.Theres anxiety among state and county officials that the latest insurer exits are just the tip of the iceberg, and they are starting to take action. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week announced "emergency regulations" to safeguard his states marketplaces, barring any company that leaves the state marketplace from participating in Medicaid managed plans or childrens health insurance.Cuomo may have gotten inspiration from Nevada, which instituted a similar regulation earlier this year. While not as tough as New York's rule, Nevada's measure informed insurers that applications for Medicaid would get preferential treatment if they participated in the exchanges. The state will have five insurers this year, and rates are expected to be lower than average.Jost says those moves are good. Health experts also say that insurance commissioners can and should be proactive in having conversations with insurers.But there's only so much state leaders can do. I think states are trying, but the answers are really at the federal level, says Sandy Ahn, a research professor at Georgetown Universitys Center on Health Insurance Reforms.Whether or not "repeal-and-replace" happens in Congress, a bigger part of the confusion comes from President Trumps inconsistent statements on whether his administration will continue to fund cost-sharing reductions. Cost-sharing reductions, or CSRs, are the subsidies people receive for their health care plans, and more than 80 percent of marketplace enrollees qualify for one. Without that money from the federal level, insurance plans will be too expensive for most enrollees.Trump's inconsistent statements have been a bit of whiplash for health experts. In April, the administration said it would continue to fund cost-sharing reductions. Just a few weeks later, Politico reported that Trump told White House aides he wouldn't fund them, so it would "explode the entire act."This game of chicken is really destructive," says Jost. "We could get things under control once that happens, Jost says, referring to a guarantee from the administration that CSRs will be funded.Representatives from both Ohio and Missouris departments of insurance say they are exploring options to bring relief to those customers left without an option for insurance. Amy Rohling McGee, president of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, says the state might request a federal Medicaid waiver that would give financial assistance so consumers could buy plans off of the exchange. But if the federal government wont guarantee that cost-sharing reductions will be funded, then the waiver may not do any good.Its troubling that 10,000 people in Ohio may not have options," she says. "Its time to develop solutions, because this is impacting peoples health."
The Face of AIDS

Bluetooth Stethoscopes

Friends Recruiting Friends

Targeting Minority Communities

Twenty years ago, Darlene Robertson moved back home to rural Louisiana to die. At the time, HIV was a death sentence, so she made her peace with it.But then something happened: Medication got better, which meant Robertson got better. My doctor told me that I would die of old age before I die of this disease, said Robertson, 68, now the chair of the Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network, a nonprofit that educates state legislators about HIV/AIDS.Shes hoping life will soon get better for others living with HIV in her state. Louisianas doing pretty good, Robertson said. But not as good as it could be.Louisiana and other Southern states have the highest rates of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses, the largest percentage of people living with the disease, and the most people dying from it. As AIDS death rates decline in the U.S., they are also declining in the region, albeit more slowly. But in pockets around the Deep South, public health officials say new policies and programs are providing a glimmer of hope.Were taking a no-holds-barred approach. That includes working with churches, working out of bars where people at risk hang out, said Dr. Michael Saag, director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. And that gives me a lot of hope.In Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee, state public health officials and AIDS activists are focusing on getting people tested and linked up with medical care. Treatment, they say, helps prevent the spread of the virus, because patients with lower levels of HIV in their bodies are much less likely to pass it on to others. Their efforts could serve as models for other states battling the epidemic, public health officials across the country say.States are also pursuing other strategies. This month, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed a law authorizing a needle exchange program in the state, which research has shown helps slow the spread of AIDS. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, signed a similar program into law last month. Virginia also passed a similar law this year, joining 20 other states that explicitly allow needle exchanges.And last year, Louisiana became the only state in the Deep South to expand Medicaid coverage, which means more people living with HIV in the state can access health care, Robertson said.By tracking people who are HIV positive and making sure they get treatment at every step of the way, Louisiana achieved a viral suppression rate of 60 percent among all people living with HIV in 2016, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. That was up from 50 percent in 2014, which was already higher than the national average of 30 percent.Someone with a suppressed viral load has very low levels of the virus, meaning they are less likely to spread the virus to someone else, will stay healthy longer, because the disease wont progress to full-blown AIDS, and ultimately, like Robertson, will live longer.There are disparities in the South. But we have seen success stories. There are pockets of innovation everywhere, said Amy Killelea of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, which represents public health officials who administer HIV and hepatitis programs.States making inroads against the epidemic all have strong government leadership, community-based groups, clinics and grassroots activists working together to set clear goals, and a timeline to achieve them, said Nic Carlisle, executive director of the Southern AIDS Coalition.But, Carlisle said, Each state is unique. And figuring out where the focus should be is a state and local decision.The face of AIDS in the U.S. today is overwhelmingly Southern, poor, black  and often rural.In 2016, 44 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV lived in Southern states, though only a third of the U.S. population resides in the South. And African-Americans accounted for 54 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the South in 2014, far more than their share of the population. Thats despite research that shows that African-Americans are less likely to engage in risky behavior than their white counterparts.The high rates of HIV/AIDS in the South stems from a confluence of social factors including poverty, racism, persistent anti-gay attitudes, unstable housing, a lack of transportation in rural areas and a lack of access to medical care, Carlisle and other AIDS experts say.HIV here lives in the intersection of racism, classism and homophobia, Carlisle said.In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began increasing funding to state health departments in the South. HIV prevention funding to Southern health departments and community organizations increased 22 percent between 2010 and 2015, to $201 million. The emphasis is on accessible HIV testing, early treatment, making condoms and the prevention drug PrEP more available, and educational campaigns.But a March report by the Southern AIDS Strategy Initiative found that despite higher HIV diagnosis and death rates in the Deep South, federal money for HIV prevention and care still lags behind funding for the rest of the country. The CDC could not immediately explain the disparity, but it might be because community-based organizations in the South have been less successful than groups in other regions in securing competitive federal grants, according to Carolyn McAllaster, director of the Duke University School of Law HIV/AIDS Policy Clinic and a co-author of the report.The region also receives less money from private foundations, relative to the rest of the country. Only 12 percent of private foundation grants for HIV/AIDS went to the Deep South in 2014, according to the Duke report. This may be because the epidemic began in the North and San Francisco and private HIV/AIDS foundations sprang up around those epicenters, according to McAllaster.In 2015, the nine Southern states the report looked at  Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas  received $102 less in CDC funding per person living with HIV than the U.S. overall, or about 20 percent less than the national average.And, some critics, such as McAllaster of Duke, say that funding goes to urban areas and does little to alleviate the crisis in rural areas.Michael Murphree, CEO of the Montgomery-based Medical Advocacy and Outreach of Alabama, said, If you dont look at rural communities, youre never going to get a handle on HIV in the Deep South.In mostly rural Alabama, 297 of every 100,000 people were living with diagnosed HIV in 2013, one of the highest rates in the country. Of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the state in 2014, 71 percent were black, though just 26 percent of Alabamans are African-American.Murphrees clinic serves 1,700 HIV/AIDS patients in southern Alabama, and about half of them live in rural areas, some of the poorest counties in the nation. Doctors are scarce. Health outcomes are dismal even for those not infected with HIV.Its a legacy of slavery and poverty, Murphree said.Medical teams used to travel four hours round trip to serve HIV/AIDS patients in rural towns, Murphree said. Patients who missed an appointment would have to go without care, their condition growing worse, until a doctor came back.Now, a quarter of the clinics patients are treated remotely, through a telemedicine program in 12 sites that started in 2012. Nurses at the sites use Bluetooth stethoscopes and other equipment so an HIV-trained doctor or nurse practitioner in Montgomery or Dothan can administer a full medical exam remotely. Patients can also get treatment for mental illness or drug addiction through the telemedicine program. And clinic workers are training their peers in South Carolina to use telemedicine to treat HIV/AIDS patients.The program was started using private grants but now pays for itself through insurance billing for doctors visits, Murphree said.If we can get a patient in our clinic, we can get them better. Weve had people who cant walk and were not sure they are going to make it. But they come in three months later and they look great, Murphree said.Since 2013, public health workers in Memphis and Nashville have used social media and monetary incentives to get young gay black men tested, as part of a pilot program funded by the CDC. Friends recruit friends  and get a gift card for their trouble.Federal and state funding for the program ended in 2016, but some agencies are continuing it with their own funds, said Shanell McGoy, the director of the Tennessee Department of Health HIV/STD program.The state also tracks people whove tested positive for HIV but stopped getting treatment and dispatches trained specialists to talk them into getting help, McGoy said.Its like a buddy system or a patient navigation system, to help you schedule your appointments, McGoy said.In 2012, Louisiana was one of eight states to win federal grants to create HIV projects targeting minority communities. With the $1.8 million grant, the state began identifying HIV positive people over a three-year period who either had stopped getting treated or never were treated, said DeAnn Gruber, STD/HIV program director for the Louisiana Department of Public Health.In 2012, nearly two-thirds of HIV positive people in treatment in the state had achieved viral suppression, according to data compiled by the state. In 2016, that number increased to 81 percent, which Gruber attributes to greater attention to getting people treated. As an example, she said, one program gives patients $75 gift cards when they achieve viral suppression.The Office of Public Health now shares data with the state Medicaid office, and the two agencies meet regularly to coordinate care. State health department workers are required to get extensive training in the role that racism and homophobia play in the epidemic; the vast majority of community HIV/AIDS organizations do the training as well. The idea is to give health care workers a better understanding of how racism works and how it prevents minority groups, who may not trust the medical establishment, from getting help.And as of last year, Medicaid plans are required to help patients living with HIV to achieve and maintain viral suppression, Gruber said.As more people living with HIV are able to get their viral loads reduced, the states death rates will drop, too, Gruber said.It takes years before it will have an impact. But were hopeful.
Low-level offenders who have been arrested and can't come up with enough money to get out of jail can get a rehearing of their bail amount, under a plan signed into law Friday by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.Known as the Bail Reform Act, the new law creates new rights for people in custody at Illinois jails and aims to move away from requiring people charged with relatively minor crimes to post cash bail as a condition of their release.The legislation reflects a general consensus among criminal justice advocates, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx that the state's cash bail system is unfair to poor people.Under the previous law, many nonviolent, low-level offenders were spending weeks or months in jail because they couldn't come up with the 10 percent down payment that's required in order to be released. In 2015, for example, more than 1,000 inmates in the Cook County Jail had served more time in custody than they were ultimately sentenced to serve, according to Dart's office.The new law specifies that cash bail is not necessary for people who are in custody for a nonviolent misdemeanor or low-level felony, such as theft, prostitution, driving under the influence or drug possession.Instead, there will be a presumption that any bail set in connection with those categories of crimes shouldn't be monetary. Other options include electronic home monitoring, curfews, drug counseling, stay-away orders and in-person reporting.And if a judge sets monetary bond for a person in custody who is unable to come up with the money, a rehearing on the bail must be held within seven days under the new law."What this does is provide fairness to folks who really are just struggling to make ends meet, commit a minor offense and should not be forced to languish in jail," Rauner said at a signing ceremony at the Chicago Baptist Institute International on the South Side.Much credit for the legislation was given to Willie Wilson, the former mayoral and presidential candidate, who lawmakers and Rauner hailed as being instrumental in advocating for the changes. Wilson last year bailed six strangers out of jail on a single day as part of what he called a "Good Samaritan Bond Pilot Project" to help inmates who've been charged with misdemeanors but can't afford to pay.Notably absent at the bill signing ceremony was Dart, who launched a campaign last fall against the cash-bail system.Cara Smith, senior policy officer for Dart, said the sheriff's office was unhappy that the bill didn't include provisions to make it harder for dangerous offenders with access to cash to get out of jail.A Tribune analysis of five years of booking data at Cook County Jail found that the jail has become a revolving door for people who have been arrested multiple times on felony weapons charges, and who can easily post bond with suspected gang money. Dart's office was seeking to make it harder for them to bond out in addition to making it easier for low-level offenders, Smith said."The bill that was signed today was a product of a working group and lots of negotiations, and we thought that it should have addressed the violent offenders," Smith said, noting that the legislation emerged only in the final days of the legislative session. "We were sorry it didn't go further and certainly hope that the momentum we saw this session for reform will continue, going forward."Still, the signing ceremony offered a rare opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to tout an achievement that's come out of gridlocked Springfield."This bill, when it becomes law, is going to make Illinois a national leader in bail reform," said Rep. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago. "We will now be the largest state to have a presumption against using monetary bail. We are no longer going to lock somebody up because they're poor."The legislation also provides for a five-year extension of the Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Law, which was set to expire later this month.
Description

GIS - 13 June, 2017: Budget 2017/2018 makes provision for policy actions to support artists for a better integration in the mainstream of economic development and optimise the potential of the creative sector for economic growth, job creation and social inclusion. Budget 2017/2018 makes provision for policy actions to support artists for a better integration in the mainstream of economic development and optimise the potential of the creative sector for economic growth, job creation and social inclusion.

It outlines a series of measures with the aim to boost the creative arts industry, give due recognition to artists and their works through promoting creative and artistic values and harnessing new talents.

The measures comprise:

 Setting up of a National Arts Fund with an initial contribution of Rs 50 million to finance activities for performing as well as fine arts: recording of music, concerts, sales and exhibition of art work, amongst others;  Setting up of a Mediatheque, to serve as repertoire of folkloric songs namely collections of Sega, Geet Gawai, Qawwali and Bhojpuri songs;  Rs 300 million for the renovation of Plaza Theatre building and about Rs 110 million for refurbishing the Town Hall of Curepipe;  Creation of a Village des Artistes at the site of Batterie de lHarmonie at Les Salines, Riviere Noire and construction of a Palais des Arts et de la Culture, for which land will be earmarked at Cote DOr City in Highlands in addition to the construction of a Concert Stadium to enable emerging artists to perform;  Development of an Art Zone at the Granary by the private sector to give local artists an outlet for marketing their work;  Cultural Exchange Programme, to enhance cultural links with other countries, as well as regional and international organisations;  An annual national award ceremony to be organised to give recognition to artists with outstanding achievements;  Remuneration to artists for their performances on the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation television to provide further support to them to share their work and talents; and As for the promotion of the film industry, the film rebate scheme will be modified to endorse local productions as well as TV serials and film dubbing so as to promote Mauritius as a preferred shooting destination. Furthermore, a new Arts and Culture TV channel will be set up to showcase local talents. Under the National Skills Development Programme, courses will be offered to train local talent in the film production industry and other performing and fine arts.

Consequently, the Lotto Fund set up to contribute to the financing of projects, schemes and events in relation to culture, heritage or art development, the preservation and rehabilitation of historical and cultural heritage sites and structures among others, will finance rehabilitation of 14 historical and cultural heritage sites and structures namely: Grand Port Battle Memorial, Mahebourg; French Battery, Pointe du Diable; Ruins of World War II, Pointe du Diable; Tour Hollandais, Vieux Grand Port ; Old Fort/ Fort Albert Baie du Tombeau ; Donjon St Louis, Grand River North West; Martello Tower, La Preneuse; La Tour Koenig; Batterie Bourgogne at Anse Petit Sable ; Old French Battery at Vieux Grand Port; Dutch Cemetery at Vieux Grand Port; Bain des Negresses ; Batterie de lHarmonie ; and Powder Mills, Pamplemousses.
Description

 GIS - 13 June, 2017: Government is determined to resolve the housing problems for thousands of poor and low income families, while at the same time support middle class families invest in buying lands and residences, the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Jugnauth underlined in the Budget Speech 2017-2018.

Government has earmarked Rs 6.8 billion for the next three years whereby some 6 000 vulnerable and low-income families will benefit from these social housing units, he announced.

In view of addressing the problems of inadequate and poor housing conditions, Government is investing to improve living conditions in 41 NHDC housing estates in Baie du Tombeau, Poste de Flacq, Camp Levieux, Dagotiere and Cap Malheureux. Moreover, 11 families from Quatre Soeurs affected by severe landslide, and several squatters at La Ferme who need to be dispalced in the context of the rehabilitation of the reservoir, will be relocated to Camp Ithier.

The Budget addresses the issue of credit facilities to finance the construction or purchase of a house. Currently, commercial banks grant credit facilities up to 90 per cent of residential property for loans of less than Rs 5 million. Government has discussed proposals to remove the limit of 90 per cent, especially for first time buyers with the Bank of Mauritius and they have agreed to consider favourably removing the limit.

Measures under Land Use Planning Social Housing Policy comprise:

 The income eligibility criteria for social housing schemes of the National Empowerment Foundation and the National Housing Development Company Ltd is being aligned with the new poverty threshold on an adult basis of the Social Register of Mauritius

 Professional Land Surveyors Council Section 52 of the Professional Land Surveyors Council Act 2014 will be proclaimed to allow for the setting up of a Professional Land Surveyor Council to ensure that there is a more professional approach in the handling of land issues by Land Surveyors in accordance with the Cadastral Survey Act 2011

 Morcellement Act Excision of land into lots provided each lot exceeds 5 hectares will not require a Morcellement Permit but only approval of the relevant local authority, in cases where there is no material change to the land,

 Investment Promotion (Smart City Scheme), the time-limit imposed on a Mauritian citizen who purchases a serviced plot of land under the Smart City Scheme for completing construction of his residence will be extended from 5 years to 10 years. The owner will be allowed to transfer his property even if construction works have not started, provided the new owner undertakes to abide by the time-limit of 10 years as from the date of the first acquisition.

 Promoters of Smart City projects will have to make a contribution of Rs 25 000 upon the sale of every residential unit or serviced plot to a Social Fund to be set up as a Special Fund under the Finance and Audit Act

 The processing fee payable on an application for acquisition of a property under the Property Development Scheme will be increased two-fold to Rs 20 000 .

 A retired non-citizen will be given the option of transferring at least USD 2 500 monthly to be eligible to a residence permit.

Budget 2017-2018 also announced the setting up of a National Planning Commission to ensure sustainable management of land resources for agricultural, industrial, services, commercial and residential zones, and ecologically sensitive areas.

With regards to State lands, a proper strategy will be developed to promote mixed-use and higher density development and the development of a register for a better management of State lands. The guidelines for the allocation of State lands will be improved to maintain fairness, transparency and accountability and the monitoring system enhanced to prevent squatting of State lands.
Description

GIS - 13 June, 2017: A road show and a sensitisation campaign addressing the global issue of child labour were held yesterday at Caudan Waterfront in Port-Louis to mark World Day Against Child Labour 2017.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training, brought together various stakeholders including representatives from different Ministries, Non-Governmental Organisations and the Brigade des Mineurs.

In his address at the launching ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training, Mr R. Nowbuth, underlined that child labour is a societal problem which needs immediate attention. Government, he said, is determined to eliminate child labour in all its forms from the nucleus of the society.

The Permanent Secretary pointed out that child labour and promoting child labour are serious offences punishable by Law. He added that schooling should be encouraged for every child regardless of his socio-economic background.

The International Labour Organisation launched the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eradicate it.

Activities in Mauritius in this context also include the distribution of pamphlets to sensitise people on child labour.

Any work done by children within the age of 5-17 years that is detrimental to their social, mental, physical and educational development is classified as child labour. Child labour includes hazardous activities such as slavery, prostitution, drug trafficking amongst others.
Description

GIS  13 June 2017: A national workshop on Policy and technology recommendations for the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector in Mauritius was held yesterday at Le Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis.

This initiative of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Green Cooling Initiative for Africa (GCAI), aims to pave the way for developing feasible and appropriate national as well as regional strategies for adoption of green cooling technologies.

On this occasion, the Minister of Social Security and Reform Institutions, and Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr Etienne Sinatambou, stated that the present workshop is a follow-up of the one held last November whereby preliminary findings of the comprehensive inventory conducted on ozone depleting substances alternatives in the RAC sector were presented.

He recalled that the National Ozone Depleting Substances Alternative Survey which was undertaken in 2016 had as objectives to quantify the amount of ozone depleting substance alternatives, hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs), in particular, in the RAC sector in Mauritius and predict the future scenarios or consumption trend in Mauritius. This survey was a first step of GCAI which helped Africa embark on a climate-friendly RAC development pathway. Mauritius along with other African countries namely Ghana, Namibia and Kenya, are receiving assistance under the GCAI to assess how the cooling sector contributes to their national energy consumption and the total green house gas emissions resulting from the RAC sector.

Mauritius was among the first parties to propose the phasing-down of HFCs under Montreal Protocol by promoting the use of natural refrigerants, such as, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrocarbons in replacement of Ozone Depleting and Global Warming refrigerants, said Mr Sinatambou.

Speaking about the Kigali Amendment, the first African amendment of Montreal protocol, the Minister announced that Mauritius will prepare its strategy and action plan to start the freeze of HFCs as from 2024. The action plan, thus, would include regulations for phasing down of HFCs based equipment, introduction of a quota system, the phase-down schedule, training and certification of technicians, amongst others.
Description

 GIS  13 June 2017: The Promotion of Climate Friendly Technologies in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) sector was at the centre of discussions of a workshop which kicked off this morning at Le Sirius, Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis.

The workshop is an initiative of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German development agency offering demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development.

Twenty African countries are participating in this one-day regional workshop which is being organised under the Green Cooling Africa Initiative (GCAI). Set up under the Climate Technology Centre and Network of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, GCAI comprises four African countries namely Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Mauritius.

The main objective of this workshop is to enable participating countries to acquire the necessary information and tools for a transformational change in the RAC sector. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the inclusion of the RAC sector in the countries Nationally Determined Contributions, funding opportunities and Monitoring and Verification systems.

Another objective is to explore the possibility of replicating good environment practices and technologies in countries of the region. The workshop will be followed by a two-day training which will, among others, provide participants the opportunity to recap on the development of a Technology Roadmap and to learn how to further implement the projects results.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development at the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs N. D. Goorah, recalled that since 2011, GIZ is engaged with Mauritius on the implementation of the Hydrochorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan. This partnership is being extended to address the challenge of phasing-down hydrofluorocarbons, which are substances with zero ozone depleting potential but potent greenhouse gases used in the RAC sector, she added.

Mrs Goorah also highlighted the pertinence of the regional workshop as the RAC sector is responsible for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions. She further stressed on the importance of introducing and diffusing green cooling technologies in order to mitigate both direct and indirect emissions from the cooling sector.
The Lizard Fire in the Dragoon Mountains continues to grow and is at 15,131 acres as of Monday while thousands of wildland firefighters -- including crews from Western states -- battle fires in Arizona.Nearly 30 wildfires burned in Arizona on Monday -- accounting for the state having the most blazes in the nation, according to the Associated Press.The lightning-caused Lizard Fire began June 7 and is 40 percent contained with more than 600 firefighters assigned to it, according to Coronado National Forest officials. The fire is primarily fueled by tall grass and brush.Crews scouted the fire's western and southern sides Monday searching for geographic features and roads firefighters could tie together to create breaks to help contain the blaze's progression and keep the fire away from populated areas and private lands, authorities said.Meanwhile, officials lifted evacuation orders for some residents near the Lizard Fire, which is burning about two miles southeast of the community of Dragoon, which has about 200 residents.However by Monday afternoon, an evacuation of residences in the Cochise Stronghold area remained in effect at the intersection of North Cochise Stronghold and West Ironwood Road and everything south and west from that point, said Carol Capas, a Cochise County Sheriff's spokeswoman.Capas said firefighters were doing structure protection in that area and fighting the southern edge of the fire, and that would make it difficult to allow residents back to their homes.A pre-evacuation order remains in place for the Sunsites and Pearce areas east of the Dragoon Mountains, Capas said. Residents in other areas that were evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.Three helicopters assisted ground crews with water drops to protect structures near the Stronghold area. Dozens of engines, a hotshot crew and water tankers were assigned to the fire. Crews continue to work in two operational shifts for 24-hour coverage.Efforts to protect a Baptist church camp, a power line corridor and other structures in the area on Saturday and overnight into Sunday were successful.The Lizard Fire is one of several active wildfires in Cochise County, including the Bowie Fire and Rucker Fire. The Bowie Fire is more than 3,000 acres and is 90 percent contained. The Rucker Fire is 1,100 acres and is 61 percent contained.Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told the AP that at least 80 square miles are burning across Arizona. Crews from seven other states are helping control the fires.The AP contributed to this story. Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@tucson.com or 573-4104. On Twitter: @cduartestar2017 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.)Visit The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.) at www.tucson.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- JEFFERSON CITY  Missouris failed fight with the federal government over post-Sept. 11, 2001, travel rules is over.On Monday, Gov. Eric Greitens signed into law legislation bringing Missouri drivers licenses and identification cards in line with Department of Homeland standards, paving the way for the IDs to be accepted at airports, military bases and other federal facilities.Without the new law, Missouri travelers hoping to board planes beginning Jan. 22 would otherwise have to use passports.This measure ensures that Missourians will be able to use a drivers license to fly or visit a military base, said Greitens in a statement prior to signing the law at Whiteman Air Force Base.The GOP-controlled Legislature had long resisted complying with the federal rules, arguing that it could put private personal information into a federal database.Under the new law, approved by the House and Senate in the waning days of the spring legislative session, data retained from Missourians personal documents will be housed in a secure facility not connected to the commercial internet  to avoid hacking  and criminal penalties await anyone who misuses the information.The measure will give residents an option of getting a license or ID that is federally compliant or one that is not. And, if the federal government repeals the REAL ID law, the measure will be voided.Rep. Kevin Corlew, a Kansas City Republican who sponsored the legislation, said it had become clear the state would have to act before the January deadline hit.It was clear that Washington was not going to change it. And in the meantime, if we didnt comply, the citizens would face the brunt of the problem, Corlew said.Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lees Summit, had pushed to keep the state out of the REAL ID program, arguing that it would create a database resulting in a larger, more intrusive federal government.He said residents should still urge Congress to end the requirements.We must also remain steadfast in our efforts to push for the federal government to repeal the REAL ID Act, Kraus said.The changes will take up to two years to be implemented, but supporters say Missouri will qualify for a waiver from the federal government allowing people to continue using their current IDs until the new system is online.Now that we have a law passed we need to seek an extension from the Department of Homeland Security. We are confident we will be able to get that designation, Corlew said.
(TNS) -- After four-plus decades, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services no longer will award no-bid contracts on certain purchases, including many information technology projects.The Controlling Board voted 5-2 on Monday, June 12 to grant Administrative Services its routine waiver of competitive selection to forgo formal bidding, but with a major change sought by the agency.Amid a Dispatch investigation and criticism from lawmakers, the waiver now requires the agency to obtain at least three price quotes before awarding certain contracts and, if two or fewer quotes are received, to submit contracts for Controlling Board board approval.The agency previously maintained that the annual waiver allowed it to award no-bid contracts for specialized services and sidestep Controlling Board approval despite an internal policy requiring the solicitation of at least three price quotes from pre-qualified vendors.A Dispatch investigation published April 2 revealed that Administrative Services officials for years awarded millions in no-bid information-technology contracts  to two companies in particular  over the objections of the department's own employees who protested the lack of bidding and competition as a violation of agency policy.Jennifer Leymaster, chief financial officer of Administrative Services, told the board that the agency would produce an online quarterly report on each agency's purchases from more than 500 pre-approved vendors and require reports listing the justifications for failing to accept the lowest-cost bids or proposals.However, under another waiver for cloud computing and internet-based voice, data and telecommunications services, the agency won authority to award unbid contracts as well as authority to extend many existing contracts.Sen. Bill Coley, R-West Chester, and Rep. Jack Cera, D-Bellaire, complimented the agency on its moves to ensure transparency. But citing a pending inquiry by the state auditor's office into the no-bid contracts uncovered by The Dispatch and an unrelated investigation by the inspector general's office, Cera said he could not vote for the waiver. His vote of protest was joined by Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus.The action comes after the House approved a state budget amendment  in response to The Dispatch's stories  that would require the agency to seek bids on all information-technology contracts and submit them for Controlling Board approval. The amendment, prompted by lawmaker concerns over price competition and transparency, is pending in the budget before the Senate.The Dispatch also reported that the Advocate group of companies based in Columbus, now known as TSG Partners, has received at least $14 million in unbid contracts since mid-2011. Many of Advocate's employees assigned to work with the state Office of Information Technology formerly were senior state employees who worked closely with top Administrative Services IT executives. In addition, Stonyhurst Consulting of Middleburg, Virginia, received more than $3 million in unbid information-technology contracts.Separately, the Controlling Board today unanimously approved a $71 million, no-bid contract with the Greek company Intralot to operate the Ohio Lottery Commission's gaming systems. The extended contract, which begins in mid-2018, includes lottery options to renew the deal every two years through mid-2027. Intralot has been paid $259 million by the state since winning its first contract in 2009.The lottery's request was pulled amid questions last month.A pair of lottery consultants disagreed over renewing the contract, with one saying "optimal results" would be achieved by rebidding after 2021 and another saying Intralot gives Ohio one of the best deals among lottery states. The disagreement prompted questions from lawmakers over whether the contract should be rebid.Nicole Kostia, a Lottery Commission deputy director, told the board that it was the "right time and right move" to renew the Intralot contract to lock in a low rate while considering down the road whether to rebid the contract. It would take two and-a-half to three years to select a new vendor and install its equipment, she said. Lottery profits provide $1 billion annually to the state's K-12 education system.In a letter Friday, an Intralot competitor, Scientific Games, of Alpharetta, Georgia, urged the lawmakers to reject the contract extension and seek bids, writing that the Ohio Lottery "is missing the opportunity to achieve significant growth in sales and revenue." Intralot's Byron Boothe, a vice president for governmental relations, said the firm "will continue to increase its investments in Ohio" under the extension.
Ricardo and Chinas Kailong High Technology Co., Ltd have signed a collaboration agreement on Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) technologies for heavy-duty diesel engine applications.

Located in the city of Wuxi, Kailong is one of Chinas leading exhaust aftertreatment technology suppliers to the expanding Chinese heavy-duty diesel sector. With the impending implementation of the China 6 heavy-duty diesel emissions requirements, Kailong has selected Ricardo as technology and engineering partner to assist it in developing new products for the next generation of much cleaner heavy-duty engines.

The collaboration is aimed at enabling Kailong to develop its product range as a complete aftertreatment systems supplierincluding DPF as well as SCR technologywith which the companys customers can achieve both China 6 and Euro VI standards, while also providing a robust platform for future emission standards. In particular, Ricardo will assist Kailong with state-of-the-art system design, control strategy and on-board diagnostics (OBD) expertise.
Columnist Walter Williams should steer clear of history.

Last week, the George Mason University economics professor gave us a history of the Democratic Party's hostility toward blacks ... that essentially cut off at the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He ignored the fact that this turning point pushed racist Southern Democrats into the Republican Party in droves.

Today, he's pushing the cliche that it's "erasing history" to take down Confederate symbols.

Nonsense. History isn't erased by re-evaluation. That's what historians do. They find new ways to understand the past, just as economists look for new ways to explain the dynamics of commerce.

And since when are we required to preserve monuments forever? Does Williams think George Washington's soldiers were "erasing history" when they pulled down the statue of King George III in New York on July 9, 1776? I hope not. History had changed, and the British monarch was no longer an authority figure.

Are we required to hold Confederate heroes in the same esteem today as certain Southern white people did for a century following the Civil War? I believe those "heroes" were leading a rebellion against my country, the United States of America. I'm happy they lost. Do my views count? What about the views of Americans whose ancestors were held in slavery, which the Confederacy was fighting to preserve? Do they have to accept the insult of those monuments forever? Are they attempting to rewrite or erase history, or do they understand history from a different point of view? You know the answer.

Williams laments that "These history rewriters have enjoyed nearly total success in getting the Confederate flag removed from state capitol grounds and other public places." Does he even know when and why those flags went up?

In South Carolina, it was raised in 1961  on the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War with the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor  and to defy the civil rights movement.

"The flag has been adopted knowingly and consciously by government officials seeking to assert their commitment to black subordination," Yale law professor James Forman Jr. wrote.

If we don't endorse that message anymore, why should we keep the symbol?

History doesn't go away, no matter what we do. We can't erase it. But we can regret it and try to make amends. We are no more obligated to keep monuments to the Confederacy than we are to preserve statues of King George.
GREENSBORO  Our State magazine will sponsor the North Carolina Arts Marketplace at the 2017 National Folk Festival, the festival announced Tuesday.

The free, outdoor multicultural festival will be held in center city for the third year from Sept. 8 to 10. Local organizers plan to continue it as the N.C. Folk Festival when the national moves on after this year.

The arts marketplace will feature a wide range of handmade creations from artists and craftspeople from the North Carolina region. It will include both traditional crafts and more contemporary artistic expressions established in the regions experience.

Pottery, custom furniture, photography, jewelry, textile arts, woodwork, paintings and sculpture will be showcased and available for purchase.

"By selecting Greensboro, North Carolina, as the host city for the 2015, 2016, and 2017 National Folk Festival, the National Council for the Traditional Arts has recognized the state of North Carolina for its rich culture," Bernie Mann, president and publisher of Our State magazine, said in a news release.

The arts mMarketplace will be open throughout the festival weekend. Participating artists and craftspeople will be announced later this summer.
WENTWORTH  Jury selection began this morning in Rockingham County Superior Court in the trial of Antonio Sherod Scales, of Reidsville, who faces five charges in connection to a 2015 shooting that left one dead and two injured.

Scales, 42, is charged with first degree murder in the death of Veronica Broadnax, 30, and two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure. He is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, habitual felon, and violent habitual felon.

This happened on Nov. 14, 2015 at 811 Lindsey St. It was a house party and a majority of the folks knew each other, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Parrish from Guilford County told potential jurors. [Scales allegedly] opened fire just inside the front door. Michael Carter and Desmonte Santiago were wounded; Ms. Broadnax didnt make it.

Parrish pitched a deal from the state, for Scales to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and serve 67 to 93 months, with credit for time served while awaiting trial, but Scales rejected it.

Superior Court Judge Michael Duncan, of Wilkes County, wanted to make sure Scales understood.

You have the right to plead not guilty but you have five possibilities of life without parole. They can run back to back to back, all five of them, Duncan said.

He explained that the two assault charges could be elevated to receive sentences of life without parole if Scales is found guilty of being a violent habitual felon.

Not guilty, Scales replied.

Attorney Seth Woodall filed a motion Monday morning that a prior conviction from 2012 only be admissible in the possession of a firearm by a felon charge.

Nearly 60 potential jurors filed into the courtroom, 12 of which were brought to the jury box for questioning. One was excused because her husband is a state trooper and she expressed bias toward law enforcement testimony. A second was excused because he grew up with several of the potential witnesses and said he wouldnt be able to fairly make a decision based on the testimony of some of them.

By the time the lunch break rolled around at 12:30 p.m., the non-final jury was made up of six females and six males, including one black man. Six hailed from Eden, one from Ruffin, and five from Reidsville  including two next-door neighbors. Professions included retail, restaurants, a teacher, a counselor, a veterinarian technician, an accountant, a disabled veteran, a furniture maker, and several retirees.

Parrish asked the potential jurors many questions to make sure they could be impartial in their decisions.

You determine the facts, what happened that evening, he said. Do you have any sympathetic feelings toward the defendant? There is no parole in North Carolina, so if he goes to prison for life, he dies in prison. This is the time to let us know if you cant make that decision, based on the evidence of witnesses on the stand and the law.

None of the 12 potential jurors in the jury box expressed an issue.

The trial resumed at 2 p.m., and continue all week, beginning at 9:30 a.m. daily.
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More than three dozen employees of the states 18 hospital chains made more than $1 million in salary and benefits in fiscal year 2016.

The state Department of Public Health has released the 10 highest-paid employees at every health system and at every hospital. Employees with total compensation packages of $1 million-plus  who totaled 39  include those from hospitals in Bridgeport, Greenwich, Stamford, Danbury and New Haven.

The number of employees getting $1 million or more rose from 2015, when there were 35.

Michele Sharp, spokeswoman for the Connecticut Hospital Association, said the salaries and benefits health officials receive are on par with what the hospitals provide not just to patients, but to the state in general.

Connecticut hospitals are a critical cornerstone of our states safety net and economy, generating 200,000 jobs in our state, serving 1.6 million people in the (emergency department) alone, and creating a total economic benefit to our state of $26.2 billion every year, she said in an email. Especially during these difficult economic times, our hospitals need the very best and brightest leadership to help navigate this complex and challenging health care environment.

However, the compensation numbers come at an uncertain time in the health care industry, both nationally and in the state.

Hospital officials have been critical of the states proposed budget, which includes funding cuts to the hospitals. The national discussion on health care has led to an uncertain environment, with President Donald Trump pushing for the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, the sweeping health reform legislation known as Obamacare.

More Information Making big bucks The state Department of Public Health has released the top-paid employees at the state's 18 hospital chains, revealing that 39 employees statewide make more than $1 million in salary and benefits. Marna Borgstrom $3.8M President and CEO of Yale New Haven Health System Brian Grissler $2.1M Stamford Health president and CEO of Greenwich Hospital WIlliam Jennings $1.5M President and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital and executive VP of Yale New Health System Norman Roth $1.3M President of Greenwich Hospital and executive VP of Yale New Haven Health System John Murphy $1.5M President and CEO of Western Connecticut Health Network See More Collapse

Gov. Dannel P. Malloys office declined to comment on the compensation numbers.

Yale on top

As she was last year, the highest-paid employee in the state was Marna Borgstrom, president and CEO of Yale New Haven Health System, which includes Yale New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital and Greenwich Hospital. Borgstroms salary and benefits in 2016 totaled about $3.8 million.

All of Yale New Haven Healths 10 top-paid employees had compensation packages of more than $1 million, including William Jennings, president and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital and executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health System  whose package totaled about $1.5 million  and Norman Roth, president of Greenwich Hospital and executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health System  whose compensation totaled almost $1.3 million.

Those compensation rates arent reached lightly, said Vin Petrini, Yale senior vice president of public affairs. Yale is the states largest chain, he said, and many officials  including Roth, Jennings and Borgstrom  have roles both at the individual hospitals and within the chain as a whole.

Obviously, this is something that is thoroughly assessed and reviewed every year by our board, Petrini said. Yale New Haven Health is the largest and most complex health system in the state, and probably one of the most complex in the nation."

He also pointed out that two of the chains top compensated employees  senior vice president of payer relations William Gedge and vice president of system compensation and benefits Michael Dimenstein  became fully vested in their retirement accounts because of their ages and years of service. This means a large chunk of what is listed as salary is deferred compensation, which is reported to the IRS as income, but is not paid to the employees.

Also well-compensated

Statewide, other health officials whose salary and benefits topped $1 million included John Murphy, president and CEO of Western Connecticut Health Network, which includes Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals, and Brian Grissler, president and CEO of Stamford Health.

At St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport, the top-compensated employee was Stuart Marcus, who left his post as hospital president and CEO last July. His salary and benefits totaled $1.6 million. St. Vincents officials referred comment on the issue to the Connecticut Hospital Association.

However, Stamford Health spokesman Craig Andrews said in an email that hospitals and health systems need to acquire and retain the best talent, and that requires competitive compensation.

There are a limited number of executives experienced enough to guide a state-of-the-art hospital and growing healthcare system in an increasingly competitive and complex industry, Andrews said. Pay and benefits for such executives need to be comparable to what they could receive at another leading national hospital system or in another industry, and to ensure this, compensation is determined through oversight by the Board of Directors with input from experienced independent healthcare compensation consultants on an annual basis.

Not all area health officials broke the $1 million mark. None of the top-paid employees at Griffin Health Services Corp., which owes Griffin Hospital in Derby, or Milford Health Services, which owns Milford Hospital hit that number.

Milford Hospital President Joseph Pelaccia, however, just missed, with a total compensation package of $954,359.

Though many hospital and health officials defended the large salary and benefit numbers, at least one said they had the potential to change in the near future.

It is important to note that this report is based on results during 2016 and does not reflect the more tumultuous economic environment we are experiencing in 2017, Andrews said.
Christopher von Keyserling allegedly had a physical encounter with a Greenwich town employee in December that led to his arrest on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge.

On Tuesday at state Superior Court in Stamford, they met again  in an encounter that is now drawing scrutiny from judicial officials. Legal staff in Superior Court will seek to determine what happened during some kind of exchange that took place between von Keyserling and the woman before a court session Tuesday.

It was brought to my attention there was a potential incident in the hallway, States Attorney Susan Campbell told Superior Court Judge Gary White. The incident apparently involved a cell phone and a possible video-recording, Campbell said.

I would like to re-iterate that theres a protective order in place, Campbell said, as von Keyserling sat in the courtroom. Campbell said she would speak with the woman and gather more information on what transpired between the two in the courthouse.

A defense attorney for von Keyserling, April Pramer, told Judge White, My client vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

von Keyserling, a longtime member of the Representative Town Meeting, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault earlier this year. The case is still pending.

The judge said he would review the information on the purported encounter in the courthouse and determine if any follow-up action is necessary.

White noted that six months have passed since the alleged incident at the Nathaniel Witherell Home that led to von Keyserlings arrest, and asked if von Keyserling would be applying for accelerated rehabilitation, a common program to settle misdemeanors for first-time offenders. Accelerated rehabilitation usually combines probation, mandatory counseling and community service to settle a criminal charge.

Pramer said her client is not planning to apply for accelerated rehabilitation at this time, and the defense team wants to look deeper at the prosecutions case against him.

Your honor, weve had conversation with the states attorney, and weve requested some material we believe contains exculpatory information (clearing him of wrongdoing). The state has agreed they would try to locate that information, Pramer said. Before my client makes any decision, he wants to be in a position to review all the material, especially exculpatory material. ... There is some information outstanding that we need to view before were able to move forward.

She did not specify what the material is.

White indicated that if von Keyserling is declining to pursue accelerated rehabilitation at this point, he should be prepared to take his case to a jury.

If he doesnt want it (AR), he can have his trial, the judge said.

The judge said he would seek more information from the prosecutors and the defense lawyer about the latest incident between von Keyserling and the woman, and determine whether new restrictions or bail modifications would be warranted.

Another court date was set for July 18.

According to the court papers, a discussion over politics between von Keyserling and the woman, an employee at The Nathaniel Witherell nursing home, turned heated on Dec. 9. When the woman stood up to leave the room, von Keyserling pinched or groped her on the lower portion of her body, authorities said.

von Keyserling is free on bail. He continues to serve on the Representative Town Meeting, rebuffing calls for his resignation. He has stated he plans to run for re-election in the fall.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.com
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Some criminals in Grimsby who commit offences whilst under the influence will be the first in the Humberside area to be made to wear tags that track alcohol levels in sweat.

Sobriety tags - ankle bracelets that help rehabilitation services prevent criminals from re-offending - have been rolled out in Grimsby as part of a pilot scheme for the whole of the Humber region.

The Humberside, Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company, which manages up to 11,000 offenders, is responsible for administering the scheme, and say that domestic abuse offenders will be among those who could be ordered to wear them by the court.

A refusal to comply could land criminals behind bars.

The rehabilitation service in charge of the scheme, which works with the probation services at Grimsby magistrates' and crown courts, say they hope the tags will allow trained professional to intervene if offenders turn to drink after a conviction.

Amy Gilbert, community director at the Humberside, Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company, said: "We hope to stop re-offending in the future and provide support.

"It will be piloted in Grimsby and be rolled out elsewhere."

She added that by tracking how much alcohol offenders are drinking, the rehabilitation services can provide much-needed support and advice.

Ms Gilbert also said that 250 criminals could be made to wear the tags in Grimsby over the next two years, which is how long the scheme is set to last for.

After then, other Humberside Police areas could introduce the scheme.

Courts are able to require offenders to wear the tags as part of community or suspended sentences for violent and other crimes committed while under the influence of alcohol.

If the tag detects the presence of alcohol in the system, probation services are alerted and the individual concerned could be sent back to court.

The scheme is being funded by Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones, as part of a wider trial taking place in the Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire policing areas.

Mr Jones said the measures would help protect victims and rehabilitate offenders as nationally, more than half of all violent incidents are committed by people under the influence of alcohol.

He said: "The pilot is really targeting those offences where violence and drink is a factor.

"Re-offending rates are much higher for people where alcohol plays a role in the offence, by tackling that we can reduce the likelihood of them re-offending."

He added that the measures would be particularly effective in tackling domestic abuse and said the Continuous Alcohol Monitoring tags, which can be worn for up to 120 days according to the manufacturers, should not be seen as a punishment, and were "about helping people change their behaviour".

A similar trial in London claimed 92 per cent of those tagged complied with the order.

Under the scheme, offenders will be screened before being tagged. The tags will not be used on people who are alcohol-dependent or have certain medical conditions, Mr Jones reassured.

The tags take an average of 48 alcohol content readings a day and a spokesman for Scram Systems, which makes the devices, said offenders have used condoms, chicken skin and luncheon meat in attempts to fool the device, which he said can detect if something is placed between the ankle and the unit.
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A drug dealer jailed after a 1million cocaine gang was smashed by police in Grimsby has died, it has been confirmed.

Gary Chapman, 55, died in North Sea Camp prison, less than two years into a sentence of almost six years.

His death in February emerged during an inquest into his death held a Boston Coroner's Court.

Chapman, of Humberstone Road in Grimsby, was one of five men sent to prison for their part in a 1 million major drugs operation that spanned numerous towns and cities across the country.

In May 2015 Chapman was jailed for five years and eight months after being convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. In February this year he was taken to Boston's Pilgrim Hospital for palliative care treatment, after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

He had been admitted there on February 24 and died just three days later on February 27.

The inquest ruled he had died of natural causes. Coroner Murray Spittal heard evidence that Chapman was detained at North Sea Camp, after being found guilty, of his part in the drugs' operation. The inquest concluded there was no suspicious evidence surrounding his death.

In total 21 people have received almost 150 years in prison for conspiring to supply class A drugs in the Police operation which began in December 2013, in a case heard at Birmingham Crown Court.

Locally the four other men sentenced were:

Ben Chapman, 28, of Talbot Road, Immingham who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

Craig Johnson, 32, of Frederick Street, Grimsby, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

David Wells, 28, of St Denys Close, South Killingholme, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years and eight months.

David Williams, 28, of Greengate Lane, South Killingholme, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years.

Humberside Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit commenced an operation targeting an organised crime group involved in the trafficking of cocaine into the Grimsby area. In the following nine months, working closely with officers from other forces, seizures of cocaine, heroin and cannabis worth more than 1 million and more than 175,000 in cash were made in Humberside, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

Enquiries quickly identified the group had links to other parts of the UK including Greater Manchester, London and the West Midlands.

At the time Humberside Police, said: "The sentences given send a clear message, that the organised distribution of Class A drugs will not be tolerated in our communities and those responsible will be pursued and brought to justice.

"Class A drugs ruin lives and not just the lives of people who take them. The individuals who have been sentenced for this always thought they were above the law and it is pleasing to see justice now being done."
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A restaurant manager feared for his life when he was mowed down by a crazed driver during a night out in Cleethorpes.

Jamie Loring, 28, who works at the Oaklands Hall Hotel in Laceby, was chased through the resort's streets by Jordan Walker, 24, following an altercation in the High Street area.

Mr Loring tried to run in a zig-zag motion in an attempt to avoid being hit but he suffered injuries to his face, head, back and hands when he was thrown over the bonnet of Walker's car on Poplar Road.

Speaking out today after Walker was jailed for four years and eight months, Mr Loring welcomed the sentence and said he felt fortunate to be alive.

"I was panicking and I was scared for my life. It just all happened so quickly. I know that I was very lucky to walk away from it," said Mr Loring, who had been out for a few drinks with his brother Thomas Hall, in Cleethorpes after work.

David Baines, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Walker had been drinking and taking cocaine before the incident in the High Street area of Cleethorpes in the early hours of June 13 last year.

Oliver Kirton, who had been in the area at the time, found Walker's car door open with the lights on and went to investigate.

Walker, who was homeless and living in the car, wrongly thought that his money had been stolen.

There was a confrontation and Walker repeatedly shouted and asked: "Where's my money?"

He punched and kicked Mr Kirton, grabbed him round the throat and pushed him to the ground.

The brothers went to help calm the situation but Walker punched Mr Hall in the mouth, knocking a tooth out.

Mr Loring stepped in and Walker switched his anger and his obsession about the money.

He jumped in his car and drove after Mr Loring, trying to run him over and driving in a "dangerous and erratic manner" on the pavement.

Mr Loring tried to run in a zig-zag motion in an attempt to avoid being hit. He flagged down a van driver.

Walker's sister, Aimee Walker, caught up with the van and tried to open the door. She had been cautioned by police.

Walker reached the van and threatened to ram it if Mr Loring did not get out.

Mr Loring left the van and ran off. Walker chased him, drove directly up behind him and accelerated.

He used the car to hit him in the back, flinging him into the air and causing him to land on the bonnet.

Mr Loring managed to get up and continue running away.

He tried to find safety at a petrol station on Grimsby Road but Walker's sister and others arrived and further demands for money were made.

Police arrived but Walker was nearby, shouting and acting aggressively. He was not arrested until November 13.

Mr Loring was taken to hospital suffering injuries to his face, head, back and hands as well as bruising and swelling to his legs.

He suffered severe discomfort and the pain left him traumatised. He had suffered nightmares and flashbacks.

Mr Loring told the Telegraph: "I've been trying to work as many hours as I can and I've just been trying not to think about it. I tend not to go out as much any more. I only go out once in a blue moon.

"The officer dealing with it has been really supportive.

"I want to thank the police and the ambulance crew who dealt with me that night and also the judge for making his decision.

"It has been hanging around me for so long but now it feels like closure."

Hannah Walker, mitigating, said the defendant had shown victim awareness and remorse.

Walker read a letter to the court claiming "I'm not a criminal" - even though he had convictions for four offences, including affray and possessing cocaine and cannabis.

He also had a caution for assault, causing actual bodily harm.

He told the court: "I know I have made a really stupid mistake. Learning from past experience, I will not go down that path again.

"I truly regret and apologise for my actions. I hope you have all seen that I am not a bad person."

Walker was jailed for four years and eight months.

He was banned from driving for four years and four months and must pass an extended retest.

He was given an indefinite restraining order, banning him from contacting Mr Loring and Mr Hall.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Tom Kelly said: This was an extremely nasty attack, the consequences of which could have been far worse.

I hope this case will serve as a warning to others that such behaviour will not be tolerated in this area.
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The Grimsby Islamic community invited the wider public and local leaders to the Mosque for a special gathering to condemn terror attacks, and show solidarity saying "not in my name."

The event was held in the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre, on Weelsby Road, and attended by members of the Islamic Association of South Humberside, North East Lincolnshire's Mayor Councillor Ron Shepherd along with local park ward councillors, members of Humberside Police, and the public, as they all came together in the wake of recent attacks to speak out against "criminal" acts of violence that do not represent Islam.

The purpose of the night was to show the wider community the true meanings and values of the Muslim religion, and how it was a faith routed in peace and charity, whose people are "hurt twice" by any acts of terrorism, as first they are hurt by the loss of life and suffering that people feel, and secondly they are hurt as their religion and way of life is unjustly demonised.

(Image: Duncan Young)

Proceedings began with speeches from Imam Shaikh Dr Ahmad Mahir Sabik and Dr Ahmed Samy, who highlighted the Islamic community's fight against extremism, with Dr Samy comparing the problem to a disease within their community, that needed to be rooted out and cured with the correct medicine.

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Shaikh Dr Sabik welcomed and thanked everyone for attending the gathering before making a damning condemnation of terrorism saying: "We assure you that we Muslims are doubly affected by these acts, as they bring pain to us and insult our peaceful religion.

(Image: Duncan Young)

"We as Muslims condemn all terrorist attacks, terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, this is certainly not our religion.

"This is not the way of our beloved prophet, the acts of terrorism are abusing the name of Islam, the Koran tells us very clearly that if a Muslim kills an innocent soul, then it is as if they have killed the whole of mankind, and if he saves one it is as if he has saved the whole of mankind."

One worshipper at the Mosque and IASH spokesman Dr Abu Bakir Wobi said: "When we have criminal acts, it is our responsibility to stand with the wider community against them.

"The way people portray our beliefs is wrong, it is alien to us.

"Islam is a peaceful religion that strives for co-existence with a clear message to put others before yourself.

"There is no place for violent acts in Islam, the Koran makes that stance very clear, and we hope to tonight that we are able to enlighten others with our values.

(Image: Duncan Young)

"Tonight we hope that we will be able to reassure the community that we will fight together to stop terrorism, it is not about an 'us and them' mentality, as these attacks hurt us twice and hijack the name of our religion.

"We will not allow groups to divide us, and we are prepared to root out all evils."

Humberside Police Community Cohesion Officer for North East Lincolnshire Steve Jones attended the event and wanted to state the importance of standing with the Muslim community, noting just how important they are to the local community.

(Image: Duncan Young)

He said: "I regularly visit the Mosque here and in Cleethorpes in order to help them break down barriers with the wider community.

"I am sick of how certain aspects of the media portray this community, and it is important that we stand together and combat any criminal element.

"You cannot tarnish a whole community with the sins of a few.

"The Muslim community play a vital role here in Grimsby, if you are sick it is more than likely that a Muslim doctor will treat you, if you go for a nice meal it is probably a Muslim chef cooking the food and if you need a lift a Muslim taxi driver will pick you up, they play such an important role here."

Following the speeches, attendees were invited to enjoy a nice meal, as members of the Mosque broke their fast with a very tasty buffet, as they are currently celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, where the Muslim Community fasts from sun rise and until sun set, as a form of sacrifice and spiritual cleansing.
A number of New York restaurateurs say business has plummeted since the election. Photo: Mint Images/Getty Images/Mint Images RF

On November 7, 2016, business at Moti Mahal Delux in Lenox Hill was fine. Better than fine, says owner Gaurav Anand, who, in addition to that midtown restaurant, runs two other Indian spots in Manhattan: Bhatti Indian Grill in Murray Hill, and Awadh on the Upper West Side. Our business was in full swing, Anand explains.

And then, on November 9, less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president, it stopped. Like, choked, Anand says. It was the next day. In November and December  usually his busiest months  sales were down 9 percent, compared to the same period in 2015. November was a disaster for us, he sighs. More than six months later, business still hasnt fully recovered: The restaurants are down 5 percent across the board, a dip that has held steady since the new year.

He is hardly alone. Restaurant owners across the city say that business has dropped noticeably in the wake of the election. The questions theyre now asking themselves: Is that dip directly related to the results, and will business be down for the remainder of Trumps presidency? People in the industry, at least, see a connection: For the last year and a half, the only topic of conversation in America  and frankly most of the world  has been Donald motherfucking Trump, and that cannot help how people feel about spending money, says Mile End owner Noah Bernamoff. Theres no question that consumer confidence has been lost by the political situation.

Jonathan Wu, of Fung Tu on the Lower East Side, estimates that in the immediate aftermath of the election, business dropped 30 percent. I just dont think people were in the mood to be spending a lot of money, he says. There was that feeling of uncertainty.

Other operators say theyve seen the same thing: We are down in revenue for the first quarter across the board, says Andy Ricker, who runs locations of Pok Pok in Brooklyn and Portland. Things have not improved at all since the beginning of this election cycle, is what I can say for sure, he explains. I mean, look, when you have a potential constitutional crisis and nobody knows what the fuck is going to happen next  we spoke soon after James Comeys firing  people are typically not in the mood to go out and be carefree. So, this is a result of the election, right? Whether you can make a direct correlation between Trump being in the White House and business sucking? As a human being, you can feel it.

You might call it a Trump Slump, but is that really whats going on? I find it plausible that people are hunkering down and conserving resources as a little insurance policy against catastrophe, says Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College. But he also isnt entirely sold on the theory. The closing of Koi, which shuttered its outpost at Trump Soho in late April, citing a drop in business since the election, is about as clear a case of a Trump Slump as there is. In most cases, though, the evidence remains circumstantial.

Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant-industry analyst at the market-research firm NPD Group, Inc., isnt buying it. It has nothing to do with the election. It has nothing to do with Trump. Its reflective of whats going on in the restaurant industry, she says. I am sure that everybodys looking for answers, and for some reason, everybody looks to Trump as being their problem. If New York City has been hit particularly hard, Riggs suggests, it has more to do with the incredible density of independent restaurants in the city and the rise of meal-delivery services than whatever this other thing is.

Further complicating the issue is that there is no objective data clearly drawing a line between Trumps election and a downturn in restaurant business. Its also worth noting that, nationally, consumer confidence surged after the election. In March, it reached its highest levels since December 2000, according to the Conference Board, an economic-research firm, which would seem to run counter to the narrative that nobodys in the mood to spend. (It has since begun to cool, with back-to-back declines in April and May.)

But there are a number of other factors that, at the very least, indicate that somethings up: Earlier this year, the citys tourism agency predicted that the number of international visitors would drop by 300,000 in 2017 thanks to Trump  the first slump in seven years. That would mean $600 million less spending in the city. I dont want to overestimate the effect Trumps [attempted] negative immigration reform has had on our business, Bernamoff says, but were definitely down on tourist traffic. Theres no doubt about it.

There is another information set that would appear to be a smoking gun, at least as far as New Yorks restaurants are concerned. The numbers from the University of Michigans Index of Consumer Sentiment come the closest to presenting a data-backed explanation for the Trump Slump. The index examines consumer confidence in light of political affiliation: Since the election, Democrats are not feeling optimistic about the future of the economy. Republicans are.

I think Democrats are really uncertain about where the economy is heading because of Trumps economic policies, says Richard Curtin, who is the chief economist for the universitys Surveys of Consumers. Since the new administration has been in a state of suspended animation, that uncertainty has remained constant. Our theories suggest its discretionary spending that is affected most by economic uncertainty, he explains.

In any area thats evenly divided among party lines, it might not matter since the optimists spending and pessimists belt-tightening could cancel each other out. But New York City is not an even landscape: It is  with the notable exception of Staten Island  overwhelmingly blue (79 percent of the citys voters cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election). So, for most owners, the slump has dragged on  and, Curtin suspects, will continue to drag on, until there is some conclusion on the part of the public that Trumps proposed policies are either inevitable or impossible. But going on month five, nobody yet knows. Right now, Democrats fear the worst, but they dont know that it would happen. Theyre uncertain about it.

Even in Manhattan, there are outliers: Sammy Musovic  an outspoken Melania fan who owns Sojourn, Vero, and Selena Rosa on the Upper East Side  reports that business is booming. Sales were down last January; now, he says hes up about 15 percent, so you could literally say Im up about 20 percent. But restaurants that havent seen an upswing have had to get creative. Ill take a positive out of the election and say that its forced me to put into practice all these things that I actually wanted to do for a long time, Wu says. His menu has gotten more casual, with lower prices; hes replaced some of the more esoteric menu items with new, more common dishes like moo-shu duck and General Tsos lobster. Its forced me to dig deep, he says. I view it as a creative challenge.

If there is any bright spot regarding the New York hospitality industrys business prospects, its booze. (Which is likely either encouraging or depressing, depending primarily on whether or not you own a cocktail bar.) Vicki Freeman  who owns and operates the restaurants Cookshop, Rosies, Hundred Acres, and Vics  saw a noticeable uptick in liquor sales in the immediate aftermath of the election: 25 percent of total sales had been liquor before the election; immediately after, it jumped to a solid 35 percent. Bernamoff says his Brooklyn cocktail bar, Grand Army, is doing very well: Weve had a good few months. Does it all seem politically motivated? I cant help but think, he says, that being depressed about our situation has driven more people to spend more time in the bar setting.
According to a new report from South Korea, Google will launch its mobile payments service Android Pay in the country in August this year. The launch, report notes, was set for last month, but got delayed due to issues "related to the application of security token technology."

Samsung Pay is already available in the Asian country, and LG recently launched its own mobile payments service there.

Android Pay recently launched in Canada, and around a week prior to that, the service arrived in Russia as well. Last month, the Mountain View, California-based company said Android Pay will soon be available in a total of 15 countries around the globe.

Source | Via
A couple of months ago we heard that Google was working on not two, but three new Pixel-branded smartphones for 2017. Two of those were said to be direct successors for the Pixel and Pixel XL launched last year, with the third model being bigger than either of them. They were codenamed Walleye, Muskie, and Taimen, respectively.

Today a new rumor claims there will only be two Pixels coming out this fall after all. However, which of the three aforementioned devices was canceled may surprise you. Apparently the Pixel XL's direct successor was canned, the Muskie that is, leaving the smaller Pixel's successor (Walleye) to arrive alongside a bigger handset (Taimen).

This information has reportedly been confirmed by several sources. It actually sort of explains why the Pixel XL 2 we saw in a benchmark last week had a bigger screen than the original Pixel XL - because this is that third, bigger model in development (Taimen). This means Google is very likely to brand the 5.7-inch phone Pixel XL 2, even though it's got a larger display. Hopefully that will fit in a similar footprint compared to the original XL's thanks to smaller bezels.

Source
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Nokia has launched its new range of Android smartphones in India. The Nokia 3, 5 and 6 will be joining the erstwhile launched 3310 in the Indian market this week.

Nokia 3

The Nokia 3 is the cheapest of the bunch and is priced at INR 9499 ($147). The body is made out of a combination of polycarbonate for the back and aluminum for the side frame. It also has a 5.0-inch 720p IPS LCD with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, MediaTek MT6737 processor, 2GB memory, 16GB expandable storage, 8 megapixel f2.0 rear camera, 8 megapixel f2.0 front camera with autofocus, 2630mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat. Nokia 3 will be available exclusively offline starting June 16.

Nokia 5

The Nokia 5 is priced at INR 12,899 ($200) and will also be available exclusively offline. The unibody design is made out of a single piece of aluminum. It also has a 5.2-inch 720p IPS LCD with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, Snapdragon 430, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable storage, 13 megapixel f2.0 rear camera with PDAF, 8 megapixel f2.0 front camera with autofocus, 3000mAh battery, and Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

Nokia 6

Lastly, there is the Nokia 6, which is priced at INR 14,999 ($233) and will be an Amazon India exclusive. It is made out of a solid block of aluminum, and glass and has a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD with sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass, Snapdragon 430, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 16 megapixel f2.0 rear camera with PDAF, 8 megapixel f2.0 front camera with autofocus, 3000mAh battery, and Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The phone will be up for registration for the flash sale on July 14. Amazon Prime customers will get INR 1000 off and all customers who sign into the Kindle app will get 80% off ebooks up to INR 300.
Today Best Buy has started taking pre-orders for the unlocked Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone, just as expected. The Japanese company's latest flagship device can be yours for $799.99, and the retailer is offering it in three color versions: Deepsea Black, Luminous Chrome, and Bronze Pink.

If you pre-order, you should expect the device to reach your doorstep by June 19. Alternatively you can opt for in-store pickup, in which case it should be at your nearest Best Buy location by June 18.

As usual when it comes to Sony handsets sold in the US, this one comes without a usable fingerprint sensor out of the box too. A few months ago we found out that the unlikely explanation for this situation might be that the company is legally required to disable the fingerprint scanners for its US phones, believe it or not. So if you want biometric security in your smartphone, you're probably not going to buy the Xperia XZ Premium.

Source | Via
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Haiti - FLASH : Students set fire to Faculty of Ethnology





Monday afternoon, students of the Faculty of Ethnology came to protest against the decision to dismiss several of their colleagues. The impossibility of finding an agreement with the Dean Yves Blot who was then in his vehicle, for the reinstatement of the students sanctioned https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19229-haiti-education-illegal-occupation-ueh-announces-first-sanctions.html and following a slight incident where a student was accidentally overthrown by the Dean's car, the students gave free rein to their anger, burning at least three cars parked in the Faculty and a part of the building that served as reading space and cafeteria.



Barricades of burning tires were erected at the corner of the rue Magloire Ambroise and Saint-Honore.



The agents of the Body of Intervention and Maintenance of Order (CIMO) intervened to restore order and protect the staff of the Faculty, followed by firefighters who came to circumscribe and extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading further.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19229-haiti-education-illegal-occupation-ueh-announces-first-sanctions.html



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Senate ratifies Student Credit Act





Senators ratified in first reading the law on access to student credit in Haiti, tabled in Parliament last April. The Act specifies in one of its articles that "Student credit is a consumer loan granted to a person enrolled in a cycle of professional and university studies to finance its studies for a period not exceeding five years [...]"



Sen. Youri Latortue, one of the bearers of this law, insists that these loans [maximum of 500,000 gourdes] will allow young people wanting to carry out professional or university, to have access to bank financing "This law will solve the problem of young people, not wishing to go to public universities, by giving them the financial means to open the doors of private universities."



The text will now be sent to the Chamber of Deputies for ratification in the same terms before being sent to the Executive for publication in the official newspaper "Le Moniteur" before its entry into force, which could take place next October if there is no change...



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Moise promises access to credit to the police officers

Monday at the commemoration ceremony of the 22 years of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Jovenel Moise announced the adoption of provisions in order to allow the police to have access to the credit on reasonable conditions, for the construction or the acquisition of houses.



Trade unions contest their representatives at the CSS

Yanique Etienne, coordinator of Batay Ouvrier, challenge, like several other trade unions, the appointment of Pierre Joseph Polycarpe and Fritz Charles as representatives of the union sector on the Superior Council of Wages (CSS). She explained that these people had previously expressed publicly positions in favor of the bosses, citing in particular Pierre Joseph Polycarpe, who twice in 2015 had advocated the blocking of wages.



Fight against forced child labor

Monday, as part of the celebration of the international day against forced child labor, the Mobile Institute of Democratic Education launched a 3-day symposium on the situation of minors in Haiti.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17904-haiti-flash-haiti-on-the-blacklist-of-shame.html



MTPTC at work

The Ministry of Public Works intervenes for several days, on different arteries of Delmas https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21215-icihaiti-politics-moise-on-tour-in-delmas.html and Carrefour, with a view to decongesting road traffic in these communes.



Moise at the PNH parade

Monday, as part of the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the creation of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), President Moise , attended the traditional parade of this institution. The parade, which took place on the esplanade of the Police Academy on the Route of Freres , was an opportunity for the Head of State to review the various units of the National Police and to declare "I take this opportunity to pay tribute to our police officers."



3rd Edition of the Symposium on Public Administration

This Tuesday, under the patronage of the Office of Management and Human Resources (OMRH), the Interministerial Committee for Regional Development, the Ministry of Economy and the firm "Consultations and Results" will be launching the 3rd edition of the Symposium on Public Administration in Haiti on the theme "Haitian Public Administration : Status, Issues and Prospects." This event, which will run from June 13 to 15 at separate sites, will provide an opportunity to consider the viable ways and means of another administrative governance, determined to make the big jump that could trigger the Haiti's shift into modernity.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/06/13 | Source

Added episodes 1 and 2 captures for the Korean drama "Secret Forest" (2017)

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Directed by Ahn Gil-ho

Written by Lee Soo-yeon-I

Network : tvN

With Cho Seung-woo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon-hyuk, Yoo Jae-myung, Shin Hye-sun, Choi Byung-mo,...

16 episodes - Fri, Sat 20:00

Synopsis

A prosecutor who's lost his emotions delves into the secret of the District Attorney's Office to track down the real criminal.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/06/10

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Published on 2017/06/13 | Source

Added episodes 9 and 10 captures for the Korean drama "Bad Thief, Good Thief" (2017)

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Directed by Jang Joon-ho, Oh Kyeong-hoon

Written by Cha I-yeong, Son Yeong-mok

Network : MBC

With Ji Hyun-woo, Seohyun, Kim Ji-hoon-I, Lim Ju-eun, Ahn Kil-kang, Jung Kyung-soon,...

50 episodes - Sat, Sun 22:00

Synopsis

A story of thieves who affect the authorities that manipulate Korea. It serves to bring satisfaction to those who are frustrated at the reality of the world.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/05/13

More
Gruppo Campari exits still wine

By Jo Gilbert

Gruppo Campari has sold Loire Valley producer Chateau de Sancerre, and with it, exits from the business of selling still wine.

The spirits group, which has brands like Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier within its portfolio, announced that it has sold the Sancerre-based wine business for 20.5 million.

The sales comes only after a year after the chateau, which produces wine from the Sancerre AOC in the eastern part of the Loire, joined the group in June 2016 following the acquisition of Grand Marnier liqueur.

The company said the decision to sell the chateau was made as part of attempts to streamline the business by divesting its non-core assets, which have so far totalled 117 million.

The chateaus wines as well as buildings, vineyards, vinification, production plants and inventory have been sold it to Maison Ackerman, the wine division of Terrena which has interests in French agriculture.

Bob Kunze-Concewitz, Gruppo Camparis CEO, confirmed that the sale ends the groups dealings in still wine to instead focus on its status as a player in the global spirits industry.

With the disposal of the Sancerre winery, which follows the sale of the Italian and the Chilean still wine businesses, finalised over the last year, Gruppo Campari fully exits the still wine business, thus continuing to streamline its non-core activities and increasing its focus on the core spirits business. Since the beginning of 2016 we have divested non-core assets for a total value of approximately 117 million.

The Chateau de Sancerre winery has over 55 hectares of vineyards in the Loire Valley where its origins go back to 1919.

It was founded by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur.
The FWO alleged the contracting arrangement was a sham and the correct relationship for the three workers was as employees.

After part of the FWOs case was dismissed by the Federal Court and the Full Court of the Federal Court, the FWO lodged its first ever High Court appeal.

The High Court unanimously upheld the appeal in late 2015, ruling that Quest South Perth Holdings conduct broke the sham contracting laws.

The matter was referred back to the Federal Court, where penalties have now been imposed against the company by Justice John Gilmour.

Justice Gilmour found that the contraventions were the result of Quest's strategy and desire to engage the employees as independent contractors so their rights and entitlements would not be protected by industrial relations legislation.
Having hit a ceiling at IKEA, Rijnen was approached by drinks brand Diageo, which offered a change of gears with a global supply chain capability management position. The company was in the midst of a recasting of emphasis to become more customer-centric. This coincided with the GFC, which itself necessitated a change in model. It was exciting times, amidst a lot of change.

2009: Take first HR position

Not finding his purpose on the supply chain management side, Rijnen was encouraged to apply for a broad HR role during one of the companys reorganisations, and despite his reservations he joined HR. They gave me an option to go into HR, and I didnt want to; I thought HR was dull  I like the learning side, the transformation side and how HR can be used as a driver of business performance. I thought HR needed a shake-up; and they agreed.

2012: Snags roles in Jamaica and Miami

The year-long program Rijnen ran to help leaders identify their purpose was integral to attaining his first position outside Europe, when he was asked by a past trainee to join Red Stripe in Jamaica. At the same time he was offered the regional project for Diageo Latin America and the Caribbean, led from Miami.
Many POCTs can add up to a lot of blood taken

Unlike the EU-initiated Optimal Blood Use Project (EUOBUP), which aims to supply the right blood product to the right patient at the right time, PBM goes further  pursuing a preventive and corrective impact on those risk factors that usually lead to the need for transfusions. As Gudrun Hintereder MD, head of the central laboratory at the Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt am Main, pointed out, PBM has been implemented in the USA for 20 years, but was only introduced in Germany in 2013.

The central laboratory provides significant support for this project to improve patient safety. Many point of care tests (POCT), plus routine and emergency laboratory examinations are carried out during a hospital stay, which, cumulatively, amount to a lot of blood. The frequency and amount of blood needed contribute significantly to the intensification or development of anaemia, an independent risk factor for increased rates of complications. Treatment of anaemia is often carried out with the help of banked blood transfusions; an expensive medical measure that can also cause numerous side effects. The PBM programme at the Frankfurt University Hospital, a clinical, interdisciplinary project to improve care and safety, aims to preserve and enhance patients own resources, and to reduce and prevent acquired and diagnostically induced anaemia and the adequate use of blood products.
(Reuters) Hedge funds have turned much more bearish towards U.S. natural gas prices after stocks built much more than expected at the start of the summer cooling season. Hedge funds and other money managers cut their net long position in the two main futures and options contracts linked to Henry Hub prices by 765 billion cubic feet in the week to June 6.

Fund managers cut their net long position by a total of 1,349 billion cubic feet over the two weeks since May 23, after boosting positions by 1,721 billion cubic feet over the previous 12 weeks.

To read this article:
The government programme cannot possibly cover all of the challenges that we face, but our values must be close enough to each other, said Sipila.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) and Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo (NCP) have revealed that their negotiations with Jussi Halla-aho, the newly-elected chairperson of the Finns Party, yesterday fell through due to differences in the values between the three ruling parties.

Because of the suspicions that the differences in values have grown larger than before, the risk of us not having the operational capacity to resolve issue was high, he added in a press conference in Helsinki on Monday.

Sipila also estimated that the three-party coalition would have been able to find common ground on many of the possibly difficult details of the government programme, such as the implementation of the immigration policy programme and matters related to the European Union.

Another issue that provoked concerns in both Sipila and Orpo was the insistence of Halla-aho to complete his term in the European Parliament and thus lead the Finns Party from Brussels.

We also went through questions related to the ministerial appointments. He didnt disclose any names, but his useful hints indicated that not all of the ministerial nominees wouldve enjoyed the confidence thats required, noted Sipila.

Orpo similarly reminded that the government programme has been founded on sustainable principles such as human dignity.

Were intent on promoting an open society and linguistic and cultural diversity in accordance with the government programme. The National Coalition is part of a government that approves of these values, this is a threshold issue for us. We wont tolerate hate speech and discrimination, stated Orpo.

Everyone deserves to be respected and valued as an individual. Thats not political liturgy, but about laws and rights, he said, adding that Halla-aho understands and approaches immigration in a way that is difficult to understand for the National Coalition.

Sipila drew attention to the importance of installing a government that is capable of taking action as soon as possible. Its likely that Ill head to the president and ask that the government be relieved of its duties. The objective is to have a capable government as soon as possible and a composition that follows the current government programme as closely as possible.

He also revealed that neither the Green League nor the Social Democratic Party is as opposed to participating in talks over forming a new government as their public statements indicate. Both of the opposition parties have publicly stated that they are only willing to consider joining the government after parliamentary elections.

Theyre interested in shouldering responsibility, phrased Sipila.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Jussi Nukari  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Following Saturdays election of immigration hardliner Jussi Halla-aho as party chair, the Finns Party has collapsed in dramatic fashion. 20 former Finns Party MPs have left the party in order to form New Alternative, a splinter group that includes former Finns Party leader Timo Soini and defeated election candidate Sampo Terho.

The news came in before Prime Minister Juha Sipilas scheduled meeting with President Sauli Niinisto, in which the Prime Minister was set to formally ask the President for permission to dissolve the government. The meeting was arranged after the Prime Minister and National Coalition leader Petteri Orpo determined they were unable to remain in government with a Finns Party led by Halla-aho.

This has now changed, as the governing coalition is able to continue with New Alternative in place of the Finns Party.

Joined by Defence Minister Jussi Niinisto, Health Minister Pirkko Mattila and Parliamentary Speaker Maria Lohela, as well as Foreign Minister Timo Soini and European Affairs Minister Sampo Terho, New Alternative announced on Tuesday afternoon that they would be ready to join the government coalition. The three-party coalition will hold 107 of the 200 seats, giving Sipila the majority he needs.

The group [New Alternative] is ready to continue as part of the Sipila government with the same government programme and constitution," said MP and party chair Simon Elo during a press conference held on Tuesday.

Speaking about the reason for the sudden breakaway from the Finns Party, Elo went on to say: "Today we are not just politicians, but also acting on behalf of our country. This is not just about Jussi Halla-ahos election, but [also] about those elements that have taken over the party.

During his own press conference on Tuesday, Halla-aho told the press that the departure of so many MPs came to him as a surprise. "It was expected that one or a few MPs might have come to that kind of conclusion, but I didnt expect such a large scale movement," Hallo-aho said.

It didnt feel good at all, he added.

Dan Anderson  HT

Photo: Lehtikuva / Jussi Nukari
A WOMAN has returned to tap dancing  at the age of 90.

Margaret Smallbone, of Mountfield, Goring, is one of 14 women who attend a weekly class led by 86-year-old dance teacher Barbara George, of Croft Way,Woodcote.

The former careers adviser has been going to the sessions since Mrs George launched them in the Seventies.

But in recent months she had only been able to watch her fellow students practise and socialise with them afterwards.

Mrs Smallbone was concerned about falling and hurting herself if she took part as she has had both hips replaced.

However, recently she tried just a few steps with success and now dances for about 30 minutes of each hour-long class at Whitchurch village hall.

Mrs Smallbone, who still wears a pair of tap shoes bought more than 25 years ago, is the oldest member of the group, whose average age is about 75.

The women, who come from Woodcote, Whitchurch, Goring and Caversham, are accompanied each week by pianist Carole Wylie, who lives in Woodcote.

Mrs Smallbone, who turned 90 in April, said: I have to sit down regularly and pace myself but Im sure that dancing has played a big part in keeping me healthy.

Ive often mentioned it to various doctors and consultants and theyve always encouraged me to keep it up as long as I dont take on too much weight, so I cant do any jumps.

My balance isnt too great and I dont know how Barbara keeps it up as shes not much younger than me.

She always comes up with brilliant choreography and thats a big part of why everyone keeps coming back.

Its so much fun because it makes you smile and we always have a really good laugh, which is what its all about. I love the rhythm and the piano and whenever we get into a terrible mess we just laugh until the tears are running.

Mrs Smallbone, who has two children and two grandchldren, grew up in Tilehurst and moved to Goring with her late husband Peter in 1965. She retired in 1992.

She joined Mrs Georges class on the recommendation of a friend who attended when it was held at Storton Lodge in Goring.

The group relocated to Whitchurch after Storton Lodge was rebuilt in the Nineties and the new floor was too slippery for dancing.

Over the decades, Mrs Smallbone has taken part in numerous shows throughout the area and performed at various private functions with the group.

In 1986 she was one of six students who travelled to London to take the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing grade II exam in popular tap.

She was commended by the examiner who praised her pleasing presentation, clear and rhythmical footwork and good poise and posture.

Mrs Smallbone first became interested in tap dancing as a girl when she would watch Shirley Temple in films at the Rex Cinema in Tilehurst. She even learned some basic footwork from friends who were taking lessons. However, it wasnt until she was in her fifties that she finally took it up.

It seems a long time ago now, said Mrs Smallbone. Ive always been quite an active person so when I learned about the class I thought Id give it a go.

I took to it pretty well from the beginning as Id learned a few basic taps and steps from a friend who lived next door but one as a child.

Barbara pushed me into doing the grade II test as shes always been a hard taskmaster. I wasnt exactly like Ginger Rogers but I remember it was good fun and we all passed.

Theres a nucleus of core members whove been doing this for years and I dont think well ever give it up because were all a bit nutty and we love it so much.

I remember when I turned 80 I was wondering how much longer I could keep going but 10 years on Im determined to keep going for as long as Im able. Ive never felt like not going.

When youre living on your own, you need good company and I know I can visit the group, have a laugh and a chat, then make a fool of myself and it wont matter two hoots.

Mrs George grew up in Wargrave and started teaching dance when she was 18. She moved to Woodcote with her late husband Clive in 1962 and for many years ran a keep-fit class at Langtree School.

Mrs George said: Everyone in my group has a great laugh and its a good way to keep your mind and body in shape.

Ive suggested winding it up a few times in the last five years but people insist that I should keep going.

Most of the members are quite long-standing and Margaret was one of the first to join. Weve all got our problems as were getting on a bit but when the music starts we all get going.

If something does go wrong, everybody will be in stitches and it takes 10 minutes to get everyone back to square one.

Its lovely to see Margaret giving it a go again. Like many of us, she struggles with her balance but its like riding a bike  you never forget it completely and shes still got it.

I think at any age you mustnt have the attitude that this or that could go wrong. You have to just take a positive outlook and think Im going to do it.

Last year, Doreen Pechey, a 71-year-old former engineer and mathematician from Crays Pond, achieved the Royal Academy of Dances grade VI ballet exam despite having had knee surgery in 2010 and 2014.
SPRING CREEK  Shaylin Morris did not expect her graduation party to become an awards ceremony.

Morris, who graduated last week from Spring Creek High School, was surprised to see U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Josh Kreutzer at her home and even more so to learn that she was the recipient of the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, nominated by her music teacher, Chris Hansen.

The certificate, signed by Gen. J.F. Dunford, commandant of the Marine Corps, is for musical excellence, outstanding leadership, being a good citizen and scholastic achievement, explained Kreutzer.

The Marine Corps recognizes young people who are well-rounded and suited to be future leaders, Kreutzer said, adding that Shaylin is a very accomplished musician and has a very bright future.

Morris played the drums throughout high school, having the opportunity to perform with the marching band, concert band and orchestra, including taking part in the spring musical Roald Dahls Willy Wonka.

However, music has always been a part of Morris life, going back to when she lived in Chicago.

I started young, somewhat, she explained, receiving her first drum kit as a gift from her aunt. She also had the opportunity to play the drums in fourth grade after asking permission to play with the fifth-grade band.

At first, she was told to play base drum or cymbals, but Morris insisted on the snare drum.

So I just picked it up one day, hoping they would hear me, Morris remembered. They (said), OK, we can try this.

After moving to Spring Creek in the seventh grade, Morris joined the advance band at Spring Creek Middle School thanks to her experience in Chicago.

The military is also close to Morris heart as her cousin is a Marine, her grandfather was in the Army, and her father is a police officer in Chicago.

The family tradition of serving also led her, while visiting family, to become a founding member of the POW/MIA Elko Awareness Association when she was 7 years old. She was part of the rifle team before concentrating on marching band.

Morris plans to major in pre-business management and minor in music at the University of Nevada Reno. She said she is still looking forward to a future in music, hoping to go into managing for orchestras and groups.
A bookkeeper who punched his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the mouth and grabbed her throat in a savage attack as she got on a bus has been jailed for 10 months.

Robert Byrne (24) had taken a "serious amount of tablets" when he assaulted the woman, leaving her bleeding and distraught.

He followed her on to the bus, and after his arrest he "mooned" gardai.

Judge Ann Ryan jailed him, saying what happened was a "above and beyond a dreadful situation" and the victim's statement was "upsetting to read".

Abuse

Byrne, from Cedarfield, Drogheda, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the woman at Aston Quay on May 18, 2014.

Dublin District Court heard Byrne had fallen into drug abuse as a result of pain medication he had used following an accident.

He had since gone on a methadone programme and was addressing his problem.

The judge backdated the 10-month sentence to a date in January, when Byrne went into custody.

He was put on two years probationary supervision on other charges.

The judge also told Byrne he should attend anger management counselling.

Previously, Garda Declan Reynolds said the victim called gardai and when they arrived, officers found her "dishevelled and upset", bleeding from cuts.

Byrne was trying to speak to her.

They had met at Busaras and when she went to get her bus, Byrne had started to attack her, Gda Reynolds said.

He pulled her back and punched her in the mouth with his fist.

He pressed his thumb against her right eye, applying pressure.

He had also grabbed the victim by the neck.

Byrne refused to leave the bus and had to be removed by force.

During his arrest, Byrne knocked the patrol van's wing mirror out of place.

While being escorted out of Store Street Garda Station, he broke a panel in the door.

Outside, he dropped his trousers and "mooned" gardai.

Byrne was "most remorseful for his behaviour," his lawyer said.

He had taken valium, codeine, dalmane and alcohol at the time of the incident.
Ken Purcell was told he was free to go after charges were dropped. Photo: Collins

The charges against one of seven men on trial for falsely imprisoning former tanaiste Joan Burton and her adviser at an anti-water charges protest have been dropped.

On day 27 of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial yesterday, Judge Melanie Greally told the jury she would be discharging Ken Purcell from the indictment and he was free to go.

Clapping broke out in court as Mr Purcell shook hands with the six remaining defendants before leaving the courtroom.

The jury was told that prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC had an application to make as a result of a ruling the judge made earlier yesterday, following legal argument in their absence.

Celebrations

Mr Gillane then said that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had asked him to enter a nolle prosequi in relation to the two charges against Mr Purcell.

"The case proceeds no further against Mr Purcell," Mr Gillane said.

Mr Purcell (50), of Kiltalown Green, had pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser, Karen O'Connell, by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, on November 15, 2014.

After clapping broke out in court, the judge reminded supporters that the trial was "not a public performance".

"You can continue whatever celebrations you like outside the court room," she added.

Mr Gillane said the prosecution case is now concluded.

The jury was told it will not be required again until later this week.

The remaining defendants, Paul Murphy (34) of Kingswood Heights, Tallaght; Kieran Mahon (39) of Bolbrook Grove, Tallaght; Michael Murphy (53) of Whitechurch Way, Ballyboden, Dublin; Frank Donaghy (71) of Alpine Rise, Tallaght; Michael Banks (46) of Brookview Green, Tallaght and Scott Masterson (34) of Carrigmore Drive, Tallaght, have pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and Ms O'Connell.

The trial continues.
Jonathan Chubb is accused of stealing four smartphones

A man has appeared in court accused of stealing smartphones worth more than 2,000 in an incident in north Dublin.

Jonathan Chubb (37) had his case adjourned at Dublin District Court for the preparation of a book of evidence.

Mr Chubb, from Keeper Road in Drimnagh, is charged with stealing four iPhone 5s.

The theft is alleged to have happened at Birchdale Road in Kinsealy, north Co Dublin, on July 24, 2015.

The phones allegedly stolen have a combined value of 2,316.

The prosecuting garda told Judge Fiona Lydon that he charged the accused before the court sitting.

Mr Chubb made no reply to the charge after caution, the garda said.

He was handed a copy of the charge sheet, the garda added.

Bail

The DPP was directing trial on indictment, which means the case will be sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when the book of evidence is ready.

Defence solicitor Christine Hanselmann said the accused was consenting to an adjournment.

The judge set bail in the defendant's own bond of 200, with no cash lodgment required.

The court also heard that gardai were also not seeking any conditions to be placed on the accused's bail.

Judge Lydon remanded Mr Chubb on bail to appear in court again on a date in July, for the service of a book of evidence.

She also granted legal aid following an application by Ms Hanselmann.

There was no garda objection.

The defendant has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charge.
A leg and internal organs have been recovered as part of a large-scale search for the remains of a young man who was hacked to death, before being cut up and dumped, possibly in a moment of "sheer panic".

Over the weekend human body parts, including a partial torso, were discovered in two locations within a 20km area in the Wicklow Mountains.

Following the discovery of the partial torso on Saturday evening, internal organs and another part of the torso were discovered on Sunday. Yesterday, a leg was found close to this site by the Garda Water Unit at Glenmacanass waterfall.

A back bone was later discovered by Defence Forces personnel at Lough Brea Lower on Military Road.

The Herald can reveal the gruesome torso find was made by a Dublin family enjoying a day out in the picturesque area on Saturday evening.

While investigators are confident the male victim was murdered before being dismembered and his remains scattered, a gangland hit is unlikely because of the frenzied nature of the dismemberment.

Expand Close Garda divers search water in the hunt for further body parts of the mountain victim. Photo: Collins / Facebook

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"This was not a professional job," a senior source told the Herald last night.

One theory being examined by investigators is that the victim may have been murdered and disposed of by a person or people "in sheer panic".

Mutilated

"The partial torso located on Saturday evening was located in a bag and there was no effort made to conceal it, given where it was found.

"The same can be said for the second crime scene around 15km away.

"There is a lot of work to do to determine what happened but in the initial stages, it can't be ruled out that this killing and the attempts to cut and dispose of the body were done in sheer panic, and not by experienced killers," the source said.

Gardai have confirmed that the body parts recovered belong to the same person.

Although the individual has not yet been identified, investigators believe that they belong to a male aged in his mid-20s.

A murder investigation is expected to be launched by detectives at Bray Garda Station.

Detectives are also trawling through the missing persons database as part of their probe but so far this has failed to yield results which may determine the identity of the victim.

A massive search operation has been undertaken over the last three days as officers attempt to find more remains.

Speaking yesterday afternoon, Supt Pat Ward appealed for anyone who may be missing a loved one to contact gardai.

"We're checking our missing person's database but have not yet found a match. If there is anybody out there who has loved ones missing, we'd like to hear from them, please report it to the gardai," Supt Ward said.

"The post mortem indicates the person died possibly in the last week or maybe a little while before that. So it's not one of the historic cases, as they are known, in relation to people missing in the Wicklow Mountains."

Gardai believe that the remains were recently left at the two crime scenes and that the killing took place within the last 10 days.

Identification

Members of the Garda Technical Bureau and Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carried out examinations of the scene on Sunday and Monday.

The recovered remains were then taken to the Mater Hospital where an X-ray was carried out to assist with the identification process.

They have since been taken to the pathology department in Whitehall for further examination. The post-mortem examination has also been completed and investigators are awaiting DNA results to assist with their inquiries.

More than 100 gardai and Defence Force members are currently searching along a 30km area in the Wicklow Mountains National Park between the Featherbeds and Laragh.

Members of the Garda Water Unit and Dog Unit are also involved in the operation.

The site where the torso was found is located about 1km from the Glencree Peace and Reconciliation Centre on the Dublin side.

The area is popular with cyclists and hill walkers and gardai are appealing for witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious in the last few weeks.

The first discovery was made by walkers on Old Military Road at 7.45pm on Saturday evening.

The family returned from a hike to discover that their car had been broken into.

As they searched the area for their belongings, they made the grim discovery. The theft is not linked to the investigation into the human remains.

Gardai have appealed for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or has information in relation to the investigation to call Bray Garda Station on 01-666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666-111 or any Garda Station.
Parking underground at St Jamess Hospital costs 2.50 an hour, with a daily charge of 15 after six hours

Public car parking at the country's biggest hospital can cost up to 15 a day, but private patients have their car parking charges capped at 3, the Herald can reveal.

The two-tier parking charge system on the grounds of St James's Hospital sees patients attending the private clinic, which runs from 9 to 5pm, getting a much cheaper rate.

Parking in the nearby underground car park, which is open to all patients and visitors, costs 2.50 an hour - with a daily levy of 15 kicking in after six hours.

The hospital receives more than 300m a year from the HSE.

People attending the St James's private clinic, which accommodates consultants and diagnostic suites, pay at reception rather than at a machine.

"The car parking charges for the private clinic remain unchanged since it recently moved location on site," said a spokesperson for the hospital.

"These charges are currently under review."

Cancer patients attending the hospital get a discount, but it can still amount to 5 maximum a day.

Crippling

The Irish Cancer Society has called for free or subsidised parking for all cancer patients receiving treatment.

It contacted every hospital that provides cancer treatment in Ireland and found no diff- erence between the 2016 and 2017 rates.

"Instead, during 2016, while cancer patients were struggling to pay crippling parking costs, the revenue raised from parking at all but four cancer hospitals increased," said a spokesperson.

"Last year, hospitals that offer cancer treatment raised almost 18.75m in car parking fees, up over 4m on 2015."

Health Minister Simon Harris said each hospital has its own arrangement in relation to car parking charges "which reflects its specific circumstances".

The HSE has advised that it does not provide guidelines on hospital parking and each hospital or hospital group implements its own guidelines.

Meanwhile, a report from the Department of Health shows that in the four years between 2012 and 2014, the number of private patients treated in public hospitals rose by 16,000.

Since 2014, public hospitals have charged insured patients up to 813 a night, even if they end up in a public bed.

An HSE spokesman said admission staff "are required to speak with patients to establish whether they wish to be treated as a private patient and if necessary ask the patients to sign waiver forms".
Jonathan Keogh is being held in a UK prison, after he was arrested by British police on Sunday when they stopped his car

A Dublin man who has been arrested in the UK in relation to a Hutch/Kinahan feud murder will spend at least two months in a London prison, as he plans to fight his extradition back to Ireland.

Jonathan Keogh (31) was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by gardai.

Members of the UK's elite National Crime Agency (NCA) swooped on Keogh shortly before 1am, as he travelled in a car in the Romford area of Essex.

Gardai are eager to return Keogh to Ireland so they can question him in relation to the feud murder of Gareth Hutch (35), a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

Handcuffed

Keogh appeared before a sitting of Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday morning, where his case was adjourned until next Tuesday.

He will appear via video-link on June 19.

However, a spokesman for the HM Courts and Tribunal Service stated that the adjournment was sought for a "non-standard reason" and that a further hearing is scheduled to take place in August.

It means that Keogh will be held in a UK prison for at least two months as he attempts to fight his extradition back to Ireland.

However, a source said that the actual extradition process could go on for "many months" if Keogh fights the case through the UK justice system.

Exclusive pictures obtained by the Herald show undercover detectives with their faces covered standing around Keogh, who is handcuffed, after his arrest.

Shattered glass can also be seen on the ground beside the vehicle he was travelling in, with up to six police units involved in the operation.

Father-of-one Gareth Hutch was shot dead by two gunmen outside his home in Avondale House, North Cumberland Street, in May 2016.

CCTV footage which captured the callous murder shows two men with their faces covered approach Hutch from behind, before fatally shooting him.

Gardai suspect the killing was linked to the ongoing Hutch/Kinahan feud, which has so far claimed 12 lives.

Victim

The latest victim, Michael Keogh (37), is the brother of Jonathan Keogh.

He was gunned down in an underground car park last month at Sheridan Court in the north inner city.

The small-time criminal was not directly involved in the ongoing feud and was considered a soft target.

His body was released to his family yesterday, after a post-mortem examination was completed.

Sources have stated that tensions between the Hutch/Kinahan factions remain extremely high in the wake of the most recent murder.

A number of tit-for-tat attacks targeting the cars of innocent family members have also taken place in recent weeks.

Four cars belonging to the relatives of the Hutch family were burnt out, while a car belonging to the mother of a Kinahan associate was also set alight.
Gardai at the scene of the shooting in Shangan Green in Ballymun

Three teenagers were rushed to hospital last night after suffering shotgun injuries in an incident in north Dublin.

Gardai and emergency services responded to reports of a shooting on Shangan Green in Ballymun shortly before 8pm.

On arrival, they discovered three young males who had suffered apparent gunshot wounds.

Ambulance

They were taken by ambulance to The Mater University Hospital and Temple Street Children's Hospital, where they were being treated for "minor injuries".

A source said the injuries were most likely caused by shotgun pellets.

The scene was being preserved last night for a technical and forensic examination.

Gardai in Ballymun are investigating the incident and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

No arrests had been made last night.

Local representative Noeleen Reilly of Sinn Fein told the Herald that tensions had been building up in the area in recent months, with more and more anti-social behaviour happening.

Ms Reilly said the area's gardai are depleted in attempting to deal with issues on guns and other anti-social issues, such as drugs.

"It's just awful," Ms Reilly said last night.

Fear

"I got a sense that this was building up in the community.

"There's never been less community gardai in the area than there is now.

"We certainly don't need guns in our area and with what's gone on in the north-inner city, you just tend to fear something will happen," she said.

"This is the second shooting [in the area] in a couple of months."
BRISTOL, Va.  Turnout is expected to be light today as Virginia voters cast ballots in both Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary elections.

Polls are scheduled to open at 6 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m. in contests featuring two Democratic hopefuls and three Republicans for governor and three apiece in the race for lieutenant governor.

Neither state attorney general candidate appears on the ballot since each is running unopposed.

Interest for a primary election is always lower, Bristol Virginia General Registrar Penny Limburg said Monday. Turnout for a June primary is generally about 2 percent. The last [primary] we had was June 2013. It was Democratic and we had a total of 119 people show up. That was 1 percent. In 2012, we had a Republican primary with 3.3 percent turnout; about 400 people voted in that one.

Derek Lyall, director of elections for Washington County, was a bit more optimistic about turnout.

I think it will be a low turnout, but its hard to say, Lyall said. Im expecting heavier turnout than four years ago for a Democratic primary for just lieutenant governor and attorney general. Having governors races in both parties, I think well be over that.

The city currently has 10,800 registered voters and the county more than 35,800.

On the Democratic ballot, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam faces Tom Perriello in the race for governor. The trio running for the lieutenant governors post includes Justin Fairfax, Gene Rossi and Susan Platt.

The Northam-Perriello contest is rated a toss-up in a variety of recent polls with Northam spending about $5.1 million and former U.S. Rep. Perriello about $3.4 million, each to try and succeed Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who cant seek re-election. McAuliffe has endorsed Northam.

On the Republican ballot, the field of gubernatorial hopefuls includes Ed Gillespie, Corey Stewart and Frank Wagner, while the lieutenant governors race features Bryce Reeves, Glenn Davis Jr. and Jill Vogel.

A Hampton University Center for Public Policy poll released late last week shows Perriello has a 6 percentage point edge over Northam with a significant number of undecided voters. That same poll shows Gillespie with a 15 point lead over both challengers.

Gillespie has spent more than $2.4 million thus far, many times over what challengers Stewart and Wagner have even raised.

Statewide, there are seven contested House of Delegate primary races but none in Southwest Virginia.

The only local race to appear on any area ballot is a Washington County Board of Supervisors GOP primary contest between incumbent Chairman Randy Pennington and challenger Joseph Boyd Jr.

All voters must show a photo ID, which can include a drivers license, a Virginia or federal ID card, one from a Virginia college or high school or an employee ID, Limburg said.

Voters need to declare which primary they wish to vote in, Limburg said. You cant vote in both, but that does not mean you are registered under that party. Virginia doesnt do party registration.

Temperatures are expected to rise from the 60s into the low 80s with a 20 percent chance of rain during the afternoon and evening.
KINGSPORT, Tenn.  Six mining operations affiliated with Alpha Natural Resources were recently recognized for outstanding safety performance.

The affiliates operating in West Virginia were honored for safety achievements by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, according to a written statement. The association is a nonprofit organization that promotes health and safety in the mining industry in West Virginia coal mines and facilities.

It consists of representatives from federal and state governments, mining organizations and labor.

The cited operations include underground facilities Marfork Coal Co. Coon Cedar Grove mine; Kingston Mining, Kingston No. 2 mine; Mammoth Coal Co. Slabcamp mine; and surface operations Brooks Run Mining Co. Seven Pines preparation plants and loadouts; Delbarton Mining, Delbarton preparation plant and Black Castle Mining, Homer III [Admiral] processing plant.

Four of the operations are repeat winners of the Holmes Safety Award. Coon Cedar, Slabcamp, the Delbarton plant and the Homer III/Admiral plant were similarly honored last year.

We are proud of the safety achievements of our miners, said Brian Keaton, Alphas senior vice president of safety and health. Safety is a value year-round, and getting our employees home safely is paramount, so it is gratifying to see these employees honored for the focus and attention they place on the safety of their fellow employees.
BRISTOL, Va. - The City Council wants an update on the proposed sale of BVU's OptiNet division and is threatening to consider withdrawing its approval of the deal.

An amended agenda for Tuesday's meeting issued Monday evening includes an item to consider the deal, which the council approved in March 2016. Vice Mayor Archie Hubbard said Monday night that city leaders have concerns.

"A lot has gone on and we want to know what is the status of the deal," Hubbard said. "The city has an agreement with BVU that we split the proceeds of a sale after all the OptiNet debt is paid off. We want some information about what the plans are."

BVU is attempting to sell its telecommunications division to Sunset Digital Communications in a $50 million agreement that requires a series of approvals. Nearly all of those approvals have been secured and BVU officials said last month they expect the deal might close early in the next fiscal year.

On Monday, BVU President and CEO Don Bowman said he was just learning about the city's concerns.

"I didn't get an invitation to come speak. This is all news to me," Bowman said in a phone interview. "We do a Sunset update at every board meeting and City Council has a board member. I don't know if he shares that information with them or not."

Bowman said he is out of town and doubts he could return in time to attend Tuesday's meeting.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  The suit was filed Tuesday by First Judicial District Attorney Tony Clark, Second Judicial District Attorney Barry Staubus, and Third Judicial District Attorney Dan Armstrong.

Along with the opioid manufacturers that are being sued by the district attorneys, Elizabeth Ann Campbell, Pamela Moore and Center Pointe Medical Clinic are also listed as defendants for "diverting and illegally selling opioids in upper East Tennessee."

Baby Doe, who is listed as a fourth plaintiff in the suit, is described in the complaint as a baby born in Sullivan County that suffers from neonatal abstinence syndrome. Babies with NAS are born addicted to drugs due to their mothers consuming drugs while pregnant. They go through withdrawal from the drugs as soon as they're born and experience long-term effects.

"Baby doe" is referred to as the face of the case.

Staubus announced at a news conference today held at Niswonger Childrens Hospital that the suit had been filed.

Sullivan County has been the hardest hit by what officials call the opioid epidemic in Tennessee holding the highest rate of opioid addiction in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. In 2016, at least 106 deaths in the county involved opioids, according to Staubus.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  The district attorneys general of Tennessees First, Second and Third Judicial Districts jointly filed a lawsuit today against prescription opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma L.P., its related companies, Mallinckrodt PLC and Endo Pharmaceuticals, according to a news release.

Filed in Sullivan County Circuit Court in Kingsport, Tennessee, the lawsuit also names a fourth plaintiff, Baby Doe by and through his Guardian Ad Litem, along with Center Pointe Medical Clinic, LLC, and two convicted opioid dealers as additional defendants.

Tennessee has the second-highest rate of opioid addiction in the nation, as noted in the lawsuit, and Sullivan County is ground zero for opioid addiction in our state, says Barry Staubus, district attorney general for Tennessees Second Judicial District. This region has experienced devastating consequences as a result of the opioid epidemic. Too many of our citizens lives have been turned upside down as a result of opioid abuse, and far too many have actually lost their lives from an overdose.

The lawsuit alleges that:

Purdue Pharma embarked on a fraudulent campaign to convince physicians that OxyContin created minimal risk of addiction;

As Purdues marketing efforts demonstrated success in the form of rapid increases in opioid prescriptions, Mallinckrodt, Endo Pharmaceuticals and other opioid manufacturers joined Purdue in its fraudulent scheme;

Purdues efforts and those of the other defendants to mislead doctors and the public about the need for, and addictive nature of, opioid drugs led to an opioid epidemic, created an environment for thousands of individuals in Tennessee to become addicted to opioids, and fueled a dramatic increase in Sullivan County, Tennessee, in the number of individuals exposed to, and addicted to, OxyContin, Roxicodone, Opana ER and other opioids, and;

The police departments, schools, district attorneys offices, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and taxpayers of the state of Tennessee and Sullivan County will bear the financial burden of Purdues fraudulent campaign for decades to come.

For many years, Purdue Pharma has inaccurately promoted OxyContin as being an appropriate medication for chronic pain, and being less likely than other pain medications to cause addiction, says J. Gerard Stranch, IV, managing partner for Nashville, Tennessee-based law firm Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC. Their aggressive marketing of this product has resulted in an opioid epidemic that is ravaging Tennessee, causing immense suffering to those born addicted to opioids, and costing millions of dollars to local governments forced to deal with the aftermath.

Return to heraldcourier.com and read Wednesday's edition of the Bristol Herald Courier for more.
CARSON CITY (AP)  Nevada's first female acting state forester says bolstering firefighter training is among her priorities as she takes over an agency that recently underwent an investigation and added more seasonal firefighters.

Kacey KC was named to the post in April after the former state forester, Joe Freeland, resigned following an independent investigation into a fire set by authorities to reduce wildfire risk that escaped and destroyed 23 homes north of Carson City.

The probe concluded the state Forestry Division needed more seasonal firefighters and more training. Since then, the agency has hired an additional 37 recruits compared with the previous three years.

KC said she's worried about this year's fire season, as the area's wet winter produced a large amount of cheatgrass, a weed that helps fuel wildfires. To prepare, she's focused on building on the firefighter training program.

"The fires are here, but we're on top of it," KC said.

She added: "I feel excited for the opportunities ahead of this team. We have time to grow from past experiences and perfect what we do."

KC previously served as deputy administrator. Years earlier, she says, she gained invaluable experience while serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal. That's also where she got her unusual last name.

KC, whose maiden name is Kester, said she started her current career path while serving as a community forester in Nepal and ended up meeting the man she would marry.

Her husband's name was Khantri-Chhetri, two popular surnames in Nepal where it's common to abbreviate Nepali surnames with initials.

KC says when they moved to the United States in 2002, her husband had to remove the periods from his abbreviated name for his official ID. That's how she became Kacey KC.

She now lives with her husband and two daughters in Gardnerville, where she graduated from Douglas High School in 1995.

KC began her career at the Nevada Division of Forestry in 2002 after graduating from the University of Montana with a bachelor's in forestry resource and conservation.

Two years before that, she did the stint in Nepal, where she worked with local groups and helped develop plans to manage land in areas where forests were degraded by landslides.

"I learned way more from those in Nepal than they learned from me," she told the Nevada Appeal. "Working with a different culture and environment helped me develop my skills and ability as a forester."
The nail-biting race between Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican challenger Adam Laxalt remained too early to call after polls closed across Nevada Tuesday night. Laxalt and Cortez Masto have been locked in a tight race for weeks, both hitting hard on national party talking points. Laxalt has blamed inflation and illegal immigration on Democratic policies. Cortez Masto has promised to block GOP-led attempts at a nationwide abortion ban and said she will fight for a pathway to permanent citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children. Both candidates told supporters late Tuesday night that they expected to come out ahead once all the votes were counted.
Fifteen thousand high-definition DVDs per second. One hundred thousand messages per second. And all of this through a pipe that measures little more than 10 centimeters across. This underwater super-cable, which will count on an initial capacity of 160 terabits per second  a figure that will grow as the technology becomes available  is known as Marea. And this morning work began to connect it to the town of Sopelana, in the Bay of Biscay, just 18 kilometers from the Basque Country city of Bilbao.

A workman checks that the cable is positioned correctly. FERNANDO DOMINGO-ALDAMA

More information Bilbao se enchufa al megacable submarino que unira Europa y EEUU

The boat that has traveled the 6,600 kilometers that separate the Basque coast from Virginia Beach, in the United States, began the last part of its journey this week, one that will see the roll-out of the latest technology in data distribution, and which has been created thanks to a joint project from Facebook and Microsoft, and which will be managed by Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica through its affiliate Telxius. The project is due to be finished in a couple of months.

According to Facebook, the cable will mean an exponential increase in quality and service for its users

Between the boat and the mooring on land there were plenty of waves this morning at 7.30am  and plenty of surfers trying to make the most of them. The ship was moored around 300 meters off the coast. The head of networking for Facebook, Kevin Salvadori, said he considered the securing of the cable on the Spanish side and its deployment to be milestone. He was speaking from a restaurant that looks out onto the Arriatera beach in Sopelana. Below him, on the sand, technicians were working on the guide that was connecting the cable itself from the boat.

Over the course of the day, the cable was due to be definitively hooked up to Spanish soil. For Salvadori, Marea is a strategic project that will help Facebook in its mission to make the world more open and better connected. According to Facebook, the cable will mean an exponential increase in quality and service for its users.

The Marea cable will hook up to the current fiber network in Europe, which links the main data centers of Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London

Franck Rey, head of Global Network Acquisition at Microsoft Cloud Infrastructure and Operations, said: Our lives depend on networks and we are moving more and more toward cloud-based computing [for remote data storage]. He believes the new cable on the southern route between Spain and the United States  most routes make land in New York or the New Jersey area  will be the most reliable.

The Marea cable will hook up to the current fiber network in Europe, which links the main data centers of Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. The copper-clad cable will reach depths as low as 4,000 meters under the sea as it crosses the Atlantic. The director of cable operations for Telxius, Rafael Arranz, was overjoyed. This is not 4,000 DVDs a second [of data capacity], it is 15,000 high-definition DVDs. And that will keep increasing as the technology improves. I have spent 20 years laying cable and I hope I dont have to wait so long for the next one to arrive in the Basque Country and Spain.

English version by George Mills.
Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

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Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex
Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

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Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex
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Colonel Dharam Virs heroic role in the 1971 Battle of Longewala was brilliantly portrayed by actor Akshaye Khanna in the 1997 blockbuster film, Border, which celebrates its 20th anniversary today.

The officer, then a 22-year-old lieutenant, says that Akshaye was a good choice to play his role on screen. I met him once in Delhi at an event. He came up to me and spoke very nicely. He was very sweet. Even in the movie, he was just like me... simple! I was a very simple boy. Uss time pe ladke aise hi hote the. Seedhe se. Ab toh bahut smart and clever hain, he laughs. Akshaye even got clicked with the officer, his wife and two sons, one of whom is an Army officer now.

The retired colonel, who now lives in Gurgaon, remembers the events that led to the making of the film as vividly as the battle. I was commanding an infantry battalion in 1992 when JP Dutta, the director and producer of the film, came to meet me. His brother, an Air Force officer, had told him about the Air Forces role in the battle and told him to make a movie on it. He wanted my story; I gave it. But I told him to seek permission from the Army Headquarters first. I also said that all sacrifices should be acknowledged.

Actor Akshaye Khanna in a still from Border, in which he played the role of Colonel Dharam Vir, then a young lieutenant.

Colonel Dharam Vir says that he didnt hear from JP Dutta after that, until the time around the release of the film. I got a call from [JP Dutta] and he said that the Censor Board was not clearing his film, as I had been shown as a martyr in it. He asked me to send a fax saying I had no objection. I was very innocent... didnt know what a fax was (laughs). I spoke to my wife and she said I must send it. Desh ka sawaal hai, she said. So I sent a fax saying, I, Colonel Dharamvir, have no objection to Akshaye Khanna depicting my role. You can depict it the way you like. I wrote something like that, says the 68-year-old.

The film was then immediately cleared by the Censor Board. The colonel says that he wasnt invited to any of the events preceding the films release, though Brigadier Kuldip Chandpuri (played by actor Sunny Deol) was. Maybe I wasnt that famous, and its okay, he says, adding that many people had tried to incite him against JP Dutta after the release of Border. They said he shouldnt have killed your character. Take legal action. I told each of them the same thing: I am a soldier, I remain a soldier and I will die a soldier. Soldiers dont do such things. This is not a gentlemans conduct. People also come up to me and ask me if I got any reward for this. I didnt do anything for a reward but after all these years, I feel perhaps I should have.

Though Colonel Dharam Vir had no issues with the dramatisation of his character, his wife (played by Pooja Bhatt in the movie) would sometimes get miffed as people went by what they saw in the movie and kept quizzing her about the cancelled wedding. In the film, since Dharam Virs character never returns from battle, the woman he loves cant marry him. Some other details were also changed in the film, such as the place where she lived.

Kabhi gussa ho jaati thi, kyunki usne Daulat Ram College se MA kiya tha. She was born and brought up in Delhi. We never lived in a village. And we hadnt even met when the [Battle of Longewala] happened. I met her in 1972. It was a proper arranged marriage. I lost her in July 2015, he says.

Cinematic details aside, Colonel Dharam Vir says that he can still visualise the battle as it played out in December 1971. It was a moonlight night. The sand was glittering. And I heard the tanks. And do you know what Brigadier Chandpuri said when I told him the attack was coming towards us? Generator ki awaaz hai. He didnt believe me until the guns started firing and a shell landed at Longewala. Another thing I clearly remember is spotting a helicopter and asking permission to shoot it down. He asked me, Tiranga or chaand sitara? I said, Sir, chaand sitara. [The helicopter] was there to evacuate an injured Pakistani major. We didnt shoot it.

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Kritika Chaudhary, a struggling actor, aged around 25 years, was found dead with blood oozing from her head at her rented residence in Andheri west, the police said. They added that prima facie its a case of murder but only an autopsy will help them ascertain it.

Kritika was staying on rent in a room on the fifth floor of Bhairavnath SRA building in Four Bungalows. She stayed alone but her friends from the TV industry visited her.

According to the Amboli police Kritika was found lying on the bed in the bedroom and there was blood coming out of her head. She was in her night dress. The police said it is difficult to comment on whether she was sexually assaulted and only medical experts will clear that.

Kritika hails from Uttarakhand. She was last seen by her buildings watchman either on Wednesday or Thursday. Her body was found in a decomposed state. Her neighbours called the police after a pungent stench started emanating from her locked room.

The AC was on and the room was locked from the outside, which may be planned by the murderer to ensure the body does not decompose soon and that her visitors see the locked house and believe shes not home.

Her phone has a voice lock and so it is difficult for police to access it. They are taking technical assistance to open it. They have informed her brother back home, who is on his way to Mumbai.

Kritika had come to Mumbai few years back and has appeared in small roles on Television. She was very active on Facebook where she had uploaded hundreds of her photographs. Her latest photographs were posted on June 6.

Her last comments on Facebook on May 26 were about being happy all the time even if you are lonely. She had posted her own photos smiling and seated alone on a boat moving on a sea coast. She commentd that like she is alone but happy, no one needs anyone for happiness.

Its not clear to police if she was in a relationship or had gone through a break up. Till now an accidental death report is registered. Her autopsy report from Cooper hospital is awaited.
Priyanka Chopra is in Prague, having a jolly good time. The actor, who has had a hectic week in Mumbai juggling between brand commitments, reading scripts and spending quality time with her family and friends, now seems to be too tired to even smile for a picture.

She posted a pretty selfie on Tuesday morning where she was too tired to even smile.

Sometimes you're too tired to smile. #Prague here I come A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 12, 2017 at 10:59pm PDT

She then posted a beautiful picture of Prague and a stunning view from a rooftop.

Omgeeee beautiful view. Will keep u posted on my #praguediaries #nofilterneeded #makingnewmemories A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 13, 2017 at 6:12am PDT

Priyanka then visited the Charles Bridge where she posed in a breezy baby blue dress and a white overcoat.

Being a tourist.. #CharlesBridge #praguediariesin @camillaandmarc @tanyataylor @cristinaehrlich A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 13, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

And there is one by the side of Vltava river.

Nostalgic.. the beautiful Vltava river #praguediaries A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 13, 2017 at 8:12am PDT

Priyanka even posted some Instagram stories of her time in the city and enjoying watching street performers:

The 34-year-old, before leaving for her next destination, made sure to have a gala time with Team PC. She took to social media to share a picture with her team and mother Madhu Chopra.

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Decomposed body of a woman in her early twenties was found in her room in Four Bungalows area of Andheri (west) on Monday afternoon.

The woman is an aspiring actor Kritika Chaudhary and has done small time roles in TV. The police have sent the body for a postmortem. The police suspect it to be a case of murder.

As her room was locked from the outside, the police suspect she was murdered. They broke open the lock after a neighbour complained of a foul smell from the room.

According to Amboli police, a resident of Bhairavnath SRA society in Four Bungalows area called the police control room and informed them about a stench from one of the locked rooms in their building.

A team rushed to the spot and the room was found locked from the outside. The police broke open the door and found the womans decomposed body. She has been identified as Kritika Chaudhary, an aspiring model and actress, She had come to Mumbai sometime back.

An autopsy was conducted at the Cooper hospital.

The police said it looked like a case of murder but said it can only be confirmed after her post mortem report arrived.
It is a moment of pride for Akshay Kumar and the team of Toilet Ek Prem Katha as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently lauded the trailer as good effort. The trailer, released yesterday, has garnered more than nine million views in a day.

It starts with Keshav aka Akshay Kumar repeatedly telling his father that he wants to get married. Then, we see him marrying a buffalo because he is a manglik.

As the trailer moves forward, he meets his dream girl, Bhumi Pednekar, and both are soon married. It is the morning after the marriage that Bhumi is rudely introduced to the lota gang because Akshays house has no toilet. She soon leaves him due to this and Akshay, who is deeply in love with his wife, wants to bring in awareness about the risks of defecating in open and wants to build a toilet at home.

Good effort to further the message of cleanliness. 125 crore Indians have to continue working together to create a Swachh Bharat. https://t.co/C0XKPpguW7  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 12, 2017

In the three-minute video, director Shree Narayan Singh manages to highlight the importance of sanitation in India. In spite of the serious social message, the fast paced promo entertains you at all levels. Divyendu Sharma, the Pyar ka Punchnama fame, plays Akshays friend.

The flick is slated to release on August 11.
From the Chapter 1: A First Word

This is an unconventional biography of Indira Gandhifor it deals with only one aspect of her personality and her record in office.

Why focus on Indira Gandhis life as a naturalist when she was quintessentially a politician?

The answer is simple.

A naturalist is who Indira Gandhi really was, who she thought she was. She got sucked into the whirlpool of politics but the real Indira Gandhi was the person who loved the mountains, cared deeply for wildlife, was passionate about birds, stones, trees and forests, and was worried deeply about the environmental consequences of urbanization and industrialization.

She was the only head of government, other than the host prime minister, to speak at the first-ever United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. Her speech there has reverberated down the decades.

She was singularly responsible not just for Indias best-known wildlife conservation programmenamely, Project Tigerbut also for less highprofile initiatives for the protection of crocodiles, lions, hanguls, cranes, bustards, flamingos, deer and other endangered species.

She almost single-handedly pushed through two lawsone for the protection of wildlife and another for the conservation of forests, which continue to hold sway. Todays laws for dealing with water and air pollution were enacted during her tenure.

Indira Gandhi used her political authority to save ecologically sensitive areas from destruction like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the entire northeast and the rainforests in the Western Ghats.

She repeatedly drew the attention of chief ministers and other political colleagues to issues concerning wildlife, forests, pollution, resettlement, and for the need to always maintain what she called ecological balance.

She highlighted, time and again, the inextricable link between Indias natural and built heritage. Indeed, she was one of the very fewperhaps, the only oneto see nature and culture as two sides of the same coin.

It is because of these accomplishments, among several others, that Indira Gandhi deserves to be looked at with a fresh green lens. While her politics and economics changed over the years, all through she remained steadfast to conservation. This passion survived the vicissitudes in her life.



Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi watching lions in Gir, Gujarat; November 1955 (Courtesy Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature)

On matters related to the environment, she was open-minded and deeply engaged all the time. She listened, consulted and reached out. She responded to what she was being told. She was both active and proactive. She gave political space to different points of view; she offered time, often at short notice, to those who would not normally have been able to reach individuals at the helm of decision-making. She took courageous positions that had no immediate electoral payoffs.

The environmentalist in her has never got the acknowledgement it warrants from her biographers A cohesive ecological narrative extending right through her life based on written records has been missing.

That is the unabashed reason for this book. It is an exploration of a relatively under-appreciated dimension of Indira Gandhis personality and of her achievements in public life as an ecologist.

Whatever the judgement regarding her politics or economics, Indira Gandhi is still relevant as far as Indias search for ecological security in its pursuit of high economic growth is concerned.

Indira Gandhi in Himachal Pradesh; winter 1956 (Courtesy Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature)

On more than one occasion Indira Gandhi had said that she was no feminist. By the same token, she was no narrow, one-dimensional environmentalist either. She was always acutely aware and deeply conscious that she was the prime minister of a country burdened by deprivation and poverty, a country where malnutrition and disease were widely prevalent, a country where the main challenge was to educate a growing population and provide it with expanding employment opportunities.

Her entire effort, therefore, was to arrive at a balance between ecology and economic growth. This meant that, at times, she would align herself with the ecology and on other occasions, with the forces of growth and industrialization, while insisting on ecological safeguards

From Chapter 3: The Companionship Years (19501964)

By Indiras own admission, her entire life revolved around Indias first prime minister.  for the purposes of this bookits best to describe the time between 1950 and 1964 as the companionship years.

For fourteen years, Indira Gandhi lived in Teen Murti House, the prime ministers official residence in a lush green 65-acre complex with peacocks and various other birds. This sprawling colonial-era bungalow was originally built for the British commander-in-chief who started living there in 1930. When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948, there was concern that Nehru might be the next target. A reluctant Nehru was persuaded by his cabinet to move into the bungalow, which he did on 2 August 1948. Indira Gandhi shuttled back and forth between Lucknow and New Delhi, before moving in full-time with her father in early 1950.

Jawaharlal Nehru with Himalayan pandas, Teen Murti House; 1957. (Courtesy Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature)

The prime ministers residence was a mini-zoo of sortsas graphically described by Indira Gandhi herself seven years into her stay there:

We always had dogs, the good kind with long pedigrees and others rescued off the streets that were just as devotedalso parrots, pigeons, squirrels and practically every small creature common to the Indian scene. And we thought life was pretty full, looking after them on top of all the older [sic] chores. Then in Assam, we were presented with a baby cat-bear (or red Himalayan panda), although we did not know what it was until we reached Agartala and were able to study the book of Indian animals in the Commissioners library [] Much later we got him a mate [] and now they have the most adorable little cubsthe first, I believe, to be bred in captivity. My father calls on the panda family morning and evening. They miss him when he is out of station []

Two years ago, we received our first tiger cubsthere were three named Bhim, Bhairav and Hidamba. A man came from Lucknow Zoo to teach us how to look after them [After a while] we sent them off to the Lucknow Zoo where you can still meet Bhim and Hidimba; magnificent beasts, their muscles rippling with power and grace. [Marshal Tito] asked for one of them and Bhairav now resides in Belgrade.



Of all the jungles magnificent creatures, Indira was unarguably most committed to the tiger. She had read Jim Corbett, of course, but perhaps the first time she actually saw the beast in the wild was on 19 October 1955 on the way to Jog Falls in Karnataka. That day, she wrote to her father:

Here I am after all. And truly its a sight worth seeing. The scenery all along the road was very lovely too, although the road itself was deplorable.

Just as I was being told that there is no likelihood of seeing any wild animal at that time of the forenoon and in this season when water is plentiful throughout the forest, a tiger, magnificent creature, sauntered across the road just in front of our car.

The sight was permanently etched in her mindand twenty-seven years later she recalled it vividly in a foreword to a book of wildlife photographs by one of her senior colleagues from Karnataka.

Indira Gandhi with four chief ministers(left to right) V.P. Naik, chief minister of Maharashtra; Ghanshyam Oza, chief minister of Gujarat; Barkatullah Khan, chief minister of Rajasthan; and P.C. Sethi, chief minister of Madhya Pradeshsigning an agreement on projects along the Narmada; August 1972. (Courtesy Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature)

Consequently, if theres one environmental cause Indira is forever associated with, it is tiger conservation. Intriguingly, throughout the 1950s, the Indian Board for Wild Life (IBWL), set up in April 1952, never recommended a ban on shooting tigers. In fact, in its very first meeting in Mysore in NovemberDecember 1952, it identified fourteen animals that required urgent protection, but failed to mention the grand beast! A ban on hunting tigers came to be initiated only in 1970, four years after Indira became prime minister.

Read more: Emergency gave democratic credentials to RSS, Modi: Jairam Ramesh

But that Indira thoroughly disapproved of the practice is revealed by a letter dated 7 September 1956 that she wrote to her son Rajiv:

We have received a huge tigers skin. The tiger was shot by the Maharaja of Rewa only two months ago. The skin is lying in the ballroom. Every time I pass it I feel very sad that instead of lying here he might have been roaming and roaring in the jungle. Our tigers are such beautiful creatures, so graceful. You can see their muscles rippling under their skins. Such a short time ago he must have been King of the Junglestriking terror in the hearts of other animals.

I am so glad that nowadays more and more people prefer to go into the jungles with their cameras instead of guns. It seems such a shame to deprive anything of the joy of living just for our pleasure.

Indira Gandhi feeding kangaroo during a retreat organized by the Commonwealth Summit, Melbourne, Australia; May 1981. (Courtesy Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature)
For someone whose book has sold close to a million copies across the world in just a year and drawn comparisons with bestsellers such as the Gone Girl and The Talented Mr Ripley, Lisa Hilton, 41, has her feet firmly on the ground.

I dont think I am famous, she says in a matter-of-fact tone. I dont think any writer is really famous. Even Nobel Prize winners are known only in the world of writing. No one really cares for writers.

A British historian, novelist, art critic, journalist and librettist, Hilton is in India this week to promote Domina, the follow-up to her bestselling 2016 thriller set in the world of art crime -- Maestra. The first book in the trilogy had created much sensation, mostly because of its graphic sex and violence and partly given its unusual female lead. It followed the adventures of Judith Rashleigh, an auction house assistant who, after a series of setbacks, discovers her inner sociopath.

Maestra, the first book in the trilogy, had created much sensation, mostly because of its graphic sex and violence and partly given its unusual female lead. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

I liked the idea of a woman who broke the rules, says Hilton. There is always a set of rules for the femme fatale. She is allowed to be sexy so long as she suffers and gets punished in the end. I was interested in writing about the femme fatale who gets away with it, she says.

Maestra has been compared to Gillian Flynns Gone Girl (2012), Patricia Highsmiths The Talented Mr Ripley (1955), EL Jamess Fifty Shades of Gray (2011), and even Bret Easton Ellis American Psycho (1991). Hilton says while its flattering to be compared to these writers, the role model she had in mind for Judith was really old fashioned. It was Becky Sharp from William M Thackerays Vanity Fair.

Like George RR Martin, Hilton too defends the sex and violence in her books by pointing out that it has been much worse in history. I think sex and violence are serious subjects. If youve worked as a historian, youd realise there is very little I could invent, she says.

The extreme reactions readers have had to Maestra are also something Hilton finds fascinating. I wrote a book that a lot of people really really hate. And thats quite exciting to have written something that people have really strong opinions about.

Though earlier there was news of Sony Pictures acquiring Maestras film rights, Hilton says her book will probably be made into a TV series for either HBO, Netflix or Amazon.

Prior to Maestra, Hilton had written historical fiction and biographies (including one on Queen Elizabeth). This is also why unlike her earlier works which are attributed to Lisa Hilton, she wrote the thrillers as LS Hilton. We didnt want to confuse the two audiences, she says, adding tongue-in-cheek, Very nice old ladies buy my history books and we didnt want to upset them.

In 2011, after the incredible success of El James Fifty Shades of Gray, Hilton says her agent asked her to try her hand at something erotic. Unfortunately, it was a bit too erotic, she says. My agent said it was disgusting. So I was suppose to put it in the bin and carry on writing nice, respectable history books. But somehow, I just couldnt let this character go, Hilton says.

It comes as no surprise -- given Hiltons background as a historian - that her research when she forayed into a new genre was pretty thorough. She even researched the murder scenes quite meticulously. I tried to see if it was possible to gag a person with a sanitary towel. I did it on myself, she laughs. For some erotic and murder scenes, I had to get volunteers to stand in the right positions to check if I didnt have any arms or legs hanging out.

In the course of her research, says Hilton, she made some rather shocking discoveries as well. I had no idea of the amount of dirty money involved in the art trade, she says. After arms and drugs, art is the biggest illegal market in the world. In Europe alone, it was 8 billion last year.

Though this is her first trip to India, Hilton is not entirely unfamiliar with Indian writing. I havent read a great many books by Indian writers though I really enjoyed Vikram Seths A Suitable Boy and some of Arundhati Roys books, she says.

Ultima, the final book in the Judith Rasheligh series, will be out next summer.

The author tweets @DoNotRamble

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

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With mounting debt and deferred spectrum payment obligations crippling the telecom industry amid intense competition which is driving down their margins, an inter-ministerial panel led by a senior telecom ministry official on Monday started hearing demands from players for major cuts in various statutory payments and a liberal payment schedule.

The sector, which is highly leveraged on account of the aggressive bids in the past for acquiring spectrum and of the huge capital spending required for infrastructure, wants the government to extend the deferred spectrum payment period to 20 years from 10 years at present and reduce the spectrum user charge the interconnect charges, said an industry executive who asked not to be named. Companies pay spectrum user charges in addition to the amount paid for acquiring the natural resource.

A government official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said earlier in the day that the issue of distress in the telecom sector was discussed at a meeting of chiefs of state-owned banks chaired by finance minister Arun Jaitley, but no decision has been taken yet. We are waiting for the telecom ministry to come back with proposals after consultations with the industry, said the official. According to industry estimates, telecom sector owes about Rs 4 trillion to banks.

The inter ministerial meeting which heard representatives of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Tata Teleservices Ltd on Monday is expected to meet representatives of banks on Wednesday and more industry executives subsequently before the telecom minister Manoj Sinha meets chief executives of companies on 25, June, said the executive quoted above.

An email sent to Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) remained unanswered at the time of going to press. Phone calls made to Rajan Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI),were not immediately answered.

The industry representative quoted above explained that in 2017-18 alone, the interest payment liability of the sector would come to Rs 53,000 crores, while deferred payment obligation to government for spectrum acquisition in the past will come to Rs 28,000 crore, while the industrys earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) will come to only about Rs 50,000 crores, which is not sufficient to meet the payment liabilities.

Interestingly, Mondays meeting held by the panel saw differences among different players competing for the market share, coming out in the open. A person privy to the discussions in the meating said on condition of anonymity that Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd ascribed the financial stress in the telecom sector to other operators running businesses on debt and not investing sufficiently in new technology that will reduce operational cost. Other operators blame Jios promotional free voice and data offering for the financial woes of the sector.

An email sent to Reliance Jio Infocomm, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd., remained unanswered at the time of going to press.

Telecom companies paid Rs 78,000 crore to the telecom department in 2016-17 alone by way of recurring licence fees and other fees, as per union budget of 2017-18. Another industry executive, who also spoke on condition of anonymity that if the sector is not salvaged, governments revenue receipts from the sector too will get affected.
The government emphasised on Tuesday that Good and Services Tax will be rolled out from July 1 and preparations are in full swing for its smooth implementation, as it sought to dispel rumours of a possible deferment.

There have been demands from certain sections of the industry for deferment of GST rollout. West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra too had proposed to postpone GST by a month.

The Government of India has emphasised that GST is scheduled to roll out on July 1, 2017. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in coordination with the state governments have increased their outreach programmes so as to reach the last trader, a finance ministry statement said.

In a tweet, revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said: The rumours about GST implementation being delayed are false. Please do not be misled by it.

The ministry said that preparations are in full swing for a smooth implementation of the landmark reform GST from July.

The GST Council, chaired by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state counterparts, had over the last three weeks decided tax rates on over 1,200 goods and 500 services and fitted them in either of 5, 12, 18 or 28 per cent slab.

After the last meeting of GST Council, Jaitley had said the Centre and states have completed discussion on most of the issues.

Irrespective of the date in which it starts, some people will say they are not ready, so that have no option but to get ready... You require a honest intent for that, he had said, responding to a query that small traders and artisans were not technologically ready for meeting GST compliance.
Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka on Monday met finance minister Arun Jaitley amid industry-wide concerns around tighter visa norms in key markets like the US and layoffs in the sector.

The 45-minute meeting, between Jaitley and Sikka accompanied by other top company officials, also assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US later this month.

Over the past few months, Indian IT companies are confronted with closer scrutiny and tighter visa norms in the US, a market that accounts for nearly 60% of Indias IT exports.

According to sources, Infosys had sought the meeting.

However, Sikka declined to comment on the proceedings after the meeting. COO UB Pravin Rao was also present at the meeting.

Asked about concerns around layoffs in the sector, Sikka said the company has announced 10,000 jobs in the US and continues to hire in India as well.

We have announced 10,000 jobs in the US and we are continuing to hire lots of jobs in India. I think that the future is all about innovation, he said.

He added that Indian IT companies are creating tremendous amount of value in the US.

With rising protectionism across markets like Singapore and Australia, companies are beginning to adjust their business models to reduce their dependence on visas and hiring more locals instead.

The ramp up in local hiring is also aimed at placating the Donald Trump administration in the US that has been critical of outsourcing firms.

The US had accused Infosys and its peers TCS and Cognizant of unfairly cornering the lions share of US H-1B work visas, taking jobs away from American workers.

The tightening of visa norms not only pushes up operational costs for these tech firms, but also makes movement of skilled workforce difficult.

Infosys has already announced that it would hire 10,000 Americans over the next two years and set up four innovation hubs in the US.

However, it wasnt clear if the discussions included GSTN at the meeting.

Infosys had received the contract for GST Network (GSTN), which is responsible for providing the technology backbone for Goods and Services Tax and connecting the databases of states and the Centre.
Worried over job losses in the IT sector and slow digitisation, the government has decided to meet top CEOs of IT companies on June 16.

Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will convene a meeting in New Delhi with 20 bigwigs of tech industries, including Sachin Bansal, founder of Flipkart, Kailash Katkar, founder and CEO of Quickheal, Hari Om Rai, CMD of Lava International, Shashank ND, founder and CEO of Practo International, and Rajan Anandan from Google.

The government aims to make Digital India, a $1 trillion business opportunity through which jobs will be created. This meeting is to help the government reach that target, said a source in IT ministry.

The source added that feedback would be taken from the companies about their outlook on the sector, and the help that they need from the government to expand Indias digital economy.

In our bid to push Digital India campaign and explore job creation opportunities, the IT ministry is, for the first time, meeting 20 corporate honchos. The meeting is aimed at creating job opportunities in the field of education, health, agriculture besides pushing Digital India agenda of the Centre, Dr Ajay Kumar, additional secretary at the ministry said.

Indias digital economy is currently pegged at $400 billion with contributions from electronic companies, telecom, e-commerce and start-ups.

Its for the first time such a meeting is happening with top industry leaders. Lot of these sectors were not the part of discussion earlier, he said.

New sectors such as e-com, start-ups, shared economy, cyber security, digital payments etc will grow faster than the traditional sectors  IT and telecom. New sectors may not become that big but they will outpace the growth of traditional sectors. Therefore, these new sectors will create more jobs, Kumar said.

While the IT sector is growing at 8%, the job growth has slowed to 5%, prompting the need to look beyond this industry for employment opportunities. The government wants to cash in on the growth of the new sectors and boost its growth.
HMD Global, which holds the global rights to market the iconic Nokia brand, today unveiled three smartphones in the Indian market that will compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple.

The Android-based devices will be available from June 16, priced Rs 9,499 onwards.

Nokia is a peoples brand and has had a phenomenal legacy. The brand is based on reliability and trust and that is what the new smartphones promise to deliver, Nokia India Vice-President Ajey Mehta told reporters here.

Last month, HMD had introduced its iconic 3310 feature phone in a new avatar in India.

HMD has an exclusive 10-year brand licensing agreement with the Finnish telecom giant for mobile phones and tablets globally.

Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 smartphones will be available only in retail stores for Rs 9,499 and Rs 12,899, respectively. Nokia 3 will be available from June 16 while Nokia 5 will be up for grabs for pre-booking from July 7.

Nokia 6 -- the flagship -- is priced at Rs 14,999 and will go for pre-booking from July 14, exclusively on Amazon.in.

These phones are based on three principles -- real life experience, world-class design and regular Android updates that ensure we continue to deliver on the promise of quality and reliability that Nokia is known for, said Pranav Shroff, Nokia Director Global Portfolio Strategy and Planning.

In India, HMD has partnered with 400 exclusive distributors reaching over 80,000 retail points.

India is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally. As per IDC, According to research firm IDC, sales grew 4.7% to 27 million units in January-March 2017 compared to the previous quarter.

Samsung continued to dominate the market with 28.1% share. Xiaomi followed with 14.2% while Vivo, Lenovo and Oppo had 10.5%, 9.5% and 9.3% share, respectively.

Previous Nokia smartphones were based on Microsoft Windows operating system.

In 2014, US-based Microsoft had acquired Nokias handset business for $ 7.2 billion.
A 60-year-old woman was raped allegedly by a neighbour in south Delhis Mehrauli on Saturday night.

Delhi Police said that 35-year-old Sanjay was allegedly drunk when he entered the victims house and sexually assaulted her. The woman, who was asleep when the accused entered, had reportedly left the door open for her son. The accused threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm, police said. Her husband passed away a few years ago.

Sanjay was arrested on Sunday after the womans family approached the police in Mehrauli. A senior police officer said that initially the woman was reluctant to file a complaint fearing social stigma. She did not even inform her family about it for nearly 12 hours after the incident.

She told the police later that she decided to visit her daughter nearby when she could not deal with the trauma. It was only when her daughter insisted that she broke down and told her about the assault. The daughter informed her husband and the couple brought the woman to the police station.

A case was registered and she was sent to AIIMS for medical examination that confirmed rape, said the officer. A team raided the house of the accused but he was missing. The police tracked his location to Pul Prahladpur and arrested him from his sisters house. He had been hiding there, police said.

During interrogation, police said, Sanjay told them that he raped the woman under the influence of alcohol. He was out on bail in a theft case.

Sanjay is a school-dropout and unemployed. He has been into petty crimes such as theft and burglary. We arrested him in the rape case and produced him before a city court that sent him to jail, said the officer.

An NGO has been roped in for counselling the woman since she has been under trauma after the incident, the officer added.
In a bid to reach out to maximum number of people across the board, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi has decided to sell its mouthpiece Bhajpa Sandesh, a bimonthly magazine, at news stands. The price of the publication has been fixed at Rs30 and it plans to place 10,000 copies in stands across the city initially.

A senior state office-bearer said this is an attempt to spread partys ideology and also educate people about various schemes successfully implemented by the Centre.

Officially, Bhajpa Sandesh is subscription-based quarterly publication and is being published for last 11 years. However, the printing is not regular. It was published only once in last six months. Now, the decision has been taken to revive and regularise its printing, he said.

A new editorial board has been set up with independent members. The party is also planning to hire six media professionals to streamline the publication and ensure quality content.

State unit chief Manoj Tiwari said half of the content will be based on achievements and work being done by the Central government and remaining will be about the partys activities and programmes.

All seven Lok Sabha Members of Parliament will contribute regularly. We will also ask senior Central leaderships and ministers to write for us. We will tell people about our achievements of the past three years. The objective is to convey message to larger audience, he said.

The party will hold a formal function at state party headquarters on Wednesday where the journal will be re-launched in new avatar on Wednesday. The new issue will be available at several newspapers kiosks and book stores simultaneously. The latest issue will have an interview of national secretary (organisation) Ram Lal and a special feature on Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modis topical address to the nation, Tiwari said.

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In a big boost to the real estate sector in the Capital, projects coming up in plots of up to 1,50,000 square metres will no longer be required to get separate approval from the Union environment ministry before starting construction.

While for smaller projects of less than 20,000 square metres, developers will have to give a self-declaration clause, which will ensure issuance of permission from urban local bodies (ULBs), for larger projects upto 1.5 lakh sq mt, the Delhi Development Authority and the three municipal corporations in the Capital have to give the environment clearance as well as grant construction permits.

The environment condition required has been integrated with the building byelaws in the Capital.

Currently, developers had to face huge delay in getting environment clearance. In many instances, it took over two years to get a clearance resulting in sharp cost escalation in project cost.

This is a culmination of sustained efforts on our part for over a year. It will give a big boost to the ease of doing business and expedite completion of building projects, said Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

The World Banks Doing Business Report 2017 found India as having one of the most cumbersome and lengthy process when it came to giving construction permit approval. India was ranked 185 in a list of 190 countries.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a notification in this regard on Monday.

While now the law will kick off in Delhi, as and when other states fulfill the prescribed norms mandated by environment ministry on water conservation, natural drainage, solid waste management, energy, air quality, noise and green cover, their respective ULBs will also be empowered to approve such projects.

Realty experts have welcomed the move. This will result in reduction in time, cost, red tape and increase the supply making the real estate market profitable, said Sanjay Dutt, CEO India Operations, Ascendas-Sinbridge, real estate developers from Singapore.

The environment ministry has also brought down the number of clearances that a developer presently requires -- from 30 to a mere 8 --depending on the size of the project.

For instance, project coming up in 50,000 to 150,000 square metre will require to fulfill just eight prescribed norms while projects coming up in 20,000 to 50,000 sq. mt and 5,000 to 20,000 sq. mt will have to meet six conditions

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The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association on Tuesday decided to join the no purchase, no sale protest from June 16, unless the rollout of daily fuel price revision is postponed.

They are demanding an automated system from the state-run oil companies that feed most fuel pumps, to reflect revised prices, without which they want dynamic pricing of petrol and diesel scrapped.

Last week, the national association petrol dealers had threatened to stop purchasing fuel from June 16, across the country unless their demand for an automated system is met.

The Delhi Associations decision came after their meeting with state-run oil companies failed to elicit any solution.

The Oil Marketing Companies have jumped into this decision without checking the ground reality that the automation system installed at most of the pumps in Delhi is not supporting the automatic price change, the Delhi association said in a statement.

It will take time to shift to the new price everyday, as the dealers will first have to wait for the state-run oil companies to convey the new rates, this has to be fed on all the oil dispensing machines and calculators, then the stock position will have to be measured and meter readings noted. Dealers will have shut their fuel pumps for a few hours every night for this, the statement read.

This could be a speed bump for fuel outlets on Indias highways that remain open through the night.

A majority of the nearly 58,000 petrol pumps in India are owned and operated by dealers. And 60-70% of these pumps are on the highways, said the Dealers Association.

A meeting between the national association of fuel dealers and oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan is expected on Wednesday.

The government-run oil firms have been in constant dialogue with the national and state dealers associations to break the deadlock.

If petroleum dealers stop purchasing fuel, most petrol pumps across the country will run dry from the early hours of June 16.

On June 8, state-owned oil companies such as Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, decided on a pan-India implementation of daily price revision of petrol and diesel.

Currently, fuel prices are revised by oil companies on the 1st and 16th of every month.

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Hopes for the Walled Citys redevelopment have revived as Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has sought a status report from the Shahjahanbad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) on the revamp plan.

In an urgent note sent to the managing director of the corporation, Baijal wants to know what action is required to resolve the issues that stand in the path to progress.

Honble Lt. Governor has desired for a status report indicating progress, problems, and way forward in respect of SRDC. You, are, therefore requested to admit the said report expeditiously for kind perusal of Lt Governor, said the letter sent by RN Sharma, special secretary to the L-G.

The long-pending revitalization project has been virtually stalled since December 2014.

The construction of a duct to shift utility cables underground along the southern carriageway is yet to be begin. The channel, constructed more than two years ago, on the northern carriageway is inundated with sludge.

Despite the Delhi High Courts repeated orders, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Traffic Police have failed to clear encroachments from the area. Unregistered cycle rickshaws are still plying in Chandni Chowk area regardless of the February 10 court order.

A senior government official said the report to the L-G is yet to be submitted. We will submit the report soon, including suggestions for external funding from organizations like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and examples of successfully implemented projects such as redevelopment of the Walled city in Lahore and beautification of the starch leading to Golden Temple in Amritsar, the official said.

Sanjay Bhargava , general secretary, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, who has been pursuing the matter with the authorities for long, said traders believe the L-G will personally monitor Shahjahanabads redevelopment like he oversees other issues of the city.

I have been writing to L-G, drawing his attention to the deteriorating condition of the area ever since he occupied the office in December. It seems that the government and civic body have lost interest in the project. We hope things will fall back on track now, Bhargava said.

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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi high courts order directing it to pay Rs 60 crore as three months interest to a lender of its former concessionaire for airport express line.

The DMRCs counsel mentioned the matter before a vacation bench comprising Justices PC Pant and Deepak Gupta which said it would hear the issue on June 19.

The corporation has challenged the June 7 order of high courts division bench which had dismissed its appeal against a single judge order asking it to pay the amount.

The single judges interim order of May 30 had come on a plea by the concessionaire Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) seeking early payment of Rs 3,502 crore, which is 75% of the arbitral award of Rs 4,670 crore granted in its favour on May 11.

The single judge had passed the order in view of the financial conditions and interest burden being borne by DAMEPL which had claimed it was paying Rs 65 lakh per day, coming to Rs 20 crore per month, as interest to its lender.

In its appeal before the high courts division bench, the DMRC had challenged the interim order, saying it would amount to partial implementation of the award and would also be akin to dismissal of its objections against enforcement of award.

The division bench had said that it was not inclined to interfere with the May 30 order as it was an interim decision and the issues raised by the DMRC have been kept open by the single judge.

The court had also noted that single judge had protected the DMRCs interests by directing DAMEPL, a subsidiary of the Reliance Infrastructure (Rinfra), to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 65 crore.

DAMEPL is a joint venture of Rinfra and a Spanish construction company -- Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles -- with a shareholding of 95 and five per cent respectively.

The single judge had directed the DMRC to deposit the amount of Rs 60 crore within 10 days directly into DAMEPLs loan account with Axis Bank - the main lender.

DAMEPL, in its plea for early enforcement of the award, has claimed that under the guidelines issued by Niti Aayog on September 5, 2016, public sector undertakings (PSUs) are to pay 75 per cent of the award amount even if they propose to challenge the arbitral award.

The DMRC had argued before the single judge that the Niti Aayog guidelines would not apply in the matter as the award was of May 11 and it had 90 days to challenge the arbitral tribunals decision.

The Airport Express line was commissioned on February 23, 2011 after an investment of Rs 2,885 crore funded by DAMEPLs promoters fund, banks and financial institutions.

DAMEPL has said in its plea before the single judge that it had terminated the concession agreement as the DMRC had not cured some defects in the line within 90 days of the notice issued by it.

According to its plea, the agreement was terminated with effect from January 1, 2013 and the project was handed over to the DMRC on June 30, 2013. Till handing over of the project, DAMEPL had operated the line as a deemed agent of DMRC.

Arbitration was entered into in August 2013 after efforts to amicably resolve the issues did not yield results.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has petitioned before the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order directing the company to pay Rs 60 crore to Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RInfra).

In May, the arbitration over Delhi metros controversial airport express line was decided in favour of DAMEPL. The company said it won an arbitration of Rs 2,950 crore along with interest payable by DMRC. It said that the total amount is Rs 4670 crore.

Following the win, the Anil Ambani owned subsidiary moved the Delhi High Court for early payment of the arbitration award by DMRC. DAMEPL sought Rs 3,502 crore, which is 75% of the arbitral award of Rs 4,670 crore, citing a NITI Aayog notice.

The High Court on May 30 had directed DMRC to pay Rs 60 crore as interest for three months to DAMEPL for the loan it had taken for the express metro line. This is an interim payment before the case for 75% of the award is decided.

The corporation had challenged this order before a HC division bench, which refused a breather, DMRC, then moved the apex court.

DAMEPL had participated in a public private partnership (PPP) project with DMRC in 2008, to jointly develop the 22.7 km line connecting the New Delhi railway station with airport terminal T3.

But operations were suspended in July 2012 after DAMEPL complained of construction defects in the rail lines built by DMRC.

RInfra terminated the agreement in October 2012 and the matter went into arbitration as DMRC did not accept the termination of the agreement.

DMRC built the infrastructure and DAMEPL brought in the rolling stock and was supposed to run the express metro line for 30 years.

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Burglars broke into the strong room of a branch of Punjab National Bank in Modi Nagar and escaped with valuables and documents reportedly belonging to customers from 30 lockers on Sunday night.

The incident came to light when an official of the bank reached the bank branch at Kapda Mill in Modi Nagar and found sunrays emerging from the strong room.

On closer scrutiny he found a hole in the wall from where the thieves allegedly entered the strong room. The bank was closed on Sunday.

Police said that the burglars broke through the wall and entered the strong room.

We have found 30 lockers were broken and items taken away. Four of these were not allotted to any customer. We are trying to assess the value of items taken away, said branch manager Ashok Srivastava.

Police officials, a dog squad and forensic experts were called in to collect evidence from the crime scene.

After the bank officials and police took stock of the situation on Monday morning, people whose lockers were broken into were informed.

Customers who arrived at the bank broke down when they were told about their missing valuable. Angry customers cornered bank officials and raised apprehensions over whether their valuables will ever be recovered.

Police officials said that they are scanning the CCTV footage to identify the burglars.

We are enquiring more from bank officials about the incident. They are trying to assess the loss and have not submitted any figure as of now. Our teams are investigating the case, said Arvind Kumar Maurya, superintendent of police (rural).

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The South-west Monsoon is trying hard to keep its date with the countrys capital.

While it has already failed to meet deadlines with some states in western and eastern India, officials of the meteorological department are hopeful that this week would be a good one for the winds that help to advance the monsoon.

Monsoon is advancing steadily. This week will be very good for the advancement of monsoon across some states in western and eastern India. On Monday, it reached both Mumbai and Kolkata, said a senior official of the Indian Meteorological Department.

But if one goes by the scheduled dates of arrival of monsoon showers then it has fallen short in meeting the deadlines in some states.

Outlook for Delhi Met officials are yet to say for sure when the monsoon will arrive in Delhi. It could be predicted with a greater degree of certainty only after the monsoon covers the central and western states as low-pressure areas might shift. But the monsoon appears to be on target to hit the capital around July 1 Deficient rain so far  In 2016, the monsoon arrived in Delhi on July 2  Delhi has received deficient rain between June 1 and June 11 this year (-42%)

 Delhi was supposed to receive around 7.7 mm of rain. It received around 4.4 mm

 Delhi receives 636 mm of rain on average from June to Septembe)

Going by the usual onset dates, the monsoon should have covered almost the entire Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, parts of Odisha and West Bengal by June 10, said an official.

But while it arrived in Kolkata at least four days late, in Mumbai it was behind schedule by two days.

Officially, it cant be said that the monsoon is delayed. A monsoon can be declared delayed only if it fails to make its onset even after seven days of the scheduled date of arrival. We can now say it is near normal, said the official.

The question that is now making the rounds is whether the monsoon will hit Delhi on time or would it get delayed. The scheduled date of arrival for Delhi is June 29.

It is too early to predict. We can only predict that once it covers the west and central states. But the monsoon will need a push to keep its date with Delhi and other states in north-west India, he added.

Experts said that systems such as a low pressure or a depression over the Bay of Bengal would help the monsoon to advance further over the eastern states.

The advancing monsoon winds had slowed down over the past two to three days. But then it got a push because of a depression over the Bay of Bengal and advanced significantly over Maharashtra and West Bengal on Monday, said the official.

If similar low pressures or depressions form over the Arabian Sea and it advances towards the Indian coast, instead of moving towards Oman, then it would help to drag the monsoon towards Delhi. Similar conditions were seen in 2013.

Last week the IMD had predicted that rainfall over the country as a whole for the 2017 southwest monsoon season (June to September) will most likely be normal (96%-104%).

Northwest India, which includes Delhi and NCR, would receive around 96% rain.

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Candidates pursuing management education in India face a critical question about the right exam to pursue that can assess their skills and aptitude. Being selected post an assessment that measures the capability to the right level gives these candidates the confidence to pursue their business graduate degree.

In the current competitive and challenging environment, it is mandatory for students to break into and advance in challenging jobs. Since then, students consider that management education can change the odds and be an answer to all their queries.

Candidates aspire to take routes which can fast track their career trajectory and bring them at par with their global counterparts. However, with the advent of massive open online courses (MOOCs), executive MBAs and specialised MBAs the management education in India is encountering innumerable changes. Candidates face uncertainty over the right test to choose from an array of exams which can do justice to their skill sets and provide them with an opportunity to grow in their career.

Amongst all the management education tests, some of the key differentiators which set NMAT by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) apart from its other tests in India are candidate friendly features such as a long testing window, single login, multiple tests taking options etc.

All these measures have been introduced to enhance the aspirants test taking experience. NMAT by GMAC opens doors to leading management institutes in India and emphasises on the test takers convenience. These features of the NMAT by GMAC helps candidates in giving the confidence to study for the test and give the test.

Additionally, candidates can look at the following points to prepare for NMAT by GMAC:

Study strategy for the exam: Students need to strategise their preparations for the exam in a manner which can assist them in scheduling the exam and gives enough time, if need be, reschedule the test. Along with it, students have an advantage of a flexible window of 75 days to undertake the exam basis their level of preparations.

Choose your section order: Students have the liberty to choose the section order during the exam from the Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical reasoning which can help them play to their strengths. All the sections are individually timed and candidates can choose the sequence to suit themselves.

Speed with time management: Candidates need to make sure that they match with the speed of the test as it is a 120-minute-long exam along with being accurate in their answers. Time management is the key during the exam as it can help students excel in their career. The exam also offers the candidates to make an informed guess as there is no negative marking for the wrong answers.

Need for practice: Post preparations it is necessary for students to check on their learnings and undertake mock tests. GMAC also provides candidates with NMAT by GMAC test prep material which can assist them in their preparations. NMAT by GMAC official guide and online practice exam gives candidates real time experience of the exam with the sample practice papers assisting them to prepare for further studies.

Following these steps, applicants with a clear approach can achieve their goal with ease. Along with it, while opting for NMAT by GMAC candidates can choose from 55 conveniently located testing centres in 35 cities in India.

NMAT by GMAC exam registered 17% growth its test registration from last years registrations. Total registrations closed at 82,928 in 2016 compared to 70,950 in 2015.

(Shah is the director product management at GMAC. Views expressed here are personal.)
Ted Sargent is an award-winning professor of nanotechnology, a renowned author, and University of Torontos (UofT) vice president global. He talks to the Hindustan Times about emerging careers in nanotechnology, engineering and renewable energy science.

Why is renewable energy a good field to get into?

Renewable energy is a huge and growing area. Ten years ago solar was called alternative but we dont call it that anymore. The solar sector has grown 30% to become a $100-billion-a-year industry. Solar is moving 1% of our global electricity demands. One hundred years from now, there will be no fossil fuels left. All of our energy needs will be met through other sources. This will be big business.

Will enough jobs be generated in this area?

Yes, it will be a huge sector for employment, from innovation to practical engineering to big business in leading solar projects. It will be a whole ecosystem of its own.

Solar energy is the only new form of energy arriving on earth each day. As economies continue to grow, individuals will become more affluent and consume more energy. The only way to meet the demand is through new sources of energy such as solar.

What led you to nanotechnology?

I was involved in the early days building the lasers that are the basis of the optical internet.

The long-haul part of internet is powered by fibre optic communications. There is a laser at one end, and a light sensor at other end. The laser beam shines light down a fibre optic cable.

The fibre optic cable signal from the laser can go thousands of kilometres. Part of the work there was to make better lasers, that are very bright and energy-efficient. The nanotechology bit is to get just the right wavelengths to make sandwiches of semiconductors where the bread is a few nanometres thick and the ham is a few nanometers thick. Its so thin that it is actually on the scale of electron wavelengths.

When you take a sandwich and put electrons inside and you make it bigger or smaller you change the energy level of the electron. It allows you to hit just the right wavelength.

How did you start doing research in renewable energy?

I became passionate about using math/ physics/ chemistry to address electricity problems. I wanted to make solar cells that are efficient, but cheaper and physically flexible. Cells that you can stick on the top of a car or building. So we looked at making materials from chemistry that are liquid and can be sprayed onto almost anything. It was interesting to make solar cells that are more lightweight and more readily deployed. You can roll out and stick them on cars.

Our goal was to convert sunlight into electricity to make next-generation solar cells so we move from thick solar panels to decals that we can put on the side of streetcars that can power a car, a battery, or even a personal device.

What else are you working on?

The worlds progress in solar electricity has been phenomenal. Solar is getting cheaper and cheaper. The day will come when we have more solar electricity supply than demand.

So we need to figure out how to store it so we can use it later.

In Canada and India there are times of day and year where you have a lot of sunlight and not a lot of electricity demand, but then overnight, you need electricity for your air conditioning, but there is no sun.

My research group are now pursuing a solution to this grand challenge: How do we combine evermore abundant renewable energy with increasingly present CO2 in order to synthesise renewable fuels and renewable chemicals?

Challenges?

The problem has captured the imagination of researchers from many fields. One core challenge is to make new catalysts  materials that can be reused, and then use electrons from a solar cell to strip off the oxygen molecules from CO2, and couple the carbons together to make hydrocarbons. But this means delivering rare CO2 to these catalysts with ever-increasing efficiency. This calls on engineers who specialise in fluids, gases, and their flows to join forces with chemists and physicists that design new catalysts.

How did you first get interested in engineering?

I really loved physics and math when I was a high school student. We used to have competitions to see who could build a car out of balsa wood and wheels and graphite that would race down a hill the fastest. I did this with my cub scout troop. I was really passionate about applying physics and math towards designing new things.

What traits do students need to excel in the sciences?

In high school, I was good and did well but I wasnt top of my class. I realised that being good or very good at science and engineering was essential but to really excel as a professor or researcher or entrepreneur other things mattered too. This would be the ability to communicate, write, network, talk to people in other fields. These are competitive advantages. Your ability to differentiate yourself have components of social sciences and humanities.

How did you develop this side of yourself?

In high school, I did parliamentary debating, competitive debating. I participated in debates in French and English. This was excellent preparation for the job of professor, as well as vice president and company starter.
The European Union said Tuesday it will release 25 million euros for Indias school education sector as part of its efforts to back schemes such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

The amount forms part of the final tranche of a total of 80 million euros that the EU has granted to support the educational schemes.

This brings to a conclusion the EUs sector support to school education in India, to which it has contributed over EUR 520 million (currently valued at Rs 3,700 crore) in grant funding, an official statement said.

At an event to mark the occasion, EU ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski recalled that the EU was the Indian governments first development partner in education through its participation in the 155 districts initially selected under District Primary Education Programme in 1994.

As the number of children being enrolled in and completing primary school rose, we extended our support to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for elementary education up to Grade VIII in 2002, and the RMSA for secondary education in 2012, he said.
Gritty Mumbai teen diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that restricts movement, bagged 88% in the Maharashtra Boards (MSBSHSE) Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 results, announced on Tuesday. Whats more, she recently climbed 3, 500 steps (one way) 99 times in 40 days - a rare feat - during a festival celebrated by the Jain community.

Drashti Dhruv, 16, has been living with cerebral palsy since birth. She cannot hold a pen or write straight as her hand trembles violently. Her condition, however, has never stopped her from pushing harder to achieve goals - and clearing the SSC or Class 10 exam was a major one.

I am happy with my marks, it was more than I expected, said Dhruv, a student of Swami Vivekananda International School, Kandivli. The board allowed me to take help from a writer during exams. I feel good to have challenged myself.

Shes very disciplined with studies, and for the Class 10 boards she recorded her lessons on a mobile phone and revised them at leisure. In the last two months before the exam, Drashti burnt the midnight oil, said her father. She was confident that her hard work will pay off and she will score above 80%, her father, Vijay, said.

Drashti secured 98 out of 100 is general math. She bagged 90 in social sciences.

After the exams, she spent her summer holidays taking part in the special camps called Nuvanu yatras (99 journeys) for children organised by the Jain community. Participants embark upon a yatra at 5 am, take just one meal in the afternoon and only drink boiled water between sunrise and sunset.

Dhruv began the yatra every day at 4. 30 am and completed the exercise by 1.30 pm. She was allowed to eat only once in the afternoon. An attendant from the camp helped her walk from the dharamshala (rest house) to the temple, Vijay said.

Braving these conditions, she climbed 3,500 steps of the Shatrunjaya Hills 99 times in 40 days.This is where the Jains holiest temples are located. We are extremely proud of her, she is stronger than all of us, said Vijay.

Although she has not finalised what she wants to study after Class 10, her parents said Dhruv was fond of computers and was likely to take up science.

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Labelling vegetables with indulgent descriptions usually used to describe fatty foods may help promote healthy eating, Stanford scientists say. It showed that more vegetables were consumed when they were described with words such as dynamite, caramelised or sweet sizzlin.

The findings may help provide guidance on how to make healthier foods more appealing and encourage people to make healthier dining choices.Previous research has shown that people tend to think that healthy foods are less tasty and less enjoyable than standard foods. Healthy foods are also perceived as less filling and less satisfying, according to prior work.

To test how labelling could impact consumption of healthier menu choices, the researchers from Stanford University in the US conducted a study in a large dining hall.They changed how certain vegetables were labelled using four categories: basic, healthy restrictive, healthy positive or indulgent.

Green beans, for instance, were described as green beans (basic), light n low-carb green beans and shallots (healthy restrictive), healthy energy-boosting green beans and shallots (healthy positive) or sweet sizzlin green beans and crispy shallots (indulgent).

Research assistants monitored the number of diners who chose the vegetable and how much was consumed over the course of each lunch period for an entire academic quarter (46 days). There were no changes to how the food was prepared or presented throughout the study.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that labelling vegetables with indulgent descriptions led more diners to choose vegetables and resulted in a greater mass of vegetables served per day. Diners chose vegetables with indulgent labelling 25 per cent more than basic labelling, 35 per cent more than healthy positive and 41 per cent more than healthy restrictive.

The study found that labelling vegetables with indulgent descriptions resulted in a greater mass of vegetables consumed per day. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

In terms of mass of vegetables served per day, vegetables with indulgent labelling were consumed 16 per cent more than those labelled healthy positive, 23 per cent more than basic and 33 per cent more than healthy restrictive.

We have this intuition to describe healthy foods in terms of their health attributes, but this study suggests that emphasising health can actually discourage diners from choosing healthy options, said Bradley Turnwald, a graduate psychology student at Stanford.

This simple and low-cost strategy of altering the descriptions of healthy foods could have a substantial impact on consumption of nutritious foods in dining settings. Turnwald said more research needs to be done to see if the effects would be similar when choosing off a restaurant menu, without the food being visible.

However, these findings could be the basis for a potentially effective strategy to answer a challenging question, researchers said.

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A man claiming to be a registered medical practitioner (RMP), who promised conception of male child through medication, was caught by a team from the health department on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, a team conducted a search at a private hospital in Kherki Daula village and nabbed the man, Baldev Raj.

A case has been registered against Raj, under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, at the Kherki Daula police station. Under Section 23 of the Act, determination of the sex of the foetus is illegal. The man had been taking money from patients promising them a male child and also conducting sex-determination ultrasounds.

A decoy patient was sent to the clinic and she was allegedly asked to pay Rs2,000 for a male child by the accused. He is not even an RMP. When we asked for documents, he failed to produce any. He is a quack, said Shyam Sunder, district secretary of the Red Cross Society.

Raj prescribed medicines to women in the area for them to conceive male child. The residents had complained to the health department regarding this.

The team that conducted the raid was headed by Amandeep Chauhan, drugs control officer, Gurgaon, and Sunder.

He used to give paracetamol and medicines for cold to people and promised them a boy. He used to conduct ultrasounds as well, said Sunder.

Health department officials had conducted a similar raid at a private clinic in Rajiv Nagar and apprehended two people, Dr Vijay Kumar Sharma and Dr Sonam Sharma, on March 7 on charges of conducting sex-determination tests.

On March 8, Dr Sunita Pawar, a doctor who runs a private health centre at Patel Nagar, was also arrested for conducting illegal abortion.

On March 15, a man allegedly involved in black magic was arrested for promising a male child to couples in the city. He took money from them to perform rituals promising that the women would bear a son.

In the last one and half year, the team has successfully conducted more than 22 raids in which cases against more than 60 doctors and medical practitioners have been lodged.

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Heavy, non-stop rain lashed large swathes of the Northeast leaving at least 12 people dead on Tuesday. The weather condition also forced Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a two-day visit to Mizoram, to cancel his scheduled trip to the India-Myanmar border areas.

Flash floods claimed 10 lives in Mizorams Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar while two people, including a minor, were electrocuted on a flooded road in Guwahati.

Officials in Mizoram said heavy rainfall since Sunday morning caused flash flood in Lunglei district where river Karnafulu and its tributaries were flowing above the danger mark. Thairungkai village in the district bore the brunt of the sudden rush of water that swept away the 10 people along with some houses.

With weather hampering rescue operations, only four bodies could be recovered so far.

Apart from Lunglei, Aizawl and Serchhip districts have been affected with almost 450 houses either submerged or damaged by floods and landslides, Mizorams health minister Lal Thanzara said.

Some 50 families hit by landslides in state capital Aizawl were evacuated to safer locations, he said.

Officials said National Highway 306, the states lifeline running from the northern to the southern end, has been cut off at many places due to landslides.

Rajnath Singh, who reached Aizawl on Monday for a security-related meeting of states bordering Myanmar, had to make a change of travel plan on his way back to Delhi on Tuesday. He had to take the road to Lengui airport, 35km from Aizawl, as the chopper could not take off.

The rains and landslides have badly affected communication, particularly road connectivity. The states disaster management authorities have taken all measures to evacuate the affected and provide relief to them, ruling Congress spokesperson David Sangliana said.

In Guwahati, a class 8 student of a private school and a rickshaw puller were electrocuted when their rickshaw came into contact with a live wire in the citys flooded Zoo Road area.

ADC (additional deputy commissioner) Palash Pratim Bora has been entrusted to probe the incident and submit a report while Rs 4 lakh has been announced as ex-gratia compensation for the victims families, deputy commissioner M Angamuthu told HT.

All schools and colleges in the city have been asked to remain closed as large areas have been inundated, he added. The flooded areas include the complex where Assams legislators stay.

Manipur and Meghalaya too experienced floods and landslides with many houses and roads having been damaged. Several relief camps have been set up in Manipurs Imphal Valley and in some affected hill districts.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, rain or thundershower is like to occur across seven contiguous states in the Northeast in the next 72 hours. District officials in Assam said the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries were rising alarmingly.

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Tuesday that it would back the pan-India farmers agitation slated for June 16, and hold a day-long convention in New Delhi the following day to plan its future course of action.

The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a federation of 62 farmers bodies, has threatened to organise road blockades across the country on that day to seek debt waivers and remunerative prices for agricultural produce.

AAP leaders lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to fulfill the pre-poll promise of debt waivers for small farmers, and not implementing of the MS Swaminathan Commissions recommendation that the support price for farm produce be 50% more than input costs.

The party screened video clips of Modis campaigns in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, where he is heard assuring farmers of various things.

And now, when farmers want these promises fulfilled, they are being fired upon, said senior AAP leader Gopal Rai. Finance minister Arun Jaitleys statement that the Centre will not fund debt waivers has exposed Modis lies.

AAPs convention on June 17 will be attended by farmers from 20 states across the country.

The party recently decided to expand its rural base by backing farmers agitations in various parts of the country. Its volunteers held multiple protests against the Centres anti-farmer policies on June 10, and sent a delegation of leaders to meet the families of farmers killed in the Mandsaur firing.
The Samajwadi Partys national president Akhilesh Yadav asked on Tuesday the BJP government in Gujarat how bags bearing his picture was distributed in that state.

Some 12,000 school bags distributed in government-run primary schools in Gujarats tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district bear Akhileshs picture.

The school bags came with stickers of the Gujarat governments school enrolment program. Beneath these stickers, however, is a smiling Akhilesh.

The bags were apparently manufactured for distribution in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

The question is how bags of Uttar Pradesh are being distributed in Gujarat. The photograph is being hidden with sticker but Samajwadi work and colour is visible, Akhilesh said in a tweet.

The bags were distributed to students under the Gujarat governments Shala Praveshotsav programme, an annual drive to enrol students in class I. The education department of Gujarat has now ordered an inquiry.

Teachers at a school in Vasedi village first discovered Akhileshs picture on the bags when the stickers reading Jilla Panchayat Shala Praveshotsav came off.

The district panchayat had procured 12,000 of these bags through an e-tender from a Surat-based company, said district primary education officer Mahesh Prajapati.

The opposition Congress took this opportunity to take a swipe at the BJP government in Gujarat.

Instead of appointing teachers, the government is distributing recycled bags... It shows how serious the government is towards education, Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said.
A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate will host an iftar party at Ayodhya on Wednesday offering a glass of cow milk to those observing Roza (dawn-to-dusk fasting) to break their fast, a rare occurrence.

The Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) was set up in 2002 by the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP, to reach out to the Muslims on various issues including the vexed Ayodhya dispute.

The MRM has invited all prominent Muslim citizens of the temple town, including Iqbal Ansari, son of late Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit case, for the iftar, the first meal after the days fasting.

RSS veterans Indresh Kumar and Morari Das would be present at the event.

As per ritual, a Muslim breaks his fast during the month of Ramadan with dates or a glass of water. Fruit juices are also served at community iftar parties, often hosted by various organisations, including political parties. But its unique to offer cow milk to end Roza.

Sumptuous non-vegetarian delicacies are also integral part of the iftar.

Indresh Kumar at an iftar party organised by the MRM at the Jamia Milia Islamia recently courted controversy saying meat is a poison.

From Prophet Adam to the last Prophet, and even (the Prophet Muhammads wife) Aisha, never ate gosht. Meat is a disease. Milk is the cure and treatment..., he had said.

The MRM though regularly host iftars across the country, this year it is using the occasion to create awareness against cow slaughter. Thats why it is urging Muslims to break roza with cows milk and shun meat.

Cow slaughter has been banned in Islam too. We are merely using the occasion to make the community aware about it, said Raees Khan, in-charge of MRMs UP and Uttarakhand chapters.

The Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in UP has decided to book those involved in cow slaughter under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), a decision that has been welcomed by the RSS.

Chief of UPs main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav will host iftar on June 19 followed by one by governor Ram Naik on June 23 and the Congress around the same period.

But neither the UP CM nor any of his ministers have so far hosted the event despite the fact that politicians across parties have for years hosted iftars to reach out to the minority community.

Barring former BJP CM Ram Prakash Gupta, all other previous CMs, including veterans like Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh of the saffron party hosted iftar as was also done by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a five-time Lucknow MP.

But Adityanath apparently has taken the cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who hasnt hosted Iftar in three years of being in power.

MRM defended Yogi. The state doesnt have any religion so why should it host iftars? asked Morari Das.

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The BJP on Tuesday said it has begun the process of reaching out to its allies and other political parties to evolve a broad consensus on a presidential nominee.

A day after it set up a three-member committee to pick a presidential candidate, Union minister and senior party member M Venkaiah Naidu said the party in the true spirit of democracy will reach out to the others to finalise a name. If the parties fail to reach an agreement, election to pick the new occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan will be held on July 17. The result will be declared on July 20.

We have started internal consultations. As the ruling party, we have the responsibility to take all along, Naidu said.

Along with finance minister Arun Jaitely and home minister Rajnath Singh, Naidu is part of the committee announced by BJP president Amit Shah on Monday to hold consultations on the issue.

Read more: BJPs Amit Shah cancels Arunachal visit as talks begin on prez election

On his name doing the rounds as a possible candidate, Naidu quipped: My president has done me a favour by including me in this committee, so that speculation ends.

The BJP is trying to win the support of parties such as the BJD, the TRS and the AIADMK which make up for the 18,300 votes of the electoral college that it needs for the presidential election.

Winning support from the AIADMK, which has 59,224 votes and the BJD which has 32,892 votes is crucial for the BJP, support from even one would give them an edge over the Opposition.

Earlier, BJP chief Amit Shah called off his two day visit to Arunachal Pradesh that was to begin on Monday, to be part of the deliberations that have begun to select a presidential candidate. The party has also postponed its national executive meeting in Vishakapatnam scheduled for July 14 and 15.
The BJP will talk to all political parties to evolve a broad consensus on presidential nominee in the true spirit of democracy, senior Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

Naidu is part of a three-member committee formed by BJP president Amit Shah to hold consultations with BJPs allies as well as opposition parties on the presidential candidate for the upcoming poll.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley and home minister Rajnath Singh are the other two members of the BJP committee.

We have started internal consultations. We are the ruling party and we have to taken everyone on board and work towards evolving a broad consensus (for a presidential nominee) and seek their support, Naidu said.

Asserting that the exercise will be done in the true spirit of democracy, he, however, appealed to all that they should go by the mandate of the people which is for this government.

He also said that he had already spoken to the party chief and in coming days, they (all the committee members) would be talking to leaders of other political parties.
The controversial rules prohibiting sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter will be changed to clear doubts and misinterpretations, environment minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday in comments that came after widespread outrage in several states.

The new rules do not amount to a blanket ban on cattle trade or their slaughter, and licensed breeding remains legal but experts say they can crimp supplies to the countrys Rs 1-lakh crore meat and allied industries that source about 90% of their requirements from animal markets.

The rules have created a lot of misunderstanding, Vardhan told Hindustan Times. We are looking at bringing changes in the language to clear doubts, misinterpretations and misconceptions created after the rules were notified.

Vardhan said the changes are yet be to finalised.

The ministry has received representations from slaughter houses and allied industries which fear the rules will kill their business.

State governments and non-government organisations have also asked the environment ministry to amend the rules, saying livelihood sources of the poor, especially Muslims and Dalits, would be crippled.

Vardhan said the government was looking at improving the rules so that the misconceptions created in different parts of the country are cleared.

The rules are not against slaughter of animals or against the farmers as the perception is being created. The rules cause no loss to farmers as they are allowed to sell the animals to traders, he said.

The minister also debunked allegations the government was hell-bent on changing eating habits of people, as claimed by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the rules were notified on May 23.

Several Youth Congress leaders were booked for organising a beef party in Kerala and an IIT student was assaulted by fringe Hindu groups for having a similar party in the premier technological institute.

Ministry sources ruled out the possibility of the changes soon, saying they would wait for a June 15 Supreme Court hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the legality of the notification.

The Centre is on the backfoot since the rules were notified, with opposition from within and outside.

Left-ruled Kerala and Congress-ruled Meghalaya assemblies have passed resolutions saying they will not implement the rules. Other northeastern states are also unhappy with the rules.

Several BJP leaders in Meghalaya resigned from the party over the new rules though the party said they were about to be thrown out for indiscipline.

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The crisis in the Darjeeling hills deepened on Tuesday after several parties, including the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), decided to push for a separate state and unanimously adopted a resolution in favour of it.

The Centre dispatched 600 paramilitary personnel to assist the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy in violence-hit Darjeeling hills, which witnessed incidents of stone pelting on the second day of GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh.

The Centre also sought a detailed report on the prevailing situation in the hill district from the state government.

A Union home ministry spokesperson said that as many as 600 paramilitary personnel, including 200 women, were sent to Darjeeling. Around 400 personnel, already stationed in West Bengal, have also been deployed in the hill areas along with additional forces.

The home ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and was ready to offer all assistance to the state government to restore normalcy there.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata that the situation in the hill district was peaceful.

She, however, said that the Centre did not seek any report on the Darjeeling situation from the state government.

As their indefinite shutdown entered its second day on Tuesday, protesters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland hurled stones at the police at Chowkbazar area in Darjeeling after they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.

Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills, while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed.

Shops downed shutters as the violence broke out. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership, however, accused the police unprovoked lathi-charge on its procession.

We have unanimously decided to fight for the separate state of Gorkhaland. We have also adopted a resolution in favour of it. Now our fight will not stop until and unless Gorkhaland is achieved, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

The GJM last week had called for a meeting of all hill parties. The meeting was attended by the GJM, the GNLF, the Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (apolitical) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists.

Two other parties from the hills, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) did not attend the meet, but their leaders expressed their support for a separate state.

The GNLF, an ally of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the civic polls that took place last month, has emphasised the need for a separate state.

Giri claimed that the BJP district leadership too attended the meeting. But, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said: We are not aware of any of our leaders attending any kind of all-party meet in Darjeeling.

Stet Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said the people in the hills and tourists were now caught between Didigiri of CM and Dadagiri of GJM chief Bimal Gurung.

Chowdhury also blamed state and central BJP of speaking in different voices on the Darjeeling issue.

The Centre complied with Banerjees request for Army deployment, while the state BJP was busy trading charges, he said.
A man in Uttar Pradeshs Kaushambi was forced to carry body of his niece on a bicycle after being allegedly denied an ambulance by a government hospital, in yet another case of medical apathy in the state.

Hospital authorities ostensibly asked the bereaved uncle of Poonam, the minor girl who had died on Monday morning after a severe bout of diarrhea, to pay the fuel cost of the ambulance if he wanted to avail it to take the body home.

As the family was not in a position to afford the cost, Brij Mohan carried his dead niece on his shoulder and cycled all the way to their village, some 10km away.

On May 20, a man had to carry his dead wife on a stretcher for some distance after being denied ambulance. Later, sensing trouble, the doctors provided him an ambulance to transport the body.

In another appalling incident, a labourer was forced to carry the body of his 15-year-old son on his shoulder a few months ago after being allegedly denied help by doctors at a government hospital in Uttar Pradeshs Etawah district.

Poonams family was reportedly finding it difficult even to bear the cost of treatment at the district hospital, where she had been admitted since Saturday.

Girls father Anant Kumar, a labourer from the districts Malak Saddi village, had to leave behind his ailing daughter under the care of his brother-in-law Brij Mohan, to look for some odd jobs in Allahabad to arrange some money for the treatment.

How could I pay the fuel cost? Whatever little money we had was all spent on her treatment, said Brij Mohan.

After the shocking incident came to the fore, district authorities lodged an FIR against the doctor on duty and the ambulance driver.

Kaushambi district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said a report on the incident was sent to the government.

Districts chief medical officer Dr SK Upadhyay said an inquiry would be ordered into the matter and action would be initiated against the guilty.

The chief medical superintendent of the district hospital told me that the government does not provide them fund for the fuel. The day-to-day fuel requirements are being met through contributions from the hospital staff, he said.

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Patna, June 13 (IANS) Controversies continue to dog Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his family, the latest in the series being deployment of a medical team at the residence he shares with his son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

The medical team was, however, withdrawn after the opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the matter, officials said on Tuesday.

A team of three doctors and two male nurses of the Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) had been deployed for over a week at 10-Circular Road, the residence officially in the name of Rabri Devi, former Bihar Chief Minister who is mother of Tej Pratap.

Lalu and other members of his family, including his younger son Tejashwi Yadav, who is Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, live there.

According to officials close to Tej Prataap, the medical team was deployed for the treatment of Lalu last week -- May 31 to June 8 -- when he was taken ill.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies raised the matter and questioned the official rules to deploy a team of doctors at Lalus residence and also demanded an explanation from the Nitish Kumar-led state government.

However, soon after the issue came to light and the opposition raised questions pointing to Lalus clout in the state government, the IGIMS ordered withdrawal of the team of doctors from Rabri Devis house.

IGIMS Superintendent P.K. Sinha told the media that there was nothing wrong in deputation of a team of doctors at the residence of Heath Minister Tej Pratap, who is also Chairman of the IGIMS, an autonomous body.

Tej Pratap as the Health Minister has the prerogative to call for doctors and ask for deployment of a team of doctors, he said.

Sinha said as the Chairman, Tej Pratap was entitled to the privilege, and that even ministers were entitled to certain prerogatives.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar said at a time when common people have been running from pillar to post for treatment at government hospitals across the state, an entire team of doctors was deployed at the Health Ministers residence. It has exposed the clout of Lalu and his family (in the government).

Another senior BJP leader, Nand Kishore Yadav also criticised Lalu and his family for misusing the power.

Expelled RJD MP and chief of Jan Adhikar Party Pappu Yadav said: Doctors ki nahi jallaadonn ki tainati Lalu ke awas par hona chaahiye. Garibon ko doctors milate nahi lekin Lalu ke liye doctors ki team mil jaati hai (Instead of doctors, executioners should be deployed at Lalus residence. Poor have no medical facilities, but doctors team is available for Lalu).

BJPs ally LJP leader Pasupati Kumar Paras also flayed the deputation of doctors, saying while there was so much shortage of doctors in government hospitals, deputation of a team of doctors for his treatment was simply uncalled for.

---IANS

ik/nir/vt
At 37, Pema Khandu is countrys youngest chief minister. The former Congressman crossed over to the BJP last July and took over as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Son of veteran Congressman Dorjee Khandu, who died in a helicopter crash in 2011 while serving as the chief minister, told Hindustan Times that there was a marked difference between how the Congress and BJP leaderships function. Khandu is unnerved with the current controversy about beef and says eating habits cannot be regulated through legislations. Excerpts from his interview with Kumar Uttam:

The BJP got its first government in Arunachal Pradesh after you crossed over with your supporters. What prompted you to leave the Congress?

I joined politics in 2011 and kept raising within the Congress many issues that I thought were important. There was no mechanism in the Congress to address them. Its not that I decided to leave abruptly. It got disheartened with the way Congress leadership treated its leaders. It was more of a high command culture where orders came from above and leaders had to execute them.

Is the BJP different? Doesnt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah form the high command in BJP?

BJP is a more systematic and a vibrant party. I never saw in Congress the kind of activities that BJP does. There is one or the other party function going on every moment. Too much focus is being given on training of workers. Congress leadership, it seems, did not realise the need to work on organisational front. Everyone was happy being in Delhi. You hardly got a chance to speak to Congress leaders and tell them about your issues... The Congress has failed to reinvent itself and more leaders will leave it in coming days.

How do you see Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi as leaders of their parties?

(Laughs) Are you asking if there is a match? No way. Rahul Gandhi clearly has no idea how to run the organisation and what needs to be done to deal with the challenges before. Shah is focused. The BJP president, every time I meet him, will seek feedback and give suggestions. Even the prime minister has given a suggestion on how there should be a synergy between the old BJP leaders and those, like us, who have come from the Congress... With Rahul, it would not have been possible.

But several BJP leaders from Meghalaya have resigned over beef controversy. Isnt this issue holding BJPs march in the northeast?

This is an issue that is being blown out of proportion. Beef is not the only an issue about which people of northeast are concerned. The current controversy relates to the Centres order on banning the sale of animals for slaughter. Its not about beef. Eating habits of people cannot be regulated through orders and legislations. Any government can pass any order, but people will eat what they want to eat.

Did the Centre consult you before issuing the order on banning the sale of animals?

No

Do you plan to take up the issue with the Centre?

I believe that the government itself is amending that order. I dont not want to waste my time on these issues. I have more serious jobs at hand. Eating habit of people should best be left to them.

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The experts panel formed by the government to review provisions of draft National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill, 2017, which, among others proposes jail term for offenders, met in Delhi for the first time.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Director General UP Singh chaired the meeting held on Monday, the Union water resources ministry said in a statement.

Ministry joint secretary Sanjay Kundu, Madhya Pradesh advocate general Purushaindra Kaurav and Allahabad high court advocate Arun Kumar Gupta -- all members of the committee -- attended the meeting.

The bill, the ministry said, seeks to address critical issues pertaining to Ganga on its cleanliness and uninterrupted e-flow.

It also proposes penalty, including jail terms, to offenders.

It also captures various judgments on the river including those of Supreme Court, various high courts and the National Green Tribunal.

The draft bill was framed by a panel formed by the Centre under the chairmanship of Justice Giridhar Malviya in July 2016.

The committee had submitted the draft to Union Water Resources Minister on April 12, 2017.

Ganga will be the first river to be protected by an act, if the bill becomes law.
Responding to Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patils appeal to well-to-do farmers in the state to not avail the blanket loan waiver, an MLA of the ruling BJPs ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha on Tuesday said he didnt want his loan waived.

The Rashtriya Samaj Paksha was part of the BJP-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) formed ahead of the 2014 assembly elections. RSP president Mahadev Jankar is currently a minister of state in the Devendra Fadnavis government.

The party MLA Rahul Kul, who represents Daund constituency in Pune district, has written a letter to the revenue minister, stating that he be excluded from the waiver.

Against the backdrop of farmers protests, the state government on Sunday gave an in-principle approval to a complete but conditional loan waiver, a prominent demand of cultivators.

However, in order to limit the scale of the waiver, which the government has to fund from its own resources, rich farmers are likely to be excluded from the ambit of the write-off.

Patil had urged that farmers who have additional sources of income or are paying income tax should not avail the loan waiver and give it (loan waiver) back on lines of the domestic LPG gas subsidy.

I am a farmer and have been periodically repaying the instalments of money borrowed by me. I will continue to do so in future as well. I thus request you to exempt me from the loan waiver scheme, Kul stated.

He told reporters that he had borrowed a loan of Rs 20 lakh for his farm practices. My family is financially capable to repay the loan. Hence, I have sought exclusion from the loan waiver as appealed by the revenue minister, he said.
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Congress leader and Karera MLA Shakuntala Khatik for inciting party workers to violence during the last weeks farmer protests.

A block president of the opposition party is a co-accused in the case. A police team raided Khatiks residence and a few other places but couldnt find her.

The FIR was based on a video clip in that had Khatik asking Congress workers to set the Karera police station on fire. The complaint was lodged by station in-charge Sanjeev Tiwari.

A first-time MLA, Khatik on June 8 held a sit-in with party workers outside the station to protest against police firing in Mandsaur that had left five farmers dead two days earlier.

Police asked protesters to leave and used water cannons against them when they burnt an effigy of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Khatik got into an argument with Tiwari and asked the party workers to set the police station on fire, the complaint said.

After the clip went public, Khatik had told HT she spoke in the heat of the moment as she was humiliated by police. She couldnt be reached for comment on Tuesday as her phone was switched off.

Widespread violence was reported in the states farm belt of Malwa last week, with farmers demanding a loan waiver and better price for their produce.

Angry farmers destroyed tonnes of vegetables and drained thousands of litres of milk to draw the governments attention to their distress.
Over 4,000 Haryana Roadways buses, including 39 luxury buses, remained off the road on Tuesday after employees called for a chakka jam and struck work for a day to demand withdrawal of permits to private bus operators.

During a meeting held between the union leaders and transport minister Krishan Lal Panwar, which lasted till 8 pm on Tuesday, the government conceded to their demands, including rolling out a new transport policy and promised action against private bus operators.

Speaking to HT, Haryana Roadways Workers Union general secretary Sarbat Poonia said, The union leaders were anguished over the decision of the government to give permission to private bus operators while they flouted norms causing loss to the government.

The government has agreed to allow private operators only on selected routes and not to give new permits till rolling out of new transport policy. They have also agreed to take stern action against private operators who have flouted norms pertaining to routes and facilities to passengers, he added.

State transport minister Krishan Lal Panwar had called union leaders for a meeting in Chandigarh on Tuesday afternoon. We have been called for a meeting, but our future course of action will depend on the outcome of these talks. In the past too, the government has made a commitment, but failed to honour it, Punia had said. If todays talks fail, striking employees may be forced to intensify their protest agitation, he added.

The strike, to protest the permits given under the 2016- 17 transport policy, earlier caused inconvenience to thousands of commuters who depend on Haryana Roadways buses for commuting.

Multiple rounds of talks have been held between the state government and striking employees representatives during the past two months to break the deadlock, but they have failed to yield much. It was second time in about two months time that the roadways observed strike, the last being on April 10.

In April this year, the state government and roadways employees unions had reached a consensus to end the strike on the fourth day.

At the time, the government had agreed to scrap the new transport policy of 2016-17.

However, it was decided that 844 buses will continue to ply on old routes under the previous transport policy till the new policy was finalised.

We dont want to inconvenience common people, but people will understand that what we are doing is in everybodys larger interest, Punia said.

Rather than thinking of privatising the roadways, the government should think of adding more buses and improving services. There was also a shortage of drivers and conductors, the union leader said, adding that 16,000 buses were needed to cater to the 2.5 crore population of Haryana. There is no demand to privatise roadways from the people of Haryana, so why should the government show haste, he said.

Echoing him, another union leader, Haryana Roadways Sanyukt Karamchari Sangh President Dalbir Singh Kirmara said the decision to strike work had been taken after the state government had backed out from its promise of withdrawing private bus operators, who were granted permit as per 2016-17 transport policy.

During the strike, the employees staged demonstrations at various depots, including Hisar, Ambala, Kaithal, Jind and Rohtak . It was a tough day for passengers in Karnal, especially the students, who suffered due to the strike.

The strike has become a routine affair and today again I could not go to my college in Panipat, said a student Preet Singh.
In blockade-prone Manipur, even love gone sour can result in a wildcat shutdown.

A part of Thangmeiband, a locality in Manipur capital Imphal, shut down for 12 hours last weekend because a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator allegedly ditched a local woman after promising to marry her.

Heikham Dingo Singh represents Sekmai, an assembly constituency that has lent its name to a local brew. The 38-year-old MLA is a bachelor.

Clubs and womens organisations of Thangmeiband accused Singh of abandoning the woman after wooing her for seven years. The girl said her marriage with Singh was fixed in 2013 but had to be put off temporarily after a death in her family.

Singh allegedly began seeing less of her as politics became his first love. The girl said he cut her off after becoming an MLA in March.

Last week, a group of women accompanied the girl to Singhs house in Sekmai, about 20km from Imphal. But their counterparts in Sekmai allegedly shooed them away.

The Thangmeiband locality bandh followed. Local organisations in Sekmai responded by protesting the bid to tarnish Singhs image. Singh could not be contacted.

BJP legislators and state party leaders chose not to comment on a personal matter blown out of proportion.

But the girls supporters are not in a mood to relent. We want to bring the two lovers together, Phuritsabam Bina of Thangmeiband Apunba Meira Paibi, a locality womens group, told an Imphal-based daily.

Manipur, a militancy-ravaged state, has a history of statewide shutdowns and economic blockades that choke the highways  the states lifelines  for months on end.

The Thangmeiband bandh was to have given way to another  a 48-hour Manipur shutdown called by candidates who appeared for a recruitment examination to the state police force last year.

But the candidates called it off after the BJP-led coalition government reminded them of a May 30 cabinet decision that made bandhs illegal and punishable.

Recently, a district in neighbouring Mizoram borrowed Manipurs idea by imposing a blockade on an arterial highway to protest the governments decision to transfer the lone surgeon out.

The blockade of National Highway 306 in Kolasib district was imposed on June 6 and lifted five days later after the government, facing a commodities crisis because of the highway blockade, revoked the surgeons transfer.
The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has approved over Rs 4.13 lakh crore for improving basic urban infrastructure in the last three years, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

The approved investment is higher by about 250% over Rs 1.18 lakh crore okayed under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) of the UPA government between 2004 and 2014, he said.

Per capita investment of Rs 15,475 has so far been approved between 2014 and 2017 under new urban missions for a five year period as compared to Rs 4,918 approved for the earlier 10 years, the Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation minister said.

Naidu said over threefold increase in investments, per capita spending and central assistance, among others, are driving the much-needed urban transformation in the country.

He said that a framework has been introduced to ensure objective selection of cities and allocation of central funds without any discretion and discrimination.

Underlining that it was challenging task, Naidu said 2,843 government houses were evicted from unauthorised occupation during the last three years, which included 411 houses occupied by former MPs and ministers.

Houses under unauthorised occupation of former MPs and ministers amounted to 15 per cent of the total got vacated. As many as 226 were evicted by initiating eviction procedures while another 185 had to vacate under sustained pressure and follow up, the minister said.

Informing the mediapersons that still 190 cases related to unauthorised occupation are pending in courts, including 80 in High Court and 110 in district courts, Naidu said, the long hand of law will reach them.

Naidu said 322 Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and smart cities have acquired credit ratings of which 147 have got investment grade.

As many as 163 cities have initiated measures for mobilising resources through Value Capture Financing tools.

A city liveability index will be launched on June 23 at National Workshop on Urban Transformation here, he said, adding the next batch of smart cities will be announced on June 23.

The Centre has already announced 60 smart cities that will get central assistance of Rs 500 crore each for carrying out various developmental projects under the mission.

About implementation of projects, Naidu said it would not be possible to transform a city into a smart city overnight and it takes time to implement various projects.

He said the environment ministry had issued on Monday a notification doing away with the need for a separate clearance from that ministry for construction and building projects up to 1,50,000 sqm in Delhi.

Such approvals, will henceforth, will be issued by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the three MCDs in their jurisdiction, Naidu said.

Operational metro projects in the country is would be doubled from the present 346 km over the next two years, he said, adding President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate a metro section in Bengaluru on June 17, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kochi metro in Kerala on the same day.

To a query, Naidu said transfer of officials should not be based only on a reason to stop corruption.

Action will be taken if any an official is found involved in corruption, the minister said, adding that he has issued a number of notices and imposed penalties on officials found guilty in offices attached to his ministries.
India should use excess land held by government agencies to meet its goal of providing housing for all by 2022, experts and activists said, as the country struggles with rising conflicts over land for industry, infrastructure and its citizens.

The government recently launched a long-delayed process to sell 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of unused land belonging to unprofitable state-owned enterprises -- known in India as public sector undertakings (PSUs).

The railways, ports, aviation and defence ministries also hold vast tracts of surplus land.

A portion of this land held by the government must be given to states to build housing for poor and low-income groups to meet Indias goal of Housing for All by 2022, experts and activists said.

The government says finding land is the biggest problem for affordable housing, but the government is sitting on so much land that is lying idle, said Shivani Chaudhry, executive director at New Delhi-based advocacy group Housing and Land Rights Network.

PSUs could easily work with the ministry of housing to see how best to address this issue, but they would rather monetise the land in other ways.

Indias state-owned enterprises hold more than 1 million acres of surplus land, according to some estimates.

Government enterprises themselves are unsure how much land they have, said Samar Lahiry, a former adviser to the governments planning commission.

India has sufficient land for all uses, including housing, if we use our existing resources with prudence, Lahiry said.

We need to evaluate land use and take stock of land that is locked up with PSUs. Using idle land for vital civic infrastructure such as hospitals, roads and affordable housing is important, given the contentious nature of land acquisition.

Some of these surplus government-held lands have been encroached upon by the urban poor struggling with a lack of affordable housing.

Government committees over the years have failed to sell off these lands because of a lack of clear guidelines, inadequate records and a lack of coordination between various ministries.

A spokesperson for the ministry of housing said plans to create a land bank are on track.

The government has asked PSUs how much unused land they have. Once there is a clear idea of how much land there is, the government will draw up a plan for its use, AA Rao told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Affordable housing will be a priority.

A quarter of Indias urban population lives in informal housing such as slums, according to social consultancy FSG.

That number is set to rise as tens of thousands of people leave their villages to seek better prospects in cities.

The governments Housing for All plan aims to create 20 million new urban housing units and 30 million rural homes.

Availability of land to meet this goal is a challenge. Conflicts over land have risen as demand grows for industrial and infrastructure projects to drive growth and boost development for Indias 1.3 billion citizens.

Earlier this year, Indias Supreme Court asked seven states why land bought for special economic zones is lying idle, after an advocacy group said about 80% of such land is unused.
An Indian woman was beaten and stabbed to death in a suburb of Kuwait city, a media report said.

Her body was found in a pool of blood at a flat and the womans husband is missing, according to the report.

The body was lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds and furniture scattered all over the place, police said.

The flatmate of the deceased woman notified the Interior Ministry about her death, and a team of rescue men went to the scene, a security official was quoted as saying.

The womans identity was not revealed.

The body was handed over to the forensics department and an investigation was in progress to determine the whereabouts of the husband and bring the suspect to justice
Pakistan praises Mamata Banerjee. Mark Zuckerberg does gau seva. Jawaharlal Nehru University students celebrated Maoist attack in Sukma.

These were some of the stories churned out by news website DainikBharat.org during the past few months. On each occasion, the story was debunked, but didnt deter the Hindu right-wing publication from gaining more readers or pressing on with fresh instances of questionable reporting.

Now, an investigation by AltNews.in has identified the people who possibly run the website and own its domain name. The probe points to an FIR allegedly filed against the editor-in-chief of the website for spreading a fake photo involving Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

The investigation also hints at possible ties of these people with the Hindu Sena, a little-known outfit that shot to prominence this year for backing Donald Trump during the US presidential elections.

The investigation, done by Pratik Sinha of AltNews.in, starts by trawling through the domain information and finds that it is registered to an individual identified as Shashi Singh and the editor-in-chief of the website Ravi Singh.

Using tools such as Truecaller, archived and cached pages of social media sites and tools such as Wayback Machine, which stores snaps of websites at various times in the past, Sinha finds out that the purported Facebook page of Ravi Singh has a profile photo of Hindu ideologue Savarkar and has shared photos from a page run by the Hindu Sena.

Sharing screen space with Singh is Vishnu Gupta, who hogged primetime television space for doing a havan pujan for Trump. Singh was even acknowledged by the USAHindus4Trump Twitter handle.

Altnews finds out that Singh is possibly facing charges for putting out a fake photo involving Kumar Vishwas in 2015.
Jet Airways and IndiGo have resumed using the UAE airspace for their flights to Doha, more than a week after they were forced to re-route their planes due to an embargo by several Gulf nations on flights to and from the Qatar capital.

The development came after UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority clarified on Tuesday that the ban applied only to airlines, aircraft and companies registered in Qatar.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia too issued identical statements explaining that the embargo did not apply to all airlines, according to local media reports.

The ban applies to all Qatari aviation companies and aircraft registered in the state of Qatar, several media reports quoted the agencies of the three countries.

Both IndiGo and Jet Airways have returned to flying over the UAE to reach Doha, the capital of Qatar. Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, was yet to go back to its original route plan. The three Indian carriers operate flights to and from Doha.

Since the imposition of the ban by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, the Indian carriers had to alter their routes and fly over Karachi (Pakistan), Bandar Abbas (Iran) to Doha resulting in longer flying hours and additional operational costs due to higher fuel burn and deployment of additional human resources.

Full-service carrier Jet Airways said in a statement that it had received permission to use the UAE airspace.

The airline will start operating on its earlier routes via the UAE with immediate effect, helping it reduce guest inconvenience as well as additional flight time, the airline said.

Jet Airways, whose strategic partner is the UAE-based Etihad Airways, operates flights from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthpuram.

Low-cost carrier IndiGo, which operates a flight each from Delhi and Mumbai to Doha, said that it received a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) informing about the change and its flight from Delhi on Wednesday morning will fly over the UAE.

However, Air India Express has not yet revised its route, according to an official. It operates 14 flights to Doha from Kozhikode, Mangalore and Mumbai.

The restrictions on use of airspace came while nine countries -- Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Mauritius, Mauritiana, Yemen, Libyas eastern-based government and the Maldives -- severed diplomatic ties with Qatar last week.
Until a couple of years ago, Mannava Murahari was a hard-working farmer, struggling all through the day in his two-acre plot to grow vegetables.

Now the 55 year old is idle. Like all the other farmers Krishnayapalem, a village in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, he surrendered his land to the state government for its construction of Amaravati. Formerly villages and farmland, the area has been getting developed as the new state capital since 2015.

The project has transformed the daily lives of everyone in the area: major landowners, small-scale farmers, tenant farmers, and daily labourers alike.

Murahari was sipping tea a roadside stall in his village, a blank expression on his fire. I cant do anything else except farming, he said. With the land being taken away by the government for capital, I have no other work to do.

A man named Prasad, who had less than an acre of land in Venkatayapalem, an adjacent village, described a similar predicament. Wealthier farmers, he said, were able to buy land in other districts, whereas those who had only small plots were stuck aimlessly subsisting on the annual government handouts. We have no resources to buy land elsewhere to do farming, he said.

According to Ch Sridhar, the commissioner of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority, as many as 27,000 farmers, across 29 villages, have surrendered nearly 35,000 acres under land pooling. This is a system in which landowners voluntarily give their land to the government. In exchange, they start receiving an annual fee. When development is finished, the government returns a portion of their original holdings.

In Amaravati, farmers are being paid Rs 30,000 to 50,000 per acre, depending on the quality of their land, with annual compensation increasing by 10% every year. Once the capital city is built, the farmers will receive both 1,000 square yards of residential land and 250 to 400 square yards of commercial land per acre they gave up initially. They can sell or keep the developed land as they wish.

Most larger landowners quickly adjusted to this new economic order. Besides using the annual money to buy new land elsewhere, some have shifted into real estate or set up restaurants for the government employees now moving to Amaravati.

I had no other option but to get into the real estate business, said Nandakishore, a 30 year old whose father gave away eight acres under land pooling. Now Nandakishore runs his own office in Krishnayapalem. He said business was good.

For farmers who had less land to give and less capital on hand, the transformation of daily life has tended to be more bewildering. Many had known only farming their whole lives and are now jobless. Except for a few pockets of vegetables and fodder, there has been virtually no agriculture in these villages for the last couple of years.

Some former farmers have managed to learn another trade. Rama Rao set up an iron shop that does brisk business every day. Sukumar runs a tea stall. Subba Rao became a real estate agent. We had two acres of land that have now gone into the core capital of Amaravati, he said. We need something to eke out a livelihood.

Sridhar said farmers were getting a good deal. Except in a few cases where there is litigation, all the farmers have been made provisional allotments of plots. The land value in these villages has already gone up, and once the capital construction picks up pace, they will reap rich profits.

Murahari seemed convinced of the overall benefits of land pooling. Even if we struggled in the fields all through the year, we never used to get a return of Rs 50,000 per acre, he said. Moreover, wages of agricultural labourers are too high in our area. We have not lost anything by giving our lands for the capital construction. Except, he added, that we have no work to do now.

The unemployment caused by land pooling harms tenant farmers and agricultural labourers most, said Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, an MLA from the YSR Congress party whose constituency falls in what is now Amaravati. These people had depended completely on daily farm work.

With support from Reddy, farmers from the villages Undavalli and Penumaka refused to give up their lands. The government is now offering land acquisition instead of land pooling. With this system, the government pays four times the official registered value of the land. This price, however, is often lower than the market value.

An acre of land in our area costs Rs 12 crore, said D Balaji Reddy, a farmer in Undavalli, but the government is offering us only Rs 40 to 50 lakhs. How can we give up our land?

Elsewhere, there is evidence that even tenant farmers and labourers have found value in the governments offers. Nandakishore, who set up the successful real estate business, said that most tenant farmers shifted to other districts to continue farming, and that others have become real estate brokers on a commission basis.

For agricultural labourers, the government is paying each of them an amount of Rs 2,500 per month, he said. Besides, many of them are involved in the construction process.

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The Rohtak-based family of Lt Nitish Kakkar, who died in a road mishap in Bathinda two years ago, is still struggling to cope up with the loss of their only son but the rejection of the insurance claim over his death has now further upset the bereaved family.

Lt Kakkar, 26, who got commissioned into the 45 CAV Armoured Corps of the Indian Army in 2015, was killed on May 26 in the same year in an accident in Bathinda Cantonment areathe place of his posting.

However, the life insurance claim pertaining to the late army officer has been rejected on the ground that his documents were received by the company one day late.

At first, Reliance General Insurance declined to process our claim saying we did not intimate them about our sons death within 90 days. But when I showed them the receipt of their acceptance of our intimation, they changed their stance and said the payment was declined because the requisite documents had reached their office on the 181st day of Nitishs death, and not within the stipulated period of 180 days, Nitishs father Jitender Arya said, adding that he had sent the documents on the 176th day.

HT called the insurance company multiple times, but got no response. The letter denying insurance claim to the family (in HTs possession) cites delay of one day as violation of terms and conditions of the policy to reject the claim.

The family said their repeated requests to the army to intervene in helping them get insurance claim elicited no response.

The adjutant general of the Army also denied special family pension and ex-gratia lump-sum compensation to the bereaved family, despite the commanding officer of the unit recommending that Lt Kakkar was on bonafide military duty and his death is attributable to military service. Both the letters are in possession of HT .

The authorities concerned have not told us why the family pension and ex gratia were rejected even when it was recommended by the officers of the ranks of major general, Arya said.

Meanwhile, the family said, the police are yet to reach a logical conclusion about the death of their son. The police investigation so far says that he was found in a pool of blood by the side of his bike on the highway. They have not been able to find out what happened and which vehicle(s) was involved in the accident, he said.

Over the past two years, Lt Kakkars father has written to the officials of the state and central governments, and the sainik board, but has not received any help. It is not about money. We can do without it. But it is humiliating to see officials behaviour, he said.

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Madhya Pradesh governments decision to treat buying of agricultural produce below the minimum support price (MSP) from farmers as crime has opened another Pandoras box with traders now up in arms against the announcement.

In protest against the governments move, traders refused to buy produce from farmers at mandis in several districts such as Sehore, Shajapur, Shivpuri, Narsinghpur, deepening the agricultural crisis.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced the MSP directive while ending his indefinite fast for peace as there was no fresh incident of violence in the state.

The MSP directive, however, peeved the traders. They argue the price of a particular produce is decided based on its quality.

A traders body Sakal Anaaj Dalhan Tilhan Vyapari Sangh said the traders would refrain from buying produce until the government rollback its MSP directive.

It will be difficult for the traders to do business if their self-respect is hurt, said its president Gopal Das Aggarwal.

Facing traders ire, the State Agriculture Marketing Board clarified that the MSP would be enforced only on agricultural commodities having fair average quality (FAQ).

Chouhans BJP government is battling its worst crisis since assuming power in 2005 with farmers agitation demanding better prices for their crops that took root in the Malwa region on June 1, spread to other parts of the state in the days that followed.

Six farmers were killed in the course of the agitation. While five died in police firing on Tuesday last, the sixth succumbed on Friday to injuries suffered during a baton charge in Mandsaur.

To quell the crisis, the chief minister announced a slew of welfare measures, including making non-adherence of MSP as criminal offence, for the states farming community.

(With inputs from Anupam Pateriya in Sagar)
The production has been bountiful but the price is measly. Onion was being sold for just Rs 1 in Madhya Pradesh till the state government stepped in to buy, potato is still being sold for 80 paise in Haryana and pigeon pea (tur dal) is fetching no more than Rs 40 in Maharashtra.

The glut and plunging prices is the sum total of the crisis staring at farmers across the length and breath of the country. Last week, matters came to a head after farmers protest in Mandsaur of Madhya Pradesh turned violent, resulting in six deaths.

Like everywhere else, Mandsaur farmers were agitating after they were forced to sell onions at just Rs1 a kg. The prices are well below what they fetched in 2016: Onion for Rs 1 as against Rs 7, turmeric for Rs 50, half the price in 2016, soya bean at 33% lesser than the rate in 2016 and so on.

Farmers blame their plight on demonetisation and the failure of the government to impose adequate import duty on time.

Farm economy runs on cash and traders say they have no money to give us. We are forced to sell the produce at whatever price they (traders) are offering, said Jasbir Mamumajra, a sunflower grower from Yamunanagar in Haryana, who blamed demonetisation for his woes.

Most of the agriculture trade used to run on cash, mostly unaccounted money, and on credit. With cash being sucked out, the traders have less liquid asset to take risks. In some places they are seeking a commission of up to 2% to make payment in cash.

A farm trader in Indias food bowl of Punjab, Devinder Singh, agrees, saying note-bandhi has disturbed the trade cycle. Entire trade shifted to no-credit system. It has hit us hard, he said.

An agriculture expert with Bihar government, Anil Kumar Jha, said input costs such as labour, fertilisers and pesticides have gone up significantly this year. This added to the miseries of farmers, already facing cash crisis due to demonetisation.

Maharashtra farmers, who were first to protest after prices of pigeon pea (tur dal) fell, blamed the Centre for not imposing high import duty on pulses.

The production cost of the tur per quintal is more than Rs5,000 for farmers. With the Union government allowing the import of lentil at Rs 3,700 a quintal, the farmers are not likely to recover their cost, said Vijay Jawandhia, farm activist and Shetkari Sangathana leader.

Same was the complaint by farmers in Haryana, who have been forced to sell sunflower at Rs 2,500 per quintal as against the minimum support price of Rs 3,950 even though the cost of seeds have increased by almost 50% in 2016.

We could have been saved had the government increased import duty on edible (palm) oil, said Balwinder Singh, a Karnal-based farmer. However, state government officials blamed poor quality for the low price.

In Asias largest grain market in Khanna, Punjab, the prices of maize have plummeted with traders like Sanjeev Kumar saying the farmers are bearing the brunt. In Uttar Pradesh, farmers sold wheat at less than the minimum support price, saying government agencies were not willing to buy the produce because of the record production this year.

Wholesale traders in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh said the prices of onion, tomato and potato have crashed.

The per quintal wholesale prices of the onion in Maharashtra was down to Rs 600-800 from Rs 1,000-1,250 in 2016. Potato in Haryana was sold at Rs 80 a quintal on Tuesday. Farmers sold onion for Rs 1 in Madhya Pradesh after which the government announced a procurement price of Rs 8 per kilogram.

P Chengal Reddy, founder-chairman of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA), said: The Centre takes into consideration the average production of past three years and not the current years production cost, in deciding the MSP. If it continues, time is not far when farmers across the country will revolt, he said.

(With inputs from state bureaus)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Nagpur-based businessman Manoj Jayaswal and his son Abhishek for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 290 crore to Vijaya and Canara banks.

The duo was arrested along with a former deputy general manager of a nationalised bank from Kolkata on Monday night.

The Jayaswals had floated Abhijeet Group for mining and thermal power projects. The company allegedly took huge loans from over 20 banks even before the group started its mining activities and power production. The outstanding amount of these banks reached over 11,000 crore.

According to a source, the company was allegedly pampered by a former Union coal minister, a Rajya Sabha member and a very influential BJP politician from Nagpur and saw a meteoric rise during UPA regime.

In just eight years of setting up the group, Manoj Jayaswal became a force to reckon with in the business circle in Mumbai and Delhi.

It is alleged that Jayaswals political connections, both in Congress and BJP, helped him move swiftly from one industry to another. Starting with infrastructure and road projects, he rapidly diversified into power, ferro alloys, steel, and mining.

After the coal block allocation case, Jayaswal was booked by CBI for bank frauds in October 2015. The agency, which raided his residence and offices during the period, filed an offence against him for fraudulently availing a letter of credit facility from Canara and Vijaya Bank.

Searches were conducted, which led to recovery of several incriminating documents.
Change is the only constant and politics is no exception. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) taking over the reins in Uttar Pradesh, new icons of Dalit and backward castes have gained prominence.

Raja Suheldev, Rani Jhalkari Bai, and Lakhan Pasi have replaced Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, Ramabai, Jyotiba Phule and Shahuji Maharaj  the icons appropriated by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The idols of the Samajwadi Party (SP)  Ram Manohar Lohia and Janeshwar Mishra  have also relegated to the background.

The BJP government has not only decided to install the statues of new icons at public places but will also include chapters on them in school textbooks under the new education policy.

Recently, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, The role of Suheldev and Jhalkari Bai has been deliberately ignored by historians who have distorted history. The BJP government will include chapters on these icons in school syllabus so that students draw inspiration from them.

He also announced the construction of a Surya Temple at Balaar in Bahraich that was razed by Muslim invader Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud.

The announcement by backward class welfare minister Om Prakash Rajbhar that the statues of Raja Suheldev would be installed at the memorials constructed in Lucknow during the BSP rule has put the BJP at loggerheads with the blue brigade.

The BSP has decided to oppose the installation of statues at Dalit memorials.

A delegation of BSP leaders, led by national general secretary SC Mishra, met the CM on Wednesday to register protest over the installation of statues of the backward caste icons at the memorials of Dr BR Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram. Instead of encroaching on Dalit memorials, the BJP should construct separate memorials for backward class icons whom they are promoting, he said.

Senior BSP leader Lalji Verma said, BSP respects Raja Suheldev and Rani Jhalkari Bai but will oppose encroachment on its memorials. Even the Supreme Court has, in its order, banned construction activities at memorials.

Talking to HT, national president of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Om Prakash Rajbhar said no one could overlook the contribution of Raja Suheldev or Rani Jhalkari Bai.

They worked for the unity and welfare of the Hindus. A section of historians deliberately tried to erase their names from the annals of history. The BJP government has decided to restore their dignity and place in history, he said.

Backward caste icons like Suheldev and Jhalkari Bai and Muslim faces like Ashfaqullah Khan, Abdul Hameed and APJ Abdul Kalam are respected by one and all. It is up to us if we want to associate ourselves with them or Alauddin Khilji, Mahmud Ghazni, Mohammed Ghauri, Salar Masud, Babur and Aurangzeb, said Yogi Adityanath.

Why is BJP promoting new Backward and Dalit icons?

Prof CB Gupta, a faculty at the department of medieval and modern history, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University, Gorakhpur, said the BJP was trying to make inroads into the backward and Dalit communities.

To win the support of deprived communities, the BJP will have to give a dignified place to their icons. Dalits and backward communities played a crucial role in the landslide victory of the BJP in the assembly election, he pointed out.

Along with upper caste icons like Maharana Pratap and Shivaji, the saffron brigade has been promoting its ideologues. In changing political equations where there is an upsurge in the marginalised community for share in political power, the BJP is promoting their icons to strengthen its hold over these communities, Prof Gupta said.

He said there was no documentation of the role of Raja Suheldev, Rani Jhalkari Bai or Lakhan Pasi in historical records. We get evidence of their heroic acts from folklores. To get the support of backward castes, the BJP will have to promote their icons, he said.

Former head of sociology department at Lucknow University Rajesh Kumar Mishra said Indian politics revolved around charismatic personalities. Icons are embedded as per the perception and belief of the communities. All political parties try to woo communities by highlighting the role of their icons, he said.

After coming to power, the BJP has slowed down on Hindutva and is working on the agenda of nationalism. It suits their politics of dividing the Dalit and backward communities which were considered to be the support base of the BSP and the SP. The new strategy of the saffron brigade has nothing to do with religion as Dalits and backward communities are being united on the agenda of nationalism, Mishra said.

He added the BJP was increasing its influence among the communities that were not its traditional support base.

Sanjay Singh, a political observer said under the Kalyan Singh government (1997-99) new backward and Dalit icons like Raja Bijli Pasi, Uda Devi and Avanti Bai were promoted to win the support of Dalits and backwards.

The statues of these leaders were installed at various crossings in Lucknow and other cities. It helped the BJP in making inroads into the Pasi community settled in central UP, he said.

After its victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP started working on new icons. The picture of 11th century king Raja Suheldev was installed at the partys newly-renovated state unit office in Lucknow.

Before the assembly elections, BJP national president Amit Shah unveiled a statue of Raja Suheldev and launched a book at a programme organised in Bahraich. Terming Suheldev a national hero, he said people who did not remember their brave ancestors could not make history.

Other marginalised communities like Musahars, Tharus and Vantongiyas are also on the priority list of the chief minister. After launching an immunisation drive at a Musahar dominated village in Kushinagar on May 25, the CM visited a Tharu village in Balrampur district on Sunday.

Earlier, he launched welfare schemes in Vantongiyas village in Maharajganj.

The urban communities and upper castes settled in rural areas constitute the traditional support base of the BJP. Yogi Adityanath is trying to broaden the support by bringing those communities into the mainstream that were considered to be untouchable, Singh said.

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Dont eat meat, say no to sex after conception, avoid bad company, have spiritual thoughts and hang some good and beautiful pictures in your room to have a healthy baby.

This is ministry of Ayushs prescription for pregnant women in India, where 26 million babies are born each year.

The recommendations are part of a booklet called Mother and Child Care, compiled by the government-funded Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN) under the Ayush ministry, formed in 2014 to promote Indian traditional healing practices.

Pregnant women must Stay away from desire, anger, attachment, hatred and lust. Avoid bad company Be with good people in stable and peaceful conditions only Hang some good and beautiful pictures in the bedroom, which will affect the child also. Self study, have spiritual thoughts Read the life stories of great personalities Keep calm (Source: Mother & Child Care Through Yoga and Naturopathy, ministry of Ayush )

Experts and rationalists accuse a section of BJP leaders and Hindu right-wing groups of promoting unscientific theories in healthcare and other areas.

Last month, the Jamnagar-based Garbh Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra  allegedly linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)  said couples can conceive the best progeny through purification, having sex on auspicious days and abstinence after conception.

Yoga guru Ramdev, known to be close to the ruling BJP, faces criticism after one of his companies claimed to have concocted a medicine that ensure a male child for couples who cant conceive.

Union minister Shripad Naik, who released the booked recently ahead of the International Day for Yoga on June 21, said it was published three years ago and is a compilation of yoga practices that are believed to help pregnant women.

The booklet does not contain any advice on abstaining from sex, the Ayush minister said.

Dr Ishwara N Acharya, director in-charge of the CCRYN, also claimed the booklet does not say that sex must be avoided.

However, page 14 of the booklet has a paragraph which says,Pregnant women should detach themselves from desire, anger, attachment, hatredness and lust(sic).

The advice is unscientific. Protein-deficiency malnutrition and anaemia are health concerns for pregnant women and meats are a great source of both protein and iron, which is better absorbed from animal sources than plant sources, said senior gynaecologist and obstetrician Malavika Sabharwal of the Apollo Healthcare Group.

As for sex, if the pregnancy is normal, there is no need for abstinence as the baby in the womb is protected by the amniotic fluid and the uterus muscles.

Caution is advised during the first trimester when the placenta is low-lying and for complicated pregnancies, where there is a miscarriage risk, said Suneeta Mittal, director of the obstetrics and gynaecology at Fortis Gurgaon.

Some studies show that a mothers stress, anxiety and depression may affect the babys development.

Pregnant women need to be happy and instead of being prescriptive about what they should think and do to be happy, we must urge them to do things they enjoy and strongly advise the family be to supportive, Sabharwal added.

Around 44,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes in India each year, official data show. The countrys maternal mortality rate  defined as deaths per 100,000 live births  is 167.

(With agency inputs)

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Police arrested Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday outside Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district to block him from visiting families of farmers killed in police firing a week ago that sparked widespread protests.

Hardik, who led a violent movement demanding quotas for Patidars in Gujarat last year and is considered one of the communitys tallest leaders, said the government wont achieve anything with his arrest.

I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and can go to any place in India freely. Members of my family have been killed and I came to meet their families, Patel said.

At least four of the six farmers killed were from the Patidar community that is considered a loyal votebank of the ruling BJP.

I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and can go to any place in India freely. Members of my family have been killed and I came to meet their families, said Patel talking to media persons at Nayagaon immediately after his arrest.

Mandsaur and adjoining districts were rocked by sweeping protests last week as farmers demanded better crop prices and a loan waiver after rates at local markets crashed. The state government was pushed on the back foot as protesters burnt vehicles and ransacked property, even setting police stations on fire.

A number of prominent politicians have made a beeline for Mandsaur, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was arrested outside the district border. Congress leader and member of Parliament from Guna, Jyotiraditya Scindia, is also on his way to the spot. Curfew has been lifted from the area but prohibitory orders remain.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be taking a break from politics to visit his 93-year-old grandmother in Italy, he said on Twitter. He will most likely spend his 47th birthday next week with them.

Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them, said Gandhi, who will be celebrating his 47th birthday on June 19.

His latest foreign visit comes in the midst of hectic politics over the coming presidential election and other developments like the farm crisis.

Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them!  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) June 13, 2017

He did not mention how many days he will be abroad.

Rahuls grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture.

Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights, he added.

Sh Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead & guide the ongoing Farmers agitation & every Congressmen is committed to fight for the Farmers rights pic.twitter.com/VSnT6L02fU  Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 13, 2017

In March, Rahul Gandhi visited the US where his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi had gone for a health check-up.

Earlier, during the New Year Celebrations, Gandhi had gone to London for a short break.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh has called a meeting of all state home ministers on July 3 to assess the internal security situation in the country.

Home ministers of all states are expected to join the conference that would be chaired by Singh.

Prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, violence perpetrated by the Maoists and other issues will be discussed at the day-long meeting to be held in Delhi, a home ministry official said.

This would be the first such conference during the NDA government where all home ministers would discuss the security situation in the country.

During the previous UPA regime, the home ministry used to call a conference of chief ministers every year to discuss the countrys internal security.

However, no such conference was held in last three years
To promote low-cost accommodation as part of the housing-for-all scheme, the government will push for building up of steel houses.

The project aims at providing affordable houses to urban and rural poor. This in turn will help reduce slums.

Each house will have in-built cement chambers to allow cooling and will cost about 2 lakh.

The steel ministry is in talks with state governments to push the project, especially in their rural areas. Model houses have been set up at Burdwan in West Bengal, Tripura and Maharashtra.

Thermocol layers would be put up in peripheral walls of these steel houses for cooling. The house, with the total area of 250 square feet, will have a living room, bedroom, kitchen, toilet and a small veranda. The houses will be more suitable for areas typically located in hills and have cool climate.

These houses will also boost consumption of steel, as part of the national steel policy. We are looking at ways to push consumption of the metal besides providing an opportunity to people with limited budget to own a house, steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh told Hindustan Times.

Singh further said the ministry has written to others to consider using steel for constructing houses both in urban and rural areas.

If the experiment succeeds, the same model could be used for other purposes including building schools, panchayat buildings and bus stops in the villages.

A senior official of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) said the project would take a few more days.

Meanwhile, the steel ministry has drawn up an investment plan of 10 lakh crore from 2017 to 2030, Singh said, adding that it is looking to adopt steps that would boost its exports to 8% of the total production instead of 1.5%.

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White House says Trump looking forward to meeting Modi; H-1B visa, terrorism, trade likely on the agenda

The maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would set forth a vision to expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious way, the White House said on Monday. I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries people, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference. The Indian external affairs ministry in New Delhi said that meeting would provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership.

Read the story here.

Maharashtra govt tapping new sources to fund Rs 30,000 crore farm loan waiver

Already reeling under the debt of over Rs 4 lakh crore, Maharashtra government  which announced a loan waiver of Rs 30,000 crore on Sunday  has a herculean task of raising funds. A senior minister said We have reached a point of saturation in taxation on almost all the fronts. The thrust will be on collecting the taxes to their fullest by plugging leakages. Among the identified sources, there is huge potential of revenue from the land monetisation. For instance, redevelopment of government-owned Bandra colony may fetch us Rs 10,000 crore in future.

Read the story here.

Not a terrorist, came to meet families: Hardik Patel arrested outside Mandsaur

Police arrested Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday outside Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district to block him from visiting families of farmers killed in police firing a week ago that sparked widespread protests. Hardik, who led a violent movement demanding quotas for Patidars in Gujarat last year and is considered one of the communitys tallest leaders, said the government wont achieve anything with his arrest.

Read the story here.

New Dalit icons are emerging in UP as the BJP tightens its reins in UP

Change is the only constant and politics is no exception. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) taking over the reins in Uttar Pradesh, new icons of Dalit and backward castes have gained prominence. Raja Suheldev, Rani Jhalkari Bai, and Lakhan Pasi have replaced Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, Ramabai, Jyotiba Phule and Shahuji Maharaj  the icons appropriated by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP government has not only decided to install the statues of new icons at public places but will also include chapters on them in school textbooks under the new education policy.

Read the story here.

Denied ambulance, UP man cycles home carrying dead niece on shoulder

A man in Uttar Pradeshs Kaushambi was forced to carry body of his niece on a bicycle after being allegedly denied an ambulance by a government hospital, in yet another case of medical apathy in the state. Hospital authorities ostensibly asked the bereaved uncle of the Poonam, the minor girl who had died on Monday morning after a severe bout of diarrhoea, to pay the fuel cost of the ambulance if he wanted to avail it to take the body home.

Read the story here.

All-party meeting in J&K to discuss GST

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the implementation of GST in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference has warned the government against any misadventures on the GSTs extension to the state and said it would not allow the erosion of the states fiscal autonomy. A special session of the Assembly has been convened on June 17.

Late army officers kin in Rohtak denied insurance claim

The Rohtak-based family of Lt Nitish Kakkar, who died in a road mishap in Bathinda two years ago, is still struggling to cope up with the loss of their only son but the rejection of the insurance claim over his death has now further upset the bereaved family. The life insurance claim pertaining to the late army officer has been rejected on the ground that his documents were received by the company one day late.

Read the story here.

Trump gaon? Sociologist wants Rajasthan village named after US president

A top Indian sociologist and social worker has announced to name one Indian village after US President Donald Trump, as part of his efforts to further India-US relationship. I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village, Sulabh International founder and chief, Bindeshwar Pathak, announced at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC. The village is being developed in Mewat region of Rajasthan.

Read the story here.

US Secret Service says it doesnt have any Trump tapes

The US Secret Service has said it doesnt have any recordings or transcripts of any tapes recorded within President Donald Trumps White House, a disclosure that failed to rule out whether any tapes exist of Trumps conversations with ousted FBI director James Comey. The agency made the disclosure on Monday in response to a freedom of information request by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper noted that it doesnt exclude the possibility of recordings created by another entity.

Read the story here.

Trumps Covfefe could be official if Congress passes a bill

From the incomprehensible covfefe to a post labelling fired FBI director James Comey a leaker, President Donald Trumps tweets would be preserved as presidential records if a Democratic lawmakers proposed COVFEFE Act becomes law. Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois introduced on Monday the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement Act that would amend the Presidential Records Act and require the National Archives to store presidential tweets and other social media interactions.

Read the story here.
Two debt-ridden farmers died in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday as the government struggled to contain acute agricultural distress that has claimed five lives since violent protests broke out last week.

A 68-year-old farmer allegedly killed himself in the states Hoshangabad district and his body found hanging from the branch of a tree in his farm, police said.

Makhan Lal had taken a loan of Rs 7 lakh from local money lenders and had also sold nearly 7 acres of land in the past two years to repay the burgeoning interests.

My father was very depressed about the loan repayment, said Rakesh Lohwanshi, his son.

Another debt-ridden farmer from Vidisha district, Hari Singh Jatav, died during treatment in Bhopal after taking tablets to end his life days ago, police said. More details were awaited.

The two incidents took the death toll to five since farmers went on a rampage in Mandsaur on June 6, ransacking property and torching vehicles to press for better crop prices and a loan waiver.

Experts say the deaths are symptomatic of an agricultural crisis sweeping Indias food bowl states where a crash in produce rates, rampant corruption and red-tape in procurement and aggressive money lenders have left farmers looking down the barrel.

In Madhya Pradesh, for example, a combination of a bountiful crop and a cash crunch post demonetization has left farmers with few options in a region that clocked a farmer suicide every five hours last year.

Death of five farmers killed in police firing in Mandsaur last Tuesday has sparked a political slugfest in the BJP-ruled state with senior politicians such as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visiting the spot. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who relies heavily on support from farmers to win him a fourth term in elections due next year, has promised a dialogue but not committed to a full farm loan waiver.

In Raisen district, about 45 kilometers away from Bhopal, a 40-year-old farmer Kishan Singh Meena from Sagonia village allegedly took tablets on Thursday evening and died hours later. He was struggling to pay back loans worth Rs 17 lakh.

Another debt-ridden farmer, Anwar Khan, allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide in Bundelkhands Sagar district on Thursday evening, police said. He had a loan of about Rs 5 lakh.

52-year-old farmer Dulichand Keer allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in Rehti area of Sehore district, 40 kms from Bhopal, on Monday. Sehore is home district of chief minister Chouhan.

The family told media that he was anxious about paying back loans but local police have attributed the death to age-related diseases.

My father was disturbed due loan he had taken he had taken from a bank and local money lenders to the tune of Rs 6 lakh. For the last few years, he was not getting proper price for his produce, said his son Indra Kumar Keer.

(With input from Saeed Nada in Raisen, Anupam Pateriya in Sagar and Jitendra Verma in Hoshangabad)
PATNA Two minor school students, both sisters, were allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped at gunpoint by four youths in Ganghara kutchery hamlet falling under Shahpur police station area of rural Patna.

The victims, aged 14 and 15 years, are students of class 6 and 7 in a middle school.

Though the heinous crime was committed on May 27 and June 2, it came to light only on Tuesday after the girls approached the cop and narrated the incidents while seeking action against the accused. One of the accused identified as Jyotish has been arrested in this connection while three othersRahul, Golu and Potakare still on run.

Confirming the incident, SSP Manu Maharaaj told HT that a case has been lodged against four persons under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 376 (punishment for rape) IPC, 366 (abduction) and 34 of the IPC and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

We are taking the help of an elderly woman to get more details from the victims who are traumatised, Maharaaj added. Sub-divisional police officer of Danapur, Rajesh Kumar said he had recorded the statement of the victims and medical examination of the two victims has been done at Sadar hospital, Danapur.

The horrific case of gang rape first occurred on May 27 when the two sisters were returning from Phutani Bazar after buying grocery. According to reports, two persons identified as Rahul and Golu took the girls to a secluded place at gunpoint and raped them.

Again on June 2, the elder sister was called by Rahul on the pretext of meeting someone. The boy took her to one Tuntun Sharmas place, just 200 yards from her home, where three youths surrounded her and took her to a house in the locality where her modesty was outraged. They threatened me of dire consequences should I disclose their identities, the victim told the police.

The police are conducting raids to arrest those involved in the incident. A senior police officer of central range said, Local policemen who did not react swiftly after the complaint was lodged will not be spared.

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The maiden meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would set forth a vision to expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious way, the White House said on Monday.

The leaders of the worlds two largest democracies, home to 1.6 billion people, will meet on June 26 to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues including terrorism and Indias concerns over possible changes in H-1B visa rules.

I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries people, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference.

The Indian external affairs ministry in New Delhi said that meeting would provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership.

Modi was invited to Washington when he rang Trump in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... whether its economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners, Spicer said in response to a question.

The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H-1B visa issue.

Notably, Modis US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trumps announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries.

In his announcement of the decision for which he received a global condemnation, Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries, he had said.

Strongly rejecting Trumps contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has already made it clear that his country recognises India as a major defence partner partly out of respect for New Delhis indispensable role in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.

The US was exploring new ways to address new challenges as well from maritime security to the growing threat posed by the spread of terrorism in Southeast Asia, Mattis has said.

Regional security situation including Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and other international issues are expected to figure prominently during the meeting of the two leaders.
Controversial right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini, founded by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is planning to revive anti-Romeo squads in Gujarat as part of its expansion plans in the BJP-ruled state to spread awareness about true Hindu culture.

The outfit aims to induct over 600,000 members within six months and plans to keep a check on conversion and cow slaughter. The western state had formed such squads  aimed at checking incidents of sexual harassment of women in public spaces  for the first time in 1998 but the groups remain dormant.

Though we are present in Gujarat since last three years, we were not that active. But now, we are launching HYV in Gujarat in a big way, Gujarat Vahini president Shailendra Pathak said.

Anti-Romeo squads are battling allegations of moral policing in UP for harassing couples in public spaces and even meting out punishment for indecent behaviour. Two months ago, alleged members of the Vahini broke into a house in Meerut and dragged out an Hindu-Muslim couple, thrashing the man in full public view.

We have already started building our organisation in several districts and will expand further in future, added Pathak.

The outfits newly appointed state secretary Arjun Mishra, who will be leading the expansion drive, said, The Hindu Yuva Vahini will ask the BJP-led Gujarat government to form anti-Romeo squads on the lines of Uttar Pradesh.

We will not engage in re-conversion. Instead, we will make Hindus aware about how they are being lured to convert to other religions. Hindus are still being converted in many parts of the state, such as Dahod, Kheda and western Ahmedabad, Pathak claimed.

Another focus area of the group will be curbing incidents of Hindu women marrying Muslim men or what the Vahini calls love jihad.
The Rajasthan Congress will stage a statewide agitation on Wednesday in support of a range of issues, including loan waiver and fair prices for agriculture produce.

The government has been neglecting the demands of farmers for the past three years. We will protest in all 33 district headquarters and take up issues of the farming community, state Congress president Sachin Pilot told reporters here on Tuesday.

Pilot, along with former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and other senior leaders, will address a rally in Sikar on Wednesday.

On June 16, the Congress will hold a demonstration in Kota to protest the recent death of a farmer who died of heart attack after allegedly not getting a fair price for garlic.

The BJP has a habit of blaming the Congress whether they are in the government or the opposition. For three years, the central government has not done anything for the farmers and every 41 minutes theres a farmer suicide in India, he said.

Pilot said that the Rajasthan government should follow in the footsteps of the BJP governments in UP and Maharashtra and waive off farmers loan. About 10 lakh farmers are yet to receive compensation for crop damage three years ago. The MSP should be fixed at more than 50% of the cost price, he said.

Terming the BJPs claim that farmers income will double by 2022 as an eyewash, he said that BJP has a habit of procrastinating issues.

In reply to a query that MSP comes under the central governments domain, he said that the state government provides feedback on the input costs and there is a provision for a bonus. Moreover, the state government was not giving even the MSP on designated crops.

Sidestepping a query about Rahul Gandhis next foreign trip, Pilot said that it is because of pressure from the Congress and Rahul Gandhi that the governments in MP and Maharashtra have taken certain steps.

Invisible hand protecting cow vigilantes: Pilot

Reacting to cow vigilantes beating up officials of Tamil Nadu in Barmer on Monday, Pilot said, The so-called gau rakshaks are breaking the law brazenly but there is no reaction from the government. There is an invisible hand which is protecting these so-called gau rakshaks. The prime minister says that 80% of gau rakshaks are criminals, and these criminals have a free run in Rajasthan so it puts a question mark on the law and order situation in the state.
Bowing before the farmers and oppositions demand, the Rajasthan governments cooperative department has decided to buy garlic at 32 per kilogramme (3200 per quintal) under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) in five places in Rajasthan, including Hadauti region.

However, farmers bodies and the opposition are not happy with rates offered by the government.

On June 3, 2017, HT had first reported the plight of farmers growing garlic in the Hadauti region. The farmers were demanding government intervention after garlic prices crashed due to a glut in production.

Since the government had not declared a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Garlic, it will now buy it under MIS.

State cooperative minister Ajay Singh Kilak said that the Union government has granted the state government permission to buy garlic under MIS, whereby a total of 10,000 quintals of garlic would be bought at five places in Rajasthan  Kota, Khanpur (Jhalawar), Chhipabarod (Baran), Keshoraipatan (Bundi) and Pratapgarh. The purchase of garlic will be held through Rajasthan Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation (Rajfed), he said.

The decision to buy garlic through Rajfed has been taken to ensure due prices for garlic, he added.

Kota MP Om Birla hailed the governments decision and described it as an effort to prevent losses to farmers, however, farmers bodies and the Congress has described it insufficient.

Dashrath Kumar, general secretary of Hadauti Kisan Union, said that the decision will not help since the purchase rates are insufficient. Kumar said that if the state government wants to help the farmers it should buy the entire garlic produce instead of just 10,000 quintals.

According to the farmers, the price of garlic was around 50 to 100 per kilogramme in 2016, which went down to 10 to 40, with average price hovering around 20 per kilogramme. The production of garlic in Hadauti region was 7.87 lakh metric tonnes this year.

Former Congress minister Shanti Dhariwal described the governments decision as an eyewash. The Hadauti region alone has produced around 8 lakh tonnes but the government is buying only 10,000 quintals of garlic, he said.

He further alleged that government will buy garlic at 32 per kilogramme whereas the cost of cultivation is 25 per kg, so the government should buy garlic at a minimum of 45 to 50 to ensure that the farmers make some profit.
Worried over the possibility of farmers agitation in Rajasthan going the Mandsaur way, the BJP-led state government is pulling all the stops to defuse a potentially explosive situation. The farmers have been warning the state government of an agitation since April but the government has failed to respond so far.

On June 6, five farmers were allegedly killed in police firing in Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district during a protest.

While the state government has cancelled leaves of all police personnel, sources said that it is also in touch with RSS leaders in a bid to put pressure on the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) to call off its sit-in agitation from Thursday. However, a state RSS leader, who did not want to be named, told HT that theres no question of intervention at this stage. We would like to keep distant from both BKS and the BJP government on this issue. It is BKS right to raise farmers issues and we cannot stop them from doing so, he said.

Rajasthan Congress, which has openly come out in support of the farmers, will be launching a statewide protest on Wednesday. State Congress president Sachin Pilot attacked the state government claiming that farmers suicide is on the rise and lakhs of farmers in Rajasthan are yet to get compensation for unseasonal rains and hailstorms that struck three years ago.

While state agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini has tried to pass the buck by saying that minimum support price (MSP) of the crop is fixed by the Centre, Congress has rejected the argument and pointed out that farmers have not got even the MSP for many crops, including groundnut and mustard.

The state government on Monday announced the purchase of 10,000 metric tonne of garlic at 3,200 per quintal as damage control but its mum on other demands of the farmers.

No minister or government representative has invited us for talks, BKS state general secretary Kailash Gandolia told HT.

BKS has said that their demonstration would be peaceful but the farmers body has also warned the government that if any anti-social elements join the agitation and resort to violence, it will then be the sole responsibility of the state government.

Meanwhile, state home minister Gulabchand Kataria chaired a high-level meet on Tuesday to review security arrangements in the wake of farmers agitation. Sources in the home ministry said they dont anticipate any trouble from BKS but dont rule out the possibility of anti-social elements taking advantage of the situation to foment trouble.

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Chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday said the state police force is now working in a more humane and sensitive way due to the increasing number of women police officers in the force.

Raje was addressing 188 women constables of the 66th batch during their passing out parade at the Rajasthan Police Academy on Tuesday.

Raje said that challenges for the internal security forces in the country are increasing everyday but the state police are well trained and adept at handling these challenges. She said the government is leaving no stone unturned to train the police in sync with the latest innovations besides making them available all the equipment needed for the purpose. Subjects such as cyber and economic offences, along with lessons to improve the behavior of the cops, are being included in the study courses, she added.

Complementing the women constables for the skills displayed by them during the passing out parade, Raje expressed hope that with their neutral and efficient approach towards work, they will carry forward the glorious legacy of the state police.

Home minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that due the various improvements in the syllabus and introduction of latest innovations, the Rajasthan Police Academy has become the best such institution to train the men-in-khaki in North India. In one year, around 50,000 police personnel have been trained in the academy in latest disciplines, he added.

Director general of police Manoh Bhatt said that the newly-inducted constables have been given training in various disciplines of self defense and modern policing ways. This has been done so that they are able to provide self defense training to girls studying in various schools and colleges in the state, he added.
The Bengal government has refused to check Bihar-bound trucks for liquor bottles, something that the Bihar administration requested its neighbouring state to help it enforce the prohibition.

The refusal comes against the backdrop of differences between Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar over demonetisation.

Read: After liquor prohibition, Bihar to achieve de-addiction: Nitish Kumar

A joint team of Bihar police and excise & prohibition department officials met their counterparts in West Bengal on June 8, in Kolkata and a placed a request to check commercial vehicles terminating in Bihar so that those carrying alcohol to the dry state are apprehended before they enter its territory.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar incurred the wrath of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee when he refused to join her in her campaign against demonetisation. (HT Photo)

Sources said, on an average 20 to 25 trucks carrying liquor bottles are apprehended at the borders of Bihar, most of which are from Nepal. Bengal accounts for the second highest culprits.

The Bengal officials expressed their inability to extend any cooperation in this regard citing manpower problem as well as some technical problems.

A senior official from West Bengal excise department told HT that it is impossible to check each and every Bihar- bound truck from Bengal and identify those carrying liquor bottles.

Read: MCD election: Nitish Kumar calls for liquor ban in Delhi

Secondly, possessing liquor with valid cash receipts is not an offence in West Bengal. So there is difficulty in seizing liquors from Bihar-bound trucks, or any other vehicle, he said.

The Mamata Banerjee government earns more than 10% of its own tax revenue from alcohol. The Bengal administration has recently taken steps to increase availability of liquor in the state. (HT Photo)

Officials from Bihar Excise & Prohibition Department said a team will approach the governments of two other neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh with the same appeal. Bihar officials are confident of getting positive response from both these states unlike West Bengal.

If Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh governments reacts positively to Bihars plea and stop trucks carrying liquor bottles within their borders, Bihar police can focus on the Bihar-Nepal border through which most of the vehicles carrying liquor sneak in.

Read: No liquor ban impact on revenue, says Nitish

Bengal government sources said Mamata Banerjee is extremely unhappy with the role of Nitish Kumar during her nationwide protest against demonetisation announced on November 8 last year.

On November 30, 2016, when Mamata Banerjee organised an anti- demonetisation rally in Patna, she described Nitish Kumar as a traitor without naming him for supporting the note ban.

Sources said, on an average 20 to 25 trucks carrying liquor bottles are apprehended at the borders of Bihar, most of which are from Nepal. Bengal accounts for the second highest culprits.

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The crisis in Darjeeling seemed to deepen with the all-party meeting called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders on Tuesday afternoon ending a unanimous decision to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland that was a direct challenge to chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has vowed not to allow a split of Bengal.

The five political parties and an apolitical body that attended the meeting were -- GJM, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (apolitical), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists and BJP. The meeting started at 1:30 pm and went on till 4 pm.

Read:If I dont fight for Gorkhaland, hill people will not spare me: Bimal Gurung

Though two parties -- All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) -- did not attend, their leaders expressed their support for a separate state.

GJM supporters agitating in Darjeeling in 2015. (Samir Jana)

We have unanimously decided to fight for Gorkhaland, said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. R P Waiba, the vice-president of GJM chaired the meeting in absence of Morcha president Bimal Gurung.

Suman Sharma, assistant secretary of the BJP Hill district committee, was present in the meeting. I signed the resolution supporting Gorkhaland, he told HT. BJP Hill Committee president, Manoj Dewan, told HT that he deputed Sharma to attend the meeting.

For ruling Trinamool Congress, the decision of the all-party meeting signals a setback. GNLF, its ally in the recently concluded civic elections that helped it to post a victory in Mirik municipality -- the first by a party from the plains in decades -- clearly voted for a separate state. Trinamool Congress was our electoral ally and not an ideological ally. It was in a different context. This is politics, the art of the possible, Niraj Zimba, the spokesperson of GNLF, who was present at the meeting told the media.

Read: Darjeelings British legacy: A journey in time

GNLF was sold out earlier. They just made an alliance with us for electoral benefits. They pretended to be with us, but actually helped GJM to win the polls, alleged Darjeeling district Trinamool president and state tourism minister Gautam Deb.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed not to allow Gorkhaland to carved out of West Bengal. (HT Photo)

BJP leaders, too, were a tad uncomfortable. While a BJP representative was present in the meeting, he did not stay back for the press conference. In Kolkata, partys national secretary and former state president Rahul Sinha told HT, We will find out what happened in the meeting. But let me state that BJP is against the division of Bengal.

Incidentally, GJM is an ally of the NDA. In its manifestos of 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP stated that it would sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long pending demands of the Gorkhas. Though BJP leaders never spelt out their support for Gorkhaland, GJM has always considered these words as an endorsement of the same.

Meanwhile, on the ground normal life was completely paralysed in the hills on Tuesday, the second day of the GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh in offices of the state and Cwntral government and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, thanks to a one-day general strike called by 25 tea unions. Tea is the biggest industry in north Bengal and employs about three lakh workers. On Tuesday, police lathicharged a rally by GJM workers in Darjeeling.

Read: Kalimpong district may stoke Gorkhaland fire

Apart from the vow to fight for Gorkhaland, two resolutions were adopted in Tuesdays meeting. The parties described as unfortunate the police action on June 8 and on Tuesday. They also said that the chief minister should issue a clarification that Bengali should remain an optional subject in the hills and not impose it on students in the region.

File picture of AIGL leader Bharti Tamang. Though she did not attend the meeting on Tuesday, she said Gorkhaland was the only permanent solution. (Samir Jana)

AIGL chief Bharati Tamang, who is the wife of slain leader Madan Tamang said just a day ago that she supported the demand for Gorkhaland. (Incidentally, Bimal Gurung and other GJM leaders are among the accused in the murder of Madan Tamang on May 21, 2010.) JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who was a GJM leader, also endorsed a separate state as the only long term solution to the problem.

The latest bout of trouble started on June 8 when a clash broke out between GJM supporters agitating against what they alleged as imposition of Bengali on hill students by the chief minister. The administration had to seek the help of the army even as the police failed to control the situation even in the presence of the chief minister.

The all-party meeting also called for collective leadership to push for Gorkhaland.

An official of the state home department said that the Centre has verbally communicated that it will send a set of queries on the existing situation in Darjeeling. Once we get it officially, we will send a reply after consultation with thee chief minister, said the official.

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Residents of a village in Kanpur district have found a unique way to protest the lack of the most basic of facilities. They have renamed Simmranpur as PoK or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying their situation is no better.

Villagers complain Simmranpur, which falls under Daulatpur gram panchayat of Ghatampur, lacks educational and health facilities as well as electricity, proper roads, school and dispensary. There is only one hand pump in the village that is now used by villagers to tie their cattle and children, who play with its lever, after it stopped working eight years ago.

Village shopkeepers even put up placards at their establishments last Thursday, saying renaming the village was the only option left for them to ensure development. We will keep referring to the village as PoK till the time electricity, water and proper roads are made available to us, read the hand-written placards.

The decision to change the name was taken after much deliberation by the entire village, which has a population of 800 people.

We have been reading in newspapers about PoK and its people living in servitude and neglect. Our condition is no different, Sonu Yadav, one of the lead campaigners, says.

The people approached BJP MLA Abhijeet Singh Sanga but no action was taken. Earlier too, the villagers raised the issue with SP MLA Munidra Shukla but he took no action, he says.

He said the high tension electricity lines already pass through the village and it can easily be electrified.

The electricity poles in the village, which do not have wires, were erected by a contractor from his own resources when he was contesting the panchayat election in 2008. Electricity has not been made available in our village in the last 70 years. Even worse, we are going to have one of the biggest power plants near the village, Vinay Mishra, who spent 14 years in Mumbai but settled down in Simmranpur, says.

After their pleas failed to make an impact, the villagers put up posters at temples, walls and outside the village and at the house of the village pradhan in Daulatpur. Simmranpur village falls under Daulatpur gram panchayat. Unlike Simmranpur, Daulatpur has all the facilities including a school and a water tank.

Residents say every other village, and some on the other side of the road, under Daulatpur gram panchayat are completely electrified and have all the facilities.

Development ends at Daulatpur and surrounding villages. It never reaches us. The MPs, MLAs and village headmen generously release funds for these villages but not ours, Brijesh Singh, a villager, says.

The desperation stems from the fact that monsoon is about to set in and only 30 people have ration cards in the village. The quotadaar (the person who runs the fair price shop) doesnt give kerosene even to ration card holders. We dont have electricity and we will not get kerosene too, says Mishra.

The villagers have another problem.The absence of basic facilities has become a stumbling block for the young men from the village to find a bride in marriage.

Read more: In 2 years, BJP govt electrified 13523 villages; only 8% were completely electrified

People arent comfortable with the idea of marrying off their daughters to someone from this village. There are dozens of men who could not marry for this very reason, another villager Amit Kumar said.

The villagers say they are being forced by the politicians to drop their PoK campaign but they are united this time to get electricity and water even if it means keeping the new name forever.
If you want to experience the richness and diversity of our culinary heritage, then a visit to the kitchens of the Royal Gharana would be a good idea. Each of the princely states of India such as Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), Sailana (Madhya Pradesh), Akheraj and Bhainsrorgarh (Rajasthan), Salar Jung (Hyderabad), Dogra (Jammu & Kashmir) and Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) have their own unique food history. Each states palate is different from the other and these princely states guard the secret recipes of their royal kitchen carefully. Along with savoury dishes, another common thread binding these states together is the tradition of serving lavish dinners over a high table.

In a first-of-its-kind feast, ITC Maurya, Delhi, along with the descendants of the royal masterchefs and ustads, is offering the food connoisseurs in the city a chance to celebrate the cuisines of these princely states. Heres what you can expect as we show you a glimpse into the cuisines of the princely states:

The Royal Kangra Dynasty

Mukundwadi

The district of Himachal Pradesh is the home to the Katoch Dynasty, which is considered to be the oldest surviving royal family in the world. The USP of the Kangra cuisine is its rich intense flavour that is obtained by slow heating of the food. Traditional meals include Dham, Madra (Sepu Badi/ Mukund Badi, Rajma), Palda (a curd-based dish for curry), mustard based raita, pulses and Meethe Chawal (sweet rice) or Mithdee (made of boondi, bread crumbs).

The Sailana Succession

Sailana Sekh Kebab Korma

Located at the border of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the royal family of Sailana, are the cadets of the Royal house of Jodhpur. The cuisine is predominantly Mughal but with a distinct twist, which has been customised by the royal family over the years. Dishes such as Shikampuri kebab, goolar kebabs made with figs, a dum recipe from Iran and Kaleji ka halwa can be found here.

The Akheraj Ancestry

Amla Murgh

The Royal Akheraj dynasty lies between the borders of Marwar and Mewar in Rajasthan. The cuisine is the epitome of Rajasthani cuisine. Some of the special dishes you just cant miss out on are Hara Maans, Makki Maans Soyeta, Mangori, Rabori, Matki Maans, and Meetha Khata,.

The Bhainsrorgarh Regime

Makai Ke Kan

Bhainsrorgarh fort is located in the middle of two rivers Chambal and Bamani in Rajasthan. The cuisine has been curated and kept alive by the descendants of the Maharajas for years. Owing to the scarcity of water in the region, the food is cooked in such a way that it can be stored over a period of time. The meat used is either roasted or smoked. Some of the dishes are Makai ke Kan, Laal Maas and Panna Halwa.

The Rampur Reign

Bonga Nihari

The Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh is currently under Nawab Kazim Ali Khan. The Nawabs of Rampur like to make their dishes in a clay pot using unrefined spices such as Khada masalas, cinnamon and yellow chilli. Signature dishes include Rampuri fish, Rampuri Korma, Rampuri mutton kebabs, Doodhiya biryani and adrak ka halwa. Take your pick!

The Kashmir Lineage

Mirchi Gosht

The royal house of Jammu and Kashmir was formed by the Hindu Dogra Rajput dynasty. The state is home to a unique style of cooking known as Wazwan. Seven dishes typically form an inseparable part of the feast - Tabakh Maaz, Rogan Josh, Rista, Aab Gosh, Dhaniwal Korma, Marchwangan Korma and Gushtaba.

The Salar Jung Empire

Gosht Khada masala

The Salar Jung family was the royal family under Nizams in Hyderabad. This cuisine is known for its healthy elements. The USP of the cuisine is use of fresh ingredients as a souring agent in every dish. Help yourself to mouthwatering dishes such as Gosht Khada masala, Hari mirch Murgh masala, Jafrani Machli and Panner Timatari, Arbi Kalimirch.

What: Indias Royal Cuisines

Where: ITC Maurya, a Luxury Collection Hotel, New Delhi

When: On Friday and Saturday, 8 pm onwards, till 16th July

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The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday told the state government to ensure noise pollution rules are not flouted during the upcoming festive season.

We want strict compliance during the next festive season, said a division bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice Vibha Kankanwadi.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Dr Mahesh Bedekar that complained of flouting of noise rules during festivals such as Ganeshotsav, Navratri and Dahi Handi and inaction of authorities.

The court also directed the government to issue a statement that permission wont be granted for use of loudspeakers or any other sound amplifier inside Mahim police station, which is a silence zone, for celebration at Mahim dargah.

Read: Punish cops for noisy Mahim fair, says HC to Maharashtra govt, Mumbai police chief

The counsel for the dargah, senior advocate Rafiq Dada, said the dargah existed prior to the police station, which came up in the vicinity much later.

The judges refused to consider the argument saying once a place is declared a silence zone, use of loudspeaker or any sound amplifier cannot be allowed within the zone for religious or any other purpose.

It sent contempt notice to two senior police officials for permitting use of loudspeakers inside the police station for the Mahim dargah Urs. The bench said it will withdraw the notice if the government comes out with a clear statement banning the use of loudspeakers at the dargah.

Acting on the PIL, the court, on March 13, 2015, directed the state government to provide grievance redress mechanism to enable citizens to lodge complaints. The court directed the state government to develop a website enabling citizens to lodge complaints, even without disclosing their identity.

Earlier, the bench clarified the orders were applicable to all religious festivals and processions
The state government on Tuesday decided to provide immediate financial assistance of up to Rs10,000 to all the small and marginal farmers to start sowing operations for the ensuing kharif season.

The government would be providing bank guarantee to nationalised and district central cooperative banks (DCCB) based on which farmers would become eligible to get up to Rs10,000 from the banks. The amount will be adjusted later when they avail fresh crop loan.

After announcing a complete loan waiver to farmers, irrespective of their land holdings, the state started chalking out parameters to ascertain their eligibility. The government need a few weeks to finalise the norms for the loan waiver.

To reach a consensus, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil has been meeting leaders from various opposition parties. After meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar, Congress chief for Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, the group is scheduled to meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday.

The farmers outfits, while negotiating with the state, had demanded immediate monetary help for farmers for the sowing of kharif crop.

Meanwhile, both ruling allies, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, locked horns over hogging the credit for the immediate relief offered to farmers

Sena minister Diwakar Raote said the state cleared the proposal after he raised the issue during a cabinet meeting.

While moving a congratulatory motion for the chief minister, I made a point that small and marginal farmers need immediate help and the government must think about it. After this, the cabinet decided to approve up to Rs10,000 for them, said Raote.

However, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil refuted Raotes claims and said that the decision was taken after the high group of ministers met farmers representatives.

I have convinced the NCP chief about the loan waiver and cleared all the apprehensions raised by him in the past, Patil said, adding that he would be meeting Thackeray soon .

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Two women from Latur, aged 18 and 47, were allegedly made to eat dung and whipped by a self-proclaimed godman from Karnataka on the pretext of curing them of their illness. The women believed that someone had cast a black magic spell on them and it was the reason for the failing health. The Latur police have arrested four people and are on the lookout for their woman accomplice and the godman, who are on the run.

The incident had occurred on June 6 in Bidar district, the northernmost part of Karnataka. Prabhakar Kisade, Pandit Kore, Gangadhar Shewale and Dadgu Shewale, all in their mid 30s, had taken the two women to Karnataka to meet the baba.

Read: Godman, found on Facebook, rapes Mumbai woman to cure her father of cancer

We initiated a probe after a video of the incident went viral. Four locals, who had introduced the women to the baba, were arrested on Tuesday, said Vikas Naik, deputy superintendent of police, Chakur.

The accused told the women they were victims of bhanamati (black magic spell) and knew a baba who could cure them of their illness.

The women should have consulted a doctor immediately rather than falling prey to such practices, said Naik.

The police swung into action after a video of the women being whipped went viral. A team of Latur police would be visiting Karnataka.

Read: Mumbai godman rapes woman, tells her it will drive away evil spirits

Such practices are observed across Maharashtra, but most go un reported, said Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar.

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The heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Monday night drowned the civic bodys claims of the city being rain-ready.

The city recorded a rainfall of 24.6 mm rain at the Colaba weather station, 25.2mm was recorded at Santacruz. Since June 1, Santacruz recorded 176.2mm, 62.4mm above normal and Colaba recorded 212.8mm, 89.1mm above normal.

Since June 1, Santacruz recorded 176.2mm, 62.4mm above normal and Colaba recorded 212.8mm, 89.1mm above normal.

The downpour brought traffic snarls and several water logging complaints with it.

Experts who conducted an audit of the citys monsoon preparedness for Hindustan Times had highlighted the poor condition of Babasaheb Ambedkar road and how a chronic flooding spot, opposite Gandhi market, was not attended to. After Monday nights rains, the spot was flooded, leading to traffic. The expert panel had scored the spot 5.8/ 10.

Read: As BMC tries to make Mumbai monsoon-ready, Shiv Sena showers criticism on administration

While civic officials said the problem did not persist for long, people took to Twitter to complain about traffic snarls owing to the inundation.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials said that they received water logging complaints from King circle, Matunga and some parts of Dadar. BMC received 13 water logging complaints- 2 from the city, 3 from the eastern suburbs and 8 from the western suburbs. The civic body had pressed 21 pumps into service following water logging.

For better services and quicker response, BMC has also released 24 WhatsApp numbers where people can send their monsoon-related complaints. The number will be attended to by a ward officer, and will be functional only during the monsoon season.

The weather department has predicted a cloudy sky with moderate rainfall for Tuesday and Wednesday. Heavy rain is expected in some areas.
The decision to waive Maharashtra farmers loans will set the state government back by at least Rs30,000-Rs32,000 crore.

The government managed to end the farmers protests, but balancing the burden of unpaid loans, given the states poor finances, is not going to be easy. The government is looking to apply a cap on the benefit of the waiver up to Rs75,000 to Rs80,000 in a bid to minimise the burden to Rs30,000 crore or below.

A group of senior ministers discussing the loan waiver with the farmers, is also looking to rope in banks to stagger the loan amounts over the next five years so that the yearly burden is reduced to Rs 6,000 crore.

A senior minister, member of the group, told HT the government will give banks the guarantee in the form of bonds with future validity. He claimed many private and nationalised banks seem open to this idea.

By staggering the loan amount, the state will also be able to keep its financial parameters from going haywire. As it is with this burden, the states overall debt is likely to balloon from an estimated Rs 4.13 lakh crore to Rs 4.40 lakh crore and its fiscal deficit will also increase from the estimated 1.53% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The other option the government is exploring is to mobilise its non-tax sources, as suggested by the committee of senior bureaucrats.

We have reached a saturation point in taxation on almost all fronts. The thrust will be on ensuring tax collection by plugging the leakages. Among the identified sources, there is huge potential of revenue from land monetisation. For instance, the redevelopment of a Bandra colony owned by the government may fetch us Rs10,000 crore in the near future. Similarly, leased properties in Mumbai and its suburbs have the potential to earn a huge amount on revision of the lease rates, he said.

We have already asked all the departments to tap the sources of revenue mobilisation. The home department has proposed hike in various fees and charges for the police permissions. The Revenue department has been looking into generating funds from the immovable properties it owns, while the urban development department is tapping chances of premium on Floor Space Index and revenue from the Transfer of Development Rights, said an official from the finance department on the condition of anonymity.

The officials, however, admit development works and outlay for capital expenditure will be badly hit. Although we have identified various sources, implementing them will have hurdles and also take time. This will result in the short spending on the development works in the current year. Secondly, whatever money raised is going to fall short as the government has to bear another burden of Rs21,500 crore towards the implementation of the seventh pay commission, the officer said.

Last year, the state had to rework its revenue deficit to around Rs14,000 crore owing to poor collection from major revenue sources. A slump in the real estate sector after demonetisation announced by the Modi government last year and Supreme courts order of banning liquor shops within 500m of the state and national highway led to the shortfall in the collection by more than Rs5,000 crore. Both the sectors are likely to underperform this year, too, making it difficult to meet their annual targets. This years revenue deficit estimates at Rs4,000 crore will also have to reworked by March 2018.

However, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, who heads the high power group of ministers was confident. He said, We dont see any problem in raising the funds for the waiver as we have identified the resources. The government has also adopted the austerity measures and has begun to plug the leakages to ensure the revenue generation.

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The Indian Medical Association (IMA)  the countrys largest body of doctors  asked a hospital in Bandra-Kurla Complex to remove a hoarding, which read Honest Opinion, No Commission.

The hoarding, according to the IMA, brought disrepute to the medical profession as it suggested that other hospitals accepted commissions, often called cut practice. The Asian Heart Institute, which put up the advertisement, said that its doctors supported it.

Cut practice refers to a commission given to a doctor to refer a patient to another doctor or hospital for tests such as MRI, CT scans and X-rays.

The advertisement is unethical and is in bad taste. You dont have to advertise that you are honest. It is your duty to be honest and ethical, said Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, president-elect, IMA. He added that the hospital had agreed to pull down the hoarding. However, hospital officials did not reveal if they were ready to remove the advertisement.

In an official statement, the hospital said, The aim of this advertisement was to share that we stand vehemently against cut practice. As a society and a nation, we are up against a great challenge. After we put up the hoarding, we got tonnes of congratulatory calls from doctors and hospitals.

We have invited the IMA to stand alongside us and show solidarity in eliminating cut practice from medicine, it added.

Several medical journals have highlighted the menace of cut practice in the Indian healthcare system.

For example, Dr David Berger, who volunteered as a physician at a charitable hospital in the Himalayas, wrote in an article published in the British Medical Journal in 2014, The countrys doctors and medical institutions live in an unvirtuous circle of referral and kickback that poisons their integrity and destroys any chance of a trusting relationship with their patients.

Meanwhile, IMA officials said that if the hoarding was not pulled down soon, they would send an official complaint to the Advertising Standards Council of India.

READ

IMA calls off strike after Bombay HC orders doctors to resume work

Mumbai doctors call off strike after CM Devendra Fadnavis security assurance
The Mumbai crime branch arrested another accused on Tuesday in the government official posting scam. Bandanawaz Maner, a resident of Sangli district, visited Mumbai regularly.

Maner is the seventh person arrested for his alleged involvement in the scam. Officers said he was in touch with another accused, Ritesh Rekhunde alias Chandrakant. Maner was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till June 17.

Maner was arrested from Mumbai for his alleged involvement in the scam. A police team will visit his residence in Sangli and gather evidence, said Sanjay Saxena, joint commissioner, Mumbai crime branch.

Investigations revealed Maner tried to influence his victims by boasting about his contacts, which he said were politicians and a few senior IAS-IPS officers.

We are verifying Maners contacts and scrutinising his call detail record to find out if he has cheated government officials by luring them with plump postings, said a crime branch officer.

The Mumbai crime branch raided a five star hotel near domestic airport on May 31 and arrested four people  Vidyasagar Hirmukhe, general manager of Mahanand Dairy, Vishal Ombale, Kshor Mali and Ravindra Sing Yadav. During the raid, they also seized Rs6.70 lakh and two cheques bearing large amounts.

A complaint has been registered against the four by Solapur superintendent of police, Namdev Chavan, for cheating and breach of trust. All four are in judicial custody.

During interrogation, the accused revealed involvement Kamlesh Kanade and Ritesh Rakhunde. Both were arrested and produced in court. They were remanded in police custody till June 14.

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To take on app-based cabs aggregators such as Ola and Uber, the conventional black-and-yellow taxis and auto-rickshaws will soon have their own app. The idea was floated by the state government during a meeting with the auto and taxi union representatives on Tuesday.

The government believes that the app would improve the quality of the service offered by the regular taxis and autos, as it will curb cases of refusal to ply and hold errant drivers accountable. Maharashtra has about 1.5 lakh taxis and 7.5 lakh auto-rickshaws. Of these, 50,000 taxis and 1.25 lakh ply across Mumbai.

An official from the chief ministers office said the move is for upgrading the service offered by conventional taxis and autos. Apart from easing out booking hassles, we intend to train the drivers in exhibiting customer-friendly approach, the official added.

AL Quadros, general secretary, Mumbai Taximens Union, said they have welcomed the governments move and will support it.

Mumbai Taximens Union and Mumbai Taxi Association, with highest registration of taxis and autos in the city, have already signed an agreement with a private IT firm last month to launch an app. The product is expected to launch in June.

Quadros said the union is going ahead with the private app, as the government would take a long time to develop its own app.

The union leaders also raised some concerns about the app in the meeting.

Shashank Rao, leader of Mumbai Autorickshawens Taximens Union, said, the efforts will not bear fruits until the government brings a level playing field by implementing the new City Taxi Rules 2017. How will the app succeed, if some companies give incentives and bonus to their drivers, he said.

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After buying the London house where Dr. BR Ambedkar lived in the 1920s, the Maharashtra government will have to spend approximately Rs5.75 crore in getting the decrepit house in shape and turn it into a memorial.

The Maharashtra government, which is getting the house repaired and restored through the deputy high commission of India in Britain, hopes to complete the rest of the work and open the house to the public by August 15.

Dinesh Waghmare, secretary of the Maharashtra social justice department, said, The house was in a very bad condition and required a lot of work such as painting, plastering and restoring water supply. We have completed the first phase of the work, which involved basic sprucing up of the house. Work for the second phase is being tendered out.

In the first phase of restoration, the contractor removed all floor boards from the first and second floor and fixed new ones, plastered, painted and decorated walls and ceilings, put new carpets in the hallway, renovated the toilet and kitchenette and reworked the electrical and heating systems.

The second phase will involve building a library and a study centre on the first floor of the two-storey house, a museum on the second floor and a residence in the basement to house two fellows from the London School of Economics (LSE). The fellows will also have to take on the responsibility of being caretakers of the house.

We have restored the structure by spending 0.5 million GBP. The Deputy High Commission has informed us it will need another 0.2 million pounds for the second phase, Waghmare said. He said a seven-member advisory committee, comprising officials from the Indian High Commission, Maharashtra government and Ambedkarite and Buddhist organisations in London, is monitoring the works.

The Maharashtra government bought the 2,050-sqft house in the Camden borough of London in 2015 after an estate agent put up the property for sale in 2014. The state government purchased the house for 3.1 million pounds  around Rs31 crore at the time of the transaction. Ambedkar lived here as a paying guest, pursuing doctoral research at LSE.

The house, with brown bricks, a white facade and a bright blue door, stands on King Henrys Street, a quiet residential street that is a short walk from Primrose Hill at London landmark Regents Park. The house has a blue plaque that says  Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Indian crusader for social justice, lived here 1921-22.

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Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now have to consider the opinions of all the 227 corporators before redrawing the boundaries of the 24 wards in the city.

The proposal to redraw the ward boundaries was discussed at the group leaders meeting on Monday. It was referred back and will be discussed after all party leaders take the corporators views into consideration.

The proposal lists a shift of several electoral wards to maintain a balance and for better administrative services. A committee comprising three deputy municipal commissioners (DMC) and chief engineer of the development plan, was instructed to study the possibility of a reshuffle.

The proposal looks at bringing a parity by having a minimum of eight electoral wards and a maximum of 11 electoral wards under one administrative section. At present, there are some wards, for example Ward B, which only has two electoral wards while P North has 18 electoral wards.

The proposal merges two wards  B and E  that includes areas in Masjid and Byculla to form one ward. C and D, which includes Kalbadevi, Marine Lines, Malabar Hill, Peddar Road, Girgaum also will be merged together. However, P (north), which includes Malad (East and West) will be split into two wards  P (west) and P (east). P north is to be changed to P (west). The same has been done with L ward that comprises Kurla.

This proposal was also to be discussed on April 1, but was not taken up. Many leaders are not in favour of it.

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The first year junior college (FYJC) admissions will see a tough fight between the 3.27 students who passed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams on Tuesday, and their counterparts from non-state boards such as CBSE and ICSE.

With 193 students across the state scoring 100% in the SSC exams and the state board generously bestowing 10 to 15 extra marks to cultural and sport enthusiasts, state board students have a better chance.

The highest scores for class 10 in the non-state boards were between 99.2% and 99.8%.

State board students will grab the top spots in the first merit lists, said principals.

CBSE and ICSE may have more students scoring in the 90s, but the state board surpasses them rank-wise, said Rakhi Mukherjee, principal of Utpal Shanghvi School, Juhu. Twenty-one students from the school scored above 90% this year, compared to 17, last year. The highest score is 100% with extra marks. The top score without extra marks is 96.8%.

Overall, the number of students scoring in the 90s has decreased when compared to last year. In Maharashtra, 48,470 students scored above 90%, including 10,157 from the Mumbai division, down from last years 51, 281 and 11, 416 students. Nearly 32% students scored second class grades  between 45% and 60%  while students scoring in 80s dropped to 36,792 from last years 44,178.

Schools said that students scoring below 97% will have a tough time. The number of students scoring above 90% has increased from last year, but I feel that there are still not enough students in the category. I am worried about the competition from CBSE and ICSE students, said Asha Binu Kumar, principal, Vivekanand English High School, Kurla. State board students are still lagging behind and the gap is only widening despite efforts by the state board to bring parity.

Kumar added that the boards needed to follow a uniform pattern of examination and evaluation, so that no student has undue advantage. Every board wants to prove their mettle and they do so by finding new methods to give away more marks. Its a high time that educationists come together to find a solution to this, she said.

Additionally, many schools witnessed a dip in high scorers. Although, there are more students scoring perfect 100s this year, there are fewer students who scored above 90%, said Albin Anthony, chief executive officer, Sacred Heart School, Kalyan.
Shiv Kumar Agarwal, a senior citizen, arrived at the Punjab National Banks (PNB) Modi Nagar branch on Tuesday and scanned his broken locker several times by putting his hands deep inside. He broke down when he could not locate his savings certificates or jewellery he had deposited.

I have lost all my hard-earned savings. My National Savings Certificates and Kisan Vikas Patra were taken. The jewellery of my daughter-in-laws was also stored here. I have been ruined, he said.

Burglars broke into the strongroom of the branch on Sunday night and escaped with valuables and documents reportedly belonging to customers from 30 lockers.

Agarwal called his family from inside the strongroom, which was free to walk into on Tuesday as hundreds of customers came to check if their lockers were intact. The bank had put up a list of broken lockers at the main gate.

Customers read out the list and straightaway, barged into the strongroom after which they indulged in a verbal spat with bank officials. This went on for the whole day. Many also barged into the office of the branch manager.



Most times, the officials listened to customers with folded hands and did not reply. A total of 30 lockers of the 435 in the branch were broken into.

All the valuables from my fathers locker are gone. We lost items worth nearly Rs50 lakh. How will we produce a bill to claim our valuables back? The jewellery was ancestral and decades-old. We will lodge an FIR against bank officials. It seems they are involved in the incident, said Arun Bhatia, a customer.

The victims, also from Noida and Gurgaon, reported a loss of valuables ranging from Rs2 lakh to Rs60 lakh, each.

The bank has not promised any compensation to the customers. They are not ready to respond to queries. After a heated exchange, they were ready to give me in writing that my locker is safe. I checked my locker and found it safe, said GL Mittal, a customer from Sohna Road in Gurgaon.

All my ancestral jewellery is gone. It was worth nearly Rs50 lakh. I seriously doubt that the bank premises was secure, Devendra Kumar Garg, an affected customer, said.

Another customer, Geeta Jindal, who had come to check her locker withdrew all valuables from it despite finding it safe. I will not store anything in this branch now. Who knows when the remaining lockers will be broken into, she said.

One of our three lockers was broken into. We are contemplating if storing valuables in lockers is safe, said Abhilasha Singhal, a customer.

Rajinder Sharma, deputy circle head, PNB, said, We have asked customers to prepare a list of valuables they have lost. We are giving them in writing about the broken lockers. The list of items lost will be sent to our head office. The senior officials will decide about the compensation, if any.

The bank has 81 branches in Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida.

Apart from the FIR and police investigation, the bank will also conduct an internal inquiry to investigate the security lapses and determine the laxity of branch officials. We are not denying responsibility, but the discretion to compensate customers is in the hands of senior officials. This may take time, Sharma said.

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Though states have come up with victim-friendly laws to encourage participation in the criminal justice process, many survivors of sexual assault feel further traumatised by the way justice is dispensed. This reduces their willingness to come forward and report these crimes. A case in point is the recent one of a woman raped by three men, who also killed her 8-month-old child by throwing her out of a moving vehicle. The woman could only tell her husband and family about her assault much later; and reported it to the police after that.

In fact, even those cases that get as far as criminal proceedings often see the process itself becoming the source of another kind of victimisation. In legal parlance, this is called secondary victimisation. An important thing in this regard is to consider whether the survivor is satisfied with the severity of punishment meted out to the perpetrator. There is nothing worse for a victim than to feel that the perpetrator has got away lightly. In fact, survivors often feel that they are being treated worse than the perpetrator when it comes to dispensing justice. This is especially true in cases of sexual assault.

Sexual assault survivors are stigmatised in cultures with strong taboos about sex and sexuality. There are instances where a rape victim is viewed as damaged, isolated, ostracised, disowned by the family and prohibited from marrying.

Agencies set up to assist the survivors, ironically, also have policies and procedures that lead to further or secondary victimisation. The first logical step in case of a sexual assault is to approach the medical agencies. But the questioning procedure and tests the victim is put through can be more traumatic than the offence itself.

The next step includes approaching the police; there have been several instances of debasement, and insensitive remarks against the survivor (for example asking what kind of clothes they were wearing at the time of offence) that lead to secondary victimisation (the polices refusal to file the case saying it is not serious enough,or worse, casting moral aspersions on the survivor). This sort of victim-blaming mindset has also permeated some social organisations and NGOs that are supposed to help the victim during the criminal proceedings.

Remedy worse than disease

Clearly, more often than not, the remedy is worse than the disease. It is therefore important that we pay due attention to secondary victimisation that takes place very often. Compensation should not only encompass monetary relief, but should also focus on soothing the mental and psychological trauma resulting from the crime. This,unfortunately, is lacking in the discourse on sexual assault today. It overlooks the fact that the crime affects the survivors social relationships  with friends, family, colleagues  and brings about a change in the survivors psyche. Survivors of violent crimes like sexual assault often become paranoid and see themselves as completely vulnerable. This adversely affects the quality of their life. Survivors also tend to lose personal and professional stability, leading to reduction in financial capacity as well. But this aspect is generally ignored. Quantifying emotional effects is complex and problematic. This is because emotional experiences and peoples willingness to discuss emotional trauma are highly subjective and culture-specific.

Secondary victimisation is a social process of victimisation that needs to be addressed urgently. It is a major cause for offences going unreported and also for survivors not coming forward with their stories of victimisation and their failure to get justice. The judicial system needs to realise that a survivors well-being is affected not only by the offence, but also by the interactions after the offence.

The way forward

We need to devise policies and methods to reduce this victimisation. This could be done by sensitising policy makers and making them realise that trauma associated with an offence extends far beyond the actual commission. The government has some provisions for addressing the concerns of victims, but these are hardly adequate and often leave out those from poor socio-economic backgrounds. What we need is to address the difficulties faced by survivors and prevent secondary victimisation. These policies should keep in mind the main causes of secondary victimisation- (1) the acceptance of myths and stereotypes about offences that lead to officials treating survivors in an insensitive manner; and (2) There have been instances where officials have refused to provide any form of assistance and as such contributed to delay. (3) The assistance that is offered is insensitive and invasive.

Secondary victimisation can be prevented by supporting and empowering survivors in all possible ways. This can be achieved by prioritising and targeting efforts. It is essential to involve the survivors in post-victimisation intervention as it gives them a framework for their recovery process. In fact, their non-involvement results in further victimisation. Lack of sensitivity by officials may influence the survivors willingness to report crimes. Therefore, the need for sensitisation training for officials.

But none of these attempts at preventing secondary victimisation is possible without the active support of people in power. They have to be the agents of change. They must work closely with the community and society.The focus of the victimisation prevention must be on the well-being and social integration of the survivor.

Sanjeev P Sahni is principal director, Jindal Institute of Behavioral Sciences and a member of the governing body and advisor to the vice chancellor at Jindal Global University.

The views expressed are personal
India has been witnessing high-decibel protests by farmers for some time now. From declining productivity to lack of adequate remuneration, there are several reasons, which are pushing this 118 million-strong community to the brink.

But if one has to pick a key problem that is aggravating Indias farm crisis, it is this: Water scarcity.

The situation could only become more difficult for farmers in the coming years, as this IndiaSpend story reveals: Extreme rainfall events in central India, the core of the monsoon system, are increasing and moderate rainfall is decreasing  as a part of complex changes in local and world weather  according to a clutch of Indian and global studies.

Moreover, groundwater levels, which provide water for two-thirds of Indias irrigated land, are also falling.

Water policy expert, member of the erstwhile Planning Commission and head of several panels tasked with reforming the countrys water laws, Mihir Shah, spoke to HT about the depth of the water crisis and what India needs to do to ensure a water-secure future.

HT: You have called for a paradigm shift in Indias water policy. What are the problems of the present policy and what should the new water resource governance scenario?

MS: First, we need to focus on the sustainable management of groundwater, which is our single most important water resource. With 30 million (and counting) groundwater structures, India is by far the largest consumer of groundwater in the world.

It is groundwater that fuelled the Green Revolution and brought us food security but today we are in danger of killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Nearly two-thirds of India is underlain by hard rock formations, which allow water to recharge only very slowly.

We have drilled deep for groundwater, without taking this basic hydrogeological fact into account. Competitive extraction of groundwater has dangerously lowered both water tables and water quality, creating an unprecedented crisis of water in India. Today, in many parts of the country, our children are drinking water laced with arsenic, fluoride, and mercury, even uranium. A train plies daily from Punjab carrying patients to the medical capitals of India. It is cryptically called the Cancer Express.

SOLUTIONS

We urgently need to shift focus from endless extraction to participatory sustainable demand management through crop-water budgeting, so that water tables are restored and we can continue to use groundwater. A million farmers in Andhra Pradesh have come together to manage their groundwater in this manner. So the proof of concept is there on the ground. We need to carry it to scale. And this is the only way ahead, as we cannot possibly police 30 million wells and tubewells through licenses and permits.

Of course, this needs to be supplemented by a fundamental change in our agriculture policies, which continue to incentivise the growing of water-intensive crops like rice and wheat, as these are the only two crops procurement operations focus on. You cannot expect farmers to shift to less water-intensive crops like millets and pulses if they are not assured of a market at remunerative prices. The best way would be to make millets and pulses, the nutritionally superior options, an integral part of the ICDS and MDMS programmes for children and focus our procurement operations more and more on these crops, creating a win-win for all.

Second, we need to make sure that the trillions of litres of water lying unused in the command areas of our large dams, actually reaches the farmers for whom it is meant. These dams were built at huge financial, social and environmental cost. But they have not yet fulfilled their promise. Our focus has been on building more and more dams and not on putting in place last-mile connectivity to ensure this water reaches the farm.

One reason for this is that we have looked at water from a narrow engineering perspective, while water is in every sense a multi-dimensional resource requiring an understanding of many other disciplines for its sustainable management. So we have to bring in the social mobilisers and agronomists centrestage, so that farmers can effectively come together to manage their water in an equitable and sustainable manner. This is again something we already see on the ground in many parts of India where farmers have been handed over the management of their part of the command and they have successfully ensured that every farm gets its required water. These farmers are happy to pay the price for this water, which they collectively arrive at and they use what is earned for the operation and maintenance of the system.

HT: Why do we need a National Water Commission (NWC)? Do we have enough professionals to look at the different aspects of the water crisis and find solutions to tackle them?

MS: The NWC is required to complete the paradigm shift we are trying to institute. The fourth element of the paradigm shift is that we must not continue to place groundwater and surface water in separate silos. Today, the Central Water Commission (CWC) looks after surface water and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is the custodian of groundwater. The sad thing is they hardly ever work together. But you cannot manage water like that. Water is one and needs to be understood in all its integral inter-connections.

Let me give you an example. One of the biggest tragedies India faces in recent times is the progressive drying up of its rivers. When we look at our peninsular rivers, we realise that their post-monsoon water flows come from the base-flows provided by groundwater. One of the largely unnoticed consequences of over-extraction of groundwater has been to completely dry up these base flows, which used to feed our peninsular rivers after the monsoon was over.

The country cannot afford to idly stand by as our water resources are destroyed in this manner. Water has remained an unreformed sector for far too long. We need to create a National Water Commission that integrates the CWC and CGWB and ensures that this hydro-schizophrenia becomes a thing of the past. The new NWC needs to be populated by professionals from a large number of disciplines, including Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Hydrometeorology, River Ecology, Ecological Economics, Agronomy and Participatory Resource Planning & Management. And not all of these need to come from within government.

The main focus of the work of the NWCs professionals needs to be Indias river basins. NWC professionals must firmly abandon the command-and-control raj of the past centred in New Delhi and go out there into the field, working shoulder to shoulder with other partners, in a multi-disciplinary perspective, to devise solutions to Indias water problems, in a citizen-friendly manner.

There is a real constraint we face in terms of the availability of professionals from each of these disciplines. There are two ways forward here. One, for the NWC to build stable and enduring partnerships with other organisations in the water space and manage these partnerships in a way that gives confidence to its partners that they too belong to the NWC.

Two, we need to create academic programmes on water that recognise its multi-disciplinary character so that we can meet the national demand for professionals with a 21st century solution-centred understanding of water. I have recently been associated with one such initiative at the Shiv Nadar University, which is launching a two-year M.Sc. programme in water science and policy.

HT: In the last few years, we have seen states fight over river water (eg. Kaveri). There are more such conflagrations expected in the coming years. How can India tackle this problem?

MS: We have typically left these problems to simmer for so long that when our attention is finally drawn to them, it is almost too late. We must recognise that the fundamental problem India has is not of actual shortage of water but of its wasteful and unsustainable management. When States fight over water, what they forget is that the way water is being used in either State is completely unsustainable, which means that it has no reference whatsoever to how much water is actually available for use, and for how long that use can be sustained, given limited availability. If we continue to spend beyond our means, we are bound to go bankrupt. This is actually what is happening.

This is again where we are hoping the NWC would chart the course ahead. Once we have the NWC present in each of the major river basins, working closely along with all stakeholders, including all basin States, in a multi-disciplinary perspective, focused on demand management, it will become possible to together devise plans for sustainable and equitable sharing of all water resources, within and across States. It will then be clear in advance, well before a conflict situation arises, what kinds of water uses are feasible and States exceeding those would not be able to lay claim on a larger share.

I should mention here the great advances being made across the globe in water accounting, which can provide independent and objective data for appropriate actions and decision-making in each river basin. I am glad the ministry of water resources has begun to work in this direction.

HT: Can the ambitious river linking plan solve the water crisis that is fuelling agrarian distress

MS: The comprehensive proposal to link Himalayan with the peninsular rivers for inter-basin transfer of water was estimated to cost around Rs. 5,60,000 crore in 2001 (the cost is officially stated to have risen to Rs. 11 lakh crore today). Land submergence and R&R packages would be additional to this cost. There are no firm estimates available for running costs of the scheme, such as the cost of power required to lift water. There is also the problem that because of our dependence on the monsoons, the periods when rivers have surplus water are generally synchronous across the subcontinent.

A recent study by top Indian scientists further indicates that deficit rainfall years are growing in river basins with surplus water and falling in those with shortages. A major problem in planning inter-basin transfers is how to take into account the reasonable needs of the basin states, which will grow over time. Further, given the topography of India and the way links are envisaged, they might totally bypass the core dryland areas of Central and Western India, which are located on elevations of 300+ metres above MSL. It is also feared that linking rivers could affect the natural supply of nutrients through curtailing flooding of the downstream areas. Along the east coast of India, all major peninsular rivers have extensive deltas. Damming the rivers for linking will cut down the sediment supply and cause coastal and delta erosion, destroying the fragile coastal eco-systems.

It has also been argued out that the scheme could have a serious negative impact on the very integrity of the monsoon cycle. The presence of a low salinity layer of water with low density is a reason for maintenance of high sea-surface temperatures (greater than 28 degrees C) in the Bay of Bengal, creating low-pressure areas and intensification of monsoon activity. Rainfall over much of the sub-continent is controlled by this layer of low saline water. A disruption in this layer could have serious long-term consequences for climate and rainfall in the subcontinent, endangering the livelihoods of a vast population.

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While doing research to construct the mind of the jihadist, I was flummoxed by the upsurge in jihadi activities during the holy month of Ramadan. The past few days alone witnessed a slew of attacks in Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq and the UK.

Muslims worldwide fast during the daylight hours (no eating, drinking, smoking or sex), offer charity, abstain from solecism, observe tolerance and peace during Ramadan. This was the month when the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). It is astounding that the jihadis have twisted the true meaning of this month and misquoted the Quran out of context to suit their needs of recruiting new activists and to breed hatred in order to carry out more attacks on innocents. This year, just before the beginning of Ramadan, ISIS beseeched its followers to cause collateral damage and maximise the benefits they can get in the hereafter. The results? On the eve of Ramadan, the massacre of innocents in Egypt, followed by the London attack last week.

Jihadis are driven by the honour and solidarity, and they consider jihad to be noble. They cite the Battle of Badr, which was the turning point for Islam, to drive their mission. In that battle on the 17th day of Ramadan ( March 13, 624 AD), Muslims, in spite of being outnumbered many times by their oppressors, registered a historic victory with divine intervention. Jihadists attribute this victory to Ramadan, and propagate ferocity and fanaticism by falsely evoking Gods name for better rewards in the hereafter.

The lure of rewards-on-judgement-day apart, they have other reasons for increasing their fervour during this month. According to analysts, Bush bombed Iraq one Ramadan when innocent Muslims least expected it. The jihadists have taken a leaf out of his book to carry out attacks in this month. They derive a sense of power that comes from the sense of control; that they can break all rules and set new ones. The recruits think that martyrdom during the fasting month is the easiest entry ticket to Jannath (Paradise). Little do they know that they are misguided.

The Battle of Badr was an exceptional event in the history of Islam. Driven to exile from their homes in Mecca by the powerful Khuraish tribe for following the Prophet, the early believers were under perpetual threat of attack. After many small assaults, the Khuraishis decided on a major invasion of Medina (to where the Prophet and followers migrated), which resulted in the Battle of Badr. According to the Quran, this battle was purely ideological. It took place because the Meccans wanted to obliterate Islam and exterminate Muslims once and for all; while God wanted to install the supremacy of the truth. The day of this battle was also called the day of Al-Furqaan  the criterion that determines what the truth is. The Quran cites this as an example of when and how to stand up against injustice, and clearly, what jihadists do today has no citation there.

The belief that spiritual rewards await good deeds is being twisted by the jihadis to brainwash borderline believers to their ways. That the attacks are happening in Ramadan only proves that they respect neither life nor faith. Devout Muslims know that there is no justification for killing per se, holy month or not. The Quran warns of this in 5-32: If anyone slays a person  unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land  it is as though he has slain all of humankind; and if anyone saves a life it is as though he has saved the life of all humankind. Clearly this explains the ostracism of jihadis by Islamic scholars. Henceforth, the media should comprehend that the real meaning of jihad isnt holy war as commonly understood, but spiritual struggle against sin; and should discard Islam from Islamic terrorism.

The predicament is that the Quran gets misquoted and misinterpreted by miscreants. The language of scripture is poetic and allegorical, leading to lost-in-translation issues. It requires considerable education for a Muslim to internalise its verses. When the vast majority has not read  even less understood - it fully, the jihadists have a field day manipulating the innocent.

M Muneer is the co-founder of Medici Institute, a non-profit organisation and is a commentator on religious issues

The views expressed are personal
Terming Congress ministers lootere (robbers), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday alleged they were busy acquiring sand mines and liquor contracts while forgetting the plight of farmers in the state.

While Uttar Pradesh government waived farm debt in its first cabinet meeting, Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government has failed to fulfil a similar promise (made ahead of the polls) despite several cabinet meets, said Sukhbir. This is for the first time (since Independence) that people of Punjab have lost faith in a government only after three months of its formation.

The Akali Dal chief was leading statewide demonstrations along with Vijay Sampla, Punjab chief of the SAD ally Bharatiya Janata Party. The two parties cornered the Congress government on its failure to announce farm loan waiver and alleged impropriety in sand mine auctions.

Congress leaders are acting like hungry lions, said Sukhbir. Just after forming the government, power and irrigation minister Rana Gurjit Singh has come under the scanner for procuring sand quarries (through benami transactions).

Sukhbir said a truckful of sand that costs Rs 16,000 will be available for more than Rs 70,000 in six months because of the Congress governments policies.

Taking on Amarinder Singh, Sukhbir said while former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal used to visit different parts of the state during his tenure, the new incumbent has not visited any village or city in the past three months, exposing his dedication towards work.

Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla said people of the state were agitated over power cuts, which have become a routine affair in the Congress regime.

Sampla said while the revenue collected by the excise department has decreased, the price of alcohol has increased manifold that hints towards a government-supported mafia.

The Congress government has failed on all fronts while Capt Amarinder Singh is relaxing in Himachal Pradesh, said the BJP leader.

The SAD-BJP leaders also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, asking the Congress government to waive farm loans and fulfil other promises made in the party manifesto.

EXPEL RANA GURJIT

Demanding a probe by central agencies into the sand mine auctions, SAD-BJP leaders in Jalandhar said the government should expel cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh until his name gets cleared in the case.

The government has done nothing for development in the state, said Shahkot MLA Ajit Singh Kohar during a protest outside the district administrative complex. Corruption has increased manifold and police are harassing Akali workers at the behest of Congressmen.

Accusing the government of not fulfilling its promises, Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu said instead of providing jobs to the unemployed youths of the state, the Congress government appointed former CM Beant Singhs grandson Guriqbal Singh in the police department on compassionate ground.

In Moga, Akali leaders Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar, SR Kaler and Tirath Singh Mahla led the protesters along with the BJPs Tarlochan Singh.

Besides farm debt waiver, the party leaders asked the Congress government to arrest culprits in the Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases, stop persecution of Dalits and bring the deteriorating law and order situation in control.

In three months, farmer suicides have seen a spurt. All blame goes to the Congress, which had increased the hopes of farmers by promising complete debt waiver, said Brar.
For our society, child labour is akin to pollution. It is all pervasive and creeps up on you, but most choose to do nothing about it.

Of course, there is ban in place since 2006, punishable with jail up to two years, but it has proved to be of no consequence.

The low conviction rate of less than 1% means almost everybody is tempted to employ child labour.

As the World Day Against Child Labour was observed on Monday, here are sobering facts.

Two agencies  The Women and Child Helpline and the Child Protection Society  have rescued over 100 children over the past 18 months. The Child Protection Society claims to have no data for previous years.

The Women and Child Helpline has rescued seven children this year  two on Monday.

June has seen three rescues. On June 1, police booked Mohammed Imran and Shamshad, dhaba owners in Burail, for employing children as labourers.

The same day, Vijay of Sector 34, Chandigarh, was booked for employing a child for household work.

CHILDREN RESCUED BY WOMAN AND CHILD HELPLINE 2014: 20 2015: 22 2016: 20 2017: 07* (* to date)

RESCUES A BLIP; REHABILITATION A CONSTRAINT

The rescues are a blip on the multitudes involved in child labour. Anecdotal evidence and most peoples experience is that the number of children brought from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and working in homes, restaurants, factories and institutions number in thousands.

Child labour goes unchecked as there is no coordination between the police and government departments, says Vikramjeet Godwani, state coordinator, Women and Child Helpline.

He added Rehabilitation of these children is the key. The child welfare committee does not have the power to keep children in the institute forcibly.

LAW FAILS THE CHILDREN

In most cases, law fails the children. Parents refuse to testify against employers, so no case is made out. If a case does reach trial, certificates are arranged that testify that the age of the child was above 14 (the age the 2006 ban mentions), sources claim.

Colonel Ravi Bedi, director Childline 1098, says, In some cases, people are let-off as there is no exact proof of age.

PENALTY Under the law, you could be jailed up to three months to two years with or without fine that could be between Rs 10,000 and Rs20,000.

SPECIAL CAMPAIGN: 2 RESCUED FROM SHOP

A team from the UT labour department and the Woman and Child Helpline rescued two children (aged about 12) working at a ready-made garment shop in Manimajra. The children have been sent to Snehalaya after a medical. Labour inspector Ramesh Chand Dhiman, said, Two children were rescued on Monday as part of a campaign between June 12-17 to mark World Day against Child Labour.

THE LAW

The Labour ministry has imposed a ban under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, from October 10, 2006. The notification banned employment of children as domestic servants in dhabas (roadside eateries), restaurants, hotels, motels, tea shops, resorts, spas or in other recreational centres. Government servants are also banned from employing children below 14 years.

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Three persons including two women were buried alive and one sustained serious injuries after a clay rock subsided in Bastakola colliery area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), around 15 km away from district headquarters.

Police officials said the incident occurred at 4 pm on Sunday. Over a dozen villagers, mostly women, were digging white clay when over head soil rock caved in. Four persons including three women were trapped under the rubble of soil rock. They collect white clay for whitewashing their houses.

Senior police officials, central industrial security force (CISF) and coal company s personnel launched rescue operation. They dug out four trapped villagers and three of them were found to be dead. The injured was admitted at Patliputra Medical College (PMCH).

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sindri range Pramod Kesri, who monitored the rescue operation, said that all the deceased villagers were identified as Manto Baski (14), Mangoli Devi (20). and Lalita Devi (25).

The injured woman, admitted at PMCH, was identified as Sugam Kumari.

DSP said all the victims belonged to Ojhadih Kataniya Basti under Tundi block in Dhanbad.

Project officer of colliery BK Jha said that he had prevented many villagers from digging clay on several occasions in the past. The area has been barricaded with barbed wires to check entry of villagers. But they came in groups to dig out white clay flouting the prohibition, Jha said.
In continuation with the string of suicides that has triggered law and order crisis across the nation, a debt-ridden farmer allegedly ended his life by hanging himself from the roof of his house in Simalbera village, barely 20 km from Ranchi.

Though Kaleshwar Mahto (44) ended his life on Saturday, his suicide note was found late on Sunday.

In his suicide note, the farmer said he was taking the extreme step as he failed to repay loan under Kisan Credit Card (KCC). He requested the police not to trouble his family and asked asking his kin not to wail over his death. The farmer is survived by his mother, wife and two minor daughters.

The state government, meanwhile, dispatched a fact-finding team to the victims village on Monday while district administration sent a separate team led by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Bhor Singh Yadav in the afternoon.

Bank officials informed the district administration team that a loan of Rs 40,000 had been released in the name of victims wife Manorama Devi in 2010-2011.

The outstanding amount of the loan had increased to Rs 61,000. Officials, however, said they never put any pressure on the farmer for repayment of the loan, Ranchi deputy commissioner (DC), Manoj Kumar said, adding prima facie it doesnt seem to be a case of due to the loan.

He said they are investigating the case in every possible angles such as why family members did not inform police about his death while the police outpost is few metres away from the village. The team was told by the family members that he was struck by heat wave and was not feeling well for last few days.

The DC said, A suicide note is circulating even in Whatsapp. We are sending it for forensic probe.

Late Mahtos wife Manorama Devi told media persons, We had planted crops of moong dal (split green gram), radish and beet vegetable on around six acres of land. But, all crops damaged in absence of irrigation facility.

Late Mahtos brother Baleshwar Mahto said that a bank official had visited their house few days back and he suggested to start repayment of the loans.

Mahto was depressed for last couple of days but we had no clue that he would take such extreme step, he said.

Secretary, state agriculture and animal husbandry department, Puja Singhal said, A four-member team led by director agriculture, Rajiw Kumar visited the village to probe the alleged suicide. The team was asked to submit report by the evening.

Meanwhile, the leader of opposition Hemant Soren also met the deceased family and demand the state government to grant Rs 10 lakh compensation and job to a member of the family.

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Superstar Rajinikanths Kaala marks the Tamil debut of actor Huma Qureshi, and she has already started shooting for the project. She plays a character called Zareena, but she wont be paired as Thalaivars love interest. Contrary to rumours that she plays the leading lady, we have learnt that Tamil actor Easwari Rao plays Rajinikanths pair in the film. While Huma will be essaying a key role, she wont be seen romancing Rajinikanth.

As the film will be predominantly shot against the backdrop of Mumbai, the makers have decided to simultaneously shoot the film in Hindi. If not every scene, those featuring Rajinikanth and some key supporting cast will be shot in Hindi. Unlike Kabali, the film wont be dubbed in Hindi, and Rajinikanth is expected to mouth his lines in Hindi and in Marathi in some key junctures. Also starring Nana Patekar as a politician and Pankaj Tripathi as a cop, the film also features Anjali Patil and Samuthirakani.

Dhanush is bankrolling the project and there are rumours that he might play the younger version of his father-in-law in the film which will shine the spotlight on the lives of oppressed Tamils in Mumbai. With the films shooting going at brisk pace, the makers are finding it extremely difficult to avoid leaks, especially pictures from the sets. The title track of Kaala, which has music by Santhosh Narayanan, has also mysteriously surfaced online.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday Saudi Arabia was supporting militants inside Iran, days after hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed attacks in Tehran.

Zarif also called on countries in the region to establish a regional forum to resolve conflicts.

Relations between the two neighbours are at their most tense in years. Last week Riyadh, along with other Arab governments, severed ties with Qatar, citing its support of Iran as one of the main reasons for the move.

Two days later, suicide bombings and shootings in Tehran killed 17 people. Iran repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia funds Islamist militants, including Islamic State. Riyadh has denied involvement in the attacks.

We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups on the eastern side of Iran, in Baluchistan, Zarif told a news conference held on the sidelines of a conference on peace mediation in Oslo.

Baluchistan province is home to a Sunni population who form a minority in majority Shia Iran.

Iran and Saudi Arabia accuse each other of subverting regional security and support opposite sides in conflicts including those in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

On the Western side, the same type of activity is being undertaken, again abusing the diplomatic hospitality of our other neighbour, he said, without elaborating.

Iran also accused the United States for promoting Islamist militancy in the region.

Zarif also called on the establishment of a regional forum to resolve differences, made more necessary by the ongoing tensions between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on the other.

It is absolutely imperative... to establish a permanent mechanism for consultation, conversation and conflict resolution in our region, using some variation of the Helsinki approach, said the foreign minister, in reference to the 1975 Helsinki Accords.

I think it worked at the height of the Cold War here in Europe, it should work (for the Middle East too).

Asked about US President Donald Trumps descriptions of Iran, which he described in a recent tweet as a state sponsoring terrorism, Zarif referred to the fact that most of the September 11 attackers were Saudi nationals, rather than Iranians.

President Trump is trying to change the nationality post-mortem of 15 of the 19 September 11 suicide bombers, or of every other suicide bomber that attacked US soil or any Western country over the past 20 years, he said.

They did not come from Iran. None. Why is he trying to change history? We are not intimidated by these moves.
Bangladeshs deputy consul general in New York appeared in court Monday, charged with labour trafficking and assault for allegedly forcing a household helper to work 18 hours a day without pay for four years.

Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, faced a 33-count indictment for grand larceny, assault, labour trafficking, unlawful imprisonment, failure to pay the minimum wage and harassment, the Queens district attorneys office said.

He was arraigned before a Queens Supreme Court judge, who set bail at a $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport.

He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and has only limited diplomatic immunity, the district attorneys office said.

Islam is accused of forcing a Bangladeshi employee to work in his Queens family home without pay from 2012 until his escape in May 2016.

He used both physical force and vile threats to control the employee, threatening to kill his mother and young son, and shaming his daughter, if he left, and confiscated his passport, District Attorney Richard Brown said.

If the victim disobeyed orders, he was allegedly hit by the defendants hand or a wooden shoe, Brown added.

The victims only sources of income were tips from party guests and a minuscule amount of money that the defendant sent to Islams family in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh consulate general could not be immediately reached for comment.

In December 2013, Indias deputy consul general, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested and strip-searched in New York on charges of mistreating her servant in what sparked a bitter row between India and the United States.

She denied the charge and subsequently returned to India, but was later stripped of her foreign ministry post for making unauthorized statements to the media.

US authorities accused her of paying a domestic worker a fraction of the minimum wage and for lying about the employees salary in a visa application.

The row between the two countries strained bilateral ties and left resentment on both sides.
Britains Prime Minister Theresa May will meet a Northern Ireland-based party on Tuesday to see if they can create an alliance to push through the Conservative Partys agenda after a disastrous snap election left her short of a majority in Parliament.

May desperately needs the Democratic Unionist Partys 10 seats to pass legislation. The Conservatives are considering an arrangement in which the Northern Ireland party backs May on the budget and her confidence motions.

The talks with the DUP follow her apology to Conservative rank-and-file lawmakers in a meeting on Monday which signalled she would be more open to consultation, particularly with business leaders demanding answers about the details on Britains departure from the European Union.

Im the person who got us into this mess and Im the one who will get us out of it, she said at the closed-door session.

May is under pressure to take on a more cross-party approach to Brexit talks. The Evening Standard, edited by former treasury chief George Osborne, reported that Cabinet ministers have initiated talks with opposition Labour lawmakers to come up with a softer, less hard-line divorce from the EU.

Pressed on the reports, environment secretary Michael Gove declined to deny it. He told Sky News the reality of the election results meant May and her government would need to reach out past party lines.

The parliamentary arithmetic is such that we are going to have to work with everyone, he said.

The leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, is likely to demand a high price for her support. She will almost certainly ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as part of the deal, as well as guarantees on support for pension plans and for winter fuel allowances for older people.

Though Foster supported Brexit, she might demand that May pursue a cushioned exit from the EU, given her partys wish that a soft border remain between Northern Ireland and Ireland, an EU member.

Even the idea of an alliance is complicated, however. Some involved in the Irish peace process are alarmed because the 1998 Good Friday peace accords call for the British government to be neutral in the politics of Northern Ireland.

Fosters rivals in Northern Ireland, such Sinn Feins Gerry Adams, have objected, describing any partnership between the Conservatives and the DUP as a coalition of chaos.

Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed, he said.

The stakes for May are high as lawmakers return for their first day of business on Tuesday. Without a so-called confidence and supply deal with the DUP, her party risks losing the vote next week on the Queens Speech, which lays out the agenda for the government.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for this outcome, and has repeatedly said he was ready to try to form a government.
China has offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan and help organise a meeting so that the two countries can improve their relations, President Ashraf Ghanis office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Kabul where he will meet Afghan officials and will work to discuss the possibility of organising a meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China, the statement said.

The statement was issued after Ghani held a meeting with womens rights activists, who raised concern over the security situation in the country, Tolo News reported.

It is the first time that China wants to be a mediator in Afghanistans peace process. Peace with Pakistan was our demand and this must be solved between government-and-government, Ghani said at the meeting.

Pakistans ties with Afghanistan were severed when a deadly blast in Kabul on May 31 killed 150 people, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.

No group claimed responsibly for the attack but the Afghan government blamed the Haqqani network and Pakistans ISI for it.

Presidents deputy spokesman Najibullah Azad said: This time the quadrilateral meeting which will be held between Afghanistan, Pakistan, US and China would be different compared to past meetings.

At this meeting, Pakistan must support Afghanistans policy over fighting insurgency, he said.

Azad said that Kabul had gathered evidence that Pakistan is supporting insurgency and had shared this with NATO, the US Congress and other organisations.

When needed, the evidence will also be provided to the UN, he said.
Chinas state media and Islamabad have blamed South Korean missionaries for the abduction and murder of two Chinese nationals in Pakistan, accusing them of misguiding the duo into preaching Christianity in a region influenced by radical Islam.

In the new narrative, the Chinese media just stops short of blaming the two for their own deaths though Islamic State claimed the killings last week.

The state media has also criticised the Indian and western media for exaggerating the impact of the murders on China-Pakistan relations.

They aim at badmouthing and disrupting China-Pakistan economic cooperation by linking the terror act caused by religious conflict to the political and economic cooperation between the two countries, said an editorial in the nationalistic Global Times tabloid.

Pakistans interior ministry on Monday identified the murdered Chinese as Lee Zingyang, 24, and Meng Lisi, 26  the first piece of information released about the two who were abducted from Quetta, the capital of restive Balochistan province, on May 24.

Though Lee and Meng entered Pakistan on business visas, they were engaged in preaching in Quetta, Pakistan said.

Instead of engaging in any business activity, they went to Quetta and under the garb of learning (the) Urdu language from a Korean national (and) were actually engaged in preaching, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The effort, both by Pakistani officials and Chinese media, it seemed, was to all but absolve the security apparatus for failing to save the lives of the young Chinese nationals.

The murders caused alarm in the growing Chinese community in Pakistan, which is central to the Beijings ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative. The centrepiece of the new Silk Route plan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, passes through insurgency-hit Balochistan.

The Pakistani interior ministrys statement didnt say if the Korean was from North or South Korea but Chinese media was quick to blame South Korean preachers.

The editorial in the Global Times said the killings were likely the outcome of a conflict between South Korean missionary agencies and local terrorists.

The atrocity committed by Islamic State is appalling. But it cannot drive a wedge between China and Pakistan, nor will the construction of the CPEC be disrupted, the editorial said, adding the murdered Chinese nationals were not associated with the CPEC.

The Global Times warned in another article that China could become entangled in overseas terrorism as South Korean missionaries are allegedly recruiting Chinese people to preach in Muslim countries.

Yet another report in Chinese alleged the kidnapped man and woman were part of a group of 13 Chinese nationals brought to Quetta in November last year by a South Korean who runs a school named ARK.

While the school purports to be focused around teaching Urdu to young people, the report claims that its language education is merely a front for conducting religious activities, the Shanghaiist website quoted the report as saying.

The Global Times also reported experts were concerned about South Korean Christian groups proselytising people in atheist China and Muslim countries, where such activities are forbidden and may even result in death sentences.

Apart from recruiting young people in China, South Korean missionaries send teenagers to conduct missionary activities in Muslim countries, and compared to Chinese, more South Koreans have been killed abroad due to risky missionary activities in conservative Islamic regions, the tabloid quoted an unnamed university student as saying. The student, it reported, had participated in several South Korean underground missionary events.

Some Chinese voluntarily join in the dangerous missionary activities in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq after being converted by South Koreans, the student said.

But the incident will not impact the iron friendship between China and Pakistan, the state media said.
A Chinese newspaper on Tuesday took exception to a Pakistani scholars remarks that Pakistan will become a colony of China once the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is operationalised, describing it as an example of the deceptive use of history.

Concerns that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will result in colonialism in Pakistan by China are not new and still wrong, an article in the state-run Global Times said, countering top Pakistani political economist S Akbar Zaidis assertion that the project may bring some power and jobs in the short run but would enslave the country in the long run.

People often use warnings from history, but those warnings can sometimes be misplaced. The CPEC  a flagship project under the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative  would be a new form of colonialism seems to be an obvious example of the deceptive use of history, the article said.

The Global Times article while refuting Zaidis charge said of course, only time will tell whether or not there will be a repeat of colonialism under the B&R.

But irresponsible use of history is misleading for the publics understanding of the CPEC. So far, at least based on what China has done in Pakistan, it is hard to link the CPEC project with China trying to exploit Pakistan economically. Its also hard to understand how some infrastructure projects could threaten a countrys sovereignty, it said.

The accusation is essentially a conspiracy theory which, without any foundation, presents China as an evil investor and treats the countries relying on Chinese investment to prop up the local economy as brainless recipients, the article said.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised a federal appeals court one day after it handed him another legal setback by refusing to revive his US travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority nations, and appeared poised for the nations top court to weigh in.

On Monday, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals became the second federal appeals court to reject the Republican Trump administrations bid to undo a Hawaii federal judges decision that blocked the temporary travel ban in a dispute headed to the US Supreme Court.

The three-judge panel said Trumps March 6 order violated existing immigration law, but did not address whether it was unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims.

Trumps 90-day ban targets travellers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C. Trump said in a post on Twitter, apparently referencing the US Supreme Court.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

A.G. Lynch made law enforcement decisions for political purposes...gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

The nations top court, which leans conservative after Trumps appointee won confirmation as the ninth justice earlier this year, could act as soon as this week on his administrations request to reinstate the order.

The 9th Circuit, headed by Democratic appointees, largely left in place a nationwide injunction by Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii that stopped parts of the order, which Trump contends is needed to prevent terrorism in the United States.

Those who have challenged the travel ban dispute that it is needed to protect Americans and argue that the order violates the US Constitutions bar against favouring or disfavouring a particular religion.

Another appeals court, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, last month upheld a Maryland judges ruling that also blocked Trumps ban.

Trump has been on the losing side in all four court rulings on the March order and has asked the US Supreme Court for an emergency review.

In a statement on Monday, US attorney general Sessions said Trumps executive order was lawful and that the court rulings have had a chilling effect on security operations.
US President Donald Trump went after the fake news media on Tuesday, accusing the countrys press of publishing false stories. He said the press had descended to a new low.

The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad! Trump wrote on Twitter.

Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

The US President did not specify which story had triggered his online fuming.

Trump had repeatedly accused the countrys media of printing incorrect stories related to his administration.

His latest tweet came hours before Attorney General Jeff Sessions was set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Politico reported.

Sessionss testimony followed former FBI Director James Comeys highly-anticipated appearance before the same panel last week over possible ties between Trumps campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Sessions will likely face tough questions over his dealings with Russian officials during the poll campaign and whether he had a role in the firing of Comey.

Comey said that Sessions may have had an undisclosed third meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Pakistan expects China to fund a long-delayed Indus river mega dam project in Gilgit-Baltistan, part of disputed Kashmir, with work beginning next year, planning minister Ahsan Iqbal said in an interview.

Pakistan has been keen for years to build a cascade of mega dams along the Indus flowing down from the Himalayas, but has struggled to raise money from international institutions amid opposition from its nuclear-armed neighbour India.

Those ambitions have been revived by Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure plans for Pakistan, a key cog in Beijings creation of a modern-day Silk Road network of trade routes connecting Asia with Europe and Africa.

The $12-$14 billion Diamer-Bhasha dam should generate 4,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and a vast new reservoir would regulate the flow of water to farmland that is vulnerable to increasingly erratic weather patterns.

Iqbal, the Islamabad lead on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said a Chinese company from a Beijing-picked shortlist and a local partner would build the dam over a 10-year period, and work should begin in the next financial year, which begins in July.

This water reservoir is most critical for food security in Pakistan, so is a very high priority project for Pakistan, Iqbal told Reuters late on Monday at his ministerial home in Islamabad.

China and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding in December for Beijing to help fund and develop Pakistans Indus Basin dams, though no timelines have been released. Pakistan estimates there is 40,000 MW of hydro potential.

The Diamer-Bhasha dam and reservoir would displace more than 4,200 families in nearby areas and submerge a large section of the Karakoram Highway to China, Pakistans Water and Power Development Authority estimates.

Iqbal said Pakistani and Chinese engineers are also surveying other projects, including the 7,100 MW Bunji hydro power project that will be the first in the cascade that stretches down to the Tarbela Dam near Islamabad.

Indias foreign ministry and ministry for water resources did not respond to requests for comment.

India has previously opposed any construction in the Indus Basin it claims as its own, and has criticised CPEC because the $57 billion corridor runs across disputed territory.

India this year fast-tracked $15 billion worth of dam projects on its side of Kashmir, despite fears from Islamabad that the power stations will disrupt vital Indus water flows into Pakistan.

Iqbal, a close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said India needs to stop its myopic thinking towards CPEC and accept the Chinese-funded project is going ahead. Better still would be for India to become part of Beijings Belt and Road plans, he said.

$20 billion plus

Future CPEC plans are increasingly focused on how Beijing can help build up Pakistans ailing industries, creating special economic zones and opening up sectors from mining to agriculture to Chinese firms.

But Iqbal said infrastructure construction wont stop, with contracts set to be signed for roads and for mass rail transport systems in Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi.

He said about $10 billion in new deals should be signed in the next year on top of Chinese pledges topping $50 billion, and that was likely to double by 2020.

I would say conservatively $20 billion plus (in new investment by 2020), Iqbal said, adding this would also include private investment.
A 21-year-old British Muslim man, who travelled to the Islamic State-controlled area of Syria in 2014, says that he has escaped from the clutches of the dreaded terror group and he now hate them more than the Americans.

Jack Letts from Oxford, dubbed Jihadi Jack, is suspected of going to Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State.

But he claims he is opposed to IS and has left their territory and is now being held by Kurdish forces fighting the group.

Letts spoke to the BBC via text and voice messages. Speaking about leaving IS territory, Letts said: I found a smuggler and walked behind him through minefields.

He said he and the smuggler eventually made it near a Kurdish point where we were shot at twice and slept in a field. He said he is now in solitary confinement in a jail in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Letts converted to Islam while at Cherwell comprehensive school in Oxford. He travelled to Jordan, aged 18, in 2014, having dropped out of his A-levels. By the autumn of that year he was in IS- controlled territory in Syria.

His family deny he went there to fight and instead say he was motivated by humanitarian reasons. He married in Iraq and now has a child.

He said that he had been injured in an explosion and had gone to Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in Syria, to recuperate.

He claimed he became disillusioned with the group about a year ago after it killed its former supporters. I hate them more than the Americans hate them, he said. I realised they were not upon the truth so they put me in prison three times and threatened to kill me.

He claimed he had escaped from low-security detention and had been in hiding when he managed to find a people smuggler to take him out.

His parents have pleaded not guilty to charges of funding terrorism after being accused of sending cash to their son.

John Letts and Sally Lane told the BBC that, having not heard from their son for several weeks, they suddenly received a message saying he was in a safe zone.

It was the news weve been waiting for three years - ever since he went out there - and now we just want to get him home, said Lane. They believe their son is not being treated badly but are concerned about his mental health.

Letts parents are calling on the British authorities to do whatever they can to help him.

The government had told them that they could only help if he left IS territory but now he is out no-one wants to take responsibility, said Lane.

Letts, an organic farmer, acknowledges that his son will have to account for his actions once he returns to Britain, but the family is not convinced he has done anything at all, from what he has told them.

The UK government advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq and a number of people who returned from these areas have been prosecuted.

Asked by the BBC why the UK government should help him, Jack said: I dont want anyone to help me.

Ill just chill here in solitary confinement till someone decides its easier to kill me, he added.
Senior ministers in Britains Conservative government and members of the main opposition Labour Party have held secret talks to ensure a soft Brexit, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, the talks  which are said to involve some of the most senior members of Prime Minister Theresa Mays cabinet  aim to force her to make concessions on immigration, the European customs union and the single market.

A cross-party Brexit Commission was also reportedly discussed to ensure an orderly withdrawal from the European Union.

May backed the remain side ahead of last years historic referendum over Britains membership to the EU.

But since coming to power three weeks after the shock vote to leave the EU, the prime minister has advocated a hard Brexit, which would entail Britain leaving the single market and cutting immigration from the bloc.

Mays Conservatives unexpectedly lost their majority in parliament in last Thursdays snap general election, causing political chaos ahead of the Brexit talks with the EU which are set to start next week.

Meanwhile the Labour Party has made strong gains off the back of a surge in youth turnout, mainly fuelled by last years Brexit vote.

The MPs involved in the secret talks are believed to be remainers  those who backed staying in the EU  who had already forged alliances when they campaigned together in the lead-up to the referendum.

The daily newspaper also reported that May has been aware of the secret talks for days but that she has so far done nothing to stop them.
As expectations mounted about the upcoming open hearing of attorney general Jeff Sessions on Capitol Hill, a friend of Donald Trump added a new twist to the Russia controversy suggesting the President might be considering dismissing the special counsel investigating it.

The White House pushed back, but only hours after the claim had been parsed and dissed with warnings about how it would only make things worse for the President, who chose to ignore it all together in a series of Tweets on Tuesday morning, and seemed more focussed on a fresh setback to his travel ban.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country, the President wrote in a post on Twitter, ending it with, S.C., which was a reference to the Supreme Court, to which the Trump administration intends to take its case, as said before.

The Ninth Circuit, which is said to be the most liberal of the federal courts of appeal, predictably upheld an injunction Monday on Trumps revised travel ban temporarily preventing citizens from six Muslim-majority nations  Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia  from entering the United States.

The revised travel ban, which the President has said repeatedly now is a travel ban, has now been stayed by two appellate courts  the Fourth Circuit was the first, last month  and the administration has already sought a review by the Supreme Court, and this injunction is headed for it as well.

The President also had other issues on his mind on Tuesday as reflected in his posts on Twitter, the Russia probe among them, as he sought to deflect attention towards Hillary Clinton and the investigation into her use of a private email server that came up during fired FBI director James Comeys testimony last week.

Trump also railed against Fake news saying its at an all-time high, but he wasnt explicit enough. Was it about reports suggesting he was planning to fire the special counsel, Robert Mueller, a highly respected former FBI director, who has been tasked to take over FBIs Russia probe?

Christopher Ruddy, CEO of conservative news outlet Newsmax Media and a friend of the President who has spoken for him before and bluntly, said in an interview on PBS that Trump was considering, perhaps, terminating the special counsel and added, I think hes weighing that option.

The White House appeared blindsided by it, but took hours to address it, triggering speculation it was, one, a plan indeed and Ruddy was testing the waters for the president, and two, it was an attempt by a worried administration to intimidate the counsel and the formidable team of lawyers he was putting together.

Ruddy never spoke to the president regarding this issue, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that was found to have taken a long time coming and said little. With respect to this subject, only the president or his attorneys are authorized to comment.

Speculation continued unabated thus and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who had appointed the counsel, was asked about it at a senate hearing Tuesday morning. He said he will fire Mueller only if there was a good cause for it, it wouldnt matter to me what anybody said.

Some Republicans have raised questions about Muellers ability to do an impartial and professional investigation pointing, one, to his well-known friendship with Comey, who might be called as a star witness as some stage, and, two, members of his team of lawyers who donated to the Democratic party.
The visa ban is about national security and not against any religion, US attorney general Jeff Sessions said after a US appeals court upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trumps revised executive order imposing a travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations.

President Trump knows that the country he has been elected to lead is threatened daily by terrorists who believe in a radical ideology, and that there are active plots to infiltrate the US immigration system - just as occurred prior to 9/11, Sessions said in a statement yesterday.

He was reacting to Mondays ruling by a three- judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit against the revised travel ban.

The bench had unanimously ruled against the ban, saying the executive order signed by Trump exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress to oversee immigration.

The President is committed to protecting the American people and our national security, and we are proud to support his mission to put America first by defending his right to keep us safe, Sessions said, adding : This is the reason why the department of justice will continue to seek further review by the Supreme Court.

Sessions said the presidents executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe.

We disagree with the Ninth Circuits decision to block that authority, he said.

The recent attacks confirm that the threat to the nation is immediate and real, he said.

Certain countries shelter or sponsor terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and we may be unable to obtain any reliable background information on individuals from these war-torn, failed states, he said.

Sessions cautioned against placing our nation at risk until we have the have the ability accurately and responsibly to vet those seeking entry here.

The president was clear in his landmark speech in Saudi Arabia: this is not about religion; it is about national security. In fact, he called upon leaders in the Muslim world to join the United States in protecting religious freedom for all, including the freedom to be free from violence and terror, Sessions said.

He said that the executive branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the constitution but unfortunately, this injunction prevents him from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall.

Yesterdays ruling was the latest in a string of judicial blows to Trumps efforts to prohibit the entry of citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the US government reviews their screening procedures.

The executive order also called for a 120-day ban on all refugees.
Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP from Reading West, was on Tuesday promoted as a minister of state in the minority Theresa May government in the department of communities and local government.

Sharma was parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the previous government led by May and was responsible for matters related to India and Asia.

He was first elected to Parliament in the May 2010 elections and re-elected in May 2015 and June 2017.

He had the role of Prime Ministers Infrastructure Envoy for India in the David Cameron government, working on the implementation of multi-billion dollar projects announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's November 2015 visit to London.

Sharma will work with Sajid Javid, who holds the cabinet rank in the department for communities and local government.

Priti Patel was retained by May in her previous role as the international development secretary, making her the only Indian-origin minister with a cabinet rank.

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US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday he stood by the Trump administrations plans for steep cuts in the diplomatic and foreign aid budget, as critics charged that such reductions would ultimately be harmful to America.

Im convinced we can maximise the effectiveness of these programs and continue to offer Americas helping hand to the world, Tillerson told a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Committee members, including some of Trumps fellow Republicans, spoke sharply against the plan to cut such operations by about a third. Republicans control both houses of Congress, which sets the federal government budget.

Senator Bob Corker, the committees Republican chairman, predicted major changes in Trumps proposal as it makes its way through Congress, saying, The budget thats been presented is not going to be the budget that were going to deal with.

Senator Ben Cardin, the committees top Democrat, sharply denounced Trumps plan. The budget takes a penny-wise, pound-foolish approach that will cost lives and endanger Americans here at home, he said.

Tillerson said he expected to have a plan for reorganizing the State Department at the end of 2017. He said a review of the State Department and the US Agency for International was under way.

Trumps plan for the fiscal year beginning in October features a stark decrease in non-military US government engagement abroad as the administration pursues Trumps America First world view.

Trump administration officials defend the cuts by saying the rest of the world must do its fair share as the United States retreats from its traditional spending abroad.

In all, the Trump proposal cuts about 32% from US diplomacy and aid budgets, or nearly $19 billion.

Separately, 16 retired senior generals and other ex-military officers said they would submit joint testimony to the Senate on Wednesday about the importance of foreign aid to national security.

It was the first of four hearings for Tillerson this week and the first since his acrimonious confirmation hearing in January.

US student release in North Korea

Tillerson started the hearing by announcing that North Korea has released Otto Warmbier, a US university student held captive there for 17 months.

The United States has sought to clamp down on Pyongyang over its nuclear program. Tillerson said Washington is discussing North Korea with all of its allies, and seeing some response from China. He said North Korea would be at the top of the agenda next week at a high-level meeting between US and Chinese officials.

Tillerson said the United States would have to work with other countries to deny North Korea access to basics such as oil and will have to consider whether to impose secondary sanctions on those doing business with North Korea.

We are in a stage where we are moving into this next effort of, Are we going to have to, in effect, start taking secondary sanctions because countries we have provided information to have not, or are unwilling, or dont have the ability to do that? Tillerson said.

US lawmakers were expected to question Tillerson about conflicting messages from the administration about foreign affairs and links between the administration and Russia, including his own ties.
A drone attack in Pakistans restive northwest tribal region killed on Tuesday a top commander of the dreaded Haqqani network, blamed for the attack in Afghanistans capital Kabul that killed nearly 150 people.

Two missiles fired by a pilotless aircraft targeted a house in Speen Tal, a semi-tribal area located on the border of Orakzai district and Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

A security official said militant leader Abubakar, who had links with the Haqqani network was killed in the strike.

The house targeted by the drone was completely destroyed.

The drone operation was yet to be officially confirmed.

The drone attack comes days after Afghan officials blamed the Pakistan-based Haqqani network of carrying out the bombing in Kabul on May 31 in which 150 people died.

The attackers detonated a tanker packed with explosives near the German embassy.
Before a contingent of cameras on Monday, US president Donald Trump convened his first full cabinet meeting. Seated around an oval mahogany desk in the Cabinet Room of the White House was his newly-assembled brain trust, the collection of secretaries, directors and senior staff he appointed or hired to execute his vision, a task made more difficult by the sometimes fickle @realDonaldTrump.

Trump began with an appraisal of his presidency.

Never has there been a president, with few exceptions, the case of FDR  he had a major Depression to handle  whos passed more legislation whos done more things than what weve done, Trump said, his eyes trained on cameras.

No matter that the Republican-controlled Congress has not passed a single major piece of legislation since Trump took office. Or that his budget was laughed off by lawmakers as magical thinking. Or that his travel ban remains tied up in the courts . Or that the former FBI director James Comey, whom he dispatched in a shocking turn of events, testified under oath that Trump had asked him to shut down an investigation into his former national security advisers ties to Russia.

Weve achieved tremendous success, Trump continued. Weve been about as active as you can possibly be at just about a record-setting pace.

Behind him, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon sat, staring ahead intensely as if running through the unchecked items scribbled on a dry-erase board in his office. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, leaned against the window next to Bannon.

Trump then suggested the group go around the table and introduce themselves before reporters were ushered out of the room.

Im going to start with our vice-president. Where is our vice-president? Trump asked, swiveling his head to look for Mike Pence before spotting him seated in the vice-presidents assigned seat, directly across from the president.

There he is, Trump said jovially to titters from the others.

Well start with Mike and then well just go around, your name, your position, Trump instructed, like a teacher on the first day of school.

This is just the greatest privilege of my life, Pence said, offering a few remarks before turning it over to the attorney general, who on Tuesday will be hauled before the Senate Intelligence Committee to testify about his contacts with Russian officials.

It is so great to be here, said Jeff Sessions, who had reportedly offered his resignation just days prior.

The flattery continued as they went around the room.

My hats off to you, said energy secretary Rick Perry, praising Trump for withdrawing from the Paris climate accord , to which every country is a signatory except for Syria, which in the middle of a years-long civil war, and Nicaragua, which did not believe the pact went far enough in combatting climate change.

Its a new day at the United Nations, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, declared. I think the international community knows were back.

I want to thank you for getting this country moving again, said transportation secretary Elaine Chao. She thanked the president for visiting the Department of Transportation during infrastructure week, the White Houses attempt to refocus attention on its domestic agenda while more than 19m people tuned in to hear Comey call the president a liar.

Hundreds and hundreds of people were just so thrilled, hanging out, watching the whole ceremony, she said of his visit.

I apologize for being late to work, quipped Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, the last member of Trumps cabinet to be confirmed. For months I got bogged down in that swamp that youve been trying to clean.

CIA director, Mike Pompeo, drew laughs from the table, including the president, who gave an approving nod of his head, with a barb aimed at the press.

In the finest tradition of this day, I am not going to say a damn thing in front of the media, Pompeo said.

We thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda, said chief of staff Reince Priebus, whose employment future is reportedly uncertain.

The cabinet-level circle of adulation proved too much for Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer.

Schumer and his staff mocked the presidents cabinet meeting in a spoof video posted on Twitter with the exclamation: GREAT meeting today with the best staff in the history of the world!!!

Not one to be outdone, especially by Schumer, who he has accused of crying fake tears, Trump on Monday evening tweeted a video of the meeting and praised his great team.
From the incomprehensible covfefe to a post labelling fired FBI director James Comey a leaker, President Donald Trumps tweets would be preserved as presidential records if a Democratic lawmakers proposed COVFEFE Act becomes law.

Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois introduced on Monday the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement Act that would amend the Presidential Records Act and require the National Archives to store presidential tweets and other social media interactions.

If the president is going to take to social media to make sudden public policy proclamations, we must ensure that these statements are documented and preserved for future reference, Quigley, a member of the House intelligence committee, said in a statement.

Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post.

Inevitable: Democratic Representative Mike Quigley just introduced the #Covfefe Act. Somehow, this is not joke. pic.twitter.com/VtA6VZCv5r  Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) June 12, 2017

The law would bar the prolifically tweeting president from deleting his posts, as he has sometimes done. This has inspired websites archiving his erased tweets.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said last week that Trumps tweets are considered official statements by the president of the United States.

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.

Trump, who has more than 32 million followers on Twitter for his eight-year-old personal @realDonaldTrump profile, is known for messages on the social media site that are sometimes riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

Trump famously sent a tweet at 12:06 a.m. ET (0406 GMT) on May 31 that said: Despite the constant negative press covfefe. The message remained on the internet for hours, spurring a wave of speculation about what Trump intended to say.

The message was later deleted.

Trumps next communication that day at 6:09 a.m. ET (1009 GMT) made light of the tweet, saying: Who can figure out the true meaning of covfefe??? Enjoy!

Spicer, asked at a news briefing at the time whether people should be concerned about the covfefe tweet, said, no and added, I think the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant.
The United States is not winning in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress on Tuesday, saying he was crafting a new war strategy to brief lawmakers about by mid-July that is widely expected to call for thousands more US troops.

The remarks were a blunt reminder of the gloom underscoring US military assessments of the war between the US-backed Afghan government and Taliban insurgents, classified by US commanders as a stalemate despite almost 16 years of fighting.

We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. And we will correct this as soon as possible, Mattis said in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Afghan government was assessed by the US military to control or influence just 59.7% of Afghanistans 407 districts as of Feb. 20, a nearly 11 percentage-point decrease from the same time in 2016, according to data released by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

A truck-bomb explosion in Kabul last month killed more than 150 people, making it the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.

Reuters reported in late April that the administration of US President Donald Trump was carrying out a review of Afghanistan, and conversations were revolving around sending between 3,000 and 5,000 US and coalition troops there.

Deliberations include giving more authority to forces on the ground and taking more aggressive action against Taliban fighters.

Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Senate committee, pressed Mattis on the deteriorating situation, saying the United States had an urgent need for a change in strategy, and an increase in resources if we are to turn the situation around.

We recognize the need for urgency, Mattis said.

Some US officials questioned the benefit of sending more troops to Afghanistan because any politically palatable number would not be enough to turn the tide, much less create stability and security. To date, more than 2,300 Americans have been killed and over 17,000 wounded since the war began in 2001.

On Saturday, three US soldiers were killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan.
The White House strongly condemned the arrest of hundreds of anti-corruption protesters in Russia on Monday, in a rare criticism of human rights violations and the Kremlin from Donald Trumps administration.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer called on Moscow to immediately release all peaceful protesters detained in nationwide marches.

The Russian people deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution, Spicer added.

Authorities detained Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and nearly 1,000 of his supporters today, as they mounted demonstrations across the nation against government corruption.

The White House called the detention of human rights observers and journalists an affront to core democratic values, and said it would continue to monitor the situation.

Trumps White House has often refrained from commenting on human rights abuses overseas, and has frequently praises Vladimir Putins regime.

Former administration officials have warned that stance risks emboldening authoritarian regimes, who, sensing no pressure from the United States, feel more room to launch crackdowns.
Arriving in the Dakotas in 1874, she was among a group of trespassers

While strolling the streets of Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, in the summer of 1875, Annie Tallent spied a man in a broad-brimmed hat headed in her direction. He suddenly stopped, doffed his hat and spoke to her: Madam, I hope you will pardon my seeming boldness, but knowing that you have recently returned from the Black Hills, I take the liberty of asking a few questions in regard to the country, as I expect to go there myself soon. My name is Hickok. Tallent recognized the name. After a few pleasantries Wild Bill remarked that Annie had a lot of sand for her part in entering the hills. Soon he took his leave, parting with the words, Perhaps I may yet die with my boots on. Tallent didnt hear of Hickok again until the following summer, when the cries of Wild Bill is shot! echoed through Deadwood, Dakota Territory.

A year earlier, in July 1874, Lt. Col. George A. Custers troops had found gold on French Creek in the Black Hills. By late December the Collins-Russell Expedition (aka the Gordon Party) had arrived and set up camp just east of present-day Custer, S.D. The group included Annie Tallent, the first white woman to enter the Black Hills; her husband, David; their 9-year-old son, Robert; and 25 other men.

Along the trail party members shared stories and music around the campfires. Some discussed the fact their trek was in violation of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. As Tallent recalled in her 1899 memoir and history, The Black Hills: Or, The Last Hunting Ground of the Dakotahs [sic]: Storytelling being more in my line, I would sometimes rehearse a tale calculated to harrow up the soul, freeze the young blood, etc.usually one in which tomahawks and scalping knives conspicuously figured.It was truly glorious out under heavens dark canopy, with its myriads of bright stars twinkling lovingly down upon us like a very benediction more especially so in that we realized that we were soon to become trespassers and outlaws without the pale of civilization.

The opening pages of Tallents book evince a sympathetic bent toward the plight of Indians and include an overview of the history of forced migration and broken treaties. The balance of the tome relates her observations on contemporary happenings in the Black Hills and her recollections of the regions general history. It is one of the most complete histories of the Black Hills from that era.

Today teachers, community activists and politicians of a certain stripe vilify Tallents writings, though she recorded the prevailing sentiments of the time. In a few instances she disparaged Indians, writing of her fear of being scalped or taken captive. During the 78-day journey she recounted only one close encounter with Indians, when five braves from a larger band entered the camp. The Indians coveted Winchesters and, when they were denied, asked in turn for food staples. Recalling the event, Tallent referred to them as the most inveterate of beggars. The proverbial nail in the coffin came when she quoted the saying there are no good Indians but dead Indians.

Annie Fraser was born in York, N.Y., in 1827 and educated at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in Lima, N.Y. She married lawyer David Tallent in 1854. Eleven years later Robert was born. At some point the family moved to Elgin, Ill., where two of Annies brothers lived. It was in Elgin that Annie and David connected with Charlie Collins and Thomas H. Russell, who were organizing a gold-seeking venture to the Black Hills. Collins was the editor of the Sioux City (Iowa) Weekly Times. An experienced frontiersman, Russell had heard of the proposed trip by moccasin telegraph. Collins and Russell opened an office on Clark Street in Chicago to enroll adventuresome individuals.

When reports from the Custer Expedition reached Chicago in 1874, the August 28 edition of the Daily Inter-Ocean featured the headlines: THE GOLD FEVER. INTENSE EXCITEMENT IN THE CITY YESTERDAY OVER THE NEWS FROM THE BLACK HILLS. That was all Collins and Russell needed to finalize their plans. The expedition, with six oxen-drawn covered wagons, five horses, two greyhounds and the trappings for mining gold, set out from the Missouri River on October 6.

The trip was difficult. Leaving in late fall put them at risk for terrible weather, which they encountered. They packed their feet with gunny sacks for protection against the snow and cold. The cattle were emaciated, their hooves worn to the quick, and the party fashioned leather shoes to relieve them.

Though Tallent referred to herself as a delicate woman (which her photo seems to reinforce), she was a hardy soul. She traveled on foot for the much of the trip, but for a two-week illness when she rode in the wagon. In order to not overtax the animals, it was common practice for any able-bodied person to walk alongside. The wagons, laden with supplies, traveled between 15 and 20 miles each day. By trips end Annie had worn out two pairs of shoes. Knowing she would be bereft of reading materials, she had surreptitiously cached two books, John Miltons Paradise Lost and Mary Jane Holmes comic romance The English Orphans.

In her own book Tallent reveals the men sometimes dismissed her opinions out of hand. Early in the partys travels, when the men were shooting for recreation, she questioned the wisdom of wasting ammunition. After a sharp retort, she wrote, I meekly yielded the point and referred no more to the subject. Later, when one of the men decided to return to Sioux City, Annie wrote, A council was called that nightat which a preamble and resolution were adopted, but, she added, I was never admitted to their conferences.

Though Tallent had no say in it, the councils resolution forbade individuals from leaving the expedition. One man had earlier returned to Sioux City, and a second would die along the route, leaving 26 to reach French Creek on December 23, 1874. By mid-January 1875 the pioneers had constructed the 80-square-foot Gordon Stockade and, within its walls, seven log cabins. Tallent spent her days within the stockade, which felt akin to a prison. She ventured forth by herself one time and was so convinced she saw Indians lurking behind every bush, she didnt go out alone again. It was during these months she practically memorized her secreted books.

During an early April snowstorm four horsemen, including two U.S. cavalry lieutenants, arrived to inform the Collins-Russell group it was under arrest for trespassing and had 24 hours to prepare to leave for Fort Laramie under escort. A temporary camp 12 miles away was their first stop. Tallent was granted a saddled government mule, but it would not cross the first ford of French Creek. Annie praised and cajoled the mule, kicking her spurless heels into its side, to no avail. She resorted to a willow whip. On the first blow the mule reared and leaped across the creek, and Annie stayed on. These antics were repeated at every crossing.

Two days after arriving at Fort Laramie, the civilians were released and journeyed on to Cheyenne. The Tallents remained in that city for a year, awaiting official permission to legally enter the Black Hills, which was granted in May 1876.

The family spent four years in Deadwood then moved to Rochford. With Annies college training as a teacher, she was welcomed as one of the first teachers in Pennington County. She organized several schools, teaching in Rochford and later atTigerville and Hill City, after which the Tallents moved on to Rapid City.

Bert Shedd, a student of Annies in Tigerville from 188485, recalled his teacher: Her method of teaching was thorough. She required her pupils to demonstrate their lessons in arithmetic, geography and grammar on the blackboard. If a pupil could not do this, he must work until he could.She possessed the quality of teaching without anger or impatience. In appearance she was dignified and attractive. I never saw her punish a pupil.

When Annie and her son went to visit relatives in Elgin in 1887, husband David deserted her and never returned. Annie was Pennington County superintendent of schools from 1891 to 1895, after which she served on that countys board of education for three years. Annie was one of 153 charter members of the Society of Black Hills Pioneers [www.blackhills pioneers.com], whose membership was exclusive to those who had arrived in the Black Hills before December 31, 1876. She died in Sturgis, S.D., in 1901 and was buried at the Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin.

In 1924 Black Hills officials erected a monument near the site of the Gordon Stockade, with a plaque inscribed in part: IN MEMORY OF ANNA DONNATALLENT,TEACHER AND AUTHOR.THE FIRST WHITE WOMAN TO ENTER THE BLACK HILLS. In 1954 the South Dakota Education Association formed the Annie D. Tallent Club to honor the states women educators, pronouncing: In an evaluation of Mrs. Tallent, all the evidence shows that she was a woman of dignity, refinement, and she contributed to the advancement of culture in the hills. The club name was changed to Honored Women Educators in 1993 when Annies book fell into disfavor because she had written things like, They [Indians] rarely took the provisions of their victims, and indeed they had no need to, as those graceless wards of the government were amply provided with rations.

In 1950 Rapid City opened the Annie Tallent Elementary School, but 40 years later a vocal minority forced the board to change the schools name. Fortunately, such attempts to obliterate Annie Tallent from history have not succeeded.

Originally published in the December 2013 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
In 1872 H.L. Hoffman and George Boothroyd first discovered placer gold in Rocker Gulch, a tributary of Cottonwood Creek, seven miles east of Cottonwood City (as Deer Lodge was then known). But their success was modest.

Not until the late 1880s, while searching for the source of placer gold in Rocker Gulch, did prospectors finally find several lucrative lode mines.William Zosels Bonanza mine gave rise to the namesake camp Zosel, which opened a post office in 1892. But it was William Emery who claimed the most productive mine, which bore his name.

As the mines sank deeper, gold gave way to silver galena, but in 1893 the government stopped purchasing silver at an inflated price, and the resulting crash spelled disaster for the mining district and town of Zosel.

It was soon to recover, as the Carbonate Extension Co. in Deer Lodge, in a reported silent partnership with local cattle baron Conrad Kohrs, invested in the claims of Emery and others. Although Zosel continued to work his Bonanza mine, locals now referred to the repopulated town as Emery.

A partnership led by Phillip Harrington, reported the May 1, 1896, edition of Deer Lodges New North-West newspaper, leased the Emery mine.The partners paid 25 percent royalties to the owners yet still cleared $7,500 a month. The newspaper noted that Emery was a company town with no saloon but well-supplied stores and a boardinghouse boasting a firstclass table. All year freighter Jack Reid hauled daily loads of ore down the mountain to the railhead in Deer Lodge, in winter using huge bobsleds.

In 1896 Emery got a new post office, which operated almost continuously until 1906. It would reopen in 1936 for less than two years.

In 1902 the Emery Mining Co., headed by Marvin W. Trask, bought out the Carbonate Extensions assets and erected a concentrator at the mine. Shipping high-grade concentrated ore (46 percent gold, 44 percent silver and 10 percent lead), the company pulled down nearly a half-million dollars profit in just five years. Emerys population peaked at about 400.

Everything came to a grinding halt in 1907 when Emery Mining sold out to an English syndicate that knew little about mining and even less about running a company. Its partners fought among themselves, ran out of capital, went bankrupt and closed the mine. The town emptied out.

In 1910 the Emery Consolidated Co., a group of experienced men who knew the mine and its potential, bought the Emery property at a sheriffs auction and reopened the mine and mill. An eager workforce soon moved into the existing cabins in town. Production continued until 1923, the last year the tailings were worked. Other mines kept producing on and off, though, and the town held on.

The Emery reopened in 1931, its lessees sinking a new shaft 850 feet and building a flotation mill. Though an explosives ban shut down production during the war years, operations otherwise continued through 1948. Meanwhile, the Bonanza mine, which the Zosel family had operated straight through until 1924, peaked in 194748, yielding 686 ounces of gold and 3,569 ounces of silver.

The first mine to open in the district, the Bonanza was also the last to close, in 1950. In the decades since, the town of Emery has slowly deteriorated. To visit its ghosts, head east on FR 705 (Emery Road) from Deer Lodge into the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Originally published in the December 2013 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
In the summer of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln was as inconsolable as I could be and live. General George McClellan had bungled an opportunity to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond and the Army of the Potomac was now in full retreat. The fate of the Union hung in the balance as Lincoln pondered what to do next.

IN JULY, LINCOLN TRAVELED TO HARRISONS Landing cautious general. McClellan, anticipating Lincoln would blame him for not pressing an all-out offensive on Richmond, greeted him with a prepared statement on the standards of civilized war. on Virginias James River to meet with his McClellans letter was a near perfect summary of the rules of war as perceived by both Union and Confederate officers trained at West Point. The current conflict, McClellan wrote, should be conducted upon the highest principles known to Christian Civilization. It should not be a war looking to the subjugation of a people, but rather a war against armed forces and political organizations. Most important, neither confiscation of property nor the forcible abolition of slavery should be contemplated for a moment.

The letter had a powerful effect on Lincoln, but not the one McClellan intended. Five days later, Lincoln confided to Secretary of State William Seward and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles his conclusion that liberating the slaves was a military necessity absolutely essential for the salvation of the Union. Emancipation could help cripple the economic foundation of the South. It might also inspire freed slaves to provide support or even fight for the Union Army. The next week, Lincoln dropped his bombshell in a Cabinet meeting. He proposed as a fit and necessary military measure for restoring the Union that all persons held as slaves within the Confederacy on January 1, 1863, shall then, thenceforward, and forever, be free.

We celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation 150 years later as the beginning of the end of slavery in America. But it also marks a generally overlooked turning point in the history of warfare. At the Union Armys nadir, Lincoln chose to abandon what he called the rose water approach to war, advocated by McClellan and others, in favor of a more aggressive strategy that his critics and supporters alike feared might lead to a slave uprising and an indiscriminate bloodbath. To help justify that strategy, the Lincoln White House turned to Francis Lieber, a Prussian-American legal scholar, to draw up a code of laws for armies in battle.

The code Lincoln approved soon after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation is the foundation of the modern laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949. In it, Lieber drew a sharp distinction between men at arms and noncombatants, and included humanitarian provisions that protected prisoners and prohibited torture and assassinations. But he also validated Lincolns decision to wage a less constrained war. The code authorized the destruction of civilian property, the trapping and forced return of civilians to besieged cities, and the starving of noncombatants. It permitted summary field execution of enemy guerrillas. Essentially, the code provided Lincoln a rationale for using almost any measure necessary to secure the ends of war. To save the country, Lieber wrote, is paramount to all other considerations.

Lincoln and Liebers code of war was not just a list of prescriptions. It was a way to advance the Emancipation Proclamation and arm the 200,000 black soldiers who would help end slavery once and for all. It summed up tensions that have been inherent in the law of war in American history from the Revolution to the present. And during the past century and a half, the rules of war embodied in that code have been tools for vindicating the destiny of the nation.

NO NATION IN THE HISTORY of the world has made rules governing the conduct of armies in war more central to its founding self-image than the United States. In the fiery peroration of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson charged that George III had plundered our Seas and ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

During the Revolution, George Washington ordered the distribution of Articles of War to every soldier under his command and required that each man sign a copy of rules that included provisions designed to limit harm to civilians. He also issued frequent warnings to his soldiers not to pillage sites they captured. On New Years Day 1777, days after the Continental Armys celebrated Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware and victory at Trenton, he issued an order prohibiting the plunder of any person whatsoever, loyalist or revolutionary. Humanity and tenderness to women and children, he told his men, would distinguish brave Americans from the infamous mercenary ravagers of the British forces.

In the Virginia constitution, written a month after the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson accused King George of war crimes, saying he induced our negroes to rise up against us. The catalyst for this indictment was a proclamation a year earlier by the fourth earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, which sent tremors through the colonys plantations. All indentured Servants, Negroes, or others belonging to rebels, Dunmore announced, would be freed if they were able and willing to bear arms for the British. General Henry Clinton, the commander of the British Army, later expanded the declaration to all rebellious colonies, and over the course of the American Revolution some 20,000 slaves made their way to British camps and served as laborers or soldiers.

From the perspective of Jefferson and other founders, the liberation and arming of slaves in war was the ultimate sign of British savagery. The bloody slave insurrections in Haiti following the American Revolution heightened fears in the young republic that turning slaves against their masters in wartime could lead to mass slaughter and atrocities. In the War of 1812, Chesapeake planters were terrified when the British commandeered slaves and used them as guides and soldiers in subsequent raids on their old plantations. When John Quincy Adams negotiated peace between Britain and the United States in the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, he spluttered in indignation at these British incursions upon the plantations of the South. Slaves, he said, were private property, and American slaveholders were thereby entitled by the laws of war to protest against their capture and emancipation at the hands of British soldiers.

Abortive slave uprisings during the antebellum years, ranging from the shadowy conspiracy led by a Virginia slave named Gabriel in 1800 to Nat Turners Rebellion in 1831, fanned fears that the suppressed fury of slaves might burst into the open with the outbreak of civil war. Union leaders understood the risks at issue. From the moment Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, Lincoln insisted the war was about saving the Union, not freeing the slaves. Even into the summer and fall of 1862, many of his military commanders and close advisers worried that turning slaves against their masters during the war could lead to horrific violence.

Indeed, when Lincoln told his Cabinet he planned to issue an emancipation proclamation, they counseled caution. Secretary of State Seward, a strong antislavery man, argued that issuing such a decree from a position of weakness would look desperate and, Lincoln later recalled, would be considered our last shriek. At Sewards urging, Lincoln put off moving forward with the plan for emancipation until after a Union victory on the battlefield. That grim victory finally came amid 22,700 combined Union and Confederate casualties at Antietam on September 17the deadliest single day of the war.

The Emancipation Proclamation overturned 90 years of tradition among both Southerners and Northerners of trying to remove slaves from the calculus of war. Lincoln could have taken the opportunity to disavow the laws of war altogether, to insist that the slaveholding South had no legitimate claim to the privileges of a civilized sovereign state. But he did not. Instead of abandoning the law, he chose to transform it. The code he approved recharacterized emancipation not as anathema to the laws of civilized war but required by them.

FRANCIS LIEBER, THE POLITICAL EXILE from Prussia who drafted the code, knew war as well as anyone of his generation. In 1815, he had been shot in the neck and left for dead on the field as he and his comrades chased Napoleon back to Paris during the Waterloo Campaign. In the 1820s, he joined romantic adventurers like Lord Byron in fighting for Greek independence against the Turks, and later fled Europe for the United States, where he settled in South Carolina and then eventually moved to New York. When the Civil War began in 1861, his three sons split their allegiances between North and South. His oldest boy, Oscar, fought with a South Carolina unit known as Hamptons Legion until he was killed in the spring of 1862, cursing his father from his deathbed as a traitor to the South. A second son, Hamilton, lost his right arm fighting for the Union in the desperate battle at Fort Donelson in February of the same year. War, Lieber wrote, has thus knocked very loudly at our door. Liebers youngest child, Norman, served in the Union Army as a judge advocate.

Despite tragic personal consequences, Lieber understood that war was sometimes necessary to bring moral progress to the world. The master principle that animated his code was the same one that justified Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation: Virtually any use of force was permissible if required by military necessity. At least 10 provisions of the code related to emancipation or the rights of black soldiers, more than dealt with all other classic conduct of war subjects, such as torture, civilian targets, wounded soldiers, hospitals and spies, combined. Liebers text empowered victorious armies to abolish slavery. It defended the rights of black soldiers, insisting that the laws of war made no distinction of color and announcing that mistreatment of prisoners by one side licensed retaliation by the other. In early May 1863, Lincoln issued Liebers code as General Orders No. 100 to the Union Army. A Union officer in charge of prisoner exchanges shared it with his Confederate counterpart and declared that its terms would serve as the rules of war for the remainder of the conflict.

THE CONFEDERATE REACTION was instantaneous and unsparing. Secretary of War James Seddon argued that the codes military necessity principle meant an army could either fight with faith and honor or behave like the barbarous hordes of the Middle Ages, committing acts of atrocity and violence that would shock the moral sense of civilized nations. Meanwhile, a controversy over black soldiers in Union uniform heated up. President Jefferson Davis had declared that the Confederacy would treat black soldiers not as prisoners of war, but as slaves in unlawful insurrection, subject to execution or re-enslavement. White Union officers in black regiments, Davis claimed, were participants in a vast conspiracy to turn the slaves of the Confederacy against their masters. They, too, would be subject to execution. Under pressure from free blacks like Frederick Douglass, Lincoln responded by reaffirming that General Orders No. 100 protected the rights of black soldiers. An additional order issued on July 31 adopted the language Lieber had first drafted to threaten retaliation for any Union soldier executed or sold into slavery by the South. Confederate soldiers in Union hands, Lincoln announced, would be executed or put to hard labor.

By supporting the Unions position on black prisoners of war, the code of 1863 helped to shape the remaining two years of the conflict. When the Lincoln administration stood up for the rights of black soldiers, prisoner exchanges broke down irretrievably. The Confederate officer in charge of prisoner exchanges, Robert Ould, said that Southerners would die in the last ditch before they agreed to treat blacks as regular soldiers. With exchanges at a standstill, conditions in prisoner of war camps on both sides quickly deteriorated. Populations spiked at already overcrowded camps such as Andersonville in the South and Elmira in the North. All told, 56,000 prisoners of war died in enemy custody during the war, most of them casualties of the halt in exchanges that Lincolns code of war helped to bring about.

General Orders No. 100 figured in the war in other ways as well. It became, for example, a field guide for the 1,000 Civil War military commissions charging men (and a few women) with violations of the laws of war.

At the same time, Lincoln turned to the code of war to sanction the new and more forceful strategy that accompanied emancipation. In this regard, Shermans March to the Sea in 1864 was the practical embodiment of the new code. Lieber had authorized vast destruction when necessary to advance the war effort. Now Sherman promised to make a wreck of the road and of the country as he went, to destroy Atlanta, and to cripple [the Souths] military resources, all the while smashing things to the sea. Sherman was not so much betraying the laws of war as he was vindicating the vision of just wars that Lincoln had developed in the summer of 1862. For Lincoln had come to think that while just wars must observe limits, those limits could not be handcuffs. Just wars were worth winning.

IN MANAGING THE FALLOUT from emancipation, Lincoln and his administration called forth a new blueprint for war that is at the core of a complex body of international law today. These rules mark the outer boundaries of morally acceptable behavior, just as they did in Lincolns timeputting torture beyond the pale, for example. They have their domestic uses too. Modern presidents, Republican and Democrat alike, have invoked them to bolster expansive conceptions of the power of the executive branch in armed conflicts. They serve as the basis for the criminal prosecution of al-Qaeda members and associated forces in military commissions at Guantanamo Bay. At the same time, they help mobilize opposition to the use of force, both domestically and abroad.

Regulating warfare is always rife with unsatisfactory moral compromises. But Lincoln successfully struck a balance, not by running away from the rules of war, but by engaging them and recrafting them for the harsh realities of civil war. He did not let high humanitarian ideals obstruct his pursuit of the just end of restoring the Union. Nor did he let his commitment to winning the war overwhelm moral limits on its conduct. On the contrary, Lincoln turned this moment of distress into one of the wars lasting legacies.

John Fabian Witt is Allen H. Duffy Class of 1960 Professor of Law at Yale Law School. His latest book is Lincolns Code: The Laws of War in American History.

Originally published in the February 2013 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
Padre Antonio Jose Martinez dared to speak out against Anglos and the French bishop, making him a sore thumb in this land with few priests.

History is written by the victors. Great heroes can be lost and have even their purest motives denigrated. To make themselves appear great, the triumphant often choose to magnify the villainy of the defeated. In the mid- 1800s Padre Antonio Jose Martinez held power difficult to imagine today. This made him a target for Anglo leaders and French clergymen. They described him as clutching for power and implied he was immoral. French-born Jean-Baptiste Salpointe, bishop of Arizona and archbishop of Santa Fe, largely omitted Padre Martinez from his 1898 history of the Catholic Church in New Mexico despite the fact the padre had established the regions first school for both genders, printed its first books, educated the first native priests and bridged a period when New Mexico was almost completely without priests. To understand Martinez, we must comprehend his time and place and what he was defending. In this light his motives appear more pure.

We picture New Mexico, when Brig. Gen. Stephen W. Kearnys army arrived in 1846, as a priest-ridden land full of fat friars who took their ease at the gambling halls and bordellos of Santa Fe. The parish priest of the Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis may have taken his ease in this manner, despite being an old man. The priest of a neighboring town might even have joined him on occasion. But there were no friars in New Mexico in 1846, fat or otherwise, and few priests. Controlling religious observances was the mysterious and secretive brotherhood of Penitentes (Penitents), a lay organization proscribed by the Catholic Church for its excesses. During Holy Week the brothers whipped and otherwise tortured themselves in public. Others dragged a cart full of heavy stones atop which sat the skeletal figure of Dona Sebastiana, representing death, bearing her bow and arrow. The carts ungreased axle and wheels squealed and skidded over the road to shrill tunes played on the pito, a small flute. In the final ritual a brother depicting Christ was roped to a cross, hoisted aloft and left to suffer, sometimes to the point of unconsciousness.

The ecclesiastical power shift began centuries before when the Spanish crown gave New Mexico to the Franciscans as a mission field, paying for the friars upkeep from the royal treasury. At first there were no secular priests (those not associated with a monastic order), only the missionaries who sought out the Pueblo Indians in their villages. Only much later, in 1797, did New Mexico become part of a secular diocese, with parish priests at Albuquerque, El Paso del Norte, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz de la Canada. Through 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain, these secular priesthoods were seldom filled, and the Franciscans also found it difficult to find friars for the northern frontier. New Mexico became a land with few priests and was soon to have even fewer.

A lay brotherhood of obscure origins, la Santa Hermandad (the Holy Brotherhood) has gone by many names. Anglos called them the Penitentes due to their penitent rites of self-abuse. Franciscans disavow the group, which has often been confused with the Franciscans lay Third Order, whose brothers practiced a private and gentler form of self-flagellation. When the Hermandad first came under public scrutiny in the early 19th century, it was already old, perhaps as old as the conquest, and widespread. Its rituals closely resemble the Holy Week observances of a society in Seville, Spain, but the route of transmission is unknown. This secret society of mutual aid and assistance is similar to the Freemasons, binding society together beyond family and across class lines. In the absence of priests, the brotherhood thrived in New Mexico as a source of succor and religious observance.

But the Hermandad had a dark side. Members of this secret society appeared hooded in public processions as they whipped themselves until blood ran. Onlookers likely wondered what such self-abusing fanatics might do to outsiders. While they punished brothers severely for minor infractions against other brothers, they overlooked major crimeseven murderwhen the victim was an outsider.

As populations grew, the Catholic Church created additional parishes at Taos, Abiquiu, San Miguel and Tome, but the priesthoods often remained unfilled; rarely were there more than two secular priests in all of New Mexico. In this was a mercy for the poor of New Mexico. As the crown was paying the Franciscans expenses, there was no mandatory tithe. Thus New Mexicans had grown accustomed to forgoing the tithe. In the absence of that income, secular priests charged parishioners high stole fees, payments for ceremonies like baptism, marriage and last rites. But people soon found ways to avoid even these. A baby who might soon die, they reasoned, didnt really require baptism, and a formal wedding was an extravagance; instead they would save for the truly necessary last rites. Then, in 1828, the Mexican government, mistrusting the predominately Spanish monks, drove out the Franciscans, leaving New Mexico with only two priests. In this vacuum of religious leadership, the self-supporting Penitentes flourished.

Representing the Catholic Church were a priest in Santa Fe and Padre Antonio Jose Martinez in Taos. In 1833 the departing Franciscans appointed Padre Martinez to watch over their lay brotherhood, Terciarios de Penitencia (Third Order of Penance; the first two orders were of friars and nuns). At the time the Terciarios were in disarray, while the Penitentes were growing in political influence. Padre Martinez, perhaps unable to distinguish between the two lay brotherhoods with oddly similar names, seems to have taken charge of the dominant Penitentes.

The Penitentes are associated with the Santuario de Chimayo, about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. Its founder brought a peculiar belief system, the cult of Our Lord of Esquipulas, from Guatemala, which included the unusual practice of geophagyeating clay (considered by pilgrims tierra bendita, or blessed earth). A leader of the local Penitente group built the chapel sometime before 1810. The Hermandad was already coming to prominence, and its symbols appear prominently on the altar screen. The santuario became a pilgrimage site and is known today as the Lourdes of America. At Easter the Penitentes come to practice their Holy Week rites, and pilgrims walk all night from distant towns to hear Mass. Many leave behind their crutches, having seemingly been healed. Others take home dabs of clay from an opening in the floor of a room just off the sanctuary. They mix it with food or sprinkle it on window and doorsills to ward off brujos (witches). This religion of the Rio Arriba (the region north of Santa Fe) is unique in North America.

Such beliefs had a powerful hold in early New Mexico. In the 18th and early 19th centuries education was the purview of a few ricos, the rich, who could afford to bring tutors into their homes. Elsewhere priests often taught at village schools, but New Mexico lacked priests. There were no printing presses and no newspapers, as there were few who could read them.

Antonio Jose Martinez was born at Abiquiu in 1793 to one of the wealthiest families in the Rio Arriba. His family soon moved to Taos. Young Martinez married in 1812, but his wife soon died, leaving him a baby daughter. In 1818, the child installed with family, he entered seminary in Durango, Mexico, seeking a secular priesthood. He was present for the excitement and hope of the Mexican War of Independence while maintaining a good academic record. Mexican leaders framed a new constitution that incorporated ideas from the Norte Americano experience. Soon after Martinez returned home an ordained priest in 1823, his daughter died. The padre immersed himself in his work and within a year held the parish of Don Fernando de Taos. There he preached the ideals of freedom and castigated the gringo mountain men who finagled Mexican land grantsin competition with his family interestsand who provided the areas nomadic Indians with guns, powder and intoxicating Taos lightning. Chief among such interlopers were Charles and William Bent, who in partnership with fur trader Ceran St. Vrain ran Bents Fort and other interests.

The Rio Arriba was not the Rio Abajo, the land south of Santa Fe, realm of haciendados ricos and their debt-slave peones. The men of the north were free, if poor. They possessed their own lands, plowed the earth with forked tree limbs and shared water, wood lots and grazing commons. Water and commons governed their lives and their natures. In such circumstances one who does well must be stealing from his neighbors, and only a brujo would do that. By politicking among his neighbors a man might win respect and honor, but there were great disincentives to advancement in agriculture or business. The land was cut off from trade, being farther from Mexico City than from St. Louis. Mexican tariffs were high, and the people were metal poor, denied tools and discouraged from manufacturing by a system geared to support only manufacturers from Spain or, later, from the Valley of Mexico. The elevation was high, and the growing season short. In the early 19th century there were few Hispanic townsSanta Fe, Santa Cruz de la Canada, Chimayo and Don Fernando de Taos. Most of the remaining towns were Indian PueblosTaos, Picuris, Santa Cruz, San Juan, Pojoaque, Nambe, San Ildefanso and others. Abiquiu, Las Trampas and Truchas were genizaro towns. Genizaros were nomadic Indians, captured and held as slaves. Their Spanish masters baptized them and gave them religious instruction, then provided them land grants on the periphery of the settlements, which they were expected to farm and defend. The people of the Rio Arriba lived their lives in great isolation from the outside world.

Padre Martinez arrived like a thunderbolt. In 1826 he opened the first enduring school, accepting students of either gender. In 1834 he acquired and operated New Mexicos first printing press, using it to create books for his school. (As the only press in the region it continued to turn out books and government documents, including the 1846 Territorial Constitution.) Martinez also taught preparatory seminary classes. By 1852, when Bishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy arrived to organize the first diocese of New Mexico, 18 of its 22 priests were former students of Padre Martinez.

In 1832, in the first visit to New Mexico by a bishop in more than seven decades, Bishop Jose Antonio Zubiria of Durango visited his far-flung diocese and was shocked by what he found. The iconic carvings of local santeros (saint makers) offended him, as did the retablos (devotional paintings) of local manufacture. Recognized today as works of art, they were too crudely fashioned to please the bishop, and he ordered them removed from the churches. Even more shocked by the rites of the Penitentes, he promptly proscribed the brotherhood. With the bishop safely returned to faraway Durango, Padre Martinez chose to ignore his orders and support local art and customs.

Then came political upheaval, in 1835, when President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna suspended the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and replaced it with the Siete Leyes (Seven Laws), seeking to strengthen the central government. His action would lead to rebellion in Texas, New Mexico and California. Under the new measures New Mexico became a department governed from Mexico City rather than a self-governing territory. It was rumored high taxes were to follow. The appointed governor, Albino Perez, was subject to excesses of living and spending, calling forth the militia at its own expense and refusing to repay loans he took from Santa Fe merchants. Padre Martinez spoke against these abuses from the pulpit, and when the people of the Rio Arriba rose in revolt in 1837literally tearing Governor Perez limb from limbofficials suspected the outspoken priest was behind the revolt. There is no evidence Martinez was anything but shocked by the violence, and he joined General Manuel Armijo, soon to be governor, in its suppression.

Ten years later Padre Martinez was again suspected of instigating revolt, after speaking out against the excesses of the Anglos. The mountain men led outrageous lives and defiled willing Mexican women. Through connivance and bribes Anglos cornered vast land grants that were in direct competition with the Martinez family. Worst of all the villainsthe Bents and St. Vrain in particularsold guns and liquor to the wild Indians who stole from the Mexicans and often killed them for tradable goods. In 1847 rebelling Pueblo Indians at Taos killed, scalped and mutilated the first American governor of New Mexico Territorynone other than Charles Bent. Once again, Padre Martinez played no part in the bloody revolt. On the contrary, at great personal risk he hid Anglos in his home. Regardless, Kit Carson, whom the padre had joined in matrimony to local girl Josefa Jaramillo, never forgave Martinez for the murder of his friend and brother-in-law, Bent. Abandoning the Catholic Church he had joined in order to marry Josefa in 1843, Kit in 1854 sought religious solace by becoming a Freemason.

Padre Martinezs love of the U.S. Constitution is well known, though his understanding of it was both novel and eccentric. In 1846, after the American invasion, the padre told his seminary students that as the government had changed, they must change their ideas, as the genius of this American government traveled in complete harmony with freedom of worship and separation of church and state. A student asked what form this new government took, and he replied, Republican. You can say that in comparison the American government is like a burro, but on this burro ride the lawyers and not the clergy. Padre Martinez saw no conflict in a priest speaking out from the pulpit on political matters. To him freedom of religion meant in part that the government was free to protect the people from the church. He served in both Mexican and American legislatures and still found time for his own parish and school. From a position in the new American legislature, Padre Martinez was among the first native New Mexicans to agitate for statehood.

That the padre and the new bishop, Jean-Baptiste Lamy, should clash was inevitable. New Mexico Territory, severed from Durango, was made a diocese within an American archdiocese, with French-born Lamy sent out as bishop. When Lamy arrived in Santa Fe in 1852, the priest was at the height of his power. He enjoyed vast influence among the widespread Penitentes, who had long slipped from church oversight and control. Most of the secular priests, the first native clergy in New Mexico, were his former students. At the same time the bishops lack of empathy for local customs was astounding; his basilica and the chapel of the Sisters of Loretto were built in the French style.

As the 1850s progressed, the conflict intensified. Vicar General Joseph Projectus Machebeuf, serving as the bishops hammer, circulated to the outlying churches, finding immorality and improper handling of church funds everywhere except in Taos. He relieved most of the native clergy, replacing them with mostly French priests. Machebeuf ordered that all church funds should come first to Santa Fe, from which priestly stipends would then be dispensed. The vicars inordinate focus on money shows in his efforts to have himself appointed executor of the Francis X. Aubry (aka Skimmer of the Plains) estate and in his actions in that portion of New Mexico coming to be called Arizona. Charles Poston, cofounder of the Sonora Exploring and Mining Co. in Tubac, had been conducting marriages at no charge for his Mexican workers under the authority of a civil appointment. Machebeuf nullified all of those marriages during his visit in 1859, though he soon settled the matter and blessed the marriages in a gala that cost Poston some $700. James Tevis, stationkeeper for the Butterfield Overland Mail, once claimed Machebeuf showed him the silver altar service he had taken from the Indians at San Xavier del Bac, implying hed put one over on them. One might normally doubt Tevis, a notorious teller of tall tales, but this anecdote fits a pattern, and in 1860 Padre Martinez accused Machebeuf of selling church silver. Martinez also accused Vicar Machebeuf of betraying the secrets of the confessional from the pulpit, a very serious charge. Lamy managed to mediate that particular episode.

In 1852 Bishop Lamy reduced the stole fees by half, claiming they had been set far too high. Only later did he learn that New Mexicans had never tithed. Putting his foot down, the bishop insisted in his Christmas letter of January 14, 1854, that parishioners must tithe before priests could administer the sacraments. Padre Martinez retorted that were the bishop successful in collecting the tithe, his treasury would soon greatly exceed that of the territorial government. The cathedral in Santa Fe stands as evidence of Lamys success. When stole fees were the only fees collected and tithing was voluntary, the prohibitively high fees still left priests quite poor. In following years Padre Martinez consistently spoke out in published letters and tracts against the compulsory tithe. In 1860 he publicly denounced the practice as true simony, a serious religious crime.

By then Bishop Lamy had excommunicated this unhappy priest, Padre Antonio Jose Martinez. The censure came sometime between 1857 and 1860, though the date is uncertain, as the record was kept not in Santa Fe but concealed in the record of baptisms at Taos in a comment written by the bishop. Padre Martinez questioned the validity of the excommunication, which Lamy had put through without admonition, formal charges or a hearing. Indeed, the underhanded manner in which it was handled makes it likely the reading of the order was not done with public fanfare, as claimed years later. Anglos and French residents reportedly stood with Vicar Machebeuf against a potential rising of the locals who adored Padre Martinez. The former were described in church records as good Catholics, though among those listed were Kit Carson and Ceran St. Vrain, who were Freemasons. There is no contemporary record of the vicars visit, and there was no rising. The charges against Padre Martinez would not usually have been considered grounds for excommunication; he stood accused of having conducted a baptism at the oratory in his home, as the church was not available to him. And, of course, he had failed to first collect the tithe.

Despite the rift with Bishop Lamy, Padre Martinez continued to minister to the poor and close friends until the end of his life in 1867. Although this created a schism of sorts in the church at Taos, the padre never sought to teach a new doctrine. He simply felt the bishop had acted improperly. Although he did not resist the Protestant missionaries who came to the Rio Arriba, he never strayed from the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.

A leader of the church and legislature, at the forefront of printing and education, a defender of New Mexicans rights and native culture, Padre Antonio Jose Martinez is all but forgotten. Immersed in a tradition few outsiders understood, the priest was reviled by Kit Carson, Ceran St. Vrain, Bishop Lamy and others for defending the common people of the north. He surfaces as the villain in Willa Cathers 1927 novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, while his antagonist Lamya man who unwittingly trod on his parishioners and built a cathedral on their backsis held up as a saint. In a land where education was almost unknown, Padre Martinezs wisdom and expertise in canon law was renowned. Despite his dour demeanor and vociferous opposition to those who would exploit his people, he taught religious tolerance and constitutional principles and was instrumental in preparing New Mexico for democracy.

Frequent Wild West contributor Doug Hocking is a retired Army officer who has studied ethnography, history and historical archaeology. Suggested for further reading: But Time and Chance: The Story of Padre Martinez of Taos, 17931867, by Fray Angelico Chavez; Los Hermanos Penitentes: A Vestige of Medievalism in Southwestern United States, by Lorayne Ann Horka-Follick; and Rebellion in Rio Arriba, 1837, by Janet Lecompte.

Originally published in the December 2013 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
It was September 5, 1862, and Captain Abraham Osborn Jr. was having an especially good day. Two months out of Marthas Vineyard, the rangy commander of the Yankee whaling bark Ocmulgee had just killed a huge sperm whale off the Azores. As his crew stripped the carcass of blubber, a steam-powered sloop-of-war flying the Stars and Stripes appeared over the horizon. Osborn and his 37 seamen continued their work, assuming it to be a U.S. Navy vessel. The boom of a cannon and the swift replacement of the U.S. flag with the Confederate Stars and Bars brought Osborns crew to stunned attention, as a small boat pulled alongside, and the Rebel captain informed the dumbfounded sailors, You are a prize of the steamer Alabama!

Osborn and his crew were taken off as the Confederates stripped the captive vessels stores. The Rebels then burned the whaler to the waterline. Ocmulgee was the first Northern commercial craft to be captured by the British-built Rebel raider; it would not be the last.

Alabama was one of many Confederate vessels built in the British Isles during the Civil War. Although Britain never officially declared support for the South, it conducted a brisk trade in constructionand at times, manningof vessels for the Confederacy. Of these, the commerce raider Alabama was the most successful.

The vessel was built secretly in Liverpool at a cost of $250,000. When completed, Enrica, as it was officially named, was a thing of beauty, displacing more than 1,000 tons, and running 220 feet in length, with an elegant narrow beam. And Enrica was fast, with twin 300-horsepower engines that could deliver a speed of 12 knots. To conserve coal, its propeller could be removed and stored, making it a three-masted sloop. The ship also had a water purification system, and provisions could be taken from captured vessels, allowing the ship to remain at sea almost indefinitely.

Sailing as an unarmed British merchant ship, Enrica coursed from England to the Azores in July 1862. Once arrived, the 24 British officers were exchanged for Confederates, though the British crew remained. It received six 32-pounder smoothbores and two pivot guns.

The newly assigned Confederate captain, Raphael Semmes, would soon become the stuff of legend. Physically, Semmes was unprepossessing. His one distinguishing feature was a mustache with long, pointed terminals. His crew came to refer to himnever to his face, of courseas Old Beeswax. He was also, by all reports, a harsh but fair commander.

Semmes had served with distinction during the Mexican War, and when the Civil War broke out, he joined the Confederate Navy as a commander. After commanding CSS Sumtera converted merchantman with which Semmes took some 18 prizeshe was promoted to captain and given the new raiders helm.

Semmes first order was to recommission his new command CSS Alabama, to the strains of Dixie. He then took the ship out on a nearly two-year cruise of harassment and controlled devastation.

Within 14 days, he had seized and burned Ocmulgee and four other whalers. He paroled their sailors, allowing them to decamp in whaleboats.

Semmes developed a strategy that precluded lengthy pursuits. He would burn a captured ship, wait in the vicinity, and when other Northern merchant ships attempted to come to the stricken vessels aid, capture them as well. Semmes methods produced stunning results. He was not, however, determined to burn every vessel, since captured ships brought into friendly ports were considered prizes, and brought healthy rewards for officers and crew. I made every effort to avoid the necessity of destroying my prizes, he wrote later. I only resorted to this practice, whenthere was nothing else to be done.

As months passed, and dozens of vessels fell to Semmes and Alabama, Northern newspapers screamed for action. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles sent warships to seek out the Rebel raiders, and a special flying squadron specifically to find Alabama. USS San Jacinto stumbled upon the Alabama in the West Indies, but Semmes slipped away during the night, leaving a confused and perplexed Yankee captain in his wake.

Semmes combed the worlds oceans for prey, but after 22 hard months, Alabama was in dire need of repairs. On June 11, 1864, an exhausted Semmes guided it into the neutral French port of Cherbourg to take on provisions and undergo a much-needed overhaul. Three days later, the U.S. sloop-of-war Kearsarge observed Alabama at anchor, and set up a blockade three miles outside the harbor. Despite the precarious condition of his ship, Semmes steamed out to meet the enemy.

The two ships pummeled each other at 1,000 yards; however, many Alabama shells failed to explode due to corrosion, Ultimately, his steering gone, his decks strewn with debris and blood, Semmes raised a white flag, andalong with 40 sailorsjumped over the side, as the Alabama settled at the stern and sank. They escaped capture when a British yacht picked them up. Semmes returned to the war and was made an admiral and a brigadier generalthe only man to hold flag rank in the Navy and the Army. After the war, he was briefly arrested for treason and piracy.

Ron Soodalter, a regular contributor to Americas Civil War, is the author of Hanging Captain Gordon.
Cruel war allowed the Confederate general only two chances to see his beloved daughter.

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]ven as Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson supervised the movement of his Second Corps from the Shenandoah Valley toward Fredericksburg, Va., in late November 1862, his mind was far away, in Charlotte, N.C., where his wife, Mary Anna, was due to give birth any day. Although he did his best to keep his emotions hidden, the famously reserved Confederate commander was particularly anxious because he and Mary Anna had lost one child alreadya daughter, Mary Graham, who died of jaundice in May 1858 after only three weeks. Adding to his angst, his first wife, Ellie Junkin, had died during childbirth back in 1854, along with their stillborn son. Jackson had asked Mary Anna not to telegraph him news about the birth, telling her, It is a joy with which no stranger should intermeddle. While the devout general waited for a letter bearing good news, he prayed fervently for the well-being of his wife and unborn child.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]bout November 28, with Jacksons Corps somewhere between Gordonsville and Orange, news finally arrived. His sister-in-law, Harriet Irwin, informed him that Mary Anna had given birth to a daughter, and that both mother and baby were well. A longer letter arrived shortly thereafter, again written by Harriet. The letters salutation, however, suggested a different author:

My own dear Father,

As my mothers letter has been cut short by my arrival, I think it but justice that I should continue it. I know you are rejoiced to hear of my coming, and I hope that God has sent me to radiate your pathway through life. I am a very tiny little thing. I weight only eight and a half pounds, and Aunt Harriet says I am the express image of my darling papaand this greatly delights my mother. My aunts both say I am a little beauty. My hair is dark and long, my eyes are blue, my nose straight just like papers and my complexion not all red like most young ladies of my age, but a beautiful blending of the lily and the rose.

According to the letter, Mary Anna had come through the delivery well, and was resting comfortably. But, Jackson would be informed, She is anxious to have my name decided upon, and hopes you will write and give me a name, with your blessing.

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ackson had originally hoped for a son, because, as Mary Anna later explained, he believed men had a larger sphere of usefulness than women. But, according to Mary Anna, he abruptly changed his mind: [H]e said he preferred having a daughter, since God had ordained it. Jackson left no doubt in a letter to mother and daughter, writing that he loves her better than all the baby-boys in the world, and more than all the other babies in the world.

He named his daughter Julia, in honor of his mother. My mother was attentive to me when I was a helpless, fatherless child, he told Mary Anna, and I wish to commemorate her now.

Jacksons youth had been wrought with family tragedy. In 1826, when Jackson was two years old, he lost both his father and his older sister Elizabeth to typhoid fever, and in 1841 his older brother Warren died of tuberculosis. In 1830, Jacksons mother remarried, but she would die a year later, two months after giving birth to a son, William Wirt Woodson. Jackson and his half-brother would eventually become estranged.

At the time of his mothers death, Jackson and his little sister, Lauratwo years his juniorwere being cared for by their fathers brothers in Weston, Va. (modern-day West Virginia). That environment, however, was not appropriate for a young lady, so Laura was soon sent to live with family in Parkersburg. Jacksons strong bond with his beloved younger sister would gradually diminish, and when the Civil War began, Lauraa staunch Unioniststopped talking to her brother altogether when he sided with the Confederacy. Jackson nevertheless gave his new daughter the middle name Laura in honor of his sister. (Later in life, Julia would change her own middle name to Thomas in honor of her father.)

[quote style=boxed float=left]Jackson had originally hoped for a son[/quote]

Because of repeated losses in Jacksons family during his life, it is perhaps little wonder he wanted a family of his own probably more than anything else. Surely, word of Julias healthy birth was the sort of news for which he had long prayed. Mary Anna later noted that her husband received it as if his heart trembled at the very thought of so much happiness.

And yet he shared the news with no one. [H]e kept the glad tidings to himself, Mary Anna recalled, leaving his staff and those around him in camp to hear of it through others. A month passed before they even knew, in fact. To share the joy, Jackson feared, would be to risk calamity. Although a devout Presbyterian, he was at heart a good old-fashioned Calvinist who believed in a jealous and angry God. Jackson believed he had lost his first wife and child, as well as his and Mary Annas first daughter, because he had loved them too much and that God had responded by taking them away in piques of jealousy. We are sometimes suffered to be in a state of perplexity, that our faith may be tried and grow strong, he once said, trying to make sense of the tragedy in his life and come to grips with his grief.

In the spring of 1857, Mary Annas sister, Isabella, and brother-in-law, future Confederate General Daniel Harvey Hill, lost a son. Jackson revealed he was not surprised the child had been taken away by God. I have long regarded [D.H. Hills] attachment to him as too strong, he confided in a letter to Mary Anna; that is, so strong that he would be unwilling to give him up, though God should call for his own.

Jackson was quick to caution Mary Anna about their own child: Do not set your affections upon her, except as a gift of God. If she absorbs too much of our hearts, God may remove her from us. Keenly aware that things in Charlotte could have gone far differently, Jackson did not want to risk upsetting the outcome. I fear I am not grateful enough for unnumbered blessings, he worried in a subsequent letter.

As 1862 stretched into 1863 and winter deepened, Jacksons responsibilities kept him at the front. [I]t is important that I, and those at headquarters, should set an example of remaining at the post of duty, he explained. Yet he longed to see Mary Anna and especially Julia. I havent seen my wife since last March, and, never having seen my child, you can imagine with what interest I look to North Carolina, he wrote. In another letter he expressed how much he would love to see the little darling, whom I love so tenderly, though I have never seen her; and if the war were only over, I tell you, I would hurry down to North Carolina to see my wife and baby. He playfully suggested on another occasion that, since he couldnt make it south, maybe Julia could come to him. Cant you send her by express? he asked in good humor. There is an express line all the way to Guineys [Guinea Station].

Despite the separation, his frequent letters reflected attempts to parent from afar. I am grateful at hearing that you have commenced disciplining the baby, he told Mary Anna. Now be careful and dont let her conquer you. She must not be permitted to have that will of her own.

Nevertheless, he could not keep himself from doting any more than Mary Anna couldthough it continually weighed on his mind. I am sometimes afraid that you will make such an idol of that baby that God will take her from us, he would confide to her. Are you not afraid of it?

In March, they suffered a near-miss. Julia, only four months old, contracted a severe case of chicken pox. Jackson enlisted advice from his own doctor, Hunter Holmes McGuire, which he sent to Mary Anna by letter. I do wish that dear child, if it is Gods will, to be spared to use, Jackson added.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]bout this time, Jackson experienced another tragic reminder of the precariousness of young life. During the winter he had grown close to the Corbin family, on whose estate, Moss Neck, he encamped. In particular, the familys 6-year-old daughter, Janie, took a shine to the general, and she often appeared in his office for play dates. They would frolic on the floor or she would cut out paper dolls, which she called her Stonewall Brigade. Jackson, in turn, kept treats in his desk for her. She was the Generals delight, a staff officer noted. However, on March 17, just a day after Jackson relocated his headquarters, word arrived that Janie and two of her cousins had died of scarlet fever. Jackson wept openly at the news, then threw himself into fervent prayer. Their early deaths weighed on his mind as he thought of his own daughter hundreds of miles away.

Jackson finally had the opportunity to unite with his family on April 20, 1863. Mary Anna and Julia traveled by train from Charlotte to Richmond, then north to the Confederate railhead at Guinea Station, a dozen miles south of Fredericksburg. Awaiting their arrival, Jackson stood on the train platform in a heavy rain, wrapped in his India rubber raincoat. When the locomotive chugged to a stop, he stepped aboard to meet his daughter for the first time. [H]is rubber overcoat was dripping from the rain which was falling, but his face was all sunshine and gladness, Mary Anna recalled; and after greeting his wife, it was a picture, indeed, to see his look of perfect delight and admiration as his eyes fell upon that baby!

I never saw him look so well, she continued. He seemed to be in excellent health & looked handsomer than I had ever seen him, & and then he was so full of happiness at having us with him & seeing & caressing his sweet babe, that I thought we had never been so blest & happy in our lives.

Mary Anna offered to let her husband hold the baby, but [h]e was afraid to take her in his arms, with his wet overcoat. Instead, as they stepped off the train together, Jackson held an umbrella over his wife and child as they walked to his waiting carriage, his eyes fixed the entire time on his tiny daughter. Around them, Confederate soldiers at the depot cheered them loudly when they saw her and him together, one of Jacksons staff members recalled.

The next nine days were the happiest of Jacksons life. He, Mary Anna, and Julia finally had the opportunity to be a family. To a man of his domesticity and love for children this was a crowning happiness, Mary Anna said.

While official duties kept Jackson busy, he devoted as much time as he could to his wife and daughter, little Julia sharing his chief attention and care. People remarked on Jacksons devotion to hera happy pair together. They even performed Julias baptism, with General Robert E. Lee among the attendees.

The familys visit, according to staff officer Henry Kyd Douglas, begat more or less social gayety and everybody called on Mrs. Jackson and little Miss Stonewall. Troops would be brought near for parade and review, and the baby would be carried to where they could get a view of her.

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite his often-reserved public persona, Jackson usually was playful with childrensuch as Janie Corbinduring the war. He didnt, however, seem to know quite how to handle a child of only five months. The General took her in his arms and began playing with herwhich I confess he did rather awkwardly and as if quite unused to the occupation, recounted an amused Raleigh Colston, one of Jacksons division commanders, after calling on the family one afternoon.

[quote style=boxed float=right]Jackson had wanted nothing more in life than to be a father[/quote] When Julia cried to be lifted from her crib, Jackson tried to break her of the habit by leaving her there until she stopped. So there she lay, kicking and screaming, while he stood over her with as much coolness and determination as if her were directing a battle, Mary Anna recalled; and he was true to the name of Stonewall, even in disciplining a baby! When Julia stopped crying, Jackson held her, and if she began to cry again, he would lay her back down. [T]his he kept us, Mary Anna later said, until finally she was completely conquered, and became perfectly quiet in his hands.

All in all, Henry Kyd Douglas would attest, the General was the model of a quiet, well-behaved first father.

On April 29, the Union Army of the Potomac rumbled to life near Chancellorsville, Va., and word arrived at Jacksons headquarters that he was needed to help plan the Confederate response. With a tender and hasty good-by, he bundled his family onto a train to Richmond, where Mary Anna stayed with friends as they awaited news from the front. By the evening of May 3, however, it was rumor rather than news that arrived: Something terrible had happened to her husband on the battlefield.

On the evening of May 5, Mary Annas brother, Thomas Morrison, who served as an aide on Jacksons staff, arrived disheveled at the door. After a harrowing trip south, he had come to collect his sister and escort her north. Her husband had lost an arm during the battle, and while the initial prognosis suggested a favorable recovery, Morrison indicated that she was needed by her husbands sickbed.

Once more, Mary Anna and Julia boarded the northbound train to Guinea Station. At the Confederate railhead, she found her husband convalescing at an adjacent plantation, awaiting transport back to the hospitals in the capital. His condition had deteriorated, however, making him too weak to travelthough he did seem to rally at his familys arrival. The generals joy at the presence of his wife and child was very great, and for him, unusually demonstrative, McGuire noted.

Mary Anna stayed by Jacksons side, leaving only to nurse Julia, who was otherwise tended by Mary Annas servant, Hetty, and family friend Susan Hoge. Thinking it would cheer him more than anything else to see the baby in whom he had so delighted, I proposed several times to bring her to his bedside, Mary Anna saidbut her husband demurred. He did not want the baby to see her father in such a state. Not yet, he said. Wait till I feel better.

But by the morning of Sunday, May 10, doctors had become convinced that Jackson would not survive the day. At last, he relented and allowed Mary Anna to bring the baby to him. [A]lthough he had almost ceased to notice anything, she recalled, as soon as they entered the door he looked up, his countenance brightened with delight, and he never smiled more sweetly as he exclaimed, Little darling! Sweet one!

Mary Anna placed Julia on the bedside next to her dying father, noting that Jackson watched her with radiant smiles for a few moments. McGuire later remarked on how Jackson played with the baby, frequently caressing it, and calling it my little comforter. Finally Jackson raised his wounded right handwhich also was struck during the friendly fire incident that had cost him his left arm eight days earlierover Julias head. With closed eyes, he was for some moments, silently engaged in prayer.

Thomas Jonathan Jackson had wanted to be a father for most of his life, and unfortunately had had a chance to see his daughter only twiceonce for a nine-day stretch in late April when she was five months old and once on his deathbed, just hours before he passed away. Shortly after seeing his daughter that final time, he slipped into delirium for good. After shouting out disjointed battle commands (Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action! Pass the infantry to the front rapidly! Tell Major Hawks), Jackson relaxed and offered in a calm voice, Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees. With that, the 39-year-old general died. Julia outlived her father by only 25 years. After a childhood as the Orphan of the Confederacythe daughter of a martyred heroshe had the opportunity as a young bride to move to California with her new husband, William Edmund Christian. Eventually growing homesick, she wrote to her mother for permission to return. But the day she stepped off the train in RichmondAugust 28, 1889a typhoid epidemic was sweeping through the capital. Julia contracted the disease and died within two days, a few months short of her 27th birthday.

Julia left behind a daughter and a son, Julia Jackson Christian and Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian, whom Mary Anna raised. As the Widow of the Confederacy, Mrs. Jackson lived until 1915.

Mary Anna and Julia are both buried with Thomas Jonathan in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington, Va., their adopted hometown. They now rest together in a memorial plot at the foot of a granite obelisk topped by a bronze statue of Jacksonreunited as a family once more.

Chris Mackowski is a writing professor at St. Bonaventure University and editor-in-chief of the blog emergingcivilwar.com. He is the author of a number of books on the Civil War, including The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson: The Mortal Wounding of the Confederacys Greatest Icon, co-authored with Kristopher D. White.
Benjamin Wright, who built a reputation as a fearsome Indian fighter, worked to broker peace as an Indian agent until a half-blood friend turned on him.

Gunfire cracked in the distance. Twenty-eight riders kicked their mounts to a trot, topping a sage-covered ridge. Leading the way was buckskinclad Benjamin Wrightmountain man, prospector and Indian fighterhis long, dark hair flying in the wind. Close on his heels were 27 scruffy miners armed with rifles, pistols and knives.

A wagon train of emigrants was under attack, pinned down between a lakeshore and a high volcanic bluff. From behind brush and boulders Modoc Indians kept a steady hail of arrows whizzing amid the wagons. Smoke billowed from a grass fire, while terrified livestock milled inside the wagon corral, stirring up a cloud of dust. Shouting and shooting, Wrights riders whipped their horses to a run and thundered into the fracas. Indians fell where they crouched or dove into the lake to swim for waiting canoes or to hide amid the tule reeds.

Cheers went up from the emigrants, even as the fight continued. Miners plunged into the lake to shoot and club Indians as they came up for air or tried to paddle away. Hand-to-hand fighting broke out along the shore. When the last of the Indians were either dead or had escaped, the rescuers returned to the wagons to check on the travelers.

It was August 1852. The six-wagon train of 30 men, a boy and a woman had taken the Applegate Trail, a supposedly safer alternative to the main Oregon Trail. Modoc raiders had trapped the emigrants on the shore of Tule Lake, just south of the present-day Oregon-California border. The wagon train was one of several passing through Modoc country that summer, bound for the goldfields and settlements of northern California and southern Oregon Territory.

A few days earlier and a couple of miles to the west the Modocs had ambushed a party of eight packers. The lone survivor, a fellow named Coffin, had escaped by cutting the pack from one of the partys mules, jumping on its back and dashing straight toward his attackers. Taking the Indians by surprise, Coffin had broken through their line. After hiding in the tules for several days, he had stumbled into the northern California gold boomtown of Yreka. Concerned citizens had called a town meeting and asked BenWright to lead a patrol to guard wagon trains passing through Modoc country for the remainder of the summer and fall. Twenty-seven men had volunteered to join him.

A mysterious man with glossy black hair that hung in ring- lets nearly to his belt, Benjamin Wright was an enigma. At times he lived with Indian tribes, adopting their customs and modes of dress, and taking a squaw as his common-law wife. At other times he hunted Indians, mutilating his victims according to the respective tribes traditions. He had been known to scalp or cut off noses and was even reported to have worn a necklace of human finger bones hacked from Indian hands.

Some said his parents were Quakers, while others claimed he was the son of a Presbyterian minister. Born on April 7, 1828, in Milton (Wayne County), Ind., Wright arrived in Oregon City in the fall of 1847. Indians had attacked the wagon train in which he had traveled west, killing the daughter of the wagon master. It was rumored she was Wrights sweetheart and that her death had turned him into an Indian hater.

On November 29, 1847, warriors from the Cayuse and Umatilla tribes attacked the Whitman Mission, near present-day Walla Walla, Wash., killing missionary couple Marcus and Narcissa Whitman plus 11 other whites and taking more than 50 women and children captive. This incident sparked the Cayuse War. Ben Wright quickly joined the volunteer militia and by December 1847 was a private under Captain William Martin, fighting Cayuses along the Columbia River. In spring 1850 the Cayuses turned over five from their tribe to be tried for the murder of the Whitmans. Most of the volunteers, including Wright, were discharged at that time, even though sporadic fighting continued until 1855.

Wright tried farming in the Willamette Valley in 1850 but decided it was not to his liking. For a few years he trapped beaver and hunted Indians, at times living with various tribes in northern Oregon, adopting their customs and style of dress. When prospectors discovered gold in southern Oregon and northern California, Wright drifted south. By the spring of 1851 he was living near Yreka, Calif., less than 20 miles south of the Oregon border, where he took up with a Shasta Indian woman and prospected for gold on the Scott River. A few weeks after Wright arrived in the Scott Valley, a Modoc band raided a pack train and stole nearly 50 mules and horses. He joined a vigilante group seeking to recover the stolen animals and punish the Modocs. Passing a Modoc village near Tule Lake, the vigilantes made a show of camping nearby. But while the Indians slept, a party under Wrights leadership surrounded the village. At daybreak the force attacked, killing several men and capturing women and children. The triumphant vigilantes returned to Yreka with stockalthough just whose is unclear.

In August 1852 Wright, given his reputation as a fierce Indian fighter, was the miners logical choice to lead a patrol escorting wagon trains through Modoc country. After rescuing the six-wagon train at Tule Lake, Wright and his men searched the marshes and to their horror discovered the mutilated remains of at least 22 white emigrants, plus charred wagons, clothing and other personal effects. The miners buried the victims.

News of the Modoc attacks reached the gold boomtown of Jacksonville in southern Oregons Rogue River Valley. A company of volunteers under Captain John E. Ross rushed toward Tule Lake, where the men discovered the remains of 14 more emigrants, including several women and children. It was impossible to tell how many settlers the Indians had killed (some historians estimate as many as 70 may have died at the hands of the Modocs that summer), but at Tule Lake it appeared they had wiped out at least one entire wagon train. The scene of the attacks became known as Bloody Point.

The Oregon volunteers joined forces with Wrights men, and together they scoured the countryside. One gruesome discoverythe body of a young woman particularly infuriated the volunteers. It appeared she had run more than a mile before the Modocs overtook her. Her attackers had cut her throat, scalped her, stripped her body of clothing and sliced off her breasts. Eligible white women were scarce on the frontier, and the sight of this mutilated young woman caused some of the menmany of whom were as young as the victim to weep or shake with rage. All vowed to avenge her death.

That summer and fall Wright and 15 of his men continued to patrol the Applegate Trail through Modoc country. Through Indian interpreters Wright negotiated with the Modocs, seeking the return of stolen property. Learning that two white girls had been captured in a raid on a wagon train near Lower Klamath Lake, he added their immediate release to his demands. He met with Modoc leaders, pressing them to bring in the captives and stolen property in return for his promise to leave their country. He also offered to trade with them for feathers and furs. None of these tactics worked.

By early November 1852 the volunteers were running short on supplies, so Wright dispatched four men to Yreka for food and ammunition. Arriving just before Election Day, the miners decided to stay long enough to vote. For six days Wright and his men were on starvation rations, and they were preparing to slaughter one of their horses when the four finally returned with beef on the hoof and additional ammunition. The miners killed one of the steers, and Wright invited local Modocs to the feast. An oft-repeated rumor had it that one of Wrights men had purchased strychnine in Yreka, that the volunteers prepared poisoned beef, and that more than 40 Modocs died from eating the poisoned food. Wright and his men vehemently denied this version of events, saying it wouldnt have been sporting enough. Most historians agree it is doubtful poison was used. According to Wright, the Indians remained suspicious, and only two Modoc men showed up. He fed the pair, gave them presents and allowed them to return to their village. Still the other Modocs kept their distance.

In mid-November, Wright moved his camp to the trail crossing at the natural bridge on the Lost River, a few hundred yards from the Modocs winter village. The dropping temperatures brought more Indians into camp every day, and their fighting men now outnumbered the whites 3 to 1. The miners were understandably nervous and grew even more so when a volunteer named Fenning brought information from his Indian mistress that the Modocs planned to attack the whites in the next couple of days. Wright decided to wait no longer. He would approach the Modoc village alone to settle thingsone way or another.

The Indian village sat on a low ledge just above the river. Rising directly behind it was a 20-foothigh bluff. That night Wright placed 10 of his volunteers on the bluff and six others across the river opposite the Indian encampment. The men hid in the brush. At daybreak he strode boldly into the Modoc camp. Over his buckskins he wore a blanket poncho, beneath which he concealed a pistol.

Wright could not locate Schonchin John, the headman, so he walked up to the man he knew was second in command and demanded he release the captive white girls and return all the stolen property. The warrior scowled and refused, so Wright fired two shots through the blanket. The Indian dropped dead. At that instant Wright lay flat on the ground.

The volunteers on the riverbank opened fire, and as Wright scrambled from the village, the men on the bluff joined in, catching the Indians in a crossfire. Some Modoc men tried to grab their bows but were soon cut down. Others dove into the water and were shot when they came up for air. Still others ran for the sagebrush only to be rounded up and clubbed or shot to death. In all, Wrights men killed more than 40 Modocs, including several squaws, while just three of the volunteers were wounded, none seriously. The two captured white girls were never found. Only two Modoc warriors escapedSchonchin John and Curly Headed Doctor. Neither would forget that day, and both would play important roles in the Modoc War 20 years later.

The miners scalped and mutilated their victims, as the Modocs had done to the emigrants bodies, and then rode back to Yreka, their ghastly souvenirs dangling from their guns, hats and horses bridles. An honor guard and cheering citizens met the riders and carried them from their horses to the saloons, which dispensed free whiskey for all. The residents then honored the fighting miners with a grand banquet. The drunken revelry continued, day and night, into the following week. Wright and his men were heroes, not only in Yreka, but also in the other settlements and mining camps.

While Ben Wright and his men were fighting the Modocs, prospectors discovered gold on the beaches of southern Oregon, near the mouth of the Rogue River. Ruffians of every sort were soon pouring into the area, pushing aside local Indians in pursuit of mineral wealth. When a prospector turned up dead, white miners assumed the Rogue Indians (or Takelmas, as they called themselves) had done the killing and retaliated by raiding their villages.

On May 12, 1854, Joel Palmer, the Oregon superintendent of Indian Affairs, wrote to Brig. Gen. John E.Wool, commander of the Department of the Pacific, asking for troopsnot to protect the whites, but to protect the Indians of the region. How mortifying that we have so reckless a population as to demand the presence of troops, to protect the natives against the barbarities of our own citizens, Palmer wrote in his letter to General Wool.

In September 1854 Superintendent Palmer appointed Wright special sub-agent of Indian Affairs at Port Orford, a district that included the lower Rogue River and the southern Oregon coast between Coos Bay and the California border. It seems puzzling Palmer would choose a man like Ben Wright for the job, but he may have been desperate. Earlier that year two Port Orford sub-agents had resigned after filing reports about the brutality of miners against local Indians. Within the last six months four [Indian] villages have been burned by the whites, reported Josiah Parrish, the sub-agent whom Wright replaced. Many of them have been killed merely on suspicion that they would arise and avenge their own wrongs, or for petty threats that have been made against lawless white men for debauching their women. When portions of those reports were leaked to the newspapers, irate miners threatened the agents lives.

Palmer may have felt he needed a man like Wright, respected by whites and Indians alike as a fearless fighter, someone who spoke several Indian languages and claimed friends among whites, Indians and mixed bloods.

By February 1855 Wright was busy trying to prevent the Exterminators, a ruthless group of white vigilantes in Crescent City, Calif., from crossing into Oregon to slaughter Chetco Indians. The no-nonsense agent met with the men and warned them of fearful consequences if they entered his district.

When the fearful Chetcos asked Wright what they should do, he advised them to keep out of the way of the whites and not fight the whites[and] to take to the mountains when the whites commenced killing them. He warned them not to cross the California border under any circumstances, for fear the Crescent City vigilantes would attack them. They promised not to.

The Rogue River War broke into wholesale violence in early October 1855, after a mob from Jacksonville attacked a sleeping Indian village near the Table Rock Reservation, killing more than two dozen Shasta men, women and children. In response the Shastas, Umpquas and Rogues combined forces to attack and slaughter miners, packers and homesteaders. The whites retaliated by raiding Indian villages and hanging captives from oak trees along the streets of Jacksonville. Freighters refused to travel through hostile Indian territory, which led to shortages and drove up prices. The whites petitioned the Army to round up the Indians and confine them to reservations.

Fighting in the interior valleys of southern Oregon added to Ben Wrights problems. He threatened to arrest anyone white or Indianwho caused trouble. Hearing that hostile Indians from the inland valleys were making overtures to the coast tribes to join them in war, Wright hurried between villages of the Coquilles, Chetcos and Tututnis, reminding them of treaties signed in 1853 and 1854. He then ordered the Coquille Guard, a militia of whites patrolling the coast, to cease their aggressions against Indians. He also persuaded a group of Coquilles to move onto a temporary reservation at Port Orford.

By November 1855 the Takelmas were making a last-ditch stand for their freedom, battling white forces on the lower Rogue River. The coastal tribes grew increasingly apprehensive as they watched white intruders push the Takelmas toward the Pacific. But heavy snows in the mountains curtailed communication between the regions. By early winter a deceptive calm had settled over the coastal Indian villages and neighboring white settlements.

Living among the Tututnis was an English-speaking half-blood French-Canadian named Enos, who had arrived in Oregon in the 1840s as a scout for John C. Fremont and had recently become an employee of Ben Wright. Enjoying the Indian agents full confidence, Enos came and went as he pleased. He had lived in Yreka and Jacksonville but had also spent much time among the warring tribes. Under Wrights very nose Enos was inciting the coastal Indians to unite against the white miners and settlers.

At the time Wright was living with an Indian woman known as Chetco Jenny, whom hed hired as a government interpreter. One night in a rage Wright stripped Jenny naked, then walked her along the boardwalks of Port Orford while whipping her with a riding quirt. Even the hardened miners were outraged by Wrights actions. Jenny turned to Enos to help her seek revenge.

Enos had been plotting with local chiefs to launch an attack on the lower coast settlements. His chance came on the night of February 22, 1856, when miners gathered to celebrate George Washingtons birthday. While white revelers kicked up their heels at an all-night dance, the Indians struck the mining camp at Gold Beach. They killed 31 whites and burned 60 houses and most of the rest of the buildings in the mining settlement.

According to one account, Ben Wright and Captain John Poland, commander of the Gold Beach Guard volunteers, were at Wrights cabin when some Tututnis stopped by to complain that Enos was in their camp and causing trouble. Wright and Poland paddled a canoe to the village, where Indians immediately seized them. Enos personally walked up behind Wright and buried his tomahawk in the Indian agents head. The Indians killed Poland, too, then mutilated both mens bodies. While the rest of the tribe danced around a huge bonfire in a celebratory frenzy, Enos and Chetco Jenny reportedly roasted and ate Ben Wrights heart, believing it would give them courage.

Several more months of fighting followed before white officials arrested Enos on the Grand Ronde Reservation, west of Salem in Oregons Coast Range. They took him in chains to Port Orford, where miners lynched him on April 12, 1856.

According to great-great grandsons Larry and Donny Fry, Chetco Jenny married a white man named Randolph Tichenor. This allowed her to escape Oregons Trail of Tears, as it is called, when soldiers rounded up most of her people, held them for weeks in pens at Port Orford, then forced them to march north nearly 200 miles to the Siletz Reservation.

In 1857 the agent at Siletz confiscated from his wards Ben Wrights scalp, which they had affixed to a tall pole and used as the object of traditional scalp dances. By then soldiers had confined most of the other southern Oregon tribes to inland reservations.

The enigmatic Ben Wright had been the best Indian fighter in northern California and Oregon, and to those he rescued and their descendants he would remain a hero. But many Indians, especially the Modocs, recalled only his ruthlessness, as when Wright destroyed the Modoc winter village in fall 1852. When the Modocs took up arms again in 187273, they cited Wrights brutality 20 years earlier as one of their primary motivations.

Carole Nielson, of Shady Cove, Ore., is a retired school secretary who has traveled with her husband, Dan, to 27 countries. They give talks on local history, though, and her writing centers on the American West. Suggested for further reading: The Modocs and Their War, by Keith A. Murray; Indian Wars of the Rogue River, by Dorothy and Jack Sutton; and The People and the River, by Elizabeth Heckert.

Originally published in the December 2013 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
Qatar is reportedly ready and willing to listen to the concerns of the Gulf Arab states most especially on the current issues concerning terrorism and withdrawing of ties. It can be recalled that those states cut their economic and diplomatic ties with the said country lately.

It can be recalled that Qatar made headlines when it was reported that the country has been supporting terrorism and is a threat to global security. Because of this, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and some other states in the Gulf Arab area pulled out their support from the country.

Because of what happened, there was a fear that Qatar might suffer economically as most of the countries already asked their citizens to leave the said country. However, Kuwait and Maldives continued their ties with Qatar. In fact, Kuwait just affirmed Qatar's readiness to listen to the concerns.

According to the latest report from Reuters, Qatar is said to be willing to listen and understand the concerns of their neighbors and brothers to enhance the stability and security of the region. With this, some said that this will be the start of reasonable thinking and wisdom.

Moreover, despite the odds and the conflicts in the Gulf Arab states, the energy minister of Qatar assured that the country is still committed to an oil output cut deal which was agreed by OPEC as well as the non-OPEC producers just the previous month.

It was then reported on Aljazeera that the conflicts which are happening in the said region will not hinder Qatar from doing its global commitment to the production of oil. Once the country will stop its production of oil because of the threat of these neighboring countries, the world will suffer most especially on the economic level.

It can be recalled that Qatar just paid millions to a certain law firm which worked under US Former President George Bush before in order to audit its efforts to stop funding of terrorism. This, as said by mot reports today, is the very core of the issue of the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Looking for the best boutique hotels in Venice to stay at on your trip to Italy? The Ca Gottardi Hotel Venice is elegant and full of amenities, truly the best place to stay in Venice Italy!

Venice, Italy is a city like no other. Its cobblestone walkways and canals lay the foundation to the Italian city, a beautiful and enchanting place to visit! Planning a trip to Venice is definitely something you should add to your travel bucket list. It was on mine, and I was so glad that I was able to make this dream a reality!

When searching for the best hotels in Venice Italy, it can really get overwhelming. I personally wanted to stay at one of the best boutique hotels in Venice, and the Ca Gottardi Hotel is such a beautiful place to stay! This small, 15-room accommodation is an elegant, artsy place with comfortable rooms and all of the amenities youre looking for. This Venice boutique hotel is in the perfect location, close to everything youll want to see during your stay (walking distance is important, see things to know when visiting Venice, Italy)! When we stayed here, we felt the place was clean, welcoming, and the service was amazing. Heres why we think Ca Gottardi is the best boutique hotels in Venice Italy.

The Best Place To Stay In Venice Italy: The Elegant Ca Gottardi Boutique Hotel!

The elegance and sophistication at Ca Gottardi Hotel Venice

The plus about this Venice boutique hotel is that its very unique, and that includes the look and feel of the place. When you arrive at the steps of the Ca Gottardi, youll notice art decor and an elegant vibe as soon as you start to walk up. The lobby is a nice, open and well lit area that serves as the reception desk, seating area, and breakfast bar. I love the colorful art pieces on the walls and the different accents of vases, lanterns, and random sculptures throughout!

When it comes to the rooms, they are also well decorated with classic Venetian style furnishings, including headboards, chairs, curtains, carpets, and bed spreads, all accented with rich colors everywhere you look. The high ceilings and large windows make the rooms feel spacious and full of light, some look out onto the canal below. Rooms range from single bed rooms for couples, up to suites, which are perfect for families (more info about traveling to Venice Italy with kids). I love the stylish, yet cozy feel of these well appointed rooms, it really feels like Italy!

The location makes this the best boutique hotels in Venice

I am sure that there is no wrong place to stay in Venice, but I am the type to try to stay away from the touristy areas and experience daily life in the neighborhoods where the locals live. Located in the district of Cannaregio, Ca Gottardi Hotel is in the perfect spot  in a residential part of town further away from the tourist areas, yet still close enough to get to the top attractions easily on foot. The hotel is super close to the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal, so hopping on a water taxi is fairly easy if you need to get around Venice quickly. The airport and train station are just a water taxi away, and there are plenty of restaurants, shops, wine bars, and very nice walkways close by to explore in the area. Nothing is far from this location, which really makes this the best place to stay in Venice Italy!

Ca Gottardi Venice boutique hotel offers plenty of luxury amenities

Although this Venice boutique hotel is small, it does not lack is any form of service or amenity. Rooms are cleaned and refreshed daily, and comforts include a down comforter, satellite television, radio, mini bar, thermostat heating and air conditioning, wifi, a private safe, and toiletries. The Ca Gottardi Hotel Venice serves a free breakfast each morning until 10:00am, and operates their complimentary espresso bar 24 hours per day. If you love coffee, this is definitely the best place to stay in Venice Italy for that reason alone! Also available are concierge services, room service, a library, and airport transportation if needed.

You will love the Ca Gottardi Hotel, the best place to stay in Venice Italy!

No more asking where to stay in Venice Italy, the Ca Gottardi Hotel is the place! I love the European artsy style and the boutique charm, this is truly a beautiful place to stay. Book your room with Ca Gottardi now, the best boutique hotels in Venice!

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I received a discounted rate to stay at Ca Gottardi boutique hotels in Venice Italy. No compensation was received and opinions of where to stay in Venice Italy are those of Honey + Lime.
Today, Enda Kenny stepped down as Taoiseach.

After months of speculation, Kenny recently resigned as leader of the Fine Gael party, leaving the way open for a leadership contest. That was fought between Leo Varadker and Minister for Housing Simon Coveney, with Leo Varadker coming out on top. His name will now be put before the Dail tomorrow as the replacement for Kenny.

Kennys career has been an extraordinary journey. Born into a political dynasty in 1951  his father Henry Kenny was TD for Mayo West until his death in 1975  he became a TD in the ensuing by-election at the age of just 24. He has had an unbroken run since, spending all of 42 years in public service as a member of the Dail.
The Donegal duo have just released their new track "How Could I Love You?".

The band first rose to fame in 2015 with their debut single "It's Still Love" from their debut self-titled EP. The band have not yet released their debut album but this new track hints that more new music is on the way.

Stream "How Could I Love You?" on Spotify here:

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Little Hours will be playing at the Sea Sessions Festival on Bundoran Beach in Donegal on Friday June 23. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and all usual outlets nationwide.
The trio, who will also perform at Electric Picnic this year, will be supported by special guests Frankenstein Bolts at the gig in Tallaght on 24 June.

The up-and-coming Irish band will play recently released a music video for the single 'Dahlia', which is taken from their new EP due out this month.

Pine the Pilcrow's first EP received high praise and won the 'The Last Mixed Tapes 'Readers EP of the Year'. Their song 'Its Only Love' was included in Nialler9's, TLMT, The Thin Air's and many mores 'Best Of 2016' lists.

Tickets for the concert at the Civic Theatre cost 16/14 and are available at www.civictheatre.ie or by phoning 01 4627477.

The band have several other shows coming up shortly, including dates at Body and Soul and Electric Picnic. Check out a list of their summer gigs below.

June 25th Body and Soul

July 21st Ballinamore Fringe Fest

July 28th The Tin Church Laragh

Aug 5th Arcadian Field

Aug 6th Fheile Beag

Sep 3rd Electric Picnic

Watch the video for their new single here...


The Irish rockers will play upstairs in Whelans on Friday August 25.

Fronted by Dundrum native Adam Redmond, the five piece are quickly making a name for themselves across the country for their energetic live shows and unique sound. Their debut single Evergreen, produced by Vin McCreith and mastered by Robin Schmidt, was released back in March through Faction Records.

"Evergreen" is available to stream from Spotify now.

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Tickets for the Whelans gig are priced at just 12 including booking fee and are on sale now from Ticketmaster. This gig is over 18s and ID will be required on the night.
(Bloomberg) -- After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the first time elaborated on the companys plans in the automotive market.

Were focusing on autonomous systems, Cook said in a June 5 interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apples automotive plans. Its a core technology that we view as very important. He likened the effort to the mother of all AI projects, saying its probably one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.

The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies push into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.

Apple had initially been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it started in 2014.

Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apples plans, though public filings have surfaced in recent months that provided snapshots of Apples efforts.

The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.

In December, Steve Kenner, Apples director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealing the companys interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the companys excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.

There is a major disruption looming there, Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electric vehicles and ride-hailing. Youve got kind of three vectors of change happening generally in the same time frame.

Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electric vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the worlds fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top 10 by unit sales.

Its a marvelous experience not to stop at the filling station or the gas station, Cook said.

Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the biggest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had initially been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the push later this year, the people said at the time.

Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apples strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen -- will they partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?

In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "Well see where it takes us," Cook said. "Were not really saying from a product point of view what we will do."

(Updates with analysts comments in 12th paragraph.)

--With assistance from Candy Cheng

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Webb in San Francisco at awebb25@bloomberg.net, Emily Chang in San Francisco at echang68@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Emily Biuso, Mark Milian

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
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On the day that Jeffrey Immelt said he would step down as chairman and CEO of General Electric, the U.S. Department of Justice cleared the way for the $23 billion merger between GE's oil and gas division and Houston's Baker Hughes to create the world's second largest energy services company.

The combination, which Immelt helped engineer last year, was part of his efforts to expand GE's position in the oil and gas industry and remake GE as a 21st century industrial company, driven by technology, innovation and data. Analysts don't expect Immelt's retirement to affect the merger: He will still become chairman of the combined firm, called Baker Hughes, a GE company.

The merger is expected to close next month, pending shareholder approval.

"It's a big deal," said Dave Anderson, an analyst for Barclays, the multinational bank. "Baker Hughes becomes a much bigger player."

Immelt, who spent his entire career at GE, will retire after 16 years of leading one of the world's largest conglomerates.

He succeeded the legendary GE chief Jack Welch in September 2001, guiding the company through the turmoil that followed the Sept. 11 attacks and later the global financial crisis.

Unlike Welch, who pushed the company founded by Thomas Edison into sectors beyond the company's core manufacturing business, Immelt refocused the company on making things.

He yanked the company almost entirely out of the financial services sector, dumping the bulk of GE Capital Real Estate assets for more than $26 billion, as he positioned GE in a digital age of smart, interconnected industrial devices.

The renewed emphasis on technology underscored GE's move last year to relocate its headquarters to Boston, a tech hub supported by research at universities such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But Immelt's strategy did not impress Wall Street, which wanted faster growth and higher stock prices.

After Immelt, 61, announced his departure on Monday, GE shares rose more than 3.5 percent to $28.94. GE named John Flannery as the new chairman and CEO. Flannery, 55, has worked in the company for 30 years, most recently running GE's health care division.

Merger talks escalated

Immelt played a key role in negotiating the merger with Baker Hughes. GE Oil & Gas CEO Lorenzo Simonelli had been working to persuade Baker CEO Martin Craighead of the value of a merger, but it wasn't until Immelt attended a meeting that talks escalated. They ultimately agreed that GE would pay $7.4 billion in cash to acquire 62.5 percent of Baker Hughes.

Unlike the ill-fated merger with Houston rival Halliburton, Baker Hughes' businesses have little overlap with GE Oil and Gas, which made regulatory approval easier. The European Union's regulatory body signed off on the merger last month.

The U.S. Justice Department had only one condition in its approval, filed in federal court as a consent decree. GE must sell its Water & Process Technologies Business; it already has a buyer.

The merger combines two companies with different strengths, analysts said, allowing the merged firm to compete on both onshore shale fields and deep-water drilling rigs, while harnessing GE's expertise in collecting and analyzing massive amounts of data from industrial operations. Baker Hughes shareholders will vote on the deal on June 30.

"Baker had some faults, real execution issues," said Anderson, the Barclays analyst. "One thing GE can do - they're very good at operations."

In Texas, GE spent billions of dollars to buy into the energy industry and bulk up its Oil & Gas division. Immelt started with GE's deep-water business, inking deals worth more than $1 billion for Houston-based Hydril and Vetco Gray as well as U.K.-based Wellstream. Then it bought into the onshore shale revolution, picking up Lufkin Industries for $3.3 billion - a year before oil prices began to crash.

Finally, last year, GE landed the merger with Baker Hughes.

A new Baker Hughes

In a statement, Baker Hughes hailed the Justice Department's approval as "significant progress toward creating an oil and gas productivity leader positioned to deliver value for customers, employees and shareholders."

Baker Hughes struggled through the oil bust, and its failed merger with Halliburton left it further weakened - even with the $3.5 billion breakup fee Halliburton paid. Not long afterward, company officials began talks with GE over the potential merger.

Simonelli will serve as CEO of the new Baker Hughes, Craighead as vice chairman. GE, which had revenues of $123.7 billion in 2016, will add new resources to a company that had become a distant number three in the sector.

Once the deal closes, the new Bakers Hughes will surpass Halliburton and trail only global energy services leader Schlumberger. Some analysts are skeptical of the merger, arguing that integration of the disparate operations will be harder than the companies imagine.

"GE clearly brings a lot to the space," said Robert MacKenzie, an analyst at New Orleans investment bank Iberia Capital Partners. "But I think they have a lot of work to do."
He is the quintessential company man.

John Flannery, who was tapped Monday to become the chief executive of General Electric later this summer, has spent his 30-year career with the industrial giant. He has headed up offices from South America to Asia. He has turned around a flailing business, the company's $18 billion health care division. He even has a home on Nantucket, where a cluster of high-ranking GE executives vacation.

He will need to draw on this accumulated experience and goodwill in the years ahead. In taking over from Jeffrey Immelt, GE's well-liked chief executive of 16 years, Flannery faces the difficult task of managing one of corporate America's last conglomerates. Although GE slimmed down under Immelt, shedding its finance division and NBCUniversal, it remains an extraordinarily complex company, making everything from microwaves to wind turbines.

Flannery, 55, will also be counted on to revive the company's languishing stock price. Under Immelt's leadership, shares of GE fared poorly, drawing the ire of investors and the involvement of an activist hedge fund that hastened the succession planning that led to Flannery's appointment.

Already, Wall Street is betting that Flannery has what it takes. GE shares were up more than 3 percent Monday. And analysts spoke approvingly of his behind-the-scenes maneuvering in various GE deals - particularly the $13.5 billion agreement two years ago to take over the power business of the French giant Alstom and the spinoff that year of GE's consumer finance arm, Synchrony Financial.

Major divestitures?

That Flannery is not afraid to divest assets has some analysts betting that he could reach back into that toolbox to further simplify GE's sprawling business.

Any major divestitures will probably take time. Flannery said in a video broadcast on Facebook that he planned to conduct a review of the company with a "sense of urgency" and that he would make recommendations later in the year.

Flannery said he was going to "review all aspects of the business," with a particular focus on the cost structure. For the next few months, he will be traveling the globe, visiting businesses, customers and investors. Asked whether those decisions would be about the portfolio or the financial outlook, he said, "I think you should expect both."

Flannery lands in the hot seat at a pivotal moment for GE, a 125-year-old company with $120 billion in annual sales.

Major shifts in geopolitical tides have resulted in bumpy currency fluctuations for the multinational conglomerate. And while Immelt, who is retiring as GE's chief on Aug. 1, praised President Donald Trump's policies on deregulation and tax reform, he criticized his nationalistic trade policies, publicly supporting Mexico and NAFTA, which Trump wants to renegotiate.

In an interview, Flannery said he has had "no interaction with President Trump," adding that the administration's proposals to cut taxes and spend on infrastructure represented an "agenda" that GE supported.

Avoiding politics

But Flannery suggested that he would try to steer clear of politics as he conducted his review of the company.

In fall 1987, Flannery, fresh from graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, arrived at General Electric's finance arm, GE Capital. Just a few weeks later came Black Monday and the stock market crash.

The son of a former director for bank supervision for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Flannery worked with a group that assessed risks in providing financing for the booming arena of leveraged buyout deals. In the wake of the market crash, as banks steered clear of the risky deals, GE Capital moved in.

After tours in Latin America, Asia and India, Flannery returned to corporate headquarters to run mergers and acquisitions in 2013.

There, under the direction of Immelt to transform the company and shed various businesses, Flannery negotiated the Alstom deal in France and also spun off Synchrony and sold off GE's refrigerator business.

In 2014, Flannery stepped in to run the company's health care business, which is a leader in imaging and diagnostic equipment. Many analysts and investors expected the unit to be sold or spun off, but Flannery instead expanded it, pushing into life sciences and cell therapy systems businesses.

Still, Flannery may face new pressure to evaluate businesses to divest. And one early target, some analysts say, could be the health care division he has been leading.

"What has always struck me about his background is that he ran GE's business development - that is GE shorthand for mergers and acquisitions," said Deane Dray, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. "So when he was running health care - a guy who wasn't a health care guy but an M&A guy - one could draw the conclusion that he was preparing it for some sort of action that would maximize shareholder value."
The family of a man who died three days after a May 28 altercation in the parking lot of a Denny's restaurant in Crosby has filed a lawsuit against a Harris County sheriff's deputy and her husband, both of whom face murder charges in the death.

The family of 24-year-old John Hernandez on Monday filed the civil rights suit against 41-year-old Terry Thompson, who has been charged with murder, and Deputy Chauna Thompson, 45, who was charged as an accessory to murder, according to an email from Randall Kallinen, an attorney for the Hernandez family.
The Coast Guard is searching for a mother who went missing near Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula after she went into the water to help her 4-year-old who was having trouble swimming.

The woman, 33-year-old Brandy Mosley, was last seen Monday afternoon wearing a gray shirt and maroon shorts, according to a Coast Guard news release.
PASADENA - In nearly three decades living in her one-story, pastel-yellow home north of State Highway 225, Cynthia Dunnahoe has seen the streets fall into disrepair in her heavily Hispanic neighborhood. Public officials, she says, have largely been absent.

A former corrections officer who identifies as Hispanic, Dunnahoe hoped that her vote for mayoral candidate John Moon, Jr., on Saturday would bring attention, and investment, to the north side of Harris County's second-largest city. He was the only candidate who visited the area, she said.

But Dunnahoe said she fears that Jeff Wagner's victory in the mayoral race on Saturday will mean more of the same for her community. Wagner, a retired Houston police officer, has been aligned with outgoing Mayor Johnny Isbell, a controversial figure who had led the city on and off for decades and was singled out by a federal judge for pushing a redistricting scheme that intentionally diluted the voting rights of the city's Latino population.

"This part of Pasadena is really going down," Dunnahoe, 55, said. "They need to build us up."

Wagner and Isbell did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

In Pasadena, demographic struggles have defined politics and spilled into the federal courts. While state political leaders and national advocacy groups considered the struggles a microcosm not just for Texas but also the country, city voters opted this spring for the status quo.

Experts said low turnout by Hispanics limited political gains in a city where they now make up nearly two-third of the population, up from less than a third in the 1990s.

"I think when you don't have power and influence and benefits, it's hard to motivate people to fight for that," said Rice University political scientist Robert Stein. "It's easier to motivate people to keep and fight for what they have."

In the closely watched voting-rights case, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ruled in January that the city intentionally violated the rights of Hispanic voters with a redistricting plan pushed through by Isball and his allies several years ago.

A handful of Pasadena residents challenged the plan in a 2014 lawsuit.

The judge ordered the city to revert back to a 2013 election map that relied upon eight single-member districts, instead of the six single-member districts and two at-large positions that Isbell had championed and the judge later found unconstitutional.

Spring elections left the city council divided 4 to 4 between those allied with Isbell and those pushing for broader change. Wagner will get to cast the tie-breaking vote.

A Wagner spokesman stressed last month that he would focus on the entire city as mayor.

"Jeff talks about the entire city as a whole," the spokesman, Blake Douglas, told the Chronicle. "He is a very fair individual and he is a man of God. He has made efforts and continues to make efforts to reach out to all areas of the city."

Three Hispanic candidates who were elected are all seen as proponents of change. They include Council members Cody Ray Wheeler and Sammy Casados, who were reelected, as well as Felipe Villareal, who won his seat in a runoff to represent the northernmost portion of the city. Don Harrison, a fourth council candidate, has been a critic of Isbell's.

In addition to Wagner, other candidates seen as aligning with Isbell include council members Bruce Leamon and Cary Bass, who were re-elected, and newly elected Phil Cayten and Thomas Schoenbein. Cayten is a former council member.

"This is one battle and regardless of who won this one, the war is still not won," said Cliff Walker, candidate services and recruitment director for the state Democratic Party.

Two of the four candidates backed by Democrats in the nonpartisan race were elected: Casados and Villareal. "Pasadena is still majority-minority," Walker said. "It is trending in the right direction."

Walker noted that one progressive candidate, Steve Halvorson, lost to Leamon, an incumbent, by nine votes.

Turnout data, however, shows that national attention on Pasadena's voting rights struggle had not translated yet into a surge in political participation.

Though Pasadena's more diversenorthern precincts have about 9,000 more registered voters than those south of Spencer Highway, efforts to get them to the polls fell short, according to data provided by Harris County. In the May election, about 16.5 percent of voters in the south turned out, compared with 11.3 percent in the north. Turnout was especially high in the affluent neighborhoods clustered around Fairmont Parkway, with those precincts turning out in the high teens, to as high as 24 percent in Precinct 662. The south side managed to cast 440 more ballots than the north, despite its lower voter registration.

Voting in the June runoff displayed a similar pattern, though results for that election are still unofficial.

While some see the spring elections as a disappointment, some also see hope.

Celia Arellano, 70, lives next door to Dunnahoe, as she has for the last 20 years. She has seen it turn from largely white to Hispanic, and also seen the roads whither and stray animals increase.

Arellano, while concerned about low turnout among Hispanic voters after years of efforts to disenfranchise them, said she sees hope in Wagner's election. She voted for Wagner, as well as Villareal.

Arellano believes Wagner can and will listen to Hispanic voters.

She said, "I want to give him a chance."

Mark Collette contributed to this report.
Russia's cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump's election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported.

In Illinois, investigators found evidence that cyber intruders tried to delete or alter voter data. The hackers accessed software designed to be used by poll workers on Election Day, and in at least one state accessed a campaign finance database. Details of the wave of attacks, in the summer and fall of 2016, were provided by three people with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation into the matter. In all, the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states, one of them said.

The scope and sophistication so concerned Obama administration officials that they took an unprecedented step -- complaining directly to Moscow over a modern-day "red phone." In October, two of the people said, the White House contacted the Kremlin on the back channel to offer detailed documents of what it said was Russia's role in election meddling and to warn that the attacks risked setting off a broader conflict.

The new details, buttressed by a classified National Security Agency document recently disclosed by the news website Intercept, show the scope of alleged hacking that federal investigators are scrutinizing as they look into whether Trump campaign officials may have colluded in the efforts. But they also paint a worrisome picture for future elections: The newest portrayal of potentially deep vulnerabilities in the U.S.'s patchwork of voting technologies comes less than a week after former FBI Director James Comey warned Congress that Moscow isn't done meddling.

"They're coming after America," Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the election. "They will be back."

An FBI spokeswoman in Washington declined to comment on the agency's probe.

Russian officials have publicly denied any role in cyber attacks connected to the U.S. elections, including a massive "spear phishing" effort that compromised Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee, among hundreds of other groups. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in recent comments to reporters that criminals inside the country could have been involved without having been sanctioned by the Russian government.

One mystery about the 2016 presidential election is why Russian intelligence, after gaining access to state and local systems, didn't try to disrupt the vote. One possibility is that the American warning was effective. Another former senior U.S. official, who asked for anonymity to discuss the classified U.S. probe into pre-election hacking, said a more likely explanation is that several months of hacking failed to give the attackers the access they needed to master America's disparate voting systems spread across more than 7,000 local jurisdictions.

Such operations need not change votes to be effective. In fact, the Obama administration believed that the Russians were possibly preparing to delete voter registration information or slow vote tallying to undermine confidence in the election. That effort went far beyond the carefully timed release of private communications by individuals and parties.

One former senior U.S. official expressed concern that the Russians now have three years to build on their knowledge of U.S. voting systems before the next presidential election, with every reason to believe they will use what they have learned in future attacks.

As the first test of a communication system designed to de-escalate cyber conflict between the two countries, the cyber "red phone" -- not actually a phone but a secure messaging channel for sending urgent messages and documents -- didn't work quite as the White House had hoped. NBC News first reported that use of the red phone by the White House last December.

The White House provided evidence gathered on Russia's hacking efforts and reasons why the U.S. considered it dangerously aggressive. Russia responded by asking for more information and providing assurances that it would look into the matter even as the hacking continued, according to the two people familiar with the response.

"Last year, as we detected intrusions into websites managed by election officials around the country, the administration worked relentlessly to protect our election infrastructure," said Eric Schultz, a spokesman for former President Barack Obama. "Given that our election systems are so decentralized, that effort meant working with Democratic and Republican election administrators from all across the country to bolster their cyber defenses."

Illinois, which was among the states that gave almost full access to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to investigate its systems, provides a window into the hackers' successes and failures.

In early July 2016, a contractor who works two or three days a week at the state board of elections detected unauthorized data leaving the network, according to Ken Menzel, general counsel for the Illinois board of elections. The hackers had gained access to the state's voter database, which contained information such as names, dates of birth, genders, driver's licenses and partial Social Security numbers on 15 million people, half of whom were active voters. As many as 90,000 records were ultimately compromised.

But even if the entire database had been deleted, it might not have affected the election, according to Menzel. Counties upload records to the state, not the other way around, and no data moves from the database back to the counties, which run the elections. The hackers had no way of knowing that when they attacked the state database, Menzel said.

The state does, however, process online voter registration applications that are sent to the counties for approval, Menzel said. When voters are added to the county rolls, that information is then sent back to the state and added to the central database. This process, which is common across states, is an opportunity for attackers to manipulate records at their inception.

Illinois became Patient Zero in the government's probe, eventually leading investigators to a hacking pandemic that touched four out of every five U.S. states.

Using evidence from the Illinois computer banks, federal agents were able to develop digital "signatures" -- among them, Internet Protocol addresses used by the attackers -- to spot the hackers at work.

The signatures were then sent through Homeland Security alerts and other means to every state. Thirty-seven states reported finding traces of the hackers in various systems, according to one of the people familiar with the probe. In two others -- Florida and California -- those traces were found in systems run by a private contractor managing critical election systems.

(An NSA document reportedly leaked by Reality Leigh Winner, the 25-year-old government contract worker arrested last week, identifies the Florida contractor as VR Systems, which makes an electronic voter identification system used by poll workers.)

In Illinois, investigators also found evidence that the hackers tried but failed to alter or delete some information in the database, an attempt that wasn't previously reported. That suggested more than a mere spying mission and potentially a test run for a disruptive attack, according to the people familiar with the continuing U.S. counterintelligence inquiry.

That idea would obsess the Obama White House throughout the summer and fall of 2016, outweighing worries over the DNC hack and private Democratic campaign emails given to Wikileaks and other outlets, according to one of the people familiar with those conversations. The Homeland Security Department dispatched special teams to help states strengthen their cyber defenses, and some states hired private security companies to augment those efforts.

In many states, the extent of the Russian infiltration remains unclear. The federal government had no direct authority over state election systems, and some states offered limited cooperation. When then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said last August that the department wanted to declare the systems as national critical infrastructure -- a designation that gives the federal government broader powers to intervene -- Republicans balked. Only after the election did the two sides eventually reach a deal to make the designation.

Relations with Russia remain strained. The cyber red phone was announced in 2011 as a provision in the countries' Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers to allow urgent communication to defuse a possible cyber conflict. In 2008, what started during the Cold War as a teletype messaging system became a secure system for transferring messages and documents over fiber-optic lines.

After the Obama administration transmitted its documents and Russia asked for more information, the hackers' work continued. According to the leaked NSA document, hackers working for Russian military intelligence were trying to take over the computers of 122 local election officials just days before the Nov. 8 election.

While some inside the Obama administration pressed at the time to make the full scope of the Russian activity public, the White House was ultimately unwilling to risk public confidence in the election's integrity, people familiar with those discussions said.
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PEARLAND - The smiling young woman walking up Rodney Heath's driveway wore an orange hijab that matched her campaign T-shirt.

She didn't need to introduce herself to Heath, who greeted her warmly, pointing to the "I voted" sticker on his shirt.

"You've got our vote," Heath told Dalia Kasseb, who was in her final day of block-walking Saturday in her bid for a Pearland City Council seat. "It's time to give somebody else a chance to lead."

It was a nice moment in an exhausting day for Kasseb, 30, a pharmacist who was the first openly Muslim candidate for public office in Brazoria County.

While she chatted with Heath, mayoral candidate Quentin Wiltz knocked on doors across the street, trying to get supporters to the polls in Saturday's runoff election.

Kasseb and Wiltz, 36, a pipeline company executive who is African-American, hoped to bring new ideas - and more diversity - to local government in this rapidly growing suburb south of Houston. But when the votes were counted, Mayor Tom Reid, 91, who has led the city for more than 30 years, had been returned to office. Former Councilman Woody Owens, 69, defeated Kasseb.

Wiltz and Kasseb lost by almost identical margins, roughly 60 percent to 40 percent. What's remarkable, though, is that Kasseb, who placed first among seven candidates in the May general election, drew almost twice as many votes Saturday as she had in May.

A first-place finisher whose runoff vote total exceeded the original ordinarily would be assured of victory, because turnout tends to drop in the second round. In this case, though, the usual pattern was turned on its head. Owens, who earned a runoff spot with a distant second-place finish in May, got five times as many votes Saturday as on May 6.

All told, more than 13,000 people - roughly 19 percent of Pearland's registered voters - participated in the runoff, up from about 7,300 in the first round. That's four times the turnout of Pearland's last mayoral race in 2014.

"It's extraordinary, and I think it's a backlash," said Rice University political science professor Robert Stein.

Stein suspects that Wiltz's and Kasseb's strong showings in May, and news coverage highlighting Kasseb's faith and Wiltz's race, prompted many older, conservative residents who hadn't bothered to vote in May to do so Saturday.

Energized voters

What motivated these newly energized voters is a matter of speculation. Saturday's runoff occurred on the same day that hundreds of people, some armed and carrying Confederate flags, marched against a perceived threat to a statue of Sam Houston in Hermann Park. In cities around the country, meanwhile, people gathered to denounce the Islamic legal and moral code known as sharia law, saying it threatens American freedoms.

Perhaps some Pearland residents saw coverage of the protests on TV, worried about seeing these influences in their home town, and decided to get off their couches and go vote.

Wiltz, for his part, said turnout was high because "people felt like they had a choice." But he agreed that many longtime residents on the city's historic east side were driven by "fear of losing what Pearland used to be."

What are people afraid of losing? I said.

"Cultural identity," he replied.

Party loyalty a factor

That's a polite way of putting it. Wiltz and Kasseb said they encountered no hostility while knocking on thousands of doors during the campaign, although Wiltz mentioned that some voters didn't understand why he had a problem with a car horn that repeatedly played "Dixie" at a polling place.

But on social media, where ugliness thrives, fear and hostility were evident in anti-Muslim posts shared around the community - some subtle, some quite blunt. Some of the anti-Muslim posts were shared on Owens' Facebook page, though he denied having posted them.

In addition, party loyalty was a strong factor. Local elections are officially nonpartisan, but Wiltz was endorsed by the state Democratic Party, and Reid drew support from prominent Republican elected officials. Despite their increasing diversity, Houston's suburbs are a deep shade of red.

Pearland's post-election governing body will consist of an Anglo mayor and a city council of five Anglos, one African-American and one Latino - all male. The city of about 120,000 residents is about 46 percent white, 21 percent Latino, 17 percent black and 13 percent Asian.

The absence of any single-member districts - all seven council members are elected citywide - no doubt contributes to the disparity, but Saturday's results show some of the other factors at play. This dynamic is likely to prevail until the desire for change overcomes the fear of it.
For decades, the USS Texas was one of the most feared battleships in the U.S. Navy. Armed with anti-aircraft guns during World War I, its crew kept German fleets from severing Allies' supply lines.

It became the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's flagship before World War II, then fired on Nazi defenses at Normandy before being transferred to the Pacific and providing gunfire support and anti-aircraft fire to the landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. It was decommissioned in April, 1948.

Now, the 103-year-old Battleship Texas is still at war with two of its most challenging adversaries to date - water and rust.

On Sunday, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials closed Battleship Texas after crews noticed around 12 p.m. that the ship was off-kilter. A leak in the vessel allowed water to gush in, ripping a hole in the boat and causing it to tilt 8 degrees to one side.

By Tuesday morning, emergency crews had patched 13 leaks on the ship.

Workers had also pumped enough water out of USS Texas that the ship was only listing about 3.5 degrees on Tuesday, said Justin Rhodes, director for the southeast region of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Monday morning, emergency crews - including dive teams - patched a 6-inch by 8-inch hole in the boat. They found and patched another six leaks by 4:45 p.m. But water still poured out of the ship's starboard side. And there are likely countless leaks yet to be found, Rhodes said.

There's no word yet on when the memorial ship, stationed just north of La Porte, will reopen.

The ship's weakening steel hull, it appears, is no match for salt water. Minor leaks on the boat are now the norm - more than 90 were patched in 2012, the last year water seeping inside the hull prompted a shutdown of the attraction. Additional leaks necessitated more patching less than a year ago.

"This story is about the fight between water and steel, and water always wins that fight," said Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation. "Hopefully, this is the wake-up call we need to stop spending money on patch jobs and water pumps and to focus on getting her out of the water."

Officials said the current crisis places them in a race against time as water seeps into the ship faster than crews can pump it out. In the short term, officials are trying to keep the boat from tilting more. With each degree, another portion of the vessel that is normally above water is submerged, putting additional stress on the hull and causing more leaks.

In the long term, officials worry this is the ship's final cry for help, as erosion further exhausts any remaining time crews have to save the boat from being entrenched in the Houston Ship Channel.

"The ship is speaking to us in her language, and she's been telling us for years that she needs rescuing because she's deteriorating," Bramlett said.

Popular attraction

About 250,000 people visit the USS Texas every year. The ship, and the nearby San Jacinto Battleground historic site, encompass one of two significant historical sites in the southeast region of the state's park and wildlife service, Rhodes said.

Most of Monday's visitors - tourists from Japan, retirees getting in a morning bike ride, a visiting family from Tyler - did not know the ship was closed.

One, 64-year-old John Mccracken, was aware. He wanted to show his 5-year-old grandson the vessel while it still floated in the waters.

"It's the pride of Texas," Mccracken, a native Houstonian, said, as his grandson, Ryan Billett, ran along the dock by the ship.

Like many other visitors that day, Mccracken first saw the ship when he was in elementary school. He toured it with his Boy Scout troop. And he thinks the boat merits saving.

"No matter what the cost is, this ship needs to be preserved," Mccracken said.

Except for two years in Galveston in the late 1990s, the USS Texas has been moored at the San Jacinto Battleground since 1948. It has been the site of countless family outings, elementary school field trips and history buff pilgrimages.

"Pretty much every fourth-grader in Southeast Texas came through the site," Rhodes, with Texas Parks and Wildlife, said. He grew up three hours away, near Tyler, and still made the trip in elementary school.

Visitor Rick Stewart, 71, used to picnic by the ship with his family in the 1950s.

The current fear isn't that the boat would sink - the bayou isn't deep enough to submerge the ship completely. It's that, if enough water pours in, the vessel would roll on its side.

It's a scene that conjures memories of a similarly dire situation in 2012 that forced park officials to close the museum for three months as crews worked to patch more than 90 leaks and spent more than $2 million to save the vessel.

"You know, 2012 was a brutal year," Bramlett said. "And it feels like it's happening all over again."

A battle plan for saving ship

This most recent leakage comes at a time when state and local officials are in the middle of devising a plan to save the vessel after years of financial setbacks and major leaks.

Bramlett leads the foundation set on making sure the USS Texas is preserved for future generations. But the century-old battleship is deteriorating, causing periodic leaks to occur with more frequency.

The ship caught the attention of Texas officials who have unsuccessfully pleaded with Congress to help with rehabilitation costs and turned to fundrasing, federal grants and state funding to support their efforts. The long-term plan is to take the ship out of the water.

But early efforts to repair the vessel and put it in dry berth, or an above-water setting, were put on hold after state park officials, who operate the vessel, deemed the undertaking too costly.

Bramlett said a new effort to get the ship out of the water is underway. In about eight to 10 weeks, two engineering companies will release assessments of what it will take to give the ship a dry berth.

Bramlett said he's hoping for a $37 million to $48 million estimate this time.

To help finance costs, the Battleship Texas Foundation will launch a campaign to raise funds.

The goal is to control when the ship is in and out of the water. But lifting it is no easy task. Aside for the ship's eroding hull, its internal structural supports are also weak.

For the last four years, state officials and the foundation have spent $35 million on repairs, replacing steel throughout the ship from the bow to the stern.

In 2010 the battleship underwent emergency repairs and pumping to prevent it from sinking. In 2012, millions were spent to pump water out of the ship and to patch a series of debilitating leaks.

In 2013 park crews discovered about four fist-sized leaks throughout the year. In 2014, parks and wildlife documents show the battleship underwent ultrasonic testing and corrosion analyses.

The engineering company that conducted the analyses concluded the battleship contained corroding "hot spots." The study also determined that the ship's protective coating system needs to be replaced if it is to remain berthed at the Battleship Basin.

Survived two world wars

Today, the USS Texas remains the last U.S. battleship of its kind that has seen two world wars.

The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Texas on March 12, 1914.

At one time, it was the most powerful weapon in the world, becoming the first U.S. battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns and the first to control gunfire with computers for increased firing accuracy.

The battleship's final mission came in 1945, after the surrender of Japan. It carried soldiers stationed across the Pacific home from war.

For some, the ship inspired a sense of humility - a reminder of the sacrifice veterans made for the U.S.

It connected others to their roots. Kim Ashbury, 49, who manages the on-site gift shop keeps a black-and-white photo at her desk of her mother, standing in front of the boat months after it arrived at its current site. Her mother drove from Orange to see it.

"At the end of the day, this isn't just Texas history. It's also national history, and all eyes are on us to see how we preserve it," Bramlett said. "Our current situation is the future situation for many other ships around the country."
Though he only lived for 12 years, the life of Houston's David Vetter captivated the public as he grew up isolated from germs and human touch due to a rare, inherited condition called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disorder, or SCID.

This weekend HoustonChronicle.com told the story of a Houston child named Sebastian Romero who suffers from the same condition.

Vetter lacked the white blood cells that fight infection, meaning any germ was a potential killer. When he was born in 1971, there was no treatment. The "Star Wars"-loving kid died in February 1984 after doctors attempted an experimental bone marrow transplant.

PREVIOUS: The 'boy in the bubble' who captivated the world

Story continues below...

A TV movie starring John Travolta partially based on Vetter's story was released in 1976, but it took many liberties with his situation. Hollywood has also attempted to turn bubble boy cases into comedy with 2001's "Bubble Boy" starring Jake Gyllenhaal and a 1992 episode of Seinfeld.

Born in February, the cute, chubby-faced Romero has decades of medical research on his side that Vetter did not. But Romero isn't completely out of the woods, as reporter Mike Hixenbaugh writes on HoustonChronicle.com. His family has a hard road ahead of them. SCID is still a very scary condition in any decade, but the doctors at Texas Children's Hospital are calling on lessons from 33 years ago to help save the boy's life.

PREVIOUS: 'Bubble boy' medical legacy lives on years after death

Over the past few years, Texas Children's has treated several SCID babies, and most had been cured through bone marrow or stem cell transplants.

After a nationwide search, no matching donor could be found for Sebastian. Texas Children's instead proposed giving a stem cell transplant from a half-matching family member, the same treatment that failed to cure David more than 30 years ago.

If Sebastian is going to survive, it will be his mother's stem cells  and lessons from the Bubble Boy  that will save him.

The Romero family is currently holding an online fundraiser to help them pay for some of the expenses related to Sebastian's ongoing care.

With additional reporting by Mike Hixenbaugh
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A Lake Conroe woman is growing alarmed as a chasm, or what she and legal documents describe as a "sinkhole," beside her waterfront home expands with every rainstorm.

For nearly 15 years, Sue Horne has lived in the gated Grand Harbor community, a pricey neighborhood billed as providing fabulous wooded and waterfront estate lots. Now her home on the lake's west side is threatened because of what's being termed "one continuous sinkhole."

The widening hole, on common property that descends to the lake beside her house, has damaged her pool and its deck and caused her backyard kitchen to sink nearly a foot, she said. In a lawsuit filed last month, she alleges the homeowners association that maintains the community, Grand Harbor POA, has failed to stop the hole from expanding. She also accuses the association of damaging her home by ignoring the advice of an engineer and trying to fix the problem with cheap labor.

The issue dates to October 2015 when the supply and return lines to Horne's pool inexplicably broke and her pool deck and outdoor kitchen - expensive improvements she made after buying the house in 2002 - began sinking. Horne is the original owner of the East Cool Breeze Lane home that measures nearly 4,500 square feet, occupies a large lot and is valued at more than $600,000 by the Montgomery Central Appraisal District.

Horne is seeking $200,000 to $500,000 from the association, as well as from a Harris County man who owns the vacant lot next to her home.

"There's been nothing done to mitigate," Horne said. "As far as stopping the damage, they've done nothing."

Tekell, Book, Allen & Morris - the law firm representing the homeowners association - filed a response accusing Horne of negligently improving property on the nearby easement. But its denial of responsibility did not specify what sort of work supposedly has been done.

The association and the lawyer handling its case have not returned calls seeking comment.

Horne's lawyer, J. Randal Bays, says the association's claim "shows a basic misunderstanding of Texas law."

"You can't trespass on your own property. An easement gives another certain rights to use your land," Bays wrote in an email. "Ms. Horne owns the land at issue and on a portion of her land the developer had an easement permitting the installation of a drainage pipe. It's still her land. And being a good neighbor and rule follower, Ms. Horne obtained the POA's approval before she landscaped the easement."

Electrical damage

According to Horne, she was even forced to pay for expensive repairs when a "ditch digger" hired by the association to work on the hole accidentally grabbed electrical lines from the side of her house with a backhoe. That pulled the lines through the home's meter box while "everything in my breaker box was arcing."

She and neighbors say cables that run down the hillside and support wooden retaining walls along the lake also were damaged.

Horne alleges that after she reported her problems, the association's infrastructure committee recommended to its board that $120,000 be spent on a plan that included repairing a collapsed 24-inch drainage pipe under the slope. Her suit claims water was not flowing into the lake as intended, but was apparently saturating the slope and land above, creating the sinkhole, eroding the land, spilling silt into the lake and ultimately damaging her property.

But, according to Horne, the board decided instead to hire laborers whose previous experience included clearing drainage ditches. She alleges board members even bragged about having the work done at a "cost of some $40,000 rather than the $120,000 repair cost estimate provided by the engineer."

Others are concerned

She says the laborers not only caused the electrical damage to her home but also failed to slow the growth of the hole.

"You can see, my property is going into Lake Conroe," she said. "It's moving and nothing's being done to stop it."

While Horne's home is closest to the growing hole, some neighbors share her worries.

Russell Hoch, who lives two houses away, fears possible damage to the retaining walls as well as potential danger from the widening hole, especially when his grandchildren visit.

"They want to run down the hill, go to the dock, go fishing," Hoch said of his grandchildren. "They look over and see that, and they want to go investigate. It's hard to keep them away."

Another neighbor, Edward Griffith, says the hole gets bigger with every rainstorm, heightening worries during the heaviest rainfall season. He also notes that more silt is washing into the boat canal behind the houses.

Hoch and Griffith are not plaintiffs. But both fault the association for offering assurances that it was taking action while the problem remains unresolved and the hole keeps growing.
Texas hero

Regarding "Armed demonstrators defend park monument" (Page A3, Sunday), protesters in Hermann Park, protesting a perceived threat to remove the magnificent statue of Sam Houston, the father of our state, come armed and displaying American and Confederate flags. These protesters are protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution by "the right of the people peacefully to assemble." Do you bring firearms to a peaceful assembly? Did they think that if there might be a counter assembly (which never materialized) they could go to war with them? Is that why they carried arms and a Confederate battle flag?

There should have been only two flags at that demonstration to support Sam Houston: the American Stars and Stripes and the Texas Lone Star State flag, for which Houston fought many battles. It should also be noted that Sam Houston was against Texas joining the Confederacy, and he refused to pledge allegiance to the confederacy, which cost him his position as governor of Texas. He was vilified by the supporters of the Confederacy until his death in 1863.

I strongly support the right of peaceful assembly, whether for or against something one might believe in. But it behooves the protesters to understand what they are protesting for or against, and the proper way to protest. Displaying a Confederate flag is not supportive of Sam Houston.

Ronald C. Vest, Houston

Child support

Regarding "Mend child-support policies" (Page A15, Saturday), the fact not mentioned in the essay is the lack of accountability for child-support payments given to the custodial parent. There are cases where the child-supporting payer (generally the father) faithfully pays the child support and is a very good dad, but the payments are not being utilized properly by the receiving parent.

There are cases where the child who should benefit is not being well cared for and often not even being well fed. The receiving parent apparently may spend the money that is designated for the child's benefit on anything she likes, including illegal drugs or irresponsible lifestyles.

If the fathers can be penalized for nonpayment then the mothers should be audited and held accountable for proper use of the funds. The child-support payments should benefit the child and be monitored by the agency that holds the payer responsible for payment.

L. Crane, Conroe

Earth first

Regarding "'We're getting out'" (Page A1, June 2), President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord is short-sighted and will bring America grief.

Our home, Earth, suffers. Resources are depleted; land, sea and air are polluted. Life forms are extinguished. Still, greed and immediate gratification control us.

We will not fare well without allies around the globe. Isolationist policies are obsolete. It is imperative that we befriend other nations via diplomacy, fair trade and cooperative efforts.

We cannot successfully bully the world. We are obligated to save it.

Henry S. Gilbert Jr., Katy
The first important part of James Comey's testimony was that he cast some doubt on reports that there was widespread communication between the Russians and the Trump campaign. That was the suspicion that set off this whole chain of events and the possibility that could have quickly brought about impeachment proceedings.

The second important implication of the hearings is that as far as we know, Donald Trump has not performed any criminal act that would merit removing him from office.

Sure, he cleared the room so he could lean on Comey to go easy on Michael Flynn. But he didn't order Comey to shut down the investigation as a whole or do any of the things (like following up on the request) that would constitute real obstruction.

And sure, Trump did later fire Comey. But it's likely that the Comey firing had little or nothing to do with the Flynn investigation.

Trump was, as always, thinking about himself. Comey had told Trump three times that he was not under investigation. Trump wanted Comey to repeat that fact publicly. When Comey didn't, Trump took it as a sign that Comey was disloyal, an unforgivable sin. So he fired him, believing, insanely, that the move would be popular.

All of this would constitute a significant scandal in a normal administration, but it would not be grounds for impeachment.

The third important lesson of the hearing is that Trump is characterologically at war with the norms and practices of good government. Comey emerged as a superb institutionalist, a man who believes we are a nation of laws. Trump emerged as a tribalist and a clannist, who simply cannot understand the way modern government works.

Trump is also plagued with a self-destructive form of selfishness. He is consumed by a hunger for affirmation, but, demented by his own obsessions, he can't think more than one step ahead.

In search of praise he is continually doing things that will end up bringing him condemnation. He lies to people who have the power to publicly devastate him. He betrays people who have the power to damage him. Trump is most dangerous to the people who are closest to him and are in the best position to take their revenge.

The upshot is the Trump administration will probably not be brought down by outside forces. It will be incapacitated from within, by the bile, rage and back-stabbing that are at record levels in the White House staff, by the dueling betrayals of the intimates Trump abuses so wretchedly.

Although there may be no serious collusion with the Russians, there is now certain to be a wide-ranging independent investigation into all things Trump.

These investigations will take a White House that is already acidic and turn it sulfuric. James Hohmann and Joanie Greve had a superb piece in the Daily 202 section of The Washington Post. They compiled the lessons people in the Clinton administration learned from the Whitewater scandal and applied them to the Trump White House.

If past is prologue, this investigation will drag on for a while. The Clinton people thought the Whitewater investigation might last six months, but the inquiries lasted more than seven years. The Trump investigation will lead in directions nobody can now anticipate. When the Whitewater investigation started, Monica Lewinsky was an unknown college student, and nobody had any clue that an investigation into an Arkansas land deal would turn into an investigation about sex.

This investigation will ruin careers far and wide. Investigators go after anybody they think can yield information on the president. Before the Whitewater investigators got to Clinton they took down Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, Webb Hubbell, Susan and Jim McDougal, and many others.

This investigation will swallow up day-to-day life. As Clinton alum Jennifer Palmieri wrote in an op-ed in the USA Today network of newspapers: "No one in a position of authority at the White House tells you what is happening. No one knows. Your closest colleague could be under investigation and you would not know. You could be under investigation and not know. It can be impossible to stay focused on your job."

Everybody will be affected. Betty Currie, Bill Clinton's personal secretary, finally refused to mention the names of young White House employees to the investigators because every time she mentioned a name, the kid would get a subpoena, which meant thousands of dollars of ruinous legal fees.

If anything, the Trump investigation will probably be more devastating than the Whitewater scandals. The Clinton team was a few shady characters surrounded by a large group of super-competent straight arrows. The Trump administration is shady characters through and through. Clinton himself was a savvy operator. Trump is a rage-prone obsessive who will be consumed by this.

The good news is the civic institutions are weathering the storm. The Senate Intelligence Committee put on a very good hearing. The FBI is maintaining its integrity. This has, by and large, been a golden age for the U.S. press corps. The bad news is that these institutions had better be. The Trump death march will be slow, grinding and ugly.

Brooks is a New York Times columnist.
Brennan Linsley/STF

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced new guidelines that will result in a significant increase in the prison population, directing federal prosecutors to seek the toughest penalties possible for nonviolent defendants. Those prisoners will have to be incarcerated somewhere, which is perhaps the reason for the attorney general's February memo reversing an Obama-era directive to phase out the Justice Department's use of private prisons. While the private prison population will likely increase, taxpayers can expect little in terms of accountability in return for footing the bill for government contracts with private prison companies. Even though for-profit prisons are fulfilling a government role by housing federal prisoners, the industry remains shrouded in secrecy and shielded from meaningful public oversight.

By asserting their status as private entities, private prison companies exempt themselves from the public's chief tool for transparency and accountability, the Freedom Of Information Act, making it harder to assess whether private prisons are comparable to their federally-run counterparts. A damning 2016 report by the U.S. Justice Department found that private prisons were less safe and secure than government-operated facilities, and that U.S. Bureau of Prisons oversight of private prisons was often lacking.
A single-vehicle crash Monday north of Houston resulted in entrapment and injured three teenagers around 4:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Tpr. Jacob Sellars said a southbound 1999 Oldsmobile Alero ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and landed on its top about seven miles north of Houston on U.S. 63.

The driver, Lauren J. Due, 16, Houston, and two passengers, Kali R. Aguirre, 15, Raymondville, and Hunter D. Hackett, 16, of Houston, were transported to Texas County Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. Everyone was wearing a seat belt except Hackett.

The Houston Rural Fire Department Rescue Squad was called to extricate some of those involved. The Licking Fire Department also was dispatched to assist.

Also on scene were two TCMH ambulances and the sheriffs department. The vehicle was totaled.
Patty Oralene Aldridge, 54, daughter of Oral and Audrey (Nichols) Aldridge, was born March 28, 1963, in Summersville, Mo. On June 12, 2017 she lost her battle to a rare form of liver cancer at Mercy Hospital, Springfield, Mo.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Danny, Harold Weasel and his wife, Janelle, and Garold Dee and his wife, Julie; and her sister, Rosemary.

She is survived by her daughter, Wayneth McComas and husband, Lucas, of Houston, Mo.; two sisters, Annette Hartman and husband, Brian, of Summersville, Mo., and Jean McAlister and husband John of Piedmont, Mo.; one brother, Rocky Adkins and wife, Carolyn, of Horton, Kan.; her significant other, Russell Reed of Houston, Mo.; three grandsons, Tre Bolden, Conner and Axel McComas; and many friends and extended family members.

Patty grew up in Tyrone, Mo., with many dear friends and graduated from Summersville High School in 1981. She worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Cabool, Mo., and Lees factory in Houston, Mo., before attending Texas County Technical Institute to obtain her certified nurse assistant certification in 2000. Patty then worked at Texas County Memorial Hospital, where she loved taking care of her patients.

She loved spending time with family and friends, going to the river and especially adored every moment spent with her grandsons.

{{tncms-inline alignment=right content=<p>To send an online condolence, go to <a href="http://www.evansfh.com" target="_blank"><strong>www.evansfh.com</strong></a>.</p> id=34ea08f5-f7e7-4e72-a7f0-911ef1d9ed95 style-type=bio title=ONLINE CONDOLENCE  type=relcontent width=half}}

Patty was a wonderful mother, Nana, sister, friend and crazy aunt. She was known for her big heart, contagious smile and smart mouth. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Per her wishes no services will be held. Cremation was under the direction of Evans Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests that donations be made to the Patty Aldridge Memorial Fund c/o Evans Funeral Home.

PAID

To send an online condolence, go to www.evansfh.com.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
Edmonton police have laid charges in an alleged kidnapping and sex assault that initially appeared to involve a fake cop.

Paul David Derksen, 50, is charged with kidnapping and sexual assault, according to an Edmonton Police Service news release Monday.

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Derksen works for the security company Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, and was a traffic safety contractor with the City of Edmonton.

Police say they believe Derksen was wearing his work uniform and using his personal car during the alleged offences.

He has not been charged with impersonating a peace officer.

Deputy police chief Kevin Brezinski told reporters, "He wasn't impersonating a peace officer because he was a peace officer," according to the Edmonton Journal.

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Derksen was arrested Sunday during a traffic stop, nearly a week after police appealed for public tips in the case.

A woman told police that she was pulled over by a car with flashing lights around 2 a.m. on June 4. A man in a uniform convinced her to get in the vehicle, she said.

He allegedly told her that he would not lay charges if she performed sexual acts on him.

The woman was then driven to the citys Borden Park area where she was allegedly sexually assaulted before being dropped off at home, said police investigators.

Retired cop Charlie Pester told CBC Radio's Edmonton AM listeners on Monday if people have any concerns over the veracity of an officer's credentials, call 911 with a request for a uniformed car.

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"A real policeman, it would take him 10 to 15 seconds to figure this guy out. I don't think it would take very long to figure out a fake," he said.

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Pride is about being proud of being LGBTQ. That's why it's called #Pride.

If you respect us, don't co-opt thatespecially for profit!

 Danielle Muscato (@DanielleMuscato) June 11, 2017
At the age of 12, most kids are busy playing with fidget spinners or thinking about what theyre going to do this weekend. But not Jacee Dellapena.

The 12-year-old Mississippi girl has been dreaming about delivering one of her siblings ever since she can remember, and on Tuesday, she finally got her chance! Dellapena not only got to be present for her baby brothers birth, but got to deliver him with the help of a doctor and cut his umbilical cord.

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I actually delivered him, [the doctor] let me actually push down and pull the baby out, she said, according to Mirror U.K. I was like, Wow, like I've played fake doctor before, but this is, like, the real thing, this is the real deal.

It was the best moment of my life, she added.

According to the Independent, the seventh-grader wanted to be present at the birth of her first brother, Zaydn, a few years ago, but her parents thought she was too young. They only allowed her to be in the hospital room this time around because they knew their third child, Cayson, would be their last.

At first, Dellapena was upset because she was standing by her mothers head in the hospital room and couldnt see what was going on.

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I started crying because I thought I wasn't going to get to see him be born, because I was too short, she told WDBD's MS News Now.

Thats when her moms doctor suggested Dellapena get dressed in scrubs and latex gloves to deliver the baby.

To say her mom, Dede Carraway, was shocked is an understatement. I couldnt believe it, the 34-year-old told Today.com. I was like, what? Uh, no. Never in a million years. But the doctor said, Im being serious. Ill guide her hands and everything. So she got up in there and was suddenly in the middle of everything.

Although Dellapenas stepfather, Zach Carraway  who is also the newborns father  was looking forward to cutting the umbilical cord, he allowed his stepdaughter to take the reins.

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He gave up a lot of his special bonding time with the baby and gave it to Jacee, mom Carraway told Today.com.

Baby Cayson was then born safe and healthy at seven pounds, six ounces.

Following his birth, family friend Nikki Smith shared photos of the incredible event, taken by Zach, on Facebook. The images have now been shared nearly 200,000 times.

Many viewers expressed their awe and amazement in the comment section. One wrote, She is truly blessed to have been given this opportunity, good job mom and dad.

Another said, Incredibly brave. And she will always feel so connected to her sibling. On a side note, she will probably wait until marriage to have sex

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In the comments, the new dad also shared an image of their other son, Zaydn, meeting Cayson for the first time.

Now that her baby brother is here, Dellapena cant wait to share his birth story with him. Recalling the amazing delivery, the 12-year-old told Today.com: I couldnt believe it. It was like, oh my goodness, I just delivered a baby, and its my baby brother, and Im going to tell him when he gets older that I delivered him. I cant wait.

Although Dellapena wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up, it looks like she has a bright future as an OBGYN instead.

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We're betting hoarding coins will soon be the latest Canadian fad.

That's because the new toonie, with a stunning design of the iconic Northern Lights, GLOWS IN THE DARK.

The Royal Canadian Mint announced a special set of coins that would be circulated this year to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. But the sneaky minters intentionally kept the glow-in-the-dark feature a surprise to generate ADDED EXCITEMENT.

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It totally worked because we can't stop talking about the toonie in ALL CAPS.

Named "Dance of the Spirits," the GORGEOUS design was submitted by Dr. Timothy Hsia from Richmond, B.C. and his lawyer brother, who both happen to do artwork "in their spare time," reported CBC News.

The coin was coloured using the mint's new "new pad-printed process and a new ink formulation containing luminescent material," mint spokesman Alex Reeves told HuffPost Canada.

All that COOL TECHNOLOGY makes the aurora borealis design POP.

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About three million of the toonies have been made for general circulation, and you'll see them eventually as banks replenish their coin inventory, explained Reeves.

The mint also added colour to the Canada 150 circulation quarter, designed by Joelle Wong when she was eight years old.

More from HuffPost Canada  Canada Gets A New $10 Bill For Its 150th Birthday

Instead of hoping for these YOLO COINS to show up in your change at Tim Horton's, you can buy a full set of the Canada 150 coins yourself at a Royal Canadian Mint boutique in Ottawa, Winnipeg or Vancouver, or online.

The mint has issued glow-in-the-dark coins before but only as limited, collector editions.

CANADIAN CURRENCY IS .
A group of London, Ont., friends just ordered Tim Hortons in the most charming way possible.

Shae-Lynn Wheatley and her pals Sarah Karniej-Hecht, Sarah Slabon and Bradley Hamilton recently went through a Tim Hortons drive-thru and decided to serenade its employees with their order.

Accompanied by their ukuleles, the group sang to the tune of Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid and ordered all the classics: a hot chocolate, an iced coffee, a croissant with cheese, a French vanilla and, of course, a 20-pack of Timbits.

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I dont know why, but I might start to cry if I dont get my Tim's, they appropriately sang in the chorus.

In true Canadian fashion, the four friends considerately planned their performance for 11 p.m. to avoid holding up other customers, Buzzfeed Canada reports.

The employee who originally took their order was certainly surprised to hear them sing. She even asked for a redo so that she could call her coworkers over.

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In the end, the Tim Hortons employees were so delighted that they gave the group a 50-pack of Timbits (both chocolate and vanilla flavoured), which was incredibly fitting considering the performance was supposedly done on National Doughnut Day.

Watch the whole performance in the video above.

According to Wheatley, she and her friends wanted to make their stunt extra Canadian, which is why they chose the Great White Norths most famous coffee chain to drive through.

We actually specifically chose Tim Hortons because it is Canada's 150, she explained to CBC, regarding our country's upcoming birthday.

Wheatley has since shared the groups performance on Facebook where it has been viewed over 35,000 times. The comment section is now filled with praise.

This is great, one wrote with a laugh-cry emoji. If this happened [to me] I'd die.

Another wrote: Great job now I got the song in my head lol.

Some friendships are meant to bean. Tag the friend you like a latte below for #NationalBestFriendDay! A post shared by Tim Hortons (@timhortons) on Jun 8, 2017 at 5:22am PDT

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Responding to her fans, Wheatley said, Thank you everyone! We didn't think this many people would watch the video but were [sic] glad that everyone likes it haha!

According to Buzzfeed Canada, the four pals  who met while working at a local movie theatre  are part of a band called the Uke Troop. They decided to perform in a drive-thru after a fellow movie theatre employee dared them to.

With such a positive response to their stunt, the pals are now planning a second.

Wheatley told Buzzfeed, Were thinking of doing something to the tune of Im a Believer about the McDonald's all-day breakfast.

With a Monkees song like that, we have no doubt itll be just as catchy as their Tim Hortons tune.
Life in Attawapiskat is a lot different than a big city, or even a rural town. Here in the north, life is very simple, but also harsh. From time to time, I leave my northern life behind to pursue my music career "down south." But even when I do this, my thoughts are usually back at home with my family, or thinking about my responsibilities to my Cree culture.

My oldest son Geeshig is 13 years old -- the age where he will spend the next year learning from me about the male role in Cree society. It's an important rite of passage.

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It's tough to know exactly how much Geeshig -- his name means "Sky" in Cree -- will learn, but I will do my best to teach him what I know about hunting, navigating the sea, rivers, ice conditions, life in the tundra, ceremonies, and what it means to become a provider and protector. Over the winter I've spent a lot of time thinking about what to teach him first, and decided the best place to start would be by taking him into the tundra to hunt caribou.

Hunting is important in the north. We don't hunt for sport or recreation -- we hunt for sustenance. Living in a remote place like Attawapiskat, the cost of purchasing food is outrageous -- more than $700 per week to buy groceries for my family. That's $700 each week! Think about that. So the more we can fill our freezers, with caribou, geese, fish, rabbits, whatever we can, the better off we are.

Now it is my turn to pass down the knowledge.

Geeshig and I begin by preparing our sleds and gear, which takes a few days, before setting off on our week-long adventure. The plan is to camp 50 miles north of the village. While 50 miles doesn't seem like a long way, up here it feels more like 500 miles. It makes for a long day of travelling, and like any other 13-year-old, my son is "bored" along the way. Haha! I think boredom is inherent to teenagers of every culture, in every place on earth. But Geeshig knows how important this is, so he willingly accepts what he has to endure.

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Geeshig already knows a lot for his age -- a lot more than I knew. I wasn't able to learn my teachings until I was much older than 13, because of family circumstances. My father died when I was 7 from leukemia and I got bounced around for several years before being taken in by relatives. When I became an adult, other men in the community started taking me out to hunt and teach me about the bush, which I am forever grateful for. Now it is my turn to pass down the knowledge.

I've already been taking Geeshig out on the land with me since he was 7 years old. When he was young, he would ride in front with me on the snowmobile. Sometimes he would fall asleep in my arms for hours on the long hauls. Now, at 13, he's almost six feet tall, and can hold his own out there. Already I'm such a proud father. What is to come, I soon learn, will make me even prouder.

The second day we arrive at our camp Opinigau, 100 miles north of Attawapiskat along the coast. The third day is spent ice fishing and planning our trip into the tundra. I'm constantly looking at the sky and listening for signs of bad weather -- and teaching my son what to look and listen for. The last thing you want is a storm hitting you while you're in the tundra. Three years ago, I was pinned down for five days with two other men in a winter storm in late spring. In those kinds of situations, there is nothing you can do but stay put.

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The next day we head north into the tundra. The trail is in good shape, and we're able to make good time. We reach the end of the boreal, and from then on, are travelling on sea ice. I can see open water one mile away from us, and don't like being that close. But this year, the melt is coming early and the sea ice is going quick. With each day passing, we lose more ice. After a half-day of travelling, we reach Site 415, a radar facility part of the old Mid-Canada line. We seek shelter in a Sea Can container the government left behind for hunters like us to take refuge in. We're thankful it's here.

With no time to waste, I quickly make tea and lunch. You must learn to work fast out here. There are no fun and games -- just survival. In less than an hour after arriving, we are leaving again. We head northwest and there are no trees in site for miles, just tundra and ridges. At long last, we are finally in caribou country!

It doesn't take long to find caribou tracks, and I begin tracking. All this time, my son is watching and listening to everything I tell him -- how to tell which way they are heading, how old the tracks are, and which way we will likely see them. We continue west and see more tracks. This is a good sign, meaning there are lots of caribou in the area.

At first, he has trouble spotting them. But once he does, I hear excitement and nervousness in his voice.

At camp the other day, something told me that a kill was imminent. I can't explain what it was, but I respect it as ancient knowledge passed down from generation to generation. At that time I didn't say anything to my son, because it's too difficult of a concept for him to understand right now. But he will learn this kind of intuition later on, when he is older.

Suddenly, I spot a herd of 20 caribou sitting up ahead. I stop and point them out to my son. At first, he has trouble spotting them. But once he does, I hear excitement and nervousness in his voice. What he is feeling is the same thing I recall experiencing during my first hunt.

We load the rifles and talk strategy. I sternly tell him not to load anything into the chamber of his rifle, and only to shoot on my instruction. He listens intently, nodding his understanding. We are ready to go, and the chase is on! It lasted 30 minutes, and ended up successful. I shot two caribou, and Geeshig shot two as well.

Two! Words cannot describe what I felt!

It was such a wonderful feeling to see him get his first kill. Geeshig was shining so bright, and for me, as a father, it was such a proud moment. I am satisfied knowing this hunt will stay with him for the rest of his life. He will always look back on it and be thankful for his dad. Getting your first kill at 13 -- the year when Cree boys become men -- is pretty special.

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In this next year, I will spend as much time as I can out on the land with Geeshig. It is difficult to find time, with everything else going on, and the many responsibilities I carry for my family, earning a living, and pursuing a music career in urban places far away from home. But I also know, the time I spend out on the land with Geeshig is the most important time I can -- and want to -- be spending. Not only for my family, but also for carrying on the tradition of the Mushkegowuk Cree.

"One foot in the past, one in the here and now, on this sacred ground, I am a northern man..." - "Northern Man," Midnight Shine

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As a marriage author who began her career as a divorce mediator, I've been privy to a lot of marriages... the good, the bad and the shouldn't-have-done-it-in-the-first-place.

Although it's not perfect, marriage -- at least, in my humble opinion -- still provides the best shot for a woman to enjoy a stable, happy relationship and to provide a secure home for her children. Despite the divorce rate, research has shown that married women tend to experience less financial hardship and less abuse, and that kids with married parents also tend to fare better financially and emotionally. For that reason, it's a good lifestyle choice for many women. It's not the only lifestyle choice -- every woman has to do what's right for her -- but it's certainly a choice that has merit.

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But here's where I pump the brakes -- at the word "choice." Because unless and until you make the right "choice" of partner, you are destined to fall into the aforementioned shouldn't-have-done-it-in-the-first-place category. A marriage can either be your greatest source of happiness or your greatest source of misery.

Then again, you already know this, right? Of course you do. Yet it doesn't hurt to remind yourself of that, particularly during wedding season. Your desk drawer or handbag may already be stuffed with those gold-lined RSVP envelopes.

If you're really lucky (or unlucky), maybe you've already sacrificed too many Saturdays trailing the bride and her entourage to bridal boutiques, oohing and ahhing at her dress picks and trying on bridesmaid dresses... the good, the bad and the please-don't-make-me-wear-this-abomination-in-public.

We've all been there. I didn't get married 'til I was 31, so I was there a lot. The horrific pastel dresses with puffy sleeves and stupid hats. Pretending to care whether the bride carried lilies or roses. Spending my Friday nights crafting cheesy table decorations for the reception. Dreading the call, "Hi, are you free on Saturday? We're going dress shopping!"

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The insinuation was that I wasn't successful because I wasn't married.

Yes, weddings can be great fun and it's wonderful to share in a friend's happiness. But when you're the last single standing, it can wear a bit thin.

To make matters worse, there's always that one joker who thinks it's witty to say, as loudly as possible, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride, hey?" I was on the receiving end of that a couple times. Despite being in law school, despite having lots of friends, despite having travelled and by all accounts being pretty damn happy with life, the insinuation was that I wasn't successful because I wasn't married.

The funny thing was, the only people that ever delivered this shot were the ones I knew were in miserable relationships and had the most messed up lives. It's like they had something to prove. You just don't hear it from people who are happy... or who have tact.

At the time, I remember thinking, "If it saves me from having your life, then yes. Always a bridesmaid it will be. And let me thank whatever gods may be for it."

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I get that a blog like this might come across as patronizing -- "Don't marry the wrong man!" Uh, thanks, Mom. I don't mean it that way. But as a middle-aged woman who works in the marriage business, I've seen too many brilliant, independent, fearless, amazing young women, women with brains in their head and wings on their feet, believe the lie that marriage makes you whole.

As a result, they're quick to "settle," to ignore those red flags in a relationship or to fool themselves into believing that "he'll change" once you're married.

Oh, he'll change all right. He'll get worse.

There's no doubt that our society still sends women the message that they aren't truly successful unless they get married. And I honestly cannot think of a more dangerous lie to tell or to believe.

Because the lie is just the beginning. It's the beginning of a life of misery, of mistreatment, of wasted time and wasted energy trying to "make it work." You know that whole "marriage is hard work" thing? Yeah, bullshit. It has its ups and downs, it can be hard work at times. But if it's hard work most of the time, you've chosen the wrong person. And take my word for it -- more women than you know have chosen the wrong person.

There's more to life than your marital status.

Instead of living life to its fullest, these women spend their days in a constant state of conflict, always angry, always sad, always struggling with feelings of betrayal or frustration or rejection. This massive, mind-blowing, magnificent world shrinks to the size of the petty fight they're having in their kitchen. They wear a smile in public, but behind closed doors it's nothing but scowls and tears.

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Who needs it? Not you.

Enjoy being a bridesmaid. Enjoy those wings on your feet. Enjoy it until the day you meet a man who is worthy of your devotion. And if that doesn't happen, enjoy it anyway. There are a thousand ways to find happiness in this life. There's more to life than your marital status. Even if you do choose to get married someday, there will always be more to life than your marital status. If there isn't, you're in trouble. Because women who live their lives only around their marriage usually have the worst marriages.

So this wedding season, if you find yourself faced with a tactless relative or frenemy who pulls the old "always a bridesmaid" bit with you, just give them a smile -- the kind of smile that says, "Nice try" -- and then let those wings on your feet fly you to better company, knowing full well that their classless behaviour has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you.

Visit DebraMacleod.com for more info.

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Mazirama via Getty Images Freelance - text concept on a mobile tablet computer on a desk - 3d render illustration.

It is no secret that people joining today's labour market are entering a vastly different world than I did. I had always longed for a workplace where freedom and flexibility when it came to work were not only valued, but possible.

Growing up, I was a precarious, hourly paid shift worker. Many times in my early-to-mid 20s, I was faced with too much month at the end of the money. The gig economy model of work did not yet exist, and with rigid shift scheduling and strict employment processes, I had to rely on loans to make ends meet. Since then, my belief has not changed: This is not the way new entrants to the labour market should start their careers.

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Thankfully, after 20 years, the discussion around labour laws has been reopened in Ontario. The "Changing Workplaces Review" marks the first step in addressing broad considerations in today's employment scenario - a step that reflects my aspiration to help update legislation so they resemble the way people actually work in 2017.

And yet while the new labour reforms could, on the surface, present improvements for lower wage employees -- such as higher minimum wage -- there is a disconnect when it comes to the gig, or new economy.

The simple fact is people in 2017 are working differently due to technological advancements in the workplace, and the changing landscape of how we secure positions. And as part of this major update to labour laws, the government has an opportunity to address this new way that people are, and want, to work.

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With the announcement, which came out this past week, it seemed the government has bought into the idea that all workers should fit into a 'traditional' work model. This thought process could hinder the growth of the new economy in Ontario, in particular this strong underlying theme: that the independent contractor model should not be used by employers in Ontario.

Yet, the reason why the new economy model -- and using independent contractors -- can be so successful is because this model builds upon efficiencies and progressive parts of running a business that traditional business models have yet to grasp.

For example, hiring processes involving extensive paperwork and expensive HR costs are only some of the components that can be digitized and made more efficient in the independent contractor role. They are rendered redundant should an independent contractor only ever work one shift - or gig, but it is this redundancy that the labour reform is trying to combat instead of innovate.

The fear around the idea of the independent contractor model stems from the fact that independent contractors do not receive traditional workplace benefits - such as unemployment insurance, health and dental insurance, and CPP. The reality is, many professionals are opting for part-time and contract work. The reasons for this choice include a desire for more flexibility, new technologies that are emerging that connect people directly with job opportunities, and an overall desire for more independence.

It's time to look at hybrid solutions that solve the job security versus independent contract worker divide. It's time for businesses and government to consider ways to evolve and to allow the gig economy to more positively contribute to the solution.

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In my position as Co-Founder of Hyr, a technology company connecting businesses with independent professionals, and independent professionals with on-demand shift work, I know the independent contractor model is mutually beneficial. The key to this, I believe, is through technological innovation.

For example, the government could consider policies -- like what has been proposed in New York State -- essentially looking at new and innovative classification of work. We know that both workers and businesses are looking for freedom and flexibility. Let's help both parties, while still providing workers with the security they need most.

Technology has the ability to help people get jobs and help businesses find talent, it also has the power to end the stigma surrounding workers in the new gig economy - those who choose to work as independent contractors.

I believe that the best way to predict the future is to create it -- the future of work is here. Technology has not only fundamentally changed the way we work, whether it's the way we communicate or the automatization of jobs, but also the way we FIND our work.

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The Ontario Government has an opportunity to be forward thinking as they consider further updates to the Changing Workplaces Review. With this review, they can create a true win-win across all job categories by creating policies that will help workers and businesses gain freedom and flexibility while still providing workers the security they need.

Erika Mozes is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Hyr, a technology company that connects businesses with independent professionals, and independent professionals with on demand shift work.
grinvalds via Getty Images Mad boss yelling at employee on megaphone

Do you work to live or live to work? And how about your employees? While some (though not enough) of us are lucky enough to be fulfilled by our work, there are very few of us who would choose a laptop and an office over a white sand beach and unlimited Pina coladas.

But for most of us, it's a necessary evil. While schlepping into an office will never be more enjoyable than cocktails on a beach, there are ways to make life a little better for your employees--and for yourself.

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Since I've been both an employee and an employer, I know rules are needed to help a company run smoothly. Yet, many (too many) are for (as corporations love to say) "optics." It's always amazed me how little wiggle room there is in big companies. Employees typically work more hours than they're supposed to, and while not all employers have the ability to reward their hard work monetarily, they can certainly thank them in other ways.

Here's what I've learned (most of it from bad bosses) and committed to implementing in my businesses:

Diplomacy

There is definitely a place for hierarchy (somebody has to make the tough decisions) but too much leads to too much beaucracy (and politics). Somebody needs to be in charge, but diplomacy is critical. Your employees need to feel heard. They need to know that their opinions matter to you and that they matter to you. This becomes more difficult the bigger your company gets, but try to maintain some of the practices you established when you were just starting out.

For instance, I used to reserve a few hours in my schedule each week for "Tea with JT."(I'm not a coffee person). It meant that any employee (from intern to director) could book time with me to have a tea and a talk. It allowed me to stay in touch with what was happening throughout the company, and gave my employees a forum to share their thoughts with someone who could really effect change, or just to get to know me better as a person, not just a boss.

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Flexibility

I'm not saying that everyone can do whatever they want, whenever they want, but too much rigidity makes employees feel imprisoned. Where situations allow, there should be some flexibility in work hours and work environments. (Obviously not if you have to open a store, but if someone wants to start work at 8:30am instead of 9am and leave a bit earlier, what's the big deal?)

It always shocks me -- especially in the digital world, where pretty much everything can be done remotely -- how many corporations are rigid when it comes to work hours and environments. As long as they're in the office when they need to be (I'm talking big meetings, presentations, and department-wide events), what's the big deal if they work from home a day or two each week? Or come in early and leave early? Or for that matter, come in late and work late? If you can do something small that doesn't affect your bottom line or your efficiency, and it'll make an employee's life a little easier or more enjoyable, why say no?

I can already see some CEOs rolling their eyes (yes, even from here) thinking, "But if they're not in the office, who knows what they're doing?" Which leads me to my next point.

Trust

A mentor once told me, "once the trust is gone, it's over." It's like the boyfriend you want to break up with and suddenly everything they do is wrong. If you can't trust your employees and vice versa, you will never relax (and neither will they).

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Of course the trust needs to be earned, but you need to give your employees the opportunity to earn it. If you don't trust the people who work for you, then they shouldn't be working for you. And that goes both ways. You need to trust them and they need to trust you. It's the only way to build a solid foundation.

With the rise of personal devices and social media, set work hours are rare. The days of the 40-hour work week are slowly fading away, for better or for worse. Don't get bogged down with start times and end times -- 'cause really, they don't exist.

When it comes to retaining your top talent, give them space. Trust them to get the work done and to do it well. Whether they get it done in a boardroom, a bar or on a beach should be up to them.
Losing a loving parent is considered one of life's greatest heartbreaks. It is even more challenging when that death is connected to a holiday that celebrates the gift of a good father. I was only 19 when my father died 48 years ago.

Easter weekend of 1969 was the beginning of the end. I had this startling, dark premonition looking at my mother's traditional Easter lily plant in the living room. It was mystifying.

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Within weeks my father, the man who was never sick, would soon be hospitalized -- ailment unknown. I recall this vibrant man, 53 years old, looking vulnerable in the hospital bed, his curly brown hair matted to his head. His hair was his crowning glory -- without any grey, he'd often say -- and no secret shoe polish application, he'd add with a twinkle in his eye. When I walked into his room there was the familiar crooked smile and the unfamiliar look of bewilderment. This hospital was alien territory. Behind the confusion I recall something in his eyes that said he knew there was not going back to life as it was.

What followed was a medical roller coaster. First they said he's fine and just needed bed rest. Then he was being whisked down the highway to a larger hospital in a nearby city. Our family life was starting to spiral out of control.

We lived in a small town and had no reason to ever go to a city hospital. This hospital was large and intimidating, where wards had names -- a detail I found curious. Enter a bright, young internist determined to get to the bottom of the health problems.

We huddled as tests and more tests ensued. Then the young doctor appeared in Dad's room. His grim expression spoke volumes. My father, the successful self- made business man, beloved in the community, was told to get his affairs in order. At the very best he had six weeks to live. The clock was ticking.

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We tried to convince ourselves there was still time left.

I remember thinking that just two weeks ago we were celebrating the Easter weekend holiday. Now we were being told our family life as we knew had a finite time.

Dad took it stoically as the realization of the future he would miss enveloped us all. Ever the business man, he began to assemble the bank manager, accountant and lawyer.

Then began the hardest part -- the waiting. The challenge was how to say everything that needed to be said in a few weeks. Conversations with my father that would now have to last a lifetime. It was a slow march toward that day or night looming in the very near future.

Father's Day weekend was approaching, and with it that six-week marker we'd been given. In the lead up he was at home but then late in the week before Father's Day he required hospitalization. We tried to convince ourselves there was still time left.

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It was late Saturday night when the phone rang and my mother began to sob. Close to midnight but not quite, he died. As that clock ticked over into Father's Day 1969 I was trying to absorb the enormity of what had happened. I was fatherless on Father's Day -- the first one. In 1969, in my small town, nobody's parents died. We had no frame of reference for what to do next.

The minister arrived in the middle of the night to comfort us. But it didn't change what had happened. Our father had died. Father's Day 1969 was spent planning his funeral.

Banks of lilies and other flowers filled the funeral home. His funeral procession stretched the length of Main Street. The traffic lights had white-gloved policeman directing traffic. All of it was a blur of incoherence for me. Nothing changed the fact we were on the way to the cemetery to bury my father.

In the ensuing years I have learned many lessons from his death. If you are kind and generous with your parenting it never leaves your children. He is as alive in my heart today as he was all those years ago during my childhood.

My oldest son and grandson have his name, and that grandson has his same crooked smile.

My parenting was influenced by my father's kindness and unconditional love for me. My sons never knew their grandfather but in many ways they know him. They know him because I made a point of his life and goodness being alive in their lives.

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My oldest son and grandson have his name, and that grandson has his same crooked smile. My younger son, also a self-made business man like his grandfather, often applies his grandfather's best practices. My father employed empathy and understanding as a boss long before those were considered necessary traits.

At a young age I learned there are no guarantees in life. I have also learned a loving parent's influence is an intangible thread that winds round us forever.

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asiseeit via Getty Images Young Hispanic family is serving healthy meals to people in charity food bank soup kitchen. Mother and father are instructing elementary age little boy and little girl as they serve food to senior man and preteen girl.

As my daughters grow up, now just old enough to have permanent memories, I find myself thinking a lot about tradition. What habits and family customs do I want to adopt from my own parents? What rituals will bring my wife, my daughters and I closer together? What will little Lily-Rose and Violette cherish enough to carry on to their own future families?

Traditions are an important part of family life. Research shows maintaining customs makes families stronger and more stable, and gives children a feeling of comfort and security, according to Dr. Susan Coady, who studies family relations at Ohio State University.

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But I don't simply want to build traditions for traditions' sake. I want to think about how I can use these family rituals to fulfill my pledge to live WE, to make a difference with my actions every day.

Here are some ideas to start a tradition that gives back -- from my family to yours.

Make 'giving plates.' I think this bake-and-take activity could become a family favorite. Once a month, decorate some inexpensive ceramic plates with food-safe paints. We'll have a family baking session to fill the plate with goodies. Finally, my family and I will share our gift with new or isolated neighbors, sick or stressed friends, or even the mail carrier or bus driver.

Empty-the-closets day. Lily Rose is outgrowing clothes faster than I can keep up. I regularly ransack the family wardrobes for unwanted, gently used apparel. I'll bag it up and we'll make a family trip to the local Salvation Army or Goodwill store to donate our duds. I might even bring some of the leftover home-made treats for the hard-working volunteers there, as well.

The family that gives together, stays together.

Family film night. On the weekend, fire up the popcorn maker and park the family in front of Netflix. Instead of the latest Star Wars installment, choose a family-friendly film with a social message like The Lorax, a fun story with a message about environmental conservation. Afterwards, in our house, my wife and I will discuss the issues in the film with our eldest, and ask her how the characters took action and what actions the family can take for a related cause.

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Red letter day. Every so often, I'll sit down with the family to pick a cause we care about. Together, Roxanne, Lily-Rose and I will compose a joint letter to take action on the issue. We might write to our Member of Parliament about climate change, or support an Amnesty International campaign to free political prisoners.

And when you take the WE Pledge as a family, you'll get access to great resources like: the WE Are Canada Families Guide, with 150 inspiring ways to celebrate Canada; and the WE Families Kit which includes items like our book The World Needs Your Family, gratitude cards for showing your appreciation to the special people in your life, and ME to WE rafikis for the whole family.

I hope you'll adopt some of these traditions for your own family. Because the family that gives together, stays together.

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Rawpixel via Getty Images ***NOTE TO INSPECTOR: All models in this image have signed model releases. Some models have been duplicated more than once.***

Canadian charities constantly amaze me with the sheer breadth of causes they tackle. Have you ever thought about what happens to injured owls? Probably not, but a small charity has. Or how to find a cure for an incredibly rare genetic disease affecting children? A small charity has. I used to think of hospitals and cancer research, universities and shelters, all of which are essential to Canada, when I thought about charities; but my time as CEO of CanadaHelps has opened my eyes to the diverse and vital work of small charities.

With giving back a key theme of Canada 150, it is the perfect time to reflect on our nation's rich history of charitable giving and, in particular, to shine light on small charities that you probably have never heard of that form the backbone of our country and what makes it great. Here are some interesting stats about small charities:

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80% of the over 86,000 charities in Canada have overall annual revenues of less than $500,000, and a full 49% have annual revenues of less than $100,000.

86% of small charities have fewer than five staff and 48% are fully volunteer run.

Being a small charity does not mean it is less established - more than 80% of small charities have been around for ten years or more.

It is these small charities that make some of the biggest differences in the communities they serve. From empowering youth throughout Canada's North to saving majestic and endangered leatherback sea turtles, small charities provide services that a larger charity - which often focuses on bigger picture work like research for issues that affect large populations and awareness raising - can't provide.

Of the tens of thousands of small charities in Canada, here are five I wanted to call-out to inspire you to think a bit differently about your giving this year:

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1)The Canadian Sea Turtle Network - The greatest threat to sea turtles in Canada is entanglement and death in commercial fishing gear and the Canadian Sea Turtle Network (CSTN) makes it their goal to make sure that doesn't happen. Established in 1997 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the CSTN has collaborated closely with members of the commercial fishing industry to study and implement conservation measures for sea turtles.

2)Northern Youth Abroad - Northern Youth Abroad enables youth aged 15 to 22 living in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to acquire professional skills and training, hands on work experience, and high school credits through a cross-cultural work and learning experience in southern Canada and abroad.

3)Ecology North - Ecology North is a charitable, non-profit organization based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories that was formed in 1971 to support sound environmental decision-making. Ecology North's programs focus on the following priorities: climate solutions, water stewardship, environmental education, waste reduction and composting, and local food production. A common thread throughout all Ecology North programming is an emphasis on environmental, social, and community well-being.

4)Connected in Motion - Connected in Motion is a charity for people living with Type 1 Diabetes that shares a vision: To create a culture of support and engagement in diabetes self-management through peer-based experiential diabetes education, physical activity, and outdoor adventure pursuits. It is the only organization in Canada dedicated to supporting adults living with Type 1 Diabetes.

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5)Victoria's Quilts Canada - Victoria's Quilts Canada (VQC) provides handmade quilts to people living with cancer in Canada. By providing these quilts, they hope to bring physical comfort to those dealing with cancer as well as spiritual comfort in knowing that they are not alone in their struggle.

These are just a few of the local charities that support our everyday lives and stand out to me personally. This is the great thing about our small charities - with so many in every corner of the country, supporting virtually every cause, there is a charity for everyone. It is just up to us to discover them.

As we celebrate Canada's 150th year as a country, I challenge you to browse charities with Canada 150 campaigns or explore more broadly to uncover some great small charities that stand out to you and support them by making giving back part of your celebrations.
Among the Liberal Party of Canada's stated goals before the last election was to introduce Australian-style plain packaging laws for tobacco products. This appeared under the guise of improving public health, especially for impressionable teenagers. The underlying idea behind this directive is the belief that youth smoking is a result of brand appeal, and that making the product more bland and ugly will counter this. The empirical evidence on the effects of plain packaging, however, do not support this claim. Plain packaging is, in fact, a costly practice with the potential for serious unintended consequences.

Australia was the first country to introduce plain packaging laws in December 2012, with France's plain packaging law only in full effect since January this year, and the United Kingdom's laws fully in effect from this month. Evidence from Australia is all we have to understand the effect on public health, given how recently these laws were implemented in other countries. If plain packaging really did work as intended, a general decline in smoking would be expected, especially among those ages 15 to 18.

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The evidence, however, does not indicate that any meaningful change has resulted from the law. The Australian Bureau of Labour Statistics data shows that in 2013, tobacco consumption rose by 0.3 per cent, with a decline beginning only after they raised taxes on tobacco at the end of that year.

This suggests that plain packaging had little effect on tobacco consumption, with some evidence that it actually encouraged more smoking. Pro-plain packaging campaigners argue that while these laws may not affect those who already smoke, they would discourage new smokers, especially among impressionable teens. This is not supported by any of the data in Australia.

In reality, plain packaging laws have driven up the black market for tobacco, which makes it easier for teens to get their hands on cigarettes. Illicit tobacco has become an issue of huge concern in Australia, and is a growing problem in the UK, as increasingly harsh restrictions on legal products encourages foreign imports and black market sale. As branding disappears, people turn to street dealers who sell what appear to be the packs they like, with no regulatory oversight, enabling the sale of counterfeits.

Plain packaging is at best ineffective, and at worst, increases the black market.

Canada has already seen high teen marijuana use compared to alcohol, presumably a result of easier access via the black market. Raising demand for these illegal products means more dealers, increasing the likelihood that they solicit on schools and campuses -- thereby leading to more young people buying and using tobacco.

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Teen smoking is in decline in Canada. Age restrictions and regulations on the display of tobacco products prevent teens from seeing them on display in stores. However, Canada already has a major problem with illegal tobacco, mainly in the highly regulated provinces of Ontario and Quebec. So far, regulation hasn't worked. Street dealers, who sell foreign or counterfeit tobacco that retain brand appeal, are not subject to plain packaging laws. This allows them to market their products as having a "cool factor" more easily to teens.

The unintended consequences of such a policy have the potential to do more harm than good. Social norms around smoking are changing, and smoking rates are in decline. Plain packaging is at best ineffective, and at worst, increases the black market. The current government should consider this if it is truly concerned with public health.

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BernardaSv via Getty Images businesswoman and businessman signing contract in the office

While an unpleasant topic, it is important to plan for incapacity and death. Many lawyers recommend making a will and power of attorney documents to ensure you have control over your own future and what will happen to your property after you die. Most people are familiar with what a will is and the kinds of family tensions that can arise after the death of a loved one. Fewer may be aware of what a power of attorney is and the problems that can arise when a family member becomes incapable of managing his or her own affairs.

A Power of Attorney is a document that allows you to appoint a specific individual or individuals to make decisions on your behalf, while you are still living. In naming an individual, either a person or an institution, known as your "attorney," you are giving them the exclusive legal authority to act and make decisions on your behalf.

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In Ontario, there are two different kinds of Powers of Attorney. A Power of Attorney for Personal Care allows your attorney to make decisions about your healthcare, where you live, and your general well being. A Power of Attorney for Property authorizes your attorney to do anything that you can do with your property yourself, except make a will. Unless limited by the terms of the document, a Power of Attorney for Property provides broad authority, which can present opportunity for problems such as mismanagement of assets or any kind of legal issue touching on property, which can lead to fights within the family.

Because Powers of Attorney for Property are such powerful legal tools, there is considerable risk of misuse and abuse. In a recent report on Legal Capacity, Decision-making, and Guardianship, the Law Commission of Ontario acknowledged that misuse of Powers of Attorney is a pervasive concern. Because they are private legal tools, however, there is little evidence or data available about rates of Power of Attorney misuse. You should carefully consider who you choose to appoint as attorney. It should be someone you trust and who is able to fulfil the role in your best wishes and in accordance with your wishes.

If family members are unhappy with your choice of attorney or the choices being made by your attorney, they may challenge the validity of the power of attorney document or make it difficult for your attorney to do their job. Family members might challenge the validity of your Power of Attorney by suggesting that you did not have the mental capacity necessary to execute the document or suggesting that you were unduly influenced. They may also challenge the administration of your property by compelling the attorney to pass accounts (a court process that may deplete the assets available to fund ongoing care).

It is important to communicate with your attorney and family members or other loved ones to avoid these kinds of problems from arising in the event that you become incapable. Your attorney must know of the appointment and understand the importance of the role. Acting as attorney is a difficult and time consuming job. Your attorney might wish to decline the position, allowing you to appoint someone else who might be more likely to accept the role. You should also communicate your wishes and expectations to your attorney. Your attorney should be made aware of what your assets are, in general terms. This will facilitate a smooth transition in the management of your financial affairs if you become incapable.

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Communicating with your family is another way to help avoid problems if you become incapable. If your family knows who you have appointed to be your attorney and your reasons for doing so, they may be less likely to challenge your choice later on, when you may be experiencing capacity issues.

To help your friends and family avoid tension and, possibly, the time, stress, and costs related to litigation, it is important to have valid Powers of Attorney (preferably prepared by a lawyer), as well as open communication with your attorney and family members. By making sure the people who care about you are informed, many problems can be avoided.

Ian Hull and Suzana Popovic-Montag are partners at Hull & Hull LLP, an innovative law firm that practices exclusively in estate, trust and capacity litigation. To watch more Hull & Hull TV episodes, please visit our Hull & Hull TV page.
James Comey's big day: by now, the testimony of former FBI director has been much discussed, debated and dissected.

Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, seen by many millions, is well-known. His Thursday morning appearance was the political TV event of 2017 -- so far.

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Among the lowlights: the Trump administration "lied" about Comey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Trump "defamed" Comey when he claimed that the FBI had lost confidence in their former director. There was a "massive" effort by Russia to intervene in the 2016 U.S. election and elect Trump.

Comey kept detailed notes because he was concerned that "[Trump] would lie" about what was said in meetings between the two men. He testified that Trump "directed" Comey to drop the Flynn investigation. To "get rid of the investigation."

To any fair-minded observer, however, the biggest news was and is this: Donald Trump plainly obstructed justice when he asked Comey to "let go" of the FBI's criminal investigation into his close friend and adviser, Michael Flynn. He broke the law.

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Trump corruptly tried to influence, obstruct or impede justice in the Flynn case. That is Comey's sworn testimony. That is obstruction. That is an impeachable offence.

As such, Donald Trump's corrupt, chaotic, cruel presidency will end, soon enough, in impeachment or resignation. Trump will not reach the end of his term. He will be gone, saved from prison only because his mendacious supplicant, Mike Pence, will pardon him.

Trump, in just a few short weeks, has metastasized into a cancer on the institution of the presidency. He has singlehandedly shredded the reputation of the United States around the globe. It will take many years to wipe away the mud.

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All of those hearings, however they concluded, shone light into some dark corners.

But there is one shining bit of light in the midst of the muck that was last Thursday's Senate hearing. And that was the fact of the hearing itself -- and that democracy, sometimes, works.

Notable congressional hearings, over the years, show that to be true. The Watergate hearings, which exposed a corrupt Republican president and forced his resignation. Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, about how the Russian regime had compromised the most senior members of Trump's administration. Lt. Col. Oliver North's 1987 Iran-Contra testimony, confirming that the Reagan White House secretly and illegally supplied arms to Iran. The Supreme Court confirmation hearings of sexual predator Clarence Thomas, featuring the testimony of one of his victims, lawyer Anita Hill.

All of those hearings, however they concluded, shone light into some dark corners. They exposed the misdeeds of the powerful. They improved democracy in the United States. They generally showed, in James Comey's own words, that "we are a functioning, adult democracy."

Pierre Trudeau's extraordinary appearance before a House-Senate committee hearing on the Meech Lake Accord, which ultimately sank the ill-conceived accord. The assorted inquiries into the repatriation of our Constitution, and the creation of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. And, of course, the day-to-day work of less-newsworthy House and Senate committees -- all of which improve Canadian democracy.

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These committee do not always work, of course. Speaking personally, I can testify to the fact that the various sponsorship program inquiries -- whose terms of reference had been rigged by Paul Martin's administration to prevent scrutiny of their spending on polling -- were an unmitigated farce.

But that is an exception. For the most part, most of the time, these myriad committee hearings -- whether they be here, in the U.S., at the level of an obscure Commons committee or an extraordinary Senate Intelligence Committee prying back the lid on Donald Trump's corrupt administration -- are good for democracy.

They may look democracy look bad, in the short term. Sure. But, in the long term, they improve it, too.

That, more than anything else, is one indisputable truth that emerges from James Comey's big day.

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"Getting on with the job" is going to be challenging for the Ministers who make up this government. Firstly, the Brexit negotiations will overshadow domestic policy and public service reform. Secondly, in a hung parliament (our second in three elections) even the most uncontroversial legislation will require careful and time consuming lobbying and management. And finally, there will be unavoidable uncertainty around the future of the Conservative Party on which each Minister and MP will want to have their say. All of this will make progressing quickly on the public service reform (e.g. health and social care integration and driving improvement and innovation in children's services) difficult.

Even at the best of times when a party gets a majority and is relatively stable, like in 2015, there is always a period of purdah in the run up to the election during which central government pretty much shuts down. Then after the election there is often a spending review which takes a minimum of six months while ministers and civil servants negotiate new budgets with the Treasury. During this period any public service reform can be forgotten about - government as a driver of reform is effectively paralysed.

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So in order to avoid this increasingly regular paralysis, I would argue that we need to be devolving as much power and responsibility as possible to local areas. Ministers should prioritise pushing on with the manifesto pledge to develop existing local devolution deals and agree new ones. I'll admit I am a fan of devolution having previously written about Metro Mayors driving public service reform and the potential of Andy Street (the former John Lewis boss) in the West Midlands.

A proper system of devolved power is how some of our main rivals/partners handle the hiatus created by the electoral cycle. In German federal elections, the main parties rarely emerge with a working majority and there usually follows a lengthy period of coalition negotiations. However, Germany has a sophisticated system of devolved regional government in which 16 States are granted significant powers. This allows for a more fluid continuation of public business than we have in the UK. I'm in no way suggesting we mirror this approach (John Prescott's vision for Regional Assemblies was rejected by the public years ago) - but we can surely learn something from it.

In addition to promising more action on devolution, the Government's manifesto promises to "continue to give local government greater control over the money they raise". It also promises a review of the business rates system. An ambition to move towards these being set and retained by devolved administrations would be an important empowering step and would create some healthy competition between areas trying to attract new businesses/employers.

Another key theme is "holding NHS leaders to account". The current system makes this difficult as, unlike councils, the NHS does not have a legal requirement to balance its books. More place based budgets, like the 6bn that has been devolved to Greater Manchester, are a step in the right direction and will create more local accountability. Focusing a fixed budget on a particular place (as well as merging this with council controlled social care budgets) starts us on an inevitable path towards balanced budgets. With talented people like Andy Street (the West Midlands Mayor and former John Lewis boss) currently in post, the government should press on with more similar deals.

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Philip Hammond and Sajid Javid, the Chancellor and Communities Secretary, both understand business and deal making and are more than qualified to negotiate devolution deals with local areas.
At one point in Homer's epic poem, Odysseus finds himself having to steer his ship past two hazards. On one side is Scylla, a shoal of rocks hidden just below the surface of the water. The other is Charybdis, a huge whirlpool. His job is, of course, to plot and maintain a course between those two destructive options.

The 'European project' that began straight after the Second World War has spent its time in a similar dilemma. Scylla is 'federalism', an overpowerful European superstate, imposing too much on its citizens. Charybdis the whirlpool of old-fashioned xenophobic nationalism that gave rise to the war.

In the 1950s, the project was concerned with escaping the whirlpool. This was the era of the Treaty of Rome, with its commitment to 'ever-closer union'. This tack was reversed by General de Gaulle in 1965, when he walked out of European government because he reckoned it was becoming too powerful. The federalists didn't really recover their momentum till the 1980s - when they did so with great vigour. Popular enthusiasm for 'Europe' and what was then called the EC rose steadily and sharply throughout the decade. Jacques Delors became President of the European Commission in 1985, and drove through a number of new measures, most notably the creation of the Euro. Arguably the high point of the new federalism was the introduction of the single currency in 2002. Doubts then began to creep in, magnified by the Southern European Sovereign Debt Crisis and subsequent centrally-imposed austerity. Maybe the election of Emmanuel Macron will now see another change, and a new enthusiasm for 'Big Europe'.

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This tacking back and forth might seem a sign of indecision, but it is much better seen as a creative process, whereby the project tries things, tests them and either accepts or rejects them - the way of evolution. The rocks and the whirlpool won't go away, and somewhere between them is an ideal course that gets maximum value out of European unity without forcing superstatehood on Europe's inhabitants, most of whom, polls continue to reveal, still regard themselves as citizens of their nation first, and of Europe second. But such a course has to be created, not read off a pre-existing map.

So what has this got to do with optimism about Brexit? The answer is that the negotiations, if done well, offer a chance to chart that course better for the future, for Britain and for Europe.

The most important political fact about modern Europe is not the existence of the EU, but the existence of the Eurozone. History shows that common currency areas have one of two fates. Either they coalesce into nations, or they fall apart. Germany provides an example of how such an area worked: during the first half of the nineteenth century, the many small German states gradually moved closer together through a series of agreements on tariff abolition and shared money, weights and measures. In the second half of that century, attempts were made to create common currency areas in 'Latin' Europe (1865) and in Scandinavia (1867). These failed; intriguingly, both lasted about 50 years, though they were effectively killed by the First World War.

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The Eurozone is subject to the same logic. Either it will become a nation, like Germany or the USA, or the monetary union will fall apart. Here there is no middle course to be plotted, just two very different end-points. Yes, some countries may drop out, but in the end, Europe will either have no common currency at all, or will be divided into 'Euroland' and The Rest.

So the big issue for planning the future of Europe is 'what will be the relationship between these two blocs?' This is where Brexit becomes important, as it could involve the creation of a model version of such a relationship.

Getting the negotiations right will require creativity, not just pig-headedness. Everyone, it seems, would benefit from the Single Market being as large as possible. Yet can any compromises be done to allow some kind of national immigration control, which seems to be the big red line for the current Conservative negotiators? Some people in the future Euroland will argue no, adding that the UK Conservatives are simply backward-looking reactionaries whose instincts run so counter to those of a more progressive Europe that no compromise is possible. Others may say that some level of border and immigration control could be possible for a 'The Rest' country, and set about debating how it might work in the context of a broad Single Market - the Europe of the future.
Hannah Mckay / Reuters

More than a decade after David Cameron advised his party to 'stop banging on about Europe', the morning after the 2017 General Election it's clear that Europe has torn the party asunder once again.

Why? For the simple reason that yesterday's election, which feels like a loss even if the Tories got more votes than they have for 35 years, was all about Europe.

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It was an election that never should have happened. The main reason Theresa May in the end decided to go to the country, when the economic indicators didn't look great and her own honeymoon was coming to an end, was because she feared the circumstances in 2020, when the fixed term Parliament was due to end, could be even worse. Who would want to try to sell no deal to the British public, or even worse a deal which meant, say, an 80bn leaving bill, when the voters were promised 350m a week extra for the NHS?

Of course, May's other driver was to try to build a bigger majority so as to sideline the hardline Euro-sceptics and give herself more negotiating flexibility. But in the end, the opposite happened. The election was not about Brexit for most people. Polls showed that most considered it a done deal, and were much more concerned about the economy starting to turn down t the state of the NHS, crumbling social services and affordable housing.

May and team did not help themselves with the appalling campaign they ran. The shine has certainly gone from Lynton Crosby. 'Strong and Stable' became a British joke, and the strategy to keep her away from electors and almost de-personalise a decent if uncharismatic woman clearly back-fired. Keeping out of national debates looked arrogant; the unheard of mid-campaign u-turn on social care was the opposite of strength and stability.

On the other side, Jeremy Corbyn's warm and personal style and anti-austerity message certainly galvanised the young and the left. And May's decision to utterly dismiss, even ridicule, the views of the 48% of the country that voted Remain gave them a strong incentive to vote Labour. In the old maxim, Oppositions don't win elections, Governments lose them.

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It has to remembered that Labour still lost, in propitious circumstances, and it remains to be seen whether Corbyn and the Left have the will, or strategic sense, to make the centrist compromises they need to if they want to form a Government in 2022. (And the night was very bad for the SNP too: the chances of a second Scottish independence referendum are diminishing rapidly).
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Last Thursday British voters delivered one of the most shocking results in recent British political history. First past the post, our antiquated voting system, produced a second hung Parliament in 7 years with no clear 'winner.'

Instead, Britain will now have a Conservative-minority government propped up by the extreme socially conservative Democratic Unionists (DUP), whose views on abortion, gay marriage and climate change are far removed from mainstream British opinion.

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Progressive alliances and tactical voting played a huge part in the rewriting of this election. There was of course a huge wave of enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn's message but there was also a deep desire from many pockets of the British electorate to register a protest at the status quo.

Candidates standing down in support of another created a permission structure in a number of constituencies which allowed voters to herd together to back the candidate best placed to defeat the Conservatives. In Tim Farron's seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale, the Greens not standing this time probably meant that Farron relied on the 1,798 Green voters from 2015 to allow him to beat the Conservatives with a 777 vote majority.

However if party leaders, including Tim Farron and Jeremy Corbyn, embraced collaborative politics and progressive alliances, we may now be looking at a Labour-led government, supported by parties representing a broad spectrum of progressive opinion and backed by more than 17million voters.

In 62 seats, the combined progressive vote was enough to beat the newly elected Conservative MP.

Of the top four marginal constituencies where there was a progressive majority, only one of these is a Labour-Conservative battleground. Of the other three, one is an SNP-Conservative fight and the other two are Lib Dem-Conservative races.

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In Southampton Itchen, where the Tories won by just 31 votes, the combined Liberal Democrat and Green vote was 2146.

Zac Goldsmith returned to Richmond Park with a slender 45 vote majority over the Lib Dems Sarah Olney, whilst Labour pocketed more than 5,773 votes. All of which were wasted. If only Labour had followed the Green lead, then Zac Goldsmith's political career would have been well and truly over having been defeated three times in two years.

St Ives remains the most marginal seat in the South West. Once again, the Greens stood down to allow the Lib Dem's Andrew George a shot at taking the seat but fell short of taking the seat from the Conservatives by 312 votes with the Labour candidate winning 7,298 votes.

Of the 62 seats where the Tories could have lost to progressives, Labour would have won an extra 40, the Liberal Democrats nine and the SNP 12, with an independent progressive - Claire Wright - winning East Devon.

Not every vote can be squeezed this way but if just eight of these 62 seats had changed hands, the Tories would not have been able to secure a working majority with the DUP and Corbyn would be in a position to put together a working Parliamentary majority and become Prime Minister.

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The Northern Irish political system is in total crisis at the moment.

Stormont is unable to form a government, public confidence in the DUP's leader Arlene Foster is at an all time low and her party is nervously looking over her shoulder at the Irish republican party Sinn Fein in the Northern Ireland Assembly who trail behind her with just one seat.

Is the DUP really in a position to offer guidance on good government and will this arrangement actually damage the Conservative Party in the eyes of swing voters in England?

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I believe it could and a good indicator of that is the Tories use of the SNP to derail the swing vote away from The Labour Party in the 2015 General Election in England, which you could suggest was highly successful.

A middle England polling station - image owned by author

Even having the conversation of a coalition or a confidence and supply deal is damaging enough to English voters - considering Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland has it's own devolved parliaments and England legislates it's laws in the United Kingdom parliament, it's no surprise it puts England's constituents on edge and it's a narrative easily used in election campaigns to discredit parties.

Theresa May is obviously in an incredibly precarious situation considering the political makeup in Northern Ireland. The UK Government's neutrality is crucial to governance in the country's devolved power-sharing deal which was a subsequence of the Good Friday Agreement. This states the need for "rigorous impartiality" from Westminster and Ireland.

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I'm struggling to suggest that this deal will not add strain to an already tricky situation.

This is already stirring up tensions on the Emerald Isle, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny has expressed his concerns on the challenge this deal will bring and while it is no surprise that Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams criticised the potential partnership but they were happy that the mainstream British media are focusing on the DUP's policies.

At home, the liberal wing of her own party has shown discomfort surrounding the deal, Ed Vaizey has expressed he would challenge any anti-LGBT rhetoric, Heidi Allen said publicly that she does not think Theresa May will last 6 months and Anna Soubry calling her position untenable.

Also, former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne calling the PM a "dead women walking" - although it's fair to say he has been fairly critical of May throughout the campaign in his role as Editor at the London Evening Standard.

A deal with the DUP could bring new and unwelcome issues to the door of the current occupier of Number 10 which many senior Conservatives understand and they will not be in a rush for an election any time soon.

The Tories will be looking to steady the ship and fast, they'll see the next two months as healing time in the eyes of the electorate they could lose.

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Over the next 13 days, we will see how the DUP conversation affects the right wing of British politics in regards to how voters see the legitimacy of a future Conservative government after another general election and it's surely a line left wing parties will attack hard.
My Dad recently took to me to cinema to see 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' for my birthday, I have to admit it was his choice and I knew little about the film and I was surprised when it turned out to be a parody of Brexit and the first General Election of 2017.

Spoiler alert, if you don't want to know that Guy Ritchie's most recent film ends with Arthur becoming King then don't read the title of the film or the rest of this blog post.

The film begins with Uther Pendragon in dispute with his closest advisors about whether they should rekindle old friendships with the Mage kingdoms who keep coming to Camelot on their war elephants, slaughtering woman and children and staffing their NHS, or seek Brexit. Uther's brother, Vortigern, who plays the part of that 'bloody difficult women' with just the right balance of humanity and femininity, then orchestrates a coup to seek the throne. To secure power Vortigen sacrifices those closest to him to the sea witches, first his wife Elsa and then Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, to summon a demon knight in the image of Rupert Murdoch to support him. During the battle Arthur, who grows up into a quiet, bearded man apparently disinterested in power, is sent away and raised in a brothel - Ritchie's choice of a metaphor for Islington is perhaps a little unfair.

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Arthur grows up sticking up for the mistreated and the downtrodden flanked by Diane Abbot and John Mcdonnell who are played moderately well by Backlack and Tristan and in the most contrived and unlikely circumstances Arthur succeeds in pulling the sword from the stone and ends up the unexpected leader of the opposition.

In another unexpected twist Vortigern forces a direct contest with Arthur which her 20 point lead shows she shouldn't lose but Merlin, through the Mage, sends a snake to attack Vortigern and because of the huge cuts she has made to police numbers they damage her and Arthur escapes.

He returns however to battle Vortigern. This is a battle which he has to fight alone as Backlack was fatally wounded and retired dead until further notice after failing to show a full understanding of the costs of employing a police officer and Tristan was busy fully costing the new round table Arthur had ordered under the misapprehension that Camelot had a magic money tree. To strengthen her powers for this battle Vortigern makes further sacrifices to the sea witches, feeding them first those with dementia then the hungry schoolkids before throwing them her whole manifesto.

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At first glance, last Thursday's election appeared to be great news for women. More female MPs were voted in than ever before; now a record 208 hold seats establishing the most diverse parliament ever. And our most bold, feminist MPs didn't just hold on to their seats, they blew their competition out of the water. Birmingham Yardley MP, Jess Phillips, added 10,000 votes to her majority, and Bristol West's Thangam Debbonaire increased her share of the vote from 33.7% to an almighty 65.9%. Those are numbers that can't be argued with.

Yet two women a week killed by their partner or ex-partner in England and Wales is also not a number to be argued with. Domestic abuse is not an issue that can take a back seat while Brexit deals are negotiated. It is a reality that makes the current picture suddenly look so bleak, as the Conservatives look to form a minority government with the Democratic Unionist Party.

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Until now the Conservative government has built up a real momentum in the struggle to end violence against women. Not only that, but as home secretary Theresa May stood firm on the need to retain a focus on the gender dynamics and rigid gender roles which underpin domestic abuse and other abuses of women by men. As a result, there has been progress: the creation of the coercive control offence and the rigorous reaction to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's scathing report on the police response to domestic abuse are just two examples.

That's why it is particularly disappointing to see the Conservatives seeking the support of the DUP: a party which does not believe in freedom of choice and actively opposes a woman's right to abortion. A former DUP health minister has even tried to increase the jail sentences for the women who have abortions in private clinics, and the medical professional who carried it out, to ten years . It is no wonder that women across the country are wondering how a party many had never heard of, who hold so few seats, could end up having sway over our government and our bodies.

Disregard for women's rights paves the way for the human rights violations that constitute domestic abuse. No woman should be forced to carry, birth and bring up a child against her will. For survivors of domestic abuse, whose free will in this as in so much else is subdued and controlled through fear, any restriction on abortion is no less than an abuser's charter. Enforced pregnancy and enforced termination are weapons wielded by perpetrators. Any deal which forms our new government must not compromise on women's rights. We need to hear reassurances from the Conservatives that this will not happen, and we need to hear them now.
The 2017 election was a shambles. It's hard to believe Theresa May squandered a 20+ point advantage in such a short time, that her manifesto was so ill-thought out, and that her incompetence managed to make Corbyn look statesmanlike. Meanwhile May looked so unprepared that it's easy to forget that it was she who called the snap election, not her opponent.

We're now left with a weak government with a weak mandate, and an uncertain future; we could have another PM by the end of the week or another government by the end of the summer.

Uncertainty for a few days or weeks doesn't really matter when you're building a business. The longer term stuff is far more important.

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And it's this that I worry about.

Growing businesses need access to talent and trade. Following the Brexit referendum, many tech business founders have told me it definitely feels harder to recruit top European talent. I've spoken to European founders and experienced businesspeople who feel less welcome here now, and are more likely to go live in other tech hubs like Berlin. I don't blame them -- would you move to a country and put down roots there if it was threatening to turf you out at any moment? As a manager, I've sponsored visas for foreign talent in the past and it's a highly bureaucratic and burdensome process. I don't relish the prospect of this paperwork being required for Europeans like it is for Americans. Net result: London is far from guaranteed to continue being Europe's pre-eminent tech hub.

Happily, it looks like the risk of a hard Brexit is lower now than it was a month ago. We're seeing the rise of soft Brexiteers like Ruth Davidson, who is proving a force to be reckoned with. That's a positive.

I don't mind a bit of weakness in the government if it means we get a more sensible Brexit and - in the long run - better access to trade and talent. It could be useful for the lead Brexit negotiator to be able to say to Brussels, 'We'll never get that through, don't you know how vulnerable we are domestically?' It's much like a businessperson's ability to blame 'the Board' when you're a facing a tough deal. Sometimes apparent weakness can be an advantage. 'I'd love to agree to that, but I'll never get it past my Board.' Leaders with overwhelming domestic power can't use this tactic. (Imagine Putin trying it.)

Meanwhile, though, the clock is ticking on Brexit negotiations, we've now used up more than 3/24ths of the available time, with zero progress so far and a lot of distraction in the short term future. The Brexit negotiation plan - such as it existed in the first place - has been ripped up. Some Brexiteers are now hinting there might no longer be a mandate for coming out of the customs union. This would be a fundamental change to the pre-Election negotiating plan.

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I'm worried about the time just slipping away and the UK getting a poor deal as a result of political dithering. If Theresa May were a project manager she'd be fired.
When acting Labour leader Arthur Greenwood stepped up to the despatch box he was met with calls from across the Chamber, "Arthur, speak for England!" On 2nd September, 1939 the country was on the eve of war. The nation was heavily divided. The Government faced the insurmountable task of preparing and readying the country for another world conflict. That night in the House of Commons the country desperately needed a unifying call. Instead Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of the day, delivered a speech which had badly misjudged the public mood.

Fast forward to June 2017 and Britain is now on the eve of the most complicated negotiations in modern history, negotiations which will have huge ramifications for the UK and Europe once more. Of course diplomacy is not as dramatic as war, but the talks hold the sovereignty and economic prosperity of the UK and the European Union in the balance. Once again we have a prime minister who has greatly misread the public sentiment.

When Theresa May called a snap election, she did so on the basis that she was facing a divided opposition with an unpopular leader and all opinion polls pointing to the Government winning by a landslide. Six weeks later and Britain has a hung parliament once again. The Prime Minister's gamble, far from producing a "strong and stable" result, now sees her set to lead the first minority Government since 1977. A minority government propped up by the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, who will no doubt demand their pound of flesh.

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The Prime Minister's reputation now lies in tatters at home and abroad. While her own Cabinet colleagues and MPs conspire to remover her, the opposition re-energised and reunited seeks to push its advantage. A second election seems inevitable.

Theresa May's attempt to make the election another referendum on Brexit was overshadowed, first by a row surrounding Conservative plans to reform social care and then by the tragic terrorist attacks in Manchester and London. Foreign policy was once again side-lined in favour of domestic political issues.

The forced resignations of May's chiefs of staff reflect the growing discontent in the Government's own ranks against the centralisation of political and policy decision making in No.10. Their removal will now force the Prime Minister to re-consider her style of government, particularly her approach to foreign policymaking.

Many believe that May's weakened position and reliance on the DUP will force her to abandon any desire for a hard Brexit and require the Government to gain consensus from opposition parties and the regional governments on its Brexit negotiating aims. However that is yet to be seen.

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If these are the last days of Theresa May's premiership it is worth noting that she never lacked opportunities as premier to re-forge British foreign policy; instead she lacked the desire. Under her tenure the US has taken an unprecedented step back from the world stage, abdicating responsibility and leaving a vacuum that ultimately will need to be filled.

The looming start of the Brexit negotiations leaves no time for a Tory leadership contest or for a fresh election. These unique set circumstances while keeping her in office, will not buy her much more time. Theresa May's tone deaf speech on the steps of Downing Street after a staggering failure to secure a parliamentary majority leaves in doubt more than ever the question, 'who will speak for Britain?'
Clodagh Kilcoyne / Reuters

Having just read yet another condescending article, this one titled "Let's stop treating the young like political sages", I am feeling quite insulted and patronised, as are most people my age.

No, we don't want a lollipop as a reward for voting - we want to be politically acknowledged. We took our political power and we wielded it. No more taxation without representation.

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What the big political commentators seem unable to understand is that maybe, just maybe, a vote for the Labour party this election was not a symbol of indoctrination into some cult, but instead a vote against the Conservative Party.

The Tories have inadvertently been cultivating a generation which doesn't like them. Policies from the last seven years which have targeted the young - and yes, tripling tuition fees have played a big role in shaping how we feel about you - have created a bitter group of voters.

And we're bored of the "magic money tree" lies we've been fed that tell us to "live within our means" despite the fact Tory chancellor George Osborne tripled the national debt by spending 500 billion+ (on god knows what, because we didn't see any of that money!)

We also didn't like your manifesto by the way. Fox hunting, Hard Brexit, taking our grannies' houses - they're not very fashionable proposals amongst this generation. Plus it was a poorly written document with hardly any facts or figures to substantiate it's points. I'd grade it a U. No points for no effort.

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We may seem stupid to you, but as long as you had 20/20 vision and were literate, you could see that the Labour manifesto had full costings, whilst the Conservative manifesto had none.

Right-wing commentators like to blame Corbyn for single-handedly creating this huge resurgence in youth voter turnout, but that would be far too easy. It gives them comfort to think that as soon as Corbyn is gone, the mass anti-Tory youth vote will go with him. It won't.

And they like paint us, at best, as some "hopelessly naive" school kids who once watched a cartoon about socialism and liked it or, at worst, some crazed Red Army of teenagers baying for the blood of pensioners who voted to Leave the EU.

The truth is, this was an anti-Tory vote. This was a shout to the political establishment. And we demanded to start getting political respect, or get out of Downing Street.

Laughing in our faces and sending us on our way with threats to raise the minimum voting age to 21 is not going to help you.

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The Sharrocks Family

I grew up in a military family. My dad was in the army and I was constantly surrounded by army life.

The Iraq war was in the news and I remember seeing a documentary on it. I thought joining the army was the most noble thing a person can do. Little did I know the psychological damage that decision 10 years ago would have on my life.

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On 5 November 2006, aged 17, I began my army training.

It was a shock. People were hyper aggressive, my head was shaved, my clothes were taken. I was taught that civilians are the lowest of the low and leaving would be failure.

If anyone did anything wrong during the first six months, there was a brutal punishment. It is not just you who gets punished but the whole group - you become indoctrinated with a collective mentality. It puts fear into you and people were easily ostracised.

I went from a civilian with my own thoughts and feelings straight from school into someone who followed orders without question.

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You are taught to be focused on war and killing an enemy. By the time I finished training, just aged 17, that is the mindset I had.

It is nerve-wracking when you first join the battalion and there is heavy scrutiny on new recruits. I remember one guy who was late for something once - instantly he was targeted and a real bullying mentality grew.

By deployment time civilian life is flushed out of you.

The training is done so well that when I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 with the Special Forces Support Group. I was shocked how little feeling I had. I was 19 and numb.

In 2011 I was deployed on a second tour. We were sent to a compound and would patrol the same area for hours at a time.

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A month after arriving one of our battalion stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and he was killed. I was stood right next to him. Ten days after that, someone in front of me stepped on another IED, and that is when I got injured.

The psychological effects of my army training were so deep that it rewired the way I thought and felt. I'd seen many things during my time in the army but it took something like that to snap me out of that mindset.

The guy in front of me lost his legs and I was sent back to the UK. I wasn't meant to be in the sun for two years because of my skin injuries.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is very clever; there is no mention of war or death or injury in those shiny, new adverts.

As a #Guardsman in the Army you'll feel a new kind of pride. Step into a new adventure: https://t.co/gnlrQbm4PWpic.twitter.com/DtCDECgLd0  Army Jobs (@armyjobs) 31 May 2017

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There was a running joke in my battalion, many of whom also signed up at 16 or 17. We'd joke: "they didn't tell you this in the careers office, you didn't see this in the adverts".

It is portrayed as "for the adventure, for the travel" attracting young men from lower economic backgrounds and with little education.

Happy Meals are there to inject the idea that McDonald's is a fun, happy place for kids and the same tactic is used by the British Army.

Think of Action Man, MoD-approved toy sets, army fun days for children - all done to inject the idea that the army is fun.

Commit to 27 days of training a year and become an #ArmyReserve. Experience more in the #Army: https://t.co/oeSYpl9Xacpic.twitter.com/I1UvHdkW2m  Army Jobs (@armyjobs) 16 May 2017

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But when you join at 16 or 17 you go through real intense psychological change, become ultra-loyal and this fight or flight mechanism is manipulated - you are conditioned to fight, it becomes normal.

So, you go through years of mental bombardment as a teenager and I had become blinkered to army life. I think it is why people struggle so much when leaving.

I left the army in 2013. I was going to go into personal training but my social skills weren't great - I felt so different to other people. I had no experience of civilian life.

When you leave, you realise: "I have to pay rent, I have to pay bills." I was shocked going to the dentist and it not being free.

I took a job in a factory. I went from being a lance corporal in a warzone to something completely different.

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When I worked there the Territorial Army visited to encourage workers to enrol. A colleague told them about my past and they offered me 10,000 to re-join because they know you have no money when you leave. It is like offering heroin to an addict.

During that period, I had a lot of battles about re-joining, not that I wanted to, but because I thought that was the only way to survive. I completed the paperwork three times but never sent it. It was a hard place psychologically to be in.

I left the factory and went to university to study film-making, something I am passionate about, but arriving there was different still.

It is a whole new spectrum of people. My mood started getting very low and depressed because of this sense I could not survive without the army.

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When you leave, support is cut completely. There is nothing offered to you and I know a lot of people need it. I was doing well at university but I was still feeling very depressed and I had to leave because I couldn't function properly. It felt like I was imploding.

That is when I decided to seek help. I realised I had a massive issue and I started counselling and eventually, over time I got better. I spoke to other people who had left and they were feeling the same.

But the military is very machoistic and you don't want to be seen as suffering.

I now work in a hospital and am hoping to make a crowdfunded film focused on mental health issues in the armed forces.

Joining at 16 is massively psychologically damaging and issues of PTSD, suicide and depression are major issues for veterans, and more so for teenage recruits.

I think it is hugely important the recruitment age is raised. I now work with Veterans for Peace as a volunteer educating young people on the realities of war and support advocacy group Child Soldiers International, who recently launched its Declare18! campaign, to get governments to raise the age to 18.

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The UK and Belarus are the only countries in Europe who still recruit 16-year-old soldiers.

There are 177 countries in the world with national armies and 43 still recruit children. The US, Germany and Australia are all countries who recruit 17-year-olds.

If young people want to join the armed forces, then starting at 18 is not going to deprive them of a career but will allow them to make clearer life decisions.

As someone who knows first-hand the psychological damage that comes from joining the army at a young age, I know how real the problems are.

You cannot vote at 16 and make an informed decision about how the country is run but the government allows you to decide the rest of your life, be open to psychological conditioning, train to kill and risk your life in a war. It needs to change.
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This amazing photograph shows the first portion of fish and chips ever to go into outer space.

Papas Fish and Chips, which has restaurants in Willerby and Bilton, launched a portion of haddock and chips into the stratosphere at lunchtime today.

A video shows the spectacular moment their fish and chips shot into orbit, attached to a weather balloon.

Owner George Papadomou said: The launch was perfect and everything went to plan. We counted down and then next thing it vanished in the sky."

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now

Launching the fish and chips from SentIntoSpace in Sheffield, George and Dino Papas celebrated being named as the UKs Favourite Fish and Chip Shop on BBC's Best of British Takeaways show.

The high-tech weather balloon had attached to it a box with a portion of fish and chips stuck in place, as well as a camera to show the meal around 37km above the earth.

The stunning image shows the takeaway floating into space, where it will stay for a few hours before the balloon bursts late in the evening, causing it to rain fish and chips.

The brothers, who run the restaurants alongside dad Sid, said they were making fishtory as they launched it into the sky.

It felt momentous for a Hull fish and chip shop to be the first to do it," said Mr Papadomou.

Theres so much technology on it so we have been able to GPS track it and get video and pictures from it while it is in space.

He said that the fish, chips and slice of lemon were stuck in place so they did not fly off during the rocky launch.

We had to make sure things survived during the launch, and once its up there its contending with gravity, the change in air pressure and freezing temperatures, he said.

It wont be long before it drops back to earth, but it will be at about -60 degrees now, so Im not sure you will want to eat it.
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A meeting with Jeremy Corbyn, fitting in her nine-year-olds birthday and then being sworn-in as an MP  it promises to be quite a week for Emma Hardy.

The ex-primary school teacher became the successor to Alan Johnson in Hull West and Hessle on Friday morning after securing an 8,000 majority at the General Election.

The union campaigner was due to meet Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today after spending Monday being given an induction on the dos and donts of Parliament during her first official day in the role.

But the new exciting job has not been without its wrenches. On Sunday evening, Ms Hardy had to wave goodbye to her two little girls, Olivia and Isabelle, before boarding a train and heading for the bright lights of Westminster.

(Image: Jerome Ellerb)

That was a bit difficult, admitted the mother-of-two. It is Olivias birthday on Wednesday  shes going to be nine.

Luckily, a plan has already been put in place to ensure her eldest gets the best of all worlds on her big day.

She will have her birthday with her Daddy in the morning and then will go to school  theyre having a trip to the seaside that day, so I dont think shes too devastated about me not being there, said Ms Hardy.

Then both of them will been driven down to London on Wednesday night so Ill get to see Olivia for just the last bit of her birthday.

Ms Hardys daughters will then get to watch their mum be sworn-in as a city MP on Thursday, having been given special permission from their headteacher to have the day off school, before going for a family lunch to celebrate.

Olivia has been promised a birthday party at home when things have calmed down, said Ms Hardy.

Straight after the election, the process of being an MP started, with calls on Friday from Parliamentary authorities to sort out travel and accommodation to London.

Hotel accommodation is being provided for the first two weeks while a more permanent rental arrangement in the Capital is worked out.

Labours regional whip, Judith Cummins MP, was the next to ring, acting as a sounding board on Saturday for any questions Ms Hardy might have had.

Upon arriving in Westminster on Monday, she was briefed on how to set-up her offices in London and the constituency, while also attending lectures on security and travel advice.

House of Commons staff gave newbies a run through of how the debating chamber works, how to keep things courteous when debates get heated and advice on the dress code.

The authorities even provided a buddy for her first day  a staff member to help her to navigate the vast sprawl of the Parliamentary estate.

Smartly-dressed doorkeepers then gave her a tour of the building, including the bits that most people dont even see.

Theres even a hairdressers, said Ms Hardy. But I think Ill still be getting my hair cut in Hessle.
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Two Greggs outlets in Hull will be forced to provide toilets or remove seating from their store.

Lawyers for Hull City Council complained after Greggs were told they didn't need loos because they had less than ten seats, no knives and forks and no waiter service.

But the council went to court to try and force Greggs to provide toilets at its outlets at Kingswood and Jameson Street, in the city centre. And, last May, the High Court ruled in Hull City Council's favour.

Greggs initially appealed but withdrew their application on Tuesday - meaning they have to provide toilets or lose its current seating.

The council have said they are now looking to work with Greggs to ensure the bakery complies with the rules.

A spokesman said: We are pleased with the decisions of the Secretary of State and Greggs to withdraw their appeals.

This means that the original decision of the High Court still stands and that the advice given to Greggs by Newcastle City Council as their Primary Authority as to what constitutes a relevant place was and is wrong.

We will now work with Greggs with the aim of achieving local compliance, providing any advice and support as necessary. If local compliance is not achievable we have a duty to consider taking further action but hope that this will not be necessary.

The council took legal action after Newcastle City Council gave guidance for toilet provision in food outlets, which was approved by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills' Better Regulation Delivery Office.

That guidance offered to Greggs said they would not be required to provide toilets if they didn't have cafe or restaurant style service and facilities.

But Hull council argued none of this is provided at McDonald's restaurants - which still need to provide toilets.

Officials said the two Greggs bakeries in Hull would have an ''unlawful and unfair'' commercial advantage if they didn't have toilets.

The High Court judge, Mr Justice Kerr, said Hull council's claim was ''well-founded'' and the advice given by Newcastle council was ''flawed''.

Last year, the judge said: ''The construction adopted by Newcastle is completely unsustainable.

''It is obvious that if a person sits down in a Greggs outlet at the seats provided and proceeds to eat a pasty and a fizzy drink just purchased at the counter for that purpose, that is a normal use of the premises.

''The fact that most customers take away their purchases, and those who stay do not normally stay long, does not change that."

It is thought that installing public bathrooms could cost Greggs millions of pounds.

The bakery has not indicated whether it will remove the seating or provide toilets.

But a spokesman said: "Following legal advice and the withdrawal from the court proceedings of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy we too have decided to withdraw from the appeal against the decision of the High Court.

We have revised guidance from Newcastle City Council as our Primary Authority regarding the installation of sanitary facilities in shops with seats, which we believe meets the requirements of the law.

We will continue to abide by Newcastle's guidance, which is that where a local authority has a policy on the provision of sanitary facilities for customers in food to go outlets we would not have more than ten seats without such sanitary provision in the absence of that local authority's approval."
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A woman who lived in a "fantasy world" reported her car stolen because she could not accept it had been repossessed after she failed to keep up finance payments.

When Diane Wilson's Vauxhall Agila was later legitimately resold to another woman, the new owner was left "traumatised" when she was stopped by police driving home from work on suspicion of driving a stolen car.

Claire Holmes, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court the support worker was driving through Cottingham at night when she was pulled over by police using flashing lights, and had to sit in the police car.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said: "So she was an entirely innocent member of the public driving home from a perfectly respectable job and a police car pulls behind her and says you're driving a stolen car? A woman on her own, she must have been beside herself."

Miss Holmes said: "She was entirely innocent and describes being traumatised. In November 2015 [five months later] she still felt nervous driving past Castle Hill."

Wilson, who had no previous convictions, bought the car using credit from Northbridge Finance but had trouble keeping up the payments.

On February 21, 2015, a court order was issued requiring the return of the car to the finance company. A writ for its return was issued a month later.

On March 30 that year, Wilson called police and said two men sitting in a car near her property had shouted through her letterbox. The officer who attended established they were enforcement officials who had come to repossess the car, which they did.

The car was sold at auction a month later to a company called Value Car Direct, which later sold it to the support worker for 5,000.

A day after the auction, Wilson called police to say it had been stolen. She was later sent a letter saying it had been sold at auction and she still owed 2,725.50.

Wilson, of Elsworth Court, Dayton Road, west Hull, voluntarily attended a police interview and said she had been washing her car when two "foreign" males approached her, who she claimed must have taken the keys and later stolen it.

She said she had no money worries and it had not been repossessed. She maintained her account in a further interview. She also denied receiving any documents relating to the repossession.

Wilson failed to turn up for her trial, was arrested and jailed for 21 days for breaching bail. She later admitted doing an act tending or intending to pervert the course of justice.

Cathrine Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said: "She convinced herself even up to the first trial date that the new story was true. She put aside all the difficulties she had had, the reality of the vehicle being repossessed.

"She simply could not face the fact her vehicle had been repossessed."

Sentencing Wilson to six months in jail, suspended for two years, the judge told her: "You have been extraordinarily foolish over a prolonged period of time. Do you accept that?"

"I do, yes," said Wilson.

The judge said: "It is plain to me that you have, for a variety of reasons, set out in your parents' letter [to the court], been living in a fantasy world."

Wilson was also ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.
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Princes Quay has revealed the stores which will be coming to its major 20m outlet deck opening in just nine days time.

The pioneering outlet deck is the first in the country to be integrated into a city centre shopping mall, alongside full price stores.

Its anchor store, Next, has announced there will be a staggering 75 per cent discount when it opens on June 22.

Now, it has been confirmed the shop will be joined by Bags Etc, Cotton Traders, Julian Charles, Skopes, Suits Direct and Graham and Brown.

(Image: Kate Woolhouse)

Other stores already confirmed include Ben Sherman, Sole Trader, Hallmark and Bench.

The venture is being hailed as the saviour of Princes Quay, which has struggled with declining footfall over the past few years.

(Image: Kate Woolhouse)

Ray Cliff, head of centre management at Princes Quay, said: We have spent 20m redeveloping the centre and providing the outlet deck.

We have put pressure on retailers to open at the same time as Next and eight will join the store in opening on June 22.

All the stores are outlets which offer huge savings and Next will be going even further during opening and will offer an incredible 75 per cent discount.

(Image: Kate Woolhouse)

The outlet deck will create 150 jobs, with 40 at the Next store alone.

Mr Cliff said: Everyone is very positive and excited about this and the fact it is creating so many jobs is great for the city.

This is the first of its kind in the UK and we believe this will be a catalyst for other city centres across the country.

A total of 80 per cent of the units have now been filled and stores will be moving in during the coming weeks. We are confident they will all be filled by the end of the year.

We still have a few who have yet to sign on the dotted line but they are recognisable high street brands, some of which are new to Hull.

We carried out a survey with 96 per cent of people saying they wanted an outlet deck so they didnt have to travel to places like Doncaster and Castleford.

But Mr Cliff insists the shopping centre will not be resting on its laurels when the outlet deck opens.

He said: The outlet is key for us and a way of safeguarding the shopping centres future.

But it is not job done. We see the outlet deck as just the start. There is a lot still to do.

We will look at ensuring the atrium becomes an exciting event space. We already have plans for an art installation as part of City of Culture.

This isnt some overnight transformation. Things will improve even further when the Venue opens next door. There will be pedestrian access between the buildings which will increase footfall further.

We also have planning permission now to revamp our entrances from Carr Lane, which will happen around the time the Venue opens.

We have already seen a 20 per cent increase in footfall this year which is partly down to City of Culture, but we must be doing something right.

Work on the redevelopment began in October and represents the biggest transformation in the centres 26-year history.

The move to create a new outlet mall has been masterminded by commercial property specialists Realm, who were appointed last year to oversee the revamp by the Quay's owners, Jadwa Investment.
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Back from a galaxy, galaxy far, far away Star Wars is well and truly here to stay.

As someone who grew up on the reissued originals and questionable prequels, the George Lucas sci-fi franchise, runs through my blood and news of an exhibition dedicated to Darth Vader and the gang, opening in London, made me as excited as I was back in the 1990s.

So much so, that during a visit to the capital, earlier this year, I made a solo dart to its home planet, the O2 Arena, when I had some time to kill. Sadly, the attraction was fully booked, of course it would be, it is Star Wars after all.

Some months passed but eventually, the empire struck back, and I got to see the fully operational Star Wars: Identities.

Taking my father, who first introduced me to the light and dark of Star Wars, we were both in awe of the millions of pounds worth of props and memorabilia on display.

From the second you enter and see the costumes of Stormtroopers next to Boba Fett the exhibition is everything you want it to be and so much more.

No matter what era of Star Wars fan youre theres something there for you to geek over. For example, my old man, gazed in wonder at the AT-ATs used in Empire Strikes Back, while, I, mostly to annoy the Star Wars purists made a beeline for the Jar Jar Binks display.

While, for the little ones theres a Bb8, which was a real crowd pleaser during my London jaunt.

But thats the beauty of Identities, it aims to be a unique, independent experience for you, so-much-so, visitors make their own little journey through the saga directed by the force.

Every visitor to the exhibition, is asked to answer a series of fun questions to discover where they fall in the Star Wars story. It focuses on your influences, your outlook on life most importantly whether youre on the dark side of the force.

As you wander around the beautifully arranged Star Wars exhibition you encounter a host of ships including the legendary Millennium Falcon, illustrations from the films and costumes with Chewies catching the eye.

One of my stand out highlights had to be the lifesize prop of Harrison Fords Han Solo frozen during the Empire Strikes Backs thrilling conclusion. But the real piece de resistance had to be the chilling statue of Darth Vader which meets you one-on-one before leaving.

Once youve overcome the good guy gone bad (who became good again) you have to choose whether youre on the light or dark side of the force.

Realistically, what side do you think I picked? The dark, yes, of course.

At the end, you discover your identity. Im Craig Craig Jones, a male gungan, raised on Bespin, guided by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn before I turned to dark side.

But enough about me, it is probably time you discovered how the force shapes you.

Fans young and old are sure to agree the force is strong with Star Wars: Identities.

Tickets

Heres everything you need to know if you want to visit the exhibit.

Star Wars Identities is at the O2 until Monday, September 4. Tickets from 20, concessions 15, children 10. Call 0844 856 0202 or visit theo2.co.uk.
Sirius XMs $480 Million Pandora Investment Just Prolongs The Inevitable [Bobby Owsinski]

A company which has been facing series of woes, Pandora recently rejected a full buyout from Sirius XM, instead opting for a large cash injection, as well as giving up almost a fifth of its stock and three seats on the its board, although Sirius XM's ownership of the floundering company seems inevitable.

_______________________________

Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

The streaming music service Pandoras in trouble and it has been for some time. Its user base is shrinking, its losses are increasing, and its not able to generate enough revenue, a bad combination if there ever was one. Reports are that the company actually rejected a total acquisition by the satellite radio company Sirius XM last week and instead settled for a $480 million cash injection instead. The problem is that this just prolongs the inevitable, as Sirius will end up owning the company later now rather than sooner.

For its investment, Sirius received 19% of Pandoras stock and three seats on the board, including the chairmanship. This basically ceded control of the company to Sirius (not so much in board seats but in influence), so while the reported deal terms limit Sirius from buying more Pandora shares for 18 months as well as preventing it from acquiring more than 31.5 percent of the company without the Pandora board approval, the entity with all the leverage here is Sirius. It essentially controls the board, has the deep pockets that Pandora desperately needs, and has the ability to put Pandoras assets to greater use than Pandora ever could by itself.





Pandora was once a prime mover in the streaming music field but has lost ground in recent years as the audience dimmed for radio-like streaming and transitioned to subscription on-demand streaming (like what Spotify and Apple Music offer) instead. The company recently introduced the same kind of product with its own $10 per month on-demand offering, but at this point its way too little too late. Youre just not going to get people to move from one streaming service to another unless theres something radically new to offer, a principle that even the market leaders have discovered. The companys major hope is to convert a portion of its 75 million or so users of its free tier to paying customers, but that hasnt exactly been going gangbusters either.

On the other hand, Sirius needs to expand its customer base and and the best way to do that is with an increased online presence, and thats exactly what Pandora provides. Reportedly Sirius will begin offering some of its programming on Pandoras platform soon, which will be a boost for both companies, at least initially (its stock has already jumped about 6% since the announcement). Any synergy favors Sirius more than Pandora however, and it could have been even better had Sirius been able to complete a total acquisition, rather than what amounts to sticking a toe in the water, at least from the programming side.

This acquisition is going to happen eventually however, it just wouldve been better for all concerned if it happened now instead of dragging it out. My prediction is that Sirius will end up with the company and covert it totally to Sirius XM online, with the existing Pandora being only one of the channels that it offers. Pandora may have trouble getting people to subscribe now, but thats something that people will pay for.

Theres no joy in watching a company thrash about trying to stay above the water line. This could have been so much easier.

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Hoosac Valley Student Killed in Motor Vehicle Accident

CHESHIRE, Mass.  The Hoosac Valley High School community is mourning the tragic death of one its students late Monday night.

Kaliq Sherman, a junior, was killed in a single car accident on upper East Hoosac Street.

There were five other teenagers in the care with him, including three Hoosac students who incurred injuries in the crash. All five teens were taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield by ambulance and were treated for minor injuries.

According to the district attorney's office, the accident occurred about 11:30 on Monday night. When emergency responders arrived on the scene they found a vehicle that had travelled down a steep embankment and was resting on the passenger side against a tree.

Sherman, 17, of Adams was inside the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Five other occupants of the vehicle were located and taken to Berkshire Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.

The accident remains under investigation by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, state troopers from Crime Scene Services (CSS) and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section (CARS) and members of the Adams Police Department.

Hoosac Princial Jeremiah Ames said Sherman was a member of the track team and "an enthusiastic artist."

"We have spoken with all of our students about what occurred," he wrote in an email to the Hoosac community and parents.

Parents were informed earlier on Tuesday about the incident and told that counselors would be available for students who needed to speak with them or would be given some time alone to deal to process what had happened.

"The best thing for many of our students today will be to stick to established routines," Ames wrote. "Know that we will continue to do all we can to support your children through this difficult time."

Superintendent Robert Putnam said the school's Crisis Team went to work early in the morning to provide timely information and emotional support for students, families, and staff. Neighboring districts alsocalled in to offer support and personnel and counselors from McCann Technical School and C.T. Plunkett joined the Hoosac Valley team to provide additional support because of their familiarity with our students.




iciHaiti - Security : Accident of Cavaillon 12 dead and 35 wounded, the details





The final report of the terrible accident occurred Saturday on the RN#2 in Cavaillon (South department) rose on Sunday to 12 dead and 35 wounded https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21196-haiti-flash-terrible-road-accident-at-least-26-victims.html The accident would be due to a defect in the brakes of a truck loaded with goods, linking Port-au-Prince and Dame-Marie, which also transported merchants. In its crazy race, the truck killed several street vendors in a public market on the sidewalk, destroying everything in its path, before finishing its race by crashing into a wall causing new victims.



The Mayor of Cavaillon Ernst Ais, who denounced the holding of public markets along the national road, said that he had organized an emergency funeral because of the state of the victims adding that the municipal authorities plan to organize the funerals of the other victims with the promise of assistance from the Ministry of the Interior.



28 of the 35 injured have already left the hospital after receiving first aid, others due to the severity of their case, are still hospitalized.



Prime Minister Lafontant expressed his dismay at the accident and asked for an investigation to be opened to take stock of the causes of this tragedy that once again plagues Haitian families.



He also welcomed the assistance provided to the wounded, including by the Civil Protection, Red Cross, National Ambulance Center and National Police of Haiti (PNH).



"Prime Minister Lafontant expresses his sad condolences to the families and relatives of the disappeared and assures them of the solidarity of the government."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21196-haiti-flash-terrible-road-accident-at-least-26-victims.html



S/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - Agriculture : Project of $446,000 for Haiti





Over 75,000 people in 8 countries will benefit from nine projects totaling $2.3 million committed by Canadian Foodgrains Bank.



The projects are being implemented by Foodgrains Bank members ADRA Canada, Canadian Baptist Ministries, Mennonite Central Committee Canada, Presbyterian World Service & Development and World Renew, in collaboration with their local partners.



Regarding Haiti, it is an agriculture and livelihoods project in Haiti through Mennonite Central Committee Canada, totaling $446,000 and benefitting 17,300 people.



Projects supported by Canadian Foodgrains Bank are undertaken with support from the Government of Canada.



Learn more about the Canadian Foodgrains Bank :

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger. In the 2016-17 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided over $41 million of assistance for over 900,000 people in 35 countries. Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects are undertaken with matching support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.



IH/ iciHaiti


















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Planes are inherently cinematic, aesthetically pleasing vehicles, so it's kind of a shame that most charter jets are simply painted a block colour and then have a logo slapped on the fin.

Icelandair has opted for something more tasteful to mark its 80th anniversary this year, theming one of the Boeing 757-200s in its fleet around the breathtaking Vatnajokull glacier in the south east of Iceland.

Spray painted by a team of skilled artists, the job took 24 days and involved 195 litres of paint.

As can be seen in the making-of film below accompanying the project, the cabin of the plane was also given a glacial spin, with ambient blue lighting evoking the atmosphere beneath the ice. Hell, even the sick bags are glacier print.

Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Show all 11 1 /11 Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane Icelandair's Vatnajokull plane

The Vatnajokull glacier is over 8000 sq km in size (can confirm it's huge, have snowmobiled down it) and is the most active in Iceland thanks to the three volcanoes beneath its surface: Orfajokull, Baroarbunga and Grimsvotn.

Icelandair has been supporting 'Friends of Vatnajokull' since it launched in 2009, a non-profit that supports research and educational activities around the glacier. The Vatnajokull plane will fly the company's transatlantic routes.
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Britain faces leaving the European Union with a minority government. The United States of America currently has an ex-Apprentice host for President. Theres civil unrest in the Middle East.

No wonder people are looking to great leaders from throughout history for guidance, including the remarkable Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who helped lead allied forces to victory through the Second World War.

Two films about him are currently gearing up for release, including Churchill, starring Brian Cox as the titular character.

The Independent sat down with the actor  best known for roles in The Bourne Identity, X2, and Troy  along with Miranda Richardson, who play's Churchill's wife Clementine, to discuss the upcoming film, along with what the wartime leader would have thought about the world today.

Above is a snippet of our interview, the full transcription from which can be read below.

 Churchill Clip - I Would Have Us Do More!

When you were researching the roles, what most surprised you about the Churchills.

Miranda Richardson: It was how they would have these blazing rows. They were hammer and tongs, and then it would be over.

Were there any mannerisms you found difficult to master for the film?

Brian Cox: The thing is to avoid the mannerisms, or really put them in their place. The cigar, that image of him, its such a strong image. Mind you, everyone thinks Churchill is a dog these days. Its amazing, young people dont really know about Churchill as much as I do. Churchill was a very prevalent person, especially in my teens. Now, hes much more mysterious. In a way, hes more open to interpretation. Like the history plays of Shakespeare, when you look at them now  even at the time they were written  they were about the characters behind the history. The history was something, and the characters were something else. Now, were getting to that stage with Churchill, where we can begin to see who he was, and Clemmie [Clementine], who she was. Instead of what the accepted view was.

MR: Well, there wasnt really an accepted view of Clemmie. In some ways shes mysterious. Within reason, I felt I had carte blanche. I call it breaking new ground, which is a lovely thing to do. Reading the biographies, looking at photograph, reading the script, whats not said along with what is said. Its all grist.

Its interesting theres another Churchill film coming right now. I was wondering, why do you think his story is resonant right now?

BC: I think, for the obvious. Its to do with principle and leadership. Principle and leadership are severely lacking at the moment, on both sides of the Atlantic. Churchill was the first man to postulate the idea  right back in 1940, when there was the problem with France  his great plan was to give citizens of France a British citizenship, and citizens of the UK a French citizenship. He was the first person to come up with the notion of the United States of Europe. I think hed be pretty horrified at whats going on at the moment, quite honestly. The characters that are involved, I dont think any of them come up to who he was, in terms of his own principle. the same goes for the other side of the Atlantic.

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I was going to ask you about today, because, especially in politics, were lacking that character.

BC: Youre absolutely right. Interestingly enough, from the American opening [of the film], theyve picked up on that. What they love about the film is here is someone that represents something that isnt existing anymore. Everyone is so vainglorious now, in a way that he wasnt. He was ambitious, of course, as a young man. but as an old man, his ambition was for his country, and truly for his country, not just some kind of sound bites. Like you get from across the border.

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

In this film, hes portrayed as a fallen warrior, not necessarily the most powerful person in the room. Was that quite challenging to play?

MR: Its interesting, isnt it? Because its not the norm. Its accepting that these people are human, and have flaws.

BC: Historically, at the time, so much was out of his hands. When you have got that formidable group, Montgomery, Brooke and Eisenhower, so much was taken away from him. In a good way, in the right way. In many ways, he let that go, he was not a bad delegator in that sense, running the country with [Clement] Attlee [Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party]. I mean, Attlee ran the country while was at the war. He was not well, quite ill towards the end of 43. Thats where his relationship with Clemmie faltered, which was always so strong, and the friendship. Fundamentally it was a great friendship, and she knew him. She knew who he was. She could anticipate when he would go off the rails. He consumed a fair amount of alcohol. He didnt sleep. Three hours a night. his serotonin levels must have been ridiculous. He suffered from depression, got over a bought of pneumonia, he was not a well fella.

MR: They were both under a great deal of strain, mostly because of how he was. she had to keep up appearances. There are lovely photographs of them giggling together, and quite a lot of her laughing. You always wonder, behind that, whats really going on? Is it genuine? Its a little bit of a mask. Youve talked about part of Churchills character being a construct. That was kind of what the times demanded. Clemmie also had a mask, but she was actually hiding behind closed doors more. Mainly because her main concern was the great man, let him do what he has to do and advise him how to do it. She was a very smart cookie, because she was wonderful help to the generals.

Churchill reaches UK cinemas 16 June
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Deadpool 2 is currently deep in pre-production, meaning there's still time for a few last-minute cast announcements.

Deadline has revealed that Shioli Kutsuna has joined the sequel in a mysterious new role, one that's only been described as "key"; interesting, considering Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz have already been confirmed for both Cable and Domino.

It could be her character is connected to another unannounced role, the villain spot currently occupied by Jack Kesy; though he's been heavily rumoured to be playing Black Tom, a Dublin-born mutant who can manipulate, bond with, and project energy through plant life.

Kutsuna most recently starred in the indie Oh Lucy! opposite Josh Hartnett, which had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival; she also stars alongside Jared Leto in crime thriller The Outsider, which sees Leto playing a US army deserter who joins the Yakuza while living in post-World War II Japan.

Ryan Reynolds will, of course, return to play the Merc with a Mouth, with Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Stefan Kapacic, and Brianna Hildebrand all slated to return.

Deadpool 2 hits UK cinemas 1 June, 2018.
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A dad has saved the life of his two-year-old son after recognising the symptoms of dry drowning from a news story.

After watching the family of Frankie Delgado, aged four, speak about their son who tragically died after inhaling water while swimming, Garon Vega from Colorado knew that he needed to take his little boy to the hospital.

Since swallowing water during a trip to the community pool last week, Vegas son, Gio, began to suffer similar symptoms to Frankie including a fever and trouble breathing.

Garon Vega took his son Gio to hospital after recognising symptoms of dry drowning (Image: Handout)

And, an X-ray confirmed that there was indeed fluid on the toddlers lungs. A doctor said that it was a good thing Vega brought his son to the emergency department as it was likely he would not have survived the night.

The quick-thinking father has since thanked Delgados parents for speaking out, saying that if it wasnt for them, he probably wouldnt have taken Gio to the hospital.

I feel like I needed to reach out to the parents of little Frankie and tell them, I dont know how to word it, but their little boy saved our little boys life,' Vega told ABC 13.

There was a purpose. It was an unfortunate thing that happened, but if I had not told my wife that he swallowed the water, and if she had not seen that article, I think we wouldve ended up dispelling it as a regular sickness.

A rare medical condition that predominantly affects children, dry drowning happens when someone breaths in water. While the fluid never reaches the lungs, it does chord the vocal chords to spasm and tighten, eventually shutting down the airway.

This was, unfortunately, the case for Baby Frankie who passed away just days after swimming with his family in Texas.

Following the trip, the four-year-old began to complain of stomach pains which was shortly followed by vomiting and diarrhoea, but while he appeared to get better, things suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Frankie's parents bravely shared the tragic story of their son's death (Image: ABC)

Out of nowhere, he just woke up. He said, ahhh,' his father told KTRK-TV.

He took his last breath, and I didnt know what to do no more.

The young boy was quickly rushed to the hospital where he sadly later died.

When she came in, she told us it's what's called dry drowning. His lungs were full of fluid. There was nothing else they could do for him, Tina Delgado said.

Four-year-old Frankie Delgado sadly passed away this month from dry drowning

While dry drowning symptoms happen immediately, there is a similar condition called secondary drowning that can take up to 24 hours to develop.

Here, water gets into the lungs and starts to build up over time before eventually making it impossible to breathe.

However, symptoms of both conditions are exactly the same and include coughing, chest pain, trouble breathing and fatigue.
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Foreign names could become a far rarer sight in Egypts next generations with the proposal of a new ban that could saddle parents with hefty fines or jail terms.

An Egyptian parliamentary committee will meet on Tuesday to debate a law that would ban parents from using western names. Under the law, parents would face a fine of up to $270 (212) or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Egyptian MP Bedier Abdel Aziz will propose the law to the Parliaments complaints and suggestions committee and claims names such as Lara, Mark and Sam are difficult to pronounce for Arabic speakers.

Using such Western names and abandoning Arabic ones will lead to an undesired and radical change in our society and culture, he told The Egypt Independent.

Our sons will no longer be connected to their true identity, he added.

By contrast, many Egyptians on social media have strongly disagreed with Mr Aziz.

I really can't believe that the parliament has nothing better to do. Add this to the growing list of weird things they want to discuss! Anthea Gould commented.

Heidi Yanulis shared her sentiment commenting: This is the stupidest waste of time I have ever heard of.

Arwa Yasser also commented in disagreement saying that naming your child is a "personal freedom."

If the new law is passed, Egypt will not be the first country to ban certain names. In Saudi Arabia a list of 50 names including Alice, Linda and Elaine were banned in 2014 because they contradicted local culture or religion, according to Gulf News.

Denmarks law on personal names also rejects Pluto and Monkey while in New Zealand, parents hoping to name new-borns Stallion, Fish and Chips or Satan will be disappointed.
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There arent enough organs to go around and many people die waiting for transplants. As a result, a black market in organs has sprung up.

A recent raid in Pakistan exposed a gang of doctors and agents who had been illegally buying kidneys from live donors. Perhaps its time to consider a state-regulated market in organs. Or perhaps the government should buy organs itself, paying donors in cash or with healthcare benefits.

In this vein, a transplantation committee in the Indian city of Aurangabad is considering a scheme that would provide free healthcare to family members of deceased organ donors.

Meanwhile, some US hospitals are rewarding live donors with vouchers that can be used to obtain organs in the future.

But many objections have been raised to these sorts of incentive schemes, with perhaps the most serious being that they are exploitative and coercive. Lets consider these objections in turn.

Exploitation

Suppose the government decides to allow a private market for live kidney donations. A market springs up, and the average price paid for a kidney is 1,000. Almost all donors are unemployed and in financial need, and most recipients are well-off.

Recommended Baby born to donate organs died too soon

Some will object that this market is exploitative.

On one interpretation, the worry is that organ buyers are taking advantage of the vulnerability of the poor. Buyers use this vulnerability to obtain organs for a lower price than they would have had to pay were the donors not vulnerable.

This problem could be avoided by guaranteeing a minimum price for organs. Governments could enforce a minimum cash price or they could could take on the role of buyer themselves, providing cash rewards or perhaps vouchers that can be used to obtain an organ for oneself or a loved one in the future.

Either way, if the reward is large enough that the donor would donate even if not vulnerable, then the buyer would no longer be profiting from vulnerability.

Coercion

Suppose that, convinced by this reasoning, the government bans the private market but introduces a tax-funded 100,000 reward for all live kidney donors.

Now some will raise a new objection: this scheme risks coercion because, for those in financial need, the reward will be effectively irresistible. While it is true that even the poorest people formally have the choice not to donate, the reward may be so attractive that not donating isnt a reasonable option.

According to a popular though contested view, if one cant reasonably refuse donation, one is a victim of coercion.

A tension

To avoid exploitation, we may need to ensure that incentives for organ donation are large enough that donors would donate even if they are not vulnerable. But if incentives become too large, some will regard them as coercive.

Is there any space between these two worries? Is it possible to both avoid the charge of exploitation and the charge of coercion?

In some cases, perhaps not. Consider live donation of a liver lobe. Because this can lead to significant complications, most non-vulnerable people would need a large incentive to donate. But some will fear that a large incentive would be coercive for many.

In other cases, though, it seems clear that a middle ground can be found. Take deceased-donor organ donation. Suppose the government would pay anyone who agreed to donate their organs after their death.

A small payment would probably be enough to avoid the charge of exploitation here, for many non-vulnerable people agree to such donation even in the absence of any incentive. And, if the incentive is only modest, the risk of coercion is low.

If incentives for organ donation can be exploitative and coercive, that may rule out their use in some cases. But in others, it seems possible to tread the line between these two objections. Providing rewards for deceased-donor organ donation is one such example.

Tom Douglas is a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford. This article was originally published on The Conversation (www.theconversation.com)
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The UKs hung parliament is likely to delay the Brexit negotiations and is credit negative for the country, ratings agency Moody's has warned.

The inconclusive election result could also slow efforts to shrink the budget deficit as it will now be a lower priority for the Government. This is also bad for the countrys credit rating, Moodys said in a report published on Monday.

In our view, the budget deficit will increase this year and next as the Government reacts to the economic slowdown under way, said Kathrin Muehlbronner, Moody's senior vice president.

The election outcome, with significant gains for the Labour Party which had campaigned for increased public spending, will likely be seen as a 'vote against austerity'. The public debt ratio will rise further and for longer than we had expected.

On the positive side, the ratings agency said the result made a hard Brexit less likely. Prime Minister Theresa May repeatedly said in the run-up to last week's election that she was willing to walk away from talks with the EU if necessary, because no deal is better than a bad deal.

Following the disastrous result for Ms Mays Party, which was interpreted partly as a rejection of hard Brexit, the Government will likely have to soften that stance.

The Conservatives announced on Monday that they might delay the Queens Speech, which sets out the Government's legislative agenda.

It had been due to take place on Monday 19 June but the Conservatives now need more time to hammer out the details of a deal with Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party, which the Prime Minister has called upon to support her minority government. Brexit secretary David Davis said the manifesto would probably be "pruned".

Jeremy Corbyn has maintained that his Labour Party is ready to serve the country should the opportunity arise.

Mr Corbyn has advocated a much softer Brexit than Ms May, with continued access to the single market and customs union being the priorities.

While it is unclear at this stage which changes to its strategy the Government will contemplate, it may be that 'softer' versions of Brexit will now be considered. This could potentially include a request to remain inside the EU single market or the customs union, Moody's said.
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Global fashion brands including H&M, Zara and Marks & Spencer are buying material produced in factories that devastate peoples health in Indonesia, China and India, a new investigation has found.

Toxic run-off from the manufacture of viscose, a supposedly environmentally friendly fibre used to make clothes, is contaminating water supplies and has been linked to increased risk of cancer.

Viscose is a plant-based fibre which means it is sometimes promoted as an ethical choice for consumers. However, most viscose is currently produced using a highly chemical-intensive process, according to the campaign group the Changing Markets Foundation.

The global brands found to have been buying viscose from polluting factories (Changing Markets)

They found clear evidence that viscose manufacturers are dumping untreated wastewater into local water supplies.

In one instance in West Java, Indonesia, locals were found washing viscose products in the river, directly exposing themselves to toxic chemicals contained in the fibre. Investigators were told no one swims in the river any more.

Near another plant in Jiangxi, China, viscose production had apparently turned the water of the Poyang Lake black, killing fish and shrimps, and stunting crop growth.

Villagers in Madhya Pradesh, India, where groundwater and soil has been contaminated by viscose production (Changing Markets) (Cghanging Markets)

In Madhya Pradesh, India, which is home to a large viscose plant, families were found to be suffering cases of cancer and birth deformities after their groundwater and soil was contaminated by industrial pollution.

Cheap production, which is driven by the fast fashion industry, combined with lax enforcement of environmental regulations in China, India and Indonesia, is proving to be a toxic mix, Changing Markets said.

Unless the garment industry acts to clean up production the damage caused by viscose production will get worse, according to the report.

An unprecedented increase in demand for clothing worldwide, boosted by population growth and the emergence of middle class consumers in China and India, is leading to more viscose being produced.

Natasha Hurley, campaign manager at Changing Markets, said: This report reveals that some of the worlds biggest brands are turning a blind eye to questionable practices within their supply chains.

"With water pollution increasingly being recognised as a major business risk, shifting to more sustainable production processes should be high on retailers agendas.

Large fashion brands have such significant purchasing power that they could pressure suppliers to clean up their methods with relatively little effort, Changing Markets said.

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The organisation calculates that 10 companies control around 70 per cent of global viscose production, meaning there is a clear opportunity for rapid and transformational change across the sector.

The group called upon big brands to only buy viscose made in an environmentally friendly way, and to assist producers with any transition costs.

The Independent has contacted Marks & Spencer, H&M and Inditex, which owns Zara, for comment.
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Almost thirty countries, including Iran, Congo and Burkina Faso, offer more favourable benefits for new dads than the UK does, according to new analysis.

A study conducted by law family law firm First4laywers found that 28 countries have better paternity benefits than Britain, where fathers are entitled to just 10 working days off at 80 per cent of pay after they have a child.

Shared parental leave was introduced in the UK in 2015, giving parents the right to split up to 52 weeks between them. But research cited by the law firm shows that just 1 per cent of dads have taken up the benefit.

The analysis also shows that many countries offer paternity leave at 100 per cent of pay and numerous offer more generous leave than the UKs two weeks.

Sweden tops the list as the most generous country, offering 18 weeks for new dads. Parents of whichever gender in the country are entitled to stay at home with their newborn for a total of 480 days while receiving 80 per cent of their salary. According to First4laywers, 14 per cent of couples share parental leave in Sweden.

Similarly, Iceland and Slovenia offer 12 weeks paternity leave at either 80 per cent or 100 per cent of pay. Finland offers 11 weeks at 70 per cent of pay, putting it among the most generous too. Many other countries offer two weeks like the UK, but dozens, including Poland, Estonia, Denmark, Croatia, Iran, Venezuela, Ecuador, Togo, Mauritania, Madagascar, Kenya and Gabon, offer 100 per cent pay for that fortnight.

In March a TUC report found that new mothers in Britain receive just six weeks of what they deem decently-paid maternity leave, putting the UK in a relegation zone when it comes to parental benefits.

Women can take a year of maternity leave in the UK and will get paid for 39 weeks of that.

The first six weeks is compensated at 90 per cent of their salary, but it then drops dramatically to just under 140 per week, which is below the national minimum wage, according to the TUC.

Mothers in Croatia are entitled to six months of what the TUC considers decently-paid maternity leave, making that country the most favourable for benefits, followed closely by Hungary where mothers are entitled to just over five and a half months.

The Czech Republic and Poland are also among the top four, with Estonia, Italy and Spain tying for fifth spot by offering 3.7 months of leave each.
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Donald Trump has accused former Attorney General Loretta Lynch of illegal behaviour and of giving special treatment to his Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton.

In one of a series of tweets in which the President also repeated his criticism of the media, Mr Trump said that Ms Lynch, who served as Attorney General during Barack Obamas second term, had made law enforcement decisions for political purposes".

Gave Hillary Clinton a free pass and protection. Totally illegal, he said.

Mr Trump made his comments on Twitter after the appearance last week of former FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee. During his appearance, Mr Comey said that Mr Trump had directed him to drop an investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

He also confirmed Mr Trumps claim that he had told the President that he was not personally under investigation as part of the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia's alleged attempt to influence the election.

 Donald Trump is willing to testify under oath on Comey

Yet Mr Comey also talked about Ms Lynch, who succeeded Eric Holder as Attorney General. He said that when he was investigating Ms Clinton's use of a private email server during the 2016 presidential campaign, Ms Lynch directed me not to call it an investigation but instead to call it a matter.

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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. 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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. 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Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He said that instruction, taken with a private tarmac meeting with former president Bill Clinton at Phoenix ahead of the FBI's impending decision on whether Ms Clinton may have criminally mishandled classified information, raised Mr Comeys ethics radar. As a result, he decided to announce the FBIs findings ahead of schedule.

That was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude: I have to step away from the department if we're to close this case credibly, said Mr Comey said.

He was asked why he had not pushed back on those requests and Mr Comey said he had concluded: This isnt a hill worth dying on, and so I just said, Okay.
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The proportion of children being denied a place at their first choice of secondary school has risen to the highest level since the start of the decade.

As many as one in six pupils (16.6 per cent) did not receive their first preference this year  equivalent to almost 93,000 children, and a rise of 0.6 per cent on last year.

The last time the proportion was above 16 per cent was in 2010.

Recommended Tory cuts force London school to reduce its day by 30 minutes

Figures from the Department for Education also show one in 10 primary school age children were not offered their first choice this year - an improvement from roughly one in nine (11.6 per cent) in 2016.

This makes for a total of 154,854 pupils who were placed in their second or third choice of school at best.

Applications to primary schools are falling, thanks to a drop in the birth rate since 2013, meaning a greater percentage of children are being offered a place at their first choice school in recent years.

By contrast, applications to secondary schools have been rising steadily in recent years, prompted by a spike in births in the previous decade.

The figures come amid on-going discussions as to how the Government plans to provide more school places for the growing population.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters

Pupil numbers are expected to spike again before long, boosting the number of secondary school-age children by more than half a million by 2025.

By that time there will be around 3.3 million secondary-age children seeking school places  a factor the Government said has played a significant part in its free school expansion plans.

This is likely to have a knock-on effect on deepening teacher shortages, a cross-party board of MPs warned earlier this year.

Responding to the figures, Kevin Courtney, General Secretary for the National Union of Teachers, said the increase in demand for secondary places was inevitable, but that shortages could have been avoided with better planning.

Many parents will have been anxious when their child didnt get the school place they wanted, he said. The squeeze on secondary places is the biggest in decades but the causes are clear.

It is very largely the predictable result of a woeful lack of planning and commitment by central government.

The Government has reduced the powers for local authorities to plan for and provide sufficient school places in their areas.

 Education Secretary Justine Greening avoids question of which expert backs more grammar schools

This cant be defended. It is essential that local areas have these powers restored and that they are given the funding required to meet the demands of the local community. A new government must take a new approach.

A total of 562,487 applications were made to secondary schools across England this year  the highest number since 2008.

Some 96.1 per cent of young people received an offer from any one of their preferred secondary schools, down slightly on 96.5 per cent in 2016.

There were significant variations across different regions, however, suggesting a childs likelihood of receiving a suitable school place still depends greatly on where they live.

North-east England saw the highest proportion of first-choice offers for secondary schools  at 90.9 per cent  just ahead of south-west England (90.8 per cent).

London families were the least likely to win a place at their childs first choice of school - 68.2 per cent  although the figure was slightly higher in outer boroughs (69.8 per cent) than inner city authorities (64.9 cent).

The local authority with the best first-preference rate this year was Northumberland (98.2 per cent), followed by Cornwall (97.3 per cent) and Bedford (96.8 per cent).

Northumberland and Cornwall have been in the top three for the past three years, meaning parents are least likely to struggle to find their children a suitable place in these areas.

Responding to the figures, the DfE said the school system was rising to the challenge.

A spokesperson said: The vast majority of parents continue to secure a place at their first choice of school for their child, 86.9 per cent - with more than 95 per cent having received offers at one of their top three choices.

There are already 1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools than 2010 but we want to do more to ensure every child has access to a good school place.
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Terminally ill baby Charlie Gard will be kept on life support until Sunday while the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) considers the case.

Connie Yates and Chris Gard, whose 10-month-old son has a rare genetic condition, are awaiting a final decision from judges in Strasbourg on whether they can take Charlie to the US for experimental treatment, following a bitterly fought series of failed legal challenges in the UK.

The ECHR previously ordered Charlies life support to be continued until Tuesday, but has now said this should be extended until midnight on 19 June.

Recommended Parents share photo of sick baby as European judges consider case

Charlie, who was born on 4 August last year, has a form of mitochondrial disease, a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London said it would be kinder to move the baby to an end-of-life care regime, but his parents disagree with the doctors assessment of Charlies condition and want to be allowed to take him to a hospital in the US where they hope he can be treated.

Ms Yates shared an image of her son with his eyes open on Facebook on Sunday with the caption: A picture speaks a thousand words. As quoted from the judgement he is not consistently able to open his eyes enough to be able to see. Indeed, this leads to the difficulty that his brain is failing to learn to see.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA 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 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA

Ms Yates and Mr Gard, who are in their 30s, also shared an image of the young family out on the roof of Great Ormond Street Hospital having a picnic.

They have raised 1.3m through more than 83,000 donations by setting up a crowdfunding campaign to help take their son to the US for an experimental therapy, called nucleoside.

A High Court judge in April ruled against a trip to the US and in favour of Great Ormond Street doctors. Mr Justice Francis concluded that life support treatment should end and said Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity.

Three Court of Appeal judges upheld that ruling in May and three Supreme Court justices last week dismissed a further challenge by the couple.

Mr Justice Francis said Charlies parents had, understandably, grasped at the possibility that the therapy might be pioneering treatment.

But he added: There is unanimity among the experts from whom I have heard that nucleoside therapy cannot reverse structural brain damage.

I dare say that medical science may benefit, objectively, from the experiment, but experimentation cannot be in Charlies best interests unless there is a prospect of benefit for him.
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced the isolation of Qatar as "inhumane and against Islamic values", and said the methods used against the Gulf state were unacceptable, and analogous to a "death penalty".

Erdogan's defence of Qatar, in a parliamentary speech to members of his ruling AK Party, comes after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Doha last week, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran - allegations it says are baseless.

"A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar, isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values. It's as if a death penalty decision has been taken for Qatar," Erdogan said.

"Qatar has shown the most decisive stance against the terrorist organisation Islamic State alongside Turkey. Victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose."

Erdogan also said he would hold a conference call on Tuesday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss recent developments.

He said the Saudi King, as the elder statesman in the Gulf region, should take the lead to resolve the crisis.

Erdogan is also due to discuss the dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump in coming days, Turkey's foreign minister said earlier on Tuesday.

The Turkish president has vowed to keep supporting Qatar and has said the dispute should be resolved before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
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A woman cried as she appeared in court charged with the murder of a man who was hit by a moving tram.

Charrissa Loren Brown-Wellington, 31, wore a red jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms as she appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday morning charged with the murder of Philip Carter.

Mr Carter, who has not been formally named by police but was named in court, died after being hit by a tram at Victoria station in Manchester on Sunday.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA 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 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King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on 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Emergency services attended at about 7.50pm but the 30-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Greater Manchester Police said he was pushed from the platform in front of a moving tram.

Brown-Wellington, who has long brown hair and was in tears in the dock, was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday.
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The boss of West Ham has insisted he is still helping to house a homeless hero of the Manchester terror attack after he was photographed apparently back on the streets.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan pledged to set up Stephen Jones in a home for six months after the homeless man ran towards danger to help victims following the explosion at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.

There were calls for the 35-year-old to be immediately housed by the council after he pulled nails from the faces of injured children in the chaotic aftermath of the bomb, detonated by terrorist Salman Abedi.

But just three weeks after his heroic actions, Mr Jones has been photographed with a sleeping bag and his belongings on the street in central Manchester.

After Mr Jones gave an interview on This Morning, the son of West Ham owner David Sullivan appeared on the show and vowed to help Stephen get back on his feet.

The son of Mr Sullivan, who co-owns the Hammers, said his father is in the process of getting Mr Jones into a suitable flat and that he is temporarily staying in hostels.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

David Sullivan Junior told The Sun: Steve has been in a hotel for a little while whilst we wait for him to choose his accommodation.

We aim to have a tenancy agreement in place by the end of the week, and I am going up to Manchester to visit him on 1 July.

Mass murderer Abedi killed 22 people and injured 119 when he detonated his nail bomb as thousands left the concert on the evening of 22 May.

Mr Jones had been sleeping nearby and recalled scenes of carnage as children and adults began flooding out of the arena covered in blood.

Mr Sullivan Jr appealed on Twitter for help in finding Mr Jones, saying me and dad want to rent the homeless man in Manchester a house for 6 months. If anyone can help us get in touch much much appreciated. Such a selfless act needs rewarding. Please tag anyone who can help us.

Stephen Jones appeared on ITV in the aftermath of the attack (screen grab)

The pair were soon able to track Mr Jones down with the help of a Manchester homeless centre.

Mr Jones expressed his gratitude to members of the public who donated money for him, saying he was overwhelmed".

He confirmed he had been in touch with Mr Sullivan: We've been having a chat and stuff. He said that he would pay me for six months on a place here, if I find a private landlord.

Next season when United play West Ham or City he's going to have me as his guest of honour in his box or fly me down to London to watch it there.

I want to stay here in Manchester. I've had lot of calls from people who have set pages up for me get me own place.

I've got no family but my nana. She had a male friend who I want to stay near and with. This is why we love Manchester the support that everyone gives. It's incredible.

Mr Sullivan Jr has taken to Twitter today to defend his father from accusations that he has broken his promise to help Mr Jones.

He shared a recording of a telephone conversation he had with Mr Jones, urging him to explain that he is "not homeless... as some of the papers have been reporting?"

Mr Jones tells Mr Sullivan that "things don't just happen overnight".

Ive addressed my drug problem and now Im addressing my housing problem.

"The housing association wanted my birth certificate and all that people need to realise it takes time, things don't just happen overnight ... but I am getting help.
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The homeless man who rushed to help young victims of the Manchester terror attack within minutes of the bomb going off, should be housed in a rented flat "by the end of the week".

Stephen Jones, 35, was sleeping near the Manchester Arena on the night of the Ariana Grande concert, when Salman Abedi detonated his homemade explosive device, killing 22 and injuring dozens more.

After rushing to provide help, he found "a lot of children with blood all over them crying and screaming".

"They needed the help. I'd like to think that someone would come and help me if I needed the help," he told ITV News shortly after he incident. "It was just my instinct to go and help people out."

Recommended Homeless Manchester attack hero pictured back on streets

But three weeks after his heroic actions, he was photographed with a sleeping bag and his belongings on the street in central Manchester.

However, Dave Sullivan Jr, the son of the West Ham United chairman, has hit out at claims Mr Jones was still homeless.

Taking to Twitter, the 17-year-old wrote that Mr Jones had been staying in a hotel "which I've been paying for" and that he is in the process of choosing his new accommodation.

"We aim to have a tenancy agreement in place by the end of the week. I'm going up to manc on July 1st to see him," Mr Sullivan said.

"Going up to Manchester on Wednesday to sort Steves house and go shopping with him. Will keep everyone posted on situation".

The Sullivans had promised to pay Mr Jones' rent for six months to help him get back on his feet.

One Love Manchester Show all 12 1 /12 One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Concert goers queue outside Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Music fans embrace outside the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester A woman sunbathes as police officers patrol around Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Manchester residents cheer as survivors walk to Old Trafford cricket grounds for the concert @AlexScapensMEN/Twitter One Love Manchester Women wearing I Love MCR T-shirts arrive at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Armed police look-on as fans begin to arrive at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Benefit Concert fans. One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Benefit Concert. One Love Manchester The crowd at the 'One Love Manchester' benefit concert. One Love Manchester AP One Love Manchester Gary Barlow has tweeted a picture of Take That backstage with Ariana Grande. Grande said she wanted to return to the "incredibly brave city" to spend time with her fans and to "honour and raise money for the victims and their families". One Love Manchester Take That with Robbie Williams - Music fans have said they had to attend the Manchester benefit concert to show they were determined to "stay strong and carry on", despite recent attacks.

Mr Sullivan Jr shared a recording of a telephone conversation he had with Mr Jones, urging him to explain that he is "not homeless... as some of the papers have been reporting"

Mr Jones replied that "things don't just happen overnight".

He said: "Ive addressed my drug problem and now Im addressing my housing problem. "The housing association wanted my birth certificate and all that people need to realise it takes time, things don't just happen overnight."

He added: "I am getting help."
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Princess Diana reportedly threw herself down the stairs' while she was four months pregnant with Prince William.

The Princess of Wales is said to have recorded the account in 1991 as her marriage to Prince Charles began to disintegrate, before sending the tapes to journalist Andrew Morton.

The author used them to write the book Diana: Her True Story.

In excerpts from the book, which has been reprinted 25 years after its original publication, Diana described her attempts to get Prince Charles to listen to her.

When I was four months pregnant with William I threw myself downstairs, trying to get my husbands attention, for him to listen to me, Diana said, according to the Daily Mail, which is currently serialising the book.

I had told Charles I felt so desperate and I was crying my eyes out. He said I was crying wolf. Im not going to listen, he said. Youre always doing this to me. Im going riding now.

So I threw myself down the stairs. The Queen comes out, absolutely horrified, shaking  she was so frightened.

She added that while she was bruised around the stomach she knew I wasnt going to lose the baby.

Diana reportedly agreed to record and send the tapes to Mr Morton on the condition that her involvement was kept a secret.

A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate Show all 10 1 /10 A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512266.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512269.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512270.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512261.bin 2006 Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512262.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512263.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512267.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512264.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512265.bin Getty Images A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate 512268.bin Getty Images

She is believed to have made the recordings at Kensington Palace.

Transcriptions of tapes, in which Diana spoke candidly of attempts to kill herself, suffering from bulimia, and Prince Charles affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, were released after the Princess death in 1997 - five years after the book had originally been published.

Mr Morton told The Independent at the time he had left the tapes in his will to Sussex University to be used after his death.

It would not have occurred to me to reveal them, had she not died, he said.

Dianas recordings were aired on American television in 2004 when they were used as part of a series about her.

Twenty years on from their mother's death, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry spoke publicly about their own experience of mental health.

As part of their Heads Together campaign, Prince Harry told how he sought counselling to deal with his grief.

Prince William said it took him "almost 20 years" to be able to speak about his mother openly and "more honestly".

Additional reporting by PA
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The British government has been accused of turning a blind eye to evidence that a Russian whistleblower was assassinated in the UK on Vladimir Putins direct order.

Financier Alexander Perepilichnyy uncovered a $230 million (150 million) Russian money-laundering operation before he collapsed near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, in 2012.

Surrey Police told an inquest into the cause of his death there was no evidence of "third party involvement or foul play", but a report published by BuzzFeed News revealed US, French and UK officials were increasingly concerned his death had not been properly investigated.

"We strongly believe that Perepilichnyy was assassinated on direct orders from Putin or people close to him," a senior US intelligence official told the site.

Former head of Britains National Counter Terrorism Security Office Chris Phillips said he believed Mr Perepilichnyy had been assassinated. Theres no way it wasnt a hit. Its ridiculous, he said.

British intelligence agencies were reportedly handed information that connected Mr Perepilichnyys death to the Kremlin, but MI6 officers who corroborated that view were reportedly silenced to avoid jeopardising diplomatic relations with the country.

One US intelligence official said: Their efforts to publicly declare that Perepilichnyy was assassinated on British soil had deeper political implications.

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

News of Mr Perepilichnyy's death was first reported by The Independent in 2012, sparking interest in the mysterious case from around the world.

Mr Perepilichnyy had reportedly been consistently threatened since he revealed the scandal in 2010. The 44-year-old had taken out 3.5 million worth of life insurance and applied for another 5 million worth of policies before his death, the inquest heard.

The married father-of-two travelled to Paris days before his death to meet 22-year-old Ukrainian Elmira Medynska.

However authorities never interviewed her, and her testimony of his last two days will not be heard at the inquest.

Speaking of his death, Ms Medynska told BuzzFeed: "It happens to Russian people in London. He gave Russian information to Swiss and you can be killed for that."

French police identified Ms Medynska, who posts to Instagram under the handle @elmiramedins, as a 'very important' person in their inquiries

Mr Perepilichnyy's life insurance company Legal and General ordered a new toxicology report after Surrey Police announced a full and detailed range of toxicology tests had found nothing suspicious. The fresh testing found traces of a deadly plant poison in his stomach called gelsemium, as reported by The Independent in 2015. The discovery pushed French authorities to open a case into his suspected organised assassination. They have claimed British authorities have repeatedly stonewalled their investigative efforts.

However, Mr Perepilichnyys wife Tatiana Perepilichnyy maintains that her husband died of natural causes and denied claims he had ever received threats during their 20-year marriage.

Her lawyer said she believed "the tragic death of her husband has been overshadowed by stereotypes towards successful Russian businesspeople.

The inquest is not expected to hear evidence from French officials and a series of documents have been sealed by the UK Government on national security grounds after home secretary Amber Rudd argued there would be real and significant damage to national security from disclosure and obtained a High Court secrecy order last November.

The inquest, which began last week headed by an independent coroner, will examine whether he was poisoned or died of natural causes.

The Home Office told The Independent it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
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Police are investigating whether drugs were involved in the death of a schoolgirl from Glasgow who died the day before her 15th birthday.

Friends paid tribute to Zoe Bremner, who died at a house party early on Sunday morning, and wished her a happy birthday in heartfelt messages posted online.

A girl and a boy, both 15, were also rushed to hospital from the party after becoming unwell, officers said. Drugs is one line of inquiry, police told The Scottish Sun.

One friend of the teenager posted on her Facebook page: Just want to wish the biggest happy birthday to my best friend up in heaven I hope you have an absolute ball up the like you deserve angel.

Public health experts have called for drug-testing facilities to be offered at festivals this summer after a trial last year found boric acid and ground-up malaria tablets sold as cocaine.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) said stronger substances and lack of information about what pills and powders contain have contributed to a recent increase in deaths related to recreational drug use.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show deaths caused by ecstasy have risen sevenfold, from eight in 2010 to 57 in 2015.

Hundreds of Zoes friends and family members, including members of a dance school that she attended, gathered in the Scottish city centre to sing and release pink and yellow balloons in her memory.

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

Police released a warning over a batch of teddy-bear shaped ecstasy tablets last year after the death of a 19-year-old clubber in Manchester.

Three 12-year-old girls were also hospitalised last year after taking the pills, reportedly believing they were sweets.
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A womans human rights have been violated by Irelands abortion law, according to the United Human Rights Committee.

It ruled that the Irish government must redress the harm caused to Siobhan Whelan when she was denied an abortion in a landmark case in 2010.

It said that the state had violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibition against cruel, inhuman and discriminatory treatment, and had also breached her right to privacy and equality.

Ms Whelan was forced to travel from the Republic of Ireland to the UK to terminate her pregnancy, despite the fact her foetus had a congenital brain malformation which only 3 per cent of foetuses are expected to survive.

Welcoming the ruling, she said: I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the committee for its recognition of the harm I suffered, and the violation of my human rights, as a result of Irelands abortion laws.

In taking this case, my hope was to bring about a change in our laws so that when faced with the tragic news of a fatal foetal impairment women would have a choice to end the pregnancy in Ireland and not be forced to carry the pregnancy to term or to travel out of the country to access health care services like I had to do.

The UNHRCs also recommended Whelan be provided with psychological treatment and reaffirmed its recommendation that Ireland legalise and widen access to safe abortions.

It is the second time time in 12 months the committee has criticised Irish law, which gives foetuses citizen status and makes abortion a criminal act under the Eighth Amendment.

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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 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty 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 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King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on 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In a similar case last year, UN experts ruled that Amanda Mellet, who had been forced to travel to the UK for an abortion, should be compensated by the Irish state. She was awarded 30,000 (26,400) in damages by the Irish government.

However, under the country's 2013 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, abortions may now be provided if a mother's live is in immediate danger.

Right groups criticised the government earlier this week after it emerged that a young girl who thought she was being sent to Dublin for an abortion, was also forcibly sectioned last year.

The case was highlighted in a report published by the Child Care Law Reporting Project.

Abortion Rights Campaign spokesperson Linda Kavanagh said: Looking at the report, its hard not to think that the psychiatrist in this case essentially used the Mental Health Act as a tool to force a child into continuing an unwanted pregnancy because of their own personal beliefs.
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Theresa May has insisted Brexit negotiations will begin next week as planned despite the upheaval caused by last week's general election.

Talks with the rest of the EU remain "on course", she said after a meeting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris.

Ms May has faced calls to delay negotiations with Brussels, which are scheduled to start on Monday

But the Prime Minister brushed aside appeals from her opponents during a press conferene in the Elysee Palace, insisting the timetable was unchanged.

"We have been very clear we want to maintain a close relationship and a close partnership with the EU and individual member states into the future, including in the areas we've discussed this evening," she said.

"And I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week."

Ms May also said last week's vote had revealed "a unity of purpose" among British voters for the Government to get on with Brexit.

She said: "I think there is a unity of purpose among people in the United Kingdom.

"It's a unity of purpose, having voted to leave the EU, that their Government gets on with that and makes a success of it, and we are committed to developing a deep and special partnership with the EU.

"We want the EU to continue to remain strong and we want to continue to cooperate."

 Macron says door 'remains open' for Britain to stay in EU

She added there was a "willingness and intent on both sides" to secure an arrangement for Brexit and there was a "good process" for the negotiations.

Mr Macron, meanwhile, said the "door remains open" to the UK staying inside the EU up until exit talks conclude.

Ms May was accompanied to Paris by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, with plans to stop the internet being a safe space for terrorists under discussion.

They include internet companies such as Facebook, YouTube and Google potentially being fined if they fail to remove extremist propaganda and terrorist material from their platforms.

The UK and France are also to develop plans to create a new legal liability for tech companies which fail to take action against unacceptable content.

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

And the two countries will lead joint work with internet giants to explore the potential for new tools to identify and remove harmful material automatically.

Ms Rudd and French interior minister Gerard Collomb will meet in the coming days to drive the agenda forward.

Ms May and Mr Macron are later due to watch the France v England football friendly international at the Stade de France, where crowds are expected to sing God Save The Queen and observe a minute's silence in honour of the victims of recent terror attacks in the UK.

The gesture of solidarity comes after English football fans sang the French national anthem at Wembley following terror attacks in Paris in 2015.
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The European Union's chief negotiator has said "I can't negotiate with myself", as he warned Britain may be running out of time to reach a Brexit deal.

Michel Barnier said Theresa May's government must begin talks "very quickly" as he noted that in three months since Article 50 was triggered "we haven't progressed" toward reaching a deal before the looming March 2019 deadline.

The Prime Minister has talked up her plans to get on with negotiations, due to begin within days.

Recommended May faces down Tory MPs for first time since election humiliation

She "has directed that the procedures for preparing the negotiations for the formal withdrawal from the European Union should start as soon as possible," the Government told the European Commission on Friday.

Mr Barnier told the Financial Times: "My preoccupation is that time is passing, it is passing quicker than anyone believes because the subjects we have to deal with are extraordinarily complex.

"It will take us several months to draw out the conditions of an orderly withdrawal. Lets not waste time.

"Ill say it clearly: theres no spirit of revenge, no punishment, no naivety either. And there is truth. Truth on what Brexit means, what leaving the EU signifies by its consequences. The citizens have the right to know."

"Lots" of Britons underestimated what those consequences would be, he added.

In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier listens at the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivers his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit reacts during a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage wears socks with Union Jack flag at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Nigel Farage, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) member and MEP, addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcoming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier gestures during speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (L) speaks with European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France Getty Images

It comes as a report claimed Labour and Conservative MPs had met for secret talks aimed at urging Ms May to take a cross-party approach to Brexit.

The Scottish Conservatives' leader Ruth Davidson, whose influence has increased dramatically with the election of 13 Tories north of the border, has broken ranks to say: "This isn't just going to be a Tory Brexit."

Ms May's position in the Commons was weakened as a result of losing her majority in the general election, fuelling speculation she will be forced to alter her approach to the Brexit negotiations.

In a bid to shore up her ability to wield power, she was negotiating with DUP leader Arlene Foster on a support deal on Tuesday.
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French President Emmanuel Macron says the door remains open for Britain to change its mind about Brexit, after talks with Theresa May in Paris.

Mr Macron threw out the olive branch, even amid rising EU anger about the delays to the exit talks  which he said should be launched as soon as possible.

Of course the door remains open, always open until the Brexit negotiations come to an end, the President said, when asked if Britain could yet stay in the EU.

Mr Macron said it was not for him to say whether the decision should be questioned. Once the negotiations have started we should be well aware that it'll be more difficult to move backwards.

Alongside him, the British Prime Minister dodged a question about whether she would pursue a softer Brexit after her election setback, insisting there was a unity of purpose in the UK about leaving.

And she refused to respond to John Majors warning of the danger of violence returning to Northern Ireland if she strikes a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, to prop her up in Parliament.

Instead, on the withdrawal talks, Ms May claimed: I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week.

However, in Brussels, it was reported that the British delegation was unable to say on what date it wanted the talks to start when asked to do so by Michael Barnier, the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator.

Almost certainly, they will not get underway next Monday as Ms May had promised repeatedly during the election campaign.

On whether the terms of Brexit would now change, the Prime Minister said only: "I think there is a unity of purpose among people in the United Kingdom.

"It's a unity of purpose, having voted to leave the EU, that their Government gets on with that and makes a success of it, and we are committed to developing a deep and special partnership with the EU.

Intriguingly, Mr Macron's comments came just hours after Wolfgang Schauble, the powerful German finance minister, sent out an identical message  saying the UK would find open doors in Brussels if it decided not to leave the EU.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Mr Schauble said: The British Government has said we will stay with the Brexit. We take the decision as a matter of respect. But if they wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors.

On Northern Ireland, Ms May insisted her Government was absolutely steadfast in its commitment to the Irish peace process after Sir John's dramatic intervention, warning that a DUP-Tory alliance would put fragile agreements at risk.

We continue to work with all the parties in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in ensuring that we can continue to put in place those measures necessary to fulfil those agreements, she said.

She went on: What we are doing in relation to the productive talks that we are holding with the Democratic Unionist Party is ensuring that it is possible to, with their support, give the stability to the UK Government that I think is necessary at this time.

We stand at a critical time with those Brexit negotiations starting only next week  I think that stability is important. We have worked as a party with the DUP before and those are productive talks. The intent is to ensure that we have the stability of Government in the national interest.

Earlier, DUP leader Arlene Foster indicated that a deal to support the Conservatives' minority government is close to being finalised. It is expected to be concluded on Wednesday.

Observers noted that Mr Macron's welcome of the Prime Minister to the Elysees Palace was notably less warm than his greeting of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor.

And the press conference got off to a difficult start for Ms May when she dropped her notes in the gusty wind.
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Concerns have been raised about the policies of the Democratic Unionist Party as the Conservatives enter negotiations in a bid to shore up Theresa May's weakened Government with a "supply and confidence" arrangement.

The deal caused a furious backlash over the DUP's record on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and led many to read up on controversies in the party's past.

One such debacle was the "cash for ash" scandal, when businesses were given a financial incentive to burn resources needlessly.

 Why the DUP is so controversial

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme was set up by Northern Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in 2012, when current DUP leader Arlene Foster was in charge.

While the scheme was designed to encourage businesses to move from using fossil fuels to renewable heating systems, it backfired by offering subsidies greater than the cost of fuel.

For every 1 spent on renewable heating systems, businesses received 1.60 in subsidies, leading to the scandal being dubbed "cash for ash" or "the more you burn the more you earn".

It meant one farmer was allegedly able to secure 1m worth of public funding to heat an empty shed.

Ms Foster was head of the department responsible at the time and faced calls to stand down as the scandal was made public by a whistleblower.

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Despite the original estimate for the cost of the sceme being set at 400m over 20 years, the Department for the Economy said it would instead cost tax payers closer to 490m.

A total of 1,946 applicants to the RHI scheme were approved, a 98 per cent approval rate.

There was also a spike of 984 applications in the three months before changes to the system came into effect.

Martin McGuinness, the former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, called for Ms Foster to stand down as he warned the region was "facing a serious growing political crisis".

Ms Foster was also accused of "being asleep at the wheel," but strongly denied claims she was responsible for the scheme.
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A secret deal outlining what would happen in the event of a hung Parliament was drawn up between the Conservatives and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) following the 2015 general election, a leaked document has revealed.

As the two parties meet to thrash out a deal which could see the Northern Irish pro-union party prop up a minority Conservative government, The Daily Telegraph has obtained a copy of the agreement, marked as official and sensitive and drafted in the days after the 2015 election, which the Tories won with a slim majority.

Representatives of then-Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne met senior figures in the DUP for secret talks after the election two years ago  where pollsters had incorrectly predicted a hung Parliament.

The draft agreement could indicate potential sticking points in the anticipated confidence and supply arrangement between the parties, stating that DUP MPs will vote with the Government on all matters except devolved issues, matters relating only to Northern Ireland and  crucially  welfare reforms. The socially conservative DUP is pro-welfare state, meaning the Conservatives would have problems getting any further cuts to benefits through Parliament.

The 2015 deal was never formally ratified but the document could reveal the broad thrust of the deal which Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to unveil details of in the next few days.

In return for support, the 2015 draft says the Government would increase funding for the armed forces.

On military spending, the agreement said: The DUP and the Conservative Party agree that the UKs standing in the world is of paramount significance.

The DUP will accordingly support the Governments determination to maintain the scope and reach of our diplomatic effort, the scale and effectiveness of our international aid programme (including in relation to conflict resolution and stabilisation) and the strength of our national defence.

The Government will maintain the current size of the regular armed services, increase the reserves to 30,000 and maintain the real value of the 163billion capital defence equipment programme, with the ambition of holding defence sending (including spending on cyber and counter-terrorism) at 2 per cent of GDP.

The pre-Brexit document lays out several ways in which the Conservatives would give financial support to Northern Ireland in return for the DUPs backing.

The Government agreed to examine seriously adjustments to the Corporate Tax regime in Northern Ireland and to discuss with the DUP other tax changes that could encourage economic growth in Northern Ireland.

And the Tories pledged to: Work with the DUP to maintain Northern Irelands 100 per cent regional aid status, to reduce electricity costs in Northern Ireland and to ensure that both Innovate UK and the British Business Bank focus more heavily on Northern Ireland.

The Conservatives further pledged to enhance foreign office support for foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland and ensure that Northern Ireland can receive a fair share both of national government contracts and of infrastructure investments.

The agreement was negotiated by then Chief-Whip Oliver Letwin and Ed Llewllyn, who was Mr Camerons chief of staff.

It stated: The DUP will support the Government in any no-confidence motion for as long as the Statement of Principles is in force.

The agreement to be drawn up between the parties this time round is likely to differ from the 2015 draft in light of the UKs imminent departure from the European Union. The DUP is pro-Brexit, but favours a soft exit in part because of the border with the Republic of Ireland and customs laws.

DUP leader Arlene Foster, who is not one of the partys ten Westminster MPs, is travelling to London for discussions with Ms May this week.

Ms Foster said: We are going into these talks with the national interest at heart. The Union, as I said before, is our guiding star.

We believe in the Union, we believe in national stable government, and that will be at the forefront of our mind going into these talks again tomorrow.

It has been suggested the Queens Speech could be delayed from its scheduled date on 19 June to allow more time for the agreement to be finalised with DUP and for a legislative programme to be put in place.

The DUPs demands are expected to be more economic than social, in spite of concerns about the partys socially conservative beliefs on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, because most of these matters are devolved.

Criticis have raised concerns about whether the Government can maintain a neutral stance between Republicans and Unionists, whose power-sharing arrangement in the Northern Ireland Assembly recently broke down, while it is reliant on the DUP to get its legislation through Parliament.
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A leading Unionist politician has said critics should grow up and accept the idea that the Democratic Unionist Party could demand curbs on rival Sinn Feins funding as a price for propping up the Conservative government.

The controversial demands, understood to be among a series of requests DUP leader Arlene Foster will make from Theresa May in talks over a "confidence and supply" arrangement, would put curbs on foreign donations to political parties, and would limit Sinn Feins sizeable donations from Irish Americans.

David Trimble, the former First Minister of Ireland who helped broker the Good Friday Agreement while leader of the more moderate Ulster Unionist Party, said of the requests: "If it is a matter of bringing the law into line with elsewhere, then people should be grown up about it."

Recommended What demands Theresa May should expect from the DUP

Lord Trimble, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in the late 90s for his work on the Good Friday Agreement and who now sits as a Conservative peer, also dismissed as "scare-mongering" the idea that a DUP deal with the Conservatives might put the agreement in jeopardy.

There is no connection between the agreement, between the European Union, between the talks and all the rest of it, Mr Trimble told the Today Programme. People are just trying to grab this as a stick to beat the government with and I think its quite silly.

Tony Blair brought in restrictions on foreign funding for political parties, but deliberately excluded Northern Ireland from the measures. Sinn Fein continue to receive millions of euros each year from US backers. Asked if any concession by the Conservatives that favoured the DUP over Sinn Fein would threaten the British governments position as an honest broker between the two, Lord Trimble said: What is at issue here is bringing the law in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the country.

"If it is a matter of bringing the law into line with elsewhere, then people should be grown up about it."

The DUP is understood to have a list of demands that is 45 points long, originally drawn up for the 2015 election, when it thought it might hold the balance of power. It also includes removing funding from MPs who abstain their seats in Parliament. Sinn Fein has never taken its seats in Westminster, but funds local party offices using the expenses it receives from Westminster. It currently has seven elected MPs.

Other demands include the restoring of a particularly controversial Orange Order parade to Drumcree church, through a Nationalist stronghold, which the Northern Irish Parades Commision has not permitted for twenty years.


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Theresa Mays talks to prop up her Government with Northern Ireland unionists are set for a successful conclusion soon, according to the DUP leader.

It comes after the Prime Minister met with the DUP chief Arlene Foster in Downing Street to discuss a supply and confidence arrangement between the two parties following the general election last week.

Ms Foster said on Twitter: Discussions are going well with the government and we hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion. Downing Street sources also told The Independent that talks were ongoing.

Ms May, however, left for the Commons before heading to Paris later on Tuesday without answering reporters questions about how negotiations were progressing.

Such an arrangement would see the socially conservative Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions in order to prevent the new minority government from collapsing.

A failure to reach an agreement with the DUP could risk the new administration losing a crucial vote on the Queens speech next week  a position Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, is pushing for.

Recommended Major urges Theresa May to pull out of DUP deal

But it comes after John Major, the former Conservative Prime Minister, urged the Prime Minister to be cautious of such a deal with the DUP, warning it risked a return of the violence in Northern Ireland. In a dramatic intervention, the former Tory leader said the peace process is fragile and could collapse if the British government is no longer seen as impartial.

People shouldnt regard it as a given. Its not certain, its under stress, its fragile, Sir John added.

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And he highlighted the danger of hard men still there, lurking in the corners of communities deciding they wish to return to some sort of violence.

We need to do everything we conceivably can to ensure that doesnt happen  and that does require an impartial British government, Sir John said.

While peace in Northern Ireland was not in danger of collapsing imminently, it could unwind. That does worry me a great deal about the peace process, he told BBC Radio 4.
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Theresa May should admit her election disaster was a rejection of hard Brexit and let everyones voice be heard, the European Parliaments negotiator says.

Guy Verhofstadt urged the Conservative Party to no longer allow your internal catfight to put prosperity at risk in both Britain and the EU.

Instead, the Prime Minister should pursue a relationship that is as close as possible, along the lines of Norways close links, or by remaining within the EU customs union.

Recommended May faces down Tory MPs for first time since election humiliation

It is currently unclear if the UK Government will stick to the hard Brexit it announced in her letter of 29 March, or if they will soften their approach after the outcome of the election, Mr Verhofstadt said. In my humble opinion, the refusal of a hard Brexit was one of the elements that influenced the results.

At a Brussels press conference, he urged Ms May to change direction, saying: Brexit isnt just about the Tories leaving the EU, it's about the whole UK. Everyones voice should be heard.

And he told the Tory party: For years now already, your internal catfight, that started under Cameron, has taken the EU hostage and has been hampering your as our economies. It is blocking us from further reforming and modernising the union. Frankly, we have seen enough of it.

Mr Verhofstadt added: I am impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK Government that I hope will be more in line with the will and the interests of the British citizens.

Association agreements already exist with more than 20 countries and could be achieved under Article 217 of the Lisbon Treaty, he said.

The call came as the European Commissions negotiator warned Britain risks crashing out of the EU in March 2019 without an agreement on its future relations if it wastes further time on the Brexit talks. Michel Barnier urged Ms May to start talks very quickly and appoint a negotiating team that is stable, accountable and with a mandate, with time draining away.

Some Tory MPs argue that, with the clock ticking on the two-year Article 50 process, Britain must adopt Norway option, remaining in the European Economic Area with full access to the single market. But this would require Britain accepting at least some degree of free movement of EU citizens, which both the Conservatives and Labour have insisted will end.

Similarly, remaining in the customs union would make it impossible to seek separate trade agreements with non-EU countries.

Mr Verhofstadt said he was speaking on the 30th birthday of the Erasmus programme, the EUs student exchange programme  which is threatened by Brexit.

A priority in the negotiations will be that UK students must continue to participate within the Erasmus program and the reverse, he urged. EU students in the UK. Neither the UK nor EU citizens would appreciate a sort of trade off on this. We await the UK position.
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John Major has urged Theresa May to pull out of a deal for the Democratic Unionist Party to prop her up in power, warning it risks a return of violence in Northern Ireland.

In a dramatic intervention, the former Conservative prime minister warned the peace process is fragile and could fall part if the British government is no longer seen as impartial.

People shouldnt regard it as a given. Its not certain, its under stress, its fragile, Sir John said.

Recommended May faces down Tory MPs for first time since election humiliation

He urged the Prime Minister to pursue a minority government without the baggage of an agreement with the DUP.

And he highlighted the danger of hard men still there, lurking in the corners of communities deciding they wish to return to some sort of violence.

We need to do everything we conceivably can to ensure that doesnt happen  and that does require an impartial British government, Sir John said.

While peace in Northern Ireland was not in danger of collapsing imminently, it could unwind. That does worry me a great deal about the peace process, he told BBC Radio 4.

 Sir John Major criticises Theresa May's Brexit strategy

The warning came just minutes after Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, and her deputy Nigel Dodds, arrived at No 10 for talks with the Prime Minister.

It is expected to lead to a confidence and supply agreement, to give the Tories a 13-seat Commons majority with support on confidence motions and key budget votes.

But Sir John said: I understand why she wishes to shore up her Parliamentary position. Thats entirely understandable and I sympathise - but my main concern is the peace process.

We need to be prepared for the unexpected. We need to hope for the best  but prepare for the worst, he added.

Sir John also warned that voters in the rest of the UK would view the deal  and the inevitable extra funding to that would flow to Northern Ireland  as cash for votes and feel a grievance.

How is that going to be received in Wales, or in Scotland or amongst the 'just-about-managings' everywhere across the UK? he asked.

 Theresa May should admit result is a rejection of hard Brexit, says EU negotiator

They would see it as the Government paying cash for votes in Parliament. And, in doing so, I think that could well cost votes in the country for the Conservative party at a subsequent election.

Sir John also warned the Prime Minister that her hard Brexit stance was increasingly unsustainable, with the loss of her Commons majority.

He urged her to try to negotiate a better deal on free movement and on the EU single market, by being more generous on immigration.

A hard Brexit was not endorsed by the electorate, Sir John said.
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Labour is ready to offer strong and stable leadership in the national interest if Theresa May fails to form a coalition of chaos with the DUP, Jeremy Corbyn has vowed.

Gently mocking the Conservatives campaign slogan, the Labour leader, who received a standing ovation, said democracy was a wondrous thing that could yield very unexpected results at the first parliamentary sitting of the House of Commons since the general election.

In a series of digs aimed at the Prime Ministers catastrophic underperformance in the polls, Mr Corbyn told the chamber: We look forward to this Parliament, however short it may be.

Mr Corbyn defied predictions by leading his party to an unexpectedly strong result in the polls, gaining 262 seats. However, the Conservatives lost their Parliamentary majority, forcing them to enter talks with the Northern Irish unionists about a deal to support their minority government.

Speaking ahead of Mr Corbyn, Ms May congratulated John Bercow on his reelection as Speaker of the House, saying: At least someone got a landslide.

 Theresa May jokes about 'landslide victory'

It comes following a day of tense talks between Ms May and the DUP to formalise a confidence and supply arrangement, which would see the Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

Party leader Arlene Foster wrote on Twitter: Discussions are going well with the Government and we hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion.

Downing Street sources also told The Independent talks were ongoing. However, the deal has sparked a furious backlash over the DUPs record on issues including LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and how the arrangement could jeopardise Northern Irelands peace process.

General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Show all 7 1 /7 General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nick Clegg Darren O'Brien General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Gavin Barwell Getty General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Angus Robertson General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nicola Blackwood PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Alex Salmond PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Rob Wilson Rex Features General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Ben Gummer PA

But failure to reach an agreement with the socially conservative party could risk the new administration losing a crucial vote on the Queens speech next week  a position Mr Corbyn has been pushing for.

Recommended What demands Theresa May should expect from the DUP

Mr Corbyn told The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday the election signified a rejection of the politics of fear and said we are ready any time to govern, should Ms Mays premiership collapse.

We have a chaotic situation with a government that sought reelection on the basis of wanting a bigger mandate and a bigger majority to bring stability to British politics, he said.

We are quite ready and able to put forward a serious programme that obviously has massive support in this country.
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The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox has said she has not yet fully come to terms with her death or had time to grieve  and revealed she does not give her killer a second thought.

Kim Leadbeater described the 12 months since her older sister was killed as a constant rollercoaster that has not allowed her time to sit back and process her emotions.

While she has occasionally found herself sobbing in the middle of the night, Ms Leadbeater said she and her family have been buoyed by an outpouring of support from across the country and around the world.

She said: That doesn't mean we don't have days where it really can be a struggle to keep going, but so far we're managing. One thing that drives you is thinking what Jo would want you to do, and Jo wouldn't want this to take any more from us than it already has done. I keep trying to remember that.

Ms Cox was shot and stabbed on 16 June last year as she arrived for a constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, just 13 months after being elected as Labour MP for Batley and Spen constituency.

Right-wing loner Thomas Mair was given a whole life term after being convicted of her murder at the Old Bailey in November.

To mark the anniversary of her murder, thousands of people will take part in an event called The Great Get Together this weekend, coming together to enjoy small picnics and community events across the UK.

Throwing herself into its organisation has been a salve for Ms Leadbeater, 41, but she is aware there are still difficult roads ahead.

She said: I don't think I've grieved at all yet, if I'm quite honest. Since Jo was murdered, there has been no time because of the public nature of how it happened, because of Jo's position that she was in  it's been a constant rollercoaster

I know all the facts, I know what happened, I sat through the trial  I've got all that information, but have I actually processed that and understood what that means for the rest of my life?

No, I don't think I have, and I think that's going to take a long time, an awfully long time.

When The Great Get Together  also a celebration of the MP's ardent belief that people have more in common than the things dividing them  is over, Ms Leadbeater has promised to allow herself the time to begin processing what has happened to her family.

She said: There's a lot of stuff that I still haven't dealt with, and I guess that's where maybe counselling or some advice on how to cope with that would come in.

We have been so busy focusing on creating a legacy for Jo, which is exactly what we want to do, but that has to slow down at some point.

I've had moments. I've broken down in tears at the traffic lights and I remember sitting on the steps at home at 4 o'clock in the morning just uncontrollably crying.

But they have actually been quite sporadic and I think I need a bit more time to really understand what's happened.

Ms Leadbeater said her sister's murder has drawn the family closer.

She said: We've come together stronger than ever, [Ms Cox's widower] Brendan has just been amazing and the way he's looked after the children, I've got so much respect for him and so much love for him.

So we've got each other, and we've come together, and that's been really really helpful.

Kim Leadbeater described the year since her sister's death as a 'rollercoaster' (PA)

She is philosophical about her sister's death, saying that while they were extremely, unbelievably unlucky to have such evil forces conspire against them, the reality is, the way that the world is at the moment, bad things do happen.

She said: You couldn't have foreseen it. No one knew that was going to happen, but then that happens to people all the time, with the bombings and the terror attacks in recent years.

I think that will take a lot of understanding, but what you have to then do is think actually the majority of people are good people, and we have just been unbelievably unlucky that our life has been affected by somebody who wasn't a good person.

But you have to try and move forward from that and focus on how most people are actually really good and really kind.

And Ms Leadbeater said she does not waste a moment of her time thinking about Mair or the trial, describing it as a job the family had to go through.

She said: I haven't thought about it since and I don't intend to think about it.

The energy that I've got will be channelled into creating a positive legacy for Jo, rather than thinking about how she died. We will really, really focus on how she lived.

PA
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Cabinet minister Michael Gove has called for a more open approach to Brexit, as Theresa May comes under increasing pressure to overhaul her approach to the EU.

Mr Gove said Tories needed to recognise the British public had not given them a majority in the Commons and should proceed with the maximum possible consensus.

Ex-Tory leader William Hague also called for a cross-party working group on Brexit, following a push from Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson and Chancellor Philip Hammond for a more pragmatic approach that puts jobs and the economy first.

Recommended Theresa May signals austerity is over and overhaul of Brexit plans

But The Independent understands reports that substantial cross-party talks are already taking place are overplayed, with Labour sources saying no frontbenchers have been involved in discussions with Conservatives.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Gove pointed out that people voted in huge numbers for both parties committed to Brexit.

But he then said: Its also the case that we must recognise that we as Conservatives were not returned with a majority and that means we need to proceed with the maximum possible consensus, and that we also need to ensure that the concerns of people who voted remain, many of whom want us now to press ahead with leaving the European Unionwe need to make sure that their concerns are part of our conversation.

With a full cabinet meeting due later on Tuesday, he added: The most important thing is if you want to proceed with the maximum possible support, that you engage in an open conversation and in that open conversation what you dont do is try to coral others to a particular position.

 Theresa May 'sorry' for Tory MPs who lost their seats

He denied he was advocating a softening of Ms Mays approach to Brexit and also distanced himself from any plans for a full cross-party working group.

The idea, already touted by Labour MP Yvette Cooper, was raised by Lord Hague in his column for The Telegraph, saying ministers could convene a group to agree a plan for public spending.

He went on: Such a simultaneous change of the style of government and the substance of its decisions, is also the way to break through the most difficult problem of all, how to steer Brexit in a way that leads to a good agreement, gives confidence to businesses and creates a broader consensus among MPs.

He said that Jeremy Corbyn should also be party to the talks, along with business groups and other local and national political leaders.

But reports of cross-party talks already taking place appeared premature, with Labour sources confirming that no frontbenchers have had any contact over Brexit with Conservatives.

Tory and Labour backbenchers meanwhile, have been having informal discussions over EU withdrawal for months through organisations like the Open Britain group, which campaigns for a softer Brexit, and in Westminster.

Ms Mays new chief of staff signalled on Monday that the Government will look again at austerity and its Brexit plans.

 Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle: The key positions

Gavin Barwell explained that a key reason for his party losing the election is because it struggled to convince people that their quality of life would improve under the Tories, while Jeremy Corbyn tapped into their concerns.

Scottish Tory leader Ms Davidson said Ms May should work with other parties to form a consensus on Brexit, having met the Prime Minister at Downing Street.

Mr Hammond is said to have demanded a more pragmatic approach to Brexit, rather than one focussed on immigration, as the price of his support for Ms May in the wake of the botched election campaign.
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Theresa Mays new chief of staff has signalled that the Government will look again at austerity and its Brexit plans.

Gavin Barwell explained that a key reason his party lost the election is because it struggled to convince people that their quality of life would improve under the Tories, while Jeremy Corbyn tapped into their concerns.

The DUP have arrived at Downing Street to hammer out a deal that would give Theresa May a working majority in the Commons.

The Northern Irish party may extract commitments to retain the triple lock on pensions and drop plans to means test the winter fuel payment in return for its support.

Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said Ms May should work with other parties to form a consensus on Brexit, having met the Prime Minister at Downing Street.

Ms May told Tory MPs at a crunch meeting last night she would listen to all voices in her party on Brexit, in the wake of the election result.

Mr Barwell , who took up his position in No 10 after losing his Croydon Central seat to Labour, told BBCs Panorama programme that years of spending cuts had taken their toll.

There's a conversation I particularly remember with a teacher who had voted for me in 2010 and 2015 and said 'you know I understand the need for a pay freeze for a few years to deal with the deficit but you're now asking for that to go on potentially for 10 or 11 years and that's too much, he said.

 David Davis: Theresa May is 'fine' and wasn't sobbing when I saw her

I think back to the speech that Theresa gave outside No 10 on her first day as Prime Minister, where she made this really powerful point that the country as a whole is doing well economically but not everyone is seeing the benefits of that success.

He went on: And Id like to have seen more of that tone in our campaign, because I think you have to have something to say to people who understand the need for tough decisions but nonetheless need to feel that if I vote for you, my quality of life is going to improve over the next five years.

That is something that Jeremy Corbyn was able to tap into.

Mr Barwell, who lost his marginal seat by around 5,000 votes, also said there was evidence that angry Remain voters had ditched the Tories.

He said: We are very clear in my seat, that the area of the constituency where Labour did best was the area that had voted heavily for Remain So there's clearly evidence, I think, that people are angry about Brexit still, Jeremy Corbyn somehow managed to get them behind him.

We do need to make sure that people that are Conservative-minded that voted Remain in the referendum are happy to continue supporting our party.

Ms Davidson, whose influence has grown dramatically with the election of 13 Tories north of the border, has already broken cover to say this isn't just going to be a Tory Brexit.

After attending the Prime Minister's political cabinet on Monday, she told BBC News: I'm suggesting that the Conservative Party works with those both within the House of Commons and with people without to ensure that as we leave the EU we have a Brexit that works for the economy and puts that first.

 Theresa May: I've brought 'talent' to the cabinet from across the Conservative Party

There was a real sense around the cabinet table today, as you would expect from centre right politicians, that that is the primacy we're looking for.

Ms Davidson suggested the Government may shift its priority from cutting immigration to ensuring a good deal for business and the economy.

After Ms May addressed the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs on Monday, some of those present suggested the PM would consult more with business on her approach to the talks.

Ms Davidson said: We do have to make sure that we invite other people in now. This isn't just going to be a Tory Brexit, this is going to have to involve the whole country.

We can make a big, bold offer that brings the country with us, that brings people in from the other side of the aisle in the House of Commons but also brings people in from outside the Commons too.
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Irelands new prime minister has warned Theresa May that doing a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) could put the Good Friday Agreement at risk.

Leo Varadkar, the incoming Taoiseach, said the British government should not get too close to any Northern Irish party.

Our role as governments is to act as co-guarantors (to the Good Friday Agreement), not to be too close to any particular party in the North, whether its nationalist parties or unionist parties, he said. Thats certainly something I will emphasis in any contacts that I have with the Prime Minister.

His comments came as Ms May prepared to finalise a coalition agreement with the DUP, which would see them support the minority Conservative government.

Mr Varadkar, who won a Fine Gael party leadership contest earlier this month, nonetheless said the DUP could have a positive effect in softening Brexit.

They want to maintain the common travel area and want to maintain free trade between these islands and Britain and Europe, he said. So I do think theres an opportunity to soften Brexit. But that all remains to be seen.

Irelands outgoing Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, who is due to be replaced by Mr Varadkar this week, has also expressed concern over Ms Mays plans to strike a deal with the DUP to help her secure a parliamentary majority.

Over the weekend, he tweeted: Spoke with Prime Minister May  indicated my concern that nothing should happen to put Good Friday agreement at risk, and [the] absence of nationalist voice in Westminster.

 Why the DUP is so controversial

The power sharing agreement in Northern Ireland collapsed in January after allegations of a financial scandal involving DUP leader Arlene Foster. However, it remains the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Under the Good Friday Agreement, the British government must display rigorous impartiality in disputes in Northern Ireland and is responsible for mediating between the Northern Irish parties.

Some commentators have suggested that the fact Theresa May is likely to be propped up by one of the main parties means it will be impossible for the Conservative government to fulfil this role.

Alastair Campbell, Tony Blairs former director of communications, said the Prime Minister was playing with fire in attempting to cling to power by making a deal with the DUP.

The British and Irish governments are the mediators between the Unionists and the Nationalists, he said. How can they be the mediator when the Unionists are now being brought into government?

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

He had earlier accused Ms May of playing fast and loose, on Brexit, on Margaret Thatchers greatest achievement the single market and now Tony Blair and John Majors greatest achievement which is the peace in Northern Ireland".

He added: "She is putting that at risk with a sordid, dangerous distasteful deal."

It comes as Ms May prepares to welcome Ms Foster to Downing Street for talks to agree the final details of the deal between the two parties.

The arrangement is likely to be one of confidence and supply, in which the DUP will support the Tories on a vote-by-vote basis and agree to back them on key votes such as the Queens Speech and the budget.
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A Conservative MP who dismissed a disabled woman on live TV after she said people with disabilities were dying because of spending cuts has been appointed as a government minister.

Dominic Raab, the MP for Esher and Walton, has been promoted by Theresa May to the role of justice minister as she reshuffles her top team following the general election.

Last month, Mr Raab was criticised for his response to a disabled woman, named Fiona, during an appearance on the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire show.

In addition to his comments on disability benefits, he also received criticism for suggesting that people use food banks not because they are poor but because they have cash flow problems.

A disability campaigner from Aberdeen, Fiona said she knew disabled people who had committed suicide because of spending cuts.

Youre all talking about numbers and money, and there is an ocean of suffering under that. Oxford University just released research showing that in 2015 in England and Wales alone there were 30,000 excess deaths caused by cuts to health and social care," she said.

Tens of thousands of disabled and sick people are dying every year. We are dying. There have been hundreds of suicides. I spent hours after the last general election trying to talk people out of killing themselves, and I didnt always succeed.

People are dying here and nobody cares. I have friends who have been helping resettle disabled people in Scotland because at the very least we have a Scottish parliament which is trying its best with limited funds to protect people against the worst of these cuts. People have been fleeing England for their lives.

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. 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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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Citing a Napier University study that found the work capability assessment can be linked to thoughts of suicide, she added: It kills people. It is an act of violence and we are dying.

This election is life or death for us. Anybody who votes for the Conservative Party, who are going to further these cuts, they are complicit in those deaths.

In response, Mr Raab said calls for cuts to be reversed were just a childish wish list unless the economy is growing.

There are plenty of heart-rending stories here, and no one could be anything other than moved by it, he said. We have put 11,000 more doctors into the NHS, 12,000 more nurses. We have got a renewed focus on mental health and also making sure were trying to take the pressure off big hospitals in the manifesto.

But the real truth is the moneys got to come from somewhere, and I can think of lots of things that I would like to avoid making difficult decisions on and lots of areas like the health service or schools that I want to put even more money in, but unless youve got a strong economy creating the revenue, its just a childish wish list.

Were trying to do our best to get the balance right between responsible public finances and investing in some of those crucial areas you discussed.

 Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle: The key positions

Mr Raab was also widely criticised for comments he made during the election campaign about food banks.

Look, in terms of the food bank issue, Ive studied the Trussell Trust data, he told the BBC.

What they tend to find is the typical user of a food bank is not someone whos languishing in poverty, its someone who has a cashflow problem episodically.

The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks across the UK, responded by saying that delays in benefit payments were a major cause of people using food banks but that this was a particular problem for people on low incomes.

It is our experience that people living in poverty are more likely to experience a sudden short-term crisis where they are referred for emergency food, whilst the underlying causes are addressed, Adrian Curtis, a food bank network director for the organisation, said.
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A teenager has been charged with murder after killing a man who allegedly tried to rape her.

The 17-year-old allegedly stabbed the 21-year-old man after overpowering him during a struggle between the two in South Africa.

As she is considered a minor under South African law she cannot be named, but she appeared in Leneyene Magistrates Court where she was not asked to make a plea.

She will be assigned a councillor and social worker and appeared visibly distraught when she arrived at the police station.

"She was on her way to a local tavern when she was allegedly attacked by the deceased and fought back," police said, the BBC reported.

The court case is set to resume on 14 June, where she is expected to say she acted in self-defence.

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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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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. 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Pleas of self-defence in South Africa require the defendant to ust prove there were extenuating circumstances where killing was the only option available.

The country has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world with more than 60,000 cases every year.
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Dog aren't just cool. They can also have health benefits.

A recent study shows that dogs can help strengthen immune systems of children against allergies and asthma if they are exposed to them, as well as barnyard animals, within the first three months of life.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was conducted on children on farms. It found that those who lived in close proximity of animals, especially youngsters in the Amish community, were less likely to have asthma than those who grew up on industrialised farms away from animals.

It all comes down to a more diverse biome - a naturally occurring community of flora and fauna - Dr Jack Gilbert, Director of the Microbiome Centre at the University of Chicago, told The New York Times.

Recommended Police dog fired for being too friendly

Dogs especially can add 'good' bacteria and microbes inside homes because they play outdoors more frequently than other pets.

Another study concluded that "dog ownership raised the levels of 56 different classes of bacterial species in the indoor environment, while naturally more fastidious cats boosted only 24 categories," the newspaper reported.

Not all animal bacteria is good, of course, and that from cats, turtles, and frogs is less helpful, according to researchers and veterinarians.

Pet owners will be the first to name the numerous pieces of animal faeces, sidewalk substances, and types of dirt pets can track into homes. Combined with the millions of bacteria that survive in house dust pets can sometimes carry salmonella and other diseases to humans, but general medical advice suggests its avoidable with simple hand washing.

Researches are also doing "a lot of work on finding out exactly which organisms make children healthier, and isolating from the animals on the farms and producing defined probiotics to elicit the same benefit", Mr Gilbert told The Independent.

He also said that those with a certain type of already-compromised immune system, specifically people with severe sepsis, "can be treated with microbial exposure".

However, "that's a big question" still being examined.

Netzin Steklis, a biologist at the University of Arizona, said: Dogs have been with humans for 40,000 years...but we are only now looking to find out how living with them impacts our health."

Another question lingers about whether these children exposed to animals and pets early on life can maintain that strong immune system throughout their lives. The hypothesis has not been tested as yet, but Mr Gilbert said experiments were being designed to explore just that.
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Donald Trumps administration has thrown out a proposal for the protection of endangered whales and sea turtles, even though it was suggested by the fishing industry.

If too many protected species were being caught, the measure would have stopped fishing with drift nets off America's west coast for as many as two seasons.

But the National Marine Fisheries Service said it was not needed.

It would have have had a much more substantial [economical] impact on the fleet than originally anticipated, said spokesman, Michael Milstein.

Recommended Scientific study refutes US environment chief on climate change

The bottom line is this is a fishery thats worked hard to reduce its impact, he said, adding that the cost of the new measure outweighed the benefits.

Commercial fishermen's nets can measure up to a mile long and endangered species were reportedly being caught up in them off the coast of California and Oregon.

So the industrys Pacific Fishery Management Council made the proposal to stop their use in 2015.

It applied to less than 20 fishing vessels, who began implementing the measure the following year under former President Barack Obama.

The most controversial animal killings Show all 6 1 /6 The most controversial animal killings The most controversial animal killings Cincinnati Zoo worker shots and kills Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Zoo worker after a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The most controversial animal killings Walt Palmer (left), from Minnesota, who killed Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion (pictured here with another lion shot in Africa) Walter James Palmer has been named by Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force as the shooter of Cecil, a 13-year-old prized lion. He is now wanted by Zimbabwe officials on poaching charges. The lion was protected and the subject of a decade long study by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the UK. He was outfitted with a GPS collar and was killed in Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said that two men were charged with poaching in connection to Mr Palmer The most controversial animal killings Kendall Jones hunting images Kendall Jones, a 19-year-old Texas Tech university student, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, antelope, leopard, elephant, zebra and hippopotamus The most controversial animal killings Rebecca Francis hunting images Rebecca Francis, a huntress who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated. Rebecca Francis has a website and Facebook page dedicated to the animals she has killed in hunts across Africa and America. Francis, a prolific hunter who has also co-hosted the television show Eye of the Hunter, regularly posts pictures of herself posing next to dead bears, giraffes, buffaloes and zebras, among other animals. She uses a bow and arrow to kill her prey The most controversial animal killings The slaughter of Marius, an 18-month-old healthy giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo made the controversial decision to euthanise a healthy giraffe named Marius, which was later dissected and fed to lions as visitors watched. The slaughter sparked a furious backlash from social media users and zoo staff have received death threats by phone and email. Soon after the incident, Copenhagen Zoo faced an international outcry once again after four healthy lions were put down The most controversial animal killings Swiss Dahlholzli zoo kills healthy brown bear cub A Switzerland zoo faced heavy criticism from animal rights groups, after keepers put down a healthy brown bear cub to spare it from being bullied by its dominant male father. The 360 kg male bear Misha had already killed one of his 11-week old cubs in public and was bullying the second, staff at the zoo said, because he was jealous of the attention the cubs were receiving from their mother, Masha. Both adult brown bears had been donated to Berns Dahlholzli zoo in 2009. Campaigners condemned staff there for not separating the cubs, who are being referred to as Baby Bear Two and Baby Bear Three, and their mother from Misha after their birth in January Facebook

Catherine Kilduff, a lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity conservation group, said the scrapping of the proposal was one of the first ways the Trump administration had targeted endangered species in Pacific waters.

These included fin, humpback and sperm whales, short-fin pilot whales and common bottlenose dolphins. Some of these species have reduced to the hundreds. For a group of humpbacks, there are only 411 whales left.

Leatherback sea turtles, olive-ridley seat turtles and green sea turtles were also affected.

"The Trump administration has declared war on whales, dolphins and turtles off the coast of California," Todd Steiner, director of the California-based Turtle Island Restoration Network, told the LA Times.

"This determination will only lead to more potential litigation and legislation involving this fishery. Its not a good sign."

 Unusual endangered turtle born at ZSL London Zoo

Under the proposal, if any two endangered whales or sea turtles are killed or seriously hurt within a two-year period, the gill net fishery would be closed for up to two years.

If any combination of four short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins were seriously injured or killed within a two-year period, the practice would also be shut down.

Yet Mr Milstein pointed to a federal study which found that endangered whales that were killed or injured in nets declined from more than 50 in 1992 to one or two per year by 2015.

The number of harmed dolphins and turtles also declined dramatically, but the statistics were disputed by some campaigners.

The Marine Mammals Protection Act still applies and protected areas off the West Coast have been set up which do not allow gill-net fishing.

Ms Kilduff responded that even though the numbers of deaths had reduced, any incident was still extremely significant given the low numbers of some species.

Agencies contributed to this report.
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Donald Trump reportedly told Russian officials that Israel had successfully hacked Isis computers in order to gain intelligence about bomb plots against the West.

The Middle Eastern country's security services had succeeded in penetrating a small cell of Isis bomb makers in Syria, The New York Times reported, citing two US officials. Israel is said to have uncovered evidence of a plot to bring down an aeroplane using a bomb hidden in a laptop, the newspaper said.

The intelligence was said to be so detailed that it enabled US security agencies to understand precisely how Isis was planning to create a bomb that resembled a laptop battery so closely that it would pass undetected through airport X-ray scanners.

They were also able to learn how the weapon could be detonated.

In response, Donald Trump announced a ban on large electronic devices being carried in the cabin of flights to the US from 10 airports in eight Muslim-majority countries. Britain also adopted a similar ban.

The intelligence, gathered by Israeli cyber warfare operations, was reportedly part of the classified information that Mr Trump is accused of giving to Russias US ambassador, Sergey Kisylak, and its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, during a meeting in the Oval Office last month.

The allegation that the US President had gifted classified intelligence to a rival country led to a diplomatic row. Israel is said to be furious that secret information it had passed to the US had then been given to another country.

It seemed to verify reports earlier this year that officials in the Obama administration had warned their Israeli counterparts about sharing intelligence with Mr Trump and his team because of concerns that sensitive information could be shared with Russia and then leaked to Iran.

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

Mr Trumps team denied he had done anything wrong in sharing information with Russia.

Speaking shortly after news of Mr Trump's leak was reported, H.R McMaster, the Presidents national security adviser, said the Republican and the Russian officials had reviewed common threats from terrorist organisations to include threats to aviation.

At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly, he said.

Mr McMaster added that the Presidents decision to share information was wholly appropriate.
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Two Georgia inmates are on the loose after killing two prison guards during a prisoner transport southeast of Atlanta.

A witness said the two fled from their bus transportation in a dark green Honda, and law enforcement officials are urging civilians not to approach either convict if theyre spotted. They were able to kill the officers after overpowering them, and taking their firearms.

The fugitives reportedly fled the scene with the .40-caliber Glock pistols they used to kill the officers.

Both men were serving time for armed robberies and other crimes. One of the men, 43-year-old Donnie Russell Rowe, had been in prison since 2002. The other, 24-year-old Ricky Dubose, had been serving time since 2015.

I can confirm that we are currently looking for two white males in a dark green Honda Civic that have escaped and they are armed, a spokesperson for the Putnam County Sheriff Department said.

US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that federal resources were being provided to help track down the fugitives.

An attack on any American law enforcement officer is an attack on every American law enforcement officer, and the principles we believe in, Mr Rosenstein said before entering a Senate budget hearing.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The correctional officers were identified as Christopher Monica and Curtis Billue, both of whom worked at Baldwin State Prison. Mr Monica had been with the department since 2009, and Mr Billue began working there in 2007

A press release from the Georgia Department of Corrections says that both men are 61. It also notes that the Georgia prison system is one of the largest in the United States, with nearly 52,000 state prisoners, and 10,500 employees.

A database of prisoners in Georgia shows that Duboses maximum possible release date lands in 2034. Rowe was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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A 25-year-old maths teacher has been arrested for allegedly having inappropriate sexual contact with three students.

Erin McAuliffe, who taught at Rocky Mount Preparatory School in North Carolina, was reported to police by staff from the school and left her job at the beginning of May.

Police officers have interviewed faculty members and said the alleged incidents were thought to have taken place off campus, involving two 17-year-old students and one 16-year-old.

In a statement Rocky Mount Preparatory, which accepts students between the ages of three and 18, said staff had been fully cooperative with police in its handling of the matter.

Ms McAuliffe has been charged with three counts of sexual activity with a student and one of indecent liberties with a minor, and is being held at Carteret County Jail on a $20,000 bond. She is due to appear in court this week.

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

Dayvon Steel, a former student at Rocky Mount Prep, described the schools staff network as supportive and caring. Its shocking and appalling that a person would do that with a student, he told CBS North Carolina.

According to her LinkedIn profile, McAuliffe graduated from Methodist University three years ago with a Bachelors degree in mathematics and was hired by Rocky Mount Prep in August last year.
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NBC's Megyn Kelly is under fire for her one-on-one interview with InfoWars's Alex Jones.

One of the immediate critics is a mother whose daughter was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a massacre that Jones has dismissed as a government hoax.

Nelba Marquez-Greene saw the interview, scheduled to air Sunday - Father's Day - as an egregious offence to fathers whose children were murdered on 14 December 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut.

To give Alex Jones a platform on Father's Day is especially cruel to me, she told The Washington Post.

Jones' interview reignites a debate over whether interviewing polarising figures on national television gives them a platform or places their controversial views under scrutiny.

A call to Kelly's publicist was not returned, but in a tweet responding to criticisms Sunday night, the host said the media needed to shine a light on who Jones is, particularly because of the layer of legitimacy he's receiving from the White House. InfoWars was given a temporary press credential last month. President Donald Trump, who has appeared on InfoWars, once called Jones a nice guy and hinted that their mind-set align.

Marquez-Greene said Kelly's reasoning is misguided and would, instead, encourage Jones' army of followers to double down on their effort to label the massacre of 20 elementary schoolchildren a hoax.

Shining a light works on cockroaches, she said. It doesn't work on Alex Jones.

She added: It's just a reminder that we really haven't found a way as a nation to really honour the loss. We really want to honour the loss, but we really don't know how to do that. Because this is not the way.

Efforts to reach Jones on Monday were unsuccessful. A message left to InfoWars' media hotline was not returned.

Marquez-Greene took to Twitter after she found out about the upcoming interview. She posted a picture of her daughter Saturday night and tagged Kelly in a tweet:

Here you go @megynkelly - her name is Ana Grace Marquez-Greene. Say her name - stare at this & tell me it's worth it. @nbc #SandyHook, she wrote.

Marquez-Greene said her concerns weren't necessarily over Jones, but on the people he inspires.

Just last week, a Florida woman who claimed the mass shooting was a hoax and sent death threats to a parent whose six-year-old son was killed, was sentenced to five months in prison.

Marquez-Greene said her family frequently receives mails from hoaxers implying that the shooting is a government conspiracy, suggesting that actors had been involved and accusing them of making millions off an Obama hoax. Others tell her she should teach her son how to shoot. Marquez-Green said she found that most disturbing.

Marquez-Greene's son was eight when his sister, six-year-old Ana Grace, was killed. She said she's tried to keep the now-12-year-old boy away from social media, where he might learn of the conspiracy theories swirling around his sister's death.

It's hard enough to deal with losing a sister in mass shooting. We are trying to protect him as much as we can, she said. He lives in a world where people don't think his sister's death is real. I'm not ready for him to know that yet.

In a preview of the interview, Kelly asked about the Sandy Hook massacre and his conspiracy theory that the shooting was a government hoax to push for tougher gun laws. In answering the question, Jones seems to offer differing views.

Well, Sandy Hook's complex because I've had debates where we devil's advocates say the whole story's true, he said. And then I've had debates where I've said none of it's true.

Kelly then went on to confront Jones, who seemed to move the conversation to other topics that he said the media failed to cover.

Kelly: When you say parents faked their children's death, people get angry.

Jones: Oh, I know. But they don't get angry about the half a million dead Iraqis from the sanctions. They don't get angry about all the -

Kelly: That's a dodge.

Jones: No, no, it's not a dodge. The media never covers all the evil wars that's promoted -

Kelly: That doesn't excuse what you did and said about Newtown. You know it.

Jones: Here's the difference. I looked at all the angles of Newtown, and I made statements long before the media even picked up on it. We didn't really get into the really important stuff.

Kelly: What do you mean? We talked about all the important stuff.

Jones: Here's the big one they always make fun of me. You probably want to throw this in there. Thirty years ago, they began creating animal-human hybrids. Isn't that the big story that Megyn Kelly should be doing?

For Marquez-Greene, if Jones deserves a platform on national media, so do parents like her.

If they're going to do the interview, fine, she said. But then give us equal airtime to express how dismaying this is.

She also said she wants to talk to Kelly, off or on the air, mother to mother, woman to woman.

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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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. 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And just talk about the personal impact this has had on our family and many others, she said.

The Jones interview is Kelly's second since NBC launched her Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly last week. Her first interview was with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Washington Post
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Former White House photographer Pete Souza is credited with capturing some of the most iconic photographs of Barack Obamas presidency  and with keeping it alive via his popular Instagram account.

Now, the former President is returning the favour.

Mr Obama has announced he will write the foreword to his White House photographer's forthcoming book of photos. The book, titled "Obama: An Intimate Portrait," will contain approximately 300 photos of the first African-American presidents time in office.

Mr Souza told The New York Times the photos would show Mr Obama in all facets of his life.

There are pictures that certainly show him stressing in the Situation Room over major decisions, but also pictures of him interacting in fun moments with his girls, he said.

The photos will be selected from some 10,000 images Mr Souza captured over the years, from high-level security meetings to family vacations.

Mr Souza is a White House veteran, who captured Ronald Reagans presidency before working for Mr Obama. He met the young senator from Illinois while working as a photographer for The Chicago Tribune in 2005.

The two bonded quickly, and Mr Souza went on to publish some of the most well-known photographs of Mr Obamas presidency. He previously published another photo book, "The Rise of Barack Obama," in 2008.

Mr Souza, however, has gained more public notoriety for his coverage of President Donald Trump than his predecessor. The photographer has garnered a sizeable Instagram following for posting perfectly-timed photographs of Mr Obama, designed to contrast poorly with Mr Trump.

Shortly after the Trump administration announced they would reverse the Obama-era policy of publishing White House visitor logs, for example, Mr Souza posted a photo of Mr Obama walking through White House security detectors.

Hmm, he wrote. Bet he was noted in the visitor logs.

Later, when cameras captured Melania Trump avoiding her husbands touch, Mr Souza posted an intimate photo of Mr and Ms Obama with the caption, holding hands.

Mr Souzas book is set to be released on 7 November, 2017.
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A senior Democratic congressman has said it would be the last straw if Donald Trump fired special prosecutor Robert Mueller  as it was reported that the President was considering getting rid of the man appointed to investigate his campaign's ties to Russia.

Congressman Adam Schiff, the most senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Congress would not sit still if Mr Trump fired Mr Mueller and tried to appoint his own replacement. Mr Mueller is currently heading an investigation into whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with Russian operatives to influence the 2016 US election.

I don't think the Congress would sit still and allow the president to pick his own investigator, he said.

Mr Schiff spoke out after a friend of Mr Trump, Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, emerged from the White House and said the President was considering terminating Mr Mueller.

In an interview with PBS, Mr Ruddy said: I think [Mr Trump's] weighing that option.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in an email statement to reporters that Mr Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue.

With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorised to comment, Mr Spicer added.

Mr Mueller, a former FBI Director, was appointed by the Justice Department to oversee the Russia probe after Mr Trump fired his FBI chief James Comey.

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

While Mr Comey told a Senate committee last week that Mr Trump was not under an FBI investigation at the time of his dismissal on 9 May, the President now appears to be under an investigation for possible obstruction of justice.

Mr Comey testified that he believed the President had directed him to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Flynn had been forced to resign from his position after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.

Do you believe this will rise to obstruction of justice? Democratic senator Joe Manchin asked Mr Comey during the hearing.

The ex-FBI chief responded, I dont know. That  thats Bob Muellers job to sort that out.

Mr Trump has openly criticised the Justice Department's decision to appoint a special counsel, saying that it hurts our country terribly.

The President has also posited that the naming of a special counsel also happens to be a pure excuse for the Democrats having lost an election that they should have easily won.

A decision by Mr Trump to sack Mr Mueller could smell even more 'Nixonian' than his choice to fire his FBI Director.

Former President Richard Nixon fired his special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who had been appointed to oversee the federal criminal investigation that would snowball into the Watergate scandal.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions has insisted it was a detestable and appalling lie to suggest he was aware of or took part in any collusion between Russia and the election campaign that sent Donald Trump to the White House last year.

Mr Sessions  a close adviser to Mr Trump during his presidential campaign  faced more than two hours of tough questioning in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, where he vowed to defend his honour..

Let me state this clearly, colleagues: I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States, Mr Sessions said. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign."

Recommended Jeff Sessions may avoid revealing Trump conversations during testimony

The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government, to hurt this country, which I have served with honour for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie, Mr Sessions added.

Mr Sessions was forthright in the answers he gave over the allegations of collusion, having recused himself back in March from the Justice Department probe into Russian meddling into the election after media reports over two previously undisclosed meetings with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador.

Ahead of the hearing there had been suggestions that Mr Sessions might have had a third, unreported encounter with Mr Kislyak in April 2016, at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, where candidate Trump was giving his first major foreign policy speech.

Mr Sessions was adamant that he did not have a private meeting with Mr Kislyak at that event. He did allow for the possibility that he encountered him in a reception that he said was attended by a couple dozen people, though he said he had no specific recollection of that.

The Attorney General testified that he recused himself from the current Russia investigation only because of a regulation that required it because of his involvement in the Trump campaign.

Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong, Mr Sessions added. That was not so, he said.

And while he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions insisted, I did not recuse myself from defending my honour against scurrilous and false allegations.

The statements came less than a week after the former FBI Director James Comey testified before the same committee. Mr Comey said then, that he had asked Mr Sessions to make sure that he was not left alone in a room with the President, because he was concerned that the conversations might breach in protocol from usual relations between the executive branch and the FBI. Mr Sessions confirmed that they had discussed the proper protocols.

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

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon aggressively asked Mr Sessions about suggestions arising from Mr Comey's testimony that there was something problematic about his recusal.

Mr Wyden asked Mr Sessions what problematic issues existed.

Why don't you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden, there are none, Mr Sessions insisted, his voice rising. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it.

Mr Sessions defended his role in the firing of Mr Comey, saying that he still retained the ability as the Attorney General to oversee FBI leadership even though he had recused himself from investigations into alleged Russian collusion.

Many people cried foul when Mr Comey was fired last month, saying that the Presidents decision constituted an obstruction of justice. Mr Trump later confirmed that the Russia investigation played a part in his decision to remove Mr Comey.

Mr Sessions told the Senate that he couldn't confirm or deny any private conversations that he had with the President about Mr Comey's firing, but did not say he was doing so because of executive privilege. Similarly, he did not answer whether Mr Trump had expressed concern to Mr Sessions about the decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Mr Sessions previously offered to resign because of tensions with Mr Trump over his recusal decision.

Executive privilege is a power that can be claimed by a president or senior executive branch officials to withhold information from Congress or the courts to protect the executive branch decision-making process. Democrats on the committee noted that Mr Sessions was, legally speaking, free to discuss non-classified conversations with the President.

"I just don't understand your legal basis for your refusal to answer", Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, said.

It is my judgment that it would be inappropriate for me to answer and reveal private conversations with the President when he has not had a full opportunity to review the questions and to make a decision on whether or not to approve such an answer, Mr Sessions answered.

Democrats were quick to use Mr Sessions responses to suggest he was avoiding giving complete answers.

Mr Wyden told Mr Sessions, I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged.

I am not stonewalling, Mr Sessions replied.

Senator Martin Heinrich went further: You raised your right hand here today and said you would solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ... Now you're not answering questions. You're impeding this investigation.

Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, defended Mr Sessions' decision not to discuss his private conversations with the President. Mr Lankford said that certain conversations with the President should remain private, and that there is a lengthy history of past attorneys doing just this.

Senator Kamala Harris, a Democrat from California, pushed Mr Sessions more broadly on his repeated use of the phrase "to the best of my recollection", and asked if he had prepared for his testimony by checking written documents about his interactions with people during the 2016. Mr Sessions indicated that he had a lot of contacts during the campaign, that the campaign was fast-moving, and said he hadn't taken detailed notes for each meeting. When asked if he had met with Russian businessmen or Russian nationals during the 2016 Republican National Convention, Mr Sessions said that he did not think he had. He hedged by saying that there were a lot of people at the convention.

In another important moment of Mr Sessions' testimony, Arizona Senator John McCain used much of his time to point out that Mr Sessions' interest in Russian relations is a relatively new development. Before the 2016 campaign, Mr McCain said, Mr Sessions did not focus on Russia relations while serving in the Senate. But, after joining the Trump campaign, Mr McCain said, the future Attorney General of the US took a greater and greater interest in the subject.

The controversy that resulted from the removal of the FBI chief ultimately led Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to install former FBI Director Robert Mueller to head up an special counsel investigating the Russias 2016 meddling.

Since then, some reports have indicated Mr Trump has been considering firing Mr Mueller from his position as special prosecutor, or counsel.

Mr Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee that he did not think it would be appropriate for him to remove Mr Mueller, and that he has confidence in him. The attorney general refused to discuss his thoughts on Mr Trump firing Mr Mueller.
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US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to give his first public testimony before Congress since his confirmation hearing in January, when he told senators that he had not communicated with Russian officials during the presidential campaign.

It subsequently emerged that he had met with Sergei Kislyak, Moscow's ambassador to the US, once around the time of the Republican convention and later when he hosted him in his Senate office.

So the hearing, which will require him to answer questions under oath, could get interesting.

When is it?

The hearing kicks off at 2.30pm in Washington, DC.

How can I watch?

You can watch the session online on the Senate Intelligence committees website.

Recommended Jeff Sessions to testify on Trump and Russia in public hearing

What will happen?

Mr Sessions is likely to face questions related to the ongoing probes into whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 US election.

Mr Sessions recused himself from that investigation in March after it was revealed that he met twice with Mr Kislyak and did not disclose those encounters to Congress during his confirmation hearing.

Former FBI chief James Comey, who had been heading the bureau's investigation into the matter, reportedly told Congress that Mr Sessions may have met with the Russian ambassador a third time.

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

The attorney general is also likely to be grilled about the role he played in Donald Trump's decision to fire Mr Comey, despite recusing himself from the Russia probe.

The Justice Department's inquiry into Russian meddling in the election is now being overseen by special counsel Bob Mueller.

Lastly, Mr Sessions could be questioned about Mr Comey's request that the attorney general shield him from having to directly communicate with Mr Trump. According to Mr Comey, Mr Sessions did not verbally respond to his plea.

However, Mr Sessions is not anticipated to discuss any details about his private conversations with Mr Trump.
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American university student Otto Warmbier imprisoned in North Korea has been medically evacuated in a coma, according to his parents.

Mr Warmbier, 22, is due to arrive home in Cincinnati on Tuesday evening, after a stop at a US military facility in Sapporo, Japan.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that: At the direction of [Donald Trump], the Department of State has secured the release. No further details were provided.

Mr Warmbier's parents, Fred and Cindy, said in a statement that they have been told their son has been in a coma since March 2016, and they had learned of this only one week ago.

They said: We want the world to know how we and our son have been brutalised and terrorised by the pariah regime in North Korea.

They also said they are grateful he will finally be with people who love him.

Mr Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, went with a tour group from Beijing to Pyongyang in January 2016 despite US State Department travel warnings.

He was arrested and convicted while trying to leave the country after his group's New Years Party Tour.

The charge, according to North Korean news agency, was perpetrating a hostile act against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea  the official name for the reclusive Communist nation.

Mr Warmbier allegedly attempted to steal a propaganda banner from the hotel in which he was staying, but it remains unclear whether this is true.

North Korea Prison Camps Show all 7 1 /7 North Korea Prison Camps North Korea Prison Camps An overview of Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The administration area of Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A water treatment system in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps Crop fields and, inset, prisoners in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The reported crematorium in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A possible mine Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A walled compound in Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe

Approximately six weeks after his arrest  in March 2016  the Ohio native was sentenced to 15 years hard labour.

Mr Warmbier fell ill from botulism sometime after his March trial and fell into a coma after taking a sleeping pill.

In previous situations when the US government has wanted an American citizen released, at least one senior official has had to travel to Pyongyang in order to secure their release.

Bill Richardson, a former Democratic congressman, UN Ambassador, US energy secretary and ex-Governor of New Mexico, welcomed Mr Warmbier's release but said we are deeply concerned regarding his health.

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio said: Ottos detainment and sentence was unnecessary and appalling, and North Korea should be universally condemned for its abhorrent behaviour. Otto should have been released from the start.

Former President Bill Clinton went in 2009 in order to get two journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, released and former CIA director James Clapper visited in November 2014 to bring home Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, who was charged with espionage.

It does not appear than any senior officials from the Trump administration have made a trip to North Korea. But Mr Warmbier's release came as former US basketball star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, returning to the increasingly isolated nuclear-armed country where he has previously met leader Kim Jong Un.

A senior administration official said the Trump administration did not authorise Rodman's trip. This is him freelancing, the official told Reuters.

Mr Trump, according to a released transcript, called North Korean leader Mr Kim a madman with nuclear weapons in a phone call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last month.

In late April however, he told CBS that: At a very young age, [Mr Kim] was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, hes a pretty smart cookie.

Defence Secretary James Mattis declared North Korea most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security, before the House Armed Services Committee, just hours before Mr Warmbier's release was announced.

North Koreas continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope, Mr Mattis said.

And Mr Tillerson  speaking in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  said that Washington is discussing North Korea with all of its allies, and seeing some response from China. He said North Korea would be at the top of the agenda next week at a high-level meeting between US and Chinese officials.

Mr Tillerson said the United States would have to work with other countries to deny North Korea access to basics such as oil and will have to consider whether to impose secondary sanctions on those doing business with North Korea.

We are in a stage where we are moving into this next effort of, Are we going to have to, in effect, start taking secondary sanctions because countries we have provided information to have not, or are unwilling, or don't have the ability to do that? Mr Tillerson said.

At the same hearing, the Secretary of State said that the US relationship with Russia is at an all-time low and deteriorating further, yet he cautioned against taking steps that might close off promising avenues of communication between the two former Cold War foes.

Mr Tillerson stopped short of registering his opposition to a new package of Russia sanctions the GOP-led Senate is considering in retaliation for Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its aggression in other parts of the world, including Syria and Ukraine.

Mr Tillerson told the committee that he's still reviewing the new sanctions that Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed upon late Monday after lengthy negotiations. He said that it's important that Mr Trump have the flexibility to turn the heat up on Russia if necessary. He also said he doesn't want promising channels of communication preemptively shut down.

Talks with Moscow on stabilising war-ravaged Syria are progressing but it's too early to tell if the discussions will bear fruit, Mr Tillerson said.
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A prominent Republican senator refused to rule out the potential for an investigation into whether Donald Trump obstructed justice in firing former FBI Director James Comey.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the top member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that he planned on meeting with his Democratic counterpart on the committee face-to-face to discuss how they would proceed. When asked specifically about investigating obstruction of justice claims, Mr Grassley simply indicated that a decision hadnt been made.

Mr Trump has faced allegations of obstructing justice for firing Mr Comey after it was discovered that he had pushed the former intelligence chief to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Mr Flynn was forced to step down from his White House post less than a month into the administration over revelations that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had with Russian officials during the presidential transition period.

It has been reported since then that Mr Flynn had deeper ties to Russia than previously disclosed, including financial ties.

Mr Comey did not end an FBI investigation into Mr Flynn, and also refused to pledge his loyalty to the President. The former FBI head said that the interactions with Mr Trump made him uncomfortable, and that he had later asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to try and make sure that he wasnt left alone with Mr Trump.

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

While Mr Trump hasnt been named personally as a target of any investigations, the persistent scandal surrounding his campaigns ties to Russia have cast a long shadow over his young administration. Several top-level officials have been snagged up in the investigations, including Mr Trumps son-in-law and top White House aide Jared Kushner.
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Donald Trumps personal lawyer reportedly bragged that he ensured the firing of a New York prosecutor who was probing the man who would join the Presidents cabinet.

Marc Kasowitz, a New York lawyer who has over the years been retained frequently by Mr Trump who is currently helping him with the Russia investigation, is said to have bragged to friends and colleagues of the central role he had in the decision to get rid of Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

ProPublica said that Mr Kasowitz told his friends he had informed the President: This guy is going to get you.

Marc Kasowitz (Keith Bedford/Reuters)

It in typical for incoming presidents to ask US Attorneys to resign, as part of the clear out of so-called political appointments. Yet there was speculation that Mr Trump may ask the high-profile Mr Bharara to stay on, after they met in Trump Tower during the transition period.

As it was, Mr Bharara was asked to leave with all the other US Attorneys. When he refused, he was fired on March 1. Among other investigations being handled by Mr Bhararas office, aas an inquiry into stock trades by Tom Price, Mr Trumps Health and Human Services Secretary.

 Donald Trump invites Cabinet members to offer message of praise

Last week, Mr Bharara, who is currently a guest academic at the New York University School of Law, told an interviewer hat he was fired after a series of uncomfortable telephone calls that made him feel that Mr Trump might be trying to compromise his independence.

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. 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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

Mr Trump, who was then president-elect, first telephoned in December, ostensibly to shoot the breeze and asked me how I was doing and wanted to make sure I was OK, Mr Bharara told ABC.

It appeared to be that he was trying to cultivate some kind of relationship, said Mr Bharara, who has been a frequent critic of the President on social media.

Im not the FBI director, but I was the chief federal law enforcement officer in Manhattan with jurisdiction over a lot of things including, you know, business interests and other things in New York.

Neither Mr Kasowitz or Mr Bharara immediately responded to inquiries.
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A white professor at a predominantly black university was fired "because of the colour of her skin", a court ruled.

"Rarely have we seen such manifest and open evidence of racial discrimination", a three-judge panel at the Missouri Court of Appeals said in their ruling, as they upheld a 2015 jury verdict in favour of Beverly Wilkins.

The $5m (3.9m) damages awarded to her at the original trial will also remain in place.

The former professor at Harris-Stowe State University in the city of St Louis, Missouri, was hired as a professor in the College of Education in 2001.

She was fired by the Board of Regents in 2010, with the university blaming state budget cuts. But her lawsuit, launched two years later, said two black professors with less tenure kept their jobs.

It also alleged that she was repeatedly passed over for promotions repeatedly while Latisha Smith - a black colleague hired in 2007 - progressed to become dean of the same department within her first three years at the school.

Ms Smith had allegedly sent emails saying that she wanted the department to be "blacker" and the lower court issued an order for them to be produced only for it to emerge that they had been deleted.

However, one email that was produced in court was written by another black faculty member.

Ferguson Anniversary Protests Show all 11 1 /11 Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Police take a mug shot of a protester who was detained in Ferguson, Missouri, August 10, 2015. Protesters regrouped in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday evening after a state of emergency was declared, aimed at preventing a repeat of violence the night before on the anniversary of the police shooting of unarmed black man Michael Brown. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests St Louis County police officers arrest an anti-police demonstrator in Ferguson, Missouri August 11, 2015 Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters march in the rain, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo. Sunday marks one year since Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Demonstrators, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, march along West Florrisant Street in a driving rain on August 9, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. There are reports that two people were shot when gun fire broke out during protests later in the evening. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. His death sparked months of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and drew nationwide focus on police treatment of black offenders. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A St. Louis County police officers respond in an MRAD vehicle after shots were fired during a protest march on August 9, 2015 on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri. Over 50 shots were reportedly exchanged on the day marking the one year anniversary of the death of an unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a white police officer, throwing America's troubled race relations into harsh relief. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters yell as police form a line across West Florissant Ave., Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo., before shots were fired near the protest. The one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson began with a march in his honor and ended with a protest that was interrupted by gunfire. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters fall to the ground to take cover after shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A white woman holds a black woman as they pray during a rain storm at the site of last year's riots on the one year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Hundreds of people marched, prayed and observed a moment of silence in Ferguson, Missouri, on Sunday, a year to the day after a white police officer shot the unarmed black teenager to death, igniting months of protests and a national debate on race and justice. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A woman reacts after shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Police take cover as a barrage of gunfire erupts along West Florrisant Street during a demonstration to mark the 1-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown on August 9, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. His death sparked months of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and drew nationwide focus on police treatment of black offenders. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Amarion Allen, 11-years-old stands in front of a police line shortly before shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago.

It read: I am floored to know that we have an interim leader that has voiced her prejudice so openly to me and others...this flagrant prejudice should not be tolerated or accepted.

Ms Wilkins was replaced by a new professor and part-time instructor for a total of $23,000 more than what Ms Wilkins was getting paid, her lawyer said.

While her original victory was challenged by the university, but it unclear whether they will now appeal again at the Missouri Supreme Court.

"After review, we will evaluate steps the University will need to take in light of the ruling," the institution said in a statement.
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North Korea has hinted that it could test a long range missile capable of hitting New York, months after President Donald Trump insisted: "It won't happen".

Accusing the US leader of underestimating the secretive Communist state's capabilities, an article last week in state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun, suggested that it was close to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Trump blustered early this year that the DPRKs final access to a nuclear weapon that can reach the US mainland will never happen, the editorial said, using an abbreviation for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The US is feeling uneasy as this might be proven in practice. The strategic weapons tests conducted by the DPRK clearly proved that the time of its ICBM test is not a long way off at all."

It added: "The DPRK is about 10,400 km far away from New York, but this is just not a long distance for a strike today.

The quotes were originally reported in Foreign Policy magazine.

Mr Trump took to Twitter in January after reports suggested that North Korea might test an ICBM.

"North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S," he wrote. "It won't happen!"

The pariah state responded with a statement suggesting it would test missiles when its leader Kim Jong-Un wanted to.

Last month, Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, the US Defence Intelligence Agency chief, said it was "inevitable" that a nuclear weapon launched from North Korea would hit the US mainland.

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

At the end of last month, North Korea released photos of a Scud-type missile being launched and falling into the water off the western coast of Japan - the third such show of military aggression in the space of three weeks.

In recent weeks the US has sent a fleet of warships into North Korean waters, and brought several new launchers for a defence missile system to South Korea to cope with any military threat from north of the border.

North Korea maintains that its pursuit of nuclear weapons is solely a means of defending itself from foreign powers such as the US.
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The number of Britons granted German citizenship nearly quadrupled in 2016, new figures have revealed.

Naturalisations of Britons rose faster than those of citizens from any other country, with 2,865 given German citizenship last year - a 361% increase on 2015.

The figures were released by the federal statistics office, which reports to Germanys interior ministry and said the rise was linked to the UKs planned withdrawal from the European Union.

The number of citizens of the United Kingdom who were naturalised as German citizens increased in particular, which suggests some link with the Brexit issue, it said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The process of receiving German citizenship involves a delay of several months, suggesting the number will rise still further in 2017. Just 3.9% of Britons who have lived in the country for a decade or more have been naturalised as German citizens so far.

After three years of declining or stagnating, the total number of foreigners receiving German citizenship rose by 2.9% in 2016, to 110,400.

Turks represented the largest group, with 3,597 receiving German citizenship overall despite a 17.3% year-on-year fall. It was followed by Poland and Ukraine, with the UK in tenth place.

Uncertainty over the rights of Britons to work and travel in the European Union has led to an upsurge in those seeking to preserve those rights through links to other EU countries.

There was a 40% increase in British residents in France applying for French citizenship in 2016, according to the French embassy in London.

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

Mark Nightingale, a 29-year-old self-employed Briton living in Strasbourg, applied for French nationality before the Brexit vote as an insurance policy.

"The Brexit vote made me feel like British people were saying they didnt want people like me to exist. Having a British passport has been feeling like a badge of shame," he said.

Regardless of the election result, Im still happy I got French citizenship, as Brexit is still going to happen."

The official timetable for Brexit indicates that Britain will leave the European Union by March 2019. A hung parliament could however delay the process and cause further uncertainty for the one million UK nationals living in member states.

My preoccupation is that time is passing, it is passing quicker than anyone believes because the subjects we have to deal with are extraordinarily complex, the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier told the FT in an interview on Monday.
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Ukrainians have long struggled with fake news from Russia, but last week, they discovered something even more insidious: a fake journalist.

The man was tall and dapper. He wore a dark suit and spoke with a French accent. When he met politicians in Kiev, he introduced himself as Alex Werner, a reporter with the French newspaper Le Monde.

He was elegant, calm and confident, recalled Amina Okuyeva, who is a minor celebrity in Ukraine because she served with her husband as a volunteer soldier in the war against separatists in the eastern part of the country. Werner had interviewed her several times.

It was midway through one of those purported interviews, in a terrifying flash of gunpowder, that Werners true identity came to light: He was, in fact, a Chechen assassin, Ukrainian authorities now say.

Under the guise of a journalist, the assassin, Artur Denisultanov-Kurmakayev, tried to murder Okuyeva and her husband, Adam Osmayev, Ukraines Interior Ministry said.

Recommended Putin critic Alexei Navalny jailed for 30 days amid police crackdown

The plot went awry because Okuyeva was also armed, and the details of the attack and its aftermath are shedding light on Kievs role as a testing ground for what Ukrainian officials say are hybrid war activities by Russia, including assassinations.

The attack was the third high-profile killing or attempted killing in Kiev that Ukranian authorities have attributed to Russian security services, but the first in which the accused killer impersonated a journalist.

In a statement published 3 June, Le Monde said it wants to stress that none of its journalists are in Ukraine at the moment and that its staff does not include an Alex Werner. Le Monde firmly condemns any impersonation of its journalists or of its title, for whatever purpose.

In 2006, the Russian government legalised targeted killings abroad of people posing terrorist threats, resuming a Soviet-era practice. But the Kremlin has never acknowledged using the authority granted under the law and has vehemently denied specific accusations, including those in Ukraine.

As Mr Werner, Denisultanov-Kurmakayev had lived for more than a year in Kiev, mingling with politicians and anti-Russian activists before the shooting 1 June.

The cover was good but not flawless, Okuyeva said in an interview, her first with a foreign news organisation since the attempted murder. She was accompanied by two bodyguards who were on high alert throughout the interview.

One indication that Denisultanov-Kurmakayev was not who he said he was: He always carried a notebook but never bothered to write in it, Okuyeva said. He wore an expensive-looking suit, also a hint that something may have been amiss.

There was nothing unusual in the request for an interview, however. The press often asked for interviews, Okuyeva said. The media loves to write about us.

Okuyeva and Osmayev, both ethnic Chechens, are well known in Ukraine. In 2012, the Russian government accused Osmayev of plotting to kill Vladimir Putin, who was then the prime minister. Osmayev was arrested in Ukraine, but his extradition to Russia was blocked by the European Court of Human Rights.

After the Ukrainian revolution in 2014, he was released, and he and his wife joined a unit of ethnic Chechens fighting in the war in the east, the Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion. Osmayev has been its commander since 2015. Okuyeva served as a sniper, wearing a camouflaged head scarf at the front.

Gaining fame as enemies of Russia carried risks. The couple knew they were targets. Putin is personally interested in getting rid of us, Okuyeva said.

The putative Werner met three times with the couple in Kiev coffee shops from 20 May until 1 June, explaining that he planned an in-depth article.

Before the fourth meeting, Okuyeva said, he asked the couple to pick him up in their car and drive to the French Embassy, and he also said he had a gift from his bosses at Le Monde.

There were a lot of small, strange things, and my intuition told me not to meet with him, Okuyeva said, but she ignored the misgivings.

As they drove, Denisultanov-Kurmakayev asked the pair to stop the car for an interview and to sit in the back to receive the gift, which he carried in a festive red cardboard box.

As the couple sat in the back seat of the car, Denisultanov-Kurmakayev said, 'Now, here is your gift,' Okuyeva said. He opened the box, pulled out a gun and opened fire on Osmayev.

A shot hit Osmayev on the right side of his chest. But he was not immediately incapacitated and struggled with the shooter for control of the gun. Okuyeva, however, long fearful of assassination attempts, was carrying a pistol under her coat, as well as a tube of the blood-clotting agent Celox in her purse. She shot Denisultanov-Kurmakayev four times as he and her husband fought. Both were gravely wounded but survived.

I will always be thankful, Osmayev said in an interview of his wifes quick draw. Because of her reaction, we are both alive today.

The survival of the assassin could elevate the importance of the case, should investigators obtain his cooperation.

In March, a former Russian lawmaker who fled to Ukraine, Denis N. Voronenkov, was gunned down on a sidewalk outside the Premier Palace hotel in Kiev. Voronenkovs bodyguard shot and killed the attacker. Last year, a car bomb killed a journalist, Pavel Sheremet, on a central street of the capital, and no arrests were made.

After the attack on Osmayev and Okuyeva, Ukraines Interior Ministry and lawmakers blamed the Russian intelligence services. Ukraines SBU intelligence agency, however, has said there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the killer pretending to be a journalist was a Russian agent, but it has not ruled out that possibility.

For the world community, what is important is we have proof Russia is committing terrorist acts in other countries, said Anton Gerashenko, a lawmaker. His tongue may loosen to say who sent him here and why, he said of Denisultanov-Kurmakayev.

While it remains unclear whose bidding Denisultanov-Kurmakayev may have been doing, it was not the first time his name had arisen in similar circumstances.

In the 1990s, Denisultanov-Kurmakayev was all but openly associated with a Chechen organised crime group operating in St. Petersburg, Russia, and he once appeared on Russian TV to speak as a representative of the organisation.

In 2008, the authorities in Austria questioned Denisultanov-Kurmakayev about his contacts with a Chechen asylum seeker and whistleblower, Umar Israilov, who had testified to the European Court of Human Rights against Ramzan A. Kadyrov, the Chechen leader. Israilov said Denisultanov-Kurmakayev was an envoy of Kadyrov sent to Austria to threaten his life.

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. 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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

Denisultanov-Kurmakayev said the Chechen leader had sent him to Vienna to persuade Israilov to return to Chechnya and, failing that, to murder him. He said Kadyrov kept a list of 300 enemies to be killed.

Denisultanov-Kurmakayev said he had declined to carry out the assassination and instead turned to the Austrian police for protection against retribution for failing to fulfill the order. Two months later, Israilov was shot and killed by unknown gunmen on a Vienna street.

Denisultanov-Kurmakayev said at the time, I do not want to break any laws, and I am not a murderer.

The New York Times
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Several people were injured, including a police officer, in a shooting early Tuesday at a Munich subway station, police said.

Munich police said in a tweet that the policewoman's injuries were serious and that several other people had been injured, and that the suspect was in custody.

The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the Unterfoehring subway station, Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said.

 Munich shooting: Scene from outside station where shooting occured

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He had no further details, but Munich's Merkur newspaper reported that witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

Recommended Man sets himself on fire in centre of Munich

Mr Riehlein said the area has been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public.

"There is no danger to the public," said a spokesperson for the police.

Bavarian radio reported: "According to police information it is probably not a terrorist attack".

A police spokesperson confirmed that there was no terrorist aspect to the attack.

"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons," authorities said. "There is no political or religious background here."
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What on earth made President Donald Trump identify Qatar  with its longstanding relationship with the US and host to 10,000 American military personnel on the biggest airbase in the Middle East  as a funder of terrorism? Did someone misinform him of Qatars role in the region? Or was Mr Trump embittered because, as Qatari businessmen are asking themselves, a real estate deal between the future US president and Qatars rulers fell through in 2010?

Clayton Swisher, the investigative journalist who broke the Palestine Papers story in 2011  detailing secret talks between the Israelis, the Palestine Authority and the Bush-era US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice  says that Mr Trump and his daughter Ivanka came to Qatar seven years ago. There, he says, they approached two senior Qatari officials for investment help. One was Hussein Al-Abdullah, executive board member of the Qatar Investment Authority. The other was Sheikh Hamid bin Jassem al-Thani, a member of the royal family who was then prime minister.

Writing in the Huffington Post, Swisher says that the talks failed. Mr Al-Abdullah was allegedly shocked at the way Mr Trump presented his pitch for a distressed real estate fund, although Sheikh Hamid apparently heard him out  but no Qatari money was forthcoming. The QIA is the worlds second largest sovereign wealth fund with assets of $338bn (265bn).

Swisher adds, however, that Ivanka Trump later returned to Qatar with her husband Jared Kushner seeking a different real estate deal over Mr Kushners 666 Fifth Avenue property and that talks went on up to 2016. Swisher also believes  and says he has just found this out  that Mr Kushners father Charles was in discussions with Sheikh Hamid, now an independent businessman and no longer prime minister, over funding, and sought $500m but that Qatar said Charles Kushner would have to find $1.2bn from elsewhere. These talks, according to Swisher, were going on until a few months ago.

If Mr Trump has turned against Qatar  and no-one has yet explained why he should have done so  the tiny emirate has discovered regional friends it never knew it had. Oman is sending a fleet of merchant ships to carry food to Doha. So is Morocco. In the latters case, King Mohammed VI is seeking to suppress  ever so softly, as is his manner  widespread public demonstrations in and around Hoceima in the Rif district of the country.

The uproar began after a fishmonger was killed (with or without the help of the local police) and a popular politician arrested. The mans death has eerie parallels with the individual deaths which lit the Tunisian and then the Egyptian revolutions. And as a cynical Qatari suggested a few hours ago, the kings gesture to Qatar could help his political popularity at home. Its Ramadan  and [King] Mohammeds gesture will be seen sympathetically by the people, he said. He knew what he was doing when he decided to send food to us.

Another less ironic Qatari also pointed out that Turkeys food imports are helping to ease the shortages in Doha. We used to import from Saudi Arabia  but Turkish food is much better, he said. Which might be true. Iran has also tried, rather artfully, to help Qatar by offering to open its airspace to Qatar Airways which can no longer overfly Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait, which helped to found the Gulf Cooperation Council, doesnt want the alliance it strived so hard to bring about to collapse. Hence Kuwaiti attempts to mediate.

 Trump says Qatar has 'historically been funding terrorism at a very high level'

Most intriguing, however, is Vladimir Putins reaction to the Qatar crisis. He quickly expressed his support for Qatar  although avoiding any criticism of Saudi Arabia. And no wonder. For just days before almost all the Gulf Arabs broke relations with Qatar, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman  hero of the disastrous Yemen war  visited the Kremlin for talks with Mr Putin. Ostensibly, these evolved around Syria and oil prices. But now Qataris, and no doubt Saudis, are wondering if bin Salman did not tell Mr Putin of the crisis-to-come  and whether Mr Putin warned the Saudis not to invade Qatar.

After all, its one thing for Mr Putin to be accused of the violent suppression of rebels in Syria. Quite another if he can show himself to be the peacemaker of the Arab Gulf.
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Israel will cut electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip after an agreement with the Palestinian Authority to put pressure on Hamas. The decision is expected to shorten the daily average of four hours of power Gaza's two million residents receive by 45 minutes, Israel's security cabinet said.

Human rights groups have warned of a humanitarian crisis as the electricity shortages could leave schools, hospitals and businesses unable to operate fully. Clean water supplies have begun to dwindle as desalination plants are left without power.

It is not clear when the cuts are due to begin.

 Trump: Israelis and Palestinians are 'reaching for peace'

Hamas warned in a statement on Monday that the power cuts are "dangerous" and could lead to an "explosion".

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) blamed Hamas's failure to reimburse it for electricity for the reduction in power supplies. However, PA spokesman Tareq Rashmawi coupled that explanation with a demand Hamas agree to unity initiatives of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, which include holding the first parliamentary and presidential elections in more than a decade.

"We renew the call to the Hamas movement and the de facto government there to hand over to us all responsibilities of government institutions in Gaza so that the government can provide its best services to our people in Gaza," he said.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel and the Palestinian Authority "will bear responsibility for the grave deterioration" in Gaza's health and environmental situation.

Any worsening to Gaza's power crisis  its only power plant is offline after running out of fuel in a Hamas-PA dispute over taxation  could cause the collapse of health services already reliant on standalone generators, many of them in a poor state of repair, Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the health ministry in Gaza, said.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

Medical Aid for Palestinians CEO Aimee Shalan said: The international communitys failure to solve Gazas devastating fuel and electricity crisis  and the 10-year blockade and closure of which it is a part  is severely affecting the lives of ordinary Palestinians. With only a few hours of mains electricity per day, hospitals are forced to rely on generators for power, the fuel for which is now carefully rationed and in danger of running out entirely.

Surgeries have already been cancelled, and hospitals forced to cut back on essential cleaning and sterilisation services. Medical equipment is rapidly degrading due to constant fluctuations in electrical current. Any further cuts to electricity supply in Gaza will therefore have potentially disastrous effects. The lives of patients in intensive care, including approximately 100 babies, will be immediately endangered should supplies dwindle further.

Israel charges the PA 40 million shekels (8.9m) a month for electricity, deducting that from the transfers of Palestinian tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Authority.

Israel does not engage with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group.

Last month, the Palestinian Authority informed Israel it would cover only 70 per cent of the monthly cost of electricity the Israel Electric Corporation supplies to the Gaza Strip. At the security cabinet session on Sunday, ministers decided Israel would not make up the shortfall, the officials said.

"This is a decision by [Mr Abbas] ... Israelis paying Gaza's electricity bill is an impossible situation," Israel's Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, said on Army Radio.

Israeli military and security chiefs backed the move, despite concern Hamas could respond by increasing hostilities with Israel.

Palestinians protest against some of the worst power cuts in 10 years in Jabalia in northern Gaza (AFP)

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said: Providing electricity to the Gaza Strip is an internal Palestinian issue: Hamas wants the PA to pay for it and the PA refuses.

"We're not interested in an escalation vis-a-vis the Gaza Strip but we are interested in security and our policy hasn't changed.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Mr Abbas's Fatah movement in 2007, and several attempts at reconciliation, most recently in 2014, have failed. Hamas has accused Mr Abbas of trying to turn the screw on them to make political concessions.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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The UK stabbed activists campaigning for women's rights in Saudi Arabia in the back by allegedly voting for the country to join the UN Commission for Women's Rights, a woman who was arrested for "driving while female" has said.

Manal al-Sharif made history in 2011 by filming a video of her driving in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom and posting it on YouTube, where it got over 700,000 views in one day.

As a result of the video, she was arrested and spent a week in prison for the offence of "driving while female".

She accused the UK and other democratic governments who reportedly voted for Saudi Arabia to join the UN Commission for Women's Rights of damaging the struggle to end the country's guardianship scheme.

"They didn't confirm or deny, but we know that UK voted for Saudi Arabia to be in the UN commission for women's rights. This is really bad for our movement. This is really bad for our struggle," Ms Sharif told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I always say to the democracies: use your liberty to defend my liberty. What happened was really a backstab from countries like Belgium and the UK. This was not the support we were expecting."

 Saudi women conduct silent walking protest over right to drive

The UK Foreign Office refused to deny voting to put Saudi Arabia on the commission, while Belgium's prime minister apologised for his country's vote in favour.

Ms Sharif, who said encouraging women to drive "is a symbol of civil disobedience" and change in Saudi Arabia, before speaking out against the kingdom's guardianship system.

"I'm 38, a mother of two, a computer engineer and I'm still a minor. There is no legal age for me that I'm considered adult. I'm a minor from the time I'm born to the time I die," she said.

"I'm like a property that's moved from my father, to my husband, to my brother if I don't have a husband, or my son."

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

She added: "This is the guardianship system. Driving for us is an act to challenge that. It's an act to call to end the guardianship system and consider us full citizens in our country."

When asked if she could imagine a time when the guardianship system will end and there will be equal rights in Saudi Arabia, she said: "There will be that time. There will be the time when women drive their own lives and become in the drivers seat of their own destiny. And that time is when women choose.

"For me, freedom starts within. Freedom is not something that's given, freedom is something that's taken. And it's happening, I can see. Things are really changing in my country."
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Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has blamed the United States for instability in the Middle East and said Washington's fight against Isis was "a lie".

"You [the United States] and your agents are the source of instability in the Middle East... who created Islamic State? America... America's claim of fighting against Islamic State is a lie," the Ayatollah said in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials, according to his official website.

He went on to say Iran had no intention of normalising ties with the United States.

"The American government is against an independent Iran... They have problems with the existence of the Islamic Republic of Iran... Most of our problems with them cannot be resolved," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

 Isis release video from inside Iran parliament during Tehran attack

Iran and the US cut diplomatic ties shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to Washington has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran.

He has made several statements denouncing the US since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while President Donald Trump has spoken out against Iran in harsh terms since taking office, indicating he will reverse the previous admistration's attempts at rapprochement with Tehran.

Mr Trump said Iran must stop funding and training "terrorists and militias" immediately when he gave a speech in Jerusalem last month.

The Iranian leader has also accused the United States and its regional ally Saudi Arabia of funding hardline Sunni militants, including Isis, which carried out its first attack in Iran on Wednesday in Tehran, killing 17 people.

Riyadh has denied involvement in the suicide bombings and gun attacks on Iran's parliament and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Isis' weapons factories In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A mortar round fin manufactured by Isis in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis rocket components discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, Iraq in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortars discovered near Karamlais, Iraq, in November 2016 CAR In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis rocket launch frame in Qaraqosh, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A memo from Isis' COSQC on quality control at a manufacturing facility in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Electrically-operated initiators manufactured by Isis in forces Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortar tubes at a manufacturing facility in Karamlais, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis mortar production facility discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis weapons manufacturing facilities near Mosul in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Stocks of French-manufactured Sorbitol, Latvian potassium nitrate and Lebanese sugar at an Isis weapons factory in Iraq Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A destroyed Isis weapons facility in Qaraqosh, Iraq, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research

The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, who favours opening up to the world, has condemned the attacks without pointing a finger at any country.

The pragmatist president championed a nuclear deal with the US and five other powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran, in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

But the deal has not led to the normalisation of ties between the two countries Mr Rouhani hoped for.

Mr Trump has frequently called the agreement "one of the worst deals ever signed" and said Washington would review it.

Ayatollah Khamenei's hardline loyalists, drawn from among Islamists and the Revolutionary Guards, fear normalisation of ties with the US might weaken their position.

"America is a terrorist country and backs terrorism... therefore, we cannot normalise ties with such country," he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Its Bank Holiday meltdown, which saw hundreds of flights cancelled, was blamed by some on outsourcing. But British Airways has doubled down on its cost-cutting measures, with news today that the 9.5m annual calls to British Airways call centres in Newcastle and Manchester are in line to be outsourced to the services company Capita, affecting more than 1,000 jobs.

In a trading update before its AGM this morning, Capita said: We have entered a period of exclusive engagement with British Airways to explore forming a potential partnership to support its global customer contact operations.

While no contract has yet been signed, the move is aligned with the outsourcing strategy adopted by IAG, BAs holding company. Since it was set up by BA and Iberia in 2011, the firm has been shedding non-core activities.

Over the May Bank Holiday weekend, a collapse of the airlines IT system led to hundreds of cancelled flights which affected tens of thousands of passengers. BA rejected union accusations that outsourcing played a part in the fiasco.

The largest centre is at Newcastle Business Park, where British Airways has around 750 staff. The Manchester call centre employs around 350 people. In addition, BA has a Delhi-based call centre, which is not under discussion at present.

British Airways told The Independent: To ensure we can offer the highest standards of service to customers, taking advantage of the latest developments in technology, we are conducting a review of our global call centre operations.

As part of this review we are talking with Capita about the services they provide.
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First it was Venice leading the charge against unruly tourists in Italy. Now the capital has followed suit, with Rome announcing a ban on eating and drinking around its famous fountains.

About 40 fountains  those flagged as having historical significance  are affected. That means grabbing a gelato in Piazza Navona and sitting by the fountains to eat it is no longer a possibility. The ban  announced by mayor Virginia Raggi  is in place until 31 October.

Eating isnt the only thing people are no longer allowed to do around the fountains. Getting in them, sitting on them, giving pets a drink and throwing things into the water has also been forbidden  although throwing coins is still allowed, meaning the tradition of lobbing money into the Trevi Fountain, which is said to ensure youll return to Rome, is still possible.

The fountains affected include those in Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Barberini, as well as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. Anyone breaking the rules will be fined up to 240.

The move is Romes latest attempt to control loutish behaviour from its visitors, who are prone to bathing in fountains, defacing ancient monuments and even attempting to break into the Colosseum. When fashion house Bulgari paid 1.5m to have the Spanish Steps cleaned and renovated, chairman Paolo Bulgari came under fire for referring to tourists  who use the steps as a public seating area  as barbarians.

Bulgari requested a fence to be erected, and to have the steps locked every night. While that hasnt happened, there are two attendants permanently on duty, who allow tourists to sit there but swoop the second they begin to eat or drink.

On announcing the ban, Raggi said: The beauty of Rome must be respected by everyone."
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Donald Trump has just signalled that new and old enemies of the Persian people are aligning like no time in history. Iran should be very worried indeed.

Many of Donald Trumps critics claim he is unpredictable. In researching my article last year predicting Trumps election win, I found the opposite to be true: Trump is relatively easy to predict if only one looks at what he says and understands that he believes what he says, contradictions and all.

Trumps self-belief means we can assume that he will try to implement his policies as stated. And of his many past comments that disturb me, it is his views on nuclear weapons that I find most frightening. What is the point of having nuclear weapons if you dont use them? he is quoted as saying.

Trump himself has stated that he not only believes that nuclear weapons could be used, but that they should be used. Small hands can still press a big red button.

I am not trying to suggest that I think Trump believes in nuclear armageddon. Even he would see the futility of a full scale nuclear clash. But what of the relatively small scale tactical nuclear weapons, if used against a commonly-perceived hostile state that is itself wishing to expand its nuclear technology? Could Trump, and those around him, rationalise the use of a small tactical weapon to wipe out an adversarys nuclear facility, particularly if it were underground?

The USs largest conventional weapon, the so-called Mother of All Bombs, recently failed to destroy cave complexes in Afghanistan. Could Trump be telling himself that a nuclear bomb is the only option left to his administration?

If you accept that Trump may be predisposed to using nuclear weapons, certainly more freely than any recent US leader, the obvious next question is against whom these weapons shall be used. Enter the two most likely suspects: North Korea and Iran.

 Trump: 'You always have to be concerned about nuclear war'

Bombing North Korea has the risk of really upsetting the hermit kingdoms neighbours. Both China and South Korea, for differing reasons, would react very negatively should there be an attack on Kim number threes playground. Besides, Trump has clearly signalled that North Korea is Chinas problem.

Iran, on the other hand, is bereft of neighbouring friends.

People in the West sometimes forget that Iran, while Islamic, is not Arab. Iran is Persian, and Arab-Persian antipathy pre-dates the arrival of Islam. It doesnt take Egyptian Arabs long to remember the brutality of the ancient Persian kings, let alone look to the Islamic Shia and Sunni split.

Yet for a short period following the discovery of oil, Egypt and Iran did align against the Wahhabist Saudi family when the Saudis new force grew along with their petro-dollars. In the great tradition of monarchies marrying for alliances, the Shah of Iran married the sister of the last King of Egypt, King Farouk. Waiting for a post-mortem return to Persia, the Shah rests even today next to his old friend Farouk in side by side Cairo mosques.

Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the age-old Persian-Arab enmity returned. Iran sought to destabilise the secular Egyptian governments of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak by financing the Muslim Brotherhood. Iran finally gained a puppet in Cairo with the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi.

Irans then president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one of the first foreign leaders to visit Morsi in Cairo, sending a chill down the spines of both Israel and Saudi Arabia. Neither the Wahhabist nor the Jewish State would see an Egypt-Iran rapprochement as in their interests. It had to be thwarted.

No surprise then, when the Saudis and Israelis both lobbied the Americans for an end to Morsi resulting in a popular revolution in Egypt, the ousting of Morsi and the election of a new secular general, Abd El-Fattah El-Sisi, who quickly attempted a gift of disputed islands to Saudi Arabia.

So the Israeli and Saudi governments agreed on who should rule Egypt. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are growing closer. The Americans sell the Saudi regime weapons as the Saudi Arabians are fighting Iran in a proxy war in Yemen.

Iran and Saudi fight an economic war over oil supply and price. Iran needs an oil price north of $70 (55) a barrel to balance their budget. Saudi will only agree to constricting supply and rise prices if the Iranians agree to their sanctions level output, limiting their revenue. Neither agree, so Opec is in stalemate. Oh my, the coincidences.

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

And if Trump were minded to drop a small tactical nuke to wipe out Irans nuclear facility, when would he do it? That depends. Does he need Jim-Bob in southern Arkansas to vote for the Republicans in the 2018 mid-terms, or vote for Trump in the 2020 Primaries? I think Iran has a little over two years.

Ive travelled to both Iran and North Korea. I liked Iran. I found it a safe and friendly country; the biggest risk I experienced was either being swamped by hospitality or drowned in sweet tea. But today Iran is boxed in economically, militarily and politically. It has no friends left. Trump could drop a small nuke there and very few neighbours would bat an eyelid. Many would quietly applaud.

The nation has no allies. To prevent an attack it will likely need to either transparently drop its own nuclear programme or persuade Putin to step in on its behalf. Iran has reasons to be very worried indeed.

Andrew MacLeod is a visiting Professor at Kings College London
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Before 10pm last Thursday night, the DUP was a shambles of a party whose leader Arlene Foster was responsible for the cash-for-ash scandal which has cost an estimated 490m and caused the collapse of power sharing in Northern Ireland. The moment the exit poll was in, it became one of the biggest forces in British politics as the prospect of the party entering into a confidence-and-supply arrangement to support a minority Tory government took hold.

And not long after that, senior politicians were making it clear that the DUPs regressive social agenda would be staying in Stormont. Same sex marriages remain unrecognised in Northern Ireland, and the 1967 Abortion Act (which permits abortion under certain conditions in England, Scotland and Wales) still doesnt apply there. The DUP has blocked legislative efforts at liberalisation on both counts.

Over the weekend Ruth Davidson, the Conservatives leader in Scotland, demanded  and got  assurances from Theresa May that LGBT rights would not be up for debate. Soon after, Jeremy Corbyn gave an interview in which he declared: LGBT rights are human rights. They must not be sold out by Theresa May and the Conservatives as they try to cling to power with the DUP.

General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Show all 7 1 /7 General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nick Clegg Darren O'Brien General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Gavin Barwell Getty General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Angus Robertson General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nicola Blackwood PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Alex Salmond PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Rob Wilson Rex Features General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Ben Gummer PA

And as for abortion

Well actually, as for abortion, theres been a bellowing silence at the senior levels of politics. Corbyns formulation echoed Hillary Clintons famous formulation that womens right are human rights, but there have been no specific words of assurance for the humans who are women and whose right to safe, legal abortion is routinely placed under threat at Westminster.

This is especially galling from Labour because its manifesto actually included a commitment to work with the Assemble to improve abortion rights in Northern Ireland. At present, women can be  and are  prosecuted for obtaining abortion pills under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, a piece of legislation that predates womens right to vote. Heck, it predates womens right to own property.

And any woman who chose not to take her chances with the law or for whom pills are not an option must instead pay to travel hundreds of miles to England, where she must pay for her abortion because the NHS will not fund it. The system is cruel, and urgently in need of reform. Yes, the fact that abortion is a devolved issue makes it sensitive, but womens rights should no more be up for grabs than LGBT ones.

In fact, as the Abortion Act reaches its 50th birthday, the state of the law on reproductive is due for revisiting altogether, with campaigners agreeing that it is vastly past time for abortion to come out of the criminal code altogether and be treated as the health matter it actually is.

 Why the DUP is so controversial

So how come our political defenders of socially liberal values arent talking about it now? If LGBT rights are human rights, do women count as human?

Heres the cynical answer. Its also the answer that I think happens to be true. Women dont get to count as human. LGBT rights are human rights because they affect men too. Womens rights  well they only affect women, and dont merit any special protections. Its a particularly bitter disappointment that women like Theresa May, Arlene Foster and Ruth Davidson can enjoy the fruits of equality through their own positions without defending the reproductive choice that is the cornerstone of liberation for women.

Women cant rely on the benevolence of individually powerful female politicians, or trust in the good intentions of male politicians who mouth the right words up until the moment anything is actually on the line. Our lives, our freedoms rely on feminism  the politics that recognises what we share as women and gives us a way to fight together.

Because without feminism, women will keep being left till last.
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Sir John Major understands the constitutional duty of a former prime minister, which is to draw on his experience and understanding to advise and warn his successors. He disconcerted David Cameron when, in 2013, he said he was appalled that every single sphere of British influence in society was still dominated by men and women who went to private school or who are from the affluent middle class. He did it again when he expressed his reservations about Mr Camerons promise of a referendum on EU membership.

Now Sir John has used one of his rare interventions to say he is wary and dubious about Theresa Mays imminent deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This underscores what The Independent has been saying since Friday. We are concerned about the signals Ms May sends about womens rights and LGBT rights by coming to an accommodation with the DUP, but we are also worried about the significant consequences for peace in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government undertook in the Belfast Agreement in 1998 to be impartial in Northern Irish politics. The deal between Conservative Party and the DUP, expected to be finalised on Wednesday or Thursday this week, is a blatant breach of that promise.

Sir John warned of hard men still there, lurking in the corners of communities deciding they wish to return to some sort of violence, and said that, although the peace settlement was unlikely to collapse quickly, it could unwind over time. We need to do everything we conceivably can to ensure that doesnt happen  and that does require an impartial British government.

 General election 2017: Irish PM warns May about deal with the DUP

There are those who might point out that Sir John, when he was prime minister in the 1990s, put peace talks at risk by his dialogue with the Ulster Unionist Party, then the largest party in Northern Ireland. He had taken some brave decisions to open talks with both sides in Northern Ireland, but they stalled and the IRA ceasefire ended  partly because he was also talking to the unionists in order to shore up his position in the House of Commons, where he lost his majority through by-elections in December 1996.

However, that also means that Sir John knows exactly what he is talking about. The same applies to Jonathan Powell, who as chief of staff to Tony Blair was one of the architects of the final stages that led to the Belfast Agreement, after Sir Johns government was replaced. Mr Powell has called the deal with the DUP a terrible mistake with lasting consequences.

Mr Blair and Mr Powell have themselves been criticised for having boosted the DUP in the first place. They have been accused of sacrificing the UUP and SDLP, the centre ground of Northern Irish politics, for the polarised extremes of the DUP and Sinn Fein. But that was a dynamic that was unleashed unwittingly by the Belfast Agreement itself. Again, it means Mr Powell knows of what he speaks.

When Sir John and Mr Powell warn about the effects of Westminster opportunism on the fragile politics of Northern Ireland, where devolution has already been suspended because of the failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to agree, we should listen to them.

Ms May no doubt feels that she has no choice if her government is to carry on. But she must remember that the national interest comes before her partys interest.
After leading Ireland through a monumental crisis, Enda Kenny left the stage with little drama.

His own valedictory speech before parliamentarians in the Dail was brief, understated and modest. He had done his best and hoped that he had left the country in better shape, he offered it with humility.

Others were left to recall the magnitude of the economic abyss the country was staring into just six years previously, when he was handed the steering wheel - albeit with a road-map imposed by international bailout masters.

But typical of his style and perhaps of his Fine Gael party, it was an orderly handover without the political bloodshed that often attends a leadership heave.

The fact was not lost on his chief rival and Opposition Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

Mr Kenny had given a "master class" in recent months in how to manoeuvre a difficult situation in a beneficial direction "at his desired pace", he told the house.

"He has ensured that those who were stalking the corridors in search of journalists to brief against him have been obliged to issue lengthy statements describing him as the greatest Irishman since Brian Boru," he added to peals of laughter.

"The mischievous enjoyment he has taken in this has been a genuine joy to behold."

At 2pm, Mr Kenny had filed into the Dail chamber and took his seat as the leader of government for the last time.

In the distinguished visitors gallery behind him was his wife Fionnuala, one of their three children Ferdia and the outgoing Taoiseach's brother Kieran.

Above them, the public gallery was three quarters full.

The usual prayer was offered and when the press bench prematurely took their seats before a minute's reflection, Mr Kenny authoritatively raised his hand to order them back to standing reflection.

He threw his eyes to heaven.

"This has never been about me," he said moments later when introduced a final time by the Ceann Comhairle, or speaker.

"It has always been about the problems and challenges that the people of our country face."

But this send-off was about him and Fionnuala beamed, her lips almost quivering, when Labour leader Brendan Howlin said she would be looking forward to having her husband back at home in Castlebar, Co Mayo, with her more.

Along with Mr Martin, Mr Howlin - a former government partner - gifted one of the more gracious tributes.

"Our central role was to fix the mess that had been created by others," he said.

"As you step down today, Taoiseach, that remains, in my view, your greatest achievement and your greatest legacy, and I believe in time will be recognised as such."

Mr Howlin also recalled one of Mr Kenny's undoubted career highlights, an unwavering and unprecedented attack on the Vatican over clerical child abuse cover-ups.

"For a man who is sometimes derided for your folksy charms, you certainly know when to speak with impact when you choose to do so," he said.

Gerry Adams took to his feet and surprised everyone.

"Let me say I will miss you," he said.

But just as it appeared peace had broken out between sworn enemies, the Sinn Fein leader returned to combative form.

"I will miss your optimistic energy, your ability to field questions without giving the smallest clue as to your attitude to the question you were asked.

"Forty years is a long time to be in the Leinster House bubble, and you have earned your time off out of this place."

Others too were critical, and raised his record on austerity, women's rights and a housing crisis.

But no-one doubted Mr Kenny's courtesy, his energy and his unfailing optimism.

Transport Minister Shane Ross ended the eulogies insisting the country was in a much better place now than when Mr Kenny came to power.

And with that, all parties rose to their feet for a sustained standing ovation.

Mr Kenny turned to his finance minister Michael Noonan - a fellow veteran who is also standing down - and landed a trademark play punch to his arm, before making his way up to the gallery.

As he walked out of the chamber and into a corridor leading to Government Buildings, for his last time as Taoiseach, he put his arm around Fionnuala.

Only a small number of party members remained to clap them off.
Michael Creed is rated very likely to continue in the role of Agriculture Minister.

Mr Creed, a Fine Gael TD for Cork North-West, had been expected to back his Cork neighbour Simon Coveney in the leadership contest, but on the day the bulk of the Cabinet declared for Leo Varadkar, Creed remained notably silent. The Macroom-based TD has since refused to say who he voted for, insisting that it was done by secret ballot.

But party colleagues are in no doubt he backed Varadkar, and his silence was almost as damning as the declarations of others for Varadkar. This backing adds to a number of other issues seen to favour Creed holding his post when the new team is announced tomorrow by the incoming Taoiseach.

The most significant is that he is rated to have performed well since he got the job in May 2016. He is rated well across the agribusiness sphere, is seen as understanding ordinary farmers, and there is a serious need for continuity as Brexit looms.

There is also a need for geographic balance in the Cabinet with ministers from the south-west and west to balance the Dublin dominance under Varadkar. Cabinet promotion came late to Creed, who backed a botched heave against Enda Kenny in June 2010.

Creed was in Luxembourg yesterday for a meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers. On the agenda was labelling organic foods and the EU's agriculture stance in World Trade Organisation talks.

Meanwhile, Creed and other figures from the agri-industry paid tribute to former Agriculture Minister Austin Deasy who passed away after a short illness.

Mr Creed said Deasy was admired for his "robust forthright approach to politics" and will be remembered fondly not only in his native Waterford but amongst the agricultural community across the country.
Strong demand for meat and tight global supplies is insulating domestic beef prices from volatility on currency markets.

Sterling dropped against the euro in the wake of the UK election, with the exchange rate moving from 87p to the euro last week to 88.5p yesterday.

However, the fall in the value of sterling has not had an immediate impact on beef prices.

Factory quotes for both heifers and steers have generally held this week as processors compete for cattle to fill orders. Steers were making 4.15-4.20/kg yesterday, with heifer quotes ranging from 4.25/kg up to 4.30/kg in cases. Plain P grade cows are on 3.10-3.15, with O grades making 3.40-3.50/kg.

IFA national livestock chairman Angus Woods said steady beef prices were being driven by "extremely strong market demand and rising prices" in Britain.

"UK prices have risen each week for the last 10 weeks in a row by over 16c/kg. These price increases, which are continuing strongly, outweigh any change in the sterling exchange rate," Mr Woods said.

"Beef demand across all other markets is also very strong and there is not an ounce in store anywhere," he claimed.

However, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) director, Cormac Healy, cautioned that the outcome of the UK general election had "piled on further uncertainty as evidenced by the reaction of the currency markets".

"Sterling at 88p to the euro or even 90p, as some commentators have suggested, places major competitive pressures on Irish exports to the UK. We saw this clearly last October-November when sterling was last at these levels," Mr Healy said.

"The Irish cattle price is currently 111pc of the EU average price and has performed very strongly over the last number of months. The last thing we need now is a sustained period of weaker sterling against the euro," he added.

However, Eddie Punch of the ICSA maintained that sterling was far more resilient than many commentators realised.

"We shouldn't get carried away with talking ourselves into a beef price reduction over currency movements," he said.
All Brazilian poultry exports to Europe will be tested for conditions such as salmonella under stringent new regulations introduced by the EU Commission.

Sources in Brussels have indicated the Commission may also delist all Brazilian meat plants which were previously approved for the export of horsemeat to Europe.

The moves follow an audit of Brazilian meat plants which were undertaken last month by officials from the EU's Health and Food Safety Directorate (DG SANTE).

A report on the audit, which were prompted by the recent meat scandal that has rocked the South American state, was published yesterday.

The EU auditors found that controls in Brazil's beef plants were generally in line with the standards required by the EU. However, the Commission has tightened the approval process for plants seeking EU export accreditation.

As a result of the serious deficiencies identified in the DG SANTE audit, sources say the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis has written to the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture advising:

That all exports of poultry meat and meat products and preparations from Brazil to the EU must undergo mandatory pre-export microbiological checks, backed-up by a health certificate stating that the consignment had been sampled and analysed for various salmonella strains;

That the approval process for new meat exporting plants will be subject to audits performed by the Commission services on the spot and not by Brazilian authorities;

That all horse meat slaughterhouses and horse exporting companies must be withdrawn from the list of processing plants eligible for export to the EU.

The DG SANTE audit identified deficiencies in supervision and control procedures in the slaughter plants visited. It found that:

The Brazilian authorities failed to ensure that all poultry meat plants approved for EU exports were under the supervision of official veterinarians prior to and during animal slaughter;

The local authorities failed to ensure that the list of slaughter plants approved for EU export was accurate and up to date;

There were inadequate traceability and drug treatment records for horses;

Meat products were certified for export to the EU despite a lack of procedures to ensure EU-eligibility of input such as animal rations.

In addition, the audit noted that there were no procedures in place to ensure that rejected meat consignments were not subsequently re-sent to the EU.

The DG SANTE report also highlighted that the ongoing Brazilian police investigation was limited to the sites implicated in the original scandal but had not been extended to associated businesses that traded with these plants.

Moreover, an issue of "particular concern" cited in the report was that most of the shortcomings detected during this audit were repeat offences that had been the subject of recommendations in previous DG SANTE checks.

Ireland has already rejected two shipments of Brazilian meat since issues arose with the country's meat plants last March. "Ireland has received two consignments from implicated establishments at Dublin Port -both were rejected," said Minister Michael Creed.
Glanbia will pay its milk suppliers 32 c/L (cpl) including VAT for May manufacturing milk supplies.

Glanbia Ingredients Ireland (GII) has increased its base price for May by 1 cent per litre (cpl) to 32c/L including VAT for manufacturing milk at 3.6% fat and 3.3% protein.

Glanbia Chairman Henry Corbally said that the increase reflected the improved returns from some products, particularly butter, but he cautioned that the supply/demand balance was uneven across the product portfolio.

Meanwhile, Lakeland Dairies has increased its base price for May milk by 1 cent per litre to 32 c/L including VAT.

A rise in the dairy prices on the Ornua index and the Global Dairy Trade auction has given a boost to farm organisations' campaign for a significant lift in milk returns.

The boards of both Lakelands and Glanbia are due to meet and announce their May milk prices today, with other processors due to follow later in the week.

IFA and ICMSA are seeking a 2c/l lift in prices, and have called for a base of at least 33c/l, including VAT.

Processors have resisted supplier pressure for an immediate jump to 33c/l, pointing out that while the market for milk fats such as butter was extremely strong, demand for proteins such as skim milk powder (SMP) remained depressed.

However, Sean O'Leary of the IFA said the 1.8 rise in the Ornua May PPI to 106.8, the equivalent of a 32c/l milk price including VAT and minus protesting costs, shows the market has recovered to deliver for farmers.

Mr O'Leary said the 17pc fall in dairy farmer incomes highlighted by the National Farm Survey confirmed that milk suppliers had taken the brunt of the sector's downturn.

Recovery

"While co-ops may be tempted to further rebuild their balance sheets, we believe farmers must not be denied the full benefit from the recovery which started 12 months ago, and has been strengthening further," Mr O'Leary said.

He pointed out milk prices increased around 7.5c/l between July 2016 and last February but have stagnated ever since.

Mr O'Leary said the GDT auction was the "sixth bullish one in a row" and EU butter prices have increased by over 18pc since the trough in early March.

However, Ger Quain of ICMSA said returns to Irish dairy farmers lagged behind those being paid to continental farmers and he warned that the gap had to close. "According to the EU Milk Market Observatory (MMO), the average milk price in Europe for April 2017 was 33.2 per 100kg, with Ireland lagging behind at 31.66 per 100kg," Mr Quain explained.

"Irish co-ops are lagging behind and there is simply no excuse," he said.

The ICMSA representative pointed out that butter prices increased 6.2pc in May, while SMP quotes also improved over the last week. Dutch dairy quotes saw the butter/SMP mix rise by 17pc and whole milk powder (WMP) rise by 10pc.

"Italian spot milk prices now stand at 40.5c/kg, while Dutch spot prices are at 37c/kg," Mr Quain said. "ICMSA fully expects processors and co-ops to announce 33c/l for May milk because we know that there is more than sufficient scope for the suppliers to be paid that price," he maintained.
A Qatari businessman is planning to airlift 4,000 dairy cows to the country to tackle the acute shortage of fresh milk after several Gulf nations severed ties with Doha.

Moutaz Al Khayyat, chairman of Power International Holding, will fly the bovine in 60 flights, in what is thought to be the biggest airlift of cattle ever attempted.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic, economic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of supporting extremist groups.

Most of the fresh milk and dairy products for Doha's more than one million population came from Saudi Arabia up until a week ago.

But the isolation that started on June 5 has forced Qatar to look at new friends to import food and other materials.

On Sunday, Iran had sent five planes of vegetables to Qatar.

So far five planes carrying... vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent on Sunday, Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said.

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar. Dairy products have also been flown in from Turkey and there is a campaign to urge people to use homegrown products.

Morocco said it would send plane-loads of food to Qatar to boost supplies there.

Qatar, which imported 80 percent of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbours before the diplomatic shutdown, has also been talking to Iran and Turkey to secure food and water.

"This decision was made in conformity with Islamic precepts that call for solidarity and mutual aid between Muslim people, notably during this holy month of Ramadan," the Moroccan foreign ministry statement said on Monday.

On Sunday, Morocco said it would remain neutral in the dispute, offering to mediate between the Gulf countries, which are all close allies to the North African kingdom.

Qatars rapid moves to circumvent the worst effects of the week-old blockade come in the midst of escalating diplomatic efforts by the emirate to rally international support for its case. The countrys foreign minister has flown to Moscow, London and Germany in recent days.

At the beginning of the second week of the embargo, Qatars financial markets appeared to be stabilising, with shares prices bouncing back after falls last week.
A Judge has ordered the return of two tractors which Gardai had seized in Ballymote to a County Fermanagh agricultural contractor, the Sligo Champion reports.

However, Judge Kevin Kilrane told the contractor, Charles Mavitty of Rosscarn, Culkey, Enniskillen that he had "definite views of your involvement in all of this and they are not good ones."

The Judge went on to praise the investigating Garda, Detective Garda Eugene O'Sullivan from the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Harcourt Square in Dublin.

Judge Kilrane congratulated Det Garda O'Sullivan whom he said had "pursued this matter in the most diligent manner. It was so tricky from the word go here."

Before Sligo District Court last Thursday was an application brought by Mr Mavitty under the Police Property Act seeking the return of two New Holland tractors.

Det Garda O'Sullivan told the court that on August 11th 2016 a search was conducted at the home of Noel Muldoon at Cluid, Ballymote by the Criminal Assets Bureau and other Gardai.

Mr Muldoon was asked about one particular tractor and he stated that it belonged to a Charles Mavitty from Enniskillen.

Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor (for Mavitty) said he operated an agri-business and had a number of machinery, the majority of which was under finance.

He had negotiated the sale of one of the New Holland tractors and the lease of the other to Noel Muldoon senior.

Witness said there were 27 other tractors on the property as well.

One of the New Holland tractors had a Leitrim registration plate and Mr Muldoon said he owned it. The log book was in the name of an Anthony Rogan who told witness subsequently that he had got a call from Mr Muldoon asking him if he woud do him a favour and register a tractor for him in his name.

Mr Rogan picked up the tractor in a layby along with 300 and went on to register it in his name. A Leitrim plate was allocated to it, 06 LM 3160.

There was also a finance alert on the tractor by a UK lender but this was subsequently discharged.

The tractor originated in Northern Ireland and was registered to Mavitty and the finance was in his name. He defaulted on the finance, witness told Judge Kilrane.

Mavitty had bought it second hand from a dealer in Northern Ireland.

Garda O'Sullivan said it was his opinion that Mavitty was the owner of the Leitrim registered tractor and he had no problem in it going to him.

Both Mr Muldoon or Mr Rogan were not in court, said witness.

"I'm satisfied that there was a false claim on it by Mr Muldoon," said Det Garda O'Sullivan who had earlier stated there had been an in-depth investigation into the matter.

Regarding a second New Holland tractor bearing a registration Y638jaw, witness said there was also a finance alert on this from Lombard North Central but this had also been paid.

Det Garda O'Sullivan said his interest in this tractor was the loader attached which had its identification marks removed.

Witness explained that on January 6th 2016 a New Holland tractor was stolen from Ballinamore, County Leitrim with a loader attached.

Det Garda O'Sullivan said he was satisfied the loader in Mr Muldoon's yard was the one which was stolen.

Mr Mavitty told witness that he had bought the loader from a man called Maguire about 2k from Emyvale.

Det Garda O'Sullivan said he had gone there but was now satisfied he had been led on a wild goose chase by Mr Mavitty.

Ms Spellman stressed that the applicatiion before the court was in respect of the two tractors.

Mavitty told the court that he had negotiated the sale of the Leitrim registered tractor to Anthony Rogan who got it on terms.

However, the sale never happened. Mr Rogan went to look for finance but he had obviously been turned down said Mr Mavitty.

In reply to Judge Kilrane, Mr Mavitty agreed that Mr Rogan took possession of the tractor without paying for it. He knew Mr Rogan through work.

The Judge enquired about the outstanding finance on it and Mr Mavitty replied that he wanted to raise the money from its sale to pay the amounts outstanding on the tractors off. He had got settlement figures.

Mr Mavitty agreed that both tractors "ended up in Mr Muldoon's yard", the second one for hire.

"He is in the farming business," said Mr Mavitty.

Judge Kilrane ordered the return of the tractors to Mr Mavitty.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Cuban counterpart Esteban Lazo Hernandez (Source: VNA)



The consensus was reached during their talks in Hanoi on June 12th, which took place following a welcome ceremony for the Cuban top legislator, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from June 11th-18th.

Host and guest consented to continue reviewing and updating existing cooperation documents and sign more agreements in order to complete the legal framework for the bilateral relationship.

They expressed their determination to advance the two-way trade to match the close political ties.

The two NAs will support and promote the implementation of cooperative programs and projects, particularly those in agriculture, consumer goods production, research and production of medicines, health care services, tourism infrastructure construction and energy.

They pledged to intensify their collaboration and mutual support at multilateral organisations and forums, especially the UN, in the interests of each nation, as well as for peace, stability and development in the regions and the world at large.

The Vietnam-Cuba and Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Groups will also increase their exchange and seek specific measures to increase mutual understanding and consolidate the friendship and cooperation between the two NAs in the coming time.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stressed that the Vietnamese legislature plans to promote parliamentary diplomacy, expand bilateral activities with other countries parliaments and take an active role at multilateral forums and regional and international inter-parliamentary organisations.

Vietnam persistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of relations and intensive international integration, she affirmed.

The country will continue to work to contribute to maintaining peace and stability, while protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity on the basis of respect for international law, the legislative leader said.

The NA Chairwoman also highlighted the reform efforts of the Vietnamese legislature, which, she said, is gearing towards transparency and publicity.

Ngan described the Cuban NA leaders visit as a new development of the legislative ties as well as the long-standing friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

For his part, Esteban Lazo Hernandez said the exchange of experience and delegations will help the two countries understand each other more and set forth measures against challenges.

Cuba understands Vietnams consistent stance on the international arena and will continue to stand by the country, he affirmed.

The Cuban top legislator expressed his hope to learn from Vietnams experience in 30-year reform, including legislative activities, especially at the grassroots level, in order to deal with its current problems.

After the talks, the Cuban NA Chairman delivered a speech at a plenary session of the third sitting of the 14th NA of Vietnam.

Later on the day, NA Chairman Ngan will host a banquet for the Cuban NA Chairman and his entourage./.
International law firm Pinsent Masons is to open a new base in Dublin.

The London-headquartered firm was widely expected to set up an operation here in the wake of Brexit and will focus on the financial services and technology sectors initially. It will initially have a staff of three. The firm said the new office will target work initially from the 50 of Pinsent Masons top 250 clients who are present in Ireland, and will bring the total number of Pinsent Masons lawyers across the island to 12 partners and more than 50 lawyers.

The firm already has an operation in Belfast.

Richard Foley, Pinsent Masons senior partner, said Dublin has long been in the firm's thinking as a key global hub for the financial services and technology industries.

"That status has only become even more significant in the context of Brexit. The feedback we've had from our clients as we developed our Ireland strategy was that they would welcome a disruptor coming into the market and our reputation as an innovator is therefore of significant interest to them."
RTE has agreed to sell almost nine acres of land on its Donnybrook site for more than 100 million, according to reports.

Irish property group Cairn Homes PLC agreed the sale price which RTE say exceeded the 75m guide.

According to the Irish Times over 500 apartments are expected to be built on the site, which would equate to a purchase price per unit of more than 181,000.

In a statement, RTE Director General Dee Forbes said the decision to sell the land was taken because RTE has been operating with vastly reduced commercial and licence fee income of approximately 100m annually.

Ms Forbes said the funds raised will be invested in capital projects, essential workplace improvements and reducing debt.

Ms Forbes added: "RTE is playing catch-up in an industry and market that is evolving rapidly, as Irish audiences embrace new technologies which are influencing how and when they consume content, including RTE content.

"The investment which has been enabled by this land sale, along with further restructuring of the organisation, will allow us to better serve the needs of our audiences."

Mark Reynolds, Director of Savills Ireland, said this is an exciting opportunity for those hoping to get on the property ladder.

He said: When we launched Project Montrose to the market back in April, we described it as a once in a generation opportunity to be part of a truly transformative development story in one of Dublins most affluent and fashionable areas.

"The competitive bidding process and final sale price of 107.5m is testament to that. We now look forward to seeing this development come to life and providing a new high quality scheme in Dublin 4.
Social media must be subject to regulation, the Press Council has said in the wake of the case of a man who was erroneously identified as a sex offender on Facebook.

Last month innocent civil servant David Murray, from Dublin, had his picture posted on the page of 'Kildare Now', an online-only news site for Co Kildare. A member of the public mistakenly claimed the image was that of convicted child rapist Anthony Luckwill.

Mr Murray was confronted and threatened by an angry mob in Monasterevin, Co Kildare, and subsequently required garda protection.

The Press Council said it understood Mr Murray decided not to pursue legal action for defamation, either against Facebook or 'Kildare Now'.

He sought redress through the Office of the Press Ombudsman.

"However, membership of the Press Council of Ireland is voluntary... and 'Kildare Now' is not a member of the Press Council," it said.

"Therefore, the Office of the Press Ombudsman cannot use its complaints handling processes in response to Mr Murray's complaint. This leaves him with no regulatory body to turn to in seeking redress."

The council highlighted reports it took 'Kildare Now' seven hours to publish a retraction.

"The identity of the person who posted the image has not been established. By any standards Mr Murray has been a victim of appalling treatment," it said.

Senan Hogan, editor of 'Kildare Now', said a complaint was received at 5.30am and the picture removed at 8.30am. "We've only been around for 18 months, we'd certainly consider joining the Press Council," he said.

The council added: "Social media are subject to no regulation, independent or otherwise.

"They should be required to develop an independent regulatory body that would offer a fair means of redress for people who believe that information about themselves posted... is inaccurate or misleading."
The cost of the average premium has fallen in the past two months, but this comes after average rises of close to 60pc in the last three years, prompting fierce criticism of insurers for mismanaging their businesses. Stock picture

Professional claimants are making a living from falsifying multiple claims in a bid to get insurance payouts.

The law stops insurers sharing information on serial claimants, many of whom are criminals.

Changes in the law that would allow insurers to share information on serial claimants have yet to be delivered.

The setting up the new database of fraudulent personal injury claims is a key recommendation of a Government working group on insurance reform.

The database would record all those who have made claims which have raised suspicions.

It would be shared between the insurance industry and gardai, while solicitors representing clients would have access to it.

Professional claimants are making a living from falsifying multiple claims in a bid to get insurance payouts, according to leading broker Jonathan Hehir of the CFM group, which includes CoverInAClick.ie.

He said what he called trip-and-trick claimants were a minority but were proving hugely costly for insurers, and their activities were pushing up the cost of cover for all drivers.

"There is a relatively small, but very active and dangerous, cohort of people out there who engage in the practice of falsifying insurance claims.

"This has the knock-on effect of putting upward pressure on insurance premiums - be they motor or commercial - as insurers endeavour to recoup the losses made on the back of these claims payouts."

The call for a speedier setting up of a fraud database comes as motorists continue to be hit with massive premium hikes.

The cost of the average premium has fallen in the past two months, but this comes after average rises of close to 60pc in the last three years, prompting fierce criticism of insurers for mismanaging their businesses.

Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said fraudulent and exaggerated claims were a major problem.

He told the Oireachtas Finance Committee this month that people were flying in here to stage accidents because pay-outs were generous; so-called claims tourists.

The creation of a fraud database is one of the key recommendations of a Government working group, chaired by Financial Services Minister Eoghan Murphy, which was set up to tackle the spiralling cost of motor insurance.

Names on the database would be a red-flag signal that someone was making a false or exaggerated claim.

It would become immediately obvious from consulting this resource which drivers were making repeat claims, making it easier to tackle fraud rings.

Mr Hehir said a number of small businesses can no longer afford their commercial insurance and public liability premiums because previous claims against them have pushed up the cost of their premiums.

"So too is the financial burden borne by Irish motorists, who have seen their premiums soar massively in the last 18 to 24 months," he said.

He said Mr Murphy should speed up the establishment of a confidential register.

Through this register, insurance claims managers could cross-reference the names of any individual they suspect may be a serial offender when it comes to claims.
Mobile phone charges for roaming calls and texts in the EU are to finally end this week.

However, consumers are being warned that they could still face steep EU roaming bills for using services such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

The new EU-wide law comes into force on Thursday, June 15. Under the rules, all calls and texts included in Irish phone plans will be treated the same if they travel throughout the EU.

But roaming charges across the EU will remain for data services, with only a portion of Irish users' data allowances exempt from the roaming ban.

Under the new law, mobile operators are allowed to charge up to 9.50 for a gigabyte (GB) of data.

A gigabyte of data is roughly enough to use Facebook and YouTube for a couple of hours. It is also the equivalent of an hour-long Netflix episode.

But with just 48 hours to go until the new law comes in, some Irish operators had not yet informed customers about so-called "fair use" exceptions in the law that allow mobile operators to keep charging more for using data services abroad.

Under the new rules, operators are allowed to limit users' Facebook, Google and data usage to a percentage of their domestic allowance.

In general, consumers are entitled to around 2GB of EU roaming data for every 10 they spend on their normal monthly mobile plan here, up to the limit of what they actually get domestically.

This can be imposed by the mobile operator even if the consumer has a large or 'all you can eat' data allowance at home.

A person who spends 20 per month on a prepay mobile service that includes 10GB of data here will only be entitled to around 4GB of that data when travelling in the EU, before big roaming fees kick in again.

Most Irish mobile operators say that they will limit their users' domestic data packages as much as they can under the new law. Roaming still represents a highly profitable chunk of operators' income.

However, a spokeswoman for Vodafone Ireland said that the operator will be providing full data allowances to customers travelling throughout the EU.

Vodafone Ireland offers less data than rivals such as Three, meaning it has less to lose by respecting the full domestic data allowance.

Earlier this year, the European Commission was forced to publicly warn Irish operators that they could not get around the EU law by artificially splitting their usage plans into "core" and "benefit" segments.

However, the commission has also been accused of confusing consumers by insisting that the new law means a "roam like home" regime with "no additional charges".
Qatar's isolation by other Arab nations has dealt a strong hand to Japanese utilities in talks reviewing long-term gas contracts with the top LNG exporter, likely accelerating a shift to a more openly-traded global market for the fuel.

If Japan gets its way in the periodic contract review, the world's biggest buyer of LNG would have to import more short-notice supplies from producers such as the United States, another step away from rigid deals that run for decades towards a more active spot market.

At stake for Qatar are 7.2 million tonnes of annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) sold in contracts that expire in 2021. The $2.8bn a year in gas mostly goes to Japan's JERA, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric and Chubu Electric that is the world's single biggest LNG buyer.

"Since the crisis emerged, the Japanese are sure not to renew all contracts and they will push very hard to get more flexible terms," said an advisor on LNG contracts, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations.

Qatar and Japan as seller and buyer will each account for nearly a third of 300 million tonnes to be shipped this year in 500 tankers.

Any change in how volumes trade between them is sure to jolt an industry where practices in place since the 1970s are already being challenged.

In some ways the situation is similar to what happened in Europe between 2008 and 2014, when amid an economic crisis and tensions between Europe and Russia, European utilities renegotiated gas-purchase terms, freeing up more supplies for spot markets.

Three deals between Japan and Qatar are under a periodic review, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

These will potentially allow for some adjustments, and the buyers may also only partially renew the contracts when they expire.

An official with a Japanese buyer would not comment on individual contracts, but said purchase agreements were typically reviewed every five years.

That fits with the deals under discussion, which will expire in 2021 and were signed in 1997/1998 and in 2012.

Qatar Petroleum was not available for comment.

LNG volumes grew to 260 million tonnes last year from 250 million tonnes in 2015, produced by around a dozen countries, with more than half coming from Qatar, Australia and Malaysia.

Thirty-nine countries imported LNG in 2016, up by four from the previous year, with 70pc of world consumption in Asia.

Facing competition from new producers, Qatar talked tough with Japan ahead of the contract reviews, warning buyers not to demand too many changes, or Japanese companies could be squeezed out of their stakes in Qatar's LNG projects.

But the tables have turned since Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Doha, boycotting its trade and weakening Qatar's negotiating position.

Cheniere, the only US company to export LNG so far, is offering its supplies as an alternative.

Unlike other exporters, Cheniere allows its buyers to re-sell cargoes.

The Qatar crisis "will further encourage international LNG buyers to include more American LNG ... for reliability reasons," said Kent Bayazitoglu, director of market analytics at Gelber & Associates in Houston. (Reuters)
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
Aidan OMahony & Valeria Milova , celebrate winning the Final of RTEs Dancing with the stars.

Presenters Amanda Byram and Nicky Byrne on Dancing with the Stars. Picture: Kyran O'Brien

Nicky Byrne has revealed he is still unsure of the future for Dancing With The Stars and he has not been asked to return for another series yet.

The former Westlife star co-hosted the first series alongside Amanda Byram which saw GAA star Aidan O'Mahony take home the glitterball trophy.

While the show was a massive success with viewers, Nicky has still not been told what is going to happen with the series next year.

"I haven't heard yet from Dancing With The Stars. That would be great to do again, I'd love to do it if the opportunity arose. It was a great show to do and a busy show to do, but I think everybody enjoyed it," he said.

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The 2fm presenter compared the show to a sporting event and was happy to see it being discussed by rival media outlets.

"What I noticed was that it was like a sporting event, all channels and radio stations were talking about it," he told the Diary.

"Sometimes people go, 'I'm not going to talk about it because it's on RTE' or whatever. But with the characters involved, the likes of Des Cahill and Aidan and Hughie Maughan, it crossed over."

While the future of the show still remains up in the air, Nicky is keeping his fingers crossed he will be back in Ardmore Studios next January.

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"We haven't been told officially yet, no. I'd like to think it'll come back and I'd like to think they'd want me, but we'll see," he said.

While the series has yet to be renewed, rumours are already circulating as to what celebrities could take part in a potential second series.

Producers are said to be keen to sign on a well-known GAA player, as well as popular broadcasters like Miriam O'Callaghan.

Although Aidan was crowned the winner, Fair City's Aoibhin Garrihy, Red Rock's Denise McCormack and RTE broadcaster Des Cahill also proved to be firm favourites with viewers.

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Co-host Amanda is also keeping her fingers crossed she will be back next year.

"I loved every minute of it. It was so much fun. I just want to see who is in the line-up for next year," she said.

"I think anybody dancing out of their comfort zone is great television."

Amanda, who lives in the UK with husband Julian Okines, commuted between London and Dublin for the show and quickly found her hectic schedule wearing.

"The travelling was hard. It wasn't so much physically gruelling because it's only an hour's flight, but by the time you get to the airport, it just felt like I wasn't spending enough time in another country," she said.

"By the time I was finished doing stuff here, I was going back to work in London."
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has said he "probably will" miss Enda Kenny as the Mayo TD steps down as leader of the country.

Speaking to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Micheal Martin said the duo had "many encounters together".

"Ah, I probably will," he replied when asked if he would miss Enda Kenny.

"As leader of the opposition he was my immediate opponent.

"We had many encounters together, both in the Dail and in the two general elections.

"On a personal level, we got on very well.

"I wish himself and Fionnuala the very best."

Martin described Kenny as a "patriot" and said he has probably been "enjoying the last number of weeks."

"He was courageous when Fine Gael was at a low ebb.

Read more: Here's what will happen today as Enda Kenny bids his final farewell as Taoiseach

"He's probably smiling today at the many people who are now out there declaring he's been the greatest leader since Brian Boru... that's the nature of politics.

"I think he's probably enjoying the moment, he's enjoying the last number of weeks.

"I wish him well," he continued.

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"I think he worked on behalf of the country extremely enthusiastically. He was a patriot and a great leader."

Meanwhile, deputy leader of Fine Gael, James Reilly, has said Mr Kenny can be proud of his track record.

"He rebuilt the party from the ashes of the 2002 and election... and as Taoiseach he rebuilt the country," he told RTE Radio.

Mr Reilly paid tribute to Mr Kenny's record at home and abroad.

"How many people could have done what he did in Washington?," he added.

To "look Donald Trump in the eye" and make a speech on immigration was an example of Mr Kenny's performance on the world stage Mr Reilly said.

Brexit and the special status awarded to Ireland for the upcoming divorce talks are also examples of Mr Kenny's international track record Mr Reilly said.
Michael Lynn and his wife Brid arriving for a court appearance in Dublin in 2007

Fugitive Michael Lynn has fathered two children with his wife Brid despite being locked up in an overcrowded Brazilian jail.

The revelation emerged in a submission to Brazil's Supreme Court, as the former solicitor sought once again to delay his extradition to Ireland.

Lynn faces 33 charges relating to an alleged 80m mortgage fraud, after failing to show up at the High Court in Dublin in 2007.

The couple fled to Brazil, where his wife Brid gave birth to their first two children in August 2011 and November 2013, according to court documents.

But Lynn has been imprisoned since August 2013 when Brazilian federal police, acting on behalf of Interpol, arrested him near Recife, north-east Brazil.

Since then, the disgraced businessman has been held in the Cotel prison alongside murderers and rapists.

His wife, however, has since given birth to two more children, in February 2015 and October 2016, court papers said.

It is not clear how these were conceived, but Lynn's submission, in arguing he should be allowed to remain, states that he is the father. The couple's children are now aged five, three, two, and seven months.

Last week, Judge Marco Aurelio requested representations from the Irish Government on the submission from Lynn. Famously, Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs avoided extradition from Brazil to the UK after fathering a child.

But it is understood that Brazil's 1980 Foreigners' Act now does not prevent the expulsion of a foreign national from the country, if the child was born after the alleged crime was committed. The Irish Government's lawyers are said to be confident the latest in a long line of petitions by Lynn will not eventually stop his extradition.

Judge Aurelio first ruled the former solicitor should be extradited in December 2014. But three times since, his lawyers have sought to "request clarification" of the judgment.

It is a decade since he failed to appear at Dublin's High Court and nearly four years since he was arrested in his beach villa near the city of Recife. At the time he fled, he had debts of 80m and his company was said to have 148 properties, 154 bank accounts and assets worth more than 50m.

In Brazil, he lived openly in a villa near a beach while teaching English to the locals, and joined a country club.

He would also visit the nearby office of Quantum Consulting and Ventures, a 500,000 company he had registered in yet another shot at the property market.

But his comfortable new life came to an end in August 2013 when Brazilian federal police, acting on behalf of Interpol, swooped at a shopping centre near his home.

His request for bail was denied and he was told to "shut up" by another judge for talking back during an extradition hearing.

Judge Aurelio also turned down a long-running campaign by the fugitive to be transferred to a private hospital after he said he may have tuberculosis.

While there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, a bilateral agreement was struck meaning Lynn can be extradited.
Gardai have arrested two men as part of their investigation into the gangland murder of Mark 'Guinea Pig' Desmond.

Desmond (41) was gunned down in Griffeen Valley Park, Lucan, shortly after 8pm last December 2.

This morning gardai confirmed that two men were arrested in the west Dublin. They are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at stations in the west of the city and can be held for up to seven days.

Gardai say the men, aged in their 20s and in 30s, were arrested following a planned operation involving the local Detective Unit, Regional Armed Support Unit and other local units and took place in the Clondalkin and Lucan areas.

Before his murder the Guinea Pig had survived a number of attempts on his life  including a botched shooting in Tallaght in 2005 and a failed hit in Ballyfermot in 2010.

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Desmond was linked to at least four killings, including the horrific canal murders in 2000.

He was initially charged in relation to the murders of Darren Carey and Patrick Murray, whose remains were discovered in the Grand Canal between January 9 and 10, 2000.

However, the charges were sensationally dropped and he was jailed for firearms offences relating to the same incident.

Desmond was also the chief suspect in the murder of Anthony Cannon, an associate of jailed gang boss Brian Rattigan.

The gun-for-hire was also suspected of playing a key role in the murder of James Kenny McDonagh, who disappeared in 2010.
Members of the Garda Underwater Unit at the Glenmacnass waterfall in the Wicklow Mountains yesterday. Photo: Collins Dublin

Defence Forces personnel assist Garda officers searching the Military Road area in the Wicklow Mountains after human remains were found

A house has been sealed off in Nutgrove, South Dublin on Tuesday night as part of the garda investigation into the death of a woman.

Gardai from the District are examining the scene to establish if it is connected to the murder.

A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested in Wexford earlier today.

Independent.ie has learned that the man is known to the dead woman.

Gardai are investigating if the woman was murdered over a "personal grudge" however sources say they are keeping an open mind about the incident.

"This investigation has exploded and taken a completely different twist in the last number of hours so gardai are hesitant to say anything.

Gardai say forensic examinations indicate body parts found in Co Wicklow are those of a woman pic.twitter.com/pSWgMZ0CPL  RTE News (@rtenews) June 13, 2017

"At the moment the investigation is going at a million miles an hour."

A body part, believed to be the victim's head, was found approximately 3km north of Glenmacnass waterfall this afternoon.

The DNA samples confirmed the deceased was an adult female Caucasian who died within the last week.

Further forensic testing will be carried out to try to determine the identity of the deceased person.

Superintendent Pat Ward said this evening: "The findings today reveal, and I may be a little gruesome in what I have to say, and I'm particularly conscious of the fact that the body found is that of a loved one, but I have to say that what we have found today are limbs and we've also found some significant parts of the torso.

"And we've also found in one of the locations, a bag with the head and hands of the deceased.

"The forensic examinations that have been carried out now indicate that the body is that of a female - an adult female.

"While earlier indications were that the body was that of a male, the significant and complex investigations up to this point now indicate that the body is that of an adult female."

Read More

Supt Ward added they are confident that the remains belong to one person.

He said: "We're satisfied at this stage that we have discovered most of the body. We're satisfied also at this stage that we're talking about one body.

"If there are any adult females that they (loved ones) haven't seen in the last week, probably in a period of 2-10 June, we are particularly interested in hearing from them."

"These findings were only found in the last few hours, we've yet to conduct a detailed examination of the body parts that we have found.

"Unfortunately we can't put a precise age or even speculate as to the age of the deceased."

There was no comment on whether any clothing or jewellery were found.

It was earlier believed that the remains belonged to a male and he explained why it took so long to establish that they were female.

He said: "These investigations are extensive, they're very complex. We deal with the information that we have at the particular time.

"In this case any information we had at an early stage was preliminary so we now have a more detailed picture so we're working on the information that we now have.

"It's a Caucasian woman, an adult female.

"A lot of the examination will be carried out tomorrow but there's further forensic testing obviously through DNA samples and other forensic tests to be carried out.

"The search operation will continue even though we have most of the body parts.

"Obviously there may be other evidence that may link a suspect to this crime, we obviously know this person came to her death through violent means and there may be other evidence out there that we want to get hold of."

Read More

This is the fifth discovery since a human torso was found of Military Road in Co Wicklow on Saturday night.

The inquiry is now being co-ordinated between gardai in Rathfarnham and officers in Bray, Co Wicklow.

Gardai are appealing for anyone who might have been in the general area of Military Road / Laragh Co Wicklow in the recent past and who may have seen anything suspicious or unusual to contact the incident room at Bray Garda Station on 01-666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.
One of the three teenagers shot in North Dublin last night was stabbed in the arm just hours earlier, Independent.ie can reveal.

The youngsters were struck with shotgun pellets when the shooter opened fire as they stood alongside a bonfire on Shangan Green, Ballymun shortly before 8pm on Monday.

The shooter was standing approximately 40 metres away at the time of the attack and a source said the pellets sprayed out striking the victims in the neck and head.

The males, aged in their late teens, were taken by ambulance to The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Children's University Hospital, Temple Street where they were treated for minor injuries.

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Independent.ie has learned that one of the men, aged in his late teens, was stabbed in the arm earlier on Monday. He was treated for the injury and later discharged.

A source said the two incidents are "most likely" connected to a local feud.

The teenager who was both stabbed and shot is linked to notorious criminal Glen Kiely who was himself injured a shooting in Ballymun at the start of the year.

Kiely (30), who has more than 40 convictions and was previously jailed for his part in a violent attack on a man, was struck a number of times and one of five bullets fired at him shattered his hip and lodged in his body in January.

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It is believed that the attack on Kiely was carried out by members of the so-called New INLA as part of a dispute between gangs that has been ongoing in the locality since the murder of Ian McConnell (28), who was shot dead in Ballymun 11 years ago.

Following the January shooting associates of Kiely kidnapped four young men, including the teenager stabbed and shot on Monday, in a bid to garner information about the incident.

The teenager denied any involvement in the shooting.

This is a volatile situation at the moment. There are a number of chaotic and dangerous individuals out there who are determined to cause mayhem.

One day they will stabbing a man and the next they will be best friends.

The source added: This incident last night had the potential to be fatal. The shooter fired indiscriminately at a group of men standing at a bonfire from around 40 metres.

Any number of innocent people could have been injured or worse.

Local councillor Noeleen Reilly said the attack was disgraceful and called for increased garda resources in the area.

She said: We have never had less Gardai on the beat in Ballymun, the shooting last night has shocked the community and we are terrified of an escalation of this violence.

She claimed the police force has been slashed in the area and said gardai do not have the resources to tackle simultaneous incidents in different parts of the district.

Across Dublin we are losing the battle with drugs and crime as far as i can see. I do believe that there are more drugs in areas than there were 10 years ago.

She called on the Justice Minister to visit the area: Frances Fitzgerald needs to come to Ballymun to address this shooting before it escalates any further.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 016664400, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
At least it was marginally better than Paper One. I have come to the concrete conclusion that Maths is not my forte and will never be a strong, sturdy subject for me. It's over now and it is a huge relief.

Hopefully I will never need to read from a log table again. I read online that someone "started drawing random triangles today hoping to get attempt marks". Perfectly logical to me!

Irish was pretty fair, the titles were perfect and it seems that everyone had covered and studied at least two of the themes. I'm lucky to live in a Gaeltacht area. The extra percentage I will receive for sitting my exams through Irish could bring me from one grade to the next and this is a huge benefit.

In the Irish exam, I wrote about violence in the world, which wasn't difficult if you keep up to date with current affairs.

However, I'd understand if the only news in your life right now is the Leaving Cert. I keep thinking of when it will be over.

"Nuair a bhionn an t-ol istigh bionn an chiall amuigh." I think a huge proportion of students will be able to relate to this saying when the exams are over.

Yesterday was tiring but today is going to be much more daunting and demanding. Chronic fatigue has definitely set in. Yesterday morning, when I looked in the mirror, I thought I resembled a skeleton; you couldn't sell the dark bags under my eyes in a pawn shop.

The mountain of information I'm expected to store in my brain for today is slightly overwhelming. I actually like both Irish and Biology, but I'm not sure if I can keep these large amounts of subject matter in my head for the full duration of the day. Someone on Twitter said: "Someone issue an arrest warrant for the creature who suggested that Irish Paper 2 and Biology should be on the same day."

I wasn't a very strategic student in choosing my subjects. I am studying Biology, Chemistry and History. Biology and History have so much information in them. Chemistry is complicated, so I always try to physically comprehend what I'm actually learning.

I'm utterly ecstatic that today is the day before my second last day.

I have the hardest day of exams today, then History the day after Then I have a five-day break, until Chemistry and Spanish. But that will be the last day.

Those five wondrous days will be a teaser taste of freedom. Then it will be over and I won't have to think or contemplate it until we receive our results that will dictate our futures. "Is maith an scealai an aimsir." I still have Irish floating around in my subconscious.
Overall a challenging paper that covered every corner of the course and one that was inventive and wide-ranging in its content, was how teacher Mona Murray summed up Leaving Certificate higher level biology.

It looked easy on the surface, but each question required a lot of detail,  said Ms Murray of the Institute of Education, Dublin.

She noted that a number of different sections of the course were combined in questions: These made odd bedfellows and the level of detail required for each was high.

However, Ms Murray welcomed topical issues such as the Poolbeg Incinerator and the Zika Virus appearing on the paper, which, she said, showed students that biology was not just in the text books.

Ms Murray said some of the short questions were very detailed, and students needed to provide a lot of information in their answers.

In Section B, on experiments, she said Question 7 was "very nice". As part of it, students were required to draw a food web, the first time this has been asked. This would require a lot of memory work and the question would have stretched the students a lot,  she said.

Ms Murray said there would have been smiles all round for Question 8 on enzymes. This has never been asked but was hoped for, while she described Question 9 as very extensive..

In the Section C, Ms Murray said the question on Poolbeg was a novel twist.

She thought Question 11, on plants, was very challenging but described Question 12 as straightforward, although many students would be disappointed that only a small part of the question was on genetics.

Ms Murray also described Question 13, on photosynthesis as novel and welcomed the topicality of the Zika virus question.
Teachers differed on whether the Leaving Certificate higher level Maths Paper 2 was easier or more challenging than Paper 1.

Robert Chaney, a subject representative for the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), said students at both levels, to whom he spoke, thought both of yesterday's Maths papers were more manageable than Friday's.

Mr Chaney, of CBS, Thurles, Co Tipperary, regarded the higher level paper as "very fair and straightforward", although he said there were occasional things that might have caught students out.

One of those was question 6 on the Cliffs of Moher, where, he said, students may have made mistakes about distances, which were represented both in metres and kilometres.

Mr Chaney said there was a strong emphasis on geometry and while students may often be concerned about their geometry skills, they liked the geometry on this paper.

However, Eamonn Toland, of TheMathsTutor.ie, thought the Higher Level Paper 2 was more difficult than Paper 1.

He said: "Section A on concepts and skills was quite challenging and many of the questions were more like section B questions, which focus on applications of maths.

"Also there were topics, such as spherical geometry and the correlation coefficient, that might have surprised some students."

Mr Toland said the contexts and applications section had some very testing parts such as question 7.

He said while it was "reasonably straightforward mathematically", students might have had difficulty in correctly interpreting the last part, about cylinders and spheres.

He added that it also seemed "like a very convoluted way to solve an easy volume problem, especially since this section is supposed to examine students' ability to apply their knowledge to practical problems".

"Overall, a challenging paper that is very much in the new 'Project Maths' style," he said.

In relation to the ordinary level paper, Mr Chaney said there was a nice spread of questions that picked up on all the concepts to be learned in the syllabus. "Pythagoras appeared several times, but, apart from that, there were was a good, broad selection," he said.

Mr Toland described it as a "fairly straightforward" paper, about which students should have no complaints.

However, he was surprised by question 8, "a straightforward co-ordinate geometry question", and wondered why it had appeared in section B, contexts and applications, rather than section A.

"There was no applied context at all in the question. The question itself was not too challenging, so this was probably a pleasant surprise rather than a shock for students," he said.

He described statistics questions as "quite accessible".
The scene near the boardwalk at Bachelor's Walk after incident occurred just after 5pm. Pic Collins Photos

The man was rescued from the River Liffey by members from Dublin Fire Brigarde. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade

A man was rushed to hospital after being pulled out of the River Liffey by Dublin Fire Brigade services this afternoon.

The man was pulled from the water by members of Dublin Fire Brigade at the Burgh Quay end of the River Liffey just after 4.45pm this afternoon.

A spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade said it appeared that the man slipped into the river at the Bachelor's Walk end of the river.

Burgh Quay was closed temporarily as three fire tenders, a rescue tender, a ladder from Tara Street Fire Station, a Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance, and the district fire officer attended the scene.

Our rescue swimmers & boat have taken one person from the #Liffey, Burgh Quay now clear, thanks for your patience pic.twitter.com/oXvR9kQP4w  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) June 13, 2017

The man was removed from the water and rushed to hospital.

His condition is not yet known.
A new company which will take over St Vincent's Hospital campus in Dublin from the Sisters for Charity will have a board made up entirely of lay members with no directors drawn from religious bodies, it was claimed yesterday.

The Order of the Sisters of Charity currently is the sole shareholder but it is relinquishing ownership.

The new company will be called 'St Vincent's' when it is established. This entity will acquire the shareholding currently held by the Sisters of Charity when it ends its links with the healthcare campus.

The company's board, which will be made up of directors with various expertise, will be largely "passive".

The main decision-making will continue to be made by the St Vincent's Healthcare Group which has a separate board, its chairman James Menton said yesterday.

He said he and a number of other directors will sit on the first interim board of the new company for a year as part of the transition.

"We would not envisage that members of any church would be on the board of the new company," he said.

A board meeting for the new firm would be quite passive while the meetings of the St Vincent's Healthcare Group will continue to be concerned with all aspects of the running of the service, he said.

"You want people on the shareholder board who understand what healthcare is about and who have some other disciplines.

"But you also want people who have the same understanding and the values. They have oversight of the people running the hospitals," he said.

The first directors of the new company will be appointed by board members of St Vincent's Healthcare Group.

Apart from members of the Sisters of Charity, who will now step down, the board of the St Vincent's Healthcare Group is made up of people from business backgrounds.

The new maternity hospital will have a nine-member board, four from the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, four from St Vincent's Healthcare Group and an international expert.

It will be owned by the St Vincent's Healthcare Group.

Mr Menton said the Sisters of Charity was already planning to leave the hospital group and had envisaged making an announcement around September.

However, the controversy generated by concerns about its ownership of the maternity hospital brought this forward.

It will transfer its shares to St Vincent's, the new company, for a peppercorn or nominal sum.

In a statement yesterday, Sister Mary Christian, the order's congregational leader, said that it will have no involvement with the new company.

"For the last two years we have been actively working to find the best way to relinquish our shareholding."

She said the order remains dedicated to preserving the legacy of Mary Aikenhead.

However, its health service code will be changed to reflect compliance with national and international best practice guidelines and the laws of the Republic.

The decision means the religious order will not be involved in the ownership or management of the new maternity hospital, which is to be built at Elm Park.
A woman has told of how she thought she was going to die during a violent rape attack.

Debbie Cole (47) was raped by an older man when she was just 19, after leaving a Dublin pub and sharing a taxi home. She was pulled in under a stairway in her flat complex and beaten and held down during the attack. At one point, she said she believed she was going to die.

She said all she could think of was that her younger siblings would find her body in the morning.

Speaking to Sean ORourke on RTE Radio One, Ms Cole described how a garda visited her home after the incident and convinced her to defend her attacker.

She said: "We were sitting there, he was having a cup of coffee, a cigar, we were just chatting. He said to me that this guy was a really nice guy, he came from a good background and a respectable family.

"He wasnt known to the police and it was so out of character for him. It was basically a mistake he made with drink in him."

Ms Cole said she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time and had been naive about the encounter.

She said: "I was brought up to respect the guards, they know the law. So I thought this guy knows best, this man is not a bad man, I can help. So I told the judge I forgave him."

Ms Cole asked the judge to provide the man with psychological help instead of a prison sentence. He was subsequently sentenced for six years, though the judge had previously considered handing down a sentence "in the double figures."

The man has since re-offended multiple times and is currently serving his third prison sentence.

Ms Cole spoke on this mornings programme alongside Independent Alliance TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, who recently proposed a bill that will seek to ensure that a sex offender who has a previous conviction for a similar crime must serve at least three-quarters of the maximum sentence for the second offence.

Mr Moran said this is a "vital piece of legislation" which will see longer prison sentences handed down to repeat sex offenders.

Mr Moran was approached by Ms Cole before the general election last year and have since been working together to get the legislation passed. He said the bill has been backed by incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Ms Cole said that sharing her story has been an "emotional rollercoaster", but hopes the bill will be finalised and sex offenders will face tougher penalties.

She said: "If this helps one other person not to be raped, well then every other time I have to talk about it, it will be well worth it."
The lands at Clonkeen College in Deansgrange which have sparked controversy. Picture: Arthur Carron

The owners a south Dublin secondary school have insisted they had no involvement in the decision by the Christian Brothers to sell an 18m site surrounding the school - with a number of county councillors now calling on the government to buy the land.

Local representatives in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdowne say they are in the dark over what they can do to prevent the sale of the site Clonkeen College, and backed a series of motions at a council meeting last night.

Among the motions were calls for an urgent meeting with Education Minister, Richard Bruton, on the issue, along with the request to council management for a full report to be issued next month on what options may exist to halt the sale.

The meeting heard that some 90pc of of schools in the area were described as "vulnerable" as they, similarly to Clonkeen College, are zoned as "residential" meaning housing can be built on the land.

The religious order is in the process of selling seven acres at the schools, including a number of playing pitches.

They say the money raised will be used be used to pay compensation for victims of clerical abuse. And the order has promised to secure 3.5 acres and 1.3m for the school.

School owners sent an email to city councillors yesterday insisting they could not do anything to prevent the Christian Brothers from going ahead with the process.

The Edmund Rice Schools Trust said that a Deed of Conveyance signed when they were handed the school ensured that they would not be allowed to make any objection to a future sale of land at Clonkeen.

"The decision to sell the land is the sole responsibility of the Congregation of Christian Brothers," chief executive, Gerry Bennett said.

"While ERST owns the school, the Trust does not own the playing fields at Clonkeen. ERST was not involved in the decision of the Christian Brothers to sell part of the playing fields.

"We were given limited information about the sale and had to give an undertaking that we would maintain confidentiality prior to being given this.

Discussions on selling the land began as long ago as May 2016 - but the school management was not told until recent weeks when a contract was entered into by the order and developer Patrick Durkan Snr.

The ERST say they hope to meet with the board of management at the school as soon as possible over the issue.
A United Nations committee has ruled that Irelands abortion laws led to a woman being subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

The decision came following a complaint by Wexford woman Siobhan Whelan, who was denied access to an abortion in Ireland in 2010 after it was discovered her unborn child has a fatal foetal abnormality.

It is the second time the UNs Human Rights Committee has ruled against Ireland in relation to a complaint about the countrys restrictive abortion regime.

Another woman, Amanda Mellett, was awarded compensation by the State after her complaint was upheld by the committee.

In the case of Ms Whelan, the committee decided her human rights were violated and called on Ireland to reform its abortion laws.

It also held that Ireland must make reparations to Ms Whelan for the harm she suffered.

Although the findings are not binding, they do heap further pressure on the Government to bring forward the expected referendum on abortion.

It is also likely that she will be offered compensation.

Ms Whelan discovered in January 2010 that her unborn child was affected by holoprosencephaly, a congenital brain malformation occurring in one in 250 pregnancies.

Only 3pc of holoprosencephalic foetuses survive to delivery.

She was informed by an obstetrician at Wexford General Hospital that the baby would likely die in the womb, and that if it was carried to full term, it would probably die during labour or very soon after birth.

In her complaint, filed with the assistance of the Centre for Reproductive Rights, Ms Whelan complained she was not given further information and was not referred to anyone to discuss the diagnosis, the care she would be offered in Ireland or the possibility of travelling abroad to terminate the pregnancy.

Instead the obstetrician stated she would continue with the pregnancy, attend ante-natal appointments as normal and wait for nature to take its course.

The diagnosis was confirmed in an additional scan three days later at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin.

It emerged the unborn child was also suffering from Trisomy 13, a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities in many parts of the body.

She was told the condition was incompatible with life.

Ms Whelan complained that the hospitals doctors did not offer any information on counselling services or options open to her.

She sought advice from several crisis pregnancy services, but most said they were only able to assist where pregnancies were no further along than 13 weeks, and she was 21 weeks pregnant.

Eventually, she obtained contact information for Liverpool Womens Hospital and made arrangements for a termination.

She described feeling like a criminal leaving the country.

After the procedure, the hospital was unable to provide her with any information on bereavement services in Ireland.

She attended a GP on her return home and, although the doctor was sympathetic, she was never offered any grief counselling.

In her complaint she described feeling isolated and grief-stricken.

In a statement, Ms Whelan said she was pleased with the decision of the committee.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the committee for its recognition of the harm I suffered, and the violation of my human rights, as a result of Irelands abortion laws, she said.

In taking this case, my hope was to bring about a change in our laws so that when faced with the tragic news of a fatal foetal impairment women would have a choice to end the pregnancy in Ireland and not be forced to carry the pregnancy to term or to travel out of the country to access health care services like I had to do.

When I received the diagnosis, I was told I would have to continue with the pregnancy, since Irelands abortion laws do not allow you to end the pregnancy even in these circumstances.

If I wanted to end the pregnancy, I would have to travel to another jurisdiction.

This, to me, was very wrong and I knew that the suffering I endured because I had to travel to access health care was inhuman.

I believe women and couples must be given the best possible care at home at such a difficult time in their lives, including if they decide to terminate the pregnancy, and that there should be equal access to good quality information and care by hospitals countrywide.
His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at GovernmentBuildings Buildings this morning (Picture: Tom Burke)

His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at GovernmentBuildings Buildings this morning (Pic: Tom Burke)

His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD accompanied by his garda escort Det. Garda Frank White arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings this morning (Pic: Tom Burke)

His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD accompanied by his garda escort Det Garda Frank White arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings this morning (Pic:Tom Burke)

His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD accompanied by his garda escort Det.Garda Frank White arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings this morning (Pic Tom Burke)

Enda Kenny has said it is 'business as usual' as he attends his final cabinet meeting today before stepping down as Taoiseach.

The Mayo man, whose career in the Dail spans 40 years, is set to sign off today, giving way for Leo Varadkar to take up the post tomorrow.

But speaking briefly to the media before attending his final cabinet meeting as leader.

"While it might be a milestone for me personally, in the context of the country that's irrelevant. So it's business as usual - we have many challenges up ahead," he told Newstalk.

"I'm proud and privileged that I've been able to serve as Taoiseach for all these years."

Expand Close His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at GovernmentBuildings Buildings this morning (Pic: Tom Burke) / Facebook

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Whatsapp His Last Day......Taoiseach Enda Kenny,TD arriving for his last Cabinet meeting at GovernmentBuildings Buildings this morning (Pic: Tom Burke)

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has said he "probably will" miss Enda Kenny.

Speaking to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Micheal Martin said the duo had "many encounters together".

"Ah, I probably will," he replied when asked if he would miss Enda Kenny.

"As leader of the opposition he was my immediate opponent.

"We had many encounters together, both in the Dail and in the two general elections.

"On a personal level, we got on very well.

"I wish himself and Fionnuala the very best."

Martin described Kenny as a "patriot" and said he has probably been "enjoying the last number of weeks."

"He was courageous when Fine Gael was at a low ebb.

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"He's probably smiling today at the many people who are now out there declaring he's been the greatest leader since Brian Boru... that's the nature of politics.

"I think he's probably enjoying the moment, he's enjoying the last number of weeks.

"I wish him well," he continued.

"I think he worked on behalf of the country extremely enthusiastically. He was a patriot and a great leader."

Meanwhile, deputy leader of Fine Gael, James Reilly, has said Mr Kenny can be proud of his track record.

"He rebuilt the party from the ashes of the 2002 and election... and as Taoiseach he rebuilt the country," he told RTE Radio.

Mr Reilly paid tribute to Mr Kenny's record at home and abroad.

"How many people could have done what he did in Washington?," he added.

To "look Donald Trump in the eye" and make a speech on immigration was an example of Mr Kenny's performance on the world stage Mr Reilly said.

Brexit and the special status awarded to Ireland for the upcoming divorce talks are also examples of Mr Kenny's international track record Mr Reilly said.
The day has finally come for Enda Kenny to step down as Taoiseach and as he makes the trip to the Aras to hand over his resignation letter to President Michael D Higgins, Independent.ie Political Editor Kevin Doyle takes another look at the Mayo TD's report card.

TAOISEACH

Expand Close Aggrieved: Alan Shatter with Taoiseach Enda Kenny / Facebook

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Whatsapp Aggrieved: Alan Shatter with Taoiseach Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny has been both the baby and the father of the Dail. In many ways he is the great survivor who rose to the top while all those around him fell away. Nowhere in the newspaper clippings is there any evidence that his colleagues saw him as a future Taoiseach. Garret Fitzgerald didnt rate him and the media has given him a tough time. However, the story of how he stayed at the helm of Fine Gael for 15 years and as Taoiseach for over six years suggests theres a lot more to Enda Kenny than jovial fist-pumping and quirky stories.

When necessary he has dispatched inconvenient partners such as Alan Shatter and Frank Flannery. He ruthlessly cut down the career of Lucinda Creighton and has taken the risky strategy of repeatedly side-lining his constituency colleague Michael Ring who is desperate to hold a Cabinet portfolio. Time and again Mr Kenny has shown a vicious streak that is needed to survive at the top of the political ladder.

As he steps away from Government Buildings he will point to the economic recovery as his greatest achievement. In 2011 he took over a country that had lost its sovereignty, its pride and its international standing. For five years he led what was effectively a national government along with the Labour Party. And although that coalition wasnt re-elected he will claim their work set Ireland back on the path to prosperity. If the test of his leadership was an ability to restore confidence and stability then he rates highly. There are plenty of statistics to back up this argument but there were mistakes along the way too, most notably the setting up of Irish Water.

As he leaves office the country is on the brink of full employment again and the economy is growing fast than any other EU country. At the same time a 2007 promise to end the scandal of patients on trolleys remains unfulfilled. The housing market is once again in a mess and Brexit is looming large over every decision the Government makes.

Marks: Six out of 10

MINISTER

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Its rarely mentioned these days but Enda Kennys only Cabinet experience before becoming Taoiseach was two and a half years in the Department of Tourism and Trade between December 1994 and June 1997. His office became known as happy valley due to Mr Kennys good humour and the fact that the period coincided with plenty of good news stories. In his book The Unlikely Taoiseach, John Downing suggested that Mr Kenny was easily managed by officials. He was criticised for not taking the role seriously enough as a reputation for enjoying the Dublin nightlife and being a bit of a joker followed him into his ministry.

However, the position gave Mr Kenny a chance to engage in plenty of foreign travel and he gained a substantially higher national profile. His supporters argued that criticism of his easy-going nature was simply because he was pompous like other ministers.

Years later as he launched his first leadership bid, Mr Kenny said: I dont know where this notion of Enda Kenny not having dealt with the substantial issues over the years has come form.

When I became Minister for Tourism, Bord Failte was in chaos after Charlie McCreevy. The industry was in a very fragile state. I dealt with that sur-footedly, very competently, brought people with me, restored confidence.

Marks: Five out of 10

PARTY LEADER

Expand Close Enda Kenny (centre) with Richard Bruton, Simon Harris, Paschal Donohoe, Leo Varadkar, Frances Fitzgerald and Michael Noonan at an election news conference Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook

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While it might seem as if Enda Kenny has been Taoiseach forever, he was actually the leader of the Opposition for far longer. After Fine Gaels election drubbing in 2002 Mr Kenny took over a massively depleted party with just 31 seats. He set about trying to reinvigorate the troops, telling them: There will be no talking down to members of Fine Gael. This is your party.

Aside from raising morale, his biggest task was to try take on the Teflon Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The then Fianna Fail leader once remarked: I dont think Enda ever managed to lay a glove on me. He certainly never got a knockout punch.

There was no eureka moment for Mr Kenny but in 2004 Fine Gael out-performed expectations in the Local and European elections, winning five seats in the European Parliament. It was the first time the party had ever defeated Fianna Fail in a national election. Mr Kenny had more joy in head-to-head battles with Brian Cowen as Taoiseach  but Fine Gaels ultimate win over Fianna Fail in the 2011 General Election had more to do with the economic crash than Kennys leadership.

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Few would have believed when he survived Richard Brutons heave in June 2010 that Kenny would be hoisted into the Office of Taoiseach so smoothly the following February. In the process Fine Gael won 76 seats and Mr Kenny secured the enduring respect of his party colleagues.

Last years election campaign was not Mr Kennys finest moment in the Fine Gael jersey but everyone in the party recognises that he leaves it in a toe-to-toe battle with Fianna Fail ahead. When he took over they werent even at the races.

Marks: Eight out of 10

CONSTITUENCY TD

Expand Close Back in the day: Taoiseach Enda Kenny (front right) in a school photograph with his brothers Henry and John. He later taught at the Glenisland National School, which closed last week Photo: Keith Heneghan / Facebook

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Whatsapp Back in the day: Taoiseach Enda Kenny (front right) in a school photograph with his brothers Henry and John. He later taught at the Glenisland National School, which closed last week Photo: Keith Heneghan

Enda Kennys father Henry died in September 25, 1975 at the age of 62. Then Taoiseach Liam Cosgrove let it be known that he wanted a Kenny to stand in the subsequent by-election. Fine Gael HQ felt it was the only way of retaining the seat. It was decided that Enda should run after his older brother Henry decided he wasnt interested.

Mr Kenny arrived at the Dail on November 18 to take his seat for the first time, accompanied by a group of supporters carrying a green and red banner, reading The Wests Awake!. However, it would be a year before he made a significant speech in the chamber. When he did speak it was mostly on local issues and an effort to get a mention in the local newspaper.

Throughout the 1980s and much of the 1990s he had plenty of time to focus on constituency issues such as the automation of the Castlebar telephone exchange, fixing potholes, the development of hospital and even the future of the local bacon factory. While Minister for Tourism and Trade he delivered heavily for the constituency, ensuring special development tax incentives for Westport and Achill.

He made no qualms about what it took to survive as a rural TD. One of the reasons for a rural Deputy speaking at all in the House is that he has the opportunity of sending details of his contributions to local newspapers, thereby keeping his name before the people he represents. This enables constituents to read what their Deputy had been advocating, he said.

Marks: Seven out of 10

EUROPE

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When Enda Kenny met Donald Trump in the White House last March he spent much of the conversation trying to educate the new US President on the important of the European Union. It was a divergence from the usual March 17 script which focuses on the illegal Irish in America. Brexit brought with it exception circumstances but perhaps knowing his days were numbered Mr Kenny was seeking to impress his European colleagues.

However, his relationship with the EU can be split in two. Theres no doubt that Mr Kenny is committed wholeheartedly to the project and has influence among EU leaders  but sometimes these were overplayed. In October 2012 he let it be known that a flurry of phone calls between Dublin and Berlin led to a joint statement from himself and German chancellor Angela Merkel. It said the Irish case for relief on our gigantic bank debt was indeed a "special" case. Little consequence came of that promises as it later emerged that ECB chief Jean Claude Trichet threatened to set off a bomb in Dublin if senior bondholders were burnt.

Yet part of the reason Mr Kenny has avoided a heave in recent months is his reputation in Europe. Irelands stewardship of the EU Presidency in 2013 was widely seen as a success. And in more recent times Mr Kennys non-stop tour of European capitals has helped Ireland gain a unique position in the Brexit negotiations. Few would be surprised if Mr Kenny went on to secure a role in the European institutions.

Marks: Seven out 10

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

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Strangely Enda Kenny is never more comfortable than when hes not in the country. On foreign trips he excels at working the room, promoting Ireland and on occasion enjoying himself. Any political correspondent who has followed Mr Kenny on these trips will tell you they are far from relaxed. His agenda tends to be action packed from early morning meetings to late night receptions.

In recent times his many trips across Europe have been business-like as he sought support from places like Spain, Poland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Malta for Irelands special status in the Brexit talks.

However its not surprising that he will make one final trip to the United States before stepping down. The June trade mission to Seattle and Chicago will be his sixth trip across the Atlantic in little over a year. Mr Kenny seems to love the United States and they love him. While at home we cringe at the fist-pumping and paddywhackery, the US audience revels in it.

At the same time many of his biggest gaffes, such as the story of the army around the ATMs have been while overseas.

Marks: Seven out of 10

ECONOMY

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Time and again Enda Kenny has struggled when faced with technical questions on economic issues and yet his government led Ireland out of recession. He leaves behind a country with the fastest growing economy in Europe and an unemployment rate of just 6pc  down from 15pc at the height of the downturn.

During the 2011 election campaign Mr Kenny vowed to make Ireland the best small country in the world to do business. We might not be number one but various studies suggested we rank highly. To some extent the key he key to his success has been to allow the experts take care of figures. He started last years election campaign on the wrong foot when he dismissed questions on the fiscal space, saying: Im not going to get into economic jargon here because the vast majority of people dont understand.

In his old foe Michael Noonan he found a solid pair of hands for the Department of Finance over the past six years. Along the way there were rows over water charges and the growth of protest politics. But for most people there is money to spend again and the financial mood of the nation is on the up. It has been remarkable turnaround, even recognised by Time magazine who featured Mr Kenny on the frontpage with the headline: 'The Celtic Comeback'.

Marks: Eight out 10

SOCIAL ISSUES

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Enda Kenny has taken more than a few personal journeys over the years, especially on issues such as marriage equality and abortion. Back in 2012 he famously tripped over a flowerpot while trying to run away from the media who were merely curious as to where he stood on same-sex marriage. Three years later he was boosting that Ireland had set an example for other countries to follow with our referendum. With today's Yes vote we have disclosed who we are - a generous, compassionate, bold and joyful people, he said, adding: Our people have truly answered Ireland's Call.

Similarly on abortion his stance has been conflicting over the years. A devout Catholic he is seen as conservative. However, after the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar he pushed through the Protection of Life During Pregnancy bill in 2013  even refusing to allow some of his up-and-coming TDs like Lucinda Creighton to vote with their conscience.

Since then he has changed the Fine Gael line to allow TDs and senators a free vote on issues of conscious. In 2015 he was effectively bounced into paving the way for an abortion referendum by two of his most loyal ministers, Frances Fitzgerald and Paschal Donohoe. Both argued behind closed doors that the party needed to address the growing demand for changes to the Eighth Amendment. Ironically this will now become a major issue for Mr Kennys successor following the publication of the Citizens Assembly report.

Mr Kenny also leaves behind a country that is still trying to establish the groundrules for a separation of Church and State. He has said that he was a Catholic and a Taoiseach but not a Catholic Taoiseach. This was evidenced in his reaction to the 2011 Cloyne report which made worldwide headlines. In an unprecedented attack on the Vatican he told the Dail the report highlighted the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism and narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day.

The rape and torture of children were downplayed or 'managed' to uphold instead the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and 'reputation'," he said.

However, he has met Pope Frances twice in the past year and at one point was suggesting that he wanted to remain as Taoiseach until August 2018 in order to welcome him to Ireland. Theres no doubt that this country is attitude to social issues is changing  but Mr Kenny was changing with the country rather than initiating the change.

Marks: Five out 10
THE family of a prison officer have been left badly shaken and after a pipe bomb was found under his car.

The north Dublin community where the man lives condemned the incident, on Sunday afternoon, which traumatised the officer and his family and caused local roads to be sealed off for several hours.

A major alert led to the officers terraced home in St Aidans Park, Marino, being evacuated.

Residents in surrounding properties were also advised by gardai to leave for their own safety while army bomb disposal experts dealt with the incident.

A source close to the officer said it had left him and his family very nervous.

Local cafe owner Jimmy Bowler (58), who is chairman of the Fairview Marino Business Association, said: I know the gentleman who was targeted in this terrible incident. Hes a really nice man.

The whole community is saddened and sickened by what happened. This is a wonderful area for families to live.

Its shocking what has been visited on this family. Our hearts go out to them.

Theres a very wide crosssection of people living here, and what happened has been very disturbing for everyone.

The local gardai are great. The community feels that its been invaded after what happened.

A 48-year-old man who is a neighbour of the prison officer said: This was an attempt at intimidation and was disgraceful.

The gardai were asking people to leave our homes and it lasted around three hours.

I was very impressed how the gardai were on top of everything so quickly.

The gardai ensured there was no sense of panic.

Another neighbour  a 38-year-old father-of-one,  said: Im the father of a young baby and I hate to think how close all this was to her. Its very unnerving for me.

Children regularly play on the green area here and any of if anything happened.

An investigation has been launched by the Irish Prison Service (IPS), while the prison officer in question is receiving security advice from gardai.

A source said the discovery of the pipe bomb was very sinister and detectives believe it is a blatant attempt to intimidate the officer.

The investigation is ongoing, but initial inquiries suggest this mans home because of his line of work.

A garda spokesman said further examinations of the device will be carried out.
A prisoner is facing disciplinary action after he made his way onto the roof of Mountjoy prison and stripped naked.

The 23-year-old Dubliner, who is serving a five-year term for robbery, broke out from the North Circular Road facility shortly before 3pm.

He then made his way onto the roof of the D Division landing.

A source said: "He may have been looking for contraband."He then stripped naked and paraded himself for all to see."

Trained prison staff and a trained negotiator were called to the scene.

The man eventually put his clothes back on and returned to the jail of his own accord at 4.45pm.

An Irish Prison Service (IPS) spokesman praised the work of staff who brought the situation under control.

"The staff handled the incident professionally and nobody was hurt."An investigation is now underway and disciplinary action will be taken."
CAB are carrying out raids in a number of properties in west Dublin as part of their investigation

The Criminal Assets Bureau has frozen 312,000 in several bank accounts after a large operation against suspected associates of a major drug trafficking gang.

Officers have raided 20 targeted premises including five garages and nine homes in west Dublin and visited three others by agreement.

CAB secured a court order to freeze what is believed to be the proceeds of crime in the bank accounts.

Officers also recovered more than 65,000 in cash, some of it in sterling, 21 cars, a dozen high value watches and a quantity of illegal growth hormones during the searches.

A large volume of documentation and computer records were also confiscated and taken away for detailed examination.

The searches were concentrated on the Clondalkin and Ronanstown areas of west Dublin and parts of south Dublin and the south inner city.

The searches were launched in the early morning and continued throughout the day as the operation was extended.

The main targets of the operation are suspected members of groups, who are concealing cash and providing logistical support to a gang known as The Family.

Gardai say the The Family is one of the biggest drug importation and distribution gangs in the capital and it has also had links in the past to the Kinahan cartel.

Members of the CAB were backed up in the searched by the heavily armed Emergency Response Unit, the Special Crime Task Force, the Armed Response Unit and local gardai from three Dublin divisions, West, South and South Central.

Five car dealerships were raided and another three visited by officers while the offices of six professional firms and nine homes were also searched.

A similar operation against the heroin dealing gang was carried out last year when a total of 46 vehicles, including luxury cars and worth overall an estimated 1.1m, were seized along a large amount of documentation and electronic equipment.

Some of The Family gang are also believed to be heavily involved in cocaine and crack cocaine distribution and have links to the drugs scene in Spain.

Car showrooms and the offices of solicitors and accountants were searched at the time.

The CAB believes that some of those accused of providing logistical support to the gang are presenting legitimate fronts for the drug dealers, allowing them to launder the huge sums they net from trafficking.
STEPASIDE Garda Station will be among a number of stations that are to reopen, it has been revealed today.

It's understood that an interim report by Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan on the reopening of Garda Stations was discussed at Cabinet this morning.

Other stations that may be reopened include Rush, Co Dublin, Donard, Co Wicklow and Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow.

It also proposes new stations at Dublin Airport and Dublin Port.

Ms O'Sullivan's full report is to be delivered to government by the end of June.

Stepaside was one of more than 100 Garda Stations closed during the Fine Gael-Labour government.

Local Independent Alliance minister Shane Ross, who has been campaigning for the station to reopen took to Twitter to welcome the news.

"Delighted to announce that Stepaside Garda Station WILL reopen!! Well done all!" he said.

Dublin Rathdown Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan called the news "a major victory for local residents".

"Since the station was closed in in 2013, the Stepaside community has worked tirelessly for their Garda station to be restored. I thank local campaigners for all their hard work that is finally paying off."

Ms Madigan previoulsy raised the issue in the Dail arguing that Stepaside's growing population meant it's "crucial that the community is well served by a local Garda station."
Jonathan Keogh is being held in a UK prison, after he was arrested by British police on Sunday when they stopped his car

A Dublin man who has been arrested in the UK in relation to a Hutch/Kinahan feud murder will spend at least two months in a London prison, as he plans to fight his extradition back to Ireland.

Jonathan Keogh (31) was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by gardai.

Members of the UK's elite National Crime Agency (NCA) swooped on Keogh shortly before 1am, as he travelled in a car in the Romford area of Essex.

Gardai are eager to return Keogh to Ireland so they can question him in relation to the feud murder of Gareth Hutch (35), a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

Keogh appeared before a sitting of Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday morning, where his case was adjourned until next Tuesday.

He will appear via video-link on June 19.

However, a spokesman for the HM Courts and Tribunal Service stated that the adjournment was sought for a "non-standard reason" and that a further hearing is scheduled to take place in August.

It means that Keogh will be held in a UK prison for at least two months as he attempts to fight his extradition back to Ireland.

However, a source said that the actual extradition process could go on for "many months" if Keogh fights the case through the UK justice system.

Exclusive pictures obtained by the Herald show undercover detectives with their faces covered standing around Keogh, who is handcuffed, after his arrest.

Shattered glass can also be seen on the ground beside the vehicle he was travelling in, with up to six police units involved in the operation.

Father-of-one Gareth Hutch was shot dead by two gunmen outside his home in Avondale House, North Cumberland Street, in May 2016.

CCTV footage which captured the callous murder shows two men with their faces covered approach Hutch from behind, before fatally shooting him.

Gardai suspect the killing was linked to the ongoing Hutch/Kinahan feud, which has so far claimed 12 lives.

The latest victim, Michael Keogh (37), is the brother of Jonathan Keogh.

He was gunned down in an underground car park last month at Sheridan Court in the north inner city.

The small-time criminal was not directly involved in the ongoing feud and was considered a soft target.

His body was released to his family yesterday, after a post-mortem examination was completed.

Sources have stated that tensions between the Hutch/Kinahan factions remain extremely high in the wake of the most recent murder.

A number of tit-for-tat attacks targeting the cars of innocent family members have also taken place in recent weeks.

Four cars belonging to the relatives of the Hutch family were burnt out, while a car belonging to the mother of a Kinahan associate was also set alight.
A Dublin matchmaking agency has said Irish men need to take better care of themselves after a dating website branded them the ugliest in the world, despite the likes of Michael Fassbender and Jamie Dornan.

Rena Maycock, who runs Intro, described the dubious honour as "unfair", but said she could "see where they're coming from".

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"We find that because an awful lot of the available guys come from a farming or a trade background, they may not keep the best daily hygiene habits and not dress themselves very well," she told the Herald.

"Women don't say Irish men are unattractive, but they do often say that they don't look after themselves properly."

The comments come just days after new research suggested that Irish men are the world's ugliest.

Fewer than one in 10 single Irish males who applied to put their profiles on elitist site beautifulpeople.com last year were accepted.

Analysis of last year's statistics found that Sweden is judged to be home to the planet's best-looking men, while Norway has the bragging rights to the world's hottest babes.

The LA-based site, which has a worldwide membership of more than five million, makes no apology for only accepting the globe's best-looking singles.

There is some small consolation for Irish men, who get to share last place in the handsome table with the UK and Poland.

Greg Hodge, who runs the site, said he believes Irish men could fare better if they made more effort with their profile pictures before applying.

"A topless selfie shot in a seedy room or an image of them at the pub, pint in hand, does not go down well with women. Men are not just selling themselves, they are selling a lifestyle," he said.

"A polished image showing an interesting lifestyle would greatly improve their acceptance rates."

Further analysis of the Irish statistics on beautifulpeople.com revealed that applicants from Dublin, both male and female, had the highest acceptance rates on the site, while romance-hunters from Limerick were most likely to be rejected.
Authorities in Venice have said they will prevent new holiday accommodation from opening up in its historic centre.

The proposed ban is the latest in a series of measures aimed at curbing runaway tourism in the iconic Italian city, where the few remaining locals feel increasingly marginalised.

Massimiliano De Martin, Venices councillor for urban planning, submitted the plan to the mayors office and described the measure as essential for the protection of the city.

He told local reporters that hotels were increasingly taking over residential buildings in the city, pushing locals out and running the risk of impoverishing the citys social fabric.

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In 2016, Venices population crashed to 55,000 inhabitants. According to local media, if depopulation were to continue at its current rate, the city wouldnt have a single resident by 2030.

This trend has put tourists on something of a collision course with Venetians, who have made their feelings clear by protesting against the influx of visitors.

Some angry residents have even used gondolas to block cruise ships from sailing down the Giudecca Canal.

Consequently, some operators, including P&O, have reduced the number of cruise liners they are sending to the city, which some fear will have a negative impact on the economy.

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Venice is losing passengers and ships, said Pino Musolino, the president of Venice Port Authority. That is not just a problem for our city but for other ports in the Adriatic as cruise ships are only visiting them on their way to Venice.

Despite concerns over falling tourism revenues, authorities look set to press ahead with a ban on new hotels. Its not an unprecedented move: Amsterdam introduced a similar measure to stop the city turning into Disneyland, as has Barcelona.

The Venetian authorities have also implemented other measures to mitigate the effects of mass tourism, including a locals first policy for its water buses and a ban on cruise ships over 96,000 tons (though the latter measure has since been overturned).

They have also banned new fast food restaurants from opening in the city in a bid to preserve its historic charm.

Around 22 million tourists visit Venice annually; that works out at more than 60,000 a day, which is greater than the population of the city.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Check out the seven participants in the Thrive Project for 2017.

Seven of Irelands brightest business minds from the fastest growing food and drink start-ups in the country were selected to participate in the Thrive Project, a joint partnership between Coca-Cola and Enterprise Ireland.

To launch the Thrive Project for 2017, the seven entrepreneurs were invited for an intense three-day bootcamp in Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta. The programme will run for six months from June to November with a view to providing the seven start-up founders with insights, expertise and innovative ideas on branding, packaging and marketing from global experts at Coca-Cola.

Enterprise Ireland will also award the participating companies a package of supports including access to a mentor and assistance in developing a robust business plan.

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The participants will be brought to London to take part in a marketing masterclass, meeting global experts on consumer insights and new product development. In another session, the entrepreneurs will meet the CEO of Innocent, the smoothie start-up that has grown to an internationally recognisable brand under the stewardship of Coca-Cola.

Both Coca-Cola and Enterprise Ireland are very proud to be helping start-ups here in Ireland. Petre Sandru, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Ireland said: Coca-Cola is one of the worlds best loved brands and one of the most successful food and drink companies on the planet. As a leader in the industry, we want to share our experience and expertise with the next group of companies who all have the opportunity to become global brands.

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He added: As a leading member of the food and drink community in Ireland, we want to play our part in nurturing the next generation of brands and helping to facilitate their growth and success as they prepare for a move into international markets.

Orla Battersby, Head of Food Division in Enterprise Ireland, welcomed the continued success of the Thrive Project, now in its second year: We have received excellent feedback from the companies last year on how the programme encouraged them to have global ambition and look to new markets beyond Ireland and the UK.

The programme combines Coca-Colas market and consumer insights with Enterprise Irelands know how in business development, allowing the founders to gain invaluable knowledge on how to go about scaling businesses and operations.

Have a look at the seven companies selected for this years Thrive Project:

Nudest

This hand-held mini-meal snack pouch was developed by Fiona Keane from Tipperary incorporating all natural ingredients such as Greek yogurt, fruit and oats. This 'grab and go' product is aimed at adults with two flavours currently on offer with further products to be launched later this year.

Dr Coys

This start-up makes a range of healthy chocolate bars, confectionary and ingredients, designed not to spike your blood sugar. This gluten and lactose free chocolate is high in fibre and rich in Vitamin E. It is already stocked in Musgrave stores, expanding to other Irish multiples this year.

Cool Food Co.

Thought up by entrepreneurs Sarah OConnor and Isolade Johnson, Cool Beans is a new take on traditional baked beans with their beans coming in a arrange of innovative flavours. The company has been running since 2012 and has an impressive social media following.

Everest

Mixing Greek yogurt, fruit and granola, Everest produces a range of granola cups in three flavours for breakfast on the go. Seamus who launched the business is still only in his mid-twenties, he started this successful grab and go business with limited resources.

Hiro by Roisin

Roisin took part in BBC hit reality show The Apprentice and it acted as a launchpad for her noodle-based ready meal brand, Hiro by Roisin. Made from the flour of the Asian konjac vegetable, the noodles are low in carbs and calories and come in four varieties.

Wyldsson

David McGeadys company sells his range of premium health foods and snacks exclusively online. His core product is a range of trail mixes in 10 different varieties, packaged in a tube so they are easy to eat on the move. The company has extended to breakfast products like nut butters and granola.

Foca

The business started off sourcing, packaging and creating single ingredient health food products like chia seeds and bee pollen but now also develops and manufactures their own high range products such as protein powders and cacao hot chocolate. They are already stocked in 600 stores in Ireland.

Sponsored by:
Elle MacPherson (L) and Jeffrey Soffer during Pritzker Architecture Prize 2015 at New World Symphony on May 15, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Pritzker Architecture Prize)

Elle Macpherson attends the Marc Cain show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2016 at Brandenburg Gate on July 7, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for IMG)

Elle Macpherson and Gilles Bennison arrive at TwitterAU HQ on September 12, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Elle MacPherson (L) and Jeffrey Soffer during Pritzker Architecture Prize 2015 at New World Symphony on May 15, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Pritzker Architecture Prize)

Legendary supermodel Elle Macpherson and her husband of four years have reportedly called it quits.

The former Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model host (53) and Jeff Soffer, a billionaire property developer, have quietly split and Elle has moved out of their Miami home with their children, according to the New York Post's Page Six.

The couple dated for three years before splitting in 2012 and rekindled their relationship later that year after Soffer was injured in a helicopter crash. They wed in Fiji in 2013 in a small ceremony with just a handful of friends and family present.

Elle has two children with ex-fiance Arpad Busson, a French hedge fund manager, and she was previously married to famed fashion photographer (according to Tyra Banks) Gilles Bensimon for three years before ending their marriage in 1989.

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"Elle and Jeff are definitely over," a source told the paper. "She has left their house at Indian Creek in Miami with her kids, and is looking for her own house in Miami."
A theatre production of Julius Caesar staged in Central Park has refused to bow to backlash over the portrayal of a Donald Trump-like dictator who gets knifed to death onstage.

The references to Trump in the free production arent exactly subtle: the main character looks remarkably like the president and has a wife with a Slavic accent.

However, the text remains unchanged from Shakespeares 400-year-old play, and Trumps name is not mentioned.

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The production is staged by the Public Theatre. Artistic director Oskar Eustis has defended the production, saying: Anyone seeing our production of Julius Caesar will realise it in no way advocates violence towards anyone.

Performances started days before comedian Kathy Griffin was criticised for posing for a photograph in which she gripped a bloodied rendering of Trumps head.

The nonprofit Public Theatre said in a statement: We recognise that our interpretation of the play has provoked heated discussion; audiences, sponsors and supporters have expressed varying viewpoints and opinions. Such discussion is exactly the goal of our civically-engaged theatre; this discourse is the basis of a healthy democracy.

Appearing before Monday nights performance, director Eustis said that neither Shakespeare nor the Public Theatre could possibly advocate violence as a solution to political problems, and certainly not assassination.

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The backlash has been such that some big names have pulled their sponsorship of the theatre, including Delta Air Lines and Bank of America.

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American Express has distanced itself from the production, saying that its sponsorship of the Public Theatre doesnt fund this particular production.

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Delta said that the graphic staging of Julius Caesar does not reflect its values and crossed the line on the standards of good taste.

Two of Trumps sons have taken to Twitter to condemn the play and applaud companies that have pulled its sponsorship.

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However, arts professor at New York University Laurence Maslon thinks any loss of funding will be compensated for by donations from people worried about the apparent threat to artistic freedom.

Other people throwing their support behind the theatre include the citys comptroller Scott Stringer, who wrote letters to the heads of Delta and Bank of America, arguing that dropping their support sends the wrong message.

He writes: Art matters. The First Amendment matters. Expression matters. He enclosed copies of the play with the letters.

I hope you enjoy it  it is a classic, in any age, he wrote.

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The plays run ends on Sunday.
Donald Trump let the press in on a cabinet meeting yesterday which involved each member paying compliments to the president.

They were supposed to be quick updates, but it turned into an exercise in who can suck up to the POTUS the most.

Mike Pence is responsible for setting the tone of this strange meeting, kicking off with: Its the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is keeping his word to the American people.

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Elaine Chao, the transport secretary, told Trump: I want to thank you for getting this country moving again, and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said to Trump: We thank you for the opportunity and blessing to serve your agenda.

All told, it was an odd meeting, and one people didnt recognise from previous presidencies. Luckily it was also ripe for parody.

Democrat senator Chuck Schumer published his own meeting not long after Trumps concluded, poking fun at Trumps bizarre cabinet hangout.

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Norways prime minister commented on the story: Its like that on all our lunches.

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Others saw similarities with popular culture.

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Just another day in Trumps White House.
Jeremy Corbyn has used perhaps the most infamous of soundbites from the General Election campaign against the very person who said it.

Speaking across from Prime Minister Theresa May, Corbyn told the House of Commons that the Labour party is ready to provide strong and stable leadership should the Tories coalition of chaos fail.

Corbyn was speaking in Parliament for the first time since the Labour Partys 30-seat gain in the June 8 General Election  and he made light of Mays troubles as Prime Minister as she bids to agree a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to prop up her Conservative administration.

Im sure we all look forward to welcoming the Queens Speech just as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated, he said, addressing speaker John Bercow.

I must let the House know  and the rest of the nation know  that if that is not possible, the Labour Party stands ready to offer strong and stable leadership in the national interest.

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Corbyns speech was one of many in the first meeting at the House of Commons since the election.

The unusual circumstances the UK Government is currently under, after a lost Tory majority lead to a hung parliament, was cause for some jeers when the newly re-elected Bercow addressed the house.

In a difficult atmosphere for the Prime Minister, May instead chose to acknowledge the diversity of the newly elected parliament.

The new parliament includes more women, a greater number of disabled MPs and more black and ethnic minority politicians than ever before.
The British Labour Party's Brexit plans yesterday descended into chaos after Jeremy Corbyn was directly contradicted by members of his shadow cabinet over his plans to leave the single market.

Both the Labour leader and John McDonnell, his shadow chancellor, revealed over the weekend that the party is now formally committed to taking Britain out of the European Union's single market and the customs union.

However, Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, and Labour's trade spokesman Barry Gardiner, said the UK should try to negotiate a new form of single market membership.

Their interventions highlight the split at the heart of Labour over Brexit - between Mr Corbyn, who is considered more Eurosceptic, and his predominantly pro-European team.

The divisions over the issue are such that the policy was not set out fully in Labour's general election manifesto, which instead referred, more generally, to "retaining the benefits of the single market".

David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, yesterday suggested that Labour had been "clever" over the European issue because its multiple positions enabled it to appeal to both Remain voters and Ukip supporters.

Mr Corbyn set out Labour's apparent position over membership of the single market on Sunday, when he told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One: "The single market is a requirement of EU membership and, since we won't be EU members, there will have to be anarrangement made."

Mr McDonnell later said that the issue of single market will not be "on the table" in Brexit negotiations, adding that trying to retain membership would mean failing to respect the result of the EU referendum.

However, Sir Keir yesterday appeared to directly contradict both Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell. He said: "David Davis said this morning it's not that the Government doesn't want membership of the single market, it's that they've been told you can't have that without freedom of movement. It seems to me that would be a good place to start a discussion."

He also struck a different tone on free movement, saying there had to be "some change" to curb migration. The Labour manifesto, by contrast, pledged to end the free movement of people from EU member states to the UK.

He added: "It can be done. I'm confident it can be done. We need to send a message to our EU partners that we want collaboration, we want cooperation, and we're going to do this in a grown-up, mature way."

Mr Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, echoed Mr Keir yesterday as he criticised Theresa May for "taking membership of the single market off the table".

He said: "What we've said is that we need those benefits, and whether they're achieved through reformed membership of the single market and the customs union, or through a new, bespoke trading arrangement, is actually secondary to achieving the benefits.

"It's an open question as to what we can get. What we criticised [Mrs May] for doing is taking membership of the single market off the table right from the beginning.

"It's quite ironic that she was the one who said you had to take certain things off the table, and she said we should not take off the table a no-deal outcome, which seemed crazy to most people."
Britains Prime Minister Theresa May holds the first cabinet meeting following the general election at No 10 Downing Street in London. Photo: Leon Neal

Senior Tory cabinet ministers are engaged in secret talks with Labour MPs to secure cross-party backing for a soft Brexit, it has emerged.

Some of the most senior members of Theresa May's team have been plotting how to force the prime minister to make concessions on immigration, the customs union and the single market.

There have also been discussions of a cross-party Brexit Commission to agree common ground between the parties and ensure an orderly withdrawal from the EU.

Labour is expected to use the talks as leverage to demand an end to the public sector pay freeze among a series of concessions in next week's Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

Mrs May is understood to have been "aware" of the plot for several days but so far has done nothing to stop it.

Ruth Davidson, the increasingly influential leader of the Scottish Conservatives, told Mrs May in a meeting yesterday that she must "reach out" to other parties and "work with others on Brexit". She added that there should be "changes in the offer on Brexit as we go forward" - a direct challenge to the prime minister's authority.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says it is vital that the government can "achieve a deal that can command the widest possible support".

Last night Mrs May was cheered at the first meeting of backbench Tory MPs since losing her majority as she told them: "I got us into this mess and I'll get us out of it."

In other developments:

 Senior Conservatives suggested Mrs May will be allowed to continue as prime minister until 2019.

 The start of Brexit talks was delayed after the EU said the election result had caused uncertainty in Brussels.

 Downing Street announced that the Queen's Speech could be delayed by the need to reach an agreement with the DUP about what will be in it.

 Mrs May will fly to Paris tonight to meet French president Emmanuel Macron to discuss counter-terrorism and Brexit.

 Labour's policy on Brexit descended into chaos as two of Jeremy Corbyn's most senior frontbenchers contradicted the Labour leader.

Brexit will dominate whatever remains of Mrs May's premiership, and the Conservatives behind the talks with Labour MPs believe the prime minister will have no choice but to accept their demands in order to ensure her Brexit plans are not blocked by Parliament.

MPs who favour a soft Brexit or oppose it altogether, largely comprising those who backed Remain in the EU referendum, outnumber hard Brexiteers in the House of Commons.

The two opposing sides forged alliances when they campaigned side by side in the EU referendum, and last night senior Conservative and Labour sources confirmed that talks were ongoing and look set to intensify over the coming weeks as negotiations with EU leaders begin.

One senior Tory source said the election had made clear that the Conservatives were "no longer in control of the Brexit process" and added that the party must listen to "all sides".

Conservative MPs fear that losing a key vote on Brexit would weaken Mrs May's position so much that she could be forced to stand aside, triggering a leadership contest or worse - a second election.

Senior Labour sources said conversations had taken place to allow back-channels between the two parties to negotiate amendments to Brexit Bills which would soften the exit.

If there is no agreement to set up a Brexit commission, one alternative would be for Labour backbenchers to table amendments, with agreement from pro-Remain Conservatives, which would be easier for Tory MPs to support than if they came from Jeremy Corbyn's own team.

The shadow cabinet would then "fall in behind" the same amendment, the source said, making it look like the change had not been won by Mr Corbyn himself.

The sources added that Labour would urge the Prime Minister to change her tone and strategy on Brexit to focus on jobs and the economy rather than curbing immigration.
Naftogaz Ukrainy on June 12 signed an agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska Sp. Z o.o. (Poland), which won a tender to manage the department for natural gas transportation, according to data in the ProZorro system.

As reported, Naftogaz Ukrainy expects that the services will provide an effective separation of the gas transportation function from Naftogaz Ukrainy Group in accordance with the unbundling plan approved by Cabinet resolution No. 496 of July 1, 2016.

The term of rendering services is till December 31, 2017.

PwC in the course of trading expressed its readiness to become an adviser for UAH 10.785 million, while Boston Consulting Group Sp. Z o.o. for UAH 10.8 million (including VAT). Thus, with the expected cost of services being UAH 24.409 million, PwC reduced the offer by 2.3 times from the initial price.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte leave a polling booth as they vote in the first round of the two-stage legislative elections, in Le Touquet, northern France. Photo: AP

The candidates in the runoff of French parliamentary elections hit the campaign trail yesterday, shaken by a record abstention rate in the first round and the prospect of a sweep by President Emmanuel Macron's new party which would shatter the political landscape.

Less than half of registered voters cast ballots on Sunday, the Interior Ministry said in its final count the morning after. Those who did gave Mr Macron's the Republic on the Move party over 28pc of the vote - more than 12 points ahead of the closest rival, the mainstream conservatives.

Expand Close Poor showing: Marine Le Pens party only got 13pc of the vote. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Poor showing: Marine Le Pens party only got 13pc of the vote. Photo: Getty Images

If the sweep holds as expected, lawmakers for Mr Macron's party, many of them new to politics, could take more than 400 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, the lower house - unprecedented in the Fifth Republic, like the 48.7pc participation rate.

Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front fell flat with 13pc of the vote. Ms Le Pen, who had Europe on edge until she lost the May 7 presidential race, was trying to save herself and her party in the legislative contests. She moved to the second round in her northern bastion of Henin-Beaumont. But some ranking party members were eliminated outright, notably campaign director Nicolas Bay, the party's secretary-general.

"Lots of voters thought that (the election result) was played out in advance," Mr Bay said yesterday on CNews television, reflecting a sense expressed by others that the huge presidential win by Mr Macron demotivated many potential voters.

Mr Macron, an upstart centrist, formed his On the Move movement less than 14 months ago and then turned it into a political party, promising to return politics to the people.

Now, Mr Macron's rivals fear the elections will eliminate any effective opposition to counter an all-powerful president. He wants, within weeks, to start reforming French labour laws to make hiring and firing easier, and legislate a code of ethics in politics to end the scandals that over decades have eroded voter trust in the political class.

The Socialist Party of the deeply unpopular former president Francois Hollande was shredded in the first round, with its leader, Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, eliminated along with Benoit Hamon, the party's presidential candidate. The party took just 9.5pc of the vote.

Francois Fezeau, a 29-year-old Parisian, said the results so far "fill me with enthusiasm".

"We had a recent (presidential) election which shook up the classic parties and I think that the legislative elections give Mr Macron the possibility to show what he is able to do," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr Macron's rout a "strong vote for reforms" and a senior official signalled Berlin's willingness to deepen co-operation.

France is Germany's second-biggest trading partner and the strong support for pro-European centrist reformer Mr Macron has sparked hopes that Berlin and Paris will spearhead a broad-based economic revival in Europe and a push for more integration in the eurozone.

Ms Merkel and Mr Macron agreed last month to draw up a roadmap to deeper EU integration and suggested the bloc's treaties may change to facilitate even more ambitious reform.

The finance ministers of both countries, Wolfgang Schaeuble and Bruno Le Maire, have set up a joint working group that will present ideas by July on deepening eurozone integration.

Germany's Deputy Finance Minister Jens Spahn said he hoped that Macron would now be able to quickly implement reforms that would boost growth in France's economy.

"If we can help in this regard, we will certainly help," Mr Spahn told Deutschlandfunk broadcaster.
Police cars stand in front of a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired. Picture: / AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired.Picture: AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired. AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police walk near a subway station in Munich, Germany. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Police officers secure the area around a commuter rail station in Unterfoehring near Munich, southern Germany, where shots were fired on June 13, 2017. According to the police, several people were injured by the shots and a female police officer was badly wounded. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Police block a street near a subway station in Munich, Germany. Picture: Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP

Several people were injured, including a police officer, in a shooting early on Tuesday at a Munich underground station, police in Germany said.

Munich police said in a tweet that the policewoman's injuries were serious, and the suspect was in custody.

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The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the Unterfohring underground station, Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said.

He had no further details, but Munich's Merkur newspaper reported witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

Mr Riehlein said the area has been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public.

Bavarian radio reported: "According to police information it is probably not a terrorist attack".
Sunday was a good day for French President Emmanuel Macron. Just weeks after his remarkable win in the French presidential election, Mr Macron's only-recently established political party took a huge lead in the first round of voting for the country's legislature, the National Assembly. The Republique En Marche (REM) party is projected to win 390 to 430 of the French Parliament's 577 seats, according to an Ipsos-Sopra analysis.

But observers noticed an uncomfortable detail in the electoral figures: Turnout of registered voters was the lowest it had been in any parliamentary election under France's Fifth Republic.

It's certainly an unusual detail. Voter turnout is often very high in French elections. Mr Macron had billed himself as the leader of a popular movement, but less than half of registered French voters bothered to turn up.

Political opponents used the turnout to criticize the legitimacy of the French president. "I am particularly concerned about the fact that one French person out of two did not vote," Valerie Pecresse (pictured), president of the centre-right Republicans party in the Ile-de-France region, told 'Le Monde' newspaper. "We weaken parliament, which is a democratic counter-power. And we take the risk of a single party, a single thought, a single programme."

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National party (FN), voiced similar concerns. "This catastrophic abstention rate should raise the question of the voting rules, which keep millions of our compatriots away from the polling stations," said Ms Le Pen, according to the France 24 television network. She had faced off against Mr Macron in the second round of France's presidential election, and is a candidate for parliament in the town of Henin-Beaumon.

Some foreigners compared the limited turnout unfavourably with the British parliamentary elections that took place only a few days before. That election saw the Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party gain 40pc of the vote with a turnout of 68.7pc, but still gain only the second-largest amount of seats. In contrast, Mr Macron's REM was estimated to have received 32pc of the vote with a turnout of 48.6pc - but looks to dominate the National Assembly in a landslide.

Such comparisons are limited by the differences in electoral systems, however.

And one reason for the lack of enthusiasm for the vote may have been simple fatigue. French voters had already gone to the polls twice in the past two months.

Given that the polls already showed a huge victory for REM, many French voters may have wondered whether there was any point. Additionally, in much of the country it was scorchingly hot on Sunday.

Mr Macron's likely dominance of the National Assembly will work in his favour, especially given the collapse in support for both traditional mainstream parties - the Republicans and the Socialists - as well as the FN. Initial polls suggested that supporters of the FN and leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon were most likely to abstain next Sunday - but if turnout doesn't improve in the second round, it will likely be used to criticize Macron's legitimacy.
Fears that some of the world's biggest technology companies could be over-valued have triggered the biggest market sell-off in a year.

Billions of dollars have been wiped off the value of big name stocks - including the likes of Apple, Facebook and Google - as well as European and Asian microchip makers since Friday amid investors' concerns about the sustainability of valuations across the sector if global growth falters.

Up to last week, technology shares had been the darling of the markets, helped by a string of recent financial results.

But share prices took a hit on Friday, in part after Apple dipped on speculation that the company is using slower modems in upcoming iPhones, which would make it vulnerable to rivals. That concern spread to other companies and to Europe and Asia yesterday.

The initial rout hit US internet stocks after Robert Boroujerdi, the global chief investment officer at Goldman Sachs, warned that low volatility in Facebook, Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet may be blinding investors to risks in the sector such as cyclicality and regulation.

The comments triggered a slide in share prices that went global yesterday.

"There's a chance US internet technology stocks that have propelled a global stock rally will now serve as a buzz kill," said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Japan Asia Securities in Tokyo.
Floral tributes left at Swedish Embassy in London following the truck attack in Stockholm in April

A driver fled from the scene after a van rammed into a taxi in central Stockholm in an incident police are describing as "attempted murder".

The driver of the taxi was injured, police spokesman Anders Bryngelsson said.

He added officers, including some on a helicopter, are searching for the van's driver, which was initially described as a truck. Ambulances and fire fighters were at the scene.

"We investigate this as attempted murder because the driver of the van could have had that intention," Mr Bryngelsson told The Associated Press. He declined to describe the driver.

The van belonged to Tjuvgods.se, a courier company founded to help former convicts and drug addicts back into the labour market. A company spokesman, Curre Cederstrom, said the van was discovered missing on Tuesday morning.

"We had not even reported it stolen when we heard about this," the newspaper quoted Mr Cederstrom as saying.

Eyewitness Per Sturesson told Aftonbladet he first thought "the driver jumped out to see what had happened but he sped up and continued to drive."

"It felt like he just wanted to get out of the truck in panic."

Swedish media say several vehicles were hit in the incident.

On April 7, the driver of a stolen truck killed five pedestrians and injured 14 in central Stockholm. Lawyers for the suspect, Rakhmat Akilov, say he has admitted driving the truck 1,100 metres down a main pedestrian shopping street. That case is not expected to come to trial until next year.

AP
A doctor attends to a small girl who was taken ill with suspected food poisoning in the Hassan Sham U2 camp for displaced people (AP)

A doctor attends to a small girl who was taken ill with suspected food poisoning in the Hassan Sham camp for displaced people east of Mosu (AP)

At least two people have died and more than 700 have fallen ill due to food poisoning at a camp for displaced people near the Iraqi city of Mosul.

A woman and a girl died and at least 200 people were rushed from the desert tent camp to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil.

An Iraqi politician who visited the camp overnight and Saudi state television have accused a charity from Qatar of providing the tainted food.

In Baghdad, health minister Adila Hamoud told The Associated Press that 752 people became ill after a meal the previous evening at the Hassan Sham U2 camp, about 13 miles east of Mosul.

The food was meant for an iftar, a meal with which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Hamoud said at least 300 people remain in serious condition. She refused to speculate whether the poisoning might have been intentional.

Amira Abdulhaliq, from the United Nations' refugee agency, said it remains unclear at which point in preparing, packaging, transporting or distributing the meals, the food became contaminated.

"So far, we have received around 800 cases, around 200 have been transported to the hospitals in Irbil," she said.

At midday on Tuesday, medics were treating patients in a large tent at the edge of the camp. About 20 to 30 patients, mostly small children, lay on blankets on the floor as several more serious cases were being ferried away by ambulances.

At least one new patient was brought in during the day. Most of those afflicted were suffering from stomach cramps and dehydration, resulting from vomiting and diarrhoea.

Raad al-Dahlaki, who chairs the Iraqi parliament's immigration and displacement committee and who visited the camp overnight, said the meal contained rice, a bean sauce, meat, yoghurt and water. He put the number of ill people at 850.

Mr Al-Dahlaki said the food was distributed by a Qatari non-governmental organisation, a charity known as RAF. He added that Iraqi officials were to meet those from the organisation later on Tuesday. The Doha-based charity did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a joint press conference later in the camp, Irbil police chief Abdulhaleq Talaat said seven people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Talaat and Hadi said the food was prepared in an Irbil restaurant by a local NGO, Ain el Muhtajeen, under a donation by RAF. Dr Sabur Ahmed, head of Irbil children's hospital, said 22 children remained in hospital while the rest have been discharged.

On Twitter, Saudi state television accused RAF of supplying the tainted meals and posted images it said showed the camp's children "poisoned by the terrorist Qatari RAF organisation".

Since a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia began June 5, Arab media across the greater Persian Gulf have unleashed a series of highly critical reports on Qatar. Those reports include highly provocative stories about Qatar allegedly trying to undermine regional security, often presented without attribution or evidence.

RAF is the acronym for the Qatar-based Thani Bin Abdullah Al Thani Foundation for Humanitarian Services, a charity that collects donations to do aid work around the world, including providing meals to needy families during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

RAF is also among 12 organisations and 59 people put on what Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini officials described as a list of terror entities and individuals on Friday.

On Qatari state television meanwhile, a repeatedly aired programme has discussed how the ongoing diplomatic dispute has stopped it from providing meals to Syrian refugees at a major camp in Jordan.

The Hassan Sham U2 camp houses thousands who have fled their homes in and around Mosul after a US-backed Iraqi offensive was launched to dislodge the Islamic State group from the city last October. According to the UN refugee agency, it is home to 6,235 people.

Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, fell to IS in the summer of 2014 as the militants swept over much of the country's northern and western areas. Weeks later, the head of the Sunni extremist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, announced the formation of a self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque.

Months after the start of the Iraqi offensive, IS militants now only control a handful of neighbourhoods in and around the Old City, located west of the Tigris River, which divides Mosul into its western and eastern sector.

AP
Families from one of the USs most notorious school shootings have reacted with outcry after NBC broadcast an interview with a leading conspiracy theorist who said the incident never happened and that parents faked their children's deaths.

Alex Jones, host of the Infowars, has claimed over the years that the US government was involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the attacks of 9/11. He also said the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook that left 26 people dead, including 20 children, never happened.

Mr Jones has now repeated his comments, including about what he says never happened at the elementary school in Connecticut, in an interview to NBCs Megyn Kelly. Ms Kelly, who earlier this year quit Fox News, started by asking him if he was the most paranoid person in the country.

She said he had made his reputation by spreading conspiracy theories, including the claim that Sandy Hook did not happen.

When you say parents faked their children's deaths, people get upset, she said.

Mr Jones responded: But they dont get angry about half-a-million dead Iraqis killed by sanctions.

Actually, in our sit-down @RealAlexJones describes self as a libertarian who "likes what republicans stand for" but has issues w/them 2. https://t.co/TWa6iDaiyi  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 12, 2017

Ms Kelly told Mr Jones that his response was a dodge. He denied it, adding: I looked at all the angles about Newtown, I made my statement before the other media picked it up.

Ms Kellys decision to to provide a platform to Mr Jones had raised questions even before she released parts of the interview ahead of its broadcast, scheduled for June 18.

When it emerged Ms Jones had defended his views about Sandy Hook, an incident he said was staged with the use of child actors, some of the parents of the youngsters and teachers killed, wrote to NBC and Ms Kelly, expressing their outrage.

The family of slain teacher Vicki Soto, posted a letter on Facebook, saying they were "disgusted and disappointed" in the decision to air the interview.

Alex and his followers have done nothing but make our lives a living hell for the last four-and-a-half, they said.

This incessant need for ratings at the cost of the emotional well-being of our family is disgusting and disappointing. You should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing this behaviour.

Nelba Marquez-Greene, whose six-year-old daughter, Ana Grace, was among those killed, said she feared the interview with Mr Jones would encourage other conspiracy theorists who have harassed her and accused her of being part of a hoax.

Any time you give someone like Alex Jones a platform, their followers will double-down or increase their attack on grieving families, she told the Associated Press.

You cant just put him in a box and say he's just a character. Hes really hurting people.

Ms Kelly has reportedly defended the decision to interview Mr Jones by saying it her job to shine a light.

NBC did not immediately respond to inquiries.
US President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron Trump arrive at the Andrews Air Base in Washington, DC, yesterday. Photo: Getty Images

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify publicly to a Senate panel today, the committee's chairman said, setting up another potentially dramatic congressional hearing on possible ties between US President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

Mr Sessions is likely to face questions by the Senate Intelligence Committee over his dealings with Russian officials during the campaign and whether he had a role in firing former FBI director James Comey, who testified last week before the same panel.

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Until the panel chairman's statement yesterday, it had been unclear whether Mr Sessions would testify in an open or closed setting.

Mr Comey told the panel last Thursday that the FBI had information in mid-February on Mr Sessions that would have made it "problematic" for him to continue leading a federal probe into Russian attempts to influence the presidential election.

Mr Sessions recused himself from the inquiry in March after media reports that he had been in two previously undisclosed meetings last year with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

Members of the committee are likely to ask Mr Sessions about a possible third undisclosed meeting that is now under investigation, according to media reports.

Mr Sessions, a former senator and an early supporter of Mr Trump's election campaign, will be the most senior government official to testify to the committee on the Russia issue. The matter has dogged the Republican president's early months in office.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said Mr Sessions requested the open setting because "he believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."

Media reports last week said Mr Sessions offered to resign because of tensions with Mr Trump over his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's Russia probe. The matter is also being investigated by several congressional panels, including the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Russia has denied interfering in the US election. The White House has denied any collusion with Moscow.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump has joined her husband in the White House after spending the first five months of his presidency in New York.

The US first lady had stayed in Trump Tower after Mr Trump's inauguration in January until their 11-year-old son Barron finished the school year.

"Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home!" Mrs Trump tweeted after moving in only days before the president's 71st birthday.

The tweet came with a photograph of the Washington Monument as seen from what appeared to be the Red Room in the White House.

Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed the move.

"It's official! @FLOTUS & Barron have made the move to DC! #WelcomeHome," she tweeted.

Until now, the 45-year-old first lady has divided her time between Manhattan and Washington DC.

Barron, who becomes the first boy to live in the White House since three-year-old John F Kennedy Jr in 1963, is to attend a private school in Maryland in the autumn.

So far Mrs Trump's engagements have included entertaining the wives of heads of state, and presiding over events ranging from an International Women's Day lunch to the annual Easter egg roll for children on the White House lawn.

Now she has moved in, pressure will build for her to be seen more and to do more.

"I do think once she's in DC there'll be more pressure for her to be working on something that's her own, that's helping some segment of the population because that's what first ladies are supposed to do," said Professor Jean Harris at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with members of his Cabinet at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump smiles during a meeting with members of his Cabinet at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

They came to praise President Donald Trump, not focus on the controversies engulfing him.

One by one, Trump's Cabinet members assembled around the table spoke effusively about the president as he sat beaming, soaking it all in at the first formal gathering of his most senior officials at the White House on Monday.

The lavishing of praise and adulation contrasted with the storm enveloping the president as he struggles with myriad crises, including an investigation into possible ties between his election campaign and Russian meddling in the race.

For him, the meeting was a welcome rendering of what he feels are major accomplishments ignored by his detractors, even though major legislative achievements have eluded him thus far.

There was no one more gushing than White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who is frequently the target of criticism from long-time Trump advisers and is often see as just one misstep away from being ousted, even though rumors of his departure have all proved to be premature.

"On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr President, we thank you for the honor and the blessing that youve given us to serve your agenda and the American people and were continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals," Priebus said.

Trump used the meeting to try to show a sense of momentum for his agenda after weeks of being engulfed in controversy over his May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was heading the Russia investigation.

Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump meets with members of his Cabinet at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque / Facebook

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Weve been about as active as you can possibly be and at a just about record pace, he said. "In just a very short time we are seeing amazing results. People are surprised. Its kicking in very fast.

But one of his greatest adversaries, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, put together a mock video of a meeting with his staff with aides praising Schumer.

"Michelle, how'd my hair look coming out of the gym this morning?" Schumer asks, turning to one staffer.

"You have great hair. Nobody has better hair than you," Michelle said.

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Priebus was not alone in using the opportunity to praise Trump.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president. The president is keeping his word to the American people," said Vice President Mike Pence.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, noting the comments from other officials who said they had recently been abroad, noted wryly: While we are bragging about international travel I just got back from Mississippi and they like you there.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who as governor of South Carolina had endorsed Trump opponent Marco Rubio last year, called it "a new day at the United Nations" with Trump in power.

"We now have a very strong voice. People know what the United States is for. They know what we are against. And they see us in a new way across the board. I think the international community knows we are back," she said.
Ukrzaliznytsia is ready to increase passenger traffic with the countries of the European Union, Ukrzaliznytsia Head Wojciech Balczun believes.

"Ukrzaliznytsia welcomes visa-free passengers! The company is ready for the opportunities opening up to Ukraine. We've started this work long before this historic day. Several figures: for the four months in 2017 the company transported 48,400 passengers to EU countries. This is twice as many as in the whole year of 2015 (23,800), or 6 times more than during the same period last year (over the four months of 2016 some 8,600)," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"Today Ukrzaliznytsia unites Kyiv with the five capitals of our western neighbors: Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Warsaw, and Bucharest. The Kovel-Chelm train has been launched, and starting from June 15 we will launch the Lviv-Varna train, which will also pass through Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi. This should make the trips of our citizens to the beaches of sunny Bulgaria more convenient," he said.

In addition, the second pair of Hyundai Rotem trains on the Kyiv-Przemysl route will be launched soon. The train will pass through Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky and Ternopil.

"Now we are working to launch direct Kyiv-Vienna trains from December this year," he added.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has heatedly denied that he had any undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador or conversations with Russian officials about the US elections.

He vowed to defend his honour "against scurrilous and false allegations".

Testifying at a Senate hearing, Mr Sessions said it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest that he participated in or was aware of any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Mr Sessions also contradicted a contention made by former FBI Director James Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week.

Mr Comey said that, after an encounter with President Donald Trump in which he said Mr Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Mr Comey "implored" Mr Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again - but that Mr Sessions did not respond..

"He didn't recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy" regarding contacts with the White House, Mr Sessions said.

Expand Close Former FBI director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russias alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp Former FBI director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russias alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo: Reuters

The former Alabama senator defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing by saying he hadn't met with Russian officials during the campaign.

Mr Sessions argued that in the context of the hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it".

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He said he recused himself from the Justice Department's Russia investigation only because of a regulation to require the step because of his involvement in the Trump campaign. He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russia probe or had any role in it.

While he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Mr Sessions said: "I did not recuse myself from defending my honour against scurrilous and false allegations."

Despite his statement about the reasons for his recusal, the attorney general did not actually step aside from the Russia probe until March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on his two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Days after that, Mr Sessions also corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about the two meetings with Mr Kislyak.

Democratic Sen Ron Wyden of Oregon asked Mr Sessions about suggestions arising from Mr Comey's testimony last week that there was something "problematic" about his recusal.

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Mr Wyden asked Mr Sessions what problematic issues existed.

"Why don't you tell me? There are none, Sen Wyden, there are none," Mr Sessions insisted, his voice rising. "This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

As for his role in Mr Comey's sacking, Mr Sessions told senators that he and his second-in-command, Rod Rosenstein, had a "clear view ... that we had problems there, and it was my best judgment that a fresh start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And when asked I said that to the president."

But Mr Sessions said that despite his sense of problems at the FBI, he never raised that with Mr Comey.

And asked about Mr Trump's own contention that he fired Mr Comey with the Russia probe in mind, and regardless of any recommendation from anyone else, Mr Sessions said: "I guess I'll just have to let his words speak for themselves. I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically."

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Mr Sessions refused to say whether he had ever discussed the Russia investigation with Mr Trump, arguing that he could not disclose private communications with the president.

On another issue, Sen Marco Rubio, asked Mr Sessions whether Mr Trump records his conversations in the White House. Mr Trump has suggested there might be tapes of his encounters with Mr Comey.

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"I do not," Mr Sessions replied.

Mr Comey had also said that Mr Sessions had lingered in the Oval Office following a group meeting, just before the private encounter during which he has said the president asked him to pull back on his investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

As Mr Trump tried to shoo everyone out to talk alone with Mr Comey, Mr Sessions lingered, in Comey's account.

Mr Comey suggested this indicated the attorney general's awareness that it was improper for the president and Comey to meet alone together.

But Mr Sessions disputed that was why he lingered. "I do recall being one of the last ones to leave, I don't know how that occurred," he said.
Panama has switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China, dealing a major success to Beijing in its drive to isolate the self-governing island it claims as its own territory.

Taiwan warned that the move would further alienate the island of 23 million from the 1.37 billion Chinese living across the Taiwan Strait.

In Panama, President Juan Carlos Varela announced the change, which entails breaking off formal relations with Taiwan, saying in a televised address that it represents the "correct path for our country".

A joint statement released on Monday evening in Panama said Panama and China were recognising each other and establishing ambassadorial-level relations on the same day.

"The Government of the Republic of Panama recognises that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the statement read.

In Taiwan, officials including President Tsai Ing-wen denounced the move as a betrayal and vowed to maintain the island's sovereignty and international presence.

"Oppression and threats are not going to help in cross-strait relations. It will on the contrary increase the discrepancy between the people" of Taiwan and China, Ms Tsai said at a news conference.

"We will not compromise and yield under threat," the president said.

Panama had been among the largest economies to have maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The island now has just 20 formal diplomatic partners, 11 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean. The island is also excluded from the United Nations and many other multinational bodies at China's insistence.

At the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Panamanian vice president and foreign minister Isabel de Saint Malo signed a joint communique establishing diplomatic relations, followed by a champagne toast.

Mr Wang said he was sure relations between the two countries would have a "bright future".

Saint Malo said she hoped the new relationship would lead to trade, investment and tourism opportunities, in particular "exporting more goods from Panama to China."

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949 and Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary.

While the sides had maintained an undeclared diplomatic truce for much of the past decade, relations have deteriorated under Ms Tsai, who took over Taiwan's presidency more than a year ago but has declined to endorse China's view that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.

The past year has seen China ratcheting up the diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, barring its representatives from attending the World Health Organisation's annual conference and other international gatherings.

Beijing cut off contacts with Taiwanese government bodies a year ago, and in recent months has also sailed an aircraft carrier strike force aground the island in a display of its growing military power.

Panama may be the first of several Taiwanese diplomatic allies to switch to China as Beijing steps up pressure on Ms Tsai to recognise its "one China" principle, said Tang Yonghong, director of the Taiwan Economic Research Centre at Xiamen University in southeastern China.

"Many Latin American countries want to have stronger ties with China for their national interests," Mr Tang said.

Although China refused to form such ties during the previous administration of China-friendly Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, it no longer has any such qualms, Mr Tang said.

"Now this trend could continue for a while," he added.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that in breaking ties, Mr Varela had ignored the friendship between their countries and the efforts that Taiwan had made to help Panama's overall development. Panama had "submitted to the Beijing authorities for economic benefits" and "lied" to the government of Taiwan, the statement said.

Taiwan will immediately cut ties, cease all bilateral cooperation projects and pull its diplomatic staff and technical advisers out of the country, the ministry said, adding that it will not "engage in competition for money diplomacy with the Beijing authorities".

"We express our strong protest and condemnation over the Beijing authorities luring Panama into breaking ties with us, oppressing our diplomatic space to manoeuvre and harming the feelings of the Taiwanese people," the statement said.

Beijing and Taipei have long competed with each other to win diplomatic recognition, at times enticing small or poor countries to switch with the promise of millions of dollars for public works projects.

Mr Varela had suggested the possibility of switching diplomatic recognition during his presidential campaign in 2014, for historic, economic and strategic reasons.

"Both nations are betting on a more interconnected world," Mr Varela said in a possible allusion to Chinese economic involvement in the Panama Canal. He mentioned that it was a massive Chinese vessel that was the first to pass through the canal's expanded locks when they opened in June 2016.

China is the second-biggest client of the Panama Canal and the leading provider of merchandise to a free-commerce zone in the Panamanian city of Colon, on the country's Caribbean coast.

The loss of Panama is intended to show Ms Tsai that continued defiance of Beijing will harm Taiwan's overall interests, said Zhang Baohui, director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

"Panama was one of the more significant countries that still maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan," he said.

"By taking away Panama, it once again teaches Tsai's government the lesson that if she doesn't accept the 'one China' principle ... there will be consequences.

AP
The new beef ban in India is producing anxiety in three large industries: meat, leather, and dairy.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 is not an outright ban on slaughterhouses. What the new rules do, however, is make it next to impossible for slaughterhouses to operate by disrupting their supply chains.

This is a poignant example of how Indias political climate can affect the countrys economic development  hurting domestic and foreign businesses in the process.

The new Livestock Market Rules explained

Indias livestock markets act as go-betweens: selling (often older or less productive) animals from rural farmers to larger companies and estates. The new Livestock Market Rules prohibit the sale of cattle for slaughter at livestock markets, while increasing the difficulty for these markets to sell cattle for other purposes.

Importantly, the new Rules use a controversially broad definition of cattle. The Livestock Market Rules, 2017 define cattle as bulls, bullocks, cows, buffalo, steers, heifers, calves, and camels. Animal markets cannot sell any of these animals for slaughter.

The Rules also prohibit livestock markets from operating 25 kilometers from a state border and 50 kilometers from an international border. This appears designed to frustrate any cross-border activity that would violate the laws of a state with stricter laws on cattle or beef.

Additionally, all existing livestock markets must now register with the newly formed Animal Market Committee. If the Committee rejects an applicant, that applicant can no longer operate their livestock market.

The compliance creep

Cow beef is already illegal in most Indian states; the cow is considered a sacred animal to Indias Hindu majority. Buffalo beef, however, remains popular  though still taboo  in Indian domestic markets. The new Rules effectively shut down the beef industrys supply chain through compliance requirements.*

Aside from prohibiting the sale of slaughter-bound bovine, the new Rules also require a veterinary certificate and records of past ownership for cattle when sold for dairy or agricultural purposes.

The animal market itself must conform to specific sizing norms and infrastructural capacity  criteria that the vast majority of existing animal markets certainly fail to meet.

Impact on meat trade

For a nation with so many vocal vegetarians, India exports a lot meat. According to the US Department of Agriculture, India is the second biggest exporter of (buffalo) beef in the world. Furthermore, Indias buffalo meat exports have grown from US$5.5 hundred million in the 2008-09 fiscal year (FY) to US$5.5 billion during FY 2016: a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29 percent.

The Indian government does not release FDI data related specifically to meat production and export. However, the government does allow 100 percent FDI under the automatic route in food processing. As of September, 2016, FDI inflow to the sector reached a record US$727 million for the FY 2016-17.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, there are 81 licensed companies engaged in meat processing and its exports. Under Make in India, the government has approved 16 new, state of-the-art slaughterhouses across the country. Four are already operational  including one private public partnership (PPP)  in Visakhapatnam built on 11.4 acres of land that can process 1000 cattle a day.

All slaughterhouses in India, regardless of how state-of-the-art, rely heavily on livestock markets to supply buffalo  an estimated 90 percent of their beef came from these now banned markets. Indias buffalo beef supply comes almost entirely from rural farmers who sell their buffalo once they can no longer produce milk or do agricultural work.

Without the help of livestock markets, meat processers will find it next to impossible to establish reliable sourcing from such a disparate constellation of cattle owners.

Impact on the leather industry

India is home to a dynamic US$12 billion leather industry, which supplies both treated leather and finished retail goods to international brands like Armani, Prada, and Zara. In fact, the Modi government targeted the leather industry under its Make in India initiative, hoping to boost its turnover to US$27 billion by 2020.

The new Livestock Market Rules, however, dampen the governments own projected high growth for leather in India. Not only will the Rules cut off a primary supply chain for the leather industry  they also cut off the actual supply. The 2017 Rules stipulate that bovine, which have died of natural causes cannot be sold or flayed for leather but must instead be incinerated.

International retailers are currently looking to Bangladesh for steady supplies of leather.

Impact on dairy industry

India exports so much beef because Indians consume so much dairy. India is the worlds largest consumer and producer of milk and dairy products (both buffalo and cow). Rural, small-scale farmers supply much of this dairy through buffalo, that are later sold to livestock markets when they can no longer produce milk.

Indeed, rural farmers considered a buffalo to be a double investment: after the buffalo can no longer produce milk, they retained their market value in the beef industry. Not anymore.

Under the Livestock Market Rules, dairy producing bovine will no longer possess such a strong market value  becoming instead an economic liability for rural farmers. Dwindling buffalo ownership is sure to affect Indias milk supply.

Shrinking state autonomy

The new Livestock Rules do more than just, effectively, ban beef  they also erode the rights of individual states. Under the Indian constitution, states have legal policy control over cattle slaughter while the federal government dictates national norms on animal welfare. Now, the federal government has effectively criminalized the beef industrys primary supply chain: be it for cow or buffalo.

The government previously championed state agency with the popular competitive federalism slogan: individual states are quicker and more successful in implementing business friendly reforms than the federal government. In taking away the states ability to legislate on key industries, the new Livestock Rules send a mixed message to foreign investors.

Monitor reform agendas to remain profitable, compliant

Modi enjoys marketing India as open for business  that the sky is the limit for investment opportunities, as he recently told a St. Petersburg audience. Yet, at home, Modi often relies on divisive policies to solidify his power base.

Unfortunately, economic reform and sectarian policies are not always mutually inclusive. By enacting the beef ban, Modi has hurt three major industries in India that employ millions of people and attract considerable foreign investment.

The new Livestock rules ultimately underscore the importance of a robust understanding of Indias regulatory and political landscape. Foreign investors need to actively monitor reform agendas and their impact on business plans to remain profitable and compliant.

*Editors Note: On Tuesday, July 11, 2017, Indias Supreme Court extended a Madras High Courts stay on the Livestock Rules, 2017. The central government will submit an amended version of the Rules to the Supreme Court in late August for consideration. Until then, the Livestock Rules, 2017 are legally void.

Despite the Supreme Court stay, however, religious vigilante groups (known as cow vigilantes) continue to disrupt cattle supply chains through violence and intimidation  putting strain on beef, leather, and dairy industries.
Beijing, June 13 (IBNS): China has denied rumours on possible rift with Pakistan and called reports related to it as 'baseless'.

China also confirmed that the country's President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held 'friendly talks several times' during the recently-held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement: "On your second question, I can assure you that at the sidelines of the 17th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, President Xi Jinping held friendly talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif many times."

"As for those reports you mentioned, I think they are pointless and baseless. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners enjoying relationship that runs long and deep," Lu Kang said.

However, it has not been clarified whether the meetings were bilateral in nature.

The statement was made amid reports that Xi had skipped a customary meeting with Sharif at the SCO summit following abduction of Chinese nationals in Pakistan recently.

Militant group ISIS had earlier claimed responsibility for the death of two Chinese nationals who were abducted from Pakistan recently, media reports said.

The two nationals were reportedly abducted from Quetta area in Pakistan.

Chinese and Pakistani authorities have started investigation the claim made by the militant group.

A Pakistani senior government official, on condition of anonymity, had told Dawn.com that an investigation into the IS claim is underway.

Chinese officials have expressed their concern over the incident.

Speaking on the issue China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying had earlier said in a statement: "We have noted the relevant report and are highly concerned about that. We have been trying to rescue the two hostages during this period of time. The Chinese side is trying to learn more about and verify the situation by all means, including via the Pakistani side. The Chinese side firmly opposes kidnapping of civilians, terrorism and extremely violent acts in all forms."

SITE Intel Group website had said: "The Islamic States (IS) Amaq News Agency reported that group fighters killed two Chinese nationals who were being held in Balochistan province of Pakistan."
Dhaka, June 13 (IBNS): Landslides in south-east Bangladesh have claimed over 60 lives so far, media reports said on Tuesday.

Heavy monsoon rains have triggered the landslides in the Asian nation.

As per media reports, four members of Bangladesh Army were also killed in the tragedy.

Rescue operation is currently going on.

However, bad weather has hit the operation.

Telecommunication links and electricity have been cut off in several areas hit by landslides.

Twenty-three people were killed in Chittagong while 35 in Rangamati and seven in Bandarban, The Daily Star reported.

According to reports, Rangamati district has been badly hit by the landslides. At least 35 people have been killed in the area.

Image: Internet Grab
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The European Commission (EC) is calling on Ukraine and Russia to resume talks on gas transit following the conclusion of the Stockholm arbitration, EC Vice President Maros Sefcovic said after a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak on June 11.

"We discussed the necessity of continuing gas transit via Ukraine after 2019. The Stockholm arbitration will come to an end and should clarify unresolved issues. I confirmed the interest of European Union companies in cooperating with Ukrainian partners for secure and commercially viable gas transit via Ukraine in the future. We agreed that talks on the commercial aspects of transit should be resumed with companies as soon as possible," Sefcovic said.

Ukraine increased gas transit via its gas transportation system by 21.8%, or by 6.859 billion cubic meters (bcm) year-on-year in January-May 2017, to 38.255 bcm.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has stated Ukraine is ready to take part in the formation of a "gas corridor" with Hungary and Croatia.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, Groysman within the framework of the working visit to Croatia met with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic.

"We are interested in creating the Croatia-Hungary-Ukraine gas corridor. We will do everything to make this project close to full implementation. We are interested in such gas supplies to Ukraine," Groysman said.

According to the report, Ukraine, within the framework of diversification of natural gas supplies and with the aim of establishing new forms of cooperation in the energy sector with the EU countries, is ready to join the project of forming the new Croatia-Hungary-Ukraine gas corridor, which foresees the use of the LNG terminal capacities on the Croatian coast.

The project is included in the package of initiatives by President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic regarding the formation of the Central European vertical of cooperation "Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea." It involves not only the organization of fuel supplies, but also a possible integration of the gas transportation systems of the three countries.
Despite tension and exchange of fire at the LoC, Patients from Pakistan continue to come to India, as the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has decided not to stop them on humanitarian grounds. Now, a four-month-old infant, Rohaan, has arrived in Noida and will undergo treatment at Jaypee Hospital, after a help from the ministry.

twitter

According to reports, Rohaan, who has a hole in his heart, was referred to the multi-speciality hospital for treatment. However, in the backdrop of cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, his parents were unable to get medical visa for their child's treatment in India.

Rohaan's father Kanwal Sadiq, approached Sushma Swaraj and made a plea for a medical visa. Upon receiving the request, she immediately directed the authorities to grant medical visa to Rohaan's family, who arrived with him via Wagah Border.

Why my bud suffers for medical treatment!! Any answers Sir Sartaaj Azeez or Ma'am Sushma?? pic.twitter.com/p0MGk0xYBJ  Ken Sid (@KenSid2) May 24, 2017

To this, the Indian minister swung into action and replied with a tweet, "No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa."

No. The child will not suffer. Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan. We will give the medical visa. pic.twitter.com/4ADWkFV6Ht https://t.co/OLVO3OiYMB  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 31, 2017

Dr. Ashutosh Marwah, an eminent pediatric cardiologist along with pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Rajesh Sharma will investigate and treat Rohaan. Dr. Marwah will examine the disease and condition of the baby and Dr. Sharma will operate Rohaan.

ani/twitter

"Rohaan has a hole in the heart along with a condition called D-TRANSPOSITION OF GREAT ARTERIES. In this condition, the heart and lung nerves come from the opposite direction and there will be flow of no oxygen-rich blood in the body.

Due to the same, there would be complication in breathing from first month onward, hence the child starts breathing heavily. Weight of the child does not increase and due to repeated pneumonia, the chances of survival become less. The most important thing is that the disease should be treated soon enough, because after 8 months the disease becomes untreatable and the chances of death increases, said Marwah.

ani/twitter

"Rohaan is suffering from a critical condition. He has a hole in his heart and aorta, which should be on the left side of the heart, is coming from the right and pulmonary arteries are coming from the left which is exactly opposite to the general structure of the body.

Due to this disease, Rohan's pressure of lungs goes up very quickly and there is a shortage of clean blood in different parts of his body. This disease will be treated with the arterial switch with vsd closure method, in which aorta and pulmonary arteries will be removed from its place and adjusted to the right place. If this disease is treated within 4 months of birth, the chances of survival will be 100 percent. Since Rohaan has already completed 4 months, therefore the surgery will have 5 to 10 percent risk, added Sharma.

ani/twitter

Rohaan's parents, who reached the Jaypee Hospital said after a preliminary investigation in Pakistan, it was discovered that there is a hole in the heart along with the problem with the heart's nerves. The treatment for such a major disease could not be done in Pakistan or other small hospitals without inadequate facility or infrastructure. Therefore, the family was referred to Jaypee Hospital.

The operation is expected to take place on June 15.
An aged couple in Rohini were in for a shock when they identities of two helmeted robbers who attacked them in their house.

bccl/representational image

Trying to escape after the 80-year-old house owner dispossessed them of their weapon and raised an alarm, the duo was caught by neighbours. When their helmets were removed, one of the intruders turned out to be the grandson of the couple.

Rajat (21) knew that his grandfather, Ram Lal Miglani, had recently sold a property for Rs 50 lakh and kept the money in his house in H Block of Rohini Sector 7. The law student got his friend, Rishabh, a 22-year-old medical student, to help him in an audacious plan to rob his own grandparents.

On Saturday afternoon, Miglani, a retired manager of a private firm, was overseeing some electrical repairs and distractedly left the house entrance open. This was the chance the youths were looking for, and they quickly entered the house with a toy pistol and a hammer, their faces hidden by helmets.

bccl/representational image

Miglani's wife, 70-year-old Shakuntala, was cleaning the bedroom, when the duo attacked her with the hammer, smashing her teeth in the process. Miglani heard her feeble calls for help and ran to the bedroom. There he saw two men holding his wife at gunpoint.

After they asked Miglani to hand over the keys to the locker, the octogenarian bent down as if to pick something up. Instead, he lashed out hard at the hand of the youth holding the pistol.

As the robber dropped the weapon, Miglani raised an alarm. The security guard and a few neighbours heard the din, and their approach panicked the intruders, who tried to make a dash for freedom.

"One of the youths got on a white scooter and tried to ride away, but I was able to pin him to the ground," said Raghuraj Singh. The second youth, meanwhile, frantically tried to climb over another gate, but was apprehended.

The pair were first thrashed and then tied to the gate. When the crowd removed the helmets, Miglani was shocked to see that one of the men was Rajat.

"The grandson started pleading to his grandfather to prevent the people from beating him," said Chhanda, a household help who assisted the security guard in grabbing Rajat.

Rajat and Rishabh told police that they needed money for their travel plans.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has invited Croatian companies to participate in public infrastructure projects of Ukraine and defense and technical cooperation.

"We have a wide range of opportunities for our cooperation. Last year showed that bilateral trade is growing. This is a good signal," he said at the opening of the Ukrainian-Croatian business forum in Zagreb (Croatia), the press service of Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers reported.

The range of directions where it is better to develop business relations between Ukraine and Croatia also includes agriculture, metal, pharmaceutical sectors, machine building, energy, tourism and construction.

The Ukrainian prime minister said that after the introduction of the visa free regime by the European Union for Ukrainian citizens the flow of tourists, including to Croatia, would grow. He said that Ukraine is ready to receive tourists from Croatia.
Absconding loan-defaulter Vijay Mallya on Tuesday protested his innocence and dismissed all charges against him as false as he arrived at a London court for an extradition hearing.

AP

"I deny all allegations against me. I have not eluded the court, I have enough evidence to prove that I am not guilty," Mallya told reporters outside the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.

The 61-year-old former chief of Kingfisher airlines, who is wanted in connection to loan default case to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore, was appearing for his extradition case hearing based on a formal request made by India on February 8 this year.

Tuesday's hearing was referred to as a "case management hearing", where the judge set a timetable to hear the arguments for and against Mallya's extradition. The court has set July 6 as the next hearing date for the case.

AP

Mallya has been in the UK since March 2016 and was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18. He was quickly released after furnishing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds and assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.

An initial case management hearing date of May 17 had been postponed to June 13.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will present the case in court on behalf of the Indian authorities. A CBI official had also flown in from Delhi for the hearing.

AP

Mallya 's defence team is being led by the firm Joseph Hague Aaronson LLP. They have instructed barrister Clare Montgomery, a specialist in criminal, regulatory and fraud law, to argue in court on their behalf.

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement - Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.
A 27-year-old man who objected to a couple kissing in public in Parel in central Mumbai on Monday was stabbed with a broken piece of glass and injured, police said.

The incident occurred near a renowned college in the area when the victim, Ganesh Sahane was passing by a couple kissing alongside the road and objected to their act. Police said that the accused, identified as Monty, beat Sahane up with the help of five of his friends and in the brawl also stabbed him with a broken piece of a glass bottle.

new internationlist

Police took the victim to a civic-run hospital where he is currently in a better condition. Police managed to catch hold of one of the five persons who were involved in attacking Mr Sahane, an official said.

A case is being registered by police.
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov believes Ukraine needs to finish the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) and move to a new format of protecting the country from the hybrid war with Russia.

"Hostilities in the east of our country have continued for three years and have outgrown both the duration and the scale of the ATO format. It should be noted that the Anti-Terrorist Operation fulfilled many important tasks. It was within the ATO framework that we stopped the aggressor, were able to hold presidential, parliamentary and local elections, and also liberated a significant part of the occupied territory of Ukraine... At the same time, it's time to move on to a new format of the country's defense," Turchynov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, the current Ukrainian legislation provides for two main cases in which the combat use of the Armed Forces is authorized  these are a declaration of war and an anti-terrorist operation. "Despite the widespread opinion, under our legislation, the imposition of a martial law suggests only the existence of a special legal regime in the country or in certain regions and does not provide for an automatic right to use the army and other military formations," the NSDC secretary explained, adding that the legislation was formed based on the 20th century ideas about a classical warfare and does not take into account the need to resist the hybrid aggression that is being waged against Ukraine by Russia.

In this connection, it's time to define a new format that will effectively protect Ukraine from the hybrid methods of war used by Russia, Turchynov said. "It's time not only to recognize some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as occupied, but to outline at the legislative level the basis of the state policy for their liberation." An effective technology of protecting the country is needed. To this end, it is necessary to give the president the right to use the army and other military formations against the hybrid aggression by Russia," the NSDC secretary stressed.

He also noted that it is necessary to create an operational headquarters permanently working in the hostilities zone, which will have broad powers for the integrated management of the army, all law-enforcement structures and civil and military administrations.

At the same time, the NSDC secretary stressed that such an approach "will only strengthen the foundation of the Minsk agreements, since their implementation is impossible without resolving security issues and without liberating the occupied Ukrainian territory."

"This is a very serious issue that requires discussion in a professional expert environment. The updated bill on the restoration of Ukraine's state sovereignty over the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be presented to the president, after which I hope it will be promptly introduced to the Verkhovna Rada," Turchynov said.
Israel, Saudi, UAE Team Up In Anti-Qatar Lobbying Move



US legislation threatening Qatar for Hamas support is tied to donations from UAE, Saudi, and Israel lobbyists.



By Creede Newton

June 12, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Washington, DC - US legislation threatening to sanction Qatar for its support of "Palestinian terror" was sponsored by 10 legislators who received more than $1m over the last 18 months from lobbyists and groups linked to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.



The bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives on May 25, but the text wasn't available until Friday morning, hours after Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt put 59 people and 12 institutions linked to Qatar on a "terror list".

The nations abruptly ended diplomatic relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing Doha of supporting "extremism" and siding with their regional rival Iran.

"Hamas has received significant financial and military support from Qatar," the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2017 , also known as HR 2712, said. It went on to list sanctions including an end of exports of defence technologies, arms, and loans or financing totalling more than $10m.

For Trita Parsi, author and founder of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a nonprofit that aims to strengthen the voice of US citizens of Iranian descent, the similarities between the US-allied Arab nations' "terror list" and HR 2712 show growing cooperation between Gulf Arab states and Israel.

"The coordination between hawkish pro-Israel groups and UAE and Saudi Arabia has been going on for quite some time," Parsi told Al Jazeera. What is new, he continued, is pro-Israel groups such as the Foundation for Defense of Democracies "coming out with pro-Saudi [articles] and lobbying for them on Capitol Hill".

Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia all view the Muslim Brotherhood , an Islamist political group, as a threat. Deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi belonged to the group, which endured a heavy-handed crackdown in Egypt since a military coup installed Abdel Fatah el-Sisi as president in 2014.

The Brotherhood was the ideological base for Hamas , the Islamist rulers of the besieged Gaza Strip that have fought three wars with the Israelis. The Saudis demand that Qatar stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in a move that aligns with Egyptian and Israeli policy.

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Israel's influence on US policymakers is clear. HR 2712's sponsors received donations totalling $1,009,796 from pro-Israel individuals and groups for the 2016 election cycle alone, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics , an independent research group tracking money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy, and then compiled by Al Jazeera.

"They're not traditional pro-Saudi legislators. They're in the pro-Likud camp," Parsi said, referring to the party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

The bill has bipartisan sponsorship. Five of the legislators come from the House Committee on Foreign Relations (HCFR), including sponsor Brian Mast, a first-term Republican congressman from Florida, and Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, the ranking Republican and Democrat of the HCFR, respectively.

Royce received $242,143 from pro-Israel sources for the 2016 election cycle, $190,150 went to Engel. Mast, who volunteered with the Israeli military after he finished serving in the US Army, received $90,178.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, received $150,300 in 2016, pushing her 27-year career total of pro-Israel dollars to more than $1m.

In contrast with the $1 million donated by pro-Israel entities in 2016, HR 2712's sponsors received roughly $25,700 in donations by pro-Saudi and UAE lobbying groups over the last 18 months, according to filings with the US Department of Justice made public under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

The act requires that lobbyists track and submit donations and contacts between themselves and legislators when working for foreign governments.

Al Jazeera's investigation covered 10 firms associated with Saudi and Emirati lobbying efforts. However, these are not exhaustive. Both Gulf nations have rapidly expanded their lobbying in recent years and could include further donations from individuals.

FARA filings also document frequent emails and meetings between the 10 legislators and Saudi-UAE lobbyists, as well as calls to major media outlets concerning news coverage of major events.

Texas Republican Ted Poe, who said in a release he was proud to support HR 2712 because it "will make countries like Qatar, Iran, and others pay a price for their support for terrorism" was the only legislator who does not have a record of any donations from lobbyists linked to Israel, Saudi or UAE.

Al Jazeera's requests for comment from several sponsors, including Brian Mast and the HCFR, were not immediately answered.

Regarding the increased collaboration between the Gulf nations and Israel, which recently entered its 50th year of occupying Palestine , Parsi said even though there are disagreements they share a common goal.

"To use the opportunity they have with the Trump administration to restore an order in the region that is appealing to them - an order based on Iran's isolation and the re-prioritisation of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel," he said.

The previous Obama administration shook the status quo of the Middle East by making the landmark nuclear deal with Iran that eased sanctions and allowed for the Shia regional power to continue researching nuclear power. The agreement was based on an end to Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons, and it has complied with the terms such as intermittent inspections by international agencies.

Obama famously said the Saudis need to find "an effective way to share the neighbourhood and institute some sort of cold peace" with the Iranians.

"But then Obama okayed billion-dollar arms deals to assure Gulf partners he wasn't entirely pivoting towards Iran," William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy , a think-tank in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera.

Now, Trump has adopted an "all-in" approach to Saudi relations, including a controversial $110bn arms deal regardless of human rights concerns surrounding the use of these weapons in the ongoing Yemen conflict.

Arms sales have long acted as a means of influencing US policy. "There was always a sort of tacit quid pro quo," Hartung continued. The Saudis would buy US weapons and receive the superpower's protection, the arms expert explained.

Israel has historically raised concerns about arms deals with Gulf Arab states, who last fought a war in 1973. But the Israeli leadership has "kept quiet" about the $110bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia inked by the Trump administration because "there was a shift from viewing the Saudis as a potential adversary", Hartung said, because Iran is a common enemy.

"In the old days, there was a pro-Israel block in Congress  that would have been very sceptical and possibly pushed for votes against arms sales to Saudi Arabia. That hasn't happened in a long time," he said.

The geographic and corresponding congressional realignment will continue, Parsi predicted, and pressure on Qatar will remain.

The small Gulf country "is a problem because it is independent and doesn't share Saudi Arabia's obsession with Iran", he said.

For its part, Qatar has vowed to retain its independence.

Source - Al Jazeera

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

See also
The Unraveling Financialization Of The U.S. Economy





Things To Come



By Howard Kunstler

June 12, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - As our politicos creep deeper into a legalistic wilderness hunting for phantoms of Russian collusion, nobody pays attention to the most dangerous force in American life: the unraveling financialization of the economy.

Financialization is what happens when the people-in-charge create colossal sums of money out of nothing  by issuing loans, a.k.a. debt  and then cream off stupendous profits from the asset bubbles, interest rate arbitrages, and other opportunities for swindling that the artificial wealth presents. It was a kind of magic trick that produced monuments of concentrated personal wealth for a few and left the rest of the population drowning in obligations from a stolen future. The future is now upon us.

Financialization expressed itself in other interesting ways, for instance the amazing renovation of New York City (Brooklyn especially). It didnt happen just because Generation X was repulsed by the boring suburbs it grew up in and longed for a life of artisanal cocktails. It happened because financialization concentrated immense wealth geographically in the very few places where its activities took place  not just New York but San Francisco, Washington, and Boston  and could support luxuries like craft food and brews.

Quite a bit of that wealth was extracted from asset-stripping the rest of America where financialization was absent, kind of a national distress sale of the fly-over places and the people in them. That dynamic, of course, produced the phenomenon of President Donald Trump, the distilled essence of all the economic distress out there and the rage it entailed. The people of Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin were left holding a big bag of nothing and they certainly noticed what had been done to them, though they had no idea what to do about it, except maybe try to escape the moment-by-moment pain of their ruined lives with powerful drugs.

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And then, a champion presented himself, and promised to bring back the dimly remembered wonder years of post-war well-being  even though the world had changed utterly  and the poor suckers fell for it. Not to mention the fact that his opponent  the avaricious Hillary, with her hundreds of millions in ill-gotten wealth  was a very avatar of the financialization that had turned their lives to shit. And then the woman called them a basket of deplorables for noticing what had happened to them.

And now the rather pathetic false promises of President Trump, the whole MAGA thing, is unraveling at exactly the same time that the financialized economy is entering its moment of final catastrophic phase-change. The monuments to wealth  especially the stock and bond portfolios and the presumed value of real estate investments  will surrender to a process you might call price-discovery-from-Hell, revealing their worth to be somewhere between little and nothing. The accumulated monstrous debts of persons, corporations, and sovereign societies, will be suddenly, shockingly, absolutely, and self-evidently unpayable, and the securities represented by them will be sucked into the kind of vortices of time/space depicted in movies about mummies and astronauts. And all of a sudden the avatars of that wealth will see their lives turn to shit just like the moiling, Budweiser-gulping, oxycontin-addled deplorables in the flat, boring, parking lot wastelands of our ruined drive-in Utopia saw their lives rendered into a brown-and-yellow slurry draining clockwise down the toilet of history.

Nobody in power in this country is paying attention to how close we are to that epic moment  at least, theyre not talking about it. If the possibility of all that even occupies some remote corner of their brains, they surely dont know how to prepare the citizenry for it, or what to do about it. The truth is that societies respond emergently to major crises like the imminent unraveling of our financialized economy, often in disorderly and surprising ways. I suppose well just have to watch the nauseating spectacle play out, and in the meantime enjoy the Russian collusion melodrama for whatever its worth  probably more than a ticket to Wonder Woman or the new Tom Cruise Mummy movie.

James Howard Kunstler is an American author, social critic, public speaker, and blogger. He is best known for his books The Geography of Nowhere, a history of American suburbia and urban development. http://kunstler.com/
Britain Refuses to Accept How Terrorists Really Work





There is a self-interested motive for British governments to portray terrorism as essentially home-grown cancers within the Muslim community. Western governments like to pretend that their policy blunders, notably those of military intervention in the Middle East since 2001, did not prepare the soil for al-Qaeda and Isis



By Patrick Cockburn

June 12, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The Conservative government largely avoided being blamed during the election campaign for its failure to stop the terrorist attacks. It appealed to British communal solidarity in defiance of those who carried out the atrocities, which was a perfectly reasonable stance, though one that conveniently enables the Conservatives to pillory any critics for dividing the nation at a time of crisis. When Jeremy Corbyn correctly pointed out that the UK policy of regime change in Iraq, Syria and Libya had destroyed state authority and provided sanctuaries for al-Qaeda and Isis, he was furiously accused of seeking to downplay the culpability of the terrorists. Nobody made the charge stick that it was mistaken British foreign policies that empowered the terrorists by giving them the space in which to operate.

A big mistake in British anti-terrorist strategy is to pretend that terrorism by extreme Salafi-jihadi movements can be detected and eliminated within the confines of the UK. The inspiration and organisation for terrorist attacks comes from the Middle East and particularly from Isis base areas in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Their terrorism will not end so long as these monstrous but effective movements continue to exist. That said, counter-terrorism within the UK is much weaker than it need be.

The attacks in London and Manchester come very much from the Isis playbook: minimum human resources deployed to maximum effect. Overall direction is distant and at a minimum, no professional military skills on the part of the killers are necessary, and the absence of guns makes them almost impossible to forestall. Tracing the movement of a small number of weapons is usually easier than following a large number of people.

There is a self-interested motive for British governments to portray terrorism as essentially home-grown cancers within the Muslim community. Western governments as a whole like to pretend that their policy blunders, notably those of military intervention in the Middle East since 2001, did not prepare the soil for al-Qaeda and Isis. This enables them to keep good relations with authoritarian Sunni states like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, which are notorious for aiding Salafi-jihadi movements. Placing the blame for terrorism on something vague and indefinable like radicalisation and extremism avoids embarrassing finger-pointing at Saudi-financed Wahhabism which has made 1.6 billion Sunni Muslims, a quarter of the worlds population, so much more receptive to al-Qaeda type movements today than it was 60 years ago.

Deliberate blindness to very specific places and people  Sunni states, Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia, Syrian and Libyan armed opposition  is a main reason why the War on Terror has failed since 9/11. Instead, much vaguer cultural processes within Muslim communities are targeted: President Bush invaded Iraq, which certainly had nothing to do with al-Qaeda, and today President Trump is denouncing Iran as the source of terrorism at the very moment that Isis gunmen are killing people in Tehran. In Britain the main monument to this politically convenient lack of realism is the ill-considered and counter-effective Prevent programme. This not only fails to find terrorists, but actively assists them, by pointing the security agencies and police in the wrong direction. It also poisons the waters for anybody trying to improve relations between the British state and 2.8 million Muslims in the UK by generating a mood of generalised suspicion and persecution.

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Under the 2015 Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, people who work in public bodies  teachers, doctors, social workers  have a legal duty to report signs of terrorist sympathy among those they encounter, even though nobody knows what these are. The disastrous consequences of this are explained, with a wealth of devastating supporting evidence, by Karma Nabulsi in a recent article on the Prevent programme in the London Review of Books entitled Dont Go to the Doctor. She tells the story of Syrian refugees, a man and his wife, who sent their small son, who spoke almost no English, to a nursery school. Because of his recent traumatic experiences in Syria he spent much of his time there drawing planes dropping bombs. The staff of the nursery might have been expected to comfort the young war victim, but instead they called the police. These went to see the parents and questioned them separately, shouting questions like: How many times a day do you pray? Do you support President Assad? Who do you support? What side are you on?

If Isis or al Qaeda were asked to devise a programme least likely to hamper their attacks and most liable to send the police off on wild goose hunts, they would find it difficult to devise anything more helpful to themselves than Prevent and the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act. The great majority British people have as much idea about how to identify a potential terrorist as their ancestors 400 years ago did about detecting witches. The psychology is much the same in both cases and 2015 Act is in effect a crackpots charter in which five per cent of the British population are vaguely regarded as suspicious. Nabulsi writes that a Freedom of Information request to the police revealed that more than 80 per cent of the reports on individuals suspected of extremism were dismissed as unfounded.

The Government may persuade the gullible that turning everybody working for the state into a potential informant produces lots of useful intelligence. In fact, it serves to clog up the system with useless and misleading information. On the rare occasion it produces a nugget, there is a good chance that it will be overlooked.

The oversupply of information explains why many who say they reported genuinely suspicious behaviour found that they were ignored. Often this action was very blatant and revealing such as the Manchester bomber Salman Abedi shouting down a preacher in a mosque who criticised Isis. He was also associated with the extreme jihadi Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. One of three killers on London Bridge and in Borough Market, Khuram Butt, had even expressed his pro-Isis views on television and another of the three, the Italian-Moroccan Youssef Zaghba, was stopped by Italian police at Bologna Airport on suspicion of trying to go to fight for Isis or al-Qaeda in Syria. Yet none of these were picked up by the police.

In most cases, potential terrorists do not have to be sniffed out, but have made their Isis sympathies only too apparent. The governments obsessive belief that terrorists are isolated individuals radicalised by the internet without being a member of any network is simply untrue. Dr Peter Neumann of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College London is quoted as saying that the number of cases where people have been entirely radicalised by the internet is tiny, tiny, tiny.

Absurdities like the Prevent programme mask the fact that Isis and al-Qaeda type terrorists are closely interlinked, mostly by participation in or sympathy for the jihadi armed opposition in the Libyan and Syrian wars. If you start connecting the dots, says Professor Neumann, a very large number of those in Britain who went to Syria were connected to each other, people who had already known each other. Contrary to conventional and governmental wisdom, terrorist conspiracies have not changed much since Brutus, Cassius and their friends plotted to murder Julius Caesar.
Home What Gives Trump The Right to Set Up Military Bases In Syria?



Why Are We Attacking the Syrians Who Are Fighting ISIS?



By Ron Paul June 13, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Just when you thought our Syria policy could not get any worse, last week it did. The US military twice attacked Syrian government forces from a military base it illegally occupies inside Syria. According to the Pentagon, the attacks on Syrian government-backed forces were defensive because the Syrian fighters were approaching a US self-declared de-confliction zone inside Syria. The Syrian forces were pursuing ISIS in the area, but the US attacked anyway.



The US is training yet another rebel group fighting from that base, located near the border of Iraq at al-Tanf, and it claims that Syrian government forces pose a threat to the US military presence there. But the Pentagon has forgotten one thing: it has no authority to be in Syria in the first place! Neither the US Congress nor the UN Security Council has authorized a US military presence inside Syria.



So what gives the Trump Administration the right to set up military bases on foreign soil without the permission of that government? Why are we violating the sovereignty of Syria and attacking its military as they are fighting ISIS? Why does Washington claim that its primary mission in Syria is to defeat ISIS while taking military actions that benefit ISIS?



The Pentagon issued a statement saying its presence in Syria is necessary because the Syrian government is not strong enough to defeat ISIS on its own. But the de-escalation zones agreed upon by the Syrians, Russians, Iranians, and Turks have led to a reduction in fighting and a possible end to the six-year war. Even if true that the Syrian military is weakened, its weakness is due to six years of US-sponsored rebels fighting to overthrow it! No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter What is this really all about? Why does the US military occupy this base inside Syria? Its partly about preventing the Syrians and Iraqis from working together to fight ISIS, but I think its mostly about Iran. If the Syrians and Iraqis join up to fight ISIS with the help of Iranian-allied Shia militia, the US believes it will strengthen Irans hand in the region. President Trump has recently returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia where he swore he would not allow that to happen.

But is this policy really in our interest, or are we just doing the bidding of our Middle East allies, who seem desperate for war with Iran? Saudi Arabia exports its radical form of Islam worldwide, including recently into moderate Asian Muslim countries like Indonesia. Iran does not. That is not to say that Iran is perfect, but does it make any sense to jump into the Sunni/Shia conflict on either side? The Syrians, along with their Russian and Iranian allies, are defeating ISIS and al-Qaeda. As candidate Trump said, whats so bad about that?



We were told that if the Syrian government was allowed to liberate Aleppo from al-Qaeda, Assad would kill thousands who were trapped there. But the opposite has happened: life is returning to normal in Aleppo. The Christian minority there celebrated Easter for the first time in several years. They are rebuilding. Cant we finally just leave the Syrians alone?



When you get to the point where your actions are actually helping ISIS, whether intended or not, perhaps its time to stop. Its past time for the US to abandon its dangerous and counterproductive Syria policy and just bring the troops home. Copyright  2017 by RonPaul Institute. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

By Patrick Martin

June 13, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Has your electric garage door stopped working? Does your dog wake up in the middle of the night and begin howling? Is the weather unseasonably hot, cold, windy, dry or wet? Has your television set (or refrigerator, or sound system or home alarm) inexplicably turned on, or off?

If one uncritically viewed the corporate-controlled media and accepted at face value the statements of much of official Washington, especially the Democratic Party, one could easily draw the conclusion that the Russians did it.

A paranoid frenzy is gripping the US political and media establishment. A ruling elite that commands the worlds largest economy ($18 trillion, 24.3 percent of world GDP), the worlds largest military, and the most technically sophisticated spying apparatus is obsessed with the supposedly omnipresent tentacles of a government that oversees the worlds twelfth largest economy (1.8 percent of world GDP, or one-fourteenth that of the US), and which entered the computer era a generation later than Silicon Valley.

By one estimate, the United States has 3.6 million computer programmers, about 20 percent of the worlds total, compared to just over half a million in Russia. The US is home to the most powerful software, hardware and Internet companies in the world. No Russian IT company ranks in the worlds top 100. Yet, according to the narrative peddled by the American media in its campaign over alleged Russian hacking during the 2016 US presidential election, Russian cyber warfare operations have cut through US IT systems like a knife through butter.

Thursdays appearance by fired FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee has raised the anti-Russian hysteria in the US media to a new level. The former head of the US political police denounced supposed Russian interference in the US elections as a dire threat to American democracy. Theyre going to come for whatever party they choose to try and work on behalf of, he warned. And they will be back they are coming for America.

None of the capitalist politicians who questioned him challenged the premise that Russia was the principal enemy of the United States, or that Russian hacking was a significant threat to the US electoral system. None of them suggested that the billions funneled into the US elections by Wall Street interests were a far greater threat to the democratic rights of the American people.

Weekend media reports added to the apocalyptic warnings. A front-page report in the Sunday New York Times warned that the conflict between Trump and Comey should not be allowed to overshadow the more important issue: a chilling threat to the United States from Russian intervention in the American electoral system.

According to the Times, from the headquarters of the National Security Agency to state capitals that have discovered that the Russians were inside their voter-registration systems, the worry is that attention will be diverted from figuring out how Russia disrupted American democracy last year and how to prevent it from happening again.

The article went on to suggest, citing only the suspicions of US intelligence officials in the absence of any actual evidence, that Russian government hackers had penetrated companies providing software for voting systems, the electrical power grid and other vital infrastructure. It quoted a series of anti-Russian comments from experts, who expanded on Comeys comments, warning of intensified cyber warfare.

Even more strident was a commentary published in Politico.com under the headline, Forget Comey. The Real Story Is Russias War on America. The author is Molly K. McKew, a former US adviser to anti-Russian governments in Georgia and Moldova.

She denounces President Trumps lack of curiosity about the long-running, deep-reaching, well-executed and terrifyingly effective Russian attack on American democracy, going on to attack the White House for failing to craft a response to the greatest threat the United States and its allies have ever faced.

McKew writes of Russias global imperialist insurgency, and advocates a course of action that goes beyond a new Cold War, leading inexorably to an armed confrontation between the two largest nuclear powers in the world.

The World Socialist Web Site has repeatedly explained the political issues in the anti-Russian campaign, which represents an effort by the most powerful sections of the military-intelligence apparatus, backed by the Democratic Party and the bulk of the corporate media, to force the Trump White House to adhere to the foreign policy offensive against Moscow embarked on during the second term of the Obama administration, particularly since the 2014 US-backed ultra-right coup in Ukraine.

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Those factions of the ruling class and intelligence agencies leading the anti-Russia campaign are particularly incensed that Russian intervention in Syria stymied plans to escalate the proxy civil war in that country into a full-fledged regime-change operation. They want to see Assad in Syria meet the same fate as Gaddafi in Libya and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Their fanatical hatred of Putin indicates that they have similar ambitions in mind for the Russian president.

The entire framework of the anti-Russian campaign is fraudulent. The military-intelligence agencies, the Democratic Party and the media are following a well-established pattern of manufacturing phony scandals, previously a specialty of the Republican right: the Clinton Whitewater scandal, Obama the Muslim, Hillary Clinton and Benghazi. These bogus campaigns begin with allegations that then acquire a momentum of their own.

Of what does the undermining of US democracy by alleged Russian hacking consist? No vote totals were altered. No ballots were discarded, as in Florida in 2000 when the antidemocratic campaign was spearheaded by the US Supreme Court. Instead, truthful information was supplied anonymously to WikiLeaks, which published the material, showing that the Democratic National Committee had worked to sabotage the campaign of Bernie Sanders, and that Hillary Clinton had cozied up to Wall Street audiences and reassured them that a new Clinton administration would be in the pocket of the big financial interests.

These revelations certainly damaged Clinton, but only because they confirmed what the American people already thought of her: that she was a corrupt stooge of the financial oligarchy.

As for intervening in the elections of other countries, this is a practice the American ruling class has perfected through much practice. One case deserves special mention: the intervention of US political operatives, directed from the White House, in the 1996 Russian election, for the purpose of ensuring the reelection of Boris Yeltsin. At the start of the campaign, Yeltsin was polling in the single digits and facing growing popular opposition. A July 1996 Time magazine cover, showing Yeltsin holding an American flag, summed up the campaign: Yanks to the Rescue: The Secret Story of How American Advisers Helped Yeltsin Win.

Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election because she ran as the candidate of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus and made no appeal to working-class discontent. This was after eight years during which Obama had intensified the economic stagnation, wage cutting and austerity that had been going on for decades, while overseeing a further growth in social inequality. This right-wing orientation has continued to guide the Democratic Party in the first months of the Trump administration.

The Democrats are not fighting Trump over his assault on health care, his attacks on immigrants, his militaristic bullying around the world, or even his status as a minority president who can claim no mandate after losing the popular vote. Instead, they have chosen to attack Trump, the most right-wing president in US history, from the right, denouncing him as insufficiently committed to a military confrontation with Russia.

Copyright  1998-2017 World Socialist Web Site - All rights reserved
Iran's Khamenei Blames U.S. for Creation of Islamic State



By Parisa Hafezi June 13, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for instability in the Middle East and said Washington's fight against the Islamic State militant group was "a lie".

"You (the United States) and your agents are the source of instability in the Middle East...who created Islamic State? America ... America's claim of fighting against Islamic State is a lie," Khamenei said in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials, according to his official website.

Iran and the United States cut diplomatic ties shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to Washington has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Khamenei in Iran.

Khamenei has made several statements denouncing the United States since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out against Iran in harsh terms since taking office, indicating that he will reverse the previous administration's attempts at rapprochement with Tehran.

The Iranian leader has accused the United States and its regional ally Saudi Arabia of funding hardline Sunni militants, including Islamic State, which carried out its first attack in Iran on Wednesday in Tehran, killing 17 people.

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Riyadh has denied involvement in the suicide bombings and gun attacks on Iran's parliament and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who favors opening up to the world, has condemned the attacks, without pointing a finger at any country.

The pragmatist president championed a nuclear deal with the United States and five other powers in 2015 that led to the lifting of most sanctions against Iran, in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

But the deal has not led to normalization of ties between the two countries that Rouhani hoped for. Trump has frequently called the agreement "one of the worst deals ever signed" and said Washington would review it.

Khamenei said Iran had no intention of normalizing ties with the United States.

"The American government is against an independent Iran ... They have problems with the existence of Islamic Republic of Iran...Most of our problems with them cannot be resolved," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

Khamenei's hardline loyalists, drawn from among Islamists and the Revolutionary Guards, fear that normalization of ties with the United States might weaken their position.

"America is a terrorist country and backs terrorism ... therefore, we cannot normalize ties with such country," he said.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams and Angus MacSwan)
Video Shows US-led Coalition Allowed ISIS To Escape Raqqa To Fight The Syrian Army By Chris Tomson

June 13, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Al-Masdar News has obtained jaw-dropping footage from northern Syria suggesting the US-led coalition has allowed hundreds of ISIS vehicles to leave Raqqa city for areas controlled by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

Despite Kurdish and American drones hovering above Raqqa on all flanks, the Islamic State convoy remained completely untouched by coalition airstrikes, thus suggesting an under-the-table deal may have been struck between the warring parties:

According to an Al-Masdar News researcher, the footage could be traced back to earlier this month while the convoy in the video later was bombed by the Russian Air Force .

Some conspiracy theorists also speculate the US-led coalition allowed thousands of ISIS militants to escape Mosul back in November, 2016 only to capture the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra the following month.

This article was first published by Al-Masdar News -

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Trump Administration Makes Its Case For Arming Saudi Arabia In Secret

By Alex Emmons

June 13, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The Trump administration is engaged in a last-ditch lobbying effort to stop the Senate from condemning a $500 million weapons transfer to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom wages a brutal, U.S.-backed war in Yemen.

After President Donald Trump signed a hastily-assembled $110 billion weapons deal during his visit to Saudi Arabia last month, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Al Franken, D-Minn., introduced a bipartisan resolution of disapproval for a transfer of precision-guided weapons. If passed, it would force the Senate to vote on whether to block the transfer.

Ahead of a vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, however, senior officials from the State Department and Pentagon are holding a top-secret briefing on the arms sale to persuade the senators and their staff to support it, according to an invitation obtained by The Intercept.

The briefing, which was organized by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will be conducted by Tina Kaidanow, the State Departments acting assistant secretary for political-military affairs, and Timothy Lenderking, deputy assistant secretary for near-eastern affairs. Both are career officials at the State Department, not political appointees. Theyll be joined by an unnamed brigadier general-level Defense Department official.

Its really unfortunate that Senate majority leadership decided to hold this briefing in secret, said Kate Kizer, advocacy director at the Yemen Peace Project, which opposes the arms deal. Americans deserve to know the conduct of our allies, especially when the U.S. is intimately involved in starving potentially millions of Yemeni civilians by continuing to provide unconditional support to the Saudi-led coalition.

After Saudi Arabia bombed a funeral hall in October in its war against Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Obama administration put a temporary hold on a sale of precision-guided munition to the Persian Gulf dictatorship. An Obama administration official told Reuters that they halted the sale because of systemic, endemic problems with Saudi Arabias targeting decision.Theyre not picking the right targets, the official said, citing the funeral bombing.

The Trump administration, though, wasted no time in reversing the decision and moving forward with the sale.

Amid the bi-partisan clamor against the deal, Murphy, a liberal on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has emerged as a leading opponent of the arms transfer.

The Saudis will tell you they need these precision-guided missiles to more effectively target Houthi military assets inside Yemen, Murphy said on a press call last week. Theyre not telling the truth. The fact is, they have deliberately targeted humanitarian and civilian assets within Yemen. They are purposefully trying to create a humanitarian nightmare  that they can starve the Yemenis to the negotiating table. The United States should not be a part of that strategy.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has waged a brutal war of collective punishment in Yemen. Houthi rebels had ousted the Saudi-backed leader in 2014. A U.S.-supported naval blockade has left 19 million people  more than two-thirds of the countrys population  in need of life saving aid and 7 million on the brink of starvation and famine. Meanwhile, the Saudi air force has deliberately bombed food sources  like farms and fishing villages  as well as factories , hospitals , and childrens schools .

The U.S. has been a constant partner in the war since the beginning. Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. provided Saudi Arabia with targeting intelligence, helped refuel Saudi aircraft, and resupplied the Saudi military with more than $20 billion in weapons.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned parents that the organisation will no longer tolerate exposing of children to child labour.

The Director-General of NAPTIP, Mrs Julie Oka-Donli, gave the warning on Monday to commemorate 2017 World Day Against Child Labour, in Abuja.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) inaugurated the World Day against child labour in 2002, which has become an annual event to raise global awareness on the plight of children that are victims of child labour.

Okah-Donli explained that children were gifts from God, and parents were under obligation to take care of them until they were of age.

She, however, expressed regrets that many parents were feeding fat on the sweat of their children by making them breadwinners at a very tender age.

The director-general described the trend as an evil that was being perpetrated by parents and guardians and which must be discouraged.

She said such children were often denied the opportunity of acquiring education or having recreational activities like their peers.

As we mark this day, let us all arise as a people and make peace with each other for the sake of our children and those unborn, she said.

The NAPTIP boss, however, stated that the agency, which was established in 2003 to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria, remained highly committed to the protection of children and would join hands with other stakeholders around the world to end child labour.

Okah-Donli urged Nigerians to remain their brothers keeper and guard against child labour by reporting such incidences to the appropriate authorities.
The Ukrtiutiun Association of Cigarette Manufacturers considers the automated system of control over turnover of excisable goods proposed by the government to be imperfect and complicating the work of legal producers.

According to an association press release, the draft law provides for an onerous mechanism for providing excise bills by business entities at each of the supply chains with filling in 15 points manually.

Manufacturers of cigarettes also consider the term of introduction of the automated system from April 1, 2018 to be unreasonably optimistic.

At the same time, the association noted the system proposed by the government will not create additional obstacles for illegal trafficking in excisable goods in comparison with the existing mechanisms.

"The wording of the bill approved by the government is a "pig in a poke" for manufacturers of excisable goods, since the functioning of the system will be determined by Cabinet acts, which does not allow understanding the mechanism of its work. It is logical to assume that all the provisions of the first draft of the bill, which were not perceived by the business community and were excluded, will appear in by-laws," association CEO Valentyna Khomenko said.
A 90-man contingent of Islamic clerics will be sponsored to Saudi Arabia with N91 million by the Sokoto State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Mani Katami, on Tuesday.

Katami made the disclosure in Sokoto, while addressing clerics travelling to the Holy Land to perform the lesser Hajj.

The commissioner said that each of the benefiting clerics was entitled to a Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) of N250, 000.

He urged the clerics to pray for the healing of President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is to enable him to come back to Nigeria to continue with the good work he is doing for the country.

The clerics are also going to pray for sustainable peace, unity and socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria, Katami said.

The commissioner advised the clerics not to engage in any act capable of tarnishing the image of the country while in the Holy Land.

Sheikh Maidamma Shagari, who spoke on behalf of the clerics, lauded the state government for the gesture.

Source: ( PM News )
Fulani herdsmen in the northern part of Nigeria have threaten to unleash mayhem if the anti-grazing law is passed by the lawmakers.

Members of Taraba State chapter of Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, clad with arms, yesterday, took its protest against the states Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranchers Establishment Bill 2017 to the House of Assembly, threatening breakdown of law if the bill is passed.

The anti-open grazing bill was sponsored as an executive bill to the state House of Assembly by Governor Darius Ishaku about a month ago.

The speech of the states Chairman of Miyeti Allah, Sahabi Tukur, was read by Alhaji Adamu Azo at the gate of the Taraba State House of Assembly before the Speaker, Peter Diah, and other members of House.

The association described the bill as a move targeted to subdue the Fulani tribe and also to undermine and restrict activities of the Fulani tribe in the state.

The group called on the lawmakers to stop the bill in the collective interest of the people of the state. It also threatened that there would be a breakdown of law and order, should the House pass the bill into law.

While addressing newsmen, the Speaker, Diah, condemned the threats by the Chairman of Miyeti Allah, noting that the association was protesting in ignorance since the issues raised during the protest were accommodated within the proposed bill.

He said the committee set up by the House of Assembly to handle the process of the bill had given three weeks within which to conduct public hearing on the bill before passage, where all issues that appear unclear will be addressed.

He called on Miyeti Allah to compile all areas they are not comfortable with as a memorandum for the public hearing, stressing that the Assembly had given room for groups and individuals to attend the public hearing with their lawyers.

He described the protest as a deliberate move by Miyeti Allah to cause public disorder in the state capital, as the group did not follow due process, which was the reason security did not allow them access into the assembly complex.

He said: How can you mobilise for protest and you allow your members to carry arms? The Assembly is an organised place and the security will not allow disorder.

I think that was why they were not allowed access into the complex, but as a leader who was elected by the people, I insisted I will attend to them, even in the midst of their weapons.
Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused by Spanish prosecutors for defrauding the authorities of 14.7m euros in tax from 2011 to 2014.

The prosecutors office in Madrid says it has filed a lawsuit against the Portuguese player.

Ronaldo had previously said he was not worried about tax investigations as he had nothing to hide.

On this occasion he is accused of knowingly using a business structure to hide income made from his image rights.

In December, leaked documents suggested that Ronaldo had avoided tax on income allegedly held in offshore accounts.

He denied the allegations.

When asked about that investigation, he told a journalist from Radio Television Portuguesa (RTP) Quien no debe no teme, which roughly translates as He who has nothing to hide has no fear.

Ronaldo is the worlds highest-paid sportsperson for the second successive year, according to Forbes annual list of the worlds wealthiest people.

He earned $93m (72.05m) from salary, bonuses and endorsements last year.

Source: ( BBC )
The Convener, Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform and former NADECO leader, Chief Ayo Opadokun on Monday described the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha(rtd) as a pathological liar.

Al-Mustapha had earlier told newsmen in Kaduna State that Opadokun and some Yoruba leaders collected bribe from those who killed MKO Abiola at the Aso Rock.

Reacting to this development, Opadokun said Al-Mustapha is a liar who must be ignored.

Al-Mustapha is a pathological liar who must be ignored. When he was being prosecuted for the murder of Kudirat Abiola , and we said what he did was wrong he just suddenly made this allegation against us to the media but when I castigated him, he recanted that he didnt say so, that we didnt collect money .

Now he has started blabbing again, he is seeking for attention, he should be ignored . We are the ones who sacrificed a lot and our lives for the restoration of democracy to Nigeria.

We did everything humanly possible for the validation of Chief Abiolas mandate , the de-annulment of his victory in the June 12, 1993 polls , we are credible people unlike him, he was the veritable instrument used by the late dictator Gen. Sani Abacha to punish, to humiliate and to oppress Chief MKO Abiola in detention, he said.

Opadokun said Al-Mustapha would have to account for his misdeed one day.

Source: ( PM News )
A member of the House of Representatives has backed call by northern youths to sack Igbos from the north.

Aminu Suleiman, a member of the House of Representatives from Kano State has backed the call by the Coalition of Northern Youths that all the Igbo should vacate northern Nigeria before three months or be forced to leave.

According to DailyTrust, the lawmaker stated that people from eastern part of the country have held Nigeria to ransom through their secession threats and other activities.

I have read the statement of the Northern Youths Coalition. I may not completely say I share their vision 100 per cent; but they have found a supporter in me, because the people of eastern Nigeria have taken this country to ransom.

They have been causing serious problems to this country; they caused the civil war, which brought backwardness in this country. They have been using provocation to attract more attention than other parts of the country, he said.

Suleiman is the chairman of House Committee on Tertiary Education, also condemned calls by some northern elite, especially the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, for the arrest of the northern youths.

People like el-Rufai just played to the gallery. I condemn him entirely for coming out to issue arrest warrant against the northern youths. Where was el-Rufai when IPOB and other secessionist groups in the South East were calling for secession? Dont they have governors? Dont they have elders? Why didnt they caution them
Nigerians have been urged by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa to take advantage of the first ever 300 million dollars Diaspora bond.

The statement was made on Monday in Abuja in a statement by her Media Assistant, Mr Abdurrahman Balogun, asked Nigerians to buy into the offer.

She noted that the Debt Management Office (DMO) had announced the commencement of a global offering of Nigerias first Diaspora Bond.

She said the DMO also filed a registration statement for the bonds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The presidential aide said that that the Diaspora bond would be used to raise funds from Nigerians in the Diaspora to finance capital projects.

According to her, the bond will provide an opportunity for them to participate in the development of the country.

She said her office, as well as the Nigerians in the Diaspora, was excited as the first ever Diaspora bond was being rolled out to the benefits of Nigerians.

The SSA said it was a unique way of lubricating the interest of Nigerians in the Diaspora to participate in the developmental projects being carried out by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

She recalled that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, in February promised that the Diaspora bond will soon be rolled out by the DMO.

She said that the DMO had also said that application would be made for the bonds to be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing Authority and the London Stock Exchange Plc.

The office, according to her, said this is to ensure that the bonds were admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchanges regulated market.

The bonds will be direct general obligations of Nigeria and will be denominated in U.S. dollars.

The International Joint Lead Managers are Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited.

The Nigerian Joint Lead Managers are First Bank of Nigeria Limited and United Bank for Africa Plc, she quoted DMO as saying.

She said that the DMO added that there would be a series of investor meetings in the UK, the U.S. and Switzerland from June 13.

She said that the office explained that pricing was expected to occur following the investor meetings and subject to market conditions.

Dabiri-Erewa said that as part of measures to fund capital expenditures, the Federal Government had in February announced its offering of one billion dollars euro bond.

The bond, she said, was under its newly-established one billion dollars Global Medium Term Note programme.

We are very excited that the National Assembly has approved the Diaspora Bond.

We believe Nigerians abroad want to support development in Nigeria and such would be glad to invest in it, she said.

Source: ( PM News )
There was confusion at Oke-Andi area of Ilorin in Kwara state when an Abuja- based Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor, Jacob Oyedepo, allegedly used bouncers to pursue away friends and family members who gathered to bury his wife. There was confusion at Oke-Andi area of Ilorin in Kwara state when an Abuja- based Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor, Jacob Oyedepo, allegedly used bouncers to pursue away friends and family members who gathered to bury his wife.

According to reports from New Telegraph, the 45-year-old Mrs. Christiana Adetola Oyedepo died May 2, after battling a sickness for about three months. The unusual incident got many talking and wondering why a pastor would take such a step over a woman that was married to him for 17 years and had four kids before she died.

Reports were that the pastor had attempted to sell the uncompleted property and was concerned that burying his wife on the site would discourage prospective buyers from the property. Family members claimed that the deceased had embarked on the project with loans obtained from a cooperative society and was still servicing the loan when she died.

Source: ( Gossip.naij.com )
Pictures of Notorious Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans wife and 5 children have surface online.

According to multiple reports, Evans relocated his family to Ghana before he was arrested in Lagos, 2 days ago.

Evans is happily married with five beautiful children, and we are here wondering if his family knew about his job.

Also, amongst his gang arrested is a woman, identified as Ogechi who reportedly cooks and feeds his kidnapped victims. See Details Here.

See Photos of His Wife and 5 kids Below;

Source: Yabaleftonline
Militants conducted 57 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas on Monday, where one Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and another five have been wounded in the past 24 hours, the press service of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) said on its Facebook account.

In the Mariupol sector, militants used grenade launchers and infantry fighting vehicle weapons against Maryinka and fired mortars of different calibers at Ukrainian army positions near Pavlopil, Maryinka and Chermalyk. All in all, 27 truce violations have been recorded in this area.

In the Donetsk sector, an attack was recorded near Luhanske, the press service said. In addition to that, 120mm and 82mm mortars, tanks and anti-aircraft guns were used against Ukrainian military positions located on the southern outskirts of Avdiyivka and near the village of Kamyanka. A residential area in Avdiyivka came under 125mm tank weapon fire. Shells also exploded near houses on Ostrovsky and Gagarin Streets in this populated locality. Local residents' houses near Zaitseve also came under fire on Monday.

In the Luhansk sector, militants attacked Ukrainian positions 18 times, the headquarters said. In particular, 120mm mortars were used near Troitske and Kryakivka, 82mm mortars were fired in the vicinity of Novotoshkivske, Katerynivka, Triokhizbenka, Zolote, and Novooleksandrivka, and anti-tank missile systems were also used near Novooleksandrivka.
In what looks like a scene for a comedy skit, Nigerian comedienne and actress Etinosa Idemudia went on her knees at a social event yesterday and proposed to her bae, actor Bucci Franklin.

After Bucci said Yes, an excited Etinosa took to her Instagram page to share her joy. In her words:

About last night. Not everytime wait for bae to propose. Sometimes take the bull by the horn. I was so nervous but HE SAID YES! #EtiBucc2017 @buccifranklin 

Notice that the audience behind them look uninterested, so this engagement is obviously fake. But its got the couple trending. Read reactions from Nigerians below:
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBNs has injected $418 million into various segments of the inter-bank Foreign Exchange market, this injection has increased the value of the Naira.

This is coming on the heels of a cumulative $2.2bn boost in the transactions at the Investors & Exporters (I&E) segment of the market.

Figures obtained from the CBN on Tuesday indicate that the retail segment of the market received the highest intervention with a total of $226 million, followed by the wholesale window that received an allocation of $100 million.

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) window received a boost of $50 million while the invisibles segment, comprising Business/Personal Travel Allowances, school tuition, medicals, etc. was allocated the sum of $42 million to meet the demands of customers.

Confirming the figures, the Banks spokesman, Isaac Okorafor, also disclosed that the volume of currency trading in the Investors & Exporters (I&E) FX Window had cumulatively hit heights of $2.2 billion since the CBN introduced it on Friday, April 21, 2017 to boost liquidity in the forex market and ensure timely execution and settlement for eligible transactions.

The spokesman expressed confidence that the interventions will continue to guarantee stability in the market and ensure availability to individuals and business concerns.

It will be recalled that the CBN only on Monday, June 12, 2017, injected the sum of $413.5 million into the inter-bank market in its unrelenting bid to guarantee liquidity in the market as well as shore up the international value of the naira.

A breakdown of Mondays figures shows that the apex Bank offered the sum of $100 million to authorized dealers in the wholesale window, while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) window was allocated a total of $28 million.

The invisibles segment was allocated the sum of $25.5 million to meet the needs of customers in that sector.

Analysts see the increase in the volume of transactions in the Investors & Exporters (I&E) segment as a positive sign of the return of confidence in the financial markets as clearly demonstrated by the activities in the stock market.

According to them, the sentiments of investors had strengthened since the CBN established the I&E FX window in April, which they agreed had ensured greater flexibility in forex rate determination. They, however, urged the CBN to continue its march towards the convergence of rates.

Meanwhile, the naira remained stable with a high possibility of further strengthening in the FOREX market on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, exchanging at an average of N363/$1 in the BDC segment of the market.

Source: ( PM News )
The Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC), which is made up of 18 Yoruba groups has called for the creation of Oduduwa republic.

Following the call for the sovereign nation of Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the ordering of Igbos out of the north by a Northern youth coalition, the pan Yoruba group has said it is time for Yorubas to create their own Oduduwa Republic.

In the statement issued over the weekend and signed by Oluwole Suleiman, Michael Popoola, and Mrs Aduke Fadahunsi, the group stated that this is not the first time they have called for Oodua Republic, But today, this demand has become even more crucial than any other thing. Vanguard reports.

The coalition includes the Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC), Oodua Liberation Movement, (OLM), Oodua Republic Coalition, (ORC), Yoruba Revolutionary Congress, (YORC), Oodua Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group , (OMDG), Yoruba Students Nationalist Front, (YOSNF), Oodua Hunters Union, (OHUN) and 11 other groups.

The statement released by the group says:

We advise them to begin to make alternative plans for the inevitable upheaval being promoted by the Fulani oligarchy. The North has always been the aggressor because of the regions loss of power and the unhidden desire to make Nigeria the irreversible extension of the Fulani emirate.

What we see is violent conflict of civilisations which can only be resolved when each region go her own way. In the bid to keep Nigeria as one country, millions of people have been killed and the lives of children wasted, the future pauperized and the potentials of Yoruba young men and women bottled or chained with fetters of iron. Today, we make the historic declaration that Yoruba people are ready for our own Oduduwa Republic.

We have watched events these past days. The cloud is getting thicker. The poisonous rain appear ready to fall. It is time for the Yoruba people to be ready to defend our homeland from being seized by local imperial elements and their collaborators. We assert Yoruba self-determination and sovereignty. We shall work for it. We will actualize it. It is time for the Yoruba people to stand for Oodua Republic without any further delay.

Yoruba people this time will not support any attack on Self determination. We shall mobilise the masses and prevent Yoruba people from being used for any attack on the long suffering indigenous peoples of the South East and the South- South. This is not the first time we have called for Oodua Republic. In April 2015, we organized a massive rally demanding for Oodua Republic. But today, this demand has become even more crucial than any other thing.

Our leaders beginning from Chief Obafemi Awolowo were jailed on trumped up charges. 28 leaders of Yoruba were imprisoned unjustly. Chief M.K.O Abiola was murdered. The industrial bases built by Awolowo were destroyed by the military rookies appointed to control the South West region, our culture destroyed and the future of our young people put asunder.

Today, many Yoruba people have become scavengers across the world fleeing from a hostile, bloodletting and malicious country that hold no promise of good and abundant life for the long suffering and exhausted population.

We call on Yoruba people all over the world to prepare for a sovereign nation for the people of the South West. We are over 50 million and far more than the population of 140 countries in the world. Yoruba will be the third biggest nation in Africa and about the 28th biggest nation in the world. We are big and knowledgeable enough to be a sovereign nation. We assert the Yoruba self-determination without any further delay.

Source: ( PM News )
There are three essential conditions for further developing the bioeconomy as a sustainable alternative to fossil oil: sustainable products with strong market potential, a reliable and affordable supply of sustainably produced biomass, and a better link between biomass producers and the processing industry. Other important factors include avoiding competition with food production and maintaining biodiversity.

The BBI demonstration project GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries (GRACE) under the coordination of the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart pursues these aims as a unique consortium made up of universities, agricultural companies and industry. This will be achieved by knowledge exchange between these groups, together with new crop varieties and cultivation experiments on areas that have been polluted by heavy metals, for example, or are unattractive for food production due to lower yields.

The EU and the industrial association Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) are supporting the project with  12.3 million through their private-public partnership (PPP) Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU). The private project partners are contributing the remaining  2.7 million.

Developing the bioeconomy as an alternative to fossil fuel dependency is vital in order to ensure sustainable growth whilst combatting climate change. A number of key barriers exist in the bioeconomy. Firstly, there is a lack of farmer confidence in the industry end markets for biomass. Meanwhile industry do not have access to sufficient biomass of a suitable quality to develop their production chains at scale. An additional barrier is needed to ensure that cultivation of crops for producing materials does not compete with requirements for food production by using prime agricultural land.

This is the starting point of the European project GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries (GRACE) under the coordination of the University of Hohenheim. 22 project partners from science, agriculture, and industry have set themselves the goals of promoting cooperation between biomass producers and processing companies in Europe, creating seamless value chains, and making biomass production more attractive with new types of crops, innovative cultivation methods, and by using marginal or contaminated land.

Miscanthus and hemp: testing new varieties

The project partners will focus on two crops; miscanthus and hemp. In particular, the perennial crop Miscanthus is high yielding and requires little agricultural input. Until recently the crop was planted via cloned rhizomes, which resulted in high planting costs and limited the potential for expansion. This project will capitalize on new seed-based varieties developed by the universities of Wageningen (NL) and Aberystwyth (GB) to decrease establishment costs. The project will test seven new varieties from each university with the help of industrial partners Terravesta (GB) and the seed company Vandinter Semo (NL). The objective is to commercialize new varieties with improved quality, that are cold and drought tolerant, require lower establishment costs and have comparable yields to the commercially standard variety, Miscanthus x giganteus.

Biomass production for industry  potential for using marginal land

The miscanthus varieties are being tested at 21 locations in Europe while 4 experiments are looking at hemp production. The cultivation experiments are being led by scientists from the partners at the universities of Hohenheim (D), Aberystwyth (GB), and Wageningen (NL), the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) in Paris (F), the Universita Cattolica del Sacre Cuore in Piacenza (I), and the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture (HR).

One of the aspects being investigated is the effect of miscanthus cultivation on biodiversity. For example, we need to ensure that any switch to seed-based varieties does not result in the crops spreading from their planted areas and becoming invasive.

The partners are also growing miscanthus on land polluted by heavy metals, including land that was previously used by heavy industry. Partners will investigate the effect of heavy metals on the plants, the extent to which they are taken up by the plants, and the ways in which contaminated biomass can be used and further processed without posing a health risk.

The companies Terravesta (GB), Miscanthus Group (NL), Gieereitechnik Kuhn (D), and Novabiom (F) contribute their experience in miscanthus production and processing, with additional input from Miscanthus F.A.R.M (A).

Hemp cultivation is being taken on by the Italian companies Ecohemp and the Consorzio di Bonifica di Piacenza. Part of their work will be to investigate strip-farming the two crops; adjacent plantings of hemp and miscanthus will allow the benefits of both crops to be realized. In low-yielding locations such as the Apennines, hemp is a particularly profitable option with its high yields of straw and seeds, while miscanthus as a permanent crop lowers the risk of erosion and stabilizes the soil.

Improving value chains

A key goal of the project is to construct value chains for biomass between project partners in order to maximize the use of every part of the crop. The partners will demonstrate a series of examples from construction and insulation materials, platform chemicals for producing plastics, bio-fuel, composite materials, medical/cosmetic applications, and bioherbicides as a replacement for glyphosate.

Application example 1: Construction materials

The companies CMF Greentech (I) and Mycoplast (I), for example, produce building panels for furniture and house construction from chipped miscanthus and hemp. Both are also working on replacing adhesives made from fossil-based polyurethane with other materials; Mycoplast uses the tissue from a mycelium fungus for this while CMF Greentech uses a binding agent based on hemp oil to produce the panels.

Production of lightweight concrete by incorporating milled Miscanthus results in Miscanthus dust as a byproduct. In another industrial application, Miscanthus Group (NL) uses this dust in paper production in order to maximize use of the biomass. The miscanthus for this element of the project will be grown on land at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, thus taking advantage of land that is currently unused.

Another company, Gieereitechnik Kuhn (D) will also develop methods to remove pith from plant stems. The pith has excellent insulating properties and can be processed into insulation material.

Application example 2: Platform chemicals and fuels

Developments in the bioeconomy now offer alternatives to fossil materials for fuels and plastic production. For example, University of Hohenheim scientists were already able to successfully convert sugars from chicory roots into the platform chemical HMF. Among other things, this chemical is used to produce plastic bottles. Together with the company AVA Biochem, the goal is to develop this process for sugars from miscanthus straw, which is to be extracted in a chemical process using enzymes. To close the loop, the byproducts from the HMF production can be used to produce biogas. The fermentation residues can then go back to the field as fertilizer.

Project partners such as the University of Hohenheim and the company AVA Biochem extract phenol, another important intermediate in plastic production, from the polymer lignin, which is a byproduct of processing the biomass e.g. into HMF.

Other project partners are also looking at sugar from miscanthus straw; the Italian company Novamont will evaluate it to produce a chemical intermediate for making a range of products including bio-plastics. Dicarboxylic acid is another interesting chemical for Novamont and the company will be attempting to produce it from hemp oil.

The Croatian oil company INA Plc. is currently developing a Bio-refinery project. The plant will process non-edible biomass to produce 55 kt yr-1 of 2G bioethanol. INAs main task in the consortium is the demonstration of miscanthus cultivation on marginal land located in Sisak region. As a result of the war in the 90s, mines were left in in the targeted area. This type of land, which is now cleared from mines, falls into a special category of marginal land also due to social abandonment. The project implementation could be a significant driver to bring people and agricultural production back to the area.

Additional application examples: Composite materials, bioherbicides, and medications

Hemp and miscanthus can also be used for composite materials; Addiplast (F) plans to use both hemp and miscanthus fibers to strengthen plastics. Thanks to lower costs, these could then be used not only in the automobile industry but also in production of cheaper mass production plastics such as stadium seats. Meanwhile bioplastic producer Novamont (I) is interested in testing hemp and miscanthus fibers to produce bio-based composite materials. To maximize use of the plant, the seeds and chaff of hemp are also used; Novamont (I) will be attempting to use hempseed oil to produce monocarboxylic acid, which can be an environmentally sustainable alternative to herbicide glyphosate, whilst Indena (I) is working on extracting medically useable cannabinoid in pure quality from the chaff of hemp seeds. Besides medical applications, it can also be used in cosmetic products.

Detailed life cycle assessment for all value chains

Scientists at the universities of Hohenheim and Aberystwyth are evaluating all value chains using a detailed life cycle assessment to address key questions; how does each value chain compare to the conventional chain? Is it really more ecologically sustainable than the fossil-fuel based alternative?

To analyze this, the scientists look at factors such as the contribution to the greenhouse effect, the amount of fossil energy saved, acidification of the terrestrial ecosystems and damage to aquatic environment. Despite their enthusiasm for the possibilities of bioeconomy, the partners also want to test whether there could be negative effects for people and the environment and which intensity of biomass cultivation is safe and sensible.

The partners are also examining the economic and social consequences of expanding the bioeconomy. Positive outcomes could include local regeneration, such as in Croatia where areas have been underpopulated since the war in the 90s. However, it is important to minimize the risks of negative outcomes, such as if intensive cultivation of biomass crops was to prevent local food production.

Expertise for and feedback from industry

As the project develops there will be opportunities for interested companies to participate via an industry panel, which will allow companies to share common experiences and discuss broadening the scope of potential end-uses for biomass. It will also accelerate the implementation of research findings into agricultural and industrial practice.

Assisted by the University of Hohenheim and the technology cluster for green chemicals SPRING (Sustainable Processes and Resources for Innovation and National Growth) from Italy, interested industry representatives from the industry panel will have the opportunity to meet up at conferences, receive project updates via newsletters, and be provided with hemp and Miscanthus biomass to enable them to conduct their own tests.

Background: GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries (GRACE)

The project GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries (GRACE) started on 1 June 2017 and runs until 31 May 2022. The project is being funded with  12.3 million from the public-private research partnership Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), a consortium of large companies working in the bioeconomy. The remaining  2.7 million are contributed by the private project partners.

Text: Barsch / Klebs
Former Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Prysiazhniuk and two more persons have been informed of suspicion of the illegal privatization and legalization of premises with an area of 516.6 square meters in Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv.

"Based on the results of the investigation, on June 12, 2017 former Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Prysiazhniuk and two more persons were informed of suspicion of the illegal privatization and subsequent legalization of state property - the premises with an area of 516.6 square meters at 24 Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv belonging to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on the basis of crimes under Part 2 of Article 364 (as amended on April 4, 2011), Part 3 and Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 233, Part 3 and Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," spokeswoman for the prosecutor general Larysa Sarhan wrote on her Facebook page.

A number of searches have been conducted at the property of the suspects, as well as the officials of the State Property Fund of Ukraine. The illegally privatized property has been seized.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, is a federal law that prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair or deceptive practices to collect debt from consumers. It applies in all states equally, however, each state has the right to strengthen (not weaken) the law as it chooses.

Its critical that self-storage operators understand and abide by this law. Heres an overview as well as advice for compliance.

To Whom Does the Law Apply?

The stated purpose of FDCPA as written in 15 U.S. Code 1692 is to eliminate abusive debt collection practices by debt collectors, to ensure that those debt collectors who refrain from using abusive debt collection practices are not competitively disadvantaged, and to promote consistent state action to protect consumers against debt collection abuses.

The law applies to anyone who collects a debt for another person or company (a third-party debt collector). Generally, a self-storage operator wouldnt be held liable if the third-party debt collector he hires violates the law. The law also doesnt apply to a self-storage operator who collects his own debt (except in certain states). In fact, there have been several court decisions holding that theres no cause of action against a self-storage business collecting on its own debts.

For example, in Sobayo v. Public Storage (U.S. District Court, California, 2013), the court found that the plaintiff failed to state a FDCPA claim because, as a threshold matter, the complaint pleads no facts demonstrating that Public Storage is a business principally engaged in debt collection. Moreover, leave to amend would be futile because it is entirely implausible that a self-storage company, whose principal business is self-storage unit rentals, would qualify as a debt collector under the FDCPA.

However, if a self-storage operator sends a demand letter under a name other than that of his storage business, the law would apply, and he could be held liable. Also, in states including California, Florida and Texas, the law has been enhanced to apply to the creditor himself. If you operate self-storage in these states, the law directly applies to you.

Limits of Communication

One of the most important sections of the law deals with the limits of communication between the debt collector and the debtor. The law provides that without the prior consent of the consumer or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, a debt collector may not communicate with the consumer regarding his debt in the following situations:

Any unusual time or place known, or that should be known, to be inconvenient to the consumer. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, a debt collector shall assume the convenient time for communicating with a consumer is between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time, at the consumers location.

The debt collector knows the consumer is represented by an attorney with respect to the debt and knows, or can readily discover, the attorneys name and addressunless the attorney fails to respond within a reasonable time or consents to direct communication with his client.

At the consumers place of employment if the debt collector knows or has reason to know the employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication.

What It Can Cost You

The FDCPA dictates that any debt collector found guilty of violating the law will pay:

Actual damages: Any actual damages sustained by the consumer.

Any actual damages sustained by the consumer. Statutory damages: Any additional damages as the court allows, up to $1,000 in the case of an individual. In the case of a class action, the total amount for all class members can be as much as $500,000 or 1 percent of the debt collectors net worth.

Any additional damages as the court allows, up to $1,000 in the case of an individual. In the case of a class action, the total amount for all class members can be as much as $500,000 or 1 percent of the debt collectors net worth. Attorneys fees and court costs: The costs of the action as well as a reasonable attorneys fee determined by the court.

A Good Guideline

If you follow the statutory notice procedures outlined in your state lien laws, there should be no liability for collecting your own debt. Further, if your collections communication with tenants via phone, letters and in person is reasonable, there shouldnt be any concern about violating the law. The problems occur when operators act inappropriately in their collections efforts.

For example, here are a few prohibitions under the California Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Under that law:

No debt collector shall collect or attempt to collect a consumer debt by means of the following conduct: (a) The use, or threat of use, of physical force or violence or any criminal means to cause harm to the person, or the reputation, or the property of any person; (b) The threat that the failure to pay a consumer debt will result in an accusation that the debtor has committed a crime where such accusation, if made, would be false; (c) The communication of, or threat to communicate to any person the fact that a debtor has engaged in conduct, other than the failure to pay a consumer debt, which the debt collector knows or has reason to believe will defame the debtor; (d) The threat to the debtor to sell or assign to another person the obligation of the debtor to pay a consumer debt, with an accompanying false representation that the result of such sale or assignment would be that the debtor would lose any defense to the consumer debt; (e) The threat to any person that nonpayment of the consumer debt may result in the arrest of the debtor or the seizure, garnishment, attachment or sale of any property or the garnishment or attachment of wages of the debtor

The laws main goal is to protect consumers and debt collectors that are abiding by fair rules. Even if the law doesnt strictly apply to you, you should use it as a reference for appropriate communication and action when collecting debt.

If youre unsure about your own collection practices, seek guidance from your attorney or state association. Violating FDCPA could result in considerable fines. Stay current with your states laws, and enact procedures and policies so everyone in your organization follows them.

Scott Zucker a partner in the law firm Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik P.C. in Atlanta, which specializes in business litigation with an emphasis on real estate, landlord-tenant and construction law. Zucker is a frequent speaker at self-storage industry events, author of Legal Topics in Self-storage: A Sourcebook for Owners and Managers, and a partner in the Self-storage Legal Network, a subscription-based legal service for storage owners and managers. For more information, call 404.364.4626; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.wzlegal.com.
Hamilton, ON (June 13, 2017)- A beautiful night and one of the largest crowds in recent memory enjoyed the first APC United Pro Late Model series race presented by Meineke Car Care Centers at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway.

Twenty six Pro Late Models were on hand and with the warm weather, the track record of 15.164 was sure to be challenged. When all was said and done, the record was eclipsed, not once but 12 times. Brandon Watson would sit on the pole with a time of 14.965 becoming the first APC Late Model in the series history to set a lap under 15 seconds at any track.

After time trials we moved right into the feature races for the remainder of the series at the track. The Pure Stocks were up first with Ross Winters Jr. and Jeffrey Allen on the pole. An exciting race with Winters leading flag to flag and he managed to hold off a hard charging Doug Moir to pick up the win. Moir actually finished second but was penalized to sixth place behind the 32 car of Gillian Hils who he got into out of turn four half way through the race. Top three were Winters Jr., Courtney Scott and Andy Wheller.

The Klotz Auto Repair and Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks were next Jake Watson and Russ Aicken sat on the pole and the two would battle throughout. Aicken led lap one. A caution on lap three as the 61 of Allie Ditner was leaking fuel. As the race wore on Aicken led with Watson right there on his bumper. He made several attempts to get by with out success. The 03 of Jake Gilbert was around in turns 1-2 bringing out a caution on lap 18 and a green-white-checker finish. Aicken continued to be the class of the field for this race as he held off Watson and Samantha Shaw who also raced a great race. Fresh off a feature win at Sunset Speedway last Saturday, Shaw ran a great race coming home in third place.

The Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds were next with Patrick Reulens and Mike Podd on the pole. T.J. Marshall started third and was the leader on lap one. A caution when the 18 of Jason Keen and 00 Ron Easton were around in two bringing out a caution. The 12 of Darren Dryden was shown to the rear of the field for spinning the 00. As the race continued the 15 of Marshall continued to lead and would dominate coming home first.

Intermission followed and the normal short break was longer due to the large crowd hitting the concessions. As racing continued the Pure Stocks were up. Matt Fraser and Keara Gallant sat up front for the green. Fraser led lap one. Gallant was around in one and two but managed to get it going with out caution. Debris a few laps later however did bring out a caution. Clinton Kerkhof was the new leader and he and Doug Moir were breaking away from the field. The two battled hard and Moir finally got by to take the lead. At the finish it was Moir, Kerkhof and Winters coming home third.

Mini Stocks hit the track and Rick Robinson and Blake Wadham on the pole. Wadham led lap one. Jake Gilbert took the lead through 1-2 on lap four. A caution on lap seven as Russ Aicken spun out of four. Gilbert continued to lead followed by Jake Watson, Shawn Taylor and Samantha Shaw.

The Canadian Vintage Modifieds were next with Darren Dryden and Daryl Henwood on the pole. Dryden led lap one and Henwood was first the next time by. Jason Keen got by Dryden for second place on the back stretch on lap seven. Henwood continued to lead and came across the line first followed by Keen and Dryden.

The last race of the night was the APC Meineke 100 Pro Late Model race and all 26 cars lined up on the front stretch for driver introductions. The crowd counted down for the start of the engines and the greatest sound is the roar of 26 Pro Late Models starting at once. The top five qualifiers after time trials were Brandon Watson, Andrew Gressel, Matt Lockwood, Josh Stade and J.R. Fitpatrick. As the green flag flew Lockwood and Stade led the field to green. Lockwood led the first lap and would continue as the race wore on. By lap 15, the field started to come into lapped traffic.On lap 21, Shawn Chenoweth started to show some tire smoke and would retire to the pits of lap 27 with a broken sway bar ending his night. On the restart, Lockwood seemed to slow a bit through 3-4 and that allowed Andrew Gressel to get by to take the lead followed by Brandon Watson. A battle between two of the fan favorites, J.R. Fitzpatrick and Shawn McGlynn as the two race side by side for several laps around lap 40. Fitzpatrick started to slow and he started to fall back and soon was seventh. Gressel and Watson continued a fight up front and ran bumper to bumper. A few cautions soon after as Gary Elliott spun to the infield on lap 47. The front runners continued to battle and were breaking away from the rest of the field. On lap 70, Watson made his move and through 1-2 Watson got by Gressel to take the lead. The final cautions of the race came on lap 72 and 74. On the restart Watson continued to hold a slim lead over Gressel and the 81 made several unsuccessful attempts to get past. Shawn McGlynn muscled his way past Lockwood for fifth with five laps to go. As starter Dale Shunamon waved the twin checkers it was Brandon Watson coming across the line first followed by Gressel, Billy Schwartzenberg, Shae Gemmell and Shawn McGlynn. A very exciting race to say the least. Race three in the series is next weekend at Peterborough Speedway. Make plans to join us Saturday July 15th for the next APC race when the London Recreational 100 hits the track.

That brought to a close a very exciting night of racing. Next week is Meet the Drivers Night. All the cars and drivers will be out on the front straight to meet and greet the fans with autographs and treats for the kids. The Grisdale Pro Late Models are on hand with the Rays Auto Centre & Towing Super Stocks, the Klotz Auto Repair and Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks, the Pure Stocks, the Pro Four Modifieds and the Lucas Oil Can Am Midgets. Pits open at 4pm, Grandstands at 5pm and racing gets underway at 630pm. Check the website, www.flamborospeedway.ca for all the details.
Al Gores Generation Investment Management and BMWs venture capital arm have announced an investment in an electric bus company.

Generation Investment Management and BMW i Ventures, the venture capital arm of the German car maker, are leading a $55 million, sixth round of funding for electric bus developer Proterra.

The financing commitment to the company follows a $140 million, series 5 round in January. The fresh capital will be used to increase production at Proterras manufacturing facilities in South Carolina and Los Angles, and bolster research and development efforts.

The Burlingame, California-based company has sold 400 buses to 38 municipalities, universities and commercial transit agencies in 20 states around the U.S. Generation Investment Management, co-founded in 2004 by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, seeks to invest in transformational, sustainable, innovations that are disrupting the global economy.

Proterra is going to be an extremely important part of transportation infrastructure in the future, said Zach Barasz, a partner with BMW i Ventures, which has 500 million ($560 million) from BMW to invest in new transportation-related technologies. We see Proterra as a clean technology leader in the market.

Barasz added that the company has done pretty incredible work around building an impressive intellectual property portfolio, and his group was particularly struck by the amount of traction and positive momentum its management team has generated.

The $15 billion London-based sustainable investment firm Generation Investment Management is making the Proterra financing part of its Growth Equity fund, a private-markets pool that funds companies with new technologies in the later stages.

We have been building up a thesis around the transition to a sustainable economy; around energy transition and mobility transition and a food transition, said Colin Le Duc, a founding partner at Generation and member of the growth equity fund team.

The urban and personal mobility story has been a very big important theme for us for many years.

Like BMW i Ventures, Generation Investment Management, which was co-founded by Gore and David Blood, a former chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, was impressed by Proterras management, as well as where it is in its development cycle.

Gore, who was the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change, serves as chairman of Generation, according to the firms website.

Electric transportation is an increasingly popular area for investors. Shares of Tesla, the Palo Alto, California-based electric car maker founded by Elon Musk, have been on a tear since its November 2016 merger with Musks rooftop solar panel company, SolarCity. Even with large tech company stocks starting to sell off, a recent Morgan Stanley research report still saw a bull case for Tesla that would put the stock, which closed Monday at about $359, as high as $511 a share.

Proterra CEO Ryan Popple, who joined the firm in 2014, is a Tesla alum. He views the last 18 months particularly important for Proterra. They were quite transformational from a business perspective in terms of the progression we made with the tech and market growth.

The company has made developments in battery storage technology, making it possible for its buses to drive for well over 200 miles before needing to recharge. Last year, a test bus made it 600 miles on a single charge, Popple said.

Unlike the personal car market, Proterra is also a play on another part of the sustainable economy puzzle  public transportation. The personal car market is really not where transportation is going in the 21st century, says Popple. The future  both for getter efficiency and environmental reasons  lies in public transportation.

Energy efficient transportation is going to be an important part of reaching the goals outlined by the United Nations global climate agreement struck in Paris in 2015.

One city jumping on the electric bus trend is Park City, Utah. In January, Park City announced that it was buying six Proterra Catalyst shuttles and establishing an electric rapid transit route in a resort community, the first of its kind in the U.S.
Nearly three months after a Category 4 system wreaked havoc in Australia, most of the insurance claims arising from the cyclone event have already been lodged and paid.Cyclone Debbie made landfall in Airlie Beach on March 28, and has since then caused 56,135 claims worth $897 million in Queensland and NSW, about 90% of which were from Queenslanders. Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) spokesman Campbell Fuller said that while most of the claims have already been dealt with, more claims are expected to trickle in, Townsville Bulletin reported.He said most of the claims had been for personal, home and contents, and cars and boats.Insurers are well advanced on where you would expect them to be  they really have their foot to the floor trying to get the repairs done, Fuller said.The ICA spokesman said there would be a delay in payouts due to a shortage of supplies and builders as well as difficulties in remote areas, Townsville Bulletin reported.Speaking about whether the cyclone would increase premiums, Fuller said: It will be up to each company to determine what impact it will have on premiums.With a one-off event like this it is unlikely to have an impact on premiums because most insurers make provisions for cyclones and it was forecast that this was going to be a nasty cyclone year.
It seems RSA chief executive Stephen Hester is not too happy talking about lawyers these days. A report by The Times said Hester claims that lawyers have excessive influence over swathes of public life, from security to an expanding compensation culture.In particular, the former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland is concerned about the growth of compensation payouts for fraudulent insurance claims and in the way lump sums are calculated for the victims of serious accidents.With the UK government scrambling to move on from the election result by deciding which policies to include in next weeks Queens Speech, the report said many in the insurance industry are hoping it will include a plan to crack down on whiplash claims and reform of the Ogden rate.Hester, in submissions to the government, has said that whiplash and the Ogden rate  the formula used to assess payouts for accident victims  need urgent reform.UK car insurance [premiums are] double the level in the rest of Europe. Yet car insurance on average makes no profit. Whiplash is the ultimate example of exaggerated and fraudulent claims, he was quoted as saying.As for the Ogden rate, Hester said when the original rate was set, periodical payment orders (PPOs) did not exist.When government lawyers decided to change Ogden earlier this year, they went back to the original precedent, but too much has changed since then, including the introduction of PPOs he claimed.According to Willis Towers Watson, the change to the discount rate meant a surge in serious personal injury bills with costs for insurers rising by almost 6 billion (approximately AU$10 billion).It also created a 6 billion payment for the NHS (National Health Service), the largest payer of compensation for accidents. That cost is borne by taxpayers, noted the report.Hester said the government should come up with a new approach.
It seems RSA chief executive Stephen Hester is not too happy talking about lawyers these days. A report by The Times said Hester claims that lawyers have excessive influence over swathes of public life, from security to an expanding compensation culture.In particular, the former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland is concerned about the growth of compensation payouts for fraudulent insurance claims and in the way lump sums are calculated for the victims of serious accidents.With the UK government scrambling to move on from the election result by deciding which policies to include in next weeks Queens Speech, the report said many in the insurance industry are hoping it will include a plan to crack down on whiplash claims and reform of the Ogden rate.Hester, in submissions to the government, has said that whiplash and the Ogden rate  the formula used to assess payouts for accident victims  need urgent reform.UK car insurance [premiums are] double the level in the rest of Europe. Yet car insurance on average makes no profit. Whiplash is the ultimate example of exaggerated and fraudulent claims, he was quoted as saying.As for the Ogden rate, Hester said when the original rate was set, periodical payment orders (PPOs) did not exist.When government lawyers decided to change Ogden earlier this year, they went back to the original precedent, but too much has changed since then, including the introduction of PPOs he claimed.According to Willis Towers Watson, the change to the discount rate meant a surge in serious personal injury bills with costs for insurers rising by almost 6 billion.It also created a 6 billion payment for the NHS (National Health Service), the largest payer of compensation for accidents. That cost is borne by taxpayers, noted the report.Hester said the government should come up with a new approach.
Last month, a $10 million reward payment was offered by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston for the return of about $500 million worth of artwork stolen from the premises in 1990.Thieves posing as Boston cops stole 13 artworks, including works by Rembrandt, Manet, and Vermeer. The reward was originally $5 million, but was doubled this May.Laymen outside the high-net niche fine art insurance sector often figure the industry is busy battling a sophisticated criminal underworld hell-bent on art crime capers  but thats rarely the case. Robberies such as that at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are uncommon, and when it comes to insurance for precious collectibles the claims usually stem from accidental damage.Michael Fischman, fine art broker and area executive vice president of Arthur J. Gallagher , said most claims happen after transit mishaps.Claims occur in transit, mostly, when things get moved, he said. They get pack inadequately, or the truck leaks and theres water damage in the truck, or they hit a bump and it comes out of the frame  or just generally rough handling.Andrew Mitchell, fine art underwriter at Hiscox , in London, UK, said accidental damage was the most common claim he saw, too.The main driver of fine art claims is accidental damage, rather than any of the sexier crime-based [losses], he explained. And thats usually something that happens during the course of transit  when youre moving anything, thats when youre at the most risk of dropping, or impact, or loss, or any of those things. So about 50% of our claims come from accidental damage. Unfortunately thats just part and parcel of operating in that market with high-value, potentially fragile items.In the current soft insurance market, generally, where there is tremendous capacity, competition among insurers in the US art market is strong, Fischman said  with several big brands including XL Catlin Chubb , and AIG all competing for contracts.Insurers are knocking on our doors and asking for business, he said. Everybody really wants the business because its clean. It traditionally runs very low loss ratios. Theres no tail  theres no lawsuits, theres no liabilities that come later. At the end of the year you know exactly what losses you occurred and you know where your profit was.Mitchell agreed the US fine art market was strong: With regards to the US, I would love to write more business there. The problem Ive got is that its already a very developed, mature market. As far as art insurance is concerned - theres some extremely strong and respectable players in that market and, frankly, a lot of collectors and museums and dealers are insuring locally, for the same reasons that the clients that are here [in the UK] are insuring with us.

Major broker sets up fine art division

What does growth in high-value purchases mean for insurance?
Lloyds of London believes insurers should consider natural coastal habitats when pricing flood risk, as a new study revealed that mangroves, coral reefs, and salt marshes are more effective against coastal storms when compared to seawalls.Investment to conserve natural habitats also makes sense for insurers, a report written for Lloyds revealed, as it is around 30 times cheaper than building seawalls, reported Reuters.It said insurers have paid out more than $200 billion in claims for damages due to coastal floods in the past decade. However, according to the report, providers could reduce the amount they pay in claims and offer lower premiums if they considered the impact of natural infrastructure.Trevor Maynard, head of innovation at Lloyd's, was quoted as saying, If you are in a more resilient city, compared to a less resilient one, then those risk levels should be taken into account in pricing.The study was conducted by the Center for the Blue Economy, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and The Nature Conservancy.
The former general manager of a now-defunct New Jersey car dealership who got nearly $3 million through a fraud scheme has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Richard Pepe had pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a fraudulent federal income tax return. He was the general manager of Chevrolet 73 in Berlin from 2004 through October 2008.

Federal prosecutors say the 70-year-old Vineland man admitted that he and others acting on his behalf provided a bank with false information, including false liabilities and profits on monthly dealership statements. Pepe obtained more than $2.95 million through the scheme, using the funds for personal expenses.

Pepe will also have to serve three years of supervised release once hes freed and pay back $2,950,270.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Fraud New Jersey
Global specialty insurer StarStone has appointed Rod OMalley as of head of cargo in London.

OMalley is joining StarStone in from XL Catlin, where he most recently served as head of the UK cargo team and senior class underwriter. He has 35 years experience as a marine cargo underwriter, having worked in both the Lloyds and company markets in London.

StarStones current London cargo underwriter Henry Wood has been promoted to senior underwriter and will work with OMalley to expand StarStones cargo book.

OMalley will report to Simon Schnorr, global head of marine.

StarStone is an insurance group with six wholly owned insurance platforms, including Lloyds Syndicate 1301. StarStone is owned by Enstar Group Limited, the Trident V funds managed by Stone Point Capital LLC and Dowling Capital Partners I, L.P.

Topics London Trucking AXA XL
Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Ihor Rainin during a meeting with French Ambassador to Ukraine Isabelle Dumont have discussed the bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and France.

Rainin noted that France is a reliable partner of Ukraine and thanked the ambassador for the continued support of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

During the meeting, the two also "stressed the mutual interest in the implementation of the Ukrainian-French projects in various sectors of economy and the attraction of French investors to the implementation of such projects."

Rainin and Dumont also discussed the prospects for implementing joint projects in the field of education and training of public administration experts.
Well-capitalized private equity investors still have an advantage among buyers of insurance agencies, but privately-held brokers continue to be among the most active players in agency mergers and acquisitions, according to Reagan Consulting.

Also, while consolidation continues in the ranks of agencies, new agencies are being formed regularly, according to the consultants.

Speaking recently at the Agency Ownership Summit in Atlanta, cosponsored by Reagan Consulting and the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, Jim Campbell, partner at Reagan Consulting, addressed the increasing activity of private broker buyers in the M&A marketplace.

Although private brokers would appear to be the underdogs in a marketplace driven by private equity, they have more than held their own, said Campbell. Private brokers have actually increased their acquisition activity, averaging more than 100 announced acquisitions per year since 2014 and on track to exceed that level in 2017.

According to Campbell, private brokers accounted for 21 percent of all announced agency acquisitions last year, a higher percentage than public brokers and banks combined. Private equity completed 55 percent of announced transactions in 2016, according to Reagan.

Private brokers trail only private equity as the most active buyers in the marketplace, and we expect them to remain a force, Campbell said. Although challenged to compete strictly on price, many private brokers have discovered they have competitive advantages such as an attractive culture and the ability to address the post-closing objectives of the seller.

Strong M&A Activity

Summit attendees also heard that the outlook for insurance agency and brokerage mergers and acquisitions remains strong and shows no immediate signs of slowing.

Kevin Stipe, president of Reagan Consulting, pointed out that almost 1,000 agency mergers and acquisitions were completed in the past two years, and valuations are at historic highs. According to SNL Financial, from 2006 to 2017, the average annual number of M&A transactions was 317. In 2015, agencies saw 492 deals, 457 in 2016, and the pace of M&A so far suggests 2017 will be another strong year, Stipe said.

With so many transactions occurring, its natural to wonder, is the independent agent being hunted to extinction? Available data on the number of agents and brokers indicates that is not the case, Stipe said. Over the last five years, thousands of new agencies were formed, according to the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Americas (IIABA) FutureOne Study.

Reagan Consultings analysis estimates that over the last five years, the agency regeneration rate is a little more than 1-to-1. When we look at the agency universe today, we see a very healthy marketplace, Stipe said.

According to the IIABA Study, in 2016 there were 38,000 independent agencies in the United States.

In addition, the number of large agency and brokerage firms is growing, while the number of smaller firms remains stable, Stipe said.

As an example, he cited Georgia, where he said about half of the states agencies producing $10 million or more in annual revenues didnt exist 15 years ago. Regeneration will continue to replenish the agency system despite consolidation, he said.

The past 20 years have shown a dramatic evolution of the agency and brokerage business, according to Bobby Reagan, CEO of Reagan Consulting. At our first M&A conference 20 years ago, the question was, Who is buying and at what price? There have been many changes in the agency world since then. Productivity in terms of revenue per employee has more than doubled; profitability is up significantly; and the value of agents and brokers has increased markedly. Now, the focus is, Who is prospering, and how are they doing that?' he said.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies
Tyson Foods is recalling nearly 2.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat breaded chicken due to an unlabeled allergen.

The company, based in Springdale, Arkansas, says the recall was made after it was notified June 6 by a supplier that the bread crumbs Tyson received could contain milk.

According to Tyson, the recall is limited to food-service customers and the products are not available for purchase in retail stores. Company spokeswoman Caroline Ahn says the meat was shipped to 30 states.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Tysons records show schools have purchased products through the companys commercial channels.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to the products.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Arkansas
Fidelis Group Holdings LLC (FGH), with its subsidiary Continental Underwriters Ltd., has hired Lynn Blaine as assistant vice president to support the expansion of the groups marine portfolio. Blaine is based in Houston.

She has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and most recently served as assistant vice president, assistant regional manager with Starr Marine. Before joining Starr, Blaine was with American International Marine Agency and Trident Marine Managers Inc., respectively.

Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, Fidelis Group Holdings LLC provides underwriting, broker services, claims management and loss control assistance for its maritime clients.

Source: Fidelis Group Holdings LLC
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he absolutely intends to sign the medical marijuana bill passed Friday by the state Legislature.

After the original legislation fell apart on the final day of the regular session last month, the chambers approved the bill during the final day of the special session. The House passed it 103-9 before the Senate voted 29-6.

The amendment, which was passed by 71 percent of voters in November, states that laws must be in place by July 3 and enacted by October. Scott should be able to sign the bill ahead of the first deadline.

They worked hard to get a bill that made sense. I think, in anything like this, theres a process on how to make things better, Scott said.

The legislation allows patients who suffer chronic pain related to 10 qualifying conditions to receive either low-THC cannabis or full-strength medical marijuana. THC is the compound that gives marijuana users a high.

Both sides did compromise, and we both got a deal we could live with that is very good policy, said Rep. Ray Rodrigues, who was the Houses point person on the bill.

However, supporters were not happy that the bill still bans smoking despite amendment supporters saying it is already written into the language. Sen. Jeff Clemens said that when 90 percent of patients access a product one way and the state does not allow that, then they are not instituting the will of the voters.

Orlando attorney John Morgan, who played a key role in getting the amendment on the ballot and passed, reiterated Friday night that he intends to sue the state for not allowing smoking.

There are four places listed in the amendment that call for smoking, Morgan said. I dont know why they would object to anyone on their death bed wanting to use what they wanted to relieve pain and suffering.

Senate Democrats made a last-ditch attempt to get smoking added, citing that nearly 90 percent of people who use it smoke it, but it was voted down.

Ben Pollara, the executive director of Florida for Care, said he was pleased that the Legislature was able to come to an agreement and not leave rulemaking up to the Department of Health.

The Legislature did their jobs today, providing good patient access to hundreds of thousands of sick and suffering Floridians, he said. This bill isnt perfect, but its a major step forward for patient access.

Both chambers reached agreement Wednesday that there would be a cap of 25 dispensaries per medical marijuana treatment center and that there wouldnt be a sales tax. There will also be 10 new growers approved by October, adding to the seven already in existence.

Two of the current growers had differing views about the caps. Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said they are reviewing the bill before determining their next steps. Jake Bergmann, the founder and CEO of Surterra, said his company was fine with the structure.

There is a way to grow as the patients grow (four new dispensaries per 100,000 patients). If you have something that grows as patient access grows, it is pretty smart, he said.

According to the Department of Health, the state registry now has 16,614 patients. A recent state revenue impact study projects that by 2022 there will be 472,000 medical cannabis patients and $542 million in sales.

Sen. Rob Bradley, who has been the Senates main negotiator on all three bills since 2014, said he foresees medical marijuana being dealt with yearly in the Legislature the same way as alcohol.

The fact that the primary disagreements were over money and placing limits on competition was troubling to Sen. Jeff Brandes, who advocated for more competition.

People are just deeply frustrated. I think that is why you are seeing the Senate capitulate, Brandes said. I think we could have done a lot better than what is here. Were setting ourselves up for the next 30 years to be fighting little battles.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida Cannabis
A mainland Miami neighborhood prone to regular flooding from high tides and storms could be relocated amid preparations for rising seas under one scenario being studied by local officials.

Government officials in South Florida are looking at redesigning the Shorecrest neighborhood by returning some areas now covered by homes to nature rather than reinforcing them with sea walls or other infrastructure. Even though the riverfront neighborhood sits miles from Biscayne Bay, it already is regularly flooding with bay water when the moon is full and the tide gets unusually high, the Miami Herald reports.

Local projections show a mean sea level rise of 6 feet (1.8 meters) by 2100, and the neighborhood is barely 3 feet (less than 1 meter) above sea level. It is filled with a mix of middle-class and high-end homes.

The idea of demolishing properties and allowing the seas to reclaim areas is controversial, but Miamis chief resiliency officer Jane Gilbert says the city is going to need to learn to live with water as well as gird infrastructure against it.

A group of climate scientists, urban planners and members of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact met last year to consider the futures of several communities including Lower Matecumbe and the Arch Creek area of North Miami.

One idea presented at that meeting was for the government to buy areas of Shorecrest where flooding occurs most. It would remove the homes and turn it into a park that can hold water during storms and high tides. The plan doesnt call for eminent domain, but for owners to sell voluntarily.

To this point the idea is only hypothetical.

Theyre good conceptual designs, good conceptual thoughts, but theyre not something we can sign off on yet, Gilbert told the newspaper.

Not everyone thinks the idea of moving neighborhoods will take hold. Michael Dickman, a condo board member in the Shorecrest neighborhood, called it delusional.

Some of the neighborhoods property owners are already taking measures to build higher, and many residents know something will need to be done.

The city of Miami is conducting its own geo-mapping to help alert residents in the short-term for where flooding will be and when. Its also looking to update its stormwater master plan and planning a bond referendum to help fund basic sea-level rise projects.

Caroline Lewis, director of the climate change awareness organization CLEO Institute, said the concrete actions being taken in Miami should build confidence.

When people see were taking concrete action to actually deal with the stresses of climate change and sea level rise in a sample community like this  confidence builds that maybe we can stay here another 50 or 60 years, she said. This is where the tide will turn.

Topics Trends Flood Homeowners
National professional liability and management liability wholesale brokerage, Founders Professional, has added Adrienne Porter to its Miscellaneous Professional Liability team.

Porter will be joining the team in St. Petersburg, Fla., as a broker and will assist Founders retail partners in securing coverage for their miscellaneous professional liability risks.

In this new role, Porter will join a team focused exclusively on miscellaneous professional liability insurance coverage for accountants, insurance agents, realtors and other miscellaneous professions.

Prior to joining Founders Professional, Porter was a professional liability broker with another wholesale firm, where she focused on securing professional liability insurance for lawyers and accountants.

The company said it is currently working on a number of initiatives, as well.

Founders Professional focuses exclusively on the placement of management liability & professional liability insurance risks. The Founders Professional practice leaders and their respective teams have expertise and market access in the areas of architects & engineers, law firms, healthcare/life sciences/social services, management liability, and miscellaneous professional liability insurance.

Founders Professional represents a majority of the admitted and surplus lines insurance carriers that focus on professional liability insurance in the United States, additionally representing many exclusive or semi-exclusive programs.

Topics Florida
The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that inmates participating in work-release programs do not qualify for workers compensation benefits.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the court unanimously affirmed a Workers Compensation Board of Reviews 2015 decision to not grant William F. Crawford workers compensation on Thursday. Crawfords hand was severely injured in a wood chipper in 2013 while he was working on a road crew for the state Division of Highways.

Crawford had appealed the boards decision, saying state law didnt clarify coverage exclusion for work-release inmates. He also said his equal protection rights had been violated, arguing that inmates working for private businesses would receive the benefits.

The court ruled that the decision wasnt a violation of equal protection, as Crawford was working on a volunteer basis.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Virginia
Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.
More than 70 patrol policemen have started working at international and national routes in Ukraine and will respond to all violations on the country's roads, Deputy Chief of the Patrol Police Department Oleksiy Biloshytsky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

According to him, more than 20 patrols begin to work as road police patrols from Monday, June 12. There are also eight permanent checkpoints, which will also be used by the patrol police. In the future, these checkpoints will become road patrol stations, Biloshytsky said.

He stressed that the patrol police is not a separate structure, but members of the national police, who ensure security in cities and on highways. "The road patrol police is not a separate unit. They are the same patrol officers who police city streets, they will also serve on international and national routes," he said.

"Patrol policemen who will patrol the highways will react not only to offenses in the area of traffic safety, but also in the field of public security, will react to reports of offenses that will be transmitted to them if they are in close proximity to the scene," Biloshytsky said.

He said that the road patrol police differs from its predecessor  the traffic police, as these are two different structures with different principles of work.
When buying a car, it may be better to have a down payment rather than a trade-in. A trade-in offers convenience to the car buyer, since one can walk into a dealership with a used vehicle and walk out  or rather, drive out  with a brand-new automobile. But this convenience comes at a significant cost since most buyers are likely to leave cash on the table by receiving less for their trade-in than what it is worth. The dealer is especially likely to offer a low price if the trade-in is from a car manufacturer that is different from the one the dealership represents.

Key Takeaways When considering whether to make a down payment or trade-in a vehicle its usually best to make a down payment from a financial perspective.

Youll get more bang-for-your-buck when offering a down payment. This could mean selling your vehicle privately before going in for a purchase.

However, the difference of a few hundred dollars might not make the private sale worth the hassle.

The preferred course of action would be to sell the car privately before buying a replacement vehicle and using the sale proceeds as a down payment. But arranging for a private sale can be a time-consuming and cumbersome process involving a number of steps. These include:

Ensuring that the vehicle is sale-worthy

Advertising the sale

Making the car available for test drives

Actually getting the money once the car is sold

The timing also has to be near-perfect in a private sale, in order to avoid being without an automobile for an inordinately long time. You also have the potential hassle of signing over the title, which usually has to be notarized. As well, if you sell your car for more than you paid for it, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers that a capital gain, which is taxable.

Regardless of whether the old car is being traded-in or sold privately, the seller should have a good idea of what the vehicle is actually worth before coming up with a price for it. Over-inflated expectations of the value of the car may result in reasonable offers being turned down, while inaccurately low estimates will hurt the seller's pocketbook. A number of online sites provide estimates for both trade-ins and private sales. Conversely, if you're open to financing your car purchase with a loan, an online auto loan calculator can help illustrate how much a down payment will affect your monthly payment.

The Bottom Line

When comparing a trade-in to a private sale, it boils down to how much the convenience factor is worth. Receiving a couple of hundred dollars less for a trade-in, as opposed to a private sale, may be well worth the hassle involved in the latter, for most people.

In the end, it may be best to arrange a down payment rather than a trade-in when buying a car. But if that is not possible and a trade-in is the only option, do your research beforehand to obtain an estimate of the value of your vehicle. A few hours of research can save you hundreds  if not thousands  of dollars, by fetching you a better price for your trade-in than a dealer's low-ball offer.
The relations between Cambodia and Thailand can be appropriately labelled as a love-hate relationship, given the long history of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries. However, racial hatred, arguably, seems to have prevailed among many, if not most, of the people of both countries, at least during the three-year Cambodian-Thai border dispute that started in July 2008 over the territory surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple (known as Phra Viharn in Thailand). The deep hatred and open hostility should come as no surprise if one examines the ancient and modern history of the relations between the two countries.





However, given their current political, economic and diplomatic relations, both countries can enhance their generally troubled relationship through a reciprocal exchange of mutual respect. There are many possibilities ranging from government-to-government initiatives to people-to-people connectivity programs to cultivate and nurture mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance between the people of both nations. Only when a sense of mutual respect is prevalent among Cambodian and Thai people, can harmonious bilateral relations between the two neighbors be maintained and strengthened.





From the Cambodian historical perspective, Thailand was a major threat to Cambodias land, although it is less of a threat compared to its Vietnamese counterpart to the present-day Cambodia. Every Cambodian, young and old, knows that Thailand was Cambodias traditional enemy and that Cambodia was the victim of devastating Thai (called Siam by most Cambodians) attacks on numerous occasions. There were two infamous invasions of Cambodia by the Siamese. One was the Siamese invasion of Angkor in 1431 and another was the invasion of Longvek, an ancient Cambodian capital (now located in Kampong Chhnang province), in 1593. The collapse of both ancient Khmer cities marked the downward trajectory of the Khmer Empire which was already in decline from the 13th to the 19th centuries, a historical period which saw Cambodias vast territory lost to Thailand and Vietnam until Cambodia became a French colony in 1863 under King Norodoms reign.





Under the French, Cambodia-Thailand relations seemed to have been restored and improved, with a number of treaties signed between Siam and France, on Cambodias behalf. Following Cambodias independence from France in 1953, however, Cambodia-Thailand relations deteriorated when Thailand in 1954 occupied Preah Vihear by force. Cambodia then responded to the Thai invasion by bringing a legal case against Thailand before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1959. The ICJ in 1962 ruled that Cambodia was the rightful owner of Preah Vihear Temple. Relations between both countries could not be worse at that time.





Three decades later, after Cambodias UN-sponsored national election in 1993, the two neighbors began to establish good relations with each other. However, their seemingly good relationship was brief and fragile. In 2003, a violent riot broke out after a Thai actress was reported to have awkwardly claimed that Angkor Wat should be returned to Thailand. The incident saw the bilateral relations between the two neighbors descend to the worst possible level, once again. When their bilateral ties later seemed to normalize and improve, both governments again broke off their diplomatic relations. This was a result of Thai troops being stationed in a disputed area of land adjacent to the Preah Vihear Temple after the temple was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008. Thailands troop deployment invited Cambodia to do the same, which led to a series of fierce border clashes and skirmishes between 2008 and 2011, despite several talks and meetings between the two governments.





As close neighbors and ASEAN members, the two countries could not need each other more in terms of trade, national security, strategic cooperation, and cultural and human exchange.





With ASEAN mediation (although no effective action was taken), domestic political developments in both countries, and the ICJ Judgment on Cambodias request for a reinterpretation of the 1962 judgment in November 2013, the Cambodian-Thai border conflict was resolved, and bilateral relations improved. Two years later Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart, Prayuth Chan-ocha, signed a series of agreements aimed at cementing bilateral ties between both countries. They agreed to develop border facilities, manage migrant labor, and triple their current trade volume to USD 15 billion by 2020.





Nevertheless, a resurgence of nationalism in both countries, often manipulated by politicians, is likely to impact their bilateral relations. As Kimly Ngoun has noted, many issues such as the historical legacy of hostility and mistrust, different constructions of history by Cambodian and Thai elites, and political propaganda about national territory and sovereignty, remain to be addressed, otherwise future conflict between Cambodia and Thailand is inevitable.





All things considered, genuine and mutual respect between the people of both nations should be cultivated and nurtured. In addition to efforts at the institutional and governmental levels to salvage the troubled relationship between the two countries, individuals have crucial roles to play. As argued in another article, Cambodian youth have played a pivotal role in shaping Cambodias relations with Vietnam. And Thailand should not be an exception. Cambodian people, particularly the younger generation, therefore, should not dwell on their dark history; instead, they should use lessons from history to help them make informed and impartial judgments when dealing with issues concerning Thailand and its people. They should, moreover, focus on developing themselves by engaging in different forms of personal and professional development. Only when each and every Cambodian is more educated, pragmatic, open-minded, and culturally competent, will Cambodia be more competitive and well-received in its neighboring countries eyes and on the international stage.





Thus, everyone, both Cambodians and Thais, have a vital role to play in improving and fostering good relations between the two old rivals. In this regard, Cambodian people must learn to embrace the culture, values, and aspirations of their Thai counterparts, although those Thai cultural aspects, as claimed by Cambodians, originally derived from Khmer culture. This cultural acceptance must be a collective effort requiring mutual respect. The Thai side must also pursue the same initiative  respecting Cambodian culture, values, and aspirations despite having very similar cultural identity and practices.





There are a myriad of options and actions which can be taken to promote this free and frank exchange of mutual respect. One option both governments have pursued but will still requires their serious attention is to improve border facilities and security to enhance trade, tourism, and mobility. This of course implies the demarcation of both land and maritime borders. With more development projects geared towards areas along the Cambodian-Thai border, chances are high for citizens of both countries to interact economically, culturally, and socially, leading to better mutual understanding and trust.





New initiatives for cultural and educational exchanges or projects involving youth engagement and interactions, such as study exchange programs and youth group camping, should be further encouraged and implemented. Moreover, initiatives to enhance business and investment and to improve deep institutional ties and physical infrastructure links between Cambodia and Thailand are essential because, in their absence, people-to-people links would be difficult, if not impossible. The mutual exchange of respect and understanding must therefore be fostered at all levels, although the emphasis should be targeted at the grassroots level by fully engaging individuals and the youth of both countries.





The cultivation of mutual respect among the people of Cambodia and Thailand is clearly a prerequisite for the long-term healthy relationship between the two former enemies. As close neighbors and ASEAN members, the two countries could not need each other more in terms of trade, national security, strategic cooperation, and cultural and human exchange. To instill respect for one another, people of both nationalities must learn to be more outward-looking yet less self-important in their perceptions of their neighboring counterparts. It is probably wise for them to remember an old Khmer saying which goes, In times of trouble, a good neighbor is better than a faraway relative. Good neighbors must show one another mutual respect.








Dublin City Council is calling for more information to be made available about a chemical leak at the Poolbeg Incinerator in Dublin, which left 11 workers hospitalised.

The issue was raised at their monthly meeting last night, where Chief Executive of the Council, Owen Keegan, announced real-time monitoring online will be taking place at the plant.
Update 11.36am: A pensioner has died in a road accident in Co Limerick this morning.

The crash happened on Condell Road, Co Limerick at around 8am.

A man in his 70s, who was the sole occupant of the car, was brought to University Hospital Limerick where he has since passed away.

The sole occupant of a second car did not require medical attention at the scene.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to contact Mayorstone Park Garda Station 061-456980, The Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any Garda Station.

LIMERICK: Condell Rd closed both ways between the Clonmacken R/A & Shelbourne Rd Lwr following fatal collision https://t.co/0bSXZ1R48T  AA Ireland (@aaroadwatch) June 13, 2017

Earlier:

A main artery into Limerick city centre is closed this morning following a serious crash.

The three car collision happened around 8.15 near the Clonmacken roundabout on the Condell Road.

Emergency services are at the scene including three units of Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service.

More to follow.
British cabinet ministers have discussed plans for a deal with the DUP ahead of critical talks between Theresa May and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster.

In a meeting lasting around 90 minutes, the British Prime Minister updated her top team on the on-going discussions with the Unionists to secure an agreement propping up the Tory minority government.

Mrs May was attempting to thrash out a pact with Mrs Foster at a meeting in Downing Street to prevent the collapse of her administration.

Mrs Foster arrived with colleague Nigel Dodds and waved to reporters in Downing Street but refused to be drawn on whether she would agree to a deal on Tuesday.

A failure to gain support from the party would risk the Queen's Speech being voted down next week, and Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will be pushing hard for that outcome.

Sinn Fein has warned such a move undermines power-sharing talks in the North and the party's seven MPs have flown to London where they will hold a briefing with reporters.

Downing Street said Cabinet ministers had discussed the Government's legislative programme when they met earlier but refused to be drawn on discussions about plans to deal with the DUP.

"There was an update on the on-going talks with the DUP," the British Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

As Mrs Foster met with her MPs in Westminster, she said: "The future's bright", prompting Ian Paisley junior to respond: "The future's orange".

The Tories and the DUP are considering a "confidence and supply" arrangement which would see the party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

It comes after Mrs May told Tory MPs: "I'm the person who got us into this mess and I'm the one who will get us out of it."

Her most senior minister Damian Green has confirmed the Queen's Speech setting out the Government's programme could be delayed if a deal is not reached in time for it to go ahead on Monday as planned.

The British PM told the backbench 1922 Committee on Monday a deal with the DUP would not affect power-sharing talks in the North or LGBT rights.

Mrs Foster has also rejected suggestions that the mooted agreement could undermine a return to power-sharing arrangements at Stormont amid claims from political rivals the Government's stated impartiality as a mediator would be fatally undermined.

The DUP leader declined to give details of what she termed a "positive engagement with the Conservative Party".

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams turned Mrs May's own slogan against her to brand it "a coalition of chaos", adding: "Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed."

It is thought Mrs Foster, despite being a Brexit supporter, could seek assurances from Mrs May that she will pursue a softer exit from the EU, given the North's 56% Remain vote and the DUP's desire not to see a return to a hard border with Ireland.

The DUP leader is almost certain to ask for greater investment in The North as the price of a deal.

Any demands on maintaining the pensions triple-lock and the universal winter fuel allowance could give Mrs May a convenient excuse to drop manifesto pledges which appeared to be deeply unpopular with voters.

Movement on security and legacy issues from the Troubles may prove more difficult for Mrs Foster to extract from the Government.

New Environment Secretary Michael Gove indicated the Government was ready to soften its approach to austerity, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme "we also need to reflect on what the election result told us about the way that people want to see the economy managed in the future".

"We need to get on with the job of reducing the deficit so that we do not saddle the next generation with the burden of debt, and the larger the deficit the more money that should be spent on health and education is actually spent on paying down debt," he added.

Mr Gove said there was a need to ensure public spending was sustainable but stressed that "we also need to take account of legitimate public concerns about ensuring that we properly fund public services in the future".
Ukraine's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has appealed to international foreign missions asking their help to determine the fate of blogger Stanislav Aseyev, who disappeared in Donetsk.

"NUJ asks representatives of foreign missions in Donetsk to help determine the whereabouts of 27-year old blogger Stanislav Aseyev, whose work was published in Ukrainian media under the pseudonym Stanislav Vasyn," reads the note, which was posted on the NUJ chief Serhiy Tomilenko's Facebook page on Sunday.

The post says NUJ does not have any official representatives in temporarily occupied areas of eastern Ukraine and therefore had requested assistance from the OSCE monitoring mission in Donbas, as well as the OSCE's media representative based in Vienna.

The NUJ wants to find out the whereabouts of Aseyev and, if he has been arrested, what charges have been made against him, whether he has access to legal counsel. NUJ also is interested whether Aseyev has been wounded and received medical attention, or if he has been allowed a visit from his mother.

The Kyiv office of International Committee of the Red Cross has received a copy of the request and promised to make inquiries through its representatives in Donetsk.
An elderly brother and sister have been arrested after a man was found shot dead at a property in the UK.

Reuben and Kathleen Gregory are being held on suspicion of murder following an incident near the Colnbrook bypass, Slough, Berkshire, just before 3.30am on Monday.

Emergency services teams, including armed officers, who responded to the reports found a man in his 40s who was declared dead at the scene.

Mr Gregory, aged in his 70s, lived with his sister, aged in her 50s, in what a relative described as a "secluded" woodland. The pair have been in the area for more than 50 years.

The female relative, who did not wish to be identified, described them as "very, very quiet inoffensive people who don't cause any problems to anyone".

She said: "They are just very peaceable people, living a very simple life. That's the way they have always lived, that's the only life they know."

The woman said they had been targeted 30 years ago in a burglary during which Ms Gregory was tied up.

Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Ward, of Thames Valley Police, said investigators were treating the shooting as an "isolated incident" as he tried to reassure locals.

Mr Ward said: "I must stress that this incident is not being treated as related to terrorism and there is no threat to the wider public."

He appealed to anyone who saw or heard anything unusual in the area in the early hours of the morning to call Thames Valley Police officers on 101.

-PA
Inquests into the deaths of the London Bridge terror attack victims will open today.

Eight people were murdered during the atrocity on June 3, when three attackers ploughed into pedestrians with a white van before stabbing revellers in Borough Market with 12-inch ceramic knives.

Armed police shot dead ringleader Khuram Butt, 27, and his two accomplices Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, just eight minutes after the first emergency call was made.

The inquests for the victims of the attack will open at Southwark Coroner's Court today and tomorrow.

Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, who died in her fiance's arms after being struck by the speeding van, and Australians Kirsty Boden, 28, and Sara Zelenak were among those killed.

Xavier Thomas, 45, who was knocked into the River Thames, was one of three Frenchmen who died, along with Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Alexandre Pigeard.

James McMullan, 32, from Hackney, and Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were also killed in the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering shutting down the local offices of Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera following a crackdown against Qatar by Sunni countries across the region, officials said.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an effort to isolate Qatar, accusing the energy-rich Gulf state, and the Qatari-backed channel, of supporting violent Islamic groups across the Middle East.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have closed Al-Jazeera's local offices, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

While Israel is not formally part of that effort, the stepped-up pressure appears to have emboldened Mr Netanyahu to look into closing down the channel's local operations as well.

Israeli officials have long accused Al-Jazeera of bias against the Jewish state, and on Monday Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused it of promoting incitement and likened its coverage to "Nazi Germany-style" propaganda.

The Yediot Ahronot daily reported on Tuesday that various government officials held a first meeting on the issue on Monday.

An Israeli official confirmed that discussions were under way but said no decisions had been made.

Mr Netanyahu's office declined comment.

Walid Omary, Al-Jazeera's local bureau chief, said he has not been notified of any formal action against his operation.

However, he rejected the Israeli claims of bias and accused Israel of waging an incitement campaign.

"This is not the first time they have attacked us," he said.

"I hope they will withdraw the threat."

Shutting the bureau would likely face significant legal obstacles and test Israel's commitment to protecting freedom of the press.

Some key officials might also oppose the step.

While Israel complains about Al-Jazeera's coverage, the station is also one of the few Arab media channels that interviews Israeli officials, giving Israeli leaders a rare outlet to address the Arab public.

AP
Internet-based companies should "show more responsibility" over extremist material and online methods for carrying out terror attacks, the head of counter-terrorism policing in Britain has said.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley has repeated concerns made by politicians that terrorist material is too easily accessible online.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet French president Emmanuel Macron today as the two countries look to develop plans to create a new legal liability for tech companies failing to take action against unacceptable content on their platforms.

It comes after a series of deadly terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge.

Writing in the Times, Mr Rowley said: "We need communities to be more assertive at calling out extremists and radicalisers amongst us. It's not just overseas propaganda inspiring attacks.

"And we need communications and internet-based companies to show more responsibility.

"It is too easy for the angry, violent or vulnerable to access extremist views, learn about attack methodologies, conspire on encrypted applications and then acquire equipment to kill, all online."

Mr Rowley said "an internet going darker" was making it harder to look into people who may be of concern, but he welcomed the Prime Minister's efforts to look at strategies for dealing with extremism.
Update:Police in the German city of Munich says there appears to be no political or religious motive behind a shooting this morning.

Several people - including a police woman - have been injured in the incident at a railway station near the city.
A Moscow court has ruled that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny should be jailed for 30 days for staging an unsanctioned rally in the city.

The anti-corruption rallies called for by Mr Navalny were held in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on Monday.

In Moscow, thousands of angry protesters held an unsanctioned rally on Tverskaya, the capital's main street.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested across Russia.

The judge at the Simonovsky district court ruled after midnight on Monday that Mr Navalny should be jailed for repeated violations of the law on public gatherings.

Mr Navalny was detained outside his home an hour before the rally was to start.

The Moscow protest was the most prominent in a string of more than 100 rallies in cities and towns stretching through all 11 of Russia's time zones - from the Pacific to the European enclave of Kaliningrad - with many denouncing President Vladimir Putin.

Thousands of angry demonstrators thronged to Tverskaya Street chanting "Down with the tsar" and singing the Russian national anthem.

The protests coincided with Russia Day, a national holiday that this year brought out historical re-enacters, some of them dressed in medieval costumes.

More than 700 people were arrested in Moscow, while in St Petersburg, about 500 were forced into police buses at an unsanctioned rally that drew up to 10,000 people.

The demonstrators appeared predominantly young - those who were born or grew up during Mr Putin's 17 years in power.

Similar crowds turned out on March 26, rattling officials who had perceived the younger generation as largely apolitical.

Three 16-year-old girls took sheets of paper to the Moscow protest and sat on the pavement to write the articles of the Russian Constitution on them; a nearby group of teenagers climbed on top of a tent with posters saying "Corruption kills the future".

Other protesters scaled a scaffold and hung a sign saying "Only revolution will defeat corruption".

Some of the rallies were sanctioned by authorities and peaceful, but police cracked down brutally on others.

Although it was not immediately clear if Monday's protests were larger than those in March, they underlined the deep dismay with the government.

Mr Putin is expected to seek another term in 2018, and Mr Navalny has already announced his intentions to run.

Moscow officials had agreed to allow Mr Navalny's rally, but late on Sunday, he said official interference had prevented contractors from erecting a stage at the agreed-upon venue and instead urged demonstrators to gather on Tverskaya Street, which was closed to traffic for the Russia Day festivities.

Most of the Moscow protesters appeared to be under 30, although there was a sizeable number of middle-aged people and couples with children.

With opposition sentiment strong or even growing, authorities appear to be seeking a strategy to undermine the opposition without provoking more animosity.

Mr Navalny rose to prominence for detailed open-source investigations of government corruption.

That was a key issue for protesters, particularly his report on vast wealth allegedly acquired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

"We are against the corruption that is costing the future of our young people," said Moscow protester Maria Badyrova, a 33-year-old finance specialist who went to the rally with a Russian flag.

Alexei Borsenko, a Vladivostok demonstrator who eluded a police attempt to detain him, cited Iceland's prime minister stepping down in the fallout from the "Panama Papers" scandal, while "our prime minister is caught on such big corruption cases and he doesn't go anywhere".

"This is very strange," he added. "It's a dead end for the country's development."

-AP
Aldi yesterday said it plans to spend $3.4bn (3bn) in the US over the next five years to open 900 supermarkets. The investment comes as its German discount rival, Lidl, prepares to open its first US stores this week, with plans for up to as 100 by the summer of 2018.

The US expansion by the German private-label giants could put more pressure on conventional domestic retailers such as WalMart and Kroger to lower their prices.

The new competition in the low-margin industry arrives during a deflationary spiral that has seen US food prices drop for 17 straight months, the longest such streak in more than 60 years.

Theres a tremendous amount of value at stake that will shift to Lidl and Aldi, said Ken Knudson, a Bain & Co partner. Traditional grocers cant afford to lose sales right now given how competitive it is. It will be very disruptive.

Bain predicts that sales in the deep discount segment of the US grocery business, which includes Aldi and Lidl, will increase up to 10% annually to 2020, five times higher than for traditional stores.

The battle between the two closely held grocers will intensify on Thursday, when Lidl opens nine stores in three states.

Analysts have estimated that it could open in 600 US locations over the next five years.

Aldi says it will have 2,500 stores nationwide by 2022, which would make it the third-largest supermarket chain in the US according to the company.

Only Kroger and Albertsons, which also owns Safeway, would have more.

Aldi has added more produce and boosted its organic and gluten-free offerings in recent years as it tries to appeal to more mainstream shoppers.

The company has also started offering fresh fish, improved its meat selection, and increased its selection of national brands, part of a bid to shed its image as strictly a low-brow discounter.

Earlier this year, the company announced plans to spend $1.6bn remodeling 1,300 of its US stores.

The arrival of Lidl this week will not change how Aldi does business in the US, according to Liz Ruggles, a company spokeswoman.

Were doing what weve been doing to ensure were the low-cost leader, she said. Well continue to maintain that.

Aldi was founded more than a century ago when Anna Albrecht opened a small store in Essen.

Bloomberg
The speculation arose following a Sunday board meeting but it is understood no final decision has been made. It is understood Emil Michael, senior vice president and a close Kalanick ally, will leave the company.

Ubers board met on Sunday to consider recommendations from an investigation into sexual harassment and related issues led by the law firm of former US attorney general Eric Holder.

The recommendations followed a sprawling, multi-month investigation into Ubers culture and practices.

Mr Holder and his law firm were retained by Uber in February to investigate company practices after former Uber engineer Susan Fowler published a blog post detailing what she described as sexual harassment and the lack of a suitable response by senior managers.

The recommendations in Mr Holders firms report force greater controls on spending, human resources and other areas where executives led by Mr Kalanick have had a surprising amount of autonomy for a company with more than 12,000 employees.

The worlds most valuable venture-backed private company has found itself at a crossroads as its rough-and-tumble approach to local regulations and handling employees and drivers has led to a series of problems.

It is facing a criminal probe by the US Department of Justice over its use of a software tool that helped its drivers evade local transportation regulators.

Last week, Uber said it had fired 20 staff after another law firm looked into 215 cases encompassing sexual harassment, discrimination, unprofessional behaviour, bullying and other employee complaints. Even a temporary departure by Mr Kalanick would be a shock for the Silicon Valley startup world, where company founders in recent years have had more autonomy and often become synonymous with their firms.

Uber board member Arianna Huffington said in March that Mr Kalanick needed to change his leadership style to be more like a leader of a major global company.

Reuters
Port of Cork commercial manager Captain Michael McCarthy said a burgeoning global cruise industry along with security fears in the Mediterranean and Middle East meant there was huge opportunity for Cork to firmly establish itself among the elite cruise destinations of the world.

The MS Prinsendam owned by Holland America Lines made its maiden call to Bantry Bay, Co Cork, yesterday for the first visit of a cruise liner to Bantry in almost 30 years.

Carrying more than 800 passengers, MS Prinsendam arrived in the early hours of the morning and stayed until evening, allowing passengers to disembark and visit West Cork  a crucial aspect for future land tourism, said Mr McCarthy.

Bantry Bay Port Company will officially open the new inner harbour development in August which has seen an investment of 9.5m over the last year. This facility will enhance marine tourism activity in the area and will also aid in accommodating future cruise calls, according to the Port of Cork.

The Port of Cork has 65 calls this year, with about 160,000 passengers and crew expected to visit the city and county between March and November. Bantry was transferred to the Port of Cork in 2014.

Mr McCarthy said: We now have a golden opportunity to showcase the entire region from Cobh to Bantry and beyond. Cruise companies throughout the world are looking at new routes and there are dozens of new ships coming onstream between now and 2025. The new route exploration is driven by factors including security fears in the Mediterranean.

He added: Cobh, Bantry, and Glengarriff can capitalise on the appetite for new routes and for visitors who may have thought West Cork as too far in the past, it is now opened right up to the likes of the Beara Peninsula, Clonakilty, and Skibbereen. The onus is on us to then tempt visitors back to Ireland for a land holiday. We have a long-term plan for Bantry and feel it has a very exciting future in the sector.

There will be eight cruise liners calling to the West Cork area this summer with Bantry Harbour and Glengarriff able to accommodate the smaller boutique cruise liners. Bantry Bay Port Company harbour master Captain Paul ORegan said: We are very encouraged by Holland American Lines commitment to call to Bantry. This is an exciting time for the whole of West Cork.
The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) together with the special investigations bureau of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) is continuing its investigation into the so-called 'black ledger' used by the Party of Regions.

NABU on Friday said that a year of investigating the case included handwriting expertise to establish the authenticity of signatures of several individuals, and, in December 2016, the head of Ukraine's Central Election Commission Mykhaylo Okhendovsky was served with a notice of suspicion.

"In the opinion of our agents enough evidence to serve suspicion notices, at least to one individual as a minimum, has been gathered," the NABU post said.

The head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Nazar Kholodnytsky is not obliged to receive approval from detectives to close the case against Okhendovsky. SAPO agents say evidence to send the case to court is sufficient.

"In the opinion of NABU evidence gathered by detectives is sufficient to serve Okhendovsky with a notice of suspicion in its final redaction and notify the court of a prosecutorial notice. However, according to Article 279 of Ukraine's Procedural Code, only Kholodnytsky has that right, inasmuch as he signed the first notice of suspicion," the NABU press release said.

In the context of the decision taken by SAPO to send the materials of the case to the PGO, NABU will continue working on its findings together with a joint investigatory group with the PGO's bureau of special investigations and hopes facts established by NABU will receive the appropriate legal appraisal.
There was no sign of tension from Qatar Airways officials in Dublin as the diplomatic row rumbles on. The dispute saw Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain close their airspace to Qatari flights a week ago.

Qatar Airways will operate its daily Dublin service with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. CEO Akbar al Baker said it provided Irish passengers with easier access to countries including Australia. A UN aviation body should declare Gulf Arab measures against Qatari air traffic as illegal, Mr al Baker said earlier. He appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency which administers the Chicago convention that guarantees civil overflights.

We have legal channels to object to this. International Civil Aviation Organisation should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act, said Mr al Baker.

The UAE and Bahrain have signed the 1944 convention. Saudi Arabia is not a signatory. Al Baker said 18 destinations were now out of bounds for the airline. He also criticised Saudi Arabia and the UAE for shutting down the airlines offices.

It is actually a travesty of civilised behaviour to close airline offices, said Mr al Baker. Airlines offices are not political arms. We were sealed as if it was a criminal organisation. We were not allowed to give refunds to our passengers.

Mr al Baker said he was extremely disappointed in US president Donald Trump.

The USA should be the leader trying to break this blockade and not sitting and watching whats going on and putting fuel on the fire, he said.

Mr Trump last week waded into the worst Gulf Arab rift in years and praised the pressure on Qatar, which Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain accuse of supporting Iran and funding Islamist groups, charges that Doha denies.

Mr al Baker said he would not delay any plane orders or put expansion plans in other countries, such as India, on hold. On Sunday, Qatar Airways reported an almost 22% rise in net profit in its last financial year, which ended in March.

The UK has urged Gulf states to ease a blockade of Qatar.

Additional reporting: Reuters
For the time being, the outlook remains negative, S&P economist Jean-Michel Six told the AJEF association of financial journalists in Paris. In terms of the outlook for growth, its clear that things are not going in the right direction.

This latest bit of instability can only weaken the business environment and consumer confidence.

Indeed, British business confidence has fallen sharply since last Thursdays inconclusive general election that left Theresa May weakened ahead of Brexit talks, according to a survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD).

The survey of nearly 700 members of the business group also exposed deep concern over the political uncertainty and its impact on Britains economy.

The IoD found a negative swing of 34 points in confidence in the UK economy from its last survey in May.

While 20% of members were optimistic about the economy over the next 12 months, some 57% said they were either quite or very pessimistic  a -37 net confidence score. That compares with a -3% score in May.

It is hard to overstate what a dramatic impact the current political uncertainty is having on business leaders, and the consequences could  if not addressed immediately  be disastrous for the UK economy, said Stephen Martin, director general of the IoD.

The IoD survey said its members saw no clear way to quickly resolve the political situation, feeling that a further election this year would have a negative impact on the economy.

They are keen to see quick agreement with the EU on transitional arrangements for the UKs withdrawal from the bloc, and clarity on the status of EU workers in Britain.

Elsewhere, the Confederation of British Industry, said there was now a risk that businesses would cut back on investment which has largely held up since last years Brexit vote.

Reuters
The growth in unauthorised aerial drone use was condemned at a meeting of the council in Killarney, with calls for strict legislation for all drones to be introduced immediately.

Kerry County Council is to contact the Irish Aviation Authority with its concerns about unauthorised use of drones in the Killarney area.

The council itself uses drones, within appropriate guidelines, to monitor river and coastal erosion.

However, independent councillor Donal Grady, said his problem was with the non-ideal use of drones by private individuals.

Drones are frightening animals and they are being used to monitor private homes, the independent councillor said.

A month ago the councillor and his son said they spotted a drone flying around Killarney House, a State property, and followed it to a car with a Co Offaly registration, parked in a car park some distance away.

Jarvey horses in Killarney and particularly in the Gap of Dunloe are being frightened by camera drones coming out of nowhere and flying near them, he said.

They were also being deployed to take pictures over the Lakes of Killarney  a no-fly zone.

The use of drones should be strictly licensed, Mr Grady urged.

Meanwhile, 7,000 drones of 1kg and over as well as model aircraft have been registered with the Irish Aviation Authority in the past 18 months, the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed.

Legislation governing smaller aerial drones has yet to be introduced.
The ombudsmans office cited the high-profile case of David Murray in calling for regulation of social media.

On Friday, May 26, the KildareNow website reported that locals in Monasterevin were concerned that convicted sex offender Anthony Luckwill was spotted in the area.

However, one reader posted a picture of David Murray on KildareNows Facebook page, incorrectly identifying him as Luckwill.

Mr Murray then required garda protection after he was confronted by an angry mob in the case of mistaken identity.

He subsequently appeared on both RTEs Liveline and Prime Time to speak of his ordeal.

The Office of the Press Ombudsman says it handles complaints from members of the public and seeks to resolve them by conciliation or mediation to the satisfaction of everyone concerned.

However, it has now been revealed that while Mr Murray sought redress through the office, it cannot assist him in this dispute, as KildareNow is not subject to its oversight.

By any standards, Mr Murray has been a victim of appalling treatment, a statement from the Press Council read.

However, membership of the Press Council of Ireland is voluntary and KildareNow is not a member of the Press Council.

"Therefore, the Office of the Press Ombudsman cannot use its complaints-handling processes in response to Mr Murrays complaint. This leaves him with no regulatory body to turn to in seeking redress, it noted.

The incident reinforced the Press Council and the Press Ombudsmans calls for the introduction of a regulatory system for social media.

Under the current arrangements, the vast majority of the press is subject to independent regulation and broadcasting is subject to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, said the Press Council.

Social media are, however, subject to no regulation, independent, or otherwise.

"They should be required to develop an independent regulatory body that would offer a fair means of redress for people who believe that information about themselves posted on social media is inaccurate or misleading.

"If social media cannot or will not put in place such structures they should be made subject to national and/or international governmental oversight, it said.

All national newspapers, most local newspapers, some magazines, and some online-only news services are mem- bers of the Press Council.
UCC professor Dermot Keogh spoke out after the Mackinnon review endorsed the dual-local authority, boundary extension stance he adopted with UCCs Theresa Reidy as part of the 2015 Cork Local Government Review process.

Prof Keogh said repeated failures to extend the citys boundary over the last 50 years has hurt the regions economic development.

Without delay, the Government should extend the Cork city boundary and allow the city to take the full economic leadership role it has long been denied, he said.

His comments came as the standoff and dispute over the regions local government arrangements look set to continue.

Cork County Council insisted again yesterday that it is not in a position to accept the Mackinnon findings.

It described the proposed boundary extension as excessive, and said if the recommendations are implemented, it could create a weakened, unsustainable county, with an adverse impact on the suburban towns and villages whose hard won and valued pride and identity could be damaged.

Cork City Council last night voted unanimously to accept the findings.

Prof Keogh said Mackinnons recommendations appear to be very much in line with the minority report.

Cork city has not had a boundary extension since 1965 when Sean Lemass was the Taoiseach and Ireland had yet to joined the European Economic Community, he said.

Can you imagine the hue and cry if there had not been local government boundary reforms in Dublin for over 50 years? It is a truism to say that Ireland has changed radically since the 1960s.

"Urbanisation and population increases combined should have triggered a decision by successive Irish governments to extend the boundary of Cork city.

The repeated failure to do so has had serious consequences for economic development in the region.
At their first full council meeting since the publication on Friday of the Mackinnon review, city councillors agreed last night to accept its findings. They did so without debate.

But they have also agreed to discuss the review in detail next Monday  behind closed doors.

In what was his last full council meeting as Lord Mayor, Cllr Des Cahill welcomed the conclusion of the Cork Local Government review process and the publication of the Mackinnon report.

I particularly want to welcome the fact that a two-authority approach is recommended unanimously by the Mackinnon group, he said.

Accepting that considerable work will be required in the implementation of the review recommendations, we in city council have always acknowledged that a boundary extension would require a significant compensation element to ensure that the entire Cork county would benefit from the review of local government arrangements.

A strong Cork county is also in the best interests of our city.

He pointed out that the review of Corks local government arrangements started in January 2015 and said for the benefit of Cork and the role that Cork city needs to play as the countrys second city and as the driver of economic development of the region, it is essential that the process would now move quickly to implementation.

He proposed that councillors formally accept the recommendations of the Mackinnon report.

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy expressed his concerns about accepting the findings in their entirety  he said he had concerns about the compensation package and the five-year mayoral term.

But speaking afterwards, the mayor said the city council has been steadfast and unanimous during the entire process in asserting that the extension of the boundaries of the city was the correct solution for a new model of local government for Cork.

I believe passionately that a boundary extension is the right solution not just for the city, but for the county too, as well as for the southern region, and for Ireland, he said.

A healthy and independent city is critical to drive economic growth and the wealth of the region. Ireland needs a rebalancing of growth and prosperity, Mayor Des Cahill said.

The country is crying out for a counterbalance to Dublin.

The implementation of the McKinnon report is fundamental if Cork is to fulfil its role as the States second city.

The formal approval of council represents the vital next step on that journey, he said.
Enniscrone-based David McGowan told Sligo County Council that he hopes the first guests will be on site at the Quirky Nights Glamping site this time next year.

However, the entrepreneur who had hoped to be open for business this summer, outlined his difficulty in raising finance for the project saying he had been offered a bank loan, on terms which would have been suicidal for him to accept. He said banks had sought a 2m personal guarantee.

As far as I was concerned I would be putting my family at risk, said Mr McGowan.

He said the banks attitude was that if it goes down, they are left with a hundred ton of scrap metal.

Mr McGowan said that as well as being very soul destroying, this gave an insight into how lending institutions regard developers in the west of Ireland.

The undertaker said that he will now use Crowdfunding to raise the 2.5m needed to make his dream a reality.

He said he needed 25,000 people to pledge 100 each and was fairly confident of achieving that.

I have 70,000 followers on my Facebook page, he said.

He told councillors while there was a rumour out there he had run out of money this was not true.

I am just being cautious. I think the banking system in this country is all wrong. I think they treat people in an inhumane way. They throw you out on the side of the road. They dont care about your family.

He told Sligo councillors that he had put the county on the world stage and had been trending third in the world on Twitter  behind Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin  on the night the Boeing 767 was successfully deposited on Enniscrone beach.

He has moved a decommissioned RAF helicopter, a London train and a number of former London taxis to the site.
Ms Justice Marie Baker said the initial order revoking the licence of Murphys Irish Seafood Limited, issued by Michael Creed on January 21 last year, was not served following a warning notice in compliance with statutory regulations.

The judgement also states that sufficient reasons were not given by the minister regarding the revoking of the licence.

Murphys Irish Seafood Ltd had been cultivating salmon at two sites, both located at Gearhies, Bantry Bay, Co Cork, under a foreshore licence.

A storm on February 1, 2014, destroyed fish stock amounting to 235,000 fish, and almost all of the aquaculture equipment on the site. According to the judgement, the damage caused by the storm was such that the applicant was de facto in breach of the conditions of its licence.

In the July following the storm the company reached an agreement to facilitate the ongoing operation of the aquaculture process at the location.

A letter sent on behalf of the minister by the assistant principal in the department to the company on January 21 last year said the minister had approved the withdrawal of the consent to operate and cited a failure to properly maintain the operation in accordance with a section of the Fisheries (amendment) Act 1997 and a failure to comply with two conditions of the foreshore licence.

The minister argued an earlier letter sent to the company on January 12, 2015, was a valid letter in setting out the terms of a possible withdrawal of a licence, alongside a later email of January 28 of that year that contained details of alleged breaches.

The law requires 28 days notice by post to the licensee stating that the minister has the revocation of the licence under consideration.

Ms Justice Baker considered that and other correspondence between the two parties, as well as some remedial measures undertaken by the company prior to the letter of January this year.

She found the notice of January 21, 2016 shows the minister relied on correspondence and communication that had occurred since August 4, 2015, in which some complaints were made, and not before, and that it did not comprise a warning or notice.

She said it was not sufficiently clear from the correspondence why the minister had come to the conclusion in January, 2016 that the applicant was not compliant and said the letter was not served following a warning notice.
Mr Varadkar made the comment just days before a mooted Dublin meeting with DUP leader Arlene Foster and as he said the outcome of the British election means a soft Brexit is now likely.

Speaking as Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan made similar remarks in Belfast, Mr Varadkar told a media briefing in Dublin he has concerns about the imminent linking of the Conservatives and the DUP.

Under the terms of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, commonly referred to as the Good Friday Agreement, both the Republic and Britain must act impartially in any disputes in the North.

This issue has been called into question by imminent formation of the new coalition, as the Conservatives will now be directly linked to a key party in the North.

Asked about the difficulty yesterday, British secretary of state for Northern Ireland and Conservative MP James Brokenshire said the DUP deal will not call into question the independence of his party.

However, despite the dismissal of the concern, Mr Varadkar did not rule out the need for an independent mediator to be appointed, and warned the Conservatives must not get too close to the DUP due to conflict of interest concerns.

Our role as governments here in Dublin and London is to act as co-guarantors and not to be too close to any particular party, he said.

He added it is absolutely very important both governments understand their role is to be co-guarantors.

The comment came as Mr Varadkar separately said last weeks British election result means there is a sense that a soft Brexit  and therefore a soft border  is now possible.

Saying the landscape has changed, Mr Varadkar said the fact the DUP and Scottish Conservatives  which together control 23 seats in Westminster  hold similar views means there is an opportunity to soften Brexit.

The claim was repeated by Mr Flanagan, who told reporters after meeting with all Northern Irish parties in Belfast yesterday in a bid to kick-start the separate Stormont government talks that the Conservatives have rigorous impartiality and act within the spirit and letter of the Good Friday Agreement.

While Mr Flanagan and a spokesperson for Mr Varadkar declined to call for an independent mediator to be appointed to ensure impartiality in Northern Ireland talks, Government has not ruled out the suggestion.

However, in a separate media briefing yesterday, Mr Brokenshire dismissed the need for a mediator, a view backed on RTE Radio by former UUP leader David Trimble.

Mr Varadkar is likely to meet with DUP leader Arlene Foster in Dublin later this week to discuss the issue and the ongoing stand-off over the Stormont government.

Parties in the North have three weeks to agree a new government, or the North will be governed from London.
Law on 75% quota for Ukrainian language on TV to enter into force in mid-October

The law establishing a mandatory share of 75% of the total amount for Ukrainian-language content on television was officially published in the Holos Ukrayiny (the Voice of Ukraine) parliamentary newspaper on Tuesday.

The law enters into force four months from its publication, it said.

The law introduced amendments to the laws 'On television and radio broadcasting,' 'On culture,' and 'On general principles of state language policy.' The law also provides for sanctions against television and radio broadcasters for violating its norms: a fine in the amount of 5% of the total amount of the licensing fee.

After the law enters into force, the Ukrainian government shall bring its regulatory and legislative acts into conformity with it within a month.

The law stipulates that programs and films in the state language should account for at least 75% of the weekly amount of broadcasting for nation-wide or regional television channels and radio stations in each period of time between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The quota for the local television and radio broadcasters was set at 60% of programs and films shown in the state language in the same periods of time.

Television channels and radio stations broadcasting in the languages of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine shall ensure a total weekly amount of broadcasting in the state language and the languages of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine in the amount of at least 75%, with at least 30% in the state language.

On May 23, The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill in the second reading and in general and submitted it for the president's signing on May 26. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the law on June 9.
CFM Group says it will campaign for a register to curb the activities of professional insurance claimants.

It believes some people are making a substantial living from falsifying multiple insurance claims.

There is a relatively small, but very active and dangerous cohort of people out there who engage in the practice of falsifying insurance claims, said CFM Group managing director Jonathan Hehir.

Mr Hehir is concerned that shop owners are increasingly becoming the target of insurance fraudsters.

We have seen cases of people literally diving onto the floor or pretending to trip over something, or they are pretending to steal items from the store but when questioned, they accuse the shop assistant or owner of defamation, he said.

Mr Hehir said a significant number of cases are planned by legal criminals.

Legal criminals are the smart ones  instead of breaking the law, they recognise how stupid the law is and make a tidy living manipulating it in their favour, he said.

Another issue for shop owners is staged wrongful arrest or defamation.

Fraudsters pretend to steal an item and then when asked if they have paid for the item, they make a big deal out of it, and the next day a solicitors letter arrives, he said.

Typically these cases cost insurers between 5,000 and 10,000.

Financial Services Minister Eoghan Murphy began looking at public liability insurance following the publication of the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance in January.

The Cost of Insurance Working Group chaired by Mr Murphy recommended establishing a fraud database for the industry to detect patterns of fraud.

Another working group established in the Department of Justice and Equality to implement the recommendation, met for the first time in March and is continuing to meet on a regular basis.

An Garda Siochana, Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland, and Insurance Ireland are represented on the group.

Mr Hehir believes that a claimants entitlement to privacy will not be affected by a register  it would only be available to claims managers and, if necessary, the courts.

It would create a more transparent system by which insurers could filter out the small but active cohort of pseudo claimants, said Mr Hehir.

These people hide behind the law which protects their anonymity and ensures that they have the freedom to make multiple claims without insurers or courts being aware of their previous similar activity.

People do get injured in public places, and they deserve to be compensated because they have real injuries. We want to try and identify serial claimers.
Public sector unions are to begin the process of balloting members after a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement was hammered out.

After meeting yesterday, the executive of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) decided not to give a recommendation to its 3,000 members before they are balloted next week.
FORMER England rugby player Matt Dawson came close to losing younger son, Sami, 3, to meningitis in February 2016. Sami woke feeling very feverish. He was grumpy and moody  not his usual style, recalls the father of two.

Very soon, Samis hands and feet were chilled. He wasnt eating and had nausea and diarrhoea.

As a parent, you know youve taken your kids to hospital when they were tiny  there was nothing wrong and you thought next time I wont go through that rigmarole again, says the rugby icon, whose other son, Alex, is 5.

But Dawson and wife Carolin felt something wasnt right with Sami. Our instincts told us get him to hospital. Once there, it was obvious he was in a lot of bother. He was taken to the emergency ward, put in induced coma and filled with antibiotics. It was all hands to the pump. Sami was kept in the coma for over a week. He had a blood transfusion. There were cannulas going everywhere. He was changing size, rashes everywhere. It was fairly traumatic. I didnt know anything about meningitis. Once I realised, I was asking: Will he survive? Will he keep all his limbs? Will he be mentally stable? Whats the worst case scenario? Will he be OK? But they couldnt guarantee it  a lot depended on Sami battling against it. We had to take every hour at a time.

We were incredibly lucky  we caught it early and got great support. Now Samis running around like any three-year-old. Hes fabulous, sharp, athletic, bright, entertaining. Hes great, apart from scars on his wrists and ankles from the lesions.

The familys close call made Dawson passionate about spreading meningitis-awareness. With this disease, minutes can make a huge difference to outcome. People think of the glass test, but there are other lesser-known symptoms that its important to be aware of.

Dawson feels the experience changed him as a dad.

Im more conscious of how important is the time I spend with my family. All the moments my two boys ask me to do stuff, I dont hesitate to crack on  play with them in the garden, help them with whatever theyre doing. I love that anyway but this has put it all in perspective. .

GAA legend and former Dublin goalie John OLeary wont forget the day his six-year-old, Tom, lost his first tooth.

GAA legend and former Dublin goalie John OLeary with sons Jack (8, right) and Tom (6, left) and their mother Catherine. Picture: Colm Mahady / Fennells

We knew it was loose. We were watching it, wondering would we see it, would we find it  because Tom wouldnt be able to tell you about it. And then there it was  on his tongue! It was almost an emotional moment. That was that days moment  his lost tooth and us being able to find it for him. Tom has a rare chromosomal disorder, Trisomy 7p, causing intellectual and developmental problems. He has poor muscle tone, cant feed orally and is non-verbal. John and wife Catherine, who together have another son, Jack, 8, cant find anyone worldwide with the exact condition Tom has.

In addition, Tom was born with a heart condition, tetralogy of fallot. When he was born, he was floppy. We wondered about everything from Down syndrome to cystic fibrosis. We were like on an express train going from bad to worse. Tom nearly died when he was two months old. His white blood cells went through the roof. Combined with very poor muscle tone and a chest infection, it knocked him for six.

Neither John nor Catherine realised how close their baby came to not making it. He was very sick anyway, so it didnt look like he was potentially at deaths door. It was in subsequent conversations with the heart consultant [that we realised]. He said look, this guy came really close  he hasnt turned the corner but hes making progress. John, who also has three older children aged from 17 to 27, says Tom and the whole experience of having Tom makes him a better individual. Normal milestones  talking, walking  come and go with an ordinary child, but I really appreciate the little improvements Tom makes.

With no prognosis in terms of the chromosomal disorder, everything Tom has done has been a surprise, says John. Hes walking for the last five months. Hes unable to get into a standing position but once you stand him up he takes off. His first unaided adventure walking around the kitchen table was another moment, like losing his first tooth. Last night, he went from chair to front room and out to the trampoline  he did it all himself!

As a dad, I realise theres stuff I cant fix. Im not expert in everything. I have to row with the punches. I try to look after Tom as best I can. Theres the juxtaposition of a healthy eight-year-old running amuck in the house  and theres poor old Tom. Im constantly reminded of the difference between them. So Im correcting Jack as I go  and having to be more tolerant, patient and accepting of Tom. Its like playing two roles but I dont sweat it, I just get on with it. John is a board member with the Jack and Jill Foundation and very actively involved with the charity.

Tom OLeary, 6, and his older brother Jack, 8.Picture: Colm Mahady / Fennells

When Danny Harrold, 8, made his First Communion recently, his parents Tom and Elaine wondered would they have seen this day if it werent for Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin. Danny was born with multiple congenital heart defects and fought hard for survival during the first weeks of his life, says Tom.

While doctors hoped to hold off on open heart surgery until the child was several months older, they were forced to perform it when he was just nine weeks old. They had to intervene quickly. If they hadnt, he wouldnt be here today. May 18, 2009, is forever etched in Toms mind. At 9am that morning, we watched Danny fall under anaesthesia in our arms. We handed our baby over to the surgical team in Crumlin, putting our full trust in them to save his life. Wed no idea what the outcome would be  walking out of that operating theatre, leaving him behind, was the toughest thing Ive ever had to do.

It was at this crisis point that Tom realised he had to let go of wanting to control things. A dad is constantly thinking is there anything I can do? But I just had to let medicine and nature take its course. It was out of our hands, beyond our control and as parents  much bigger than us.

Tom Harrold, with wife Elaine and sons Cian, 10 and Danny, 8. Picture Dan Linehan

It was, he says, the longest nine hours of his life through hell and back on an emotional rollercoaster but fortunately Danny fought hard and came out the right side of things.

Unsurprisingly, the experience has impacted. I became a very positive person on the back of it. I gained so much appreciation  realising in an instant life can be turned upside down. A dad of two  older son Cian is 10  Tom says: I appreciate my children because I know I only have a loan of them. I realise this more as they grow. Dannys flying it now  in second class and 100% involved in sport, Irish dancing and music.

Hes the reason I choose to fundraise so much for Crumlin. This year, Ill run the New York City Marathon on November 5, as part of Team Crumlin. And Ill remember: every sick child deserves every chance.
What is happening in Yemen at present falls within this category yet the international community is actively facilitating rather than preventing it.

In the 1990s when questioned by a reporter about up to half a million children who died as a result of UN and Western imposed sanctions on Iraq, US Secretary of State Madeline Albright replied Yes I believe it was worth it.

Our Irish Government remained silent then.

In 2017 a greater catastrophe is being perpetrated in Yemen actively supported by the United States and its allies.

One branch of the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Committee, is condemning this situation, while the UN Security Council is the organisation that is imposing sanctions and a naval blockade that is preventing the importation of vital food supplies to Yemen, at the behest of its perm anent members the US, supported by Britain and France.

They do this on behalf of Saudi Arabia, which is the leading aggressor in Yemen, while selling large amounts of arms to Saudi Arabia.

Yemen is the oldest country in the Arabian Peninsula as all the others were hobbled together in 20th century by dying imperial powers, Britain and France. Now Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world.

UN members such as Ireland are facilitating the ongoing atrocities in Yemen just by remaining silent, and additionally in Irelands case by actively facilitating US wars of aggression through Shannon airport. Ireland suffered a similar imposed famine in the 1840s, so of all nations, we should be to the forefront in working to end this famine in Yemen that is killing tens of thousands of innocent children by deliberate starvation and diseases such as cholera spread by the bombing of water and sewerage treatment facilities and medical facilities.

Yet our Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade remains silent in the interests of Trade and jobs at Shannon.

Edward Horgan

Limerick

If you would like to make a blog submission for consideration and possible inclusion in the irishexaminer.com readers' blog submit it here
On Wednesday, June 14, at 10.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press briefing entitled "Economic and Political Situation in Ukraine as Seen by Its Citizens", where the assessment of the socio-economic situation, attitude to repeat elections, ratings of parties, presidential ratings, the 'second round' of presidential elections, protest moods, attitude to selling agricultural land will be presented. The participants include head of the Rating Sociological Group Oleksiy Antypovych and Deputy Director of the Rating Sociological Group Liubomyr Mysov (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. More information by phone: +380 (44) 254 3693, +380 (44) 254 3694, www.ratinggroup.ua.
Tuesday, June 13th, 2017 (11:17 am) - Score 1,246

Openreach (BT) is funding a new trial in Scotland that involves the deployment of a Gigabit capable Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) broadband network to the tiny remote rural Caithness and Sutherland communities of Altnaharra (45 premises) and Skerray by Bettyhill (100 premises).

The new roll-out is different because its being 100% funded out of Openreachs own pocket and theyre building fibre optic lines from new nodes off the spines direct to local properties (often covering much longer distances than normal). Villagers from both communities are also helping to dig at least part of the network (i.e. making it easier to reach the most remote homes), which takes a leaf out of B4RNs book and also makes it cheaper.

In Altnaharra, the Altnaharra Estate will dig in new cable which crosses its land. Meanwhile, in Skerray, residents who live some distance from the core network have agreed to dig in sections of cable to their properties, to specifications agreed with Openreach (ISPreview.co.uk understands that this is being promoted to locals as a dig your own product).

The project is also likely to be of particular benefit to residents of Skerray, where Openreachs existing copper cables are buried under the local beach and have thus suffered regular damage from lightning strikes. Slow and unstable connectivity are often the result of such incidents, as well as the potential for complete service failure.

Clive Selley, Openreachs CEO, said: As our core fibre spines penetrate even deeper into rural Scotland, it brings new opportunities to improve broadband speeds for remote communities. In Altnaharra and Skerray were assessing a new concept, building fibre from new nodes off the spines direct to local properties with support from the local communities. This builds on recent partnership and commercial investments in the Highlands and Islands. Well test how we can use the spines to reach very rural communities, and the distances over which we can use fibre effectively. Our learning from these innovative trials will inform our wider fibre strategy and could potentially help us to reach other very remote communities around the UK. The two pilot communities will see their broadband speeds jump dramatically, as well as improvements to their existing services, so this is a win-win situation.

Openreach have of course already deployed plenty of pure fibre optic lines to remote rural communities and weve also seen them work with local support before too (e.g. the Fell End Broadband project in Ravenstonedale, Cumbria), although their new initiative appears to go a lot further.

Such close community engagement on the civil engineering front remains rare for Openreach and it will be interesting to see if this now becomes more common, particularly as many of the remaining areas left to cover would be very expensive to deliver without help from volunteers. The alternative would require a huge public subsidy.

Sadly Openreach has not revealed any information about the cost of these deployments or their time-scale. We also note that around 200 premises in Bettyhill have already been catered for via the local state aid supported Digital Scotland project and slower (up to 80Mbps) FTTC technology.
Malware. Data theft. Ransomware. Everyone wants to know who was behind the latest audacious attack. Several attempts have been made over the years to use linguistics to identify perpetrators, but when it comes to attribution, there are limitations to using this method.

Linguistic analysis came up recently when analysts at intelligence firm Flashpoint said there was a Chinese link with the WannaCry ransomware. Much of the security research up till then had pointed to North Korean ties, as the attacks reused infrastructure components associated with the shadowy Lazarus Group. Before that, a Taia Global report suggested the The Shadow Brokers manifesto was actually written by a native English speaker, despite the broken English. Linguistic analysis also was used to suggest that Guccifer 2.0, who released documents stolen from the Democratic National Committee, was likely not Romanian as claimed. Back in 2014, Taia Global said linguistic clues pointed the Sony breach to Russian actors, and not the North Koreans as the United States government had claimed.

[ How much does a cyber attack really cost? Take a look at the numbers. | Get the latest from CSO by signing up for our newsletters. ]

Attribution is hard enoughand relying on linguistic tools appears to be just adding to the confusion. Was WannaCry the work of the Chinese or the North Koreans? Is Guccifer 2.0 Romanian or Russian? Linguistic analysis will very rarely lead to the smoking gun. At the very least, it will uncover a whole set of clues for researchers to track down, and at the best, it will support (or confirm) other pieces of evidence uncovered by technical research and forensics methods. Linguistic analysis is another tool in the arsenal when it comes to attribution.

Linguistic evidence, to be reliable, must show a consistent pattern of different features pointing in a single direction, says Shlomo Argamon, a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was behind Taias original analysis of the Sony hackers and that of The Shadow Brokers.

Understanding the analysis

There are two kinds of analysis, one looks at the actual source code and the other examines the actual text that is used. In the first kind, the analysis focuses on code style and patterns to see similarities to other known code samples. Many researchers have relied on this method to link different attacks to a single actor, but this isnt linguistic analysis.

The second method relies on human language, such as error messages, dialog boxes and messages directly shown to victims. For it to be effective, there needs to be text and plenty of it. Flashpoints WannaCry analysis focused on the ransom notes that victims were shown. Argamon analyzed The Shadow Brokers rambling manifesto. In the case of Guccifer 2.0, Argamon looked at Motherboards Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierais interview with Guccifer 2.0 over Twitter. In some cases, there is text in the code itselfsuch as commentsbut that is typically considered too little to be useful. You have to have enough text, says Argamo
As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles.

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https://www.johnnyfd.com/2017/06/johnnys-ultimate-travel-guide-to.html

When to Come

Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand)

The Southern Islands









West Coast Islands: Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Phi Phi

East Coast Islands: Koh Samui, Phangan, Koh Tao

Where to Go





Travel Itinerary









1 Week:





If you only have 1 week or less, I would honestly tell you to either find a way to stay longer or just go somewhere closer to home such as Mexico if you're from the US. The problem with coming to Thailand for 7-10 days is that it takes 2 full days to get here, 1-2 days to get home, and you'll be exhausted from jet lag and travel while you're actually here. Because of that most people who come for a week end up just visiting Bangkok, which honestly isn't worth it.





I know everyone has different levels of vacation time and freedom of travel, but honestly, don't come if you're just here for 7 days. If you do, the best advice I could give you is to fly directly to Bangkok, Transfer right away with another direct flight on Bangkok Air to Phuket or Koh Samui and spend your entire time there until you have to leave, with maybe spending your last night in Bangkok just to see it. You can still do day trips from the islands, but make sure you don't try to move hotels too much as you'll be exhausted.









2 Weeks:





This is the minimum amount of time I'd recomend anyone coming all the way to Thailand from either the US, Canada or Europe. My suggestion for you would be to fly into Bangkok, then directly fly with either Thai Air or Bangkok Air to one of the islands. Book your first 4 nights somewhere, then leave it open ended from there. Unless you're coming in December, you don't need to prebook as most of the year you can just book things a day or two beforehand.





That way you'll have the freedom to stay longer or shorter at each destination. My advice would be to fly from Bangkok to either Krabi or Phuket, then island hop from there to places like Railey Beach, Phi Phi, or Koh Lanta as you please. You'll want to stay a minimum of 3 nights at each location to really get the most of it and settle in so you don't feel rushed. If you get bored of the islands, you can fly up to Chiang Mai to spend 3-4 nights at the end of your trip.









3 Weeks:





As a tourist, this is the perfect amount of time to really enjoy Thailand. I'd recomend doing everything mentioned above but then spend the last week or so in Chiang Mai. The only thing you need to book ahead of time are the Elephant Parks in Chiang Mai as those get booked up weeks or months ahead. But everything else you can do last minute and stay flexible.









4 Weeks:









As for places to see, you can easily spend a week in Chiang Mai as there's a ton to do which I wrote about in my If you're backpacking around, or coming to live and work as a as a digital nomad then good for you! My suggestions would be to base yourself on Koh Lanta or Koh Phangan for the first month to enjoy the islands, then come up to Chiang Mai to actually live. Or if you're on a budget or really focused on the digital nomad life, just come straight to Chiang Mai and save the islands for a vacation.As for places to see, you can easily spend a week in Chiang Mai as there's a ton to do which I wrote about in my Ultimate Guide to Chiang Mai here. But aside from the city itself including the day trips, night markets, and temples, you can also go up to the hippie village of Pai for 3-5 days, where you can do things like stay at the Pai Circus Hostel and learn how to juggle and do acroyoga, or you can splurge and stay in pure luxury at Reverie Siam.











Aside from Pai, Chiang Dao is also a nice quiet and affordable get away, good for couples, or if you want to take some beautiful photos, go to the White Temple in Chiang Rai, and make sure you also visit the less famous, but even more impressive Black House ( Baan Dam ) which doesn't look as good in photos, but is much cooler in person.





Or spend the weekend at the Veranda High Resort in Chiang Mai





Malaria Pills?



I get asked this question all of the time and the problem is, it's usually western doctors or pharmacists who have never even been to Thailand that suggest taking it just in case. I've been coming to Thailand for the past 10 years and have met thousands of tourists, no one I know has ever gotten malaria. However, I've also met dozens of people who took malaria pills, most of which had terrible side effects such as not being able to go into the sun. Not being able to lay on a beach or tan. And not being able to drink alcohol during their vacation.

Long answer is, do not take malaria pills, when coming to Thailand. It's not needed. However, do not let mosquitoes bite you, as even though your chances of getting malaria are very tiny, the chances of getting dengue fever is higher. Make sure you wear mosquito spray during morning and sunset when the mosquitoes come out. You can buy spray here at any 711 for $2-$3. I suggest buying the natural citronella one first which is in the clear round bottle, and also buying a small bottle of the one with DEET in it, which is the small pink or orange bottle. Try the natural one first, then use the DEET one if it's not working.



Try to stay in places that are kind enough to have bug screens on their windows or mosquito nets. That's it. Don't take malaria pills, spray mosquito spray instead.





What to Pack









Everyone always overpacks when coming to Thailand. You could technically show up with just the clothes on your back and $200 and buy everything you'll ever need here. Seriously, not even joking. On the islands you'll be wearing flip flops, shorts, and a tank-top everyday and up in Chiang Mai, you'll be wearing shorts and a t-shirt.









1. Neosporin - It's not available here, and it heals cuts 5x faster than any anti-biotic cream you can find here. You'll need it for random cuts you'll get from rocks, coral, walking around in sandals, wearing shorts, etc. Get it Aside from really speciality items, Thailand is now a 1st world country where even at 711 which they have on every other block, you can buy all of your toiletries you'll need. Even the luggage yourself will probably be cheaper in Thailand than back home. Knowing that, come with less stuff than you think you'll need. The only things that aren't available here that I would highly recomend are:- It's not available here, and it heals cuts 5x faster than any anti-biotic cream you can find here. You'll need it for random cuts you'll get from rocks, coral, walking around in sandals, wearing shorts, etc. Get it here , just bring one tube.





2. Sun Block - You can buy it here but for whatever reason it's double the price. I'd bring a tube of SPF 30 if you want to save some money. Same thing as condoms or tampons. =)





3. Good Sandals - Even though it's cheap to buy knock of Havianan's here, since you'll be doing a lot of walking, I suggest bringing a better pair such as my favorite, the - Even though it's cheap to buy knock of Havianan's here, since you'll be doing a lot of walking, I suggest bringing a better pair such as my favorite, the Luna Mono's . Also if you're larger than a size 11, you won't find shoes in Thailand, period.





4. Electronics - All electronics from laptops to cell phones are cheaper in the US than Thailand. In fact, if you time your arrival for October each year, you can fund your trip by buying two new iPhones as they are released and selling them here for a big markup the first month they come out. If you're planning to travel with a laptop, I suggest a 13" Macbook/Air/Pro or a 13" - All electronics from laptops to cell phones are cheaper in the US than Thailand. In fact, if you time your arrival for October each year, you can fund your trip by buying two new iPhones as they are released and selling them here for a big markup the first month they come out. If you're planning to travel with a laptop, I suggest a 13" Macbook/Air/Pro or a 13" Chromebook . Leave your heavy 15" laptops at home, they're a hassle to travel with.





5. Extra Space - Leave at least 33% of your luggage empty as you'll buy things guaranteed. Whether it be clothes, gifts or souvenirs, it's almost impossible to go to Thailand and not buy something. The best suitcases to bring would be a small day pack as your carry on, and a 75L suitcase or backpack as your main check in. Anything larger won't fit in most taxis, and will be difficult to move on and off ferries and boats when visiting the islands. I have a - Leave at least 33% of your luggage empty as you'll buy things guaranteed. Whether it be clothes, gifts or souvenirs, it's almost impossible to go to Thailand and not buy something. The best suitcases to bring would be a small day pack as your carry on, and a 75L suitcase or backpack as your main check in. Anything larger won't fit in most taxis, and will be difficult to move on and off ferries and boats when visiting the islands. I have a 30" Northface Rolling Duffle that I'm very happy with and think it's the perfect halfway point from a backpack and a suitcase.









Don't bring more than this.













Must Dos in Thailand!









Here are a list of the best parts and things to do in Thailand that I've loved the most. See which ones call out to you and put them on your to do list.









Scuba Diving -





I had no idea how much I'd love it until actually coming here and trying it for the first time. If you've never done it before, I'd highly suggest getting super comfortable swimming in a pool if you haven't already. A good test is being able to swim with your head in the water for at least half a lap or being able to swim on the bottom of the pool. You can do a 1 day Discover Scuba Dive for around $100-$150 or get certified over 4 days for $300-$400. If you plan on getting certified, I'd highly recomend doing the free SSI Online course before you come as otherwise, if you come and do a PADI course, you'll be rushed through the theory/classroom sessions. The best thing you can do is to go through half of your open water certification at home, taking your time over 4-8 weeks and simply save the open water dive portion for the warm waters of Thailand instead of your cold lake or quarry back home. That way you get a non-rushed dive education back home in a swimming pool, and you can enjoy warm tropical open water diving here.





Scuba Diving changed my life and is one of the most beautiful things you can do in your lifetime. It's like going to outer space and seeing thousands of alternative life forms. The oceans are dying so see them sooner than later as they won't be the same in 10 years. Koh Tao is the most popular place to get certified as it's cheap and easy.





Snorkeling:

Even though I highly encourge everyone to try scuba diving while you're in Thailand as the experience is usually 100X better. If for whatever reason you can't, snorkeling is the best next option. The problem with most snorkeling operators is the fact that that most of the Thai boat drivers/tour operators have never actually snorkeled themselves and don't swim.



That means that they usually offer cheap tours where they randomly drop you off somewhere that may or may not have good conditions to actually see what Thailand has to offer. It's a shame that big tour operators take hundreds of tourists on cheap snorkeling trips daily, and use unsustainable tactics like fish feeding, or dropping anchors onto reefs, and have hundreds of tourists with life jackets and fins standing on coral. So just bewarey of which snorkeling tour you go on and don't be afraid of writing them a bad review to warn others if they act this way.



That being said, the best snorkeling in Thailand by far is in Koh Haa lagoon which is one of the islands off of Koh Lanta. There is decent snorkeling around the Phi Phi Islands if they operator takes you to the right places such as the Bidas. Some of the bays in Koh Tao such as Japanese Garden are decent as well.



















Muay Thai -









If you're interested in Muay Thai, I wrote an entire book detailing my experience living and training in Muay Thai gyms around thailand, you can find it on amazon or at If you're interested in it as a martial art, Thailand is the home to Muay Thai. Go watch a fight at one of the big stadiums in Bangkok, or settle for a smaller show in Chiang Mai or Phuket. If you're really serious, go join a class while you're in town.If you're interested in Muay Thai, I wrote an entire book detailing my experience living and training in Muay Thai gyms around thailand, you can find it on amazon or at 12 Weeks in Thailand.









Elephant Trekking -





One of the coolest things I've done in Chiang Mai was really experiencing the elephants. Don't go to a shitty show or ride as they are devastatingly cruel to the elephants. If you're going to go, do it the ethical way and read my guide to Elephants. If you're not coming up to Chiang Mai, these are the only other places to see them ethically. Do not support the elephant shows on the streets, the metal chair riding, or painting shows.















Night Markets -





The best night markets in Thailand are in Chiang Mai on the weekends, both saturday and sunday night so try to come up for those. Also Bangkok has some good ones and there are small markets in most places worth going to.









Eating Food -



Thai food is amazing. But you need to get out of the tourist traps to really enjoy it. Chiang Mai probably has the best food in Thailand, which is why foodies love it here. Bangkok also has great spots but are hard to get to. In general the islands are more expensive but you can still find good, authentic food, it just most likely won't be at your hotel or on the main tourist streets.











Thai food is amazing. But you need to get out of the tourist traps to really enjoy it. Chiang Mai probably has the best food in Thailand, which is why foodies love it here. Bangkok also has great spots but are hard to get to. In general the islands are more expensive but you can still find good, authentic food, it just most likely won't be at your hotel or on the main tourist streets.









Rock Climbing -











Outdoor rock climbing in Railay was beautiful and amazing. It's also a mecca that rock climbers travel to. I'd suggest getting a lesson at an indoor gym back home first, and practicing a few times before coming and strengthening your forearm muscles to really get the most of it.











Island Tours -





Sometimes just being out on the water is beautiful enough. Going to the small islands near Phi Phi are beautiful. The reason why I really like scuba diving is you get the boat tour built into your day of diving.



You can also do day boat trips to the Phi Phi islands, small uninhabited islands just to walk around on, or do something adventurous like deep water soloing!















Massages -





Get a massage the day after you arrive, trust me, it'll make your flight soreness disappear. If you're on vacation for just a week or two, there's no reason not to get a massage everyday as they are usually around $5-$10 per hour. One of my favorite things to do is to pop in for a foot massage in the middle of the day.







Motorcycle Riding -

Riding a scooter is super fun, and it feels like pure freedom while you're here. Most people can learn how to ride it within a few hours. Just make sure you wear a helmet even if no one else does, SERIOUSLY. Also if you're a beginner, realize it's 3X harder to take someone on the back. Just get two scooters, it'll be safer both of you.



For those experienced in riding back home, you'll be pleased to know that dirt biking is super fun in the jungles, and you can also rent big bikes to do things like the





Riding a scooter is super fun, and it feels like pure freedom while you're here. Most people can learn how to ride it within a few hours. Just make sure you wear a helmet even if no one else does, SERIOUSLY. Also if you're a beginner, realize it's 3X harder to take someone on the back. Just get two scooters, it'll be safer both of you.For those experienced in riding back home, you'll be pleased to know that dirt biking is super fun in the jungles, and you can also rent big bikes to do things like the Mae Hong Son Loop which is a 5 day drive through the mountains near Chiang Mai.

Hippy Stuff -

It's funny that if it wasn't for coming to Thailand I probably never would have gotten into Yoga, healthy eating, or meditation. But it's a great place to try it all. Look for an Acroyoga meetup, go up to Pai, the little hippy village north of Chiang Mai or over to Koh Phangan and learn how to juggle or spin fire.





















Fishing -





The deep sea fishing in Thailand is unfortunately pretty bad now as the seas are completely overfished by unsustainable commercial fishing methods such as longline fishing and bottom trawling. But good news it there are lakes where you can catch things like Giant Mekong Catfish all day in both Chiang Mai and Bangkok.











Resorts -





Shopping -

Cooking Classes -

Visit Chiang Mai -





My favorite city in Thailand to stay in long term is Chiang Mai. After going to the islands for a week or so to enjoy the ocean, diving and beaches, I really like spending time in the small mountain town of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand.



There's so much to do here that even after coming for five years, I seem to discover something new every week. Here are There's so much to do here that even after coming for five years, I seem to discover something new every week. Here are 25+ of my favorite things to do in Chiang Mai.









My favorite, Must Do things in Chiang Mai









Other/Random -

Read the book on Amazon or at 12 Weeks in Thailand













Destination Weddings:





Honeymooners would also follow this section, as the best destination wedding spots and resorts for weddings would also be great for a honeymoon. This part just added as the director from the Destination Wedding show just asked me where they should look for possible destination wedding locations in Thailand. Here's what I told him and would recomend to others:





The main three options would be:





Koh Samui

Phuket

Chiang Mai





The first two are good because they are tropical islands, and there are literally hundreds of hotels that offer destination wedding or honeymoon packages with 4 or 5 star experiences. I would just go through and sort from highest priced or best reviewed and work your way downwards. Just remember that unless you are staying at an international brand such as the Four Seasons, the standards for 4 or 5 stars in Asia, especially when it comes to service are different from what you would expect in the US or Europe, but then again, you might only be paying $120 a night verses $500+.





As for Chiang Mai, there will be less options but really nice mountains and the elephant nature park for photos. The top hotel would be the The Dhara Dhevi which is formally the Mandarin Oriental, or the Four Seasons





All three destinations have airports which make them popular.





But aside from those three, there are dozens of other, smaller islands or locations that could offer some amazing destination weddings for even less money, with more seclusion and have the possibility to have the entire hotel to yourself.





For an example, you can have your destination wedding on the island of Koh Lanta where it's possible to rent an entire 20 room, 4 star hotel for $2,000 a night and have your wedding there for not that much more. There you could do something crazy like go early enough in the morning or pay off enough boat captains to have all of your guests swim through the Emerald Cave and pop up to see your bride or groom standing in a wedding dress on this secluded beach that's surrounded by rocks on all sides and is only accessible during low tide.





The only problem with choosing a more remote option aside from Phuket, Koh Samui or Chiang Mai is the fact that they won't be as used to doing weddings and may not have things like professional photographers on hand, etc. The upside would be a more unique experience, lower costs, and more privacy. I'd recomend going with one of the top three destinations if you wants things to go smoothly, or go with a lesser known destination if you and your guests are more adventurous.

























FAQ:









What Visa do I need? -





None. You'll automatically get a 30 day exemption when you arrive at the airport for free. If you think you're going to stay longer, make sure you apply for a 2 month tourist visa before you come. If you plan on staying even longer than that, get a 6 month Multiple-Entry Visa before you come.









How Much Money Do I need? -





None, just kidding. But it really depends on how you budget, where you stay, what you do, etc. If you want to spend less than $1,000 a month, you'll need to live like a local and stay in one city such as Chiang Mai or on just one of the islands. If you want to travel around, stay in hotels, resorts, drink alcohol, party it up, etc, you'll need at minimum of $350-$500 a week. Read my book above for some money saving tips.









What Neighboring Countries Should I See? -





None. Seriously. Thailand is relatively big country with a ton to to see. Don't country hop just to say you've been places. Take your time and really get immersed and see it all. It'll be less stressful, more enjoyable, and cheaper. The only exception I'd make is if you're staying for more than 2 months, then definitely go to another country after your visa expires, even if jut to do a visa run, sightsee a bit and come back. The other scenario is stopping by your layover country for a few days.













How Can You Afford to Stay for So Long?





I first worked as a divemaster which paid me around $600 - $1,000 a month which was enough to live off of. Then I wrote 12 Weeks in Thailand and discovered how to make money online. If you want to know more read either this blog post , or better yet, read my 2nd book where I explain it in more details at Life Changes Quick. It wasn't easy, but it has definitely been worth it.

























Want More Info?













Feel free to ask me anything in the comment section below and i'm happy to help, and will add your questions and answers to the FAQ above.





Or even better, you can simply read my book, 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap which is the book that summarizes everything I did, and learned during my numerous 3 month trips to Thailand where I was spending on average of $600 a month.





Another good book to read if you're interested in longer trips is the book that inspired me to take the leap, the 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss . Both are great books to read either before you come, or on the plane ride here.

Since I've been living off and on in Thailand for almost 8 years now, naturally have had dozens of friends ask me what they should do in Thailand on vacation. I've written books and longer blog posts about moving here as an expat or living here as a digital nomad, but realized that I didn't have a blog post dedicated for people visiting purely on vacation for a week or two which is what most people's vacations end up being, especially my American friends who hardly get any time off of work. In this post I'm going to share where I would go if I just had a short vacation and wanted to see the best of Thailand, skip the tourist traps, avoid getting ripped off, and really have the best experience possible.I'm going to break down this blog post to what to do if you have one week or less, two weeks or more, and include some info for those who have the freedom of time to stay even longer and explain what I'd do and see if I were in their shoes and had to start all over again. My goal with this and with all of my posts is to write it to be able to share with my friends, family, and anyone else in my personal network that would normally come to me for advice. Get ready, as Thailand is an extraordinary place and one of my favorite countries in the world, which explains why I keep coming back to visit year after year.One of my favorite things about Thailand is the fact that it's in the perfect location in the world where there's always one coast that has good weather even when it's monsoon season on the other side, yet it's small enough where you can fly from one place to another in 1.5 hours or less for $100 or less!That being said, the best time to come is anytime, and the sooner the better, and for the longer the better. But if you really had to choose, the best weather is ironically during December/January which is also the busiest high season as well, which kind of sucks as the entire country gets crowded with tourists which means, you'll have less space to yourself and pay higher prices for everything, especially accomidation. But don't worry, since I'm a local and have been living here half of the year or more since 2008, I can steer you in the right direction no matter what.First, decide which part of the country you want to go. Let's break it down further by area.The following weather is basically for anything north of Bangkok including Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai.Best time to come as it's the cool season, which means, even though you'll need a light jacket in the mornings and evenings, during the day it's sunny and perfect and ranges from 21-28 degrees celsius, which is about 70-82F. At night it can drop down to as low as 10-13c which is 50-55F.This is the worst time to come to Chiang Mai as it's burning season where the farmers burn the crops and fill the sky with smoke that chokes the city, traps car pollution and otherwise makes it miserable. Exact dates vary depending on the rainfall for the year but in general avoid Chiang Mai from February 20th - April 11th each year.This is hot season. The only reason to come here during this time is to go to the Songkran water fight celebration. Other wise, I'd go down to the islands to dip in the sea and cool off during these months.While it's known as the rainy season, or green season, it's actually a really nice time to be in Chiang Mai. The air is super clean from the rain, the jungles are lush green, there is a ton of ripe fruit, and even though it may rain hard for 2-3 hours a day, just make sure you're inside during those times and the rest of the day is usually beautiful and sunny. Most of my days during this time consist of waking up to the sunshine, going for a walk, or even a swim, ducking into a coffee shop to edit photos and go online for a few hours when it starts raining, then having the rest of the day be beautiful again.The best islands to visit in Thailand is the ones that currently have the best weather. You'll love pretty much any of the islands if you have bright, sunny days, and dread them if you go there during monsoon season. So when it comes to the Phuket vs. Koh Samui debate, my suggestion is to go to the one that has the best weather during your time of visit, as they are similar enough where you'll enjoy either if your timing is right.Any island west of the peninsula is on the Andaman Sea side and is best visited anytime from November to March. Even though it's technically wet season on the west coast from April - October, I've lived in Phuket during that time and it wasn't that bad at all. The only problem with places like Koh Lanta or Phi Phi during the rain is that there isn't anywhere to escape to and most restaurants are indoor/outdoor.Phuket on the other hand is more built up, so you could always go to a mall, indoor restaurant or even a movie theater if it happens to rain that day. Just like Chiang Mai, just because it's rainy season during these months doesn't mean it rains all day everyday. You'll still get clear days, and be able to sit on the beach or by the pool for at least a few hours a day usually.But still the best times to come are November - March if you want to go down to the west coast islands.Do not go to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao in November! It's super monsoon season there during that time and will most likely rain all day, all night, and flood at some points. The good news however, is pretty much the rest of the year is great there on the east coast, which is the Gulf of Thailand.Go to that side anytime between mid December onwards or anytime between January - October 9th or so. Just make sure you go to the Phuket side if your trip is from October 10th - December 10th as it's terrible on the east side then. My favorite island on this coast is probably Koh Tao as it's a fun, beautiful backpacker island with a ton of cheap, easy, scuba diving on the island.So now that I've broken down the best and worst months, you should use that as an idea of where to actually go during your trip. My suggestion to anyone coming to Thailand for the first time would be to skip Bangkok either entirely, or save it till your last 2 days of your trip as that's more than enough time to see everything there, and you'll be more comfortable with Thai culture and the business of Asia before you go to the big city capital.Bangkok is overwhelming, even for locals. I know some people love the craziness of big cities, but if you're coming on vacation, trust me, save it till the end of your trip, as the main reason to go there is to shop and you won't want to carry everything you bought with you down to the islands and then back up again. So if you insist on buying clothes or souvenirs buy it at the end of your trip.So even though my favorite city in Thailand by far is Chiang Mai and it's where I live most of the year, for most people during their vacation, you should go down to the island's first as it has more of a wow factor.My favorite island is probably Koh Lanta as it has a good mix of a laid back island vibe, great restaurants, and is a great spot for couples. Koh Samui on the east coast would be similar but a bit larger. Koh Lanta however has world class scuba diving and Samui has basically nothing.If you're looking for a livelier scene, Koh Phi Phi or Koh Tao are known as backpacker islands and are filled with beach bars, people in their 20's and cheap places to stay. Both are great places to learn how to scuba dive and get your Open Water Certification as since the dive sites are close by, they are cheap to dive from.Aside from that Koh Phangan is a great under visited island that has many faces. There is the full moon party which is awesome and great if you're under 35 and single. But it also has a lot of hippie parts that are a bit harder to get to but very nice.Krabi is another island that is often missed even though it has an airport and some beautiful spots. The problem with Krabi is that the actual town of Ao Nang, similar to Phuket is a bit too touristy to enjoy. If you go, make sure you go to Railay Beach instead even though it's a bit out of the way as that's where you'll find the true beauty. It's known for world class outdoor rock climbing and free soloing which is climbing without ropes over water. Even if you're a beginner, it's worth going to as it's gorgeous and they have routes for all levels including novices.To be honest, for most people you'll be happy spending most of your day just staying in nice resorts and relaxing with a book or in the pool. On the islands you'll end up just walking around on the beach, and hanging out. Remember, this is a vacation, relax, and enjoy yourself. Don't just do stuff for the sake of doing it. Your goal should be to go back home more rested than you arrived, not the other way around.There are plenty of nice resorts for as low as $30-$50 a night in Thailand, or as high as $300+, it really depends on your budget, but I've had an amazing time in the $60-$100 a night range and for as little as $30 a night in places like The Nest featured below. Also most resorts, no matter how nice will let you walk in and hang out by the pool as long as you buy a drink, so take advantage of that.I love buying things at the night market, but realized that less is more and that souvenirs usually just end up taking up space and aren't often appreciated by friends that you bring them back for. Don't stress too much about buying things and just enjoy your time here.The only thing that I really loved having when I used to actually wear suits, was a custom, tailored made suit that I got for less than $200. If you wear suits or dress shirts often, my advice is to get them done either in Chiang Mai or Bangkok, and give yourself plenty of time to go in for 3 fittings. The problem with most tailors is that they will rush it knowing that you're in a rush, and you'll end up getting something a bit too big rather than perfectly tailored. Read reviews before you go, and never ever go to one off the street without reading reviews first. My favorite place is Neramit in Chiang Mai but the owner is getting old so I don't know how much longer it'll be around. My advice is to go anywhere with good reviews that has the tailors on site. Most places send the suits to a central factory and you never get as good of a fit with them.They are super fun to do and you get to eat everything you cook. Highly recommended, you can do this anywhere, just make sure you read reviews of the place first.The best experiences you'll have on vacation in Thailand is through serendipity. Whether it's meeting other travelers from random countries, going on a side trip somewhere, or discovering something new or going on an adventure. I'm sure I've missed a few things while writing this, so I'll be sure to update this post as needed. Leave a comment below and let me know if you have any questions or recommendations!When flying from SF or LA, I often need to stop in Seoul, Korea or Taipei, Taiwan for a layover. It would make sense to ask the airline if I can stay for 2 days or so and sight see a little on the way there or back if that's something you want to do.I hope you enjoy Thailand! It's probably my favorite country on Earth and it keeps me coming back each year for more! Leave a comment to mention anything I might have left out, or ask me anything! I'm happy to help!Warm Regards,Johnny FD
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The ghost of Andrew Johnson, Americas 17th president and the first to be impeached, is haunting the White House. Echoes of Johnsons footsteps can be detected in the 45th presidents policies and conduct, including Donald Trumps rash, ill-advised decision to unceremoniously fire FBI Director James B. Comey. That act is reminiscent of Johnsons discharge of his secretary of war, Edwin M. Stanton, in 1867, which led to impeachment by the House of Representatives. Whether Trumps firing of Comey could contribute to a similar fate in the House remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, in thought, word and deed, Johnson may be a spirit manifested in Trump.

Johnson has been described by historian Eric Foner as intolerant of criticism, and out of touch with political reality. Labeling Johnson self-absorbed, Foner cited a one-hour Washingtons Birthday speech by Johnson in which he referred to himself over 200 times. Sound like anyone we know?

This much can be said: The crooked, nefarious pathways blazed by Johnson on enforcement of civil rights and justice are routes that Trump is faithfully following.

Johnson laid his tracks early.

Had Johnsons policies prevailed for the past 150 years, the District of Columbia would never have had African American mayors or council members  or even any blacks among the citys electorate. In 1867, Johnson vetoed legislation giving African American men the right to vote in the District. That precious right was, thankfully, granted three days later, but only because Congress overrode Johnsons veto. (Johnson expressed his strong anti-black feelings in his message about a veto of the first Reconstruction Act: The negroes have not asked for the privilege of voting; the vast majority of them have no idea what it means.)

And no thanks to Johnson, Howard University and St. Marys Episcopal Church, in Foggy Bottom, are celebrating their sesquicentennials.

One hundred and fifty-one years ago, Johnson vetoed a bill renewing the charter of the Freedmens Bureau, which was created to provide assistance to Howard University and the fledging African American colleges and universities in the emancipated South. Johnson described such assistance as Africanizing the southern part of our territory.

Howards charter, awarded by Congress in 1867, was signed by Johnson, but only because Congress overrode that Johnson veto, too, and forced the Freedmens Bureau down his throat.

St. Marys Church, the citys first African American Episcopal congregation, also had a near-death experience with Johnson.

The church, located in the 700 block of 23rd Street NW, has the aforementioned Stanton to thank for its original building. Hearing about the newly formed congregations search for a place of worship, Stanton provided the chapel materials that became the first building exclusively for the citys black Episcopalians.

Like Howard University, St. Marys had dodged a Johnson bullet. The church held its first service on June 9, 1867. It was just two months later, in August, that Johnson fired Stanton.

But Johnson was a scourge of America far beyond the District of Columbia.

Frowning upon giving full rights and privileges of citizenship to freed African Americans, Johnson vetoed a stream of civil rights bills, most of the vetoes were overridden by Congress.

He undercut the positive measures of Reconstruction. He gave former Confederate states freedom to manage their affairs, which allowed them to enact Black Codes that imposed plantation-like conditions on former slaves.

Now Trump, as boorish, undisciplined, racially insensitive and bullying as Johnson was, is not missing a beat when it comes to lax civil rights enforcement and ignoring racial, ethnic and religious injustices.

Under Trumps agenda, states will be allowed to take protection of minority rights into their own hands. Trumps administration will look the other way.

In Trumps Washington, the Labor Department unit that monitors discrimination by federal contractors is being disbanded, the Education Departments office that investigates discrimination complaints in school districts is being gutted, police departments that have whipped up on blacks will receive dialed-down Justice Department oversight, and environmental polluters may get the Environmental Protection Agencys green light to contaminate minority communities .

White supremacists are as emboldened today as they were during Andrew Johnsons era.

Discrimination is getting the same blind-eye treatment it received during the post-Civil War white Southern pushback. Acts of racially and religiously motivated violence are enjoying a resurgence reminiscent of the day the White House was ruled by Andrew Johnson  an apparition that seems to be making daily appearances in the Oval Office.
Li calls on 60 million in diaspora to lend talents and resources to effort

Premier Li Keqiang called on overseas Chinese on Monday to invest more in China and participate in building the Belt and Road.

Overseas Chinese businesspeople should make use of their advantages in capital, technology, management, business networks and human resources to participate in China's development, Li told representatives of the second overseas Chinese business conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li said that China's advantage as an attractive investment destination and huge goods market continues growing, and the economy is creating 13 million new urban jobs every year. He also pledged to push tax cuts for companies.

In his speech, Li vowed to push a new round of opening-up, lift more restrictions on access for foreign capital and create a more equal business environment.

Overseas Chinese can participate in building the Belt and Road by connecting China with the world, achieving mutual benefits and win-win results, he said.

China is confident of achieving this year's development goal and keeping economic growth at a medium-high rate while upgrading industries to a medium-high level, Li said. The Chinese economy keeps moving in a positive direction while maintaining stability, with growth that ranks among the highest in the world, he added.

There are approximately 60 million overseas Chinese  ethnic Chinese from the nation's diaspora  Li has said.

They have made many contributions in terms of investments of money and talent in China, and donations to the country.

He also urged overseas Chinese to abide by the laws of the countries where they live, shoulder social responsibilities, spread Chinese culture and serve as a bridge for exchanges between China and the world.

Li stressed that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. The overseas Chinese should do more to safeguard the one-China principle and promote recognition of the 1992 Consensus, he said, while calling on the people to contribute to the peaceful reunification of the nation. The 1992 Consensus embodies the one-China principle.

In his speech, the premier spoke highly of the efforts overseas Chinese have made in promoting friendship with foreign countries and contributing to China's reform and opening-up.

Qiu Yuanping, director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, said at the opening ceremony that the conference was held to support overseas Chinese in formulating a cooperation network, participating in building the Belt and Road, and strengthening China's friendly exchanges with the world.

More than 600 representatives of overseas Chinese from 105 countries and regions attended the conference at the invitation of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office.

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Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng speaks in the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium in Des Moines,Iowa, the United States, June 12, 2017.(Xinhua/Wang Ping)

DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The prospects of U.S.-China relations are very promising, according to participants of the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium, which opened Monday in Des Moines, capital of U.S. state of Iowa.

More than 20 Chinese and U.S. experts and scholars gathered here to deliberate on such topics as Sino-U.S. relations after the Mar-a-Lago meeting, economic and trade cooperation, local cooperation and the prospects of the relationship between the two countries.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Former Minister of the State Council Information Office Zhao Qizheng said rapid development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation not only is an epitome of Sino-U.S. relations, but also helps build up a solid foundation for Sino-U.S. cooperation in other fields.

"People of both countries have benefited from this economic and trade relationship," said Zhao. "Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation promises huge opportunities and potentials, and the prospects are very promising."

It is vital to establish an unimpeded dialogue and cooperation mechanism between the two countries, and think tanks can provide useful reference and rational consultation in this field, Zhao stressed.

As for trade gap, Zhao holds that China runs a surplus in goods trade but a deficit in service trade with the United States. Both Chinese and U.S. governments are making efforts to narrow the gap, and have introduced the 100-Day Action Plan and reached consensus on the next-step targets.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei said the relationship between China and the United States has experienced ups and downs all the way along but has forged ahead, economic and trade cooperation has played the roles of "ballast stone" and "propeller."

"Sino-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, for which economic and trade cooperation is the most active and lasting driving force," Hong added.

Zach Nunn, member of the Iowa State Legislature, Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China, and Kenneth Quinn, president of World Food Prize Foundation, expressed wishes for mutual beneficial and win-win relationship between China and the United States. Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie attended the meeting.

Chinese scholars and experts visited Kimberley Farm on Sunday, where they looked around farm machinery, warehouses, and farm land, and exchanged views with farm owner Rick Kimberley on operation mode, mechanization and management of modern farms, as well as on agricultural exchange between China and the United States.

Statistics show that bilateral goods trade between China and the United States has jumped from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to 519.6 billion dollars in 2016, up 207 times. In 2016, bilateral service trade volume between the two countries exceeded 100 billion dollars, and the two-way investment totaled 170 billion dollars.

The symposium is jointly sponsored by the World food Prize Foundation, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) says it is key to have a presence in Central and Eastern Europe as the boom in automotive suppliers in the region continues its frantic pace.

Only last week (8 June) the Chinese interiors specialist  operating as YFAI opened its Plana nad Luznici site around two hours south of Prague in the Czech Republic  building on inauguration of its Automotive Business Centre in Bratislava a few weeks ago and the unveiling of its Technical Centre in Trencin, Slovakia.

That pace of activity is in addition to Yanfengs plant in Zatec manufacturing door panels, floor consoles and other interior components in the Czech Republic as well as production sites in Papa, Hungary and Namestovo, Slovakia.

In Zatec alone, the supplier has 1,700 employees, while the latest addition to its Central and Eastern stable will eventually see hundreds more jobs swell its burgeoning presence in the region as automakers look to capitalise on competitive labour costs and a skilled workforce.

Today in Europe there is a trend manufacturing is more East-moving and we follow our customers, Yanfeng VP & deputy general manager Europe & South Africa, Joseph Lee told just-auto at the Plana nad Luznici site. Czech Republic is a good place for us  [there is] an educated people.

We believe it is a good decision for us to be here and demonstrates our commitment to grow here, to grow with the local economy.

The importance of the event and the status of Yanfeng was underscored by the presence in Plana nad Luznici of Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic, MA Keqing, who noted relations between the two countries were now on a more even keel following what appear to have been earlier tensions.

In three years we have restarted our relations with the Czech Republic because before this period there were difficult times, Keqing told just-auto on the sidelines of the Plana nad Luznici factory opening. For both sides it was high time for us to increase our cooperation especially in trade and economics  this is an urgency.

We have now a co-operation according to China and 16 countries in East and Central Europe so this is a good platform. The Czech Republic has been very active and I think it is a mutual convergence of the development of our two countries. The Czech Republic is very strong in manufacturing and China is also [an] emerging economy.

Both countries are having a process of restructuring or upgrading industry  there is a lot we can share with each other. Now with the globalisation of production [it] is good to be close to this kind of zone.
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A DUI conviction can have an enormous impact on a persons life. Getting convicted of drunk driving leaves an individual with a criminal record that follows them from job to job. For people in certain professions, such as teaching, commercial driving, or childcare, it can even prevent them from working in their chosen field.

In Colorado, outrage is brewing over allegations that thousands of DUI convictions handed down in the state are unlawful after allegations surfaced that a technician responsible for certifying the states breathalyzer machines forged his signature on over 100 records in 2013.

Even more alarming, the Denver Post reports that a former laboratory directors signature still appears on public health certificates used to prove that breathalyzer machines are correctly calibrated more than a year after she left the Colorado Department of Public Health  meaning the machines have not been re-inspected or recertified since her departure.

States Breathalyzer Certifications in Doubt After Admission of Forgery

The report explains that the certifications are critical, as DUI convictions depend on breathalyzer machines being correctly calibrated to measure the alcohol content in a persons breath. Under Colorado law, experts arent allowed to testify as to a breathalyzers accuracy, which means that prosecutors must rely on the certificates signed by technicians authorized to test the machines and sign off on them.

Currently, there are 200 breathalyzer machines operating in 165 law enforcement agencies throughout Colorado.

According to one former electronics specialist who worked in a Colorado state lab, he saw a supervisor tell three people  none of whom were technicians and two who werent even employed by the state to calibrate and validate the machines and then forge his name on the certificates. When the electronics specialist objected to the order, the supervisor overruled him. The specialist said he quit in 2015.

Governors Counsel Says No Evidence of Misconduct

According to one estimate, there are at least 130 forged certificates on machines in use in Colorado police departments. In an email to the Denver Post, Colorado Governor John Hickenloopers legal counsel stated that the governors office does not believe theres a need for an independent investigation and that a thorough review already has been done, and no evidence of misconduct was found.

The article states that criminal defense attorneys in Colorados Weld County have been able to get 33 DUI cases dismissed after proving that the breathalyzers used in those cases were incorrectly calibrated, causing them to record blood alcohol levels that were artificially high. The story states that other criminal defense attorneys in Colorado are currently working to bring other cases under new review.

Sources:

Broden & Mickelsen, LLP

Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers

2600 State St Dallas, Texas 75204

Main Phone: (214) 720-9552

source: http://www.brodenmickelsen.com/blog/lawyers-say-thousands-colorado-dui-convictions-unlawful-due-forgery/

Social Media Tags:Colorado DUI Convictions, Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers, Forgery, Unlawful Colorado DUI Convictions

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Biology students receive Histochemical Society Capstone Grants for research projects in College of Veterinary Medicine

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Mya Masterson, left, and Kaitlynn Bradshaw, both undergraduate students at Kansas State University, have received $500 grants from the Histochemical Society to support their research work in the Laboratory of Investigative Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  Research grants from an awards program offered by a professional scientific society will support the projects of two Kansas State University undergraduate students working in the laboratory of a College of Veterinary Medicine researcher.



Mya Masterson, junior in biology and clinical laboratory science-medical technology, Hutchinson, and Kaitlynn Bradshaw, senior in biology, Manhattan, are recipients of the $500 awards provided through the Histochemical Society's Capstone Grant program, which promotes the use of immunohistochemistry or other histochemical techniques in biological research. Both Masterson and Bradshaw work in the Laboratory of Investigative Pathology under the mentorship of A. Sally Davis, assistant professor of experimental pathology and lab director.



Masterson's project is "The PELCO BioWave Pro+ Powered Correlative Light/Electron Microscopy of Rift Kidney Lesions." The PELCO BioWave Pro+, a registered trademark, is the exclusive microwave sold by Ted Pella Inc.



Masterson won honorable mention for the university's second-year Coffman Excellence in Research Award. She presented her poster "Visualizing Pneumocystis Protein Bgl-2 in Infected Mouse Tissue by Immunfluorescence" at Kansas State University's Developing Scholars Program symposium in April.



"I am ecstatic to have received the Capstone Grant," Masterson said. "This opens up several new learning experiences for me, and I am beyond grateful for that. I have the opportunity to work with some of our new and advanced equipment. I will also be working with immunohistochemical substrates that include metals, which is also new to me. I can't wait to broaden my skills."



Bradshaw, originally from Hill City, is working on the project "Reliable CD4 and CD8 T Cell Marker Immunohistochemistry on Formalin-Fixed and HistoChoice-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Mouse Spleen."

"I'm very thankful to the Histochemical Society for supporting my continuing research with the Capstone Grant," Bradshaw said. "This grant will greatly aide me in performing some finishing work on my research project involving the labeling of CD4 and CD8 T-cell markers in fixed tissues as well as providing support to write my first scientific manuscript for publication that details my results. I'm excited for the opportunity to gain more experience and new skills."



Bradshaw won a Kansas State University Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry Travel Grant to attend the 2017 Experimental Biology Conference in April, where she presented her research poster. She has just received a second grant from the office for the CD4/CD8 work. Bradshaw plans to earn a master's degree in the field of pathology.



"The Laboratory of Investigative Pathology is especially proud of its undergraduate researcher successes," Davis said. "This continues our lab's tradition of success with the Capstone awards as in 2016. These awards from the Histochemical Society are confirmation that Kansas State University is strong in its ability to provide undergraduate research opportunities, and I am proud to be part of that tradition."



The Histochemical Society promotes the development and use of visual techniques that provide biochemical and molecular information about the structure and function of cells, tissues and organs and for the dissemination of this knowledge through education and outreach.



The biology and clinical laboratory science programs are offered the College of Arts and Sciences.
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China will set up a community governance system led by grassroots Communist Party of China (CPC) organizations by 2020, according to a guideline released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Monday.

Local governments will play a guiding role in the community governance system which also feature public participation.

Governance capacity in both urban and rural communities will improve significantly by that time, as public services, management and security will be effectively ensured, the guideline said.

Within another five to ten years, a more mature and comprehensive community governance system will offer strong support for the CPC at a grassroots level, while consolidating local governments, the guideline noted.

Issues such as the basic role of autonomous organizations, the participation of social groups and the functions of communities are also included in the guideline.

According to the guideline, on major issues relating to community public interests as well as those that matter to the residents' immediate interests, the community residents' role in the decision making and dispute resolution processes should be enhanced.

Also, community services that are closely related to the residents' interests, such as employment, social security, health, education, housing, public security as well as legal and arbitration services, should be made more widely available, the guideline said.

The guideline called for increased efforts to resolve disputes within communities. Party congress delegates, legislators, political advisors and CPC members and officials should maintain contact with communities and their residents via proper channels, it said.

It urged more support for groups in need, such as the poor, children in difficulty, mentally-challenged people, left-behind children, senior citizens as well as people who have been convicted of crimes or released from prison.

The guideline also requires infrastructure improvements and better environmental management in communities.

To enhance community governance, the guideline pledged more financial investment in this regard. It also encouraged the public to contribute via channels such as charity donations and community foundation endowments.
Guangdong province is taking preventive measures to minimize losses from a looming typhoon.

The eye of Typhoon Merbok, this year's second but the first to hit China, was above the South China Sea some 90 kilometers south of Shenzhen at 6 pm on Monday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Packing winds up to 90 kilometers per hour, Merbok moved northwest at a speed of 20 km/h and made landfall on the coast between Taishan and Shenzhen on Monday night.

The Shenzhen weather observatory issued a yellow alert for Merbok at 1 pm on Monday. Schools have been suspended.

China Southern Airlines announced the cancellation of 23 flights to and from Shenzhen after 10 pm on Monday.

From 8 pm on Monday to 8 pm on Tuesday, the northern parts of South China Sea and the central and eastern coasts of Guangdong will experience strong gusts, while storms dumping up to 200 millimeters of rain are expected to affect the central and eastern parts of Guangdong, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

Rains brought by Merbok will last until Friday and affect the provinces of Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan, said Dong Lin, chief forecaster at the center.

"Merbok will bring very strong gusts. The intensity of winds will abate when the eye of the typhoon passes, but strong gusts may make a sudden comeback, so people should remain sheltered," Dong warned.

All the boats on waters east of Yangjiang had returned to harbor by 5 pm on Sunday. The provincial government required coastal tourist areas to close and transfer tourists to safe areas.

"The continuous rains also increase the risk of mountain floods in the Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region," Dong added.

Merbok will intensify the rainstorms that hit China's southern and eastern regions over the weekend.

Continuous torrential rain since Friday has left 120,000 people with damaged property in Guizhou, according to Xinhua News Agency. Heavy rain forced the evacuation of 1,079 people and caused direct economic losses estimated at 48.7 million yuan ($7.16 million).
We asked a number of voters to explain the political earthquake that shook the UK last week and to say what the opposition parties should do next.

In an election, unlike in an opinion piece, everybody (well, almost everybody) gets a say. For that reason, instead of using this space to express my own opinions about the last weeks remarkable general election, I draw on the expertise of several thoughtful friends. With them being my friends, there isnt a single Tory voter amongst them (nor do I tend to hang out with many supporters of the DUP), but there is a healthy range of views, some useful insights into the circumstances that produced the unexpected outcome and a few very good ideas as to how progressive political forces might try to move things on.

Who did you vote for?

Joanne: Labour. We had a great Labour MP till 2010 and have been suffering under a conservative one ever since. I couldnt bring myself to vote Liberal Democrats tactically.

Ralph: I didnt because I cant. But I would have voted for Labour because the Tory manifesto was borderline fascist.

Akin: I voted Labour as I cant imagine voting Conservative. Labour doesnt seem to be about the preservation of privilege unlike the Tories.

Richard: I voted Lib Dem with no great enthusiasm; I might well have abstained. Its the first time Ive not voted Labour at a GE. Jeremy Corbyn fought an excellent campaign and obviously enthused people. In spite of this I found it hard to contemplate voting for the party while he is leader. Mainly, thats because I thought the leadership team in the front bench was 1) incompetent and 2) has an over-simplistic view of the world, in which US imperialism is the principal obstacle to all progressive change.

Laura: Lib Dem. Voting for them was, in my seat, the only realistic prospect of ousting the Tory MP. Also, they are the only party remotely reflecting my position on Brexit, the most urgent issue facing the UK, although perhaps not on every other issue. Also, the candidate was Vince Cable, who I think is a useful presence in any Parliament.

John: Labour. The Conservatives had already proven themselves to be unusually cruel and glib about the conditions of Britains poorest and most marginalised and had to be stopped. Meanwhile Labour had a left-wing, progressive, class-conscious leader and a manifesto that dared to make the case for public spending rather than more cuts.

Rich: I voted for Labour because as a socialist it is the first (and hopefully not last) chance I have had to vote for a mainstream socialist party.

Andrew: I voted Labour, because Labour had an actual mildly Keynesian anti-austerity programme, and to support Corbyn.

Dan: I voted Liberal Democrats because traditionally in my constituency Labour cant win. At the time I still hoped for a kind of progressive alliance as the best hope to beat the Tories. As it happened Labour and Lib Dem were quite close, so Ill just get on the Jeremy bandwagon next time.

Are you surprised at the result?

Joanne: Yes, I am. The rise in Labour votes was reflected in many areas, although not enough to oust the Conservatives. Plus, it was a real change to the local elections where Labour came 3rd behind the Lib Dems.

Ralph: No.

Akin: Im not too surprised because I didnt expect Corbyn to win.

Richard: A little bit. Although I think in retrospect its perfectly explicable.

Laura: Yes. Huge understatement. Id done my reading, and I have a friend whos a polling statistician in Ipsos Mori who carefully explained to me before the election why the YouGov poll predicting a hung Parliament was utterly misleading! Neither of us have ever been so happy to be proved wrong.

Trumps election had taught us never to hope again. Then the exit poll came

John: Yes. Unless you seriously believed Labour were going to win, this was a much better result than we could have hoped for. The polls pointed to a defeat, the media coverage was relentlessly hostile; Trumps election had taught us never to hope again; then the exit poll came

Rich: Are you shitting me?! If Id bet on a Tory-DUP coalition at the bookies, Id now have so much money that Id never have to pay tax again!

Andrew: I am surprised at the result. Part of me hoped there would be a hung parliament. But hope can be cruel, so I reduced my expectation to Labour getting 35 % of the vote, better than Miliband. None of the other canvassers on Thursday had a real clue what would happen. The only hopeful thing we knew was that the turnout was up in various parts of the country, including London, and there were queues to vote in university towns.

Dan: I am surprised by how volatile the electorate is. Given how reactionary the last two years have been, I thought this trend would continue. I guess the same detachment from establishment norms that fuelled Trump and Brexit can also be exploited by the left.

How do you explain the result?

Joanne: Mays obvious lack of humanity becoming more apparent by the day. The defensiveness of her campaign, the initial focus on Brexit, then random placing of other policies that were then fudged. Turtle and the Hare. Labour seemed to plug a way with a variety of policies and actually talked on the same level to the public. May always has a plinth between her and the public.

Ralph: The polls had forecast growth for Labour shortly before the election with 6% margin of error and the result was within that range.

Akin: I had a feeling that sufficient numbers of people were put off the more they got to really know Theresa May and keener on Corbyn the more they were exposed to him.

Richard: Austerity fatigue is an obvious factor. There are signs that its popping up all over the place, witness the way police cuts have become an issue in the wake of the London atrocities. More importantly, its obvious that younger people  18-24s above all  have been won over by the student finance commitments. In addition, the Tories managed to alienate their core constituency  older folk  in the most incompetent and ill-thought out campaign Ive ever witnessed. May was an utter disaster.

Laura: All I can do here is repeat what Ive read: the youth vote is coming out for Corbyn after a great campaign. A terrible, arrogant campaign by May offering nothing to the young and alienating even her core support among the elderly. Rejection of hard Brexit. Rejection of a second independence referendum in Scotland.

Young people have been told that free education, affordable housing, stable jobs and public services  all a given for their parents generation  are now unrealistic. Corbyn gave them hope.

John: Mays abject campaign partially explains why this wasnt the mauling some of us feared, but the big story is the gains that Labour made. People warmed to Corbyn as they saw more of him. Including many who couldnt even articulate what he stood for  a theme that kept cropping was how he wasnt a typical politician. In these discontented times, looking like a political insider puts voters off, that clearly mattered, especially among young people, who have effectively been told that free education, affordable housing, stable jobs and public services  all a given for their parents generation  are now unrealistic. Corbyn gave them hope.

Rich: JCs campaign was, in the end, fabulous and offered a great deal to the country. TMs was the complete opposite, offering nought but even more cuts. I think the Tories  with the help of their lunatic coalition mates  scraped in by the skin of their teeth because there are still a lot of people in the UK who would crawl naked over a mile of dogshit-smeared broken glass if it meant they had to pay less tax.

Andrew: Labours manifesto and Corbyns media persona, which was clearly to an extent his personality. The Corbyn surge started around the time the manifesto was leaked. An allotment  and a pot of jam for the One Show  helped dispel accusations of sympathising with terrorism. Social media  yes! Since Murdoch and Dacre werent in control of social media, that really helped. Momentum operation  My Nearest Marginal  and the masses of canvassers in some key seats. Lib Dems thinking Labour represented a pro-Remain protest vote. Ukippers thinking Labour had accepted Brexit. A unity fudge around defence, which meant sitting on it. The terrorist attacks weirdly didnt help May. Instead, she was blamed for cuts in policing.

Dan: I cant explain Scotland ditching SNP in favour of Tories except that there must be more strident anti-independence sentiment than I thought. People say the young vote helped Corbyn. Even her supporters recognise May had a bad campaign. If everyone gets behind Corbyn for the next, probably imminent, election than he could go all the way.

What do you think the opposition parties should do now?

Joanne: Join up with other parties to firm a progressive alliance. At least Labour has to capitalise on their success by finding out what made people vote for them.

Ralph: Keep Tories at bay in order to approach EU negotiations with much needed humility.

Akin: Expose Tory lies and hypocrisy, I suppose.

Id like to see a clearer position on Europe from Labour. Until now Corbyn has kind of hedged his bets in order not to alienate too much the northern working class base. A positive Norway-option vision might attract centrists.

Richard: Well, I think that Corbyn needs to make Labour electable by drawing on the partys knowledge and experience. Id obviously like to see some moderates in the government  Chukka, Yvette etc. After all the party still lost by 50 odd seats and the Tories will get better if they replace May as is likely. Above all Id like to see a clearer position on Europe from Labour. Until now Corbyn has kind of hedged his bets in order not to alienate too much the northern working class base. A positive Norway-option vision including free movement in Europe might attract centrists. But its hard to see him going in that direction.

Laura: Corbyn is riding high and needs to seize his chance to sock it to the Tories at every opportunity. I know his natural style is not flashy or combative but I think hes going to need to add a little of that to please his new wave of supporters. He needs to continue to engage the young. The different elements of the left need to learn to form pragmatic alliances, even if theyre uneasy ones at times. The right has always been much better at that. Above all, push for the softest Brexit possible, and a second referendum on the final deal. Its not only the right thing to do but will probably be electorally popular.

John: Two threats loom  a hard Brexit and further cuts. With UKIP hopefully obliterated, these two measures will now be owned completely by a shambolic Conservative Party that, although riven with divisions and uncertain of its mandate, still represents the political establishment. The opposition, including a bigger, more confident Labour, must repeat ad nauseum that if the Conservatives continue to push for either, it will be in the service of the rich and powerful, not Britain, not the working class. If they can block these measures, they will deprive this Conservative administration of any purpose, and maybe we will see the back of it sooner rather than later.

Andrew: In the short term: present an alternative budget; prepare for a possible election in the autumn; never stop campaigning and fighting against cuts and racism; target key Tory constituencies; build the independence current in the Scottish Labour Party. In the longer term: campaign for PR.

Dan: Work together! Articulate a joint vision of post-Austerity Nordic Keynsian soft-Brexit humane UK that doesnt act like a school kid around EU officials and doesnt reject refugees or use EU citizens as bargaining chips. Let the disgrace end!
China-Kazakhstan cross-border transportation cooperation on the way to prosperity

A train numbered 9001 is ready to leave Khorgos for Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, June 8 (Photo by Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his ongoing state visit to Kazakhstan, inspected via videolink two key hubs of the cross-border transportation on Thursday along with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev at the Chinese national pavilion of the Expo 2017 in Astana.

The two projects are the logistics center in China's eastern city of Lianyungang and a dry port in Khorgos, a city in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region bordering Kazakhstan.

The two heads of state also pushed a lever to launch four freight trains at a parallel session of the 2017 World Expo.

In September 2004, China and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to jointly build a cross-border cooperation center at the port of Khorgos. The 5.28-square-kilometer center is unique in the world as it spans lands of both countries. In 2012, the center started operation.

The two countries place high expectations on Khorgos, an important junction along the Silk Road and vital stop of China-Europe freight trains.

Ravil Budukov, Kazakh chief manager of the international department with the Khorgos International Center of Boundary Cooperation, said he saw the place rise from nothing to an international trade center over the past 5 years.

Offering various services such as processing and manufacturing, cargo transshipment, finance and recreation, the place now acts as a demonstration zone to promote economic and trade exchanges among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries, Ravil said.

The port, as an important pivot, has brought prosperity to Asia-Europe cross-border transportation as I have eyed, he added.

A new city under Kazakhstan's new economic policy of the "Bright Road" is planned to be built. A big city with a population of 100,000 people was beyond my imagination five years ago, Ravil disclosed.

Drastic changes have taken place in infrastructure, cross-border personnel exchanges and logistics handling capacity. In 2012, an average of 300 people arrived in China via Khorgos, while the number reached 81,000 this April, Ravil disclosed.

In addition to the increase of cross-border personnel exchanges, cross-border logistics has increased greatly as well. In the past, highroad is the only transportation means with limited covering region, but now, there are 17 China-Europe freight trains passing Khorgos at regular intervals.

In 2016, trains transshipped cargo at the port surpassed 1,000. The whole procedure of reloading and customs clearance can be completed within 55 minutes, Ravil said.

The cooperation center has provided almost 5,000 job positions, which is likely to rise to 10,000 in future, Ravil said. Shopping at the cooperation center has become a habit for some Kazakhs. Every day, trains and buses will carry shoppers from large and medium-sized cities to the cooperation center, he added.

Ravil is full of confidence that Khorgos will become a modern special economic zone like Shenzhen.

Khorgos is rich in human resources, second-mover advantages and enjoys big markets in China and Kazakhstan, therefore, the Khorgos -Eastern Gate special economic zone centered on dry port, logistics center and industrial park is bound to be a success, Ravil said, adding that the place will present a brand-new look when the Kazakh industrial park is completed in 2021.
OMAHA -- Three families were shattered by tragedy Saturday night when two motorcycles collided near Crossroads Mall in Omaha.

Adam D. Kammann, 34, of La Vista and his passenger, Christine Zadina, 37, of Omaha, died at the scene, as did the driver of the other motorcycle, Andrew Torrice, 24, of La Vista.

The crash occurred at 72nd and Cass Streets just before midnight.

Kammanns sister, Lindsay Kammann of Omaha, said her brother and Zadina were a wonderful couple.

They were out doing what they love, enjoying a nice evening and a ride with friends, she said.

The two families issued a joint statement and asked that their privacy be respected.

They both loved life, and their families were their world, according to the statement. Adam and Christine loved to travel with both family and friends, by bike, car and airplane. Adam was an avid (motorcycle) rider, always working on his bike if he wasnt riding. He was always so safe, a careful and conscientious rider.

Kammann grew up in Alma, Nebraska, a town of about 1,000 on the Kansas border. He graduated from Alma High School in 2001.

Lindsay Kammann said her brother worked as a mechanic for Plaza Pontiac for more than 12 years. Zadina was studying toward her nursing degree.

Investigators from the Omaha Police Department determined that Kammanns southbound 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle had stopped for a red light at the intersection at 11:30 p.m. At the green light, the Harley proceeded into the intersection when an eastbound 2003 Suzuki motorcycle driven by Torrice collided with the Harley.

Police said that Torrice ran a red light. Excessive speed by the Suzuki is considered a factor in the crash, according to a statement from police.

Comments on social media from friends and family said Torrice was being chased or followed closely by a car, forcing him to run the red light. An officer with the accident office said the collision was captured on a surveillance video from a nearby business, and police have no information about a car following the Suzuki prior to the crash.

Torrice worked as an assistant manager at the Dominos Pizza at 96th Street and Giles Road in La Vista. His mother, Kristine Torrice of San Pedro, California, spoke tearfully from the Denver airport Sunday while waiting with her husband for a connecting flight to Omaha.

She said her son grew up all over the country as an Army brat. In addition to his parents and siblings, Torrice is survived by a daughter.

World-Herald staff writer Emerson Clarridge contributed to this report.
KEARNEY  A loud blast from the whistle of Union Pacifics steam locomotive No. 844 welcomed more than 500 people who gathered to see the engine arrive in Kearney on Monday morning.

The refurbished steam locomotive, the last one built for Union Pacific and put into service in 1944, stopped in Kearney as part of the companys 2017 Home Plate tour.

Donna Kush, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific, helped organize the event as a pre-celebration of the 150th anniversary of the joining of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.

We are taking advantage of the steam train coming through communities like Kearney, Grand Island and Columbus today, and presenting those communities with a commemorative golden spike to help show them our appreciation for being a railroad town, Kush said.

The railroad came through Kearney about 150 years ago.

We very much appreciate the relationship we have with communities like Kearney that really grew up and prospered early because of the railroad being there, she said.

No. 844 pulled a series of restored passenger cars into Kearney. A passing freight train blocked the view of No. 844 to the crowd in the parking lot near North Railroad Street. When the steam engine came into view, the engine sounded its very loud whistle.

Railroad buffs gathered to talk about trains with the engineers and curious onlookers photographed the engine. Officials of both the city and the company spoke about the relationship of the trains and the community.

Kush noted that a stop like this helps community members look at railroads in a new light.

Sometimes people look at trains and only see them blocking the crossing, she said. They often dont have the appreciation for whats actually in those trains. Everything from materials that help produce electricity that helps keep our lights on, to automobiles, to the food we eat everyday  virtually everything you touch in your everyday life either came on a train or it was produced by something that was hauled on a train.

Kush said the company thinks of itself as a force that keeps the economy moving.

The engine carries the nickname of Union Pacifics Living Legend. Weighing in at 454 tons, the massive locomotive holds more than 23,000 gallons of water and uses No. 5 oil to make the steam. Originally designed as a high-speed passenger engine, No. 844 delivered freight in Nebraska from 1957-59 after diesel engines took over the passenger trains in the mid-1950s.

The steam train has to stop on a much more regular basis for water and maintenance, as opposed to our diesel locomotives, Kush said. But as you can see today from the crowd that has come here, there is a great appreciation for the history and the nostalgia of a steam engine; everybody from someone who rode on a steam train in the 1950s or 1960s, to young kids you see here today that are just amazed by this feat of engineering.

The Union Pacific plans another stop in Kearney at 10 a.m. Aug. 6 as part of the Nebraska 150 Express, a three-day whistle stop tour that will include Gov. Pete Ricketts and other officials. The event in August will feature a more modern diesel locomotive, but still reflect the romance of the railroads and the whistle stop tours that brought politicians and celebrities to small towns throughout the country for a century.

For more information on the Nebraska 150 Express, visit www.ne150.org.
KEARNEY  A Kearney man faces more than 100 years in prison because he is accused of giving drugs to a minor and sexually assaulting her.

Dana J. Mitchel, 24, is charged in Buffalo County Court with felony distribution of cocaine and marijuana to a minor, felony first-degree sexual assault of a person at least 12 but less than 16, felony child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor. The alleged incidents took place between July 3, 2016, and July 6, 2016, in Buffalo County, and involved the same alleged victim.

The sexual assault charge involves penetration.

Mitchel turned himself in to law enforcement authorities on a Buffalo County warrant Friday.

Details outlining the charges have been sealed.

Late this morning Mitchel remained incarcerated at the Buffalo County Jail on a $250,000 bond. He must post 10 percent of that amount, or $25,000, to be released. If he does post bond, as a condition, Judge John Rademacher forbid him to have contact with his alleged victim.

If convicted, and if he isnt placed on probation, Mitchel faces more than 100 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

@HubChic
Two civilians, using a boat with advanced sonar, found a body Monday evening in Cunningham Lake, believed to be that of a missing Omaha fisherman, 42-year-old Benjamin Pike.

They had asked the Omaha Fire Department for permission to search the lake about 7 p.m. and were able to locate the body in about 10 feet of water, the department said Monday night. Rescuers had to give up their efforts about 3 p.m. because of the threat of storms and had planned to resume the search today.

Instead, about 8:30 p.m. Monday, the fire departments dive team recovered the body of a white male who matched a description of the missing man. The dive team commanders had determined that the weather was suitable enough to re-enter the water, Acting Assistant Chief Tim McCaw said.

Pike had been identified as the missing person earlier in the day by his wife, Rebecca Pike. He had been presumed drowned after rescuers were unable to find him Sunday.

Benjamin Pike had been fishing Sunday afternoon with their 8-year-old son when the father got out of a boat for a quick swim, his wife said.

Another boater retrieved the 8-year-old boy, who was stranded in the boat. The boy later was reunited with relatives.

Police and firefighters were called to the lake about 4:15 p.m. Sunday. The search, which included the use of sonar and dive teams, was halted when it became dark Sunday.
OMAHA -- Only one of the four officers who dealt with Zachary Bearheels during his fatal encounter with police was wearing a body camera. And the officers camera was turned off  a violation of Omaha Police Department policy.

Scotty Payne, who used a Taser on the handcuffed Bearheels, was the sole officer with a body camera, said Capt. Kerry Neumann of the Omaha Police Department. Its not clear why Paynes camera was off.

Its a violation of our policy that he didnt have the camera on, said Neumann, who leads the team that investigates in-custody deaths. At this point we dont know what the reason behind it is.

Payne and another officer at the scene, Ryan McClarty, have been recommended for termination.

Police went to the Buckys convenience store at 60th and Center Streets on June 5 to respond to a report about a person refusing to leave.

Bearheels, 29, was asked for his identification and why he was at Buckys, but his speech was garbled and he showed signs of impairment, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said last week.

Officers put Bearheels in handcuffs, Schmaderer said. Payne used a Taser on him after he struggled with them and refused to get into the back of a police cruiser. Payne shocked Bearheels with the Taser 12 times, and McClarty repeatedly struck Bearheels with his fists, Schmaderer said.

Bearheels was not breathing and had no pulse when he was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died.

In addition to the four officers already at the scene, two officers arrived toward the end in the encounter. Those officers, Michael Hempel and Ashley Morris, were wearing body cameras, and those cameras were on, Neumann said.

They had very minimal involvement in this, he said.

Neumann declined to say what the video from those body cameras showed. Much of the encounter was caught on cruiser cameras, and that video and audio will be released either after a grand jury decision or during a potential criminal court case.

The Omaha Police Department began using 115 body cameras last spring and will distribute more to officers next year. The goal is to eventually equip all uniformed patrol officers and all gang unit officers with cameras.

Department policy requires that officers activate body cameras when they arrive at a scene. If they do not do so, they must document why.
While our president may have withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement, the problem farmers  and all the rest of us  hasnt changed. Alan Guebert in his Farm and Food column in the Lincoln Journal Star shared information from a 2015 USDA report, Heat in the Heartland: Climate Change and the Economic Risk in the Midwest.

The business, political and academic leaders involved warned that without action, climate change will lock in extreme temperature increases across the Midwest. This study showed that in just the next five to 25 years, without significant adaptation by farmers, some counties in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana will likely see average commodity crop losses up to 18 percent to 24 percent due to extreme heat.

Global warming/climate change isnt way off in our great-grandchildrens futures. Expectations for higher temperatures, greater evapotranspiration, drought, lowered water tables and crop losses will soon be affecting Nebraska as well.

We dont have to just sit back and let this happen. We can support carbon pricing solutions like Carbon Fee and Dividend which puts a price on carbon at the mine, well or border and rebates the proceeds to households to help defray rising costs.

We can also ask Representatives Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith to join the Bi-Partisan Climate Solutions Caucus. Already 42 representatives in the House, half Republicans, half Democrats, have joined the caucus and are working together.

These men and women know climate change is an American problem and are looking past divisiveness to figure out ways to address it.

Moni Usasz, Lincoln
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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FILE.- In this March 24, 2017 file photo, Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli gestures during a meeting with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, Monday, March 24, 2014. U.S. authorities have arrested Monday June 12, 2017 former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on an extradition warrant from his country. U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Manny Puri says Martinelli was in custody Monday evening at a federal detention center in Miami. He is accused of corruption and spying on opponents in Panama. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
DES MOINES, the United States, June 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. mid-West states and China now enjoy a "good momentum of economic ties" as the trade volume of nine states with China hit 90 billion U.S. dollars last year, said a senior Chinese diplomat.

"The close economic ties between U.S. mid-West and China are examples of the boosting cooperation between the two countries at a local level," Hong Lei, China's Consul General to Chicago, said in a keynote speech at the U.S.-China Think Tank Symposium Luncheon held in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.

Hong said it is one of the new features in China-U.S. economic and trade relations that economic cooperation between states and cities of China and the United States has become even more vibrant.

Since 2012, 25 Chinese provinces and cities have established the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation between Chinese provinces and U.S. States with seven U.S. states and cities, including California, Chicago, Iowa, Texas, Michigan, Washington and New York.

From 2000 to 2016, Chinese companies have invested nearly 15 billion dollars, creating 36,000 new jobs, in the nine states the Chinese Consulate in Chicago covers, namely Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa, Hong said.

After being acquired by China International Marine Containers (CIMC), Indiana-based Monon company, which had been on the brink of bankruptcy for three times, finally made profit thanks to optimized process and reduced cost. It currently has a revenue of 500 million dollars with 500 local employees.

When purchased by a Chinese company in 2011, Michigan-based Nexteer had 3,000 employees. Now the number has risen to 5,000. Yanfeng, a Chinese company making car interiors, employed 4,000 people in Michigan and another 1,000 in Missouri.

Many multinationals in these nine states have also increased their investment, expanded operation and set up new factories and research centers in China, harvesting great success and rich dividends, Hong said.

"Head of the Eli Lilly company which headquarters in Indiana told me that China has become the largest source of foreign employees of the company," Hong added.
The man shot by Kenosha police Sunday afternoon is recovering at a local hospital, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The DOJ is handling the investigation of the shooting. Agency spokesman Johnny Koremenos said the DOJ is in the early stages of its probe, and has yet to complete the investigative reports that will contain all the details of this critical incident.

No specific update on the victims condition was available, though Koremenos said he was stable.

Kenosha Police Sgt. James Beller said he is not authorized to comment on the incident, but said, as is standard policy, the officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave.

That officers name has not been released, nor has the name of the person shot. However, friends and family said it was 19-year-old Cory Cooper of Chicago.

Beller said the incident began around 6:35 p.m. when police responded the 5000 block of 39th Avenue after a report of a man making threats with a firearm.

As officers arrived, Cooper fled on foot, with one officer giving chase. During the foot pursuit, the officer fired his firearm and struck Cooper.

On Monday, Coopers mother, Shalonda Marshall, said she has been unable to get information on Coopers condition from local authorities.

Marshall said she believes her son is being held at the hospital on a previous charge of obstruction.

Family: Authorities claim weapon found

Coopers aunt, Channia Marshall, said investigators told the family a weapon was found at the scene. The family was informed Monday, said Channia Marshall, who spoke with the Kenosha News over the phone with Shalonda Marshall from a residence in North Chicago, Ill.

They told (Shalonda Marshall) they found a weapon but it wasnt on him. It was on the ground on the side of him. So then they told her they need to get fingerprints. I guess the fingerprints aint came back, yet, because they still havent charged him with it, Channia Marshall said. They said they found a gun but not on him.

A police department spokesman said the department could not comment on the alleged weapon Monday evening because of the state investigation.

Friends recount event

Friends said the shooting took place in the backyard of a duplex at 4815 38th Ave. and that Cooper was not armed. They said the teen was walking back to the duplex with snacks from a local convenience store when he was suddenly pursued by the officer.

Kenny Gates, 18, a close friend of Cooper, said he had no gun.

Gates said Cooper, a Chicago rapper, was visiting Kenosha over the weekend. Gates said Cooper and a group of friends were walking north on 38th Avenue with chips and drinks in their hands when a squad car rushed over.

As the group continued north on 38th Avenue, making its way to the duplex a few homes down, Gates said a police officer came up behind them and almost hit Cooper with a squad car. Gates said Cooper hopped over the hood of the vehicle and ran away.

He ran in the back of the duplex, Gates said, and he was trying to jump over a gate. While he was on top of the gate, police shot him three times and he fell back on his back. They said he had a gun, but bro didnt have no gun.

Gates said he did not know why police were called to the area or why neighbors were concerned about threats there.

My homie was more threatened than the officer, Gates said. The officer tried to hit him with the car.

Gates, who lives in Illinois, said he and Cooper were partying at the duplex.

Tremayne Martin, 16, lives in the duplex with his mother and siblings.

We was coming from the store and some man called and said we had a gun, but we didnt have one. So when the police pulled up, they tried to pull us over, and we got to running, Martin said. Cooper jumped over the hood of the car and got in the back, and they shot him when he tried to get over the gate.

Cory Jones, 12, said the officer told them to stop running.

When asked why they did not cooperate with the officer, Martin said, We dont know whats going on. We dont feel safe around here. Martin said they were startled by the fast-approaching squad car.

Neighbors react

Many area residents said they did not see the incident unfold but witnessed a heavy police presence afterward.

A woman who lives across the street said the area is known for illicit activity.

I dont pay attention to the neighborhood because the landlords dont care who they rent to, said the woman, who declined to provide her name. I was in the backyard working. I came out front when I saw the (police) cars.

George, who would not give his last name, said he lives a few houses south of where the shooting took place. He said he heard two gunshots but did not know who fired them. He said he did not recognize any of the young people outside the duplex Sunday evening.

Police patrol this area quite regularly, naturally, he said. The first (squad) car was against the house, and then I saw all the other cars come.

George said he is concerned about the neighborhood.

People talk. You get 15 different versions of the story, he said. Personally, I didnt know many of the kids there. I dont see them in the neighborhood. 

Another area resident expressed concerns about the teens.

I saw the kids sitting on the porch with their wife-beater shirts and posing for pictures throwing up gang signs. Three different times, said a man who has lived in the area most of his life. There aint no adults down there. Just young punk kids.
It was symbolic of changing times in the states early stage investment world that seven managers of new funds took the stage to open the 15th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference.

The next day as the conference closed, about 30 investors got together to talk about companies they are helping to finance  and to pitch their colleagues on why they should consider putting dollars into the deals, too.

The early stage investing scene in Wisconsin is getting more robust, although Wisconsin remains in no danger of overtaking California, Massachusetts or New York as a venture capital hub.

In fact, if Wisconsin were to match a typical years angel and venture capital activity in Michigan, Utah or Colorado, that alone would be an accomplishment.

The latest Wisconsin Portfolio, an annual report by the Wisconsin Technology Council, provides statistical evidence of what many observers of the early stage economy already suspected. There are more deals taking place in Wisconsin as more promising, high-growth companies are launched.

The Wisconsin Portfolio showed that investments in early stage companies  startups and other companies in their early years  have nearly doubled over five years, from 74 in 2012 to 137 in 2016.

At least 137 Wisconsin companies raised investment capital last year, up 7 percent from 2015. Those same companies raised a total of $276.2 million. The five largest deals exceeded $10 million each; 53 companies raised $1 million or more (up from 46 in 2015); and the average deal size was $2 million, up from $1.6 million in the previous year.

The 25 percent jump in average deal size was one of several indicators that companies raised money far beyond the friends, family and founders stage in 2016.

Wisconsin has been a strong angel capital state since 2005, when Wisconsins Qualified New Business Venture program and its affiliated tax credits for investors was enacted. That program has since been emulated in dozens of states.

Until recently, angel investors claimed most of the credits because they were doing the hard work of finding young companies that needed early cash. In 2016, about half of the state credits went to angels and half to venture capital firms, which indicated many of those young companies have matured enough to attract what investors call Series A money.

For 39 percent of early stage companies that secured funding in 2016, it was their first time doing so. For 61 percent of emerging companies that raised money last year, it was at least their second time at the dance.

Beyond the report, which was based on public data, announced deals and a survey of investors, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Wisconsin is no longer a flyover state when it comes to investment capital.

The seven funds represented in the opening session of the conference have all come on the scene within the past year: The Idea Fund of La Crosse, the Winnebago Seed Fund, Rock River Capital Partners, Bascom Ventures, CMFG Ventures, NM Future Ventures and 30Ventures. They vary in fund size, scope and sectors of interest, but each manager reported seeing higher-quality companies emerging in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.

In late 2004, the Tech Council became the home for what was then called the Wisconsin Angel Network. It had six members. Today, the Tech Council Investor Networks tracks more than 40 networks or funds in Wisconsin.

Along with most of the nation, Wisconsin is still an also-ran when it comes to venture capital.

During a conference discussion on the idea of a corporate fund of funds for Wisconsin, John Neis of Madison-based Venture Investors noted than 82 percent of all venture capital under management can be found in three states: California, Massachusetts and New York.

In Michigan, for example, the 2008 creation of a private corporate fund of funds to attract outside VCs has elevated that state from flyover status to top 10 in many categories.

More young companies in Wisconsin are finding angel and venture capital than ever before. Increasingly, out-of-state investors are finding Wisconsin. In a competitive national landscape, however, theres still a lot of room for growth.

Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is the former associate editor of the Wisconsin State Journal.
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Kent County Council's once failing children's services department has bounced back - but more must be done to protect our most vulnerable youngsters.

That is the verdict of an Ofsted report released today following an inspection in March.

The watchdog graded the council 'good'  considerably better than the damning 'inadequate' rating it had been given in 2010.

Andrew Ireland, KCC's corporate director for social care, health and wellbeing, said: "There's work to be done across the board, but there are some specific recommendations within the report, including some areas about work with care leavers who are in custody, and ensuring that our assessments of risk are consistently robust.

"The inspection has been really helpful about where to particularly focus our efforts."

Areas which require improvement under the 'children who need help and protection' section, according to the report, include arrangements for children who go missing, private fostering assessments and services to homeless 16 and 17 year olds. The safeguarding children board also requires improvement before it can be rated as 'good'.

'Strong and constructive relationships'

Mr Ireland said KCC has put together a development plan and made a number of changes in its services already  which staff will be checking the effectiveness of.

The Ofsted report however rated adoption performance; experiences and progress of care leavers; and leadership, management and governance as 'good'.

It particularly noted how children are benefiting from timely adoption orders and making good progress in their adoptive families, as well as how the council tackled the increased demand on children's services.

Ofsted further praised how social workers develop strong and constructive relationships with children, and said political leaders are responsive to budget pressures.

And the overall 'good' rating was achieved despite Kent having 969 referrals of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children  28.6 percent of the national total  in the 2015 to 2016 financial year.

"That was a challenge that was very specific for Kent, because of the sheer numbers that arrived in the country  particularly in 2015," added Mr Ireland.

"I think Ofsted has recognised the county dealt with that, that the rest of the service did not collapse under that pressure, and that we've managed to continue our trajectory of improvement over that time."

The news comes after the council was graded 'adequate' in 2013 and 'inadequate' in 2010.

'Darkest days'

KCC leader Paul Carter said: "Seven years ago, one of the darkest days here in my period as leader of KCC we were judged to be 'inadequate', then some three years ago we were judged to be 'adequate', and I am pleased to say the report that has just been published gives us an overall judgement of 'good'.

"Providing good support services to keep children as safe as possible in the county of Kent  so I am personally absolutely delighted we've got that 'good' outcome.

"Enormous thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our staff involved in safeguarding, keeping children safe, and making sure they have good and sensible placements when they necessitate being taken into care."

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Its officers inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, as well as services providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

It delivers ratings of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' (previously 'satisfactory') and 'inadequate'.

The council claims its children's services are now in the top 25 percent in the country.
Is the US still a model of democracy? That question, previously a far-fetched idea for many, is being asked more and more. It is the realization that Western democracyeven American democracycan fall into chaos and undermine the international communitys goal of peace and development.

Even though China has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, the US has long been critical of China for its unique political system. Chinas official argument is that the US elevates itself as a model of democracy in order to spread its interpretation of democracy to other countries in an attempt to make the world in its own image. Scholars who support the American narrative of exceptionalism have also called on China to be more like the West in terms of politics, arguing that Chinas system is doomed to fail. The endgame of Chinese communist rule has now begun, US scholar David Shambaugh argued in a March 2015 article.

But what works in one country will not necessarily work in another. Whether the shoes fit or not, only the wearer knows, President Xi Jinping said on his first trip abroad as Chinas top leader in March 2013. What Xi meant is that only the citizens of a country know if their country is on the right development path and the West has no right to force-feed its interpretation of democracy on other countries as a way to solve the worlds problems.

In reality, the so-called strength of Western democracy is a grand illusion. Research shows that Western democracy is always just one step away from tragedy. According to Yale Universitys Timothy Snyder, the modern history of Western democracy is one of decline and fall and most democracies failed. There is also growing dissatisfaction with Western democracy itself, not just in America but around the world, according to published research by political scientists Roberto Foa and Yascha Mounk. All this shows that Western democracy is not as secure as people may think and political chaos is the most likely outcome.

The chaos that ensued in the US presidential election of 2016 highlights the perils of Western democracy. In a Peoples Daily commentary, Yuan Peng, vice president of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, wrote that the election would be deemed the darkest and most chaotic in recent history. It certainly will not be viewed as a victory of democracy, Peng wrote. He then added: The campaign has undeniably revealed the dark side of so-called democracy in the US.

That chaos and uncertainty later became the norm in Washington. But whereas the presidential election revealed the dark side of Western democracy, growing political divisions under US President Donald Trump is perhaps evidence of something much more frightening: chaos in Washington is undermining US power and prestige in the eyes of people around the world.

Rising political chaos in the US has made people openly question the strength of Western democracy and the future role of the US. From the GOP's controversial plan to repeal and replace Obamacare which, if passed, would take away the right to health for 23 million Americans, mostly the poor and disabled; to mounting domestic scandals that could sap Washingtons ability to respond to challenges and opportunities alike; to the battle over Trumps controversial Muslim travel ban; to the kidnapping of the global climate agenda, the selfish and irresponsible actions coming out of Washington make a solid case for why nations of the world should step up efforts to advance the democratization of international relations.

As Xi said in his speech, the fate of the world depends on all peoples and every single country has a responsible role to play. The importance of advancing democracy in international affairs is perhaps nowhere more evident than with global climate change, an issue that the former US president described as the kind of challenge that is big enough to remind us that we are all in this together, but which Trump threw under the bus. If there is a lesson to be learned from the chaos in Washington, it is that while Western democracy has its strengths, it also has its flaws, and a more balanced and equitable international order is much needed.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 67F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 67F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
DUBAI, June 13 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi's Dana Gas said on Tuesday that it would propose a restructuring of its $700 million of outstanding Islamic bonds in a call with a committee of holders of the sukuk later in the day.

"Due to the evolution and continual development of Islamic financial instruments and their interpretation, the company has recently received legal advice that the sukuk in its present form is not sharia-compliant and is therefore unlawful under United Arab Emirates law," it said.

"As a result, a restructuring of the current sukuk is necessary to ensure that it conforms to the relevant laws for the benefit of all stakeholders."

Dana said it would propose exchanging the existing sukuk with new sharia-compliant instruments with four-year tenors. The new instruments would offer the right to profit distributions at less than half the rate of the current instruments, and would not feature any conversion into equity.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia, editing by Louise Heavens)
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Advisor PIRC has recommended investors oppose a plan to overhaul the board at London-listed miner Petropavlovsk's June 22 annual general meeting. Three top shareholders have put forward resolutions aimed at replacing Petropavlovsk Chairman Peter Hambro and three non-executive directors with their nominees, citing corporate governance failures. PIRC, in a report seen by Reuters on Tuesday, opposed the election of the new directors, citing concerns around their independence. Two other leading shareholder voting advisors, Glass Lewis and ISS, have also said they oppose the planned changes. (Reporting by Simon Jessop; editing by Carolyn Cohn)

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.
HONG KONG, June 13 (IFR) - Asian credits held steady on Tuesday in light trading as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting.

"The spreads of investment grade in general were flat but we still saw some buying interest on bank Tier 2 securities - those carry a relatively higher yield," a Hong Kong-based trader said.

The Asia ex-Japan iTraxx investment-grade index was flat at 84.5bp/85.5bp.

"I think a 25bp rate increase this week is fully priced in, but the commentary about the Fed's rate hike path and indication on when it will begin to reduce its balance sheet will still be keenly watched," the trader said.

Tier 2 bonds of Chinese banks such as ICBC and Bank of China traded around 2bp tighter today.

JD.com's 3.875% 2026s were 2bp wider amid recent sell-off of US tech shares.

Newly priced bonds saw support. Korea East-West Power's 2.625% US$500m 5-year fixed-rate notes traded 1bp tighter, from reoffer of Treasuries plus 102.5bp.

Shui On Land's 6.40% US$600m senior unsecured perpetual non-call five securities, which priced at par, gained 0.8 points in late afternoon.

Japfa Comfeed Indonesia's 5.50% 2022s were bid at a cash price of 100.436, after a US$100m tap issue was priced late yesterday. The animal-feed and poultry producer sold the additional bonds at 100.25 to yield 5.438%.

(Reporting by Carol Chan; Editing by Vincent Baby)

Keywords: MARKETS ASIA DEBT/
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Bangladesh has picked Swiss commodity merchant AOT Energy to help line up supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on its behalf from mid-2018, showing how new buyers are emerging to soak up a gas glut.

AOT said in a statement that under a memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday, the company would tee up supply deals for state-run Petrobangla.

U.S. shipping company Excelerate Energy will install Bangladesh's first floating LNG import terminal at Moheshkhali, which is due to begin accepting cargoes in May next year.

Gas is by far the main fuel source in Bangladesh. With indigenous output set to decline from 2018, LNG imports are needed to meet rapid consumption growth, according to the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies.

Tempted by cheap gas on world markets, Petrobangla has signed preliminary deals for two more terminals - with India's Petronet and Summit LNG Terminal Co., respectively.

They are due to start in coming years if given final approval, setting Bangladesh up to become a major new LNG importer alongside Pakistan and Jordan.

Up to now, AOT Energy - formerly known as Astra Transcor Energy - has kept a low profile in trading LNG cargoes, though it has led efforts to set up Bangladesh's first import terminal.

AOT is tasked with finding supply to fill about half the 3.5-million-tonnes-per-year import project, an industry source said, brightening prospects for producers hit by low prices and weak demand.

Adding new markets to soak up a looming supply glut is seen as key to improving producers' bottom lines and lifting spot prices , which are down 70 percent since early 2014.

Petrobangla was in talks to buy 4 million tonnes of LNG from top producer Qatar, but the status of those talks is unclear.

(Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Students take part in a coming-of-age rite at a tourism vocational institute in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 13, 2017. A total of 82 18-year-old students attended the rite, during which students wearing Han-style clothes took part in capping ceremony (for boys) and hair-pinning ceremony (for girls), and saying vows to celebrate their entering into adults. The rite is expected to make the young people hold an idea of social responsibility. (Xinhua/Wang Song)
TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Benchmark Japanese government bonds inched lower on Tuesday, though the curve flattened as decent results at a 20-year auction supported the superlong zone.

The 10-year cash JGB yield added half a basis point to 0.060 percent, while the September 10-year JGB futures contract shed 0.06 point to finish at 150.39.

At the Ministry of Finance's sale of one trillion yen ($9.09 billion) of 20-year JGBs with a 0.60 percent coupon, about 64.9734 percent of the bids were accepted at the lowest price of 100.250.

The sale drew bids of 3.98 times the amount offered, up from the previous sale's bid-to-cover ratio of 3.84 times. The tail between the average and lowest accepted prices narrowed to 0.05, compared with that of previous month's offering at 0.09, indicating stronger demand for the bonds.

In the superlong zone, the 20-year JGB yield fell half a basis point to 0.560 percent, while the 30-year JGB yield was also down half a basis point at 0.820 percent.

The five-year yield rose half a basis point to minus 0.075 percent , after earlier nudging up to a four-month high of minus 0.065 percent. A break of that level would take it to its highest since mid-December.

JGB yields also felt some upward pressure from U.S. Treasury yields, which rose on Monday after tepid demand at a 10-year Treasury auction offset strong demand at a three-year auction amid uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's policy outlook on Wednesday. The U.S. central bank is likely to go ahead with another 25-basis-point rate increase on Wednesday, the fourth hike of a rate increase cycle that started in December 2015, citing the improvement in the economy and temporary factors driving down prices. A Bank of Japan official on Tuesday rebuffed speculation that it was engaging in "stealth tapering" as its massive asset-buying programme nears its limit, stating instead its reduced bond buying reflected receding upward pressure on Japanese yields from U.S. Treasuries. Masayoshi Amamiya, the BOJ's executive-director overseeing monetary policy, told Parliament that the pace of bond buying had slowed because U.S. Treasury yields have fallen - enabling the central bank to cap Japanese long-term rates while also reducing its purchases.

($1 = 110.0200 yen)

(Reporting by Tokyo markets team; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
MILAN, June 13 (Reuters) - The board of Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo on Tuesday discussed the issue of contributing to the rescue of two ailing Veneto-based banks but did not take any decision, three board members told Reuters on Tuesday.

Banca Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca, weighed down by bad debts and mounting losses, are seeking public and private support to avert the risk of being wound down by the end of the month, but Rome is struggling to find investors.

"We talked about it and we are following the situation very closely," said one of the board members on condition of anonymity.

Two other board members said that no decision had been made.

On Monday the lender's chairman, Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, said the decision of whether the bank would contribute to the rescue of the Veneto banks depended on the conditions set by European authorities.

Earlier on Tuesday Italy's finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan said a solution on the two banks was close, while a spokesman for the EU Competition watchdog said negotiations with Rome were ongoing to avoid a bail-in of senior bondholders.

The spokesman added that the two banks' depositors would be fully protected in any case.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin, writing by Giulia Segreti)
June 13 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Uber Technologies Inc's senior vice president for business Emil Michael left the company, according to an email sent to Uber employees. His departure followed a series of scandals that have rocked the company this year, forcing its board to call an investigation into Uber's culture and business practices. - Viking Global Investors, one of the larger hedge funds, notified investors on Monday that the firm's chief investment officer, Daniel Sundheim, was leaving and that the firm would begin returning some $8 billion to investors. - The Irish government on Monday announced a price range for Allied Irish Banks Plc that could value the bank as high as $14.9 billion when it goes public this month - seven years after it was nationalized. - Ivanka Trump's fashion brand called off a deal with a major Japanese apparel company after learning that it was backed by the Japanese government, Trump's company said in a letter made public on Monday. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
(Repeats to reach additional subscriber service)

ROME/BRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Italy is close to agreeing with the European Commission a deal to rescue ailing regional banks Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca while limiting losses for investors, the country's economy minister said on Tuesday.

Italy is racing to get a deal on bailing out the two Veneto-based lenders to stem a deposit flight which has already forced them to raise 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in debt using a state guarantee.

"A solution is now close", Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said in a statement, adding that "talks with European institutions are encouraging".

Padoan said the solution would not entail losses for senior bondholders and depositors, triggering a rally in prices for the two banks' senior bonds.

The yield on a March 2020 senior bond by Popolare di Vicenza fell to 7 percent on Tuesday after rising above 16 percent last week on concerns that the two banks would be wound down under rules that require investors in a bank to take a hit instead of taxpayers.

Italy is seeking to exploit an exception to those rules so as to limit losses only to shareholders and junior bondholders because it fears a full 'bail in' of investors would damage confidence in a still frail banking sector.

"The solution will not involve any form of bail-in," Padoan said.

A spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager confirmed on Tuesday that the authorities were looking for a way to spare senior bondholders from losses, adding that depositors would not be hit.

Europe has introduced bail-in rules to avoid a repeat of the costly bank bailouts seen during the financial crisis.

Italy's government is working with its big banks UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo to get healthy Italian lenders to provide the 1.2 billion euros of private capital that the EC has demanded be raised to allow the rescue to go ahead.

But Italian banks are unwilling to pump more money into the two Veneto rivals after investing 3.4 billion euros to save them from bankruptcy last year.

On Tuesday UBI Banca's supervisory board chairman Andrea Moltrasio said Italy's fifth-largest bank had not been asked yet to take part in the rescue and had other priorities.

However, he later said the bank would consider any proposal from Italy's Treasury should one materialise. A source familiar with the matter said Italy was still hoping to persuade the EU authorities to reduce the amount of private capital it wants to be raised to save the Veneto banks. ($1 = 0.8927 euros)

(Reporting by Steve Scherer and Stefano Bernabei in Rome, Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; Writing by Valentina Za; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
HANOI, June 13 (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 0401 GMT.

June 13 USD/VND mid-point 22,408 USD/VND interbank 22,690/22,695 USD/VND unofficial 22,685/22,700 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.23/36.45

Interbank offered rates Overnight 1.9-2.6

1 week 2.4-2.7

1 month 3.3-3.7

3 months 3.9-4.5

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)
COLOMBO, June 13 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee ended weaker on Tuesday as a state-run bank bought dollars on behalf of a government-owned oil company, dealers said.

Rupee forwards were active, with spot-next forwards closing at 152.90/153.00 per dollar, weaker from Monday's close of 152.85/90.

One-week forwards ended at 153.10/20, compared with Monday's close of 153.05/10.

"Today, there was some pressure (to depreciate) with some (importer) demand. There were general imports and some oil bills," a currency dealer said, requesting anonymity.

He said the state-owned bank was buying dollars to cover oil bills amid a lack of seasonal imports until late September.

The rupee has been under pressure after central bank governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said the bank would allow gradual depreciation of the currency.

The central bank has set a target of $1.2 billion in direct market purchases of dollars to boost the island nation's reserves this year. The spot rupee did not trade on Tuesday. The central bank fixed the spot reference rate at 152.50 on May 5

Foreign investors bought a net 1.37 billion rupees ($8.98 million) worth of government securities in the week ended June 7. They have sold a net 39.96 billion rupees worth of securities so far this year. ($1 = 152.7000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
TAIPEI, June 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan auctioned T$25 billion ($833 million) in 10-year government bonds at a yield of 1.015 percent, the central bank said on Tuesday, at the lower end of forecasts in a Reuters poll for a yield of between 1.01 percent and 1.05 percent.

(Reporting by Emily Chan; Writing by Faith Hung; Editing by Sunil Nair)

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.
ISTANBUL, June 13 (Reuters) - The Turkish Treasury sold a net 1,423.9 million lira ($405 million) in a tap of its benchmark two-year bond on Tuesday at an average compound yield of 11.11 percent, central bank data showed. It sold a net 2,065.6 million lira in a tap of its benchmark 10-year bond at an average compound yield of 10.52 percent. It also issued a new seven-year floating rate note at an average price of 97.765 lira. ($1 = 3.5187 liras)

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Ece Toksabay)

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.
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - There are no outstanding issues between British Prime Minister Theresa May and Northern Ireland's DUP, and a deal to support May's government has been largely agreed, the BBC reported on Tuesday, citing unidentified sources. May failed to secure an outright majority after Thursday's election and is aiming to strike a deal with the DUP to pass her legislative programme. May made no comment as she left talks with DUP leader Arlene Foster.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

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.
(Adds details, context)

DUBAI, June 13 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi's Dana Gas said it would propose restructuring $700 million of outstanding Islamic bonds on Tuesday to a committee of holders of the sukuk, which it said was not sharia-compliant.

"The company has recently received legal advice that the sukuk in its present form is not sharia-compliant and is therefore unlawful under United Arab Emirates law," it said.

Dana said it would propose exchanging the existing sukuk with new sharia-compliant instruments with four-year maturities and the new instruments would offer the right to profit distributions at less than half the rate of the existing instruments, and would not feature any conversion into equity.

The company, which has been facing a cash shortage because of missed payments from its production assets in Egypt and Iraq's Kurdistan, announced its intention to hold discussions with sukuk holders in early May.

Dana, whose cash balance was $298 million at the end of March, said at the time that it needed to focus on "medium-term cash preservation" because of challenges it faced over cash collections. It has said it is owed $714 million by the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The $700 million of existing sukuk, half of which are exchangeable into equity, are due to mature in October this year and Dana said on Tuesday that it was proposing prepayments for the new sukuk at par prior to its maturity, providing a path for early pay-down for the holders. It did not give details.

Dana said it was seeking a consensual agreement with investors but had started proceedings in the UAE courts to seek a declaration on the lawfulness of its existing sukuk, which use the mudaraba format, a common Islamic finance structure which resembles an investment management partnership.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia; editing by Louise Heavens and Alexander Smith)
The Herald reports:

Prime Minister Bill Englishs strenuous opposition to Labours proposed breather in immigration draws a clear battle-line in the election. Labour leader Andrew Little wants net migration cut from the current 70,000 a year by up to 30,000  mainly targeting overseas students  saying it will relieve pressure on Auckland road by 20,000 cars and 10,000 houses annually. But English says Labours policy is based on a misunderstanding of the export education sector  70 per cent to 80 per cent of such students left New Zealand at the end of their study, the students did not buy houses and not many had cars. English also said the cut would stall the momentum in the economy which was producing 10,000 new jobs every month.

Some of the changes proposed by Labour are worthwhile, such as encouraging more degree based courses. But there is no way they will see a reduction of 30,000 a year  and if they did, it would have a significant economic impact.

Migration has cycles, and the projections are net migration will start reducing soon. Better to have this done gradually and in a sustainable way.

English rubbished the so-called Kiwibuild visa outlined by Labour to address demand for skilled workers under Labours policy to build 100,000 houses in 10 years. Residential construction firms would be able to hire a foreign worker for three years without testing the market for Kiwi tradesmen if they took on an apprentice for every worker hired. The Kiwibuild visa would be limited to 1500 at any one time, and additional foreign workers would have to be hired under current rules. Mate, who thinks you can build 100,000 houses with another 1000 people? English said to an Australian reporter who questioned it. It is completely unrealistic.

So each person builds 100 houses each  that is about as realistic indeed as many of Labours policies!

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Today is the 30th anniversary of President Ronald Reagans famous Brandenburg Gate speech given in front of the infamous Berlin Wall where he challenged Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down this wall. As riveting as was the actual speech (the full speech is here https://youtu.be/5MDFX-dNtsM and the money part is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A), what is equally riveting are two fascinating back stories.

The speechwriter

Reagans speechwriter Peter Robinson arrived in Berlin three weeks ahead of the official Presidential party to do research as background for the speech. Before meeting people, the senior American diplomat in the Berlin Embassy assigned to brief Robinson urged him to not mention the Wall because West Berliners had gotten used to it. Mr. Robinson recalls that he got his idea for the famous line of his speech from the reaction of the guests at a dinner party he attended not long after his arrival. At the dinner was a gathering of some Berlin society elites: a prominent industrialist, businessmen, several well-known academics and a popular socialite. Discussion had been polite and genial when partway through the dinner, the subject turned to the coming Presidential speech at the front of the most famous part of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate. Robinson was curious to gauge attitudes in the room to the Wall and the speech. At first there was an embarrassed silence as it clearly was not a topic in polite society. Various around the table mumbled politically correct bromides and made rather neutral comments. There was a pause in the conversation and suddenly one of the women changed her tone and said bluntly and loudly I dont care what you think but I hate the wall with a passion. With emotion tinging her voice she said that her sister lived only 5 km from her apartment but that she had not been able to see her over 20 years. She pounded her fist and said that if Gorbachev was serious about peace, hed get rid of the Wall. This outburst acted as an emotional dam burst and suddenly almost everyone in the room piled on with similar comments that betrayed the visceral loathing that all in the room actually held for the Wall and all it stood for. Various of them told similar stores of family separation and of the sadness and trauma associated with the brutal partitioning of Berlin.

Robinson was taken completely by surprise. Here was the creme of Berlin society and to a man and a woman, they detested the wall and the communist ideology that erected it. This strong reaction from normally such polite and measured people made Robinson realise that the existence of the Wall was a huge hot button issue for Berliners and that to make a bold statement about its removal was a comment that Reagans audience in Berlin would warm to. The speech was drafted, Reagan liked it and it was entered the system and circulated amongst the State Department and other key Cabinet members in advance of the actual speech so that the diplomats could be ready for its impact. Well all hell broke loose. The entire foreign policy apparatus of the government immediately weighed in with lengthy memos strongly urging the tear down the wall line be taken out with dire warnings of inflaming Cold War tensions, provoking the Soviets into some form of damaging reprisal and calling it naive and needlessly raising expectations. Soon Reagan had his Chief of Staff Howard Baker, his Secretary of State George Schultz and even National Security Adviser Carlucci all urging the him to listen to the officials and take out the line.

Reagan allowed the debate to rage around him but demurred on a decision. In the final meeting in the hotel suite the day before the speech, Reagan met with his Deputy Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein who again represented the consensus objections of many in the senior echelons of government and showed him their various revised drafts. Reagan turned to Duberstein asked, Am I the President and can I say what I want in a speech? to which he replied, Yes Mr. President. Reagan emphatically said to him the line stays in. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Soviet Dissident in the Gulags

An equally gripping tale of the impact of the speech is told by prominent Soviet Jewish dissident Natan Sharansky in his landmark book The Case for Democracy. At the time of the speech, he was the third most senior Soviet dissident incarcerated in the Gulags (after Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov). He said that when news of the speech was smuggled in to one prisoner in a coded letter, he tapped the news in Morse code to his neighbouring prisoner who in turn tapped Morse code or whispered the line of Reagans speech from cell to cell until all the prisoners knew. He said that as each man heard the news, a cheer would go up. He said the feeling in the prison camp was electrifying and that hope swept through the camp like a wildfire. It raised the spirits of these starved and tortured men immeasurably. They knew that leader of the free world was prepared to stand up to the Soviets and call for the dismantling of one of the most potent symbols of their repression. Sharansky said that he knew at that moment that the days of the Soviet regime were numbered if Reagan remained President.

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Remember Rihanna's yellow gown at the 2015 Met ball? Even though she wore it for a China-themed gala and stole the show on the red carpet, it didn't win much appreciation from Chinese viewers. Instead, it was considered an awkward example of Westerners' misconceptions about traditional Chinese culture.

What's the appropriate way to revitalize traditions? A recent fashion show at Prince Gong's mansion in Beijing may shed some light on this question. Various creations featuring traditional Chinese embroidery were showcased to celebrate China's national culture and heritage.

Models wear traditional wedding dresses embroidered in the Chaozhou style, which is one of the top four embroidery styles in China.

A model wears a Suzhou embroidery creation. Embroidery is one of Suzhou's claims to fame. During the Qing Dynasty, the embroidered products used by the Chinese royal family were almost exclusively from Suzhou.

Models present creations featuring Bouyei embroidery. The Bouyei ethnic group lives in southern China and uses embroidery to decorate traditional clothing and household items.

The runway is not the ultimate destination for creations that borrow from Chinese intangible heritage; the real challenge is how to turn them into actual products available for the average customer, industry insiders noted.

Currently, an online handicraft workshop is in trial operation, giving fashion designers in China and overseas access to around 5,000 Chinese embroidery specialists and 3,000 embroidery patterns. So far, over 200 members of the workshop have received production orders. From there, the next step is to develop recognizable brands.

"If we only focus on production and ignore brand-building, we will lose the culture's added value," said Ai Feng, chairman of the board of experts of Brand China Industry Union.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

Trend:

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry urged foreign states to take measures to prevent the participation of their citizens in an event planned to be held in the countrys occupied territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys Spokesperson Hikmat Hajiyev said June 13.

Hajiyev said that Armenia plans to hold an event with the participation of experts in the occupied Azerbaijani territories September 14-17 allegedly to discuss the problems and prospects of recognizing the illegal regime created on the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

Usually, Armenian citizens and representatives of Armenian origin from other countries take part in such events, Hajiyev noted.

He went on to add that the real goal of the Armenian side is political provocation, propaganda of the illegal regime in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and the use of the invited persons as a tool for political propaganda.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry urges foreign nationals invited to the event not to succumb to such a lie, not to become a tool for Armenian propaganda and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, he said.

Hajiyev reminded that illegal visiting of the occupied Azerbaijani lands entails legal responsibility.

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.


Fear over lost decades' brings Japan expert to Cheong Wa Dae



By Yoon Ja-young

Cheong Wa Dae recently appointed Seoul National University professor Kim Hyun-chul as a special adviser on economic affairs. It drew the spotlight since he is known as an expert on Japan.

"So far, the economic control tower has been taken over by those trained in the United States. But in fact, the Korean economy resembles Japan so much. I think it is the right time for a Japan expert to take the mound," said Jeon Young-soo, a professor at Hanyang University.

The appointment reflects concern that Korea is following in footsteps of Japan which has suffered from chronic low growth.

Cheong Wa Dae introduced him as an expert to deal with low growth.

"Kim is a scholar who continues to research survival strategies for the low growth era, which the Korean economy is facing. He also has deep understanding of global economic circumstances."

Professor Kim was among the key advisors in President Moon Jae-in's election camp, designing his economic policy. The 55-year-old majored in business administration at Seoul National University. Unlike his colleagues who headed to the United States, he went to Keio University in Japan where he got his Ph.D.

He was a successful scholar there. Before returning to Korea, he taught at Nagoya University of Commerce and Tsukuba University, and also served as an advisor or lecturer to numerous Japanese corporations including Nippon Steel, Japan Railroad, Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor, Fuji Xerox and Canon.

Korean corporations such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and SK Telecom have also been seeking his advice.

During his stay he witnessed Japan's "lost two decades." He analyzed why Japan fell into a low growth trap and also recorded how Japan Inc. coped with it, giving a lesson to other countries.

He wrote several books on Japan's businesses and its economy, some of which were published in the United States, China and Russia.

The most widely known one is "Miraculous Strategy for Survival in Low-growth Era," which became a best seller in 2015. It was among a collection of books that President Moon cited as impressing him the most.

Among others, Kim cites the demographic cliff as the fundamental cause behind low growth. Japan's productivity plummeted amid the aging of its population and a falling birthrate. He notes that Korea resembles the Japanese economy of the 1990s when bubbles started to collapse.

Experts agree that Korea is following in the footsteps of Japan. Korea's working age population started to fall this year and low growth seems to be inevitable.

"The average economic growth rates of countries that saw a decrease in the working age population used to fall steeply. Korea's growth potential will also fall below 2 percent by the 2020s," said Lee Geun-tae, an economist at the LG Economic Research Institute.

Kim also points to the dilemma of a government which faces a fiscal deficit in a low growth era. The government's tax income dips as low growth continues, but it can't cut fiscal spending.

In fact it has to spend more taxes for economic stimuli and welfare. Households, meanwhile, are left with little disposable income, and the economy enters a recession.

The analysis of Japan led him to design President Moon's income-led growth strategy. Unlike export-led and business-focused economic growth models of previous administrations, it starts from households. It tries to boost consumption and corporate investment by increasing household income, which in turn will create more jobs and pull up economic growth in a virtuous circle.

He also stresses that Korea should focus on maintaining a working age population. He says Korea has an option that Japan doesn't have. That is unification with North Korea.

Those who know him say that he will be of great help to the Moon administration which started off with internal and external economic challenges.

"He has been analyzing Korea's precedents for a long time. We have a lot to learn from Japan," Prof. Jeon of Hanyang University said.

He expected Kim to suggest fundamental solutions based on an analysis of structural problems, unlike most other economic policymakers who usually resort to fiscal stimuli which are not sustainable.
AIIB in Beijing / Courtesy of AIIB



By Park Hyong-ki



The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is expected to fill in the supply-demand gap in infrastructure financing, according to a Bank of Korea (BOK) report.



It noted the China-led AIIB will help speed up infrastructure development in developing and underdeveloped economies where other multinational development banks were not able to succeed due to inefficient capital management and governance issues.



Even though the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have increased their support for development in those regions, the effects on poor countries' growth have been very limited.



Also, given that the two multinational development banks are headed by the United States and Japan, their governance structures make it restrictive for poor countries to raise their voices on infrastructure needs.



The AIIB, whose various shareholders include Russia, Australia and Indonesia, will be able to address these concerns through a rapid decision-making process. It has 77 members, while the ADB has 67 members.



Annual demand for infrastructure development in Asia's developing and underdeveloped economies is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2030.



However, they face a gap of nearly $460 billion.



"The AIIB is needed to fill in this massive gap amid weak financial conditions in Asia's emerging markets," the BOK report said.



The ADB's infrastructure investment in the region only accounted for 2.5 percent of its total in 2015, it noted.



The AIIB is currently financing 13 infrastructure projects. It is pursuing eight of them with the World Bank and ADB.



The AIIB still lacks professionals who can handle the growing demand for infrastructure.



Compared with the ADB, which has more than 3,000 professionals, the AIIB has 84.



"The AIIB faces difficulties in recruiting professionals as it offers lower pay and less welfare benefits than other multinational agencies," the report said.



Also, the issue concerning the AIIB's governance cannot be ignored given China's highest voting rights.



China could steer projects focused on regions where it could further expand its influence.



The AIIB has invested the most in Azerbaijan, Indonesia and Pakistan.



Forty-six percent of AIIB investments were made to build energy plants, with 31 percent to develop roads, ports and railways, and the rest in urban development.



Korea has a 4.06 percent stake in the AIIB.



According to the World Economic Forum, the country ranks 10th in infrastructure competitiveness.



The report suggested the public and private sectors should use all of their available political and economic resources to expand their reach via the AIIB in Asia's growing infrastructure market.



The AIIB will hold its annual meeting on Jeju Island from June 16 to 18.
By Nam Hyun-woo



Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung has embarked on a five-day trip to Europe to meet investors and strengthen relations with them, according to the group, Tuesday.



The trip is Cho's bid to boost the group's presence in the global market, amid the rising shares of foreigners in the group.



Shinhan Financial said Cho left Korea on Monday to meet pension services, fund operators and other institutional investors in the U.K., France, Sweden and the Netherlands this week.



During the meetings, Cho is scheduled to hold investor relations events and explain his initiative of catapulting the group to become the leader in the Asian financial market by 2020.



"The trip is aimed at meeting our long-term investors as the new chairman believes he is obliged to explain how he plans to raise the group in the long run," a Shinhan official said. "Rather than drawing short-term investors, he strives to improve long-term relations with them. Cho believes it is his duty as group chairman."



Cho took charge of Korea's largest financial group this March. Then, he introduced his 2020 plan on chalking up a double-digit return on equity ratio through improving profits from non-interest-rate businesses and aggressive offshore investment.



Last month, he met with major Shinhan investors. At the time, Cho met institutional investors including the GIC, the Singaporean government's fund manager and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.



Industry watchers say Cho's full-swing efforts to cater to foreign investors are in line with the rising shares of foreigners in Shinhan Financial.



International players hold about 330 million shares of the group, which is 70 percent of the entity.



The proportion has risen gradually over the past year. Last August, the figure was below 65 percent but thereafter it grew sharply to approach 70 percent.




Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the construction of Khirdalan-Binagadi-Balakhani road.

Under the presidential order, 5.3 million manats is allocated from the state budget for the construction of Khirdalan-Binagadi-Balakhani road connecting six residential areas with the total population of 188,000 people.
Malaysian daily newspaper New Strait Times released this photograph of Kim Jong-nam after two Asian women attacked him with the nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13. / Korea Times file



By Ko Dong-hwan

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's older half-brother Jong-nam was carrying $120,000 cash when he was assassinated in Malaysia in February, a Japanese newspaper daily said Sunday.

Malaysian investigators said it appeared he had acquired the cash from within the Southeast Asian country, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

Malaysian police found four bundles of money, each containing 300 new $100 notes in his black bag after he was murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13.

Such an amount would normally have to be declared to Customs but Jong-nam, who carried a diplomatic passport, did not have to do so.

The investigators suspect he took advantage of his passport to take the cash out of the country.

It has been confirmed that during his eight days in Malaysia, Jong-nam vacationed at Langkawi for five days and met an American man for about two hours on Feb. 9.

Malaysian authorities said the American had "a connection to the American spy agency" and possibly gave the money to Jong-nam in exchange for unknown information.

"There was no transaction record of Jong-nam withdrawing that amount of money from any Malaysian bank," the Japanese daily said.

Jong-nam was on his way home to Macau when two Asian women approached him while he waited for his flight. They sprayed the nerve agent VX on his face, and then fled.

He immediately sought a medical help at the airport and was taken to a hospital, where he died soon afterwards.
The United States will leave "all options" on the table in responding to a threatened intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test by North Korea, a State Department spokesperson was quoted Tuesday as saying.



Katina Adams made the remark after North Korea warned Saturday that it is "not too far away" from test-firing an ICBM capable of striking the U.S. mainland.



"As we have said before, all options for responding to future provocations must remain on the table," she told Washington-based Voice of America. "We call on (North Korea) to refrain from provocative, destabilizing actions and rhetoric, and to make the strategic choice to fulfill its international obligations and commitments and return to serious talks."



North Korea claimed in an editorial in its official Rodong Sinmun newspaper that a series of recent strategic weapons tests has brought it closer to testing an ICBM.



Last week the communist nation test-fired what appeared to be a round of short-range anti-ship cruise missiles in its fifth missile launch since the liberal Moon Jae-in administration took office in South Korea on May 10.



"The great success of test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile, which we are sure to achieve, will mark a historic watershed moment in the failure of the U.S. hostile policy against us," the editorial said. "Historically speaking, the U.S. has never dared to go to war with a country that possesses nuclear weapons or ICBMs." (Yonhap)




A Britain-based scholar has raised the need to tighten international sanctions on North Korean diplomats to close loopholes in the existing sanctions regime for the country's nuclear and missile programs, a news report said Tuesday.



Andrea Berger, associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, made the argument in a recent report identifying the challenges of implementing sanctions on North Korea, according to U.S.-based Radio Free Asia.



In the report, titled "A House Without Foundations: The North Korea Sanctions Regime and its Implementation," Berger calls for designating North Korean diplomats as "politically exposed persons," citing allegations that their private and embassy bank accounts, diplomatic pouches and personal luggage have been used to trade in weapons of mass destruction and other blacklisted items.



With the designation, countries will be able to demand data on the bank accounts from relevant financial institutions and help stop the flow of funds that can be used for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development, she says.



Berger also notes in her report that there is difficulty in implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions 2270 and 2321, which call for reducing the number of North Korean diplomats in U.N. member countries and limiting the number of bank accounts.



In her research, she found that Western nations in particular experienced difficulty in restricting bank transactions, prompting the need to access detailed and up-to-date information on North Korea's suspected bypassing of sanctions.



The expert also addressed concerns that North Korean diplomats linked to blacklisted organizations are freely traveling to parts of Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. (Yonhap)




North Korea has freed an American university student after holding him for 17 months, a move that could signal a conciliatory tone towards Washington amid intensifying U.S. pressure on the regime over its nuclear and missile programs.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student arrested in January 2016 while on a trip to the North, has been released and is "en route to the United States, where he will be reunited with his family."

"At the direction of the president, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea," Tillerson said.

His release brought to three the number of Americans held in the North, and Tillerson said the department "continues to have discussions with the DPRK regarding three other U.S. citizens reported detained."

Warmbier was arrested for stealing a political propaganda sign from a hotel and was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.












President Moon Jae-in, center, hosts a luncheon meeting for members of the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Moon called for their support for the passage of an 11.2-trillion-won ($9.95 billion) supplementary budget bill. The largest opposition Liberty Korea Party boycotted the meeting, and vowed to reject the bill. / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho



An increasing number of elderly people are going missing in Korea  a worrying trend for the fast-aging society.



According to the National Police Agency, Monday, 9,869 dementia sufferers went missing in 2016. In other words, 27 people now go missing every day.



Some turn up dead, or not at all.



The number of missing elderly people has been increasing at an alarming pace over the past few years. From 7,650 in 2012, it jumped by nearly 30 percent in just five years.



An 84-year-old woman with dementia was found dead last week near a stream, which was 500 meters from her house in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.



A police officer said dementia sufferers are often found in places that are least expected. "Some people seem just fine, but they could suddenly disappear when symptoms occur," he said.



Dementia, which causes a long term and gradual decrease in cognitive abilities due largely to aging, has become a major concern for the country.



The National Institute of Dementia in Korea estimated in 2015 that nearly 650,000 people suffer from the disease and the number will reach 2.71 million by 2050.




Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang



By Park Si-soo



South Korean President Moon Jae-in has come under unexpected criticism from Vietnam for his remarks honoring Korean soldiers who fought in the 1960-75 Vietnam War.

In his Memorial Day speech on June 6, Moon emphasized the "devotion and sacrifice" of Vietnam War veterans," describing them as "contributors" to South Korea's economic growth.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters on Monday that Moon's remarks "could hurt the Vietnamese people."

"We request the government of South Korea not to take actions or make statements that could hurt the Vietnamese people or negatively affect the two countries' friendly relations," Hang said in a statement.

"Vietnam wants to develop friendly relations with all nations, including the Republic of Korea. Leaders of the two countries reached common perceptions in putting the past aside and looking towards the future."












Protesters gather each week in front of the old Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul in support of Korean victims of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II. The demonstrators on May 28 hold pictures of comfort women who have died in the past year. The 1,263rd such gathering demanded that the 2015 Korea-Japan agreement on the comfort woman issue be abolished. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo



By Ko Dong-hwan

Contrary views of Koreans and Japanese on Korean sex slaves during World War II have drifted further apart, indicating the nations share lesser common ground than ever.

Korean daily newspaper Hankook Ilbo and Japanese counterpart Yomiuri Shimbun carried out a joint survey earlier this year.

The survey asked random citizens in each country whether they agreed with the 2015 agreement between the two nations on the so-called comfort women issue  a promise that as of December 28, the Japanese government would "sincerely" apologize for its war crime, compensate surviving Korean victims, and both countries would no longer discuss the issue.

According to the survey, 75.9 percent of Korean respondents said the 2015 agreement was a mistake, up 2.5 percentage points from last year. Those who respected the agreement dropped from 21.2 percent to 17.1 percent.

In Japan, 56 percent of respondents respected the agreement, up from last year's 49 percent. Those against it were down from 38 percent to 35 percent.












Nguyet Thi Thanh, left, and Nguyen Tan Lan, the survivors of a Vietnam War massacre committed by South Korean soldiers, speaks at a weekly demonstration by former comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, in April, 2015. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Choi Ha-young

President Moon Jae-in's recent remarks on South Korean soldiers who participated in the 1960-75 Vietnam War are fueling anti-Korean sentiment in the Southeast Asian country.

In a speech to mark the June 6 Memorial Day, Moon lauded the soldiers who fought in Vietnam for their contributions to economic growth in the 1960s and 70s.

"The soldiers resolutely answered the call of the Republic of Korea. In the middle of the jungle and under sweltering heat, they carried out their duties faithfully. That's true patriotism," Moon said. "Their sacrifice laid the foundation for the country's economic growth."

Moon spoke about the soldiers apparently to urge people to remember fallen national heroes. However, this angered many Vietnamese, who contend Korean soldiers massacred thousands of civilians during the war.

"We ask the Korean government not to talk or behave in a way that hurts the feelings of the Vietnamese people and has a negative influence on the two countries' friendship and cooperation," Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswomen Le Thi Thu Hang said in a press release, Monday.

The ministry has lodged a complaint with the Korean Embassy in Vietnam regarding Moon's speech, the press release reads.












By Kim Rahn



President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump will have their first summit in Washington, D.C., on June 29 and 30, their offices announced Wednesday.

It will be Moon's first summit with another head of state since his May 10 inauguration. The visit was made at Trump's invitation following their phone call right after Moon was sworn in, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

The two leaders will have a summit, a banquet and a joint press conference at the White House.

They will discuss ways to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, resolve North Korea's nuclear issues and boost economic cooperation. Moon will also meet other ranking officials there including Vice President Mike Pence, senators and congressmen, scholars and businesspeople, as well as people from the Korean-American community, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Details added (first version posted on 12:58)

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received a delegation led by Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria Sotir Tsatsarov.

Sotir Tsatsarov extended Bulgarian President Rumen Radevs greetings to the head of state.

The Bulgarian Prosecutor General commended the Azerbaijani people for their work under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Sotir Tsatsarov said he was deeply impressed with the ongoing development processes in Azerbaijan.

He hailed successful cooperation between prosecution bodies of the two countries, adding that this cooperation was carried out at a highly professional level and in a friendly atmosphere. Sotir Tsatsarov described his Baku trip as a continuation of the current ties.

President Ilham Aliyev praised a very good level of Azerbaijan-Bulgaria relations, saying they are successfully developing in political, economic, energy, cultural and other fields.

President Ilham Aliyev recalled his visit to Bulgaria as well as the Bulgarian Prime Ministers trip to Azerbaijan, and stressed the importance of these visits in terms of strengthening ties between the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the significance of elevating Azerbaijan-Bulgaria ties in all fields to the level of current cooperation and mutual support between the leaderships of the two countries.

The head of state said good cooperation between the prosecution bodies contributes to the expansion of bilateral relations. President Ilham Aliyev noted that this visit created a good opportunity for discussing the issues relating to prospects of relations.

The head of state thanked for Rumen Radevs greetings and asked the Prosecutor General to extend his greetings to the Bulgarian President.
The Uzbek government has reappointed Vitaliy Fen, 70, as ambassador to the Republic of Korea.



Fen, who is of Korean descent, had served in Seoul for a record 18 years until August 2013 after opening the Uzbek Embassy as charge d'affaires in 1995. He was promoted to ambassador in 1999.



After nearly four years of retirement, Fen was rehired to represent the Central Asian country "to further strengthen the bilateral cooperative and friendly relations between Seoul and Tashkent," an embassy official said.



Diplomatic sources here said Fen's comeback was meaningful in that Seoul and Tashkent are celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations and both countries have new presidents.



Diplomatic relations were established on Jan. 29, 1992. Ever since, the two countries have engaged in vigorous cooperation in all areas.



The foundation of bilateral relations between the two nations was laid on Dec. 30, 1991, when South Korea was among the first foreign countries to recognize Uzbekistan's independence.



Fen served as the dean of the diplomatic corps in Seoul for seven years from 2009 until his departure.



Fen and his wife Lyudmila, also of Korean descent, are proficient in the Korean language.



Fen's grandparents were forced to move to the Soviet Union during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation and settled in Vladivostok before being part of a mass deportation in 1937 to the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic where he was born in Tashkent.




Kim Seong-kon, president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, gives a speech at the commencement ceremony of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Center for the Arts Auditorium of State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo on May 19. His speech came on the occasion of his receiving an honorary doctoral degree from the university. / Courtesy of SUNY



LTI president gives commencement speech at SUNY

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Kim Seong-kon, president of Literature Translation Institute Korea (LTI Korea), said his father was the key inspiration for his lifetime endeavor to support cross-cultural understanding.

In a speech at the commencement ceremony of the College of Arts and Sciences at State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo on May 19, Kim said just as his father did as an interpreter, he has striven to play a role to connect different cultures all during his life _ like father, like son.

The only difference is that his father fulfilled the role when the nation was in extreme turmoil from a series of political upheavals but his son was fortunate in that he was able to pursue his cultural ambassador-like mission after stability came to the nation.

His father, who studied law, served as an English translator for the U.S. Military Government in Korea in 1945 when Korea gained independence after 36 years of Japanese occupation and he stayed there all through the Korean War.

Kim, a former dean and professor emeritus of Seoul National University, quoted his father as saying, "In times of crisis, the most important thing in life is to help different people understand each other." He said his father chose to become an interpreter, not a lawyer, for this reason.

"When I first saw the Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, that connected Asia to Europe, I was fascinated by the symbolism of the bridge," he said. "Crossing the bridge, I told myself, I should be like this bridge, connecting the East and the West. Ever since, I have always tried to become a bridge, an interpreter and a cultural ambassador between East and West and between Korea and America."

LTI Korea is responsible for transmitting Korean ideas and thoughts overseas and has translated selected Korean literary works into many languages, including English, Spanish and French, to give international readers access to Korean literature in their languages. The state-sponsored institution's translations have helped several Korean writers earn international fame when their works captivated the hearts of foreign readers.

Kim took the helm of LTI Korea in 2012 and was reappointed as its president in 2015.

Kim's speech came on the occasion of his receiving of an honorary doctorate from SUNY at Buffalo for his life-long devotion to bridging cultural gaps. He is the third Korean to receive an honorary doctoral degree from SUNY at Buffalo, following former presidents Roh Tae-woo and Lee Myung-bak.

Mentioning his first arrival in Buffalo in 1978 when he was in his 20s, he called the city his second hometown and compared his reunion with the city to receive the honorary doctoral degree something akin to a "homecoming."

"Now I have returned here in my late 60s, accomplishing what great American poet Walt Whitman once described as a roundure complete. And I am so happy for my homecoming," he said. "There is no place like home and it is always so good to be back in your hometown."
A suspected North Korean drone found in Inje, Gangwon Province on June 9. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

A suspected North Korean drone found last week spied on the site of a U.S. missile shield in South Korea, the military said Tuesday.

It said the unmanned aerial vehicle, equipped with a Sony-made camera, contained about 10 photos of aerial view of the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The photos included first batch of the THAAD components that arrived in South Korea on April 26, such as two mobile launchers and the X-band radar.

The findings show that South Korea is vulnerable to North Korea's advancement in espionage using drones, according to the military experts.

They cited that the Seongju is about 270 kilometers south of the military demarcation line (MDL). The drone was found by a civilian on a mountain near the MDL in Inje, Gangwon Province on June 9 after it apparently crashed there.

The military is analyzing the drone's built-in, Sony Digital Single Lens Translucent (DSLR) camera and its 64 gigabyte memory chip.

"After tracking its flight based on its photos, we concluded that the drone crossed the MDL, flew over to Seongju and crashed due to lack of fuel on its way back to North Korea," a military official said.

"The drone took hundreds of photos of Seongju where THAAD has been deployed. It began photo shoot from several kilometers north of Seongju and after reaching several kilometers south of the THAAD site, it changed its course to back to the north and took pictures of the THAAD site again."

The official explained the about 10 of the photos were related to THAAD while the remaining were on non-military areas, such woods, farms and villages.

The unmanned plane also took pictures of Inje as well on its way back to North Korea.

The pictures were taken about two to three kilometers above the ground.

The images of the THAAD launchers and radar are not clear when their photos were zoomed in, according to the military.

The military did not specify whether the photos of the other THAAD components arrived here after April 26 were taken.

The North Korean drones were found in the past. But this is the first time a suspected drone from Pyongyang spied on rear part of South Korea.

"The incident shows that our military should bolster efforts to detect and strike unmanned enemy planes," an analyst said.

Some experts speculated that other North Korean drones may have spied on THAAD site and returned home without being detected by the South Korean military.

They cited that the photos found from the drone on June 9 are similar to the images of the THAAD site released by Pyongyang's Korean Central Television (KCTV) on June 8.

Claiming that they are satellite images, the KCTV then showed photos of the THAAD launchers and X-band radar.

Some military authorities said other U.S. military facilities also may have been targeted by the North Korean drones. The drone found on June 9 has a 2.45-meter wingspan with twin engines.

It is estimated to be capable of flying over 500 kilometers. If true, it will be longer than that of the three North Korean drones in 2014. The three drones were believed to be designed to fly up to 300 kilometers. They crashed on the southern side of the MDL due to lack of fuel and engine failure.
President Moon Jae-in shouts "Let's go together" with South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) Commander Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, left, and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong during a visit to the CFC headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



By Kim Rahn

The President said Tuesday that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has laid the groundwork for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, during a visit to the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC).

It was Moon Jae-in's first visit to the Yongsan based CFC since his May 10 inauguration.

His inspection comes amid uncomfortable relations between the two allies following Seoul's investigation into alleged procedural flaws in the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here, and consequent delay in the full installation of the anti-missile system.

Moon met with CFC Commander Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, Deputy Commander Gen. Leem Ho-young, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Lee Sun-jin, and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Bergeson.

Other participants included Defense Minister Han Min-koo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs Jun Byung-hun, National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and NSO first deputy chief Lee Sang-chul.

Moon said the South Korean and U.S. armed forces fought together to contribute to world peace, and the alliance has been recently playing a key role in deterring North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

"The alliance is expanding from military and security issues to social, cultural and economic fields, and the CFC has been the center of the alliance," Moon said.

He added that Pyongyang is continuing its provocative actions, and the recent test-firing of an anti-ship cruise missile was notable because it could be a direct threat to the Korean and the U.S. navies.












Despite a 2015 deal between South Korea and Japan to end a bilateral feud over colonial-era sexual enslavement, its South Korean victims still have individual rights to sue the Japanese government for compensation, Seoul has recently concluded.

The government submitted the position to the Seoul Central District Court in late April upon the court's order to define the legal effectiveness of the agreement signed in December 2015.

The court was dealing with a civilian suit filed by 12 South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual enslavement, who wanted the government to indemnify Japan for psychological and material damage incurred by the so-called comfort women deal.

In a written response to the court, the government said, "The comfort women deal does not override the victims' individual rights to claim indemnity," according to a source close to the plaintiffs.

The deal had called for the two governments to put the issue to an end "for good and irreversibly," with Japan paying 1 billion yen (US$9.1 million) to financially assist the victims.

Still, the government said in the court response that the deal is a political agreement that is not legally binding, but it should still be abided by because it is a promise between states, according to the source.












Counter-terrorist police search for bombs possibly hidden near the building where an explosion occurred at Yonsei University in Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Jung Min-ho

A professor suffered burns and lacerations after a homemade bomb exploded outside his office at Yonsei University in Seoul, police said Tuesday.

Following analysis of surveillance cameras police apprehended a 25-year-old suspect  one of the professor's students  who told them that he was infuriated after the professor had refused to give him the credits he needed to graduate.





Police and the military deployed anti-terrirism forces to the school./ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Police and the military deployed anti-terrorism forces to the school in case there were more hidden bombs on campus.

The 47-year-old professor, surnamed Kim, was taken to hospital with injuries to his neck, chest and hands. Police said they were not life-threatening.

The explosion occurred in the school's engineering faculty building at around 8:40 a.m. after Kim opened a box he found in a paper bag hanging on the door to his office.

According to police, "something went off and small bolts shot out" of the box as soon as he opened it.
Nimal

By Lee Kyung-min

Immigration authorities said Tuesday that they are likely to cancel a 10 million won ($8,860) fine on a Sri Lankan man, 38, imposed for overstaying here illegally. The man who goes by his first name Nimal sustained multiple burn injuries after he entered a burning house to save a 90-year-old woman. He is the first illegal alien to have won a government-recognized award for such a "righteous act."

According to an official at the Korea Immigration Service's Daegu office, the man whose full name is Katabilla Ketiye Ge-Dara Nimal Siri, is likely to be granted leniency. His work visa expired last September.

"We asked Nimal and his legal representative to come to our office on Wednesday with the necessary documents ready," an official said.

"We will convene a meeting to positively consider canceling the fine after reviewing his past," she added.

This comes a day after the Ministry of Health and Welfare gave Nimal an award recognizing his courageous act in accordance with the Protection of Persons Killed or Wounded for a Righteous Cause Act.

Nimal was selected by a 15-member committee comprised of officials from the health and welfare, veterans' affairs and justice ministries, as well as lawyers and doctors.

The members unanimously agreed that Nimal should be given the award regardless of his current legal status. He was also given 10,450,000 won.

The former worker at a factory in Gunwi, North Gyeongsang Province, sustained second degree burns to his neck, wrists and head after he went into the house to save the woman, Feb. 10.

He was working on a nearby farm at the time, and saw the house on fire. He immediately ran to it and rescued the woman.

Nimal came to Korea in September 2013 on a work visa, and earned up to 1.8 million won a month, 80 percent of which was sent back to his parents in his home country.

After his visa expired, he decided not to go back to his country where he could only earn the equivalent of about 500,000 won a month.

Nimal paid for his hospital treatment using a 30 million won award given by a welfare foundation operated by LG Group.

Kim Do-hyen, his legal representative, said he is grateful for the government's decision.

"It is true that many illegal aliens refrain from reporting criminal activities or getting involved in situations that would reveal their status. I hope this case will encourage them to actively help those in danger, regardless of their legal status," he said.

Nimal is awaiting a G-1 visa issued to foreigners who require hospital treatment until they are fully recovered.
/ Korea Times graphic by Lee Jong-eun



By Ko Dong-hwan





The Dongseo Highway / Yonhap

The Dongsea Highway scheduled for completion this month will offer the fastest route from Seoul to the East Sea.

From July, the highway linking Seoul to the coastal city of Yangyang will be even shorter, enabling travelers to get to the eastern end in only 90 minutes.

The fastest way now takes more than two hours via an expressway linking Seoul to East Hongcheon via Chuncheon. Built in 2009, the expressway is spanning 78.5 kilometers long.

Dongsea highway extends 71.7 kilometers from East Hongcheon to Yangyang.

The highway, 98 percent complete as of Monday afternoon, is expected to boost economic growth in northern Gangwon Province and regions across Mt. Seorak and the east coast.

Thirty-five tunnels and 58 viaducts account for 73 percent of the highway.

The Inje Tunnel runs for 11 kilometers, the longest in the nation and the 11th longest in the world.

The tunnel is lit with artistic designs decorating the walls.

Firefighters will be stationed at the tunnel at all times, a safety move never tried before in Korea.
By Lee Han-soo

Government officials in Youngcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, will start clocking out hours earlier than before on Friday at noon every month.

For the first time across city governments in Korea, the city will implement the early leave system for public servants on June 16.

"I plan to help my wife with house chores and spend quality time with my children," said a city official who will be leaving early on Friday.

The early leave will be shared by three to four teams in rotation, with each team enjoying the perk every month.

The remaining working hours on Fridays will be filled throughout the week by workers starting early or working late.

With the early leave plus weekend, workers can enjoy a mini-vacation every month.












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.
Details added (first version posted on 15:18)

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia.

The Azerbaijani president hailed the successful development of Azerbaijan-Georgia relations, saying the two countries maintain active cooperation in many areas and support each other. Touching upon economic ties, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out good results in this area.

On Azerbaijans investments in Georgia and Azerbaijani companies activities in the country, the head of state stressed the importance of determining the ways of increasing the bilateral trade.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined the significance of studying the potential for developing the relations in non-oil, trade and other sectors. Hailing the successful implementation of global projects in transport and energy fields, he noted that Azerbaijan and Georgia demonstrate a very sound approach to the realization of these projects along with other partners.

Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Gakharia said he is much honored to meet with President Ilham Aliyev. He offered condolences over passing of Minister of Energy Natig Aliyev.

The Georgian minister said cooperation in the economic area is successfully developing, adding this is well evidenced by a 49 percent growth in the bilateral trade in four months of this year.

The sides exchanged views on prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade, investment, transport, tourism and agriculture.
From left are Cho Myoung-gyon, You Young-min, Kim Yung-rok, Chung Hyun-back / Yonhap



Moon also picks ICT, agriculture, gender ministers

By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in nominated four ministers Tuesday including the unification minister who will take charge of his inter-Korean policies.

Cho Myoung-gyon, a former unification ministry official, was tapped to lead the ministry.

"The former career official has expertise in inter-Korean summits and North Korean strategies," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.

Cho has a deep understanding of the new government's North Korea policy and a wide experience from policy planning to inter-Korean exchanges and negotiations, Park said. "We expect him to carry out the ministry's major tasks including seeking denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and setting up a basic direction for inter-Korean relations."

The 60-year-old Cho studied statistics at Sungkyunkwan University and obtained a master's degree in public administration from Seoul National University.

After holding various posts at the ministry including ones supporting the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, he served as secretary for unification and security under former President Roh Moo-hyun and participated in the 2007 inter-Korean summit with then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

For the minister of science, ICT and future planning, Moon picked You Young-min, a former CEO of the POSCO Research Institute.












Jonathan Lee and participants during 2014 peace march/ Courtesy of Jonathan Lee



By Kim Se-jeong

Three-hundred people from around the world will gather near the inter-Korean border on June 23 along in support of Korean unification.

According to the organizer, the International Cooperation of Environmental Youth, participants will walk 300 meters along the De-militerized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province during the event. The participants will also read a peace statement and plant a peace tree in a park nearby.

"This event serves as a reminder for the families separated by the Korean War and the war's innocent victims," Jonathan Lee, the director of the organization said. "It serves as an opportunity for individuals from different backgrounds to join together in solidarity against the continuance of the conflict in Korea."

A Korean-American, Lee, 20, is an inter-Korean peace activist. He made headlines in 2010 when he visited North Korea to propose a "children's peace forest" in the demilitarized zone.

Lee is now a student of international affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He's been organizing the march since 2012.

For this month's event, Lee is awaiting North Korea's permission to allow the participants to cross the border by foot and plant trees in Gaesong in the North.

"North Korean mentioned that they were considering our offer. They also stressed a desire to sign a peace treaty with the U.S. in their correspondence," Lee said.
While American foreign policy has for years fixated on the conflict in Syria and the Middle East, just across the border in Mexico and throughout Central America tens of thousands of people lost their lives last year because of the conflict between drug cartels competing to deliver illicit drugs into the United States.



According to a recent report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, whereas approximately 50,000 lives were lost in Syria last year, approximately 39,000 were killed in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, much of which is attributable to drug-war violence.



Mexico's homicide total of 23,000 for 2016 is second only to Syria's, and is only the latest development in a conflict that stretches back to 2006, when President Felipe Calderon deployed the military to combat drug cartels.



Although the exact number of people killed because of the drug war in Mexico is unlikely to ever be known, a recent report from the Congressional Research Service cited estimates from 80,000 to more than 100,000 in that country alone.



The cause of this violence is obvious, and it is a direct, predictable consequence of our failed policy of drug prohibition. In the near-half century since President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs," hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been killed in conflicts fueled by a lucrative illicit drug trade made possible by our prohibition of drugs.



This is an insight a certain New York developer possessed 27 years ago. "We're losing badly the war on drugs," Donald Trump said in 1990. "You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars."

While Trump may have since lost this insight, the fact remains that the war on drugs does more harm than drugs themselves.



Last year, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos used his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech to call for a "rethink" of the drug war, which contributed to decades of conflict in Colombia that killed hundreds of thousands.



Rather than squander more lives and resources fighting a War on Drugs that cannot be won  including in our inner cities  the United States must recognize the futility and harm of its drug policies.





This editorial appeared in the Orange County Register and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




By Lee Seong-hyon





Scenic Jeju island is one of South Korea's best places for public diplomacy. It has natural beauty and a story to tell. If President Moon Jae-in has to visit Jeju Island for public diplomacy, the best timing could be one for the annual Jeju Forum and the other for the Jeju 4.3 Uprising memorial service.



Public diplomacy is seen as a manifestation of soft power  the ability to shape a perception through attraction. Joseph Nye states that soft power is associated with intangible assets such as an attractive personality, culture, political values and institutions. In other words, a country's soft power rests on its resources of culture, values and policies.



Holding international conferences is a common way to promote public diplomacy. It's no wonder then that international conferences are often held in scenic places, such as Jeju. Jeju Island is a Korean version of Hawaii or Hainan or Okinawa. It is well known today as the nation's top tourist magnet, especially as a honeymoon destination for its volcanic beauty and seclusion. During the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1897), the island was used as a seaboard prison for political exiles. It was Korea's Monte Cristo. In 1945, the Japanese troops tried to use the island as the last stronghold against the Allies and stored weapons in the island's many caves.



Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, and also the venue for the annual Jeju Forum, the government-backed premium international conference. It aims to be South Korea's Davos (hosted in Switzerland) or Boao (hosted in China). But to make it truly on the par with them, it needs direct attention from the nation's top leader, Moon. I saw Xi Jinping or Li Keqiang at the Boao Forum, for instance. The Boao Forum has been maintaining its premium because China's top leaders go there. Attending the Jeju Forum, therefore, should be on Moon's calendar. Personal attendance by the nation's top leader is simple yet it is the best way to guarantee the continuing success of the forum.



Public diplomacy is generally understood as engaging foreign visitors. It is largely about sculpting a good image. However, Wang Jisi, a prominent Chinese scholar for international relations, once commented that a government which doesn't have a good image in its own people's eyes cannot have a good image abroad either. This is a deceptively simple yet profoundly insightful observation. It raises the question of whether the scope of public diplomacy should expand to include the domestic audience too. If public diplomacy is the art of winning hearts and minds, a leader then should win the hearts and minds of his own people first, before he goes out to win other countries' hearts. For instance, a country with poor human rights records cannot be respected internationally in that regard. Speaking of human rights, Jeju can be a good place to promote human rights too. And President Moon can play a role here.



Seventy years ago, the island was soaked with the blood of 30,000 residents. The "April 3 Incident," as it is commonly called, refers to a particularly tragic incident in 1948 between Jeju residents and the authorities, resulting in the massacre of 10 percent of the island's population.



The National Committee for Investigation of the Truth about the Jeju April 3 Incident concluded in 2003 that it was "a tragic incident the casualties for which are second only to the Korean War in modern Korean history." The truth committee recommended the government do more for consolation and to restore the honor of the victims and the bereaved.

Despite the official verdict, the root cause of the civil revolt in Jeju even today remains controversial in South Korea's highly polarized society.



"The indiscriminate counterinsurgency campaign waged against the islanders reflected a tragic misunderstanding of local history and the island's relationship with the outside world," historian Hwang Su-kyoung said. For many years, the surviving victims and bereaved families were treated as social outcasts and experienced many kinds of discrimination.

By attending the memorial for the victims, President Moon can help the nation remember those neglected human rights abuses during Korea's tumultuous years so as to give proper tribute to the fallen and grant them due the human dignity they deserve. This public diplomacy for reconciliation has not been carried out by the previous two administrations  a testament to how deeply divided the nation is over this tragedy.





Lee Seong-hyon, Ph.D., is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. Reach him at sunnybbsfs@gmail.com.
McDonald's Korea CEO Cho Ju-yeon, fifth from left, poses at the local branch's head office in Seoul, Monday, after donating 300 million won ($265,000) to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Korea which will build homes for families of long-stay child patients near Pusan National University Children's Hospital in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. McDonald's High Growth Market President Joe Erlinger, second from left, RMHC Korea Chairman Jeffrey Jones, third from left, and McDonald's Korea promotional model Daniel Henney, center, also attended the ceremony. / Courtesy of McDonald's Korea
Models promote KT's new digital card, the CLiP CARD, at its headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. Users can combine up to 21 cards in the digital transaction assistant device. / Courtesy of KT



By Lee Min-hyung

KT has released its all-in-one smart card, combining up to 21 payment methods in one digital card.

Users can register not just their credit and debit cards, but also memberships and transportation cards into the CLiP CARD, the company said in a press conference, Tuesday.

The device comes with a 1.3-inch light emitting diode (LED) display and two buttons, allowing users to select one card before making payments. The display also shows basic card information such as membership barcode numbers and transportation card balance.

The new product comes at a time when many customers feel confusion over numerous new payment methods with the rise of smartphones, KT said.

It is true smartphones are replacing traditional payment methods such as credit cards and cash at a rapid pace, but most people still rely on those conventional payment methods. On top of that, there have been growing calls for a unified smart platform to make payments easier, regardless of type of operating system (OS), smart device or app.

Users of BC Card, Lotte Card and Hana Card can register their cards into the CLiP CARD, KT said. The mobile carrier added it plans to sign partnerships with all the card companies here by the end of this year.

"We will attract more than 300,000 subscribers for the new digital card this year," said Kim Hyung-wook, vice president at KT's platform business unit. "By 2020, we expect CLiP's annual transaction volume will reach 27 trillion won ($23.9 billion) with 2 million users."

Target customers for the digital card are those in their 30s and 40s, who KT says have purchasing power and easily accept new services or technologies. Women in their late 20s are the next target for the service, as they tend to be more sensitive to reasonable consumption and membership services, KT said.

The CLiP CARD is also equipped with a lithium-ion battery. It takes about an hour and a half to completely charge, which enables users to use the card for about three to four weeks without battery problems, according to KT. The CLiP CARD comes with a price tag of 108,000 won.

KT has a strong foothold as a telecommunications giant in Korea. But in recent years, the company has sought to turn itself into the nation's leading network and platform giant, citing market saturation in the conventional wireless business.

In particular, financial transaction is one of KT's five next growth areas along with media, smart energy, new corporate values and public safety.
By Lee Min-hyung



LG Chem has denied a report that it signed a 7 trillion won ($6.2 billion) battery contract for Volkswagen electric vehicles (EV).



On Tuesday, a local newspaper reported that the Seoul-based chemical and battery giant had signed the EV battery cell deal with the German carmaker.



But LG Chem said in a regulatory filing that the report was far from the truth and the company never signed such a contract with Volkswagen.



"The two companies have never signed such a contract," LG Chem said in a statement. "LG Chem is undertaking a number of projects with carmakers across the globe, and we cannot confirm anything about our clients without additional discussions with them."



The local report on early Tuesday said LG Chem had recently won a tight race against China's CATL for a license to supply EV batteries for Volkswagen's Modular Electric Drive project. The Seoul-based battery manufacturer would supply batteries for the project at its plant in Poland, starting next month, according to the report. But LG Chem flatly denied this.



The company held a groundbreaking ceremony for the battery manufacturing facility in Poland last October, seeking to start operating in the second half of this year.



The Poland plant will be able to produce 100,000 EVs a year by the end of next year, according to the company.



LG Chem is one of the world's top battery manufacturers, supplying EV batteries for such auto giants as GM, Ford, Chrysler and Volvo.




By Jhoo Dong-chan



A group of Kumho Tire sales agents held a rally in front of the Kumho Asiana headquarters building in central Seoul, Monday, to protest the sale of the company to Chinese tiremaker Double Star.



They expressed concern that Double Star's acquisition of Kumho Tire would take a toll on the latter's 1,500 sales agencies nationwide as customers would turn away from its products because of a drop in brand value should it be sold to Double Star.



"When a Chinese company acquired Ssangyong Motor several years ago, it looted the carmaker's core technologies while selling off domestic assets in Korea. It eventually led to massive layoffs and caused insolvency," said group leader Han Jae-deok during the rally.



Kumho Tire has built its own technologies and distribution network over the last 57 years, Han said.



"If such a company is sold without careful deliberation, it will be a great loss to the country's economy," he said. "Creditors, including the Korea Development Bank (KDB), should re-examine their plan to sell Kumho Tire and consider a way for coexistence between the company and agencies. If our demands are ignored, not only employees of the 1,500 agencies but also their family members will stage a massive protest."



Politicians spoke out in favor of the group.



"It will deal a severe blow to the local economies of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province if Kumho Tire is sold to a Chinese company," the opposition People's Party spokeswoman Kim Yoo-jung said in press release.



"About 4,000 workers at Kumho Tire Gwangju and Gokseong are likely to lose their jobs while a number of subcontractors are expected to suffer massive sales declines with the company gone. The People's Party will hold a related committee meeting at the National Assembly to halt the sale of Kumho Tire."







Kumho Tire trademark



Separate from the sales agents' protest, Double Star has refused to accept Kumho Industrial's proposal for the use of the Kumho Tire trademark.



KDB previously asked Kumho Industrial, which owns the Kumho trademark, to allow Double Star to use it for 20 years and pay 0.2 percent of sales as royalties based on their agreement with the Chinese tire maker.



Double Star also wanted the right to cancel the trademark use by giving three months notice to Kumho Industrial.



After a board of directors meeting with Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo in response to the state-run KDB's demands over the trademark use, Kumho Industrial said last week that it would allow Double Star to use it.



However, it attached the conditions that the Chinese tiremaker should pay 0.5 percent in brand royalties for 20 years and could not unilaterally cancel use of the trademark during that time.



Double Star immediately refused this proposal, claiming that the creditors only should decide on the trademark issue.




Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Ilhama Isabalayeva  Trend:

About 100,000 people visited the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve in 2016, Azerbaijans Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev told reporters in Baku June 13.

Garayev said that the number of tourists visiting Gobustan has increased as compared to previous years.

Today there are very few rock carvings and inscriptions in the world remaining since the Paleolithic era, noted the minister.

There is a network of such places in the world, and Azerbaijan with its Gobustan is a part of this network, demonstrating to the whole world that the first place of human habitation on Earth is in Azerbaijan, added Garayev.

The minister added that all tourism companies include trips to Gobustan in their visit programs.

Gobustan open-air museum has been included in the list of the best museums in Europe, said Garayev.

Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.
Rapid City's Community Work Center is designed to help transition inmates back into society. That's according to Denny Kaemingk, Secretary of South Dakota's Department of Corrections.

Inmates there are in the non-secure facility so they can participate in work release or community service.

It's part of the overall rehabilitation goal of the state prison system.

"These individuals we need to accept them back into the community we need to give them the opportunity to be a good citizens and most importantly good neighbors," Kaemingk said.

According to Kaemingk, more than 450 inmates are currently either on work release or participating in community service around the state. He says each time someone walks away, the department of corrections scrutinizes their policies. However...he insists the minimum units are important tools to curb repeat offenders because inmates can find work while still in prison.

"Then the parole will come around and to where they can move out into the community where they came from and the Rapid City community and retain that same job that they had that they started while they were in the minimum unit and that's the kind of stuff down that we like to see and certainly is more successful if that can occur," said Kaemingk.

There are four community work centers in the state -- one in Rapid City, one in Sioux Falls, and another in Yankton all for men. Women are housed in community work center in Pierre.
Many people in Korea, including idols, follow the Christian faith! As devote Christians, it is no surprise that idols use their talents to express their love for their faith - especially through music covers. Let's review some popular K-Pop artists that created some amazing covers of Christian songs.

U-KISSs Kevin - Above All



Kevin sings about God with his heavenly vocals in "Above All."

Super Juniors Siwon - Who Am I?



Siwon of Super Junior raises the praise as he sings the difficult Christian song "Who am I."

Super Juniors Kyuhyun - You Raise Me Up



Surprise! Another Super Junior member proudly showcases his faith! Kyuhyun can be seen singing elegantly to "Raise Me Up."

Minzy - Hosanna



Believe it or not, Minzy enjoys a God religious song as she beautifully covers "Hosanna."

TVXQs Changmin - Upon This Rock



Changmin of TVXQ becomes emotional with this beautiful religious song "Upon This Rock."

Brian Joo - Awesome God



Brain Joo let's everyone know that our God is an "Awesome God" with his cover.

CN BLUE - You Raise Me Up



The members of CNBLUE lift us to the heavens as they sing "You Raise Me Up."

Sunye - There Is None Like You



Known for being truly religious, Sunya showcases her love of music and God all in one place with "There Is None Like You"

BTS - Oh, Happy Day



Last but not least, the happy-go-lucky and spirited boys of BTS bring gospel to life with their fun cover of "Oh, Happy Day!"
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 11

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The European Union (EU) will help Azerbaijan to strengthen the accreditation system in the country, Sabig Abdullayev, head of the Accreditation Center at the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent of Azerbaijan, told Trend.

He said that the EU-funded twinning project called "Strengthening the accreditation system in Azerbaijan" has been launched this month.

"German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) will carry out the project," Abdullayev said. "The project aims to contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani economy and expand access of local exporters to the world markets by creating an accreditation system that meets the European requirements."

Accreditation plays an important role in increasing competitiveness of the Azerbaijani national economy, as well as in promoting exports, he said.

He went on to add that currently Azerbaijan Accreditation Center has a number of tasks within the framework of the project.

"The main task is to analyze the legislative framework, which governs the activities of the Center, and bring it in line with the requirements of international organizations, or create a new draft law," said Abdullayev. "In addition, it is necessary to improve the knowledge of the Centers staff, as well as external evaluators and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Center."

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to improve management in the areas of metrology, accreditation and protection of patent rights on February 11, 2017.

Under the decree, Azerbaijan Accreditation Center was established.

The center ensures compliance with the principles and rules of accreditation, accredits structures for conformity assessment (confirmation), and carries out representation in international structures in this field.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The situation with approval of voluntary restructuring plan of foreign obligations of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) by foreign creditors will be clarified by mid-July, Azerbaijans Finance Minister Samir Sharifov told Trend June 13.

We have already informed the public about the negotiation process, said the minister.

Earlier, the IBA commenced a process of voluntary debt restructuring as part of its rehabilitation. The banks total debt to foreign creditors is $3.3 billion.

The International Bank of Azerbaijan has been operating since 1992 and is one of the countrys two state-owned banks.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) has started the process of reorganization in the IBA-Moscow [a subsidiary of the IBA in Moscow], a source in the countrys financial market told Trend June 13.

The banks Strategic Committee and the Problem Assets Committee have been disbanded within this process, according to the source.

In addition, new composition and provisions of the banks Risk Management Committee, Asset and Liability Management Committee, Information Technology Committee, Small Credit Committee, Credit Committee and Audit Committee have been approved in accordance with the decision of the IBA.

The IBA-Moscow was created in 2002 as a subsidiary of the IBA, a major part of assets of which is owned by Azerbaijans Finance Ministry.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan demonstrates resilience to external shocks and adverse processes thanks to the implemented reforms, said Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov.

He made the remarks June 13 at an event dedicated to presentation of the Black Sea Trade and Development Banks opportunities for the business and banking community of Azerbaijan.

Diversification of the economy and development of the non-oil sector and entrepreneurship are among the basic constituents of the economic policy, pursued under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. In this context, it is very important to cooperate with international financial organizations, he said.

Mammadov reminded that Azerbaijan has recently adopted strategic decisions aimed at improving the business environment in the country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

World oil prices are recovering on June 13 after several days of fluctuations due to the diplomatic tension in the Gulf region.

The price for August futures of Brent crude oil has increased by 0.64 percent to $48.60 per barrel as of 05:25 (GMT +4).

Meanwhile, the price for July futures of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) has grown by 0.59 percent and stood at $46.35 per barrel.

The major factor affecting in recent times the world oil prices is the Qatar crisis.

The spat began after Qatars state-run news agency, QNA, released remarks attributed to ruling Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in which he criticized other Gulf leaders and called for an easing of tensions with Iran. QNA has denied that the comments were made by the Emir, claiming that they were the result of a cyber attack. But this hasnt washed with Saudi Arabia and its allies. They argue that the comments highlight Dohas close ties with Iran and reinforce their long-held concerns over Qatars support for terrorism.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and Maldives have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of fueling extremism and terrorism.

Qatar says move is "unjustified" and says it carries out its duties in the fight against terrorism.

Immediately after the crisis occurred, the oil prices surged, followed by a dip,

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
The cost of parking will go up to $2 an hour in select parts of the city, the Lake Geneva City Council decided on Monday.

On a 5-2 vote, council members decided parking rates will increase on Wrigley Drive, around the boat launch, on Center Street south of Main Street and on Broad Street south of Main, said City Administrator Blaine Oborn.

Parking on Main will remain $1 an hour, he said.

The new parking rates will take effect in a week or two, depending on when Parking Manager Sylvia Martinez-Mullally can change the kiosks that are affected by the councils decision.

The two council members who voted against the change were Alderman John Halverson and Alderwoman Shari Straube. Alderwoman Cindy Flower was absent.

The five council members who voted for the rate increase, Bob Kordus, Rich Hedlund, Ken Howell, Doug Skates and Elizabeth Chappell, decided that parking in prime areas should cost more, Oborn said.

The councils Finance, License and Regulation Committee struggled with the question June 6, and finally decided to throw the issue to the council without a recommendation.

The disagreement on the committee came down to two concepts. Either keep the traffic moving through the city business district by raising parking rates, or keep them in place by keeping the rates unchanged.

I like when people park in front of my business for five hours, because theyre there to shop and dine downtown, said Kevin Fleming, a member of the downtown Business Improvement District who was at the meeting.

Alderwoman Sherri Straube, who was also a visitor to the committee, and who also owns a downtown business, agreed with Fleming. She said she preferred to see visitors park and then stay.

Whats the difference, she asked, between the $5 from someone who parks in one spot for the whole 5-hour time limit and $5 in $1 increments from those who park and then move on?

Fee overhaul due

Parking Manager Sylvia Martinez-Mullally said that the city is overdue for a parking fee overhaul.

There is a perception of a lack of parking, she said.

There isnt. There is, however, a finite number of parking stalls in preferred locations.

Wrigley Drive and Main Street are the prime parking areas, she said.

When Wrigley is filled, North Broad (Street) has plenty of parking, said Martinez-Mullally.

Our goal is compliance, Martinez-Mullally said. We want to give the public choices and we want to give incentives to walk farther.

Five alternatives first brought to to the committee of the whole were brought before the finance committee.

Raise parking from $1 to $1.50 an hour city wide from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Raise parking fees to $2 an hour from March 1 to Nov. 14, then switch to free parking.

Do away with free parking and go to an on-season, off-season parking fee structure.

Do away with the free parking November through March and charge $1 an hour year-round.

Raise the parking fees to $2 an hour on high value parking stalls, particularly those on Main and Wrigley.

Martinez-Mullally also warned the finance committee that now may be too late to change parking rates.

Create confusion

A rate change in July would create confusion, she said. On the other hand, a rate change has been expected.

I do know were long overdue on a rate change, Martinez-Mullally said.

And while she favors charging higher parking rates for the more desirable parking spaces near the lake and the hub of the city, a rate change for the whole city would be the least expensive, Martinez-Mullally said.

Skates and Halverson moved and seconded to raise rates in the city to $1.50 an hour effective July 1.

However, Aldermen Rich Hedlund and Bob Kordus said they would prefer to zone the rates, with the preferred parking spots commanding a higher fee.

Former Mayor Jim Connors, who also attended the meeting, said it would be important to educate the public about the new parking rates, if the city council chooses to change them.
The U.S. Bank tower in downtown Los Angeles is, at 73 stories and 1,018 feet, the tallest occupied building in the western United States (until completion of the Wilshire Grand Center nearby). The latest drone video by Mingomatic flies up to the top of the US Bank tower to shoot what looks to be a yoga class on the outdoor observation deck.

This installment in Mingomatic's drone series also includes flyovers of Sunken City in San Pedro, Universal Studios amusement park, a Venice canal, the Eastern Columbia building downtown and Dodger Stadium. Plus other sights.
PRESS RELEASE

Edward Lozansky: America, Return to Reagans Approach to Russia

June 12, 2017 (EIRNS)The unprecedented anti-Russia hysteria of Washingtons political class and media is dangerous and escalating, Dr. Edward Lozansky warned yesterday in an op-ed in the conservative Washington Times, warning that the demonization of Russia and Putin may soon reach a "point of no return from the possibility of war."

Professor Lozansky, head of the American University in Moscow, writes presciently,

"There is no doubt in the minds of those who have not been brainwashed by the media that the Russia card is just a useful tool directed against Donald Trump by the Clinton camp and the establishment from both parties who detest [Trumps] domestic and foreign policy reforms."

"Trumps logical reasoning" of working with Russia to fight radical Islamic terrorism is used as "a proof that he is a Putin stooge," Lozansky observes, but by the same reasoning, FDRs alliance with Stalin to defeat the Nazis could be condemned....

"Why was it alright [sic] for Reagan to find common language with Mikhail Gorbachev and the then-communist U.S.SR, while any suggestions from Trump to attempt the same with Putin and post-communist Russia leads to the calls for impeachment?"

Not only are many of the details of the Reagan-Gorbachev talks available, so are many members of Reagans inner circle, like James Baker, Pat Buchanan, Chas Freeman, Jack Matlock, Dana Rohrabacher, David Stockman, and others, says Lozansky, who could give us "advice about how to resolve this crisis, and the time is now."

He notes Trump and Putin are expected to meet on the margins of the G20 summit in Hamburg (July 7-8), and

"the good news both Presidents are eager to work towards a mutually beneficial U.S.-Russia relationship. We need Reagans wise men to help overcome the efforts of those who have other goals and objectives which have nothing to do ... with the survival of humanity."

Lozansky cites Reagans conclusion:

"Some of the people who are objecting the most ... whether they realize it or not, those people, basically, down in their deepest thoughts have accepted that war is inevitable."

But "Reagan refused to accept what others considered inevitable, and this is what Trump must do as well," Lozansky concludes.

On July 3, the American University in Moscow and the Burganov Museum will unveil a sculpture of Reagan and Gorbachev in downtown Moscow.
PRESS RELEASE

Pay Attention to Belt and Road, Writes U.S. Transportation Official

June 12, 2017 (EIRNS)An article entitled "U.S. Engagement with Belt and Road a Strategic Imperative" in the June 9 issue of Journal of Commerce by Tony Padilla, a senior adviser for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, warns that the United States will only continue to ignore the Belt and Road at its own peril.

"While the U.S. Congress grapples with the best way to rebuild aging U.S. infrastructure, in part by what would be a $1 trillion investment over a 10-year period, reports indicate that the China-led Belt and Road Initiative has already committed nearly $2 trillion over the past three years from a variety of sources, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Chinas policy banks, and multilateral and bilateral co-financing,"

Padilla writes.

And while Congress has been holding hearings on infrastructure, Padilla notes that many of the participants at an infrastructure week reception on Capital Hill had never heard of the Belt and Road. Padilla then goes on to quote former American diplomat Chas Freeman that the project is "the largest and potentially the most transformative engineering effort in human history."

Padilla does grumble about how the United States will be side-lined by the Belt and Road, if it continues to ignore, and laments Chinas "aggressive mercantilism", even quoting Admiral Mahan and one of our present-day Cassandras, Admiral James Stavridis. But his response seems not a war-cry, but rather a call for America to get out of the sack and do something, to join the Belt and Road rather than trying to undermine it.

"Addressing these issues requires a portfolio of solutions, which may include lobbying for transparency in the bidding for contracts in Belt and Road-related markets while focusing on the formidable problems of international material movement and supply,"

Padilla writes.

"As an Asia Pacific power with enormous economic and strategic stakes in the Belt and Road region," Padilla continues,

"the United States cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and watch these infrastructure developments abroad unfold. By accepting Belt and Road, the United States could ensure that companies and investors are able to participate in what might become the biggest economic development project in history. But it must do so cautiously, balancing the benefits of greater access to developing markets while taking a leading complementary role with our Chinese counterparts to help shape a transparent, frictionless, and equitable trade network."

He concludes again with his warning that if the United States does not get involved, it would "ultimately enable China to unilaterally draw the contour lines of the worlds next epic chapter of geopolitics and geo-economics."
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Overall, Azerbaijans oil supply is expected to contract by 60,000 barrels per day (tb/d) year-on-year to average 0.78 million barrels per day in 2017, OPEC said in its June Oil Market Report.

Azerbaijans oil supply increased 40 tb/d month-on-month to average 0.80 million barrels per day in April. However, it remained lower year-on-year by 80 tb/d, said the report.

The countrys oil production has been declining due to mature oil fields, as well as a heavy decline of more than 16 percent in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli offshore complex in the Caspian Sea, according to the cartel.

Earlier, Azerbaijan submitted the daily oil production data for May 2017 to the OPEC Joint Technical Committee (JTC) as part of implementation of the Vienna agreement to cut oil output.

In May, the daily oil production in Azerbaijan amounted to 785,300 barrels, 55,000 barrels of which accounted for condensate.

Moreover, 596,500 barrels of oil, 55,000 barrels of condensate and 12,200 barrels of petroleum products were exported daily in May.

In December 2016 in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017 and on May 25, 2017, it was extended by late 1Q18.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
I know words. I have the best words, Donald Trump famously declared in 2015, when he was still a long-shot presidential candidate.

Now, thanks to Comedy Centrals The Daily Show, those words will be on display at the new Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library.

As befitting a form limited to 140 characters, the library will exist only for a weekend. The pop-up library in Manhattan will open Friday and close Sunday, Deadline reports.

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But according to the show, its not the form, but the content: The library will be so tremendous that the public is going to get tired of the tremendousness.

The library will be located on West 57th Street, a two-minute walk from Trump Tower. It will contain several exhibits, including a short documentary about Trumps Twitter use and a video retrospective called Sad! that will solemnly display a collection of people, places and things that the President has deemed SAD!

Trump has been a prolific tweeter for years. During the campaign and his presidency, his use of Twitter hasnt slowed.

Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2012

Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016

Other exhibits at the library will include Trump vs. Trump, which will document President Trumps unique ability to hold a variety of different opinions on the same subject.

Trumps tweets prompted a proposed bill in the House of Representatives. On Monday, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) introduced legislation that would ensure that the presidents Twitter posts would be preserved by the National Archives.The bill is called the the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement Act, or the COVFEFE Act, a reference to one of Trumps most enigmatic tweets  Despite the constant negative press covfefe it read in full  which has since been deleted.

The Daily Shows library might be appealing to Twitter users who have been blocked by Trump on the social media platform, including a certain well-known horror author known for his liberal politics.

Trump has blocked me from reading his tweets. I may have to kill myself.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 13, 2017

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It has come to feel like a weekly, even daily occurrence. Following a media firestorm, usually related in some way to President Trump, advertisers face calls to sever ties with the company at the center of the outrage du jour, or else suffer a publicity crisis.

In the days leading up to Megyn Kellys interview with Alex Jones, activists are demanding advertisers dump the NBC broadcast, claiming the show is giving a platform to the pro-Trump host of Infowars. The Web-based video and radio network has been criticized by many as a promoter of conspiracy theories, including repeatedly suggesting the shooting that killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 was a hoax.

Earlier this week, Bank of America and Delta Air Lines dropped their sponsorships of the Public Theaters staging of Shakespeares Julius Caesar in New York, following an online furor over a scene in which the title character, dressed to resemble Trump, is stabbed to death.

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Last month, USAA, the insurance and consumer finance company, pulled its commercials from Hannity on Fox News, only to reverse its decision days later following intense blowback from its core customer base of military families and veterans, many of whom also are loyal viewers of pro-Trump commentator Sean Hannity.

Advertisers find themselves in an increasingly precarious position as activists pressure them to pull ads from conservative media outlets that are sympathetic to the Trump administration, particularly Breitbart News and Fox News.

That list is expanding, with NBC being the latest target as JP Morgan Chase pulled back its local TV advertising on Kellys show and other NBC News programming until after the Jones segment airs Sunday night.

In a hyperpolarized media landscape, companies that previously saw themselves as apolitical now find that their ads and promotions generate instant political heat based simply on where they appear.

There is no easy decision here. The country is divided right down the middle, said Chris Riccobono, founder of Untuckit, the New York-based mens clothing retailer.

The company was one of many to pull its commercials from Fox News The OReilly Factor following the sexual harassment scandal surrounding host Bill OReilly. But it has resisted pressure to remove its ads from Hannity.

We advertise across the full range of the political spectrum because, frankly, our customers fall along the full range of the political spectrum, Riccobono said. We are ardent supporters of free speech.

A representative for Viking Cruises, which runs commercials on Hannity, added: The objective of Vikings television advertising is to reach our customers on the channels that they are watching.  It does not mean that we advocate for any of the content portrayed on these news networks.

Advertiser boycott campaigns arent new. Activist groups have long employed the tactic to pressure major media outlets to conform to their political agendas. Ive had to deal with this since the day I walked in the door, said Lisa Herdman, a senior vice president at RPA, a Santa Monica-based advertising and marketing agency.

But what distinguishes the campaigns of recent months is the speed at which they propagate across Twitter and Facebook, fueled by partisan passions about Trump.

Fox News host Sean Hannity has seen calls for advertisers to cut ties with his show. (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Some advertisers said they are in a reactive position because they rely on third-party ad exchange networks to place their content and arent always aware where their ads appear.

The legal referral site Avvo told exchanges to remove its online ads from Breitbart in November after company leaders were alerted by activists, including the anonymous social media group Sleeping Giants, which has aggressively targeted the conservative news site.

Im sure there are people who visit Breitbart who could benefit from services we provide, said Josh King, chief legal officer at Avvo. But its a site were not comfortable our brand being associated with.

He said Avvo concluded that Breitbart promotes racist and sexist views and traffics in fake news, but he didnt cite specific articles. Breitbart, which declined to comment, has previously refused such claims. The site has published incendiary articles with provocative headlines like a recent series on terrorist attacks titled Ramadan Rage and a story on the European refugee crisis titled Political Correctness Protects Muslim Rape Culture.

Stephen Bannon, Breitbarts former executive chairman, serves as chief strategist to Trump.

Avvo, which is based in Seattle, noted that the political beliefs of its employees played a role in its decision. Our employees are pretty progressive, King said.

Advertisers often will take cues from the political leanings of their own staff when weighing whether to participate in a boycott, said Brayden King, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

These decisions are made by real people, with ideological points of view, he said. Companies that have more liberal executives tend to support more liberal causes.

There is also a brand safety motivation, he said. When you see advertisers pull their ads from shows, it reflects their need to avoid controversies. They dont want to be associated with a political figure or personality who is extreme or contentious at the moment.

USAA, which declined to be interviewed, said in a statement that the lines between news and editorial are increasingly blurred. The San Antonio company said it is reviewing its advertising policy.

The company is one of many to be pressured by Media Matters for America, a liberal activist group that has long targeted Fox News. The nonprofit organization, which was a key player in the firing of OReilly and the effort to unseat Hannity, noted that advertiser boycott campaigns have devolved into wars of attrition between opposing sides.

At some point, you make it so that no one can sponsor anything, said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters. A lot of campaigns are lose-lose for everyone.

But he said contacting advertisers still can be an effective tool for activists when other means have been exhausted, such as putting pressure on the parent company of a media outlet.

Companies that have more liberal executives tend to support more liberal causes.  Brayden King, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

Advertiser boycotts can have significant financial impact.

The Gateway Pundit, a popular right-wing news site, said that ad exchanges began dropping it this year following pressure from activist groups. The site, which critics have blasted as racist and a purveyor of fake news, relies almost entirely on online ad revenue for income, according to founder Jim Hoft.

He said the exchanges described the site as undesirable. I may have a different view on immigration, but that doesnt make me a racist, he said.

Breitbart has seen exchanges including AppNexus cut ties, but the financial impact on the privately held, L.A.-based outlet remains unclear. A recent study from MediaRadar, a New York ad sales tracker, said Breitbart has seen a nearly 90% drop in ads in recent months. But the firm said the study doesnt count sponsored content that also generates revenue for Breitbart.

Advertising platforms like Taboola currently partner with Breitbart to display sponsored content on its site. Taboola didnt respond to a request for comment, but CEO Adam Singolda wrote in a company blog post shortly after the presidential election that it is important to accept and include all opinions on the web.

Conservative activists have just started getting in the ad boycott game, with groups like the Media Equality Project calling for advertisers to yank their commercials from CNN and MSNBC. But their resources are small compared to groups on the left.

They were part of a growing army of online conservative agitators who recently contacted CNNs advertisers in an effort to target Kathy Griffin and Reza Aslan, both of whom were subsequently fired by the cable news network.

You can organize these things quickly and efficiently now, said Brian Maloney, a co-founder of Media Equality. Companies freak out pretty quickly.

david.ng@latimes.com

@DavidNgLAT

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Viewers of cable news network MSNBC frequently see host Chris Hayes in a promotional spot where he stands outside the Watergate complex in Washington, the site of the 1972 Democratic National Committee headquarters break-in that led to the undoing of the Nixon presidency.

Watergate  you know its name because of reporters who never stopped asking questions, he intones over images of the structures familiar architectural details made ominous by history. Now, who knows where the questions will take us.

Hayes wasnt even born when the corruption uncovered by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led to the resignation of President Nixon in 1974. But each day of reporting on the possible collusion between Russia and President Trumps campaign draws TV news comparisons to the 45-year-old Watergate saga, which has returned to the cultural conversation.

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Such terms as special counsel, executive privilege and impeachment have seeped back into the political lexicon in a big way. Thursdays testimony of fired FBI Director James B. Comey before a Senate committee drew nearly 20 million viewers  a massive audience for daytime TV  much like the Watergate hearings did in 1973 when daily coverage rotated between ABC, CBS and NBC.

Renewed interest in the greatest political scandal in American history is already spurring a rush in the TV business to revisit the era. Watergate gives networks a familiar title to help draw big ratings as well as burnish their news legacies at a time when their legitimacy has been challenged by the Trump administration.

Both ABC News and MSNBC have prime-time specials on Watergate airing this weekend to coincide with the anniversary of the break-in of Democratic National Committee headquarters at the complex.

ABCs special airing Friday is part of its Truth and Lies true crimes series produced by its newsmagazine 20/20. Watergate may seem like a stretch for a genre that has drawn big audiences with looks back at such notorious cases as the Menendez brothers and Charles Manson. But 20/20 Executive Producer David Sloan said the topic had been on its list since the series was mapped out in January.

We didnt want Truth and Lies just to be dark crimes, Sloan said. We looked at the calendar and at anniversaries. It became more and more current.

Truth and Lies makes no mention of the current crisis facing Trumps White House. But Sloan noted, You cant watch it without thinking about it, especially when it shows vintage footage of Barbara Walters asking Nixon if he wished he had burned the Oval Office tapes that ended his presidency.

A+E Studios is at work on a multipart Watergate series from Charles Ferguson, the director of Inside Job, the 2010 Oscar-winning documentary on the financial crisis. Although the untitled project is scheduled to air on the History cable network in 2018, the premiere could be moved up if its completed sooner.

If we were magicians we would probably wave a wand and have it ready now, said Molly Thompson, senior vice president of A+E IndieFilms and executive producer of the upcoming documentary. We actually gave it the green light back when everybody thought Hillary Clinton was going to be president. But I have to think that with every day that goes by, it will possibly become more relevant.

Viewers may even see new dramatizations of the books Woodward and Bernstein wrote about their Watergate reporting and its aftermath. Bernstein, now a contributor to CNN, confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the team has heard from producers interested in making new TV or film versions of All The Presidents Men and sequel The Final Days, which recounts the machinations inside the White House before Nixons resignation.

The 1976 Warner Bros. feature film adaptation of All the Presidents Men, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, won four Oscars. The Final Days was produced as a three-hour TV movie for ABC in 1989. Woodward and Bernstein have retained the rights to both books.

The increased appetite for the Watergate story has already shown up on the Amazon book sales chart where All The Presidents Men has been climbing. Simon & Schuster recently ordered a new 10,000-copy press run of the title, first published in 1974.

Bernstein believes Watergates relevance is on the rise because its a great example of the American system working. There is a longing for a time when not only the press did its job, he said, but the judiciary, including a Supreme Court with a chief justice appointed by Nixon, and a bipartisan Senate committee all worked to seek the truth based on the information reported.

The real heroes in many ways were these great courageous patriotic Republicans who cast their votes based on conscience, Bernstein said. But we have a very different country and a cultural and political divide that is vicious and in which it is almost impossible to have a fact-based debate. The notion of the best obtainable version of the truth, which is what we did in the reporting at the Washington Post, is undermined and denigrated and demeaned by the president of the United States as fake news.

Like the possible Russian interference with the 2016 election, Watergate was about the undermining of a free election process. The Nixon campaigns activities in 1972 were aimed at getting the Republican president his weakest possible Democratic opponent in George McGovern.

Journalists who have seen their coverage on the ties between Russia and Trumps campaign attacked by a hostile White House and demeaned by conservative commentators on right-leaning media such as Fox News have been looking to Woodward and Bernstein for inspiration and support.

The duo  who faced similar derision and even intimidation from the Nixon administration in the early stages of their Watergate reporting  were honored at the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner in April, which Trump refused to attend.

Id say this question of what is news becomes even more relevant and essential if we are covering the president of the United States, Bernstein told the crowd. Richard Nixon tried to make the conduct of the press the issue in Watergate, instead of the conduct of the president and his men. We tried to avoid the noise and let the reporting speak.

MSNBC aimed to raise that point in its promotional spot with Hayes, which was filmed in February, two months before the Trump-Russia story started to escalate and Watergate-related guests started showing up regularly on the network, which has seen its ratings surge.

We wanted to position Chris as a reporter and communicate that through dogged journalism and relentlessly asking questions  you want to unearth the truth, said Aaron Taylor, chief marketing officer for NBC News and MSNBC. Watergate, the political journalistic milestone that it was in our history, just presented itself as a great point to push off from. We felt that it was somewhat prescient the way the [Trump-Russia] story has developed.

MSNBC will focus on Watergate reporting in its special called All The Presidents Men Revisited, which uses clips from the feature film.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, agrees that Watergate evokes the apex of journalistic power  they brought down a president and it was not just Woodward and Bernstein.

But Trump detractors looking for a similar ending today may be disappointed.

In 1974, there was a path to resolving the crisis, Sabato said. The chances of a Republican house impeaching Trump are next to zero. The chances of a Senate conviction with 52 Republicans and 67 votes needed is minus 100.

Chris Matthews, host of MSNBCs Hardball, who has tried to steer clear of Watergate analogies on his program, also asserts that the current political environment is different.

I always believe that these things are atmospheric, he said. Nixon was very unpopular because the economy was in bad shape in 1973 and 74. The mood of the country was down.

But even if the historic parallels are far from complete, Watergate has what TV executives are looking for  a compelling yarn with a name that is recognizable to viewers.

Nobody had really done it in a long time, said Mike Stiller, vice president for development and production at History, where the Ferguson documentary series will air. Its hard to remember how entertaining and riveting all of the details are. It plays like a political thriller, and its all true.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio

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Its official: Apple Inc. plans to develop technology that powers self-driving cars  and although its a relative latecomer to the increasingly competitive field, analysts say its not too late for the tech giant to make its mark there.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV released Tuesday, Chief Executive Tim Cook said Apple is focusing on autonomous systems, which he described as the mother of all AI [artificial intelligence] projects.

Its a sign that Apple still intends to be a player in self-driving vehicle development.

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In recent years, Apple was rumored to have plans for a car manufacturing business. Then, after reports that the Cupertino, Calif., company had abandoned those plans, Bloomberg reported in October that Apple was shifting its focus to developing an autonomous driving system that would give it the flexibility of working with other automakers or later revisiting the idea of building its own vehicle.

Cook wouldnt limit Apples plans just to self-driving vehicles, saying there were other purposes for autonomous systems, but he did tamp down expectations about vehicle manufacturing.

Were not really saying from a product point of view what we will do, but we are being straightforward that its a core technology that we view as very important, he said.

Cooks interview seems to confirm what many analysts have speculated: that Apple will stick to what it knows as it seeks to make an impact in the competitive race to develop self-driving vehicles.

Analysts say Apples focus on autonomous systems makes sense. After all, building a car is a specialized area of expertise, said Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

Marrying Apples software savvy with an automakers vehicle manufacturing experience is a lot smarter than trying to venture so far out of your area of expertise, she said.

Controlling an autonomous vehicles operating system could also open up opportunities for apps in and around the car, said Andrew Uerkwitz, managing director at Oppenheimer & Co. But he said its hard to see a connection between their broader software platforms and self-driving cars.

Its much further away from the center than anything else theyve done, but clearly they dont think so, he said.

Uerkwitz said Apple could be hindered by its relatively late entrance into the race.

For example, Waymo  a Google spinoff thats still owned by Googles parent, Alphabet Inc.  has logged 2 million miles of driving since 2009. Other tech companies, such as Uber and Lyft, have also already begun testing vehicles and forming partnerships with automakers.

Waymo and ride-hailing company Lyft have signed a deal to collaborate on autonomous technology through pilot projects and product development. And Lyft and General Motors are using the new Bolt EV as test vehicles.

Lindland said these tech companies, like Apple, could see more benefit from working on the software side, rather than developing their own vehicle manufacturing facilities.

Last year, General Motors bought San Francisco software startup Cruise Automation, which had been developing autonomous-vehicle technology, while Ford announced a $1 billion investment in a driverless vehicle software company, Argo AI.

But while partnerships are developing, Lindland said, Apple still has time to make connections.

This is the absolute infancy of automated driving, she said. Everyones fair game.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga
Longtime Eagle Rock resident Allenby Arakielian remembers when the little mall on Colorado Boulevard was the neighborhood hot spot for shopping and dining.

Anchored by Montgomery Ward and May Co. stores when it opened in 1973, the 58-store Eagle Rock Plaza was so popular that old-timers complained it was killing nearby mom-and-pop businesses. But the shopping center has long since been eclipsed, first by bigger malls and then the Internet.

This used to be the place everybody came to, and it isnt anymore, said Arakielian, who watched Target take over the failed Montgomery Ward spot, while May Co. morphed into Macys. Papered-over windows replaced several chains, including Radio Shack and Annas Linens.

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Im surprised to see Macys still open, Arakielian said Monday at the mall, where he had been picking up some vitamins.

Consumers increasing enthusiasm for buying online claims more retail victims every week.

Ann Taylors parent company announced it will close some stores. (Andrew Burton / Getty Images )

On Monday, childrens clothing seller Gymboree Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection and said it intends to close some of its 1,281 locations.

Last week, the parent company of Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and other womens clothing stores said it plans to close up to 667 locations in the next two years to slash costs.

The week before that, luxury brand Michael Kors Holdings said it expects to shut 100 to 125 out of its 827 stores to focus on expanding in Asia and to adjust to the mushrooming growth of online shopping.

Its all part of one of the biggest disruptions in shopping patterns since the mail-order catalog was invented.

The communal shopping experience is fast giving way to the convenience of clicking on a virtual cart on an electronic screen. Amazon.com and other Internet titans have reaped the benefit as conventional brick-and-mortar merchants report that shopper visits are plunging.

Retail experts dont see the shift easing anytime soon.

Sports Authority and Sport Chalet both closed all stores in recent years. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Were probably in the fourth or fifth inning in the industrys shakeout, said Ronald Friedman, co-head of the retail practice at Marcum, an accounting and advisory firm.

Everyone is looking at their business model and saying, We need to change and we need to get rid of the bad stores and focus on the stores that are good so we can make some money, Friedman said.

The change has upended the retail industry, with conventional retailers such as Macys Inc., Sears Holding Corp. and J.C. Penney Co.  all familiar anchors of shopping malls nationwide  also closing stores.

Other chains such as Payless ShoeSource Inc. have closed locations because, like Gymboree, theyve entered bankruptcy reorganization. Still others, such as the sporting goods chain Sport Chalet, went out of business.

The investment firm Credit Suisse recently estimated that between 20% and 25% of the nations malls would close in the next five years as e-commerce pulls more shoppers away from conventional outlets.

Apparel sales in particular are expected to account for 35% of all e-commerce by 2030, double their 17% share today, the Credit Suisse report said.

Time really is a luxury and people are recognizing that today when it comes to shopping.  Pam Danziger, president, Unity Marketing

The wave of store closures is likely to continue for at least another year, said Pam Danziger, president of the consulting firm Unity Marketing.

People often do not need to go to the store anymore to buy things, Danziger said. Time really is a luxury and people are recognizing that today when it comes to shopping.

Mall and store operators are starting to wake up to the fact that theyve got to change with the shift in how consumers view shopping, especially when it comes to millennials age 18 to 34, Friedman said. Millennials, and the way they want to shop, are dictating the marketplace today, he said.

That means not only keeping pace with millennials rapid use of e-commerce but also finding ways to keep luring them to physical stores.

They want to go to a mall but they want it to be an experience beyond picking out clothes and other products at store formats designed decades ago, Friedman said.

People walk past paper butterflies hanging inside the Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall on Friday, March 24, 2017 in Arcadia, Calif. The mall has brought in a variety of Asian retailers and restaurants to appeal to the local Asian community as well as tourists. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

Thats what developer Rick Caruso tries to offer with his outdoor shopping centers such as the Grove in Los Angeles and the Americana at Brand in Glendale. And its why Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia has expanded its roster of Asian retailers and restaurants that cater to its sizable Asian community.

Privately held Gymboree, which has struggled with a heavy debt load for some time, said it planned to close certain stores but that the exact timing and final list of closures was still being determined. According to court documents, the San Francisco company could close up to 450 locations. Its brands are Gymboree, Crazy 8 and Janie and Jack.

We expect to move through this process quickly and emerge as a stronger organization that is better positioned in todays evolving retail landscape, Gymboree Chief Executive Daniel Griesemer said in a statement. The company has about a dozen Gymboree stores in Los Angeles, according to its website.

Ascena Retail said Thursday that it would close 268 stores in the coming two years on top of 71 stores it already has shut this year across its seven brands.

In California, the Mahwah, N.J.-based company has 64 Lane Bryant stores, 48 Dressbarn stores, 38 Loft stores, 30 Justice stores, 20 Catherines stores, 17 Ann Taylor stores and 17 Maurices stores, according to the chains websites, for a total of 234.

An additional 399 stores would close if theyre unable to obtain certain rent concessions from mall operators and other landlords, Ascena said.

David Jaffe, Ascenas president and chief executive, told analysts that the declines stemmed from an extremely competitive market environment that included persistent declines in store traffic and intense promotional activity.

We expect these factors will remain major headwinds for the foreseeable future and reflect an accelerated shift to consumer demand toward e-commerce, Jaffe said.

Fourteen-year-old Denisse Rodas dropped by the Eagle Rock Plaza on Monday in search of a swimsuit ahead of summers rising temperatures. The fit couldnt be left to online chance.

Im just here to buy a bikini, she said. I have been here before, but I hardly come here.

Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.

james.peltz@latimes.com

Twitter: @PeltzLATimes

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

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Online lender and financial start-up SoFi has taken the first step toward competing with the nations biggest banks on their home turf: the checking account.

Last week, the San Francisco provider of student and personal loans submitted an application for federal deposit insurance, a protection normally available only to conventional banks. In its application, the company said its SoFi Bank subsidiary will offer bread-and-butter banking products, including checking accounts, debit cards and eventually credit cards.

SoFi is one of a wave of new financial-technology, or fintech, start-ups that aim to reengineer the way that Americans manage their savings, take out loans and pay for things.

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The company, whose name comes from the moniker Social Finance, was founded in 2011 with a focus on refinancing student loans. The company quickly branched into other products aimed primarily at millennials, including personal loans, mortgages, wealth management and, recently, insurance.

Unlike other fintechs such as Prosper and Lending Club, SoFi funds all of its loans from its own capital. That enables it to make loans more quickly and sometimes at lower rates than its competitors.

Although its branching into other products, SoFi continues to market itself primarily to younger college graduates with lucrative jobs, often in major metropolitan areas. The company aims to make its clients feel like members of an exclusive club, holding networking events for them in locales such as San Francisco and New York and referring to them as part of the SoFi community.

But no one should expect to see a SoFi branch in their neighborhood any time soon. In its application, SoFi said it believes that its all-digital approach  meaning no physical branches  will better serve customers, particularly those who find visits to traditional bank offices unnecessary.

The company, however, will have back-office operations in both Delaware and Utah. Like other Silicon Valley fintechs, SoFi has taken advantage of banking laws unique to Utah that allow nonbank companies to set up banking operations under whats known as an industrial bank charter.

In its application to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., SoFi plans to fund its new bank subsidiary with $166 million in capital. SoFi raised money from investors earlier this year, including Japanese company Softbank and venture capital firm Silver Lake.

SoFis application carries symbolic value as well. Since the financial crisis last decade, only a handful of new banks have arisen. And no institution has applied for coverage from the FDIC under Utahs industrial bank laws in 10 years.
Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin on Monday proposed sweeping changes to the tough Dodd-Frank regulations put in place after the 2008 financial crisis, including a major reduction in the power of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other rollbacks long desired by Wall Street.

In a 149-page report ordered by President Trump, Mnuchin also recommended reducing oversight of large financial institutions, providing even more regulatory relief for smaller banks and loosening new mortgage restrictions designed to prevent a repeat of the subprime meltdown.

The report was the Trump administrations first formal salvo in whats expected to be a long and complex process involving Congress and federal agencies to try to scale back regulations that Republicans have complained are harming banks and stifling economic growth.

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A sensible rebalancing of regulatory principles is warranted in light of the significant improvement in the strength of the financial system and the economy, as well as the benefit of perspective since the Great Recession, the report said.

Democrats and consumer advocates said Dodd-Frank is the reason for that strength, after the system nearly imploded in 2008. Theyve vowed to fight major changes in the law.

We need more effective regulation and enforcement, not rollbacks driven by Wall Street and predatory lenders, said Lisa Donner, executive director of Americans for Financial Reform, a group advocating tougher oversight of the financial system.

The report, which included dozens of recommendations, is the first of three ordered by Trump as he looks to fulfill a campaign promise to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The legislation was approved by Congress with almost no Republican support in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Dodd-Frank toughened bank regulations, sought to avoid future bailouts by creating a process to shut down teetering financial giants, prohibited federally insured banks from engaging in risky trading, established a powerful panel of regulators to watch for signs of instability and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oversee credit cards, mortgages and other financial products.

The House last week voted along party lines to approve sweeping legislation  the Financial Choice Act  repealing key provisions of Dodd-Frank.

The Treasury report calls for many of the same changes but in some areas is more moderate than the House bill.

For example, the Financial Choice Act would repeal the trading restrictions known as the Volcker Rule. Mnuchin recommended significantly loosening the restrictions, which regulators could do on their own, but did not call for a repeal, which would require congressional approval.

The Treasury proposals reflect the difficulty Republicans face in overcoming a likely Democratic filibuster on Dodd-Frank changes in the Senate.

But in a nod to the House bill, the Treasury Department called for Trump to consider replicating its centerpiece  allowing banks to elude most regulatory oversight if they increase the amount of capital they hold as a cushion against future losses.

The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), and the Treasury report would each gut the power of the independent consumer bureau.

The CFPB was created to pursue an important mission, but its unaccountable structure and unduly broad regulatory powers have led to regulatory abuses and excesses, the Treasury report said.

Mnuchin recommended that the agencys independent funding stream be eliminated and that it be placed under the congressional appropriations process. He also wants the president to be able to remove the bureaus director for any reason.

The bureau also would lose its ability to send supervisors into banks to make sure they are complying with consumer protection laws.

And the department recommended that the public no longer have access to the agencys online database of consumer complaints against financial firms. The data would be available to only federal and state agencies.

The report also calls for a handful of changes in the regulations governing mortgage lending, saying many of the safety measures that aimed to correct weaknesses exposed by the housing crash and recession were no longer needed and have made it more difficult and expensive to get home loans.

It cites a report from the trade group Mortgage Bankers Assn., suggesting the cost to originate a mortgage rose to $7,500 last year from $4,400 in 2009, and says those costs have been passed along to consumers in the form of higher rates. However, rates remain near record lows; the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 3.89% last week, its lowest level this year, according to Freddie Mac.

The report suggests scrapping a rule that requires companies that pool and sell off, or securitize, mortgage loans to hold on to some of those loans. That rule was a response to lenders who wrote and securitized mortgages without keeping any, meaning they had little concern if the loans failed.

Eliminating the rule, the report suggests, is one of a few steps that should be taken to boost the number of loans that are underwritten by private lenders rather than by government-backed mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

To that same end, the report calls on changing the CFPBs definition of a safe mortgage to more closely match the definitions used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Now, the government-backed mortgage buyers accept loans that are somewhat riskier than those that get legal protection by a CFPB rule. That disparity, the report says, creates an unfair advantage for government-supported mortgages without providing additional consumer protection.

The report also suggests changes that would make it easier for lenders to underwrite mortgages for borrowers who are self-employed or otherwise have a harder time documenting their income. It would exempt mid-size banks from some mortgage requirements that small banks do not have to follow.

The report calls for a Treasury Department review of the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, a federal antiredlining law that predates Dodd-Frank by more than 30 years. The law, which requires banks to lend in low-income and minority communities, has long been criticized by some conservative lawmakers but has not been a focus of deregulation efforts.

Mnuchin ran into CRA problems when he was selling Pasadenas OneWest Bank to New Jersey lender CIT Group. Complaints from community groups that said OneWest did not do enough in the way of CRA compliance helped delay the deal and led to a federal hearing on whether the combination of the two banks would benefit California neighborhoods.

The report suggests that the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, an antiredlining measure that requires lenders to collect and report data about borrowers and race, should not be expanded to require lenders to report more information, something Dodd-Frank required. It also suggests discontinuing public use of HMDA data, a move that probably would draw ire from housing and lending advocacy groups.

Trump has ordered separate reviews of two pillars of Dodd-Frank  regulators authority to designate large firms as a risk to the financial system and a new process to try to shut them down with minimal collateral damage if theyre on the verge of failing. So neither were addressed in Mondays report.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

james.koren@latimes.com

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Lets say your elderly parent was neglected or abused in a nursing home. In the past, your only recourse might have been arbitration, rather than going to court.

But thanks to a rule put in place last fall by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nursing homes that receive federal funding  which is most of them  could no longer include so-called mandatory arbitration clauses in their contracts. In other words, residents and their family members were given back the right to sue.

Now the Trump administration is trying to get rid of that protection.

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Under-new-management CMS released a proposed rule last week that would rescind the earlier rule and once again make forced arbitration the industry standard.

Rob Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen, described the move to me as a heartless and vile act.

The Trump administration apparently thinks it is okay for nursing homes to force seniors into signing contract terms that give up their right to sue in court if they are subsequently victimized by neglect or abuse, he said. Its hard to imagine a more callous policy.

Be that as it may, Pat McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said the proposed regulatory step backward is hardly a surprise.

The nursing-home industry has lobbied very hard for this, she said.

With delicious irony, the American Health Care Assn., a leading nursing-home industry group, filed a lawsuit last fall challenging the federal governments authority to tell the industry it cant block people from filing lawsuits.

Go ahead, read that sentence one more time. Savor the utter shamelessness of the industrys arrogance.

The head of the association, Mark Parkinson, said when the suit was filed that CMS crackdown on forced arbitration was clear overreach by the agency.

It wasnt. It was a reasonable response to an unfair practice that favors the interests of businesses over those of consumers  and in the case of nursing homes, involves some of the most vulnerable members of society.

The nursing-home industry, like other businesses, has experienced hefty court verdicts in the past that made it gun-shy about the legal system. Mandatory arbitration is seen by many businesses as a way to keep legal costs in check.

Its almost a sure thing that your phone company, your cable provider, your credit card issuer or any number of other companies you do business with have included such a provision in their take-it-or-leave-it terms of service.

Such clauses require that any dispute be resolved in private by an arbitrator rather than in a courtroom. They often also prohibit customers from joining class-action lawsuits brought by others.

Businesses routinely insist that arbitration is best.

As Parkinson said last week in welcoming the now-Trump-run CMS proposed rule change: Arbitration produces swifter resolution to disputes, compensates residents without undue litigation expense for either party, and reduces the funding burden on the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The reality is that mandatory arbitration requires people to give a professional arbitrator sole discretion over a dispute, and the arbitrators fee almost always is paid by the business involved. That gives the arbitrator a clear financial incentive to favor the side signing his or her check.

Its also well-documented that arbitration is seldom in consumers best interest.

A 2007 report by Public Citizen found that over a four-year period, arbitrators ruled in favor of banks and credit card companies 94% of the time in disputes with California consumers.

A 2015 study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau concluded that class actions provide a more effective means for consumers to challenge problematic practices by banks and other financial-services companies.

In fact, a 2009 study commissioned by the American Health Care Assn.  the nursing-home industry group  found that average awards from arbitration in nursing-home cases were about 35% lower than what could have been expected if the cases had gone to trial.

I asked an association spokeswoman about that. She downplayed her own organizations finding by saying that the cases litigated in court included many more very large claims than the cases that were arbitrated, which skewed the average numbers.

If so, its odd they didnt say that in the original study.

CMS stepped up with its rule change last year. It prohibited the use of pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements, which means a nursing home couldnt include a mandatory arbitration clause as part of its contract for admitting a new resident.

The agency said at the time that this will give residents and families greater assurances of the care they receive.

The nursing-home industry filed suit several weeks later, arguing that opening up the industry to lawsuits was arbitrary and capricious.

The Trump administration didnt require much arm-twisting. The newly Republican-led CMS said last week that restoring forced arbitration would reduce unnecessary provider burden.

Because thats what this is about  the legal and financial burden on nursing homes rather than the well-being of senior citizens in their care.

I asked CMS to comment but no one got back to me.

Heres the thing about arbitration: No ones saying it shouldnt be part of the dispute-resolution equation. The choice of avoiding the court system certainly should be available to consumers.

And if arbitration is as effective and fair as businesses keep saying, people undoubtedly would choose the process over litigation.

The fact that businesses want to force people to arbitrate and to give up their constitutional right to a trial indicates that the arbitration system isnt as fair as claimed, and that it favors one side over the other.

To get into a nursing home, you shouldnt have to give up your civil rights, said McGinnis of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Indeed, thats a time in a persons life when you need more protection than ever. And family members need the peace of mind of knowing that their loved ones are being looked after.

If a nursing home is operating safely and responsibly, what does it have to worry about?

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

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Clutter, a Culver City start-up that picks up, stores and returns goods to people, landed a $64-million investment to bring its storage service to more cities and launch new services.

The funding  announced Tuesday  comes from an investor group helmed by European venture capital firm Atomico, which was co-founded by one of the creators of Skype. Other new backers include GV, the venture capital arm of Google parent Alphabet, and Fifth Wall, a Los Angeles investment fund focused on real estate technology.

The start-ups central premise is that leasing storage facilities on the outskirts of the city is cheaper than owning urban warehouses, and that it can use the savings to offer constant pick-up and delivery. In effect, its trading the safe, steady bet of real estate for the riskier play of being a high-user-growth, high-profit-margin subscription company.

Here are six other things to know about Clutter:

 Most start-ups decide on expansion targets by market size, meaning going first to where they can reach the most customers. Clutter says it decides based on talent: It seeks regional general manager applicants in several big cities at once, and then hires only in the city with the strongest applicant (assuming one does stand out). Thats how the company, which serves most of Californias big cities, opted to launch in Chicago this week.

 Clutter says people store items that have sentimental meaning, financial value or are just junk. The company wants to start helping people make money from possessions that have value by handling leasing, donating or selling of seldom-retrieved stuff, which can include lawnmowers and tents. Because Clutter movers photograph and log every item stored, the company knows exactly how often items are called back home. That means the company also could nudge people to allow it to throw away never-retrieved materials  potentially freeing up more storage space for new customers who may better take advantage of the firms delivery and retrieval service.

 Clutters movers tag items as junk, sentimental or utilitarian as they pick them up from peoples homes and offices. The company is developing software that would allow a computer to automatically categorize goods. Telling an Ikea lamp apart from a 19th century antique won't be a quick project. But relying on computer recognition could lower fees for customers, who currently pay for the time it takes movers to log items.

 An initial public offering of Clutters stock is likely in five years, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Ari Mir said. As the company isnt profitable, going public would give customers confidence that Clutter wont disappear overnight, Mir said. At the time Clutter does pursue an IPO, he hopes the company is producing a gross profit margin of about 65%.

 Though Clutter says it hasnt been involved in any lobbying efforts, cities are making it more difficult for competitors such as Public Storage to do business by blocking further development of self-storage facilities within their boundaries. Clutter also faces competition from smaller companies pursuing a similar business model.

Atomicos Hiro Tamura said he hopes his firm can help Clutter strategize on moving more quickly to neutralize such threats.

Theyre very thoughtful and meticulous operationally, he said of Clutter management. Im of the view, if anything, they can be more aggressive. Thats probably where Ill spend most of my time, making sure that they dont slow down.

 In addition to security cameras, the company conducts random audits at its warehouses to check whether security procedures are being followed. Things have been misplaced, but theyre found eventually. Court record searches reveal just one case in which a customer has sued over damaged items. Though the company offered reimbursement, the plaintiff said she was seeking more. At least one customer has grumbled because the company auctioned items in storage, though the individual apparently stopped paying the monthly bill for several months.

Cash infusion could bring Smartlabs more recognition

(Insteon)

A long-time tech executive who sold his last company to digital mapping giant Nokia Here has bought a controlling stake in 20-year-old Irvine start-up Smartlabs and invested $1.4 million.

Rob Lilleness says he plans to maintain the 60-employee companys two divisions. One arm operates a long-running online shopping website for smart gadgets, such as lightbulbs that can be controlled through a smartphone app. The other, newer business, Insteon, designs electrical wall outlets and switches that can be monitored and operated through an app. It has about 4 million pieces of equipment installed in the U.S.

Lilleness left Nokia Here in May and invested in Smartlabs through his new investment fund, Richmond Capital Partners, two weeks later. He bought newly issued shares, as existing investors and shareholders accepted a drop in their ownership in exchange for their stake being more highly valued.

Lilleness spent a year prowling for investment opportunities related to Internet-connected electronics. He plans to focus on overseeing Smartlabs but said he would do more deals as he builds the team at Smartlabs.

The top goal is improvement in Insteons software. Lilleness plans to open a new software-focused office in Seattle, where he lives.

You can have a fully automated home today, but it will cost you tens of thousands of dollars if not $100,000-plus, and it requires a network administrator to build it out for you, he said. For a mainstream consumer, its just got to work and its got to be elegant.

He declined to disclose sales, saying only that they are growing.

Theres been two large innovations for home lighting and electricity  Edison and the lightbulb, and the dimmer switch from manufacturer Lutron, Lilleness said. I fully believe Insteon is the third.

Ride-hailing app aimed at women gets seed funding

An Uber competitor whose drivers are exclusively women has raised $2.47 million from wealthy individuals.

See Jane Go plans to use the funds to expand service from Orange County and Long Beach to the rest of Southern California by the end of the year, said President Mark Theissen.

The Laguna Hills start-up has picked up about 850 drivers in nine months. The independent contractors will pick up men only if they are accompanied by a woman. See Jane Go connects men to drivers too, but those drivers arent part of the companys network.

Theissen said especially popular in sprawling Orange County has been the services pre-scheduled rides, which allow people to have a car waiting for them with at least two hours notice. He declined to provide specific usage data, saying it could tip off rivals with similar pitches in other cities.

What we get is people looking for a safe alternative form of transportation, he said. In many cases it's people whove excluded themselves from using Uber and Lyft in the past.

He added that half of drivers havent worked for Uber or Lyft.

Theissen joined See Jane Go in February after selling his previous software start-up, Cirro, to Toba Capital.

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are fighting against the shift from car lanes to bike lanes on Playa Vista and Playa del Rey roads, according to L.A. Weekly. E-sports investment company AXiomatic , founded by media and sports entrepreneurs Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis and others, revealed the size of their fund is $16.5 million, according to a regulatory filing.

, founded by media and sports entrepreneurs Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis and others, revealed the size of their fund is $16.5 million, according to a regulatory filing. Roadside assistance app Honk is partnering with Farmers Insurance to make its service available to the insurers customers, according to TechCrunch.

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founder Michael Dubins Venice home from Business Insider. Pasadena start-up Beyond Limits announced a $20-million investment from oil giant BPs venture fund as the two firms look to bring artificial intelligence to more parts of BPs systems, according to ZDnet.

announced a $20-million investment from oil giant BPs venture fund as the two firms look to bring artificial intelligence to more parts of BPs systems, according to ZDnet. A USC engineering professor who developed 3-D printing technology for construction has picked up an investment for his firm from an Austrian construction company, according to I4U News.

who developed 3-D printing technology for construction has picked up an investment for his firm from an Austrian construction company, according to I4U News. Vice is launching a meal kit subscription service with help from El Segundo start-up Chefd, according to Inc.

In case you missed it

Coming up

Online publishing software maker Playbuzz hosts a discussion at Leona Venice at 6 p.m. Wednesday about the future of media. Panelists include content experts from Disney, ad agency Deutsch L.A. and media company Fullscreen.

paresh.dave@latimes.com

Twitter: @peard33

Times researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report.
So long, Yahoo.

Of late it has been a laughingstock, but the company is also remembered fondly for its pioneering contributions to the technology industry and Silicon Valley.

Yahoo Inc.s tumultuous $4.5-billion sale to Verizon Communications Inc. closed Tuesday, and now the company has disappeared, subsumed into a telecommunications giant.

Yahoos imprint and impact on the valley will long outlive its own history, said Carl Guardino, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. For so many years, [its] creative culture and the individual leaders left an indelible mark on the valley.

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Yahoos drawn-out, painful demise seemed as much about the laws of nature as the laws of business, as it struggled in vain to keep its strength while a wily predator gobbled up its sustenance. Once Google came onto the Internet scene with a better algorithm for searching, Yahoos kicking and flailing at a digital advertising market that had left it behind provided drama that time after time captivated Silicon Valley. It made for an epic tale that showcased the power of rapidly changing technology to both create and destroy.

It was difficult to watch such a quintessentially Silicon Valley success story run its course, Guardino said. But its a deep reminder that there is a cycle of life for people and companies.

During its ascendance, Sunnyvale-based Yahoo was a hiring machine, with more than 14,000 employees in 2007.

They were a major provider of job creation in their heyday, said San Jose analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies. They were a powerhouse.

But the financial crisis of 2008 was staggering for the company, which was still on its heels when CEO Marissa Mayer came on board in 2012, the fourth chief executive in as many years.

Mayer, Bajarin said, inherited a mess but then failed to deliver on discipline, structure and vision.

Despite spending billions of dollars on acquisitions, launching digital news magazines and hiring high-profile anchor Katie Couric for Yahoo News, Mayer was unable to halt Yahoos slide.

One reason for that failure was the executive team she brought in, and how she led them, said Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser.

It starts with people and putting the right people in place, Wieser said. You can get away with the manager at the top who may not have the right experience, but if you dont pick the right people and give them the autonomy that they need, youre going to have a disaster.

I never doubted that Mayer would be an expert in search. I always doubted she would be on anything else.

Mayer is not joining Verizon  last week, the company approved golden parachute compensation for her of $23 million. Yahoos email and other digital services will be run by Tim Armstrong, who has been in charge of AOL. Armstrong is now chief executive of a new Verizon subsidiary called Oath, which will consist of Yahoo and AOL services.

Also hampering Yahoos growth was hubris among executives, Wieser said.

There was not an appropriate degree of paranoia around prospects of competition taking your business away, Wieser said. They lost positions of strength time and time and time again.

While Yahoo was trying to find new ways to generate revenue and jettisoning workers in a desperate bid to stay afloat, Google and Facebook were eating its lunch, dominating the digital advertising market globally.

In 2014, Yahoo fell out of the Fortune 500 for the first time. Mayer admitted that year that the company had only started investing in mobile in 2013 and was late and behind.

All that trouble drove Yahoo onto the auction block. The company put itself up for sale in February of last year. It accepted Verizons $4.83-billion bid about five months later.

Then came a series of blows threatening the deal: revelations about a massive hack of at least half a billion Yahoo accounts data, followed by news that Yahoo had known about the breach for nearly two years but kept quiet, followed by disclosure of a data breach of more than a billion user accounts.

In response to news of the first hack, Verizon publicly raised the prospect of backing out of the deal. Ultimately, Verizon used the data breaches to negotiate a $350-million discount on the sale price.

Verizon wont be getting Yahoos prized stakes in two Asian Internet companies, Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan. Those will belong to a newly formed company called Altaba.

It has been more than two decades since Yahoo was incorporated in 1995 as a directory to the World Wide Web. The search pioneer began selling ads, and it went public the next year. By March 2000, it had become a poster child for the dot-com bubble: from January 1998s $3-billion market capitalization, it zoomed to $209 billion in 2000. Then the bubble popped, deflating Yahoos market cap to about $5 billion by the fall of 2001.

Yahoos fortunes began to sweep upward in late 2002, and its market cap continued to rise, reaching $61 billion at the start of 2006. Yahoo nearly doubled the size of its workforce. Then came the financial crisis, and revenue began falling.

In the meantime, Google usurped Yahoo as the most popular online search engine. By 2007, Google had cracked the 50% mark in the share of all U.S. desktop searches, according to ComScore, while Yahoo had 27%. From there, as Yahoos share slid, Googles rose, hitting 67% in November 2014 to Yahoos 10%. Yahoo now has fewer than 9,000 employees and its market cap was about $35 billion before Verizon bid on the company.

Despite criticism of the companys mistakes, its end may have simply been wrought by the success of Google, which had built a better search engine, Wieser said. Maybe it was always going to be the case that once people had their better mousetrap, then it was done.

Baron writes for the San Jose Mercury News/McClatchy. The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, June 12

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Ensuring that all the EU- member states have access to liquid gas markets is a key objective of the EU's Energy Union, a source in the European Commission told Trend.

Last week the first ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from the US arrived in Poland. First US LNG supplies to the Western Europe happened last year when a tanker with US LNG came to Portugal in April 2016.

"The EU will work closely with international partners, to promote free, liquid and transparent global LNG markets. This means engaging with current and future suppliers and with other major consuming countries to ensure that LNG can be traded freely on global markets, both under normal market conditions and in the event of external shocks," a source in the European Commission said.

The source noted that the EU is the biggest importer of natural gas in the world.

"Diversification of supply sources is therefore paramount both for energy security as well as for competitiveness," he said.

According to the source, cargoes of LNG are available from a wide variety of different supplier countries worldwide, and LNG can give a real boost to the EU's diversity of gas supply and hence greatly improve energy security.

"Today, the countries in western Europe that have access to LNG import terminals and liquid gas markets are far more resilient to possible supply interruptions than those that are dependent on a single gas supplier," he said.

The source noted that the global LNG market is undergoing a dynamic development with the entrance of new suppliers such as the US or Australia.

According to the source, Europe's overall LNG import capacity is significant  currently it is enough to meet around 43 percent of its total current gas demand (in line with 2015 data). However, significant regional disparities as regards access to LNG remain.

"The Commission sets a liquefied natural gas strategy that will improve access of all member states to LNG as an alternative source of gas. The central elements of this strategy are building the strategic infrastructure to complete the internal energy market and identifying the necessary projects to end single-source dependency of some of the member states," the source said.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
After waiting for more than eight months, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has finalized its purchase of a rare 16th century Parmigianino painting considered a masterwork of the late Renaissance.

Titled Virgin With Child, St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, the painting has been in private hands for more than 400 years and in Britain for nearly 250 years.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said the Getty had waited more than a year to finalize its purchase of the Parmigianino painting. The museum waited more than eight months.

The Times reported in August that the sale of the painting to the Getty was contingent on whether a British buyer stepped forward to make a competitive offer. An export license allowing the Parmigianino to leave Britain was deferred last February to allow British institutions a chance to bid for the work, but the deferral expired Friday. The National Gallery of London, which has shown the painting, considered a purchase but ultimately decided against it.

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Art News reported that the painting (dating from around 1530 to 1540) was sold via Sothebys by the Dent-Brocklehurst family of Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire. The publication put the value of the painting at more than $31 million.

In an interview last year with The Times, Getty Museum Director Timothy Potts called the Parmigianino one of the few late Renaissance paintings still in private hands. Its in fantastic condition, which is so rare for this period.

Virgin With Child, St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, is the Gettys first painting by Parmigianino. The museum said it hopes to put the piece on view with other 16th century Italian works but provided no specific timeline.

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

@jessicagelt

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When the executive producers of This Is Us told Gerald McRaney they had a part theyd like him to read, the veteran actor was game. After all, hed worked with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa already and trusted their instincts.

But when he read the character of Dr. Nathan Katowski, or Dr. K, he was floored. The part was so well written and fleshed out, McRaney called it the role of a lifetime.

The series, one in a long line for McRaney, stands out in many ways, but perhaps most notably for drawing so many fans into the story. Were not talking about fans who simply want to compliment McRaney (or his cast mates). These people are moved.

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Big, tough guys approach me, McRaney said when he stopped by The Times video studio recently for an Emmy Contenders chat with Times television reporter Yvonne Villarreal. You know, You made me cry, they say. Fans, he says, often go into depth and share some personal thing that relates directly to the show.

The outpouring, he says, is a reflection of how good the writing is. The writers have captured a true human connection, tapped into a common humanity. They dont need superheroes or even villains to make their stories compelling.

Theyre just writing about decent people who have problems and find ways to solve them. Good people in extraordinary circumstances, he says.

See what he says about how his wife, actress Delta Burke, helped him relate to the widower doctor, and what he thinks of a possible Simon and Simon reunion, in the full video below.

See the most read stories this hour 

 Actor Gerald McRaney thinks the NBC shows writers have tapped into something with viewers, adding that big guys often approach him and say, You made me cry.

calendar@latimes.com
Celebrating #HarryPotter20: How Harry Potter and his blockbuster films came of age on screen

The Boy Who Lived has cast his spell on the box office since Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, the first film in Warner Bros. blockbuster franchise, hit theaters in 2001.

The bestselling, seven-book series was adapted into eight record-breaking films -- and a two-part play -- as the boy wizard ventured through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the wizarding world with his pals Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, taking on the enigmatic Lord Voldemort and his magical henchmen each school year.

As J.K. Rowlings debut novel Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone -- the first of the books from which the decade-spanning films were adapted -- marks its 20th anniversary, heres a reminder of how Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan reviewed the Harry Potter films. (Spoiler alert: He didnt always like them.)

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone film is imaginative and faithful but shuns any risk-taking (2001)

As his 11th birthday approaches, orphan Harry Potter learns that hes a wizard and enrolls at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where his reputation as the Boy Who Lived precedes him during his magical training.

The result is a remarkably faithful copy of the book that treats the text like holy writ (hence its 2-hour-and-33-minute length), wrote The Times film critic Kenneth Turan. From the gold in Gringotts, the safe-as-houses goblin-run bank, to the centaur lurking in the forbidden forest that adjoins Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so much is presented just as written that Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone starts to resemble one of those fiendishly exact replicas of great works of art that Sunday painters can be seen working on in galleries of museums.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets doesnt capture the well-balanced tone of the book (2002)

In their second year at Hogwarts, Harry and his pals Ron and Hermione contend with a celebrity author professor and a well-meaning house elf named Dobby who thwart the trio in unexpected ways.

The darkness that invades Chamber of Secrets underlines how well the books managed to exactly balance good and evil, dark and light, so that within their pages you seemed to be experiencing both at the same time. Not so here, Turan wrote. Because Chamber of Secrets cant seem to get the balance right, it ends up broadly overdoing things on both ends of the spectrum. The films scary moments are too monstrous and its happy times have too much idiotic beaming, making the film feel like the illegitimate offspring of Alien and The Absent-Minded Professor.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film comes close to capturing the essence of the books (2004)

The wizarding world gets markedly darker as convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who is believed to have killed Harrys parents, escapes from the Azkaban prison and the soul-sucking Dementors are loosed to chase him down. Director Alfonso Cuaron takes the helm from Chris Columbus, who directed the two previous films.

"[T]he final hour of the two-hour-and-21-minute Azkaban is the closest any of the films has gotten to capturing the enormously pleasing essence of the Potter books, wrote Turan, adding, Those three leads (Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, Rupert Grint as Ron) play characters who are now 13, an age when anger and frustration are more publicly expressed. One of the benefits of Cuarons direction, his expertise with younger actors, means that the constant determination and occasional fury exhibited by the characters, especially Harry and Hermione, are completely convincing.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire finally gets Harry Potter right (2005)

Harrys surprising inclusion in the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, as a fourth-year student, raises concerns and brings danger to the Hogwarts castle.

Its taken them long enough, but the movies have finally gotten Harry Potter right, wrote Turan. It has fallen to the veteran [director] Mike Newell, eager, in his own words, to break out of this goody-two-shoes feel, to make the first Harry Potter film to be wire-to-wire satisfying.

Though memorable acting is neither called for nor delivered on the part of Goblets collection of juveniles, Radcliffes Harry does get one thing exactly right. Watching him face myriad challenges, were convinced that Harrys heart will lead him to do the right thing. He does good in the most natural way and, like so much of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, thats just how it should be.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix cant shake an episodic feeling (2007)

With the Ministry of Magic refusing to acknowledge Lord Voldemorts (Ralph Fiennes) return, fifth-year Harry is brooding at school as he contends with spooky visions and Ministry transplant Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). His knowledge of the dark magic-fighting organization, the Order of the Phoenix, and a prophecy further complicate matters.

"[Director David] Yates and his team handle the films visuals well, including the impressive sets for the atrium of the Ministry of Magic and its Hall of Prophecy, as well as fine flying sequences involving either broomsticks or equine creatures called Thestrals, Turan wrote. The director also works well with the films juvenile leads, which is important, because these are the raging hormone years at Hogwarts School, and that is especially true where Harry is concerned. Looking so disgruntled in his gray hoodie that you fear he might start rapping, Harry comes off as more Grumpy Potter than the bright light of the wizarding world.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is well-crafted but sometimes hard to endure (2009)

As dark magic spills into the Muggle world, Harrys mentor, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), tasks him with bringing down Lord Voldemort. But Harrys discovery of an old textbook teaches him more than he expected about his past.

Now in its sixth episode shot over an eight-year span, with two more features still to come, this one-of-a-kind film cycle has become as comfortable and reliable as an old shoe, providing a degree of dependability thats becoming increasingly rare, Turan wrote. As directed by David Yates, who did the previous film and is on tap for the final two, Half-Blood Prince demonstrates the ways that the Potter pictures have become the modern exemplars of establishment moviemaking. We dont turn to these films for thrilling or original cinema, we look for a level of craft, consistency and, most of all, fidelity to the originals -- all of which we get.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1" (2010)

The penultimate film sees Harry, Hermione and Ron venturing out into the real world to locate and destroy Lord Voldemorts soul-encapsulating Horcruxes as Hogwarts and the wizarding world fall to He Who Must Not Be Named.

Much of the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows involves the attempt to find and destroy a series of Horcruxes, and if you havent a clue about what they are or why theyre important, you might as well stay home, Turan wrote. There is something different, however, about this Potter movie, and that is the words Part 1' that end the title. Understandably distraught about Hallows being the last of the phenomenally popular J.K. Rowling novels, Warner Bros. has split the final effort into two films and is likely kicking itself for not having thought of that with the earlier books.

(It should be noted that the studio reboots the wizarding world with the forthcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series. The first film hit theaters in 2016.)

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" (2011)

Harry goes wand-to-wand with Lord Voldemort, concluding Harrys final year at the wizarding school with the epic Battle of Hogwarts.

In a classic storybook finish, however, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2' turns out to be more than the last of its kind. Almost magically, it ends up being one of the best of the series as well, Turan wrote. The Harry Potter films, like the boy wizard himself, have had their creative ups and downs, so its especially satisfying that this final film, ungainly title and all, has been worth the wait. Though no expense has been spared in its production, it succeeds because it brings us back to the combination of magic, adventure and emotion that created the books popularity in the first place.

For more of The Times Harry Potter anniversary coverage, go here.
GossipMovies

June 13, 2017, 11:05 a.m. Go inside Carrie Fishers home to see what will soon be up for auction

Carrie Fishers brother has given fans a sneak preview of a September auction in which personal items belonging to the Star Wars actress as well as her mother, Debbie Reynolds, will be offered for sale.

The whole house is filled with her life, Todd Fisher said, giving Good Morning America a tour of his late sisters Beverly Hills house alongside Joe Maddalena, chief executive of Profiles in History, the Calabasas-based auction house handling the sale. Its kind of like being in her head.

Todd Fisher pointed out the Christmas tree and fireplaces his sister kept going year round in her eclectic home, which was part of a compound that included Reynolds house. He solicited fans input on a name for the newest painting in the collection, which he and his mom had purchased as a holiday gift for Carrie but were not able to give her because, he said, she never made it home for Christmas.

She collected what she called ugly children, he said, pointing to old portraits of kids who had been nicknamed for actors including Kevin Spacey and Shia LaBeouf.

Carrie Fisher never regained consciousness after falling ill on a flight home from London on Dec. 23, 2016. She died Dec. 27, and Reynolds passed away the next day.

Other highlights of the tour: Carries directors chair from Return of the Jedi and a statue of Yoda, its head polished from being touched by guests over the years.

The auction, being held in advance of the property being put on the market, is Sept. 23 and includes costumes, movie memorabilia and many other items from the two actresses. Portions of the proceeds will benefit two charities, the Reynolds-founded Thalians and the Jed Foundation, selected by Carrie Fishers daughter, Billie Lourd.

The size and scope of their collection rivals most museums, Todd Fisher said in a statement on his website. So in keeping with my mothers wishes we have decided to share part of their magnificent collection with all their friends and fans.
Hollywood actress Jessica Chastain tied the knot with her longtime Italian boyfriend Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo on Saturday. The ceremony took place at the grooms family-owned 17th-century Villa Tiepolo Passi estate in the Italian city of Treviso, located about 25 miles from Venice.

The bride wore a custom-made strapless white gown, which she styled with a simple updo and long veil.

The ceremony gathered celebrities and representatives of the fashion world, including Anne Hathaway, who was wearing a violet a red Valentino gown, flanked by husband Adam Shulman; actress Emily Blunt, who sported a Peter Pilotto fall cerise dress with metallic sandals; Monclers chief executive officer Remo Ruffini; Giorgio Armanis niece Roberta Armani; British Vogue editor in chief Edward Enninful, and socialite Bianca Brandolini dAdda, who wore an Azzedine Alaia fall 2016 two-piece look, made of a burgundy laced crop top and long skirt.

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Chastains Zero Dark Thirty costar Edgar Ramirez and Canadian director Xavier Dolan also arrived in Italy for the occasion, sharing moments of the pre-wedding party hosted in Venice on Friday on their Instagram accounts.

For the occasion, Chastain wore a red short dress with embroideries paired with snakeskin Louboutin booties.

The couple started to date in 2013. Passi de Preposulo belongs to a noble family that goes back over 1,000 years, based in Bergamo Alta, an hour drive from Milan.

He works at Moncler, managing the celebrities and events department of the label. Passi de Proposulos former experiences include director of public relations at Giorgio Armani group.

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Kim Kardashian is taking control. The reality star and social media phenomenon spoke out about her business, the secret to her social media success and future brand strategy with Forbes editor in chief Steve Forbes, at the Forbes Womens Summit in New York on Tuesday afternoon.

Kardashian  who earlier in the day had announced the launch of her own makeup line, KKW, on Instagram  said that after 10 years, its time to pull back on licensing deals and create a product on her own terms.

Theres nothing I would do now if I dont have creative control, she said. In the past, I found power in saying yes to so many things, whether it was tanning, shoes, cupcakes or fitness videos.

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If I break it all down, I mean the percentage you would get from a licensing deal. I split everything with my two sisters, so thats three ways and I just thought, We work so hard to be getting so little, she explained, dressed in a businesslike black pantsuit. And it might seemand theres all this false information out there and numbers and I really wanted to create a business on my own and I know that was a lot of hard work.

But this year, Kardashian explained, she was forced to take some time off to reevaluate everything, including her licensing deals. Like her sister Kylie Jenner, Kardashian said she is going to focus only on her new makeup line, an upcoming fragrance coming out later this year, Kimoji  her mega-successful app  and the Kimoji Merch.

Kardashian, who was on the cover of Forbes last July with the cover line The New Mobile Moguls, spoke about turning fame into a larger-than-life brand.

If people think you post and its so easy, its really not, she said, explaining importance of authenticity on social media  especially if youre a brand.

Forbes enthusiastically recapped the final episode of the previous season. See, this stuff captures everyone, he said, and wondered how the family has kept it going all these years.

Right when we think weve run out of gas, someone will get pregnant or married or divorced, Kardashian said.

Im really proud to be on a reality show, she said.

As a parting gift, Forbes, a rare books collector, gave Kardashian a book on the Armenian Genocide, and a contract signed by a 13-year-old Elizabeth Taylor.

When asked about where her business sense came from, Kardashian credited her parents example  in particular her mothers hustle.

On Monday, Forbes released its 2017 list ranking the worlds highest-paid celebrities. Kardashian came in at number 47 with $45.5 million  just $5.5 million less than Forbes reported she made in 2016.

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From the return of a West Hollywood favorite to a multi-course dinner by a 16-year-old chef, heres whats happening in the L.A. food and drink world:

New friends, same place: John Wayne, Clark Gable, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe all hung out at the Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. The restaurant, which features a red facade and black-and-white striped awnings, opened on Santa Monica Boulevard, just west of La Brea Avenue, in 1925  and closed in December 2016. Now, 1933 Group owners Dimitri Komarov, Bobby Green and Dmitry Liberman, who are responsible for a number of L.A. bars including Idle Hour in North Hollywood, have signed on to reopen the restaurant. Theyll work with the cafes owners to refurbish the space. Construction will begin soon and you can expect to see the same Chinese-inspired dishes on the menu when the cafe reopens. 7156 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2, West Hollywood.

Flying high: Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Animal, Jon & Vinnys, etc., are getting into the airline business, sort of. The two are teaming up with Delta airlines as new in-flight culinary partners. Beginning late this fall, Delta One customers on flights from LAX to JFK and DCA will be able to eat food inspired by Shook and Dotolos restaurants. Heres hoping the airline finds a way to duplicate the duos oxtail gravy poutine from Animal. www.animalrestaurant.com.

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Sweet 16: A 16-year-old chef is taking over the Crepery Cafe in Palos Verdes on Saturday for a pop-up prix fixe dinner. Chef Holden Dahlerbruch is a sophomore at Palos Verdes High Peninsula High School. He started a boys cooking club when he was in the fifth grade, and now he stages at the Wallace restaurant in Culver City and on some food trucks; he also works with the Palo Verdes Unified School District to revamp the school lunch program. Dahlerbruchs pop-up on Saturday will be his third pop-up restaurant (he previously cooked two other dinners at Stage & Table in Santa Monica). The five-course dinner is $55 per person and will include a salad, entree, dessert and a few more. Reservations and tickets are available online. 810 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates.

Downtown digs: Partners Beau Laughlin (who is part of the team behind Sawyer and Kettle Black) and Steve Edwards of Assembly Group, have just revamped a downtown lobby at the Wedbush Center in downtowns financial district. In the space, there is now a cocktail lounge, cafe and restaurant called Harbor House. There are pastries from Suzanne Goins Larder Bakery Co., coffee from Stumptown, and on the menu: poached salmon salad and buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches. Harbor House is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and closed on weekends. 1000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 642-8393, www.harborhousedtla.com.

Back in action: Chef Nick Barainca has cooked in some of the most lauded kitchens in Los Angeles, including Josiah Citrins Melisse. Now hes operating his own pop-up dinner series out of the kitchen at the OP Cafe in Santa Monica (the cafe still serves breakfast and lunch). The series is called Gargantua and dinners are served every Thursday through Saturday. Some of the menu highlights include green garlic bread; sprouted grains and English peas; sweet potato and kefir cream; and BBQ pork and leeks. Dinner is $47 per person. 3117 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 452-5720, www.gargantua.la.

Still hungry? Tart restaurant has opened an outdoor bar called the Lemonade Stand. Maestro in Old Pasadena is now serving weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Throughout June, iPic theaters, including the one in Westwood, will be serving chef Roy Chois Veggie CheeseBurg, created as part of iPic restaurant division chief operating officer Sherry Yards monthly guest chef menu. Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks has launched an extended happy hour, with 20% off all cocktails, beer, wine, tequila and appetizers every Friday through Sunday, from 1 to 7 p.m., through Sept. 4. Arroyo Seco Weekend Festival attendees can pre-order chef-curated picnic baskets from Crossroads Kitchen, Republique, Barrel & Ashes, Rose Cafe and Redbird full of three-course meals for two for the festival (the deadline for orders is June 21).

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_

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Californias bail system is ripe for reform, some say. Police officers and prosecutors point to dangerous or repeat offenders who pay their way out of jail time, bail agents to the high number of people who jump bail and criminal justice advocates to the hefty fees levied on the poor.

This legislative session, as calls for action and legal challenges have spurred momentum for bail reform nationwide, state lawmakers introduced a twin-bill effort to tackle the issue. It would transform how Californias county courts determine which defendants are fit for release while their cases are pending.

But after one of those proposals stalled in the Assembly last week, the future of the other hangs in the balance. Here is what you need to know about that proposal, Senate Bill 10.

Upending the system

Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) combined forces in December to unveil the California Bail Reform Act of 2017, a pair of identical bills that would eliminate the use of bail fee systems and require counties to establish their own pretrial services agencies.

Under the legislation, those agencies would develop a risk-assessment tool, or model analysis to evaluate people booked into jail. Their release would depend on two main factors: What threat do they pose in the community and how likely are they to come back to court?

Bonta and Hertzberg said they wanted to ensure dangerous offenders arent able to skip spending time behind bars solely because they can afford bail. Most counties in California require defendants to post a fee up front for their release, and the median state bail rate is about $50,000  roughly five times higher than the national level.

Studies have shown such policies disproportionately affect people of color and the poor. People who dont have the means to post bail can lose their employment or housing. Even three days in jail can result in loss of wages, jobs and family connections, leaving some defendants 40% more likely to commit a crime in the future, according to pretrial criminal research commissioned by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on education, public pension and criminal justice reforms.

How bail works now When a person is arrested, bail is set according to a county fee schedule and depends on the gravity of the alleged crime.

Offenders must post the amount upfront, or pay a 10% fee, as in a down payment, to a bond company before they are released on bail.

Those who cant afford to do so can remain incarcerated up to an additional 48 hours, or longer on weekends or holidays, before they are formally charged and arraigned.

A judge then sets the conditions for release before trial, which typically includes bail, and weighs factors including whether the defendants pose the risk of fleeing, or are a threat to their community. What SB 10 would do Eliminate the use of fixed money bail fees

Require counties to establish pretrial services agencies to evaluate defendants for release upon booking based on the public safety risks they pose.

Only offenders not charged with a violent felony would be eligible for the risk assessment.

People charged with misdemeanors, except in certain cases such as domestic violence, would be let go without further conditions upon signing a release agreement.

Agencies would submit their recommendations on felony offenders to judges, who ultimately decide when to release people from jail.

Bail fees vary statewide

A point of contention is the elimination of the money bail schedule. There are no statewide standards or uniform fees to apply when courts set bail. Instead, judges in each of the states 58 counties craft their own approaches to bail and sets of fixed bail amounts, leading to wide disparities.

Senate Bill 10 would allow judges to assign monetary bail only at the lowest amount necessary to guarantee a defendant appears at his or her next court date. In setting that amount, the court would first have to conduct an inquiry to make sure the person has the ability to pay without having to forgo food, shelter or medical care for themselves or their dependents.

The bills opponents have argued in favor of reducing the current fixed bail amounts, rather than doing away with them, and creating greater parity across counties. They cite state law that already prohibits excessive bail and say judges have the flexibility to adjust bail per case.

But reform advocates and national organizations such as the American Bar Assn. and the Conference of Chief Justices have endorsed risk-assessment evaluations over fixed bail systems.

If you can pay the amount on the schedule, you are released  that is the crux of the bail disparity, and that is what is being challenged, said Mica Doctoroff, a legislative advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of California's Center for Advocacy and Policy.

What would reform cost?

Another hurdle to bail reform is uncertainty over the cost.

Many courts in California and nationwide have started changing their bail and pretrial practices in response to lawsuits, or as a way to relieve overcrowded jails. One study found at least 29 cities, counties and states  including Arizona, Kentucky, and New Jersey  have developed risk-assessment models.

In California, counties including San Francisco, Santa Clara and Ventura have implemented such initiatives in recent years, and officials say there are inherent savings by releasing more people who dont pose a threat to public safety and have not been convicted of a crime.

But in-depth cost analyses are rare because the county programs are so new, and a report by the Assembly Appropriations Committee showed that getting counties to follow through on the proposed legislation could come with a large price tag.

It concludes that the state would have to spend "hundreds of millions of dollars" to reimburse counties for establishing and administering the new pretrial services. The state would also face ongoing expenses in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to pay court-appointed lawyers for defendants, according to the analysis. And it noted costs for future oversight of the new bail system.

A battle ahead

This is not the first time a bail reform plan has been proposed. Former state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) authored legislation in 2013 that would have required counties to use risk-assessment tools when preparing pretrial reports for inmates. It passed the Senate but died in the Assembly after heavy lobbying from the bail industry.

This session, bail agents, their lobbyists and even celebrity bounty hunter Duane Dog Chapman have argued SB 10 would hurt small businesses, could cost counties up to $2 billion and would increase the number of people wanted on arrest warrants, now roughly 2 million people.

Hertzberg and Bonta said they remain optimistic even after Bontas bill stalled on the Assembly floor amid those concerns.

Bail reform is a national movement, Bonta said. It is going to happen no matter what. It is a matter of when, not if.

On the Assembly and Senate floors, some lawmakers urged their colleagues to hold off until the new programs and risk-assessment models have been studied further. Others suggested waiting until the Pretrial Detention Reform Work Group, appointed by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, releases recommendations on best pretrial detention practices in December.

Last month, Cantil-Sakauye said there was no need to wait to reform the bail system. The work group, composed of 10 judges and a chief executive, is studying pretrial services on its own timeline and is only at the stage of gathering information about what programs exist in California and other states.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Brian Back, a member of the council, said any of its recommendations would go through a lengthy vetting process, taking into account changes in state law, before courts would have to implement them.

The legislation is what it is, he said. We dont want that to interfere.

jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com

@jazmineulloa

ALSO:

Legislation to overhaul bail reform in California hits a hurdle in Assembly

Here's how state lawmakers plan to reform the bail system in California

California lawmakers want to reform a bail system they say 'punishes the poor for being poor'

Sweeping reform of California's bail system would come with a hefty price tag, says new analysis

Updates on California politics
A leader of a South Los Angeles gang that has terrorized the community with murders, robberies, extortion and drug trafficking was sentenced Monday to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, officials said.

Tyrine Lil C-Bone Martinez, 36, pleaded guilty last year to several felony charges, including racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder, illegally possessing a firearm and selling crack cocaine, according the U.S. attorneys office.

He was among 72 defendants charged in an indictment targeting the Broadway Gangster Crips.

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In his plea agreement, Martinez admitted to being a leader of the violent hit squad known as the Gremlin Riderz, a clique of the Broadway gang, pushing subordinates to engage in violence and disciplining those who did not follow gang rules.

He also admitted to conspiring to kill Andre Griffin, a fellow Broadway gang member who had spoken to police about a 2012 shooting that killed an innocent teenager and struck three others, including a 10-year-old girl and her mother.

As a leader of the Gremlin Riderz, officials wrote in Martinezs sentencing memo, the defendant served as the prototype of why and how gangs destroy communities (most often their own) through violence, intimidation, fueling crack cocaine addiction and by contriving a self-serving and morally corrupt code.

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero also ordered Martinez, whose criminal career began with a robbery at age 16, to spend 10 years on supervised release after serving his sentence.

esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com

@LATBermudez
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The next meeting of the Turkmen-Hungarian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation will be held in Ashgabat on June 15-16, 2017, said the Turkmen government in a message.

During the meeting, it is expected to discuss the issues of increasing trade turnover and expanding partnership between the two countries businesses.

Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, during the last government meeting, noted that in recent years, Turkmenistan and Hungary have demonstrated the intention to implement big joint projects in various fields.

He added that at the upcoming meeting, it is necessary to discuss specific proposals, the implementation of which will help to strengthen bilateral ties and will give a strong momentum to the diversification of partnership in all fields of relations.

Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Hungary were established in 1992.

Hungary is interested in increasing the import of chemical products from Turkmenistan, oil and gas processing.

The two countries signed an intergovernmental convention in June 2016 on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital.
USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook

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Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook

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Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits  at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook

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L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook

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Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought  after a meeting with federal officials in Washington  that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook

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L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook

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We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again,  said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style,  she said. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent  the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook

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USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook

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Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that  we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook

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Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook

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Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained  and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook

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We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook

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Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook

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UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident  which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook

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State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook

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Global California 2030 aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically  and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook

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Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment  a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student  an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease  was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook

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At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook

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Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups  unrestricted by contribution limits  a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook

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2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook

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For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best  not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook

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Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook

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UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook

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USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook

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Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook

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UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook

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State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding  which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million  is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook

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Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook

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Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook

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6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook

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Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook

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This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education.  What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook

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USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary  at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions  longtime stalwarts of the party  and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook

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Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans  saying repeatedly, stay tuned  but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook

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Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook

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The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers  members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook

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Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook

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School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook

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Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner  whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook

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UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook

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We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook

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Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook

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School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist  who has agreed to modify the artwork  to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook

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New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook

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More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook

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New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event  his first speech and news conference  with a photogenic background of students. His message  that he would put those students first  seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook

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In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook

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Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp  months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military  retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator  largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook

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Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook

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Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook

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Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook

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Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook

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Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook

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Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook

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UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook

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A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook

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After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman  who also was black  that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American  the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook

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El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook

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Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged  and pressured  the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members  enough to control the outcome  were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it  because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook

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Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook

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L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people  12 students and one teacher  killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests  written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut  the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students  at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet  plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook

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Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends  a 16-year-old boy  made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook

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Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus  which the president said is less than 55% white  that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook

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The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces  an arch and a garden  after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook

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L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook

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Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook

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Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook

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Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook

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Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook

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Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract  the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling  approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies  better known as CAVA  had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook

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School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years  a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook

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Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation  not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook

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Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook

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Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook

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New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook

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Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading  and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results  out Monday night  were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook

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Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired  some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook

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Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she said. Read More Facebook

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Kentucky teachers rally at Capitol over state budget By Associated Press Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Read More Facebook

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Local groups that want Los Angeles to reopen a popular access point to a Hollywood sign trail were dealt a setback in court Tuesday.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected their attempt to intervene in a court battle that led the city to close the Beachwood Drive gate to hikers this year.

However, Judge Elizabeth Feffer said the groups could still have their day in court  by filing a separate lawsuit on the serious issues they had raised.

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Its a minor setback, said attorney Mitchell Tsai, whose clients have yet to decide their next steps.

Earlier this year, the city said it had stopped allowing hikers through the Beachwood Drive gate to resolve a legal dispute with Sunset Ranch Hollywood Stables, which complained that the city had been funneling thousands of hikers onto an access road leading to its horseback-riding facility in Griffith Park.

The ranch also raised concerns about safety, warning that it was dangerous for pedestrians to share the winding road with trucks and horse trailers headed to the facility.

The Beachwood Drive gate had been one of the most popular access points for hikers and tourists trying to catch a glimpse of the famous sign. The decision was welcomed by some nearby homeowners who had complained about traffic congestion, fire hazards and other safety risks from crowds of tourists hiking up the Beachwood Canyon street.

But others  including some Beachwood Canyon residents  protested the city decision. The Friends of Griffith Park, the Los Feliz Oaks Homeowners Assn. and the Griffith J. Griffith Charitable Trust challenged the move in court, saying that L.A. had other ways to adhere to a court order and protect Sunset Ranch without blocking access at Beachwood Drive.

The Griffith Park groups pointed out that Feffer had not ordered the city to close the Beachwood gate to hikers. Instead, the judge told L.A. to stop preventing Sunset Ranch employees and customers from accessing the facility  and to provide public access for pedestrians as close as possible to either the Beachwood gate or an earlier access point.

The local groups argued that turning hikers away from the Beachwood Drive gate had undermined public access to Griffith Park, put other neighborhoods at risk from redirected traffic and amounted to an illegal gift of public land to a private company, calling it an improper backroom deal.

The city isnt allowed to close public access to a public park under the guise of a private settlement, without any public process, Tsai said.

However, at the Tuesday hearing, Deputy City Atty. Michael Kaplan argued that hikers and tourists still had other ways to access Griffith Park, including the Hollyridge Trail that is prized for its views of the Hollywood sign. Closing the gate to hikers, Kaplan added, was not only meant to protect Sunset Ranch but to prevent a potentially fatal accident on the access road.

Both the city and Sunset Ranch argued against allowing the Griffith Park groups to intervene.

Feffer ultimately turned down the request to jump into the case, saying it would present a logistical nightmare for the court as it proceeded to trial on a different set of issues in the same case.

She pointed out that some of the legal issues raised by the Griffith Park groups  including whether the city had violated the California Environmental Quality Act  would have to be handled by a different court anyway.

This was the correct decision, said attorney Michael Angel, who is representing Sunset Ranch, after the Tuesday hearing. The groups did not establish what was required of them in order to intervene.

Members of the Hollywoodland Homeowners Assn. also attended the Tuesday hearing but did not immediately comment on the decision. They did, however, hand out a written statement saying they were pleased with the decision to close the Beachwood gate.

It is our hope that the city of Los Angeles will take this opportunity to develop appropriate areas and infrastructure, out of all residential areas, for channeling visitors to the Hollywood sign, the group said in its statement.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily

ALSO

Groups mount legal battle over L.A.'s closure of the gate to the Hollywood sign

A gondola to ferry tourists to the Hollywood sign? Mayor Garcetti floats the idea

Editorial: City leaders should be fighting for more access to Griffith Park and Hollywood sign, not less
A 13-year-old boy in Central California is suspected of killing his 14-year-old classmate, authorities said Monday.

Diego Perez was shot Friday about 9:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in Huron, a town about 50 miles south of Fresno, according to Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriffs Office.

Huron police officers rushed to the apartment complex and found Diego dead from gunshot wounds.

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The Fresno County sheriffs detectives took over the case for local police and identified a 13-year-old boy as the suspect in the slaying.

The teen, also a resident of Huron, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. His name was not released because he is a juvenile, Botti said in a statement.

Its unclear what may have motivated the killing.

Diegos mother, Tricia Sease, told KFSN-TV Channel 30, the ABC affiliate in Fresno, that the suspect had known her son and that the two had recently fought at school. Diego had been afraid for his life, she said.

Sease also told the news station that before the shooting, the suspect had aimed a gun at her sons girlfriend.

My son threw her to the floor and took off running, said, I love you, Sease said.

Botti said detectives were wrapping up the investigation and expected to present the case to juvenile probation officials, who will work with prosecutors to evaluate criminal charges.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

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For years, accusations that Orange County prosecutors and sheriffs deputies ran a secret program that used jailhouse informants to obtain confessions from criminal defendants have dogged some of the areas top law enforcement leaders.

The informant scandal has sparked a retrial in at least one murder case, and stalled the proceedings against a man who confessed to gunning down eight people in Seal Beach.

On Tuesday, however, the countys grand jury dismissed the entire scandal as a myth, releasing the findings of a months-long investigation that was hailed as vindication by prosecutors and dismissed as a whitewash by defense attorneys.

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In a 28-page report, the grand jury said critics and media outlets had blown the scandal out of proportion after it became central to the case of Scott Dekraai, who has admitted he walked into a Seal Beach hair salon and fatally shot eight people in 2011.

Grand jurors found no evidence that prosecutors or the Sheriffs Department had used mercenary informants  snitches who are provided with favors or valuables to solicit information from a specific inmate  to obtain confessions from defendants.

Although the use of in-custody informants does occur, it is generally organic in nature, case specific and does not represent a conspiracy, the report said.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, who have both faced intense criticism over the controversy, responded by saying the grand jury had validated what both had repeatedly said before.

But the report stands in stark contrast to allegations leveled by Dekraais attorney and findings by Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals, who is presiding over Dekraais trial. Goethals has said he is satisfied beyond any doubt that the Sheriffs Department had a program that placed informants next to inmates with the aim of coaxing confessions out of them  a practice the law forbids. An appellate court has also determined that the Sheriffs Department was running a sophisticated informant program in the jails.

Dekraais attorney, Orange County Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, criticized the report, saying grand jurors had failed to understand the scale of the jailhouse informant problem and that their findings broke with rulings handed down by several sitting judges.

We dont think this is particularly good work by the grand jury here, he said. They are taking on the judge, the court of appeals, whove all decided this is systemic issue. It is kind of an embarrassing effort.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the California attorney generals office are conducting separate investigations into the scandal.

The scandal exploded in 2015, when Goethals removed the district attorneys office from Dekraais case after Sanders argued that authorities intentionally placed Dekraai in a cell near a well-known informant. The case is now being prosecuted by the state attorney generals office.

Dekraai, a former tugboat captain, has pleaded guilty to murdering his ex-wife and the seven other victims in the salon shooting. But the informant scandal has delayed proceedings to determine whether he will face the death penalty. Dekraais attorney has argued that the death penalty should be tossed out because authorities cannot be trusted to turn over relevant evidence.

Sanders contends that jailhouse informants and their handlers have violated the rights of inmates for years by coaxing information from defendants who are represented by lawyers. An appellate court upheld Goethals decision to remove the district attorneys office from Dekraais case, adding that sheriffs deputies were clearly moving informants around the jail to place them near specific inmates.

The [grand jury] found no direct, material evidence of an organized, recognized program of jailhouse informants.  Orange County grand jury report

Defense attorneys in other cases have since argued that prosecutors failed to disclose information about the use of informants during discovery, which would violate their clients rights.

Last year, the fallout of the so-called snitch scandal led Goethals to order a retrial for an Anaheim man who was convicted of aiding in the 1998 murder of a pregnant woman. An informants testimony was used against the man at a 2006 trial, but a defense attorney argued prosecutors had failed to disclose information about the witness history as an informant.

In Dekraais case, the informant was a former shot-caller in the Mexican Mafia who had become a prolific informant in the hopes of gaining a reduced sentence. Fernando Perez was facing 40 years to life in prison for a weapons charge but ultimately received a reduced sentence and could be freed in less than seven years.

Arguing that the scandal goes far beyond Dekraais case, Sanders has said the Sheriffs Department intentionally hid logs documenting the movements of known informants inside the jails.

The grand jury report, however, said the logs did not show collusion between prosecutors and sheriffs officials.

The contents of this log shed little light on Dekraais movements while in-custody, the grand jury wrote. It would seem that it was the failure to disclose the Log, rather than the actual contents, that created much of the angst.

The grand jury report also dismissed the housing assignments of Dekraai and the informant as coincidental.

There are only a small number of cells for high-profile or special custody inmates, and both the informant and Dekraai would have needed to be placed in protective custody. The placement of Dekraai was reasonable within this context, the grand jury wrote.

The report said the existence of informants in the jail did not lend any credence to allegations that they were being actively cultivated or moved around the jails by county law enforcement. The use of informants by the Sheriffs Department is normally limited to gathering intelligence that would preserve the security of the jails, rather than investigating crimes, the report said.

The [grand jury] found no direct, material evidence of an organized, recognized program of jailhouse informants, the report said.

In instances when investigators or prosecutors failed to provide defense attorneys with information about a jailhouse informants background of cooperating, the grand jury placed the blame on a lack of supervision rather than a concerted effort to deny defendants their constitutional rights.

The majority of cases involving informants given favors or leniency for cooperation were run by other law enforcement agencies, according to the report, which cited a number of informant-driven gang investigations run by the Anaheim Police Department. Anaheim police used two such jailhouse informants to bring nearly 30 cases to the district attorneys office, grand jurors wrote.

Rackauckas has scoffed at allegations that his office was engaged in any misconduct and has pointed to the rarity in which informants testimony is used at trial. In 2015, the district attorneys office filed 8,600 felony cases, but jailhouse informants were used in only three cases, he said last year.

Rackauckas released a statement Tuesday praising the grand jury report, which he said debunked a media witch hunt targeting his office.

This controversy was created by a public defender desperate to spare a mass murderer the death penalty after the [prosecutors] secured the guilty plea and, at a minimum, a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, he said in the statement. The media, despite being presented with the truth on multiple occasions by the [district attorneys office], reported whatever the public defender said, which was then parroted by law professors and retired politicians without doing any investigation.

In a separate statement, the Sheriffs Department said it hoped the report would put an end to the allegations surrounding the snitch scandal, and hoped Dekraais case would finally move forward.

james.queally@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

For more breaking crime and cops news in Southern California, follow us on Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT and @lacrimes

UPDATES:

6:45 p.m.: This story was updated with additional information from the grand jury report and previous court decisions related to the scandal.

4:55 p.m.: This story was updated with additional comments from Rackauckas, Sanders and additional details from the grand jury report.

This story first published at 11:50 a.m.
A truck driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter after a shipping container slipped off his trailer and fatally crushed a bicyclist in 2015, prosecutors said.

Wesley Phil Blake, a 50-year-old Utah resident, was arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty in the case involving the death of Robert Castorena, according to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. He posted a $50,000 bond.

Castorena, 51, of Long Beach was riding his bicycle on Oct. 27, 2015, on Santa Fe Avenue along the Carson-Long Beach city border when the fatal accident occurred.

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According to prosecutors, Blake was driving a truck with a flatbed trailer that was carrying the shipping container. At some point, the container clipped a railroad bridge north of the 405 Freeway and became loose.

As Castorena rode to the right of the truck, the container slipped off the trailer and landed on him, prosecutors said.

Deputy Geoff Lidman, an investigator with the traffic detail at the sheriffs Carson station, told The Times that authorities inspected the bridge and found scrapes underneath.

After the container struck the bridge, Lidman said, the force of the collision caused the fastening straps that were holding the cargo to break.

Blake told authorities he thought the container was shorter than it was, the investigator said.

The truck belonged to Western Pride Inc. in Cedar City, Utah.

If Blake is convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

UPDATES:

3:50 p.m.: This article was updated with Wesley Blake pleading not guilty.

This article was originally published at 1 p.m.
The Trump administration announced Monday that it has canceled proposed limits on the number of endangered whales, dolphins and sea turtles that can be killed or injured by sword-fishing nets on the West Coast.

Although the restriction was recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations fisheries division said studies show that the pending rule is not warranted because other protections have dramatically reduced the number of marine mammals and turtles trapped in long, drifting gill nets.

The fishery has been under pressure for years to reduce its impact, and it has been very successful doing that, said Michael Milstein, a NOAA fisheries spokesman. The cap would have imposed a cost on the industry to solve a problem that has already been addressed.

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The decision brought immediate criticism from environmental groups that had joined the Pacific Fishery Management Council in an effort to further protect a variety of marine mammals and turtles.

The list included endangered fin, humpback, and sperm whales; short-finned pilot whales and common bottlenose dolphins; as well as endangered leatherback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, olive ridley sea turtles and green sea turtles.

The Trump Administration has declared war on whales, dolphins and turtles off the coast of California.  Todd Steiner, director of the Turtle Island Restoration Network

The Trump administration has declared war on whales, dolphins and turtles off the coast of California, said Todd Steiner, director of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, which is based in Northern California. This determination will only lead to more potential litigation and legislation involving this fishery. Its not a good sign.

Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney for the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity, said the action is one of the first by the Trump administration to target protections for threatened species along the Pacific coast.

She noted that the president wants to dismantle other federal programs that protect endangered marine mammals.

The 14-member Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages fisheries in California, Oregon and Washington, recommended that the federal government adopt the restrictions in 2015.

Under the proposal, if any two endangered whales or sea turtles are killed or seriously hurt within a two-year period, the gill net fishery would be closed for up to two years.

The fishery also would be shut down if any combination of four short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins were seriously injured or killed within a two-year period.

Weve recognized that the fishery has done a lot to clean up its act.  Michael Milstein, National Oceanic and atmospheric Administration spokesman

After the fishery management council recommended the limits to the federal government, Milstein said, NOAA Fisheries studied the proposals and took public comment from people for and against the caps.

The NOAA analysis concluded that the costs of the protections far outweighed the benefits and that the fishing industry had implemented measures that greatly reduced the deaths and injury of protected marine mammals.

The precautions included better training for skippers of fishing boats, sound warnings or pingers attached to fishing nets and wider openings at the top of nets that gave whales, dolphins and turtles a better chance to escape.

NOAA statistics indicate that the deaths and injuries to protected whales declined from more than 50 in 1992 to no more than one or two a year by 2015. During the same period, the numbers for common dolphins steadily declined from almost 400 to only a few.

Meanwhile, the figures show that the deaths and injuries of endangered Pacific leatherback turtles dropped from 17 in 1993 to no more than one a year by 2015.

Weve recognized that the fishery has done a lot to clean up its act, said Milstein, of NOAA.

He added that the Marine Mammals Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act still apply and that protection areas for loggerhead turtles and leatherbacks that are closed to gill-net fishing have been set up off the coasts of Oregon and California.

Kilduff said, however, that protections are still necessary because rare species, such as leatherback turtles, humpback whales and sperm whales, are still being killed and injured in gill nets.

There are so few examples of some species that if gill nets kill even one or two, the overall effect can be devastating, she said.

Government scientists have said that West Coast fisheries cant catch more than one leatherback every five years, she said. They estimate that four times that have caught just in the gill-net fishery alone.

Steiner, of the Turtle Island group, argued that the deaths and injuries have dropped mainly because the gill-net fishing fleet in California has declined dramatically.

NOAA figures show that the number of vessels plunged from a high of 129 in 1994 to 20 in 2016.

The numbers caught per set have not gone down, Steiner said. The California gill-net fishery kills more marine mammals than all other West Coast fisheries combined.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LADeadline16

ALSO

U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to reinstate Trumps travel ban

Decision time at the Supreme Court: Rulings expected soon on religion, free speech and immigration

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Casie Blount is descendant and heir apparent to Antoines restaurant, one of the legendary restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

She grew up crawling around the dining room of her family's French Quarter restaurant, lost under crisp white tablecloths stamped with fleurs-de-lis and smoke drifting from gentlemen's cigars, a towheaded child nicknamed "The Wildness."

As a girl she had little interest in the family business, which counted presidents (Kennedy, Nixon and both Roosevelts, to name a few) and a pope (John Paul II) among its clientele. Then one day when she was 14, Casie Blount's father dragged her to work, mainly because her mother had to take her little brother to the doctor.

Bored and fussing, Blount finally sat at the front desk. That's when Joan Rivers called.

"I'm leaving the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, and I just have to eat at Antoine's," Rivers said. "Will you be open in an hour?"

Blount didn't miss a beat.

"We will see you in an hour, Ms. Rivers," she said. And when the comedian showed up, Blount carried her purse and got an autograph.

"That was my first day," she said.

It was in keeping with the history and mystique of the 173-year-old Antoine's Restaurant, which bills itself as the longest continuously family-run restaurant in the nation. There was a little bit of glamour, as well as the kind of attention to detail that has seen families dining at Antoine's for generations, often with the same waiter, passing down favorite tables in their wills.

But is Blount, now 22, prepared to inherit the restaurant she has grown up with?

"There's still questions in the back of my mind," she said, "as to whether this is truly what I want."

It all began with Antoine Alciatore, 27, a French chef and emigre who opened an eatery and small hostel with his wife on Rue St. Louis to serve New Orleans gentility in 1840.

About 30 years later his health failed and his wife, Julie, took over, then his son, Jules, who perfected recipes for what would become Antoine's signature dishes: oysters Rockefeller, escargots a la bourguignonne, souffleed potatoes and baked Alaska.

Antoines Restaurant bills itself as the longest continuously family-run restaurant in the nation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Antoine's Restaurant bills itself as the longest continuously family-run restaurant in the nation.

Jules married well, buying up property and expanding behind the building's facade with its lacy black wrought iron balcony, converting a former slave quarters and carriage house until Antoine's boasted 14 dining rooms that seated about 800 people.

Each room was decorated according to a theme  Escargot, Maison Verte, Rex, Proteus, Twelfth Night  many named for the Mardi Gras "krewes" that frequented the deep pile carpets, their kings and queens the de facto aristocracy of New Orleans.

Jules' son, Roy Louis, took over as proprietor in the late 1920s and ran the restaurant until his death in 1972, when Antoine's passed first to his nephews, William Jr. and Roy Sr. ("Big Roy"); then to Roy's son, Roy Jr. ("Little Roy"); William's son, Bernard "Randy" Guste; and eventually his cousin Rick Blount, Casie's father.

Antoine's has a staff of about 160, many related by blood or marriage, especially the fleet of waiters, black and white, from all over the city. All aspiring members of the wait staff spend two to three years in the restaurant's apprentice program before they "make waiter." Clifton "Cliff" Lachney waited tables into his 70s before becoming maitre d'.

Those were the men who watched over Casie, telling her stories about ghosts in the dining rooms, how Antoine's survived Prohibition (hustling hooch into the Mystery Room through the ladies restroom in coffee cups), World War II (closing the Japanese Room for 43 years) and one hurricane after another.

"My family hasn't told me as many stories as the waiters have," she said.

In the New Orleans' caste system, Blount never saw herself as separate from her co-workers. Her father taught her that.

Rick Blount never joined a Mardi Gras krewe, never paid to ride in the parades as part of a Mardi Gras court, and neither did she. Despite her slim figure, flowing blond hair and good looks, Casie Blount was not raised to be a debutante, although her parents could afford to send her to the private Mount Carmel Academy and the University of New Orleans.

Waiter Charles Carter, who started working at Antoines Restaurant when he was 15 years old, serves Casie Blount, who has lunch with her father Rick Blount, 55, the chief executive of Antoines. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Waiter Charles Carter, who started working at Antoine's Restaurant when he was 15 years old, serves Casie Blount, who has lunch with her father Rick Blount, 55, the chief executive of Antoine's.

"My family's always been the serving class," Rick Blount said. "The way I raised her was not to put on airs, that just because you're from this family, you're no better than anyone else."

He says he has groomed his daughter to succeed him in part because he never was.

In college, Casie majored in business administration with a minor in management and hotel restaurant tourism. At the same time, she kept working at Antoine's, taking reservations, working as a bartender and more recently coordinating banquets and social media.

Her father started at Antoine's about the same age she did, working the front desk, chopping fish in the kitchen, rising to maitre d', then assistant manager while attending Loyola University New Orleans. A big man with a ruddy face, he was a talker who also liked to work with his hands  and longed to run Antoine's.

But he had to bide his time.

Blount worked in real estate and insurance, moved to Texas, eventually returned to New Orleans to run a shipyard. When the restaurant struggled financially, he saw his chance, helped install a new board and eventually took over as chief executive in 2005.

That was about six months before Hurricane Katrina.

The storm didn't do much damage to their building; a wall collapsed, but there was no major flooding or mold. They lost 16,000 bottles of wine from the heat, plus all the food in the freezers.

The real damage was to Antoine's family, the network of staff and customers.

Some died, including Lachney, 71, the maitre d', whose rented clapboard house flooded during the storm, killing him and his disabled 28-year-old son.

On St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, Casie Blount and grandmother Yvonne Blount talk about the neighborhood they love. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) On St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, Casie Blount and grandmother Yvonne Blount talk about the neighborhood they love.

In the weeks that followed, some restaurant staff moved away, unsure whether Antoine's would reopen.

"Nobody was home," Rick Blount recalled of the devastated city. "You could cook like crazy, but nobody would come."

Still, he felt he couldn't close: "I didn't believe I had a right to do that." Antoine's reopened the following New Year's, serving about 100 customers.

Standing on the restaurant's balcony recently, Casie and her grandmother, Yvonne Alciatore Blount, gazed across St. Louis Street at tourists dining on the balcony opposite at what used to be a family place called Tortorici.

"They're all split up," her grandmother said of the family-run restaurants that once surrounded them. "Thank goodness that didn't happen to us."

Casie, whose brother, Ricky, is seven years younger than her, smiled uneasily.

It's not that she doesn't want to take over Antoine's. She just thinks that before she does, she has to leave.

She figures she needs to work at another company, maybe in another part of the country. She would be the first woman to run Antoine's since the founder's wife took over in 1874, and she thinks she'll need the authority of outside experience.

Her father jokes about his baby girl running off and falling for some guy in Pittsburgh, but despite his "not so secret hope" that she will succeed him, he agrees.

"I'm going to do to her what Billy Guste did to me: Boot her out into the world and say you've got to figure it out. Because that's where real confidence comes from," he said.

Still, saying goodbye, even for a time, will be difficult for his daughter. In many ways, Antoine's is home.

Waiter Derrick Roberts, center, jokes around with Casie Blount and her grandmother as he arrives for work. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Waiter Derrick Roberts, center, jokes around with Casie Blount and her grandmother as he arrives for work.

One day she and waiter Derrick Roberts sat at a table in the dining room, talking after the lunchtime rush. Roberts, 35, wore his waiter's uniform: white shirt, black slacks, vest and tie, his name tag pinned to his lapel just so. She was in a suit and sandals, swollen after a week of watching Mardi Gras parades with the masses.

"She's our socialite," he joked.

Roberts has worked at Antoine's for 15 years, giving Blount "brotherly advice" on everything from boys to getting along with her dad, "Mr. Rick."

Roberts lost everything in Katrina, but moved back to New Orleans to raise a family and work at Antoine's. "This is where my roots are at. I want to make sure my family knows where they're from," he said. "You plant a flower, you want to see it grow."

As for Casie, "she always have a place here. Always," Roberts said, looking across the table at her meaningfully and laughing. "Especially when your family owns the joint!"

Contact the reporter

Follow Molly Hennessy-Fiske (@mollyhf) on Twitter
Some of President Trumps confidants are assailing special counsel Robert Mueller, while Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions testifies before senators today. Im Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I dont want you to miss.

TOP STORIES

Mueller Under Fire, Sessions Under Oath

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Hows this for a trial balloon? Christopher Ruddy, head of the conservative site Newsmax and a close Trump friend, said the president is considering perhaps terminating Mueller, the special counsel in the Russia investigation. I personally think it would be a very significant mistake, Ruddy added. Another high-profile ally, Newt Gingrich, seemed to encourage the move. Today we may find out what Sessions has to say about that, as hell give public testimony starting at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Its unclear whether the White House will invoke executive privilege to block Sessions from answering some questions, which will focus on Sessions Russian contacts and role in firing FBI Director James Comey. Watch it with us here.

A One-Two Punch Against Trumps Travel Ban

Youve heard this one before: Another federal appeals court has refused to lift a hold on President Trumps travel ban. Coming on top of the 4th Circuit of Appeals ruling, the decision by a 9th Circuit panel of judges (all appointed by President Clinton) gives a second legal basis to block the ban. Its one that could be more palatable to the Supreme Court, if the case gets that far. Once again, the presidents tweets were used against him in a court of law.

More From Washington

-- Watch: Trumps first full Cabinet meeting featured praise from each person at the table, including Reince Priebus thanks for the opportunity and the blessing youve given us to serve your agenda. It also inspired a parody video.

-- Its decision time at the Supreme Court as the justices prepare to hand down the final rulings in 21 cases, including disputes over religion, free speech and immigration. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote a concise, pointed essay for his first high court opinion.

-- Trumps nominee to be a key banking regulator said through a spokesman that he did not misrepresent that he had a degree from Dartmouth College.

Beware the Ides of June

At the Public Theaters staging of Julius Caesar in New Yorks Central Park, the Roman tyrant has blond hair, a gold-plated bathtub and a pouty Slavic wife, as one critic wrote. Put that together with the fact that the senators in Shakespeares play conspire to assassinate Caesar, and youve got another firestorm over what crosses the line in the Trump era. The Public Theaters defense? Julius Caesar is an indictment of political violence. Its also hardly the first time the role has been used to allude to a U.S. president.

Tina Benko, left, portrays Caesars wife, Calpurnia, and Gregg Henry, center left, portrays Julius Caesar in the Public Theaters production. (Joan Marcus / Associated Press)

Uber Could Use a Good Road Map

Uber isnt having a smooth ride. The company has faced complaints of harassment and mismanagement, executive firings and departures, a federal investigation into obstruction of justice and a lawsuit from Googles self-driving vehicle spinoff. Today, the findings of an internal investigation into its corporate culture will be released. How can it steer its way out of this mess?

The Fall of the Mall

At shopping malls across the U.S., the hits just keep coming. Department stores, luxury brands, kids clothing retailers  theyre all suffering the consequences of the profound disruption caused by the continued rise of online shopping. Thats forcing malls to offer more restaurants and other experience-based offerings. Even so, one recent report estimated that 20% to 25% of the nations malls would close in the next five years.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- The push to move the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach toward zero-emissions trucks and yard equipment.

-- Actor Gerald McRaney says This Is Us fans arent shy about getting personal with him.

-- Scenes from the LA Pride parade and #ResistMarch.

CALIFORNIA

-- The Trump administration has canceled proposed limits on the number of endangered whales, dolphins and sea turtles that can be killed or injured by swordfishing nets on the West Coast.

-- State Senate Democrats introduced legislation to change the rules governing recall elections to remove a lawmaker from office, potentially helping one of their own survive.

-- Inside the ICBM launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where a turn of two keys sends a Minuteman III missile flaming toward its target.

-- Five things to know about L.A. Unifieds school budget.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Oliver Stone discusses his new Showtime series with Vladimir Putin: Im not there to prove myself a tough guy.

-- TV networks are planning specials around the Watergate scandal, thanks to you know what.

-- From Bette Midler to Stephen Colbert, watch the five most buzzed-about Tony Awards moments.

-- The fate of The Bachelor in Paradise is in limbo as details about alleged sexual misconduct emerge.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

Ive done over 100 movies, Malcolm McDowell told The Times in 2001. I dont even dare look at the list. I cant remember all of them. I sometimes feel like a gunfighter. You know, I come into town, sort em out, and Im gone in a cloud of dust. But the role with which hell always be associated is Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange. Today, McDowell turns 74.

NATION-WORLD

-- Another wave of anti-corruption demonstrations in Russia ended in mass detentions by police, including the arrest of the movements organizer, opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

-- Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican who assaulted a newspaper reporter the day before being elected to Congress, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge but avoided jail time.

-- Bill Cosby waived his right to testify in his sexual assault trial, and the case headed to the jury.

-- Scientists have used meteorites to show that Jupiter is almost as old as the solar system.

BUSINESS

-- A UCLA forecast says California will increase jobs and incomes more slowly than expected this year, mainly because President Trumps big spending plans dont seem to be coming to fruition yet.

-- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin proposed sweeping changes to the tough Dodd-Frank regulations put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.

SPORTS

-- The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions for the second time in three years, capping a near-perfect postseason.

-- Royce Lewis of San Juan Capistrano JSerra was the surprise top pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

OPINION

-- Trumps severe lack of credibility doomed his travel ban with the courts.

-- Money for homeless services should go to the homeless, not sheriffs deputies.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Chelsea Manning tells her story. (New York Times)

-- First-graders talk about being haunted by what happened during a school shooting in tiny Townville, S.C. (Washington Post)

-- The wrong side of history: My uncles Supreme Court stand against interracial marriage. (Salon)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

If youve ever wondered who lives in some of the more remote areas of the Mojave Desert, theres nothing like a road trip to find out. Along the way, you may encounter a tormented artist, an isolated man planning an epic party, a band of gentle monks and a woman selling the town she loves. Asking price for the town: $5 million.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends.
Only a few days before the 45th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, could President Trump really be contemplating a reenactment of one of the most notorious episodes of that scandal: President Richard M. Nixons firing of Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor who was investigating the cover-up of that third-rate burglary, a power play that also cost the president his attorney general and deputy attorney general?

According to conservative media executive Christopher Ruddy, a close friend of the presidents, Trump is considering firing Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in charge of the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties between the Russia and the Trump campaign.

Meanwhile, a chorus of Trump supporters, from former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to commentator Ann Coulter, is assailing Muellers independence. Gingrich, who only a few weeks ago called Mueller a superb choice with an impeccable reputation, tweeted on Monday: Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair.

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The criticism of Mueller takes several forms. Gingrich pointed to Federal Election Commission reports that showed that some members of Muellers staff had contributed to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton, in the past. Coulter suggested that because Comey had testified that Trump hadnt been personally under investigation while he was FBI director, the purpose of Muellers commission is now over. (That ignores the fact that other Trump campaign figures might be under investigation.) There also have been complaints that Mueller is a friend of Comeys.

We dont want to give this glorified rumor more weight than its worth. Suffice to say that Trump would be nuts to think that these flimsy objections would provide him with cover if he made the disastrous decision to dismiss Mueller and abort the investigation. Whats more, in order to accomplish that wrecking operation, the president would probably have to fire Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who entrusted the Russia investigation to Mueller after Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions rightly recused himself from any investigation connected with the election. Rosenstein has already said publicly that he sees no justification for firing Mueller, and that he wouldnt carry out an order from Trump to do so without good cause.

That was a warning to Trump not to attempt his own version of Nixons Saturday Night Massacre  but it wasnt the only one. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, couching the same advice in friendlier terms, said: The best thing to do is to let Robert Mueller do his job, adding that the best vindication for the president is to let this investigation go on independently and thoroughly.

On Tuesday night White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that while the president has the right to [fire Mueller], he has no intention to do so. Unfortunately, Trump is famous for changing his mind, as he did when he fired Comey. We hope he allows Muellers investigation to run its course.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook

UPDATES:

6/14: This piece was updated to reflect new statements from the White House.
Like a thief in the night, Senate Republicans are trying to take healthcare from tens of millions of people to pay for a massive tax cut. What we dont know is exactly how many people will lose coverage or how much rich people will save in taxes  because Republicans are refusing to make their version of the American Health Care Act public. If you had any doubts that the bill would be a substantive and political disaster, this secretiveness should remove them.

Why are Republicans hiding their work? As one Republican aide put it, We arent stupid. Letting the public read the bill  you know, democracy  would jeopardize their chances of undoing the Affordable Care Act root and branch, as they long promised.

For the record: This article originally stated that Nancy Pelosi was House Majority Leader when she said we have to pass the bill so that you can find out whats in it. She was Speaker.

There is no recent precedent for anything like this closed process for such a major bill. Republicans and their allies in the media presented a caricatured version of the Affordable Care Act in which its passage was speedy, non-transparent and entirely partisan. But this was always a ludicrous inversion of the truth; the ACAs negotiations happened mostly in the open, took forever and continued to involve Republicans long after it was clear they wouldnt support any reform whatsoever.

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When then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made her often-distorted statement that we have to pass the bill so that you can find out whats in it, away from the fog of the controversy, the bill had been public for three months. The public will be lucky to examine the handiwork of an all-male group of Republican senators for three days before they try to ram it through. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is running roughshod over basic democratic norms.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is running roughshod over basic democratic norms.

The truly terrifying thing is that his tactics might work. The Affordable Care Act, concludes Vox healthcare policy expert Sarah Kliff, is in deep trouble. And this isnt because the Senate is likely to pass anything much different than the extraordinarily unpopular House bill. (Remember: If they thought the public wouldnt hate their version, they wouldnt be hiding it.) The pathetic faction of Senate Republicans who are inaccurately described as moderates are making it clear that they will cave in to the reactionary extremists who dominate the Republican conference, while getting virtually nothing in return. Probably the only concession they will win is to phase in devastating cuts to Medicaid over a slightly longer period than House Republicans proposed.

Of course the public eventually will see this horrible bill  just before it becomes law  and the publics second taste of Trumpcare will be just as bitter. But McConnells gamble is that ramming through an unvetted overhaul of the healthcare system to inflict immense suffering on the poor while helping the rich wont endanger the GOPs Senate majority  at least not in the short term  and is therefore worthwhile.

The fact is that the 2018 Senate map is extraordinarily favorable to the Republican Party. Democrats hold 23 of the 33 seats up for election. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won his seat in 2012 by 16 points, and yet this might be the best chance Democrats have to flip one of the three seats they would need to regain control of the Senate.

If Republicans were defending, say, 20 seats instead of 10, McConnell wouldnt try to pass a horribly unpopular bill. Hed worry that doing so would lead to Democratic control of the Senate, and thus deprive him of his ability to rubber-stamp Trumps judicial and executive branch appointments. In this alternative scenario, he would have made the bill go away quickly by forcing a losing vote.

But as things stand, McConnell knows that even a political wave that knocks Republicans out of control of the House probably wouldnt cost them the Senate. And he knows that even if 2020 is an utter bloodbath for his party, hell have already secured control of the Supreme Court for generations to come.

Passage of Trumpcare is therefore frighteningly possible, but its not inevitable. Opponents need to do whatever they can, starting now.

First of all, Democrats cannot act as if its business as usual in the Senate. Republicans want to move quickly because time and transparency are their enemy; Democrats need to slow everything down to draw attention to both the bill and the process behind it.

But elected officials cant do this alone. Popular pressure helped to stop the first House attempt to strip more than 20 million people of their health coverage. The people will need to speak out yet again. Protests, phone calls and other forms of activism from ordinary citizens are crucial.

Nothing is guaranteed to stop Republicans from ramming through their reverse-Robin Hood bill. But this is a political and humanitarian crisis, and it needs to be treated as such.

Scott Lemieux is an instructor of political science at the State University of New York at Albany and a regular contributor to the New Republic and the Week.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistan intends to continue cooperation with the United Nations on energy security issues, said the countrys President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

He made the remarks during negotiations with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary State News Service reported June 13.

Our country will continue active cooperation with the UN on this issue, and in this regard, we rely on you, the distinguished Secretary General, on your support in these issues, Berdimuhamedov told Guterres.

Turkmenistan took over the chairmanship of the Energy Charter Conference in 2017.

Ashgabat hosted the Energy Charter Forum, titled Towards a Multilateral Framework Agreement on Transit of Energy Resources, in late May 2017.

Turkmenistan is one of main players in the energy market of the Caspian region and ranks fourth in the world for its gas reserves. The country is studying opportunities to export its gas to Europe and Asia.
To the editor: It is not correct to say that sharia, or Islamic law, is extremely unlikely to become part of American jurisprudence because, as unidentified legal experts opined, there is no mechanism by which any foreign criminal or civil code can trump U.S. laws. (Anti-Sharia rallies around the U.S. denounce Islam while stoking concerns among Muslim groups, June 10)

The quickest avenue to sharia taking hold here is the effort of the Trump administration, working alongside some faith groups, to carve out exceptions to U.S. laws allowing religious adherents to enforce their beliefs on people who do not accept them, claiming this as a matter of their 1st Amendment right.

Once this concept is adopted by the Supreme Court, there is no reason why Muslim adherents of sharia could not apply and enforce their religious laws in their communities as well as among those with whom they have contact.

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If people can cite their religion as a reason to refuse to serve gays or to deny certain medical therapies to people, whats to stop Muslims from practicing in an analogous way under their interpretation of Islam?

Glen Mowrer, Santa Barbara

..

To the editor: Call me an alarmist if you must, but I disagree with your assessment.

Sharia has indeed taken root in parts of the United States, at least to a point where Noor Almaleki found herself run over and killed in suburban Phoenix as part of a so-called honor killing. Recently, federal criminal charges were filed against two college-educated physicians in Michigan accused of performing genital mutilations on dozens of young girls.

The victims of these attacks are just as dead or mutilated regardless of whether these events are isolated or are part of an epidemic.

Obviously, The Times interpretation of something taking root is different than mine, and I imagine many other Americans agree with me. This might explain why people are protesting sharia.

David Arthur, Temecula

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Gov. Jerry Brown doubles down on California measure changing recall process, calling it eminently reasonable By Christine Mai-Duc State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Compton), left, and Gov. Jerry Brown talk about funding for projects under the state transportation bill, SB1, at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson. (Christian K. Lee/ Los Angeles Times) The partisan volleys have continued this week in the effort to recall state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) over his vote to pass an increase in the gas tax. Those seeking to recall Newman submitted more than enough signatures needed to qualify the measure for the ballot, if theyre all deemed valid. Newman supporters looking to halt the recall filed a lawsuit Thursday, claiming signature gatherers had misled voters. And Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that makes changes to long-standing recall rules, an effort that Republicans have decried as an attempt by Democrats to rig the system to protect one of their own. Brown seemed to double down on that measure Friday at a press conference at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he discussed the new gas tax, calling the new recall process eminently reasonable. The measure allows voters up to 30 days to remove their signature from a recall petition and creates a new process to review costs associated with a recall election. Brown said the bill provides an opportunity for people who have been hoodwinked to change their mind. Its all about truth and giving people the opportunity to make sure that their vote and their signature is knowingly given, Brown. The only people who would be against that are people who wanted to fool people and dont want to test it in court or in the light of day. .@JerryBrownGov responds to GOP criticism of budget trailer he signed that could make Newman recall harder. Calls it "eminently reasonable." pic.twitter.com/hSsmIPiHtP  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) June 30, 2017 Browns comments came after a roundtable discussion in which he and state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Compton) spoke about the importance of directing transportation dollars raised by the gas tax increase to businesses owned by women, minorities and people who are disabled. Brown cast it as part of a larger question of equality and opportunity in America. But the discussion took place even as Brown mused about efforts to repeal the controversial tax package, which is expected to raise $52 billion over 10 years for road repairs and other transportation projects. If people want to not fund the roads, then they can put something on the ballot and maybe change things, Brown said. But I think most people in California want to fix the roads. Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), who is running for governor, has filed a ballot measure to repeal the gas tax. Brown dismissed a recent poll by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, which said that a majority of registered voters oppose the gas tax increases Brown and legislators recently approved. That was a poll that said, Do you want to raise a tax? Brown said. Of course people are going to say no. Brown added that when voters are given concrete situations like education and roads, theyre more likely to support tax increases. I think Californians are always leery of taxes. Im leery of taxes, Brown said. You want to drive around on gravel roads? Ive got a gravel road out in front of my house in the country. Its not bad. But I dont think thats what people want. I think they want real, paved roads  and to have paved roads youve got to spend real money. Times staff writer Patrick McGreevy contributed to this report. Facebook

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San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer says he wont run for governor, dashing hopes of GOP leaders By Phil Willon San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer speaks during a news conference about the San Diego Chargers in 2015. (Gregory Bull / AP) Republican San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has been lobbied intensely by GOP leaders to run for California governor, on Friday rejected the idea and vowed to serve out his second term at city hall. Both House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and state Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte had urged Faulconer to run. A fiscal conservative and social moderate who has demonstrated crossover appeal by winning over Democrats, Faulconer has been seen as the GOPs strongest potential gubernatorial candidate, and one who could help Republicans in down-ballot races if he was at the top of the ticket in 2018. But Falconer nixed the idea of a gubernatorial bid in a Facebook post Friday afternoon, saying he was deeply honored by so many encouraging him to run. Its a testament to the people of San Diego, and the progress weve made to create a fiscally responsible, prosperous city that is moving in the right direction. I made a pledge last year to serve out my second term as mayor, and thats exactly what Im going to do, Faulconer said in the post. He was facing pressure to enter the race and GOP insiders who were familiar with his thinking believed he was leaning toward running. Faulconer ultimately decided not to run because he did not see a certain path to victory, according to a top state party official who did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak for the San Diego mayor. The last time a GOP candidate won a statewide race was in 2006. The governors race already has attracted a handful of Republican candidates, but none with Faulconers political stature. They include conservative Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen and Rancho Santa Fe venture capitalist John Cox. Speculation is mounting that former state Assemblyman David Hadley plans to announce a run. The Democratic heavyweights in the race include Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang. A strong GOP top-of-the-ticket candidate would be expected to increase Republican turnout next fall. Faulconers decision not to run could impact some hotly contested congressional races in California, and potentially affect Republican efforts to retain control of the House of Representatives. If a Republican gubernatorial candidate fails to make the general election, creating a Democrat-on-Democrat race in November 2018, that could depress GOP turnout and affect those targeted congressional races. It leaves the Republicans without an obvious front-runner that the donors would have confidence in, said GOP strategist Rob Stutzman, who previously advised former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and 2010 GOP nominee Meg Whitman. But it still depends on the nature of the race next November. Its too early to say. Update 4:21 p.m.: This story was updated with reaction about Faulconers decision and more information about the 2018 election. This story was originally published at 3:30 p.m. Facebook

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Assembly Democrats denounce threats made after single-payer healthcare bill was sidelined Facebook

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Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom blasts National Rifle Assn. recruitment video, saying it could lead to violence By Seema Mehta (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom called on the National Rifle Assn. to take down a controversial new video that he argued villanizes political rivals and could lead to violence. Come after politicians. Come after policy makers. Come after ME, Newsom wrote on his Facebook page Thursday. But do not implicitly call for demonstrations of force against your fellow Americans in a country that is already reeling. You are powerful. People are listening to you. And your message could lead to tragedy. The NRA video, which urges people to join the organization, was posted earlier this month and features conservative commentator Dana Loesch talking about political rivals who she argues use the media, schools and Hollywood for sinister purposes. The video features footage of police clashing with protesters and a bloodied Trump supporter, and flashes images such as the Hollywood sign, Disney Hall and the Los Angeles Times building as Loesch repeatedly invokes an unnamed opponent she refers to as they. Loeschs concluding remarks in the minute-long video have drawn the most ire. The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth, Loesch said. Im the National Rifle Assn. of America, and Im freedoms safest place. Newsom is a longtime foe of the NRA. He was a primary sponsor of Proposition 63, a ballot measure voters approved in November that requires background checks to purchase ammunition, bans possession of high-capacity magazines and other gun-safety efforts. On Thursday, the NRA claimed victory when a federal judge, at their attorneys request, granted a preliminary injunction blocking a related law that would have required Californians to get rid of large-capacity magazines by Saturday or face fines and potential jail time. Newsom, the states lieutenant governor, wrote that he felt a chill down my spine when he watched the video. He said while he and the NRA have long disagreed, the video crosses the line of appropriate political debate. He described it as dangerous because it tells viewers that our fellow Americans are to be feared  and even worse. How does this video advance debate? How does it bring people together for common ideals? How does it do anything but cast Americans as enemies to be defeated in a cynical ploy to sell as many weapons as possible? he wrote. Facebook

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Tired of exporting campaign cash, these politicos are putting California first By Mark Z. Barabak Air Force One leaves California after another fundraising foray. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) California feeds the world with its bounty, fuels the economy with its innovation, fires the imagination with its creativity. There is one export, though, that is far less celebrated: the unceasing torrent of outbound campaign cash. For political fundraisers, California has long been the Big Rock Candy Mountain, excavated, mined and, ultimately, shafted by candidates of both parties who use the boodle to run for president in Iowa or New Hampshire, or Congress in East Podunk. Now, Democratic efforts are underway to put California first, directing more campaign cash from whence it came by focusing on seven targeted House districts in the Central Valley and southern part of the state. Read More Facebook

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Federal judge blocks California gun law By Patrick McGreevy A handgun is displayed with 10- and 15-shot magazines. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A federal judge Thursday granted a request by attorneys for the National Rifle Assn. to block a law that requires Californians to dispose of large-capacity ammunition magazines by Saturday or face fines and possible jail time. U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez wrote in San Diego that the rights of voters who approved Proposition 63 in November have to be balanced against the rights of gun owners. If this injunction does not issue, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of otherwise law-abiding citizens will have an untenable choice: become an outlaw or dispossess ones self of lawfully acquired property, Benitez wrote. That is a choice they should not have to make. C.D. Michel, an attorney for the NRA and state gun owners, welcomed the decision, which allows a lawsuit to be decided on its merits before the law takes effect. My clients are pleased the Court affirmed that the Second Amendment is not a second class right, and that law abiding gun owners have a right to choose to have these magazines to help them defend themselves and their families, Michel said in a statement. Read More Facebook

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Two California Democrats join with House Republicans to vote for Kates Law By Sarah D. Wire There would be tougher penalties for people repeatedly caught crossing the border illegally, and millions of dollars less in federal funds for so-called sanctuary jurisdictions such as Los Angeles under two House immigration bills approved Thursday. Both bills would fulfill President Trumps campaign promises if they became law, but the Senate has killed similar legislation and is unlikely to be able to reach the 60-vote requirement to pass the bills. The House voted 257 to 167, with 24 Democrats crossing party lines, to pass Kates Law, which would create harsher mandatory minimum prison sentences for people who repeatedly enter the U.S. illegally. It is named after Kathryn Steinle, who allegedly was shot and killed in San Francisco in 2015 by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant who had repeatedly entered the country illegally and was released from jail by sheriffs officials despite a request by immigration officials to keep him behind bars. Two California Democrats, Reps. Jackie Speier of Hillsborough and Eric Swalwell of Dublin, joined Republicans in voting for the bill. Swalwell grew up with Steinle and is still in touch with her family, he said. This bill is not perfect, and its shameful that the Republicans did not allow any debate. But it does improve our ability to punish individuals who repeatedly break the law and to deter those who may do so, he Swalwell said in a statement. Read More Facebook

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Committee unexpectedly opens door to Rep. Barbara Lees push to end military force authorization By Sarah D. Wire (Paul Morigi/Getty Images) In September 2001, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was the only member of Congress to object to an Authorization for the Use of Military Force, a resolution in response to the terrorist attacks that paved the way for the war in Afghanistan. In the 16 years since, the resolution has been used by President George W. Bush, President Obama and now President Trump as justification for more than 35 military actions in nearly 20 countries around the world -- which means those presidents have not gone back to Congress for new permission to send troops into harms way. On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee opened the door to ending that 2001 authorization when it added Lees amendment to a Defense Department measure. Congress would have 240 days to debate a new authorization. At the end of that time the 2001 authorization would be repealed. Lee has lobbied hard just to get to this first step, which was approved by a voice vote in the Republican led committee. Ive been working on this for years and years and years. Im just really pleased that Republicans and Democrats today really understood what Ive been saying and Ive been explaining for the last 16 years, and that is, this resolution is a blank check for perpetual war, Lee said. Committee members broke into applause after the unexpected vote. Lee said Thursday she plans to personally call Speaker Paul Ryan and make the case for keeping her amendment in the bill when it gets to the House floor. The public wants to see a debate, Lee said. Our young men and women in harms way need to know their Congress is supporting them and backing them up, or not. Facebook

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Volkswagen submits revised plan for installing charging stations as part of emission-cheating settlement By Chris Megerian (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press) Volkswagen would build more electric vehicle charging stations in disadvantaged communities under an updated plan being submitted to state regulators on Thursday. The companys subsidiary, Electrify America, revised its proposal after an earlier version was rejected as inadequate by the California Air Resources Board. The proposal is the first phase of an $800-million investment in the state, one piece of a much larger settlement over Volkswagens cheating on vehicle emission rules. Although the money is expected to yield hundreds of new charging stations and boost Californias efforts to foster the market for electric cars, its also been a source of controversy. State regulators want 35% of the money to be spent in disadvantaged communities, a target endorsed by the Legislature as well. Electrify America CEO Mark McNabb said, We will strive hard to hit it. The updated plan adds Fresno to the list of metropolitan areas, which already included Los Angeles and Sacramento, where charging stations would be installed. It made sense to get out into the Central Valley, McNabb said. We thought that was an improvement we could make to the plan. Facebook

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Californias top elections officer to Trumps voting fraud panel: No By John Myers (Dylan Stewart / HS Insider) President Trumps voter fraud commission will not be getting the names and addresses of Californias registered voters. The panels request was denied on Thursday by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who said it would only legitimize false claims of massive election cheating last fall. Padilla refused to hand over data, including the names, addresses, political party and voting history of Californias 19.4 million voters. Kris Kobach, the secretary of state of Kansas who serves as vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, sent letters to all 50 states on Wednesday for information he said would help the group examine rules that either enhance or undermine the American peoples confidence in the integrity of federal elections processes. Padilla, though, suggested the effort is little more than a ruse. I will not provide sensitive voter information to a commission that has already inaccurately passed judgment that millions of Californians voted illegally, he said in a written statement. Californias participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud made by the President, the Vice President, and Mr. Kobach. Last November, Trump tweeted that California was one of three states where serious voter fraud took place in the general election. No state or local elections official has found any evidence to back up the presidents assertion. Kobachs request says the panel seeks only publicly available information. Basic information about California voters is routinely shared with journalists, political campaigns and researchers after a written request and payment of a fee. The letter asks for data including information regarding any felony convictions, information regarding voter registration in another state, information regarding military status, and overseas citizen information. Padilla also criticized the selection of Kobach to help lead Trumps commission, accusing the Kansas official of past efforts at racial profiling and suppressing voter turnout. His role as vice chair is proof that the ultimate goal of the commission is to enact policies that will result in the disenfranchisement of American citizens, Padilla said. The presidential commissions first meeting is scheduled for July 19. Facebook

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Supporters of state Sen. Josh Newman sue to stop effort to recall him, alleging voters have been misled By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faces a recall. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Supporters of state Sen. Josh Newman filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to stop a recall campaign against the lawmaker, alleging that signature gatherers have misled voters and the petition contains false information. The Democratic legislator from Fullerton faces a recall funded by the California Republican Party for voting with other lawmakers to increase the states gas tax and vehicle fees to raise $5.2 billion annually for road repairs. On Tuesday, the state party announced it had submitted 84,988 signatures to election officials, some 20,000 more signatures than would be needed if officials determine they are valid. The lawsuit against Secretary of State Alex Padilla was filed in Sacramento Superior Court by three residents of Newmans Senate district and paid for by the campaign against the recall. It alleges that signature gatherers misled voters to sign the petitions by saying they would repeal the car tax. The petition gathering campaign has misrepresented the nature of the petition by informing voters that it will Stop the Gas Tax when it will not, the lawsuit says. These statements are intentionally misleading statements of fact that are false beyond dispute and mislead voters The legal complaint, which also names several signature gatherers, alleges that the notice of intent to file the petition is inaccurate in saying that the tax bill provides billions of dollars for mass transit in Northern California without Newmans district benefiting from the revenue. The bill itself does not earmark where money will go, but the intent of lawmakers was that Newmans district would benefit, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit asks that the circulation of the petition be stopped and the recall effort, using the petition as drafted, be halted. This suit is about nothing less than the integrity of our election process; a recall election simply should not be certified when signatures were gathered based on lies to voters, said James Harrison, an attorney who filed the lawsuit. Former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, an organizer of the recall, said the lawsuit is without merit. Josh Newman refuses to accept accountability for his disastrous vote to raise the car and gas tax and instead has chosen to blame others for the recall against him with lies and frivolous lawsuits, DeMaio said. Facebook

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State to pay $2.9 million to three men wrongfully convicted in Los Angeles cases By Patrick McGreevy Kash Delano Register outside a Los Angeles restaurant in November 2013 after his release from prison. (Christina House / For The Times) The state Senate has approved payment of $2.96 million to settle three claims by men who were wrongly convicted for crimes in Los Angeles and served time in prison before they were exonerated. The approval of the payments, amounting to $140 for each day served behind bars, next goes to Gov. Jerry Brown. The largest payment  $1.7 million  goes to Kash Delano Register, who said he was wrongfully convicted of a 1979 murder because of a flawed LAPD investigation. He served 34 years in prison. In 2013, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ordered that Register be released from prison after it found he had been denied due process of law and a fair trial because material exculpatory information and evidence was not disclosed. The court acted after lawyers and students from Loyola Law School cast doubt on the testimony of a key prosecution witness. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office later dismissed the charges, and Register was found by the court to be factually innocent. The Senate payment for 12,427 days served in custody is in addition to a $16.7-million settlement paid to Register by the city of Los Angeles. The Senate also voted Thursday to pay $886,760 to Luis Vargas, who spent more than 17 years in custody before a court ruled him factually innocent of a 1998 rape. In 2012, DNA evidence from one of the victims showed that a suspect known as the Teardrop Rapist, not Vargas, was the perpetrator of the rape. The third payment, $340,620, goes to Reggie Cole, who was found factually innocent after serving time in prison for the shooting death of a man outside a South Los Angeles house of prostitution in 1995. Facebook

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Public affairs strategist Fiona Hutton hosts fundraiser for Antonio Villaraigosa By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa in July (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles public affairs strategist Fiona Hutton is hosting a San Fernando Valley fundraiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa in July. Hutton, who has worked on a number of statewide campaigns, also raised money for Villaraigosa during his successful campaign for mayor of Los Angeles in 2005. The July 25 fundraiser is being held at Huttons office in Studio City. Tickets run $1,000 apiece. To be a co-host, itll cost $10,000. Along with serving as president of her company, Fiona Hutton & Associates, Hutton sits on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Facebook

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California joins other states asking the Trump administration for information on how its enforcing immigration law By Patrick McGreevy Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra wants more information on federal enforcement of immigration laws. ( Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) A group of nine state attorneys general, including California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday seeking records that would clarify how the Trump administration is enforcing federal immigration law. The request seeks the number of immigration detentions, deportations and detainer requests, and the rationale for each, as well as clarifying information on whether Trump is following through on comments that he will not target young people who were brought to the country illegally by their parents. The attorneys general also want to know whether immigrants in the country illegally have been detained at schools, hospitals and places of worship, which the state officials feel should be off-limits for enforcement. Mixed messages from the Trump Administration on immigration enforcement are sowing confusion and increasing anxiety among immigrants, Becerra said in a statement. Today we ask the Administration to tell us what it is doing in this area. The data could be used in a barrage of legal challenges the states have filed against federal immigration policies. Becerra noted that immigration-related arrests have increased nearly 40% since Trump became president, and there is concern that some of the arrests have included young people who were given a deferral from deportation under the Obama administration. The Presidents Executive Orders, and the steps taken by the Department of Homeland Security to implement those orders, have generated new fears and uncertainties in immigrant communities across the country, the attorneys general wrote in the request for information. The other states represented in the request are New York, Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts, Iowa, Maryland, Oregon and Hawaii. Facebook

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This is why Californias Legislature cant fix the states housing problems By Liam Dillon An apartment complex in Hollywood (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) For 50 years, California has had a law that aims to encourage developers to build housing. But the law has failed at helping stem the statewide shortage of homes that drives Californias affordability problems. The reason? The law requires cities and counties to produce prodigious reports to plan for housing  but it doesnt hold them accountable for any resulting home building. Cities and counties resent the law. To avoid complying, theyve asked the state to let prison beds count toward their low-income housing goals, among other things. And despite knowing about the laws weaknesses for decades, state lawmakers have provided no incentive, such as a greater share of tax dollars, for cities and counties to meet their housing goals. Read More Facebook

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Californias attorney general joins the fight against President Trumps sanctuary city order By Patrick McGreevy Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra led a group of 10 states Wednesday in filing an court brief supporting San Francisco and other California communities that challenged President Trumps executive order to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. After the local governments won a preliminary injunction against the order, the Trump administration asked the courts to dismiss the cities lawsuit. The brief filed by Becerra argues that public safety is improved when local law enforcement agencies focus on crime prevention instead of helping federal authorities enforce immigration laws. The Trump Administration does not have the right to coerce states, counties or municipalities to do the federal governments job, Becerra said in a statement. Californias state and local law enforcement officials are in the business of public safety, not of deportation. Threatening public safety funding to compel localities to do immigration work is a dangerous game that undermines public safety. Facebook

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California Supreme Court leaves in place decision upholding cap-and-trade system By Chris Megerian Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the Air Resources Board, oversees the cap-and-trade program. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) After more than four years, a legal challenge to Californias cap-and-trade program has reached an unsuccessful conclusion. The end came on Wednesday when the California Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from business groups who consider the program to be an unconstitutional tax. The program requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gases, a system intended to provide a financial incentive to reduce emissions. The law that provided the programs foundation was not passed with a two-thirds vote in the Legislature, the legal threshold for new taxes, sparking lawsuits from the California Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Legal Foundation. A state appeals court rejected their arguments in April, but they appealed. Business groups were also concerned the decision was too broad and could open the door to additional taxes. Despite the states victory in court, there are other legal questions around cap and trade. Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing lawmakers to extend the program past 2020 with new legislation. With this Supreme Court victory, now its up to us to take action extending Californias cap-and-trade system on a more permanent basis, Brown said in a statement. This story has been updated with a statement from the governor. Facebook

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Rohrabacher on meeting with Manafort while he was a foreign agent: It was a nice little dinner By Sarah D. Wire (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) When former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort belatedly filed as a foreign agent on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party this week, he listed a meeting with just one U.S. politician  Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach. Manaforts years-late filing with the Justice Department details $17 million in political consulting work he did between 2012 and 2014 for the Party of Regions, a Ukrainian party considered friendly with the Kremlin. Rohrabacher told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that the March 2013 meeting happened over dinner at the Capitol Hill Club, a popular Washington Republican social club. He said Manafort billed it as a chance to get reacquainted decades after they worked together in the 1970s on President Reagans campaign. Still, he assumed Manafort had an agenda. I assume when old friends call me up and are wanting to get reacquainted and stuff I always assume they are in some way under contract with somebody, Rohrabacher said. Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, has long been known for encouraging improved relations with Russia, something thats made him an outlier in the Republican Party. He said Russia and the Baltic states probably came up during dinner, but it wasnt the focus of their conversation. We discussed a myriad of things, a lot of personal stuff, a lot of different analysis of the politics of the day, Rohrabacher said. It was a nice little dinner. Three days later, Manafort contributed $1,000 to Rohrabachers reelection campaign. Manaforts modest donation didnt stand out, Rohrabacher said. Ongoing FBI and congressional investigations into Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election, and how the Trump campaign may have been involved, have heightened interest in any connections American politicians may have had with the Russian government or its proxies. Rohrabachers opponents immediately began fundraising off the revelation that Manafort met with the congressman while serving as a foreign agent. Democrat Harley Rouda, whos running for Rohrabachers seat in 2018, called it embarrassing in a solicitation email Tuesday. We need someone who cares more about Orange County and America than supporting Russia and Putin, Roudas email stated. Facebook

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Democrats block Republican legislators proposal for forensic audit of UC Office of President By Patrick McGreevy Two months after a state audit found mismanagement at the University of California, Democratic state lawmakers on Wednesday blocked a Republican legislators proposal to have auditors go back in and look deeper at spending, this time with an eye for possible criminal activity. Assemblyman Dante Acosta (R-Santa Clarita) said the follow-up examination was justified after an audit in April found the UC Office of the President had failed to disclose a $175-million budget surplus to the Board of Regents and the public, was paying excessive salaries and expenses and had inadequate financial safeguards in place to prevent abuse. The lack of controls, the audit concluded, was putting millions of dollars at risk of abuse. I am fighting to return trust in the institution of the UC Office of the President for students, parents, faculty and staff, Acosta said. Only complete transparency can accomplish that goal. However, no Democratic lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to authorize a new audit, so the motion failed. Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) said the university administration should be given time to address the recommendations of its recent audit. I believe this request is premature, he said. State Auditor Elaine Howle said Wednesday in response to a legislators question that she did not find any evidence of misuse of funds. We didnt see anything nefarious, Howle told the panel. UC President Janet Napolitano said funds were not hidden, but she has agreed to adopt policies to make the budget process more transparent. Monica Lozano, chairwoman of the UC Board of Regents, told the legislative committee Wednesday that a new audit is unnecessary and may interfere with the systems implementation of recommendations from the last audit, including the hiring of an accountant to look at UC spending. Facebook

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Single-payer healthcare advocates protest at Capitol with a message for Californias Assembly speaker: Shame on you! By Melanie Mason View Twitter post Backers of a measure to establish a single-payer healthcare system in California rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday to renounce Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), who shelved the bill last week. Several hundred demonstrators, many affiliated with the California Nurses Assn., the legislations sponsor, convened in the Capitol rotunda, where they unfurled a banner that blared Inaction = Death, before handing off signs with written complaints to a member of Rendons staff. The rally, on the heels of a smaller demonstration at Rendons district office on Tuesday, is a sign of how single-payer backers continue to seethe after the bill, SB 562, stalled on Friday. Patty Estefes, a retired nurse from San Jose, said the campaign for single-payer heathcare, in which the government would cover all residents healthcare costs, was her passion. Rendon sabotaged SB 562 and we want to take the knife out, said Estefes, explaining her sign, which had an image of the California grizzly bear stabbed in the back with a blade labeled Rendon. The image has become popular among supporters of the bill, although other Democrats have said the violence of the image makes them uneasy. View Twitter post A depiction of violence in any form is unacceptable and inappropriate. #StandwithRendon #StrongerTogether #DeathThreatsUnacceptable pic.twitter.com/KLF8nNvxdZ  Rudy Salas Jr (@rudysalasjr) June 27, 2017 Meanwhile, another union leader, Robbie Hunter of the powerful State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, chimed in Wednesday with support for the state Assembly speaker. Working people have real fights, and they are not with a labor champion like Anthony Rendon, said Hunter, who denounced the criticism from single-payer advocates as unfair and unwarranted attacks. Facebook

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Garcetti and Schwarzenegger urge cities and states to lead fight against climate change in Trump era By Michael Finnegan Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday called on cities and states to lead the nations fight against global warming as the federal government begins to reverse its climate change policies. The Republican former film star  who signed a landmark 2006 law to reduce Californias carbon emissions  and the Democratic mayor spoke out against President Trumps denial of climate science at a forum at Creative Artists Agency in Century City. Both argued that steps taken by cities and states to promote renewable energy could largely make up for the Trump administrations withdrawal from the worldwide Paris agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Facebook

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California voters could decide in 2020 whether to remove mandatory punishment for falsifying U.S. citizenship records By Jazmine Ulloa A proposed California law would let state voters decide in November 2020 whether to remove the mandatory punishment for a person who falsifies citizenship documents. The legislation by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) would make the crime a wobbler, meaning prosecutors would have the discretion to charge suspects in such cases with either felony offenses or lower-level misdemeanors. That, supporters say, would bring the penalties in line with those for similar crimes committed by legal residents who falsify government records, such as drivers licenses. Assembly Bill 222 moved out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday with a 5-2 vote along party lines. An amendment added Tuesday places the issue on the ballot in November 2020. Bocangera said the measure was introduced as a response to President Trumps hard-line stance on immigration and would reverse part of Proposition 187, a 1994 California ballot measure to deny public services to immigrants in the country illegally. The bill would repeal provisions in the penal code that require a person to serve an automatic five-year mandatory prison sentence or pay a $75,000 fine if they are convicted on charges of manufacturing, distributing or selling false documents to conceal someone elses citizenship or residency status. It has the support of the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, which says there are far more serious crimes that carry substantially lower penalties. Today, if an underage college student uses a fake ID to purchase a six-pack of beer, he or she can be charged with a misdemeanor, Bocanegra said in a statement. However, if an immigrant is caught using that same fake ID, he or she is automatically charged with a felony and is subject to five years in prison. Facebook

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Its all good: Gov. Jerry Brown (again) signs a budget without any vetoed spending By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown, signs bills in his Capitol office on Oct. 9, 2015. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown holds two unique records when it comes to state budgets. No governor has signed more of them, and none in modern times have been as hesitant to veto items they dont like. In the budget he signed on Monday, Brown made no changes. Its not the first time. This was Browns second consecutive budget in which he took no veto actions, and his third veto-free budget since 1982. Governors have line-item veto power to erase budget expenditures, decisions that arent subject to review by the Legislature. Previous chief executives have used their unilateral power far more often, a way to trim spending from a variety of state budget-related programs. State documents show former Gov. George Deukmejian holds the modern record for the most budget changes, issuing 367 line-item vetoes on July 21, 1983. In total amount of spending, the record belongs to former Gov. Pete Wilson, whose budget vetoes in 1998 added up to more than $1.9 million. Brown also has the distinction of issuing fewer vetoes of stand-alone legislation of any governor in the last half-century, suggesting its a sign of respect for the legislative branch of government. The governors signature on the latest state budget sets in place $183.2-billion in spending, covering a wide range of programs and services while setting aside more in cash reserves than ever before. Read More Facebook

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Campaign to recall freshman state senator submits more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) at the Capitol on April 20. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The campaign against state Sen. Josh Newman has turned in more than enough signatures to force the freshman Democrat from Fullerton into a recall election. Republican Carl DeMaio, a lead organizer of the effort, said the group submitted 84,988 signatures on Tuesday. More signatures are being collected but only 63,500 registered voters in the 29th Senate District are needed to put the recall question on the ballot. It shows that there is an unbelievable grass roots movement to fire Josh Newman for his disasterous vote to support an increase in the gas tax, said DeMaio, a conservative radio talk show host from San Diego. The recall drive was complicated by recently enacted legislation that allows voters to ask that their signatures not be included in the recall petitions if they felt they were misled. Elections officials in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties must now determine whether there are sufficient valid signatures to qualify the recall. Mike Roth, a spokesman for the campaign against the recall, said special interests including Chevron have helped fuel a misleading petition drive. The recall petition is a costly power grab by out-of-district special interests that wont save taxpayers a dime and wont solve any problem voters care about, Roth said. What it will do is cost up to $3 million in tax dollars that would be better spent on our schools and public safety. Facebook

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In massive shake-up, Gov. Jerry Brown breaks up Californias scandal-plagued tax collection agency By Patrick McGreevy In a move that triggers the most dramatic shake-up of the California Board of Equalization in its 138-year history, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Tuesday that strips the embattled state tax collection agency of most of its powers and duties as officials scramble to create an entirely new department by July 1. The board is the target of an investigation by the state Department of Justice, and its employees and members have been accused by auditors of mismanagement, including putting $350 million in sales taxes in the wrong accounts and improperly interfering with decisions to open field offices and transfer staff. The governor signed a bill that pares the state board from an agency with 4,800 workers to one of 400 employees, shifting the other staff engaged in the collection of sales and excise taxes to a new California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The elected, five-member Board of Equalization will also give up its role hearing taxpayer appeals to a new Office of Tax Appeals, leaving the board to advocate for taxpayers and continue setting rates for gas taxes and pipeline levies, and making sure counties fairly assess property taxes. Anticipating the governors action, officials had already started work to create a new state department by July 1. Its a short period, acknowledged Marybel Batjer, secretary of the California Government Operations Agency, who is coordinating the changes. The new department will be headed by a director appointed by the governor and requiring state Senate approval. Brown will also appoint a chief deputy and chief counsel. The recruitment is underway for those positions, Batjer said, adding that the transition will continue after July 1, obviously. Not every i will be dotted and t crossed between now and July 1. We will do our mighty best to do the most important things before July 1. Learn more on the history of the state board and whats next. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown approves a $183-billion state budget, though a few details are unfinished By John Myers (Justin Sullivan/Getty) Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed into law a $183.2-billion budget, a spending plan with significant boosts for public schools and a variety of programs to help Californias most needy residents. While the blueprint depends on a series of other related bills that havent reached his desk, Browns action largely ratifies the plan approved by the Legislature and ensures the state will have a budget in place for the new fiscal year that begins Saturday. This budget provides money to repair our roads and bridges, pay down debt, invest in schools, fund the earned income tax credit and provide Medi-Cal health care for millions of Californians, Brown said in a written statement released by his office. The budget boosts total state and local spending on K-12 education and community colleges to $74.5 billion, roughly $11,000 per pupil in the coming school year. It also increases funding for the University of California and Cal State University systems, and provides additional money for preschool and child care programs. Brown and lawmakers agreed to devote a portion of new tobacco tax dollars to higher payments for doctors and dentists that treat patients in Medi-Cal, the states healthcare program for the poor. Divvying up the dollars generated by last falls Proposition 56 was among one of the most contentious issues during spring budget negotiations. The budget sets aside additional money in the states rainy-day reserve fund, growing the contingency account to $8.5 billion. Brown, who rarely uses his line-item veto power in trimming budgets, left entirely intact the plan ratified by the Legislature on June 15. While the governor signed 15 budget-related bills Tuesday, a handful of other related bills have yet to make their way to his desk. Those include a plan to make an extra $6-billion payment to the California Public Employees Retirement System, or CalPERS, borrowing the money from surplus state revenues. The plan was approved by the state Senate on Monday. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says GOP healthcare bill cuts right into the heart of what is already a divided nation By Sarah D. Wire Californias senators, Kamala Harris, left, and Dianne Feinstein. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) One in three California residents are covered by Medicaid, and California is thought to have the most to lose if Republicans gather enough votes to roll back major aspects of the Affordable Care Act. California would see the nations biggest increase in uninsured people by next year and face a $24-billion budget shortfall by 2026 because of reduced Medicaid funding, Californias Democratic senators and Gov. Jerry Brown warned during a call with reporters on Tuesday. The Californians call was just one of dozens of events House and Senate Democrats held Tuesday to try to stir up anger over the bill. Brown called the bill divisive, saying it puts tax cuts for the wealthy above healthcare for the poor. This is such a political bill, he said. This bill will be the most divisive maneuver, cutting right into the heart of what is already a divided nation. The bill would increase the number of people without health coverage by 22 million and push up medical costs for millions of other poor and sick Americans, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. After pledging to pass the bill this week, Senate Republicans abruptly delayed a vote until after the July Fourth recess. A handful of Republicans have announced they are leery of the bill, saying it either goes too far or doesnt go far enough, and the White House is lobbying them to get on board. Every major medical association has come out against the bill, which was written by a small group of senators behind closed doors. Sen. Kamala Harris said the bill is being rushed to the Senate floor without hearings, debate or much time for senators to review it. Its absolutely wrong, it is harmful and it is unconscionable. The bill would restructure our nations entire health care system, she said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said its not enough to amend the existing GOP bill, and Congress needs to start over instead. She said 10 or 12 Republican senators need to defect so the bill is not revived after a few changes, as a similar bill was in the House. I am optimistic that it is doable to kill it, Feinstein said. Its the most indefensible bill Ive actually seen in 24 years in the Senate. Facebook

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National Republicans target California water needs in new ads against House Democrats By Sarah D. Wire The National Republican Congressional Committee is going after five California Democrats for votes on a water issue. The online ads are identical except for one line tailored to target each Democrat: Reps. John Garamendi of Walnut Grove, Ami Bera of Elk Grove, Salud Carbajal of Santa Barbara, Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert and Scott Peters of San Diego. They specifically are about the Democrats voting against a bill to funnel dam permits through a single federal agency in an effort to speed up new water storage projects. Tell Congressman Garamendi to stop letting politics get in the way of our water, one ad says. Sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove), the bill passed the House last week, with a 233-180 largely partisan vote. Democrats need 24 seats to regain control of the House, and are expected to focus their attention in the midterms on tying Republicans to President Trump. Their list of seats they need to flip includes 9 of the 14 California seats held by Republicans. The ads, which will run online for the next week, could be the first glimpse of an NRCC strategy of trying to keep the focus on local issues in the 2018 election. California Democrats want to help radical environmentalists more than their drought-stricken constituents. If Democrats continue to sit on their hands and let this chance to capture much-needed water float on by, the NRCC will hold them accountable, said spokesman Jack Pandol. Facebook

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Only a few California counties may use the new state law for sending every voter a ballot in the mail By John Myers A broad effort to close thousands of California neighborhood polling places in favor of absentee ballots and multi-purpose vote centers has yet to find traction beyond a handful of counties. Data collected by Secretary of State Alex Padillas office concludes only two counties have a plan in place to implement the sweeping change in state election law enacted last year. As many as 14 counties can do so in 2018, with Los Angeles County and others able to switch to the system in 2020. Change is hard, said Jill LaVine, registrar of voters in Sacramento County, one of the counties that has already approved adoption of the system to swap polling places for a limited number of vote centers offering several different election services. Meanwhile, leaders in the county that has done the most planning to move toward changing its election system -- Orange County -- have rejected the new law for 2018. Read More Facebook

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Nurses union uses the image of a California bear stabbed in the back after single-payer bill is blocked Facebook

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Rep. Grace Napolitano to miss House votes for several weeks while husband receives cancer treatment By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) will miss House votes while her husband, Frank Napolitano, undergoes chemotherapy and radiation to treat esophageal cancer, her spokesman said. The congresswoman, 80, easily beat out former Democratic state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez of West Covina in the November election. She said in April that she would seek reelection in 2018, and her husbands health does not change her plan to seek an 11th term, spokesman Jerry ODonnell said. Napolitano has missed the last two weeks of House votes, though shes working some from the district, and is expected to remain in California for several more weeks to care for her husband during the treatment, ODonnell said. He did not know for sure how long Napolitano would be gone, but it is possible she might make it back for some votes during the seven-week-long treatment, he said. Napolitano said by phone she will try to return if the House votes again on the GOP health care bill. I intend to be back at work soon, Napolitano said. The House leaves Friday for a one-week break and leaves again at the end of July for the August recess. Napolitano suffered a minor stroke in 2016 that affected her ability to write and slightly slowed her walk. For the record, 8:47 a.m.: An earlier version of this post identified the type of cancer Napolitanos husband has as lung cancer. It is esophageal cancer. 8:47 a.m., June 27: This post has been updated with a quote from Napolitano. 2:45 p.m. This post has been updated to correct how many terms the congresswoman has served. 2:26 p.m. This post has been updated with more details about when Napolitano might return. This post was originally published at 2:06 p.m. Facebook

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After a career in the majority, Jimmy Gomez prepares for life in the minority in Washington By Sarah D. Wire (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Congressman-elect Jimmy Gomez has spent his entire political career as a member of the majority party. When hes sworn in as central and northeast Los Angeles newest member of Congress in the coming weeks, hell be the most junior Democrat  194th out of 194  in Congress. Hell have to find a path forward in a Congress dominated by the opposing party. Even if Democrats win back control, hell have hundreds of more senior and just as eager colleagues ahead of him in line. Read More Facebook

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Rep. Maxine Waters focuses on GOP healthcare bill at packed town hall By Andrea Castillo (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters, who spoke Saturday at a packed town hall meeting in Gardena, said she worries some Americans will be forced to do what her family did if the Republican healthcare bill passes. Senate Republicans have pledged to pass a bill before the July Fourth holiday. To illustrate why she believes everyone should have access to comprehensive healthcare, the Los Angeles Democrat said she and her 12 siblings never saw a physician or a dentist their entire childhood. I was born at home in St. Louis back in the day when it was hard for minorities to get into hospitals, she said. Read More Facebook

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This former Jeff Denham challenger wont run again, but hes launching a committee to elect Democrats By Christine Mai-Duc Two-time congressional challenger Michael Eggman says he wont try for a third campaign against Republican Rep. Jeff Denham (Turlock), but hes hoping to help Democrats running against the him. Eggman, a beekeeper and farmer, announced Monday that hes starting a political action committee to help oust Republicans in seven seats, including Denhams in the Central Valley, which Democrats have targeted for 2018. The committee, Red to Blue California, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission in March but so far hasnt reported raising any money. Andrew Feldman, a spokesman for the PAC, said the group has taken in about $50,000 and its goal is to raise at least $7 million in the 2018 cycle. Eggman will serve as chair of the committee. In a statement, Eggman said that while he lost last year, I learned a heck of a lot on the way. Now as Donald Trump threatens to upend the very fabric of what makes our country great, Im doing my part to join the resistance. In addition to Denhams seat, the committee will target Republican Reps. Steve Knight (Palmdale), David Valadao (Hanford), Ed Royce (Fullerton), Mimi Walters (Irvine), Dana Rohrabacher (Huntington Beach) and Darrell Issa (Vista). All seven were reelected in districts won by Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. The committee also plans to use some of the money to promote down-ballot candidates in each of the districts as a way of building a base of Democratic candidates. Eggman, a beekeeper and farmer who received a rare endorsement from Barack Obama in the Democrats unsuccessful quest to take back the House last year, lost to Denham by 5% in November. Spending in that race topped $14 million. Six Democrats have already filed to run in Denhams 10th Congressional District, including Josh Harder, a venture capital executive whose campaign manager worked for Eggman in 2016. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: Theres a powerful new ally of those who support a sanctuary state By John Myers Supporters of an ambitious California effort to limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities begin the week with a prominent new ally. On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we take a look at the impact of Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck endorsing the sanctuary state bill thats now under consideration in Sacramento. We also discuss the decision by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) to run for governor, and how his conservative politics could have a big effect on how Republican voters view their choices in 2018. Im joined by Times staff writer Melanie Mason and Marisa Lagos of KQED News. Facebook

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California wont be passing a single-payer healthcare system any time soon  the plan is dead for this year By Melanie Mason View Twitter post A high-profile effort to establish a single-payer healthcare system in California sputtered on Friday when Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) decided to shelve the proposal. Rendon announced late Friday afternoon that the bill, SB 562 by state Sens. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), would not advance to a policy hearing in his house, dampening the measures prospect for swift passage this year. SB 562 was sent to the Assembly woefully incomplete, Rendon said in a statement. Even senators who voted for SB 562 noted there are potentially fatal flaws in the bill, including the fact it does not address many serious issues, such as financing, delivery of care, cost controls, or the realities of needed action by the Trump Administration and voters to make SB 562 a genuine piece of legislation. Rendon took pains to note that his action does not kill the bill entirely  because it is the first year of a two-year session, it could be revived next year. But the move is nonetheless a major setback for legislation that has electrified the Democratic partys progressive flank. The California Nurses Assn., the bills sponsors and the states most vocal advocates for single-payer, blasted Rendons decision as cowardly. Acting in secret in the interests of the profiteering insurance companies late Friday afternoon abandons all those people already threatened by Congress and the Trump administration, Deborah Burger, the unions co-president, said in a statement. Burger continued: The people of California are counting on the Legislature to protect them now, not sometime next year, and as polls have shown Californians support this proposal by a wide majority. A solution to this health care emergency could be at hand; Speaker Rendon is standing in opposition. In a joint statement, Lara and Atkins, the measures authors, said they were disappointed the robust debate about healthcare for all that started in the California Senate will not continue in the Assembly this year. This issue is not going away, they added. Gov. Jerry Brown, who had signaled wariness about the proposals costs, said in a statement that Rendon made the case that theres clearly more work to do before anyone is in a position to vote on revamping Californias healthcare system. I recognize the tremendous excitement behind the measure, but basic and fundamental questions remain unanswered, Brown said. Updated at 6:44 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Gov. Jerry Brown. Updated at 5:38 p.m.: This article was updated to include comments from the California Nurses Assn. and the measures authors. This article was originally published at 4:38 p.m. Times staff writer Patrick McGreevy contributed to this report. Read More Facebook

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California politicians are in Dallas despite new ban on state employees traveling to Texas By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Ricardo Lara (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A day after California banned state employees from going to Texas on official business, a group of politicians from the Golden State was in Dallas on Friday for a major conference. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Thursday announced he was prohibiting state employees from traveling at state expense to Texas and three other states that he determined have approved laws that discriminate against gay and transgender people. Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), who is openly gay, is among those attending the annual gathering of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). A spokesman said he is using his own money, not taxpayer funds. Lara voted for the bill that enacted the travel ban. Lara felt participating in a panel discussion on immigration was important amid debate over Gov. Greg Abbotts signage of a controversial immigration law that bans sanctuary cities for immigrants in the country illegally, spokesman Michael Soller said. Texas just passed one of the nations most anti-immigrant laws with Senate Bill 4, and California went down this road with Proposition 187 more than 20 years ago, Lara said in a statement. With LGBT and immigrant rights under assault across the country, I thought it was important to join other Latino leaders and show Californias example. Like Lara, West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John Duran made plans to attend the Dallas convention well before Becerra announced the travel ban, which does not apply to non-state employees. Duran is the national chairman of NALEO and said the conference was scheduled for Dallas three years ago. I dont know about the LGBT laws in Texas or AG Becerras call for a boycott -- I am not only LGBT but also Latino, Duran said in an email, adding he is very angry over Texas SB 4, which requires law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officials in enforcing immigration laws. I am here supporting my elected official colleagues in Texas from Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas who are joining together to sue the state of Texas, Duran said. Being a Californian who worked against Gov. Pete Wilsons Prop 187 -- I have experiences and strategies to share with them. Facebook

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Texas responds to California LGBT travel ban, saying Golden State firms fleeing over taxation and regulation By Patrick McGreevy A day after California officials said they are banning state workers from traveling to Texas on official business, an aide to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott returned a verbal volley claiming mistreatment of businesses. On Thursday, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Texas and three other states were being put on a list of states that had adopted laws seen by Becerra as discriminatory to the LGBT community and therefore were off-limits for state-sponsored travel. That drew a response Friday from John Wittman, Abbotts press secretary. California may be able to stop their state employees, but they cant stop all the businesses that are fleeing over taxation and regulation and relocating to Texas, Wittman said. Becerra put Texas on the travel-ban list after the governor signed HB 3859 last week. The new law allows foster care agencies to deny adoptions and services to children and parents based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Becerra said the measure allows agencies to discriminate against children in foster care and potentially disqualify LGBT families from the states foster and adoption system. A spokesman for Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin also criticized California officials. It is fascinating that the very same West Coast liberals who rail against the Presidents executive order, that protects our nation from foreign terrorists, have now contrived their own travel ban aimed at punishing states who dont fall in lockstep with their far-left political ideology, said Woody Maglinger, Bevins press secretary. Updated at 1:35 pm to include comment from Woody Maglinger. Facebook

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Rep. Tom McClintocks bill to streamline dam permits passes House largely on party lines By Sarah D. Wire Dam permits would be funneled through a single federal agency in an effort to speed up new water storage projects under a bill that passed the House on Thursday. Sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove), the 233-180 vote was largely along partisan lines. Reps. Jim Costa (D-Fresno), Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) and six other Democrats joined with Republicans to pass the bill. McClintock said the various local, state and federal agencies that must sign off on new projects dont have to communicate or set deadlines, and often require redundant information from permit applicants, which can make the application process drag on for years and drive up costs. Dam applications can go on endlessly, McClintock said after the vote. A lot of these projects become cost prohibitive. He pointed to a dam project proposed by the town of Foresthill in his district as an example. Conflicting demands from several federal agencies about a plan to install a spillway gate on the dam at the Sugar Pine Reservoir have driven up the cost, he said. The project application is still under review. So a $2-million project that was a heavy lift for a little community, but within reach, becomes an $11-million cost-prohibitive boondoggle, McClintock said. Under the bill, the Bureau of Reclamation would coordinate with other federal agencies on all aspects of a dam application and set deadlines for deciding whether to approve a project. Democrats who voted against the bill said the bureau would be able to set arbitrary deadlines for the at-times lengthy environmental reviews required for water projects, which could undermine reviews required by laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. Fixing the process isnt just about saving some headaches or a few hours of time. This is about making sure millions of people in California and across America have the water they need and deserve, said Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) has filed similar legislation in the Senate, and McClintock said he is cautiously optimistic it will pass. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says Senate healthcare bill has same stench as House version Facebook

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Travis Allen, a conservative and controversial Orange County lawmaker, jumps into California governors race By Phil Willon Conservative Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) is jumping into Californias 2018 race for governor, a move that could splinter the GOP vote in what promises to be a crowded and competitive race. Travis, elected to the Legislature in 2012, said he decided to run because of the years of wasteful spending and dictatorial policies pushed by Jerry Brown and the Sacramento Democrats. I am running to be the next governor of California to take back our state for the forgotten ordinary citizens of California, who will no longer tolerate the squandering of our incredible natural abundance of people, economy, and resources by limousine liberals beholden to ravenous public sector union bosses and extremist environmentalists, Travis said in a statement announcing his campaign. Outspoken and controversial, Travis has filed a ballot measure to repeal the recently approved gas tax and sponsored legislation requiring voters to show photo ID. Allen has faced criticism for claiming that a new law that barred police from arresting people under 18 for soliciting sex or loitering with intent to commit prostitution was an effort to legalize child prostitution. The purpose of the law was to treat minors as victims of sex trafficking rather than offenders. Allen, 43, worked as a certified financial planner before he ran for the Legislature. His Assembly district includes all or portions of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Garden Grove. Allen will face stiff competition from fellow Republican John Cox, a Rancho Santa Fe venture capitalist who already has put $3 million of his own money into his campaign. Former GOP Assemblyman David Hadley of Manhattan Beach also is exploring a run, and former Los Angeles Rams football player Rosey Grier announced plans to jump into the race but thus far has not established an official campaign. The race also has attracted a cadre of Democratic heavyweights, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang. Delaine Eastin, a former state legislator and state schools chief, is also running. In California, Democrats hold a 19-percentage point advantage over Republicans in voter registration, a strong head wind against GOP candidates running for statewide office. Because of the large field of Democrats in the race, a Republican could have a good shot of finishing in the top two in the June 2018 primary if they can put together GOP support. But Allens entry into the race could divide Republican voters, reducing the odds of a GOP candidate making it to the November general election. The first- and second-place finishers in the primary advance to the general election regardless of their party. Facebook

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Coastal panel spawned by 1930s oil scandal now a player in governors race By Michael Finnegan (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) When John Chiang joined the State Lands Commission, it quickly became a platform to showcase his environmental record, starting with his 2007 vote to block construction of a shipping terminal for liquefied natural gas in Ventura County. The commission has served the same purpose for Gavin Newsom, who often uses his seat on the panel to remind Californians that he opposes offshore oil drilling. Now that both Chiang and Newsom are running for governor, they are drawing rare attention to the little-known but powerful State Lands Commission, which oversees 4 million acres of land beneath California waters. Read More Facebook

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Ballot measure to expand L.A. County Board of Supervisors advances By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, wants to expand the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from five to seven members. Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press ( Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors would be expanded from five to seven members and an elected chief executive post would be created under a measure recommended Wednesday by a state Senate panel despite opposition from the county. Two members of the countys 2015-16 civil grand jury testified that the group felt the current government is inadequate for a county of more than 10 million residents. They said that if the county was a state, it would be the eighth-largest state in the country based on population. The board is too small to adequately serve the diverse needs of county residents, grand jury member Molly Milligan told the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, before its 5-1 vote to recommend Senate Constitutional Amendment 12. The proposed statewide ballot measure was introduced by Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). The proposal was opposed by Phyllis Marshall, the chief legislative representative for Los Angeles County, who noted that the proposal would allow voters statewide to decide the governance structure for one county. Voters in other counties do not have sufficient knowledge to vote on a constitutional amendment to change the governing structure of Los Angeles County, Marshall told the panel before the measure was sent to another policy panel on its way to a possible full Senate vote. Facebook

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Kimberly Ellis blames Democratic Party hacks for losses in Tuesdays congressional races By Phil Willon Kimberly Ellis (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Kimberly Ellis, who has challenged the results of the California Democratic Party leadership election she lost, blamed party establishment hacks who are the worst in the biz for losses in congressional races in Georgia and South Carolina on Tuesday. Ellis, a progressive Bay Area Democrat who tapped into a wellspring of disaffected Bernie Sanders backers, on Tuesday night sent a tweet saying that it was time for a new coalition. That drew a sharp rebuke from veteran Democratic operative Bob Mulholland, who has criticized Ellis for not conceding. Ellis blamed her narrow May loss to Eric Bauman for state Democratic Party chairperson on voting irregularities. Ellis, who lost the race by 62 votes,has called on the party to conduct an independent audit of the election. Bauman rejected that request, saying the party already has a process in place to review contested elections. The partys compliance review commission, made up of six members who were appointed during former chairman John Burtons tenure, is currently reviewing the election. On Friday, Bauman announced that the party hired the law firm of Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLC to oversee, advise and counsel the commission during the inquiry. Let's thank Jon Ossoff, his staff and the thousands of volunteers for their effort. Let's ignore Trump and Kimberly Ellis attacks on Ossoff.  Bob Mulholland (@Chico_Bob) June 21, 2017 Facebook

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These legislators are trying to make sure Jimmy Gomezs replacement in the Assembly is a woman By Christine Mai-Duc As soon as Congressman-elect Jimmy Gomez announced he was running for Congress, his Assembly colleague Cristina Garcia got to work. Garcia, a legislator from Bell Gardens who became chair of the Womens Legislative Caucus in December, called Gomez, other Assembly members, and labor and environmental groups to make it clear: If Gomez won the 34th Congressional District and vacated his Assembly seat, her priority would be electing a woman in his place. With Gomez headed to Washington after his June 6 win, Garcia said its time to put her groups plan into action. Its simple, said Garcia in a recent interview. As long as we dont have parity, were going to fight at every opportunity to try to get another woman in office. Women hold 17 out of 80 seats in the state Assembly and nine of 40 of the state Senate seats. On Wednesday morning, the Democratic arm of the womens legislative caucus announced it was endorsing Wendy Carrillo, a Democrat who ran in the 34th District primary against Gomez, and who is the only woman running to replace him so far. I am impressed by her ongoing activism for environmental justice, womens rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrants and social justice movements that are the bedrocks of a progressive democracy and welcome the tenacity she will bring to further promote these issues in the state Legislature with a womans perspective, Garcia said in a statement. Eight other candidates have filed to run for or have announced campaigns for Gomezs 51st Assembly District. The election date and its accompanying filing deadlines have not yet been set, mainly because Gomez has not stepped down, so another woman could still jump in. But Garcia is hoping her caucus announcement will head that off. If the 34th Congressional District race is going to teach us any lessons, its that we dont have the luxury of having multiple women split the field, Garcia said. More than a dozen women ran in the crowded primary to replace Xavier Becerra in the central Los Angeles District. None of them won more than 10% of the vote. So Garcia and her colleagues havent just been talking about their mission; theyve been trying to shape the field of candidates, too. Garcia said she reached out to former 34th District hopefuls to gauge their interest, solicited names of potential female candidates from interest groups, and had conversations with half a dozen women who were considering jumping in. Garcia said she didnt discourage any women, but was up front with them about the challenges each might face. Shes also encouraged women who expressed interest to work it out among themselves in hopes that they could unite behind one female candidate. Its a somewhat new tactic for the womens caucus, which has struggled to unite on political endorsements in the past and is hoping to flex more muscle in Sacramento. We are being more strategic now, Garcia said. It cant just be like, I like you and you have a great heart. Thats not good enough. You have to put in the work and be able to build a coalition and win. Carrillo said it was unfortunate that none of the women in the 34th District race made it past the primary. But, she added: Men dont get asked the question of whether theyre worried about splitting the vote. The outcome in the congressional primary, Carrillo said, had more to do with a lack of money flowing to many of the womens campaigns, something she hopes to remedy. Ive learned a lot ... [about] just what it takes to build coalitions and how best to move forward in terms of having a strategy to win, Carrillo said. Ultimately, the voters are going to decide based on issues, Carrillo said. I think that I bring a very unique perspective, having grown up in the district, in terms of advocating for labor and for education and for healthcare and all the issues that residents care for. ------------ FOR THE RECORD June 21, 2:53 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Cristina Garcia became chair of the Womens Legislative Caucus in January. She took over the position in December. ------------ Facebook

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Prompted by San Bernardino shooting, House passes bill to require reports to Congress after terrorist attacks By Sarah D. Wire Evacuated workers pray on the fairway of the San Bernardino Golf Club shortly after the 2015 mass shooting at the nearby Inland Regional Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Intelligence agencies would have to make recommendations to Congress on how to stop the next domestic terrorist attack under a bill inspired by the 2015 San Bernardino shooting. The bill, which passed the House on Tuesday without opposition, requires the Homeland Security secretary to submit a report to Congress within one year of a terrorist attack in the U.S. The report, which would be unclassified, must include details of what happened and recommendations for laws or policies that can be changed to prevent a similar attack. It would also include input from the attorney general, FBI director and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), who represents San Bernardino, filed the bill about a year after the Dec. 2, 2015, shooting in which 14 people were killed and 22 were wounded by a married couple at the Inland Regional Center. Aguilar told The Times that individual members of Congress shouldnt have to press agencies for details about what happened after an attack. By nature every terrorist event is unique, and so we need something to prod the agencies to tell us why its unique and what we can do better, Aguilar said. There is no current requirement for the agencies to submit a report to Congress after a terrorist event. We think that it makes sense to do that and that it will help us learn from these events and become smarter about it. After the San Bernardino attack, the Justice Department worked with the Police Foundation, a Washington-based research group, to create a report, but it was aimed at training law enforcement on responding to an attack. We think there are more lessons to be learned, but that only happens when those agencies work with Congress on what we can change, Aguilar said. The bipartisan bill was backed by nine other Californians: Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley), Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro), David Valadao (R-Hanford), Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). Aguilar said he is still working to line up a sponsor for the bill in the Senate. Facebook

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New super PAC targets seven California Republicans By Phil Willon Former Northern California Rep. Ellen Tauscher has launched a new super PAC targeting seven vulnerable Republicans in the states congressional delegation, hoping to aid the Democratic effort to win control of the House of Representatives in 2018. Each Republican represents a district that backed Hillary Clinton in the November election. On the Fight Back California PACs list are Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock; David Valadao of Hanford; Steve Knight of Palmdale; Ed Royce of Fullerton; Mimi Walters of Irvine; Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach and Darrell Issa of Vista. Of those, the former congresswoman served with Issa, Royce and Rohrabacher. This isnt personal, Tauscher said. But the fact is that Im a Californian, and they dont vote in the interest of my state. Tauscher represented Northern Californias 10th Congressional District for 14 years before becoming undersecretary of State during the Obama administration in 2009. Katie Merrill, the PACs political strategist, said the campaign will target the Republicans records on issues that directly affect voters in the district, such as the GOPs efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We intend to soften the ground. So when the Democratic nominee emerges ... they are facing a significantly weakened incumbent, Merrill said. Updated at 4:02 p.m.: This story was updated to include a comment from Tauscher. Facebook

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Overhaul of Californias state tax board plagued by confusion, members say By Patrick McGreevy Board of Equalization Chairwoman Diane Harkey says there is confusion around the reorganization of the board. (Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times) State tax board members on Tuesday said there remain a lot of unanswered questions about how their agency will transfer many of its duties to two new offices, a reorganization approved last week by the state Legislature in response to problems with the panel. About 4,400 of the state Board of Equalizations 4,800 employees will be transferred to a new California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, which will take over collection of sales and excise taxes, and an office of administrative law judges who will take over taxpayer appeals. The change was outlined by the boards executive director, David Gau, at a meeting with the panel Tuesday. I dont think anything is easy, Board Chairwoman Diane Harkey said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. I think its going to be expensive. There is a lot of confusion. Board member George Runner said there are questions about whether he can continue to hold educational events for taxpayers, while board member Jerome Horton said he wants to know whether he can continue to advocate for taxpayers. There are still some issues they need to work out, Horton said. Harkey said new bills will have to be approved with clarifying language on some issues. For instance, the newly approved legislation takes away the boards power to hear appeals after July 1 even though lawmakers want the board to continue handling the hearings until the new administrative law judges are operating Jan. 1. In addition, the board employs civil service workers who are trained for jobs that will no longer exist with the board, she said, adding that the new department is supposed to begin operating July 1. This is all still in flux. Its a huge step to take in a couple of weeks, Harkey said. Marybel Batjer, secretary of the California Government Operations Agency, has addressed the board employees, assuring them that they will be able to shift to jobs in the new department. She told The Times on Tuesday that planning has already begun for the new department, including the early stages of recruitment of its administrative staff. Meanwhile, board representatives, including Harkey, confirmed that investigators from the state attorney generals office have begun interviewing agency employees after Gov. Jerry Brown called for a probe into whether staff and resources were mishandled by the agency. Were just hearing that they are around, Harkey said of investigators. I think it scares everybody. Facebook

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Californias Clean Air Act waiver should be yanked, Trumps former environmental advisor says By Chris Megerian (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The head of President Trumps Environmental Protection Agency may not be prepared to battle California over air regulations, but the man who led Trumps transition team for the department is ready. Myron Ebell, who works at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington and helped devise Trumps environmental agenda, said California should not be allowed to set its own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle tailpipes. The state has that authority under a Clean Air Act waiver granted by President Obama, one of dozens that have been issued over the years. The waiver has to go, in my view, Ebell told journalists on Monday at a training program organized by the National Press Foundation. The problem, he said, is that the California regulations are a backdoor attempt to regulate fuel economy, a power thats reserved for the federal government. California said it would push forward on greenhouse gas rules earlier this year even though the Trump administration has opened the door to rolling them back on the federal level. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had previously suggested that the Trump administration could try to revoke Californias waiver, but during a recent Capitol Hill hearing he said it wasnt currently under review. Ebell has denied mainstream science on global warming. But apart from the waiver he wants to see revoked, he told journalists that he didnt have a problem with California trying to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions. I believe in competitive federalism, he said. The only problem, Ebell said, is whether Gov. Jerry Brown tries to conduct his own foreign policy and sign international treaties. Facebook

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A new audit says some California agencies sidestepped competitive bidding rules on contracts By Patrick McGreevy Two California agencies in charge of high-tech projects failed to provide proper oversight for billions of dollars in contracts awarded without competitive bidding, according to a state audit released Tuesday. State law requires the Department of General Services and the California Department of Technology (CDT) to use the competitive bidding process whenever possible to ensure fair competition and eliminate favoritism, fraud, and corruption, State Auditor Elaine Howle wrote in a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown. The investigation examined a sample of those contracts and found nine noncompetitive requests valued at almost $1 billion that agencies likely could have avoided had they engaged in sufficient planning, Howle wrote. The auditors cited approval of a request by the California High-Speed Rail Authority for a $3-million noncompetitive contract amendment to provide financial consulting services. The proposal was submitted 17 days before the existing contract was set to expire. When justifying its noncompetitive request, High-Speed Rail stated that the financial consulting services were critical to its mission and that the vendors skills were specialized and not widely available. However, it did not provide a valid reason why this vendor alone could meet the states needs, as financial consulting services are not unique, the audit found. In all, auditors estimated that the state awarded at least $44 billion in noncompetitive contracts of more than $1 million each during the five fiscal years ending June 30, 2016. The two agencies have the power to enforce contract rules but they rarely employed them, allowing agencies to continue inappropriately using noncompetitive requests, the audit concluded. State workers also allegedly wrote reports in ways that misled about which projects were competitively bid. In one case, a $3-million contract was identified as competitively bid, to which an additional $31 million in noncompetitive contracts was added through nine amendments. Amy Tong, director of the California Deptartment of Technology, agreed with the auditors recommendations, saying the agency believes that the recommendations will strengthen CDTs oversight of information technology and telecommunication procurements, especially those acquired through the noncompetitive request process. Daniel C. Kim, director of the Department of General Services, also agreed to improve the process, writing to auditors that his agency will take appropriate action to address the issues presented in the report. Facebook

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Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer has a big decision to make By Phil Willon Tom Steyer at a Los Angeles high school in 2014. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) For months, billionaire Democratic donor and environmental activist Tom Steyer has been acting like a candidate running for governor  hobnobbing with Democratic loyalists, putting out a position paper on income inequality and continuing his aggressive efforts to combat climate change. Steyer says hes still considering jumping into the race. But he may have another target on his radar. Steyer has starting mounting his own challenge to President Trump, going so far as to call for impeachment and use his nonprofit, NextGen Climate, to encourage citizens to lobby their congressional representatives for it. Read More Facebook

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Lobbying firm fined $4,000 for violating gift limit buying dinner for former state Sen. Ronald Calderon By Patrick McGreevy Ron Calderon, shown in while still in the senate in 2014, was treated to a dinner by a lobbying firm that violated a gift limit. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)) Mercury Public Affairs has agreed to pay $4,000 in fines to Californias ethics watchdog agency for violating the $10 gift limit on lobbying firms when it provided dinners worth $200 to former state Sen. Ronald Calderon and his wife. In October, Calderon was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty in a public corruption case unrelated to the Mercury dinner. The fines proposed against Mercury by the enforcement staff of the state Fair Political Practices Commission stem from violating the $10 gift limit and failing to report that Calderons wife also received a dinner, according to the investigative report. Calderon and his wife attended an April 2013 dinner paid for by Mercury at Mastros in Beverly Hills. Also present was former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a non-lobbyist partner of Mercury, and four other unidentified people. The violation of the state Political Reform Act was found by a random audit by the state Franchise Tax Board. Mercurys $200 gift to Sen. Calderon, while not extravagant, significantly exceeded the gift limit, the investigative report said. A central purpose of the act is to prevent improper influence by lobbyists and the acts strict gift limit on lobbying firms is intended to effectuate that purpose. The commission will vote on the fines on June 29. Facebook

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California bill aims to revive broadband privacy rules that were killed by Trump and Congress By Melanie Mason A woman works on her laptop in the Rose Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library. ( Mark Lennihan / Associated Press) Several months ago, President Trump signed into law a repeal of sweeping privacy regulations limiting what broadband providers can do with customer data. Now, an Assembly Democrat is trying to resuscitate those rules for Californians. Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) unveiled a measure on Monday that would largely enshrine the sputtered federal regulations into California state law. The bill would require Internet service providers, such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, to get permission from customers before using, selling or permitting access to data about their browsing history. Such restrictions were crafted by the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama administration. But the FCC under Trump sought to roll back those rules before they went into effect. Congress approved the repeal in March, and the president signed it. Congress and the administration went against the will of the vast majority of Americans when they revoked the FCC rules, Chau said at a news conference, adding that with his measure, AB 375, California is goi
In an often combative defense of his brief tenure as the nations top lawman, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on Tuesday forcefully denied any improper contacts with Russian officials and called any suggestion that he aided Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election an appalling and detestable lie.

Appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions also vigorously defended his role in the firing of FBI Director James B. Comey last month although he previously had recused himself from the investigation that Comey was leading into Russias role in the campaign and any ties with Trumps aides.

Sessions frequently said he could not remember details of meetings and conversations  and even could not say for certain if he met for a third time with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador in Washington, during a Mayflower Hotel reception in April last year. He did not rule out such a meeting but repeatedly said he did not recall it.

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Its conceivable that that occurred. I just dont remember it, he said. Later, however, he slammed reports that he had held some sort of secret side meeting with the Russian as being like Through the Looking-Glass.

Alternately angry and deferential in tone, the attorney general offered a staunch defense of his actions for nearly three hours in the latest piece of political theater on Capitol Hill  and just as steadfastly refused to describe his interactions with President Trump other than to say the presidents words and tweets speak for themselves.

Sessions thus may have gained more than the White House since his testimony, five days after Comeys appearance before the same committee, kept the Russia investigation in the spotlight for another day, utterly overshadowing Trumps trip to Wisconsin to tout his economic record.

The attorney general reminded the lawmakers that he had served alongside many of them for 20 years as a senator from Alabama before he joined the Trump administration.

Let me state this clearly, colleagues: I have never met with or had any conversation with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States, Sessions declared.

And the suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie, he added in a heated tone.

But Sessions repeatedly refused to reveal anything about his conversations with Trump, frustrating senators who pressed him in vain to say whether the president had mentioned Russia or otherwise explained his reasons for firing Comey on May 9.

Im not able  to confirm or deny any conversations with the president, Sessions said.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) noted that Sessions had effusively praised Comey after he had reopened the FBI investigation of Hillary Clintons emails 11 days before the election, an event that Democrats said hurt her campaign.

Reed pressed Sessions to explain why he later decided to recommend Comeys dismissal.

In retrospect,  I think [Comeys conduct] was more egregious than I may have even understood at the time, Sessions responded.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) at one point accused Sessions of obstructing the Senate investigation.

I am not stonewalling, Sessions insisted, his voice rising. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice regarding confidential communications with the White House, he asserted.

Sessions said he had a duty to keep his conversations with Trump private even though the president has not asserted executive privilege  a sensitive claim that could push the administration into a head-on legal and political collision with Congress and the courts.

He has not asserted executive privilege to date, the attorney general said, adding that he wanted to preserve the presidents right to assert it later.

Outside experts said they were baffled by Sessions refusal to discuss his conversations with Trump.

Executive privilege clearly exists, but his attempt at asserting it and not asserting it at the same time was bumbling and incoherent, said Jens David Ohlin, a Cornell Law School professor and expert in international criminal law. He was all over the map.

The hearing gave Sessions an opportunity to give his own version of a turbulent month that saw the Justice Department appoint Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel to run the Russia investigation, and Comeys claim last week that he was aware of facts that could make Sessions involvement in the Russia inquiry problematic.

What are they? asked Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Why dont you tell me? Sessions responded sharply. There are none, Sen. Wyden, I can tell you that for absolute certain.  This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I dont appreciate it.

Sessions did confirm Comeys testimony that Trump had met the former FBI director privately in the Oval Office on Feb. 14 after the president had asked everyone else to leave the room.

I did depart, [and] I believe everyone else did depart, Sessions testified. The next day, he said, Comey expressed concern about being left alone with the president, which is consistent with Comeys account.

In his testimony last week, Comey said he deliberately avoided telling Sessions about what he felt was pressure from Trump to drop an FBI investigation of Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor.

Sessions said Comey should have simply told the president he couldnt talk about an ongoing investigation.

Thats the way that should work. And apparently it did, Sessions said, because he says he did not improperly discuss matters with the president.

Sessions was an early, enthusiastic backer of Trumps candidacy, and he became the campaigns top foreign policy advisor. But Sessions said his team only met a few times and never functioned as a coherent team.

As attorney general, Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation on March 2 following news reports that he had failed to disclose two other meetings with Kislyak during the campaign last year.

On Tuesday, he said that he decided to step aside because of his role as a senior advisor in the Trump campaign, which he said was a potential conflict.

I basically recused myself  the first day I got into the office, he said. I never accessed files, I never learned the names of the investigators, I never met with them, I never asked for any documentation.

He said, however, that his recusal did not prevent him from urging the president to fire Comey.

It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation would render the attorney general unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations, Sessions told the senators.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was one of the most aggressive questioners, pressing Sessions about whether he consulted notes and other records to refresh his memory ahead of his testimony.

Sessions said he had not kept extensive records of his meetings and conversations. The two repeatedly interrupted each other as the freshman lawmaker challenged Sessions to turn over any records from his campaign work to the committee, including his two meetings with Kislyak.

Youre moving so fast that you dont keep notes. You meet people. I didnt keep notes of my conversation with the Russian ambassador at the Republican convention, he replied.

At one point, Sessions complained that Harris wasnt giving him time to respond. Im not able to be rushed this fast, he said. It makes me nervous.

Sessions testimony came as Washington buzzed with speculation about whether Trump was preparing to fire Mueller, the newly appointed special counsel.

I think hes weighing that option, Trump confidant Christopher Ruddy said Monday night in an interview on PBS.

The comment sparked immediate concerns on Capitol Hill that Trump might seek to block the investigation in an echo of President Nixons dismissal of a special prosecutor in the notorious Saturday Night Massacre of the Watergate scandal.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein said at a separate hearing earlier Tuesday that only he has the authority to fire Mueller and that he would not do so without cause  even if the president ordered him to.

Im not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders, Rosenstein said.

If there were good cause, I would consider it; if there were not good cause, it wouldnt matter to me what anybody says.

Sessions testified that he has confidence in Mueller, who preceded Comey as FBI director.

I dont know about these reports that Trump might seek to fire Mueller, he said, adding that he wouldnt comment on hypotheticals.

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani

ALSO

Now its Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions turn to testify about the Russia inquiry

Trump may not have the legal power to fire Mueller, the special counsel

Deputy Atty. Gen. Rosenstein: No reason to fire Mueller as special counsel

UPDATES:

4:30 p.m: The story was updated with additional details of Sessions testimony.

1 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details of Sessions testimony.

12:20 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details of Sessions testimony.

12:00 p.m.: The story was updated with Sessions initial statements.

11:50 a.m.: The story was updated with the beginning of the hearing.

This story was originally published at 9:50 a.m.
After weeks of political tumult, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions will face some of his former Senate colleagues Tuesday to answer questions about his Russian contacts, his role in firing FBI Director James B. Comey and whether he has fully stepped aside from the Russia investigation.

Whatever the answers, the latest Senate Intelligence Committee hearing will keep attention focused on the Trump administrations mounting legal and political troubles amid a swirl of Russia-related inquiries, difficulties that the White House would much prefer to move beyond.

Yet on the eve of Sessions appearance, a new question has come to the fore, and probably will be put to the attorney general: Is President Trump considering firing Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel who was named by the Justice Department to investigate the Russia matters in the wake of Comeys firing?

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Hes weighing that option, Trump confidant Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of the conservative Newsmax Media, said on the PBS show NewsHour Monday evening.

Ruddy, who had met with Trump at the White House, added, I personally think it would be a very significant mistake.

Sessions, a former four-term senator from Alabama, was one of Trumps earliest and most vocal supporters during the campaign last year. He is expected to support the president under oath and to question Comeys version of events, giving the White House a chance to push back after days of harsh headlines.

Sessions, the nations highest-ranking lawman, asked to testify after Comeys dramatic appearance before the same panel Thursday. In it, Comey cited Sessions several times, including suggesting that the FBI had additional concerns about the attorney generals dealings with Russian authorities during the campaign.

Comey also made clear he did not trust Sessions to keep the president from meddling in the FBI investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian-backed hackers who sought to influence last years election, noting that he deliberately kept Sessions in the dark about some of Trumps comments.

Sessions is likely to be asked about Comeys version of several key events, including Comeys claim that in mid-February he pleaded with Sessions to ensure he not be left alone again with the president, because the FBI chief considered such private meetings inappropriate. Sessions, he said, didnt say anything.

Sessions already has signaled that he will dispute part of that account.

The attorney general was not silent; he responded to this comment by saying that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful about following appropriate policies regarding contacts with the White House, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Sessions also may be asked about the propriety of Comeys arranging a leak of his own memos to a reporter, which Trump described in a tweet Sunday as very cowardly, and whether he agrees with Trumps description of Comey to two Russian officials as crazy, a real nut job.

Comey repeatedly said he did not trust Trump to tell the truth. Sessions may be asked whether he trusts the presidents statements and whether he also takes notes after their conversations. He may be asked whether news reports that he offered to resign are correct.

He almost certainly will be asked whether the president sought to pressure him to block the Russia investigation. The nations top intelligence officers, in a separate hearing last week, refused to say under oath whether Trump had asked them to intervene.

The Justice Department said in a statement that Sessions asked to testify in public because he believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer would not say Monday whether the White House will invoke executive privilege to block Sessions from answering some questions.

I think it depends on the scope of the questions, Spicer said. He also wouldnt say whether Sessions sought permission from the White House before agreeing to testify, adding, Were aware of it and well go from there.

Although he is not in legal jeopardy, Sessions is a figure in the investigations. During his Jan. 10 Senate confirmation hearing, he said in response to a question that he did not have communications with the Russians.

After news reports later confirmed that he met twice last year with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to Washington, Sessions announced on March 2 that he had recused himself from any role in the FBIs investigation of Russian meddling in the election or any contacts with the Trump campaign.

Sessions deputy, Rod Rosenstein, handed the investigation off to Mueller last month to ensure it maintains independence from the Trump administration.

Senators are likely to ask Sessions about unverified intelligence suggesting he had a third meeting with Kislyak at a reception at Washingtons Mayflower Hotel in April 2016. His aides already have denied that any meeting occurred.

Sessions is sure to be asked about Comeys recounting last week of a meeting that Trump held with Sessions, Comey, senior advisor Jared Kushner, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and other top administration officials in the Oval Office on Feb. 14.

As the meeting broke up, Comey said, Trump asked him to stay and shooed everyone else out. Sessions, who outranked Comey, lingered but eventually left at the presidents direction, Comey said.

Once they were alone, Comey said, Trump mentioned the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn, who had been forced to quit a day earlier as national security advisor for lying about his own contacts with Kislyak.

It was during that meeting when Trump said, I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go, Comey recounted. The former FBI director said he understood it as a direction from the president.

The president on Friday denied that he had asked Comey to squelch the investigation.

After leaving the Oval Office, Comey said, he and other senior officials in the FBI decided not to tell Sessions about Trumps comments because Sessions was inevitably going to recuse himself from dealing with Russia matters.

Comey said he was aware of facts that I cant discuss in an open setting that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.

He later told the committee in a classified session about intelligence regarding a third meeting with Kislyak.

Sessions may seek to clarify why he recused himself from the Russia investigation. The Justice Department said last week that Sessions stepped aside because of a department rule that bars attorneys from investigating people with whom they have personal or political ties.

It was for that reason, and that reason alone, the department said in a statement that did not mention his meetings with Kislyak. It added Sessions has not been briefed on any matters involving the Russia inquiry.

Senators also are likely to ask Sessions about his meeting with Trump the night before Comey was fired on May 9. After that meeting, Sessions and Rosenstein, his top deputy, wrote memos saying they agreed that Comey should be fired.

I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at the leadership of the FBI, Sessions wrote.

Trump later told NBC News that he was thinking about this Russia thing when he decided to fire Comey and would do so regardless of the recommendation he received from Sessions and Rosenstein. Senators may ask Sessions whether Trump mentioned the Russia investigations during their discussions.

Last week, Comey said he couldnt explain why Sessions, if he had recused himself, was involved in his firing. Its a reasonable question, Comey said.

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani

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The House gave final passage Tuesday to a bill that will make it easier for the troubled Veterans Affairs Department to fire managers accused of misconduct.

But civil servant unions condemned the legislation, approved 368 to 55, as an end-run around long-standing protections for government employees and whistle-blowers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 passed the Senate on June 6. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law, tweeting last week that we cant tolerate substandard care for our vets.

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The act, which won bipartisan support and endorsements from veterans groups, is the latest attempt by Capitol Hill to respond to the 2014 VA scandals involving long wait times for medical care and attempts by VA employees to cover up the delays.

During the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to improve healthcare for veterans and the efficiency of the VA. The White House opened a veterans complaints hotline earlier this month and Trump proposed an increase in funding for the Veterans Choice Program in his fiscal budget.

The reform bill would make it easier to fire employees for cause, adds some protections for whistleblowers and puts more power in the hands of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.

Dan Caldwell, director of policy for Concerned Veterans for America, an advocacy group, said the bill will replace a system he said is too bureaucratic, too slow and too lenient on employees, sending the message that the days of employees who engage in flagrant misconduct are over.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs cited in a statement supporting the act several cases in which the department was not able to discipline employees for incidents such as armed robbery, intoxication during surgery and failure to manage major construction projects.

Caldwell called the bill a key reform that needs to be implemented before you can start addressing...anything at all, because if you dont have accountability then any type of future reforms will be undermined.

But unions representing some VA workers warned that the bill  which lowers the current standard of evidence needed to remove workers for misconduct  could be misused for political purposes and will do little to address the agencys problems, including overburdened medical facilities and thousands of unfilled healthcare positions.

This upends nearly 140 years of civil service law, and makes VA employees very close to at will, which seems to be the real objective of the drafters of this provision, said J. David Cox Sr., president of the American Federation of Government Employees, at a May 17 Senate hearing. Although marketed as a bill to make it easier to fire bad employees, the proposals are designed to kill off and bury the apolitical Civil Service. It makes it just as easy to fire a good employee, an innocent employee, as it will be to fire a bad employee.

Both supporters and opponents say the legislation could serve as a model for civil servants in other government departments.

The bill is designed to speed up the discipline and termination process. Under the bill, the process to decide on action must take no more than 15 business days and the individual employee must respond within seven business days. It now takes six months to a year to remove a permanent civil servant in the federal government, according to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

The act would also allow Shulkin to reduce an employees federal pension if they are involved in a felony affecting their position, or recoup a fired employees bonus and relocation expenses.

Shulkin previously served as VAs undersecretary for health under the Obama administration, a position some thought might make him an obstacle to the reforms. Others thought Shulkin might speed up the process since he was already an established leader in the department. He has held several executive and physician roles at medical centers and is the first VA secretary who is not a veteran.

In response to fears that the new law might be used improperly to punish whistleblowers  who were crucial to exposing the agencys problems in 2014  the legislation will create a new Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. Trump signed an executive order in April directing the secretary to create such an office to improve accountability and protect employees who lawfully disclose wrongdoing.

The bill also introduces a new position of assistant secretary for accountability and whistleblower protection, who will run the office and review all whistleblower disclosures and any allegations of misconduct for employees in senior executive or supervisory positions, as well as employees in positions regarding policy or confidential positions. The assistant secretary is also charged with creating guidelines to protect whistleblowers and provide consistent training on how to file a disclosure.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said the legislation  one of the few bipartisan legislative accomplishments since Trump took office  will improve care for veterans. Now were getting the veterans the kind of response and the kind of accountability they earned and deserved, he said at a press conference before the vote.

Supporters of the bill say it will help VA employee morale.

The good employee shows up to work everyday, deals with the struggles of traffic, showing up and doing their job, and then you get these poor performers who are sitting home appeal after appeal getting paid, said Louis Celli Jr., national director of veterans affairs and rehabilitation for American Legion, another veterans advocacy group. I think by and large the average VA employee will be relieved.

Bill Valdez, president of the Senior Executives Assn., an organization that provides resources for federal senior executives and professionals, is worried about the opposite effect.

This kind of legislation just carries on that perception that if we beat federal employees enough, morale will improve, Valdez said. This legislation does nothing to incentivize federal employees to do their jobs better, but does everything to tell them youre going to punished if we even suspect youre doing something wrong.

Instead, Valdez said he would like to see the department implement a new framework that focuses on risk and reward, creating an environment that will attract and retain new employees. The department still has more than 45,000 vacant positions.

Rory Riley, a consultant who has worked with veterans groups for more than 10 years, said targeting senior executives will start the cultural change she thinks is necessary for reform of the department. You need people to start implementing the change, others to observe it and then have a trickle-down effect, she said, referring to the leadership of the department.

Following the same idea, she hopes this bill will act as a catalyst for civil service reform nationwide.

Lauren.Rosenblatt@latimes.com

@LRosenblatt_

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with the vote tally.

This article was originally published at 2:35 p.m.
Los Angeles might as well rename Tuesday and call it election day instead. Thats been the joke in some corners of the city, where voters have been asked to go to the polls four times in the past four months.

With Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez heading to Congress after winning last weeks special election to replace Xavier Becerra , more than 100,000 voters still face one more election  maybe even two  in the foreseeable future.

In the doldrums of odd-numbered years, L.A. politics often focuses on elections for mayor and city council. But 2017 has felt like overkill even for the most die-hard voters.

Its like a never-ending cycle since November, said Amanda Santos, a stay-at-home mom and part-time bookseller who lives in Montecito Heights.

She has cast a ballot every month since March, when L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti won reelection and county voters approved Measure H to fund homeless services.

A month later, 23 candidates stacked the ballot in the primary to replace Becerra, and six weeks after that, there was a hotly contested runoff between L.A. Councilman Gil Cedillo and Joe Bray-Ali and a vote on Measure C, the police misconduct review measure. And then, just last week, voters went to the polls for the runoff between Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn.

That means for the better part of six months, the likeliest voters in central and northeast Los Angeles have been inundated with incessant phone calls, stacks of mailers and volunteers knocking on their doors for one campaign or another.

Santos said shes voted in pretty much every election since she turned 18, even when she lived abroad. But this year has been a bit much.

I see a lot of fatigue with some of my friends who are in the same district, said Santos, 36.

Marc Caswell, an urban planning consultant who lives in Silver Lake, said he came home after voting on Measure C only to find yet another ballot for the Gomez-Ahn runoff waiting for him in his mailbox.

Caswell likes to joke that his 6-month-old, Silas, has been to the polls more times than most adults. Last Tuesday, after he dropped off his ballot for the congressional race, Caswell posted a picture on Instagram of the baby in his stroller, a row of voting booths behind him.

Later that day, he told a friend, Well, thankfully its all over. His friend had to remind him that at least one more election is required to replace Gomez in the Legislature.

Nine candidates have already said they are running for Gomezs seat. If none of them receive more than 50% of the vote in a yet-to-be-called special election for the 51st Assembly District, there will be a runoff. The election dates havent been set because Gomez must first resign his seat, which he likely wont do until the election results are certified Friday.

L.A. County registrar Dean Logan said state law governing special elections requires that special elections be held at least 126 days after the governor proclaims an election to fill the vacancy. By the time Becerra stepped down from Congress after he was appointed Californias attorney general in January, it was too late to combine the election for his successor with any of the city races.

State records show there have been more than 50 special elections in California over the past decade. In L.A. County alone, special elections cost taxpayers $22.7 million between 2008 and 2015. The two 34th Congressional District elections conducted this year will add an estimated $2.6 million.

Turnout in the elections ranged from less than 11% of voters in Mays city races to about 20% in Marchs mayoral election. About 14% of voters cast ballots in each of the 34th Congressional District elections.

I dont think you can blame people when you have four elections in this short of a time, said Mike Samonek, 48, a voter in Mount Washington. Samonek said he didnt used to vote in local elections, but he and his wife made a pact to vote in every race after Donald Trumps presidential victory in November.

Its frustrating because I think when these politicians see that nobodys turning out to vote  they realize those [voters] are the only people they have to appeal to or think about. Samonek said.

Starting in 2020, L.A. city elections will coincide with state and federal elections, which will cut down on the number of races in odd years. But federal law requires vacancies in the House to be filled by special election rather than appointment, and efforts to allow the governor to fill most legislative vacancies by appointment rather than a special election have failed in the past.

Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, which advocates for voters rights, suggested one way to limit the cascading effect of special elections spurred by politicians looking to advance: Enact a law that would require elected officials to resign before running for another position. Five states have such laws.

This might prevent situations where incumbents such as Gomez can jump into another race with little political risk.

It would also have forced Kamala Harris to give up her post as attorney general before her successful run for U.S. Senate  a victory that triggered Becerras appointment, the special congressional election that replaced him with Gomez, and soon, an Assembly special election to replace Gomez.

I think we have to look back at the root cause and what is causing these vacancies in the first place, Alexander said.

Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report.

christine.maiduc@latimes.com

For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc.

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Trump promotes sons Justice with Judge Jeanine interview President Trump promoted via Twitter an interview with his son Eric Trump just before it aired Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine. Eric Trump on @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews now!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 Eric Trump called into the show to defend his father from criticism prompted by the first government shutdown in more than four years, as well as a series of Womens March events that saw protesters in dozens of cities take to the streets to oppose the presidents policies. .@EricTrump joined me over the phone from Mar-a-Lago ! pic.twitter.com/Hro3TzUW52  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 21, 2018 Speaking to host Jeannine Piro  who is reportedly an old friend of the presidents  Eric Trump offered effusive praise for his father, ticking off glowing statistics to illustrate the strength of the U.S. economy and gains against Islamic State fighters overseas. My fathers working like no ones ever worked before to bring back this country and to fulfill his promise to make America great again, said the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He also repeated a sentiment recently expressed on Twitter by his father: That Democratic lawmakers forced a government shutdown on the anniversary of the presidents inauguration in a bid to distract from his achievements. You look at this whole government shutdown, and the only reason they want to shut down government is to distract and to stop his momentum, Eric Trump said. I mean, my father has had incredible momentum. Hes gotten more done in one year than arguably any president in history. Facebook

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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Full-scale and long-term cooperation with the UN is Turkmenistans unchanging strategic choice, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Ashgabat, the Turkmenistan State News Agency reported June 13.

At the talks, Berdimuhamedov stressed the special significance of Guterres visit in the context of the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistans accession to the UN, celebrated this year.

Turkmenistan cooperates with the UN in security sphere, issues of sustainable development, energy, transportation, environment, as well as in development and establishment of democratic institutions.

A number of the UN organizations and agencies  the United Nations Development Program, the International Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Population Fund  are working in Turkmenistan.
Trumps latest tweet in media war is a literal show of mock pugilism By Laura King President Trump on Sunday circulated a doctored video clip on Twitter that showed him physically attacking a crudely rendered stand-in for CNN, a post that drew rebukes from critics as an incitement to violence, but prompted renewed expressions of support from backers. In doing so, Trump also ignored pleas to stop tweeting or at least take a more presidential tone -- from lawmakers in his own party -- after he took his war against news media to new heights last week with a coarse post on the appearance and intellect of cable television host Mika Brzezinski. On Saturday he also posted several anti-media messages as Americans began their Fourth of July celebration. Sundays tweet, which used an edited version of a years-old promotional video for professional wrestling, showed Trump, clad in a business suit and tie, administering a choreographed beat-down to a figure whose face was obscured by CNNs logo. #FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017 CNN, which has been a particular target of the president since the network was forced to retract a story relating to an element of the sprawling investigation into possible collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign, quickly condemned the tweet. It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters, the network said in statement. It also tweeted a recent assertion by White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders that Trump had never engaged in such incitement. "The President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary." - @SHSanders45 6/29/17  CNN Communications (@CNNPR) July 2, 2017 As is often the case, the presidents surrogates were left scrambling to explain or justify an inflammatory Twitter outburst. Homeland security advisor Thomas Bossert, who was shown the clip while appearing on ABCs This Week, watched it stone-faced and then declared: No one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they dont. The night before, Trump had used a celebration of veterans at Washingtons Kennedy Center to again denounce the news media. The president, who had briefly broken a weekend golf getaway to appear at the rally, pounded away at the theme that he is being treated unfairly. The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, he told the raucous crowd. But Im president, and theyre not. Facebook

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Increasing number of states reject request for personal information on voters from Trump commission By Colleen Shalby (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) A growing number of states have rejected a request for personal information about voters from a presidential commission on vote fraud led by Kansas controversial Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach, the vice chairman of the commission, sent letters to each state and Washington, D.C., asking for voters personal information. The request asked for names, addresses, voting history and the last four digits of voters Social Security numbers. The commission was set up to look into voter fraud after President Trump alleged that he lost the popular vote in 2016 only because millions of people voted illegally -- a claim that numerous states election officials from both parties and outside experts have dismissed as groundless. As of Friday afternoon, at least 13 states had outright rejected the request from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity. Officials in several other states either said they would not supply all the information or needed more information before making a decision. Some officials did not mince words in their nos. They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great State to launch from, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann wrote in a statement. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement that strongly criticized Kobach that he would continue to defend the rights of all eligible voters to cast their ballots free from discrimination, intimidation or unnecessary roadblocks. Secretary Padilla's response to the Election Commission's request for personal data of CA voters: pic.twitter.com/UdUt55HSim  CA SOS Vote (@CASOSvote) June 29, 2017 As a Kansas official, Kobach has been a leading backer of immigration restrictions and of measures to put new requirements on who is allowed to vote. His opponents note that he was fined last week for misleading a federal court in a voting rights case. Democratic elected officials in several states criticized the commission, itself, not just the information request. The president created his election commission based on the false notion that voter fraud is a widespread issue  it is not, Kentucky Secretary of State Allison Grimes wrote. "I do not intend to release Kentuckians' sensitive personal data to the fed. gov't."  Sec. Grimes



Statement on Pres. Commission request: pic.twitter.com/9Js05x99eF  Alison L. Grimes (@KySecofState) June 30, 2017 In an odd contradiction, Kobach said that Kansas, like some other states, will partially reject at least one aspect of the request. In Kansas, the Social Security number is not publicly available.  Every state receives the same letter, but were not asking for it if its not publicly available, he told the Kansas City Star. The states that have fully rejected the request include California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi and Minnesota. Others, including Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Missouri, Kansas, Utah and Texas will turn over some of the requested information. Vermont has requested an affidavit from the commission. And Wisconsin has suggested that the commission could purchase the publicly available information, just as political campaigns do. Officials in Washington state said they were reviewing the request. Facebook

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Look at possible conflicts of interest in Trump teams OneWest Bank probes, 2 Democrats urge By Jim Puzzanghera Protesters gather outside a OneWest Bank in Pasadena in 2014. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Two House Democrats want Congress to look into possible conflicts of interest in the Trump administrations handling of investigations into Pasadenas OneWest Bank  a bank formerly headed by now-Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Al Green (D-Texas) said Friday that there was room for considerable doubt as to the impartiality and the adequacy of this administrations investigations into OneWest and a subsidiary, Financial Freedom. Mnuchin was the banks chairman from 2009 to 2015. President Trump has nominated Joseph Otting, the former chief executive of OneWest, to be comptroller of the currency, a key bank regulator who is part of the Treasury Department. And Brian Brooks, who was OneWests vice chairman, reportedly will be tapped to be deputy Treasury secretary. Read More Facebook

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Healthcare issue delivers nothing but pain for Nevadas embattled Sen. Dean Heller By David Montero Dean Heller is Stephanie Diaz-Gonzalezs problem now. Shes never met Nevadas Republican senator and hadnt had much time to familiarize herself. How could she? The 25-year-old is holding down a full-time job and ra+ising a 7-year-old son, who keeps her busy with soccer games, math homework and those too-often terrifying moments when he cant breathe. When President Trump was elected and congressional Republicans moved on their top priority to dismantle Obamacare, Diaz-Gonzalez got to know Heller a whole lot better. Given his back-and-forth on the issue, she came to distrust him. I dont know if I could vote for him or support him, the Democrat said. He seems very contradictory. Which is why Heller is also Karen Steelmons problem. Steelmon, a 48-year-old Republican who grew up in northern Nevada, isnt happy with the lawmaker, who is considered the most vulnerable GOP senator in the country when he comes up for reelection next year. Obamacare has always been an abomination to Steelmon, an ardent supporter of repeal. To her, deeply held principles are at stake. Heller has never acted in favor of what I would consider conservative, constitutional principles as a general rule, said Steelmon, who would like to see the incumbent taken out in a GOP primary. And on the very few times he has, its always come as a surprise. This is Hellers dilemma. Read More Facebook

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Trump will meet face-to-face with Putin in Germany next week By Brian Bennett (Alexei Nikolsky / Associated Press) President Trump has governed five months under a cloud of questions about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, yet the two men will meet next week for the first time, on the sidelines of the G20 summit of world leaders in Hamburg, Germany. White House officials on Thursday confirmed plans for the private meeting but said no decisions had been made about the topics Trump will raise. So its unclear whether the men will discuss Russias election-year cyberattacks that are the focus of criminal and congressional investigations. Our relationship with Russia is not different from any other country in terms of us communicating with them, really, what our concerns are, where we see problems in the relationship but also opportunities, said Trumps national security advisor, H.R. McMaster. McMaster said he expected the two men to have a broad, wide-ranging discussion about problems in the relationship but also about where the U.S. and Russia have common interests. Theres no specific agenda, McMaster said. Its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about, he added. The White House has refused to say whether Trump would sign legislation with new sanctions on Russia for meddling in the elections by hacking, including into some states voting systems, and by spreading false news stories. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated the existing restrictions against Russia were sufficient. Weve got plenty of those as well, Mnuchin said. Trump will also meet with the leaders of China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries during the summit of 20 major world economies. Trumps director of the White House National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, said the meeting would fall short of a typical bilateral discussion between the American president and the head of another country, but would be more than whats known in diplomacy-speak as a pull aside  a quick, informal get-together on the edge of a conference. Trumps scheduled meeting with Putin in Hamburg places added significance on his stop in Poland next Wednesday. In Warsaw, McMaster said, Trump intends to bolster U.S. relationships with Poland and other central European and Baltic states that were once in Moscows orbit under the Soviet Union, but now rely on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the U.S. to counter pressure from Russia. Trumps meetings there seem designed to strengthen his hand with Putin. McMaster called Poland a front-line NATO nation with regards to the eastern flank, noting that it sent troops to fight alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq and has exceeded its pledge on NATO defense spending. As a candidate and president, Trump has criticized other NATO countries that have not yet met those pledges for military spending equal to at least 2% of the size of their respective economies. Facebook

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Travel ban seen a win by at least one conservative; Breitbart focuses on upcoming votes in Congress By Kurtis Lee After it stalled for several months in federal courts, a portion of President Trumps travel ban is set to take effect Thursday evening and will bar individuals from six majority-Muslim countries. Some in conservative media are viewing it as a much-needed political victory for Trump. Here are some of Thursdays headlines: Two wins for Trump (Washington Times) Trump has seen setbacks in his fledgling administration  probes into possible collusion with Russia, infighting among his party over a healthcare overhaul, federal courts halting his travel ban. But now, the president gets a W. The Supreme Courts decision to allow portions of President Trumps travel ban to proceed is a much-needed victory for the administration, Cal Thompson writes. In doing so the unanimous court affirmed  at least temporarily, pending a full hearing on the case in the fall  a presidents constitutional authority to determine whether people seeking admittance to the U.S. pose a threat to our safety and security. Thompson also highlights the Supreme Court decision this week that churches have the same right as other charitable groups to seek state money for new playground surfaces and other non-religious needs. Thompson called the ruling in the case, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia Inc. v. Comer, a victory for religious institutions and Trump, who at times has touched on the issue of religious freedom. Breitbart prods GOP leaders to pass pro-American immigration reforms (Breitbart) For Trump, Breitbart hasnt always delivered the most approving headlines for his administration  particularly on immigration. Some right-wing bloggers and pundits dont think Trump has done enough on immigration, a key pillar of his campaign platform. This piece turns the attention to members of Congress, where two bills  focused primarily on detaining people in the country illegally  could come up for a vote . The GOP-run House is expected to vote for two modest immigration-reform bills as soon as this week, but pro-American reformers are using the two votes to build loud and energetic public pressure for major reform legislation, notes the right-wing website. Trump attacks Psycho Joe Scarborough, Crazy Mika Brzezinski in Twitter tear (Fox News) At first, they were friends; now, perhaps, enemies?

Trump used Twitter early Thursday to jab Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who the president in past has said he admires. The tweets have drawn the ire of Republicans. Heres what the president wrote: I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 ...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 And the response? pic.twitter.com/8YhzcCUwM1  Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) June 29, 2017 Facebook

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Trump plans to nominate Brendan Carr to fill final FCC seat and provide crucial vote on net neutrality rules By Jim Puzzanghera President Trump intends to nominate Brendan Carr, a former aide to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, to fill the final open seat at the agency and provide a crucial vote on the future of tough net neutrality rules. Carr, the FCCs general counsel, would fill a Republican slot on the commission and would be expected to support Pais push to roll back the regulations for online traffic. Carrs intended nomination was announced by the White House on Wednesday night. It comes after Trump nominated Jessica Rosenworcel, a former FCC commissioner, on June 14 to fill a Democratic seat. If the Senate confirms both nominees, as expected, the FCC would have its full complement of five commissioners and a 3-2 Republican majority. Read More Facebook

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Gorsuch is already pushing Supreme Court to the right on religion, guns and gays By David Savage Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) When Judge Neil M. Gorsuch went before the Senate in March as President Trumps first nominee to the Supreme Court, he sought to assure senators he would be independent and above the political fray. There is no such thing as a Republican judge or Democratic judge, he said more than once. We just have judges. But in just his first few weeks on the high court, Justice Gorsuch has shown himself to be a confident conservative activist, urging his colleagues to move the law to the right on religion, gun rights, gay rights and campaign funding. He dissented along with Justice Clarence Thomas when the court rejected a gun-rights challenge to Californias law that strictly regulates who may carry a concealed weapon. The 2nd Amendments core purpose, they said, shows the right to bear arms extends to public carry. He wrote a dissent, joined by Thomas and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., when the court struck down part of an Arkansas law that gave opposite sex-couples, but not same-sex couples, the right to have both spouses listed on a childs birth certificate. The court said it had already decided that same-sex couples deserve fully equal rights under state law. And when Trumps travel ban came before the court this week, Gorsuch dissented from the majoritys middle-ground approach, which allowed the ban to take effect except for foreign travelers who had a relationship with this country, such as a close relative or a student enrolled in a university. Read More Facebook

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When he meets South Koreas president, Trump will be asking for trade concessions and help confronting North Korea By Brian Bennett (Nicholas Kamm / AFP Photo) President Trump plans to pressure South Korean President Moon Jae-in to make trade concessions when they meet Friday, while at the same time seeking closer cooperation against North Koreas accelerating nuclear program. Both aims, outlined Wednesday by a senior administration official, could make for some difficult discussions, especially since the newly elected Moon campaigned for a softer approach to the government in Pyongyang. Moon, who arrived Wednesday in Washington, began his four-day visit by laying a wreath at a memorial at Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia to the U.S. Marines who died during the Korean War in the battle at Chosin Reservoir. Trump will host Moon and his wife, Kim Joon-suk, for dinner at the White House on Thursday before the two leaders meet one-on-one in the Oval Office on Friday morning. Having criticized the two countries trade agreement when he was running for president, Trump will argue for a more balanced trade relationship, the administration official said in a background briefing. In particular, Trump will cite the large amount of Chinese steel that is sometimes processed in South Korea before being sold cheaply in the U.S. market. The two leaders will have a friendly, frank discussion about the trade imbalance between South Korea and the United States, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Seouls trade surplus is shrinking, the official added, but there is still a large gap. The visit will mark the first time the two leaders have met since the liberal Moon took office last month after the ouster of President Park Geun-hye, a scandal-tarred conservative who had taken a hard line against North Korea. Trump and Moon share precisely the same goal, the Trump aide said -- the complete dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear program. But the approach of the two leaders is starkly different. Trump has called for maximum pressure against North Korea, seeking additional economic sanctions and demanding that China, North Koreas main ally and patron, do more to shut off assistance to Pyongyang. Moon has risen through the ranks of his countrys politics advocating for closer ties between the Koreas, which technically are still at war. Already he has taken steps to delay the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, an anti-missile system intended to counter any North Korean strikes. The anti-missile system is a divisive issue in South Korea; it prompted protests last weekend at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. China has objected to installation of the powerful radar defense as well, but the White House believes the U.S. system will ultimately be fully operative. The delay should not be equated as a reversal of the decision to deploy THAAD, the official said, and suggested that the topic would not be central to the two presidents discussions. As important as anything [will be] building a rapport and getting to know each other, the official said. Facebook

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Senate Republicans aim for new healthcare bill by Friday, but skeptics remain By Lisa Mascaro (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Senate Republicans reconvened behind closed doors Wednesday trying to break the impasse on their healthcare overhaul but emerged with no apparent strategy for resolving differences by an end-of-week deadline. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky vowed to try again for a vote after the Fourth of July recess, despite having abruptly delayed action this week. Senators were aiming for a revised bill by Friday, the Republican whip, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters, so it could be assessed by the Congressional Budget Office during the break. But senators remained skeptical after the lengthy lunchtime huddle that appeared to run long on ideas but short on consensus. I think its going to be very difficult, said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). McConnell surprised senators by delaying this weeks expected votes once it became clear he did not have a majority for passage  or possibly to even open the debate. As many as 10 Republican senators now publicly oppose the bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and leaders are scrambling to win them over with an estimated $200 billion in savings from the bill that can be applied to their particular states needs. But even with that fund of resources, it is not clear McConnell will be able to satisfactorily improve the legislation, which now threatens to cut 22 million Americans off health insurance. He can only afford to lose two Republican votes in the face of Democratic opposition. Its going to be very difficult to get me to a yes... have to make us an offer we cant refuse, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) said on a telephone town hall late Tuesday, according to journalist Jon Ralston, who monitored the call. Fresh polling Wednesday showed paltry support for the Republican approach to overhauling the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity now that Republicans are closer than ever to repealing it. A USA Today poll put approval of the Senate GOP bill at 12%. Republicans, though, are under enormous pressure from their most conservative supporters  and big dollar donors, including the powerful Koch network  to deliver on their promised to end Obamacare. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, suggested that President Trump convene all 100 senators  much the way then-President Obama did during his first days in office for a session at Blair House  to see how they might be able to work together to improve, rather than repeal, the Affordable Care Act. Id make my friends on the Republican side and President Trump an offer: Lets turn over a new leaf. Lets start over, said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). President Trump, I challenge you to invite us  all 100 of us, Republican and Democrat  to Blair House to discuss a new bipartisan way forward on healthcare in front of all the American people. No such invitation, however, seemed forthcoming. Trump dismissed Schumers proposal  he just doesnt seem like a serious person, the president said  and instead promised his own big surprise on healthcare. Healthcare is working along very well, Trump told reporters at the White House. We could have a big surprise, with a great healthcare package. Asked what he meant by a big surprise, Trump simply repeated: A great, great surprise. The Republican bill, like its counterpart passed by House Republicans, does not fully gut Obamacare, but rescinds the new taxes imposed on high-income individuals and healthcare companies to pay for expanding coverage through Medicaid and subsidies for private insurance on the ACA marketplace. Senators said the private talks Wednesday focused mainly on changes to the Obamacare marketplace that could bring down the cost of insurance premiums. One idea from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to allow insurers to offer policies that do not meet the Obamacare benchmarks for what insurance needs to cover met with mixed reaction, senators said. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, warned that such changes would alter the risk pool, keeping insurance costs high. You end up with policies that, for example, dont cover maternity, Cassidy said. Do you want a policy that doesnt have maternity, which would be principally appealing to young men, when obviously typically men have had a role in that pregnancy? Other senators were floating new ideas, but McConnell gave no indication whether those proposals would be included in the final revised product. Michael A. Memoli contributed to this report. Facebook

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No new laptop bans, but air travelers to the U.S. will face tighter screening all over the globe By Joseph Tanfani Homeland Security officials said Wednesday they will order stricter passenger screening and other new security measures for all flights entering the United States but will not bar laptop computers in carry-on luggage as airlines and passenger groups had feared. The new order will cover about 2,000 flights a day from 280 airports in 105 countries, a move that could make international flying even more onerous just as the busy summer travel season starts. Security officials would not detail the new measures but said passengers headed to the United States will face more intensive screening at airports, and probably more security dogs. They gave no date for when the new procedures will start. If carriers dont implement the measures effectively, Homeland Security still may ban laptops, e-readers and other electronic devices larger than cell phones from cargo holds as well as passenger cabins. The decision follows intelligence, reportedly gathered from Islamic State in Syria by Israeli spy services, suggesting a lethal new threat from bombs that could be concealed in digital devices and that could evade detection by airport screening devices. In March, U.S. and British authorities banned laptops in cabins on flights from eight Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East, saying terrorists were seeking innovative methods to bring down commercial jetliners. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly told a security conference in Washington on Wednesday that the new security measures will be both seen and unseen and will be phased in over time. He said they will include tougher screening, particularly of electronic devices, plus new technology and procedures to protect planes from so--called insider attacks by airline employees. It is time that we raise the global baseline of aviation security, Kelly said. We cannot play international whack-a-mole with every new threat. He said terrorists still see commercial aircraft as the crown jewel target for attacks, and that intelligence has shown renewed interest by terrorists to attack airlines. Kelly told a House committee several weeks ago that the department was considering extending the laptop ban to 71 more airports overseas. But Kelly ultimately decided to tighten screening across the board, instead of focusing on laptops or chasing after each item that might be used to bring down a jetliner, senior Homeland Security officials said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters, said Kelly worked with airlines to find ways to improve screening without unduly inconveniencing passengers. Intensive doesnt always mean slower, said one official. In some cases, airlines have been doing these things at international airports for some time. The officials said more security dogs, which sniff for explosives, may be used. And they said airlines and airports may institute pre-check programs like those approved by the Transportation Security Administration for use in U.S. airports. The officials said restrictions on the first 10 airports will be lifted once airlines in those countries satisfy the new security protocols, officials said. Airport authorities in the eight countries affected by that ban  Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates  have been told about the new security measures and will put them in place so the ban is lifted, the officials said. In recent weeks, Kelly and his aides have huddled with their counterparts overseas, as well as with representatives of major airlines, to discuss whether to expand the ban around the globe. Airlines protested that a laptop ban would inconvenience passengers and not remove the threat. Aviation experts and European security officials warned that putting laptops in cargo holds would pose other dangers because the lithium batteries could start fires. In 1988, a bomb hidden in a radio cassette player exploded aboard a Pan Am jet flying over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and crew. The plot was blamed on then-Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi. In 2010, powerful bombs hidden in printer ink cartridges were found aboard two cargo jets headed from Yemen to Chicago. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula later claimed responsibility for the plot. Facebook

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Its crunch time for McConnell after Senate GOP is forced to delay vote on healthcare bill By Lisa Mascaro ( (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)) The abrupt decision Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to temporarily shelve a vote on the Republican Obamacare overhaul gives him a few extra weeks to build support for a revised bill before it risks becoming hopelessly stalled by the opposition. The seasoned GOP leader will be aided by what amounts to a $200-billion piggy bank to push Republican holdouts into line. Thats the bills extra cost savings, compared with the House version, that McConnell can tap to provide perks to individual senators, from more opioid assistance to expanded tax-free health savings accounts. A similar strategy  delay and enticements  worked well in the House, where Republicans last month passed their healthcare bill on the third try. But prolonging the debate also gives Democrats and other critics time to mobilize, and ensures that senators will be exposed to an onslaught of opposition as they head home for the weeklong holiday break to defend a bill that has estimated would leave tens of millions of Americans without insurance. After the delay was announced, President Trump hosted a White House gathering of all GOP senators. But rather than rally them around the bill with the power of the presidential bully pulpit, he struck a surprisingly detached tone. This will be great if we get it done, Trump told senators in the East Room. And if we dont get it done, its just going to be something that were not going to like. And thats OK. Read More Facebook

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As vote looms, concerns over Medicaid cuts rise from some in conservative media By Kurtis Lee Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press ) The vote  for now  is delayed. As President Trump has urged Senate Republicans to pass a bill that would overhaul the Affordable Care Act, some, including Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Rob Portman of Ohio, have expressed concerns over cuts to Medicaid. Both represent states that, under Obamacare, expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. The current Senate healthcare bill would deliver deep cuts to Medicaid, leaving millions uninsured. While Trump awaits a vote in the coming weeks  originally scheduled for this week, but pushed back until after the July 4 recess  its on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to gather enough support from within his GOP caucus to secure the bills passage. Some in the conservative media are questioning the current bill. Here is an overview of todays headlines on this and other issues: Republicans have a Medicaid problem (Weekly Standard) The Republican healthcare bill would cut Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade. Chris Deaton writes that Republicans aim to offset the consequences of these Medicaid changes by offering tax credits for private insurance to people under the poverty line. In this piece, Deaton raises the question of whether low-income earners would be better off with Medicaid coverage or obtaining insurance through a GOP tax credit? He answers by noting, Its long been a contention of conservative thinkers that healthcare outcomes improve with private insurance rather than Medicaid. Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, registers as foreign agent (Associated Press) Hes among those facing scrutiny in an FBI investigation into Russian meddling in last years election. Now, Paul Manafort, who at one time served as Trumps campaign chairman, has registered with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent. In a filing with the department, Manafort notes that his consulting firm received nearly $17 million between 2012 and 2014 from a Ukrainian political party with links to Russia, according to the Associated Press. Last spring, former national security advisor Michael T. Flynn, who resigned from his position in February after misleading administration officials about contacts with Russians, also registered as a foreign agent, for consulting work he did for a Turkish businessman. A Democratic road to recovery (American Spectator) The party is attempting a reboot. After Hillary Clintons 2016 loss and defeats in several special elections this year, Democrats are in search of a new face for the party. Even so, liberals are in lock-step in their opposition to Trump. This piece offers Democrats some advice  from the right  on how to recover. Leftists: You have been lied to and taken advantage of. When you eventually come out of this haze you are in, you will realize that it was done not by the president, but by the snake oil salesmen and charlatans, who took advantage of your sickness and weakness, simply for money and power, writes Judah Friedman. Ask yourselves this: What is the Democratic Party, right now, without this rage, and hate, with which it is fueling your addictions? The answer is nothing. Facebook

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Sarah Palin sues the New York Times for tying her PAC ad to mass shooting By Associated Press Former vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is accusing the New York Times of defamation over an editorial that linked one of her political action committee ads to the mass shooting that severely wounded then-Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. In the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, Palins lawyers say the Times violated the law and its own policies when it accused her of inciting the 2011 attack that killed six people. The lawsuit refers to a June editorial in the Times on the recent shooting of Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise. The editorial later was corrected. Palin is seeking damages to be determined by a jury. A spokeswoman for the Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, says the company hasnt seen the lawsuit but will defend against any claim vigorously. Facebook

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Trump succeeds where Obama failed  spawning a new wave of liberal activism By Mark Z. Barabak Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto launched the Democratic activist group Run For Something, which encourages people under 35 to seek elected office. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The night Hillary Clinton lost the White House, Amanda Litman cried so hard she threw up. In Atlanta, as the returns rolled in, Traci Feit Love faced a question from her anguished 8-year-old daughter: Now what do we do? Across the country, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Rita Bosworth wondered the same thing. The three never met, never spoke, never communicated in any fashion. But in the days and weeks that followed, they became common threads in a sprawling patchwork: the angry and politically aggrieved who  with no help from politicians, political parties or any formal campaign structure  have joined to fight President Trump and his policies. Read More Facebook

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Trump on healthcare bill: If we dont get it done ... thats OK By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump said that if the healthcare bill fails to pass in the Senate, he wont like it  but thats OK. Trump spoke Tuesday at a gathering of Senate Republicans after their leaders delayed a vote on their healthcare bill until at least next month. Trump said, This will be great if we get it done and if we dont get it done its going to be something that were not going to like and thats OK and I can understand that. He added, I think we have a chance to do something very, very important for the public, very, very important for the people of our country. Facebook

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Watch live: Press briefing with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Energy Secretary Rick Perry Facebook

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Senate GOP leaders abruptly delay vote on healthcare bill until after July 4th recess By Lisa Mascaro Facing resistance from their own party, Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday they would postpone a vote on their healthcare bill until after the July 4th recess. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to provide more time to make changes to the bill to try to convince reluctant GOP senators to vote for the measure. Were going to press on,' McConnell said, adding he remains optimistic. Were continuing to talk. Since the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the bill would leave 22 million more Americans without insurance after 10 years, several Republicans senators had said they would not even support allowing the bill to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Meanwhile, President Trump invited all GOP senators to the White House for a meeting Tuesday afternoon. But Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a moderate who has expressed serious doubts about the bill, questioned whether revisions would make a difference. I have so many fundamental problems with the bill, that have been confirmed by the CBO report, that its difficult to see how any tinkering is going to satisfy my fundamental and deep concerns about the bill,' Collins said on CNN. McConnell is struggling to appease two factions in his party. Centrists like Collins want to lessen the impact of proposed cuts to Medicaid, while conservatives want to go further in repealing benefits provided under Obamacare. Senate leaders hope to continue talks this week, with an eye toward moving quickly when Congress returns after the holiday. McConnell plans to wait for the CBO to review any changes and reissue a score. He can only afford to lose two Republicans given the partys 52-seat majority in the Senate. Theres more work that needs to be done, its pretty obvious, said Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho as he was leaving a Senate lunch with Vice President Mike Pence. Pence ignored reporters questions about the decision. If more work needs to be done, you shouldnt try to light the fire. But the delay in a vote will give Democrats and other opponents of the repeal bill more time to mobilize, particularly as Republicans return to their home districts during the holiday. We know the fight is not over,' said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. Facebook

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Trump administration warns of Syrian chemical attack, but with damaged credibility By Noah Bierman The Trump administration Monday night sent the kind of dire warning -- of the Syrian regimes apparent preparation for another chemical weapons attack, and a threat of U.S. retaliation -- that requires credibility to have a receptive national and foreign audience. Yet the initial bafflement about the warning among U.S. defense officials, and the simultaneous distraction of President Trumps unrelated tweets, seemed to undercut the seriousness of the moment. More broadly, the episode is testing the damage Trump has done to his and his administrations trustworthiness by his assaults on the intelligence community as well as other perceived enemies. Trump has spent months attacking the credibility of the intelligence community, at one point comparing their tactics to Nazis and repeatedly calling its findings of Russian meddling in the election a hoax and witch hunt, even as foreign policy experts cautioned that he was diminishing the reputation of a community he would need in times of crisis to rally public support. At a moment of crisis when U.S. decisions and actions rest upon information coming from the intelligence community, [Trump] may have diminished the credibility of that information in the eyes of the public and the eyes of the international community, said Daryl G. Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Assn. Kimball called the White House statement unusual and said such messages would normally be sent through private diplomatic channels. He added that the public allegation should be followed by a formal presentation of the evidence to the United Nations Security Council, to build international support against suspected Syrian violations of the chemical weapons ban. The four-line statement on Syria from the White House Press Secretary came just after 9:44 p.m. EDT Monday. The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children, the statement read. The activities are similar to preparations the regime made before its April 4, 2017 chemical weapons attack. If Syrian President Bashar Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price, it concluded, citing a U.S. missile strike after the previous chemical attack to reinforce the new threat. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Tuesday that preparations for a chemical attack were observed at the same base in Syria from which its military launched a sarin nerve gas attack that killed 86 people, including children, in April. We have observed activities at Shayrat Air Base that suggest possible intent by the Syrian regime to use chemical weapons again, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway said in a statement. These activities are similar to what we observed prior to the regime chemical weapons attack against Khan Sheikhoun in April. But some senior U.S. defense and intelligence officials reached late Monday and early Tuesday were caught off guard by the White House statement. Some knew, some didnt, said a U.S. official who sought anonymity to discuss the intelligence matter. The official described the release of the nighttime statement as ungraceful, but said the assessment that Syria was preparing for an attack is sound. Such official statements are typically distributed widely across an administration for internal vetting before theyre publicly released. The White House said the relevant agencies were informed before the statement was published. Yet Trump lent further confusion about the urgency of the matter and his own level of concern by sending out a tweet about domestic politics only minutes later. He cited a Fox news report about the FBIs Russia investigation, writing as he often does about the probe, Witch Hunt! From @FoxNews "Bombshell: In 2016, Obama dismissed idea that anyone could rig an American election." Check out his statement - Witch Hunt!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2017 Indeed, Trump continued through the next morning to demonstrate his frustration with the Russia investigation and what he calls the American medias fake news with posts on his Twitter feed. Many tweets quoted supportive conservative commentators and Fox News reports. Trump was eager to go after CNN, one of his top media targets, after it retracted a Russia-related story and three journalists involved resigned. So they caught Fake News CNN cold, but what about NBC, CBS & ABC? What about the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost? They are all Fake News!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2017 Trumps willingness to mix politics and his administrations ominous red line to Syria opened him up to criticism that he was trying to divert attention from other unfavorable news Monday. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office had found that the Republican plan to replace Obamacare would strip 22 million people of health insurance coverage over the next decade. The Syria statement also prompted a sharp backlash from the Kremlin, which is Assads military ally in his nations civil war. Russian officials denied there is evidence of an imminent chemical attack and called the White House threat unacceptable. The tensions have heightened as Trump is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week at the G20 Summit of industrialized nations in Germany. Mondays statement may be seen as a warning not just to Syria but to Russia, which is widely seen as enabling Assads harsh tactics by bolstering his military as he has tried to retain power. Facebook

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Kremlin calls White House warning to Syria unacceptable, denies any Assad chemical attack in the works By Sabra Ayres The Kremlin is calling unacceptable a White House warning to Syrias government that it would pay a heavy price if it carries out another poison gas attack against its own people. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, also declared Tuesday that there is no indication that a chemical weapons strike is in the works. The White House said late Monday night that activity had been detected similar to that preceding a nerve gas attack on April 4 that killed dozens of civilians, including children, in rebel-held Idlib province. President Trump responded by launching nearly 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield that U.S. officials said was used for the chemical attack. It was the first U.S. attack on Syrian forces in the six-year civil war. Russia continues to deny that Assads forces carried out the April 4 gas attack and Peskov criticized the White House for saying there were signs of preparation for another such strike. Peskov said the Kremlin does not think it is possible to lay the blame on the Syrian armed forces for the April strike on the village of Khan Sheikhoun, which the U.S. and its allies said involved sarin, a banned nerve agent. Despite all the demands from the Russian side, an impartial international inquiry into a previous tragedy using chemical agents has not been carried out, the spokesman told Russian news agencies. Peskov criticized the White House warning to Assad, saying such threats to Syrias legitimate leaders are unacceptable. Read More Facebook

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Senate healthcare overhaul hits trouble as Republicans hesitant to proceed to vote By Lisa Mascaro The Senate Republican healthcare bill ran into serious trouble late Monday when key GOP senators indicated they may block the Obamacare overhaul from proceeding to a vote this week. Political turmoil has been building over the bill for days. But GOP tension burst open after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that 22 million more Americans would lose insurance coverage under the plan and that out-of-pocket costs for many of those buying policies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace would rise. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hoped to start procedural votes by Wednesday, and President Trump called key senators over the weekend as support splintered. Its the same political dynamic that stalled the House Republican bill last month, as conservative and centrist factions wrestle for dominance. Conservatives want a more complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which they hope will lower premium costs, while centrists are trying to avoid leaving millions of Americans without health coverage. Senate bill doesnt fix ACA problems for rural Maine, tweeted Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). I will vote no on mtp, she said, referring to the motion to proceed to the bill. Conservative Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is also working to change the bill so that he can vote yes on the procedural motion. We are not there yet, Lees spokesman said. Senators have bristled at what they viewed as McConnells secretive and rushed process, and several other senators said they wanted more time before voting. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was among those Republicans who shared concerns in weekend calls with Trump. We continue to make progress, Cruz told reporters Monday, as Democrats, who oppose the bill, planned an almost-all-night protest session. Cruz is part of the gang of four conservatives -- including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky -- who have said they cannot vote for the bill as is. Among the changes being pursued is one provision that would allow insurers to offer cheaper policies that do not meet ACAs requirements and another to let consumers sock more money into health savings accounts We can get there and Im hopeful we will get there, Cruz said. However, he declined to say whether he would agree to Wednesdays procedural vote. Also hesitant to proceed was Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who has strongly criticized undoing Obamacares Medicaid expansion that has enabled about 200,000 people to gain coverage in his state. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, for example, wanted changes to help residents in her geographically far-flung state where healthcare costs are particularly high. Some senators, though, dismissed the budget analysis and said keeping the ACA would be worse. Its clear the CBO cannot predict the purchasing patterns for millions of Americans, said Georgia Sen. David Perdue, a Trump ally, in a statement. This bureaucratic analysis will do nothing to prevent Obamacare from failing. Others are weighing their votes. Republican Sen. Bob Corker, whose office is receiving thousands of daily calls, spent part of Monday on the phone with health officials in Tennessee as he assesses the fallout in his state of 22 million more people in the country without healthcare. I kind of figured it was going to be a pretty big number, said Corker, who remains undecided. Theres a lot of incoming. CBO says 22 million people lose insurance; Medicaid cuts hurt most vulnerable Americans; access to healthcare in rural areas threatened. 2/3  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) June 26, 2017 Facebook

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Supreme Court puts off decision in three pending cases about borders and immigration By David Savage ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Amid its flurry of decisions Monday about Trumps travel ban and cases involving religious liberties and guns, the Supreme Court put off final rulings on three pending cases involving immigration and the U.S. border. In Hernandez vs. Mesa, the court in an unsigned opinion told the U.S. appeals court in New Orleans to take a second look at a border shooting case. The parents of a 15-year-old Mexican boy sued a U.S. border patrol agent who shot and killed the teenager when he was standing a few feet from the border on the Mexican side. The 5th Circuit had thrown out the parents suit. The facts alleged in the complaint depict a disturbing incident resulting in a heartbreaking loss of life, the court said in sending the case back for a further hearing. The court said it would rehear in the fall a Los Angeles case involving whether immigrants awaiting deportation can be jailed indefinitely, or instead have a right to a bond hearing after six months. The courts action suggests the eight justices were evenly split in Jennings vs. Rodriguez. The court also said it will rehear the case of Sessions vs. Dimaya to decide whether non-citizens can be deported for an offense like breaking into an empty home because it may be deemed a crime of violence. Facebook

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Refugee advocates says even partial reinstatement of travel ban will cause hardship By Laura King Immigration and refugee advocates expressed disappointment Monday with the Supreme Courts partial reinstatement of President Trumps travel ban, saying even limited implementation could cause hardship to refugees and others seeking to travel to the United States from six affected Muslim-majority countries. However, organizations taking part in the months-long legal fight against the revised travel ban expressed hopes that the high court ultimately will reject the restrictions after arguments are heard in October. And they welcomed what they described as an implicit rebuke of the White Houses assertion that Trump has unfettered powers to exclude arrivals based on purported national security concerns. The initial rollout of the ban, days after Trump took office in January, caused pandemonium at airports across the United States and overseas as tens of thousands of visa-holders arriving from seven affected countries were turned away without warning or detained. After courts blocked that order, Trump issued a revised travel ban that took Iraq off the list. A replay of Januarys travel chaos was unlikely Monday because the courts action will allow visa-holders with bona fide ties to people or entities in the U.S. to enter, meaning students, employees and family members can still get in. But refugee advocates said the courts limited ruling, which the administration can move to implement on Thursday, could leave many would-be arrivals in limbo pending the finalizing of new vetting procedures. The administration had originally said a three-month travel ban was needed in part to review the checks to which would-be entrants are subjected. David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, said the partial reinstatement of the ban particularly threatens vulnerable people waiting to come to the U.S., including those with urgent medical conditions. We urge the administration to begin its long-delayed review of the vetting process and restart a program which changes lives for the better, said Miliband. The National Immigration Law Center, one of the groups that challenged the ban, said that as of this week, approximately 50,500 refugees from the six affected countries had been approved for travel and resettlement in the United States  all having already undergone intensive checks. The Middle East Studies Assn., one the groups contesting the ban in the lower courts, said many students and academics were ensnared by the original order. Even though Mondays court move should allow entry to those studying or working at American academic institutions, many from the affected countries remained wary of leaving and then attempting to re-enter the United States, the group said. Iran  along with Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya  is one of the affected countries, and Southern California is home to a large Iranian American community that was hit hard by the original ban. Some advocates said even with Mondays limited action, there has already been a chilling effect on movement. Todays Supreme Court decision immediately places the status of many Americans families into question again, said Shayan Modarres, legal counsel for the National Iranian American Council. The group said that visas issued to Iranian passport-holders had fallen by nearly half since the legal battle over the ban began, and that obtaining a U.S. visa was becoming so onerous that many would not even try to get one. The Trump administrations new idea is to make it so hard on Iranians and Muslims to get a visa that visa officers will have the unrestricted discretion to reject visa applications, Modarres said. He added that grounds for rejection could be social media postings critical of Trump or not being able to produce airline boarding passes that could have been issued and used more than a decade ago. Advocacy groups reiterated their position  which was argued in a number of the lower court cases that propelled the issue to the high court  that the travel restrictions run counter to core American traditions and values. Mark Hetfield, president of the refugee resettlement agency HIAS, said the group considered the courts move an affirmation that the president does not have unfettered, unchecked authority to bar refugees from the U.S. without evidence to justify such action. But he added that the executive orders partial resurrection would once again cause irreparable damage to refugees, immigrants, and Americas reputation as a welcoming country. The initial ban prompted large nationwide protests, and advocates suggested they would again seek to marshal popular opposition to the restrictions. When the first order went into effect, tens of thousands of Americans showed the world that this is not who we are and not what we want, said Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, another of the groups involved in the legal challenge. We will never give up defending the rights of those who are affected by this discriminatory executive order. Facebook

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Trump says Supreme Court action on travel ban gives him important tool By Michael A. Memoli .@POTUS statement says SCOTUS action allows him to "use an important tool for protecting our Nation's homeland." Will admin press further? pic.twitter.com/gxBJO5aYYZ  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) June 26, 2017 President Trump celebrated the Supreme Courts decision Monday to allow a curtailed version of his travel ban to take effect, calling it a clear victory for our national security. In an official White House statement, the president said he was particularly gratified that at least part of the ruling was 9-0; three conservative justices said they would have let the presidents revised executive order take effect completely. My number one responsibility as Commander in Chief is to keep the American people safe. Todays ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our Nations homeland, he said. The White House has long maintained that the president was acting within his authority in seeking to temporarily restrict travel to the United States. They most often point to a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that states a president can suspend or limit entry of individuals whenever the president finds that the entry ... would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Facebook

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Rival Senate factions push competing agendas as healthcare bill hangs in balance By Laura King Heading into a week of intense jockeying and arm-twisting over the Senates polarizing healthcare plan, the rift appeared to widen Sunday between moderates who consider the measure too punitive and conservatives who want to see the sweeping bill toughened up before agreeing to back it. President Trump, who made the repeal of his predecessors signature Affordable Care Act a campaign centerpiece, expressed optimism about chances for Senate passage, but declared again that he wanted to see a plan with heart  suggesting he might undercut Republican efforts to bring recalcitrant conservatives on board. With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seeking to push ahead with a vote this week, the bills prospects hung in the balance. Five GOP senators have said publicly they oppose the measure as written; the defection of only three Republicans would be enough to sink it. Read More Facebook

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Analysis: Atop 2017 losses, a sobering challenge for Democrats aiming at Trump next year By Cathleen Decker Republican Karen Handel, winner of last weeks special House election in Georgia. ( (Bob Andres / Atlanta Journal-Constitution)) Democrats have hoped that President Trumps deep unpopularity would propel them to gains in next years midterm election as they fight to take control of the House and improve their position in the Senate. But last years contests and this years special elections suggest a complication: Trump is so distinctive a politician that its hard to persuade voters that other Republican candidates are carbon copies of the president. Trumps outsized persona makes even those Republicans who share his views seem more moderate, an important attribute to swing voters. That presents a problem for the party out of power. Midterm elections traditionally serve as referendums on the president, but voters complicated views of Trump may give Republicans more running room than his popularity figures suggest. The votes cast by individual Republican incumbents may be more important to their survival than any linkage with the president. Read More Facebook

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Conservatives at Koch summit outline changes to Senate healthcare bill to win their support By Lisa Mascaro Tim Phillips, who heads Americans for Prosperity, the largest of the Koch networks advocacy groups, speaks to the media at the White House in Washington on March 8. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Conservatives floated two amendments for toughening up the Senates Obamacare overhaul this weekend at the influential Koch networks confab of wealthy donors, as Republicans seek ways to win over detractors and tip enough GOP votes for passage. That the Koch network quickly panned the Senate bill is no surprise. The organization of deep-pocketed conservative advocacy groups similarly rejected the House GOP bill this spring until party leaders tacked on tough amendments to appease right-leaning Republicans. Weve been disappointed that movements not been more dramatic toward a full repeal or a broader rollback of this onerous law Obamacare, said Tim Phillips, who heads Americans for Prosperity, the largest of the Koch networks advocacy groups. But we are not walking away, he said. We worked to make the House bill better and it did get better. Were doing the same thing on the Senate front. One key lawmaker attending the weekend summit at the luxurious Broadmoor Hotel, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and a chief negotiator on the House bill, outlined two key changes to the bill that he said could likely win enough conservative support for passage. One amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would allow companies that offer insurance policies on the Obamacare marketplace to also offer plans that do not meet the ACAs strict requirements. Such a change would in essence allow insurers to offer cheaper, though skimpier, policies that may help achieve the GOPs goal of lowering premiums for consumers. Another amendment would broaden the ability of those who buy insurance on the marketplace to sock away more money in tax-free Health Savings Accounts to help them pay for their premiums. Cruz is one of four Senate conservatives who have said they would not support the bill unless changes are made, positioning them for negotiations in the days ahead. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) needs to win back some of their votes to pass the bill with his slim 52-seat Republican majority. One of the conservatives, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), was among those feted Saturday night at a reception with Charles Koch, the billionaire industrialist who funds the conservative network. Koch told those gathered for an outdoor cocktail reception on a breezy Colorado Springs evening about how far his team has come over the years at promoting what is a libertarian-leaning conservative agenda. Now when I look at where we are, at the size and effectiveness of this network, Im blown away, he told donors. Koch met Friday with Vice President Mike Pence. But the politics in the Senate remain difficult as McConnell continues to negotiate behind closed doors and rushes the bill to a vote expected this week. On Sunday, one key centrist, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, doubted a swift resolution. Its hard for me to see the bill passing this week, she said on ABCs This Week. Another crucial vote, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who had offered his own proposal, also criticized the rush. I frankly would like a few more days to consider this, Cassidy said on CBSs Face the Nation. But Republicans are anxious to resolve the healthcare debate, which has created a logjam in their legislative agenda. Meadows also told reporters if the Senate passes the bill this week, the House could quickly follow with a weekend session -- ahead of a Fourth of July bill signing by the president. Facebook

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Schiff: Obama should have acted on Russian interference, but Trump shouldnt complain By Laura King A top House Democrat says President Obama should have reacted more forcefully upon learning of Russian election-meddling, but also asserted that it was illogical for President Trump to levy such criticism against his predecessor. I think the [Obama] administration needed to call out Russia earlier, needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), said in an interview aired Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Failure to do so, he said, had been a very serious mistake. But Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trumps criticism of Obama made little sense in light of the current presidents own inaction in the face of decisive U.S. intelligence conclusions about Kremlin efforts to tip the 2016 race to Trump. Trump, Schiff said, is in no position to complain here in light of the fact that as a candidate, he openly urged the Russians to hack Clintons emails. To criticize Obama is now a bit like someone knowingly receiving stolen property blaming the police for not stopping the theft, said Schiff, a former prosecutor. On Saturday, Trump issued a statement on Twitter referencing a Washington Post report a day earlier detailing the previous administrations wrestling with how, when and whether to make public the degree of Russian interference. Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T! the president tweeted. The Post report said Obama was worried about the appearance of improperly using mounting intelligence reports about Russian activities to aid Clintons candidacy. The subject was particularly inflammatory because at that point in the race, Trump had complained repeatedly about the rigged political process and even suggested he might not respect the election outcome. Facebook

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Trump says hes optimistic about Senate approval of GOP healthcare measure By Laura King President Trump says he believes that backers of a sweeping GOP healthcare measure are going to get there and pass the measure despite the refusal of five Republican senators to endorse the bill as written. Healthcare is a very, very tough thing to get, but I think were going to get it, Trump said on Fox and Friends in an interview aired Sunday that he had touted beforehand on Twitter. We dont have too much of a choice because the alternative is the dead carcass of Obamacare, the president said, referring to the Affordable Care Act, his predecessors signature piece of legislation. Opinion polls have indicated low public support for the version of the healthcare bill passed earlier by the House of Representatives. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), wants to bring the Senate version, unveiled days ago, to a vote this week. In addition to the five Republican senators who have publicly aired their opposition, several others have declined to explicitly endorse the bill, which would overhaul the U.S. healthcare system and set the stage for massive tax breaks that would primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans. With a 52-seat Republican advantage in the 100-member chamber, only three GOP defections would be sufficient to derail the measure, since Vice President Mike Pence could cast a tie-breaking vote. Facebook

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Pro-Trump group launches new attack ad against special counsel Robert Mueller By Lisa Mascaro A Southern California group backing President Trump is out with a new ad attacking special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, criticizing the investigation into the Trump campaigns possible cooperation with Russian interference in the 2016 election. The ad, called Witch Hunt, features conservative favorite Tomi Lahren reflecting Trumps own language to complain about the probe. The more than $400,000 ad buy is expected to start running Sunday. Only in Washington could a rigged game like this be called independent, Lahren says, using air quotes in the ad to emphasize her point. She is now a senior advisor to Great America Alliance, which backs Trump. The ads chief complaint echoes Trumps criticism that Muellers team has ties to Democrats, because some of the lawyers have given campaign contributions to the party. Trump has also complained of the relationship between fired FBI Director James B. Comey and Mueller, who was once his boss. Mueller is a registered Republican. Among the members of the legal team he is assembling for the Russia probe -- which is also looking into whether the president obstructed the federal investigation by firing Comey -- four have donated to Democrats. One who gave the maximum donation to Trump rival Hillary Clinton also donated to Republicans. Both Republicans and Democrats have praised Muellers credentials and ability to handle the Russia probe as an independent investigation. The group, which ran a similar attack against Comey ahead of his testimony earlier this month on Capitol Hill, has emerged as a key pro-Trump organization. Facebook

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Koch brothers political network says Senate GOP healthcare bill is insufficiently conservative By Associated Press ( (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)) Chief lieutenants in the Koch brothers political network lashed out at the Senate Republican healthcare bill on Saturday, becoming a powerful outside critic as GOP leaders try to rally support for their plan among rank-and-file Republicans. This Senate bill needs to get better, said Tim Phillips, who leads Americans For Prosperity, the Koch networks political arm. It has to get better. Phillips called the Senates plans for Medicaid a slight nip and tuck over President Obamas healthcare law, a modest change he described as immoral. The comments came on the first day of a three-day private donor retreat at a luxury resort in the Rocky Mountains. Invitations were extended only to donors who promise to give at least $100,000 each year to the various groups backed by the Koch brothers Freedom Partners  a network of education, policy and political entities that aim to promote small government. No outside group has been move aggressive over the years-long push to repeal Obamas healthcare law than the Kochs, which vowed on Saturday to spend another 10 years fighting to change the healthcare system if necessary. The Koch network has often displayed a willingness to take on Republicans  including President Trump  when their policies arent deemed conservative enough. Read More Facebook

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Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions wants to get tough on crime. These people think hes got it all wrong By Jaweed Kaleem Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has vowed to crack down on crime by sending more criminals to prison for longer periods of time. Every one of our citizens, no matter who they are or where they live, has the right to be safe in their homes and communities from the scourge of criminal gangs, rapists, carjackers and drug dealers, Sessions said in an address to law enforcement officials in Memphis, Tenn., last month. In his view, imprisoning more criminals would make families safer, and fewer people would break the law if there were more severe punishments for crimes such as drug offenses. In a recent memo to federal prosecutors, Sessions instructed them to pursue the harshest punishments legally allowed, a reversal of an Obama-era move giving federal lawyers more leeway to reserve such prosecutions for repeat offenders and people who had committed the worst of crimes. Department of Justice officials hope the changes at the federal level  where a sliver of crimes across the country is prosecuted  will trickle down to a similar approach to crime in states. Read More Facebook

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Vice President Mike Pence stops in for an unscheduled chat with billionaire Charles Koch By Lisa Mascaro Vice President Mike Pence popped in for a visit this weekend with Charles Koch, the billionaire GOP donor hosting his semi-annual confab of like-minded business leaders assessing their priorities for the White House and Congress. The meeting was not listed on Pences official schedule for the day. President Trump never much enjoyed backing from Koch s sprawling, secretive, political enterprise, which has emerged as a libertarian-leaning power center, sometimes overshadowing the traditional Republican Party apparatus with its high-dollar donors and vast operations. Kochs group did not endorse the GOP presidential nominee. But the network has always had close ties with Pence. The vice president had previously attended the exclusive gathering of donors, held this weekend at the luxurious Broadmoor hotel. And his top staff was plucked from a key Koch organization, Freedom Partners. Pence and Koch and their top aides spoke for nearly an hour late Friday, according to a Koch spokesman. They discussed tax reform, the GOPs healthcare overhaul and other heavy legislative lifts that have run into resistance in the Republican-controlled Congress. The aide described the talks as casual. Pence was in the area making other stops, including at the Air Force Academy and an evening fundraiser for GOP Sen. Cory Gardner. Even without investing in Trump, the Koch network has made impressive strides in advancing its agenda this year. Congress swiftly rolled back more than a dozen regulations, including some intended to protect the environment, that Koch-backed groups complained were too rigorous and invasive in industry operations. The Koch network groups, including Freedom Partners, a free market-oriented, chamber of commerce-type organization, is pushing the Trump administration and Congress to pass tax reform and overhaul healthcare. Both those efforts have stalled in Congress amid Republican infighting, but the Koch groups is able to put their army of resources  money, staff and volunteers in the states  to pressure lawmakers to act. Facebook

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Kris Kobach fined for misleading court and refusing to produce previously exposed Trump memo By Colleen Shalby (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been fined $1,000 for misleading a federal court in an effort to keep two documents private. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year against Kobach arguing that his states proof of citizenship law violates the National Voter Registration Act. ACLU lawyers asked Kobach to produce two documents they said pertained to the case. One of those documents was a draft of a proposed amendment to the National Voter Registration Act. The second was a document that had been photographed and widely shared in late November after Kobach met with then-President-elect Donald Trump. The power of a zoom lens exposed certain details of his proposal to Trump to deport potential terrorists. In a 24-page ruling made public Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge James OHara wrote that Kobach did not accurately represent the contents of the documents when he argued against producing them. Defendant refused to produce these documents, asserting that they are beyond the scope of reopened discovery, do not seek relevant information, and are protected by the attorney-client, deliberative-process, and executive privileges, the judge wrote. The court took Kobach at his word, OHara wrote, but upon review of the documents  produced under a court order  found that they did relate to the voting rights case. The judge wrote that while the court could not say that Kobach flat-out lied, the defendants statements can be construed as wordplay meant to present a materially inaccurate picture of the documents. For now, the documents will remain classified, as Kobach designated them. But, OHara wrote, that status could change. Trump tapped Kobach last month to serve as vice chairman of a presidential commission that would oversee a voter fraud investigation. Facebook

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Number of refugees admitted to U.S. drops by almost half By Tracy Wilkinson (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Los Angeles Times) The number of refugees admitted to the United States was cut by nearly half in the first three months of the Trump administration compared with the final three months of the Obama presidency, reflecting the new presidents skepticism toward immigration. Government statistics released Friday showed that more than 25,000 refugees were permitted to enter and reside in the United States at the end of the Obama administration. In the initial months under President Trump, the number fell to 13,000. The statistics were released by the Department of Homeland Security, based on information supplied by the State Department. Countries of origin were largely unchanged. In both periods, two-thirds of the arrivals came from five countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Myanmar. Refugees from two of those countries  Syria and Somalia  would have been banned under Trumps executive order against entries from certain Muslim-majority nations, but federal courts have blocked the order. Trumps original order covered Iraqis as well, but he omitted Iraq from his revised order. The data suggest that the Obama administration, as it was about to turn over power to Trump, significantly stepped up the number of refugees admitted. Arrivals in its final three months reflected an 86% year-over-year increase compared to the same period the previous year. In Trumps first three months, arrivals were 12% lower than for the same period in the previous year. Trump has sought to limit the number of refugees to 50,000 this year. But adverse rulings in the courts could work against him. The United States already has one of the lowest quotas of refugee admissions among major receiving countries. Nations closer to conflict zones such as Syria have taken in millions of refugees. More people have been displaced from their home nations, because of violence and poverty, than at any time since World War II. Facebook

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Trump nominates former Dodgers co-owner Jamie McCourt as ambassador to Belgium By Lauren Rosenblatt Trump nominated Jamie McCourt, former co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as ambassador to Belgium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) President Trump nominated Jamie McCourt, former co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be the ambassador to Belgium on Thursday night. McCourt, who co-owned the Dodgers with her husband, Frank, until their messy 2011 divorce, has donated money to several Republican organizations, including funds for Trumps campaign and his transition to the White House. McCourt was among many business leaders who signed their support for Trump early on in his campaign, praising his plan for economic development and growth. In the months leading up to Trumps victory, McCourt gave more than $400,000 to the Trump victory fund, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. She signed a letter in October 2016 with 100 other business executives and CEOs championing Trumps plan and criticizing opponent Hillary Clinton for having thrown in the towel on strong economic growth. McCourt was listed as a 2016 State Victory Finance Chair for Trumps campaign in July, according to a report from the GOP. Robert Wood Johnson, chairman and CEO of the New York Jets and Trumps nominee for ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was also on the list as Trump Victory vice chair. After Trump won the election, McCourt continued to financially support his transition to office. In December, she helped host a fundraiser breakfast for the incoming president where tickets sold for $5,000 a piece. Prior to her support for Trump, McCourt also donated to the campaigns of several other Republican presidential candidates, including John Kasich, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina, although in much smaller amounts. In the past, she has also supported former President Obama, contributing to his campaign and victory funds in 2011 and donating $50,000 to the inauguration in 2009. She donated about $2,000 to Hillary Clinton for her presidential campaign in 2007, according to the FEC. McCourts ex-husband said his former wife had political aspirations of her own, with an end goal of ending up in the White House, according to a March 2010 Los Angeles Times article. Her high-profile divorce gathered a lot of public attention and ended in dispute over finances and assets. McCourt has founded and directed entrepreneurial enterprises in Los Angeles and Boston throughout her career as a entrepreneur and attorney. Her investment firm, Jamie Enterprises, invests in real estate and technology start-ups. She has degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Maryland School of Law and from MIT/ Sloan School of Management. The Senate must confirm McCourts nomination for ambassador. Facebook

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Nevada Sen. Heller -- a key swing vote -- says he opposes Senate healthcare bill By David Lauter (Andrew Harnik / AP) Nevada Sen. Dean Heller said Friday that he planned to vote against the Republican healthcare bill, a potentially key defection. Although the White House and Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have said they plan further negotiations over the bill, its going to be very difficult to get me to a yes, Heller said at a news conference in Nevada with Gov. Brian Sandoval (R). The bill unveiled Thursday by McConnell is simply not the answer, he said. In this form, I will not support it. Given the unified Democratic opposition to the bill, McConnell can afford to lose only two Senate Republicans, so Hellers announcement is significant. A no vote by Heller would not seal the fate of the bill, however. Heller is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection in 2018 -- the only one running in a state that Hillary Clinton carried last year -- and Republican leaders have been hoping to avoid having to count on his vote. Heller cited several reasons for opposing the bill, but the chief one was its deep reductions in federal support for Medicaid. This bill will mean a loss of coverage for millions of Americans and many Nevadans, he said. Nevada, under Sandoval, has used its authority under the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid, which has given health coverage to more than 210,000 additional state residents, Sandoval said. These are folks who are worth fighting for, he added. The cutbacks the Senate bill, which would end Medicaid expansion, would cost the state $120 million a year by 2022, with the cost rising sharply after that the governor said. Thats a cost that the state cannot sustain. Heller also cited the bills impact on treatment for opioid addiction and the likelihood that the plan would fail to reduce premiums. There isnt anything in this piece of legislation that will lower your premiums, he said, contradicting one of the main arguments that supporters of the bill have made. Hellers announcement increases the pressure on McConnell to find ways of persuading several other reluctant senators to support the bill. Four conservatives, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said Thursday they were opposed to the bill in its current form because it does not go far enough to roll back the Affordable Care Act. Several more centrist senators, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, have voiced concerns similar to Hellers about the depth of the bills Medicaid cutbacks and its impact on opioid treatment. Collins and Portman have both said they want to review the analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office before making up their minds. The budget office has said it will release that assessment early next week. Facebook

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Trump signs VA reform bill to make it easier to discipline and fire employees By Lauren Rosenblatt President Trump signed into law Friday a bill that will ease restrictions on the discipline and termination of employees from the troubled veterans affairs department. The Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 is designed to speed up the process to discipline an employee for misconduct and put more decision-making power in the hands of Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. The act is in response to the 2014 VA scandals involving long wait times for medical care and attempts by VA employees to cover up the delays. Trump, who promised to improve healthcare for veterans during his campaign, said the bill was one of the largest reforms to the VA in its history and is essential to making sure our veterans are treated with respect. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support June 13 and the Senate on June 6. Although the bill is widely supported by veterans advocacy groups, civil servant unions condemn the legislation as a way to get around long-standing protections for government employees and whistle-blowers. The reform, Shulkin said, will not be used as a tool for mass firings, but rather a way to raise morale throughout the department and attract new employees. Slow, steady, incremental change isnt what this organization needs, Shulkin said. Right now, I believe this is progress. Facebook

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Mexico pushes back against Trumps tweet calling it the second deadliest country in the world By Kate Linthicum Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray speaks during a news conference in Cancun, Mexico, on June 19. (PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images) After President Trump incorrectly tweeted that Mexico is the second deadliest country in the world after Syria, the Mexican government responded quickly. No, Mexico isnt the second deadliest place on the globe, said a tersely worded statement issued by Mexicos secretary of foreign relations, pointing to a host of other Latin American countries that have higher per capita murder rates. And while homicides have been rising in Mexico in recent years, rising violence in Mexico is inextricably linked to demand for drugs in the United States, the statement said. Illicit drug trade is indeed the most important cause of violence in Mexico and drug trafficking is costing thousands of lives both in Mexico and the U.S., the foreign ministry said Thursday. However, as has been repeatedly stated by the U.S. government itself, drug trafficking is a shared problem that will end only by addressing its root causes: high demand for drugs in the U.S. and supply from Mexico and other countries. In order to be effective, we must be able to move beyond finger-pointing, the statement said. The Mexican government issued the response after Trump tweeted a reference to a controversial recent study that ranked Mexico as the worlds second most-dangerous conflict zone after Syria. Trump misrepresented the study in his tweet, saying Mexico was just ranked the second deadliest country in the world. He also neglected the considerable debate about the studys accuracy. The annual Armed Conflict Survey, released this year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has been called into question by the Mexican government and others who say it wrongly points to the existence of an armed conflict in Mexico. The existence of criminal groups is not sufficient criteria to speak of a non-international armed conflict, said a joint statement issued by Mexicos secretaries of governance and foreign relations in May, adding that drug-war violence is part of a bigger regional problem. Although Mexicos homicide rate has soared  the first two months of 2017 were the most violent since the government started releasing such statistics in 1997  other countries are experiencing higher homicide rates. In January, Mexico had a homicide rate of 20 deaths per 100,000 people, according to a Times analysis of Mexican crime statistics. By comparison, El Salvadors homicide rate was 81 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016, according to InSight Crime, a think tank that studies organized crime in Latin America. Venezuela had a homicide rate of 59 deaths per 100,000 people. Trump ended his tweet with a frequent campaign mantra: We will BUILD THE WALL! Mexico was just ranked the second deadliest country in the world, after only Syria. Drug trade is largely the cause. We will BUILD THE WALL!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017 Facebook

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Supreme Court says final decisions of term will come on Monday By David Savage The Supreme Court is shown at sunset on Feb. 13, 2016. (Jon Elswick / Associated Press) (Jon Elswick / Associated Press) The Supreme Court announced it will hand down its final rulings for this term on Monday. But that does not mean the justices will actually decide the six cases that remain, which include three significant disputes involving immigration and the U.S. borders. Heres a look at the notable decisions so far. On Nov. 30, with one seat on the court still vacant, the eight justices heard arguments in a Los Angeles case on whether noncitizens who face possible deportation can be held in jail indefinitely or instead have a right to a bond hearing after six months. The case, Jennings vs. Rodriguez, has taken on added importance in the Trump era, but the long delay may signal that the justices are split 4-4. If so, the court may announce Monday that the case will be reheard in the fall, leaving it to new Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to cast the tie-breaking vote. Also still pending, since January, is a California case that will decide whether a crime such as breaking into an empty home qualifies as a crime of violence, triggering automatic deportation, even for an immigrant who is a longtime legal resident. A ruling in Sessions vs. Dimaya could affect thousands of deportations The third case, pending since February, is a closely watched border shooting. At issue in Hernandez vs. Mesa is whether a U.S. agent can be sued for fatally shooting a 15-year-old who was standing on the Mexican side of the border. On Friday, the justices gave a second chance to a Korean restaurant owner from Memphis who faces deportation for selling Ecstasy pills. Based on his lawyers advice, he pleaded guilty to the drug charge, having been assured it would not trigger his deportation. The lawyer was wrong. By a 6-2 vote in Lee vs. United States, the court said the Korean man may withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial. But for his attorneys incompetence, he would not have accepted a plea, said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.. Dissenting were Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.. The justices, including Gorsuch, are likely to rule in a significant case on religion and funding for church schools. In Trinity Lutheran vs.Comer, the justices will decide whether states may exclude church schools from receiving public funds. Also still pending, but on a different track, is the Trump administrations appeal over his blocked foreign travel ban. The court may act on that appeal at any time. Facebook

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Trump backs L.A. Olympic bid in meeting with IOC officials By Michael A. Memoli The opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) President Trump pledged his full support for the Los Angeles bid to host a future Summer Olympics, the White House said Friday after an Oval Office meeting with the head of the International Olympic Committee. Trump met Thursday with IOC President Thomas Bach and three U.S. members of the IOC -- Larry Probst, Anita DeFrantz and Angela Ruggiero. A White House official called it a very constructive conversation in which Trump backed a potential third Summer Games in Los Angeles. With only L.A. and Paris bidding to host the 2024 games, the IOC is moving to reward both cities, giving one hosting duties in 2024 and the other in 2028. The United States hasnt hosted a Summer Olympics since the Centennial games in Atlanta in 1996. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he discussed the citys Olympic bid during a post-election conversation with Trump last November and that the then-president elect pledged his backing. Facebook

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Trump says he tweeted about tapes to influence Comeys account of their private conversations By Michael A. Memoli .@POTUS on why he wanted former FBI Dir. James Comey to believe there were tapes of their conversations pic.twitter.com/pCuibM5Z6k  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 23, 2017 President Trump called it bothersome that the special counsel now overseeing the Russia probe was good friends with fired FBI Director James B. Comey, and said he hinted at having tapes of his private conversations  apparently falsely  to try to influence Comeys eventual testimony. The president made his remarks during an interview that aired Friday morning on Fox & Friends, but was recorded on Thursday just hours after he tweeted that he did not, in fact, have tapes. Trump said that floating the possibility they did exist might have forced Comey to tell what actually took place at the events. When he found out that, I, you know, that there may be tapes out there, whether its governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows, I think his story may have changed, Trump said. My story didnt change. My story was always a straight story. Foxs Ainsley Earhardt followed up: So it was a smart way to make sure he stayed honest in those hearings? It wasnt very stupid, I can tell you that, Trump answered. Many disagree, including Republicans. Comey testified that Trumps tweet is what prompted him to as
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed his gratitude to Turkmenistan for helping refugees and stateless persons, Turkmenistan State News Agency reported June 13.

During the talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat, Guterres recalled that he had cooperated with the Turkmen side as UN high commissioner for refugees.

There were numerous refugees and stateless persons in difficult times in Turkmenistan, and the country successfully integrated those people into its society by positively solving their problems, Guterres said.
The best medicine for a person going into sudden cardiac arrest is an electric shock. That jolt temporarily stops the heart, along with its rapid or erratic beat. When the heart starts itself up again, it can revert to its normal rhythm and resume pumping blood to the brain and the rest of the body.

The sooner this happens, the better. When a patient is shocked within one minute of collapse, the chance of survival is nearly 90%. But if it takes 10 minutes to administer a shock, the odds of survival fall below 5%.

If a victim is are lucky, hell collapse in a mall, airport, school or other public venue thats outfitted with an automated external defibrillator, or AED. These user-friendly machines can assess the cause of cardiac arrest, determine whether a shock is appropriate and deliver it if necessary.

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But if a victims is unlucky, hell have to wait for an AED to come to him. Usually, this means calling for an ambulance. But in the not-too-distant future, the ambulance could be replaced by a flying drone.

If that sounds ridiculously futuristic, head over to the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Thats where a team of doctors and nurses built a bright yellow drone capable of delivering an AED to a patient in need.

The drone in question weighs about 12.5 pounds and uses eight rotors to achieve speeds of up to 47 miles per hour. Once a pilot programs its route and destination, the drone uses a GPS system, autopilot software and a high-definition camera to get there. Fluorescent paint and LED lights help make it easy for people to find.

Members of the research team had previously used geographic information system data to estimate whether there would be any advantage to putting AEDs on drones. Their models suggested that a drone would arrive faster than an ambulance 93% of the time, saving patients an average of 19 minutes.

Now theyve gone a step further and dispatched an actual drone from a fire station about 45 minutes north of Stockholm to 18 locations where people suffered actual cardiac arrests away from a hospital between 2006 and 2014. The times for the test flights were compared with the ambulance times recorded in the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

As predicted, the drones beat the ambulances handily, according to a report published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. In all 18 cases, the drone arrived more quickly than the ambulance had.

The time it took to get the drone dispatched, launched and to the site of a cardiac arrest ranged from a low of 1 minute, 15 seconds to a high of 11 minutes, 51 seconds. Ambulances had taken between 5 minutes and 38 minutes to respond to calls at the same locations.

For the drones, the median time from dispatch to arrival was 5 minutes, 21 seconds. For ambulances, it was 22 minutes. Thus, the median amount of time saved by drones was 16 minutes, 39 seconds.

Saving 16 minutes is likely to be clinically important, the study authors wrote.

To be fair, the drones had a few advantages, such as the fact that all test flights occurred on days with good weather. Also, road conditions may have improved since the ambulances made their runs, sometimes more than a decade ago. If so, the advantage of the drones might not be as great as it initially appears.

Still, the results are good enough for researchers to continue with further flight tests and to see if it would be feasible for drones to be included in the emergency medical services system, the study authors wrote.

The American Heart Assn. estimates that in 2016, more than 350,000 people in the U.S. went into cardiac arrest away from a hospital; only 12% of them survived long enough to be treated in a hospital and released. With so much room for improvement, drones have the potential to make a real difference.

karen.kaplan@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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A man allegedly behind multiple bank robberies in the Southland, including one in Burbank, was arrested Saturday afternoon after reportedly trying to rob another bank, according to the Pasadena Police Department.

Pasadena police officers responded to an armed robbery shortly before 4 p.m. at a Wells Fargo Bank at 3701 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena. Police arrested Shownee Smith, a 41-year-old Pasadena resident, as he was exiting the building.

Pasadena Police Lt. John Luna said Smith was in possession of a shotgun and a bag of money.

Smith is believed to be the man authorities dubbed the Dual Valley Bandit, who is said to be responsible for several bank robberies in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.

Authorities suspect Smith of first robbing a pair of banks in Burbank and South Pasadena on May 15 before going on to rob three more  one in North Hollywood, another in Woodland Hills and another in Tarzana  several days later. According to Luna, Smith is possibly connected with 10 additional bank robberies in Los Angeles County.

Each of the robberies involved a man handing a note to a bank teller that demanded cash or else he would harm people in the building. Its unknown how much money was stolen during the robberies, which remain under investigation and have involved police departments in Burbank, Los Angeles, Pasadena and South Pasadena as well as the FBI.

Anyone with information may call the FBI at (888) 226-8443.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
The operator of a Glendale tax preparation business was sentenced Monday to 46 months in prison after admitting to pocketing more than $1.2 million in client tax refunds, authorities said.

Michael Joseph Calalang Cabuhat, half-owner of VisionQwest Resource Group Inc., was arrested in April 2016 after a criminal complaint was filed against him alleging wire fraud, identity theft and structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements.

Cabuhat pleaded guilty to wire fraud and subscription to a false federal income tax return in June 2016, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Federal officials said the 41-year-old Hollywood Hills resident, who referred to himself as the celebritytaxguy, defrauded over 150 of his clients from 2010 to 2016.

Officials said he would pocket the money in two ways.

One method involved giving a client a copy of their tax return different from what he filed with the IRS. The fraudulent return would show a client receiving a smaller refund that what they were actually owed.

Cabuhat would then direct the IRS to deposit the smaller refund into the clients account and then put the remaining money into his own account.

The other method involved Cabuhat falsely telling clients they owed taxes and then filing returns seeking refunds. He would then inform clients that they could pay off their taxes by making payments directly to him.

Cabuhat would then pocket both the tax payment and the refund.

In addition to serving prison time, he is also expected to pay back more than $1.4 million restitution to his former clients and to the IRS. Cabuhat has agreed to turn over $426,528 made from the sale of his home and a Ferrari 360 Spider that was seized by federal agents.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Homicide detectives are actively investigating a stretch of Angeles Forest Highway after a body was discovered by U.S. Forest Service employees Monday.

Lt. Mark Slater, watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Station, said forestry workers put in a call at around 12:15 p.m., stating their belief that a car had possibly gone over the side of the road near Mile Marker 20.72.

The original call was a car over the side, Slater said. We later confirmed there was no car, just a body discovered.

The watch commander said the area had been cordoned off while homicide detectives made their way to the Angeles National Forest and the scene of the discovery.

Mondays find marks the third to have occurred since the body of 35-year-old Palmdale resident Anthony Willis was discovered by a passerby about 30 feet off the road near Angeles Forest Highways Mile Marker 18.87 on Feb. 23.

On April 30, hikers in the vicinity of Angeles Forest Highways Mile Marker 21.08 reported discovering the body of another adult male. In both instances, the bodies were determined to have sustained upper body trauma resembling stab wounds, according to officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

The coroners office has still not released the identity of the second person discovered.

Details as to the identity of the third individual, or the state the body was found in, were not immediately available Monday afternoon.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Immerse yourself in the Expoartesanias handcraft fair in Bogota on a nine-day Colombian tour offered by travel outfitter Tia Stephanie.

Participants will spend two days at the traditional and contemporary craft fair, Colombias largest and most important, and have an opportunity to meet artisans and learn about their cultures.

Also on the itinerary is a Bogota city tour and visits to the Gold and Botero museums. After a short flight to Cartagena, a city tour and visits to the tropical Islas de Rosario and the village of San Basilo de Palenque, founded by the first runaway slaves in the Americas, concludes the trip.

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Dates: Dec. 5-13

Price: From $2,585 per person, double occupancy; $450 single supplement. Includes hotels, all breakfasts, five lunches, three dinners, local guides and entrance fees. International and domestic airfare not included.

Info: Tia Stephanie tours, (734) 769-7839

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Nicky Kim wasnt applying for work as a model.

But that didnt matter to potential employers. In addition to a resume and references, they all wanted a head shot.

Kim, who grew up in England and graduated from college there, had just moved back to her native South Korea. She chalked it up to cultural differences and submitted a no-frills, passport-style snapshot.

Then came the real shock: Prospective employers werent impressed.

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You dont look like this photo, one told her. Why did you choose this photo?

Blatant discrimination based on looks is banned or at least discouraged in many countries. But in South Korea, oemo jisang juui  which translates to look-ism or looks are supreme  is standard practice in many workplaces.

Facing intense competition for jobs with benefits, many applicants feel compelled to enhance their appearances for an edge. Some resort to dermatology or plastic surgery.

Han Jeong-ae, a member of the National Assembly, recently introduced a bill that would fine employers who ask for a photograph or inquire about appearance, birthplace, marital status or the education of family members.

She said job applicants should be judged solely on their skills  and not be forced to endure the cost and stress of getting that perfect photograph.

Attaching photos to resumes instigates look-ism and leads to burdening expenses for job applicants, she said. The bill must be passed without delay for fair employment to take place.

The bill passed a legislative committee late last year, but it is stalled amid opposition from a key business trade group, the Korea Employers Federation. The group argued that appearance matters in the workplace.

Indeed, white-collar firms, government offices and the service industry routinely ask applicants for photographs. A recent survey of more than 900 businesses by the South Korean job website Incruit found that about 60% required one.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea recently studied 3,500 recruitment posts and found that on average each included four discriminatory questions, including queries about age, appearance, gender, birth region, marital status, religion, military service records and pregnancy.

The authors of the report recommended legislative changes to increase fairness for applicants.

South Koreas job boards are filled with listings that instruct applicants to attach photographs. They sometimes use terms like neat to describe ideal candidates, or explicitly outlaw mustaches or tattoos.

One recent advertisement that drew media attention here specified C as the ideal bra cup size. A post on a jobs blog said that big firms prefer pretty eyes and that government bosses like high noses.

Even the Ministry of Employment and Labor once tweeted a link mentioning plastic surgery that also encouraged job seekers to mind their looks. The tweet was later deleted, and the agency said it only meant applicants should practice smiling in front of the mirror to prepare for interviews.

Many young South Koreans already feel enormous pressure to find work at top companies so they dont miss out on career trajectories that can be critical to long-term financial security. Although unemployment rate here is low, the rate for people younger than 29 is in the double digits.

I dont think its fair that employers judge someone for their looks or anything unrelated to work efficiency, said Yoon-ha Cha, 21, an economics major at Seouls prestigious Yonsei University. Of course, being good-looking or beautiful is great, but in relation to work, it should be their professionalism and skill that should be judged.

But reality being what it is, she visited a dermatologist in hopes of improving her chances of landing a good job.

Such concerns would be troubling at workplaces in the United States, said Tom Spiggle, a Virginia-based employment lawyer.

In the United States, there is no federal law banning employers from asking for an application photo, but California prohibits it in most cases.

Even where it is allowed, its almost unheard in the United States, except for hiring models or actors.

That is because its just asking for a lawsuit, said Spiggle. Physical appearance is too closely tied to protected categories, like sex and age, that can generally be easily discerned from looking at a photo.

In South Korea, though, photography studios catering to job applicants are common.

One such business, known as Newface Studio, has opened near Sungshin Womens University in Seoul. The business features a spacious photography studio and in-house styling, wardrobe and makeup services.

Customers watch as technicians remove blemishes or make facial features more symmetrical. Eyes shift ever so slightly. Scars and other dry skin patches disappear. Faces narrow to resemble movie and pop music stars that are held up as exemplars of beauty here.

The business, which has 12 employees and two locations, is busiest during South Koreas two recruiting seasons: March to May and August to October.

Even if putting photos on resumes is banned, [employers] will still consider looks during interviews, said co-founder Kim Kwang Min, who operates the touch-up software while his business partner handles hair and makeup.

Looks should matter, he said: Theres a saying that you can tell someones personality by their looks.  I dont think people can be judged only based on whats written on their resume, especially if they work in the service industry.

Nicky Kim, 24, went to a professional photography studio, which digitally touched up her skin, nose and eyes and stray hair. I looked gorgeous, she said. Its funny. If I look at my photo taken in Britain and compare it with the one taken in Korea, they look like two different people of a different era.

You need a photo good enough to get you the interview, but not something that is too overdone, she said.

Hers worked. Suddenly she suddenly got more interviews, landing internships and jobs, including a stint as a host on an English-speaking radio program.

After two years in South Korea, however, Kim concluded that professional life for women there was too difficult and decided to move back to England.

My decision was a result of being exposed to Korean women who were smart, young, attractive, successful  but innately unhappy, she said.

Stiles is a special correspondent.

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Israel has approved a request by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to cut by roughly a third the electricity it provides to the Gaza Strip.

The move is aimed at undermining the Islamic militant group Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the last decade.

But the decision reached Sunday by Israels security Cabinet is stoking concern that it could trigger a humanitarian crisis among Gazas 2 million Palestinians and a new round of fighting between Hamas and Israel.

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In a statement on Monday afternoon responding to news of the Israeli decision, Hamas said that power cuts are dangerous and would lead to an explosion.

Gaza already suffers from chronic power shortages, which affect businesses, household water supply, sewage treatment and hospital services. The daily residential supply of electricity fell from 12 hours to four hours this year after Abbas cut funding for power and the fuel to run Gazas lone power plant. Families in Gaza have been holding iftar, the meal to break their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, by candlelight.

The new cuts would reduce the daily electricity supply to between two and three hours. The approval by Israel follows an announcement by Abbas Western-backed Palestinian Authority in April that it was cutting back its purchase of power for Gaza by $12 million a month.

It remained unclear when the cuts would take effect.

Mohammed Azaizeh, a Gaza-based fieldworker for Gisha, an Israeli human rights group that called any new cuts a red line, said that electricity shortages stir up anger as much toward Israel and the Palestinian Authority as they do toward Hamas.

People wont be patient for much longer, he said. Something bad will happen for all parties, especially for Israel.

Eid Siyan, a potato farmer in Gaza, said his family uses an electric generator to power lights in his home at night. Meanwhile, income from his business is dropping because no one has money to buy his crops.

We are hoping for a solution, Siyan said by telephone. Its the worst time of my life. There is no electricity, no work, and no future. You cant expect anything in the future.

Israel and Egypt have been tightly controlling access to the Gaza Strip for years to weaken Hamas. The Palestinian Authority has moved to further isolate the militant group.

In addition to funding for electricity, Abbas has also cut salaries for civil servants.

Hamas is also likely to be harmed by the decision last week by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on the nation of Qatar, which has provided Hamas financial and political support.

Israel, meanwhile, has started to build a subterranean barrier around Gaza to make it more difficult for Islamic militants to use cross-border attack tunnels as they did in 2014, when the two sides fought a seven-week war in which more than 2,000 Gazans and several dozen Israeli soldiers were killed. The war also caused several billions of dollars in damage to Gazas economy.

Israeli officials say that the government fears an outbreak of fighting with Hamas in the coming weeks and that Hamas has been diverting equipment and money flowing to Gaza to finance a military buildup.

Government ministers said that although Israel has an interest in averting a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the nation wont intervene on Hamas behalf and foot the electricity bill that the Palestinian Authority refuses to pay.

I dont think that anyone in the world will expect us to be on Hamas side, Israeli Housing Minister Yoav Galant told journalists Monday. Hamas is the enemy, not the solution.

Mitnick is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @joshmitnick

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Faded pictures of the dead line the walls outside what once was this battered citys grandest reception hall.

At least 140 people perished here in the Yemeni capital last fall when a Saudi Arabian-led military coalition carried out a pair of airstrikes on a funeral. Human rights groups labeled the attack a possible war crime and said the bombs used were manufactured in the United States.

The attack, one of the deadliest for civilians in the coalitions relentless air war against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen, helped persuade the Obama administration in December to block the sale of precision-guided munitions to the Saudi military until it addresses problems with its targeting.

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But the hold was lifted last month, when President Trump announced a $110-billion package of proposed military sales to the kingdom, part of an effort to shore up a regional alliance against a resurgent Iran. The decision has left many among Yemens increasingly desperate population feeling abandoned and betrayed.

There is nothing in this world that I hate more than Americans, Ali Mohammed Murshed, a 32-year-old deliveryman in Sana, said as he paused to take in the reception halls charred and mangled frame on his way to visit a friend. Murshed used to rent a house nearby, but fled with his family to an in-laws home after their windows were blown out in the attack.

With all the arms they have given to Saudi Arabia, the Saudis have achieved nothing after more than two years but killing civilians and destroying infrastructure, he complained bitterly.

The State Department says the arms package, announced during Trumps recent visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, will help a key Middle East ally defend itself against malign Iranian influence and contribute to counter-terrorism operations across the region. In addition to replenishing the kingdoms dwindling supply of precision-guided bombs, the administration is offering howitzer artillery pieces, Blackhawk helicopters and the antimissile system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD.

The Saudis say they need the weaponry to defend themselves against Yemeni rebels, who they charge are being armed by Shiite Muslim Iran in a bid to increase its clout against the regions Sunni monarchies. The rebels, known as Houthis, surged out of their northern strongholds in September 2014 and seized control of Yemens capital with the help of rogue elements of the armed forces loyal to the countrys deposed strongman, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Six months later, Saudi Arabia assembled a military coalition to restore power to the internationally recognized president, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who set up a parallel government in Yemens southern port city of Aden.

The Houthis have lobbed thousands of mortar shells and rockets into Saudi territory in response to the coalitions campaign and claimed to have aimed a ballistic missile at Riyadh the day before Trump arrived. (The strike was not successful.)

We dont want people to think we are purchasing weapons to have influence, said a high-ranking Saudi defense official who was not authorized to discuss the deal publicly. We respect the sovereignty of countries. But if there is a threat to our borders, we need to defend ourselves.

Although all sides in the war stand accused of abuses, United Nations officials attribute most of the heavy civilian toll to the air campaign waged by Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies. The fighting has killed more than 10,000 people, destroyed vital infrastructure and pushed what was already the Arab worlds poorest nation to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Children carry food aid distributed by a charity in Sana on June 7. Nearly a quarter of Yemens population is one step away from famine, the U.N. humanitarian chief says. (Mohammed Huwais / AFP/Getty Images)

Nearly a quarter of Yemens 27 million people are one step away from famine, U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien told the Security Council last month.

The economy is collapsing; government employees have not been paid for months; prices for food and fuel have skyrocketed; half the countrys health facilities are closed and a raging cholera epidemic is killing hundreds.

This is not an unforeseen or coincidental result of forces beyond our control, OBrien said. It is a direct consequence of actions of the parties and supporters of the conflict.

The bustling capital, which is jammed with people displaced by fighting elsewhere, has been spared the worst of the war. But residents live in fear of the coalition jets that roar overhead, unleashing their payloads into densely packed neighborhoods and military installations on the outskirts of the city.

U.N. officials and human rights groups accuse the coalition of recklessly bombing hospitals, markets, schools and homes, in violation of international law.

Human Rights Watch says it has documented 81 potentially unlawful strikes, and of those, 23 were found to have been carried out with U.S.-made bombs. They include a March 2016 strike on a market in the northwestern village of Mastaba that killed more than 100 people and the October attack on the funeral in Sana.

Naser Ali Mohammed was among hundreds who thronged the reception hall that afternoon to offer condolences to a prominent family mourning the death of a senior rebel politicians father.

The first bomb hit at 3:20 p.m., filling the hall with smoke and flames as parts of the ceiling started to collapse. Less than 10 minutes later, as first responders rushed to the aid of survivors, a second bomb crashed into their midst.

One of Mohammeds uncles died in the attack, he said. Mohammed, 34, cannot escape the memory. He guards a construction site across the street from the halls ruins.

I saw death before my eyes, he said, and until today I still wake up screaming.

The Saudi-lead coalition acknowledged that one of its jets carried out the attack and blamed faulty intelligence. Saudi military officials say they make every effort to avoid civilian casualties and blame the Houthis, who they say have made hostages of Yemens population.

But the growing toll has galvanized opposition in the U.S. to Saudi arms deals.

Supporters of Yemens Houthi rebels burn U.S. and Israeli flags at a protest in Sana on May 20, the day President Trump began a visit to Saudi Arabia. (Mohammed Huwais / AFP/Getty Images)

At the end of a review prompted by the funeral attack, President Obama blocked the sale of thousands of GPS-guided smart bomb kits to the Saudi military. Those same weapons are among those that Trump has now green-lighted, although much of the deal still requires congressional approval.

A bipartisan effort to halt the sale, worth about $500 million, was narrowly defeated in the Senate on Tuesday. This barbaric nation should not be getting our weapons, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who sponsored the resolution.

The U.S. has also resumed some intelligence sharing that was put on hold under Obama, officials on both sides said. Other support was never halted, including aerial refueling for the jets that drop the bombs.

Human rights activists warn that continuing to provide such help to a country accused of violating the laws of war puts the U.S. at risk of complicity in future unlawful attacks. Under international law, you dont need to want a weapon that you deliver to be used unlawfully to potentially be guilty of aiding and abetting, said Kristine Beckerle, the Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The support has also generated more hostility to the U.S. in a country where American special forces are stepping up counter-terrorism operations against Al Qaedas most potent affiliate, including an ill-fated raid in January that killed two dozen civilians along with militants and a U.S. Navy SEAL commando.

The week that Trump was in Riyadh, thousands took to the streets in Sana to protest U.S. terror in Yemen. In mosques across the city, imams railed against the U.S.-Saudi arms deal at Friday prayers.

This proves that America has never been the guardian of democracy and human rights, like it tries to portray itself, said Mohammed Aiyash, the 40-year-old editor of a now-shuttered Sana newspaper.

U.S. defense officials say they do not select the coalitions targets and have made their concerns known about the number of civilian casualties in Yemen.

The U.S. continues to recommend that the Saudi military leadership investigate all incidents of civilian casualties allegedly caused by airstrikes and has asked that the coalition reveal the results of these investigations publicly, said Christopher Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman.

Some defense officials question the wisdom of denying the Saudis precision-guided munitions that could, if used correctly, actually help reduce such casualties.

Theres an honest question: Do you save more civilian lives if you try to guide the Saudis, or you leave them to handle things on their own? said Jon B. Alterman, who heads the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. All the military people Ive spoken to come down on the side that you are going to save a lot more lives if you work with them.

Some U.S. officials have suggested that it may be necessary to step up military support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen in order to bring the Houthis and their allies to the negotiating table.

Our goal is to push this conflict into the U.N.-brokered negotiations to ensure that it ends as soon as possible, Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis said in Riyadh last month.

Critics counter that the U.S. is fueling an unwinnable war. But even if a settlement is reached, it is unlikely to bring an end to Yemens misery. Many here expect fighting to break out between the Houthis and Saleh supporters; senior figures in the south are agitating for secession, and militants loyal to Al Qaeda and Islamic State are capitalizing on the chaos to extend their reach.

Yemen is just wickedly hard, Alterman said. People want obvious answers. Yemen doesnt give you any obvious answers.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis

Times staff writer Zavis reported from Los Angeles and special correspondent Ahmed from Sana. Staff writers Michael A. Memoli and W.J. Hennigan contributed from Washington and Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed from Riyadh.

UPDATES:

2:15 p.m.: This article was updated to report that an effort to halt a portion of the arms sale to Saudi Arabia was defeated in the Senate on Tuesday.

This article was originally published at 10:40 a.m.
ABC's hit television show, Bachelor in Paradise abruptly suspends production after an alleged sexual misconduct occurred between two cast members, Corine Olympios and DeMario Jackson, reports TMZ.

(MAJOR SPOILER): From I've been told, the show has been cancelled. They're done. Everyone's being sent home. (1/3)  RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) June 11, 2017

Production of Season 4 of BiP was shut down last week after contestant Corinne Olympios said that she did not give consent to have sexual relation with DeMario Jackson.

(MAJOR SPOILER): I'm not at liberty to throw accusations out. But yeah, drinking, sex, cameras, etc. You get the picture. (3/3)  RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) June 11, 2017

Olympios claims she blacked-out from drinking too much and blames the show's producers for not stopping and protecting her from having sex with fellow BiP contestant DeMario Jackson.

However, she doesn't blame Jackson because she said he was also drunk. Yet, Jackson said he was not in a blackout state and remembers the whole sexual encounter with Olympios - from "rubbing, touching and fingering" to licking her genitals, reports the gossip publication TMZ.

According to TMZ, people familiar with the footage of the 24-year-old Olympios and 30-year-old Jackson at a pool having sexual interactions say she was "fully engaged."

Besides shutting down production, Warner Bros. has launched a full investigation on the incident. But, there is no word if law enforcement in Mexico, where the reality show was being filmed, were informed of the specific sexual allegations between the two cast members.

Mexican officials from Sayulita police department told PEOPLE that they "had no knowledge of the alleged incident."
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 13

By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend

UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres chaired a High-Level United Nations-Central Asian Dialogue on Implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia June 13, said a press release of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

On this occasion, ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan adopted a Joint Declaration on strengthening regional collaboration to counter-terrorism.

The objective of the meeting was to review progress on the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia and to define future strategic counter-terrorism priorities for the region.



Central Asian countries are leading by example in the joint implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy at the regional level, commended Guterres adding that the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia is the first of its kind around the world.

The Secretary-General also noted that policies that limit human rights only end up alienating religious and ethnic communities, who would normally have every interest in fighting extremism.

The Secretary-General also expressed his appreciation to the Central Asian countries for their commitment to jointly addressing and defeating the scourge of terrorism and for further strengthening regional cooperation and coordination in this field.

No one country can defeat terrorism alone, Guterres said.

He also reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to continue supporting regional and national efforts of Central Asian countries in this regard.

He added that his counter-terrorism architecture reform initiative to establish a new Office of Counter-Terrorism will provide stronger leadership, enhance coordination and coherence across the system, strengthen capacity building support, mobilize political will and robust partnership to ensure a balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.



The Central Asian ministers expressed their concern about the threat of terrorism and resolved to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and recommendations of the Secretary-Generals Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism by promoting dialogue and conflict prevention, addressing foreign terrorist fighters phenomenon, promoting skills development and employment facilitation, countering terrorist narrative and the misuse of information technologies.



The Declaration welcomes the recent initiative of the Secretary-General to reform the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture by establishing a new Office of Counter-Terrorism and acknowledges the importance of United Nations counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

It also recognizes the valuable support of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Office and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), as well as the expertise and support provided by other international, regional and sub-regional organizations in implementing the Joint Plan of Action.



This event came at the conclusion of the second phase of the project Towards the Implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, which is being jointly implemented by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Office and the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA) with the support of the European Union (EU) and Norway.



The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy was adopted by the General Assembly by consensus in 2006.

The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Office was established to bring system-wide coordination and coherence to the United Nations counter-terrorism work. The Office coordinates a CTITF membership that extends to 36 UN entities and the World Custom Organization and INTERPOL.

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) provides capacity building support to Member States in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. It was established within the CTITF Office in 2011.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, June 13

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev by his decree has approved changes in the structure of the countrys Cabinet of Ministers.

The post of deputy prime minister - head of the complex on the issues of macroeconomic development, structural transformation, attracting foreign investments, as well as consolidated information and analytical department on the issues of macroeconomic development, structural reforms and attracting foreign investments has been abolished in accordance with the decree published on the Uzbek presidential website June 13.

The post of deputy prime minister - head of the complex on the issues of economic development, structural reforms, investments, reformation of banking and financial systems, coordination of activities of free economic and small industrial zones has been created instead.

The post of deputy prime minister - chairman of the board of Ozavtosanoat JSC - head of the complex on the issues of the development of foreign economic activity, export potential, mechanical engineering, automotive and electrical industries, product standardization has been created instead of the post of deputy prime minister - chairman of the board of Ozavtosanoat JSC - head of the complex on the issues of the development of export potential and mechanical engineering, automotive and electrical industries, product standardization.

In addition, the post of deputy prime minister - head of the complex on the issues of ecology, environmental protection, physical culture and sports, which was recently vacant, has been abolished.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 12

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



Iranian parliaments research center has forecasted that the unemployment rate in the country would surge by at least three percent and maximum 14 percent over the next four years.



A recent study by the parliaments research center suggests that Iranian unemployment rate would reach 16 percent by 2020 in an optimistic scenario.



However, the report adds that the figure may hit 26 percent in a pessimistic scenario.



According to Irans statistical center, the countrys unemployment rate over the last fiscal year (starting March 20) stood at 12.4 percent with an estimated 2.2 million unemployed job seekers.



President Hassan Rouhahi earlier said that the country needs a permanent 8-percent GDP growth to create one million new jobs annually.



According to the government, Iran, in order to reduce the rising unemployment rate and to create 950,000 new jobs, needs to draw over $233 billion in investment per year.
Funky-looking Kona crossover fills gap in Hyundai lineup

Jun 13, 2017, 4:16am ET

Developed largely for Europe, the Kona is Hyundai\'s smallest crossover.

Following a lengthy teaser campaign dotted with leaks, Hyundai has introduced the brand-new Kona crossover at its headquarters in South Korea.

The South Korean automaker promises the Kona -- which is named after a district on Hawaii's Big Island -- features "true SUV genes, progressive design, and premium features." We can't comment on the genes or the features, but it certainly looks a lot bolder than many of its stablemates.

The LED daytime running lights are positioned a little bit higher than the grille, while the headlights are much lower. These styling cues create a look reminiscent of Nissan's Juke, Jeep's Cherokee, and a handful of recent additions to the Citroen lineup. The front end also receives a wide rendition of Hyundai's trademarked grille, and a fake air vent right below the hood.

The back end is just as bold, with plastic wheel arch trim that stretches into the bumper and encompasses the reverse lights. The thin tail lights are inspired by the LEDs up front. Photos of the interior haven't been released yet.

The Kona rides on a brand-new platform. In Europe, buyers will be asked to choose between a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 150 horsepower, a 177-horsepower 1.6-liter turbo four, and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder that churns out 120 horsepower. A 1.6-liter diesel will also be available.

Front-wheel drive will come standard, and four-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. Transmission options include a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic, and a seven-speed dual-clutch.

Details about the U.S.-spec model haven't been released yet. However, don't expect the triple, the oil-burner, or the manual transmission to make the trip over here.

Hyundai hopes adding a smaller, more city-friendly crossover to its lineup across the pond will help it reach its goal of becoming the number one Asian brand in Europe by 2021. The company's promotional material places an unusually strong emphasis on the European market, but the Kona will also be sold in North America.

The 2018 Hyundai Kona will go on sale early next year. When it lands, it will compete in the same segment as the Toyota C-HR, the Honda HR-V, and the Mazda CX-3, among other cute 'utes.

Live images by Ronan Glon.
Nine hundred and eighty nine miles.

That was the only thing separating Jake Glessner from the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., one year ago.

Nine hundred and eighty nine miles away, Glessner was carefree, drinking and dancing with friends at a gay nightclub -- a space where he felt safe, just like those at Pulse.

"(Those miles) were the difference between pride and pain ... the difference between getting safely into an Uber and being carried away to a morgue," Glessner read from a poem he wrote about the tragedy.

He was doing the exact same thing as the victims in Florida that night, just in a different place. And that moved Glessner to the point of demanding action.

At least 50 others joined Glessner on Monday at Stonewall in Allentown to remember those who lost their lives on June 12, 2016, in the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub that cost 49 people their lives.

They joined together not only to remember those lost, but also to demand action.

"This was a direct attack on the LGBT and Latino community. We need to honor (the victims) with action, because thoughts and prayers have never been enough," said Adrian Shanker, executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.

"Stand up and fight back!"

The crowd chanted those words in response to a multitude of questions that started off the rally -- What do we do when queer people are under attack? When trans people are under attack? When black people are under attack?

"We stand up and fight back."

This sense of community and support was carried throughout the night, as the LGBT community one another for support, cheered together and danced the night away.

The rally was sponsored by the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and hosted speakers from the Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley (MCCLV) and CeaseFire PA.

After hearing from the speakers, two Latina members of MCCLV read aloud the 49 names of those who were murdered. Because a majority of the victims were Latino, the church wanted to honor them in the best way possible by having Latina women provide the best pronunciation, explained Rev. Elizabeth Goudy.

The rally had a cover charge of $10, and 100 percent of the proceeds are going to the Pulse Memorial Fund in Orlando, organizers said. The Bradsbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center also intends to match the first $250 raised.

The shooting at the Florida club was the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. Gunman Omar Mateen was killed in a shootout with police.

At Monday night's remembrance, those in attendance not only advocated outwardly living their lives and taking back their safe spaces, but they also cheered for calls to action regarding non-discriminatory laws to protect the LGBT community and a ban on assault weapons.

"Tonight is about our community... we need to be clear that our queer spaces belong to us," Shanker said to the crowd.

It concluded with a dance party -- a way to stand up against who that tried to scare the community into silence.

"We need to keep doing this. If we don't, (those that hate us) win. If you can't live an authentic life, what's the point?" Glessner said.

At that, the crowd broke into dance, ensuring that they would not let fear stop them from being who they are and enjoying the spaces they love. The opening words echoed throughout the night.

"Together as one, our Pulse beats strong," they said.

Alyssa Mursch may be reached at amursch@lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iran is negotiating with Japan to import new technology for producing ethylene glycol, Iran's oil ministrys SHANA news agency reported June 13.



Iran's Parsian Oil and Gas Development Group Co. (PODGC) is in talks with a Japanese company for receiving the technology of producing ethylene glycol from natural gas, Mohammad Ebrahim Yousefzadeh, the companys production director, said.



He did not unveil the Japanese firm name.



Yousefzadeh said that the technology of producing ethylene glycol from natural gas is much more cost-effective.



He expressed hope that the talks will be concluded till March 2018.



Ethylene glycol is mainly used for two purposes, as a raw material in the manufacture of polyester fibers and for antifreeze formulations. It is an odorless, colorless, sweet-tasting syrup. Ethylene glycol is moderately toxic.



Iran has the annual capacity of producing up to 63 million tons of various types of petrochemical products and the Islamic Republic plans to increase it to 130 million tons in the next decade.



According to the official sources, Iran should absorb some $50 to $70 billion to complete its half-finished petrochemical projects.
When Bethlehem Area School District's top leaders set a goal of having all students reading on grade level by the end of third grade, they knew they needed to start with their youngest students.

Now, two years into universal full-day kindergarten and intensive literacy training for teachers and principals, administrators are floored by the results they're seeing.

At the start of the school year, 46 percent of district kindergarteners tested on grade level for literacy. By the close of the school year, that had almost doubled to 88 percent.

West Bethlehem's Calypso Elementary School, which started out with 64 percent testing on grade level, finished the year with every single kindergartner testing on level.

Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Jack Silva said he's been an educator for 30 years and the gains are astounding.

"I've never seen anything like this," he told the school board's curriculum committee Monday night.

This chart shows the results of the district's early literacy skills testing results, which are nicknamed DIBELs (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).

District leaders were pleased that in the first year of full-day kindergarten, students began the year with 47 percent testing on grade level and closed at 72 percent. Teachers and principals have now gone through the training they need to be literacy leaders and the gains are impressive, Silva said.

Donegan Elementary School, which has a high free and reduced lunch rate, went from having only 24 students on grade level at the start of school to 87 percent by the end of the year.

"These are spectacular," School Director Eugene McKeon said. "They really are."

The district's largest elementary school, Fountain Hill, also has a high-need population and this year it began with 25 percent of kindergarteners testing on grade level and went to 73 percent by year's end.

"These numbers really are noteworthy," Silva said.

Superintendent Joseph Roy said over 31 years in education he's never seen such clear results.

"When we talk about excellence through equity, this is a great example of how instruction can get to that," Roy said.

Teachers and administrators now truly understand what it takes for students to learn to read, said Kim Harper, district supervisor of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

"It is not natural. It is not going to happen organically," Harper said. "We have to provide direct explicit instruction."

There's still plenty of work to do, Silva said, noting that now first-grade teachers will have to raise the bar since students are entering better prepared.

And the district is also focusing on ways to ensure more students enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Starting in August, Bethlehem will hold events for parents and pre-K providers on a monthly basis, including open houses, pre-K literacy training sessions conducted by district teachers and an incoming play date orientation session for students.

The district wants to offer parents and pre-K providers easy to use, real life literacy strategies they can incorporate into their daily life, explained Jodi Frankelli, district supervisor of early learning, grants and development.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
About 10 months after a fire destroyed part of the blighted former Stewart Silk Co. on Easton's South Side, the owner was again found guilty of not cleaning up the property quick enough.

Black Diamond Enterprises, where years back owner John Robinson sought to make metal storage containers on part of the 4-acre mill site at West Lincoln and Coal streets, was fined $200 on Tuesday morning for each of two remaining citations. The company was found liable in March for two other citations and received the same fine.

District Judge Daniel Corpora warned that it's not over yet because the property is not property cleaned up and another citation was filed Tuesday in his South Side court.

Robinson stressed in court that, working with his two sons, they filled a Dumpster with recyclable scrap metal. He said their expertise is not demolition and waste removal so it may take them longer than another crew, which he can't afford.

But the city's Chief Code Administrator Stephen Nowroski said the effort didn't make a dent in the thousands of bricks, pieces of wood and other debris that remain visible where a section of the mill burned then collapsed last Aug. 15 in the 400 block of West Lincoln Street.

And the judge agreed.

On more than one occasion, Corpora asked Robinson why he wasn't further along with the work. He wondered if Robinson had reached out to anyone who would do the work in exchange for the more than 100-year-old bricks, which Robinson said are worth four times new bricks.

Robinson, who said previously he couldn't get insurance on the empty building before the fire, told the judge he considered a demolition crew. But he is hoping to find someone willing to preserve the bricks and huge wooden A-frames that he said are 20 feet long, 12 inches across and worth $100 a foot. He is just beginning to reach out to some people he's learning about by word of mouth, he said.

He figures a New York company might wants the bricks, but he only has about 1,000 set aside, he said. He needs to clean and stack many more for it to be worth the company's time and expense to drive to Easton to pick them up.

"Why just now?" the judge asked. "It's a year later."

Robinson also was planning along with development partner Tim Harrison to perhaps save some of the bricks for a hoped-for mixed-use project that would feature a grocery store and "high-quality housing," Robinson said.

Some existing buildings would be used, and others torn down to make way for new construction, Nowroski said.

"It's what the political folks say the area needs," Robinson said of the housing, adding he's working toward state and federal money to bring the project to fruition.

His partnership with Harrison, who was a developer of the Hamilton Crossings retail project in Lower Macungie Township, should aid in the effort to get grants or loans, he said.

"No housing project is built without state and federal money," Robinson said, adding that Harrison is on the government's "A No. 1 list" so that should help.

Harrison didn't immediately return a phone message seeking more information.

And although Nowroski was serving Tuesday in the role of prosecutor, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to see the project done.

"I would say it's very important to see the site redeveloped and used," he said before the 30-minute hearing. "It's blighted and it impacts the neighborhood and the entire South Side."

The city has "shown extreme leniency" toward Robinson, who was first cited in September after missing a 30-day deadline to clean up the fire and demolition damage, Nowroski said.

And while the city has "worked with the owner ... our patience is running out," he added.

Robinson said he has spent about $20,000 on the cleanup, but much of what he's done is out of sight from the street. Nowroski told the judge that the citations were for debris that was visible to the public.

Robinson and his attorney Joshua Fulmer invited the judge and the city codes officials present to take fa ield trip to see the work that's been done. That may happen before the next hearing, but there wasn't time Tuesday, Corpora said.

And after looking at photos the city offered as evidence, Corpora said it appeared as if no work had been done and weeds that were previously dealt with appeared to be back.

"It's been 10 full months and the photos are exactly the same," Corpora said.

"No sir," Robinson said. "You are not correct."

Metal was moved from the West Lincoln Street into the Dumpster, which is hidden from view, Robinson said. They moved what the could by hand and brought in a winch, a truck and a crane to do more, he said.

Corpora suggested that Robinson might not be doing "the right work."

Garbage is being dumped along the side of the site, which Robinson said he had cleaned up.

"That happens because it looks like a garbage dump," Corpora said.

Robinson said he's been making a "good faith effort" since March to clean up the site.

"I'd love for you to see it," he said to the judge. "I'm quite proud of it."

Corpora said four Dumpsters a day -- rather than one every three months -- should be leaving the site.

But Robinson said he's been "responsive to the needs of the city," fencing in and securing the property.

"We are trying," he said once he was again found guilty of not doing enough to clean up his property.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A man with four DUI cases is back in jail after a fifth incident this past weekend, where he allegedly crashed into a utility pole while driving drunk.

Douglas Linsenman, of the 900 block of West Pennsylvania Street in Whitehall Township, was free on $5,000 unsecured bail in two cases.

Following the crash Sunday afternoon on Orefield Road in South Whitehall Township, Linsenman was arrested and sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Linsenman was then arraigned Tuesday morning on two additional DUI cases, incidents on April 17 in South Whitehall Township and May 26 in Allentown.

District Judge Rashid Santiago set bail at $50,000 in the Allentown case, and District Judge Jacob Hammond set bail at $5,000 in the South Whitehall case. Linsenman's total bail is now $305,000.

The 55-year-old Linsenman is awaiting trial in a DUI case from Jan. 12 in Whitehall Township, and a preliminary hearing for a Feb. 15 DUI case in Allentown, records show.

In his most recent arrest, South Whitehall police said they were called at 2:10 p.m. Sunday for a car crash on Orefield Road at Allison Lane.

Linsenman was driving a Ford Fusion eastbound on Orefield Road, when he drove off the road, onto the shoulder and into a utility pole, police said.

Linsenman was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township for reported chest pains, police said.

Township police said Linsenman had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and had trouble keeping his balance when he walked. Police are awaiting blood test results.

Linsenman is now facing seven counts of driving under the influence, three counts of careless driving, and two counts of restrictions on alcoholic beverages in a vehicle.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A drunken New Jersey patron is accused of damaging a Lehigh Valley Taxi cab and spitting on the driver.

Charged is Gheorghi Mihaliov, 31, of Parlin, Middlesex County.

Colonial Regional police at 3:09 a.m. Sunday were called to East Main and South Walnut streets in Bath. Rafael Parrilla, the taxi driver, told police he was summoned to Bath to pick up Mihaliov and take him to Easton.

Police said Mihaliov handed Parrilla $50 for the ride. Parrilla then asked him where specifically in Easton so he could put the location into his GPS to determine the exact mileage and cost, according to police.

Mihaliov then allegedly demanded the $50 back and Parrilla gave him back the cash. Mihaliov opened the cab door, spit on Parrilla and kicked the door, police said.

Mihaliov ended up damaging the inside locking mechanism when he kicked the door, preventing it from closing properly, court records indicate. Lehigh Valley Taxi currently is assessing the value of the damage, court records state.

Colonial Regional officers found Mihaliov sitting in the parking lot of The Fox Gentleman's Club. He lacked balance, had slurred speech and glassy eyes, according to police.

Mihaliov is charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was arraigned before District Judge Roy Manwaring, who set bail at $500.

In lieu of bail, Mihaliov was taken to Northampton County Prison. Court records indicate he has since posted bail.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
As a medical concept, the warm handoff is not new: Someone suffering from a disease seeks emergency treatment that, once successful, leads to an immediate referral for followup care.

But when it comes to treating drug overdose victims in Pennsylvania, the warm handoff has gotten new attention amid an epidemic claiming the lives of 13 residents a day, according to state Physician General Rachel Levine.

"It is by far the worst public health crisis that we are facing in Pennsylvania and you can argue in the nation," she said during a visit Monday to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. "By far in Pennsylvania and in the nation, more people die of drug overdoses than die of car accidents."

Dr. Rachel Levine, physician general of Pennsylvania, discusses the warm handoff approach to getting someone treated for a drug overdose directly into treatment, during a visit June 12, 2017, to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Pennsylvania, for about six months now, has been pushing a refined warm handoff clinical pathway to get those saved from overdoses directly to inpatient or outpatient care, according to Levine.

Lehigh Valley Health Network's system for the warm handoff is state of the art, she said.

"Our goal here really is just over time that it become part of our standard medical practice just like we treat any other disease," said Dr. Robert Cannon, an LVHN emergency physician who specializes in overdose care as a medical toxicologist.

The big culprit behind overdoses is opioids, including prescription painkillers. There's also heroin and increasingly available, more potent drugs like fentanyl compounds created in laboratories, largely in Asia, and brought into the United States, sometimes through the mail. Among those compounds being abused is carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine.

"And so we've even had stories of first responders who might get it on their hands or their clothes and have overdosed," Levine said. "This is our task. This is the enemy that is facing us, the plague upon our commonwealth, and you can see the many different facets of it."

Levine said Gov. Tom Wolf had made combating opioid abuse and repeated cycles of overdoses a top priority, in collaboration with the Legislature, medical professionals, local communities and partners in other states and at the federal level. The focus is on prevention, rescue, referral for treatment and expanded treatment options, she said.

Levine, under Act 139 of 2014, signed three measures on the rescue front: Two are standing prescriptions for naloxone, an antidote for opioid overdoses; one is for first responders and the other is for the general public so anyone can purchase it to revive a loved one. The third is a good Samaritan provision.

"If you are doing illegal activities such as taking drugs and if the person with you overdoses, if you call 911 and help that person in good faith then you will not be prosecuted," Levine said. "So we really want people to call 911, we really want those persons to be brought to the emergency department.

"We emphasize over and over again that you can't use naloxone at home and go back to bed. The patient needs ... further treatment. The naloxone can wear off before the opioid wears off. With these extremely powerful fentanyl compounds you might need multiple doses of naloxone, so we need first responders to come, we need EMS to come see the patient, bring them to the emergency department for further medical care ... and then for the warm handoff."

Lehigh Valley Health Network last year created a new position, of addiction recovery liaison, and Paige Roth has been assisting patients with warm handoffs in that role since October. With a target date of July 1, Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol will begin providing case management at the network's Children's Hospital to work with pregnant women battling substance abuse and babies who are born impacted by drugs, said J. Layne Turner, administrator of the county program.

Turner said his staff has also begun providing support in all six hospitals within the county, 16 hours a day and seven days a week, to foster the relationships that get people from overdose to treatment.

"A majority of individuals who are at treatment's doorstep have someone's footprint on their backside that's got them to that door," he said. "Whoever gets close enough to that individual to leave that footprint is who we're seeking to work with and support in our communities."

Legal opioids have a legitimate role in medical treatment, Levine said, but better stewardship is needed -- just like with antibiotics.

"Antibiotics are essential medicines in our medical toolbox but because of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, we have to learn to use them more carefully and judiciously," she said. "In parallel, opioids are essential medicines in our medical toolbox. And if you're in the hospital in the emergency department with a fractured femur I'm sure you'll need an opioid, and if you had a large operation this morning you would need an opioid and if you're suffering from severe, chronic pain such as cancer pain or end-of-life pain, people need an opioid.

"We do not want people to suffer. But because of this epidemic in our midst, we have to learn to use opioids very carefully and judiciously."

Toward that end, Pennsylvania in January rolled out a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program that requires any dispenser of opioids or psychoactive drugs known as benzodiazepines to check in for new patients, if an insured patient tries to pay with cash, if an early refill is requested or if a patient is getting these drugs from more than one prescriber.

It's all part of an approach of collaboration, connection and communication, as described by Dr. David Burmeister, chairman of the Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

"Addiction is a disease, and this disease is not any typical disease," he said. "It's a disease that causes dysfunction that has biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations and in one way or another it has affected all of us. ...

"Addiction needs to be managed as a disease and it's imperative for all of us to elevate our standard of care in order to take care of this patient population."

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
About 280 people showed up as representatives of a proposed sewage sludge treatment facility pitched their plans to the Plainfield Township Planning Commission on Monday night.

The commission is reviewing a zoning permit application for the controversial project that would be located at Grand Central Sanitary Landfill.

The commission will eventually provide a recommendation to John Lezoche, the township zoning officer, as to whether the application should be approved, denied or approved with conditions.

Representatives for Synagro Technologies Inc. presented plans Monday at the Wind Gap Middle School auditorium. Plans are for a proposed heat recovery center that would convert sewage sludge into Class A Biosolids for resale as fuel or fertilizer.

Synagro representatives said they will agreed to abandon its original Dec. 5 site plan after Lezoche ruled the plant would not be permitted in that zoning district. However, Lezoche concluded the plant would be permitted by right at a different location on the property, which was detailed in an alternate zoning permit application submitted by Synagro on March 31.

Synagro attorney Matthew Goodrich spent over two-and-a-half hours questioning Dave Allen, a civil engineer hired by Synagro. Goodrich spent much of the time addressing Lezoche's comments and concerns, which were listed in a 32-page letter to the applicant.

Synagro Technologies Inc. representatives present their plans on June 12, 2017, to the Plainfield Township Planning Commission for a sewage sludge treatment plant.

One major disagreement between Synagro and the township deals with required permits for sewage, water obstruction, water pollution and other issues.

Lezoche wrote in his letter that township ordinances prevent him from issuing zoning permits until he has evidence that Syangro has all the required state and federal permitting in place.

"No zoning or building permits shall be issued until such time that all required governmental permits are obtained by the applicant," Lezoche wrote.

Goodrich argued that obtaining the various state and federal permits is costly and can take years. It is customary practice in Pennsylvania that zoning permits are issued on the condition that proper permitting is obtained later, Goodrich said.

Some permits, like those issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, cannot be obtained without first gaining a zoning permit, he said.

Goodrich cited several cases in Plainfield Township where zoning permits were issued without having first obtained state or federal permits.

"I trust that tonight would be no different," Goodrich said.

Several planning commission members insisted they want to see environmental studies regarding the impact that the plant would have on the area.

Treated water from the plant processes would be discharged into either Waltz Creek or Little Bushkill Creek, according to plans.

Commission member Robert Simpson said he does not want to recommend a zoning permit be issued and then wait years for environmental studies to be performed.

"I want a full analysis by an environmental engineer on what contaminants will still be in the material deposited in the stream," Simpson said.

Another issue of contention is a 1997 easement agreement between the township and Waste Management, which owns the landfill. The agreement allows for a township-owned recreational trail to run through the property.

Plans for access routes to the proposed plant would be on township-owned land in accordance with the agreement, according to Lezoche.

"It is unclear to the Zoning Officer how a private street right-of-way could be created to the west of the Green Knight lot, as a portion of that access drive is owned by Plainfield Township...," Lezoche wrote.

Goodrich said the easement agreement allows Waste Management to relocate the boundaries of the disputed land.

"Plainfield Township will never be able to revert that back into a trail?" Commission member Terry Kleintop asked.

Township solicitor David Backenstoe said the easement agreement does seem to give Waste Management a lot of latitude but he must review the matter further before he could give an opinion.

Lezoche detailed other issues with the site plan that would require the township to approve several variances, including property frontage, access drives, exit and entrance locations and acceptable structure distances to a water basin.

After several commission members questioned Synagro representatives, officials from neighboring municipalities Wind Gap, Pen Argyl and Lower Mount Bethel Township were given an opportunity to ask questions or make statements.

Those three municipalities' leaders are opposed to the plant.

"Council should do what the people want them to do. I think the people of Wind Gap oppose this," Wind Gap Mayor James Shoemaker said to a round of applause from the audience.

The meeting began at 7 p.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. Backenstoe told the audience that residents of the township and neighboring municipalities would have the opportunity to ask questions or make statements at future meetings.

Goodrich said he plans to call four or five more witnesses to testify. The commission, municipal representatives, township residents and neighboring municipality residents will be afforded the opportunity to question each witness, Backenstoe said.

The next meeting on this issue is scheduled for Monday, July 24, at 7 p.m. at the Wind Gap Middle School auditorium.

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
A savings scheme to help people stay warm in their homes throughout the winter is launching in Mountmellick.

Mountmellick St Vincent de Paul is only the second conference in Ireland to introduce the Stay Warm scheme. A pilot programme was launched in Kildare two years ago and proved a big success.

Anyone will be able to buy the 5 savings stamps in participating local shops.

People can then fill out a savings card, and later redeem these for heating fuel from a list of local suppliers.

Bobby Delaney from Mountmellick St Vincent de Paul explained why they are launching the scheme.

When we call to people at home in the winter, we can feel how cold the houses are. I saw this scheme and thought it was a great idea. There are no gains made by the shops, and anybody can use it, he said.

St Vincent De Paul's Jimmy Scurry is the project manager.

It may be a traditional way of saving, similar to the TV License Stamp saving scheme, but it can be a huge benefit to people who do not have banking facilities, he said.

It is making a real difference for families and households who really struggle to manage their heating bills. We are thrilled that Mountmellick has picked up on it, it may now be rolled out nationally.

We have found it very successful in Kildare, often adult children will buy cards for their elderly parents, or people will fill a card and give it to our conference and then we give it to a family, he said.

The stamps can be purchased from this Wednesday June 14, in Mountmellick post office, Emmet Stores, McConvilles SuperValu and Watchhornes.

The Stay Warm fuel suppliers include those three supermarkets which sell briquettes, coal and bottled gas, with 20L of home heating oil also sold in Watchhornes.

Also accepting stamps are local fuel suppliers Smyth Fuels who will supply home heating oil (min 200), and Brian Mulligan supplying turf (3 tonne trailer loads). The cards may be used part completed, and as part payment for fuel. They cannot be redeemed for cash.

The scheme will be officially launched in Wolfe Tone Court on OMoore Street this Tuesday night, June 13 at 8pm, all welcome.

The project is funded by the Dept of Communications, Climate Action & Environment and by the Society of St Vincent de Paul, supported by SEAI and MABS.

For further information call 086-0666488
A Newbridge mum has issued a desperate plea for help for her 29-year-old son, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of oesophageal cancer.

Mairead Kelly and her family have launched a fundraising drive to pay for Conans cancer treatment in Germany.

He had been sick for the past two years but they didnt get to the bottom of it here, said Mairead.

He went to Germany to work and started a job in April. He was still feeling ill, he ended up in A and E, and within five weeks he was diagnosed over there.

The devastated mum of three, who lives in Lakeside Park, explained how German doctors found an 8cm tumour in his stomach. Conan is due to start his first session of chemotherapy on June 22.

He is generally a happy go lucky guy and he is trying to stay up beat, but it is hard. He has a three year old daughter and she cant understand what is happening, said Mairead.

The former St Conleths Community College student is not covered by private medical insurance and his family have set up an online fundraising drive at www.gofundme.com/com/helpconanconquercancer.

The Kellys also plan on holding a number of fundraisers locally.

Mairead believes the delay in a diagnosis of her sons condition may have been prompted by his age.

Thats what annoys me more than anything. Cancer doesnt discriminate on age. There is always someone outside the age bracket, she said.

She said not being able to go out to Germany and be with him is one of the hardest things to cope with.

Just to be there and to be able to give him a hug, would mean the world, she said.

Conan, who is a test engineer, hopes to hold on to his job while getting treatment for this life threatening disease.
Tehran, Iran, June 13

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and Azerbaijan have made agreements to complete the North-South corridor connection, Islamic Republic Railways Director of Technical and Infrastructural Department Maziar Yazdani told Trend June 13.

Just before this session, the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan signed an agreement whereby, if the sides are prepared, the Astara-Astara and Rasht-south part of Iran sections connection will be completed, he said on the sidelines of a press conference.

The railway has been completely constructed. The cargo terminal is being built and will be operational in two months and will unload cargos coming from Azerbaijan as well as southern Iran.

The International North-South Transport Corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

The corridor is planned to transport 6 million tons of cargo per year at the initial stage and 15-20 million tons of cargo in the future.
An unusual picture taken in daylight somewhere in Leitrim has been recorded by Filer's research Institute, the US based National UFO Center.

The image which looks like the moon was reported in Leitrim (exact location not recorded) on May 7 this year by an anonymous observer.



The person who reported the UFO said There was no movement or sound. I turned to call my wife and it was gone at 2.15pm. It was weird and a tad spooked in truth.

The sighting could be a plasma ball or it could just be the moon!



While Leitrim is not a well known location for unusual objects in the sky, we are located close to a hotspot for UFOs.

The area around Lough Key and Boyle is believed to be located where an orbital track intersects.

Boyle has been the focus of UFO sightings in Ireland with Dr Eamonn Ansboro astronmer conducting research from his Kingsland Observatory for 20 years.



According to reports the most recent UFO sighting was just over a month ago from a man in Boyle who was driving on the N4 to Sligo. He saw two balls of light about 50 meters in front of him.



A proposal to establish a Boyle Space and UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) Centre was been backed by Boyle Town Council in 2014, but has not progressed since then.
England and Wales abortion statistics reveal that last year, 21 women from Leitrim travelled to the UK for an abortion.

This represents just over 1% of the total number of Irish women who travelled to the UK last year for an abortion.

In 2016, 3,265 Irish women travelled to the UK for a termination.



Monaghan was recorded as the county with the lowest number of women who travelled for a termination, with 15 women travelling, while Dublin obviously recorded the highest number with 1,175 women travelling from the capital, 43% of the total number of Irish women to do so.

63 Donegal females, 33 in Cavan, 21 in Sligo, 20 from Roscommon and 16 from Longford gave their addresses in the UK to access abortion services.

Over 500 women did not give their address.



The majority of those who accessed the service were aged between 20-24, followed by the 25-29 age group.

The majority of women also gave their status as married / civil partnership.

Irish women represented the vast majority of non-UK residents undergoing the procedure there last year.



The figures do show a drop of almost 200 from the number of abortions recorded by Irish women the previous year, 2015.

The statistics are obtained from the abortion notification forms returned to the Chief Medical Officers of England and Wales.
Belfast International Airport is embarking on a major advertising campaign in County Leitrim to persuade passengers to opt for the Northern gateway over Dublin.

The billboard, newspaper, radio and digital advertising campaign will have as its strapline Cheaper. Nearer. Simpler and builds on the fact that a strong euro offers better value when you fly from Belfast International.

Forget Dublin. Were flying is Belfasts fight-back effort against the larger rival which claimed to attract a significant part of the Northern Ireland market.

Using Brexit, the ads will encourage passengers to Vote to Leave via Belfast and Give your euro a break when you turn around and Bexit Belfast International.

Belfast International Airport Managing Director, Graham Keddie, says there has never been a better time for passengers in County Leitrim to use the International.

Mr Keddie said, The strength of the euro over the pound gives a distinct and clear advantage to southern passengers.

Weve been seeing a noticeable increase in the number of southern-registered cars in our car parks. We fly to 90 destinations in Europe and, at the beginning of July, Norwegian will commence trans-Atlantic services to New York and Providence (Rhode Island/Boston).

At the other end, you can be through Immigration in under 15 minutes without the congestion of Newark, JFK, Boston or the queues at pre-clearance in Dublin. Nothing could be simpler.

Belfast International operates to 11 GB destinations  Gatwick is the UKs busiest domestic route  and our holiday services this year with Virgin, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, Wizz, Thomson and Thomas Cook offer great choice.

Savings are appreciable. Convenience, too, is a factor as for many in the southern border region, its easier to drive north than south. And our car parking, which can be booked online, is at competitive rates.

Were saying to people to select the best option for them. Once they weigh up all the factors, on fares, proximity, car parking and facilities, we know many more will want to opt for us.

The campaign will run during June and July.
The performance of children attending disadvantaged primary schools continues to improve, according to a report evaluating their progress.

Leitrim has nine primary rural schools in the DEIS programme.

The latest tests carried out by the State's Educational Research Centre show children currently attending DEIS schools outperforming their counterparts in previous years at all grade levels and in both reading and mathematics.

The DEIS system provides additional supports to schools judged to be most in need. The ERC tests children in DEIS schools every three years.

The latest round of testing involved 17,000 students in 118 schools. It found much of the improvement in reading and maths over the past ten years was among lower achievers.

More than three quarters of children said they liked school, or liked it a lot, and children who liked school had higher reading scores.

However, the researchers noted that there was still a substantial gap between children's hopes in terms of education, and what they see as realistic. For example, while more than 76% of sixth class pupils said they wished to go to college or university, less than 58% thought that they actually would.

The latest data shows that the performance of children in the country's most disadvantaged schools - known as Band 1 schools - remains considerably below national norms.

However, the performance of pupils in less disadvantaged, or Band 2, DEIS schools is approaching or surpassing national norms in several instances, most notably in maths.

The researchers say it is unclear how much of all these educational improvements can be directly attributed to the DEIS programme and the additional supports that it provides.

This is because this research project does not have a control group - schools with a similar profile but not within DEIS - with which to compare.

They point out that national standards in reading and maths also improved between 2009 and 2014.

But they say it is possible that the continuing gap between DEIS and other schools could have widened during this period but for the DEIS programme.
In my previous post I reviewed some of the problems associated with referendums, in particular the conundrum posed by the once in a lifetime proposition. It is no wonder that two of our previous Prime Ministers described them as un-British, and a tool for dictators and demagogues.

Here, as a break from all the election talk, I add a few more criticisms for good measure. But despite the shortcomings that referendums undoubtedly have, my conclusion remains the same: we still need another one.

Chancy outcomes

Referendums can have perverse and unexpected consequences. To take a rather silly example, suppose the British Medical Association called a vote on whether flower remedies should replace the MMR vaccine. The BMA might think it was a sure win for the vaccine, which does a wonderful job of protecting our children. But in reality it would be an enormous gamble.

The problem here is that, just like the benefits of the EU, the benefits of the vaccine have been taken for granted for years. People have forgotten how serious illnesses like measles, mumps and rubella can be.

Furthermore, just like the EU, the vaccine has its enemies. Andrew Wakefield, struck off the medical register in 2010 for fraudulently linking it to autism, has not crept shamefully away but has established himself in the United States, counting a certain Donald Trump among his supporters. The result? The worst measles outbreak there for decades.

Yet the BBC, anxious to be fair to him, would give him at least 50% of airtime in the name of balance, and he would waste no time in sowing doubt and uncertainty among a public already suspicious of Big Pharma.

The flower remedy people meantime would proclaim the wisdom of folk medicine, citing the romantic notion of the apothecary rose, a mythical panacea from centuries ago. Pictures of English roses in full bloom would adorn the tabloid newspapers and flower power buses would tour the country.

It would be a sad day for public health, just as June 23rd was a sad day for politics.

I said this was a silly example, but our situation in reality is worse. At least flower remedies are harmless, whereas Brexit is purely destructive.

Another one?

Should there be another referendum, given all the drawbacks? Ideally not perhaps, but now that the Brexit milk has been spilt, it is rather difficult to put it back into the bottle. It may take a referendum to cure a referendum, so to speak.

And next time, it could well succeed. Because many people, given the power to express their discontents, will vote for change  any change. Last time, this produced the Leave vote. Next time, as debts pile up and the delights of increased sovereignty begin to fade, the no-change option will be to put up with the consequences of Brexit. But the positive alternative will be to do something about it.

And the alternative is likely to be increasingly attractive. As the EU blossoms under the Macron-Merkel partnership, it will have all the appeal of flower power.

In conclusion, however unsatisfactory last years referendum was, the upside is that we can learn from our experiences and make sure that any future one is as honest as we can make it, scrupulously fair to both sides. It should certainly be extended to include our young people, the 16 and 17 year olds who will be most affected. And of course it will respect the wishes of the 27 other countries, all of whom are directly affected by our actions, but all of whom were ignored the last time round.

Acknowledgment: I am grateful to Dr. Paul Gray, former research director for the European Commission, for his contributions to this post.

* John King is a retired doctor and Remain campaigner.
A YOUNG man who was woken in his bed by intruders who broke into his home was taken to an ATM and forced to withdraw money, a court has heard.

Details of the sinister incident, which happened in Castletroy, emerged after two men appeared in court charged in connection with the break in.

Opposing bail in the case of Jason Power, 20, of Collins Avenue, Kincora Park, gardai said it will be alleged he and another man entered the house at College Court at around 1.40am on June 7.

Gda Cathal O'Sullivan said it is the States case that the culprits entered the bedroom of the student where they located his wallet which contained a bank card.

After being woken, the young man was instructed to get dressed and make his way to a nearby ATM. Judge Marian O'Leary was told it will be further alleged a housemate of his was also woken by the culprits with one of them allegedly placing a hand over his throat. Cash and a HTC smartphone were taken from his bedroom

Gda O'Sullivan said it will be alleged that, while on route to the ATM the man warned he would "regret it" if he alerted gardai. His iPhone was taken from him along with 250 in cash which he withdrew from the ATM.

The court was told members of the armed Regional Support Unit were alerted to the incident and that it will be alleged the two culprits were caught red-handed. Judge O'Leary was told a number of witnesses made statements in relation to the incident and that gardai have no doubt Mr Power will commit serious crimes if granted bail.

Solicitor Sabina Hegerty told the court her client denies the allegations and that he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But Gda OSullivan stated that he believes the evidence is strongly against him.

Ms Hegerty said her client would abide by the strictest of bail conditions, and that he would live at an address in Fedamore. Urging the court not to grant bail, Insp Dermot OConnor said the alleged incident was the most terrifying and serious crime.

Judge OLeary refused bail and Power is due to appear before the court again this Tuesday. A file is to be prepared for the DPP.
AN INQUEST has heard that a woman accused of murdering a pensioner in Limerick attempted to gain re-entry to the crime scene and sent gardai on a wild goose chase during their investigations.

Patrick Redmond, a 65 year-old father of three from Dublin, was stabbed in an apartment at Mount Kennett, Dock Road, Limerick on November 10, 2013, and died several hours later from his injuries in University Hospital Limerick.

Mary Lynch, 41, with an address at Cecil Street, Limerick, and originally from Carlow, was charged in January 2015 with his murder and sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court in April 2015.

However, before the trial went to hearing, Ms Lynch died as a result of suicide by asphyxiation on September 7, 2015, while observing bail conditions set out by the High Court.

An inquest into the death of Ms Lynch, who was pre-deceased by her two children, was heard at an earlier date.

At an inquest into Mr Redmond's death, gardai told Limerick Coroner's Court this Tuesday that a blood stained knife with a 20cm blade in the cutlery drawer in her kitchen matched that of the deceased, and "could have been used to inflict the wound."

Sergeant Patrick Brennan of the Regional Support Unit was on patrol in Limerick that night and attended the scene at 105 Mount Kennett Apartments on the Dock Road, where he found Mr Redmond unconscious and lying in a pool of blood.

The court heard that the deceased lived in No 113, but he was found in No 105, where Ms Lynch had resided at that time.

Sgt Redmond said that Ms Lynch told investigating gardai that she believed his injuries had occurred in his own apartment and that the culprits were still there.

Gardai found that the front door of his apartment was locked, and retrieved a door breacher from the Regional Support Unit vehicle.

When gardai entered the apartment they found no evidence of any struggle in his own apartment. Both apartments were then designated as crime scenes.

Ms Lynch told gardai that Mr Redmond had called to her apartment looking to stay the night and she agreed to allow him stay.

She said she only saw that he was bleeding after he fell to the ground, called an ambulance and tried to stop the bleeding using a towel.

When gardai picked up a knife found in her apartment, she told officers: Everything here is clean.

Sergeant Viv Downey, of Henry Street station, who was called to the scene of an alleged stabbing, noticed that Ms Lynch did not have any blood on her hands.

She told Sgt Downey that she had washed them prior to their arrival at the scene, and that she believed a number of his relatives were responsible for his injuries.

He said she became verbally abusive and visibly annoyed when gardai asked her to leave the apartment, but she eventually agreed to attend Henry Street station, taking some footwear and medication with her.

Sgt Downey advised her that she was not under arrest, and made tea for her in the interview room.

She was asked to stay seated in the public office after the interview was terminated at 4.50am, but Sgt Downey received a call from another colleague informing him that she had returned to the apartment and attempted to gain entry to the crime scene.

Mr Redmond was pronounced dead at 7.50am.

The deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, who conducted the post-mortem examination, found a stab wound measuring 13cm to his right side.

Dr Curtis noted that his ability to survive by compromised by a pre-existing heart disease.

Coroner John McNamara told the jury clearly this is a case of unlawful killing, though no one has been convicted.

The jury recorded a verdict of unlawful killing in accordance with the medical evidence, as a result of a stab wound.

He didn't deserve to die in such a fashion, and in such traumatic circumstances, said Mr McNamara.

The coroner, members of An Garda Siochana and the jury expressed their condolences to the family.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian border guards will receive drones and thermal cameras in near future in a bid to provide security after recent terrorist attacks, a police commander said.

Commander of Iran's Border Police, Brigadier General Qassem Rezaei has said that the enemy is after undermining security in the country, IRINN reported.

Speaking about difficulties of monitoring the remote border areas, he added that individuals in some cases manage to illegally cross the border.

Iranian security forces have arrested dozens of suspects over the past few days following recent terror attacks in capital Tehran.

Two separate attacks shocked Tehran on June 7, leaving 17 dead and 54 injured. The attackers shot people and blew bombs on the premises of the Parliament and Ayatollah Khomeinis mausoleum.
EIGHTY percent of child car seats and restraints are fitted incorrectly, according to new research recently carried out by the Road Safety Authority.

During the RSAs most recent visit to Limerick in November, a total of 224 seats were checked, and it was found that up to 180 of these restraints were not correctly installed.

And since October 2013, the RSAs frequent Check It Fits service has examined more than 21,000 child car seats and restraints nationwide. It said that worryingly, 21,000 of these seats required major adjustment.

As part of the programme, the RSA will be offering free checks at Brian Gearys Toyota store, in Raheen, next Monday, between 10am and 5.30pm.

The 10-minute service, a spokesperson said, offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car and helps prevent potential serious or fatal injuries in the event of a collision.

RSAs road safety promotion officer, Aisling Leonard said that, almost two out of five children are passengers, and that garda reports indicate that 10% of children were not wearing seat belts or using a restraint in 2014.

The reality is that if a childs car seat isnt fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision. Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car. I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits when it comes to Limerick and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely.

RSA chief executive Moyagh Murdock said that checking labels on the car seat, for age, weight and height capacity, can ensure increased safety for the child.

On May 10, Munster, Ireland and Lions rugby legend Paul OConnell launched the RSA-Toyota Check It Fits initiative.
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Retailers have welcomed new powers which has seen a prolific thief barred from almost every shop in Boston and Skegness.

Gary Tutty, received a Criminal Behaviour Order from Boston Magistrates Court on June 9 after being caught shoplifting.

And as a result of the order, he is forbidden to enter any retail premises in Boston or Skegness, except two specific stores in each town.

And shopkeepers have welcomed the order to crack down on crime affecting their businesses.

A shopkeeper in West Street, who asked not to be named, said: "Its very refreshing to see serial offenders are being stopped in their tracks.

"Its usually the same set of people who steal from shops and its nice to see police putting in place an order to prevent him being a nuisance to others.

Val Hall, 60, a private business owner, added: These shoplifters cause a nuisance to people. Its a shame that it has to come down to this in the end.

The court ruling allows Tutty to go in two stores in each town.

He is allowed to enter Heron Foods on Lumley Road in Skegness and Boots Chemist on Churchill Avenue in the seaside town.

In Boston, he is allowed to shop in Tesco on New Hammond Beck Road and Parkside Medical Practice on Tawny Street.

Boston Police Inspector Andy Morrice said: This legislation gives us additional powers.

"It will be an offence for that person to be in the shop. Obviously there is criteria around who this order is suitable for, and there have to be some exemptions made so that people can feed themselves.

"It has been trialled successfully in Skegness, and as a result we are now rolling out in Boston.

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Sally West, community beat manager for Skegness Neighbourhood Policing Team tweeted her delight at the decision, stating "Another criminal behaviour order granted in Boston."

The officer said the force has a zero tolerance to shoplifting.

The public is asked to report sightings if Tutty is seen breaching the order by calling police on 101.
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Thank you to everyone who voted last week and to all those who campaigned, put up a poster or drove a neighbour to the polling station. I am delighted and honoured that you have again given me the opportunity to represent you both locally and at a national level.

My work restarted within hours of the result being announced. There is much to be done.

Of critical importance is the status of the childrens ward and Bassetlaw Hospital. The vote was a clear message from local people: the childrens ward must be fully reopened overnight. The future of Bassetlaw Hospital also remains my absolute priority.

I will also be pushing for an agreement to my campaign for a national memorial for British soldiers killed by the IRA in Northern Ireland. Local couple Mr and Mrs Dykes, whose son was killed by the IRA, have bravely called for the memorial and they are right to do so. Answers from the Government on the matter so far have been weak  it is time they got it sorted.

Terrorism will also be a major issue for the new Parliament. The police and intelligence services must have the powers alongside the finances and staff they need to monitor potential terrorists.

It is not acceptable for WhatsApp to allow people to plot their terror knowing the police will not be able to see their messages.

I am not afraid to call out Islamist fascism for what it is and will work to isolate these extremists.

We need to put an end to the injustice faced by the WASPI Women.

Hundreds of thousands of women have been cheated out of their retirement plans by changes to the state pension age.

Women who believed that they could retire have been told they still have years to wait before they receive a pension.

Last year I voted to support the WASPI campaign and introduce measures to slow the increase in the state pension age because it is clearly unfair that women are having to work for longer than they were told. I will back these women all the way in their campaign.

The election result has put Westminster into chaos, but that cannot be allowed to put a Brexit deal in jeopardy.

I put forward a motion to Parliament before the election and will push forward that agenda now.

The Government and future Governments should give preference to British businesses when awarding contracts and use the opportunity to introduce a fair, points-based immigration system.

We can also give more power on planning and house-building to local communities and give British farmers the support they need.

The NHS should be brought back under full public ownership whilst the energy market needs to start working for us again. Some basic common sense needs to prevail.

I will work hard for you and deliver for the people of Bassetlaw. It will take a great deal of focus and commitment  thank you for putting your trust in me.
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A man who stole a charity box from a bakery in Lincolnshire has been jailed.

Alexander Carne Hewitt admitted stealing the charity tin at Lincoln Magistrates Court on June 12.

The 60-year-old stole the tin from Myers Bakery in Horncastle last month.

Hewitt, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment.

Owners of the family business were disgusted after he snatched the charity box from their counter just yards away from where a staff member was working.

Hewitt walked into the shop and tried to prise the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research charity box from the counter twice before successfully shoving it into his bag after the third attempt.

But he didn't know that Myers Bakery, Cafe & Deli in the Bullring, Horncastle had caught him on CCTV.

A video of the CCTV footage posted on the bakery's Facebook page has been viewed an astonishing 64,000 times.

Marie Myers, 31, who works in the shop which is owned by her dad and uncle, is astounded at the theft.

"Stealing is low anyway but to take from charity is the lowest of the low - it's disgusting," she said.

"Customers are very kind and often put their change into the box, and you want that money to go to charity. It's just disgusting.

"It's a charity that is very close to our family's hearts for personal reasons. We have raised 30,000 for them over the last ten years through various fundraising activities."

Marie doesn't know exactly how much was in the box, but said it would be a fair amount due to their customer's genorosity.

And though their were several staff working at the time, it was a busy morning and no one spotted what he was up to.

"Everyone one else was busy but you can clearly see him having a few attempts on the CCTV," she said.

"The following morning when a customer went to put their change in the charity box we realised it wasn't there.

"My brother Rob then went through the CCTV, which took quite a while, and then he saw the man doing it."
Mossgreen offers unissued Australian King Edward VIII stamp, one of six known

Apr 28, 2021, 7 PM

Mossgreen will offer this used Western Australia 1879 2-penny lilac Swan error of color with dated cancel during its June 26 auction.

Australias unissued 1936 2-penny scarlet King Edward VIII stamp, which is pictured cropped on page 1, has segments of margin paper attached.

Only six unissued 2-penny scarlet Edward VIII stamps from Australia are known to exist. This example, which has two attached margin pieces that have been digitally cropped, will be auctioned by Mossgreen June 26. The full piece with attached margin is pic

By Michael Baadke

The featured stamp in the June 26 public auction from Mossgreen is an Australian rarity printed to honor a new king in 1936, but urgently withdrawn before the stamp was ever issued.

For the United Kingdom and the British Empire, 1936 is known as the year of the three kings. King George V had died on Jan. 20, and was succeeded by his eldest son, who became King Edward VIII.

But Edwards love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson led to his abdication on Dec. 11 so that he and Simpson could marry unhindered.

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Edward was then succeeded by his younger brother, Albert, who became King George VI (the father of Great Britains current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II).

As the turmoil of Edwards situation developed during the year, Australias government printer, John Ash, was preparing a definitive stamp series to honor the new king. But before the stamps were issued, Edward stepped down, and the decision was quickly made to scrap the run of stamps already printed.

But there was a problem.

Lord Huntingfield, the governor of Victoria, had received a sheet of 2-penny scarlet King Edward VIII stamps as a gift from the printer, and while he returned the sheet when requested to do so, it came with six stamps absent that had been removed and sent as a gift to England, and which could not be recovered.

The Huntingfield sheet, along with all related stamps and production artefacts, was destroyed, Mossgreen Auctions observed. There is not even a single example in the Australia Post Archival Collection.

But the block of six stamps surfaced 60 years later, and two stamps were removed, leaving a corner block of four that was auctioned in 2014.

One nonmarginal mint single sold in 2016 for $172,912 in Australian dollars, described by the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue as then equivalent to US$123,600.

The second single mint stamp, with two attached stamp-size pieces of perforated blank margin in a vertical strip, will be auctioned by Mossgreen with an estimate of $120,000 Australian (roughly US$90,520).

The piece is described as hinged at the base of the margin only otherwise unmounted.

Though it is unissued, the stamp is illustrated and described in both the Scott Standard catalog and the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940.

The Mossgreen auction of stamps and postal history includes a significant run of material from the Commonwealth of Australia and Australian states, along with military postal history and prisoner-of-war covers.

The auction also offers a used example of the well-known 1879 Western Australia 2d lilac Swan error of color (Scott 31a; described as mauve by Mossgreen and the Stanley Gibbons catalog).

The stamp has an 1879 Perth duplex cancel, and is identified by Mossgreen as one of only four dated examples that have been recorded.

The used lilac Swan is valued in the Scott Classic Specialized catalog at US$17,500. This example is listed by Mossgreen with an estimate of $15,000 Australian (US$11,300).

A selection of New Zealand stamps, multiples and postal history includes a number of varieties and classic issues.

A die proof on glazed white card of New Zealands 1909-27 Penny Dominion 1d issue is among the items on offer.

The auction features more than 450 lots of worldwide material, including single lots, postal history, larger lots, and accumulations.

The Mossgreen auction catalog is posted online, with online bidding options available.

Additional information is available from Mossgreen, 926 High St., Armadale, Victoria 3143, Australia.
May 3, 2021, 7 AM

Israel issued a 2.20-shekel stamp in 2003 to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day (Scott 1514). The American Philatelic Society has donated 500,000 canceled stamps to a Massachusetts school for art projects related to Holocaust education.

By Linn's staff

The American Philatelic Society has donated 500,000 canceled postage stamps to Foxborough Regional Charter School for use in its Holocaust Stamps Project.

The stamps were personally delivered in 16 boxes by APS executive director Scott English, who traveled with them in early May from APS headquarters in Bellefonte, Pa., to the school in Foxborough, Mass., southwest of Boston.

Many stamps donated to the project are being trimmed and shaped to create a planned 18 collages.

The students spent nearly every day for five months counting, placing and gluing the hundreds of domestic and international stamps to fit the outlined design created especially for them, the charter schools website explained about a recently completed collage.

The school has a goal of collecting 11 million stamps, with each stamp intended to honor the lives of six million Jews and five million other victims [of] intolerance who perished during the Holocaust.

More than 9.4 million stamps had been collected since the project began in 2009 prior to the APS donation. Stamps have been donated from 40 states and five foreign countries.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran exported 780 million barrels of oil from Kharg terminal in Persian Gulf during the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2017), Pirouz Mousavi, the managing director of Iran Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), said.

The exports include 240 million barrels of Light crude, Mousavi said, the official website of the IOTC reported June 13.

Irans Light crude exports from Kharg indicate a rise by 87 percent, he added.

The improvement of crude marketing and sales in the post-sanctions period is the main reason behind the increase, Mousavi said.

He said that over 800 ships docked in the terminal to load crude last fiscal year, compared to 540 ships in preceding year.

Kharg is the largest oil export terminal in Iran, sharing about 95 percent of the countrys total oil export terminals capacity.

Irans oil output decreased from about 3.7 mb/d in 2011 to 2.8 mb/d in 2015 due to sanctions. Its oil and gas condensate export volume was about 1.2 mb/d. Sanctions on Iran were removed in January 2016.

The countrys Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced on Apr. 12 that Iran exported 2.6 mb/d of oil and gas condensate during the last fiscal year and the figure is expected to fall to 2.4 mb/d.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Today, on June 13, Turkey and the European Union are starting negotiations on updating the Customs Union. For Turkey, these negotiations are important as Ankara has set the economic development as a priority outcome of the talks.

To understand the importance of these negotiations for Ankara, it is necessary to take a look at the state of economic cooperation between Turkey and the EU, and, most importantly, the advantages Turkey will get from updating the Customs Union.

EU-Turkey economic cooperation

Currently, 64 percent of foreign investments put in Turkey accounts for the EU countries. Aside from this, 23,000 out of more than 50,000 foreign companies operating in Turkey were from the EU countries in 2016.

This is while Turkey is among the top five foreign trade partners of the EU. In value terms, Turkeys exports to the EU countries stood at $32 billion only in the first six months of 2016, whereas this figure was $64 billion for the entire year 2015.

Advantages Turkey will get from updating the Customs Union

Updating the Customs Union will give several advantages to Turkey.

First of all, Turkey will get free access to European markets for selling its agricultural products. This will lead to an increased competition among Turkish exporters of agricultural products  something the countrys government has sought so long.

Secondly, the quota for Turkish cargo carriers will be abolished. This would lead to an increase in export of goods from Turkey.

Thirdly, investors from both sides will get an opportunity to freely participate in the privatization of public property. Media outlets are already reporting about the willingness of Turkish investors to participate in the privatization processes in the EU, the total value of which is estimated at 441 billion euros.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has called for dialogue with Qatar and the speedy lifting of sanctions imposed against the country, IUMS said in a message June 13.

The Qatar crisis led to a split between brotherly countries, reads the message.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE announced about breaking their diplomatic relations with Qatar June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East.

Later, a number of other countries also announced about severing diplomatic relations with Qatar.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey stands for the integrity of Iraq, but not for holding a referendum on the status of the autonomous Kurdish region, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing a meeting with the Justice and Development Party members in Ankara June 13.

He said Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region should understand that they are not alone in the region and there are also Arabs and Turkomans living there.

Iraq's territorial integrity is a priority for Turkey, Erdogan said.

On June 8, Masoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, said the KRG is ready to hold an independence referendum.

He noted that the referendum is scheduled for September 25.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, wanted by the Central American country on political espionage charges, will remain in U.S. custody until a June 20 bond hearing in a federal court in Miami, a judge ordered on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Martinelli, accused of using public money to spy illegally on more than 150 political rivals during his 2009-2014 term as president, was arrested outside Miami late on Monday.

He has denied any wrongdoing and said on Twitter last month that his successor, Juan Carlos Varela, was going after him to divert attention from his own problems.

Martinelli appeared in court on Tuesday, shackled and wearing a khaki jail jumpsuit. His lawyer said the former leader should be released on bail and argued the charges against him did not warrant extradition to the country he left in January 2015.

This is a politically motivated proceeding, instigated by his political opponent, the current president of Panama, lawyer Marcos Jimenez said, noting his client recently announced plans to run for the office again.

The former Panamanian leader presided over an infrastructure boom and Latin America's fastest economic growth in recent years, but his administration was tainted by allegations of corruption.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres set a bond hearing for June 20 but warned that getting bond in extradition cases was difficult. Prosecutors argued Martinelli should remain in detention until he is extradited.

Panama's Supreme Court issued a warrant for Martinelli's arrest in December 2015 after he failed to appear at a Panamanian court hearing on his case. Last September, Panama sent the U.S. Department of State a request for his extradition.

Varela, who served as Martinelli's vice president, has not commented on the former president's arrest. The two men have sparred bitterly since the transfer of power.

Jimenez said Martinelli had filed an asylum petition in the United States and had a hearing in March.

Hes not in hiding, the defense lawyer said. He has assets here. He has family here. He has a home here, and the government knows where he is.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The leader of the Turkish opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli has supported the decision of the countrys government to send its military contingent to Qatar, TRT Haber TV channel reported.

Bahceli said that this decision is aimed at reducing tensions in the [Middle East] region.

Sending military contingent to Qatar is an indicator of the level of relations between Ankara and Doha, Bahceli said.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE announced about breaking their diplomatic relations with Qatar June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East.

Later, the authorities of Libya, Yemen, as well as the Maldives and Mauritius also announced about severing diplomatic relations with Qatar.

A military agreement entered into force between Qatar and Turkey June 9.

The document was signed on November 10, 2016 in Ankara.

Earlier, a law was passed in Turkey on ratification of an agreement between the two countries on the deployment of a Turkish military contingent in Qatar.

The establishment of a Turkish military base in Qatar is envisaged by the agreement on strengthening bilateral cooperation signed by the two countries in 2014.

Moreover, the Turkish parliament ratified the Protocol on Cooperation in the Field of Education and Training for Gendarmerie between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the State of Qatar.

The protocol was signed on December 2, 2015 in Doha as part of the agreement on cooperation in the sphere of security between the internal ministries of Turkey and Qatar.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
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Maritime archaeologists and the Coast Guard announced the discovery Tuesday of what remains of the celebrated Coast Guard cutter McCulloch, which sank 100 years ago off the Central California coast.

The McCulloch was a famous ship in its day. It fired one of the first shots in the battle of Manila Bay in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, and then served on rescue and patrol duties out of San Francisco Bay for 20 years, including service in Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Identifying the wreckage of the ship is a great day for the Coast Guard, said Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk, commander of the Coast Guards 11th district in Alameda. The story of the McCulloch and its crew over the years is an important part of our heritage and legacy, he said.

The ship  219 feet long and steam-powered  was the largest revenue cutter of its time, and also one of the fastest. But it sank in 35 minutes on the morning of June 13, 1917, after a collision in fog with the passenger liner Governor off Point Conception near Santa Barbara.

Formal identification of the ships wreckage was announced at a news conference at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The tale of the ships career and its abrupt end was part history lesson and part underwater detective story.

The McCulloch was built in Philadelphia in 1896 for the Revenue Cutter Service, forerunner of the modern Coast Guard. The ship was assigned to service in the Pacific, but instead of sailing the usual route around the tip of South America, it was sent through the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean to its new station in San Francisco. The Panama Canal had not been built yet.

When the McCulloch reached Singapore, it was clear that war between the United States and Spain was in the air. The McCulloch was attached to the Navys Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey.

When war broke, Deweys fleet sailed for the Philippines, then under Spanish control, where it surprised and sank a Spanish squadron at Manila Bay. The American victory there helped establish the U.S. as a Pacific power.

Though the McCulloch was a revenue cutter  essentially a patrol ship  it carried guns and fired the first shots at Manila Bay. The McCullochs chief engineer, Frank Randall, was the only American fatality in the battle.

Later, the ship sailed into San Francisco, which became its home port. It was assigned to rescue missions, including responding to a major shipwreck off Bolinas, and to patrol duty in remote sections of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

When it was not on patrol, the McCulloch was a familiar sight in the bay. Its usual base was riding at anchor just off Sausalito, ready to put to sea on short notice.

In June 1917, the cutter was heading back to San Francisco from Los Angeles Harbor when it was sunk in 300 feet of water.

The wreckage lay undiscovered on the sea bottom until modern sonar detected a mysterious shipwreck 4 miles off Point Conception.

Not long afterward, marine archaeologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Coast Guard mounted an expedition to dive on the wreck. Robert Schwemmer, NOAAs West Coast maritime heritage coordinator, described how scientists used a small remotely operated vehicle to explore the wreckage.

Though only a skeleton of the ship remained, Schwemmer used what he called clues  part of the ships unique torpedo tube, one of the ships guns and the steering wheel  to identify the wreck as the long-lost McCulloch

They also tracked down the grave of John Johansson, a McCulloch crew member who was injured in the collision and taken off the ship. He died in a hospital a few days after the accident and was buried with honors at a cemetery in San Pedro, at the edge of Los Angeles harbor.

There are no plans to raise the ship.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf
Oliver Stone visited Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" Monday night and had to answer some tough questions. The director has gotten some heat recently for his four-part documentary about Vladimir Putin - "The Putin Interviews" - which airs in one-hour installments on consecutive nights through Thursday. If the glimpse so far is any indication, the Oscar winner lobbed a lot of softballs at the Russian leader and took the dictator's words at face value.

Colbert, on the other hand, was a ruthless interrogator. In a short clip that ran before the interview, Putin claimed his country would never interfere in another country's domestic affairs, to which Stone responded, "Thank you, sir. We'll see you tomorrow."

Colbert pressed Stone on the moment, wondering why he didn't push harder.

"You have to be polite," Stone insisted before throwing in some other facts to bolster his argument: It was a two-year deal, and Putin is a very busy man.

"But no follow up on that question?" Colbert asked. "That doesn't seem like an interview, that seems like an opportunity for him to merely propagandize."

Stone insisted the fourth hour will be more hard-hitting.

The interview got more awkward from there, especially when the audience started revolting against Stone's earnest responses.

When Colbert asked what about the documentary is most surprising, Stone responded, "I think devoted to his country and I'm amazed at his calmness, his courtesy - he never really said anything bad about anybody and, I mean, he's been through a lot. He's been insulted and abused ..."

At this point groans and incredulous laughter started rising in the audience.

"Abused by the press, in the media," Stone clarified, which only turned the smattering of laughter into a louder roar.

The director was distracted but seemed resolved to press on, even after Colbert asked if there was anything - anything - negative Stone would say about Putin. "Or does he have your dog in a cage someplace?" Colbert asked, prompting whooping and clapping.

"What is wrong with detente with Russia?" Stone asked, seemingly frustrated. "Why would you be against it? I don't understand this mentality."

But this is an oppressive leader, Colbert insisted, one who suppresses freedom of the press. Given Stone's staunch views about free speech, it seems odd that he has so much compassion for a man accused of killing adversarial journalists.

"Listen, no question, he's a social conservative," Stone said.

More snickering.

"I don't know why you're laughing," Stone said, fed up.

"Because it seems like a mild description," Colbert explained.

Stone got the chance for one final plug for the documentary, promising plenty of questions about the American election, if only people will sit "patiently" through the four hours.

Maybe that fourth hour really will redeem him. But then he added: "Has (Putin) murdered a man? I wouldn't know how to ask him that question. I've looked at the evidence, too, and if I believed it, I'd go after him."
The Force

By Don Winslow

Morrow. 479 pp. $27.99

---

"The Force"is about Dennis Malone, a powerful New York City police detective. He's arrogant, contemptuous, corrupt, smart and violent. He steals a lotta cash and heroin from a drug bust. Things get complicated. Malone gets tossed in the slammer. But he's got the glossies on the rest of Gotham's power players, and he's not going down easy. He'll fight to the end to protect his family and his brother cops.

If this sounds like a good pitch for a summer blockbuster, that's because it is. The latest from Don Winslow ("The Cartel,""The Power of the Dog") is a big, fat book of fast-moving fiction. It sold to Hollywood for seven figures last year, before it even had a title. James Mangold, who directed "Logan," is already attached. You'll see the book in every airport you go through this summer.

Here Winslow turns his ruthless gaze from drug cartels - the subject of his past two books - to law enforcement in New York. In interviews, he has referred to his past as a private investigator in the city and how much time he spent with cops reporting this one; he has said that he's been wanting to write this book all his life.

The result is riveting and scary - in a lot of ways.

Malone is like a lot of New York cops you've read about. He's the son of a cop, Irish American, grew up in Staten Island, wears black all the time, has a massive chip on the shoulder. His brother was a firefighter who died on 9/11. In 18 years with the NYPD, Malone has worked his way up to being the biggest dude on the city's most elite unit, the Manhattan North Special Task Force, known as "Da Force."

Malone sees his group as the saviors of American society, the underpaid guys doing the grunt work, the real men of the city. Civilians, those morons, have no idea of what heroes Malone's guys are, the kings of the street:

"We earned our reps as tough, strong, ruthless and fair rulers, administering rough justice with tempered mercy.

"That's what a king does.

"He hands down justice."

Malone is the top dog, though: "All Da Force detectives are kings, but Malone - with no disrespect intended to our Lord and Savior - is the King of Kings. Manhattan North is the Kingdom of Malone."

But everything is corrupt here, (BEGIN ITAL)everything(END ITAL). So when Da Force raids a big-time drug lord, Diego Pena, and nails him with 70 kilos of Mexican cinnamon heroin, Malone assassinates him and takes a chunk of loot.

"We're rich!" a fellow cop gloats.

This sets off the central narrative arc of the story, which spreads over 400-plus pages. The action - a lot of it related in one- or two-sentence paragraphs that rocket you through the tale - is, as you might expect, cinematic. It's often funny, ironic and tense.

Malone's mind-set was the only thing that slowed me down.

And that mind-set may be the most disturbing element at work. According to Malone, only he and his fellow cops (BEGIN ITAL)really(END ITAL) care about the poor and the downtrodden, especially about young African-Americans (the story mostly takes place in Harlem), Malone thinks to himself on more than one occasion. When a black superior tells Malone and his brethren that he won't stand for police violence, Malone sneers and puts "police brutality" in quotation marks.

"How the f*** does he think we maintain a semblance of control," Malone thinks.

It's the same with Black Lives Matter, "celebrity ministers" who swoop in for the cameras, liberal pinheads who claim to be "outraged." Malone is not even 40, and he's tired of the lot of them.

"You start blaming yourself and/or you start blaming the victim - why are they so vulnerable, why so weak, why do they live in those conditions, why do they join gangs, sling drugs, why do they have to shoot each other over nothing ... why are they such f***ing animals?

"But Malone still f***ing cares.

"Doesn't want to.

"But does."

After reading that passage, I scribbled two things in the margin. One was "White Man's Burden," the infamous Rudyard Kipling poem that crystallized the colonialist mind-set. Second was "Mark Fuhrman" - the former L.A. cop whose racist ramblings to a screenwriter about police beatings of black suspects helped lead to the 1995 acquittal in O.J. Simpson's murder trial.

So what do you think will happen when a cop like this, working in Harlem, thinks that (BEGIN ITAL)he's(END ITAL) the good guy? Yeah. This novel? It's that scary.

---

Tucker's most recent book is "Only the Hunted Run."
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Updating the EU-Turkey Customs Union is primarily in the interests of Ankara, believes Gungor Gokdag, an analyst with the Turkish magazine ZedLife.

Gokdag told Trend that at present Turkey has huge opportunities for the export of goods to different countries.

Turkey has a huge production potential compared to some European and Asian neighbors, said Gokdag.

He added that the EU is an important partner of Turkey.

Development of bilateral relations [with the EU] opened new markets and gave an impetus to the strengthening and development of the Turkish economy, said Gokdag.

Turkey and the EU are expected to discuss 10 points to update the Customs Union. The main points are related to the smooth supply of Turkish agricultural products to the European market and the abolition of quotas for the Turkish freight carriers.

Earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade told Trend that Turkey and the EU are beginning the negotiations on updating the Customs Union.

The negotiations will begin in Brussels on June 13, the ministry said.

Updating the Customs Union can promote the growth of trade between Turkey and the EU, the ministry said.
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A police officer who was shot in the face during a shootout with a homicide suspect in early June is back in Laredo.

Officer Agapito Perez, 33, was discharged from University Hospital in San Antonio on Monday. Later in the day, he was escorted by law enforcement to Laredo Police Department headquarters.

He was the last wounded officer to be medically cleared following the shootout.

Perez, Arturo Vela, 50, and Mario Casares, 49, were wounded in the shootout with Antonio Rodriguez on June 2 outside the Stripes convenience store at McPherson and Hillside roads. Rodriguez, 55, was fatally shot during the shootout. Police suspected he had shot and killed his girlfriend, 50-year-old Reyna Gonzalez Zamora, earlier in the day.

A fourth lawman, Officer Roberto Cortinas, 52, was injured in the shootout. He was treated and released from a local hospital.

READ MORE: Laredo PD officer released from intensive care after shot in face during central Laredo shootout

Perez was at one point listed in critical condition. His discharge from the hospital is nothing short of a miracle, said Investigator Joe E. Baeza, LPD spokesman.

Weve had a lot of people conveying thoughts and prayers for his well-being and recuperation. How we were able to get our officer back is truly through divine intervention and intervention from our law enforcement community and our community, he said.

Baeza said the San Antonio Police Department offered its assistance in making sure the wounded officers and their families had everything they needed.

We are extremely humble and very appreciative of their willingness to take our officers like if they were one of their own, Baeza said.

RELATED: Coworkers of slain Laredo woman: Suspected killer was jealous, aggressive

Like Perez, Vela and Casares are still recovering from their injuries. The two were released from San Antonio-area hospitals two days after the shootout. Casares had been shot in the torso and Vela the leg.

Being discharged from the hospital after the severe injuries that they received is without a doubt a miracle, Baeza said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 13

Trend:

In accordance with the agreement On deployment of Turkish military contingent in Qatar ratified in the Turkish Parliament June 7, a military delegation of three high-ranking officials was sent from Turkey to Qatar June 12, the Turkish media outlets reported June 13.

The members of the delegation were tasked to carry out preparation work for the deployment of the Turkish military contingent in Qatar.

A military agreement entered into force between Qatar and Turkey June 9.

The document was signed on November 10, 2016 in Ankara.

Earlier, a law was passed in Turkey on ratification of an agreement between the two countries on the deployment of a Turkish military contingent in Qatar.

The establishment of a Turkish military base in Qatar is envisaged by the agreement on strengthening bilateral cooperation signed by the two countries in 2014.

Moreover, the Turkish parliament ratified the Protocol on Cooperation in the Field of Education and Training for Gendarmerie between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the State of Qatar.

The protocol was signed on December 2, 2015 in Doha as part of the agreement on cooperation in the sphere of security between the internal ministries of Turkey and Qatar.
If you're wondering which school district in Laredo is best at educating middle schoolers, the answer is United ISD and it's not even close, according to statewide rankings recently released by Children at Risk.

The educational research group ranked 13 Laredo-area middle schools as a way to guide parents and "spark important community dialogue on the quality of public education in Texas."
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Fecal matter, trash and dirty laundry were some of the things Laredo police said they found inside a home while investigating a child abandonment report over the weekend.

On Saturday, an officer was dispatched to the 2200 block of Cedar Avenue. A woman had called police saying she had passed by a house six times and noticed a naked 2-year-old girl who was crying and banging on the front door of a home.

The child was crying hysterically, according to police. After knocking several times on the door, the officers forced their way in to check on the welfare of the parents. They were not home, police said.

Click through the gallery above to see Texas parents who have been charged or arrested in crimes.

While inside the residence, fecal matter was found on the ground to which the officer accidentally stepped on, the arrest affidavit states.

Police said they found trash, dirty laundry and flies inside the house. As they continued searching the home, police said they found three more children  ages 1, 4 and 7  unsupervised in a small swimming pool located in the rear of the residence.

READ MORE: Laredo police officer released from hospital after shot in face during June shootout

The children were in good health, according to the affidavit. Authorities also located a locked room in the residence. A 14-year-old girl and her 25-year-old boyfriend were inside, according to police. They were refusing to unlock the door, the affidavit states.

When they opened the door, the boyfriend stated he was taking care of the children, according to the affidavit. Police requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol to properly identify him because he did not have an identification. Agents identified him as Edas Alonso Lopez-Castillo, of Honduras.

RELATED: Rape reports on the rise at Texas A&M International University

Child Protective Services was contacted. CPS then turned over custody of the children to the father, who later arrived at the scene. He stated to police that he had left the children in the care of his 14-year-old daughter and Lopez-Castillo.

Lopez-Castillo was arrested and charged with abandoning, endangering a child with criminal negligence. He remained behind bars at the Webb County Jail.
The United States is grappling with a hardening reality: Islamic State terrorism is on the rise in Southeast Asia, and it could worsen as foreign fighters abandon the battlefields of Iraq and Syria for new regions.

The issue has snapped sharply into focus in the past three weeks, as militants and Philippine security forces have been locked in a bloody fight for Marawi, a lakeside city of about 200,000 people in the southern Philippines.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law May 23 on Mindanao, hundreds of people have been killed, and most residents have fled. Philippine aircraft, including the Vietnam War-era OV-10 Bronco, have leveled buildings with airstrikes.

Philippine military officials have said the militants' main goal is to raise the Islamic State flag over the Marawi city hall, declaring a new "wilayat," or province. Doing so would firmly plant the Islamic State brand on Mindanao, a Philippine island that has long been home to militant groups that were more locally focused.

The issue was at the forefront of discussions that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had this month while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major regional defense conference in Singapore. Mattis and senior defense officials from other countries all highlighted the situation, and the Pentagon chief urged others to act immediately.

"Together we must act now to prevent this threat from growing," Mattis told a roomful of delegates at one point. "Otherwise, it will place long-term regional security at risk and stunt regional economic dynamism. We need only to look at the chaos and violence that our friends in the Mideast are contending with to see why we must swiftly and jointly address threats to our region."

The issue is complicated by Duterte lauding the extrajudicial killing of thousands of drug dealers and users in the Philippines over the past year. The State Department noted the killings in a report this year, with U.S. officials saying that while they want to work with the government in Manila on areas of mutual interest, they have concerns about killings by both Philippine police and vigilantes.

Three U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, said last week that the Pentagon was open to providing assistance, but that the Philippines had not asked for any. That changed in the past few days as U.S. officials acknowledged that they were helping the Philippine military with undisclosed technical assistance. Duterte said in an interview Sunday that he was not aware of the assistance until it arrived.

The Pentagon established a counterterrorism mission known as Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines a few months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Up to 600 U.S. Special Operations troops at a time assisted the Philippine military in the following years, occasionally facing combat despite their advisory role. The operation ended in 2015, as U.S. forces retired a Special Operations task force based on Mindanao while promising to continue assisting Philippine military leaders with operational planning.

Army Maj. Kari McEwen, a spokeswoman for U.S. Special Operations Pacific, said that since the U.S. counterterrorism mission in the Philippines ended, there have been anywhere between 50 and 100 U.S. Special Operations troops in the country at a time. They are assisting "with ongoing operations in Marawi," she said. She declined to provide additional details, citing security concerns.

"We're helping based on what their administration wants and how and where the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] sees that we can fit in," she said. "We're still in the same locations and we're still advising and assisting."

The Trump administration - which has pledged to annihilate the Islamic State wherever it goes - also continues to provide weapons and military equipment to the Philippines, as the United States has for years. Most recently, M4 carbines, Glock pistols, M134D machine guns, grenade launchers and rubber maritime raiding craft were delivered, according to a June 5 news release from the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Last year, the United States sent helmets, radios and a RQ-11B drone.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Emily Nagy, said that U.S. Special Operations have provided the Philippine government with support for years, and will continue to do so.

"As we have in the past, we routinely consult with our Filipino partners at senior levels to support the Duterte administration's counterterrorism efforts," she said. "The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines, and we will continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counterterrorism issues."

The Philippine embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Analysts said that there are signs that the security situation on Mindanao has been changing. They include several militant groups pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014, and the group releasing its first video about the Philippines in June 2016, according to a new report released by the U.S. Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Center.

The video named Isnilon Hapilon, also known as Abu Abdullah al-Filipini, as the Islamic State's emir in the Philippines. The slender, 5-foot-6 jihadist has fought against the Philippine government for years, is on the FBI's list of Most Wanted Terrorists and is a leader of the region's violent Abu Sayyaf group. He and another sect of militants known as the Maute group - named after the brothers in charge of it - led the attack on Marawi.

The Combating Terrorism Center report also said that between June 2014 and April 2017, there were 20 terrorist attacks, 35 plots and 88 arrests for support of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia. Half of the attacks occurred in the Philippines, but Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore all recorded plots either linked to or inspired by the Islamic State, the study found.

Joseph Liow Chin Yong, a professor in Singapore who has studied the Islamist threat in the region and testified before Congress about it last year, said that a stated goal of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines was to stop the Abu Sayyaf group, but its forces are even stronger now that they have realigned with the Islamic State. Malaysia and Indonesia are also increasingly concerned about the southern Philippines being used to launch operations in their countries, he said.

"I think that definitely there is a role for the U.S. to play," the professor said. "I believe it is a matter of American interests as well, because you are talking about what is potentially the manifestation of a larger, global problem regarding this very virulent ISIS ideology."

Don Rassler, who helped compile the report for the Combating Terrorism Center, said that a key question going forward is whether the militants in Marawi can regroup. They have sizable numbers and the ability to project force into urban areas, he said.

"My guess is we'll probably just continue to see similar events," he said. "The test for the Maute group is whether they can replenish their ranks and maintain any kind of territory.
DOHA, Qatar -- Jawaher has lived in this tiny nation her whole life. But a political showdown threatens to unravel her world, potentially forcing her to move to a country she hardly knows and splitting her family apart.

Jawaher's mother is a Qatari citizen, and her father is Bahraini.

That fact seldom has caused problems. But when several other Arab nations severed ties with Qatar last week, three of them - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - also ordered their citizens to return home or face stiff penalties.

Under the laws of Qatar and other Gulf countries, children take the citizenship of their father. That leaves Jawaher and thousands of others like her with a difficult decision.

"If we are made to go to Bahrain, what are we going to do there?" said the 21-year-old university student, who spoke on the condition that her family name not be revealed because she feared repercussions. "And we are going to have to leave our mom behind.

"Our family will be divided."

In a region where cultural and tribal ties extend beyond national borders, the deepening crisis is creating havoc in Qatari families like Jawaher's in ways many had never expected.

Parents and spouses traveling abroad are unable to return home. Some have already lost jobs. Children worry about becoming stateless or that their education will be disrupted, and family members in different countries are feuding. There's a collective sense that they are trapped by the quest for influence and control in the Middle East.

"We have relatives all over the region," said Rashed al-Jalahma, 22, who is also the child of a Qatari-Bahraini union. "We were in shock and awe when we learned we can no longer see them because of politics. What does the population have to do with the problems of the politicians?"

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE ordered Qatari nationals to leave their territories within 14 days and banned their own citizens from entering Qatar. Citizens living in Qatar were given a similar deadlines to return.

More than 11,000 citizens of the three countries live in Qatar, according to Qatar's National Human Rights Committee. And thousands of Qataris live and work in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. At least 6,500 Qatari nationals are married to citizens from these three nations, according to Qatari government figures.

Before the crisis, citizens of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC - which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman - could live and travel freely across the member states. They often refer to themselves as "Khaleejis" - the people of the Gulf.

Tensions, however, between Qatar and its neighbors have been simmering for years over accusations that Qatar supports terrorist groups and Qatar's ties to Iran's Shiite theocracy, the primary rival of Saudi Arabia's Sunni monarchy. That lead to last week's expulsions of diplomats and the closing of ports, airspace and borders to isolate Qatar.

The small, energy-rich nation, home to a U.S. air base and 10,000 U.S. servicemen, has rejected the allegations as "baseless," saying that it "condemns terrorism in all its forms."

Few here expected such a full-blown crisis, especially as millions in the region prepare to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time to visit families and friends.

"This has made me so sad," said Wafa al-Yazeedi, a Qatari doctor and Jalahma's mother. "We lived and felt like all the Gulf is one country. I have a cousin everywhere."

She divorced her Bahraini husband when her three children were small. He returned to Bahrain, and her children grew up here with little contact with their father or other relatives.

Now, the children are in a dilemma.

Settling in Bahrain means leaving behind their mother, other relatives, lifelong friends - and their expensive university educations, which the Qatari government pays for.

Staying in Qatar could result in statelessness if Bahrain takes away their citizenship. Qatar has allowed citizens from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE living here to remain, and provides free health care and other services if their mother is Qatari.

Still, being stateless would limit their future opportunities, especially if they want to travel abroad for more studies or work.

"They are controlling us with the passport," said Jalahma, an aeronautical engineering student. "If the Kingdom of Bahrain revokes my citizenship, so be it . . . I am not worried about losing my passport, but my concerns are about my studies."

The crisis has already had immediate consequences. In a report last week, the human rights watchdog Amnesty International described the case of a Saudi man living in Qatar who was unable to visit his hospitalized mother in Saudi Arabia because he feared he would not be able to return to his children and Qatari wife.

Jawaher's family is already divided, at least temporarily. Her father was on a work trip in Bahrain when the crisis erupted, and he has been stuck there ever since. "There's no way now for him to come back," she said.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE said they had created hotlines to help families who face separation but gave few details. Qatar's National Human Rights Committee dismissed the move as "little more than a face-saving" exercise. Amnesty International called the measures "vague and insufficient."

Some affected families worry the hotlines are ways to gather data on those who complain. Both Bahrain and the UAE last week declared it a crime to criticize their policies toward Qatar or show sympathy with Qatar - offenses that carry multiyear jail sentences.

"It's fake," said Yazeedi, referring to Bahrain's hotline. "I cannot trust them. I won't call them from my number."

In Omar al-Ansari's family, the crisis has struck in multiple ways. His sister and her family - all Qataris - arrived two days earlier, after being ordered to leave Saudi Arabia, where they had studied and worked for six years. Now, she and her husband needs to find new jobs and schools for their five children.

Last week, the family's divisions erupted on their WhatsApp chat forum, with an aunt in Bahrain criticizing Qatar and its policies and the Qatari side of the family denouncing Bahrain and its allies.

"Our family in Bahrain thinks Qatar is wrong, and we think they are not," said Ansari, 23, a university senior whose mother is Qatari and father is Bahraini. "That's causing friction between our families. It's not a nice situation to be in."

His Bahraini identification card has expired. So has his Qatari one. But he can't renew his Qatari ID unless he has a valid one from Bahrain. And if he travels there, he won't be allowed to return because of his citizenship.

So he can't open up a bank account, get a new phone or a new driver's license - which also recently expired - or access other government services.

"I'm kind of stuck," Ansari said.

---

Jia Naqvi contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - Federal immigration arrests - already up sharply since President Donald Trump took office - could rise dramatically next year if Congress approves the administration's multibillion-dollar budget proposal, the nation's top enforcement official said Tuesday.

Thomas Homan, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill that the agency is churning out detainer requests, adding thousands of cases to its docket and deputizing an increasing number of local law enforcement agencies to help enforce federal immigration law.

"If you're in this country illegally, and you committed a crime by entering this country, you should be uncomfortable," Homan said. "You should look over your shoulder."

House Democrats questioned the Trump administration's plans to spend millions of dollars to lock up students and others who are in the country illegally but have not committed any crimes, including Diego Puma, a 19-year-old New York high school student who was detained last week hours before his senior prom.

Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., called the policy "un-American," and Rep. David Price, D-N.C., wondered whether ICE was focused on threats to public safety, given the recent uptick in arrests of noncriminals.

Homan said ICE still targets criminals, but he said Trump's Jan. 25 executive order broadened the pool of immigrants who could be targeted for deportation to include 345,000 fugitives with final deportation orders and 600,000 visa overstayers - individuals who Homan said had been essentially off-limits under President Barack Obama. He said Puma and his mother had their day in immigration court and were ordered deported.

Homan's testimony before the homeland security subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee included details of how ICE carries out enforcement. Besides searching for immigrants on its own, the agency uses a fingerprint-sharing program called Secure Communities that helps alert agents when an undocumented immigrant has been arrested in connection with a state or local crime.

ICE files detainer requests with local law enforcement officials and jails, asking that they help federal agents transfer the immigrants into federal custody. Many "sanctuary cities" refuse to cooperate with such requests, in some cases because they say cooperation would make immigrants less willing to act as witnesses or report crimes.

But Homan said ICE is still trying: The number of detainers this year is up 75 percent over last year, he told lawmakers, without providing hard numbers. ICE arrests are up 38 percent.

Homan used the numbers to show that ICE can "clearly" justify the need to fund 51,000 beds in immigrant detention centers in next year's budget, up from 34,000 beds now.

The agency is requesting a budget of $7.6 billion, a $1.2 billion increase, with total spending authority of $7.9 billion.

More than 40 local law enforcement agencies are now deputized to help ICE enforce immigration law, Homan said, and more countries are cooperating with deportations of their citizens.

Under Obama, 23 countries routinely refused to issue the travel documents that U.S. officials need to put people on airplanes and deport them to their countries of citizenship. Now, 12 are considered recalcitrant.

ICE is the Homeland Security agency that handles detentions and deportations. The Department of Justice runs the immigration courts, and under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, it has led the offensive against jurisdictions that refuse to detain immigrants so that ICE can take them into federal custody.

On Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified before a Senate committee that slashing the immigration court's "extraordinary" backlog of 600,000 cases is one of his top priorities.

He said the agency is seeking funding for 75 new judges and hundreds of support staffers.

Rosenstein said the agency will hold jurisdictions accountable if they fail to communicate with federal immigration agents. The administration sent letters to several jurisdictions this year asking them to certify by June 30 that they are in compliance with federal law. So far, New Orleans; Clark County, Nevada, and Connecticut have done so.
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WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions repeatedly refused to answer questions from senators Tuesday about his private conversations with President Donald Trump, including whether he spoke to Trump about former FBI director James Comey's handling of the investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race.

In a number of testy exchanges with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sessions said he would not answer many of their questions because of a long-standing Justice Department policy that he said protects private conversations between Cabinet secretaries and the president.

The attorney general confirmed elements of Comey's dramatic testimony before the same panel last week while disputing others. Sessions said he was in an Oval Office meeting in February with Comey and Trump when the president said he wanted to speak to Comey privately - and he acknowledged that Comey came to talk to him the next day about the meeting.

At other times, though, Sessions frequently said he couldn't recall specifics, particularly when asked about his meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign.

Above all, Sessions, who served as a senator from Alabama before taking the attorney general post, tried to clear his name and win the sympathy of his former colleagues.

He opened his testimony with a fiery assertion that he never had any conversations with Russians about "any type of interference" in the 2016 presidential election.

"I was your colleague in this body for 20 years," Sessions said. "The suggestion that I participated in any collusion . . . is an appalling and detestable lie."

The attorney general seemed to understand the import of each of his words as the highest-ranking Trump administration official so far to testify publicly on the FBI investigation and Comey's firing. During one line of questioning by Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., he told her in a flash of anger not to rush his answers because "you'll accuse me of lying" and said she was making him "nervous."

Sessions took particular aim at news reports about a possible meeting he had with a Russian official during an April 2016 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, where Trump gave a pro-Russia speech. He acknowledged being at the event and said he had conversations with people there, but did not remember any conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

"If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it," Sessions said.

He said that he had met twice with Kislyak - once during the Republican National Convention and once in his Senate office - and that he did not disclose that during his confirmation hearing. He said, however, that he did not remember any other meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign and did not remember any conversations with Russian officials about the Trump campaign.

"Certainly not one thing happened that was improper in any one of those meetings," Sessions said.

When asked to explain why he wrongly claimed in his confirmation hearing that he never met with Russians, Sessions said he was flustered by the question from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., after many hours of testimony.

The attorney general has since recused himself from the Russia investigation - a decision he sought to cast Tuesday as resulting from his role as an adviser on the Trump campaign, rather than because of any inappropriate interaction with Russian officials.

"I recused myself from any investigation into the campaigns for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations," he said.

But Sessions' answers seemed to contradict each other at times, particularly when it came to his recusal.

A March 2 email by Sessions' chief of staff said that he would not be involved in "any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for the president of the United States." Yet two months later, he played a direct role in Trump's decision to fire Comey, citing Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the 2016 race.

"The recusal involved one case in the Department of Justice and the FBI,'' said Sessions, referring to the FBI's Russia investigation and offering a different description of the scope of his recusal. "I'm the attorney general of the United States. It's my responsibility to ensure that the department is run properly. I do not believe it is a sound position that if you recuse from a single case, you can't make a decision about the leadership of that agency."

Sessions previously told senators explicitly that he would recuse himself from matters related to Clinton - though Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Tuesday that the case was already closed and therefore not part of the recusal.

When asked about his conversation with Comey on the day the president spoke to Comey alone, Sessions described the exchange differently than the former FBI chief did in his testimony last week.

Comey testified that after what he called a "disturbing" private talk with Trump, he went to Sessions. Without telling the attorney general that Trump had suggested the FBI drop its probe of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Comey told Sessions, "It can't happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks to me.'' The president has denied asking Comey to drop the Flynn matter.

Comey said that the attorney general didn't say anything but that Sessions' body language gave him the sense that he was powerless to do anything.

Sessions said he did respond, telling Comey "that the FBI and the Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policies regarding appropriate contact with the White House.''

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., suggested that the attorney general was ducking critical questions in his testimony.

"I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don't want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged or off limits," Wyden said. "We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions, and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable."

Sessions shot back: "I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice."

Wyden noted that Comey had said it was "problematic" for Sessions to oversee the Russia probe, for reasons he did not explain in a public setting.

Sessions became angry again when Wyden pressed him to explain what facts might be "problematic" about his involvement in the probe.

"Why don't you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none," Sessions said. "This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He responded to questions regarding comments Monday from Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Trump, that the president might fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller was recently appointed to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Rosenstein said that if the president ordered him to fire Mueller, he would comply only if the request was "lawful and appropriate."

Rosenstein, who has been on the job for six weeks, said only he could fire Mueller and only if he found good cause to do so. He described Mueller as operating independently from the Justice Department in his investigation.

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The Washington Post's Julie Tate and Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report.

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Video: Jeff Sessions's heated testimony, in 3 minutes

Attorney General Jeff Sessions faced a slew of questions about Russia, former FBI director James Comey and conversations with President Trump from the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 13. (Jenny Starrs / The Washington Post)

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Video: 'Detestable lie': Jeff Sessions's combative hearing, explained

The Post's Matt Zapotosky analyzes Attorney General Jeff Sessions's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 13. (Bastien Inzaurralde / The Washington Post)

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Egypt announced on Monday the dispatch of humanitarian aid to South Sudan to relieve the suffering of civilians caught up in the civil war there.

The batch of aid, including food and medical supplies, is the first of several that Egypt plans to send to the South Sudanese capital of Juba in the coming months, according to an official statement.

The humanitarian aid is being shipped to Juba by the Egyptian military on the instructions of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fired his deputy Riek Machar.

The ensuing violence has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, many of whom have fled to neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan.

War and famine have forced more than 2 million children in South Sudan to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.

Egypt has more than once expressed support for a peace agreement in South Sudan.

Kiir visited Cairo in January for talks with El-Sisi, including boosting bilateral relations and the latest developments in the Nile Basin and the Horn of Africa.

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Texas State Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, who recently announced his intent to run for county judge in 2018, will speak Tuesday in support of the Texas 249 toll road project but said the project should be handled by the Texas Department of Transportation and not Montgomery County.

In a press release Monday, Keough stated he will speak to commissioners during their meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the commissioners courtroom, located at 501 N. Thompson St. The court is expected to discuss a resolution in support of the toll road project.

However, County Judge Craig Doyal said Keough's information about the project is wrong.

In his release, Keough stated the project is a waste of local taxpayer money. Doyal said that is not the case since the project will be funded by revenue bonds, not county taxpayer dollars. Doyal explained the $10 million the county loaned to the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority, which is made up of the members of Commissioners Court, will be repaid at the sale of the first revenue bonds.

"At Commissioners Court, I will lay out the case against the Court's waste of local taxpayer money on the Highway 249 expansion project. The court has embarked on a path that will cost taxpayers $73 million to construct a project that the State of Texas has stated they will construct at no expense to the County," Keough stated. "TxDOT has stated that they will pay for engineering, construction and operation of the 3.6-mile section of the road. The Court has already authorized and spent $12 million on preconstruction engineering. TxDOT has agreed to refund a substantial portion of those costs.

"Why does Commissioners Court want to spend local Montgomery County tax dollars to fund this project when the State will pay instead? Whether it is corruption, cronyism or malfeasance  it needs to stop. There are other projects in the county that could benefit from these dollars."

Keough's release did not explain why the project would be a waste of taxpayer dollars if it were funded with revenue bonds. It also did not state whether TxDOT has confirmed to him whether the road would be tolled if the state builds it.

According to Doyal, TxDOT officials recently confirmed the road would be tolled. With that, Doyal said, the county should build it in order to benefit from the revenue the road is expected to generate after the road construction is paid.

"I have been told by TxDOT they intend to toll anything they build on Texas 249 in Montgomery County," Doyal said. "If TxDOT is willing to build it with no tolls, then they can build it."

In April, MCTRA approved a more than $400,000 toll and revenue study on the county's portion of the Texas 249 tollway.

In April, MCTRA awarded a more than $400,000 contract for the study to Houston-based CDM Smith Inc. Commissioners James Noack and Jim Clark were the nay votes.

According to Rich Muller, with the Muller Law Group which represents MCTRA, the study is required in order for the MCTRA to issue revenue bonds to fund the $73 million project. MCTRA does not need voter approval to issue the bonds, which will be paid back through toll revenue.

The results of that study are expected to be complete in December.

The project is a 3.6-mile stretch in Southwest Montgomery County that is part of what is known as the "Aggie Expressway" and will connect Houston to College Station via Texas 249. The Texas Department of Transportation is constructing other portions of the highway. However, years ago, Montgomery County agreed to fund its small stretch and planned on paying for it through tolls on that stretch from Spring Creek to FM 149 in Pinehurst.

"I would much prefer the county control those tolls over TxDOT," said Doyal, adding future courts could eliminate the tolls once the road is paid for or continue the toll to fund additional mobility projects in the county.
SEOUL, South Korea - In his visit to South Korea, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai met key politicians of the country with the aim of laying the groundwork for the improvement of the bilateral relationship, providing indirect support for the Japanese government.

Nikai, whom Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent as his special envoy, met with President Moon Jae In, Prime Minister Lee Nak Yon and other political leaders during the visit.

During the meeting with Moon at the Blue House on Monday, Nikai stressed, "We would like to gain cooperation from the president so that the Japan-South Korea relationship can further develop." Then he handed the president a personal letter from Abe.

After reading the letter on the spot, Moon answered, "I hope to meet [Abe] at the [July Group of 20] summit."

Regarding the 2015 deal on the comfort women issue, they both took each other's position into consideration and avoided a deeper discussion.

On Saturday and Sunday, Nikai went to the southwestern city of Mokpo to visit places related to people who have acted as a "bridge" between the two countries, including a memorial hall featuring former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung. Kim expressed a desire for developing a "future-oriented relationship" between the two countries in the 1998 Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration.

Nikai said emphatically on Saturday, "It is a splendid tour to confirm the friendship between Japan and South Korea."

The bilateral relationship once improved when the deal on the comfort women issue was reached in December 2015, but again became strained in response to the installation of a statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women in front of the Japanese Consulate in Busan in December 2016.

The Japanese government intends to realize the bilateral meeting between Abe and Moon on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, and promote its efforts to improve bilateral ties, eyeing the resumption of the two leaders periodically exchanging visits.

However, Moon referred to a "renegotiation on the deal over the comfort women issue" in his election campaign. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the comfort women issue could again become a cause of conflict between the two countries, according to sources.

On Monday, Choo Mi Ae, leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, revealed on her Facebook account that she called for the renegotiation of the 2015 deal during a meeting with Nikai.

The Japanese government intends not to respond to such renegotiation requests. But it also has an underlying motive of trying to avoid further chilling the relationship with Seoul in consideration of the necessity for close cooperation in dealing with North Korean issues.

In the past, each time a large problem has emerged between the two nations, pro-Seoul lawmakers in Japan and pro-Tokyo lawmakers in South Korea have made efforts behind the scenes to put these problems to rest.

"This time, Prime Minister Abe expected Mr. Nikai to play such a role, and sent him as a special envoy," said a government source.

However, in reality, a clear path toward the improvement of bilateral ties in a full-fledged manner is yet to be seen.
After more than a year, American college student Otto Warmbier has been released by North Korea. He'll be arriving home Tuesday evening; his parents say that he's been in a coma for at least a year.

In March 2016, Warmbier, who stopped in North Korea on a New Year's Eve tour in 2015 en route to a year of studies in Hong Kong, was convicted of committing "hostile acts against the state" and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Warmbier reportedly contracted botulism sometime after his March trial and fell into a coma after taking a sleeping pill.

Those who have survived imprisonment in North Korea describe harsh conditions: tiny prison cells, little food and water, little time outside. Detainees are often forced to confess and paraded in show trials, then sentenced to hard labor. "It was a 5-by-6-foot cell, and there were a couple of slats on the doors," Laura Ling, an American journalist detained in 2009, said in a magazine interview after her release. "There were no bars, so you couldn't see out, and if they closed those slats, it just went completely dark. There was no way to communicate with the outside world."

At least three other Americans remain in North Korean custody. Here's a look at their stories.

- Kim Hak-song

Kim Hak-song had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology and was detained in May on suspicion of "hostile acts" against North Korea. According to the university's chancellor, he had been doing agricultural development work with the school's agricultural farm.

Kim was born in China and studied in California. "He was a very diligent, hard-working man determined to help people in North Korea," David Kim, a classmate, told CNN. "He went to Pyongyang to devote himself to the development of North Korea's agricultural technology so that the North can be self-sufficient with food."

"A relevant institution is now conducting a detailed investigation into his crimes," the official Korean Central News Agency reported at the time of his arrest.

- Kim Sang-duk

Kim Sang-duk (who goes by his American name, Tony Kim) was detained in April as he waiting to fly out of Pyongyang airport. He'd been teaching a month-long class in international finance and management at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) while serving on the faculty at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China. The PUST chancellor said in a statement that Kim has been involved in some other activities, like volunteering at an orphanage, while in North Korea. He was in his 50s and had come to teach in the past at the school.

PUST and Yanbian University of Science and Technology are sister schools. It is the only private educational institution in North Korea and has more than 60 foreign faculty members, including from the United States, Canada, Britain and China, according to its website. "The mission of PUST is to pursue excellence in education, with an international outlook, so that its students are diligent in studies, innovative in research and upright in character, bringing illumination to the Korean people and the world," it says.

Suki Kim, a Korean American author who taught at PUST for six months, wrote a book called "Without You There Is No Us," describing the faculty members holding private prayer meetings and Bible study sessions.

- Kim Dong-chul

Kim Dong-chul, a former Virginia resident, is a businessman. In an interview, he told CNN that he'd lived in the Chinese city of Yanji since 2001 and worked in the Rason-Sonbong special economic zone, just over the North Korean border. Kim ran a trade and hotel services company.

He was accused of spying on the regime and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in April 2016.

Kim, 62, was born in South Korea and became a U.S. citizen in 1987. In the interview with CNN, he said that he was arrested in October 2015 while meeting with a former North Korean soldier. Pyongyang accused Kim of receiving a USB drive and documents containing some North Korea nuclear secrets. At a government-organized news conference, he apologized for trying to steal military secrets in collusion with South Koreans. (South Korea denies this.) He begged for mercy, and called his alleged acts "unpardonable."

As my Washington Post colleague Anna Fifield reported, such "'confessions' have become part of North Korea's playbook for detainees." After their release, "several detainees have described being told what to say by their North Korean captors."

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VIDEO: Kim Hak-song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained Saturday, May 6, according to North Korea's state news agency. Kim is one of three U.S. citizens being held by Kim Jon Un's regime. (Jason Aldag / The Washington Post)

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"This is our first Cabinet meeting with the entire Cabinet present. The confirmation process has been record-setting long - and I mean record-setting long - with some of the finest people in our country being delayed and delayed and delayed."- President Trump, remarks at Cabinet meeting, June 12, 2017

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President Trump made a number of dubious claims when speaking to the media at a photo opportunity with his Cabinet, many of which we have covered before. For instance, he claimed he has accomplished more than any president at this point in time, with the possible exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt. We had earlier knocked him for suggesting he had bested FDR - perhaps he read our fact check - but he still has no major legislative achievement under his watch. He also once again claimed he had scored $350 billion in business deals in Saudi Arabia, a claim that falls apart under scrutiny.

But let's not dwell on the negative. Here is something he said that's correct.

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Trump's full Cabinet was filled on April 27. Technically, that's one day sooner than Barack Obama in 2009. But that's largely because Obama had to start over for two Cabinet posts, including two misfires for secretary of commerce.

What's more interesting is that the median wait between nomination and Senate vote for Trump was 25 days, according to data collected by our colleagues Kevin Schaul and Kevin Uhrmacher. By contrast, Obama's nominees faced a median wait of two days, George W. Bush had a median wait of zero days and Bill Clinton had a median wait of 1 day.

Those presidents were blessed with Senate control by their own party. George H.W. Bush, by contrast, faced a Senate run by Democrats - and his nominees faced a median wait of 13 days.

Trump, of course, also has a Senate controlled by his party. But he also nominated many very wealthy nominees with highly complex financial portfolios, leading the federal ethics watchdog to warn it could take months to probe some of the wealthier picks. Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, said in a letter on Jan. 6 that the incoming Trump administration had failed to follow the standard procedure and "preclear" nominees with the ethics office before nomination, thus leading to a delay in confirmation hearings.

But the Senate is also operating now in the post-"nuclear option" world. On Nov. 21, 2013, Senate Democrats changed the rules to allow nominations to proceed to a vote if a vote to end by debate passes with majority vote, rather than the previous standard of three-fifths of the Senate (60 votes.) While that change meant many previously stalled nominees would finally have a confirmation vote, that still doesn't prevent the minority party from gumming up the works with arcane procedural delays.

Here's a striking statistic: Fourteen of Trump's Cabinet nominees faced a vote to end debate (known as a cloture motion), even though six ultimately achieved 60 or more votes. (Five nominees - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt - were confirmed with 52 or fewer votes, indicating they were controversial nominations.)

By contrast, only seven of Obama's nominees over eight years faced a cloture vote. Three of those votes came after the Senate rules were changed in 2013.

George W. Bush's nominees only faced three cloture votes, one of which failed - the nomination of John R. Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations. The only other Cabinet nominee who faced a cloture vote was Commerce Secretary C. William Verity in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was president.

In other words, 14 of Trump's Cabinet nominees faced a cloture vote, compared to 11 for all previous presidents combined. (There were four instances, two under Obama and two under Bush, when a cloture vote was threatened but ultimately withdrawn.)

It is noteworthy that the cloture votes during previous presidencies all took place during the president's second term. There was presumption in the Senate of letting a new president get his first-term team in place quickly that apparently has gone by the wayside.

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We are not going to be nit-picky about the fact that Obama's Cabinet took one more day to get in place than Trump's Cabinet. Clearly, the delays faced by Trump's Cabinet are historically long. Some of the delay may be due to the administration's own handling of ethical vetting procedures, as well as his proclivity to name controversial choices. But Trump also faced unusually sustained opposition for a new president, including cloture votes demanded for 14 of his choices.

As readers know, we award the Geppetto Checkmark for claims that are surprisingly correct. Trump earns it here.

Geppetto Checkmark

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Video: President Trump rightly claimed that his nominees faced "record-setting long" delays. (Video: Meg Kelly/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

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One police officer was killed in the IED blast in the province of Qatif

Egypt has condemned "in the strongest terms" a terrorist attack on a police patrol in the province of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, that killed one police officer and injured two others.

In an official statement on Tuesday, Egypts foreign ministry spokesman asserted Egypts solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in fighting terrorism and extremism, which aims to shake its stability and security.

We support all procedures undertaken by Saudi Arabia to quell the plans of terror cells and organizations in order to preserve its security and the safety of its citizens, the statement read.

A Saudi police officer was killed and two members of the security forces where injured late on Sunday night when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a patrol in the eastern province of Qatif.

According to the Saudi interior ministry, the blast, which occurred in Masoura district, is being dealt with as a terrorist incident.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Qatif has seen a number of terrorist attacks targeting officers and patrol cars, with civilians also being killed in the attacks over the past few couple of months.



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When the American inventor Samuel Morse visited 19th-century Naples, the birthplace of the modern pizza, he described that city's preferred street food as "a piece of bread that had been taken reeking out of the sewer."

A century later, a 20-year-old Greek named Sam Panopoulos found himself similarly disappointed. Stopping in Naples during a 1954 voyage to Canada, he found his first taste of "pizza" - a bun topped with sauce and spaghetti - uninspiring.

Yet Panopoulos, who opened a restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, called Satellite, eventually warmed to the yeasted flatbread that Neapolitan bakers had popularized in the 1700s and that Greek chefs had whipped up for sailors more than a thousand years before.

Searching for new pizza flavors one day in 1962, he reached for a can of fruit and launched a culinary revolution, topping his restaurant's standard cheese pizza with bits of ham and pineapple. The result was sweet, sour and savory - a flavor combination hailed ever since as both revelatory and repugnant, a Canadian treasure and a "Polynesian perversion."

For pizza partisans around the world, especially those who saw it as an oven-baked abomination, it prompted the same question that Morse posed in his first long-distance telegraph message: "What hath God wrought?"

Panopoulos, who is widely credited with having created and named the Hawaiian pizza, died June 8 at 83, four months after his fruit-laden, at times politically polarizing creation triggered a spat between the leaders of Iceland and Canada.

His pizza was part of a long tradition of experimentation, said Carol Helstosky, a culinary scholar at the University of Denver who has written about the history of pizza. "In Naples, it was a cuisine of scarcity: Whatever you had, you tossed it on - garlic, anchovies, other little fish bits."

By the 1950s, she said, pizza was acquiring widespread popularity in the United States, and newspapers ran recipes that featured toppings such as liverwurst and onions. Pepperoni didn't become a common topping until the early '70s.

"The pizza in those days was primitive, you know?" Panopoulos told the website Atlas Obscura in 2015. The dish wasn't available in Chatham, so Panopoulos and his two brothers drove to restaurants in Detroit, 50 miles west. There, topping choices were limited to mushrooms, bacon and pepperoni.

Satellite, the restaurant he started with his siblings, sold standard diner fare and Chinese food - "a pile of Chinese food," Panopoulos said, at the suggestion of a Chinese resident who noted that no other restaurants in the area offered the cuisine - before expanding to pizzas. Pineapple was soon added as a topping, and the pizza was named Hawaiian because of the brand of canned fruit Mr. Panopoulos used.

The pies turned out to be a hit, he said, in part because most other restaurant food was bland or boring. "People didn't go for a lot of different tastes and foods," he told the BBC in February. "The only thing you could find then sweet-and-sour was Chinese, nothing else. Everything else was plain."

Pizza boxes, like the food itself, were improvised, made using cardboard from a nearby furniture store.

Panopoulos in 1975 sold Satellite, where the Hawaiian pizza is still on the menu ($21 Canadian for a large), and moved to London, Ontario, to operate a restaurant called the Family Circle. In an obituary, his family announced his death at a London hospital but did not disclose the cause. He was 83.

Panopoulos appeared perplexed at times that his pizza was hated by so many, sometimes including heads of state.

The president of Iceland, Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson, told a group of high-schoolers in February that he was "firmly opposed" to pineapples on pizza, and would like to ban the topping. In Canada, where the Hawaiian pizza ranks alongside maple syrup and poutine as a national culinary treasure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by tweeting the hashtag "#TeamPineapple" in support of "this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation."

Johannesson soon issued a statement on Facebook, writing: "I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I do not have the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapples on their pizza. I am glad that I do not hold such power."

"For pizzas," he added, "I recommend seafood."

Sotirios Panopoulos was born in Vourvoura, Greece, in 1934. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Christina Panopoulos; two children, Margie and Bill; a sister; and four grandchildren.

Panopoulos said he wished he had filed for a trademark or patent on his pizza, but at the time believed "it was just another piece of bread cooking in the oven."

He remained fiercely protective of his creation through the years, insisting that he was the first to use pineapple and meat together on a pizza. When it was suggested that others might have done it first, but that surely there was a chance that Panopoulos might have created it after all, he seemed almost to have been insulted.

"What do you mean I 'might have?' " he told the London Free Press in 2010. "I did."
A D.C. school bus attendant faces drug distribution charges after police arrested her last week and said they found a gun, ammunition, cocaine and $11,000 hidden in her 11-year-old son's backpack, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police said that an acquaintance of the woman gave the items to the boy - telling him they were "dirty clothes" - and sent him out of an apartment. anticipating that officers were on their way. The acquaintance also was arrested on drug charges.

Cornelia R. Rice and Gregory Cornelius Cook, whose ages were not immediately available, were each charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Rice was released from jail pending a hearing July 14; Cook was ordered detained.

In a statement, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education said it is "deeply concerned by the serious nature of the charges and, upon learning of the arrest, immediately removed the employee from active service." OSSE noted that the arrest "occurred after the employee's shift and no students were in any danger as a result of the arrest."

Police said in court documents that a confidential informant identified an apartment on 20th Street NE as a suspected source of a substantial drug distribution center. Police said they stopped Rice on Wednesday, June 7 as she drove away from the apartment in a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox and found suspected cocaine and small plastic bags in her right hand, court documents say.

As she was being arrested, police said Rice shouted out two phone numbers and asked someone to call the number and tell whoever answered that "Cornelia told me to tell you that the police got her." Police said both numbers are linked to the apartment on 20th Street.

The affidavit says that Cook received the call while playing a video game with the 11-year-old boy. He then filled the backpack, police said, and the boy left the apartment. Officers spotted the youth on the street and stopped him.

A search of the backpack, according to the court affidavit, turned up a Davis Industries .22-caliber firearm wrapped inside a pair of adult-size camouflage shorts. Police said they also found in the backpack the cash, two bags of ammunition, 285 grams of suspected cocaine and 20 grams of suspected opiates.

Police said they found additional drugs in the apartment along with items consistent with the selling of drugs, including digital scales, a mixer with white residue on it, baking soda, latex gloves and zip-top plastic bags.

Attorneys listed for the suspects in online court records did not return calls seeking comment.

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The Washington Post's Alejandra Matos contributed to this report.
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Montgomery County commissioners along with numerous members of the audience at Tuesday meeting are in agreement on one thing: West Montgomery County needs the extension of the Texas 249 toll road.

However, there was plenty of disagreement regarding who should fund and build the road.

In a 3-2 vote, the court approved a resolution in support of the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority, which is comprised of the members of Commissioners Court, building the 3.6-mile section of the highway between the Spring Creek Bridge and Pinehurst in Southwest Montgomery County. Commissioners James Noack (Precinct 3) and Jim Clark (Precinct 4) voted against it.

The project is estimated to cost $73 million for the county's portion. The entirety of the project is referred to as the "Aggie Expressway" and will connect Houston to College Station. TxDOT will fund and construct the remaining 11.5 miles in Montgomery County, as well as the rest of the highway to College Station.

When the highway was agreed on shortly after Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle took office in 2011. Montgomery County agreed to fund its small stretch and planned on paying for it through tolls on that stretch from Spring Creek to FM 149 in Pinehurst.

County Judge Craig Doyal said the project would benefit the county and not use taxpayer dollars to fund the construction. The project, he explained, would be funded though revenue bonds, meaning the tolls collected by drivers using the road would pay the debt to the bond investors.

Doyal said revenue generated after the construction debt is repaid could be used to fund other mobility projects in the county. Doyal said Texas Department of Transportation officials have confirmed that if the state builds that section, it would implement tolls.

In fact, an email from Varuna Singh, program director with TxDOT, to Rich Muller, with the Muller Law Group, which represents MCTRA, confirmed Tuesday morning before the court meeting that the state "is planning to toll 249." Later this month, TxDOT officials will seek the toll designation for Texas 249 from the Texas Transportation Commission.

The county loaned MCTRA $10 million of the more than $73 million project. Doyal said upon the sale of the bonds, that loan would be repaid in full.

Noack said he supports the project but that it should be done by TxDOT, not the county.

"I fully believe Texas 249 would greatly benefit all of Montgomery County," Noack said. "I firmly believe it should be built by TxDOT. There is no reason for Montgomery County to build, fund and maintain this toll project."

Noack said Doyal has many times spoken about the "great job" the Harris County Toll Road Authority has done; however, he told Doyal that if he wants to "mimic" HCTRA, the residents should be allowed to vote to keep the authority in Montgomery County since HCTRA was created in September 1983 by a vote of residents.

"If you want to follow them, I suggest you follow them fully and give the voters the opportunity to say 'yes' or 'no' if they want this toll road authority," Noack said. "You know it would fail.

"I am not in favor of us doing it. I do believe TxDOT should do it."

Doyal asked Noack why would the county give up the projected revenue the road would generate for additional mobility projects. Noack fired back telling Doyal, "If you want to prove your entrepreneurial skills, I think you should do that in the private sector."

Clark said he doesn't understand why other members of the court would put county taxpayers at risk if TxDOT will build the road. He added that the county should do away with any toll roads.

"Let's dissolve the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority," Clark said.

State Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, who has announced his bid for county judge in 2018, spoke to commissioners during public comment and noted the county has "many more pressing needs."

"Please reconsider this," he said. "Give it back to TxDOT ..."

The court also heard from members of the Magnolia City Council, Magnolia Independent School District, the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce, the North Houston Association and the Texas Renaissance Festival in support of the roadway and urged the county to move forward with the project. They provided the court with resolutions approved by several entities, including the cities of Magnolia and Todd Mission and area chambers of commerce, in support of the project.

Other community members, including representatives of the Texas Patriots PAC, Montgomery County Tea Party and residents spoke against the county handling the project and also urged the court to allow TxDOT to construct and maintain the road.
LONDON -- Contrite. Apologetic. Humble.

They are not usually words associated with Theresa May. But when the British prime minister faced a group of her own party members for the first time since last week's shock election, the tone she struck was one of humility.

"I got us into this mess and I'm going to get us out of it," she told a meeting with Conservative Party lawmakers Monday night. "I'll serve as long as you want me."

It seems to have saved her job - for now. In the immediate aftermath of Thursday's election, May's position looked extremely precarious. She ran a presidential-style campaign that centered largely on herself as a "strong and stable" leader, and instead of winning big, she threw away her party's parliamentary majority.

But on Tuesday, she was still very much in her job. She met with a small hard-right party in Northern Ireland to finalize a deal that would see the party prop up May's minority government. May is seeking the support of the party's 10 lawmakers so that the Conservatives can pass legislation on key issues like the budget.

The potential alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is controversial. John Major, a former British prime minister and one of the architects of peace settlement in Northern Ireland, told the BBC that he was "wary" that a deal could undermine the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland.

There were some who doubted that May would even last this long. But after meeting with fellow Conservative Party lawmakers on Monday night, she seemed to buy herself time. She apologized to the group, said she was sorry for those who had lost their seats, and promised to work more inclusively. When the meeting concluded, lawmakers banged on the table as a sign of approval.

Boris Johnson, Britain's foreign secretary and bookies' favorite to succeed May, called her performance "stonking."

The Conservative lawmaker Grant Shapps said it was "May unscripted."

Heidi Allen, another Conservative lawmaker, had initially predicted that May wouldn't last six months after the bungled election - and even then, she would only last that long because of imminent Brexit negotiations and the need for stability.

But after Monday night's meeting, she said she was struck by May's humility and leadership.

"I saw an incredibly humble woman who knows what she has to do, and that is be who she is and not what this job had turned her into," she told the Guardian newspaper. "She has lost her armadillo shell and we have got a leader back."

May's mea culpa also highlights a difference between her and President Trump, whom May has gone out of her way to befriend - within the president's first week in office, May extended an offer for a state visit to the U.K.

Unlike Trump - who has a reputation for not apologizing - May has responded to criticisms of her leadership by eating a slice of humble pie.

It's unclear if May's overall leadership style will change in the wake of the bungled election. Her very first statement after the election was labelled "tone deaf" by fellow Tories after she failed to show contrition. One of the criticisms of May is that she is headstrong to the point where she doesn't admit u-turns even when others can hear the sound of screeching tires.

She did appear more relaxed on Tuesday, however, even making fun of herself in the House of Commons. After John Bercow was reelected unanimously as the speaker of the House of Commons, May joked: "At least someone got a landslide."

Humility has clearly helped May, but there are other underlying calculations for keeping her in the post, not least because the timing of a new leadership campaign isn't optimal, with Brexit talks scheduled to start next week.

European Union officials say that Britain needs to start negotiations. In March, May triggered a two-year countdown for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union but negotiations have yet to begin. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, tweeted on Tuesday that the "current uncertainty cannot continue."

But May is also not out of the woods. She could fall next week, next month, next year.

She is a diminished leader and there are few who think she will complete a five-year parliamentary term: May called an election she was under no pressure to call and she and her party ended up considerably weakened.

But if contrition is what was needed to stay her execution, it's what was delivered.
Workers for government contractor DynCorp International conspired to bilk the State Department out of millions of dollars, according to a federal investigation in Virginia.

The criminal charges come as DynCorp faces a civil suit from the Justice Department in the District of Columbia that contends it allowed a subcontractor to charge excessive rates. The company has denied wrongdoing, saying it stopped working with that subcontractor "many years ago."

Both cases involve the training of civilian police officers in Iraq. A 2010 report from the State Department special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction found that oversight of Dyncorp's police training contract was, and for years had been, weak.

One defendant has pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, along with two relatives who lied to cover up his crime. Another alleged co-conspirator is headed for trial, and another is being extradited from Europe.

Federal authorities allege that the convicted man, Wesley Struble, who most recently lived in the Philippines, knew his co-defendants, Emil Popescu and Jose Rivera, from the world of Iraqi contracting.

Popsecu and Struble were working in 2011 at a company that leased a camp from an Iraqi firm for $124,000 a month. Together, according to prosecutors, they concocted a plan to get DynCorp to lease the camp for more than five times that amount.

Popescu went to work for the Iraqi company and convinced them to cut their current lease, then offer the camp to DynCorp for half a million more a month, authorities allege. Struble, meanwhile, joined Rivera at DynCorp, where they helped convince the giant McLean, Virginia-based contractor to pay the inflated rent. They falsely claimed the previous tenant had paid the same amount.

The State Department ultimately paid $5,320,000 in rent for the property from September 2011 through April 2014. Popescu, Rivera and Struble shared the profits with Iraqi co-conspirators, according to prosecutors.

In a statement, DynCorp spokeswoman Mary Lawrence declined to comment, noting the company "is not the subject of this investigation."

Rivera and Struble sent thousands of dollars back to family the United States, sometimes hidden in stereo speakers, according to court documents.

Struble convinced his mother and sister to lie about those funds. Now all three have pleaded guilty - Struble to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Act, and his mother and sister to lying in front of a grand jury.

In a recorded phone call in November 2015, Struble told Rivera to simply pretend he had been saving money for years.

"It takes a lot to go into bank records anyway, you know, for any sort of investigation," Struble said, according to court records.

Rivera, who court records said was working with federal agents, said he didn't even know for sure how much money they had made, but he could not have possibly saved that much from his legitimate work.

"It wasn't as much as we wanted, I know that," Struble replied.

Popescu maintained in a March interview with special agents that the money he received were salary and performance bonuses, according to an FBI affidavit.

Rivera was arrested last month at his home in Potomac, Maryland. Popescu, a Romanian citizen, was arrested there around the same time, according to local news reports.

Rivera on Friday pleaded not guilty and announced his intent to go to trial, despite having cooperated in the investigation against Struble. Popescu is still in the process of being extradited.

Struble, 49, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday. He was also ordered to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution.

The U.S. native has for the past five years been living in the Philippines with a woman he met in Iraq. They have two children together, along with her two children from a previous marriage.

In court filings, defense attorneys emphasized that he is a decorated veteran of the war in Iraq. Struble was awarded a Bronze Star for his work as an Air Force counterintelligence agent just after the invasion. His crime, they say, was an "isolated incident."
Forty-seven percent of Egyptians believe that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian, 11 percent believe they are Saudi Arabian, while 42 percent say they don't know, according to a new poll conducted by the independent Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (Baseera).

The results reflect an apparent shift in public opinion in the past year, with more people now viewing the islands as sovereign Egyptian territory.

In April 2016, another poll conducted by Baseera revealed that 30 percent of Egyptians believed the islands to be Egyptian and 23 percent believed they were Saudi. Another 31 percent said they did not know, while 16 percent said they had never heard of the islands.

In the same month, the Egyptian government signed a border-demarcation deal with Saudi Arabia, according to which the strategic islands of Tiran and Sanafir were identified as being under Saudi control. The Egyptian government claimed that the islands had always been Saudi territory, despite Egyptian guardianship.

"Public opinion has witnessed widespread controversy concerning the islands of Tiran and Sanfir in the past few days, following parliament's decision to vote on the allocation of the Islands to Egypt or Saudi Arabia," the report reads.

Baseera said that it conducted the poll in order to help "resolve the controversy and provide both public opinion and decision makers with a recent picture of the pulse of the Egyptian street."

The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,164 citizens from all governorates, aged 18 and above. The survey was made over mobile phones and landlines on 11 and 12 June.

The agreement sparked vocal opposition in Egypt and has been the subject of ongoing legal battles, with courts issuing conflicting rulings amid disputes over which court has jurisdiction in the case.

On Sunday, parliament's Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee started to discuss the agreement and decide whether to put it up for a general vote in parliament.

According to the recent Baseera poll, 60 percent of Egyptians agree on parliament discussing the agreement.

However, 47 percent said they would not agree on the islands being passed to the control of Saudi Arabia, even if the agreement was approved by parliament.

Meanwhile, 35 percent said they would agree on transferring the islands if parliament approved the deal, while 19 percent could not be sure.

The poll also revealed that 42 percent of Egyptians said a referendum should be conducted on the issue, while 37 percent said that the parliament's decision is enough.



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Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam won the Democratic nomination for governor of Virginia Tuesday by an unexpectedly wide margin, and Republican Ed Gillespie held off a surprising challenge from Donald Trump acolyte Corey Stewart for that party's nomination.

With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, Gillespie edged past Stewart by just over a percentage point - fewer than 4,500 votes. State Sen. Frank Wagner was a distant third.

The nation was watching Virginia as a political laboratory for how the political parties handle the deep divisions that followed last year's election of President Trump. The establishment forces seemed to win out, as Virginia voters resisted efforts to pull further to the right or left.

Perriello channeled the energy - and endorsement - of progressive leader Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as he tried to shake up the Democratic Party, but fell short in his bid to bring in enough new voters from among the young and working class to overcome Northam's command of the Democratic machine, including the endorsement of nearly every Democratic elected leader in state or federal office.

Celebrating at a restaurant in Arlington, Northam led a giddy crowd in a call-and-response chant, ending with a call to take back the Democratic majority in the GOP-controlled House of Delegates. He said he had spoken with Perriello and "we agreed that we're going to bring all Democrats under the tent starting tonight. This is too important an election. This is the bellwether of the country."

He said he planned to start campaigning right away with the newly minted Democratic ticket, including lieutenant governor candidate Justin Fairfax, who beat two opponents, and Attorney General Mark R. Herring, who was unopposed for the nomination.

The Republican ticket will be Gillespie; lieutenant governor candidate Jill Holtzman Vogel, a state senator from Loudoun County who beat two opponents; and attorney general nominee John Adams, who had no primary opponent.

But there was less unity among Republicans, with Stewart refusing to concede and saying he wouldn't support Gillespie, a man he derided throughout the campaign as "Establishment Ed."

"There is one word you will never hear from me, and that's 'unity,' " Stewart told supporters at a restaurant in Woodbridge. "We've been backing down too long. We've been backing down too long in defense of our culture, and our heritage and our country."

Stewart huddled with his campaign staffers, who said they wanted to wait until all absentee ballots were counted and were weighing a request for a recount.

Stewart's strength on the Republican ballot was the biggest surprise of the evening. He had been running as more Trump than Trump, making provocative statements and campaigning on the issue of preserving Confederate monuments. Polls had shown him with a fraction of Gillespie's support, but a low turnout among Republican voters gave Stewart's committed base an outsize influence, and Wagner drew significant votes in Hampton Roads that might otherwise have gone to Gillespie.

Overall, Democrats turned out in far greater numbers than Republicans. About 540,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, while just over 360,000 voters cast ballots on the Republican side, with nearly all precincts reporting.

Both showings outstripped the Democratic primary for governor in 2009, when about 320,000 voters cast ballots.

Gillespie's support in Fairfax County cushioned his slight edge as final returns came trickling in. Stewart scored big wins in Washington's exurbs - Loudoun, Fauquier and his home base of Prince William County - as well as in the rural central and southwest regions of the state.

Stewart's showing rattled Republicans at Gillespie's party at a Hilton Hotel ballroom in the Richmond suburbs, where supporters who had expected a blowout were concerned to see Stewart running a close second.

Gillespie had remained upstairs at the Hilton most of the evening, but finally took the stage at 10:46 p.m. to chants of "Ed! Ed! Ed!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said with a small laugh.

He spun the squeaker as sign of fiscal prudence. "I always tell our donors, obviously we did not waste a penny - any more than we needed to win this nomination."

In his remarks, Gillespie reached out to Republicans who had supported Stewart and Wagner. "We want you to know that we not only will listen to you, we will fight for you through November," he said.

He did not invoke Trump, who has cast a shadow over the governor's race all year. The president's approval rating in Virginia is even lower than it is nationwide: Just 36 percent of Virginians were satisfied with his performance in a poll conducted last month by The Washington Post and the Schar School at George Mason University.

That creates a challenge for Republican candidates this fall, because the party's base still supports the president, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School. Virginia's race, he said, will show "whether a prominent Republican in a major campaign is able to separate himself in the public's mind from the unpopular policies and actions of the Trump administration, while at the same time not losing much of the Republican support a candidate is going to need to win a general election."

Gillespie's narrow win, coming from a small and apparently unenthusiastic electorate, suggests that he faces a major challenge as he tries to both woo Stewart voters and attract moderates and independents while he fights a highly motivated Democratic opposition.

A former consultant to President George W. Bush and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Gillespie played it down the middle during the primary campaign as Stewart kept trying to provoke him. He has been a lukewarm supporter of Trump, but cast himself as a true conservative who will cut taxes and promote business.

But Gillespie, apparently trying to conserve resources and cement his front-runner status, had avoided appearances with his campaign rivals in recent weeks, preferring smaller, more controlled settings. He never seemed to inspire as much passion as Stewart, for good or ill.

Steve Chapman cast a ballot for Stewart at Mullen Elementary School in Manassas. He said that Stewart may have gone a too far with his embrace of Confederate heritage, but figured it was just a campaign shtick.

"Corey, he likes attention so I think he takes controversial stances and I don't know if he believes it," said Chapman, who is 39 and self-employed. "That's what's he does. It's a way to get earned media attention."

But that behavior, combined with the constant flow of controversy from the Trump administration in Washington, also energized Democrats.

Many voters said they were inspired to come out because of events in Washington. Alexandria resident Curt Arledge, 32, had never voted in a gubernatorial primary but decided this year that it was too important for him to miss.

Clothed in a T-shirt that displayed Smokey Bear wearing a "resist" hat, the Democrat voted for Northam because he thought he could win in November.

"I can't recall any of the issues, I hate to admit," Arledge said. "I want to nominate Democrats who can get elected."

Outside groups have poured money and attention into Virginia, and a vast army of new candidates have flooded the Democratic side of House races - including a record number of female candidates.

Perriello drew national attention with his eloquent plea for a new kind of Democratic politics - more aggressive, more about persuading others to change than about accommodating the realities of a Virginia legislature controlled by Republicans. He attracted outside money and endorsements from national political figures.

And more than any other candidate, Perriello made the governor's race explicitly about standing up to Trump.

In Arlington, Matt Canella, 29, and Mariah Finkel, 30, were inspired to vote for Perriello in large part because they felt he had more aggressively attacked the president.

Finkel's vote, she said, was "mostly based off what I see on commercials."

But Northam responded in kind, calling Trump a "narcissistic maniac" and pledging to resist his policies. He and Perriello never really disagreed about many issues, with one notable exception: Perriello opposed a pair of natural-gas pipelines being built in rural parts of the state. Northam refused to condemn them.

That issue will continue to rise up during the general election; anti-pipeline protesters briefly interrupted Northam's victory rally.

Perriello wasted no time conceding, making his statement to supporters about 90 minutes after polls closed. To screams of "Go, Tom, Go!"Perriello addressed his supporters gathered at the State Theatre in Falls Church and urged unity against "very scary Republicans . . . We don't even know how scary that individual might be yet," referring to the down-to-the-wire fight between Stewart and Gillespie.

He credited his own campaign with a "great victory" for forcing issues of economic inequality into the political conversation. "Together we helped elevate mainstream ideas that should have been there all along," he said, citing his support for a $15 minimum wage as an example. "I think it's movements that change the world, and politicians who work as allies to that movement."

But first, Perriello praised Northam for winning a "great victory, and offered him my full and unequivocal support."

Long before Tuesday's voting took place, both Perriello and Northam had agreed to appear at a Democratic unity rally on Wednesday in Northern Virginia, along with Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Democratic National Party Chairman Tom Perez. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), who had endorsed Perriello, tweeted a congratulatory message to Northam on Tuesday night.

In the House of Delegates, all 100 seats were on the ballot. Democrats caught up in anti-Trump fervor say they want to pick up enough seats to take over the majority, but that will be a tough task. Republicans have a 66 to 34 advantage.

- - -

John Woodrow Cox, Fenit Nirappil, Laura Vozzella, Patricia Sullivan, Alejandra Matos, Reis Thebault, Sarah Robertson and Catherine York contributed to this report.
The Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee continued debating the Tiran and Sanafir islands issue until the early hours of Tuesday morning

Heated discussions over the ownership of Tiran and Sanafir islands continued into the early hours of Tuesday morning, with the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee holding a third session on the issue.

Early on Tuesday, parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that discussions were still ongoing, with members seeking to reach the full truth regarding Tiran and Sanafir."

The parliamentary committee is debating the ownership of the two Red Sea islands, which the Egyptian government declared the sovereign territory of Saudi Arabia after an Egypt-Saudi demarcation agreement was signed in April 2016.

The deal has been the subject of much controversy since then, and MPs have been debating the issue and examining various documents in the case, with a view to a possible vote by parliament as a whole.

On Tuesday, Abdel-Aal said that several fake maps had been shared on social media incorrectly showing the positions of the two islands. He said the maps were being shared "on purpose by certain bodies to stir up public opinion".

Maps from various sources have been shared on social media over the past year, with both supporters and opponents of the deal presenting maps that serve their purposes.

Abdel-Aal said that only maps coming from the armed forces would be considered in debates on the issue, since they were the only valid, official maps for the area.

Abdel-Aal made the statements after armed forces representative Magd El-Din Barakat told parliament that the armed forces is not interfering in the deal, aside from contributing on technical issues.

He stressed that the armed forces would never relinquish Egyptian sovereign territory.

No Egyptian blood was spilled on two islands of Tiran and Sanafir, and we have a full documentation of where the martyrs are buried nationwide, Barakat said.

He said there is no Saudi presence on the two islands, in accordance with the 1979 peace treaty.

Opponents of the deal have argued that Egypt would be giving up territory it obtained as a result of the 1979 peace treaty following war between Egypt and Israel.

Wahdan presented the testimony of a South Sinai investor called Hisham Yehia, who had met with ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2006.

According to Wahdan, Mubarak told Yehia that the islands were Saudi but he wasnt going to hand them over now.

In 1986, the owner of a Port Said boat called me to tell me that his boat has been confiscated. He then called the MP of his district to meet with the prime minister to have his boat released. However, the PM said he would not interfere as the land where the boat was seized was Saudi, Wahdan said, indicating that the location was one of the islands.

The third session also witnessed the withdrawal of demarcation expert Haidy Farouk from the session, following a verbal attack by MP Mortada Mansour. Farouk had suggested that the islands were Egyptian, to which Mansour objected.

During her talk, Farouk said she was instructed by former intelligence chief Omar Sulieman and former defense minister Field Marshall Hussien Tanatawy to research the ownership of the islands. During the research, which she conducted with Ambassador Medhat Kamal of the foreign ministry, she sent through seven boxes of documents from British and American history archives.

She said that her research showed that the islands were indeed Egyptian, being part of Egypts Sinai Peninsula and not Saudis Hijaz, according to a document from 4 October 1934.

She added that she found 75 documents showing letters and wires exchanged between Egypt, Saudi King Faisal and the American administration, indicating that the Islands were Egyptian territory.

Following her talk, Mansour asked Farouk what her nationality was and queried whether she had indeed received her instructions from Sulieman, causing Farouk to quickly withdraw.

After her withdrawal, members of the opposition parliamentary bloc "25-30", which opposes the deal, engaged in arguments with Mansour, causing Abdel-Aal to intervene.

Several fierce quarrels have erupted in the course of the three days of parliamentary debate.

On Monday, Abdel-Aal said he would adjourn the meeting to prevent it from descending into chaos after the 25-30 group fought with pro-government majority bloc Support Egypt.

Abdel-Aal said that a closed-door evening meeting, including only members of the legislative and constitutional affairs committee, would be held at 9pm on Monday.

The Monday altercation took place after the 25-30 parliamentary bloc, which opposes the deal, insisted that parliament was not permitted to discuss the deal until the Supreme Constitutional Court has ruled on legal jurisdiction issues.

The border demarcation deal, which places the two Red Sea islands in Saudi territory, was signed during the visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdel-Aziz to Cairo in April 2016.

The deal has faced a number of legal challenges since it was announced in April 2016, including disputes over which courts have jurisdiction to hear such cases.

In January 2017, the High Administrative Court ruled that the deal was null and void.

In April, however, the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters followed with a ruling that administrative courts have no jurisdiction over issues relating to national borders.

On the ruling of the High Administrative Court, I say for the thousandth time that we will not allow any authority to violate that of the parliament, Abdel-Aal said on Tuesday.

He reaffirmed the view he expressed on Monday that parliament would not implement any court ruling on the islands.

"As the constitution gives parliament full and exclusive authority to discuss foreign agreements, we will never honour any court rulings, because they would be considered null and void to us," he said on Monday.



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William Luther /San Antonio Express-News

With little fanfare, Gov. Greg Abbott has signed Senate Bill 179, known as Davids Law for a high school student from Alamo Heights who was subjected to fierce cyberbullying before he killed himself last year.

The law allows temporary injunctions against social media accounts used to harass or bully children and criminalizes electronic harassment of minors with the intent of causing them to harm themselves. It also requires schools to speedily notify parents if their children have been bullied and to notify the parents of children accused of bullying.
The deal is expected to be voted on in parliament in a plenary session on Wednesday or next week

The Egyptian parliaments legislative and constitutional affairs committee voted on Tuesday in favour of Egypts Red Sea island deal with Saudi Arabia, with 35 out of 43 members voting in favour, in preparation for parliaments vote on the deal in a plenary session tomorrow or next week.

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said the vote was held in line with Article 151 of the constitution, which gives parliament the exclusive prerogative in discussing and deciding on deals with foreign governments.

"Long live Egypt and long live its free army, who would never accept dispensing with the country's land," said Abdel-Aal.

In its report, the legislative and constitutional affairs committee decided that the deal should not be put to a public referendum.

"The deal does not involve ceding Egyptian land or relinquishing its sovereignty over the two islands, as stipulated by Article 151 of the constitution," sources said.

Abdel-Aal adjourned the Tuesday morning meeting held to discuss the deal after divisions among MPs reached a boiling point.

Upon a request from independent MP Kamal Ahmed, the legislative and constitutional affairs committee concluded the debate and took a final vote, preparing a report on the deal to be discussed in a plenary session.

Informed sources said the deal would be further discussed by parliaments defence and national security committee, which should prepare a report on the deal before it is put up for a vote in a plenary session.

At the beginning of the legislative and constitutional affairs committees meeting on Tuesday afternoon, speaker Abdel-Aal told MPs he wants "a democratic discussion of the deal."

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marawan presented MPs with an atlas book showing that the Palestinian Gaza Strip was one day under Egypt's administration, even though it was not part of Egypt.

"The same applies to the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir, and this is also clear in the atlas book," said Marawan.

When Marawan asked El-Sayed El-Husseini, the head of the Egyptian Geographical Association, to give his opinion before MPs on the atlas book, members of the opposition 25-30 bloc objected, saying that El-Husseini had already addressed MPs four times and has nothing new to say, but insists that the two islands are Saudi.

MPs also listened to the testimony of Heidi Farouk, an expert on international borders, who presented 75 American maps and documents showing Tiran and Sanafir as part of Egypt.

However, MPs argued that foreign documents cannot be used as a conclusive proof.

Speaker Abdel-Aal said the Israelis had used American documents and maps in the 1980s to prove that Sinai's Taba city was part of Israel.

These documents were proven false and the international arbitration court ruled in the end that Taba belonged to Egypt, said Abdel-Aal.

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Some illicit farmer's dreams went up in smoke Friday when Walker County sheriff's deputies found their vast marijuana farm with thousands of plants worth an estimated $7.9 million, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies responded to call around 3 p.m. Friday about narcotics off FM 2989 in the rural county, sheriff's spokeswoman Marlene Wells said in a news release. A worker at the property said he had come across what appeared to be marijuana plants.
Over the next week, jurors in a San Antonio federal court will hear how a Rio Grande Valley family smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. and laundered millions of dollars through farming, livestock purchases, real estate transactions and other business enterprises, one of the prosecutors in the case said Monday.

In his opening arguments in the trial of Reymundo Villarreal Arelis, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis said government witnesses, some of them former traffickers, will testify that members of the Villarreal Arelis family used their riverside property across the border from McAllen to smuggle marijuana starting more than two decades ago. The Villarreal Arelis family, whose members were known as Los Piojos, the lice, eventually upgraded to cocaine and became important traffickers in the once-fearsome Gulf Cartel.

They were essentially UPS, if you will, for other narcotics traffickers, Sturgis said. They made money moving other peoples cocaine into the U.S.

Villarreal Arelis is on trial for charges of drug distribution conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted he faces up to life in prison.

Houston defense attorney Guy Wommack told jurors that while other members of the Villarreal Arelis family were involved in drug trafficking, his client is a farmer and rancher who lives a modest life compared to his narco brothers. Wommack called the prosecution of his client a classic case of the government alleging guilt by association.

Sturgis, however, said witnesses will testify that Villarreal Arelis was directly involved in the familys criminal enterprise. As they rose through the cartel, they began moving large amounts of cocaine for themselves, and as a result had large amounts of money they needed to launder, he said.

You will learn how successful they were, Sturgis said. You will learn what they did to be successful. You will learn what they did with the profits they reaped from this enterprise.

The prosecutions first witness was a former member of the Mexican armys special forces who once investigated the Villarreal Arelis family before working with them as a member of the Zetas drug cartel.

Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, a 41-year-old trafficker and enforcer known as Mamito, testified that he investigated, but never arrested, two of Villarreal Arelis brothers when the army detailed him to narcotics enforcement in the 1990s.

In 1999, Rejon defected to the Gulf Cartel and joined a group of former special forces soldiers working for the gangs leader, Osiel Cardenas Guillen, who named the group the Zetas, Rejon said.

Several years later, members of the Villarreal Arelis family helped him escape Mexican special forces after a gunbattle, Rejon testified. He spent three months on their ranch, and later observed as loads of cocaine were delivered to the property on the border. The family would smuggle it to the U.S., he said.

In 2006 or 2007, the Villarreal Arelis family was allowed to buy drugs directly from The Company, a term Rejon used to refer to the joint Gulf Cartel and Zetas organization, he testified. They would buy 300 or 400 kilograms of cocaine every few weeks up until the 2010 split between the two organizations, Rejon said.

Rejon, who admitted to executing 20 people himself, ordering another 10 executions and being involved in more fatal firefights than he could count, has pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking charge in Washington, D.C., and said hes testifying to reduce his sentence. Hes taken the stand three times previously, including during a high-profile trial in Austin of the brother of a Zetas leader who was convicted of laundering drug money through a U.S. quarter horse breeding and racing operation.

Rejon testified Monday that the Villarreal Arelis family used the same straw buyers to purchase quarter horses in the U.S. as the Zetas leaders. The gangsters used fronts each time they bought a horse, Rejon said, because otherwise it would be confiscated from me.

Nearly a dozen members of the Villarreal Arelis family have pleaded guilty to narcotics and financial crimes since a federal grand jury in San Antonio indicted them last summer. A former Mexican prosecutor who recruited family patriarch Gilberto Villarreal Arelis as an informant for the U.S. government pleaded guilty last week to a lesser charge.

Gilberto Villarreal Arelis is a fugitive. Reymundo Villarreal Arelis trial is expected to last through the week.

jbuch@express-news.net

Twitter: @jlbuch
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A 17-year-old testified Tuesday that her best friend said, I got shot, before she stopped breathing after they left a party when a fight broke out.

I said, Stop playing, she fell over, the next thing, she couldnt breathe, Jacqueline Sanchez said through tears as the trial of Julian Martinez opened.

Martinez, known as Juju, was 18 when he was arrested and accused of firing the shot that killed Amanda Acosta, 17. Witnesses said the defendant punched one of Acostas friends while at a party March 14, 2016, in the 200 block of Cavalier Avenue on the South Side.

San Antonio police said at the time that after Acosta and her friends left the party in a black Jeep SUV, Martinez and several others followed behind in a white Chevrolet SUV. Sanchez said she heard something that sounded like a bottle breaking and later realized it was a gunshot.

Martinez, now 19, pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Prosecutor Jason Goss told the jury in his opening statement that Acosta died just days shy of her 18th birthday.

She never made that 18-year-old birthday because of that man, Goss said, motioning toward Martinez. She was in the way. He was trying to shoot a guy.

Goss told the jury days after Acostas death, as the family was conducting a barbecue plate and T-shirt sale to help with funeral expenses, the defendant showed up to the benefit and memorial, which Sanchez confirmed later on during her testimony.

Defense attorney Philip Bozzo Jr. declined to make an opening statement.

Sanchez, Goss first witness, said she and Acosta only knew a few people at the party, and once there they played beer pong for a while. She said she wasnt sure how the fight happened, but said she saw Martinez jump on one of their friends at the party, and heard him say, One hit quit. ... I didnt even have to use my gun.

She said they left soon after the incident.

Sanchez became emotional as she described what happened to Acosta, whom she knew since sixth grade.

I tried to wake her up, Sanchez said of Acosta. I was holding her and kept telling her to wake up for me. She wouldnt wake up.

They drove Acosta downtown to The Children's Hospital of San Antonio, and when she was removed from the SUV, Sanchez said Acosta went limp and did not move.

She was turning purple, said Sanchez. When they put her in a bed, I just fell on my knees. I couldnt stop crying.

Detective Dustin Duffin, a San Antonio police crime scene investigator, used photographs entered into evidence in his testimony to show the direction of the bullet, which went through the back passenger seat of the Jeep, and hit Acosta in the back.

Another witness who was at the party that night, Travis Erickson, testified that Martinez was brandishing a gun while at the party.

The trial is being held in Felony Impact Court, presided by Visiting Judge Laura Parker.

If convicted of murder, Martinez faces up to life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
SAN ANTONIO - A man who was arrested Monday accused of operating a fence with more than $10,000 in portable power tools found in his Northwest Side home was identified Tuesday as Sergio Morales Carrasco.

San Antonio Police Department Sgt. William Garcia said Carrasco, a 35-year-old man, was apprehended after a weeks-long undercover operation by the Fencing Interdiction Team.
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The second federal appeals court to consider President Trumps travel ban against selected mostly Muslim nations reached the same result as the first  that the ban cannot take effect  but for reasons that struck at the heart of Trumps national-security argument and could lessen his chances of prevailing in the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a 3-0 ruling Monday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the president had offered no evidence that temporarily barring immigrants and visitors from the targeted nations, as well as all would-be refugees, would protect the United States from terrorism.

Another federal appeals court, in Richmond, Va., had already forbidden implementation of the travel ban by ruling May 24 that his executive order was intended to exclude Muslims, in violation of the Constitution.

That decision, which the Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court, was based on assorted evidence of the presidents motives  the nations he targeted, his call as a presidential candidate to prohibit Muslim immigration, and post-inauguration statements by Trump and his aides indicating he was carrying out his previous goals.

Mondays ruling, by contrast, relies on laws passed by Congress and what the court concluded was the presidents failure to abide by them.

Its a smart approach, and one more likely to attract support from Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices such as Anthony Kennedy, Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch, said David Levine, a law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco.

Trumps March 6 executive order, a revision of an earlier version, would impose a 90-day ban on U.S. admission of immigrants or visitors who were citizens of any of six nations  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen  whose Muslim populations range from 90 to 99 percent.

The second order, like the first  issued by Trump Jan. 27 and blocked by federal courts a week later  would also impose a 120-day ban on all U.S. admission of refugees fleeing violence and hardship in their homelands, and would reduce total U.S. refugee admissions from 110,000 to 50,000 for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.

The revised version would exempt anyone holding a U.S. visa and would allow consular officers to issue individual exemptions in hardship cases. U.S. consulates revoked between 60,000 and 100,000 visas of would-be entrants under Trumps first order.

The Justice Department contends the ban is based on terrorism concerns, not religion, and would give the administration time to devise tougher screening standards for entrants from zones of conflict. They noted that federal law gives the president broad authority over immigration and national security.

But the Ninth Circuit said Trumps executive order described the six nations as sources of terrorism, yet offered no evidence that any citizens of those nations, let alone all of them, pose a threat to national security.

The order would thus violate two federal immigration laws, the court said: a 1952 law allowing the president to exclude any class of aliens by showing that they were detrimental to the United States, and a 1965 statute that prohibited discrimination in immigration based on national origin. Because Trumps actions appear to be illegal, the court said, there is no need to decide whether they would also be unconstitutional.

That could also undercut the Trump administrations leading argument against previous rulings, including the May 24 ruling by the Richmond court: that judges were wrongly using the presidents campaign statements about barring Muslim immigration to psychoanalyze the motives of his executive order, rather than properly relying on the language of the order itself.

Were starting to get a partisan split, Republican-appointed judges saying you cant pay any attention to campaign rhetoric and tweets, and Democrats going the other way, said Levine, of UC Hastings. The Ninth Circuit avoids that by saying were deferring to Congress, that Congress requires findings and the executive order does not make the requisite findings.

Bill Ong Hing, a University of San Francisco law professor and director of the schools Immigration Law and Deportation Defense Clinic, said the Ninth Circuits reliance on federal laws is more likely to persuade Supreme Court justices than citing campaign comments as evidence of a discriminatory intent.

Ive always thought that statutory grounds was stronger from the plaintiffs perspective ... (that) hes going beyond the statute by saying everyone from those countries presents a danger, Hing said. He doesnt have a factual basis for that conclusion.

The ruling is very pragmatic and, because it is based on statutes, would allow Congress and the president to address the courts concerns by changing the law, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor.

Stanford Law Professor Michael McConnell had a different view.

The most shocking thing about the panel opinion is that it presumes the authority of courts to second-guess the president on a foreign affairs issue vested in him alone, said McConnell, director of Stanfords Constitutional Law Center. He predicted a Supreme Court reversal.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions also took issue with the ruling.

President Trump knows that the country he has been elected to lead is threatened daily by terrorists who believe in a radical ideology, and that there are active plots to infiltrate the U.S. immigration system  just as occurred prior to 9/11, Sessions said in a statement.

The ruling was jointly issued by Judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez, all appointees of Democratic presidents.

They said presidential authority over immigration, though broad, is not unlimited.

Trumps order makes no finding that nationality alone renders entry of this broad class of individuals a heightened security risk to the United States, the court said. It does not provide any link between an individuals nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism.

The court said Trump, while asserting that a handful of residents of the six targeted countries had committed acts of terrorism, provided no justification for banning entry, even temporarily, by anyone from those nations.

The panel also cited a report by Trumps Department of Homeland Security that found no connection between immigrants national origins and any likelihood of terrorism after U.S. entry.

And in another instance of Trumps tweets seemingly backfiring, the court cited his June 5 Twitter posting  we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that wont help us protect our people!  as evidence that it was the nations, and not their 180 million-plus residents, that the president considered inherently dangerous.

The White House confirmed on June 6 that Trumps tweets were official statements, the court said.

The Ninth Circuit panel also rejected the Justice Departments argument that the 1965 federal immigration law, which barred discrimination based on national origin, applied only to issuance of visas and did not prohibit the government from selectively barring entrants from certain nations. The law, properly understood, requires equal treatment, regardless of national origin, for those seeking U.S. entry, the court said.

Trumps order thus would enable the president to restore discrimination on the basis of nationality that Congress sought to eliminate, the court said.

The court also said Trump had provided no justification, based on national security or any other grounds, for a 120-day ban on all refugee admissions or a reduction from 110,000 to 50,000 in overall U.S. refugee admissions for the year.

And the state of Hawaii, lead plaintiff in the case before the court, provided evidence of hardships the state and its residents would suffer  prolonged separation from family members, constraints to recruiting and attracting student and faculty members to the University of Hawaii, decreased tuition revenue, and the states inability to assist in refugee resettlement  if Trumps order were enforced, the court said.

On another issue, the court said U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii had gone too far by prohibiting Trumps administration from working on a plan for extreme vetting of immigrants and refugees while the travel ban continued. Ironically, said Levine, that part of the ruling could effectively end the case by giving officials the time they said they needed to devise stricter screening methods.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @egelko

Read the ruling: Find it at http://bit.ly/2sl8V5U
Multiple mysteries keep Cardinal flying on Hulu

Four stars out of five: Cardinal, mystery series, complete first season available on Friday, June 16, on Hulu

San FranciscoIts easy to see why mystery fans are attracted to John Cardinal, the taciturn Canadian detective featured in the series of books by Giles Blunt. Like the richly flawed misfits created by Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankell, Cardinal has his inner demons.

Billy Campbell plays the title role in Cardinal, a six-part, Canadian import premiering on Hulu on Friday, June 16. As with any competently adapted mystery, its about far more than solving the crime.

We get hints of a back story as Cardinal, a rogue member of the Algonquin Bay, Canada, police force, is called back to action after the body of a missing child is found, encased in ice. His boss, Noelle Dyson (Kristen Thomson), has reservations about putting him on the case, which at first appear to be the reason shes paired him with Det. Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse), whose background is in financial investigations.

Soon, the body of another victim is found, convincing Cardinal that they are dealing with an especially brutal serial killer. Or, as it turns out, two of them, and we actually meet them early on.

While many crime stories try to keep you guessing to the end about whodunnit, the relatively early revelation doesnt kneecap Cardinals effectiveness. One reason is that the killers have captured a new victim (Robert Naylor), but are only torturing him so far. Can Cardinal and Delorme get to him in time to save his life?

We care, of course, but the story is as much about character as it is about the mystery. We want to know what Lises real purpose is in moving to the homicide division, we want to know what John Cardinal is up to when he has clandestine meetings with a local no-account, and we want to know where Johns wife (Deborah Hay) is and why.

Screenwriter Aubrey Nealon is masterfully stingy with the script, carefully doling out information about Cardinal and other characters in very small but tantalizing doses.

The performances are quite good, although Campbell speaks all of his lines is a somewhat loud whisper. It feels at times like an affectation, but otherwise, he invests the right about of credible angst to make the character compelling.

A few of the ancillary stories feel forced, including the status of Lises marriage to Josh (Alden Adair). Theyre trying to have a baby, but shes more focused on work and secretly takes birth control pills, which Josh discovers and the discovery of course leads him to suspect shes having an affair with Cardinal. Its overplayed and feels a little desperate. In the end, it doesnt add much to either Lises character or the show.

Yet, the minor missteps are forgiven in the miniseries richly satisfying finale.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV
What the protests of the doctors did not achieve almost eight years ago, some circumstances of shortage of personnel that will be aggravated in the next years can get it now. The regional Ministry of Health of the Principality yesterday expressed its willingness to postpone the mandatory retirement age of doctors, currently set at the age of 65, to a maximum age of 70 in the specialties with greater shortage of physicians. Another option that the Health Administration is considering, which consists of increasing the volume of admissions at the University of Oviedo, is viewed reluctantly by academic authorities. "To form a MIR in Asturias does not mean that he/she is going to stay here", argued the dean of the Faculty, Alfonso Lopez Muniz.

"We are willing to relax the application of the regulation, giving priority to specialties such as general medicine, pediatrics, radiology, anesthesia, in which there are greater problems of coverage", Francisco del Busto, health regional minister, told this newspaper, confirming what the director general of Health Planning, Concepcion Saavedra, had said a few hours before.

Del Busto expressed the intention of his Department to start a negotiation with the unions to give way to a situation anticipated by LA NUEVA ESPANA the day before yesterday, on Sunday: the shortage of doctors in Asturian public health, which according to the Principality will reach in the next years "critical" levels due to "the retirements of the first doctors trained at the University of Oviedo". The study by the Ministry of Health indicates that up 1300 doctors will retire before 2025, one-third of the total staff of doctors of the Sespa. The future shortage will, however, be uneven in some specialties.

Another solution studied by the Health Administration is focused on increasing the number of students of the Faculty of Medicine. But in this area the agreements can be more complex. This is because the University of Oviedo does not find this measure effective. "The offer of Asturias of MIR positions isnt enough even for the doctors who finish the degree". According to Lopez Muniz, it is necessary to establish incentives that make it attractive for doctors to stay in the region. In any case, he reasoned, the approach must be made at the state level - "because the lack of doctors is a common problem in all regions" - and under a "serious and rigorous approach". Training a doctor is expensive, the dean of Medicine says, but it is more expensive to increase the number of admissions at the universities without matching them to the offer of MIR positions. Lopez Muniz warned that any decision in this line implies "a spending increase". For example, "we would have to call for more positions of teachers and doctors".

"The number of doctors who are trained in Spain is greater than the available MIR positions", Alfonso Lopez Muniz insisted, who stressed the importance of the increase from 24 to 41 faculties of medicine in a few years, from 4,000 to 7,000 physicians trained every year to dispute 6,000 MIR positions that are called every year in Spain.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told a German minister that terrorism cannot be fought only with military and security methods but rather its sources must be eliminated, especially those countries that provide it with financial and political support.

Speaking to German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Berlin on Tuesday, El-Sisi added that it is also necessary to destroy the theoretical bases of terrorism through developing education and correcting religious discourse to enhance the tolerant values of religions, state news agency MENA cited Alaa Youssef, the presidential spokesperson, as saying.

El-Sisi is in Berlin to participate in the G20 Africa Partnership conference on Monday and Tuesday. The conference highlights business and investment opportunities in Africa; the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund participated in the event, as did several other African heads of state.

This is the second time the president has visited Berlin in his official capacity; his first visit was in 2015.

El-Sisi also stressed that Egypt is continuing in the fight against terrorism at all levels--military, security, political, and ideological--while he renewed his call for the international community to take decisive action on the financing of terrorism.

This came in another meeting on Tuesday with Volker Kauder, the parliamentary leader of the ruling CDU party in the German Bundestag, where El-Sisi also stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation in dealing with common challenges, such as the flow of refugees and irregular immigrants, Youssef said in separate statement.

El-Sisi also presented the latest economic developments in Egypt in his meeting with Kauder, mentioning the ongoing implementation of the economic reform programme which aims to resolve structural imbalances within the economy.

El-Sisi and Gabriel also discussed a number of regional and international issues, including Qatar and Libya, while El-Sisi praised the strong German-Egyptian bilateral relations, confirming Egypt's keenness on consolidating and upgrading these bilateral relations, Youssef added.

Both El-Sisi and Kauder discussed ways to develop bilateral relations in the fields of education and professional and technical training, and through the partnership between Germany and Africa, through the German initiative of the G20. El-Sisi highlighted the importance of finding new and sustainable financial mechanisms that can achieve a developmental renaissance on the continent.

According to the Egyptian statement Kauder praised the burgeoning relations between Egypt and Germany in recent years, stressing his country's interest in the ongoing consolidation of relations with Egypt, especially at the economic level, while also praising the steps Egypt has taken towards achieving stability in the region, and its efforts in combating terrorism.

El-Sisi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, where he stressed the need for intensifying international resolve in the face of countries that fund and support terrorism, adding that a strong message should be directed toward these countries if the international community wants to completely eradicate terrorism.

The two leaders also discussed developments in the situation with Qatar one week after a number of Arab and Muslim countries decided to boycott the Gulf state over its terrorist ties.

In March, Merkel visited Egypt for talks with the president and to inaugurate a mega-project led by Siemens.

On Monday, Egypt signed three economic agreements with Germany, worth 203 million euros, covering renewable energy, education, irrigation and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Egypt and Germany have strengthened economic and political ties in the past few years.



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Finally there are Kiwi back at Shakespear Open Sanctuary  their welcome included a very moving powhiri to transfer their kaitiakitanga to our local community.

For the first three weeks their location was monitored daily, but currently this is being done every second day. It is not that volunteers have to actually find each one, just that their approximate location has to be confirmed. This is done using a hand-held direction finder to detect the signal being emitted by a tiny radio transmitter attached to one leg of each Kiwi. Each one broadcasts a signal that also varies with the activity of the bird; as well as the normal signal there is one for mortality as well. The latter one has already been detected, which naturally caused some alarm at first but this turned out to be due to a dud transmitter and not a dud Kiwi!

The birds were all released at the very eastern end of the peninsula, far away from the pest-proof fence, and mostly they have stayed close to where they were released, although a few have roamed all over the park. One bird remained under the radar and, in spite of an extensive search which included searching the coastline by boat in case it had gone down a cliff, it staying missing for eleven days before re-appearing just as suddenly.

The next stage of Kiwi care involves catching all of them again to check their condition and this is now underway. Even with the transmitters, this is not easy as they are very well hidden and can move very quickly. Once actually sighted they have to be caught by both legs so as not to hurt them. Because they no longer have flight muscles they have no need of a robust ribcage with a keel-bone, as other birds have. This leaves their upper bodies quite vulnerable (a primary reason why dogs are so dangerous to them) so any tackling has to be round the legs. Once caught, they will be checked over, measured and their condition assessed. After all that they will be left alone, hopefully to settle down with a mate and start preparing for spring. They generally mate for life, each female having one egg per season which is then incubated only by the male.

In the meantime, all the other work involved in running and developing the sanctuary goes on as usual. More nesting boxes have been made for seabirds and these have been installed along the eastern clifftops. They have been placed underground with drain-pipe tunnels as entrances, in the hope that birds will move in rather than have to scratch out their own burrows. One site has been relocated, as at the old one the boxes tended to fill with water in heavy rain. Besides our home-built wooden boxes, weve also installed some plastic ones to see which type the birds prefer.

Our on-site nursery has again done a great job in growing seedlings ready for the annual planting-out dates, which this year are June 11 and 18 and July 16, from 10am. There will be at least 15,000 plants to go in, so please do come along with your friends and family to help out. Just wear strong shoes, dress for the weather and follow the signs. It is a very worthwhile and enjoyable activity, as is the free barbecue that follows.

Meanwhile the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has just released a report on our native birds. It says that of our 168 native bird species, only 20 percent are doing okay, while 32 percent are in serious trouble! One conclusion is that we need to control predators over much larger areas so that bird populations can also grow larger. Please help where you can.
Recently Riding for the Disabled national ambassador Melanie Kerr of Little Manly had to pop out of her gumboots and into a posh frock when she was a guest at Parliament.

Minister for Disability Issues, Nicky Wagner, hosted members of NZ Riding for the Disabled at the Grand Hall, Parliament on May 26.

The reception was held to celebrate the work and commitment of Riding for the Disableds volunteers throughout the country.

Pictured from left are North Shore Riding for the Disabled volunteers Tim Lofts, Debbie Sutton, Melanie Kerr and Shannon Mitchell with the Minister, centre.

Each year over 3000 people enjoy Riding for the Disabled horse-riding and horse-related activities.

They face physical, intellectual, emotional and social challenges and their participation is life-changing, Melanie says.

There are 56 RDA Groups in local communities throughout New Zealand  the North Shore one operates from Stillwater.
Egyptian airspace is closed to Qatari aircraft seeking to pass through or land, Egypts civil aviation authority reiterated on Tuesday, adding that non-Qatari and non-Egyptian aircraft heading to Doha are still able to pass through.

Non-Qatari private aircraft and non-Qatari flights, if they want to cross Egyptian airspace, must submit a prior request to the central air traffic administration of the civil aviation authority by at least 24 hours, the authority said in a statement.

Egypt has halted flights to and from Doha following its decision last week to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing the Gulf country of having links to terrorism and of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries in the region.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Yemen and the eastern-based government of Libya have also severed ties with Qatar.

The authority said that it is fully committed to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention of 1944) and other conventions to ensure the safety of international civil aviation and the flow of international air traffic over the airspace of the country.

The statement added that Egypt, at the same time, reserves the sovereign right under international law to take any precautionary measures to protect national security if necessary.

Egypts national air carrier EgyptAir announced it would suspend its flights from Cairo to Doha and Doha to Cairo starting on Tuesday until further notice.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain have also closed their airspace to Qatari flights and have suspended the flights to and from the small Gulf state following the decision.

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More than 20 years of experience in selling and servicing computers is behind a new information technology business that has opened at Stanmore Bay.

IT @ Home & Business is located at 689 Whangaparaoa Road, behind the Pizza Hut, and is owned and operated by Richard Larsen.

Richard grew up on a sheep and beef farm at Kaiwaka, and his first experience with computers was operating farm accountancy software in the late 1980s. He went on to sell the software before moving into repairing computers.

He operated a computer store in Warkworth for a number of years, before health issues forced him to take a break.

Ive been working from home for the past two-and-a-half years, but the business has grown and I needed dedicated premises, he says.

Richard is selling new and secondhand PCs, and ex-lease Macs, as well as printers and other hardware. On the repair side, he says he can take on most jobs but is specialising in computer security and back-up solutions. He can also oversee large office installations.

I work five days a week, but in truth, if a business has an urgent problem, Im available seven days a week.

In terms of computer security, Richard recommends Eset Nod 32 as he believes it is one of the best in the world.

It can detect malware by its signature before it gets anywhere near your computer. It will warn you if you land on a dodgy website, which you can chose to over-ride if you like.

Richard says he cant stress enough the importance of backing up and security.

Some people have thousands of photos or videos on their computers, which would be irreplaceable if they were lost. Thats the sort of thing I try to get people to think about.

There is so much malicious software out there in terms of worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware and bots. They can self-replicate and spread quickly through a persons contact list, and I cant stress enough that people have to do their best to keep themselves safe.
Auckland Councils adoption of a targeted rate on accommodation providers continues to concern the local moteliers who Hibiscus Matters spoke with about the issue back in March (HM March 15).

Although the rate was watered down, and motel owners will pay considerably less than originally proposed (around 40 percent to 20 percent of the sum originally proposed, depending on the type of business), aspects such as the exclusion of the nearby Rodney area, campgrounds, backpackers and bed and breakfast accommodation is viewed as unfair.

The money will cover 50 percent of Auckland Tourism Events & Economic Developments (ATEED) visitor attraction and events budget, formerly paid for in general rates, freeing up those funds for infrastructure. Moteliers say this is also unfair, as they derive little, if any, benefit from ATEED promotions such as the current Lions tour.

Geoff Schunselaar of Beachcomber Motel in Orewa says he has yet to work out what he will be charged. Im waiting, because its based on the CV of the property and the CVs are likely to go up soon, he says. Geoff says hes not likely to increase his room rates, because his is a seasonal and price-sensitive business.

Whangaparaoa Lodge owner Troy Clarry says he now expects to pay somewhere between $3500$5000  a lot less than the $26,000 he would have been up for under the original proposal. However, he says he will have to suck up the increase rather than raise his charges, especially considering competition from B & Bs, and Rodney moteliers, who dont have to pay the targeted rate.

Jan Guthrie of Orewa Motor Lodge says she has already increased room rates to cover the sum shell have to pay of around $11,000. Im paying 40 percent less than Id thought, but now theyve got a foot in the door, what will happen next year and the year after that? she says.

Auckland councillors John Watson and Wayne Walker voted against the targeted rate, which was passed 118 at the meeting on June 1. Cr Watson says they did so largely because of the effects it will have on local businesses.

The local moteliers dont receive any actual benefit from ATEEDs tourist promotions which concentrate largely on event promotions in the city, he says. Why should they pay for a service they dont receive any benefit from? No one could answer this at the meeting.

The rate will apply from July 1.
A family favourite  or maybe your grandmothers signature dish? Whangaparaoa Schools Parents & Friends Association is producing a recipe book as a fundraiser, and is looking for recipes from the community which have a special story behind them, or are connected to the Hibiscus Coast in some way.

Recipes can cover all categories from mid-week family meals, to party food or lunchbox ideas.

PFA member Sian Stimson says while many people search online for recipes, it can be frustrating when you cant find the same recipe a second time, your devices battery runs flat, or the end result is nothing like you expected!

All the recipes for the book are being tested and Sians family tested kumara brownies.

She says a recipe book can also be a great way to teach children and young people how to cook, involve them in planning meals, and expose them to a wide variety of foods.

Recipes, and photos if possible, can be emailed to wgpschoolcookbook@gmail.com by Friday, July 7.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: June 13 2017

Schneiderman: Medicaid Cannot Serve As A Bank Account For Criminals Who Have No Regard For The Well-Being Of Their Fellow New Yorkers.

New York, NY - June 13, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the indictment, arrest and arraignment of Robert H. Corrado, 56, Kristina Corrado, 32, of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the indictment, arrest and arraignment of Robert H. Corrado, 56, Kristina Corrado, 32, of Nesconset , New York, and Interline Employee Assistance Program, Inc. for engaging in a systematic kickback scheme and violating patients rights. In addition to the arrest, the Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) filed several civil causes of action against Robert Corrado and Kristina Corrado, Interline, and others seeking to recover monies improperly obtained as a result of their criminal conduct.

We allege that the defendants engaged in a systematic, ongoing scheme to exploit those struggling with homelessness and substance abuse in order to line their own pockets, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Medicaid cannot serve as a bank account for criminals who have no regard for the well-being of their fellow New Yorkers. My office will continue to fight for the integrity of the Medicaid program to ensure that our tax dollars are not wasted  and instead put towards helping our most vulnerable citizens, as intended.

In an indictment unsealed yesterday in Queens County Supreme Court and papers filed in Queens County Supreme Court, Civil Term, prosecutors allege the Corrados and Interline engaged in an illegal kickback scheme whereby Robert Corrado, Executive Director of Interline, an outpatient substance abuse treatment program, and owner of several three-quarter houses located in Queens and Brooklyn, provided housing at below market rent to homeless clients on the condition that the clients attend treatment at Interline and nowhere else. Robert Corrado and Interline, in turn, received payment from Medicaid for substance abuse treatment claims predicated on this kickback arrangement.

Interlines three-quarter homes, prosecutors allege, are located throughout Queens and in Brooklyn and are called Care House and are managed by Kristina Corrado, Robert Corrados daughter, from within Interlines offices where she monitored the attendance of Care House residents at Interlines outpatient program. Attendance and treatment progress of Care House residents were regularly shared by Interline staff with staff at the Care Houses, and residents who were not compliant with mandatory treatment requirements set forth by Interline were evicted from the Care Houses. The overlap in staff and operations between Interlines outpatient treatment program and its Care Houses created a de facto residential treatment program, that neither entity is licensed to operate. Under New York Mental Hygiene law, it is a crime to operate an unlicensed residential treatment program. The requirement that Care House residents must receive treatment at Interline deprived them of their fundamental freedom of choice in medical care in violation of numerous State laws, including the Patients Bill of Rights.

Prosecutors allege that Robert Corrado and Kristina Corrado acted in concert with Interline to perpetuate this kickback scheme. As a result, it is alleged that Robert Corrado and Interline knowingly and intentionally submitted, and caused to be submitted, at least $2,327,524 in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicaid. These claims, prosecutors allege, were fraudulent because they resulted from illegal kickbacks, deprived patients of their freedom of choice and were the result of the operation of an unlicensed residential treatment program.

Robert Corrado and Interline were charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony. Robert Corrado and Interline along with Kristina Corrado were further charged with violating the Social Services Law prohibiting the payment of kickbacks related to the provision of services under the States Medicaid program, a class E felony. Interline was also charged with three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony, and violating the States Mental Hygiene Law prohibiting the operation of a residential treatment program without the proper operating certificate, a class A misdemeanor. In addition to the indictment unsealed yesterday, the Attorney General filed a civil complaint against Interline, Robert Corrado, Kristina Corrado and Kim Corrado, who is Robert Corrados wife. The complaint, which asserts violations of New Yorks False Claims Act, Section 145-b of New Yorks Social Services Law and other causes of action, seeks to recover millions of dollars of Medicaid money obtained by these defendants as a result of their fraudulent conduct. While Kim Corrado has not been criminally charged, she is listed on state filings as the sole owner of Interline, and the civil complaint alleges that she, like the criminal defendants, reaped substantial financial benefits from the fraud.

Last week, the Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit also executed a search warrant at Interlines offices located at 148-39 Hillside Avenue in Queens.

Throughout this investigation, the Attorney Generals office has worked closely with the various city and state agencies. In particular, the Attorney General would like to thank the New York City Human Resources Administration and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services for their cooperation, partnership and valuable assistance throughout the investigation. In addition, the Attorney General thanks the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General for its assistance.

The investigation was led by Investigator Shavaun Clawson, with the support of Supervising Investigator Victor Maldonado; all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Kenneth Morgan. Financial audit support was provided by Audit Investigator Nicholas Thottam with the assistance of MFCU Principal Special Auditor Investigator Emmanuel Archer and MFCU Chief Auditor Thomasina Smith.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General David Arias and Konrad Payne with the assistance of NYC Regional Director Christopher M. Shaw. Thomas OHanlon is MFCUs Chief of Criminal InvestigationsDownstate. The civil case is being handled by Special Assistant Attorney Konrad Payne with the assistance of MFCU Civil Chief Carolyn Ellis. MFCU is led by Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney.
Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause

By Long Island News & PR Published: June 13 2017

The donation represents fifty percent of the sale from Newsday papers sold in McDonalds restaurants on Long Island.

2016's Newsday check presentation at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island (pictured above) was a big success; this year's stands to be an even bigger one.

New Hyde Park, NY - June 13, 2017 - Newsdays commitment to the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island continues to shine as they present a check for $19,787 representing proceeds from newspapers sold in select Long Island McDonalds restaurants in 2016.

On Wednesday, June 21st at 10:30 a.m.,Newsdays Co-Publishers Edward Bushey, and Debby Krenek will join Vice President of Public Affairs, Paul Fleishman, in presenting a check to Matt Campo, President of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. The check presentation will take place at the House located at 267-07 76th Avenue, New Hyde Park , N.Y. 11040. Ronald McDonald and some Long Island McDonalds owner and operators will be present as well.

"It's a privilege for Newsday to be able to partner with our local McDonald's restaurants to help raise much-needed funds which support the extraordinary work done by theRonald McDonald House of Long Island" says Paul Fleishman, Newsdays Vice President of Public Affairs.

We are extremely grateful to have this wonderful program in place with Newsday. Its a great feeling to know that Newsday donates 50% for every Newsday purchased at select Long Island McDonalds restaurants to Long Islands best kept secretthe Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. We thank Newsday for their continued support of this wonderful program which has tremendously helped further the mission of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Islandover the years says Luciana Montuoro, Long Island McDonalds Marketing & Public Relations Director.

In November 2001, the Board of Directors at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island embarked on a $5 million journey to more than double the size of the existing facility. The reason for this project was to help alleviate the pressures the resident managers faced when forced to turn away families in need. The new building, consisting of 24 additional bedrooms along with expanded community areas, has allowed the House to serve approximately one thousand families each year.

About the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island

Keeping families close in the midst of a medical crisis

The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island is the 100th House of over 350 Ronald McDonald House programs worldwide. Located in New Hyde Park on the campus of the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Childrens Medical Center of New York, the House accommodates families in a warm and supportive environment. Through a series of programs and services, families staying at RMH-LI are able to focus on their childs recovery.

Home-cooked meals prepared by volunteers, transportation to and from medical appointments, a comfortable place to stay just steps from their childs bedside and support from other families going through a similar experience allow parents to recharge for the challenges of the next day. For over 30 years, RMH-LI has served over 30,000 families in the United States and more than 80 countries around the world who are dealing with the pain of having a child undergoing medical treatment at nearby hospitals.
Local News, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: June 13 2017

North Shore professional office building serves local community with deep 50 year connection to surrounding area and its resident

Port Washington, NY - June 12, 2017 - Local residents have long been familiar with the large office building that serves as a visual centerpiece to Vanderventer Avenue within the very heart of Port Washington village; with its rustic brick facade complimented by an array of white columns stretching upward and surrounded by lush greenery, 14 Vanderventer Avenue is indeed a sight to behold.

Area resident, Talin Eshaghoff, is the owner and manager of 14 Vander LLC, the management company that runs the 14 Vanderventer Avenue property; she has been involved in the real estate field since she was fresh out of high school, initially starting in sales of co-ops and condos and eventually transitioning into property management. It was after her company acquired 14 Vanderventer that she soon became very aware of the deep connection the building had to the surrounding area and its inhabitants.



With its rustic brick facade complimented by an array of white columns stretching to the sky, Vanderventer Avenue is indeed a sight to behold. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

14 Vanderventer was built approximately 50 years ago, specifically as a professional office building that serves the local communitytenants who have been here for 50-plus years might be turning over now, and the new generation of Port Washington residents are now looking at this building, Eshaghoff said. Port Washington residents tend to be very loyal to Port Washingtonthey don't want to have to go out of town to have their professional needs met, and they don't want to have to go out of town to go to work...so we happen to have both residents and people serving residents coming here.



Talin Eshaghoff is the owner and manager of 14 Vander LLC. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

The 14 Vandeventer Avenue building is approximately 40,000 square feet in size, and resides on a parcel of land that is over an acre large. It features a large parking lot for tenants, and according to Eshaghoff, it also ranks amongst the nicest-looking professional buildings within the community. In addition, there's a bonus for business owners on the go - the property is situated only two blocks away from the Port Washington Railroad Station.



14 Vanderventer was built approximately 50 years ago specifically as a professional office building that services the local community. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

Our building serves the needs of both professionals and residents who need to pursue their affairs both here and, of course, in New York City. Thats the big benefit of being in Port Washington, because we're so close to Manhattan via a quick train ride, she said. This is a premier location in Port Washington, not only because of where it's situated, but for its the ample parking and the aesthetics of the building. We are a large office complex, with offices that range anywhere from 600 square feet for the small local professional, to about 4,000 square feet for the larger companies that have grown in this community.



14 Vanderventer Avenue features numerous warm, inviting hallways. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

The interesting thing about 14 Vandeventers tenants is that they cover a wide and diverse variety of professional services, such as lawyers, doctors, financial advisors, alternative medicine practitioners, and much more, Eshaghoff said.



14 Vandeventers tenants is that they cover a wide and diverse variety of professional services. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

They all cater to the professional side of our local residents needs. And what's great about the setup here is that we are often considered a mall of professional services, she said. So a local resident can come here to attend to their accounting needs, or visit their lawyer, all in one stop. This way local residents don't have to travel from one side of town to the other to do everything that they need to do.



Exposed stairways promote health and well-being inside your office environment. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

As manager of the property, Eshaghoff said, she tries to implement a synergy of sorts amongst the tenants; she noted that she wants them working together to help one another, which develops a win-win situation not only for the professionals that call 14 Vanderventer home, but for the community as a whole.



14 Vanderventer boasts a warm and comfortable environment, complete with beautiful landscaping for the building. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

If one tenant is a title service provider, and another is a real estate closer, they can work with one another to service the needs of their client-in-common, together, she said. It's sort of like a family of business community members, helping each other. And that's very much what Port Washington is- a big family, helping each other.



Offices range anywhere from 600 square feet for the small local professional, to about 4,000 square feet for the larger companies. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

Another aspect of 14 Vanderventer that Eshaghoff prides herself on is what she calls its homey appeal, noting that it's not a sterile, stuffy office building that tenants would practically feel imprisoned within whenever they go to work, like so many in the corporate ranks tend to feel these days.



14 Vanderventer Avenue ranks amongst the nicest-looking professional buildings within the community. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

"It's more of a warm and comfortable environmentwe have beautiful landscaping for the building, very warm hallways, and a large reception area, she said. We also have exposed staircases, which I think is one of the best aspects of our building. I personally believe in active living  not just spending an hour a day at the gym  and an exposed stairway promotes health and well-being inside your office environment.



The building features a full-service, state-of-the-art cosmetic dentist. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

In addition, a recent development at 14 Vanderventer Avenue only serves to create yet another enticement for a business looking for the ideal place to set up shop in their bid for success; Eshaghoff is introducing Executive Shared Suites to the property, which is an office-sharing concept that has been around for some time in the breakneck corporate world, but not so often found in smaller towns like Port Washington.



14 Vanderventer caters to the professional side of local residents needs. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

We found that one of the needs of our local community is a very nice office, but on a smaller scale. We've been able to create suites for different industries, whether it's therapy, finance, or many others...bringing people together in one suite, all involved in their own private business affairs, but in the company of other people in their industry, she said. We found that when people are around each other, they're more productive; when you're working from your house, it's not as rewarding. But when you are driving to your place of work, parking in your own spot, and opening the door of your own private office...as an entrepreneur, there is increased productivity there. And this is one of the ways that we want to help the local residents and businesses of Port Washington.



When it comes to furthering your business ideals and growing a company, there's no place better than 14 Vanderventer Avenue. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle

When it comes to furthering your business ideals, growing a company, and achieving your goals in life, theres no better place to take the first step  or to continue to evolve and expand  than the environment of 14 Vanderventer Avenue, an office complex that boasts the size, location, and atmosphere where any company or individual can reach for success- and seize firmly that success with both hands, Eshaghoff said.

14 Vanderventer is a wonderful place to work. It's warm and comforting, and clients love to come here, she said. We have something that meets everyone's needs, whether it's just a small room or small office just to get away from home once in a while, or if you're building a big empirethis is an address that you would love to have.
The Taliban continues to deny any and all involvement in the May 31 suicide truck bombing that killed more than 150 Afghans, primarily civilians, and wounded hundreds more. The Taliban has issued multiple statements disassociating itself with the attack, which has yet to be claimed by any group.

The Afghan jihadist group has now issued four separate statements on the Kabul blast, which took place on a street in the diplomatic quarter of the capital. Afghanistans National Directorate of Security has accused the Haqqani network, a faction of the Taliban led by Taliban deputy emir and military commander Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Two of the denials were released immediately after the attack. Then, on June 11, the Taliban issued an audiotape by Sirajuddin, who again denied involvement in the Kabul attack. Yesterday, the Taliban released another statement, entitled The Kabul Attack has nothing to do with Mujahideen, on its official website, Voice of Jihad.

The official statement released on Voice of Jihad is interesting, not because of the denial, but because the Taliban is now claiming it has no interest in attacking embassies. From The Kabul Attack has nothing to do with Mujahideen:

But, now it is clear to all that the Islamic Emirate focuses only on military targets and the said incident does not comply with the policy of the Islamic Emirate. Moreover, those embassies and organizations are also not the target of the Islamic Emirate which carry out civilian activities.

This could not be further from the truth. The Taliban has claimed credit for numerous suicide assaults on embassies and consulates, including the US embassy in May 2011, a guesthouse run by a US charity in March 2014, and the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in Nov. 2016. There are numerous other examples where the Taliban has claimed credit for attacking civilian targets, such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and mosques.

While the Taliban likely is disassociating itself from the Kabul attack because of the bad optics associated with a large number of civilian casualties, there is likely another reason. The Afghan government is threatening to execute 11 Taliban prisoners in the wake of the bombing, and one of those may be Sirajuddins brother, Anas Haqqani. Anas was detained in 2014 along with Qari Abdul Rasheed Omari, the Haqqani Networks military commander for southeastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban mentioned the planned executions in two of its officials statement denouncing the Kabul attack.

Full text of The Kabul Attack has nothing to do with Mujahideen:

A huge explosion in Kabul on 31 May last Wednesday which killed about one hundred countrymen and wounded more than 400 was a gruesome incident for the entire Afghan nation and the Islamic Emirate. The Islamic Emirate shares sorrow of its people in this moment of grief. As such, the Islamic Emirate strongly and immediately condemned the incident through its spokesperson and rejected all kind of involvement in it. The Islamic Emirate also clarified to its people and the world that the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate has no permission to carry out such huge explosions in any ill-defined place. Similarly, the Islamic Emirate condemns every explosion and attack carried out on civilians and causes harm to civilians while it has no legitimate target. But, despite denial by the Islamic Emirate, the security officials of the Kabul Administration immediately began to level accusations against the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate (Mujahideen of the esteemed Haqani) in order to conceal their failures or perhaps to conceal the real objectives and perpetrators behind this incident and thus obtain their intended wicked objectives.

But, now it is clear to all that the Islamic Emirate focuses only on military targets and the said incident does not comply with the policy of the Islamic Emirate. Moreover, those embassies and organizations are also not the target of the Islamic Emirate which carry out civilian activities.

Unfortunately, the official of the Kabul Administration did not stop here but announced to execute 11 of oppressed prisoners who had no link to this incident. It shows that these reckless and imprudent officials want to further complicate the issue of Afghanistan, instead of thinking over the real factors of the current war in Afghanistan and trying to find solution to cessation of the current crises in the country. Contrarily, they intentionally want to flare up the flames of war by resorting to such intelligence ploys in a hope that they would create gap between the Islamic Emirate and the people by leveling such allegation. They also intend to obtain sympathy and support of the countries of the world, so that they will say there is need for foreign troops surge in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate wants to remind the officials in Kabul not to throw dusts in the eyes of the people and the world, nor pave the way for continuation of fighting to ensure prolongation of your rule. The Afghan nation could not be deceived by your intelligence propagandas or ploys anymore. The Islamic Emirate wants to assure the people on its part that the Kabul attack and other similar attacks are not the work of the Mujahideen and strongly condemn them.

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.
Tunisia has called on Arab and Gulf countries to adopt dialogue in order to bridge differences and avoid all forms of escalation in relation to the regional rift with Qatar, Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said on Tuesday in a statement.

The minister statement came following two separate meetings; one with ambassadors representing Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and another one with Qatar's representative.

Last week, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Yemen and the eastern-based government of Libya cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, saying that Doha supports terrorist organisations and interferes in the internal affairs of other countries in the region.

During the two meetings, Jhinaoui reiterated that Tunisia is deeply concerned about the relations between the Arab Gulf states, taking into account the bonds of fraternity that bind the countries and peoples of the region.

Tunisia has strong relations with all the Arab countries without any exception, he added, saying that Tunis has confidence in Arab Gulf countries ability to overcome differences, no matter how severe, to ensure unity and to safeguard the values of Arab solidarity.



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The US government has designated two Islamic State figures involved in the groups chemical weapons program. Both of the men have helped produce chemical-laced explosives, likely using sulfur mustard, in Iraq.

The first of the two, Attallah Salman Abd Kafi al-Jaburi, is a 44-year-old Iraqi who was designated by the Treasury Department. He is described as the chemical weapons and explosives manager in Iraqs Kirkuk Province as of mid-2016.

Treasury explains that al-Jaburi first joined al Qaeda in 2003 and he received his knowledge and expertise in developing and fabricating IEDs beginning around that time. Although the designation page doesnt specify which part of al Qaeda he joined, it is likely that al-Jaburi first became a member of the predecessor to al Qaeda in Iraq and stayed with the organization as it evolved into Abu Bakr al Baghdadis so-called caliphate. At some point, he supplemented his early training with expertise in chemical weapons, which he acquired while stationed in Syria.

Al-Jaburi returned to Iraq in 2015 and quickly got to work, according to Treasury. While posted in Kirkuk in Jan. 2016, al-Jaburi worked on a chemical weapons project that would be used against Peshmerga fighters. The Kurdish Peshmerga have been engaged in heavy fighting against the jihadists in northern Iraq for years.

Treasury says Al-Jaburi was also part of an Islamic State group that ran a factory for manufacturing IEDs, mines, and up-armored VBIEDs in Hawijah, Iraq. By late 2016, he was a senior leader in charge of an ISIS IED and explosives factory, in addition to a technical workshop located in a hospital in the Hawijah District of Kirkuk Province. The jihadists developed rockets at the facility, in addition to other munitions.

Separately, the State Department designated Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi, describing him as an Iraqi ISIS leader connected to ISISs development of chemical weapons for use in ongoing combat against Iraqi Security Forces.

Foggy Bottom notes that ISIS has repeatedly used sulfur mustard in chemical weapons attacks in Syria as well as in Iraq.

Indeed, there have been multiple reports indicating that the Islamic State has used a mustard agent in its operations.

Colonel John Dorrian, who was the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, was asked about such attacks during a press briefing in April. As far as the types of materials that the enemy used they have low grade capabilitiesrepresentative of chlorine and mustard agent, Dorrian explained. Sometimes I see that reported as mustard gas, thats not correct. Its mustard agent.

Dorrian explained that the agent is dispersed into a very small area whenever these munitions go off and they are not especially effective about anything except creating a public narrative. While they are not as effective even as explosive roundsthey do get some attention.

Nevertheless, the US military has also repeatedly highlighted the Islamic States use of low-grade chemical weapons.

In July 2016, for instance, the Defense Department announced the killing of Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, who served as the Islamic States deputy minister of war. Al-Bajari originally joined al Qaeda (again, perhaps meaning al Qaeda in Iraq) and then rose through the ranks of Abu Bakr al Baghdadis enterprise. He oversaw the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul and also led the Islamic States Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion, which was known for using vehicle-borne IEDs, suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks.

In December, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, an Islamic State leader, was killed by a coalition airstrike near Tabqa Dam, Syria. Abu Jandal had been a member of the groups war committee and also helped retake Palmyra, Syria from Bashar al Assads forces. He was then redeployed to Tabqa, which fell to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) earlier this year. Abu Jandal was involved in the use of suicide vehicles, IEDs and chemical weapons against the SDF, CENTCOM stated.

For more on the US military targeting the Islamic States chemical weapons program, see FDDs Long War Journal report: US military hits another Islamic State chemical weapons facility in Iraq.

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.
Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will meet on Wednesday with Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi to discuss boosting cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

The talks, which will be held at Egypts Foreign Ministry headquarters, will tackle developments in Iraq and Egypt's efforts in combating terrorism, state news agency MENA reported.

The two officials will discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, and will hold a joint press conference after the talks.

In April, the two countries signed an agreement where Iraq will sell Egypt 12 million barrels of oil over the course of one year.

Over the past few years, Egypt and Iraq have been enhancing political, economic and security relations.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Masum on the sidelines of the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Riyadh in late May.

The meeting between the two presidents was the third since 2015.

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The United Nations on Monday defended the UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians, after Israel's prime minister called for it to be shut down.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is concerned about recent public criticism of UNRWA and the integrity of its operations," spokesman Farhan Haq said, referring to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East.

"He wishes to express his support for UNRWA and his admiration for the role it plays in delivering essential services and protecting the rights of millions of Palestine refugees across the Middle East."

Guterres also "calls on all member states to continue their support to the agency in order for UNRWA to be in a position to fulfill impartially and efficiently its essential role," Haq added.

His remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for UNRWA to be dismantled on Sunday, accusing it of incitement against the Jewish state.

Netanyahu said he raised the issue during a recent visit by Washington's UN envoy Nicky Haley, who has accused the United Nations of bias against Israel.

"I told her that the time had come for the United Nations to reconsider the continued existence of UNRWA," Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying.

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Jackson Owens follows up his hit single Cant Make It Right, with a new track from his debut EP, For The Better
Washington : A US appeals court today upheld a decision blocking Donald Trumps revised executive order imposing a travel ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority nations, in yet another blow for the president who has claimed the step is necessary to prevent possible terrorist attacks. The three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled against the revised travel ban. The court said the executive order signed by Trump "exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress" to oversee immigration. "Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," it said. But it also said the US government was within its right to review the vetting process for people entering the country.

The development posed another big challenge for Trump, who is trying to fulfil one of his most controversial campaign promises of preventing people who could potentially do harm to the US from entering the country. Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has struggled to deliver on the promise, describing which he has called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the US". His administration believes at this time it is difficult to verify people entering the United States from the six countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. But Trumps critics, who have approached various courts, believe his executive order is targeted against a particular religion. The administration has opposed all such allegations. Following the recent terrorist attacks in London, Trump had urged strong vetting process for people entering the US.

The US - under President Trump - has already taken several other steps like asking for the social media profile and account along with past cell phone numbers, if necessary, for those applying for visas to the US. The White House has previously vowed to challenge these court orders. It believes the president has the constitutional authority to decide who all can enter the country. Trump first signed the executive order in late January. After the order was blocked in a federal court, his administration came up with a revised version to better stand up to the legal scrutiny. That effort too seems to have not been enough. In May, the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, upheld a Maryland judges ruling that also blocked parts of Trumps revised travel ban. PTI
A Tunisian court Monday sentenced to one month in prison a man who smoked a cigarette in public during the Muslim dawn-to-dusk holy fasting month of Ramadan, a spokesman said.

The man was seen smoking outside the Bizerte courthouse by a judiciary official who informed the police before they arrested him and referred him to the prosecution, the spokesman Chokri Lahmar told AFP.

He said the man had 10 days to appeal before the sentence takes effect.

On June 1 four men were sentenced to one-month jail terms for eating in public during Ramadan.

There is no law against eating or drinking in public during Ramadan, but every year the issue comes to the fore in the North African country.

Tunisia's constitution guarantees "freedom of belief and conscience", but the state is also the "guardian of religion".

Monday's ruling came a day after dozens of Tunisians demonstrated in the capital Tunis to demand the right to eat and drink in public during the Muslim fasting month.

During Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn they have a second opportunity to eat and drink during suhur.

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Washington: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first meeting would set forth a vision to expand the US-India ties in an ambitious manner and discuss ways to advance common goals like fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-

Pacific region. The leaders of the world's two largest democracies with a combined population of 1.6 billion will meet on June 26 at the White House to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues, including India's concerns over possible changes in H1B visa rules. "I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

He cited "fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region" as shared priorities. The Indo-Pacific region includes the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple disputes over islands. "President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said. PTI
Original & Mineral (O&M) has given hair care fanatics plenty to love. In fact, its no secret that we at Marie France Asia have fallen head over heels for their amazing argan oil- and macadamia oil-infused Seven Day Miracle Moisture Masque and their popular Hydrate & Conquer shampoo and conditioner duo. We recently met with founder of O&M, Jose Bryce Smith, while she was in town to promote her brand.

The lovely 42-year-old mother of two spoke to us about her life as a jetsetting entrepreneur. She shared with us her secrets on how she juggles her work life with her family life, and how she manages to find time for herself in between!

Marie France Asia: Give us a brief insight into O&M. How did this journey begin for you?

Jose: I started the company 10 years ago. My partner and I had a hair salon  he was a hairdresser and I looked after the marketing and PR, and I also ran the salon. He had very bad contact dermatitis, and he couldnt use ammonia-based hair colour. So we found an ammonia-free hair colour, and this was 10 years ago, when there were no ammonia-free alternatives on the market. We became Sydneys first organic salon. The business grew very quickly once word started to get around. Other salons would call us and say can we get this colour?. Very quickly, we realised that we needed a hair care range to go with it  shampoos, conditioners, treatments  and I thought glamorous women also want natural, low-chemical products. I wanted something that would look like a fashion brand, so the whole philosophy of O&M is that it bridges the gap between natural and luxury.

MFA: Back in the days, people werent quite so concerned about how organic a product was, or how natural the ingredients they put on themselves were. But nowadays, its gotten really big. Why is that?

J: People have started to ask themselves, If I can get my hair in great condition without having the smell and the fumes, and without using so many chemicals, then why wouldnt I?. I think that its definitely a huge trend  people are concerned about their health, and concerned with living longer. And that ranges from what they eat to what they put on their skin. Its not that natural products are so high-priced that it makes them unaffordable.

MFA: Tell us a bit more about the Frizzy Logic products.

J: Frizzy Logic represents part of our smoothing range. Its always been a hero product for us in Singapore because it combats the humidity  its essentially a smoothening serum, the star ingredients being almond and macadamia oil. What weve brought here is a bigger sized version of this serum and a spray version. The spray version is perfect for using just before heading out the door, and to control fly-aways.

MFA: Youve got two kids, aged 10 and 5. With all the travelling in your line of work, how does this impact on your personal life and your family life?

J: I think for anyone running their own business, work-life balance is always quite a difficult one. Realistically, you do work a lot more hours. In terms of the travel, my children are fairly used to it. I try to make the trips as short as possible, and I try and cram as much in as I can, and I try to travel whilst theyre at school rather than during their school holidays so that I can spend more time with them. We FaceTime as well  the technology helps so much  and I just try and make it special for them when I am there.

MFA: What is the best thing about your job?

J: I actually think its the people that you get to meet and places you get to go. I try to buy something small for my house from every country Ive been to. And when people love what you do, its really rewarding and you feel like youre doing something right. I get to meet lots of interesting people  hairdressers are actually quite a crazy bunch!

MFA: What is the biggest challenge  as a working mother, and as a working professional?

J: Really, its trying to find time for yourself and trying to control the anxiety. Its about recognising oh, Im overwhelmed now so  one way that I look at it is I say to myself Im trying to eat an elephant, so just do it one bite at a time. The best thing to do is not try to think too big. Its really important to find time for yourself to try and wind down. Exercise is really good for releasing anxiety  sometimes Id take myself down to the beach and put my feet in the sand and just come back down to earth.

MFA: Any hobbies?

J: Im into yoga and pilates, and fitness in general. And I also love hanging out with my friends. I live really close to the beach, so its great to go down there. Spending time in good company always helps me unwind. I keep it pretty low-key when Im not working. But yes, health and fitness are what I like to concentrate on.

MFA: Any advice youd like to give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

J: I do get approached by other female entrepreneurs who are just starting out and theyd ask me how did you do it?  I like to tell them to ask themselves what the core of their brand is, what the philosophy of the brand is. And then to work out where its going to live, and then work out a strategy and take it one step at a time.

MFA: Whats next for O&M?

J: We are bringing out a whole new colour range that goes out to salons, coming out in the middle of the year. In terms of the products, were going to be bringing out a volumising dry shampoo. Further in the future, Im very interested in hair regrowth  because Ive got fine hair, Im always trying to make it thicker, so Im working on this.

Explore the O&M range in Sephora stores and on Sephora.sg today.

Angela Goh

Photos: O&M

Read more:

Hair Care: 10 Golden rules for an out of the salon look

Luscious Locks: 10 Essential hair care tips for healthy hair growth

Stay Vibrant: 10 Foolproof tips to take care of your dyed hair
A state-owned newspaper in the United Arab Emirates is saying that a fake website attempted to impersonate it and publish fake comments attributed to Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince.

Al-Ittihad newspaper's editor-in-chief Mohammed al-Hammadi told The National newspaper of Abu Dhabi in an article published on Tuesday that the fake comments had Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan disparaging Kuwait and Oman for having "double standards."

Kuwait has tried to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and other Arab nations over Doha's alleged support of Islamists and its ties to Iran. Oman has stayed out of the conflict.

Officials in Doha say an alleged hack of the state-run Qatar News Agency in late May saw controversial comments attributed to its ruling emir published. That helped spark the crisis, which began June 5 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

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MARTINSVILLE  Local elections officials hope that todays statewide primary to narrow the field of gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidates draws more people to the polls than they expect.

Monday afternoon, Henry County Registrar Elizabeth Stone, Martinsville Registrar Cindy Barbour and Patrick County Registrar Susan Taylor all indicated they think turnout will be low based on low numbers in similar previous primaries as well as low numbers of absentee ballots cast before the deadline.

Single-digit percentage turnouts are not uncommon for primaries, in which actual party candidates for fall elections are decided. For example, turnout in Martinsville during a 2013 primary in which only candidates for state offices were being decided was 5.2 percent, according to Barbour, whereas turnout in the city for last Novembers presidential election was 66 percent.

But its hard to say what turnout actually will be, Taylor said. Although it seems that voter interest in todays primary is low locally based on absentee ballots, she knows of localities elsewhere in the state where higher absentee figures have been reported.

We always want good turnout, Barbour said, because registrars want to see people exercise their right to vote.

Separate ballots will be used for the Democratic and Republican races today.

On the Democratic ballot are candidates Ralph S. Northam and Tom S. Perriello for governor and Justin E. Fairfax, Gene J. Rossi and Susan S. Platt for lieutenant governor.

The Republican ballot includes candidates Edward W. Ed Gillespie, Corey A. Stewart and Frank W. Wagner for governor and Bryce E. Reeves, Glenn R. Davis Jr. and Jill H. Vogel for lieutenant governor.

Whoever is elected from each party in each category will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 7 general election, when the actual races will be decided. On ballots in todays primary, voters will be able to select one name in each category. State law forbids write-in votes in primaries.

Because voters can vote only for candidates in one political party in a primary, they must tell precinct workers whether they want a Democratic or Republican ballot.

Unaffiliated voters must choose one of the partys ballots. Doing so does not mean they are declaring an affiliation with either party, according to Stone.

To prevent fraudulent votes, state law now requires voters to show poll workers an identification card with photos of themselves. A current Virginia-issued drivers license is the most convenient type, Stone said. However, other acceptable types of identification include a United States passport, a photo ID card issued by an employer, a state-issued voter ID card with a photo and student ID cards issued by a school, college or university in Virginia.

Voting precincts will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Anyone in line when 7 p.m. arrives will be allowed to vote.

Voters must visit the precincts to which they have been assigned.

Here is a list of area voting precincts. Registered voters must cast their ballots in todays primary election at the precinct assigned to them by their local voter registrars offices.

Precinct 1  the former Martinsville city housing program office, 605 Fourth St.

Precinct 2  Martinsville Middle School, 30 Cleveland Ave.

Precinct 3  Virginia Museum of Natural History, 21 Starling Ave.

Precinct 4  Martinsville High School, 351 Commonwealth Boulevard

Precinct 5  Martinsville City Schools administrative offices, 746 Indian Trail

Precinct 6  Albert Harris Elementary School, 710 Smith St.

Blackberry District:

Precinct 101 (Bassett No. 2)  Bassett Rescue Squad Training Center, 1946 Riverside Drive, Bassett

Precinct 102 (Gunville)  Bassett Ruritan Building, 277 Philpott Dam Road, Bassett

Precinct 103 (Scotts Tanyard)  Sanville Elementary School, 19 Sanville School Road, Bassett

Horsepasture District:

Precinct 201 (Fieldale)  Rangeley Ruritan Building, 134 Calloway Drive, Fieldale

Precinct 202 (Horsepasture No. 1)  Horsepasture Fire Station Recreational Building, 17787 A.L. Philpott Highway, Ridgeway

Precinct 203 (Horsepasture No. 2)  Horsepasture Ruritan Building, 16209 A.L. Philpott Highway, Martinsville

Precinct 204 (Spencer)  Spencer Ruritan Building (Lower Level), 150 George Taylor Road, Spencer

Iriswood District:

@ Precinct 303 (Irisburg)  Freedom Baptist Church Childrens Social Hall, 790 Irisburg Road, Axton

Precinct 302 (Axton)  Axton Elementary School, 1500 A.L. Philpott Highway, Axton

@ Precinct 304 (Mt. Olivet)  Mt. Olivet Ruritan Building, 400 Ward Road, Martinsville

@ Precinct 305 (Mountain Valley)  Mountain Valley Leatherwood Club (MVL Club), 2485 North Fork Road, Martinsville

Collinsville District:

Precinct 401 (Collinsville No. 1)  Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School (Entrance B, left side), 645 Miles Road, Collinsville

Precinct 402 (Daniels Creek)  Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School (Entrance A, auditorium), 645 Miles Road, Collinsville

Precinct 404 (Collinsville No. 2)  Collinsville Primary School, 15 Primary School Road, Collinsville

Precinct 405 (Mountain View)  VFW Building, 2327 Old Chatham Road, Martinsville

Reed Creek District:

Precinct 501 (Bassett No. 1)  Bassett Fire Station, 3735 Fairystone Park Highway, Bassett

Precinct 502 (Figsboro)  Figsboro School, 340 Ridgedale Drive, Martinsville

Precinct 503 (Stanleytown)  Stanleytown Elementary School, 74 Edgewood Drive, Stanleytown

Precinct 504 (Oak Level)  Oak Level Ruritan Building, 7668 Oak Level Road, Bassett

Precinct 505 (Dyers Store)  Dyers Store Fire Department, 3230 Chatham Road, Martinsville

Ridgeway District:

Precinct 601 (Fontaine)  Rich Acres Elementary School, 400 Rich Acres School Road, Martinsville

Precinct 602 (Hillcrest)  Rich Acres Fire Station, 1766 Joseph Martin Highway, Martinsville

Precinct 603 (Ridgeway No. 1)  Blue Ridge Public Library Ridgeway Branch, 900 Vista View Lane, Ridgeway

Precinct 604 (Ridgeway No. 2)  Ridgeway Baptist Church Social Hall, 15 Church St., Ridgeway

Dan River District:

Ararat  Ararat Ruritan Building, 4711 Ararat Highway

Claudville  Claudville Community Building, 1828 Red Bank School Road

Willis Gap  Willis Gap Community Center, 144 The Hollow Road

Peters Creek District:

Dry Pond  Peters Creek Community Building, 2130 Dry Pond Highway

Patrick Springs  Patrick Springs Fire Station, 181 Spring Road

Russell Creek  Russell Creek Community Building, 1808 Ayers Orchard Road

Mayo River District:

Critz/Stella  Hardin Reynolds Elementary School, 3597 Dogwood Road

Liberty  Patrick Henry Fire Department, 3125 County Line Road

Blue Ridge District:

Meadows of Dan  Meadows of Dan Community Building, 2858 JEB Stuart Highway

Stuart Administration  Patrick County Veterans Memorial Building, 106 Rucker St (Third Floor Board Room)

Smith River District:

Stuart Community  Stuart Community Center (Patrick Henry Community College Patrick County Site), 212 Johnson St.

Elamsville  Fairystone Fire Station, 6687 Fairystone Park Highway

Woolwine  Smith River Rescue Squad Building, 9962 Woolwine Highway
GREENFIELD --Unionized nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield plan a one-day strike Monday, June 26, according to a news release issued Tuesday afternoon by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The union is required to give at least a 10-day notice.

The MNA said it is open to bargaining prior to the strike date.

If the nurses strike, the strike would begin at 6 a.m. on June 26 and continue for 24 hours, with the nurses prepared to re-enter the hospital at 6 a.m. the following morning.

About 200 nurses at the 90-bed hospital have been working without a contract since December.

Baystate Franklin will remain open during the strike, according to a news release from Baystate and Baystate Franklin has contracted with a professional staffing agency to provide replacement nurses for multiple days.

"Our priority is the welfare and safety of patients, and we will continue providing safe, quality, uninterrupted care to our community as we have for decades," said Cindy Russo, Baystate Franklin's President in the prepared statement.

In 2014, both the nurses and the hospital averted a planned one-day strike by reaching a contract after state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, and state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, intervened to bring the sides together.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said Tuesday that it issued the strike notice following fruitless negotiations Monday. All told there have been more than 20 bargaining sessions.

Nurses passed a strike authorization vote in March 2017.

Nurses say they want more nurses on staff and they complain that Baystate has imposed a 26 percent hike in health insurance costs, and wants to claw back earned time in the form of sick days, holidays and vacation.

"Management has been refusing to bargain over health insurance since the outset of the negotiations," the nurses news release said.

Baystate says that including specific staffing requirements in the contract would be unworkable because there would be no flexibility. The hospital is staffed properly, they say.

Baystate has said that average base pay for registered nurses at Baystate Franklin is $40.88 per hour.

The MNA is also negotiating with Baystate for contract for about 130 of its members working at Baystate Noble in Westfield.

This is a developing story which will be updated.
SPENCER -- Nestled amid 2,000 acres of former dairy farmland in central Massachusetts lies the only Trappist brewery outside of Europe.

The 55 Trappist brothers of the Order of Cistercian of the Strict Observance have been brewing and distributing beer from Spencer Brewery since 2014.

The state-of-the-art German-made brew system and adjacent packaging center is located on the grounds of St. Joseph's Abbey off Route 31. The contemplative order does not offer brewery tours, though it will welcome the public to its grounds on June 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for an open house with samplings and beer sales.

It is one of only 11 Trappist breweries in the world, so its existence may catch some by surprise.

"I am happy to be doing this," said Father Isaac T. Keeley, a monk of 39 years and director of the Spencer Brewery. "But I did not plan on doing this at this point in my monastic life."

Walking from the brew house to the malt handling room, Keeley added, "To be honest, I wasn't a beer drinker until I got involved in this project."

For more than 60 years, the monks have cooked and packed jams and jellies at the monastery under the Trappist Preserves label. However, it became obvious nearly a decade ago that a new revenue stream was necessary to carry the order and its charitable works into the 21st century, Keeley said.

A proposed wind turbine farm was vetoed by the Federal Aviation Administration because of the proximity to Worcester Regional Airport and expansion of Trappist Preserves was dismissed by an abbey advisory board.

A monk who had first become interested in brewing as a student at Holy Cross initiated the brewery concept, Keeley said. The suggestion was followed by two years of data gathering and visits to the famed Trappist breweries in Belgium.

In the end, the Spencer monks voted overwhelming to take out small business loans and open a brewery. They hope it will fully support the abbey and its works in the coming years.

"It's compatible with monastic life. There is a quiet and contemplative side," said Keeley as he looked up at a silo full of grain. "We see this as our industry for this century."

Spencer Brewery's logo features the church bell tower. The label font was derived from the calligraphy inscribed upon the limestone end panels of the high altar of the abbey church, which was created by Brother David Holly.

The water used to make the beer comes from an aquifer below the abbey.

While the water is local, the beer bottles are not. Unlike commercial breweries that add CO2 for carbonation, Spencer beers are fermented a second time after bottling. A heavier, more expensive glass bottle is necessary and is imported from Europe.

With just four lay workers, the heavily automated brewery is staffed mostly by Trappist monks.

The brewery, which can produce up to 10,000 barrels of beer a year, yielded 4,000 barrels in 2016. (A barrel contains 31 gallons of beer).

About 40 percent of Spencer Brewery's beer was exported to Europe.

The monks hopes to produce between 5,000 and 6,000 barrels of beer this year.

Spencer Brewery gained a wider audience last fall when its beers were featured at New England's largest state fair, The Big E in West Springfield, thanks to abbey supporter Eugene J. Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition. A return visit is planned to the 17-day fair in September.

This month, the monks introduced their seventh beer, Spencer Monks Reserve Ale, a strong, dark Quadrupel made in the Belgian tradition and 10.2 percent alcohol by volume. "It's part of a unique little family of beers," Keeley said.

Beer lovers will be happy to know the monks enjoy the fruit of their labors once a week with Sunday dinner.

Keeley is well aware of the responsibility of running the only Trappist brewery outside Europe and ponders issues like the balance between malt, hops and yeast. He does not embrace fads and trends such as the incredibly hoppy beers on the market right now.

"We don't produce hop juice, we produce beer," he said with a smile.

Above all, one thing truly matters, Keeley said.

"The bottom line for brewer monks is that it has to be delicious."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss the dispute between Qatar and other Arab states in coming days, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

Speaking in the parliament ahead of Erdogan's speech to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, Cavusoglu said the two leaders would hold a phone call to discuss the issue.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar last week, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their arch-adversary Iran - allegations Qatar says are baseless.

Erdogan has vowed to keep supporting Qatar and said the dispute should be resolved before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

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SPRINGFIELD - African American men have the highest death rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, one that is 2.4 times higher than in Caucasian men,

It is further estimated by the American Cancer Society that 1 in 6 African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 8 Caucasian men.

It is to address issues of risk and awareness around the disease in African American men, the importance of screening and early detection, treatment options and managing their side effects, as well as overall support for prostate cancer survivors that a symposium is being held June 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Alden Baptist Church, 649 State St.

The Fifth Annual Prostate Health Education Symposium is being presented by the Prostate Health Education Network, a nonprofit advocacy and education group founded, in 2003, by Boston area businessman Thomas A. Farrington.

Farrington became aware of the higher rates for this cancer among African Americans as an African American and prostate cancer survivor.

The free symposium includes gospel music and a prayer breakfast, and is being presented locally in partnership with the church, the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and Richard Allen Lodge #30, and Sumner Lodge #5.

Prostate cancer is a cancer in that part of the male reproductive system involved with the creation of semen. It can be a slow growing disease that many not require treatment, but it can also be an aggressive, fast-growing cancer that does. Risk for the disease increases with age, and symptoms differ.

Late stage diagnosis, genetic differences and socioeconomic barriers to health care can contribute to disparities in cancer survival rates among populations.

In 2012, the death rate for all cancers combined was 24 percent higher in African American men and 14 percent higher in African American women than in Caucasian men and women, respectively, according to the ACS.

African Americans and other racial/ethnic minorities are also under-represented in clinical trials that help develop new therapies for cancer. Some studies have suggested that tumor biology might make prostate cancers in African American more aggressive or difficult to treat.

The two tests for it are a digital rectal exam to check for abnormalities and a blood test to check for a substance made by the prostate.

"Thank heaven for enlightened church partners like Alden Baptist who are willing to step-up and help us educate men and their families about their prostate cancer risk, treatment and support strategies, so they can lead long and healthy lives," said the network's Farrington in a release about the event.

Farrington has led monthly support groups for prostate cancer survivors at Boston's Dana-Farber Institute where he is a trustee.

The ACS estimated that some 29,530 African American men would be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016, accounting for some 31 percent of all cancers in this population.

It is the second leading cause of cancer death in African American men, who, along with Jamaican men, have the highest incidences of prostate cancer worldwide, according to the ACS.

Age, race, family history have been established as risk factors for the disease with men who have a father or brother, with the disease, two or three times more likely to be diagnosed with it than men without a family history, according to the ACS.

Some inroads have been made to decrease prostate cancer death rates in African American men, and in general, in recent years. These include improved surgical and radiation treatments, use of hormonal therapy for advanced-stage disease and early detection with PSA testing, according to the ACS.

Some 88 percent of all prostate cancers among African American men are diagnosed at a local or regional stage, making the five-year-survival rate for them close to 100 percent.

However, according to the ACS, early detection is key as the five-year-survival rate drops to 28 percent for African American men when the cancer is diagnosed at a stage that has spread to distant organs and/or distant lymph nodes.

Farrington's network advocates that African American men have the prostate-specific

antigen (PSA) blood test for the detection of prostate cancer, and digital rectal exams at 40, regardless of differing guidelines, because of increased risk.

Anyone planning to attend the June 24 symposium is encouraged to register on the network's website.
SPRINGFIELD - Five women, three of whom will serve in the Pioneer Valley, were ordained deacons by the Right Rev. Douglas Fisher, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, during a ceremony attended by more than 300 people June 10 at Christ Church Cathedral.

The Rev. Patricia O'Connell, of Wilbraham, has been assigned to the Episcopal Church of the Atonement, in Westfield, and the Rev. Linda Taupier, of East Longmeadow, to the cathedral, both serving in the capacity of deacons as a permanent vocation.

The Rev. Victoria Ix, of Florence, who is communications director for the diocese, was ordained a transitional deacon, a step toward priesthood, and will serve at Grace Episcopal Church, in Amherst.

Fisher called the all-female ordination "not unusual" in his denomination, but a reflection of the fact that, in recent years, "the diaconate has undergone a great renewal in the Episcopal Church." He said demand for the new deacons, who join seven active vocational ones in the diocese, has been high.

"Twenty of our fifty-five congregations requested a deacon from this ordination class," Fisher said.



"A deacon brings the needs, concerns and hopes of the world to the church, and then helps the church to meet those needs and fulfill those hopes."

While he said the "deacon has a distinct liturgical role" in the Episcopal Church, he said the "main role is serving God's people in the world - helping the poor, giving voice to the marginalized."

"It is my hope that these new deacons engage in social justice. Feed the poor but also ask why there are so many in our society lacking food, education, health care and paths out of poverty," Fisher said.

Also ordained deacons June 10 were the Rev. Elizabeth Washburn, of Hopedale, who will serve at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Westborough, and the Rev. Julie Butcher, of Whitinsville, who has been assigned to Walking Together, a ministry to residents of Southeast Worcester.

The four vocational deacons are the first graduates of a two-year formation program of the Episcopal Province of New England. The program is divided into two month-long courses that include online lectures and conversations followed by a quarterly weekend retreat.

In the Episcopal Church, men and women may be ordained as deacons, priests or bishops, the three ordained orders in the Church, and celibacy is not required.

The ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate was approved by the Church's General Convention in 1976. A 1967 General Convention resolution opened the diaconate to women.

Deacons serve at the direction of bishops who also assign their ministries.

According to the website of the Westborough-based Association of Episcopal Deacons, there are some 3,000 Episcopal deacons in the United States.
SPRINGFIELD - A hearing slated to determine whether a Russell man whose bomb threats triggered emergency responses in two communities last month is too dangerous to be released was postponed Monday.

The prosecutor and defense lawyer agreed to a status conference on the case Wednesday to set the date of the hearing for Robert S. Decoteau III, 30.

Decoteau has denied five counts of possessing explosives and two counts of making bomb threats.

Benjamin Farrell, appointed by the court to represent Decoteau for the dangerousness hearing, told Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page he has sought clarification whether or not the $5,000 his client gets in benefits each month prohibits free representation.

He said the benefits are from federal Social Security disability and from the military.

Farrell said he would like the Probation Department to do a more in-depth interview about Decoteau's finances, looking at expenses. He said it could be determined that Decoteau is indigent despite the benefits or if he can be declared indigent and contribute to his legal representation.

The arraignment came five weeks after Decoteau led police on a high-speed chase down Route 5, one of the busiest roadways in the area, while reportedly waving pipe bombs out the window of his truck.

Following his arrest, Decoteau was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine if he was competent to stand trial. On May 27, he returned to Springfield District Court for arraignment after being found competent for trial.

A grand jury subsequently indicted Decoteau, transferring the case to Hampden Superior Court.

Farrell said his understanding is that Decoteau got a traumatic brain injury while deployed in the military but it was not a combat injury.

Farrell said one reason for the postponement of the hearing is that he is trying to see if an appropriate placement can be found for Decoteau at the Veterans Administration facility in Leeds.

Page asked if a person could be housed at that facility and still be monitored by GPS.

A neck brace was the only visible sign of a self-inflicted injury suffered by Decoteau on May 2 while in a district court holding cell.

Court officers heard a loud noise from the holding cell and found Decoteau lying face down on the floor, officials said.

The nature and circumstances of the injury were not disclosed, but Decoteau was transported by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center for treatment.
The body of an unidentified man was found in the Spicket River in Lawrence, Massachusetts on Monday.

The man was pulled from the river shortly before 9 p.m. Monday by the Lawrence Fire Department, the Eagle Tribune reports.

Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokeswoman for the Essex District Attorney's Office, told the Tribune that foul play is not suspected.

The body was taken to the offices of the Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner. He has yet to be identified.

The Spicket Riber runs 17.7 miles from Derry, New Hampshire to the Merrimack River in Massachusetts.
SPRINGFIELD -- Robert Honsch was a "monster" who had "some kind of hatred for women," the daughter of a woman slain in 1995 said at a sentencing hearing Monday.

The statement came after a Hampden Superior Court jury found Honsch, 73, guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Marcia Honsch. Jurors took more than two days to reach a verdict in the trial before Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney.

Sheila Honsch Maloney, the oldest of Marcia Honsch's living daughters, gave a victim impact statement on behalf of the family as Robert Honsch was sentenced to the mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Maloney said as soon as Marcia Honsch's daughters turned 16, they had to move out -- a sign of Robert Honsch's "hatred for women," she said.

"He used to hit my mother often and even choked my little sister on the bathroom floor when she was only 13 years old," Maloney said. "These small examples are nothing compared to the full extent of the torture and evil my mother and we four little girls suffered year after year."

Marcia Honsch's body was found in Tolland State Forest in October 1995. She was 53.

Robert Honsch is also a suspect in the killing of his daughter, 16-year-old Elizabeth Honsch, whose body was found behind a shopping plaza in New Britain, Connecticut in late September 1995.

Both Marcia and Elizabeth were shot in the head.

Robert was arrested in July 2014 in Dalton, Ohio, where investigators said he was living under an assumed name with a new wife and three children. Both women's deaths were cold cases until that year, when the two women found dead in 1995 were identified as Robert Honsch's wife and daughter.

Maloney called Rober Honsch "a pathological liar, probably a sociopath," and said the "seemingly mild-mannered old man is a monster with no feelings" whose actions altered the lives of more than 50 people in her family alone.

"Your honor, for the love of God, I respectfully ask that this court put a stop to this madman and make it impossible for Robert Honsch to ever destroy the future of anyone ever again," she said.

Robert, Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch were living in Brewster, New York, when the two women went missing. Robert and Marcia Honsch had gotten back together in the summer of 1995 after years of separation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Karen Bell and Shane O'Sullivan. Defense lawyers were Paul Rudof and Andrew Klyman.

Asked by Sweeney if the defense wished to say anything at sentencing, Klyman said they had nothing to add.

Marcia Honsch's family spent nearly two decades trying to track Robert Honsch down, said Maloney, who told the court her family "has always known Bob was the key to my mother's and sister's disappearance."

She said Robert Honsch spoke negatively about Marcia Honsch and the daughters she had before she met Robert, calling them names and disparaging them because they are Puerto Rican.

"Our mother, Marcia Honsch, was a decent woman and way too good a person to be married to this monster," Maloney said.

"My sisters and I spend our days wondering what on earth could be keeping our mother and little sister away from us and spent our nights in quiet tears so as to not alarm our husbands and our children; so many years and years of torment and heartache," she said.

Diane Mirabel, also Marcia's daughter, told Sweeney she hopes Robert will admit to his crimes and tell the family why he killed Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni offered condolences to the family. "My sympathy remains with Marcia and Elizabeth's family; however, I hope this verdict brings them some closure to this long process of criminal justice, and a feeling that, indeed, justice has been served," he said in a prepared statement.

He continued: "I would like to thank the many law enforcement agencies involved for their incredible steadfastness and commitment to justice through this very lengthy and, at times, frustrating investigation. I would also like to thank and commend Assistant District Attorney Karen Bell for her tenacity and superb skill in winning this hard-fought conviction."
SPRINGFIELD -- A defense lawyer for Tina Fisher told Hampden Superior Court jurors Tuesday there is no evidence to connect Fisher in any way to a bomb threat note found in a music teacher's classroom in Ludlow High School on Dec. 2, 2015.

Fisher, 47, of Westfield, is on trial before Judge Tina S. Page on a charge of making a bomb threat. The note read "Bomb at 11 today," according to the synopsis of the case given in court.

Ludlow School Superintendent Todd Gazda had sent a statement to parents and staff saying the teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave when the investigation began.

Colleen Sullivan, who with lawyer David M. Hodge is representing Fisher, told jurors in her opening statement there is no physical evidence, no videos and nothing else to connect Fisher with the note.

The prosecution is contending the note was the work of Fisher, who had access to the area where the note was found.

Daniel Henry, music teacher at Ludlow High, testified he went to his office in the chorus room after second period. When he left his office he found papers on the floor near a classroom exit door with the note included.

"I remember looking at it and thinking, 'This is ridiculous,'" Henry said. He said he "knew it was going to open up a big can or worms" and cause a school evacuation.

Cross-examination of Henry will begin Wednesday morning.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth called to the witness stand Ludlow High School Principal Lisa Nemeth.

She said she was at a meeting at the School Department central office when she began getting calls about the note. Nemeth said she headed back to the school and dealt with the evacuation, which would have included the 900 students usually in school and more than 100 staff.

Defense lawyers prepared a detailed chart of the main floor of the high school, which is being used by witnesses to illustrate for the jury where rooms and corridors are located. There have been many questions about numbers of doors and corridors and where they are located, as well as about who has keys to certain rooms.

The defense team asked Page to allow the jurors to be taken on a bus to the school for a "view" so they would know distances between areas and location of rooms and corridors. Page said she would put off her decision on the view, saying she didn't think it was necessary but if during the trial it became clear it was necessary she would reconsider.

Fisher was a special education teacher at the school, Nemeth said.

Fisher has been free on her own recognizance.

In pretrial motions before jury selection, Forsyth said he did not intend to introduce the fact that Fisher faced the same charge for a bomb threat found on Oct. 25, 2006, at East Street Elementary School, where she then taught.

She was reinstated as a special education teacher in November 2007 after the prosecution in that case was dropped. When reinstated, she accepted a transfer to Ludlow High School.

In the 2006 case, Hampden Superior Court Judge Bertha D. Josephson allowed a request by defense attorney David P. Hoose to prevent a security camera videotape from being used as evidence. The tape showed Fisher followed by the note, but not Fisher placing the note, according to courtroom testimony. Josephson said there was a 17-second gap in the videotape. The evidence was key to the case, lawyers said.
HOLYOKE - The public will have the opportunity to tour Holyoke Medical Center's new $25.3 million Emergency Department on Saturday, July 1, from noon to 2 p.m.

A previously announced ribbon cutting ceremony for the department, scheduled to open early next month, is set for June 19 at 10:30 a.m., with state and local officials, donors and employees in attendance.

The July 1 event is billed as a free community celebration and includes a cookout with hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon and ice cream.

Other events include a regional "After 5" gathering, in collaboration with area Chambers of Commerce from Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley/Granby and West Springfield/Agawam, on June 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The new construction has expanded the hospital's existing emergency department from 8,500 to 20,750 square feet, and treatment areas from 28 to 40. It includes a Crisis Center for Behavioral Health Services, multi-patient trauma rooms, advanced lifesaving equipment and a patient navigation service to help facilitate access to more coordinated care.



The new offices of gastroenterology, general surgery, and the weight management program are located on the second floor of the building.

The hospital broke ground on the project in October 2015.

SMRT Architects and Engineers of Andover designed the project.

The hospital announced last month that its capital campaign, in support of the project, had reached $2 million, of the $3 million goal.

Some 45,000 patients currently visit the hospital's emergency department on an annual basis. The hospital, which admits more than 7,500 patients each year, is a 198-bed facility, with more than 1,200 employees. It has an active staff of 171 physicians, and a consulting staff of 96.

According to its website, the hospital, which dates back to 1893, serves an aggregate population of 180,000 in cities and towns that include Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Granby, Easthampton, Southampton, West Springfield and Belchertown.

The hospital is a member of Valley Health Systems, whose other members include Holyoke Visiting Nurse Association, Western Mass Physician Associates and River Valley Counseling Center.
The family of Molly Bish, the teenager snatched from her lifeguard post in Warren and killed 17 years ago, is hoping the search for a white car possibly connected to the case will finally be found.

Heather Bish, Molly's older sister, said a team of investigators will now head to a former campground not far where Molly was taken and conduct an underground search for the vehicle.

"As the older sister you have this compelling feeling to protect your younger siblings and for me, I just can't live with my sister being taken from her place of employment and left on the side of a mountain," Heather Bish said. "It's not going to be ok with me and I will fight until my dying day to find out who this person was and what happened to my sister."

The Thursday search in is an area within five miles of the pond, but the exact address was not being released. The former campground site is now in the hands of a private owner, who is allowing the search to take place.

"We've never been able to locate that white car," Heather Bish said. "We've looked at every salvage yard on the East Coast quite frankly. It's like a needle in a haystack. Our belief is that the car was hidden somewhere."

Molly, 16, from Warren was working as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in Warren on June 27, 2000 when she disappeared. Her remains were found roughly five miles away from the pond on Whiskey Hill in Palmer. The discovery was made in June 2003.

The day before Molly's disappearance, Molly's mother, Magi Bish, recalled seeing a white car in the Comins Pond parking lot. A man was sitting inside the car. He was smoking a cigarette. A sketch was later created of the man.

"This person has never come forward," Heather Bish said. "After 17 years and seeing the family in such desperation I think most people would come forward and say, 'Listen, go through my car, Molly's DNA isn't going to be in there.' So that person has never done that so it leads me to believe that person knows something or is possibly hiding something."

She believes the car could hold evidence in Molly's abduction and killing.

In 2014, the "Just One Piece" campaign started in Molly's case. Her family believed just one piece of information could help find the teen's killer. That event spawned the "Just One Car" event in 2015. Tips about a white vehicle came in.

Dr. Sarah Stein, a private investigator and University of Fitchburg professor who has worked with the family for 15 years, said they received information that a particular person of interest may have buried the car in the area around the abduction.

Stein was able to get the help of University of New Haven criminologist Peter Massey to conduct a search at the former campground. He will use ground-penetrating radar to look for disturbances in the earth and see if any objects were buried.

Massey's help is remarkable, Heather Bish said.

The search could be a long shot, but Heather Bish believes it is time to go outside the box to find new information.

"I'll never regret taking these shots because one of them is going to hit," she said.

The Bish family has been lucky to now have a great relationship with the Worcester County District Attorney's Office investigators and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the case. The family's investigators share information with the agencies and have been allowed to be more involved with the case.

The Massachusetts State Police will be at the site search Thursday just in case something is found.

"That is the hope," Stein said. "We have to look at everything possible to ensure that we are not missing anything. There is nowhere we won't go to try to bring justice for Molly's family.
AMHERST -- An Iowa firm hired to find a new superintendent of schools failed to heed warnings from local officials about an application form that violated state law, forcing the district to postpone the hiring effort.

Concerns about the application, raised by the school district's human resources director, are detailed in documents obtained by The Republican through a public records request.

Iowa-based Ray and Associates, Inc. was hired to conduct a search for a new school leader to permanently replace Maria Geryk, who left the job in August. The hiring process was expected to be complete by April.

But the Amherst-Pelham Regional and Union 26 school committees -- jointly responsible for finding a new school leader -- halted the search in March after members learned the online application included questions about applicants' criminal records, in violation of state law.

In the meantime, Michael Morris, who served as an interim superintendent this year, has agreed to remain in the post next year.

While the committees initially discussed having the Ray and Associates continue the search, members opted instead to end the relationship and have been trying to recoup some or all the money spent on the search.

The company was hired last year and was paid $14,000 out of the $17,000 approved for the contract. The district spent thousands more on advertising.

The firm's contract with the district, also obtained through a public records request, includes a "Satisfaction Guarantee" clause stating that the company would charge the district only for "work performed and expenses incurred" up to the date of any termination of the agreement.

The clause also states that the company would perform a new search at no cost "If the School Committee is dissatisfied with the Superintendent within two years" of the date of employment, or if a new superintendent resigned or was fired within two years.

According to the contract, the firm agreed to "comply with all Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools and State legal requirements."

But that didn't happen, despite emails from the district to address the application question.

On March 10, Human Resources Director Kathryn Mazur sent an email to company president Gary L. Ray and Michael Rush, a company associate, regarding the district's "serious concerns" about the application process.

"Despite having been counseled in writing by the district Human Resources Director on two occasions to not ask applicants for their criminal records information, Ray and Associates did not subsequently edit their application to comply with laws in the State of Massachusetts," Mazur wrote.

Emails show Rush participated in a conference call with district officials on March 22.

But Mazur sent a follow-up email to Ray on March 28, noting that school officials were still waiting for "an explanation about why the HR Directors advice was not followed, along with a statement about how Ray and Associates plans to correct and modify the application for our search process."

The district was also seeking information "about the willingness of Ray and Associates to launch a new search in the fall, to reach out to the current pool applicants to encourage sustained interest in our position, and to consider what accommodations might be made to the district to facilitate a new search."

In an April 12 email to Mazur and school committee members Eric Nakajima and Anastasia Ordonez, Ray wrote that his company was "willing and able to conduct a renewed search according to the laws of Massachusetts."

The problematic questions would not appear on future applications, he wrote while offering: "[W]hile the application used in the previous search may not have been in technical compliance with recent Massachusetts law, it does not appear that any otherwise qualified candidate was prejudiced or prevented from submitting an application."

Company officials did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment.

In the April 12 email, Ray pledged that his company would "work diligently with the Board and its designee to meet all of the procedures and statute requirements in order to have a successful search."

He added: "It is unfortunate that there is a need to extend the search into the fall but rest assured we will continue to recruit a diverse pool of candidates."

Ray wrote that a renewed search would be assigned to another company associate, Ryan Ray, and that "there will be no additional fee other than our original base fee except for any mutually agreed upon expenses."

If that offer didn't satisfy the district, Ray wrote, "Ray and Associates will direct its Springfield legal counsel, Mark J. Albano, to work on an unwinding of the existing agreement to our mutual satisfaction. We hope this will not be necessary."

The regional committee met in a closed-door session in late May to discuss the issue. Following that meeting, Nakajima said in an email that no agreement with the company had been reached, and that the committee "will report out, discuss and vote on any agreement in open session when we have one."

The matter was not listed on the agenda for Tuesday's joint meeting of the regional and Union 26 committees. Nakajima said the committee hopes to put it on an agenda soon.

Last year, school committee members in Longmeadow also balked at Ray and Associates' handling of a superintendent search.

In that case, the firm submitted a finalist who would have been unable to meet a deadline for state licensing requirements. Longmeadow School Committee members argued they should not have to pay the company's full fee for the search because it delivered an unqualified candidate.
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Irish Cultural Center of Western New England has formally launched its first major donor campaign in 18 years.

The West Springfield-based nonprofit announced Tuesday that it's seeking to raise around $360,000 for capital improvements to its Morgan Road facility to further the center's mission of preserving and promoting the culture and traditions of the Irish of western New England.

"We wish to establish a quality facility, a monument to the Irish for the next 100 years," said Sean Cahillane, president of the ICC. "We are moving into the next leg of our undertaking -- we intend to build out the next phases of our facility."

Phase one was completed in March, including new office space and outdoor improvements to the property at 429 Morgan Road. The biggest news that month, however, was the debut of the Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub, which opened its doors to the public and hosted Irish Consul-General Fionnuala Quinlan.

The ICC is on to phase two of the the project, which includes adding a library and museum, exterior renovations, and installing an outdoor patio. The campaign is also seeking funding for educational and cultural programming at the center.

The ICC has already received $117,000 in funding and donations toward its overall goal of raising $477,000 for capital improvements, leaving a remaining fundraising balance at $360,000. The initial funding helped pay for furniture, landscaping, and flooring and fixtures, among other things.

Edward Sullivan, former mayor of West Springfield, said he fully supports the capital fundraising campaign.

"The population of Irish descent in this region is significant in numbers, professional accomplishments, and financial resources," Sullivan said. "This undertaking by the ICC seeks to bring the entire Irish community together with the aim of asking for active participation in advancing and promoting Ireland's ancient culture."

In addition to Cahillane, the fundraising effort is being led by the ICC Development Team. Members include Sullivan, attorney Frank Fitzgerald of Hampden, James Garvey of East Longmeadow, West Springfield City Councilor George Kelly, Mike McCormick of West Springfield, attorney Martin Dunn of Holyoke, Sister Mary Caritas of the Sisters of Providence.

Other members of the team include ICC board members Mary Ellen Lowney of Chicopee, Brian Corridan of Springfield, James Leydon Jr. of Springfield, and Sheryl Young Quinn of Holyoke.

Anyone interested in helping with the capital campaign can reach Cahillane at 413-348-5849 or 413-333-4951. The ICC can be reached via email at irishcenterwne@gmail.com.
A mass food poisoning at a camp for the displaced near the northern city of Mosul killed at least two people and sickened over 700, Iraq's health minister said Tuesday, becoming the latest battleground in the crisis engulfing Qatar and a string of other Arab nations.

A woman and a girl died and at least 200 people were rushed from the desert tent camp to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil.

An Iraqi lawmaker who visited the camp overnight and Saudi state television quickly accused a charity from Qatar of providing the tainted food. The claims could not be independently confirmed and Qatari officials did not immediately answer calls for comment.

In Baghdad, Health Minister Adila Hamoud told The Associated Press that 752 people became ill after a meal the previous evening at the Hassan Sham U2 camp, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) east of Mosul.

The food was meant for an iftar, a meal with which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Hamoud said at least 300 people remain in serious condition. She refused to speculate whether the poisoning might have been intentional.

Amira Abdulhaliq, from the United Nations' refugee agency, said it remains unclear at which point in preparing, packaging, transporting or distributing the meals, the food became contaminated.

"So far, we have received around 800 cases, around 200 have been transported to the hospitals in Irbil," she said.

At midday Tuesday, medics were treating patients in a large tent at the edge of the camp. About 20 to 30 patients, mostly small children, lay on blankets on the floor as several more serious cases were being ferried away by ambulances. At least one new patient was brought in during the day. Most of those afflicted were suffering from stomach cramps and dehydration, resulting from vomiting and diarrhea.

Iraqi lawmaker Raad al-Dahlaki, who chairs the parliament's immigration and displacement committee and who visited the camp overnight, said the meal contained rice, a bean sauce, meat, yoghurt and water. He put the number of sickened people at 850.

Al-Dahlaki said the food was distributed by a Qatari non-governmental organization, a charity known as RAF. He added that Iraqi officials were to meet those from the organization later on Tuesday. The Doha-based charity did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a joint press conference later in the camp, Irbil police chief Abdulhaleq Talaat said seven people were arrested in connection with the incident. Irbil Governor Nawzad Hadi said only one person  a child  had died. The different death tolls could not immediately be reconciled.

Talaat and Hadi said the food was prepared in an Irbil restaurant by a local NGO, Ain el Muhtajeen, under a donation by RAF. Dr Sabur Ahmed, head of Irbil children's hospital, said 22 children remained in hospital while the rest have been discharged.

On Twitter, Saudi state television accused RAF of supplying the tainted meals and posted images it said showed the camp's children "poisoned by the terrorist Qatari RAF organization."

Since a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia began June 5, Arab media across the greater Persian Gulf have daily unleashed a series of highly critical reports on Qatar. Those reports include highly provocative stories about Qatar allegedly trying to undermine regional security, often presented without attribution or evidence.

RAF is the acronym for the Qatar-based Thani Bin Abdullah Al Thani Foundation for Humanitarian Services, a charity that collects donations to do aid work around the world, including providing meals to needy families during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Qatari government officials also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

RAF is also among 12 organizations and 59 people put on what Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini officials described as a list of terror entities and individuals on Friday.

On Qatari state television meanwhile, a repeatedly aired program has discussed how the ongoing diplomatic dispute has stopped it from providing meals to Syrian refugees at a major camp in Jordan.

The Hassan Sham U2 camp houses thousands who have fled their homes in and around Mosul after a U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive was launched to dislodge the Islamic State group from the city last October. According to the U.N. refugee agency, it is home to 6,235 people.

Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, fell to IS in the summer of 2014 as the militants swept over much of the country's northern and western areas. Weeks later, the head of the Sunni extremist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, announced the formation of a self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque.

Months after the start of the Iraqi offensive, IS militants now only control a handful of neighborhoods in and around the Old City, located west of the Tigris River, which divides Mosul into its western and eastern sector.

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PITTSFIELD - An Easthampton woman pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that she lied to police investigating the disappearance of Joanne Ringer.

Laura Reilly, 42, was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court. A grand jury indicted her last month on three counts of misleading authorities following her arrest on April 20, and she is free on $1,500 bail, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

The Berkshire District Attorney's office said the March 2 disappearance of Ringer, 39, of Clarksburg, is being investigated as a homicide. Her husband Chad Reidy is considered the "sole" suspect. Reidy died of apparent suicide at their home on April 7.

Four days after she was last seen, Ringer's car was found on Exeter Street in Easthampton. Police believe Reidy left it there to misdirect the investigation.

Police believe Reilly, an ex-boyfriend of Reidy, gave him a ride home from downtown Northampton that day, and lied about it to investigators. She also said she did not see Reidy on March 3, but surveillance video shows the pair together in Chicopee, the Eagle reports.

Reilly blamed her inconsistent statements on prior drug use. Police said her statements hindered the investigation.

She is due in court again on Nov. 29 for a pretrial hearing.
Taxes on marijuana would hit to 28 percent under the bill Massachusetts House lawmakers plan to propose and take up this week. A legalization advocacy group called the tax hike "irrational" and a boost to the black market.

The House proposal's tax increase is a steep spike from the 12 percent total in the current law approved by voters in November. The voters' law broadly legalized marijuana use for adults age 21 and over.

The House bill is expected to emerge at a committee meeting on Wednesday at noon on Beacon Hill. House lawmakers could vote on the bill Thursday.

MassLive.com on Tuesday evening obtained a copy of the legislation, which also revamps the cannabis control commission created under the voter-approved law, expanding it to five members from three, and giving the governor and the state attorney general the power to appoint some of its members, in addition to the state treasurer having a say in appointments.

Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.

The House bill also touches on medical marijuana. Under the House bill, the state Department of Public Health would lose oversight of medical marijuana. House lawmakers are seeking to hand over the oversight to the commission.

Medical marijuana would still be untaxed.

Massachusetts voters approved marijuana for medical use in 2012, and state officials were slow to implement the law.

But lawmakers are now moving quickly to overhaul the November 2016 law voters endorsed.

The House bill allows for up to 12 plants per household, same as the voter-approved law, and possession of up to an ounce.

But the bill seeks to put in place strict limits on advertising and marketing marijuana products.

The bill allows to Massachusetts cities and towns to block aspects of the marijuana law through a vote of the city council and approval of the city or town's chief executive, like a mayor or town manager, rather than the referendum process laid out in the voter-approved law.

House lawmakers crafted the bill behind closed doors. On Tuesday afternoon, nearly 24 hours before the Legislature's Marijuana Policy Committee was scheduled to meet, the chair of the committee's Senate side, Patricia Jehlen, said she hadn't seen a copy of the bill.

The House chairman of the committee is Mark Cusack, D-Braintree.

The Massachusetts Senate will likely seek its own changes to the law before lawmakers from both the House and the Senate work out differences and send a bill to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk.

Marijuana advocates had urged House and Senate lawmakers to hold off on any changes until the new industry was up and running in Massachusetts.

The group behind the 2016 voter ballot question legalizing marijuana on Tuesday night panned the House proposal, saying it in "no way improves the measure passed by voters."

"It weakens it and it insults voters in the process," the group, "Yes on 4," said in a statement. "Its irrational tax increase will give drug dealers the ability to undercut the legal market, and its removal of ban authority from local voters will give a handful of selectmen the ability to overrule the opinion of their own constituents."

The group expressed hope that the Senate will put forward a better proposal.

"The House proposal not only disrespects the will of the voters," Jim Borghesani, spokesman for the group, told MassLive.com in an email. "It disrespects the members of the marijuana committee. Our understanding is that Senate members had no idea what was in the bill before it became public. This is Massachusetts lawmaking at its worst."

Massachusetts lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker have already made changes to the voter-approved law: In January, they signed off on a six-month delay on retail pot shops, pushing the date to July 2018.
This story is part of MassLive's ongoing coverage of the Michelle Carter trial, potentially a landmark case in which a teenager is being charged with involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend via text messages and phone calls to kill himself.

___________

Prosecutors will continue their cross-examination today of Dr. Peter Breggin, the controversial psychiatric expert witness who has testified that Michelle Carter is not responsible for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself due to the effects of the antidepressant Celexa.

Carter's trial centers on the 2014 suicide of Conrad Roy III. Judge Lawrence Moniz will decide whether Carter is guilty of involuntary manslaughter for urging Roy through texts and phone calls to end his life.

The case has wound its way through the court system for nearly three years, as Carter's defense attorneys and prosecutors have sparred over whether her actions were manslaughter or protected speech.

Breggin, a graduate of Harvard University of Case Western Reserve Medical School, has spent a decades-long psychiatric career advancing a highly unorthodox critique of psychiatric drugs, in particular antidepressants.

He has testified in dozens of cases as an expert witness, and specializes in extolling the dangers of SSRIs -- the class of antidepressant prescribed to Carter between 2011 an 2014.

In 1987, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill filed an ultimately unsuccessful medical board complaint against him for suggesting on the Oprah Winfrey show that mental illness patients should refuse to take prescribed medications. He has also suggested that the Columbine and Aurora mass shootings may have occurred, in part, because the perpetrators were in psychiatric treatment or taking antidepressants.

He has been met with both success and skepticism in the courts. In 2011, a judge in Winnipeg, Canada agreed with Breggin's testimony that Prozac turned a teenager into a killer. In 1997, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge dismissed him as "totally without credibility and a likely "fraud."

On Monday, Breggin's discursive and unconventional testimony saw him clash both with prosecutor Katie Rayburn and Judge Lawrence Moniz. Moniz will issue a verdict on the case because Carter waived her right to a jury trial.

Breggin testified that Carter was "involuntarily intoxicated" by the antidepressant Celexa during the weeks when she sent Roy messages urging him to kill himself.

Breggin also testified that Carter attempted to help Roy through his depression, citing communications around the time of Roy's 2012 suicide attempt. Her use of Celexa had profound psychologic effects on her, including triggering nightmares where the devil told her to kill herself, he argued.

Prosecutors attempted to cast doubt on his testimony, asking him why he changed his pre-trial diagnosis of Carter from mentally healthy to depressed and vulnerable; Breggin responded that his opinion changed after he reviewed texts and Facebook messages between Carter and Roy.

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This story is part of MassLive's ongoing coverage of the Michelle Carter trial, potentially a landmark case in which a teenager is being charged with involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend via text messages and phone calls to kill himself.

___________

The objections, interruptions and curt judicial warnings continued Tuesday morning in the trial of Michelle Carter, as controversial psychiatric expert witness Dr. Peter Breggin weathered the prosecution's attempts to discredit his diagnosis that Carter was "involuntarily intoxicated" when she encouraged Conrad Roy to kill himself.

Carter's defense rested their case after Breggin's testimony. Closing statements are scheduled for this afternoon.

Breggin and Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn sparred over both the meaning of Carter's behavior and the definitions of specific words, as Breggin took the stand again after a day-long session of testimony on Monday.

And like yesterday, Breggin's testimony was punctuated by his complaints that Rayburn was interrupting him, Rayburn's complaints that Breggin would not stay on-topic, objections from both sides and the occasional brusque warning from Judge Lawrence Moniz to move things along.

Rayburn's cross-examination began with an extended parsing of the meaning of the word "psychotic." Breggin had described Carter that way in cross examination yesterday, despite not having diagnosed her as such in his written report, and Rayburn wanted to know why.

The answer, Breggin said, was that it was not a formal diagnosis, but an accurate description of her "delusional" mental state. He testified yesterday that Carter had dreams about the devil telling her to kill herself.

"Psychotic can be used in two ways," Breggin said. "I do think she had a delusional system going."

Breggin also dismissed Rayburn's suggestions that her texts to her friend Samantha Boardman after Roy's death, in which she said she would go to jail if police found her text messages to him, indicated knowledge of wrongdoing.

Rather, he suggested that her text to Boardman revealed she had not considered the legal implications of her actions at all before that moment.

"How naive is that?" Breggin said.

"There's no criminal intent here," he added.

Moniz, who will decide the verdict in the case, did not appreciate that answer.

"I will determine if there is criminal intent," he interjected. "That answer is stricken."

Carter's trial centers on the 2014 suicide of Conrad Roy III. Judge Lawrence Moniz will decide whether Carter is guilty of involuntary manslaughter for urging Roy through texts and phone calls to end his life.

Breggin, a graduate of Harvard University of Case Western Reserve Medical School, has spent a decades-long psychiatric career advancing a highly unorthodox critique of psychiatric drugs, in particular antidepressants.

He has testified in dozens of cases as an expert witness, and specializes in extolling the dangers of SSRIs -- the class of antidepressant prescribed to Carter between 2011 and 2014.

In 1987, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill filed an ultimately unsuccessful medical board complaint against him for suggesting on the Oprah Winfrey show that mental illness patients should refuse to take prescribed medications. He has also suggested that the Columbine and Aurora mass shootings may have occurred, in part, because the perpetrators were in psychiatric treatment or taking antidepressants.

He has been met with both success and skepticism in the courts. In 2011, a judge in Winnipeg, Canada agreed with Breggin's testimony that Prozac turned a teenager into a killer. In 1997, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge dismissed him as "totally without credibility and a likely "fraud."

Breggin has testified that Carter became involuntarily intoxicated by Celexa on July 2. Rayburn questioned that timeline, noting that she was prescribed the drug in early April -- months before the "transformation" that Breggin said led her to encourage Roy to kill himself.

Rayburn also used Breggin's testimony in a previous case against him. He had said in that case that the most severe reactions to SSRIs typically occur within days, while Carter did not become involuntarily intoxicated for months.

Breggin said he did not remember the specifics of that case, but disputed Rayburn's interpretation of his words.

"I'm sure it's much more complicated than what you're presenting," he said.

Breggin and Rayburn had sparred yesterday over whether Carter could have fabricated claims to friends that she had engaged in cutting as a form of self harm. On Tuesday, Breggin cited text messages from two friends who said they witnessed marks on her arms to support his contention that the cutting did in fact occur.

"I think she's going through a lot of very weird things inside her head," Breggin said. "Very disturbed things."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- High-profile supporters of President Donald Trump are turning on special counsel Robert Mueller, the man charged with investigating Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion with Trump's campaign.

As Mueller builds his legal team, Trump's allies have begun raising questions about the former FBI director's impartiality, suggesting he cannot be trusted to lead the probe. The comments come amid increasing frustration at the White House and among Trump supporters that the investigation will overshadow the president's agenda for months to come -- a prospect that has Democrats salivating.

"Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring," tweeted former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an informal Trump adviser.

Just weeks ago, Gingrich had heaped praise on Mueller, hailing him as a "superb choice" for special counsel whose reputation was "impeccable for honesty and integrity."

But after the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey last week, Gingrich said he'd changed his mind.

"Time to rethink," he tweeted Monday, citing Mueller's hiring decisions and Comey's admission that he'd instructed a friend to share with reporters notes he'd taken of his private conversations with Trump in order to force the appointment of special counsel.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter offered a similar message, tweeting, "Now that we know TRUMP IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, Sessions should take it back & fire Mueller."

Going even further was Trump friend Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, who suggested the president was already thinking about "terminating" Mueller in an interview with Judy Woodruff of "PBS NewsHour."

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel," said Ruddy. "I think he's weighing that option."

The talk about dismissing Mueller appeared to be coming from Trump allies -- including some close to White House strategist Steve Bannon -- who are increasingly frustrated with the prospect of a long and winding probe.

They say Trump did not collude with Russia and see the investigation as a politically motivated sham that handicaps Trump's ability to execute his agenda, according to one person who advises the White House on how to handle the probe. The person demanded anonymity to discuss strategy on the sensitive matter.

Ruddy appeared to be basing his remarks, at least in part, on comments from Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump's legal team, who told ABC in an interview Sunday that he was "not going to speculate" on whether Trump might at some point order deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to fire Mueller.

"Look, the president of the United States, as we all know, is a unitary executive. But the president is going to seek the advice of his counsel and inside the government as well as outside. And I'm not going to speculate on what he will or will not do," Sekulow said. Still, he added, "I can't imagine that that issue is going to arise."

It wasn't clear whether Ruddy, who speaks with the president often, was basing his remarks on a specific conversation with the president or entirely on Sekulow's comments. Ruddy did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarification.

Ruddy was at the White House Monday to meet with White House aides, but did not speak with the president, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said via email, "Chris speaks for himself."

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment on Ruddy's remarks.

Under current Justice Department regulations, firing Mueller would have to be done by Attorney General Jeff Sessions' deputy, Rosenstein, not the president-- though those regulations could theoretically be set aside.

Sessions recused himself from all matters having to do with the Trump-Russia investigation because of his own conversations with Russian officials during the Trump transition.
NORTHAMPTON -- A restoration contractor alleging that developers of a historic Northampton property failed to pay an invoice for $633,447 has filed a lawsuit in Hampshire Superior Court.

Joseph Gillette, president of Complete Restoration Solutions, claims Historic Round Hill Summit, LLC hired his firm to clean up after a fire at a former Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech dormitory, then didn't pay for the completed work.

Northampton attorney Paul Weinberg, representing the developers, said Monday there is more to the story than meets the eye, and that the May 5 civil complaint will be vigorously challenged.

The principals of Historic Round Hill Summit are Peter Picknelly, CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines and owner of Opal Real Estate Group; Springfield lawyer Michael Siddall; and James Hebert of West Springfield, president of Checkwriters, Inc., according to related documents filed in federal court.

On the night of August 5, 2016, a three-alarm blaze destroyed the 19th-century Rogers Hall at 49 Round Hill Road, and damaged the connected Hubbard Hall, causing several million dollars in damages.

The buildings were being converted into luxury apartments at the time, and the fire was deemed of non-suspicious origin.

Hubbard Hall was partially completed, and around 11 tenants were displaced by the fire. Rogers Hall was torn down more than a month later, and Complete Restoration Solutions of Chicopee was hired to repair the smoke and water damage next door.

The developers had project insurance from Lloyd's of London, and the policy stipulated that coverage would terminate if the structure was occupied without Lloyd's knowledge, the lawsuit states. Hubbard Hall was occupied by tenants without Lloyd's written consent, and because of that, Lloyd's denied a portion of the claim.

Historic Round Hill Summit in January filed suit in U.S. District Court naming underwriters at Lloyd's of London, and seeking judgment for $2.7 million. That case was dismissed by Judge Mark Mastroianni on June 1 and arguments will be heard as part of the state court proceeding instead, with Lloyd's as a potential third-party plaintiff.

Lloyd's paid $5.2 million for damages to Rogers Hall, but denied payment for Hubbard Hall, according to the federal court filings, which also suggest that the developers plan a counterclaim against the smoke contractor.

Complete Restoration Services maintains it is entitled to its payment regardless of whether Lloyd's honored or denied the insurance claim. The contractor seeks the money owed, attorneys' fees and costs, plus 18 percent accrued interest, and has asked for a jury trial.

The two-count lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and unjust enrichment, was filed by Springfield lawyer Edward V. Sabella on behalf of the restoration contractor, which submitted its invoice on September 23, 2016. Sabella was not available for comment Tuesday.

In 2013, Historic Round Hill Summit bought 11 buildings on 11 acres from Clarke Schools for $4.8 million with the intention of developing high-end housing on the Victorian-era campus.

The private institution dates to 1867, and continues to operate programs for the hearing impaired in buildings on Round Hill Road and at other locations.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com
SPRINGFIELD -- Police arrested another of the department's most-wanted Tuesday morning following a week-long manhunt.

Kenny Bynum, 23, of 397 Maple St., Holyoke, was arrested at about 9:15 a.m. on a number of outstanding warrants pertaining to violent offenses, police said.

They include: Hampden Superior Court bench warrants for armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (handgun) and assault and battery; Springfield District Court warrants for armed robbery with a handgun and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Also, Hampden Superior Court bench warrants for: firearm offense with a prior violent or drug offense, armed robbery and two counts of assault and with a dangerous weapon.

Participating in the arrest were members of the department's warrant apprehension task force, including detectives Bobby Bohl and Robert Mariani and members of the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, lead by Sgt. Michael Sullivan.
SPRINGFIELD -- The city is seeking a hearing on whether the pension of deceased former police officer Kevin Burnham should be forfeited under a state law regarding the misappropriation of money, according to an email obtained by The Republican through a public records request

City Solicitor Edward Pikula asked for a hearing before the Springfield Retirement Board to consider the fate of Burnham's pension, based on the accusation that he stole over $385,000 from the police department's evidence room.

Pikula gave notice of the city's claim and a request for a hearing in a June 7 email citing state law on the "Misappropriation of funds" subsection of the state law on "Dereliction of duty by members."



In the email to the board's executive director, Pikula stated the city's claim is "for the extent of the amount so found to be misappropriated by Mr. Burnham and to the extent of the costs of the investigation."



Burnham, a 43-year veteran of the police force who retired in 2014, was set to plead guilty to larceny charges on June 5 in Hampden Superior Court. He was found dead in his Wilbraham home that day of an apparent suicide, officials said.

However, the fact that Burnham's death closed the criminal case against him has raised questions about whether his pension will continue to being paid to his estate.

The state law on misappropriation of funds states in part: "If the (retirement) board after the hearing finds the charges to be true, such member shall forfeit all rights under sections one to twenty-eight inclusive to a retirement allowance or to a return of his accumulated total deductions for himself and for his beneficiary, or to both, to the extent of the amount so fund to be misappropriated and to the extent of the costs of the investigation, if any, as found by the board.





"He shall thereupon cease to be a member, except under such terms and conditions as the board may determine," the law states.

His awarded pension benefit was $3,978.73 per month, or $47,744.76 annually, according to Susana Baltazar, executive director off the city's Retirement Office.

The Retirement Board is scheduled to discuss Pikula's claim and hearing request during its meeting on Wednesday, at 5 p.m., at the city's Municipal Operations Center, 70 Tapley St.



Pikula's email states that the city has been working with the state attorney general's office "who was pursuing criminal charges in order to seek restitution, but I am under the belief that the criminal charges will be dismissed as a result of Mr. Burnham's death."



"We are in the process of preparing documents to submit at the hearing to document our claim," Pikula wrote.



Thomas M. Scanlon, the retirement board's chairman, said last week that any comment on the pension matter would be premature prior to having any facts before the board.
The Gould family was heading back to Worcester after a trip to Home Depot. They had paint, soil and flowers and were ready to spend the weekend planting and doing yard work.

It all changed in an instant when police say 43-year-old Jose Acevedo slammed into the back of their Subaru Outback as they waited to turn onto a side road in the area of Route 20 and Mill Street in Auburn.

Acevedo was drunk and registered a .26 on a Breathalyzer test after the crash, police said. And he had been arrested for driving without a license earlier that day.

"He hit me so hard my earring flew out of my ear, my pierced ears," said Carly Gould, who had a hard time moving her neck during an interview. "That's how hard we were hit."

After the crash, Acevedo told police told officers he was an illegal immigrant.

"Acevedo later admitted to entering the United States illegally through Mexico from El Salvador and to not having a driver's license," Auburn Police said.

Authorities are still trying to determine his citizenship status.

But Carly Gould and her husband, Jeffrey Gould, said they aren't overly focused on Acevedo's immigration status. They simply don't want him behind the wheel again.

"It's obviously a factor now, but that's not our concern," Carly Gould said inside the office of their lawyer, Richard Rafferty. "Our concern is he has chosen not to follow the laws. He has shown it multiple times."

Carly Gould fractured her T1 vertebra, Jeffrey Gould has whiplash and their two daughters, 3-year-old Mary and 7-year-old Julia, were both treated and released at a local hospital after the 4:50 p.m. crash Thursday.

To hear Acevedo's wife say it was "one little mistake" is infuriating to the Gould family. They asked a reporter not to take pictures of their faces for privacy reasons.

Jessica Amaya, Acevedo's wife, told WHDH News that her husband didn't mean to cause the crash. Her husband is undocumented and from El Salvador, Amaya told the television station. He has been in Massachusetts for roughly 17 years.

Amaya told reporters that her husband works hard and has never harmed anyone before the accident.

But Carly Gould said it wasn't just one little mistake. Records show Acevedo was arrested earlier that same day on a warrant for driving without a license. He was apprehended by Worcester Police, paid his fines at court and was released.

Later in the day, police say Acevedo was drunk when he slammed into the 2015 Subaru Outback carrying the Gould family.

"It is my family now that's dealing with his decisions. It's not just one little mistake. He knew he did not have a license. He was picked up earlier that day," Carly Gould said. "He shouldn't have been behind the wheel. Never mind behind the wheel three times the legal limit. I can't even fathom how a human being makes that decision."

The Gould family understands the "politically charged topic" of immigration status in the country today, but said the driving laws are clear: People cannot drive drunk.

Acevedo is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury, negligent driving and unlicensed driving charges in connection with the crash. He is being held on bail after his arraignment in Worcester Central District Court Friday.

Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said they have not been able to verify Acevedo's status.

Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for ICE New England, said agents from the Enforcement and Removal Operations tried to interview Acevedo on June 9.

"ICE officers were unable to gain access to the individual because a court supervisor would not allow ICE officers to speak to Mr. Acevedo until the local court appointed an attorney to him in his state criminal proceedings," the statement said "While Mr. Acevedo has allegedly admitted to local law enforcement that he is in the U.S. unlawfully, ICE cannot verify the accuracy of his alleged statements until our officers interview him and compare his biographical data against federal immigration records."

The crash has left the two Gould girls anxious. Her parents talk to them about the importance of car seats, but they know deep down in their souls, it could have been worse. Jeffrey Gould was able to stop the car from careening into oncoming traffic.

Glass shattered into the car after the back window exploded and the side windows popped. Some of the family was pulling glass out of their hair.

"It was just a huge crash," Carly Gould, 35, said.

"An explosion and glass," Jeffrey Gould, 40, added.

As the family looked out and saw the plants, paint and soil all over the road in a mess, witnesses began to approach them. The witnesses said they had been behind Acevedo before the crash.

"We had witnesses pull over who were behind him for a long stretch of road who said he was all over the road and never even tapped his brakes," Carly said.

The family wanted to stay silent, but the comments made by Acevedo's wife upset them. The wife spoke about a traffic light in the area, but there wasn't one there, the Gould family said.

The family doesn't want the discussion of immigration status to overshadow the circumstances around the crash.

"My focus is on making sure that he is not able to do this again because he has shown he isn't able to follow the laws," Carly Gould said. "I don't trust that he's not going to get back behind the wheel or get drunk and get behind the wheel. That's my focus, getting our family healed and whole again."
Glenn R. Armstrong has been indicted for murder in the death of his 83-year-old father, who was found dead in their shared Blackstone home after Armstrong fled to New Jersey.

Armstrong, 49, was indicted by a Worcester County grand jury on Tuesday, which moves his case to Worcester Superior Court, according to the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.

Walter Armstrong was found dead in the home he shared with his son at 36 Summer St. in Blackstone on Jan 11. An autopsy determined he was murdered.

The younger Armstrong allegedly fled to New Jersey in his father's pickup truck. He was arrested in Mount Laurel after the truck ran out of gas on Jan. 12, Early's office said.

A warrant for murder was issued for Armstrong by Uxbridge First Assistant Clerk Magistrate Nancy Zagaglia in February.

Armstrong fought his return to Massachusetts. He did not waive his rendition until March, when he was arraigned in Uxbridge District Court.

In addition to murder, Armstrong is also being charged with larceny of a motor vehicle.

Armstrong is scheduled to be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on June 20.

This is not the first time Armstrong has faced criminal charges.

In 2015, Armstrong was sentenced to serve nine months in prison for an assault and battery that occurred at a Blackstone bar.

Federal court records show Armstrong was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1994 after threatening to kill then-President Bill Clinton. Armstrong, who was living in Uxbridge at the time, was placed on probation for 36 months.
Turkey's military killed 20 militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in air strikes targeting southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.

In three separate air strikes, Turkish warplanes hit the southeastern province of Van bordering Iran, and northern Iraq's Zap and Hakurk regions. Some of the militants were believed to be in preparation of an attack, the military said.

Sixteen militants were killed and a gun post and a logistics hub were destroyed in two separate air bombardments in Iraq. Air strikes in Van killed four other militants, the army said.

The PKK, which has carried out a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state, has camps in the mountains of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border. It is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

A ceasefire between the Turkish state and the PKK broke down in July 2015 and the southeast subsequently saw some of the worst violence since the PKK launched its insurgency in 1984.

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The man accused of driving drunk when police say he slammed into a car carrying a family of four had two open Modelo beer bottles inside his vehicle, according to Auburn Police reports.

Jose Acevedo, who told police that he was not in the country legally, is facing charges in court in connection with the June 8 accident at Route 20 and Mill Street in Auburn.

Auburn Police Sgt. Daniel Lamoreaux said could smell the booze on Acevedo's breath as soon as he began talking to him.

"His head swayed lazily, his eyes were red, bloodshot, and glazed over," the sergeant wrote in his report. "I immediately noticed two open Modelo beer bottles on the floor between the front driver and passenger seats."

There were also several full bottles of alcohol inside Acevedo's vehicle, police wrote in their reports.

Authorities said Acevedo, 43, registered a .26 on a Breathalyzer test sometime after the 4:50 p.m. accident. The result is three times the legal limit. A Worcester Police officer who speaks Spanish assisted Auburn officers during booking.

Acevedo, according to police, swayed during booking and admitting to drinking alcohol. Police said he reeked of booze during booking.

The Gould family was heading back to Worcester after a trip to Home Depot at the time of the crash. Carly Gould, 35, said she fractured her T1 vertebra and her husband, 40-year-old Jeffery Gould has whiplash. Their two daughters, 3-year-old Mary and 7-year-old Julia, were treated at a local hospital and released.

"He hit me so hard my earring flew out of my ear, my pierced ears," said Carly Gould, who had a hard time moving her neck during an interview. "That's how hard we were hit."

After the crash, Acevedo told police officers he was an immigrant and came to the United States illegally through Mexico from El Salvador. He told police he didn't have a driver's license, police said.

Police Officer James Ljunggren said Acevedo gave him a passport from El Salvador at the crash scene.

Lamoreaux, who has been trained to identify people who assume an identity to unlawfully stay in the United States, said a series of records checks were conducted through immigration and it showed zero results for border crossings for Acevedo, police reports said.

Police also could not find a federal identification number for Acevedo. Police filed a request for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to review the case, but police did not receive any feedback.

Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said they were not able to verify Acevedo's status after they went to Worcester Central District Court to speak with him on June 9.

"ICE officers were unable to gain access to the individual because a court supervisor would not allow ICE officers to speak to Mr. Acevedo until the local court appointed an attorney to him in his state criminal proceedings," Shawn Neudauer, spokesman for ICE New England, said in a statement. "While Mr. Acevedo has allegedly admitted to local law enforcement that he is in the U.S. unlawfully, ICE cannot verify the accuracy of his alleged statements until our officers interview him and compare his biographical data against federal immigration records."

The Gould family said in an interview that their biggest concern is not Acevedo's immigration status, but instead his alleged actions that caused the accident.

Records show Acevedo was arrested earlier Thursday on a warrant for driving without a license. He was arrested by Worcester Police, paid his fines at court and was released.

"It is my family now that's dealing with his decisions. It's not just one little mistake. He knew he did not have a license. He was picked up earlier that day," Carly Gould said "He shouldn't have been behind the wheel. Never mind behind the wheel three times the legal limit. I can't even fathom how a human being makes that decision."

A witness told police that Acevedo cut him off on Route 20 before the crash and the driver had difficulty staying in the travel lane.
The guests came from Boston, from Springfield and from MetroWest. The Worcester Art Museum's Corporators Ball held Saturday, June 10, put the museum center stage for what could have been a "Worcester" event, but instead played to a guest list that spanned the state and beyond.

"Worcester was once a very proud -- and rightly so -- stand alone city. And now our city is a very proud member of the Greater Boston area," Museum Director Matthias Waschek told those gathered for the museum's third Corporators Ball, an annual gala fundraiser in support of the museum's mission.

The gala, which took its theme this year from the exhibit "Highest Heaven: Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Art from the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection," grossed more than $200,000 in proceeds Saturday.

But when Waschek addressed attendees during dinner at nearby Tuckerman Hall it was the museum's -- as well as the city's -- importance and interconnectedness to the entire region he focused on.

Boundaries are "melting away," Waschek said. We are not siloed anymore."

Worcester Art Museum houses a 35,000-piece collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings and new media that spans 5,000 years. The museum is seeking to broaden its reach at the same time the city is in the midst of a renaissance of culture, dining and new construction.

"All the boats rise when we are all working together," Waschek said. "No more silos. We have to do away with them. And I can promise you, we, the Worcester Art Museum, will do whatever we can to contribute to the Greater Boston Area's cultural vibrancy. Let us dream all together and become one of the culturally most vibrant areas of the country."

The Corporators Ball was sponsored by MassLive, Skinner Auctioneers, Bowditch & Dewey and WinnCompanies.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a star player in two key controversies about the Trump administration: the investigation into Donald Trump campaign's connections with Russia and whether the president improperly interfered in an FBI investigation.

Sessions was asked about all of this under oath Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the lead congressional committee on Russia. Here are four key takeaways:

1. Sessions denied four major allegations against him with regard to the Russia investigation

* He denied that he purposefully left out his two 2016 meetings with Russians at his confirmation hearing. (Sessions said he was answering a question about "surrogates," not himself specifically. But that doesn't explain why, as CNN reported, Sessions did not acknowledge the meetings in his security clearance form.)

* He denied that he had a third, undisclosed private one-on-one conversation with the Russian ambassador. "I may have had an encounter" with Ambassador Kislyak at a District of Columbia hotel in April 2016, Sessions allowed. But he said that the two never substantially talked.

* He denied that he recused himself from overseeing the Russia investigation because he wasn't forthcoming about Russia meetings. Sessions's recusal came the day after The Post reported the first two meetings, but Sessions said he was already talking with lawyers about whether his Trump campaign work would force him to hand over the Russia investigation to his deputy.

* He denied that he violated his recusal by advising the president to fire the then-FBI director, James Comey. "Supervising all the federal agencies is my responsibility, trying to get the very best people in those agencies at the top of them is my responsibility," he said.

2. Sessions did not deny Comey's broader allegations of the president meddling

Part of that is that Sessions, obviously, was not in the room in Comey's one-on-one meetings with the president, where Comey said Trump directed him to back off the FBI's investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn.

But Sessions did corroborate two key parts of Comey's testimony:

* The details of a Feb. 14 Oval Office meeting, where Sessions and other top aides left the room and Trump talked to Comey alone. When asked by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) whether Sessions "lingered" because he knew he wasn't supposed to leave Comey alone with Trump, Sessions ducked: "What I did recall is I did depart," Sessions said, "and Director Comey was sitting in front of the president's desk and they were talking."

* Sessions corroborated that Comey came to him the next day and asked not to be alone with the president. Sessions said of that moment: "He was concerned about it, and his recollection of what he said to me about this concern is consistent with my recollection."

3. Sessions appears to have contradicted himself several times

* Sessions said he trusted Comey to do his job well, and that's why he didn't get involved when Comey expressed concern about the president interfering in the FBI investigation.

But: Sessions also said he thought Comey should be fired. And he advised the president as much, mainly for the way Comey handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

* He said he felt okay leaving Comey alone with the president in the Oval Office.

But: When Comey brought it up the next day, Sessions said he agreed it wasn't a good idea to be alone with the president.

4. About the only thing Sessions can recall for sure is that he didn't do anything wrong

Sessions hedged almost all of his answers about whether/when he met with Russians, or why he was involved in firing Comey, or how he feels about the president's decisions, with: "I don't recall" or "I believe so" or "maybe."

At one point, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) asked Sessions to give details about his September meeting with the Russian ambassador in his Senate office. Sessions couldn't.

But Sessions proved he is clearly capable of giving an answer in black and white. Several times, the mild-mannered Southerner came across as downright angry when emphasizing that he did not have any conversations with Russian officials about meddling in the election:

"The suggestion that I participated in any collusion - that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie," he said.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday that his recommendation to fire James Comey was based on the former FBI director's handling of an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails and leadership issues at the agency -- not his involvement in a Russian election meddling probe.

Sessions, who testified before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, stressed that although he recused himself from the Russian investigation, that did not interfere with his ability to oversee the Department of Justice.

The attorney general said he had discussed firing the former FBI director before being confirmed to his post, adding that he believed Comey's handling of an investigation into Clinton's -- the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee -- use of a private email server as secretary of state was "dramatically unusual" and "felt very wrong."

Sessions told the committee that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein "both found that we shared the common view that a fresh start would be appropriate."

In addition to his concerns over the Clinton investigation, Sessions said he wanted to restore "classic discipline" at the FBI and thought there was too much leaking of information and public talk about probes.

The AG further said he and Rosenstein had a "great concern" over Comey's May assertion that his handling of the Clinton investigation was appropriate and that he would do it again.

"It represented something that most professionals in the Department of Justice would totally agree that the FBI, as an investigative agency, doesn't decide whether to prosecute," he said.

Sessions' testimony came in contrast to remarks Comey recently made before the panel, which suggested that the former FBI director's involvement in the Russian probe played a role in his dismissal.

Comey told a senators that he was "confused" and "concerned" by the White House's changing explanation for his recent firing.

"The shifting explanations confused and concerned me. The president and I had multiple conversations about my job. He repeatedly told me I was doing a great job and asked if I would stay on. I told him I intended to serve out the remaining six years of my term..So it confused me, when I saw on television, the president said he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation, and when I learned again from the media that he was telling other people that my firing had relieved great pressure on the Russia investigation," he told lawmakers.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump moved to dismiss the FBI director after learning that the Justice Department and members of Congress had lost confidence in him.

The president, in a letter to the director, said the dismissal was needed to restore "public trust and confidence" in the agency.
Updated at 8:46 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2017 to note Holyoke firefighters gathered at the entrance to the event to protest what they said has been under-funding of the Fire Department.

HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse rolled out a campaign for his fourth term on Monday at a packed event at The Delaney House here praising the city and pledging to continue an administration of "progressive" politics that includes everyone.

"Holyoke has to be the best city in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have the best people here in our community. We are full of pride and excited about what is happening here," Morse said.

Morse, 28, was elected as the city's youngest mayor at the age of 22 by defeating Mayor Elaine A. Pluta in the 2011 election. He beat back challenges from accountant Jeff Stanek in 2015 and business owner Fran O'Connell in 2015.

Election Day is Nov. 7.

Firefighters gathered at the entrance to the Delaney House at 3 Country Club Road off Route 5 to protest what they said has been Morse's under-funding of the Fire Department.

Check back with The Republican and MassLive.com for more on Morse's fourth-term launch, including photos and video, as well as more on the firefighters' protest.
President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday for upholding a block on his revised travel ban at, what he called, "such a dangerous time in the history of our country."

Hours after the San Francisco-based court's unanimous Monday ruling, which found the Trump administration violated federal immigration law, the president took aim at the decision on Twitter.

"Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.," he posted on the social media platform.

Well, as predicted, the 9th Circuit did it again - Ruled against the TRAVEL BAN at such a dangerous time in the history of our country. S.C.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2017

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer echoed the president's sentiments, telling reporters Monday the administration needs "every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and committing acts of bloodshed and violence."

"We continue to be confident that the president's executive order to protect this country is fully lawful and ultimately will be upheld by the Supreme Court," he added.

The Trump administration has already sought the high court's review of another appellate court's ruling against the executive order, which called for temporarily suspending the U.S. refugee program and barring travelers from six majority-Muslim countries.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in upholding a block on the travel ban, argued that the White House did not provide a valid reason for barring travelers from certain countries and violated immigration law by discriminating against individuals based on nationality when it comes to issuing visas.

"The order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," the court's opinion stated. "National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power...(The law) requires that the president exercise his authority only after meeting the precondition of finding that entry of an alien or class of aliens would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Here, the president has not done so."

The opinion, however, narrowed a March ruling on the travel ban by allowing the administration to internally review its vetting procedures for refugees and visas applicants.
HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse began his campaign for a fourth term on Monday by vowing to ensure Holyoke remains a "beacon for progressive politics that is inclusive of everyone."

"I believed that Holyoke could be that inclusive city once again, no matter what language you spoke, what neighborhood you were born in, what you looked like, where you were from, whether or not your family was involved in politics," Morse said.

His priority, he said, will remain trying to help everyone experience a community that is safe and offers strong public education and a well-paying job.

Morse addressed a room filled with supporters at The Delaney House off Route 5 who chanted "four more years" at the end of his remarks. That was a reference to the election on Nov. 7 being the first with a four-year term for mayor. Terms for mayor have been two years.

"Holyoke has to be the best city in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have the best people here in our community. We are full of pride and excited about what is happening here," Morse said.

The event, which was also a fundraiser for Morse, included firefighters staging a protest at the entrance to The Delaney House parking area. Firefighters held signs and said Morse has under-funded the Fire Department to unsafe levels, which Morse later said was untrue.

In his remarks, Morse essentially prepared supporters to expect criticism in the campaign.

Opponents in previous elections have tried "to tear our city down" by warning about unsafe streets and departing businesses, he said.

"We reject those notions. We need a mayor that's going to continue to project a positive image of our community and work every single day to realize that vision," Morse said.

Former city councilor Jay Ferreira, who plans to announce his candidacy for mayor on Wednesday, said among points he will raise is the relegation of the Holyoke public schools into state receivership. Morse has been a "passive observer" who has "shrugged his shoulders and done nothing" in the face of such a drastic step, Ferreira said.

Morse didn't address receivership of the schools during his remarks. He has said previously that receivership was a state decision and that the problems the state cited in the schools grew for years before Morse became mayor in January 2012.

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on April 28, 2015 decided to place the Holyoke public schools in receivership because students' academic abilities barely improving despite years of warnings.

Stephen K. Zrike, formerly superintendent of Wakefield schools, has been the state-appointed receiver in charge of the public schools here since July 6, 2015.

The mayor is chairman of the School Committee in Holyoke, but the receiver's authority meant the stripping of power from the School Committee and the elimination of the school superintendent, the head of the system formerly appointed by the School Committee. Zrike has continued working with the School Committee, despite its lack of decision-making authority, and said he finds its expertise valuable.

Business owner Fran O'Connell, who ran for mayor against Morse in 2015, made similar assertions about Morse and receivership.

In remarks at the Delaney House, Morse also said the past six years have seen improvements in the schools such as an increase in the high school graduation rate and reduction in the dropout rate.

Noting the presence at the event of Police Chief James M. Neiswanger, Morse touted his public safety record as mayor. Community policing and reinstallation of the canine unit have helped cut crime, he said, though community policing patrols are not as plentiful with tighter spending.

Violent crime including robbery, murder and rape dropped 2.3 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, and the city's rate for property crimes including burglary and vehicle theft fell to is lowest since at least 1997, according to FBI crime data released in September.

Still, the violent crime rate in Holyoke was higher than the national average for communities of similar size. And while robberies decreased, aggravated assaults increased to mirror a 3.1 percent rise in violent crime nationwide, according to the 2015 figures from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program.

In Holyoke, the 2015 violent crime rate of 948.3 offenses per 100,000 residents was the city's the second-lowest since 1997.

The city had 381 violent crimes in 2015 compared to 390 in 2014, showing a net decrease of nine, or a 2.3 percent drop.

"We see crime down to historic lows," Morse said at the campaign event.

A supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton and critic of Republican President Donald Trump, Morse said the role of a mayor is more important than ever. Local leadership is needed in areas such as climate change, he said. Trump has withdrawn the United States from the Paris climate change accord that was aimed at limiting the increase in global average temperatures.

Millions of dollars of investment in downtown have the city rising, said Morse, noting the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center on Bigelow Street and businesses like Gateway City Arts on Race Street.

Morse has filed a budget with the City Council to run the city in the fiscal year that begins July 1 of $127.4 million. That's an increase of $1.6 million, or 1.3 percent, above the $125.8 million budget with which the city began the current fiscal year on July 1, 2016.

The City Council is holding budget hearings on accounts in the mayor's proposed budget and has the authority to cut, but not add to, the budget proposal.

Morse returned to the theme about being inclusive. His administration has been focused on including more residents in decision-making about the city than had been the case before he was elected. Now, people are running for office, volunteering on municipal boards and speaking out at government meetings, he said.

"I've always said that this isn't a job that I can do alone," Morse said, adding, "This has been the greatest honor of my life."

The big dispute relating to the funding Morse has approved for the Fire Department has been Fire Chief John A. Pond's decision to use brownouts in managing day-to-day staffing. A brownout is when truck is temporarily removed from service on shifts when staffing is thin.

Brownouts are done to save overtime costs that are incurred when off-duty firefighters are called in to work shifts when firefighters are sick, on vacation or otherwise unavailable. Instead, firefighters on a browned-out truck are temporarily reassigned to other duties.

Morse and Pond have said that the city's four strategically located fire stations and trucks that operate with at least three firefighters each ensure fire protection.

Members of the firefighters union who participated in the protest at the Morse event said the current management system that included use of brownouts compromises the safety of the public and of firefighters.

They also oppose Pond's recommendation to remove Engine 2 from service. Pond said the plan is reassign those firefighters to other trucks, to increase the number of firefighters per vehicle who can respond to an emergency.

Morse has proposed a Fire Department budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 of $8.4 million, though that doesn't include grant funding the city is using to hire 10 more firefighters.

That proposed budget is compared to the $8.7 million with which the Fire Department began the current fiscal year on July 1, 2016.
Missoula Fairground renovation plans released

Plans for years worth of renovations to the Missoula County Fairgrounds http://www.missoulafairgrounds.com/ were revealed to local stakeholders at City Club Missoulas http://www.cityclubmissoula.com/ monthly meeting Monday.

The Missoula County Fairgrounds as we know them today were purchased by County Commissioners in 1913 for only $16,000. Now over 100 years later, the Fairgrounds host over 500 events a year including the Western Montana Fair, which about 67,000 people attended last year.

By Don Fisher

Full Story: http://www.kpax.com/story/35647602/missoula-fairground-renovation-plans-released

***

County approves plan for fairgrounds

***

City Club Missoula  Missoula County Fairgrounds: Development director Emily Bentley outlines new projects

Emily Bentley, Missoula Countys director of fairgrounds development, gave a presentation on Monday to City Club Missoula http://www.cityclubmissoula.com/ on the future of the huge site in the center of town. She illustrated how the fairgrounds, which were built in 1913, have become such a special and important place for the entire community. She also listed the numerous challenges in going forward with an ambitious plan to upgrade the site so that all stakeholders are happy.

As soon as next year, construction could begin on $20 million or more worth of new projects at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, including a new learning center, 3,000 feet of bike/pedestrian trails, perimeter landscaping and 10 acres of open space and other amenities.

Whether it happens depends on what the Missoula County Board of Commissioners decides this August.

DAVID ERICKSON [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-county-fairgrounds-development-director-outlines-new-projects/article_02a03d02-ed14-5437-9140-4338105f3e2c.html

***

Fairgrounds to get $20M makeover in early redevelopment phase

Emily Bentley, who outlined the plan during Mondays monthly City Club Missoula meeting, took the job as the fairgrounds new development director in January. Since that time, she has met with numerous user groups and detailed the propertys redevelopment plan, one that will cost more than $25 million over 10 years.

Phase 1 of that effort will start as early as next year and include needed utility upgrades and renovation to several historic buildings. It will also include construction of a new maintenance shop, the learning center, and perimeter landscaping and fencing.

Martin Kidston

Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/growth-and-development/2017/06/missoula-fairgrounds-redevelopment/

***

Plan on attending future City Club Missoula Community Discussions: http://www.cityclubmissoula.com/
Staying up late to cram for an early exam may not be doing college students any good, according to a new study focused on college students and their sleep patterns.

The study, published Monday https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03171-4 in the journal Scientific Reports, says college students who did not go to bed or wake up at consistent times every day were more likely to have lower grades.

By Victoria Hill  MTN News

Full Story: http://www.kbzk.com/story/35646260/study-links-college-students-grades-to-sleep-schedules
Le ministre des Services Financiers et de la Bonne Gouvernance a repondu au depute Ramful sur les actifs de la National Property Fund Ltd et levaluation de ces derniers.

B/396 The Honourable First Member for Mahebourg and Plaine Magnien (Mr Ramful) to ask the Honourable Minister of Financial Services and Good

Governance 

Whether, in regard to the National Property Fund Ltd, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to the total number of assets thereof, indicating if same are being put for sale and, if so, indicate (a) the reasons therefor (b) if an evaluation of each of the assets has been carried out and, if so, give details thereof and (c) the process by which these assets will be sold?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to refer the Hon Member to the replies I made to Parliamentary Questions B/534 and B/542 on 11 August 2020, when I informed the House that the NPFL had already started the process of disposing of the immoveable assets which had been transferred into its custody by the Special Administrators of the ex-BAI Co Ltd. These assets were all situated locally. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am informed that in all, eighteen (18) properties were transferred to the NPFL by the Special Administrators in 2015. Two of the properties have already been sold; for two others, the NPFL has already engaged with two prospective buyers and the sale procedures are being followed; another two are under consideration for lease, whilst the remaining twelve (12) are being put for sale by public advertisement. Mr Speaker, Sir, With regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that the assets of the NPFL are being disposed of in order to assist the NPFL to service partly its debts. As regards part (b) of the question, I am informed that the assets have, in fact, been evaluated. However, I am advised that the detailed information on the assessed value of these properties cannot be disclosed for commercial reasons as the properties are being put for sale and the NPFL expects to get a competitive and fair value for those properties compared to the evaluation carried out. Mr Speaker, Sir, With regard to part (c) of the question, I am informed that for the twelve (12) remaining properties, the NPFL has called for Expression of Interest through an advertisement on its Website and in the local press.

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The foreign ministers of Algeria and France on Tuesday urged Libya's rival armed factions to seek a political solution in the North African country to help stem the spread of militant groups there and potential spillover across its borders.

Algeria has joined with North African neighbour Tunisia to seek support for an inclusive dialogue in Libya, where competing governments and armed supporters have struggled for control since a 2011 civil war ousted veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi.

France aims to play a bigger role in bringing Libya's factions together to end the turmoil that has allowed Islamist militants to gain a foothold and migrant smugglers to flourish in the absence of a strong central government.

"The main objective remains the fight against terrorism in this area of turbulence, where the presence of terrorists is reinforced because of the chaotic situation in Libya," Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel said after talks with France's Jean-Yves Le Drian, according to state news agency APS.

Le Drian, on a two-day visit to Algiers, described his talks with Messahel as "thorough".

French officials fear Islamic State militants - who were driven from the coastal city of Sirte last year - and other jihadists are trying to exploit the power vacuum in Libya to regroup after losing substantial ground in Syria and Iraq.

A U.N.-backed Libyan government of national accord has sat in Tripoli for more than a year, but it has struggled to reach agreement with eastern factions, including with powerful commander Khalifa Haftar.

Libya's neighbours and regional powers have often differed on how to help. Egypt is closer to Haftar and his anti-Islamist militant campaign while Algeria has pushed for an inclusive approach including using the influence of Tunisia's moderate Islamists.

Last week Le Drian last week held talks with Egypt on how to stabilise Libya and on Monday began a two-day visit to Algiers, where he said he had "thorough" talks with his Algerian counterpart Abdelkader Messahel.

Last year Islamic State was driven out of the Libyan coastal city of Sirte.

"It is this determination which leads us to wish for a political solution in Libya," APS quoted Le Drian as saying.

Algeria and France have agreed to "combine their efforts to reach an inclusive political solution that allows the intergrity of Libyan territory and a peace process", Le Drian added.

Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt last week expressed support for dialogue in Libya and rejected foreign interference or any military options, days after Egyptian jets carried out strikes against militant camps inside Libya.

The talks between Le Drian and Messahel also included the situation in the Sahel, two years after Algeria helped mediate a peace deal in Mali between the government and Tuareg rebels, in part to help stop Islamist militants gaining ground.

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The White House has condemned the arrests of protesters at anti-corruption rallies in Russia.

Tens of thousands rallied in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on Monday, and hundreds were arrested. In Moscow, thousands of angry protesters held an unsanctioned rally on the capital's main street with riot police snatching hundreds of protesters from the crowd at random.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Monday that the United States "strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters" which he described as an "affront to core democratic values." Spicer called on the Russian government to immediately release all peaceful protesters.

A court in Moscow has yet to pass a ruling on opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces charges of disobeying police orders and calling for an unsanctioned protest.

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The American University in Cairo transferred the 5,000 items to the Ministry of Antiquities, in line with Egyptian law

The American University in Cairo (AUC) has handed 5,000 historical artefacts over to the Ministry of Antiquities, parting with a collection it has held since the 1960s.

The collection consists of a number of clay vessels of different shapes and sizes, ushabti figurines, tombstones and wooden funerary masks from the Graeco-Roman era, as well as lamps from the Islamic period.

Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Department, told Ahram Online that the artifacts were unearthed by an AUC excavation team led by late Professor George Scanlon in 1964 at Establ Antar archaeological site in Fustat, Cairo.

According to the Egyptian antiquities law during that time, said Afifi, any artefacts unearthed at archaeological sites could be divided with foreign missions. Accordingly, the AUC succeeded in keeping half of the excavated items.

Then in 1983, with the passing of the Egypt Antiquities Law (No. 117), the objects were registered as the property of the Egyptian state, but in the possession of the AUC.

Mahmoud Khalil, Director General of the Antiquities Possession Department, said the AUC recently sent an official letter to the ministry asking for the artefacts to be returned to the state.

Khalil went on to say that the ministry immediately assigned an archaeological committee to inspect the collection, pack the items and transport them to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat.

The ministery has stated that anyone in possession of Egyptian antiquities should follow the lead of the AUC in handing them over, "since they are part of Egypt's heritage, to be enjoyed by all humanity."

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Type 2 diabetes is becoming more and more widespread, and with it the risk of associated conditions such as stroke and kidney disease. A new study reveals that a commonly prescribed drug for lowering blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes also lowers the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease.

Share on Pinterest New research finds that an existing type 2 diabetes drug also significantly decreases the risk of other serious conditions.

New research, conducted by scientists at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, suggests that a drug that has so far only been used to lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes has more than just one therapeutic effect.

In fact, according to the new study  published in the New England Journal of Medicine  the drug canagliflozin is a three in one type of medication; besides helping to treat type 2 diabetes, it also seems to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease in patients with diabetes.

Finding a way to tackle CVD among patients with diabetes is particularly important given the high incidence of CVD-related deaths in this population group. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimate that almost 70 percent of seniors with diabetes eventually die from some form of CVD.

The AHA also report that compared with healthy individuals, people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from some form of heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes is growing rapidly all over the world, and we need drugs that not only deal with glucose levels, but that also protect the many millions of people from the very real risks of stroke and heart attack, says Prof. Bruce Neal of the George Institute for Global Health.

The new study reviewed the clinical data on more than 10,000 patients across 30 countries and confirmed the results of previous research, which had indicated that glucose-lowering medication can significantly reduce the risk of CVD in people with diabetes.
Objectives of the Blood Donation Campaign

Encourage people to strengthen preparation for health services in the country by donating blood.

Engage in authorities to establish effective national blood donor programs to respond properly to increasing blood demand during emergencies.

Promote the inclusion of blood transfusion services in emergency preparedness and response activities.

To build a wider awareness of the need for year-round blood donation to maintain adequate supplies and achieve national self-sufficiency of blood.

To thank individuals who donate blood regularly and to encourage young people to become new donors.

To promote international collaboration and to ensure worldwide dissemination on the principles of voluntary unpaid donation while increasing blood safety and availability.

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Facts on Blood Transfusion

Around 112.5 million units of blood that is donated are collected globally every year to save lives and improve health.

Blood transfusions can help to support various treatments.

A stable base of regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donors can produce an adequate and reliable supply of blood.

100% of blood supplies in 57 countries are collected from voluntary unpaid donors.

The annual blood donations per center in high-income countries is 15, 000 when compared to only 3100 in the middle- and low-income countries.

Donated blood should always be screened for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and syphilis.

A single unit of blood can be separated into different components to benefit several patients.

The host country for this year's global event on 14th June is Vietnam through the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT).To know more about the importance of blood donation , Medindia spoke to Dr. Rajeev Nikte, who is the Head of the Blood bank department at Global Hospitals, Mumbai.Is blood donation generally on paid or voluntary basis?Blood donations should be 100% voluntary and paid donations are illegal.How can we encourage people to donate blood?Blood donation awareness is mainly required among the younger generation. One of the objectives forthis year, is creating awareness during emergency situations. There are people who donate blood regularly, but more people should get involved in donating blood for the purpose of emergency preparedness. It is very important that blood is collected, separated and kept ready for use before a crisis. So, blood donation is mainly to save lives, during the time of disaster to prevent shortage. Therefore, regular blood donations could save lives, as well as prevent shortage in emergency crisis.What is your message on this World Blood Donor's Day?The Blood Donor's Day is mainly about motivation and retaining. People who have never donated blood should be motivated to do so. Likewise, people who have already donated blood should continue doing so, on a regular basis.So my message would be, If you have not donated earlier, at least donate now. If you are already a regular donor, keep donating.An adequate supply of blood during emergencies require a well-organized blood service. Engaging the entire community in voluntary unpaid blood donations throughout the year can save the day during an emergency situation.Source: Medindia
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While these extremely premature babies often scored low on standardized tests, preterm infants born 25 weeks or later performed only slightly lower than full-term infants. In fact, as the length of pregnancy increased after 28 weeks, the differences in test scores were negligible.The study was published in"What excites me about this study is that it changes the focus for the clinician and families at the bedside from just focusing on the medical outcomes of the child to what the future educational outcomes might be for a child born early," said first author Dr. Craig Garfield, associate professor of pediatrics and of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.The longitudinal study analyzed more than 1.3 million babies born in Florida from 1992 to 2002 with gestational ages of 23 to 41 weeks who later entered Florida public schools between 1995 and 2012.The scientists matched the babies' vital statistic records with their Florida public school records to examine the association between being born early and educational performance."Many studies look at premature babies but very few of them look at their educational outcomes into middle school in such a large population," said Garfield, who also is an attending pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago."What's special about this study is it speaks to the importance of administrative data sets and the ability to combine different data sets in ways that allow us to ask questions and get answers about how our children are doing in the long-run.""While some people might be troubled that very premature infants tend to score well below their full-term peers on standardized tests, I believe that the glass is more than half-full," said senior author David Figlio, director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. "Most infants born at 23 to 24 weeks still demonstrate a high degree of cognitive functioning at the start of kindergarten and throughout school."While this study's data is strong, it does not account for some of these infants' medical issues related to preterm birth or provide information about why these children performed well in school, such as their biological make-up or if they received extra support from family or schools, Garfield said.Nevertheless, most babies born prematurely ended up performing reasonably well on standardized tests through middle school."Our future work in this area will focus on what parents and service providers can do to help future premature children to achieve their full potential," Garfield said.Source: Eurekalert
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways and the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. Childhood asthma is not a different disease than asthma in adults, but children face bothersome symptoms that interfere with their daily activities including play, sports, school and sleep.

The word asthma is derived from a Greek word meaning 'breathlessness or panting' both of which accurately describe an attack of asthma.

In children with asthma, airways are swollen and inflamed. When these inflamed airways come into contact with an asthma trigger, symptoms of asthma appear.

Asthma has multiple causes, and two or more different causes can be present in one child. Colds and allergens are the two most common factors that trigger an asthma attack. Coughing, recurrent bronchitis, wheezing and shortness of breath, especially during exercising can be seen in an asthmatic child.

Based on the severity of the symptoms, childhood asthma can be classified as:

Mild - Cough or a wheeze is present, but the child plays happily and feeds well. Sleep is undisturbed by symptoms.

- Cough or a wheeze is present, but the child plays happily and feeds well. Sleep is undisturbed by symptoms. Moderate - The child wakes up at night and cannot run around and play without wheezing or cough.

- The child wakes up at night and cannot run around and play without wheezing or cough. Severe - The child is too restless to sleep, unwilling to play at all, too breathless to talk or feed.

There is no particular diagnostic test and asthma is diagnosed with the help of medical history, symptom evaluation and physical examination.

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Asthma cannot be cured and symptoms may continue into adulthood. But symptoms can be kept under control with the right treatment, which involves preventing the asthma symptoms and treating an asthma attack in progress.

Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization in children under age 15.

India contributes to 10% of the global burden of asthma, with around 24 million of its population being asthmatic.

Asthma prevalence is higher in children (9.4 percent) than in adults (7.7 percent), and higher in females (9.2 percent) than in males (7.0 percent).

It is estimated that more than 100 million people will be affected with asthma by 2025.

World Asthma Day is commemorated every year on the first Tuesday of May.

It occurs due to allergens , which cause inflammation and narrowing of tubes in the airways resulting in shortness of breath. The secretions produced due to inflammation are trapped within air tubes causing wheezing and cough.

, which cause inflammation and narrowing of tubes in the airways resulting in shortness of breath. The secretions produced due to inflammation are trapped within air tubes causing wheezing and cough. Genetic factors also play a role, for example a person having a blood relative with asthma has a higher chance of developing it.

also play a role, for example a person having a blood relative with asthma has a higher chance of developing it. Smoking during pregnancy can make the baby more vulnerable to asthma.

A baby born by C-section is said to be more prone to develop asthma, as they are not exposed to the bacterial flora of the vagina during birth, which strengthens their immunity.

is said to be more prone to develop asthma, as they are not exposed to the bacterial flora of the vagina during birth, which strengthens their immunity. Air pollution and pollen .

. Frequent childhood airway infections.

These causes of asthma are not fully understood but developing an overly sensitive immune system generally plays a role. Due to increased immune system sensitivity, the lungs and airways become swollen and produce mucus when exposed to certain triggers.

The triggering factors of asthma include:

Cold or flu (viral infection)

Car fumes

Paint fumes

Exercise (especially on a cold dry day)

Pollen

Furry feathery animals/ pets/ toys

House dust mite (beds, carpets, soft toys)

When a person comes in contact with an asthma trigger, the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airway becomes narrower. The lining of the airway swells and produces sticky mucus. As the airways narrow, it becomes difficult for air to move in and out and they find it difficult to breath. This may be accompanied by a wheezing or whistling noise.

Depending on the trigger there are two types of asthma. Extrinsic asthma is an immune response to an external allergen such as pollen or dust. Intrinsic asthma is due to inhaling certain chemical agents such as cigarette smoke and paint vapors.

Family history of allergies and asthma

of allergies and asthma Low birth weight

Winter birth - Children born in the winter have an increased risk of developing asthma

- Children born in the winter have an increased risk of developing asthma Gender - Asthma develops more frequently in boys than girls but after puberty it is more common in girls

- Asthma develops more frequently in boys than girls but after puberty it is more common in girls Exposure to maternal smoking in the womb

in the womb Underperformance or absence in school

Respiratory failure

Status asthmaticus - asthma does not respond to treatment

Growth delay

Risk of learning disabilities

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Frequent coughing spells (during play, at night, or while laughing)

Wheezing (whistling sound from the chest while breathing)

Rapid breathing

Chest tightness

Chest pain

Shortness of breath, especially during exercise

Dark circles under the eyes

Loss of appetite

Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing

Fatigue due to inadequate sleep

Childhood asthma is difficult to diagnose during infancy. Observe for indicators in your infant like audible wheezing, pale or bluish skin, and rapid breathing. Also note if they are irritable and keep sitting and also refuse to lie down.

Asthma in older children can be detected by -

Medical history - A family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or other lung disease increases the chances of developing asthma.

Symptom evaluation - A detailed description about the symptoms (difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing or shortness of breath) by the parents can help the doctor to diagnose childhood asthma.

Physical examination - Auscultation of the heart and lungs to listen to any abnormal chest sounds helps in the diagnosis.

Diagnostic Methods:

Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a collective group of tests that measure the amount of air in the lungs and how fast it can be exhaled. The results help the doctor determine the severity of the asthma. Pulmonary function tests cannot be performed in children younger than 5 years and in such cases the doctors have to rely on history, symptoms and examination in making the diagnosis. PFTs confirm the presence of asthma in the patient.

Spirometry - The patient will be asked to breathe into a mouthpiece that is connected to a device called a spirometer. It will measure the amount of air that they can breathe in and out and its rate of flow.

Peak flow test - It is used to measure how fast you can breathe out air from your lungs into a device called the peak flow meter.

Exhaled nitric oxide test - It measures the level of nitric oxide in your breath. The level of nitric oxide in the breath indicates the level of inflammation of the airways.

Methacholine challenge - Methacholine is an asthma trigger, which when inhaled can cause constriction of the airways. Thus, if the patient reacts to methacholine, they are likely to have asthma.

Histologic findings - Eosinophilic infiltration is considered a major marker of asthma. Histological findings reveal narrowing of airway lumina, bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial denudation and mucus plugs. Patients with severe asthma have smooth muscle hypertrophy and a thickened basement membrane.

Allergy skin test - The doctor advises an allergy skin test if the child has asthma that is triggered by allergies. This test helps identify whether the child is allergic to pollen, mold, dust mites or other allergens.

The most important part in managing asthma is developing a better understanding about how and when asthma causes problems, how to avoid the triggering factors and how to use the asthma medication. The doctor outlines an asthma action plan for the parent that indicates the medications to be taken, when and how to increase the doses or add more medication if needed and when to seek emergency care for the child.

Treating asthma involves preventing the asthma symptoms and treating an asthma attack in progress.

Asthma medications can be classified as:

Quick relief medications (inhaled rescue medications) - These medicines open swollen airways that are limiting breathing. Rescue inhalers help to relieve breathing difficulties during an asthma flare-up. This inhaler eases the symptoms right away

(inhaled rescue medications) - These medicines open swollen airways that are limiting breathing. help to relieve breathing difficulties during an asthma flare-up. This inhaler eases the symptoms right away Ipratropium

Short acting beta-agonists such as Salbutamol

Long-term asthma control medications (inhaled and oral medicines) - Control inflammation that commonly causes the asthma. Preventer inhalers help protect airways. They make asthma symptoms less likely. Long-term control medications such as inhaled corticosteroids keep asthma under control on a day-to-day basis and make an asthma attack less likely

Inhaled medicines: Medicines can be inhaled with the help of:

Medicines can be inhaled with the help of: Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pumps)



Nebulizer solutions (delivered as a mist by a machine)



Dry powder inhalers

Most children with persistent asthma need to use a combination of long-term control medications and quick-relief medications. Some children may require medications to treat allergies.

Most asthma medications that are given to adults can also safely be prescribed to children with asthma after adjusting the doses for their age and weight.

Avoid triggering factors like dust mite, furry toys, pets, pollen, smoke, dust mite and carpets. Exposure to irritants may make your airways more reactive to substances in the air. Keeping your home free from these triggers can help prevent asthma attacks. Cockroaches carry a protein that acts as an allergen that can trigger asthma attacks in people.
HMD Global, at an event today, announced their lineup of smartphones that are going to be released in India in the following weeks. The company announced the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 for the Indian market and will be priced at Rs 9,499, Rs 12,899 and Rs 14,999 respectively. The Nokia 6 has been flagged as the premium device from the lot and looks to be competing directly with the likes of Xiaomi and Lenovo.

The Nokia 3 will be available to purchase from June 16th via offline channels whereas the Nokia 5 will start selling on July 7th. The Nokia 6 will be sold exclusively on Amazon India and will be available to pre-book starting July 14th.

Nokia 6 Specifications

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 6 will have a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display and have Corning Gorilla Glass on top for better drop damage security. The smartphone is made up of a metal unibody and is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 processor. The SoC is complimented with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage (Expandable to 128GB).

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 6 has a 16MP rear camera with Phase detection autofocus, f/2 aperture and a dual tone flash. The front-facing camera has an 8MP module and has f/2 aperture as well. The Nokia 6 has a 3,000 mAh battery but lacks the USB Type-C port.

Nokia 5 Specifications

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 5 is the mid-budget smartphone that is smaller in size when compared to Nokia 6. It has a 5.2-inch HD IPS display and has Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 processor. The SoC is complimented with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It has a 13-MP rear camera with PDAF, f/2 aperture and dual tone flash. The selfie camera uses an 8-MP sensor which also has auto-focus, f/2 aperture and 1.12um pixel size.

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 5 has the same battery capacity as Nokia 6 i.e. 3000 mAh and uses micro-USB port for charging purposes. The Nokia 5 also has a front mounted fingerprint sensor on the home button, much like the Nokia 6.

Nokia 3 Specifications

 BCCL

The Nokia 3 features an aluminium frame and comes with a fully laminated 5 IPS display. It has an 8MP wide aperture camera (front and back). It has the MediaTek MTH 6737 quad-core processor and is complimented with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. The budget smartphone has a 2650 mAh battery that uses a Micro-USB port for charging.

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

The Nokia 3, 5, and 6 smartphones all run on stock Android 7 and promises the pure Android experience which we all hoped for. The new Nokia smartphones also feature Googles most recent innovation, the Google Assistant, building further on a great Android experience.
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will meet at the Foreign Ministry at 11:00 tomorrow, Wednesday, 14 June, with the Foreign Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, who will carry out an official visit to Greece.

Following their one-on-one meeting and the expanded talks, at about 13:00, they will make joint statements to the press, after which Mr. Kotzias will host a working luncheon in his counterpart's honour.
"Joint Greek-Georgian business actions can start with Greek shipping, linking Georgian ports with the Gulf and the ports of the whole world.

And we can develop our cooperation on renewable energy sources, green growth, logistics in agriculture and the food industry, telecommunications, information technology, education, training, cosmetics and construction materials. And tourism, naturally, where we expect a sharp rise in visits to Greek destinations following the recent decision on the EU visa waiver for Georgian citizens. A decision the Greek government contributed to decisively.

Annual trade transactions between the two countries were at 73 million in 2016, and of course there is substantial room for improvement.

Greece ranks 13th among suppliers of the Georgian market, and 1st among destinations for Georgian imports.

There will surely be mutual benefits from better capitalisation on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTA) agreement between the EU and Georgia, which went into effect a year ago. On 1 July 2016."

These were among the points Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick stressed in his opening speech at the proceedings of the first Greek-Georgian Business Forum, which is taking place in Tbilisi.

Earlier this year, in March 2017, Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias carried out an official visit to Georgia, and in his meetings with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Janelidze, it was agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the business sector. The relevant protocol was signed ten days ago, in Athens, during the 3rd meeting of the Greek-Georgian Joint Interministerial Committee.

The Forum in Tbilisi was also addressed by Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Jalagania, the Vice President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nato Chikovani, the Executive Vice President of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Konstantinos Bitsios, and the Secretary General of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Nikos Sofianos.

In attendance were Greece's charge d'affaires, Nikos Piperigos, The Director of the Deputy Foreign Minister's Diplomatic Cabinet, Maya Solomou, and Greek and Georgian entrepreneurs who afterwards held B2B talks at Tbilisi's Technological Park.
N. KOTZIAS: I would like to thank the interpreter for the very good job.



I want to welcome my colleague Srdjan Darmanovic for visiting us, for the very interesting talks we had one on one and between the two delegations.



I want to thank him for the friendship and the feelings he shows for our country and for the solidarity he expressed with the victims of the earthquake in Lesvos.



I want to congratulate his country, Montenegro, on its successes on the international political stage and its participation in international organizations, including its accession to NATO and above all, of course, because, of all the countries of the Western Balkans, Montenegro is the country most advanced in the negotiations and is closer than any other to being ready for accession to the European Union.



Our country, and I personally, expressed our desire to support Montenegro's European course, to provide our knowledge and expertise, to the degree it is needed and we are able to, for there to be exchanges on all levels and in all sectors of cooperation between our two Ministries, and for us to promote overall cooperation between our two states.



In particular, our cooperation is developing in military academies, and I also proposed for this cooperation to be extended to the new Firefighting Academy in Kozani, as well as cooperation between our universities and our research and cultural centres.



Montenegro, like Greece, is a beacon of stability in the Balkans. We are two countries that work hard to contribute to stability and security in the region, and from this perspective, the friendly country of Montenegro is a country that contributes to spreading the political culture that is so dear to me, the political culture of consensus and compromise in our region, and it has shown this by having done everything necessary to resolve all kinds of problems that all of us are carrying from the past in this region.



We are both enemies of this nationalism that filled our region with conflicts, and we want to develop a positive agenda for the future of our relations.



We want to create networks. We want to capitalize on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) so that the Adriatic-Ionian Pipeline is developed, we want to support the major motorways of the Ionian Highway and its branches. We want to work together on educational and cultural issues, and, certainly, we want to fight organized crime.



It was a pleasure to accept the invitation, on behalf of the President, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and the Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, to visit the beautiful country of Montenegro, and I hope we intensify our meetings in the future. It profits both countries, and it profits our region.



I also invited my colleague to a number of institutional meetings being organized by Greece, including the one we are holding at the end of October this year, the Conference for the protection of religious and Cultural communities of the Middle East. And I also invited him to the next Conference for Security and Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, which will be taking place in June 2018, in Rhodes. I also had a thought regarding the quadrilateral cooperation scheme we have between Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia  that we invite Montenegro so that we can look at how, collectively, we can support its European course, which benefits the whole region.



Once again, I thank my friend Srdjan for visiting us and for the pleasure of speaking with him. Thank you very much.



S. DARMANOVIC: Thank you, honourable Minister Kotzias, dear Nikos, ladies and gentlemen. It is always difficult to speak second, after so profound and interesting a thinker and speaker as Minister Kotzias, because there is little that remains to be said after him.



Frist of all, allow me to thank you for the cordial welcome and acknowledge the traditional friendly and close relations between Montenegro and the Hellenic Republic.



The main goal of my visit to Greece is to further strengthen the relations between our two countries, constructive political dialogue, and to further promote economic cooperation. I take this opportunity to underline that Montenegro highly appreciates the affirmative policy of Greece towards the Western Balkans, in terms of the EU and NATO enlargement. In this context, I would like to remind you that Greece was the first NATO contact country for Montenegro in 2008, and even more, it is my great honour to visit your country just a few days after Montenegro officially became a full-fledged member of the Alliance. This achievement, we actually finally achieved also with your substantial help.



I would like to express my gratitude for the sustained support in the area of EU integration that Greece has been providing to Montenegro, especially during the Greek Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2014, when Montenegro opened five chapters of the Acquis Communautaire. In that sense, I take this opportunity to express the expectation that Greece will continue supporting Montenegro in the forthcoming period in our EU drive, because we can say that two big national goals of Montenegro are achieved: our independence in 2006, our NATO membership this year. And we are counting on the support of our friends in order to achieve the third big national goal, to become member of the European Union.



Having in mind Montenegro's growing tourist industry, we have agreed that there is a high potential to explore in this area too. In this regard, an Aegean Airlines direct line is to be opened on June 21st this year, so in several days, actually next week, it will strongly contribute to the better links between our two countries. It is to be opened and to last through September, but who knows? Maybe they will find an interest in making it standard.



The presentation of the tourism and investment potential of Montenegro to the Greek public is another goal of this visit. We are very glad to have reputable Greek business partners in our country. Hellenic Petroleum has been present in Montenegro for more than a decade. We have agreed that there is room for additional promotion of economic relations, as well as cooperation in the field of science and education. Education-wise, we are very grateful that 12 of our officers actually get their education here, in the Greek military academies, and we are grateful for them getting a high-level, quality education that, once they are back in our country, they will contribute to our military, though small country-small military, but it is even more important for them, then, to get a great and high-quality education.



I also want to emphasize our very constructive multilateral cooperation, and let me point out that we have reached a mutual agreement to support each other for the membership of the UN Security Council, for Greece in the period 2025-2026 and for Montenegro next year, 2026-2027.



We also have a reciprocal support agreement for the membership of the UN Committee of Human Rights. We exchanged views on the situation. We exchanged views on the situation in the Western Balkans, of course, in terms of the current challenges that Europe is facing, both internally and externally.



We came to the agreement, what is quite natural of friends, that EU enlargement should not lose momentum in the Western Balkans and that the EU will have to step up its presence and to find a way to encourage the countries of the Western Balkans in their European drive, because not only history taught us, but also the present; that if the most important clubs of today, clubs of democracy and economic prosperity like the EU, if they are not active in the Western Balkan region, somebody else will be. And we strongly believe that Europe will not be whole, free and at peace, if it does not find a way to absorb Western Balkan countries in its club.



Of course, it is not a one-sided way. We also have to deliver, we also have to continue our reforms, but we are not going to make it without the generous and critical support of our friends, as Greece also is.



I look forward to welcoming Minister Kotzias to Montenegro and I have extended an open invitation to my dear colleague this moment. I know he is a great enthusiast of fishery, so maybe he can find interesting places in our beautiful coast for that sport, and I am looking forward for the moment when he finds a way to come to our country.



Thank you once again.



MODERATOR: Two questions. Please introduce yourselves and your medium.



JOURNALIST: Welcome to Athens, Minister. The issue of defining the borders between Montenegro and Kosovo is still open. My question: How is this going to be affected by the recent election result in Kosovo?



S. DARMANOVIC: Actually, this question is not any more open for us, because we finalized our procedure in good will. We accepted all Yugoslav borders between us. That border was inspected by the International Commission. The International Commission found the solution; actually confirmed the solution. Then, we signed a treaty with the Kosovar government in Vienna and actually the majority in the Kosovar Parliament and the former government supported the treaty and we ratified the treaty in good will in our Parliament.



So the issue was kind of reopened as a result of the internal political battles in Kosovo; it is normal in any democracy that parties sometimes open some issues that can be maybe useful for the debate. And we know, we are aware that there has been a problem to find a majority, a two-third majority in the Kosovar Parliament, for this treaty to be ratified. But we are very patient. We have not aggravated the situation in any way. We have not made any push for our Kosovar friends to actually close this issue.



We strongly believe they are going to find a way to resolve it internally and we are very patient to wait for that moment. Because we strongly believe that EU visa liberalization has as a necessary condition to be fulfilled, this ratification to be done in Kosovar Parliament  is right for the Kosovar citizens. We would like to embrace them in the community of the countries that have visa liberalization, so we have very good relations with Kosovo, we recognize Kosovo, we have continued dialogue. We dont see the reason why it should not be continued with the new government, whoever it will be. It is likely to be a coalition government and we are just going the same way and we firmly believe the solution will be found in the Kosovar Parliament, among the Kosovar political forces, and we are quite, I would say, relaxed about this.



JOURNALIST: I have a question for Mr. Kotzias: Mr. Minister, tomorrow you will have a meeting here at the Foreign Ministry with Mr. Dimitrov. What do you expect from this meeting? Thank you.



N. KOTZIAS: First of all, my expectation is for it to be as good and creative as the meeting I had today with my Montenegrin colleague.



I think it is first of all an introductory meeting. Second, it is a meeting for us to exchange our views on the developments there have been of late in the relations between the two states, and how we will move ahead. We have some new thoughts and proposals that we will set out regarding the confidence-building measures between the two states.



We will show and once again reaffirm that what comes first for Greece is the stability and security of the region and, by extension, of this country. I don't think we will discuss the name issue, because it will be an introductory meeting, for us to get acquainted. We will probably discuss the method for continuing our talks regarding the relations between the two states.



Nikola Dimitrov shares his first name with the previous Foreign Minister in Skopje as well as with me  you know, in landlocked FYROM, the most common name is 'Nikos', who for us is the protector of the seas. I think he is an experienced person, he has taken part in negotiations with other governments, he is a diplomat who I hope and am sure will capitalize on the potential for seeking solutions.



And I want to reaffirm and explain once again what I often say: That in its international relations, a state, especially in our region  and Montenegro has done this, and I say this in a positive way  should exhibit the ability to adopt the culture of compromise and consensus. And the better a state does this in its international relations, the bigger the chance it will function democratically, with consensus and a culture of compromise, in its domestic affairs.



I often underscore to my friends, to our partners in the international organizations that the manner in which they behaved towards this country taught it, to a great extent, not to compromise and not to have a political culture of consensus. As you know, I warned them two and half years ago, when I became Minister, that this would also transfer to the domestic political stage.



I don't think I need to explain how closely domestic and foreign policy are related with regard to the political culture one follows. The messages I got from the talks I had personally with the Prime Minister of FYROM, Mr. Zaev, and from the discussion between the two Prime Ministers, Mr. Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, and from my phone talks with Nikola Dimitrov, is that they are showing a positive attitude and an intention to have done with irredentism.



And no one will be more pleased and happier than I am if we finish with this whole story that, as I often say, converts history from a school into a prison.



I will be equally pleased if we resolve the Cyprus issue and eliminate the treaties of guarantee and the presence of foreign troops. Don't forget that, following these visits and the trilateral meeting with Cyprus and Israel, and my trip to Romania, very soon, on 28 June, we begin Geneva II. I will issue an extended statement about this in the coming days.



I hope the press and the news media use it.



Once again, I thank Srdjan, my good friend from Montenegro. I thank him for his invitation. I will certainly take him up on it, as concerns the first part. Regarding the second, we will have to wait until we are no longer public figures to get back to what we like.



I thank all of you.
The United States refused Monday to sign onto a Group of Seven pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the "irreversible" global tool to address climate change.

The G7 environment ministers issued a final communique Monday after their two-day meeting, the first since the United States announced it was withdrawing from the Paris climate pact.

In a footnote to the communique, the United States said it wouldn't join with the other six countries in reaffirming their Paris commitments, but said it was taking action on its own to reduce its carbon footprint.

"The United States will continue to engage with key international partners in a manner that is consistent with our domestic priorities, preserving both a strong economy and a healthy environment," the footnote read.

As a result, the U.S. said it would not join those sections of the communique on climate and multilateral development banks.


Asked by reporters what exactly she is accused of, Chung looked surprised and said, "I have not been informed about the details. I'm sorry," before scurrying into the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Chung, who is notorious for her absenteeism at high school and Ewha Woman's University, arrived true to form 50 minutes late. She has been charged as an accomplice in wrangling illegal favors from Ewha and other offenses trading on Choi's connection to the president.

Prosecutors on Monday questioned Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of former president Park Geun-hye's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who was recently extradited from Denmark.

She had been detained for questioning as soon as she returned, but was released after a court refused an arrest warrant citing insufficient evidence of her involvement in her mother's crimes.

The general picture painted of Chung in the media has been that she is not very bright and became more apathetic the more her mother pushed to better her position, ending up as an unemployed single mother with no qualifications.

But prosecutors plan to seek another arrest warrant soon. Last week, they questioned the father of Chung's baby, the groom of her horse, which was allegedly bought with a massive "donation" from Samsung, and the nanny who cared for the baby while Chung was on the lam in Denmark.

On Monday, prosecutors grilled Chung about the W7.8 billion in alleged bribes from Samsung and the whereabouts of the money (US$1=W1,131).

Chung pleaded ignorance and told prosecutors that her mother was responsible for everything.


GRANT TOWNSHIP  A 34-year-old Grant Township man was injured in a motorcycle crash on Black River Road near Burns Line Road.

According to the Sanilac County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to the scene around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, where the man was traveling on Black River Road and lost control while attempting to navigate a curve. After losing control, the mans motorcycle left the roadway and made its way into a ditch. The man was reportedly drug along underneath.
ELLINGTON TOWNSHIP  Interest in animal feed and nutrition drew a Grand Rapids man to the Thumb to buy a dairy operation.



Brent Robinson bought a dairy farm at 2647 E. Caro Road. He started with about 30 Holstein and Jersey cows in 2004. Today, Robinson's Paramount Enterprises Dairy operation milks about 1,500 cows.



"The Thumb was a growing dairy market at that time in 2004," said Robinson. "I came here to work with nutrition and feed with dairy farmers. I liked what I was doing. I liked the area, so I bought a dairy farm."



Robinson had some experience before he bought the dairy farm. He worked on a farm when he was in high school and he went to Michigan State University for animal science.



To help manage his dairy operation, Robinson uses the latest technology of wireless communication to keep track of each cow's performance.



"I use the SCR program. It was developed about five years ago in Israel. We were one of the first in the country to put it in. We've been featured on some national news before about our using it. We installed five years ago," Robinson said. "Each cow wears a type of collar around its neck that keeps track of how long they chew their cub, how much they move around, each one's milk production, and when they are ready to breed. That allows us to breed the cows without artificial hormones."



Being able to monitor their chewing, is an important key to a healthy cow.



"The collar is a type of microphone that listens to the cows. It listens to how they chew.If they don't feel good they might not eat so they don't chew," he explained. "The more they chew their cub, the more relaxed they are. It's a good sign of their health. When they don't chew or move around as much, it means they could have a health concern."

The information from the SCR collar goes to a central computer and is compiled with the milk data of each cow.



"The best way to describe the SCR collar is kind of like it is a Fitbit, but for cows," explained Brent Moyer, who is a working partner in the dairy farm. "Cows chew their cub for 400 to 600 minutes per day. If they don't, then there could be a health issue."



The SCR system is easy to operate and three guys monitor it.



Paramount Enterprises Dairy has 20 employees who help do milking twice a day. One shift starts at 5 a.m. and the other at 5 p.m.



"Each milking shift takes about nine hours," said Robinson. "Dairy is a demanding business."

Cows need to be milked twice a day, seven days a week all year around.



"The starting wage is $10 to $11 an hour. Wages increase depending on how long they work here. One man has been here 10 years," explained Robinson. "I don't offer health benefits. I wish I could, but I do offer a 403-B retirement benefit through Raymond James investments in Bad Axe. It's like a 401-K retirement, but easier to work with."



His workers come from Unionville, Birch Run, Vassar, and surrounding area.

Along with milking 1,500 cows, operating Paramount Enterprises Dairy includes farming 2,500 acres.



"I'm just a little operation," he said. "There are a lot larger dairy farms in Huron and Sanilac counties."
Bong Joon-ho's Netflix-produced CGI spectacular "Okja" had its first screening in Korea on Monday after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month.

Some 1,000 reporters including about 30 from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines attended the preview.

There was even a smattering of staff from CGV, the country's biggest movie theater chain, which has refused to screen the film over a spat with Netflix. CGV is miffed that Netflix wants to release the film simultaneously online and on screens, flying in the face of industry wisdom that gives cinemas first shot at any release.

Lotte Cinema has not yet decided whether to screen the film, but staff also attended the screening.


The U.S. Armys Birthday is an annual opportunity to celebrate the American Soldier and reflect on the Armys service to the nation. However, in recent years, this commemoration has caused me to grow concerned about Americas ability to hold on to the history of our countrys oldest and largest military service. There are mounting signs that America is losing the storied legacy of the U.S. Army to the passage of time.

The first part of the Armys history we often forget are the stories of individual Soldiers. Thirty million ordinary men and women have provided our country with extraordinary examples of Army service since 1775.

Military.com recently posted about one such Soldier whose incredible story was nearly lost forever. One hundred years ago, Ralph Moan of East Machias, Maine, left his job as a civil engineer to enlist with the Maine National Guard following the United States decision to enter World War I.

Private Moan, who was assigned as a mechanic with Company K, 103rd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, spent his early months overseas training and watching the worlds first aerial dogfights. However, his service eventually took him to the front lines. On March 6, 1918, he was awakened by heavy German shelling of his dugout. Private Moan was suddenly confronted with the full reality of the war. As the articles author described the Soldiers next few days, Moan hauled casualties over barbed wire entanglements and through muddy sloughs back to the battalion aid stations, sometimes more than a mile.

Private Moan continued to see combat throughout the summer campaigns of 1918, including the historic battle of Belleau Wood. Then, during the Meuse-Argonne offensive of September 26, Private Moan was assigned to run between lines of Allied troops to share information and coordinate attacks after communication lines were destroyed. He made several harrowing trips across exposed battlefields before being injured by a German shell. Private Moan survived the attack and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and French Croix de Guerre for his bravery.

The history made by Private Moan, and by every American Soldier, is the history of our nation. The Armys legacy teaches us about the sacrifice required to win our nations freedom, the service necessary to maintain our independence, the advancements and innovations forged in the name of national security and humanitarian relief, and Americas responsibility as a world power. The U.S. Army has played a direct, or indirect role in nearly every significant national event since our nations founding. We cannot let this rich history be lost.

At the request of the Secretary of the U.S. Army, The Army Historical Foundation is carrying out a campaign to preserve and share the Armys storied legacy by constructing the National Museum of the United States Army. The 185,000 square-foot building is currently being constructed on 84 acres at Fort Belvoir. The National Army Museum will walk visitors through the timeline of the conflicts and humanitarian missions where the U.S. Army has served, explore the evolution of our Armys diverse force, and recount the American publics support of the American Soldier. This long overdue tribute will be centered around Soldiers stories, and it will be Americas guarantee that their service is always remembered.

To date, corporations, foundations, allied nations and more than 155,000 individual donors have contributed to the project. And we continue to call on the nation for more support so we can build a museum worthy of telling the U.S. Armys story.

The Foundation is also putting out the call to all Soldiers, Army veterans and their loved ones to help us build the Registry of the American Soldier. This is an online catalogue where those who served in the Army, or someone on their behalf, can create a profile describing the role they play in U.S. Army history. Once the museum is complete in late 2019, the Registry will be accessible for generations of visitors to come. Creating a profile is completely free. It is the Foundations way of enabling every Soldier to have his or her story told in the future home to Army history.

A great Army deserves a great museum. If we forget the legacy of the U.S. Army, we lose a significant piece of our collective history. Celebrate the 242nd Birthday of the U.S. Army by joining us in ensuring that the Armys treasured past is never forgotten.

For more features on the Army's hitsory and birthday, visit the Military.com Army Birthday page.

General Gordon Sullivan is the Chairman of the Board of The Army Historical Foundation.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday put bipartisan blame on Congress for failing to lift budget caps that he said had stifled efforts to rebuild the military and improve readiness.

Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford also suggested that they could soon present options to President Donald Trump to support the request of Army Gen. John Nicholson, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, for at least 3,000 more troops to back the Afghan army against the Islamic State and a resurgent Taliban.

"We've listened very carefully to Gen. Nicholson's assessment," Dunford said. "We do have some things we're considering to turn around the trends."

Mattis added, "We'll take that forward to the president for a decision very soon."

The U.S. currently has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan and NATO and coalition allies have an additional 5,000. In February, Nicholson requested 3,000-5,000 more U.S. threats to counter the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

Related content:

In budget testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis warned that the nation faces a broad spectrum of emerging threats "and yet, for four years our military has been subject to or threatened by automatic, across-the-board cuts as a result of sequester -- a mechanism meant to be so injurious to the military it would never go into effect."

Rather than rising to the occasion, "Congress as a whole has met the present challenge with lassitude, not leadership," Mattis said in a rare rebuke by a cabinet member to his congressional overseers.

Mattis made his typically blunt remarks at an unusual nighttime committee hearing on the Trump administration's proposed fiscal 2018 defense budget request.

Mattis, joined at the hearing by Dunford and the Pentagon's new comptroller, David Norquist, has railed against sequestration before but had never previously put blame for its continuation so directly on Congress.

"I retired from military service three months after sequestration took effect" in 2013, he said of his stepping down as head of U.S. Central Command.

"Four years later, I returned to the department and I have been shocked by what I've seen with our readiness to fight," the defense secretary said. "For all the heartache caused by the loss of our troops during these wars, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.

"We have only sustained our ability to meet America's commitments abroad because our troops have stoically shouldered a much greater burden," he said in calling on Congress to lift the budget caps and pass a new budget on time for the Oct. 1 start of the fiscal year.

"Not long ago we convinced ourselves that when we pulled out of Iraq and ceased combat operations in Afghanistan, we would take two or three years to 'reset and reconstitute' the force," Mattis said. "Today's operations dictate the best we can do is 'reset and reconstitute in stride,' a reality that imposes its own stress on the force."

President Donald Trump proposed a national defense base budget of $603 billion -- $574.5 billion for the Department of Defense and $28.5 billion for Energy Department defense and nuclear programs. Mattis acknowledged that the request was $52 billion above the permitted cap under the Budget Control Act of 2011 of about $549 billion.

In addition, the Trump administration and the Pentagon have asked for $64.6 billion for the so-called "war budget," or overseas contingency operation, also known as OCO.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the HASC chairman, and other Republicans in the House and Senate have already staked out positions charging that the $603 billion baseline budget was not nearly enough to restore readiness.

Thornberry has called for a $37 billion increase in the baseline budget to $640 billion and he renewed the call in his questioning of Mattis at the hearing. He said the troops "deserve the best weapons and equipment we can provide," and "I'm afraid today they're not getting it."

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking member on the panel, said that even if sequester were lifted, the money simply wasn't there long-term to fund the buildup Trump has called for, such as a 350-ship Navy and an expansion of Army strength to 570,000.

"We have a grand idea of what we want," Smith said. "We don't have the money to get there. Who's left in the lurch? Those who serve."

In his prepared testimony, Mattis identified North Korea as the most persistent and dangerous threat to peace, but also said that the coming years will be marked by a new era of "Great Power" competition.

He said that "a resurgent and more aggressive Russian Federation and a rising, more confident, and assertive China" would place "the international order under assault. In this competitive environment, the Department must pay much more attention to future readiness, and regaining our Joint Force conventional overmatch over time," Mattis said.

"We must be willing and able to tap into commercial research, recognize its military potential, and develop new capabilities and the operational and organizational constructs to employ them faster than our competitors."

To offset the costs of ballooning defense budgets, Mattis offered an option that is almost politically impossible to achieve -- another round of base closings.

"I urge Congress to support the Department's request for authority to conduct a 2021 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round, a cornerstone of our efficiencies program," he said.

However, "I recognize the severity of BRAC's impact on communities and the careful consideration that members must exercise in considering it," Mattis said.

Without getting into numbers, Mattis also said that increased pay and benefits would also be part of a long-term effort to rebuild the military.

"Comprising roughly one-third of the Department of Defense budget, military pay and benefits are the single largest expense category for the Department," he said. "I believe providing competitive pay and benefits is a necessity to attract and retain the highly qualified people needed in today's military."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
By the end of June, the number of student naval aviators to miss their planned end of training and transition to the next squadron will reach 75, the head of Naval Air Systems Command said Tuesday.

Addressing a panel of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Vice Adm. Paul Grosklags said flights on the T-45 Goshawk trainer remain at a standstill, with students delayed in their transition to the fleet at the rate of 25 per month.

Meanwhile, he said, the nebulous problem that caused the Navy to temporarily ground its entire T-45 fleet in the spring continues to puzzle investigators.

"We are not doing well on the diagnosis," Grosklags told Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on seapower.

As Fox News first reported in April, the Navy implemented an operational pause for its T-45s after 100 instructor pilots refused to fly, citing concerns about the safety of the aircraft after a spike in hypoxia-like cockpit incidents for the aircraft. Ultimately, the Navy would launch a 30-day review of both the T-45 and the F/A-18 Hornet, another platform for which "physiological episodes," as the service calls them, have been reported.

While the service announced in late April that flight operations for the T-45 had resumed with a 5,000-foot altitude limit and a requirement that pilots pull no more than 2 Gs, Grosklags said that, to date, only currency flights for trainers had taken place. Actual training, he testified, remains at a standstill.

"It would be far easier if we could find out what the root cause was, and then go after fixing that root cause," Grosklags said. "To date, we have been unable to find any smoking guns."

He described Navy efforts to address the problem as running on two parallel paths. One effort has involved taking several of the affected aircraft from Naval Air Training Command and bringing them to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where engineers have torn them apart looking for problems with the breathing apparatus. Technicians have inspected every component in the "gas path" of the aircraft, looking for toxins or contaminants, but without success, he said.

"We've subjected each of those individual components to extremes of testing, extremes of environmental conditions, in excess of what we would ever expect to see in the aircraft," Grosklags said. "And we still have not been able to find what we would consider proximate cause of contamination or something being released into the gas path."

Simultaneously, the Navy has zeroed in on "10 to 12" different protective or prophylactic measures for T-45 aircrew that would allow pilots and trainees to identify a potential episode before it becomes a crisis in mid-air. It's this effort that will likely enable student pilots to return to the air, which is expected to happen in a matter of weeks, he said.

"Once ... we've got those individual items all in place for every single aircraft and aircrew down at [Naval Air Training Command, that is the point at which we will consider [resuming training]," Grosklags said.

If the effort is delayed, it could begin to affect air operations in the fleet. Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant of aviation for the Marine Corps, said Tuesday that if T-45 training does not start up again by September, it will cause operational problems for the service's aviation enterprise.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Navy brass are seriously examining the possibility of pulling seven or eight of its Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates out of retirement as the service works to surge its numbers.

Speaking Tuesday morning at a current strategy forum hosted by the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said the move was under consideration, though it would likely entail significant effort to modernize the older ships.

"We've got to be thoughtful about this," he said. " ... Those are some old ships and the technology on those ships is old. And in this exponential type of environment, a lot has changed since we last modernized those. So it will be a cost-benefit analysis in terms of how we do that.

The Navy built 51 Perry-class frigates in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The era of the ships was relatively short-lived; the first of the class, the Oliver Hazard Perry, was decommissioned in 1997, after just 20 years of service. The service decommissioned the last of the class, the Simpson in 2015.

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Following their decommissioning in the U.S. Navy, a number of the ships were transferred to international navies, including those of Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan, for continued use. Others were sunk for use as diving and fishing reefs, used as targets for missile tests, or dismantled for scrap.

There are now 12 Perry-class frigates listed in the holdings of the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, which maintains "mothball fleets" in Pearl Harbor; Philadelphia; and Bremerton, Washington. Some are marked as candidates for foreign military sale.

In a recent address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., commander of Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. Thomas Moore said ships in that era were not maintained or modernized with an eye to longevity.

"We kind of got rid of them at the 25-year point; we didn't do maintenance on them," he said. "The reality of it is, we really got rid of a lot of those ships because, from a combat systems standpoint, they had become obsolete."

That was true of the Perry-class frigates, which did not receive crucial warfighting updates and were overshadowed by the Aegis capabilities of the new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Within the Navy, some referred to the frigates as the "ghetto fleet."

It's not clear what it would take to get these ships sailing again in today's fleet or when Navy leadership will make a decision on whether or not to do so. Notably, Richardson made no mention of bringing the carrier Kitty Hawk out of mothballs as well, a possibility hinted at by Moore in a recent interview with Defense and Aerospace Report.

What is clear, however, is that relying on laid-up ships alone won't be enough to bring the Navy close to its goal of a 355-ship fleet. Richardson reiterated his goal to extend the service life of currently serving ships and making existing platforms more capable, using technologies such as directed energy weapons to get more than a ship's worth of capability out of every ship in the fleet.

"There are many types of those technologies that are out there, imaging radars, those sorts of things, to make each of these platforms more capable, delivering more naval power," he said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
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...
If you think about it, there is not a better time to build a new morning fitness habit than right now with the end of...
Premier Li urged Chinese people around the globe to participate in the countrys innovation drive and economic and trade cooperation with the rest of the world, during the Second Global Overseas Chinese Industry and Commerce Convention in Beijing on June 12.

Overseas Chinese peoples excellent characteristics of diligence, wisdom, and credibility have won respect and friendship in the countries where they live, the Premier said, acknowledging their great contributions to promoting Chinas opening up and modernization.

With steady economic growth, accelerated structural upgrading and a stable job market, China has been gaining a competitive edge in drawing investment and as a large commodity market. The Premier expressed confidence in attaining this years economic target, while maintaining a medium-to-high growth rate and moving toward a medium-to-high level of development.

Premier Li then called for overseas Chinese to take the initiative in participating in Chinas innovation drive. China is implementing the innovation-driven strategy to gain new momentum of growth and transform traditional industries, partly by streamlining government administration and cutting taxes for enterprises, as well as encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

I hope overseas Chinese can utilize their advantage in capital, technology, management, commercial network and talents, and actively participate in Chinas innovative development, the Premier said.

He also urged overseas Chinese to promote economic and trade cooperation between China and the rest of the world. China will promote a new round of high-level opening-up, further ease control over market access for foreign investment and create a more fair and convenient business environment.

I hope overseas Chinese can bring into full play their unique advantages in connecting China with the world and pooling resources, play an active role in promoting the Belt and Road initiative and economic cooperation, and expand the third-party cooperation to better achieve mutual benefit, the Premier said.

He also encouraged them to carry forward traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, abide by local laws, actively assume social responsibility and build a good image of the Chinese people in an effort to facilitate exchanges and cooperation in various fields between China and foreign countries.

Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, the Premier said. Overseas Chinese should make due contributions to the peaceful reunification of China by safeguarding the one-China principle and recognizing the 1992 consensus, he said.

State councilors Yang Jing and Yang Jiechi also attended the meeting.

Over 600 overseas Chinese representatives from more than 100 countries and regions around the world joined the meeting.
Russia announced on Wednesday it would withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro that includes Kherson, the only regional capital Moscow has captured since invading Ukraine in February.
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You know a sector is in deep trouble when news does the round that the government is being asked to consider undertaking a 'bailout' for companies.

This week, officials of several telecom companies are expected to meet an inter-ministerial group where they are likely to call upon the government to offer certain relaxations to the sector.

A bailout typically is a set of policy measures -- including fiscal or tax sops -- to help resuscitate an ailing sector.

Sitting on a loan pile of Rs 4 lakh crore, telecom companies have hogged the limelight for several wrong reasons lately.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently asked banks to keep a check on their lending due to the growing amount of bad loans.

In an recent CNBC-TV18 interview, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently admitted that he hoped 'telecom would not be the new steel'.

But are things as bad?

The general idea of a bailout is frowned upon by economists, who advocate that it should be resorted to only as a last resort.

A free market works on the principle of competition, where weak players are weeded out. A bailout undermines this by propping them up artificially.

But as we've seen, the 'invisible hand' of the market is playing its part: the fierce competition kickstarted by Jio has led to consolidation in the space.

Idea and Vodafone will be merged by 2018, Bharti Airtel has purchased Telenor, while RCom and Tata Tele are said to be considering a merger.

Consolidation is expected to result in synergies between companies, lead to better utilisation and help firms contain losses.

An increase in efficiency will be witnessed when companies begin to share assets such as spectrum and infrastructure.

A recent CARE Ratings report said that even as ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) has declined since September 2016 -- the month Jio launched -- it is expected to improve as data usage will increase with the growing number of subscribers.

"Also, the new norm of bundled voice and data packages will aid the telecom companies ARPU. Most of the telecom operators are now offering bundled services in the price band of Rs.300-400 per month," the report said.

Lenders too have not lost faith yet. State Bank of India (SBI), country's largest lender, has not cancelled any unused line of credit to the telecom sector.

Line of credit is the maximum amount of credit set by both the parties - borrowers and lenders (financial institutions, banks) - and it is flexible. The borrowers can borrow loans even below the amount which was decided and only be charged an interest for the borrowed amount.

According to TRAI data, broadband subscribers as of 2016 stood at 218.42 million with 200 million accessing internet through their cellphones, telling us that the data subscribers could be the saving grace for telecom.

The report predicts that telcos will increase the share of revenues that come through data -- currently 75 percent revenue generation is through voice calls.

What got us here?

The telecom business is capex-heavy. Companies are required to set up communication towers, and the costs required to maintain the necessary infrastructure, acquire spectrum and attract customers are high. The high fixed overheads mean return on investments continue to be low.

Advances in technologies mean telcos have keep ramping up infrastructure to keep pace with the newest standards: major players like Bharti Airtel announced a Rs 60,000 crore investment in 2015 as a part of their three-year "Project Leap" program. The program is aiming at a more "comprehensive network transformation."

Secondly, the Reliance Jio's entry into the industry has proved to be disruptive. Flush with cash, the company's free voice and data services forced other players to lower tariffs.

Understandably, the stress in the sector has played out in share prices as well. Idea Cellular stock price has fallen from Rs 143.75 in September 2016, hitting a low of Rs 69.20 in January this year.

That also means higher borrowing costs through equity, even as strain on finances means debt borrowing remains difficult.
Infosys

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After conducting a preliminary probe, the countrys market regulator has found no merit in a whistleblowers allegations of corporate governance violations by software major Infosys.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will close the matter at this stage, according to a Business Standard report.

The whistleblower claimed Infosys had overpaid for its acquisition of Israeli firm Panaya and also raised doubts over the hefty severance payout to former Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Bansal.

As part of the probe, SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi and other regulator officials met with the Infosys management. SEBI concluded that the requisite procedures were followed and appropriate disclosure were made in both cases.

It referred to the reports of the audit and remuneration committee of Infosys while finding that there were no corporate governance violations.

Bansal received Rs 17.38 crore on leaving Infosys after 17 years at the company. The payout was among several concerns about corporate governance that were raised by Infosys founders in a letter to the Board in January that led to friction between the two parties that eventually became a public row.

Infosys acquired Panaya in 2015 for USD 200 million in a deal that raised eyebrows, with critics claiming the money paid was six times more than the company's revenue.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Anil Rai Gupta, CMD of Havells India spoke about the goods and services tax (GST) and latest happenings in the company.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview:

Latha: Let us start with the GST- rates on cables etc, has been higher than what was expected, the have come in at 28 percent versus the current 18 percent. What is your reaction?

A: It doesn't change anything. The fact is that we were expecting a lower rate at 18 percent. We thought all building materials would come at the rate of 18 percent especially with the fact that earlier the value-added tax (VAT) plus the excise duty came to around that number but if it is 28 percent, we expect it to be 28 percent. It will definitely impact some of the consumers but on the other hand the builders and the contractors, they will be able to take credit of that, so that is something which is alright but for the consumers it may mean some higher prices.

Anuj: You mean the entire price hike will be passed on to consumers and do you think they will be able to take it?

A: We do not need to increase the prices. The base prices continue to remain the same.

Sonia: Will demand be impacted due to GST - Blue Star, Johnson Controls -Hitachi Air Conditioning India (Hitachi), Vijay Sales have all been suggesting that overall sales have been less in the month of May and June is also expected to be a washout. Is that your reading as well?

A: I do believe that there will be destocking in trade in the month of June and it makes sense because the credit which the dealers will be getting, will be lesser than what they have paid for and hence there will be a certain loss to the dealers if they retain the stocks at the end of June. So it makes sense to buy and sell material which they can sell in June. There will be an impact because of that but that will be taken care of in the month of July itself because ultimately the overall demand over a longer period of time should not be affected.

Latha: Now margins. Does all this mean that you will have more schemes for dealers? Now that will mean a headwind to your margin as well there is competition, commodity prices, the Lloyd's takeover and now GST. What does all this mean for margin in the near term?

A: I guess it is a continuation of demonetisation. The fact is because of this we may have not been able to improve the pricing in the market because of some uncertainty in the market but there is no point in giving schemes and encouraging dealers to stock material. On the other hand it makes sense to reduce the stock at the end of June. I think it will be counterproductive and counterintuitive to start giving schemes and push material in the market. In fact as a company we do not believe in doing anything which affects the trade in any way.

Anuj: Can you give us a range for margins. The key concern for investors has been that sales growth is coming at a cost of margins which have been stagnant for two years now?

A: At this moment we would not like to comment on the future. We would want to get through this transition of post demonetisation impact as well as the GST impact. There will be uncertainty for the next couple of months and things will settle down at that stage. So I am not too worried about the margins because in effect we are a strong franchise, we are a strong distribution, so overall margins should not be dilutive. It maybe a couple of months of margins here or there but should not affect the overall picture.

Sonia: Cash generation from operations was meaningfully lower last year. Is there anything to be concerned about here?

A: We have invested a lot in terms of capacity expansion for the coming years. We have taken a couple of pieces of land. So, keeping in mind that we will be expanding our manufacturing footprint both for electrical as well as consumer durables, it's not a matter of a big concern.

Latha: This one keeps coming in the stock market buzz - Kenstar is on the block. You have bandwidth for acquisitions. So give us your strategy?

A: There is no doubt that we would be open to look at acquisitions in the future as well but we have recently taken Lloyd and we would like to integrate for a few months and then continue to expand both Havells and Lloyd. So I would say that we would not be too aggressive for the next few months on any more acquisitions.
From the side-lines of Ambit's India Access Conference underway in London, Vinod Dasari, CEO & MD of Ashok Leyland spoke to CNBC-TV18's Latha Venkatesh and Sonia Shenoy about latest happenings in his company and in the sector.

Ashok Leyland is significantly ramping up production in electric vehicle (EV) space. The company has a three-pronged strategy for this business, one of which is battery swapping, he said.

The company has launched Indias first electric bus and will invest Rs 100 crore initially in EV business.

We like to be at the forefront of technology which is based on Indian innovation, he said.

He further said that the government is keen and asking for huge number of buses and the order ranges from 2,000 to 20,000.

He believes that goods and services tax (GST) will be positive for commercial vehicle (CV) cycle.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Anuj: Everyone is talking about upping their game in electric vehicle space and you are significantly ramping up production as well. How much are you looking to spend and will your products be similar to what you have been doing or will they be different?

A: We have a three-pronged strategy on electric vehicles. Everybody is interested in electric vehicle because India is generating a lot of power. So, if we have a lot of power available, why dont we use electric vehicle. So, one of the things the auto industry has been telling the government is that we will follow any emission norm or anything that you set, just give us a roadmap.

So, in fact one of the suggestions we made is that rather than following the European stem of euro-III, euro-IV, euro-V, and so on, why dont we look at something which is more directly in the national interest like saying 10 years from now we will have zero imported fuel for automobiles and if that means we have CNG, ethanol, electric, whatever, it is all indigenous and if it is electric then it is no emissions also. So, maybe in few years after this target, then we can achieve that.

So, we have a three pronged strategy, one is what we developed with Circuit. As you know we launched Indias first electric bus. We also have European technology, we are one of the largest electric bus manufacturers and hybrid bus manufacturers because we own a company called Optare here in UK. The third is something that we are trying in India with the battery swapping. So, we are trying all three simultaneously whichever one works best we will try it.

The pace at which it is coming has suddenly gone up, so, we will have to invest quite a bit of money in development of their technology. The initial sources say that at least Rs 100 crore will go in. However, the base bus is about the same. What we are getting to is batteries which are bought out or do you want to get into development of batteries. Then you have the motor and do we design our own or do we buy it out. So, it is yet to be seen exactly where we are on battery technology. Most of the batteries are still imported, so, if we start to get into making batteries, that will be a huge investment. We dont see ourselves doing that right now.

Sonia: The Rs 100 crore that you are looking to invest it will not be for battery swapping only?

A: At this point it is only for development, integrating, electric drivetrain into our bus. Which electric drivetrain will work, whether it is a let us say a 500 kilowatt battery pack which weighs huge amount and then more than a tonne and then it is charged with a fast charge system or is it a pantograph system that could be one. There could be another which is 500 kilowatt with slow charge system or something like that. There could be another with a smaller battery with a swap that you change the battery every so often.

So, which one of these will be most efficient is not known but battery costs are coming down and there will be a tipping point. Few years ago batteries were USD 1,500 per kilowatt. They have come down to about USD 200-250 per kilowatt now. The minute they hit a USD 100 per kilowatt, I think you will have a situation where electric technology will be competing head-to-head almost with diesel. So, per kilometer operating cost of electric becomes as much as diesel. So, at that time, there will be an inflection. I dont see that to be too far out.

Latha: What is this scope of growth in this electric vehicle business and where do you see Ashok Leyland itself feature in the market share gain?

A: I think everybody is very bullish about electric vehicles but as of now the technology roadmap is not very clear. As they evolve and based on the cost competitiveness and the operating cost competitiveness, we will see.

Sonia: I want to talk a little more about the buses segment because we hear that the government has expressed some interest on how many electric buses they would like to buy over the next one to two years. Have you heard anything from that front and would you get a big chunk of that order?

A: We are the largest bus manufacturer in India. Outside China, we are the worlds largest bus manufacturer. So, obviously, whenever something new is coming to India, we would be working with the government to bring in whatever technology, try new things. We came up with the first CNG bus in India, we came up with the first hybrid then we came up with the first CNG hybrid, last year we launched the first non-plugin hybrid and then we launched the electric. We dont know which one will sell but we like to be at the forefront of technology which is based on Indian innovation, not just cut and paste from wherever else in the world.

So, the government is quite keen, I think they are asking for a huge number of buses; numbers are all over the place anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000. So, like I was saying, this whole thing is evolving. I think it will take at least a year or two before it starts to unravel and at that point we will know which technology roadmap, how much government incentive is needed, how much is the operating cost vis-a-vis diesel versus electric and once that is clear, I think there will be much more traction to this; still early days.

Latha: What is generally the demand situation especially with GST coming up?

A: I think it will be positive for the commercial vehicle (CV) cycle. The profitability of my customers is likely to improve because they will have lesser down time and they will make more money, so, they will buy more trucks.

Secondly, with GST, the economy itself is likely to improve and once the economy improves, our industry as you know is tied to three things, GDP, the infrastructure as well as mining. The latter two anyway are going up because of the huge infrastructure work that is going on and the associated mining with it. So, as GDP also pushes up, which everybody is hopeful for with this GST, I am sure it will give a nice boost to the commercial vehicle industry also.

Sonia: You had guided for capex of Rs 500 crore in FY18, will you invest only Rs 100 crore in the electric vehicle (EV) business or is there scope for more investments there?

A: Let me put it this way, four years ago, our debt was Rs 7,000 crore. We ended March 2017 with zero net debt. As and when we see an opportunity, we will invest. I dont think cash is a concern right now. The opportunity has to present itself, we are working on several fronts and if we have to suddenly invest Rs 1,000 crore in electric, we will, no problem.
mployees walk along a corridor in the Infosys campus in Bangalore (Image: Reuters)

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In its annual filing to the US Securities and Commission, Bengaluru-based IT major Infosys highlighted a series of concerns over its US operations. Chief among the worries that were highlighted included what Infosys saw as shareholder activism, and restrictive H1-B policy.

The report said, "Actions of activist shareholders may adversely affect our ability to execute our strategic priorities, and could impact the trading value of our securities."

The report implicitly highlighted the rift between its founders and management, when co-founder N Narayana Murthy recently said that 60-70 percent pay hike to a top-level executive was not proper when the employees were only given a 6 percent compensation.

However, a company spokesperson soon clarified to Mint that the company was not referring to its promoters as activist shareholders and that this was only due to the "active participation and discussion with shareholders and stakeholders leading to corporate actions" and it does not refer to any specific set of investors or individuals.

The filing also mentioned the ongoing hurdles which the company has been facing in the form of "Negative media coverage and public scrutiny". Any such negative optics could "adversely affect the prices of (their) equity shares and ADSs," it noted.

Infosys also pointed out that US visa restrictions are a "continuing threat" as some or all "will be applied exclusively to Indian IT services companies."

It stressed that if visa proposals soon become law, it would dramatically increase its costs and it "could have a material and adverse effect on (their) business, revenues and operating results."

It also added that it may not be able to sustain its levels of profitability due to multiple reasons, "including but not limited to, the higher cost of doing business in certain key markets such as the US due to increased investments in onsite development centers."

The United States carries the major chunk of Infosys' North American clients with over 16 offices and 10 consulting and services operations and generates 61.9 percent of its revenue from its North American clients.

With that at risk, Infosys is hesitant to set up technology hubs in the US. Talking about funding Indian employees sent to handle the offices there, the report said, "any increase in visa costs or increase in salaries payable to visa dependent employees onsite would increase our cost of doing business onsite significantly impacting our profitability."

Infosys H-1B & L-1 visas are the temporary work visas required to work in the US. On March 31, 2017 Infosys had 14,859 H-1B and 1549 L-1 visas as compared to 14,659 and 1,364 in FY16. With heavy restrictions, the IT firm is concerned that this would "discourage customers from seeking (their) services."

The report, like Wipro's filing, also highlights the geopolitical issues of the US and the European Union which are likely to hurt their operations.

Infosys generates 22.5 percent revenue from the EU and hence is concerned about its client countries' economic instability. To prove how much they can be impacted by it, the report quotes the example of the 2008 US financial crisis.
Moneycontrol News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon release new Rs 500 currency notes. The central bank assured that the old currency notes will continue to be functional along with the new ones.

The new note will have some minor changes like inclusion of the inset letter 'A' instead of the letter 'E' in the former notes, as per the media reports.

Along with that, the signature of RBI governor Urjit Patel and the year of printing as "2017" will be on the reverse side of the note.

Other than these, the new currency notes will resemble the Mahatma Gandhi (new series) Rs 500 banknote series, confirmed RBI.

The Mahatma Gandhi (new series) Rs 500 banknotes were introduced following the government's decision to demonetise old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in November 2016.

The central bank then had introduced the new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes.

The RBI, last week, said that more than 83 percent of the currency had been remonetised already, although no official data is available to confirm the figures.
More than 200 Indian companies will showcase their products ranging from frozen food to breads, desserts and pickles in Anuga, a biennial global trade fair for the food industry held in Germany.

India will be the partner country in the fairs 34th edition, a five-day exposition starting October 7. The fair will offer Indian companies the opportunity to strike deals with global food giants, acquire state-of-the-art technologies and market their products overseas.

We are very much looking forward to the collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in the scope of Anuga, said Katharina C. Hamma, chief operating officer, Koelnmesse GmbH, a German international trade fair and exhibition Center. The trade fair offers the Indian food and beverage sector an excellent projection and development area.

More than 7,200 exhibitors from 100 countries expected to showcase the latest global food industry trends and products.

Indian cuisine's growing popularity among Europeans has also opened up new opportunities for domestic food companies selling packed exotic local products.

It is an honour to be a partner with Anuga, said Harsimrat Kaur Badal, food processing minister, while signing the Memorandum of Understanding for partnership in New Delhi.

Also read: FDI norms may be eased for multi-brand retail, commodity markets

The minister said that Anuga offers opportunity for India to showcase its strength and talent in the food processing industry.

Being the largest (food) producer but weak in processing, there are immense opportunities for India, she said.

Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the state-run nodal agency for promoting external trade, Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA), a government body to promote food exports, and Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC), are the key Indian institutions participating at Anuga.

There will be a Hot Beverages stall, the first of its kind, in Anuga 2017, a move that will allow Indian tea traders to showcase their specialty teas.

Indian tea suppliers will (also) find an excellent platform for their product presentation to tea traders under one roof, Katharina said.

India is hosting the World Food India in November that will bring together Indian and overseas food processing companies offering a single platform to sign business and joint venture deals

Also read: National Food Processing Policy on anvil: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

The three-day food fair from November 3 is aimed at transforming the food economy, Badal said.

World Food India provides opportunity to every country and state to showcase their own cuisine, mixing and matching of fusion food with our herbs, she said.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) which have off-late turned net sellers in the month of June after pouring in close to Rs10,000 crore in the month of May are very positive on Indian markets assures Pramod Gubbi, managing director and head equities, at Ambit Institutional Equities.

FIIs continue to be positive in India given the nature of the economy is largely dependent on the domestic market as opposed to other emerging markets (EMs) which are dependent on the global economy, said Gubbi.

He further said that I dont think there is any left out feeling among FIIs poured in money in receding years which has made a lot of returns for the market. I dont think last 8-month suggest they have had any serious issue abut India as an investible market.

Comparing with emerging markets, Gubbi said that India stands above other EMs. However there are concerns around valuation as well as find good quality companies which continue to be rated upwards.

Earnings growth is slowly turning up. It may well be started increasing for some companies but not across the board which will play an important role.

However, Gubbi said that investors with long-term valuations should not look at valuations at current levels. The current valuation should not matter too much if your investment horizon is 3-5 years, he said.

But, for those who have entered markets with a relatively shorter term horizon want to know when their exit is and in that period how the market would behave.

Commenting on the GST, Gubbi said that there could be some surprises because of de-stocking ahead of GST or the preparedness of GST. But, how big structural is going to be, I dont think we can speculate that, he said.

The rally in Indian markets is primarily driven by a surge in local inflows which are unlikely to stop even if the earnings growth remained muted.
Relieving apprehensions of the opposition and business community, the Jammu & Kashmir government has said it would not compromise fiscal autonomy of the state and no one would be put at a disadvantage under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

"We have made changes in federal relations with the Government of India. Other states draw powers to tax from the Constitution of India while we draw our powers from our own Constitution.Those legislative powers have not been compromised, so there is no question of compromising fiscal autonomy," finance minister Haseeb Drabu said, addressing a meeting here.

Last month, the business community in Kashmir had said that it is not against GST but threatened a 'never-before' kind of agitation if the new tax regime affected the special status of the state for GST rollout.

Opposition National Conference met Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra on June 9 and apprised him about the party's apprehensions on the extension of Constitutional Amendment 101 to the state to facilitate the extension of the GST, saying "such a plan will have wider and irreversibly adverse ramifications on the state's fiscal autonomy and will impinge upon the residuary powers enjoyed by the state."

"The opposition also sought deferment of the special session of the state legislature beginning June 17 and sought an all-party meeting to allay the fears and concerns of the various parties and putting the entire concept in public domain so that there is an open debate with the stakeholders," Vohra added.

The finance minister said it is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that a constitutional amendment was required to extend a Central law to the state which will be debated in the State Assembly.

"People of Jammu & Kashmir must understand what is at stake, which is why we are holding a special assembly session," he said adding that the state government has set precedent of discussing policy issues with stakeholders and in the assembly where people send their leaders to take decisions which impact their lives.

"Article 370 is safe and modalities are safe. You should recognize that we are setting a precedent. If anything, it is my understanding that the union is sharing sovereignty with the states, in the taxation space," he said.

He added that GST is running successfully in 198 countries.

"Let me assure you that there can be no better system for traders than GST. Besides, the system of exemptions will also continue in J&K. Modalities will be worked out in coming days as there is uncertainty all across India and J&K is not unique to it over internet and other operational issues which will have to be resolved," Haseeb Drabu said.

Drabu said that businesses of Jammu and Kashmir would be affected if GST is not extended to the State,

"It is a federal tax where J&K will be a participant. In absence of GST, there will be two taxes which will hike the costs and impact the consumers. Trade will be hampered and no one will be willing to do business in J&K," he said.

Drabu said the implementation of GST is being discussed since 2002 and the law has evolved over the years.

"Earlier, GST was supposed to be a single rate, single tax with no GST Council. Today, not one decision has been taken without the consultation of other states which is why I have repeatedly said that GST council is India's first truly federal institution," he said.

He also said that GST would ease businesses as inspection audits will fade away and assessments will be done by traders.

"States have huge powers today. Our government has done nothing in the Constitutional Amendment which takes away the legislative powers of Jammu & Kashmir," he said.

The meeting was also attended by Commissioner of Secretary Finance Navin K Chaudhary, Commissioner of Sales Tax Pervaiz Khateeb, representatives of business chambers of Jammu and Kashmir regions, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association, Kashmir Restaurant Owners Federation, Hoteliers and other business leaders of the state.
IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today reiterated that there will be no extension for registration of ongoing projects beyond July 31 under Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).

"As far as the appointed date for registration is concerned, I fully endorse the view of Maharashtra RERA (MahaRERA) chairman, Gautam Chatterjee," the chief minister said, while addressing builders and developers at a conference here.

Real estate developers were given a 90-day window to register their new and ongoing projects with RERA, which ends on July 31.

Chatterjee had recently said that no extension would be given for registration of ongoing real estate projects beyond July 31.

"Ultimately at some point we have to register. I am of the view why tomorrow, why not today? So, get registered on the appointed date and I believe things will be smooth," Fadnavis explained.

He assured industry members that the government will be lenient for one or two years.

"The authority and the government will be absolutely lenient for one or two years. On mere technical grounds, we will not allow anybody to be harassed," he said.

The chief minister said if required, say after six months if there are some practical problems, the government will look into the rules again and take care of it.

"In a year's time, the ball will be rolling smoothly," he reiterated.

Juxtaposing RERA with the demonetisation exercise, the chief minister said that RERA was announced well in advance compared to demonetisation which was an overnight directive. Despite struggles, people understood the importance, he pointed out.

"People fear the unknown. If we survived demonetisation, what is RERA?," he said.

Speaking about the impact on business, Fadnavis explained that the government will ensure a secure and positive business environment.

"Unless we give proper flexibility to the businesses they won't flourish. Real estate is one sector which plays a major role in the economy of Mumbai and Maharashtra," he said.

"Under MahaRERA, we will ensure all questions will be answered, and businesses will not feel any impediment," he added.

On GST, he assured the industry that the government will facilitate the smooth transition.

"Government is not an inspector but a facilitator. In that role, I assure you in one year there will be no problems left. GST regime will be working better than VAT," he said.
Leasing may spur growth

Some developers are of the opinion that there has been a shift in buyers/investor behaviour over the last few months. From an ownership driven model, the rental model is gaining traction. We are into both ownership driven real estate and the rental business wherein we provide rental returns to owners as well as put up our own unsold inventory on rent to corporates. This helps us enhance the saleability of our residential units as investors are encouraged to buy already leased properties as it fetches assured returns, says Sriram Chitturi, MD, Shanders Group, that has projects in Bengaluru.

Some of the units in its Alta Vista project located in Electronic City in Bengaluru have been leased out to Symbiosis Institute and the company is in talks with Titan to lease out more such units.

Rather than creating ghost towns in a market which is slow, it is better to lease out units. This is also because currently, supply is more than demand. We easily get a rental yield of 4 percent to 6 percent and we are able to sell unsold units quickly through this method. By putting units on lease we are offering a product that is closer to a financial instrument to investors who are in any case not interested in residing in the project, he says.

Out of the 30 unsold units that were leased out, the company has recently managed to sell at least 15, he claims, adding the rent for these apartments is around Rs 42,500. The company is planning to replicate the model in its other projects spread across Bengaluru.

Companies that are into aggregating such properties are also having a field day. PropUrban, an online -to- offline (O2O) real estate investment advisory and transaction platform, dealing in commercial and residential properties, has signed up 51 developer properties for leasing purposes.

These include both unsold stock as well as those that have been sold to buyers or investors. We are hoping to close 150 such units by end of this month. The return on investment on such unsold inventory that is leased out is close to around 8 percent as these projects are either located close to the airport or near corporate hubs, says Mir Jaffer Ali, founder and CEO, PropUrban.com

We are also in the process of initiating nationality-specific leasing for corporates based out of Bengaluru wherein Japanese or Korean companies lease out a cluster of 10 to 20 apartments for their staff. We manage these properties for them. We also tailor the apartments as per their cultural needs and specifications, he explains.

Another project located close to the Bengaluru airport called Micasa has also been pre-leased to corporates. The project is being developed by NCR-based Supertech Limited.

We are offering employees of corporates pre-leased apartments in this project which will be handed over by end of this year. In our project located in Sector 137, Noida we have leased out 137 studio apartments to companies. Pre-leased apartments offers a win-win option to developers as it helps them sell pre-leased properties to investors, says RK Arora, chairman, Supertech Limited.

This concept offers a great opportunity to developers to enhance the saleability of their projects. Such a product is viable for investors as it offers immediate returns. Selling unsold housing stock that has already been leased out can help developers sell their units faster. It also helps increase rental housing stock in the market, says Rajeev Talwar, chairman, NAREDCO & CEO DLF Ltd.

Impact of Demonetisation

There is a lull in the market so far as new launches are concerned. In the latest report from Cushman & Wakefield, the top 8 cities witnessed residential launches of approximately 25,800 units in the first quarter of 2017, registering a 16 percent decline from the corresponding period last year. A closer look at the trend indicate that launches have seen a steady quarter  on  quarter (Q-o-Q) decline for the last four quarters corresponding with the announcement of Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA) 2016 in March last year and the demonetisation exercise in November 2016. Launches in the residential sector have declined by about 8 percent during the period April 2016 to March 2017 compared to the same period in 2015-16.

Also, as per estimates by Liases Foras, the unsold stock in top eight cities across the country stands at 8,98,434 units with maximum unsold inventory in NCR market at 2,61,556 followed by MMR at 2,26,338 and Bengaluru at 1,13,075.

Developers are renting out properties to liven up their projects. Rather than keep the project idle, leasing out units is a better option. As more people move into the project, there is faster traction and the housing stock sells faster. The idea is not to create a revenue stream but to see traction improving, adds AS Sivaramakrishnan, head, Residential Services, India, CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd.
Low-cost airline Spicejet has entered the highly competitive retail space with SpiceStyle which would offer fashion and lifestyle brands on its own portal as well as other online marketplaces.

In March, Moneycontrol had reported that SpiceJet will foray into retail space with a string of physical stores, online e-tail gateways, and in-flight merchandise. (Read full story here)

The company has roped in fashion designer Rohit Bal to run a curated section on its own portal. With this venture, the company would become the first Indian airline brand to sell its own branded merchandise on online marketplaces.

The company has also joined hands with the US e-commerce giant Amazon to sell its products on its website. SpiceStyles entire portfolio of brands will be available on the Amazon's Prime section at special launch prices offering discounts at flat 25 percent.

With this partnership, SpiceJet plans to open a new revenue stream and enhance its customer reach and engage a wider audience among active online shoppers. SpiceStyle offers products across 17 different categories such as electronics, accessories, jewellery and apparel for men, women and kids. Airline passengers would also be able to order the products during SpiceJet flights.

SpiceStyle promises to provide customers with the same brand experience as the parent airline enabling them to travel in comfort and style. In this new exciting journey, we shall be partnering with leading e-commerce marketplaces to distribute our exclusive range of products, which can also be ordered onboard our flights as well as on SpiceStyle.com, Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet said.

The new venture is likely to further boost SpiceJets ancillary revenue income which has grown from 6 percent to around 17 percent in the last two years.

The company is also planning physical stores, which will initially come up in airports, will be completely owned and run by the company.

Initially conceived as an in-flight only service, SpiceStyle, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SpiceJet, now exists in the form of its e-commerce portal.

Globally, many airlines have opened a retail arm to add ancillary revenues. 'KrisShop' is Singapore Airlines flagship in-flight retail store that is available only on its flights. German airline Lufthansa runs Worldshop where people can buy apparel and accessories online.

Indias retail market is expected to nearly double to USD 1 trillion by 2020 from USD 600 billion in 2015, driven by income growth, urbanisation and attitudinal shifts. While the overall retail market is expected to grow at 12 percent per annum, the modern trade would expand twice as fast at 20 percent per annum and traditional trade at 10 percent, according to a report Retail 2020: Retrospect, Reinvent, Rewrite by The Boston Consulting Group and Retailers Association of India.

According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a government-backed research body and think-tank, India is expected to become the worlds fastest growing e-commerce market, with sales expected to reach USD 120 billion by 2020 from USD 30 billion in 2015-16.
Beleaguered e-commerce firm Snapdeal which is in talks with rival Flipkart for a potential stake sale is mulling an alternative survival plan in case the company's stake sale doesn't go through. According to the alternative plan, Snapdeal may witness another round of layoffs which may impact 600 to 1,000 odd employees, two people privy to the development inside the company told Moneycontrol.

There wasn't an immediate clarity as to what the company will do with around 250-300 people left. "This is a backup plan in case the deal doesn't happen. There's no fine print as of now but it may involve shutting down of the company's logistics unit Vulcan alongside all the warehouses it currently runs," said one of the person quoted above.

"The company will look at third parties for warehouses and logistics...(it) will run on a complete marketplace model," he added. Snapdeal currently has about 5-6 warehouses.

Snapdeal currently controls its own logistics and payments. It is likely to route these services through someone else if the standalone plan is to be processed.

According to a third person privy to the development, the standalone plan would include a strategy to run a leaner organisation that can last for up to 24-36 months.

"The plan B would probably mean getting rid of 75 percent of the remaining employees if the deal does not go through. Nothing has been finalised or officially communicated so far but it is just an alternative scenario," another person quoted above said.

"These are all closed door conversations. Survival of Snapdeal will depend on several factors -- if the company manages to raise a round of bridge funding if the Freecharge deal successfully concludes etc etc," he added.

Moneycontrol reported last month that besides Paytm, Snapdeal's mobile wallet firm Freecharge was also in talks with Bank of Baroda (BOB) and Times Internet for an all-cash acquisition. (Read story here)

The Freecharge deal is expected to be in the range of USD 60-75 million.

The money could bring some cash relief to Snapdeal as its internal reserves continue to deplete with each passing day.

Around February, the company was left with around USD 100 million in the bank. Its monthly burn rate was about USD 10 million then.

(Snapdeal's funding rounds. Source: Tracxn)

While it has been paying severance to all the employees who were let go off since then, it has also reduced its monthly burn, since the last few months. The burn is expected to have reduced to about USD 5 million per month now.

Moneycontrol last month reported that Snapdeal had signed a non-binding letter of intent for a merger with Flipkart. Ernst & Young has been roped in by Flipkart to conduct a due diligence on the firm, according to people mentioned above.

The period for the merger deal as mentioned in the letter of intent is estimated to expire during the first week of July. This deal is being pushed by major investors from both the companies mainly Softbank and Tiger Global Management.

Tiger Global is scouting for a partial or a complete exit from Flipkart following an investment from Japanese investor Softbank, depending on the way the deal is structured.

Also watch: How online shopping works

Without commenting on the issue of layoffs, the third person privy to the development said that the due diligence is almost over. "The first level reports shows that all is clear. There's a certain timeline committed which hasn't got over. So its too early to make predictions (for an alternate plan)," he said.

According to an industry expert, who spoke on the basis of anonymity, "The deal is going slow but that is because the structuring of this deal is very different. This is going to be a landmark deal. There are multiple large investors involved. It should take significant time...it has to take care of the regulatory, the stock angle among many other things," he said.

priyanka.sahay@nw18.com

Also read: The story behind Snapdeal's increasing cart of woes
Whatfix | Headcount: 350 | Headquarters: Bengaluru | Year founded: 2014 | As remote work becomes the norm and more businesses go online, Whatfix sees strong tailwinds going ahead, LinkedIn said. (Representative image)

Bangalore based startup Instamojo is now getting into the SME lending space. In the next 30 days, Instamojo will adding a credit feature to its mobile app through which merchants will be able to avail low-ticket instant loans between Rs 10,000 and Rs 80,000.

Founded in 2012 by Harshad Sharma, Sampad Swain and Akash Gehani (inset above), Instamojo allows merchants with a mobile device and a bank account to accept payments using credit and debit cards, e-wallets, and UPI.

For the yet to be launched credit system, Instamojo will deduct 25 percent of a days sale post the disbursement of loan, towards EMI, ensuring repayment of the loan.

Instamojo has so far raised USD 2.6 million from investors such as Kalaari Capital, Blume Ventures, 500Startups, and others.

In another offering, the startup is tying up with logistics companies such as Zeppo and eCourierz.com to integrate courier services for home delivery for merchants.

The services are in beta stage currently. We have tied up with various banks and NBFCs, as well as logistics companies. The structure will be the same. We will leverage the plethora of data we have on each merchant, which we will share with the partner companies, who will disburse loans in case of banks, and delivery services, in the case of logistics, Instamojo founder and CEO Sampad Swain told Moneycontrol.

Recorded transactions worth Rs 600 crore last year

The startup typically caters to small businesses, such as tuition classes for children, home-based bakeries, mango sellers, even freelance writers, allowing them to accept digital payments.

As per government estimates, there are five million such small businesses in India.

The Bangalore-based startup that started as payment link generator five years ago, is now adding these value added services in order to expand its merchant network to one million from a little over 250,000 at present.

This will also accelerate the total volume of sales through its platform to about about Rs 1,600 crore by the end of FY18, Swain said.

In FY17, Instamojo recorded over 2 million transactions with a total volume of Rs 600 crore.

Over 65 percent of these transactions came from merchants residing in tier 2, 3 and 4 towns.

Rest are divided between top 10 metro cities. However, over 75 percent of buyers on Instamojo are accounted for by the metro cities, implying that sellers in smaller towns have found space in markets with high purchasing power.

Other rival startups in the digital payments segment include Paytm, MobiKwik, PayU India, Freecharge, Oxigen, among others.

The digital payments market in India is expected to be in the range of USD 500 billion by 2020, up from current estimates of USD 40-50 billion, according to a report by GSM Association and Boston Consulting Group.

According to Swain, unlike on other platforms, merchants on Instamojo can create a payment link in one step and share it with buyers via any messaging platform, social media, or via email, eliminating the need to set up a website or integrate payment gateway unlike in other platforms.

Merchants can also create a store on Instamojos website that allows them to catalogue their products, generate invoices, organize a customer grievance solving process, or choose from a host of marketing tools. Instamojo charges a 2 percent commission on each sale or payment collection.

Demonetisation aided startup's growth

Instamojo saw a 150 percent uptick in adoption post demonetization move by the government in November that gave a leg up to digital payments.

We add about 1,500 merchants on an average every day, the amount of transactions jumped by 150 percent during demonetization. That has become a base now, Swain says.

For the whole year, Instamojo saw a 160 percent increase in merchant registrations, while digital payments grew by over 178 percent.

As we add more merchants, we expect our cost of acquisition to be zero, which is a huge competitive advantage, especially when we are expecting to reach profitability, he added.

However, Swain expects the impact of GST implementation to be far greater.

With GST you have to be legit, there is no two ways about it. With its roll out, those who are not already on digital platform will adopt it. And we will be at the forefront, Swain says.

The startup has also tied up with tax consultants such as Cleartax, Vakilsearch.com, Legal Raasta, and Profitbooks.com, to offer accounting services to its merchants, in the face of GST.

The startup claims to be nearing profitability. Swain expects the break even to happen by FY19 on a whole year basis. By the month of July, Swain expects Instamojo to be cash flow positive.

durba.ghosh@nw18.com
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Shares of Cadila Healthcare were higher by 1.5 percent intraday on Tuesday as investors cheered a recent product nod by US drug regulator.

The pharmaceutical major received a nod from the US Food and Drug Administration for Ezetimibe drug, which is used to treat high cholesterol. The news holds significance as the approval for the product from its Moraiya facility in Gujarat, which was until recently under pressure from the watchdog.

"The estimated sales for Ezetimibe tablets is USD 2.7 billion as per IMS MAT April 2017," the company told the exchanges in a statement.

The firm had on June 12 hit its one-year high mark on receipt of a US FDA nod to market Nystatin Topical Powder USP, 100000 units per gram. The drug will be produced at the Neshar Pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility located at the St. Louis, MO, USA.

In fact, the stock has had a string of good developments in the past few weeks. Earlier this month, the company had received an approval for a drug, used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, from the same plant, sending the stock to fresh record high.

Bucking the overall trend for the pharmaceutical sector, the stock rose over 12 percent in the past one month, while its three-day gain stood at 2 percent. At 10:48 hrs, Cadila Healthcare was quoting at Rs 548.50, up Rs 0.15, or 0.03 percent on the BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 557.05 and an intraday low of Rs 545.55.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18's Surabhi Upadhyay and Latha Venkatesh, SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com shared his readings and outlook on the fundamentals of the market and specific stocks.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Surabhi: What do you think of the kind of commentary we have got from a company like Satin Creditcare Network? Does it allay the concerns about the distress these companies might face because states are going ahead with these waivers?

A: Definitely, the commentary has seen to be quite reassuring, but people should not forget that the kind of performance which the company has posted for Q4 was quite disappointing. And you cannot get courage to buy stock when the company has seen the provision having gone 10 times to Rs 40 crore and losses in Q4 alone being shown at Rs 140 crore with a negative earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 12-13.

And for the whole FY17, EPS have fallen to a level of Rs 8-9 because obviously, the commentary if you hear from anyone or in fact that can get extended to all the microfinance companies like Bharat Financial Inclusion, Ujjivan Financial Services where similar nature of loans having been given because if you see the business model or the business presence of Satin Credit, they have a very good presence in or in fact, I would say that very high presence in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, in the rural segments.

So obviously people were largely concerned because of the Q4 numbers having seen. But management commentary, I do not know how far that can be reassuring but unless and until you wait to see the Q1 numbers. But if you are convinced with the management commentary of Satin Credit then probably the similar buying call or positive view can be taken on the stocks like Bharat Financials or may be Ujjivan also.

Latha: At the moment we only have the management commentary to go by and the stock has obviously responded not just to the fact that he did not expect delinquencies, he said the old instalments are also getting returned, the ones that were not paid back during the demonetisation days and then he spoke about a 60 percent growth. Putting all this together, do you personally like the stock?

A: We have been liking this stock, but let me again corroborate this with the commentary of Ujjivan Financials when we have seen the very high provisions in Q3 which has taken away the entire profits and the management commentary with Q3 that all these provisions are just temporary in nature. Majority of that will get recovered in Q4.

That did not happen and we have seen the fate of the stock correcting in case of Ujjivan from level of about Rs 400-450 to as low as Rs 300. In fact we have been giving screaming buy call on these three stocks, Ujjivan, Satin Credit and Bharat Financials for last one year or so. But because of this political development and because of the Q4 numbers having seen for both these companies or maybe all three companies, similar fate we have seen in case of Bharat Financials having all of a sudden, you get to see the losses in the bottom line due to the higher provisioning having made by the company whether it is Satin or it is Bharat Financials.

So there is no question of not liking the stock, but I have my apprehensions on the 60 percent credit growth because even if you take the good monsoon, I do not know whether you can really take that kind of credit growth going in for FY18. Definitely I will be holding my reservations on that.

But yes, the recovery has to be seen getting reflected into the Q1 numbers either by reversal of the provisions or maybe under the management commentary in the form of cash flow because sometimes what happens that you declare your numbers of Q1 that is June ending, maybe by end of July, but management gives a commentary up to July position also of the amount which were provided earlier having recovered. So even if you have that kind of comfort and trend seen getting visible, you can take a call, but I will not be accepting 60 percent growth to be seen for the company in FY18.

Latha: What have you made of Havells India? It has been a much fancied stock.

A: Keeping a positive view because if you see their acquisition of the air condition business of Lloyd, that has happened entirely with their own cash balances. They acquired for about Rs 1,600 crore and they just taken a small line of credit of about Rs 100-150 crore. Even that can get repaid from the current year's cash flow. So I do not think that the balance sheet got stretched and you have acquired a very good business which goes synergistic with your existing product line.

So keeping a positive view but only problem is that stock has always been ruling quite expensive and if you see the Q4 numbers, I was not very happy with the Q4 performance, but still in spite of that, the share corrected by a bit, about 4-5 percent post that. But it has again bounced back. So keeping a positive view post this Lloyd consumer durable business acquisition.

Latha: Would you worry or is synthetic rubber any way now, a very good substitute? This is all we are getting by way of a statement from one of the news wires that a global rubber agency has cut the world's supply estimates to 12.76 million tonnes, we still do not know. The supply deficit is seen at seven lakh tonnes. Your thoughts, if any?

A: Now, the synthetic rubber that is styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is definitely seen as a very good substitute and a good amount of blending has already started happening. And even if you see on the domestic turf, I am not taking the global scenario here but even if you take on the domestic turf with Reliance Industries having started their plant for synthetic rubber that is SBR, I do not think that there would be any kind of raw material shortage. But yes, it always because even for the crude derivative, for the synthetic rubber, that goes in line with natural rubber. If the natural rubber prices goes up then obviously the petchem makers or the synthetic rubber makers will also raise the prices.

So overall that will definitely be seen as a cause of concern for tyre makers and that too when all the tyre stocks are seen ruling at the historic high and at a very rich and expensive valuation. So I will definitely be taking a cautious view in view of this release not from raw material shortage point of view, but there will be definitely the expensive raw material available. I do not think there will be shortage of the rubber availability but that will come at a higher price.

Latha: Your view on the metal stocks? You still stay positive on the non-steel stocks? Which ones do you like?

A: Strangely, I am holding positive view on the ferrous metal stocks, but the market has all been giving thumbs up to the non-ferrous metal stocks. And if you take a call on two things, always non-ferrous metal prices are always derived on the import parity prices whether you take copper, you take zinc, you take lead or you take aluminium. And strangely, we have been seeing the prices of Hindalco and Vedanta moving up. Conversely if you see a pure non-ferrous play that is Hindustan Zinc, very strong demand, good production growth that is having in lead and zinc is giving you a price behaviour on the stock exchanges for the last one month, post the declaration of the special dividend and all that.

So yes, the cautious view continues to be of mine because of the weak dollar, strong rupee and obviously you have the lower discovered price on the import parity prices for aluminium, copper and zinc and all sort of things. But I continue to have a positive view on the ferrous metal stocks like JSW Steel or maybe like Bhushan Steel from a resolution point of view, not from a fundamental point of view. So keeping a positive view. There are many other stocks like Sarda Energy and Minerals Electrosteel Steels or maybe the companies like Sunflag Iron and Steel Company . So keeping a positive view on the ferrous one, but a bit cautious on the non-ferrous ones, except Hindustan Zinc where I have a positive view.
Investors cheered multiple developments around Jaiprakash Associates, which sent the stock soaring nearly 12 percent intraday on Tuesday.

According to reports on CNBC-TV18, the deal between the company and UltraTech Cement is likely to be closed by the end of this month. Approvals from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh is already is in place, while a nod is awaited from Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the report added, quoting sources.

On the regulatory front, the company already has approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal, Competition Commission of India as well as from shareholders. The valuation of this deal is pegged at Rs 16,189 crore.

In related developments, the JP Associates plans to split its business into three segments post recastcement, real estate and residual.

Around 1,300 acres of land is believed to be under the real estate vertical of the company and a valuation exercise is underway for landholdings of the firm. Post the recast, the report added, approximately Rs 6,000 crore serviceable debt could remain in JP Associates books.

The stock had earlier reacted positively last month after a CNBC-TV18 report that the banks joint lenders forum (JLF) agreed on the strategic debt restructuring of JP Associates debt, details of which will be announced later.

The scrip also gained around 4 percent in the past one month as well as in the last three days.

At 11:26 hrs, Jaiprakash Associates was quoting at Rs 13.14, up Rs 0.76, or 6.14 percent on the BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 13.85 and an intraday low of Rs 12.40.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said that the party might consult Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in order to reach a consensus about a candidate for the upcoming Presidential poll.

Naidu, who was here to attend a Sabka Saath Sabka Bikas programme, said, "It will be a good tradition to elect a person as the president of India on consensus."

Asked whether they will consult BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Naidu said that they would like to discuss the matter with all the opposition parties including BJD.

Naidu's statement came barely hours after BJP president Amit Shah formed a three-member committee to consult political parties in a bid to elect the new President on consensus.

Besides Naidu, the committee comprises Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.

JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, party leader Sharad Yadav, TMC president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have met Patnaik on the issue of Presidential election.

However, Patnaik has not given any assurance to any leader and maintained that he will would take a decision at the appropriate time, sources said.

Nomination papers for the Presidential election can be filed between 14 and June 28. The poll is scheduled to be held on July 17.

BJD's decision regarding the Presidential polls is considered significant as the party has 20 members in the Lok Sabha, nine members in the Rajya Sabha and 117 MLAs in the 147-member Odisha Assembly.
Yogi Adityanath's government has sought a loan of Rs 13,600 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for developing infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal on Tuesday met Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and handed over a letter from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking the loan, an official release said

The Chief Minister sought Rs 2,600 crore loan for roads, Rs 1,000 crore for bridges, Rs 2,500 crore for Greenfield Expressway between Lucknow and Ballia, Rs 3,000 crore for housing under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Gramin) and Rs 1,000 crore for PMAY-Urban, among others.

Naidu asked officials of the HUDCO, which functions under the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) ministry, to deal with the proposal expeditiously.

A Rs 7,000 crore loan is likely to be sanctioned soon to start with, the release said.

Naidu also asked the state-run NBCC to send a team to Uttar Pradesh to explore the possibility of revenue generation for the state government through monetisation of land at different places.
Donald Trump

United States President Donald Trump's tweets would be preserved as presidential records if a Democratic party lawmaker's proposed COVFEFE Act becomes law.

Congress Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois introduced on Monday the "Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement" Act that would amend the Presidential Records Act and require the National Archives to store presidential tweets and other social media interactions.

covfefe tweet on 31 May. Picture Courtesy: Reuters

The law takes from a famous Trump tweet at 12:06 a.m. ET (0406 GMT) on May 31 that said: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." The message remained on the internet for hours, spurring a wave of speculation and content on what Trump intended to say.

"If the president is going to take to social media to make sudden public policy proclamations, we must ensure that these statements are documented and preserved for future reference," Quigley, a member of the House intelligence committee, said in a statement.

"Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said last week that Trump's tweets "are considered official statements by the president of the United States." The law would prevent future tweets of President Trump from deletion.

The rampant deletion has inspired websites archiving his erased tweets.

Trump, who has more than 32 million followers on Twitter for his 8-year-old personal @realDonaldTrump profile, is known for messages on the social media site that are sometimes riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.
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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Even as the news of mass layoffs in the information technology sector continues to add to the worry of workers, large employers are looking at ways to speak to them and allay fears about job losses.

There is greater focus by IT companies to send effective internal communications- more townhalls, greater focus on talking about reskilling. Every company has some sort of internal reskilling platform going on, said Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President at industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

According to Nasscom, Indias USD 155 billion IT industry added 1.7 lakh new jobs in the last fiscal, with a total employee base of about 39 lakh.

There have been reports of over 50,000 people in the industry being laid off this year at some of Indias biggest IT companies such as Infosys, Cognizant, and Tech Mahindra. As a result, employees have hit a panic mode.

Benching could mean a layoff

Indian IT companies have consistently denied mass layoffs, but reports of employees being asked to leave is impacting optimism.

The experience of living with the possibility of redundancy, insecurity of job and watching others leave, has become part of the working experience of many employees which is definitely impacting the employee morale, said Alka Dhingra, general manager at IT staffing firm TeamLease Limited.

Some employees Moneycontrol spoke to echoed similar sentiments. People are scared, the market is bad, and nobody is asking to be released from ongoing projects, which was common practice earlier. Were afraid release from a project as it could mean being laid off, said an employee at Tech Mahindra, who did not wish to be identified.

The company has also made its employee rating standards stricter, and plans to lay off the employees with lowest rating, said another employee at the company.

An employee at HCL Technologies said the company is looking to reduce its bench strength.

Organisations are looking to nearly eliminate bench, or a layer of employees who are not assigned to projects, and kept ready for upcoming projects. Just-In-Time hiring is becoming the norm now, said TeamLeases Dhingra.

Indian IT firms are facing the slowest growth in a decade due to headwinds from increasing automation, changing technology and slowdown in client spending. Protectionist policies in some of the IT sectors largest markets such as the US, UK, Singapore and Australia have affected the offshore model.

The US and UK account for over 60 percent of the Indian IT services revenues.

All major IT companies have denied reports of mass layoffs, and continue to say whatever dismissals happen are business as usual.

TCS is not doing any mass layoffs so no such concerns have come up, a TCS spokesperson told Moneycontrol, when asked about the steps being taken to mitigate employee concerns.

Infosys' Chief Operating Officer UB Pravin Rao told Moneycontrol last week that there were no mass layoffs at Infosys. Tech Mahindra has also denied any mass layoffs in the past.

Wipro and HCL Technologies did not respond to a request seeking comment for this story.

'IT cos need to be open with employees'

According to Ganesh Natarajan, former chief executive officer at Pune-based software company Zensar Technologies, there is a need for IT organisations to accept that there is a real issue in the industry.

The technology is changing, the growth is low, there is tremendous amount of automation, artificial intelligence etcso there will be some churning[but] employers should tell employees that anyone who is willing to reskill themselves, are willing, and accept the pain that is required to learn new technologies, will remain relevant, he told Moneycontrol.

The key for companies, according to Natarajan, is to be very open, try not to react through press interviews, and be more open with their employees. They should have a conversation about what are the areas where they see more business happening.

According to some estimates, about 3 lakh engineers graduate in India each year. According to an Aspiring Minds study, only about 14.67 percent engineers are employable for an IT services company.

The clear message is that if you have the right skills, there are enough and more jobs for you, said Nasscoms Gupta.

Teamleases Dhingra said the most impacted by this cycle of churn would be low skill level IT employees. Skills like cybersecurity, data analytics, software-as-a-service, artificial intelligence, full stack, robotics, cloud, mobility solutions and digital technologies are the major areas of job creation in future, she added.

neha.alawadhi@nw18.com
uncategorized Experts decode the basic elements for insurance biz for lay investors CNBC-TV18 spoke to experts Sandeep Batra, ED, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company and Santosh Singh, Head of Research India, Haitong Securities to understand some of the basic elements of the Insurance sector.
The Dusty Miller that I grew in planters on this years patio garden was the clear champion of the season. Not only did the plants survive a huge deer incursion without suffering a nibble, but theyve also now held up...
Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race
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Our lives and loves are an act of magic. Gold threads weave them together. Immerse yourself in Rijn Collins 100th published short story, Gold.

For Christmas I buy you a book on the plague. You buy me a taxidermy workshop.

You show me woodcuts of the sinister hooked beaks doctors used to wear, their points stuffed with vinegar soaked sponges to ward off the disease. I tell you of a tiny mouse heart, no bigger than a thumb nail. The fragility of the body is hypnotic to us, so easily bruised and broken. The fragility of the heart goes unspoken, but is in the room with us also.

Weve been together for a year and a day.

On our first date, you told me of your fascination with the plague. You tried to save it for a third date, not wanting to peak in the gruesome stakes too early, but over the clatter of a Melbourne pub you couldnt help yourself. I didnt flinch. I lived in Brussels, I answered, where they used to hang witches by their necks above the cobblestones of the town square. Medieval darkness holds wonder for me too, I remember saying. You didnt flinch either. You just leant forward, and placed your hand on the green velvet sleeve of my dress.

A year and a day later, and the ribbon stitching our lives together feels like a thread of gold running through our new house. Your map of Norway above my bell jar of snake skins; a housewarming gift from our friends on the towering bookcase, a vintage typewriter that weighs so much I fear it will crash through the top shelf. I take a small corner of our bedroom for my altar. Each morning I curl up there, breathing in the solace, reaching for my silver bell to ring in the new day. You never interrupt, but just watch with a gentle smile and a stretch from the sheets.

I spend afternoons in my studio, coaxing out chapters of my novel. I write about the light in Iceland as it slides into winter, up in the village near the Arctic Circle where I did my first writing residency. You bring me whiskey and encouragement. When my words stumble, you tell me stories of your time in Sweden, and the bonfires and spiced wine of the Summer Solstice. We both know the beauty of flames throwing shadows onto snow, and ushering in new beginnings.

Our first season in our house is seen through the haze of a sweltering Australian summer. Bushfires scorch the forest outside Melbourne where I grew up, and I watch the sky warily for flecks of ash. You grew up on the streets of East London, watching for other threats.

Ive never heard a lexicon like yours. Sometimes its delivered with the stutter that made you solitary as a teenager, delving into written words instead of spoken ones. You teach me jewels such as trebuchet, chock and bindle, and we turn them into private jokes told just before sleep. When your words catch on your stammer, I know the gold that follows will be worth waiting for. Your voice is pure comfort to me.

You ask about Sabbats and spells, solstices and seasons. For once, I answer. My altar has always been viewed with suspicion by men who knew, deep down, that their behaviour was worth punishing. Your questions are thoughtful; I answer them all. On Mabon I bake us plump cakes spiced with cloves and cinnamon. We break them open in our hands and feed each other, washing them down with mead. Im shy in my sharing, but there is a joy there that feels like a cleansing.

We have friends around for the first time, and I embrace the hostess role with a fervour that surprises us all. I make salads with dates and fresh mint, goats cheese tarts and coconut pies. I search in the drawers for an apron, until it dawns on me that Ive never been the kind of woman to own one. We drink gin and tonics on the patio with our friends as a neighbour mows a nearby lawn. The tree next to the patio is ripe with plump trumpet lilies that mirror the flowers tattooed down my right arm, a spiral of scarlet with green sepals.

The good omens are there. Finally, Im beginning to know where to look.

The taxidermy workshop you buy me is mesmerizing. My twenty years of vegetarianism come into play and only when Im assuaged by the knowledge my teacher uses ethically sourced animals, and that part of my fee goes towards wildlife conservation, do I jump in. The fascination is immense. My mouse, a piebald creature sourced from a reptile warehouse, is still thawing. It takes eight hours from the first cut to the last stitch. My scalpel shakes as I peel the skin away from the ribcage in minute, meticulous strokes. The protagonist in my novel is an amateur taxidermist; I have always been hands-on in the research stage. A novelist yourself, you throw me right in the deep end with your present.

I am both enthralled and exhausted when I finish. I send you a photo while youre driving and you almost have to pull the car over, you laugh so hard. I look at my mouse, legs akimbo, more than a little hunchbacked, clutching a tiny triangle of plastic cheese. I still dont see the humour. This makes you laugh even harder.

When I get home you inspect him in the palm of your hand. I point out the paper thin ears that I moistened with a paintbrush, and where I messed up his foot. You nod solemnly, or at least try to. We name him Cedric, and place him ceremoniously under a bell jar next to my snake skins. He watches over us as we sip wine, my feet in your lap.

Ive never been a stellar seamstress. I think of the poppets I used to sew, back in my teens at my altar. They never held their shape. I look at Cedric under his bell jar with my stitches zig-zagging across his belly. Im rarely patient; I am not orderly. My stitches stray. I am an acquired taste, and I know it. But the ribbon of gold weaving our lives together is unlike any Ive ever known. I turn to you, and for once, I trust that this thread will hold.
June 13, 2017

Syria Summary - The End Of The War Is Now In Sight

A look at recent developments in Syria. [Updated below June 14 1:00am EDT]



Source: Al Watan Online - bigger

The most important change over the last days was the Syrian government forces move (red areas and arrows) in the south-east towards the Iraqi border. The original plan was to retrieve al-Tanf further south-west to secure the border crossing of the Damascus-Baghdad highway there. But al-Tanf was occupied by U.S., British and Norwegian invaders and some of their proxy forces (blue). Their airplanes attacked Syrian army convoys when they approached. The U.S. plan was to move from al-Tanf north towards the Euphrates river and to thereby capture and control the whole south-east of Syria. But Syria and its allies made an unexpected move and prevented that plan. The invaders are now cut off from the Euphrates by a Syrian west-to-east line that ends at the Iraqi border. On the Iraqi side elements of the Popular Military Unites under the command of the Iraqi government are moving to meet the Syrian forces at the border.

The U.S. invaders are now sitting in the mid of a piece of rather useless desert around al-Tanf where their only option is to die of boredom or to move back to Jordan from where they came. The Russian military has made it very clear that it would intervene forcefully should the U.S. attack the Syrian line and move further north. The U.S. and its allies have no mandate to be in Syria in the first place. There is no justification or legal ground for them to attack any Syrian units. Their only option now is to retreat.

The U.S. move into al-Tanf was covered by an attack of U.S. proxy forces in the south-west of Syria. A large group of "rebels", which include al-Qaeda elements and is supplied from Jordan, moved to take the city of Deraa from Syrian government control. It was hoped that this attack would divert Syrian forces from their move east. But despite the use of suicide bombers the attack on Deraa failed to overwhelm the strong defenses of the Syrian forces. It did not provide the necessary diversion. The Syrian position in Deraa was reinforced by units from Damascus which are now attacking the U.S. proxy gangs. Significant progress was made today in the southern suburbs of Deraa and the Syrian army attack will likely continue the move until it has reached the Jordanian border.

The U.S. plans in south Syria, in the west as well as in the east, have failed for now. Unless the Trump administration is willing to invest significant more forces and to openly and against all laws wage war on the Syria government and its allies the situation there is contained. The Syrian forces will over time recapture all the (blue colored) land in the south that is currently held by the various U.S. proxies and other terrorist groups.

In the north-west the Takfiri "rebel" groups are concentrated around Idleb and further north. These groups are sponsored by Saudi, Qatari and Turkish money. The recent spat between Qatar and other Gulf states has throw the Idleb situation into further chaos. Saudi sponsored groups are now fighting Qatari and Turkish sponsored groups. These conflicts come on top of other animosities between al-Qaeda aligned forces and those of Ahrar al-Sham. The Syrian government forces keep the province surrounded and Turkey in the north has kept its border mostly closed. The Takfiri "rebels" in Idleb will cook in their own juices until they are well done and completely exhausted. Eventually government forces will move in and destroy whatever is left of them.

In the center of the map the Syrian army (red) arrows are pointing towards the central desert areas held by ISIS forces which are retreating towards the east (black arrows). Moving simultaneously from the north, west and south the Syrian government forces make fast progress with several kilometers of ground retaken each day. During the last month 4,000 square kilometers and over 100 settlements and towns have been recovered. Within a few weeks they will have recovered all the (brown) ISIS held areas up to the Euphrates river line and the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Russian military bridging equipment recently started to arrive in Syria. It will be needed to cross the Euphrates and to recover the areas north of it.

Meanwhile U.S. supported Kurdish forces (yellow arrows) are attacking the ISIS held city of Raqqa. The Russian military command claims (video) that the Kurds and the U.S. made a deal with ISIS to let its fighters leave Raqqa towards the south and east. The fast progress the Kurds are making in taking the city supports that claim. There seems to be barely any Islamic State resistance left.

All ISIS forces left in Syria, those coming from Raqqa as well as those from the desert areas, are moving east along the Euphrates towards the city of Deir Ezzor. There as many as 100,000+ government aligned civilians and a Syrian army garrison have long been surrounded by ISIS forces. The besieged people are supplied by air drops. The Syrian military garrison has long held off the attacking ISIS forces. But with thousands of new Islamic State forces coming towards the city the government troops are in real danger of getting overwhelmed. Reinforcements must be flown into the city to keep ISIS off and to prevent a very large massacre. A much better alternative is a relief line on the ground. But the Syrian army race towards the city had been delayed by the U.S. shenanigans in the south. A new large ground move of government forces towards Deir Ezzor is in preparation. One can only hope that they arrive in time.

Qatari, Saudi and Turkish proxy forces, directed by the CIA, have waged a six year long war against Syria and its people. With Qatar and Turkey now in opposition to the Saudis and their U.S. allies, the gang that attacked Syria is falling apart. The Islamic State is shrinking fast and nearly defeated. The U.S. attempt to gain ground in the south has been stopped. Unless the U.S. changes tact and starts a large scale attack on Syria with its own army forces the war on Syria is over. Many areas still need to be recovered by Syrian forces. Terrorist attacks within the country will continue for several years. The wounds will take decades to heal. Negotiations will have to be held over areas in the north now under Turkish or U.S. (proxy) control. Further settlements will have to be reached. But the large scale strategic war against Syria has for now ended.

No one has won anything. The Kurds, which for while looked like the sole winner of the war, have just thrown away their gains.

The U.S. supported Kurdish forces of the YPG made the lunatic error of openly asking for support from Saudi Arabia. The anarcho-marxists of the YPG, always proudly showing off their feminism, are suddenly bowing down in front of the medieval Wahhabi nutters. They thus ruined their appearance of being a progressive leftist force. This move will reinforce Turkish and Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian animosity and hostility against them. All political advances they made during the war by staying mostly neutral between "rebels" and the Syrian government is now in jeopardy. The move is crazy. The Kurdish held area is completely surrounded by more or less hostile forces. U.S. or Saudi support for the land-locked and encircled Kurdish enclave is not sustainable over any longer time-frame. The Kurds have thus again demonstrated that they are their own worst enemies in their striving for a (semi-)sovereign Kurdish state. They will be thrown back into their original areas and again be folded up into the Syrian state.

[UPDATE:]

Secretary of Defense Mattis was questioned in Congress yesterday about the situation in Syria. There is no transcript yet but here are some tweets from a Stars & Stripes journalist who attended:

Tara Copp @TaraCopp - 3:11 PM - 13 Jun 2017 #SecDef Mattis says "pro regime" forces that have moved into S. Syria near #AnTanf base are actually #Russian 1/2

#SecDef Mattis: "I did not anticipate that the #Russians would move there (near At Tanf.) ... it was not a surprise to our intel people."

The U.S. had claimed that the Syrian government aligned forces moving towards al-Tanf were "Iran backed" or "Iran led". Now the Secretary of Defense says that was a lie. They were Russians allied with the Syrian government. The Russians certainly do not take their orders from some Iranian generals. It is no wonder than that the Russian command issued strong warnings against any attacks on these forces.

Mattis also exposes that he is incapable of strategic thinking. He really believed that Russian would not move to al-Tanf to cover for their Syrian comrades? It has been clear your months now that the Russians are all-in in Syria. They will not let the Syrian government fall to make nice with Mattis or Trump or anyone else. The strategic issue for them is clear and has been for a while. They will fight. They said so. It was utterly stupid to believe anything else.

Al-Tanf is a tactical issue but the U.S. military elevates it to a strategic one. This is clearly not justified. We have to ask again what the possible gains for the U.S. are from defending that place in the empty desert. There is none to be had but defending it out of "principle" could evidently start a much bigger war.

[T]he Tanf garrison is now surrounded by hostile forces. The U.S. forces in the area would have to fight through regime positions to get to al Bukamal, further risking escalation. What now? Is the United States prepared to protect these forces in perpetuity? Will the U.S. provide air cover for forces that clash directly with regime allied assets outside of the 55-kilometer zone? Did the previous three strikes prompt a counter-escalatory act that undermined U.S. interests? Sadly, the answer to the last question is yes.

...

Strategy should drive tactics when it comes to handling Iranian-backed elements in Syria, not the other way around.

...

The United States has the capability to defend a garrison in the Syrian desert. However, the reasons for doing so are devoid of any purpose, making a simple cost benefit analysis all but impossible.

That insight has obviously not yet reached the Defense Department and the U.S. command on the ground. The local U.S. commander moved a U.S. HIMARS long-range artillery system from Jordan to al-Tanf. HIMARS has a range of 300 kilometers. It makes no difference from a tactical perspective if its fires from Jordan or from al-Tanf in Syria some 12 kilometers east of the border line. It is a symbolic move to "show flag" in al-Tanf but it exposes the system to a legitimate attack by Syrian, Russian and Iranian forces.

As Secretary of State Tillerson rightly said: The U.S. has no legal authority to attack Syrian, Iranian or Russian forces. None at all. It is invading Syria with no legitimate reason. Syria, in contrast, has the legal authority to throw the U.S. troops out.

To move the HIMARS to al-Tanf is utterly stupid grandstanding. It is high time for Washington to shut such nonsense down.

Posted by b on June 13, 2017 at 18:53 UTC | Permalink

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ODESSA -- Sears announced in early January that it would close 150 stores, with the Odessa location at Music City Mall among them. However, a replacement has been announced.

MCM parent company Investment Corp. of America said Monday that Plano-based At Home decor store will take Sears place as an anchor tenant.

At Home operates more than 125 large-format stores around the nation. The Odessa location will be 90,000 square feet, ICA Properties Vice President Tom Glasman told the Reporter-Telegram. The average store size is 115,000 square feet, according the companys website. Glasman said At Home could have had more space but that the company felt its chosen size for MCM best fit the market.

Construction is underway, and Glasman said ICA is hopeful for a 2017 opening.

At Home is a decor superstore that provides a broad assortment of decorative products such as furniture, housewares, home textiles, tabletop decor and wall decor, according to the company website. Most products are unbranded, private label or specifically designed for At Home.

MCM is 100 percent occupied, an ICA press release said, a departure from the current retail trend. Retailers around the country have shuttered at rapid pace. A recent Credit Suisse report said retailers had announced 2,880 store closings from January to April 6 of this year, twice that of the same period a year ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. Analysts predict that 400 or so of the roughly 1,100 malls in the U.S. will close in the coming years.

MCM has stayed strong despite the trend, which Glasman said just solidifies even more the strength of the regional mall, a sentiment shared by ICA CEO John Bushman.

We are truly excited that AT HOME is showing their confidence in the community and the Odessa/Midland market as opposed to many much larger cities across the United States, he said in a press release. We are proud to be part of their expansion and success.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has reached an agreement on the merger of Houston oil field services company Baker Hughes and General Electrics oil and gas division, clearing the way for shareholders to approve the deal.

The consent decree, filed on Monday in Washington, requires GE to sell its Water & Process Technologies business. No other requirements were included in the decree.
We are collating signatures to petition ...
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Blue tarp is acting as a roof for Phillip Mook and his son.

Owner Occupied Rehabilitation program in Osceola County

Program helps people fix up their home, if they qualify

Phillip Mook's home lost its roof in Hurricane Matthew, has not been able to get help

When the roof fell off, it went over this way all on the neighbor's yard, Mook explained.

Hurricane Matthew tore off his roof last year and now that hurricane season has started again, he doesnt know what to do. I see the rain coming in my house more and more, Mook said.

Its like a swimming pool itself back in this back room, it gets water everywhere, Mook said.

But the lack of a roof over his head is just one of the many problems weighing him down. Two years ago he lost his family in a home invasion in Ohio, where his wife of 26 years and youngest son were shot.

His oldest son survived the shooting but is dealing with physical and mental repercussions. Mook thought moving here would make things better.

It gets to the point where its so stressful, all the things that have been happening. I just need some kind of relief, Mook said.

Mook was not eligible for FEMA, as there was not enough damage in the county to make Osceola eligible for Public Assistance programs. Mook said hes reached out to the Red Cross, the Governors Office, United Way and other agencies but to no avail. He said a local church promised to help repair his roof but recently backed out.

However, a program called Owner Occupied Rehabilitation may be able to help Mook. According to the countys Emergency Management office, after his application is reviewed and the property is inspected, he may qualify.

The program helps homeowners in making sure their home is up to current building codes and is considered safe and sanitary. Osceola County homeowners must have owned and live in the home for at least a year and be eligible under income guidelines. But if they meet those requirements, they can get up to $50,000 in assistance. The information is on the Osceola County website.

I am out of answers and I need some kind of help and relief to get my life going back again, Mook added. Mook said he will keep fighting for the little he has left.

If you would like to help the Mook family, go to their GoFundMe page.

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
Plainview police are investigating the fraudulent possession or use of a prescription for a Schedule I or II controlled substance. The crime occurred in the 1800 block of West Fifth between 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday.

--A 31-year-old man was held in Hale County jail Tuesday on bonds totaling $400 after being arrested on two outstanding municipal warrants, for speeding (75 in a 55 mph zone) and violate promise to appear. Outstanding fines are $179.85 and $267.75, respectively. He was arrested about 1:50 p.m. Monday in the 1600 block of Houston.
Apple Inc., which issued the biggest green bond ever sold by a U.S. corporation last year to finance projects fighting global warming, is doing it again.

On Tuesday, the iPhone maker issued a $1 billion green bond to fund renewable energy generation. It builds on $1.5 billion worth of bonds the Cupertino, California-based company sold a year ago to further its goal of running 100 percent of its operations on renewable energy.

The bonds, maturing in 2027, will yield 95 to 100 basis points more than Treasuries, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named because the deal is private. They are expected to be rated Aa1, the person said.

The sale was arranged by Bank of America Corp., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

While companies in recent years have issued tens of billions of dollars in green bonds for projects that cut global-warming emissions, the size of Apples first issuance fueled speculation that other companies would follow.

Its latest bond comes less than two weeks after President Donald Trump decided to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, an international pact to curb greenhouse-gas emissions signed by almost 200 countries. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said last week he sought to persuade the president not to withdraw.

Leadership from the business community is essential to address the threat of climate change, Lisa Jackson, Apples vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said in the statement. The company was among those that signed an open letter pledging to continue supporting efforts to meet the Paris agreement.

Apple said it plans to use the proceeds to finance projects involving renewable energy resources and energy efficiency, among other things. The latest bond offering includes a focus on advancing Apples goal of a closed-loop supply chain, through which products are made using only renewable resources and recycled material.

The debt issuance means Apple doesnt have to tap its vast offshore cash reserves to fund its renewables projects. The company is investing in solar energy, hydroelectric plants and biogas facilities in Oregon, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and California, including $850 million on a 130-megawatt solar farm near San Francisco over the next quarter century, and has received permission to sell power to the wholesale energy markets.

Even with cash and equivalents totaling $257 billion, Apple has issued debt totaling $99 billion to fund stock buybacks and dividends, because most of that money is held outside the U.S. and would be subject to a 35 percent corporate income tax if it were repatriated.
BEIJING  President Donald Trump is poised to add six new trademarks to his expanding portfolio in China, in sectors including veterinary services and construction, potentially renewing concerns about his possible conflicts of interest.

The latest trademarks expand Trumps business interests in China, the worlds second-largest economy and a country he frequently blamed during the election campaign for the decline in U.S. industrial jobs. Since taking office, he has softened that rhetoric.

He has nevertheless continued to receive approval in China for new trademarks. The countrys trademark office gave the president preliminary approval for six trademarks on June 6, according to the agencys website.

Under Chinese law, a trademark with preliminary approval is formally registered after three months if the agency receives no objections. If granted, the trademarks could allow Trump to expand his business interests in scientific and technological services, construction projects and medical and veterinary services.

Trump applied for the trademarks in April 2016, the same month that, as a presidential candidate, he accused Beijing of launching an economic assault against the United States. Since then, Trump has eased up, particularly after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April of this year.

As a businessman, Trump made money by licensing the use of his name on an array of products around the world.

He now has at least 123 registered and provisionally approved trademarks in China. Of those, four are registered under DTTM Operations  a holding company  while the rest are registered under his name.

The latest set of preliminary approvals comes a month after Chinas trademark office gave Trump one preliminary trademark for providing catering services, and four to his daughter Ivanka through her trademarking business.

It is unclear how Trump plans to use his trademarks. He does not have any businesses in China and the Trump Organization has said it will not do any further international deals. The presidents two adult sons now run the business.

All of our marks in China are registered to an affiliate of the Trump Organization and have nothing whatsoever to do with Mr. Trump, Alan Garten, executive vice president and chief legal officer at the Trump Organization, said in an email.

For Trump, obtaining trademarks in China could allow him to license his name in the country, potentially giving him a new source of income. It also protects his brand name in a country that is known for counterfeiters.

In China, many celebrities and foreign companies pre-emptively file for trademarks in a wide range of sectors to prevent expensive and time-consuming lawsuits against trademark squatters  people who register the names of widely known brands in bad faith.

In Trumps case, leather goods, toilets and cosmetics bearing the Trump name but trademarked by others have been spotted being sold around China.

Unlike trademarks in the United States, trademarks in China are generally awarded to those who are first to file with the government, and applicants do not have to give a reason for filing.

Because of this, Garten said that since 2006, the Trump Organization has been forced to build its trademark portfolio in China to protect its brand and overall intellectual property rights from third-party infringers.

The news of Trumps new preliminary trademarks in China will give further ammunition to his critics, who allege that his business interests violate the emoluments clause in the U.S. Constitution that bars presidents from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments.

On Monday, the Democratic attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit claiming that the presidents failure to shed his businesses has undermined public trust and violated constitutional bans against self-dealing.
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Aloha, a good night's sleep! United Airlines will begin offering 180-degree, flat-bed seats on its overnight flights between Houston and Hawaii.

The seats will be available to premium cabin customers beginning this summer. United offers nonstop, daily flights between Bush Intercontinental Airport and the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

The flat-bed seats were part of an announcement the airline made Tuesday to celebrate 70 years of flying to Hawaii. Its maiden departure of a United DC-6 Mainliner from San Francisco to Honolulu was in May 1947.

MORE: United Airlines discontinues its only flight to Venezuela

"As we celebrate our 70th anniversary in Hawaii this year, today's announcement carries a very special significance for our customers," Jake Cefolia, United's vice president of sales, said in the news release. "Our customers have asked for more ways to get to Hawaii, and by adding these flights we are thrilled to make Hawaii more accessible than ever for our customers travelling from the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions."

Beginning Dec. 20, United will increase service to Hawaii from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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San Antonio-based Howard Midstream Energy Partners is entering a $563 million joint partnership with Tulsa-based oil and gas producer WPX Energy to complete a 50-mile crude oil pipeline and processing system in West Texas Permian Basin oil field, Howard Energy announced Tuesday.

The system, once completed by Howard Energy, will have the capacity to transport and process 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in the Permians Delaware Basin, the company said in a press release.
The nuclear age continues to be chipped away.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Tuesday that six U.S. nuclear power plants have plans to retire over the next nine years - with four of those shutting down a full decade before their operating licenses are set to expire.

The report comes in the wake of Exelon's announcement last month is it shutting down Three Mile Island, perhaps the nation's most well know nuclear facility after a near catastrophic meltdown in 1979.

The retirements come as the rush of new natural gas plants, wind turbines and solar panels on to the U.S. power grid are pulling down wholesale electricity prices.

Over the past four years, five nuclear plants have shut down, bringing the nation's total fleet down to 60 plants.

The trend had power regulators worried, with those in New York and Illinois recently approving subsidies to keep their nuclear fleets operating.
San Antonio medical device company Xenex Disinfection Services, is rolling out this week a new disinfection pod that use ultraviolet light technology to clean mobile hospital equipment thats used in multiple patient rooms.

The LightStrike Disinfection Pods, which resemble box-shaped tents, are mobile and collapsible so larger equipment can be disinfected quickly and easily in a hallway. The equipment is placed inside the pods, which have reflective fabric on the inside to ensure the UV cleans all of the item, the company plans to announce Tuesday.
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A woman was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for pulling a knife, threatening and chasing down five patrons outside a San Francisco gay club, in a case that saw lawyers argue over whether the use of gay slurs proved a hate crime.

Pearly Martin, 30, was convicted of making criminal threats, burglary and vandalism in connection with the April 25, 2016, incident, which began after Drag Night at Club OMG on Sixth Street in the South of Market neighborhood.

The five victims had left the club at about 2 a.m. when they were confronted by Martin and several of her friends, who falsely believed the victims had been taking cell phone photos of her and humiliating her.

According to court documents, Martin swore at the the victims  one of whom was dressed in drag  shouting gay slurs and crude insults about their appearance, before pulling out a knife and threatening to kill them. The victims scattered, with two running to a car and locking the doors.

Martin kicked at the doors and banged on the windows before trying to slash the tires with her knife. She then ran after the other three, who fled to one of their apartments a block away. She and her friends cornered the victims in the buildings lobby as they tried to call the police, but they were able to escape.

When police arrived and placed Martin in a patrol car, she kicked the windows hard enough to cause damage to the glass and window frame, court documents state.

Martins sentence could have been longer. Prosecutors originally charged her with committing a hate crime, but jurors found her not guilty on that charge.

Defense attorney John Kaman argued that Martin was herself bisexual and that what were construed as homophobic threats that included a well-known slur were just part of her vernacular as an admitted drug dealer in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

That is the way she talks, Kaman said in his closing argument. It doesnt mean she hates members of the LGBT community. It doesnt mean anything at all.

Kaman told jurors that there is a different language that is spoken in parts of the city on the streets, and I dont want you to be confused by that.

Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Mains challenged this defense, writing in a sentencing brief that Martin engaged in a pattern of victim blaming, and shaming, and tried to excuse and minimize her extremely aggressive and scary behavior by claiming that her aggression and homophobic epithets are cultural.

The victims, Mains said, were celebrating in what they rightfully presumed was a safe and welcoming place. The sense of community that we foster in San Francisco is one of inclusion and acceptance. It is a fundamental tenet of this city that you can be open and proud regardless of who you are, or who you love.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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Editors note: Today we look back at Week 23 of 365 Days of Tacos, in which food writer and restaurant critic Mike Sutter reports on a different taqueria, restaurant or truck every day on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com/Tacos . Sign up for our taco newsletter while youre there.

Taco of the Week

Beef fajita puffy taco, Oscars Taco House. Puffy tacos cannot live by ground beef alone. Beef fajitas the better option, cut in long, fatty-chewy strips with a dark brown sear that lends some caramelized sweetness on a corn masa base as thick as a gordita, deep-fried long enough for the outer layers to get crispy and loosen up from the softer insides. Its like a Taco Bell Crunch Wrap without the stigma of going to Taco Bell in a city where 365 Days of Tacos is just a drop in the bucket.

The week in tacos, June 4-10

Tink-A-Tako: This 31-year-old chain lists five locations in San Antonio, but once youre inside, its a familiar taqueria experience, with sit-down service and handmade tortillas. Featured taco: Beef fajita with guacamole. 2511 SE Military Drive, 210-333-9000, tinkatako.net

Taqueria La Imagen: On the front door, theres a portrait of Saint Toribio Romo Gonzalez  the patron saint of immigrants, especially revered in Jalisco. La Imagen is a taqueria en estilo Jalisco, with brown tile floors, orange walls, a few mismatched tables and an altar to ... Saint Toribio. Featured taco: Albanil. 2417 Nogalitos St., 210-782-1198, no web presence

Oscars Taco House: Oscars is part taco shop and part classic drive-in burger joint, a formula its had 55 years to perfect. The menu ranges from Tex-Mex plates and fried fish to burgers, breakfast and puffy tacos. Featured taco: Beef fajita puffy taco. 705 Barrett Place, 210-923-1971, no web presence

Los Magueyes Mexican Restaurant: An hour before closing time, there wasnt a soul inside, and theyd already started stacking chairs. Not good omens  but Los Magueyes defied the omens for excellent tacos on handmade tortillas. Featured taco: Puerco en chile cascabel. 3743 Pleasanton Road, 210-922-2118, no web presence

El Taco Grill: It looks like a drive-through bank, but El Taco specializes in street-style Mexico City mini-tacos, with one of the citys best salsa bars. Featured taco: Al pastor. 19211 Huebner Road, Suite 2, 210-332-9392, eltacogrill.com

La Cavana Mexican Restaurant: The deep magenta booths clash with the Technicolor purple window sheers at this family-friendly cafe with good corn tortillas and excellent breakfast taco deals. Featured taco: Nopales and egg. 2716 Commercial Ave., 210-276-0444, no web presence

Rockys Taco House: The unbussed tables, sticky menus and brown-water coffee are easier to forgive after midnight, a bonus for this busy 24-hour Mexican diner. Featured taco: Pork chop. 1302 Cupples Road, 210-433-2931, rockystacohouse.com

Week 22 winner: Tacos Betos

Week 21 winner: Carnitas Lonja

Week 20 winner: Tommys Restaurant

Week 19 winner: Lees El Taco Garage

Week 18 winner: Mi Ranchito

Week 17 winner: El Paraiso de Jalisco

Week 16 winner: Salsas Cafe

Week 15 winner: Taquitos West Ave.

Week 14 winner: Taco Taco Cafe

Week 13 winner: Los Campos Dos Hermanos

Week 12 winner: Mittman Fine Foods

Week 11 winner: Sabinas Coffee House

Week 10 winner: Dannys Cocina Mexicana

Week 9 winner: The Original Donut Shop

Week 8 winner: Claudias Restaurant

Week 7 winner: Don Jose Mexican Cafe

Week 6 winner: Paloma Blanca

Week 5 winner: Mendez Cafe

Week 4 winner: Tacos Y Burritos Metro Basilica 2

Week 3 winner: El Buen Gusto Mexican Cafe

Week 2 winner: Taco Haven

Week 1 winner: Rays Drive Inn

msutter@express-news.net

Twitter: @fedmanwalking
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For the second time in NASA's history, a Houston native has been selected to be one of the space agency's astronaut candidates.

Loral O'Hara, who graduated from Fort Bend ISD's Clements High School in 2001, was one of 12 astronaut candidates chosen from more than 18,300 applicants, according to the space agency.

O'Hara and 11 other members of NASA's 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class will report for duty at the Johnson Space Center in August. They were welcomed Wednesday by Vice President Mike Pence.

The 34-year-old couldn't be reached for comment Thursday afternoon, but told the media this week that growing up in the Houston area afforded her early opportunities to get involved with space, like when her second-grade class grew tomato seeds that ultimately flew in a space shuttle.

"Opportunities like that were kind of unique to growing up in Houston," O'Hara said. "That set me on the path to taking advantage of opportunities with NASA down the road too, like in high school I used to watch the space shuttle debriefings when they used to do those in the space center."

O'Hara said she met the first Houstonian to become an astronaut - Shannon Walker - while she interviewed for the astronaut position.

OHara was born in Houston before her family moved to Sugar Land, where she attended Quail Valley Elementary, First Colony Middle School and Clements High School. She told Fort Bend ISD's media relations department that she credits her community, schools and teachers with preparing her to get to where she is today, although she struggled with one subject in particular.



My favorite subjects in school when I was younger were probably English and art. I also loved science, but my worst subject was actually math. I struggled with math the whole way through, OHara told the Fort Bend ISD.

After graduating from Clements, O'Hara earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas. She also received a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 2009.

More recently, O'Hara worked for Stone Aerospace in Austin, Texas as a design engineer and as a project engineer at Rocketplane Limited in Oklahoma City, Okla. She was a research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts when she was selected to become an astronaut candidate.

She said her parents and sister still live in the Houston area, although she herself has not called the area home since her high school days.

"I'm really excited to move back to Houston," O'Hara said.
United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian joined fifth-grade students Monday to talk about their experiences with the LEADership Project.

Along with the students, Hartunian was joined by the superintendents whose classes were visited as part of the project, police chiefs and officials from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, who served as volunteer instructors for the project.
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STAMFORD  The city has settled one of the civil suits stemming from the 2011 Christmas Day fire for $6.65 million, and it includes a gift to Stamford girls from the three sisters who were killed.

Settlement of the wrongful death suit brought on behalf of Lily Badger, 9, and twins Sarah and Grace, 7, includes $250,000 to be distributed over time to the citys Girl Scouts, papers filed in Stamford Probate Court show.

Sharon Bellinger, chief marketing officer for Girl Scouts of Connecticut, said the organization received a phone call Tuesday from a representative of the Badger family.

We were told we are to be receiving a gift from them, Bellinger said. Our CEO has not had a formal conversation with them yet, but I understand they will meet soon to discuss it.

Stamford has 1,127 Scouts, Bellinger said  girls who pledge to respect others, create lasting friendships and use their talents to make the world better.

The settlement ends a chapter in the tragedy that began early Christmas morning six years ago, when the 116-year-old Victorian on Shippan Point caught fire, trapping the Badger sisters and their grandparents, Pauline and Lomer Johnson, who also died.

The girls mother, New York advertising executive Madonna Badger, escaped the burning house, which was under renovation, and climbed a scaffold to try to reach them.

The following summer, her former husband, Matthew Badger, sued the city, Director of Operations Ernie Orgera and Chief Building Official Robert DeMarco, alleging that they tore down the house the day after it burned and quickly hauled away the debris to cover up inadequate inspections of a botched renovation.

The city announced May 2  three weeks before a trial was to begin  that it had settled the suit, but did not disclose the amount, saying the details were not yet final.

Probate court papers, signed June 5, show that, besides the gift to the Girl Scouts, the settlement includes $3.87 million to be paid to the girls estates and $2.52 million in attorney fees and disbursements.

Matthew Badger, who has said he wanted to hear Stamford officials explain their handling of the fire investigation in court, was not involved in the settlement. He died in February at age 51.

He was represented by his brother, S. Campbell Badger, whose attorneys have said the trial would be about not just the deaths but also gross misconduct at the highest levels of Stamford city government.

The Badger team alleged that Orgera and DeMarco engaged in a cover-up and that the city was reckless in issuing a building permit to contractor Michael Borcina, who had a trail of legal judgments against him and no Connecticut home-improvement registration when he worked on Madonna Badgers 2267 Shippan Ave. house.

The citys fire investigation was inadequate, Badger alleged, and when the debris was dumped so was all the evidence that may have pointed to an electrical or other cause.

City attorneys said there was no cover-up and that they could demonstrate that the cause was fireplace ashes placed in the mudroom on Christmas Eve, as the Stamford fire marshal had determined.

Borcina and Madonna Badger were scheduled to testify in the trial, which was to begin May 24.

The city is settling two other civil lawsuits  one in state court brought by Madonna Badgers brother, Wade Johnson, on behalf of their parents; and another in federal court that focused on the demolition and disposal of the house.

Paperwork concerning the estates of Lomer and Pauline Johnson would be filed in Southbury, where they lived, but the probate court there had not received anything as of Tuesday.

The status of the federal civil court settlement is unknown.

In the months after the fire, Matthew Badger founded the LilySarahGrace Fund, designed to bring the arts back into the nations underfunded public elementary schools. Badger said at the time that his daughters loved art, and he wanted to leave their mark on the planet.

Court papers show that the city and Badgers representatives agreed not to comment on the details of the settlement agreement. Last months announcement stated that Badgers claims were resolved without reflecting any liability or fault on the part of the city, Orgera or DeMarco.

Stamford Director of Legal Affairs Kathryn Emmett said Tuesday she had no comment.

Ilann Maazel, a partner with Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady, the New York City firm representing Matthew Badger, said he had no statement about the settlement but offered a comment:

The memory of these three wonderful girls will live on in the hearts of their family and friends, in the great work of the LilySarahGrace Fund, and now, in the Girl Scouts.

Frank Corso of Corso Law in the Boston area, who represents Madonna Badger, said he had no comment.

Matthew Badger also settled with several contractors who worked on the renovation, for a total of about $8 million.

The cases include a 2014 settlement for $4.25 million against Borcina and his company, Tiberias Construction; a 2015 settlement for $680,000 against Stephen Holt and his company, Shoreline Electrical Contracting; and two settlements reached last year  $550,000 against Robert Dean and his company, New Canaan Design Partners, and $637,500 against Robert Smith and his company, Best Electrical Contracting.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella.
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For a grand total of about 30 minutes on Monday, cable news networks broadcast a dry, unfiltered pitch from Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and other Cabinet officials about President Donald Trump's leadership and his policy agenda. It was no wall-to-wall coverage of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before Congress - but for a White House struggling to break through, it would have to do.

In an effort to counteract a never-ending stream of news related to the ongoing investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, the White House has taken the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to showing progress on policy issues.

The president's schedule in June is packed with policy-related meetings and events in Washington and throughout the country, all with the goal of drawing attention away from the Russia probes and toward the White House's proposals on infrastructure, technology and jobs.

"With all the noise, with all the intensity of the media coverage and obviously, what makes headlines, ultimately, we're really focused on why the American people elected Donald Trump as their president and implementing that plan," Ivanka Trump said on Fox News on Monday morning as she kicked off the White House's week-long focus on workplace development.

President Trump's oldest daughter, who is a White House adviser, also asserted that infrastructure proposals the administration put forward last week "will ultimately have a much more important impact" - a tacit acknowledgment that, at least for now, Russia has dominated the headlines and the White House agenda.

Her comments highlight a growing frustration within the White House that their efforts to draw attention to the president's jobs agenda is being buried by a brewing scandal and multiple investigations into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

In recent weeks, aides have increasingly sought to push back on the perception that Trump's agenda in Congress has stalled, touting the passage of the American Health Care Act in the House of Representatives and efforts to roll back Obama administration policies through the Congressional Review Act as proof that they are making progress.

But with the health-care bill still working its way through the Senate and Trump's tax overhaul proposals still largely unformed, the White House has been left to tout more incremental agenda items, most of which have struggled to gain traction.

Last week, items on the "infrastructure week" agenda battled with Comey's dramatic recollections of his interactions with Trump for media attention. And this week, "workforce development week" will unfold as Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces questions from Congress on Tuesday about his contacts with Russians during the presidential campaign and his role in Trump's firing of Comey. Next week, major technology leaders are also expected to be invited to the White House for a summit with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser.

But while the administration clamors for more attention on its plans, Trump aides have characterized them in less than expansive terms - describing some initiative as "low-hanging fruit" or "small but significant."

The president has also gotten in the way, persistently issuing potentially damaging tweets and proclamations on the subject of Russia - undercutting the messages being pushed by his aides.

"You could go back and count the coverage minutes between infrastructure week and the Russia probe, and the Russia probe will win out," said Alice Stewart, a former communications adviser to two Republican presidential hopefuls, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas. "However, it's crucial for the administration to do exactly what they're doing."

She added: "When he's busy and has a lot of things on his plate, he's not tweeting. And the less he tweets, the better they're able to stay on message."

Last week, Trump delivered a speech in front of a barge of West Virginia coal as he touted his administration's commitment to rebuilding the nations roads and waterways. The White House also announced Trump's support for a plan to privatize the nation's air traffic control system, but that plan would need to be approved by Congress.

On Tuesday, Trump is expected to visit a workplace training program in Wisconsin along with Ivanka Trump and his labor secretary. They will also host CEOs at the White House later in the week to discuss apprenticeship programs, while Trump will deliver a policy speech at the Labor Department.

The themed events hark back to the kind of imagery that was more common in the early weeks of the Trump administration, when White House aides organized a parade of meetings in the West Wing with Trump and corporate executives to announce job-related proposals.

A Monday meeting of Trump's Cabinet - for only the second time since his inauguration - had a similar feel, as Trump held court and basked in effusive praise from his deputies.

"I will say that never has there been a president - with few exceptions; in the case of FDR, he had a major Depression to handle - who's passed more legislation, who's done more things than what we've done, between the executive orders and the job-killing regulations that have been terminated," Trump said. "Many bills; I guess over 34 bills that Congress signed. A Supreme Court justice who's going to be a great one.

"We've achieved tremendous success," he added.

Meanwhile, Trump blamed his inability to pass a GOP health-care bill on "obstructionist" Democrats and promised that his yet-unwritten tax bill that would be "one of the biggest tax cuts in American history."

Promises that Trump would hit the road to sell his plans to the public have also reemerged in recent weeks, with one senior White House official predicting that Trump would spend the summer traveling to push his legislative agenda.

Some conservatives are urging the White House to do more.

"I'm still waiting for 'tax cut week,' " said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser who has pushed the administration to prioritize tax reform. "When are we going to have the big push from the president on the tax plan?

"He needs to do that for two reasons: It'll get Congress moving, and it'll change the subject," he said.
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A handful of demonstrators gathered Tuesday outside the Alan B. Sadler Administration Building to protest GEO Group's planned 1,000-bed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Conroe.

The group of about 15 people, which included members of the American Civil Liberties Union and local residents, expressed their displeasure with the forthcoming facility, which is going to be located next to GEO Group's existing 1,500-bed Joe Corley Detention Facility at 500 Hilbig Road.

"We're very upset the county commissioners never asked the public whether we agree with the prison or want it in our town," said Sandre Elias, who was seen protesting Tuesday. "They just did this under the table and gave the OK."

However, county government has little to do with the new facility. The new facility is located in the city of Conroe, which commissioners have no jurisdiction.

The county did show support for the new facility through a resolution in May 2013, although that had no direct effect on GEO Group deciding to build its new facility.

"That's where (the county government's involvement) ends," Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said. "I'm not sure even if we opposed them building a new (facility) that they would listen."

GEO was awarded a $110 million federal contract from ICE for the additional detention center April 15. It received its building permit from the city of Conroe on the same day, according to a previous email from GEO Group representatives.

Conroe Mayor Toby Powell previously said the city does not need to house any more federal immigration detainees.

The detention facility is slated to be located on 24 acres in the 800 block of Hilbig Road in north Conroe, which is on the same stretch of road as the Montgomery County Jail, Joe Corley Detention Facility and Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility. GEO purchased the land in 2010, records show and The Courier previously reported.

GEO Group anticipates the facility will create almost 340 full-time jobs, with salaries ranging from about $25,000 to $50,000 annually, depending on experience and title. The facility will hold both men and women, although a representative with ICE said no families or juveniles will be at the new facility.
Before he landed the apprenticeship that doubled his wages, Ron Robinson learned how to drive a forklift, mix cement and perform CPR. This training, he said, set him up for his lucrative construction job - and he got it all free.

Over the past year, the Milwaukee resident went from cleaning houses for $12 an hour to helping demolish them for $24.

Now Robinson fears President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to government-funded job-training programs could jeopardize the very service the 49-year-old thanks for his upward mobility. "It'd be a big mistake for our future," he said. "Losing this stuff would be a minus for the construction world and the state of Wisconsin."

On Tuesday, Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta traveled to a technical college in Waukesha County, Wisconsin - 20 miles from Robinson's home - to highlight the administration's plan to downsize government-funded job-training programs and replace them with private-sector partnerships.

The Trumps' itinerary included tours of job-training classrooms and meetings with local business owners aimed at talking about ways to connect job-seekers to talent-hungry companies.

That's particularly challenging in places such as Waukesha County, where the unemployment rate is 3.2 percent - significantly lower than the nation's rate of 4.3 percent.

Employers have trouble filling roles, even as they raise wages, Ivanka Trump noted in a press call last week."The reality is that there are still Americans seeking employment despite low unemployment rates, and companies are struggling to fill vacancies for positions that require various levels of skills and training," she said. "So the Trump administration is committed to working very closely to close the skills gap."

A White House spokesman said the president wants to tackle this issue by expanding apprenticeships and deploying federal money more efficiently. Further details, they said, will come Wednesday in a labor policy speech.

However, critics accuse Trump of hurting the people he says he wants to help.

The president's budget proposal for 2018 called for slashing the Labor Department's budget to $9.6 billion, a reduction of about 21 percent, according to an analysis from the National Skills Coalition, a national worker advocacy group.

That includes a 40 percent cut to the Labor Department's Wagner-Peyser Employment Service, which supports about 14 million job-seekers annually and last year helped nearly 6 million people find jobs, and a $1.3 billion reduction to programs that operate under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which Congress reauthorized in a bipartisan move three years ago.

Angela Hanks, associate director for workforce policy at the Center for American Progress, said the reduced funding to WIOA initiatives could lead to about 571,000 adults and teenagers losing access to job-training opportunities in 2018. Those services include resume polishing, literacy lessons and employment placement.

In her remarks last week, Ivanka Trump, who also works as assistant to the president, said raising more awareness about the benefits of apprenticeships will play a vital role in the White House's workforce development approach. "There are very viable and respectable career paths outside of a traditional four-year college experience that should be considered and invested in," she said.

The administration said only "unnecessary, overlapping, outdated and ineffective programs" will be part of the rollback, according to President Trump's proposal.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, an economist at the right-leaning Manhattan Institute who served on Trump's transition team, said the budget cuts are intended to eliminate costly redundancies.

"Closing down programs that don't work and adding funds to those that do work would be a big step forward," she said. Apprenticeships, she added, put more people to work as they upgrade their skills.

Economic development leaders in Wisconsin, meanwhile, are concerned that cutting Labor Department funds will hurt job-seekers who desire an apprenticeship.

Dawn Pratt, a human resources executive at Payne and Dolan, a construction firm in Waukesha, said federal money has helped support workers who want to take entry-level construction roles but lack adequate knowledge of the job. That includes reaching out to people in economically disadvantaged communities, she said, and helping them prepare for math-based tests that employers often require.

"One of the things we're working on a lot now with some of the grants that are coming down is apprenticeship readiness," said Pratt, who sits on Gov. Scott Walker's workforce investment council. "Years ago, we didn't have to do that because you had actual trade training in schools."

Nowadays, she said, young people don't know about the path to make good money without a college degree. "When you're in areas where there's not a lot of income, and there's not that generational influence, how would you even know about apprenticeships?" she said. "How to prepare for it? How do you pass that exam? Half the people we reach don't know the opportunity exists."

Mark Kessenich, president of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/Big Step, said his organization trains about 800 people each year on how to prepare for apprenticeships in the building trades.

Robinson was one of them - he finished the program in December. A construction firm in town immediately hired him as an apprentice doing odd jobs - preparing paint, tearing out old flooring - as he trained to become a journeyman.

Robinson, who rents a two-bedroom apartment, feels he is on track to buying a four-bedroom house with a big back yard.

"It's a lot of hours," he said of his Big Step training, "but you have to start off slow before you get to running, you know?"

Construction companies hire on average 85 percent of Big Step participants, Kessenich said - but draining federal resources could stall the initiative.

His organization receives financial awards from the state workforce development board, which receives funding from the Labor Department.

Last year, about a third of his budget - $1 million - came from those grants.

"It's a major concern of ours," he said. "When you cut resources, you cut access to properly trained workers. You get what you pay for."
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Three and a half years after he was accused of knowingly alarming shoppers by carrying a long rifle through Parkdale Mall, a Hardin County man was acquitted by a Jefferson County jury after his attorney argued that he was not wearing the weapon to intentionally scare people.

Derek Poe, 28, who steadfastly asserted his constitutional rights, was found not guilty on Thursday of a charge of disorderly conduct.

On Dec. 28, 2013, Poe, who was the owner of Golden Triangle Tactical, a store selling firearm accessories inside the mall, walked through the building with an AR-15, a semiautomatic rifle, strapped to his back.

At least one person called 911 after seeing Poe with the gun, and Beaumont Police confiscated the weapon. He was later charged with disorderly conduct. The District Attorney's Office contended Poe violated a statute by "intentionally and knowingly display[ing] a deadly weapon, namely a firearm, in a public place and in a manner calculated to alarm."

Poe told The Enterprise after the incident that he had carried the rifle daily for months without any problems.

Poe's attorney, Edwin Walker, said he was able to prove his client was carrying the weapon to his car from his store, where he used it to demonstrate the accessories he sold, and that the act was not "calculated" to alarm anyone.

"It's not a result-oriented crime, it's a conduct crime, so the fact that people were alarmed, people in their own subjective experience were alarmed at seeing a rifle that was doing nothing more than being carried in a sling, is not criminalized," Walker said on Monday.

Walker said Poe was carrying the gun when he stopped in at Chick-Fil-A and GameStop to make purchases.

District Attorney Bob Wortham said he was surprised by the trial's outcome but blamed it on insufficient evidence and length of time.

"One of the problems about that case is there was a lot of stuff that wasn't preserved, a lot of 911 calls," he said. Wortham said many people called police after seeing Poe with the weapon, but the state was only able to retrieve one from BPD to use in the trial.

"We didn't have a lot of evidence we would have had, because it was so old," he said.

The case was extended for almost four years partly by a lengthy appeals process, in which Walker and Poe argued that the charge and case were unconstitutional.

In a 2015 filing at the state's Ninth Court of Appeals, Walker argued that the Texas Penal Code statute for disorderly conduct violated his rights under the Texas Constitution and the First, Second, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

He argued that "the open carry of a rifle or shotgun is protected expressive conduct under the First Amendment," and that the law was "unconstitutionally vague and overbroad," violating his rights to free speech and to bear arms.

The appeals court ruled against Poe, sending it back to Jefferson County Court at Law No. 2, where Assistant District Attorney Cornelius Williams argued against Walker for four days last week.

Walker said the jury acquitted Poe after only 10 minutes of deliberation.

Wortham said the case sets a concerning precedent for law enforcement.

"What if he takes the gun into a crowded movie theater? If he decides to do that again, just because he got off on that, we would go after him again," he said.

A vocal gun rights advocate, Poe told The Enterprise in 2014 that he wanted to form an armed militia to patrol the Texas-Mexico border to curb a surge of undocumented Central American women and children who sought refuge in the United States.

Poe was arrested in August 2015 on a family domestic violence charge, when he was accused of grabbing his girlfriend's throat during an argument and head-butting her when she tried to leave their home, according to public records.

That charge was dismissed, according to the Hardin County District Clerk's Office.

After the gun incident, Parkdale Mall put up signs prohibiting the carrying of weapons.

Walker said the rifle was returned to Poe after the acquittal.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitz
Michael A'Hearn, the chief architect and director of an intentional space collision of a comet and spacecraft to advance the eternal human search for the secrets of the solar system, died May 29 at his home in University Park, Maryland. He was 76.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Maxine A'Hearn.

An astronomer and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, Dr. A'Hearn was the chief scientist for the NASA mission known as "Deep Impact," in which an impactor spacecraft was launched directly into the path of a speeding comet.

"Nothing like it had ever been attempted before," Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science, said in an interview. What A'Hearn was proposing, Green said, was to "blow a hole" in the comet to see what was inside.

At 1:52 a.m. on July 4, 2005, the 23,000 mph collision occurred 83 million miles from Earth. It made headlines and led news broadcasts around the world. To achieve the symbolic Fourth-of-July date, the spacecraft had been launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 12, 2005.

The machinery consisted of two parts: a "flyby" craft equipped with sophisticated recording equipment, and a detachable "impactor," an 820-pound, refrigerator-sized craft for the comet to strike. The comet, known as Tempel 1, was about 9 miles long and 3.7 miles wide and moved around the Sun in a 5 1/2 year elliptical orbit between Jupiter and Mars.

There was a blinding shower of light and a giant plume of gas and icy debris when the comet and impactor spacecraft collided with the force of what was said to have been the equivalent of 4 1/2 tons of dynamite.

Scientists had long believed that comets contain remnants of matter left over from the formation of the solar system. They wanted to look inside Tempel 1 to see if an interior view might yield more information.

From the Tempel 1 collision and later flyby observations of other comets, the scientific community gained "a complete rethinking of our understanding of the formation of comets and of how they work," A'Hearn said in a 2013 announcement of the formal end of the "Deep Impact" mission.

"These small, icy remnants of the formation of our solar system are much more varied, both one from another and even from one part to another of a single comet, than we ever had anticipated," he said.

Michael Francis A'Hearn was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 17, 1940, and grew up in Boston. He graduated from Boston College and then received a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin in 1966. That year he joined the faculty at the University of Maryland. In 2000 he was named a distinguished university professor. He took emeritus status in 2011 but had continued doing research at the university.

Survivors include his wife, whom he married in 1963, Maxine Ramold A'Hearn of University Park; three sons, Brian J. A'Hearn of Oxford, England, Kevin P. A'Hearn of Vienna, Virginia, and Patrick N. A'Hearn of Seattle; and five grandchildren.

Outside the lab and classroom, A'Hearn was an avid sailor. He told friends that if he had not become an astronomer, he would most liked to have been a ship's captain. He once combined his vocation and avocation by teaching a course on navigation by the stars. He favored casual dress, and it was sometimes said that for him, formal attire meant shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.

On June 12, he is scheduled to posthumouslyreceive NASA's Exceptional Public Service Medal.

After the collision with Tempel 1, the "Deep Impact" flyby craft continued moving through space. In November 2010 and again in January 2012 it passed close enough to other astronomical bodies to record valuable scientific data.

Scientists at NASA and at the University of Maryland remained in touch with the craft and tracked its movements. But in August 2013, they lost contact, never to regain it. They formally ended the mission a month later.

As for the comet Tempel 1, it continues on its elliptical orbit as if little or nothing ever happened.
The body of a woman who went missing in Crystal Beach waters after saving her child was found shortly after daybreak Tuesday morning, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office said.

Brandy Mosley, 33, was found about 6:30 a.m. near the Gulfport Village subdivision in Crystal Beach, Galveston County Sheriff's Deputy Vic Maceo said. Maceo said Mosley was dead when she was found.
Courtesy photo

Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprofit working to strengthen and improve public education, is sponsoring 110 school leaders  including individual principals and school and district teams from 39 districts, and Education Service Center representatives  for summer leadership programs at The Principals' Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Principal Letty Roman and Assistant Principal Dion Rivera from Smith Elementary, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. Anita Hebert are among those headed to Harvard this summer.

Raise Your Hand Texas is sponsoring our administrators to attend training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The program provides the campus leadership team the opportunity to learn how to design family engagement practices that are directly connected to student learning, and increase your capacity to engage staff, families and your community to improve student outcomes.
WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court on Tuesday said regulators went too far in trying to rein in the high cost of phone calls for prison inmates.

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with phone service companies in finding that the Federal Communications Commission had exceeded its authority.

The ruling is a setback for prison reform advocates who have been fighting for years to reduce the prices imposed by a handful of private companies.

"It is profoundly disappointing and will result in serious continuing harm to untold numbers of families and loved ones of incarcerated people," said Andrew Schwartzman, an attorney with Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Public Representation, who defended the rate caps in court. "We have a lot of work to do at the FCC."

The court was asked to decide whether federal regulators have the authority to cap prices for in-state inmate calls that the judges noted can cost as much as$56 for a four-minute call in some locations.

In general, inmates making calls from state and federal facilities must have accounts with private companies to hold money deposited by family members. The companies then share some of the revenue with the facilities.

In its 39-page opinion, the court acknowledged the "extraordinarily high" rates and lack of competition, but said the commission had misread the law and based its rate caps on "patently unreasonable" calculations.

The majority found the law specifically "directs the commission to 'ensure that all providers are fairly compensated'" for in-state calls and calls between states, wrote Judge Harry Edwards, who was joined by Judge Laurence Silberman.

In her dissent, Judge Cornelia Pillard disputed the assertion that "fairly compensated" is not about fairness to the consumer.

"I cannot agree that a company is 'fairly compensated' . . . when it charges inmates exorbitant prices to use payphones inside prisons and jails, shielded from competition by a contract granting it a facility-wide payphone monopoly," Pillard wrote.

The issue was first raised more than 15 years ago by a retired nurse in the District who could not afford to call her incarcerated grandson. Federal regulators had pushed since 2013 to lower the costs, saying the prices made it too hard for relatives to stay in touch.

But the commission went in a different direction following a change in the balance of political power at the FCC. Soon after President Donald Trump tapped a new chairman, and just before oral argument at the D.C. Circuit in February, the commission told the court it was abandoning its defense of the agency's own rules.

The new FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, had voted against the rate caps as a sitting Republican commissioner, and the FCC's lawyer told the court that the agency does not have the authority to cap in-state calls that account for more than 80 percent of calls.

In a statement Tuesday, Pai said he would work with colleagues, Congress and "all stakeholders to address the problem of high inmate calling rates in a lawful manner."

A number of states, including New Jersey and New York, have independently lowered rates for inmates. But a coalition of law enforcement officials joined the private companies in opposing the caps because they depend on the shared funds or "site commissions." Phone-service companies pay more than $460 million in commissions annually to correctional facilities, according to a brief filed by a coalition of advocates for inmates and their families.

The D.C. Circuit found that at least a portion of the site commissions are a legitimate cost to the companies of providing calling services.

In a minor victory for inmate advocates, the court said that the commission can limit additional fees specifically connected to interstate, but not intrastate, calls.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who first pushed for lower rates in 2013, called the court's decision "deeply disappointing."

"It is a sad day for the more than 2.7 million children in this country with at least one incarcerated parent," she said Tuesday in a statement. "But the families who have experienced the pain, anguish and financial burden of trying to communicate with a loved one in jail or prison, are still counting on us, so we will press on."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to defend broad and deep spending cuts in foreign aid on Tuesday before skeptical, often caustic senators who warned that slashing humanitarian and development funding would endanger national security.

"I think this budget request is radical and reckless, when it comes to soft power," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Appropriations Committee, which is examining the Trump administration's proposed $37.6 billion budget for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, a drop of about 30 percent.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the budget symbolizes a U.S. retreat from world leadership that China and Russia will rush to fill.

"Why would we give up that influence?" he asked. "Does it make us safer? Why would we want to let some of these totalitarian regimes expand their influence instead of American influence? Does that make us safer?

"We can't build a Fortress America," he concluded.

That message, delivered to Tillerson by both Republicans and Democrats, was the leitmotif throughout back-to-back hearings at the Foreign Relations Committee in the morning and the Appropriations Committee in the afternoon.

Although senators acknowledged that some change in the State Department is overdue, the budgetary approach Tillerson outlined was dismissed as penny-wise and pound-foolish, an aphorism repeated several times in both committees. Tillerson said that it is not fair to judge the effectiveness of foreign aid by how much money is spent.

"Throughout my career I have never believed, or experienced, that the level of funding devoted to a goal is the most important factor in achieving it," said Tillerson, former chief executive of ExxonMobil. "Our budget will never determine our ability to be effective - our people will."

Several other high-profile hearings were underway while Tillerson was on the hot seat, and most senators wandered away after grilling the top diplomat. In part that was an acknowledgment that the money Congress ultimately allocates to the State Department is going to be higher than the administration requested.

"I think you know that the budget that's been presented is not going to be the budget we're going to deal with. It's just not," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, who said that he quit reading line-by-line details after a few minutes because it bears no relation to what the final version will be.

If budgets are a statement of values, Tillerson argued that this budget does not mean that the United States under President Trump is retreating from global leadership as it asks other countries to do more.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other leaders, has warned that allies cannot rely on the same set of assumptions about U.S. commitment and support. French officials have said Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, among other actions, is part of a deliberate reordering of post-World War II expectations.

But Trump's top diplomat said some world leaders are grateful for the clarity of Trump's expectations. He said he read Merkel's remarks, delivered after Trump's recent trip to Europe, as encouragement to her country to step up its defense spending and international obligations.

She was saying, "We should not look to America to carry us on their backs every step of the way," Tillerson said.

Tillerson also confirmed that the Trump administration will step back from some of the economic initiatives to Cuba begun under President Barack Obama.

Some of the U.S. effort is serving only to support the Castro regime, and there are no meaningful signs that the engagement is easing repression in Cuba, Tillerson said.

"We think we have achieved very little," he said.

But the heart of Tillerson's hearing was the competing visions for America as reflected in its foreign aid budget. Tillerson argued that the primary goal of government spending should be to protect Americans and advance the country's prosperity.

"The first responsibility of government is the security of its own citizens, and we will orient our diplomatic efforts toward fulfilling that commitment," Tillerson said.

But few senators went along with administration's view that big foreign aid cuts are needed to help finance increases in military spending. Graham came to the hearing equipped with visuals, including a blown-up quotation from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, contending that a State Department that isn't fully funded means he must buy more ammunition.

"While I understand the need for hard power, I don't understand the need to cut soft power," Graham said. "This budget will cost influence. It's going to put lives at risk.

"Given our role in the world, we're sacrificing influence at a time when we need more," he added. "I don't want to retreat from the world right now."
What will Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party ask Theresa May for in return for supporting her as British prime minister? According to those who discussed the outlines of a possible deal with it two years ago, the answer is cash: $1.3 billion (1 billion).

There has been criticism of May for seeking a deal with a minor party that opposes gay marriage and doesn't view climate change as a priority. She was meeting its leader, Arlene Foster, in London on Tuesday. A Brexit that protects Northern Irish businesses is likely to be a key concern.

The DUP's manifesto suggests Foster will focus on a company-tax rate of 12.5 percent -- the same level as in the Republic of Ireland -- or lower. and more bus lanes in Belfast for starters. But in 2015, just as today, the DUP's main priority from the U.K. was getting a lot of money.

Ahead of that year's election, the opposition Labour Party expected that it would gain seats but fall short of a majority, and so began exploratory talks with parties that might be prepared to support it. The talks with the DUP were straightforward, according to "The British General Election of 2015."

The book cited an unnamed person as saying that in March of that year, the DUP was unambiguous, producing what he called "a shopping list" with "the prices marked up."

That month, the predominantly Protestant DUP published "The Northern Ireland Plan," which it described as "our key priorities for discussion with the parties which could form the next government." Some of these demands were to do with its political opponents in Northern Ireland. For example, a ban on allowances for lawmakers who don't take up their seats in the U.K. Parliament can only refer to the nationalists Sinn Fein, as can a ban on political donations from abroad.

But at the top of the list there are two key items in terms of money: the reduction in business tax for the province and "increased infrastructure investment." What does that mean? The Labour figure told the authors of the book that there were a lot of roads that needed fixing around Belfast.

Northern Ireland will receive 10.9 billion pounds from the Treasury this year, with 1 billion pounds of that earmarked for capital spending. For a population of 1.85 million, overall expenditure equates to almost 5,900 pounds a head.

Although May needs a deal with the DUP, she is also likely to be the party's preferred prime minister. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was close to Irish Republican Army supporters during the 1980s and 1990s. That makes it hard for Foster to support him.
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A maintenance manager for Vallejo was taken into federal custody on suspicion of soliciting bribes from city contractors and attempting to steal federal community block grant funds, city officials and the FBI said Monday.

Donald Burton, 51, of Fairfield, was arrested June 7 after he was caught on tape offering landscape work in exchange for kickbacks while he was employed as the landscape maintenance manager for the city, according to an FBI affidavit.

More for you Rivers in US West turn dangerous as days warm, snow thaws

Burton is accused in a criminal complaint of padding invoices and contracts in an attempt to pocket federal money designated for public improvement projects in Vallejo.

We take allegations of criminal activities by city employees very seriously, said Daniel Keen, the Vallejo city manager. We are cooperating with authorities as their investigation of this matter continues.

The FBI white collar crime squad began investigating the case on March 29 after the Vallejo Police Department forwarded them information about an alleged bribery and theft case, special agent Sean Lister wrote in an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

Burton, who managed city agreements for landscaping and capital improvement projects, allegedly offered a business owner extra work hours in exchange for 10 percent of the padded costs, according to the complaint.

Lister said agents recorded meetings in April and May in which Burton and the business owner discussed the illicit deal. Burton was caught on audio and video tape creating contracts on a laptop and adding five extra days of unnecessary work. The arrangement was for Burton to pocket $2,000, Lister said.

Community Development Block Grants are provided to local governments for a variety of infrastructure improvement programs, including parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, trees and landscaping. The purpose of the annual grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is to combat poverty and urban blight.

Keen said the city has begun reviewing all city contracts and agreements and will hire an independent auditor to examine all agreements that Burton has handled over the last several years.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite
A Los Gatos woman was arrested over the weekend in the killing a 74-year-old woman, whom she did not know, in the victims Cupertino home, officials said Monday.

The woman, identified by police as 39-year-old Suzanne Hernandez, was arrested Saturday, said Sgt. Richard Glennon, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office.

Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office

Hernandez was booked into Santa Clara Countys Main Jail on suspicion of murder. She is being held without bail.

Police were alerted to the killing shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday when the victims friends found her dead inside her home on South Tantau Avenue, deputies said.

The victims name was not released, pending notification of her next of kin.

Investigators found visible injuries on the victim, but the motive and events of the killing are still under investigation, Glennon said.

The victim and suspect did not appear to know each other before the incident, authorities said.

There are no other suspects being sought in the killing.

Anyone with information on the case was asked to call the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office at (408) 808-4500 or (408) 808-4431.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
BOSTON  The Edison Electric Institute on Tuesday presented Xcel Energy with the associations Emergency Recovery Award for its outstanding restoration efforts after Winter Storm Jupiter hit the Texas Panhandle in January 2017.

The award is presented twice annually to EEI member companies to recognize their extraordinary efforts to restore service to customers after severe weather conditions cause service disruptions. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, and the awards were presented during EEIs Annual Convention in Boston.
School districts in Bexar County saw a slight uptick in the number of students exempt from required vaccines for religious or philosophical reasons, new data show.

In the 2016-2017 school year, 0.69 percent of students enrolled in Bexar County opted out of vaccinations, compared to 0.67 percent the year prior, Department of State Health Services data show.
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A former Harris County sheriff's deputy and her husband  charged with murder in the choking death of a Crosby man outside a Denny's restaurant  also face the possibility of money damages after the family of the man who was killed filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the couple both had special training in choke holds.

Chauna Thompson, 45, and her husband, Terry Thompson, 41, appeared in a downtown Houston courtroom Tuesday where a judge ruled they will have to take drug tests and cannot have access to firearms as they wait to go to trial.

At the same time across town, attorneys for the family of John Hernandez outlined details in their lawsuit, including allegations that Terry Thompson was a trained mixed martial arts fighter.

READ ALSO: Family of victim in Denny's choking case files lawsuit

"Video revealed Terry Thompson using a mixed martial arts 'blood choke' on John while his deputy wife assisted until he was brain dead," said civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen. "Then, scene deputies attempted to cover ... by failing to summon detectives, trying to charge John with a crime and hiding his serious injury from the district attorney."

Kallinen and attorney Troy Chandler are alleging that Terry Thompson's special MMA training and Chauna Thompson's training as a sheriff's deputy meant the couple knew they were fatally choking Hernandez.

"Deputies are trained in deadly force and they are trained not to use choke holds because it's dangerous," Kallinen said. "It's pretty obvious that strangling can cause death."

READ ALSO: Homicide ruled in man's death after fight with husband of deputy

The Hernandez family is suing to ensure financial support for Hernandez's wife and 3-year-old daughter.

The Thompsons remain free on $100,000 bail each. They could face up to life in prison if convicted.

After the couple appeared before state District Judge Kelli Johnson Tuesday, their lawyers said they are innocent of wrongdoing.

READ ALSO: New video surfaces in fatal altercation at Denny's

"His intention was defending himself and others from Mr. Hernandez's initial aggression," said Scot Courtney, the attorney for Terry Thompson. "He was struck in the eye."

He and attorney Greg Cagle, who is defending Chauna Thompson, said Hernandez was urinating outside of the Denny's restaurant in Crosby. Witnesses have said Hernandez was intoxicated when he arrived at the restaurant with his family about 11 p.m. May 28 and did go outside to use the restroom.

Terry Thompson apparently arrived in the parking lot with three teenage girls and his wife arrived shortly afterward in a separate vehicle.

Attorneys for the Thompson family said Hernandez approached Terry Thompson and, after being told to cover up, punched Thompson in the face.

"Mr. Thompson was not the aggressor," Cagle said. "Mr. Thompson was the one who was struck in the face first. He received a pretty significant injury to his eye."

Attorneys for Hernandez's family said who threw the first punch doesn't matter.

"This is not about how it began, but who ended it and how they did it," said attorney Chandler.

He and Kallinen said in court documents that one witness overheard Chauna Thompson tell Hernandez, "Shut up. We are not letting you go. You already can't breathe, so stop making noises."

The couple were indicted Thursday just a day after more than 150 protesters marched across downtown Houston proclaiming "Justice for John Hernandez" and "Brown Lives Matter."

The march was the culmination of a week of unrest after cell phone video of the incident was released, showing Terry Thompson straddling Hernandez and holding him in a choke hold as he struggled to breathe.

Both Thompsons are accused of the firstdegree felony of intentionally causing the death of Hernandez. Terry Thompson is accused of choking him as he held him pinned to the ground; Chauna Thompson was charged as an accomplice.

Cagle and Courtney said they believe there was a rush to indict because of pressure from protestors, who were also present in the courtroom and at the courthouse during Tuesday's arraignment.

"My client would not be indicted but for her job title," Cagle said. "I don't think anybody else would be indicted for murder for touching someone on the arm."

Because of rising tensions during the court appearance, deputies escorted the Thompsons to a car behind the courthouse after the hearing.

Protesters then swarmed the car briefly until deputies formed an impromptu barrier so the Thompsons could leave.

Susanna Sentana, one of Hernandez's cousins, said the protestors flocked to the car because they saw a phalanx of officers escorting the Thompsons.

"We're protesting not only because we feel like we're not getting justice but because we feel like they're getting special treatment," Sentana said. "Everybody's just angry and hurt."



In Harris County, extra courthouse security is typical in cases where protesters or any crowd of passionate observers pack the courtroom. It is exceedingly rare for police officers to be indicted for felonies on violent crimes, so those cases attract additional attention.

David Mitcham, one of District Attorney Kim Ogg's top lieutenants, appeared in court Tuesday as the prosecutor. Afterward, he gave procedural details of the case and told a crush of reporters that the office would seek justice in an orderly way.

"My message is that the Harris County District Attorney's Office is dedicated to seeking justice in the death of John Hernandez and we will seek that in the orderly process of the courts," he said.
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Brad Phipps, the San Antonio firefighter who was critically injured while battling a Northwest Side blaze that took the life of another firefighter, recently had his breathing tube taken out, the San Antonio Fire Department announced Tuesday.

He remains in critical condition at Brooke Army Medical Center, where he continues to undergo multiple skin graft surgeries, including one operation scheduled for today.

We are all still recovering as we speak, Fire Chief Charles Hood said during a Tuesday news conference in the Ingram Square Shopping Center, where the four-alarm fire occurred on May 18. He said the investigation into the fire will likely take a year to complete.

Hood said he was able to communicate with Phipps, a father of two who joined the department in 2006, for the first time last week after his breathing tube was removed.

It was very uplifting, Hood said.

Hood said he didnt know if Phipps understood that firefighter Scott Deem, whom he worked alongside at Station 35, died in the blaze while attempting to rescue possible victims.

Phipps has a television in his room, but Hood said he didnt discuss the incident with Phipps. Phipps has been under heavy sedation.

He needs to be focusing on his recovery, Hood said.

On May 18, Phipps entered the Spartan Gym at the Ingram Square Shopping Center alongside Deem and other firefighters from Station 35.

As they searched the building, they reported zero visibility and zero ventilation, according to radio recordings on Broadcastify.com, which posts archives of radio scanner traffic online.

Wally Yates, the commander at the scene, ordered all firefighters out of the building, according to the recordings. Soon after, a mayday was called over the radio. Yates told another group of firefighters with Engine 27 to go in as a Rapid Intervention Team to find the firefighters from Station 35.

The Rapid Intervention Team found Phipps first.

Be advised, we have one firefighter thats being pulled out, being pulled out over to EMS right now, said Battalion Chief Rich Giusti, who took command of the rescue team. He looks like hes been exposed to a lot of heat.

After he was led from the building, Phipps fought with the paramedics, trying to get back in to search for his comrade, Hood said in May.

Shortly after the fire, a family friend established a fund for Phipps medical treatment on YouCaring.com, an online crowdfunding site. As of Tuesday, over $19,000 has been raised for Phipps family.

Since then, the family has set also up a fund at Generations Federal Credit Union. The account number is 1000001554998 and the routing number is 314088572.

On Tuesday, Hood also announced that the department has begun leading firefighters through the Spartan gym, where Deem died, so they can find closure.

He expects over 2,000 firefighters will tour the building, including paramedics and firefighters from other jurisdictions who work closely with the San Antonio Fire Department.

Other departments dont go to this extreme to make sure everyone sees it, Hood said. Its priceless to have this opportunity.
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Update: At 1:40 p.m., Sgt. Jesse Salame, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department, said detectives have confirmed that no children were taken during a reported carjacking early Tuesday on the East Side.

Salame said the woman who told police her two children were missing gave a false name to officers. The case is still under investigation, though it is unclear if anyone is facing criminal charges in relation to the carjacking or the apparent false report.

Original story: Police say two children may have been taken in a carjacking early Tuesday on the East Side.

Sgt. Jesse Salame, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department, said it is unclear whether the children, 4-year-old Mailayiah Reane and 2-year-old Lena Reane, even exist, but police are asking for the public's assistance as a precautionary measure.

"We don't really know what to make of this, but out of an abundance of caution, we're going to take every precaution we can to locate these kids or determine that they don't exist," he said.

RELATED: Police allegedly found weed stashed in woman's genitals after North Side chase

Police were first notified of the carjacking around 3 a.m., when the girl's alleged mother, 19-year-old Sabrina Hueiitt, called police and said a number of men had stolen her car with her two girls inside.

Salame said Hueiitt told police she met the men on Craigslist and that the two parties had agreed to meet up at an apartment complex in the 700 block of W.W. White at 3 a.m.

"Obviously, I don't know if they were up to any good," he said.

When the woman arrived, the men allegedly carjacked her and fled the scene. Police later located the stolen vehicle at another apartment complex in the 3700 block of East Commerce, though there was no sign of the children.

RELATED: S.A. man faces retail organized theft charge after $10,000 in tools seized from home

Salame said Hueiitt later changed her story "considerably," saying she had dropped the children off at a friend's house. Still, the children have not been located. Salame also said police have spoken with some of Hueiitt's friends, who said they've never seen Hueiitt with any children.

The San Antonio Police Department's robbery, homicide and special victim's units are currently investigating the incident.

Three men have been detained in connection with the carjacking, though it is unclear whether they ever came into contact with the children.

Police are asking anyone with information on Hueiitt, specifically whether or not she even has children, or the children's location to contact police.
Laura and Eusebio Castillo's home on the Southeast Side of San Antonio was a place where "miracles" occurred on a weekly basis.

Every Sunday, hundreds of believers would flock to St. Peregrine Chapel, a little shed in the back of the Castillos' home, to visit an 8-year-old girl they claimed as their daughter. The child was said to be capable of curing cancer.

"The Miracle Child," often seen wearing an oversized crucifix necklace and white lace veil, was the talk of San Antonio in early 2013, even garnering two stories on Fox's San Antonio affiliate, KABB-TV.

But when the cameras and congregants left, the Castillo home transformed.

According to documents obtained by mySA.com, Laura and Eusebio allegedly committed numerous rapes and assaults against the Miracle Child's true mother, Abigail Alvarado, who was the Castillos' adopted daughter and niece.

The Miracle Child and two other children were born from the alleged rapes, according to forensic lab reports that found a match between the DNA of the children and that of Eusebio.

Laura and Eusebio are now facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. Police in San Juan, Texas, a small city in the Rio Grande Valley, arrested the couple on warrants issued from Bexar County. Eusebio was transferred to the Bexar County Jail on Feb. 22, Laura on June 1. Both are being held on $75,000 bonds.

The Castillos are both scheduled to make a court appearance on August 7. If convicted of the charges against them, they could face up to 99 years in prison.

Attorneys for Laura and Eusebio did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The Castillos' arrests mark the peak of a years-long investigation that began on July 20, 2014, when Abigail, who goes by Abby, now an adult who wants her story told, informed police of the abuse she had endured since at least age 9.

Abby, now 28, first approached mySA.com following the news of the arrest of Eusebio, who is her uncle and adopted father. She says the years she spent with the Castillos were marked by brainwashing, manipulation, stalking, assault and horror. Rape, lies and threats were part of her daily routine, and she says the only reasons she didn't hurt herself or someone else were her children, who were born out of the abuse and will remain unnamed at her request.

"I was depressed all the time," Abby said. "I wouldn't eat. I would think of suicide. And I stopped it all because of the kids. Who was going to take care of my kids? I thought, 'If I die, my kids are next in line.'"

The path toward her alleged abusers began in 1996 in San Antonio, when she was 8 years old. Child Protective Services took her and her younger brother and older sister away from their mother, Maria Rodriguez, due to her addiction to drugs and alcohol and inability to care for her children. Rodriguez, now sober for more than three years, admits her addiction was a problem.

"I felt like I put them through that because of my alcoholism," she said, quiet and teary, during a phone interview. "If I would've quit drinking maybe they wouldn't have taken them from me. If I could change things around, I would do it differently. I trusted him, you know."

After the state took custody of Abby and her siblings, they were placed in a shelter, where they remained until her older sister brought up the idea of contacting their uncle Eusebio, Rodriguez' brother who was a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Eusebio and Laura agreed to take care of the children. Authorities granted the Castillos guardianship, Abby said, and they later legally adopted the siblings. The three children were flown out to Schofield Barracks, where they began their lives with their new caretakers.

Abby alleges the abuse began almost immediately.

Within three months of moving to Hawaii, she said, Eusebio was climbing up into her bunk bed at night and molesting her. She tried to tell Laura about the abuse after the third night it happened, she said, but Laura dismissed her.

"I told her, and she didn't believe me," Abby said. "She ignored it, and she said she didn't believe me."

The abuse continued, Abby said. Abby claims she was the only sibling targeted throughout the years the siblings lived with the Castillos. She said she's not sure if her brother and sister knew what was going on in the house, but if they did, they never tried to stop it.

Abby said her sister tried get help from Child Protective Services years later, but she claimed Eusebio had her so afraid of being jailed herself that she refused to cooperate with the investigation.

In 2001, Eusebio left the Army, and the family moved to Houston, then Laredo. By that time, Abby was in her early teens, and the situation at home had worsened from molestation to outright rape, according to Abby. Laura had also begun "helping out," she said.

"Threesomes" with her adopted parents, said Rudy Alvarado, Abby's 34-year-old husband, with a severe matter-of-factness to his voice. "[Laura] couldn't stop him. She didn't want to lose him. So to not lose him, she allowed him to do whatever he wanted."

According to Laura's indictment, she forced Abby to perform sexual acts on Eusebio and herself, and she and Eusebio forced sexual acts upon Abby. In the indictment, prosecutors listed Feb. 16, 2004, as the earliest date of alleged abuse. Abby would have been 15 at that time, though she claims the two began assaulting her earlier than that. She says Eusebio began molesting her at age 9 and raping her around age 13.

Graphic details of the alleged abuse will be withheld from this story, but the indictment accuses both Laura and Eusebio of forcing Abby to "submit and participate by the physical use of force and violence."

Abby said she thought of contacting law enforcement authorities, but Eusebio was constantly threatening her and physically assaulting her if she disobeyed, allegations that appear to be reiterated by Laura's indictment, which claims Abby was threatened with bodily injury on numerous occasions.

"I'm an easy bruiser," Abby said during a recent interview, Rudy visibly upset at her side. "He'd hit me in the shoulder, the stomach. Everywhere it can't be seen. I wasn't allowed to wear shorts or tank tops."

Around the spring of 2004, Eusebio's jealousy and desperation for Abby intensified, she said. Abby recalled the night of her 8th grade dance as an example.

As she dressed up for the dance in her room, she said Eusebio stood nearby, drinking and spewing the words "bitch" and "slut" at her, jealous at the fact she'd soon be dancing with other boys. Laura later drove her to the dance.

At the end of the night, Abby said, Eusebio appeared on the dancefloor with a bouquet of roses for her and apologized profusely for what he had said to her.

After Abby graduated from 8th grade, the family moved to Mission, Texas. She was 15 as she entered high school, having been delayed in school by the numerous relocations throughout her childhood, she said.

It was in Mission, less than a semester into her high school education, that Laura came to her and demanded she become a "surrogate mother" for Eusebio's children, as Laura was unable to conceive with him, Abby said.

"You're going to have this baby. There's no saying no," Laura said, according to Abby.

Months later, Abby was trying to hide her pregnant belly at school. She had to lie about who the father was, claiming a boy from a different high school was responsible. As a 17-year-old sophomore, she gave birth to her first child. She walked the graduation stage at the age of 20 in 2008, pregnant with her second child. Three years later, she gave birth to her youngest, a boy.

The children were raised believing Abby was their older sister, and Laura and Eusebio were their actual parents. Photos from Laura's now-deleted Facebook profile show her and Eusebio posing with the children, accompanied by captions portraying Eusebio as the father, and herself as the mother. They looked like any other family at Disneyland.

After Abby graduated from high school, in 2009, the Castillos left Mission and moved to San Antonio, where Abby met the man who she says saved her from the Castillos: Rudy.

Rudy and Abby met at her home in the 200 block of McLaughlin Avenue around 2013.

The Castillos' St. Peregrine Chapel, named after the patron saint for people suffering from cancer, was rapidly gaining popularity at the time. The chapel was founded with the help of Archbishop John Parnell, the primate of the Mexican National Catholic Church, an obscure branch of the Catholic Church that is believed to have begun in the 1920s during the Mexican Revolution.

"It's disgusting that this went on," said Parnell, who says he was unaware of the alleged abuse like everyone else. "They were such good actors. All the deception to try to make some money. I was so sad for such a long time about those kids being used the way they were. It made me not believe in people. I lost a lot of my faith in people."

Parnell claims Laura told him about "her daughter's" cancer-curing gift after she attended one of his services in Edinburg featuring Alberto Salinas, a well-known "curandero" (healer) in the Rio Grande Valley. Parnell agreed to hold a service with the girl at the Castillos' home in San Antonio one Sunday in 2013.

"Four weeks later it was on TV," he said.

Parnell said he believes that Salinas' healing abilities, and the donations with which they were rewarded, gave "conniving" Laura the idea to spread the word that Abby's eldest child, whom she claimed was her own daughter, was a saint as a money-making scheme.

Sunday visitors, he said, "would go up to [the child] for prayer. They'd form a line and it would just go to infinity. I mean, all the way across the yard and down the driveway. I would pass the basket down the line, and one-by-one they'd make a donation to [the child]. Then I gave the basket to Laura and Eusebio. They just made a fortune."

Rudy, who said he used to believe in the type of mystical Catholicism practiced by the MNCC and worked as a healer, was an acquaintance of Parnell, who brought him to the church on McLaughlin one Sunday and introduced him to the Castillos.

"[Parnell] introduced me to Laura, and Eusebio pointed to 'his children,' these nice, small, tiny, beautiful children," Rudy said. "Then I see Abby, and I see a little bit of a tummy, like someone has after they have a baby."

"Are these your kids?" he asked later that day.

Rudy said Abby told him they weren't, so he ignored it, but that impression stuck with him.

"I noticed it almost right away. Almost immediately," he said. "Over the course of a few weeks I started putting the pieces together."

Rudy figured the kids weren't Eusebio and Laura's, and that they were probably Abby's, but he never could have guessed who the father was, and it wasn't until months later that he found out.

Rudy, who has two kids of his own from a previous marriage, said he and Abby started falling in love quickly, spending as much time together as they could on Sundays and trying to Facebook chat with each other while apart.

But something was always off, he said. Abby would suddenly end the chat or go missing for months. It drove him crazy.

"And in the midst of all that, I got like a vision. Just a straight up vision," Rudy said. "I was in a prison compound, and there was the good side of me and the bad side of me, and I was helping and hurting people. At the end of the vision, there was a breakout in the prison, and as I was leaving, I saw a hooded girl in a cell. So I run inside the cell, flip her hood and I see Abby. And then I woke up."

The vision confounded Rudy and urged him to dig deeper, he said. So he kept pursuing Abby, not giving up on her despite her odd behavior.

Meanwhile, Abby was walking a tightrope at home, trying to stay true to Rudy and placate Eusebio enough so that he wouldn't injure her children, she said. In early 2014, before Rudy and Abby really began dating in secret, Laura and Eusebio walked into her room and began preparing to sexually assault her, she said. Abby said she felt like she'd be cheating on Rudy, so she tried to stop them. Instead, Eusebio came at her "full force," she said.

Abby said she began a full-on rebellion after that, questioning why her parents continued to assault her even though she had given them everything they had asked for. The situation came to a head soon after, when Abby, fully in love with Rudy, told Laura and Eusebio there was another person in her life.

According to Rudy, Laura "beat the living crap" out of Abby that day. Eusebio drank heavily every night, threatening Abby and her children, they both claimed. According to his affidavit, Eusebio on one occasion became frightened that Abby would report his abuse to authorities, so he doused himself and his house in gasoline and threatened to burn everything down, including her children.

"There was no guilt," Abby said. "He just didn't want to be caught by the police."

EUSEBIO'S MUGSHOT: Court documents say man sexually assaulted relative since age 9, fathered 3 of her children

Despite the terrors at home, Abby tried to hide the truth from Rudy for fear he would leave her if he knew who the real father of her children was. But Rudy finally pried it out of her. He told her he was in love with her, but she needed to tell him what was going on or he would have to leave. Alvarado caved.

"Those three kids are mine," Abby told him.

"Alright, I already kind of figured that," Rudy said.

"Eusebio is their dad," she said.

Rudy said the revelation stunned him. She asked if he was going to leave her. Rudy said he wouldn't, and that he'd do everything he could to get her out. Abby didn't want to go to the police immediately for fear of retaliation by Eusebio, and she believed she would also go to jail, so the two tried to maintain their difficult relationship with both Eusebio and Laura still hovering around.

Abby finally broke in April 2014, when Laura became ill and was taken to the hospital, and Eusebio thought she was going to die.

"After she dies, it's me and you," Eusebio said, according to Abby. "We're going to get married and have more kids and continue the chapel. On the outside we'll be father and daughter, but on the inside we're married."

Soon after the conversation with Eusebio, she called Rudy and told him to come pick her up. Rudy wanted to go straight to the police once Abby was out of the Castillo house, but she was still scared on behalf of her children, so she begged him to hold off. And he did, until July 2014 after several successive days in which he says Eusebio called his house, breathed into the phone and said nothing.

"The third day I got fed up," Rudy said. "I told him 'I was going to leave you alone, but since you keep pushing and you want to act like a stalker and a piece of sh-t, I'm going to f---ing come after you. Get ready you son of a bitch, because you're going to prison.' And then I hung up."

Rudy took Abby to a police station, and they told the story. But by the time police got around to investigating, it was already too late. Eusebio and Laura were gone.

"They sold the house and everything in it for $2,000 to two ladies who owned a pawn shop, and then they were gone," Rudy said. "We took whatever the women allowed us to take, maybe two bags of clothes. No dressers, no bunk beds, no nothing. All of that they kept."

Laura and Eusebio's whereabouts were unknown until December 2016, more than two years later, when Laura, who claims she suffers from lupus, posted a GoFundMe page to her Facebook account to try to raise money for medical expenses. On the GoFundMe page, under a photo of Laura's face with a flowery Snapchat filter around it, was a listed location of San Juan, Texas.

Within two months, police had obtained a warrant for Eusebio's DNA, which came back from a forensic lab as a match with Abby's children. Because of the nature of the sexual assaults, DNA evidence would not work in the criminal case against Laura, but prosecutors were able to indict her on a charge of aggravated sexual assault based on witness testimony.

"It feels great to be part of the investigation," said Det. Miles McPeak, who collected evidence and orchestrated Eusebio's arrest with assistance from the San Juan Police Department. "Catching the bad guys, that's what I do over here."

McPeak said all of the cases he works on as a sex crimes investigator are disturbing, but the familial aspect of the Castillos' alleged crimes was particularly disturbing.

Rudy and Abigail said they are relieved and grateful for the arrests, though they know they'll have more struggles ahead. Abby said she has begun the healing process, but she still suffers from severe paranoia. Rudy said it was difficult at first to get her to leave the house, for fear of Laura or Eusebio finding her.

"She'd have nightmares," Rudy said. "I would have to hold her every night. All girls like to be held, but this was different. I just told her you'll never see him again, unless it's in court or in prison."

One aspect of her new life that's helping her adjust is rebuilding a family with Rudy's relatives and her own estranged relatives. Abby recently reconnected with Rodriguez, who said she's doing everything she can to be available for her daughter and grandchildren like she "should have been." Abby said she holds nothing against her mother, but Rodriguez said guilt and anger remain with her.

"To be honest, I wanted for someone to look for [Eusebio] and do the same thing to him or to kill him," Rodriguez said. "He was supposed to be a superhero for my kids. I just can't believe he's done something like that to his own family. Nobody deserves to go through that."

Abby is now preparing herself for the trial. She says she's intimidated, but she wants to share her story so that other women who are going through a similar situation know that they have options, and that they can speak out and someone will help them.

She also wants people to hear her story so that if they notice something unusual or off about somebody they know, they don't assume everything is fine. Do something, she asks.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
SAN ANTONIO  A 36-year-old man was arrested last week for allegedly sexually assaulting two women at an earlier date, according to court documents.

Terrell Jenkins faces two second-degree felony charges of sexual assault. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge, if convicted.
A new mugshot has been released for the woman police say left two young children to die in a vehicle for 15 hours in one of the most "horrific" cases of child endangerment Kerr County has ever seen.

Amanda Hawkins, 19, was transferred to Kerr County Jail after being arrested in San Antonio and held at the Bexar County Jail on a $70,000 bond for two charges of abandoning or endangering a child, according to previous reports and new online jail records out of Kerr County.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Hays County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Hays County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Hays County officials apprehended two men earlier this month after allegedly discovering a stash of drugs and weapons inside their San Marcos home, according to a news release.

Texas Wiley, 45, and Donald Harper, 43, were arrested June 9 after officials issued a search warrant at their home.
Mike Estrada, who owned and operated Reforma Cafe with his wife, Mary, died at home June 5 at 80.

Diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2008, Estrada also developed dementia in his later years.

One of three children of Mexican immigrants, Estrada was raised on the South Side, graduating from Brackenridge High School in the early 1950s.

They were a close-knit family, his wife said. His father was very strict; no coming to the table without your shirt tucked in, no long hair.

Drafted into the Army in 1962, the same year his parents started the cafe, Estrada was sent to Germany, and took full advantage of his location.

He always spoke about being a guy from Texas who had never been out of Texas. and here he was in Europe, Mary Estrada said. He and his buddies would tour every weekend.

Discharged in 1966, Mike Estrada began helping out his parents in the cafe.

He met his future wife, a waitress at a nearby restaurant, in the mid-1960s. They married in 1968.

Eventually taking over the cafe from his parents, Estrada and his wife worked together for more than 20 years, arriving in the early morning and closing at 3 p.m. They closed the restaurant in 1992.

The majority of his day, he was in the kitchen, said his daughter, Grace Estrada. He was a very hard worker.

More Information Mike Estrada Born: Jan. 28, 1937, San Antonio Died: June 5, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Antonio and Francisca Estrada; a sister Survived by: Wife Mary Estrada; sons Robert Estrada and daughter-in-law Kathi, Roger Estrada, Mike Estrada Jr. and daughter-in-law Lori, Antonio Estrada; daughter Grace; nine grandchildren; and one great grandson; a brother Services: Celebration of life at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mission Park Funeral Chapel South, 1700 SE Military Drive; Mass at 9 a.m. Thursday at St. Margaret Mary Church, 1314 Fair Ave., followed by burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. See More Collapse

When he wasnt at the cafe, Mike Estrada worked on the wrecked cars he bought at auction.

Wed buy them totaled  go to the junkyard to find parts, and put them back together, his son Antonio Estrada said. I still have an old truck he restored and gave to me when I was in my 20s, a 1967 Chevy pickup.

When not working on his cars, Mike Estrada could be found fishing.

Buying a boat early on, Mike Estrada raised his children on the water, taking them to Canyon Lake and off the coast of Corpus Christi almost every weekend.

That was his passion, Grace Estrada said.

After retiring, Mike Estrada and his wife worked with Meals on Wheels and vacationed throughout the U.S. until his health began to decline.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
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School is out! Reward your kids and start your summer vacation off with the ultimate taco experience at Los Balitos Taco Shop, home of the original California burrito and traditional Mexican food like youve never had before.

With four locations throughout the San Antonio area that are open 24/7, Los Balitos is the perfect place to get your Mexican food fix anytime of the day or night. Los Balitos starts with only the freshest ingredients and prepares their food just the way you like with lots of love.

Breakfast tacos are one of Los Balitos specialties with more than a dozen options. The menu also features breakfast burritos and breakfast plates that include potatoes and beans for bigger appetites.

Satisfy your craving for outstanding Mexican food with such lunch and dinner favorites as the Chimichanga, with beef, chicken, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole; California burrito that includes potatoes, steak, pico de gallo and cheese; and Mar y Tierra, which includes rice, cheese, shrimp, steak and special salsa.

Combination plates are all served with rice and beans. There are also a variety of fish and vegetarian selections. Los Balitos salsa bar draws rave reviews from diners.

Look at what else diners are saying about Los Balitos:

 Order the Mar y Tierra (steak and shrimp) burrito, trust me. In addition, the tripa taco (crispy), al pastor mini tacos, and carne guisada fries are amazing as well.

 Yummy wonderful, crunchified fries topped with carne asada, guacamole and cheese. I simply love their food from the entree to the salsa bar, and please do try them all; you wont regret it.

 My order is always a chimichanga without meat, so basically a fried veggie burrito (beans, rice and the works inside) with guacamole on top. This is even better with added shrimp, making it the best chimi Ive ever tried.

 I think I just found my new guilty pleasure . . . Chips are fresh; theres a self-serve salsa bar; the menu is easy and full of options; food is seasoned to perfection; and fast, friendly service. Whats not to love?

 Great portions at reasonable and competitive prices. Plenty of waitresses to hover around for coffee refills and (anything) else that may be needed. Very friendly.

Diners agree that if you havent already made Los Balitos your regular stop for Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Be sure to ask for the daily specials that are offered from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Los Balitos Taco Shop

Open 24/7

Click here to visit website

226 W. Bitters Road, No. 118

San Antonio, TX 78216

(210) 494-9131

6446 N.W. Loop 410

San Antonio, TX 78238

(210) 509-7171

3111 TPC Parkway, No. 101

San Antonio, TX 78259

(210) 497-1153

5630 W. Loop 1604 N., No. 116

(in Alamo Ranch)

San Antonio, TX 78251

(210) 375-6112

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Los Balitos Taco Shop. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
The German discount supermarket has plans to open close to 900 stores in the country over the next five years.

BATAVIA, Ill.  Aldi, a German discount grocery chain, has unveiled plans to open close to 900 stores in the United States over the next five years as part of a $5 billion expansion plan, the Wall Street Journal reports. The chain will also remodel hundreds of its current U.S. locations.

Those plans will likely push Aldi into the third-largest food retailer by store count in the United States, smack behind Walmart and Kroger. With the additional new stores, Aldi will have 2,500 U.S. units by 2022. Another German discount supermarket chain, Lidl, will open the first 10 American stores this week as part of its own expansion plan.

Discount chains are predicted to grow up to 10% annually through 2020a rate thats five times that of traditional supermarkets, according to Bain & Co. It should absolutely be more than scary to traditional grocers and retailers, said Mikey Vu, a Bain partner.

Aldi has had U.S. locations since 1976, but has mainly targeted lower-income shoppers with its discounted items. In recent years, the chain has worked to improve stores and products, and has attracted a bigger mix of customers, Vu said.

Europeans have long been willing to purchase private-label products, which has led to the success of Aldi and Lidl overseas. But Americans are beginning to embrace store brands, which might mean Aldi or Lidl would pick up additional customers. [Millennials] are value-oriented and dont hold the same stigmas about private-label items that older generations do, said Mike Paglia, director at Kantar Retail.
LOS ANGELES  How do you add to your bottom line significantly without opening more locations? Some restaurants have discovered that putting branded products on grocery store shelves has brought in a new revenue stream and boosted the name recognition too, Nations Restaurant News reports. Restaurants have long conspired about how to bring in more customers more often, but some chains have flipped that equation by thinking instead about how to get their food in front of customers.

Brands that diversify their touchpoints do better than brands that limit themselves to a single source of cash. Specifically, by putting your food in front of consumers where they are, rather than where you want them to be, you can multiply market share and boost profits, without the hassle of creating a new customer or splurging on R&D, wrote Jeff Lotman, founder and CEO of Global Icons, in a Nations Restaurant News column.

Lotman highlighted three restaurantsTGI Fridays, California Pizza Kitchen and DunkinDonutsthat have embraced brand licensing and grabbed more share of the stomach through grocery store products. TGI Fridays pioneered branded products at supermarkets. While its restaurants attract twentysomethings, in the grocery store, its a different demographic (moms in the 35- to 45-year-old bracket). The chain now sells $400 million annually in retail sales.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) jumped into the frozen pizza category 20 years ago, and now accounts for nearly 13% of the market share. CPK brings in $150 million in annual retail sales through licensing agreements with Kraft and Nestle.

Over at Dunkin Donuts, coffee packaged for retail sales in supermarkets has brought the chain into areas of the country without a location. Now in addition to bagged coffee, the chain sells branded coffee creamer, Keurig K-Cups and ready-to-drink iced coffee.
Dear patient readers:

Any lawyers who do copyright in the house and are current on case law? This isnt for NC as a businesses, its to sanity check a different matter. If you can spend 15 mins or so with me on the phone in the next day or so, please ping me at yves-at-nakedcapitalism.com with Copyright in the subject line. Also please let me know how and when in the PM/evening EDT would be a good time to reach you. Thanks!

The three-minute story of 800,000 years of climate change with a sting in the tail The Conversation (furzy)

Look at This Massive Click Fraud Farm that Was Just Busted In Thailand Motherboard (resilc)

Can a Single Injection Conquer PTSD? The Army Wants to Find Out Wall Street Journal (Dan K). Resilc sent this version: U.S. Army Commissions $2M Study for Shots Treating PTSD Daily Beast. Shoot them up and send them back. USA USA.

China?

India

Angela Merkels Anti-Trump Alliance Crumbling ahead of G-20 Der Spiegel (resilc)

Europe turned upside down by political upheavals Politico

Two More Spanish Banks Hit By Contagion: Another Deflationary Bust Coming Up Michael Shedlock (EM)

UK Election Aftermath

Brexit

96% drop in EU nurses registering to work in Britain since Brexit vote Guardian Brussels insists on power to control euro clearing after Brexit Financial Times. This is less aggressive than the original ECB/French position, of requiring that Euro derivatives clearing be domiciled in the EU. Now the test seems to be systemic importance. But with the LCH accounting for, what, 90% of Euro derivatives clearing, is this a distinction without a difference?

Syraqistan

New Cold War

Imperial Collapse Watch

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

The Internet Of Things Is Becoming More Difficult To Escape NPR

Trump Transition

Obamacare

Can Democrats Fix the Party? Rolling Stone (resilc). Assumes they want to.

Three Takeaways From Bernie Sanders Speech At The Peoples Summit Bustle. UserFriendly:

Im at the peoples summit in Chicago and Bernie just gave one hell of a barn burner. He was brutal towards the Democratic establishment. Condemned them up and down, more than the usual. There was a bunch of people from the Draft Bernie to form an independent party movement and they interrupted Bernie with chants a few times and had a banner they put on the balcony. Roseann Demoro of NNU was hosting it and came on after Bernies speech while he was still on stage and as soon as she gets the mic she says I have to say to the Draft Bernie people Im with you. Crowd goes wild. Nursers are you with them? Crowd goes wild. Everyone else, you with them? Crowd goes wild. Bernie never responded and then they moved on to a Q and A with Bernie. There was definitely at least 15% of the crowd that wasnt for it but it was absolutely great. I have no clue if the MSM is gonna cover it but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Goldman Sachs-backed Firm Invests Big in Shipping Tar Sands by Train Along Keystone XL Route DeSmog Blog

Jerry Springer for governor? In Ohio, Democrats push Business Insider. UserFriendly: Kill Me!!!

Chase Iron Eyes Intercept Interview on DAPL YouTube (Thomas R)

A Time of Hope Ian Welsh (martha r)

Soaring Auto Loan Defaults: Fitch Says 2015 May Be Worst Ever, Mish Says 2017 Will Be Even Worse Michael Shedlock (EM)

How Badly Must a C.E.O. Behave Before His Pay Is Clawed Back? Gretchen Morgenson, New York Times

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour. Chet G:

Between the last week of May and first week of June, the female snapping turtles leave the pond (of the Toftrees game land) to search for a place to dig a nest and lay eggs. This year, the date fell on May 28, during which I encountered five snappers (four working on nests and a fifth searching). Ive no idea how local the activity, whether other snappers choose different days and so on, but it is marvelous seeing so many snapping turtles being productive.

And a bonus (Robert H):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. From the Peoples Summit in Chicago, which is getting not much attention from the mainstream media: a Real News Network interview of Nina Turner.

PAUL JAY: Welcome to The Real News Network. Im at the Peoples Summit in Chicago, and now joining us is the host of our new show  The Nina Turner Show  Senator Nina Turner. Thanks for joining us.

NINA TURNER: Thank you Paul Jay.

PAUL JAY: So you launched your show; your first interview was with Senator Bernie Sanders. In his speech the night before, Senator Sanders was as critical or even more critical of the Democratic Party, certainly since the primaries, calling the Democratic Party a failed party I believe and-

NINA TURNER: Yes. The reason why Mr. Trump won; he said Democrats failed, yes.

PAUL JAY: A lot of people were talking to here  and its not just here, its been happening for last months  are debating, should Bernie start seriously considering a run outside of the Democratic Party or should everyone be considered building a structure outside the Democratic Party? What do you make of that argument, that debate?

NINA TURNER: I think you can do both and I agree with the senator in some ways; I dedicated my life to the values of this party. Its kind of hard to walk away from your lover, if you will. Its not a easy thing to do, and because we have the Unity Reform Commission, something that the senator fought to have, where you have people who are appointed to that commission by the senator. You have people appointed to that commission by Secretary Clinton. There was the agreement that they both had, and you have people about, I think, three people appointed by the chairman, Chairman Perez. We had our second meeting in June and we are going to be talking about and pushing for policy changes on the very issues that people were concerned about i.e. superdelegates. So in a way, the senator is doing the right thing to see this Unity Reform Commission through.

PAUL JAY: This contradiction between the oligarchy and the people of the Democratic Party  This is not a compromisable thing. You could have temporary compromises, you can have truces, but the underlying differences between Wall Street Democrats, Chuck Schumer Democrats, and working-class Democrats, its an antagonistic fight. And Bernie talks about fighting the oligarchy, not just about reforming the Democratic Party. So if its underlying is antagonistic, the unity is to in order to create some kind of rule framework. Like for example, the reduction of the number of superdelegates. But is it enough to make it a fight thats winnable?

NINA TURNER: I mean, we will see. Its my hope, Paul Jay, that beyond the Unity Reform Commission, that the leaders within the Democratic Party itself will see the wisdom that change must come, that the atmosphere that elected Mr. Trump is one that the Democrats should be concerned about beyond the Unity Reform Commission that in some ways we need to do an autopsy. You remember when the Republicans did an autopsy in 2012. The Democrats have yet to do that and they have yet to think critically, have a critical analysis about not just what happened in 2016, but also what has been happening since 2009.

PAUL JAY: One of the critiques Ive heard of The Peoples Summit, and its been mostly positive, there hasnt been a lot of critique. Theres a lot of this enthusiasm, but one critique Ive heard is on the question of why isnt foreign policy being talked about here? There wasnt a workshop. There wasnt a central speaker. Its a very dangerous time in terms of foreign-policy. Trump is planning something  not planning, we know what hes doing; hes creating an alliance with the Saudi Arabia to isolate Iran. It looks pretty likely  even Trump has said  about building up troop levels into Iraq. He jokes about going back and seizing Iraqi oil but theres no foreign-policy discussion here.

NINA TURNER: But you know, Paul Jay, this is the second year of The Peoples Summit. It was really born from Senator Sanders run so maybe next year that will be added on. But theres so much  Since the presidency of George W. Bush  President Bush  we have been constantly focusing every single effort on what is happening outside of our shores and domestically people have been falling behind. So its not necessarily that the people here at The Peoples Summit dont care about those issues, but not many people are talking about what is happening with the needs of the people right here in this country.

But you bring up a really good point. So, can that be added to next year? Next year will be the third year. Absolutely. Is that something that some of the people who have come in from 49 states, as you knowIm sure some of them are talking about these issues but we do have many opportunities to make that within the framework, is what youre talking about, within the conversation piece; the workshops within The Peoples Summit.

PAUL JAY: How do you see balancing this fight inside the party against the oligarchy as it exists inside the Democratic Party? And this issue of fighting some of the draconian policies that are coming out of the Trump administration?

NINA TURNER: We should not be fighting for balance. We really are fighting for revolution within the Democratic Party itself in many ways. And you remember, a democratic think tank  and I cant remember the name of it right now  just recently did a focus group on Obama 12 voters who voted for  people who voted for President Obama in 12 and then voted for Mr. Trump in 2016. These very people, when asked to identify which party is the party of Wall Street, actually named the Democratic Party.

PAUL JAY: Well, theyre not so far off.

NINA TURNER: Theyre not. And at the polling right now, theres only a 1% difference in approval rating between the Democrats and the Republicans, even with someone as polarizing as Donald Trump in the White House. Someone that is proven himself, to this point, unworthy of the office, Democrats are still considered the party of the elite. So, to me right now, this is not about balance. This is really about shaking up the very foundation of the Democratic Party.

That is part of what this Peoples Summit is about, and I do caution that if the Democrats dont heed the messages of the people, that the majority of the people in this country right now, Paul Jay, identify as independentsthat if they dont heed the lessons and the feelings that the people are expressing, that theyre going to continue to erode people who are so-called card-carrying members of the Democratic Party. This is not about  We want imbalance right now. Imbalance to the point that we are going to shake things up and bring that party back to the FDR frame.

PAUL JAY: The idea of the progressive candidacies and challenging right-wing Democrats  Whats the lay of the land like that for in Ohio?

NINA TURNER: My state swings. We are the quintessential swing state. We swung for President Obama both in 08 and 2012, but on the legislature and the statewide level, every single statewide office is held by a Republican, and there is a supermajority in both chambers in the state legislature. When I was there we had 12 members and we were thanking God for that. Now, there are only nine Democrats in the Ohio Senate right now. We lost seats in 2016.

PAUL JAY: Explain that.

Nina Turner: The fact that the Trump wave took over in-

PAUL JAY: But it was even before then, they had this super, supermajority.

NINA TURNER: Supermajorities, meaning they didnt even need Democrats to come on the floor of the Senate, for example, to conduct the states business. Thats how far in the minority [crosstalk 00:08:14]

PAUL JAY: A lot of that happened over the Obama years.

NINA TURNER: Yes, and thats the point, Paul Jay; that we really have to have those deep conversations with the people in this country, that it is not enough just to come out and vote for a president. We have to vote every single year theres an election. Theres issues on the ballot, there are people running. Most of the seats that Democrats lost were on the state level of government, were on the governors mansions, and I would argue that is where were losing most of the progress up unto this point, where we have extreme right-wingers in the Congress and then we have President Trump. But to that point, most of the ground that was lost had been lost on the state level of [crosstalk 00:08:54]

PAUL JAY: You said in your speech this morning when you opened the conference, essentially, that the reason for losing all these seats and losing these governor mansions is because peoples life didnt get better.

NINA TURNER: It didnt, Paul Jay, and we cant delude ourselves on that. The quality of life is not what it once was. You and I talk to people; youre in Baltimore, Im in Cleveland. People who only needed maybe a job, or job and a half, two years ago, five years ago, 10 years ago, not theyre working two and three jobs. Parents who dont have time to spend with their children because theyre at work. Mothers and fathers who are afraid to let their children walk down the street because of violence, infrastructure that is broken and torn up that it doesnt benefit individuals or businesses. We have a real crisis on our hands. And its more a crisis of consciousness from both parties, but my critique is the harshest on Democrats because we know better. And because we know better, we should do better. We have failed the American people.

PAUL JAY: You were quoted as saying, when you go home and talk to people in Cleveland, Theyre not talking about Russians. Theyre talking about their problems.

NINA TURNER: They are.

PAUL JAY: Why is the Democratic Party leadership so preoccupied with what, in the scheme of things, is relatively minor. Even if there was Russian interference in the elections it didnt determine the outcome of the elections.

NINA TURNER: No.

PAUL JAY: Ive been joking the reason the American elites are so concerned about the Russians, because only American elites are allowed to rig American elections. No one else is allowed to do that.

NINA TURNER: Isnt that the truth.

PAUL JAY: And thats as American as apple pie.

NINA TURNER: Is Goldman Sachs a threat? Is Wall Street a threat? Are the people who refused to honor the wishes of the Native American people in North Dakota  are they a threat? We have many threats. And make no mistake about it, the intelligence agencies have said that Russia interfered and there should be a consequence for that. We have to do something about that. But to have the American people [crosstalk 00:10:52]

PAUL JAY: If we believe it. So far, the intelligence is pretty thin.

NINA TURNER: Right. If we believe it. But at the same time  Well, you asked me a question; why do I think that the Democratic elite are preoccupied? Its because they think that thats whats going to help them win in 2018, instead of thinking, Oh, let me dance on the tables until we fix the infrastructure in Flint or places like West Virginia. I got a chance to talk to a young lady from West Virginia who said that the same challenges in Flint regarding clean water is happening to our sisters and brothers in West Virginia, but whos talking about that?

PAUL JAY: In Baltimore, its lead paint and theres-

NINA TURNER: Same thing in Cleveland.

PAUL JAY:  evidence it may be worse in Baltimore than the water problem was in Flint.

NINA TURNER: Same thing in Cleveland. I think it was Rutgers University that did a study that proves out just your point; that there are 3000 other areas  urban and rural areas  in this country who have higher lead levels, whether its paint, whether its water, whether its lead leaching  the same problem, but greater. Greater, higher levels than even in Flint. Can we do some of that, all at the same time? Yes, we need leaders who gon to protect this country from threats, both foreign and domestic. But in the meantime, can we do something to help the people in this country who are suffering and still handle that at the same time?

PAUL JAY: Theres a convergence of this issue of dealing with foreign policy, climate change, and dealing with domestic problems, because taking $54 billion and giving $54 billion more to the Pentagon by trashing all domestic social programs  Thats why I will go back to this issue of foreign policy here, whether its at the conference or not, forget it; the conference is done now. But we need to be having that conversation, because Americas getting ready for war, and one of the ways its getting ready is not by taxing the people who have the money to pay for it. Not in any way am I suggesting there should be such a war, but by trashing as many of the social programs as possible-

NINA TURNER: Youre saying follow the money, where I always hope  Ive told my constituents and people that I serve and I continue to serve, that follow the money. If you want to know where the policy, principles, and priorities, is a better word, of people you elect to office follow the budget. Follow the money. So, absolutely. Your point is well-taken, Paul Jay, but its all in the way that youre framing that, and you are framing the notion of war in a way that puts the bread crumbs out there, that this is a domestic concern as well. Theres a umbrella to that, and you and I talked a lot about the environmental as well, that that is not a secondary, that that issue is really at the foundation.

PAUL JAY: Yes, because this administration is a fossil fuel administration.

NINA TURNER: Oh, no doubt about it.

PAUL JAY: All the foreign policy, in fact domestic, is all driven by serving oil companies. And the preparation first, a troop surge in Iraq, and Trump jokedwhen he spoke to the CIA just after his inauguration, he said that, We should have seized Iraqi oil the first time. And then he jokes and says, Hey, you guys are going to have a second crack at it. Thats what theyre planning to do with the destabilization in Iran. Its a very dangerous situation.

NINA TURNER: Yes, it is. He really told people who he was when he was running, but what he tapped into on the negative side is the fears of many Americans in this country. That fear was built upon the fact that people who had the power, who wanted to do good, who could have done good, failed to use the power of the people to do that good. So I do agree with Senator Sanders critique that Mr. Trump is in office because of the failure of Democrats.

PAUL JAY: And its these Democrats that are cheering on the most war-like activity of Trump.

NINA TURNER: Theyre with him on the war side [crosstalk 00:14:48]

PAUL JAY: Completely. Chuck Schumer is out there; Go, go Trump go, when it comes to allying with the Saudis and targeting Iran.

NINA TURNER: Yes. No doubt about it. And I think that brings up another point, that sometimes the people who vote cant really tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat, and hence is our conundrum.

PAUL JAY: One of the things I thought very interesting about The Peoples Summit was the number of people running for office across the country. We had a Real News booth down there and candidate, after candidate, after candidate  some who have won, some who have a good chance of winning. What did you make of that?

NINA TURNER: Not just running for state rep or school board member, people running for Congress but I  talking to people that are actually running to be the chairman and chairwomen of their respective Democratic parties in their home state. That is what we need. We need progressives to challenge the status quo, to challenge the establishment. That goes back to the point that you were making about whether or not the Democratic Party can really be reformed. I say that if progressives run for these seats, from precinct level, to state level, to running to challenge establishment Democrats for the chairship, that then we can start to turn this thing around.

So its not just running for a state rep, or say, senator. It is also running within the Democratic Partys apparatus itself. I gotta give a shout-out, Paul, to Kimberly Ellis who ran California. Lost by 62 votes, but I would say in many ways she did not lose, because she shook the very foundation of that place by challenging an establishment Democratic and coming so very close.

PAUL JAY: I dont know if you know the answer to this yet, but is Sanders running in 2020? He sure is going like hes running.

NINA TURNER: Oh my God. You know what? I dont know, but what I do know, and you probably saw the same thing  this is Bernie nation  that he was here with 4000 of his closest friends. There is no doubt that he has energized people across the spectrum. 54% of the other attendees here were people of color, I want to put that out there. The plurality here were in their 30s, and again, that really is a big deal and that is a symbol about the future that they want to see. So, if 4000 people here had any say, Senator Bernie Sanders would be running in 2020.

PAUL JAY: Cool. Thanks very much. Ninas interview with Senator Sanders is going to be up on The Real News Network in a very short amount of time, if you want to see it again. Of course, you can find it somewhere here on Facebook as well and watch it again. And look forward to the Nina Turner show. We will give you a schedule very soon of a rollout of different episodes. I think for the next little while its gonna be every few days of Peoples Summit interviews. Then it will be a regular weekly show on The Real News Network. So, thank you Senator Turner.

NINA TURNER: Thank you Paul Jay.

PAUL JAY: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
After having promised banks to get rid of Dodd Frank, which was never a strong enough bill to have a significant impact on profits or industry structure, Trump didnt even back the House version of the bill to crimp Dodd Frank. But youd never know that from the cheerleading from bank lobbyists upon the release of a 147 page document by the Treasury yesterday, the first of a series describing the gimmies that the Administration seeks to lavish on banks. As well touch on below, the document repeatedly asserts that limited bank lending post crisis to noble causes like small businesses was due to oppressive regulations. We wrote extensively at the time that small business surveys showed that small businesses then overwhelmingly werent interested in borrowing and hiring. Businessmen dont expand operations because money is cheap, they expand because they see a commercial opportunity.

But the even bigger lie at the heart of this effort is the idea that the US will benefit from giving more breaks to its financial sector. As weve written, over the last few years, more and more economists have engaged in studies with different methodologies that come to the same conclusion: an oversized financial sector is bad for growth, and pretty much all advanced economies suffer from this condition. The IMF found that the optimal level of financial development was roughly that of Poland. The IMF said countries might get away with having a bigger banking sector and pay no growth cost if it was regulated well. Needless to say, with the banking sector already so heavily subsidized that it cannot properly be considered to be a private business, deregulating with an eye to increasing its profits is driving hard in the wrong direction.

Nevertheless, despite faithfully repeating dubious bank taking points, the Treasury document isnt as far-reaching as the headlines would have you believe. First, for the most part, it seeks to weaken already underwhelming post crisis reforms rather than undo them entirely. Second, the Treasury finesse is to focus on making changes that for the most part dont require legislative approval. But even that isnt likely to happen soon with Trump not having taking control of many parts of the bureaucracy. And some regulations arent easy to change.

For instance, banks actually do have some legitimate grounds for complaining about the Volcker Rule, and the Treasury devoted a section to it in this document. While its goal of not having the government support speculative trading by banks is correct, the idea of trying to draw a line between customer and proprietary trading was misguided. Banks routinely take positions to facilitate customer trades, and a customer trade can easily be gamed.

However, the bogus justification for weakening the Volcker Rule is that it has reduced market liquidity. First, that is merely (and always) asserted; the Fed hoovering up the most liquid securities, and the ones most often used for repo financing, namely Treasuries and top rated mortgage backed securities, played a big role. And more important, highly liquid markets are not necessary for commerce or investment. They are very useful for short-term speculators. Former Goldman partner, now Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, debunked that notion in 2015. From a Reuters article:

Carney, in a speech Wednesday, argued that reduced market depth and higher volatility are part of a process with further to run. To be clear, more expensive liquidity is a price well worth paying for making the core of the system more robust, Carney told an assemblage of City of London bankers at the Mansion House. Removing public subsidies is absolutely necessary for real markets to exist. Volatility characterizes such real markets and much of the pre-crisis market-making capacity among dealers was ephemeral.

By contrast, anyone who understands how trading markets operate will recognize that this statement from the Treasury document is incoherent:

Maintaining strong, vibrant markets at all times, particularly during periods of market stress, is aligned with the Core Principles and is necessary to support economic growth, avoid systemic risk, and therefore minimize the risk of a taxpayer-funded bailout.

You cant have ample liquidity at all times and not be propping up systemically important institutions when they get in trouble.

Treasurys ideas for relief consisted of raising various bank size thresholds for compliance, giving lenders more trading latitude, and lifting the restrictions on how much capital banks can invest in their own private equity and hedge funds. Let us stress that there is no social purpose whatsoever for this activity. There is no shortage of asset managers. This is a pure gimmie. But the Treasury document goes on at some length to argue that banks need relief on covered fund rules so that they can set up more venture capital funds. VC funds back a whopping 1% of startups and on average perform even worse than private equity as a whole (the entire industry performance is due to the outliers at the high end).

On top of that, as Bloomberg stresses, it will be harder to get regulatory reforms than youd think, particularly on the Volcker Rule:

It is not clear how quickly regulators can act on many of the recommendations in the Treasurys 150-page report. Key positions at the Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are either unfilled or held by Obama appointees. Also, the byzantine process for approving regulations doesnt lend itself to quick fixes. Rules must be written, offered for public comment for several months and then deliberated internally before a final vote Some of the most unpopular regulations that the report asks to re-do, such as the Volcker Rule ban on banks proprietary trading, were put together by five different agencies. Each one would need to sign off on revisions following those onerous steps.

The Wall Street Journal echoed those issues:

The report marks the beginning of what will likely be a yearslong review of financial rules. Some recommendations, including exempting small banks from the Volcker rule, limiting the consumer bureaus authority, or expanding FSOC authority, would require congressional actiona potentiallyhigh bar amid deep partisan tensions on Capitol Hill. Other changes would need regulatory approval from officials who might not be in place for months. Many bank rules must be approved by the boards of the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., but the leaders of those agencies have terms that havent expired yet. Mr. Trump also hasnt nominated anyone to a number of significant regulatory roles, including the top bank oversight post at the Fed. A senior Treasury official said most of the reports recommendations could be carried out by regulators without help from Congress. The only current bank regulator appointed by the new administration, acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika, said Monday the report will inform his agencys work aimed at reducing regulatory burdens at the federally chartered banks it oversees.

Another big hot button for the banks is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. With class action lawsuits, which historically had been the big check on bank grifting, largely neutered, the CFPB showed it could stop that sort of thing through its role in the Wells Fargo fake accounts case. Admittedly that came about a bit by accident; it was the Los Angeles Times and then the Los Angeles City Prosecutor, using the CFPB complaint database, that did much of the critical early spadework. And in fairness, regulators arent set up to go after bank frauds that are designed to rip off customers by small amounts unless they can find evidence in computer programs or other documents that provide a paper trail showing that it was institutionalized. Creating a culture where managers marched to largely the set of orders in absence of formal documentation made it particularly hard for any regulator to ferret out what was happening until the noise from customers got loud.

But the bigger point is the CFPB got lucky. The way the Wells Fargo scandal exploded into a big national story means bank whinging about the CFPB looks highly suspect. So Treasury isnt backing House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarlings scorched earth approach. However, one of the changes Treasury is pumping for, that of making the CFPBs budget subject to Congressional approval, will be enough to render the agency toothless. Other major bank regulators are self-sufficient, making do off their fees and fines. By contrast, the CFTC, which is generally seen a secondary regulator, and the SEC are kept on a short leash by Congress through the budget process. The SEC, which was a feared and respected agency when I was a kid on Wall Street, has become a joke as a result. For instance, Arthur Levitt, the SEC chairman under Clinton, recounted how he was regularly threatened by the Senator from Hedgistan, Joe Lieberman, for any weak efforts to protect retail customers.

I know I should probably debunk some of the many canards in the Treasury document but every page is thick with them, and even going after one takes about three times as many words as it does to purvey the bogus spin. For instance, one canard is blaming less mortgage lending and in particular, the dependence of the mortgage market on government guaranteed loans, on those nasty post crisis regulations.

First, before the crisis, about 40% of the mortgage originations were subprime. And 75% of those were securitized, so banks didnt keep them.

The reasons that market hasnt come back is due to the lack of regulations. This is one of those few cases where investors were so badly burned that they were leery of getting back in the pool in any serious way for years.

Back in 2010, he FDIC proposed four changes to subprime origination needed to satisfy investors. The securitization industry refused to support them. That was far and away the biggest constraint on mortgage lending in the years after the crisis.

The new rules do require borrowers to submit more paperwork. I find the complaints remarkable given the sort of documentation I had to provide when getting mortgages in the 1980s. And why is it airbrushed out of collective memory that as early as 2006, the FBI estimated that up to 70% of early payment defaults were due to misrepresentations on loan documents? More stringent documentation makes that a lot harder. Behavioral psychologists also pointed out that the ease of getting mortgages, and supposedly expert banks eagerness to tell borrowers they could afford even bigger houses helped induce borrowers to get in over their heads (I didnt take cabs all that often in 2007 and 2008, but when I did, especially outside NYC, I frequently had the driver volunteer that a banker tried to get him to buy a bigger house than he knew he could afford).

Lenders were also more stringent about borrower FICO scores even for prime (Fannie/Freddie) mortgages. But the big cause was not all that supposedly pesky Dodd Frank paperwork. Georgetown law professor Adam Levitin debunked that yesterday for us, summarizing his Congressional testimony:

Some of the stuff the small banks are whining about doesnt hold up. For example, theyre very upset about the additional 24 data fields they have to collect under the CFPBs new HMDA rule. That sounds like a lot until you look at the fields required and realize that all but one of them are already being collected either for underwriting purposes (e.g., the street address of the collateral property) or for the TRID (e.g., the brokers NMLSR number) or both. The sole exception is the borrowers age, which would be collected for a reverse mortgage underwriting, in any case. It should take a lender all of perhaps 5-7 minutes per loan to collect and enter the data into a computer program. The CFPB thinks the compliance burden will translate into 143-173 hours of additional time per small institution. How this is a major compliance burden absolutely baffles me. And no one bothers to mention that the new rule exempts 1400 institutions (mainly small banks) that currently report data and covers some 450 that dont (primarily nonbank). Put another way, the discussion has almost nothing to do with facts.

So if it wasnt Dodd Frank, what was led the banks to focus so much on high FICO score borrowers? It was mortgage servicing reforms, which made it hard to foreclose due to stopping abuses, like dual tracking (continuing to foreclose even when supposedly considering a mortgage modification).

To look at the bigger picture, its hard to take bank complaints about oppressive regulation seriously in light of this:

And if you had any more doubts, reader JGK gave some additional color in comments:

As a former DC lobbyist for a credit union trade association, I can verify that all the trades are getting behind Dodd-Frank repeal, even if it only marginally benefits their members. At this point, these decisions are far more political than practical. They went to get in good with the Republican majority and punch back at CFPB for keeping them accountable. And the compliance costs at this point are baked in. Just about all of the regulations emanating from DF are fully in effect and the compliance costs have already been imposed. Repealing these regulations wont save any money for institutions, since all their compliance systems are already in place. In fact, repealing regulations that are already in effect can actually cost banks, since they need to go back and make changes again. As for the exam threshold, the big banks have more than enough resources to deal with an additional CFPB exam, especially given that the prudential regulators are focused on a million other issues, least of which is the growing concern over cybersecurity and credit card hacks.

Consistent with what Levitin said yesterday, the small bank campaign against Dodd Frank isnt about their economics. Its largely ideology. Its one thing to have a Republican Administration spinning otherwise. But shame on the press, which ought to have figured that out by now.
Yves here. Notice how these Universal Basic Income programs dont even necessarily alleviate poverty. And none of these critiques pointed out the big shortcoming that was exposed with the Speenhamland system (see here for a longer explanation): that it suppressed wages and wound up being in large measure a subsidy to employers.

By Silvia Merler, an Affiliate Fellow at Bruegel. Previously, she worked as Economic Analyst in DG Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission. Originally published at Bruegel

Whats at stake: the concept of a Universal Basic Income (UBI), an unconditional transfer paid to each individual, was prominent earlier this year when Finland announced a pilot project. Its now back in the discussion as the OECD published a report illustrating costs and distributional implications for selected countries. We review the most recent contributions on this topic.

The OECD recently published a policy brief and a methodological note looking into the cost and benefits of adopting Basic Income (BI) as a policy option. The simplest way of introducing a BI would be to take existing cash benefits paid to those of working age and to spread total expenditure on these benefits equally across all those aged below normal retirement age. The resulting BI amount would be very much lower than the poverty line for a single individual. Therefore, without any additional taxes, a budget-neutral BI will be very far from eradicating poverty.

Source: OECD

A perhaps less ambitious alternative may be to use the levels of guaranteed minimum-income benefits (GMI) in existing social protection system as an initial target value for a BI. However, many individuals receive benefits other than a GMI to pay for additional costs for specific needs that they have and they would lose out even more from a flat-rate BI. So it would be likely desirable to retain some targeted cash transfers, but this would require even greater reductions of BI amounts if expenditures are to be kept at current levels. Thus a BI at socially and politically meaningful levels would likely require additional benefit expenditures, and thus higher tax revenues to finance them.

The OECD simulations for four countries (Finland, France, Italy and the UK) show that although a universal basic income is simple, existing benefits are not, and replacing them with a single flat rate benefit produces complex patterns of gains and losses. Those receiving social insurance benefits would normally lose out from the replacement of those with a universal basic income at GMI levels. Those not qualifying from any social benefit under existing policies would benefit as long as the increase in benefits exceeds the corresponding increase in their taxes. Lower-income households are more likely to receive means-tested income support so they are actually less likely to gain from a BI set at a similar level to GMl.

Source: OECD

Robert Greenstein at the Centre on Budget and Policy Priorities looked specifically at the case of the US, for which Charles Murray proposed that every citizen age 21 and older could get a $13,000 annual grant deposited electronically into a bank account in monthly installments, $3000 of which should be used for health insurance, leaving every adult with $10,000 in disposable annual income for the rest of their lives. Greenstein points out that with over 300 million Americans today, an UBI of $10,000 a year would cost more than $3 trillion a year. This single-year figure equals more than three-fourths of the entire yearly federal budget and its also equal to close to 100 percent of all tax revenue the federal government collects. UBIs financing challenges raise fundamental questions about its political feasibility, both now and in coming decades. UBIs supporters generally propose UBI as a replacement for the current welfare state, which may increase poverty and inequality rather than reduce them. Some UBI proponents may argue that by ending current programs, we would reap large administrative savings that we could convert into UBI payments. But Greenstein thinks thats mistaken because the major means-tested programs  SNAP, Medicaid, the EITC, housing vouchers, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and school meals  administrative costs consume only 1 to 9 percent of program resources, and their funding goes overwhelmingly to boost the incomes and purchasing power of low-income families.

Berk Ozler at the World Bank refers to a paper by van de Walle, Ravallion and Brown, who examine the best methods available for targeting poor people to see how they would fare in reducing poverty. The policies evaluated include a universal basic income, targeting on the basis of basic proxy-means tests (PMT), improvements to PMT they propose, and some simple categorical targeting options (such as targeting the elderly, children, widows, etc.). They find that these would reduce poverty by less than 25% depending on the choice of poverty measure. Universal Basic Income (UBI) would reduce the Headcount Index by 14.5 percent. Categorical targeting performs very similarly to UBI. They do significantly better when caring about distribution-sensitive measures of poverty (43 percent reduction in the Poverty Gap)  but only assuming an improvement upon the common PMT methods by using poverty quantile regressions or means from panel data when available. The difference between the performance of UBI and the best targeting method looks small. But that is a little deceiving: in a country of 25 million people, such as Cameroon, reducing the Headcount Index from 17.1% to 15.4% allows close to half a million people escape poverty.

Shanta Devarajan offers three reasons in favour of a Universal Basic Incomes. First, efficient use of natural-resource rents. Most of the oil-rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from poor public-spending outcomes. One reason is that oil revenues go directly to the government without passing through the hands of the citizens. If the oil revenues were transferred directly to citizens, with government having to tax them to finance public spending, citizens would know the magnitude of oil revenues and they would have a greater incentive to monitor how their tax money is being spent. Even without these changes, a simple transfer of 10 percent of oil revenues could effectively eliminate poverty in several oil-exporting countries.

Second, improving the welfare of the poor. Replacing inefficient subsidies with cash transfers would ensure at the very least that the poor are getting the intended monetary benefit. But it could also be empowering. Targeting would be preferable in principle, but in practice there are so many problems in identifying the poor that a universal scheme may do just as well. Third, adjusting to labour-saving technologies. The dilemma is that with these technologies productivity will increase but many people will lose their jobs. Managing this transition is difficult from an economic, political, and moral viewpoint. A system where part of the increase in productivity is taxed, and then distributed as cash transfers to all citizens, whether they are working or not, could help resolve some of the tension.

Rick McGahey at INET says the UBI debate should focus on the long-term weakening of labours bargaining power. Much of the current interest in UBI stems from a belief that technology is eliminating jobs more rapidly than new ones can be created, and that future job growth will be much lower. McGahery argues that the assumption that technology will be so disruptive as to justify discarding existing welfare state and other labour market institutions for a UBI should be treated with caution. Politically, that could result in an alliance with libertarian advocates of a UBI who want to eliminate the welfare state and use the funds to provide cash grants to individuals, with the ultimate goal of reducing public spending. Instead, the UBI debate should focus on the strengthening of business economic power over labour over a more than three-decade period. Rather than a historically unique event, advanced technology may just be the latest factor impeding labours ability to bargain by contributing to weaker demand and growing inequality.

Nathan Keeble at Mises Wire argues that UBI would not create incentive to work, help solve unemployment, or alleviate poverty, and it could turn out to be worse in the long run than traditional, means-tested welfare systems. First, UBI does not eliminate the disincentives to work that are inherent in welfare programs; it simply moves them around as this program must be financed, and any welfare system, including the UBI, is necessarily a wealth redistribution scheme.The progressive taxation that is necessary to finance a UBI means that the more a person earns, the higher percentage of their wealth will be taken from them. The work disincentives are therefore still very much present in the tax system. Theyve simply been transferred onto different, higher income groups of people. Moreover  Keeble argues  UBI diminishes the power of consumers in directing the marketplace, as it would subsidize non-productive activities.

Bryan Capland and Ed Dolan had a long exchange earlier this year, on how libertarians should see UBI. Capland first argued that while dropping multi-faceted means-testing that characterises other types of social spending would reduce moral hazard, it would also greatly increase the number of eligible recipients. He declared himself baffled that anyone with libertarian sympathies takes the UBI seriously, because the welfare state is already unsustainable, largely because our means-testing by age and health isnt stringent enough. Doland took on the challenge and offered a taxonomy of three kinds of libertarians who might take a UBI very seriously, arguing that UBI could very well be a policy for pragmatic critics of well-intentioned but ineffective government, for classical liberals, and for advocates of personal freedom.
Optoelectronic inline measurement - accurate to the nanometer (Nanowerk News) Germany counts high-precision manufacturing processes among its advantages as a location. Its not just the aerospace and automotive industries that require almost waste-free, high-precision manufacturing to provide an efficient way of testing the shape and orientation tolerances of products.

Since current inline measurement technology not yet provides the required accuracy, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is collaborating with four renowned industry partners in the INSPIRE project to develop inline sensors with a new accuracy class. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project is scheduled to run until the end of 2019.

INSPIRE sensors for testing shape and positional tolerances on camshafts. (Image: Fraunhofer ILT)

New Manufacturing Technologies for New Products

Implementing innovative concepts, such as for more efficient engines, mostly accompanies with advances in manufacturing technologies. Production tolerances of modern plants thus suffice to process metal components in the micrometer range and are just a thousandth of a millimeter thick.

At the same time, a plant must be highly flexible so it can compensate for any fluctuations in raw materials and manufacture a wide range of products. That is why production technologys next aim is to have plants that can manufacture individual components with the precision and at the cost of mass production.

Laser Measurement Technology as a Key Component

Sensors that can work precisely and reliably even under unfavorable conditions are paramount to monitoring and regulating such manufacturing processes. Interferometers are used under laboratory conditions to measure the shape of components with the highest precision  for example, thickness of sheet metal, roundness of rollers, and eccentricity of waves. In fact, Interferometers are so precise that they can be used to determine not just the components shape but also its surface roughness.

Sensors with Digitized Expert Knowledge

To this end, an interferometers settings must be adapted precisely to the measurement task at hand. This especially requires correct exposure time and focus; similar to taking a photo. In April this year, the collaborative project INSPIRE was started with the aim of developing an interferometer that can adapt to varying measuring conditions.

The sensors will have digitized expert knowledge and can autonomously optimize the settings, explains Dr. Holters from Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen. He coordinates the INSPIRE project, in which four other small and medium-sized enterprises are participating.

With the development of fast control electronics, the sensors can adapt to rapidly changing measuring conditions within microseconds. This development will benefit conventional processes such as the cold rolling of sheet metal as well as machining processes such as welding.

Collaborative Project INSPIRE
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.
UK statistics released today reveal that in 2016 69 women from Tipperary travelled to the UK for an abortion  a rate of more than one woman a week.

In 2016 a total of 3,265 Irish women travelled to the UK for a termination. Tipperary women represented the ninth highest county group travelling to the UK.

56 women travelled from Waterford, 44 from Kilkenny and 99 from Limerick.

Todays figures are obtained from the abortion notification forms returned to the Chief Medical Officers of England and Wales.

Irish women represented the vast majority of non-UK residents undergoing the procedure there last year  67.9% of all non-resident patients. An additional 15% of patients travelled from Northern Ireland (a total of 83%).

After Ireland the highest non-resident group was from United Arab Emirates at 2.3% and Malta at 1.2%.

Monaghan was recorded as the county with the lowest number of women who travelled for a termination, with 15 women travelling, while Dublin obviously recorded the highest number with 1,175 women travelling from the capital, 43% of the total number of Irish women to do so.

Of the 3,265 women from Ireland 520 did not state a county.

The number of women travelling to the UK for a termination has fallen from over 5,000 in 2006.

To view the full statistics visit here.
A defiant South Tipperary community has hit out at the brutal dismantling of idylic rural village life by the imposition of traffic lights and a one way traffic system.

The people of Ardfinnan this week said the temporary traffic lights and one way system introduced by Tipperary County Council over two years ago on the bridge over the river Suir in the village was having a massive disruptive influence on life in the village.

Above: Celine Ryan and Mairead Condon

Concerns are mounting among angry residents and in particular staff and parents of children of Ardfinnan National School that lives are being put at risk every day by the one way system and lights.

School Principal Mairead Condon and parents have said the one way system was causing mayhem outside the school. Drop off and collection times, with the lights causing lengthy traffic build ups and forcing motorists to race to beat the lights, ensured gaining access to the school was a perilous task.

The frustrated community now fear that Tipperary County Council want the one way system to become a permanent fixture after two years have passed without any significant work being carried out on the bridge since it was damaged by flooding in January 2015 despite the allocation of 800,000 for the works.

They fear that the County Council, because of the prohibitive costs involved, are not prepared to pursue their proposals for a stand alone bridge or canteliever style type bridge for pedestrians which would allow the bridge over the Suir to return to a two way system.

Business man Jimmy Brett,whose grain business is located between the lights, said the system was putting their business in jeopardy. He was mystified at the stance of a public body over such a vital piece of infrastructure over the Suir and he said the system was a threat to rural life.

Above: Deputy Mattie McGrath, Aidan McNamara, Tomas O'Mahoney, Cllr Martin Lonergan.

Deputy Mattie McGrath has blamed the County Council of acting in an appalling fashion and having no regard for the people of Ardfinnan who were opposed to the one way system.

Marcus O Connor, Director of Services of Tipperary County Council said they were not happy to repair the bridge and walk away.

We are being told lights cannot work in Ardfinnan but they work everywhere else in County Tipperary, Ireland and all over the world he said.

The council official said one way systems with traffic lights had been introduced on bridges in the county at Sir Thomas's Bridge outside Clonmel and at Ballina/ Killaloe with no opposition.

There are a lot of experts out in Ardfinnan. How come the one way system and traffic lights work very well at other locations. This is the most reasonable and safest solution insisted the council official.

For a comprehensive report on this situation see The Nationalist, on sale on Wednesday, June 14.
Lieutenant General Jan Broeks, Director General of the NATO International Military Staff (DGIMS) visited Romania on 9-11 June 2017. During his visit, Lieutenant General Broeks addressed the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum and held staff talks with Romanian officials.

At the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum, Lieutenant General Broeks participated in a panel on the Security challenges in the Black Sea area and the Balkans. Other participants in the panel included: Mr. Dan Dungaciu, member of the Scientific Council of the New Strategy Center (Chair); General Nicolae Ciuca, Chief of the Romanian General Staff; Mr. Mustafa Aydin, rector of Kadir Has University Istanbul and president of the International Relations Council of Turkey; Mr. Przemysaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, advisor for defence issues to the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Robert Baric, Lecturer at the Croatian Defense Academy.

During his address, Lieutenant General Broeks highlighted the importance of the Black Sea as a key strategic intersection linking NATOs Eastern and Southern flanks and the Balkans role as a gateway to Europe from the Southern Caucuses, the Eastern Mediterranean and the broader Middle East. Lieutenant General Broeks also stressed that the Region has become the central focus of Russias larger strategic ambitions and revisionist agenda, making it a potential flashpoint for future conflict on NATOs border.

While in Bucharest, the Director General met with Romanian military officials to discuss the security environment in the Black Sea region and the Romanian Armed Forces transformation process. Lieutenant General Broeks took the opportunity to thank Romania for hosting and activating the Multinational Division South-East Headquarters as well as its role in strengthening NATOs forward presence with a Romanian-led multinational framework brigade on land. They also discussed the deployment of the British Typhoon fighter aircrafts who will be working alongside the Romanian Air Force to help keep the skies over Romania safe, as part of NATOs Air Policing mission.

Finally, Lieutenant General Broeks praised Romania for its valuable contributions to NATOs Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and to the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
(Natural News) If you needed more proof that Democrats lack the hypocrisy gene, here goes: A former Obama administration health care official is actually accusing Republicans of being less than honest about Obamacare.

You cant make this stuff up.

As reported by The Hill, Obamas acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Andy Slavitt, accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., of using sabotage, speed and secrecy in working to pass a Republican health care reform bill.

Writing in the Washington Post (of course), Slavitt advised McConnell to redo the House-passed Obamacare repeal-and-replace measure after the never-accurate Congressional Budget Office scored it and said 23 million Americans would lose coverage if it passed.

[Reality check: MORE than that (27 million Americans) are still uninsured  more on that in a moment.]

Faced with that reality, McConnell could have started over and had the Senate develop its own legislation, perhaps even working with Democrats on a bipartisan alternative that could withstand the test of time, he wrote. Instead, McConnell put a plan in place to pass something close to the House bill using three simple tools: sabotage, speed and secrecy.

Lets translate this BS and then break it down with heavy doses of reality.

First of all, what this partisan functionary is saying is that Republicans  who stand in the congressional majority and who have the White House  really dont have a mandate to govern and pass their version of healthcare reform, even though Obama and Democrats claimed a mandate in 2009 and 2010 to pass Obamacare when their party held congressional majorities and the Oval Office. Secondly, the vast majority of Americans who put Republicans in charge of both chambers of Congress and the White House dont want them to cooperate with Democrats on anything, much less health care. Democrats have proven already they can make quite a mess of it.

Slavitt also demonstrated that either hes clinically insane or hes so hopelessly partisan that hes not capable of thinking clearly (which brings me back to the first observation). He actually wrote that the GOPs argument that Obamacare has failed is disputed byfacts.

Taking advantage of those now well-documented efforts to sabotage the ACA [Affordable Care Act], McConnell is reportedly telling his members they have no choice but to pass a replacement, he wrote, noting McConnell is using a fast-track procedure to get it done.

So last week McConnell deployed Rule XIV, a fast-track procedure that bypasses the committee process and moves the bill directly to the floor. Just as in the House, were on track to have a vote with no hearings (there were more than 100 for the ACA). Knowing the coverage loss will be significant, McConnell plans to vote within only days, or possibly even hours, of the release of the CBO score, Slavitt wrote, accusing McConnell of secrecy as well. (RELATED: The top 5 biggest Obamacare fails and why Republicans and Trump should try again to repeal and replace)

There were ACA hearings, for sure  but so many facts about the law were purposefully omitted from them, such as:

 The individual mandate, Obama argued in the media, was not a tax. Lie: The Supreme Court ruled that it was a tax in 2012, deciding that the first-ever government mandate requiring Americans to purchase a product or service was constitutional.

 Democrats and Obama repeatedly promised that the ACA would cover every American. Not only was that a lie, but more people remain uncovered now than would be uncovered under the GOP plan. And whats more, if the GOP plan reduces premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses, more people will be able to afford coverage.

 And about those lower premiums and deductibles promises, Im not sure what planet Slavitt is living on, but Obamacares excessive insurance industry requirements and regulations have led to dramatically higher premiums and deductibles, leaving tens of millions of Americans with coverage in name only. Many families are literally spending more than $10,000 a year for coverage with deductibles that are as high as $1,000 per family member or higher.

If Obamacare wasnt ravaging the insurance industry and driving millions of families to the financial breaking point, criticism of the GOP replacement effort by partisan hacks like Slavitt would be comical.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

TheHill.com

CNBC.com

Bloomberg.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Often touted as a silent killer, hypertension or high blood pressure affects some 1.13 billion people worldwide  thats around one in three adults in the United States. If you are on blood pressure medication, then chances are you are being overdosed. A new first-of-its-kind study showed that smaller doses are just as effective as a standard dose, but with fewer side effects.

Hypertension is not to be taken lightly. If left untreated it can lead to serious problems such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and vascular dementia, reported the Daily Mail Online. Hypertension is characterized by blood pressure levels that are consistently at or above 140 mmHg for systolic pressure and/or 90 mmHg for diastolic pressure.

Treating high blood pressure, however, is not always as easy or straightforward as one may think. Professor Anthony Rodgers, the study author from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, explained that 88 percent of those aware of their health issue are treated with medication. Yet only one in three is able to gain control of the condition.

According to the study authors, millions of people may be suffering unnecessary adverse effects from hypertension medication. Since taking one kind of hypertension medication is usually not enough to keep high blood pressure under control, doctors often prescribe a second drug that comes with additional side effects.

Minimizing the side effects plays a crucial role in a patients treatment plan. Common side-effects include weakness, dizziness, insomnia, headache, and muscle cramps. Since high blood pressure is notoriously difficult to control, Professor Anthony Rodgers noted that finding new, better ways to treat hypertension is a positive move.

Because high blood pressure is so common and serious, even small improvements in management can have a large impact on public health, he said.

Quarter-dose therapies found to be as effective

For the study, published in the journal Hypertension earlier this month, researchers analyzed data from 42 trials involving more than 20,000 patients with hypertension. Each of them was randomly assigned to taking either a placebo or blood-pressure-lowering medication in varying combinations and dosages.

The five main classes of drugs to treat hypertension  angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blocker, and thiazides  were included in the review.

When the researchers compared the effectiveness of quarter-dose therapy to both a standard dose or placebo, they found that taking a quarter-dose of one medication did not lower blood pressure as much as a full dose did. However, the team discovered that the combination of two medications in a quarter dose was just as effective as a standard dose. This treatment plan also produced fewer side-effects than a standard dose of one single blood pressure lowering drug.

Furthermore, a cocktail of four hypertension drugs, each at a quarter dose, was found to be nearly twice as effective as taking a single blood pressure lowering medication at the standard dose. Since this finding was based on one trial there was too little information about the possible side effects, the team noted.

In conclusion, the team reported that though further research is needed, quarter-dose combinations could provide improvements in efficacy and tolerability of blood pressure-lowering therapies.

Though their results look very promising, Professor Anthony Rodgers played it safe by noting that people should not reduce the doses of their current medications without further research to confirm their results. Since they have not yet been replicated in larger long-term trials, more research is needed to warrant a change in how doctors currently prescribe blood pressure lowering therapies to their patients, the researchers noted.

Find more news about modern and alternative medicine to treat your illnesses at Medicine.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Hyper.AHAJournals.org
The former president of Panama was arrested Monday evening in Coral Gables, Florida, on an extradition warrant from his country, where he is accused of political espionage and corruption, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

Ex-President Ricardo Martinelli was taken into federal custody near his home around 7:30 p.m, officials said. He was being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.

In September 2016, the Central American nation sent an extradition request to the U.S. for the return of Martinelli. The Panamanian government accused him of spying on political opponents in Panama and intercepting the telephone calls of more than 100 people, including politicians, business and labor leaders and critical journalists.

Martinelli is also accused of corruption in Panama, but those cases have stalled in the courts.



Martinelli, who served as president of Panama from 2009 to 2014, is expected to appear before a judge Tuesday at 10 a.m. for an extradition hearing.

The former president has denied wrongdoing and contends the case is political persecution by his successor.

In February, Martinelli's two sons, Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli, were being sought by Interpol for an alleged bribery scheme involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
A Poway couple, accused of hoarding more than a hundred Yorkie dogs inside their homes and a restaurant pleaded guilty Monday, confirmed prosecutors.

Christine Calvert, 62, and Mark Vattimo, 73, will be placed on three years of probation at their sentencing on July 11, said prosecutors.

Calvert and Vattimo previously pleaded not guilty in March.



Deputy District Attorney Karra Reedy said it's most important that the defendants get help, in order to make sure this never happens again.



The defendants must undergo counseling and are not allowed to own any pets, as part of their plea agreement. They also will transfer the ownership of a 31-foot motorhome to the Humane Society as restitution in the case, said prosecutors.

After 18 months of probation, Vattimo and Calvert may apply to have their felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors, according to Superior Court Judge Kathleen Lewis.

Back in January, the Humane Society received a report from a concerned veterinarian that suggested the Poway couple was keeping 180 dogs in deplorable conditions. The dogs were kept in dark, unsanitary rooms filled with feces, urine, and mice at the defendants' home.

When Humane Society officials went to the scene, they were prevented from entering the home, said Reedy. After a few days, they were able to come in and 94 dogs were removed from the defendants' home within the next eight hours.

Later, 29 dogs were also seized from a restaurant the couple owned and nearly 50 dogs were taken from a motor home when Calvert was arrested last February in Primm, Nevada, according to prosecutors.

It was unclear why the couple kept so many dogs in terrible conditions, Reedy said. All the animals had health problems, ranging from ear infections to severe matting.

The couple was charged with 10 felony counts, including animal abuse and neglect, and one count of resisting an officer.

[GALLERY] Dozens of Yorkies Rescued from Poway Home

The dogs were placed in the care of the San Diego Humane Society.

More than 1,500 adoption applications were submitted for the Yorkies, prompting the organization to close the adoption process earlier than planned.

Ed. Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the name of a defendant. The article has been corrected. We regret the error.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday having an undisclosed meeting with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. and declared it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest he was aware of or took part in any collusion between Russia and the election campaign that sent Donald Trump to the White House.

Testifying at a packed Senate hearing, Sessions, who was a close Trump adviser during the battle for the presidency, also rejected any idea of misconduct in the ouster of FBI Director James Comey and vowed to defend his honor "against scurrilous and false allegations."

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Sessions contradicted a contention made by Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week. Comey told the intelligence committee that, after an encounter with President Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Comey implored Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again  but Sessions didn't respond.

"He didn't recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy regarding appropriate contacts with the White House," Sessions said.

The former Alabama senator also defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing when he said he hadn't met with Russian officials during the campaign. Sessions argued that in the context of that hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it."

The attorney general stepped aside from the Justice Department probe into Russian meddling in the campaign on March 2, the day after The Washington Post reported on two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Days after that, Sessions also corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about his two meetings with Kislyak.

Ahead of the hearing there had been suggestions that Sessions might have had a third, unreported encounter with Kislyak in April 2016, at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, where candidate Trump was giving his first major foreign policy speech.

Sessions was adamant that he did not have a private meeting with Kislyak at that event. He did allow for the possibility that he encountered him in a reception that he said was attended by a couple dozen people, though he said he had no specific recollection of that.

Democratic senators have seized on the possibility of a third meeting to suggest that Sessions has not been forthcoming about the extent of his communications with the ambassador. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont have sought an FBI investigation.

Sessions testified Tuesday that he recused himself from the current Russia investigation only because of a regulation that required it because of his involvement in the Trump campaign.

"Many have suggested that my recusal is because I felt I was a subject of the investigation myself, that I may have done something wrong," Sessions added. That was not so, he said.

And while he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions insisted, "I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations."

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon aggressively asked Sessions about suggestions arising from Comey's testimony last week that there was something "problematic" about his recusal.

Wyden asked Sessions what problematic issues existed.

"Why don't you tell me? There are none, Sen. Wyden, there are none," Sessions insisted, his voice rising. "This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters later that Trump thought Sessions "did a very good job" and was especially "strong" on denying any collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

During the hearing, Sessions lent his support to the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is now in charge of the Trump campaign-Russia investigation. "I have confidence in Mr. Mueller," he said.

At a separate hearing Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein declared he'd seen no basis for dismissing Mueller, the former FBI director he appointed as special counsel after Sessions' recusal. A friend of the president suggested a day earlier that Trump was considering such an ouster.

Rosenstein said he would agree to dismiss Mueller only if there were a legitimate basis to do so, and an order from the president would not necessarily qualify.

Mueller also won votes of support Tuesday from the top two Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both of whom said they have confidence in him.

As for Comey's firing, Sessions told senators that his recommendation had nothing to do with the Russia probe, that he and his second-in-command, Rosenstein, had a "clear view ... that we had problems there, and it was my best judgment that a fresh start at the FBI was the appropriate thing to do. And when asked I said that to the president."

Sessions criticized Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which the White House had initially cited as the ostensible reason for his firing. Comey's decision to announce last year that Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority, Sessions said.

Asked about Trump's own contention that the president fired Comey with the Russia probe in mind, and regardless of any recommendation from anyone else, Sessions said: "I guess I'll just have to let his words speak for themselves. I'm not sure what was in his mind specifically."

Sessions refused to say whether he had ever discussed the Russia investigation with Trump, arguing that he could not disclose private communications with the president.

Democratic senators pressed him on the legal rationale for his refusal to discuss those private conversations, as Sessions acknowledged that Trump had not asserted executive privilege around the hearing. He asserted that "I am protecting the right of the president to assert if it he chooses and there may be other privileges that may apply."

Sessions maintained that he had not been briefed on the Russia investigation between the time of his February swearing-in and his March 2 recusal.

"As such," he said, "I have no knowledge about this investigation, as it is ongoing today, beyond what has been publicly reported. I don't even read that carefully. And I have taken no action whatsoever with regard to any such investigation."

On another hot-button issue, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked Sessions whether Trump records his conversations in the White House. Trump has suggested there might be tapes of his encounters with Comey; Comey said last week that "lordy" he hopes there are.

"I do not," Sessions said when asked whether he knows whether the president records his conversations.

Would any such tapes have to be preserved? "I don't know, Sen. Rubio, probably so," Sessions replied.
President Donald Trump will visit Wisconsin for the second time in office on Tuesday.

Trump plans to meet with so-called Obamacare victims on Air Force One upon his arrival in Milwaukee before making a statement on healthcare at 3:10 p.m.

Accompanied by his daughter and advisor Ivanka, as well as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Trump will then tour Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

With an enrollment of around 8,799 students, WCTC offers associate degrees, apprenticeships and certificate programs in fields that include manufacturing and skilled trades.

Trump will host at workforce development roundtable at WCTC as part of his Workforce Development Week aimed at expanding apprenticeships nationwide.

We are honored by the opportunity to showcase our campus, students and employer partnerships on a national stage as part of the Presidents visit to WCTC, WCTC spokeswoman Shelly Kuhn said in a statement.

We are confident that this visit will help provide renewed focus on the importance of technical colleges to the health of our economy  both here in Wisconsin and around the country, Kuhn added.

Following his visit to WCTC, Trump will then speak at a fundraiser for Walker, who also appeared with the president during his most recent visit to the state earlier this year.

Touting his Buy American, Hire American executive order targeting the H-1B visa program that allows workers from other countries to enter the U.S. for employment, Trump last visited Wisconsin in April, appearing in Kenosha at tool manufacturer Snap-on with Walker and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.

That trip marked his first visit as president to Wisconsin, which he won by under 23,000 votes, or less than 1 percentage point  making him the first Republican to carry the state since 1984.

Trump also visited Wisconsin in late 2016 to hold a rally in West Allis as part of his thank you tour after winning election.

Trump had planned an earlier visit to Milwaukee in late January to deliver a speech on the economy that was ultimately canceled.
What to Know The Riverfront Fireworks in Hartford are set for July 8.

The fireworks will be part of a "Summer in the City" program announced by Mayor Bronin and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Other events this summer will include the Festival of Jazz and Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival.

The popular Riverfront Fireworks will be returning to Hartford this summer following a year off due to financial challenges. The fireworks show is now scheduled for July 8 as part of a larger summer series of events called the "Summer in the City" program.

These events were announced Tuesday by Hartford mayor Luke Bronin and Cathy Malloy, CEO of the Greater Hartford Arts Council. United Technologies and other partners are helping support the events in the capital city this summer.

Hartford has a great lineup of concerts and festivals every summer, but the City has never had the resources to promote and support these events as part of a coordinated summer series," said Bronin. These events happen every year because of committed, dedicated volunteers. As our fiscal challenge forced the City to cut back on subsidizing those events, we asked private funders to help us do what we really aspired to do, which is not just to help keep particular events going, but to bring them together into one, well-branded Summer in the City series. Im grateful to our program supporter and to the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the event organizers for their tremendous partnership.

At the time of the fireworks cancellation in 2016, the mayors of Hartford and East Hartford were disappointed that they weren't able to justify the expense of a fireworks show with budget crises. At the time, Riverfest and the fireworks display on the Connecticut River cost the two municipalities $100,000 each year. In addition, last year the cities were expected to pick up the cost of state troopers.

But now, leaders in both communities are looking forward.

Riverfront Recapture is pleased to be bringing back our mid-summer fireworks display to the Connecticut River, said Mike Zaleski, CEO of Riverfront Recapture. Many have worked hard over the past year to secure the private sector funding required to put on this fun, free celebration. My thanks to Mayor Bronin, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the numerous companies and corporations that stepped up to support fireworks on the river and all of our summer events.

This year's Summer in the City events will include:

 June 17: Black-Eyed and Blues Festival

 June 24: Greater Hartford Latino Fest

 July 8: Riverfront Fireworks

 July 14-16: Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz

 August 5: Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival

 August 12: West Indian Independence Celebration

 August 19: Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival

 September 9: Hartford Capital City PrideFest

The city has set up a special website for the "Summer in the City" program at www.SummerinHartford.com
The city of Commerce says an independent investigation has cleared Police Chief Kerry Crews of racial allegations in a case involving the Miss Black Texas US Ambassador 2016.

In a social media post last month the pageant winner, Carmen Ponder, alleged that Crews used a derogatory statement toward her in a Wal-Mart parking lot before she was arrested and charged with evading arrest or detention.

Ponder later admitted she may have confused Crews for someone else.

The city hired Fort Worth-based law firm Lynn, Ross and Gannaway, LLP to investigate the matter.

The city says in a statement released Monday that the investigation found no evidence that Crews was involved in the initial dispute with Ponder, and it also maintains that Ponder's arrest was not racially motivated.

In response, Ponder's attorney, S. Lee Merritt, tweeted Monday:

"I'm afraid @CityOfCommerce missed the point. Chief Crews directed the unlawful arrest of @CarmenSierraaa under unjustifiable circumstances."

Crews has been on administrative leave since the allegations surfaced May 25.
The last of three South Texas police officers wounded during a shootout this month that left a murder suspect dead has been released from a hospital.

A Laredo police statement said Officer Agapito (ah-guh-PEE'-toh) Perez was discharged Monday.

Investigators said three police officers were shot during a June 2 confrontation with Antonio Geraldo Rodriguez in a Laredo convenience store parking lot. Police were searching for Rodriguez since hours earlier finding his girlfriend slain at a residence.

A murder warrant had been issued for Rodriguez, who previously served time for a Houston slaying.

All three wounded Laredo officers were transported to San Antonio hospitals. Two officers with less serious injuries than Perez spent a couple of days hospitalized.
Plano police say that a 63-year-old man who was shot by an officer Monday outside a QuikTrip gas station has died.[[428038643,R]]

Texas Rangers and Plano police are investigating the shooting, which occurred at a QuikTrip in the 6400 block of Preston Road about 4:30 p.m. as the officer was filling up her patrol vehicle.

A woman ran to the officer for help, saying that a man was inside her vehicle with a gun. The officer saw the man with a firearm in the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with him, striking him, said Plano police spokesman David Tilley.

The officer was not injured.

Plano police are investigating a shooting involving an officer Monday afternoon outside a QuikTrip gas station.

Officers administered first aid to the man while medics were on their way. The man was then transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police identified the man Tuesday as 63-year-old Eleuterio Amaya-Torres.

Texas Sky Ranger captures aerial video from the Plano QuikTrip station, where an officer was involved in a shooting, Monday, June 12, 2017.

"I think the officer's training in this situation was able to diffuse this situation and potentially save a life," Tilley said.

Tilley said the Texas Rangers will lead the investigation into the shooting, and the Plano Police Department will conduct its own internal investigation.

Police have not yet released any additional information.

Plano police and the Texas Rangers investigate after a Plano officer was involved in a shooting outside a QuikTrip station on Preston Road.
A sheriff said officers were "desperately" searching Tuesday for two inmates who somehow got through a gate inside a prison bus, killed two guards and got away.

"My biggest worry is they're going to kill somebody else," Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said.

The two men overpowered and disarmed the guards around 6:45 a.m. as 33 inmates were being driven between prisons, Sills told reporters. One of them fatally shot both guards, and then they jumped out of the bus and carjacked a driver who happened to pull up behind them on a rural highway, Sills said.

"We are still desperately looking for these two individuals. They are armed with 9 mm pistols that were taken from these correctional officers. They are dangerous beyond description. If anyone sees them or comes into contact, they need to call 911 immediately," the sheriff said.

The fugitives  Donnie Russell Rowe, serving life without parole, and Ricky Dubose, who has elaborate tattoos on his face and neck  were last seen getting into a "grass green," four-door 2004 Honda Civic with the Georgia license plate number RBJ-6601, and driving west on state Highway 16 toward Eatonton, southeast of Atlanta.

Sills said the two inmates got a head start by taking and tossing the Honda driver's cellphone and leaving the other 31 prisoners locked inside the bus. He predicted they would break into a house to change out of their prison clothes, and try to switch cars to throw pursuers off their trial.

The slain guards were identified as Christopher Monica and Curtis Billue, both officers at Baldwin State Prison. Monica had been with the Georgia Department of Corrections since October 2009 and Billue since July 2007.

Sills was emotional as he described the scene.

"I saw two brutally murdered corrections officers, that's what I saw," he said. "I have their blood on my shoes."

How the two inmates managed to reach and overpower the guards remains under investigation, Sills said.

"They were inside the caged area of the bus," he said. "How they got through the locks and things up to that area I do not know."

Protocol is to have two armed corrections officers on the bus, but the officers don't wear bullet-proof vests during transfers, Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier said.

"We lost two of our fellow officers, two of our kin. We see our officers as our family," Dozier said.

Monica was 42 and leaves behind a wife, while Billue was 58 and is survived by his father and siblings. The officers' families are "dealing with it the best they can at this point," Dozier said.

The guards were moving the inmates to a diagnostics center in Jackson, where their next placement was to be determined, Dozier said, adding that inmates do not know their transfer dates ahead of time.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said federal resources are being committed to help catch the fugitives. The FBI and U.S. Marshals have joined the investigation, Sills said.

"An attack on any American law enforcement officer is an attack on every American law enforcement officer and the principles we all believe in," Rosenstein told a Senate budget panel in Washington Tuesday morning.

Both escaped inmates are serving long sentences for armed robbery and other crimes. The Department of Corrections said Rowe, 43, has been serving life without parole since 2002, and Dubose, 24, began a 20-year sentence in 2015.

A photo released by the sheriff's office in Elbert County, the site of his most recent conviction, shows Dubose with prominent tattoos. He appears to have a crown tattooed above his right eyebrow, writing above his left eyebrow and large letters covering the entire front of his neck.

"They need to surrender before we find 'em," Sills said.
Suspects pursued from a burglary at a BevMo! store are being investigated for possible connections to a series of high-dollar smash and grabs that have targeted the big box wine and spirits chain.

The latest to be hit is the Culver City BevMo! on Sepulveda Boulevard. An estimated $7,000 worth of acoholic beverages was taken during the break-in shortly after midnight Monday morning, according to police.

Responding officers pursued a Dodge minivan to the Jefferson Park area of Los Angeles, and made three arrests there. During the pursuit, many of the bottles were tossed out of the van, police said.

"Bevmo specifically has been experiencing a rash of robberies," said Capt. Sam Agaiby of the Culver City Police Department.

Investigators are now in contact with other agencies, sharing notes and comparing security camera images, in an effort to determine if the three arrested were involved in other burglaries, Agaiby said.

Police described the three as men in their forties with extensive criminal records  one currrently on probation  but declined to disclose their names, citing the ongoing investigation.

Responding to a burglar alarm, officers discovered a smashed front window, and around back found a Dodge minivan pulling away, nearly striking on officer, according to Agaiby. He said the officer fired, but no one was struck, and the van led officers on a pursuit that ended some six miles to the east on Jefferson Boulevard near 10th Avenue.

The van stopped in the parking lot of an apartment building, and the men dispersed, one of them scaling the fence into the back area of the adjacent Harold and Belle's Restaurant.

Security camera video showed the man running frantically through the yard trying to elude police, before climbing onto a storage shed and then onto the roof of the banquet hall annex.

"He tried to hide behind the air conditioning. But it's a flat roof  there's no place to hide," said Ryan Legaux, the restaurant's owner, who was working late in his upstairs office when he heard the commotion.

Two other suspects were also arrested, including a man hiding in a trash barrell, Agaiby said.

In recent months, there have been burglaries reported at BevMo! stores in Whittier, San Diego and San Luis Obispo, among other locations in Southern California.

The section of glass shattered at the Culver City store was located behind a protective barrier known as a bollard. Police do not think the van was driven through the window, but instead some kind of implement was used to break the glass.

Staff at the BevMo! Culver City store and the BevMo! corporate office declined comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
A police chief says the slaying of a barber in front of customers and the discovery of a severed head on the porch of a home the next day have left "gaping wounds in the psyche" of Mississippi's capital city.

Jackson Chief Lee Vance said Monday that authorities don't know if the two crimes are related, but he called them both "shocking, bizarre, brutal, unacceptable."

"There are gaping wounds in the psyche of this city," Vance said. "People are wondering what in the world has happened to Jackson, Mississippi. And it's up to us to try to begin to restore the confidence of the 170-plus-thousand people who live here."

Johnny Brown, 49, the owner of Just For Kids Barbershop, was shot to death Friday in his shop in Jackson. He had been a mentor to troubled teens.

The severed head was found Saturday. Hours later, a burned torso was found in a field about a mile away. An autopsy will show whether the body parts are from the same person, said Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart.

Vance said the FBI and other federal agencies are helping investigate the crimes, the 27th and 28th homicides of the year in Jackson.
Ahead of President Trumps expected trip to Miami this Friday  where he is expected to announce rollbacks to several changes in the U.S. policy toward Cuba enacted by his predecessor  a group of young Cuban Americans are asking the president to consider several issues when it comes to relations between the two countries.

The CubaOne Foundation, a group working toward getting those in America to reconnect with family, friends and peers in Cuba, penned an open letter on Change.org asking Trump to consider several issues important to the organization.

While much of our efforts would not be possible without the policy changes that began on December 17, 2014, our work transcends Washingtons politics, administrations, and political parties. We are willing to work with any administration, the group wrote in part.

As the children and grandchildren of political prisoners, Pedro Pan refugees, Bay of Pigs veterans, and people who fled Cuba on the Mariel boatlift, we understand the pain of exile and the importance of human rights.

The group has asked for Trump to consider several issues, including making it easier for Cuban Americans to travel to the island and help family members  while also asking to maintain the American embassy in Havana that was proposed as part of sweeping changes in policy by former President Barack Obama.

Trump will reportedly give a speech at the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami  a symbol for many Cuban Americans in the area  in which he is expected to scale back or change policy on several moves Obama made during his final years in office to help thaw relations between the countries.
An investigator for Miami-Dade County's Department of Regulatory and Economic Services is facing drug trafficking charges after police say he sold ecstasy and cocaine to an undercover Coral Gables police officer.

Daniel Vuelta, 54, was arrested May 31 on charges including trafficking in ecstasy, possession with intent to sell cocaine, and possession with intent to sell cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, according to a Coral Gables arrest report.

The report said Vuelta sold ecstasy and cocaine to an undercover officer twice last month out of his Coral Gables home.

"On May 17 they purchased some ecstasy pills, they went back again on May 22 and made another purchase from the subject," police spokesperson Kelly Denham said.

On May 31, police raided his home and took Vuelta and two others into custody, 43-year-old Rafaela Castellon and 20-year-old Daniel Pardo. In the home, officers found drugs, pipes, rolling papers and other paraphernalia, the report said. Police didn't reveal what tipped them off to Vuelta.

As a supervisor of the contractor investigations section for the Department of Regulatory and Economic Services, Vuelta's job was busting fake contractors within the county. The NBC 6 Responds team interviewed Vuelta twice for stories about fake contractors in South Florida.

NBC 6 reached out to the county for a statement Tuesday but hasn't received a response.
A current Sweetwater police sergeant and a former detective were arrested on racketeering charges Tuesday, Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials said.

Sgt. Reny Armando Garcia, 46, and former Det. William Garcia, 42, are charged with one count of organized scheme to defraud, one count of racketeering, and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, FDLE officials said.

Garcia was already behind bars at a federal penitentiary in Virginia following his conviction in 2014 in an identity theft and fraud case.

Officials said an investigation revealed an ongoing pattern of criminal activity by members of the Sweetwater Police Department that spanned several years and affected dozens of victims.

Members of the department were engaged in battery, theft, fraud, burglary, and other violent crimes against civilians, often specifically targeting foreign-born victims with limited knowledge of the English language and the U.S. legal system, in order to exploit these victims vulnerabilities, officials said.

"The arrests are part of a larger investigation based on decades of corruption, cultivated from the top down, at the Sweetwater Police Department and City," FDLE said in a statement.

NBC 6 reported in 2015 that an FDLE audit found roughly 7,400 issues and violations inside the Sweetwater Police Department.

Officials said their latest investigation hasn't revealed criminal wrongdoing by the current Sweetwater police administration, and said the chief has fully cooperated in their investigation.

Garcia was booked into jail Tuesday, where he was being held without bond. Garcia will be transported to Miami to face the charges, officials said.


What to Know Video shows an innocent bystander being beaten by Jersey City officers moments after he was on fire, prosecutors say

The family of Miguel Feliz told News 4 that he has severe burns and fractured ribs

A union representing Jersey City police said the officers were trying to put out the flames and pull the man to safety

Four Jersey City police officers, including a lieutenant, have been suspended indefinitely without pay amid growing outrage over video that showed cops kicking a burning bystander caught up in a chase and fiery crash last week, the city's mayor said Monday.



Mayor Steven Fulop, who had previously called called for the officers seen in the video to be fired, also said two supervisors were transferred in the wake of the video surfacing. The city's public safety director, James Shea, joined Fulop in making the announcement. The next step, Fulop said, is up to the prosecutor.



The man seen on video being kicked by officers June 4 turned out to be 28-year-old Miguel Feliz, an innocent man on his way to work who got caught in the fray, not the driver that police officers were pursuing, the Hudson County prosecutor's office said last week.

A police union says the cops in the video were trying to put out the flames and pull the man to safety -- a contention Fulop called outright "ridiculous.

Fulop says the officers not only handled the crash wrong, but also the preceding 6-mile chase in which officers opened fire from their police car.

You should not be firing a weapon from a moving vehicle -- this isnt the movies, Fulop said last week. He reiterated that position Monday.

Feliz has undergone surgery for serious burns and remains hospitalized. His family says he also has fractured ribs -- and a long road to recovery before he can spend time with his family and 6-year-old son.

Angeanette Munoz said it has distressed her son to have to see his father in the hospital.

He was expecting him to be at his kindergarten graduation, so this is very hurtful, Munoz said.

Ramon Feliz said he initially thought police were helping his brother out of the burning vehicle, but then he saw the video.

When the video came out, the truth came out, Feliz said.

The man who recorded the encounter, Eric Roberto, told NBC 4 New York he witnessed the officers kicking the injured man and dragging him into the street.

"They didn't help him, they just started kicking him and grabbing him," Roberto said. "I don't think they treated him the right way, and that's not how you treat any human in this world."

The Hudson County Prosecutors Office has not yet said why police were chasing 48-year-old Leo Pinkston, but Pinkston is facing several charges related to the chase and crash, including eluding and aggravated assault.

Authorities said Monday he was shot at least one leg during the police pursuit, but before the fiery crash.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said her office's investigation is ongoing. She said her team is conducting a review of multiple crash probes involving more than five vehicles and reviewing more than 15 videos containing several hours of evidence. They are also interviewing 20 witnesses and conducting a ballistics investigation of multiple shootings, Suarez said.

We will consider this evidence in its entirety as we investigate the actions of all individuals who were involved, Suarez said in the statement last week.
New York public school students will spend less time taking the unpopular Common Core assessments that have been boycotted by large numbers of parents in recent years.

Beginning next spring, students in grades three through eight will spend two days instead of three on each of the annual math and English assessments given statewide. The Board of Regents approved the change Monday in response to public concerns, Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said.

"This decision not only reduces the amount of time children will spend taking tests, but also returns valuable instructional time to our teachers," Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa said.

One in five parents opted their children out of the tests in 2016 amid complaints about the rigorous Common Core standards they measure and debate over the tests' usefulness and role in teacher and school ratings.

The Regents last year reduced the number of test questions and took away stressful time limits to try to ease opposition. The state also is revising the Common Core standards, which map out skills students should know at each grade level.

Teacher and parent groups called Monday's action a welcome next move.

"Two days of testing is a natural next step, as long as the assessments continue to cover the material needed to truly measure every student's strengths and challenges, and the changes are implemented carefully and with the input of educators and communities," High Achievement New York, which advocates for higher standards, said in a statement.

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta said reducing testing days would help recapture valuable teaching time.

The move also will reduce the time teachers spend grading the tests and may speed the transition for some schools to computer-based testing, state officials said.

Opposition to the tests boiled up after they became more challenging at the same time the state made plans to weigh them heavily in teacher and principal evaluations. Officials have since agreed to a moratorium on using the assessments for evaluations. While the tests do not count against a student's grades, they are used in some school and program placement decisions.
What to Know Officials first got a call about the situation on Murray Street around 8:30 a.m.; they initially said it was a fire

Later, authorities said a defective oil burner leaked noxious fumes, causing high carbon monoxide levels throughout the building

In total, 34 people were hurt, one of them critically; others were seen unconscious and otherwise overcome by the fumes

Nearly three dozen people were hurt after a defective oil burner in the basement of a Tribeca high-rise spewed toxic fumes throughout the building Tuesday, exposing many to elevated levels of carbon monoxide, authorities say.



One of the 32 patients was critically injured, an NYPD spokesman said; others were seen unconscious or otherwise overcome by fumes at the Murray Street scene, according to witnesses.



Dramatic Photos Show Taxi Engulfed in Flames in Manhattan

Officials initially reported the situation as a fire in the basement of the 12-story building around 8:30 a.m. Hazmat crews quickly flooded the scene as fire officials noted "high carbon monoxide readings throughout the building."



The FDNY has confirmed that the fumes originated in a prepared food area in the basement of Amish Market, which is on the ground floor of the high-rise.

The Murray Street structure was evacuated. Fire officials said they were also assessing the air quality in neighboring buildings.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Most of the injured were evaluated at the scene for minor problems, fire officials say, but some were taken to hospitals.



Photos and video posted to social media showed throngs of emergency personnel descending on the area. More than 100 firefighters responded, the FDNY said.



Firefighters also responded to a basement fire at Macy's Herald Square Tuesday morning. Fire officials said it was a dumpster fire, and it appeared to have been doused rather quickly. Everyone in the store had to leave, though, as authorities investigated. One person suffered minor injuries, fire officials say.



NBC 4 New York has left a message with Macy's seeking comment.

60 Outdoor Concerts You Can See for Free This Summer
A collection of letters written by Albert Einstein is set to go to auction next week, offering a new glimpse at the Nobel-winning physicist's views on God, McCarthyism and what was then the newly established state of Israel.

The five original letters, dated 1951 to 1954 and signed by Einstein, reveal a witty and sensitive side of the esteemed scientist. They were sent to quantum physicist David Bohm, a colleague who fled the United States for Brazil in 1951 after refusing to testify about his links to the Communist Party to the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Bohm's widow's estate put the documents on the block after she passed away last year. One of the yellowing pages, bearing Einstein's signature and embossed seal, and a handwritten general relativity equation, opens at $8,000 and is expected to sell for at least twice that. In all, the collection is expected to fetch over $20,000.

Einstein and Bohm became friends when they both worked at Princeton University. Their letters touch on quantum physics, the nature of the divine and Bohm's miserable time in Brazil.

"If God has created the world his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us," Einstein assured Bohm in February 1954, a year before his death.

In another letter from February 1953, Einstein compares "the present state of mind" of America gripped by McCarthyist anti-Communism to the paranoia in Germany in the early 20th century under Kaiser Wilhelm II. Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s led a hunt for alleged communist traitors he believed worked in the government and the army.

Bohm, who left the United States in the midst of the so-called Red Scare, conveyed dismay and displeasure about living in Brazil, where he was working at the University of Sao Paulo. He said he had trouble adjusting to the local food.

Einstein, then 75, offers sympathy to his younger colleague for the "instability of your belly, a matter where I have myself extended experience." He suggested getting a good cook.

Einstein said the foreseeable future didn't portend a "more reasonable political attitude" in the United States, and that Bohm ought to hold out in Brazil until he gets citizenship before leaving for a more "intellectual atmosphere."

One idea that came up was relocating to Israel, which had declared independence in 1948. But despite Einstein's ties to Israel's Hebrew University, he believed the country offered limited opportunities. Einstein himself declined an offer in 1952 to become Israel's president, though he served remotely on the Hebrew University's first Board of Governors and left his papers to the school in his will.

"Israel is intellectually active and interesting but has very narrow possibilities," the Nobel laureate wrote. "And to go there with the intention to leave on the first occasion would be regrettable."

Despite Einstein's counsel, Bohm, who was Jewish, left Brazil for Israel in 1955, where he taught at Haifa's Technion Institute of Technology for two years. There he met his wife, Sarah Woolfson. They married in 1956. A year later the couple moved to the United Kingdom, where Bohm taught at Bristol University until his death in 1992.

Mrs. Bohm returned to Israel after her husband's death and resided in Jerusalem. She died in April 2016 and her estate put her husband's letters from Einstein up for sale at Winner's auction house in Jerusalem.

Roni Grosz, curator of the Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, home to the world's largest collection of Einstein material, said copies of the Bohm letters were already in the archive and that there was "nothing extraordinary" about them. But he said anything connected to Einstein tends to generate interest.

"There's today tremendous interest in all things Einstein. Einstein documents, letters, drafts are being on sale all the time," he said. "There's barely a month that passes with no Einstein documents in auction or in sale."

The auction, which includes copies of other letters sent by Einstein and correspondence by fellow Nobel laureate Louis de Broglie, will be held on June 20, though early bids are being accepted online.
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley introduced legislation called the 'COVFEFE' Act on Monday, aimed at expanding the scope of what is preserved as presidential record to encompass social media.

Officially titled the "Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement" Act, the bill would amend the Presidential Records Act to include social media messages in preservation of presidential communications, Quigley said in a release.

The term "covfefe" emerged when President Donald Trump included it in a late-night tweet on May 31, writing "Despite the constant negative press covfefe."

The ambiguous tweet quickly lit up the social network and stayed online for more than five hours before being removed. Trump then addressed the message with another tweet reading "Who can figure out the true meaning of 'covfefe' ??? Enjoy!" [[427603433, C]]

While the word sparked countless jokes and memes, it also raised questions yet again about the presidents Twitter use  an issue that Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois, looks to address with the 'COVFEFE' Act.

"In order to maintain public trust in government, elected officials must answer for what they do and say; this includes 140-character tweets," Quigleys statement reads.

"President Trumps frequent, unfiltered use of his personal Twitter account as a means of official communication is unprecedented," he continued. "If the President is going to take to social media to make sudden public policy proclamations, we must ensure that these statements are documented and preserved for future reference."

While the official @WhiteHouse and @POTUS Twitter accounts are archived under the PRA, its not clear if the presidents personal account @RealDonaldTrump is archived as part of official record. The 'COVFEFE' Act would ensure that it is, and would also make deleting tweets a violation of the act subject to disciplinary action, according to Quigley.



As he did throughout his candidacy, Trump has frequently taken to Twitter as president to share his views  sometimes contradicting the messaging of his administration.

The morning after the deadly attack at London Bridge on June 3, Trump used the platform to attack the citys mayor for saying there was "no reason to be alarmed," a statement Mayor Sadiq Khan made in the context of reassuring residents about a heightened police presence.

The presidents mischaracterization of Khans words drew a sharp rebuke from the mayor, as well as questions on the relevance of Trumps tweets. [[426691081, C]]

"They matter in the sense that they give him a communications tool," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said at a press briefing the next day, adding that Twitter is important so he can "communicate directly to the people without the bias of the media" that she said "obsesses over every period, dot."

She was then contradicted by press secretary Sean Spicer, who said Tuesday that Trumps tweets should, in fact, be taken as official statements.

"The president is president of the United States," Spicer explained, "so they are considered official statements by the president of the United States."

Amid the confusion surrounding the legitimacy of his statements made on Twitter, Trumps tweets have raised ethical concerns as well. After Nordstrom decided to stop selling his daughter Ivankas clothing line in February, Trump tweeted that the department store has treated her "so unfairly."



Experts argued that the tweet  which was posted just 21 minutes after the scheduled start of his daily briefing and was retweeted by the official @POTUS account  was problematic for its implicit threat to retailers and the use of his office to benefit his familys personal interests.

While Trump has not received any official warnings himself, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel issued White House social media director Dan Scavino a letter of admonishment Friday after determining that he violated the law by using an official-looking Twitter account for campaign purposes.

Trump has often used his personal account to make major announcements, like unveiling his recent Air Traffic Control Initiative or his intention to nominate Christopher Wray as FBI director.

He also uses the platform to advocate for his agenda, including calls for his stalled travel ban.

On Tuesday, the president wrote that its necessary "for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!"

Trumps tweets on his controversial executive order have not only drawn sharp criticism, but have also been used in court rulings blocking the ban from taking effect.

"Tweets are powerful, and the President must be held accountable for every post," Quigley said Monday.

Quigley also introduced the "Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness (MAR-A-LAGO)" Act in March to require the publication of visitor logs to locations where the commander in chief conducts official business, including Trump Organization properties, in addition to the White House.
A Philadelphia woman is accused of attacking a police horse with a flag pole during an anti-Muslim rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Police said the incident occurred during an ACT for America Rally Saturday at 11:32 a.m. on the Capital steps of North 3rd and State streets in Harrisburg. It was one of several rallies in cities across the nation Saturday that were sponsored by ACT for America, which is classified as an anti-Muslim hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

During the rally, protesters moved from the Capital steps onto N. 3rd Street throughout the midtown area, officials said. Several mounted Pennsylvania State Police troopers and Harrisburg Police were helping to move the crowd from blocking the 1200 block of N. 6th Street towards the sidewalk, according to investigators.

As a State Police Corporal and his police horse partner attempted to move the crowd, a woman, identified by police as Lisa Simon, 23, of Philadelphia, allegedly used a flag pole with a silver nail at the top to strike the horse on the side of the neck. Simon allegedly resisted as Harrisburg Police officers tried to arrest her. She was later taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault to police, taunting police animals, disorderly conduct and other related offenses.

Neither the corporal nor the police horse were seriously hurt.


Several Delaware restaurant owners worked together to track down a man who they say made a habit of dining and dashing at their businesses.

Gianmarco Martuscelli, the owner of Klondike Kates in Newark, Delaware, told NBC10 surveillance video at his business captured the culprit dining and dashing on several occasions over the past few months.

Normal dressed guy just having a casual conversation with our bartender, talking about sports, Martuscelli said. Said he had to take a phone call, put his bar stool up and walked out.

Reza Shiekh, a bartender, said the man did the same thing at Grottos Pizza where he works.

This gentleman is something to behold, Shiekh said. He went basically everywhere. He would get his meal, his drinks and not pay for anything.

Shiekh and a few others put the mans photo on Facebook. Within a few hours of the post, employees from several Delaware bars, including Catherine Rooneys and Stone Balloon came forward and said the man also dined and dashed at their businesses.

We all started saying, Hey, he did that to me! Hey he did it to me! Martuscelli said. Before you know it, its been over ten to 15 locations in the past month.

Facebook users quickly gave up the mans name and described his alleged track record.

1300 shares later, a lot of eyes, Shiekh said. The power of social media got this guy.

The man made the rounds at several Delaware restaurants again Monday, according to the owners. This time they say, however, he was there to pay his tabs.

I literally turned around and he was there with two of his friends, Shiekh said. Hes trembling and shaking and he said, I think I have a tab to pay. And I said, Yeah.

John Stave of Klondike Kates was unsure of the mans sincerity.

It looked like he was relatively apologetic, Stave said. But I think it was more because he got caught then because he was actually sorry.


Richard Jones always insisted he didn't commit the aggravated robbery that landed him in prison for 17 years, and last week he was finally able to walk free, the victim of a case of apparent mistaken identity, NBC News reported.

Two years ago, Jones started hearing from other inmates at Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas that there was another inmate that didn't just look like him, but had a similar-sounding name.

Soon, attorneys tracked down Ricky Amos, whom witnesses could barely tell apart from Jones. A judge vacated Jones' conviction, allowing him to walk free Thursday; Amos has not been charged with the robbery.

"When I saw that picture, it just made sense to me," Jones told the Kansas City Star. "They say you cant see the picture clearly if you [are] in it, but if I was outside this picture I would have seen the same thing."
Public research on climate change that was deleted by President Trump's administration was saved and is available on the City of San Francisco's website, Mayor Ed Lee's office announced Sunday.

Lee joined mayors from 12 other U.S. cities who had the saved information published to their city's website.

"Deleting federal web pages does not reset the scientific consensus that climate change is real," Lee said in a statement.

"The American people are entitled to publicly funded EPA research on climate change."

City of Chicago officials created a website called "Climate Change is Real," and following that, Lee and 12 other mayors had their employees post climate change information to their city's website.

San Francisco officials said the research available was conducted over decades.

Some of the cities that have the information on their website are Atlanta, Boston, St. Louis, Seattle and Portland.

The research includes the basic science behind climate change, the various ways the weather is impacted by greenhouse gas emissions and the work the federal government has done to mitigate the impact.

Officials from other cities, universities and organizations can go to the Chicago site to get the information and post it to their website.

Last week, Lee and mayors from 270 cities around the country committed themselves to the Paris Accord, which President Trump pulled the U.S. out of on June 1.
San Diego police have arrested a man accused of opening fire on a U.S. Navy service member, unprovoked, outside a comedy club at San Diego's Horton Plaza mall, killing him.

Arrow Morris, 39, of San Diego, has been booked into San Diego County Jail on one count of murder in the death of 43-year-old James Celani. Morris was also charged with one count of attempted murder, robbery, dissuading a witness and violation of parole.

SDPD Homicide Investigators say Morris was outside the Mad House Comedy Club on Saturday evening just before midnight.

The victim killed in a shooting at Horton Plaza over the weekend was identified as James Celani, an active-duty Navy service member. His friends described Celani as intelligent and mild mannered. NBC 7's Bridget Naso reports.

Morris was arguing with a woman outside the club before the shooting took place.

During that argument, police said, he took her purse and walked away from the club.

As he walked away from the club, he bumped into the victims: Celani and his cousin.

Without provocation, he shot both victims, police said.

One person was killed and a second injured in a midnight shooting at San Diegos popular shopping complex, Horton Plaza, downtown. NBC 7s Astrid Solorzano reports.

Celani was shot in his chest and taken to UC San Diego Medical Center. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Celani was Navy pilot who later worked with drone technology. As part of Naval Special Warfare, Celani supported Navy SEAL teams working tactical operations.



The second victim, a 29-year-old Riverside resident, was shot in the leg. He is expected to survive.

Homicide detectives found Morris in Serra Mesa at approximately 6 p.m. on Monday, police said. He was arrested in public.

A second suspect remains on the loose. Police have identified the man, but detectives are working to determine how, exactly, he was involved in the shooting.

He has not been arrested, and police will not release his identity.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
Two of seven men accused of conspiring to sell U.S. trade secrets to a major Chinese military contractor appeared in a Washington, D.C., courtroom Monday.

Federal authorities arrested 52-year-old Shan Shi and 31-year-old Gang Liu along Connecticut Avenue NW in May.

They were accused of a scheme to sell trade secrets about a type of military equipment from a company based in Houston to the Chinese contractor. Court filings indicate the secrets involved a type of foam material frequently used for military projects.

The scheme involved millions of dollars, prosecutors said.

Federal authorities have tried to seize at least two properties in D.C. suspected of being used in the scheme.

Shi and Liu, a Chinese national who lives in Houston, are charged with conspiracy. They each face 10 years in prison.

Also charged were 35-year-old Uka Kalu Uche, of Spring, Texas; 74-year-old Samuel Abotar Ogoe, of Missouri City, Texas; 48-year-old Johnny Wade Randall, of Conroe, Texas; 40-year-old Kui Bo, a Canadian citizen who also lives in Houston; and 32-year-old Hui Huang of China, who works for the Chinese manufacturer implicated in the conspiracy.

Attorneys for some of the men said they deny the charges and have already pleaded not guilty.
As more Maryland residents die of opioid overdoses than ever before, the state has made lifesaving overdose-reversal drugs available without a prescription.

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, can be dispensed from licensed pharmacies without the need for a prescription as of June 1, the state's Before It's Too Late drug response group announced.

"This order is yet another tool to fight this crisis and to provide immediate assistance to overdose victims, Dr. Howard Haft, deputy secretary for public health services, said in a statement.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Naloxone was previously available only with a prescription or to people who had been trained in opioid overdose response. A single dose of the drug can reverse an opioid overdose. Someone overdosing on a more potent drug, like fentanyl, may need multiple doses.

In 2016, 1,856 Maryland residents died opioid-related deaths, marking a 70 percent increase over the previous year. The opioid-related death rate is highest among people age 45 to 54, state data says.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Despite the increased availability of naloxone, officials ask residents to continue to call 911 for help in the event of a drug overdose. Also, the Maryland Poison Center takes anonymous reports of naloxone use. "Your reports help us make naloxone available to others in need," an informational flyer from the state says.

The cost of Narcan may be a barrier to an increase in its use, a Baltimore pharmacist told the Baltimore Business Journal. Not all insurance plans cover the drug, and it costs $140 to $190 out of pocket, he told the paper.

Go here for information on how to use naloxone.

Go here for a list of pharmacies in the state that carry the drug.

Go here to see the state's full report, released earlier this month, on drug- and alcohol-related deaths.
For 14 years, the former mayor of Fairfax, Virginia, lived a double life as a methamphetamine addict  until he got caught in August.

Friday, Scott Silverthorne walked out of prison after serving three months for drug distribution. He was sentenced to five years with all but three months suspended and was released on time served. He had been in prison since March, when he pleaded guilty.

"A good 14 years or so I have been using drugs ... but I was meticulous, I was careful until eventually I got caught, he said. But the reality was that I never let it interfere with my city duties."

In August, police caught him in a sting outside a Tysons hotel. He handed over meth to two undercover cops.

I handed it to them, and they held it up, and I thought, somethings not right, he said. And then within a literal split second, they both jumped out of the car, and two or three SUVs descended on the car that I was sitting in.

Silverthorne connected with them through a gay dating website. He said they enticed him to bring less than a gram of meth for the meeting, to which he agreed.

I said from the very beginning, I want to accept responsibility for what I did, but I also want to make sure people know what I didnt do, he said.

A three-term mayor, he resigned after his arrest.

Friday he said his arrest was a life-saving wake-up call.

I used that term, a double life, and a couple people, when I spoke outside the courthouse the other day, said to me, Why are you using that term? Let me just say because, I dont think people really knew the real Scott Silverthorne, he said.

The story got national attention, with Silverthorne becoming known as the mayor caught in a meth-for-group-sex scandal.

He wanted to speak to reporters, his community, but his attorney advised him to keep quiet.

Ive known him since he was little boy, when his dad was mayor, quite frankly, attorney Brian Drummond said. He called and started to tell me what was going on, and I said, Yeah, youre going to need a lawyer.

To protect the case, Drummond didnt want his client talking to the press, but he also feared isolation and humiliation would get to Silverthorne.

My attorney called me numerous times worried that I might do something crazy, he said.

Silverthorne said he never considered taking his own life.

Throughout the court proceedings, a team of supporters flocked by his side.

As mayor, he said he always tried to treat people well  no matter their job.

I think its karma. I think it came back to me. I was surprised, he said. Its really easy for people to desert people, its easy, and I had a few, theres no question, but very few. Now, Im not naive. I know if I screw up again, they wont be there for me, so I have to be careful. But I also know that people are rooting for me.

In jail, Silverthorne received hundreds of letters of support. At sentencing Friday, the judge made Silverthorne turn and look at his supporters to acknowledge what more he could lose if it happens again.

As for a political comeback, Silverthorne said, Let me put it this way: I learned a long time ago never say never, and thereve been plenty of politicians whove done what Ive done or something similar and have come back. I have spent my entire adult life working for the citizens of Fairfax City. Im ready to move on.
A man and woman in their 50s have life-threatening injuries after they both were shot Monday in a motel room in Woodbridge, Virginia.

The woman walked into the lobby of the Quality Inn at 1109 Horner Road with a bloody towel around her head, an employee said. She said a man shot her in the head.

Police received a call about the shooting about 8:50 a.m. and responded to the motel. The woman was rushed to a hospital.

She had traveled from New York with the man inside Room 240. Officers tried to communicate with him. Hotels guests near that room were evacuated from the building. Other guests were told to shelter in their rooms.

After two hours, police used a flash bang grenade in the room. They took the situation so seriously, a sniper was poised at the door.

Inside the room, a man was found with what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital by helicopter.

Neither person was identified by police.

Police want to talk with the man, Prince William County police department spokesman Sgt. Jonathan Perok said.

"As of right now he is an involved party. We have one side of the story, we would obviously like to have his as well to figure out what transpired here," he said.
The Senate reached a bipartisan agreement Monday night on a new round of sanctions against Russia, which would prevent President Donald Trump from lifting the rules without Congressional approval, NBC News reported.

In addition to removing the power to lift the sanctions from Trump, the measure would codify existing sanctions and place new economic restrictions on Russians who violate human rights, supply weapons to the Assad regime in Syria or who are involved in the Russian defense or intelligence industry.

The deal, which Trump has not supported, would also place more sanctions on industries, including Russia's mining, shipping and railway industries.

The measure will be attached to a larger bill to impose sanctions on Iran, which Trump has supported. If it passes a procedural vote Wednesday, the Senate could vote on it Thursday. The House would then have to approve it before it goes to Trump.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is in Washington, meeting with various members of the Trump administration.

Monday's schedule was devoted to meetings with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao; Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai; Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon; and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Last week, the Republican governor participated in an infrastructure summit at the White House, and spent the weekend at a summit in Utah hosted by former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

On Tuesday, Sununu is scheduled to meet with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke back in New Hampshire.
Police in northwestern Vermont said a crime victim helped stop a robbery spree, by providing critical information after she was held up at gunpoint.

Jerrilyn Remillard, 73, said she came face-to-face with a masked and hooded man Monday morning. Remillard was cooking shepherds pie for Meals on Wheels at the Center Market in Georgia, which she has owned for nearly four decades.

He had a pistol, Remillard remembered. A silver pistol.

The great-grandmother told necn affiliate NBC 5 News that she stood up to the robber, and shouted him out of the business, but that her children told her that she shouldnt have made such a stand.

He said, Give me your money, Remillard recalled. I said, I'm not giving you my money!

After she stood her ground, the business owner said the frustrated suspect ran out the door.

Then, Remillard said she watched the getaway and got a good description of the car, its license plate, and the direction it was traveling, helping police catch up with the suspects vehicle.

Police identified the people in the vehicle matching Remillards description as Jacob Robbins, 20, Tiera Herron, 21, and Megan Russell, 25.

Each of the suspects pled not guilty to various charges against them.

Investigators said Robbins was also behind three other armed stick-ups at other stores, in addition to the Georgia robbery attempt.

One of the other targets was in Burlington, and two were in Colchester, according to police.

Its nice to get a lead, said Sgt. James Roy of the Colchester Police Department. We had put some of the surveillance videos of the two robberies on the news and didnt get much for information, so it was nice to get the lead and get the cases resolved.

Investigators said they believe Robbins was after drug money. They described in court paperwork how the suspect allegedly discarded clothing worn into the stores, and those discoveries yielded valuable evidence.

Court paperwork revealed Robbins 14-month-old child was in the car with those other suspects during the Georgia robbery attempt.

An arresting officer wrote in his report that when he allowed Robbins to say goodbye to the child, the dad started crying, and told his son, Im sorry, buddy.

Remillard is doing just fine, but police will tell you its not a good idea to put up much of a fight with an armed robber. Its simply not worth the potential consequences, police have repeatedly said in cases like this.
An Ohio man charged in the death of his daughter in Connecticut has been convicted of killing his wife more than 20 years ago in Massachusetts.

The Hampden district attorney's office says a jury found 73-year-old Robert Honsch guilty Monday of the murder of Marcia Honsch, whose body was found in October 1995 in Tolland State Forest.

The Republican reports Robert Honsch was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

He was arrested in 2014 in Dalton, Ohio, where authorities say he was living with a new wife and three children.

He faces a murder charge in Connecticut in the death of his 17-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, whose body was found in September 1995. The family then lived in New York.

The defense said Robert Honsch had nothing to do with the deaths.
A New Hampshire man is facing charges in connection with pepper spraying his neighbor's dog last month.

Exeter Police said they were called to an area of Kathleen Drive on May 8 after Lawrence Cluley, 38, allegedly emptied an entire 4-ounce can of pepper spray on a mixed breed Husky while the animal was running outside its home.

Witnesses said when the dog's owner asked Cluley why he had sprayed her dog, he replied that he would, spray her too, (expletive).

Police said after the incident, the dog's face turned orange and it needed veterinarian care for red, blistering lips. Its owner also reported that it was not eating normally.

Authorities said the animal needed antibiotics and painkillers.

Cluley turned himself into police on May 19 following an arrest warrant. He was charged with cruelty to animals and criminal threatening. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 3.
A Rhode Island man is facing charges in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left a motorcyclist hospitalized with critical injuries on Saturday night in Warwick.

Officers responded to the crash on West Shore Road at about 10 p.m. where they located the motorcyclist in the roadway.

Witnesses told police that the SUV driver who struck the victim had fled the scene.

The 33-year-old motorcyclist, who has not been identified, was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he remains.

The driver of the SUV was located a short time later in a nearby parking lot with the help of witnesses.

He was identified as Brian Larkin, 48, of Warwick. Larkin was scheduled to appear before a bail commission on charges of DUI serious injury and duty to stop in accident resulting in personal injury.

Police said an initial investigation revealed that drugs were a factor in the crash.
Some bears that were struggling are now back home in the wilderness of Vermont, after they were nursed to health.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said staff recently released several young black bears back into the wild after a stay with a wildlife rehabilitator in Lyme, New Hampshire.

Wardens said the animals had been orphaned, and were showing up in residential areas this spring looking malnourished and weak.

The Fish & Wildlife Department said residents in the Plymouth area called their local warden, who was able to get the animals to Ben and Phoebe Kilham in Lyme to help nurse the orphans back to health.

In video provided to news outlets by the Fish & Wildlife Department, the bears appeared to be doing well as they re-entered their natural habitat in a large wildlife management area in the southern part of Vermont.

According to state bear biologist Forrest Hammond, the neighbors did exactly the right thing by calling in the pros, rather than trying to feed the animals themselves.

Hammond said bears who become accustomed to eating human food can become problem animals and develop a bad set of behaviors that prevent them from leading natural lives in the wildand even risk the animals deaths.

In most situations, animals do best when they remain in the wild, Hammond noted in a news release. However, in rare instances, we do come across an orphaned bear that trained wildlife professionals are able to help. We hope that these bears remain in the woods and continue to live as wild bears.

Hammond urged Vermonters to remove potential attractants from their yards, such as bird feeders in the summer, to reduce the chances of wild bears becoming too accustomed to being around people or homes.
Championship game berths on the line for Island football teams

The stakes dont get much higher for the Portsmouth, Middletown and Rogers high school football teams this weekend.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Mainly clear skies. Low near 45F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low near 45F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. It is estimated that 161,360 men will be diagnosed and more than 26,700 men will die from the disease in this year. The majority of these deaths are caused by prostate cancer that becomes resistant to initial therapy and spreads to other sites, called metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In a study published today in Cancer Cell, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report that a newly discovered epigenetic mechanism can lead to the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer. They identified a novel drug that targets this epigenetic mechanism and may be able to combat the deadly form of the disease.

Uncontrolled activity of male hormones, called androgens, contributes to the development of prostate cancer. One of the primary ways doctors treat prostate cancer is by inhibiting the activity of androgens by either surgically removing the testicles or with drugs that decrease androgen levels or activity. Unfortunately, even though most patients have early success with anti-androgen treatments, many patients eventually develop metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer within two to three years. Castration-resistant prostate cancer is more difficult to treat and cure because scientists are unsure how it develops resistance to anti-androgen therapies.

"Undoubtedly, the foremost reason for transient effectiveness of the androgen deprivation therapy is a poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer, which in turn has hampered development of new therapeutics," explained Nupam P. Mahajan, PhD, associate member of the Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine Program at Moffitt.

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The Moffitt team performed an extensive set of experiments in prostate tumor cells and mice. They discovered a protein, called ACK1, also known as TNK2 that activates a pathway that causes the DNA-bound proteins called histones to undergo a type of modification called epigenetic modification. This modification was specifically accomplished by androgen receptor protein with the help of ACK1 around the region of the androgen receptor gene! This results in high levels and activity of the androgen receptor even when prostate cancer cells have been treated with anti-androgen therapy.

Following this discovery, the researchers developed a novel drug called (R)-9bMS that targets ACK1 and performed experiments to determine if it could block prostate cancer growth. They discovered that the ACK1 inhibitor blocked epigenetic modification of the androgen receptor gene and decreased its levels and activity. Importantly, the ACK1 inhibitor blocked the growth of prostate cancer cells that were resistant to the anti-androgen drug enzalutamide (also known as XTANDI) and decreased the growth of castration-resistant prostate tumors in mice.

"This discovery is highly relevant because almost two thirds of castration-resistant prostate cancer patients do not respond to enzalutamide. Overall, (R)-9bMS opens up as a new, and desperately needed, therapeutic option for those castration-resistant prostate cancer patients who either do not respond to enzalutamide or have acquired resistance, post-treatment," said Dr. Kiran Mahajan, the first author of this paper.
Adolescent drivers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a 36 percent higher crash risk than other newly licensed teens. Although elevated, this risk is far lower than previous reports of being four times higher. This is the first large-scale study to provide detailed information on crash risk of adolescents with ADHD compared to other newly licensed young drivers.

The study appears today in JAMA Pediatrics.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) conducted a unique linkage of more than 18,500 electronic health records (EHR) of children born from 1987 through 1997 and New Jersey driver licensing and crash data to determine the associations between ADHD, licensure, and crash involvement. Of the 18,500 records, nearly 2,500 patients were diagnosed with ADHD. Researchers also examined whether these associations varied by factors such as gender and licensing age, and found crash risk persists during the initial driving years, regardless of gender or age when licensed.

"Our results indicate that newly licensed adolescents with ADHD have a greater risk of crashing than other young drivers, but that this is a manageable risk," says the study's principal investigator Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH, a senior scientist at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at CHOP. "Our findings point to the need to develop evidence-based training and education for adolescents with ADHD who want to drive."

Recent studies have emphasized the potential importance of medication in reducing crash risk for individuals with ADHD. However, based on EHR data, CHOP researchers found only 12 percent of the drivers with ADHD were prescribed medication in the 30 days before getting licensed.

"We were surprised to find so few drivers in the study with an active prescription from CHOP doctors for an ADHD medication," says the study co-author Thomas J. Power, PhD, ABPP, director of the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP. "Although research indicates that medication likely reduces crash risk, the treatment can only be effective if teens are using it when driving."

Adolescents with ADHD may have characteristics that place them at a higher risk for unsafe driving behaviors, such as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and emotional regulation difficulties. Researchers say their findings point to the need for further research to help understand how ADHD affects teens' crash risk. With this knowledge, tailored clinical, educational, and training programs can then be developed to manage that risk.

Until then, the research team recommends that caregivers of teens with ADHD who are considering driving schedule a doctor's appointment to address concerns, such as attention, impulse control, or communication issues. They may also want to seek the advice of a behavior therapist, an occupational therapist who specializes in driving, or a driver rehabilitation specialist who has training in working with individuals with special needs.

Dr. Curry and her colleagues, who are part of CHOP's Teen Driver Safety Research team, are currently conducting rigorous research on adolescents with developmental disabilities. Funding for this study was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The views and recommendations in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the NIH.

Resources for parents and professionals to support teens with ADHD can be accessed on the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP website and on the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists website.

The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP has tools that can help guide families through the learning-to-drive process, including the TeenDrivingPlan Parent Guide, on the teendriversource.org website.
A new strategy for treating brain tumors may extend or save the lives of patients diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of cancer, according to a study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The research demonstrates in mice that a combination of medications  traditionally used separately to treat lung cancer and arthritis  can destroy glioblastoma, a difficult-to-treat brain tumor that is lethal to most patients in little more than a year.

The combination of these medications disables two proteins responsible for helping the cancer cells survive, providing a therapy that UT Southwestern is working to fast-track for clinical use.

"This could be a groundbreaking treatment. If it works in patients, then it will be an important advance," said Dr. Amyn Habib, a member of UT Southwestern's Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The research published in Nature Neuroscience answers a decades-old question of why a treatment that disables a protein common in various cancers has been effective in some forms of lung and colon cancer but not in glioblastoma.

The protein, known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), resides in the tumor cell's membrane and has been a traditional target for fighting malignant tumors. Dr. Habib's team found that when doctors use a medication to disable the receptor, a second protein is produced in the brain that takes over the receptor's function to keep the cancer cell alive.

The study shows that blocking both the receptor and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) destroys the glioma tumors.

The medications used to disable these proteins are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including TNF inhibitors used to treat arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions. Dr. Habib said this could speed the effort at UT Southwestern to organize a clinical trial to test the treatment on lung cancer and glioblastoma patients.

"This is a terrific example of research that can be relatively quickly carried into the clinic," said Dr. Habib, Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics.

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Glioblastoma is the most lethal and common type of brain cancer, accounting for 17 percent of malignant brain tumors. The disease aggressively spreads through the brain and can prove fatal within months, though surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments can often help patients survive more than a year.

UT Southwestern is testing an array of other approaches to improve the prognosis for patients, from protein-inhibiting medications to immunotherapy that uses the body's immune system to fight the cancer.

Dennis Kothmann, a retired math teacher with glioblastoma, hopes one of these approaches will work for him. While Dr. Habib's treatment strategy is still being prepared for clinical use, Mr. Kothmann is participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial at UT Southwestern.

"Chemo hasn't worked very well for other people with this disease," he explained as a nurse prepared to deliver his latest infusion through his arm. "Why not try something different, give yourself a chance?"

The 71-year-old Fort Worth native was diagnosed with glioblastoma in November after seeking medical treatment for his headaches and vision problems. Mr. Kothmann tells his story with an inspiring air of positivity, his jovial smile belying the grim prospects for beating such a disease.

"There's no sense in getting down," Mr. Kothmann said, his wife Candace nodding in agreement next to him. "That's not going to make me better."

Dr. Habib is encouraged by the initial success of his protein-disabling strategy. But he acknowledges a cure may not be imminent because cancers tend to adapt to treatments and find other pathways to thrive if one is blocked.

For example, disabling the EGFR protein initially showed success in lung cancer patients, but over time the cells develop resistance to the medication.

"But if we can provide a remission or slowing of the disease and extend survival, that's a big advance in fighting this devastating disease," said Dr. Habib, also a staff physician at the North Texas VA Medical Center.
Roche announced today that it will be showcasing new solutions for lab innovation and leadership at the 22nd IFCCEFLM European Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicines (EuroMedLab) in Athens, Greece, 1115 June.

The congress will offer the opportunity to experience first-hand Roches latest technological advancements in diagnostics technology and solutions, including the Roche Integrated Core Lab (ICL).

At Roche we strive to deliver high-quality solutions and services across healthcare settings for the benefit of providers and patients, said Jean-Claude Gottraux, Head of Centralized and Point of Care Solutions. Our technologies continue to inform swift and clinically-validated decision making, enabling patients to receive the right intervention at the right time across the globe.

Automation and connectivity for unprecedented efficiency

Roche will be showcasing its Integrated Core Lab, a new approach and response to an increasingly complex and challenging healthcare environment. The enterprise-wide connectivity and best-in-class technology help laboratories to compete in a demanding market generating unprecedented efficiency, extending quality and improving control for a greater impact on patient care.

For the first time, the next generation of the cobas analytical clinical chemistry and immunochemistry platform, can be viewed, along with the newly launched cobas m 511 and cobas t 711 integrated hematology and coagulation analyzers.

The cobas t 711 will be launched at the end of 2017 offering innovative features, including improved processing power and increased walkaway time for the mid- to high-volume coagulation laboratories. It will be connected to the cobas connection modules (CCM). Some of its main features include connectivity, automated reagent reconstitution, and optimized reagent and sample management, which will provide laboratories with improved workflow and operating efficiency.

The cobas m 511 enables patients to benefit from faster results for the accurate diagnosis of blood diseases, as diverse as anemia and leukemia1. Significantly, the cobas m 511 requires only small sample volumes, so the blood requirements from vulnerable groups such as the elderly, intensive care patients and neonates are greatly reduced.

Attendees can also learn how Roche is leading the way with full automation and integration of Molecular Diagnostics providing laboratories with improved operating efficiency and the flexibility to adapt to the changing demands of diagnostic testing. For example, the cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 systems offer the fastest turnaround times for high-throughput laboratories and the longest walk-away times among automated molecular platforms.2 In addition the cobas CT/NG for use on the cobas 6800/8800 System provides laboratories with the highest throughput solution for the testing of CT/NG on the market.

Providing fast answers to patients most pressing questions

We offer sophisticated testing solutions that allow doctors to make the very best decision for the patient, said Jean-Jacques Palombo, Senior Vice President at Roche. Our newly launched fertility companion diagnostic, Elecsys AMH Plus, delivers results which aid more efficient and more targeted clinical decisions, linked to a womans personal biology. That means less anxiety for the woman, and better medical decisions made by the doctor.

Roche will share the importance of diagnostics in:

Womens health with the first companion diagnostic to be approved in fertility (AMH plus) and the pre-eclampsia ratio (sFlt-1/PlGF)

Alzheimers disease and the need for improved diagnostic tools

Cardiac assays including NT-proBNP and the novel marker GDF-15,and how these tests can improve decision making in cardiovascular disease and thereby improve patients lives

Highlights of Roche Diagnostics at EuroMedLab:

During the entirety of the exhibition, Roche will be sharing its booth with Coeur pour Tous (Hearts for All) a charity offering vital access to heart surgery, particularly to children in need. Attendees are invited to show support by having their photo taken and posting it onto the booths digital wall. For every photograph taken Roche will donate 10 to the charity.

Monday 12 June

14:3015:30 EduW5: Digital Diagnostics  decision support from lab to bedside

Dr. Ralph Schimmer, CMO and Global Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs, Centralized and Point of Care Solutions, Roche Diagnostics, Rotkreuz, will chair a session including a look at current digital healthcare innovations and the challenges of digitized health information in the 21st century.

15:45-16:45 EduW9: Laboratorys role in enhancing clinical decision making for cardiac and pregnancy care

Prof. Gerasimos Filippatos, Athens University Hospital Attikon, Greece and Prof. Damien Gruson, Brussels, Belgium, will co-chair a dynamic session looking at natriuretic peptides in the era of ARNI drugs, the novel biomarker GDF-15 and the ABC bleeding risk score for patients with atrial fibrillation, as well as advancements in diagnosing and predicting pre-eclampsia through angiogenic markers.

Tuesday 13 June

14:3015:30 EduW21: Using cell-free DNA as basis for clinical applications

Prof Konstantinos Syrigos, Medicine & Medical Oncology, Athens School of Medicine, Greece, will lead a session covering cell-free DNA testing for fetal aneuploidy and NGS-based testing of liquid biopsy samples in lung cancer.

15:45-16:45 EduW22: New approaches in diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted diseases and emerging infections

Prof Marco Cusini, Fondazione IRCCS, Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan, Italy, will chair a session around HIV 4th-generation screening tests, syphilis diagnosis and the Zika virus.
Maruti Suzuki, the biggest car manufacturer in the country sells more than 50% cars of the total sales in India. While many of the trade pundits credit this success to budget products like Baleno, Swift and Alto, products like Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza are in fact doing a very good business in their own segment.Vitara Brezza, the compact SUV from Suzuki not only is the leader in its own segment, but also competes with itself for the month-on-month sales. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has broken its own record of the highest ever monthly sales by recording a sales figure of 12,375 units in the month of May 2017.When compared to the previous months numbers, Maruti managed to sell 10,653 units in April 2017. This makes the Vitara Brezza, the most sold compact SUV/SUV in the country today. Maruti sold more than a lakh Brezzas in less than a year's time, ever since it went on sale last March.From February 2017 onwards, the monthly sales of Vitara Brezza has been 10,057 units in March, 10,653 units in April and now, 12,375 units in May. Taking the cumulative sales of 2017, Maruti has managed to sell close to 50000 units in just 5 months, averaging 10000 units/month.Going by this pace, Brezza will cross the 1.5 lakh sales mark in no time. And theirs is no competition to come in near future, apart from the facelifted Ford Ecosport. While Tata is planning to launch the Nexon compact SUV, we are skeptical if it could rattle the dominance of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.Such is the demand of the Brezza that Maruti is continuously witnessing a waiting period as long as 3 months. It is available only in one engine version  the 1.3-litre DDiS 200 unit that has a mileage of 24.3 kmpl, again the best in the segment.Maruti Suzuki is now trying to increase the demand of the Brezza by introducing automated manual transmission and petrol engine options. While the SUV is priced for just Rs 7.26 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi), the petrol version will surely bring down the price tremendously.
The date for GST implementation is just around the corner and it will be applicable India-wide from July 1st, 2017. The uniform tax structure will reduce the price of cars, but much before its roll-out, car manufacturers are offering a lot of discounts on their cars, to attract customers.Then there are discounts on models which are about to be discontinued or are not doing good in terms of sales. This means, if you are planning to buy a new car, now is the time to get a good deal, without even waiting for the festive period.Heres a list of the best discounts on cars you can avail at dealerships for June 2017!The biggest discount of the month can be availed on the luxury sedan from Audi  the A4. Audi is offering pre-GST benefits to customers as high as Rs 7 lakhs on select models. The Audi A4 which is priced for Rs 4,330,000 (ex-showroom) can be availed for Rs 3,699,000. Apart from the A4, Audi is also offering discounts on Q3, A3, A6 and other cars.The flagship offering from the South Korean manufacturer is on a huge discount of Rs 2.5 Lakhs, depending on variants and dealerships. The SUV is not among the high selling products for the company, and they want to give it a push through discounts. Hyundai Santa Fe is priced close to Rs 30 Lakhs.Another Hyundai on the list is the mid-size sedan  the Verna. Hyundai is offering benefits of up to Rs 90,000 on select variants in a bid to clear stocks as the new Verna is all set to make its way to India. The Verna rivals the likes of the Maruti Ciaz and the Honda City, but is not doing that good of a business as compared to the rivals.Renaults saving grace in India, the rugged Duster compact SUV is on massive discount. Renault is offering discounts on all variants to a tune of Rs 90000. However, the newly launched 1.5-litre petrol Duster is not on discount. The discount includes insurance waiver, exchange bonus and cash discounts.Passing the pre-GST benefits to the customers, Hyundai has slashed the priced of the Grand i10 hatchback, that can be bought with discounts as high as Rs 73,000. Hyundai recently updated the Grand i10, but the sales are still a sore point for the South Korean manufacturer.Maruti Suzuki is about to refresh the S-Cross crossover in the coming days and we have already seen how the car would look like. To clear the pending stocks of the otherwise slow selling S-Cross, Maruti is offering discounts up to Rs 55,000. The S-cross rivals the likes of the Creta and the BR-V.The premium offering from Maruti Suzuki, the Ciaz mid-size sedan is now sold through the Nexa range of dealerships. While there were no changes made to the Ciaz during shifting it to the Nexa dealership, Maruti is soon going to give the sedan a facelift. Hence, it is being offered at a discount of around Rs 45,000 at most locations.Datsun, the Nissans budget-arm is offering hefty discounts on its cars - Go, Go+ and redi-Go. The most recent product from Datsun  the rediGo compact hatchback is getting hefty discounts of up to Rs 40,000 which includes discount on 2016 models, insurance and cash bonus. The discounts can be availed on all variants.Last on our list the highly popular Maruti Suzuki Swift hatchback that is soon to receive a new-generation model. Some dealers of Maruti are offering discounts on insurance, cashback and exchange bonus, to a tune of Rs 20000.Disclaimer  1) Discounts may vary depending on dealership location and cities.2) Discount details sourced from online research.3) Please check and bargain with your dealer for exact discounts.4) All prices ex-showroom, Delhi.
The rumours about GST implementation being delayed are false. Please do not be misled by it.  Dr Hasmukh Adhia (@adhia03) June 13, 2017

Rumours of a delay in the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are false, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia tweeted on Tuesday morning.The ambitious one nation, one tax regime is set to come into effect on July 1 with few states, including West Bengal, yet to move the GST Bill in the Assembly. The states finance minister, Amit Mitra, has demanded that the rollout date be postponed by a month, objecting to the tax scheme in its current form.However, it looks increasingly certain now that the rollout date will be adhered to, with the weight of the Finance Ministry and most states behind it.GST, Indias most significant tax reform in 70 years, collapses the wide array of indirect taxes into a few levies, while expanding the tax base. It has been 15 years in the making since it was first proposed in 2002 and required amendments to the Constitution.The GST Council had on June 12 slashed the rates of 66 items to meet demands from various quarters ahead of the rollout.Within weeks of the all-powerful GST Council fitting over 1,200 items into one of the 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent tax slabs, there were complaints from various quarters about high tax incidence on various goods and services.The GST Council, which met for the 16th time on Sunday, took up demands for revision in tax rates of 133 items but reduced it only for 66, including agarbatti, computer printers, cashews, children drawing books and school bags.
Sam Panopoulos -- who earned a place in history by putting canned pineapple and ham on a pizza at his Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario in 1962 -- was 83 and had just celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Christina. He died suddenly in the hospital on Thursday, according to his obituary. Panopoulos had operated a string of successful restaurants with his brothers Elias and Nikitas when he came up with his famous invention. Created just for fun, the so-called Hawaiian soon spread around the world.



Last February, the dish became the target of ridicule by Iceland's president, Guoni Johannesson. Saying he was fundamentally opposed to pineapple on pizza, Johannesson declared that it should be banned. After a public uproar, he clarified that he gladly does not have "the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapple on their pizza."



Defending his creation, Panopoulos told the public broadcaster CBC that "those days when I first came up with it, there was nothing to it... It was just another piece of bread cooking in the oven." "Nobody liked it at first," he said. "But after that, they went crazy about it, because (in) those days nobody was mixing sweet and sour and all that. It was plain, plain food." Others soon began experimenting, Panopoulos said, going beyond the traditional pepperoni, bacon and mushroom toppings to include salmon, green peppers, onions or "whatever you wanted."
New Delhi: In a shocking incident, an ailing 18-year-old girl and her mother were taken to an exorcist after their family suspected they were possessed by a ghost.



The daughter and the mother, 47, were allegedly beaten up mercilessly and force-fed animal dung by the exorcist after they were brought to him in Karnataka from Maharashtra's Latur district.



The incident emerged a day after two Gujarat ministers attended a function in Bhavnagar district where exorcists were present and one of them felicitated them.



Exorcists are known as bhuvas in Gujarat. The function took place on Saturday.



However, this felicitation didn't go down well with social activists who saw this move as an encouragement to superstitious activities.



The activists in the state reacted sharply to the Ministers' move, alleging that exorcists who dupe villagers regularly are being sheltered by the government.



Martin Macwan, head of Navsarjan Trust, which has been working for Dalit rights, told CNN-News18, This is horrific. More so because a minister of the government has felicitated these quacks and exorcists in full public view. The worst victims of these bhuvas are Dalits, who get fleeced by these unscrupulous elements.
About two months after the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, Syed Zainul Abedin, spoke against the practice of instant triple talaq and said consumption of beef should be banned across India, a fatwa has been issued against him, calling for social boycott of the ignorant Muslim.However, what appears like difference of opinion over religious issues is driven by bitter family feud for power and control of property worth hundreds of crores of rupees, in and around Ajmer Sharif.News18 looks at what transpired behind the scenes as the holy town stands divided between Abedin and his brother Alaudin Alimi.I declare that my family members and I will not consume beef and that triple talaq in one sitting is not good as per Islamic law, said Abedin, the Sajjadanashin of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan, in the first week of April.The statement by Abedin, the 22nd descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, called for a national law against beef consumption, saying it would bring communal harmony in the country. Additionally, he said instant triple talaq was un-Islamic and called for a complete ban on the same.Sajjadanashin of Ajmer Dargah (Right) along with a member from the family of the revered saint Ghous Pak from Baghdad. (Photo: Debayan Roy)Soon after the declaration, his brother advocate Alaudin Alimi declared himself the new Sajjadanashin, saying his brother was no longer a Muslim. The statement and the controversy that followed not only angered Zainuls family members, but also split the holy town.Soon after an uproar over his comments, Abedin said his reasons for supporting the beef ban were different.Buffalo meat is expensive than chicken. Plus, the meat only results in diseases like diabetes, and heart attack. If Muslims stop eating it, they will remain healthy and people will end up saving money to spend on their families and children, Abedin told News18.On triple talaq, he said the divorce proceeding in one sitting was invalid. Triple talaq can indeed separate the couple, but this method is not approved by the Almighty. Hence, a gap of 90 days is preferable.The statement was in contrast to what he had earlier said: Shariat does not mention the practice of triple talaq. Also, if there is consent from both parties during the marriage, then why not during separation? When families are present for marriages, then why are divorces given in seclusion?Alimi approached top Sunni clerics to get a fatwa against his brother. Speaking to News18, Alimi said he did not wish to comment but the latest fatwa against the Dewan speaks volumes.Now after the fatwa by Rajasthan Darul Uloom against his brother, Alimi believes the former should give up the post of Sajjadanashin. We are waiting for fatwas from other scholars too. And this one specifically states that he was wrong. He has not only insulted the Prophet by making such a statement, but has also gone astray from Islam, said Alimi.Alimi has now pleaded the Governor of Rajasthan, Kalyan Singh, and the central government to remove the sitting Dewan.One of the first things that Alimi said after his brothers statements was that he was the new Dewan.On the other hand, in his ancestral Dewan haveli, located in a lane on the Dargah Bazaar road, Zainul showed the documents to prove that he was the only spiritual head of the Dargah.House of Advocate Syed Aludin Alimi which the Ajmer Dewan claims to be bilt by him years ago. (Photo: Debayan Roy)Pick up any record, starting from the Farman (order) of Emperor Akbar to the orders by the English judges of the Privy Council to the order of the Supreme Court in 1987 upholding the rule of primogeniture. The position of the Sajjadanashin cannot be challenged by anyone. I am the eldest son of my father and hence the closest descendant to claim this seat, said Dewan Zainul.Naseeruddin Chisti, eldest son of Zainul, said his father had already appointed him the successor. What my uncle says holds no ground. He has been living off my fathers grace and wealth all his life. There are strict procedures in place for appointing the next Sajjadanashin, said Chisti.However, Alimi appears surprised at such an interpretation of rules. If the President of our country can be removed by following Article 61 of the Constitution, then how can a Sajjadanashin of Dargah never be removed from his position? wondered Alimi.He further stated that a 1967 Supreme Court verdict is often cited by the father-son duo but that verdict is completely silent on any aspect of appointing the son of a Sajjadanashin as the successor.Zainul had also questioned the very idea of a fatwa. I have seen a lot of Fatwas. It is nothing more than a suggestion, he had told News18 in April.The perfume seller near the haveli of Ajmer Dewan says how the dargah chief tried to donate land to Wahabis but later rescinded in the face of intense protests. (Photo: Debayan Roy)However, in the current fatwa, top cleric Mufti Sher Mohammad Khan has stated that such a statement reeks of ignorance and shows that one has gone astray from the faith, and that he has no Islamic knowledge.The fight between the brothers has split the Ajmer Sharif community. One prominent opinion is that the Dewan was just acting to please the government.He is not popular among the people. After Zakir Naiks fall, the community has realized that they need to be in the good books of the ruling government, said Nizamuddin Rizvi, a perfume seller living near the Dargah.Even Alimi spoke on this issue and said that the Dewan had attempted to give away land to the Deobandis but rescinded only after he protested against it. In November 2016, the national conference of Wahabis (Deobandis) was held here. Dewan had then promised to donate 200 bighas of lands to this sect for opening a university. But after my protests, he stopped the project, said Alimi.Mohd Ishrat who has been in Ajmer since birth says the Dewan has no religious knowledge else he would not have made such statements. (Photo: Debayan Roy)Now the fatwa has also taken note of this relationship of the Dewan with the Wahabis. The Wahabi sect is an insult to the prophet and the religion. Supporting such a sect shows how ignorant the person is. Such a person should seek public forgiveness. If not, then fellow Muslims should stop acknowledging him as one among them, reads the fatwa.Mohammed Ishrat, who has been selling religious books outside the holy shrine for decades, said Abedin was only after money that the shrine generated.Alimi was courageous enough to speak on behalf of the public. His brother has no knowledge of religious scriptures and he forgets which seat he is talking from. His words can have a lot of influence. He has a lot of money, but no heart, said Ishrat.Ishrat added that the current spiritual leaders claims over the seat stand on precarious grounds. The governor had appointed Zainuls father as the Sajjadanashin, after which his son succeeded him. The governor has no right over such an appointment. So, technically, the problem in appointment dates back to when his father was appointed, said Ishrat.Dewan Zainul, however, is unperturbed by the accusations made by people. This is not the first time Ive issued statements. Every year, on the 5th of every lunar month, in a gathering at the Khanqa, I issue statements of women infanticide and many other issues. The state of intolerance in the nation has compelled me to issue these statements, said the spiritual head. He went on to say that the sanctity of the dargah was under threat.The money and offerings donated to the Dargah is managed by the Nazim appointed by the GOI, however, the Dewan said there was an immediate need for a trust to manage these funds. (Photo: Debayan Roy)There are CCTVs on the premises of the dargah but the lines are cut. Robberies have become the order of the day. There are no washrooms and I had to donate my private property for the same, he said, adding that the premises of the Dargah had become a haven for drug abuse.Every time I have brought this up, I have been attacked. We need a trust to channelize the funds of the shrine for meaningful work, said Dewan Zainul, who now wears a bulletproof jacket while stepping out of his house.
New Delhi: The central government will on an urgent basis amend the language of the notification which places curbs on the sale of cattle, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan tells CNN-News18s deputy political editor Marya Shakil. He also rejects opposition allegations that the notification, which bans the sale of cattle for slaughter in open markets, is fascist.



Edited excerpts:



The government has said that the cattle ban notification is not the final word. You've already received petitions from various groups. What exactly is happening? What is the status right now?



The rules which were notified for the Act prevent what you call cruelty to animals. You see, that law was already there. And on the directions of the Supreme Court, some rules were framed under that Act. When these rules were notified for the first time  that was a draft notification  they were put in public domain for one month. Lot of good suggestions came. They were all incorporated. Then the final notification came and there was some misunderstanding, misinterpretation and misconceptions about the various clauses.



We made it amply clear on a number of occasions in writing as well and I also spoke to the media on a couple of occasions that the notified rules have not even an iota of intention from the government's side to either influence anybody's food habits in any way. Nor do we want to, directly or indirectly, affect adversely the slaughtering business. This we have said categorically time and again. It has been put in the public domain earlier also, but some communication gap is still there as far as the perception about the rules is concerned. We have now said that if you still have some suggestions, if you still have some misgivings about it, give us your suggestions.



The industry has given us some suggestions and people in the leather business are giving us some suggestions. We are examining them most objectively and we'll make sure that if there is a need, we'll look at them again.



You say this notification doesn't impact food habits of individuals and it also, you say, will not impact the slaughter business. How are you going about it? Are you open to the idea of perhaps revisiting the term cattle in the notification?



I am not talking about one particular aspect. We are revisiting almost everything in the light of the representations that we have got. Because the government doesn't have bad intention. Unfortunately, because of political reasons, people are giving it a different meaning, which is totally uncalled for. There is no need for all that and they are continuously doing it inspite of repeated clarifications from the government side that we don't have any intention to influence your business or food habits.



The Meghalaya Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Centres notification. Opposition is coming from the northeastern states, it is coming from the southern states as well.

We have said that we will welcome any suggestion that comes from any state government. But if the state governments, despite our repeated clarification, continue to sort of be in a political mood, what can we do about it? I can assure on record on behalf of my government that we will not allow the interest of even a single person in this country to be hurt.



There are allegations that the government is fascist. That livestock is a state subject and you are trying to encroach on that. How will you defend the government?



Terms like fascist as a political party, we are used to hearing all this. Its not the first time that people talk about us as fascists. They've been calling us fascist for years and decades, but we know that we are the only party in this country which works with a sense of dedication, sincerity and honesty in terms of our commitment to the society and the nation. We never allow that spirit, or what you can call the "rashtra dharam" or the "samaj dharm" or the maanav dharam", to be compromised even a bit.



What about the slaughter business and the meat processing units? Is the government trying to look at it? Re-look at it or amend the notification?



When I say that there is not going to be any effect on this business, when the concerned minister is saying that time and again on record, what more is needed? And if there is a need to correct something in terms of language, we'll correct it.



Are you looking at some kind of timeline?



We are examining it on an urgent basis. Its not an issue which we have kept on the backburner. Every day we get some representation or the other and our department is examining them very sincerely. Moreover, you will rightly recall that this issue started because of the direction of the Supreme Court. These rules were framed within a set time-frame. Now, the issue has again gone back to the Supreme Court. People have approached the Supreme Court. There is a hearing which is due in the top court on June 15. In the light of all this, I think a solution has to come from the government side since our intention is clear.



What about the gaurakshaks? They have almost assumed the role to implement the notification.



I think these things are unnecessarily hyped and blown out of proportion. And they actually don't match the reality to the ground.



Cow vigilantes are very active



See, to have faith in cow is something else. I think it actually doesn't happen. The media creates that hype.
Speaking to News18, AIMPLB executive member, Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, "When marriage is not mandatory by law then how can you make marriage registration compulsory? We're not opposed to it, but the government should consider taking everyone's point of view before making any such implementation."

Senior Lawyer and member of AIMPLB, Zafaryab Jilani said, "This is a Supreme Court ruling and state govt has nothing to do with it. Failing to register your marriage doesn't make it illegal. This is a welcome step and marriages should be registered. Some countries like US and UK require a government certification of marriage if a couple wants to travel to these countries."

: Just hours after it was revealed that the UP Women's Welfare department had drafted a proposal to make marriage registration compulsory in the state for everyone, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said that the government must seek suggestions from all stakeholders before implementing the proposal.In accordance with the Supreme Court's orders, a proposal has been drafted by UP Women's Welfare department for making marriage registration compulsory in the state. The proposal will be tabled in next cabinet meeting of Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.Women and Child Welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that the government was only following Supreme Court ruling."This has nothing to do with any religion. It should not be seen as against any religion. We are just preparing for implementation of Supreme Court's order," she added.Shia leader Maulana Yasoob Abbas welcomed the decision and said that religion must not be brought into the picture as the decision was for everyone's good.According to sources with the knowledge of the proposal, the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government has decided to include everyone in the proposal, including the Muslims following the Supreme Court's order for compulsory registration of marriages.A committee of ministers was formed during former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's regime but its was protested by the Muslim community.The Samajwadi Party government had decided to exclude the Muslims but the rule book was never released. The couples who are not registered will be deprived of benefits from government schemes, the sources added. Many states like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan have already made marriage registration mandatory. There are also penalties for not adhering to the rule.
The Kakatiya University (KU) has declared the Kakatiya University undergraduate or Degree Results 2017 on Tuesday, June 13.Students who appeared for the degree examination of BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BCA, and various other programmes can check their results kuexams.org kakatiya.ac.in and kuresults.in . Students need to enter the roll number and select the course to get subject wise marks.KU University organised the examinations from March 17 to April 18, 2017 of various streams. Nearly, 20 Lakh students attended their Annual Examinations for academic year 2016-17.The Kakatiya University offers as many as 120 programs Under Graduate and Post Graduate courses for students.- Log on the official website kuexams.org- Click on KU Degree Results 2017- Enter your details such as roll number, date of birth, etc, as specified- Click on the submit-Download the Kakatiya University Degree Results 2017 and take out a print for further useKakatiya University was established in 1976 for higher education of Telangana students. The Post Graduate Centre of Osmania University was upgraded and named as Kakatiya University. It offers programmes in Engineering, Pharmacy, Law, Computer Science, Business, Management, Education, Arts, Commerce, etc.The University was initially accredited with B+ grade by the NAAC in 2002 and re accredited with A grade in 2008.
: Amidst the raging debate on farmer problems and loan waivers in the country, Father of Green Revolution MS Swaminathan has raised doubts on the government's loan waiver policy and said that waivers would only provide temporary relief to the farmers."The waivers don't provide for a secure long-term credit system. It directly implies that the banks are being compensated by the government," said Swaminathan in a series of tweets.While he said that the farmers were dissatisfied with the procurement price, despite a bumper crop, and were unable to replay loans, he added that the loan waivers by the government meant that money for strengthening agricultural infrastructure would now not be adequate.While raising doubts on the government's policy, he also said that the Modi government had implemented many recommendations from the National Commission on Farmers.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Secretary of the Legislative Department to convene a meeting to discuss ways to implement suggestions made by an expert to ease the problems faced by citizens to freely access accurate and comprehensive set of laws in India.



The suggestions made by amicus curiae Jayant Bhushan stated that there was an urgent need to address certain pressing issues which were hurdles for citizens to freely access legal texts like laws, Acts, notifications.



Secondly, government web portals, he said, suffer from serious design flaws leading to a problematic experience in searching for a legislation. Additionally, the HC was told that the legal system does not consist of standalone laws and often includes rules, regulations, notifications, circulars which are often missing.



Justice Manmohan Singh has noted that the suggestions were valuable and must be considered at the highest level.



Justice Singh has now directed the Secretary of Legislative department to invite Jayant Bhushan, along with senior officials from the NIC, Ministry of Information Technology and Department of Printing, Ministry of Urban Development for further deliberations.



The meeting is expected to be convened in July, minutes of which will be submitted to the court.



The suggestions include adopting the legislative XML format for all legislations, like how the United States or United Kingdom does. Bhushan also suggested that since every law has accompanying rules, regulations, notifications, etc, each law should be given a Unique ID so that all subsequent rules, and regulations can be included directly under the unique ID of the parent act.



The amicus curiae has suggested that the e-Gazette search engine, which houses rules and notifications, is not intuitive. He also stated that the IndiaCode website which stores all the subordinate legislations is often not functional. He suggested opening up a website even for states so as to aid them to upload their state laws, amendments and help keep the platform updated.



Bhushan also calls for uploading the consolidated version of Pre-1947 legislations. He further stated that there should be one database or portal designated to storing all things legal. Bhushan has cited examples of United Kingdom and Australia where such conditions are prevalent.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) result 2017 was declared by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on June 23 on the official website - www.cbseneet.nic.in The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had earlier released the answer key for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 on Thursday, June 15."The OMR answer sheets and responses will be put on display on June 13 so that candidates can challenge them," an official statement said.The CBSE had set in motion the process for declaring the result of NEET 2017 after the Supreme Court gave a go-ahead to the board. The apex court stayed a May 24 interim order of the Madras High Court, which had restrained the CBSE from publishing the result of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2017.In staying the Madras HC order, the Supreme Court had paved the way for the declaration of results of the exam taken by around 12 lakh students aspiring to join medical and dental colleges across the country.The top court said it was inclined to grant a stay on the high court's order which was indirectly "diluting" the schedule for NEET 2017 earlier fixed by the apex court.In a relief to lakh of candidates who appeared for the exam this year, the Supreme Court had earlier this month gave the go-ahead to the CBSE to declare the result which had been put on hold by the Madras High Court.The result would be available on cbseneet.nic.in . Heres how you can check your score: Log on to cbseneet.nic.in , CBSEs official website for NEET Click on 'NEET results 2017' Enter the roll number and other required details Click on 'Submit' Download the NEET Result 2017 and take a print out for future referenceAround 10.5 lakh students appeared for the exam in either Hindi or English while around 1.25 lakh to 1.50 lakh students appeared in eight vernacular languages Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Oriya and Kannada.The NEET 2017 result had been held up due to an order of the Madras High Court which on May 24 granted interim stay on the publication of NEET results on a batch of pleas alleging that a uniform question paper was not given in the examination and there was a vast difference between the ones in English and in Tamil.The NEET examination for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses was held on May 7.
New Delhi: Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and his supporters were detained on Tuesday morning in Madhya Pradeshs Neemuch district while on their way to Mandsaur, the epicenter of last weeks violent farmers agitation. They were released outside the state's border.



I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and have the right to go anywhere in the country, Patel was quoted as saying by PTI.



He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said that 50 crore farmers have come together against the saffron party.



Patel had announced his decision to visit Mandsaur with his supporters on Monday. "I will do my work and police and administration will do their job," he had told reporters.



Patel has grown into an influential Patidar leader after he led a mass agitation seeking reservation for Patidars in Gujarat in 2015. And since then hes constantly built upon the anti-BJP sentiment among Patels or Patidars as theyre known in central and north-west part of the country.



Hardik, who had spent six months in exile in Udaipur after a Gujarat High Court order, had returned to his hometown in January this year. He was staying at a former Congress MLA's house during this period. He was released from jail in Gujarat after nine months in confinement in July last year.



The Mandsaur-Neemuch region, about 300 km from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, became the nerve centre of the storm of farmer distress, as protests over low prices for crops and heavy farm debts started on June 1 and snowballed into a widespread agitation.



As many as seven farmers were killed in two incidents of police firing during the protest on June 6. Five of them were Patidars.
Phagwara: A Punjab Police inspector, who was famous for his crackdown on drug peddlers, has been arrested after a large haul of drugs, arms and ammunition from his official quarters.



Police said raids were carried out on Inspector Inderjit Singhs Jalandhar police line residence and Phagwara official quarters on Monday, PTI reported.



A 9 mm Italian-make pistol, a .38 bore revolver, an AK-47 and around 380 live cartridges of different arms, including 115 AK 47 cartridges, were found at the Jalandhar house. Rs 16.50 lakh cash, 3550 British pounds and a car were also seized.



Three kg of smack and 4 kg of heroin were seized from his Phagwara quarters. A case under provisions of the IPC and sections of the NDPS Act and Arms Act was registered against him.



After coming to power in March this year, the Congress government in Punjab had constituted a Special Task Force (STF), headed by ADGP Harpeet Singh Sidhu, to curb the drug menace in the state.



Singh had been posted as the in-charge of the Crime Investigation Agency in Phagwara for a long time. Last month, he was transferred to Kapurthala as the in-charge of CIA staff there.



Singh has arrested a large number of drug peddlers in the past and also ensured seizure of a huge quantity of drugs during his posting in Kartarpur, Jalandhar.



Gangster Sukha Kahlwan, who was gunned down near Phagwara a few years ago by rival gangsters, had also threatened the inspector of dire consequences as the latter considered him instrumental in his arrest.



(with PTI inputs)
Wanted tycoon Vijay Mallyas extradition hearing will take place on Tuesday in Londons Westminster Magistrates Court where the Crown Prosecution Service will argue the case on Indias behalf.Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to a consortium of banks, had fled India last March.In April, Mallya was arrested by Scotland Yard on fraud allegations, triggering an official extradition process in the British courts. He attended a central London police station for his arrest and was released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents.The extradition hearing was originally scheduled for May 17, but was postponed to June 13.Mallya has caused a stir in the recent days with his attendance at the matches played by India in the ICC Champions Trophy which is underway in England currently. At the last match against South Africa, the liquor baron was even booed by fans who shouted chor, chor on seeing him.Earlier, he also made an appearance at captain Virat Kohlis charity dinner in London to raise funds for anti-human trafficking charity Justice and Care, but was reportedly given a cold shoulder by those present.India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the Extradition Treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale on February 8. In May, a team of CBI officials had landed in London to give the British authorities documents related to the case and to expedite the process.On May 9, the Supreme Court had declared Mallya guilty of contempt in the case filed by the consortium of 13 banks. The top court gave Mallya an opportunity to present his case on punishment on July 10.The court had held Mallya guilty of contempt on two counts  for not appearing before it as directed in the first hearing and not making full disclosure of his assets and that of his family.Mallya, in a hearing on April 26, 2016, had said: "If I come, I will be taken to Tihar Jail. When my liberty is at stake, how can you expect me to come back."Besides SBI, other banks on the consortium are the Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Mysore, Axis Bank, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, UCO Bank and United Bank of India.(With agency inputs)
The Centre is looking to urgently amend the language of the controversial cattle sale notification to clear doubts, Environment Minster Harsh Vardhan told CNN-News18 on Tuesday.The language will be amended to clear doubts, misinterpretations and misconceptions on an urgent basis. We are examining various petitions from the leather industry to states and NGOs, the Union minister said.Reacting to the Oppositions allegations that the notification amounted to fascism, Harshvardhan said, We dont have an iota of intention to either influence anybody's food habits nor do we want to affect the slaughter business. As a political party, we are used to listening to the term fascist for years. We are the only party that works with dedication and commitment to serve this country.The Centres recent notification banning sale of cattle for slaughter at open markets across the country has triggered protests in several states, including Kerala and Meghalaya. Beef fests in protests have also been held.The Meghalaya Assembly had on Monday passed a resolution demanding "immediate withdrawal" of the notification, calling the measure an "infringement" of the rights of states. The Kerala Assembly, which had convened for a day on June 8 to exclusively discuss the controversial ban, had condemned the measure as not only an "intrusion" in the rights of states but also an "infringement" of the rights of people about their food habits.The BJP had suffered a setback in Meghalaya earlier this month when a senior party leader, who had said he would host a beef party in his hometown to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modis three years in office, resigned. BJP district president for Garo Hills Bernard Rimpu Marak quit to protest the party's "stand on beef" and in keeping with "the interest of the Garo people". Some other leaders had followed suit. Assembly elections are due in Meghalaya early next year.
Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them!  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) June 13, 2017

: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday tweeted that he will be "travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days".The decision to travel assumes significance as Rahul has taken on the Modi government aggressively on its third anniversary. He also met the families of farmers killed in police firing in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.Sources in the party said they were not sure how long would be Rahul's sojourn, but indicated he would celebrate his birthday abroad with his maternal family.The scion of the Gandhi family turns 47 on June 19.The Congress vice president's travel comes in the wake of crucial meetings taking place on the presidential election, the process for which will start from Wednesday with the issue of notification and start of filing of nominations.The all-important sub-group of the Opposition leaders would be meeting tomorrow to evolve strategy for the July 17 presidential election.The Congress party is also planning to "expose" the Modi government for "failing" to fulfil the promises made to farmers by organising an agitational plan jointly with other parties.He last travelled to get his mother Sonia Gandhi back from an undisclosed location, after she had travelled abroad for medical treatment for an unannounced ailment.(With PTI inputs)
Jaipur: BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari on Monday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunus Khan, accusing him of "having connections" with the "anti- nationals" who recently raised "pro-Pakistan" slogans in the state, a charge denied by the minister.



Tiwari also urged Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to sack the minister if he did not resign.



On June 2, some persons allegedly raised pro-Pakistan slogans near the Nagauri gate in Didwana town of Nagaur district, while returning from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's (SDM) office.



"A local office-bearer of the party (BJP), who enjoys the protection of the minister, was present when the slogans were being raised. If the chief minister fails to take action against the minister, the central leadership of the BJP should intervene," the Sanganer MLA told a press conference here.



The rebel BJP MLA demanded a thorough investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the incident.



Terming it to be a sensitive issue, "related to patriotism and not politics", Tiwari said that he would visit the town on Tuesday to enquire about the incident.



The minister rejected the allegations as "baseless" and said Tiwari was levelling false allegations to divert people's attention.



"I have no connection with such people and Tiwari is making false allegations just to mislead people. He is trying to divert people's attention because he is not being able to give reply over allegations against him," Khan said in a statement.



"There is no problem in getting that incident probed by the NIA. Those who shouted pro-Pakistan slogans should be punished," he said and mentioned that his brother and other family members have served in the Army.



"Tiwari should not teach what patriotism is," the minister said.



According to the SHO of Didwana, Jitendra Singh, a case was lodged on June 8 after a video of the incident went viral on social media and three persons were arrested subsequently.



Chirag Pathan (19) was arrested on Saturday, while Mohsin Tank (25) and Mohammad Sameer (24) have been arrested on Monday in connection with the incident, police said.
Ahmedabad: Amid reports that 13 Congress MLAs were likely to join the ruling BJP in Gujarat ahead of the state Assembly polls due later this year, 11 of the legislators on Tuesday claimed that they were not switching sides.



They accused the saffron party of "spreading rumours" and "maligning" their image through such "false news".



The social media, local newspapers as well as television channels were abuzz with reports that at least 13 Congress MLAs were in touch with the BJP leaders through some industrialists, who were trying to broker a deal between the two parties.



However, at a joint press conference here, 11 of these MLAs -- Anil Joshiara, Ashwin Kotwal, Amit Chaudhary, Gyasuddin Shaikh, Kaminiaba Rathod, Baldevji Thakor, Manibhai Vaghela, Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Mahesh Patel, Joitabhai Patel and Punabhai Gamit -- asserted that they were not quitting the Congress party.



Congress' chief whip in the Assembly Balwantsinh Rajput and MLA Shailesh Parmar were also present on the occasion. However, two of the 13 MLAs -- Meraman Ahir and Mahendrasinh Vaghela (son of senior Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela) -- were not present at the press conference.



"Ahir and Vaghela could not come here as the press meet was called at a short notice. Otherwise, all the 13 MLAs, whose names have been doing the rounds in the media, hereby deny these reports. All of them are with the Congress and will fight against the BJP in the coming polls," said Rajput.



According to Thakor, no Congress MLA was in touch either with the BJP leaders or any industrialist.



"None of us is in contact with the BJP leaders or any industrialist. This is a conspiracy by the BJP to malign our public image by spreading such false news," he said.



The Congress leader also said the media should verify the facts before running such stories. City MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh said he returned from Mecca on Monday.



"I was in Mecca for the last several weeks and returned yesterday. I want to reiterate that all of us are against the ideology of the BJP and would never leave the Congress to join that party," he said.



A month ago, former Congress in-charge for Gujarat Gurudas Kamat had claimed before the media that BJP leaders were trying to lure some of his party MLAs to switch sides. However, Rajput on Tuesday refuted the claim saying no Congress MLA got such an offer from the ruling party.


Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Devaswom board minister Kadakampally Surendran has courted controversy after her removed a throne-like sofa placed on the stage for the head of the Sringeri Mutt at an event here.



The incident happened on Sunday during a function to inaugurate the renovated Mithranandapuram pond next to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.



Surendran said that in a government programme, there is no need for special thrones that seated two or more people for single ministers or religious head.



The minister receiving praise for his action online including from Congress MLA V T Balram but BJP leaders in Karnataka say that it was tantamount to an insult to the Mutt head and demanded his apology.



Minister Kadakampally in his Facebook post has said that the state government had renovated the pond spending Rs 1. 5 crore and the programme notice clearly states that the sringeri mutt head Sri Bharathi Theertha Swami or no other swami was invited as guest.



"There is no need of thrones for anyone that have space to accommodate two to three people in official programmes. I thought it is improper and removed the throne. Saw in news that the swami who came instead of the Sringeri Mutt head did not enter the stage as he did not see the throne, he said.



When I saw the throne and enquired, the members of the administrative committee said that it was there to seat the Sringeri Mutt head if he came. On a government programme, there is no need for such a throne for a minister or a mutt head. I said that and with the help of MLA V S Sivakumar, I removed that throne. There is no need of any doubt in my stand. For one person to sit there, there is no need of thrones that can seat two to three people. Such thrones should be removed from government programmes."



The move did not go down well with BJP leaders from Karnataka with BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa calling it an insult to the Sringeri Mutt and demanding an apology.



This incident has hurt countless followers of Sringeri Mutt. The minister must apologise to Sringeri swami ji, Yeddyurappa said.



However, in Kerala, the BJP leaders in the state are more cautious on the subject. BJP MLA O Rajagopal, who was there at the function, said," It is a fact that a junior swami of the Sringeri Mutt came to bless the event. He came, poured water to inaugurate and then left. On the notice the swami's name was not there as guest. This particular sofa kind of chair took more space and I saw that the minister himself take the initiative and removed it."



When asked about Yeddyurappas reaction, he said, "It depends on the agreement between the organizers and the swami but it is a fact that the swami's name was not there in the notice.
Kolkata: There seems to be more trouble for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Hills after TMC allies Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) on Tuesday supported Gorkha Janamukti Morchas (GJM) movement for a separate Gorkhaland.



Speaking to News18, GNLF spokesperson said, Niraj Zimba, said, For us, the issue of Gorkhaland is our first priority. We have an alliance with the TMC but it is a political meeting and not an ideological alliance.



On Tuesday, GJM called for an all-party meeting in Darjeeling to discuss the future course of action against the state governments forced imposition of Bangla language and demand for a separate statehood.



TMC leaders skipped the meeting, but other pro-Gorkhaland parties, including the GNLF, joined the meet and agreed to continue their peaceful agitation for a separate state.



Speaking to News18, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, We welcome GNLF stand on this issue. Time has come for all political parties in the Hills to join hands  those who want a separate state. This is a battle for the identity of Gorkhas and the state government is trying to divide us.



After the meeting, all pro Gorkhaland parties unanimously adopted a resolution in favour of it.



Besides GNLF, others who attended the meet are Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (apolitical) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists.



Two other parties from the hills, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP), failed to attend the meeting but extended their support for a separate state.



Bimal Gurung was not present at the meeting and R P Waiba, the vice-president of GJM, chaired the meeting in his absence. The resolution was signed by Suman Sharma, assistant secretary of the BJP Hill district committee.


New Delhi: A Qatari businessman has taken the aerial route to tackle the supply shortage of fresh milk after several gulf nations severed ties with his country.



Moutaz Al Khayyat will fly in 4,000 cows in 60 flights to tackle the supply crisis, Bloomberg reported.



This is the time to work for Qatar, Khayyat, chairman of Power International Holding said.



The bovines, brought in Australia and the US, will be flown in through Qatar Airways. The milk production is expected to start by June-end.



Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates had severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over Dohas alleged support for Islamist militant groups. Qatar has denied those charges.



Most of the fresh milk and dairy products for Doha's more than 1 million population came from Saudi Arabia up until a week ago. But the isolation that started on June 5 has forced Qatar to look at new friends to import food and other materials.



On Sunday, Iran had sent five planes of vegetables to Qatar. So far five planes carrying... vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent on Sunday, Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi had told AFP.



Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar.



Dairy products have also been flown in from Turkey and there is a campaign to urge people to use homegrown products.
Washington Israeli government spies hacked into the operations of Islamic State bombmakers to discover they were developing a laptop computer bomb to blow up a commercial aircraft, The New York Times reported Monday.



The Times said the work by Israeli cyber operators was a rare success of Western intelligence against the constantly evolving, encryption-protected and social media-driven cyber operations of the extremist group.



It said the Israeli hackers penetrated the small Syria-based cell of bombmakers months ago, an effort that led to the March 21 ban on carry-on laptops and other electronics larger than cellphones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa.



The Israeli cyber penetration was the source of US information about how the group was developing explosives that couldn't be detected by standard screening because they looked identical to laptop batteries, according to the Times.



The intelligence was so good that it also included the detonation method for the bombs, the Times said, citing two US officials familiar with the operation.



Following the US laptop ban, Britain announced a similar prohibition for flights originating from six countries.



Israel's contribution to the intelligence on the laptop bombs became public after President Donald Trump revealed details of the plot to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a May 10 White House meeting.



Trump's disclosure "infuriated" Israeli officials, according to the Times.
Panama/Beijing: Panama has established diplomatic ties with China and broken with Taiwan in a major victory for Beijing, as it lures away the dwindling number of countries that have formal relations with the self-ruled island.



Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a televised address on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal.



"I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Varela said.



Taiwan's government said it was sorry and angry over Panama's decision, and it would not compete with China in what it described as a "diplomatic money game".



"Our government expresses serious objections and strong condemnation in response to China enticing Panama to cut ties with us, confining our international space and offending the people of Taiwan," David Lee, Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs, told a briefing in Taipei.



Taiwan would immediately end cooperation with and assistance for Panama, and evacuate embassy and technical personnel "in order to safeguard our national sovereignty and dignity", Lee said.



China is deeply suspicious of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who it thinks wants to push for the island's formal independence, although she says she wants to maintain peace with Beijing.



China and Taiwan have tried to poach each other's allies over the years, often dangling generous aid packages in front of developing nations, although Taipei struggles to compete with an increasingly powerful China.



Panama is the second country to switch its recognition to Beijing since Tsai took office last year, following a similar move by Sao Tome and Principe in December, trimming to 20 the number of countries that formally recognise Taiwan.



Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, and its remaining formal ties are with mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific.



China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his counterpart from Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo, in Beijing on Tuesday and signed a joint communique establishing ties.



"This is a historic moment. China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, describing Panama's decision as in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".



CHINESE LARGESSE



Panama said it recognised there was only one China, with Taiwan belonging to the Asian giant, and that it was severing ties with Taipei.



"The Panamanian government is today breaking its 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan, and pledges to end all relations or official contact with Taiwan," it said in a statement.



The establishment of links with Panama is a coup for China, which has been showering largesse on countries in Central America in recent years in an attempt to get them to break with Taiwan.



As recently as December, Panama's deputy foreign minister had said he did not expect any change in Panama's relations with Taiwan or China.



Panama is one of Taiwan's oldest friends, but some diplomats in Beijing had earlier speculated that the Central American country could become the next nation to break ties.



Tsai visited Central American allies this year but did not stop in Panama.



In Beijing, Panama's foreign minister de Saint Malo said President Varela had expressed 10 years ago his interest in establishing ties with China, and that she hoped the move would lead to trade, investment and tourism opportunities, especially for "exporting more goods from Panama to China".



Matt Ferchen, an expert on China's relations with Latin America at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing, said Panama's switch was bad news for Taiwan's relations in Central America, where it still has ties with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.



"It sets a sort of precedent that could very well influence the rest of the region," Ferchen said.



In addition to financial support, China offers the lure of growing international influence.



Still, Ferchen said it was premature to read Panama's shift as a big gain for China's influence in the backyard of the United States.



"If it becomes perceived that way in the United States among Congress and the U.S. presidential administration, or the U.S. military, you could really be stepping on some sensitive feet," he said.
Johannesburg: South Africa's main opposition party Tuesday removed former leader Helen Zille from all party leadership roles after a disciplinary hearing over a controversial tweet in which she praised aspects of colonialism.



Zille apologised "unreservedly" Tuesday for the tweet, which she posted in March.



Mmusi Maimane, current leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, said Zille "has agreed that it is in the best interests of the party for her to vacate her position on all decision-making structures".



Zille told a news conference that she was "genuinely sorry" and that she realised that her comment was insensitive to South Africans who suffered under colonial oppression.



She said she "apologised unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this tweet and my subsequent explanation of it".



On March 16, Zille wrote: "For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water."



The tweet was followed by a series of comments justifying her outburst, including a comparison between South Africa and Singapore which she said had managed to build a strong state after the end of colonial rule.



The party then suspended her pending a disciplinary hearing and said Zille's action had damaged the DA, which is still struggling to shake off its image as a "white" organisation.



The colonialism comment had also threatened to divide the party itself.



Mmusi told journalists that he had been "personally angered by the tweet" and that the party had no room for those who seek to sow divisions.



Zille, 66, is credited with growing support for the DA among black people, whose votes helped it take control of key cities, including the administrative capital Pretoria and Johannesburg, from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) after local government elections last year.



Maimane said the party risked a protracted legal battle with Zille if the matter was not settled before the 2019 election.



Zille, who has a large twitter following, is no stranger to controversial tweets.



She will remain leader of the Western Cape province.



The ANC on Tuesday slammed Zille's apology, calling it an "unadulterated defence of white supremacy and privilege".



It accused Maimane of having "no real power".



Maimane replaced Zille in 2015 as the DA's first black leader.
Berlin: Several people were wounded when shots were fired at a commuter rail station near the southern German city of Munich on Tuesday and one person was detained, police said.



"Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded" at an S-Bahn station in Unterfoehring, a northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city, police tweeted, and that the scene was now "secured".



A Munich police spokesman, Marcus da Gloria Martins, later told reporters there was no indication of a "political or religious" motive behind the incident.



"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons," he said.



Martins said that the unidentified man had tried to push at least one police officer in front of an incoming train, leading to a scuffle during which he took the female officer's gun and fired.



"The police officer was shot in the head and critically injured," Martins said.



Two other people at the station were seriously injured but their lives were not believed to be in danger. They were being treated in local hospitals.



"The assailant was arrested. He was also injured. There are no indications of further perpetrators," according to another police tweet.



"The area around the suburban train station Unterfoering has been cordoned off."



Last July, an 18-year-old, David Ali Sonboly, shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage.



Police said the German-Iranian teen was "obsessed" with mass murderers such Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the Islamic State (IS) group.



And in March, an axe-wielding attacker wounded nine people in a bloody rampage at a railway station in the western city of Duesseldorf.



The 36-year-old Kosovan national had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of high anxiety and self-harm, police said, ruling out a terrorist motive.



Instead, they suggested he might have carried out the attack at the station to end his own life.



The suspect was taken into custody after jumping off a bridge.



German authorities have been on high alert since a series of attacks claimed by IS.



The most deadly came last December when a Tunisian rejected asylum seeker rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in an attack that killed 12 people and wounded dozens of others.
Another U.S. appeals court stomped on President Donald Trump's revised travel ban Monday, saying the administration violated federal immigration law and failed to provide a valid reason for keeping people from six mostly Muslim nations from coming to the country.The decision by a unanimous three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals helps keep the travel ban blocked and deals Trump a second big legal defeat on the policy in less than three weeks.The administration said it would seek further review at the U.S. Supreme Court, as it has already done with a ruling against the travel ban by another appeals court last month. The high court is likely to consider the cases in tandem.Attorney General Jeff Sessions insisted the new decision would harm national security  an argument the judges rejected."The executive branch is entrusted with the responsibility to keep the country safe under Article II of the Constitution," Sessions said in a written statement. "Unfortunately, this injunction prevents the president from fully carrying out his Article II duties and has a chilling effect on security operations overall."Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin, who sued to stop the travel ban, said the 9th Circuit ruling "really shows that we have three branches of government and that there are checks and balances. ... So to me, this is everything that we learned in social studies in high school just coming to play exactly the way it should."The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia last month found the 90-day ban unconstitutional, saying it was "steeped in animus and directed at a single religious group" rather than necessary for national security. It cited the president's campaign statements calling for a "total and complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the U.S.The 9th Circuit, which heard arguments in Seattle last month in Hawaii's challenge to the ban, found no need to analyze those statements. It ruled based on immigration law, not the Constitution."Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," the judges said, adding: "National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power."Judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez  all appointed by President Bill Clinton  said the travel ban violated immigration law by discriminating against people based on their nationality when it comes to issuing visas and by failing to demonstrate that their entry would hurt American interests.The president's order did not tie citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to terrorist organizations or identify them as contributors to "active conflict," the court said. It also did not provide any link between their nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism."In short, the order does not provide a rationale explaining why permitting entry of nationals from the six designated countries under current protocols would be detrimental to the interests of the United States," the ruling said.The judges pointed to a June 5 tweet by Trump saying the order was aimed at "dangerous countries." That helped show he was not assessing whether the six countries had ties to terrorism, they said.The White House predicted a win at the Supreme Court."Frankly, I think any lawyer worth their salt 100 percent agrees that the president's fully within his rights and his responsibilities to do what is necessary to protect the country," spokesman Sean Spicer said.Trump's suspension of the U.S. refugee program also remains blocked. The 9th Circuit said he was required to consult with Congress in setting the number of refugees allowed into the country in a given year and that he could not decrease it midyear. The refugee program is not at issue in the 4th Circuit case.The president issued the executive order after the initial version caused chaos and protests at airports and was blocked by a Seattle judge and a different three-judge 9th Circuit panel. The new version was designed to better withstand legal scrutiny and spelled out more of a national security rationale.Several states and civil rights groups challenged the revised ban, saying it remained rooted in discrimination and exceeded the president's authority.U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii blocked the new version in March, citing what he called "significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus" in Trump's campaign statements.The 9th Circuit narrowed Watson's ruling in some minor ways, allowing the administration to conduct an internal review of its vetting procedures for refugees and visa applicants.
London: Former Indian politician and billionaire businessman Vijay Mallya arrives for his extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Mallya was arrested in London in April on behalf of authorities in India, where he is wanted on charges of money laundering and bank demands that he pay back more than a billion dollars in loans extended to his now-defunct airline. (Image: AP)
Although it has been six years since Randolph College art history professor Lesley Shipley completed her Ph.D., she will once again take on the role of student for five days this summer.

Shipley, 38, is one of 25 full-time college professors from around the country who will participate in the Council of Independent Colleges seminar on Landscape and Identity in Britain and the United States during the 18th century, which is being hosted by the Yale Center for British Art in July.

While the focus of Shipleys research is primarily on how identity is portrayed in sculpture, she hopes the seminar will expand her knowledge of landscape painting so she can enhance her teaching about identity no matter the medium.

Im not an expert in landscape painting, but Im interested in how art can address issues of identity, she said. When I teach the American Art class, some of the major questions I ask students are, What is American about American art? How do we define whats American art and what it means to be American?

According to Shipley, the seminar is not designed for experts in a particular topic but instead aims to grow the experiences and knowledge of professors at smaller colleges to enhance the educational experience for students.

Its an opportunity for faculty at smaller institutions who might not have as many resources to get additional training or education on different subjects, Shipley said. I wanted to take this seminar because of the fact that its about identity, which is something Im interested in in my own research, and its focused on landscape painting, which is something the [Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College] has an excellent collection of.

Shipley graduated with her undergraduate degree in art history from the University of Maryland in 2002 and then moved on to earn her MFA from American University in painting. Although she enjoyed studio art, she decided to continue in academia and eventually earned her Ph.D. in art history from Bryn Mawr College in 2011.

Over the seminars five days, participants will study famous works of American and British artists in Yales collection, travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and visit the home of prominent landscape artist Frederic Edwin Church in Olana, New York.

I always really loved art, but I also really loved writing and research, she said. When I was an undergrad, I majored in art history but I took a lot of studio art classes. I never really thought about the separation of studying studio art and art history. They were always together in my education.

In her research, Shipley studies female artists and how they portray gender in their work. Although Shipley focuses on sculpture, the works mostly of interest to her are ones that straddle the boundary between painting and sculpture, such as the work of 1960s artist Lee Bontecou.

Not a lot has been done to think through how [Bontecou] addresses gender in her sculptures, she said. Im looking at that early period because shes right before the feminist movement, which she was a big influence on.

Shipley just completed her first school year as a professor at Randolph, and said she spent a majority of the year focusing on her teaching and developing relationships with students and other faculty members.

I think being an academic can feel kind of lonely because youre always in your office or in the library, but the wonderful thing about teaching is you get to share your passion and be challenged by your students so you can find new ways to present material, she said. I find it really rewarding as well as just motivating and inspiring to teach.

The seminars ability to enhance Shipleys teaching and the academic experience of the students was one of the main motivating factors for Carl Girelli, dean of Randolph College, to nominate her for the opportunity.

I nominated her because shes a promising and outstanding professional, he said. This is a great opportunity to work with other experts in her field and explore art in a variety of perspectives that will enrich her life as a professor at a liberal arts college and bring knowledge back to our students.

Teaching at Randolph, Shipley is able to utilize the Maier Museum of Arts collection to supplement what students are learning in the classroom with studying famous art in person.

One of the focuses of the seminar will be the mid-19th century Hudson River School art movement, which portrays the landscapes of the Hudson River Valley and surrounding areas, including the Catskill, Adirondack and White mountains.

After learning more about the movement, Shipley hopes to view works by prominent Hudson River School artists that are part of the Maiers permanent collection with students.

Being here with the Maier has been just a dream come true, she said, to be able to work with objects with students and look at art in person.
TT Sister Society holds CU mixer

The society, the third of its kind in the Caribbean, seeks to further develop and empower female credit union leaders to realise their unlimited potential and increase their impact in local communities.

Several credit unions were represented at the June 2 event including Neal and Massy North, Rhand, TATECO, Western United and CLICO.

Guest speaker Sallyann Della Casa whose title is dreamerin- chief and lead tree shaker at the Growing Leaders Foundation, urged members to live into the power that resided within them and by focusing on three areas  their capacity, congruence and curiosity.

Anyone interested in joining the Sister Society can e-mail Gail Rajkumar at gailremyraj@ hotmail.com or Jamila Draper at jamilaanne27@gmail.

com
San Fernando Boys Government students sent home

The reason for the schools early dismissal remained unclear as parents gave differing accounts as to why they had been asked to collect their children with one parent stating he had been informed by text message about a rodent infestation at the school.

The reason why I came to pick up my son today is because I get a text that there is a rat infestation and a cockroach problem in the school and until they dont sort it out, the Ministry, the teachers wouldnt be coming back, the parent said after picking up his son who is in standard three.

Another parent who was picking up seven students said she had been informed that there was no water.

An education ministry official said classes had been dismissed around lunch time to give parents enough time to collect their children.

The official said there were several issues at the school including a need for repairs to be carried out and a pigeon problem for which the principal had contacted an exterminator to deal with.

In the short term, the city corporation would be working to sanitise and clean the school so that the EFCL would be able to effect repairs in the shortest possible time.
Cabrera: RBC perpetuating colonial practices

What we are seeing is a sorry state of affairs in industrial relations at the RBC where permanent workers with years experience are being retrenched and the company is issuing fixedterm contracts for two months where, at the end of this two months, the workers again finds themselves under the gun as to whether or not their contracts will be renewed. This is a case of exploitation where you replace whips and chains with contracts. Cabrera said despite receiving accreditation from the Registration, Recognition and Certification Board (RRCB) earlier this year, RBC continues to undermine BIGWUs authority as a matter has been lodged with the High Court to review the boards certification and accused management of holding their workers to ransom.

After 45 years where the RRCBs right to issue a recognition certificate was a normal feature of industrial relations in this jurisdiction, RBC has initiated litigation against the board in the form an application to the High Court seeking a judicial review of the decision by the RRCB to give us a certificate. They (the RBC) are once again using their deep pockets to block the protection of the workers, in essence they are using the High Court as a shield to prevent the Union from reaching the workers and continue their exploitative practices. Cabrera also called on government to intervene in the matter citing the collapse of manufacturing giant, ArcellorMittal last year in which more than 600 workers were retrenched.

I am calling on the state to amend the Industrial Relations Act and avoid a repeat of what we saw with ArcelorMittal last year.

The state has a responsibility to ensure that its local workers are not being exploited by foreign entities. I would also like to add that the day is soon approaching where the union may have to shut down the bank if it continues to disregard its authority. Asked if he was concerned that such action would do more harm than good for workers, Cabrera said the move was necessary because of RBCs refusal to observe protocol and said he was prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure the protection of workers rights.
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Another cautionary tale in the midst of America's battle against opioids: that of George Elwood Tschaggeny. The military veteran helped tackle a bank robber armed with a knife in 2010 and was awarded a civilian medal, and it wasn't Tschaggeny's first turn as a Good Samaritan. More than a decade prior, he also came to the aid of a motorcyclist after a crash, putting the bike in his truck and driving the biker to the doctor, reports the Oregonian. But drug addiction set in and may have had a hand in propelling Tschaggeny to his latest set of headlines: He was arrested June 2 for allegedly stealing the wedding ring and backpack from Rick Best as he lay dying in the wake of the high-profile MAX attack in Portland, Oregon. Police believe Tschaggeny took the ring off Best's finger, though they aren't exactly sure how.

Video caught the perpetrator calmly walking away from the scene, and Tschaggeny was arrested following a tip from a Domino's Pizza worker who said she recognized the 51-year-old and pointed police to the homeless camp where he lives, report KOIN. He was allegedly wearing Best's ring. In charting Tschaggeny's path, the Oregonian spoke with his ex-wife, who described a good life filled with dogs, mountain biking, and Westerns; she describes a man who made her lunch daily, and then dropped her off at work. But the painkillers prescribed for a knee injury turned into an addiction, followed by heroin. Multiple stints in rehab didn't have a lasting impact. KOIN notes Best's wallet remains missing. (Read more heroin stories.)
Have an appetite for onions? Your body could be benefitting in ways scientists are just beginning to understand. In the latest study on what may well be a superfood, scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, report in the journal Food Research International that red onions in particular boast an ability to disrupt cancer cell communication and promote a generally poor environment for cancer cells, "which inhibits growth." The team was looking specifically at colon cancer, but they found that the onion cells are just as good at killing breast cancer cells. The trick, reports Huffpost, will be to extract the key ingredient, dose it just right, and use it medicinally.

That key ingredient is quercetin, a flavonoid already known for its cancer-fighting properties. This study finds that onions in general have unusually high levels of quercetin compared to other foods, and that Ontario onions in particular have high levels of the compound compared to onions grown elsewhere. But red onions also boast high levels of anthocyanin, a plant pigment that help make quercetin molecules better scavengers. (Because anthocyanin helps make foods colorful, it makes sense to the researchers that red onions, which are so dark, have the greatest cancer-fighting potential.) It's unclear whether red onions from outside of Ontario will be as effective, but Time reports the researchers think it's likely, and plan to start clinical trials. (Onions also help reduce the risk of heart disease.)
A Moscow court has ruled that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny should be jailed for 30 days for staging an unsanctioned rally in Moscow, the AP reports. The anti-corruption rallies called for by Navalny were held in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on Monday. In Moscow, thousands of angry protesters held an unsanctioned rally on Tverskaya, the capital's main street. More than 1,000 people have been arrested across Russia. The judge at the Simonovsky district court ruled after midnight that Navalny should be jailed for repeated violations of the law on public gatherings. Navalny was detained outside his home an hour before the rally was to start. (Read more Alexei Navalny stories.)
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has sided with Republican lawmakers, local ranchers, and business interests in the battle over Bears Ears. In a report released Monday, Zinke calls for significant shrinking of the 1.3 million-acre national monument in southeast Utah that former President Obama created in the final weeks of his presidency, the New York Times reports. Opponentsincluding Native American tribes in the region and environmentalistsargue that the move would be a "slap in the face" to the tribes with ties to the land, as well as a clear violation of the Antiquities Act that President Theodore Roosevelt signed in 1906. The vast region designated by Obama contains an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites.

In his memo to President Trump, Zinke said the monument should be "right sized" to "the smallest area compatible" with protecting the areas with the most artifacts. GOP Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, who pushed the administration for action on Bears Ears, praised the report as an "unquestionable victory for Utah," reports the Deseret News. Rep. Adam Sarvana, a Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the plan looks like an attempt to designate "a few stops on a boardwalk arcade" rather than "a professionally conserved landscape the way national monuments are typically designated." A final report on the area, one of 27 monuments over 100,000 acres being reviewed, is due by July 10. (Read more Bears Ears National Monument stories.)
A suspect in custody in Brunswick, Ohio, is believed to be linked to the disturbing murders of a woman and her two adult children over the weekend. Police tell People that 45-year-old Suzanne Taylor and daughters Taylor Pifer, 21, and Kylie Pifer, who would have been 19 on Sunday, were discovered dead under covers in a bed, as if they had been tucked in. Police say at least one of the victims was stabbed. The mother's boyfriend, Scott Plymale, is believed to have called 911 Sunday evening after Taylor Pifer's boyfriend, Dale Koster, found the bodies in the North Royalton home and called him, Cleveland.com reports.

A suspect identified by Cleveland 19 News as George Brinkman was taken into custody early Tuesday after an all-night standoff. The 45-year-old was led from a home in handcuffs around 5:30am, Cleveland.com reports. The homeowner, a woman, was able to get out unharmed, but Brinkman refused to leave for at least eight hours. Police could be heard negotiating through a loudspeaker with Brinkman, who was apparently drinking whisky during the standoff. Police say he was armed with a handgun, but officers were able to take him down with a Taser after entering the home through the front door. (Read more murder stories.)
One of the world's weirdest bromances appears to be alive and well: Dennis Rodman has returned to Pyongyang for his first visit to North Korea since his former Celebrity Apprentice boss became president, the BBC reports. Rodman, who has described dictator Kim Jong Un as a "friend for life," told reporters he was "just trying to open a door" and he is sure President Trump will be "happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need," the AP reports. In a tweet, Rodman thanked Potcoin, a cybercurrency used in marijuana transactions, for sponsoring his trip. He wore a Potcoin T-shirt at the airport.

Rodman's visit, the first since early 2014, comes at a time of growing US-North Korea tensions. "I know the Trump administration has been trying half-heartedly to start a dialogue with the North Koreans," analyst Joel Wit tells the Los Angeles Times. "It would be strange to use Dennis Rodman as an intermediary," he says, "but under the Trump administration a lot of things are possible that wouldnt have been with other administrations." When Rodman suggested in 2014 that Trump was interested in visiting Pyongyang, Trump tweeted: "Dennis Rodman was either drunk or on drugs (delusional) when he said I wanted to go to North Korea with him. Glad I fired him on Apprentice!" (Read more Dennis Rodman stories.)
While the Senate Intelligence Committee is busy Tuesday hearing testimony from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a committee of the Egyptian parliament is discussing something a little lighter: a proposed ban on western baby names. The Independent reports that MP Bedier Abdel Aziz was set to propose a draft law to the Complaints and Suggestions Committee that would prohibit the use of foreign names for babies born in Egypt. Violators could face fines up to $270 or up to six months in prison. Using such Western names and abandoning Arabic ones will lead to an undesired and radical change in our society and culture, Abdel Aziz told the Egypt Independent. He also claimed foreign names, like Lara and Mark, are difficult for Arabs to pronounce.

The draft law has inspired backlash on social media, with many condemning the proposal as a waste of time and an attack on personal freedom. According to Newsweek, some commentators have also argued that the law would disproportionately affect the minority Christian population in the country. If it is passed, Egypt would join a few other countries that have laws related to baby names, including Saudi Arabia, which has banned 51 names, plus New Zealand and at least five countries in western Europe. Swedes, for example, are not allowed to name their children Ikea. As for Egypt, the name ban is only one strange piece of legislation up for debate at todays Parliamentary session. Others would force Facebook users to get licenses and fine couples who break off wedding engagements without good reason. (Read more Egypt stories.)
Dennis Rodman has a new subject to broach with his "friend for life": North Korea is suspected of spying on America's Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system hosted by Pyongyang's neighbor to the south, reports Reuters. Not far from its border with North Korea on Friday, South Korea's military came across a dronealmost eight feet wide with twin enginescarrying a Sony camera that had snapped roughly 10 photos of the THAAD anti-missile system, a South Korean defense official tells Yonhap News. "The pictures don't have high resolution, though," the official says. The camera had also taken hundreds of additional photos, but they mostly show "forest land and residential areas" from one to two miles away, the official adds.

It isn't clear if the drone was able to transmit the photos of THAAD before it crashed in Inje after apparently running out of fuel, reports the AP. If it did indeed come from North Korea, it would've traveled close to 300 miles roundtrip to reach the THAAD site in Seongju. Some are wondering how the drone was missed earlier, but a rep for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says it will "come up with measures to deal with North Korean drones." On Monday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis addressed North Korea's "provocative actions" and nuclear weapons program, noting the country is "the most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security," per Reuters. In warning of a possible war, he added, it would be "like nothing we have seen since 1953." (Read more North Korea stories.)
Falling for a phishing scam is bad. Falling for a phishing scam when you're the CEO of a major bank, well, that's worseand the unfortunate reality for Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein and Citigroup's Michael Corbat. The unsuspecting chief executives, along with Citigroup consumer-banking chief Stephen Bird, responded to emails sent by a prankster posing as bank executives over the weekend, according to both Goldman and Citigroup, though none revealed any sensitive information. In fact, it seems the goal of the scheme was to embarrass the bankers rather than steal information, reports the Wall Street Journal, noting one email sent to Blankfein referred to a comment he'd made about President Trump, not bank dealings.

The bankers were just the latest high-profile victims of the prankster, known on Twitter as @SINON_REBORN. Last month, the same individual got Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney to joke about his predecessor's drinking habits, reports the Guardian. Around the same time, British bank Barclays was forced to tighten its email security after CEO Jes Staley responded to a dubious email he believed was from his chairman, per the Financial Times. The prankster told the paper he included "sent from iPhone" in emails so the absence of legal jargon wouldn't raise suspicions. "Keep it short  and ideally reference something that will ring true," he said. "People accept a bit of bizarre once they feel they're in the saddle of the communication." (Watch out for this scam.)
Megyn Kelly is under fire for her decision to sit down with Infowars host Alex Jones, who has peddled conspiracy theories, including the idea that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was faked by the government. But on Tuesday she defended the interview, which will air on NBC News Sunday. "I find Alex Jones's suggestion that Sandy Hook was 'a hoax' as personally revolting as every other rational person does," Kelly said in a statement posted to Twitter. "It left me, and many other Americans, asking the very question that prompted this interview: how does Jones, who traffics in these outrageous conspiracy theories, have the respect of the president of the United States and a growing audience of millions?"

"President Trump, by praising and citing him, appearing on his show, and giving him White House press credentials, has helped elevate Jones, to the alarm of many," Kelly continues. "Our goal in sitting down with him was to shine a lightas journalists are supposed to doon this influential figure, and yesto discuss the considerable falsehoods he has promoted with near impunity." The statement came in response to the announcement that nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise has dumped her as the host of its gala in DC Wednesday night thanks to the Jones interview. Previews for Sunday's interview show Jones appearing to change the subject when asked about his Sandy Hook comments, saying that what people should really be concerned about are "animal-human hybrids." (Read more Megyn Kelly stories.)
Food poisoning at a camp for displaced residents of Mosul has made more than 700 people sick, with hundreds hospitalized, Iraqi officials said Tuesday. The incident at the Hassan Sham U2 camp, about 13 miles east of Mosul, has become part of the ongoing dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Saudi media accused a Qatari charity of supplying tainted food to the residents of the desert camp. Iraqi Health Minister Adila Hamoud told the AP that 752 people in the camp became ill following a Monday night iftarthe meal breaking the dawn-to-dusk fast by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. At least 300 people remain in serious condition, he said. Various reports have put the number of related deaths between zero and three.

Amira Abdulhaliq of the UNHCR said it was unclear when the meals had become contaminated, whether it was during preparation, packaging, transportation, or distribution. "So far, we have received around 800 cases. Around 200 have been transported to the hospitals in Irbil," she said. Irbil Gov. Nawzad Hadi said the food was prepared in an Irbil restaurant by a local NGO, Ain el Muhtajeen, and funded by a Qatari charity known as RAF. In Saudi Arabia, which has been leading a recent campaign to isolate Qatar, state media quickly seized on the issue with coverage that implied Qatar was poisoning refugees deliberately. The Hassan Sham U2 camp houses thousands who have fled their homes in and around Mosul after a US-backed Iraqi offensive was launched in October to dislodge the Islamic State group. (Read more Iraq stories.)
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to travel abroad to meet grandmother in Italy

New Delhi : Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will take a break from the rough and tumble of Indian politics to visit his 93-year-old maternal grandmother in Italy.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, whose maternal grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy, did not mention how many days he will remain out of the country. He will celebrate his 47th birthday on June 19.

The Congress leader's latest foreign visit comes amid hectic politics over the July 17 presidential election and other developments like the farmers unrest and protests in various states across the country.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture."

He said Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers' agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights. Rahul Gandhi visited the US in March after his mother and congress chief Sonia Gandhi went there for a health check-up.

This is not the first time that Gandhi had announced his plans to go abroad on Twitter. He did the same when he earlier visited London in December 2016.

Moreover, it is not the first time Gandhi will go abroad when presidential election and farmers unrest looms large over the country, and six farmers have been killed in police firing on June 6 in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

He went abroad ahead of New Year celebrations in December 2016, when the country was in economic and political turmoil owing to the government's November 8 decision to demonetise currency notes and infighting in the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

He drew criticism from political opponents when he went abroad in 2016-end, leading to his absence from Parliament in the first few days of the Budget session. He again drew flak when he attended the Aspen conference in September 2015 amid assembly election campaign in Bihar.
Earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hits Greece

Athens : At least one people was killed and another 11 were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Greece's Eastern Aegean Sea on Monday, Greek authorities said on Monday.

A 45-year-old woman was found dead by firefighters in the ruins in the village of Vrisa on Lesvos Island, Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying.

Major damages have been reported in Vrisa in southern Lesvos.

"Half of the village has been greatly damaged and many houses have collapsed," Nikos Karasavvas, the Deputy Mayor of Environment and Emergency of the Municipality of Lesvos was quoted by Greek News Agency AMNA as saying

The earthquake also caused damages to some other houses on Lesvos as well as the nearby Chios Island.

The Athens Institute of Geodynamics said the epicentre of the earthquake was at sea, about 45km south from Lesvos Island.

The strong tremor, which hit in early afternoon, was felt in Athens. There are aftershocks measuring from 4.6 to 3.6 on Richter scale.

Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection Nikos Toskas and General Secretary of civil protection Giannis Kapakis headed to Lesvos with helicopter to coordinate rescue efforts.
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#Jin Air-new route Jin Air to open Busan-Kota Kinabalu route next month Jin Air Co., the budget carrier unit of Korean Air Lines Co., said Friday it will open the Busan-Kota Kinabalu route next month as travel demand recovers amid eased COVID-19 virus ...
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low around 10F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low around 10F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%.
Mumbai:

The RBI on Tuesday identified 12 accounts each having more than Rs 5,000 crore of outstanding loans and accounting for 25 per cent of total NPAs of banks for immediate referral for resolution under the bankruptcy law.

Without naming the defaulters, the Reserve Bank said the lenders will be asked to initiate insolvency proceedings to recover the dues.

The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) worth over Rs 8 lakh crore, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks (PSBs).

The Internal Advisory Committee (IAC), the central bank said, has arrived at an objective, non-discretionary criterion for referring accounts for resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

In particular, the IAC recommended for IBC reference of all accounts with fund and non-fund based outstanding amount greater than Rs 5,000 crore, with 60 per cent or more classified as non-performing by banks as of March 31, 2016, the RBI said in a statement.

The IAC noted that under the recommended criterion, 12 accounts with about 25 per cent of the current gross NPAs of the banking system would qualify for immediate reference under IBC, it said.

The apex bank, based on the recommendations of the IAC, will accordingly be issuing directions to banks to file for insolvency proceedings under the IBC in the identified accounts.

Such cases will be accorded priority by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Also read: Reserve Bank of Indias action on NPA resolution expected soon, says FM Arun Jaitley

Also read: Jaitley discusses NPA scenario with top bankers, takes stock of banks' finances



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New Delhi:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon introduce a new series of Rs. 500 currency notes. The new set of notes will have inset letter A, as per the Apex bank's press release on Tuesday. However, old notes, which were introduced following Prime Minister Narendra Govt's demonetisation drive in November last, will remain legal tender, reports suggest.

It has been learned that design of these notes is similar in all respects to the present Rs 500 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, according to reports.

This comes after RBI Deputy Governor N S Vishwanathan in March had said that the central bank did not have any plan to introduce new denomination currencies, according to IANS report.Vishwanathan had said that the central banking institution wanted to encourage people to opt for cashless transactions.

Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal had also informed Parliament that the Narendra Modi government was not planning to print Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 currency notes.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Salman Khan and kabir Khan jodi's forthcoming film 'Tubelight' which is happened to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year, has only a couple of days left to hit the screens across India.

Amid this last minute promotion and marketing Dabang Khan on Tuesday took to photo-blogging site Instagram to share yet another heart-melting picture with his little co-star Matin Rey Tangu.

"Main aur mera matin #Tubelight", Salman wrote while sharing the picture with his followers.

In the duo Salman is seen enjoying a beautiful cycle ride on empty forest road surrounded by natural beauty.

Earlier, in May famous trade analyst Taran Adarsh also shared a beautiful poster featuring Salman along with his child artist Matin Rey Tangu in the forefront. The equally beautiful backdrop of the poster, depicting a platoon of soldiers has made the scenario as attractive as it can get.

The historical war drama which is set against the backdrop of the 1962 Sino-Indian War has been widely shot in the mindblowing locations of Manali, Leh and Ladakh.

Also Read: Tubelight new song: Tinka Tinka Dil Mera will leave your eyes teary

Besides a bunch of all new posters and wonderful teasers the kabir Khan and team had also released a number of different songs which has already managed place in hearts of million.

'Radio Song', 'Tinka Tinka Dil Mera' and 'Nach Meri Jaan' are among those hit numbers.

Also starring chinese actress Zhu Zhu, Sohail Khan, and late actor Om Puri, 'Tubelight' is scheduled to release on 25th June 2017.

Also Read: Amid 'Tubelight' promotion Salman shares cutest ever moment with Ahil

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New Delhi:

Television actor Ali Asgar has finally opened up on his exit from 'The Kapil Sharma Show' and cleared that he didn't left the show because of Sunil Grover's much hyped tiff with host Kapil Sharma. Instead, Ali aserted that moved out post creative differences with Kapil and his team. Ali was seen as Kapil Sharma's nani on the show and is much loved for his womanly avatar.



Interestingly, there were reports that the actor left the show after Kapil allegedly assaulted co-star Sunil Grover during a flight which resulted in a controversy. The reports also suggested that not just Sunil and Ali, Chandan Prbhakar and Sugandha Mishra too walked out of TKSS post the ugly fight.



But contrary to the reports, Ali said he called it quits with TKSS as there was no scope of improvement left for his character.



"I dont like to think it like that. Whatever happened was unfortunate. I was part of that team and I have many memories of our shows  both Comedy Nights With Kapil (CNWK) and TKKS. The truth is, I opted out of the show as I wasnt happy with my role in TKKS. While Dadi from CNWK was much loved and had a lot to do, Nani in TKKS wasnt shaping up well. I gave the show a year hoping things would get better, but my character didnt get the attention it deserved," Ali Asgar stated in a report published in Hindustan Times.

He also asserted that he doesn't hold any grudges with Kapil or his team post exit and said, "I dont have a grouse with Kapil. I kept mum earlier, as people interpret things differently, and facts are presented in a different light. I didnt want to say anything, as I get scared of these things."

Interestingly, the walk out of four members from TKSS did hamper the TRP of the show, but Kapil Sharma seem to be working hard to get his show back on track.



On the other hand, there are reports of Ali, Sugandha and other members of Kapil Sharma's team - his creative director Preeti Simoes, her sister Neeti and Sanket Bhosle have joined the show of Sharma's arch rival Krushna Abhishek and will soon bring on a new comedy show which is tentatively titled as 'Comedy Company'.



While Krushna confirmed the news about the show, he refused to divulge details about the cast and said "Tentatively titled Comedy Company , it will revolve around a family that intends to pursue theater. Like Kapil, Krushna will also invite celebrities and converse with them during the course of the show."



We wonder, how Kapil is planning to deal with this new competition.
New Delhi/Darjeeling:

The Centre on Tuesday despatched 600 paramilitary personnel to assist the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy in violence-hit Darjeeling hills which witnessed incidents of stone pelting on the second day of GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh.



The Centre also sought a detailed report on the prevailing situation in the hill district from the state government. A Union home ministry spokesperson said that as many as 600 paramilitary personnel, including 200 women, were sent to Darjeeling.



Around 400 personnel, already stationed in West Bengal, have also been deployed in the hill areas along with additional forces. The home ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and was ready to offer all assistance to the state government to restore normalcy there.



Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata that the situation in the hill district was peaceful. She, however, said that the Centre did not seek any report on the Darjeeling situation from the state government.



As their indefinite shutdown entered its second day today, protesters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland hurled stones at the police at Chowkbazar area in Darjeeling after they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.



Senior police officers were seen leading large police contingents in various parts of the hills. Police pickets and barricades were put up in front of the government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) offices and various entry and exit points of the hills, while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed.

ALSO READ | Centre closely monitoring situation in Darjeeling, ready to offer help: Official



Shops downed shutters as the violence broke out. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership, however, accused the police unprovoked lathi-charge on its procession.



The police resorted to unprovoked lathi-charge on a peaceful rally. The more they use force against us, the more intense will be the struggle for a separate Gorkhaland state, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.



Yesterday too, Gorkhaland supporters vandalised government offices as the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown forced tourists out of the picturesque hill station due to threat of violence.



The GJM, which controls the GTA, has called a shutdown of all state and GTA offices to press its demand for creation of a separate state. Giri said that a meeting of six political parties, including GJM and Gorkha National Liberation Front during the day, decided to strengthen the movement for a seperate Gorkhaland.



Their next meeting has been scheduled on June 20 to discuss the future course of action, he said. GJM chief Bimal Gurung said that he was in constant touch with the Centre and was hopeful that its ally the BJP would consider its demand for a separate state compassionately.



I am constantly in touch with the central government and various ministers. I am very hopeful that they will understand our pain and struggle and will consider our demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.



The government at the Centre is our ally and they will surely consider our demand compassionately, Gurung said. BJP, he said, has always been in favour of small states. The GJM chief slammed West Bengal chief minister for calling out the Army to control the situation in the hills and advised her to stay away as the people of Darjeeling are well equipped to take care of themselves.



My advice to Mamata Banerjee is please stay away from the hills. We dont need your charity. The people of the hills will not accept TMCs hegemony, he said.



Hitting out at the chief minister for calling the Army to control the situation in the hills, Gurung said, Mamata Banerjee is just pursuing opportunist politics. In December last year she had accused the Army of trying to attempt a military coup. She can do anything for the sake of cheap politics, he alleged.



We are not like her. We respect the Indian Army. Every year hundreds of youth from the hills join the Indian army, he said.

ALSO READ: Govt offices sabotaged on 1st day of shutdown called by GJM in Darjeeling

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Thiruvananthapuram:

To strengthen the partys grassroot base in Kerala, Congress is all set to hold over 24,000 family meets with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meets will also highlight the anti-people policies of the centre and state government.



Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee sources here said family get together, which will see participation of senior leaders, MPs and MLAs of respective areas, will be held in 24,417 booth committees of the party during June-July.



The evening get together, titled as Indira Family Meets, are planned as part of the birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, they said. Indira memorial lectures would be organised and documentaries on the life and contributions of the former prime minister would be screened during the events.



The anti-people and fascist policies of BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, which is celebrating its third anniversary, and Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in state, which completed its first year in office, would be exposed before the public in the string of family meets, they said.

ALSO READ | Indira Gandhi most acceptable Prime Minister of democratic country till today: President Pranab Mukherjee



Short films exposing the administrative failure of both the central and state governments would also be screened. KPCC General Secretary Thampanoor Ravi said this is the first time that the party is organising family meets on such a large scale.



The strength of the party lies in the strength of booth committees. KPCC is organising family meets in such a massive scale to strengthen the booth committees and revitalise grassroot level party workers, he told PTI.



He said the party is aiming at rejuvenating its grassroot level base through the family meets targetting the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. We will expose the fascist face of BJP-RSS forces who are trying to destroy the secular fabric of the country. The politics of violence promoted by ruling CPI(M) in the state will also be unveiled before public, Ravi said.



Besides this, the local issues of respective areas would also be discussed in the meets. As many as one lakh tree saplings, five in each booth, would be planted across the state in memory of Indira Gandhi, the leader said, adding, two KPCC officials have been designated to supervise preparations of the meet.



Congress veteran A K Antony will launch the state-wide programme at Jagathy here this evening, he added. A host of prominent leaders, including KPCC president MM Hassan and opposition leader in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, would attend the meet.

ALSO READ: Items from Indira Gandhis family collection sell big at Mumbai auction

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Jaipur:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday successfully test fired anti-tank missile Nag in a desert in the western sector of Rajasthan.

The missile successfully destroyed the target in todays mission, defence sources said.

The fire and forget third generation anti-tank guided missile Nag is equipped with the highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker with integrated avionics, technology which is possessed by very few nations, sources said.

The tests, which were witnessed by scientists from the DRDO, Defence Lab, Jodhpur, senior officials from armed forces among others, concluded on Tuesday.

G Satheesh Reddy, the scientific adviser to the defence minister and DG (missiles and strategic systems), who also witnessed the launch, said the successful flight test has strengthened the countrys defence capabilities.

DRDO chairman Dr S Christopher congratulated the team who were a part of the mission.

ALSO READ: India test fires surface-to-air short range quick reaction missile

ALSO READ: India's defence preparedness should always be finest, says Jaitley



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New Delhi:

Four terrorists were arrested on Monday during a joint operation of Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police which busted an active Hizbul Mujahideen module in Handwara region in the state.

Acting on specific information, a joint cordon of police and 21-RR of Army was laid at Chogal, Handwara during which two persons identified as Mehrajudin and Obaid Shafi Malla were caught while moving in suspicious circumstances.

"Police and Army busted a module of Hizb and arrested two militants from Handwara in North Kashmir and two over ground workers from south Kashmir Awantipora town," a police spokesman said.

"The duo was asked to stop but they started running away.The Naka party immediately swung into action and caught hold of them. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered," had come the spokesman said.

During the investigation, they revealed that had come to Handwara for receiving ammunition and other war-likestores for their militant outfit in South Kashmir, he said.

"Cyber surveillance unit of JK Police also tracked their social media network accounts and found some incriminating material.They were misusing web-chats to hatch and execute terrorist conspiracies," he added. Preliminary investigation found that these militants were members of?a module which would not only recruit youth intomilitancy by radicalising them over social media but also coordinated their training and arranged arms and ammunition,the spokesman said.

J&K: 2 terrorists arrested after a joint team of Police & Army busted an active Hizb-ul-Mujahideen module, in north Kashmir's Handwara pic.twitter.com/8QNB3RBqJc  ANI (@ANI_news) June 12, 2017

On the disclosure of these two militants, two more members of the module working as OGWs were arrested fromAwantipora, he said, adding they were identified as Shahid Ahmad Thoker and Irfan Ahmad, both residents of Awantipora. (With PTI Inputs)

Also Read: 13 armed intruders killed in 96-hour long operation along Line of Control, says Army spokesman of Northern Command

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New Delhi:

Terrorists on Tuesday hurled grenades at three different locations in Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir. First two grenade attacks were carried out at CRPF companies whereas the third attack was carried out at a police station.

In the first attack which happened in Tral in Pulwama, nine CRPF personnel got injured after terrorists hurled a grenade at the CRPF camp. Terrorists lobbed grenade at a camp of CRPF's 180 Battalion at 6.05 pm.

The second grenade attack was carried out at Padgampora in Pulwama district. No injuries were reported after a grenade was lobbed on a CRPF company by motorcycle borne terrorists.

However, the third grenade attack was carried out at a police station in Pulwama district. More details are awaited on this.

In another incident in Anantnag, weapons of two Jammu and Kashmir police personnel outside Retd Judge Mohd Athar were also snatched. Both policemen were injured.

In a separate incident, terrorists fire upon Army camp of 22 Rashtriya Rifles at Pazalpora in North Kashmir, flee after retaliation by Army.

Pakistan-based militant groups Al-Umar Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attacks.

ALSO READ | J-K: Army foils infiltration bid along LoC in Poonch

Also read: J-K: Brigadier YS Ahlawat says five terrorists eliminated in Uri sector, large quantity of warlike stores recovered



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Shivpuri (MP):

For allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station, amid violent protests by farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik has been booked.

A video, which recently went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on June 8 when Khatik, who represents Karera Assembly segment in Madhya Pradeshs Shivpuri district, was staging a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Kareras Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others early today.

The Congress MLA and others have been booked under IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.

On June 8, Khatik was leading a protest march during which an effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was burnt. The police poured water on the effigy in a bid to douse the flames, in which the woman legislator got partially drenched.

This irked Khatik, who later sat on a protest at the police station along with her supporters and the video was shot during the sit-in.

The video showed the MLA purportedly asking her supporters to set the police station on fire.

The farmers protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6 when five cultivators were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district.

Subsequently, the farmers protests witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other western Madhya Pradesh districts, including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.

However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in Mandsaur would be punished severely.

Also read: Caught on camera: Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik asks supporters to burn down police station during farmers' protest in Shivpuri

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New York:

A senior Bangladeshi diplomat in New York has been charged with forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay. The prosecutors said that he tried to cover up his actions after an Indian diplomat faced visa fraud charges and accused of exploiting her maid in 2013.



Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds limited immunity which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.



Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at USD 50,000 bond or USD 25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport.



Islams next court date is June 28 and if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amin?s arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the family?s home.

ALSO READ: US hate crime: Sikh-American called Osama in racist incident in New York



Even though Amin had a contract which outlined his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work and if he disobeyed Islams orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the diplomat, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe.



The Bangladeshi diplomat allegedly forced Amin to work for his family in their Queens home without financial compensation from approximately 2012 through May 2016, when the victim was able to escape.



According to the charges, the victims only source of income came from tips from guests when he was a server at parties and a minuscule amount of money that Islam sent to Amin?s family in Bangladesh.?



However, Islam sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions after?Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then India?s Deputy Consul General in the city, was?indicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker, Brown said.



Khobragade too was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family. Manhattan?s former top federal prosecutor Indian-American Preet Bharara had brought the charges against Khobragade, setting off a major diplomatic crisis between Washington and New Delhi.



However, in 2014, shortly after there was local news coverage of an Indian diplomat being charged with labour trafficking, the defendant allegedly sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions by taking most of the victim?s cash tip money which he gave back in the form of a check, Brown said.



It is alleged the victim then had to deposit the check into his bank account, thereby creating the appearance that the employee was receiving a paycheck,?the Queens District Attorney statement said, referring to the?Khobragade incident without naming the Indian diplomat.



Finally, according to the criminal charges, when Amin asked to leave his job on several occasions, Islam in response, allegedly hit him or threatened to harm his family back home in Bangladesh. It is alleged that Islam specifically threatened to kill the man?s mother and young son and, on occasion, stated he would have Amin?s college-age daughter shamed if he did not continue to work as his servant.



In May 2016, Amin was able to escape from the residence and reported his experience to the police. The allegations in this case are very disturbing. A diplomat is accused of using both physical force and vile threats to control a person in his employment and whom he refused to pay, Brown said adding that Islam seized his domestic helps passport and, from the first day on the job, refused to pay wages due the employee.

ALSO READ: US: Indian-origin Cornell University student found dead

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New Delhi:

A female police officer was seriously wounded and several more people injured in a shoot-out at a train station in Munich, Germany on Tuesday afternoon. One person has been detained and a police operation is currently underway.

The shooting occurred during a morning police check at the Unterfoehring subway station, Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein said. Witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's handgun and then shot her, also injuring others at the S-Bahn station in the northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city.

Suburban train station #Unterfohring  Several persons wounded by gunshots. Police woman seriously wounded. One person has been arrested.  Polizei Munchen (@PolizeiMuenchen) June 13, 2017

Police later tweeted that at least one person was injured. Munich's Merkur newspaper reported that witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and then shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

ALSO READ: London Bridge attackers tried to hire 7.5-tonne truck: Police

Riehlein said the area has been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public. Passengers have been evacuated, and the area around the station blocked off by police.

The Munich police said that the sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons. There was no political or religious background behind the shooting and the attacker acted due to personal reasons.

READ: Afghanistan: Huge explosion rocks Jam-e-Mosque; 7 dead, 15 injured

Situation on the spot secured by police forces. The area around the suburban train station #Unterfohring is being cordoned off.  Polizei Munchen (@PolizeiMuenchen) June 13, 2017

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Goma:

In one of the biggest jail break in years more than 900 inmates escaped on Sunday after unidentified assailants attacked a jail in DR Congos restive east while Eleven people were killed in the attack, an official said.

The Kangwayi prison in Beni was attacked at 3:30 pm (1330 GMT) by assailants whose identity is not yet known, Julien Paluku, governor of North Kivu province, told reporters.

In the exchange of fire between security forces and the attackers, authorities have (counted) 11 dead including eight members of the security forces, Paluku said, adding: For the moment, out of 966 prisoners, there are only 30 left in the prison.

Paluku said the Beni area and the neighbouring town of Butembo had been put under curfew from 6:30 pm. Only police officers and soldiers should be out from this time, he said.

Located in the north of the troubled North Kivu province, Beni has been the scene of a wave of violence since 2014 that has seen nearly 700 civilians killed, many of them hacked to death.

The killings have been blamed on a shadowy rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Secrecy shrouds the group, which is dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims who were initially focused on overthrowing Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni.

Several dozen suspected ADF members were imprisoned at the Kangwayi jail.

The attack came a day after the ADF attacked a police station and a prosecutors office in the capital Kinshasa, killing a police officer and seriously injuring four others after a series of similar strikes over the past three weeks.

The attack comes after two jailbreaks in the vast, unstable central African nation in the past month.

On May 19, dozens of prisoners escaped from a dilapidated prison in Kasangulu, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Kinshasa.

Just two days earlier, rebels from Bundu Dia Kongo (BDK) a secessionist rebel group that rejects Kinshasas authority and wants to set up a parallel state in the west of the countryhad attacked Kinshasas main prison, freeing their leader and 50 others.

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New Delhi:

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya on Tuesday mocked media coverage on his presence amongst the audiences during the India vs Pakistan match in ICC Champions Trophy in Birmingham on Sunday.



Kingfisher founder, who defaulted on loans to the tune of Rs 9000 crores, added that he intends to attend all matches of India during the tournament.



"Wide sensational media coverage on my attendance at IndvPak match at Edgbaston.I intend to attend all games to cheer India," Vijay Mallya said.

Wide sensational media coverage on my attendance at the IND v PAK match at Edgbaston. I intend to attend all games to cheer the India team.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 6, 2017

Vijay Mallya in the stands at Edgbaston in Birmingham #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/RIr5TDW0yJ  ANI (@ANI_news) June 4, 2017

Read | SC declares Vijay Mallya guilty of contempt of court, orders Home Ministry to ensure his presence on July 10

Former owner of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mallya, fled the country in March 2016 after he was named as one of the 11 accused in CBI's charge sheet regarding Kingfisher Airlines's unpaid loans to IDBI Bank. Mallya owes Indian banks Rs 9,000 crore in cases related to embezzlement, debt recovery and foreign exchange transgression.



Ministry of External Affairs has been in talks with Theresa May Government to extradite Mallya. To this effect, he was arrested by the Scotland Yard in London on April 18 and produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court where he was granted conditional bail pending deposit of 650,000 prior to his release from custody. He is next set to appear in front of the British court on May 17.

Read | British court defers Vijay Mallya's extradition hearing to June 13

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Warwick University says body found in search for missing academic Tom Marsh Warwick University has said that a body has been found in the search for missing academic Professor Tom Marsh.







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STAMFORD  Purdue Pharma was sued Tuesday by a group of public officials in Tennessee for alleged fraudulent marketing of its OxyContin opioid, which the complaint blames for contributing to an epidemic of opioid abuse whose toll extends to babies.

The lawsuit accuses Purdue of misleading doctors and the public about the need for and addictive nature of opioid drugs. The impact of Purdues actions created an environment for thousands of Tennesseans to become addicted to opioids and fueled a dramatic increase in the number of individuals in the states Sullivan County exposed to and addicted to opioids such as OxyContin, said the attorneys general who filed the complaint. Widespread opioid addiction has also produced a tremendous financial burden on public services in the area, they said.

Two other pharmaceutical companies, Mallinckrodt and Endo, are also named as defendants.

We believe there is a direct correlation between northeast Tennessees opioid epidemic and Purdue Pharmas fraudulent claims in their marketing of OxyContin to the medical community, Barry Staubus, district attorney general for Tennessees Second Judicial District, said in a statement. And it is our intent to hold them accountable for the damage they have inflicted upon our region.

Purdue officials said they vigorously deny the lawsuits allegations, but share public officials concerns about the opioid crisis and want to work collaboratively to find solutions.

At Purdue, we have dedicated ourselves to working with policymakers, public health officials and law enforcement to address this public health crisis, which include developing abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone, Purdue officials said in a statement.

OxyContin is Purdues top-selling drug, producing billions of dollars in annual revenues for the Stamford-based firm.

Tennessees opioid crisis has escalated in recent years. Some 1,450 Tennesseans died of drug overdoses in 2015  an increase of more than 400 percent from the total in 1999  according to data from the Tennessee Department of Health.

Opioid abuse has also sparked a secondary epidemic of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome affecting newborns, the complaint said. Children born with NAS experience painful withdrawal symptoms as their bodies grapple with the influence of drugs taken by their mothers while pregnant. From Jan. 1 through April 1, NAS cases accounted for 48 of every 1,000 births in Sullivan County, according to the states health department.

The lawsuit was filed in Sullivan County Circuit Court in Kingsport, Tenn. Remedies sought by the complaint include restitution to the plaintiffs and an injunction to stop the flood of opioids to the region.

Purdue has faced a long list of lawsuits in recent years related to allegations of OxyContin contributing to the national opioid crisis. Late last month, the Ohio attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging fraudulent marketing by Purdue.
Lori Van Buren / Albany Times Union

The Tonight Dough flavor introduced in 2015 by Ben & Jerrys has funneled a cool $1 million to SeriousFun Childrens Network, which under the inspiration of the late actor Paul Newman funds free camps for kids requiring ongoing medical care.

Westport-based SeriousFun Childrens Network announced the milestone in the Monday episode of The Tonight Show aired on NBC, featuring campers performing with host Jimmy Fallon and Fleetwood Mac artists Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie.
RIDGEFIELDThe Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment hopes to double the towns number of solar-energy homes over the next 18 weeks with the help of a new program offering discounted prices for installation of solar panels.

The committee has partnered with Ross Solar for its RACE for Solar Program, which will kick off with an informational workshop Wednesday night at the town library. Committee members hope the program, which will offer the discounted rates to residents through September 30, will encourage more to go off the grid of tradtional electrical energy.

Rob Freeman, co-chair of the committee, said more solar-powered homes would ultimately mean fewer harmful emissions from coal-powered energy.

The less pressure there is on the grid with energy generated from traditional sources, the fewer power plants they have to create, he said. Theres obviously no emissions related to the production of electricity coming from solar, whereas any electrical power that comes from the grid is most likely generated from coal.

Solar energy can also reduce the overall costs of maintaining the electrical grid and an individual homeowners energy costs, said committee co-chair Elizabeth DiSalvo.

The discounts offered by Ross Solar will vary based on the size of each homeowners solar setup and the number of homes that particpate in the program, Freeman said. The company is offering to cap solar installation at $3.30 per watt for systems 4,000 watts or more, which is about 15 percent less than its regular price, and about 20 percent less than that of other companies. Systems that are larger than 8,000 watts will likely be even less expensive than the $3.30 cap, Freeman added.

Ross Solar is also offering to reduce costs by 5 cents more per watt if more than 20 homes sign up and 7.5 cents per watt should more than 40 houses join the program.

Homeowners who install solar can also take advantage of federal tax credits and a low-interest loan program offered by the Connecticut Green Bank, Freeman said.

It all sort of goes hand in hand, Disalvo said. Some people want to save the environment and some people want to save money or like the technology.

The committee developed the idea when two high-school students, Paul Kim and Sebastian Guccione, approached the committee about starting an energy efficiency program. Because some members were already involved in the solar business, the committee decided a solar program would be best, committee member Dwayne Escola said.

Escola said the students and several other high-schoolers helped the committee select a solar company and get the word out about the program.

He estimates that about 50 homes in Ridgefield already use solar energy and hopes the program will double the number.

DiSalvo said the committee will host a workshop every few weeks of the 18-week program.

aquinn@newstimes.com
Employers take note: youre not holding the attention or interest of your employees. Think youre an exception to the rule? Think again. Seventy percent of American employees report being disengaged at work, and three out of four are currently looking for a new job or are open to new opportunities.

While there is something to be said for optionality and hedging the risk of potential layoffs, this means more than half of your workforce is not passionate about what theyre doing or committed to your organization.

Related: Is Poor Employee Engagement Management's Fault?

Disengaged employees are doing a huge disservice to every aspect of your business. Research suggests they negatively affect everything from team morale to productivity to your bottom line.

While this paints a dreary picture, the good news is companies can take steps toward boosting employee engagement. Traditional efforts include internal mobility programs, employee wellness initiatives and appropriately rewarding behavior. But these can be a drain on resources and cost a lot of money. So, whats the cost-effective secret to improving employee engagement? Building and maintaining a values-based culture.

A culture rooted in values is the recipe for success.

Workplace culture is often misunderstood and many measure it by the number of office nap rooms and ping-pong tables. However, at its core, a successful culture is a system of shared beliefs and behaviors members of the workplace use to interact with one another.

Values capture what an organization believes is most important, to the way it operates, such as teamwork, creativity or diversity. Values are open to interpretation and above all, dogmatic. So, a values-based culture exists when employees associate meaning to their behaviors based on specific company values.

Not sure if you have a values-based culture? Ask a few of your employees about a challenging decision they faced and which beliefs helped them reach a decision. Did they behave according to their own personal values? Financial goals? Emotional attachment? Or was the decision attributed to your companys values?

Related: Thanks to These 3 Values, This Startup Has Shockingly Low Turnover

Best of both worlds: Values set boundaries and provide flexibility.

A values-based culture relies on employee autonomy and empowerment to function. An individual is much more likely to drive better results when they feel ownership over their work. Values provide clear boundaries, but the space inside the boundaries is for exploration and innovation, allowing employees more freedom to shape the work they're doing.

The exercise of making decisions within a values-based culture fosters engagement. Conversely, making decisions solely based on a set of workflows, processes and calculations requires intelligence and attention to detail. But frankly its boring and doesnt adequately capture and sustain the attention and interest of employees.

Large and small companies can benefit from a values-based culture. Moreover, the values from one organization to the next can be completely different.

Case studies: How companies fulfill business objectives through values.

McKinsey & Company, a Top 25 Places to Work, is a management consulting firm with more than 10,000 employees across 100 offices globally. The firm has three governing values:

Adhere to the highest professional standards

Improve our clients performance significantly

Create an unrivaled environment for exceptional people

One of the ways McKinsey & Company reinforces its values-based culture is an annual event called Values Day. On this day, each office sets aside time to discuss what the values mean, including role-playing scenarios where the values are tested in challenging situations. For example: How can I maintain an independent perspective (Read: Adhere to the highest professional standards) when my client wants me to recommend his or her preferred project proposal?

FreshBooks is a software company with 250 employees based in Toronto, Canada. The company has nine core values -- passion, ownership, respect, change, honesty, fun, empathy, strive and trust.

To bring these values to life, FreshBooks hosts an annual company retreat in honor of the values called PORCHFEST (the acronym is based on the first letter of each value) and offers an ongoing program called Values Cards encouraging employees to nominate each other for a gift card when their behavior epitomizes one of the values.

One card, for example, read Samantha recently exhibited the value of Change by embracing a last minute detour in the launch calendar that resulted in more work for her.

Other examples arent hard to come by. Union Square Hospitality Group, chosen as one of the original Small Giants, lives by four Family Values -- excellence, hospitality, entrepreneurial spirit and integrity. Southwest Airlines, with a full-time culture director and more than 50,000 employees, has four company values -- warrior spirit, servants heart, fun-LUVing attitude and work the Southwest way.

Related: How Establishing Core Values Drives Success

Everyone benefits from a values-based culture.

In each of these examples, the values are drastically different. Yet, if values are instilled in the culture, they capture the essence of a companys way of living and represent the most effective way to engage employees.

More companies should take time to live and breathe company values. When values are written down and discussed openly and consistently, all employees can better engage in the companys future.

Related:



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When I got married I tried working with my wife. It didn't go over so well. My wife had a very hard time separating work from family, while I found it very easy. We started to fight often. After three months of working together, we decided jointly that it wasn't workign for us.

We haven't fought like that since. Years later and with children in the mix we've learned a lot about each other. I've learned that the key to working with your spouse at work isn't that different from learning to work with your spouse in a marriage.

One of the most popular benefits of starting your own business is having the flexibility to spend more time with your family. You're the boss and can set your own hours. But some entrepreneurs want to spend even more time together -- and start their own co-owned business venture.

According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, 43 percent of small businesses are family businesses with 53 percent of managers in these businesses are identifying a spouse as the family member who is sharing day-to-day management. With even more people opting to tread the path of the entrepreneur, we could see more and more couple-owned businesses.

We assume that [husband and wife-run companies] are a wonderful thing because there are a number of high-profile couples who are still around to talk about their businesses and their marriages and how they make it worked, says Wharton management professor Laura Huang. But in general, it may not be a good idea to go into business with your spouse.

Related: The 5 Commandments of Running a Successful Business With Your Spouse

Yes. Working with your spouse comes with a lot of pros. One pro is sharing the same goals and values and being able to celebrate success together. While you're celebrating -- the spouse actually knows what you are celebrating and why it's important. The spouse-partners seem to have a deep trust and understanding of each other, personally, as well.

Theres also the other side -- the cons. This includes handling the pressures of the working situation in a different way. Think about how you might bring work stress home then try not to discuss the elephant in the room. The personal and professional pressures then, sometimes become intermixed.

But, what does science actually say about working with your spouse.

A five-year study of around 5,000 couples conducted by Brittany Solomon and Joshua Jackson of Washington University in St. Louis found that a spouses personality affects your career.

Their research uncovered that conscientious people foster success wherever they are, and in whatever space they live in. Conscientiousness is characterized by a tendency to be organized and dependable. It also creates conditions that foster success in all other areas of their lives.

Related: The Truth About Succeeding in Business With Your Husband

Because of their innate attention to detail, conscientous people notice and support their spouse by helping them complete day-to-day household tasks. The conscientious person encourages habits like reliability, and helps others to reduces their overall stress. They are more likely to be promoting a healthy work-life balance.

While thats a start and provides a little insight, it doesnt focus on couples working with each other in a joint business venture.

Research from the Danish Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) [I know, the acronym doesn't match in English] looked into this phenomena. The Institute collected a sample of 1,069 Danish couples who had established a joint enterprise between 2001 and 2010.

The research found that starting a business together provided significant income gains for the couple. Nicole Torres in the Harvard Business Review, commented on this research. Torres suggests that starting a business together is typically a sound investment of both spouses human capital. It has the added benefit of reducing income inequality in the household.

Related: 3 Tips for Running a Business With Your Spouse Without Divorcing or Going Broke

This same study also found that couples that open businesses together are no more or less happy than other couples." Data was measured by usage of antidepressants or anxiety/insomnia medications.

Torres continues, "theyre no more or less likely than their counterparts to separate, divorce, or have children.

On the flipside, a research paper came from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). It's conclusions were that gender inequality in the distribution of control was more likely to occur within spousal teams. According the papers' authors, women have reduced chances to be in charge if they co-found new businesses with their husbands.

Their theory comes from noting the expectations involving gender-typical work. "For example, men are expected to be the breadwinner while women are the homemaker.

Kathy Marshack, a clinical psychologist who studies entrepreneurial couples, added that co-entrepreneurial wives believe that its just their job to make their husbands look good.

I found that the wives were not as independent as women who were in a career separate from their husbands, Marshack said. On a test of sex role orientation, [women in separate careers] tended to score high on desirable feminine traits. Whereas dual career wives scored high on desirable feminine traits and high on desirable masculine traits.

"The latter is what we tend to see with women who function as more independent professionals in the work world. They also have more egalitarian marriages than the copreneurial wives.

Related: Want to Make More Money? Marry the Right Person.

Trisha Harp, founder of the Harp Family Institute (HFI), focused on the effect that entrepreneurship has on relationships and vice versa. Our research shows that 87 percent of respondents have experienced cash flow problems at some point in time with their company," Harp told Entrepreneur. When entrepreneurs experience these cash flow problems, their sex lives decrease."

"Since money and sex are two of the main causes for divorce, this is a little concerning," says Harp.

Interesting, when the test subjects were asked: Knowing what you know now about being the spouse of an entrepreneur, would you still marry your entrepreneur? Eightyeight percent surprisingly said, "yes."

Harp believes this is because in spite of the roller-coaster ride that defines entrepreneurship, spouses have reported a great feeling that they are "on this journey together." There is a strong desire to stick it out. HFI data also shows that when couples create a shared vision for their future, their satisfaction in all areas of life increases.

Harp's research also discovered that:

Creating shared business and family goals lead directly to greater happiness.

Positive outcomes actually result from sharing both the good the bad regarding the business.

Entrepreneurs need to be on the same team.

Showing gratitude and being loving, fun, intelligent and honest are important.

Despite what the science says, there is no easy answer on whether or not you should work with your spouse. Between the research and from my personal experience, it can actually be a good thing. Besides the financial perks, it guarantees that you spend time with your spouse, who you can trust the most in the world. In my opinion, its a win-win.

That doesnt mean that its a walk-in-the-park. To ensure that you can survive working together, heres some of my favorite tips:

Communication and listening are absolutely essential.

Divide and conquer responsibilities based on your strengths.

Dont talk about work 24/7. We have a rule that all work talk stops before 8pm.

Dont bring personal issues into work. Have those discussions during off-hours.

Have separate workspaces so that youre not literally with each other 24/7. If you work from home, consider leaving the house twice a week and work at your local coffee shop. Shared entrepreneurial office spaces work very well, also.

Make time for your relationship, like going on a two-week long vacation.

Always be supportive - even during those bad times.

Understand what youre getting into. Entrepreneurship is hard and isnt for everyone. Make sure that you understand the time and financial risks involved. Discuss how its going to impact your relationship and lifestyle. Determine and respect roles and responsibilities. Make sure that youre both on the same page when it comes to all financial decisions and business goals.

Here's to figuring this out!

Related:

The Science Behind Working With Your Spouse

How Two Luxury Brokers Handle Their Relationship and Business

Sleeping With the CFO? How to Stay Happily Married When You're In Business With Your Spouse.



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
If you've paid any attention to the news lately, you've probably heard about President Donald Trump's explosive claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower to interfere with the election. Although the conversations around security concerns have been centered on the political sphere recently, wiretapping and other types of cyberattacks have solidified their presence in the private sector, too.

Using spyware and other illegal surveillance tactics, crooked business owners can hack into competitors' computers or phones to steal information. While it may sound more like a Bond movie trope than a pressing business issue, there are plenty of reasons why you should consider the possibility of a wiretapping attack.

Why business owners should be concerned.

There are two different types of wiretapping threats that can harm startups and established businesses alike -- especially if they house proprietary, confidential information.

First, there's government wiretapping. You might assume the simplest way to eliminate this threat is to abide by the law, but youd be forgetting that, aside from the U.S. government, there are plenty of countries that have proven theyre willing to use Big Brother-style surveillance tactics to compromise private companies. If you work with an opposition party or in a sensitive industry in another country, your clients government might target your business.

Related: Yahoo Secretly Scanned Customer Emails for U.S. Intelligence

Then, there's old-fashioned corporate espionage. If a competing company is desperate to get an edge over your business, it may use wiretapping to steal your information or otherwise compromise your company to gain an advantage.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take a computer genius to obtain wiretapping software -- a reporter for Motherboard bought one online for just $170. One program allows hackers to send a single text message to anyone's phone and activate the microphone, transforming your smartphone into a way for spies to eavesdrop on everything you're doing. Similar software can track every text message a phone sends or receives, download copies of all photos taken, store a log of every phone call and even pinpoint the phone's geographic location.

Related: Your Texts and Emails Are a Ticking Time Bomb, According to This Green Beret

Protecting your company from wiretapping.

Luckily, there are legal protections in place should hackers target your business. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act prescribes up to 10 years behind bars for illegally accessing someone's phone to install wiretapping software. Illegally tapping a landline is punishable by hefty fines and up to five years in prison, according to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

But wiretapping is serious business, and it's unwise to bank on the idea that it won't happen to you. Instead, there are a few ways to protect your company from a security risk:

1. Beef up your IT infrastructure.

A CSID survey found that 58 percent of small business owners say they're concerned about cyberattacks, yet more than half of them aren't putting any money toward improving security measures. This is incredibly risky. According to a Symantec report, small businesses were the target of 43 percent of cyberattacks in 2015. When clients and customers trust you with their personal information, it's your duty to protect them in every way you can.

Related: 3 Reasons Why IT Security Must Be a Top Concern for Tech Startups

At the very least, take the time to install software updates in a timely manner. Just this month, tens of thousands of computers in 74 countries fell victim to a ransomware attack that locked businesses, organizations and even hospitals out of vital information, as reported by WIRED. While the perpetrators behind the attacks are unknown, the method of their attack is -- and it was entirely preventable. The attackers used a piece of malware called WannaCry to exploit a flaw in Windows that Microsoft released a patch for back in March.

2. Investigate anyone with access to your vital data.

Many business owners are blindsided by cyberattacks -- even if the perpetrator was right under their nose the entire time.

According to an IRS report, a Kansas City, Kansas, company recently experienced a nightmare situation in which one of its employees, Kenneth Voboril, embezzled more than $6 million. He did so by creating fake companies, entering false information about truck loads and deliveries into his employer's database and then billing his employer for those fake deliveries. Voboril was ultimately sentenced to 63 months in prison, but that didnt negate the harmful implications of his misdeeds.

Although most cases of corporate fraud don't result in losses amounting to $6 million, it can be incredibly expensive for your business to clean up one of these disasters. Small Business Trends analyzed a variety of cybersecurity statistics and found that the average small business spends nearly $900,000 because of theft or damage to its IT infrastructure. On top of that, it typically loses more than $950,000 from the resulting disruption of operations.

The good news is that it's relatively easy to find out whether a suspicious employee or someone else close to your business is defrauding you. Hiring a private investigator is far easier on the wallet than nearly $2 million in damage control. My company has found that investigators typically charge between $70 and $200 per hour, and the average cost to close a case came to $675.

3. Establish data security policies for your company.

Sometimes, fraud is purely accidental, committed by employees who don't realize the impact of their actions. For example, new hires may not even be aware that some information is confidential and could end up revealing proprietary info to someone with the power to take advantage of your company. But there are also not-so-innocent situations, when departing employees start competing businesses and leave behind wiretapping tools to take advantage of their former employers.

This is relatively common in the corporate world. Waymo, the autonomous car unit of Alphabet, recently filed a lawsuit against former employee Anthony Levandowski. The company claims that Levandowski stole trade secrets when he left to start Otto, a self-driving truck company that was later bought by Uber. Furthermore, Waymo also alleges that other former employees who left for Otto and Uber downloaded and stole sensitive files from the company.

Create clear policies that explicitly state what is and isnt confidential information, and outline the ramifications for violating them in employment contracts. Spend time educating your employees about types of suspicious activity, too. As a result, youll help prevent your businesss trade secrets from landing in the wrong hands.

Wiretapping, fraud and other forms of illegal surveillance may sound like things that only happen in the movies, but they're very real problems that affect small businesses every day. So take the necessary precautions to protect yourself against this risk -- you wont regret it.
In response to Bert Boysons letter of May 31, here are the bare facts:

In 1948 the Arab armies entered Palestine to protect Palestinians from being massacred by Israel. Jewish militias and paramilitary forces, such as Irgun (The Etzel), Haganah (Irgun Beth), Lehi (The Stern Gang) had started the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from areas they wanted to be part of a Jewish state BEFORE the founding of Israel. These massacres, including the Dir Yassein massacre, occurred before a single plane from any Arab country had made its appearance in the area. The Palestinians were helpless.

The British, whose duty it was under the British Mandate to protect them, did nothing. Instead, when the Palestinians needed them most, they decided to abandon the Mandate and leave the Palestinians to the tender mercies of the Zionists. This gave the Zionists a free hand to carry out the massacres.

The ethnic cleansing is acknowledged by Jewish historians like Ilan Pappe and Benny Norris. Look it up yourself. See Rosemarie M. Esbers meticulously documented history Under the Cover of War: The Zionist Expulsion of the Palestinians. For now listen to the testimony of a Jewish veteran who took part in this ethnic cleaning: Israeli Soldier Reveals 1948 Palestinian Genocide and Zionist Ideology of Ethnic Cleansing.

The disaster that befell Palestinians in 1948 was not due to the justified refusal by them to accept the UN partition plan, but due to the aggressive war of acquisition that Israel waged.

Palestinians have agreed to recognize the State of Israel not only in the area earmarked for it in the UN partition proposal (about 55 percent of British Mandate Palestine), but in area within the 1967 borders, ie. in about 88 percent of the British Mandate Palestine. It is Israel that refuses to accept a Palestinian state in this vastly truncated Palestine and goes on building illegal Israeli colonies in West Bank in direct violation of international law and of the Oslo agreement.

More to say but space restrictions demand closure.

Mr. Boyson, I will gladly accompany you to post a note in the Wall you have in mind if you will accompany me to break down the separation wall that Israel has built.

Gulamhusein A. Abba

Danbury
TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Genworth Canada will be part of Habitat for Humanity Canada's biggest build project ever. Habitat for Humanity's 34th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project will take place in every province and territory across Canada with a goal to collectively build 150 homes to mark Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, will be visiting Canada from July 9-14, 2017, focusing their efforts in Edmonton, Alberta, and in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Habitat Canada has a long history of creating affordable housing opportunities in the country. People living in Habitat homes not only help to build their own houses, they also pay affordable mortgages. Habitat's innovative approach helps working families on a new path to better, affordable living conditions that lead to improved health and stronger childhood development, as well as a decrease in reliance on food banks.

"Genworth Canada is committed to helping more Canadians achieve affordable homeownership, and by participating in the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project we are helping to make this possible for 150 families," said Stuart Levings, president and CEO of Genworth Canada. "We support Habitat Canada's important work because we believe that everyone in Canada has the right to a safe, affordable and decent place to live in."

Since 1984, President and Mrs. Carter have traveled around the world with Habitat, to build and improve homes. Their time and effort helps to raise awareness of the critical need for affordable homeownership around the world. Inspiring millions over the last three decades, President and Mrs. Carter have worked alongside nearly 100,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair more than 4,000 homes.

To donate or learn more about the 34th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, please visit habitat.ca/150ReasonsToBuild.

About Genworth Canada

Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX: MIC) through its subsidiary, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (Genworth Canada), is the largest private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. The Company provides mortgage default insurance to Canadian residential mortgage lenders, making homeownership more accessible to first-time homebuyers. Genworth Canada differentiates itself through customer service excellence, innovative processing technology, and a robust risk management framework. For almost two decades, Genworth Canada has supported the housing market by providing thought leadership and a focus on the safety and soundness of the mortgage finance system. As at March 31, 2017, Genworth Canada, had $6.7 billion total assets and $3.8 billion shareholders' equity. Find out more at www.genworth.ca.

About Habitat for Humanity Canada

Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, nonprofit organization working toward a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat for Humanity brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners and 56 local Habitats working in every province and territory, we provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

SOURCE Genworth MI Canada

For further information: Anita Booth, Director Marketing & Community Relations, Genworth Canada, 905-287-5394

Related Links

http://www.genworth.com


SHANGHAI, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ -- Hainan Airlines will launch a non-stop service between Tel Aviv and Shanghai on September 12, 2017. Following the successful launch of the Tel Aviv-Beijing service in April 2016, this will be Hainan Airlines' second direct flight from Tel Aviv to China.

With this new service, travelers will be able to fly directly from Tel Aviv to two cities in China, Beijing and Shanghai, on Hainan Airlines flights.

The route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Travelers abroad can book tickets for the Tel Aviv-Shanghai flight by logging onto the Hainan Airlines website at www.hainanairlines.com, calling the European hotline at 00-800-876-89999 or visiting any of the airline's ticket offices or agents.

Hainan Airlines has opened more than 700 domestic and international routes serving Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. The airline has been named a SKYTRAX five-star airline for six consecutive years, has one of the world's best safety records in that it has not had a major accident in its 24 years of operation and was ranked third in airline safety by JACDEC, a German airline safety data evaluation firm. Hainan Airlines is committed to making your journey more pleasant with sincerity and a smile.

Hainan Airlines Tel Aviv-Shanghai Flight Timetable (All times are local):



Flight No. Aircraft Schedule Terminal Departure Time Arrival Time Terminal Starting Date Ending Date Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Summer and Fall HU407 789

X

X



X Pudong 0125 0830 Tel Aviv September 12, 2017 October 28, 2017 HU408 789

X

X



X Tel Aviv 1355 0530+1 Pudong September 12, 2017 October 28, 2017 Winter and Spring HU407 789

X

X



X Pudong 0125 0730 Tel Aviv October 29, 2017 March 22, 2018 HU408 789

X

X



X Tel Aviv 1255 0530+1 Pudong October 29, 2017 March 22, 2018

SOURCE Hainan Airlines Co., LTD

For further information: Wang Ying, 86-898-6673-9679, [email protected], http://www.hainanairlines.com

Related Links

http://www.hainanairlines.com


VICTORIA, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - The University of Victoria and Global Affairs Canada are joining forces this November to highlight diversity and inclusion in the 21st century. The inaugural Victoria Forum brings together business leaders, visionaries, politicians, youth, and civil society leaders to stimulate new thinking and approaches for Canadians to promote diversity and inclusion at home and abroad.

The forum, Nov. 17  19, will explore diversity and inclusion through various lenses: social cohesion, economic perspectives, climate justice, indigenous economies, global trade, geopolitics and philanthropy, and is one of UVic's signature events to mark the 150th anniversary of Canada's confederation.

"Our country's milestone anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the current state of global affairs," said Dr. Saul Klein, Dean of UVic's Gustavson School of Business and Forum Chair. "The world is changing. The Victoria Forum will bring together people with different viewpoints to explore the opportunities and challenges of diversity and inclusion, with the goal of inspiring solutions for a better world."

Keynote speakers will stimulate discussions around international diplomacy, conflict resolution, and innovative approaches to politics and community engagement. Follow-up discussion sessions will develop actionable takeaways for delegates to implement within their own organizations.

"This inaugural Victoria Forum will be a key opportunity to highlight and contribute to Canada's diversity and inclusion agenda," said Sebastien Beaulieu, diplomat at Global Affairs Canada, Associate Chair of the forum, and Adjunct Professor at UVic.

Over three days of panel discussions, moderated workshops, informal networking, and cultural and youth events, participants will experience different viewpoints, build valuable connections, gain new understanding and promote a Canadian perspective for the world that sees diversity and inclusiveness as key strengths.

Partners of the Victoria Forum include several prominent groups that have been an integral part of the steering committee actively supporting the development of the Victoria Forum including the Global Center for Pluralism, the Canadian International Council Victoria Branch, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Philanthropic Foundations Canada, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, and the Conference Board of Canada.

A backgrounder with more information including keynote speakers and registration details are available on the conference's website.

Peter B. Gustavson School of Business

The Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria is dedicated to providing a non-traditional business education and a dynamic learning environment that develops principled managers and leaders who can drive innovation and social change. Located in Victoria, BC at the University of Victoria, Gustavson belongs to fewer than one per cent of the world's business schools that hold both AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation. The Gustavson School of Business offers BCom, MBA, MGB and PhD programs, has 95 international exchange partners, and celebrated its 25th birthday in 2015. For more information, visit www.uvic.ca/gustavson

SOURCE University of Victoria, Peter B. Gustavson School of Business

For further information: Media contacts: Stephanie Bell, Vice President, Media Profile, 416-342-1839, [email protected]; Carla Maggiotto, Director, Media Profile, 416-342-1829, [email protected]
Aboriginal Day on June 21 celebrates First Nations, Inuit and Metis culture and heritage, along with the accomplishments of Indigenous entrepreneurs

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Eight-in-ten Canadians recognize Indigenous businesses strengthen the country's social fabric, according to a new national Leger survey.

The Sodexo Canada Indigenous Business Survey, commissioned to shed light on attitudes about Indigenous businesses, finds 77 per cent of Canadians recognize the importance of thriving Indigenous enterprises to the creation of sustainable economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples.

Three-quarters of Canadians (77 per cent) also believe supporting strong Indigenous businesses is an important pathway to healing Canada's relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people.

The survey found significant support for action by the private sector to help Indigenous entrepreneurs develop and grow their enterprises.

Key findings

81 per cent agree Canadian corporations should include Indigenous owned and operated businesses in their supplier networks whenever possible.

73 per cent think Canadian corporations should help Indigenous entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

Seven-in-ten Canadians (71 per cent) believe that on-going supports for Indigenous companies, such as training and mentoring, should be a long-term strategy for Canadian corporations.

69 per cent think companies doing business on or near First Nations, Inuit and Metis lands should obtain services from Indigenous businesses whenever possible.

73 per cent agree that Indigenous businesses have much to offer the Canadian economy.

"The success of Indigenous businesses clearly matters to Canadians," says JP Gladu, president and CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). "The fact that Canadians expect the private sector to step up with action to help Indigenous entrepreneurs sends a powerful message to decision makers. This broad public support will also fuel the optimism of Indigenous business owners. The role that procurement can play in offering a hand up could incentivize businesses to champion and encourage Indigenous business inclusion at all levels of business interaction and participation."

Aboriginal Day

Canada's National Aboriginal Day takes place on June 21 with nation-wide events to celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of the country's Indigenous peoples. The CCAB proudly showcases the considerable accomplishments of Indigenous entrepreneurs across the country and throughout the year. For more information go to www.ccab.com.

"We commissioned this survey to give Canadians an opportunity to weigh in on the issue of Indigenous business," says Katherine Power, vice president, corporate affairs, Sodexo Canada. "The findings are telling us that Canadians recognize the societal value created by successful Indigenous businesses and the importance of private sector engagement to help these companies deal with the unique challenges they face. With the right resources, the opportunities for this emerging entrepreneurial class are limitless."

About CCAB

CCAB is committed to the full participation of Aboriginal peoples in Canada's economy. A national, non-partisan association, CCAB offers knowledge, resources and programs to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal owned companies that foster economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and businesses across Canada.

About Sodexo in Canada

Sodexo Canada has been delivering On-Site Service Solutions to clients in the Healthcare, Education, Business & Industry, and Remote Sites sectors for over 40 years. Today, Sodexo Canada provides services at nearly 750 locations for more than 230 clients across Canada. The company's 10,000 employees work together to improve the Quality of Life for their customers by designing, managing, and delivering a wide range of On-Site Service Solutions -- from project management to energy planning, from technical building maintenance to concierge services, from housekeeping to fitness centre management, and from catering and foodservices to clinical technology management. Sodexo Canada is proud to have created the Sodexo STOP HUNGER Foundation, an independent charitable organization that has donated more than 1,000,000 meals to at risk youth in Canada since it was founded in 2001. Follow us on Twitter @SodexoCanada

Methodology

A survey of 1,535 Canadians was completed online between May 1 and 4, 2017 using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

SOURCE Sodexo Canada

For further information: Leslie Booth, [email protected], 416.427.1588

Related Links

http://www.sodexhoca.com


In an increasingly connected world, study shows that two-thirds of Canadians are eating alone

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Inspiring Canadians to connect by sharing a meal, President's Choice (PC) is declaring June 29th Eat Together Day, supported by a series of challenges and events across the country. PC's mission to get Canadians back together at the table began earlier this year with the release of its Eat Together film, celebrating the social power of food to bring people together.

"The response to the #EatTogether initiative has been remarkable and Canadians are talking about the benefits of gathering at the table," said Galen G. Weston, Chairman and CEO, Loblaw Companies Limited. "On June 29th, Eat Together Day, we challenge Canadians to imagine the impact we could have if, just a little more often, we took the time to eat together."

Canadians agree* that when families eat together children grow up happier and healthier (93%) and teens build stronger relationships with their parents (94%). When people eat together, they see each other as equals (78%) and connect with one another (94%). Despite these and other benefits of this simple act, recent Dalhousie University research found that two out of three Canadians eat alone most of the time**.

"Canadians tell us they are moving away from sitting down and eating with one another, and that could have consequences for our society," says Sylvain Charlebois, Dean of the Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University. "Initiatives like Eat Together remind us of the importance of sharing meals and will hopefully encourage Canadians to embrace the potential of connecting through food."

In our country's 150th year, the act of families and communities eating together is a strong metaphor for our national identity and values. To address the trend of Canadians eating alone, Loblaw is inviting its nearly 200,000 employees, thousands of business partners, and all Canadians to participate in weekly Eat Together challenges, building towards the first ever Eat Together Day.

For weekly challenges or inspiration for Eat Together Day, Canadians can visit http://www.facebook.com/PCEatTogether. Also, on June 29th, Loblaw grocery store banners, including Loblaws, Loblaws CityMarket, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs, Provigo, Dominion and Atlantic Superstore will be hosting public BBQs in hundreds of locations across the country.

*A survey commissioned by President's Choice (methodology below)

**Dalhousie University's May 2017 study: Disintegration of food habits: A look at the socioeconomics of food, the blurring lines between traditional meals and out-of-household food consumption

About Loblaw Companies Limited:

Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, the nation's largest retailer, and the majority unit holder of Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, banking, and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,300 corporate, franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and Associate-owners employ approximately 200,000 full and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers.

Loblaw's purpose  Live Life Well  puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the companies' stores. Loblaw is positioned to meet and exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than 1,050 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to specialty; full-service pharmacies at more than 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix locations and more than 500 Loblaw locations; PC Financial no-fee banking; affordable Joe Fresh fashion and family apparel; and three of Canada's top consumer brands in Life Brand, no name and President's Choice. Through the PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum loyalty programs, more than one in every three Canadians are rewarded for shopping with the companies.

About the President's Choice Survey:

From March 16th to March 20th, 2017 two separate online surveys were conducted. The first survey was among 1,511 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, and the results were statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The margin of error for the first surveywhich measures sampling variabilityis +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The second survey was conducted among 2,461 randomly selected adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, in the provinces of Ontario (n=508), Alberta (n=508), Quebec (n=506), British Columbia (n=506), PEI (n=126), and Nova Scotia (n=311). The margin of error for the second survey is +/- 2.0%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited

For further information: [email protected] | 905-459-2500

Related Links

www.presidentschoice.ca


MONTREAL, June 13, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the city's Bureau du design awarded this year's Phyllis Lambert Grant to industrial designers Rainville-Sangare. Previous recipients were also on hand to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the grant's creation and Ms. Lambert's 90th birthday, and to speak about the grant's impact on their careers.

The $10,000 grant was presented by Manon Gauthier, executive committee member and responsible for culture, heritage, design, Space for Life, and status of women. Also in attendance were Phyllis Lambert, Architect and Founding Director Emeritus of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. The grant allows recipients to undertake a professional development project on a design topic related to a theme focusing on the city. Rainville-Sangare proposed "Complements of Architecture," a project to research the design of architectural details integrated into the built environment, with Helsinki as their subject of study.

"We are delighted to award this grant to the industrial design firm Rainville-Sangare," stated Manon Gauthier. "They are talented up-and-coming Montreal designers, and we hope it will help them refine their design philosophy and practice, and give them an opportunity to draw inspiration from the great architects and designers of Finland."

"I am delighted and very impressed that we are already celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Prize. Its value and impact have only continued to grow as it has rewarded young talent, designers and architects who have continued to lead astonishing projects that have had broad repercussions nationally and internationally. I am deeply grateful to the City of Montreal for creating this prize, which has encouraged young designers and architects, heightening their interaction with their peers everywhere. This initiative is fundamentally important, for it contributes to the dynamism and quality of the city, and therefore, the effectiveness of our society," noted Phyllis Lambert.

Many tours are planned for the trip, including a number of buildings designed by Alvar Aalto, in particular Finlandia Hall, Aalto's studio and home in Helsinki, Experimental House in Jyvaskyla, and other important destinations such as Design Museum Arabia.

If the occasion arises, the recipients would like to exhibit their project at both Helsinki Design Week and at an exhibition in Montreal. In creating "Complements of Architecture," Lambert Rainville and Nicholas Sangare, co-founders of Rainville-Sangare, hope to kindle a creative process inspired by an integrated Finnish architectural approach, one that stresses the importance of bringing a human touch to our cities.

"We believe that architectural details reveal much about local cultural identity, especially when it comes to creativity in manufacturing and to the artisan-designer relationship that is so vital to building things. We feel that Helsinki, which like Montreal is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in Design, will be the ideal destination to nourish our thought process and methods for designing the architectural elements found on building facades," explained Lambert Rainville and Nicholas Sangare.

The jury applauded the project's strong multidisciplinary focus, based on an examination of many facets of the city, including its identity, heritage, architecture, production, and creativity. Jury members agreed that the Rainville-Sangare project has great potential and that the Phyllis Lambert Grant will give their career a definite boost.

The 2017 jury was composed of:

About Rainville-Sangare

Lambert Rainville and Nicholas Sangare founded their eponymous studio in Montreal in 2015. Both hold bachelor's degrees in industrial design, and they employ a cross-disciplinary approach to designing spaces, furnishings, and products, paying special attention to local production.

About the Phyllis Lambert Grant

Every two years, Montreal, through its Bureau du design, awards the Phyllis Lambert Grant to a Montreal designer, architect, creative professional, or group that has fewer than 10 years' practice and has demonstrated exceptional quality in studies and work as well as marked interest in city themes. The grant honours Phyllis Lambert, a great Montrealer, a fervent promoter of architectural excellence, and a tireless defender of young designers. It aims to recognize and promote talented emerging Montreal designers and to enrich their career paths and professional development as they apply to Montreal-related design issues. Grant eligibility criteria are available here.

Designmontreal.com/en/grant

Facebook.com/designmontreal

Twitter.com/DesignMontreal

Youtube.com/designmtl

SOURCE Ville de Montreal - Cabinet du maire et du comite executif

For further information: Source: Noemie Briere-Marquez, Press Secretary, Mayor's office and Executive Committee, 514-872-9998; Information: Jules Chamberland-Lajoie, Media Officer, Service des relations medias, 514-872-7426
$330-million in total revenues; streaming royalties increase 118%

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - SOCAN today announced final financial results for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, reporting that it has achieved new highs on almost every front, collecting $330-million in total domestic and international royalties from the performances of the music of its nearly 150,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members.

More than $289-million in combined domestic and international royalties were distributed to SOCAN members, an increase of five per cent over 2015. Royalties from outside of Canada identified and collected increased to $67-million, a 31 per cent three-year growth rate. Internet music streaming revenues jumped 118 per cent over the previous year, bringing in a total of $33.8-million for music created or published by SOCAN members.

"These results further increase SOCAN's position as one of the top music rights organizations in the world that is shaping the music landscape," said Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN. "They demonstrate our strength in licensing the performing right as well as our business innovation to globally transform music rights. We continue to focus on ensuring that more royalties are provided to Canadian songwriters, composers and music publishers and the millions of foreign rights-holders we represent."

SOCAN 2016 Financial Highlights:

Record total revenue of a third-of-a-billion dollars  approximately $330-million in overall revenue in 2016 for a seven per cent year-over-year increase.

$289-million distributed to members  exceeding $285-million for the first time ever.

$67-million in foreign royalties identified, collected and distributed to SOCAN members whose music is played internationally on radio, television, online, on-stage and in other public performance uses  a 31 per cent increase since 2013.

Internet streaming revenues increased by 118%  although still relatively small given the prominence of streaming services, internet revenue more than doubled in 2016, reaching $33.8-million due to very strong growth from existing licensees and new service providers entering Canada .

Nearly 4,500 music-using businesses became Licensed To Play with SOCAN in 2016, reflecting both the importance and value of music to businesses. SOCAN also added more than 6,500 songwriters, composers and music publishers as members in 2016.

SOCAN continues to power many facets of the Canadian music industry, looking for opportunities to lead the global transformation of music rights, providing leading-edge services to its members. In 2016, the organization launched its Royalty Guru service and API portal, acquired Seattle-based MediaNet and New York-based music technology company Audiam. With these innovations and acquisitions SOCAN offers an expanded suite of services to digital service providers, music creators and music publishers, benefiting its members and positioning it as the world leader in the digital music age.

"While we are pleased with our results, there is much work to be done," Baptiste added. "Like everyone, songwriters, composers and music publishers simply want fair compensation for their work. We are not there yet, and SOCAN will continue to fight every single day on their behalf."

For full financial statements and a complete overview of 2016, please visit www.socanannualreport.ca.

About SOCAN

SOCAN connects more than four-million music creators worldwide and more than a quarter-million businesses and individuals in Canada. Nearly 150,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers are its direct members, and more than 130,000 organizations are Licensed To Play music across Canada. With a concerted use of progressive technology and a commitment to lead the global transformation of music rights, with wholly-owned companies Audiam and MediaNet, SOCAN is dedicated to upholding the fundamental truths that music has value and music creators and publishers deserve fair compensation for their work. For more information: www.socan.ca

SOURCE SOCAN

For further information: SOCAN: Andrew Berthoff, 416-442-3836, [email protected]
Reasons why you might feel tired and advice about what you can do to prevent tiredness
A Nigerian man known on Facebook as Oluwa Success, from Sapele Nigeria was killed in May in Ghana where he lived. The man, who is popularly known as Gbaja Marine was allegedly a member of the Eiye cult group and was killed by the rival Vikings cult in Accra, Ghana.He was laid to rest over the weekend and friends and family gathered round to mourn him as he was being lowered to the ground.Following his death in May, when the news reached Nigeria, his friends and cult brothers took to Facebook to mourn him and vowed to avenge his death. They referred to him as a "gentle soul", a "good and honest friend", "too kind" and more. From the number of tributes that poured in on Facebook, it can be gleaned that he was quite popular.The Supreme Eiye Confraternity acknowledged that he was one of them by sharing his burial announcement on Facebook.More photos below...
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Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has described the state as the safest in Nigeria, in an address he presented at the 50conference of the National Association of Law Teachers of Nigeria held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.Anambra has become the safest state in the country following my administrations approach in tackling kidnapping and other crimes.Before now, Anambra used to be a haven for criminals, especially kidnappers, and these scared investors. But now investors have flooded the state for different investments, he said.The governor said he was able to tackle insecurity due to the premium he placed on the enforcement of law and order as precondition for growth and development.Anambra stands out today as a shining example of what a people can achieve if they place law and order and national security above every other condition for national growth and development.Anyone who is familiar with Anambra will remember that for decades, our beloved state was held down by lawlessness and insecurity which made all efforts at meaningful development totally impossibleAt a point in time, Anambra could almost pass for a postcard of disorder and insecurity. But our story has changed in just three years.We have made rapid progress from being an address for lawlessness to an oasis of peace and a destination for wise investors.He commended organisers of the conference for their choice of the state, adding that he had no doubt the event would lend new depths to understanding of the law in Nigeria.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has injected another 418 million dollars into the various segments of the inter-bank foreign exchange market to support the Naira.In a statement issued by the apex bank in Abuja on Tuesday, it said that the move would give further lift to the value of Naira in the foreign exchange market.According to the CBN, the retail segment of the market received the highest intervention with a total of 226 million dollars, followed by the wholesale window that received an allocation of 100million dollars.The CBN noted that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) window received a boost of 50 million dollars while the Business/Personal Travel Allowances, school tuition, medicals, etc. got the sum of 42 million dollars to meet the demands of customers.The Banks spokesman, Isaac Okorafor, also disclosed that the volume of currency trading in the Investors & Exporters (I&E) FX Window had cumulatively hit heights of 2.2 billion dollars.This, he said happened since the CBN introduced the the idea to boost liquidity in the forex market since April 21, 2017 and ensure timely execution and settlement for eligible transactions.He expressed confidence that the interventions will continue to guarantee stability in the market and ensure availability to individuals and business concerns.It will be recalled that the CBN on Monday, June 12, 2017, injected the sum of 413.5 million dollars into the inter-bank market in its unrelenting bid to guarantee liquidity in the market as well as shore up the international value of the naira.A breakdown of Mondays figures shows that the apex Bank allocated the sum of 100 million dollars to authorised dealers in the wholesale window, while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) window was allocated a total of 28 million dollars.The invisibles segment was allocated the sum of 25.5 million dollars to meet the needs of customers in that sector.Analysts see the increase in the volume of transactions in the Investors& Exporters (I&E) segment as a positive sign of the return of confidence in the financial markets as clearly demonstrated by the activities in the stock market.




Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana on Monday revealed how chief security officer to Sani Abacha, Hamza Mustapha, blocked late Pope John Paul, from convincing the late military head of state from releasing MKO Abiola.He also called Al-Mustapha a pathological liar for claiming that he had tapes of how the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, was murdered.Falana, who was at the June 12 anniversary organised by the Ondo State Government in Akure, said the former CSO was trying to act as if he was nice to Abiola even when he made sure the latter was kept in detention under a horrendous prison condition.His words: When the Pope Paul, visited Nigeria, he had almost persuaded Abacha to free Abiola and other prisoners, Al-Mustapha who was watching the meeting through a CCTV, entered the room and said oga yakari, enough, and that was the end of the meeting.Secondly, Dr. Falomo, Abiolas personal physician, was allowed by the government to visit Abiola. When Al-Mustapha learned that he was waiting to see Abiola, he got him arrested. He was already taken to Kaduna prison, it took the intervention of Abacha to free Dr. Falomo.Three, Chief Abiola fell down in the bathroom in one occasion, his legs were swollen and Arch Bishop Tutu confirmed this when he visited, Al-Mustapha did not allow him to have any medical treatment.If the fellow now comes around saying he was the best friend of the late Chief MKO Abiola, he is a liar, he is now talking because the witness is no longer alive.On the claims by Al-Mustapha that he had the tape on how Abiola was killed, Mr. Falana said the former security advisers claims were untrue.Please that guy is a pathological liar. I was at the Oputa Panel. He claimed that all his tapes had been stolen by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. Those tapes have not been released, how then has he now got the new tape he is talking aboutAt the time Chief Abiola was killed  not that Abiola just died, he was given poisonous tea. That is the first time in Nigeria that a foreigner was allowed to give tea to a Nigerian prisoner Al-Mustapha was in Enugu at that time, so he was not in the Villa. So whatever he is saying, is at best, hearsay. It has no value in law, he said.Falana added that Al-Mustapha was feeling guilty conscience over the death of the wife of MKO, Kudirat Abiola following the confessions of Sergeant Jabila Rogers at the Oputa Panel that he was ordered by Mr. Al-Mustapha to kill her.And the the Appeal Court did not expressly say he did not kill MKO Abiolas wife. What the court of appeal said was that Rogers has changed his story, so let us give him the benefit of the doubt.So, for Al-Mustapha, conscience is tormenting him for the death of an unarmed lady on the streets of Lagos.Al-Mustapha recently told newsmen in Ibadan that Sergeant Rogers was induced with money, houses in choice towns in Nigeria to frame him and get him hanged.On October 21, 1998, I was arrested because of a video cassette, not because of the late Kudirat Abiola, he said.The family of the late Abiola was, as it is, a very close family to me. But something happened which a particular camera in the villa captured.So, they wanted to take the video tape and burn it so that Nigerians will not know what happened. That was the beginning and cause of my travails.
The federal government has rolled out the first ever Diaspora bond of $300 million to raise funds from Nigerians in the Diaspora to finance capital projects.Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, advised Nigerians to take advantage and invest in the bond.A statement by her Media Assistant, Mr Abdurrahman Balogun, noted that the Debt Management Office (DMO) announced the commencement of a global offering of Nigerias first Diaspora Bond.She said the DMO also filed a registration statement for the bonds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.According to her, the bond will provide an opportunity those in the Diaspora to participate in the development of the country.She said her office as well as the Nigerians in the Diaspora were excited as the first ever diaspora bond was being rolled out to the benefits of Nigerians.The SSA said it was a unique way of lubricating the interest of Nigerians in the Diaspora to participate in the development projects being carried out by the Muhammadu Buharis administration.She said that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, in February promised to roll out the Diaspora bond through the DMO.She said that the DMO had also said that application would be made for the bonds to be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing Authority and the London Stock Exchange Plc.The office, according to her, will ensure that the bonds were admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchanges regulated market.The bonds will be direct general obligations of Nigeria and will be denominated in U.S. dollars.The international Joint Lead Managers are Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited.The Nigerian Joint Lead Managers are First Bank of Nigeria Limited and United Bank for Africa Plc, she quoted DMO as saying.She explained that the DMO added that there would be a series of investors meetings in the UK, the U.S. and Switzerland from June 13.Dabiri-Erewa said that as part of measures to fund capital expenditures, the Federal Government had also in February announced offering of one billion dollars euro bond.The bond, she said, was under its newly-established one billion dollars Global Medium Term Note programme.We are very excited that the National Assembly has approved the Diaspora Bond. (NAN)
A police officer with the Rapid Response Unit at Tema, Ghana, Constable Michael Kporyi was gunned down by two armed men on a motor bike at UBA filling station near Micheal Camp Road area, Ghana on Monday, June 12.

Upon receiving the report, Information patrol team led by Sgt. Ebenezer Anning of Regional RDF on board driven by Const. Nana Wiredu proceeded to the scene where the deceased was identified to be Const. Micheal Kporyi, who was detailed for "Motor Bike patrol "duty.

Eye witnesses said the deceased who was on police uniform was seen riding motor bike with registration no GP4350 and AK47 rifle across the chest. He was followed by two armed men also on a motor bike. Suddenly, the gunmen shot at the deceased repeatedly before speeding off.



The deceased fell on to the nearby gutter.

Inspection on the body showed multiple of gun wounds on the chest and eyebrow. One AK47 rifle, one pepper spray, a pair of handcuffs and a torch light found with deceased.

The body has been deposited at the Police hospital mortuary for autopsy. Full scale investigation into the incident has commenced.

More photos of the officer below...
Fifty years after the civil war ended, Igbos do not yet feel a sense of belonging, acceptance or safety in the Federation called Nigeria. The sad part is that this belief is shared not just by the generation that witnessed the war and its deadly consequences, but Igbo nation across all generations, including the millennials who have been socialized into believing that there is a gap between their people and other Nigerians.

Let us not deceive ourselves about certain plain truths. The civil war is perhaps the most remarkable incident in Igbo history in the last century. The pain, the loss, all about it, is deeply imprinted in the Igbo consciousness. Whereas the Igbo nation has shown great resourcefulness since the war, and its people have proven to be enterprising and determined to hold their own in every sphere of life, including outstanding contributions to the making of the Nigerian state, there are Nigerians who still regard and treat the Igbo suspiciously.

Anti-Igbo sentiment may not be so openly expressed, but it is usually something beneath the surface. There are landlords in many parts of Nigeria, for example, who will never rent out their property to an Igbo man. The Igbo tenant is easily stigmatized. I have heard people complain that Igbo tenants are too stubborn or that when you rent a room to an Igbo man, he will end up sub-letting that one room to all kinds of persons from his village, putting pressure on the propertys limited facilities.

Some landlords insist that an Igbo tenant could even start eyeing the property, to buy it off the landlord, or if it is a shop, the Igbo trader would end up renting the entire street, and could turn the street into an Igbo neigbourhood. This stigma has been a source of agony for many Igbos seeking accommodation, particularly in Lagos, but it is of course completely baseless stereotyping. There are good and bad persons from virtually every Nigerian ethnic group.

The stereotyping of the Igbo person can also be found in the political arena. It is assumed by some persons, and such statements have been made to my hearing, that the only reason an Igbo man cannot be resident of Nigeria is because every Igbo man sees himself as a potential resident, and should the presidency be zoned to the South East, the struggle for the ticket could result in inter-community strife in Igboland. The name of the group is Igbo, but when other Nigerians want to be mischievous, or perhaps out of ignorance, they refer to Igbos as Ibo, and when you try to correct them, they may insist you dont seem to understand. It is I-Before-Others (IBO).

Igbos have also been held responsible for all sorts of things, kidnapping, drug trafficking, child trafficking, armed robbery  even when there are criminals from virtually every community in Nigeria. Meanwhile, they are one of the most vertically educated ethnic groups in Nigeria, and the most enterprising in all fields. A friend once said that if you enter any community in Nigeria and you dont have an Igbo man running a small shop there, or engaged in some other kind of business, then you have no business staying in that community. Igbos are also obviously the most integrated ethnic group in Nigeria, which is why it is ironic that they are also the most vilified.

I wrote what I considered a harmless piece recently in which I referred to the declaration of Biafra in 1967 and quoted excerpts from the Ahiara Declaration. I got a phone call from a friend who declared that I should stop encouraging these Biafrans. Nothing I said made sense to him.

You dont know those people, he declared.

I know people from all parts of Nigeria, I said.

You dont know Igbos. Has there been any problem in this country that you know in which Igbos have not been involved? They have started again, heating up the polity with threats of secession.

It is a sign that all is not well with Nigeria, I retorted.

Dont mind them. I dont think anybody wants to secede. If Igbos really want to secede, you think it is Nnamdi Kanu that will be speaking for them?

It takes just one illuminated soul to start a revolution.

Dont bring that line. Everything is not textbook, this man. Just tell those Igbos not to include my people in whatever they are looking for. We are their neighbours. They dragged us into the civil war. This time around, theyve gone to draw a map, including my people. Biafra does not extend to the South-South. We are just looking at them.

Biafra is an idea.

I dont want to hear all these textbook things, I have told you. Which idea? See, most Nigerians do not support Biafra. They think Igbos are just playing games. Ill send you some other articles written by other Nigerians and youd see what I am talking about. People are angry that anybody will be talking about secession in 2017! Nigerians are fed up with Igbos and their games. President Jonathan gave them everything but on election day, many of them stayed at home and refused to vote. Now, they are talking secession.

But Yorubas are also talking about Oduduwa Republic.

The Yoruba are not going anywhere. What they want is restructuring, fiscal federalism. Which Oduduwa Republic?

The people of the Middle Belt are also aggrieved.

Anybody can be aggrieved. You cant please Nigerians. And some of these things are political. Obasanjo became President, Niger Delta carried arms; Jonathan got there, Boko Haram kidnapped children, Buhari is there now, and all the ghosts of Biafra are frightening everybody. But these Igbos, tell them they are not going anywhere.

I am surprised you are talking like this.

What is the matter with those people? They are all over Nigeria. They are even selling land in Lagos. But no outsider is allowed to buy half a plot of land in Igboland. You carry Igbo girl sef, na problem. Go and check your email. I will send you other perspectives on this matter.

Before long, I received a mail indeed. The fellow had put together a collection of anti-Biafra, anti-Igbo articles which he urged me to read, with the rider that I should pay particular attention to the fact that some of those articles were written by Igbos. I ignored the rider. Some of those articles could have been ghost written. What is clear, however, is that all is not well with Nigeria. We are a country that needs to be rescued from the centripetal forces tearing us apart, and the leading forces today would include, as was the case before now, ethnicity, religion, the politics of hate, and citizen alienation.

If my review of the stereotyping of Igbos in Nigeria and the reported conversation with an Igbo-hater does not fully convey the seriousness of this situation, then the June 6 ultimatum issued to all Igbos living in Northern Nigeria by a coalition of Northern Arewa youth groups should.

A group called the Northern Emancipation Network, comprising 16 Arewa youth groups, has asked all Igbos living anywhere in Northern Nigeria to pack their bags and baggage and be out of the Northern region by October 1, 2017. When the 19 Northern Governors met and dismissed the threat as misguided, the young Arewa Igbo-haters issued a riposte and more or less asked the Governors to shut up. Their message is that since Igbos no longer want to be part of Nigeria, they should get out, because they, Arewa youths, do not want belong to the same political union with Igbos. They are angry that on May 30, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous Peoples Organization of Biafra (IPOB) succeeded in shutting down a part of Nigeria to mark the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.

The arrogance of the Northern youths is insufferable. It speaks to virtually everything that other Nigerians are uncomfortable with about the Fulani North: a born-to-rule, hegemonic tendency. It is an assault on the Nigerian Constitution, to the extent that the Constitution does not grant any individual or group, the right or the power to determine where any Nigerian may live or work or die or acquire property. All Nigerians are equal before the law. The Northern youths, who do not think so, held a meeting, a press conference, and issued statements. The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai asked the Nigeria Police to arrest them for promoting ethnic hatred. The only response we have had from the Police Headquarters so far, is from one Jimoh Moshood, described as Police Spokesman telling Nigerians that the Arewa youths are not sitting in the market waiting to be picked up.

Moshood, if you actually said that, then you should be relieved of your position forthwith. If you are a spokesperson and you have nothing intelligent to say, the best option is to remain silent, otherwise whatever you say will be used against you in the court of public opinion. So, the Nigeria police only arrest people when they go to the market and wait to be arrested? Is that the new police that we now have? The Northern Emancipation Network called Igbos all kinds of names  unruly, reckless, insatiable, uncultured, confrontational, ungrateful  and since they issued their ultimatum, the polity has been heated up, ethnic hate has been promoted, the Igbos of Nigeria have been further alienated.

This was how the civil war of 1967-70 started. Nigeria cannot afford another civil war. No country survives two civil wars. Already, Igbos in the North are reportedly relocating back to the South East or elsewhere in Nigeria. Young Nigerians from the North, the East and the South started the civil war. The politics of ethnicity and the rhetoric of hate ignited the fire that consumed the nation for three years. The scars have not healed because 50 years later, the youths of the North and the East are again lighting up the fire of hate. On June 6, the Northern Emancipation Network also asked Northerners in the East, I hope this includes the peripatetic herdsmen, to return to the North!

The Nigerian Government must take this on-going febrile conversation between the North and the East more seriously than it appears to be doing. The security agencies do not have to go to the markets to look for what is not there. When there is a threat to the state, it is their duty to identify the threat and act on it. All persons who are working hard and making provocative statements to cause a national crisis should be monitored and checkmated. With all the difficult challenges facing this country, at this moment, our security alert system should be pushed a notch higher.

If the security agencies fail to act, particularly on the matter of the coalition of Northern youths promoting Igbo hatred, the federal government would have committed a grievous sin, likely to be interpreted as aiding and abetting. And there would be persons who will legitimately ask: are we confronted with a hand of Jacob and voice of Esau situation? Who is sponsoring the Arewa youths? Who granted them the permission to use the platform of Arewa House to spew anti-Igbo hate speech? Who is blocking their arrest by the security agencies? What those boys have done is even worse than the threat of secession by Nnamdi Kanu and his supporters.

But the message is clear: Nigeria is not yet a nation. A country where any group or association can threaten to expel another group is not yet a nation. The common enemy is not the secessionists. The common enemies are the political leaders, the tribal demagogues, the political opportunists, the religious bigots, the paid shamanists, who continue to manipulate Nigerias destiny to suit their own purposes. There can be no country except the people love the nation and the state.

Dr. Reuben Abati was spokesperson and special adviser, media and publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan (2011  2015). He tweets from @abati1990
The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of deceiving the workers and the public on...

The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of deceiving the workers and the public on the states share of Paris Club refund.The party faulted the governors claim during his last media chat that the state got N4 billion instead of N9.6 billion released to it and reportedly published by the Federal Ministry of Finance.Fayose had said on the programme and at a forum with labour leaders that the money due to Ekiti was half of the last refund of N8.8 billion.He said debt deductions and local government share of the refund had shrunk the balance to N4 billion.yIn the table of Paris Club refunds to all the 36 states released by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ekiti States share is N9.6 billion, APC said.In a statement yesterday, APC Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun said Fayose was only applying his usual distortion of facts to brainwash Ekiti workers and people to misapply the money for selfish reasons.Olatunbosun noted that the refund is neither subject to any deduction over debts nor having any local government component that would make the cash shared to Ekiti State to be less than N9.6 billion, as published by the Federal Government.According to him, only statutory allocations are subject to deductions over states debts.The APC spokesman said conditions were attached to the refund, including the payment of backlog of workers salaries and other benefits.He said: Fayose, in his usual manner during his last media chat, denied that Ekiti share of the Paris Club refund is N9.6 billion but N8.8 billion, which he further reduced to N4.4 billion in his usual mathematical abracadabra to divert the money once again.Fayose hinted during the programme that what Ekiti got as refund from the Paris Club could barely pay a months salary because of deductions.We challenge Governor Fayose over this false claim as the Paris refund is not subject to any deduction. It is the states monthly allocation that is subject to deduction while the local government allocation is also not subject to deduction.It was Ekiti State government that borrowed money from the Paris Club and not the local governments; so, refunds cannot be made to local governments.The N9.6 billion refund is exclusively for the state government to pay salary. So, any other claims by Fayose to brainwash the workers to deny them their entitlements once again is not only wicked and selfish but also a fraudulent practice that Fayose has elevated to an official policy to short-change the state and her people at all times.
The father of the recently arrested billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudi "Evans" Dumeme Onwuamadike, said he lives in poverty and had ...

The father of the recently arrested billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudi "Evans" Dumeme Onwuamadike, said he lives in poverty and had no idea his son had come into wealth acquired illegally. He said the last time he saw his son was in 2008 at which time he advised him to desist from illegal means of acquiring wealth.











He said: My son is a good boy, but his mother misled him.



Stephen said Evans' real name is Chukwudumeje. He alleged that Evans is being spiritually manipulated by his ex-wife.



He said:



I was devastated when I heard the news through a telephone call; since that call, I had not been able to sleep. I believe in a straight forward and honest life. If I noticed someone is not honest, I run away from the person. When my business was thriving, I did business with white people. I was one of the early millionaires that emerged from this town until things went wrong courtesy of my first wife in 1985. She caused me so many problems and eventually caused my financial ruins. In fact, she brought me down to where I am today. Im suffering and I can barely put food on my table.

Stephen who lives in his country home at Akammili, Umudim, Nnewi, Anambra State, said that he tried his best to raise Evans by sending him to the best schools around.

My estranged wife kept interfering in his academics. You wont believe that my son, Chukwudumeje (Evans) has not visited home since 2008. The last time I saw him was 10 years ago. I asked him the sort of business he was into. He said he was into drug trafficking. I advised him to desist because it was an illicit business and the law was against it. I told him plainly that it was better to be involved in a legitimate business and wait for Gods blessings. I did good business and it thrived; I was very successful. I have travelled to so many countries of the world in the course of my business, Stephen said.





He added:





His mother started manipulating him when he was only three years old; look at where it has got him. I dont even have his phone number. Im pleading with the Nigerian authorities to have mercy on him and give him a second chance. He was misdirected and misled by his mother. I heard about all the millions, and I said to myself, do I have such manner of rich son and the roof over my house is leaking. I now survive by selling pigs.

Evans stepbrother, Chidolie Onwuamadike, said his brothers ruin was caused by his mother. He noted that if Evans had followed their fathers advice, he wouldnt have become a criminal.



Chidolie said:





As brothers, we dont even interact at all. I dont have his number and my heart is pained because he is such a loving, nice guy from the little I know of him.

A tearful Mrs Etty Onwuamadike, Evans' mother said:

Chukwudumeje is a nice boy when he lived with me. The only gift I gave him years back was the Holy Bible. I dont want my son to die. Im still convinced he will serve God.



Evans' father, Mr. Stephen Onwuamadike, said it was Evans' mother who misled him and that she had been manipulating him since he was three-years-old. He also said he used to be very wealthy but Evans' mother led to his downfall and she left him with nothing. His current wife and her son also accused Evans' mother of being the person behind Evans' predicament. They painted Evans as a good and loving son who was only under the influence of his mother.Pleading with the Federal Government to forgive Evans, Mr Stephen Onwuamadike told New Telegraph that he has not been able to sleep since he received the phone call informing him that his son has been apprehended.
The former Military Governor of Katsina State, retired Col. John Madaki, says he supports the declaration by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, to protect the Igbo resident in the state.Madaki said in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos that he was throwing his weight behind the traditional ruler, who is also the Garkunwan Katsina because the Emir is absolutely right.He has spoken like a leader, a father to all and a man of peace. There can be no greater demonstration of dedication to duty and office than what the Emir has vowed.I have nothing but commendation for him.I am ready to sacrifice my last drop of blood to ensure peace and protect all Nigerians residing in the state, the statement quoted the Emir as saying.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Emir had on Friday addressed leaders of the Igbo community in response to a quit notice by some groups in the northern part of the country.The statement also praised Kabir for his courage in speaking the language of unity where others were beating the drums of war.It said the challenges confronting the nation at the moment called for reflection and unity of purpose to engender an atmosphere where every Nigerian should feel at home wherever he or she resides.The statement said the former military governor advised other traditional rulers across the country to emulate the Emir and give succour to non-indigenes in their domain.These times call for peaceful coexistence. We must be our brothers keepers.God put us together in this space called Nigeria for a purpose; that purpose is to build a virile and prosperous nation.We can only achieve that if there is peace and unity in all parts of the country, Madaki said in the statement.The government must put measures in place to ensure safety and security for Nigerians wherever they reside.
Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has taken a swipe at the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, saying he was incompeten...

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has taken a swipe at the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, saying he was incompetent to rule the country.









Oshiomhole said due to incompetence, Jonathans administration could not deliver on most of the basic things.

In a chat with The Interview, the former governor stated that the former President admitted that he did not do much for the south-south region.

Oshiomhole said,If you follow my commentary two, three years into his government, it was clear that even the most basic things were not properly done. Competence that was expected was not there.

The level of fairness was not there. And even if you were to talk about the sentiment of servicing the geo-political zones, the south-south had nothing to boast of.

Even the road to Yenagoa didnt show that a president came from that area. I have travelled across Nigeria, so we in the south cannot say this is our dividend.

He himself agreed that he didnt do much for the south-south. Actually, that was not the real question. The real question was: where did he do?

Also, I remember asking the chief of army staff the day the president wanted to postpone the election (from February 14), I said, Two weeks ago, you said the Armed Forces was ready for the election. Now, you are saying Boko Haram is controlling how many local governments. You PDP took over 774 local governments, now you have ceded territories to Boko Haram.

So I was convinced and I arrived at a conclusion that Nigeria was in great danger if we didnt effect a change in the political leadership. That was how we parted ways.

I remember he, Jonathan, called me about four days to the election over an advert I did. In the advert, I showed the pictures of the immigration recruitment they purported to have done in a stadium.

That was the height of incompetence  that the federal government would defraud the unemployed people, ask them to pay some fees to attract a federal job.


Fifty years after the civil war ended, Igbos do not yet feel a sense of belonging, acceptance or safety in the Federation called Nigeria. T...

Fifty years after the civil war ended, Igbos do not yet feel a sense of belonging, acceptance or safety in the Federation called Nigeria. The sad part is that this belief is shared not just by the generation that witnessed the war and its deadly consequences, but Igbos across all generations, including the millennials who have been socialized into believing that there is a gap between their people and other Nigerians.





Let us not deceive ourselves about certain plain truths. The civil war is perhaps the most remarkable incident in Igbo history in the last century. The pain, the loss, all about it, is deeply imprinted in the Igbo consciousness. Whereas the Igbo nation has shown great resourcefulness since the war, and its people have proven to be enterprising and determined to hold their own in every sphere of life, including outstanding contributions to the making of the Nigerian state, there are Nigerians who still regard and treat the Igbo suspiciously.





Anti-Igbo sentiment may not be so openly expressed, but it is usually something beneath the surface. There are landlords in many parts of Nigeria, for example, who will never rent out their property to an Igbo man. The Igbo tenant is easily stigmatized. I have heard people complain that Igbo tenants are too stubborn or that when you rent a room to an Igbo man, he will end up sub-letting that one room to all kinds of persons from his village, putting pressure on the propertys limited facilities.





Some landlords insist that an Igbo tenant could even start eyeing the property, to buy it off the landlord, or if it is a shop, the Igbo trader would end up renting the entire street, and could turn the street into an Igbo neigbourhood. This stigma has been a source of agony for many Igbos seeking accommodation, particularly in Lagos, but it is of course completely baseless stereotyping. There are good and bad persons from virtually every Nigerian ethnic group.





The stereotyping of the Igbo person can also be found in the political arena. It is assumed by some persons, and such statements have been made to my hearing, that the only reason an Igbo man cannot be President of Nigeria is because every Igbo man sees himself as a potential President, and should the Presidency be zoned to the South East, the struggle for the ticket could result in inter-community strife in Igboland. The name of the group is Igbo, but when other Nigerians want to be mischievous, or perhaps out of ignorance, they refer to Igbos as Ibo, and when you try to correct them, they may insist you dont seem to understand. It is I-Before-Others (IBO).

Igbos have also been held responsible for all sorts of things, kidnapping, drug trafficking, child trafficking, armed robbery  even when there are criminals from virtually every community in Nigeria. Meanwhile, they are one of the most vertically educated ethnic groups in Nigeria, and the most enterprising in all fields. A friend once said that if you enter any community in Nigeria and you dont have an Igbo man running a small shop there, or engaged in some other kind of business, then you have no business staying in that community. Igbos are also obviously the most integrated ethnic group in Nigeria, which is why it is ironic that they are also the most vilified.





I wrote what I considered a harmless piece recently in which I referred to the declaration of Biafra in 1967 and quoted excerpts from the Ahiara Declaration. I got a phone call from a friend who declared that I should stop encouraging these Biafrans. Nothing I said made sense to him.





You dont know those people, he declared.

I know people from all parts of Nigeria, I said.

You dont know Igbos. Has there been any problem in this country that you know in which Igbos have not been involved? They have started again, heating up the polity with threats of secession.

It is a sign that all is not well with Nigeria, I retorted.

Dont mind them. I dont think anybody wants to secede. If Igbos really want to secede, you think it is Nnamdi Kanu that will be speaking for them?





It takes just one illuminated soul to start a revolution.

Dont bring that line. Everything is not textbook, this man. Just tell those Igbos not to include my people in whatever they are looking for. We are their neighbours. They dragged us into the civil war. This time around, theyve gone to draw a map, including my people. Biafra does not extend to the South-South. We are just looking at them.

Biafra is an idea.

I dont want to hear all these textbook things, I have told you. Which idea? See, most Nigerians do not support Biafra. They think Igbos are just playing games. Ill send you some other articles written by other Nigerians and youd see what I am talking about. People are angry that anybody will be talking about secession in 2017! Nigerians are fed up with Igbos and their games. President Jonathan gave them everything but on election day, many of them stayed at home and refused to vote. Now, they are talking secession.





But Yorubas are also talking about Oduduwa Republic.

The Yoruba are not going anywhere. What they want is restructuring, fiscal federalism. Which Oduduwa Republic?

The people of the Middle Belt are also aggrieved.

Anybody can be aggrieved. You cant please Nigerians. And some of these things are political. Obasanjo became President, Niger Delta carried arms; Jonathan got there, Boko Haram kidnapped children, Buhari is there now, and all the ghosts of Biafra are frightening everybody. But these Igbos, tell them they are not going anywhere.

I am surprised you are talking like this.

What is the matter with those people? They are all over Nigeria. They are even selling land in Lagos. But no outsider is allowed to buy half a plot of land in Igboland. You carry Igbo girl sef, na problem. Go and check your email. I will send you other perspectives on this matter.





Before long, I received a mail indeed. The fellow had put together a collection of anti-Biafra, anti-Igbo articles which he urged me to read, with the rider that I should pay particular attention to the fact that some of those articles were written by Igbos. I ignored the rider. Some of those articles could have been ghost written. What is clear, however, is that all is not well with Nigeria. We are a country that needs to be rescued from the centripetal forces tearing us apart, and the leading forces today would include, as was the case before now, ethnicity, religion, the politics of hate, and citizen alienation.





If my review of the stereotyping of Igbos in Nigeria and the reported conversation with an Igbo-hater does not fully convey the seriousness of this situation, then the June 6 ultimatum issued to all Igbos living in Northern Nigeria by a coalition of Northern Arewa youth groups should.





A group called the Northern Emancipation Network, comprising 16 Arewa youth groups, has asked all Igbos living anywhere in Northern Nigeria to pack their bags and baggage and be out of the Northern region by October 1, 2017. When the 19 Northern Governors met and dismissed the threat as misguided, the young Arewa Igbo-haters issued a riposte and more or less asked the Governors to shut up. Their message is that since Igbos no longer want to be part of Nigeria, they should get out, because they, Arewa youths, do not want belong to the same political union with Igbos. They are angry that on May 30, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous Peoples Organization of Biafra (IPOB) succeeded in shutting down a part of Nigeria to mark the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.





The arrogance of the Northern youths is insufferable. It speaks to virtually everything that other Nigerians are uncomfortable with about the Fulani North: a born-to-rule, hegemonic tendency. It is an assault on the Nigerian Constitution, to the extent that the Constitution does not grant any individual or group, the right or the power to determine where any Nigerian may live or work or die or acquire property. All Nigerians are equal before the law. The Northern youths, who do not think so, held a meeting, a press conference, and issued statements. The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai asked the Nigeria Police to arrest them for promoting ethnic hatred. The only response we have had from the Police Headquarters so far, is from one Jimoh Moshood, described as Police Spokesman telling Nigerians that the Arewa youths are not sitting in the market waiting to be picked up.

Moshood, if you actually said that, then you should be relieved of your position forthwith. If you are a spokesperson and you have nothing intelligent to say, the best option is to remain silent, otherwise whatever you say will be used against you in the court of public opinion. So, the Nigeria police only arrest people when they go to the market and wait to be arrested? Is that the new police that we now have? The Northern Emancipation Network called Igbos all kinds of names  unruly, reckless, insatiable, uncultured, confrontational, ungrateful - and since they issued their ultimatum, the polity has been heated up, ethnic hate has been promoted, the Igbos of Nigeria have been further alienated.

This was how the civil war of 1967-70 started. Nigeria cannot afford another civil war. No country survives two civil wars. Already, Igbos in the North are reportedly relocating back to the South East or elsewhere in Nigeria. Young Nigerians from the North, the East and the South started the civil war. The politics of ethnicity and the rhetoric of hate ignited the fire that consumed the nation for three years. The scars have not healed because 50 years later, the youths of the North and the East are again lighting up the fire of hate. On June 6, the Northern Emancipation Network also asked Northerners in the East, I hope this includes the peripatetic herdsmen, to return to the North!





The Nigerian Government must take this on-going febrile conversation between the North and the East more seriously than it appears to be doing. The security agencies do not have to go to the markets to look for what is not there. When there is a threat to the state, it is their duty to identify the threat and act on it. All persons who are working hard and making provocative statements to cause a national crisis should be monitored and checkmated. With all the difficult challenges facing this country, at this moment, our security alert system should be pushed a notch higher.





If the security agencies fail to act, particularly on the matter of the coalition of Northern youths promoting Igbo hatred, the Federal Government would have committed a grievous sin, likely to be interpreted as aiding and abetting. And there would be persons who will legitimately ask: are we confronted with a hand of Jacob and voice of Esau situation? Who is sponsoring the Arewa youths? Who granted them the permission to use the platform of Arewa House to spew anti-Igbo hate speech? Who is blocking their arrest by the security agencies? What those boys have done is even worse than the threat of secession by Nnamdi Kanu and his supporters.





But the message is clear: Nigeria is not yet a nation. A country where any group or association can threaten to expel another group is not yet a nation. The common enemy is not the secessionists. The common enemies are the political leaders, the tribal demagogues, the political opportunists, the religious bigots, the paid shamanists, who continue to manipulate Nigerias destiny to suit their own purposes. There can be no country except the people love the nation and the state.
The President General of apex Igbo social-cultural group, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, has given reasons the threat by Northern Youths C...

The President General of apex Igbo social-cultural group, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, has given reasons the threat by Northern Youths Coalition to force Igbo out of the North should not be swept under the carpet by Ndigbo, citing the different killings that have taken place in the past.









Nwodo, going back memory lane, cited several of such incidents since 2015, saying the Federal, States or security agents did nothing to arrest or prosecute their killers.

Nwodo, speaking on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily, insisted that Igbo people living in the north are in danger following the recent threat.

He said even the Northern Governor and other prominent individuals who have spoken contrary to the youths threats, will not be able to stop them when they strike.

According to him, We have several reasons to bother about the speech by Northern youths because these are discordant voices. You did not mentioned that Ango Abdullahi speaking on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, it does appear, that even if he doesnt have the mandate to speak for the elders, incidents that have happened prior to the outburst of the Northern youths indicate that the governors and those who have spoken to the contrary may not have the capacity to stop the building hate that may precipitate insecurity to lives of non Northerners.

What do I mean by this, since 2015, five Igbo people have been lynched in Abuja. On the 23rd of September 2015, Arinze Chikwelu, from Enugu State, on an errand to buy rechargeable lantern, and on demand for change, was accused to be a thief and was stabbed 47 times and the police has been unable to do anything about this.

Another was Maduabuchi Ezenwa from Imo State who was lynched following altercation with Hausa trader. Also Ikechukwu Ugwu from Enugu State, after barbing, entered a Keke, paid money and asked for change, change was refused, and instead he was accused of being barawo and was lynched to death.

Ndubuisi Obika from Abia state was beheaded in his farm in Abuja and his head was not found until two weeks later.

Now in May this year, a young man, pressed to urinate, urinated in a gutter closed to a Mosque in an area in Abuja called Gwagwa, he was lynched to death, nobody has been arrested and prosecuted. In October 2016, Sylvester Oziria from Anambra state was killed in Palado, Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa state.

In Niger State, Emmanuel Chukwumaije from Enugu state was killed in Pandigori in Rafy Local Government Area after being accused of blasphemy, properties, shops and churches belonging to Igbo were burnt. Even when the local government Chairman said the young man was innocent, no compensation has been paid.

And just last Thursday, a young man called Ikenna Nwabueze, while all this is going on, was killed in Kano, and police has not arrested any suspect. Of course you know about the case of Bridget in Kano in June of last year.

I see the recent threat by the Northern youths as a quintessence of a building hate, a building despise for Ndigbo and a seeming acquiesce by the federal government to enact a nation in which some are like the animal farm. Some animals are more equal than others.

The young men in the north see the country as an empire and see any agitation from any part of the country that they are not fairly treated as threat to deny them of their power. There is a building crescendo all over the country of a disposition that is antithesis to national unity and a domicility of government and law-enforcement agents.

Even the northern youths have been quoted as saying We dare the police to arrest us. What does this mean? It is anarchy. They dare the police to arrest them. The northern youths have declared a new state that excludes the South-east of Nigeria.

They have described measures to actualize this. Everything in their speech showed a concluded crime. You have declared an intention and have consummated it. They have declared to take inventory of property belonging to Ndigbo.
Former National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and Afenifere Secretary Mr. Ayo Opadokun yesterday denied receiving bribe from former mili...

Former National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and Afenifere Secretary Mr. Ayo Opadokun yesterday denied receiving bribe from former military Head of Sate Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar to maintain a sealed lip over the death of Chief M.K.O. Abiola.He was reacting to the allegation by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, that he and some Yoruba leaders were bribed, following the controversial death of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.Opadokun, who spoke with newsmen, described Mustapha as a pathological liar, urging Nigerians to ignore his falsehood.He said: Mustapha is a pathological liar seeking for attention. Sensible people should ignore people with low self-esteem and character. Two years ago, when he was being tried for the murder of Kudirat Abiola, he made a false allegation against NADECO leaders that when we were invited by Abdulsalami Abubakar, that we were angry when we entered the office and laughing when we came out.I confronted him. He recounted that we did not collect money. He is seeking for attention to make himself relevant. Where were Yoruba leaders bribed to keep silent? What denominations were used to bribe them? Where was he? He is a charlatan.As soon as his boss died, because of his insolent conduct against his superiors, he was deployed to Enugu and his lieutenants were also deployed out of Aso Rock. So, how did Mustapha know what was happening? He should be ignored.I was in Ikoyi prison when Abiola died. It was five days after my release that we visited the former military Head of State. Yoruba leaders fought for June 12 and the revalidation of the annulled mandate. Mustapha was a wicked instrument for tormenting Abiola. One day, he will have to account for his deeds.Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, has alleged that some Yoruba leaders, led by Chief Ayo Opadokun, knew those who killed the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.Al-Mustapha was remanded in prison for 14 years in connection with the mysterious death of Abiola and his wife, Mrs. Kudirat Abiola.Speaking with reporters in Kaduna yesterday, after a meeting to broker peace between the North and Southeast, he alleged that the Yoruba leaders received bribe in dollars from the killers of MKO.He claimed that Opadokun led others to the Villa to meet Abiolas killers, but came out laughing after receiving dollars, just a day after MKO was killed.Al-Mustapha, who claimed to have videotaped how Opadokun and others collected the bribe, said he had since submitted a copy to a Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.According to Al-Mustapha, Chief Opadokun is someone I respect so much as an elder. But what came out in the newspaper was his own imagination and falsehood against me. If you know my character, you will know that I will not be scared to say the truth. It does not matter who and it does not matter where; but you will later realise that I told you the truth. I initially didnt want to reply him, but now that you have asked, I will tell you what happened.When Abiola died, a day after, he (Opadokun) was invited to the Presidency and he came to the Villa alongside his friends. He came with anger into the Villa.Those who killed Abiola invited him to the Villa. At that material time, they came to fight the government; they wanted to set the country ablaze, considering the tone they came with. They went into the meeting, they came out laughing, yelling and gearing as if nothing happened in the country.A day after Abiolas death, if you remember, the country was on the verge of collapse. But seeing what was going on and the things around Abiola led me to suspect them. I had not handed over the Villa to Abdulsalami Abubakars government then. So, I decided to videotape what they were doing and I have the tape and I have tendered the tape before a court of law, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court.In that tape, money exchanged hands and they traded with Abiola and that is my anger. The tape is in that court. Anybody that wants to watch it can get it and watch. It is now a public document. I didnt want to talk about it before, but money was brought from the Central Bank (CBN) in my presence and it was shared.So, if I talk about Abiolas well-being and safety, and that of his family, I am telling Nigerians what really happened. Why should a person from the same Southwest, who is supposed to protect Abiolas interest, now be seen to be angry with me? He should be happy with me for saying the fact, so that it will not happen again in Nigeria.Now, they have forgotten about Abiola but the moment I talk, they will come on the pages of newspapers and start insulting me. I didnt want to respond to them, but since you have asked, I have to say this. All they have done is that they took money and the moment you talk about Abiola, you become their enemies and they will abuse you in the papers. That is what they are doing to me; but I dont care.In Yoruba land where culture is the watchword, the late MKO Abiola was the last Aare Ona Kakanfo and for a Yoruba man of Opadokuns standing, going against Aare Ona Kakanfo, what is that thing? I tell you, it is dollars. Thank you very much, I will speak more on this much later Gods willing, said Al-Mustapha.
The senator representing Kaduna-Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, says the refusal of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to recognise and honour the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late MKO Abiola, is a reflection of Nigerias institutional failure.Sani noted that when Nigeria finally attained democratic rule in 1999, none of those who suffered in the hands of the military while struggling to entrench democracy in the country got any political position.He said it was, therefore, not surprising that the present crop of democrats in the country, who did not sacrifice anything for the nations democracy, were only interested in amassing wealth for themselves at the expense of the masses.Sani delivered a keynote address on Monday at the 2017 National Breakfast Prayers and Tribute Session in honour of Abiola.The event with the theme, June 12 movement and the hope of equitable restructuring for Nigeria, was also to commemorate the 24th anniversary of June 12, 1993 and it held at the late Abiolas house in Ikeja, Lagos.Sani argued that despite the Federal Governments failure to honour the late Abiola, the June 12, 1993 presidential election that the late businessman won, but which the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida annulled, laid the foundation for the current democratic rule in the country.He said, Without the struggle of June 12, there could not have been democracy in Nigeria today. The change and the experience in the 2015 election was part of the seed of June 12, it was the same forces that forced the military out power that rallied Nigerians to eject the PDP out of power.He said Obansanjos failure to honour the late Abiola reflected the effort of the political class to suppress the sacrifice of those who went to jail and those who paid the supreme price for the democracy that Nigeria has today.Sani said, It is not simply about Chief MKO Abiola not being recongnised by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, it is about an institutional decision of the political class, who continues to suppress the role played by the free press bringing about democracy17 years down democratic lane, hardly will you see any of those that were on the streets of Lagos protesting for democracy ever being recognised with even an award of OON, which is the lowest. As they share oil blocks to themselves, share positions to themselves, so they share national honour to themselves.Also speaking, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said had the late Abiola been allowed to enjoy the mandate given to him by Nigerians, there might not have been the different sectional agitations in the country.Ikuforiji said, The man who paid the supreme sacrifice, he had nothing to do with poverty as of the time he put down his life for Nigeria; our then President-elect had made many Nigerians from all walks of life millionaires on his own. He had contributed to the growth of many communities across Nigeria and it had nothing to do with tribe or religion.Perhaps, if our President-elect had been given the opportunity to run his term of office, there would have been no Niger Delta militants; perhaps if MKO had been given the opportunity to run the mandate that was given to him by Nigerians, today, there wouldnt have been any movement by Nnamdi Kanu; perhaps, if he had been given the opportunity to serve in the leadership role that Nigerians gave to him on June 12, 1993, today there wouldnt have been any declaration from the Arewa youths asking the Igbo to vacate.Speaking at the late Abiolas graveside, popular poet, Odia Ofeimum, said all the problems that made the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election possible are still with us.Also speaking at a June 12 anniversary event organised by the Oodua People Congress and chaired by a former Governor of Abia State, Chief Uzor Kalu, OPC leader, Gani Adams, lamented that those who benefitted most from Abiolas martyrdom, did not want to remember his memories today.Adams stated, And those who used to talk about injustice have since, given the opportunity, inflicted their own injustice on the people. Those who used to swear by Abiolas name have since found new political patrons. Those who proclaimed Abiola as the symbol of democracy and the rallying point for the peoples hopes have since been dancing on his grave.The OPC leader regretted the protest that greeted the renaming of the University of Lagos after Abiola by ex-President Goodluck Jonathans administration.Also speaking, Kalu said the countrys Democracy Day should be June 12 and not May 29, adding that May 29 was wrongly chosen because those who did not participate in the struggle for democracy chose it.The guest speaker at the OPC event and a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos, Dr. Chiedozie Okoro, who spoke on the topic, MKO: A symbol of freedom in the history of Nigerian democracy, said the annulment of the June 12 election brutally raped the downtrodden of the hope for a new dawn of freedom.But freedom denied is freedom delayed. True, when a messiah or hero is cut down, the flock (the people) are in disarray, only for some period. Time heals all wounds. It does not take long for the people to regroup, the lecturer said.He further called for the restructuring of the country along political and economic lines, taking into cognisance the countrys ethnic and religious differences.Okoro stated, The restructuring of Nigeria should be vehemently and persistently pursued. This, ultimately, will be good for Nigeria. The restructuring of Nigeria should not be delayed. Delay is dangerous because ethnic consciousness is rife and it is not about to subside.Lastly, in the pursuit of the restructuring of Nigeria, violence of any kind must be avoided.
US appeals court on Monday left in place a block on President Donald Trumps travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nati...

US appeals court on Monday left in place a block on President Donald Trumps travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations  the latest in a string of judicial blows for the controversial measure.The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit largely upheld an injunction on the ban issued by a lower court, but however said the government was within its right to review the vetting process for people entering the country.Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show, the ruling said. The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress.
HAMILTON -- A man found dead Monday in a small South Jersey quarry is believed to have drowned while swimming, according to a report.

The man was pulled from the water around 9:30 p.m. Monday, PressofAtlanticCity.com said. He had been swimming there earlier in the day.

The quarry is at the end of Thelma Avenue in the Mays Landing section of the township. The Brigantine Fire Department's Dive Team arrived to assist their Hamilton counterparts at 8 p.m., the report said.

State Police, who assisted at the scene, didn't immediately return a call seeking additional information.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A New Jersey woman was

from her former house by a burglar, according to a report by NBC New York.

Tina Citera's gold band, which had her husband's name inscribed on the inside, was given back to her recently after a lieutenant at the Ventnor Police Department found it in station's evidence room during an accounting of unclaimed items, NBC New York reported.

A burglar suspected of taking items from the couple's former home in Margate was arrested in 2012 and some of the items had been recovered, the report said.

However, the original police report didn't include the inscription of her husband's name, Carlo, and police didn't know who the ring belonged to, the report said. Police were recently reviewing unclaimed evidence and tracked the ring back to the Citeras.

Carlo Citera told NBC that he never thought he'd see it again, noting that it was the last gift given to him by his mother before she died.

The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary earlier this year, according to NBC.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Police made 34 arrests Sunday at the Hot 97 Summer Jam concert, New Jersey State Police said Monday.

Some 50,000 people attended the event at MetLife Stadium, police said.

Those arrested face a range of charges, including trespassing, possession of marijuana, and assault.

Police said eight people were issued summonses for soliciting without a permit and they left the venue.

The event also had a couple points of chaos, including when the gates closed on fans.

After the gates had been open for three hours, they were closed after a few fans in the security line "caused a disturbance by not following entry protocol," state police said.

The gates were eventually reopened and fans could enter.

During the concert, a car reportedly caught on fire and flames spread to two other vehicles. Additionally, a woman passed out from the 90-degree heat.

Hot 97's spokesperson had no comment.

Last year, 35 people were arrested at Summer Jam while 61 people were arrested in 2015.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
JPSO's new chief of operations is a former lawmaker and patrol deputy
Council Bluffs residents will be able to shoot off fireworks this Fourth of July season.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance that would allow for the discharge of fireworks from July 1 to July 4. Residents can shoot off fireworks from noon until 10 p.m. July 1 to July 3, and will be able to set them off until 11 p.m. on July 4. The law also allows for the discharge of fireworks from noon on Dec. 31 until 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Council members discussed an effort to balance the rights of residents who want to shoot off fireworks while respecting residents who do not participate.

The council tried to reach a happy medium, Mayor Matt Walsh said.

The council approved the first reading of the ordinance at a special meeting on May 31. On Monday night, the body waived a third reading, making the ordinance effective immediately.

In a slight change from what was voted on May 31, the approved ordinance requires residents to be 50 feet away from structures while shooting off fireworks. The language of the law had originally been 75 feet.

Additionally, council members Roger Sandau and Melissa Head pushed for the inclusion of July 1, a Saturday. At the councils study session Sandau mentioned the council would likely need to tweak the dates each year.

We need to include a weekend, Sandau said.

The votes come after the Iowa Legislature legalized the sale, purchase and possession of the majority of consumer fireworks. The law allows sales between June 1 and July 8 as well as from Dec. 10 to Jan. 3 from licensed shops. Temporary firework stands will be allowed June 13 to July 8.

The law allows local municipalities to restrict the use of fireworks. Council Bluffs Fire Chief Justin James had suggested the city keep its ban on the books, citing public safety concerns.

The ordinance approved Monday requires users to set off the fireworks on their own property or property where they have permission to set them off, while also barring their use at bars.

The ordinance restricts the use of fireworks by anyone younger than 18 years old. With adult supervision, children 5 and older can use Class III fireworks, which include snaps, snakes and sparklers.

Walsh said the city will continue to examine its fireworks laws moving forward. He encouraged residents to use fireworks responsibly this holiday season.

On Monday, the council also voted unanimously to approve on first reading an ordinance to adopt the 2015 International Fire Code, the most recent update to the code. The city had been following the 2009 code.

The ordinance includes an amendment that bans the use of sky lanterns in the city.

In other business, the council also unanimously approved the city to issue a total of $1.9 million in general obligation funds for a number of projects, including many that are a part of the citys capital improvement plan.
United Way of the Midlands announced it has received a $275,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation to support and further enhance a network of local human service programs that specifically serve Iowa residents living in or at risk of poverty.

According to the U.S. Census 2015 American Community Survey, 16.3 percent of Council Bluffs residents live in poverty.

Poverty is complex, multigenerational and it has increased over time. United Way officials said they will leverage foundation funds to respond to the growing challenges associated with poverty with thoughtful investments that support both immediate intervention and activities that promote long-term success.

With Iowa West Foundation support, United Way will maintain multi-year funding for programs that specifically help southwest Iowa residents address their basic needs, increase their education and work toward financial stability. Several of these services are based in Iowa; others are located within the metro area, and are available to Iowa residents.

To support positive and measurable outcomes in peoples lives and community conditions, the Iowa West Foundation carefully considers the short and long-term results that requesting programs seek to achieve on behalf of those who use the services. Programs receiving United Way investment complete a robust process that ensures dollars are invested wisely and expected results are achieved.

United Ways community impact goals demonstrate this focus, as organizations in Iowa and across the Council Bluffs-Omaha area work collaboratively to:

 Deliver over two million basic needs services to those living in or at risk of poverty.

 Make sure 85 percent of area ninth-graders are on track to succeed in school and life.

 Provide services in the Council Bluffs and Omaha metro area that help 65 percent of residents achieve financial stability.

Funding from area grants and individual donors also supports the 2-1-1 human service helpline that serves southwest Iowa and the entire state of Nebraska. In both states, the top three needs reported by callers are for housing, utilities and food.
The following editorial was published in the Sioux City Journal on June 7:

Given national reporting on scandals related to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals over the last several years, its more important than ever today that unfettered scrutiny of the VA exists.

Americas vets deserve nothing less.

To this end, we support passage by Congress of the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act. The proposed legislation passed the Senate last month and has been referred to two committees in the House for consideration. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., reintroduced the Kirkpatrick Act in March.

When there are acts of corruption and mismanagement at the VA, we must make sure whistleblowers are protected when they come forward about this mistreatment so that we can address it, Ernst said in a statement following Senate passage. It is so important that we make sure our veterans are receiving the quality and timely care they deserve. Im grateful to work with Senator Johnson to move this legislation through the Senate and become one step closer to better protecting our whistleblowers and improving our VA system.

The bill is named for Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick, a 38-year-old psychologist at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., who in 2009 took his own life after being fired for raising questions about overmedication of veterans at the center.

The bill would strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees, ensure federal employees have greater knowledge of whistleblower protections and strengthen penalties for those within the federal government who retaliate against whistleblowers.

Properly, much of the bill applies to employees of all federal departments. Because the bill was spurred by the experience of a former VA employee whose name it bears, however, the Kirkpatrick Act speaks in particular to the nations profound responsibility for care of its veterans.

Without question, that responsibility should include safeguards for those who blow the whistle on wrongs committed at places vets go for the support and services they earned through their service to our country.
Grass fire puts up fight before being put out

Five North Platte Fire Department units spent more than three hours Sunday fighting a grass fire near Union Pacific Railroad on Saturday.

The grass fire, on West Front Street near Homestead Road, started when sparks flew from the exhaust of a locomotive, said Assistant Fire Chief Trent Kleinow, adding that Sundays wind and heat helped contribute. Crews first responded just after 6:30 p.m. and left just before 10 p.m.

The fire was mostly on private railroad property and didnt damage any structures, Kleinow said. While the fire spread three-quarters of a mile, it was only about 40 yards wide, which helped crews keep it contained.

Still, the fire took five apparatus  including trucks, a tanker and a command rig  and 11 firefighters to extinguish it.

Kleinow said its hard to prevent fires caused by trains.

A lot of times when theyre braking, we get sparks, he said, so well get spot fires along the tracks.

However, crews work to keep nearby grassland cut short to prevent extensive flames.

State Patrol reports 8 dead over 4 days

From Thursday through Sunday, eight drivers lost their lives on Nebraska roads, prompting the Nebraska State Patrol to remind drivers to help maintain safe roads.

The accidents happened across the state from west of Ogallala to Omaha. They included multivehicle crashes, single-car crashes and a collision of two motorcycles.

Theres no clear link between all of these crashes, but the number of recent fatalities underscores the importance of safe driving, said Col. Brad Rice, superintendent of the patrol. The best way to make Nebraska roadways safe is for all motorists to voluntarily comply with traffic safety laws, wear seat belts and avoid distracted driving.

As of Monday, there had been 86 fatalities on Nebraska roads. That figure is six fewer than the average from the last five years through June 11.

For tips on safe driving, visit roads.nebraska.gov/safety/driving on the Nebraska Department of Roads website.
NebraskaLand National Bank is kicking off the annual Nebraskaland Days celebration with rodeo queens and a petting zoo from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the main bank location, 1400 S. Dewey St.

This year marks the 62nd year of Miss Rodeo Nebraska. The bank will welcome 14 state rodeo queens, including Miss Rodeo Nebraska Laramie Schlichtemeier and Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska Taylor Fugate.

Community members are encouraged to help welcome the rodeo queens, receive their autographs and enjoy treats as well as a free petting zoo.
Miss Rodeo Nebraska competition begins

As Halee Kohmetscher rode around the Wild West Arena on Sunday afternoon, her antsy horse suddenly slipped and fell.

The Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska contestant kept calm as she helped her horse up during the pageants horsemanship competition. As it took off around the front of the grandstands, Kohmetscher, 17, from Lawrence, kept her smile. The crowd in the grandstands cheered.

The Miss Rodeo and Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska pageant kicked off Sunday with horsemanship and continued Monday with a speech competition.

The cowgirl up mentality is a major theme of Miss Rodeo Nebraskas pageant. On Sunday, just before the four teen contestants took the arena, the three Miss Rodeo Nebraska contestants each drew to ride another participants horse. As Miss Rodeo Nebraska travels the country, shell be expected to hop on any horse shes given and keep her poise, regardless of how the horse acts.

The contestants changed into Western dresses and skirts Monday for the pageants speech competition, during which each spoke fondly about Nebraska before giving an impromptu commercial for one of Tuesdays many auction items. Miss Rodeo Nebraska contestant Allyn Leick, 25, pointed to the hardships of the prairie pioneers, but added that Nebraska still has that Old Market swing. Leick, a University of Nebraska at Kearney student, went on to say that Nebraska is a place for everyone from scientists to those on farms and ranches, and she pointed to the state motto, Equality before the law.

Kristin Kohmetscher, Halees sister, 24, spoke of how much she missed aspects of Nebraska life, such as people waving, after she moved away to college. She attends the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Carly Woerman, 21, of North Bend likened Nebraska to a beautiful lady being introduced at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo for her 150th birthday. With Husker-red lips and sky-blue eyes, the lady is sun-kissed like the Sandhills, Woerman said, adding that the lady also loves unpredictable weather.

Teen contestants mentioned topics including rodeo-announcer Hadley Barrett, who died earlier this year; the Elwood Rodeo; and the rodeo scenes through the eyes of a famous rodeo horse.

The pageant continues Tuesday night with a style show at the North Platte Community Playhouse. Unlike past years, the event does not include dinner. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Autographs from rodeo queens begin at 6 p.m. before a live auction at 7 p.m.; the style show starts at 7:30.

Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska will be crowned at the North Platte Community Playhouse Wednesday at 9 a.m. Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2018 will be crowned at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo that evening.
Nebraskans know how to honor veterans. Our states strong commitment to the men and women who serve was on full display in May, when we came together to carry out the largest honor flight for Vietnam veterans in history. The trip was made possible by the generosity of Nebraskans from all across our state, young and old.

Ensuring veterans have access to quality health care is one of the many ways we thank them for their selfless sacrifice to our nation. But for years now, the Department of Veterans Affairs has remained clouded by controversy. Despite steps taken to address the issues at the VA, scandals continue to linger, showing our veterans are not always put first.

In the spring of 2016, Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez, the chief of specialty care clinics at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs office, made a startling confession: Two years after the scandal that revealed our veterans were dying as they waited for health care, the VA hadnt completely changed. Rodriguez told local news that schedulers were purposely deleting patient appointments and marking the changes as made by the patients, including, in some cases, making it appear as though deceased veterans had called to change appointments. This continued even after he told VA Director Deborah Amdur about the problem.

Enough is enough.

Its time for real reform at the VA, and thats why I recently supported Senator Marco Rubios Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act (VAAWP). Members of the Senate can come together, and we recently passed this legislation unanimously. It builds on previous work done by Congress and ensures that those who earned health care benefits by serving our country arent forgotten.

Since the passage of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act (Choice Act) in 2014, which expanded health care options for veterans and allowed VA officials to fire poor-performing employees, Congress has continued to uncover mismanagement and misconduct from VA employees. Many VA employees are excellent at their jobs, and they work tirelessly to serve our veterans. Unfortunately, todays civil service rules still often fail to reprimand those who dont live up to the VAs promise of treating those who served in our armed forces with dignity and respect.

The VAAWP would reform our nations civil services system within the VA while keeping due process for workers. Personnel decisions would be accelerated by tightening up the timeline for firing processes and through the lowering of the burden of proof needed to dismiss bad actors. It would also allow the VA secretary to reduce benefits and rescind bonuses for those who are underperforming. These reforms would apply to both senior executive positions and the rank and file.

The VAAWP also empowers whistleblowers, like Rodriguez, to serve as the first line of defense against corruption by allowing them to come forward without having to fear retaliation from bureaucrats. Under this bill, the secretary would be directed to provide training on whistleblower protections and general workplace management. The secretary would also report to Congress on employee morale.

We must ensure that those who risked their lives defending our country have access to timely and effective health care. Last Congress, I was proud to spur change within the VA through the CHIP IN for Vets Act, which gives local communities, like Omaha, a pathway to assist with the design and construction of VA health care facilities. I will continue to work on legislation like the CHIP IN for Vets Act and the VAAWP so that our veterans are assured the quality health care they have earned.
HIGHLAND  A proposed boutique hotel and office park are in the right zone after the Town Council changed the land on Monday from residential to business planned unit development.

A planned unit development gives the town the ability to list various requirements  on behalf of the town  from developers wishing to gain approval.

The 9-acre area sits at the corner of Main Street and Prairie Avenue and was recently purchased by Dr. Claude Gendreau, a veterinary surgeon from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, who will house his business in one of the office buildings.

The rezone was recommended last month by the Plan Commission to make way for the project, which is called Cardinal Campus.

"It has been approved as far as rezoning, but contingent upon the Plan Commission approving primary and secondary approval for subdivision and that there be a final PUD plan approved by the Plan Commission," Town Attorney Rhett Tauber said.

The council also voted to approve the project's preliminary PUD plan.

Tauber noted that the project will not come back before the council as the action returns to the Plan Commission.

The commission will hold a public hearing on June 21 on preliminary subdivision for the project.

Final approval could come as early as August, board members said.

"It's going to become a unique property in Northwest Indiana and we are pleased that it's coming to the town of Highland," said Council President Dan Vassar, D-3rd.

Cardinal Campus would consist of seven two-story office buildings, one three-story hotel and public open spaces intermixed with trees and other landscaping.

The boutique hotel would be similar to a successful one that Gendreau owns in Homewood, Illinois.

"We expect to break ground in the fall," Gendreau said last month of the first three buildings, which would take about 18 months to construct.

In other business, the council expressed best wishes to Cecile Petro, who retired last week after 12 years as Redevelopment Director.

Vassar added that reports in the media and on social media were completely unfounded regarding Petro's retirement package.

Vassar noted that there never was any agreement to provide her with comp time accumulated over her 12-year career.

Vassar also stressed that Petro never requested any such thing and will get the standard retirement benefits that other department heads receive.

"She always carries herself the right way," Vassar said of Petro, "no matter what nonsense comes her way."

The council also offered warm wishes to Highland police Cmdr. George Georgeff, who retired earlier this month.
CROWN POINT  Kevin D. Riley was convicted by a jury Monday of murder in the January 2016 shooting death of 39-year-old April Bailey.

Riley, 37, was also convicted of two sentencing enhancements for use of a firearm in the commission of the murder and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

Riley was previously convicted in 1997 of involuntary manslaughter and criminal deviate conduct on allegations he molested and killed a 10-month-old child.

Riley will face anywhere from 50 years to 97 years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 11.

Riley was charged with murder on allegations he fatally shot Bailey on Jan. 13, 2016, outside the woman's home in the 4700 block of Delaware Street in Gary.

Riley's then-girlfriend, Marian Robertson, testified last week she suspected that Riley and Bailey were involved in a sexual relationship, which caused the couple to visit Bailey's home on the day of the shooting to discuss the allegations.

Robertson said she and Bailey spoke outside the home, and though the conversation was cordial, Riley exited her vehicle and she heard a gunshot.

Robertson said she did not witness her boyfriend shoot Bailey, but Riley threatened to kill her if she did not drive him away from the scene.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nadia Chivers admitted in closing statements that Robertson initially lied to police about the couple's involvement in Bailey's death, but the prosecutor said that was due to fear.

She had just seen this man shoot April Bailey in the face, Chivers said. She didn't want to be next.

Chivers pointed out that Riley had also lied to police about his whereabouts on the day of the shooting, and then attempted to coerce a witness into corroborating his statement after he was arrested.

A jail informant also claimed that Riley had offered to pay him cash if he killed Robertson mere months before the case was scheduled to go to trial.

Defense attorney Mark Gruenhagen attacked in his closing statements the police investigation into Bailey's murder, arguing that police conducted a biased and flawed investigation.

He argued in closing statements that police accepted too readily Robertson's account of the incident, even though she was also a suspect in the murder.

No family or friends of the victim or defendant attended the final day of trial.
INDIANAPOLIS  State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, is reiterating his opposition to a proposed freight railroad that seeks to cut across Northwest Indiana and bypass Chicago en route to southeast Wisconsin.

Great Lakes Basin Transportation last month asked the federal government to approve its plans for a 261-mile, $2.8 billion rail line that the company claims would be the largest Chicago-area freight rail expansion in more than a century.

Niemeyer contends the project, which is expected to run through his south Lake County district, would negatively affect the Region's environment and quality of life.

"Using the farm land and rural residences would forever alter the serene rural landscape that generations have shared and passed on, along with damaging the complex series of underground drains in the fields, which could result in the land being unusable for agriculture," he said.

"After discussing this proposed project with concerned constituents and business leaders, I and others in our community do not support the construction of this rail line."
The "Fox & Friends" morning show hosted the BoneFrog Challenge during a live broadcast on May 25 designed for friendly competition between the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, in celebration of Fleet Week New York (FWNY).

The BoneFrog Challenge by HESCO is comprised of five obstacles, ranging from climbing a 12-foot vertical wooden wall to belly-crawling in a pit of mulch underneath a low-fastened wire mesh cover. The cold and rainy weather did not deter the four members from each branch who participated in the challenge.

Ensign Jared Smoot, from Crown Point, who belongs to USS Kearsage (LHD 3) from Norfolk, Virginia, participated.

I have been in the Navy for a total of six years and I love exercising my ability to be my best, said Smoot, who is 6 feet, 10 inches tall.

FWNY, now in its 29th year, is the citys 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 todays maritime services. The weeklong celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984.
Our communities regularly celebrate the year-end accomplishments of standout athletes and those exhibiting elite academic prowess.

We often miss the stories of students experiencing academic struggles who persevere and overcome extraordinary challenges to attain academic success.

A Schererville business deserves praise for reminding us, through a special weekend ceremony, that great accomplishments abound in the lives of Region students who succeeded this past school year, despite math and reading difficulties or other challenges.

"We wanted to honor the kids who are working their hardest, who improve their grades," Albert's Diamond Jewelers owner Fred Halpern said. "And we always tell these kids, 'You know the world's in better shape because of people like you. You're the future of our country.'"

A total of 60 students from 30 Lake County schools were recognized by Halpern's business Saturday.

Those students were nominated by the folks on the front lines who witnessed the children's struggles to success  principals, teachers and other school faculty.

One of the honorees, fourth-grader Tori Bielski, had been reading at a third-grade level. Extra time spent after school in a Schererville program helped boost both her reading and math skills to a fifth-grade level.

Another student, 11-year-old Riley Wade, missed a number of school days because she suffers from Crohn's disease.

"She misses a lot but works on her homework during recess to still make the honor roll," Riley's mother said of the girl, who recently completed fifth-grade at Johnston Elementary School in Highland.

Students like Tori, Riley and the many others honored Saturday by Albert's should inspire us all.

All of those students received "Most Improved Student" certificates, a new watch from Albert's and a commemorative photo.

Fred Halpern's son and Albert's co-owner, Joshua Halpern, likened the watches to badges of honor  reminders of the students' commitment to learning.

All students who find academic success should take pride in their accomplishments. But those who choose to work harder to overcome obstacles deserve a special place in our society's roll of honor.
At Methodist Hospitals, two fellowship-trained spinal surgeons are on the forefront of an innovative procedure that gives patients with disabling conditions a better chance of a normal life with fewer complications.

Drs. Ashish Patel and Elian Shepherd are spinal surgeons who perform delicate scoliosis operations together. This reduces the surgerys duration as well as blood loss and complications. That adds up to better outcomes.

Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. Though scoliosis can occur in patients with conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most cases is unknown.

Some cases of scoliosis are mild, but spine deformities can become more severe as a child grows and can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space in the chest, interfering with lung function.

Its those patients with severe deformities that Patel and Shepherd treat. In the last nine months, they have performed more than 200 spinal surgeries together. Patel says that all patients have shown substantial improvement in function and standing posture.

The results have been promising, Patel said. Our patients have less risk of complications, because we can get them out of surgery quicker. Working together, we can perform spinal fusion steps simultaneously.

An article published in the Journal of Orthopaedics concluded that the two-surgeon approach significantly lowered the risks associated with complex scoliosis spinal surgery. Another study published in Spine Deformity, the journal of the Scoliosis Research Society, showed that dual-surgeon procedures reduced operating room time an average of two and a half hours from a single-surgeon procedure.

By reducing time on the operating table from 7 1/2 hours to five hours, the patient has a significant reduction in blood loss, Shepherd explained. For a spinal patient, that is a major improvement.

Shepherd has been a part of the Methodist Hospitals surgical team for 35 years. Patel joined Methodist 10 months ago, after spending a year in Germany performing scoliosis surgery. Both are fellowship-trained, a point that Patel emphasized.

Fellowship-trained surgeons have the background and common practices to work together to the patients benefit, he said.

It has been an honor to team up with Dr. Shepherd, Patel continued. It has provided me with an opportunity to hone my craft with one of the leading spinal surgeons in the area.

In the operating room, they work on separate aspects of the surgery. This technique is utilized at large academic tertiary spine centers in Chicago, San Francisco and other cities, according to Patel, who brought it with him from New York.

The surgeons discussed an operation performed on a woman who was in a horrific automobile accident.

Barbara Nannenga, of DeMotte, suffered three breaks in her back in the accident Jan. 27, 2016.

Nannenga turned to Shepherd and Patel when her injury healed in the shape of a question mark, making sitting, standing, and walking extremely painful.

She came to us almost one year after the accident, Shepherd recalled. She had been thrown from the vehicle.

In a 6 1/2 hour operation, the surgeons removed the misshapen bones and inserted two titanium rods to place her spine in proper alignment.

Nannenga can now walk, sit, and stand normally.

Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Patel are amazing, she said. They both have incredible bedside manner, and their surgical skills got me back on my feet. I dont even use pain medicines.

Many patients who come to us are at the end of hope, Patel explained. They are miserable due to spinal deformities. For them, we are their last chance at a normal life.

And their innovative approach to the delicate surgery give those patients that opportunity.
Temperatures are still scorching in the city, but some New Yorkers are facing the heat head on.

People were out and about in Brooklyn Bridge Park trying to cool off.

This is the second day in a row with highs climbing above 90 degrees.

Some public school students had the day off for a Clerical Day.

Parents took advantage of the day out of the classroom to spend time outdoors with family.

"Try to stay cool, you know, enjoy family, let the kids get wet a little and that's it, enjoy yourself," said one New Yorker out in the heat.

Forecasts call for a high temperature of 90 on Tuesday. If temperatures reach the 90-degree mark, the city would officially be in a heat wave.

The Health Department is urging people to drink plenty of water during the hot temperatures.

Officials say New Yorkers should also avoid labor and stay inside.
NEW YORK - Long Island Rail Road riders have been warned to expect a "summer of hell" while repairs are made to Penn Station.

Now they have a better idea of what's coming.

The MTA on Monday laid out its revised schedule for the railroad while the renovation work is being done.

It involves a 20 percent reduction in service into and out of Penn Station starting next month.

Two trains into Penn will be canceled every weekday morning.

Thirteen westbound trains will terminate at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, Hunters Point in Queens, or Jamaica Station.

But three new trains will be added early in the rush hour, and 16 trains will have extra cars.

In the evening, seven trains out of Penn will be canceled.

Ten more eastbound trains will originate in Brooklyn and Queens instead of Penn Station.

Two trains will be added, and 13 trains will get more cars.

The MTA will launch two new ferry routes to 34th Street from Long Island City and from Glen Cove on Long Island.

And it's creating new park and ride bus options throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The MTA will also offer free morning subway transfers to all Long Island Rail Road ticketholders at Hunterspoint Avenue, Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal.

The plan takes effect when repairs begin on July 10, and will last until at least September 1.
A pair of researchers from Auburn UniversityMajid Beidaghi, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, and Bridgett King, assistant professor of political sciencehave been named recipients of the 2017 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, given annually by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities consortium, or ORAU.

The awards are intended to provide seed funding and enhance the research and professional growth of junior faculty at ORAU member institutions. Each winner receives a one-year, $5,000 research grant from ORAU, which is matched by the faculty members institution.

It is a great achievement for Auburn University to receive two Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards from ORAU, said John Mason, Auburns vice president for research and economic development. It speaks very highly of Dr. King and Dr. Beidaghi and their promising research programs that ORAU has selected them for this honor.

Beidaghi, who came to Auburn in 2015, conducts research on the synthesis of advanced materials and the development of devices for energy storage applications. For his Powe Award project, Beidaghi will collaborate with researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to examine potential cathode materials for aluminum batteries, which show promise as an alternative to the traditional lithium-ion batteries used in many portable electronic devices.

King, who joined Auburns faculty in 2014, will work with colleagues from the University of Kentucky to study the impact of felony disenfranchisement laws and policy on community voter turnout among citizens who are still legally able to vote. The team will utilize geographic information system technology in combination with data on felony convictions, precinct-specific election data and information from the U.S. Census for a comprehensive precinct-level analysis.

Jonathan Cullum is an employee of Auburn University.
Trade group the Associated General Contractors of America has retained law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr for Capitol Hill representation on government contract issues.

AGC is the leading association advocating for the U.S. construction industry, representing general contractors, specialty contractors and service providers and suppliers on national policy issues. Founded in 1918 at the request of Woodrow Wilson, the non-profit maintains a nationwide network of chapters and represents more than 32,000 industry firms.

AGC has requested that lawmakers address what they characterize as a construction labor shortage in the U.S. by increasing funding for the Perkins Act, which provides funds for career and technical training programs.

While U.S. construction employment has grown at a faster rate than the overall economy  adding 11,000 jobs in May alone, a 2.9 percent year-over-year increase, according to AGCs analysis of government data  construction firms now find themselves struggling to find enough suitable workers to meet project demands.

According to AGC analysis, the average weekly work rate in construction is now 39.9 hours, the highest it has been since 2006.

A three-person team manages the AGC account, which includes: Robert Lehman, former chief of staff to Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and chief of staff to the Office of Management and Budget; Jonathan Yarowsky, former special counsel to President Clinton and general counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary; and Timothy Martin, former legislative director to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and general counsel and senior legislative assistant to Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO).

Boston and D.C.-based WilmerHale, which was founded in 2004, staffs more than 1,000 lawyers in a dozen offices across the United States, Europe and Asia.
The 2017 Jeep Cherokee may not seem like the first Jeep youd opt for to tackle the trails. This mid-size SUV appears more apt for picking up the kids from school and taking a day trip to the beach or lake with the family. Trail capability is an important aspect of the Jeep brand, however, and thats why the Cherokee is also offered in a Trailhawk package, which essentially means it is the most capable version for off-roading.

Exactly how far does that Trailhawk package and its Trail Rated badge take you on the trails? Thats what we aim to find out.

Hitting the Road

We secured a 2017 Cherokee Trailhawk for a road trip from Southern California out to Moab, Utah. The long drive provided plenty of time to soak in all of the amenities of Jeeps mid-size SUV. Having recently driven both a Grand Cherokee and the new Compass, we were pleasantly surprised at just how much interior cabin space the Cherokee provides. Although we didnt have any passengers for the long road trip, once in Moab we filled up the rig with camera and video equipment and a crew of three adults, and we felt there was plenty of space to fit everything with no hassle. We especially appreciate the power lift gate for loading and unloading gear.

The Cherokee Trailhawk may be marketed with a nod toward its off-road capability, but the Trailhawk model also comes with a host of premium upgrades that focus on comfort. Nappa leather seats are found throughout, with red Trailhawk stitching accenting the heated and ventilated front seats, which is nice for somewhere like Moab where it can be downright cold when the sun is down and pretty hot when its out.

More creature comforts are found in the cabin, such as a heated steering wheel, eight-way adjustable drivers seat, a remote start system and the Jeep Keyless Enter n Go push-button start. The UConnect infotainment 7-inch touchscreen is found front and center of the dash, offering USB and auxiliary connection, satellite radio and BlueTooth phone connection. New for 2017 are HID headlamps, and we had our fair share of needing plenty of visibility driving the empty roads out to Moab after sundown.

Powering our Cherokee Trailhawk is a 3.2L Pentastar V6 engine rated to produce 271 hp and 239 lb.-ft. of torque. The V6 is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Overall, we liked the performance of the engine for our long highway drive. Around town the engine has enough zip to get up to speed fairly quickly from stops and when hopping on the highway, and although the nine-speed trans is designed to aid in fuel economy it didnt feel like it significantly limited the playfulness of the small V6. When on the open road, the Pentastar engine offers plenty of power to overtake a car and confidently pass trailers and trucks. While the handling of the Cherokee is not exactly sporty, the mid-size SUV is fun to drive around town and still comfortable enough for road trips.

We averaged roughly 22.1 mpg over the course of the entire trip, a shade above the 21 mpg combined rating for the V6, which is not surprising since a lot of our journey was highway miles. The 3.2L V6 comes standard with engine stop-start technology, which is designed to improve fuel economy by shutting off the engine at stop lights, but we found ourselves turning it off more often than not because it can get bothersome - and were happy to have the option to do so! Although we did not tow with our test unit, when fitted with the Trailer Tow Package the Cherokee can pull up to 4,500 pounds.

Rated for the Trails

There are a few key features that set the Trailhawk apart from other Cherokees, with one of the most trail worthy aspects being the Jeep Active Drive Lock system. Although Active Drive II features a 4WD Low mode and 56:1 crawl ratio, the next-level Active Drive Lock features all of those things but also includes a mechanical rear axle lock, offering additional traction for the rear end of the Jeep when tackling more challenging terrain. The Active Drive Lock 4x4 system also includes the Selec-Terrain Traction Management system, allowing the driver to pick the setting for the appropriate terrain whether it be Snow, Sand/Mud or Rock mode (theres also a setting for Auto and Sport).

The ground clearance on the Trailhawk isnt great at 8.7 inches, and we certainly found the limitations of this on some rocky terrain just outside of Moab, but thats where the skid plates unique to the Trailhawk definitely come in handy. What does improve considerably on the Trailhawk model is the approach, breakover and departure angles. The approach angle on the Trailhawk improves to 29.9 degrees (up from 21.0 on Selec-Terrain II models), the breakover angle improves slightly at 22.9 degrees (from 21.7 on 4x4 II), and the departure angle improves to 32.2 degrees (from 27.3 on 4x4 II). What this all equates to is being able to take the Cherokee Trailhawk on some moderate trails without bashing the fascias and bumpers into oblivion.

Finding Limits

We had our fair share of trail variety during our test. Aside from dozens of on-road hours, we ventured off the pavement on everything from dusty, hard-packed fire roads to sandy, soft trails - we even tested our mettle on some moderately rocky trails. The conclusion is the Trailhawk is definitely the Cherokee youd want off of the pavement, but there are limits to what youll want to realistically tackle.

In Moab and in the areas just outside of the city, most of the trails and campsites are accessed by either hard-packed dirt roads with the occasional sandy corners. The Cherokee Trailhawk is great for exploring off of the pavement, because while the ground clearance of the Jeep isnt stellar the improved approach angle certainly makes you less concerned about driving over bumps and ruts at 20 mph when off the highway. We drove on a section of sandy trails that run up and over rolling hills, and the Trailhawk confidently powered up and down the trails and never bottomed out when transitioning between hills. Even when we had to slow down to turn around in sand and silt, we simply shifted into low range and maneuvered through the sand without worry of getting stuck. We did adjust the Selec-Terrain settings at times, but the only occasions we really noted a difference was in the sand and rock settings.

Speaking of rocks, after spending plenty of time on pretty basic trails that offered no real challenge other than getting stuck in sand, we felt brave enough to tackle a pretty rocky trail section, and this is where we found our limitations. Shifting into low range and putting the Selec-Terrain in Rock mode, we crawled up and down the rock-strewn trail, careful to pick the right line because any miscue could cause body damage. We eventually came to a rock ledge that was just a little too tall for the Jeep, because in spite of its skid plates, rear locker and improved angles, theres a limit to the suspension articulation, and we already managed to get one of the wheels off the ground on a ledge. The Trailhawk is the most capable Cherokee, but that doesnt mean youll want to pretend its a Wrangler.

Final Thoughts

The Cherokee Trailhawk is the most trail-capable Cherokee, and it is certainly ready for off-pavement exploration. The Trailhawk has legit trail capability. With its selectable low range and rear locker, it is far more capable than any other mid-size SUV we can think of, but the lack of serious suspension articulation, decent-but-not-great ground clearance and the moderate all-terrain tires require managed expectations.

Trail capability aside, the Cherokee Trailhawk is very civilized inside, and this package is loaded with premium features typically found only on top-end models. We like the spaciousness and features inside the Cherokee, its overall handling and performance. The Cherokee Trailhawk is ready to tackle lifes daily demands, and its ready for adventure when you need it to be.

The base starting price for the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 is $31,195, but ours is optioned up to $43,180, which includes things such as the nine-speaker sound system ($595), 17-inch aluminum wheels ($655), SafetyTec Group that includes Blind Spot and Cross Path Detection ($1,155) and a few other things. For more information on available options and packages, visit Jeep.com/cherokee.
Agricultural News

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Promotes Mielke and Nemecek to Senior Directors of Communications

Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently named Dustin Mielke and Hannah Nemecek as senior directors of communications.







"As the voice of Oklahoma agriculture, communicating with members and the public is critical to the success of Farm Bureau," said Monica Wilke, OKFB executive director. "Dustin and Hannah have done a tremendous job, and will continue to do so as they work to enhance our various communications efforts."







Mielke was promoted to senior director of corporate communications. In his new role, Mielke will drive communications to OKFB members regarding organizational services and programs. He also will continue in his visual communications role. A member of the OKFB communications staff since 2006, Mielke most recently served as director of corporate communications.







"Sharing agriculture's story has been a longtime passion of mine, and I'm excited to continue that work for our Farm Bureau members in a new capacity," Mielke said. "We have so many great things happening in Oklahoma agriculture and Oklahoma Farm Bureau, and it is vitally important we share these stories to ensure our industry thrives into the future."







Mielke, who holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University, has more than 11 years of experience with the organization's communications department. He grew up in the small agricultural community of Conrad, Montana, and resides in Edmond, Oklahoma, with his wife Li.







Nemecek was named senior director of policy communications. In the new position, she will lead Farm Bureau messaging on state and national policy issues as she also maintains and improves the visuals of OKFB's legislative efforts.







"Now more than ever, elected officials and the public must understand the needs of agriculture and rural Oklahoma," Nemecek said. "I'm eager to continue providing a voice for farmers and ranchers at the state Capitol, in Washington, D.C., and beyond."







Nemecek previously served as director of public policy communications after beginning her career with OKFB in 2015 as a communications specialist. She also earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications at OSU. Nemecek grew up on a small swine operation in Skiatook, Oklahoma, and now resides in Oklahoma City.







Source - Oklahoma Farm Bureau











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Top Agricultural News
Funeral services for Zachary Bearheels, who died last week after an encounter with Omaha police, will be 11 a.m. Wednesday in Oklahoma.

The service will be held at Cache Creek Cemetery, five miles west of Apache, Oklahoma, in the southwest part of the state. Relatives still are trying to raise money to cover funeral costs through a Go Fund Me page.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has recommended that two officers who confronted Bearheels early on June 5 be fired.

Police went to the Bucky's convenience store at 60th and Center Streets to respond to a disturbance with a person who was refusing to leave. Bearheels, 29, was asked for his identification and why he was at Bucky's, but his speech was garbled and he displayed signs of impairment, Schmaderer said last week.

Officers had put Bearheels in handcuffs, Schmaderer said, but used a Taser on him after he struggled with them and refused to return to the back of a police cruiser. One officer shocked Bearheels with the Taser 12 times, and another officer repeatedly struck Bearheels with his fists, Schmaderer said.

Bearheels was not breathing and had no pulse when he was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died.
Only one of the four officers who dealt with Zachary Bearheels during his fatal encounter with police was wearing a body camera. And the officers camera was turned off  a violation of Omaha Police Department policy.

Scotty Payne, who used a Taser on the handcuffed Bearheels, was the sole officer with a body camera, said Capt. Kerry Neumann of the Omaha Police Department. Its not clear why Paynes camera was off.

Its a violation of our policy that he didnt have the camera on, said Neumann, who leads the team that investigates in-custody deaths. At this point we dont know what the reason behind it is.

Payne and another officer at the scene, Ryan McClarty, have been recommended for termination.

Police went to the Buckys convenience store at 60th and Center Streets on June 5 to respond to a report about a person refusing to leave.

Bearheels, 29, was asked for his identification and why he was at Buckys, but his speech was garbled and he showed signs of impairment, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said last week.

Officers put Bearheels in handcuffs, Schmaderer said. Payne used a Taser on him after he struggled with them and refused to get into the back of a police cruiser. Payne shocked Bearheels with the Taser 12 times, and McClarty repeatedly struck Bearheels with his fists, Schmaderer said.

Bearheels was not breathing and had no pulse when he was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died.

In addition to the four officers already at the scene, two officers arrived toward the end in the encounter. Those officers, Michael Hempel and Ashley Morris, were wearing body cameras, and those cameras were on, Neumann said.

They had very minimal involvement in this, he said.

Neumann declined to say what the video from those body cameras showed. Much of the encounter was caught on cruiser cameras, and that video and audio will be released either after a grand jury decision or during a potential criminal court case.

The Omaha Police Department began using 115 body cameras last spring and will distribute more to officers next year. The goal is to eventually equip all uniformed patrol officers and all gang unit officers with cameras.

Department policy requires that officers activate body cameras when they arrive at a scene. If they do not do so, they must document why.
The driver of a utility vehicle involved in a nearly head-on collision that left a woman dead in southwest Iowa was the womans 10-year-old grandson.

The boy and his sister, who was also in the vehicle, were injured.

The family was in a utility vehicle, which is somewhat similar in appearance to a golf cart, and traveling on a rural road east of Lenox, Iowa, Monday evening when the crash occurred.

The utility vehicle collided nearly head-on with a pickup when the two vehicles crested a hill at about 6:50 p.m., according to the Iowa State Patrol.

The grandmother, Denise Smith, 60, of Lenox, was a passenger. The driver, Braxston Bradley, was seriously injured, as was his sister, Justyce Bradley, 9. The children are from Prescott, Iowa. A fourth person riding in the utility vehicle was not injured. That mans age and hometown were not released.

The patrol said Braxston was taken to a local hospital and Justyce was taken by medical helicopter to a Des Moines hospital.

The driver of the pickup, Zachary Marxen, 19, of Lenox, was not injured, the patrol said.

The pickup ended up in the east ditch, the patrol said, and the utility vehicle came to rest in the roadway.

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the gender of one of the children harmed in the crash.
A cold front was expected to trigger strong to severe thunderstorms by this afternoon and evening across the region, with the volatile weather likely to begin between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in northeast Nebraska.

Storms were to develop southward and eastward through the night, with an enhanced risk of severe weather across parts of the area, the National Weather Service office in Valley said. Large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will be possible, especially north of Interstate 80.

Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice were included in an area under a slight risk for severe weather today, and locations to the west and north of Omaha were under an enhanced risk, the weather service said.

Today in the Omaha area, look for mostly sunny skies, a high temperature in the low 90s and south-southeast winds gusting as high as 30 mph. Tonight will remain breezy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11 p.m., and a low in the upper 60s.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are forecast to be mostly sunny with a 20 percent to 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. and highs in the low to mid-90s.

Thursday and Friday nights, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. with a low in the mid- to upper 60s.

The rest of the Omaha-area forecast, according to the weather service:

Saturday  Mostly sunny with a high in the upper 80s.

Saturday night  A chance of showers with a low in the low 60s.

Sunday  Mostly sunny with a high in the low 80s.

Sunday night  Partly cloudy with a low around 60.

Monday  Mostly sunny with a high around 85.

A KMTV meteorologist, Ryan McPike, said the Omaha area could receive up to .88 inches of rainfall through Sunday due to scattered and isolated storms.

Certainly were much quieter this morning than we were Monday morning, McPike said.

Mondays stormy weather brought 3.72 inches of rain to Lincoln, the weather service said.

Other rainfall totals in inches for the 24 hours ending at 7:30 p.m. Monday: Albion, .03; Beatrice, .06; Blair, .10; Columbus, .07; Fremont, trace; Nebraska City, trace; Offutt Air Force Base, .02; Eppley Airfield, .03; Florence, .01; Millard, .18; Plattsmouth, .17; Tekamah, .01; Valley, .05; Wahoo, .09; Council Bluffs, 06; Red Oak, trace.

Also Monday, parts of the Nebraska Panhandle, including the Scottsbluff area, saw its share of severe weather. The Nebraska State Patrol tweeted out a photo of a tornado, and some locations that included small buildings and trees sustained damage. No serious injuries were reported.

Downed power poles were reported in Minatare, Gering and Scottsbluff.

In Bayard, a tornado ripped the roof off nursing home, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald reported.

Bayard police said the Chimney Rock Villa local nursing homes residents were evacuated to the high school after the roof was torn off the building. No injuries were reported.

Some homes and vehicles were damaged as the tornado came through the community.

Elsewhere, a tornado was reported southwest of Harrisburg in Banner County around Nebraska Highways 71 and 88. Several other tornadoes touched down briefly in northern Kimball County, the National Weather Service said.

The Facebook page of the weather service office in North Platte reported a tornado on the ground Monday night north of Antioch in southwest Sheridan County in the Panhandle.

The weather service office in North Platte also reported on Facebook that heavy rain and large hail occurred Monday night across parts of the Panhandle and numerous tornado warnings also were issued.
Union Pacifics Living Legend No. 844 steam locomotive rolled into Council Bluffs on Monday followingafter its journey from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

From June 16 to 27, No. 844 will be parked near TD Ameritrade Park for the College World Series.

The display will be open from noon to 7 p.m. every day but June 24 and 25.

Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive that was built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1944 and served as a high-speed passenger engine.

When diesels took over all of the passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service. The engine has run hundreds of thousands of miles as a Union Pacific ambassador.
An advertisement for China Vanke Co Ltd in the Shenzhen Metro. Shenzhen Metro Group has become the largest shareholder in the property developer. [Photo/Xinhua]

Acquisition of key stake by Shenzhen Metro means control battle nears end

Shares of China Vanke Co Ltd, China's largest property developer, surged on Monday when share trading resumed after a high-profile battle for control of the company approached its end.

Shenzhen-listed shares in Vanke were up as much as 9.3 percent on Monday morning as it resumed trading, after being suspended last Wednesday morning as Shenzhen Metro announced plans for a major share acquisition. Vanke shares closed on Monday at 21.7 yuan ($3.19), up 3.98 percent.

Hong Kong-listed shares in Vanke also opened higher, up 3 percent in Monday morning trade, closing at HK$ 21.4 ($2.75), a gain of 0.94 percent.

Last week, Shenzhen Metro, a company controlled by the local government, doubled its holdings in China Vanke to almost 30 percentoutlaying some 29.2 billion yuan ($4.3 billion)buying the holding from the country's second biggest developer, Evergrande Co Ltd.

Analysts said Shenzhen Metro's move put an end to the 18-month long battle for control over Vanke, a conclusion which will benefit the development of Vanke as the company can now focus on its business, and implement its strategies more consistently under stable governance.

A research note from Deutsche Bank said that the emergence of Shenzhen Metro as China Vanke's biggest share holder was positive for Vanke's share price growth because it has cleared away uncertainties lingering over the company's control and management.

Shenzhen Real Estate Research Center analyst Li Yujia said the immediate benefit of Shenzhen Metro becoming China Vanke's largest share holder was its real estate projects could take more advantage of the developing of subway infrastructure in cities.

"For Vanke, the unprecedented development of the subway system in Shenzhen and in many other citiesand Shenzhen Metro's expertise in subway developmentwill help to maximize the value of its properties," Li said.

"For Shenzhen Metro, Vanke's expertise in development, asset management, cost control and financing will help its sustainable operation."

Guosen Securities analyst Ou Ruiming said that Vanke was likely to strengthen its land acquisitions in central locations in Shenzhen after Shenzhen Metro became the developers' key share holder.

Currently Baoneng Group and its units hold a combined 25.4 percent of Vanke's shares, making it the second largest shareholder.
A tornadic storm system that left two people injured and a trail of damage in Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle on Monday heads eastward today.

As a result, people in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa face an elevated risk of severe weather this afternoon and evening, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center. Todays volatile weather is likely to begin between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in northeast Nebraska, forecasters said.

Storms were to develop southward and eastward through the night, with an enhanced risk of severe weather across parts of the area, the National Weather Service office in Valley said. Large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will be possible, especially north of Interstate 80.

Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice were included in an area under a slight risk for severe weather today, and locations to the west and north of Omaha were under an enhanced risk, the weather service said.

Nearly 30 reports of tornadoes had been made by 10:30 p.m. Monday, with more possible overnight. More than a dozen sightings had been reported in Nebraska.

Damage in Nebraska included:

 One person injured and two homesteads significantly damaged south of Harrison.

 Sixty-five train cars blown over south of Alliance.

 A school roof lifted off in Bayard, along with large trees downed and extensive hail damage.

 Power lines down north of Antioch.

Another person was injured in Wyoming, where scattered tornado damage was reported. Laramie was among the communities struck in Wyoming, according to reports to the National Weather Service.

Monday morning, record rains caused flooding in low-lying areas of Lincoln and Lancaster County. According to the weather service, 3.72 inches of rain fell in Lincoln on Monday, breaking the previous record of 3.01 inches set on June 12, 2003.

The storm also dropped damaging hail and heavy rain in Lancaster County. Hail stones up to 1.5 inches wide caused crop damage northwest of Roca, according to reports to the weather service.

Tim Byrne of the Lincoln Public Works and Utilities Department said localized lowland flooding occurred when storm sewer systems became overwhelmed by the rain, mainly on the north edge of Lincoln and farther north of the city. He said rainfall amounts varied widely throughout Lincoln and Lancaster County.

It was a quick rainfall, Byrne said.

He said he encountered some hail Monday morning in Lincoln, with heavier amounts occurring west of Lincoln.

We dodged the bullet on the hail, he said.

Elsewhere on Monday, the Columbus area received heavy rain and dime-sized hail. After tonights chance for storms, dry weather returns on Wednesday, followed by a chance of rain the rest of the week.

Highs in the low 90s are forecast today through the rest of the week.

World-Herald staff writer Nancy Gaarder contributed to this report.
25 families ostracised for voting BJP in Gundlupet, claims B S Yeddyurappa

India

oi-Anusha

Chief of Karnataka BJP, B S Yeddyurappa made shocking claims of 25 families being ostracised in Gundlupet. The former Chief Minister claimed that Congress workers had socially boycotted 25 families for casting votes for the BJP in the Gundlupet bypolls.

Speaking at a rally in Ramasamudra village of Chamarajanagar on Monday, Yeddyurappa claimed that Congress workers had stopped the families from interacting with others in the village. While no formal complaint has been registered to this effect, Yeddyurappa claimed that despite attempts by the family to register a case, police were not willing to entertain them. Yeddyurappa was referring to reports in the local media about 25 families being boycotted in Bommalapura of Gundlupet.

Reports suggested that members of 25 families approached the media after the police refused to register complaints against Congress workers in Bommalapura for boycotting them. The families had alleged that they were being targetted for voting BJP. Family members claimed that they were being denied jobs, other villagers were avoiding heir shops impacting business. The families also made serious allegations of their children being ill-treated in school. One of the parents was seen telling a television channel that the children are being subjected to untouchability in schools.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has now assured of a probe into the incident. "We will order a probe into the incident. If any Congress worker is involved in the issue, action would be initiated against them. Will direct officials to take action after a probe report is submitted," he said.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 15:40 [IST]
No arrears on allowances

The government has decided that it would not give any arrears on allowances. There are many reasons that the government has cited not to give the arrears on allowances. This decision is unlikely to go down with many central government employees. Some of the unions have also planned on protesting if arrears are not given on the allowances.

Confirmed, revised allowances will be given

The government has however said that it would give the revised allowances from July 2017 onwards. The government feels that this is an important announcement and would make many employees waiting for over 18 months happy. The Cabinet will be convened this month itself. The July roll out of the revised allowances has been confirmed and it will be given from July itself.

Why no arrears on allowances?

While the good news on revised allowances will come 18 months after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, the decision on arrears has been put on hold. The government feels that delay in disbursal of higher allowances without arrears will help the government save Rs 2,200 crore per month while cumulative saving Rs 40,000 crore since 1 January last year.

Only DA

While new allowances will be given, central government employees will get Dearness Allowances with their new pay scale. The pay panel had recommended that of a total of 196 allowances, 52 be abolished altogether and 36 be abolished as separate identities by subsuming them in another allowance.

The 7th Pay Commission also recommended slashing the House Rent Allowance (HRA) from 30, 20 and 10 per cent to 24, 16 and 8 percent of the Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively.

The central government employees' unions demanded HRA at the rate of 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 percent of basic pay instead of 24, 16 and 8 percent.
Change in allowance structure

Jaitley is expected to table the proposal for the changes in the allowance structure. The Cabinet is expected to give the nod and give some good news that the central government employees have been waiting for. The National Joint Council of Action is confident that that revised or higher allowances will roll out from July onwards. It is the right of the employees to get revised allowances, NJCA chief Shiv Gopal Mishra said. The employees are expecting a double bonanza from the Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister of India.

Has government failed the employees?

Many central government employees say that they are disappointed with the government for delaying the issue. They say that they are losing monetary benefits as a result of this delay. The two things that they want to know urgently are: The amount of increase in the rates and percentage on allowances and also what will be the date of effect. The delay on these two issues is the main reason for the frustration of the employees. The federations are exerting pressure on the government and have also planned agitations if a decision is not taken soon.

Suspense on arrears

While we have clarity on the revised allowances it is yet to be seen if the Cabinet will clear the proposal on arrears on allowances. Mishra said that there is no confirmation on the arrears. He also added that it is the right of the central government employees to get arrears. There has been an unprecedented delay in this regard, Mishra also added.

What about HRA

If the recommendations of the pay panel on HRA is accepted then the central government employees will get an increase ranging between 106 to 122 per cent. A central government employee at the very bottom of the pay scale under 6th Pay Commission was till now entitled to an HRA of Rs 2,100 on basic pay of Rs 7,000 (basic pay that includes pay of pay band + grade pay) in a Class X city. The government, while implementing the 7th Pay Commission in June last year had made it clear that till the final outcome of allowances committee is being placed, the employees would be getting the allowances as per 6th Pay Commission.

Now, as per 7th Pay Commission, the new entry level pay at this level is Rs 18,000 per month against which the new HRA for a Class X city would be Rs 4,320 per month, that is 106 percent more than the existing level.

At the highest level of the pay scale, the Cabinet Secretary and officers of the same rank have a basic pay of Rs 90,000, which means they are entitled to current HRA of Rs 27,000 in Class X towns. After the revised pay scale, the new basic pay is Rs 2.5 lakh, for which the HRA would be Rs 60,000, meaning a hike of 122 percent.

What if cabinet retains existing HRA?

All eyes would be on the Cabinet meeting expected to be held on Wednesday. If it decides to retain the exiting HRA rates as per 6th Pay Commission then the HRA component of central government employees will increase ranging between 157 percent and 178 percent.

A central government employee at the very bottom of the pay scale under 6th Pay Commission was till now entitled to an HRA of Rs 2,100 on basic pay of Rs 7,000 (basic pay that includes pay of pay band + grade pay) in a Class X city. It is to be noted that government, while implementing the 7th Pay Commission in June last year had made it clear that till the final outcome of allowances committee is being placed, the employees would be getting the allowances as per 6th Pay Commission.

New entry level

As per 7th Pay Commission, the new entry level pay at this level is Rs 18,000 per month against which the new HRA for a Class X city would be Rs 5,400 per month, that is around 157 percent more than the existing level.

Similarly, at the highest level of the pay scale, the Cabinet Secretary and officers of the same rank have a basic pay of Rs 90,000, which means they are entitled to current HRA of Rs 27,000 in Class X towns. After the revised pay scale, the new basic pay is Rs 2.5 lakh, for which the HRA would be Rs 75,000. This would mean that employees would get a hike of 178 per cent.
Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam

From hijab to Kashmir, Zawahiri was Al-Qaeda's voice for everything anti-India

9 CRPF soldiers injured in Tral grenade attack

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Srinagar, June 13: Nine security personnel were injured on Tuesday after the terrorists hurled a grenade at their camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Terrorists lobbed grenade at camp of CRPF's 180 Battalion at 6.05 pm.

A CRPF sub-inspector and three police constables were injured in the explosion. The injured have been shifted to hospital, out of which three persons were said to be in critical condition.

In a similar incident on Monday, at least two CRPF personnel were injured after militants fired UBGL grenade at a camp in the same region.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 19:27 [IST]
PLA troops enter Beiping in 1949 by Gao Fan. Photos provided to China Daily

The first joint exhibition of a legendary photographer couple is running at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. On show are more than 100 shots showcasing their careers. Lin Qi reports.

Gao Fan (1922-2004) and 90-year-old Niu Weiyu are both acclaimed photographers and a couple. Gao captured many historic moments at the birth of New China, featuring combat scenes and first-generation leaders of the Communist Party of China, such as late Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. Niu was one of the few female photographers in the 1950s and captured important figures among the literati and art circles.

The Photographic Life, the first joint exhibition of their work, is running at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. On show are more than 100 photographs that showcase their careers from the late 1930s to the 1970s.

Niu held a solo show at the venue in 1988. Gao did so 11 years later.

Meanwhile, Niu donated the displayed works and another 140 photos to the museum at the event's opening ceremony on Friday.

Speaking about their work, Wu Weishan, director of the museum, says: "They photographed to enrich the visual records of China during wartime and in the early days of New China. They helped to build the pictorial and aesthetic base of socialist realism, and they each demonstrate an individual expression when they focus on the social life of New China.

"Gao's works have a grand, narrative perspective and therefore are filled with a poetic and sublime feeling. Niu's works show a touch of tenderness, tolerance and the sensibility of a woman."
Amarnath yatra to be guarded by 30,000 paramilitary personnel

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jun 13: Nearly 30,000 paramilitary personnel besides the local police will be deployed to ensure proper security for the Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir beginning June 29.

Security personnel will be deployed along the two routes during the pilgrimage to the high-altitude shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

"Proper security arrangements will be put in place for the Amarnath yatra," a home ministry official said.

Nearly 30,000 paramilitary personnel will be deployed besides the local police, the official said. The pilgrimage will begin on June 29 and conclude on August 7. The shrine is located in the Himalayas at an altitude of 12,756 feet and a distance of about 141 km from Srinagar.

The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which conducts the annual pilgrimage to the shrine, has issued advisories for the pilgrimage which involves a trek at an altitude of 14,000 feet.

People who wish to trek to the shrine must furnish medical certificates, it said, adding those below 13 or above 75 years of age will not be allowed to join the pilgrimage. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi are likely to to pay obeisance at the shrine on the first day of the pilgrimage.

PTI
Are Indian farmers wilfully defaulting on loans in hope of a waiver?

India

oi-Anusha

Chiefs of nationalised bank have told the government of India that farmers who have taken loans for agriculture are increasingly becoming wilful defaulters. In a meeting convened on Monday by the Finance Ministry, bankers expressed concerns over farmers refusing to repay loans in the hope of a waiver. The trend, bankers claim, is increasing at an alarming rate. There are, however, some within the banking community who do not agree.

If one were to go by Monday's meeting, bankers are of the opinion that it is not Vijaya Mallya alone who is a wilful defaulter. Anticipating loan waiver, farmers, bankers claim, are refusing to repay loans. While some look at it as deliberate escapism, others within the community strongly feel that farmers are genuinely unable to repay loans due to bad produce or crop loss. Whatever the reason, financial institutions are forced to grapple with a pile of bad debt.

"As bankers, any kind of default is unacceptable for us. We will fight against it but I do not feel that farmers are deliberately defaulting on loan repayment. We have seen the actual trouble that they are in. Severe crop loss and bad produce have made their life difficult. The percentage of farm loan is less in comparison to corporate loans," said Ajay Manjrekar, the General Secretary of Canara bank employees union.

Bankers are of the opinion that not just farm or corporate loans but defaults are being witnessed in personal and education loans as well. The total farm loans in the country are estimated to be just under Rs 10 lakh crore. The scenario is similar in the state as well as centralised banks.

"Farm loan defaulters are harassed"

"While defaulting on a loan is bad, I know for a fact that bankers harass farmers. Despite the difficult conditions that they live in, farmers are humiliated in public. While corporate loan defaulters are not touched, poor farmers are targetted and shamed," Manjrekar added.

Bankers have told the Finance Ministry that in the recent months, default rate in various states of India has increased up to 50 percent. While in some places farmers are said to be emptying their bank accounts to avoid deduction, in others they are coming together to demand a loan waiver or extension of the deadline in the hope of government waiving off their loans.

As of June, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have announced loan waivers. Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu government are working out a special package for farmers while Karnataka is awaiting funds from central government to undertake relief measures. Generally, states heading to elections are keen on offering loan waiver and the farming community, bankers say, hope for the same. AP had waived off loans a little over Rs 40,000 crore after N Chandrababu Naidu won the assembly polls in 2014. While the waiver clears out credit books of the banks, defaults impact overall payment culture, the banks feel.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 9:36 [IST]
Why a terror angle should not be ruled out in the Coimbatore cylinder blast case

Assam comes up with bizarre nudity clauses by banning entry of Naga sadhus in Kamakhya temple

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Guwahati, June 13: The world-famous Kamakhya temple--situated on the Nilachal hills in Guwahati, Assam--is gearing up for the annual Ambubachi Mela, scheduled to kick-start on June 22.

The five-day-long Mela (fair), hosted to observe the annual menstrual cycle of goddess Kamakhya, attracts lakhs of devotees and tourists from various corners of the world. However, this time before the start of the colourful fair a controversy has erupted.

The decision of the authorities to ban the entry of Naga (Nude) sadhus, who have been a part of the fair for centuries, inside the main premises of the temple during the event period has left these monks mighty upset.

In fact, the temple authorities have decided to arrange a separate zone for the Naga sadhus, the followers of Lord Shiva, far away from the main temple, so that visitors don't have to encounter them in the main premises.

The authorities, both from the temple and the district administration, say that these sadhus, who wear no clothes and usually smear their bodies with ashes, cause "embarrassment" to the visitors and thus they have decided on implementing the ban.

"This type of spiritualism will not be allowed at the main venue of the fair from this year. Many people visit the temple premises during the fair with their families and they feel uncomfortable at the sight of these sadhus at the main venue. So from this year we have decided not to allow them to move around in the main venue. Instead, we will arrange a separate place for them," the head priest of the Kamakhya temple, Pabindra Prasad Sarma Doloi, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"No procession by Naga sadhus will be allowed on the temple premises this time," he added.

However, one more reason behind the restrictions on entry of sadhus in the temple is that these monks indulge in drug abuse. Authorities said the Naga sadhus have been found consuming drugs and alcohol during previous fairs. Last year, the entire area of Kamakhya temple was declared a no-nicotine zone.

Expressing anger over the ban, a sadhu said, "They (government) don't do anything for us and now we have to face restrictions here. Naga sadhus are part of Kamakhya since ancient times. But now some people are trying to prevent us from doing the rituals at the temple. No one can stop us from doing what we do."

OneIndia News
Beating stereotypes: How Modi's anti status quo foreign policy works

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In the month of May there was a high level meeting at New Delhi held to decide on whether or not to move the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Almost everyone in the room argued that going to the ICJ would mean shooting ourselves on the foot. Past examples were cited to make out their case.

Look at the world with new eyes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while cutting short the debate. We are no longer a power to be ignored. Let us be anti-status quo, Modi said. The decision was made. Before the ICJ, senior counsel Harish Salve put up a spirited argument that resulted in the staying of Jadhav's execution by a military court in Pakistan.

Modi's A- team on foreign policy includes, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar and Deputy NSA, Arvind Gupta.

Breaking conventions has been part of the Modi foreign policy. He did reach out to Pakistan in several ways. Modi invited Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in-ceremony. Modi also made a surprise stop-over at Pakistan and greeted Sharif.

However Modi was betrayed by Pakistan which launched the Pathankot attack and also staged one of the worst unrests in the Valley. With ties with Pakistan failing, Modi was quick to boost relations with Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

While beating the anti-status quo is one key ingredient of Modi's foreign policy, the other includes fast tracking and para diplomacy. Fast track diplomacy includes being proactive, strong and sensitive. Further it also includes India's presence on on multilateral forums.

On the other hand para diplomacy is where cities were encouraged to have a special relation with a country. Some examples of these are the agreements between Mumbai-Shanghai, Ahmedabad-Guangzhou, Gujarat-Guangdong province of China and Varanasi-Kyoto, Japan.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 7:11 [IST]
Bihar: Seven IAS officers transferred

India

pti-PTI

Patna, June 13: Bihar government on Tuesday transferred seven IAS officers including two district magistrates. A notification issued by the General Administration Department said Pankaj Kumar Pal, who was Purnea District Magistrate, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Labour Resources department in Patna.

Pradeep Kumar Jha will be the new District Magistrate of Purnea. Jha was Additional Secretary of Health department, besides holding additional charge of Additional Executive Director of State Health Society, the notification said.

Sanjay Kumar Singh, who was the Additional Secretary, Labour Resources department, has been made Additional Secretary, Health department. Singh will also hold the charge of Additional Executive Director of State Health Society. Giriwar Dayal Singh, who was DM of Madhubani, has been shifted to Education department as Joint Secretary, the notification said adding, Shirshat Kapil will be the new DM of Madhubani.

Kapil was posted as Managing Director of Bihar State Water Board and was also holding additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of Patna Metropolitan Area Authority. The notification said Pratima Satish Kumar Verma, who was on training, has been made Additional Mission Director of Bihar Prashashnik Sudhar Mission Society.

She will also be holding additional charge of Managing Director, Bihar State Water Board and Chief Executive Officer of Patna Metropolitan Area Authority. Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal, who was Additional Secretary at the Chief Minister Secretariat, has been made Additional Secretary in the Rural Development department, it said.

PTI
Cops suspect motive of three Pakistanis arrested in Bengaluru, team to visit Qatar

India

oi-Anusha

A team of the Bengaluru city police is likely to visit Qatar as part of its probe into the arrest of three Pakistani nationals. While the Pakistani nationals have claimed that marriage and love were the reason for them to settle in India, their motive is still suspect and a team is likely to visit Qatar where the four worked earlier.

"There might be other reasons for them to have come to India. We are in the process of verifying their claims and agenda. Details of the Pakistan nationals are under the scanner by central agencies. We will travel to Qatar where they used to work if the need arises. That does not mean that we have arrived at a conclusion but their version is not believable," said Praveen Sood, Commissioner of Police Bengaluru

While the police are not willing to state details of the case on record, sources reveal that inconsistencies in their statements confirm that there is more to the love and marriage story. Sources even maintained that while Samira has claimed to have been married to Kerala native Muhammad Shihab, two other Pakistani nationals Khasif and Kirhon claim to be married but have no proof of the same. All four accused's urgency to get Aadhaar cards has led the investigating authorities to believe that there was more than what meets the eye.

Their choice to settle in India when Qatar or any other West Asia country was more suitable financially or in terms of safety has raised suspicion. The accused's move of leaving behind their documents with a hotel owner in Nepal has also made their story unbelievable, police sources claimed.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 12:56 [IST]
Delhi: Grandfather foils grandson's bid to rob him

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

An octogenarian grandfather has successfully foiled a robbery attempt on him by none other than his grandson on Saturday afternoon in Delhi's Rohini area.

Mischievous grandson knew of Rs 50 lakh cash with grandfather Ram Lal Miglani, who recently sold a property. So the grandson and his friend stormed the house with a hammer and a toy gun to loot his grandparents, reports Times of India.

When the gate was distractedly left opened by Ram Lal, the two boys wearing a helmet barged into the house and attacked grandmother with the hammer. When Ram Lal heard the feeble voice of his wife he entered the room to see one of the boys holding her at gunpoint.

When Ram Lal was asked to hand over the keys to the locker, he bent down as if to pick something up. Instead, he lashed out hard at the hand of the youth holding the pistol. As the robber dropped the weapon, Ram Lal raised an alarm. The security guard and a few neighbours heard the din, and their approach panicked the intruders, who tried to escape.

Security guard and neighbours caught the boys and tied them to the gate. When the crowd removed the helmets, Ram Lal was shocked to see one of the boys was his grandson, Rajat. Police have registered a case of trespassing and assault against the culprits.

OneIndia News
Disappointed with Yogi government, Anurag Tewari's family seeks Siddaramaiah's help

India

oi-Anusha

IAS officer Anurag Tewari's family visited Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday seeking help. Disappointed with the probe by Uttar Pradesh police into the mysterious death of Anurag Tewari moving at a snail's pace, his brother and parents knocked on Karnataka government's doors.

Accusing the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of displaying lackadaisical attitude in the probe, the IAS officer's family requested Siddaramaiah to initiate a probe into the matter. "The Chief Minister conveyed to the family that he has already written to the Yogi Adityanath seeking a CBI probe. Since the incident took place in Uttar Pradesh, he explained to the family that there was very little he could do," said the Chief Minister's office.

The Special investigation team formed by the Uttar Pradesh government had visited Bengaluru as part of investigations. After collecting information from colleagues and verifying documents in Anurag Tewari's office, the SIT concluded that the IAS officer was not on the verge of exposing a scam as alleged by BJP leaders in UP. Incidentally, Tewari's family did not speak of any scam during their meeting with the Karnataka Chief Minister.

Sources from the CMO also claimed that the family sought financial assistance. "The family claimed to have fallen on hard times and sought financial support from the government since Tewari was a Karnataka cadre officer. The CM has assured to review their plea and grant compensation on humanitarian grounds," the source said. IAS officer Anurag Tewari was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Lucknow on May 17.

OneIndia News
Fake Rajya Sabha ID card recovered from AIADMK symbol row accused Sukesh

India

oi-Anusha

The Delhi crime branch police have recovered a fake Rajya Sabha identity card from conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Sukesh who is accused of attempting to bribe election commission officials in the AIADMK symbol row is now booked under additional sections for forgery.

Officials of the Delhi crime branch recovered a fake identity card that has the exact features of cards issued to parliamentarians. The card that is an eerie lookalike of the Rajya Sabha identity card even has similar security features, investigators claimed. Sukesh has been booked under Section 467 of the IPC for possessing a fake card suspected to be acquired by forgery. The card recovered from Sukesh Chandrasekhar has posed new questions to crime branch officials who are probing bribery charges against Sukesh and TTV Dinakaran.

Efforts are on to identify the source of the fake identity card. Sukesh possessing a card that looks similar to Rajya Sabha identity cards has thrown up questions on Parliament's security. Police are also probing if Sukesh used this card to gain access to the parliament or managed to meet someone inside the parliament complex.

It may be recalled that police had seized cars from the hotel where Sukesh Chandrasekhar was arrested. One of the cars had a sticker that said Member of Parliament. Rs 1.30 crore was also seized from Sukesh. The fake Rajya Sabha identity card has now given a fresh twist to a bribery case in which TTV Dinakaran is also an accused.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 14:44 [IST]
Why Punjab farmers burn stubble at this scale when others do not

30 per cent down: How Haryana aced the decrease in stubble burning

Farm loan waiver temporarily necessary: MS Swaminathan

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, June 13: Farm loan waiver is necessary in the short term as farmers are unable repay debts due to fall in agri-prices despite a bumper crop, renowned agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan said on Tuesday.

However in the long term, loan waiver does not provide secure credit system as this would lead to inadequate funds for agri-infrastructure development, he tweeted.

"Loan waivers though temporarily necessary, don't provide secure long-term credit system. It implies that banks are compensated by government," Swaminathan, who is known as Father of India's Green Revolution, said in series of tweets.

Loan waiver means that there would not be adequate funds for strengthening agricultural infrastructure, he said.

Due to the unfortunate erratic monsoon behaviour, farmers are facing problems of severe drought for the past few years.Though there is a bumper crop this year, farmers are "dissatisfied with procurement price and unable to repay institutional and private loans," he said.

Without repaying debts, farmers will not get fresh kharif credit. This is why they want loan waivers as well as remunerative procurement price, he observed.

Praising the government for farm initiatives, Swaminathan tweeted, "The Modi Govt has implemented several Farmers Commission recommendations. These include providing improved seeds, soil health cards."

The government has implemented the recommendation on providing improved crop insurance, increase in irrigated area and adding the words 'farmer s welfare' to the name of Ministry of Agriculture.

The commission, which he chaired way back in 2004, had also recommended non-farm initiatives with agri-enterprises along with MNREGA for social protection to landless farmers.

The government has made special efforts to promote rural women, who contribute 50 per cent agri workforce, by providing them skills through agri universities and private sector, he added.

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 23:19 [IST]
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (left) poses with Li Jinzao, director of the China National Tourism Administration at the Great Wall in Beijing, June 11, 2017. Photo by Jiang Chenglong for China Daily

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was pleased to receive a scroll with the words, "He who doesn't reach the Great Wall is not a true man", after visiting the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on Sunday.

"I am so glad to be praised as a true man after walking up the Great Wall. I look forward to enhancing tourism exchanges and cooperation between Luxembourg and China," the prime minister said.

Bettel is the first leader of an EU country to visit China since Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared 2018 as the China-EU Tourism Year on June 2.
Farmers to perform corpse pose as a mark of protest on International Yoga Day

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, June 13: As the nation will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues to perform yoga on the International Yoga Day, farmers of the country will perform a special asana--shavasana, also known as the "corpse pose".

The International Yoga Day or Yoga Day is celebrated across the world on June 21 since 2015 to highlight the various physical and spiritual benefits of the ancient Indian art form.

PM Modi will be performing yoga in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh this time. He will be joined by thousands of yoga lovers in a massive function in the capital city of UP.

However, farmers' unions have decided to lodge their protest once again on the special day by performing the corpse pose to bring to notice that farmers across the country are in their "death bed" because of rising debts, poor earning on their produce and crop loss, to name a few.

The farmers' leaders say that it was a non-violent protest to raise their demands of loan waiver and better prices for their produce, to name a few.

During the Yoga Day, the farmers will be putting up effigies at the protest venues to showcase rising number of farmer deaths due to suicide and police firing. Last week, during a farmers' protest in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, six farmers were killed due to police firing.

The farmers' agitation in MP is on since June 1. The farmers in neighbouring Maharashtra decided to end their fast recently after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis agreed to give a total farm loan waiver.

"Our non-violent movement will continue. But, yes we want to tell people across the length and breadth of this country the pitiable condition of farmers. To this end, we plan to perform shavasana on the International Day of Yoga," Shiv Kumar, chief of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan was quoted as saying by Business Standard.

He also said that the unions are planning to come up with posters of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri with his rallying cry of 'jai jawan, jai kisan' (hail the soldier, hail the farmer) and posters of Atal Bihari Vajpayee with his cry of 'jai vigyan' (hail science). In contrast, PM Modi's poster will be accompanied by the slogan: 'mar gaya kisan Modiji' (farmers are dying Modiji).

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 13:00 [IST]
For god's sake, let's eat beef, Mizoram hosts protest food fest to welcome Rajnath Singh

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Aizawl, June 13: The northeast region of India is definitely upset with the pan-India "beef ban" announced by the Centre recently. After Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, it's the turn of Mizoram to protest against the Centre's cattle sale and slaughter regulations, which many allege is the "backdoor" implementation of beef ban across the country.

On Monday, when home minister Rajnath Singh visited Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram, thousands gathered to cook and enjoy a hearty beef meal as a mark of protest against what the protesters call as attack on the food habit of the several communities and groups who have been traditionally eating beef for centuries.

The beef festival was organised by a social media group --Zolife-- which has over 9,000 members on Facebook in Aizawl, coinciding with Singh's visit to Mizoram's capital to review the security situation along the India-Myanmar border.

In spite of a heavy downpour, around 3,000 people, including women and children took part in the festival. Along with eating beef delicacies, the participants shouted slogans against the Centre's ruling. Posters with statements like,"For god's sake, let's eat beef", were seen hanging at the festival ground. Recently, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Tura, Meghayala, also hosted a beef festival.

According to a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2015, northeastern states, except Tripura, are among the top beef eating places in the country. Twenty-three per cent people in Mizoram eat beef on a daily basis.

The ban on beef has turned into a political issue in the region, especially in states like Meghalaya and Mizoram which are slated to vote for assembly elections in 2018.

After witnessing the protest, Singh during a news conference in the evening in Aizawl told reporters that there is no restriction on the food habits of people under the law. State BJP chief JV Hluna said there is no problem in eating beef in Mizoram.

"We are strongly against the Narendra Modi government's attempt to ban beef which is one of the most important traditional food items of the Mizos," one of the organisers said.

A member of Zolife Group, Lalrinfela Hauhnar said that beef has been closely related with the Mizo custom, tradition and religion.

"Beef has a strong cultural importance with the Mizos. Customarily cows and buffaloes are widely used as bride price in marriage among the Mizos and also in many other occasions," added Hauhnar, who is also a writer.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 7:24 [IST]
FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

Four grenade attacks, army camp fired upon by militants in Kashmir

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Fourth grenade attack took place in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday with the latest one being at a CRPF camp in Pahalgam.

The third attack of the day was at a police station in Pulwama.

Militants also fired upon a camp of Army's Rashtriya Rifles unit in Pazalpora in North Kashmir. The attackers fled after the Army retaliated.

Unknown persons also snatched the weapons of two police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Ananthnag district on Tuesday. The incident, which took place in Anchidora, has left both the policemen injured.

Nine security personnel were injured earlier in the day after the terrorists hurled a grenade at their camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Terrorists lobbed grenade at the camp of CRPF's 180 Battalion at 6.05 pm.

In a similar incident on Monday, at least two CRPF personnel were injured after militants fired UBGL grenade at a camp in the same region.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 21:58 [IST]
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

From retiring on the run, here are the other firsts of Justice C S Karnan

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Justice C S Karnan earned a dubious distinction when he became the first judge to retire on the run. He is facing arrest in a contempt case. On May 9 a seven judge Bench of the Supreme Court issued an unprecedented arrest order.

Born on June 12 1955, Justice Karnan retired on Monday. He was judge of the Calcutta High Court.

For Justice Karnan there was no farewell from the Bar association or even a full court reference.

These are events where fellow judges and advocate give a fond farewell and recollect memories.

However in the instant case, the judge in question was absconding.

On May 9 when the SC passed the order, Justice Karnan was in Chennai. He had met with visitors and journalists. However after a while he went underground. A team of the West Bengal police arrived in Chennai to execute the SC's order. They even sought help of the Tamil Nadu police to track down the judge. Despite looking for him in TN and Andhra Pradesh they were no able to find the missing judge.

Many firsts:

Justice Karnan is the first judge to retire on the run.

He is the first to have approached the National Commission for SC and STs alleging harassment by fellow judges.

He is the first judge to have been ordered an arrest while holding office.

He is the first judge who was directed to undergo a psychiatric analysis to check his mental stability.

OneIndia News
GJM protest escalates in Darjeeling

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

The protests called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha escalated on Tuesday as police baton-charged protesters in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

As per reports, 1500 GJM supporters took out a rally against the Trinamool Congress and raised slogans on day two. Gorkhaland supporters pelt stones at police on day 2 of the bandh in Darjeeling, reports PTI.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in her own right, has demanded that all government offices remain open and has accused the Bharatiya Janta Party of fanning the flames of discord.

The GJM has called for a complete shutdown of all government offices. Banks are also included in this complete shutdown, except for on Mondays and Thursdays.

Meanwhile, Army escorted stranded tourists in vehicles amid 'bandh' in Darjeeling. Some tourists had stayed back even after June 8 when Darjeeling had witnessed violence which resulted in the deployment of the Army. But things have changed following the indefinite bandh called by GJM in government offices in the hills from Monday.

The GJM took out procession on June 6 during the visit of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that the state government was trying to impose Bengali in schools in Darjeeling hills. Later, the GJM leaders launched a decisive movement for creating a separate state for the Nepali-speaking Gorkhas.

(With agency inputs)
Janardhana Reddy submits 'proof' against H D Kumaraswamy to SIT

India

oi-Anusha

Mining baron and former BJP leader Janardhana Reddy appeared before the SIT probing bribery allegations against H D Kumaraswamy. Reddy who appeared after being summoned as a witness to the alleged Rs 150 crore kickback case of 2006 submitted a CD as proof.

Janardhana Reddy had appeared before the officials on May 19 but had sought three weeks time to produce proof. After he failed to turn up, a fresh summons was issued by the SIT. On Tuesday, the mining baron carried a CD with him when he appeared before the officials for the second time as a witness in the case.

Earlier in the day, former Chief Minister of Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy was denied anticipatory bail by a special court in the Janthakal mining company case. Kumaraswamy who had been granted interim relief earlier was denied the same this time around. The JD(S) state president is accused of misuse of office, corruption and illegal grants of permission to a mining company when he was the Chief Minister in 2007.

Double trouble for H D Kumaraswamy

Janardhana Reddy's move to produce a CD as proof of bribery allegation against Kumaraswamy comes on the day the latter was denied an anticipatory bail in a related case. In 2006, Janardhana Reddy had claimed that he had CDs that contained conversations between Kumaraswamy and mining company owners. Reddy had alleged that Kumaraswamy demanded a bribe of Rs 150 crore from mining company owners to renew licenses.

Following a Supreme Court order, the Special Investigation Team of the Lokayukta relaunched an investigation into the Janthakal mining company case. Armed with an anticipatory bail, Kumaraswamy had even appeared before the SIT for questioning in connection with the case on May 18. Kumaraswamy was summoned by the Lokayukta SIT following the arrest of senior IAS officer Gangaram Baderiya who was the then commissioner of mines.

With no arrest warrant against him, Kumaraswamy does not face immediate arrest, however, rejection of his bail petition has come as a setback for him. IAS officer Gangaram Baderiya, who was the then Commissioner of Mines department, had made official notings accusing Kumaraswamy and his office of pressurising him to clear files that favoured Janthakal mining company illegally. The case is related to the renewal of a mining lease and granting of a work permit to lift an old, abandoned iron ore dump in Holalkere taluk of Chitradurga district that belonged to Janthakal Enterprises.

OneIndia News
Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav deputes 3 docs, 2 nurses at his residence

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav is embroiled in another controversy. Tej Pratap deputed three doctors and two nurses at his residence for over a week to treat his father RJD chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Owing to the deputation of the staff, patients at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science were reportedly left unattended, according to reports.

'Health minister is chairman, can't say no to him and we have to send a team, said IGIMS medical superintendent, PK Sinha on deputation of doctors and male nurses at Tej Pratap Yadav's home for over a week.

Asked about identity of the patient, he didn't reveal who the patient was. 'Why should I disclose who were we treating, there was someone from his (Health Minister) family', said PK Sinha.

"For common people as well, our doctors are sent at their doorstep. IGIMS doctors are always sent to places if needed. If we do any work, it's on the basis of information. So when we got the information regarding this issue, we sent our doctors there," Sinha added.

(With agency inputs)

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 17:55 [IST]
At least 18 dead in Russian missile attack on Odesa

Chinese dragon may fume as much but won't spit fire on Taiwan

North Korea fires two more missiles towards Japan

Indigenously-built anti-tank missile Nag test fired in Rajasthan

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The indigenously-built third generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile, Nag, was successfully test-fired in desert ranges of Rajasthan on Tuesday, said reports.

The missile incorporates an advanced passive homing guidance system and possesses high single-shot kill probability. It is designed to destroy modern main battle tanks and other heavily armoured targets.

In September 2016, Nag missile successfully hit the target 4 km away during a night trial in the Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan. DRDO had described the test as a success, as it the Thermal Target System (TTS), used as target for the missile, with bulls eye precision.

Nag was developed by the the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

Nag missile has a land variant and an air launched variant. The land version has a range of upto 4 kms while the air launched version has a range of around 7-10 kms.

Nag is equipped with advance Active Imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker.

The missile was reportedly developed at a cost of Rs 3 billion.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 21:04 [IST]
Kashmir unrest: How a former Union Minister helped the primary financier escape to Dubai

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The name of Nasir Shafi Mir is back on the table as the National Investigation Agency probes the funding to the Hurriyat Conference to create unrest in the Valley. Mir a double agent is considered to be the financial brain behind funding the unrest in Kashmir. Mir was arrested in 2006, but managed a sensational escape after he jumped parole.

The details of this escape are not only sensational, but murky as well. During the probe in 2009, the name of a former Union Cabinet Minister had cropped up. The minister had taken up the case with the government regarding Mir's release after Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had put this as one of the pre-conditions for entering into a dialogue.

While the investigating agencies had said that they would probe the former minister, the matter was never taken up. Letting Mir get away was a costly miss for the agencies. His name had first cropped up after the arrest of Gulam Nabi Fai for receiving funds from the ISI. Fai was picked up by the FBI and during the questioning the name of Mir had cropped up.

Tracking Nasir Shafi Mir:

Mir was first arrested by the Delhi police while carrying Rs 55 lakh and some explosives. Following his arrest he made several requests for parole. He cited medical issues and finally granted parol.

He then got in touch with senior government officials who helped him secure a passport from a southern state. He was then helped by the government officials and also a separatist leader to reach Nepal in October 2008. He then reached Dubai after making a detour through Europe and Libya. The police said that the last time Mir was spotted was with Mirwaiz at a five star hotel in Delhi. That was in September 2008.

NIA sources say that he may have moved to Saudi Arabia now. He has been channelising funds into the Valley. It was found that he along with Fai had played a key role in sending funds to the separatists in the Valley. When Mir had been questioned he had told the police that the money was meant for Mirwaiz. He also said that the separatist leader had huge investments in Dubai.

Funding the separatists:

A resident of Lal Bazar in outskirts of Srinagar city, Mir quit his studies in 1983 to get into the carpet business which he continued till 1990 after which he shifted to the national capital and stayed in Lajpat Nagar area of South Delhi.

In late 1990's, he went to Dubai soon after his father was arrested over his links with terrorists. Mir had also told investigators that he first opened a firm named Kashmir Master Computers, after which he purportedly set up a company, Failala, but shut it down in 1998. In 1999, he again opened a firm called Idekas. Thereafter, he reportedly started an information technology firm.

Police have found that in 2002, Mir also opened two money exchange companies, Reems Exchange and Cash Express, which were allegedly being used as a stopover for money being pushed in from Pakistan for terrorist funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

The double agent:

He was roped in when the Indian Government tried to negotiate with the Hizbul Mujahideen. This was back in 2000 when the IB had enlisted him to bring Syed Ali Shah Salahuddin to the talks table.

He even met with the then Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey in Srinagar. The talks however did not go through. The officer notes that he was considered to be useful for India. However it was found that he was more beneficial for the Pakistanis. The Indian agencies had also found that he was helping Pakistan channelise money to the separatists in Kashmir. Mir now has a Pakistani passport.

He regularly shuttles between Pakistan and Gulf where he has business interests.

He had some usefulness for now an officer in the know of the episode said. We were aware that he was linked with the ISI. He was useful for us at that time and hence he was enlisted the officer also said.

OneIndia News
With Islamic radicalisation running so deep, why an NIA branch in every state matters

Kashmir unrest: What key funder had to say about separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

As the National Investigation Agency probes into funding of separatists in the Valley, it would be interesting to revisit a 2006 probe. The probe was relating to Nasir Shafi Mir who is accused of funding several Hurriyat leaders in Kashmir.

Mir a double agent was arrested in 2006 and released on parole. He fled the country in 2008 and is now believed to be in Saudi Arabia.

When he was arrested in 2006 with Rs 55 lakh, he had told the police that the money was meant for Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Before he fled India, the police learnt that he was with Mirwaiz at a 5 star hotel in South Delhi.

Moreover when the government was trying to bring Mirwaiz to the talks table, he had said that he would do so once Mir is released.

During Mir's investigation, he had allegedly told the police that the money on him was meant for Mirwaiz. He also spoke about the huge investments that was made in Dubai by the Hurriyat leader.

He further said that Mirwaiz had made certain investments in buying shopping spaces in Dubai. He also invested in my money exchange business, Mir also told the police. Further he had also claimed that he used to look after Mirwaiz's foreign trips.

Mir is a resident of Lal Bazaar in Srinagar. He quit his studies in 1983 and started a carpet business. In 1990 he shifted to Delhi and stayed at Lajpat Nagar. In late 1990's, he went to Dubai soon after his father was arrested over his links with terrorists.

Mir had also told investigators that he first opened a firm named Kashmir Master Computers, after which he purportedly set up a company, Failala, but shut it down in 1998. In 1999, he again opened a firm called Idekas. Thereafter, he reportedly started an information technology firm.

In 2002, Mir also opened two money exchange companies, Reems Exchange and Cash Express, which were allegedly being used as a stopover for money being pushed in from Pakistan for terrorist funding in Jammu and Kashmir, the police had also found.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 14:51 [IST]
No decision yet on joining BJP or AAP, says Hardik; hails saffron party over Ayodhya issue, Article 370

Is Hardik Patel joining BJP today? This is what he says

MP: Hardik Patel arrested on his way to Mandsaur

India

oi-Madhuri

Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel was on Tuesday detained in Neemuch while he was on his way to Mandsaur to meet the families of the six farmers killed in police firing.

While speaking to media persons, Patel said,''I am not a terrorist. I have not come from Lahore. I am an Indian citizen and can go to any place in India freely. Members of my family have been killed and I came to meet their families.''

Farmers' protests that started in the state on June 1, for better prices for their produce and debt relief, turned violent on June 6 when six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur. The violence spilled over to several other districts, including the Malwa-Nimad area and even reached the state capital. Angry farmers blocked roads, vandalised property and set fire to vehicles.

After the farmers' killing, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial probe.

Hardik, who had spent six months of exile in Udaipur after a Gujarat High Court order, had returned to his hometown in January this year. He was staying at a former Congress MLA's house during this period. He was released from jail in Gujarat after nine months in confinement in July last year.

In Mandsaur, curfew was imposed after the five farmers were killed in two incidents of police firing during the protest on June 6.

OneIndia News
Three down in three days: Congress loses yet another MLA to BJP in Gujarat

Mandsaur farmers' protest: Jyotiraditya Scindia released

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was arrested on Tuesday on the border of Ratlam and Mandsaur for trying to enter the violence-hit region, was released on a personal bond.

Jyotiraditya was visiting Mandsaur district, which was hit by violence over deaths of farmers in firing.

On Sunday, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, social activists Medha Patkar and Swami Agnivesh were on Sunday detained by the police in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district after being denied entry to violence-hit Mandsaur.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CRPC are in place in the district.

Five farmers were killed in two separate incidents of firing near the Pipliya Mandi police station last week while protesting in support of their demand for loan waiver and better crop prices.

[Madhya Pradesh: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia arrested]

Scindia has alleged that there is Hitler rule in Madhya Pradesh. He said that farmers' deaths were a blot on the government and that the BJP had no right to stay in power.

The union government has rushed 1,100 personnel of anti-riot Rapid Action Force to the violence-hit state. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of Rs. 1 crore to the kin of those killed in the violence.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 19:43 [IST]
Mandsaur: FIR against Cong's Shakuntala Khatik for inciting violence

India

oi-Madhuri

An FIR has been registered against Congress' MLA Shakuntala Khatik and Venus Goyal in Karera police station for inciting mob & other sections.

Shivpuri (MP): FIR registered against Congress' Shakuntala Khatik and Venus Goyal in Karera police station,for inciting mob & other sections pic.twitter.com/7O7pWqoO5U  ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

On June 9, a vide went viral in which Shakuntala Khatik was asking people to set a police station on fire with a senior cop standing right next to her pleading for her to stop. The video was shared by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on his Twitter handle, which was later on shared by the official handle of Madhya Pradesh unit of the party.

However, Shakuntala dismissed these charges saying she did not instigate workers during farmers' protest in Mandsaur district. "I told police if they can't ensure women safety then why are they sitting in police station, set it on fire. I didn't instigate workers, and would've they remained silent had I asked them to do so?" Khatik said.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 9:32 [IST]
Mandsaur: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to meet families of deceased farmers

India

oi-Madhuri

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur on Wednesday, to meet families of the deceased farmers.

Earlier, Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast at a pandal in Bhopal with an appeal for peace after farmers' protests turned violent, leaving six people dead. Farmers have been agitating since June 1 demanding a better price for their produce and loan waiver among other things.

Meanhile, the Madhya Pradesh government appointed retired High Court judge JK Jain to initiate an inquiry into the death of five farmers killed during protests in Mandsaur on June 6.

Last week, farmers in Madhya Pradesh had staged a demonstration demanding fair prices for their produce and loan waivers from the state government. At least five of them were killed in Mandsaur when police fired in an effort to quell the protests. On June 8, residents of the Badavan village alleged that one more farmer had died after an assault by police officials.

OneIndia News
Who is Draupadi Murmu?

Draupadi Murmu, 58 hails from the Uparbheda village in Odisha. She has been the tribal face of the BJP in the state's Mayurbhanj district. She also is the first woman leader from Odisha to be appointed as Governor. She took charge as the Governor of Jharkhand two years back.

She began her political career in 1997 when she was elected councilor in the Rajrangpur district in Odisha. She was elected as MLA from the same constituency in 2000.

Prior to joining politics, she served as the honorary assistant teacher in Shri Aravindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur, and also as junior assistant in Irrigation Department.

She was also the National Executive Member of the ST Morcha of the BJP till 2009. Between 2000 and 2004, she held many ministerial portfolios in the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government, having departments like Transport and Commerce along with Fisheries and Animal Husbandry under her supervision.

She was awarded the Nilakantha Award for best MLA of the year by the Odisha Assembly.

She also served as BJP district president of Mayurbhanj from 2002 to 2009 and also in 2013. She continued in that post until took over as the Governor of Jharkhand.

What you should know about Draupadi Murmu, the next President of India

How the BJP gains in selecting Draupadi Murmu

The BJP has a lot to gain if it goes ahead with the candidature of Murmu. Firstly it would help the party shed its alleged anti-tribal image. It would also give the party an edge over its rivals in the upcoming Odisha Assembly elections.

Murmu's candidature would also give the BJP an edge in the Presidential elections to be held in July. The BJD would support Murmu's candidature if she is chosen. Moreover the joint opposition would also find it hard to vote against her.

Murmu's appointment as the Governor in 2015 was seen as a masterstroke by the BJP. It came at a time when tribal factions who were opposing the appointment of Raghubar Das, a non-tribal, as Chief Minister of the state, were promised to have voice through the Murmu's appointment.

The BJP feels in selecting Murmu, they would begin the Presidential poll campaign on an advantageous note. BJP sources say that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had himself suggested the name of Murmu to be the next President of India. For now it looks almost certain that Murmu's candidature would go through. However the BJP is known to spring a surprise.

Will it be T C Gehlot?

The other name doing the rounds is that of Thawar Chand Gehlot. BJP sources say that the name did come up for discussion. However no final call has been taken as yet.

Gehlot, born on 18 May 1948 is the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Union Government led by Narendra Modi. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Madhya Pradesh. He formerly represented Shajapur in the lower house of Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2009. He is a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and general secretary of the party.

Sushma or Jaitley?

On Monday late into the night a source said that both Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley too had expressed their desire to be the next President of India. While Sushma's name has been under consideration, the BJP is highly unlikely to go ahead with the candidature of Jaitley. Sushma's stint as the External Affairs Minister may end after July owing to poor health conditions. A Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards after the next President of India is elected.
Shouldn't worry about 2024, instead think of 2029 polls: Javadekar's advice to Opposition

Opposition needs to understand that right to religion is not a right to convert

Opposition has outsourced the contract of creating ruckus and abusing me: PM Modi

Opposition's meeting on Presidential election today

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The opposition parties will hold a meeting to discuss on candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections on Wednesday. The meeting is likely to be held at 4 pm.

The BJP on Tuesday formed a three-member poll panel to hold consultations to elect the next President of India. The panel comprises, Venkaiah Naidu, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.

The elections to elect the next president would be held on July 17 while the counting would be held on July 20. The election notification will be issued on June 14 while the last date for nomination will be on June 28.

The term of Pranab Mukhjeree comes to an end on July 24.

Looking at the manner in which several parties have been coming forward to extend their support, it appears that the BJP will be able to elect its candidate as the next President of India.

The BJP has almost finalised Jharkhand Governor, Draupadi Murmu as its candidate. The opposition on the other hand is considering the candidature of former West Bengal Governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi.

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Story first published: Wednesday, June 14, 2017, 0:16 [IST]
Risk allowance for Delhi police already recommended in 7th Pay Commission says MHA

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There are already risk and hardship allowances recommended in the 7th Pay Commission for the Delhi police, the Ministry for Home Affairs has said. A proposal in which the Special Cell of the Delhi police had requested special risk allowance was turned down by the MHA on the ground that additional allowances was not needed.

The Delhi police had asked for a 60 per cent hike in their basic pay. The MHA however said that that the allowance is more than what is payable for those personnel deployed for counter-insurgency operations.

In the proposal the Delhi police had cited the examples of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh while stating that the anti-terror units in these states were getting such allowances. It was said that the Delhi Police Special Cell and the SWAT commandos too should get such allowances.

The Delhi police falls under the ambit of the central government. Hence they should not be compared to the state units, the MHA has said.

The Delhi police is likely to send out a fresh proposal. In the proposal it would cite Delhi being a potential terror target. It would also give out statistics on the number of cases it has handled and cracked.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 14:40 [IST]
This Indian village may soon be named after US President Donald Trump

India

oi-PTI

A village being developed in Rajasthan's Mewat region will be named after US President Donald Trump. This was announced by a top Indian sociologist and social worker as part of his efforts to further India-US relationship.

"I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village," Sulabh International founder and chief, Bindeshwar Pathak, announced at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC.

This, he said, is part of his effort to enhance India-US relationship. Giving a presentation to local community and political leaders, Pathak said he is working to provide affordable sanitation and toilets to the masses and end the practice of manual scavenging.

In his address, he urged the Indian-American community to help realise the goal of sanitation and cleanliness in India.

Republican leader from Virginia, Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia Governor, highlighted the role the Indian-American community plays in the US, adding "the US has a very strong relationship with India". He also explored the option of adopting the technology of Sulabh international in Virginia and Maryland.

"Rural areas of Virginia have a problem in building toilets and its maintenance cost is very high. Several officials from both Virginia and Maryland have expressed their interest in adopting it locally so as to bring the cost down," said Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia. Congresswoman Barbara Comstock also felicitated Pathak on the occasion.

Pathak's announcement comes close on the heels of a scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Washington on June 26.

PTI
UP panchayat fines man Rs 2 lakh for triple talaq

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A panchyat in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh has fined a man Rs 2 lakh for giving triple talaq to his wife in a fit of rage. The 45 year old farmer has also been told to pay the 'mahar' of Rs 60,000 to his wife. Raees Ahmed of Moosapur village had married Rehana Begum (34) two years ago. She was his second wife.

Raees had divorced his wife ten days back following a dispute. Rehana returned to her parents at Sadiyanpur village after that. The panchayat by Turk community members, attended by members of 52 villages was held on Sunday afternoon at madrasa Khalil-ul-Uloom in Raisati village. It also asked Raees to return the valuables that he had allegedly received as dowry from Rehana's family.

The matter was taken up after Rehana's brother approached the panchayat. Before the panchayat, Raees was unable to justify the divorce. The panchayat took a serious view of the matter and slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh on him. Shahid Hussain, coordinator of the Turk community panchayat, said: "For the last two months, community members have been regularly holding meetings in villages, asking people to avoid uttering talaq thrice in one go."

OneIndia News
We know exactly who he is: Trump says US is aware of new Islamic State chief

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: A Caliph on the run

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The world's most dangerous terrorist, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is on the run. The self declared Caliph has problems galore as he is on the verge of losing both Mosul and Raqa.

The chief of the Islamic State has gone into hiding since the past month. He has no territory to control and neither does have land to rule. This technically would mean that he cannot call himself a Caliph any longer.

It was exactly a year back news of his death had surfaced. It was for the fifth time that such a news had been floated. There was never any official confirmation regarding the news. Later it was found that it was part of the strategy to hoodwink the security forces.

Bhagdadi realises that he is unable to hold on to the territory which he battled and taken over. The ISIS which stormed both Iraq and Syria made some immense gains at first.

However off late they have been losing considerable ground in both countries. In the recent past they have relied very heavily on propaganda than actual war on the ground which itself is a signal that there is something amiss where their commander is concerned.

While in hiding, Baghdadi has other concerns as well. There is a 25,000 million dollar bounty on his head announced by the US. There is every chance that someone around him may betray him and claim the bounty. Baghdadi's supporters too are fast shrinking.

The bounty according to experts makes matters complicated. It restricts their movements and they have to be on the watch to ensure that they are not betrayed. Experts in Iraq say that after the bounty had been announced, Baghdadi would not stay in place for more than 72 hours. Moreover he has also started trusting completely his inner circle.

The retreat:

In March 2017, Baghdadi had even issued a farewell speech. A statement by Baghdadi titled Farewell Speech was distributed among all the preachers, clerics and fighters. "Return to your countries or detonate yourselves," was the message he had in his statement.

He issued the statement after the Iraqi army strengthened its position at Mosul.

Bhaghdadi while ordering the closure of the ISIS office, gave the non-Arab fighters two options while promising them 72 virgins in heaven. He said they must either return to their home country or detonate themselves.

Experts and analysts said that one must not consider the farewell speech as a retreat. The dangerous signs that one gets from the speech is where the self declared Caliph tells the fighters to return home. Over the past year, Baghdadi had directed his fighters several times to return to their home country and carry out lone-wolf attacks.

Who could succeed Baghdadi?

There are 8 persons who are in the wait list. They are Abu Alaa al-Afri who was once an Osama Bin Laden loyalist. He is second in command today in the ISIS, but according to the Shura Council he has no lineage to the Prophet.

Abdullah Alani who claims to have a lineage to the Prophet is next. A religious scholar, Alani is also part of the Shura Council.

Abu Ali al-Anbari, the head of the ISIS security council is another candidate. He was also part of the intelligence in the Saddam Hussein military regime.

Abdul Rahman al-Talabani, head of the religious committee.

Abu Atheer al-Absi, head of the media committee.

Nima abd Naif al-Jubury, head of the military committee.

Abu Bakr al-Khatooni, head of the Shura committee

Abu Omar al-Shishani a military commander.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 6:56 [IST]
LONDON - Former British prime minister John Major said on Tuesday he was concerned about a planned deal between Prime Minister Theresa May and a mainly Protestant political party in Northern Ireland to shore up May's minority government.

Former British prime ministers John Major (L) and Tony Blair share a platform for the Remain campaign event at the University of Ulster in Londonderry, Northern Ireland June 9, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

"I am concerned about the deal. I am wary about it. I am dubious about it," Major told BBC radio.

He said he was worried principally that the planned agreement could hurt the Northern Irish peace process in which the British government plays an impartial role.

May was meeting the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, on Tuesday to discuss a deal for support in parliament, where May's Conservatives lost their majority in last week's election.
Another court rules out Donald Trump's travel ban

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In yet another setback for US President Donald Trump, a 3 judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court has ruled out travel ban on countries including Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days which was announced in February. "We conclude that the President, in issuing the Executive Order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress," the judges said.

The court however allowed the government to conduct internal reviews on vetting as it vacated part of the injunction. The Trump administration can move the Supreme Court challenging the order. Taking in consent a Hawaii judge's decision from March, the judges revealed that Trump's decision to block all refugees and foreign nationals from six muslim-majority countries from entering the US has violated the constitution as it was against Muslims. The federal judge of Hawaii, Derrick Watson also blocked a directive that barred the refugee applicants for 120 days, as well as other government instructions. It may be recalled that on June 1, the Trump administration had asked the Supreme Court to revive the ban and block the Hawai rulings.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 5:50 [IST]
Red alert in 10 districts of Kerala due to heavy rains

Floods after heavy rain kill at least 22 people in Venezuela

Heavy rains and landslides in Bangladesh kill 42

International

oi-Madhuri

Heavy rains causing multiple landslides over the past three days have killed at least 42 people in different areas of Bandarban .

A depression in the Bay of Bengal influenced the weather all over the country, bringing about incessant rainfall which inundated Dhaka and Chittagong cities.

The incident took place around 2:30am due to the torrential rain in Balaghata, Rangamati Sadar and hittagong's Chandnaish areas.

Around Twenty five people were killed in Rangamati, 11 in Rangunia and Chandanaish upazilas of Chittagong and six in Bandarban.

Chittagong district administration has formed two teams led by two executive magistrates to avoid further incidents of landslides. They will evict people living at risky spots near the hills.

OneIndia News
Have not eluded any court says Mallya: Extradition hearing adjourned

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

I have nothing to say. I deny all allegations and have not eluded any court said liquor baron Vijay Mallya ahead of the extradition hearing. The extradition hearing of liquor baron, Vijay Mallya has been adjourned by the Westminster Magistrate court.

Mallya was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on an extradition warrant in April after India launched formal proceedings. Mallya is wanted on a number of charges including a loan default case to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya who was arrested in April was immediately released on bail after he paid a bond of 650,000 Pounds.

Indian investigators have made several trips to London and handed over case papers to the prosecution. India says that Mallya is wanted in several cases and the courts have also issued several non-bailable warrants against him.

This would be a test case for India. The Extradition Treaty was signed between India and the UK in 1993. Last year Samirbhai Patel, an accused in the 2002 Gujarat riots case was extradited and this was a first in 23 years.

Tuesday's hearing would give a signal on what the thinking of the court in London will be. It is yet to be seen if the court accepts India's case prima facie. The court if convinced would want to know from India about prison conditions and also Mallya's safety in India if extradited.

OneIndia News
PM Modi's US visit set to Trump the new administration

International

oi-Prabhpreet

By Prabhpreet

Narendra Modi is set to travel to the US this month, and though this will be his fifth such visit, it is to be the first since Donald Trump became President. And while Modi has used foreign tours as an effective model of diplomacy, the latest is set to be his biggest challenge yet.

This is so, not just owing to the complexities of international relations, which are hard enough, but due to one single election and its result that has divided the whole world and thrown open all foreign alignments to change.

Modi's foreign visits: US to make it 63 in just over 3 years

As Americans voted to make Trump their commander-in-chief, the world witnessed an event which was feared to put the status-quo, of not only how the world's most powerful country would be run at home but also its foreign policy, in danger. And it turns out, such fears were not without merit as most of them have turned out to be true, even though it's been less than five months since he took charge.

Now with Modi to meet Trump at his invitation, the world will see the coming together of a leader who has little, if any, belief in the traditional forms of diplomacy, hosting another who wholeheartedly believes in and acts on their merit, for better foreign relations.

The challenge that is Trump

Relations between nations have always been thought to be based on their needs and wants and on a quid-pro-quo basis. And this almost always holds true since those in power, either modern day heads of government or the Kings of older times, follow a model of diplomacy which serves the best interest of their people.

Yet, an often overlooked point in such matters is the nature and thinking of the leader. Most often than not, while a nation's requirements determine its foreign policies, how they are acted upon depends on the leader in charge. This though usually does not come to the fore as all modern day leaders are usually career politicians well steeped in international diplomacy through the experience of working with other governments.

This is the biggest norm that Trump's victory has broken. As he is not only an unconventional leader but not a politician at all and is even considered an outsider in his own Republican party. Especially since he has no experience in government and has never held elected office.

The difference began to show on his campaign trail where he lambasted almost all policy decisions, both domestic and foreign, of the then President, Barack Obama. While many hoped that he would break away from the rhetoric that was pushed to draw in voters, and follow policies in continuation of past governments with only normal standards of tweaking that are expected from every new administration.

Such hopes though were quickly dashed. This could be seen not only by his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Climate agreement, that had for the first time brought almost all countries together in the fight to tackle climate change, but also through the deterioration of the country's relationship with its long-time ally, Europe, among other steps such as his attempts to implement a travel ban on Muslims coming to the US.

This has led to the country, which has been the sole superpower for decades, to be thought of as a pariah whose actions and intentions cannot be trusted. This was truer than ever, as less than a month ago, Trump took to a stage on the lawns of the White House and went on a diatribe against China and India on their role in the climate deal.

And the doubts that he might take critical and controversial decisions on the international front in order to not only boost his domestic agenda but also at times to distract from his failures, have made matters more complicated.

Modi's foreign and India-America policy

It is under such circumstances that Modi is to travel to the US, a trip on which the whole world, along with the citizens of the two countries, is sure to have their eyes on, as the leader of the most powerful democracy in the world meets the leader of the largest.

Modi has made no secrets of the fact that he believes in travelling to other countries as one of the most effective ways of diplomacy and building the country's standing in the world. It is such thinking that has led him to go on more than 60 such tours in order to improve India's ties with the world.

Even with the US, he has been able to carry forward and improve the relations that had caught momentum during the reigns of his predecessors, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, by establishing links with it through having friendly relations with the Obama in addition to traditional methods.

But the accusations hurled at India by Trump have complicated such relations and the way that Modi's visit would have to be managed. Though India's External Affairs Minister was quick to counter such allegations in a diplomatic manner, it is not too hard to imagine how Trump's comments would have thrown a wrench in the thinking and plans of India's foreign policy managers.

While India had followed a policy of non-alignment with any major groupings based on an American or USSR division, it had close relations with the latter after the initial decades post independence. This was so as the economic policy that was followed under India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was closer to that of the Russians.

This changed in the 90's and picked up momentum under Vajpayee, which was carried forward by Singh's government. Modi, who came to power in 2014, pushed to take such relations forward by developing his relationship with Obama. Yet, he was careful not to overplay his hand and built his relationships with other major country's such as Russia and China, while also trying to have an independent and strong relationship with Europe as well as Central Asian countries.

And since the change of guard and uncertainty surrounding the US's policy have come to light, he has put more focus on Russia and China, in case the relations with Trump's administration are not able to deliver the best for India. The increasing possibilities of which have been seen through Trump's tough policy on Iran, an important trade partner for India and its strategic goals.

Modi and how he will manage Trump

Such tough conditions are though not expected to deter the prime minister from at least trying to maintain the partnership that the country has with the US and attempt to take it to the next level. Especially since he would not want a change in administration, though a big hurdle, change his foreign strategy, of which a nation of the stature of US is a big part of.

To achieve this would be no simple feat and would need his visit to be a major success, which would be measured on a scale different to that of his previous trips.

One advantage that Modi will have is the party that Trump belongs to. Republicans have always been considered to be in favour of close relations with India, as was seen in the bonding that developed between the countries during previous Republican President George Bush's term. And India can bank on the support from the party's leadership for closer ties between the two countries.

The difficulties arise from the fact that Trump is not a hardcore member of the party and due to his personal nature of wanting to be in the spotlight and inconsistencies that he shows on various issues.

To counter these, Modi will try to develop a personal bond with him, a tool that he has used effectively with other world leaders such as Obama and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Of all the details of the President's meeting with other world leaders, this seems to be the best bet.

Along with the conventional measures of diplomacy, trade, strategic alliances by which such a relationships are developed, the prime minister would have to try and appeal to Trump's personal nature as well. Such extra efforts would be needed given the importance of the US's economic and strategic power.

The fact that Trump likes to be the centre of attention is no secret and came out visibly during his meeting with NATO leaders where in order to get a better position in front of the press he ended up nudging another leader to the side. Though this might seem like naive behaviour which should not hold international relations in the balance, under Trump the importance of the power of the nature of the leader can never be overestimated.

And such a thought would have to be kept in mind by Modi and his team while trying to build a personal rapport with Trump. If this is done, the visit will see none of the fanfares and shows that the prime minister was not only a part of but also their centre of attraction during his previous US visits.

Though this may be played out as a reaction to the recent tensions in the relations between the two countries, such conceding or at least sharing the spotlight with Trump should be seen as a means to develop a camaraderie.

This is going to be unlike any other foreign visit that Modi has made in his term yet, as the unconventional nature of the leader he is about to meet will make the regular steps of diplomacy far less effective and would need the adoption of means considered far from conventional.

It is not only going to be a test of the prime minister's foreign diplomacy skills but will also play a role in deciding the future alignment of the country in relation to other world powers.

The hint to the answers to questions such as will India continue its close partnership with the US or will a return to the policy of closer ties with Russia be adhered to in addition to China, or Modi's vision for India to be close to all powers continue, will depend on how the first meeting between the two leaders later this month turns out.

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Story first published: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 14:34 [IST]
Trump, Modi to discuss security cooperation, combating terror

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Jun 13: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first meeting would set forth a vision to expand the US-India ties in an ambitious manner and discuss ways to advance common goals like fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region.

The leaders of the world's two largest democracies with a combined population of 1.6 billion will meet on June 26 at the White House to discuss a gamut of bilateral issues, including India's concerns over possible changes in H1B visa rules.

"I think you can expect the two of them to set forth a vision that will expand the US-India partnership in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference. He cited "fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo- Pacific region" as shared priorities.

The Indo-Pacific region includes the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple disputes over islands. "President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the United States-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said. Trump invited Modi to Washington after the latter rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

"The president and the prime minister have had a number of positive phone conversations, and expect to further that discussion ... whether it's economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism, expanding our cooperation as major defence partners," Spicer said in response to a question. In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said yesterday that the Modi-Trump discussions will provide a new direction for a deeper bilateral engagement.

"Prime Minister will hold official talks with President Trump on June 26. Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the US," the ministry said. The bilateral talks appear to be no bed of roses as they come amidst thorny issues like US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers, and its withdrawal from the historic climate accord.

Notably, Modi's US visit, which would begin on June 25, comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries. Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal. Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations. Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

The White House said that the US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, despite the recent hiccups over the H1-B visa issue. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

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by  Graham Pierrepoint



ROCK DOG

IMDb

Dir: Ash Brannon

Starring Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, J.K. Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, Mae Whitman, Jorge Garcia, Matt Dillon, Sam Elliot

2.5 STARS (out of 5)

If you cringed at the name of this movie or even at the trailer, then the likelihood is you wont be alone  but, as weve come to discover here at One News Page, it really doesnt pay to judge a book by its cover too often. Rock Dog comes to screens in the UK this week nationwide from the studio who brought us the likes of The Nut Job  meaning that, already, perceptions of just how good an animated movie about a guitar-playing canine could be werent exactly flying high. That being said, an impressive cast and a cute style should hopefully bring some balance  but does it?

Rock Dog is the tale of a young anthropomorphic dog living with other Tibetan Mastiffs deep in the back of beyond  however, to his fathers chagrin, Bodi (Wilson) finds himself dreaming of a grander, more exciting life out in the city  as a rock star  largely thanks to a radio falling from the sky. Despite his fathers reservations, Bodi finds himself on the hunt for a reclusive feline star (Izzard), who just so happens to need a band to help him record a song to keep his contract afloat. On top of that, theres further difficulty ahead as his home is threatened by wolves  can Bodi become an overnight sensation and the hero his family needs?

Its perhaps understandable to go into this one not expecting something of Illumination, Dreamworks or even Disney standards. The animation is basic, fairly predictable and altogether safe  it doesnt have a look that is particularly striking, though it does manage to carry across a very cute aesthetic which will likely play well with younger viewers. Certainly, the soft, cute looks of the characters help to put their characters across  which moves us onto my next point.

Unlike some of Reel FXs other features (lets take Free Birds)  the characters arent immediately obnoxious or blatantly striving to appeal to a younger demographic. Sure, the characters here are nothing special  and neither is the story, lets face it  but major kudos has to be levelled with the cast for fleshing out their characters as much as possible. There is some genuine talent here  while Bodi may not be the most interesting hero, Izzards Angus is colourful and captivating, while the ensemble cast is backed up by genuinely capable stars such as Lewis Black, Mae Whitman and Kenan Thompson. For once, while many a movie has been trotted out with a good cast and has failed spectacularly, this formula works in a movies favour.

As movies go, Rock Dog isnt that memorable  its a story older kids and adults will see coming from a long way away, and it barely even trots away from the tried-and-tested storyline routes that so many animated movies travel down. As stated, Rock Dog is impeccably safe  it teeters on the point of mediocrity so carefully that it could be considered poorer than your average Secret Life of Pets, say  yet better than the likes of, again, Free Birds. The story is hokey and the themes and messages it relays have been stomped to death so many times that its hard to see why they considered rattling them out again for the millionth outing. That being said, Rock Dog isnt a movie that relies much upon originality  which is why, thankfully, it does so well in the charm department.

Rock Dog - Official Trailer (Lionsgate)

Fans of animation may likely see this as something of a cheap outing. Reviews from other critics are largely panning the movie  it has a rating below 50% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing  but we have to consider the key audience when it comes to just how well it comes across. Rock Dog is never going to be the genre-challenging masterpiece Ratatouille was. Its not going to convert the same merchandising ministry and worldwide appeal that Despicable Me and the Minions have over the years  but all things considered, Rock Dog is a movie with heart. Unlike some of the other movies Reel Fx have trotted out in recent years, this one at least tries to lead with a charming cast first and cliched catchphrases and tropes second.

Sure, you wont find anything new here  those who are deep into the Disney canon or whom even find Illuminations recent work trite will likely struggle to make it to the finish  but for young kids, seven and below, theres plenty of charm, funny moments and more to keep the interest. Comparing with some of 2016s efforts  Norm of The North and Top Cat Begins, Im looking at you  Rock Dog may not be original in the slightest, nor even technically proficient, but it never insults its audience. On these grounds, itll make a great day out for the family.
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Douye Diri, the Bayelsa state governor, has sworn in four new High Court Judges in Bayelsa which includes his wife, Mrs Patience Ama Zuofa Diri.

Others are Lockie James Benimo, Simon Warikiyei Amaduobogha and Christine Irigha Kombo-Enegesi.

Four new judges who took oath of office on Thursday are to serve at the High Court of Justice of Bayelsa State.

Speaking during the ceremony, Douye Diri charged them to be above board in the discharge of their sacred duties.

I once again congratulate the newly sworn-in judges on your appointment. Indeed, as you assume your respective high and exalted offices as judges of the High Court, I urge you to serve the people of Bayelsa with unfailing

and commitment.

Let your actions and decisions be steered solely on the unprejudiced and faithful application of the constitution and our written laws, our ethics and values as a people, and the superseding interest of justice. May God continue to bless Bayelsa State, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said.

Present at the swearing-in ceremony were the first lady, Dr. Mrs Gloria Diri, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, judges, senior lawyers, including Mr. Kemeasuode Wodu (SAN), other top government functionaries, as well as families and friends of the new judges.
Opalesque Industry Update - GAM hired Anne Lundberg to lead its consultant relations in North America as the independent active asset manager strengthens its approach to investment consultants globally. Anne joins GAM USA on 21 June 2017 and will report to London-based Greg Clerkson, who joined the company in February in the newly created role of global head of consultant relations. Anne has been heading the North America consultant relations for Man Group for the past four years after working for Putnam Investments as a consultant relations director. Anne is the immediate past president of Women Investment Professionals. Greg Clerkson, global head of consultant relations, said: "I am extremely pleased to welcome someone of Anne's calibre and experience to GAM. Her unique background of working with investment consultants in both systematic and discretionary investment strategies is a perfect fit for our growing North America business."
Opalesque Industry Update - The Preqin All-Strategies Hedge Fund benchmark returned 0.26% in May 2017, marking the seventh consecutive month of positive returns for the industry. Overall, hedge funds have recorded just three months of losses since the start of 2016. Multi-strategy hedge funds posted the highest returns of any leading strategy, at 1.40%, while relative value funds were the only leading strategy to see losses, recording -0.38% for the month. Despite falling slightly, 12-month returns for the industry are at 10.33%, surpassing the expectations for hedge fund performance that investors gave Preqin at the start of the year. Key Hedge Fund Performance Facts: - The Preqin All-Strategies Hedge Fund benchmark returned 0.26% in May. Although this is the lowest monthly return recorded in 2017 so far, it does bring overall YTD performance to 4.37%.

- Multi-strategy and event driven strategies hedge funds posted the highest performance, with gains of 1.40% and 0.51% respectively. Relative value funds saw losses of 0.38%, the only leading strategy to lose ground in May.

- CTAs posted gains of 0.28% for the month, building on 0.43% returns seen in April. This takes YTD performance into positive territory for the first time in 2017, at 0.09%.

- UCITS funds saw gains of 0.43% in May, while alternative mutual funds saw marginal losses of 0.04%. In 2017 so far, they have now seen gains of 3.43% and 1.92% respectively.

- Funds of hedge funds returned 0.43%, maintaining momentum from 0.53% gains seen last month. Over the past 12 months, funds of hedge funds have now posted performance of 4.71%.

- North America-focused hedge funds posted losses of 0.22% for the month, while Europe- and Asia-Pacific focused funds both made gains of 1.08%. However, over 12 months North America-focused funds have returned 11.44%, the highest of any region.

- Medium-sized hedge funds* posted the highest returns of any size classification, returning 0.80% in May. They also overtake emerging hedge funds to post the highest 12-month performance, returning 10.94%. Amy Bensted, Head of Hedge Fund Products, commented: "Hedge fund performance has continued to make ground in May, despite some concerns about slowing growth in the US and Europe. There have only been three months since the start of 2016 in which hedge funds saw losses, and this should bolster investor confidence in the asset class. At the end of H1 2016, hedge fund investors reported that they did not broadly expect hedge fund performance to improve in the next 12 months: however, since then the industry performance has reached double figures for the period. There are also positive signs of sustained momentum in other areas of the industry. CTAs have posted their first back to-back months of gains since November-December 2016, while funds of hedge funds are seeing their longest period of positive performance since May 2015. Fund managers will be looking to capitalize on this momentum to show investors the value of hedge funds in providing downside risk protection and the potential for returns." press release Bg Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Hedge fund flows as measured by the SS&C GlobeOp Capital Movement Index advanced 1.24% in June.

"SS&C GlobeOp's Capital Movement Index for June 2017 rose 1.24%, a strong improvement in net flows from the -0.07% reported a year ago for June 2016," said Bill Stone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SS&C Technologies. "This very favorable result reflects a marked increase in capital inflows, as well as better asset retention. If this increased rate of capital inflows proves sustainable, and redemptions continue to moderate, the hedge fund industry should see an acceleration in asset growth."

...

Cumulatively, the SS&C GlobeOp Capital Movement Index for June 2017 stands at 139.67 points, an increase of 1.24 points over May 2017. The Index has declined 3.83 points over the past 12 months. The next publication date is July 14, 2017.

Bg

Full press release and charts:

Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Digital Notes Market 2017 - Kent Displays, Sony, Livescribe

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Global Press Machine Sales Market Outlook 2017 : Ermaksan, Safan Darley, Durma, Mitsubishi, Nargesa

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Global Press Machine Sales Market 2017-2022A market study  Global Press Machine Sales Market  examines the performance of the Press Machine Sales market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Press Machine Sales market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Press Machine Sales market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Press Machine Sales Market 2017 report includes Press Machine Sales market Revenue, market Share, Press Machine Sales industry volume, market Trends, Press Machine Sales Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Press Machine Sales Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Press Machine Sales Market 2017:1. TRUMPF2. Cincinnati3. Ermaksan4. Safan Darley5. Durma6. Mitsubishi7. Nargesa8. WEMO9. SHI10. EMTC11. TMP12. Amada13. YURI ROLL MACHINE14. HIRANO GIKEN KOGYO15. Dener16. Wakefield17. ATOM18. LVD19. Ajax Manufacturing20. Yeh Chiun21. Rajshree Enterprises22. Harsle23. Yangli24. Anyang Forging Press MachineryPress Machine Sales Market : By TypeType 1Type 2Press Machine Sales Market : By ApplicationApplication IApplication IIFirstly, the report covers the top Press Machine Sales manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Press Machine Sales report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Press Machine Sales industry, Press Machine Sales industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Press Machine Sales Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Press Machine Sales research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Press Machine Sales market revenue worldwide.Finally, Press Machine Sales market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.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, USAWebsite:
Global Smart Shade Devices Market Outlook 2017 : Hunter Douglas, Pella, Horizons, MechoSystems, SWFcontract

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Global Smart Shade Devices Market 2017-2022A market study  Global Smart Shade Devices Market  examines the performance of the Smart Shade Devices market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Smart Shade Devices market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Smart Shade Devices market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Smart Shade Devices Market 2017 report includes Smart Shade Devices market Revenue, market Share, Smart Shade Devices industry volume, market Trends, Smart Shade Devices Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Smart Shade Devices Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Smart Shade Devices Market 2017:1. Hunter Douglas2. Pella3. Springs Window Fashions4. Bali5. Graber6. Horizons7. MechoSystems8. SWFcontractSmart Shade Devices Market : By TypeType 1Type 2Smart Shade Devices Market : By ApplicationApplication IApplication IIFirstly, the report covers the top Smart Shade Devices manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Smart Shade Devices report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Smart Shade Devices industry, Smart Shade Devices industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Smart Shade Devices Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Smart Shade Devices research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Smart Shade Devices market revenue worldwide.Finally, Smart Shade Devices market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.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, USAWebsite:
Global Plastic Processing Machines Market Outlook 2017 : Milacron, Japan Steel Works, Kobelco, Rogan, Riva Machinery, Sodick

Plastic Processing Machines

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Global Plastic Processing Machines Market 2017-2022A market study  Global Plastic Processing Machines Market  examines the performance of the Plastic Processing Machines market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Plastic Processing Machines market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Plastic Processing Machines market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Plastic Processing Machines Market 2017 report includes Plastic Processing Machines market Revenue, market Share, Plastic Processing Machines industry volume, market Trends, Plastic Processing Machines Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Plastic Processing Machines ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Plastic Processing Machines Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Plastic Processing Machines Market 2017:1. Arburg2. Milacron3. Toshiba Machine4. Japan Steel Works5. Sumitomo Heavy Industries6. Battenfeld-Cincinnati7. Kobelco8. Rogan9. Gurucharan Industries10. Costruzioni Macchine Speciali11. Fu Chun Shin Machinery12. Hutcheon13. Hillson Mechanical14. KMB Group15. Riva Machinery16. Sodick17. BOY Machines18. Modern Silicone Technologies19. Wexco20. Engel21. Nissei22. Hikon23. Remica24. J P Extrusiontech25. Haitian International26. Donghua Machinery27. Nan Rong Mechanical28. Ningbo Haida Plastic Machinery29. Shanghai Jwell Machinery30. Guangdong YuedongPlastic Processing Machines Market : By TypeType 1Type 2Plastic Processing Machines Market : By ApplicationApplication IApplication IIFirstly, the report covers the top Plastic Processing Machines manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Plastic Processing Machines report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Plastic Processing Machines industry, Plastic Processing Machines industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Plastic Processing Machines Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Plastic Processing Machines research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Plastic Processing Machines market revenue worldwide.Finally, Plastic Processing Machines market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.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, USAWebsite:
Global Supercritical Boilers Market Outlook 2017 : Babcock & Wilcox, Hitachi, Siemens, IHI

Supercritical Boilers

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Global Supercritical Boilers Market 2017-2022A market study  Global Supercritical Boilers Market  examines the performance of the Supercritical Boilers market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Supercritical Boilers market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Supercritical Boilers market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Supercritical Boilers Market 2017 report includes Supercritical Boilers market Revenue, market Share, Supercritical Boilers industry volume, market Trends, Supercritical Boilers Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Supercritical Boilers Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Supercritical Boilers Market 2017:1. Babcock & Wilcox2. Bharat Heavy Electricals3. Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction4. Hitachi5. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries6. Siemens7. IHI8. BURMEISTER & WAIN ENERGY9. Shanghai Electric Company10. Harbin Electric Company11. Dongfang Electric Corporation LtdSupercritical Boilers Market : By TypeType 1Type 2Supercritical Boilers Market : By ApplicationApplication IApplication IIFirstly, the report covers the top Supercritical Boilers manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Supercritical Boilers report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Supercritical Boilers industry, Supercritical Boilers industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Supercritical Boilers Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Supercritical Boilers research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Supercritical Boilers market revenue worldwide.Finally, Supercritical Boilers market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.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, USAWebsite:
Global Dishwasher Market Drivers, Trends and Opportunities Forecasts from 2017 to 2022

Dishwasher Market

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Executive Summary:-Global Dishwasher Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Dishwasher Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Request a Sample Report @In this report, the global Dishwasher 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 is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Dishwasher in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Dishwasher market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingElectroluxGE AppliancesLG ElectronicsRobert BoschWhirlpoolAGA RangemasterAsko AppliancesDacorFagor AmericaHoover Candy GroupSears BrandsMieleSAMSUNGSMEGVESTELOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBuilt-In DishwasherDetached DishwasherOtherOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Dishwasher for each application, includingHouseholdCommercialIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Browse Full Report Details@Some Major Points from Table of Content:Table of ContentsGlobal Dishwasher Market Research Report 20171 Dishwasher Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Dishwasher1.2 Dishwasher Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Dishwasher Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Dishwasher Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Built-In Dishwasher1.2.4 Detached Dishwasher1.2.5 Other1.3 Global Dishwasher Segment by Application1.3.1 Dishwasher Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Household1.3.3 Commercial1.4 Global Dishwasher Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Dishwasher 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 Dishwasher (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Dishwasher Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Dishwasher Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Dishwasher Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Dishwasher Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Dishwasher Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Dishwasher Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Dishwasher Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Dishwasher Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Dishwasher Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Dishwasher Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Dishwasher Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Dishwasher Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Dishwasher Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Dishwasher Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Dishwasher Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Dishwasher Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Dishwasher Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Dishwasher Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Dishwasher Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Dishwasher Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Dishwasher Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Dishwasher Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Dishwasher Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Dishwasher Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Dishwasher Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Dishwasher Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Dishwasher Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesPurchase a Copy of This Report @CONTINUEDMore about WiseGuyReports:Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)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
Smart Home Camera Robot 2017 Global Market by Types, Countries and Manufacturers to 2022  Amaryllo, Toshiba, Probotics, WowWee, Meccano, Vimicro and more

Smart Home Camera Robot Market

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Smart Home Camera Robot Market 2017Report Details:This report studies Smart Home Camera Robot 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, coveringAmarylloProboticsWowWeeMeccanoVimicroToshibaMostitechZMPGeekologieAppbotYi360LenovoEzvizGet Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoNot Record VideoRecord VideoBy Application, the market can be split intoSecurity RobotRoombaBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaComplete Report Details@Table of Content:1 Industry Overview of Smart Home Camera Robot1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smart Home Camera Robot1.1.1 Definition of Smart Home Camera Robot1.1.2 Specifications of Smart Home Camera Robot1.2 Classification of Smart Home Camera Robot1.2.1 Not Record Video1.2.2 Record Video1.3 Applications of Smart Home Camera Robot1.3.1 Security Robot1.3.2 Roomba1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Home Camera Robot2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Home Camera Robot2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Smart Home Camera Robot2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Smart Home Camera Robot3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Smart Home Camera Robot3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Smart Home Camera Robot Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Smart Home Camera Robot Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Smart Home Camera Robot Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Smart Home Camera Robot Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Smart Home Camera Robot Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Smart Home Camera Robot Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Smart Home Camera Robot Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Smart Home Camera Robot Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)..8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Smart Home Camera Robot8.1 Amaryllo8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Amaryllo 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Amaryllo 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Probotics8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Probotics 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Probotics 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 WowWee8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 WowWee 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 WowWee 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Meccano8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Meccano 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Meccano 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Vimicro8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Vimicro 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Vimicro 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Toshiba8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Toshiba 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Toshiba 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Mostitech8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Mostitech 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Mostitech 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 ZMP8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 ZMP 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 ZMP 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Geekologie8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Geekologie 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Geekologie 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Appbot8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Appbot 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Appbot 2016 Smart Home Camera Robot Business Region Distribution AnalysisContinued.Buy this Report @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Latest Global Report:Bilirubin Industry :key Vendors, Trends, Analysis, Segmentation, Forecast to 2017-2021

Bilirubin Industry

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BilirubinWiseGuyReports.com adds Global Bilirubin Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021 to its Database.Report ScenarioBilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism, is mainly extracted from animal bile, and is the main pigment in bile. It mainly comes from cattle and pigs. Bilirubin is not only on the human body with detoxification, sedative anticonvulsant, antipyretic, antihypertensive effect, but also to promote red blood cells to improve neonatal immune regeneration. It is the main raw material to manufacture artificial bezoar, or health products, cosmetics, other industries.Check Sample Report@Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Bilirubin 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 coversChongqing Jiangxia Shenghua ZhiyaoAnHui Chem-Right BioengineeringPingdingshanshi Huishengyuan ShengwuzhipinChongqing Jingkang BiotechnologyWuhan Yuancheng Gongchuang TechnologyShaanxi Pioneer BiotechHubei Prosperity Galaxy ChemicalZelang GroupChengdu Tianyuan Natural ProductMaanshan Hui Zhi BiotechShaanxi Sciphar Hi-Tech IndustryXian Bai Chuan BiotechnologyAnhui Tianqi Chemical EngineeringNanjing Dilger Medical TechnologyMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth 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 AfricaMarket Segment by Type, covers90% Bilirubinn95% BilirubinOther PurityMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoArtificial BezoarMedicine IndustryOther ApplicationFor any Enquiry or special requirement related to Bilirubin you can write us @There are 13 Chapters to deeply display the global Bilirubin market.Chapter 1, to describe Bilirubin Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Bilirubin, with sales, revenue, and price of Bilirubin, 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 Bilirubin, 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, Bilirubin market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2016 to 2021;Chapter 12 and 13, to describe Bilirubin sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data source.Table of Content01. Executive Summary1 Market Overview1.1 Bilirubin Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Airborne LIDAR1.2.2 Terrestrial LIDAR1.2.3 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Civil Engineering1.3.2 Forestry & Agriculture1.3.3 Transportation1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA1.4.1.2 Canada1.4.1.3 Mexico1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany1.4.2.2 France1.4.2.3 UK1.4.2.4 Russia1.4.2.5 Italy1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China1.4.3.2 Japan1.4.3.3 Korea1.4.3.4 India1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil1.4.4.2 Egypt1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia1.4.4.4 South Africa1.4.4.5 Nigeria1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Leica Geosystems2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Leica Geosystems Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.2 Trimble2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Trimble Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.3 Teledyne Optech2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Teledyne Optech Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.4 Riegl2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Riegl Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.5 Topcon2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Topcon Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.6 Velodyne LiDAR2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Velodyne LiDAR Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.7 3D Laser Mapping2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 3D Laser Mapping Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.8 IGI2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 IGI Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share2.9 Sure Star2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Bilirubin Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 Sure Star Bilirubin Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market ShareContinued.For discount check @Subscribe Our Youtube Channel @CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)"Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, research reports, analysis &forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every category and an even more comprehensivecollection of research reports under these categories and sub-categories"Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028 Maharashtra, India
Tuberculosis Therapeutic Market Research Report 2017 Analysis And Forecast To 2025

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Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of tubercles (small nodular lesions which particularly form in the bone or other tissues) in the lung. There are two types of tuberculosis: latent and active. In the former, the infection does not exhibit any symptoms, whereas chronic cough with blood-containing sputum, fever, and night sweat are symptoms of the latter. Tuberculosis spreads through the medium of air. Active tuberculosis occurs more often in HIV/AIDS-affected people, with diagnosis commonly done through chest x-rays and through a microscopic examination of culture body fluids. Latent tuberculosis is detected through tuberculin skin tests or blood tests. Those in prolonged and close contact with tuberculosis-infected people are at a particularly high risk to be infected themselves. A person suffering active but untreated tuberculosis could infect ten to twelve person in a year. Tuberculosis occurs worldwide and has been identified as a major factor of death.View Report @On the basis of test, the tuberculosis therapeutic market is segmented into the diagnostic laboratory and radiographic methods. Diagnostic laboratory tests hold the maximum market share as they are highly cost-effective and easy to perform compared to radiographic tests. However, compromised accuracy and longer processing time are the two factors limiting this segment. The health care industry is therefore seeking advanced techniques to overcome these problems. Macro-economic factors, environmental factors, and the rising smokers population drive the tuberculosis therapeutic market. Advancements in x-ray systems, especially through mobile radiography and portable equipment such as the Practix 400 Plus are propelling the tuberculosis therapy market. However, multiple & specific drug resistance and the dearth of efficient lab technicians act as major restraints. In some countries, BCG vaccines are administered right in the childhood in order to fight tuberculosis. The markets for both  the vaccines as well as equipment  expand on parallel tracks. The development of new vaccines such as MVA85A, Rbcg30, and 72F fusion proteins constitutes a major share in the tuberculosis therapeutic market. There is urgent need for the development of better diagnostics owing to the rising rate of anti-tuberculosis drugs.Geographically North America and Latin America account for a prominent share in the tuberculosis therapeutic market because of the increasing awareness about the disease and its impact on human life. The higher use of BCG vaccination could further propel the market in the U.S. Europe follows the strategic guidelines provided by government bodies for its use of drugs against tuberculosis and vaccination schedules for children, which aids the expansion of the market. The tuberculosis situation in Asia Pacific, especially India, is highly critical. Every week, around ten thousand people succumb to death by tuberculosis. The revised national tuberculosis program in India plays a vital role in controlling this issue, with the growing population increasingly using vaccines and effective equipment. In Middle East & Africa, the development of additional expert MTB/RIF machines creates good scope for the market, which is also driven by the effectiveness of the national tuberculosis control program and the quality of the regions laboratory infrastructure.Sanofi Aventis, Aventis Pharmaceutical Ltd., Novartis AG, and Bayer Healthcare are key players operating in the tuberculosis therapeutic market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Tuberculosis Therapeutic Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.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.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.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:
Radiation Dose Management Market Research Report: Latest Review, Current Trends and Forecast 2025

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Radiation can be defined as the emission of electromagnetic waves, especially the high-energy particles which cause ionization. Radiation therapy is one of the major modes of treatment employed for various forms of cancer. However, the radiation therapy is associated with various side-effects. Management and monitoring of the radiation dose is of prime importance to minimize the side-effects. The amount of radiation energy absorbed by a human body is known as radiation dose, which is measured in various forms such as effective dose, equivalent dose, and absorbed dose.View Report @The primary growth drivers of the radiation dose management market include the increasing demand for improved health care services, growing awareness about patient safety related to the recommended radiation dosage to be administered, and rising risk of chronic diseases. In addition, factors such as increasing government initiatives to drive the implementation of health information exchanges (HIEs), rising adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), and growing number of diagnostic screening tests propel the market growth. However, lack of skilled technicians and physicians and their ignorance about the risks associated with high exposure to radiation due to lack of training and in-house education, inadequate funding, and absence of standard protocols for radiation doses might hamper the market growth during the forecast period.The global radiation dose management market can be segmented on the basis of product and service, modality, end-user, and geography. On the basis of products and services, the market can be segmented into integrated solutions, standalone solutions, and consulting services. The standalone solutions and integrated solutions segments accounted for significant market shares in 2016. The growth of these segments can be attributed to the increasing awareness about patient dose information and focus on patient safety. The radiation dose management solutions aid in achieving the compliance by integration of radiation dose monitoring, tracking, and analytics software with other systems to monitor and track patient safety and patient dose information. On the basis of modality, the market can be segmented into computed tomography, radiography, fluoroscopy and interventional imaging, mammography, and others. The computed tomography segment is anticipated to be a major revenue generating segment owing to the rising number of CT examinations and changing regulations related to the CT dose management. In terms of end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory care settings, research organizations, and others. The hospitals segment is estimated to dominate the market during the forecast period.Geographically, the global radiation dose management market can be distributed over five regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America was a major revenue generating market in 2016. This growth is attributed to the well-developed health care infrastructure, increase in number of health care reforms, favorable regulatory compliance, and growth in adoption of radiation dose management solutions. It is closely trailed by Europe. Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a high CAGR during the forecast period. India and China are expected to be the key countries driving the growth of the Asia Pacific market. The major driving factors for this growth include growing patient pool in these countries, rising investments to enhance the adoption of health care IT technologies, increasing health care expenditure, and growing awareness among the population. In addition, growing medical tourism is likely to contribute to the growth of the market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Radiation Dose Management Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.The leading players operating in the market include Bayer AG, Mckesson Corporation, GE Healthcare, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Philips Healthcare, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, AGFA Healthcare, PACSHealth, LLC, QAELUM N.V., Bracco Imaging S.p.A., Novarad Corporation, Siemens Healthineers, Sectra AB, and Medsquare.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:
Hyperbilirubinaemia Drugs Market Research, Key Players, Growth Opportunities, Outlook and Forecasts Report by 2017 - 2025

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Hyperbilirubinaemia is a condition in which a certain percentage of bilirubin increases in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow compound that occurs in the normal catabolic pathway that leads to breakage of heme (iron) in vertebrates. There are two types of blood cells - red blood cells and white blood cells. When red blood cells break down, bilirubin is formed. Hyperbilirubinaemia is also called jaundice. Jaundice is derived from Jaune, which is a French word that means yellow. Hyperbilirubinaemia first appears when a baby is born or at any time after birth. Hyperbilirubinaemia affects both babies and adults. The treatment for jaundice depends on the underlying causes. Complications faced by a newborn during jaundice include high pitched crying, fever, vomiting, and backward arching of the neck and head. Liver failure, kidney failure, anemia, bleeding, and chronic hepatitis are some complications of jaundice manifested in adults.View Report @On the basis of diagnosis, hyperbilirubinaemia is segmented into two parts - neonatal jaundice and adult jaundice. Neonatal jaundice is diagnosed with the help of phototherapy, intravenous immune globin, and exchange transfusion. For adults, hyperbilirubinaemia can be diagnosed with drugs like albumin human 25% intravenous, Plasbumin 25% intravenous, Albuminar 25% intravenous, Flexbumin 25% intravenous, Albutein 5% intravenous, etc. Hyperbilirubinaemia is however more prevalent in infants and therefore precautionary measures are adopted by both parents and physicians to diagnose and treat the disease carefully. Governments and public health agencies are arranging seminars, continuous medical education (CME), and training mothers to look out for neonatal jaundice. Increasing number of infant deaths, congenital infection, food habits, and lifestyle are some factors that drag the hyperbilirubinaemia drugs market. The improper establishment of protocol for nursing assessment of jaundice, including testing of TcB and TSB without physician involvement, and inaccurate test result of hyperbilirubinaemia in blood are some factors that hinder the market growth. Development of new vaccines and oral drugs are the need of the hour in under developing countries in order to expand the market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Hyperbilirubinaemia Drugs Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Geographically, the hyperbilirubinaemia drugs market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. North America is the predominant market due to well-established health care infrastructure, demand for premium priced drugs, and swift marketing approvals of the drugs. In North America, launch of various drugs with newer targets and increasing penetration of already marketed drugs in various geographical regions could drive the market. Aging population is a major concern in Europe as the geriatric population is more prone to hyperbilirubinaemia. The European Commission (Eurostat) has estimated that the geriatric population in Europe would reach 525 million by 2035. Thus, rise in geriatric population indicate the forecast of a big market size. Multinational companies are making significant investments in emerging economies in Asia to penetrate untapped markets. Growing population and unhinged food intake are major factors that drive the market in India for hyperbilirubinaemia drugs. Rest of the World includes the Middle East & Africa. Changes in medical practice, presence of strong product pipeline, and increasing uptake of targeted therapies are likely to drive the hyperbilirubinaemia drugs market in the region.Some of the key companies that manufacture hyperbilirubinaemia drugs are Novo Nordisk, Human Antibiotic Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Grifols, etc.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:
Blood Transfusion Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2025

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Blood transfusion is the commonly used procedure for intravenous administration of blood to a person to replace lost blood. A needle is inserted in a blood vessel to transfer blood obtained from a healthy donor. Blood transfusion is generally used to replace blood lost due to surgery or serious injury, and also in cases of diseases wherein blood formation is inadequate or inefficient. The blood transfusion market is expected to witness dynamic growth due to improving health care facilities and technological advancement in blood collection and safety in transfusion process. Blood transfusion is used as a lifesaving intervention for several chronic diseases. Increase in geriatric population, rising cancer therapies, emergence of infectious diseases (HIV and hepatitis), and significant rise in surgical procedures also drive the global blood transfusion market. In addition, strict government regulations across the world are boosting market growth. According to the International Diabetes Federation (2014), the percentage of population suffering from diabetes across the globe would increase by 53% from 2014 to 2035.View Report @Threat of spurt in new infections and infectious diseases that originate through the blood donation route are the major restraints of the blood transfusion market. Infectious diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hepatitis are the two major concerns that pose a threat to blood supply. Moreover, blood cannot be manufactured and can only be obtained from donors for transfusion. Hence, shortage of donors is likely to hamper the growth of the blood transfusion market. For instance, about 38% of population is eligible for blood donation, but only 10% of it actually go for blood donation. Lack of skilled professionals to handle the blood collection and transfusion procedure is another factor that may restraints the blood transfusion market, especially in underdeveloped or low income countries.The blood transfusion market can be segmented based on transfusion type, product type, application, end-user, and region. In terms of transfusion type, the market can be categorized into red blood cell transfusion, platelet transfusion, and plasma transfusion. Based on product type, the blood transfusion market can be divided into blood bags, transfusion sets, and other accessories. In terms of application, the market can be segmented into trauma & surgery, blood disorders, kidney disease, and others. Based on blood disorders, the market can be categorized into leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and others. In terms of end-user, the blood transfusion market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, specialized clinics, and others.Geographically, the blood transfusion market can be segmented broadly into five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the market, attributed to increasing prevalence of diseases and rising population requiring blood transfusion. According to the American National Red Cross (blood services), the U.S requires about 36,000 units of red blood cells per day, while about 21 million blood transfusions are carried out per year. Moreover, the blood transfusion market in North America is driven by increasing demand from aging population for blood products and rise in complex surgical procedures such as open heart and orthopedic surgeries. The market in Europe and Asia Pacific is expected to expand rapidly due to rise in demand for blood transfusions, increased level of awareness, government support, and advancements in blood collection technologies.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Blood Transfusion Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Key players in the blood transfusion market are B. Braun Medical Inc., Macopharma, Inc., Coagulation Sciences LLC, NIPRO, and Terumo 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:
Restorative Therapies Market 2027 Global Forecasts and Trends Research Report

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Rehabilitation helps patients in restoring better range of motion, which helps them support and perform their day-to-day activities after any surgery, illness, or accident. Restorative therapy may involve occupational, physical, medicinal, or speech therapy and psychological services that help restore body functions primarily with respect to neurological rehabilitation. In simple terms, restorative therapy is restoring body functions from dysfunctional state back to normal via remedies that help regain health, vigor and consciousness. Restorative therapeutic treatments address body functions such as lifting, bending, ability to move freely, normal muscle strength, elasticity of spine and body, difficulty in movements due to neurological disorder or surgery, and simple body function free from any disease or damage.View Report @As surgical and accident cases are on the rise, demand for restorative techniques and products is increasing. This is likely to drive the market in the next few years. Some of the important factors driving this market are the rise in demand amongst geriatric population for long-term pain management, side-effects of pain medications, development of novel pain management techniques and devices, conventional reimbursement scenario and policies for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices in developed countries, and accuracy and efficacy of restorative devices and techniques to treat acute and chronic pain. Additionally, with the increasing number of cases of neurological, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, drug abuse, and disabilities; demand for restorative therapies and products is projected to increase, augmenting the restorative therapies market in the near future. Efforts for upgrade of health care infrastructure across several developing and developed countries have also been propelling the market. On the other hand, high prices have resulted in slow adoption of restorative devices. Lack of awareness about benefits of these devices would also restrain the global restorative therapies market during the forecast period. However, increasing demand for rehabilitation and restorative therapy products for womens health, rise in health consciousness, and awareness campaigns worldwide may create high growth opportunities for the market in the next few years. The important business strategy adopted by some of the market players is technological upgrade of products and therapies.The global restorative therapies market can be segmented on the basis of product, mode of purchase, end-user, and geographical region. On the basis of product, the market can be divided into spine, neuromodulation, surgical technologies, and neurovascular technologies. Both neurological technologies and surgical technologies segments are expected to hold a high share of the market and expand rapidly in the next few years, due to technological advancements. On the basis of mode of purchase, the market can be segmented into prescription-based devices and overthe-counter (OTC) devices. The OTC devices segment is expected to expand rapidly in the near future, due to availability of new FDA-approved devices. On the basis of end-user, the global restorative therapies market can be segmented into hospitals, diagnostic centers, academic & research institutes, and others.Based on geographical region, the global restorative therapies market has been broadly segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Government initiatives and investments, extensive adoption of new technologies, presence of key players in the market are some of the factors responsible for growth of above mentioned markets. Additionally, major opportunities are coming in frame specifically in Middle East & Africa and Latin America, due to expansion by small- and large-sized players in this region, to complete the unmet needs of the patients. The growing popularity of medical tourism and activities in developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil have been promoting the adoption of restorative therapies and products in these countries.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Restorative Therapies Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Some of the key players operating in the global restorative therapies market are Medtronic, Boston Scientific Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, and Stryker 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:
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Market Trend Analysis, Growth and Forecast 2025 - Market Research Report

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Global Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Market: SnapshotThe global market hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been witnessing a high rise in its valuation and size over the last few years and is anticipated to remain doing so over the next few years. The considerable rise in the geriatric population and the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases is the key driving force behind the growth of this market. The increasing life expectancy, growing income, and the escalating government expenditure on health care, free trade agreement, and continuous research and development are other prominent factors, boosting the demand for HSCT across the world.View Report @Over the coming years, the worldwide HSCT market is expected to gain substantially from the continual research and development to provide innovative drugs and treatment for a host of diseases. In terms of opportunity, the market is estimated to increase at a CAGR of 12.80% from 2017 to 2025, rising from a value of US$13.06 bn in 2016 to US$37.61 bn by the end of 2025.Europe to Continue Leading Global Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) MarketOn the basis of geography, the global hematopoietic stem cell transplantation market is classified into North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Among these, Europe and North America have been leading the global market with a large population size, increase in health expenditure, and the presence of a state-of-art medical and healthcare infrastructure. Europe holds the dominant position in the global market and is anticipated to remain on the top over the next few years on account of the rising prevalence of hematological as well as non-hematological disorders.The second position in the global HSCT market has been acquired by North America. The presence of a well-established medical and healthcare industry, increasing investments for research and development, introduction of improved and technologically advanced hematopoietic stem cells transplantation services on regular intervals, and the high gross domestic product (GDP) of countries in this region are some of the key factors behind the rise of the North America HSCT market.Allogeneic Transplants to Dominate Global MarketBased on the type of transplant, the worldwide market for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been categorized into allogeneic transplants and autologous transplants. The allogeneic transplants segment has been leading this market and is expected to continue on the top over the next few years. Allogeneic transplants are of two types: Family related and unrelated transplant.The increasing number of donors and post-transplant survival rates are likely to drive this segment in the years to come. The autologous segment, on the other hand, is anticipated to grow steadily over the forthcoming years on account of the usage of autologous transplants as the standard of care for multiple myeloma (MM) patients.Regen Biopharma Inc., Escape Therapeutics Inc., Cryo-Save AG, Lonza Group Ltd., Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., China Cord Blood Corp., CBR Systems Inc., and ViaCord Inc. are the leading players operating in the global market for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this 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:
Humanized Mouse Model Market Research | Key Growth Factors | Forecast 2025

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Humanized mouse models are used for basic research, safety assessment for large molecule therapeutics, modeling of certain human-specific infectious diseases, and efficacy testing of immunotherapy approaches. The human protein is expressed while the mouse protein is suppressed in all cells and tissues. Humanized mouse models are important tools required to conduct preclinical research, mimic human pathological conditions, test compound efficacy, and measure its effects on human proteins. The model requires accurate risk assessment and thorough analysis to preserve the physiological expression and regulation of the human gene inserted into the mouse genome. In order to determine the optimal expression and functionality of the human protein in a mouse environment, the genes and proteins of both, the mouse and human, are analyzed for accuracy and structure. Humanized mouse models are used in biomedical research including cancer biology, regenerative medicine, human hematopoiesis, infectious diseases, transplantation, and autoimmunity. They enable better understanding of disease pathways and ultimately improve the translational value of preclinical studies.View Report @Technological advancements, growing prevalence of cancer, research & development activities, and the rising adoption of personalized medicines are factors predicted to drive the global humanized mouse model market. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Globally, nearly 1 in 6 deaths is caused by cancer. Government investment too plays a key role in motivating the market. On the other hand, regulations & laws formulated for ethical use of animals and increased use of rat models may hinder the global humanized mouse model market.The market has been segmented by model type into the genetic and cell-based varieties. The latter is further segmented into the PBMC, BLT, and CD34 categories. The growing application of CD34 models is expected to trigger the demand for them in the near future. In terms of application, the humanized mouse model market is classified into the following groups: oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, hematopoiesis, toxicology, and others. Based on end-user, the humanized mouse model market is categorized into the following sections: contract research organizations (CROs), pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, and academic & research institutions.Geographically, the humanized mouse model market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the market due to preclinical activities by CROs, pharmaceutical R&D activities in the U.S., availability of support for research, growing monoclonal antibody production, increasing stem cell research in Canada, and government support for development of protein drugs. Europe is the second leading market for humanized mouse models owing to the increasing number of research and development activities. Asia Pacific is likely to grow at a higher rate on account of the burgeoning biomedical and medical research industries, increasing investments from the government & private sector, rising pharmaceutical & biotech R&D activities, and growing presence of global players in India. The availability of target patient pool as well as low-cost clinical trials are also important factors which are projected to propel the humanized mouse model market in Asia Pacific.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Humanized Mouse Model Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Key players operating in this market include The Jackson Laboratory, Taconic Biosciences, Inc., Vitalstar Biotechnology Co., HuMurine Technologies, Ltd., Crown Bioscience Inc., Ingenious Targeting Laboratory, Axenis S.A.S, Trans Genic Inc., Harbour Antibodies BV, and GenOway 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:
Physical Security Market to Reach $153 Billion, Globally, by 2023

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Physical Security Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market was valued at $78 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach at $153 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2017 to 2023. In 2016, the services segment accounted for the highest revenue share in the physical security market.Early buyers will receive 20% customization on this report!North America is the global supplier of physical security solutions, followed by Asia-Pacific. China dominates the market in Asia-Pacific and similarly, U.S. leads the overall market in comparison to other countries.Get Sample Report @The key factors that drive the global market are rise in incidence of terror attacks, increased awareness, and technological advancements. However, privacy issues and lack of physical & technological security integration hamper the market growth. Moreover, rise in demand for physical security solutions from smart cities is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market growth.The physical security systems segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The video surveillance segment accounts for more than half of the total systems revenue. Moreover, other industry verticals (education, healthcare, retail, energy & utilities, and manufacturing & industrial) among the physical security applications dominated the global physical security market in 2016. However, residential sector is expected to grow at the highest pace during the forecast period.Do online purchase inquiry @Key Findings of the Physical Security Market: The services segment is expected to exhibit a significant increase in the physical security market growth during the forecast period. In 2016, education, healthcare, retail, energy & utilities, manufacturing & industrial collaboratively generated the highest revenue among the physical security applications. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit a substantial growth during the forecast period.The key players profiled in the report include Anixter International Inc., Tyco International PLC., Cisco Systems, Inc., Genetec Inc., ADT Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc., Bosch Security Systems, Inc., Stanley Security, and Senstar Corporation.About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Rahul Thakur5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: + 44-845-528-1300
Edible Packaging Market to Reach $1,097 Million, Globally, by 2023

Edible Packaging Market- Allied Market Research

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According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Edible Packaging Market by Material type and End user: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023," the edible packaging market was valued at $697 million in 2016, and is projected to reach at $1,097 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 6.81 % from 2017 to 2023. Europe is expected to be the leading contributor to the global edible packaging market, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific.Early buyers will receive 20% customization on this report!Increase in consumption of processed food & beverages, reduction in packaging wastage, rise in hygiene concerns among people and increase in shelf life of products, growth in disposable income of consumers, and rise in standard of living encourages the adoption of edible packaging products in the industry and thus drive the edible packaging market growth.Request Sample @In addition, this eco-friendly packaging technique helps preserve the environment as the products are renewable as well as edible and safe for human consumption thereby reducing plastic packaging waste and fueling the edible packaging market growth. However, the higher cost of edible packaging materials in comparison with the synthetic materials and high regulatory requirements is expected to hamper the edible packaging market growth. Various advancements in technology such as introduction of nanotechnology in packaging as well as the addition of healthy proteins in the edible food packaging is expected to provide numerous opportunities in the edible packaging market.In 2016, the lipid-based edible packaging segment accounted for the maximum revenue share in the overall edible packaging industry as they are excellent barrier of oxygen and water vapor and prevents the food from contamination. Protein-based films are expected to grow at a fastest CAGR of 7.5% in the edible packaging industry owing to the value-added benefits of proteins to the body such as high immunity and proper functioning of human body as well as improvement in energy levels in humans. Protein films are made up of corn zein, gluten, and caseins, which are considered safe for human consumption.Moreover, the food & beverages segment held the highest market share in 2016 for of around 72% in the end user segment in the global edible packaging market.Do online purchase inquiry @Moreover, the composite films are expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The demand for polysaccharides is expected to increase as they help preserve the quality of the food and improve the shelf life of the products; they are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.Europe accounted for the major share of the global edible packaging market in 2016 owing to the growth of food & beverages segment and stringent regulations regarding the same. North America is expected to generate the maximum revenue during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest rate in the global edible packaging market due to rise in preference of hygienic packaging and the growth of pharmaceutical industry in this region.Key Findings of the Edible Packaging Market: In 2016, the lipids segment accounted for the maximum revenue, and is projected to grow at a notable CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. The pharmaceuticals segment accounted for 27.56% in the global edible packaging market. The U.S. is the major shareholder in the North America edible packaging market, accounting for more than 42% share in 2016.The key players profiled in the edible packaging market includes WikiCell Designs Inc, MonoSol LLC, Tate & Lyle Plc, JRF Technology LLC, Safetraces, Inc., BluWrap, Skipping Rocks Lab, Tipa Corp, Watson, Inc., and Devro plc. Market players have adopted various strategies, such as product launch, collaboration & partnership and acquisition, to expand their foothold in the market.About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Rahul Thakur5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: + 44-845-528-1300
GLOBAL Arabica Coffee MARKET REPORT 2017 - Lavazza, CAMERONS COFFEE, Community Coffee, Starbucks, Millstone, Caribou Coffee, Eight OClock Coffee

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This report studies the Arabica Coffee market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of players, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and major regions, and splits the Arabica Coffee market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Arabica Coffee 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 Arabica Coffee.Europe also play important roles 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.The major players in global Arabica Coffee market include Office Snax, Coffee Masters, GSS Products, Lavazza, CAMERONS COFFEE, Community Coffee, Starbucks, Millstone, Dunkin Donuts, PapaNicholas Coffee, Mystic Monk Coffee, New England Coffee, Camerons, JAVA JOX, Entenmanns, Caribou Coffee, Eight OClock Coffee, Gevalia, Marshalls Creek Spices.Book a Free Sample Copy of this Research Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with Sales, Sales, revenue, Market Share (%) and Growth Rate (%) of Arabica Coffee in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaOn the basis of product, the Arabica Coffee market is primarily split intoInstantNon-InstantOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversResidentialRestaurantCoffee StationOthersQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
United States Cloud Computing in Education Market Report 2017 - Adobe Systems, Cisco Systems, Vmware, Amazon Web Services, Netapp, Ellucian

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This report studies sales (consumption) of Cloud Computing in Education in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringAdobe SystemsCisco SystemsIBM CorporationOracle CorporationMicrosoft CorporationNEC CorporationNetappVmwareAmazon Web ServicesEllucian CompanyMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisSplit by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoPrivate CloudPublic CloudHybrid CloudCommunity CloudSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Cloud Computing in Education in each application, can be divided intoK-12Higher EducationBook a Free Sample Copy of this Research Report @Table of Contents1 Cloud Computing in Education Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Cloud Computing in Education1.2 Classification of Cloud Computing in Education1.2.1 Private Cloud1.2.2 Public Cloud1.2.3 Hybrid Cloud1.2.4 Community Cloud1.3 Application of Cloud Computing in Education1.3.1 K-121.3.2 Higher Education1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Cloud Computing in Education (2012-2022)1.4.1 United States Cloud Computing in Education Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Cloud Computing in Education Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Pharmacovigilance Market Research to be the Fastest Growing Segment in the Drug Discovery Market

Global Market Insights, Inc.

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/pharmacovigilance-market

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/drug-discovery-informatics-market

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The global industry report "Pharmacovigilance Market Size By Clinical Trial Phase (Preclinical, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV), By Service Provider (In-house, Contract outsourcing) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, India, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024" by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Worldwide Pharmacovigilance Market having had a revenue of USD 3 billion in 2015, is predicted to surpass a revenue collection of USD 8 billion by 2024.The crucial need to monitor the efficiency and aftereffects of drugs will drive pharmacovigilance market. The field of pharmacovigilance globally represents the picture of drug effectiveness, safety, and associated risk detection. It is expected that even life science manufacturers will become more proactive due to adoption of pharmacovigilance services, which will stimulate the industry trends. Implementation of stringent rules and regulations regarding clinical trial management and drugs safety will also influence pharmacovigilance industry size.Request for a sample of this research report -Most of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms are adopting these services to maintain and manage clinical trial data, which will favorably influence pharmacovigilance market share from in-house companies, which generated a revenue of USD 1.5 billion in 2015 and is likely to increase two-fold by 2024.Companies established in the developed countries often outsource these services, considering the operational cost reduction effectiveness and quality. The notable business participants in pharmacovigilance market are Accenture, Boehringer Ingelheim, Covance, PAREXEL, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Quintiles, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, United BioSource, and ICON. Contract outsourcing covered more than 50% of the revenue share of the service provider segment in pharmacovigilance industry in 2015 and will exceed a revenue collection of USD 4.8 billion by 2024. The growing adoption of this segment by the various pharmaceutical firms will stimulate the product demand noticeably.Browse key industry insights spread across 111 pages with 66 market data tables & 6 figures & charts from this 2017 report Pharmacovigilance Market in detail along with the table of contents at:Asia Pacific pharmacovigilance market having had a revenue of USD 835 million in 2015, will surpass a revenue collection of USD 2.4 billion by 2024. The attributing factors toward the market growth are stringent regulations regarding health, rise in number of clinical trials, and a massive patient base. The region will witness a surge in the number of pre-clinical trials, subject to which pharmacovigilance market from pre-clinical trials will generate a revenue of more than USD 84 million by 2024 with an annual growth rate of 10.3% over the years ahead.U.S. pharmacovigilance industry collected a revenue of USD 1 billion in 2015 and will exceed a revenue generation of USD 2.5 billion by 2024 with an annual growth rate of 10.7% over the period of 2016 to 2024. Surging need to monitor the significant effects of medical drugs owing to the increasing mortality rate subject to adverse drug effects will stimulate the product demand. Moreover, rising concern among patients regarding the effectiveness and safety of drugs is predicted to boost pharmacovigilance market size.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @The need to evaluate drug efficiency based on risk benefit ratio will fuel pharmacovigilance market from phase III clinical trials, which will collect a revenue of more than USD 1,254 million by 2024, having been valued over USD 492 million in 2015. Europe pharmacovigilance market will collect a revenue of USD 1.8 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of 9.9% over the coming seven years. The growth can be attributed to the escalating requirement of personalized medicines. Germany, Spain, and UK covered more than 70% of the Europe regional revenue share in 2015.Industry giants are engaged in strategic partnerships with research organizations to enhance the effectiveness of the product. Mergers & acquisitions is a major growth strategy adopted by the market players to comply with competitiveness of the business.Browse Related Reports:Drug Discovery Informatics Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Germany, UK, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), 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:
United States USB Wall Market, By Manufacturers, Industry Growth, Analysis, Outlook In 2022

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This report studies the USB wall socket (or wall USB outlets, USB charger receptacle) market. USB wall socket is receptacle providing a place in a wiring system where current can be taken to run electrical devices. USB wall socket with USB is more is more convenient to use and increase the type of charging.Scope of the Report: This report focuses on the USB Wall in United States market, to split the market based on manufacturers, states, type and application.For More Info, Get Sample :Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Leviton Legrand Eaton Hubbell Jasco Products Lutron Electronics TopGreener NewerTech Maxxima Xtreme Cables AccellMarket Segment by States, covering California Texas New York Florida IllinoisMarket Segment by Type, covers Two USB Ports Four USB Ports OthersEnquire About Report :Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Residential Application Industrial Application Commercial ApplicationThere are 17 Chapters to deeply display the United States USB Wall market. Chapter 1, to describe USB Wall Introduction, product type and application, market overview, market analysis by States, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2, to analyze the manufacturers of USB Wall, with profile, main business, news, sales, price, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 4, to show the United States market by States, covering California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida, with sales, price, revenue and market share of USB Wall, for each state, from 2012 to 2017; Chapter 5 and 6, to show the market by type and application, with sales, price, revenue, market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017; Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, to analyze the key States by Type and Application, covering California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida, with sales, revenue and market share by types and applications; Chapter 12, USB Wall market forecast, by States, type and application, with sales, price, revenue and growth rate forecast, from 2017 to 2022; Chapter 13, to analyze the manufacturing cost, key raw materials and manufacturing process etc. Chapter 14, to analyze the industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream end users (buyers); Chapter 15, to describe sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers etc. Chapter 16 and 17, to describe USB Wall Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source.Also Request For Discount :Table of Contents 1 Market Overviewo USB Wall Introductiono Market Analysis by Type Two USB Ports Four USB Ports Otherso Market Analysis by Applications Residential Application Industrial Application Commercial Applicationo Market Analysis by States California Status and Prospect (2012-2022) Texas Status and Prospect (2012-2022) New York Status and Prospect (2012-2022) Florida Status and Prospect (2012-2022) Illinois Status and Prospect (2012-2022)o Market Dynamics Market Opportunities Market Risk Market Driving Force Manufacturers Profileso Leviton Profile USB Wall Type and Applications Type 1 Type 2 Leviton USB Wall Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)About Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Big Market Research helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: +1-971-202-1575Toll Free No: +1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Electric Water Heater Market to grow at 7.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2024

Global Market Insights, Inc.

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/electric-water-heater-market

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Industry Trends:The report Electric Water Heater Market Size By Application (Residential, Commercial), By Product (Storage, Non-storage/Tankless/Instantaneous), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, China, India, Mexico, Brazil), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024, Global Electric Water Heater Market to hit USD 33.22 billion by 2024. Rising demand from household applications like bathing, space heating, cleaning and cooking is predicted to increase product demand during forecast timeframe.Growing demand for hot water from hospitals and hotels is also predicted to be key factor driving industry growth. Development in construction industry coupled with substitution for aging device in different segments due to increasing disposable income can propel electric water heater industry expansion in future.Electric water heater market price trend can inhibit industry growth owing to related operating expenses. However, these systems provide price advantage over fuel fired systems related to maintenance, design and deployment. Further, rising need to be equipped with new technological features is also predicted to drive industry growth.Request for a sample of this research report @Product Trends:Global electric water heater market is segmented into products like tankless or non storage based products and storage based products.Tankless products segment is predicted to expand rapidly in future and growing acceptance of these products all across the globe is credited to segment expansion.Storage based products segment was evaluated at $11.7 billion for 2015 and is predicted to register CAGR of 6.81% during forecast timeframe. These products are installed in regions with limited or broken power supply and are primarily installed in residential sectors. All these factors are predicted to contribute towards segment growth.Today, consumers prefer high-end products due to fast changing lifestyles and increasing disposable incomes.Application Trends:Global electric water heater industry is segmented into commercial and residential applications.Commercial applications segment is predicted to expand rapidly during forecast timeframe.Residential application segment contributed more than 80.1% of overall electric water heaters market share for 2015 and is projected to register CAGR of 6.91% during forecast timeline. It is anticipated to experience average development along with heavy industry penetration.Regional Trends:Global electric water heater market is segmented into geographical regions like APAC, Latin America, North America, MEA and Europe.APAC, with heavy demand from India and China electric water heater market share, contributed more than 28.1% of total consumption for 2015. This region is predicted to register CAGR of about 10.8% during forecast timeline. Growth in nations like Japan, China and India is forecast to promote product demand in the region.U.S. electric water heater industry is predicted to experience growth due to rising investments in commercial as well as residential construction sectors. North American industry has contributed substantially to overall revenue generation as compared to low product demand.High selling costs can be one of the factors for significant revenue generation of the region.Competitive Trends:Key industry participants profiled in the report include Reliance Holmes Heating Incorporation, Bradford White Corporation, Atwood Mobile Products, Venus Home Appliances, Ariston Thermo, AO Smith Corporation, Hubbell Incorporated, General Electric, AquaMax Private Limited, Haier Electronics, Eemax, Kenmore, Midea Group, Bosch Thermotechnology, Racold, State Water Heaters, Whirlpool Corporation, Rheem Manufacturing Company, Marey Heater Corporation, Stiebel Eltron, Zenith Water Heaters and Havells.Browse key industry insights spread across 125 pages with 82 market data tables & 72 figures & charts from the report, Electric Water Heater Market in detail along with the table of contents:About Global Market InsightsGlobal 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:
Furfuryl Alcohol Market to register a healthy CAGR for the forecast period, 2015-2025

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Furfuryl alcohol is an organic compound manufactured by catalytic reduction of furfuran. It is used in a wide range of applications such as solvents, foundry resins, plastics, wetting agents, adhesives and in gas hardening processes among others. The raw material furfuran is obtained from sugarcane bagasse, corn cobs, wheat bran and oats among others. It has application in rocketry as a hypergolic fuel which ignites readily in presence of fuming nitric acid and red fuming nitric acid.Increasing demand for bio-based products owing to increasing awareness among consumers coupled with rising environmental regulations is expected to drive the market. This alcohol finds application in plastic industry. Increasing demand for plastics in the construction and paints industry is anticipated to drive the furfuryl market over the next few years. Bio-based resins and paints are gaining demand from developed countries due to the presence of strict environmental regulations. However, the safety issues regarding transportation and export rules of different developing countries are expected to restrain the market growth. Research and development in the field of rocketry is expected to provide immense opportunities for manufacturers of furfuryl alcohol in the near future.Request For Report Sample@Asia Pacific was the largest producer and consumer of furfuryl alcohol in which China contributes to the highest consumption. Proximity to raw material and increasing applications in plastics and resins are expected to drive the market. Europe follows Asia Pacific in consumption owing to increase in the application area of furfuryl alcohol. Research activities in the field of rocketry fuel are expected to provide opportunity for furfuryl alcohol market in this region. North America is expected to grow at a faster pace owing to increase in availability of raw materials and rising demand from construction and paints industry.Key players in this market include DynaChem Inc., The Chemical Company, Hongye Chemical Co. Ltd, Penn A Kem LLC, Nova Molecular technologies, Continetal Industries Group Inc., Shenzhen Shu Hang Industrial Development Co. Ltd., SolvChem Inc., NeuChem Inc., SweetLake Chemical Ltd., Ideal Chemical & Supply Company, Novasynorganics, International Process Plants among others.Request For TOC@This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product types and distribution channels.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Market Research on Magnetic Materials Market 2015 and Analysis to 2025

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Magnetic material are objects that can be magnetized or naturally hold magnetic properties. According to the ease of magnetization, magnetic materials can be classified into hard and soft. Hard magnetic materials retain their magnetism even in the absence of an applied magnetic field. Hard magnetic materials are difficult to magnetize and demagnetize. On the other hand, soft magnetic materials can be easily magnetized and demagnetized. They lose their magnetism when an external magnetic field is removed.Demand for effective utilization of electricity and faster transmission of data, and decreasing size of technological devices have provided an impetus to the magnetic material market.Magnetic Materials Market: Drivers & RestraintsEnvironmental concerns, government support & incentives, increasing demand from end use industries, such as demand in automotive industry for electric vehicles, demand in medical devices for body scanners and others are the driving factors for the growth of the magnetic material market. Additionally, rapid industrialization, specifically in emerging economies and demand for alternative power sources, such as water turbine and wind mill are also driving the demand for magnetic material market. However, the variation in the price of raw material can be a restraining factor in the growth of the magnetic material market.Request For Report Sample@Magnetic Materials Market: SegmentationOn the basis of types, the global magnetic material can be broadly segmented into soft magnetic material and hard or permanent magnet. In 2014, permanent magnet accounted for more than fifty percent of market share of the global magnetic materials market in terms of volume.On the basis of application, the global magnetic material market has largest applications in automotive, industrial and electronics segment. The automotive segment is projected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period.Magnetic Materials Market: Region-wise OutlookIn terms of region, Asia Pacific is anticipated to have an attractive growth for magnetic material market as various multinational companies shifting their manufacturing set-ups to this region. China has the highest automobile production rate according to the 2014 automobile production rate of OICA which, in turn, is a factor behind the growing demand of magnetic material market. China and India are projected to be the dominant countries for the global magnetic material market.Request For TOC@Magnetic Materials Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players for magnetic material market are Arnold Magnetic Technologies, Hitachi Metals Ltd., Molycorp Inc., Electron Energy Corporation, Lynas Corporation Ltd., Tengam Engineering Inc. and many others.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Digital Instrument Clusters Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025

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Instrument clusters with digital displays are increasingly replacing electromechanical pointer instruments. Moreover, digital instrument clusters are poised to supersede the analog instrument clusters in the next generation vehicles. The global instrument clusters is basically categorized into three groups: digital, analog and hybrid. Analog cluster is a classic instrument panel that contains a physical dial and a needle for the speedometer. A digital instrument cluster displays all these classical instruments on the LCD, VFD or TFT-LCD screen. Such digital instrument clusters can be programmed to display the appropriate selection of virtual instruments according to the drivers preferences. A hybrid cluster is the combination of the analog and digital cluster. Furthermore, they can enhance the appeal of a vehicle with eye-catching graphics. Therefore, most of the luxury brands are seeking to differentiate their vehicles through the inclusion of digital instrument clusters. It is expected that over seven million cars will have fully digital instrument clusters by the 2018. Digital instrument clusters that offers personalization are a key selling point.Digital Instrument Clusters: Drivers & RestraintsThe key factor driving the digital instrument clusters market is substantial rise in the automobile output and its personalization. A digital instrument cluster that is reconfigurable is very appealing. Features such as distance until next charge, information on battery charge, and other driver information, can easily be displayed using a digital instrument clusters. These features are driving the market for global digital instrument clusters. Another factor driving the market for global digital instrument is consumer trend. The tablet, PC and smartphone ownership is increasing and there are opportunities to integrate these devices to drive global digital configurable instrument clusters. Furthermore, the economical and the environmental constraints upon the engine designs are driving the introduction of digital instrument clusters since the interior gains more attention from OEMs as a way to differentiate. Another features that are driving the global digital instrument clusters market includes advanced technological features such as reusability, dynamic, scalable, simple and attractiveness. Digital instrument clusters needs a larger LCD display- often 1280 x 480 pixels, thus leading to higher cost. Also, an 8 or 16-bit CPU cannot transfer that many pixels, hence the digital cluster needs a 32-bit CPU. In addition, the level of software capability needed extends beyond the traditional entrenched skill set. These factors act as restraints for the digital instrument clusters up to a certain extent.Request For Report Sample@Digital Instrument Clusters: SegmentationOn the basis of application, the global digital instrument clusters market is segmented into:SmartphoneTablet PC/Desktop/NotebooksAutomobilesOthers (Digital cameras, inverters, power suppliers, painters, car radio, LED lighting, payment terminals)The demand for digital instrument clusters in automobiles is anticipated to grow at an accelerated pace mainly due to significant growth in the automobile industry globally. Furthermore, the smartphone segment is also expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period.Digital Instrument Clusters: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of region North America, Asia Pacific and Japan are expected to be the dominant players as a result of growing economy in these regions. The Indian electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) industry is one of the fastest growing industry in the country, which is further boosting the demand for digital instrument clusters in the region. The global digital instrument cluster market is anticipated to grow at a steady rate in other regions of the world as a result of a slowing global economy in these regions.Request For TOC@Digital Instrument Clusters: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global digital instrument clusters market are Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd., Ford Motor Company, Audi AG, Renault, Volkswagen, Kia Motors Corp., BMW AG, Jaguar Land Rover Limited, NVIDIA Corporation and Tesla Motors.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Military Antenna Market Size will Grow at a Robust Pace through 2025

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Increasing modernization of the military equipment coupled with the boost in legacy system around the world is expected to fuel the demand of military antenna market. Military antennas provide highly accurate tracking, surveillance, ground mapping, warning against aircrafts, weapons, etc. thereby enhancing the security. Apart from all the above mentioned features, military antenna used in the radars also provide missile guidance for accurate target tracking. The rise in border infiltration, terrorism activities, inter country conflicts, and attack prone borders are expected to drive military antenna market in the near future.Get access to full summary @:On the basis of platform, ground platform is expected to dominate the military antenna market as they help in providing real time information related to ground penetration, unexploded tunnels, etc. during the war. However, the market for space based platform is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Based on application, homeland security system is estimated to dominate the global military antenna system market over the forecast period. The advancement in the surveillance system such as 3D drones and multifunctional radars is estimated to have high potential to drive the military antenna market globally.Global Military Antenna Market: DriversA major factor driving the growth of the global military antenna market is the rise in military spending. Moreover, escalation in the need for better border security is expected to upsurge the demand for military antenna market. Moreover, technological mushrooming coupled with the need of modern battle equipment is expected to fuel the betterment of military antenna market during the forecast period. Increasing use of military antenna in armored vehicles, naval vessels, aircraft, etc. speed up the expansion and growth of the global military antenna market.Global Military Antenna Market: RestraintsHigh initial costs coupled with the large spending on R&D activities is expected to hamper the growth of military antenna market. Moreover, economic crisis in the European countries like Germany, Russia, U.K. etc. is expected to restrain the growth of the global military antenna market.Global Military Antenna Market: SegmentationGlobal Military antenna market can be segmented on the basis of platform, product type, frequency, applications, and regions. On the basis of platform, the market can be segmented into airborne, ground, naval, and space. On the basis of product type, the global military antenna market can be segmented into vehicle mount antennas, base station antennas, shipboard antennas, man-pack and portable antennas, and asset tracking antennas.On the basis of frequency, the market can be segmented into High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF). On the basis of applications, global military antenna market can be segmented into homeland security system, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and handheld equipment. On the basis of regions, market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Military Antenna Market: Region wise OutlookBased on regions, North America is expected to be the most prominent revenue generating region in the global military antenna system market. North America spent nearly US$ 596 Bn., which holds nearly 36% of the entire worlds spending on military, in 2015. However, in the U.S., there is a decline in spending on military by 2.4% in 2015. Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The military spending in Asia Pacific increased by 5.6% in 2015.Moreover, APAC and China accounted for nearly 50% share in the total military spending which is nearly four times the spending in military by India. Additionally, increasing border disputes in APAC is expected to drive the growth of military antenna market in this region. Latin America is projected to witness sluggish growth due to severe economic crisis.Global Military Antenna Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the prominent players identified in the global military antenna market are as follows: MTI Wireless Edge, Eylex Pty Ltd., Cojot Oy, Antenna Products Corporation, Comrod Communications, Barker and Williamson, Rohde & Schwarz, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Company, Terma, Harris Corporation.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections done using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, type, machine size and end use.Sample of this report is available upon request @The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides an in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various factors on market segments and geographies.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:
Global Food Glazing Agents Market estimated high revenue by 2016-2024

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Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled "Food Glazing Agents Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024"Global Food Glazing Agents Market: OverviewThe glazing agent comes in two forms, that is, natural and synthetic. This substance provides a waxy and homogeneous coating to the food products in order to prevent water loss from the surface and provide other additional protection. Food additives added to food products to enhance flavor, taste, and colors are classified based on functions they perform as glazing agents, stabilizers, packaging gasses, thickeners, propellants, anti-caking agents, and gelling agents. Glazing agents coming under food applications are used to enhance binding capability and coating ability, along with providing a film forming with a polished appetizing visual appeal. In confectionary industry, glazing agents are primarily used to coat hard-boiled candies and other various types of candies.Request Free Sample Report @Global Food Glazing Agents Market: Growth FactorsContinuous variation in the food glazing agents is driving the global food glazing agents market growth. Major vendors in the global market are involved in continuous innovation in food glazing agents and substitute products launches may also enhance the global market. These agents are used in the bakery many products such as donuts, which also positively impacts the global food glazing agents market. Moreover, the introduction of new organic and natural glazing agents in the production of the food products further contributes to the growth in future. However, adoption of new business strategies such as product innovations, mergers, and acquisitions, collaborations, partnerships, new technology launches also fuel the global food glazing agents market.Global Food Glazing Agents Market: SegmentationThe global food glazing agents market is categorized based on the applications as fruits & vegetables, bakery products, snacks & nutritional bars, meat & poultry products, confectioneries, ready-to-eat cereals, dairy products, and others. Of these, the bakery is the leading application segment in the global market owing to increasing use of food glazing agents in confectioneries. Based on types, the global market is segmented as carnauba wax, beeswax, shellac petrolatum or petroleum jelly, lanolin, and stearic acid or fatty acid. Of these, beeswax and lanolin are the most preferred. Furthermore, the geographical segmentation comprises North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Food Glazing Agents Market: Regional AnalysisAsia Pacific is the dominating region in the global food glazing agents market and is anticipated to grow at steady pace in the next few years. The market for food glazing agents is led by some emerging economies such as Australia, China, and Japan. Increasing demand and higher consumption for food glazing agents are expected to drive the global market in these regions. However, consumption in India and Latin American countries subjected to higher for processed and convenience food products; this is expected to enhance the global market growth in future. However, increasing use of the food glazing agents in the confectionery, especially chocolates, and candies in Europe, is projected to propel the global food glazing agents market growth. Increasing purchasing power and innovative offerings led the global market to grow significantly in this region. In Europe, beeswax is considered edible, which is also fostering the global food glazing agents market growth in this region.Global Food Glazing Agents Market: Competitive PlayersMajor players dominating the global food glazing agents market are Wuhu Deli Foods Co., Ltd., Entemann's Inc., Ningbo J&S Botanics Inc., and Mantrose-Haeuser Co., Inc. Other key players include Masterol Foods, Kerry Ingredients Limited, The Riverside Company, Hainan Zhongxin Wanguo Chemical Co., Ltd, Arla Foods, and Avatar Corporation.Browse detail report @Global Food Glazing Agents Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth America(U.S.); Europe(UK, France, Germany); Asia-Pacific(China, Japan, India); Latin America(Brazil); The Middle East and AfricaAbout Us: Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:Blog:
Releases New Report on the Global Paper Moisture Meter Market

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Presence of liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts is moisture. Moisture is an important factor, which determines the quality of the paper. Paper moisture meters are used to measure the moisture percentage of water in the paper or in a specified material. On a flip side, vital part of the process is to control the moisture of the product. The information obtained with moisture meter indicates whether the paper is ready for use or not (if not then it will lead to further inspection). Paper products are very sensitive to moisture measurement. If the moisture content is low: cracking at punching, if it is high: ink drying will be slow, and results in set off problem. By moisture content in paper, its physical properties are strongly affected along with the changes in dimension. In various printing processes printability and reliability depends upon the quality of the paper. Total weight of paper is determined by the amount of water contained in the paper. The major constituents of paper, fibers of cellulose, have a strong affinity for water, and will gain (or lose) it readily, depending on the amount of moisture in the air, or the relative humidity of the surrounding environment. With growing need for more features such as less cost, not only measure water content, but also relative humidity and temperature among others is anticipated to be the major target market in near future.Paper Moisture Meter Market: Drivers & RestraintsPaper moisture meter is used to know the effectiveness of the paper along with without damaging the material. New approach of moisture content determination is quick and reliable which allows measurement with least error. The measurements are influenced through differences in the material densities. Increasing packaging applications along with growth in the need of paper for writing are the drivers identified in paper moisture meter market. Apart from this, this paper moisture meter market can also be used for moisture study of card board, corrugated boxes, among others. For specific applications, it works with many external electrodes. However, effective operation of the paper moisture meter system is the major setback for paper moisture meter market.Request For Report Sample@Paper Moisture Meter Market: SegmentationOn the basis of groups, paper moisture meter market can be broadly classified into two groups as:Absolute paper moisture meter (used by the manufacturer directly in rolls of paper making)Relative paper moisture meter (used in paper manufacturing plants or if there is a customer complaint then used by technical specialists)On the basis of different types of paper, paper moisture meter market can be broadly classified into:CartonsCopperplate paperWriting paperOthers (News print paper etc)Paper Moisture Meter Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global paper moisture meter market is expected to register a single-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, the global paper moisture meter market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific region is expected to register a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The remaining regions are likely to grow at a sturdy rate over the forecast period.Request For TOC@Paper Moisture Meter Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in the paper moisture meter market are:KettExtech InstrumentsDelmhorstSchallerACMAS TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.ELECTROMATIC Equip't Co.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Cloud Backup Market Review, Development Trends and Forecasts to 2022

ReportsWeb

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http://www.reportsweb.com/global-cloud-backup-market-research-report-2017

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ReportsWeb Market Research Released a New Research Report of 113 pages on Title Global Cloud Backup Market Research Report 2017 with detailed Analysis, Forecast and Strategies.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Cloud Backup in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.Get free sample copy of report atGlobal Cloud Backup market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including Acronis International, Asigra, Barracuda Networks, Carbonite, Code42 Software, Datto, Druva Software, International Business, Iron Mountain Incorporated, Microsoft, Oracle and Veeam Software.Get more information about Cloud Backup Market atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Cloud Service Provider, Telecom and Communication Service Provider, Managed Service Provider and Others. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Cloud Backup for each application, including Public cloud, Private cloud and Hybrid cloud.Get discount on report purchase atTable of Content1 Cloud Backup Market Overview2 Global Cloud Backup Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Cloud Backup Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Cloud Backup Supply (Production) , Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Cloud Backup Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type6 Global Cloud Backup Market Analysis by Application7 Global Cloud Backup Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Acronis International7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Cloud Backup Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Acronis International Cloud Backup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Asigra7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Cloud Backup Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Asigra Cloud Backup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Barracuda Networks7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Cloud Backup Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Barracuda Networks Cloud Backup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Cloud Backup Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Cloud Backup Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase complete report atList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Cloud BackupFigure Global Cloud Backup Production (Unit) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Cloud Backup Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of Cloud Service ProviderTable Major Manufacturers of Cloud Service ProviderFigure Product Picture of Telecom and Communication Service ProviderTable Major Manufacturers of Telecom and Communication Service ProviderFigure Product Picture of Managed Service ProviderTable Major Manufacturers of Managed Service ProviderFigure Product Picture of OthersTable Major Manufacturers of OthersFigure Global Cloud Backup Consumption (Unit) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Cloud Backup Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Public cloud ExamplesFigure Private cloud ExamplesFigure Hybrid cloud ExamplesFigure Global Cloud Backup Market Size (Million USD), Comparison (Unit) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure North America Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Cloud Backup Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Cloud Backup Capacity, Production (Unit) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comCompany Name: ReportsWebWebsite: Reportsweb.comPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.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
Small Scale LNG Market to Boost a CAGR of about 2.5% from 2014 to 2022

Small Scale LNG Market

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Market Highlights:The growth of the Small Scale LNG Market is majorly driven by increased demand for energy in the Asia-Pacific region. The government initiatives that focus on providing cleaner fuel, is driving the market, especially in countries such as India and China. The market is further driven by the growing adoption of LNG for heavy duty transportation purposes in the Europe and North American regions. However, the growth of this market can be restrained by the extensive investment required to construct LNG storage plants and fluctuation in global gas market prices. The Global Small Scale LNG Market is expected to grow over the CAGR of around 2.5% during the period 2014 to 2022.Key Players:The key players of Global Small Scale LNG Market are: Public Joint Stock Company Gazprom (Russia) Engie SA(France) The Linde Group (Germany) Honeywell International Inc. (U.S) General Electric (U.S) Wartsila Corporation (Finland) Skangas AS (Norway) Prometheus Energy (U.S) Excelerate Energy L.P (U.S) IHI Corporation (Japan)Request to Get a Sample Copy of Report @Market Research Analysis:Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest market for LNG, especially because of countries such as China and India in the region. For providing power in remote locations, LNG is increasingly used because of its clean and low emission properties that are further supported by government commitments to change to LNG based economies. These countries are increasingly investing in LNG infrastructure and there is adequate availability of LNG through subsidized schemes and distribution network.Europe and the North America regions are investing heavily for developing the LNG gas infrastructure. In Europe, there has been significant increase in demand for LNG, especially in countries such as UK, France and Italy. Continuous adaptation from countries to switch to cleaner fuels for power generation and in transportation sector is essentially driving the growth of LNG market in the region. New climate change regulations and requirement by transport authorities to reduce carbon emissions from fleet operations, are driving the use of LNG.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global small scale LNG market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region.Access Report Page @The scope of the study segments the Global Small Scale LNG Market by its Type, Application, Operational Depth and Regions; By Typeo Liquefaction terminal,o Regasification terminal By Applicationo Utilitieso Residentialo Industrial and Commercialo Marineo Transportation By Regiono North Americao Asia Pacifico Europeo Rest of the WorldAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Metal Detectors Market Size to Witness Sustained Growth throughout the Forecast Period 2017-2025

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Global Metal Detectors Market: IntroductionMaxwells concept of electromagnetism has helped in the extraction of major treasures in the past, detection of mining locations and now it stands as the backbone of security screening for public as well as military applications in the form a device called metal detector. Metal detectors are devices with high archaeological, mining and military importance. Metal detectors in archaeological application form the basis of detecting the remains of past, buried beneath the earth.Get access to full summary @:Apart from archaeology, mining industry highly relies on metal detectors, particularly for detection of precious metals. The precious metal industry, which includes metals such as gold and platinum is significantly large in terms of value, and substantial demand for these metals in the market increases the demand for novel and robust metal detection technology.The precious metal detection technologies incur relatively higher costs and hence their market is expected to witness a slower annual growth rate over the forecast period. Apart from archaeological and mining application, security screening falls as a major area of application for metal detection technology with a large variety of products available depending upon the level of security required. Increasing terror related activities across the globe has made organisations to improve their security infrastructure through adoption of proper equipment and technology.Metal detectors can easily be seen at premium hotels, public shopping malls, parks, zoos, government building, etc. Manufacturers of metal detectors focus on developing robust, handy and cost effective products to leverage the existing opportunity in the metal detectors for security screening market. The global metal detector market is expected to witness steady growth over the next decade and will be mainly driven by advancement in technology.Global Metal Detectors Market: Market DynamicsThe global metal detectors market is expected to be significantly driven by increasing government investments in security owing to the rising violence and conflicts worldwide. Furthermore, ongoing infrastructural development across countries to develop new airports, stadiums and other such infrastructures will create demand for metal detectors. Security application is expected to hold a major share of the demand for metal detectors and witness robust growth over the forecast period.The global metal detectors market has also witnessed increased adoption of metal detectors in industrial application. Moreover, day-by-day general public is understanding the importance of security equipment and as a result systems such as metal detectors are also being increasingly deployed in residential buildings/apartments/townships so as to ensure safety of residents.One of the factors restraining growth is the higher cost, however this factor has only a moderate impact over the growth of the market. Government regulations in some of the countries, which ban the use of metal detectors for applications such as precious metal detection is expected to hamper market growth.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Metal Detectors Market: Market SegmentationOn the basis of technology, the metal detectors market can be segmented into: Beat frequency oscillations, Pulse induction, Others. On the basis of product type, the metal detectors market can be segmented into: Walk-through metal detector (WTMD), Hand-held metal detector (HHMD). On the basis of application, the metal detectors market can be segmented into: Mining, Archaeological, Food Processing, Security Screening, Airports, Government Buildings, Commercial & Public Spaces, Residential, Other. IndustrialGlobal Metal Detectors Market: Region-wise OutlookAsia Pacific is expected to remain a major market for metal detectors over the forecast period. The region is expected to generate significant demand for metal detectors for security screening application owing to the ongoing infrastructural developments in the countries such as China and India.North America and Europe are expected to be the next big markets for metal detectors. These regions are expected to witness significant CAGR over the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are estimated to expand at a slower growth rate as compared to Asia Pacific, North America and Europe.Global Metal Detectors Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants identified in the global metal detectors market are: Fisher Research Laboratory, Garrett Metal Detectors, Minelab, XP Metal Detectors, Barska, DetectorPro, Nokta Metal Detectors, Tesoro Metal Detectors, E.I.A. S.p.A., Makro Metal Detectors, Metal Detectors, Inc.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.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:
Elevation Gimbal System Market Growth to Remain Stable during the Projection Period 2017 - 2025

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Elevation Gimbal System Market: IntroductionTracking systems are used to measure the relative position and velocity of the target, which in turn, is monitored by keeping track of their future values. Elevation gimbal system is concerned with generation of targets angular position in the elevation and azimuth coordinates through continuous measurements. The elevation gimbal system incorporates a mirror that is used for characterization of precision optical sensors, target tracking and laser based qualification.Get access to full summary @:The system provides high accuracy, movement and direct-reading rotary encoders over the full travel range due to features such as RV Series Rotation Stages. The major application of elevation gimbal system is in military and commercial use. In military use, elevation gimbal systems are used for missile guidance and fire control. Other than this, these tracking systems finds commercial usage in civilian airport traffic control depicting the incoming and departing airplanes.Elevation Gimbal System Market: DriversFor efficient & effective monitoring of the terrorists, a proper elevation gimbal system is a much necessary device. It will be more convenient for armies to fight with the terrorists using elevation gimbal systems. The aforementioned reason is expected to boost the demand for elevation gimbal system and thus in turn, propel the growth of elevation gimbal system market. Moreover, since its precise mechanical design, motion and fabrication control meet the requirements of customer, these features are anticipated to fuel the demand of elevation gimbal system market in near future.Elevation Gimbal System Market: RestraintsInaccuracy of device and its inability to work in critical environmental conditions remain as one of the major challenges to the elevation gimbal system market for target tracking. Further, high initial cost of the system is also restraining the growth of the elevation gimbal system market. These reasons are expected to hinder the growth of elevation gimbal system market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Elevation Gimbal System Market: SegmentationThe global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented on the basis of axis, operation type, weight, range, application and regions. On the basis of axis, the market can be segmented into single axis and double axis. On the basis of operation type, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into manual operation and automatic operation. On the basis of weight, the market can be segmented into super lightweight (less than 1 lb), light weight (1 lb  10 lb), medium weight (10 lb -50 lb) and heavy weight (more than 50 lb).On the basis of range, the market can be segmented into long slant range and short slant range. On the basis of application, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into defence and military and commercial vehicles. On the basis of regions, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Elevation Gimbal System Market: Region wise OutlookBased on regions, North America is expected to be the most promising revenue generating region for global elevation gimbal system market. However, during the forecast period, this region is expected to witness sluggish growth owing to reduction in the defence budget of many countries. Asia Pacific is forecasted to witness significant growth in near future due to continuous increase in the defence budget of many countries.Moreover, China dominates the worlds in terms of troops. This, coupled with the increasing adoption of elevation gimbal system is expected to fuel the growth of elevation gimbal system market in APAC. Europe is expected to show steady growth over the forecast period. Middle East & Africa is anticipated to witness significant growth in near future.Elevation Gimbal System Market: Market ParticipantsSome of the prominent players identified in the global elevation gimbal system market are as follows: 3 Axis Inc., Icecam Gimbal, DJI, Embention, Moog Inc., Deplot, Octopus ISR systems, Aerotech Inc.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections done using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, type, machine size and end use.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:
Volumetric 3D Display Market: Trends, Top Manufactures, Demand, Growth Analysis & Forecast 2022

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ReportsWeb Market Research Released a New Research Report of 109 pages on Title Global Volumetric 3D Display Market Research Report 2017 with detailed Analysis, Forecast and Strategies.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD) , market share and growth rate of Volumetric 3D Display in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , covering United States, EU, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.Get free sample copy of report atGlobal Volumetric 3D Display market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including 3DIcon, Actuality Systems, LightSpace Technologies and Schott Defense.Get more information about Volumetric 3D Display Market atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Swept-Volume Display and Solid-Volume Display. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales) , market share and growth rate of Volumetric 3D Display for each application, including Medical, IT & Telecom, Transportation & Logistics and Others.Get discount on report purchase atTable of Content1 Volumetric 3D Display Market Overview2 Global Volumetric 3D Display Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Volumetric 3D Display Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Volumetric 3D Display Supply (Production) , Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Volumetric 3D Display Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type6 Global Volumetric 3D Display Market Analysis by Application7 Global Volumetric 3D Display Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 3DIcon7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Volumetric 3D Display Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 3DIcon Volumetric 3D Display Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Actuality Systems7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Volumetric 3D Display Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Actuality Systems Volumetric 3D Display Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 LightSpace Technologies7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Volumetric 3D Display Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 LightSpace Technologies Volumetric 3D Display Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Volumetric 3D Display Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Volumetric 3D Display Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase complete report atList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Volumetric 3D DisplayFigure Global Volumetric 3D Display Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Volumetric 3D Display Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of Swept-Volume DisplayTable Major Manufacturers of Swept-Volume DisplayFigure Product Picture of Solid-Volume DisplayTable Major Manufacturers of Solid-Volume DisplayFigure Global Volumetric 3D Display Consumption (K Units) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Volumetric 3D Display Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Medical ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in MedicalFigure IT & Telecom ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in IT & TelecomFigure Transportation & Logistics ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Transportation & LogisticsFigure Others ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in OthersFigure Global Volumetric 3D Display Market Size (Million USD) , Comparison (K Units) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure EU Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure South Korea Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Taiwan Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Volumetric 3D Display Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Volumetric 3D Display Capacity, Production (K Units) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comCompany Name: ReportsWebWebsite: Reportsweb.comPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.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
Motorized Quadricycles Market Size Observe Significant Surge during 2017-2025

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Global Motorized Quadricycles Market: IntroductionMotorized quadricycles are small and fuel-efficient vehicles used for local transportation in rural and urban areas. Motorized quadricycles have emerged as an alternative to small city cars and motorcycles. With a speed range of 45  100 kmph and weight of up to 400-500 kg, motorized quadricycles have become a popular means of internal transportation. Quadricycles are largely used in European countries. They are exempt from stringent regulations and safety tests that are applicable for passenger cars; also, they are road-legal and may not require a full license to be driven. As per the directive 2002/24/EC & CE, quadricycles have been categorized into: light quadricycles (L6e) and heavy quadricycles (L7e). Light quadricycles are limited to a speed of 45 kmph, while heavy quadricycles are not speed limited and may have a speed of up to 100 kmph.Get access to full summary @:Motorized quadricycles must meet environment regulations w.r.t emissions, however this isnt a key concern for manufacturers as a major share of motorized quadricycles are electric; gas powered quadricycles hold a low market share. Despite some existing restraining factors, the motorized quadricycle market is expected to witness noteworthy year-on-year growth over the forecast period.It has been witnessed that elderly population accounts for a majority of the demand for motorized quadricycles owing to low cost, light weight and ease of handling of the vehicle. This trend is expected to exist throughout the forecast period.Global Motorized Quadricycle Market: DynamicsQuadricycles are many folds cheaper than city passenger cars and thus appeal to huge masses, particularly the elderly population who do not seek high power and high speed vehicles. Motorized quadricycles are easy to handle; these usually have a CVT transmission and require comparatively low maintenance as compared to other passenger cars.Majority of motorized quadricycles are electric powered and thus, are environment friendly. Furthermore, the motorized quadricycle market lacks stringent regulations.Regulations for driving quadricycles vary from country to country. In some countries, no license is required to drive a quadricycle, while in some countries a valid driving license and a minimum age of 18 years are prerequisites.The recent one-off tests conducted by Euro NCAP brought the quadricycle market to limelight. The frontal and side crash test conducted by the organization highlighted that quadricycles significantly lacked passenger safety even at a low speed of 50 kmph.The frontal and side impact tests highlighted the lack of minimum safety equipment in quadricycles. This has created pressure on manufacturers to transform their vehicles and ensure a high level of safety during crash, while maintaining cost of the vehicle; as surge in prices would not be acceptable to customers.At the same time, this incident may also restrain customers from buying quadricycles due to the lack of safety.Sample of this report is available upon request @Global Motorized Quadricycle Market: SegmentationBy product type, the motorized quadricycle market can be segmented into: Light Quadricycles, Heavy Quadricycles. By mode of operation, the motorized quadricycle market can be segmented into: Electric Quadricycles, Fuel Operated Quadricycles. By price range, the motorized quadricycle market can be categorized into: Economic, Mid-range, Premium.Global Motorized Quadricycle Market: Region-wise OutlookPresently, Europe leads the demand for motorized quadricycles in the global market, and the region is expected to remain predominant in the motorized quadricycle market over the forecast period. Flexible regulations in the region are expected to be the major driver for market growth and thus, increased adoption of quadricycles is expected over the forecast period.After Europe, North America and Latin America are anticipated to be major upcoming markets for motorized quadricycles. However, slow adoption rate is expected in some countries of these regions.The Asia Pacific motorized quadricycle market possesses significant growth opportunity owing to robust economic growth and increasing vehicle ownership per capita. However, some of the countries in the region create moderate demand for quadricycles, as quadricycles here are only limited to internal transport application and are not authorized to be driven on roads.Safety concerns for passengers and poor road infrastructure in some countries of the Asia Pacific region are expected to hamper demand for motorized quadricycles in the region.Global Motorized Quadricycle Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global motorized quadricycles market are: Aixam-Mega,Grecav, Groupe Renault, Bajaj Auto. Ltd., Ligier Automobiles, Club Car, LLC., TECNO MECCANICA IMOLA SPA (Gruppo Tazzari).The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies.TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.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:
Smart Glass in Automotive Market Size to Expand Significantly by the End of 2026

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Global Smart Glass in Automotive Market: OverviewA smart glass is a type of glass that modifies and controls the light properties passing through it as per the variation in the light intensity, fluctuation in voltage and heat variation. Initially the scope of the smart glasses was limited to only construction and architectural purposes but nowadays it has widen to aviation, rail, marine and automotive. Rapid research and development in this segment has attracted many private players and government agencies to invest in this technology. Due to this reason the number of players offering smart glass to the automotive company has increased significantly in the recent years.Get access to full summary @:Also the countries like China and India offer tremendous opportunity for automotive market growth, so smart glass manufacturers are trying to expand their business in these emerging economies. There are wide applications of smart glass in any automotive that includes rear and side view mirror, sunroofs, windshield, backlights and sidelights so the smart glass in automotive has a healthy growth potential in the further future. Also there are safety regulations pertaining to the glass used in automotive these days and this leads to the increased usage of this smart glasses in order to be in line with the norms of a specific region. The global smart glass in automotive market is anticipated to have a lucrative CAGR in the forecasted period.Global Smart Glass in Automotive Market: Drivers and RestrainsIncreasing global automotive market and the essential glasses being deployed in these automotive is the key driving factor for the global smart glass in automotive market. Also automotive consumers are becoming aware about this technology and for their luxury and comfort they are implementing this technology in their vehicles that is bolstering the aftermarket of smart glass.Also mandatory rules and regulations of some countries for the safety and security of the passengers is another factor forcing the vehicle owners to deploy smart glasses, thereby leading to growth of smart glass in automotive market. However, high cost associated with these smart glasses are making people to think twice before opting for this technology. Also in some developing regions vehicles users are not aware about this technology. Aforementioned factors might hamper global smart glass in automotive market growth.Global Smart Glass in Automotive Market: SegmentationOn the basis of technology, the global smart glass in automotive market can be segmented as follows: Electro chromic glass, Suspended Particle Device (SPD) glass, Thermo chromic glass, Polymer dispersed liquid crystals glass, Photo chromatics glass.On the basis of applications, the global smart glass in automotive market can be segmented as follows: Side/ rear view mirror, Sunroofs, Sidelites/ Backlites, Windshield.On the basis of glass type, the global smart glass in automotive market can be segmented as follows: Laminated, Tempered, Others. On the basis of vehicle type, the global smart glass in automotive market can be segmented as follows: LCVs, HCVs, Passenger Cars, Others. On the basis of window type, the global smart glass in automotive market can be segmented as follows: Active smart window, Passive smart window.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Smart Glass in Automotive Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global smart glass in automotive market is segmented into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Western Europe is the leading region in the global smart glass in automotive market due to the deployment of essential smart glasses in the vehicles being manufactured especially in Germany.Asia Pacific is the second major contributor in the global smart glass in automotive market due to presence of automobile giants such as Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Hero MotoCorp Ltd and other companies, which has led towards installation of smart glass in automobiles. Companies such as General Motors Company, The Ford Motor Company are having a significant contribution in the North America, thus making it a considerable market in the global smart glass in automotive market.Japan is well established in the automotive market, so smart glasses are used on a large scale by the automobile manufacturers in this region. Latin America and Middle East and Africa are at a nascent stage in the global smart glass in automotive market but is anticipated to record modest growth during the forecast period.Global Smart Glass in Automotive Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global smart glass in automotive market are as follows: PPG Industries, SAGE Electrochromics, Gentex Corp., Research Frontiers, Inc., Hitachi Chemicals Co. Ltd., View, Inc, Glass Apps., AGC, Ltd., SmartGlass International Ltd., Scienstry Inc, RavenBrick LLC, Pleotint, LLC.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geography, technology and applications.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:
Global Tool Steel Market Headed For Growth & Expansion By 2022

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This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price,revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringVoestalpine Hudson Tool Steel Sandvik TG Nachi-Fujikoshi Qilu Special Steel Universal StainlessBy types, the market can be split intoHot-work Steel Cold-work Steel Plastics Mold Steel High Speed Steel OthersTo Receive a Sample Copy of Global Tool Steel Market Survey Report @By Application, the market can be split intoAutomotive Shipbuilding Machinery OthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North America China Europe Southeast Asia Japan IndiaBuy a Copy of Global Tool Steel Market Survey Report for single user price of $ 3500@Key Chapters1 Industry Overview of Tool Steel1.1 Definition and Specifications of Tool Steel1.1.1 Definition of Tool Steel1.1.2 Specifications of Tool Steel1.2 Classification of Tool Steel1.2.1 Hot-work Steel1.2.2 Cold-work Steel1.2.3 Plastics Mold Steel1.2.4 High Speed Steel1.2.5 Others2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Tool Steel2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Tool Steel2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Tool Steel3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Tool Steel3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Tool Steel Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Tool Steel Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Tool Steel Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Tool Steel Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Tool Steel Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Tool Steel Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales AnalysisTo View Full Report @Who we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights. The research encompasses information gathered and examined by subject-matter experts, laying down growth opportunities and developmental strategies for enterprises.Reach at us:Flat No.10, Wing C,S. No. 245/4/2+245/5/1,Baner, Pune-411045Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +91 7507349866Skype ID: researchtradesconWeb:
Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Research Report 2017

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The Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Spring Based Needle Free Injector industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Spring Based Needle Free Injector market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Spring Based Needle Free Injector industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Ask a sample or any question, please email to:hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comThe players list(Partly, Players you are interested can also be added):Antares PharmaEndo InternationalPharmaJetBioject Medical TechnologiesMedical International TechnologyINJEX Pharma AGNational Medical ProductsValeritasEuropean Pharma GroupPenJet CorporationTable of Contents1 Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Overview2 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Spring Based Needle Free Injector Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixRelated Reports:US Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017Europe Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017India Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017China Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017Korea Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017Japan Spring Based Needle Free Injector Market Report 2017If you need a report or have any question, please feel free to contact me~O(_)O~Hebe | Sr. Manager  Global SalesProfessional Market Research Report PublisherQYResearch Co.LtdQYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchPhone: +86 20 2209 3278Email: hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comWeb:About QYResearchQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, database and seminar services. the company owned a large basic database (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business. Through the companys years of effort and a lot of customer support, QYResearch consulting group creative design method of many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch brand has become the consulting industry with quality assurance consulting brand. The company has 2500 global well-known customers, covering energy automobile pharmaceutical chemical agriculture more than 30 industries, services from the data analysis and recommendations-Consulting landing one-stop solution, and research regions cover China,US,EU,Asia,Middle East and Africa,South America,Australia,etc Global all regions,and also built research or marketing center in China USA UK France Hongkong etc regions. currently, QYResearch has become the first choice and worth trusted consulting brand in Global and China business consulting services.QYResearch CO.,LIMITEDQYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchAddress: Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Guangzhou City Guangdong Province 510610 ChinaHebe Leung | Sr. Manager - Global SalesPhone: +86-20 2209 3278E*mail: hebe@qyresearchglobal.comWeb:(US) |(EU)
Global medical practice management software market to grow at a CAGR of 8.22% during the period 2017-2021

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About Medical Practice Management SoftwareMPMS helps to improve and automate every major administrative process in a healthcare institute. Developed for ease-of-use, the solution features convenient accessibility, thereby leveraging the speed of transaction processing and profitability. MPMS manages purchase orders and tracks the inventory requirement efficiently, and maintains the entire supply chain associated with administrative process.Read More At:Research Beam analysts forecast the global medical practice management software market to grow at a CAGR of 8.22% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global medical practice management software market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers new installations, sales, and volume of MPMS.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAMarket driver Increasing need for maximizing chair-time utilization For a full, detailed list, view our reportEnquire About Report At:Market challenge Data security and privacy concerns For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Increasing focus on detailed and customized reporting For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Table Of Contents:PART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: Introduction Market outlinePART 05: Market landscape Market overview Market size and forecast Five forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by deployment modelPART 07: Market segmentation by end-user Global MPMS market by end-userPART 08: Geographical segmentation Global MPMS market by geography Global MPMS market by geography 2016-2021 Americas EMEA APACPART 09: Key leading countries US Germany ChinaPART 10: Buying criteria Buying criteriaPART 11: Decision frameworkResearch Beam features a wide array of research reports from publishers across the globe. We have a database of reports ranging over every market category and extensive collection of reports on sub-categories as well. We are dedicated to provide qualitative insights on your area of interest by gathering reports from various publishers at one place to save your time and money. Hundreds of organizations across the world are reaping great benefits from insights gained through reports sourced by Research Beam.5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Smart Wellness Scale Market To Register A Robust Growth By 2021

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This report studies sales (consumption) of Smart Wellness Scale in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, covering, Omron, Withings, Fitbit, EatSmart, Tanita, Seca, Taylor, Health O Meter, Blue Anatomy, Weight Gurus, Vanityplanet, IHealth, DigiWeigh, InBody, Renesas, Surpahs, Bodivis, Lifesense, Xiaomi, Yolanda, RyFit, YUNMAI, Wahoo, Garmin, Polar Balance, UA Scale, DetectoGet exclusive sample copy@Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Smart Wellness Scale in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like, United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, IndiaPurchase a copy of this report for single user price of $ 4000@Split by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into, Type I, Type II. Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Smart Wellness Scale in each application, can be divided into, Under 16 Years Old, 16-45 Years Old, 45-60 Years Old, Above 60 Years Old.Table of Contents:1 Smart Wellness Scale Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Smart Wellness Scale1.2 Classification of Smart Wellness Scale1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.3 Application of Smart Wellness Scale1.3.1 Under 16 Years Old1.3.2 16-45 Years Old1.3.3 45-60 Years Old1.3.4 Above 60 Years Old1.4 Smart Wellness Scale Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Smart Wellness Scale (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Smart Wellness Scale Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Smart Wellness Scale Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Smart Wellness Scale Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Smart Wellness Scale Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Smart Wellness Scale Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Smart Wellness Scale Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Smart Wellness Scale (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Smart Wellness Scale Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Smart Wellness Scale Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Smart Wellness Scale (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Smart Wellness Scale Sales and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Smart Wellness Scale Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.4 Global Smart Wellness Scale (Volume) by ApplicationView this report@About Us:Research Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact Us:Address: Flat No.10, Wing C, S. No. 245/4/2+245/5/1, Baner, Pune-411045Call us: +91 7507349866Skype ID: researchtradesconEmail: sales@researchtrades.comWeb:
Quinoa Market is in Demand due to its Health Benefits & Nutrient Rich Property

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Quinoa is a grain crop also known as Chenopodium quinoa used for its edible seeds. Quinoa is a source of manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, fiber, folate, zinc etc. which makes it one of the healthy food for consumption. Quinoa have health benefits such as it minimizes the cardiovascular disease, risk of type-2 diabetes, regulates blood sugar, helps maintain cholesterol level, reduces risk of various allergies etc. Quinoa is grown organically as well as conventionally. Quinoa is a gluten-free product which makes it popular in health conscious consumers for consumption which is increasing demand for it in global market. Quinoa have various application in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, medical industry which grows its demand in global market.Browse Market Research Report @Market Segmentation: QuinoaThe quinoa market is segmented on the basis of application in industries such as food industry, cosmetic industry, pharmaceutical industry etc. In food industry, quinoa is used to prepare noodles, pasta, vegetable soup, muffin, breads etc. Quinoa can also be consumed along with breakfast meal, salads, sandwiches etc. In cosmetics industry, quinoa is used for anti-aging, skin rejuvenation, dark spot reduction, reduce pigmentation, treat acne, promote hair growth, treat dandruff etc. Saponins obtained from quinoa can be used in pharmaceutical industry as it changes intestinal permeability useful for absorption of specific medicines. It is also used as an antibiotic for fungal control.The quinoa market is segmented on the basis of its type as organic and inorganic. As a result of increasing population of health conscious consumers and awareness of using organic products, the quinoa market is increasing its demand in global market. Awareness of using organic products in cosmetics is increasing in turn increasing the demand for organic quinoa market globally.The quinoa ingredients market is segmented on the basis of its end-use as an ingredient and packed food. As an ingredient it is used in preparation of pasta, breads, noodles etc. Manufacturers offering ready-to-use soup powders use quinoa ingredient in their products to enhance its nutritive value. Packed Quinoa products is available in retail shops, online portals for home use packed in bags, cans, boxes etc.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The Quinoa market is segmented on the basis of regions as North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and ME.Global Quinoa Market: Regional OutlookDepending on geographic regions global Quinoa market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and ME. South America is major producer of quinoa which include countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. The U.S. is a major consumer of quinoa followed by Asia Pacific. The U.S., Africa, India and other countries in Asia are gaining interest in quinoa market.Global Quinoa Market: Drivers and TrendsQuinoa market is in demand due to its health benefits and nutrient rich property. Quinoa is high in fiber and gluten-free product which makes it popular in health conscious consumers. Application of quinoa in food products such as noodles, bread, pasta etc. is trending which in turn helps quinoa market to grow in global market. Increasing demand for organic and natural products in cosmetic industry is gaining interest which is driving global quinoa market. Consumption of quinoa in breakfast food is increasing due to its use as an ingredient in breakfast foods which is one of the driver for increasing demand of quinoa in global market.Global Quinoa: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified across the value chain of the global Quinoa market include Quinoa Foods Company, Northern Quinoa Production Corporation, Andean Valley S.A., Quinoa Corporation, Keen One Quinoa, The British Quinoa Company, Hain Celestial Group, Andean Naturals Inc., European Quinoa Group, Inca Organics etc. are amongst.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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Soft touch Polyurethane Coatings Market expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% during 20152025

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The global soft touch polyurethane coatings market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period (20152025), according to a new report titled, Soft Touch Polyurethane Coatings Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015 - 2025.Key Factors Driving the Global Soft touch Polyurethane Coatings MarketSoft touch polyurethane coatings find wide-ranging applications in automotive and aircraft interior components, interior wood surfaces (furniture, trim, doors) and consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones, TV, laptop and computer cases. These coatings also find applications in cosmetic cases and kitchenware.Over the last decade, increasing consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles and various environmental regulations regarding carbon emissions has influenced automakers to opt for lighter materials. Most metal interior components of automobiles are being replaced by plastic materials, such as Acetonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). These plastic materials need to be coated in order to have organoleptic properties. This increased use of plastics in automobile interiors has led to an increase in demand for soft touch polyurethane coatings as a suitable option, owing to properties such as resistance to yellowing, scratching, abrasion and chemicals. Soft touch polyurethane coatings are widely used in the automobile industry to coat interior components such as arm rest, door trims, airbags compartments, steering wheel and front panels.Ask For Report Sample@Government regulations and environmental concerns around the world is influencing coating industry players to develop coating with low or no volatile organic content (VOC). Until recently, solvent-based, two component system, was the most widely used coating. However, it has high VOC content as compared to water-based coating. Water-based low VOC content coating is formulated using low molecular weight polymers and reactive diluents. This has led to increase in development of water-based PU soft feel coatings customised as per requirements in various end-use industries such as automotive, wood & furniture and electronics.The global soft touch polyurethane coatings market is segmented on the basis of base type, product type and end-use industry.On the basis of base type, the global soft touch polyurethane coatings market is segmented into water-based and solvent-based soft touch polyurethane coatings.Among base types, the solvent-based soft touch polyurethane coatings segment accounts for a major share in the global market. However, water-based soft touch polyurethane coatings segment is expected to gain traction and expand at highest CAGR in terms of value over the forecast period. Key players in this market are also shifting their focus from solvent-based to water-based soft touch polyurethane coatings due to the stringent environmental regulations pertaining to limit the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. In Asia Pacific, solvent-based soft touch polyurethane coatings are mainly preferred.On the basis of product type, the global soft touch polyurethane coatings market is segmented into 2K and UV coating systems. Each of this product type is further segmented in water-based and solvent-based coatings.On the basis of end-use industry, the global soft touch polyurethane coatings market is segmented into transport and automotive, electrical and electronics, wood and furniture and others (measuring devices, packaging).In 2014, the transport and automotive segment accounted for the 37% market value share. Most industries such as automotive, electronics and packaging are much focused towards offering products with improved surface properties such as warm touch and rich look. These properties play an important role in buying behaviour of customers. Increasing disposable income in developed and developing countries is driving consumer spending on high end premium goods.Ask For More Information@Key playersin the global soft touch polyurethane coatings market include PPG Industries Inc., AkzoNobel N.V., RPM International Inc., The Sherwin Williams Company, Aexcel Corporation, Axalta Coatings Systems Ltd., Sokan New Materials and Jotun AS.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705
Global Fertility and Pregnancy Rapid Test Kits Market will grow at 4.1% CAGR, 2016-2026

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Global demand for fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits market will reach US$ 1,068.4 Mn in 2016, up from US$ 1,029.1 Mn in 2015, witnessing 3.8% growth in 2016 over 2015. Increasing prevalence of gynaecological diseases and infertility will continue to drive demand in 2016, with dual-capability test kits gaining traction among consumers.Pregnancy rapid test kits will continue to witness higher demand than fertility kits, representing US$ 600 Mn in market value in 2016. Line-indicator kits will continue to outsell digital devices, with the latter generating only one-third revenues of the former. Mid-stream and cassettes line indicator pregnancy rapid test kits will witness strong growth rates than strips/dip sticks, however, strips/dip sticks will continue to account for the highest market value, representing US$ 197 Mn in revenues in 2016.Ask For Report Sample@Line indicators will remain the preferred product type in fertility rapid test landscape as well, representing market value worth US$ 329.2 Mn in 2016, up from US$ 317.7 Mn in 2015.hCG urine test will account for the highest market share on the basis of test type, representing nearly 43% revenue share in 2016. Apart from hCG, other test types  FSH urine test, hCG blood test, and LH urine test will witness a decline in their market share, suggesting increasing preference for conventional laboratory tests.Drugstores and pharmacies will remain the largest distribution channels for both fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits. Drugstores will sell US$ 286.4 Mn worth of fertility and pregnancy rapid tests kits in 2016, representing nearly 27% revenue share of the market by distribution channel.North America will remain the largest market for fertility and rapid test kits in 2016, accounting for over half of global revenues. Demand for rapid kits will continue to grow in the developing countries of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. While APEJ fertility and rapid test kits market will reach US$ 267.2 Mn in revenues in 2016, MEA market will be worth US$ 7.5 Mn.Ask For More Information@Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Alere Inc., bioMerieux SA, and Quidel Corporation are the market leaders in the global fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits landscape. Collaboration with distribution partners and strengthening market position through acquisitions remains the key strategy of these players.Long-term Outlook: Future Market Insights projects a moderate 4.1% CAGR for fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits market during the forecast period 2016-2026.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705
Global Aerospace Insurance Market 2016-2020 - Current Trends, Grwoth, Forecast and Investment Opportunities

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Latest Research Report titled " Global Aerospace Insurance Market 2016-2020 " features Key Market Players, Market Trends, Market Challenges and Market Drivers.Aerospace insurance, as covered in this report, encompasses the insurance policies designed for airlines, airports and their operations, as well as other aviation service providers. Aerospace is one of the biggest sectors worldwide responsible for the conveyance of a growing number of passengers and cargo.The global aerospace insurance market to decline at a CAGR of -0.37% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global aerospace insurance market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of aerospace insurance.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEABrowse Research PDF at:Technavio's report, Global Thoracic Surgery Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Allianz- American International Group (AIG)- Aon- Hallmark Aerospace Insurance Managers- Marsh- Old Republic AerospaceOther prominent vendors- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co- Avion Insurance- Global Aerospace- Hiscox London Market- Wells Fargo- Willis Towers Watson- XL CatlinMarket driver- Establishment of new airports- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Lack of awareness and delayed services- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in the report include- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?About UsResearchMoz 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 Solar Micro Inverters Market expected to expand at a CAGR of 16.6% during 2016-2026

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The demand for solar micro inverters is expected to witness a significant upsurge on account of increase in the number of photovoltaic (PV) installations and the need to improve overall system efficiency and safety. In 2016, the global solar micro inverters market is anticipated to register a y-o-y growth of 11.4% over 2015, and reach US$ 488.2 Mn in terms of market value. The escalating demand for solar micro inverters will continue to penetrate the market for module-level power electronics, owing to falling prices and upcoming products.The higher adoption of photovoltaic installations is a key factor driving the growth of the global solar micro inverters market. Moreover, rising preference for fully integrated PV modules or AC Modules, is anticipated to fuel the demand for solar micro inverters. The U.S. National Electric Code (NEC) also favours the usage of micro inverter technology and is driving the demand for micro inverters in the North American market. However, the use of power optimisers as an alternative to micro inverters can restrain the growth of the global solar micro inverter market.Ask For Report Sample@On the basis of system type, the global market for solar micro inverters is expected to be dominated by Stand Alone system sales, followed by micro inverter systems sold for developing AC Modules, named as integrated systems. In 2015, the stand alone solar micro inverter systems procured global market share of 96.7%, and are expected to attain estimated revenues of US$ 471 Mn by 2016-end.By end-user type, the residential segment of the global market will continue dominance over the commercial segment by attaining a market share of 76.2% in 2016. Among residential end-users, changing consumer preference for more efficient and safe inverter alternative will prompt the replacement of conventional inverters with solar micro inverters. Dropping prices and rising commercial scale PV installations will incite extensive growth in the demand for solar micro inverters among the commercial segment as well.Due to the varying use of micro inverters across the world, global players are concentrating on regions where awareness about using renewable energy resources is higher. Robust adoption of PV storage systems in the U.S. will continue to fuel demand for solar micro inverters in North America, and the region is expected to attain market value of US$ 282.2 Mn in 2016. Moreover, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to be a lucrative region for the growth of the global market. The growing trade of inexpensive inverters in China and India will boost the demand for solar micro inverters in APEJ region. The key players contributing to the growth of the global solar micro inverters market include, SMA, Darfon Electronics, ABB, APSytems, Chilicon Power, iEnergy, Enphase, NEP, SunPower, and Sparq Systems among others.Ask For More Information@Long-term Outlook: The global solar micro inverters market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 16.6% during the forecast period 2016-2026. Over the forecast period, North America and APEJ will continue to be the most profitable regions for the growth of the global market for solar micro inverters.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705
Rosemary Extracts Market: Segmentation, Industry trends and Development to 2026

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One of the most sought after natural food preservatives, Rosemary extracts are also used in various end-use industries for their flavouring and aromatic attributes. In addition, Rosemary extracts impart a wide range of health benefits, which prompt at their growing demand in the market, addressing health conscious consumers.With a variety of industrial applications in pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and chemical and household sectors, Rosemary extracts are currently witnessing high demand in the global market. FMI predicts this demand to continue in the near future as well, attracting substantial revenues over the forecast period 2016-2026.Key Drivers: Global Rosemary Extracts MarketRosemary is indigenous to Alps but is commercially cultivated in several regions across the globe for various end-use applications. This cultivation is highly supported by the growing demand from consumers who are predominantly choosing natural and organic food preservatives over artificial ingredients.Request Report Sample@Moreover, manufacturers are constantly ramping up their R&D efforts, leading to discovery of more benefits and potential applications of Rosemary extracts. This is expected to play a key role in bolstering and directing the demand for Rosemary extracts in the global market.Rosemary Extracts: Market TrendsThe adoption of Rosemary extracts for various food, pharmaceutical, and skin care products is trending in the market.Rising adoption of natural food colourants, and stevia as a healthy sweetener, is strongly supporting the demand for Rosemary extracts globally.Global Rosemary Extracts Market: SegmentationFMIs research on the global Rosemary extracts market offers a 10-year extensive forecast, segmenting the market on the basis of variety, application, and region.On the basis of variety, the Rosemary extracts market is segmented into three commercial varieties -Camphor-borneol1,8 cineoleVerbenoneCamphor-borneol has essential antioxidant properties and enjoys dominant market share and is widely used in the manufacture of premium products. Verbenone and 1,8 cineole rosemary extracts are expected to witness strong demand during the forecast period.Rosemary extracts are further segmented on the basis of its application in food and beverages industry, pharmaceuticals, household sector, cosmetics, and pet food market. Being a natural preservative, Rosemary extracts find wide-ranging applications in the food and beverages industry, especially in non-alcoholic beverages, bakery products, meat products, and culinary spices. The demand for Rosemary extracts is also robust in the pharmaceutical sector, where it is used for manufacturing drugs to treat skin allergies and slow down the progression of Alzheimers disease.Based on the geography, the global Rosemary extracts market is segmented into Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.Regional Outlook: Rosemary Extracts MarketGeographically, FMI has thoroughly analysed the Rosemary extracts market. Their production, import, export, and consumption in North America, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia have been remarkably dynamic since the past few years.Europe is the supply base, led by Spain and France in terms of supply and export, and production and consumption respectively.However, North America and APAC are estimated to emerge as the most lucrative markets over the forecast period 2016-2026. The U.S. has already started the agricultural cultivation of Rosemary in the Southwest region.Moreover, Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, Spain, and Morocco are rapidly growing, expected to become commercial production hubs for Rosemary extracts in the global market.Visit For TOC@Key Players in the Rosemary Extracts MarketKey manufacturers in the Rosemary extracts industry include Kemin, Kalsec, Nutrafur, Naurex, Dansico (DuPont), Flavex, Frutarom, Suptek, Hainan Super Biotech Co., Ltd., and Geneham Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Kemins Rosemary extracts combined with green tea blend is one of the most popularly used to preserve the ideal colouration and flavour of meat, and extend its shelf life.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Marketing Mix Optimisation Market : Facts, Figures and Analytical Insights, 2016 to 2026

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Marketing mix optimisation or marketing mix modeling is a method that is used for the statistical analysis of the various advertising and marketing efforts done on a products performance in the market. The key elements of marketing mix modeling are product, promotion, distribution and the pricing, each of these elements are analyzed closely before finalizing the suitable model for marketing a particular product. The marketing mix modeling allows quantifying the sales and revenue generated by the marketing done on a particular product. It also allows planning the strategies for marketing of particular product or marketing service in an optimized manner. The shift of global markets to the emerging regions such as, China, India, Brazil and Russia and the established markets being on the threshold of saturation, manufacturers are looking forward to establish markets in the emerging regions with low investments and high return on investment. With various big organizations adapting the marketing mix modeling for optimized marketing of their products, the global market for marketing mix modeling will register a healthy growth rate by the end of forecast period.The global marketing mix modeling market is primarily driven by the demand for efficient marketing strategies by organizations including the fortune 500 companies, which will help minimizing the lump sum investments in marketing of a particular product and give high return of investment to the companies in terms of marketing costs by increasing the sales for that particular product. The implementation of marketing mix modeling helps in achieving the targeted goals of the company and benefits the organization as a whole. Somehow, there are some challenges related to the marketing mix modeling which might restrain the growth of the market. Some of the challenges includes, unstandardized measurement of the market, lack of transparency in the modeling methods among others, which makes difficult to narrow down actual predictions.Request Report Sample@The global marketing mix modeling market is segmented based on approach for marketing mix modeling and region. Based on the approach used for marketing mix modeling, the marketing mix modeling market can be segmented into OLS (Ordinary Least Square) regression approach and Constraint regression approach.Based on the geographic regions, global automotive seating systems marketing market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. The marketing mix modeling being a new concept it is being adapted globally in the established as well as the emerging markets. The global trend of big manufacturers and markets shifting the business to Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe markets to tap the growth opportunities in these markets are fostering the growth of marketing mix modeling market in the aforementioned regions as well as in the established markets of North American and Western Europe.Visit For TOC@Some of the major players identified in the global marketing mix modeling market includes, Wipro Limited, Polaris Research, Decision Analyst, Inc., The Nielsen Company, Analytic Partners, Inc., Ninah and ThinkVine.com among others.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Performance Appraisal and Management Software Market to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% during 2016-2020

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Latest Research Report titled " Global Performance Appraisal and Management Software Market 2016-2020 " features Key Market Players, Market Trends, Market Challenges and Market Drivers.Performance appraisal is the process of the evaluation of the employees by the manager. Evaluation is based on the employee's overall contribution to the organization. It also aids in analyzing the abilities and skills of an employee for their future growth. Web-based performance management software system offers performance review, 360-degree feedback, learning content integration and compensation.The global performance appraisal and management software market to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global performance appraisal and management software market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue of large, small, and medium enterprises that provide the performance appraisal and management software across the globe.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEABrowse Research PDF at:Technavio's report, Global Performance Appraisal and Management Software Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Oracle- Saba- SAP SuccessFactors- SumTotal Systems- Ultimate SoftwareOther prominent vendors- Actus- bambooHR- breatheHR- Cornerstone OnDemand- Hirezon Corporation- Impraise- Insperity- Performly- Namely- RedSpotHR.com- Reviewsnap- Trakstar- Zoho CorporationMarket driver- Need for simplified performance appraisal process- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Data security and privacy- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in the report include:- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?About UsResearchMoz 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:
LIMS Market : Recent Industry Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2026

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Rise in the advanced technologies and rapid innovations healthcare information technology (IT) enables unlock potential for the companies which are striving in healthcare information technology. Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) have become important tool for moving the information, gathering, decision making, calculation, review, and release the process away from the office and into work place. LIMS is a software based laboratory and information management system which enables support modern laboratory operations. LIMS has its broad range of applications in various fields such as Environmental science, Pharmaceuticals, Petrochemicals. LIMS has provides its applications in sample management, data mining, data analysis, and electronic laboratory network. In pharmaceutical industry LIMS provides enormous applications such as test library included as standard functionality, dissolution, disintegration, dosage uniformity, drug release, product assays and stability module that simplifies stability studies. Biotechnological applications, LIMS assists Research and Development labs by integrating with instrumentation to provide automation to microarrays, gel electrophoresis, gene expression profiling etc. There is a significant difference between LIMS and LIS. LIMS is aimed to process and report data related to batches of samples from biology labs, drug trails, water treatment facilities. LIS designed for process and report the data related to individual patients. Global LIMS market is expected to exhibit a significant CAGR as well as annual growth over the forecast period.LIMS Market: Drivers and restraintsGlobal Laboratory Information Management System market can be influenced by following factors, LIMS provides wide range of applications to biopharmaceutical companies to address the key challenges in drug development process. Due to applications pharmaceutical companies inclined towards LIMS. Laboratories adopted advanced technologies in order to maintain precision and robust functionality specific for bio analysis, in vitro ADME experiments, and discovery R&D and QA/QC R&D. Key restraints include lack skilled professionals to manage advanced technology is major bottleneck for global LIMS market.Request Report Sample@LIMS Market: SegmentationGlobal Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Market can be segmented as following typesBy ProductSoftwareHardwareServicesBy Delivery ModeOn premiseCloud BasedBy End UserPharmaceutical IndustryBiotechnology IndustryHospitalsResearch centersLIMS Market: OverviewGlobal LIMS market is gaining huge traction due to increasing the demand of LIMS in biopharmaceutical companies and laboratories due to its efficiency and effectiveness. Technological advancements in the laboratory system enables to make significant changes in the market. The LIMS market expected to account a lucrative market as well as robust growth rates over the forecasted period.LIMS Market: Region-Wise OutlookLaboratory Information Management System (LIMS) market is segmented into seven key regions: Those are North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia pacific excluding japan, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America dominating the LIMS market due to increased awareness among the people towards the innovative technologies to maintain laboratory information. Asian Pacific region market is considered to rapidly evolving healthcare infrastructure, the region is anticipated to unlock the potential of LIMS market over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@LIMS Market: Key playersSome of the key players in LIMS Market are Thermo fisher Scientific, Inc., Siemens SA, Perkin Elmer Inc., Labware, Star LIMS (Abbott Laboratories. Abbott Park, U.S.A), Genologics (Illumina, Inc.), Promium LLc. LabLynx Inc., Autoscribe Informatics, Novatek International, Core Informatics etc.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Paints and Varnishes Sales Market Report 2017 - Jotun, Hempel, National Paint,s Al-Jazeera Paints, Raghagan, Berger, RPM

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Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Paints and Varnishes for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Paints and Varnishes market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Paints and Varnishes sales volume, Price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingJotunHempelNational PaintsAl-Jazeera PaintsAkzo NobelSigma (PPG)RaghaganBergerRPMOasis AmercoatSherwin-WilliamBASFRose PaintAxaltas (DuPont)PaintcoCaparol (DAW)Ocean PaintsOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K MT), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/MT), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoDecorative Paints and VarnishesPerformance Paints and VarnishesOn 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 Paints and Varnishes for each application, includingTransportationConsumer GoodsOthersBook a Free Sample Copy of this Research Report @Table of Contents1 Paints and Varnishes Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Paints and Varnishes1.2 Classification of Paints and Varnishes by Product Category1.2.1 Global Paints and Varnishes Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Paints and Varnishes Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Decorative Paints and Varnishes1.2.4 Performance Paints and Varnishes1.3 Global Paints and Varnishes Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Paints and Varnishes Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Transportation1.3.3 Consumer Goods1.3.4 OthersQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Healthcare Master Data Management Market: Growth, Demand and Key Players to 2026

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Information Technology has revolutionised every industry and brought about substantial changes. It has made the world more interconnected, interdependent and increased the volume of data to be processed enormously. However, if the data is compromised by way of a leak or hack, it can also have devastating consequences. This is particularly true in medical healthcare and thus, there is a focus on the healthcare Master Data Management market. MDM is the processes, policies, and tools that allow an organisation to define and manage its critical data, leading to a single point of reference. The healthcare master data management market is a major component of MDM. Medical healthcare facilities need to keep critical records of their patients health and security. Any lapse by way of administering an inadequate or incorrect dosage could even lead to death. It is vital for organisations to keep accurate, up-to-date records of their patients to avoid mistakes that could lead to reputational as well as financial harm to the organisation. Master data in healthcare is mainly divided into identifying data like the patient, provider or location and reference data i.e. linkable vocabulary like LOINC, RxNorm, ICD, SNOMED, etc.Healthcare Master Data Management Market DriversThere are three drivers of the healthcare master data management market  mergers & acquisitions (M&A), Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). In todays globalised world, M&As have become commonplace and this also holds true for the medical industry. National boundaries have become irrelevant and healthcare institutions can go in for M&As for the same reasons as other organisations. It is very rare for two medical institutions to have the same type of data management techniques & each will have its own master data. MDM is crucial to helping the two entities organise, manage and then merge the healthcare data. There is also a great deal of interaction & information exchange between hospitals worldwide now. It may be for a second opinion, diagnoses or patient reassurance. To successfully exchange information across different locations, HIEs need to have reconciled the master data file. The last major driver of the healthcare master data management market is ACOs. They are a group of doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who provide medical assistance to their Medicare patients voluntarily. It neednt be mentioned that they would all have different data organisation & management methods, hence they would need to look at the healthcare master data management market.Request Report Sample@Healthcare Master Data Management Market RestraintsSome of the restraints constraining the growth of the healthcare master data management market are  data ownership, multiple sources of data, lack of true integration between clinical & administrative apps & lack of analytical talent. Autonomous clinics have largely funded their own data management systems to the exclusion of the entire healthcare system. With increasing M&As in the industry, this issue has only been compounded recently. While patients have the right to their healthcare data, the question of who owns the data continues to linger. A second challenge is the sheer volume of data. Not only is it in individual organisation departments, some data might also be in a proprietary format like Picture Archiving Communication Systems (PACS). This might be controlled by an external source, making it difficult to extract or claim. Many healthcare institutions struggle to understand modern technology like healthcare payments, coding, reimbursements or other data. Integrating it for decision-making is another challenge entirely! Another major challenge for the healthcare master data management market is the lack of analytical talent. Healthcare providers struggle to find the right experts to help them exploit their databases to the fullest. There is a massive shortage of data scientists, especially in healthcare, who can use big data techniques to optimise healthcare records.Healthcare Master Data Management Market Key RegionsThe largest healthcare master data management market at present is the U.S. It is also expected to grow at the highest rate due to legislation like the Affordable Care Act, EHR adoption, and government focus on customised medicine, healthcare management and hospital reimbursement. Key Asian markets are China, India, Japan and Korea.Visit For TOC@Healthcare Master Data Management Market Key Market PlayersSome of the companies competing in the healthcare master data management market are IBM Corporation, Cerner Corporation, Verisk Analytics, Allscripts Health Solutions and Health Catalyst.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Bismuth Market is Expected to Exceed US$ 226.1 Million by 2016

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Global demand for bismuth is expected to grow at a Y-o-Y growth rate of 4.9% by 2016 end. China is a major consumer, producer, and exporter of bismuth and is anticipated to maintain its dominance in the global market in the near future. The country is estimated to account for 27.0% share of overall bismuth sales by the end of 2016. The increasing use of bismuth oxide in growing manufacturing industries is anticipated to drive consumption in the region. The rapid growth of the automobile end-use industry is expected to drive further market growth.Bismuth Market:Request to view Table of Content @Increasing environmental regulations regarding lead usage in various end-use industries would drive demand for bismuth and bismuth derived compounds. Stringent regulations and initiatives by leading manufacturers in end-use industries to phase out lead production is expected to spur bismuth market growth. Major paints & coatings manufacturers such as BASF SE and PPG Inc. are actively offering bismuth-based products replacing their lead based portfolio, in order to provide environmentally-friendly product offerings.The bismuth market in APAC is anticipated to witness higher growth rates due to increasing manufacturing activities in China and India. Demand in Europe is also anticipated to be above average due to stringent lead restricting directives in the region, while demand in North America, Latin America, and MEA is expected to be moderate. Declining lead production due to regulations and declining consumption of lead-acid batteries is anticipated to be a major restricting factor for the global market. The increasing use of bismuth alternatives in pharmaceuticals and alloys is also a major obstacle to market growth.Sample of this report is available upon request @Hunan Jinwang Bismuth Industry Co. Ltd., Hunan Bismuth Co. Ltd., and Nui Phao Mining Company Limited are some of the top producers of bismuth, with a cumulative annual production capacity of 11,000 metric tons.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @PMR Long-term Outlook on Global Bismuth Market: The global bismuth market is expected to reach US$ 400.0 Mn expanding at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period (20162024). Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market for bismuth, with a market share of 46% in overall sales by the end of 2024.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Solid State Lighting Display Market - Initiatives of The Government To Adopt Solid State Technology,

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In the developed nations, lighting contributes to almost a quarter of the total electricity that is consumed. Solid state lighting display is defined as a kind of illumination technology which makes use of semiconductor illumination diodes as sources of lighting instead of electrical filaments, gas or plasma. This light is generally given out by solid electro luminescence rather than fluorescent tubes or incandescent bulbs.From the global perspective, major driving forces for the global solid state lighting market are robust and efficient design for greater productivity, relatively lower energy consumption and longer life cycle of eight to ten years, initiatives of the government to adopt solid state technology, provision of a feel of natural illumination, and its use in small, limited spaces. However, the production cost of solid state lights with current technology and processes impedes its competitiveness and growth in the display market. Other limiting factors are the fact that they are ineffective for applications that are heat sensitive, and that the initial investment cost of equipment is high.Obtain Report Details @Applications of the solid state lighting display products in residential and commercial illumination provide huge opportunities in the global market. In terms of energy, this emerging technology has the potential to operate at ten times the efficiency levels of traditional incandescent lighting. Traditional lighting is even getting banned in certain regions and countries such as the European Union and the U.S., where the governments are planning to completely phase out the halogen lights. Besides, the launch of LEDs emitting white colored light, and extensive research in au and development in the branch of optoelectronics, have created greater opportunities to the solid state lighting display market, especially across applications of low space in automotive lighting. Though presently it is used majorly in domestic establishments, the market is projected to slowly take off in the near future with declining production costs, growing consumer awareness and increasing adoption of solid state lighting technology in the recent past.The global solid state lighting display market can be segmented on the basis of end user industries, applications, technology and the type of installations. On the basis of end use, the market is segmented into commercial, residential, educational, industrial, consumer electronics, healthcare and transportation. The categories of applications are automotive lighting, backlighting, media lighting, general lighting, and other illuminations. On the basis of application, general lighting has been capturing the largest market share over the years, while the segment expected to exhibit the highest growth rate in the forecast period is automotive lighting. On the basis of technology, the global market can be segmented into light emitting diodes (LED), organic light emitting diodes are (OLED), and polymer light emitting diodes (PLED) The segmentations on the basis of installation type are retrofit and new installation.On the basis of geography, the global solid state lighting display market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. There has been a sharp rising trend of consumer awareness in developed countries such as the U.S., Japan, and countries of the European Union. In developing economies such as India, China, and the Middle East countries, high adoption rates are forecast for the solid state lighting technology.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @The key players in the solid state lighting display market are Royal Philips Electronics N.V., Osram Licht AG, Nichia Corporation, Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd, General Electric Company, Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Fairchild Semiconductor International, Advanced Lighting Technologies Inc, Citizen Electronics Co. Ltd, Cambridge Display Technology Ltd, TCP International Holdings Ltd and Tridonic Gmbh & Co. KG.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:
Red Rice Market Driven by Use of Red Rice in Lowering Cholesterol & Blood Glucose

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Red rice is a rice which has red color due to anthocyanin content in the rice. Red rice is consumed with hulls or partially hulled form having nutty flavour. Red rice have higher nutritional value than the usual polished rice. There are different varieties of red rice such as rakthashali, Thai red cargo rice, Bhutanese red rice, Camargue red rice etc. Red rice is also called as weedy rice as it persists as a weed in fields. Red rice contains iron, carbohydrates, zinc, protein, fat, fiber and potassium. Red rice is a source of anti-oxidant which helps consumer accelerate its wound healing and maintain bodys defense mechanism. Prevention of heart disease and lowering the cholesterol level in body are important factors in growth of red rice market in global market.Obtain Report Details @Market Segmentation: Red riceThe red rice market is segmented on the basis of its application in different industries such as food and beverage industry, cosmetic industry, healthcare industry etc. In food and beverage industry, it is used for wine making and nutritional food for consumption. Red rice is a high source of antioxidant which makes it useful in cosmetic industry in Japan and Korea. In healthcare industry, red rice is used as traditional Chinese medicine for health issues such as increasing blood flow, better food digestion and eliminating blood blockages etc.The red rice is segmented on the basis of type as Rakthashali, Thai Red Cargo rice, Bhutanese red rice, Camargue red rice, Red parboiled rice etc. where Rakthashali is a uncommon rice variety, Thai Red Cargo rice is a gluten-free rice variety, Bhutanese red rice is medium grain rice cultivated in Kingdom of Bhutan, Camargue red rice is cultivated in southern France. Red parboiled rice is used mainly in India and Shri Lanka for making their traditional foods.The red rice is segmented on the basis of nature of rice as organic and conventional. Demand for organic red rice is more as compared to conventional red rice as a result of increasing awareness of consuming organic products. Higher nutritional value than polished rice makes red rice popular in fitness trainers and athletes.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The red rice market is segmented on the basis of regions as North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and ME.Global Red Rice Market: Regional OutlookDepending on geographic regions global Red rice market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and ME. India and Indonesia are the major producers of red rice globally. China and Japan are specialized in red rice yeast products which they use for their traditional medicinal purpose. Japan and Korea are leaders in using red rice in cosmetics as it is a good source of antioxidant.Global Red rice Market: Drivers and TrendsThe red rice have various health benefits which makes it popular in health conscious consumers. Red rice contains more nutrients than white rice and polished rice which makes it popular in athletes and fitness trainers. Use of red rice in lowering cholesterol and blood glucose are couple of health benefit which is driving the global market for red rice. Use of red rice in cosmetics for wrinkle free and rejuvenated skin is one of the key drivers which are increasing demand of red rice in global market. Red rice is used in traditional Chinese medicine which makes it popular in China for medicinal use in turn increasing the demand.Global Red Rice: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified across the value chain of the global Red rice market include Lotus Foods, Urmatt, Ceylon Pure, Radnor Corp Pty Ltd., Herbaria, LLC are amongst.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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Ethylene Capacity and Expenditure Outlook Q1, 2017: US and China New Project Announcements for Propel Ethylene Industry Expansion

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This market report is titled as Global Ethylene Capacity and Expenditure Outlook which presents an in-depth study about the New Project Announcements in US and China to Propel Ethylene Industry Expansion and market shares of key players across various geographical regions. Global Ethylene industry is expected to spend around US$61.76 billion by 2025 for the upcoming projects. Russia, US and China are the top three countries by capital expenditure for projects by 2025.Request Free Sample Report @Global Ethylene capacity will experience considerable growth in the next nine years with an increase from 174.68 MTPA in 2016 to 237.73 MTPA by 2025. Around 100 planned projects are expected to come online primarily in the US and China in the next nine years. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Sibur Holding, and Total S.A. are the top three companies by capacity additions expected to come on-stream over the next nine years.Scope:Report provides information and insight on: Historic and forecast global Ethylene capacity by region Ethylene planned plants details Global Ethylene capacity by feedstock Capacity share of the major Ethylene producers in the world Global Ethylene capital expenditure forecast by regionReasons to buy:The report will clarify: Understand the key trends in the global Ethylene industry Understand the regional Ethylene supply scenario Identify opportunities in the global Ethylene industry with the help of upcoming projects and capital expenditure forecast Understand the current and likely future competitive scenarioBrowse Full Report with TOC @Table of Content:1 Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 31.2 List of Figures 32 Global Ethylene Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook 42.1 Key Highlights 42.2 New Project Announcements 52.3 New Project Cancellations 73 Global Planned Ethylene Projects 184 Appendix 284.1 Definitions 284.1.1 Installed Capacity 284.1.2 Key feedstock 284.2 Abbreviations 284.3 Methodology 284.3.1 Coverage 284.3.2 Secondary Research 284.4 Contact Us 294.5 Disclaimer 29List of Table:Table 1: Total Ethylene Capacity by Region (mtpa) 7Table 2: Active, Planned, and Announced Ethylene Capacity by Region, 2017 8Table 3: Ethylene Capacity Share of Top 10 Companies (%) 9Table 4: Active Ethylene Capacity of Top 10 Countries (mtpa) 10Table 5: Global Ethylene Capacity Share by Feedstock (%) 11Table 6: Total Ethylene Feedstock by Region (mtpa) 12Table 7: Planned Capacity Additions by Region (mtpa) 13Table 8: Planned Capacity Additions by Top 10 Countries (mtpa) 14Table 9: Planned Capacity Additions by Top 10 Companies (mtpa) 15Table 10: Total Capex Spending On Planned Projects by Region (US$ bil) 16Table 11: Total Capex Spending On Planned Projects by Top 10 Countries (US$ bil) 17Table 12: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Feasibility) 18Table 13: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Feasibility) (Contd. 1) 19Table 14: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Feasibility)(Contd. 2) 20Table 15: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Feasibility)(Contd. 3) 21Table 16: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Approval) 21Table 17: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Approval) (Contd. 1) 22Table 18: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Approval) (Contd. 2) 23Table 19: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (FEED) 23Table 20: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Construction) 24Table 21: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Construction) (Contd. 1) 25Table 22: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Construction) (Contd. 2) 26Table 23: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Construction) (Contd. 3) 27Table 24: Global Ethylene Major Planned Plant Details  Development Stage (Commissioning) 27About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:Twitter:LinkedIn:Facebook:
U.S. RFID Tags Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Research Report 2017 - 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "RFID Tags Market - The U.S. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are the electronic tags that functions on the principle of radio waves. RFID tags are primarily used to monitor and track objects using RFID reader. The information recorded by RFID tag can be read by scanning devices through RFID technology. RFID tags market report provides analysis for the period 2015-2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast period and 2016 is the base year. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing influential role in the RFID tags markets growth over the forecast period. The study provides a complete perspective on the U.S RFID tags market in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn and Mn Units). The market overview of the report demonstrates the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of RFID tags market in the U.S. along with the key indicators and trends. The report also provides a market attractive analysis for every segment in order to provide in-depth understanding of the overall scenario of RFID tags market in the U.S.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global RFID Market: SegmentationThe U.S. RFID tags market is segmented on the basis of type, product type and end-use industry. The type segment includes active and passive RFID tags. The basis of differentiation of active and passive RFID tags is power source. Active RFID tags are battery powered, whereas, passive RFID tags do not have an internal power source. On the basis of product type, RFID tags market is segmented into healthcare tags, commercial tags, correctional tags and others. Healthcare tags are used to track medicines, patient management, and medical staff management among others. With increasing requirement for inventory management, commercial tags are expected to view an increase in demand during the forecast period. The tags used to monitor inmates, security control and access management are generally termed as correctional tags. The factors that impact adoption of healthcare tags, commercial tags and correctional tags are identified in the report. On the basis of end-use industry, the RFID tags market is segmented as healthcare, retail, automotive, logistics and transportation, surveillance and security and others (consisting of sports, wildlife, livestock and IT).Global RFID Market: Competitive LandscapeFurthermore, the report analyzes the impact, market trends and opportunities of the U.S. RFID tags market for the forecast period 2017-2025. The report also covers the RFID tags segment trends in the U.S, market opportunities, strategies adopted by market players that are leading to the growth in adoption of RFID tags. Reasons for the growth and adoption of various segments are also included in the report. The RFID tags market report also covers the market share analysis of the key players engaged in RFID tags market of the U.S. The essential information pertaining to segment growth, segment trends are also analyzed in the report. Furthermore, the segment analysis explains the factors which are currently affecting the RFID tags market in the U.S. This report also provides the ecosystem analysis for the RFID tags market which explains the participants of the value chain. The RFID tags market in the U.S. is viewing aggressive competition. In addition to this major mergers, acquisitions and partnerships by market players are highlighted in the U.S. RFID tags market report.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Major business strategies adopted by key players, SWOT analysis, business overview and product offerings have also been identified in the research report. The key highlight of the report, includes revenue and volume of key market players on the basis of active and passive segment in terms of U.S$ Mn and thousand units. The prominent service providers engaged in the U.S. RFID Tags market include AMS AG, Atmel Corporation, Impinj Inc., Alien Technology, Confidex LTD., HID USA Corporation, Invengo Information Technology Co., Ltd., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Omni- ID Ltd. and RF Code Inc.The U.S. RFID Tags market is segmented as below:The U.S. RFID Tags MarketBy Type- Active- PassiveBy Product Type- Healthcare Tags- Commercial Tags- Correctional Tags- OthersBy End-use Industry- Health Care- Retail- Automotive- Logistics and Transportation- Surveillance and Security- Others (sports, wildlife, livestock and IT)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Coconut Water Market In The US Will Grow At A CAGR Of Around 26% By 2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Coconut Water Market in the US 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.This industry research report identifies Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Vita Coco as the key vendors in the coconut water market in the US. A comprehensive analysis of this market is also presented by product type (sweetened coconut water and unsweetened coconut water), by flavour type (flavoured and plain), and by distribution channel (super markets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, specialist retailers, and others).Overview of the coconut water market in the USMarket research analysts at Technavio predict that the coconut water market in the US will grow at a CAGR of around 26% by 2021. The health benefits associated with the consumption of coconut water is identified as one of the primary growth factors for this market. Coconut water has become a perfect alternative to drinks with artificial and high sugar content. It is a natural drink enriched with sodium, potassium, and electrolytes that are essential for a healthy lifestyle. Coconut water is a healthy drink that can replenish body fluids and is also free from artificial flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, additives, and gluten. It has also been observed that coconut water helps in lowering blood pressure, which is one of the primary reasons for driving the demand for packaged coconut water over other drinks in the US. Furthermore, coconut water also helps in weight reduction, improving skin texture, and improves digestion.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @One of the latest trends that will gain traction in the coconut water market in the US is the innovations in coconut water packaging. Innovative packaging based on new shapes, material, and dispensing systems act as the differentiator for various brands. The packaging of any brand is important in attracting interests and curiosity among consumers. Companies are introducing coconut water in tetra packs that keep the products fresh and free from spoilage. ZICO has already launched new clear, larger, and re-sealable PET bottles for its coconut water products in the US. The company has plans to introduce this packaging in Europe and other markets in the coming years.Competitive landscape and key vendorsOwing to the presence of several large and small scale vendors, the coconut water market in the US appears to be highly fragmented. These vendors compete based on price, quality, innovation, reputation, and distribution. Intense competition among players and the rapid technology changes pose as significant risks for vendor operations. Therefore, to survive and succeed in this competitive environment, coconut water companies have the need to differentiate their product and service offerings through clear and unique value propositions.The leading vendors in the market are -Coca-ColaPepsiCoVita CocoThe other prominent vendors in the market are Amy & Brian Naturals, Bai, C20 Pure Coconut Water, C-COCONUT WATER, Chi, Cocojal, Edward & Sons, FROLIC FOODS, H2coco, Harmless Harvest, INVO COCONUT WATER, iTi Tropicals, jax coco, nudie, Pulse Beverage, Pure Brazilian Coconut Water, Purity Organic, Raw C, Taste Nirvana, Temple Lifestyle, Thai Agri Foods, Zolam, and Zumi Natural (Coco Zumi).Segmentation by product type and analysis of the coconut water market in the USSweetened coconut waterUnsweetened coconut waterDuring 2016, the sweetened coconut water segment accounted for the major shares of the coconut water market in the US. The availability of products from the major market players which contain less than 1% of natural fruit sugar is driving the influx of consumers. The increasing trend of formulating reduced-calorie 100% juice blended with coconut water is gaining wide popularity and this in turn will drive the growth of the segment in this market.Segmentation by distribution channels and analysis of the coconut water market in the USSuper markets and hypermarketsConvenience storesSpecialist retailersAccording to this market research report, the supermarkets and hypermarkets accounted for the maximum shares of the coconut water market in the US during 2016. The availability of a wide range of natural foods and beverages and the increased preference of customers to purchase products at supermarkets and hypermarkets, drive the growth of the market in this segment.Key questions answered in the report includeWhat will the market size and the growth rate be in 2021?What are the key factors driving the coconut water market in the US?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the coconut water market in the US?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in the coconut water market in the US?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the coconut water market in the US?Trending factors influencing the market shares of the US.What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the coconut water market in the US?Technavio also offers customization on reports based on specific client requirement.Coconut water, as a drink has an immense health benefit for the human body. It is packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium, which are essential for the smooth functioning of the human body. This upcoming industry research report on the coconut water market in the US is an intrinsic part of the food and beverage industry portfolio and introduces vital insights into the market for non-alcoholic beverages. Technavios insightful market research reports also offer insights on the market size, forecast, trends, and industry analysis to help clients build effective growth strategies.By conducting an extensive research approach of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and assessing the changing demand-supply landscape of the non-alcoholic beverages sector, the upcoming market research report on the coconut water market in the US offers insights into the key market drivers, trends, and eminent challenges that will influence the growth of the key suppliers in this market space. Additionally, to offer clients insights into the competitive landscape for this market, this market report on the coconut water market in the US also covers vendors like Pepsi Co, Coca-cola, VITA CO, Edward and sons, ZICO, Pure Naked, and Coconut One.This market research report on the coconut water market in the US also takes into account the growth of related markets like bottled spring water and ready-to-drink green tea, which are anticipated to post an impressive CAGR of over 7% and close to 5%, respectively during the forecast period. Our market research analysts also believe that the increasing awareness of health and awareness is likely to make an impact on the demand for coconut water in the US.The upcoming industry report on the coconut water market in the US also offers insights into fast-growing segments within the food and beverage industry, including sectors like food, food service, and alcoholic beverages. Additionally, the report also presents insights into the changing competitive landscape and gives clients a realistic picture of the future direction of the industry.Technavio also offers clients the option to customize every report to suit their specific requirements and offers attractive discounts on all upcoming reports and future purchases.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Sterilization Pouches Market to Witness Steady Growth through 2024

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Sterilization pouches are the packaging pouches used to sterilize the medical devices and instruments by steam or Ethylene Oxide (ETO) and free from bacteria and facilitate aseptic presentation of the object. The sterilization pouches are well designed to provide the effective sterilization, safe handling and storage of all medical devices and instruments until the moment they used for respective purposes. The increasing consumption of sterilization pouches as the growing demand from healthcare industry plays a crucial role in the growth over the forecast period. The sterilization pouches are available in various shapes and sizes and styles such as heat-sealing and self-sealing styles to meet the needs of healthcare and other industries.Browse Market Research Report @The global sterilization pouches market has expected to grow at a significant CAGR as demand of the one of the major ultimate end use market (healthcare industry) is anticipated to grow over the forecast period. The sterilization pouches provides the outstanding resistance to microbial penetration over the conventional medical grade papers which boost the demand of the sterilization pouches. The demand of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sterilization pouches is rising as they are extremely stable when exposed to sterilant gases and high energy sterilization processes, which drives the global sterilization pouches market. The superior tear strength as well as puncture resistance quality is also supporting the global sterilization pouches market in higher penetration.However, the price of the sterilization pouches is comparatively high as compared to conventional medical grade papers, which may hamper the demand of the sterilization pouches as well as the growth of the global sterilization pouches over the forecast period.The global sterilization pouches market is segmented on the basis of the product type, by sterilization method, by usability, by application and geographical region.Based on the product type, the global sterilization pouches market is segmented into:Self - sealing sterilization pouchesHeat - sealing sterilization pouchesPaper and Tyvek sterilization pouchesMultiple inner pouchesFor more information on this report, fill the form @Based on the sterilization method, the global sterilization pouches market is segmented into:SteamEthylene oxide sterilization (ETO)Based on the usability type, the global sterilization pouches market is segmented into:DisposableReusableBased on the application, the global sterilization pouches market is segmented into:AgricultureFood and beveragesHealthcareVeterinaryFMCGIn terms of geography, the global sterilization pouches market has been divided into five key regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global sterilization pouches market has expected to register moderate growth over the forecast period. North America has contributed the major share to the global sterilization pouches market due to the rapidly growing demand from sectors such as healthcare, food and beverages chemicals as they need more sterilized instruments. Europe and Asia Pacific regions are also growing at a decent growth and expected to register the significance CAGR over the forecast period due to increasing awareness about sterilization and CGMP processes. MEA is at a nascent stage and expected to register a healthy growth over the forecast period.Some of the key players of the global sterilization pouches market are Cardinal Health, Steris Corporation, Getinge Group, Johnson & Johnson, 3M Company, Synergy Health, Ampac Holdings, Certol International, Crosstex and Derma Sciences. Various global companies are contributing significant growth to the global sterilization pouches market. The key players from North America and Europe has contributed a major share to the sterilization pouches market in terms of value and volume.Over all the global sterilization pouches market has expected to register a significant growth over the forecast period.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dr. Bernard Boene, Chancellor of Geneva Graduate School of Governance in New Delhi to Embark on Partnership with Global Risk Management Institute Expertise in Comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management

Dr. Bernard Boene, Chancellor, Geneva Graduate School of Governance

www.grm.institute

Dr. Bernard Boene, Chancellor of Geneva Graduate School of Governance in New Delhi to Embark on Partnership with Global Risk Management InstituteExpertise in Comprehensive Enterprise Risk ManagementThe Chancellor of Geneva Graduate School of Governance, Dr. Bernard Boene arrives in Delhi to sign MOU with the Global Risk Management Institute on June 14th.Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI) is the only comprehensive risk management institute in India, going beyond the conventional financial and insurance sectors in its future driven curriculum across multiple industry verticals. The GRMI team comprises of Mr. Subodh Bhargava, Chairman of the Strategy Board; Mr. Chetan Mathur, Director; Mr. Subhashis Nath, Mentor, among other pioneers and risk managers.With GRMI entering into a long-term Strategic Alliance with The Geneva Graduate School of Governance, the first batch of PGDRM will commence on 3rd of July 2017. Woven into the Curriculum, case studies have been developed in association with Global CXOs from Fortune 500 Companies across the globe and large business houses in India that will help the students to add practical knowledge and experience along with academic excellence. GRMI also offers Risk Management Development Programmes (RMDP) meant for working professionals who would benefit themselves and their organizations by honing their skills in areas of risk in the larger context.According to Prof. Bernard Boene, Chancellor, The Geneva Graduate School of Governance (GGSG), The Geneva Graduate School of Governance could not dream of a better match than GRMI in terms of institutional and goal oriented partnerships. Both schools share the same vision about the future of risk management. Our classes will cover business and economic risks as well as physical (natural, industrial, public health and security) hazards.Welcoming Dr. Boene, Mr. Chetan Mathur, Director, GRMI says, We warmly welcome Dr. Boene, one of the worlds foremost leaders in comprehensive risk management. Our combined initiative to address this sunshine segment will add unprecedented value to the industry and economy. GRMI will provide future business leaders beyond the Indian context at the very highest levels. With formal training we expect bright Indians to become future world leaders in this space of rapidly growing demand. Mr. Mathur is former Senior Director, Controller India Region of PepsiCo with extensive practical experience in all aspects of risk management.For Further information please contact PR Grid:Ajay Garkal/Jitendra Parmar/Richa Katiyar/Monika Sehgal911141431044, 41431455, 9810632344, 9818410072Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI) is the only comprehensive risk management institute in India, going beyond the conventional financial and insurance sectors in its future driven curriculum across multiple industry verticals.Jitendra ParmarPR GridW-127, Greater Kailash-1New Delhi 110048
Medical Device Labeling Market Growth Expected to Dominate Worldwide by 2024

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Labeling is defined as the particular information associated with a device targeted to the end user or patient or lay caregiver. Medical device labeling helps patients or end users in understanding the device, its operation, care and maintenance. The medical device labeling also provides information about the way device interacts with the body to accomplish its purpose, its place and patient care and treatment program. Medical device labelling gives the adequate directions for operating the devices which are needed for safe and effective use. Basically, the medical device labeling is driven by the rules and regulations specified by the regulatory authority U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA has specified the sections based on the usage and applications of the devices.Browse Market Research Report @The global medical device labeling market has expected to register the significant growth over the forecast period due to the increasing demand of end use market of medical devices which drives the global medical device labeling market. The increasing awareness about the need of information regarding device, its safety and effective usage also drives the growth of the global medical device labeling market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the global regulatory body has specified some mandatory guidelines and regulations for the medical device labeling which also drives the global medical device labeling market.However, as per the FDA guideline and regulations, maintaining the standardized format of labeling throughout the medical device industry has become difficult which could restrain the growth of the global medical device labeling market.The global medical device labeling market is segmented on the basis of the code of federal regulations, type of medical devices, label position, packaging practices and geographical region.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Based on the type of medical devices, the global medical device labeling market is segmented into:Class I general controlsWith exemptionsWithout exemptionsClass II general controls and special controlsWith exemptionsWithout exemptionsClass II general controls and premarket approvalBased on the code of federal regulations, the global medical device labeling market is segmented into:General Device Labeling - 21 CFR Part 801In Vitro Diagnostic Products - 21 CFR Part 809Investigational Device Exemptions - 21 CFR Part 812Unique Device Identification - 21CFR Part 830Good Manufacturing Practices - 21 CFR Part 820General Electronic Products - 21 CFR Part 1010Based on the packaging practices, the global medical device labeling market is segmented into:On deviceOn packingLeaflet in the packingBased on the label position, the global medical device labeling market is segmented into:Primary level of packagingSecondary level of packagingIn terms of geography, the global medical device labeling market has been divided into five key regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global medical device labeling market has expected to register a significant growth rate over the forecast period. North America has contributed the major share to the global medical device labeling market as the demand of ultimate end use medical device market is anticipated to grow across the forecast period. Europe is also growing at a decent growth and expected to register the significance CAGR over the forecast period due to the strict government regulations about medical device labeling. APAC is expected to register the healthy growth rate due to increasing healthcare facilities and increasing demand of medical devices. Latin America and MEA are at a nascent stage and anticipated to register the moderate growth rate over the forecast period in the global medical devices labeling marketSome of the key players of the global medical devices labeling market are SGS SA, Loftware Inc., UBM Canon, Quality Tech Services, Inc., Weber Packaging Solutions, Inc., Seagull Scientific, Inc., Master Control, Inc., Euro Plus, Registrar Corp and Pharmaceutic Litho & Label Company. Various global companies are contributing descent growth to the global medical device labeling market. The key players from North America are contributing major share to the global medical devices labeling in terms of value and volume.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Polyamide-6 Market with Current Trends Analysis, 2016-2026

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Polyamide -6 (PA6) is a semi-crystalline polyamide commonly known as Nylon-6. Polyamide-6 is generally produced by polymerization of caprolacta. The strength, durability and elasticity which it offers is widely appreciated in industries. Properties such as ability to withstand high pressure, temperature and various chemical makes it a highly valued material. These physical and chemical properties makes Polyamide-6 suitable for various application sectors. Of all the Polyamides types produced, Polyamide-6 accounts for approximately more than 60% of worldwide production in terms of volume. The global capacity of Polyamide-6 in 2013 is anticipated to be approximately 6.6 million metric tons.Polyamide -6 Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major drivers for the global polyamide-6 market is its usage is its wide application sectors such as automotive, electronics & electrical, engineering plastics, packaging, wires & cables, textiles, and films & coating and others. Therefore, increasing demand for the above application sectors is expected to have a positive impact on the market in the coming years. The numerous niche applications for PA6 such as its usage in healthcare & music instruments is expected to positively affect the demand for polyamide 6 (PA6) in the coming years.Request For Report Sample@Though the polyamide-6 (PA6) is regarded as one of the ideal materials for its physical and chemical properties yet some properties such as high shrinkage in molded sections, reaction with strong acids and bases may hamper the selection of PA6. Over specification, such as in automotive industry regarding the safety reasons may drift towards alternative products such as reinforced polypropylene, thereby restraining the growth of PA6. The insufficient flame retardance and significant flammable dripping might affect the use of PA6.Polyamide -6 Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global polyamide-6 market is segmented into:Polyamide-6 (PA6) FiberPolyamide-6 (PA6) ResinOn the basis of application, global Polyamide -6 Market is segmented into:TransportationElectrical and ElectronicsTextileIndustrial ApplicationOthers (includes music, healthcare, coating sector)Polyamide -6 Market: Region Wise OutlookThe consumption of Polyamide-6 is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period, globally. Asia Pacific especially China, Japan, Taiwan and India are the major consumers of polyamide-6 since this region offers significant opportunities for Polyamide-6 in various application sectors such as transportation, electrical & electronics, textiles and others. It is estimated that by the end of 2015, China and Taiwan would account for approximately half of the worlds polyamide-6 production in terms of volume. Demand for polyamide-6 in regions such as North America and Latin America is forecasted to grow at a stagnant CAGR.Request For TOC@Polyamide -6 Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global polyamide-6 (PA6) market are BASF SE, Honeywell International Inc., DuPont, Royal DSM N.V., UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD., Invista, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals and others.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Impact of Existing and Emerging Combined Heat And Power CHP Systems Market Trends And Forecast 2016-2026

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Cogeneration (also known as combined heat and power systems (CHP)) is a cluster of technologies primarily used for the concurrent generation of electricity and useful heat. This combined generation of heat and electricity is much more effective than separate generation of electricity and useful heat in a way that CHP systems offers improved energy efficiency, reduced managing cost, low CO2 emission and others. Growing data center capacity as business operate more processes, handle complex analytics with increasing storage requirements for customer data and employing rich media. Handling of such large data requires continuous supply of reliable power making cogeneration systems of primary importance. Efficiency level for cogeneration systems can reach up to 80 % against separate generation of heat and electricity which provides combined efficiency of 40-50 %. CHP systems for data centers are gaining traction in the market as using such plants as source of data center power leads to energy efficient and substantial cost reduction benefits. However, another technology commercially available for powering data centers includes fuel cells. Although CHP systems are less efficient than fuel cells but requires lesser fuel to generate the same amount of power and has a win when its ability to supply chilled water is factored. Some of the major benefits offered utilizing CHP systems for data centers are limited reliance over external power supply, increased energy efficiency, low site carbon emission and others.Request For Report Sample@Global CHP System market for Data Centre: MarketDynamicsRegions with high electricity cost are readily adopting CHP systems primarily to save on their energy cost to provide base load power and using such systems to provide absorption cooling for the facility. Moreover, government initiatives to install CHP systems in data center facilities due to low CO2 emissions is also expected to increase its adoption rate thereby increasing the adoption of CHP system in data centers.Low economic life of data center IT equipment results in consumer reluctance towards adoption of CHP systems for data centers since these systems have equipment life of around 10-15 years in comparison to economic life of IT equipment which is only 2-3 years.Global CHP System market for Data Centre: SegmentationThe global CHP system market for data center can be segmented on the basis of data center types, facility size, installation type and region. By Data center types the market can be segmented into Telecoms, ISPs (internet Service Provider), CoLos (Co-located server hosting facilities), server farms, corporate data centers, university/ national laboratory and others. Based on facility the market can be segmented into less than 200 sq.ft, 200-700 sq.ft, 700-1,200 sq.ft, 1,200-6,000 sq.ft and more than 6,000 sq.ft. Based on installation type global cogeneration systems market for data center can be segmented into newly installed systems and retrofit systems. By region global CHP system market for data centers can be segmented into seven key regions namely North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East and Africa and Japan.Request For TOC@Global CHP System market for Data Centre: Key PlayersSome of the major players identified across CHP system market for data center includes ENER-G, Korea Electric Power Corporation, National Grid plc, Exelon Corporation, NextEra Energy, Inc., Chubu Electric Power Company, American Electric Power Company, Inc. and others.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Beta Carotene Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025

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Carotene is a pigment found primarily in plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. It may also be found in non-photosynthetic bacteria and molds. There are different types of carotenes which includes lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and others. Beta carotene is a fat-soluble pigment found in various plants, grains, fruits and vegetables. It is present in the form of red, orange and yellow pigment. After consumption, the human body converts beta carotene into vitamin A which enables various immune functions to work properly and also helps to maintain healthy skin, thus driving the demand of betas carotenes in food and beverages products across the globe.Beta Carotene Market SegmentationOn the basis of type beta carotene is segmented as water soluble and oil soluble beta carotenes. Among both the segment water soluble beta carotene is expected to account for the major share due to its high implication. Moreover, water soluble beta carotene are further sub segmented as powder beta carotene and liquid beta carotene. Also, oil soluble beta carotene is sub segmented as powder beta carotene and liquid beta carotenes. Among thesub segments of oil soluble beta carotenes, powder beta carotene is expected to account for the major market share during the forecast period.Request For Report Sample@On the basis of application beta carotene is segmented as food and beverages, supplements, cosmetics, and feed. Among all these segments food and beverages is expected to account for the major market share as compared to others in the near future. Beta carotene are majorly used in providing color in the food and beverages which is expected to drive the demand for beta carotene in these products. Moreover, cosmetics segment in beta carotene market is expected show a substantial growth during the forecast period. The food and beverages segment is further sub segmented as bakery and confectionery, dairy products, soft drinks/juices, processed food and others (infant food). Among all these sub segments bakery and confectionery is expected to contribute major share in beta carotene market in terms of revenue followed by processed food. Moreover, cosmetics segmented is further sub segmented as hair cosmetics, skin cosmetics, nail cosmetics, eye cosmetics and toiletries.On the basis of source beta carotene market is segmented as carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin and others (spinach and plums). Among all these sources carrots is expected to account for major share of beta carotene market. However sweet potato is expected to show a healthy growth during the forecast period..Globally, North America is expected to contribute the major share of beta carotene market followed by Europe. In North America, the United States is expected to occupy the major share on the pie in beta carotene market followed by Canada. Increasing health consciousness among the consumers is expected to drive the growth of beta carotene across the region. In Europe, Germany and France is expected to account for the major share in beta carotene market during the forecast period. Whereas, Asia pacific is concerned it is expected to register a healthy growth by 2020. In Asia pacific region China and Japan is expected to be the major contributor in beta carotene market. Increased use of cosmetics products in these region is predicted to support the growth of beta carotene market in the region.Beta Carotene Market DriversBeta carotene possess many features such as it lowers the risk of lung cancer, heart diseases, and skin problems. Moreover it also helps in controlling age related eye disorders and enables proper functioning of immune system. Thus, awareness among the consumers for the benefits of beta carotene is fueling its growth across the globe. Moreover increased usage of beta carotene in food and beverages industry to provide color to their final product is also fueling its growth during the forecast period.Visit For TOC@Beta Carotene Market Key PlayersSome of the major players operating in beta carotene market include BASF SE, Kemin Industries Inc., Algatechnologies Ltd., Chr. Hansen A/S, Phytone Limited, Cyanotech Corporation, Royal DSM N.V., LycoRed Ltd., Overseal Natural Ingredients Ltd., Pharmline Inc., Sensient Technologies Corporation, Mera Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Valensa International LLC among others.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:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
EmpoweringCPO announces new offering to help its client achieve green procurement goals

www.empoweringcpo.com

Ahmedabad, India - USA and India based Sourcing and Procurement Advisory firm EmpoweringCPO announced its new offering to help procurement organizations achieve green procurement goals. One of the case studies published was about suggesting companies to switch printing methods. The company has been serving its clients since 6 years now with its diverse portfolio of services. All their services are aimed at enabling enterprises deliver best in class performance for key business outcomes such as reduced TCO and higher savings. These services include Spend Analysis, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Diversity, Sustainable Procurement, Procurement Intelligence and Procurement Analytics. After successfully delivering projects for these assignments, the company has now developed its delivery model for Sustainable Procurement to help achieve green procurement goals.According to the company today organizations have to focus on Sustainable Procurement, to reduce the impact of global warming and carbon footprints. They have to understand their current working scenario and with little efforts and small changes achieve sustainability savings, by reducing non-renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Bringing a minor change even in the printing methods helps organizations in achieving their CSR goals.The case study published by the company talks about the 2 printing techniques which are highly prevalent in the market: Gravure and Flexographic Printing. According to the company, switching from Gravure to Flexographic printing would reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. This is because gravure printing uses solvent manufacturing process, which uses more electricity and energy, while flexographic uses thermal manufacturing process, which reduces overall use of energy and reduces carbon emissions.EmpoweringCPO provides end to end Source to pay services to enable enterprises deliver best in class performance for key business outcomes such as reduced TCO and higher savings. Procurement Intelligence and Analytics are their key offerings to help clients successfully execute assignments like Spend Analysis, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Diversity and Sustainable Procurement.They are a team of experienced sourcing professionals. They are easy to work with, focus on outstanding client service, and work hard to ensure that the results are achieved. They have been serving Fortune 500 companies with global operations for more than 6 years now since their inception in 2011. Their value proposition centers on empowering clients procurement team to achieve their core business, sourcing and procurement objectives. Their fundamental strategy is to be a seamless extension of their clients procurement team.Media RelationsEmpoweringCPO Service Private LimitedA 1002, Gala Aria, Gala Gymkhana RoadSouth Bopal, Ahmedabad 380058 (India)Phone: +1-336-441-0020 (USA) / +91-9879564584 (India)sales@empoweringcpo.com
Global Washellong Machellone Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021

Washellong Machellone Market

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-washellong-machellone-market-research-report-2017-134027

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The report, titled Global Washellong Machellone Market 2017 is a methodical research study based on the Washellong Machellone market, analyzing the competitive framework of the industry in the world. Using efficient analytical tools such as SWOT analysis and Porters five forces analysis, the report provides a comprehensive assessment of the Washellong Machellone market.The report estimates the market size in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$) produced, whereas, the key segments and the geographical subdivision of the Washellong Machellone market are also analyzed in detail. The market drivers, limitations, and growth prospects of each segment are discussed in this report and, based on that, analysts have determined the future of the market for Washellong Machellone in the global arena.Get full report with TOC @The report covers each aspect of the market for Washellong Machellone in globally, starting from the basic information about the market and advancing to the various criteria on the basis of which the market is classified. The major applications of the Washellong Machellone market are also discussed in the report.The report studies the Washellong Machellone market by evaluating the market chain, prevalent policies, and regulations as well as the manufacturers, their manufacturing chain, cost structures, and contribution in the industry. The regional markets for the global Washellong Machellone market are examined by analyzing the pricing of products in the region compared to the profit generated. The production capacity, demand and supply, logistics, and the historical performance of the market in the given region is also evaluated in this market report.Get Free sample report @The report is arranged to provide an overview of the Washellong Machellone market by product, company and geography. Forecasts are broken down by geographic region or by country. The worldwide market is analyzed and data provided for each disease sub-segment.The report determines the leading players in the global market. The company profiles of the major participants operating in the global Washellong Machellone market have been reviewed in this study.Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact UsJoel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales@marketresearchstore.com
Agrochemicals Market in South Korea

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/south-korea-agrochemicals-market-intelligence-2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=36301

ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title South Korea: Agrochemicals: Market Intelligence (2016-2021) to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The report South Korea: Agrochemicals: Market Intelligence (2016-2021) provides market intelligence on the different market segments, based on type, active ingredient, formulation, crop, and pest. Market size and forecast (2016-2021) has been provided in terms of both, value (000 USD) and volume (000 KG) in the report. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the agrochemical and future market opportunities have also been discussed.This report is a part of series of more than 900 agrochemicals market intelligence reports from Sprout Intelligence. This agrochemicals market intelligence report series, in total, covers more than 1,500 pests, 60 formulations, 150 crops, and 60 countries.Detailed description and table of contents of this report is available here:Key Findings from the Report:- Mancozeb, Pyraclostrobin, Tebuconazole, Azoxystrobin, and Fluazinam are leading fungicide active ingredients in the South Korea agrochemicals market.- Paraquat, Glyphosate, Butachlor, Glufosinate-ammonium, and Alachlor are leading herbicide active ingredients in the South Korea agrochemicals market.- Imidacloprid, Chlorantraniliprole, Emamectin, Etofenprox, and Carbofuran are leading insecticide active ingredients in the South Korea agrochemicals market.- Wettable Powder, Granules, Suspension Concentrate, Emulsifiable Concentrate, and Water Dispersible Granules are leading formulation in the South Korea agrochemicals market.- Barley, Citrus, Corn, Cruciferae, and Cucurbits are leading crops for agrochemicals market in South Korea.- Cnaphalocrocis & Pyricularia, Botryosphaeria & Glomerella, Aphis, Aphids & Myzus, and Spodoptera are leading pests for agrochemicals in South Korea.- Sprout Intelligence expert team estimated that the South Korea agrochemicals market in 2016 was worth more than USD 1.1 billion.To Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Trademark law  Pear too strong a reminder of an apple

https://www.grprainer.com/en/legal-advice/intellectual-property-law-and-trademark-law/trademark-law.html

www.grprainer.com/en/

www.grprainer.com/en

One cannot compare apples and pears, at least not according to the equivalent German expression for comparing apples and oranges. However, as demonstrated by a decision of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), things may look rather different in the field of trademark law.Trademarks are of great importance to businesses. They create brand recognition among consumers and help to distinguish a companys products and services from those of competitors. However, it is not possible to have every sign or symbol registered and protected as a trademark. GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte notes that in order for a sign or symbol to be capable of being registered as a trademark, it needs to be sufficiently distinctive such that it can be clearly distinguished from the products of other providers. On the other hand, the sign or symbol cannot infringe any existing trademark rights. That is why it needs to be carefully assessed whether the necessary conditions are met before registering a sign or symbol.The fact that the devil is often in the detail here is clear from a recent decision of the EUIPO. It is generally safe to assume that apples and pears are sufficiently distinguishable from each other such that there is no risk of one being mistaken for the other. Notwithstanding this, the EUIPO, the body responsible for registering European Union trademarks, took a different view in the context of a dispute between two IT firms. The company bringing the action has featured an apple in its logo for many years, whereas the other company wished to register a pear as its logo. The EUIPO rejected the application for registration.In justifying its decision it noted that while these were two different fruits, their silhouettes bore a significant resemblance to each other in terms of their smooth, sleek and round design. The figurative aspects of the pear were said to be strongly reminiscent of the logo featuring the apple. The EUIPO went on to say that a remote visual and design-related similarity between the logos was itself sufficient to justify rejecting the application to register as a trademark. It further argued that the pear would give rise to an association with the more well-known apple logo in the minds of consumers and thus allow the relevant company to unfairly profit from the latters popularity and success.Lawyers who are experienced in the field of trademark law can advise on registering trademarks as well as in the event that trademarks rights become infringed.GRP Rainer LLPis an international firm of lawyers and tax advisors who are specialists in commercial law. The firm counsels commercial and industrial companies and corporations, as well as associations, small- and mid-sized businesses, self-employed freelancers and private individuals worldwide from offices Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London UK.Contact Michael RainerLawyer, Managing PartnerGRP Rainer LLPGurzenich-QuartierAugustinerstrae 1050667 CologneGermanyPhone: +49 221-27 22 75-0info@grprainer.com
AV Receiver Market Analysis- Size, Share, Growth, Industry Demand, Forecast, Application Analysis To 2022

AV Receiver Market

http://www.globalinforeports.com/request-sample/245373

http://www.globalinforeports.com/report/global-av-receiver-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022

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This report studies the AV Receiver Market, An audio/video receiver (AV Receiver or AVR) is a consumer electronics unit used in a home theater. Its primary purpose is to receive audio and video signals from a number of sources and process them to drive loudspeakers and a display.Get a Sample of AV Receiver Market research report from Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the AV Receiver in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:Sony, Yamaha, Onkyo (Pioneer), D+M Group(Sound United), LG Electronics, Harman Kardon, Inkel Corporation, NAD, Rotel, Anthem AV Solutions Limited, Pyle, Cambridge Audio, ArcamMarket 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)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Browse full Report with table of contents and data tables For AV Receiver Market Report @Market Segment by Type, covers:5.1 &5.2 Sound Channels, 7.1 &7.2 Sound Channels, 9.2 Sound Channels, OthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Application 1, Application 2There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global AV Receiver Market.Chapter 1, to describe AV Receiver Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of AV Receiver, with sales, revenue, and price of AV Receiver, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of AV Receiver, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, AV Receiver market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe AV Receiver sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceCheck for Discount @Some points from TOC:-1 Market Overview1.1 AV Receiver Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 5.1 &5.2 Sound Channels1.2.2 7.1 &7.2 Sound Channels1.2.3 9.2 Sound Channels1.2.4 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)ContinuedFor more help Speak to our Experts @No. of Report Pages: 116Price of Report (Single User Licence): $3480GIR Market Research 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. GIR Market Research 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 worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Professional Survey Report 2017 - Roche, Novartis, Celgene, Amgen

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The report offers a breakdown and evaluation of different factors influencing the global Cancer Treatment Drugs market such as drivers, restraints, trends, opportunities, and challenges. These factors are analyzed in detail and illustrated in the report with the help of tables and graphs. In addition, information regarding latest developments at regional level as well as global level has also been included in this report. Up-to-date information on various specifications, buyer analysis, their purchasing volume, price analysis, and deep insights on the leading suppliers have also been provided in this study for the readers.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The study provides a comprehensive view of the global Cancer Treatment Drugs market by segmenting it on the basis of its application, geography, and end-users. In this report each segment of the market has been studied thoroughly in order to offer a clear understanding of the market to the readers. This information has been gathered and collated with the help of various research methodologies and assumptions. This study benchmarks end-users based on their market share, new strategies adopted by them, and general position in the global Cancer Treatment Drugs market. Furthermore, it provides existing and projected market size in terms of both size and volume.The research report also profiles leading players present in the global Cancer Treatment Drugs market including information such as company profile, business strategies, market share, and recent developments have been covered in the report. The study sheds light on the prevailing competition among the leading players along with their current position in the global market. This information will help new entrants as well as established market players to design their strategies and expand their market share.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.1 Definition and Specifications of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.1.1 Definition of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.1.2 Specifications of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.2 Classification of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.2.1 Chemotherapy1.2.2 Targeted Therapy1.2.3 Immunotherapy1.2.4 Hormonal Therapy (Biologic Therapy)1.2.5 Others1.3 Applications of Cancer Treatment Drugs1.3.1 Blood Cancer1.3.2 Breast Cancer1.3.3 Gastrointestinal Cancer1.3.4 Prostate Cancer1.3.5 Respiratory/Lung Cancer1.3.6 Other Cancers1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cancer Treatment Drugs2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cancer Treatment Drugs2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Cancer Treatment Drugs2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Cancer Treatment Drugs3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Cancer Treatment Drugs3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Cancer Treatment Drugs Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share Analysis5.2 China Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.2.1 China Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share Analysis5.6 India Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Analysis5.6.1 India Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Cancer Treatment Drugs Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Cancer Treatment Drugs Market Share AnalysisAbout UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Agrochemicals Market in Portugal

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/north-america-agrochemicals-market-intelligence-2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=36295

ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Portugal: Agrochemicals: Market Intelligence (2016-2021) to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The report Portugal: Agrochemicals: Market Intelligence (2016-2021) provides market intelligence on the different market segments, based on type, active ingredient, formulation, crop, and pest. Market size and forecast (2016-2021) has been provided in terms of both, value (000 USD) and volume (000 KG) in the report. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the agrochemical and future market opportunities have also been discussed.This report is a part of series of more than 900 agrochemicals market intelligence reports from Sprout Intelligence. This agrochemicals market intelligence report series, in total, covers more than 1,500 pests, 60 formulations, 150 crops, and 60 countries.Detailed description and table of contents of this report is available here:Key Findings from the Report:- Cymoxanil, Sulphur, Folpet, Mancozeb, and Propineb are leading fungicide active ingredients in the Portugal agrochemicals market.- Glyphosate, Nicosulfuron, Metribuzin, Glufosinate-ammonium, and Molinate are leading herbicide active ingredients in the Portugal agrochemicals market.- Imidacloprid, Deltamethrin, Chlorpyrifos-e, Azadirachtin, and Spinosad are leading insecticide active ingredients in the Portugal agrochemicals market.- Wettable Powder, Aqueous Solution, Emulsifiable Concentrate, Suspension Concentrate, and Water Dispersible Granules for seed treatment are leading Formulations for agrochemicals in Portugal.- Citrus, Corn, Grapes, Olives, and Pome Fruit are leading crops for agrochemicals in Portugal.- Plasmopara, Uncinula, Phytophthora, Botrytis, and Pythium are leading pests for agrochemicals in Portugal.- Sprout Intelligence expert team estimated that the Portugal agrochemicals market in 2016 was worth more than 200 million.To Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Global Herbal Supplements Market Research Report 2017 - Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.), Glanbia plc (Ireland), Herbalife International of America, Inc. (U.S.)

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http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-herbal-supplements-market-research-report-2017.htm

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Herbal Supplements Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Herbal Supplements market is primarily analyzed with the aid of primary and secondary research tools in this research report. A general introduction to the global Herbal Supplements market is provided at the beginning, followed by an evaluation of the factors propelling the demand for Herbal Supplements across the globe. Emphasis is also laid on the deterring forces of the market as well as the key opportunities that are likely to crop up, aiding the market recover from the negative impact of these deterrents.The different end user segments, product segments, and regional segments of the global Herbal Supplements market have been discussed in depth, wherein their respective past, present, and projected revenues have been estimated. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) at which they are expected to expand, is also given.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @By region, the global Herbal Supplements market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The prominent catalysts responsible for the expansion of each of these regional segments have also been discussed. The report also reveals the extent to which each geographical segment is expected to grow, and whether it is a matured or nascent market.The competitive scenario of the global Herbal Supplements market has been assessed thoroughly. The key product launches, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and collaborations between the market participants are studied, alongside a SWOT analysis of the key players. Not only are the key strengths and weaknesses of these market players discussed, but also their market shares and product offerings are talked about. The report is complete with recommendations to market vendors, aiding them to stay ahead of the curve.Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @Table of ContentsGlobal Herbal Supplements Market Research Report 20171 Herbal Supplements Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Herbal Supplements1.2 Herbal Supplements Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Herbal Supplements Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Herbal Supplements Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Leaves Sourced1.2.4 Barks Sourced1.2.5 Fruits & Vegetables Sourced1.2.6 Roots Sourced1.3 Global Herbal Supplements Segment by Application1.3.1 Herbal Supplements Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Pharmaceuticals1.3.3 Food & Beverage1.3.4 Personal Care1.4 Global Herbal Supplements Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Herbal Supplements 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 Herbal Supplements (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Herbal Supplements Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Herbal Supplements Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Herbal Supplements Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Herbal Supplements Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Herbal Supplements Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Herbal Supplements Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Herbal Supplements Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Herbal Supplements Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Herbal Supplements Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Herbal Supplements Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Herbal Supplements Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Herbal Supplements Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Herbal Supplements Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Herbal Supplements Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Herbal Supplements Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Herbal Supplements Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Herbal Supplements Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Herbal Supplements Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Herbal Supplements Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Herbal Supplements Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Herbal Supplements Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Herbal Supplements Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Herbal Supplements Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesAbout UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Anti Acne Face Wash Market Research Report 2017 - Clinique, Proactiv, Murad

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Anti Acne Face Wash Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report presents an analytical study of the global Anti Acne Face Wash market, evaluating its competitive framework. Using a number of effective assessment tools, such as porters five forces and value chain analysis, it performs in-depth analyses of the production, supply, and demand. The report also provides deep insights into the future prospects of this market in terms of market growth, popular trends, and market share. The study explores all the factors influencing the growth of the factors such as driving forces, restraints, challenges, and prevailing opportunities in the global Anti Acne Face Wash market.Get sample report @Focusing specifically on the key trends, it further evaluates the overall performance of this market during the assessment period. Readers will also benefit significantly from the important information regarding this market, provided in the forms of figures and tables in the research report. This report is a complete guide for new entrants as well as existing market players to understand the global Anti Acne Face Wash market and design their business strategies accordingly. The total market has been examined and assessed to gain knowledge about different parameters and their effect on the global Anti Acne Face Wash market.In addition to this, the information on the latest developments in this market, both, at the global as well as regional level, is expected to enhance the decision-making capability of the reader. Up-to-date information on various specifications, buyer analysis, their purchasing volume, prices, and price analysis, and deep insights on the leading suppliers have also been provided in this study for the readers. Overall, the report focuses on all the factors affecting the flow of the market and future prediction regarding the expansion of the global Anti Acne Face Wash market.For more information on this report, fill the form @Table of ContentsGlobal Anti Acne Face Wash Market Research Report 20171 Anti Acne Face Wash Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Anti Acne Face Wash1.2 Anti Acne Face Wash Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Salicylic Acid Cleanser1.2.4 Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser1.2.5 Others1.3 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Segment by Application1.3.1 Anti Acne Face Wash Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Beauty Salon1.3.3 Home1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash 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 Acne Face Wash (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Anti Acne Face Wash Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Anti Acne Face Wash Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Anti Acne Face Wash Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Anti Acne Face Wash Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Anti Acne Face Wash Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Anti Acne Face Wash Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Automated Suturing Devices Market to be Worth US$ 471 Mn by 2015-End: FMI

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Future Market Insights (FMI), in its latest report titled, Automated Suturing Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 20152025, forecasts the global automated suturing devices market revenue to expand at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period (20152025). Global automated suturing devices market is estimated to account for US$ 471.0 Mn by the end of 2015, mainly driven by rising number of minimally invasive surgical procedures.Use of automated suturing devices in minimal invasive surgeries, open surgical procedures and major trauma cases that require surgery is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Preference for automated suturing devices over conventional suturing devices during laparoscopic surgeries is a key reason for growth. Further, the device is also preferred by procurement teams at hospitals as it labelled under green products, resulting in considerably less impact on the environment as compared to plastic single-use disposable suturing devices.Rise in geriatric population is a macro factor thats driving demand for automated suturing devices.Request For Sample@High cost along with negative perception about certain automated suturing devices due tosome FDA-approved devices facing criticism regarding performance can impede the growth of the market.The report analyses the global automated suturing devices market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and market volume (units) by product type, region, end-user and application. The report also offers information regarding market dynamics, regulatory compliances, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Region-wise, North America is expected to account for maximum volume share in the global market by 2015and this is expected to double over the forecast period. Western Europe is the second-most lucrative market for automated suturing devices companies. The market revenue in this region is projected to witness a healthy CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@Among product types, disposable automated suturing devices segment is expected to dominate the global automated suturing devices market,followed by the reusable automated suturing devices segment. Increasing prevalence of obesity is expected to boost overall demand for disposable automated suturing devices at a comparatively higher pace.On the basis of application, automated suturing devices market is segmented into minimally invasive surgeries, open surgeries and trauma cases. Minimally invasive surgeries segment is expected to dominate the overall automated suturing devices market by the end of forecast period. The segment revenue is projected to register fastest growth rate over the forecast period. Open surgeries is projected to be the second fastest growing segment in terms of revenue. Increasing adoption of automated suturing devices among surgeons is fuelling growth of the minimally invasive surgeries segment.On the basis of end user, global automated suturing devices market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics and ambulatory surgical centers. Hospitals segment is expected to register fastest CAGR in terms of revenue over the forecast period.Key players profiled in FMIs market study include Medtronic Plc., Inc., Apollo Endosurgery, LSI Solutions, Inc., Boston Scientific, C. R. Bard, SuturTek Inc. and EndoEvolution, LLC.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Sealing Gasket Market by Global Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022

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HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 116 pages on title 'Global Sealing Gasket Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies.SummarySealing Gasket is a mechanical seal which fills the space between two or more mating surfaces, generally to prevent leakage from or into the joined objects while under compression.Request a sample report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Sealing Gasket in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversElringKlingerFreudenberg Sealing TechnologiesTrelleborgThe Flexitallic GroupDanaFederal-MogulEnPro IndustriesW. L. Gore and AssociatesParker HannifinUchiyama GroupTeaditSakagami SeisakushoSanwa Packing IndustryHamilton KentCalvo SealingFrenzelitIshikawa GasketLamonsYantai IshikawaGuangheTiansheng CorporationMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversMetallicNon-MetallicMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAutomotiveGeneral EquipmentElectrical EquipmentOthersBuy this report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Sealing Gasket market.Chapter 1, to describe Sealing Gasket Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Sealing Gasket, with sales, revenue, and price of Sealing Gasket, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Sealing Gasket, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Sealing Gasket market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Sealing Gasket sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Sealing Gasket Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Metallic1.2.2 Non-Metallic1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Automotive1.3.2 General Equipment1.3.3 Electrical Equipment1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketre)port.com+1 (206) 317 1218 (US
Global Biosimulation Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 - Simulation Plus, Dassault Systemes, Advanced Chemistry Development, Chemical Computing Group

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Biosimulation Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The research report meticulously studies and forecasts the global market for Biosimulation. The market has been analyzed in terms of both volume and value. The study extensively covers market dynamics, including drivers and restraints at global and regional levels. It also elucidates the opportunities and trends in the global Biosimulation market. It enables a better understanding of the market by segmenting it on the basis of various criteria such as applications, type, and geography. Each segment has been reviewed based on present and future trends.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The report includes a detailed value chain and imports and exports analysis, which offers a comprehensive overview of the global Biosimulation market. Porters five force analysis and market attractiveness analysis have also been performed in the report to help understand the competitive landscape of the global Biosimulation market. The report profiles prominent companies operating in the market. These players are profiled in terms of attributes such as recent developments, business strategies, and cost and revenue structure. A set of recommendations from industrial experts for emerging as well as established players forms an important part of the report.Both primary and secondary research have been taken into consideration in compiling this report on the global Biosimulation market. The report has been compiled by deriving information from a number of paid and unpaid sources, including presentations, white papers, press releases, and journals. The report serves as a professional study including the statistics related to the Biosimulation market at both global and regional levels. These statistics have been presented in graphical form for a clear understanding.Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @Table of ContentGlobal Biosimulation Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Biosimulation1.1 Biosimulation Market Overview1.1.1 Biosimulation Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Biosimulation Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Biosimulation Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 22 Global Biosimulation Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Biosimulation Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Certara3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Simulation Plus3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Dassault Systemes3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Advanced Chemistry Development3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Chemical Computing Group3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Entelos3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Genedata Ag3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Schrodinger3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Physiomics3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Rhenovia Pharma3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Biosimulation Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments4 Global Biosimulation Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Biosimulation Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.2 Potential Application of Biosimulation in Future4.3 Top Consumer/End Users of Biosimulation5 United States Biosimulation Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Biosimulation Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Biosimulation Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)6 EU Biosimulation Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Biosimulation Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Biosimulation Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)7 Japan Biosimulation Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Biosimulation Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan Biosimulation Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Paladion Recognized as a Representative Vendor in Gartners 2017 Market Guide for MDR

Rajat Mohanty, CEO at Paladion

Paladiona global cyber defense company that provides managed detection and response services today announced its placement in Gartners Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response as a representative vendor. Gartner identified Paladion as a representative vendor for its advanced threat detection and incident response capabilities using their proprietary security analytics and orchestration platform, which are capabilities profiled in this research.In this research, Gartner recommends IT security buyers: Use MDR services to implement threat detection and incident response capabilities when they don't exist or are immature, or when approaches such as MSS haven't met expectations.This comprehensive Market Guide for MDR is developed by senior security analysts Toby Bussa, Craig Lawson, Kelly M. Kavanagh, and Sid Deshpande, and is targeted toward IT Security professionals that are looking for real-time threat detection and incident response capabilities to augment their security operations.Paladion is one of the few large MSSPs in the MDR representative vendor list from Gartner that has a fully developed MDR offering in the market.Rajat Mohanty, CEO at Paladion said: We believe our inclusion as a representative vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for MDR services validates why leading enterprises across the globe rely on our services to set up robust cyber defenses. CyberActive MDR brings in a new breed of security talent that is complemented by our advanced machine learning algorithms and security analytics platform to enable faster than ever detection and response to cyber threats.Paladions CyberActive MDR is a fully managed offering that can fix the disparity between the speed of compromise and the speed of detection. Organizations using managed security services or in-house SOCs can augment their security operations using MDR, or they can set up 24/7 security monitoring, advanced threat hunting, remote incident investigation and response in place of traditional SOCs.Since traditional MSSPs do not offer incident remediation and security talent is at a premium, Paladions CyberActive MDR service solves this problem by taking away incident validation and remediation responsibilities from enterprises, and packaging threat detection, validation and response in a single service offering.Disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.About Paladion:Paladion is a global cyber defense company that provides Managed Detection and Response Services, DevOps Security, Cyber Forensics, Incident Response, and more by tightly bundling its semi-autonomous cyber platform and managed services with leading security technologies. Paladion is consistently rated and recognized by analyst firms such as Gartner, Forrester, and IDC, and awarded by CRN, Asian Banker, Red Herring, amongst others.For 17 years, Paladion has been actively managing cyber risk for over 700 customers from its six cyber operations centers placed across the globe. It houses 900+ cyber security professionals including security researchers, threat hunters, ethical hackers, incident responders, solution architects, consultants and more. Paladion is also actively involved in several information security research forums such as OWASP, and has authored several books on security monitoring, application security, and more.628, Business VillageTower B, DeiraDubai, UAE
Global Buckwheat Market 2017 : Homestead Organics, Birkett Mills, Galinta IR Partneriai, Wels Ltd., Krishna India

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A market study based on the "Buckwheat Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Buckwheat Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Buckwheat industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Buckwheat market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportHomestead OrganicsBirkett MillsGalinta IR PartneriaiWels Ltd.Krishna IndiaNingxia Newfield Foods Co. Ltd.Ladoga LLCUA Global Inc.Sichuan Huantai Industrial Co., Ltd.Jinan Jinnuoankang Biotech Co., Ltd.The report studies the industry for Buckwheat across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Buckwheat market & dynamics of demand and supply of Buckwheat into consideration. The 'Buckwheat' research study covers each and every aspect of the Buckwheat market globally, which starts from the definition of the Buckwheat industry and develops towards Buckwheat market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Buckwheat market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Buckwheat market. The geographical segmentation of the Buckwheat industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Buckwheat is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Buckwheat market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Buckwheat market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Buckwheat market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Buckwheat production volume, data regarding demand and Buckwheat 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 Buckwheat across the globe.About Us :Worldwide Business 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 Worldwide Business, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries such as Automotive and Aerospace, Medical Devices, Technology, Machinery & Manufacturing.Contact Us :Worldwide BusinessUnited States
Market Intelligence Report Force Sensors Market 2016-2026

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Force sensors are also known as force transducers that converts an input mechanical force into an electrical output signal. It act as a force sensing resistor in an electric circuit. It has various benefits such as flexibility and ultra-thin sensor construction which leads to minimal interference in normal action of device and precise response. Depending upon the working and sensing method, variety of force sensors are available in the market.Force Sensor Market: Drivers and RestraintThe global force sensor market is expected to witness substantial growth over the period of forecast. Technological advancement, low manufacturing cost, increasing product demand, rise in the demand of industrial robots, advancement of medical devices with force sensing technology, innovations and development in the manufacturing are the few factors encouraging the growth of global force sensor market.On the other hand, factors which are restraining the global force sensor market are instability in the demand across various end-user industry and underdeveloped aftermarket sales channels.Request Report Sample@Force Sensor Market: SegmentationThe global force sensor market can be segmented into type, application and region. On the basis of type, the global force sensor market can be segmented into, optical force sensor, piezoresistive force sensor, capacitive force sensor, magnetic force sensor, ultrasonic force sensor, strain gauges, and electrochemical force sensorsSensors has become an essential part of any measurement and automation applications. Overall global sensor market is witnessing a trend of increasing sensor accuracy, reliability, response time, efficiency, communication capability and robustness encourages the demand for sensors across various applications. On the basis of application, the global force sensor market can be segmented into, medical & pharmaceutical sector, automotive, printing & packaging, consumer electronics, industrial (robotic & manufacturing), and aerospace & defence. Key developments in the prominent industries such as medical & pharmaceuticals, robotics, aerospace & defence, manufacturing and others is expected to encourage the growth of global force sensor market by 2025. Force sensors are used in manufacturing tools, transportation equipment, microelectronic packaging, transportation equipment etc. Force sensors can also be used in wireless inventory management system to improve order scheduling which helps in avoiding inventory stock-out issue.Force Sensor Market: Region wise outlookOn the basis of region, the global force sensor market can be seven regions which include  North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa. North America is dominating the global force sensor market due to high technological advancement and increasing adoption among various end-user applications. However, revenue contribution from Asia Pacific excluding Japan is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period.Request For TOC@Force Sensor Market: Key PlayersKey players in the global force sensor market are FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc., OMRON Corporation, Texas Instruments Incorporated are the top players are global force sensor market. Apart from them, various other players are existing in market such as TE Connectivity Ltd., Tekscan, Inc., ATI Industrial Automation, and Sensata Technologies, Inc. Key players are focusing on development of new technologies and new product launch. Merger and acquisition is another activity observed in the market by the market participants to increase their product portfolio and to grow the business. The growth in global force sensor market is also due to growing awareness about the potential use of force sensors in different electronic devices by the original equipment manufacturers. For example, in August 2015, Apple, Inc. posted a patent report, An Advanced Force Touch Patent for the iPad Surfaces in Europe to develop techniques to integrate the force sensors into the iPhone and iPad.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:Future Market Insights616 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:
Supercomputer Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2022, Business Opportunities & Future Investments

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Supercomputer Market report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market.Worldwide Supercomputer Market 2022, presents critical information and factual data about the Supercomputer Market globally, providing an overall statistical study of the Supercomputer Market on the basis of market drivers, Supercomputer Market limitations, and its future prospects. The prevalent global Supercomputer trends and opportunities are also taken into consideration in Supercomputer Market study.Global Supercomputer Market 2022 report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period for Supercomputer Market, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global Supercomputer Market. The Supercomputer Market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.Request Sample Copy of Report Here:The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential playersTop Key Players Included:IBMFujitsuLenovoNECDellBull AtosCrayHPEFurther in the Supercomputer Market research report, following points are included along with in-depth study of each point:Production Analysis- Production of the Supercomputer is analysed with respect to different regions, types and applications. Here, price analysis of various Supercomputer Market key players is also covered.Sales and Revenue Analysis- Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the global Supercomputer Market. another major aspect, price, which plays important part in the revenue generation is also assessed in this section for the various regions.Supply and Consumption- In continuation with sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the Supercomputer Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supple and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part.Competitors- In this section, various Supercomputer industry leading players are studied with respect to their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, price, cost and revenue.The Supercomputer Market has been segmented as below:By Product Analysis:LinuxUnixOtherBy Regional Analysis:United StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanBy End Users/Applications Analysis:Commercial IndustriesResearch InstitutionsGovernment EntitiesOtherAll aspects of the Smart City Market are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the global as well as regional Smart City Market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition of the Smart City Market, prevalent Smart City Market chain, and the government regulations pertaining to the Smart City Market are also discussed in the report.Price (Single User Licence): $2900No. of pages: 102Purchase Report at:About Absolute Reports:Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing you an ingenious concoction of data parameters.ContactMr. Ameya PingaleyAbsolute Reports+1-408 520 9750Email  sales@absolutereports.com
Ophthalmic Devices Market Predicted to Rake US$ 42,685.1 Mn in 2020

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/ophthalmic-devices-market.asp

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3188

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/ophthalmic-devices-market/toc

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The global ophthalmic devices market is anticipated to grow from an estimated USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 to USD 42,685.1 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Ophthalmic Devices: Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global ophthalmic devices market was valued at USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 42,685.1 million in 2020.Browse Complete Report @Globally, the ophthalmic devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. In addition, growing global aging population, increasing government initiatives towards healthcare infrastructure in developing countries, and increasing incidence of lifestyle-associated diseases are also driving the growth of the market. However, lack of awareness among people about eye disorders, poor primary healthcare infrastructure, and lack of insurance in developing countries hamper growth of the global ophthalmic devices market. In addition, eye diseases in children are also increasing due to the general lack of awareness.Age-related eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, are the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in North America. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 22 million Americans aged 40 and above were affected by cataract and 2.3 million Americans were affected by glaucoma in 2011.A sample of this report is available upon request @In Europe, increasing prevalence of chronic eye diseases among the rising aging population is becoming a challenge for the European healthcare system. In France, the number of age-related macular degeneration cases was 0.3 million in 2000 and it is anticipated to increase by 0.5 million in 2020.Request to view table of content @However, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy are the major causes of blindness in Asia. Cataract can be held responsible for 50% to 80% of all cases of blindness in Southeast Asia. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration is also increasing in Asia due to increase in life expectancy and rising incidence of diabetes among the younger population. As per the Centre for Eye Research Australia, prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among people ranged between 17% and 22% in India and 43.1% in rural China in 2012.Johnson & Johnson, Essilor International, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Novartis AG, HOYA CORPORATION and Abbott Laboratories, Inc. are some of the major players of ophthalmic devices market.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:
EuroPriSe celebrates 10th anniversary and looks forward to acting as an accredited certification body under the GDPR

Logo: EuroPriSe GmbH

https://www.european-privacy-seal.eu

The idea of a European Privacy Seal assumed shape in 2004 when trust and accountability increasingly became factors and data protection their essential conveyor. EuroPriSe was first introduced as an EU-funded project. The EuroPriSe project phase lasted from 2007 until 2009. During that period, a general framework for the European Privacy Seal was established and is essentially valid until today. Three data protection authorities (DPAs) took part in the initial set-up of the certification criteria and procedures, namely the DPAs of Schleswig-Holstein/Germany (ULD), France (CNIL) and the community of Madrid (APDCM).From 2009 until 2013, EuroPriSe was operated by ULD. Today, the European Privacy Seal stands on its own feet, profiting from its advisory board including current and former high-level representatives of several European DPAs. I am very proud to see EuroPriSe at the forefront of data protection certification, having served as a model from the beginning. EuroPriSe clearly shows that trustworthy and accountable certification provides benefits to business and citizens alike, says Kirsten Bock, former lead and initiator of EuroPriSe.Against the background of our traditionally close ties with EU data protection authorities, our long-term experience in the field and the presence of our not less than 100 accredited experts from 18 countries all over the globe, EuroPriSe is well-prepared for the co-regulatory approach of Art. 42 f. GDPR and for making a major contribution to a future European Data Protection Seal, says Sebastian Meissner, Head of the EuroPriSe Certification Authority. We are ready for GDPR and strive towards accreditation as a certification body soon, since the date of the GDPRs applicability approaches rapidly, and companies have already indicated high interest in certification pursuant to Art. 42 f.EuroPriSe is convinced that a truly European approach is of the utmost importance for the success of data protection certification under the GDPR. Without a common EU GDPR baseline certification, there is a high risk of the emergence of a multitude of seals of different quality, particularly on the Member State level. This would jeopardize the intention of the European legislator to particularly encourage certification mechanisms at Union level and is predestined to cause confusion on the part of consumers and organizations alike. It may even have the potential to result in a race to the bottom in terms of cost and quality as well as in forum shopping.Experience already indicates that focusing on technology or sectors like Cloud Services or Banking, Health and Games does not work for privacy certifications. Nowadays, websites rely on cloud services and banking apps and games make use of health data for specific purposes. Categorizing certification schemes is, thus, expected to lower the acceptance of certificates in general.The vast experiences that EuroPriSe gained over the past 10 years offers a bouquet of knowledge in trustworthy certification, which can make an important contribution for the future European Data Protection Seal to ensure the consistent application of the GDPR by all Member States and stakeholders.EuroPriSe calls upon European regulators to bestow consideration to contribute to harmonisation and not to fragmentation when deciding about the parameters of certification under the GDPR.Press contactSebastian MeissnerEuroPriSe GmbHJoseph-Schumpeter-Allee 25, 53227 Bonn, GermanyEmail: contact@european-privacy-seal.euPhone: +49 228 763 679 30About EuroPriSeEuroPriSe started as an EU-funded project aimed at establishing a trans-European privacy seal. Today, EuroPriSe offers certifications for IT products, IT-based services and websites throughout the EU. A unique certification, the EuroPriSe seal assures users that their personal data are handled in accordance with European data protection laws. As the only EU-wide, independent privacy seal, EuroPriSe enables enterprises to demonstrate their compliance with European laws and regulations. EuroPriSe certifications have been awarded to businesses of all sizes, including small and medium-sized companies as well as multinational organizations such as Microsoft, SAP and Siemens.
September Johannesburg Summit on Launching Successful Commercial Indoor Farming in Africa and its Cities

Urban Agri Summit 2017 on September 7-8 in Johannesburg, South Africa

www.magenta-global.com.sg

South Africa will play host to the inaugural Urban Agri Summit 2017 in Johannesburg this September 7-8. The two-day event will bring together stakeholders from the Vertical Farming, Greenhouse and Control Environment Agriculture sectors to discuss Launching Successful Commercial Indoor farming for Africa.Feeding Africas rapidly growing urban population is a daunting challenge for Governments. Africa has the most rapid urbanisation rate in the world, and by 2034 a larger working-age population than China or India. This demographic challenge - together with the devastating effects of climate change and pressures on conventional farming - sets the stage for the growth of urban agriculture and innovation in food production.Various initiatives have already been undertaken by South Africa to spur innovation in its agriculture sector. Together with other Sub-Saharan African cities in Nigeria and Kenya, South African metropolises are joining the footsteps of many global cities to introduce sustainable urban indoor farming. Africa has unique opportunities for vertical farms and Controlled Environment Agriculture. Vertical farming (including its variations) is one of the most innovative approaches that can be tapped as part of an effort to grow fresh, healthy, nutritious and pesticide-free food for consumers.Highlights of the Summit include insightful presentations and engaging panel discussions by international organisations and experts from Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the USA, combined with a technology showcase.Maggie Tan, the CEO of the conference-organizing company, Magenta Global (Singapore), added: We are very excited to be working with various stakeholders The main goal is the exchange of information on the present and future direction of technology enabled food production and picking up what is relevant for your geography and business. Africa has a late-mover advantage in developing an eco-system. She can learn from the successes and failures of others and ultimately leapfrog ahead with advanced technologies and the industry's best practices.This industry event is supported by the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF).Media Contact:Mr Jose CarpioInternational Marketing ManagerDID: +65 6846 2366 / Main: +65 6846 2360Email: jose@magenta-global.com.sgMagenta Global Pte Ltd is a premier independent business media company that provides pragmatic and relevant information to government & business executives and professionals worldwide. The organization provides the opportunity to share thought-provoking insights, exchange ideas on the latest industry trends and technological developments with thought leaders and business peers. With a strong focus in emerging economies especially in Africa, Middle East & Central Asia, Magenta Global works in partnership with both the public and private sectorsMagenta Global Pte Ltd53 Sims Place #01-150Singapore 380053+65 6846 2360Mr Jose Carpiojose@magenta-global.com.sg
PEHPE - THE HELPFUL COMMUNITY  The first community for people with a good heart!

PEHPE the helpful community

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pehpe-people-help-people-the-helpful-community--4#/

https://twitter.com/pehpecommunity

https://www.facebook.com/pehpecommunity

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pehpe-llc

On the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.com, a new crowdfunding campaing has just been launched in order to raise money for the release of the first community for people with a good heart.The PEHPE project (PEHPE is the acronym standing for People Help People) will be the first social network where the celebration of vanity and evanescence will become the celebration of people with a good heart and their willingness to be helpful.As a result from an italian american collaboration born along the route between Udine-Miami, social network PEHPE - the helpful community is based on the desire to create a place where millions of people already volunteering and helping others, on an everyday basis, can meet and share their own experiences and ideas caring about the importance of their achieved goals.Registered users will have the possibility to share humanitarian interests, support some causes, launch fundraising campaigns, ask for and offer some help, plan and promote charity events. A lot of tiny gestures that gathered together will be the beating heart of the helpful community.On PEHPE Community you'll find 7 "help requests" categories, each one specifically designed to increase the opportunity to help someone or be helped.1) FUNDRISINGWe often read about natural disasters affecting whole cities or huge areas of our planet, leaving people in total despair and lack of support. On PEHPE Community youll be able to promote fundraisers whose proceeds will be donated to the cause in question. But not only, it will be also possible to promote collected funds for "small" operations support to the community which you belong. Your child school needs a new copier? Create a fundraising campaign! Your relative needs a delicate surgery and the insurance does not cover everything you need? Create a fundraising campaign! The neighborhood church was damaged after a storm? Created a fundraising campaign!There are very many reasons to promote a fundraiser and to do good, to be able to help, we need just a small donation ... many small things that build great results!2) VOLUNTEERINGVolunteering is an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial gain "to benefit another person, group or organization". Volunteering is also renowned for skill development and is often intended to promote goodness or to improve human quality of life. If you need help for your everyday life routine or for some work that you are not able to do, simply post your detailed request on PEHPE Community, even if is it for a group/community initiative!CAUTION: volunteering on PEHPE Community may have positive benefits for the volunteer as well as for the person or community served!3) MISSING PERSONSAlmost 5,000,000 persons have vanished in the last twenty years, and their relatives havent lost hope to finding them, to get them back home. PEHPE Community offers these people a place to keep hope alive.4) LOST & FOUNDWe are so taken by the frenzy of everyday life that can happen to lose something. Sometimes trivial objects, sometimes things that we hold dear. PEHPE Community comes to aid the users with a section created specifically tohelp in searches of lost things, whether they are a bunch of keys or your cat!5) OFFERINGPHEPE Community gives you the possibility to offer something for free to other people that might need it. School books, pieces of furniture, clothing, home appliances, work tools,... pretty much all the functional and in good condition things that you do not need and otherwise you would put in the junk.6) LOOKING FORIf anyone offers something for free, there will surely be someone else who seek it, no? In this section of PHEPE Community, users can post their requests and wait for a good-hearted people that help them!7) EVENTSIs the nature of your event for charity, fundraising, volunteering, commemorative or similar? Here is a place where it's possible to grow up your visibility, seek for help, manage a timeline and, why not, share a photo or video live streaming! On Pehpe you have only to decide how big your area of interest must be, and thats it!There is even more! PEHPE - The Helpful Community doesn't want to be just a Community where people seek and ask for help, so we decided to implement the project with a smart "SOS" function, a real first aid tool. If suddenly you have an illness, stay involved in an accident, someone breaks-in your house or you have been assaulted, you can launch a help request with just a "click" and instantly your friends on PEHPE will know where you are and come to your aid.In the "SOS" settings you can decide who will receive your request, customizing each help request item. The smart "SOS" function can operate only under phone coverage, so, in case where your help request will not be forwarded cause absence of signal, the App PEHPE will record your locations and displacements via GPS and send them to the rescuers when the connection will be active.But that's not all, we already working on a new important feature. On smartphones, tablets and smartwatches we will also be able to activate the automatic "SOS" function in case of illness or immobility. Thanks to the technologies already provided by these tools, together with our new feature, the App PEHPE will understands if we need assistance and will autonomously send a "SOS".Further information on the projects presentation page:Follow Us on social!Twitter:Facebook:Linkedin:We build omnichannel projects for business and life, advanced web & mobile solutions, enterprise apps & portals.PEHPE LLC13499 BISCAYNE BLVD STE TS-1NORTH MIAMI, FL 33181LEONARDO ZALATEUpress@pehpe.com
Light Detection and Ranging - Market Worldwide Overview by Region, Analysis and Forecast To 2021

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Publisher's Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving revenue growth and profitability.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry analysis of the key factors influencing the market.The report includes the forecasts, analysis and discuion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry players.The players mentioned in our reportLeica GeosystemsTrimbleRieglTopconVelodyne LiDAR3D Laser MappingIGISure StarTeledyne OptechFor More Information About This Report:Global Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Market: Regional Segment AnalysisUSAEuropeJapanChinaIndiaSouth East AsiaGlobal Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Market: Product Segment AnalysisAirborne LIDARTerrestrial LIDAROthersGlobal Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Market: Application Segment AnalysisCivil EngineeringForestry & AgricultureTransportationUrban MappingRequest Sample Copy At:Table of ContentChapter 1 About the Light Detection and Ranging IndustryChapter 2 World Market Competition LandscapeChapter 3 World Light Detection and Ranging Market shareChapter 4 Supply Chain AnalysisChapter 5 Company ProfilesChapter 6 Globalization & TradeChapter 7 Distributors and CustomersChapter 8 Import, Export, Consumption and Consumption Value by Major CountriesChapter 9 World Light Detection and Ranging Market Forecast through 2021Chapter 10 Key success factors and Market OverviewInquire For This Report At:Contact 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 Smart Home Hub Market is Likely to Grow at a CAGR More Than 5% in Terms of Shipment During 20162022

Global Smart Home Hub Market - Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022

http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/smart-home-hub-market-report/

http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/contactus/request-sample/

http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/smart-home-hub-market-report/

A recent report published by Beige Market Intelligence with title Global Smart Home Hub Market  Strategic Assessment and Forecast 20172022, considers the present scenario of the global smart home hub market and its strategic assessment during the period 20162022. The report outlines the top trends, drivers, restraints, and profiles the leading five vendors in the market.View report :It provides the analysis of key segments of the market by distribution channel, geography, country, and vendors. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the revenue from the following segments:By Distribution ChannelsRetail storesMass market playersElectronic storesOnline storesBy GeographyAPACEuropeNorth AmericaRoWThe report also includes a detailed study of leading trends, drivers, and restraints for each region.Smart Home Hub Market  Market Size and DynamicsAnalysts at Beige Market Intelligence expect that the global smart home hub market is likely to post a CAGR more than 5% and 4% in terms of unit shipment and revenue, respectively during 20162022. One of the reasons for increasing sales of smart home hub in developing as well as developed countries is urbanization. Urbanization has led to the creation of better job opportunities for people, which, in turn, leads to the improvement in their living standards. Increased per capita income and growth of dual-income households constitute the basis for increasing spend on smart devices worldwide. Further, the cost-effectiveness of smart home hubs offered online (often at discounted prices) is also attracting price-sensitive, new buyers in the market. In addition, improving global economic conditions will drive the growth of the market, making it attractive for vendors to launch new products.Order a free sample here:Smart Home Hub Market  Geographical AnalysisGlobally, North America is the largest market for smart home automation, and the market is growing rapidly. This will fuel the demand for smart home hubs in the region. The demand for smart hubs in Europe is high and is expected to increase during the forecast period. The major reason for the growth in demand is the introduction of upgraded smart home hubs in the market by vendors. Also, the smart home penetration is increasing in the Western European countries. The report includes the market analysis of different regions such as North America, Latin America, APAC, MEA, and Europe. It outlines the major market shareholders and the market size analysis of all regions.Smart Home Hub Market  Key Vendors and Market ShareThe global market is dominated by vendors that have international presence. Many international players are expected to expand their presence worldwide during the forecast period, especially in the fast-developing countries in APAC and Latin America to gain more market share.The report profiles major companies in the global market and provides the competitive landscape and market share of the leading players. It covers the entire market outlook regarding the value chain operating in the market.Prominent VendorsFlex (Wink Labs)LG ElectronicsSamsungOther prominent vendors included in the report are Alphabet, Apple, Control4, Cozify, Invoxia, Logitech International, Lowes (Iris), Lutron Electronics, SmartBeings, Smartlabs (Insteon), Vera Control, Vivint, Zipato (Tri plus grupa).Why should you buy the report?The report provides answers to the following questions related to the market.What are the current changes witnessed by the market and how are they likely to impact the market landscape in the coming years?Which factors are likely to affect the market over the next few years?What are the major emerging trends and challenges for the market over the next five years?What is the market size and market forecast for each product segment?What is the market size and market forecast for each end-user type?Which region is likely to witness the largest market share and what are the factors driving the market growth in the region?What is the sale growth rate in key geographies?Source Link:About Beige Market IntelligenceBeige Market Intelligence provides competitive and insightful business intelligence across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the analysis provided is comprehensive, detailed, and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations to make insightful decisions and devise innovative marketing strategies for their businesses. The actionable insights delivered through our research reports provide a comprehensive market analysis at every level of market segmentation in the industry.Our team of experts ensure the analysis is not just analyzed and presented but also customized depending upon the clients requirement. When it comes to competitive intelligence, we ensure our clients do not look beyond us.Our employment base is spread across the globe. Our analysts come with a wide industry experience, which includes understanding the client's requirement and delivering high-quality research reports.Beige Market IntelligenceBTM, Bangalore-560076Mail: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473
Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring & Safety Market 2017 : Industry Perspective And Comprehensive Analysis 2025

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-radiation-detection-monitoring-safety-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=25526

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

There are various areas where radiation power has been applied for the benefit of humans, one of them being the medical segment. Numerous benefits availed by patients due to the appropriate usage of radiation for improved diagnosis and treatment are evident. It has become a key part of the modern medical treatment, especially in treating cancer. Protection from radiation for doctors, other healthcare professionals, and patients is constantly evolving in the ever-developing modern medical environment. Radiation-producing technology such as X-ray diffraction equipment and X-ray machines are employed in various hospitals and diagnostic centers. Many handle intensive treatment procedures where risk of high levels of radiation exposure exists. Therefore, for the optimal safety from radiation, the medical radiation detection, monitoring and safety market offers radiation detection and monitoring products for real-time dosimetry monitoring.Obtain Report Details @According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in 2014, seven out of every 10 Americans underwent diagnostic X-rays and radiation therapy. Furthermore, 10 million nuclear medicine procedures are performed in hospitals and radiology centers in the U.S. each year. Radiation is commonly employed to detect injuries, generate 3D images, as teletherapy, brachytherapy, and afterloading to treat tumors. Thus, the major factors which are anticipated to act as drivers for the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market growth are increased usage of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy for diagnosis and treatment, rising cancer prevalence, and increase in the population of the persons with insurance. However, delay in new product approvals due to strict regulatory guidelines and scarcity of skilled professional to handle radiation related procedures are anticipated to act as restraints for this market.The medical radiation detection, monitoring and safety market can be segmented into safety products, monitoring, detection and detector products, and end-users. In terms of detector, the medical radiation detection, monitoring and safety market can be segmented into solid-state detectors, gas-filled detectors, and scintillators. Due to the wide application in medical imaging and favorable cost-performance ratio of gas-filled detectors it had acquired the major share of medical radiation detection, monitoring and safety market in recent years.In terms of product type, the market can be segmented into area process monitors, personal dosimeters, environment radiation monitors, environment radiation monitors, radioactive material monitors, surface contamination monitors, and others. Personal dosimeters accounted for a major share of the medical radiation detection and monitoring market due to their high demand in the medical field in recent years.In terms of modality, the market can be segmented into hand safety products, face protection products, full-body protection products, and others. The full body protection segment is anticipated to expand in the near future due to the increased usage of radiation in various treatment procedures and rising awareness among healthcare professionals and patients.In terms of end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals and non-hospitals. Rising number of hospitals around the world is a key factor fuelling the expansion of the market in the end-user segment.In terms of geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the world. Expansion in the North America market is mainly due to the rise in usage of radio-diagnostic instruments and new technological advancements in radiation detection, monitoring and safety products. The market in Asia is anticipated to expand in the near future due to increase in number of hospitals in the region, increased cancer incidences, and rise in number of installations of radiological imaging instruments.Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Key participants in the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market are Arrow-Tech, Inc., Amray Medical, Biodex Medical Systems, Inc., Fluke Biomedical, IBA Worldwide, Infab Corporation, Landauer, Inc., Ludlum Instruments, Inc., Mirion Technologies, Inc., PTW Freiburg GmbH, Radiation Detection Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Unfors Raysafe AB.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:
Medical Manifolds Market 2016 : Demand, Insights, Analysis, Opportunities & And Strategies Of Key Players

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-manifolds-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19223

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Manifolds are pipeline systems with several openings. Manifolds are specially fabricated structures wherein two or more cylinders are connected to a single pipeline to increase the availability of gas at the source. Medical manifolds offer the function of reducing the pressure from cylinders with high pressure to the required pressure, which is feasible to use in the hospital pipeline. In hospitals, medical gases are largely used to provide long-term support to patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Medical air is used in hospitals in large quantities and hence, it is feasible to produce it on site, rather than storing it in gas cylinders. Medical gas supply in a hospital needs to fulfill the stringent requirements of the installation standards and safety of all patients in the hospital. The need for medical manifolds primarily arises from strict rules and requirements for the medical gas supply systems. For instance, in July 2012, the U.S. Congress passed a bill putting into effect the Food & Drug Safety & Innovation Act. This act provides selected gases as approved medications for common medical gas mixtures; provides manufacturers with the protection of their intellectual property rights for new products; and establishes a certification process for medical gas production. These factors serve as a driver for the market.Obtain Report Details @Increasing awareness regarding the medical gas safety amongst manufacturers and consumers is a major factor that drives the global medical manifolds market. Growth of the health care infrastructure has led to rise in the number of hospitals, which acts as a driver for the global medical manifolds market. In addition, the establishment of industry-friendly associations such as Medical Gas Association (MGA), Compressed Gas Association (CGA), and Gases & Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) is fueling the market. Constant efforts made by the members of CGA and GAWDA have rendered the actualization of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. These associations help in chalking out strategies that would ultimately help the market thrive and flourish. Therefore, establishment of such associations acts as a driver for the market.The global medical manifolds market has been segmented by product type and geography. In terms of product, the medical manifolds market has been categorized into simplex manifold systems, cradle pack manifolds, dual manifold systems, semi-automatic manifold systems, automatic manifold systems, digital automatic manifold systems, and others.Based on the region, the global fermented ingredients market has been segmented into: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounts for a significant share of the global market for medical manifolds, owing to presence of industry-friendly organizations such as CGA and GAWDA. These associations consist of industry experts working in reputed organizations. The members of these associations work continuously to make value additions to the market by understanding the market trends and implementing the policies that eventually work out in favour of the market. Europe is considered to be the second largest market for medical manifolds, due to enhanced health care processes and growing health concerns in the region. Moreover, rising geriatric population with the need for hospitalization augments the market in the region. Major factors that would drive the market in Asia Pacific include rapid development of health care infrastructure and presence of large population in the region. High prevalence of pulmonary diseases and emergency medical conditions provides countries such as India and China with multiple untapped opportunities. Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil are expected to have considerable growth potential for the medical manifolds market due to evolving health care infrastructure, and increasing medical expenditure.Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Major players operating in the global market for medical manifolds include Praxair, Inc., BeaconMedaes LLC, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., Smiths Group plc, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Pattons Medical, Genstar Technologies, and Gascon Systems Pty Ltd.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:
A New Report States Facts & Figures behind Boom of the Marine Propulsion Engine Market

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Big Market Research added a report on Marine Propulsion Engine Market By Power Source (Diesel, Gas Turbine, Natural Gas, And Others {Steam Turbine, Renewable Energy, Hybrid, And Fuel Cell}) And Ship Type (Cargo Or Container Ships, Tanker, Bulk Carrier, Offshore Vessel, Passenger Ships, And Others {Tugs & Service Ships}) - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2014-2022Marine propulsion engine is a machine that, creates thrust to move ships forward or backward. This system comprises sources of energy, engine, and propeller. The marine propulsion engine market is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast period. This is mainly due to various ongoing government investments in shipbuilding industry and waterways. Ships may integrate with one or more than one propulsion engines, depending on the size (gross tonnage) of ships. Moreover, in the early stage of marine propulsion, steam turbines were used; however, due to advancement in technology nowadays, diesel or alternative fuel engine and gas turbine have greater penetration.Prominent market players invest significantly in R&D to enhance their technical expertise and product portfolio. For instance, in November 2016, Caterpillar launched C7.1, a six-cylinder, inline, four-stroke diesel marine propulsion engine with turbocharging and after-cooling.Request for Report Sample@The global marine propulsion market is driven by increase in production & sales of ships globally and rise in international seaborne trade. Rise in demand for resources such as crude oil, coal, steel, and iron from developing countries farther fuels the market growth. However, stringent environmental rules & regulations and huge capital investment required to set up new manufacturing facilities restrain the market growth. Irrespective of these challenges, rise in usage of inland waterways and advancement in technology, such as new alternative fuel propulsion engine, are expected to provide various opportunities for new products and boost the market growth.The market is segmented based on power source, ship types, and geography. On the basis of power source, the market is divided into diesel, gas turbine, natural gas, and others (steam turbine, renewable energy, hybrid, and fuel cell). By ship types, the market is categorized into cargo & container, tanker, bulk carrier, offshore vessel, passenger ship, and others (tugs & service ships). Geographically, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.Prominent players profiled in the report include Caterpillar, Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce plc, Wartsila, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., Scania, YANMAR CO., LTD., DAIHATSU DIESEL MFG.CO., LTD., Nigata Power Systems Co., Ltd., Fairbanks Morse Engine, Masson-Marine, and General Electric Company.For Purchase Enquiry@KEY MARKET BENEFITS The report includes an extensive analysis of the factors that drive as well as restrain the global marine propulsion engine market. The market projections from 2014 to 2022 are included along with the affecting factors. The report also provides quantitative as well as qualitative trends to assist the stakeholders understand the situations prevailing in the market. An in-depth analysis of key segments demonstrates stakeholders with different types of ships and different power sources. Competitive intelligence highlights the business practices followed by leading market players across various geographies.MARKET SEGMENTATIONBY POWER SOURCE Diesel Gas Turbine Natural Gas Others (Steam Turbine, Renewable Energy, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell)BY APPLICATION Cargo or Container Ship Tanker Bulk Carrier Offshore Vessel Passenger Ship Others (Tugs & Service Ships)BY GEOGRAPHY North Americao U.S.o Canadao Mexico Europeo UKo Germanyo Franceo Rest of Europe Asia-Pacifico Chinao Japano Indiao Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEAo Latin Americao Middle Easto AfricaKEY PLAYERS Caterpillar Cummins Inc. Rolls-Royce Plc Wartsila MAN Diesel & Turbo Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. Scania YANMAR CO., LTD. DAIHATSU DIESEL MFG.CO., LTD.About Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly. Our research services ranges into different domains and penetrates in different verticals so that we can carter to diverse needs of various organization. Not wrong to quote that this is the hotspot for research needs of yours. Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220, United StatesDirect: + 1-503-894-6022Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Epoxy Adhesives Market to Observe Strong Development by 2021

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Epoxy adhesives are high strength adhesives used extensively across various industries. They are made of epoxy resins, which are in turn made up of the chemical bisphenol A. Epoxy adhesives can be used for adhesion of numerous substrates such as wood, metals, plastics, glass and stones. After application, epoxy adhesives require time for curing or setting. This can be done with the help of heat or by exposure to ultra violet light or at room temperature. The epoxy adhesives cured by exposure to ultra violet light are used to manufacture fiber optics and opto electronics. Epoxy adhesives have strong adhesion which makes them the most commonly used structural adhesives.To access full report @Epoxy adhesives find extensive use in aerospace, automotive, building & construction and semiconductor industry. Of these industries, aerospace and semiconductor industries are the two major consumers of epoxy adhesives. The growth of the aerospace industry is a key driver for the growth of epoxy adhesives market. The blades of aircrafts are joined using epoxy adhesives. Due to the superior mechanical properties of epoxy adhesives, such as resistance to creep under sustained load, temperature and pressure variations, they are the adhesives of choice for the aerospace industry. The semiconductor industry makes use of epoxy adhesives to manufacture printed circuit boards, integrated circuits and transistors. The semiconductor industry is growing exponentially due to the increase in usage of electronic gadgets. This is driving the market of epoxy adhesives. However, the application of epoxy adhesives must be carried out with protective gear owing to the toxic fumes which are emitted during its application. Technological advances to make the adhesives safer for humans during application are expected to open new areas of opportunity for the market of epoxy adhesives.A sample of this report is available upon request @China, Germany, the U.S and U.K are major consumers of epoxy adhesives. The aerospace and semiconductor industry in these countries are the largest markets of epoxy adhesives. The growth of this market is also seen in other Asia Pacific countries. South Korea and Japan are large scale manufacturers of epoxy resins. The market of epoxy adhesives is expected to grow considerably in the forecast period in Asia and Europe. Latin America shows a steady demand of epoxy adhesives for the building & construction industry.The application of epoxy adhesives requires pre treatment of substrates which ensures superior adhesion. There are two major types of epoxy adhesives  one component, heat curing epoxy adhesive and two component room temperature curing epoxy adhesive. One component epoxies are used as alternatives to welding and riveting and have excellent adhesion to metals. These epoxy adhesives require cold storage to provide sufficient shelf life. They are used for bonding large areas and find application in aerospace industry for assembly of aircraft panels and rotor blades.The two component epoxy adhesives are cured at room temperature and can take up to several days to weeks to achieve adhesion. These adhesives can be used on all types of substrates including rubber, wood, plastics, glass and ceramics. The market of epoxy adhesives is fragmented across the globe. There are numerous small, medium and large players in this market, which serve many markets and produce numerous epoxy adhesive variants. For instance, Henkel manufactures electrically conductive adhesives. The major players in this market include- Henkel, Permabond, The Gorilla Glue Company, 3M, Ardex, MG Chemcials, MAPEI, 5M, Epotek, Powerblanket and Masterbond among others.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Key geographies evaluated in this report are:North AmericaU.SCanadaEuropeFrance, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UKEastern EuropeCISAPACChinaIndiaJapanAustraliaOthersLatin AmericaArgentinaBrazilOthersKey features of this reportDrivers, restraints, and challenges shaping the Epoxy Adhesives market dynamicsLatest innovations and key events in the industryAnalysis of business strategies of the top playersEpoxy Adhesives market estimates and forecasts(2015 -2021)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:
Oilfield Drilling Additives Market to Expand with Significant CAGR During 2015 - 2021

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Oilfield chemicals play a significant role in the oil and gas industry. Most common oilfield chemicals used by the industry are organic chemicals and solvents, surfactants, transition metal compounds, inorganic salts, water-soluble and oil-soluble polymers. These chemicals control the bacterial growth, foam & wax formation and corrosive action in oils and gases. Drilling additives is one of the major applications in the oilfield chemicals market.To access full report @Chemical formulations used for multiple functions in oil processing are termed as oilfield drilling additives. The additive technologies excel with emulsification and thinning or dispersion of oil-based muds. They help to create proper fluid weighting to balance pressure formation and optimize fluid flow. Other functions include maintaining strong boundary lubrication films in silicate-based mud systems specialized for shale drilling, which is done by lubricating agents. Other functions include wettability, dispersant, detergency and clay stabilization. Selection criteria of drilling additives require careful consideration of several aspects, such as pressures and temperatures, rock composition, well design, protection of the producing zone, reservoir chemistry, and environmental regulations. The focus is on performance, temperature stability and tolerance of products from contamination for drilling fluid systems.While there are many types of components and additives currently being used in the industry, usually the classification of fluids is based on the formulation of coatings as water based, oil based and synthetic based. Each type varies greatly and the composition is different with different technical specifications. The major chemicals used in the industry are sulfurized or chlorinated compounds, polyglycols, acrylics, esters polyamides, glutaraldehyde, alcohols and many more.In a recent merger by The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, signed an agreement with Weatherford, stating that the companys drilling fluids and additives business will now be a part of the Lubrizol Corporation. The Lubrizol Corporation has introduced a new mobile application called the Oilfield Drilling Fluids Product Guide, which is designed to help formulators of Oilfield Drilling Fluids to identify advanced Lubrizol chemistries that help achieve a wide range of performance needs. Arabian Drilling Corporation launched three new products AD41, AD42 and AD43; which have special drilling control systems equipped with Amphion Integration, a technology that provides compact and comfortable rigs.A sample of this report is available upon request @Increasing demand from energy sector is creating thrust to drilling deeper for more oil extraction, the protection of oil from various harmful organisms in the biocides industry are some of the key factors driving the growth of the oilfield drilling additives market.Total cost to target with environmentally acceptable fluid systems, European environmental concerns, strict environmental regulations are probable factors restraining the growth of the oilfield drilling additives market.The global oilfield drilling additives market is broadly classified on the basis of formulation of coatings, type and geographies.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Based on formulation of coatings, the global oilfield drilling additives market is segmented into:Water basedOil basedSynthetic basedBased on type, the global oilfield drilling additives market is segmented into:DispersantsFluid ViscosifiersCorrosion InhibitorsBiocidesSurface ModifiersDefoamersThe most significant change in the petrochemical industry over the past five years has been the rapid exploitation of shale gas and oil reserves in North America. Global oilfield chemicals market is expected to grow owing to new wells discovery in countries like China, Poland. The global oilfield drilling additives market is expected to expand at a promising CAGR during the forecast period (2015-2025).The global oilfield drilling additives Market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, global oilfield drilling additives market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. As of 2015, North America dominated the global oilfield drilling additives market in terms of market revenue. Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a substantial growth and in next few years, the Middle East & Africa is expected to be the greatest market as this region is exploring new oil wells and empowering in the transformation of old oil wells. This will contribute to the global oilfield drilling additives market value exhibiting a robust CAGR during the forecast period, 2015 - 2025.Some of the key market participants in global oilfield drilling additives market are The Lubrizol Corporation, AkzoNobel, The Dow Chemical Company, Imerys Oilfield Solutions, BASF, Chevron Philips Chemical CompanyThe research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia-Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanThe Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.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:
Power Transmission Components Market: Industry Survey and Outlook 2025

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Global Power Transmission Components Market: SnapshotEvolution of industries and rapid urbanization have triggered a major wave of energy and power over past few decades. This has raised concerns about high consumption of energy and has initiated a conversation amongst nations to devise ways to curb energy expenditure. Collectively, both factors have resulted in a huge demand for power transmission components, which are known to ensure effective transmission of energy. The adoption of power transmission components has steadily risen up due to the need to reduce the carbon emissions and curbing the greenhouse effect, which is a result of excessive power consumption.Global Power Transmission Components Market: Key TrendsThe ability of power transmission components to offer an uninterrupted power supply on a long-term basis has key growth driver for these components. The market is also thriving with growing support from various governments, which is seen through incentives offered to units making new installations of power transmission components to ensure energy savings. The market is expected to receive a boost from older and outdated power plants that are expected to upgrade their infrastructure to adhere to norms of conserving energy in the near future.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Power Transmission Components Market: Market PotentialThe ongoing energy crisis has coaxed players operating in the global power transmission components market to develop products that are of superior quality. In tandem with this need, companies are focusing on introducing products that support digitization of grids for proving reliable and safe energy supply along with taking an active part in smart electrification projects. In a latest news, Schneider Electric India congratulated Indian Governments efforts to electrify rural parts of the country with a focus on developing sustainable energy. On a similar note, the company initiated Energy Access Ventures Fund in 2015 for helping 20 small to medium-sized companies gain access to electricity. This venture aims to offer electricity supply to 625 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa access to electricity by the end of 2020. Such efforts, which require large-scale distribution of electricity and power, are expected to augment the demand for power transmission components in the near future.Global Power Transmission Components Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global power transmission components market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Analysts anticipate that North America is likely to dominate the global market in the coming years as power plants are showing a keen inclination toward upgrading their facilities. Furthermore, growing investments toward reducing carbon emissions are also expected to propel the progress of the regional market.Request TOC of the Report @The report also suggests that Asia Pacific is also expected to show steady demand for power transmission components in the near future. The emerging economies such as India and China and their evolution into manufacturing hubs for some of the major companies in the world has significantly contributed toward driving the demand for these components in the region.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the global power transmission components market are Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock, Siemens AG, Hitachi, Schneider Electric, Eaton, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, General Electric Company, Emerson, ABB, and Toshiba. The competitive landscape in the global market is quite fragmented due to the presence of several players in the market. Several players are focusing on teaming with local players to reduce production and marketing costs and make a mark in foreign markets.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The market intelligence report provides an in-depth analysis of the global Shaving Lotions and Creams market. The stakeholders for this report include market players involved in development, manufacturing, commercialization, and distribution and new companies planning to enter the global market for Shaving Lotions and Creams. The executive summary of the report offers a snapshot of the market by summarizing the size of the market, volume, revenue, trends, and figures across different segments.The overview section provides insights into market dynamics, including drivers and restraints, and the extent to which they impact the growth of the market. The report also sheds light on opportunities in the global Shaving Lotions and Creams market. Value chain analysis and import and export analysis are explained in detail to provide an immaculate overview of the market. The report performs market attractiveness analysis and Porters five force analysis to offer an understanding of the overall competition in the global Shaving Lotions and Creams market. It also sheds light on the market shares to highlight competition among major players in the arena.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @For a coherent understanding, the report classifies the global market for Shaving Lotions and Creams on the basis of various criteria, including applications, product type, and geography. Data for each segment has been presented in terms of volume and value. The report profiles key participants in the global Shaving Lotions and Creams market. These companies are profiled based on several attributes such as business strategies, recent developments, and cost and revenue structure. The report includes a set of recommendations to aid new players in establishing their presence and existing companies in consolidating their presence in the global Shaving Lotions and Creams market.Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.1 Definition and Specifications of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.1.1 Definition of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.1.2 Specifications of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.2 Classification of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.3 Applications of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.5.1 Industry Overview of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams1.7 Industry News Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Manufacturers 2011-20165 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions, Types and Manufacturers5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions 2011-20165.2 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Types 2011-20165.3 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Manufacturers 2011-20166 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions, Types and Applications6.1 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions 2011-20166.2 Global and Major Regions Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Growth Rate of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20166.3 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Types 2011-20166.4 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Applications 2011-20166.5 Sale Price of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Regions 2011-20166.6 Sale Price of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Types 2011-20166.7 Sale Price of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Applications 2011-20166.8 Market Share Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Different Sale Price Levels7 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams7.1 Supply, Consumption and Gap of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20167.2 Global Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20167.3 USA Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20167.4 EU Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20167.5 China Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-20167.6 Japan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Shaving Lotions and Creams 2011-2016Figure Picture of Shaving Lotions and CreamsTable Product Specifications of Shaving Lotions and CreamsTable Classification of Shaving Lotions and CreamsFigure Global Production Market Share of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Types in 2015Table Applications of Shaving Lotions and CreamsFigure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Shaving Lotions and Creams by Applications in 2015Figure Industry Chain Structure of Shaving Lotions and CreamsTable Global Shaving Lotions and Creams Major ManufacturersTable Global Major Regions Shaving Lotions and Creams Development StatusTable Industry Policy of Shaving Lotions and CreamsTable Industry News List of Shaving Lotions and CreamsTable Raw Material Suppliers and Price AnalysisTable Equipment Suppliers and Price AnalysisTable Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Shaving Lotions and Creams in 2015Figure Manufacturing Process Analysis of Shaving Lotions and CreamsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Kuwait's Construction Industry - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021

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New Report "Construction in Kuwait - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021" added by Market Research HUB provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Kuwaiti construction industry, including:- The Kuwaiti construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity- Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in Kuwait- Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Kuwaiti construction industry- Profiles of the leading operators in the Kuwaiti construction industryRequest Free Sample Report -SummaryIn real terms, the Kuwaiti construction industry registered an average annual growth rate of 5.6% during the review period (20122016). This growth was supported by the governments Five-Year Development Plan 20092014, under which the government invested in developing transport infrastructure, industrial parks, healthcare facilities and residential buildings.The countrys construction industry will continue to expand in real terms over the forecast period (20172021), driven by the governments focus on the development of transport infrastructure, energy and utilities facilities, and affordable housing.Under the Five-Year Development Plan 20152020, the government plans to spend KWD34.2 billion (US$117.7 billion) to develop roads, rail, airports networks, water infrastructure, power projects and social infrastructure projects by 2020.Furthermore, in January 2017, the government launched New Kuwait 2035 strategy with an aim to transform the country into regional financial and cultural hub by 2035. The government plans to launch 164 sub-programs and projects to develop tourism infrastructure, IT parks, commercial buildings and other related infrastructure by 2035.ScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Kuwait. It provides:- Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in Kuwait 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 KuwaitReasons To Buy- Identify and evaluate market opportunities using Timetric's 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 Timetric's critical and actionable insight.- Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures.- Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Browse Full Report with TOC -Key Highlights- To bridge the gap between supply and demand for housing units in the country, the government is focusing on the construction of residential buildings under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. In 2016, the government announced plans to invest KWD14.5 billion (US$47.6 billion) to build the Mutlah Residential City, Al Subiyah Residential City, Sabah Al-Ahmad township, Bubiyan Island, Al Khairan residential city project and the Kuwait City by 2020.- The energy and utility construction market is expected to benefit from government plans to double the countrys water desalination capacity by 2030. The government plans to increase the countrys water production capacity from 450 million gallon per day to 900 million gallon per day by 2030.- The government is focusing on the construction of new refineries in the country, driving growth in the energy and utilities construction market over the forecast period. The government plans to increase crude oil production from 3.3 million barrels per day (mmbpd) in 2015 to 4.0mmbpd by 2020. Accordingly, the government plans to build new oil refinery in Al Zour under the PPP model by 2020.- Under the Kuwait Development Plan 20152020, the government plans to transform the country into a regional trade and financial hub by 2035. Accordingly, with an investment of KWD305.5 million (US$1.0 billion), the government plans to build the Mubarak-Al-Kabeer Seaport on Boubyan Island by 2021.- The government is focusing on developing healthcare infrastructure to provide adequate medical support to all citizens in the country. Accordingly, under the Healthcare Infrastructure Development program the government plans to invest KWD2.2 billion (US$7.3 billion) on the construction on new hospitals and healthcare centres by 2020.Make an Enquiry -About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel : +1-518-621-2074Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Vascular Stent Market Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2025

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Global Vascular Stent Market: OverviewAs the incidence of peripheral artery disease grows, the global demand for vascular stents is expected to swell as well. Vascular stents are medical devices that are usually placed as part of peripheral artery angioplasty. In simple terms, a stent is a plastic or metal tube that is inserted into an anatomic vessel so as to keep the passageway from closing. Iliac, carotid, and femoral arteries are some common sites which are treated with vascular stents.Global Vascular Stent Market: Key TrendsThe growing prevalence of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which is alternatively known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), is one of the primary growth drivers of the global vascular stents market. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 8 million in the U.S. alone suffer from peripheral artery disease. Of these, 12 to 20% of the patients are above the age of 60, finds the study. Thus, it has been understood that the geriatric population is at a higher risk of suffering from peripheral artery disease. Since the aging population has been escalating at a rapid pace, the global vascular stent market will witness greater growth.On the downside, the exorbitant costs of these devices might hinder the growth of the global vascular stent market. However, as a number of market vendors have been developing highly efficient and accurate imaging techniques, the market for vascular stents is likely to receive a boost.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Vascular Stent Market: Market PotentialA number of market players are concentrating on the introduction of innovative products, enhancing the ease of use for healthcare providers as well as patients. The researchers at the Technische Universiteit, Eindhoven (Eindhoven University of Technology) have acknowledged the special challenge presented by pediatric patients. The creation of customized stents is not a novel phenomenon. The researchers have produced a relatively better vascular stent, according to an announcement made in May 2017.The new stent can expand as the child grows, biodegrading with time, as against conventional stents that children outgrow. The traditionally used metal stents can also lead to complications including hyperplasia. In order to design this 3D printable, self-expanding stent, a computational model of a nickel titanium stent was built by the researchers.Several other products are receiving regulatory approvals. For instance, in the same month, Alucent Medical, Inc. announced that it received the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commence Phase I human clinical studies of its new drug/device combination therapy for treating peripheral vascular disease.Request TOC of the Report @Global Vascular Stent Market: Regional OutlookThe global vascular stent market can be segmented into Europe, Latin America, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. North America has currently been leading the global vascular stent market, with the U.S. as the chief contributor. The growing patient base and rising concentration of geriatric populace have been driving the growth of this region.Asia Pacific, driven by augmenting acceptance of cutting-edge technologies, is slated to display fastest rate of growth over the forthcoming period. The low costs of manufacturing, presence of a large number of market participants, and growing incidence of cardiovascular diseases have been assisting the growth of the global vascular stent market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Vascular Stent Market: Competitive AnalysisMicroPort Scientific Corporation, Vascular Concepts, Medtronic, plc, B. Braun Melsungen AG, STENTYS SA, Lombard Medical Technologies, Abbott Laboratories, BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., W. L. Gore and Associates, Boston Scientific Corporation, and Endologix, Inc. are some key vendors operating in the global vascular stent market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Marine Lubricants Market Size, Share, Industry Analysis, Growth, Trends, And Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/167328

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/167328

Global Marine Lubricants Market: OverviewLubricants play a vital role in the reduction of friction and wear and tear of operating parts of different machines. The movement of certain mechanical parts is operational only in the presence of lubricants. Marine lubricants minimize the wear and tear between different machine parts and improve their output efficiency. Marine lubricants have numerous uses in the shipping industry, as a result of which different types of engine oil, hydraulic oil, and grease are developed.Ships require marine lubricants for smooth functioning of machineries and components installed on them. Marine lubricants are effective in eliminating the harmful effects of friction. Introduction of the aviation transportation mode has hampered the water transport mode. However, owing to the high cost of aviation transportation, water transport has regained its popularity. Thus, the growing water transport worldwide is expected to fuel the demand for marine lubricants in the next few years. Group I base oils are getting scarce as well as expensive and witnessing fluctuations in demand. This is likely to result in shutdown of Group I refineries. The inadequate supply of bright stock material has propelled the discovery of alternatives, which also are inadequate. Thus, shortage of supply is expected to hamper the marine lubricants market in the near future.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report @Global Marine Lubricants Market: Research MethodologyThe report estimates and forecasts the marine lubricants market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the marine lubricants market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market.The report analyzes opportunities in the marine lubricants market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of marine lubricants and global average price trend analysis.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the marine lubricants market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for marine lubricants between 2016 and 2024.View More @Global Marine Lubricants Market: SegmentationThe study provides a comprehensive view of the marine lubricants market by dividing it into product, application, operation type, and geography segments. The products have been segmented into mineral oil, synthetic oil, and bio-based oil. The applications are segmented into engine oil, hydraulic oil, turbine oil, gear oil, heat transfer fluids (HTFs), compressor oil, grease and others. The operation types have been categorized as inland and offshore. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.The product segment includes lubricants formulated from base oils such as mineral oil, synthetic oil, and bio-based oil. Out of these three types, mineral oil-based marine lubricants significantly dominate the market, followed by synthetic oil-based marine lubricants. Mineral oil falls under group I, II and III by API specification. Synthetic oil can be categorized as fully synthetic (group III, IV and V) and semi-synthetic  which is the mixture of synthetic and mineral oil. Bio-based lubricants are obtained from either vegetable oil or animal oil.The application segment includes engine oil, hydraulic oil, turbine oil, gear oil, heat transfer fluids (HTFs), compressor oil, grease and others. The most consumed marine lubricants are engine oil, gear oil, hydraulic oil and grease. Following engine oil, the second most consumed marine lubricant is hydraulic oil. Even though engine oil segment held significant share of the marine lubricants market, hydraulic oil segment is expected to exhibit major growth potential during the forecast period. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of marine lubricants in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.Global Marine Lubricants Market: Competitive OutlookThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Royal Dutch Shell plc, ExxonMobil Corporation, BP PLC., LUKOIL Marine Lubricants DMCC, Chevron Corporation, and Total Lubmarine. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Maritime Organization (IMO), company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.The global marine lubricants market has been segmented as follows:By Product AnalysisMineral oilSynthetic oilBio-based oilBy ApplicationEngine oilHydraulic oilTurbine oilGear oilHeat Transfer Fluids (HTFs)Compressor oilGreaseOthersBy Operation TypeInlandOffshoreBy RegionNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.SpainItalyRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaMarketResearchReports.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
Construction in Algeria - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021

Market Research HUB

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1153935

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/construction-in-algeria-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1153935

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/

New Report "Construction in Algeria  Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021" included by Market Research HUB provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Algerian construction industry, including:- The Algerian construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity- Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in Algeria- Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Algerian construction industry- Profiles of the leading operators in the Algerian construction industryRequest Free Sample Report -SummaryIn real terms, the Algerian construction industry posted positive growth during the review period (20122016). Growth was supported by large-scale investments through the five-year plan 20102014, under which the government allocated DZD20.7 trillion (US$278.3 billion) to develop various projects in the transport, housing, energy and education sectors.The industry is expected to expand over the forecast period (20172021), albeit at a relatively slow pace. The industrys expansion over this period is expected to be mainly supported by government investments under the ongoing Five-Year Investment Plan 20152019, under which the government will invest DZD21.6 trillion (US$215.0 billion) in construction projects until 2019, with particular emphasis on transport, hospital and water infrastructure.The industrys output value in real terms recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.99% during the review period, and is expected to post a forecast-period CAGR of 5.22%.The Algerian economy is heavily dependent on revenues from oil exports, as it one of Africas main oil producers. However, the collapse of oil prices in mid-2014 has weighed on the countrys economic performance. As prices remain low, the government aims to diversify the economy by reducing its dependence on oil. This is expected to drive private and foreign investments in the countrys non-oil sectors over the forecast period, including construction.ScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Algeria. It provides:- Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in Algeria 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 AlgeriaBrowse Full Report with TOC -Key Highlights- Efficiently developed transport infrastructure is vital for the economic growth of Algeria. Accordingly, with an aim to enhance regional connectivity, the Ministry of Transport announced plans to construct a 173km railway line between Laghouat and Ghardia in March 2016. This project is part of the governments plan to develop a 425.0km railway line from Laghouat to Hassi Messaoud. The project is expected to commence in 2018 and complete in 2021.- To ease congestion and overseas trade, in February 2017 the government approved the development of a deep-water port in El Hamdania, 80km to the west of Algiers. The project includes the construction of a 20.0m draft facility and 23 berths. On completion, the port is expected to have an annual handling capacity of 6.3 million TEUs.- In March 2017, Sonatrach Group, the countrys state-owned energy company, announced plans to invest over DZD5.7 trillion (US$50.0 billion) in oil exploration-related infrastructure during 20172021. The company plans to drill an average of 100 new wells every year until 2021.- To meet growing demand for housing in Constantine, North-Eastern Algeria, the City Council of Constantine announced plans to develop a major residential complex in November 2015. The project involves a total investment of DZD158.1 billion (US$1.6 billion), and includes the construction of 20,000 residential units, access roads and parking facilities. The project is scheduled to complete in 2020.- The government has announced plans to achieve 22.0GW in renewable energy generation by 2030, and is looking to take advantage of growth potential in the solar sector and generate 13.5GW of the total target energy from solar resources.Reasons To Buy- Identify and evaluate market opportunities using Timetric's 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 Timetric's critical and actionable insight.- Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures.Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Make an Enquiry -About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel : +1-518-621-2074Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Construction Repaint Market Research Study For Forecast 2025, Challenges, Demand, Woldwide Overview

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=689

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=689

https://www.tmrresearch.com/construction-repaint-market

Global Construction Repaint Market: SnapshotCompanies operating in the world construction repaint market could tap into several new avenues of application birthed with the development and innovation of new products through wide-ranging research and development accomplishments. PPG Industries, for instance, unveiled two innovative water-based aerosol ceiling textures under its HOMAX brand. These new products suitable for orange-peel and knockdown repair projects are expected to reduce the repair time of ceilings. This launch is anticipated to help the company gain a strong traction in the world construction repaint market.In 2016, a majority of players had taken to new product development, acquisitions, and expansions in order to enlarge their product portfolio and improve their international reach in the world construction repaint market. Other strategies that could take shape in the world construction repaint market to help players gain a competitive edge over their competitors include joint ventures and partnerships. Involved in various repaint seminars and projects, Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. launched Nippon VirusGuard Paint, a new antibacterial and antivirus paint.The application of volatile organic compound-free or VOC-free paints is envisioned to dominate at almost all classes of the construction industry, especially in developed nations such as the U.S. Most American consumers are aware of the negative effects of VOCs on the environment and therefore could avoid the use of such paints for their repainting work in residential and commercial sites. Organizations at larger are foretold to invest in the Washington County Operation Clean House and other similar events to collect and safely dispose of VOC paints as per the prescribed regulations.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Construction Repaint Market: OverviewConstruction repaints are paints used in residential buildings, commercial, and institutional establishments for the purpose of maintenance works, making repairs, and carrying out renovation. They typically consist of varnishes, emulsions, and enamels. The paints are primarily waterborne or solvent-borne formulations. The large number of buildings and constructions across the globe that need renovation and repairs have necessitated the demand for these repaints and kept the construction repaint market fast emerging.The construction repaints market can be segmented on the basis of resin type, formulation, application, and region. Major resin types that have applications as repaints are acrylic, epoxy, alkyd, polyurethane, and epoxy. Key regions witnessing the growth of the construction repaint market are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.Waterborne paints being water soluble are widely used as construction repaints. Acrylic paint, a resin type and having waterborne formulations, occupies a prominent share in the construction repaint market. Acrylic paints are available as emulsions, lacquers, powders, and enamels and are easy to maintain. Being cost-effective and having low volatile organic compounds (VOC), they are preferred over other construction repaints. Stringent environmental regulations related to emission norms of volatile organic compounds laid down by the governments in various countries have led to a significant demand for these construction repaints.Request TOC of the Report @The research report provides a comprehensive insight into the manufacturing processes, current and emerging trends, and the advances in specialty chemicals. The study analyzes the key market dynamics and assesses their impact on the demand for the major types of construction repaints across the globe. Prepared with the help of insights from various industry leaders and market experts, the report evaluates the development of upstream raw material value chain, downstream client survey, and supply chain network, along with their impact on competitive dynamics. The insights help stakeholders track the key trends and enable players to devise impactful strategies to gain a stronghold in the construction repaint market.Global Construction Repaint Market: Drivers and RestraintsWorn-off paint coatings in a large number of commercial and residential buildings and the damage of paints in various construction structures over time are the key factors driving the demand for construction repaints. Coupled with this, the rising demand for various repair and maintenance activities in the construction sector is anticipated to boost the growth of the construction repaint market. The demand for paints in different end-use industries such oil and gas, petrochemical, mining, and pharmaceutical is expected to stimulate the demand for construction repaints for various applications.In contrast, volatility in the raw materials prices due to fluctuating crude oil prices and growing popularity of glass buildings are crucial factors expected to hinder the growth of the construction repaints market. The application of durable paints, which has slowed down the decay of paints in buildings, is likely to impede the growth of the construction repaint market to some extent. In addition, the high cost involved in the manufacturing of paints having high performance characteristics is expected to hinder the growth of the market in some regions. However, the demand for bio-based paint materials  driven by stringent environmental regulations by various governments in developed and developing regions  is anticipated to create promising growth opportunities for players in the construction repaint market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Construction Repaint Market: Region-wise OutlookThe Asia Pacific region is estimated to contribute a major share in the construction repaint industry. The growth in the region is driven by the construction of residential and commercial buildings in countries such as China, Japan, and India, which has spurred the demand for cost-effective construction repaints. Growth of non-residential constructions due to increased urbanization in these countries and the rise in infrastructural spending have stimulated the demand for construction repaints in Asia Pacific. Companies vying for a significant share in these regions need to evaluate the market dynamics and the key development trends to devise business strategies.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Glass Prepreg Sales Market 2017 Top Players - Cytec Industries, Teijin Limited, Sunrez, Hexcel, Lewcott

https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/61887/request-sample

https://goo.gl/rQ9Htw

www.fiormarkets.com

www.9dimenreports.com

To begin with, the report defines the Glass Prepreg Sales market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets, and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.Download Free Sample Report @The reports analysis is based on technical data and industry figures sourced from the most reputable databases. Other aspects that will prove especially beneficial to readers of the report are: investment feasibility analysis, recommendations for growth, investment return analysis, trends analysis, opportunity analysis, and SWOT analyses of competing companies. With the help of inputs and insights from technical and marketing experts, the report presents an objective assessment of the Glass Prepreg Sales market.This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, Downstream client survey, Marketing channels, Industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Glass Prepreg Sales new project SWOT analysis, Investment feasibility analysis, Investment return analysis, and Development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Glass Prepreg Sales industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Glass Prepreg Sales industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.Access Full Report @This report not only provides a complete picture of the overall condition of the Glass Prepreg Sales market, but also assists the players in this market to create profitable market strategies in order to gain a competitive edge.Table of ContentsGlobal Glass Prepreg Sales Market Report 20171 Glass Prepreg Sales Overview2 Global Glass Prepreg Sales Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application3 United States Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Glass Prepreg Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Glass Prepreg Sales Manufacturers Analysis10 Glass Prepreg Sales Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Glass Prepreg Sales Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 Appendix16.1 Methodology16.2 Analyst Introduction16.3 Data SourceAbout Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Ready to Drink Tea & Coffee Market Fuelled by Rising per Capita Disposable Income

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ready-to-drink.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=761

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Ready-to-drink (RTD) tea and coffee are seeing mounting demand owing to the busy and fast-paced lifestyle of consumers, and also as an alternative to carbonated drinks. RTD tea, in particular, is considered as a vital health drink. While RTD coffee is considered as a source providing instant energy.Browse Market Research Report @This report presents a detailed review of the market for RTD tea and coffee and also provides an evaluation of the market in terms of cumulative revenue. This report segments the market in terms of types, additives, packaging and pricing, ingredients, and geography. The study draws extensively from both primary as well as secondary research. The information collated in this report has been compiled after consulting senior analysts and leading industry experts for obtaining and verifying critical information and in order to assess the future prospects of the market for RTD tea and coffee. Secondary sources include directories, databases, and encyclopedias for the identification and collection of information.A number of market dynamics such as market drivers, opportunities, restraints, and trends, among others have also been elaborated upon in this research report. These dynamics have been evaluated on the basis of their respective effects on the growth of the market. A number of leading market players dominant in the market for RTD tea and coffee have also been highlighted along with their strategic industry activities and recent developments.For more information on this report, fill the form @Overview of the Ready-to-drink (RTD) Tea and Coffee MarketRTD tea and coffee are gaining popularity due to a number of benefits associated with their consumption, such as, their antioxidant property, presence of low calories, and as an instant energy source. In addition, the rising cafe culture serving RTD tea and coffee is predicted to fuel the market. Consumers are more inclined towards healthy drinks due to a global rise in diseases such as diabetes and obesity.In terms of additives, the market is segmented into preservatives, flavors, sweeteners, acidulants, and nutraceuticals. On the basis of type, the RTD tea market is segmented into fruit tea, black tea, green tea, herbal-based tea, and oolong tea. In terms of packaging and pricing, the market is segmented into glass bottle, pet bottle, canned, and cartons/fountain. On the basis of ingredients, the RTD coffee market is segmented into yerba mate, guarana, acai berry, ginseng, and taurine.The market for RTD tea and coffee is fuelled by a number of factors including rising per capita disposable income and increasing health awareness of consumers. In addition, the increasing trend of marketing, smart advertising, rising functionalities, and strong positioning of RTD tea and coffee also act as chief drivers for the market for RTD tea and coffee. On the other hand, the growing consumption of coffee that is freshly ground and increasing prices of raw materials may impede the growth of the market in the coming years.On the basis of geography, the market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, Asia Pacific led the market and is trailed by Europe. On the other hand, the demand for RTD tea and coffee is expected to rise in North America owing to increasing awareness on the hazardous effects of carbonated drinks and growing health awareness.Key Players in the Ready-to-drink (RTD) Tea and Coffee MarketThe prime players dominant in the global RTD tea and coffee market include Starbucks Corporation, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico Inc., Monster Beverage Company, San Benedetto, Hangzhou Wahaha group, Ferolito Vultaggio and Sons, Dr, Pepper Snapple Group, Taisun Enterprise Co. Ltd., and Japan Tobacco Inc., 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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Vaping Made Fun by the Exotic Flavors on www.EvolveVapors.com

Evolve Vapors

www.evolvevapors.com

www.evolvevapors.com

Evolve Vapors USA offers a wide range of delectable vape juices/e liquids on their website that enable vapers to enjoy Vaping like it ought to be.What is Vaping essentially? Asked Nitesh Rastogi, CEO-Evolve Vapors, It is a simple act of using a personal vaping device containing a serene, mouth-watering flavour which doesnt taste like ash, He added.With the rapid growth of Vaping around the globe, more and more diverse flavors are up for tasting. With flavors, the imagination has no limits at all. Evolve Vapors USA has crafted vape juices/e liquids like Nutty Banana Scone, Grape-o-Jello, Fruity Green Tea, Minion Yogurt, Summer Breeze, Valentine Breakfast and many more and theyre selling through the roof already onThe essence of Vaping truly lies in the flavors which provide vapers with the best possible experience. Of course if someone is looking to quit cigarettes by switching to Vaping then they should essentially stick with the tobacco flavors for a month. But after that, they are ready to dive headfirst into the immense ocean of e liquids. An entirely different world is waiting for them.Most Vapers associated with Evolve Vapors recommend starting with something like Morning Coffee when they go to the loo in the morning. Whenever they finish the tank, they jump to something probably like Caramel Tobacco which keeps them in the groove for the rest of their day. Most people like to spend their nights with luxurious flavors like Voluptuous Cuban or Tangy-rita.Vaping is changing lives all over the world. All these years, we were under the impression that we can only inhale the burnt flavor of tobacco leaves but weve realized how wrong that thought process was. With vaping we are finally able to enjoy any flavour we want without worrying about the Calories, Tar, Bad Smell, Smoke and most importantly Cancer!You can find the entire range of Premium Californian Flavors by Evolve Vapors atEvolve Vapors was incepted and built in the heart of the $10 Billion USD Vaping culture in Orange County, California, in 2013. The company launched a High-End and Luxurious Range of Vaporizers and Vaping Liquids for the Indian Subcontinent in March 2016.Evolve Vapors is working tirelessly in India with a mission to help smokers make the switch and avoid the hazards of smoking.214, DLF South Court Mall (1st Floor), Saket, New Delhi - 110017
Optical Sensors Market Growth with Worldwide Industry Analysis to 2025

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Global Optical Sensors Market: OverviewOptical sensors convert light rays into electronic signals, which are readable by an instrument. For their proper functioning, they are often connected to an electrical trigger. They can sense and measure the changes in one or several light beams. When a change occurs, these sensors operate as a photoelectric trigger and thus, regulate the electrical output. Optical sensors are gaining popularity due to their benefits over traditional sensors.Global Optical Sensors Market: Key TrendsTechnological advancements in the field of optical sensors have been playing a vital role in the growth of the global market. These sensors are being increasingly used for various advanced capabilities in smart homes, including occupancy sensing, perimeter security or touchless controls, smart heating and lighting, presence detection, smart appliances, and gesture recognition. Moreover, the increasing demand for residential and commercial surveillance systems owing to the rising security concerns among individuals is providing a fillip to the global optical sensors market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the flip side, the high installation cost of these sensors along with the lack of standardization is limiting their widespread adoption across different industries. Furthermore, the lack of awareness regarding their merits is hampering the growth of the market.Global Optical Sensors Market: Market PotentialKey players in the global optical sensors market are paying high attention to technological advancements and product innovation. They are focusing towards introducing products that are in line with customer requirements. Such strategies are likely to revolutionize the market in the foreseeable future. To put this in perspective, gesture recognition is a rapidly emerging user interface method in many verticals. In June 2016, Analog Devices Inc. announced the addition of an optical sensor, ADUX1020, for gesture recognition to their portfolio. This sensor reduces design complexity and cost and enhances reliability and sensing accuracy by measuring a subjects gestures, proximity, and position.Another area manufacturers are likely to capitalize on is robotics. In December 2016, engineers at Cornell University in New York developed a soft robotic hand that uses optical sensors. The incorporation of these sensors allows the machine hand to sense subtle textures and shapes. Researchers and industrial experts claim that the technology can be used to develop better prosthetic limbs, train surgeons, and upgrade the assembly line of various products. Hence, such developments are anticipated to boost the uptake of optical sensors over the forthcoming years.Request TOC of the Report @Global Optical Sensors Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key regions analyzed in the global optical sensors market are Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific will be a prominent destination for international players during the review period. The burgeoning demand for handheld and other consumer electronic devices is escalating the growth of the region. Emerging countries such as India, China, and South Korea are expected to be at the forefront of the growth of the region. North America will account for a large share in the revenue pie of the market, primarily due to the increasing implementation of optical sensors in factory automation and smart control systems in the U.S.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Optical Sensors Market: Competitive LandscapeKey players in the global optical sensors market are focusing towards strategic collaborations with leaders in the semiconductor and automation industries in order to consolidate their presence in the arena. Companies are investing hefty amounts in the development of innovative products to offer better solutions in harsh environment conditions in the industrial and oil and gas sectors. Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are Analog Devices, ABB, Broadcom, Baumer Group, Eaton, Emcore, Robert Bosch, Omron, STMicroelectronics, and Sick AG.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Position Sensor Market : Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends, 2017 - 2025

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Global Position Sensor Market: OverviewNeedless to explain its primary function, a position sensor helps to detect the position of an object from or to a fixed point. Position sensor provides the much important positional feedback for automobiles and robots. One of the easiest to use and most inexpensive types of position sensor is potentiometer. Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), on the other hand, is an inductive position sensor that is less likely to undergo mechanical wear problems. The movement of an object can be detected in both angles and a straight line with the help of rotational and linear sensors respectively.Global Position Sensor Market: Key TrendsThe analysts foresee the growth of the world position sensor market to gain a strong momentum on the back of an enlarging adoption in the aerospace sector, incorporation into modern automobiles, and mounting investment in manufacturing infrastructure. This growth in the world position market is expected to be propelled by the rising trend in robotics application and industrial automation.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Vendors looking to earn grander business opportunities in the world position sensor market could be benefited by vital applications in robotic construction. The wheels as well as the moving arms of a robot can be assessed with position feedback received from position sensors. This can significantly reduce errors and better the efficiency of the robot during its operations. The demand in the world position sensor market is anticipated to be bolstered further with a telling increase in the adoption of robotics in different sectors.However, vendors could be challenged by the lack in the capability of procedures used to evaluate the performance of position sensors. Nevertheless, advancement in technology and the advent of innovative and improved procedures are predicted to address the challenge in the world position sensor market.Global Position Sensor Market: Market PotentialThe functions of a position sensor in automobiles are crucial. Any malfunction in its position sensor can cause the automobile to come to a complete stop or break down. A similar situation has been identified with the position sensor of Toyotas 2017 pickup truck Tacoma. The company is set to recall approximately 32,000 Tacoma pickup trucks in the U.S. on account of their possibility to stall without a warning. The recall concerns Tacomas from the model years 20162017 with V-6 engines.Request TOC of the Report @Toyota believes that the malfunction of crank position sensor in the Tacomas could have occurred because of immoderate anti-corrosion coating applied during the production of engine crankshaft timing rotor. Company dealers are expected to replace the faulty crank position sensors for free.Global Position Sensor Market: Regional OutlookFor the forecast period 20172025, the Asia Pacific position sensor market could record a larger share owing to a snowballing demand in automotive applications. Besides this, Asia Pacific is considered as the heart of most established markets such as automotive and consumer electronics in the world. The rise in investment in these sectors in key countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India is envisaged to set the tone for an impressive growth in the international position sensor market. As a worldwide manufacturing hub, China is foreseen to showcase a substantial potential for growth in the manufacturing sector. The growth of the China position sensor market could be fueled with the surge in industrial automation.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Position Sensor Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the popular players operating in the worldwide position sensor market could be TE Connectivity Ltd., ams AG, Renishaw plc, MTS Systems Corporation, and Honeywell International, Inc. Mergers and acquisitions and new product development are envisioned to be critical business strategies fleshing out in the worldwide position sensor market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Banknote Counters Market Report 2017

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Banknote Counters Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the EMEA Banknote Counters 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Banknote Counters for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Banknote Counters market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Banknote Counters sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingSemaconTellermateAmrotecVolumaticCassidaMaxsellBillconLaurelGloryMagnerEnter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoStanding Type Banknote CountersDesktop Type Banknote CountersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Banknote Counters for each application, includingFinancial InstitutionMedical InstitutionHouseholdOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Browse Market Research Report @Table of Contents1 Banknote Counters Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Banknote Counters1.2 Classification of Banknote Counters1.2.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 EMEA Banknote Counters Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Standing Type Banknote Counters1.2.4 Desktop Type Banknote Counters1.3 EMEA Banknote Counters Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-20221.3.2 Financial Institution1.3.3 Medical Institution1.3.4 Household1.3.5 Other1.4 EMEA Banknote Counters Market by Region1.4.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Middle East Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Africa Status and Prospect (2012-2022)2 EMEA Banknote Counters Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Market Share of Major Players (2012-2017)2.1.2 EMEA Banknote Counters Revenue and Share by Players (2012-2017)2.1.3 EMEA Banknote Counters Sale Price by Players (2012-2017)2.2 EMEA Banknote Counters (Volume and Value) by Type/Product Category2.2.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 EMEA Banknote Counters Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.3 EMEA Banknote Counters Sale Price by Type (2012-2017)2.3 EMEA Banknote Counters (Volume) by Application2.4 EMEA Banknote Counters (Volume and Value) by Region2.4.1 EMEA Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.2 EMEA Banknote Counters Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.3 EMEA Banknote Counters Sales Price by Region (2012-2017)3 Europe Banknote Counters (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application3.1 Europe Banknote Counters Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 Europe Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 Europe Banknote Counters Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.2 Europe Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Type3.3 Europe Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Application3.4 Europe Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries3.4.1 Europe Banknote Counters Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)3.4.2 Europe Banknote Counters Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)3.4.3 Germany Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.4 France Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.5 UK Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.6 Russia Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.7 Italy Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.8 Benelux Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4 Middle East Banknote Counters (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application4.1 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 Middle East Banknote Counters Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.2 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Type4.3 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Application4.4 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries4.4.1 Middle East Banknote Counters Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)4.4.2 Middle East Banknote Counters Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.4 Israel Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.5 UAE Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.6 Iran Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5 Africa Banknote Counters (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application5.1 Africa Banknote Counters Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Africa Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Africa Banknote Counters Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.2 Africa Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Type5.3 Africa Banknote Counters Sales and Market Share by Application5.4 Africa Banknote Counters Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries5.4.1 Africa Banknote Counters Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)5.4.2 Africa Banknote Counters Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)5.4.3 South Africa Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.4 Nigeria Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.5 Egypt Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.6 Algeria Banknote Counters Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6 EMEA Banknote Counters Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data6.1 Semacon6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Banknote Counters Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Product A6.1.2.2 Product B6.1.3 Semacon Banknote Counters Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Tellermate6.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.2.2 Banknote Counters Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Product A6.2.2.2 Product B6.2.3 Tellermate Banknote Counters Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Amrotec6.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.3.2 Banknote Counters Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Product A6.3.2.2 Product B6.3.3 Amrotec Banknote Counters Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Report 2017

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingRobert BoschSTMicroelectronicsTexas InstrumentsHewlett-Packard CompanyKnowles ElectronicsCanon IncDenso CorporationPanasonic CorporationAvago TechnologiesFreescale SemiconductorInvenSenseAnalog DevicesSensata TechnologiesTriQuint SemiconductorSeiko Epson CorporationEnter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSensing MEMSBio MEMSOptical MEMSRadio Frequency MEMSOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for each application, includingInkjet PrintersAutomotiveTiresMedicalElectronic EquipmentIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Obtain Report Details @Table of Contents1 Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)1.2 Classification of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)1.2.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Sensing MEMS1.2.4 Bio MEMS1.2.5 Optical MEMS1.2.6 Radio Frequency MEMS1.3 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-20221.3.2 Inkjet Printers1.3.3 Automotive1.3.4 Tires1.3.5 Medical1.3.6 Electronic Equipment1.4 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market by Region1.4.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Middle East Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Africa Status and Prospect (2012-2022)2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Market Share of Major Players (2012-2017)2.1.2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Share by Players (2012-2017)2.1.3 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sale Price by Players (2012-2017)2.2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume and Value) by Type/Product Category2.2.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.3 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sale Price by Type (2012-2017)2.3 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume) by Application2.4 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume and Value) by Region2.4.1 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.2 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.3 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Price by Region (2012-2017)3 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application3.1 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.2 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Type3.3 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Application3.4 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries3.4.1 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)3.4.2 Europe Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)3.4.3 Germany Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.4 France Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.5 UK Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.6 Russia Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.7 Italy Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.4.8 Benelux Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application4.1 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.2 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Type4.3 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Application4.4 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries4.4.1 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)4.4.2 Middle East Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.4 Israel Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.5 UAE Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.4.6 Iran Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application5.1 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.2 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Type5.3 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Market Share by Application5.4 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume and Value (Revenue) by Countries5.4.1 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales Volume by Countries (2012-2017)5.4.2 Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Revenue by Countries (2012-2017)5.4.3 South Africa Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.4 Nigeria Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.5 Egypt Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.4.6 Algeria Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6 EMEA Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data6.1 Robert Bosch6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Product A6.1.2.2 Product B6.1.3 Robert Bosch Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 STMicroelectronics6.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.2.2 Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Product A6.2.2.2 Product B6.2.3 STMicroelectronics Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Texas Instruments6.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.3.2 Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Product A6.3.2.2 Product B6.3.3 Texas Instruments Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global and United States Natural Language Processing Market Status and Forecast by Players, Types and Applications 2017-2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "2017-2022 Natural Language Processing Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the Natural Language Processing 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 Natural Language Processing market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Natural Language Processing 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.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @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 Natural Language Processing. 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 Natural Language Processing in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaThe major players in global and United States Natural Language Processing market, including Swiftkey, Maluuba, IBM, Linguamatics, Apiumhub, NetBase, MindMeld, FiscalNote, Narrative Science.The On the basis of product, the Natural Language Processing market is primarily split intoVoice RecognitionText PredictionSocial Media AnalysisEcommerce AnalysisOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversCommercial UseIndustrial UseEducationResearchOthersTable of Contents2017-2022 Natural Language Processing 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 Natural Language Processing Market Overview2.1 Natural Language Processing Product Overview2.2 Natural Language Processing Market Segment by Type2.2.1 Voice Recognition2.2.2 Text Prediction2.2.3 Social Media Analysis2.2.4 Ecommerce Analysis2.3 Global Natural Language Processing Product Segment by Type2.3.1 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Growth (%) by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.3.2 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.3 Global Natural Language Processing Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.4 Global Natural Language Processing Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)2.4 United States Natural Language Processing Product Segment by Type2.4.1 United States Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Growth by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.4.2 United States Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.3 United States Natural Language Processing Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.4 United States Natural Language Processing Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)3 Natural Language Processing Application/End Users3.1 Natural Language Processing Segment by Application/End Users3.1.1 Commercial Use3.1.2 Industrial Use3.1.3 Education3.1.4 Research3.1.5 Others3.2 Global Natural Language Processing Product Segment by Application3.2.1 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.2.2 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)3.3 United States Natural Language Processing Product Segment by Application3.3.1 United States Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.3.2 United States Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)4 Natural Language Processing Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1 Global Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1.1 Global Natural Language Processing 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 Natural Language Processing Sales and Revenue by Regions4.2.1 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.2 Global Natural Language Processing Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.3 Global Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.4 North America Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.5 Europe Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.6 Asia-Pacific Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.7 South America Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.2.8 Middle East and Africa Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.9 United States Natural Language Processing Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (2012-2017)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Lime Market Analysis, Size, Share, Top Manufacturer, Segments, Growth, Trends, And Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Lime is derived from heating limestone. Lime has basically two product type: quick lime and slaked lime. Manufacturing of lime involves several processes such as pulverizing, crushing, hydrating, and heating. Lime is used in various industries such as chemical, metallurgical, construction, environmental, agriculture, etc. It is used as flux in steel manufacturing to remove impurities such as sulfur, silica, and phosphorus. Lime is one of the key raw materials used in construction. Due to its anti-stripping and binding properties it is highly preferred in construction industry.Global Lime Market: Drivers and TrendsRising construction industry is therefore expected to propel the lime market during the forecast period. Demand for lime is projected to increase significantly in the next few years owing to the rise in demand for lime in chemical intermediated segment. It is used in the production of various chemicals including calcium carbide, sodium alkali, citric acid, cyanimide, and petrochemicals. Increase in Demand in Wastewater Treatment is also anticipated to boost the overall market of lime during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominates the lime market in terms of production and demand. Countries such as China, India, and Japan, are expected to be the key consumers of lime. Europe is the second largest consuming region. Air pollution is one of the major factors expected to hamper the lime market during the forecast period. Also, availability of alternatives materials is anticipated to adversely affect the lime market in the next few years.Request To Get The Sample Copy Of This report @This report analyzes and forecasts the market for lime at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (Million Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global lime market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for lime during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the lime market at the global and regional level.Global Lime Market: Research MethodologiesThe report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global lime market. Porters Five Forces model for the lime market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein product type and end-use are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, European Lime Association, International Lime Association , USGS Mineral Information, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Hoovers, oneSOURCE, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.View More @We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Global Lime Market: SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the global lime market by segmenting it in terms of product type (Quick lime, Slaked lime & others) and end-use such as chemical intermediates, metallurgical, construction, environmental, and others (agriculture, glass, paper and pulp, etc.). These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for lime in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The report provides the actual market size of lime for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of lime has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in Million tons, while market revenue is in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on product type and end-use of lime. Market size and forecast have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country level markets.Key Players Mentioned in the Report are:In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global lime market. The global lime market is highly fragmented. Key players include Carmeuse, Graymont, Lhoist, Mississippi Lime, Cheney Lime & Cement Company, Pete Lien & Sons, Inc., Cape Lime (Pty) Ltd, Nordkalk, Linwood Mining & Minerals Corporation, Sigma Minerals Ltd., Valley Minerals LLC, United States Lime & Minerals Inc., Cornish Lime, Brookville Manufacturing and Minerals Technologies amongst other manufacturers. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The global lime market has been segmented as follows:Lime Market: Product Type AnalysisQuick Lime LimeSlaked LimeOthersLime Market: End-use AnalysisChemical IntermediatesMetallurgicalConstructionEnvironmentOthers (agriculture, glass, paper and pulp, etc.)Lime Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.ItalyFranceGermanyRest Of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaASEANJapanRest Of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of South AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEAMarketResearchReports.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
Global Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2015

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Market Report: 2015 Edition" to its huge collection of research reports.Cardiac rhythm management (CRM) is a well-established segment of the cardiology devices market. CRM majorly consists of devices such as Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD), implantable pacemakers, and other CRM monitoring devices. Cardiac rhythm management devices are commonly used for the treatment of arrhythmias specifically superventricular arrhythmias (SVA) and ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and heart failure.Cardiovascular device manufacturers are looking to capitalize growth in emerging economies, such as China, Brazil and India to offset declining growth they are experiencing in the US and Western markets. Factors such as rapidly increasing aging population, growing focus of multinational companies on emerging markets, improving and modernizing healthcare infrastructure, and huge burden of cardiovascular disease are propelling the growth of CRM market. The introduction of remote home-monitoring in emerging markets promises to make dramatic changes. It will decrease the number of patient hospital visits, a particularly attractive feature for customers living in remote regions far from access to healthcare.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The population requiring CRM therapy continues to grow as a result of increasing incidences of arrhythmia and heart failure due to the prevalence of serious risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. However, lack of awareness about sudden cardiac arrests, issues related to the use of defibrillator devices (external and implantable), and mounting regulatory and pricing pressures are hindering the growth of this market.The report, Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Market: 2015 Edition analyzes the fundamentals and development of global cardiac rhythm management market globally and in the US. It also analyzes the major segments of the market  ICD and pacemaker. Apart from providing a competitive landscape of the market, the report also profiles the major companies including Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific and St. Jude medical along with a discussion of their key financials and business strategies.Table of Content1. CRM: An Overview1.1 An Introduction1.2 CRM Devices1.2.1 Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs)1.2.2 Pacemaker2. Cardiac Rhythm Management Market2.1 Global Market Size- Market Value- Annual/Quarterly Growth- US/Outside US Market Breakdown- US Market Growth2.1.1 Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICD) Market- Market Value- US/Outside US Market Breakdown2.1.2 Pacing Systems Market- Market Value- US/Outside US Market Breakdown3. Market Dynamics3.1 Key Trends3.1.1 Biventricular Therapy Growth3.1.2 Increasing Demand from Emerging Markets3.1.3 Shift towards Primary Prevention3.1.4 ICD Procedure Growth Trend3.1.5 Increased Adoption of Subcutaneous ICD3.2.6 ICD, CRT-D, PPM Implant Volume Trend3.2.7 ICD, CRT-D, PPM Implant Pricing Trend3.2 Growth Drivers3.2.1 Rising Ageing Population3.2.2 Rising Obese Population3.2.3 Rise in Consumption of Alcohol and Tobacco3.2.4 Global Economic Development3.2.5 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure3.2.6 Increasing Incidence of Arrhythmia and Heart Failure3.3 Challenges3.3.1 Regulatory Issues3.3.2 Environment Issues3.3.3 Mounting Pricing Pressures3.4 Significant Developments3.4.1 Advanced Subcutaneous-ICDs (S-ICDs)3.4.2 Leadless Pacemaker3.4.3 Attain Performa Quadripolar Lead and Viva Quad CRT-Ds by Medtronic3.4.4 Pacemaker with Options for Magnetic Resonance Imaging4. Competitive Landscape4.1 Global Competitive Scenario4.1.1 CRM Market4.1.2 ICD Market4.1.3 Pacemaker Market4.2 Competitive Scenario: The US4.2.1 CRM Market4.2.2 ICD Market4.2.3 Pacemaker Market5. Company Profiles5.1 Medtronic Inc.5.1.1 Business Overview5.1.2 Financial Overview5.1.3 Business Strategies- Focus on Research & Development- Strategic Acquisitions & Investments5.2 Boston Scientific5.2.1 Business Overview5.2.2 Financial Overview5.2.3 Business Strategies- Growth through Innovation- Expansion in Emerging Markets5.3 St. Jude Medical5.3.1 Business Overview5.3.2 Financial Overview5.3.3 Business Strategies- Strategic Acquisitions- Innovation through Research & DevelopmentMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Latest Survey Reveals Global Glucose Monitoring Market Report 2015 | Researchmoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Glucose Monitoring Market Report: 2015 Edition" to its huge collection of research reports.Diabetes, often referred to as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the bodys cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. The high blood sugar produces the symptoms of frequent urination (polyuria), increased thirst (polydipsia), and increased hunger (polyphagia). Diabetes can cause acute complications which include diabetic ketoacidosis and nonketotic hyperosmolar coma. Serious long-term complications include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, foot ulcers and damage to the eyes.Blood Glucose Monitoring refers to the way of testing the concentration of glucose in the blood (glycemia). Monitoring blood sugar levels is an essential part of diabetes care, as waiting for symptoms of extremely high or low blood sugar levels can result in life threatening situations. Blood sugar monitoring is done with devices which obtain a drop of blood from a finger prick, which is then analyzed on a reagent strip. The test is generally referred to as capillary blood glucose.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The key factors which are anticipated to drive the market include factors like increasing aging population, rising healthcare expenditure, increasing urbanization, obese population and awareness about blood glucose monitoring. Some of the noteworthy developments of this industry include sedentary lifestyle, increasing prevalence of diabetes, among others. However, the growth of respective industry is hindered by the barriers of regulatory risk, intense competition, and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, among others.This report offers a comprehensive analysis of the global glucose monitoring industry. Furthermore, market dynamics such as key trends and development; and challenges are analyzed in depth. On the contention front, the global glucose monitoring market is reined by few major players namely, Johnson and Johnson, Bayer, Roche and Abbott. The competitive landscape of the respective market, along with the company profiles of the leading players are also discussed in detail.By combining SPSS Inc.s data integration and analysis capabilities with our relevant findings, we have predicted the future of the market. We employed various significant variables that have an impact on this industry and created regression models with SPSS Base to determine the future direction of the industry. Before deploying the regression model, the relationship between several independent variables and the dependent variable was analyzed using standard SPSS output, including charts, tables and tests.Table of Content1. Introduction1.1 Diabetes1.2 Blood Glucose Monitoring2. Market Analysis2.1 Global Diabetes Devices Market- Market Overview- Market Segmentation2.2 Global Glucose Monitoring Market2.2.1 Traditional Glucose Monitoring Market- Market Value- Regional Breakdown2.2.2 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Market- Market Value- Regional Breakdown- Market Opportunity by Region2.3 The US Glucose Monitoring Market- Market Value- CGM PenetrationGrowth of Type 1 CGM Users3. Market Dynamics3.1 Key Trends3.1.1 Sedentary Lifestyle3.1.2 Increasing Prevalence of Diabetes in Children3.1.3 Growing Number of Global Diabetic Patients3.1.4 Finger Stick Replacement  A potential Game-Changer3.1.5 CGM Recommendation Gaining Importance Worldwide3.2 Significant Developments3.2.1 FreeStyle Libre Launched by Abbott3.2.2 Dexcom Launched G4 PLATINUM CGM3.2.3 Accu-Check Nano SmartView Launched by Roche3.2.4 Wearable Semi-Invasive Blood Sampling Devices for CGM3.3 Growth Drivers3.3.1 Accelerating Aging Population3.3.2 Increasing Urbanization3.3.3 Rising Obese Population3.3.4 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure3.3.5 Awareness about Glucose Monitoring3.4 Challenges3.4.1 Intense Competition3.4.2 Regulatory Risk3.4.3 Non-invasive Glucose Monitoring3.4.4 Inadequate Reimbursement and Coverage4. Competitive Landscape- Market Share- Device Comparison5. Company Profiles5.1 Johnson and Johnson5.1.1 Business Overview5.1.2 Financial Overview5.1.3 Business Strategies- Creating Value through Innovation- Increasing Global Reach5.2 Abbott Laboratories5.2.1 Business Overview5.2.2 Financial Overview5.2.3 Business Strategies- Business Diversification- Expansion through Acquisitions5.3 Roche Holdings AG5.3.1 Business Overview5.3.2 Financial Overview5.3.3 Business Strategies- Strengthening through Acquisitions- Ceaseless Focus on R&D5.4 Bayer AG5.4.1 Business Overview5.4.2 Financial Overview5.4.3 Business Strategies- Expanding Product Portfolio- Step up Investment in R&D6. Market Outlook6.1 Market Forecast6.2 Forecast Methodology6.2.1 Dependent and Independent Variables6.2.2 Correlation Analysis6.2.3 Regression AnalysisMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Caribbean Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Digital Media Market Statistics and Analyses Research Report

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Caribbean - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Digital Media - Statistics and Analyses" to its huge collection of research reports.Caribbean operators ramp up investments in LTE and GPON fibre servicesThe telecoms sector is one of the Caribbean regions major growth sectors, particularly in the mobile telephony and data segments. Although there are a number of smaller players operating, the sector is dominated by Digicel group and by Liberty Global, which acquired the long-time operator Cable & Wireless Communications and with it the network operator Columbus Communications. As a result, both actively compete against in other in a large number of countries in the region, and their fixed-line and mobile infrastructure assets allow them to provide bundled packages to customers.Digicels key offering, Digicel Play, is available in a growing number of markets. The company has concentrated investments in fibre networks and in LTE. In May 2017 it launched LTE services across Bermuda, the latest island to benefit from these investment efforts.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The regions economy has largely recovered from the downturn experienced after the 2008 GFC. The recovery of economies in the US and Europe was crucial for the recovery of the tourism sector, on which many countries rely for a good proportion of revenue. Trinidad & Tobago has a particularly vulnerable economy, since it is the regions largest oil and gas exporter. The country has also become a major financial centre in the Caribbean. It is one of two countries in the region which is not part of Venezuelas Petro-Caribe scheme that provides preferential or deferred payment options for buying oil.There have been ongoing changes in telecoms regulations across the region, with national regulators focussed on efforts to improve competition and to facilitate investment. In the Bahamas the regulator, the PUC, activated Mobile Number Portability in April 2017, allowing mobile subscribers to port their numbers between BTC and Cable Bahamas newly formed mobile unit Aliv within two hours of a request being made. Cable Bahamas expected that with MNP in place Aliv could capture a 30% share of the mobile market by the end of 2017.In the Cayman Islands, which has the highest teledensity in the region, the regulator ICTA which was set up in 2002 was replaced by a new regulatory body, the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg), in January 2017. This new body combined ICTA with the Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Cayman Petroleum Inspectorate.Key developments:- Digicel Bermuda launches island-wide LTE services;- Bahamas regulator introduces MNP;- Digicel showcases 100Gb/s technology on its Barbados network;- Bahamas seen launch of Cable Bahamas mobile unit Activ;- Digicel expands Digicel Play to new markets;- New telecom regulator formed for Cayman Islands;- Dominican Republics government delays adopting full digital terrestrial TV until 2021;- Digicel Group launches Digicel 2030 transformation program;- ECTEL continues to promote net neutrality rules;- Sprint and Open Wireless combine their businesses in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.- Companies mentioned in this report:Cable & Wireless, LIME, Flow, Liberty Global, Digicel Group, Orange Caraibes, United Telecommunications Services (UTS), KeyTech.Table of Contents1. Regional overview1.1 Telecommunications market1.1.1 Overview1.2 Regulatory environment1.2.1 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)1.2.2 Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)1.2.3 Caribbean Community (CARICOM)1.2.4 Association of Caribbean States (ACS)1.2.5 Telecom sector liberalisation1.2.6 Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO)1.3 Major telecom operators in the Caribbean1.3.1 Flow (Cable & Wireless/Liberty Global)1.3.2 Digicel1.4 Company timeline1.5 Review of Digicels markets1.6 Digicels financial performance1.7 Telecommunications infrastructure1.7.1 Submarine cable systems1.8 Broadband market1.8.1 Overview1.9 Mobile communications1.9.1 Overview1.9.2 Mobile statistics2. Anguilla3. Antigua and Barbuda3.1 Mobile market4. Aruba5. Bahamas5.1 Mobile5.1.1 Second and third mobile licenses5.2 Internet5.3 Submarine cables6. Barbados6.1 Market background6.2 Mobile6.3 InternetMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
NFC Chips Market Size, Share, Top Manufacturer, Growth, Trends And Forecast By 2024 : NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), Texas instrument (U.S), Qualcomm Inc. (U.S.)

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Near Field communication (NFC) chips systems are communicating device that are ideal for electronic applications and are capable of identifying the radio frequency identifying technology. Dispensing technology have been widely accepted since 2004 and the further technological advancements have led to evolution of shorter range radio identification technologies between two devices. This advancements helps in facilitating safer data transfer. A key trend that has been observed in the recent past years is growing demand of NFC chips among consumer electronics manufacturer, which is a key driver during the forecast period of 2016-2024.A surge in demand for smart phones across the globe is driving the demand for NFC chips in global market. This technology is being deployed in electronics to increase and boost contactless safe data transfer. Consumer electronics manufacturers are increasing their demand for NFC chips overtime, this factor acts as a major driving factor for future demand of NFC chips. Additionally, rapid technological advancements in radio frequency identification are fueling the growth of the global market.The government initiatives as well as private investments in research & devolvement of NFC chip technology are supplementing the growth of the market. Thus, the conjoint effect of all these drivers is set to strengthen the growth of the global NFC chip market in the coming years. NFC chips are sometimes of very complex design is expected to hindering the growth for NFC chips during the forecast period. Simpler version of NFC chips designs as an alternative to traditional complex product design is required for wider application usability. Furthermore, cost effectiveness and simplicity to install in devices is boosting the growth of this product market.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report @Global NFC Chips Market: SegmentationThe global market has been segmented in the basis of application, storage, end users and geography. By application, the global NFC chip market has been broadly classified into smartphone, television, medical equipment, car and others. On the basis of storage NFC chip has been further sub-divided into 64 Bytes, 168 Bytes, 180 Bytes, 540 Bytes and others. Furthermore, end users of NFC chip has been fragmented into consumer electronics, automotive, retail, medical, and aviation among others. By geography, this market has been segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Growing popularity in end-user industries such as medical, automotive, retail, and aviation among others coupled with healthy economic growth of emerging economies are offering potential growth opportunities to the global NFC chip market. NFC chips have been extensively used in healthcare sector such as NFC based diabetes monitoring system, NFC for heart monitoring devices, medical implants, and medical data storage devices among others are expected to gain popularity across several end user application is set to boost the market growth in the coming years.View More @Global NFC Chips Market: Competitive AnalysisThe key players in the global NFC chip market have been competitively profiled across the five broad geographic regions. This competitive landscape is inclusive of the various business strategies adopted by these major players and their recent developments in the field of NFC chip. Further, this report includes the market attractiveness analysis of the electronics applications for offering and insight into the major application area of the NFC chip.An exhaustive analysis of the market dynamics of the global market that is inclusive of the market drivers, restraints and opportunities is covered under the purview of the study. Therefore, the global high resolution dispensing systems and equipment market report offers and extensive study of the market along with providing the forecast of the market in terms of revenue (USD Million) and volume (Units) from 20162024. Some of the major players operating in the NFC chip market are NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), Texas instrument (U.S), Qualcomm Inc. (U.S.), among others.The global NFC chips market has been segmented into:By ApplicationSmart phoneTelevisionMedical equipmentCarOthersBy Storage Capacity64 Bytes168 Bytes180 Bytes540 BytesOthersBy End UsersConsumer ElectronicsAutomotiveRetailMedicalAviationOthersBy GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaMarketResearchReports.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
Acetylcysteine Market Analysis, Market Size, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecasts, 2022

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Acetylcysteine, also known as N-acetylcysteine (NAC), is a modified amino acid that is used as an antidote for acetaminophen overdose to prevent hepatic injury. Acetylcysteine is a hepatoprotective agent and has not been linked to significant serum enzyme elevations during therapy or to instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.Get a Sample of Acetylcysteine Market research report from Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Acetylcysteine in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:Zambon, Moehs, Pharmazell, Nippon Rika, Chengyi Pharma, Wuhan Grand Hoyo, Manus Aktteva BiopharmaMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Browse full Report with table of contents and data tables For Acetylcysteine Market Report @Market Segment by Type, covers:Type 1, Type 2Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Medicine, Nutritional Supplements, OtherThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Acetylcysteine Market.Chapter 1, to describe Acetylcysteine Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Acetylcysteine, with sales, revenue, and price of Acetylcysteine, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Acetylcysteine, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Acetylcysteine market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Acetylcysteine sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceCheck for Discount @Some points from TOC:-1 Market Overview1.1 Acetylcysteine Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Medicine1.3.2 Nutritional Supplements1.3.3 Other1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022) ..ContinuedFor more help Speak to our Experts @No. of Report Pages: 123Price of Report (Single User Licence): $3480GIR Market Research 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. GIR Market Research 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 worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
Global Mouth Rinse Sales Market 2017 Top Players - Johnson & Johnson, Hawley & Hazel, GSK, Jason Natural, Lotus Brands

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To begin with, the report defines the Mouth Rinse Sales market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets, and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.Download Free Sample Report @The reports analysis is based on technical data and industry figures sourced from the most reputable databases. Other aspects that will prove especially beneficial to readers of the report are: investment feasibility analysis, recommendations for growth, investment return analysis, trends analysis, opportunity analysis, and SWOT analyses of competing companies. With the help of inputs and insights from technical and marketing experts, the report presents an objective assessment of the Mouth Rinse Sales market.This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, Downstream client survey, Marketing channels, Industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Mouth Rinse Sales new project SWOT analysis, Investment feasibility analysis, Investment return analysis, and Development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Mouth Rinse Sales industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Mouth Rinse Sales industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.Access Full Report @This report not only provides a complete picture of the overall condition of the Mouth Rinse Sales market, but also assists the players in this market to create profitable market strategies in order to gain a competitive edge.Table of ContentsGlobal Mouth Rinse Sales Market Report 20171 Mouth Rinse Sales Overview2 Global Mouth Rinse Sales Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application3 United States Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Mouth Rinse Sales (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Mouth Rinse Sales Manufacturers Analysis10 Mouth Rinse Sales Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Mouth Rinse Sales Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 Appendix16.1 Methodology16.2 Analyst Introduction16.3 Data SourceAbout Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Rising Demand For Cosmetic Skin Care Global Market Among Health And Environment Conscious Consumers From 2016 - 2024

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Rising Demand For Cosmetic Skin Care Global Market Among Health And Environment Conscious Consumers From 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.The global cosmetic skin care market is primarily driven by rising demand for natural active ingredients based cosmetics that are finding favor among health and environment conscious consumers. Growth in the cosmetic skin care market is expected to be fuelled by the continuous innovation and development of more effective anti-aging and sun protection products in the upcoming future. The trend toward natural products is projected to create prospective market opportunities for natural and active cosmetic ingredients such as enzymes, botanical extracts, and amino acids. In addition, the demand for cosmetic skin care market is on the rise with growing interest in grooming among the young generation in different countries across the world Youngsters opt for skin brightening or skin whitening creams or lotions. The changing lifestyles of consumers in developing markets, increase in per capita income, and rising awareness about beautification are also contributing to the growth of the overall cosmetic skin care industry which in turn benefits cosmetic skin care product manufacturers. However, growing health concerns and various government restrictions are lowering the usage of synthetic antioxidants such as BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) in cosmetic products across the European countries.Under the scope of the report, the global cosmetic skin care market is divided into three segments: (i) by product (ii) by application and (iii) by geography.In terms of products, the cosmetic skin care market has been segmented into anti-aging cosmetic products, skin whitening cosmetic products, sensitive skin care products, anti acne products, dry skin care products, warts removal products, infant skin care products, anti-scars solution products, mole removal products, and multi utility products. The multi utility cosmetic skin care products segment includes BB cream (Beauty Balm), CC (Color Correcting) cream, DD (Daily Defense) cream, 7 in 1 skin care cream and solutions. In terms of revenue, anti-aging cream segment held the largest share of the global cosmetic skin care products market in 2015 due to its diversified applications, whereas multi utility skin care cosmetics are expected to be the fastest growing product segment. On the basis of application, the market is bifurcated into stem cells protection against UV, flakiness reduction, rehydrate the skins surface, minimize wrinkles, increase the viscosity of aqueous solutions in skin, and others. Others application segment includes removal of black patches and darkness, minimize scars of acne, mole and warts and infant skin care among others.Increasing problem of early signs of aging and changing lifestyle is fueling the demand for cosmetic skin care products. Moreover, rising number of retail outlets and strengthening retail network is anticipated to be the most prominent drivers for the global cosmetic skin care market. Based on geography, the global cosmetic skin care market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Each region is further segregated into major country to draw attention to the respective market share of cosmetic skin care in each country. In 2015, Asia Pacific held the largest share of the cosmetic skin care market followed by Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific is largest cosmetic skin care market. However, Middle East and Africa is expected to be the fastest growing region during the next eight years. In addition, Asia Pacific is expected to maintain its leading position during the forecast period. Globally, Asia Pacific is the leading market for cosmetic skin care products due to significant growth in retail sales driven by the huge population in the region and is projected to hold its position over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @In this report, detail analysis of major driving factors along with key restraints and opportunities (DROs) of the cosmetic skin care market are covered. The research study analyzed the ongoing market trends and provides details forecast for the period from 2016 to 2024. The study covers all major developed as well as developing countries globally. The size and forecast for these markets for the period from 2016 to 2024 has been provided in the report. The report also provides the company market share analysis of key players operating in the cosmetic skin care industry. Some of the key players in this market include L'Oreal S.A., Unilever PLC, Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf AG, Avon Products Inc., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Kao Corporation, and The Body Shop International PLC among others.The scope of the study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the stakeholder strategies and winning imperatives for them by segmenting the global cosmetic skin care market as below:Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market, Product AnalysisAnti-Aging Cosmetic ProductsSkin Whitening Cosmetic ProductsSensitive Skin Care ProductsAnti-Acne ProductsDry Skin Care ProductsWarts Removal ProductsInfant Skin Care ProductsAnti-Scars Solution ProductsMole Removal ProductsMulti Utility ProductsGlobal Cosmetic Skin Care Market, Application AnalysisStem Cells Protection against UVFlakiness ReductionRehydrate the skins surfaceMinimize wrinklesIncrease the viscosity of AqueousOthersIn addition the report provides cross-sectional analysis of all the above segments with respect to the following geographical markets:Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.Rest of North AmericaEuropeGermanyItalyU.K.FranceMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Emeging Evolution : Research of Aseptic Packaging Market in Global Industry : Development and Forecast 2017-2024

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Albany, New York, June 13, 2017 : Aseptic packaging was introduced in the 1940s. The process was subsequently improvised to suit the needs of end-user industries. Aseptic packaging primarily includes paperboard, aluminum, polypropylene, calcium carbonate (by few manufacturers), borosilicate glass (for pharmaceutical packaging), and ethylene vinyl alcohol. The packages primarily consist of six to seven layers of the materials mentioned above. They are arranged in orderly fashion. Currently, food, beverages, and dairy are the key industries that employ aseptic packaging; however, the pharmaceutical industry leads the end-user segment. The aseptic packaging market is primarily dominated by Asia Pacific; it is followed by Europe and North America, due to the high growth of downstream industries in these regions.This report analyzes and forecasts the market for aseptic packaging at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global aseptic packaging market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for aseptic packaging during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the aseptic packaging market at the global and regional level.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global aseptic packaging market. Porters Five Forces model for the aseptic packaging market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-user industries are benchmarked based on their market revenue, growth rate, and general attractiveness.The study provides a decisive view of the global aseptic packaging market by segmenting it in terms of products such as carton; bags & pouches; bottles; vials; prefilled syringes & ampoules, and others. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for aseptic packaging in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers demand for individual products and end-user industries in all regions.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The report provides the estimated market size of aseptic packaging for 2016 and forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of aseptic packaging has been provided in terms of revenue. Market revenue has been defined in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on key products and end-user industries of aseptic packaging. Market size and forecast for products and end-user industries have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country level markets.In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, Plastemart magazine, TPE magazine, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Hoovers, oneSOURCE, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global aseptic packaging market. Key players in the aseptic packaging market include Tetra Pak, Sealed Air Corporation, Greatview Aseptic Packaging Co., Ltd., ELOPAK Group, Ecolean AB, Molopak, Schott AG, IPI, SIG Combibloc Group AG, and Dizaynpak Baski Ve Ambalaj Teknolojileri A.S. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The report segments the global aseptic packaging market as follows:Aseptic Packaging Market - Product AnalysisBottles (Glass, Plastic)CartonsVials, Prefilled Syringes & AmpoulesBags & PouchesOthers (Cups)Aseptic Packaging Market - End-user AnalysisFoodDairyBeveragesPharmaceuticalOthers (Personal Care, etc.)Make an Enquiry of this report @Aseptic Packaging Market - Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.MexicoCanadaEuropeFranceU.K.SpainGermanyItalyRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanASEANIndiaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEAResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Automotive Interior Leather Market Analysis, Market Size, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecasts, 2022

Automotive Interior Leather Market

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The material, leather, also include a wide range of resource. It is made by tanning of animal skin and rawhide. Leather also has a wide material resource, including cowhide, buffalo hide, hog skin, goat and sheep skin, dear skin, and other large amount origins of animal skins. The range of synthetic materials used in the leather goods industry is very wide.Get a Sample of Automotive Interior Leather Market research report from Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Automotive Interior Leather in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:Eagle Ottawa, GST AutoLeather, Bader GmbH, Boxmark, Kyowa Leather Cloth, Exco Technologies, Wollsdorf, JBS, Mingxin Leather, Scottish Leather Group, Couro Azul, D.K Leather Corporation, Elmo Sweden AB, Conneaut Leather Inc, Dani S.p.A.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)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Browse full Report with table of contents and data tables For Automotive Interior Leather Market Report @Market Segment by Type, covers:Genuine Leather, Synthetic LeatherMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Headliners, Seats, Door Trims, Consoles, OthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Automotive Interior Leather Market.Chapter 1, to describe Automotive Interior Leather Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Automotive Interior Leather, with sales, revenue, and price of Automotive Interior Leather, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Automotive Interior Leather, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Automotive Interior Leather market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Automotive Interior Leather sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceCheck for Discount @Some points from TOC:-1 Market Overview1.1 Automotive Interior Leather Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Genuine Leather1.2.2 Synthetic Leather1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Headliners1.3.2 Seats1.3.3 Door Trims1.3.4 Consoles1.3.5 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022) ..ContinuedFor more help Speak to our Experts @No. of Report Pages: 122Price of Report (Single User Licence): $3480GIR Market Research 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. GIR Market Research 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 worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
MEDI+SIGN Announces Dr. Thomas Dolan as New Advisory Board Member

www.medisigndisplays.com

MEDI+SIGN, a healthcare technology company that provides automated communication to the patients bedside, would like to officially welcome Thomas C. Dolan, Ph.D., FACHE, FASAE to the MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board.Dr. Dolan is President Emeritus of the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1991 to 2013. He has also held a variety of teaching, research and administrative positions at St. Louis University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Washington and the University of Iowa.Additionally, Dr. Dolan served as chair of the American Society of Association Executives, Association of University Programs in Health Administration, the Association Forum of Chicagoland, the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Institute for Diversity in Health Management. Also, he served as President of the International Hospital Federation and the Mental Health Association in Missouri and as a member of the board of trustees of Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis.Dr. Dolan is board certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Society of Association Executives. He is also a Certified Association Executive and received his doctorate in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa and his bachelors degree from Loyola University Chicago.I am delighted to join the MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board, said Dr. Dolan. Its bedside communication system improves quality and increases patient satisfaction. It is a real asset for both patients and staff.As advisory board member, Dr. Dolan brings a unique range of expertise in this complex healthcare climate, says Andrew Hoffman, President of MEDI+SIGN. We are excited to have Dr. Dolans wisdom and experience to help steer our focus on bedside patient communication and safety.For more information, contact MEDI+SIGN at our website:, or by phone (301-790-0103).MEDI+SIGN is a registered trademark.MEDI+SIGN provides hospital and healthcare organizations with a connected health platform that includes patient monitoring and digital whiteboard display solutions. MEDI+SIGN is an integrator of electronic health records and remote monitoring systems to collect and communicate updated and accurate patient health and status information to care teams and patients. MEDI+SIGN was established to leverage its proprietary visual communication technology to improve hospital and healthcare providers performance in patient safety and satisfaction, as well as the overall quality and delivery of healthcare.MEDI+SIGN20940 Twin Springs Dr, Smithsburg, MD 21783301-790-0103Press Contact:Judy L. Hoffmanjudyh@noventri.com
Organic Light Emitting Diode Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Technology and End-Use Verticals

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TheInsightPartners.com added Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Technology and End-Use Verticals to its database. Growing Consumer Electronics Application will escalate the OLED Market at a CAGR of 12.2%The Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) to 2025 by Technology (AMOLED and PMOLED), Application (Display and Lighting), and End-User Industry (Retail, Architecture, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Security & Signage and Others)  Global Analysis and Forecast The scope of study involves understanding on the factors responsible for this growth of OLED market along with the estimates and forecasts of the revenue and market share analysis and also spots the significant OLED players in the market and their key developments.Complete research report is available atOLED Market to 2025  Global Analysis and Forecast by Technology, Application, and End-user Industry, OLED market is expected to grow US$ 38.96 billion by 2025 from US$ 12.51 billion in 2015. OLED displays are already penetrating into smart phone market, and gradually expanding its market share in display market over Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Korean and Japanese companies are investing immensely into OLED technology development and entering intoOLED TV/Laptop market as well. The growing trends of slimmer and flexible screen will help OLED to compete with other substitute technology in the market. Whereas, OLED lighting market is still in growing phase and becoming gradually popular in security and signage, and retail lighting application. These technologies are expected to revolutionize the lighting and display market in coming years. Some of the key examples of end-user industries which will be driving factors for these technologies are automotive, consumer electronics, security and signage and others.Request Sample Copy atThe major benefits from OLED type displays comes from the high level of control that can be exerted over each pixel. Pixels can be switched completely off, allowing for deep blacks and a high contrast ratio. Global OLED market is expected to grow from US$ 12.51 billion in 2015 to US$ 38.96 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 12.2% between 2015 and 2025.Some of the remarkable developments in this industry are introduction of flexible substrate and soluble printing technology, dropping price OLED display, introduction of small sized panels and other technological advancements. However, the expansion of global OLED market is hindered by high manufacturing cost and less lifespan. In November 2016, BOE Technology Group and other Chinese LCD panel makers are planning to invest heavily in production of OLED panels, anticipating growth in demand from smartphone makers.Inquire for discount atThe global OLED market by geography is segmented into six region including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. APAC is expected to account for the largest share of the global OLED market in 2016, followed by North America. China and Japan being two key countries in APAC region which will lead OLED market in this region and is also expected to continue its dominance throughout the forecast period from 2016 to 2025. The report profiles key players such as Futaba Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Universal Display Corporation, Kunshan Visionox and LG Display Co., Ltd, OSRAM Light AG, Philips, Sony Corporation are among others.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Targeting Millennials With Insurance: Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth & Trends

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Targeting Millennials With Insurance: Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth & Trends" to its huge collection of research reports."Targeting Millennials with Insurance", explores consumers who have not yet entered the mass market. It identifies how millennials needs and preferences differ to the mass market and where the opportunities lie in targeting them. With reference to each general insurance product it discusses the opportunity in targeting millennials, product penetration and the top providers among millennials, and what product features are important when targeting the demographic.Millennials have differing needs and preferences when it comes to insurance compared to mass market consumers. This needs to be kept in mind when developing products and services. Ownership of insurable assets among millennials is low due to the economic landscape they have grown up in making it hard to save. They are more likely to rent than own a home, are interested in car sharing, and they prioritize holidays and short-term experiences as opposed to longer-term goals. These factors mean that in some product lines standard insurance packages do not fit their needs. Millennials are also digital natives who prefer to access goods and services online and will favor technologically innovative insurance policies.Scope- There are 14.7 million millennials in the UK, which amounts to 28.6% of the adult population.- Millennials are most engaged with car and travel insurance. This is because they are more likely to learn to drive and go on holiday before moving out from home. 75.3% and 61.6% of millennials have car and travel insurance respectively.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @- Contents insurance is the most popular home insurance policy type among millennials. This is due to the fact that the majority of millennials live in privately rented accommodation.Reasons to buy- Size the opportunity that exists in the millennial segment.- Understand the differing values, behaviors, and insurance needs of customers aged 18-34 compared to the mass market.- Improve customer engagement by recognizing what is most important to millennial customers and how insurers can adapt their products and services to meet their needs.- Discover the leading providers by product within the millennial market and what they offer.Table of ContentsMillennial CharacteristicsCar InsuranceHome InsuranceTravel InsurancePet InsuranceMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global CO2 Laser Marking Machines Market 2017 - Hans Laser, Trotec, FOBA, Gravotech, Mecco

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The report begins with a broad introduction of the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market and then drills deeper into specific segments such as application, regional markets, end-users, policy analysis, value chain structure, and emerging trends. the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market report makes a case for investments in particular regions based on a realistic view of their regulatory environment, manufacturing dynamics and availability of skills and resources. Also, recommendations are made based on regions and market segments that are not poised for appreciable growth in the near future.Download Free Sample Report @the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market and its dynamics are evaluated using industry leading tools and techniques. A qualitative analysis forms a sizeable portion of the research efforts as well. With emerging changes on the horizon, the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market is poised for certain important change. It is imperative that market players gear up for these changes. The report helps companiesboth new and establishedto identify white spaces and opportunities for growth in the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market.The leading companies in the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market are profiled to offer a complete overview of their growth strategies, financial standing, product and services pipeline, as well as recent collaborations and developments.The reports analysis is based on technical data and industry figures sourced from the most reputable databases. Other aspects that will prove especially beneficial to readers of the report are: investment feasibility analysis, recommendations for growth, investment return analysis, trends analysis, opportunity analysis, and SWOT analyses of competing companies. With the help of inputs and insights from technical and marketing experts, the report presents an objective assessment of the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market.A detailed segmentation evaluation of the CO2 Laser Marking Machines market has been provided in the report. Detailed information about the key segments of the market and their growth prospects are available in the report. The detailed analysis of their sub-segments is also available in the report. The revenue forecasts and volume shares along with market estimates are available in the report. The competitive landscape of the market presented in the study profiles the most prominent players in the market.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Comprehensive View Of Rubber Processing Chemicals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Comprehensive View Of Rubber Processing Chemicals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Rubber processing chemicals belong to a group of specialty chemicals added to rubber to make it commercially viable for usage in various application. They are used to impart different characteristics to rubber such as resistance to ozone, heat, mechanical stress, oxidation, and others. They exhibit properties such as resilience, abrasion resistance, flex resistance, hardness, and tensile strength for product-specific end-use applications.The report estimates and forecasts the rubber processing chemicals on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. The study includes drivers and restraints for the rubber processing chemicals market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the rubber processing chemicals market on the global and regional level. It also provides the global average price trend analysis.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Scope of the ReportIn-depth interviews and discussions with wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the rubber processing chemicals market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein type, application and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Key SegmentsThe study provides a comprehensive view of the rubber processing chemicals market by dividing it into type, application and geography. In terms of type, the rubber processing chemicals market has been segmented into antidegradants, accelerators, stabilizers, vulcanizing agents, and others. In terms of application, the rubber processing chemicals market has been segmented into tire and non-tire. The non-tire segment has been further segregated into automotive, building & construction, industrial, and other segment. Application segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2024.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Regional OutlookRegional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for rubber processing chemicals in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for type and application segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Japan, India, China, Mexico, South Africa, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual type and application in all the regions and countries.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include BASF SE, Eastman Chemicals Company, LANXESS, Arkema Inc. Akzo Nobel N.V., Solvay, and Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Emerald Performance Materials, LINKWELL, and Merchem. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).The rubber processing chemicals market has been divided into the following segments:Rubber Processing Chemicals Market Type AnalysisAntidegradantsAcceleratorsStabilizersVulcanizing AgentsOthers (include processing aids, peptizers, anti-tack agents etc.)Rubber Processing Chemicals Market Application AnalysisTireNon-tireAutomotiveBuilding & ConstructionIndustrialOthers (include medical, aerospace, footwear etc.)Rubber Processing Chemicals Market Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeFranceU.K.SpainGermanyItalyRest of EuropeAsia PacificMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Opportunities And Advantages Offered By Banking as a Marketplace: Key Findings and Threats

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Opportunities And Advantages Offered By Banking as a Marketplace: Key Findings and Threats" to its huge collection of research reports."Banking as a Marketplace: Opportunities and Threats" report explores the opportunities and advantages offered by the marketplace banking model for both new entrants and incumbents. This report is based on interviews with industry figures and secondary research.EU-wide and UK-specific regulations will force banks to open up access to their customer data by January 2018. Open banking will lead to the creation of new business models, including banking as a marketplace. Here, a bank integrates third-party services into its own platform, effectively turning itself into a portal, or marketplace, where consumers can access products from across the market in one place.The report offers insight into -- The status of regulatory developments that are driving open banking initiatives in the UK and Europe.- The advantages of marketplace banking with respect to revenue generation, product provision, and alliances with fintech providers.- The key risk factors banks need to consider when adopting a marketplace strategy.Scope- Marketplace banking will lead to higher revenues. Not only will banks gain from charging access fees to partners, they will also be able to share the revenues from the sale of partner products. They can also access data generated by their partners to identify new opportunities for targeted cross-selling.- Established banks can use a marketplace strategy to harness the expertize of fintech specialists and improve the weakest offerings in their product ranges in a cost-effective manner.- Marketplace practitioners need to guard against the risks associated with sharing customer data with third parties. They also need to minimize loss of control over product development by collaborating with partners to co-create products, rather than passively integrating off-the-peg products.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Reasons to buy- Learn about the competitive and strategic advantages marketplace banking can offer providers- Understand what potential risks and drawbacks are associated with this model- Discover how banks in the UK and Europe are already implementing marketplace strategies and what they are aiming to achieve.Table of Contents1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 21.1. Marketplace banking will significantly alter the financial landscape 21.2. Key findings 21.3. Critical success factors 22. CURRENT STATUS OF OPEN BANKING INITIATIVES 82.1. The CMA has set a deadline of January 13, 2018 for implementing open access to data 82.2. The OBS is set to go live in Q1 2019 102.3. Work continues to ensure PSD2 will come into effect in January 2018 102.4. The US remains behind the UK and the EU with respect to open banking initiatives 112.5. The MAS is promoting open APIs 122.6. Consumers are largely unaware of the concept of open banking 123. MARKETPLACE BANKING IN DETAIL 143.1. Marketplace providers challenge traditional banking structures 143.1.1. Marketplace banking is ideally suited to new entrants 143.1.2. Consumers will be presented with a safe environment for choosing and using products 15Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Vortex Street Flowmeter Market 2017 - Yokogawa, ABB, KROHNE

Vortex Street Flowmeter Market

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https://goo.gl/7QMxlb

Global Vortex Street Flowmeter market Report offers decisive insights into the overall Vortex Street Flowmeter industry along with the market dimensions and evaluation for the duration 2017 to 2022. The forenamed research study covers extensive analysis of various Vortex Street Flowmeter industry segments based on the type of applications, type of product Components and services, and different geographical regions.Vortex flow meters use an obstruction, known as a bluff body, in the flow stream to create downstream vortices which are alternately formed on either side of the bluff body. As these vortices are shed from the bluff body, they create alternating low and high pressure zones that oscillate at particular frequencies directly proportional to the velocity of the fluid. The flow rate can be calculated from the fluid velocity. Vortex flow meters are universally suitable for measuring liquids, gases and steam while remaining largely unaffected by changes in pressure, temperature and viscosity. Without moving parts, vortex meters are easy to install and require little maintenance. The measuring signal is not subject to drift. Consequently, vortex meters can operate an entire life long without recalibration. Due to the nature of a minimum required velocity for each bluff body, vortex meters will tend to need higher velocities and may have some difficulty reading low flow rates.Read Complete Report @This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Vortex Street Flowmeter from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Vortex Street Flowmeter market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Vortex Street Flowmeter, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Global Vortex Street Flowmeter Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Vortex Street Flowmeter market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Vortex Street Flowmeter Market 2017:Yokogawa (Japan),ABB (Switzerland),KROHNE (Germany).Get Sample Report:The report studies the industry for (Vortex Street Flowmeter Market) mainly covers 15 Topics acutely display the global Vortex Street Flowmeter Market.Topic 1, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news;Topic 2, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted;Topic 3, 4 global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Global, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted;Topic 5, 6 and 7, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application.Topic 8, Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributorsTopic 9 and 10, this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis;Topic 11, At last, this report provided the conclusions of this researchThis report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.About Market Research Store:Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United States
Global Safety Testing For Biological Market By Regions and Vendors - Size, Demand Forecasts, Industry Trends and Updates, Supplier Market Shares 2014 - 2020

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Safety Testing For Biological Market By Regions and Vendors - Size, Demand Forecasts, Industry Trends and Updates, Supplier Market Shares 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Pharmaceutical / Bio technology industry is more concerned over safety of the product, be it in terms of efficacy of the drug, packaging of the product, delivering the product to the customer and others. In all these cases, it is very much important to ensure that the product is safe for the usage. As such, testing place a key role in ensuring the safety of the product.Supply  Demand Scenario:The global Safety testing for Biologics market was worth $1.76 billion in 2014 and is projected to reach $3.51 billion in 2020, at a compound annual growth rate of 12.23%.Growth by Region:North America leads the global Biological Safety packaging market with a share of 37.5% in 2014 followed by Europe with 31% of the market share during the same period. On the other hand, Kits and reagents has a market share of 43% while Instruments has a market share of 20%, based on product type. In emerging countries like India, the government is focusing on increasing the growth of biotechnology industry by investing $5 billion every year for the next 5 years starting from 2015.Drivers vs. Constraints:The growth in the end use industries (Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology) are driving this market, Added to this, factors like new innovations in the Biotechnology industry , new drug developments, increased focus on R&D are increasing the growth of safety testing market. Also, government regulations on the quality of the product is also driving the market.Make an Enquiry of this report @Executive SummaryMARKET OVERVIEWOverviewIndustry Value Chain AnalysisIndustry Attractiveness - Porter's 5 Force AnalysisBargaining Power of SuppliersBargaining Power of ConsumersThreat from new entrantsThreat from subsititute productsCompetitive rivalry within the industryIndustry PoliciesMARKET DYNAMICSIntroductionDriversIncrease in growth rates of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industryRestraintsIn-house Quality testingOpportunitiesBiotechnology industrySafety testing - Biological Market Segmentation, Forecasts and Trends - by RevenueBy ApplicationBlood related productsCellular productsTissue productsVaccinesOthersBy ProductKits and ReagentsInstrumentsServicesTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Mobile Robot Charging Station Market -2017, Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast Report To 2022

Mobile Robot Charging Station Market

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The Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Mobile Robot Charging Station 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 Mobile Robot Charging Station Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Mobile Robot Charging Station industry propos classifications, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Request for sample of Mobile Robot Charging Station 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 Mobile Robot Charging Station 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 Mobile Robot Charging Station Market.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering:Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR)Omron Adept TechnologiesSMP RoboticsVAHLEWiBoticClearpath RoboticsFetch RoboticsRoadNarrows RoboticsTrossen RoboticsOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into:Stand-alone Charging Station, Multi-robot Charging Station.On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Mobile Robot Charging Station for each application, including:Industrial Use, Commercial Use.Read More Detailed Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Research Report @The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Mobile Robot Charging Station 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.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 Mobile Robot Charging Station Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Check for Discount @Toc:Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Research Report 20171 Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Mobile Robot Charging Station1.2 Mobile Robot Charging Station Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Stand-alone Charging Station1.2.4 Multi-robot Charging Station1.3 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Segment by Application1.3.1 Mobile Robot Charging Station Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Industrial Use1.3.3 Commercial Use1.4 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station 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 Mobile Robot Charging Station (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Mobile Robot Charging Station Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Mobile Robot Charging Station Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Mobile Robot Charging Station 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
Trend of Life Insurance Report on Global and United States Market : Development, Analysis and Overview 2017

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Albany, New York, June 13, 2017 : ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "2017-2022 Life Insurance Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications".This report studies the Life Insurance 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 Life Insurance market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Life Insurance 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 Life Insurance. 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 Life Insurance in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaThe major players in global and United States Life Insurance market, including AIG , Prudential , MetLife., Voya Financial., Mutual of Omaha., Genworth Financial., New York Life Insurance Company., Transamerica, Banner Life, Northwestern Mutual, Lincoln Financial Group, John Hancock Financial, State Farm, Pacific Life.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The On the basis of product, the Life Insurance market is primarily split intoWhole Life InsuranceUniversal Life InsuranceVariable Life InsuranceOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversB2CB2BPublic ServicesOthersTable of Contents1 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 Source1.3 Disclaimer2 Life Insurance Market Overview2.1 Life Insurance Product Overview2.2 Life Insurance Market Segment by Type2.2.1 Whole Life Insurance2.2.2 Universal Life Insurance2.2.3 Variable Life Insurance2.2.4 Variable Universal Life Insurance2.3 Global Life Insurance Product Segment by Type2.3.1 Global Life Insurance Sales (K Units) and Growth (%) by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.3.2 Global Life Insurance Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.3 Global Life Insurance Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.4 Global Life Insurance Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)2.4 United States Life Insurance Product Segment by Type2.4.1 United States Life Insurance Sales (K Units) and Growth by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.4.2 United States Life Insurance Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.3 United States Life Insurance Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.4 United States Life Insurance Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)Make an Enquiry of this report @3 Life Insurance Application/End Users3.1 Life Insurance Segment by Application/End Users3.1.1 B2C3.1.2 B2B3.1.3 Public Services3.1.4 Others3.2 Global Life Insurance Product Segment by Application3.2.1 Global Life Insurance Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by ApplicatiResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Temperature Probe Market Foreseen to Grow Exponentially by 2024

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Temperature probes are used to measure the amount of coldness and heat energy, generated by a system. These sensors help in detecting physical change to the temperature producing digital output. Furthermore, temperature sensors are mainly used in sectors including healthcare, food & beverage, automotive and consumer electronics, defense industry.Browse through Temperature Probe Market report to know what factors will shape the market by 2024:Temperature sensors are used in various industrial applications, which need process control with high accuracy. These probes are mainly used for sensitive processes, which need controlled process environments for example in chemical mixing, monitoring. Industrial processes which frequently requires to test and measure equipments temperature and volume, also use temperature probes on large scale. For example, clinical research processes have highly controlled manufacturing environments.These probes play important role in manufacturing, handling, storing of medical equipment and drugs, as they maintain basic overall performance by monitoring temperature. The current developments in healthcare sensing probes are responsible for increase in the trend of continuous patient monitoring. As a result it can reduce overall healthcare costs and help to improve treatment outcomes. These medical sensors are capable of monitoring of vital signs, for example patients temperature and blood pressure that are directly recorded in the electronic format. It also reduces sloppy management of patient records and providing the user with the latest information. Currently consumer healthcare is amongst the major fields which holds a promising future for sensors with a fastest growth rate than all other applications.The escalating burden of chronic disorders as well as, the worldwide, surging population count has consequently propelled the demand for these equipments. Chronically ill patients and the large elderly population subset form the target population for the sensor-based devices as it is imperative for them to undergo routine checkups; thus, facilitating remote and point-of-care patient monitoring.Besides this, increased adoption rate of surveillance and checkup devices are further driving the temperature sensors market. In addition, factors such as strict government guidelines to ensure environmental safety and ongoing demand for electronic products and computing peripherals have kept the prospects of the market high.The raw material used for manufacturing plays a crucial role in sensor efficiency and durability. Use of new raw materials such as lithium-niobate and langasite has increased the measurement ranges of temperature sensors. However, silicon based sensors are primarily used owing to their availability and low cost as they are produced in bulk. Multisensors are increasingly used for mass applications owing to their stability which, is expected to drive overall temperature sensors market growth.Technical developments and advent of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are likely to create greater opportunities.The home healthcare category such as pregnancy kits and glucose monitoring kits is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the years. The cost of diagnosis in hospitals and other healthcare units is high; hence, the preference of home healthcare equipments, such as diagnostic kits, over hospitals is observed to be rising. The high-unmet needs of the huge target population are expected to further open avenues for the market players in the industry.However, dominance of legacy technologies and awareness of end-users have hampered the market growth. Quality, accuracy of temperature probes and raw material used for manufacturing has hampered the market.The Global Market of Temperature Probe is segmented on basis of product type, application, end user, and geography. The market by product type includes fiber optic, temperature sensors IC, bimetallic, resistance temperature detector, IR temperature sensor, thermistor, and thermocouple. Based on applications, the market is segmented as surgical, diagnostic, therapeutic and monitoring. The end user of temperature probes include hospitals, physician offices, nursing homes, home healthcare facilities and others.Geographically, the market is segmented into six major regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of geography, North America followed by Europe account for the largest market share for because of availability of sophisticated primary, secondary, and tertiary-care healthcare settings supported the market. Moreover, the well-established reimbursement network, suitable government funding, and the increasing health awareness further facilitates the incorporation of the sensors in the medical devices.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Temperature Probe Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness a remunerative growth over the next few years. This can be attributed to the heightened number of individuals suffering from chronic disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory problems.The key market players active in the temperature sensor market are Analog Devices Inc., Maxim Integrated, Measurement Specialties Inc., Microchip Technology Inc., Honeywell International Inc., NXP Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics, Panasonic Corporation, Texas Instruments and Siemens AG.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Life After Death, The Death Of A Child, Grief, Fear, And Moving Forward - Author And NDE Expert Brian McLaughlin Issues Statement

Author and NDE Expert Brian McLaughlin

http://www.brianmclaughlinbooks.com

The parent/child bond is unlike any other relationship in the human experience. It is the strongest of connections. While many life situations can impact the parent/child bond, death seems to sever that bond finally. But does it really? Perhaps not.Whether a parent loses a child, or a child loses a parent, there is an overwhelming need on the part of survivors for assurance that the deceased is really okay. It seems impossible to move forward. Even if we do, we often experience guilt simply because we are moving forward.Brian McLaughlin recently addressed these concerns in a piece posted on his site. He stated, in part, "For parents who have experienced the death of a child, the pain of that loss lingers with little satisfaction or resolution. The natural instinct to protect lasts as long, or longer than the immediate grief. Some say it is unnatural, while others say the void remains forever. Although I have not had that exact experience, I have had a similar enough event happen that has given me some clarity.""I found in my brief visit to Heaven, that all is good. No loneliness, no longing to come back, no pain.""Very few spoken words needed there, as an all consuming love seemed to blanket all concerns. I speak of a hard to describe pure love. With it, a connection to energies of most that have passed. I personally felt a superior intelligence that brought peace, understanding, and clarity through the light that surrounded all.""I shared only a few spoken words with my then deceased father. He came and found me on my journey to somehow open this portal of knowledge and pure love. That allowed me to return with heightened senses of clarity, and intuition, as well as a feeling of complete peace. I was comfortable and satisfied where I was, not wanting to return. Though disappointed, I gave in to his instruction to go back.The full statement is available at McLaughlin's site.Brian's book about his near death experience, 'A Flight Without Wings' offers readers a look at the near death experience from an unbiased point of view. It is the presentation of the material that sets this book apart from the other books about the near death experience. It is raw and it's real. There is no embellishment and no hidden agenda. While his book has a spiritual flavor certainly, there is no preaching and no religious messages. It is his near-death experience, just as it happened.McLaughlin's experience changed the course of his life forever. It instilled in him what we all seek - certainty about life after death. And with that a peace of mind that can never be shaken, nor can it be doubted. His near death experience brought a sense of clarity. It brought a sense of real, lasting peace. He now knows with certainty that we exist forever. It is that simple message he brings to his audience, both through his book and at his speaking engagements and in his media appearances.Brian has won numerous awards. He was chosen as one of '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' in both the 2015 and 2016 Book Awards.Reviews of 'A Flight Without Wings' have been overwhelmingly positive. Dr. Penny Sartori, author of 'The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences', said "This book will help others who have had an NDE to make sense of their experience and will also help those close to someone who has had an NDE because NDEs affect close family members and friends too."Jack Magnus, a reviewer with Readers Favorite, called the book a "well written and moving memoir that neither delves into the fanciful or dogmatic,... "Well worth reading, and is highly recommended." Another stated, "Being a mother who lost her only child I found it to be a great comfort to me." Another said, "I have read many accounts such as these, but this beautifully written account simply touched my heart in ways that previous ones have not."Mark Feuerstein, Actor (Royal Pains, USA Network, Prison Break, 9JKL) wrote: I have read it and I think its an inspiring tale of deep insight and so personal and yet so universal . . . such profound perspective.Brian McLaughlin is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at bamplaya@msn.com. 'A Flight Without Wings' is available at Amazon, Payhip and other book retailers. More information is available on his website.Brian McLaughlin is the award-winning author of 'A Flight Without Wings'. In his inspirational book, Brian vividly depicts his journey into Heaven and his following return to life caused by a massive head trauma sustained while vacationing in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico twenty-one years ago.PO Box 1613Shallotte NC 28459
Sigmoidscope Devices Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook by 2024

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According to U.S. FDA, sigmoidoscope is a class II medical device used in a sigmoidoscopy procedure to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. Generally, sigmoidoscope is a small tube-like device which consists light source to see the internal part of the rectum and sigmoid colon. Physician or nurse inserts this device into the colon through end part of the large intestine called anus and pushes slowly into the rectum and sigmoid colon. Over the last few decades, prevalence and incidence rates of gastrointestinal diseases (GIT) is increasing notably and is expected to drive the overall GIT diagnosis devices market including sigmoidoscope devices over the forecast period. There are two different types of sigmoidoscopes such as flexible sigmoidoscope and rigid sigmoidoscope are available in the market to cater the patients. Among all, flexible sigmoidoscope devices are commonly used. These devices allow a physician to see around bends in the colon and it provides prominent results in the lower colon examination. Rigid sigmoidoscope is used to check the rectum part and is used less often when compared to flexible sigmoidoscope. In the aforementioned devices, flexible sigmoidoscopes are expected to register robust growth in a CAGR over the forecast period.Browse through Sigmoidscope Devices Market report to know what factors will shape the market by 2024:Generally, sigmoidscope is used to find the cause of abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Moreover, the device used to find the malignant polyps and benign, as well as early signs of cancer in the lower part of colon and rectum. By using flexible sigmoidoscope device, the physician can see inflammation, intestinal bleeding, ulcers and abnormal growths in the descending colon and rectum. The entire sigmoidoscopy procedure will take 20 minutes to complete and whilst performing the procedure, the patient may feel uncomfortable. Before performing procedure, patients rectum and colon must be empty. Moreover, patient has to take only clear liquids for 12 to 24 hours beforehand. Patient has to take edema before performing procedure, so that washes out the intestine.Increasing prevalence of GIT diseases is one of the major factor which is expected to drive the overall sigmoidoscope devices marker over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing technological advancements in the medical devices industry along with increasing awareness about healthcare is expected to drive the overall market demand for sigmoidoscope devices during forecast period. However, the cost of the procedure and dearth of skilled healthcare professionals in the under developed countries is expected to hamper the marker revenue growth over the forecast period. Moreover, availability of high end medical devices which offer multiple services including sigmoidoscopy is one of the key restraints for this market.This market can be categorized on three major bases such as product type, application, end user, and geography. On the basis of key products, the market can be classified into flexible sigmoidoscope and rigid sigmoidoscope. Based on the application, the market has been segmented into diagnosis, monitoring. Based on end user type the market has been segmented into hospital, ambulatory surgical centers, and gastroenterology institutes.Geographically, the sigmoidscope devices market can be classified into five regional markets such as North America (United States and Canada), Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, etc.) and Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Japan, India, etc.), Latin America and rest of the world. The emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are expected to register robust growth during the forecast period 2016-2024. This would majorly be attributed to increasing investments by the key players operating in these countries, increasing prevalence of Gastro intestinal track cancers. India, China and Brazil are expected to drive strong growth among the emerging countries, owing to the increasing investments by government bodies to enhance healthcare facilities.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Sigmoidscope Devices Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Key companies operating in the global sigmoidscope devices market are Anetic Aid, Parburch Medical Ltd., HIENE USA LTD. Welch Allyn, Jindal Medical & Scientific Instruments Company (Pvt.) Ltd., Pal Surgicals and Evexar Medical, GE Healthcare to name few.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Positive Airway Pressure Devices Market: Present Scenario and the Growth Prospects Upto 2024

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Positive airway pressure devices keep pressured air flowing through the airways of the throat and is one of the common treatments for sleep apnea. The patient wears a face mask which is attached with a tube and a machine that blows pressurized air through the mask into the airway to keep it open. The air acts like a balloon holding the relaxed muscles of the throat open. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is a treatment method that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways sufficiently open. PAP devices are specially used by patients that have breathing issues, such as sleep apnea. These devices are broadly categorized as continuous positive airway pressure devices (CPAP), bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP), and automatic positive airway pressure devices (APAP). The growing prevalence of sleep apnea and co-morbidities related to PAP have propelled the use of positive airway pressure devices. The global positive airway pressure devices is anticipated to witness a trend of devices that are compact and comfortable through 2024.Browse through Positive Airway Pressure Devices Market report to know what factors will shape the market by 2024:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic medical condition requiring night application of therapy to efficiently limit the number of apneas and hypopneas that would occur without intervention. The gold-standard treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure therapy (PAP), which offers a pneumatic splint of the soft tissue in the upper airway. PAP devices can measure and record airflow and pressure levels whenever the device is worn. They contain internal, proprietary algorithms that identify breathing disturbances and whether these disturbances are due to persistent obstructive or non-obstructive events. Generally, the average duration of CPAP use is approximately five hours per night across numerous studies. Studies indicate that greater than six hours per night results in normal levels of objectively measured and self-reported daytime sleepiness, as well as significantly improved memory and daily functioning.Variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP), is a newer type of machine that reduces the amount of pressure when a person breathes out. The device uses an electronic circuit to monitor the person's breathing. Having less pressure in the moment when a person is exhaling may make it more comfortable for the person with sleep apnea. This type of machine is used for people who have other breathing problems or who can't sleep if they have to breathe out against a stream of air.The U.S. accounted for the largest market share in positive airway pressure devices market. This is due to the increasing healthcare awareness for sleep apnea, improving healthcare infrastructure, rising disposable incomes, increasing obesity adding to the pool of sleep apnea patients and economic growth favored by broadening insurance coverage. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides cover for sleep apnea products, including a capped rental on CPAP/BiPAP equipment and other supplies. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 36% of the adults in the U.S. were obese in 2010, and nearly 42% will be obese by the year 2030. Furthermore, according to National Sleep Foundation, in 2012, around 40 Mn Americans were reported to suffer from chronic sleep disorder.Geographically, North America occupies the substantially larger market share, which is followed by Europe. The high attentiveness level in this region will lead the expansion of positive airway pressure devices market significantly. However, affordability has become a restraining factor for the global market in developing regions such as, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Asia Pacific is expected to demonstrate healthy CAGR in the global positive airway devices market. Increase in disposable income, rising aging population, and growing awareness level are some of the key factors driving the Asia Pacific market. The Asian market is expected to witness entry of higher number of new players compared to those in developed regions.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Positive Airway Pressure Devices Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Some of the market players who are competing to bring new technologically advanced products in the market are CareFusion Corporation, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, ResMed, Inc., Teleflex, Inc., and othersTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
High Throughput Screening Market: Analysis and Forecast 2024

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Global High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market: SynopsisHigh throughput screening (HTS) is a drug discovery technique employed for screening and evaluation of large number of biological modulators and effectors against selected target. Over last two decade, high throughput screening has gained a widespread popularity and has become a standard method of drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. The prime goal of high throughput screening technique is to accelerate drug discovery process by screening large number of compound libraries such as combinatorial chemistry, genomics, protein, and peptide libraries at a rate that may exceed a few thousand compounds per day or week. High-throughput screening methods are also used to characterize metabolic, pharmacokinetic and toxicological data for new drugs and thereby eventually reducing the cost of the drug development. High throughput screening comprises of several steps such as target identification, reagent preparation, compound management, assay development and high-throughput library screening.Browse through High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market report to know what factors will shape the market by 2024:Global High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market: Trends and OpportunitiesTechnological advancements such as automation of liquid handling, creation of novel technological platforms, and development of analytical tools to deal with massive quantities of data has exponentially driven the global market for high throughput screening devices market in past few years. Increasing competition among pharma companies with respect to pioneering drug discovery and commercialization demand for high throughput screening devices is increasing at a rapid pace. HTS market promises affirmative growth potential in near future due to its inevitable use in the research and production field.Some of the technological advances in the HTS industry attribute to introduction of high content screening technologies, robotic automation, miniaturization of the HTS technological platforms and novel cell culture approaches. High throughput screening market by technology can be sub-segmented into four major categories: cell based assays, ultra high throughput screening (UTHS), lab-on-a-chip (Loac), label free technology and bioinformatics. Key application areas of high throughput screening devices include target identification, primary screening, toxicology and stem cells. Moreover market by end users can be further sub-segmented into pharmaceutical sector, biotechnology sector, contract research organizations, environmental laboratories and academic institutes.Increasing capital investment in high throughput screening technology by research organizations and key players operating in market has boosted the growth and demand in past one decade. Label free methods, automation & miniaturization of technique and growth of contract research organizations in emerging market have further escalated the demand and procurement of instruments across the globe. High capital requirement for initial set up and maintenance cost are among the major restraints hampering the growth of the market. Navios Flow Cytometry System introduced by Beckman Coulter in 2013 and BioTX Pro Automated Work station launched by PerkinElmer in 2013 are among few of the new products launched in the market.Global High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market: Regional OverviewGeographically, market for high throughput market in terms of revenue is majorly contributed by developed regions such as North America and Europe owing to increasing collaboration between manufacturers and research institutes and organizations. Additionally government initiatives and investment in drug discovery over past one decade have further driven the market in both of the developed regions. Asia Pacific and Rest of the World market are among the fastest growing market pertaining to increasing demand for cost effective drugs, increasing incidences of chronic and life threatening diseases and growing economy are among the prominent drivers escalating growth of high throughput screening market in emerging economic countries.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Global High Throughput Screening (HTS) Market: Key PlayersSome of the prominent players operating in the market include Agilent Technologies, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Perkinelmer, Inc., Tecan Group Ltd., Aurora Biomed, Sigma Aldrich Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. and Axxam Spa.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Press Release: Fieldpoint Service Applications Announces Integration with Work Markets Workforce Management Solution

www.fieldpoint.net

www.workmarket.com

Fieldpoint Service Applications, a leading field service technology firm, announced a new partnership with Work Market, a leading workforce management software solution. Fieldpoint is aligning with Work Market in response to increased demand for subcontractors and third parties to deliver their services to their clients and grow their service enterprises.Fieldpoint provides a seamless integration with Work Market, enabling their clients to quickly connect companies with freelancers/subs and third parties best suited for their assignments and providing the ability to manage bids and requirements for technicians. Work Market operates as a module within Fieldpoint, providing a fully integrated and automated subcontractor management system that includes the functionality to create work orders and adjust scheduling and bids. Work order tracking is all in real time, including bids, scheduling, and billing.The growing trend in the service industry is an increased use of third parties and contractors to deliver our clients service obligations. The integration of Fieldpoint to WorkMarket creates a seamless interaction between our customers, field service dispatch system and automated labor markets, providing huge efficiencies for our mutual customers. Rich Smart, President, Fieldpoint Service Applications.ABOUT FIELDPOINTFieldpoint Service Applications is a developer of field service software and project job costing applications. Our specialized integrations with CRM and financial management systems provide our customers with enterprise visibility while streamlining sales and service operations. With over 25 years of experience, over 750 valued customers, and a solid network of reselling partners, Fieldpoint enables service organizations to run leaner, smarter and more profitably. For more information about Fieldpoint and their service management software applications, please visitor call 1 (866) 336-5282.ABOUT WORK MARKETWorkMarket, the OS for work, was founded in 2010 with a clear yet ambitious vision: to power the future of work. Today, were building the modern work market, a frictionless exchange between businesses and skilled professionals. Our cloud-based labor automation platform helps businesses unlock new levels of productivity, engagement, and growth by building and automating a flexible workforce. WorkMarket seamlessly integrates into the Fieldpoint Service Management software application. To learn more, visitFieldpoint PR ContactMike Mance CMOmike.mance@fieldpoint.netWorkMarket PR ContactAdrianne WrightAdrianne@workmarket.comABOUT FIELDPOINTFieldpoint Service Applications is a developer of field service software and project job costing applications. Our specialized integrations with CRM and financial management systems provide our customers with enterprise visibility while streamlining sales and service operations. With over 25 years of experience, over 750 valued customers, and a solid network of reselling partners, Fieldpoint enables service organizations to run leaner, smarter and more profitably.Fieldpoint Service Applications Inc2660 Sherwood Heights Drive, Unit 103Oakville, ON L6J 7Y8 Canada
Ethylene Glycol Market - Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry

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Ethylene Glycol Market: SnapshotOne of the key factors boosting the growth of the Chinese ethylene glycol market is the increasing demand for PET bottles from the packaging industry. As food brands are seeking safer and healthier packaging alternatives, demand for PET packaging is increasing, which in turn is driving the growth prospects of the Chinese ethylene glycol market. PET containers can help retain the food aroma, flavor, and appearance. As PET bottles are easy to handle, light in weight, and can be re-sealed without any inconvenience, their demand will continue to grow, which in turn will boost the growth of the ethylene glycol market. The lead author of the report has stated that the flourishing growth of the automotive industry will also be a driving factor for the growth of the ethylene glycol market in China.The demand for polyesters fibers for coated fabrics, seat belts, conveyor belt fabrics, in China will boost the growth of the market. This is because ethylene glycol is required for the manufacturing of polyester fibers. The Chinese ethylene glycol market is fragmented with the presence of small and large players. This is expected to create intense market competition among players. China has feedstock advantages and closer proximity to end-user markets, and this will drive the ethylene glycol in the country. The demand for ethylene glycol will rise from the downstream applications and textile industries. Fabrics made using polyester are extensively used in home furnishings, apparels, blankets, computer mouse pads, bed sheets, and upholstered furniture.Request Sample Copy of the Report @China Ethylene Glycol Market: OverviewThe China ethylene glycol market is likely to experience a tremendous growth, primarily due to the burgeoning demand for polyester fibers across the globe. Polyester fibers are widely used in the textile industry in the manufacturing of carpets, upholstery, conveyer belts, and seat belts. Ethylene glycol is an organic compound primarily used in the manufacturing of polyester fibers and polyethylene terephthalate. Globally, Asia Pacific is one of the key consumer as well as manufacturer of ethylene glycol. China is one of the important growth sites of the Asia Pacific market.At present, China uses conventional processes for the production of ethylene glycol. Manufacturers are shifting their focus from conventional petrochemical route to coal. The country is expected to commercialize its coal-based manufacturing processes in the forthcoming years across all projects. Several manufacturers in the country produce ethylene glycol using syngas, a mixture of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.Request TOC of the Report @The report is a complete, professional study for existing as well as new manufacturers in the China ethylene glycol market. It provides essential insights into the industry chain structure along with an extensive understanding of the upstream raw materials and downstream demand chain and import and export statistics. It also sheds light on the currently available production capacities and the efficiency at which they are utilized. The competitive landscape of the market has been derived using tools such as Porters five force analysis and market attractiveness analysis. It offers a detailed overview of drivers, restraints, opportunities, and trends of the China ethylene glycol market.China Ethylene Glycol Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing demand for PET resin from the food and beverage industry for the manufacturing of water bottles and food containers is driving the China ethylene glycol market. The rising demand for antifreeze agents is also bolstering the growth of the market. Ethylene glycol is used as antifreeze in the automotive industry. Moreover, it is extensively used in medical sterilization and as heat transfer agent and coolant in geothermal pumps and air conditioning systems. The increasing production capacity for ethylene glycol is favoring the growth of the market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@On the flip side, the efficiency of the existing production setups is low and therefore, the output has not increased as significantly as production capacities have increased. Volatile prices and transportation of raw materials, particularly ethylene dioxide are primary concerns for players in the market.China Ethylene Glycol Market: Regional SegmentationEast China will be a prominent regional segment during the forecast period. Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu are the major revenue contributors to the growth of the region, primarily due to high ethylene glycol consumption in these provinces. Hebei province located in North China also serves as a major hub for the China market. Shijiazhuang Lanyang Chemicals Co. Ltd. and Shijiazhuang Panjiang Chemicals Ltd. are among the major producers of ethylene glycol in the province.China Ethylene Glycol Market: Key Manufacturers Mentioned in the ReportSome of the prominent players in the China ethylene glycol market are Jiangsu Tianyin Chemical Co. Ltd., Hebei Qilong Chemicals Co. Ltd., Royal Dutch Shell, Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation, and Anhui XinYuan Chemical Co. Ltd.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Micellar Casein Market: Fresh Dairy Products and Protein Fortification Application Segments Expected to Gain Significant Market Share by 2026 End: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026

MRRSE

http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2919

http://www.mrrse.com/micellar-casein-market

http://www.mrrse.com/

To explore the global micellar casein market, a new report has been added to the massive portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engines (MRRSE) research offerings. The report is titled as Micellar Casein Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026 and provides details about the present market scenario, along with some of the expected changes in the future. It contains an all-inclusive study of the global micellar casein market with an analysis of the regional markets and players.Request For Sample Report:In terms of value, the global Micellar Casein market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period and is likely to reach a valuation of over US$ 1,000 million by 2026 end. The report begins by giving a birds eye overview of the global micellar casein market. This report presents an analysis of the global micellar casein market in terms of market value (US$ Mn). To make the study structured and easy to comprehend, it is divided into three sections namely by application, by type and by region. After the overview, the report includes a detailed and complete investigation of key trends and information regarding drivers and restraints from the supply and demand perspectives that are likely to have a profound impact on the global micellar casein market. These data will enlarge the horizons of the readers who want to invest in the global micellar casein market and help them in making strategic decisions that are likely to deliver results in the stipulated time frame. The report focusses on presenting a global market outlook and the main objective of this report is to offer a crystal clear picture on the market opportunities in the micellar casein market during the forecast period 2016-2026.Browse Full Global Micellar Casein Market Report with TOC :The final section of the report is devoted to the study of the market performance of some of the leading companies operating in the global micellar casein market. This section is important, as it gives the new entrants, a clear picture regarding the competition in order to gain a foothold in the market and also gain information about the major strategies adopted by key market players to gain the pole position in the global micellar casein market. Some of the key players profiled in the report include Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S, The Milky Whey, Inc., ProteinCo, Havero Hoogwegt B.V., Idaho Milk Products, Inc., Milk Specialties Global, AMCO Proteins, Ingredia SA, Glanbia Nutritionals, Inc., Nutrimed Healthcare Private Limited and FrieslandCampina Domo.Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Matrix Merged Multiple Locations of a Power Transmission Company in Oman

Matrix, with a varied portfolio of Telecom and Security solutions, has built up a strong customer base in the domestic and the international market. The company holds a product line consisting of reliable IP-PBXs, intelligent GSM and VOIP Gateways, ergonomically designed User Terminals and advanced Unified Communication server. All these products are engineered to improve communication in different businesses in the Manufacturing, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare and the Banking sector.Matrix recently constructed a robust communication infrastructure at the Oman based Power Transmission company. The Power Transmission Company handles the responsibility of generating power as well as maintaining the power needs of Oman. In association with esteemed partner - Khimji Ramdas LLC, Matrix tailored a solution with PBXs and Gateways.The company has two head offices in two different cities of Oman. Head office-1 is in Muscat and head office-2 is in Dhofar. Both head offices have their own power plants  head office-1 has 70 power plants while the head office-2 has seven. The company couldnt afford any break in communication and hence, having a communication backup was their prime requirement. Further, they wanted to elevate communication experience of their employees. For this they were looking for a system with convenient dialling patterns. A single box capable of providing connectivity on different networks such as PRI, BRI, GSM, CO and IP was one of their requirements. Confidentiality of communication was a matter of concern for them, so they wanted a secured network for routing all their calls.A brief overview of the case is as follows:Challenges:System RedundancyConvenient Dialling PatternsAccess Multiple Trunks from a Single SolutionEase of Connectivity with Field EmployeesSecured Communication between Multiple LocationsSolution:Multi-location Communication over Fibre  ETERNITY MEVOIP-FXO-FXS Gateway Solution - SETU VFXTH0016Multiple Trunks - 16 CO Trunks and 8 GSMGSM CUG Trunking to Connect with the Field EmployeesBuilt-in Advanced Network Security ProtocolsResults:Ensured 24x7 ConnectivityRobust Back-upEnhanced Communication ConvenienceImproved ProductivityAll our products are tailored to cater to the distinct communication needs of the different industries. However, our DSIR recognized R&D is constantly working to enable different features to suffice evolving needs of the enterprises, said Sagar Gosalia, Sr. VP Sales and Marketing.About MatrixAn innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, Matrix is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like IP Video Surveillance, Access Control, Time-Attendance, Unified Communications, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, Convergence, VoIP Gateways and GSM Gateways. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia through an extensive network of more than 500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many national and international awards for its innovative products.Matrix Comsec394 GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara
Zeolite 4A Market Revenue Predicted to Grow by 2025

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https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1436

https://www.tmrresearch.com/zeolite-4a-market

Global Zeolite 4A Market: OverviewThe environment-friendly nature and excellent ion exchange capacity of zeolite 4A make it an attractive substitute for Sodium Tri Poly Phosphate (STPP) in the detergent industry. Its use provides benefits such as high sequestering power at extreme temperatures and no fertilizing effect. Water treatment, packaging, gas separation, oil refining, and drying are some of its key applications. Zeolite 4A is being studied extensively as a heterogeneous catalyst that can be regenerated and recycled with the lower expense and better ease, leading to fewer byproducts. The research report is a professional study on the global market for zeolite 4A, offering insights into various critical aspects.Global Zeolite 4A Market: Key TrendsA large share of the revenue of the global zeolite 4A market is generated from the detergent industry. Zeolite 4A is majorly used as a substitute for phosphorous for manufacturing detergents, as it possesses high efficiency in preventing foreign particle deposition and dirt removal. In addition, the increasing consumer awareness regarding the harmful effects of phosphate-based detergent on environment is working in favor of the market. Moreover, stringent government measures pertaining to environment conservation are augmenting the market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the flip side, the growing penetration of cheaper eco-friendly catalyst materials and chemicals is creating pricing pressure on players in the market. Furthermore, the presence of numerous substitutes such as metals and other compounds is hampering the growth of the market.Global Zeolite 4A Market: Market PotentialThe demand for zeolite 4A in the refining industry is anticipated to increase in the near future due to the rising volume of refinery output in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific regions. The global refinery output was 76,865.1 thousand barrels per day in 2015. Because of the high selectivity, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency of zeolite catalysts, they are often the most preferred method for a number of refinery conversions. The growing research and development activities in product-based catalyst applications to keep pace with the flourishing refining industry are also likely to facilitate the uptake of zeolite 4A. Moreover, the increasing usage of catalysts in various processes in the petrochemicals industry such as fluid cracking is estimated to bode well for the growth of the market in the foreseeable future.Request TOC of the Report @Global Zeolite 4A Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key segments analyzed in the report on the basis of geography are North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe will be a prominent market throughout the review period, with countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands being the major contributors. Stringent regulatory framework for greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions along with high-capacity manufacturing units for detergents and refrigerants is contributing to the growth of the region.North America will also account for a noteworthy share in the market, owing to the increasing demand for zeolite 4A for infrastructural applications, particularly in the U.S. Asia Pacific will post a significant CAGR during the same period. The mounting infrastructural expenditure in emerging countries such as India and China is fuelling the growth of the region. The rising demand in Latin America can be attributed to the growing application in animal feed to improve nutrition intake.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Zeolite 4A Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global zeolite 4A market is a highly fragmented arena. Players are willing to invest sizeable funds in research and development activities to launch a wide range of zeolite 4A grades over the forthcoming years. Some of the key global participants in the market are Clariant International Ltd., Zeolyst International (a subsidiary of PQ Corporation), Tosoh Corporation, and BASF.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Perle Fiber Media Converters remove EMI from Sonar Data Transmission

Mullglen use Fiber Media Converters

www.perle.com

NASHVILLE, TN - June 13th, 2017  Modern commercial fishing trawlers rely on all kinds of advanced technology. When Ronan Murrin, a Marine Engineer at Mullglen Limited, installed a new 250,000 fish-finding sonar on the Pacelli, he expected the captain would receive reliable data.The skipper knows these waters, comments Murrin.He knows where the rocks are down there and that the sonar was not picking them up. It could only operate for a couple of hours before the data got all jumbled.For 5 years, Mullglen and the Sonar Manufacturer tried to find a solution to the reliability issues. Both the transducer and processor units were replaced. The cabling on the boat was upgraded from cat5 to cat7. And, an engineer from the manufacturer spent 4 weeks on the boat. Nothing worked.With a broad range of experience as an electrician and instrument engineer, Murrin took a step back. With all the generators, motors and refrigeration equipment on board, power surges and blackouts were quite common. Therefore, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) was installed to provide the sonar equipment with 240v at all times. Then Murrin recalled a fiber optics training course.EMI (Electromagnetic interference) often occurs in coaxial cables, even shielded ones. The paths that cabling can take on a boat are severely limited, and multiple cables often have to run close to each other. This increases the chances of EMI. Fiber Optics are immune to EMI since signals are transmitted as light instead of current. They can carry signals through places where EMI would normally block transmission.Therefore, Murrin had a discussion with a Perle engineer and learned how different types of data could be streamed using Media Converters.From there, I was 99% confident that this was be the solution we were looking for, comments Murrin.A pair of Fast Ethernet Media Converters where installed on board the Pacelli using fiber optics to transmitted data from the sonar transducer at the front of the boat to the display computer in the bridge.Murrin describes the outcome, After the fiber installation we turned it on while still in the harbour. The skipper knows the seabed there like the back of his hand. He wanted to compare the data from the sonar to that in his mind. It worked perfectly for 2 hours so he turned it off until we got to the fishing grounds. Then he turned it on and left it on continuously for 4 days straight. It worked perfectly.Ronans closing comments were, The sonar manufacturer spent a lot of time and resources trying to rectify the problem. As it turned out, for very little effort and money, we solved it with a couple of Perle Media Converters.The full Mullglen Case Study is available to read on the Perle Systems website.About MullglenMullglen Limited are an Irish Fishing Fleet company incorporated in 1992.About Perle SystemsPerle Systems is a leading developer, manufacturer and vendor of high-reliability and richly featured connectivity and device networking products. These products are used to connect remote users reliably and securely to central servers for a wide variety of business applications. Product lines include Console Servers for Data Center Management, Terminal Servers, Device Servers, Remote Power Switches, Media Converters, Ethernet I/O, Serial Cards, Parallel Cards and Multimodem Cards. Perle distinguishes itself through extensive networking technology, depth of experience in major real-world network environments and long-term distribution and VAR channel relationships in major world markets. Perle has offices in 9 countries in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products through distribution and OEM/ODE channels worldwide.Perle Systems830 Fesslers Parkway, Suite 108Nashville, TN 37210Julie Mc DanielVP MarketingPhone: 1-800-46703753pr@perle.com
Global Peppers Seeds Market  Strategic Assessment and Forecast Till 2022 Including Key Vendors Limagrain, Syngenta, Nunhems

https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/494728-global-peppers-seeds-market

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https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/494728-global-peppers-seeds-market

HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 115 pages on title 'Global Peppers Seeds Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa and important players such as Limagrain, Syngenta, Nunhems etc.Request a sample report @SummaryThis report studies the Peppers Seeds market, Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493, and from there spread to other European, African, and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Peppers Seeds in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversMonsantoLimagrainSyngentaNunhemsTakii SeedRijk ZwaanEnza ZadenAdvantaSakataJingyan SeedBeijing Haihua BiotechHunan Xiangyan SeedChina Vegetable Seed TechnologyChongqing Keguang SeedMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversHot PeppersSweet PeppersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoIn Intertropical AreaIn Subtropics AreaIn Temperate AreaOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Peppers Seeds market.Chapter 1, to describe Peppers Seeds Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Peppers Seeds, with sales, revenue, and price of Peppers Seeds, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Peppers Seeds, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Peppers Seeds market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Peppers Seeds sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Peppers Seeds Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Hot Peppers1.2.2 Sweet Peppers1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 In Intertropical Area1.3.2 In Subtropics Area1.3.3 In Temperate Area1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving ForceBuy this report @2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Monsanto2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Peppers Seeds Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Monsanto Peppers Seeds Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Limagrain2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Peppers Seeds Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Limagrain Peppers Seeds Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Syngenta2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Peppers Seeds Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Syngenta Peppers Seeds Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Nunhems2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Peppers Seeds Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Nunhems Peppers Seeds Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Takii Seed2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Peppers Seeds Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 2....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.Contact Us:CRAIG FRANCIS (PR & Marketing Manager)info@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd.Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837+1-206-317-1218 (US)Email : info@htfmarketreport.com
Global Specialty Papers Market Scenario, Leading Players, Segments Analysis and Growth Drivers to 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2953

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/specialty-papers-market-2953

Market ScenarioSpecialty papers are one of the special grades of paper. They have special characteristics and properties and are designed for certain end user. Sometimes, normal papers are converted into specialty paper by the use of chemicals. The growing trend of the online shopping in both developed and developing countries, is driving the demand of specialty paper market. Growing demand of specialty paper from food & beverages sector also has a positive influence on the market growth. However, growing the trends of plastic packaging which is more sustainable compared with paper, is the factor that may hamper the growth of market.Global specialty papers market is projected to reach USD 28.73 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2017 to 2023.Market SegmentsGlobal Specialty Papers Market can be segmented as follows: Segmentation by Type: Decor Paper, Flexible Packaging Papers, Release Liner Paper, Printing Paper, Masking Tape Segmentation by Raw Material: Pulp, Fillers & Binders, Additives Segmentation by Application: Building & Construction, Packaging & Labeling, Industrial, Printing & WritingTaste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Specialty Papers Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023Request a Sample Report @Study Objective of Specialty Papers Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next five years of various segments and sub-segments of the global specialty papers market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global specialty papers market based on various tools such as Price Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis, Porters Five Forces Analysis To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies, North America, Europe, APAC, & Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries 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 segmented, by type, by material, by applications, and by regions 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 specialty papers marketBrowse Report Details @Key Players:The key players of global specialty papers market are: Nippon Paper Group, Inc. (Japan) Domtar Corporation (Canada) Mondi Plc (Austria) Sappi Limited. (South Africa) Stora Enso Oyj (Finland) Munksjo Corporation (Sweden) Kanzaki Specialty Papers Inc. (U.S.) International Paper Company (U.S.) Robert Wilson Paper Corporation (U.S.) Griff Paper and Film (U.S.)Target Audience Manufacturing Organizations Distributors & Suppliers Government as well as Independent Regulatory Authorities Research Institute / Education Institute Potential InvestorsRegional Analysis of Global Specialty papers MarketEuropean region dominates the global specialty papers market, mainly due to growth in food & beverages sector. Europe is expected to contribute significantly during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period. Growth in industrialization and urbanization in this region, is the primary factor that increases the demand of specialty papers market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
TDSi Appoints New Marketing Manager

www.tdsi.co.uk

Integrated security manufacturer TDSi is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Marketing Manager, Francesca Meyrick. As well as heading up TDSis marketing division, Francesca will be working closely with the companys distribution and installation partners to support and enhance growth strategies, both in the UK and internationally.Francescas appointment is a key one for TDSi, as Managing Director John Davies commented, We are excited to welcome Francesca to the TDSi team. Marketing is one of the most important functions within our business, as it extends beyond our direct branding and encompasses our vital network of distribution suppliers and installation partners. Our customers rely upon the right information to get the best from TDSis products and services.Francesca is also excited to be joining the company and commented, With cutting-edge products and a highly impressive brand in a busy and thriving industry, I am delighted to be taking over the marketing reins at TDSi!Francesca added, I love the variety of work that marketing offers and there are many aspects to this role for me to get stuck into, from heading up the marketing activity and strategies, to working with our global partners to educate and inspire customers. One aspect Im really looking forward to is organising our attendance at key events around the world. All these aspects offer huge opportunities to grow our market share and to extend TDSis business even further.Francesca has an impressive history in marketing communications. Having studied English Language and Communications at university, she has worked within marketing and communications roles for the past seven years. Before joining TDSi, Francesca spent four years with a full-service marketing agency that focused on providing Dorset SMEs with both digital and traditional marketing expertise.John added, It is vital that TDSi has the right marketing team in place, not only with the professional skills, but also the passion to ensure the brand is fully promoted in markets around the world. This was a key consideration in finding the right person for the role.John concluded, Francesca has exactly the right blend of drive and determination, as well as marketing experience, that we were looking for. With our rapid growth, TDSi relies heavily on a well-targeted marketing profile to take our products and services to existing and potential customers.For further details on TDSi please visitor phone +44 (0)1202 723535.Established in 1982, with its global head office in Poole, UK and a regional office in Noisy-le-Grand, France, TDSi has been at the forefront of the access control and integrated security management market for over 30 years. TDSis diverse and comprehensive product range encompasses Access Control Systems, Biometric Readers, Security Management software, IP CCTV Video Management Software. The portfolio can be easily integrated into other security and BMS applications and can be deployed at businesses and organisations of all sizes and types. TDSi is also proud to integrator with some of the leading manufacturers in the security industry, including Milestone, SimonsVoss, Assa Abloy and Texecom.With customers all around the world, millions of people every day rely on TDSi cards to gain secure, reliable access to installations. ISO9001 accredited, TDSis access controls range from standalone products to networked and integrated systems for all sectors. The company has customers across a wide range of areas including: Healthcare, Finance/Banking, Education, Transportation, Ports and Airports, Utilities, Industrial and Commercial/Retail.Unit 10, Concept Park, Concept Park, Poole BH12 4QT
Spain Fermentation Ingredients market is growing with rate 3.46%-Market Research Future Report 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2984

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/spain-fermentation-

Report DescriptionSpain fermentation ingredients market is projected to reach USD 1,530 million by the year 2023 with growth rate of 3.46%. Andalusia and Catalonia together holds more than 50% of market share in 2017 as large fermentation ingredients companies are located in Catalonia and Andalusia. Spain is the third major country for production of fermentation ingredients for chemical and pharmaceuticals application which is supporting the growth of the market in Spain. Madrid will witness higher growth rate during the forecast period.On the basis of type, Alcohol (i.e. Ethanol, butanol, BDO and Acetone) and Antibiotics (i.e. Beta-lactam, tetracycline and clavulic acid) fermentation ingredients holds more than 50% market share in the year 2017 as in Spain majority of fermentation ingredients is used for chemical and pharmaceutical application. Amino acid is projected to grow at higher rate during the forecast period. Polymers and organic acids together holds more than 30% of market share in the year 2017due to increasing demand of polymer over organic acid in Spain.Liquid form of fermentation ingredients holds more than 55% market share in the year 2017, as in Spain majority of fermentation ingredients such as alcohol and organic acid are produced in the form of liquid. Dry form is projected to grow at higher rate compare to liquid form during the forecast period due to increasing demand of polymer and industrial enzymes from last few years.Request a Sample Report @Market Segmentation:Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market segmented as: By Type (Alcohol. Amino acid, Antibiotics, Polymer, Vitamins, Enzymes, Organic acid and Others) By Form (Dry, Liquid and Others) By Application (Chemical, Food & beverages, Pharmaceutical, Animal Feed and Others) By Feedstock (Sugar beet, Wheat, Corn and Other)Key PlayersThe leading market players in the Spain Fermentation Ingredients market primarily are Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., The Dow Chemical Co, Cargill, Incorporated, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Evonik Industries AG, Novozymes A/S and UquifaKey players are focusing on expansion of their fermentation ingredient business. From six years, strategy of product launch and expansion of the fermentation ingredients business together holds around 50% of strategy share by key players. Acquisitions and agreement are two main factors which are contributing more than 40% of strategy share as it helping company to enhance their fermentation ingredients production capacity and to capture more market share in Spain and other regions in Europe.Target Audience Fermentation Ingredients Manufacturers Food and beverage Industry Chemical Industry Pharmaceutical Industry Retailers and wholesalers Traders, importers and exportersBrowse Report Details @ingredients-market-2984Key Findings The Spain Fermentation Ingredients market is projected to reach USD 1,530 million by 2023 of 3.46% In Spain, application of fermentation ingredients in pharmaceutical is growing at higher rate of 3.83% In Spain., Alcohol fermentation ingredients type holds the major market share for the year 2017Regional and State wise Analysis of Spain Fermentation Ingredients market Development and Demand Forecast to 2023 MarketThe reports also cover region level analysis:Spain Andalusia Catalonia Madrid Valencian Community Rest of SpainAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Future of the Global Release Agent  Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2022 Including Key Players Chem-Trend, Franklynn Industries, Henkel

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HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 119 pages on title 'Global Release Agent Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa and important players such as Chem-Trend, Franklynn Industries, Henkel etc.Request a sample report @SummaryA release agent is a chemical, typically a liquid, used to facilitate the easy removal of molded or cast parts from the molds. These chemicals are applied to the contact surfaces of the mold prior to casting or molding, preventing excessive adhesion between it and the finished part.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Release Agent in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversChem-TrendFranklynn IndustriesHenkelAXELChukyo YushiMarbocoteMcgee IndustriesREXCOLANXESSSpecialty ProductsE.undP.WurtzGmbH&CoKGKluber LubricationDaikinAervoeCONDATDupont3MStonerBASFBeilidaQIKOMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversInternal Mold ReleasesExternal Mold ReleasesMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCompositeRubberPlasticPolyurethane ResinsOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Release Agent market.Chapter 1, to describe Release Agent Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Release Agent, with sales, revenue, and price of Release Agent, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Release Agent, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Release Agent market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Release Agent sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Release Agent Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Internal Mold Releases1.2.2 External Mold Releases1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Composite1.3.2 Rubber1.3.3 Plastic1.3.4 Polyurethane Resins1.3.5 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving ForceBuy this report @2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Chem-Trend2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Release Agent Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Chem-Trend Release Agent Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Franklynn Industries2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Release Agent Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Franklynn Industries Release Agent Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Henkel2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Release Agent Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Henkel Release Agent Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 AXEL2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Release Agent Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 AXEL Release Agent Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Chukyo Yushi2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Release Agent Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Chukyo Yushi Release Agent Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.Contact Us:CRAIG FRANCIS (PR & Marketing Manager)info@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd.Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837+1-206-317-1218 (US)Email : info@htfmarketreport.com
Global Breast Implants Market Outlook 2017-2022 Allergan, Mentor, Establishment Labs, Ideal Implant, Sientra

Breast Implants Market

http://bit.ly/2rdkU59

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-breast-implants-market-outlook-2017-2022/

A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a womans breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast mound for postmastectomy breast reconstruction patients or to correct congenital defects and deformities of the chest wall. They are also used cosmetically to enhance or enlarge the appearance of the breast through breast augmentation surgery.Ask For Sample Copy of Report :This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Breast Implants from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2017-2022 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Breast Implants market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Breast Implants, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.GCCs report, Global Breast Implants Market Outlook 2017-2022, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Breast Implants market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Breast Implants market are Allergan (USA), Mentor (USA), Establishment Labs (USA), Ideal Implant (USA), Sientra (USA), Dreamxcell (Germany), Polytech (Germany), Cereplas (France), Laboratoires Arion (France), Groupe Sebbin (France), Hans Biomed (Korea), Shanghai Kangning (China), Shanghai Dongyue (China), Wanhe Plastic Materials (China), Shanghai Xinsheng (China), Shanghai Winner (China), among others.Browse full Report here:The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Breast Implants industry has been provided.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
Security Information and Event Management Market Expected to Reach $3,720 Million, Globally, by 2023

SIEM Industry

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2313

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2313

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/security-information-and-event-management-market

Security Information and Event Management Market Report, by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global SIEM market was valued at $1,866 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $3,720 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 10.1% from 2017 to 2023. The SIEM market for the services segment is anticipated to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period.For Sample PDF, Click Here@North America was the largest market in global SIEM industry in 2016, as it offers adequate infrastructural development for the adoption of SIEM technology. The primary driver for this adoption is the regulatory compliance such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in the region. Asia-Pacific SIEM market is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period, owing to evolution in IT security arena, increase in cloud adoption, stringent regulatory compliances, and rise in demand for enterprise mobility.Large enterprises are the primary consumers of SIEM products and the market was estimated to be around $1,174 million in 2016. However, small enterprise SIEM market is expected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to its wide acceptance and increased product offerings from the key market players.The government segment accounted for the highest share of revenue in 2016, while retail SIEM market is anticipated to grow at the highest rate of 14.2% during 2017 to 2023.Do Purchase Enquiry@Rise in concerns over IT security and increase in cybercrime have urged organizations to invest in more efficient security systems, as the threat landscape is becoming more complex with the occurrence of mobile devices and rise in adoption of cloud services. In addition, increase in adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend drives the growth in the global SIEM market.The report features a competitive scenario of the global SIEM industry and provides a comprehensive analysis of key growth strategies adopted by the major players. Key players profiled in the study are Dell EMC, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company, IBM Corporation, LogRhythm, Inc., McAfee LLC., SolarWinds Inc., Splunk Inc., Symantec Corporation, Trend Micro Inc., and Trustwave Holdings Inc. These players have adopted competitive strategies, such as geographical expansion, mergers & acquisitions, new product launch, and partnership & collaborations to augment the growth of the SIEM market.The security information and event management (SIEM) market is in its mature stage, and is expected to witness average growth rate of 10.1% during the forecast period. Organizations seek tools that can satisfy regulation compliances with high efficiency. North America was the largest shareholder, in terms of revenue; while Asia-Pacific SIEM market is expected to witness highest growth during the forecast period.Key Findings of the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Market: The SIEM solution segment accounted for the highest share of the global SIEM industry in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period. The government SIEM market generated highest share of revenue in 2016, and is projected to grow at a rate of 8.8%. North America generated the highest revenue in 2016, valued at $1,202 million.SIEM services market is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period in the component segment.Access Detailed Study@About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Contact Us:Dhananjay Potle5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesInt'l: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com
Oregon's unemployment rate set another record in May, falling to 3.6 percent according to data out Tuesday from the Oregon Employment Department. That's down slightly from 3.7 percent in April and is the lowest point for which the state has comparable data, going back to 1976.

It's the fifth consecutive month that Oregon's jobless rate has set a record.

Oregon's total labor force crossed 2.1 million in May, its first time ever above that threshold. But Oregon added just 2,900 jobs last month, compared with 6,800 new jobs in April.

Economists say Oregon's job growth will inevitably slow as the state approaches "full employment." As economists use the term, it doesn't mean that everyone who wants a job can find one  rather, it means that employers are having an increasingly difficult time finding qualified workers for their openings.

A strong economy isn't good for everyone. It's one factor contributing to Oregon's housing crisis, raising the cost of owning or renting a home as more people are employed and as the state draws more people from elsewhere to take advantage of job opportunities here.

For Oregonians on fixed incomes, or in jobs where wages aren't rising, broad economic strength can actually make life harder by raising the cost of living.

Hiring was strongest last month in construction, manufacturing, educational services, business services and hospitality, according to the state. Manufacturing, which was flat in 2016, has added 4,300 jobs in the first part of this year.

While Oregon was slower than the nation to recover from the Great Recession, in the past few years the state's job market has outpaced U.S. growth. Nationally, May's unemployment rate was 4.3 percent.

A broader market of the state's unemployment, the U-6 or "underemployment" rate, fell from 8.1 percent to 7.7 percent in May. That's also the lowest point on record, and suggests that Oregon's historically strong economy is shifting more people who were marginally attached to the work force into full-time work.

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699
About 100 Portland-area students with confirmed advance registrations to take the ACT in Beaverton Saturday were turned away due to too few tests at the site, testing officials confirmed Tuesday.

Students who were registered for the June 10 test session at Sunset High School arrived on time only to be informed they would not be able to take the test.

About 165 students who arrived first were able to take the test, but the next 100 or so were refused, said Ed Colby, public relations director for ACT. Those students were handed copies of a letter from ACT staff dated June 9 explaining the shortage and assuring them that ACT officials would contact them within two weeks about a makeup test date.

Bill Amsden's daughter, Lincoln High student Karina Amsden, was among the 100 turned away.

"It's unbelievable that an organization that is entrusted with measuring our children's aptitude cannot use simple math to match the number of test materials with the number of students enrolled for the test," he told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

ACT officials notified the affected students in writing this week that they can take a free makeup test this Saturday.

But for Ella Behnke, who just finished her junior year at St. Mary's Academy, missing the test means she may not be able to take the ACT until the next national test date in September. She leaves for a service trip to Nicaragua early Saturday and won't be back for weeks.

"In the summer, students have work commitments and family commitmentsit's unreasonable to expect they'll all be available," said her mother, Lynn Raube.

"The ACT is a big deal," Raube said. "She has been studying over the past couple of months and working with an ACT tutorit's a huge loss."

Colby said the agency found out about the shortage at the Sunset High testing center last Friday but this was not enough time for them to send new materials to the high school by Saturday morning.

"We very much regret this situation and the inconvenience it caused to impacted students and their families. We will be offering them our sincere apologies, along with a refund of their ACT registration fees, of course," he said. If students can't attend the makeup session this Saturday, they will be able to switch their registration to any future national test date for free, as well.

But for Raube, "It's not about the money. It's about getting into a good college." She added, "The ACT created this horrible situation for these kids, but for them, it's just a business."

Karina Amsden, the Lincoln student, is luckily available for the makeup session this Saturday, her father said. The family had been worried, as they're leaving for a family vacation next Monday.

Raube said she wishes ACT representatives were easier to reach through this process. The letter given to students on Saturday contained the general ACT number for questions about the test, which Raube said she called Monday morning. She was directed to fill out a feedback form on the ACT website, and then received an email response saying she should receive a response to her concern within five weeks.

Raube said the experience was a frustrating and disappointing one for her daughter. Not being able to take the ACT until September will affect whether she can retake it before submitting college applications, she said.

"The goal is for them to accommodate [my daughter] and the other students affected by this," she said.

--Janaki Chadha

jchadha@oregonian.com

503-221-8165; @janakichadha
Those relentless rainfalls that pummeled Oregon for months, coupled with warmer weather, are likely to make for a heavy mosquito season this summer.

State specialists are already seeing mosquitoes in southern, central and eastern Oregon, with the insects spreading to other areas as the heat arrives.

The National Weather Service expects hotter-than-usual temperatures to hit Oregon this summer, said Gerald Macke, a weather specialist.

Mosquitoes thrive in heat but they also need water. The females lay their eggs in water. The eggs and larvae can overwinter in freezing temperatures. When the water warms, they hatch and produce more mosquitoes that continue the cycle.

As the snow pack melts, Oregon is likely to have a lot of water for mosquitoes to reproduce, said Emilio DeBess, the state's epidemiologist specializing in mosquito-borne illness.

"The snow pack is huge," DeBess said. "It's the perfect storm for mosquitoes to hatch and females to lay eggs."

Keep mosquitoes away

 Use insect repellents, especially those with DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Use especially at dawn and dusk.

 Install or repair screens on windows and doors.

 Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, socks and hats outside, especially in wooded areas.

 Protect infants by putting mosquito netting around strollers.

 Drain standing water from flower pots, tarps, wheelbarrows and anything else that collects pools.

 Fix leaky faucets.

 Change water in bird baths, wading pools and pet bowls twice a week.

A heavy mosquito season increases the chance that Oregon will have more cases of West Nile virus. The insects carry the virus and pass it onto humans when they bite. Most people don't suffer any symptoms but the virus can cause fever and even inflammation of the brain in older people.

"It can be a fairly severe illness," DeBess said.

West Nile rarely kills people but it can be deadly to birds and horses. Though there is no vaccine for people, there is one for horses.

In relatively dry years, West Nile tends to be less of a problem. For example, last year there were four known cases in Oregonians, DeBess said. In 2015, there was only one. That compares with 2006, when a record 73 people were infected.

The virus tends to pose the biggest problem in eastern Oregon.

Officials track West Nile virus by setting mosquito traps around the state. This year for the first time, scientists also will trap and test mosquitoes for the Zika virus.

Zika can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus, causing severe brain damage in the newborn. The state has had 51 cases of Zika infection in Oregon since January 2016. All of them have involved people who have traveled to Zika-infested areas or who contracted the virus from someone who traveled abroad.

Two types of mosquitoes carry Zika  Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The latter has been found in Multnomah County.

This is the first year that Oregon has had the ability to test the insects, thanks to a grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mosquitoes that carry West Nile tend to bite at dawn but those that carry Zika attack during the day. The best way to prevent a bite is to use an insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and get rid of standing water near residences.

-- Lynne Terry
High-level state officials met recently with the U.S. attorney for Oregon to defend the state's efforts to regulate marijuana in a state notorious for black market trafficking.

The session, disclosed publicly Monday, took place as the Trump administration re-examines the federal government's approach to marijuana enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Billy Williams requested the meeting with top aides in Brown's office in late May to discuss a draft report by the state police that found Oregon remains a top national source for black market cannabis.

Others at the meeting included Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission executive director and a representative of the Oregon Attorney General's Office.

Williams said he asked for the meeting after reading about the state police analysis in The Oregonian/OregonLive. The newsroom obtained the report in March, but state police said it was preliminary and incomplete.

State police have yet to release a finished version of the report.

"Overproduction is definitely concerning and the violation of the state and federal law, diverting it to other areas of the country is very concerning and we are looking at it," Williams said.

The draft report found that Oregon has an "expansive geographic footprint" on the black market with six counties -- Jackson, Multnomah, Josephine, Lane, Deschutes and Washington -- supplying much of what's shipped out of state.

It also found that overall marijuana production in Oregon far outpaces demand, hash oil manufacturing has fueled a rise in explosions and serious injuries and the state doesn't comply with key federal marijuana enforcement priorities.

Jeffrey Rhoades, Brown's marijuana policy adviser, led the state's presentation to Williams. He talked about how Oregon's seed-to-sale tracking system for marijuana, as well as security and testing requirements, are part of the state's efforts to comply with the Cole Memorandum.

President Obama largely tolerated legal marijuana provided states met requirements spelled out in the 2013 memo, such as limiting black market diversion and access to the drug by minors. The memo was written by James Cole, a United States deputy attorney general.

Rhoades' presentation, disclosed in response to a public records request from The Oregonian/OregonLive, offered a largely positive take on legalization in Oregon. He told Williams and a half-dozen federal prosecutors who joined the meeting that legal cannabis has generated $60.2 million in tax revenue so far and created more than 12,000 jobs.

State officials also highlighted efforts by the Legislature this year to track medical marijuana production, historically a loosely regulated industry and one vulnerable to black market trafficking.

The latest reforms mean medical marijuana growers with more than a dozen plants must be tracked similar to recreational producers. Lawmakers also imposed a new limit on the number of immature plants medical growers may have, capping them at twice the number of mature plants. Previously, immature plants faced no limits.

Lawmakers also allowed existing medical marijuana growers with more than a dozen plants to sell up to 20 pounds of cannabis to licensed processors and stores. The reform is an important one, officials said, because medical growers previously were allowed to sell to medical marijuana dispensaries, but the vast majority of those outlets have converted to recreational cannabis shops.

Rob Bovett, legal counsel for the Association of Oregon Counties, said the federal prosecutors who attended the meeting questioned officials about what Oregon is doing to crack down on the black market.

Bovett, who has been deeply involved in cannabis policy at the state level for years, said officials are trying to address holes in the system, particularly around medical marijuana production.

He said the publication in The Oregonian/OregonLive of the draft state police report provided "extra motivation" in the Legislature to regulate medical marijuana production to keep it out of the illicit market.

"We were already focused on it anyway but it gave extra oomph to 'boy, we really need to do something about this leakage into the interstate black market,'" he said.

-- Noelle Crombie

503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
By Ruth Marcus

WASHINGTON -- In life, as in literature, the more complex character is the more compelling and the more realistic. We may crave heroes but we end up with humans. The cardboard figure of unblemished rectitude, who performs impeccably under pressure and is impelled only by the purest motives, gives way to a real person, with all the inevitable blemishes and failings that human nature is heir to.

So it is with James Comey, the fired FBI director.

The nation's first introduction to Comey came a decade ago, with his dramatic account of racing to the hospital room of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to head off an effort to pressure the gravely ill Ashcroft to reauthorize a secret surveillance program.

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey described the tense scene as top White House aides arrived at Ashcroft's room in an unavailing effort to secure his signature. FBI agents, dispatched by, yes, then-FBI Director Robert Mueller, were posted outside the door to prevent Comey's ouster as he faced down the president's men.

This was Comey as superhero, able to leap up hospital stairs in a single bound. It was Comey as resolute public servant, leader of a brave band prepared to quit rather than waver in defense of the rule of law.

"I couldn't stay, if the administration was going to engage in conduct that the Department of Justice had said had no legal basis," Comey testified. "I just simply couldn't stay."

Comey, the sequel, presents a figure more nuanced, imperfect -- and realistic. The fired FBI director may have an aw-shucks demeanor ("Lordy, I hope there are tapes") but he exposed himself as a Washington operator and survivor, with all the bureaucratic maneuvering and sail-trimming that entails.

This Comey didn't confront, he navigated, walking the treacherously narrow path between his desire not to alienate the new president and his mounting alarm at Trump's heedlessness of proper boundaries.

Thus, according to Comey's account, he found himself at an uncomfortably intimate dinner with the president in the Green Room, seeking to defuse Trump's demand for loyalty first with stone-faced silence, next by acceding to the president's oxymoronic "honest loyalty."

As Comey recalled, "I decided it wouldn't be productive to push it further."

Less than a month later, left alone with the president in the Oval Office, Comey again ducked a direct challenge. As Comey testified, when Trump expressed his "hope" that Comey could drop the case against fired national security adviser Michael Flynn, the FBI director lunged for their common ground: "He's a good guy."

Asked why he did not rebuff the president, Comey offered, "Maybe if I were stronger I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in." This was not Comey the brave but Comey the self-protective bureaucrat. He didn't confront, but he did write a memo to the file.

Nor was this the first administration in which Comey chose his battles with an eye to political realities. When former Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked him to call the Hillary Clinton email probe a "matter," not an "investigation," Comey testified, "I just said, all right ... this isn't a hill worth dying on."

And then there is the matter of Comey's bank shot leak, from him to Columbia law professor Dan Richman to, anonymously of course, The New York Times -- all in the service, Comey testified, of seeing a special counsel appointed. Not exactly the behavior of a Boy Scout, unless there is now a Merit Badge in Machiavelli.

That is not to say that Comey was wrong to get out the word about his chilling encounter. It's just that his aura of by-the-book self-righteousness comes with a slightly less honorable tinge. Comey has managed to infuriate both Democrats -- with his imperious decision to assume an outsize role on the Clinton, ahem, matter -- and Republicans, a decade ago and now.

Listening to Comey's testimony called to mind Benjamin Wittes' account of a conversation when, Comey, still in his job, expressed "palpable" concerns about deputy attorney general nominee Rod Rosenstein, a career prosecutor who had managed to keep his political appointment under Republican and Democratic presidents. "Rod is a survivor," Comey observed. As Wittes paraphrased: "You don't get to survive that long across administrations without making compromises."

Did Comey recognize something of himself? Once he was, or presented himself as, the archetype of unyielding probity, now he has morphed into something more complex -- less heroic, more flesh-in-blood. This Comey is more flawed and, perhaps for that very reason, more believable.

Ruth Marcus' email address is ruthmarcuswashpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
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Midland police report theyve located two Wanted Wednesday subjects.

One is Dustin Hayward Thomas, 27, who was sought on three criminal bench warrants out of three counties, including Midland County, the Midland Police Department wrote in a Wanted Wednesday post on Facebook last week. Police said they also wanted to speak with Thomas in connection to an open investigation.
Question: Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C., is the most visited cemetery in America. Can you name the second most visited graveyard?

Answer: Its Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, where each year more than 1.5 million tourists visit the site of Abraham Lincolns grave. At 365 acres, Oak Ridge is also the biggest cemetery in Illinois. Caretakers says visitation is up significantly since the movie Lincoln came out in 2012 and then the premium channels last year.
One of the greatest gifts you can give a grandchild is the gift of financial literacy. Helping them save money early in life and showing them how to make wise spending decisions goes a long way toward a bright financial future. As they get older, they may want to save for special purchases or their college education. You can encourage them when they get their first job to begin saving for the future, including their retirement.

When you celebrate their graduation from high school, you can also remind them to set up a my Social Security account. They need to be age 18 or older, have a U. S. mailing address and a valid email address, and have a Social Security number. And while their retirement is many years away, you can explain the importance of reviewing their earnings record each year since Social Security uses the record of earnings to compute their future benefits. As they start their first major job and begin saving, theyll be able to monitor the growth of the estimates of benefits available to them. You can access my Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

The U.S. Treasury recently introduced a retirement savings account for a simple, safe, and affordable way to save for retirement. Its perfect for people whose employer doesnt offer a savings plan. There are no costs or fees to open and maintain a myRA account. The account wont lose money and is backed by the U. S. Treasury. The account is portable and moves with them from job to job. The account owner can withdraw the money they put in without tax or penalty. You can learn more about myRA at www.myra.gov.

You can share your knowledge about Social Security with your young savers by explaining how the program works and how it has worked for you. About 96 percent of all Americans are covered by Social Security. Social Security is financed through workers contributions, which are matched by employers. We use the contributions to pay current benefits. Any unused money goes into a trust fund. Nearly all working people pay Social Security taxes and about 61 million people receive monthly Social Security benefits. About 42 million of those beneficiaries are retirees and their families. Our Social Security 101 video explains this at www.socialsecurity.gov/multimedia/webinars/social_security_101.html.

Social Security replaces about 40 percent of an average workers income, but financial planners suggest that most retirees need about 70 percent to live comfortably in retirement. Americans need private pensions, savings and investments in addition to Social Security. That means starting to save early and monitoring your Social Security record for accuracy. The best place anyone of any age can visit for quick, easy information about Social Security is www.socialsecurity.gov.
BLOOMINGTON  The trial of a Bloomington man accused of attempted murder will be postponed a month while law enforcement officials search for the man identified as the target of the shooting.

Darvell Williams, 30, is facing 10 felony charges, including attempted murder after allegedly firing shots on Bloomingtons east side in November.

Prosecutors have issued a subpoena for Willie Love, who was identified in court as a man who had an ongoing dispute with Williams and who is a key witness for the prosecution at the trial that was scheduled to start Monday.

Prosecutors charge that on the afternoon of Nov. 26, Williams fired a gun in the 2100 block of East Empire Street, striking a mailbox in an apartment complex, a passing car and a window at Lowes Home Improvement at 2101 E. Empire St.

Prosecutors feared that Love would not be willing to testify and when Love failed to show up in court on Monday, a warrant was issued for his arrest on civil contempt charges.

On Tuesday, First Assistant States Attorney Adam Ghrist told Judge Robert Freitag that Love has not been found.

There were officers out looking for him all day Monday and even overnight at several different addresses, said Ghrist. The lead detective on this case was searching with cooperation from the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force. They have not yet located him.

Two other witnesses who did not show for court on Monday were given subpoenas to appear in court in July to testify.

But the search for Love will continue, Ghrist said. If apprehended, he could be jailed until the trial that was reset for July 17.

As he did on Monday, defense attorney Brian McEldowney objected to the continuance.

My client has been incarcerated since the day of the arrest and has a right to a fair and speedy trial, he argued.

For a defendant in custody, Illinois law stipulates the defendant must be tried within 120 days from the date of his arrest. Delays that are no fault of the defendant do not count against the 120 days. Ghrist said that on July 17, the speedy trial clock will be at 113 days.

Freitag agreed to the delay, setting a status update for July 13.

We are disappointed, McEldowney said following the hearing. But I also understand the state has done its due diligence in finding the witness and we cant fault that. We were just anxious to get started today because my client certainly wants to fight these charges.

McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers said he was also disappointed in the delay.

"It is frustrating, but hurdles in witness coordination or cooperation are matters that we have to deal with each month in the jury calendar," he said.
NORMAL  A kite festival to raise money for Central Illinois not-for-profit agencies will be 3 to 6 p.m. June 25 at Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium, 211 N. Main St.

Kite Fest 2017: Fly a Kite, Lift a Life will be a family- and community-focused event that will allow attendees to fly kites and enjoy music by the local band Sweet Water. The festival also will include food, face painting, crafts and a graffiti wall.

While admission is free, any money collected during the event will benefit the Community Health Care Clinic, Mid Central Community Action and Friends of the Children of Haiti.

The fourth annual event is sponsored by For a Better Tomorrow, a 501(c)(3) philanthropy group.

"Kites not only bring you a feeling of joy but they truly bring families together," said event co-director Tejas Jani. "This is what we are trying to do at Kite Fest, bring families of McLean County a feeling of togetherness while having fun and helping local and global families in need."
BLOOMINGTON  A growing Twin City food pantry received a grant Monday to allow it to handle more nutritious, perishable food, such as fresh produce and meat.

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in the Holy Trinity Parish Center, 711 N. Main St., Bloomington, received a $14,700 grant from Eastern Illinois Foodbank on behalf of the Walmart Foundation.

The grant was part of $50,000 from the foundation to Eastern Illinois Foodbank, which is distributing the money to 10 food pantries in its 17-county area, said Jarrod Rodgers, Eastern Illinois Foodbank partnership coordinator.

Other food pantries in The Pantagraph area to receive grants are the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Pontiac, which received $2,500 for a reach-in cooler, and Hands of Christ Food Pantry in Paxton, which received $4,550 for a larger, reach-in cooler, said Kristen Bosch, an Eastern Illinois Foodbank vice president.

All the grant money will go toward refrigeration equipment to allow food pantries to handle more nutrient-rich, perishable foods, Rodgers said.

"There is not enough refrigeration capacity" at the food pantries, Rodgers said. "We're trying to enhance ability of the food pantries to offer more fresh produce and perishable items to their clients to improve the quality, nutrition and variety of the food they're receiving."

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Bloomington has outgrown its walk-in cooler for produce, meat and other perishables, said Jim Tuite, president of the Holy Trinity Conference of St. Vincent de Paul.

"We are evaluating opportunities to see if we can expand services because of the increasing number of clients and volunteers," Tuite said. "We could modify our current location and there's been discussion about using the old junior high campus."

Corpus Christi Catholic School will move its junior high students from the building at 705 N. Roosevelt St. to the expanded elementary school building, 1909 E. Lincoln St., both in Bloomington.

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry  which has existed for more than 50 years  is the busiest in McLean County, Rodgers said.

"We serve 1,000 to 1,100 households a month," said food pantry vice president Dorothy Deany.

"We've seen an uptick in the past three years," said Tuite, adding many clients served have jobs, "but they need extra food to get by." Some also are facing high medical bills, he said.

Clients, who also receive paper products and diapers, are allowed to come to the food pantry once a month. The pantry is open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays. The number of items received depends on household size and availability of products, Tuite said.

"We are extremely pleased that Eastern Illinois Foodbank found our program to be of high need," he said.
Belleville News-Democrat

Aaaah, summer vacation. Leave those worries behind in Springfield.

Know that you are in for a well-deserved rest because you worked so darned hard on behalf of your Illinois constituents.

You say you worked to protect the middle class, and your hard work was duly noted by your lenders. The day after you left town, S&P Global honored you with the lowest rating ever given a state  a click above junk bond status.

You say you passed the $15 minimum wage. It will encourage innovation and automation, especially in the fast food industry where touch-screen ordering systems and phone app integration are long overdue.

You say you wrote so many state checks that there is a $14.5-billion bill backlog. Economic stimulation means you gotta spend money to make money, right?

As far as that pesky state budget? Well, isn't that a dated, overrated concept? Anything that isn't used for two years certainly isn't a necessity. Colleges, social service agencies, schools have gotten by for two years, so they've got it nailed for year three.

It's kind of like when stars reach the point of supernova. The Illinois supernova: a star that shines so bright because it is exploding, then ejects all its mass and millennials  to be followed by a black hole.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register

To the surprise of pretty much no one, the General Assembly's spring session came and went without a budget deal in place.

It wasn't surprising, given the tone of the discussion: Gov. Rauner's budget director said his boss would veto a budget he deems a bad deal for taxpayers. And the House approved an adjournment resolution that allows for "continuous session," which means, "We'll be back this summer."

So Illinois residents woke up to the record-breaking 702nd day of not having a permanent state budget.

Some might demand lawmakers be locked in the Capitol until a budget deal is reached. We're advocating instead for a short break.

Illinois cannot go another year without a permanent spending plan. Pleas for lawmakers to consider working across the aisle are no longer suggestions  they are mandatory. The legislature's work was supposed to wrap up by May 31. Now, a three-fifths majority is needed to pass bills, instead of the usual simple majority.

The House needs Republican support for a budget: It needs 71 votes to pass legislation; there are 67 Democrats in that chamber. There is a bit of a cushion in the Senate, where 36 votes are needed to pass; there are 37 Democrats.

While home, politicians should take some deep breaths. Listen to businesses that can't expand because of the instability. Talk to nonprofits and social service agencies about the cuts they've had to make. Research what it will mean for Illinois if agencies lower its bond rating  probably to junk status  if July 1 comes without a budget.

Then, return with the mindset that every rank-and-file member is responsible for this financial nightmare, and also has a role in fixing it.

A stopgap budget isn't going to cut it again. We cannot continue to sink further into the abyss.
California is on its way to becoming the first state in the United States to legally recognize non-binaryneither male nor femaleas a legal gender status, if the General Assembly passes the California Gender Recognition Act. It has already been accepted by the Senate.

The bill came to be after 17-year-old Star Hagen-Esquerra met 55-year-old Sara Kelly Keenan after the two became the first and second Californians, respectively, to legally change their genders to non-binary. Keenan was the second in the nation and Star was the third.



The bill, proposed by Senators Scott Wiener and Toni Atkins, seeks to accomplish several things: 1) to make California legally recognize non-binary gender on government forms and IDs; 2) to make it easier to legally change one's gender in general (from male to female, female to male, and either to non-binary); 3) to make it easier for minors to change their gender on their birth certificate; and 4) to remove prior requirements for legal gender changes that included a doctor's statement and an appearance in court.

If California were to pass the act, it's likely other progressive states would follow suit.

Senator Wiener told the Los Angeles Times that the bill is important because it symbolizes a gesture of acceptance to a community that is already under attack. "As the LGBT community  but especially the trans community  is under assault in this country, California needs to go in the opposite direction and embrace the trans community and support the trans community and modernize these laws," he said when the bill was introduced in January.

"My hope for this bill is that actually being non-binary is a lot more normalized," Star told Buzzfeed, "So that when minors come out to their family, it's not quite as jarring or unexpected and they can be more accepting of their child."

[h/t Buzzfeed]
While the Chinese factory that makes shoes for Ivanka Trump's fashion line is still causing controversy after human rights activists reporting on the company's practices were arrested by the Chinese government, now it seems Indonesian factory BT Puma that produces Ivanka's clothes is paying their workers so little they are forced to separate from their families.

The Guardian launched an investigation into Puma, interviewing female employees about their treatment at the factory. One woman in particular admitted she only sees her children once a month, because she had no choice to send them to live with their grandparents as she cannot afford to support them. For reference, Indonesian minimum wage is 40% lower than that of China, and Alia earns the equivalent of $173 USD a month.

A reporter apparently explained to Alia the concept of Trump's new book Women Who Work, which seen Ivanka offer advice to working mothers. Alia was not impressed.

When Alia was told the gist of Ivanka Trump's new book on women in the workplace, she burst out laughing. Her idea of work-life balance, she said, would be if she could see her children more than once a month.

Of the 2,759 workers at the BT Puma factor, three quarters are women and "devote almost all their income to children with whom they can't afford to live."

Despite the fact Ivanka stepped down from the helm in January amidst growing responsibility in the White House, her name still appears on all the merchandise factored by these women and she is still receiving payments from the line.

Then again, nothing really matters when you're a part of the top one per cent.

[h/t The Cut]

Image via Getty
Join us at PAPER in June and July as we celebrate Pride online with a series of digital-only covers, features, and galleries celebrating and supporting the diversity, beauty, resiliency, and humor of the LGBTQ community. For our second digital cover, we spoke with the multihyphenate activist Janet Mock about her speech at the Women's March on Washington, the importance of intersectionality, and embracing both Audre Lorde and Amber Rose.

On January 21st, a day after Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the United States, the mood throughout much if not most of the country was somber. Women, people of color, and LGBTQ communities in all fifty states wondered what the new administration, with its talk of "Making America Great Again," would mean for them.

In Washington, D.C., though, the capital was alive with activity. Half a million people took buses, trains, and planes to join the Women's March on Washington, the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Even in the gray winter air, the feeling was jubilant, the signs were clever, and the hats were pink.

The throngs of marchers spread out across the National Mall, while the voices of celebrities like Madonna, Scarlett Johansson, and America Ferrera boomed from the loudspeakers onstage.

Author and trans activist Janet Mock was one of thirteen women on the policy committee for the march, having helped build its guiding principles and vision. Mock was the reason that sex workers were included in the march's platform and one of two trans persons in the day's long lineup of speakers (the other was Raquel Willis, who Mock has mentored). Taking the stage after Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, Mock gave a moving speech that quickly went viral. Mock said she realized, looking out over a sea of pink pussy hats, that she was likely largely speaking to people who were engaging in their very first political act. "This was the first time that they were outraged," she told me. "I have been outraged about injustice my entire life."

The audience's political inexperience made Mock's speech all the more important, she said. When she addressed the crowd, she made sure to include the trans women that she felt might otherwise not be covered under the movement's umbrella:

"I stand here today most of all because I am my sister's keeper. My sisters and siblings are being beaten and brutalized, neglected, and invisibilizied, extinguished and exiled. My sisters and siblings have been pushed out of hostile homes and intolerant schools. My sisters and siblings have been forced into detention facilities and prisons and deeper into poverty. And I hold these harsh truths close. They enrage me and fuel me. But I cannot survive on righteous anger alone. Today, by being here, it is my commitment to getting us free that keeps me marching."

Mock has been using her unique story to communicate universal truths since becoming a public figure. In 2011, after five years as a pop culture editor at People, Mock came out as one of the first publicly trans journalists in an as-told-to piece in Marie Claire.

Since then, she's published a best-selling memoir, hosted a pop culture show on MSNBC, launched a podcast, Never Before, joined Allure as a contributing editor and has a second memoir, Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me, out June 13.

"It was vitally important for me to tell my story," Mock said of recording her life. "When I was growing up, there were no references for me that felt positive or aspirational in any sense."

From #OscarsSoWhite to the whitewashing of Asian characters in Hollywood, the predictable cycle of outrage followed by vows to "do better" often end with little provable gains in representation. Though shows like Jill Soloway's Transparent and the ubiquity of stars like Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox help promote trans visibility, Mock points out that even those narratives can be lacking in the nuance that represents actual human experience.

"Trans stories have been told, at least in American media, since at least the 1960s, but they all were older, usually white transitioning folk," she said. "Those are important narratives to tell, but there were none that were rooted in my generation, who were able to live their truth at younger ages." It was that gap, she explained, "of not having that on bookshelves or represented in media," that compelled her to share her experiences.

Mock wears top Delpozo, earring Annelise Michelson

Mock, now 34, says that the path to self-realization wasn't something she completed overnight. "It wasn't like, I'm going tell my story, and then boom, I'm in the New York Times and I'm talking to the world."

In her first memoir, Redefining Realness, Mock charts her childhood and adolescence in Hawaiia state she describes as more accepting of trans-ness than other places in the U.S., though not without its prejudices. She began medically transitioning as a teenager, paid for by her stint as a sex worker, and credits her mother for giving her a refuge at home by "staying out of the way." "She may not have had the answers," Mock explained, "but she never projected her fears on to me. She just let me be."

Mock knows that having a parent who was not actively involved in, but at least not disparaging of her transition is rare. "I'm very conscious that a lot of young people don't have that," she said. "All they are surrounded with are hostile spaces, at school, at home, and then on the street. So it was also about trying to highlight a life where I was vulnerable, but also resourceful. None of us are just one thing. We are multiplicities."

Mock is also keenly aware that young trans kids lack mentors and role models, she says, because they so frequently ask her for guidance and information. "Surpassing Certainty largely came out of conversations that I had with younger people who reach out to me when I go to their college campuses or through my Tumblr messages or DMs, asking me questions about 'how do I live in this body and this identity?' Things like, 'I'm in college now, how do I bring my full self to the workplace, how do I bring my full self to my resume, how do I talk about or is my identity even important when it comes to trying to get a job?'"

Where her first memoir dealt with her early adolescence, Surpassing Certainty focuses on Mock's life as young woman of color (at this point assumed by most in her life to be a cisgender female), marrying her first husband at 21 and climbing the corporate media ladder in New York City. It also deals with those questions young people so often approach Mock withhow and when to disclose trans-ness to partners and friends; how to navigate largely white workplaces as a young person of color; what to do when others may not realize that they are crossing your boundaries (but they are). In Surpassing Certainty, Mock lays bare experiences  both painful and triumphant  and translates them into lessons that are neither trite nor condescending, but as real, complex and messy as life itself.

As a trained journalist, Mock's interests aren't restricted to her own story. She lit up when discussing her new ten-episode podcast, Never Before, that was executive produced by Lena Dunham and made in collaboration with Lenny Letter.

Flashing her brilliantly white smile, Mock proudly announced that her podcast's first guest was Miss Tina Lawson-Knowles. "I interviewed her in her home in the Hollywood Hills. I cried during that episode. She was the creative force behind Destiny's Child, and we talked about how, being the only black girl in my school, seeing a positive, glamorous, empowering image of young black girlhood take up space on one of my favorite shows, TRL, was so vital to me."





"The podcast is largely about me sharing space and centering culture," Mock continued. "But then also centering my personal experiences and interviewing a lot of the people that were pivotal to my own becoming, and to just sit and, as we say in Hawaii, 'talk story.'" She noted many of her guests "likely have never shared quality space and time with a person like me, whatever that means. So it's about that sharing, and the exchange that happens in those conversations.

It's her expert storytelling and navigation of complex topics that make Mock such an appealing figure. When things happen in the trans community, she is often the one people turn to for advice, for input, for a soundbite. In the past, she's expressed discomfort with being labeled a trans advocate, telling the New York Times last month that placing one person at the forefront of a movement can "flatten everyone else's experience and turn us into a monolith." She also cites this as the reason she's on Twitter less and less these days, admitting she's "tired of having to discuss the slices of trauma in our life that oftentimes outweigh some of the triumphs that we do accomplish." Just as it did at the March, though, her voice serves not only as a lifeline to young people but as a powerful megaphone for the experiences of a group that is often misunderstood or rendered completely invisible.

Earlier this year, Dave Chappelle and novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche were criticized for their separate comments on the trans community. Chappelle joked in a comedy special that trans people are behind black people in the "Oppression Olympics" and need to, essentially, wait their turn. In an interview about feminism with the UK's Channel 4, Adiche commented that trans women grow up with male privilege (while cisgender women don't).

Mock acknowledges that both lines of logic are faulty, and expressed disappointment that sometimes the black community doesn't see the work that black transgender people do. "We've been activating around our blackness for a long time," she said. "We're part of the Black Lives Matter movement, we're doing this work, but rarely are we ever centered," she said, adding that three of BLM's founders are queer black women. Her best guess is that when prominent black figures like Chappelle say things like "wait your turn," they're likely "not even thinking about the possibility that there's black trans folk."

"They're thinking of the most visible portraits of trans-ness, which are older, white wealthy trans folk who have access to protect themselves on a mountain in Malibu or in a mansion in Chicago. They're not [thinking of] the girls on the streets or the subways, the girls on the streets who have to hype themselves up every single day to be like, 'Can I go outside to go work at Jamba Juice?'"

The public outcry against Adiche in particular was fierce. While a backlash in favor of trans people seems like progress, Mock pointed out that the targets of such heavy criticism are often treated differently by their race.





Mock wears shirt Burberry





"White women have been saying transphobic shit for so long, and they never get called out the way Chimamanda was called out," she said. "There was a rallying cry to take her off her pedestal. It's this constant narrative that black people are moremore homophobic, transphobic, non-accepting, etcetera. It gets churned out the same way even in LGBTQ spaces where white cis gay men rule. They run most of the organizations and have control of most of the resources, and they can be misogynistic and sexist and racist and classist and transphobic as hell, but no one's calling them out as much as they would call out a black cis gender body that says something remotely problematic. It's complicated, and it's tough. Because these are my people, too."

When circled back to the Women's March, Mock conceded that criticisms that event was too white and cis-centered were "completely valid," adding "there probably was more diversity on stage in the plethora of speakers than there was for folks in the audience." She also acknowledged that the very intersectionality at the heart of her activism is a concept not everyone has fully grasped yet.

"A lot of the most difficult part of my work is not so much about talking to 'the other side.' It's about talking to people who think they're woke or conscious, and talking to liberals who are sometimes really basic in the way in which they do the work. It's getting through to the people who are trying to do right, the well-intentioned who aren't really there yet. That's the challenge of a writer who writes in this space. Language, as bell hooks said, is a place of struggle. And so we have to use what we have, which is our words, to communicate feelings, and nuance, and complication."

"Another part of my work," she continued, "is challenging respectability politics, which say that sex workers, dancers, trans women and folk who are 'thotting around town' are not important and vital to our movement. Just as much as we talk about Gloria Steinem and bell hooks and Barbara Smith and Audre Lorde, we also need to be talking about Cardi B, Amber Rose, and Blac Chyna. Women who are out there hustling in a world that wants to silence and shame them every single day are vital and important. We need to free ourselves from saying that the only people worthy of our protection and resources are those who are respectable, virtuous, and easily contained."

Hair: Charlie Taylor

Makeup: Wendi Miyake

Stylist Assistants: Sara Clemens, Julie Gray
"I think this year I realized that I have a lot more to think about than drinking PBRs and sitting in the van all day," Mac DeMarco muses. "I guess I'm growing up a little bit." DeMarco's third full-length album, the just-released This Old Dog, is perhaps his most personal project yet, diving deeper into his innermost thoughts like a diary set to acoustic guitar and synthesizers.

The album revolves around self-discovery and is filled with intimate, vulnerable moments. It opens with "My Old Man," a song about DeMarco's dad and the realization that he's turning into him. "Look in the mirror/Who do you see?/ Someone familiar/but surely not me," he sings. On "Dreams from Yesterday," DeMarco laments about hopes achieved and dreams deferred. "Once your dreams/ come knocking at your door/it's time to realize/you aren't dreaming anymore," he sings. "And no amount of tears/can roll back all the years/and bring back all your dreams/from yesterday."

This Old Dog might be an evolution of sorts for DeMarco, but the style doesn't deviate too much from the easy listening- meets-art rock sound (described with a wink on his Facebook as "jizz jazz") that fans loved on his 2014 breakout album, Salad Days, and its 2015 follow-up mini- LP, Another One. He says the new record coalesced around many different songs DeMarco recorded at whim, without any particular concept in mind. "As far as, like, any kind of creative vision, I didn't really have any of that," he reflects. "I just kind of sat down with a guitar and was playing and trying to pass the time, and then I'd find myself making music." He continues, "I'm writing about things I was thinking about without having in mind 'Okay, this will be the record,' so I think that's why some of the songs are a little bit more personal for me this time." Showing fans this new, more vulnerable side is "kind of scary to me," DeMarco says when talking about the album's release. But ultimately, he adds, "It feels right -- so there you go."

Who is the titular 'old dog' on This Old Dog?

I guess I'm talking about myself in that. And not just saying like ,Oh, I'm olddd,". I'm 26, nothing too crazy. The song's just got a simple little sentiment, like, I love you and I won't forget about you." It's just a song about being alive, I suppose...The term dog is kind of my dawg, dirty dog. I think a lot of press, especially has been kind of like ohh you made an album about puppy dogs!" and it's like, not exactly.

On previous projects, you've talked about having written, recorded and released music pretty quickly. This one took more time -- why the change in pace?

I guess I just wrote. I was writing songs in New York, maybe early or late winter in 2016. I was writing just nonstop -- it's my hobby -- and so I just kinda sat down and was doing that, and I didn't have in mind, like oh I'm going to make an album outta these!" and I had a little collection of them and I was like well I could like make these into full version and send them to the record label." But for some reason, I just didn't really feel like it at the time. So I didn't end up doing that and I just Ieft them there for a little while and went on tour and was like, Wow I have all these songs. I wonder if I'll ever do anything with those." And the time came where the label was like, Heyy if you wanna put a record out this year you'll need to probably give it to us by this point." And I was like whoa!" So, some of the songs I wrote during that period I didn't use, but some of them I did.

Right.

And then I rewrote some more. But usually when I'm going to make an album I sit down and I'm like, "Okay! Ten, twelve songs, let's write them. Let's record them. Let's go." But it was just sort of a loose thing this time. I moved in the middle and it was just a lot of things in my life, so it was just a lot different.

You wrote the demos for these songs back in New York. Did they sound the way you had envisioned or planned or did your new location -- L.A. --change your initial creative vision?

There were periods where I'd sit down and try and write something and I was like, "I'm going to write a big pop song!" I'd catch myself doing that, and then I'd be like, "What the fuck am I doing? This is ridiculous. This is not me." As far any kind of creative vision, I didn't really have any of that. I just kind of sat down with a guitar and was playing and just trying to pass the time, and then fund myself and making music. Since I'm writing about things I was thinking without having in mind Okay this will be the record," I think that's why some of the songs are a little bit more personal for me this time. I think it's because I was just writing for myself and it's like you don't really realize that people are going to listen to it until you send it in to the label and you're kind of like Ohh yeah. This shit."

Ahh, right.

But I'm comfortable with it.

How has living in L.A. changed your personal life and style? Has it changed how you work at all?

For me it's like, my work is like on tour or when I'm locking myself in my bedroom or some studio or something and writing or recording, so most day to day stuff is kind of like just hanging out, pretty normal stuff. But the main difference is that when I lived in New York, I was really, really far away from the city, so I never saw anybody. I saw my girlfriend, and if I wanted to go see a show or anything I had like an hour in and and hour out to get back to my house. I had a couple years of very low social life except for on tour. But here it's like people come over. And I haven't had that in a really long time so that's cool in some ways but you gotta adjust again, but it's why I enjoy it out here, I think.

What's better for your creative process?

I think what it boils down to is regardless of whether I live in a popping, crazy, fun, exciting zone or like in the middle of nowhere, it's like when I want to make music I just think I always retract to doing it completely alone anyway. Moving to L.A. there are a lot of people here. A lot of my friends at least are doing well with their music right now and projects...But I don't even like bouncing my songs off of people. I just need to do what I need to do, and if people like it, fine. But I'm not trying to achieve some kind of masterful weird pop songwriting goal or anything like that. Just trying to ease my mind, I guess.
UPDATE 2.45 EST: Tinashe has been forced to clarify her comments to The Guardian about her treatment by the black community after Twitter has accused her of blaming "colorism" for her career having faltered.

She spoke out against the backlash, claiming her words were taken out of context.

Tinashe has spoken out about black fans and the tendency of audiences to pit women in music against each other in a new interview, attributing her career's stagnancy to the fact that there just isn't enough room for multiple black women are able to dominate the charts at once.

Hitting the promotional tour for her long-anticipated album Joyride, Tinashe sat down with The Guardian to discuss what it's like to be a black women in music. During the conversation she compared the fan-cultivated competition between her and Kehlani to that of pop pillars Beyonce and Rihanna  something that doesn't seem to be an issue for male artists.

"Recently, my cousin was with a friend of a friend, who was in high school, and she was like, "I'm a fan of Kehlani," but in a way that was like, "So I can't be a fan of Tinashe, too." Then my friend posed the question, "Why not be a fan of both?" It's kind of like sport; people feel like they have to pick a side," she explained.

"There are hundreds of [male] rappers that all look the same, that sound the same, but if you're a black woman, you're either Beyonce or Rihanna. It's very, very strange It felt like they almost had to sacrifice someone because there wasn't enough room, which isn't true."

Tinashe, who is half Zimbabwean half Danish, continued to say she does not feel black enough to fully garner the support of black audiences.

"There's colorism involved in the black community, which is very apparent. It's about trying to find a balance where I'm a mixed woman, and sometimes I feel like I don't fully fit into the black community; they don't fully accept me, even though I see myself as a black woman. That disconnect is confusing sometimes. I am what I am."

Read it all here.

[h/t The Fader]

Image via Instagram
In May Patently Apple covered the Google I/O event to keep on top of what Apple's competitor was up to. One of the interesting technologies that we covered dealt with Augmented Reality coming to Android smartphones this year with their new 'O' OS upgrade for this fall. The feature is called 'Google Lens.' Today`s report briefly covers the Google Lens patent.

I noted that Google Lens could be a huge hit. The feature is like a precursor to Augmented Reality. A user could take a photo and with one click get information about it. You could be in Chicago taking a photo of the tallest building and in one click you'll see 'Willis Tower' labeled on your photo. Or you could be in a museum taking a photo of a favorite work and in one click it'll reveal the artist and other relevant information. This is the same technology that Apple owns which was recently granted a patent for.



Google Lens could go one step further by allowing a user to take a photo of a poster of an upcoming event and in one click they would be able to access Ticketmaster for tickets or more details of the upcoming event.

This is something that may also be coming to Apple's iPhone 8, so on that note it was interesting to see unfold at the Google I/O event. Of course Apple's demonstration of the new Wingnut AR game for iOS showed the world that Apple was about 50 levels ahead of anything from Google or Microsoft or Facebook or Amazon etc. etc., etc.

Of course having a simple Augmented Reality feature like Google Lens for Apple's iPhone cameras this fall would be nice to have as well.

Earlier this month the Google Lens patent was published by the U.S. Patent Office titled "Smart Camera User Interface." Google's patent figures cover the Google Lens system and user interface examples of what a user could see when they take a photo of a poster announcing a coming concert.





Google notes in their patent filing that "In some implementations, one or more actions are provided based on the one or more entities and/or the image-specific structured data. In view of the example of FIGS. 2A-2C, actions can include a purchase ticket action that can be executed to initiate purchase of tickets to the concert depicted in the poster, an add event action that can be executed to add the concert as an event to a calendar, and a download action that can be executed to initiate downloading of an album of the band."





For those wanting to check out Google's patent for more details, click here.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
To be plain, what she wants is wage slavery.

The teaching of the Church is plain and commonsensical; people should be paid enough so they can live, provide for a family, contribute to the community, and lead a reasonable and humane life:

Let the working man and the employer make free agreements, and in particular let them agree freely as to the wages; nevertheless, there underlies a dictate of natural justice more imperious and ancient than any bargain between man and man, namely, that wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner. If through necessity or fear of a worse evil the workman accept harder conditions because an employer or contractor will afford him no better, he is made the victim of force and injustice. In these and similar questions, however  such as, for example, the hours of labor in different trades, the sanitary precautions to be observed in factories and workshops, etc.  in order to supersede undue interference on the part of the State, especially as circumstances, times, and localities differ so widely, it is advisable that recourse be had to societies or boards such as We shall mention presently, or to some other mode of safeguarding the interests of the wage-earners; the State being appealed to, should circumstances require, for its sanction and protection. 46. If a workmans wages be sufficient to enable him comfortably to support himself, his wife, and his children, he will find it easy, if he be a sensible man, to practice thrift, and he will not fail, by cutting down expenses, to put by some little savings and thus secure a modest source of income. Nature itself would urge him to this. We have seen that this great labor question cannot be solved save by assuming as a principle that private ownership must be held sacred and inviolable. The law, therefore, should favor ownership, and its policy should be to induce as many as possible of the people to become owners.

The insane asylum of the Party of Trump opposes all that because, in its heart of heart, it envies every penny the poor have and regards all wages as an intrusion on the profits of the employer. If she could, she would amend her stand to oppose, not merely a livable wage, but any wage. The insane logic of the Libertarian always holds that it is violence and theft for the state to prevent the rich and powerful from robbing raping the poor and weak. Libertarian ideology is all about protecting the powerful from the weak.

Or, to put it in the only terms the monomania Anti-Abortion-but-Not-Prolife Right might still conceivably grasp, this will cause more abortions, because poor people who get pregnant and cannot afford to support a family are under enormous economic pressure to solve the problem by safe, legal, and radically unrare means.

The stupid genius of the monomaniac Christian Right is that its whole focus is on ending the supply for abortion while passionate supporting policies that increase demand. Indeed, ignoring Jesus warning that anybody who causes one of his little ones to sin fashioned a millstone necktie for themselves, they put enormous pressure on the poor to abort and then exult in blaming them for doing it.

With conservative Paul Ryan Catholics, the hypocrisy reaches epic levels. They preach the Churchs teaching on the sinfulness of contraception while adamantly rejecting the Churchs teaching on a living wage and a social safety net for the poor. The result is a bastardized parody of the gospel in which prolife Catholics tell the poor, You must be open to life! You must never use artificial contraception under pain of mortal sinand we will punish you and your parasitic brats when that results in you having too many children.

Gods name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of this.
Government of Ghana has signed an annual performance contract with State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and their principal shareholder.



In a meeting with the SOEs, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia assured in a statement that the Nana administration is committed to supporting the SOEs which he stated are at the heart of the production and delivery of major public infrastructure and services.



"State Owned Enterprises are so critical to this economy.They are really critical.The mismanagement of one state owned enterprise can literally collapse this economy,we have SOEs like Cocobod,GNPC or TOR .These are major enterprises with major financial implications for this economy. If we do not take the performance of the state owned enterprises seriously.It means we are not taking the performance of the economy seriously," portion of the statement read.



Read full statement below:





OPENING REMARKS



BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR. MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA AT THE SIGNING OF THE 2017 Performance Contracts Between SOEs and The Government of Ghana



30th May, 2017



Labadi Beach Hotel





(TIME ALLOWANCE: 10 MINUTES)



Mr. Chairman,

Madam Chief of Staff,

Honourable Ministers of State,

Honorable Deputy Ministers of State,

Distinguished Chief Executives and Board Members of SOEs,

Invited Guests,

The Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen





Good Morning,



It is my pleasure to join you here today for the signing of the annual Performance Contracts between Sate-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and their principal shareholder, the Government of Ghana.



Mr. Chairman, SOEs are at the heart of the production and delivery of major public infrastructure and services: from electric power, through drinking water to petroleum products.



I am sure many of you, either as participants or observers, have witnessed similar signing events over the years in which we gather, SOEs and government officials, to go through the same routine.



And I am also certain that all gathered here will be asking the same questions they have asked year in and year out: what has changed, and what will be the consequences of not meeting the terms of these contracts?



My answer to these questions are that a lot has changed, we have President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that has changed.



The President is very focused on making sure that there are consequences to failure. We intend to hold your feet to the fire and hold you accountable for the performance contract that you are signing today.



State Owned Enterprises are so critical to this economy.They are really critical.The mismanagement of one state owned enterprise can literally collapse this economy,we have SOEs like Cocobod,GNPC or TOR.



These are major enterprises with major financial implications for this economy. If we do not take the performance of the state owned enterprises seriously.It means we are not taking the performance of the economy seriously.



For the longest time ,state owned enterprises in terms of economic management have almost been seen as being on the periphery other than being at the centre of the economy and so on.We only hear in passing that has happened in this enterprise.



Economic managers do not have their finger on the pulse of what is happening in these state enterprises. We want to know what is happening?



We want to know the monies that are going into your bank accounts and are leaving and for what purpose, so are going to be a bit more interested in what is going on,not waiting till the end of the year but actually trying to get our finger on the pulse of what is going on.



Mr. Chairman, Ghanaians, in no uncertain terms, made their intentions clear that the days of business-as-usual is over. When Ghanaians went to the polls in the last election to vote overwhelmingly for change, they voted with the expectation of real change in the way we govern, in the way we manage state resources and finances, and especially, in the way government delivers public services which invariably means service delivery through the SOE.



The mandate given to government is also a mandate to all SOEs to transform the way they work, and to deliver quantifiable change for citizens.



Our objective as a government is to make Ghana a business-friendly economy that would create jobs and prosperity for all Ghanaians. At the heart of this drive is a private sector working hand-in-hand with, we expect, efficiently-run, capable public sector enterprises.



As the quasi-commercial arm of the state, the role of SOEs in helping achieve the objective of job-creating Public Private Partnerships (PPP) is pivotal as they extend to all critical sectors of the economy, including Energy & Power, Petroleum, Trade, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Housing, Railways and Aviation.



There is therefore an expectation that SOEs will be significant partners in economic development. They can only do this by casting aside the old ways of doing things and adopting modern, and financially-prudent methods of working.



Over the next four years, governments plan is to roll out a massive integrated infrastructural development programme in the development of our modern Road Network, Housing, Water systems, Aviation, Ports, Harbours and Railways.



This is not just at the national. We will be investing the Ghana Cedi equivalent of US$4 Million dollars in each of the 275 constituencies of the country (US$1 Million each year for four years) in local infrastructure development.



The roll-out of these projects would be undertaken through direct government investment and Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes.



Local and foreign investors are looking for opportunities to invest in Ghana to take advantage of the enormous upside growth potentials of our economy.



Right in the middle of these energized business, investment, and economic activity will be our SOEs.



What we need to ask ourselves, as we sign these performance contracts this morning, is whether we, SOEs, are sufficiently primed to be equal partners with the private sector. Whether what we bring to the table will create value for Ghanaians.



For example, a major weakness of SOEs is its corporate governance structures. Are corporate governance structures of SOEs, in its present form, sufficiently invested with the requisite expertise, and are they agile enough to keep up with, and get the best deals out of their partnerships with the private sector?



Secondly, have SOEs been good stewards of the public purse?, and going forward, how can you, as custodians of public funds, exercise your fiduciary duties with care, diligence, and with clean hands?



The airwaves over the last week have been awash with the millions of dollars of state funds that have been diverted into the private pockets of public servants and their political counterparts.



Ghanaians are quite rightly fed up with the abuse of office that has become a trend in our recent past. There is no doubt in my mind that Ghanaians will not accept that from people they have placed in charge of state resources and SOEs must stay abreast, and in tune with the change in mood of the long-suffering people of Ghana.



Very soon,the Special Prosecutor's office will come into being and you will see a lot of activities in relation to conducts of SOEs and people being held accountable for their conducts.



Thirdly, an area which must be of concern to us all is the impact of the quasi-fiscal activities of SOEs on the macroeconomic environment. A case in point is the energy-sector debt that has also created systemic risks in the banking sector.



As custodians, my charge to you is that you must, in exercise of the faith we have placed in your hands, be mindful of the implications for the whole economy in the type of contracts and commitments you make which places contingent liabilities on the central government.



The Public Financial Management Act provides for how financial and commercial transactions by state entities should be done, and we will fully expect that you will be applying same.



I entreat all of you ,individually to obtain a copy and keep by your side the Public Financial Management Act and read it,keep referring to it.It is a new act and we have to be familiar with it because it will be applied.



The current state of our SOEs indeed calls for bold and swift reforms if we are to position them to work effectively with the private sector to create jobs and lay a new foundation for growth.



As I said, a lot of the time in the area of economic management we do not think about the state enterprises, we just leave them aside.They are on the periphery and we do not know how their finances are proceeding ,the projects ,the issues and so on.



The Ministry of Finance has already stated that ,there is going to be an annual dialogue with SOEs,that alone is not going to be enough.



His Excellency the President is also going to hold along with the Economic Management Team a half- yearly meeting with SOEs, so that we can review what is going on half -yearly.



We will look at the financial reports, projects and activities that are taking place and the issues that you are facing because some times when we talk regularly, we can solve problems and we can coordinate activities much better and the Economic Management Team and the President will have a very much hands on approach ,finger will be on the pulse and we will all work together as one team to deliver the transformation of Ghana.



As part of these broad reforms, the State Enterprises Commission, as well as selected SOEs, are benefitting from a World Bank Technical Assistant Programme that aims at consolidating the states ownership role in SOEs into a Single Entity, which will be the State Enterprises Commission, improving performance and ensuring effective and efficient service delivery by SOEs.



Next year, when, God-willing we come back here, Ghanaians will want to hear that we did not only meet our expectations, but we also have been good stewards and actually exceeded those expectations.



In conclusion, I urge all the boards and management to work with the Commission through the reforms, and to ensure the success of their respective SOEs.



God bless our homeland Ghana.



Thank you and God bless us all.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Progressive Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association has received support from Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to set up an electronic platform to pay cocoa farmers across the country.



This follows the associations application to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to issue No Objection letter to the Central Bank in support of its proposal to set up an electronic platform to pay farmers.



COCOBOD has therefore issued a letter of No Objection to the Bank of Ghana in support of the association proposal to set up an electronic platform to pay farmers.



We hereby cover our no objection to the application of Progressive Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association to set up an electronic platform to pay cocoa farmers with mobile money in line with Bank of Ghana regulations, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated in the letter.



The innovative Cocoa Sika Payment Platform, an electronic payment system for cocoa farmers, to facilitate rapid and secured payment of monies to farmers for beans purchased has been on the drawing board for some time now.



It will seek to eliminate physical movement of huge sums of money to farmer gates and ensure a cashless system that will eradicate losses associated with the physical cash payment system.



An elated President of the Progressive Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association, Samuel Anane, commended the new COCOBOD for supporting their quest to pay cocoa farmers electronically.



He also commended Dr. William Mensah, a Deputy CEO of COCOBOD, for supporting indigenous LBCs despite the challenges facing the cocoa sector.



He was of the conviction that the new administration would bring back life to the cocoa sector to improve the welfare of cocoa farmers and all stakeholders.



So far so good; this new administration is friendly and a listening body. We believe that they will improve the sector and help the nation register high and record cocoa production, he explained.



He added that the association would collaborate with the banks and MTN to set up redeeming points where farmers can cash their money as and when they need it.



Mr. Anane said a secured redeeming point would ensure prompt payment to farmers in all agro industry, adding that the Cocoa Sika Payment Platform would gradually push farmers onto the formal financial platform that would allow them access to loans to expand and improve their farms.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Monday June 5, 2017 marked World Environment Day. The day cannot pass by without talking about Chinese attitude and global environmental debacles. Dont I sound excessively stereotypical and judgmental? Hey Jack! Wake up for a trip to Ghana, West Africa and you will thumb me up! The countrys rainforest, agriculturally viable hectors of land and water bodies are being destroyed at a dizzying pace by Chinese illegal miners and their local accomplices.



Illegal mining known in Ghanaian local patois as Galamsey, a name corrupted from gather and sell has plunged many environmentally conscious citizens into a state of bemusement. As the world observed Environment Day recently, I want to reflect on gold mining, Chinese attitude and environmental degradation/pollution. I will concentrate on Ghana with perfunctory evidences from two other countries.



Background to Gold Mining in Ghana



Alluvial gold mining had remained part and parcel of pre-colonial Ghanaian economic culture. What is now modern Republic of Ghana was originally referred to as Gold Coast. Insatiable want for Guinea gold, scientific curiosity, religious zeal, coupled with strategic reason motivated the Portuguese to sail along the West Coast of Africa otherwise known as the Gulf of Guinea in the 15th century AD.



Geographically speaking, the Gulf of Guinea refers to the northeast most portion of Atlantic Ocean stretching from Cape Lopez in Gabon to Cape Palmas in Modern Republic of Liberia. The Portuguese named some portions of Gulf of Guinea in accordance with natural resources they found in abundance.



In fact, it was the Portuguese who named some areas of Africa as Gold Coast (Modern Ghana), Grain or Pepper Coast (Modern Liberia), Slave Coast (the Bight of Benin or Benin) and Ivory Coast. The most influential prince of Portugal, Henry the navigator sent vessels for voyages of exploration along the Atlantic coast as early as 1418. The Portuguese reached Gold Coast in 1471 under the Ship Captain, Diogo de Azambuja. Elmina Castle was constructed in 1482 as Sao Jorge da mina (St. George of the mines). It is believed that Christopher Columbus who claimed to discover the New World in 1492 was in the vessel that came to Elmina. The meaning of name given to Elmina castle is an ample indication that mining was part of Ghanaian economic life.



Before the Portuguese arrived in Africa, a river friendly alluvial gold mining was practiced in what is now modern Ghana. Alluvial mining is the process of mining stream bed deposits commonly known as alluvial deposit. The formation of stream bed deposit is caused by the erosion of minerals from their original source, and then carried away by water to a different location. When the sediments are deposited, they settle in accordance with their weight, with heavier and more valuable minerals like gold and diamond.



Mining Benefits in Ghana



The contribution of mining to Ghanas finances has not been encouraging at all. There is a huge capital flight in the mining sector. Kwesi Pratt Jnr, is a managing editor of Ghanas Insight Newspaper. He lamented over the minimal contribution of mining to Ghanas economy, albeit environmental degradation and pollution. Speaking on UTV program on April 21, 2017, the journalist was deeply worried about Bank of Ghanas Foreign exchange retention agreement with expatriate partners. Per this agreement, a higher percentage of the countrys mining revenue is retained overseas, the journalist hinted. But for managerial ineptitude Ghanas mining cities of Obuasi, Takwa and Prestea would have competed with Johannesburg or Pretoria in terms of development. Youth unemployment in the mining areas is very rife, thereby encouraging illegal mining.



Ghana struggles with competent leadership to manage her institutions despite huge sums of monies paid to them as salaries. The countrys national leadership is conceptualized as neo-patrimonial (Sandbrook & Oelbaum, 1997). Neo-patrimonialism implies the utilization of governmental influence to reward political cronies. The distribution of state jobs by political patrons to followers especially in combination of implicit recognition and normalization of bureaucratic corruption, leads to incompetence, indiscipline and unpredictability in civil services and state-owned enterprises (Sandbrook & Oelbaum, 1997).



The boomerang effects of patrimonial leadership are the huge losses in the mining sector, poor states of mining towns and youth unemployment. In 1999, Mr Sam Jonahs (Chief executive officer of then Ashantigold Fields) reckless derivative hedging strategy deprived Ghana millions of dollars from gold trade. Mr Jonahs wrong hedging was partly responsible for the huge losses in the Ghanaian mining sector. An aphorism that Africa is rich by resources and poor by bank accounts is not applicable to all here. Patrimonial leadership coupled with mining managerial lapses and brazen disregard for nationalism and patriotism, had created huge bank accounts for some individuals at the expense of the country.



I strongly support Kwesi Pratts call for a broader mining introspection in Ghana. Some inhabitants of Diaso or Denkyira Obuasi could not have committed such a horrendous crime to the late Major Maxwell Mahama if the management of mining companies had transformed mining areas into industrial hub of enviable height. As the cliche goes the devil finds work for idle hands. I am not trying to justify the horrific murder of the late army Major.



Illegal Mining and Environmental Degradation



Metaphorically speaking, agglomeration of global trade and craving for investors have made the world smaller than before. Ghana is a fantastic business destination for investors and would-be investors despite the aforesaid leadership drawbacks. Like the Portuguese in Ghanas history, insatiable greed for guinea gold has attracted many Chinese into Ghana. The influx of Chinese into Ghanaian small-scale mining sector has ended heretofore environmentally friendly galamsey operation. Ghana is divided into three main geographical belts namely: the savannah belt, the forest belt and the coastal swampy mangrove. Ghana is a cocoa producing country and became a leading producer in 1911. As of 2017, Ghana is the second leading producer of Cocoa in the world. Chinese illegal miners aided by their local cretins had destroyed a sizeable acreage of cocoa farming land. Impenetrable rainforest of yesteryears is now devoid of wildlife. What is very nauseating? Ghanas rivers Pra, Ankobra and Birim have been polluted more than my ability will permit me to describe! Equally irritable is the bloody nature galamsey fight had turned.



Chinese environmental degradation/pollution is becoming a global canker. In the Gambian Republic, the inhabitants of Gunjur village are interlocking horns with Chinese Golden Lead factory for destroying Bolong Fenyo; a wildlife reserve. The river at the reserve had been polluted beyond imagination. The anger of the inhabitants is escalating as their river is contaminated with hazardous chemicals and the color of the water becoming palpably reddish. In Zambia, there are growing concerns of Chinese controlling the proprietorship of the coal mining industry.



In Cambodia, Chinese illegal lumbering is devastating the forest at bewildering rate. Individuals who express opposition to Chinese unlawful logging do so with calamitous consequences as they could either face death or violence. For example, Hang Serei Oudom, a Cambodian local journalist was murdered in cold blood for attempting to create awareness of Chines illegal lumbering in the Cambodian Forest. What lessons will Ghana government learn from Chinese insufferable penchants for environmental degradation/pollution?



In Ghana, there is deep political bifurcation between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the largest opposition party; National Democratic Congress (NDC). Trivial issues are used by both NPP and NDC apparatchiks and aficionados to score political points. It is also being alleged that some influential individuals in Ghana are behind illegal mining and its attendant degradation of the environment. A major conundrum of the social pundits includes; how Chinese illegal miners acquire visas to Ghana.



This means that some unthinkable creeps within Ghana are assisting the Chinese to destroy their own resources. No sooner had campaign against illegal mining and destruction of environment gathered momentum than Ghana Police Service accepting gift from Chinese in Ghana. Chines Embassy in Ghana has also donated 10000 Ghana Cedis, to Attorney-Generals Department (citifmonline.com, June 7, 2017). China mission in Ghana implored the Media to be fair on galamsey reportage. It appears the Chinese are in the real business to take over the resources of Africa.



The president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu-Addo has reiterated his governments commitment to sustain China-Ghana relations, even so he will not hesitate to clamp down those who go against the laws of his country. As the world observed environment day on June 5, 2017, I commend the UN for this day. I also humbly appeal to the UN to impress on Chinese government and its citizens to respect the sovereignty and environmental laws of foreign countries.



Ghana government must continue its commitment to galamsey fight! UN must complement the efforts of Ghana government and other governments in the world to handle the menace of illegal mining. Show me a desert and I will show you the significance of trees and rivers! The World must say no to environmental degradation/pollution.

Source: Nana Yaw Osei, USA









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.

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About 2.3 million unregistered arms are currently in circulation in the country, a report by the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons has revealed.



This represents an increase of about 850 per cent from a baseline study that estimated that about 240,000 illicit arms existed in the country in 2004.



Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday to mark this years Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, Jones Borteye Applerh, Executive Secretary of the commission, said a number of strategies had been adopted to reduce the proliferation of illicit arms in the country.



To keep guns out of the hands of people with history of mental illness, drug addicts, domestic abusers, terrorists and convicted felons, the commission, Mr. Applerh said would conduct mental screening and analysis of all applicants before approving gun applications.



"It would also undertake background checks for all gun sales and possession to track the whereabouts and use of all arms and light weapons," he added.



Celebrated on the theme, The road to development and peace begins with silencing the guns, the occasion, the Executive Secretary said highlights the need for Ghana to close the loopholes and review legislation on small arms possession to complement efforts at reducing gun violence in the country.



Presently, the commission was embarking on a comprehensive review of the countrys gun laws with other stakeholders including civil society organisations to incorporate stronger background checks, address small arms trafficking and encourage safe small arms storage.



The commission, Mr Applerh, noted would also hold sensitisation programmes to create awareness about the dangers and risk associated with gun violence, especially its tendency to inhibit the nations development.



Deputy Minister of Interior, Henry Quartey reiterated governments commitment to implement the Arms Trade Treaty and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other arms control instruments including the International Tracing Instrument and the Firearms Protocol and United Nations (UN) Programme of Action to help deal with gun violence issues and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.



Expressing concern about the recent spate of mob justice and measures to curb the menace, the Deputy Minister said his outfit would ensure any acts of instant justice by a mob was thoroughly and impartially investigated and the perpetrators put before the courts in a timely manner.



He said it was part of strategies to improve Police coverage and effectiveness in responding to crime in areas where the practice was prevalent as well as strengthen community policing and police familiarity with communities.



Government, Mr Quartey stressed would equip the Police Service with the tools needed to effectively deal with the menace.



Ms Christine Evans-Klock, UN Resident Coordinator, decried increasing lawlessness orchestrated by politically-affiliated vigilantes saying that such violent actions by these militants undermine Ghanas democracy and tarnishes the countrys image as a model of rule of law in the region.



She urged the government to work towards creating a robust and resilient economy by eradicating and dealing with the menace of small arms and light weapons, which has the potential to fuel violent conflict.







Source: The Ghanaian Times









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.

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A man who posed as a medical doctor has been busted for duping patients at the Korle Bu Teaching and the Ridge hospitals in Accra on the pretext of helping them to secure National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards.



He is suspected to have duped hundreds of victims, every one of whom he charged GH230.



The self-styled medical doctor, Silas Prosper Kudiabor, 35, unemployed and resident of Kaneshie, was arrested at the Ridge Hospital in Accra by some security personnel who had laid ambush after learning about his illegal schemes.



Investigations



Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mrs Afia Tenge, said some of the victims were currently assisting the police in their investigations.



She said one of the victims, whose identity is being protected by the police, claimed he had met Kudiabor at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where the victims brother was on admission on June 5, 2017.



According to Mrs Tenge, Kudiabor, on meeting the victim, introduced himself as a medical doctor and told the victim he (Kudiabor) could assist him to secure a NHIS card to help him settle the medical bills.



Kudiabor told the victim to pay GH230, which he claimed would help him fast-track the procedure for securing a NHIS card in three days.



Kudiabor is said to have shown the victim his office by pointing at the door of a locked office and asked the victim to meet him there anytime.



Mrs Tenge said the victim told the police that after Kudiabor had collected the money, he failed to produce the NHIS card and went into hiding.



Second victim



Another victim, she said, told the police that on June 7, 2017, Kudiabor met a taxi driver, whose identity was yet to be established, who was said to be an old schoolmate of Kudiabors.



During conversation between the two friends,she said, Kudiabor told his friend that he was a medical doctor who had been posted to the Ridge Hospital and a woman who overheard the conversation complained about her difficulty in securing an NHIS card.



Kudiabor told the woman that he could assist her secure an NHIS card and demanded GH230 from the woman.



The woman paid GH110 out of the GH230, with a promise to pay the rest later.



Kudiabor, after taking the money, promised to deliver the NHIS card to the woman at the Ridge Hospital gate but he never showed up.



Mrs Tenge said the woman, who went to the Ridge Hospital in search of Kudiabor after having waited in vain on the agreed date, reported her ordeal to the security personnel at the hospital.



She was shocked when she was told that Kudiabor was not a medical doctor at the hospital.



The security personnel, armed with the information and a description of Kudiabor, laid ambush in search of the fake doctor.



About 5 p.m. on June 9, 2017, the security officers were said to have spotted Kudiabor entering the Ridge Hospital and he was apprehended.



Following his arrest, Mrs Tenge said, Kudiabor confessed to the crime and pleaded for mercy.

Source: Daily Graphic









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.

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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.
Two broadcasters, Messrs Tommy-Annan Forson and James Kwasi Oberko, have made a complaint against three television stations in Ghana for showing films with pornographic scenes on their channels.



The two, on Monday, 12th June, 2017, presented their complaint to the National Media Commission and the Ministry of Information against TV XYZ, Ice TV and Thunder TV, for showing these films to their audience.



According to them, it is against the broadcasting standards for television stations to show porn materials irrespective of what time they are shown.



We have realized that these TV stations are showing things that are against the media commissions standards and as concerned citizens, we thought it wise to make a complaint to the right authorities, to prompt them to take the necessary actions, James told citifmonline.com.

They presented to the Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, George Sarpong, an album of compiled photos taken from porn scenes shown across the television stations in question.



Presenting the complaint, Tommy Annan-Forson said: these things have been going on for quite a while. It started on social media and people started asking questions as to why some television stations would show porn. Some years ago, Cable Gold was doing same, I captured it, reported to the media commission and they stopped them.



In his response, Mr. George Sarpong congratulated James and Tommy for taking such a bold step in the interest of Ghana and assured them of their support.

I want to thank you for the effort that you put into this and I hope that we will get back to you. In fact, this gesture shows there is a lot of hope for the media landscape, he stated.



After that, they also sent a copy of the complaint to the Minister of Information, Mustapha Hamid, who also lauded their move.



Messrs Oberko and Annan-Forson said they would later serve the National Communications Authority, the Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament copies of their complaints.



Tommy Annan Forson is a doyen of broadcasting with over 40 years experience. He has through his radio school, RABODEF, trained a lot of successful broadcasters in Ghana.



James Oberko is also broadcaster of more than 10 years experience, who is currently an administrator at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Source: citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Kylie Jenner is the youngest entrant on Forbes 2017 list of the 100 highest-earning celebrities, clocking an astonishing US $41M over the past twelve months. Shes nineteen years old, and she made about a dollar thirty every second.

The cosmetics queen and Keeping Up With The Kardashians mainstay makes her debut on the list at #59; thats only a few spots behind Kim Kardashian West, whose earnings totalled US $45.5M.

The list has undergone a bit of a shakeup since last years edition elsewhere, too. The Weeknd, who made his debut on the list last year with earnings of US $55M, claimed a wild US $92M this time around.

Homeless to Forbes List A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) on Jun 12, 2017 at 9:57am PDT

His streaming royalties and massive world tour were enough to put him in sixth place for the year, ahead of musos like Coldplay, Justin Bieber, end even Adele. Only three other artists stand before him: Toronto compatriot Drake (US $94M), Beyonce (US $105M), and Sean Combs ($130M).

If youre wondering exactly what Diddy did to amass that cash, the answer is reasonably simple: he offloaded a full third of his Sean John brand, raking in US $70M in the process.

Other notable entries on the list include Judge Judy Sheindlin, who somehow makes US $47-fucken-million a year from roasting idiots, and Chance The Rapper, who earned US $33M despite not actually selling any records.

Scope out the entire list right HERE, or just marvel at the top ten below:

Sean Combs, US $130M Beyonce Knowles, US $105M J.K. Rowling, US $95M Drake, US $94M Cristiano Ronaldo, US $93M The Weeknd, US $92M Howard Stern, US $90M Coldplay, US $88M James Patterson, US $87M LeBron James, US $86M

Source: Forbes.

Photo: Taylor Hill / Getty.
A prominent American feminist has absolutely laid into Australian website Mamamia, over an incredibly dumb take from its founder and publisher, Mia Freedman.

Roxane Gay, who shot to fame with her groundbreaking collection of essays Bad Feminist, was recently in town for the Sydney Writers Festival.

Her latest book, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, is a searing account of her lifelong struggle with weight (Gay is morbidly obese) and a battlecry against the industries that promote skinniness above everything else. Its her most personal book yet, and not in the tiniest bit least because she describes deliberately gaining weight after a traumatic childhood incident in which she was gang raped at the age of 12.

They did things Ive never been able to talk about, and will never be able to talk about, she writes. Those boys treated me like nothing so I became nothing.

Enter: Freedman, whose desire to put her own two cents into literally everything never fails to disappoint.

She interviewed Gay for Mamamias podcast No Filter, but to promote the episode, literally breached Gays confidence to breathlessly describe the private communications between the Mamamia producer and Gays people about the interview and Gays weight.

Hunger is a memoir about Roxane Gays body, Freedman writes in a since-deleted article on Mamamia. And I would never normally breach the confidence of what goes on behind the scenes while organising an interview but in this case, its a fundamental part of her story and what her book is about.

Check out the podcast episode description  which, at the time of writing, is still available.

Oh Mamamia. When good intentions just do so much damage this is appalling pic.twitter.com/Kni2nKpvkp  courtney robinson (@courtney_ro) June 13, 2017

Gay has absolutely laid into Mamamia, calling the interview a shit show and blasting the specific phrases used by Freedman to describe her weight.

I am appalled by Mamamia. It was a shit show. I can walk a fucking mile. https://t.co/14RNv2Ig0B  roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

Can she fit into the lift? Shame on you @Mamamia https://t.co/14RNv2Ig0B  roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

Whatever. Just what the fuck ever.  roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

It is cruel and humiliating. https://t.co/XY2AU0XPFG  roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

Mamamia has since deleted the post, but you can read it via webcache here.

At the time of writing, neither Mamamia nor Mia Freedman have issued an apology.

Photo: Graham Denholm / Getty.
The thing about people is, we were always very weird. For thousands of years, humanity has been plagued by people who are deeply bizarre and hold extremely strange opinions. This is nothing new. What is new is the internet. In the past, all of those weird opinions would have been a secret. But were not in the past, and the internet exists.

This is why were exposed to the weird units who were outraged at Carrie Bickmore having launched a range of beanies for her charity, Carries Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, on the same day that celebs were hurling themselves into ice baths to raise money for motor neurone disease.

Apparently, people become convinced of the notion that Bickmore announcing a beanie-centric charity drive was some sort of cynical attempt at competition with the similarly beanie-centric Big Freeze.

@theprojecttv #TheProjectTV what? our beanies are better than yours MND? Why today? Youve lost me. I dont get competitive charities. Sad  Michael Lean (@MichaelDLean) June 12, 2017

Absurd, but not unusual to see @theprojecttv push their own agenda why run this story today of all days? #FightMND https://t.co/i4hiLJkbTd  Adrian Johnson (@AdrianJohnson9) June 12, 2017

Firstly, I dont reckon theres a super limited finite number of beanies that people would buy for charity and, secondly, if an agenda is raising money to help fight the form of cancer my partner passed away from, that seems like a pretty reasonable thing to push? Im just spitballing here.

Bickmore decided to address the criticism at the opening of tonights episode of The Project  firstly thanking everyone for their support:

Thank you to everyone, last night we launched our beanie campaign and the results have just blown us away. We sold out of or adult beanies, we still have a few kids one left, but weve decided so many people missed out so were going to order some more.

Clearly shook up at people having accused her of deliberately clashing with the Big Freeze, she explained why they want on the day they did:

A few people have been asking why we launched our campaign on the same day as Neal Danihers big freeze at the MCG yesterday  honestly, it was completley unintentional. We were due to launch them a few weeks ago, they just didnt arrive in time, so we pushed it back a few weeks and in the business of making it all happen and making all our supporters happy, we just didnt notice that the date clashed with Neal Danihers Freeze at the G. We just wanted to get the beanies out to everyone and now I wish more than ever that wed waited a few days. Neal is amazing, I spoke to him today and he said that they had an incredibly successful campaign yesterday, which is great news as well. We both pour our heart and souls into these campaign and Ive been absolutely gutted today that anyone would think I would try and derail someone elses life-saving work. I wouldnt, it doesnt benefit any of us to do that. Im just bummed that thats whats being talked about today, I just want to celebrate the fact that Australias an incredibly generous country, with the most wonderful souls who want to see an end to all forms of brain disese as much as we do. You opened your hearts and your wallets yesterday, so thank you to everyone for your generosity to both of the foundations.

As Peter Helliar pointed out, theyd already sold out of all their beanies at the Freeze before The Project even came on, it was a bloody lovely effort from everyone involved.

You can watch the clip below:

Source and photo: Channel 10.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with AirAsia. Flying to over 120 destinations across the globe, they wanna send you and a mate to Tokyo with their ambassador, Aussie icon Guy Sebastian.

Whether youre still hung up on Nollsie missing out on Australian Idols debut crown or not (or just enjoy getting amongst a dank meme about it), theres no denying that Guy Sebastian has one of Australias best set of pipes  angels really *did* bring him here and well be forever grateful.

Dont believe us? AirAsias giving you the chance to experience his sweet, sweet voice firsthand, flying you and a mate to Tokyo, Japan, where Guy will take you to some of the cities most banging karaoke bars to butcher the classics. Heres a preview of your experience:

If youve never been to Tokyo, well, youre missing out. All of your spare time will get sucked up by the insane-in-the-membrane art, design, music, food and cultural events that are literally always goin down in the hustle and bustle of Japans buzzing capital.

From restaurants where your Udon is served by a literal robot to pharmacies slinging face masks that bear zero resemblance to the cow / pig / =^.^= / dog on the packaging, its the blow-your-mind-at-every-turn jewel in East Asias crown.

Photo: Flickr / Kevin Poh.

Its also, of course, home to the best karaoke bars goin round. Whether youre a local or on a quick vaycay, karaoke is at the top of the bucket list for anyone. Its a serious business over there and the selection of karaoke bars to choose from are aplenty, whether its on stage or in a private room with your mates.



And who better to experience it with than someone who can actually pump out a bonafide banger as well as the man, the myth, the legend, Mr Guy Sebastian?

Maybe hell let you out-score him. Or maybe hell own your ass. Either way, itll be a shed load of fun in one of the coolest and most dynamic cities on the planet. Just imagine the three of you, belting out Angels Brought Me Here, with a chilled Sapporo in-hand.

Yes, IMAGINE. Or, you know, let it become a reality by entering below.

WIN

The runner-up wont walk away empty handed either, winning two flights to Bali courtesy of our m8s AirAsia  an airline that flies to over 120 destinations across the globe, three of which are in Japan.

Do you like it like that?

Photo: Luke Latty.

Track: Finally (Felipe Trio Delago, Rodney Kay Jackson, E. L. Linnear, Ce Ce Peniston), Universal Music Publishing Pty. Ltd.

Track: I Will Survive (Dino Fekaris, Fredrick J. Perren), Universal Music Publishing Pty. Ltd.
By Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

Great food without the crazy expensive price tag is pretty much the way we like it. And the good news? Pennsylvania is home to four of the best casual restaurants in the country.

That's according to The Daily Meal, which announced its ranking of the 101 best casual restaurants on June 2.

Don't Edit

How did they choose?

They asked a lot of people. The Daily Meal reached out to more than 500 food bloggers and journalists to find out what their favorite casual restaurant was. They then added that list to some of their existing rankings for tacos, burgers, pizza and more. Once this massive list was compiled, the writer/blogger/journalist panel was given a survey for them to rank their favorites (but only if theyd dined at the place within two years).

As for what defines casual, the Daily Meal defines it as a place where you and a friend can stuff yourselves for $50 (not including booze or tip). Other casual restaurant criteria include a lax dress code, and chill ambiance.

A restaurants reputation and longevity also played a factor in the decision -- including whether or not the restaurant was a destination.

Don't Edit

So how did our Pa. restaurants do?

As mentioned before, four Pennsylvania restaurants earned a spot in the rankings. Here they are, with their rank. Sadly, theyre all in Philadelphia (we wonder if the folks at The Daily Meal have ever ventured to one of the states other cities?).

Don't Edit

Photo by Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

#73 DiNic's

Its easy to see how this Reading Terminal Market staple made the list, its roast pork sandwich is the stuff of legends. In fact, the sandwich was named the best sandwich in America by Travel Channel.

Don't Edit

#61 Distrito

Run by Iron Chef Jose Garces, Distrito is all about the food of Mexico City. Theres moles, enchiladas, nachos, ceviches, huaraches and tamales on the menu. Dont miss the happy hour, which features $5 Feliz margaritas and $7 veggie nachos. Distrito is located at 3945 Chestnut St. in the University City neighborhood.

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Photo by Flickr user Jay Reed

#49 Geno's Steaks

When it comes to Philadelphia landmarks, Genos is definitely one of them. With its brash color scheme and neon decor, Genos cant help but grab your attention. Its famous for its cheesesteak, but also serves up pizza steaks and roast pork sandwiches too. Love Genos? You can buy its merch online to show off your Geno pride. Genos Steaks is at 1219 S. 9th St. in South Philly.

Don't Edit

#42 Pat's King of Steaks

The Daily Meal does its best to answer the Pats or Genos question, by ranking Pats seven spots above. Pats is where the steak sandwich got its start (although it didnt add cheese to it for awhile). Youll want to grab a cheesesteak here, obviously. But, like Genos, come with cash -- they dont take card. Pats is at 1237 E. Passyunk Ave. in South Philly.

Don't Edit

What was number one?

The honor went to Katz's Delicatessen in New York City. New York, was one would expect, dominated the listings. Katz's is famous for its corned beef pastrami on rye sandwich. Dont' forget the deli mustard. You can see the rest of the list at thedailymeal.com.

Don't Edit

Looking for more of the best?

There are lots of great Pa. restaurants, so we can't help but feel shortchanged that only four made the list. Perhaps The Daily Meal should follow in Guy Fieri's footsteps and try these restaurants in Pa. Or even try our readers' lists of the places Fieri himself should check out in central Pa.

If you're still hungry for the best in Pa., here are some stories worth checking out:

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Some houses have what is commonly called a "man cave." The property at 2316 Midland Road in Harrisburg is just slightly different.

"It was a man-made cave," said owner John Kalnasy of the massive catacomb beneath his home, which has been labeled "Cave Hill." The property is currently for sale for $280,000.

But how did this man-made cave come about?

"About the turn of the century, way before the house was here, the beer brewers in downtown Harrisburg were trying to serve their customers," Kalnasy said. "They realized that by the time they brought their beers up from town, in their horse and wagon, the beer was so warm it was undrinkable."

The solution was to build a natural refrigerator, i.e. dig a cave.

"The part that they built was all lined in stone," Kalnasy said. "Along came a man that wanted to build a house here. He wanted to live here to be close to the legislature because he owned a company that built roads and bridges and tunnels. He decided to buy this lot when he heard there was an existing cave under it."

The owner of the property not only built a house above the cave, but expanded it, blasting out enough bedrock to build walls, concrete steps and a brick roof. Completed in 1938, the idea to use the basement as a sort of natural air conditioning continued, but now applied to a living area instead of just beverages.

The house was built for "about eight people, a wife with six kids," Kalnasy. Originally there were four bedrooms in addition to a maid's room, which have since been expanded to a total of seven.

"The rooms are all very large which makes them wonderful for entertaining," said Sue Kalnasy.

Also of note are the oak hardwood floors throughout, and the massive bathtub in the bathroom adjoining the master bedroom: it measures five and a half feet long by five and a half feet wide.

As for the cave itself? The Kalnasys say it is going largely unused.

"The cave is there, and it's a good conversation piece, but we never think about it unless people come over and say, 'Hey, we hear you have a cave,'" Sue said.

"It is actually completely empty," John said. "In order to see what you're doing, a previous owner put a string of lights in. We hired our favorite electrician to come and put in a brand new string of lights. Beyond that, it's just empty."
The United States has several patriotic holidays -- Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Flag Day are just a few.

Flag Day is probably the lesser known holiday (although Bill of Rights Day (Dec. 15) and Constitution Day (Sept. 17) may be even more so).

So what's up with the holiday? Here's a brief primer on the day.

When is Flag Day?

June 14, the day that the Continental Congress adopted the American flag in 1777.

What is Flag Day?

Flag Day is a state holiday in Pennsylvania that honors the flag of the United States of America.

How did it start?

The answer is a lot more complicated than you would expect.

Multiple people lay claim to starting the holiday, according to the Department of Veteran's Affairs. In New York, school principal George Colch had celebrations at his school to celebrate the adoption of the flag. That was on June 14, 1889. Soon after it became a statewide initiative at public schools in New York.

Bernard J. Cigrand, a school teacher in Wisconsin, lobbied Congress for years to make June 14 a national holiday in the late 1800s. He didn't get it to become a national holiday, but he did spread awareness of the occasion. He is sometimes called the "Father of Flag Day."

In Philadelphia, it begins in 1893 with the Society of Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania and a descendent of Benjamin Franklin. Her name was Elizabeth Duane Gillespie and she was president of that organization. Gillespie and the Dames had the city pass a resolution to have the flag displayed over all public buildings in Philadelphia in 1893. She tried to get June 14th to be called Flag Day that same year as well, but wasn't successful.

Pennsylvania became the first state to make Flag Day a legal holiday in 1937.

Another "Father of Flag Day" is from Pennsylvania. William T. Kerr of Pittsburgh founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pa. in 1888 and in 1889 he made the National American Flag Day Association, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Kerr's activism towards promoting the flag and the idea of flag day led to President Woodrow Wilson to issue a proclamation that June 14 should be observed as Flag Day in 1916. President Harry Truman worked with Congress to make June 14 National Flag Day -- although it still is not an official federal holiday (so you still have to go to work if you're a federal employee).

How do you celebrate it?

Display the American flag, but be sure to do so correctly (here's how). Take some time to educate yourself on the flag too. Several cities will host events for the occasion, like parades. Philadelphia, for example, will be hosting a Stripes and Stars Festival across the historic district of the city. Activities include flag raisings, a skydiving team and naturalization ceremony. Admission to the National Constitution Center will be $5 on that day. More information at constitutioncenter.org.
HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the filing of 31 legal actions against home improvement contractors who failed to register under Pennsylvania law.

Home improvement contractors who earn more than $5,000 a year are required to register every other year under Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA). The legal actions - settlement agreements known as Assurances of Voluntary Compliance - are being filed by the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Each of the contractors cited for failing to register received fines of at least $500, according to a Tuesday afternoon press release.

"When consumers hire a contractor to work on their home, they have a right under Pennsylvania law to work with a legitimate business," Attorney General Shapiro said. "Our consumer protection bureau is taking legal action to protect homeowners and making sure you can research a contractor to find out if they are legitimate through Pennsylvania's statewide contractor database."



In addition to the announced legal actions, consumer protection attorneys issued warning letters to 17 other contractors, advising that registration under the HICPA law is required if they continue to do business as contractors. Another dozen contractors voluntarily registered after being contacted by investigators. Registration under state law also requires contractors to carry insurance.

In announcing the legal actions, Attorney General Shapiro also provided a series of tips for consumers to follow in choosing a contractor to improve or work on their homes:

Check the contractor's registration: Always confirm your contractor is registered by visiting

Solicit multiple bids: Draft a scope of work and submit it to multiple contractors. Then, compare the results. Remember: The lowest bid is not always the best bid.

Check out references: Ask for references, check with friends or look at sites that review contractors. Do independent research before choosing your contractor.

"Pennsylvanians suffered when dishonest home improvement contractors went unchecked, and our office is taking action to make the contracting process safer and more reliable for all consumers across the Commonwealth," Attorney General Shapiro said. "As Attorney General I'll always stand up for consumers, from taking on the big fights to making sure we do the day to day work of upholding Pennsylvania law."

In addition to using the contractor database, Attorney General Shapiro urged homeowners to call the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-888-520-6680 or use email at scam@attorneygeneral.gov to report a problem contractor. "Call or email us. Let me know how we can help you," he said.

The attorney general thanked Senior Deputy Attorney General Linda Williams, who headed up the contractor investigation and filing of the legal actions.

Settlement agreements with the following contractors have been filed in courts across the state:
HARRISBURG--When someone buys a wheelbarrow in the United States or Canada, chances are, that wheelbarrow was built in Harrisburg.

That's because the Ames plant at 1500 Cameron Street produces 85- percent of the wheelbarrows in the country and across Canada using nearly all locally-sourced components.

The plant creates its own parts and consumes 60 million pounds of U.S. steel to churn out 1.7 million wheelbarrows each year.

The excess steel from the manufacturing process makes Ames the biggest customer for another local company: Consolidated Scrap Resources.

So it's no wonder that the President of the United States with his "America First" slogan chose to tour the 225,000 square-foot manufacturing plant when he visited Harrisburg in April. Donald Trump even signed two executive orders about trade and manufacturing on the factory floor, making national news on his 100th day in office.

The plant got less than a week's notice that Donald Trump was going to stop by, kicking off several sleepless nights where company officials worked nonstop to spiff up the place and coordinate with Secret Service to fortify the areas that Trump would pass through.

"Who says 'No,' to that," said Bill Babbs, director of plant operations of the president's visit. "Certainly Ames could not have been prouder. In a way, we felt we were representing all manufacturers in Pennsylvania."

The visit represented one of the company's biggest days in its 243-year history, Babbs said.

Company officials wanted to show Trump the entire production process from start to finish, but Secret Service officers said it would be too difficult to properly secure that large of an area. Instead, company officials showed Trump the end of the manufacturing process, where the painted steel tubs and components come together for packaging.

"We get a lot of visitors here," Babbs said. "The president was uniquely interested in what we produce and how much steel we consume. Not surprisingly and most rewarding for us, he wanted to meet the experts who produce the products."

The employees who got to talk to the president still are riding high weeks later from the opportunity to talk to the world's leader about their jobs, said Bob Novak, Ames' chief operating officer. The plant employs 120 people to cover two shifts.

The plant has been operating in the city for 140 years and the Ames company is older than the country itself. Yet the plant operates without much fanfare in an industrial area of the city. Many residents had never heard of the plant before Trump's visit.

But now, the secret's out, Babbs said.

"It's a great story we have going here," Babbs said.

Trump explained some of the story during his visit about how Ames tools had been used in many of the country's greatest projects including the Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty. Ames' tools also were used in the construction of Interstate 80.

The Ames company, founded in 1774, is the third oldest brand in America.

The plant in Harrisburg started out in 1876 as a Jackson manufacturing plant, but joined the Ames family in 1999.

Several lines of wheelbarrows are produced at the plant from the heavy-duty blue Jackson brand geared toward professionals to the mid-priced orange True Temper wheelbarrows sold at big box stores.

The wheelbarrows start out as a pre-cut sheet of steel that's pressed with up to 800 tons of force to draw the steel into the shape of a six-cubic-foot tub. A giant robot created by a Central Pennsylvania company assists with lifting the new tubs into a machine to trim excess steel.

Components such as brackets are created from a spool of thin steel fed through an automated five-step machine.

All of the parts and tubs are hung on an assembly line by workers and then dipped in a paint bath and later baked at 350 degrees to cure. The entire production process takes about 68 minutes.

In the summer months, the plant also devotes a portion of its workforce to build 500,000 aluminum and steel snow shovels.

The company is dedicated to using American suppliers, but none currently exist for the small tires needed for the front of the wheelbarrows, Babbs said. That's the only part of the wheelbarrow that isn't U.S.-made, he said. It's something Trump could seek to remedy through competitive trade policies, which was part of the discussion during the president's visit.

A combination of trade policies, and differences in labor standards, environmental regulations and workplace safety rules drove out manufacturers of pneumatic tires of the size and type Ames uses in the early 2000s, company officials said.

"We're at a great disadvantage with that," Babbs said. "All the manufacturers are offshore. It's an opportunity for Ames to find a partner in the U.S."

The company would like to source everything in America.

"That's our goal," Babbs said.
NORRISTOWN - After four hours of deliberations, the jury in the Bill Cosby case has not yet reached a verdict.

Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill dismissed the jury for the night. They will begin their deliberations again at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The 79-year-old entertainer was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Trial started on June 5 and included testimony from Constand and from another accuser. Prosecutors also presented Cosby's own testimony from Constand's 2005 lawsuit in which he admitted to giving her pills.

Cosby did not take the stand, and his attorney, Brian McMonalge, only presented one witness.

After closing arguments today, the jury began deliberating around 5:30 p.m. They were dismissed just after 9:30 p.m.

Check with PennLive Tuesday for more.
State police ask for the public's help in identifying suspects in a recent burglary at a convenience store in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County.

Top Star Express gas station/convenience store, 2826 East Harrisburg Pike, was broken into around 11:18 p.m. March 9, police said.

Two white male suspects wearing white masks and black gloves pried open the front door open with pry bars. One suspect took cash from a cash register drawer while the other took Newport cigarettes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-472-8477. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.
We value your privacy.

Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy.
GOP remains on top in Northern Michigan but Democrats made some inroads Tuesday

The election showed that while the Republican Party still dominates Northern Michigan, there were some results that should give Democrats some hope.
Odebrecht graft machine's collapse sows chaos in the Caribbean

AFP/Erika Santelices



A woman holds an image depicting President Danilo Medina as protesters march on the presidential palace in Santo Domingo to demand an end to corruption on Jan. 22, 2017. In the Dominican Republic, the fall of the Odebrecht corruption empire is threatening a power plantand a presidency

SANTO DOMINGO

Petroleumworld 06 13 2017

Hipolito Polanco was locked in a primary against President Danilo Medina in the Dominican Republic when he got a phone call from a number he didn't recognize.

It was January 2016, and Polanco, a 39-year-old lawyer, was the last candidate still standing to challenge the president for the Dominican Liberation Party nomination. The voice on the phone was offering him a bribe and a high-ranking political position if he quit the race. They asked me, What's your price?' says Polanco. They said they would arrange everything.

The woman who called him, he says, was Monica Moura, the wife and business partner of Joao Santana, the president's longtime adviser and a powerful political guru in the country.

Polanco says he refused her offer. But it provides a window into how one of Brazil's largest companies and its intermediaries entwined themselves in Dominican national politics, just as they had in at least 11 other countries.

A month after that phone call, Moura and Santana hastily left the Dominican Republic. I am sure that the coming elections will confirm victory for President and candidate Danilo Medina, Santana wrote in a letter of resignation to the party's leadership.

The next day, in their home country of Brazil, they were hauled off to jail. They would later be accused of playing a central role in a massive bribery ring run by the construction and engineering giant Odebrecht SA, and back in the Dominican Republic, Medina would go on to win re-election by a landslide.

In the year and a half since the couple's arrest, investigations from Brooklyn to Brazil have uncovered a pervasive scheme in which Odebrecht used money to influence elections and bribed politicians and public officials to win billions of dollars worth of public work contracts in a dozen countries in Latin America and Africa.

The scandal, which began three years ago with a local money-laundering investigation in Brazil known as Lava JatoPortuguese for Car Washhas led to a record $3.5 billion in fines in the U.S. and has rattled governments from Mexico to Argentina. But few places beyond Brazil played so large a role as the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean tourist haven of 10.5 million which former executives depicted in court testimony as crucial to their plans.

In total, Odebrecht doled out $788 million in bribes from 2001 to 2016, it admitted in a settlement in U.S. federal court in December. At least $92 million of those were paid in the Dominican Republic, the second highest share after Venezuela's, according to the settlement.

To carry out their bribes, Odebrecht executives set up three small offices and a conference room in the Dominican capital, according to Hilberto Silva, who oversaw the company's bribery operation for a decade. He testified in Brazilian court that the Dominican Republic had everything it needed, and members of the bribery division would shuttle between a base in Miami and their offices in Santo Domingo. The operation was based from there, he said.

The Dominican attorney general's office said late last month in its own investigation that Odebrecht money made it to at least a dozen prominent Dominican politicians, including a member of Medina's cabinet, as well as lawmakers and state-owned company executives. So far, authorities there have charged 14 people with crimes ranging from accepting or distributing bribes to money laundering. They are awaiting trial.

Opposition politicians and anti-corruption groups, which have held massive street demonstrations in recent months, have seized on the arrests to call for an investigation into whether Santana used some of the money in his role as Medina's campaign adviser. They accuse Santana of bribing lawmakers to back the 2015 constitutional reform that changed term limits to let Medina run for re-election and of using money to influence the presidential election itself. Medina has said his campaigns did not use any Odebrecht money.

Santana was sent here as a political adviser to handle the dark side of the campaign with money that was supplied by Odebrecht, Polanco says. And Odebrecht won state construction projects and inflated the costs by millions.

Odebrecht arrived in the Dominican Republic in the early 2000s, as one of several Brazilian construction companies expanding to the Caribbean. To help win its first contract, a $250 million job to build an aqueduct, the company hired Angel Rondon, a politically connected Dominican businessman with investments in everything from dairy companies to hotels, as a lobbyist.

Rondon, one of the 14 people charged late last month, opened dozens of businesses in the Dominican Republic, Panama, and the British Virgin Islands over the years, according to the indictment against him. And Odebrecht made roughly 100 transfers totaling more than $80 million to those companies over the last decade, in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $10 million. Most came from Meinl Bank, the Antigua-based bank in which the executives running Odebrecht's bribery division had secretly bought a majority stake in 2010.

Rondonwho was known as the bagman, according to the indictmentallegedly funneled Odebrecht's money to officials who, in turn, awarded Odebrecht projects to win contracts to build highways, dams, and other projects. In several cases, he allegedly convinced officials to approve changes to public-works contracts after Odebrecht had already won them, thereby boosting their value by millions of dollars. Along the way, according to the indictment, he kept a small percentage for himself and deposited millions in accounts held by his family members.

By the time Santana arrived in the Dominican Republic in 2011, Odebrecht was already firmly ensconced there. Medina and the party had a long-standing relationship with Brazil's Workers Party and presidents Lula and Dilma [Rousseff], and that's how Santana was introduced and came to work here, says Max Puig, a former top Liberation Party member who defected to run his own presidential campaign.

Santana was vital to Medina's 2012 election win, devising catchy slogans plastered on billboards across the country. He and Moura ran their political consultancy, Polis Caribe, out of an orange and white Spanish-style house fronted by a black wrought-iron gate and surrounded by palm trees near a popular shopping mall in Santo Domingo's wealthy Bella Vista neighborhood. They became known for producing slick videos and promotional materials, and Santana gained an international reputation as a political rainmaker, directing a half-dozen successful presidential campaigns across the region.

Despite that reputation, he remained little-known in tight-knit Dominican political circles. In private, however, Medina developed a deep trust of him and gave him direct access, Puig said. After Medina won in May 2012 with 51 percent of the vote, he praised Santana's role, telling his party in an early June speech that Santana had never doubted the possibility of our victory.

As Santana worked his magic for clients, Odebrecht used his businesses as a cover for its bribes, Silva testified in a Brazilian court. The company poured millions of dollars into a Swiss bank account held by Santana's Panama-based front company, Shellbill Finance SA, which in turn funded election campaigns in five countries, according to testimony Moura gave.

Since 2001, Odebrecht has won 17 public works projects, worth nearly $6 billion, in the Dominican Republic. The most lucrative is a massive power plant that Medina has said is essential to solve the regular blackouts, bring down electricity costs, and help grow the country's $68 billion economy. The government put the coal-fired plant out for bid and received several proposals from international companies.

In the end, a consortium of companies including Odebrecht won the $2 billion contract. Construction began in 2014, and the consortium expects the plant to come online next year.

The bid was written for Odebrecht, says Angel Moreta, an attorney who represented IMPE, a consortium of Chinese companies that had also bid for the project. IMPE had offered to build the plant for $900 million, financed with low-interest loans from Chinese state banks, according to the company's bidding documents.

Attorney General Jean Rodriguez said in a statement that his office had no evidence Odebrecht had illegally influenced the bidding process, but that at least two Dominican lawmakers had received bribes when Congress was considering how to pay for the project.

The collapse of the Odebrecht bribery schemeincluding the arrests of dozens of executives in Brazil and billions of fineshas wreaked political and financial havoc for the Dominican Republic. After the scandal broke, Brazil's development bank pulled its loan for the power plant, forcing Medina to scramble to come up with $900 million to finish it and set up a commission to review the bidding process.

Medina has said publicly that his campaign paid Santana for his work as a political adviser and did not accept any donations from Odebrecht. His office did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Moura said, in her own testimony in Brazil, that the presidential campaign in the Dominican Republic was one of the few in the countries where Odebrecht operated that it did not finance.

That testimony contradicted that of Silva and of her husband, both of whom have testified that Odebrecht funded Medina's campaign.

Two years ago, Medina enjoyed higher public approval ratings than any other Latin American president. Today, those ratings are down, and he's facing a case in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights brought by Polanco, who says the presidential nomination process was tainted and wants a redo of the Liberation Party primary.

Polis Caribe, the consultancy that Moura and Santana founded, is still operating in Santo Domingo, tax records show. It's now based out of another palatial house in another exclusive neighborhood, just a few blocks from Medina's penthouse apartment.






This piece, titled, The New Plague, depicts life in Philadelphia in the age of COVID. Artist and educator Raphael Tiberino began painting at the age of four and has been in the spotlight as a professional creative for over 25 years.
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Get in your last meals now at Elements Cafe in Haddon Heights, as chef/owner Fred Kellermann has found a buyer for his eclectic small-plater after 14 years.

Kellermann, 49, says the last day will be June 25 to 30, depending on inventory. Gift cards should be used by then, he said.

Kellermann worked tirelessly to put South Jersey's independent restaurants on the map through his work with SJ Hot Chefs, a marketing and promotions coalition.

He said he was bowing out because he needs a "recharge." His financial situation has changed since his son, Fred, graduated from college, he said.

In an email to customers, he said that "at the end of the day, I just want something different today than when I dreamed of opening Elements." It opened in January 2003 after Kellermann had turned heads with his cooking at the Crazy Kat's in Delaware.

He thanked son and his wife, Mari, "for all that they have done and put up with. As most of you know I spent way too much time away from them so they would try to make it easier on me by coming and helping at work. They never had any intention of being in the restaurant business and did so only for me." He also thanked his parents and brother.

Elements is open Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 5 p.m. and taking its last seating at 8 p.m. To those hoping to snag a late table, Kellermann offered advice in his email: "Sorry, for the better part of 15 years it was nearly impossible to get people to dine after 8 p.m. and we won't start now."

Another restaurant is on its way to the space.
Guppys at Eight and Fitzwater Streets. Read more

Guppy's Good Times, a neighborhood bar in Conshohocken, is finally preparing to spawn its second location.

Owner Robin Gupta said he was targeting mid-July for its opening at the corner of Eighth and Fitzwater Streets in Bella Vista.

The location most recently was La Casa de Tu Madre after a spell as Growlers.

Gupta says this Guppy's  which will take advantage of the building's charm  will serve elevated bar food and will offer a Bloody Mary bar. Guppy's also offers a "Feeding America" burger as a fund-raiser for the nonprofit.

He plans to offer acoustic music, including a jazz night once a week, but no DJs "because this is a residential neighborhood."
Bruce N. Pfau, who until 2016, was KPMGs vice chairman in charge of Human Resources, in front of a poster produced as part of KPMGs 10,000 Story Challenge. The goal was to boost employee satisfaction and retention by connecting auditors and accountants with the higher purpose of their work. Read more

What would be more satisfying: laying bricks or building a cathedral to the Almighty?

The women, and a few men, who gathered Monday morning, all in the health-care field, primarily pharmaceuticals, will probably never do either.

But "giving work more meaning is a very profound idea that can have a tremendous effect on the workplace. By appealing to people's hearts" and not just their heads, "extraordinary results can be achieved," Bruce N. Pfau told the Heathcare Businesswomen's Association's meeting at KPMG's Philadelphia office.

In pharmaceuticals, the work-higher purpose connection seems obvious: curing disease and saving lives.

But Pfau, who, until 2016 was KPMG's vice chair in charge of human resources, did yeoman's work in managing to connect his company's auditors, accountants, and advisers to their higher purpose.

How KPMG engaged its employees with their mission ended up being published in the Harvard Business Review under the title "How an Accounting Firm Convinced its Employees They Could Change the World."

"Our morale has been raised to an all-time high," maintained Pfau, now a consultant.

"Our turnover has sunk to an all-time low," from 28 percent in 2004, to 18 percent in 2014 to 12 percent today, he said.

For the HBA, Pfau's talk came under the category of leadership development. With 8,000 members nationally and 830 in the local chapter, the association has a goal to achieve gender parity in leadership and help companies fully utilize their female talent.

Pfau's remarks resonated with statistical programmer Afyia Miller, 28, who analyzes data at Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a drug research company. She says it is critically important for companies to remind people such as her of their work's purpose. "I sit behind the desk and code all day," she said. "You have to think how your work is impacting the lives of other people."

In 2004, when Pfau became KPMG's vice chair, "we had a lot of problems," he told the group of about two dozen. "Morale was in the tank." Only half of KPMG's employees had a favorable impression of the company, based on an annual employee survey.

KPMG's retention strategy was centered on rewards  pay increases, career advancement. When Pfau came in 2004, his department improved diversity, training, and support for working mothers, pushing favorability to 82 percent by 2014.

But, Pfau said, in 2014, "I was at the end of my rope," with no more initiatives to inspire the kind of discretionary effort that accompanies engagement.

Out of ideas, Pfau decided to give a second look to a question on KPMG's annual employee survey that he had long dismissed as self-fulfilling. The question asked employees to agree or disagree that their jobs had a "special meaning." At the time, purpose-driven work had become a hot topic in human resource literature. Pfau cited a survey that said employees would forgo 15 percent of their pay in return for working toward a higher purpose.

The second look started out badly with too many employee focus groups, flow charts, flip charts, and exhausting deliberations over purpose and mission. "We were boring ourselves to tears," Pfau said.

The conversation shifted when focus-group employees were asked to describe what most satisfied or inspired them at work. It turns out that those auditors, accountants, and advisers had lots of stories and "a pent-up appetite" to tell them.

An initiative was born.

Typically, KPMG would launch initiatives with a company-wide web presentation, starring the KPMG chairman. If 2,000 of 30,000 clicked on the accompanying white paper, it was considered a success.

Instead, one Monday morning in May 2014, without fanfare, story posters culled from the focus groups went up in lobbies in KPMG offices worldwide.

"What do you do at KPMG?," a headline asked.

Answers such as "We champion democracy," followed. "When South Africa voted for Nelson Mandela in its first democratic election, KPMG South Africa was there to certify the results."

Next came the tag line "KPMG: We're here for a purpose."

KPMG created an app so employees could upload their stories and provided an incentive: If 10,000 came in by Thanksgiving, KPMG would give more days off in December.

"We launched the app and crossed our fingers," Pfau said.

By the July 4 weekend, "we already had 10,000 stories," and 42,000 by Thanksgiving. Employees could "like" each other's stories and offices were encouraged to print out the best stories and use them as posters.

Employee surveys showed immediate results: Six months in, worker satisfaction rose from 82 percent to 85 percent, and KPMG moved ahead of its accounting firm competitors on the Fortune magazine's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. In offices where leaders promoted the program, satisfaction rose to 94 percent and turnover was cut in half.

But companies should not expect similar results if they can't draw from an existing reservoir of good will. Employee engagement campaigns can backfire in companies where employees are not paid properly or treated fairly, Pfau said. "People can get annoyed because they feel their intelligence is being insulted."
Pottstown Memorial Medical Center is the biggest property tax payer in Pottstown. Its sale to Reading Health System, a nonprofit eligible for property-tax exemption, could be a hard financial hit to hit the Pottstown School District. Read more

The pending sale of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center presents a troubling prospect to school district officials in the Montgomery County borough.

The hospital, now owned by the for-profit Community Health Systems Inc., is the school district's largest real estate taxpayer, by far. The assessment of the main hospital is $20.26 million, about twice the value of the next-biggest property, a shopping mall.

Pottstown Memorial's property tax bill for the school district, including two smaller properties, was $923,998, public records show. That amounts to 3.2 percent of the $28.65 million the school district budgeted from real estate taxes for the 2016-17 school years.

The buyer of Pottstown Memorial  and four other community hospitals in Southeastern Pennsylvania  is Reading Health System, a not-for-profit organization likely eligible for local property tax exemption.

"We are certainly concerned with the potential loss of the revenue," said John Armato, director of community relations for the Pottstown district. The revenue equals the cost of about a dozen teachers, he said. "I'm not being an alarmist. I'm just saying that we need to hear more about what their plan is moving forward."

Reading Health has provided virtually no details on the transaction, which also includes Brandywine, Chestnut Hill, Jennersville, and Phoenixville.

A key component of the deal, announced May 30, is Reading Health's joint venture with Pittsburgh-based UPMC to sell health insurance in Reading's service area. UPMC's commercial health insurance operations are housed in for-profit entities.

Like Pottstown Memorial, Phoenixville Hospital, assessed at $32.26 million, is the largest taxpayer in its school district, Phoenixville Area School District.

Brandywine, assessed at $21.25 million for the Coatesville Area School District, and Jennersville, assessed at $19 million for the Avon Grove School District, are the second- or third-biggest taxpayers in their school districts, which are home to continuing-care retirement communities that take the top spots.

In Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill Hospital's $35 million assessment does not rank in the top 10.

Reading Health officials declined to discuss the conversion of the hospitals, which Community Health acquired between 2001 and 2005, back to not-for-profit status. Such hospital conversions are unusual. Community Health had a deal to sell Memorial Hospital of Salem County to the nonprofit Prime Healthcare Foundation for $15 million, but Prime walked away last month. It commonly goes the other way, as was the case when the for-profit Prime Healthcare Services bought Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol Township.

The benefit to the school district is not always immediately evident, as is the case in Delaware County, where Prospect Medical Holdings is challenging the assessments of properties previously owned by Crozer-Keystone Health System, according to a March bond offering statement from the Chester-Upland School District. For-profit Prospect bought Crozer last summer in a deal valued at $300 million.

About the best thing school-district officials affected by the Reading deal could say about the expected change from taxable to tax-exempt status for the hospitals was that it will not happen immediately.

"Thankfully, it's not happening in the budget year that we are building now. We'll have some time to react to it," said Daniel Carsley, business manager for Avon Grove. The lost revenue for Avon Grove is expected to top $500,000 if the deal goes through and Reading receives the tax exemption for Jennersville, Carsley said.

Alan Fegley, superintendent of the Phoenixville Area School District, took heart in Reading Health's reputation for being community minded. "We're hopeful that we'll be able to build a strong working relationship with them," said Fegley, suggesting that Reading Health could provide some services to the school district as he heard it does in Berks County.

The Phoenixville school district could lose $940,702 for the main hospital property, or 1.6 percent of total revenue from property taxes, according to public records.

The Reading Eagle reported in September that the Wyomissing School District, where Reading Hospital is located, agreed to renew a four-year services agreement from 2012 that called for the health system to provide $408,500 in health services annually to the school district.

Asked for details, a Reading Health spokeswoman said: "We are not in a position to disclose the agreement."

The Wyomissing school district did not respond to a request for more information.
Chalk it up to a lesson in free speech: Kutztown University has changed its policy on sidewalk chalk messages after an antiabortion group protested what it called "censorship by scrub brush."

The episode began in March when a chapter of Students for Life of America used colored chalk to write antiabortion messages on sidewalks at the rural Berks County university, which is part of the Pennsylvania state system of higher education.

After university employees washed away the messages on two consecutive days, the student group turned to a conservative nonprofit legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom. It sent a letter to the university president, accusing the school of unconstitutional censorship and demanding a revised chalking policy.

In a statement issued Monday, the university said the March incident "was simply a misunderstanding as the messages were erased during campus cleaning."

"When the university administration became aware of the situation, the group was immediately informed that it had every right to chalk its messages on our campus," the statement said.

The chalking guidelines were revised in April to "better reflect our support of free speech," the statement added. The revision scrapped a section on message content that required messages to be "educational or informative in nature," and prohibited messages deemed to have "a clear and present potential hazard of interfering with the process of the university."

In a statement Monday, Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer Travis Barham said: "No public university can silence student speech simply because officials don't like what the students are saying. We commend Kutztown University officials for revising their policy to respect freedom of speech for all students."

Around the country, "chalking" has long been a cheap, easy way for students to advertise campus events. But in recent years, a number of schools have had flaps over politically charged messages. Last year at Emory University outside Atlanta, for example, chalk declarations supporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump prompted a protest demonstration; the university president issued a bulletin affirming the value of "vigorous debate, speech, and protest" as well as "civility and inclusion."

Last month in California, Alliance Defending Freedom and Students for Life decried the erasure of antiabortion chalk texts at Fresno State University. But in that case, a professor and his students scuffed out messages for which the university had given permission, according to alliance lawyers.
Drexel senior Anna Sajeskis collection inspired by coral reefs won the Karen Andes Rosenberg Award for Excellence in Handcraft. Read more

Drexel closed this year's university fashion season with an homage to nature.

Saturday evening, seniors and graduate students of Drexel's fashion department presented end-of-year collections at Urban Outfitters' corporate offices in the Navy Yard.

[Click here for the Philadelphia University and Moore College of Art & Design's previous shows.]

Mostly bohemian in nature, the students' flowing pieces were both day- and night-appropriate, proving Drexel professors managed to teach designers fashion's most important merchandising lesson of all: versatility.

That said, the night's best collections included senior Brittney Laycock's chunky ivory knits paired with tapered leggings and dramatic coats soaked in oceanic blues. The effect: snow-capped glaciers. Laycock's collection won her the Neiman Marcus Best in Show Award.

Anna Sajeski paired ankle socks with sky-high, chunky-heeled shoes in lemon yellow. I was impressed with the styling. But I'm sure judges were more dazzled by this senior's use of a knitting machine to create midriff sweaters, miniskirts, and vests with ribbing that mimicked the grooves of coral reef. Pairing these sun-loving pieces with floral prints (I especially liked the wide-legged trouser) was an excellent look. Sajeski's creativity won her the Karen Andes Rosenberg Award for Excellence in Handcraft.

Finally, senior Lela Thompson took home the Frank Agostino Award for Excellence in Design, Construction and Workmanship for her deep-hued special-occasion pieces. Thompson was inspired by rough textures found in nature, like barnacles. This was the kind of coarseness, however, that one might want to keep.
Lis Joy Simon, 23, of Philadelphia, was arrested June 10 in Harrisburg after allegedly attacking a state police horse during a protest. Read more

A 23-year-old Philadelphia woman was arrested Saturday in Harrisburg after she allegedly attacked a state police horse with a flag pole during a protest, authorities said.

Lisa Joy Simon was still in custody Monday night at the Dauphin County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail on charges of aggravated assault to police, taunting police animals, resisting arrest, and related offenses.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m Saturday mounted officers with the Pennsylvania State Police and Harrisburg Police were conducting crowd control at an Act For America rally against Islamic religious laws being followed in the United States.

A state police corporal and his horse, Sampson, were attempting to move a crowd from the street onto a sidewalk in the 1200 block of Sixth Street when Simon allegedly struck the horse in the side of the neck with the flag pole, which has a silver nail on the tip.

Harrisburg police officers tried to arrest her and she resisted, police said.

Sampson and the corporal were able to continue working with minimal injuries, police said.
After 11 days of testimony culminating in IRS agents poring over years of canceled checks, deeds, leases, and tax returns, federal prosecutors Tuesday rested their fraud case against Renee Tartaglione.

For the 61-year-old Tartaglione, scion of one of Philadelphia's most storied political families, however, the moment of truth is still several days away.

After defense attorney William DeStefano described problems lining up witnesses, U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky agreed to pause and to start the defense case Friday.

DeStefano said after Tuesday's trial session that he and Tartaglione had not decided whether she would testify in her defense.

Tartaglione is charged with siphoning tens of thousands of dollars from the Juniata Community Mental Health Clinic through a pattern of self-dealing and hiding income for tax purposes.

Tartaglione and her husband, Carlos Matos, founded the clinic in 2002. Five years later, prosecutors allege, she bought the building that housed the clinic's headquarters at 2254 N. Third St., in North Philadelphia, and raised the rent to more than five times the $4,800 the clinic was paying.

The nonprofit clinic moved again in 2012 to another building Tartaglione owned about three blocks north, at 2637 N. Fifth St., in Fairhill, where she began charging rent as high as $75,000 a month.

Real estate and commercial rental experts called to testify by the prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben and Peter N. Halpern, a trial lawyer from the Justice Department's public integrity section in Washington, told the federal jury that the rents Tartaglione charged far exceeded the Juniata neighborhood's fair market values.

DeStefano has argued that Tartaglione is the victim of members of a rival political family, one of whom, Sandy Acosta, was the clinic's administrator.

Sandy Acosta and her daughter, former State Rep. Leslie Acosta, a Democrat who represented the Juniata neighborhood, both pleaded guilty and testified against Tartaglione for the government.

Leslie Acosta, 45, testified that her mother had recruited her to participate in a scheme from 2007 to 2012 in which they received clinic checks for no work.

Acosta said she would cash the checks and then kick back the money to Tartaglione.

"Renee didn't want to pay the taxes on the money," Acosta testified.
Police have announced the name and charges against a man who allegedly raped and murdered a 1-year-old boy last week. Read more

A Kingsessing man accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend's 1-year-old son last week had been charged in 2008 with attempted murder when he was 15 years old, court records show.

Saleem Salaam, 24, of the 1700 block of South Conestoga Street, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and related offenses in the death of the 1-year-old. Police initially identified the child as Salaam's stepson, but Homicide Capt. James Clark said Salaam was dating the victim's mother but they were not married.

According to police, officers responded around 5:34 p.m. last Wednesday to Salaam's residence after another person found the child unresponsive on an upstairs floor. The child was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where doctors noted that he had multiple bruises and injuries indicating sexual assault, police said. He was pronounced dead at 6:08.

Clark said that some of the boy's injuries appeared recent but that others appeared to have been inflicted before June 7.

"The young man had been tortured, brutally beaten, and sexually assaulted," Clark said. "Honestly, there's absolutely, positively no justification or reason [Salaam] could have given for putting his hands on a 1-year-old child."

Clark said Salaam is a "bad guy" who is "very known" to police.

Court records show that in February 2008, Salaam  who was 15 at the time  was initially charged as an adult with attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and related offenses. The case was transferred to the juvenile division of Family Court in March 2008. Neither the disposition of that case nor the allegations were available in online court records.

Salaam remained in prison without bail Tuesday.
Torianto Johnson, a freshman at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, holds a sign supporting immigrants during a rally outside a federal courthouse in Detroit last month. Read more

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants have been granted work permits by the Trump administration under an Obama-era deferred action program that President Donald Trump had promised to end on his first day in office, according to federal data.

Trump had called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program an "unconstitutional executive amnesty" during his campaign. But statistics from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released last week showed that more than 17,000 new DACA applicants were approved for the program in the first three months of 2017.

In addition, more 107,000 immigrants already enrolled in DACA had their two-year work permits renewed during that time frame, which includes the final 20 days of President Barack Obama's tenure in January.

The new figures make clear that the deferred action program for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children  often known as "dreamers"  has continued on a robust pace under Trump. This comes despite concerns from some immigrant advocates that the administration would start targeting work permit-holders for deportations.

Trump has waffled on DACA since taking office. In April, he told the Associated Press that dreamers should "rest easy" and not fear deportation. But his failure to follow through on a key pledge to voters has angered immigration hawks.

"It's a violation of a campaign promise," said Dale Jackson, a conservative radio host in Huntsville, Alabama, who asked White House press secretary Sean Spicer in February why Trump had not ended the program.

Jackson emphasized that unlike some of Trump's other promises, such as repealing the Affordable Care Act or building a border wall with Mexico, the president could halt the issuance of work permits through executive decree without congressional approval.

"This is completely within his singular power to do by himself," he said. "There's no rationalization I can come up with. The guy said one thing during the campaign and he's outright not doing it."

A White House spokesman did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

Trump has touted successes in his efforts to get tougher on undocumented immigrants, including a significant drop in the number of people trying to enter the United States illegally from Mexico. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have ramped up arrests of illegal immigrants under new guidelines from the administration that broadens the pool of people identified as a priority for removal.

"While we still welcome legal immigrants to tune of 1 million a year, we are no longer a friendly environment for illegal border-crossers," Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said during a Cabinet meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday.

But the DACA program, which Obama instituted through executive action in 2012, is popular among Latino and Asian communities and has presented a political conundrum for Trump.

More than 750,000 immigrants have participated, and Obama emphasized the program's value to Trump in a private meeting at the White House after the election. Obama told reporters that he would speak out if the new administration attempted to deport dreamers.

Since then, there have been a handful of highly publicized arrests of dreamers that have raised fears among immigrant rights groups. In some cases, the immigrants had allowed their DACA standing to lapse before their arrests.

On Monday, a federal judge in Atlanta ordered that a Mexican woman living in Georgia, Jessica Colotl, be temporarily reinstated in DACA after the Trump administration attempted to place her in deportation proceedings because of a 2010 traffic stop.

Her attorney, Charles Kuck, said in an interview that he thinks cases such as hers are "outliers" and that "it appears nothing has changed in the processing" of DACA applications. He added that he has filed about 100 applications for clients trying to enroll in the program or renew their DACA standing since Trump took office.

Immigration hard-liners said Trump, with his inaction, now shares ownership of the deferred action program with Obama. Roy Beck, executive director of Numbers USA, a group that advocates for lower immigration levels, said Trump's inaction is denying jobs to native-born workers.

"This is not a symbolic thing; this has real consequences," said Beck, whose organization has more than 7 million followers on Facebook. "There's a sense that he believes it's almost okay not to act. The trouble is, there's no neutral position in this."
Syringe wrappers and garbage cover an embankment along Philadelphias Gurney Street, which leads to Conrail tracks where addicts shoot up. Read more

There are so many sad stories related to the opioid drug crisis it's hard to keep up.

One of the latest involves an Upper Darby couple who overdosed in their bathroom last week, leaving their screaming little boys, ages 1 and 4, in a state of panic until police arrived.

Last year, first responders rescued 3,500 overdose victims in Pennsylvania. But they can't possibly get to everyone  and they aren't. The Upper Darby couple is lucky they were found before it was too late.

In Pennsylvania, 13 people are dying every day from opioid and heroin overdoses. That's up 37 percent from last year, with the largest increases in suburban and rural areas.

Police, health care personnel, even librarians trying to help addicts who overdose inside their facilities, are overwhelmed by an epidemic that has already far outpaced the AIDS scourge as a national health crisis.

Pennsylvania plans to spend $10 million next year to give first responders doses of the opioid antidote Naloxone. But add to that what counties and towns are spending and it's still only a fraction of the related costs taxpayers are paying to support health, emergency, and social services buckling under the weight of this crisis.

Isn't it time for the pharmaceutical industry and medical practitioners to help pay for the roles they play?

Addicts cannot be absolved of all responsibility for their condition, though medical evidence indicates some people may be more susceptible to addiction than others. Neither, however, should the pharmaceutical industry, and the physicians who overly prescribe the opioid products they manufacture, be deemed blameless.

Big Pharma has made billions in profits from selling narcotic products while shamelessly marketing drugs to counteract the side effects of opioid usage, including a medication to ensure better digestion.

That's why Ohio, Mississippi, the city of Chicago, two counties in California, the parents of a drug addict in Greenwich, Conn., the Teamsters union, and a host of others damaged by the opioid epidemic are suing the pharmaceutical industry. The case seems similar to the tobacco industry being sued for promoting products that cause cancer. Large plaintiffs law firms are seeking clients.

Attorneys general in Pennsylvania and New Jersey should consider lodging complaints too. As they dig through applicable state laws, they might seek advice from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who has sued Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Allergan.

DeWine alleges the top five opioid makers violated state consumer, nuisance, Medicaid fraud, and other laws by downplaying the dangers of their drugs. He wants them to pay for increased burdens on police; health centers; workman's compensation; and Ohio's foster care system, in which half the children have one parent or both who are addicts.

Criminal statutes have been used to shut down pill-mill practices whose doctors are too eager to prescribe opioids. Communities should ramp up their efforts by pursuing civil cases as well. Big Pharma and Big Medicine should pay for the roles they play in these tragic stories.
Taipei, June 13 (CNA) Panama, one of Taiwan's allies in Central America, announced Tuesday that it has decided to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, effectively cutting off official ties that it has had with the Republic of China (now more commonly known as Taiwan) for more than a century.
Special counsel Robert Mueller (left) was replaced as FBI director in 2013 by James Comey, who was fired by President Trump. Read more

By now anyone who values his sanity has stopped trying to predict what President Trump will do or say. So as farfetched as the idea seems, a report Monday that the president might try to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III could not be dismissed out of hand.

"I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel," Christopher Ruddy, a longtime Trump friend, said during an interview on PBS's Newshour. Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media, said he based his comment on what he heard a member of Trump's legal team say over the weekend, and not any statement by the president.

But this country has seen a precedent. It was called the "Saturday night massacre" when on Oct. 20, 1973 President Richard Nixon fired Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus after they refused to fire Archibald Cox, who had been appointed special prosecutor in the Watergate cover-up scandal.

Solicitor General Robert H. Bork became acting attorney general and carried out Nixon's order to fire Cox. The president subsequently abolished the office of the special prosecutor and turned over to the Justice Department all further responsibility for investigating Watergate. That didn't turn out too well for Nixon, who only succeeded in delaying the inevitable and resigned in disgrace 10 months later.

One would think that history would be enough to persuade Trump that firing Mueller is a road he doesn't want to travel. But Ruddy, a member of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., suggested during his PBS interview that maybe Trump isn't a student of history. He said it was "pretty clear" by recent comments by one of Trump's lawyers that firing Mueller had at least been discussed.

Legal experts say the president still has authority to fire Mueller, who was appointed to investigate Russia's meddling in last year's presidential election, even though the special-counsel statute that existed when the Watergate cover-up was being investigated was changed after the long investigation of the Clinton presidency.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions in testimony Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee denied any collusion with the Russians. But Sessions has recused himself from the investigation, which means if Trump wants Mueller fired, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would have to do it.

Rosenstein said during the Senate hearings that he would only fire Mueller "for good cause and I am required to put that cause in writing.  If there were good cause, I would consider it. If there were not good cause, it wouldn't matter to me what anybody says."

Those words don't mean Mueller won't be dismissed, it just makes it's less likely. Trump seems to enjoy doing the unlikely, but in this case, he would be wise not to risk the public's reaction to his gall.
No charges will be filed against state Sen. Scott Wagner (R., York) over his confrontation in May with a campaign tracker. (MICHAEL PRONZATO / Staff) Read more

HARRISBURG  Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office will not bring criminal charges against State Sen. Scott Wagner, a Republican who has announced a run for governor, over his scuffle last month with a campaign tracker.

"While both men acted inappropriately and, as a public official Sen. Wagner should have maintained proper civil discourse and controlled his anger, the facts, circumstances, and conduct do not rise to the level where the Attorney General's Office will pursue criminal charges," Michelle Henry, the first assistant attorney general, said in a statement.

The decision stems from Wagner's headline-grabbing confrontation last month with a campaign tracker for American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal-leaning organization that describes itself as "holding Republicans accountable for their words and actions."

The tracker, whom Henry identified in her statement as Chris Van Leeuwen, followed Wagner to a luncheon at a private country club in York to record his speech

Upon spotting him, Wagner became visibly annoyed.

"You're about to see your senator in action," Wagner told the crowd, before striding over to the tracker and grabbing his camera equipment.

The tracker recorded that incident, and then continued recording Wagner with his cellphone as he followed Wagner around the club trying to get his equipment back. Though the camera was later returned, American Bridge said at the time that it had not been given back the camera's memory card.

On that video. Wagner can be seen moving to block the cellphone camera, leaving the tracker complaining of an assault that left him with a bloody finger.

Shortly after the incident, an American Bridge spokeswoman called Wagner "unhinged." Wagner defended his actions, saying the tracker entered the country club illegally and had no right to be there.

American Bridge was founded by David Brock, a right-wing operative-turned-liberal activist who was a staunch supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during last year's presidential campaign.

Shapiro's office took over the investigation into Wagner's confrontation last month at the request of the York County District Attorney's office. The District Attorney there, Tom Kearney, is a longtime Wagner friend.
A group of Pa. senators wants to change the way the public elects lieutenant governors. The move follows a high-profile inquiry by the state Inspector Generals office into whether Lt. Gov. Mike Stack (pictured above) and his wife mistreated members of their household staff and security detail. (ED HILLE/ Staff Photographer) Read more

HARRISBURG  Amid a high-stakes inquiry ordered by Gov. Wolf into whether Lt. Gov. Mike Stack and his wife mistreated some of their employees, a group of senators is pushing to change the way the public elects candidates for the state's No. 2 job.

The senators, led by David Argall (R., Berks), announced legislation on Tuesday that would allow Pennsylvania's gubernatorial nominees, like those running for U.S. president, to choose a running mate for lieutenant governor in future elections.

Argall said he was pushing the legislation due to the "tumultuous" relationship between Wolf and Stack, both Democrats. He noted numerous media accounts that indicated the two men rarely speak.

"Let's be honest, this is embarrassing," Argall said at a news conference in the Capitol. "This is not how the top two members of the executive branch should operate to get things done for the people of Pennsylvania."

The legislation would require an amendment to the state constitution, meaning the bill would have to pass in two consecutive legislative sessions and then be put to a voter referendum. As a result, it couldn't take effect until after next year's gubernatorial election.

If the legislation becomes law, future candidates for governor would be able to select their running mates after winning their party primaries.

The legislation has 15 cosponsors, including two Democrats, Argall said, adding that several other states grant gubernatorial candidates the ability to choose running mates. According to the National Lieutenant Governors Association, Pennsylvania is among only 13 states where lieutenant governors are elected during the primary election independently of the governor. They are then yoked together on the general election ballot.

Argall said the amendment is inspired solely by the icy relationship between Wolf and Stack, and not any of Stack's alleged personal misconduct. He argued that the position of lieutenant governor is a waste of taxpayer money if the officeholder does not get along with the governor.

"With these kinds of dire economic circumstances, we cannot afford to waste one more nickel on a system where the No. 1 and No. 2 elected officials in the executive branch fail to work together as a team," Argall said.

The bipartisan efforts are viewed by the senators as more of a step in the right direction than a utopian solution.

Sen. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon) acknowledged, "There's no perfect way to do this, but this is an improvement."

J.J. Abbott, spokesman for Wolf, declined to comment on whether Wolf would support the amendment.

Stack spokesman James Kurish said the lieutenant governor would support the measure if it is part of a more "holistic" approach to reforming elections, one that includes changes to the state's redistricting process, among other changes.

The inquiry into Stack became public in April. At the time, Wolf said he had asked the Office of the Inspector General to investigate whether Stack and his wife, Tonya, had verbally abused or mistreated employees who work at their taxpayer-funded residence outside Harrisburg, as well as the state police detail that protects them.

The status of the OIG's report is unclear. Wolf has signaled that it is not complete.

Stack has apologized for what he has called "Stack moments," saying he sometimes becomes frustrated and snaps in anger.

Wolf has confirmed that he asked Stack several times to improve his behavior before ordering the official inquiry. As the investigation progressed, Wolf took the extraordinary step of yanking the Stacks' state police detail and scaling back staffing at the lieutenant governor's residence.

Early on, the governor said that he intended to make the report public. That was before Stack's office confirmed last month that Tonya Stack had checked into a mental-health facility to seek treatment.

Contact Logan Hullinger at l.r.hullinger@gmail.com or 814-319-5158.
A detective lieutenant of the Leyden (MA) Police Department, who lived in Springfield, was killed Sunday morning in a parachuting accident at Ellington Airport in Connecticut.

James Hansmann, 62, suffered serious injuries when he experienced a hard landing, according to New Haven ABC affiliate WTNH.

He was treated on scene and then taken by helicopter to Hartford Hospital, where he later died, MassLive.com reports.
Photo: Chicago PD/Facebook

The Chicago Police Department, seeking a fresh look for its patrol vehicles, is asking officers for proposals to redesign the layout of the words, images, and colors on the outside of its newer cars, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, in a memo to his 12,000 officers on Friday, said their design ideas will be considered by review panels in each of the 22 patrol districts. Each district will send one idea to a department-wide panel of police officers and residents from the communities.

The panel will select five finalists, and Johnson will pick the winning design.

"The iconic design of marked CPD vehicles has been a staple on the streets of Chicago since the 1970s," Johnson said in the memo. "As we make investments in our Department to be a better agency for officers and residents alike, it is also appropriate to update our vehicles to reflect the next era of CPD's history."

The new design will only be applied to 500 new police cars that are expected to hit the streets in the next few months, police spokesman Frank Giancamilli said. The vehicles now being used will keep the current design.

Officers will have until June 30 to submit their ideas. Giancamilli said the officer whose design is selected as the winning entry will earn "bragging rights," but no award.
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The ranking member of the House committee investigating Russia, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), put an end to Trumps dreams of firing special counsel Robert Mueller by letting the President know that if he fires Mueller, Congress will reappoint him.

After the news broke that Trump is seriously considering terminating the special counsel, Schiff tweeted:

If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller. Don't waste our time.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 12, 2017

Terminating Robert Mueller would be the dumbest move that Trump could make, so of course, this president is considering it. If Trump fires Mueller, the Russia scandal will blow up and get even bigger overnight. Trump would unleash a mushroom cloud of scandal that would consume all of DC if he tried to get rid of the special counsel.

Trump cant fire his way out of the Russia scandal. The fact that Trump is seriously considering firing Mueller makes him look guilty of obstruction of justice.

This playbook didnt work for Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and it isnt going to work for Donald Trump.

Rep. Schiffs warning was a reminder that a president doesnt have unlimited executive power, and if Trump crosses the line by terminating the special counsel, Congress will be there to smack him down.
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Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken couldnt keep a straight face on Monday after Donald Trumps cabinet  during what may qualify as the strangest cabinet meeting ever  heaped a bizarre amount of praise on the president.

Unable to keep a straight face, Franken openly mocked those in the meeting who talked about how blessed they are to be serving this president.

Video:

Too funny. Al Franken cant even keep a straight face about Trumps cabinet members saying how blessed they are to serve this president: pic.twitter.com/kbml79URDP  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) June 12, 2017

First, MSNBCs Chris Matthews asked, I want to ask about this relationship between Trump and his cabinet people, who he hardly knows. What did you make of the genuflections around the table this morning?  They said, Thank you for the blessing  of having this position.

Frankens answer was priceless: I think the people there feel very, very blessed.  If they feel blessed to be in his cabinet or to be around him, to be his chief of staff for at least another week or so, they should feel very blessed. And I feel very blessed to be here.  Blessings to you.

Frankens response was a welcome moment of levity hours after the bizarre cabinet meeting when each member gushed about the honor and privilege of serving this president  as if they would fall through a trap door under their chair if they didnt.

The strangest moment during the meeting came when Reince Priebus expressed his thanks for the blessing to serve Trumps agenda.

Video of Priebuss bizarre statement:

WH Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to Trump: We thank you for the opportunity and blessing to serve your agenda https://t.co/L7DEdZUjV3  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 12, 2017

Despite the phony praise from the presidents cabinet, this administration has been a disaster since day one, whether its enacting unconstitutional and disastrous policies, obstructing FBI investigations, or damaging Americas reputation abroad, among a litany of other things.

Luckily, the American people have Al Franken to lighten the mood from time to time.
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Some members of Congress are officially starting to get serious with the possible impeachment of Donald Trump. While impeachment did not seem very prominent early into his first 100 days, Trump is now facing many deserved calls for his impeachment due to his obstruction of justice during the Russian investigation, as well as his firing of Former FBI Director James Comey.

These calls hit a new high when today Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) released a draft article of impeachment against Trump and announced that he is planning to file his legislation for the impeachment in the upcoming days.

Hoping that these articles of impeachment will receive expeditious consideration by the Judiciary Committee, the Congressman demonstrated that Trump had committed a felony because he violated 18 U.S.C. 1512(b)(3) during his efforts to talk Comey into letting the Flynn investigation go.

Sherman elaborated on his reasoning by describing his evidence of collusion and obstruction as sufficient to move forward now, due to the fact that it is congresss job to hold the president accountable for his actions. Furthermore, Sherman adds that it is in the best interest of the American people to move on with impeachment proceedings.

The California Congressman is among a small group of 24 brave House Democrats who are laying out the groundwork for impeachment. Sherman will spend the next several days getting his legislation ready, as well as receiving input from other members of Congress about his plan.

To the possibility of a Mike Pence presidency, Sherman is not shying away. Having served with Mike Pence in the House for twelve years, I disagree with him on most issues of public policy, says Sherman. But we must move forward as quickly as possible to ensure a competent government that respects the Constitution and the rule of law.
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As the Trump administration continues to signal that it may lift sanctions on Russia despite the fact that Moscow waged a massive cyber attack on the U.S. presidential election in 2016, Republicans in the Senate are saying, Not so fast.

According to The Hill, GOP Sen. Bob Corker said members of Congress have come to an agreement that would give them more power to block Trumps attempts to lift sanctions.

More from the report:

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said lawmakers have struck an agreement that includes allowing Congress to weigh in before Trump can lift current sanctions against Russia. He said staffers are now reviewing the legislative language. I think were there. Were going through the [legislative] language in here now, but weve reached an agreement, Corker told a small group of reporters. A senior Senate aide said they are getting close to a deal, but are still reviewing language. Corker added that the language definitely includes congressional review, which would give Congress oversight over the lifting of sanctions, but Corker didnt specify if it includes new sanctions on Moscow. Its what we did on Iran. So I would like to have congressional review on everything we do.  Its basically set up much like weve done on other places, Corker said.

The move by the Senate comes as the White House has repeatedly suggested they are looking at lifting sanctions on Russia.

Last month, in fact, the administration moved toward giving back to Russia two of its American-based intelligence compounds which were previously taken away by the Obama administration after it was clear Russia interfered in last years presidential election.

Clearly, Trump thinks that he can do as he pleases, but even Republicans in Congress are now showing him there is such a thing as checks and balances  especially when hes attempting to ease sanctions on a country that helped put him in the White House.
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A new PPP poll finds that by a margin of 49%-41% respondents believe that Donald Trump obstructed justice after James Comey testified before Congress.

According to PPP, PPPs newest national poll finds a variety of bad news for Donald Trump in the wake of James Comeys testimony to Congress last week. 49% of voters say that they think Trump committed obstruction of justice, to just 41% who dont think he did. Only 37% of voters say they think Trump is honest, to 56% who say hes not. A majority of voters- 53%- come right out and say they consider Trump to be a liar to 41% who disagree with that characterization. And for the second month in a row we find plurality support for impeachment- 47% are in support of it to 43% who are opposed. Voters say they trust James Comey more than Trump by double digits, 51/39. Comeys image has improved rapidly in the wake of his testimony. 

Trump has lost the credibility fight with Comey. More Americans support impeachment than oppose it, and now nearly half of voters believe that the President committed a crime. The pieces are coming together for Trump to either be ousted from or voted out of office. If Republicans werent terrified of the 2018 midterm election before this poll, they should be now.

The midterm is not going to be about Nancy Pelosi or Democrats. The midterm election will be a referendum on Trump, and if support for impeachment continues to grow because voters believe that the President committed a crime, Democratic candidates from coast to coast and all points in between will be able to argue that electing them is the best way to stop Trump.

If Republicans dont do something about Trump, the voters will.
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The hack into US voting systems by Russia was worse than reported. Thirty-nine states were compromised, and the Obama administration worried that the Kremlins goal was to delete voter registration information.

Bloomberg reported that the Russian hackers reached voting systems in 39 states and that their motive was to impact the election:

In Illinois, investigators found evidence that cyber intruders tried to delete or alter voter data. The hackers accessed software designed to be used by poll workers on Election Day, and in at least one state accessed a campaign finance database. Details of the wave of attacks, in the summer and fall of 2016, were provided by three people with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation into the matter. In all, the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states, one of them said.

.

The Obama administration believed that the Russians were possibly preparing to delete voter registration information or slow vote tallying in order to undermine confidence in the election. That effort went far beyond the carefully timed release of private communications by individuals and parties.

The reason why the Russians werent successful is chilling. They ran out of time before Election Day. It is easy to see the Russians, who had already gotten the voter registration lists, purging Democratic voters in key states to help Trump.

There is so much that is not known about the Russian hack, including definitively whether or not it was successful in impacting the vote on Election Day. When Donald Trump claimed during the campaign that the election was rigged, he was right. What America didnt know that maybe he did was that it was being rigged for him.

Trumps presidency was the outcome of the Russian election interference. What has not been addressed is the safety and integrity of the voting system. If Republicans refuse to secure the voting system, they are putting out the welcome mat and leaving the door wide open for the Russians to meddle in future US elections.

Every day that the voting system remains vulnerable is an act of treason by Trump and the Republican Party.
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Donald Trump may have put the final nail in the coffin of the Republican health care bill by telling Senators that he thought the House passed bill was mean, and that he wants the Senate bill to be more generous.

The AP reported:

Congressional sources say President Donald Trump has told Republican senators that the House health care bill is mean and that the Senate version should be more generous.

CNNs Jim Acosta confirmed the AP report:

Sources confirm to CNN Trump raised questions about House health care bill with Senators today and referred to legislation as "mean."  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 13, 2017

Trumpcare is already unpopular, so Trumps bashing of the bill took the challenge facing Republicans from impossible to hopeless. There is no way that Republicans can convince the American people that the bill is any good when they wont release the legislation to the public, while Trump bashes it in private.

The problem isnt that the legislation needs to be more generous. The issue is that Trumpcare is an act of needless cruelty that is not wanted or needed by the American people.

Donald Trump opened his mouth, and his own words will be used against him to kill the Republican health care bill.


PRAGUE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK (ORLOJ)



So, that anecdote I promised earlier. Let's rewind the clock (hehe) back a decade. It was 2007 and the St Martins Graphic Design class of '09 were on a school trip in the historic city of Prague. Imagine a group of second year art school kidz, their inherent obnoxiousness further fuelled by the endless Pilsner that flowed from the land of beer and Becherovka. We stood front and center of the crowd gathered in Old Town Square waiting for the astronomical clock's famous hourly display. Now, I can't speak for the group but I was probably expecting a Czech version of "It's A Small World". Then the clock chimed, the gears moved, and The Walk Of The Apostles began: a song and dance about virtues and evils, the former depicted by the figures of Death, vanity, and what used to be a Jew and a Turk (xenophobia and anti-Semitism - how very 1410).



We were not impressed.



And so, the entire class ruined - or vastly improved, depending on who you ask - dozens of tourist souvenir videos by collectively pointing, jeering, and BOO-ing at the clock.



WE BOO-ED A 13th CENTURY CLOCK.



The beloved 600 year old icon of the city, a medieval masterpiece that survived the German siege during the Prague Uprising in World War II. Boo-ed by a group of students. Yeah, it's a wonder I was allowed back into the country. Czechia-self before ya wreck yaself!




Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Officer Rey Caban spent nearly two years researching the possibility of bringing an unmanned aerial vehicle  a drone  to the Rochester Police Department.

He demonstrated the new UAV last week, providing the first look at a drone of its kind in Minnesota. In fact, there are only three agencies in the U.S., Canada and Australia that have its capabilities, he said.

"Other agencies have drones," Caban said, "but nobody else has the equipment we have, specifically, the Project Lifesaver technology."

The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to respond quickly to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer's, autism and other related conditions or disorders. The clients wear a transmitter that is activated when they wander.

As he studied the technology available, Caban was trying to find the most efficient use of the money budgeted by the Rochester City Council.

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"I figured having this unit would also enhance our Project Lifesaver response," he said, "because it had the capability to swap an antenna for the camera."

The antenna, Caban said, "will pick up the radio frequency (of the transmitter). We can see the direction the signal is coming from and use the UAV to get closer and closer, get a stronger signal, then send a ground unit to go to the specific location" to effect a rescue.

His own experiences in law enforcement helped drive his decision to lobby for the unit.

"I've had several different incidents in Rochester where I've requested some kind of aviation support from the (Minnesota State Patrol) to come down and help out," Caban said, only to be told a helicopter was out of position.

"Not having availability, I can understand the frustration it can cause, so I'm excited we can actually deploy someone in a short period of time," he said.

The cost of the drone and its related capabilities sits at about $68,000.

That includes the drone unit itself, the camera with thermal (infrared), night vision and day vision; the PLS antenna and all specific training for Caban, Terry Pretzloff, Dave Thompson and Chris Chamberland.

Because they're operating the UAV for a public agency, the men are all licensed pilots who follow Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

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The cost also takes into account the fact that the unit is made by Lockheed Martin , an international aerospace company. The body is carbon fiber , "very durable and very strong," Caban said.

As a comparison, "other drones fly 15 to 20 minutes, tops. Ours flies 55 minutes, and can fly in inclement weather," he said. "The research that goes into this isn't cheap."

Of course, there will also be law enforcement-specific applications of the drone.

"We treat it like a helicopter," Caban explained. "It flies at the same altitude that a helicopter would in a specific scenario; anything that we'd request a helicopter for is what we'll be using this for."

When the camera is used, it provides just a live-feed video, Caban said; a recorder can be activated to retain video of the feed. Any retained video would be uploaded to the department's server and kept in the records division for a minimum of 90 days or until a case is resolved.

He anticipates the UAV "will get a good amount of use" by other agencies, "once we get people used to knowing we have it."

Any agency's request would have to meet the local policy in place, but if there's "an eminent threat to society or the public," they could deploy the device.

"I'm excited to have this," Caban said, "to potentially save a life  and not just to save the life of someone in immediate danger, but to save officers from confronting an unknown.

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"We've talked a lot about saving lives when it comes to looking for people, but I also look at the difference it'll make to send something like this to get a visual perspective to see if a subject is armed or not," he said.

"It'll take away a lot of stress."
There were tears, cheers and singing as nearly 100 actors and musicians who are supporters of Greg Miller held a rally Monday evening outside Rochester Civic Theatre .

Miller, whose position as artistic director at RCT was eliminated on short notice last week, was allowed into the building Monday to remove personal items from what had been his office for 27 years. Nearly everyone at the rally had worked with Miller at some point over the years.

Some, like Debbie Fuehrer, have been volunteers at the theater longer than Miller was there. But Fuehrer on Monday asked for and received refunds for her season tickets and annual donation to RCT.

"I've totally lost faith in the current board leadership," Fuehrer said as she stood under an umbrella in the rain. "They've stripped members of their voting rights, and did it behind closed doors. We want to support the theater, but they've cut the heart out of it."

She said that if the board of directors had said they needed more funding to retain an artistic director, "they should have told us and we would have held fundraisers."

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Instead, the group now calling itself Friends of the Rochester Civic Theatre rallied Monday against the board and in favor of Miller. Many carried signs critical of the board, and nearly everyone wore a t-shirt from a Miller-directed production.

Among those in attendance was Larry Sinak, who is the president of the board at Rochester Repertory Theatre and a longtime RCT booster.

"I've been a supporter, volunteer and donor to the civic theater for 40 years," Sinak said. "I feel strongly that the civic theater board should return to their roots of being a community theater."

Besides supporting Miller, the Friends group is asking that the executive committee of the board resign. "We think they've misled the public," said Jerry Casper, a former member of the board. "I like those people, I've worked with them, but they're making a huge mistake."

As for Miller, he waited patiently for representatives of the board and theater to arrive and escort him inside. He said he did not ask for the show of support but also did not discourage it. "I just want to get my stuff," he said.

Asked what his next step will be, Miller said, "When you have a job on Sunday and you don't have a job on Monday, you really don't have a next step."

As Miller packed his office into cardboard boxes, the group of supporters formed a line to ferry his belongings from the RCT door to a waiting van. Then they greeted Miller with applause and hugs before he hopped in his car to drive across town to the the Rep theater, where he is in rehearsals for this summer's comedy "The Dining Room."

About 500 people have signed a letter saying they will boycott future RCT productions, including the fall musical, "Urinetown." "This isn't the endpoint," Fuehrer said. "We're going to protest more."

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Representatives of the board did not return calls for comment Monday.
STEWARTVILLE  Tom GoForth takes the bus every weekday into Rochester.

It beats walking.

GoForth, who has daily medical appointments with the Mayo Clinic as he battles terminal cancer, rides the Rolling Hills Transit bus from Stewartville to the south Target before catching a Rochester City Lines bus the rest of the way.

"It's the only way I can afford to go in there," he said. The Stewartville to Rochester ride is $3 each way, and his Rochester Public Transit ticket is 80 cents each direction. For someone living on $700 a month, that's still a lot of money, he said, but it is cheaper than R&S Transport, Rochester City Lines or any other transportation option he's found.

He used to walk, unaware that the affordable option was available, taking sometimes six hours a day to make it into town.

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"I'd see him on the side of the road," said RHT driver Don MacKenzie, who runs the Stewartville route. Eventually, MacKenzie tracked him down and told him about the service that has been running in Stewartville for more than three years.

That's one more rider for the bus service. Frankly, said Transportation Director Erlene Welshons, the service needs all the riders it can get. The Minnesota Department of Transportation requires the service eventually reach a ridership level of three rides per hour in order to maintain grant funding and keep the service low in cost. Of the 10 routes in five counties that RHT serves, several are running below that ridership level.

"The biggest challenge for people not transit dependent is they might have to wait for a bus, transfer or walk a block or two," she said. "St. Charles, Dover-Eyota, Byron, Kasson, Dodge Center, the demand going into Rochester is always increasing."

Stewartville, though, has problems getting its ridership up to three per hour. Another bus company still drives the preschool children in town, which cuts into a core part of the business plan that works in other cities. That and simply getting the word out can be tough.

During the last three months with ridership counted  February through April  Stewartville had an average of 298 riders a month. The average ridership per hour during that period was 1.42, less than half the MnDOT standard.

All this has led to the bus service considering cutting back one day a week in Stewartville  cutting Mondays off its schedule  and offering Monday service as a test in Chatfield.

That would be tough for GoForth, who rides to and from Rochester  that counts as two riders a day  for his medical appointments. "If they cut this out on Monday, they don't know what they're doing to me," he said.

The only community doing worse is the combined run of Dover and Eyota, which had 630 riders during that time period, or a daily average of 10 riders. Hourly, that's about one rider per hour, for both communities.

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RHT is funded mostly from state and federal funds, but 15 percent comes from local match in the form of direct funding from the cities and tickets purchased by riders. It's that state and federal funding that helps keep ticket costs lower than other options, she said.

Still, the community support can be significant, especially in smaller towns like Dover where the city pays $7,000 annually and another $500 per quarter to be part of the program. All that for a small portion of those 210 riders per month shared between Dover and Eyota.

"It's a rip off," Dover Mayor Roger Ihrke, who has been an outspoken critic of the service, said previously.

He's not the only one. Eyota City Council Member Ray Schuchard has questioned whether Eyota and its residents are paying too much to support the service in their town.

The third city on the run with Dover and Eyota, St. Charles, has shown more support for the program, Welshons said. "There was a lot of local buy-in from the mayor, the city council and the schools," she said. "There's a couple of places in town that sell the bus tickets, so it's convenient for the customers."

Welshons hopes more people give the service a chance because with public transportation being a big piece of the Destination Medical Center planning, any way people can come to Rochester without looking for a parking space and clogging up the busy downtown streets will be a plus. "You've got to give it time for people to realize it's there and how to utilize it," she said.
Erin and Toby Taylor, of Rochester, met at the Boys and Girls Club in Rochester. What started as as a friendship turned into something more.

Erin's first impression of Toby was that he was attractive. She recalled giving him a smile, though she only received a "frown back."

"I just remembered thinking, 'Oh. OK,'" the 34-year-old woman said. "I just thought he was a nice guy."

"I thought she was nice. I don't remember the smile, giving a frown incident," Toby, 39, said. "I know from when we had our first conversations, she was talking about her Christian values, and I found it to be really impressive that someone believed in God and shared their faith openly."

They were friends for a year and a half and went their separate ways with other relationships. Eventually they met again in different positions at the Boys and Girls Club and reconnected several years ago.

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The Taylors married on Sept. 30, 2011.

'Just never saw myself with a white woman'

When Toby grew up in Chicago, he never pictured himself ending up with someone who didn't come from the same racial background. He, however, found love in an unexpected person.

"I just never saw myself with a white woman," Toby admitted. "Erin, she's been great. God is good. He gave me the woman I needed. Her skin color didn't matter as much as the heart that she had."

"As far as our relationship, I've had interracial relationships previously on my side," Erin said. "It wasn't that big of a deal coming from an open family. I was the first white person Toby seriously dated. More for himself, that's just how he pictured his wife to be."

Despite this, Toby did experience backlash from both white and black communities while pursuing a relationship with Erin. When he took her to his Chicago neighborhood, fellow black people mocked him for "dating a white lady." While in Rochester, he received "ugly looks" from a business owner while there with Erin.

"He made a comment along the lines of, 'Dude, she's too good for you,'" he recounted. "He said, 'Don't know why she's married to you,' sort of thing."

Erin shared that, occasionally, they get some negative comments from those who see them together. However, those moments are few and far between.

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"It still happens periodically, but the intensity has changed," she added.

Toby shared those sentiments.

"I was so used to looking over my shoulders and watching for people watching us, seeing if someone noticed we were together," he said. "I'm not paying as much attention anymore."

'Things are changing'

They feel acceptance for interracial marriages is growing.

"I started to see it in commercials," Toby said. "Erin pointed out, 'Look, a biracial couple,' and I didn't even notice it, and she picked up on it. Things are changing. You're seeing more and more commercials that's accepting. Everyone doesn't stay in their box or bubble dating someone of the same ethnicity as they are."

For Erin's family, it wasn't difficult finding acceptance for Toby. They felt it was important to love everyone the same, and an interracial marriage wasn't out of the picture, she said.

On the other hand, Toby's family took a little more time to adjust. Toby's mother at one point in her life did not believe in marrying anyone outside of their race. However, that view eventually changed when Toby's brother started dating a white woman.

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Sadly, she never got to meet Erin.

"She died in 2007," Toby said. "My dad recently passed away; he got to meet her and met his grandchildren only once before he passed away.  He enjoyed her and accepted her as his daughter-in-law with no reserve."
The Rochester City Council will start weighing options for the next city administrator on Monday.

After receiving a list of 11 current candidates for the position, council members asked to review video interviews of the candidates.

The interviews consist of three questions, with candidates allowed up to three minutes to respond to each question. Council will rate each video.

"We will come back with a compilation of your ratings on the videos," said Sharon Klumpp of Springsted Waters Executive Recruitment, the company hired to conduct a nationwide search for candidates to fill the position.

On Monday, Klumpp said she expects the council will be able to narrow the field, perhaps deciding on who to invite for in-person interviews tentatively set for June 26.

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Klumpp noted all vetting has not been complete, but the recruitment team has narrowed the field from an original 23 candidates. While three of the original candidates have pulled out of the process since the search began, Klumpp said others were removed from the list because they didn't meet certain standards set by the city.

Council member Michael Wojcik raised a question about three unnamed candidates who were on the original list but not among the final 11, and Klumpp indicated that decisions not to include some applicants may be due to something lacking in an application.

"There is one person in there who I bet is on your list, but the written materials were not something I would present to you," she said. "They didn't show much thought."

Names of the applicants will remain unknown to the public during discussions Monday, with the council referring to each by number.

Klumpp said the pool of candidates isn't as diverse as she would have hoped, with few people of color and few women applying for the position. She noted that could be attributed to the state's salary cap for city officials, which is based on the governor's $127,629 salary.

While the statewide cap is set at $167,978 this year, Rochester has received a waiver, allowing a $173,055 salary for the city administrator. That salary continues to be below what some cities outside Minnesota pay for similar positions.

A 2015 salary comparison conducted by the city of Dubuque, Iowa, shows the city manager in Elgin, Ill., with a comparable 108,000 population, earned a $198,751 salary, as well as a $24,443 retirement account contribution and a provided car, neither of which is provided to Rochester's chief administrator.

Other Iowa, Illinois and Missouri city officials earned salaries as high as $278,875.

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At the same time, there were some that fell below what Rochester offers. Sioux City, Iowa, with a 82,684 population paid its city manager $161,555, but a car allowance and retirement contribution brought total compensation to $177,064.

The lowest salary in the study was for the West Allis, Wis., city administrator, who serves a city of 61,000. That salary was $116,000 with a $300 car allowance.

On average, a survey of 55 cities revealed an average salary of $175,748.

Klump said such numbers mean finding candidates from outside Minnesota can be challenging.

"It's very tight," she said.



Other meetings

Meetings during the week of June 12 include:

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City of Rochester

 City Council committee of the whole, 3:30 p.m. Monday in room 104 of City Hall, 201 Fourth St. SE.

 Police Policy Oversight Commission, 6 p.m. Monday in room 104 of City Hall.

 Energy Commission, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in conference room 1 of the Rochester/Olmsted Planning Department, 2122 Campus Drive SE No. 100.

 City Council DMC transportation work session, 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Exhibit Hall 3 of the Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE.

 Mayo Civic Center Commission, 3 p.m. Wednesday, in the Mayo Civic Center office conference room.

 Planning and Zoning Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers of the city-county Government Center, 151 4th St. SE.

 Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, 7 p.m. Wednesday in room 104 of City Hall.

 Committee of Urban Design and Environment, 11:30 a.m. Thursday in room 104 of City Hall.

Olmsted County

 County Board retreat, 8 a.m. Tuesday in the Association of Minnesota Counties office, 125 Charles Ave., St. Paul.

 Community Services Advisory Board, 7 a.m. Wednesday in room 161 of 2117 Campus Drive SE.

 Human Rights Commission, 7 p.m. Thursday in room 104 of City Hall.
WINONA  A 24-year-old Arcadia, Wis., man is dead after the boat he was in overturned below the spillway at Green Terrace, south of Winona.

Telesforo Pena Bautista was in a boat driven by Jorge Ramirez Ramirez, 31, also of Arcadia, said Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude.

"They were going upriver, along the shoreline, and passed some people fishing on the shore on the Minnesota side" of the Mississippi River, he said.

One of the witnesses said the undertow "caught the boat and sent it perpendicular to the spillway," Ganrude said. Water pouring through "a little notch on the spillway" swamped, then overturned the boat.

The people fishing on shore saw both men go into the water.

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Ramirez floated past, then paddled to shore, the witnesses told authorities.

Bautista went under and didn't surface. One of the men "dove into the river after him, but was unable to locate him underwater," Ganrude said.

The 911 call came in at 5:46 p.m. Sunday, sending rescue personnel from Trempeleau (Wis.) Fire Department and Rescue, Pickwick Fire Department, Dakota Fire Department, Winona County Dive Team, Winona Area Ambulance, Winona County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, to the scene.

"We had seven boats on the water searching for him," Ganrude said.

Bautista was recovered about 7:20 p.m. about 50 yards from where the boat capsized.

Neither man was wearing a life jacket, the report says.

The witnesses on shore are "taking it very hard," Ganrude said Monday afternoon. "They watched and tried to help ...

"We can all do a lot for ourselves," he continued. "We don't like to wear life jackets, but things happen really quickly, so we should all keep this in mind, especially on the river."

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Ramirez was checked out by ambulance, but not transported.

The last drowning in the Winona area was in October, when the body of 19-year-old Winona State student Chukwudi Benjamin Onyeaghala, of White Bear Lake, was found more than a week after he went missing.
ST. PAUL  A Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist seconds after the man informed him he was carrying a gun "did what he had to do" in a thoroughly justified use of force, a defense attorney argued Monday.

Hours earlier, prosecutors countered that officer Jeronimo Yanez never saw a gun and had plenty of options short of shooting Philando Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker they say was never a threat.

Yanez's manslaughter trial went to a jury after both sides gave closing arguments in which they recapped their versions of a shooting that drew extra attention because Castile's girlfriend livestreamed the gruesome aftermath on Facebook.

Yanez's attorney, Earl Gray, reminded the jury of the officer's testimony that Castile looked like a man who robbed a convenience store four days earlier. He said Castile disregarded the officer's orders and reached for his gun because he was stoned on marijuana. And he said Yanez was afraid for his life.

"He pulled out his gun, and he did what he had to do," Gray said.

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Prosecutor Jeff Paulsen highlighted autopsy evidence in his closing argument, reminding the jury of a bullet wound to what would have been Castile's trigger finger  and that there was no corresponding bullet damage nor wounds in the area of Castile's right shorts pocket, where he carried his gun. He also cited testimony from first responders of Castile's gun falling out of his pocket as he was loaded onto a backboard.

He asked the jury to consider what might have happened if Yanez, when told of the gun, had simply stepped back a few feet to better assess the situation. The officer might have heard Castile say he was just trying to get his wallet, Paulsen said.

"If he had done that, everybody would have gone home safely that night," the prosecutor said. He also alluded to testimony from defense witnesses who portrayed Yanez as a good and honest man.

"The victim in this case was a good man too," Paulsen said, and referred to Castile's job at an elementary school. "The kids loved him, and he was a role model to them. And now they've been deprived of that role model."

Castile had THC, the high-giving component of marijuana, in his blood when he died. The two sides called competing experts earlier who disagreed over whether Castile was incapacitated. Gray hit the issue again in his closing.

"Guns and drugs don't mix. This is a classic example of why, if you are a user of drugs, even marijuana, you're not allowed to have a gun," Gray said.

Yanez, who is Latino, is charged with second-degree manslaughter, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and with two lesser counts of endangering the safety of Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her daughter for firing his gun into the car near them.

Conviction on the manslaughter charge requires the jury to find Yanez guilty of "culpable negligence," which the judge described in jury instructions as gross negligence with an element of recklessness.

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After three white alternates were dismissed following closing arguments, the 12-member jury includes two blacks. The rest are white. None is Latino.

Yanez testified Friday that he stopped Castile in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights because he thought Castile looked like one of two men who had robbed a nearby convenience store a few days earlier. A faulty brake light gave the officer sufficient reason to pull him over, several experts testified.

Squad-car video played repeatedly for the jury last week shows that the situation escalated quickly, with Yanez shooting Castile just seconds after the driver volunteered, "Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me." Five of the officer's seven shots struck Castile.

After he shot Castile, Yanez is heard on the squad car video telling a supervisor variously that he didn't know where Castile's gun was, then that he told Castile to get his hand off it. Yanez testified Friday that he meant that he didn't know where the gun was "up until I saw it in his right thigh area."

Paulsen reminded the jury of the recorded statements on Monday, saying they should consider them accurate. Gray said prosecutors were taking the statements out of context.
A Peace Plaza store in downtown Rochester soon will rise to new heights.

Owner Lisa Ihrke is moving one of her Exquisite Leather and Luggag e stores from its spot on the Peace Plaza at 100 First Ave. to the second floor of the adjacent Shops at University Square mall.

The store, one of three she has in downtown, will move into the Collections space in the northeast corner of the mall.

Exquisite Leather and Luggage is a women's boutique featuring clothing, jewelry, purses, luggage as well as leather. A team of 16, including Ihrke, staff all three stores.

Ihrke explained the transition plan is to run a "Moving Sale" at the Peace Plaza shop, close it at the end of July and then re-open in the new spot in late August or early September.

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She is using the transition as an opportunity to re-brand her trio of stores under the new moniker of ELL (representing Exquisite Leather and Luggage), when the second floor location opens. The other shops are located just blocks away in the subway under the Kahler Grand Hotel and at 20 Historic Third St. S.W.

"It will be a bigger and a better (shaped) space," she said of the University Square storefront.

The Peace Plaza store opened in 2013. While it's a very high profile spot in a very busy area, it comes with a challenge that a lot of Minnesota businesses face.

"Winters in the Peace Plaza are awful. There are great crowds in the summers, but it gets pretty quiet during the winter," Ihrke said. "We'd like to spread the business out more evenly over the year."

So when mall owner Titan Development & Investments mentioned space was opening up, she decided to move into the always busy University Square.

It was longtime Rochester retailers Walter and Louise Hanson that spurred the opportunity for Irhke. They were considering expanding their popular Nordic Shop into the next door Collections store. The Hansons have owned two side-by-side stores since they opened Blue Willi's in that spot in 2004. It became Collections about a year later.

"Looking ahead to moving into the new (planned expansion of the mall on the site of the former Michael's Restaurant) space in two years or so, we decided it didn't make sense to spend the money here now," said Walter Hanson.

The plan is to shut down Collections, which is running a "Going Out of Business" sale, at the end of June. The Hansons also are refreshing The Nordic Shop with a new look and new fixtures.

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The employees at Collections will be absorbed into The Nordic Shop team. They have a total of 12 on staff.
The Wall Street Journal editors ask: If Democrats believe the lesson of ObamaCare is that the government should have even more control over health care, then why not show how it would work in the liberal paradise?

The question is prompted by the California Senates recent passage of a single-payer health care bill. The legislation guarantees free government-run health care for Californias 39 million residents  no co-pays, deductibles or insurance premiums  as well as virtually unlimited benefits. Patients could see any specialist without a referral and receive any treatment that their provider says is medically appropriate.

Who is going to pay for this? The California Senate didnt say. It did not include a funding mechanism, leaving that to the Assembly.

The Senate appropriations committee contemplated a 15 percent payroll tax. However, the California Nurses Association, which is pushing for single-payer in California, suggested, instead, a 2.3-percentage point increase in the state sales tax (to 9.55 percent, not including local add-ons) and a 2.3 percent business gross receipts tax on revenue exceeding $2 million.

In addition, the Nurses contemplate reallocating $225 billion a year in Medicaid, Medicare and ObamaCare spending for single-payer, assuming a federal waiver. With such a reallocation, they say, the legislature would only have to come up with $107 billion.

The Nurses Association relies, though, on a study claiming that single-payer would reduce health care spending by $37.5 billion a year. Unless you believe that letting people get treated for free whenever and wherever they want would save money, the Nurses proposed tax hikes wont do the funding trick.

According to the Journal, Governor Jerry Brown has hinted that he wont sign this sort of single-payer bill. Apparently, the idea is too radical even for him.

My friend Craig Harrison, a Californian, posted these comments regarding the prospect of single payer on the Journals op-ed:

Can the state really commandeer my federal Medicare benefits? For purposes of purchasing secondary health care insurance, what do I need to do to establish residency in another state [the current plan makes it illegal to sell health insurance in California]? When it takes 3-6 months to see a physician in California, can the state stop me from going to Nevada, Arizona or Oregon for care? Will they put me in jail if I do? How many miles offshore need a hospital or clinic ship anchor to be outside of the reach of the state?

The Journal says, I assume at least half in jest, that it is warming to the California legislation as an instructive experiment in progressive government. The idea is to force progressives to live with the consequences before they foist another health-care experiment on the entire country.

But then, the Journals editors dont live in California.
One of the most interesting items to emerge from former FBI Directors James Comeys testimony at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last week was Comeys description of the key February 15 New York Times Trump/Russia story as almost entirely wrong. I took a look at Comeys testimony and the subsequent Times coverage of it here (Comeys testimony) and here (the Timess coverage). In todays New York Post John Crudele provides a useful look back:

In the main, Comey continued, the Times story was not true.

Okay, theres a little wiggle room in there when you say in the main. But Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a member of th Senate Intelligence Committee, made sure there was no misunderstanding when he asked Comey: Would it be fair to characterize the story as almost entirely wrong?

Comey answered, Yes.

We all make mistakes, but this one by the Times was a doozy.

So how did the Times handle its embarrassment? It buried Comeys statement on Page A21 in last Fridays paper with an innocuous headline: Disputing Times Article About Inquiry into Russia.

The only quote from Comey was that in the main, [the article] was not true. The Times then went on to explain in depth that other media outlets had since done their own reporting and come up with pretty much the same conclusion.

Of course, its easy to get sources to say things once theyve read them in the paper. And if Comey had addressed those stories, hed say they were also wrong. This is a case of journalistic misery loves company, and the Times was more than willing to share the blame.

The rest of the article went on to justify how the Times could have come to its conclusions  maybe the communications it was writing about did not meet the FBIs black and white standard of who can be considered an intelligence officer. 

What the Times didnt say was that maybe it was simply the case that they were dead wrong, as Comey said pretty clearly.

What did the four current and former American officials who the Times hung the Feb. 15 story on have to say about Comeys statement? The original sources [for the Feb. 15 story] could not immediately be reached after Comeys remarks.

Well, thats odd. Comey spoke Thursday morning and there were five reporters on the story. They couldnt reach any of the four sources in the roughly 12 hours they had before the Times went to press for Fridays paper!?

How about on Friday? Could the Times reach any of the four sources then? It isnt surprising that the sources were so hard to reach. For one thing, they gave the Times bad information. And you dont want to talk to reporters after youve screwed them.
Last weekend was the occasion for gay pride parades in many cities around the country. Insofar as gay pride is associated with contemporary liberalism and has enjoyed continuous political triumphs over the last decade or so (including the election last November of our first ever president who took office having public supported gay marriageheh), youd think such parades would be matters of celebration. And youd be wrong. Because never underestimate the ability of the left to fall out against each other.

In Washington DC, the pride parade was disrupted by other identity politics leftists. Something called No Justice, No Pride objects to all this gay pride:

WASHINGTON, DC  DCs queer and trans community is no longer willing to accept that Pride isnt possible without support from deeply problematic corporate sponsors. Capital Pride has consistently demonstrated that it is more interested in accommodating the interests of Metropolitan police and of corporate sponsors than it is in supporting the very communities it supposedly represents. Because of the current political climate and in response to years of being dismissed and ignored by Capital Pride, members of Washington, DCs queer and trans community took direct action on Saturday, June 10, blocking the Capital Pride parade. Similar to other protests at Pride events around the country, members of No Justice No Pride, an ad-hoc coalition of local organizers, brought the parade to halt, offering a different vision for what LGBTQ Pride looks like and demanding that the Capital Pride board bar the participation of institutions that harm LGBTQ2S communities, specifically naming metropolitan police as well as corporations who profit from pipelines and war.

Read the whole thing if you want get the full chuckle experience.

The DC gay pridesters apparently anticipated this and simply re-routed the parade in real time when the protesters showed up. The anti-pridesters apparently arent the equal (heh) of their cousins up in Toronto, as this report from James Kirchick last year makes clear:

On Sunday, Black Lives Matter activists pulled off the sort of victory that right-wing hooligans could only hope to achieve: They stopped a gay pride parade. We are calling you out! Alexandria Williams, co-founder of the groups Toronto chapter, shouted through a megaphone as the Black Lives Matter float came to a halt and marchers sat down. Amid rainbow-colored smoke bombs, she accused event organizers of harboring a historical and current culture of anti-blackness  a curious claim considering how the festival welcomed Black Lives Matter as guests of honor. Black Lives Matter refused to budge unless pride organizers acquiesced to a list of demands, which included increased funding for black-related pride events, prioritizing black trans women in hiring, and a commitment to more black deaf & hearing ASL interpreters. Surely, these issues  which are always demands, never requests  could have been taken up in a constructive manner before the parade. But dialogue has never been the preferred mode of communication for Black Lives Matter, not even, apparently, in uber-polite Canada. It took only 30 minutes for festival organizers to surrender to this bullying. . .

Live by the four-way intersectionality, die by the four-way intersectionality, since a crash is inevitable where there is no equivalent of a stop signal to leftist craziness.
When people in Washington talk on the record about Robert Mueller, they gush. Terms like straight shooter and unquestioned integrity flow freely.

Of course, the same was once true of Muellers friend, James Comey.

When I talk off the record to people I trust who know Mueller, theres less gushing, but no expression of alarm. One former prosecutor who knew him at the Justice Department says: My sense is that hes independent, but doesnt make a fetish of it, as Im afraid Comey does.

Yet, there may be cause for concern. In my view, Muellers friendship with Comey is one. Some of Muellers key staffing decisions are another.

Mueller has selected Deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben as one of his advisers. Dreeben is a premier criminal law expert. However, hes considered a left-winger by people whose judgment I trust. And Preet Bharara  former US attorney of the Southern District of New York and current Trump adversary  says hes over-the-moon about Dreebans selection.

Dreeben does not owe his selection to investigative prowess. Hes on the team to evaluate whether the fruits of the investigation give rise to a crime.

Thats fine if Dreeben has no agenda. But if hes anti-Trump, theres reason to fear he will bend over backwards to spin out a theory through which Trump can be prosecuted.

Mueller has also tapped Jeannie Rhee, formerly a federal prosecutor and high-level Justice Department official. Rhee provided legal services for the Clinton Foundation, a fact the Washington Post omits from its account. In addition, she donated $5,400 to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign PAC Hillary for America.

As bitter as the Clintonistas are about losing the election (or rather having it stolen by the Russians), it seems unconscionable that Rhee would be on a team that will decide whether to prosecute President Trump at the end of a Russian interference investigation. (Dreeben donated $1,000 dollars to Hillary Clintons Senate political action committee (PAC) back in the day. This doesnt strike me as problematic because it doesnt relate to the 2016 election).

James Quarles, who served as an assistant special prosecutor on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, is also on Muellers team. He donated to Hillary for America in 2016.

Andrew Weissmann, who serves in a top post within the Justice Departments fraud practice, is a key member of Muellers team. He served as the FBIs general counsel and the assistant director to Mueller when the special counsel was FBI director, so its natural that Mueller turned to him.

Weissmann was a contributor to Obama campaigns, but not, as far as I can tell, to Clintons. Again, I see no problem here. I doubt that any prosecutor could assemble a team that included no one who has donated to Democrats.

Jared Kushners New York Observer ran a series of scathing stories depicting Weissmann as a strong-arm prosecutor who ran roughshod over defendants rights during the Enron investigation. Kushners conduct will be part of the Mueller investigation, so this might be a matter of concern. Indeed, if Weissmann is the kind of prosecutor Kushners newspaper depicted that too would be concerning (I dont know one way or the other whether the New York Observers portrait is accurate.)

To summarize, Muellers selection of Rhee is alarming. To put a Clintonista on his team suggests either poor judgment or anti-Trump bias. It also suggests that Mueller sees himself as bullet proof.

Muellers selection of Dreeben is also alarming, if what Im hearing about the guy is accurate. Indeed, it may be even more alarming than the selection of Rhee. Dreeben, after all, will likely play the key role at crunch time  the time when Mueller must decide whether the evidence supports bringing criminal charges against the President of the United States.

Weissmanns selection is alarming if the New York Observers portrait is accurate. It is concerning for Jared Kushner, in any case. Quarles selection seems less than ideal.

Add it all up, and throw in the Muellers friendship with Comey, and I think you have a recipe for unfairness and, quite possibly, abuse.
Tomorrow afternoon Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify publicly, and I assume on television, before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Associated Press previews Sessions appearance as though it were a cage match, but I am pretty sure it will be anticlimactic, if not embarrassing, for the Democrats. Because it will raise, in bald form, the question: what the heck are you investigating?

The AP writes:

The hearing will bring sharp questioning for Sessions and likely some uncomfortable moments from [sic] the Trump administration.

I doubt that.

Sessions is likely to be asked about his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and whether there were more encounters that should have been made public.

The same Russian Ambassador whom the Democrats invited to sit with them for President Trumps first address to a joint session of Congress?

The idea that it is somehow suspicious for Jeff Sessions, or anyone else, to talk with the Russian Ambassador, apparently the Democrats best friend, is absurd. Talking to people is what ambassadors do.

Well, the Democrats may ask, what did you talk about? I have no idea, but I can say with absolute certainty that Sessions answer will not be: we discussed what a great idea it would be for Russian hackers to spearfish credulous Democratic Party staffers so as to get access to Debbie Wasserman-Schultzs email account, which could then be passed on to WikiLeaks. Because who knows, it might contain emails showing that the Democrats had a whole bunch of superdelegates, a principal purpose of which was to make sure that Hillary Clinton won the nominationsomething that everyone who pays any attention to politics already knew.

This whole investigation is a farce. As Mark Steyn writes:

As everyone more sentient than an earthworm should know by now, the Russia investigation is Deep State dinner-theatre. I wrote a while back that, in todays Hollywood, what Hitchcock used to call the MacGuffin  the pretext that sets the caper afoot, the secret papers, the microfilm  has degenerated into a MacNuffin: theres no longer even a pretense that these stories are about anything. The Russia investigation is the ne plus ultra of MacNuffins, so smoothly transferred from Los Angeles to Washington that one vaguely suspects some studio vice-prez who bundled for Hillary came up with the idea as a reality-show pilot that accidentally bust out of the laboratory.

The idea that Jeff Sessions had something to do with a spearfishing expedition into the DNCs email server (the Russians, if they were Russians, tried the same thing with the RNC, but the Republicans werent dumb enough to fall for it) is ridiculous. No one believes it, not even the most rabid Democrat. To say that there is no evidence to suggest any such thing is an understatement.

No doubt CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post will pretend to find something troubling in Sessionss testimony tomorrow, no matter what he says. But it is becoming increasingly obvious to any sane person that with regard to the Russian investigation, there is nothing to investigate.
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of President Reagans famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin that culminated in the famous line, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! I began the second volume of my Age of Reagan political biography with an account of it, and it seems worth repeating today:

Most of his senior aides didnt want him to say it. Indeed, they tried repeatedly to talk him out of it. Youll embarrass your host, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Youll anger and provoke Mikhail Gorbachev, with whom youve just started making progress on arms control. Youll whip up false hope among East Germansfor surely the Berlin Wall isnt coming down any time soon. Besides, Germans have grown used to the Wall. The ultimate reason: Youll look naive and foolish, Mr. President.

Virtually the entire foreign policy apparatus of the U.S. government, Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson recalled, tried to stop Ronald Reagan from saying Tear down this wall, including Reagans Secretary of State George Shultz and the new national security adviser, General Colin Powell. Some Reagan advisers, the New York Times reported without naming names, wanted an address with less polemics. The State Department and the National Security Council persisted up to the last minute trying to derail it, including one meeting between Powell and White House communications director Tom Griscom that participants say was tense and forceful. Reagan had to intervene against his own advisers. Ken Duberstein, serving then as Reagans deputy chief of staff, has offered different accounts of how the conversation went, but the gist of it was like thisReagan: Im the president, right? Duberstein: Yes, sir, Mr. President. Were clear about that. Reagan: So I get to decide whether the line about tearing down the wall stays in? Duberstein: Thats right, sir. Its your decision. Reagan: Then it stays in.

But even this wasnt the end of the effort to deflect the president from his purposes. While Air Force One was in flight to West Berlin, State and the NSC sent by fax one more speech draft to the plane without the Berlin Wall line. It went into the trash. Today Reagans personalized call to tear down this wall is recognized as the most memorable line of his presidency, and Reagans role in the surprising and swift end of the Cold War the most celebrated aspect of his statecraft. Some of the people who opposed the line and tried to stop it now claim to have written it and been for it all along.

The Berlin Wall speech is a perfect microcosm of Reagans entire political career. Reagan, the New York Times said in its news story about the Berlin Wall speech, revived a long dormant debate over the Berlin Wall. (Emphasis added.) Long dormant for whom? Certainly not the people of East Germany. Nor for the people of America, for whom Reagan revived lots of long dormant debates great and small about our political life. Indeed, the dominant theme and focus of this narrative is to survey and tie together the massive number of arguments Reagan opened up on nearly every front of American political life.

Kudos once again to Peter Robinson, the principal speechwriter for that speech, nowadays one of the impresarios of Ricochet among other things.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, on Tuesday constituted a five-man panel to hear an appeal filed by First Nation airline against sanctions imposed on the airline.

The sanctions came after First Nation and one of its pilots allegedly violated safety regulations in November 2016.

The airline and the affected pilot were subsequently fined N32 million and N1.5 million respectively.

The regulator, in a letter written to the airline on May 9, informed the airline that the chairman and members of the panel had considered their request and fixed new dates for hearing and determination of the appeal.

The new dates, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, are Tuesday and Wednesday.

Members of the appeal panel are drawn from two other airlines, a private aviation lawyer and observers from the NCAA.

The panel has since commenced sitting.

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U.S. communications giant Verizon completed its purchase of troubled internet company Yahoo on Tuesday.

The chief executive of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, told employees she would be resigning now that the transaction was over.

In a message, Mayer outlined a long list of developments at the company under her tenure, and said she was brimming with nostalgia, gratitude and optimism in spite of her departure.

Verizon announced its planned purchase of Yahoo in July 2016, and its intention to merge Yahoo with AOL, another early online innovator.

Yahoo and AOL are now officially @Oath! Yahoo said on its Twitter feed.

The new company collected together over 50 media and technology brands.

The $4.8 billion purchase of Yahoo, one of the oldest existing internet brands, had long been expected before the announcement in 2016.

The company had found it hard to compete with newcomers like Google and Facebook in the battle for online advertising.

The company had confronted seemingly insurmountable business challenges, Mayer said in her leaving message to employees.

(dpa/NAN)

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A man was sentenced to one month in prison for breaking his fast and smoking during the fasting month of Ramadan in Tunisia, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

Amnesty International condemned the move as a clear violation of individual freedoms.

He was charged with public indecency in the town of Bizerte, north-west of Tunis, for smoking outside a courthouse.

He is the fifth man to receive a jail sentence for breaking his fast during the holy month.

Four men were sentenced to one month in prison after eating in public on June 1.

Imprisoning someone for smoking a cigarette or eating in public is an absurd violation of an individuals personal freedoms.

Failing to conform to religious and social customs is not a criminal offence, Heba Morayef, North Africa Research Director at Amnesty International, said.

According to Amnesty, there are no laws in Tunisia requiring individuals to fast or preventing them from eating publicly during Ramadan.

During Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk.

Arresting people for eating publicly during Ramadan is not uncommon in the Arab world.

While there no laws that ban people from eating publicly during the day in Ramadan in Egypt, dozens are reportedly arrested every year for breaking their fast.

In 2016, police launched a raid campaign to clamp down on cafes operating during Ramadan.

In the United Arab Emirates, it is against the law to eat or drink during daytime in the holy month, where violators can face up to one months imprisonment.

(dpa/NAN)

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The Federal Government said on Tuesday that it is making all necessary arrangements to extradite a former attorney general of the federation and justice minister, Mohammed Adoke, to face charges of fraud.

The counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Johnson Ojogbane, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

The EFCC charged Mr. Adoke and two multinational oil companies, Shell and ENI, to court for their roles in the Malabu $1.1 billion scam.

The money was paid by the oil firms into a Nigerian government account in London for OPL 245, an oil block considered one of the richest in Africa. Mr. Adoke then authorised the transfer of the funds into private accounts of former petroleum minister, Dan Etete, in controversial circumstances. Over $800 million of the money was eventually transferred.

Most of the money is believed to have ended in private pockets of officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration including Mr. Adoke, who has, however, denied any wrongdoing.

On the last adjourned date, the judge, Justice John Tsoho, fixed June 13 for arraignment of Mr. Adoke and the other co-defendants including Mr. Etete.

Mr. Ojogbane, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the matter could not proceed because the EFCC had been unable to get Mr. Adoke and other defendants.

The matter was adjourned until today for arraignment of the defendants, but up till now, we have not been able to secure the attendance of most of the defendants, because they are outside jurisdiction, that is they are outside the country.

The Federal Government is doing everything within its powers to bring them back to Nigeria so that they can face their trial.

The government will take steps, in collaboration with the international police to locate them and bring them back to Nigeria through extradition, which is a very cumbersome process, but it will be done, Mr. Ojogbane said.

He said the court adjourned the matter until October 26 after the courts vacation to enable the process of bringing Mr. Adoke and others back to Nigeria to be intensified.

Mr. Adoke, who had initially pledged to make himself available for trial, made a u-turn saying he feared he would not be treated fairly by the EFCC.

The EFCC had in December 2016, charged nine suspects, including Mr. Adoke, over the purchase of OPL 245.

The Federal Government had also on March 2, filed fresh charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and Agip Nigeria Exploration Limited, a subsidiary of ENI, for alleged complicity in the Malabu $1.1 billion scandal.

Mr. Adoke, Mr. Etete, Aliyu Abubakar, ENI Spa, Ralph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujatti Stefeno, Burrafati Sebestiano and Malabu Oil and Gas were charged alongside the two multinational oil companies.

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Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Nigerian government is ready to deal with persons who promote hate speech and divisive comments.

Mr. Osinbajo stated this Tuesday while meeting with a cross section of leaders from northern Nigeria at the Aso Rock Villa Abuja.

The meeting came after some youth groups in the north gave all Igbo people three months to leave the region.

Mr. Osinbajo said the government was determined to ensure the unity of Nigeria along the lines of our constitution.

And I want to say that hate and divisive speech or divisive behavior where it is illegal will be met with the full force of the law, he said.

The acting president added: I want to ensure that there is no doubt at all that it is the resolve of the government that none will be allowed to get away with making speeches that can cause sedition or that can cause violence especially because when we make these kinds of pronouncement and do things that can cause violence or destruction of lives and property we are no longer in control.

Those who make those speeches are no longer in control.

So I want to emphasise that government will take very seriously any attempts to cause violence or disrupt the peace of this country and that is very important because you cannot control violence once it begins, he said.

He called on the northern leaders to take his message down to the people.

He said Nigerians will continue to live together, adding, as part of living together I know that misunderstandings and frustrations will always arise and people will always want to get the best part of the deal but we must be careful to recognize that we can only begin to talk about any part of anything if we are together in peace.

These days, wars do not end and I am sure that those who have seen or experienced war in any shape or form will not wish it on their worst enemies.

This is not a time to retreat behind ethnic lines, moments like this are not for isolating ourselves, I want to urge all of us here and the entire Nigerian populace to come together and work together, Mr. Osinbajo said.

The acting president will also meet with leaders from the south east on Wednesday.

Those at Tuesdays meeting include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olanishakin, chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum and former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie, Ango Abdullahi, former governor of Sokoto State and current Senator, Aliyu Wamako, former deputy governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Ndah-Isaiah, Paul Unongo, as well as the Chairman Liberty Radio/Television, Tijjani Ramalan and the Editor in Chief of Daily Trust newspapers, Mannir Dan Ali among others.

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The Nigerian Police on Tuesday deployed 600 special squad to Abuja-Kaduna Expressway to check crimes along the road.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police,Operation, (DIG) Habila Joshak, made the disclosure while inaugurating members of the special squad in Rijana village, Kachia Local Government of Kaduna State.

Mr. Joshak said 500 operatives were deployed, while 100 were mobile police from the intelligence unit of the force.

The DIG said the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordered the deployment of the special squad to ensure maximum security along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

He added that the 600 special squad were drawn from tactical, counter terrorism and intelligent units of the force.

He explained that the operation was to make sure that every road user was protected and safe.

He noted that it is the responsibility of the Nigerian Police to protect lives and property of every citizen and we are committed to doing that.

The DIG urged the personnel to be professional in discharging their constitutional responsibilities, stressing that you are here to protect lives and to give maximum security on Abuja-Kaduna expressway and everywhere around it.

We will collaborate with other security operatives to see that the menace of kidnnaping is addressed.

I urge you to make sure you apprehend all the criminals terrorising innocent citizens on this highway and bring them to book.

The DIG appealed to the communities to give police maximum support in figting crime and criminality in Kaduna State and the country at large.

The Nigerian Police launched operation maximum safety in Katari, in Kachia Local Government in August 2016 to address the menace of kidnaping on Abuja-Kaduna expressway where it deployed 600 personnel.

There have been increasing cases of kidnapping and other crimes along that expressway in recent times. The kidnappers always demand huge ransom before their victims are freed.

In one absurd case, a report said 20 people were abducted at one and herded into the bush.

(NAN)

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Hamza Al-Mustapha, the chief security officer to former military dictator, Sani Abacha, has accused Yoruba leaders of receiving bribes to conceal the identities of those who killed former president-elect, Moshood Abiola.

Mr. Al-Mustapha made the claim when he spoke to journalists in Kaduna, on Monday, after he convening a peace meeting between the South east and Arewa youth at the Arewa House.

He said Yoruba leaders collected bribes, and agreed never to expose Mr. Abiolas killers.

He did not give names. He also claimed to have a video recording showing the bribes were paid in dollars.

He said he had deposited the video at a Lagos High Court presided by Justice Mojisola Dada.

A day after Abiola died, a particular Yoruba Chief (Ayo Opadokun) was invited to the Presidency, and he came to the villa alongside his friends, Mr. Al-Mustapha said.

He came with anger into the villa. Those who killed Abiola invited him to the villa. At that material time, they came to fight the government, they wanted to set the country ablaze, considering their disposition. They went into the meeting furious but came out laughing and yelling as if there was no tension in the country.

A day after Abiolas death if you remember, the country was on the verge of collapse. But seeing what was going on in the Villa made me to suspect them.

I had not handed over the villa to Abdulsalami Abubakar government then, so I decided to video tape what they were doing and I have tendered the tape before a court of law, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court.

In that tape, money exchanged hands and they traded with Abiola and that is my anger. The tape is in that court, anybody that wants to watch it can get it and watch, it is now a public document. I didnt want to talk about it before, but money was brought from the Central Bank in my presence and it was shared.

So, if I talk about Abiolas well being and safety, and that of his family, I am telling Nigerians what really happened. Why should a person from the same Southwest, who is supposed to protect Abiolas interest, now be seen to be angry with me? He should be happy with me for saying the fact, so that it will not happen again in Nigeria.

In Yoruba land where culture is the watch word, late MKO Abiola was the last Aare Ona Kakanfo and for a Yoruba man going against Aare Ona Kakanfo, what is that thing, he said.

Reacting to the allegation, Mr. Opadokun, a former general secretary of pro-democracy group, NADECO, said the former CSO is a pathological liar, he said.

The former NADECO chieftain did not only deny the allegation but gave reason why Mr. Al-Mustapha should not be the person that could claim to have such knowledge of what actually happened hours after MKOs death.

He makes statements he cannot defend, he is seeking attention, he said.

He should be ignored. When his boss died, as a result of his attitude, he was transferred from Abuja to Enugu, what does he know? He thrives on lies because he wants attention. He should be ignored. He once said that he is in possession of Abiolas last moments, let him produce the video. He is a liar and should be ignored.

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A top official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere, has challenged the jurisdiction of a Federal High Court in Abuja to consider the amended charge against him and businessman, Jide Omokore, among others.

Mr. Membere is facing trial based on a nine-count amended charge, along with Mr. Omokore, chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, and other top officials of the NNPC.

According to the charge, the defendants are accused of diverting $1.6 billion proceeds from oil sales belonging to the Federal Government and an alleged breach of the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) through which some oil assets were given to Mr. Omokores companies.

The other defendants in the charge are a former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, Victor Briggs and David Nbanefo.

The court had in its previous sitting adjourned the trial to June 13, after ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which filed the charge, to deposit the international passports of the defendants to the courts registry for subsequent release to the defendants.

At the opening of session on Tuesday, however, the counsel representing Mr. Membere told the court of his clients decision to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the amended charge.

Mr. Memberes objection of the amended charge is premised on the alleged grounds that documents referred to, were not duly certified as required by the Federal High Court standing rules.

The counsel representing the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs, however urged the court to dismiss the application.

After hearing arguments of counsel, the court adjourned the matter till June 22 for hearing on the application challenging the amended charge. It also set July 5 for ruling on the matter.

Incorporated as Atlantic Drilling Energy Concept Limited on July 19, 2010, the company signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement, SAA, with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the upstream production subsidiary of the NNPC.

Under the agreement, Atlantic took charge of four oil blocks  OML 26 FHN, OML 30 Shoreline, OML 34 Niger-Delta Oil and OML 42 Neconde, with the responsibility to provide funding, technical services, drill and sell crude oil.

However, in 2012, the company was accused of underpaying government for the crude oil it lifted.

But the company said its problem with government arose from contractual disagreement.

It said it had since reconciled its accounts with the NPDC, and that the government was in the process of clearing it to bring in investors into the business.

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Nigerias Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday said it was difficult for the Muhammadu Buhari administration to pay salaries when it took over government.

Mr. Amaechi, who spoke at an annual lecture organised by CKN News, said the rot the government inherited from the Goodluck Jonathan government was unimaginable.

The programme, themed The Role of the Social media in the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

If you know the amount of rot we met when we came in, it was so bad that it was difficult to pay salaries, he said.

He explained further that he would not be commenting much about rot because he would not want to break the oath of secrecy.

Mr. Amaechi, commenting on the challenges being faced by the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government, explained that the government was working towards empowering Nigerians and providing social amenities.

The minister stated that the nation has passed through the phase of finding it difficult to pay salaries, noting that measures are also being put in place to tackle other challenges being faced by Nigerians.

Commenting on the role of the social media in the polity, Mr. Amaechi noted that the platform is capable of creating employment as well as fostering political engagement.

He, however, said that the platform also has its negative sides, if not used with caution.

According to Mr. Amaechi, apart from providing a platform for Nigerians to vent their anger, it also provides employment for some unemployable Nigerians.

The minister, therefore, urged users of the social media to exercise and be security conscious.

Social media can also be used as feedback mechanism for governmentbecause it gives immediate feedback, he said.

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Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday adjourned till June 22, hearing of the written addresses in the alleged N177 million fraud case at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training.

The EFCC had in 2015 instituted the case against Benjamin Ogunbodede, the former director of IAR&T, as well as Zachus Tejumola, Clement Adenose and 10 others.

Mr. Ayo-Emmanuel adjourned the case based on the plea of the EFCCs counsel, Adeola Elumero, who said the commission needed more time to complete its written address.

Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well for the purpose of arriving at a just decision on this matter.

I think that there is need for an adjournment in this case to enable the counsel to file his written address.

This will be the last adjournment at the instance of the prosecution, the judge ruled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that both the prosecution and all the defence counsel had closed their cases since May 5.

The case did not also hold on the last adjourned date at the instance of the EFCC.

All the defence counsels  Tunde Olupana, S.A. Salawu and Yetunde Adegboye had earlier submitted that the anti-graft body was deliberately wasting time and prolonging the stay of their clients in detention.

NAN reports that Messrs. Ogunbodede, Tejumola and Adenose, and the 10 other accused persons had been standing trial over multiple charges bordering on conspiracy as well as conversion and stealing of hazard allowance of staff of IART.

Ten other accused persons had in 2016 pleaded guilty and entered into plea bargain arrangement with the EFCC which resulted in their conviction. (NAN)

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The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, has praised Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for his bipartisan approach to governance, noting that it has brought immense development to the state and given everyone a sense of belonging.

Mr. Okechukwu stated this during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu, by members of the Implementation Committee for the Proposed ICT University led by its chairman, Henry Nkemadu.

The director general said the idea of the university was driven by President Muhammadu Buharis vision to use ICT as an employment-creating tool, adding that it would further boost the states economy and provide job opportunities for youths in the state and beyond.

Were also happy because whatever comes to Enugu State you always show your support and have demonstrated a bipartisan approach to governance. That shows that you take everyone in Enugu as yours and do not discriminate, he said.

On his part, the leader of the delegation, Dr. Nkemadu, said they were in Enugu at the behest of the president to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities at the Digital Bridge Institute, Enugu, which he said would be converted to a campus of the ICT University of Nigeria being established by the federal government.

He noted further that it was the intention of the federal government to convert the other five campuses of the Digital Bridge Institutes into ICT University. We are impressed with what we saw on ground. Its an indication that the ICT University is ready to take off in Enugu, he said, pointing out that companies such as Dangote and Microsoft had indicated interest in the project.

In his remark, Governor Ugwuanyi pledged the support and cooperation of the state government and commended the federal government for its choice of Enugu as one of the six campuses of the university, explaining that it would both complement his administrations ICT policy and make Enugu the hub of ICT studies and application in the South-East region.

There is no gainsaying the fact that ICT has become an indispensable and the most effective platform for rapid sustainable development in the 21st Century. This will certainly add to the rising profile of Enugu State as the academic, aviation and business hub of the region.

We therefore commend the federal government for the wisdom and vision to establish a university that would build capacity and provide the intellectual foundation required to harness the rich potentials in this important area of endeavour, he said.

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Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, escaped death on Monday in Lokoja when unknown gunmen attacked him during a rally in Lokoja.

Mr. Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, was said to be rounding off his speech at the rally in front of Kogi State Polytechnic when the invaders attacked with guns and cutlasses.

Traffic on the Lokoja-Abuja highway was disrupted for almost one hour as motorists abandoned their vehicles and scampered for safety.

Traders at Lokoja main market also hurriedly abandoned their wares and escaped into nearby bushes and houses.

A student of the polytechnic simply identified as Saka Seidu and one other person were said to have been shot dead while two operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) attached to Mr. Melaye received gunshot injuries in the attack.

The Rector of the polytechnic, Mohammed Yisah, confirmed the death of one the student.

The senators Prado SUV was riddled with bullets and was towed to the Police headquarters in Lokoja.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Wilson Inalegwu, who rushed to the scene, told newsmen that the assistant commissioner of police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department had been directed to commence investigation in the case.

Mr. Inalegwu, however, said Mr. Melaye did not notify the police of his intention to hold the rally, and called on politicians to give police adequate notice before holding any rally.

The state governor, Yahaya Bello, who later visited the scene, urged security agencies to investigate the incident with a view to bringing the culprits to justice.

The governor confirmed the death of one person in the incident.

He recalled that a report was made in February to the Presidency, the SSS and police alleging that Mr. Melaye and his cohorts planned to cause a breach of the peace in the state.

He, however, assured the people of the state of adequate security of life and property, and advised them to go about their daily activities as the situation had been brought under control.

Mr. Melaye had on April 15, 2017 escaped death when his house at Ayetoro Gbede in Lokoja was attached by gunmen.

Six persons, including the Administrator of Ijumu Local Government Area, suspected to be involved in attack, were arrested and later charged to court.

(NAN)

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The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has condemned Mondays invasion of the Lagos premises of The Sun Newspapers by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a statement by its President, Funke Egbemode, the NGE said it received the news of the siege with shock.

The Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, has also flayed the ugly development in a statement issued by its President, Abdulwaheed Odusile, in Abuja.

The NGE said the action of the EFCC on the media house was a sad reminder of the dark years of military dictatorship and a deliberate effort to muzzle the press.

The guild said the action of the EFCC was unbecoming of a government agency set up by an Act of parliament in a democracy.

The NGE said it expected the commission to pursue civil means of addressing perceived infraction by a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian democratic project.

Rather than see the Fourth Estate of the Realm as an opposition, the commission should realise that the media is an indispensable partner in its fight against corruption.

The NGE notes that the latest affront on The Sun by operatives of the EFCC is one in a number of targeted attempts by a section of the nations security agencies to gag free press.

We call the recent expulsion of Mr Olalekan Adetayo, the State House correspondent of The Punch Newspapers from Aso Rock by Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Guild condemns the EFCC action in its entirety and calls on the Commission to purge itself of all anti-democratic tendencies in order to foster mutual co-operation with the media and other stakeholders in its crusade against graft.

The Guild also calls on the EFCC to put an end to its current attempts to gag the press and demands an unreserved apology from the Commission to the SUN Publishing Limited, it said.

On its part, the NUJ said it was truly worried that the media was now being attacked by the same security operatives that needed its support in fighting terrorism, corruption and other criminal activities in the country.

In a democracy, security personnel should not be seen to be intimidating the media no matter the perceived offence.

Rather, civilised means and ways should be employed to check any excesses or misdemeanour.

It becomes more disheartening when such an invasion is carried out without any cogent reason, thus giving the impression that the action was merely a political act aimed at instilling fear into the organisation.

The union regrets this violation of press freedom and freedom of Journalists to work without being molested, it said.

The NUJ advised the commission to tender an unconditional apology to The Sun Newspaper for its untoward action.

The newspaper had earlier alleged that heavily armed EFCC operatives invaded its Lagos office on Monday morning and subjected its workers to molestation and intimidation.

It claimed that the raid lasted for one hour during which the workers were subjected to crude intimidation, psychological and emotional trauma.

The media organisation said its security personnel were ordered by the EFCC operatives at gunpoint to take them round the company premises.

Afterwards, the operatives proceeded to prevent staff from either entering or leaving the premises, and disrupted our circulation process, it further alleged.

Owned by a former governor of Abia, Orji Kalu, the media firm is the subject of a forfeiture order obtained by the EFCC in a money laundering suit filed against Kalu.

The newspaper said an appeal it filed against the forfeiture order was still pending in court, and wondered why its premises would be invaded by the commission.

Reacting to the allegation through a statement, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, described it as diversionary.

Mr. Uwujaren said the operatives only visited the premises to verify the integrity of the companys asset.

According to him, no staff of the media outfit was molested or intimidated during the few minutes spent by the operatives in the premises.

The visit, which lasted for less than an hour, was part of routine efforts to ascertain the state of the assets of the publishing company which is subject of subsisting interim forfeiture order.

Prior to the visit, the commission had written to the management of the company to account for its management of the assets for the period of the subsisting court order.

He said the anti-graft agency was still awaiting the response of The Sun, and would not be distracted by any attempt to whip up sentiments by referring to an appeal which has been pending for 10 years.

(NAN)

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Governor Yahaya Bello said on Tuesday that the violence that erupted in Lokoja on Monday was instigated by his arch political rival, Dino Melaye.

In a statement early Tuesday, Mr. Bello said the unfortunate incident was capable of reversing the states lofty strides in security and economic development, promising to ensure that all promoters of violence, their social status notwithstanding, were thoroughly contained.

At least two persons were feared killed Monday after a political rally attended by Mr. Melaye turned violent in Lokoja, the state capital.

The Kogi State Polytechnic confirmed its student was one of the victims.

Two State Security Service agents attached to Mr. Melaye were also said to have been injured during the fracas, and Mr. Melayes SUV was defaced by bullets, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.

Mr. Bello accused Mr. Melaye, a senator from Kogi West district, of hurriedly putting together the gathering in order to beat back an ongoing effort to recall him from the Senate.

Some electorates in Mr. Melayes constituency began submitting their signatures to end Mr. Melayes tenure at the upper chamber.

The irate constituents said in a document forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that their action was to save the constituency from further ridicule that Mr. Melaye had subjected it to.

Mr. Bello, recently caught violating the law by registering twice for voter card, described Mr. Melaye, known for his controversial and often unruly behaviour, as the senator with a notorious antecedent for political violence.

He cautioned the first-term senator to desist from plunging the State of Kogi into needless political violence and security crisis.

The governor said he had petitioned President Buhari and the police in January to warn of a possible breakdown of order in the state, and wondered why no proactive action was taken.

Mr. Melaye did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES request for comments Tuesday morning. Calls and text messages to his telephone went unanswered.

Mr. Melaye had earlier said the move to recall him will fail, while his supporters gloat that the effort would be futile because it is cumbersome and time-consuming.

Although Mr. Bello has not openly expressed support for the campaign, his appointees have been seen highlighting the initiative on their social media handles.

Gbenga Olorunpomi, a media aide to the governor, used his Twitter handle to show unambiguous support for the campaign, and frequently accompanied some of his recent tweets with #DinoRecall.

The governor himself urged Mr. Melaye to respect his constituents rights to exercise their constitutional obligations, in an obvious allusion to the recall efforts.

Messrs. Melaye and Bello were political allies before supremacy battle slammed them against one another.

Mr. Melaye emceed the inauguration of Mr. Bello when he was sworn in Nigerias history on January 27, 2016.

The latest chaos came about two months after Mr. Melaye claimed attempt on his life while staying at his country home in Aiyetoro Gbede, Kogi State.

Six persons, including the administrator of Ijumu Local Government Area, suspected to be involved in attack, were arrested and later charged to court.

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In January 2015, Kadaria Ahmed, widely regarded journalist cum broadcaster, interviewed former Military President, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) on a wide range of national issues, including why his administration nullified the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

That election, widely described as the freest and fairest in Nigerias history is believed to have been won by the late multibillionaire businessman cum politician, Moshood Abiola.

Below is a transcript of the question and answer session between Ms Ahmed and Mr. Babangida on her then Wednesday night programme on Channels Television, Straight Talk with Kadaria.

We are republishing this today as part of our coverage of the 24th anniversary of the annulment of that historic election.

Kadaria: Mr. President, will June 12 be something that with hindsight, when you look back, you may kind of regret?

IBB: You will find that history will one day come and apportion various blames to various actors in the whole saga. There are lots of people today in this country who supported what we did at the time we did.

Kadaria: But whats the rationale behind the annulment?

IBB: You see, we discussed extensively about security. We were worried about putting up a government that will not last long, and as a government

Kadaria: What were the conditions that existed that raised those concerns?

IBB: There was the security problem. It was very dicey, and the only people who will tell you what could happen were those of us in government. Those of us the practitioners of violence by our profession. We knew the nation was becoming more, eh eh.. There was frustration in society. And once this exists within society, it provides a very fertile ground for either a coup detat or whatever.

Kadaria: But in the end, was that not what happened? Because after you left office 

IBB: In the end we were right. We speculated rightly.

Kadaria: Was it a plan?

IBB: No. It couldnt have been a plan. But it was thought of. You see, dont forget the history. We lived in this country where there were speculations by prominent people, the media that the the worst civilian government is better than this contraption. Nigerians said all that sort of things. That gave confidence to whoever wanted to take over government.

Kadaria: The reason why I asked whether it was planned is because you said you were worried about the possibility of a coup and you had other security concerns. Then you put an interim government in place. You did not retire General Abacha, a man who had been a central player in many successful coups in this country. And you left him in charge of the army more or less. And thats why we have to ask whether it was a plan for him to take over.

IBB: When we put in place that interim government, we wanted to give it strength. We wanted to give it teeth so that so that whoever is there now has the believe that he has the military behind him.

Kadaria: It never crossed your mind that he had ambition to take the number one job for himself?

IBB: It never crossed my mind quite honestly.< Kadaria: So when he executed this coup, what did you think?

IBB: It didnt come to me as a surprise because all of you in this country gave him the wherewithal to do it. I always say a coup will only succeed if there is frustration in society. And that frustration was seen, which was orchestrated. At that time if you will remember, you hear statements like, coming from very prominent people, that its a contraption, that is the interim government. That the worst civilian government is better than this contraption.

Watch the rest of the interview here https://youtu.be/h- vWxrspj8U?list= PL9oGCeOg1ewq0saa- cnuxK0dQaudAqG4i
The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to immortalise the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, popularly known as MKO.

The House also resolved that late Mr. Abiola be conferred with posthumous Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), in recognition of his sacrifice and contributions to the unity and development of Nigeria and Africa.

This emanated from the adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance, sponsored by Sanni Zoro (Jigawa-APC).

Moving the motion, Mr. Zoro said that a vacuum was created following the death of Mr. Abiola.

It is worthy to remember him always as a Nigerian who touched lives more than any other person in his life time.

Abiola also contributed in ensuring religious harmony by building bridges between faith organisations in the country, he added.

Mr. Zoro argued that apart from being acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election by polling eight million out of the 14 million votes cast, Mr. Abiola contributed immensely to the political development of the country.

It will not be a novelty to bestow the GCFR on someone who is not a president of the country.

Former President Shehu Shagari bestowed the same honour on late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1983.

I believe that we should immortalise MKO Abiola by conferring on him this highest honour in the country, he said.

Contributing, Anayo Nnebe (Anambra-PDP) urged the federal government to declare June 12 of every year as Democracy Day in the country.

According to him, it was a day that Nigeria witnessed the most credible election.

June 12, 1993 election had more significance for the countrys democracy compared to May 29, which is currently being celebrated as Democracy Day.

The annulment of June 12 is an act of irresponsibility and recklessness by the then military regime.

I want to add that June 12, should be declared a national holiday to reflect issues that transpired; It should be seen as a national issue and not regional one, Mr. Nnebe stated.

Similarly, a member representing Epe Federal Constituency of Lagos, Wale Raji, urged the federal government to declare the result of the annulled election by announcing late Abiola the posthumous President-elect.

Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, referred the matter to the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure enforcement of the resolution.

(NAN)

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The police have denied reports that officers who arrested the most wanted kidnap kingpin last Saturday stuck broomsticks up his penis to spiritually disarm him.

The report is not true. It is unfounded. Nigerians should disregard it, police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, said Monday.

Chukwudidumeme Onuamadike, a 36-year-old native of Anambra State, was arrested at his residence in Magodo Phase II, Lagos, around noon Saturday, bringing relief to law enforcement authorities who trailed him for years.

Mr. Moshood told PREMIUM TIMES Saturday evening Mr. Onuamadikes arrest was a major success and a moral booster in the war against incessant kidnapping, which has become a lucrative enterprise for hardened criminals in recent years.

Millions of Nigerians in different parts of the country who dreaded this suspect will now be able to sleep with their two eyes closed, Mr. Moshood said.

As part of its reporting of the development, The Guardian said security operatives who participated in the high-profile operation inserted broomsticks into Mr. Onuamadikes penis.

A ritual where a broom was inserted into his private organ was then performed as a sort of spiritual disarming before he was handcuffed, the paper reported Sunday morning without quoting any officials or witnesses.

Denying the claims of gruesome torture in a chat with PREMIUM TIMES, the police said it was highly unlikely that any adult male with broomsticks in his organ would still be able to stand upright.

If they insert broomsticks into a mans penis, would he even be able to walk? Mr. Moshood said. No one should be casting aspersion on the police, especially when officers are making high-profile arrests in an effort to ensure peace and security.

He was paraded before the media and he expressed himself with ease, Mr. Moshood said. Nobody can stand with such a torture.

We dont violate citizens fundamental rights, no matter the gravity of their crimes.

Reached for comments about the article, The Guardian said its reporter based the broomsticks-in-penis claims on witnesses around the area where Mr. Onuamadike, a.k.a.: Evans, was apprehended.

Our reporter based her claims on what she gathered from witnesses, Tonye Bakare, online editor of The Guardian, told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday evening.

Alabi Williams, Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, told PREMIUM TIMES he asked the online editor to investigate the matter after this newspaper reached him for comments Tuesday morning.

Mr. Bakare declined to clarify if his paper made efforts to verify the veracity of the witnesses claims or why it did not attribute them to any witnesses.

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Nigerias transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday said the Igbos did not benefit from the support they gave to former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Amaechi said this in Ikeja, Lagos, at a forum held to discuss the importance of social media in the polity.

Mr. Amaechi, who commented on the support the former president enjoyed from the Igbo people, said Mr. Jonathan failed them in spite of his numerous promises.

The Igbos gave Jonathan support, what did he do for you? Mr. Amaechi asked, rhetorically.

Of course! he said in response to chant of Nothing! by some members of the audience.

President Jonathan went to Onitsha and danced and promised to construct Onitsha bridge. Right? After that nothing happened, he said.

Now we are fixing the bridge without making promise. Or did we promise to construct Onitsha bridge? I didnt hear him (Mr. Buhari) say he would construct Onitsha bridge during the campaignexcept someone spoke on his behalf.

Today we are constructing the second bridgewhich is the River Niger bridge, Mr. Amaechi said.

The former Rivers state governor who served on the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said that party stalwarts from the south east region should be ashamed that they were seeing the president five times in a day and they could not get the road constructed.

The relevance of a politician is not determined by how much he has in his pocket. It is determined by how much development he is able to bring, he said.

The Port Harcourt-Owerri road was terrible. One day I made the mistake as governor to try to go to Owerri and I passed through Aba. I wept. Now we are constructing that road; it may not be at the speed that you want but we are constructing the road. The next road I mentioned is the Enugu-Onitsha.

We are doing Port Harcourt-Enugu, the most important road to the Igbo. The next most important road to the Igbo is Enugu to Onitsha, and he (Mr. Buhari) is doing it again So who is better?

The last man you people were dancing with at Onitsha bridge that promised you people that Azikiwe commissioned this bridge and the second Azikiwe commissioned it again and never put a stone and the man who doesnt talk at all who didnt make promise and he is doing it, which one do you prefer?

Dont be deceived by those who depended on government alone for survival, he said.

On internal wrangling within the ruling APC, he said it was expected because the party, being the ruling party, has huge number of members, especially in states where elections are being held.

Commenting on a question on whether Mr. Buhari will be accepted by people in the Northeast or not, Mr. Amaechi explained that the people of the region who have been liberated from the violence of Boko haram now appreciate the president better.

He specifically mentioned the people of Maiduguri who, according to him, have regained a new life since the president took over.

He also noted that the turn out would be higher than what they experienced in 2015 if the president decides to visit the region in 2017.

On corruption, Mr. Amaechi said the only way the government could tackle the menace is if it jailed those caught in the act.

The only way to solve corruption in Nigeria is if you send ten rich men to jail, he said.

That is the key to fighting corruption.

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1. For the first time ever, the 2017 Budget was collated using a web-based application that allowed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to upload their budget proposals to the new budget preparation portal, making the preparation process more efficient and transparent process.

2. President Buhari presented the draft 2017 Budget proposal to a Joint Session of the National Assembly on December 14, 2016.

3. The National Assembly passed the 2017 Appropriation Act five months later on May 11, 2017.

4. Signing of the Budget was delayed because of disagreements over deductions by the National Assembly in the draft document from allocations to some critical infrastructure projects, including the standard gauge railway, Mambilla Power Project, the Second Niger Bridge, and LagosIbadan Expressway, and reallocated to new projects introduced by the lawmakers.

5. Following extensive dialogue, the lawmakers are to restore the funding on the projects during the budget year.

6. The Federal Government has returned the country to a JanuaryDecember budget calendar, starting from the 2018 budget.

7. The Executive is to submit the draft 2018 budget to the National Assembly by October 2017, while the Assembly pass the budget into law before the end of 2017.

8. Total expenditure in the Appropriation Act N7.44 trillion.

9. Total expected revenue is N5.08 trillion.

10. Projected deficit is N2.36 trillion, to be financed largely through borrowing.

11. N2 trillion is approved for capital expenditure (principally infrastructure), with more than N500 billion directed into investments in roads, power and housing projects;

12. N46 billion for Special Economic Zone Projects to be set up in each geopolitical zone.

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The Victims Support Fund on Sunday said it has provided additional N20 million to two main hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno State, to continue the free treatment of patients affected by Boko Haram violence.

The N20 million donation was a second phase of such intervention being received by University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the Borno State Specialist Hospital where most of the victims of the Boko Haram attacks are being treated.

Each of the two healthcare facilities got additional N10 million each.

In 2015, the VSF made a donation of N20 million each to the two hospitals to enable them provide free medical care to injured victims of the on-going insurgency.

The foundation said it has also provided an accountability-spread sheet to the benefitting hospitals to ensure that the funds were transparently and judiciously expended on the victims.

The executive secretary of VSF, Sunday Ochoche, made the announcement for yet another N10 million when he visited the hospital to sympathise with victims of last weeks attack on Maiduguri by Boko Haram.

He said the N10 million was being released after another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with authorities of the hospitals; adding that due to the pressure at the UMTH, the hospital got its additional N10 million earlier in January this year.

So far we have given the UMTH N30 million.

But with the recent happening especially the multiple bomb blasts we are going to consider how much additional fund to be added, he said.

For the Specialists Hospital, we have given N20 million and we just gave them additional N10 million today.

He said the VSFs scope had expanded due to the evolving challenges in humanitarian crisis associated to the Boko Haram insurgency.

It is now for the general medical treatment of all IDPs, we have already amended our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the hospitals to that effect, Mr. Ochoche said.

Earlier the Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Abdurrahman Tahir, said the hospital had since 2015, to date, provided medical treatment for about 1,200 patients brought to the hospital as injured victims of the Boko Haram conflict.

He said out of the number, about 300 were IDPs with other cases of health challenge.

We have treated many victims of insurgency, including tens of hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from various camps in Maiduguri metropolis and other council areas of Borno state.

We have no problem of accessing the donated funds by VSF for the treatment of Boko Haram victims. We are utilizing the money judiciously since 2015. We have received a total sum of N30 million.

Speaking in the same vein at the Specialist Hospital, the Managing Director appreciated the support being received by her hospital from the VSF.

We have treated many victims of insurgency, including tens of hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from various camps in Maiduguri metropolis and other council areas of Borno State.

She lamented that the procured drugs and consumables have been exhausted, as four hospitals in Maiduguri benefited from the distribution of VSF drugs in treating victims.

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There was drama at the Taraba State House of Assembly on Tuesday morning as hundreds of herdsmen, butchers, and cattle and sheep dealers stormed the assembly to protest the anti-grazing bill before the lawmakers in the state.

The protesters threatened to begin a sit-at-home on Tuesday.

The protesters had earlier taken to major roads in Jalingo, the state capital, protesting the bill which they described as anti-human and targeted to subdue the herdsmen and also to undermine and restrict activities of the Fulani ethnic group in the state.

They called on the lawmakers to strike out the bill, proposed by Governor Darius Isiaku, in the interest of peace,

From the initial stage, we were not involved in the process and it contravenes Nigerian constitution, said Umar Danburam, the north-east zonal chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association during the protest.

So even if you (lawmakers) do your way to pass it; we will challenge it to Nigerian apex court.

Speaking earlier, the state chairman of Miyetti Allah in Taraba, Sahabi Tukur, said the rights of Fulani nomads will be trampled upon if the bill is enacted into law.

He expressed shock that some lawmakers have thrown their weight behind it.

Its unfortunate that some of you lawmakers in the state assembly including the Rt. Hon Speaker are backers, and with this we begin to have second thought that legislative process is usurped.

We want to advise that as elective representatives and lawmakers, you should avoid enacting laws that could bring disunity, chaos or anarchy.

Though we are not preaching violence, but if care is not taken, some people may take laws into their hands by attacking our people and this will cause breakdown of law and order, he told the Speaker of the Assembly, Abel Diah, who received the protesters.

SPEAKER REACTS

In his remarks, Mr. Diah condemned the threat by the protesters. He said the protest was in ignorance since, according to him, the issues raised were accommodated within the proposed bill.

The committee set up by the House of Assembly to handle the process of the bill had given three weeks within which to conduct public hearing on the bill before passage, where all issues that appear unclear will be addressed.

So, I am calling on the aggrieved persons or groups to compile all areas they are not comfortable with as a memorandum for the public hearing. The Assembly had given room for groups and individuals to attend the public hearing with their lawyers.

While Mr. Diah spoke, the protesters chanted Karya Ne! Bama So, Bamu Yarda ba, meaning This is lie; We will not support the bill, while their leaders tried to control the crowd.

While fielding questions from reporters shortly after leaving the protesters in anger, the speaker said, I see the protest as a deliberate move by some individuals to cause public disorder in the state capital, as they did not follow due process, which was the reason security did not allow them access into the assembly complex.

How can you mobilise for protest and you allow your members to carry arms? The Assembly is an organised place and the security will not allow disorder.

I think that was why they were not allowed access into the complex. But as a leader who was elected by the people, I insisted I will attend to them, even in the midst of their weapons.

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The Police Command in Abuja on Tuesday alerted residents of the Federal Capital Territory especially those living around Nyanya, Jikwoyi and Karshi environs of a shooting range exercise by its special unit force.

The command spokesperson, Usen Omorodion, said as part of the training routine of the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Mobile Force will hold its shooting range practice at the Police Range Ground, Karshi.

The range practice exercise is scheduled to hold on Saturday, June 17, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sequel to above, members of the public are enjoined not to panic as a result of the gunshots that will emanate from the range exercise.

Residents are also advised to stay away from the area for the duration of the exercise, Mr. Omorodion said.

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The Police in Lokoja said that no arrest has been made in connection with the Monday gun attack on a rally by a senator, Dino Melaye.

The Kogi State Police Command spokesperson, William Aya, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Tuesday in Lokoja.

He said that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department who is in charge of investigation into the attack was still on the assignment.

Mr. Aya said that the situation in the state capital had become normal, adding that there was no cause for alarm.

A Correspondent of NAN who visited the scene of the attack on Tuesday observed that armed soldiers were still in strategic points to maintain the peace.

Mr. Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, had on Monday stopped over in front of the gate of the Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja to address his supporters, party members, workers and students.

He was addressing them when unknown gunmen invaded the rally and started firing shots in different directions.

Two persons, including one of the gunmen, were killed while two operatives of the Department of State Security attached to Mr. Melaye sustained gunshot wounds.

The Rector of the polytechnic, Mohammed Yisah, had claimed that one of the persons killed, Saka Seidu, was a student of the polytechnic; but the police in a statement described him as a passerby.

NAN reports that many residents spoken to said they were still in shock over the shooting incident which lasted well over 30 minutes and expressed surprise over police claim that no arrest was made.

(NAN)

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A Kogi High Court sitting in Okene has remanded a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Zacchaeus Atte, in prison custody over alleged financial impropriety of N35.5 million.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Atte was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, on an eight-count charge.

The judge, Josiah Majebi, who gave the order, held that the bail application for the accused was not ripe for hearing.

Earlier, the prosecution led by John Okwor told the court that the alleged offence was contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The charges against the accused, according to the prosecuting counsel, include using his office as commissioner for agriculture to convert the sum of N11.9 million to personal use.

Mr. Okwor said the accused perpetrated the act under the pretext of purchasing and distributing 200,000 sprouted oil palm seedlings to the state oil palm farmers in February, 2015.

He also accused the former commissioner of cornering N350,000 on the pretext of distributing 100,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers in the state in August, 2015.

The accused, the counsel said, also converted N8.87 million under the pretext of purchasing oil palm sprouted seedlings in May, 2015.

He further accused Mr. Atte of corruptly enriching himself in January 2015 with N2.84 million under the pretext of purchasing two units of photocopiers.

Other offences, according to Mr. Okwor, is that Mr. Atte used his office as commissioner to siphon various amounts of public funds meant for projects for which he got approvals but decided to pocket the monies released.

When the offences were read to him, the former commissioner pleaded not guilty.

The ICPC counsel told the court that he was ready for the commencement of the trial and asked for a date for him to present witnesses.

Adebayo Eniwaye, counsel to the accused, made an oral application for the bail of his client, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.

Justice Medubi, however, in his ruling, observed that the motion was not ripe for hearing.

Mr. Majebi ordered that the former commissioner be remanded at the Medium Security Prisons, Okene, and adjourned the case until June 20 for hearing.

(NAN)

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A member of the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has called for the declaration of a state-of-emergency in Kogi, saying there was insecurity and anarchy in the state.

The call at Senate plenary on Tuesday was at the backdrop of two alleged assassination attempts on Mr. Melayes life.

Mr. Melaye, who came under Order 43 of Senate Standing Rule, prayed the senate to order the Inspector-General of Police to immediately undertake an audit of the police armoury in Kogi command.

He said he would move a motion for the upper chamber to prevail on the federal government to impose emergency rule in the state.

He claimed that before the Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office, Kogi never experienced the high number of kidnappings, killings and anarchy as being recorded currently.

On Monday l left my village and arrived at Lokoja in the company of Directorate of State Services (DSS) operatives and police.

When I arrived at Lokoja, I phoned the state Director of DSS that I had an intelligence report that the governor brought in assassins to kill me and the DSS director provided a truckload of DSS men to accompany me.

I also called the Commissioner of Police and we were halfway talking and the line went off and I put a call to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Department.

I told him that I was in town and that I had few places to go and I wanted to also go to the Federal Medical Centre to pay the bills of indigent civil servants.

He alleged that the patients could not pay the medical bills because the state government had not paid their salaries for 15 months, adding that some of them needed surgery.

Mr. Melaye said that the constitution empowered the President of Nigeria to issue proclamation of state of emergency in state, adding that there was breakdown of law and order and public safety in Kogi.

In his remark, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary said, Speaking on behalf of this Senate, I must condemn what happened in Kogi.

Section 14 (2) of the Constitution is very clear on the primary purpose of government which is the security and welfare of the people and government must not be seen abdicating that responsibility.

So, I want to appeal to both State and Federal Government to ensure that the citizens are protected and also their property.

We cannot have a situation where this government will sit by and watch people taking laws into their hands and behaving as if there is no law and order in this land.

We need to be serious; we need to be firm. Government needs to ensure that people are not allowed to take laws into their hands and of course, the reckless statement that we are hearing from here and there.

Government needs to do something about it. The unity of this country cannot be compromised and the security of individuals must be assured.

This is condemnable and we will never allow this to continue in a democratic society, Mr. Ekweremadu said.

(NAN)

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No fewer than 712 farmers in Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, have received N90,000 each as funding support from the Federal Governments Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Daura is the home local government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Nura Bature, Chairman of Rice Farmers Association, RIFAN, in Daura LGA, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Daura on Tuesday.

Mr. Bature said that the registered farmers were also given farm implements, which included water pumping machines, insecticides, herbicides, fertilisers and other essential inputs.

He said that the loans given to the farmers were aimed at funding their activities such as land clearing and tilling as well as labour costs.

He, however, noted that 98 farmers were omitted during the loans disbursement, adding that the association had promptly notified the Bank of Agriculture of the development.

Mr. Bature advised the beneficiaries to use the inputs and cash judiciously, adding that the money would be repaid within the next six months.

He said that the loan, which was disbursed in batches, would continue until all the registered farmers were able to access the financial support.

He said that the association had started preparations for wet season farming.

More than 1,666 farmers registered for the Anchor Borrowers Programme in the area.

(NAN)

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Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers has branded Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, Benue and Kano criminal states, but Rivers safe to doing business.

At a dinner on Sunday to mark the 20th Anniversary of Air Frances first flight to Port Harcourt International Airport, Mr. Wike said that kidnappers and murderers terrorised residents daily in the states.

Investors are coming to Rivers regularly and they are talking about insecurity.

Look at what is happening in Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna and Kano and you will realize that this state is the safest, he said.

He explained that the state was becoming safer for investors on a daily basis due to the state governments investment on security.

He said that the state government would do all in its power to build on the confidence of investors to conduct business in the state.

Mr. Wike said that wooing investors remained critical to the development of the state, because it would generate employment.

It is a priority for us to attract investors for our people to be employed; that is why we make security a priority, he added.

In his remarks, French Consul, Laurent Poloceaux, stressed that French investments were doing well in Rivers, with schools, businesses and Air France.

Air France Manager, Jean Tanzin, said that the airline became the first international airline to fly into the Port Harcourt International Airport 20 years ago.

Mr. Tanzin stated that Air France had gone through challenges to deliver quality services to Rivers and other Niger Delta states.

(NAN)

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A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has set up campaign offices in all the 21 local government area of Anambra State ahead of November 18 governorship election.

Mr. Chidoka, a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, joined the race for Anambra governorship election on the platform of the United Progressive Party, UPP.

Ikechukwu Okafor, media assistant to Mr. Chidoka, said in a statement that the organisation appointed Viola Ifeyinwa Okolie as its media director.

Ms. Okolie is a seasoned media consultant with strong connection in all sectors of the conventional and the social media. She holds a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy and has also lectured at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Kaduna Study Center. She is also vast in private sector operations with over 12 years experience, working with Diamond Bank in commercial and retail banking, the statement said.

Mr. Okafor also recalled that the gubernatorial candidate named Bright Nebedum, a lawyer and notary public, as the director general of the campaign organisation last month.

Barrister Nebedum who also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration is former Anambra State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he coordinated various successful election campaigns. He is also a member of Nigeria Institute of Management and Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, he added.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this report erroneously listed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as Mr. Chidokas party.

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Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has advised the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to desist from agitating for secession, saying the Igbos were not ready for another civil war.

Mr. Okorocha gave the advice at a news briefing at the Government House in Owerri on Tuesday.

He also urged the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other Nigerians in diaspora, drumming support for the actualisation of Biafra, to stop.

Mr. Okorocha called on Igbo youth to calm down and redirect their agitation toward the actualisation of economic advancement of Igbos rather than asking for a new sovereign nation.

On the recent sit-at-home ordered by IPOB and MASSOB, he said the exercise succeeded because the people, especially traders, wanted to avoid trouble.

He described the statement by the Arewa youth group directing Igbos to leave the North as nonsensical and inciting.

The governor said that Igbos were peaceful people, who had come a long way in contributing to the economic development of the country, adding that no other ethnic group had contributed as much.

He called for reorientation of youth to repair the broken political relations between the North and the East and end the existing hatred and division between them.

We have failed as leaders hence the campaign of hate for one another; we need to take responsibility and end it.

We need to rise and take steps to end it and get rid of the inherent hatred and division we inherited from the colonial masters, he said.

Mr. Okorocha also said that agitation for the leadership of the country by the different geo-political zones in the country was an ill-wind which had not done something good to the country.

He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to guard against hatred and unite to fix broken relationships. (NAN)

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The in Oyo State says it rescued 134 children, who were victims of child trafficking between January and May.

An Assistant Comptroller at the command, Folusho Akintola, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists after a conference organised by the Justice, Development and Peace Commission in Ibadan on Tuesday.

The conference was organised to mark the 2017 UN World Day against Child Labour, celebrated annually on June 12.

The theme was the Impact of Conflicts and Disasters on Child Labour.

Mr. Akintola said of the rescued children, 117 were reunited with their families, and six repatriated, while 38 traffickers and 107 end users were arrested during the period.

According to him, 11 victims and four traffickers were sent to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related Matters (NAPTIP).

Mr. Akintola attributed the cause of child trafficking in the country to parental negligence.

We all know the evils of child labour and human trafficking. Poor parenting is mostly responsible.

Parents negligent led to moral decadence that are common with children nowadays, he said.

However, Omotayo Mala-Adebayo, the head, Women Development and Child Rights Programme, Ibadan, said that conflicts in the homes were the root cause of child trafficking and labour.

According to her, conflicts within the home give rise to violation of child rights and child abandonment, which is a form of child trafficking and labour.

Child labour and trafficking is not restricted to just poverty; parental separation is a menace we need to eradicate because the resultant effect of that is child abandonment and labour.

This exposes children to the twin evil called child trafficking and labour which the end result is exploitation of children, and exploitation of children of children is a gross violation of the rights of children, she said.

She therefore appealed to government at all levels to implement the child rights laws to stop menace of child labour and trafficking.

(NAN)

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Students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology have expressed skepticism over the plan by the Alumni Association to raise N1 billion within 90 days to help the school solve the funding challenge that has crippled it.

According to the students, any measure that does not offer a lasting solution to the perennial funding challenge is not acceptable to them.

The former students had on Monday in Ibadan unveiled the plan at a news conference organised by the alumni of the school under the tag, #Fundlautech team.

But speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the students said the effort of the alumni association, though commendable, only offers a temporary solution as the crisis would return as soon as any fund so raised was exhausted.

Raising funds for LAUTECH may sound good to the society because activities will resume, but this is only a way of putting a temporary smile on our faces, said Olatunde Bakare, President of the Students Union Government.

He said for that reason, the efforts of the alumni association was not acceptable to the students.

Mr. Bakare said the fund raising initiative should have been taken before the crisis that has kept the students out of school since last year.

The Student leader emphasized that the lasting solution acceptable to them remains that the Federal Government adopts LAUTECH, as the main cause of the crisis was because the university has two proprietors.

The students had last week staged a two-day protest at the National Assembly in Abuja during which they begged the Federal Government to take over the school.

Mr. Bakare appealed to the Alumni Association to join the efforts of the students in seeking single ownership for the university.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the national president of the LAUTECH Alumni Association, Jide Bewaji, however, explained that the lasting solution to the institutions crisis was to prevail on the governors of the owner states to start fulfilling their financial obligations.

He said the fund raising initiative of his association was aimed at getting the students back in school as soon as possible. He said other initiatives towards a lasting solution to the crisis were ongoing.

This is a means to an end, not the end itself. The amount needed is huge, which is about N280 million every month and approximately N6 billion per year, Mr. Bewaji said.

The students disclosed to PREMIUM TIMES that they were scheduled to meet with the Alumni Association on Wednesday.

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Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec President Andrzej Duda made an entry in a book of condolence in Warsaw on Friday. (1)

Warsaw, June 9, 2017

Participants of the funeral ceremony

of the late Professor Zbigniew Brzezinski

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

it was with deep sadness and great sorrow that I learned about the death of Professor Zbigniew Brzezinski  a Pole, an American, a political scientist, an academic teacher, National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Jimmy Carter, knight of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded with the Medal of Freedom by the President of the United States, an advocate of the strong transatlantic bond and of the primacy of international law.

Today, Poland and the Polish people are remembering and bidding farewell to Professor. Since Poland, just like the United States and the transatlantic community, owe so much to him. We remember the role Zbigniew Brzezinski played during the Cold War, at the time when the Eastern Bloc collapsed, or when contemporary Poland joined the security structures of the transatlantic world. May be of interest to you President Duda: Prof. Brzezinski's legacy will live on

The decisive and uncompromising stance presented by Zbigniew Brzezinski was of fundamental importance for Poland. Among other things, it was his idea that President Carter should visit Poland in 1977. It was then that the U.S. delegation met with the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski.

Although many were opposed to that idea, the meeting had a special and symbolic value to the Polish Nation. It inspired hope in the hearts and minds of people living under communist regime, and at the same time, it blazed a trail for the future democratic changes in Poland and across Europe.

When in 1979 a cardinal from Krakow, Karol Wojtya, was elected Pope, President Jimmy Carter made the following comment: excellent choice, he is a very close, personal friend of doctor Brzezinski. It expressed trust of the U.S. leader in Professor Brzezinski. Zbigniew Brzezinski met with Cardinal Karol Wojtya  before he became Pope  only once, in the 1970`s, after the lecture given by the latter one at the Harvard University. President Carter however intuitively knew that since both had Polish souls, their thinking about the world had to be similar. It was enough for one part of the globe to conclude that Zbigniew Brzezinski himself was behind the election of John Paul II. When Pope John Paul II later met with Zbigniew Brzezinski, he anecdotally said to him: Professor, since it was you who elected me, you have to keep visiting!

As an advocate of introducing the notion of human rights and democratic freedoms to international relations, rather than focusing only on calculated geopolitical interests, Zbigniew Brzezinski championedAmerican support for Solidarnosc  "Solidarity"  the social movement which demanded democratic changes in Poland in the 1980s, and which caused the domino effect leading to the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall and disintegration of the Soviet Union. The unquestionable achievements of Zbigniew Brzezinski for his Homeland were acknowledged in 1995 and rewarded with the highest Polish national distinction: the Order of the White Eagle. Poland and Poles will never forget his commitment to freedom and fight with the Soviet threat.

As a foreign policy visionary, he was among the very few who understood the essence and the strength of the transatlantic bond. After the Soviet Union was dissolved, he actively supported NATO`s enlargement towards Central Europe. He was convinced that countries from that region deserved a place within the Alliance. He repeatedly stressed that NATO accession was their sovereign decision. Another crucially important fact is that it was precisely Zbigniew Brzezinski who contributed to the honoring of another Polish-American Cold-War hero and the first Polish officer in NATO in one  General Ryszard Kuklinski.

Later on, Zbigniew Brzezinski was satisfied with Poland`s growing importance as a NATO member  not only a consumer, but also a provider of security, engaged in NATO-led missions and operations. Conscious of the evolving international environment, Zbigniew Brzezinski defended the reasons why Missile Defense system should be deployed also to Poland.

Today, while bidding farewell to this outstanding Polish-American diplomat, we believe that he will look at us from above, together with many other Polish and American patriots who lived their lives fighting under the banner of freedom and justice.

We will remember him as one of the most influential intellectuals and political decision-makers in the United States of America. His work, both: intellectual as well as for the sake of the state had a significant impact not only on the American foreign policy, but also on the course of history.

United in mourning and sadness, I wish to convey to the bereaved Family  wife Emilie and children: Mika, Ian and Mark  and to all Relatives andFriends of the Deceased, my heartfelt condolences. Permit me also to inform you that on the day of Professor Brzezinski`s funeral, a condolence book will be available for signing in the Belweder Palace in Warsaw, while the Chaplain of the President of the Republic of Poland will offer Holy Mass for the Professor.

With assurances of my highest consideration

Andrzej Duda

President of the Republic of Poland
MAYS LANDING  A song written by an Egg Harbor Township school counselor, and recorded by Alder Avenue School students, is being used as an anthem to raise awareness and support for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Southern Branch.

Bruce Gitto wrote the End Hunger Anthem in 2014 after being inspired by Mother Theresa and a story his cousin told him of how she learned a homeless man she had been giving money to was a long-lost brother.

Thats really true, he said. It was her brother who was homeless and hungry that day.

Gitto and his band, Fun Wave, have been playing the song at local concerts and fundraising events, taking up a collection for the food bank after they play.

This year, he approached Alder Avenue School choir director Diana Fogleman and asked if the choir could perform the song. They taped it and posted it on YouTube, and Stockton Universitys radio station adopted it as a public service announcement for the food bank.

On Tuesday the choir performed at the Hamilton Mall, ending with the anthem.

The kids really like the idea of helping others with the song, Fogleman said.

Student Ronald Harley 13, said the school also does a food drive.

I hope we can inspire people to help others, he said.

Gia Patroni, 13, said she has volunteered at the food bank during the past two summers and has learned to feel fortunate for what she has.

The song introduces people to hunger and why they should help out, she said.

I hope it does make people realize how fortunate they are, Johanna Wentzell, 12, added.

We are letting people know that others are suffering, said Melissa Lafferty, 11.

Gitto said they are planning an End Hunger Through the Arts week during the first week in November and hope to get other schools, churches and community groups to use the song to help raise awareness and funds for the food bank. The lyrics have been translated into Spanish.

Gitto said anyone interested in participating can contact him through his band, Fun Wave, at funwave@verizon.net.

Last year the Food Bank distributed more than 43 million pounds of food in New Jersey. More than 70 percent of the people it serves are living below the poverty line.

Renate Taylor, development officer for the food banks Southern Branch, said they are grateful for the help. She got emotional listening to the children sing.

People dont realize how great the need is, she said.
New Jersey ranks 12th in the nation in the percentage of eligible children who received a free lunch last summer, according to a report released Tuesday.

The state improved its performance over 2015, moving up two spots from 14th, according to the annual report from the national Food Research and Action Center released Tuesday.

The report found nationally, for the first time since 2011, participation in the free lunch program had decreased slightly, based on the July count. About three million children across the country received meals.

The data for New Jersey show on average in July 2016, almost 81,000 eligible children received a free meal, up 2.3 percent from 79,000 in July 2015.

About 19 percent of all eligible children participated in New Jersey, which is based on the number of children enrolled in the federal free school meal program. FRAC has set a national goal of 40 percent summer participation.

Meal costs are subsidized by the National School Lunch Program. New Jersey would get an extra $6.7 million if it could reach 40 percent.

New Jersey had huge increases in the number of lunches served in June and August in 2016, indicating more programs were starting earlier and operating longer through the summer.

In June 2015, only 811 total lunches were served statewide, compared with 9,483 lunches in June 2016, a 1,000 percent increase. August saw an almost 33 percent increase, from almost 394,000 lunches to almost 523,000 lunches.

July had the largest participation, with more than 1.13 million meals served in 2016, a 2 percent decrease from 1.16 million meals in July 2015.

Nancy Parello, communications and project manager for the NJ Food for Thought campaign, said efforts to raise awareness have worked.

She cited churches in Atlantic City which last year ran programs in August after the public school programs had ended.

There is a growing recognition that there needs to be feeding from the end of school in June to the beginning of school in September, Parello said.

The number of New Jersey sites offering meals increased from 1,112 in 2015 to 1,351 in 2016.

Both the state Senate and Assembly have passed a bill to create the Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund that would provide small grants through the Department of Agriculture to promote and set up breakfast in school and summer meal programs. That bill must still be signed by Gov. Chris Christie to become law.

Parello said summer programs are more challenging because they operate for such a short time, and unlike school, children are not required to attend.

She said sites that also run a camp or academic program are more successful because they typically know how many children will attend each day. Open sites, such as a park or community center, are more unpredictable.

They never know how many kids will come each day, she said.

Sites do not have to operate all summer, and Parello said weeklong camps and Bible schools have also helped fill the gap in August when school programs have ended.

Even a week in June or August helps, she said.
Barry Pulley remembers seeing him in music videos on MTV when he was a teenager.

Kev Decor first became infatuated when his cousin visited from Boston and left him a mix CD.

Its been more than 20 years since Tupac Shakur was murdered, and in two days, a film based on his life will premiere nationwide. But the rappers impact on hip hop culture sticks to this day.

Even in South Jersey, local rappers still find inspiration from the East Harlem rapper and movie star.

Tupac, born Lesane Parish Crooks, is one of the most honored rap artists of all time, with his 1996 album All Eyez on Me being certified 10x platinum in 2014.

Pulley, who goes by the stage name Balistik, said he first heard Shakur while watching his music videos on MTV as a kid. He grew up as a teenager during the 90s when Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. had their infamous feud.

I was an East Coast guy, but I liked both of them and I didnt have a bias or allegiance, said Pulley, 37, of Egg Harbor City. I was an observer from the outside looking in. It was a whirlwind, and it was very serious.

On Sept. 7, 1996, Tupac attended a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After leaving the fight, he was shot multiple times inside a car in front of the Maxim Hotel.

Tupac was only 25 when he died, but the legacy he left for young rappers and fans of hip-hop had already been established.

Pulley remembers the 1995 Source Awards that ignited the East Coast-West Coast rap beef. He remembers when Tupacs Mad Max-themed California Love video premiered. And he remembers the night of the rappers death.

The idea of rap beef in 2017 is nothing like it was in the 90s, Pulley said.

I remember watching as a kid and the beef was much more serious and had a different dynamic, Pulley said. Still, thankfully I was there when it was live and it was happening.

Decor, a hip-hop artist from Egg Harbor Township, said the first time he saw Shakur on TV was in the 1992 movie Juice.

Later in the 90s, Decor said, his cousin and uncle turned him onto Tupac as a musical artist. After his cousin visited one weekend, he left Decor a mixed CD that Decor ended up playing in his car over and over.

I loved the passion and his emotion that came through the music. You could feel what he was talking about, Decor said.

Decor said that Tupac was more than a hip hop artist. He was a part rapper and part movie star. He was a fashion icon with his famous nose ring and bandana headband.

He had a very iconic look. He made it cool to have a nose ring. I never saw anybody in hip hop as a fashion figure do anything remotely close to that, Decor said.

Decor sees the rap beef was Notorious B.I.G. as a flaw in the superstars music career.

In a way you can speak things into existence and they spoke their demise into existence. Its a sad thing, Decor said.

The new movie, All Eyez On Me, opens in theaters on Friday. Demetrius Shipp Jr. stars as Shakur in a performance that will cause people to do a double take due to his likeness to the rapper. The film chronicles Shakurs rise to fame as well as the turmoil that surrounded his tenure at Death Row Records.

So will South Jerseys rappers go see it?

Im really curious how they portrayed him and how well it was done. I saw the interview with the gentleman playing him and the resemblance is there. I may go to this one, Pulley said.
OCEAN CITY  The lobby of the Forum Motor Inn was a sea of smiling faces and a blur of pageant prep as 28 Miss New Jersey contestants checked into the place theyll call home until Saturday.

Nicolle Tepedino from the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation said the contestants had a long day ahead of them, including orientation, pageant rehearsal and a bit of socializing during meals at Ocean Citys Chatterbox restaurant.

While arriving, the girls gave each other quick hugs and took photos, including with Miss New Jersey 2017 Brenna Weick, before changing into the days uniform of a lime green T-shirt and walking shoes and heading to the Ocean City Music Pier.

Contestants, chaperones and parents helped carry in garment bags with evening gowns, interview dresses and talent outfits, along with cases for dance shoes, makeup and whatever else the girls will need for Saturdays competition.

The Miss New Jersey Competition will begin Wednesday with a Boardwalk parade. Preliminary events will take place Thursday and Friday, and Miss New Jersey 2017 will be crowned Saturday night.
Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz called Tuesday on the State Legislative Black Caucus to help overturn the state takeover of the resort.

As we went through our struggle with the state, which still continues, you and the Black Caucus have maintained the banner of social justice on behalf of Atlantic City, Shabazz said in a statement addressed to Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, chairman of the caucus.

Shabazz spoke at the annual legislative conference sponsored by the New Jersey Black Issues Convention and the caucus in Trenton, where leaders and representatives could express issues in urban areas.

He requested the backing of the caucus to support opposing the state takeover with the next elected governor and to make sure the citys Municipal Utilities Authority remains under public ownership, according to the statement.

Atlantic Citys chapter of the NAACP has been petitioning to stop the sale of the MUAs waterworks without a referendum.

In Atlantic City, we are counting the days and preparing for a new governor, one who will restore the political rights to Atlantic City voters and residents, the statement said.

Shabazz also mentioned to the caucus that there has been a lack of diversity in the appointing of power in authorities, such as in the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

He also mentioned the lack of diversity in judicial appointments.

Shabazz said Tuesday that he wanted to express his concerns because the caucus has continued to be supportive of the city.
GERMANTOWN, Wisconsin, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcami, a leading provider of custom development and manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, today announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to rebuild a half-mile section of the Pike Lake Hiking Trail in the nearby Kettle Moraine State Forest. Alcami operates a world-class Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing and development facility in Germantown, Wisconsin, approximately 20 miles from the forest's Pike Lake Unit.

Sixteen volunteers from Alcami's Germantown, Wisconsin facility worked alongside members of the Wisconsin DNR to transform the existing eroded Pike Lake Trail into a quality, sustainable path. The volunteers worked by hand to relocate rocks, prune tree roots, move topsoil and rake and compact the new trail. Alcami also provided funding to cover preliminary excavation, equipment rental and final construction costs.

"We are excited to collaborate with the Wisconsin DNR to rebuild the Pike Lake Trail for the thousands of visitors that cherish it. This volunteer project is representative of our commitment to protect, preserve and restore the environment for all to enjoy," said Ted Dolan, Alcami's Chief Operating Officer. "Environmental responsibility is one of our priorities. Alcami operates in an environmentally efficient and sensitive manner and gives back to the community through green initiatives like this one."

"The Wisconsin State Park System is excited to work with volunteers and partners such as Alcami to provide exceptional experiences for our visitors," said Ben Bergey, Director of the Wisconsin State Park System. "With thousands of miles of multi-use trail across the state to maintain, volunteers provide a critical role in aiding to maintain these trails."

Pike Lake's trails were designed in the 1980s using building techniques that were then accepted practice. The trail is being upgraded to meet current sustainable standards. Alcami and the Wisconsin DNR have implemented a sustainable trail design, where precipitation does not run along the trail, but across it.

Over 364,000 people visited the Pike Lake Unit last year to swim, picnic, camp, bicycle, and hike. The glacial terrain offers challenging slopes with great viewpoints of popular destinations, like Pike Lake and the Holy Hill Basilica.

ABOUT ALCAMI

Alcami is a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. With over 1,000 employees operating at seven sites globally, Alcami provides customizable and innovative services to small and mid-size pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies by offering individualized and integrated services across multiple areas. We connect our clients with innovative solutions for API development and manufacturing, solid-state chemistry, formulation development, analytical development and testing services, clinical and commercial finished dosage form manufacturing (oral solid dose and parenteral), packaging, and stability services. For more information, please visit www.alcaminow.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/344471/Alcami_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Alcami
(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521586/Africa_Oil_Week_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521585/Africa_Oil_Week_Cape_Town.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521584/Africa_Oil_Week_Auditorium.jpg )

Africa's premier event is host to over 1,250 industry players from around the world, bringing together cross-continent multinationals and offering a content rich programme, a quality industry exhibition and five-star networking. Regarded for its high-level participation and onsite deal-flow, with sizeable in-room investor and finance potential, Africa Oil Week delivers exposure of Africa-wide state and private acreage opportunities, transaction and new venture assets and potential, exploration and production developments, and an overview of Africa's hydrocarbon future.

Held at the Cape Town Convention Centre, this event continues to provide the most trusted and reliable platform for governments, national oil companies, corporate players, independents and financiers, along with service and supply operators, to share deep insight and linchpin strategies and engage in meaningful debate and conversations set to drive and strengthen Africa's rapidly evolving upstream industry.

With over 160 speakers from the corporate and public sphere, this year's event promises a programme designed around industry solutions that set the standard for adjusting business models to new demands. Experts will share strategies that enable the upstream industry to advance carefully, yet optimistically, as the investment environment improves, with companies pursuing asset deals, and oil price gains remain in place. Innovation, flexibility, capabilities, technology and reforms are the keywords of the new strategies being deployed to face the future of the upstream industry with confidence and Africa Oil Week provides opportunities for exploring them all.

Also being held during the week is the 17th Africa Independents Forum (23rd Oct, 5th Africa Local Content Forum (23rd Oct) and the 5th Young Professionals in Oil, Gas & Energy session and the 80th PetroAfricanus Dinner, hosted by ITE on 24th October at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel, and the 9th Global Women Petroleum & Energy Club Luncheon (25th Oct).

Register by 16th August to qualify for an Early Bird Discount.

For more information: www.africa-oilweek.com

SOURCE ITE Group
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog joined 80 public interest groups in opposition to a bill the U.S. House will vote on Wednesday that would strip away the rights of patients harmed by medical negligence, elder abuse, dangerous prescription drugs and defective medical devices. President Trump proposed similar limits to patient rights in his budget released in May.

"Even if H.R. 1215 applied only to doctors and hospitals, recent studies clearly establish that its provisions would lead to more deaths and injuries, and increased health care costs due to a 'broad relaxation of care.' Add to this nursing home and pharmaceutical industry liability limitations, significantly weakening incentives for these industries to act safely, and untold numbers of additional death, injuries and costs are inevitable, and unacceptable," the groups wrote in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "Congress should focus on improving patient safety and reducing deaths and injuries, not insulating negligent providers from accountability, harming patients and saddling taxpayers with the cost, as H.R. 1215 would do."

Read the letter: http://centerjd.org/system/files/HouseFloorOppositiontoMedMalF5.pdf

The legislation would place a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages in cases of medical negligence, unsafe drugs and nursing home abuse. Proponents of the law claim it will reduce health care costs by lowering medical malpractice insurance premiums and stopping so-called defensive medicine.

California's experience with a similar law, the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, or MICRA, enacted in 1975, does not bear out these claims, said Consumer Watchdog. California's limits on injured patients' legal rights have not lowered health care costs in the last 40 years, but have devastated patients' ability to hold negligent doctors and hospitals accountable.

During the 13 years after a damage cap was enacted in California, doctors' medical malpractice insurance premiums shot up by 450%. Only when California voters approved a law regulating insurance rates, requiring insurers to open their books and justify rate increases, did malpractice insurance premiums drop 20%, and then stabilize.

Read the report, How Insurance Reform Lowered Doctor's Medical Malpractice Rates In California: And How Malpractice Caps Failed: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/1008.pdf

"Taking away the rights of injured patients doesn't help anyone but negligent doctors, greedy pharmaceutical companies and the companies that insure them," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. "In California's four decades of experience, stripping away patient rights means doctors who harm patients are never held accountable."

Steven Olsen was just 2 years old when he fell in the woods and punctured his sinus. In the emergency room, the doctor pumped Steven up with steroids and sent him home, refusing the , CAT scan his parents repeatedly asked for. Steven returned to the hospital hours later comatose. At trial, medical experts testified that had he received the $800 CAT scan, which would have detected a growing brain mass, Steven would have his sight and be healthy today. The jury awarded $7.1 million in "non-economic" damages for Steven's avoidable life of darkness and suffering. The jury, however, was not told of the cap on non-economic damages in California. The judge was forced to reduce the amount to $250,000 when the jury left the room. This one-size-fits-all damages cap, unchanged in California since 1975, is Republicans' recommendation for America with H.R. 1215.

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NEW YORK, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.) today released a new video with Academy Award winning screenwriter and filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, as part of its Anatomy of a Decision video series. Black explains how he approaches the writing process and how to make a project commercially viable in Hollywood, saying, "If you want to tell a story that draws emotion in a universal way, the way you do that isn't by making it general, you make it really, really specific." Black adds, "Tell a good story that changes people."

Academy Award winning screenwriter and filmmaker Dustin Lance Black sits down with GLG's Richard Socarides to discuss his writing process, When We Rise, and tips for commercial and critical success in Hollywood.

Black won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for his work on the motion picture Milk, and more recently created the eight hour ABC TV mini-series When We Rise, which chronicled key moments in the LGBT rights movement. Interviewed by GLG Head of Public Affairs Richard Socarides, Black discusses how to turn a passion project into something with commercial appeal, saying, "Specificity is what makes the unusual universal."

Of When We Rise, Black says, "The idea of the film is that we are strongest when we march arm in arm with other people of diversity." Black also shares what drives him to be a storyteller, "If we're moving the needle each day with the story we're telling, I've got a reason to get out of bed. And there are so many necessary stories; I don't think I've slept in in 15 years."

"Each of the videos in our series features an industry leader who has had to make tough decisions, and nowhere is that more true than in the creative process," said Richard Socarides, Head of Public Affairs for GLG. "Black's video continues to expand the breadth of topics and industries we explore."

Black, best known for his work on Milk, and this year's When We Rise, began his career directing documentaries and commercials. Then, he was a writer and co-producer on HBO's Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Big Love, and later earned a "10 Best of the Year" award from the American Film Institute for his screenplay for J. Edgar. Black has served on the board of the Trevor Project, which works to prevent teen suicides, and is also a founding board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER).

All of the videos in GLG's Anatomy of a Decision series are available online without charge, including interviews with: Jill Abramson, former Executive Editor of The New York Times; Jeff Kindler, former CEO of Pfizer and Chair of the GLG Institute; Jake Sullivan, former Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State; and Michael Vickers, former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; and Tom Wheeler, former FCC Chairman, among others.

About GLG / Gerson Lehrman Group

GLG is the world's leading membership for professional learning. Business leaders, investors, consultants, social entrepreneurs, and other top professionals rely on GLG to learn in short- and long-term engagements from more than 500,000 members and other experts. Clients partner with GLG to address their most complex strategic challenges, make better business decisions, and advance their careers through conversations, mentorships, small group meetings, surveys, and other interactionsall within a rigorous compliance framework. Headquartered in New York City, GLG's 1,400 employees work from offices in 12 countries. For more information visit www.GLG.it.

Contact: Chloe Sarnoff / [email protected]

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) today received the 2017 Edison Award, the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) premier award recognizing "distinguished leadership, innovation and contribution to the advancement of the electric industry for the benefit of all." AEP is the first U.S. company to receive the Edison Award in consecutive years and has earned this honor three of the last five years. AEP has won more Edison Awards than any other company, a total of seven since the 1950s.

"AEP has embraced the challenges of a changing energy landscape, developing innovative solutions and new approaches to better meet the energy needs and expectations of our customers," said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We have 18,000 employees who are at the core of our efforts to become the energy company of the future. Being recognized by our peers with the Edison Award two years in a row is a testament to the expertise, commitment and agility of our team."

AEP was honored this year for its work developing the Breakthrough Overhead Line Design (BOLD), a groundbreaking transmission structure and line design that can increase capacity and efficiency in existing rights-of-way. The BOLD structures are nearly 50 feet shorter and more compact than conventional 345-kilovolt transmission tower designs and can deliver up to 60 percent more power in the same right-of-way. The first in-service BOLD project is located near Fort Wayne, Indiana. Another project will be energized in Indiana this summer, and additional projects are planned across AEP's system.

In 2016, AEP's project to upgrade the transmission system supplying the Rio Grande Valley in Texas was recognized by EEI. AEP replaced 240 miles of transmission lines and upgraded five substations while the system remained energized.

AEP received the Edison Award in 2013 for its construction of the John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant. The plant was the first in the nation to use advanced ultra-supercritical technology, which generates power using less fuel and reduces emissions.

EEI annually selects Edison Award winners from nominations submitted by its members. A panel of former utility industry executives selects the recipients.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states. AEP owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a more than 40,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP also operates 224,000 miles of distribution lines. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning approximately 26,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP supplies 3,200 megawatts of renewable energy to customers. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.

SOURCE American Electric Power

Related Links

http://www.aep.com


COATEPEQUE, Guatemala, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The banana grower and shipper, AgroAmerica, created a Center for Human Development (CHD) in south-western Guatemala in 2012, with the objective of improving the health of the families of the AgroAmerica workers and the communities close to their operations as well as the educational opportunities for their children. The CDH is a unique partnership that also includes a community advisory committee.

In that same year, AgroAmerica, through the "Fundacion Integral para la Salud de los Guatemaltecos", signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Colorado to survey the community to determine the types of services needed and desired. This study "Health Needs and Human Development in South-Western Guatemala" (Dr. Stephen Berman and Dr. Edwin J. Asturias) helped to design and develop the infrastructure needed to implement these services. The infrastructure includes a family medical clinic, dental clinic, clinical laboratory, ambulance, pharmacy, and birthing center with ultrasound capacity. A community nursing program to improve maternal, neonatal and child outcomes was established and is functioning. In addition to Guatemalan staff, university physician residents in pediatrics, medicine, obstetrics and family medicine work regularly in the clinic.

"At AgroAmerica we are aware of the needs of the community and that is why we have invested more than $1.8 million dollars to give access to medical services at a low cost to more than 30,000 rural Guatemalan people", said Bernhard Roehrs, AgroAmerica Corporate Director.

The community programs for mothers and children  Healthy Mothers and Healthy Children are also part of the HDC programs. They aim to reduce malnutrition in the community, and to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As of May 2017 1,063 pregnant women have been enrolled and received prenatal care. There have been 905 families enrolled in the "Healthy Children" program and mothers have participated in 7,580 nurse visits and mother child care groups.

"The CHD strives to integrate traditional medical care with mental health, nutritional, and educational services in ways that build local capacity, provide economic opportunities, and strengthen the community," said Stephen Berman, MD, FAAP, Director of the Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health.

For more information about AgroAmerica visit https://agroamerica.com/en

For more information about Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health visit http://globalhealth.ucdenver.edu

SOURCE AgroAmerica

Related Links

https://agroamerica.com/en


GERMANTOWN, Wis., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcami, a leading provider of custom development and manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, today announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to rebuild a half-mile section of the Pike Lake Hiking Trail in the nearby Kettle Moraine State Forest. Alcami operates a world-class Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing and development facility in Germantown, Wisconsin, approximately 20 miles from the forest's Pike Lake Unit.

Sixteen volunteers from Alcami's Germantown, Wisconsin facility worked alongside members of the Wisconsin DNR to transform the existing eroded Pike Lake Trail into a quality, sustainable path. The volunteers worked by hand to relocate rocks, prune tree roots, move topsoil and rake and compact the new trail. Alcami also provided funding to cover preliminary excavation, equipment rental and final construction costs.

"We are excited to collaborate with the Wisconsin DNR to rebuild the Pike Lake Trail for the thousands of visitors that cherish it. This volunteer project is representative of our commitment to protect, preserve and restore the environment for all to enjoy," said Ted Dolan, Alcami's Chief Operating Officer. "Environmental responsibility is one of our priorities. Alcami operates in an environmentally efficient and sensitive manner and gives back to the community through green initiatives like this one."

"The Wisconsin State Park System is excited to work with volunteers and partners such as Alcami to provide exceptional experiences for our visitors," said Ben Bergey, Director of the Wisconsin State Park System. "With thousands of miles of multi-use trail across the state to maintain, volunteers provide a critical role in aiding to maintain these trails."

Pike Lake's trails were designed in the 1980s using building techniques that were then accepted practice. The trail is being upgraded to meet current sustainable standards. Alcami and the Wisconsin DNR have implemented a sustainable trail design, where precipitation does not run along the trail, but across it.

Over 364,000 people visited the Pike Lake Unit last year to swim, picnic, camp, bicycle, and hike. The glacial terrain offers challenging slopes with great viewpoints of popular destinations, like Pike Lake and the Holy Hill Basilica.

ABOUT ALCAMI

Alcami is a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. With over 1,000 employees operating at seven sites globally, Alcami provides customizable and innovative services to small and mid-size pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies by offering individualized and integrated services across multiple areas. We connect our clients with innovative solutions for API development and manufacturing, solid-state chemistry, formulation development, analytical development and testing services, clinical and commercial finished dosage form manufacturing (oral solid dose and parenteral), packaging, and stability services. For more information, please visit www.alcaminow.com.

SOURCE Alcami

Related Links

http://www.alcaminow.com


UPPSALA, Sweden, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The identification of the immunoglobulin (IgE) antibody in 1967 provided the first measurable evidence of allergic response within the body, paving the way for allergy diagnoses using simple blood tests. That discovery triggered far-reaching advancements in allergy and asthma diagnosis and treatment that ensure today's patients can more rapidly understand, manage and relieve their symptoms. A team of researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, is credited with discovering IgE which was the ImmunoDiagnostics starting point for Thermo Fisher Scientific.

"The discovery of IgE propelled an entire area of discovery and subsequent medical breakthrough," said Stefan Wolf, president of ImmunoDiagnostics for Thermo Fisher. "The legacy of Uppsala's contribution to help clinicians make allergy and asthma diagnosis and management continues to this day across many parts of Thermo Fisher, and we're proud to celebrate this history even as we continue to push for new innovation."

"As the last 50 years demonstrate, Uppsala University and Thermo Fisher Scientific have collaborated to positively change the way allergy and asthma are managed," said Nicholas Randal Kuchova, commercial counselor and regional senior commercial officer, U.S. Embassy in Sweden. "Congratulations to both for their roles in delivering improved diagnosis and treatment to more individuals around the world."

Today, Thermo Fisher's family of allergen sensitization and autoimmunity diagnostic testing solutions  Phadia Laboratory Systems  enables labs to automate the processing of up to 40,000 tests per day. This provides clinicians with information to definitively diagnose allergen sensitivity and provide clear direction for disease management, even before symptoms have developed.

ImmunoCAP, now a Thermo Fisher brand, was the first commercially-available test for allergen-specific IgE antibodies. It too came out of the Uppsala site. Other breakthroughs included the first radio-allergosorbent test (RAST) for allergen-specific IgE antibodies and the first integrated solution for handling, processing and measurement in one instrument.

Thermo Fisher's newest innovation in IgE testing, ImmunoCAP ISAC, is an immunoassay platform that combines innovative biochip technology with breakthrough research in molecular allergology. ImmunoCAP ISAC is the first in vitro diagnostic test for simultaneous measurement of specific IgE antibodies to a broad spectrum of allergen components.

"Thanks to tests and platforms available from Thermo Fisher, doctors can now accurately test for sensitization to more than 600 allergens to determine what may trigger a patient's symptoms," said Magnus Borres, medical director for Thermo Fisher. "This all started 50 years ago in Uppsala, which is something worth celebrating and, more important, building upon in the future."

Thermo Fisher is marking the 50th anniversary of the discovery of IgE with a series of activities. To learn more about IgE's 50th anniversary and its impact on allergy and asthma diagnosis and treatment, please visit www.igeturns50.com.

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:

Ron O'Brien

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Waltham, MA., USA

+1 781-622-1242

[email protected]

Or

Secondary Contact Information:

Brian Lowe

Greenough

Boston, MA., USA

+1 617-275-6523

[email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com


HOUSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup would like to applaud U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) for the introduction of the Invent and Manufacture in America Act. If signed into law, this bipartisan tax bill would provide a tax cut for companies that conduct research and development in the U.S. and also domestically manufacture products resulting from this R&D.

"Research and development in new technologies and new products is an important source of economic growth," said Senator Roberts in a statement released by the office of Senator Coons. "The new technologies, products and lower prices generated by investments in R&D create new jobs, raise wages and create new demand for goods and services. Our legislation would increase cash flow for small businesses and start-ups involved in R&D intensive activities by reducing past, current and future tax liabilities leading to permanent tax savings."

Scientific and technological innovation accounts for nearly 50 percent of economic growth in the United States. However, investment in R&D has remained stagnant for more than a decade in the U.S., increasing at a pace of only 1.6 percent annually since 2000.

Further complicating the country's growth potential is the continued offshoring of manufacturing operations, which has separated manufacturing processes from the facilities where R&D efforts are conducted. According to numbers released by Senator Coons' office, companies are twice as productive in their R&D efforts when operations are co-located with a manufacturing facility. Yet the same release shows that American companies continue to outsource their manufacturing operations, with the U.S. losing over 5 million manufacturing jobs and more than 70,000 manufacturing plants having closed or moved offshore since 2000.

To combat these trends, the Invent and Manufacture in America Act would enhance the value of the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit by up to 25 percent for companies that perform the majority of their manufacturing operations in the U.S. The enhancement is graduated so that the credit increases as the percentage of a company's domestic manufacturing operations increases.

"To remain the world's leading economy in the 21st century, we must continue to expand investments in research and development, which is the lifeblood of economic growth," said Senator Coons in a written statement. "But it's not simply enough to invent products in the United States. Those products should also be manufactured here. A strong, growing manufacturing sector will create jobs and drive more foreign direct investment and reshoring to the United States. That's why I'm proud to partner with Senator Roberts to introduce bipartisan legislation that will help companies invent and make their products in America."

"This is, without a doubt, a major step in the right direction for our nation's anti-outsourcing movement," said Dhaval Jadav, alliantgroup CEO. "I applaud the bipartisan efforts of Senators Coons and Roberts, who have both been longtime champions of the R&D Tax Credit and strong advocates for American businesses."

alliantgroup is a premier specialty tax services consultancy that assists U.S. businesses and their CPA firms in identifying and properly claiming all available federal and state tax incentives. Our government has legislated these incentive programs to help businesses grow and successfully compete both in the U.S. and abroad. Headquartered in Houston, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Sacramento, Orlando, Indianapolis and Washington D.C., alliantgroup has helped businesses from across the nation claim over $5 billion in tax incentives. For more information on our services, please follow alliantgroup on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact

David Rosen

alliantgroup

713-350-3167

[email protected]

SOURCE alliantgroup

Related Links

https://www.alliantgroup.com


HOD HASHARON, Israel, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Altair Semiconductor (altair-semi.com), a leading provider of LTE chipsets, today demonstrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) functionality integrated in its new ALT1250 narrowband CAT-M1 and NB1 (NB-IoT) chipset. The ALT1250 is the only narrowband cellular IoT chipset in the market today that incorporates GNSS/GPS functionality.

"Location determination is essential in many IoT applications - including asset tracking, vehicle monitoring and wearable devices. Satellite positioning is the most accurate method for doing that," said Eran Eshed, Co-founder and VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Altair. "Integrating GNSS functionality in the ALT1250 significantly reduces the overall cost of IoT solutions while offering state of the art, low power satellite positioning capabilities in a miniature package. The market is responding well to it."

In addition to GNSS functionality, the ALT1250's extreme level of integration eliminates the need for most external components required to design a cellular IoT module. Approximately the size of a shirt button and less than 100mm2 in size, an ALT1250 module features support for both Release 13 standards - CAT-M1 and NB1, and includes a wideband RF front-end supporting unlimited combinations of LTE bands within a single hardware design, a multi-layered and hardware-based security framework, an internal application MCU subsystem and packaging that enables standard, low-cost PCB manufacturing.

"Altair continues to lead the narrowband cellular IoT market with the most integrated, feature-rich and cost-efficient chipsets available," added Eshed. "We called the ALT1250 a game-changer when we announced it several months ago - integrated GNSS is one of a large set of groundbreaking innovations offered by this chip."

For more details on the ALT1250, visit http://www.altair-semi.com/products/alt1250 .

The demonstration of the ALT1250 in action, including the GNSS capability, will be presented today at the Sierra Wireless Innovation Summit, being held at the Paris Novotel Tour Eiffel in Paris, France.

About Altair Semiconductor



Altair Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation, is a leading provider of LTE chipsets. Altair's portfolio covers the complete spectrum of cellular 4G market needs, from supercharged video-centric applications all the way to ultra-low power, low cost IoT and M2M. Altair has shipped millions of LTE chipsets to date, commercially deployed on the world's most advanced LTE networks including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Softbank and KT (Korea Telecom). The company's customer roster includes some of the world's leading OEMs and ODMs, such as Hewlett-Packard, ASUS, D-Link and WNC, as well as the majority of Asian ODMs developing LTE products for global markets. For more information, visit http://www.altair-semi.com. Follow Altair on Twitter: @AltairSemi

Media/Analyst Contact:

Finn Partners Israel for Altair Semiconductor

Ellie Hanson

[email protected]

@elliesheva

+1-929-222-8006



SOURCE Altair Semiconductor
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles hosts their fifth Annual Memories in the Making (MiM) exhibition and auction, June 15, 2017 at Building Bridges Art Exchange (Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave, Unit F2, Santa Monica, CA.) This unique fine arts program offers creative and non-verbal communication through art, enhancing connections with families, professional caregivers, and others.

The MiM program is a gallery exhibition and auction showcasing the amazing artwork created by people in the mid-to-late stages of Alzheimer's. It is one of ALZGLA's unique arts4ALZ programs that helps provide insight into the thoughts and memories that participants are often challenged in communicating.

"Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles is dedicated to meeting the needs of men and women affected by Alzheimer's and other dementias," said Brianne Ellsworth, Memories in the Making Manager. "While social isolation may be common for those living with the disease, their family, and/or their caregivers, the MiM program provides a sense of self-expression and belonging in a family-oriented environment."

MiM is made possible through the generosity of Susan Disney Lord, Abigail Disney, Tim Disney, and Roy P. Disney in loving memory of their mother, Patricia Disney, who was an artist.

The one-day exhibition is free of charge and will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Dawn Davis at (323) 930-6280. For information, visit www.alzgla.org/events.

Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles is the only local full-service, dementia-focused, nonprofit with 36 years of experience, 5 locations, and 57 staff serving Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. ALZGLA provides programs and services free of charge to individuals with Alzheimer's and related dementias, their families, caregivers and the community. Low cost training and education are also offered for professionals. Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles began as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1981. 100% of all Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles fundraising stays local, focusing on care, support, advocacy, and research across Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

Alzheimer's is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that weakens the memory and other cognitive and emotional functions. For more information, call the Helpline 24/7 at 1-844-HELP-ALZ or visit www.alzgla.org.

Find Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALZGLA

Twitter: @ALZGLA https://twitter.com/ALZGLA

Instagram: @ALZGLA https://www.instagram.com/ALZGLA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTvy865lLjoEi9DJTj-ljVw

SOURCE Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles

Related Links

http://www.alzgla.org


LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Elements CEO Michael Silver will deliver a keynote address at the Advanced Materials for Defense Summit on July 19 in Alexandria, Virginia. American Elements is the world's largest manufacturer of advanced materials. Its customers include the U.S. armed forces and its national laboratories. Other Keynote Speakers include U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General John B. Cooper.

Mr. Silver will discuss President Trump's goal of increasing U.S. defense industry manufacturing jobs and the challenges created by America's failure to establish a supply chain for the advanced raw materials necessary to produce modern strategic weapons systems. He is expected to offer legislative and regulatory options for correcting this imbalance, as well as steps the government and defense contractors can take.

Additional information about the Advanced Materials for Defense Summit is available online at http://materials.dsigroup.org/. For more information about American Elements and its product catalog, visit https://www.americanelements.com.

SOURCE American Elements

Related Links

http://www.americanelements.com


Starbucks Handcrafted Beverage for only RM12 Promotion

Starbucks Malaysia wants to thank you for staying LOYAL with them. Because My Starbucks Rewards believes in rewarding valued customers, below deal is exclusively for Starbucks members. Check your mailbox now to see if you have receive this promotional mailer. Present the email to enjoy this special promotion.



*

Panel Place: Complete Online Survey and Get Paid in CASH

Promotion Details

ANY TALL SIZED HANDCRAFTED BEVERAGE @ RM12, GRANDE @ RM13, VENTI @ RM14.

Available on 13th June 2017 and 14th June 2017 (11am  2pm and 5pm  8pm)

Only applicable when payment is made with mobile app.

Terms and Conditions

Promotion valid on 13th June 2017 and 14th June 2017 (11am2pm and 5pm8pm).

Purchase of handcrafted beverage must be made with Mobile App.

No reward entitlement for any discounted beverage.

Any modifier will be charged accordingly.

Applicable at all Starbucks stores in Malaysia except Sunway Lagoon Kiosk.

This email must be presented to enjoy the discount (print and via mobile is acceptable).

Other Ongoing FREE Samples Giveaway
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit...Area 1 Security, the leader in stopping phishing attacks preemptively, is offering an industry-first 'No Phish Guarantee'TM to protect customers from phish-related breaches backed by major new anti-phishing innovations within its flagship SaaS solution, Area 1 HorizonTM. Area 1 Security will demonstrate Horizon's capabilities live at the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit (booth #438).

Phishing remains the root cause of 95 percent of breaches and is the primary reason for financial losses, data exfiltration and brand damage to organizations large and small. Current solutions are unable to effectively stop these attacks, since phishing spans multiple vectors and digitally connected entities, requiring advanced detection and enforcement that reaches out to every place you can be phished.

"Increasing volume and sophistication of phishing attacks are resulting in real financial damage to organizations in both downtime (such as 'ransomware' attacks) and direct financial fraud (such as wire transfers). CISOs should develop a comprehensive program of phishing prevention and detection to protect internal infrastructure, financial transactions and sensitive data," according to Neil Wynne, Andrew Walls and Peter Firstbrook, Gartner. *

"Once phishing attacks appear on user devices, as history has shown, nearly 1 in 10 users take the bait, and take the bait quickly," said Michael Suby, Stratecast vice-president of research at Frost & Sullivan. "The ultimate in phishing mitigation is to block all phishing attacks from ever reaching users' device screens. In essence, remove users from the role of defending against phishing attacks." **

Industry's First 'No Phish Guarantee'

The security industry has had limited accountability for its solutions. Area 1 Security's 'No Phish Guarantee' provides CEOs, CIOs and CISOs the assurance that they are no longer fighting this battle alone. Existing solutions are reactive and tentative--unable to truly prevent hacks, to be held accountable or offer real value measured in business terms. Area 1 Security's unique service stops phishing comprehensively and preemptively, with the confidence to offer customers total protection.

The 'No Phish Guarantee' allows customers who have bought and deployed Area 1 Security's service suite to claim the value of breach damages caused due to missed phish. Customers can rest assured they have the industry's best anti-phishing solution protecting their organization and users, all backed by measurable accountability for their cybersecurity investment.

"Phishing is increasingly a business problem, not just a technical one, and solutions need to focus on quantifiable business metrics that are tied to specific outcomes. The 'No Phish Guarantee' does precisely that," said Oren Falkowitz, CEO and co-founder, Area 1 Security.

Phish Disabled in Earliest StagesBefore They Breach and Damage the Business

Area 1 Horizon finds and disrupts phishing attacks, the leading cause of breaches, while the attacks are still under construction at their own origins. As the root cause of breaches, phishing opens the door to ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), whaling, malware, spoofing and other threats, each with their own disastrous outcomes. Area 1 Security developed Horizon as a new approach to the growing volume, severity and cost of these attacks. With globally distributed ActiveSensorsTM, massive-scale web crawling, and comprehensive pre-attack analytics, Area 1 Horizon identifies phishing campaigns, attacker infrastructure and attack delivery mechanisms during the earliest stages of a phishing attack cycle.

Expanded Capabilities Identify Campaigns Earlier and Stops Phish Across All Vectors

Enhanced Detections:





Dynamic web crawling, user impersonation and in-the-wild sandboxing enable Area 1 Security to index campaigns across the entire web, while they are being staged prior to launch. The system uses a series of high speed crawlers that dynamically adjust their crawling frontiers, mimicking end user browsing behavior and performance. In-the-wild content deconstruction and detonation allow for the earliest discovery of active or in-process campaign infrastructure.





enable Area 1 Security to index campaigns across the entire web, while they are being staged prior to launch. The system uses a series of high speed crawlers that dynamically adjust their crawling frontiers, mimicking end user browsing behavior and performance. In-the-wild content deconstruction and detonation allow for the earliest discovery of active or in-process campaign infrastructure.

Computer vision based detections discover pixel-perfect phishing campaigns with high fidelity. Utilizing a combination of advanced vector mapping, natural language processing, and unsupervised machine learning models, Area 1 Security's web crawlers automatically determine if a given web page is masquerading as a trusted brand. The system identifies visual markers on the page and makes a real-time assessment that distinguishes a genuine page from a pixel-perfect imitation to steal credentials.





discover pixel-perfect phishing campaigns with high fidelity. Utilizing a combination of advanced vector mapping, natural language processing, and unsupervised machine learning models, Area 1 Security's web crawlers automatically determine if a given web page is masquerading as a trusted brand. The system identifies visual markers on the page and makes a real-time assessment that distinguishes a genuine page from a pixel-perfect imitation to steal credentials. Multi-vector protection:



Phishing isn't just limited to emails. Sophisticated threat actors leverage every possible entry point to an organization, including email messages, web links and network based communications. To truly stop a campaign, an organization needs to consider a comprehensive approach that spans all entry points of a given campaign. New capabilities announced today enable Area 1 Horizon to proactively detect and stop phishing attacks through each of these vectorsemail, web and network.





Phishing isn't just limited to emails. Sophisticated threat actors leverage every possible entry point to an organization, including email messages, web links and network based communications. To truly stop a campaign, an organization needs to consider a comprehensive approach that spans all entry points of a given campaign. New capabilities announced today enable Area 1 Horizon to proactively detect and stop phishing attacks through each of these vectorsemail, web and network. Phish-focused email defense, implemented through a high speed Cloud MTA, provides the industry's leading phish catch rate compared to legacy secure email gateways. Extensive visibility of phishing infrastructure and campaigns, along with deep message context and analysis, allow Area 1 Security's verdict engines to uncover small pattern, targeted phish. These include the unique BEC, name spoofing or ransomware attacks that are focused on a small set of individuals and are typically missed by email defenses that rely on volume-based detection patterns.



Area 1 Security offers advanced targeted phish protection for a comprehensive approach to messaging security in any environment. In addition to providing a layered defense within existing messaging environments, the solution transparently supplements cloud-inbox services, such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite.



implemented through a high speed Cloud MTA, provides the industry's leading phish catch rate compared to legacy secure email gateways. Extensive visibility of phishing infrastructure and campaigns, along with deep message context and analysis, allow Area 1 Security's verdict engines to uncover small pattern, targeted phish. These include the unique BEC, name spoofing or ransomware attacks that are focused on a small set of individuals and are typically missed by email defenses that rely on volume-based detection patterns. Area 1 Security offers advanced targeted phish protection for a comprehensive approach to messaging security in any environment. In addition to providing a layered defense within existing messaging environments, the solution transparently supplements cloud-inbox services, such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite.

Web-based phish protection utilizes a highly scalable, globally-distributed recursive DNS service to ensure legitimacy of web links, protecting users from web-based phishing attacks via malicious droppers, socially engineered sites, malvertising links, compromised websites, credential harvesting and other web-based phishing threats. In an increasingly mobile world, offering a distributed DNS service allows customers to extend phishing protection to their roaming and mobile users, regardless of what network they're on.





utilizes a highly scalable, globally-distributed recursive DNS service to ensure legitimacy of web links, protecting users from web-based phishing attacks via malicious droppers, socially engineered sites, malvertising links, compromised websites, credential harvesting and other web-based phishing threats. In an increasingly mobile world, offering a distributed DNS service allows customers to extend phishing protection to their roaming and mobile users, regardless of what network they're on.

Network-based phishing defense ensures that backscatter and explicit communications between a targeted endpoint and a phishing C2 is detected and prevented at the network edge. Utilizing pre-built automated integrations, customers can leverage their existing network security gateways, such as firewalls and IPS to reinforce their network edge and lock it down against low volume, high risk multi-stage phishing campaigns.

"These major enhancements take phishing defense to a whole new level, offering a robust, comprehensive and proactive defense across the three vectors that attackers have exploited again and again. We can protect companies that rely on a secure Internet to do business," said Vivek Bhandari, director of product management, Area 1 Security.

Pricing and Availability

Area 1 Horizon is generally available and is already successfully used by many enterprises, large and small. The SaaS product is a cloud delivered service that does not require any on-premises installation. It is available as a subscription service with annual or three-year options.

The No-Phish Guarantee is available to Area 1 Horizon customers starting July 2017 .

For more information, please visit https://area1security.com/.

About Area 1 Security

Area 1 Security is the first company to offer a 'No Phish Guarantee'TM to protect customers from phish-related breaches by preemptively eliminating attacks across email, network and web vectors before they cause damage to businesses. Cloud-based Area 1 Security detects, analyzes and disables targeted phishing in its earliest stages with an advanced ActiveSensor network and sparse pattern analytics. Area 1 Security is recognized as the #5 best place to work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. Join the conversation at @area1security or follow the blog for the latest industry news and insights.

Media contacts:

Suzanne Matick,

for Area 1 Security

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 831-234-0809

Brenda Christensen

for Area 1 Security

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 818-307-9942

*source: Fighting Phishing: Optimize Your Defense, Gartner report ID: G00300446

** source: FROST & SULLIVAN REPORT You've Been Phished, Again!

SOURCE Area 1 Security

Related Links

https://area1security.com


DALLAS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Argosy University, Dallas is pleased to announce that the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Argosy University, Dallas was granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) at its most recent Board of Commissioners meeting. The program is accredited through fall 2021.

"CCNE accreditation reflects that the BSN program at Argosy University, Dallas, together with its faculty, curriculum, and support systems meet the standards established by this leading professional organization," says Dr. Brian McAulay, campus president of Argosy University, Dallas.

Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public's health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing.

CCNE serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education and nurse residency programs.

For more information about CCNE accreditation, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation.

The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Argosy University, Dallas is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202-887-6791.

Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Argosy University, Dallas, 5001 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy, Heritage Square, Farmers Branch, TX 75244  2017 Argosy University. All rights reserved. Our email address is [email protected].

See http://ge.argosy.edu/programoffering/4178 for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

SOURCE Argosy University
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspire Homes, LLC. President & CEO Daniel N. Bailey announced that the custom home building firm will be opening its second California office in El Dorado Hills later this summer.

"With our recent expansion into the Central Valley Region of California, opening an office in El Dorado Hills provides us with an important and necessary geographical foothold for our operations," Bailey said.

This past April, Bailey announced that his firm had acquired 26 acres of land in Hanford, California, for development of a 68-tract new home development along with a 268-luxury-apartment home development. Hanford, California, is located 35 miles south of Fresno, California.

Bailey stated that he has recently been searching sites in the El Dorado Hills area for both new tract housing and luxury apartment home developments.

"The El Dorado Hills area is one of the fastest-growing markets in the state. There are some outstanding Master Planning developers that have pulled together highly desirable parcels of land for future development," Bailey said.

Bailey added that there was no specific timetable in place as to when land in the El Dorado Hills area would be under contract.

Aspire Homes, a custom home building company focusing on Mid-Century Modern designed homes, is a part of the HollyHills Development family of companies. The home building company is also expanding into luxury apartment home development.

For more information about Aspire Homes, visit its Website at Aspirehomes-ps.com.

For more information contact:

T. J. Connolly

210-601-2601

[email protected]

SOURCE Aspire Homes

Related Links

http://Aspirehomes-ps.com


SAO PAULO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO), the leading provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing solutions (CRM BPO) in Latin America, and one of the three top providers worldwide, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Interfile. A definitive agreement to acquire the company was announced in March 2017.

"We are excited to complete the acquisition of Interfile, which strengthens our capabilities and positions Atento as the leading provider of credit origination BPO solutions in Brazil and in the Latin America market. Through this transaction we are doubling our market share in the USD 1 Billion Latam credit origination BPO market to approximately 10%. This acquisition allows us now to provide a fully integrated BPO platform to deliver end-to-end solutions for the Financial Services sector," stated Alejandro Reynal, Atento's Chief Executive Officer.

"This transaction is evidence of our progress against our strategic growth initiatives, which include the consolidation of our leadership position in core voice services, expansion into higher value-add solutions, and accelerated growth in digital services," added Mr. Reynal.

Mauricio Montilha, Atentos Chief Financial Officer, added, "Our long-term strategy to create value is to diversify our revenue base and selectively deploy capital to where its value is the highest. Our acquisition of a majority stake in Interfile is an excellent example of this strategy  reflecting our disciplined capital allocation and our pursuit of selective growth opportunities to accelerate our transformation into a BPO company. We will continue to be opportunistic and evaluate opportunities for capital deployment including further accretive investments and accelerated pay down of high cost debt."

The Company remains confident in its full-year outlook, in constant currency, for revenue growth between 1% and 5% and adjusted EBITDA margin between 11% and 12%, as recent transactions are expected to contribute to revenue growth.

Founded in 1991, Interfile is a leading provider of BPO services and solutions for the banking and financial services sector in Brazil. Interfile is a benchmark in the BPO market in Brazil, and provides services and solutions, including credit origination, to a great majority of blue-chip brands operating in the financial sector. It has more than 1,700 employees, 2 BPO services centers, 28 operations offices and more than 1,400 workstations, offering great proximity and efficiency to clients across Brazil.

About Atento

Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing (CRM BPO) services in Latin America, and among the top three providers globally, based on revenues. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM/BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs more than 150,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atentos shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2016, Atento was named one of the Worlds 25 Best Multinational Workplaces by Great Place to Work for a third consecutive year. For more information visit www.atento.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Atento S.A.

Related Links

http://www.atento.com


BERLIN, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ATS Advanced Telematic Systems is the first European company integrating the Uptane security framework into its OTA solutions: OTA Plus and ATS Garage. Uptane is a joint research initiative between NYU's Tandon School of Engineering, the Southwest Research Institute, and the University of Michigan Transport Research Center, working to develop a common standard for automotive software update security. It was designed in consultation with government regulators, OEMs, and suppliers responsible for 78% of vehicles on U.S. roads. Uptane builds on The Update Framework (TUF) for software updates in conventional IT systems. The aim is to mitigate all common attacks on software update systems specific to connected vehicles. It was initiated and funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The most comprehensive security framework to defend against attacks on software updates for connected cars

"Uptane is the most comprehensive security framework available to defend attacks on updates for connected cars. It supports the highest level of security for all ECUs - even resource-constrained secondary ECUs. Uptane has been backed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the automotive industry. Together with Uptane, we are setting a new security standard for the whole industry," said Arthur Taylor, Chief Technologist at ATS Advanced Telematic Systems. The Uptane design mitigates attacks even if an attacker has direct access to a vehicle's safety-critical components. The result is that any single attack on infrastructure will be contained to that specific component and cannot compromise vehicle safety, and even multiple simultaneous compromises will have little or no impact on vehicle fleets' software.

Highest security due to open standards

"What is different about Uptane is that it is an open standard that has been publicly reviewed by members of the security community," explained Justin Cappos, a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department of NYU's Tandon School of Engineering. ATS products stand out in a marketplace full of closed-source OTA products, as OTA Plus and other ATS solutions are open source-based and built according to open standards.

This is why ATS partners with standards organizations and automotive associations, to develop solutions that respond to current challenges and future needs in the connected car industry. In close cooperation with automotive alliance GENIVI and Toyota-backed Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), ATS works on turning best practices into industry standards. Toyota recently announced that it will be using an AGL-based Linux system for its model Camry.

About ATS Advanced Telematic Systems: https://advancedtelematic.com

Press contact:

Eric Eitel

+49(0)175-16-70-891

[email protected]



SOURCE ATS Advanced Telematic Systems GmbH
AUL offers a variety of pre-owned vehicle warranty and service contract products to automobile dealers across the United States. AUL's product offerings vary from the Any Year-Any Mileage  coverage to the Franchise dealer-focused Absolute suite of products featuring Absolute Profitsall designed to maximize ROI for a dealership. AUL, to date, has administered 1.8 million contracts and paid over $600 million in claims.

"Recognition from our dealers that we are delivering on our promises is very rewarding. Serving our agents and dealers is what we are all about. To be chosen for the fourth year in a row is humbling, and we greatly appreciate it," said President/CEO, Jimmy Atkinson.

"Our people and agents are our greatest assets. All 120 people here at AUL are committed to our agent's and dealer's success. This gold award reinvigorates us to keep up the hard work, so we can continue to make everyone happy," said General Sales Manager, Jason Garner.

About the Dealers' Choice Award

The Dealers' Choice Awards are based on a comprehensive online survey open only to dealers and dealership professionals. Voters must manually enter the company names of their favorite vendors, suppliers, trainers, and finance companies and score them on performance, value, and whether they would recommend each company to another dealer. The awards will be featured in a Special Awards Section in the August issue of Auto Dealer Today. They will be presented in a special ceremony at Industry Summit, which will be held Sept. 1114, 2017, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center.

About AUL Corp.

AUL Corp. founded the national used car service contract industry in 1990, with its still famous "Any Year-Any Mileage" Vehicle Service Contract. AUL continues leading its industry and is the only provider of its type authorized to conduct business in all 50 states, as well as some Caribbean locations. AUL enjoys a long relationship with its underwriters who hold an A.M. Best rating of "A" Excellent. AUL Corp. also enjoys the longest-term relationships in the industry with its agent and dealer clients, verified by independent third party research. AUL's mission is to be the premier service contract administrator in America, by any quantifiable measurement of business activity. To find out more, please visit http://www.aulcorp.com

SOURCE AUL Corp.

Related Links

http://www.aulcorp.com


SAN DIEGO, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Treatment with autoantigen specific therapies, such as Alum-GAD, is safe to give to children with an increased risk for developing type 1 diabetes, however, it does not prevent the development of the disease, investigators explained during a symposium presentation today on the research study, "A Double-blind, Randomized Investigator-initiated Study to Determine the Safety and the Effect of Diamyd on the Progression to Type 1 Diabetes in Children With Multiple Islet Cell Autoantibodies," at the American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions at the San Diego Convention Center.

Glutamate decarboxylase, or glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), is an enzyme that is targeted by autoantibodies in people who later develop type 1 diabetes. Previous research reported that injections with GAD may preserve some insulin production for 30 months in people with type 1 diabetes; however, this had not been confirmed in larger scale studies. This double-blind, randomized, investigator-initiated study was conducted to determine the safety and the efficacy of alum-formulated GAD65 (Alum-GAD)[1], on the progression to type 1 diabetes in children with ongoing persistent beta-cell autoimmunity as indicated by multiple positive islet cell autoantibodies.

DIAPREV-IT is the first prevention study where Alum-GAD was given before the onset of type 1 diabetes. The study aimed to test if it is safe to use Alum-GAD on children who are at high risk for developing the disease in an attempt to induce immune-tolerance earlier during the autoimmune process, and thereby prevent or delay the process leading to clinical type 1 diabetes. Known risk factors for type 1 diabetes include family history, genetics, geography and age, with the highest incidence of onset occurring in children between 4-7 years and 10-14 years.

The study was conducted from April 2009 to January 2017 in Sweden. The trial enrolled 50 children, aged 4-18 years, who did not yet have type 1 diabetes, and who had positive GAD-antibodies and at least one additional type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibody (IA-2Ab, ZnT8R/W/QAb or IAA). The children were assigned to receive either two injections of the previously tested dose of 20 g Alum-GAD, administered as a prime-and-boost at days 1 and 30as no serious adverse reactions have been observed with this regimenor two injections of a placebo. Both intravenous (IvGTT) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed before the first injection. Follow-up visits with the enrolled patients were conducted every three months for five years, with the OGTT repeated every six months and the IvGTT repeated at every full-year visit during the study. OGTT's were also performed annually, and IvGTT and OGTT were alternatingly performed every six months

The results indicated that it is safe to administer Alum-GAD to children who are at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes; however, the trial did not find any significant effect on preventing type 1 diabetes in the small study sample. Since the group was composed of children with both normal and impaired glucose tolerance upon enrollment in the study, these subjects were known to progress to type 1 diabetes at different rates. Thus, it was not possible to perform specific analyses in subgroups of children. However, there was no difference in adverse events or serious adverse events between participants receiving the placebo or the active substance.

"Since our study shows that Alum-GAD treatment is safe, we want to further explore this treatmenteither in different doses or in combination with other drugsin future prevention studies that may impact patient care," said chief investigator Helena Elding Larsson, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes at Lund University in Sweden. "For example, one option could be to use repeated increasing small doses as is common in classic immune tolerance treatment for allergic symptoms."

"We collected a large number of immunological samples from the study that have yet to be analyzed to understand the possible mechanistic effects of Alum-GAD," Larsson explained. "These results will be important to consider in developing new studies with combination therapies performed."

To speak with Dr. Larsson, please contact the Association's media relations team on-site at the San Diego Convention Center on June 9 - 13, by phone at 619-525-6250 or by email at [email protected].

The American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions, to be held June 9-13, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center, is the world's largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care. During the five-day meeting, health care professionals have exclusive access to more than 2,500 original research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight interest areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Brenda Montgomery, RN, MSHS, CDE, President of Health Care and Education[2], will deliver her address on Saturday, June 10, and Alvin C. Powers, MD, President of Medicine and Science, will present his address on Sunday, June 11. Eight abstracts were selected by the Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee to be presented on Tuesday, June 13, in the President's Oral Session. These abstracts represent important research being conducted in the field of diabetes today. In total, the 2017 Scientific Sessions includes 378 abstracts in 49 oral sessions; 2,152 poster presentations including 50 moderated poster discussions; and 360 published-only abstracts.

About the American Diabetes Association

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds another person is diagnosed with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (Association) is the global authority on diabetes and since 1940 has been committed to its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To tackle this global public health crisis, the Association drives discovery in research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and provides support and advocacy for people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

[1] The brand product name for Alum-GAD is Diamyd.

[2] Disclosures for Brenda Montgomery. Employer: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Montgomery's role as President, Health Care & Education of the American Diabetes Association (Association) is a voluntary position to which she was elected by the members of the Association in 2015. She continues to recuse herself from any and all discussions, decisions or votes that have or could be perceived as having a conflict of interest with her employer.

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Related Links

http://www.diabetes.org


"This is the realization of many years of effort; launching YourConfigurator.com to commercialize the technology Insignia patented in 2013." says David Stringer, president of Insignia. "Working in partnership with The Technology Incubator, we were able to focus our vision, develop our strategy for launch and gain access to audiences to make this a reality."

Stringer explains that in 2010 the company began the process to patent its technology that dynamically visualizes the customizations of products. After receiving the patent in October of 2013, it entered the Technology Incubator in 2014. The Technology Incubator, a joint venture between the City of Rock Hill and the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation, is dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and advising emerging technology companies.

According to Stringer, the purpose for entering the Incubator was to develop Insignia's innovation beyond the Automotive Industry. "YourConfigurator.com is launching to explore how our visualization process and software can be leveraged in more mass-market segments."

"Insignia represents an exemplary entrepreneurial venture founded in Rock Hill." Says David Warner, director of the Technology Incubator. "We are proud to have assisted in Insignia's positioning to launch the new technology venture and to set the stage for future sustained growth."

The next steps for YourConfigurator.com have already been set with the acceptance into the State's South Carolina Research Authority's (SCRA) SC Launch Program, which according to its web site, "provides a framework to grow South Carolina's innovation economy by providing mentoring, funding, commercialization assistance and the resources necessary to successfully launch start-ups in the state."

"We are excited to welcome YourConfigurator.com to SCRA's entrepreneurial program, SC Launch. We look forward to the impact they are going to make in our state," says Bob Quinn executive director of SCRA.

Established in 2001, Insignia is a software and consulting company with 42 employees in the Knowledge Park district of Rock Hill. The company is a service provider for car dealerships, accessories distributors, and vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover.

The company's visualization technology and the progress toward commercialization received a big boost in 2015 from Eastman Chemical when Insignia launched a global window film configurator for Eastman's LLumar(c) window film. This configurator is used by installation centers for window film around the world.

According to Stringer, the ownership team of Insignia will also be the ownership team for YourConfigurator.com. Although the two companies will support each other for the foreseeable future, Stringer explains that eventually each will be independent operations and directions.

"It is our hope and drive to see both companies continually grow and expand within Knowledge Park." says Stringer. "The environment here, created by the partnership of the City of Rock Hill and the RHEDC, is one that fosters innovation and entrepreneurial growth. We also could not have done this without local partners like First Citizens Bank."

About Insignia Group

Insignia Group is the innovator and industry leader in accessory sales process consulting and configurator software. Insignia drives exceptional Vehicle Personalization sales training, configurator software, continual leadership, and process improvement to the automotive industry. These core deliverables improve the customer experience, increase customer satisfaction, reduce sales staff turnover, and maximize profits. Insignia currently supports eighteen vehicle brands, and serves dealerships nationwide. Insignia's software solution manages the fulfillment of nearly $85,000,000 in accessory sales transactions annually. For more information, visit www.insigniagroup.com.

Media Contacts:

Insignia Group

888-579-4458

About the Technology Incubator

The Technology Incubator @ Knowledge Park (or the TI Center) serves as Rock Hill's innovation and entrepreneurship hub. Its two pronged mission is to: 1) attract and assist promising technology startup and early stage businesses in a program to create new knowledge worker jobs; and 2) to build a community-based entrepreneurial ecosystem to support the development of local talent and new innovation ventures.

Media Contact:

David Warner, Director

803-329-8721

[email protected]

About the SCRA

Chartered by the state of South Carolina in 1983, South Carolina Research Authority, SCRA, is a public, non-profit corporation that fosters and enriches South Carolina's innovation economy.

SCRA was created by the South Carolina Legislature and given a one-time founding grant of $500,000 and 1,400 acres of undeveloped land. In order to successfully execute its mission and remain self-sustaining, SCRA uses income from its government contracting affiliate and funds from the Industry Partnership Fund to further technology-based economic growth in the state.

Our vision is to enhance and improve the development and growth of the state's Innovation Economy - creating jobs, furthering company growth and facilitating academic research and commercialization.

Media Contact:

Jessica Cokins

[email protected]

SOURCE Insignia Group, LLC

Related Links

http://www.insigniagroup.com


SAN DIEGO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avelas Biosciences, Inc., a clinical stage oncology-focused company dedicated to improving cancer patient care from diagnosis through treatment, today announced that Carmine N. Stengone, president and chief executive officer, will be a panel participant at the JMP Securities Life Sciences Conference, being held in New York. The panel is titled, "Small Molecule Oncology Drugs: Challenges and Opportunities" and will take place at 1:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. PDT) on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.

About Avelas Biosciences

Avelas Biosciences is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on developing technologies that advance a new standard-of-care for cancer surgery and therapeutic intervention. The company's lead candidate, AVB-620, has completed a Phase 1b clinical trial assessing safety, pharmacokinetics and fluorescence properties using tissue image analysis. The initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial for AVB-620 in breast cancer is expected in the first half of 2017. In addition, the company is advancing a therapeutic program, which utilizes the same technology platform. Avelas was founded by Avalon Ventures on technology from Roger Y. Tsien, Ph.D., co-winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry. For additional information, please visit www.avelasbio.com.

SOURCE Avelas Biosciences, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.avelasbio.com


GREENFIELD, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The registered nurses of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have issued the required 10-day notice today of their intent to conduct a one-day strike to protest bad faith bargaining by the employer on June 26, 2017.

The key issues behind the dispute include management's continued refusal to bargain over workload and staffing, including the nurses' call for an increase in RN staffing at the hospital to ensure safe patient assignments and an end to management's continued use of unwanted overtime, increased weekend work and unscheduled shifts as a staffing mechanism. Management has been refusing to bargain over any staffing, workload and scheduling issues, asserting that it is "management's right" to staff and schedule and not hire as they see fit. Management is also demanding to cut holidays, sick days and vacation time.

The nurses are also seeking to negotiate a decent and affordable health insurance benefit, after the hospital has eliminated two of the health insurance plans in the past year and a half. Management has been refusing to bargain over health insurance since the outset of the negotiations. In fact, they eliminated the second health plan on January 1 while in negotiations, and refused to discuss it, choosing instead to send notices out directly to nurses that the plan would no longer exist, and that they can choose from two substandard plans.

"The last thing nurses want to do is strike, but there comes a point when you have to make a stand, especially when the issues involved impact the very core of our mission as nurses, which is the ability to provide safe and appropriate care up to our professional standards," said Donna Stern, co-chair of the nurses bargaining unit for the 200 nurses at BFMC. "When nurses have too many patients to care for at one time, we can't be there for the patient when the patient needs us to be. When nurses are forced against their will to work extra hours or entire shifts, simply because the hospital has refused to hire enough staff to cover all available shifts, nurses are exhausted and more prone to make errors in care. Nurses also can't tell their families when they'll be home, or when they'll have a day off. Baystate management refuses to bargain over nurse workload or nurse hiring to improve the situation."

On March 15 BFMC RNS voted, by a margin of 93%, to authorize their elected bargaining committee to call a strike if and when they see fit to do so. To date, the parties have held more than 20 bargaining sessions, at all of which management has refused to bargain over core issues. Management refused to even make its first complete proposal until February, which was a month after the contract's expiration date.

The decision to issue the strike notice was made after the nurses made several fruitless attempts to present the employer with modified proposals intended to move the process forward. For example, on May 4 the nurses presented a new set of proposals yet management would not provide any meaningful counter and continued to categorically refuse to bargain over staffing, workload and health benefits. Management maintained this stance at sessions held on May 11 and 16. On June 8 management promised to respond, but instead just delivered another categorical refusal. Last night, the nurses made a final test of whether it was possible to avoid a strike by providing a revamped proposal. Management did not respond

If the nurses strike, the strike would begin at 6 a.m. on June 26 and continue for 24 hours, with the nurses prepared to re-enter the hospital at 6 a.m. the following morning. The MNA is open to bargaining prior to the strike date if management choses to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement.

BFMC nurses worked shifts longer than 12 hours nearly 4,000 times in the past 12 months.

The BFMC nurses are working while exhausted, because they are so understaffed. Virtually every six week schedule has many "holes" meaning that, because management will not hire, they can't even say who  even in theory  will work the scheduled shifts.

As a result nurses are working endless additional shifts usually without rest. In fact, 3,940 times in the past 12 months nurses had to work for longer than 12 hours because there was no one to relieve them. The longest shift was 17.5 hours. It is illegal in Mass. for an RN to ever work more than 16 hours  even during a state of emergency. A May 15 letter from the MNA committee members to the hospital's president details the abusiveness of the never ending shifts.

"We are working while exhausted" the MNA BFMC Committee writes in the letter. "Among our most important issues in negotiations for which a long-term solution is urgently needed is understaffing that forces RNs and others to work overtime and extra shifts without restBecause there is not enough staff, and we are forced to pick up additional shift after shift after shift and can't go home at the end of our shifts. This is antithetical to the safe patient care studies management was (accurately) citing to us two years ago."

Background on Bargaining

BFMC nurses have been bargaining with Baystate since November 2016. The RNs have filed seven unfair labor practice charges against Baystate Franklin with the National Labor Relations Board. Bargaining is over a new contract to replace the agreement that was scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2016. A federal mediator joined the bargaining process in February.

For more details, including the letters to the president, NLRB charges and hospital schedules, mandatory overtime reports and text messages showing a pattern of BFMC not having enough nurses for its patients, please contact David Schildmeier at 781-249-0430 or [email protected].

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


SOUTH BEND  Cass County authorities responded to an accident on Interstate 80 that caused one vehicle to catch fire early Sunday morning.

Cass County Sheriffs Office deputies traveled to mile marker 426 of Interstate 80 for a two-car accident at 2:07 a.m. Representatives of the Ashland police, fire and rescue departments joined CCSO deputies at the scene.

Deputies learned Omaha resident John Adair, 30, was driving a silver 2016 Dodge Ram in the eastbound lanes. A red 2002 Toyota Camry rear-ended Adairs vehicle in one of the lanes by mile marker 426. The collision caused the Toyota Camry to catch fire. It remained ablaze when deputies arrived on scene.

Authorities learned the Camry belonged to Carter Lake, Iowa, resident Katie Frazier. Frazier left the scene before law enforcement personnel arrived. Adair was checked out by Ashland rescue personnel and declined medical transport to a hospital.
NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilco Streambank (www.hilcostreambank.com), intellectual property sales consultant to hhgregg, announced today that a sale motion seeking authorization to sell the hhgregg brand and related intellectual property assets has been filed with the Bankruptcy Court on June 8, 2017.

The sale motion calls for interested parties to submit bids for the intellectual property assets by June 22, 2017, at 5:00 PM EDT. The intellectual property assets include the hhgregg brand-related trademarks, the domain names and other digital assets associated with the e-commerce website www.hhgregg.com, and hhgregg's extensive customer database of over 16 million customer files with 5 million associated email addresses.

An auction for all the hhgregg intellectual property assets has been proposed for Monday, June 26, 2017 at 10:00 AM EDT, at the offices of Debtors' counsel, Ice Miller LLP. The assets will be sold in a sale under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Parties interested in learning more about the hhgregg intellectual property assets, the sale process and other bidding requirements should contact Hilco Streambank directly using the contact information provided below.

About Hilco Streambank

Hilco Streambank is a market leading advisory firm specializing in intellectual property disposition and valuation. Over the last three years Hilco Streambank has become a leader in the IP valuation and disposition market, representing brands across various industries. Having completed numerous transactions including sales in publicly reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, private transactions, and online sales through HilcoDomains.com and IPv4Auctions.com, Hilco Streambank has established itself as the premier intermediary in the consumer brand, internet and telecom communities. Hilco Streambank is part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com), a worldwide financial services company and leader in helping companies maximize the value of their assets.

Parties interested in learning more about the hhgregg intellectual property assets, the sale process and other bidding requirements should contact Hilco Streambank directly using the contact information provided below.

David Peress Executive Vice President Hilco Streambank (781) 471-1239 [email protected] Jack Hazan Executive Vice President Hilco Streambank (212) 610-5663 [email protected] Benjamin Kaplan Associate Hilco Streambank (646) 651-1978 [email protected]

SOURCE Hilco Streambank

Related Links

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WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Congressional Hunger Center will honor four distinguished leaders in the fight against global and domestic hunger at the 11th Annual Hunger Leadership Awards on June 13, 2017 at the Madison Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The remarkable men and women to be honored by the Congressional Hunger Center were selected for their leadership in the effort to end hunger in the United States and around the world. They have demonstrated the strength and determination vital for the enduring fight against hunger within U.S. policy and non-governmental work at home and abroad.

"If we are going to end hunger here at home and around the world, we desperately need more bridge builders like our 2017 Hunger Leadership Award recipients," said Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center. "Our honorees are bridging the divide between local and global, policy and practice, and communities and Congress. They see all children as our children and so find it inexcusable that hunger exists in this day and time."

The 2017 honorees include:

Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), for his sponsorship and tireless stewardship of the Global Food Security Act of 2016. Representative Smith serves as a senior member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is Chairman of its Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization Subcommittee. Representative Smith has shown a passion for bipartisan solutions to Human Rights issues through his work with these committees and as the author of 42 laws while serving as a Representative. He has been a steady champion in Congress for people facing hunger and undernutrition across the world.

Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), for his extensive career in advocacy on behalf of low-income people and for the child nutrition programs. Representative Scott currently serves as the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, which has jurisdiction over WIC and the national school lunch program. Through his service on this committee, Representative Scott has led the fight for access to quality education and strong nutrition support for all students. He has spoken many times, including on the House floor, to highlight the critical links among nutrition, health and education and the need for strong nutrition programs to ensure that children are healthy and successful students.

Shana McDavis-Conway, Emerson National Hunger Fellow alumna. As an Emerson Fellow, Shana's field placement was in Hartford, CT, where she founded GROW Hartford, a youth urban farming program. Her policy placement in Washington, D.C. was with the Community Food Security Coalition and National Family Farm Coalition, where she focused on research and communications. She has also worked as Child Nutrition Advocate for the Food Research and Action Center and authored several publications on food systems, including Washington D.C.'s first community food assessment. Shana co-directed the Emerson Program for almost eight years  and served as a beloved advisor and mentor to 8 classes of Emerson Fellows  before moving to California to serve as Interim Program Director at the Center for Story-based Strategy. Shana is now a Program Manager at the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at the University of California-Davis and is also active in the Sacramento Hunger Coalition.

Emily Wei, Leland International Hunger Fellow alumna. As a Leland Fellow, Emily spent her field year with CARE in Lilongwe, Malawi. In Malawi, she conducted research on social protection and food security. At her policy placement with Mercy Corps in Washington, D.C., Emily supported Mercy Corps' food security policy and advocacy and conducted extensive research to document best practices from Mercy Corps' experience with Local and Regional Procurement programs. On completing her fellowship, Emily became a Policy Research Advisor at Catholic Relief Services, where she continues to serve as Deputy Director for Policy Development. She has participated in the training of every class of Leland Fellows that has come after her, sharing her professional knowledge, experience and advice to help incoming fellows.

The 2017 Hunger Leadership Awards are sponsored by Tyson Foods, General Mills, Monsanto, PepsiCo, Walmart, AARP, Kraft Heinz, the Kellogg Company, Feeding America, World Food Program USA, Bread for the World, the Food Research and Action Center, Share Our Strength, and a host of other supporting organizations and individuals.

The Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to make issues of domestic and international hunger a priority to policymakers in the U.S. government, and to raise a new generation of leaders to fight against hunger and poverty. For more information, visit www.hungercenter.org.

SOURCE Congressional Hunger Center

Related Links

http://www.hungercenter.org


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BitSight, the Standard in Security Ratings and ElevenPaths, Telefonica Cybersecurity Unit specializing in the development of innovative security solutions, today announced a new alliance that will enhance visibility into supply chain risk for Telefonica customers worldwide.

The agreement between BitSight and ElevenPaths provides Telefonica customers with access to the BitSight Security Ratings Platform for security benchmarking and continuous supply chain risk management. This new offering will be part of CyberThreats, ElevenPaths' threat intelligence service, delivering:

Objective, outside-in ratings measuring the security performance of individual organizations within the supply chain.

Comprehensive insight into the aggregate cybersecurity risk of the entire supply chain, with the ability to quickly generate context around emerging risks.

Actionable information included in Security Ratings that can be used to communicate with third parties and mitigate identified risks.

Using evidence of security incidents from networks around the world, the BitSight Security Ratings Platform applies sophisticated algorithms to produce daily security ratings for organizations, ranging from 250 to 900, where higher ratings equate to lower risk. Previous studies from BitSight, independently verified by third parties, show that companies with a Security Rating of 500 or lower are almost five times more likely to experience a publicly disclosed breach than companies with a Security Rating of 700 or higher.

"As an organization's supply chain and network of vendors and third parties grow, so does the risk of a potential breach. For most companies, it is essential that third parties have access to sensitive systems and files in order to effectively conduct business. The challenge is how to continuously assess those vendors' security practices," said Nikolaos Tsouroulas, Head of Cybersecurity Product Management, for ElevenPaths. "For the first time, we are offering our customers a scalable solution for continuous visibility into the security posture of their own organizations and their entire supply chain, through BitSight's trusted and time-tested technology."

Data from Tacyt, the cyber intelligence mobile threat tool developed by ElevenPaths, will also be integrated into the BitSight Security Ratings Platform for Telefonica customers to enhance an organization's view into mobile app risks posed in the supply chain.

"Traditional strategies and existing tools for measuring and mitigating third party risk are not designed to address the new and rapidly accelerating stream of constant threats," said Dave Fachetti, SVP of partnerships for BitSight. "BitSight's Security Ratings Platform delivers visibility into dynamic risks that are accelerating faster than traditional methods can scale, without being intrusive or resource-heavy. We're excited about bringing our unique solution to market with such a strong global partner, while expanding our reach around the world."

About BitSight

BitSight is transforming how companies manage information security risk with trusted, time-tested and actionable Security Ratings. Founded in 2011, the company built its Security Ratings Platform to continuously analyze vast amounts of external data on security issues and behaviors in order to help organizations manage third party risk, underwrite cyber insurance policies, benchmark performance, conduct M&A due diligence and assess aggregate risk. Seven of the top 10 cyber insurers, 80 Fortune 500 companies, and 3 of the top 5 investment banks rely on BitSight to manage cyber risks. For more information, please visit www.bitsighttech.com, read our blog or follow @BitSight on Twitter.

About ElevenPaths

At ElevenPaths we believe in the idea of challenging the current state of security, an attribute that must always be present in technology. We're always redefining the relationship between security and people, with the aim of creating innovative security products which can transform the concept of security, thus keeping us one step ahead of attackers, who are increasingly present in our digital life.

More information:

SOURCE BitSight Technologies

Related Links

http://www.bitsighttech.com


HOOFDDORP, The Netherlands, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

BlueCielo, a leading global provider of software solutions to monitor and control asset information throughout the asset lifecycle, today published its 2016 Annual Report.

During 2016 BlueCielo successfully expanded its installed customer base in five key asset-intensive and highly regulated vertical markets through increasing rollouts of its software solutions, while maintaining high customer retention and satisfaction rates. At the same time, BlueCielo has accelerated product innovation, offering its customers increasingly advanced solutions to facilitate maximized control and monitoring of their technical information as they move toward full digitalization.

"Our success in our key markets springs from our commitment to helping our customers solve business problems. We transform our customers' engineering data into actionable plant information, keeping them informed, compliant, and in control," said BlueCielo CEO Willem-Jan Scholten.

BlueCielo has expanded its reach with new cloud services as an early component of this strategy. During 2016, BlueCielo launched Meridian360 Portal, a cloud-based solution offering secure and controlled collaboration with an organization's external network of suppliers.

BlueCielo extended its global reach in 2016 with a newly opened office in Singapore. The organization has expanded customer success with its Premium Support program and the BlueCielo Academy, which offers a wide spectrum of classroom and online training for customers and partners to help them gain the most from BlueCielo software. In addition, the BlueCielo Partner Certification program ensures that its global partner network is best equipped and up to date on all aspects of BlueCielo solutions. The company also invested in other key areas during 2016, including talent acquisition and development.

"Based on our industry expertise and deep understanding of the customer's landscape, we strive to optimize their return on investment and maximize their user adoption and satisfaction through template-based implementations for rapid best-practice deployments," continues Willem-Jan Scholten.

BlueCielo's growth remains focused in five key vertical markets: oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, metals and mining, and utilities. These industries are all asset-intensive and highly regulated, and therefore they benefit from the specialized and tailored solutions BlueCielo offers.

The 2016 report details how BlueCielo's strong industry expertise, ongoing product innovation, expansion of services, and extensive partner network position the company for further growth in 2017 and beyond.

The full 2016 Annual report is available on the company's website at: BlueCieloECM.com/about

About BlueCielo

BlueCielo provides solutions to manage engineering information throughout the asset lifecycle. BlueCielo Meridian software connects maintenance and engineering, supports concurrent plant modifications, and improves data handover.

BlueCielo solutions transform engineering data into actionable plant information, keeping users informed, compliant, and in control. Serving the world's largest enterprises in the chemical, metals & mining, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, and utility industries, the Meridian product line increases data integrity, auditability, and efficiency, enabling users to improve productivity and efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce risk, and manage change. With BlueCielo, owner operators run their plants more effectively, safely, sustainably, and profitably.

The company is headquartered in the Netherlands and has offices across the United States, Europe, Brazil, and in Singapore, as well as an international network of partners that ensures local service and support. BlueCielo is an official partner of Autodesk, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and SolidWorks.

To learn more about BlueCielo see http://www.BlueCieloECM.com and follow @BlueCieloECM on Twitter.

BlueCielo, the "Bird" BlueCielo logo, and Meridian are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of BlueCielo ECM Solutions BV or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE BlueCielo
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluestar Silicones announces the expansion of the company's Silbione High Consistency Rubber (HCR) product line for tubing applications in the medical, healthcare, and pharmaceutical processing markets at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East Conference, June 13-15, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The company will showcase extruded samples of these products to demonstrate the material results in application at booth #844.

The new 50 and 65 durometer shore A products, Silbione HCRA 4250 and Silbione HCRA 4265, are designed as easy-to-process performance materials with good working time and repeatable batch-to-batch consistency. These new Silbione products have been tested in accordance with the relative components of ISO 10993 and USP Class VI standards and are produced in a clean environment under Bluestar's ISO 9001 registered quality management system.

"We are excited to offer the market an expanded HCR product line and continue to invest in growing our overall medical grade silicones portfolio," says Bob Waitt, Healthcare market manager for Bluestar Silicones North America. "We have been a trusted supplier of HCR materials to the medical and pharmaceutical markets for more than 20 years. These new materials will strengthen our position in this market, while giving our customers new options to enable them to select a product that best meets their needs."

Bluestar's 226,000 sq. ft. facility in York, S.C., including ISO 8 and ISO 7 clean rooms and enhanced quality systems, is the company's global center of excellence for medical and implant-grade silicones. Bluestar Silicones offers the broad know-how, unique formulations, and global regulatory support, including Master File support with the FDA, to service the specific needs of the medical grade silicone market.

In addition to its high consistency rubber offering, Bluestar Silicones will promote its Silbione Biomedical silicones for long-term implant applications and its Silbione soft silicone adhesives for wound, scar, transdermal and wearable device applications. Bluestar Silicones now offers a high tack self-bonding silicone gel for enhanced, yet gentle adhesion to the skin. High tack Silbione RT Gel 4645 enables coaters to achieve improved adhesion to polyurethane films without the use of an additional surface preparation process, such as corona, plasma or priming.

For electronic applications, Bluestar Silicones offers Bluesil ESA, a primerless system designed to bond to most plastics and metals. The product line offers excellent deep-section cure with no released by-products, excellent dielectric properties, thermal management and corrosion resistance

Bluestar Silicones offers a full range of silicone technologies for the healthcare market including HCRs, liquid silicone rubbers (LSR), room-temperature vulcanized silicones (RTVs), skin adhesive tacky gels, cushioning gels and permanent adhesives for the healthcare market.

For more information on Bluestar's medical grade silicones, call (866) 474-6342 or check out the company's healthcare website at www.silbione.com .

About Bluestar Silicones

With worldwide operations headquartered in Lyon, France, Bluestar Silicones is a worldwide silicones raw material manufacturer. The company is one of the world's leading fully integrated global silicones manufacturers with more than 60 years of silicone expertise. Bluestar Silicones has manufacturing operations throughout the world and combines upstream silicon operations and capacity with downstream silicone market and application development expertise. The company offers a comprehensive range of silicone technologies in support of diverse specialty markets including paper release, textile coatings, healthcare, moldmaking, automotive, aerospace, and personal care. Bluestar Silicones is a division of Elkem, a world-leading producer of silicon, ferrosilicon, special alloys for the foundry industry, carbon products, microsilica and integrated silicone manufacturing.

Press Contacts: Karen O'Keefe

(732) 227-2089

[email protected]

SOURCE Bluestar Silicones

Related Links

http://www.bluestarsilicones.com


"Probuphine is a unique and innovative product that has the potential to address an important unmet need for opioid dependent patients in Canada," said Jonathan Ross Goodman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Knight. "With Probuphine, Knight is continuing to advance its portfolio of opioid supportive therapeutics, which includes Movantik  , a product for opioid-induced constipation we in-licensed from AstraZeneca and began commercializing in March of this year."

"Opioid addiction is an overwhelming public health epidemic in North America. Acceptance of the NDS in Canada is another important milestone for Probuphine," said Mike Derkacz, President and CEO of Braeburn.

"We look forward to working with Knight and Health Canada to bring this important treatment option to Canadian patients."

Knight and Braeburn signed an exclusive distribution and sublicense agreement in February 2016, granting Knight the exclusive right to distribute Probuphine in Canada.

About PROBUPHINE

Probuphine is the only subdermal implant designed to deliver buprenorphine continuously for six months following a single treatment.

Probuphine was developed using ProNeura, the continuous drug delivery system developed by Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Titan") that consists of a small, solid implant made from a mixture of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and a drug substance. The resulting construct is a solid matrix that is placed subdermally, normally in the upper arm in an outpatient office procedure, and removed in a similar manner at the end of the treatment period. Braeburn obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval for Probuphine in May 2016 and became the first buprenorphine implant for the long-term maintenance treatment of opioid addiction.

About Braeburn Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, an Apple Tree Partners company, is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company delivering individualized medicine in neuroscience. Long-acting therapeutic treatment options can be essential to improving patient outcomes and facilitating recovery in neurological and psychiatric disorders, which are often complicated by stigma and present significant public health challenges. Braeburn's commercial product, Probuphine (buprenorphine) implant was approved by the FDA in May 2016. Braeburn's investigational product pipeline consists of long-acting implantable and injectable therapies for serious neurological and psychiatric disorders, including opioid addiction, pain, and schizophrenia. Braeburn's pipeline products are at various stages of clinical development and include weekly and monthly CAM2038, subcutaneous injection depot formulations of buprenorphine, being investigated in opioid addiction and pain, BB0417 buprenorphine/granisetron injectable for acute pain, and BB0817, six-month risperidone implant being investigated in schizophrenia. More information on Braeburn can be found at www.braeburnpharmaceuticals.com.

About Knight Therapeutics Inc.

Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the company's web site at www.gudknight.com or www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time that they were prepared, but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations, are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law.

Probuphine Indication and Important Safety Information

PROBUPHINE is indicated for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in patients who have achieved and sustained prolonged clinical stability on low-to-moderate doses of a transmucosal buprenorphine-containing product (i.e., doses of no more than 8 mg per day of Subutex or Suboxone sublingual tablet or generic equivalent).

PROBUPHINE should be used as part of a complete treatment program to include counseling and psychosocial support.

PROBUPHINE is not appropriate for new entrants to treatment and patients who have not achieved and sustained prolonged clinical stability, while being maintained on buprenorphine 8 mg per day or less of a Subutex or Suboxone sublingual tablet or generic equivalent.

WARNING: IMPLANT MIGRATION, PROTRUSION, EXPULSION and NERVE DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH INSERTION and REMOVAL

Risk Associated with Insertion and Removal

Insertion and removal of PROBUPHINE are associated with the risk of implant migration, protrusion, expulsion resulting from the procedure. Rare but serious complications including nerve damage and migration resulting in embolism and death may result from improper insertion of drug implants inserted in the upper arm. Additional complications may include local migration, protrusion and expulsion. Incomplete insertions or infections may lead to protrusion or expulsion.

Because of the risks associated with insertion and removal, PROBUPHINE is available only through a restricted program called the PROBUPHINE REMS Program. All Healthcare Providers must successfully complete a live training program on the insertion and removal procedures and become certified, prior to performing insertions or prescribing PROBUPHINE implants. Patients must be monitored to ensure that PROBUPHINE is removed by a healthcare provider certified to perform insertions.

Please see the Important Safety Information in the Package Insert for more information, which you can access at: http://probuphinerems.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/final-approved-pi.pdf

For further information, please contact:

Knight Therapeutics Inc.

Jeffrey Kadanoff, P.Eng., MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 514-484-GUD1 (4831)

Fax: 514-481-4116

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gudknight.com



Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sherry Feldberg

MSLGROUP Boston

781-684-0770

[email protected]

SOURCE Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) announced an agreement with MSCI ESG Research to add its ESG Fund Metrics to Broadridge's Global Market Intelligence, the leading platform for domestic and cross-border fund data and analytics. Under the agreement, key MSCI ESG Fund Metrics will be available on the platform to provide an increased level of transparency on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) quality and characteristics of over 26,000 mutual funds and ETFs covered by MSCI ESG Research.

Global Market Intelligence, which provides detailed information on 80,000 mutual funds and ETFs globally, will incorporate the ESG quality scores, sustainable impact, carbon intensity metric and value alignment scores on every fund tracked by MSCI ESG Research directly onto its platform. This powerful combination allows users to analyze fund level ESG factors across product categories, markets and active and passive strategies. It also gives investment managers the ability to review and compare competitive products by their size, flows and growth trajectory.

"Asset managers and investors are increasing their attention on sustainable, responsible and impact investing - demanding more details on fund level ESG factors to better inform their buying decisions," said Stephanie Clarke, senior vice president, Global Market Intelligence at Broadridge. "By adding ESG factors to our platform, we are responding to our clients' needs by providing another layer of data and analytics to provide deeper intelligence, comparisons and benchmarking across investment lineups."

Eric Moen, managing director at MSCI ESG Research, said, "MSCI ESG Fund Metrics leverages our flagship ESG Ratings of over 6,400 issuers and 400,000 equity and fixed income securities globally to provide insight into the underlying holdings of more than 26,000 mutual funds and ETFs. We are pleased to work with Broadridge to provide greater transparency into the ESG characteristics of their clients' portfolios."

"These tools will give investors a more informed view of the universe of ESG and socially responsible investment products on the market," added Clarke. "MSCI ESG Research has the broadest and most comprehensive analysis of these ESG factors. Integrating ESG analytics onto our platform adds significant value for our clients."

The integration of MSCI's leading ESG measurement tools on Global Market Intelligence is in direct response to the asset management industry's growing interest in sustainable investing and demand for greater visibility into fund level ESG characteristics, and further expands Broadridge's reach in this increasingly important dimension. ESG investments grew to $8.7 trillion in total assets under management in 2016, an increase of more than 33 percent since 2014, according to the SIF Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) a global fintech leader, provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for broker-dealers, banks, mutual funds and corporate issuers globally. Broadridge's investor communications, securities processing and managed services solutions help clients reduce their capital investments in operations infrastructure, allowing them to increase their focus on core business activities. With over 50 years of experience, Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 90 percent of public companies and mutual funds in North America, and processes more than $5 trillion in fixed income and equity trades per day. Broadridge employs approximately 10,000 full-time associates in 16 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.broadridge.com


WASHINGTON, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) applauded the introduction of the Patient Choice and Quality Care of Act of 2017 (PCQCA) by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Phil Roe (R-TN). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help to ensure that individuals with advanced illness and their families receive high-quality, comprehensive advanced illness care that is consistent with their goals, values, and wishes.

"This bipartisan - and bicameral - bill is a critical step to ensure that all Americans with advanced illness receive high-quality, person-centered care. C-TAC strongly supports the legislation authored by these members to improve advanced illness care," said Bill Novelli, Co-Chair of C-TAC's Board of Directors.



Currently, individuals with advanced illness and their families face a daunting challenge navigating our healthcare system to receive the comprehensive care they deserve. The PCQCA takes an important step forward to address these issues. The legislation includes provisions to test advanced illness care coordination services, remove cost barriers hampering consumer access to voluntary advanced care planning services through Medicare, develop important quality metrics to assess advanced illness care services, increase public awareness of advance care planning, and support studies to help develop enhanced standards of care.



The new bipartisan, bicameral legislation integrates the C-TAC supported Care Planning Act of 2015, authored by Senators Warner and Isakson, and the Personalize Your Care Act 2.0, authored by Representatives Blumenauer and Roe in the 114th Congress. Both bills took a similar approach to addressing the challenges those with advanced illness and their families face in accessing care that is consistent with their goals and objectives. The PCQCA includes input from a host of key healthcare stakeholders and C-TAC members, including consumer groups, healthcare providers, health plans, and hospice programs.



"At the heart of this legislation is the promise that delivery of care will be consistent with one's goals, values, and wishes when a person faces advanced illness. This bill provides a critical opportunity to improve the lives of millions of Americans," said Novelli.



A summary of the bill can he found here.

In May, C-TAC co-hosted a Capitol Hill event with key stakeholders and supporters of the legislation and advanced illness care reform in general. C-TAC and participant organizations at the event were joined by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representatives Blumenauer and Roe in showcasing the importance of this legislation and the movement to improve advanced illness care.

About C-TAC

C-TAC is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition comprised of over 140 national organizations including patient and consumer advocacy groups, health care professionals and providers, private sector stakeholders, faith-based organizations, and health care payers that share a common vision of improving advanced illness care for all Americans. The Coalition works to ensure that all those with advanced illness, especially the sickest and most vulnerable, receive comprehensive, high-quality, person- and family-centered care that is consistent with their goals and values and honors their dignity.

SOURCE Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC)

Related Links

http://www.thectac.org/


"We're thrilled to have Linda join our team," said Brad Yount, Cambridge Biomedical president and chief operating officer. "Her remarkable achievements, expertise and leadership experience will be an asset to the Cambridge Biomedical organization and reinforces our commitment to providing scientific leadership, cutting-edge assays and exceptional service to our clients."

As vice president of scientific affairs, Robbie will be a key member of the leadership team. She will direct all initiatives related to science and technology and the introduction of new products and services, serving as the scientific expert and interfacing with both clients and internal teams.

Before joining Cambridge, Robbie served as global senior director of the biomarkers and translational science laboratory at Q2 Solutions Laboratories, a Quintiles-Quest Joint Venture, and as senior director of the global assay development laboratory at Quintiles Laboratories. She was a research fellow at the University of Aberdeen and, after receiving the British Society for Hematology Research Fellowship, served as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Robbie received a bachelor's degree with honors in biochemistry from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, and a Ph.D. in medical sciences from the Institute of Medical Science, Aberdeen University, Scotland.

About Cambridge Biomedical

Cambridge Biomedical, based in Boston, Mass., supports sponsors by developing customized assays for small and large molecules, biomarkers and other critical analytes, along with validation and sample testing in CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited, GLP/GCLP-compliant facilities. Cambridge has extensive expertise in assay development, optimization and validation, and offers analytical support for PK/PD studies, biomarker development, clinical assay development, assay validation, specimen analysis and testing services. For more information, visit the website at www.cambridgebiomedical.com, email [email protected] or call 617.456.0700.

CONTACT:

David Osband

Director of Sales

617-456-0760

[email protected]

SOURCE Cambridge Biomedical

Related Links

http://www.cambridgebiomedical.com


The 1-ton bronze bell gleamed in the sunlight in front of Archbishop Bergan Catholic Elementary School.

Nearby, Larry Yost and Julie Roach smiled as they looked at the bell and considered its lengthy history. Their great-grandmother, Julia Archer, donated the bell to St. Patricks Catholic Church in 1912 in memory of her late husband Henry. The bell remained at the downtown church for decades, until being taken down and put into storage eight years ago.

Now, the historical bell has new place in front of the Fremont school. The bell was dedicated on Sunday and a nearby kiosk provides a few details of its origin.

But as Yost and Roach know, the bell and their ancestors have an extensive history in Fremont.

That history begins with Henry Archer, a businessman and city council member, who was the first man to sign a petition for the paving of streets in Fremont.

Born in Staffordshire, England in 1842, Archer came with his family to America 10 years later. In England, his father, also named Henry, was the first man to manufacture a steam threshing machine that could be operated successfully. He built the first of these in 1836, states information from the book, History of the Elkhorn Valley. He later came to Iowa, where he farmed.

The younger Henry Archer came to Dodge County in 1874 and settled in Fremont.

In 1891, he built the two-story brick business building on the corner of First and Main streets.

Archer was known as the owner of Fremont Bottling Works, which manufactured soda water, birch beer, pop and ginger ale.

He was president of the Continuous Brick Kiln of Fremont and a director of Commercial National Bank. He was involved in the building of Fremonts city hall and the Dodge County Courthouse.

In 1874, he married Julia Shay and they had two children, Mary and Harry.

A photograph of the Archer family in front of their home at 547 E. Second St., was believed to have been taken between 1880 and 1890.

Harry Archer died as a young adult of appendicitis in Denver.

Archer was only 63 when he died in 1905. His widow commissioned the casting of the bronze bell, inscribed with a remembrance of him. It was dedicated in 1912.

Julia cared for her husband and thought he deserved to be memorialized, Roach said.

An Irish immigrant, Julia was a free thinker who traveled a good deal after her husbands death. She went to the Holy Land and Germany.

She took my grandmother and my mother every year down to Florida and she did go to Cuba, Roach said.

Mary Archer married Walter Barnard Reynolds, who was related to Edwin H. Barnard, one of the citys founders. Reynolds worked his entire life as a circulation manager of the Fremont Tribune.

The brick building at First and Main streets, across from where the Tribune is now, has its own unique history.

It once housed a hotel and a restaurant.

Some people believe the bottling works company was in a building just to the north of the tall brick structure. Roach said her mother told her the bottling company was in the building at First and Main streets.

Throughout the years, several restaurants would find a home in the tall brick building. Some of those restaurants have included the Brunswick, Chuckwagon, Auroras Kitchen and Andys on 1st. Pupuseria La Moderna Mexican Restaurant, Las Fuentes Jalisco Bar and Casa Maria shop are housed in the building now.

As time passed, the Archer family also was remembered through a small stained glass window that bore their name. When artifacts were removed from the downtown church, Roach received that portion of the window and had it framed.

The bell remained in the old downtown church for years until it was removed in 2009.

It had to be sandblasted and cleaned up and then it was put into storage, Yost said.

A pad was constructed in front of the new Catholic elementary school, where the bell would be put on display.

My sister and I, being the great-grandchildren of the Archers, we decided that while we were still on the green side of the grass, we would fund the construction of a tower to put the bell on display  and weve done so, Yost said.

The bell was dedicated Sunday morning. A three-sided kiosk near the bell includes history about it.

Yost said he and Roach and her husband, Stewart, have been working on the bell project for about 1  years.

The Rev. Dave Belt, senior pastor of St. Patricks, helped with the planning. An architect and structural engineer were involved as well.

Yost said steel fabricator Doug Gubbels, owner of Snowy River Ironworks, built the tower for the bell.

To make sure the tower didnt need to be painted, we had it powder coated so it should last without painting for the next 40 or 50 years, Yost said. After the structure was completed, he had to put all the moving parts of the bell back together and assemble that in the tower and get the tower located on the pad. He was a great help getting it done.

Yost said Harvey and Michael Hunke have been working so the bell will be lighted at night.

Were looking at putting some sort of solar panel in the kiosk so it will have some nighttime illumination, Yost said.

Yost said the bell will be rung on special occasions.

Well let the pastor and the school principal decide when and if the bell should be rung, Yost said, adding that the rope will be enclosed so children cant have access to it.

The bell project has been a good one.

Its been a surprising historical project for the three of us to get this all put together, Yost said.

Mother used to talk about Julia all the time so then to dig further and learn more about Henry was interesting, Roach said.
In 2015, hand injuries were the second most common workplace injury, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 emergency room visits according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We wanted to bring something different to Safety 2017," said presenter Matt Burtney. "Every booth is talking products. We're focusing on education and making sure that people are leaving work safe at the end of the day."

First showcased at Partners in Prevention health and safety conference in Toronto, Canada, the presentation looks at risks in the workplace, opportunities for improvement and actionable steps to keep workers safe.

Sticking closely to their list format for the presentation, Superior's Marketing Manager, Julie McFater gave the Top Five Reasons to Visit their Booth (#1125):

Learn how to be safer at work. Sample award-winning gloves and sleeves. Win a Fitbit! Talk with our safety professionals. Get FREE stuff!!

Over 4,400 occupational health and safety professionals will be attending ASSE's Safety 2017 conference and expo, which will make it the most-attended event in the Society's 106-year history, according to organizers.

ASSE is about staying relevant in the safety world. With the constant changes to regulations, safety professionals need to be experts in ergonomics, risk management and many other safety-related jobs.

For more information on ASSE conference and expo, visit: http://www.asse.org/

About Superior Glove (www.superiorglove.com)

Superior Glove Works is a leader in the industrial work glove industry. Vertical integration, a sound business approach and a dedication to research and innovation has led the company to be one of the largest work glove manufacturerswith customers in North America and Europe. Specializing in cut-resistant gloves, Superior offers an astounding 3,500 styles of work gloves to the safety glove market. Providing "engineered hand protection for every industry" is more than just a sloganit's the impetus for growth and the foundation on which Superior Glove was built. For more information visit: www.superiorglove.com.

SOURCE Superior Glove

Related Links

http://www.superiorglove.com/


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new series of reports on the Europe market for dental imaging by iData Research (www.idataresearch.com), both intraoral and extraoral X-rays with digital technology are rapidly penetrating the market and replacing outdated systems. The growth rate of the overall dental imaging market was very stable across all segments, and will remain so over the next several years.

While the intraoral X-ray segment continued to be mostly flat, the extraoral imaging and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) segments experienced a combination of slow growth and slow average selling price (ASP) declines. There is a clear trend towards 3D imaging, and with advances in the 2D imaging sector coupled with extremely attractive prices, these segments will eventually become the principal drivers of the market as a whole. Currently, the CBCT market is the only driving force of the overall market in terms of value.

"The ASP remained largely stable across Europe, although brand preferences in certain countries contributed to much lower ASPs in Southern Europe when compared to markets such as Germany, Switzerland or Scandinavia," explains Jeffrey Wong, Strategic Analyst Manager at iData Research. "Prices are expected to experience a slight decline in the next several years; however, they have already begun to bottom out, as it is a very mature market."

Growth in certain European markets, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, were primarily dominated by photostimulable phosphor (PSP) scanners, while other markets, such as France and Scandinavia, were driven by digital sensors. The end result was both markets growing at a similar rate due to the opposing popularities of the respective technologies in each country. However, the ASPs of PSP systems were declining all around. This is largely due to the market saturation of PSP systems, especially in countries like Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, as they remain the most popular alternative among dentists compared to analog systems. Additionally, there is a wide array of manufacturers who produce these systems and the prices can vary greatly between competitors.

Carestream Dental and Sirona were consistently among the top players across all dental imaging markets. While they have only recently entered the extraoral X-ray and CBCT markets, Durr Dental completely dominates the PSP system market, accounting for over 50% share of the whole market.

Other market leaders such as Planmeca, Danaher Group and CEFLA Group were still very strong players in the market, and often had leading market shares in particular countries for specific segments. Examples include Planmeca controlling the majority of the imaging market in Scandinavia, CEFLA being the leader in various segments in Italy, and Danaher Group leading the PSP System market in Scandinavia. Additional competitors in the Europe dental imaging market include Vatech, ACTEON Group and Owandy among others.

For Further Information

More on the dental imaging market in Europe can be found in a series of reports published by iData Research entitled the Europe Market Report Suite for Dental Imaging. The dental imaging device market discussed in this report consists of three main segments: intraoral X-ray devices, extraoral X-ray devices and CBCT scanners. The intraoral X-ray device market is further segmented into X-ray generators, intraoral X-ray film, PSP sensors, PSP plates and digital sensors. The extraoral X-ray device market is further segmented into analog panoramic systems, digital panoramic systems and panoramic/cephalometric systems. The CBCT scanner market is further segmented into small, medium and large field-of-view categories.

The iData report series on dental imaging covers the U.S. and 15 countries in Europe including Germany, France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Italy, Spain, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg), Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway), Portugal, Austria and Switzerland. Reports provide a comprehensive analysis including units sold, market value, forecasts, as well as detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players' success strategies in each market and segment. To find out more about dental imaging market data, register online or email us at [email protected] for a Europe Market Report Suite for Dental Imaging brochure and synopsis.

About iData Research

iData Research (www.idataresearch.com) is an international market research and consulting firm, dedicated to providing the best in business intelligence for the medical device industry. Our research empowers our clients by providing them with the necessary tools to achieve their goals and do it right the first time. iData covers research in: Dental Operatory Equipment, Dental Material, Dental Lasers, Dental Prosthetics, Dental CAD/CAM, Dental Bone Graft Substitutes, Spinal Implants and VCF, Spinal MIS, Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Orthopedic Trauma, Large & Small Joints, Ultrasound, X-Ray Imaging, Diagnostic Imaging, Oncology, Ophthalmics, Vascular Access, Laparoscopy, Urology, Gynecology, Endoscopy, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Electrophysiology, Operating Room Equipment, Surgical Microscopes, Robotics and Surgical Navigation, Anesthesiology, Wound Management, Orthopedics and more.

We have built a reputation and earned our clients' trust based on consistent and uniquely intelligent research that allows our customers to make confident decisions and impact their businesses. A combination of market expertise and over a decade of experience has resulted in a deep understanding of the medical device industry that has inspired innovation and propelled our clients to success.

Contact Info

Marvin Cidamon

Marketing Coordinator

iData Research Inc.

604-266-6933 Ext. 205

[email protected]

SOURCE iData Research

Related Links

http://www.idataresearch.com


MIAMI, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, today announced it has been recognized for producing the year's most engaging and informative sustainability report in the 10th annual Corporate Register Reporting Awards, the only annual global awards program honoring excellence in corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting.

Carnival Corporation's 2015 Sustainability Report, published in 2016, ranked first in the "Creativity in Communication" category in this year's awards survey by Corporate Register, which reviewed 160 corporate responsibility and sustainability reports from 76 different global organizations. Voters evaluated important factors such as creativity, message communication and effectiveness, and whether each document was easy to read for its audience.

Carnival Corporation's 100-page 2015 Sustainability from Ship to Shore report uses colorful and educational infographics and easy-to-understand messaging to outline the company's sustainability journey and to update the public and key stakeholders on progress made by the corporation and its brands toward newly established 2020 sustainability performance goals.

In addition to winning the "Creativity in Communication" category, Corporate Register also recognized Carnival Corporation as second runner-up for the Best Carbon Disclosure Report, which was included in the 2015 Sustainability Report as a special section detailing carbon emissions, implications for climate change and mitigation measures taken by the company. Voters were asked to look at policy, quantified data and targets to determine the best overall reports on corporate carbon disclosures.

"At Carnival Corporation, a crucial part of our sustainability program is educating and informing our key stakeholders and the public at large, including our nearly 12 million annual guests, 120,000 employees, our travel agent professionals, network of partners and the investor community," said John Haeflinger, vice president, maritime policy & analysis for Carnival Corporation. "Our goal is to provide a clear overview of the ongoing commitments and progress made by our company and our 10 leading global cruise brands in sustainability and environmental performance, along with continually enhancing safety and security for our guests and crew. We take great pride in preparing our report each year, and we are honored to receive recognition for our corporate sustainability reporting. We continue making great strides toward achieving our 2020 sustainability goals, and we remain firm in our commitment to protect the world's oceans and seas, and the more than 700 communities we visit throughout the world."

"Corporate Register voters, in particular, noted that our 2015 Sustainability Report, which outlines our strong track record in environmental stewardship, was very easy to read, with some even calling it 'a pleasure' to read," said Elaine Heldewier, sustainability director for Carnival Corporation. "We are delighted to be honored not only for communications excellence, but also our team's ability to detail such important topics as our environmental protection and strategic energy reduction and conservation initiatives in a reader-friendly manner."

A full copy of the award-winning 2015 Sustainability from Ship to Shore report can be downloaded from the sustainability section of Carnival Corporation's website, available here.

In 2015, Carnival Corporation announced its 2020 sustainability goals detailing 10 targets for reducing its environmental footprint, while enhancing the health, safety and security of its guests and crew members, and ensuring sustainable business practices among its 10 brands, business partners and suppliers. Carnival Corporation's ongoing programs continue to underscore the company's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

As examples, Carnival Corporation has invested more than $400 million to install Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems on 60 of its ships in the past four years, significantly improving air emissions. The company leads the industry with the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel, with a total of seven new fully LNG-powered ships set to enter the fleet in coming years. The company and its brands also have partnerships with organizations involved in sustainability initiatives around the world  some of which include The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance.

About Corporate Register

Corporate Register Reporting Awards are the only global annual awards for corporate reporting (CR). They were developed in 2007 to identify and acknowledge excellence in reporting. The awards are judged annually by experienced stakeholders among the 50,000 people registered online with Corporate Register (www.corporateregister.com), which makes thousands of non-financial CR and Sustainability Reports available to investors and analysts, media, academics, consultants, charities, and students. For this year's awards, 76 organizations submitted 160 reports across nine categories. The overall Best Report award was won this year by Marks and Spencer plc of the United Kingdom for its Plan A 2016.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK), as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.

Together, the corporation's cruise lines operate 103 ships with 231,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2022. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.fathom.org, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, and www.pocruises.com.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation

Related Links

http://www.carnival.com


NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York private equity investment firm, announced today that its portfolio company, Gold Star Foods, has acquired A&R Wholesale Distributors. This is the third acquisition made by Gold Star under Castle Harlan's ownership. Gold Star is the preeminent company to help states and local school districts across the country comply with complex state and federal regulations covering government funding and nutritional content requirements for school meal programs. A&R has been supplying fresh and healthy foods to schools in Southern California for more than 30 years.

David B. Pittaway, Senior Managing Director of Castle Harlan, said, "Like Gold Star, A&R is experienced in dealing with the complexities of the USDA Child Nutrition Program and helps to create meals that adhere to USDA nutritional standards and commodity guidelines. The combination of Gold Star and A&R will allow customers to benefit from access to new product categories, an increased number of SKUs, and higher service levels."

The acquisition price was not disclosed. A&R will continue to be led by Jeff Kuriel and will operate from its facility in Anaheim until the operation transitions to Gold Star's Ontario headquarters. At that time, Mr. Kuriel will join Gold Star's leadership team. Gold Star said that it would honor all of A&R's contracts.

Gold Star Foods is a leading distributor of approved foods for school meals in the Southwestern United States. Its customers include the Los Angeles Unified School District, California's largest and the nation's second-largest school district, among others. In addition to California, Gold Star Foods also serves a number of schools in Arizona and Nevada.

Sean Leer, CEO of Gold Star Foods, and Mr. Kuriel, CEO of A&R, jointly wrote to customers of the two companies that the integration of the businesses will be seamless and will take "the best of both A&R and Gold Star to provide you with a new gold standard in products and services."

Gold Star continues to expand, both organically and through acquisitions, towards becoming the leading value-added services provider dedicated to school nutrition programs across the country. Prior to the A&R acquisition, Castle Harlan had invested more than $40 million in Gold Star Foods during the first quarter of 2017, bringing its total investment to more than $60 million over the past year, to support the growth of Gold Star Foods. A portion of this capital was used to fund the acquisition of Colyar Technology Solutions, a leading designer, developer and marketer of food distribution and compliance management software, as well as the construction of a 188,000-square-foot food distribution center in Dixon, CA. The Dixon, CA warehouse supports Gold Star's expansion in Northern California.

The combination of Gold Star Foods and Colyar Technology Solutions provides a unique platform that leverages Gold Star Foods' deep knowledge and industry leadership around nutritional content in school meal programs with Colyar Technology Solutions' leading technical expertise in developing software products for regulatory compliance management.

"The acquisition of Colyar furthered Gold Star's strategic shift into providing technology-enabled national school nutrition solutions to both states and local school districts," said Patrick Zyla, Vice President of Castle Harlan. "Colyar's web-based tools help to simplify the complex regulatory burdens faced by food providers in lunchrooms across the nation. Colyar assists in managing federal dollars by providing a platform to manage the application and administration of claims to the USDA, providing a link among local school districts, states and the USDA."

More than half of U.S. states currently use Colyar Technology Solutions' cloud-based solutions to properly track and document government funding allocations for government food distribution programs. With Gold Star Foods' knowledge of nutritional content, Colyar Technology Solutions has begun developing a new suite of technology-enabled solutions to help states and local school districts document and comply with nutritional content standards, an eligibility requirement for certain government funding. Gold Star Foods is uniquely positioned to offer this service.

About Castle Harlan

Castle Harlan, founded in 1987, has invested in controlling interests in and the development of middle-market companies in North America, Australia and Europe. Its team of senior investment professionals completed over 50 acquisitions since its inception, with a total value in excess of $11 billion. The firm traces its roots to the start of the institutionalized private equity business in the late 1960s. Additional information about Castle Harlan is at www.castleharlan.com

Disclaimer

This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any fund or product offered by Castle Harlan, Inc., or its affiliates, and may not be relied upon in connection with any offer or sale of securities. Such offer or solicitation may only be made pursuant to a current confidential private offering memorandum that will be provided only to qualified offerees.

SOURCE Castle Harlan

Related Links

http://www.castleharlan.com


BALTIMORE, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park have granted Cellth Systems exclusive licensing rights for the commercial development of cell-tethering technology that allows real-time analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which has important applications in cancer treatment. In addition, Cellth announced today that TEDCO, an independent organization assisting and funding Maryland's startup community, has awarded the company $150,000 through its Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) program.

"The jointly developed UM Baltimore and UM College Park technology licensed to Cellth allows researchers, for the first time, to study and quantify real-time phenotypic changes in CTCs when exposed to a battery of chemotherapeutic drugs," said Philip J. Robilotto, D.O., M.B.A., Chief Commercialization Officer with UM Ventures, an initiative to channel the technical resources and research expertise of the University of Maryland.

The presence of CTCs in the blood of individuals with cancer is an early indication of disease spread and correlates with survival rate. However, simply enumerating CTCs has not provided researchers and physicians with actionable information to improve care. Previously, there have been no technologies to determine how CTCs respond to drug treatments. Since the critical metastatic functions of CTCs occur in non-adherent (free floating) states like the bloodstream and lymphatic system, a technological device system is needed for analysis of CTCs that preserves this environment.

"Cellth's technology tethers cells in minutes, permitting immediate, detailed, quantitative, real-time examination. There is no need for cells to grow or express proteins, avoiding the traditional weeks- to months-long cell growth process, and yielding a drug-response study within an hour," said Stuart Martin, PhD, co-inventor of the technology, who is Professor in the Department of Physiology and Program in Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and is affiliated with the UM Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Richard Hughen, a 30-year medical device veteran, will lead Cellth System's efforts as CEO of the company. "The ability to directly study CTC phenotype profile change provides critical understanding of metastatic disease progression and optimal drug selection. The technology platform has strong potential for acceleration of drug development as well as analysis of many other cell types," stated Mr. Hughen. "The TEDCO-MII award to advance the device toward commercialization gives Cellth a strong vote of confidence. This device will deliver highly actionable information that directly benefits individuals with cancer."

About Cellth Systems, LLC

Cellth Systems, LLC, is a Maryland start-up company working to commercialize proprietary cell-tethering technology to advance patient-specific cancer drug selection and accelerate drug development. It is one of the portfolio companies of InnovateTech Ventures, which specializes in building startups by combining high-potential university technology with investment capital and management talent.

About UM Ventures

UM Ventures is an initiative to channel the tremendous technical resources and research expertise of the University of Maryland, engaging partners in industry and social ventures to expand real world impact. By encouraging students and faculty, and by providing expert advice and business services, more discoveries will reach the market. By engaging directly with external partners, UM Ventures brings new investment, expanded markets and more start-up ventures. Visit http://umventures.org to learn more.

SOURCE University of Maryland (UM) Ventures

Related Links

http://http://umventures.org


ST. CLOUD, Minn., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group ("Cetera")*, a leading network of independent firms supporting the delivery of professional financial advice through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions, and Cetera Financial Institutions ("CFI") today announced the launch of a new portal designed for CFI-affiliated advisors and clients to streamline and simplify the process of identifying and purchasing insurance solutions. Cetera Financial Institutions is the Cetera firm specifically focused on serving the wealth management programs of banks and credit unions.

The portal was developed in coordination with Covr Financial Technologies, an innovative technology firm that provides consumers with access, education and the ability to purchase insurance policies in conjunction with financial advisors. The rollout of the portal marks another step toward Cetera's broader strategic goal of transforming how financial advisors guide individuals and families to achieve financial well-being at every stage of life, by providing breakthrough technologies that will create a truly advice-centric experience for advisors and clients.

LeAnn Rummel, President of Cetera Financial Institutions, said, "We are very pleased to announce the launch of our new insurance portal for advisors and clients. We take a great deal of pride in providing industry-leading technology solutions to our affiliated advisors and wealth management programs, reflecting our belief that multiple converging trends are creating a new era in financial advice. It's imperative that firms expecting to lead the industry in this new era embrace the latest tools and solutions that rewrite the rules of engagement between advisors and clients. Viewed in this strategic context, making insurance solutions more accessible and transparent will greatly enhance our advisors' ability to provide the truly holistic planning and advice that clients need."

CFI's new insurance portal is designed to increase application processing speed and improve case management efficiency for advisors, among other functions. It also creates a more simplified and straightforward experience for both advisors and clients in identifying and purchasing life, long-term care, disability and other forms of insurance. The CFI-branded portal functions as an integrated offering within Cetera's existing SmartWorks advisor workstation, and has been custom-built to serve the needs of the full Cetera Financial Institutions insurance team -- from sales to operations to case management. Cetera anticipates incorporating the insurance portal into its MoneyGuidePro financial planning solution within the next month.

Bill Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer of Covr Financial Technologies, said, "We are excited to join with Cetera in making this fully-integrated, cutting-edge insurance platform available to CFI-affiliated financial advisors and clients. By streamlining the previously complex process of finding and purchasing insurance, we and Cetera are helping advisors and clients incorporate crucial risk management tools into their financial plans, thus enabling them to protect the things that are most important in their lives and businesses through a holistic planning approach."

About Cetera Financial Institutions

Cetera Financial Institutions is a marketing name of Cetera Investment Services LLC, a self-clearing registered broker-dealer that delivers customized investment and insurance solutions to financial institutions nationwide. Cetera Investment Services helps institutions expand their financial offerings, which allows clients to pursue their financial goals through a holistic approach while delivering sound and strong financial solutions. Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser firm, where financial advisors receive a wide array of solutions and back-office support, so that they can focus on clients.

Cetera Investment Services LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC are members of Cetera Financial Group, which provides leading wealth management and advisory platforms and innovative technology to financial advisors and financial institutions nationwide. Cetera Investment Services is a member of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). For more information, see www.ceterafinancialinstitutions.com .

About Cetera Financial Group

Cetera Financial Group ("Cetera") is a leading network of independent firms empowering the delivery of professional financial advice to individuals, families and company retirement plans across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. Cetera is the second-largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors, as well as a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions.

Through its multiple distinct firms, Cetera offers independent and institutions-based advisors the benefits of a large, established broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving advisors and institutions in a way that is customized to their needs and aspirations. Advisor support resources offered through Cetera include award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, practice management support and innovative technology. For more information, visit www.ceterafinancialgroup.com .

* "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, Cetera Investment Services (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions), Cetera Financial Specialists, First Allied Securities, Girard Securities, and Summit Brokerage Services. All firms are members of FINRA/SIPC.

About Covr

Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Covr is in its third year of simplifying the insurance-buying experience for consumers, enabling them to purchase personal insurance online within minutes through financial institutions and financial advisors. Covr distributes an integrated turnkey digital solution to the institutions it serves, including personal insurance products from nearly twenty major insurers. Covr's cutting-edge solution is backed by a fully-supported program of education and training on products, insurance-product marketing and insurance-licensed phone advice and support. Covr's digital platform provides a fast, user-friendly way to research, compare, shop for and buy personal insurance, fully online and within minutes. For more information, see www.covrtech.com .

Media Contacts:

Matthew Griffes

Haven Tower Group

424.652.6520 ext 103

[email protected]

Chris Clemens

Haven Tower Group

424.652.6520 ext 102

[email protected]

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group

Related Links

http://www.cetera.com


ELGIN, Ill., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Home sales in the metropolitan Chicago area continued to deliver upbeat results in May despite a continuing decline in inventory levels, RE/MAX reports. Comparing results for the month with those a year earlier, sales transactions rose 6.2 percent to 12,337 units, the median sales price climbed 6 percent to $249,000, and the average time it took one of those homes to find a buyer fell to 77 days from 87 days in May of last year.

At the same time, the number of homes on the market at the end of May was down 16 percent from the year-earlier total and represented just a 2.6-month supply based on the May sales pace.

"Demand for homes remains strong across much of the metro area," said Jack Kreider, executive vice president and regional director of RE/MAX Northern Illinois. "Eventually, the decline in inventory levels should start to restrain sales activity, but that hasn't happened yet. Right now, it can be a challenging environment for buyers, but it's an excellent one for sellers. If you put your home on the market today at a realistic price, you can expect it to find a buyer pretty promptly."

Kreider also pointed out that the overall results in May suggest the metro Chicago housing market is ready to challenge its pre-Great Recession highs. May's results approximated those for May 2006 when sales totaled 12,409 homes at a median sales price of $250,000 and average market time of 85 days.

Sales data used by RE/MAX is collected by MRED, the regional multiple listing service. It covers detached and attached homes in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will. Detached homes are typically stand-alone single-family dwellings. Attached homes include condominium and cooperative apartments along with townhouses.

In May, both total transactions and the combined median sales price rose in all seven counties in the metro area and in the City of Chicago when compared to May 2016.

Home sales rose most sharply in Kendall, up 14.6 percent, and Will, up 10.6 percent. Other gains were 8.6 percent in McHenry, 7.6 percent in DuPage, 7.4 percent in Kane, 5 percent in Cook, including a 2.4 percent increase in Chicago, and 3 percent in Lake.

The median sales price increases were fairly consistent, varying from 8.9 percent in DuPage to 4 percent in Will.

Sales of distressed homes, comprised of foreclosures and short sales, continued to dwindle as a factor in the metro market, accounting for just 8.4 percent of all May sales this year. That compares to 13.8 percent last year and 20.7 percent in May 2015.

Detached Homes

The market for detached homes remained strong in May, with sales rising 4.4 percent to 7,661 units in the metro area and the median price climbing 7.2 percent to $267,900 when compared to results from May 2016.

Average market time in May was 90 days, down from 98 days 12 months earlier.

Sales activity rose in six of the seven counties and was unchanged in Lake. The median sales price was up in all seven counties, led by gains of 11 percent in Kane, 9.7 percent in DuPage and 9.4 percent in Lake.

Sales in Chicago increased just 0.7 percent, but the median sales price rose 12 percent in the city to $256,500.

Attached Homes

Demand for attached units appeared especially strong in May, with closed sales up 9.4 percent from the prior May and the average market time dipping to 55 days. The median sales price gained 5 percent to $210,000.

Cook County, which accounted for 67.9 percent of May sales in the attached category, recorded a 6.9 percent sales increase, including 3.4 percent in Chicago. Meanwhile, the six other counties all had double-digit gains: 32.5 percent in Will, 14.6 percent in Lake, 12.7 percent in Kane, 12.1 percent in McHenry, 10.7 percent in Kendall and 10.3 percent in DuPage.

Average market time for attached homes ranged from a scant 33 days in Kendall to 76 days in Lake.

The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of more than 2,250 sales associates and 103 independently owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services. Its mobile real estate app, available for download at www.illinoisproperty.com, provides comprehensive information about residential and commercial property for sale in the region. The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX, a global real estate organization with 110,000+ sales associates in 100+ nations.

Contact:

Chris Calomino

RE/MAX Northern Illinois

847-428-4200

SOURCE RE/MAX Northern Illinois

Related Links

http://www.illinoisproperty.com


DURHAM, N.C., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Christian higher education resource, Christian Universities Online (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/), has published a ranking of the Top 25 Online Christian Colleges and Universities 2017.

This ranking gave consideration to schools with fully online degree programs that are members or member eligible of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Each intentionally Christian school included here offers degree programs that are 100% online and excel in categories of selectivity, student interaction, available financial aid and overall student satisfaction.

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, claimed the top spot on the list, while Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas Baptist University of Dallas, Texas, complete the top three. The ranking can be viewed at http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/best-online-christian-colleges-and-universities/.

Other schools making the list include (in alphabetical order):

Asbury University - Wilmore, Kentucky

Bethel College--IN - Mishawaka, Indiana

Bethel University - St. Paul, Minnesota

California Baptist University - Riverside, California

Concordia University Irvine - Irvine, California

Eastern University - Saint Davids, Pennsylvania

Fresno Pacific University - Fresno, California

Geneva College - Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Greenville College - Greenville, Illinois

Hope International University - Fullerton, California

Houghton College - Houghton, New York

Huntington University - Huntington, Indiana

Indiana Wesleyan University - Marion, Indiana

King University - Bristol, Tennessee

Mount Vernon Nazarene University - Mount Vernon, Ohio

North Greenville University - Tigerville, South Carolina

Northwest University - Kirkland, Washington

Northwestern College - Orange City, Iowa

Oral Roberts University - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Regent University - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Simpson University - Redding, California

The Master's University - Santa Clarita, California

Anna-Rebekah Orr, site editor at Christian Universities Online, states that the goal of the ranking is to highlight schools that provide the best online experience for earning a degree. Orr goes on to say, "The convenience of online learning is very attractive to today's students, as it allows flexibility, reduces peripheral costs, and offers many of the same programs available on campus." Distance learning is increasing in popularity each year. The benefits to both student and school are many: a wider reach, more opportunities for faculty and reduced overhead for the school; no travel, schedule convenience and the ability to access materials anywhere for the student. While there are some trade-offs to be considered--like the limitations inherent in not being on campus--the benefits can easily outweigh the obstacles and help a student meet their educational goals without the significant impact of on-campus learning. Christian Universities Online (CUO) is pleased to offer the Top 25 Undergraduate Online Christian Colleges and Universities.

Christian Universities Online (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/) is an independent online resource for students and families researching Christian higher education. The site publishes rankings and reviews of the best Christian colleges and universities, information about Christian scholarships and financial aid, and many other resources for finding, getting into, and paying for a quality Christian education.

Contact:

Michael Templeton, site editor

Christian Universities Online

(919) 858-6153

[email protected]

SOURCE Christian Universities Online

Related Links

http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org


DUARTE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, City of Hope has launched an integrated Spanish-language marketing and outreach campaign designed to connect with and serve Hispanic families throughout Southern California. The comprehensive campaign features Spanish-speaking City of Hope doctors and scientists who are positively impacting the lives of cancer patients and their families with breakthrough cancer research and treatments, combined with compassionate care. Airing across multiple media platforms, the Spanish-language messaging will draw attention to City of Hope's commitment to meeting the needs of the Hispanic community.

"City of Hope believes it's critically important that Hispanic patients know that there is a world-class research and cancer treatment center in their community," said Alex Herrera, M.D., assistant professor in City of Hope's Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. "One of my goals as a physician and that of our team is to communicate to our community that we are here to serve and support them. We want all families to know about and access our innovative cancer treatments."

It is estimated that cancer is the leading cause of death among U.S. Hispanics, with more than 22 percent of total deaths in 2012 being cancer-related. According to the most recent cancer figures in the U.S., about one in three Hispanics will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime. The American Cancer Society also estimates that one in five Hispanic men and one in six Hispanic women will die from cancer.

"City of Hope is known for its rapid translation of scientific research into new treatments and cures," added Herrera. "We want every member in our community to have access to the level of care that City of Hope provides. This Spanish-language campaign is an extension of our lifesaving work because it will ensure that no patient is left behind."

The campaign includes Spanish-language TV, radio, digital and outdoor advertising. To learn more about City of Hope's new Spanish-language campaign, please visit CityofHope.org/espanol . For more information on City of Hope, visit CityofHope.org.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 48 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with 13 community clinics throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

SOURCE City of Hope

Related Links

http://www.CityofHope.org


On June 3 rd Dr. Wiley partnered with Akron Zoo staff, and Dr. Emily Conway, veterinary ophthalmologist at Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists and their staff to perform cataract surgery to improve Ana's vision. "To the best of our knowledge, cataract surgery has never been performed on a primate with a similar size of a golden lion tamarin," said Dr. Emily Conway. Ana weighs in at a mere 1.25lbs.

Golden lion tamarins are endangered monkeys in the wild. To keep her safe, Ana was removed from her exhibit at the zoo when it was discovered that she was having visual problems. Dr. Wiley went to the zoo to perform Ana's surgery. "Cleveland Eye Clinic's micro-instruments were used for the surgery, and we even had to fashion new instruments to fit in Ana's eyes. While tamarin eyes have similar anatomy of humans, it took more care and precision working on a much smaller scale with Ana," reported Dr. Wiley.

"Thanks to recent advancements in technology, medicine delivery in this case helped assure a positive outcome for Ana. Ana does not have the ability to self administer post operative eye drop medication, thus modern technology was utilized for her. There are recent advancements in cataract surgery that have allowed us to administer compounded medications to drastically reduce or eliminate the need for eye drops after surgery. These techniques were used in Ana's case," added Dr. Wiley.

After a successful surgery Dr. Wiley shared, "I'm an animal lover, it was easy for me to say yes when asked to help a primate in need of eye care. Animals in need of medical care tug on our heart strings in unique ways. In these instances, animals in need truly rely on our intervention as there is no other avenue of assistance. Humans typically have loved ones, friends and or community who can intervene in times of need, while animals with health conditions are in a state of helplessness. This allows and calls for unique measures of intervention. Furthermore, as a member of the north-east Ohio community it was easy to volunteer time and expertise to help care for a "member" of a community institution which many people benefit from daily."

The zoo is closely monitoring Ana and we hope to see her back on exhibit soon.

The Cleveland Eye Clinic has offices in Avon, Beachwood, Bedford, Cleveland, Elyria and a state of the art main campus in Brecksville, Ohio. At The Cleveland Eye Clinic the doctors put patient care and comfort first. Having performed upwards of 75,000 procedures and bringing a combined 144 years of experience, the doctors at The Cleveland Eye Clinic were among the first in the area to offer all laser LASIK using the intralase femtosecond laser. We were also among the first doctors in the country to offer ORA intraoperative wave front aberrometer with VerifEye as well as Vitreolysis for the removal of eye floaters. The Cleveland Eye Clinic doctors are nationally and internationally recognized for their educational lectures and teaching efforts. Both doctors and patients come from all over the globe to experience the work of our surgeons.

SOURCE Cleveland Eye Clinic

Related Links

http://www.clevelandeyeclinic.com


"This temperature monitoring patch has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing stem cell transplant and intensive chemotherapy for hematological malignancies by identifying neutropenic fever and beginning clinical interventions sooner," said Dr. Ehsan Malek, MD, UH Seidman Cancer Center. "We are looking forward to the next step in our researchimplementing this temperature patch in the outpatient stem cell transplant setting."

Unlike other devices and methods that provide physicians with only one point of data and offer no continuous monitoring or alerts, this patented device is the ideal, non-invasive, solution for doctors and nurses who need a continuous, smarter way to track, log and respond to fevers quickly.

"It has been very exciting for our project team, the bedside nursing staff, and our patients to see this device working in real time," said Nina Dambrosio, MSN CNP, UH Seidman Cancer Center.

To study this continuous, real-time method of body temperature measurement, UH tested the feasibility of monitoring body temperature for patients specifically undergoing stem cell transplant or intensive chemotherapy for leukemia. The patches were applied every 24 hours on 10 neutropenic patients throughout their hospital stays. Body temperature was recorded remotely with TempTraq in 10 minute intervals totaling 14,342 temperature measurements, vs the current standard SOC of one measurement every 4 hours.

Though it wasn't tested in this study, Blue Spark's TempTraq Connect, a secure, HIPAA-compliant service supported by the Google Healthcare Cloud Platform, will allow the patches to integrate directly with hospital central monitoring systems and electronic health records (EHR) to safely and securely store patient health care data. Nurses can then view the temperature in their system as frequently as needed and can receive real-time audible or visual temperature change alerts at patient bedsides and/or through the central nursing station. Plus, no more waking patients to take their temperatures, and the hygienic, single-use, disposable design eliminates the hassle, time and cost of sterilizing the device between uses.

The TempTraq system is scalable and can support a single hospital or a multi-hospital/physician group healthcare system.

For more information on TempTraq or the results of this study, please visit www.temptraq.healthcare.

About Blue Spark Technologies, Inc.

Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. is the leader in developing thin, flexible, printed power solutions for printed electronic systems, including solutions developed utilizing their thin, flexible proprietary battery technology. Blue Spark Technologies' latest innovation, TempTraq, is the only Bluetooth, wearable temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch that continuously, safely and comfortably, monitors body temperature for up to 72 hours and sends alerts to Apple or Android compatible mobile devices. The company's TempTraq Connect HIPAA-compliant service supported by Google Healthcare Cloud Platform allows parents and caregivers to monitor body temperature from anywhere. It also allows direct integration with health care provider electronic health records (EHR) systems and central nursing stations, providing a secure method of storing patient health care data.

About University Hospitals

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 40 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices in 15 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located on a 35-acre campus in Cleveland's University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals  part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is the second largest employer in northern Ohio with 26,000 employees. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.

SOURCE Blue Spark Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.temptraq.healthcare


EUGENE, Ore., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- College Choice, a leading authority in college and university rankings and resources, has published a ranking of the 20 Best Colleges in Connecticut for 2017.

http://www.collegechoice.net/rankings/best-colleges-in-connecticut/

The state of Connecticut is committed to educational advancement and access, and has proven this commitment in many tangible ways. Perhaps most notable is the Governor's Scholarship Program, which awards students up to $5,000 to help them afford school. And that they've done: in the last few years alone the state has awarded over $42 million to students in financial need.

"Connecticut may be small, but it can boast a broad array of colleges and universities that offer educational opportunities for all kinds of students," Christian Amondson, Managing Editor of College Choice, said of the ranking. "And with their scholarship and loan forgiveness programs, the state has made a conscious effort to foster a high-class academic environment."

College Choice developed its list by looking at institutional excellence along with return on investmentthe differential between tuition costs and average early career earnings. The figures and information come from the university and colleges' websites, PayScale, U.S. News & World Report, and The National Center for Education Statistics.

The ranking for the 20 Best Colleges in Connecticut finds Yale University in the top spot. Wesleyan University is in second, and University of Connecticut rounds out the top three.

The entire ranking, listed in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Central Connecticut State University

Connecticut College

Eastern Connecticut State University

Fairfield University

Quinnipiac University

Sacred Heart University

Southern Connecticut State University

Trinity College

United States Coast Guard Academy

University of Bridgeport

University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut-Avery Point

University of Connecticut-Stamford

University of Connecticut-Waterbury

University of Hartford

University of New Haven

University of Saint Joseph

Wesleyan University

Western Connecticut State University

Yale University

College Choice is an independent online publication dedicated to helping students and their families find the right college. The site publishes rankings and reviews that make finding the best colleges for different interests easier and more fun, as well as resources to help students get into, pay for, and thrive at the college of their choice.

Contact:

Christian Amondson, Managing Editor, College Choice

Web: http://collegechoice.net

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (541) 255-3801

SOURCE College Choice

Related Links

http://www.collegechoice.net


With deep roots in Colorado, Artifact Uprising has found their "why" in the Rocky Mountains. Being surrounded by these wild spaces has inspired the company's commitment to thoughtfully sourcing their materials , as seen in their mountain beetle pine and recycled paper products. Since launching in 2012, they have stood by the belief that you can do well as a company by doing good in the world.

Bringing together their community, artists, storytellers and like-minded brands, Artifact Uprising is raising money for the global non-profit, 1% for the Planet through the sale of limited edition photo prints. Every dollar from each purchase will directly support environmental solutions.

This 10-print set will feature the work of: Chris Burkard, Alex Strohl, Finn Beales, Lucy Laucht, Dan Rubin, Bryan Daugherty, Forest Woodward, Jules Davies, Chris Ozer, and Garrett King. These 5x5" square prints are press printed on premium quality textured matte paper. Through the sale of these prints, Artifact Uprising aims to join together like-minded individuals, stating, "Let's protect our planet, together."

The campaign will run from 6/12/2017 through 6/19/2017, and launched in response to the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, made earlier this month. Artifact Uprising's CEO Brad Kopitz states, "Now, more than ever, we stand firm in our mission to push our industry forward. To take a deep and honest look at the environmental impact of our actions  both in the business we do and the lives we keep."

About Artifact Uprising Artifact Uprising, a Colorado-based lifestyle brand, offers custom photo books, prints and gifts. Driven by its mission to move stories "Off your device, Into your life," the company is known for its premium quality papers, responsibly-sourced materials and elevated design.

SOURCE Artifact Uprising

Related Links

http://www.artifactuprising.com/


DAVIE, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer Repair Doctor will be hosting its Grand Opening on June 22nd in Davie, FL in the Shoppes of Arrowhead plaza. Computer Repair Doctor specializes in fixing all phones, computers, and tablets, and offers free estimates for all repairs. Stop by after 5:30 PM to enjoy music and learn about the new repair shop, or just grab a pastry and take part in their raffles. The store is at 2501 S University Drive, near I-595 and Nova Southeastern University. It is also just south of the Tower Shops.

CRD started with one location in Tallahassee in 2013, and has rapidly been expanding ever since  this is now the seventh location in the Southeastern United States. Owner and CEO Matt Ham is bringing his repair expertise and friendly style of management to the people of Davie. However, the idea to come to Davie was one of his employee's. Stephen Correa worked at Computer Repair Doctor in Tallahassee, and then Orlando, before suggesting opening up a store in his hometown  Davie.

"I'm really excited and glad that I have the opportunity to start up a new location," manager Stephen Correa said. "I have really enjoyed my time and experiences at Tallahassee and Orlando, but I'm just ready to be back home." Stephen is clearly glad to get back to his roots, but he's also bringing back a lot of what he's learned in his time away.

The store's Grand Opening is happening on June 22nd, but if you need to get something fixed, the store is open and running already! Often returning phones in under 45 minutes, you can leave your device at the store, explore the plaza around you or go shopping, and pick it up before you go home. CRD has made an impression in Tallahassee, Orlando, Raleigh, and Charleston, and is looking forward to doing the same in Davie.

About Computer Repair Doctor: Computer Repair Doctor is a phone repair, computer repair, and laptop repair company with locations throughout the US. Matt Ham (CEO) and his team of tech doctors are experts in consumer electronics of all types and assert that there is no device they can't fix. For a FREE quote on your repair, visit computerrepairdoctor.com.

SOURCE Computer Repair Doctor

Related Links

https://computerrepairdoctor.com


ST. LOUIS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Contegix, a leading application management services provider, has acquired BlackMesh Inc., a cloud services provider specializing in web content management application hosting and secure compliance solutions. The combined Company now serves more than 1,200 customers in both the public and private sectors. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BlackMesh, founded in 2003, has in-depth expertise supporting and managing Drupal and other complex open-source web content management platform technologies including Magento and WordPress. BlackMesh manages the application down to the infrastructure layer, offering end-to-end managed hosting. These solutions empower customers to retain complete control over their application environments, while dramatically reducing the time and costs associated with in-house administration. The company delivers high-touch, cloud-based solutions for organizations of all sizes including government agencies, nonprofits, development groups and large corporations. BlackMesh is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia, and hosts and manages its customers from three SSAE-16 SOC 2 certified datacenters.

"The addition of BlackMesh is a significant leap forward for Contegix and our customers," said David Turner, CEO of Contegix. "BlackMesh's advanced web content management capabilities, coupled with their federal security and compliance certifications, align very well with our existing portfolio of application management services designed for the DevOps community. At the same time, our shared commitment to 'white glove' service will ensure that we continue to go beyond for our clients."

Jason Ford, CTO and co-founder of BlackMesh, will assume the role of CTO and CISO of Contegix and will help lead the integration.

"Together, Contegix and BlackMesh will enhance both companies' ability to serve clients in a secure, efficient, and scalable fashion," said Ford. "We are very excited to join the Contegix team and to continue to provide high-touch service and support to our customers while expanding the services we offer."

In December of 2016, Contegix acquired Admo.net Web Services, LLC, a cloud and managed services provider based in Kansas City, Missouri. Contegix is backed by Strattam Capital.

Harbor Ridge Capital (with securities offered through Fallbrook Capital Securities Corp.) was the exclusive financial adviser to BlackMesh in the transaction.

About Contegix

Contegix provides application management serving the DevOps community as well as a suite of cloud and managed services to enterprise customers. Contegix is the global leader in Atlassian hosting, and has deep expertise in the applications most used by the DevOps community. By providing infrastructure, deep expertise, and talent we allow businesses and their developers to focus on company innovation and growth.

Contegix operates state-of-the-art data centers located in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri; Reading and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Dallas, Texas; and Amsterdam. To learn more, visit www.contegix.com.

About Strattam Capital

Strattam Capital is a private equity firm that takes an innovative and focused approach to investing in high-potential companies within the business information technology market. Our entrepreneurial-minded team applies our operational engagement strategy to deliver a better future for our companies. To learn more, visit www.strattam.com.

About BlackMesh

BlackMesh is a leading managed service provider, delivering secure, compliant, and scalable application hosting platforms and cloud-based solutions to businesses of all sizes. Providing innovative solutions, BlackMesh system administrators are experienced at scaling web to a multi-tier high availability architecture. Combining high-performance technologies with unlimited support, BlackMesh provides customers the tools they need to lower costs and accelerate growth. To learn more, visit www.blackmesh.com.

Media Contact:

Patrick Barry, Byrne PR

314-540-3865

[email protected]

SOURCE Contegix

Related Links

https://www.contegix.com


ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Converde Energy USA, Inc. (OTC: XFUL) (the "Company" or "XFUL") announced today that on June 6, 2017, it entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with GPL Ventures LLC ("GPL") in which GPL may purchase common stock equal to a value of up to Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) when XFUL has qualified the necessary number of shares under Regulation A through an offering statement (Form 1-A). XFUL intends on filing the offering statement within the next thirty days.

"We are very excited to have this investment agreement in place as a primary funding vehicle for the company," said Brad Domitrovitsch, Chairman & CEO of XFUL. "The relationship with GPL will be key for us and our investors as we execute on the business plan to expand both organically and through acquisitions. Initial capital from GPL will be used for the growth of our energy business lines."

Additionally, on June 6, 2017, the Company issued to Minivest (http://www.minivest.com ) a Convertible Promissory Note (the "Note") in the principal amount of $100,000 to retain Minivest as its business advisor and gain access to an online marketing platform. Minivest shall give XFUL the ability to build a webpage within its website for the purpose of advertising itself. The Note accrues interest at the rate of eight percent (8%) per annum and is due in full on or before May 23, 2018.

"Minivest is proud to work with Converde Energy on its Regulation A Offering. Our team has the utmost confidence in XFUL, and we will continue to back their new and exciting direction into the energy sector while supporting their promising initiatives and vision for the future," Minivest management commented.

About Converde Energy USA, Inc. (XFUL)



XFUL and its group of companies focus on providing solutions in markets where energy production and water meet technology. Collectively, the subsidiaries are engaged in the energy sector as well as the design, construction and operation of regional water treatment facilities that serve the industrial, energy and government sectors.

Hydration Corporation of PA, LLC ("HCPA") is engaged in the businesses of water exploration, water augmentation, and the treatment of impacted waters. Notably, its intellectual property delivers one of the highest energy yields from a broad range of water-bearing assets, with one of the lowest capital expenditures of any other known water processes. American Energy Solutions, LLC provides treatment technologies that contribute to HCPA's business model of low-cost treatment and distribution. As a provider of design, this subsidiary is capable of repeatable and synergistic services across the value chain. Gilbert Oil & Gas Company is leveraging broad industry valuation experience to source drilling, operating, and partnership opportunities in the upstream oil and gas space. It is positioned to become a strong customer of XFUL's other subsidiaries while providing them with the foundation to attract other customers and enter new markets.

For additional information, visit: http://americanenergy-inc.com

Safe Harbor

This press release contains forward-looking statements, particularly as related to, among other things, the business plans of XFUL, statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding XFUL's financial position and business strategy. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "may result," "are expected to," "will continue," "anticipates," "expects," "estimate," "project," "indicate," "could," "potentially," "should," "believe," "think", "considers" or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by these sections. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions or orders that may be cancelled, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the fluctuation of global economic conditions, the performance of management and our employees, our ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in our periodic reports and on documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. XFUL cautions readers not to place undue reliance on such statements. XFUL does not undertake, and XFUL specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement. Actual results may differ materially from XFUL's expectations and estimates.

Company Contact:

[email protected]



Communications Contact:

NetworkNewsWire (NNW)

New York, New York

http://www.NetworkNewsWire.com

+1-212-418-1217 Office

[email protected]



SOURCE Converde Energy USA, Inc.
BOSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today and running through August 13, all Jordan's Furniture store locations will collect donations of new and gently used clothing and shoes for children ages birth to twelve years old in support of Cradles to Crayons' Ready for School program. This marks the 11th year of Cradles to Crayons' school preparedness program, which provides local Massachusetts homeless and low-income children with the essential back-to-school supplies and clothing needed to start the year prepared and excited to learn. To kick-off the collection, Jordan's Furniture in Reading MA will host a Stuff-A-Truck event on Saturday, June 24 from 10am to 12pm. Customers and supporters are urged to bring donations to the store during the event. The Cradles to Crayons/Jordan's Furniture partnership, now in its sixth year, has supported 12,435 children to date.

"We are so proud to continue our partnership with Cradles to Crayons and to support their Ready for School program," said Eliot Tatelman, Jordan's President and CEO. "I remember my first days of school and all of the memories of each one. It is so important for every child to feel worthy. By working with the team at Cradles to Crayons, we hope to do our part in helping area children get ready for school and be prepared to learn. Through the generosity of our wonderful customers, we know that our donation drives have made an impact during the last five years. We hope for the same success this year."

Cradles to Crayons was founded in 2002 with the mission of providing children from birth to age twelve with the clothes, toys, school supplies, shoes, and other essentials they need to thrive. The organization provides these items free of charge by working through a network of Service Partners like City Connects, Self Help, Boston Public School District, and others to distribute customized KidPacks, containing a week's worth of clothing and critical items. Cradles to Crayons is a trusted resource to families in need, to the partners who serve those families, and to families, corporations, and individuals looking for ways to make tangible differences in their own communities. Ready for School will serve 70,000 children this year between June 1 and September 30.

"Jordan's Furniture has been an invaluable supporter of our Ready for School program for the past five years. Their efforts will ensure that thousands of children enter the classroom with clothing they can be proud of and the confidence and excitement that come with feeling prepared. We thank Jordan's Furniture for spreading awareness and bringing community members together to give back in a meaningful way," said Cradles to Crayons Founder and CEO, Lynn Margherio. "On behalf of the kids we serve, we would like to thank Jordan's for their continued dedication to supporting local children in need."

The two-month donation drive through August 13takes place at all store locations in Avon, MA; Reading, MA; Natick, MA; Nashua, NH; New Haven, CT; and Warwick, RI; along with the Jordan's Distribution Center in East Taunton, MA and strives to provide every child with essentials of the highest quality. Accepted clothing donations (pants, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, etc. and NEW pajamas, socks, and undergarments) should be like-new or new, with no rips, stains, or tears in Youth sizes 0 to 18/20 and Adult sizes Small and Medium. Shoe donations include sneakers, school shoes, and boots in sizes infant to adult 10.

For more information, visit www.jordans.com or www.cradlestocrayons.org

SOURCE Jordan's Furniture

Related Links

http://www.jordans.com


Ruide develops, manufactures and commercialises plasma-derived products for the Chinese domestic market. This includes albumin, immunoglobulin (Ig) for IV injection, as well as several hyperimmune Ig products. The company also has an advanced pipeline of multiple coagulation factor products that it plans to launch in the coming years, including plasma-derived Factor VIII. In addition, Ruide owns four plasma collection centres and one manufacturing facility in Wuhan, Central China. Ruide's total revenues reached approximately US$30 million in 2016.

CSL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Perreault, said, "Humanwell is a leading Chinese healthcare company with strong capabilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, sales and distribution, as well as healthcare services."

"CSL is driven by our promise to save lives and protect the health of people around the world. This expansion of our footprint in China through an investment in Ruide supports the delivery of this promise."

"We will contribute our extensive plasma manufacturing expertise with a goal to expand and grow plasma collection capabilities and introduce new products into this high-growth market. In co-operation with Humanwell, we intend to work closely with local regulators and the sector to help improve plasma safety and quality, as well as enhance the plasma donor experience. We will also continue to find ways to extend our partnership with Humanwell in areas of mutual interest."

Humanwell's Chairman, Dr Wang Xuehai, said, "We are excited to establish a long-term collaboration with CSL, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, particularly in the plasma sector. Combining CSL's advanced technical capabilities with Ruide's established presence in the Chinese plasma sector will enable the partners to improve access to innovative therapies for patients that need them."

A strong foundation to expand CSL's therapeutic offering in China

China's plasma products market exceeded $3.3 billion in 2016, with a 15 per cent growth rate for the past five years1.China is also the fastest growing immunoglobulin (Ig) market in the world, and in volume, second only to the United States. Improved physician awareness and recent changes to reimbursement coverage for plasma-derived products such as Ig will continue to drive strong demand.

CSL has a long history of delivering plasma-derived medicines for the treatment of rare and serious diseases. Within the Ruide joint venture, CSL will have an opportunity to contribute capabilities across the full range of plasma products currently produced by CSL in markets outside China.

Transaction & Closing

Under terms of the agreement between the parties, CSL will be responsible for operational control of Ruide. The agreement includes a milestone based performance and payment mechanism to enable CSL to increase its ownership in Ruide over time. Closing of the initial 80 per cent stake is expected to occur in the second half of calendar year 2017, subject to regulatory approval by relevant government authorities and Humanwell shareholders.

The acquisition will be funded through CSL's existing debt facilities. The current share buy-back program announced at CSL's Annual General Meeting in October 2016 will not be impacted.

About Humanwell

Humanwell is a fully integrated healthcare solution provider in China, with growing presence in Southeast Asia, North America and Africa. It is publically traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange with revenues in excess of US$1.7 billion in 2016, and ranked in the top 30 pharmaceutical companies in China. It has a distribution network covering China with direct sales to 20,000 medical institutions and 30,000 pharmacies, and operates and manages multiple hospitals in China.

About CSL

CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of life-saving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, as well as vaccines to prevent influenza. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL - including our two businesses, CSL Behring and Seqirus - provides life-saving products to more than 60 countries and employs nearly 20,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest.

Media and analyst briefings

CSL's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Paul Perreault will host the following briefings today:

[9.00pm EDT] Analyst & media conference call

Australia: 1800 908 299 International: +612 90078048 Conference ID No: 802024

NB: Media are invited to attend the analyst conference call for background detail on a 'listen only' basis. Questions will be taken at the Media Conference Call directly following the Analyst call.

[10.00pm EDT] Media conference call for Q&A with Paul Perreault

Australia: 1800 908 299 International: +612 9007 8048 Conference ID No: 373367

A copy of the investor presentation slides relating to the announcement will be lodged with the Australian Securities Exchange and is also available at www.csl.com.au in the 'investor' section.

1. Goldman Sachs Equity Research Report 'Building China's Blood Bank' May 30, 2017.

 Trademarks of CSL Limited or its affiliates.

SOURCE CSL Limited
CHERRY HILL, N.J., June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial and payment professionals do not anticipate any respite from cyber fraud and cyber attacks in the near future, according to a recent survey conducted by TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank. An overwhelming 91 percent of respondents stated they anticipate that payments fraud will become a bigger threat in the next two to three years, up slightly from last year (89 percent).

TD's survey at the NACHA PAYMENTS 2017 conference in Austin, Texas, collected responses from nearly 400 finance professionals on industry trends and outlook.

These cyber concerns are not without merit, as 64 percent of respondents reported that either their organization or one of their clients was involved in a cybersecurity event in the past year. The most commonly cited incidents were business email compromise (20 percent); account takeover (19 percent); and data breach (15 percent).

"Companies need to be mindful that everyday tools from email to the Internet can pose risk to payment operations, and the criminal toolbox is expanding," said Rick Burke, Head of Corporate Products and Services, TD Bank. "Corporate treasurers need to create layers of control for accounts and payments processing, both within their organization and in conjunction with their banking partners."

The Wait to Automate

Despite the grim outlook on cybersecurity, industry professionals noted that automating payments processing could offer greater defense. When thinking about the advantages of automating payments, 21 percent named fraud control and security as the top benefit. Other benefits include:

Speed and ability to pay same day  27 percent

Efficiency  25 percent

Cost savings  16 percent

Accuracy  11 percent

Although corporate treasury professionals believe there is value in automating payments, progress is slow. The percentage of businesses that are paper free has not significantly grown since last year (23 percent in 2016 vs. 21 percent in 2017). Indeed, conference attendees are even less optimistic about their paperless future than they were last year almost half (48 percent) think it will take three or more years to become paper free, up from 42 percent in 2016.

While most companies are sluggish adopters of paperless transactions, they agree that there are best practices and tools available to speed up payments, lower department costs or leverage receivables. The majority of financial professionals named same-day ACH as the most helpful tool (40 percent), followed by accelerated receivables (27 percent) and automating cash application (14 percent).

Survey Methodology

TD Bank polled finance professionals at the 2017 NACHAThe Electronic Payments Association PAYMENTS conference held in Austin, Texas, in April and via the organization's mobile app. A total of 392 responses were collected from industry professionals, including payments system stakeholders from business end-users and financial and technology services organizations.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com.

SOURCE TD Bank

Related Links

http://www.TDBank.com


ATM Industry Association presents company with Gold Award for Innovation at 2017 ATM & Cash Innovation Europe

LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD), the global leader in connected commerce, together with Paynet, received the Gold Award for Innovation from the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) at the 2017 ATM & Cash Innovation Europe Conference. The award recognizes the companies as the first solution providers to implement cardless authentication technology from a project completed ten years ago in Africa.

The ground-breaking project enabled financial institutions to make person-to-person cash transfers available between a bank customer and another consumer who did not have a bank account of their own. The account holder simply sent the details of the transaction and an authorization code to the recipients' mobile phone. Once at the ATM, the recipient entered the code into the ATM and withdrew the intended amount. There has been and still is great growth potential for cardless solutions in rapidly emerging countries with large unbanked populations. According to the World Bank, two billion people worldwide did not have a bank account in 2015, but the majority of them owned a mobile phone.

"We were quick to realize that attractive and useful financial services can be delivered by integrating ATM and mobile technology," said Christian Weisser, senior vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Diebold Nixdorf. "Mobile money solutions have been and continued to be just one component of our portfolio that makes us the innovation leader in connected commerce."

In recent years, Diebold Nixdorf has continued to drive connected commerce through innovative cardless and mobile technologies such as:

Next Generation Mobile Applications : announced in May of this year Diebold Nixdorf entered into a strategic partnership with Kony, the leading enterprise mobility and application company, to accelerate mobile transformation in the financial and retail industries. Diebold Nixdorf's next generation mobile application suite, DN Mobile, offers white-label solutions for financial institutions and retailers that enable a unified and highly personalized experience.

: announced in May of this year entered into a strategic partnership with Kony, the leading enterprise mobility and application company, to accelerate mobile transformation in the financial and retail industries. next generation mobile application suite, DN Mobile, offers white-label solutions for financial institutions and retailers that enable a unified and highly personalized experience. Innovative Conceptual Technologies : beacons, NFC, biometrics Beginning with the launch of the Millennial-Inspired ATM Concept in 2014, and continuing with the recently announced Essence Concept, Diebold Nixdorf's innovations challenge traditional ATM design through software-driven interactions to deliver personalized and secure experiences for mobile-first consumers.

: beacons, NFC, biometrics Beginning with the launch of the Millennial-Inspired ATM Concept in 2014, and continuing with the recently announced Essence Concept, innovations challenge traditional ATM design through software-driven interactions to deliver personalized and secure experiences for mobile-first consumers. Secure Card Onboarding for Mobile Wallets : In 2015, the company launched a highly unique and secure card onboarding process, XPRESSION SafeLoad, which reduces fraud by using the inherently secure architecture of the ATM network to onboard the consumer's card into a secure, white-label mobile wallet.

: In 2015, the company launched a highly unique and secure card onboarding process, XPRESSION SafeLoad, which reduces fraud by using the inherently secure architecture of the ATM network to onboard the consumer's card into a secure, white-label mobile wallet. Mobile-Enabled Facial Biometric Authentication: Partnering with Samsung SDS at the Digital Banking Conference in Austin, Texas , June 12-14 , to showcase the integration of advanced mobile authentication technologysuch as facial recognitionat the self-service channel to enhance security and improve the consumer experience.

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 world's 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.

SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf

Related Links

http://www.diebold.com


When hes riding horses, Cody Beach doesnt remember the bullets flying past him, or the explosions that caused him to lose 80 percent of his hearing.

Its the only time he can truly relax.

Beach is one of about 20 veterans who commute from Lincoln to Hickman to participate in horse-assisted therapy at Guide to the Soul Equitherapy. Owners Jana Christensen Bauman and Tony Bauman provide free sessions to veterans and anyone in need.

Research has shown that being around animals can help people to relax and feel comfortable.

For people with PTSD being around horses is very therapeutic, Jana said. It can get them out of their head and get them doing something that they enjoy.

Beach has seen first hand how helpful the alternative therapy has been in reducing his symptoms.

He served in the Army for three years, including one year deployed to the front lines as an infantryman in Afghanistan.

As time passed, his symptoms increased.

It started with nightmares. Hed scream in his sleep, saying things in Poshtu, the language spoken in Afghanistan. He was jumpy and paranoid in crowds. Loud noises triggered fear.

He felt like he was always on edge.

After returning from deployment, Beach was in the Army for another year. He didnt acknowledge the symptoms, he said, until he left the military in 2013.

I didnt recognize it because there were other guys that thought like I did, so I wasnt too concerned with it, he said. Being out felt like I was alone, I didnt have anyone to understand what I was going through.

He has several military friends and acquaintances who also struggle with PTSD. The severity of the problem hit home for him when a friend committed suicide after deployment a few years ago.

While youre at war, you expect to see death, he said, but finding out a buddy that came home ends up taking his own life, you realize its a big issue and youre not ready for it.

He sought help at Veterans Affairs, but he said he didnt feel like it was what he needed at the time. Last year, a former boss connected him with Guide to the Soul, and Beach said he feels like he has found his family.

He immediately bonded with Jana and Tony Bauman and felt that being around horses helped relieve some of the anxiety and fear caused by PTSD.

The Baumans have created an oasis for veterans to get away from everyday life and find community. This year, they put up a playground and above-ground pool to include families. They sometimes host campfires or events to foster the community atmosphere.

The couple started the nonprofit three years ago after a suggestion from Janas daughter, who was helping children through equine therapy.

There are different forms of equine therapy, one side deals with physical therapy aspects and focuses on how the horse moves, and the other focuses on the more emotional affects of being with horses.

Jana and Tony help match riders up with horses. Beach said he bonded with a horse named Annabelle. The connection has helped him to alleviate some of his PTSD symptoms.

When Beach began coming to Guide to the Soul, he had to bring his therapy dog with him every time. Now, hes gotten to the point where he feels comfortable and safe enough to leave his dog at home.

Everyday life Im going to have struggles, and I know thats going to be for the rest of my life, Beach said. But when Im out here, Im worry-free.

One of the horses is a certified therapy horse, which means she is trained for the physical therapy side, Jana said. The couple had originally planned to pursue that side of the therapy before deciding on a cause closer to their heart. Both have family members in the military and veterans issues are something they feel passionate about.

The more veterans they get to know, the more determined they are to help. It breaks their heart seeing people, like Beach, struggle as a result of their service. They want to provide a safe space for veterans to go and seek another form of help.

Guide to the Soul runs entirely off donations and the therapy sessions are free. Jana and Tony host fundraisers, one which will be held June 24, to raise money to help them cover the costs to maintain the space and care for their eight horses.

We dont want to limit somebody from getting help or being around horses that doesnt have the funds to do it, she said.

Currently, both Jana and Tony work full-time jobs elsewhere and provide services when they have time off. Someday, they hope to work at Guide to the Soul full-time and perhaps even hire an employee. The nonprofit is still young, Jana said, and because they exist purely from goodwill donation it isnt an option yet.

All eight of the horses have been rescued. Each comes from a different situation, but most arrived severely underweight and had been neglected or abused. Jana drove to pick up the first two horses that she rescued, but found the situations so heartbreaking that she now has someone else deliver them.

One of the horses is not used for therapy because he suffered extreme abuse. Years later, he is still skittish about trusting people, Jana said.

Rescuing the horses, Jana said, goes hand in hand with the work they now do.

Its a second chance for them and were providing a second chance or help for people, Jana said.
WASHINGTON, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- D.C.'s renowned Union Market was the setting for the annual Sunday Supper on June 4, 2017. Hosted by EDENS in support of the James Beard Foundation (JBF), the sold-out evening benefited the Foundation's new Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) Program. Funds raised for this initiative provide critical support to cultivate the next generation of culinary business leaders through a unique intensive program at Babson College, the nation's leading entrepreneurial college. "We are embarking on an exciting new chapter with this program," explains EDENS CEO Jodie W. McLean and WEL program Advisory Council member, "one that is set on advancing the role of women in business and culinary leadership by providing them with the tools and training to grow and thrive." The JBF will soon announce the women chefs selected to attend the inaugural class of the WEL program this September.

This year's feast also celebrated the flavors and ingredients of Latin America crafted by some of the nation's most talented chefs and culinary leaders. Inspired by the upcoming Latin marketplace concept from award-winning chef Jose Garces set to open in the Union Market district, Sunday Supper featured an array of traditional Latin dishes, South American wines and spirits, artisanal chocolates and more. Emceed by renowned Colombian-born chef, author and Food Network host Ingrid Hoffman, Sunday Supper welcomed distinguished guests from the Latin and diplomatic communities including Ambassador Geronimo Gutierrez of Mexico; Ambassador Emanuel Gonzalez-Revilla of the Republic of Panama; Mexican Cultural Institute Executive Director Alberto Fierro; and representatives from the Embassies of Colombia, Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Featured chefs included:

Victor Albisu, Del Campo (Washington, D.C.)

Camila Arango, Bluebird Bakery (Washington, D.C.)

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina (Washington, D.C.)

Anna Bran-Leis, Taqueria Del Barrio, DC Empanada (Washington, D.C.)

Giana Cavaliere, Volt (Washington, D.C.)

Traci Des Jardins, Jardiniere, Arguello, Mijita, The Commissary (San Francisco)

Violeta Edelman & Robb Duncan, Dolcezza (Washington, D.C.)

Kelly Fields, Willa Jean (New Orleans)

Jose Garces, Amada, Distrito, Village Whiskey, Tinto, Buena Onda, Volver, Rural Society (Philadelphia, New York, Washington, DC, New Jersey)

Mario Monte, Colada Shop (Washington, D.C.)

Douglas Rodriguez, Alma de Cuba, Mojitobar Sawgrass (Philadelphia, Miami, Fort Lauderdale)

Omar Rodriguez, Oyamel (Washington, D.C.)

Carolina Santos-Neves, Comodo, Comparti Catering (New York)

Cocktails and coffee were crafted by:

Gina Chersevani, Buffalo & Bergen, (Washington, D.C.)

Cordial (Washington, D.C.)

Juan Coronado, Colada Shop (Washington, D.C.)

Grand Cata, Latin Wine Shop (Washington, D.C.)

Gordy's Pickle Jar (Washington, D.C.)

Blue Bottle Coffee (Oakland, CA, Washington, D.C.)

The rich and diverse culinary offerings of Sunday Supper were made possible through the generous support of renowned organizations and artisans, including Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino, Baldor, Constellation Brands and Corona, MundoVino, Total Wine & More, Capital Meat Company, the National Pork Board, Sea to Table, Open Blue Cobia, Samuels & Son Seafood, Wagshal's, ENZO Olive Oil Company, Lyon Bakery, Pacari chocolate, Macchu Pisco, ProMexico, Wahaka Mezcal, Gran Centenario Tequila, Mulix, Oaxakisima, Seasons of the Heart and Vanuato Kakaw chocolates, Bazaar Spices, Valrhona chocolate and BrainFood.

As a major funding event for the WEL program, Sunday Supper was proud to welcome James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro and Board Chair Emily Luchetti, Babson College's Victoria Sassine, as well as members of the WEL program Advisory Council, including Josh Kulp, Melissa Musiker, Juliana Stone and Ruth Gresser representing Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, a founding supporter of the WEL program. DC culinary luminaries such as Ris Lacoste, Joan Nathan and Nick Stefanelli, were also in attendance. "We are so grateful to Jodie McLean and the entire EDENS team for once again demonstrating their support for the James Beard Foundation and the needs of women chefs," said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. "Even though women make up over half of all culinary school attendees, they currently represent only 19% of all head chefs. The James Beard Foundation's Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership program aims to help women take their rightful place leading kitchens and restaurants nationwide."

Event photography is available upon request.

Check out Sunday Supper on Twitter and Instagram at @SundaySupperDC and #SundaySupperDC.

Sunday Supper was made possible through the generous support of Bregman, Berbert, Schwartz & Gilday (BBS&G), BrightView, CBRE, Gables Residential, HFF, LF Jennings, New Columbia Solar, PNC, Securitas, and TEEL Construction, as well as Alvarez & Marsal, Bohler, the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, CentiMark, Eastdil Secured, Goulston & Storrs, Great Gulf, J.P. Morgan, MV+A Architects, Potomac Construction Services, rand* construction, UDR, and more.

ABOUT UNION MARKET The Union Market District is a 45-acre district in NE DC and one of the city's most vibrant, diverse and thriving neighborhoodsa living laboratory for a sustainable urban community and place for creative minds and businesses to connect, thrive, launch and make DC their own. Since opening in September 2012, The Market at Union Market, the acclaimed food market with over 40 local scalable businesses, averages 15,000 visitors per weekend and has hosted over 400 community and private events. For more information about Union Market, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com.

ABOUT EDENS EDENS develops, owns and operates community shopping centers in primary markets across the country. The company has built an institutional-quality portfolio of more than 120 retail centers. EDENS has regional headquarters in Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Houston and Columbia, S.C. For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, visit www.edens.com.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION (JBF) Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors chefs and other leaders making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City's Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org.

SOURCE EDENS

Related Links

http://www.edens.com


AUSTIN, Texas, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Edgile, the leading cyber risk and compliance consulting firm, today announced it has been named a finalist in the 2017 Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in strategic innovation and implementation of customer solutions to digitally transform their businesses in the cloud, based on Microsoft technology.

Edgile's recognition as a Microsoft 2017 Enterprise Mobility Partner of the Year Award finalist comes as leading organizations increasingly work with Edgile to securely and compliantly move their on-premises applications to take advantage of the operational efficiencies, cost savings and innovative services of the cloud. Edgile has the distinction of a long history of success as a Microsoft Gold Partner with deep expertise in EM+S, Azure Active Directory and Active Directory across its practice, which includes identity experts honored as Microsoft MVPs.

"Microsoft's recognition of Edgile reinforces the importance of our deep security experience, expertise and business-aligned strategic approach to modern enterprises, putting the systems in place to securely and compliantly conduct business anywhere, anytime," said Don Elledge, CEO of Edgile. "Edgile's strategy-first methodology and implementation teams regularly play a key role in enterprise security officers' ability to plan and align their roadmap to business goals and more effectively deploy best of breed technology, such as Microsoft solutions, throughout the enterprise."

Awards were presented in several categories, with winners chosen from a set of more than 2,800 entrants from 115 countries worldwide. Edgile was recognized for providing outstanding cyber risk consulting solutions and managed services in enterprise mobility.

"Our ecosystem of innovative partners is the cornerstone to delivering transformative solutions to our mutual customers," said Ron Huddleston corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft Corp. "We are pleased to recognize Edgile for being selected as finalist of the 2017 Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Partner of the Year award."

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year.

Edgile Cloud Risk & Security Practice: We Secure the CloudSM

The enterprise-wide shift to the cloud is accelerating as the agility, reliability and reduced costs of cloud services are rapidly overcoming any concerns about protected information and regulatory compliance. Edgile's Cloud Risk & Security Practice provides clients with the path to the cloud, delivering the strategy and roadmap for organizations to make this move while managing risk and modernizing the organizational security model. Edgile's practice delivers the transformational skillset to lead organizations, bringing client cloud specialists with deep expertise in cybersecurity, identity and GRC risk and security services.

About Edgile

Edgile is the trusted security partner to the world's leading organizations, providing consulting, managed services and regulatory content services. Our mission is to secure the modern enterprise by developing programs that increase business agility and create a competitive advantage for our clients. Our strategy-first model helps organizations achieve their business goals through on-premises and cloud security programs, IAM, GRC and cybersecurity.

For more information about Edgile: www.edgile.com.

Follow Edgile on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Marketing Contact:

Dan Seyer

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Jeff Lettes

[email protected]

(408) 406-1161

SOURCE Edgile

Related Links

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SAN JOSE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Cloud (http://electric-cloud.com), the leader in DevOps Release Automation and Continuous Delivery, today announced that is has been selected for the SD Times 100 'Best in Show' for software development in the DevOps category (http://sdtimes.com/sd-times-100/sd-times-100-2017-youve-arrived/). The 2017 list marks the 11th time Electric Cloud has been included in the SD Times 100.

"It's an honor to be recognized by SD Times as a leader in the DevOps software delivery category," said Steve Brodie, CEO of Electric Cloud. "We're seeing great momentum in 2017 with an increased demand for ElectricFlow, our industry leading DevOps Release Automation Platform. Our inclusion in the SD Times 100 'Best in Show' confirms that our product innovation and community thought-leadership has not gone unnoticed!"

Each year, SD Times recognizes companies, consortia, and projects that demonstrate notable leadership and innovation. The DevOps category (http://sdtimes.com/sdtimes-100/2017/best-in-show/devops-2017/) includes organizations that are dedicated to supporting software delivery at speed, while keeping developers on track.

The news comes on the heels of Electric Cloud's recent announcement of the addition of two new advisors, customer and strategic alliance growth, and increasing ElectricFlow adoption. ElectricFlow is a unified DevOps platform that enables teams of all sizes automate deployments and coordinate releases at scale. The Community Edition of ElectricFlow gives DevOps practitioners instant access to advanced deployment automation and pipeline orchestration capabilities at no charge.

Share This: [email protected] makes 2017 SD Times 100 list for #DevOps http://sdtimes.com/sdtimes-100/2017/best-in-show/devops-2017/ #2017sdtimes100

Connect with Electric Cloud

Follow @electricccloud on Twitter

Connect with Electric Cloud on LinkedIn

Like Electric Cloud on Facebook

About Electric Cloud, Inc.

Electric Cloud is the leader in DevOps Release Automation and Continuous Delivery. We help organizations like E*TRADE, Gap, HPE, Intel and Lockheed Martin deliver better software faster by orchestrating, automating, and accelerating application releases.

Contact:

Jeremy Douglas

Catapult PR-IR

303-581-7760

[email protected]

SOURCE Electric Cloud

Related Links

http://electric-cloud.com


BOSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FE International is pleased to announce that CEO Ismael Wrixen has won a record number of awards during the 2016 IBBA Member Excellence Awards Gala. Wrixen was named IBBA Top Global Producer of the Year and IBBA Deal Maker of the Year, in addition to winning the IBBA Chairman's Circle Award and IBBA Deal Maker Award. The IBBA, who hosted its annual conference and awards gala in Dallas, Texas, is widely recognized as the most authoritative international association for business brokers and M&A advisors.

The IBBA Top Global Producer of the Year is awarded to the business broker who demonstrated the highest total purchase price from all deals combined in 2016. The recipient of the IBBA Deal Maker of the Year Award is the business broker who sold the greatest number of qualified businesses in 2016. Both awards serve to distinguish IBBA Members for the outstanding dedication to their clients.

"It is an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious organization for continuing to successfully facilitate M&A deals for our clients," said Wrixen. "These awards help raise awareness for the Internet business brokerage industry, which continues to grow at an unprecedented rate."

This is the second consecutive year that Wrixen received recognition for the IBBA's Deal Maker of the Year and Deal Maker awards, and the first year for the Top Global Producer Award. Wrixen's previous background includes large-cap M&A investment banking with Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, where he executed several high profile public deals, namely in the Technology sector.

About FE International, Inc.: FE International provides M&A advisory services for mid-market SaaS, e-commerce and content businesses. The company has become the pre-eminent adviser and valuation thought-leader in the industry. FE offers comprehensive exit planning services, as well as direct access to an established network of pre-qualified international investors to drive demand and maximize value for the clients it represents. For more info visit www.feinternational.com.

Amanda Ng

FE International, Inc.

+1 (855) 483-3547

[email protected]

SOURCE FE International

Related Links

http://www.feinternational.com


LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds gathered Saturday, June 10, at the Asian Culture Center for Nevada's Immigrant Heritage Month Dedication Ceremony + Cultural Showcase to celebrate the fourth annual Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM), a nationwide effort to gather and share the inspirational stories of immigrants in America. Attendees were also encouraged to give back to the community by volunteering to help local immigrant-serving organizations.

The evening included performances by Latin musicians, the Comparsa Fiesta Morelense dance troupe of Las Vegas and Korean and Polynesian dance groups. U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada's 4th congressional district was the event's keynote speaker and spoke of his family's journey to the U.S. and his pledge to stand with immigrants.

"My family came here in pursuit of the American dream," Kihuen said. "And the simple fact that a former undocumented immigrant is serving in Congress is a testament of the greatness of this country."

"We are overwhelmed by the turnout and support that was displayed on behalf of Immigrant Heritage Month," said FileRight.com Founder and CEO Cesare Alessandrini. "So many great folks came out to help celebrate their immigrant heritage and take part in an event that celebrated cultural diversity. We were delighted to partner with IAmAnImmigrant.com and the team at FWD.us to help put together and sponsor such an incredible event. Additionally, we are excited to see support for IHM coming from more than 250 companies and nonprofit partners, including Facebook, Verizon, Snapchat, Refinery29, MTV, HBO and Airbnb."

For more information about the event and Immigrant Heritage Month, please visit fileright.com/IHM or facebook.com/fileright.

About FileRight.com

FileRight.com is an online software company dedicated to setting immigrants on the path of success by focusing on one thing: getting immigration paperwork filed right. FileRight.com's software (available in English or Spanish) guides applicants through the process step-by-step and checks for errors or problematic entries along the way. Popular application filing packages also include an immigration lawyer consultation and a review of applications prior to filing. FileRight.com offers 24/7 support and a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Learn more at www.FileRight.com.

SOURCE FileRight.com

Related Links

http://www.fileright.com


STOUGHTON, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This brand-new book, "Color Atlas of Infant Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie Laser Frenectomy," was co-authored by a pediatric dentist, Martin Kaplan, DMD, DABLS.

Front cover of the book.

"This is a topic of great concern for me  I often see an overdiagnosis of 'organic' reflux before the clinician rules out the symptoms of reflux that are due either to swallowing of air (aerophagia) or to unrecognized restrictive lingual or maxillary frenum, which interferes with a proper breast latch. As a result, doctors often unnecessarily put babies at risk by placing them on reflux medication when there is no need. Infant tongue- and lip-tie treatment is a simple in-office procedure that I perform with a LightScalpel CO2 laser, followed by a referral to an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). A friend of mine  a forensic dentist  is even evaluating babies who died of SIDS for tongue- and lip-ties because there can be a link to aspiration and choking," says Dr. Kaplan.

In this first of its kind book, Dr. Kaplan presents over 30 clinical cases of infant laser frenectomy procedure, including case histories and pre-, intra- and post-operative photos, juxtaposing ordinary cases with more unusual and rare ones. The Atlas also contains comprehensive information on the physiology of breastfeeding and sucking, guidelines for proper tongue- and lip-tie assessment, and the physics of laser ablation and coagulation of the oral soft tissues. The other co-authors of the book include general dentist, Robert Convissar, DDS; International Board certified lactation consultant, Alison Hazelbaker, Ph.D., IBCLC; and laser physicist, Peter Vitruk, Ph.D.

Dr. Kaplan is also a creator of a first of its kind procedure training class at Tufts University College of Dental Medicine Department of Continuing Education, titled, "Pediatric Tongue- and Lip-Ties: Diagnosis and Treatment with Soft-Tissue Lasers." To date, this groundbreaking training course has been attended by hundreds of doctors and lactation professionals from around the globe, including Greece, India, and Qatar.

About Infant Laser Frenectomies

Dr. Kaplan passionately encourages a team approach to educating health professionals and the public about this physical oral restriction  the problem that has a simple solution, but is often overlooked. When the need for a frenectomy is properly diagnosed  which ideally should be done in concert with a physician and an IBCLC  the frenectomy can resolve many cases of painful breastfeeding, poor latch, failure to thrive from inability to retain breast milk, choking and gagging, and others. With fourteen years of clinical experience with all dental lasers, Dr. Kaplan is convinced that the revision of a properly diagnosed restrictive frenum yields the best results when performed with a CO2 laser. In contrast with the fiber-tipped dental diodes which remove tissue via prolonged direct thermal contact, the CO2 laser rapidly vaporizes frenal tissue photo-thermally. The CO2 laser procedure often takes seconds to perform with little-to-no bleeding, and can dramatically improve breastfeeding for many babies and their mothers.

About Dr. Kaplan

Martin Kaplan, DMD, DABLS, maintains a full-time pediatric dental practice in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He is a part-time adjunct clinical instructor in the pediatric post-graduate department at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. He has been an early adopter of laser dentistry and has been standard certified by the Academy of Laser Dentistry since 2004. He has lectured nationally and internationally and has co-authored several dental articles and been a contributing author in several dental texts. Dr. Kaplan is the first pediatric laser dentist to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery, and he currently serves as its Director of Laser Dentistry Education.

Media Contact

Martin Kaplan, DMD, DABLS

Phone: (781) 341-0320

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kidcaredental.com

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

SOURCE Dr. Martin Kaplan, DMD, DABLS
TAMPA, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- USF Federal Credit Union (USF FCU) launched a novel rewards program that returns money to members. Depending on a member's overall balances in loans, savings and checking accounts, some members can get back up to 5 percent of the interest paid on a loan each quarter.

"The number one benefit for the Catalyst Member Rewards program is the fact that members will be able to get a partial refund on the interest that they've paid," said USF FCU branch manager Rob Perry. "That is a huge differentiator between our credit union and other credit unions in the United States."

Catalyst Member Rewards is designed to keep more money in members' wallets based on their level of activity with the credit union. Along with the partial refund of interest, the rewards program also features out-of-network ATM fee reimbursements, overdraft transfer fee waivers, free money orders and official checks.

Members with a loan account also get free access to their FICO Score, which is updated every quarter. The FICO Score is based on information provided by consumer credit reporting agencies and is the standard measure of U.S. consumer credit risk. FICO Scores are used by 90 percent of the top US lenders to make lending decisions and to help determine rates consumers pay on purchases and financing.

Over the years, USF FCU's President and CEO Richard Skaggs noticed that members were frequently asking how they could become more engaged with the credit union. The Catalyst Member Rewards program is an excellent opportunity for the credit union to tailor services and help members become financially successful, Skaggs said. "It helps us build a stronger relationship with our members."

To learn about the benefits of Catalyst Member Rewards, please visit: https://www.usffcu.com/catalyst.

About USF Federal Credit Union

USF Federal Credit Union (USF FCU) offers a full range of financial services to the faculty, staff, students, alumni association members, and families at the University of South Florida in Tampa. USF FCU divisions include Darden Credit Union serving employees of Darden Restaurants, Inc., and Red Lobster Credit Union for employees of Red Lobster restaurants. Please visit: www.usffcu.com for more information.

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Media Contact

Kristin Kryza

(813) 569-2124

[email protected]

SOURCE USF Federal Credit Union

Related Links

http://www.usffcu.com


Bashas' and Instacart joined forces to bring same-day grocery delivery to customers in March 2017. Based on the strong initial results -- including 13% average weekly sales growth (WoW) and average basket sizes more than two times the size of in-store baskets -- Bashas' is doubling down on the partnership with the launch of their own e-commerce Bashas' Powered by Instacart site to provide same-day grocery delivery to over 1.4 million households in the Phoenix metro area.

"Today's world is focused on convenience and it is important for us to offer time saving solutions to our customers. Through the partnership with Instacart, our customers get fresh, quality ingredients at great prices delivered right to their door," says Ashley Shick, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Bashas' Family of Stores. "As a family owned grocer we understand that family time is most important so less time shopping can mean more time for families to spend together."

Bashas' customers across the Phoenix Metropolitan Area can now visit bashas.instacart.com to fill their virtual carts with all their favorite items, from produce and meat to everyday essentials and even alcohol, and have them delivered straight to their doorstep, often in as little as an hour. Customers who place orders on the Bashas' Powered by Instacart site will enjoy the same great in-store and Thank You Card prices they enjoy when shopping in person, while getting back something truly valuable: time.

"Bashas' is Arizona's favorite hometown grocer and a big part of the local community in Phoenix, which makes them a perfect partner given Instacart's mission to bring customers the groceries they want from the brands they trust," said Nilam Ganenthiran, Instacart's Chief Business Officer. "We are thrilled to launch the Bashas' Powered by Instacart site and continue helping brick and mortar retailer partners like Bashas' win in an increasingly Amazon'ed world."

About Instacart

Instacart helps people cross grocery shopping off their to-do lists with just a few clicks. Customers use the Instacart website or app to create their shopping lists from their favorite, local stores and Instacart connects them with shoppers who hand pick the items on their list and deliver them straight to their door. Founded in San Francisco in 2012, Instacart has quickly scaled to over 60 markets nationwide and partnered with retailers across the United States, including popular national chains as well as local, regional grocers. By combining a personal touch with cutting-edge technology, Instacart offers customers a simple solution to save time and eat fresh food from the most trusted grocery brands. Instacart is the only grocery service that can meet today's on-demand lifestyle by delivering in as little as one hour. First delivery is free at www.instacart.com.

About Bashas' Supermarkets

Bashas' is an Arizona-based, family-owned and -operated grocery chain known for its fresh produce, made-from-scratch bakery items, full-service butcher shop and award-winning Chef's Entrees. Bashas' was established in 1932 and since its inception has given more than $100 million back to the communities in which it serves. For more information, visit www.bashas.com.

SOURCE Instacart

Related Links

http://www.instacart.com


DALLAS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1927, Freeman has been growing, evolving, and transforming the live events industry in meaningful and measurable ways. Now celebrating its 90th anniversary, Freeman  the leading global provider of brand experiences  is continuing to build markets, connect people, support growth, and generate revenues for the world's leading organizations.

"Our 90th anniversary isn't just about looking back on where we've been; it's about where we're going, and how, on behalf of our clients, we are transforming our business and the industry as a whole," said Carrie Freeman Parsons, Vice Chair of Freeman. "Our success was built on the relationships we've had and continue to have with our clients and partners, and those relationships have built us up, defined us, and given us the license to challenge, define, and innovate our industry. We are tremendously grateful for our clients all over the world  it is because of their steadfast loyalty and trust that we are able to lead such transformative change."

This year, Freeman is also recognizing the 40th anniversary of its highly esteemed chairman.

"Don Freeman is the reason we have been so successful over the last 40 years," said Joe Popolo, CEO of Freeman. "Under Don's leadership, from the time he succeeded his father, Buck Freeman, in 1977, to when he passed the torch to me in 2008, Don grew the business over 6,000 percent. We all owe him an immense debt of gratitude for building on Buck Freeman's legacy and guiding the transformation of Freeman into the global leader we are today."

Freeman has set a strategic road map that will guide the future of the company and the industry. This strategy is a focused effort to help the industry evolve by identifying future trends in technology, content, and human behavior in order to evolve to meet the changing demand of societies and businesses.

"We have the ability to connect people, organizations, and cultures in ways that create massive positive change on a global scale," said Bob Priest-Heck, President of Freeman. "The work we have done to reinvent our company and design our future will create new worlds of engagement where brands come to life and experience what is next."

Over its 90-year history, the undying commitment of Freeman employees has always been a constant. As part of its strategic vision, the company is poised to build on its reputation as the premier place for industry talent.

"The people and culture of Freeman are at the heart of our company's legacy and, without question, are our greatest assets," said Albert Chew, Chief Operating Officer of Freeman and President of Freeman Expositions. "More than 8,000 employees around the world proudly deliver on our mission of connecting people in meaningful ways every day, while exemplifying our values of integrity, empathy, innovation, enthusiasm, performance excellence, and collaboration."

With its strategy in place, Freeman has already launched several key initiatives that will drive the future of the category.

Make It PersonalSM

As Freeman looks ahead, the company is placing a good deal of stock in what many see as the future of brand experiences: mass personalization. Less a trend than a total reevaluation of the marketing discipline, personalization is driven by the idea that audiences can no longer be broadly defined by a set of shared attributes or values.

"Data is providing us with insights that allow us to personalize the experience, creating deeper, more meaningful connections," said Chris Cavanaugh, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Freeman. "It starts with putting the audience at the center of the proposition, using empathy and insights to understand what they want and need, and then creating a personalized experience that delivers without being intrusive."

Freeman is exploring new ways to leverage data and technology to design environments and make the storytelling process more responsive to allow consumers to control their own experiences.

Redefining the Future of Events

Big Data is continuing to play an enormous role in all facets of business. By defining scientific and social trends and emotional and spiritual touch points, Freeman's future outlook approach focuses on insights and three proprietary tools that will shape the future of events from the inside out.

Global Trends

The Freeman Global Trend Navigator was developed with information collected from workshops, interviews, and studies, which summarized and distilled the findings into eight macro trends: Glocalization, New Models, Digital Transformation, Global Citizens, Everybody Is a Creative, Betterness, Intelligent Reduction, and Economics for Humans.

Trend Compass

Freeman created a tool that allows its people to apply trend knowledge to ongoing strategic work. With four main categories  people, profit, planet, and purpose  the Trend Compass acts as an index that assists with qualitative evaluation of the relevance and integration of the eight macro trends in a local context.

Scenario Creating

The visualization and contextualization of the future into four global scenarios (Bigger by Design, Info Revolution, The Creativity Lab, and The Individual Experience) allows participants to consider global trends on a more human scale  and how macro trends will play out alongside more detailed, micro trends such as technology, hyper-personalization, and emerging markets.

Accelerating Technology

After a strong year of acquisitions to grow its digital capabilities, Freeman has continued to bolster its digital portfolio with Freeman Digital Ventures, a fund that is set up to accelerate innovation and provide investments and partnerships that support the increasing impact technology and digital advances are making in the brand experience category.

"The market is becoming increasingly sophisticated," said Richard Maranville, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Freeman. "There is a growing demand for cutting-edge technology that takes audience interaction to the next level. As the global leader in the category, we are uniquely positioned to develop digital solutions that improve audience experience and drive the future of the industry."

Virtual reality, in particular, has caught the attention of the category as a whole. From live streaming brand experiences to immersive storytelling to designing the interactive, in-person experience, Freeman's VR products and services will push the boundaries of brand experiences.

The future is proving to be an inspiring theme for Freeman, especially during a year of such historic significance.

"Even with this tremendous milestone upon us, there's always been a sense that we at Freeman are a young, energetic company," said Popolo. "As Don Freeman has said, 'We're a 90-year-old startup.' We may be the global leader in our category, but we have the energy, enthusiasm, and the agility that allows us to keep looking forward and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our industry."

From a humble decorating company in the 1920s to servicing trade shows, conferences, and events worldwide, Freeman is positioned to lead the brand experience category as the need for personal relationships in an increasingly cluttered landscape is more important than ever before for brands. To learn more about how Freeman is redefining brand experiences, visit www.freeman.com.

ABOUT FREEMAN

Freeman is the world's largest brand experience company. We help our clients design, plan, and deliver immersive experiences for their most important audiences. Through comprehensive solutions including strategy, creative, logistics, digital solutions, and event technology, Freeman helps increase engagement and drive business results. What makes us different is our collaborative culture, intuitive knowledge, global perspective, and personalized approach, gained from our 90 years as an industry leader. Freeman is a family-owned company with more than 90 locations worldwide and over 7,000 employees, 2,000 of whom are located outside the U.S. For more information, visit www.freeman.com.

Social Networks:

Web: www.freeman.com

Insights: www.freeman.com/insights

Twitter: www.twitter.com/freemanco

Facebook: www.facebook.com/freemanfans

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-freeman-company

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/FreemancoVideos

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/freemanco/

Tumblr: https://freemancompany.tumblr.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/freemancompany/

SOURCE Freeman

Related Links

http://www.freeman.com


Appraisals are falling farther from owner estimates, but they are rising higher each month. Home values rose an average of 0.63 percent in May, and increased 4.92 percent year-over-year, as measured by Quicken Loans' National Home Value Index (HVI).

Home Price Perception Index (HPPI)

At the beginning of the mortgage process a homeowner estimates what their home is worth. Later in the process an appraiser reviews the home, and the local comparable sales, to establish their opinion of the home's value. The Quicken Loans HPPI showed that owners' home value estimates were an average of 1.93 percent below appraisers' opinions of the value, at a national level. There was a slight widening between the two data points since April, when there was a 1.90 percent difference. May is the sixth month the two valuations moved farther apart. Despite the national average, perceptions varied across the country. In Denver or Dallas appraisals were nearly 3 percent higher than expected, while in Philadelphia or Baltimore appraised values were more than 3 percent lower than what homeowners estimated.

"It's important for consumers to see the HPPI and not only think about the difference in perceptions, but the different perceptions across the country," said Bill Banfield, Quicken Loans Executive Vice President of Capital Markets. "Home values, and home value changes, vary widely depending on the city you're in. Homeowners, and those looking to buy a home, should keep a close eye on their local market to better understand home values in their area, and the trend they are on."

Home Value Index (HVI)

Home values rose at a national level, and in much of the country, according to the Quicken Loans HVI - which measures home value changes based solely on appraisals. Nationally, appraised values increased 0.63 percent from their level in May, and rose 4.92 percent when viewed annually. The Northeast was the only region measured that showed a home value loss, with appraisals dropping 1.63 percent since the previous month. However all four regions had year-over-year gains, ranging from a 1.15 percent increase in the Northeast to a 6.85 percent increase in the West.

"The strong demand for housing paired with the low levels of inventory continue to push values higher," said Banfield. "Prices are rising as values push higher, making many parts of the country enticing markets for sellers. Many owners will find that they can get more than expected out of their home."



HVI May 2017 January 2005 = 100 HVI May 2017 vs. April 2017 % Change HVI May 2017 vs. May 2016 % Change HPPI May 2017 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* HPPI May 2016 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* National Composite 102.16 +0.63% +4.92% -1.93% -1.90%

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.

Geographic Regions HVI May 2017 January 2005 = 100 HVI May 2017 vs. April 2017 % Change HVI May 2017 vs. May 2016 % Change HPPI May 2017 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* HPPI May 2016 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* West 123.88 +1.51% +6.85% -1.63% -1.56% South 104.32 +0.51% +5.07% -1.90% -1.87% Midwest 84.94 +1.00% +5.11% -1.97% -2.12% Northeast 95.68 -1.63% +1.15% -2.12% -2.06%

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.

Metropolitan Areas HPPI May 2017 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* HPPI April 2017 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* HPPI May 2016 Appraiser Value vs. Homeowner Perception of Value* Denver, CO +2.58% +2.72% +3.28% Dallas, TX +2.48% +2.55% +2.07% Seattle, WA +1.38% +1.32% +0.03% San Francisco, CA +1.21% +1.10% +2.87% San Jose, CA +1.16% +0.72% +3.00% Portland, OR +1.14% +1.44% +1.62% Los Angeles, CA +0.90% +0.99% +0.81% San Diego, CA +0.67% +0.42% +0.06% Boston, MA +0.64% +0.82% +0.41% Charlotte, NC +0.64% +0.53% -1.22% Miami, FL +0.62% +0.44% -0.14% Sacramento, CA +0.45% +0.50% +1.29% Houston, TX +0.40% +0.45% +1.44% Minneapolis, MN +0.36% +0.42% -0.51% Kansas City, MO -0.12% +0.32% -1.43% Phoenix, AZ -0.13% -0.37% -0.63% Riverside, CA -0.18% -0.16% +0.60% Las Vegas, NV -0.20% -0.38% -0.51% Detroit, MI -0.99% -1.19% -3.39% Atlanta, GA -1.22% -1.11% -1.33% Tampa, FL -1.24% -1.38% -1.06% Washington, D.C. -1.29% -1.05% -0.23% New York, NY -1.88% -1.86% -1.75% Cleveland, OH -2.46% -2.26% -2.12% Chicago, IL -2.62% -2.37% -2.89% Baltimore, MD -3.10% -3.01% -3.37% Philadelphia, PA -3.32% -3.37% -3.48%

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.

About the HPPI & HVI

The Quicken Loans HPPI represents the difference between appraisers' and homeowners' opinions of home values. The index compares the estimate that the homeowner supplies on a refinance mortgage application to the appraisal that is performed later in the mortgage process. This is an unprecedented report that gives a never-before-seen analysis of how homeowners are viewing the housing market. The HPPI national composite is determined by analyzing appraisal and homeowner estimates throughout the entire country, including data points from both inside and outside the metro areas specifically called out in the above report.

The Quicken Loans HVI is the only view of home value trends based solely on appraisal data from home purchases and mortgage refinances. This produces a wide data set and is focused on appraisals, one of the most important pieces of information to the mortgage process.

The HPPI and HVI are released on the second Tuesday of every month. Both of the reports are created with Quicken Loans' propriety mortgage data from the 50-state lenders' mortgage activity across all 3,000+ counties. The indexes are examined nationally, in four geographic regions and the HPPI is reported for 27 major metropolitan areas. All indexes, along with downloadable tables and graphs can be found at QuickenLoans.com/Indexes.

About Quicken Loans

Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation's second largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed more than $300 billion of mortgage volume across all 50 states between 2013 and 2016. Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 17,000 team members from Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies work in the city's urban core. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination" in the United States by J.D. Power for the past seven consecutive years, 2010  2016, and highest in customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past three years, 2014  2016.

Quicken Loans was ranked #10 on FORTUNE magazine's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2017, and has been among the top-30 companies for the past 14 consecutive years. The company has been recognized as one of Computerworld magazine's '100 Best Places to Work in IT' the past 13 years, ranking #1 for eight of the past twelve years including 2017. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rock Holdings, Inc., the parent company of several FinTech and related businesses. Quicken Loans is also the flagship business of Dan Gilbert's Family of Companies comprising nearly 100 affiliated businesses spanning multiple industries. For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room.

Twitter: @QLnews

Facebook.com/QuickenLoans

SOURCE Quicken Loans
ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is one of a growing number of institutions offering access to University of Southern California (USC) Shoah Foundation's Visual History Archive database via ProQuest.

This fully streaming primary source archive includes 55,000 testimonies from survivors of and witnesses to some of humanity's most serious and solemn events, including the Holocaust, and the Armenian, Cambodian, and Guatemalan genocides, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the Nanjing Massacre. The testimonies speak to the profound, far-reaching impact of genocide, as well as the political, cultural, and social context surrounding these atrocities.

"When ProQuest announced it would be distributing the Visual History Archive to colleges and universities, we were designing The Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Reflection and Resource Room (HRRR), here in the Alvin Sherman Library," said James Hutchens, M.S.L.S., NSU Interim Vice President of Information Services and University Librarian. "Telling stories of the Holocaust is extremely important to the NSU Libraries. It is clear to us that the Visual History Archive will be a great complement to the HRRR. It provides incredible opportunities for faculty, student, and community research, while reflecting on the Holocaust as well as other crimes against humanity."

The largest digital collection of its kind in the world, Visual History Archive contains interviews conducted in 62 countries and 41 languages, providing an unedited recollection of life before, during, and after the interviewee's experience with genocide. Using standard indexing methodology for each interview, the result is over 115,000 hours of video, fully searchable with over 64,000 index terms at the one-minute segment level. Visual History Archive also provides tools to help with the study and sharing of testimonies, including: bookmarking segments; saving and sharing projects; and the option to embed testimony durable URLs in LMS course packs.

USC Shoah Foundation and ProQuest launched an exclusive partnership in 2016 to expand, enrich, and simplify access to Visual History Archive in the academic market. This streaming version surfaces the library's related ProQuest content, which can encompass more than a billion searchable items spanning dissertations, news and historical newspapers, periodicals, scholarly journals, and primary source materials  a combination that improves contextual discovery while viewing the video testimonies. In addition, USC Shoah Foundation is engaged in a large project to create transcripts for all the testimonies, beginning with those in English and then adding other languages.

"Our goal is to curate and provide content that puts researchers inside the pivotal moments of history, empowering them with the tools they need to gain insights they aren't going to find anywhere else," said Susan Bokern, ProQuest Vice-President, Product Management. "ProQuest is honored to be entrusted with connecting students, faculty and researchers with such a unique and valuable resource as Visual History Archive."

About Nova Southeastern University (www.nova.edu)

Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education's criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution.

About ProQuest (proquest.com)

ProQuest is committed to supporting the important work happening in the world's research and learning communities. The company curates content that matters to the advancement of knowledge, assembling an archive of billions of vetted, indexed documents. It simplifies workflows so that people and institutions use time effectively. And because ProQuest connects information communities, complex networks of systems and processes work together efficiently. With ProQuest, finding answers and deriving insights is straightforward and leads to extraordinary outcomes.

ProQuest and its companies and affiliates  Ex Libris, Alexander Street, Bowker  stand for better research, better learning, better insights. ProQuest enables people to change their world.

SOURCE ProQuest

Related Links

http://www.proquest.com


MINNEAPOLIS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Geosys, a leading provider of agronomic decision support tools, today launched Geosys Labs, a new program that will make its global database of satellite imagery and weather data available to initiatives dedicated to addressing the growing challenges facing the agriculture industry.

Geosys is requesting applications via its website from companies, NGOs and universities interested in establishing a partnership for a proof of concept project. As part of these partnerships, Geosys will provide free access to its remote sensing technologies and agronomic expertise. While there is no specific limitation on the number of projects, qualifying partners must address one of the following objectives:

Improve the measurement of sustainable practices in agriculture

Provide affordable risk management solutions for smallholder farms

Increase transparency within the agriculture supply chain

Revolutionize the future of agriculture and farming technologies

"Businesses across the ag supply chain face many challenges today, including changing weather patterns and the need to increase production of high quality food with limited resources," said Damien Lepoutre, founder and president of Geosys. "To mark our 30th anniversary this year, we will support organizations and individuals working to solve these critical challenges by providing access to our data and experts who can help uncover opportunities to improve the future of agriculture."

Since 1987, Geosys has managed global satellite imagery from a growing virtual constellation of public and private satellites to help improve decision making practices for customers that represent the entire ecosystem of the agriculture supply chain.

"Geosys Labs is an extension of our traditional business capabilities," said Vincent Lelandais, customer solutions lead, Geosys. "Our objective is to assist efforts that will better our world and the agriculture ecosystem by providing data and imagery to power future solutions."

Starting today, Geosys invites individuals and organizations interested in exploring a partnership with Geosys Labs to fill out an application at geosys.com/labs or contact [email protected]. Visit the website for complete details and partnership rules.

About GEOSYS

Geosys is the first global digital agriculture company founded by agronomists. With 30 years of industry experience and business in more than 50 countries, Geosys' digital agricultural solutions use the latest research in agronomics, information technologies and satellite imagery to provide clients with data, analysis and insights they need to make more informed decisions. Geosys services range from worldwide risk management and supply monitoring of agricultural commodities to input sales and precision farming support. It also develops highly customized business solutions for large multinational agricultural companies. Acquired by Land O'Lakes, Inc. in 2013, Geosys is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota with offices in France, Switzerland, Australia, and Brazil. For more information on Geosys, please visit geosys.com.

Cassie Batinich

Weber Shandwick

[email protected]

1 952 346 6073

SOURCE Geosys

Related Links

http://www.geosys.com


WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The original cover and signature page of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill, will be showcased at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans beginning June 20 as part of an American Legion centennial exhibit.

The original documents, on loan from the National Archives, along with the typed and hand-edited speech given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after signing the historic GI Bill of Rights, on loan from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, will be on display through Sept. 20, 2017. The exhibit will be in place at the museum until Dec. 18, 2017.

The bill, drafted and pushed to passage by The American Legion in 1943 and 1944, transformed the United States, building the middle class and democratizing higher education. The exhibit, titled "The Greatest Legislation," features illustrated panels and touchscreen videos that tell the dramatic story of how The American Legion drafted the measure and overcame numerous challenges to get it to the president's desk by June 22, 1944. It also showcases the impact of the program during the 20th century and its evolution to better serve veterans of the post 9/11 era.

"This is the first time the GI Bill has been shown outside of the National Archives," said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. "We are honored to share this and FDR's speech  two original historic treasures  with the American people for this important exhibit."

A free reception at the museum is planned at 5 p.m. June 20, followed by a moderated panel discussion led by American Legion 100th Anniversary Honorary Committee Chairman Ted Roosevelt IV. Scheduled panelists include former U.S. Sen. James Webb, who introduced and championed the Post 9/11 GI Bill of 2008; VA Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity Curt Coy; Student Veterans of America President and CEO Jared Lyon; and American Legion Assistant Director of Veterans Employment and Education John Kamin.

The panel discussion will include remarks from the Museum's President Dr. Nick Mueller and American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones. The event will have a question-and-answer session where audience members will be invited to share the ways in which the GI Bill has influenced their lives and to discuss its future trajectory.

In addition to the cover and signature pages of the original act and Roosevelt's speech the exhibit includes a fountain pen used by Roosevelt to sign the bill and additional original materials from The American Legion national headquarters.

Visitors planning to attend the June 20 event are asked to call in advance at 1-877-813-3329 extension 412.

The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world  why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today  so that future generations will know the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America's National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.

The National Archives is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of the government, so people can discover, use and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the action of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education and facilitates historical understanding of the national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records center and presidential libraries and online at www.archives.gov .

The American Legion, with a current membership of 2.2 million wartime veterans, was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 13,000 posts across the nation and around the world. To learn more about The American Legion, visit www.legion.org.

Student Veterans of America is the country's premier organization for student veterans. SVA supports all veterans through their transition from the military, educational advancement, and career growth. SVA represents a network of 1,400 chapters on campuses in all 50 states and four countries representing over 600,000 student veterans at those colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.studentveterans.org .

Contact: Joe Plenzler, (202) 263-5758/ 301-800-9457 cell, [email protected]

SOURCE The American Legion

Related Links

http://www.legion.org


VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Increasing investment in the furniture industry is cited as a key factor driving the sales of wood preservative coatings. Moreover, rise in construction activities across the globe has also been influencing the demand for wood preservative coatings of late. Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers such vital information in its latest report on the global wood preservative coatings market. Over the years, application of wood preservative coatings has significantly increased in general industries, decorative, aerospace, coil packaging, auto refinish and special wood coating. The coatings industry is experiencing a shift towards adoption of new technologies such as UV and water-borne, thermosetting emulsion, powder coatings, high-solids, two component systems and colloidal dispersion. The arrival of eco-wood coating products is expected to further boost the global coatings market that was valued at US$ 125 Bn in 2016.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )

As per the FMI report titled "Wood Preservative Coatings: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2017-2027" the global wood preservative coatings market is predominantly contingent upon the performance of the construction and furniture industry. Currently, the market is at a stable position and is set to witness a healthy CAGR of 6.2% between 2017 and 2027 to reach a valuation of US$ 6,433,194 Mn. The report also cites that in future, preference for water-borne coatings will be higher due to their environmental advantages and adherence to VOC emission regulations.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4103

During this ten years of the forecast, the market for wood preservative coatings in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to present lucrative opportunities for players. In addition, the region's market is expected to witness an impressive CAGR over 2027. This growth is primarily attributed to the ongoing urbanisation in the APEJ region. Countries such as China and India are the major contributors to the region's market both in terms of production and consumption. Availability of low-cost resource coupled with increasing investments in furniture industry propels the wood preservative coatings market in the region. In terms of market size, North America will continue to hold the top position through 2027.

Companies are looking to capitalise on opportunities in APEJ by offering cost effective and high solids type of wood coatings. Also, players who have recently entered or planning to initiate operations in the Asia region is likely to receive better consumer response if they offer wood preservative coatings with higher flexibility in application. FMI in its report has profiled some of leading companies operating in the global wood preservative market, which include Akzo Nobel N.V., BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, The Sherwin-Williams Company, PPG Industries, Inc, Valspar Corporation,

Industrias Quimicas Kupsa S.L., RPM International Inc., Lonza Group Ltd, KMG Chemicals, Inc.

Preview Analysis on Global Wood Preservative Coatings Market Segmentation By System Type - Solvent-borne, Water-borne; By Coating Type - Preservative (Water Repellent, Fire Retardant, Insect/Fungi Repellent), Stains, Varnishes, Shellacs, Others (Oil, Wax, etc.): http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/wood-preservative-coatings-market

Additional Highlights of the Report Include:

Based on system type, around 5,759,652 tons of solvent-borne wood preservative coatings is expected to be produced towards the end of the forecast period.

By 2017-end, nearly US$ 2,873.8 Mn worth wood preservative coatings will be used only for preservative purposes.

worth wood preservative coatings will be used only for preservative purposes. On the basis of end-use, coatings for furniture account for more than one-third share of the market and is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period

More from FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence:

Metalworking Fluids Market Segmentation By Category - Straight Oil, Emulsified Oil, Semi Synthetic, Synthetic; By Product Type - Removal Fluids, Protection Fluids, Forming Fluids, Treating Fluids; By End Use - Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery, Metal Use, Transportation Equipment and Others: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/metal-working-fluids-market

Segmentation By Category - Straight Oil, Emulsified Oil, Semi Synthetic, Synthetic; By Product Type - Removal Fluids, Protection Fluids, Forming Fluids, Treating Fluids; By End Use - Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery, Metal Use, Transportation Equipment and Others: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/metal-working-fluids-market Construction Aggregates Market Segmentation By Product - Crushed Stone, Sand, Gravel and Others; By Application - Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Infrastructure: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/construction-aggregates-market

Segmentation By Product - Crushed Stone, Sand, Gravel and Others; By Application - Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Infrastructure: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/construction-aggregates-market Ion Exchange Resins Market Segmentation Product Type - Cation Exchange Resins, Anion Exchange Resins and Others; Application - Power Generation, Chemical & Fertilizers, Food & Beverages, Electrical & Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Paper & Pulp, Domestic & Wastewater Treatment and Others: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/ion-exchange-resins-market

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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 and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
SAN DIEGO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A single dose of the glucagon-blocking drug REMD-477 can substantially reduce the amount of insulin needed and improve glucose levels without increasing hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to the study, "REMD-477, a Human Glucagon Receptor (GCGR) Antibody, Reduces Daily Insulin Requirements and Improves Glycemic Control in People with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)," presented today at the American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. Glucagon is a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood glucose and works together with insulin, which has the opposite effect, to tightly regulate blood glucose concentrations. In individuals with diabetes, glucagon effects may not be appropriately balanced by insulin, resulting in elevated blood glucose.

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study enrolled 21 adult patients (8 men and 13 women) with T1D. Prior to being admitted for a five-day, in-patient observation period, all participants' glucose levels were measured by Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). While under observation, all patients received the same meals and a continuous IV insulin infusion to help maintain glucose levels.

On the second day of observation, 10 patients received a single 70 milligram (mg) subcutaneous injection of the glucagon-blocking drug, REMD-477a fully human antibody that specifically binds to and blocks glucagon receptor signaling for the treatment of metabolic disorders, including T1D. The remaining 11 patients received a placebo injection. (REMD-477 was discovered with Xenomouse technology, which recapitulates a human antibody response in the mouse, and the antibody sequences are fully human.)

Daily insulin use and glucose levels of patients who received REMD-477 were compared on day one versus day four of observation to those who received placebo. Results indicated that those who received the REMD-477 treatment were able to reduce daily insulin use by 26 percent (12 units), compared to those who received the placebo (p=0.02).

Participants received CGM for 8 weeks after inpatient observation. Average daily glucose assessed by CGM was 20 to 31 mg/dL lower in the REMD-477 patients than in the placebo patients during the 3 weekly periods after inpatient observation (p<0.05). In addition, the REMD-477 patients' blood glucose levels were improved without increasing low blood glucose events. Given the long-acting nature and persistent blood concentrations of REMD-477, it is likely that patients may be dosed once per week.

"Our study strongly supports the long-held theory that blocking glucagon may have a significant clinical impact on care for people with type 1 diabetes by improving glucose levels and lowering insulin doses," said Jeremy Pettus, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the endocrinology department at the University of California, San Diego. "We expected that the drug [REMD-477] would have an effect, yet the degree to which the drug reduced the need for insulin and improved patients' blood sugar levels without increasing hypoglycemia events was a surprise."

This study measured the effect of the glucagon-blocking drug after only one injection. The follow-up study will focus on treating more patients over a longer period of time and will compare weekly injections of two different dose strengths. The results of the follow-up study should provide a more complete picture of how REMD-477 may affect patients' blood glucose levels, insulin use and weight in an outpatient setting.

To speak with Dr. Pettus, please contact the Association's media relations team on-site at the San Diego Convention Center on June 9-13 by phone at 619-525-6250 or by email at [email protected].

The American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions, to be held June 9-13, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center, is the world's largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care. During the five-day meeting, health care professionals have exclusive access to more than 2,500 original research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight interest areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Brenda Montgomery, RN, MSHS, CDE, President of Health Care and Education[1], will deliver her address on Saturday, June 10, and Alvin C. Powers, MD, President of Medicine and Science, will present his address on Sunday, June 11. Eight abstracts were selected by the Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee to be presented on Tuesday, June 13, in the President's Oral Session. These abstracts represent important research being conducted in the field of diabetes today. In total, the 2017 Scientific Sessions includes 378 abstracts in 49 oral sessions; 2,152 poster presentations including 50 moderated poster discussions; and 360 published-only abstracts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on Twitter, #2017ADA.

About the American Diabetes Association

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds another person is diagnosed with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (Association) is the global authority on diabetes and since 1940 has been committed to its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To tackle this global public health crisis, the Association drives discovery in research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and provides support and advocacy for people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

378-OR REMD-477, a Human Glucagon Receptor (GCGR) Antibody, Reduces Daily Insulin Requirements and Improves Glycemic Control in People with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

77th Scientific Sessions

News Briefing: Novel Therapies, Monday, June 12, 2017, 1:15 p.m. PT

Oral Presentation: ADA Presidents Oral Session

Location: Ballroom 20C

Session Time: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 9:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Authors: JEREMY PETTUS , DOMINIC REEDS, TRICIA SANTOS CAVAIOLA, SCHAFER BOEDER, MICHELLE LEVIN, EDDA CAVA, DUNG THAI, JIM SHI, HAI YAN, EDGAR BAUTISTA, JOHN MCMILLAN, ROBERT R. HENRY, SAMUEL KLEIN, La Jolla, CA, St. Louis, MO, San Diego, CA, Camarillo, CA, Del Mar, CA

Studies conducted in rodent models of T1D have shown that glucagon receptor blockade normalizes plasma glucose concentration without the need for exogenous insulin. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO) controlled trial in 21 subjects with T1D (8 men,13 women) to evaluate the effect of a single 70 mg SC injection of REMD-477, a human monoclonal antibody against the GCGR, on daily insulin requirements and glycemic control. After obtaining baseline insulin use and data from Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), subjects were admitted to the Clinical Research Unit for 5 days. Insulin was provided by continuous IV infusion to maintain postabsorptive and postprandial plasma glucose between 90-120 mg/dl and <180 mg/dl, respectively. Standard meals were provided to ensure the same daily energy and macronutrient contents were consumed during the inpatient study. Drug/PBO was given on the second day of admission. The primary endpoint was the comparison between groups in the change in daily insulin requirements on day 4 from day 1. An interim analysis of the first 17 subjects found REMD-477 treatment reduced daily insulin use by 32% (4.2%, 60%) vs. PBO on Day 4 (p=0.027). Average daily glucose assessed by CGM was 19 mg/dL (6.2, 31; p=0.006), and 26 mg/dL (8.2, 45; p=0.008) lower in the REMD-477 group than in the PBO group at Weeks 2 and 3 after treatment, respectively. Glucose time-in-range (70-180 mg/dL) for REMD-477 was 9.5% (2.7%, 16%; p=0.009) and 13% (1.9%, 25%; 0=0.026) greater in the REMD-477 group than in the PBO group during Weeks 2 and 3 after treatment, respectively. REMD-477 therapy was well tolerated and no episodes of severe hypoglycemia were noted. These data demonstrate that a single SC injection of REMD-477 reduces daily insulin requirements while simultaneously improving glucose control, as measured by average glucose concentration and glucose time-in-range, without increasing hypoglycemia in subjects with T1D.

Author Disclosures: J. Pettus: Consultant; Author; Sanofi, Novo Nordisk Inc., Valeritas, Inc., Insulet Corporation, MannKind Corporation, Senseonics, Dexcom, Inc.. Speaker's Bureau; Author; Sanofi, Valeritas, Inc.. D. Reeds: None. T. Santos Cavaiola: None. S. Boeder: None. M. Levin: None. E. Cava: None. D. Thai: Employee; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. Stock/Shareholder; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. J. Shi: Stock/Shareholder; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. H. Yan: Board Member; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. Employee; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. Stock/Shareholder; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. E. Bautista: Stock/Shareholder; Author; REMD Biotherapeutics. J. McMillan: None. R.R. Henry: Advisory Panel; Author; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Elcelyx Therapeutics, Inc., Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi. Consultant; Author; Alere, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., REMD Biotherapeutics, Sanofi. Research Support; Author; AstraReal, Eli Lilly and Company, Hitachi, Ltd., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., ViaCyte, Inc. S. Klein: None.

[1] Disclosures for Brenda Montgomery. Employer: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Montgomery's role as President, Health Care & Education of the American Diabetes Association (Association) is a voluntary position to which she was elected by the members of the Association in 2015. She continues to recuse herself from any and all discussions, decisions or votes that have or could be perceived as having a conflict of interest with her employer.

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Related Links

http://www.diabetes.org


VANCOUVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - GoldMining Inc. ("GoldMining" or the "Company") (TSX-V: GOLD; OTCQX: GLDLF) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated May 10, 2017, the Supreme Court of British Columbia has issued an order approving the agreement (the "Agreement") between GoldMining, its wholly-owned subsidiary and the receiver appointed in respect of Tyhee N.W.T. Corp. under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, pursuant to which the Company will acquire 100% of the Yellowknife Gold Project ("YGP" or the "Project") and nearby Big Sky Property ("Big Sky").

The Company's acquisition of YGP and Big Sky remain subject to customary closing conditions, including completion of asset transfers. The Company currently expects the transaction will complete in late-June 2017.

As previously announced, the total consideration payable by GoldMining under the transaction consists of 4,000,000 common shares of the Company, which will be subject to customary escrow provisions and released over an eight-month period. Please refer to the Company's news release dated May 10, 2017 for further information regarding the Agreement and the transaction contemplated thereunder.

About YGP and Big Sky

The YGP has been the subject of substantial drilling, underground development and historic gold production. Big Sky represents an earlier stage exploration property package located south of the YGP and 17 km north of the city of Yellowknife.

The YGP includes a 50-person winterized camp and fuel storage and is accessible by winter road from Yellowknife or by air to a 1,000 m long gravel airstrip located on site. The YGP is comprised of five deposits  Nicholas, Ormsby, Bruce, Goodwin and Clan Lake  located 50 to 90 km north of the city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

Over 230,000 metres of diamond drilling has been completed to date at the YGP, including 141 holes (27,590 m) drilled at the Nicholas Lake deposit, 707 holes (157,570 m) drilled at the Ormsby and Bruce deposits, 28 holes (5,934 m) drilled at the Goodwin Lake deposit, and 185 holes (40,515 m) drilled at the Clan Lake deposit.

Qualified Person

Paulo Pereira, President of GoldMining has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Pereira holds a Bachelors degree in Geology from Universidade do Amazonas in Brazil, is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario.

About GoldMining Inc.

GoldMining is a public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of gold projects in Colombia and other regions of the Americas. GoldMining is advancing its Titiribi and La Mina Gold-Copper Projects located in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia, its Cachoeira and Sao Jorge Gold Projects located in the State of Para, northeastern Brazil, its Whistler Gold-Copper Project located in the State of Alaska, United States of America, and its Rea Uranium Project in the western Athabasca Basin in northeast Alberta, Canada.

Forward-looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of GoldMining with respect to its business and future events, including expectations respecting the Project and Big Sky, the closing of the transaction and any future exploration programs and other work on the Project and Big Sky. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which GoldMining operates, including that the parties will satisfy or waive all conditions required to complete the transactions under the Agreement, including receipt of all required regulatory and court approvals, that GoldMining will confirm historical exploration results. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other exploration data, the potential for delays in exploration or development activities, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with GoldMinings expectations, accidents, equipment breakdowns, title and permitting matters, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in operations, fluctuating metal prices, unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Project and Big Sky, that the parties may not satisfy all conditions required under the Agreement and that GoldMining may not be able to confirm historical exploration results or complete a current resource estimate for the Project. These risks, as well as others, including those set forth in GoldMinings filings with Canadian securities regulators, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. GoldMining does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their Regulation Services Providers (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE GoldMining Inc.

Related Links

www.brazilresources.com


NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Golub Capital recently announced that as Sole Bookrunner, Sole Lead Arranger & Administrative Agent, it provided a GOLD facility to support the continued growth of PetVet Care Centers ("PetVet" or "the Company"), a portfolio company of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'" or "the Sponsor"). The Company refinanced its existing first lien and second lien senior credit facilities with this GOLD facility. GOLD financings are Golub Capital One-Loan Debt facilities. This $675 million one-loan debt facility represents Golub Capital's largest lead deal to date.

With over 600 general veterinarians and board certified specialists, ranging from emergency critical care to cardiology and orthopedic surgery, PetVet is one of the nation's largest, fastest growing and most profitable operators of veterinary hospitals for companion animals in the United States. PetVet maintains an attractive, differentiated portfolio of locally branded hospitals, and as of March 31, 2017 operated 98 general practice, specialty, and hybrid hospitals across 19 states.

"As one of the eminent veterinary businesses in the U.S., the world-class team at PetVet has a proven track record of success," said Hyun Chang, Managing Director of Golub Capital. "The Sponsor and Company evaluated a number of refinancing alternatives to address their dry powder needs, scalability and flexibility in their capital structure, and we are humbled to again be selected as lead partner with a highly customized GOLD refinancing to accelerate the Company's thesis for future growth."

Golub Capital acted as Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Administrative Agent on a $232.25 million senior credit facility to support the acquisition of PetVet by Ontario Teachers' in 2014. Ontario Teachers' is a repeat sponsor client for Golub Capital having closed a number of transactions including Joint Lead Arranger on the $225 million incremental term loan for Shearer's Foods in 2015 and Sole Lead Arranger on the $355 million GOLD facility refinancing for Plano Synergy in 2015.

About Golub Capital Middle-Market Lending

Golub Capital's Middle Market Lending group provides financing for middle market, private equity-backed transactions with hold positions of up to $400 million and is an arranger of credit facilities up to $750 million. Golub Capital's award-winning team strives to establish long-term, win-win partnerships by providing dependable, fast and creative solutions that meet private equity sponsors' and portfolio companies' needs.

Golub Capital is a nationally recognized credit asset manager with over $20 billion of capital under management. For over 20 years, the firm has provided credit to help medium-sized U.S. businesses grow. The firm's award-winning middle market lending business helps provide financing for middle market companies and their private equity sponsors. Golub Capital's credit expertise also forms the foundation of its Late Stage Lending and Broadly Syndicated Loan businesses. Golub Capital has worked hard to build a reputation as a fast, reliable provider of compelling financing solutions, and we believe this has inspired repeat clients and investors. Today, the firm has over 300 employees with lending offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.golubcapital.com.

About Ontario Teachers'

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $175.6 billion in net assets at December 31, 2016. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an average annualized rate of return of 10.1% since the plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.

SOURCE Golub Capital

Related Links

http://www.golubcapital.com


"Steven is a dynamic professional with an impressive background in international business. His extensive leadership experience and vision are a welcome addition to the Wild Tonic family! We are confident he will cultivate our team and surpass our greatest expectations when it comes to growing Wild Tonic into a national brand and bringing awareness to bee conservation efforts," said Wild Tonic Founder and Jun Kombucha pioneer, Holly Lyman.

Mr. Siegel joins Wild Tonic with over 25 years of executive and financial experience. He has held leadership positions with public and privately held companies, including: amazing.com, Vanquish Group (Monaco), and New York Accessory Group (NYAG). Siegel has designed, negotiated, and developed licensing, strategic partnerships, and joint ventures involving patentable technology with international companies including: America Online (AOL), Deutsche Telekom, Motorola, MSN, Samsung, and www.163.com.

As Director of International Development Matrix Green Air Fund, L.P., Mr. Siegel successfully negotiated the preservation of 10 million hectares of land in Bolivia under the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).

About Good Omen Bottling, Inc.

At Wild Tonic, our uncompromising commitment to quality and unbridled passion for innovation and bee conservation informs all that we brew! Whether fermenting our unique variety of Jun Kombucha with honey rather than cane-sugar, or pioneering brewing processes that maximize the integrity of probiotics, within each cobalt blue glass bottle lies the most exquisitely crafted energy elixir you've ever experienced! We thank you for making this one-of-a-kind Jun Kombucha part of your healthy lifestyle!

To learn more about the Wild Tonic brand, visit www.wildtonic.com.

Contact: Melissa G. Post

(928) 634-5434, ext. 5124

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Good Omen Bottling

Related Links

http://www.wildtonic.com


ATLANTA, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., has agreed to acquire substantially all the assets of Carton Craft Corporation and its affiliate Lithocraft, Inc.

Carton Craft is an independent converter focused on the production of paperboard based air filter frames and folding cartons, and operates two converting plants in New Albany, Indiana.

The combined businesses generated revenues of approximately $70 million and strong converting EBITDA margins on an LTM basis. Synergies from the acquisition will be driven by the integration of additional CUK paperboard tons and cost efficiencies. On a post-synergy basis, the EV/EBITDA multiple for this transaction is expected to be below 6.0X.

"The announced transaction is consistent with our strategy to pursue acquisitions that allow us to increase our mill to converting plant integration levels into growing markets, provide a runway for further margin improvement, and that we can close at compelling post-synergy EV/EBITDA multiples," said President and CEO Michael Doss.

The acquisition is subject to standard closing requirements and regulatory review and is expected to close in the second quarter 2017.

Forward Looking Statements

Any statements of the Company's expectations in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements, including but not limited to those regarding the effect of the acquisition on the Company's integration levels and financial position, are based on currently available information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's present expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to successfully integrate the acquisition and achieve synergies. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, as such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Additional information regarding these and other risks is contained in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC.

About Graphic Packaging Holding Company



Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is committed to providing consumer packaging that makes a world of difference. The Company is a leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide variety of products to food, beverage and other consumer product companies. The Company operates on a global basis, is one of the largest producers of folding cartons in the United States, and holds leading market positions in coated unbleached kraft paperboard and coated-recycled paperboard. The Company's customers include many of the world's most widely recognized companies and brands. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available on the Company's web site at www.graphicpkg.com.

SOURCE Graphic Packaging Holding Company

Related Links

http://www.graphicpkg.com


GUANGZHOU, China, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 2000 years, Guangzhou has been the trade center of southern China. Its prominent status in trade has earned it the reputation of "Millennia Business City". Since China implemented its policy of reform and opening up in 1978, Guangzhou has been right at the forefront.

Guangzhou, one of the most dynamic economic areas across the globe, has been the pioneer in opening up China to the world over the past 30 years. In 2016, the city's GDP reached about two trillion yuan ($294.4bn), equivalent to that of Singapore and neighboring Hong Kong.

With great importance attached to innovation, various enterprises in Guangzhou have remained competitive into the modern era along with the industrial upgrading that the city's shared.

Pearl River Piano Group, the world-renowned piano maker, is among many traditional enterprises that have weathered severe market competition in Guangzhou. Amid intense competition though, the company has stayed vigorous through continued innovation since its foundation in 1956, its spokesperson Yang Weihua said.

Now it has more than 25 per cent of the global market share of piano sales generated from some 100 countries and regions. Thanks to that, the company has been named the world's largest piano maker in 16 consecutive years. In May last year, it bought a 90 per cent shareholding in Schimmel, Germany's largest piano maker, in an attempt to enter the high-end piano market.

In recent years, Guangzhou has been encouraging enterprises in the traditional sectors to invest in upgrading technology, with an emphasis on smart manufacturing and robotics. In the vehicle manufacturing industry, the number of robots for welding and spraying used by auto makers such as Dongfeng Nissan, Guangqi Toyota and Guangqi Honda has exceeded 400.

According to the Industry and Information Technology Commission of Guangzhou Municipality, besides automobile manufacturing, robotics and smart devices are being widely used in more than 10 industries, such as petrochemicals, electronics and furniture manufacturing. By the end of last year, about 600 enterprises in Guangzhou were using automated production lines.

Apart from technological upgrading, the city is gaining new momentum by earnestly fostering emerging strategic industries. According to the latest plan of the Guangzhou municipal government, the IAB scheme adopted by the city, aimed to shore up such emerging strategic industries as information technology, artificial intelligence and biopharmaceutical, is expected to enhance its attractiveness, creativity and competitiveness by creating industrial clusters worth hundreds of billions of output value.

In the electronic information manufacturing industry, the only new display cluster that generates hundreds of billions of output value has been born. Ten new display makers with 139.3 billion yuan ($20.5bn) worth altogether, including LG Display and Skyworth, have ranked the top 20 electronic information manufacturing enterprises in Guangzhou. With Foxconn's eco-industrial park for its 10.5-generation display settling down in the Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, in what has been the biggest single investment in advanced manufacturing since China's reform and opening-up policy, Guangzhou's new display manufacturing industry is embracing a fresh boost. The first phase of the project, worth 61 billion yuan ($8.97bn), was launched in March 2017, in a move that is expected to attract an influx of some 70 companies related to the Taiwanese multinational to Guangzhou. Upon its completion in June 2019, the project is forecast to generate an output value of 92 billion yuan ($13.5bn) in an effort to make Guangzhou a global hub of display technology.

SOURCE Guangzhou Municipal Government
SHANGHAI, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hainan Airlines will launch a non-stop service between Tel Aviv and Shanghai on September 12, 2017. Following the successful launch of the Tel Aviv-Beijing service in April 2016, this will be Hainan Airlines' second direct flight from Tel Aviv to China.

With this new service, travelers will be able to fly directly from Tel Aviv to two cities in China, Beijing and Shanghai, on Hainan Airlines flights.

The route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Travelers abroad can book tickets for the Tel Aviv-Shanghai flight by logging onto the Hainan Airlines website at www.hainanairlines.com, calling the European hotline at 00-800-876-89999 or visiting any of the airline's ticket offices or agents.

Hainan Airlines has opened more than 700 domestic and international routes serving Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. The airline has been named a SKYTRAX five-star airline for six consecutive years, has one of the world's best safety records in that it has not had a major accident in its 24 years of operation and was ranked third in airline safety by JACDEC, a German airline safety data evaluation firm. Hainan Airlines is committed to making your journey more pleasant with sincerity and a smile.

Hainan Airlines Tel Aviv-Shanghai Flight Timetable (All times are local):



Flight No. Aircraft Schedule Terminal Departure Time Arrival Time Terminal Starting Date Ending Date Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Summer and Fall HU407 789

X

X



X Pudong 0125 0830 Tel Aviv September 12, 2017 October 28, 2017 HU408 789

X

X



X Tel Aviv 1355 0530+1 Pudong September 12, 2017 October 28, 2017 Winter and Spring HU407 789

X

X



X Pudong 0125 0730 Tel Aviv October 29, 2017 March 22, 2018 HU408 789

X

X



X Tel Aviv 1255 0530+1 Pudong October 29, 2017 March 22, 2018

SOURCE Hainan Airlines Co., LTD

Related Links

http://www.hainanairlines.com


HANGZHOU, China, Jun 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the morning of June 10, 2017, the Public Relations Association of Hangzhou held the Fourth Meeting of the Second Session of the Board of Directors in the city's Chun'an County, during which the association announced the 10 leading public relation events that took place in the city during 2016.

The Public Relations Association of Hangzhou brought together experts in the field of public relations from the Jiliang University's Institute for Public Relations, Zhejiang University of Technology and Zhejiang University City College, as well as public relation professionals as judges to select the 10 leading public relations events in Hangzhou for 2016, based on key public relation indicators including contribution to the greater social good, the level of public engagement as well as the level of social influence in combination with a survey that sampled public opinion. The results:

The successful holding of the G20 - this can be considered as a full demonstration of the city's unique charms and an integration of history with the present realities of the world while vastly raising the awareness of Hangzhou worldwide. Hangzhou was selected as one of the top 100 international conference destinations and one of the top 52 most deserving tourism destinations worldwide. Hangzhou became one of the world's first UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and the first such city in China . The inaugural World Industrial Design Conference was successfully held in the city's Liangzhu Town, with the conference organizers deciding to make Hangzhou the permanent location for this conference. Hangzhou received the top ranking in China's "Internet+" social service overall index list, evidencing the city's leading position across the country in terms of smart urban public services. The term "prehistoric powers" expressed by Hangzhou -born athlete Fu Yuanhui at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games attracted positive responses from internet users across the globe. Hangzhou was the only city to rank among the top 10 happiest cities for 10 consecutive years. The 1954 Constitution History Exhibition Hall, the first constitution-themed hall in China , was opened in Hangzhou . The 7th West Lake Public Relations Forum was successfully held, bringing Hangzhou's public relations sector to the international stage. Hangzhou appeared in the concert on the eve of Super Bowl 50, the city's first mention at a Super Bowl event, raising awareness of the city across the US through a series of public relations campaigns.

SOURCE Public Relation Association of Hangzhou
Major personnel under government authority including the Vice President (ROK) of Korea Defense Veterans Association (former Army Chief of Staff) Kwon Oh-sung, the Chair of Korea-US Alliance Foundation (former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) Yu Myung-hwan, the Chairman of the National Defense Committee Kim Young-woo, the member of the National Assembly Lee Jong-myeong, the Vice-Minister of National Defense Seo Joo-seok along with the Commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command Vincent Brooks, the Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command Gen. Leem Ho-young and the representatives of Hanwha's defense industry affiliates participated in this event.

The Korea Defense Veterans Association was founded on the 3rd of May in Washington DC. The Association covers three million United States Forces in Korea, ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and South Korea-U.S. military personnel who served in KATUSA. Also, the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation appointed YU Myung-hwan (previous Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) as the first Board President starting on April 26 to support the Korea Defense Veterans Association and to enhance the South Korean-U.S. alliance.

During the event, President (ROK) of Korea Defense Veterans Association (former Commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command) Walter Sharp said in his welcoming speech, "We deeply appreciate the sacrifices of the Korean-US military personnel, working hard to protect peace and democracy for Republic of Korea, against North Korea's constant threats since the Korean War. We also thank Korean nationals and corporations such as Hanwha, that support this cause."

SOURCE Hanwha
Mobile health technology and Community Health Workers (CHWs) are two emerging strategies increasingly being used throughout the U.S. by health care teams. In the study, "Community Health Workers, Mobile Health, or Both for Management of Medicaid Patients with Diabetes" (365-OR), these approaches were evaluated to determine potential methods to improve diabetes management outcomes among minority patients. CHWs and the use of a mobile health technology app (mHealth) were tested both separately and together among 166 Medicaid patients with type 2 diabetes who receive care in Internal Medicine practices or diabetes clinics at three medical centers in Washington, D.C. At baseline, the patients had an average HbA1c level of 10.5 percent, and they were not meeting three or more of 13 wellness goals established by the study.

Patients in the 12-month study were randomly assigned to three different groups. Group 1 consisted of 56 patients who used an appthe Voxiva Care4Life (C4L) mHealth system. The C4L app helped patients manage their health with features that kept track of frequent measurements of blood sugar and blood pressure levels; provided alerts to remind them to take medications and keep doctor appointments; and offered tips on nutrition and exercise. Group 2 included 56 patients who were assigned CHWs. The CHWs were either educators or lay people who were integrated with the medical teams at each center and helped patients by providing services such as connecting them with primary care doctors and visits to see them; making home visits to help coordinate care and access to food resources and medications; providing language interpretation; helping to identify and address barriers to care; and advocating to ensure the patients received appropriate and culturally tailored health care services. Group 3 had 54 patients who were assigned both a CHW and the use of the C4L mHealth system/app.

Study endpoints included wellness/clinical goals, HbA1c levels, self-care behavior and diabetes distress. Prior to completion of the study, just 6 percent (n=11) of patients withdrew from the program.

Results indicated that within the 12 months, patients in all three groups had achieved on average 1.3 additional wellness/clinical goals from when they enrolled in the study. Additionally, HbA1c levels improved across all of the groups, and data showed that patients decreased their HbA1c levels by an average of 1.3 percent (p<0.0001). Overall, 30 percent of the patients achieved HbA1c levels of less than 8 percent17 percent of Group 1 patients met that goal; 29 percent of the Group 2 patients; and 43 percent of the Group 3 patients; (p=0.02 vs. C4L alone). Significant improvements were also observed in all three groups of patients for numbers of hospitalizations (p=0.02); and numbers of urgent care visits (p=0.03). Diabetes distress also decreased in all groups (p<0.0001; NS between groups).

"Diabetes self-care is complex and can be a burden for many patients," said study author Michelle Magee, MD, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University, and the Director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute. "When we provided the support of a CHW or a mobile health application, patients with type 2 diabetes experiencing challenges with their self-care were able to achieve important improvement in health measures and a reduction in distress secondary to living with this chronic condition. Evidence to show both the potential impact of CHWs and the potential use of mobile health applications to improve health outcomes, as detailed in this study, are needed in order for health care systems to comfortably invest dollars to these new patient support approaches. Our study shows that these two strategies can significantly improve patient health. In fact, the reduction in A1C levels in our study was as positive a change as what we typically see with the addition of another antihyperglycemic medication to patients' treatment regimens. Additionally, the resulting increase in meeting wellness goals is important for patients' daily health and for preventing long-term diabetes complications. And, reducing hospital admissions and acute care visits are important outcomes from both the patient and health economics perspectives."

While the approach of combining a community health worker and mobile health technology was successful in this population of Medicaid patients, the strategies developed were designed to be adaptable for use by health care teams and the patients they care for at multiple locations. The study team recommends additional research into which programs are most successful and how best to expand them for broad implementation.

A Social Media Learning Collaborative Approach to Competency-Based Training in Diabetes

Teaching clinicians how best to assist patients with diabetes and their caregivers is an important aspect of continuing medical education. While many research studies and courses explain how clinical factors influence glycemic control, translating that knowledge into a patient care setting is often challenging. This study, "A Social Media Learning Collaborative Approach to Competency-Based Training in Diabetes" (368-OR), emphasized personalizing therapeutic options to fit the individual needs of patients by developing an online, case-based, interactive training toolkit. The study aimed to facilitate the interpretation of research results and to determine how patient-centered factors such as age, gender, socio-economic status, education, race and ethnicity, body weight and current glycemic control can impact the effectiveness of various diabetes treatments.

The study investigators pooled data from 19 clinical trials with a total of 6,954 patients on 38 diabetes regimens from 1,002 clinics, in addition to using Electronic Health Records from 233,627 diabetes patients, to estimate the odds that a particular patient would achieve good glycemic control with different treatment regimens, based upon individual personal characteristics.

Subsequently, eight of the 19 randomized clinical trials contained full quality-of-life and patient satisfaction data from 2,927 patients from 413 clinics. Researchers modeled the probability of achieving HbA1c levels of less than 8 percent and less than 7 percent using 12 regimens of insulin and oral agents alone or in combination during a 24 to 52 week period. Of the 2,927 patients analyzed, 22.6 percent had type 1 diabetes and an average HbA1c level of 8.0; and 77.4 percent of the patients had type 2 diabetes and an average HbA1C level of 9.2 percent.

The primary endpoint at 52 weeks (one year) was HbA1c levels of 7.7 percent. Patients' socio-demographic information was assessed, and treatment satisfaction questionnaires and quality of life assessments were completed throughout the study. Outcomes of HbA1c levels of less than 8 percent and less than 7 percent were modeled with logistic regression, and resulting estimators were used to develop benchmarking calculators using WebOS, Android, iOS and Windows compatible WordPress software. Calculators were then tested and optimized within case-based learning exercises. During the exercises, the clinician could simultaneously modify patient characteristics to explore and visualize how individual patient profiles might influence the probability of reaching target glycemic goals.

The study determined that the interactive learning collaboratives tested could be beneficial in translating diabetes research findings into clinical practice, while providing a novel approach to competency-based training that meets both the American Diabetes Association's and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' clinical care guidelines.

"Relying on the published literature and more passive online courses to translate research findings into concepts that can be applied in practice is not sufficient, and often does not result in knowledge retention or a change in behavior," said study author Donald C. Simonson, MD, MPH, ScD of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Additionally, data on the effectiveness of various diabetes treatments are typically based upon the average effect estimated for a specific group of individuals in randomized clinical trials. However, there is large variability in treatment response that is not well quantified. Some patients respond very well to particular therapies, while others patient do not; and much of this variability can be explained by the personal characteristics of the patients. Our research emphasizes personalizing therapeutic options to fit the individual needs of patients so that clinicians can be made aware of how patients differ in their response to the same treatment based on various patient-centered demographic, socio-economic, behavioral and quality-of-life characteristics."

The study group plans to continue refining the predictive models and intends to help communicate, disseminate and implement their findings and toolkit into practice by extending the social media learning collaborative to additional practitioners.

Ethnic Differences in Progression to Type 1 Diabetes in Relatives at Risk

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is now recognized by scientists to be heterogeneous, meaning it can be caused by varying factors and different genes. Understanding the differences in its causes among individuals of different racial/ethnic groups can help researchers and clinicians design improved prevention strategies and treatments. The study, "Ethnic Differences in Progression to Type 1 Diabetes in Relatives at Risk," (285-OR) examined if there are racial/ethnic differences in how T1D develops by comparing the progression of islet autoimmunity and T1D among races/ethnicities in at-risk individuals.

Researchers used data from TrialNet's Pathway to Prevention Study screening program, which offers screening for relatives of patients with T1D in the hopes of identifying the risk for type 1 diabetes up to 10 years before symptoms actually appear.

The trial evaluated data of 4,227 TrialNet Pathway to Prevention participants between 1 and 49 years old who did not have diabetes and were autoantibody [Ab] positive relatives of patients with T1D, and followed them prospectively. The trial participants consisted of the following racial/ethnic groups: 12 percent were Hispanic/Latino; 3 percent were African American of non-Hispanic origin; 1.4 percent were Asian/Pacific Islanders of non-Hispanic origin; 79.3 percent were white of non-Hispanic origin; and 4.3 percent were "other," non-Hispanic origin.

The analysis indicates that race and ethnicity play a role in how T1D develops, and the study specifically demonstrated that the detrimental effect of obesity on T1D risk may differ by race/ethnicity. T1D develops in stages, where individuals first progress from having a single autoantibody (i.e. marker of T1D) to having multiple autoantibodies, and later develop symptoms of T1D. The participants of Hispanic/Latino origin had a 40 percent lower risk of progressing from single to multiple diabetes autoantibodies, compared to the non-Hispanic white participants (HR=0.59, 95% CI=0.40-0.88, p=0.01). Among lean children younger than 12 years of age with multiple positive autoantibodies, the Hispanic/Latino group had half the risk of developing T1D compared to the non-Hispanic white group (HR=0.50, 95% CI=0.27-0.93, p=0.028). However, in this age group, Hispanic/Latino children were more susceptible to the effect of overweight and obesity, which increased the risk of developing T1D by 34 percent among non-Hispanic whites (HR=1.34, 95% CI=1.01-1.79, p=0.046), but quadrupled the risk in the Hispanic/Latino (HR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.25-3.31, p=0.004).

"The differences in type 1 diabetes development among races/ethnicities discovered in this study are striking," said Mustafa Tosur, MD, a fellow in the pediatric diabetes and endocrinology division of Texas Children's Hospital at Baylor College of Medicine. "Especially of interest is the dramatic differential effect of being overweight/obese for Hispanic/Latino children younger than 12 years of age, compared to non-Hispanic white children in the same age group. The research demonstrates that racial and ethnic differences should be taken into consideration when counseling family members who are at-risk of developing type 1 diabetes, and when designing preventive care and treatment options. Considering the obesity epidemic in children, which is more prevalent among minorities, and the frequency of type 1 diabetes is growing most in Hispanics in the U.S., these findings have important public health implications."

Tosur noted that because the study participants were autoantibody-positive relatives of patients, the results of the study are not necessarily representative of the general population. The study team plans to conduct further research on possible reasons for the differences among the various racial/ethnic groups.

To speak with Dr. Magee, Dr. Simonson or Dr. Tosur, please contact the Association's media relations team on-site at the San Diego Convention Center on June 9-13, by phone at 619-525-6250 or by email at [email protected].

The American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions, to be held June 9-13, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center, is the world's largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care. During the five-day meeting, health care professionals have exclusive access to more than 2,500 original research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight interest areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Brenda Montgomery, RN, MSHS, CDE, President of Health Care and Education[1], will deliver her address on Saturday, June 10, and Alvin C. Powers, MD, President of Medicine and Science, will present his address on Sunday, June 11. Eight abstracts were selected by the Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee to be presented on Tuesday, June 13, in the President's Oral Session. These abstracts represent important research being conducted in the field of diabetes today. In total, the 2017 Scientific Sessions includes 378 abstracts in 49 oral sessions; 2,152 poster presentations including 50 moderated poster discussions; and 360 published-only abstracts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on Twitter, #2017ADA.

About the American Diabetes Association

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds another person is diagnosed with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (Association) is the global authority on diabetes and since 1940 has been committed to its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To tackle this global public health crisis, the Association drives discovery in research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and provides support and advocacy for people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

365-OR Community Health Workers, Mobile Health, or Both for Management of Medicaid Patients with Diabetes

77th Scientific Sessions

News Briefing: Health Disparities in Diabetes, Sunday, June 11, 9:00 a.m. PT

Oral Presentation: Venturing Beyond the Bricks, Mortar, and Books

Location: Room 1

Session Time: Monday, June 12, 2017, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Authors: RICHARD J. KATZ, GAIL NUNLEE-BLAND, MICHELLE F. MAGEE , HEATHER YOUNG, LINDA WITKIN, CARINE NASSAR, JOSHUA L. COHEN, Washington, DC

Minorities with diabetes (DM), especially African-Americans, have an excessive burden of illness as well as low self-management skills. Community health workers (CHW) and mobile health (mHealth) have complimentary potential to improve DM care.

Objectives: We compared 3 strategies to improve DM care for Medicaid recipients, addition of: mHealth alone, CHW alone, or mHealth + CHW.

Methods: 166 Medicaid patients with T2 DM, HbA1c >8.0%, failing 3 of 13 wellness/clinical goals were randomized and followed for 1 year. Group 1 (n=56) used the Voxiva Care4Life (C4L) mHealth system only; Group 2 (n=56) had a CHW only; and Group 3 (n=54) had both C4L and a CHW. Study endpoints included wellness/clinical goals, HbA1c, medication adherence, self-care behavior and DM distress.

Results: Achievement of wellness/clinical goals improved in all 3 groups (mean +1.3; p=0.0001); HbA1c dropped 1.3% (p<0.0001; NS between groups); only 11 (6.6%) subjects dropped out. HbA1c <8% was achieved in 30% of all subjects, 17% of C4L only subjects, 29% CHW only subjects, and 43% of the C4L+CHW group (p=0.02 vs. C4L alone). Improvements also were observed in medication adherence (p=0.02). Hospitalizations (p=0.02), urgent care visits (p=0.03), and DM distress decreased in all groups (p<0.0001; NS between groups). mHealth utilization was high, subjects received a mean 3.75 messages from C4L/day and sent a median 3.9 messages to C4L/week with a trend for higher subject-to-C4L messaging in C4L+CHW vs. C4L alone (4.1 vs. 3.1/week). CHWs acted as "digital navigators" for C4L which may have led to increased utilization in the combination group. Responses to C4L weekly exercise, weight and medication adherence queries was low (median 10 responses for each measure, NS between groups).

Summary: mHealth and CHW, separately and together, improved self-management and DM care measures in a Medicaid population, with some advantages to the combination strategy. This study may provide insight into future use of CHWs and mHealth for DM care.

Author Disclosures: R.J. Katz: None. G. Nunlee-Bland: None. M.F. Magee: None. H. Young: None. L. Witkin: None. C. Nassar: None. J.L. Cohen: None.

368-OR A Social Media Learning Collaborative Approach to Competency-Based Training in Diabetes

77th Scientific Sessions

News Briefing: Health Disparities in Diabetes, Sunday, June 11, 9:00 a.m. PT

Oral Presentation: Venturing Beyond the Bricks, Mortar, and Books

Location: Room 1

Session Time: Monday, June 12, 2017, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Authors: MARCIA A. TESTA, SERGIO SALDIVAR-SALAZAR, MAXWELL SU, LINDA G. MARC, DONALD C. SIMONSON , Boston, MA, Wellesley Hills, MA

While there are many online courses explaining how clinical factors influence glycemic control, translating knowledge into practice poses a significant challenge, especially when the focus is on patient-centered outcomes (PCO). We developed an online, case-based, interactive training toolkit as part of a social media learning collaborative feasibility study to facilitate translating PCO knowledge into clinical practice. The toolkit's learning objective was to improve clinical competency adhering to the 2016 ADA and AACE guidelines for individualizing HbA1c targets based on patient-centered demographic, clinical, psychological and socio-economic differences and disparities. We first modeled the probability of achieving HbA1c < 8% and < 7% in 2,927 T1D and T2D patients from 8 pooled clinical trials in 413 clinics using 12 regimens of insulin and oral agents (metformin, SU, TZD) alone or in combination during 24-52 wks. Subjects were 22.6% T1D (53% male, age 32  14 yrs, HbA1c 8.0  1.0%) and 77.4% T2D (58% male, age 56  10 yrs, HbA1c 9.2  1.2%, BMI 31  5 kg/m). Endpoint HbA1c was 7.7  1.2% with interquartile range of 6.9-8.3%, (p = ns for T1D vs. T2D). Socio-demographics, treatment satisfaction (71 items) and quality of life (154 items) questionnaires were completed longitudinally. Outcomes of HbA1c < 8% and < 7% were modeled with logistic regression, and resulting estimators used to develop benchmarking calculators using WebOS, Android, iOS and Windows compatible WordPress software. Calculators were field tested and optimized within case-based learning exercises allowing the user to simultaneously modify patient characteristics to explore and visualize how individual patient profiles might influence the probability of reaching target glycemic goals.

Conclusion: Social media interactive learning collaboratives may be used to help translate diabetes PCO research findings into clinical practice, while providing a novel approach to competency-based training on ADA and AACE guidelines.

Author Disclosures: M.A. Testa: None. S. Saldivar-Salazar: None. M. Su: None. L.G. Marc: None. D.C. Simonson: None.

285-OR Ethnic Differences in Progression to Type 1 Diabetes in Relatives at Risk

77th Scientific Sessions

News Briefing: Health Disparities in Diabetes, Sunday, June 11, 9:00 a.m. PT

Oral Presentation: From Prediction to TransitionType 1 Diabetes Mellitus across Stages

Location: Room 30

Session Time: Monday, June 12, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Authors: MUSTAFA TOSUR , SUSAN GEYER, HENRY RODRIGUEZ, INGRID LIBMAN DE GORDON, DAVID BAIDAL, MARIA J. REDONDO, Houston, TX, Tampa, FL, Pittsburgh, PA, Miami, FL

Studies on racial/ethnic differences in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis are lacking. We aimed to compare the progression of islet autoimmunity (IA) and T1D among races/ethnicities in at-risk individuals. We studied 4227 TrialNet Pathway to Prevention participants (nondiabetic, autoantibody [Ab]+ relatives of patients with T1D; 12% Hispanics [Hisp], 79.3% non-Hisp whites [NHWs], 3 % non-Hisp blacks, 1.4% non-Hisp Asians and 4.3% non-Hisp others) followed prospectively. At screening, NHWs were more likely to have multiple +Ab (59% vs. 48%) and higher T1D risk score (DPTRS) than Hisp (both p<0.00001). Conversion to multiple Ab+ was less common in Hisp than NHW (HR=0.59, 95% CI=0.40-0.88, p=0.01) after adjustment for Ab, age, sex, DPTRS and HLA DR3/DR4. Time to T1D (n=498) among multiple Ab+ participants did not differ by race/ethnicity. However, among children <12 years old (y/o), Hisp had lower T1D risk than NHWs (HR=0.50, 95% CI=0.27-0.93, p=0.028) in multivariable model adjusting for age, sex and HLA DR3/DR4. Further, BMI percentile (BMI %) was a significant effect modifier (p=0.006) in children <12 y/o: Compared to NHW with normal BMI %, Hisp had lower T1D risk if they had normal BMI %, but higher if they were overweight/obese (HR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.25-3.31, p=0.004). Overall, compared with NHWs, progression of IA was less common in Hisp, while differences on T1D development were limited to children <12 y/o and modified by BMI.

Author Disclosures: M. Tosur: None. S. Geyer: None. H. Rodriguez: None. I. Libman De Gordon: None. D. Baidal: None. M.J. Redondo: None.

[1] Disclosures for Brenda Montgomery. Employer: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Montgomery's role as President, Health Care & Education of the American Diabetes Association (Association) is a voluntary position to which she was elected by the members of the Association in 2015. She continues to recuse herself from any and all discussions, decisions or votes that have or could be perceived as having a conflict of interest with her employer.

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Related Links

http://www.diabetes.org


Denver-based Identity Theft Protection Company Proud to Partner with Reputable Payroll Company to Offer Services to Brokers through Exchange Builder

DENVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ID Watchdog, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: IDW) (OTC: IDWAF), provider of consumer-facing identity theft protection and resolution services, has partnered with the New York-based Paylogix to offer voluntary employee benefit services through Exchange Builder, a cloud-based private exchange development platform for agents and brokers.

"The partnership with Paylogix is a natural fit for us," says ID Watchdog CEO Mike Greene. "Both companies are committed to providing the best technology and the best client services available, and we are proud to promote a company with values so similar to ours."

The partnership became official this month, and ID Watchdog's ID Theft Protection Services will be available for brokers to offer to their clients as a voluntary employee benefit. ID Watchdog provides comprehensive credit monitoring, credit report and score, and proactive identity monitoring that scans billions of data points and black market websites for signs of identity theft. In the event of identity theft, subscribers receive fully managed resolution services, including a 100 percent resolution guarantee and $1 million in expense reimbursement insurance.

"It's important for us to offer the best in benefits and plan options for our clients, and that is why we are pleased to partner with ID Watchdog," says John Warren, practice leader for Paylogix. "We welcome new exchanges every day that range from small businesses and associations to large companies. By partnering with premier providers, Paylogix and Exchange Builder are seeking to positively disrupt the industry. Exchange Builder is the end-to-end solution the market has been seeking."

About ID Watchdog: ID Watchdog provides award-winning identity theft protection and resolution services to the employee benefits marketplace as well as offers breach resolution, white label, wholesale, and embedded programs. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, ID Watchdog leverages proprietary technology that searches billions of data points to detect changes in the personal identity profiles of each subscriber and provides immediate resolution services.

ID Watchdog ID Watchdog holds six industry awards for its ID protection software and service. The company has been recognized for its leadership in identity theft protection, detection, and resolution as well as for its innovative technology, premier customer service, and personalized communication.

For more information, please visit www.idwatchdog.com.

About Paylogix: From promotion to payment, Paylogix is a pioneer in the development of technologies specifically aimed at simplifying the administration of health and welfare benefits. Web based BPO and SaaS solutions offer real-time access to business partners including: the insurer; the broker, the employer, and the employee. Paylogix currently provides solutions for prominent insurers and group providers throughout North America.

More Information about Exchange Builder can be found by visiting http://www.exchangebuilder.com or by contacting John Warren, 586-935-4017 or by email [email protected].

More information about Paylogix can be found by visiting http://www.paylogix.com, calling 800-622-4131 or via email: [email protected].

SOURCE ID Watchdog, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.idwatchdog.com


WASHINGTON, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Maintaining the U.S. dairy industry's export market in Mexico is the number one priority for the International Dairy Foods Association when U.S. negotiators begin efforts to modernize and update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) later this year. In comments filed today with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, IDFA also urged negotiators to push for greater market access to Canada by addressing the oppressive and expanding policies that limit U.S. dairy exports to that market.

Other areas in need of modernizing under the 23-year-old pact, IDFA said, include protections for common food names, enhanced sanitary and phytosanitary measures, enforcement guidelines for rules of origin and the removal of duty drawback restrictions that impede fair competition.

After being a net importer of dairy products roughly a decade ago, the United States now benefits from a dairy trade surplus of more than $2 billion. In fact, approximately one days' worth of milk production each week, more than 15 percent of U.S. milk production, is exported to other parts of the world.

"Since its implementation in 1994, NAFTA has created many opportunities for U.S. dairy products to thrive with consumers outside our borders," said Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs. "However, the agreement is certainly not perfect, and opportunities for improvement exist. We urge the USTR negotiators to maintain the existing market access for U.S. dairy exporters, especially in Mexico, and to modernize and update areas where the current agreement has failed to protect American interests and workers, particularly in Canada."

Maintain Markets in Mexico

Mexico imported more than $1.22 billion of U.S. dairy products and ingredients in 2016 compared to only $250 million in 1993 before NAFTA was implemented. U.S. dairy exports to Mexico now account for one quarter of total dairy exports supporting nearly 30,000 American jobs.

Hughes pointed out that negative changes with Mexico could expose U.S. dairy exports to retaliatory tariffs and encourage Mexican officials to expand their existing network of free trade agreements with 45 countries in an effort to source dairy products elsewhere.

Peel Back Protectionist Policies in Canada

A number of Canadian dairy policy measures severely restrict market access for imported dairy products. Protective pricing that effectively blocks U.S. dairy imports and leads to dumping of milk powders on the world market must be addressed in the negotiations, along with extremely limited duty-free access and exorbitant over-quota tariffs that range from 200 percent to more than 300 percent in some cases, IDFA said.

"Time after time, Canada reverts to unfair trade practices to undermine U.S. dairy market access," Hughes said. "This routine and harmful behavior must be urgently addressed in the renegotiation of NAFTA in order to prevent permanent loss of these markets. We need this national pricing policy to be eliminated, followed by clear-cut language to ensure that Canada does not institute future pricing programs and other non-tariff barriers that negatively impact dairy trade and jobs."

Additional Issues

IDFA also urged negotiators to address geographical indications (GIs) and the way they are being employed by other countries in an effort to limit the fair use of common food names, such as parmesan and asiago, in U.S. export markets.

"It is essential that the NAFTA modernization efforts incorporate text on the issue of GIs and common names," Hughes said.

More details about the issues, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures, rules of origin and duty drawback provisions that impede fair competition, are available here.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers with a membership of nearly 525 companies within a $125-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's nearly 200 dairy processing members operate more than 600 manufacturing facilities and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. IDFA can be found at www.idfa.org.

SOURCE International Dairy Foods Association

Related Links

http://www.idfa.org/


KITCHENER-WATERLOO, Ontario, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Igloo Software, the leading provider of digital workplace solutions, and Starmind, the leading technology in expanding human ingenuity with cognitive computing, today announced a new partnership to bring Igloo customers the power of Starmind's technology, which increases employee knowledge, improves engagement, and increases individual and organizational performance.



Starmind's advanced cognitive computing technology adds predictive intelligence functionality to organizations using Igloo's industry leading digital workplace platform. The combined solution enables users to immediately find the best solutions for any question they have within their company; from best place to park your car to protocols on sales initiatives. Starmind's cognitive computing, via the Igloo Platform, retrieves existing logged answers automatically while rerouting new questions to the best possible expert within the organization.



"At Igloo, we are focused on building partnerships with innovative technology providers that bring disruptive solutions to the digital workplace," said Dan Latendre, Founder and CEO at Igloo Software. "Starmind's technology enables our customers to tap into rich employee expertise for valuable improvements in productivity and engagement. Igloo customers are now able to access the power of cognitive computing to connect with experts and expertise quickly and easily without leaving their digital workplace."



"Igloo is truly a complete digital workplace platform and we are excited to work with them, further enhancing the employee experience," said Peter Waser, CEO of Starmind. "Our technology adds an intelligence layer to Igloo's offerings so that knowledge is more freely shared within a company. This leads to higher work efficiencies and the discovery of new solutions to existing and emerging organizational challenges."



The typical worker spends an average of 136 minutes a week searching for documents, costing organizations approximately $916 per year per worker, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). The Igloo-Starmind integration aims to combat such organizational inefficiencies to accelerate decision making, support innovation and increase revenue.



On June 22nd, Igloo and Starmind will host a webinar to showcase how the Starmind solution will integrate with the Igloo digital workplace platform. You can register here.



About Igloo Software

Igloo is a leading provider of digital workplace solutions, helping companies build inspiring digital destinations for a more productive and engaged workforce. Offering a suite of modern features and solutions for today's evolving workplace, Igloo partners with customers to address challenges related to communication, collaboration, knowledge management, and employee engagement. For more information, please visit www.igloosoftware.com

Follow @IglooSoftware on Twitter and find us on Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Starmind

Starmind is revolutionizing the field of artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. Based in Switzerland, Starmind was founded by Pascal Kaufmann and Marc Vontobel in 2010, and currently has operations in the U.S. and Europe. Starmind allows organizations to gather company knowledge across existing organizational boundaries, making it available to all employees, everywhere and in real time. Using self-learning algorithms based on the principles of brain and artificial neural network research, employees' questions are automatically forwarded to the right person within the company.

Starmind learns about interests and expertise from all interactions and answers, creating a dynamic knowledge base. The algorithms autonomously develop employee profiles and a rich expert network. Starmind's software is currently in use in over 40 countries by companies such as Telefonica Deutschland. For more information, please visit www.starmind.com.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contacts

Melissa Gilbert

High Road for Igloo Software

[email protected]

514-798-6145

Starmind

Cameron Lisa

[email protected]

212-334-9753 ext 117

SOURCE Starmind

Related Links

http://starmind.com


KITTANNING, Pa., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials today discussed an innovative paving method being deployed for the first time in Armstrong County to improve nearly five miles of rural roadway.

The pilot, using Recycled Asphalt Paving or RAP, is made possible due to PennDOT's Road Maintenance and Preservation (Road MaP) initiative, which Governor Tom Wolf recently announced will invest $2.1 billion in roadway maintenance and highway and bridge capital projects over the next 10 years.

"Our Road MaP initiative provides more investment in our lower-traffic roadways as well as our traffic routes and Interstates," said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration George McAuley. "Recycled Asphalt Pavement is one of the more beneficial and economical tools to improve secondary roads, and allows us to complete or contract even more work due the cost savings."

RAP is an environmentally conscious method that repurposes materials from projects onto other roadways by mixing ground millings with oil. RAP allows the department to pave less-traveled roads that otherwise wouldn't be paved, or to reinforce roadway shoulders.

This week, PennDOT will use RAP on 1.9 miles of Route 2018 (Campbell Run Road) and 3 miles of Route 2012 (Silvis Hollow Road). These roads were chosen based on their "poor" pavement-quality rating and proximity to the stockpile where the materials are stored. They also carry an average of fewer than 3,000 vehicles each day and trucks are less than 10 percent of the traffic.

With roughly 3 inches of RAP compared to an equivalent of 2 inches of new asphalt, PennDOT estimates a $225,000 cost with RAP compared to roughly $371,000. PennDOT can redirect these savings to other maintenance improvements or contracts.

"Our maintenance team has been managing their resources aggressively but the additional maintenance resources provided through Road MaP were sorely needed," said Joe Dubovi, PennDOT's district executive for the region including Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson counties.

Dubovi noted that last year, PennDOT estimated it would cost more than $140 million just to repave the 375 miles of low volume roads with rough pavements in Armstrong County. An additional $15 million will be invested in Armstrong County through the 2028-29 fiscal year due to Road MaP.

The RAP pilot complements the $119.4 million in contract work  for an estimated 125 miles of roadway improvements and 28 bridge projects  anticipated to begin or be bid in the district in 2017.

More information on Road MaP is available at www.penndot.gov on the "Act 89 Transportation Plan" page.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department's Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow PennDOT information for Armstrong County and the southwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPittsburgh.

MEDIA CONTACT: J.J. Abbott, Governor's Office, 717-783-1116

Deborah Casadei, PennDOT, 724-357-2829

Rich Kirkpatrick or Erin Waters-Trasatt, PennDOT, 717-783-8800

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

Related Links

http://www.penndot.gov


SUNSET, S.C., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspiring the American Dream Foundation announced today that it has received a $10,000 contribution from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Contribution Fund. The contribution will help Inspiring the American Dream Foundation to help fund its new American Dream Literacy Tool Kit initiative.

Inspiring the American Dream Foundation Receives $10,000 Contribution from Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies

Each year, the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies celebrates the exceptional volunteer achievements of employees with Volunteer Recognition Grants awarded to the nonprofit organizations where these employees volunteer their time. These recognition grants reward employees who are highly engaged in community volunteer efforts that have a tremendous local impact.

"Johnson & Johnson is pleased to recognize Dr. Kathleen Basmadjian and her work with Inspiring the American Dream Foundation," said Johnson & Johnson, Executive Director, Global Community Impact, Michael Bzdak. "Giving back is woven into the fabric of Johnson & Johnson. We're pleased that Kathleen is committed to making a positive impact in her community and wish her and the Foundation much success with their American Dream initiative."

Efforts for the new initiative are currently underway to expand and test Inspiring the American Dream Foundation's existing literacy and character development curriculum and training program to engage and inspire 3rd, 4th and 5th graders throughout the State of South Carolina. The nonprofit will be partnering with several, local school districts and after school providers to refine its educational tool set and training modules for subsequent distribution, state-wide.

"I am very proud to work for a company that stands behind its Credo of supporting the communities in which its employees live and work," said Inspiring the American Dream Foundation Co-Founder, Dr. Kathleen Basmadjian. "Johnson & Johnson's generous contribution will help Inspiring the American Dream Foundation to instill in children the character traits necessary for achieving success in and out of the classroom."

About Inspiring the American Dream Foundation

Inspiring the American Dream Foundation has been established to help inspire children and young adults to achieve the American Dream, a set of ideals in which freedom, ability and character provide the opportunity for prosperity, happiness and upward mobility, regardless of race, ethnicity or social class. By engaging children of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds with an appreciation for the principles, ideals and values inherent in the American Dream, the Foundation will help prepare students across the country to become independent, prosperous and productive members of society. For additional information, visit www.inspire-the-dream.org.

About Johnson & Johnson

Caring for the world, one person at a time, inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson embraces research and science  bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Johnson & Johnson's approximately 126,400 employees, at more than 230 Johnson & Johnson operating companies, work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. For additional information, visit www.jnj.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Robert Basmadjian

Co-Founder and Chairman

Inspiring the American Dream Foundation

Phone: (864) 868-0202

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.inspire-the-dream.org

SOURCE Inspiring the American Dream Foundation

Related Links

http://www.inspire-the-dream.org


LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP), one of the nation's leading nonprofit graduate universities dedicated to psychology and behavioral health services, is pleased to welcome Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, Ph.D., author and lecturer at the University of Houston-Downtown, to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Pasha-Zaidi is a 2012 graduate of The Chicago School's International Psychology Doctoral Program.

In her role as a trustee, Dr. Pasha-Zaidi will, along with her fellow trustees, serve as a steward of The Chicago School by sharing responsibility for its general oversight and management, ensuring that any new initiatives serve to advance and fulfill the University's mission.

"This is an exciting opportunity, and I am honored to have been elected to the Board of Trustees. The University's mission, values, and commitment to diversity and inclusivity are as important to me today as when I was a student. I look forward to contributing to the future development and success of The Chicago School," said Dr. Pasha-Zaidi.

Dr. Pasha-Zaidi was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and raised in New York. Previous to her role at the University of Houston-Downtown, Dr. Pasha-Zaidi worked as an educator and academic advisor in both the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, where she specialized in English language learners and at-risk students. Her research explores culture, gender, and social justice in international systems, with a focus on Muslim populations.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Pasha-Zaidi join our Board of Trustees," said Dr. Nealon, President of The Chicago School. "Her bicultural background and experience on the international stage will provide a unique perspective and value as we continue to increase our international student population."

In addition to her doctoral degree, Dr. Pasha-Zaidi holds an M.Ed. in Language Education from Rutgers University, and an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University. She also earned a B.A. in Communications from Pace University. Dr. Nausheen is a published author, her most recent work being "Mirror on the Veil: A Collection of Personal Narratives on Hijab and Veiling."

About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is a nonprofit, private university devoted exclusively to psychology, and related behavioral health services. The Chicago School is an affiliate of TCS Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact. The university serves more than 4,400 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern California (Los Angeles and Irvine); and Washington, D.C., as well as its Online Campus. The Chicago School is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, (WSCUC), and its Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs in Chicago and Washington, D.C. are accredited by the American Psychological Association. With more than 20 graduate degree programs, thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of international opportunities, TCSPP is the leader in professional psychology education. To learn more, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Bravo

213.615.7292

[email protected]

SOURCE The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Related Links

http://www.thechicagoschool.edu


PHILADELPHIA, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestEdge, the leading provider of innovative financial advisory solutions, and subsidiary firm MMxCHANGE have been named finalists in the WealthManagement.com 2017 Industry Awards.

InvestEdge has been nominated as a finalist in the following categories:

Technology Providers  Client Portals

InvestEdge Connect is a turnkey client portal engineered to seamlessly connect high net worth, ultra-high net worth clients, and institutional investors with their advisors and advisory firms. The portal allows investors to view the same data their advisors use on a daily basis, and enables advisors to securely deliver critical information wherever and whenever their clients need it.

Technology Providers  Portfolio Reporting

The InvestEdge Client Reporting Solution equips advisors to instantaneously deliver high-quality, reliable presentations by solving many of the inefficiencies inherent with report generation and customization. The patented technology automates time-intensive tasks such as data gathering, report creation, customization, and assembly.

MMxCHANGE, a new digital marketplace that enables advisory businesses to design, build, and control their own custom investment platform, has been nominated as a finalist in the following category:

Technology Providers  Compliance

MMxCHANGE enhances an advisor's ability to manage compliance requirements and regulations, as it affords compliance to go from reactive to proactive measures due to the level of controls offered by multi-tenant functionality. Digital Compliance Administration and Surveillance tools combined with the full control of a fiduciary, "DOL Compliant" Private Exchange, will provide compliance teams with a preemptive strategy for control. MMxCHANGE operates as a logistics center connecting advisors with the tools needed to establish a digital Fiduciary future.

"At InvestEdge, we partner with wealth management businesses to provide them with the tools they need to deepen client relationships, enhance advice and move margins," said Bob Stewart, CEO of InvestEdge. "Our client reporting and portal solutions were designed with today's advisor in mind, and being named a finalist reinforces that our cutting-edge technologies are helping them deliver true value to their clients."

"MMxCHANGE is designed to support any investment ecosystem no matter how simple or complex the business requirements," said Joe Miskel, Executive Vice President of MMxCHANGE. "We're pleased that WealthManagement.com is recognizing our forward-looking approach to compliance by naming us a finalist in this category."

The WealthManagement.com Industry Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the Wealth Management industry. Details about the 2017 Awards and the complete list of finalists can be found on WealthManagement.com's website: http://events.wealthmanagement.com/2017-finalists/.

Winners will be announced on October 11, 2017 at an awards ceremony in New York City.

About InvestEdge

Founded in 2000, InvestEdge, the leader in cutting-edge wealth management solutions, helps advisors deliver the ultimate client experience through integrated software for managing, measuring and reporting on high net worth and ultra-high net worth portfolios. Headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, PA, InvestEdge currently administers $1T in assets.

About MMxCHANGE

MMxCHANGE is a new digital marketplace that lets you design, build, and control your own custom investment platform  at a fraction of the cost of other platforms. Its unbundled open architecture allows you to select the solutions you need, when you need them, so you can always meet your clients' specific goals in a quickly changing market. This unprecedented flexibility enables you to scale your business at a lower cost. MMxCHANGE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of InvestEdge, seamlessly integrates with InvestEdge's suite of wealth management solutions and functions as a standalone solution.

SOURCE InvestEdge, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.investedge.com


BOSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Insurance has introduced a new underwriting approach that accelerates the life insurance buying process and provides many consumers with a faster and easier way to get the important coverage they need. Customers who qualify for John Hancock ExpressTrack will receive an underwriting decision in as little as three days, with no in-person paramedical visits or lab work required.

"In today's rapidly changing and technology-driven world, we are continually focused on developing innovative solutions to meet consumers' expectations for a quicker and smarter way to purchase life insurance," says Brooks Tingle, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Strategy, John Hancock Insurance. "Our new ExpressTrack leverages John Hancock's underwriting and medical expertise together with analytics, data, and cutting-edge technology to enhance the buying experience for consumers and make it easier for advisors to do business with us."

Consumers with favorable health profiles are most likely to benefit from ExpressTrack and its faster and less invasive underwriting experience, receiving an underwriting decision of Standard up to Super Preferred in just a few days.

To further streamline the process for buying life insurance, advisors only need to provide some basic information to start the application process1 and have their customers considered for the ExpressTrack underwriting experience.2

"The launch of John Hancock ExpressTrack and the new streamlined application process are examples of John Hancock's ongoing commitment to delivering solutions that will help transform the life insurance purchasing experience for our customers," says Tingle.

1.To initiate the application process, advisors have two submission options  JH Life eTicket, available for single-life term submissions, and JH Life Paper Ticket for single-life term or permanent submissions. The ticket processes are available for all ages and face amounts.



2. Consumers, ages18-60, initiating their application with a John Hancock proprietary ticket and applying for single life coverage of up to and including $1 million may qualify for John Hancock ExpressTrack.

Insurance product are issued by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Boston MA, 02117 (not licensed in New York) and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, NY 10595. MLINY060517013

About John Hancock and Manulife

John Hancock is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $1 trillion (US $754 billion) as at March 31, 2017. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Insurance

Related Links

http://johnhancock.com


WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, its planned cuts to energy funding in the FY18 budget, and pursuit of deregulation has attracted significant criticism and called into question the reliability of the U.S. as an international partner. On June 21, at 10 a.m., in the National Press Club's Lisagor Room, Former Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz will propose ways to maintain the American leadership edge on energy innovation. Moniz also is expected to announce the formation of a new non-profit organization "The Energy Futures Initiative," that aims to foster innovation in global energy systems.

According to the creators, EFI will be a non-partisan, think tank and advisory firm working across all energy sources to provide evidence-based analysis on decarbonizing energy systems, creating high-paying energy jobs, and finding ways to make energy infrastructure and supplies more secure.

Along with his chairmanship of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (which he takes over from former Senator Sam Nunn on June 1), Moniz plans to use EFI to mobilize stakeholders in government, industry, labor and NGOs in creating a clean energy future.

Moniz served as the U.S. Energy Secretary under President Obama from 2013-2017. He is a Ph.D. physicist with a long affiliation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is currently a part-time professor of physics post-tenure and special advisor to the president. Moniz has a significant experience forging international agreements, including the G-7 energy security principals, the 22-nation Mission Innovation clean-energy investment program, and had a lead role in the complex negotiations leading to the creation of the Iran nuclear deal.

The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. This news conference is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge but advance registration is required. Please register at: http://www.press.org/events/npc-headliner-newsmaker-former-sec-energy-ernest-moniz

Contact: Lindsay Underwood,[email protected], (202) 662-7561



SOURCE National Press Club
NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Disruptive taxi technology company KAPTYN (http://www.kaptyn.co) announced today that their taxi platform served its 60th Million ride in the U.S market. Boasting a robust platform centered around the only NIST and NCWM certified Smart Meter, KAPTYN provides a sustainable smart taxi solution to fleets and drivers and is bridging the innovation gap between legacy taxi service and new-age mobile demand and ride-sharing companies.

KAPTYN has taken the standard antiquated regulated meter and fitted it with a customizable interface and proprietary software that can compete with any cell phone soft meter available today. The KAPTYN Smart Meter acts as a mobile data terminal (MDT) and records driver data that is then consolidated into their CabManager software platform for reporting and analysis. The platform provides real-time reporting from driver location and car allocation to back-end cashiering, helping to better operate, manage and monetize commercial taxi fleets. It also integrates with a host of applications, many of which come pre-integrated into the KAPTYN platform. These include automated dispatching, payment processing, ride optimization, vehicle safety solutions and an open API to integrate with any e-hail application. As a fully agnostic platform, KAPTYN allows for ANY e-hail mobile app to communicate directly and securely to dispatch the closest, vacant, licensed taxi.

"Our focus and commitment has been to build a platform that is sustainable under all regulations, and to provide taxis the tools to compete with today's ridesharing services and stay relevant," said Andrew Meyers CEO of KAPTYN. "We took all of the value of a 'smart meter' and paired it with the backbone of a hard-metered rate for sustainability of supply, going through the rigorous criteria of NCWM/NIST to do so. This milestone is a testimony to what we've achieved."

About KAPTYN

Kaptyn Inc. is a leading Smart Taxi Technology company with an expanding portfolio of contracts in major cities across the U.S. including New York and Las Vegas. Our proven platform reinvents the regulated taxi market with the first ever NCWM/NIST approved Smart Meter and software combination that allows for driver route and trip data collection, real-time cashiering, reconciliation and reporting, automated dispatch and external application integration including E-hail. Through comprehensive data collection and analysis, innovative dispatch solution, back office management suite and flexible integration capabilities we help better operate, manage and monetize commercial taxi fleets, and provide the industry with the tools to compete in a digital demand driven world. For more information please visit: www.kaptyn.co

SOURCE Kaptyn Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kaptyn.co


ZHEJIANG, China, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kingbird, a global leader in manufacturing yarns and threads in China, today introduced high tenacity polyester yarns in the North American and European Markets. These are multifilament polyester sewing threads manufactured from the best quality raw material to guarantee stable and high speed stitching.

Kingbird Kingbird

"All our clients in North America and Europe can now access our super low shrinkage, low shrinkage and normal shrinkage, high tenacity polyester yarns," said Jessica Lee, Kingbird's Product Manager. "Kingbird's high tenacity polyester yarn is popular for its toughness, exemplary chemical resistance and durability, hence, suitable for functional and technical applications. We are glad to be among the few companies that export world class high tenacity yarns that conform to the ATC, BSCI, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and SGS requirements."

Features of Kingbird High Tenacity Polyester Yarns

After years of R&D alongside many tests, Kingbird has finally introduced high tenacity polyester yarn with the following key features:

Varying diner: Kingbird diners vary from 210 to 4000 den. Clients can therefore order for these polyester yarns depending on their unique requirements.

High performance: Kingbird has incorporated high manufacturing techniques aiming to produce superior and reliable high tenacity polyester yarns. The yarns are popular for low elongation, unmatched toughness, durability and abrasion resistance.

They come in twisted, intermingled or multi-compact options, depending on the intended application.

A multi-filament yarn: Kingbird high tenacity polyester is a multi-filament yarn. The number of filaments varies from 24 to over 192.

The filament cross-section has about 5 to 7 vertices, tenacity of 60 to 80cN/Tex and a titer between 1 and 7. Kingbird technical team can change these to meet your specific needs.

Hot air shrinkage varies between 4 and 10%, while stretch recovery is about 250 to 400cN/Tex.

With the high-tech manufacturing capability, Kingbird has unlimited options of high tenacity polyester yarns with high strength, durability and great foldability.

Kingbird has invested and sources for the best raw materials across the world that meet specific needs of all its OEM clients and distributors.

Applications

Kingbird high tenacity polyester yarns are designed for a range of applications such as knitting, weaving and braiding. Some practical applications include making special footwear, furniture, luggage and many outdoor products.

About Kingbird

For over 15 years, Kingbird has expanded to be an internationally recognized manufacturing force for yarns and threads. Kingbird uses the finest raw materials imported from Vietnam, Turkey and Korea.

With a dedicated and motivated team headed by Mr. Lino, Kingbird manufactures and supplies over 17 different types of yarns and threads that conform to the ATC, Okey 100, ISO 9001 and SGS standards.

The latest in its product line is the high tenacity polyester yarn.

For more information:

Contact Person: Jessica Lee

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 86-0574-2787-6969

Website: www.kingbird-tex.com/high-tenacity-polyester-yarn/

SOURCE Kingbird
NEW YORK, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KOGER Inc., leading financial services technology company, announced the addition of fundraising and deal flow modules to its PENTAS platform for private equity firms. PENTAS streamlines and automates the administration of PE funds and works with all fund structures, including pure private equity funds, master feeder and fund of funds.

"With these modules, we provide private equity firms with a comprehensive platform that automates both the back and front office. The fundraising and deal flow modules are optional add-ons to our PENTAS software that we can easily turn on as clients want them," said Ras Sipko, KOGER Chief Operating Officer.

PENTAS provides PE fund managers with increased control and accuracy in tracking commitments, processing capital calls and calculating distributions. It automates the calculation of the distribution process, from return of capital and preferred return, to the distribution waterfall and carried interest split.

PENTAS is part of the product suite for the company's flagship NTAS platform for fund administration and compliance. NTAS, which supports more than 8,000 funds with $2 trillion in assets, is a share registry system that manages fund tracking, reporting and fee calculation. It handles daily transfer agency recordkeeping, investor registration, cash management, trade processing, compliance, reporting and fee processing.

KOGER's technology is used by many of the largest funds, fund administrators and financial institutions. NTAS and its complementary products support all types of investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity, mutual funds, money market funds and pension funds.

"The PENTAS modules are part of our continuing innovation to provide asset managers with complete functionality that can scale as they need it. Our software makes complex processes easy to manage," Sipko said.

About KOGER

Founded in 1994, KOGER is the provider of NTAS, the market's leading platform for investment fund administration and compliance. More than 8,000 funds with $2 trillion in assets are administered through NTAS, which is used by the world's largest funds, fund administrators and blue-chip financial institutions. The NTAS platform encompasses a comprehensive suite of products for the investment industry, including hedge funds, private equity funds, mutual funds and pension funds. KOGER's NTAS platform provides fund administrators and financial institutions with an integrated, scalable solution that increases efficiencies and reduces costs, and can be customized to financial organizations of all sizes. KOGER is a global financial services technology company with offices in the US, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.

SOURCE KOGER Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kogerusa.com


SANTA ANA, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kush Bottles, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB), a provider of packaging, supplies, accessories and branding solutions for the regulated cannabis industry, announced today the U.S. Patent Office has approved a patent for a unique customizable mechanism on one of its best-selling child resistant packaging products.

The patent for invention number US20160167844 covers the configuration of the Company's child-resistant tube, which enables characters and three-dimensional branded icons to be attached to the container lids. This unique feature gives the product a competitive edge, as customers can further brand their packaging in a way that stands out from the crowd.

Mr. Nicholas Kovacevich, Chief Executive Officer of Kush Bottles, commented, "As in any consumer product sector, brand marketing is a core means for our clients in the cannabis industry to differentiate themselves from their competition. Our packaging solutions are tailored to allow our clients to maintain their brand integrity, while also providing a safe and reliable product which complies with the stringent requirements of the state in which they are operating. We aim to be the gold standard for responsible, customized branding and packaging and are pleased to acquire this patent to support our rapid growth."

Kush Bottles services over 4,000 producers, processors and retailers in the wholesale/B2B market for both legal medical and adult use and has one of the largest product libraries in the cannabis industry, with distribution spanning across 28 states and Canada. All products have sophisticated labeling and customization capabilities to support the brand marketing strategies of cannabis businesses.

To be added to the distribution list, please email [email protected] with "Kush" in the subject line.

About Kush Bottles, Inc.

Kush Bottles, Inc. is a dynamic sales platform that provides unique products and services for both businesses and consumers in the cannabis industry.

Founded in 2010 as a packaging and supplies company for dispensaries and growers, Kush Bottles has sold more than 100 million units and now regularly services more than 4,000 legally operated medical and adult-use dispensaries, growers, and producers across North America, South America, and Europe. The company has facilities in the three largest U.S. cannabis markets and a local sales presence in every major U.S. cannabis market.

Kush Bottles aims to be the gold standard for responsible and compliant products and services in the cannabis industry. Kush Bottles has no direct involvement with cannabis plants or extracts.

The company has been featured in media nationwide, including CNBC, Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Magazine.

For more information, visit www.kushbottles.com or call (888)-920-5874.

Connect :

Website: www.kushbottles.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kushbottles

Facebook: facebook.com/kushbottles

Twitter: twitter.com/kushbottles

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as: "potential," "look forward," "believe," "dedicated," "building," or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by us herein are often discussed in filings we make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), available at: www.sec.gov, and on our website, at: www.kushbottles.com.

Company Contact:

Ryan Selewicz

Director of Marketing

714-243-4017

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Elizabeth Barker / Phil Carlson

KCSA Strategic Communications

212-896-1203 / 212-896-1233

[email protected]

SOURCE Kush Bottles, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kushbottles.com


ATLANTA, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety and LaaSer Critical Communications (http://laaser911.com/) have kicked off a pilot program to showcase the lifesaving potential of LaaSer's caller location technology. The program will deploy the technology at the public safety answering point (PSAP) that serves both Milton and Alpharetta, Georgia.

"It's an unfortunate irony that while cellphones make it easier than ever to call 911, operators are having a harder time finding those callers," says LaaSer CEO Fred White. "The nation's 911 systems were designed for a landline world, and the infrastructure simply hasn't evolved at the same pace as mobile phone technology. At LaaSer, we've developed a solution that integrates with the existing systems of carriers and PSAPs while leveraging mobile handsets' advanced capabilities like WiFI, GPS, Bluetooth, and more."





The tragic case of Shanell Anderson was a significant inspiration for LaaSer CEO Fred White and his team to engineer a solution to help improve the nation's emergency response system. Anderson's SUV left the road and entered a pond in Cherokee County, a county north of Atlanta that borders Alpharetta. Her frantic call to 911 was routed to the Alpharetta PSAP, instead of the Cherokee County PSAP, and the operator could not immediately map out the call location to figure out who should dispatch help. Rescue teams were therefore delayed in reaching Anderson's sunken vehicle, not arriving to her location for almost 20 minutes  too late to be able to save her.

White remarks it's fitting that this latest pilot program includes Alpharetta: "Shanell Anderson's story has become a symbol for the issues with 911 mobile location. It's heartening to see improvements happening in the very area where her tragedy occurred. Unfortunately, her tragedy was not an isolated incident. People are impacted every day by inaccurate or missing caller location data when they call 911."

An estimated 70-plus percent of 911 calls are now placed with cellphones. And data from jurisdictions across the country show that the chances of an operator getting the right location information for these calls in a timely manner is as low as 10 percent.

"When a citizen calls 911 from their mobile device, the Communications Officer's computer requests information from the cell network," explains Carl Hall, Division Chief, Technology Division, Alpharetta Department of Public Safety. "That process could add seconds or minutes to the task of precisely locating the caller. And the data might be off by hundreds of feet. Sometimes, no useful information comes back at all. In an age when Google, Facebook and every app on your phone can tell where you are pretty well, there's no reason why our 911 centers shouldn't be capable of the same."

The FCC has been clear in demanding that wireless carriers proactively address this issue. By 2021, the commission wants at least 80 percent of 911 calls from mobile devices to provide better mobile location data (uncertainty of less than 50m). And since more and more households are abandoning landlines, this challenge only grows.

Trimming average emergency response times by just 60 seconds could save over 10,000 lives, according to FCC estimates. And LaaSer has already demonstrated in communities around the country that it can deliver that kind of savings. Over the next year, first responders and dispatchers in Alpharetta and Milton will have the privilege of seeing this smart, seamless technology in action.

About the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety

It is the mission of the Department of Public Safety to enhance the quality of life for those that live, work and play in the City of Alpharetta.

About LaaSer Critical Communications, LLC

LaaSer Critical Communications, a Techstars company, is dedicated to solving the problems associated with calling 911 from mobile devices. LaaSer has created patented technology that pinpoints a 911 caller's location, using any mobile device, efficiently routes them to the appropriate 911 call center, and provides the 911 operator with precise location information. LaaSer's technology requires no upgrades on the part of 911 call centers or network operators.

Contact:

Jon Harmer, CMO

844-494-9111

[email protected]

SOURCE LaaSer Critical Communications, LLC

Related Links

http://laaser911.com


NORRISTOWN, Pa., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Laborers' District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity and Elemental Health Group (EHG) today announced a milestone partnership for a proposal to build and operate a medical marijuana grow processing facility in Montgomery County.

A signed Memorandum of Understanding between the Laborers' District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Laborers Local Union No. 135 and EHG marks a Pennsylvania medical marijuana industry milestone and ensures a diverse, union workforce will build EHG's state-of-the-art facility, if approved later this month.

"For us, it's all about the community," said Daniel L. Woodall, Jr., Business Manager of the Laborers' Local 135. "EHG truly wants to strengthen it by committing to creating local jobs and launching careers that pay family sustaining wages. This is a profound step toward the future as our members will enter a new industry. We're proud to take that step with a partner like EHG, who clearly shares our commitment to safety, training and inclusion."

In March, the municipality of Norristown passed a zoning ordinance to permit medical marijuana facilities in industrial areas. The EHG site meets the new zoning qualifications and has received strong support from the local community.

"Our municipality is the ideal location to participate in the economic development of this new medical sub-specialty," said Sonya D. Sanders, Norristown Council President, in a letter of support to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. "The Elemental Health Group project, with its local jobs, will help us convince other specialty manufacturers that Norristown takes a progressive approach to the development of new industries. Our Council enthusiastically supports the Elemental Health Group's application for a Medical Marijuana Grower Processor license in Norristown."

With an approach built on best practices and professionalism, EHG is aiming to set the medical marijuana industry standard in Pennsylvania.

"Our team combines a physician's approach to patient care with pharmaceutical safety and quality control to deliver best in class medical cannabis care," said Cornelius Merlini, chief executive officer of EHG. "We believe it is a duty to give back and will invest in making sure that as EHG succeeds, the communities where we operate thrive as well. We're honored to partner with the Laborers and to have such strong community support behind us. We look forward to delivering on that promise."

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has said it expects to award licenses for the medical marijuana program by the end of June 2017.

About Elemental Health Group: EHG's mission is to combine deep pharmaceutical experience, top physicians and medical cannabis experts to deliver compassionate patient care and produce the highest quality products. With an approach built on best practices and professionalism, they set the standard in Pennsylvania - from seed to symptom relief. To learn more, please visit www.ElementalHealthGroup.com.

About the Laborers' District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity: For over five decades, the Laborers' District Council of Metropolitan Philadelphia & Vicinity and Laborers Local Union #'s 57, 135, 332, and 413, have worked on behalf of more than 5,000 members to help to secure projects, promote the hiring of union workers, and meet the quality-of-life and quality-of-work needs of employees and employers in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. To learn more, please visit www.ldc-phila-vic.org/.

SOURCE Laborers District Council of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia and Vicinity

Related Links

http://www.ldc-phila-vic.org


GLENDALE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Wax & Wax recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of three employees - Miyera (Office Manager/Legal Assistant), Josie (Transcriptionist and Interpreter), and Gordon (Office Administrator/IT Specialist). The Glendale workers' compensation law firm takes pride in the fact that they have long-term employees who are committed and dedicated to helping their clients obtain favorable results in their cases.

Recognized by their clients and peers, the Law Offices of Wax & Wax have earned some of the legal profession's most exceptional accolades, such as an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, and selection for inclusion in the listing of California's Super Lawyers. Attorney Alan J. Wax has been practicing law for more than 30 years and is the founder and first president of the Los Angeles Valley Applicants' Attorneys Association (LAVAAA).

Their Glendale office is located at 411 North Central Ave., Suite 520, Glendale, CA 91203. Their Santa Clarita Office is located in 27201 Tourney Rd, Valencia, CA 91355. If you are interested in experienced legal assistance for filing your workers' compensation claim, call the Law Offices of Wax & Wax at (818) 946-0608.

SOURCE Wax & Wax
PORTLAND, Ore., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Janrain, the company that pioneered the Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) category, today announced it was recognized as an Overall Leader in KuppingerCole's comprehensive Leadership Compass CIAM Platforms report. KuppingerCole is the leading European research firm specializing in Information Security, Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Digital Transformation. Citing Janrain's support for GDPR compliance and 50 different Internet of Things (IoT) applications, KuppingerCole senior analyst John Tolbert wrote, "Janrain is mature and scalable, and should be seriously considered by organizations that need HA (high availability) and comprehensive marketing analytics features."

In addition to naming Janrain an Overall Leader, KuppingerCole included Janrain as a Leader in the Overall Product, Overall Market, and Market/Product categories and gave the CIAM pioneer high marks for security, functionality, integration, interoperability, usability, innovativeness, market position and ecosystem. The firm also cited the following as special strengths Janrain brings to the CIAM market:

Large enterprise client base: This speaks to Janrain's global reach, scalability, and mission critical availability -- Janrain is the only CIAM provider deployed in over 65 countries by 2,100 clients managing more than 1.5 billion identities with 99.999% availability.

Fine-grained consent management: This fulfills GDPR's privacy and security requirements.

Excellent integration with social networks: This provides broad access to deep user data for comprehensive marketing analysis.

IoT integration via OAuth2 Device Flow: Janrain was the first to enter into the IoT space in 2011 to prepare organizations for the coming flood of IoT data and dramatic increase in security, privacy and scalability needs.

Privacy Shield certification: This ensures data protection compliance with transatlantic commerce requirements.

The report's recognition of Janrain's early facilitation of GDPR readiness has been a chief area of innovation for Janrain this past year. In April, Janrain became the first CIAM provider to be GDPR ready and, more recently, the first to provide Consent Lifecycle Management for GDPR. Janrain also launched a new GDPR Primer and Readiness Assessment to help clients get ready in anticipation of the new regulation. The company will be hosting a pan-European GDPR Workshop Series for digital marketers that will kick off this September in London, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam.

"The KuppingerCole report confirmed what more than 2,100 brands worldwide already knowthat the Janrain Identity Cloud enables Global 3000 enterprises to provide the most secure, GDPR-compliant, and scalable customer experiences available using CIAM as the backbone," said Jim Kaskade, CEO at Janrain. "We've been in the CIAM industry the longest of any of our peers and have a deep history of creating significant business impact through market leadership and product innovation."

Related Links

About Janrain

Founded in 2002, Janrain pioneered Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) and is widely recognized by industry analysts as a global CIAM leader. The Janrain Identity Cloud provides identity management, security and activation solutions that enable seamless and safe customer experiences across their digitally connected world, while providing enterprise organizations with deep customer insights. Janrain's identity capabilities include social and traditional login and registration, single sign-on, customer profile data storage and management, customer segments, customer insights and engagement solutions. The company powers brands like Pfizer, Samsung, Whole Foods, Fox News, Philips, McDonald's and Dr Pepper. Janrain is based in Portland, Oregon, with offices in London, Paris and Silicon Valley. For more information, please visit www.janrain.com and follow @janrain.

Media Contact:

Chris Blake

MSR Communications

Phone: 1-415-989-9000

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Janrain

Related Links

http://www.janrain.com


RESTON, Va., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos Cyber, Inc. today announced the availability of its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service that goes beyond traditional Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) or Incident Response (IR) services. MDR is a continuous, end-to-end service that detects malicious threats earlier, provides comprehensive analysis of intrusions, and delivers immediately actionable guidance for future prevention based on intelligence gained.

Every breach starts with a threat that went undiscovered. Finding threats can take security teams 6 months or more and minimizing the time to discover a given threat is critical. By deploying MDR, security teams can reduce the time to find threats to 0 days - detecting threats at the; delivery, exploit, install, or command and control stage instead of detecting a breach after its damaging "actions on objectives" has occurred.

MDR's strength of detection is achieved by two major components, visibility and human analysis.. We leverage technology, proven processes for analysis, and experienced cyber threat analysts to support our clients' network defense teams. Together we discover threats sooner and respond to incidents faster, resulting in smarter protection for your enterprise.

"Our clients will see improved security overall, reduce internal alert fatigue, minimize costly IR engagements, improve situational awareness and reduce business exposure," said Mark Sherman, Director - Managed Services, for Leidos. "All without the burden of managing new technology or hiring additional staff resulting in lower CapEx and OPEX expenditures."

Leidos's seasoned security analysts and NSA-accredited incident response teams provide deep expertise enabling them to identify and thwart the efforts of attackers targeting the enterprise. The MDR Service is supported by three key tiers of monitoring and detection technology: world-class endpoint, network monitoring, and log services providing our clients with accelerated detection and response to advanced threats. We leverage technology that the customer may already have deployed, and integrate it as part of the service delivery.

About Leidos

Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) 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


WATERTOWN, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its October announcement of plans to develop a Centralized Application Service (CAS) for graduate business programs in the US and internationally, Liaison International will launch BusinessCAS for graduate business and management programs at the 2017 GMAC Annual Conference. The leading admissions management provider will also host a pre-conference first glance at the new service on June 15 from 2-2:45pm ET.

"BusinessCAS offers a unique value because Liaison's approach to streamlining admissions is comprehensive," said Bob Alig, former executive vice president of GMAC and former director of MBA admissions and financial aid at The Wharton School. Alig is currently consulting with Liaison to convene an advisory board that will help guide development of the new CAS.

He continued: "Through BusinessCAS, we're driving program accessibility to benefit business education as a whole, while optimizing the experience for applicants and the admissions officers who connect with more candidates each year. As part of this initiative, BusinessCAS will offer processing and packaging capabilities as well as the ability to collect longitudinal data that offers strategic insight to members and graduate business educators worldwide."

Liaison has dedicated the last two decades to developing admissions solutions and services, customized by discipline, for over 35 professional associations and educational organizations. The organization is building upon their vast experience offering a user-friendly, streamlined application process and a single portal to discover all participating programs, which it will draw on for the the new CAS. BusinessCAS will expand access to programs, generating larger applicant pools while eliminating the burdens of manual processing tasks for admissions officers and staff.

"With less time required for administrative tasks and more opportunities presented to engage with prospective students, admissions officers can focus on identifying 'best-fit' students and building better classes at a lower cost," added George Haddad, founder and CEO of Liaison. "We're excited to bring our software and services to business schools in the US and abroad through BusinessCAS, which will help them realize the benefits our existing partners have seen over the last twenty years."

To learn more about how BusinessCAS will streamline business school admissions, attend Introducing: BusinessCAS, a free webinar on June 15 from 2-2:45pm ET, or visit Liaison at booth #40 during the 2017 GMAC Annual Conference, June 21-23 in San Francisco. You can also find additional information on the BusinessCAS .org website.

SOURCE Liaison
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithium Technologies today announced it has been named a leader by Forrester Research Inc. in "The Forrester Wave: Social Media Management Solutions, Q2 2017" report. Forrester's report says of Lithium, "Lithium Technologies offers a response-driven SMMS reminiscent of its heritage. Lithium's year-old SMMS is reflective of the vendor's community- and customer-support roots, as demonstrated by its strong response management and suggested response capabilities."

"Our goal is simple  help brands build amazing digital customer experiences," said Rob Tarkoff, Lithium president and CEO. "Our placement reinforces Lithium's leadership in social media management. This is just the beginning though, as our next wave of product enhancements and integrations are launching next week for marketers to get the most out of their investment. Watch this space  it's an exciting time to be at Lithium."

Vendors in the report were evaluated based on a number of criteria across three main categories: Current Offering, Strategy, and Market Presence. Lithium earned the highest or joint highest score among the companies Forrester invited to participate in the report in the following areas:

Response

Content

Partnerships

Pricing transparency

Target market

Revenue growth

Lithium was also included in Forrester's March 2017 "Vendor Landscape: Social Marketing Technology" report. This report speaks to Lithium's origins and strengths stating, "Many of today's social suites have grown out of solutions from providers that used to offer just one piece of the social technology pie. Origin is important because it offers a glimpse into the solutions' core strengths and needs for complementary capabilities. For example, Lithium Technologies, which offers a well-known community platform, recently released a complementary social content publishing tool."

The full "The Forrester Wave: Social Media Management Solutions, Q2 2017" report can be accessed here: https://www.lithium.com/forrester-wave-smm.

The full "Vendor Landscape: Social Marketing Technology" report can be accessed here: https://www.lithium.com/pages/forrester-vendor-landscape-social-marketing-technology.

About Lithium:

Lithium delivers awesome digital customer experiences at scale for the world's biggest brands including Airbnb, AT&T and Sephora.

Comprising Social Media Management and Communities, the Lithium engagement platform enables brands to manage multiple digital touchpoints, facilitate millions of conversations, and drive smarter decisions through data  connecting customers, content and conversations at the right digital moment.

Lithium has a massive digital footprint with approximately 480 million new digital interactions analyzed daily, 100 million monthly visitors across its Online Communities, and 850 million online profiles scored through Klout.

Learn more at www.lithium.com, join our community at community.lithium.com, or follow us on Twitter @LithiumTech. Lithium is a privately held company based in San Francisco.

The Lithium logo is a registered Service Mark of Lithium Technologies. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Lithium Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lithium.com


WILMINGTON, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Locus Robotics (www.locusrobotics.com), the award-winning autonomous warehouse robotics company, announced that the Company's chief marketing officer, Karen Leavitt, will be speaking at eft's 15th Annual North American 3PL & Supply Chain Summit, held from June 14-16th, 2017 at the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago, IL.

Ms. Leavitt, who brings more than thirty years of technology industry experience, will lead a session entitled, "Industry 4.0 and the Warehouse: What Happens After the Click?" In this informative session, she will discuss the "magic" of what happens after customers make a purchase online and how autonomous, collaborative robots are working alongside workers to deliver greater productivity and accuracy in each picking fulfillment to support the growing $350 billion e-commerce industry.

ABOUT LOCUS ROBOTICS

Locus Robotics transforms your productivity without transforming your warehouse. Locus's innovative, autonomous robots work collaboratively alongside workers, helping them pick 2x-5x faster, with near-100% accuracy, and less labor compared to traditional picking systems. This proven, powerful technology integrates easily into existing warehouse infrastructure without disrupting workflows. For more information visit www.locusrobotics.com.

ABOUT EFT'S 3PL AND SUPPLY CHAIN SUMMIT IN NORTH AMERICA

The 3PL and Supply Chain Summit is North America's largest senior-level gathering of logistics and supply chain executives. With over 700 senior supply chain and logistics executives in attendance and some of the world's best speakers, the forum is a can't miss event for supply chain leaders. For more information about the 3PL Summit, please visit: http://events.eft.com/3pl/.

SOURCE Locus Robotics

Related Links

http://www.locusrobotics.com


ATLANTA, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MacStadium.com, the Mac hosting authority and only provider of Mac Pro private cloud infrastructure-as-a-service ("IaaS") around the world, today announced that it has received a $3 million debt facility from Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world's most innovative companies and their investors. MacStadium recently raised a growth capital investment from Summit Partners and Noro-Moseley partners, and will use the financing for general corporate purposes.

Founded in 2012, MacStadium leverages its proprietary, patented platform and dedicated servers to provide hosted cloud solutions to iOS developers in more than 50 countries around the world. With operations in Atlanta, Georgia, Las Vegas, Nevada and Dublin, Ireland, the company serves more than 2,500 customers and has experienced three-year sales growth of 950% from 2013 to 2016.

Having access to efficient debt resources is a key component to support our consistently high growth rate.", said Gregory McGraw, CEO of MacStadium. "SVB's experience, creativity and great partnership with technology centric businesses is a critical part of our overall success. We continue to appreciate their product innovation and strong capital commitments to help us grow our business, year over year."

"MacStadium is a leader in on-demand cloud IaaS for Mac hosting and private cloud solutions for customers across the world," said Thomas Armstrong, director of Silicon Valley Bank in Atlanta. "We're excited to build upon our existing partnership with MacStadium to support the company as it continues to mature and expand globally."

About MacStadium

MacStadium is a leading provider of on-demand cloud IaaS, offering managed Mac hosting and private cloud solutions for individuals and organizations of all sizes. MacStadium is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with growing operations in Las Vegas, Nevada and Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at MacStadium.com

About Silicon Valley Bank

For more than 30 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com.

2017 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of FDIC and Federal Reserve System.

SOURCE MacStadium

Related Links

http://www.macstadium.com


Market debut on 2018 Chevrolet Traverse

Improved forward visibility with energy-efficient LEDs

Customized styling options

TROY, MI, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - To improve forward visibility for drivers and provide customized styling options for automakers, Magna introduces D-Optic LED headlamps. D-Optic lighting represents the next generation of LED headlamps and an auto-industry first by combining multiple high-power LEDs with precise, injection-molded lenses to achieve high performance with efficient energy use.

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is the first vehicle to feature Magnas D-Optic LED headlamps. (CNW Group/Magna International Inc.)

D-Optic lighting is unique for automotive applications because it is scalable and is custom-developed for a vehicle's specific shape and styling. LEDs and lenses can be added or subtracted to suit each unique design. The innovative headlamps make their market debut on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

"Automakers are looking for ways to differentiate vehicle styling and also incorporate the latest in performance and efficiency," said John O'Hara, President of Magna Closures and Mirrors. "Our lighting group is excited to launch D-Optic on the all-new Traverse after working closely with the vehicle team at Chevrolet to create a custom solution."

D-Optic lenses come in four unique prescriptions, each one dedicated to specific performance characteristics. This allows automakers to tailor overall lamp performance to their own preference, whether it is near-field spread or 'comfort light' or maximum range. Magna is able to combine D-Optics to achieve all performance goals.

A conventional headlamp optical system is a collection of multiple parts which require precision geometry and location, while the D-Optic lens consists of a single component. The high-temperature acrylic used in the D-Optic lens allows Magna to mold with the clarity required for a high-efficiency optical headlamp.

This precision lens is then closely coupled with a 1x1 LED at a distance of only 300 microns, about the size of the eye of a needle. This close pairing of lens with light source, combined with multiple LEDs formed into a specific light pattern, results in the optimal balance of performance with efficiency. Additionally, the 1x1 LEDs offer an advantage over other lamps in the market as they do not require active cooling.

D-Optic lighting provides energy efficiency benefits as well. LEDs are more efficient than other light sources, and they last longer. In general, the LED lights in D-Optic provide approximately 60 percent energy-consumption improvement compared to halogen and a 40 percent improvement compared to high-intensity discharge lights.

D-Optic was developed and is manufactured by Magna at its new automotive lighting facility in Plymouth, Mich. Approximately 300 employees work at the 140,000 square foot product development and manufacturing plant, which makes headlamps, tail lamps and other lighting products.

TAGS

Automotive lighting, headlamps, Chevrolet Traverse, D-Optic, industry first

ABOUT MAGNA

We are a leading global automotive supplier with 321 manufacturing operations and 102 product development, engineering and sales centres in 29 countries. We have over 159,000 employees focused on delivering superior value to our customers through innovative products and processes, and world class manufacturing. We have complete vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing expertise, as well as product capabilities which include body, chassis, exterior, seating, powertrain, active driver assistance, vision, closure and roof systems and have electronic and software capabilities across many of these areas. Our common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange (MGA). For further information about Magna, visit our website at www.magna.com.

THIS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN STATEMENTS WHICH CONSTITUTE "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION AND ARE SUBJECT TO, AND EXPRESSLY QUALIFIED BY, THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS THAT ARE SET OUT IN MAGNA'S REGULATORY FILINGS. PLEASE REFER TO MAGNA'S MOST CURRENT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL POSITION, ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM AND ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 40-F, AS REPLACED OR UPDATED BY ANY OF MAGNA'S SUBSEQUENT REGULATORY FILINGS, WHICH SET OUT THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS, INCLUDING THE RISK FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE INDICATED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ON MAGNA'S WEBSITE AT WWW.MAGNA.COM.

SOURCE Magna International Inc.

Related Links

http://www.magna.com


TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

TORONTO, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife will host an Investor Day in Hong Kong on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time (9 p.m. to 5 a.m. eastern time), and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Thursday, June 22 2017 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time (3 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. eastern time).

Manulife's senior management will present the Company's strategic direction with an emphasis on its Asia and Wealth & Asset Management businesses, customer centric focus and progress on digital innovation.

Among those scheduled to present are Manulife Chief Executive Officer Donald Guloien; President Roy Gori; Chief Financial Officer Steve Roder; Chief Operating Officer Linda Mantia; interim Asia General Manager Phil Witherington and Global Head of Wealth and Asset Management Kai Sotorp.

Interested parties may access the live webcast through Manulife.com/Events-Presentations. An archived version of the webcast audio will be available the day after the live event at the same location for six months.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate as John Hancock in the United States and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2016, we had approximately 35,000 employees, 70,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving more than 22 million customers. As of March 31, 2017, we had $1 trillion (US$754 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made almost $26.3 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

Related Links

http://www.manulife.com


SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Matheson Flight Extenders, Inc. (MFE) announced today that is has been awarded Rochester, NY, as the designated provider of airport terminal handling services (THS) by the United States Postal Service.

MFE offers specialized hauling, time sensitive material handling and transportation, as well as underwing operations and THS at 27 airports in 22 states nationwide.

"Successfully bidding and being awarded the Rochester site solidifies our growth and provides a basis for future opportunities," said Charles Mellor, chief operating officer. "It also represents evidence of our commitment to provide a superior level of service and support to USPS based on our track record in other U.S. Postal Service contract areas."

Mellor said Matheson's management team in Sacramento continues to aggressively look for expansion opportunities in all of its existing entities as well as at other U.S. airport locations.

The Rochester award was issued on May 18, 2017 and covers a five-year base period starting in June. It includes an option to extend this agreement for a single, two-year period through 2024 at USPS discretion. The same terms apply to the following awards.

On September 28, 2016, the company also received USPS awards for six new metropolitan area airports, including Charlotte, NC; Hartford, CT; Kansas City, MO; Oakland, CA; Raleigh, NC, and Richmond, VA. These locations bring Matheson's new market acquisition total to seven in the past 10 months, representing 26% growth in less than a year.

In last September's USPS announcement, the company also received USPS market renewal awards for its THS operations in Anchorage, AK; Las Vegas, NV; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR, and Sacramento, CA, according to Julie Taylor-Perdun, director of contracting at Matheson.

Tim Noel, director of flight operations, said: "We're excited about being in Upstate New York. Our THS operation in the Greater Rochester International Airport enables us to demonstrate our ability to cope with large volumes of mail between major cities in one of the most populous states of the country. We expect to be fully staffed and up and running in Rochester by our start date on June 26."

The Rochester THS location will handle USPS mail in the immediate area as well as to and from Syracuse and Buffalo. It joins another Matheson THS operation in Hartford, CT, increasing the company's presence in New England.

About Matheson, Inc.

Matheson is a privately-held, family owned and operated company with headquarters in Sacramento, California. The company traces its roots to 1962 when Robert and Carole Matheson founded R. B. Matheson Trucking, Inc. in Clayton, California. Today the firm manages a fleet of tractors, trailers, and aircraft ground support equipment, as well as maintenance facilities throughout the U.S. The company is a diversified national transportation carrier proudly serving the United States Postal Service (USPS) since 1964. Matheson offers specialized hauling, time sensitive material handling and transportation, underwing airport operations, and terminal handling services (THS). As a business partner of the USPS, Matheson is committed to the belief that service must be reliable and convenient, and must improve continuously. The company takes pride in the fact that its service is consistently at or above the 99% performance level.

SOURCE Matheson, Inc.
TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Mattamy Group Corporation ("Mattamy"), North America's largest privately owned homebuilder, today announced that it has entered into a new three-year, $300 million senior unsecured credit facility with Bank of America, N.A. The facility was used to refinance the Company's prior $285 million senior secured credit facility.

"The additional liquidity from our expanded facility provides us with the capacity to continue delivering on our growth initiatives," stated Bill Tofflemire, Chief Financial Officer. "We were especially pleased to establish this facility on an unsecured basis while maintaining very attractive terms to Mattamy. We appreciate the continued support of our bank partners and their confidence in our strategic plan."

About Mattamy Homes

Mattamy Homes is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, with operations across the United States and Canada. Mattamy has sold 90,000 homes in hundreds of communities. In the United States, the company is represented in nine metropolitan areas Charlotte, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida  and in Canada, those communities stretch across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. Visit www.mattamyhomes.com for more information.

SOURCE Mattamy Homes Limited

Related Links

http://www.mattamyhomes.com/


WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the entire nation Aug. 21. Representatives from NASA, other federal agencies, and science organizations, will provide important viewing safety, travel and science information during two briefings at the Newseum in Washington starting at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, June 21.

The event will air live on NASA Television and stream on the agency's website.

Over the course of 100 minutes, 14 states across the United States will experience more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. Additionally, a partial eclipse will be viewable across all of North America. The eclipse will provide a unique opportunity to study the sun, Earth, moon and their interaction because of the eclipse's long path over land coast to coast. Scientists will be able to take ground-based and airborne observations over a period of an hour and a half to complement the wealth of data and images provided by space assets.

The June 21 briefings are:

Logistics Briefing: 1 to 2 p.m.

Thomas Zurbuchen , associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington

, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Vanessa Griffin , director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Satellite and Product Operations in Suitland, Maryland

, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Satellite and Product Operations in Brian Carlstrom , deputy associate director of Natural Resource Stewardship and Science at the National Park Service in Washington

, deputy associate director of Natural Resource Stewardship and Science at the National Park Service in Martin Knopp , associate administrator of the Office of Operations in the Federal Highway Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington

Science Briefing: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Thomas Zurbuchen

Angela Des Jardins , principal investigator of the Eclipse Ballooning Project at Montana State University, Bozeman

, principal investigator of the Eclipse Ballooning Project at Angela Speck , professor of astrophysics and director of astronomy at the University of Missouri, Columbia

, professor of astrophysics and director of astronomy at the Dave Boboltz , program director of solar physics in the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia

, program director of solar physics in the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation in Linda Shore , executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco

, executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in Matt Penn , astronomer at the National Solar Observatory in Tucson, Arizona

The panels will take questions from media participating in person and by phone. Reporters participating via telephone must send an email providing their name, affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at [email protected] by noon June 21. The public also can ask questions via social media during the briefings using #eclipse2017.

The briefings will be held in the Knight Studio at the Newseum, located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Space is limited. Media planning on attending must RSVP no later than 9 a.m. June 21 with Andrew Schurr at 202-358-0690 or [email protected] and provide their media affiliation.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:

www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information on the eclipse, and how to safely view it, visit:

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov

https://www.nasa.gov/eclipse

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercer Advisors Inc. ("Mercer Advisors"), a leading national Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm based in Santa Barbara, today announced the appointment of experienced wealth management executive Dave Welling as Chief Executive Officer as part of a planned leadership transition. Mr. Welling succeeds David Barton, who will transition to Vice Chairman and lead the company's M&A efforts going forward.

Tony Salewski, a member of Mercer's Board of Directors and Managing Director of Genstar Capital, which acquired Mercer in 2015, said, "Mercer continues to be one of the fastest growing RIA's, and we are pleased to announce this leadership transition at a time of the company's ongoing expansion. Dave Welling is an experienced leader in both the wealth management and financial technology space, and he brings a unique set of capabilities to lead the next chapter of Mercer's growth. Dave Barton has done an incredible job of building the business over the past decade, and we look forward to our continued partnership in his new role as Vice Chairman."

Commenting on his new position, Mr. Welling stated, "I am thrilled to join Mercer and to build on the firm's stellar reputation for serving clients. Mercer is one of the country's leading RIA's, and I am excited to be working with Genstar and the Mercer team to fulfill our vision for the company's future. I look forward to Dave's active leadership of our M&A efforts that will expand our comprehensive wealth management offering and our ability to serve clients."

Dave Barton, who has served as CEO of Mercer since 2008, will in his role as Vice Chairman lead the company's M&A activity. "After a successful nine year run as CEO of Mercer Advisors, I have decided to step down as CEO and reduce my responsibilities and role at Mercer. I will now focus my time and attention supporting our new CEO and spearheading mergers and acquisitions for the Company as Vice Chairman. Dave's public company experience and his expertise in technology and digital enterprise solutions will allow Mercer to continue to expand its investment services and digital experiences for clients."

Mercer has completed six acquisitions over the past 16 months. Mercer's assets under management are now $10.3 billion, with 6,400 clients nationwide.

Since 2016, Mr. Welling has served as Co-General Manager of SS&C Advent, a division of SS&C Technologies. In addition to his leadership of the overall Advent business he was also responsible for the Advisory Market Unit, focused on serving close to 3,000 clients who operate as advisors, wealth managers, and high-net-worth asset managers. Mr. Welling joined SS&C in 2015 when the company acquired Advent Software. He joined Advent Software in 2011 when Black Diamond, where he was serving as CEO, was acquired by Advent. Prior to Advent and Black Diamond, he worked with Charles Schwab in various leadership roles in their advisor custody and 401k businesses. He brings with him 20 years of experience working with the industry's largest and fastest growing advisory firms. He holds a BA in Economics from Middlebury College and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Mercer Advisors

Established in 1985, Mercer Advisors Inc. is a total wealth management firm that provides comprehensive, fee-only investment management, financial planning, family office services, retirement benefits and distribution planning, estate and tax planning, asset protection expertise, and corporate trustee and trust administration services. Mercer Advisors is the parent company of Mercer Global Advisors, one of the largest Registered Investment Advisors and financial planning firms in the U.S. with $10.3 billion in assets under management and more than 6,400 clients. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Mercer Advisors is privately held, has over 200 employees, and operates nationally through 23 branch offices across the country. For more information, visit www.merceradvisors.com.

Data as of June 9, 2017. Includes AUM, client, and personnel statistics from Kanaly Trust, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercer Advisors.

Contact: Chris Tofalli

Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC

914-834-4334

SOURCE Mercer Advisors

Related Links

http://www.merceradvisors.com


ZUG, Switzerland, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Monaco Technology GMBH, the company behind the revolutionary Monaco Card and App, has received $2M worth of Ethereum from a single ICO investor in an effort to secure its prized #001 Black Card. The limited edition cryptocurrency card is the first in a series of 499, reserved for the biggest crowdsale contributors. Card #001 comes with a bonus of 188,888 Monaco tokens [MCO] worth $566,664 USD at the time of writing.

Limited Edition Monaco Black Card

Kris Marszalek, Founder of Monaco Technology, commented: "The Monaco crowd sale continues to go from strength to strength, hitting new milestones all the time. We are particularly excited about the fact that Monaco Black Card #001 has reached $2m, it's a fantastic endorsement and a proof that we've built a product that resonates with the community."

Since it launched on May 18th, the Monaco ICO has seen over 50,000 ETH contributed from 5,500 participants in support of the payments startup. The total raise now stands at $20m USD with the largest single investor giving 5,005 ETH (~$2,000,000) to secure Black Card #001.

Mr. Marszalek continued: "We've created the Limited Edition Monaco Black Card to acknowledge and reward our early supporters. It's an exclusive metal card with benefits including lifetime perfect interbank exchange rates and high free ATM withdrawal limits."

Cards numbered 001 to 999 will be issued to participants of the ICO. Black Cards numbered from 001 to 499 will be assigned to Top ETH Token Contributors. Black Cards numbered from 500 to 999 will be assigned to the fastest contributors, based on the time stamp of their ETH contribution. The Black Card Leaderboard is available at Mona.co and will update automatically in real-time during the ICO.

The Token Sale continues until June 18th, 2017 at 10:00 UTC.

To find our more about Monaco please visit: www.Mona.co

To participate in the ICO, please visit: www.Mona.co

White paper download: www.Mona.co/whitepaper

To join our Slack channel: slack.Mona.co

LEAD ADVISOR:

TokenMarket: www.TokenMarket.net

SOURCE Monaco Technology GMBH

Related Links

http://www.Mona.co


TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After 14 years of fighting for a client raped and impregnated while in the care of a state-run group home, leading plaintiffs' firm Morgan & Morgan PA announces the client has finally gotten some justice for what she has had to endure. Recently, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law providing the Orlando woman about $1 million in relief.

Morgan & Morgan attorney Alexander Clem represented the client, a woman suffering from epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation, who was raped and impregnated in 2002 while in the care of the Strong Group Home in Orlando. The attack was perpetrated by the home's co-owner, Phillip Strong.

"For 14 years, we were the only ones fighting for our client, J.D.S., who was the victim of a broken system that allowed a predator to put her through unspeakable trauma," attorney Alexander Clem said. "J.D.S. has profound developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy and autism. She cannot speak or defend herself against sexual abuse. The criminal justice system refused to prosecute the man who raped her. Her only potential for justice was with our firm and the civil justice system."

"In the end, we are pleased that she is finally getting some relief after all of this time, and hope that our leaders will do everything they can to fix a system that allows the most vulnerable in our state to be preyed upon," Clem said.

A Long but Worthwhile Fight

Morgan & Morgan attorney Clem's work in court paved the way for this bill to be introduced and signed into law this month, finally resolving a years-long legal battle to obtain justice for a woman who had been in group homes since she was four years old.

Clem helped obtain a $1.15 million settlement with the state in 2012. However, in order for the victim to receive the money awarded to her, the Florida government had to sign off on it, as the settlement exceeded $200,000. And this month, that bill was finally passed.

In Florida, when a party sues a state agency like the Dept. for Children and Families that oversaw J.D.S., before any compensation can be collected, that party has to prevail on the underlying case just like any civil case; and, then, the party must file and pursue a "claims bill" in the Florida Legislature, passing both chambers before getting the Governor's approval.

Morgan & Morgan had been awaiting legislative action for five years, during which time political machinations upheld a final resolution of J.D.S.'s case. Republican state Rep. Scott Plakon and Republican state Sen. David Simmons were the bill sponsors this year.

Today, J.D.S. is in her mid-30s, lives in a different group home in Orlando and is doing well. The caregivers are only women, in an all-female group home.

The net proceeds will be used according to a care plan overseen by professionals who work with the developmentally disabled. The payout will allow for substantial enhancement of the services she is already receiving from the state. Clem's goal, he said, is to make sure that her quality of life is improved. This isn't about the firm getting a big payday.

"I am humbly and truly honored to have had the opportunity to represent her in this matter," Clem said. "In our profession, one lawyer can stand up for one person and get justice. Now that is gratifying."

The case is captioned as Jane Pronovost, as plenary guardian of J.D.S., an incapacitated person, v. State of Florida et al, case number 06-CA-955 (DIVISION 40), in the Circuit Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit, in and for Orange County, Florida.

ABOUT MORGAN & MORGAN

Morgan & Morgan, a national plaintiff's law firm fighting for the people, not the powerful, has recovered more than $4 billion for more than 200,000 clients. The firm has more than 300 attorneys in 39 offices in 10 states. With the support of nearly 2,000 employees, the firm's attorneys represent clients in a wide range of practice areas  from personal injury, workers' compensation, and medical malpractice cases to labor and employment, mesothelioma, and product liability lawsuits to national mass torts and class actions.

For more information, contact:

Alexander Clem

[email protected]

407-420-3982

Or

Karine Lim / Erika Nedwell

Morgan & Morgan, P.A

[email protected] / [email protected]

212-738-6265 / 212-738-6254

SOURCE Morgan & Morgan

Related Links

https://www.forthepeople.com/


IRVINE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudvirgaSM, developer of next-generation loan officer and direct-to-consumer point-of-sale (POS) systems, has named Michael Schreck its chief executive officer. He succeeds cloudvirga co-founder Bill Dallas, who will continue as chairman of cloudvirga's board of directors.

Schreck joins cloudvirga on the heels of a successful Series B funding round that netted the company $15 million led by Blackstone Group portfolio company Incenter (joining previous investors Upfront Ventures and Dallas Capital). He brings a deep understanding of the digital mortgage space and two decades of experience nurturing leading tech firms as a CEO, venture capitalist and co-founder.

"The mortgage industry has been waiting for decades for a modern, automated and intelligent software platform that drives down costs while improving compliance," said Schreck. "That software is finally here with cloudvirga, built inside a top originator and now in flight at eight of the country's top 40 non-bank originators. Our customers, whether retail or call center, now have a compelling answer to Rocket Mortgage and a proven path to reducing their costs."

Cloudvirga re-engineers the mortgage workflow to give consumers greater control over the loan application process and accelerate the mortgage sales funnel for loan officers. The company's digital mortgage technology delivers underwriter-ready loan applications with unmatched speed and quality, resulting in massively reduced costs to produce.

"Michael embodies the entrepreneurial mindset and enterprise expertise that will define the next phase of cloudvirga's growth," said Dallas. "His record of success leading top-caliber companies and attracting heavyweight global talent will benefit cloudvirga tremendously as the company continues to accelerate."

For 20 years, Schreck has built and led pioneering companies whose innovative technologies enable the world's leading brands to better engage with their customers. He most recently served as managing director of Altisource Labs, an innovation center within mortgage software provider Altisource Portfolio Solutions. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing more than 1,000 employees across four next-generation software and analytics companies, including leading software-as-a-service providers Equator and Mortgage Builder.

Schreck previously held CEO positions at digital publishing firm Zmags and government service provider Corrective Solutions. He also co-founded General Catalyst Partners, a multi-billion-dollar venture capital firm where Schreck helped develop successful startups including Upromise, SmartBargains, m-Qube and CoreMetrics. Collectively, these companies were acquired for over $1 billion by SLM, GSI Commerce, VeriSign and IBM, respectively.

Schreck started his career as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company and Monitor Company. He holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.

About cloudvirgaSM

Cloudvirga's next-generation loan officer and direct-to-consumer point-of-sale (POS) systems re-imagine the digital mortgage process by leveraging data and automation to address back-office compliance tasks earlier in the loan process, radically cutting overall loan costs, increasing transparency and reducing the time it takes to close a loan for both borrowers and lenders. Founded by top fintech veterans with a proven track record of building mortgage-related technologies, cloudvirga is committed to delivering software that reinvents the mortgage process for lenders and borrowers. Cloudvirga's initial customer roster includes eight of the top 40 non-bank mortgage originators in the United States.

For more information, visit http://www.cloudvirga.com/ or follow cloudvirga on LinkedIn.

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0613s2p-Schreck-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE cloudvirga

Related Links

http://www.cloudvirga.com


Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) conducted a unique linkage of more than 18,500 electronic health records (EHR) of children born from 1987 through 1997 and New Jersey driver licensing and crash data to determine the associations between ADHD, licensure, and crash involvement. Of the 18,500 records, nearly 2,500 patients were diagnosed with ADHD. Researchers also examined whether these associations varied by factors such as gender and licensing age and found crash risk persists during the initial driving years, regardless of gender or age when licensed.

"Our results indicate that newly licensed adolescents with ADHD have a greater risk of crashing than other young drivers, but that this is a manageable risk," says the study's principal investigator Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH, a senior scientist at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at CHOP. "Our findings point to the need to develop evidence-based training and education for adolescents with ADHD who want to drive."

Recent studies have emphasized the potential importance of medication in reducing crash risk for individuals with ADHD. However, based on EHR data, CHOP researchers found only 12 percent of the drivers with ADHD were prescribed medication in the 30 days before getting licensed.

"We were surprised to find so few drivers in the study with an active prescription from CHOP doctors for an ADHD medication," says the study co-author Thomas J. Power, PhD, ABPP, director of the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP. "Although research indicates that medication likely reduces crash risk, the treatment can only be effective if teens are using it when driving."

Adolescents with ADHD may have characteristics that place them at a higher risk for unsafe driving behaviors, such as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and emotional regulation difficulties. Researchers say their findings point to the need for further research to help understand how ADHD affects teens' crash risk. With this knowledge, tailored clinical, educational, and training programs can then be developed to manage that risk.

Until then, the research team recommends that caregivers of teens with ADHD who are considering driving schedule a doctor's appointment to address concerns, such as attention, impulse control, or communication issues. They may also want to seek the advice of a behavior therapist, an occupational therapist who specializes in driving, or a driver rehabilitation specialist who has training in working with individuals with special needs.

Dr. Curry and her colleagues, who are part of CHOP's Teen Driver Safety Research team, are currently conducting rigorous research on adolescents with developmental disabilities. Funding for this study was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The views and recommendations in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the NIH.

Resources for parents and professionals to support teens with ADHD can be accessed on the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP website and on the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists website.

The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP has tools that can help guide families through the learning-to-drive process, including the TeenDrivingPlan Parent Guide, on the teendriversource.org website.

Allison E. Curry, PhD; Kristina B. Metzger, PhD; Melissa R. Pfeiffer, MPH; Michael R. Elliott, PhD; Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD; Thomas J. Power, PhD. "Motor Vehicle Crash Risk Among Adolescents and Young Adults with ADHD,"JAMA Pediatrics. Published online June 12, 2017.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu

Contact:

Camillia Travia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Office: (267) 426-6251

Cell: (425) 492-5007

[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Related Links

http://www.chop.edu


Brand reflects on five decades of innovative products keeping people dry and safe

in and around the water

BURNABY, BC, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Mustang Survival, the North American brand known for innovative solutions for the most demanding marine environments, celebrates fifty years of keeping people dry and safe in and around the water. From humble beginnings that focused on Pacific Northwest mariners, Mustang Survival has grown to a brand now used by military teams, water rescue professionals, and recreational users around the world. Synonymous with safety, Mustang Survival gear is made for the experts who save lives for a living but has been made accessible for the everyday water enthusiast. Not a brand to rest on its laurels, Mustang Survival is focused on entering new markets and bringing five decades of innovation and know-how to its pioneering new gear.

"As a brand, we want to pay homage to the amazing work the team has accomplished in the past half century. Mustang Survival serves customers and consumers who truly rely on our products to not only do their job safely, but to assist them in keeping the public safe as well," states Jason Leggatt, Mustang Survival's general manager. "The fifty years of knowledge we've accumulated has positioned the brand as the point of authority in float and dry, and we will bring even more innovative technical solutions to market over the next fifty years. We're just getting started."

Established in 1967 on the invention of the Floater Coat by founder Irv Davies, Mustang Survival's factory was located in the historic Gastown district of Vancouver, BC, Canada. In 1977, the company further advanced flotation and hypothermia performance with the introduction of the ThermoFloat Coat and its patented "beavertail" design. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Mustang Survival continued its growth and officially expanded into the U.S. and international markets.

"With seven employees, Irv Davies and his son, Dwight, started the Mustang Survival company with just three sewing machines at the original factory in Gastown. We have remained committed to the Vancouver, BC, community and now we have 230 total employees, and a dedicated office and manufacturing space in Burnaby," states Jason Leggatt. "Sustaining a presence in BC means we're a strong contributor to the local economy but it has also provided the brand a unique opportunity to have R&D, design and manufacturing all in one place, enabling purposeful-design."

20 years ago Mustang Survival entered the inflatable PFD (personal flotation device) market and very quickly became one of the most well-known names in the industry. Today, Mustang Survival's PFDs can be found on the boats of both Coast Guard teams and family pontoons  and every boat in between. Having pioneered the standards for inflatable life jackets, Mustang Survival has been awarded multiple military contracts for special operations requirements, and last year launched the award-winning EP Ocean Racing Collection.

With international distribution and recognition, and diverse gear that speaks to multiple categories, Mustang Survival receives survival stories and thank you messages from around the world. These "SAVES" stories are shared internally and provide continuous inspiration to the next generation of Mustang Survival associates to innovate and manufacture the best possible equipment, push boundaries, and to further enhance user experience on, and around, the water.

For more information, visit www.mustangsurvival.com.

About Mustang Survival

Through constant innovation and inspired technical solutions, Mustang Survival strives to bolster performance, encourage exploration and inspire adventure in the marine environment. We are committed to the protection and enhancement of those who push themselves to extremes. Mustang Survival is part of The Safariland Group family of brands. For more information, visit www.mustangsurvival.com.

Mustang Survival. Saving lives since 1967.

About The Safariland Group

The Safariland Group is a leading global provider of a broad range of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets. The Safariland Group offers a number of recognized brand names in these markets including Safariland, Med-Eng, ABA, Second Chance, VIEVU, Mustang Survival, Bianchi, Break Free, Protech Tactical, Defense Technology, Hatch, Monadnock, Identicator and NIK. The Safariland Group's mission, "Together, We Save Lives", is inherent in the lifesaving and protective products it delivers. The Safariland Group is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The Safariland Group is a trade name of Safariland, LLC.

For more information about The Safariland Group and these products, please visit www.safariland.com.

For further information, please contact:

Mustang Survival

Josh Horoshok

Director, Marketing

Ph. 1.604.270.8631

[email protected]

Bethany Mousseau

Momentum Media PR

Ph. 1.781.801.9663

[email protected]

SOURCE Mustang Survival
LISLE, Ill., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army recently awarded Navistar Defense, LLC a foreign military sales contract valued at $18.8 million to provide 115 International 7000-MV Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTV) to Iraq.

Navistar Defense MTVs are based on the highly multipurpose International WorkStar severe-duty platform designed for both off and on-road operation, and is the backbone for the company's MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.

"Since 2004, Navistar Defense has delivered nearly 7,000 trucks and buses to Iraq through foreign military sales contracts," said Kevin Thomas, president of Navistar Defense. "As a proven partner, we're proud to supply the Iraq Army with a highly versatile and easy-to-maintain 7000-series tactical military support truck that offers greater efficiencies in support, spare parts, training, and operations."

The majority of the work will take place at the company's West Point, Mississippi assembly plant. Delivery is planned to be completed in January 2018.

This equipment is being used by Iraqi security forces in the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense. Navistar Defense's dealer in Iraq, Hama, provides parts and service support to Navistar vehicles in Iraq and the region.

About Navistar

Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International brand commercial and military trucks, proprietary diesel engines, and IC Bus brand school and commercial buses. An affiliate also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com.

SOURCE Navistar Defense, LLC

Related Links

http://www.Navistar.com


GOLDEN, Colo., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmaJet Inc., the maker of needle-free injection technology, announced today that ONdrugDelivery published their study, entitled Needle-free Injection in Workplace Influenza Clinics, in its May issue.

Influenza is one of the most preventable infectious diseases, and company-hosted flu clinics are an effective way to make getting a flu shot easy and convenient for employees. Despite the benefits of vaccination, only about 20% of healthy working adults aged 18-49 years receive an annual flu shot1. According to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the annual costs associated with sick days and lost productivity are approximately $7 billion1,2. Based on these numbers, it is clear there is an unmet need for increasing vaccination rates in the workplace.

Last flu season, the PharmaJet Stratis Needle-free Injection System was used in multiple workplace influenza clinics, including BP Oil, Cargill, Denver International Airport, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, Terumo BCT, TriNet and Xerox. Surveys were completed by patients, caregivers, and event coordinators to get feedback on their experience with the needle-free device, and its impact on immunization rates. Over 90% of patients and healthcare providers were satisfied with the needle-free shot3. Additionally, 33% of providers thought having a needle-free option would increase immunization coverage in their workplace immunization programs3.

"Our experience last flu season is consistent with previous patient and provider surveys. Offering our needle-free technology as an option in workplace flu clinics can be beneficial to employee health while improving organization productivity," said Ron Lowy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PharmaJet Inc. "We look forward to expanding the availability of needle-free in workplace immunization clinics this Fall."

Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website, "Frequently Asked Flu Questions 2016-2017 Influenza Season". Accessed October 2016. (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2016-2017.htm) 2 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website, "National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Activities: Surveillance Tracking Influenza Cases and Preventive Measures". Accessed 2017. (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flu/surveillance.html) 3 Doc. #61-10294, Third Party Review Influenza Clinic Surveys". Internal PharmaJet Document, 2017.

About PharmaJet

Based in Golden, Colorado, PharmaJet's innovative Stratis Injector is safe, fast and easy-to-use and has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Visit www.pharmajet.com.

CONTACT:

Nancy Lillie

[email protected]

1-888-900-4321 Option 3

SOURCE PharmaJet

Related Links

http://www.PharmaJet.com


"We are looking to hire candidates on the spot if they meet the necessary requirements of a quality candidate as assessed by the on-site recruiters and hiring managers," said Susan Avelluto, head of talent for Farmers Insurance. "Farmers  offers excellent career opportunities, along with competitive benefits, which include medical, dental, 401(k), vision, life insurance, wellness programs and more."

The insurer group opened a new 150,000 square-foot facility in North Phoenix to help accommodate its growing presence in the area. Farmers currently has more than 800 employees in Arizona, primarily in claims and service operations.

"We are excited to expand upon our existing workforce in the Phoenix area to continue to offer our customers across the country a truly differentiated customer experience," said Avelluto.

Farmers began operating in Arizona in 1929, and is currently the second largest insurer of homes and automobiles in the state with more than 670,000 policies in force.

As highlighted by the organization in 2016 when construction of the new facility was announced, staffing for new jobs will likely triple the number of Farmers positions in the Phoenix area by 2018. The new Farmers building will be used by the organization to provide operational support for its customers and agents across the country.

In addition to expanding its employee presence in the area, Farmers is also looking to increase the number of agency owners  local entrepreneurs who provide sales and customer support as independent small business owners  across the state. Those looking to explore agency ownership opportunities are urged to attend the hiring fair on June 15. To learn more about how to become a Farmers Insurance agency owner visit https://www.farmers.com/become-an-insurance-agent/.

About Farmers Insurance

"Farmers Insurance" and "Farmers" are trade names for a group of affiliated insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services and products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with over 19 million individual policies, across all 50 states, through the efforts of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 21,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange, the largest of the three primary insurance insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2015 Fortune 500 list. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

Contacts: Trevor Chapman

Farmers Insurance

805-404-8417

[email protected]

SOURCE Farmers Insurance

Related Links

http://www.farmers.com


SALT LAKE CITY, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whenever USANA develops a new product, they take every measure to ensure that product will be free of impurities and contain all the necessary ingredients to make it a safe and effective product. USANA MagneCal D was no exception. USANA MagneCal D was launched this past March and is an all-encompassing bone-health supplement that combines optimal amounts of magnesium, calcium and vitamin D to help individuals maintain a strong, healthy body.*

To learn more about the USANA MagneCal D supplement, please visit usana.com.

"USANA MagneCal D is our newest product, and having it immediately be given a seal of approval is a great accomplishment," said Dan Macuga, USANA's chief marketing and communications officer. "So many different teams at USANA worked very hard in creating a unique and effective magnesium supplement. We are happy to add it to our growing list of tested and approved products."

ConsumerLab.com is an independent tester of the quality, purity and label accuracy of health and wellness products, putting each item through strict testing. To be awarded a seal of approval from ConsumerLab.com, USANA MagneCal D had to contain 100 percent of the claimed amount of magnesium, did not exceed contamination for lead, cadmium and arsenic, and disintegrate within the appropriate amount of time.

"We found people were consuming plenty of calcium, but were getting less than the recommended amounts of magnesium and vitamin D. This gave us the unique opportunity to formulate a supplement to help balance out the body's levels," said Dr. John Cuomo, USANA's executive director of global research and development. "We're excited to give consumers a healthy combination of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D to not only maintain strong, healthy bones and teeth, but also support cardiovascular and metabolic health."*

Along with MagneCal D, several other USANA supplements have been recently certified by ConsumerLab.com, including Vitamin D, CoQuinone 30, BiOmega, Procosa, Visionex, Pure Rest, USANA Probiotic, and Body Rox.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About USANA

USANA, The Cellular Nutrition Company (NYSE: USNA), is a U.S.-based nutritional company founded in 1992 that manufactures high-quality supplements, personal care and healthy products in its state-of-the-art facility in Salt Lake City. Learn more about USANA by visiting our website http://www.usana.com or the official USANA blog http://whatsupusana.com.

Media Contact: Ashley Collins

Vice President of Marketing & PR

(801) 954-7629

media(at)us.usana(dot)com

SOURCE USANA

Related Links

http://www.usana.com


SAN DIEGO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NoteVault, the leader in construction innovation and technology, today announced their most recent accolade from Construction Executive Magazine as a top company in the construction industry helping businesses increase ROI. This is the third major award NoteVault has won this year including being named as the Expert's Choice for Most Innovative Product at World of Concrete in March.

Construction Executive Magazine Top 25 Companies Making Construction Companies Productive and Profitable

"Productivity and profitability are top priorities for any construction company and NoteVault's team is excited to receive such recognition from the editors at Construction Executive Magazine," said Peter Lasensky, founder and CEO for NoteVault. "Seeing our clients succeed and grow their business is the ultimate reward and this year we are seeing the media recognize the value of having simple and powerful software tools like NoteVault available for teams of all sizes."

The magazine recognizes the top 25 companies that are transforming the way the construction industry does business from bids, design changes and billings, to real-time project management, accounting and enterprise resource planning. Specifically, the editors highlighted that, "NoteVault converts your team's audio notes into customizable and actionable daily reports, saving countless hours on the jobsite. Stay on top of delays, progress and incidents with powerful keyword alerts and group messaging."

Visit notevault.com to learn more and sign up for a free trial. Download the apps here: Apple  Android.

About NoteVault

NoteVault provides patented, voice-driven mobile reporting solutions and a powerful data aggregation platform for the architectural, engineering and construction industries. Enabling teams to quickly and easily report project activity from the field using nothing but their voice and their mobile phone. This information is transcribed and made available through email or a web-based interface. NoteVault saves contractors time and money while protecting against potential lawsuits. Recently, NoteVault was named 2017 Expert's Choice for Most Innovative Product, technology at top construction conference, World of Concrete. For more information, please visit notevault.com.

Links:

Website: http://www.notevault.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/notevault

Facebook: https://facebook.com/Notevault/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoteVault

Download our Notes! and Crew! apps: Apple  Android.

CONTACT:

Heather Dueitt

NoteVault

[email protected]

917.421.2054

SOURCE NoteVault

Related Links

http://notevault.com


BOSTON, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Oath Craft Pizza, the fast-casual pizza restaurant with its proprietary pizza crust and sustainably sourced toppings, has raised $7M in a series B funding round led by Boston-based venture capital firm Breakaway Ventures. With this funding, the pizza restaurant has raised a total of $16M since its inception in 2015.

The most recent funding news comes as Oath Craft Pizza announces plans to expand on the East Coast with the opening of additional locations in 2017, including their first restaurant outside of the Boston area, which will open later this fall in the D.C. area., inside the Mosaic District, an upscale shopping and dining complex in Fairfax County, VA.

Oath Craft Pizza's next Boston area restaurant opening later this summer will be located in the Central Square neighborhood in Cambridge near MIT's campus [181 Massachusetts Avenue]. The Central Square restaurant marks their sixth location, joining four existing Boston area restaurants as well as the original location in Nantucket.

This fall, Oath Craft Pizza will also open a new restaurant in the heart of the Fenway neighborhood of Boston [1350 Boylston]. 1350 Boylston is Skanska USA's second luxury residential tower in Boston. Once completed in fall 2017, 1350 Boylston will be a 17-story, 183,000 square foot building with 212 apartments, robust amenities, and approximately 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The company selected these locations to meet the growing demand from people living, studying and working in these neighborhoods who are looking for unique better tasting and more healthful food options. Beyond these three new locations, the company has plans to continue its growth throughout Boston and around the East Coast with possible additional shops opening within the next year, and is also moving into a larger new office space in the Sears Crescent Building, a historic brick-and-beam office located on Boston's City Hall Plaza, this August.

Founded in November 2015 with a small shop in Nantucket and a trade secret pizza crust recipe, Oath Craft Pizza has gained a following in the region for its proprietary crispy thin crust pizzas made with 100% pure grain North Dakota Mills Flour that are grilled and seared in pure avocado oil, and for its innovative menu of chef-driven savory and sweet pizzas made with fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients. Beyond its pizza, Oath is committed to serving the communities they are in by supporting local causes and events.

While Oath Craft Pizza continues to grow, it is deepening its commitment to offering sustainably sourced food. The company has just received Humane Farm Animal Care's (HFAC) Certified Humane approval, certifying that its toppings are sourced from farms that meet the program's standards of ethical and humane animal treatment. Working with farms such as North Country Smokehouse and Pederson's Natural Farms, Oath Craft Pizza is the first pizza brand to receive the designation.

"When you think ethically-sourced food, you may not always think pizza, but that's something we are changing," says Patrik Hellstrand, CEO of Oath Craft Pizza. "We're sourcing ingredients free from chemical additives, hormones and antibiotics because we're committed to doing the right thing for our guests and the food system."

"Since the beginnings of Oath in 2015 our goal has been to transform fast casual through great food coupled with a unique business model applying a small footprint multi-format approach. We have made great progress and since Patrik's joining late last year, we are now materially accelerating under his leadership," says John Burns Oath Chairman and Breakaway CEO.

About Oath Craft Pizza

Oath Craft Pizza is transforming the fast casual space by introducing craft pizza: chef-inspired recipes with unique flavor profiles, delivered on trade secret crust with minimal wait times. The company was founded on the notion that doing good and doing something extraordinary are not mutually exclusive and exists not only to serve great food but also to enrich its community. The Boston-based company has a growing presence throughout New England and beyond. For more, visit www.oathpizza.com or follow Oath on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Breakaway Ventures

Breakaway, a Boston-based venture capital firm, invests in disruptive consumer brands. Focusing on founder run companies with big ideas and proof of concept Breakaway serves as an active partner helping its entrepreneur partners accelerate growth and capitalize on market driven opportunities. With over 50+ years of collective experience investing in and growing consumer brands, Breakaway is one of the leading consumer investment firms nationwide.

PR Contact:

Vanessa Santos, Mona Creative: 202.308.1937 | [email protected]

SOURCE Oath Craft Pizza
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has recently released their list of the Best Online Schools for Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a detailed index of the best available distance education programs in this discipline.

You may view the list, along with a description of the benefits of each institution, by clicking the link below:

http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/best-online-schools-for-masters-in-autism-spectrum-disorders/

The country and the world are in constant need of competent, compassionate, and patient professionals who understand the complex nature of Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as other behavioral and developmental issues. These professionals are, typically, capable of working with people of all ages who are on the spectrum, in the position of teacher, mentor, counselor, social worker, etc. A Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders will help give students the most cutting-edge techniques in working in these areas. It is imperative that individuals with autism receive the care and attention they need to live safely and comfortably and these curricula carefully guide students toward a strong understanding of how to deliver this type of attention.

This list of online schools represents some of the finest institutions any distance education student could attend. The virtual classrooms provide nurturing environments in which students can explore the methods of working with people with autism. Faculty members and mentors at each school give students excellent access to all of the resources available to them throughout their academic experience, of which there are a bountiful amount! Students can rely on dedicated career services departments and a wide variety of coursework at each academic institution.

According to lead researcher and writer, Rowan Jones, "Earning a degree in this area is an incredibly admirable pursuit, and will result in a life of fulfillment. Working with individuals with autism is challenging, yet rewarding, and earning a masters degree will prepare graduates to employ effective educational/communication-based techniques to connect with students and clients."

Below we have listed the schools that have made the Best Online Schools for Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ

Ball State University - Muncie, IN

University of Massachusetts Lowell - Lowell, MA

University of Kansas - Lawrence, KS

University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, AR

Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI

University of Louisville - Louisville, KY

George Mason University - Fair Fax, VA

University of Missouri - Columbia, MO

The Sage Colleges - Albany, NY

Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia, PA

University of North Dakota - Grand Forks, ND

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania - Slippery Rock, PA

University of South Florida - Tampa, FL

Florida International University - Miami, FL

These Best Online Schools for Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders were chosen for several factors that put them ahead of other online graduate programs, due to the: nature of the coursework, degree of thoroughness and complexity of the curriculum, 100% online availability, sufficient financial aid availability, and an education that give students more than just classroom experience. OnlineSchoolsCenter.com is an online web publication that is committed to enhancing the information available to students when choosing an academic institution.

The editors of OnlineSchoolsCenter.com collect the most important and relevant data about colleges, universities, and campus facilities from various highly respected sources and offer them in a simple format that is easy to understand. In developing this list, OnlineSchoolsCenter.com, chose not to list the schools in an ordered way, but instead highlighted fifteen of the very best programs, all of which have their own unique strengths.

Contact:

Rowan Jones

Researcher/Writer

OnlineSchoolsCenter.com

Email: [email protected]

Cell: (931) 636-4286

SOURCE OnlineSchoolsCenter.com

Related Links

http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW), the next-generation security company, today announced it is forming a $20 million security venture fund. The fund will provide early stage capital investments to fuel development of innovative security applications for the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform (see related press release: Palo Alto Networks Ushers in the Future of Security Innovation With New Cloud-Based Application Framework).

The fund will be aimed at seed-, early- and growth-stage security companies with a cloud-based application approach. These companies can accelerate their routes to market for their respective technology by developing cloud-based applications built upon the Palo Alto Networks platform and the new Palo Alto Networks Application Framework, easily engaging the tens of thousands of Palo Alto Networks customer deployments.

The fund expects to collaborate with Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital to identify and evaluate innovative security applications for potential co-investment.

By providing capital, the fund will enable entrepreneurs and security vendors to focus on developing high-value functionality for customers, instead of developing the infrastructure and data stores necessary to effectively deliver their applications and establish a foothold in the market.

The investments in entrepreneurial security companies are designed to accelerate the development of new security applications for the Palo Alto Networks platform. Such applications will help customer organizations more easily access, evaluate, and adopt new advanced security capabilities and activate cloud-delivered security applications from different providers as their security needs change.

QUOTES

"This new fund will build upon our reputation for developing innovative, next-generation security technologies and demonstrate the excellent momentum that we have achieved with our ecosystem of security partners. It represents an essential part of our mission to help organizations prevent cyber breaches by inspiring and accelerating a groundswell of security innovation in a model that can be easily accessed and deployed by customer organizations. "

 Chad Kinzelberg , senior vice president, Business and Corporate Development, Palo Alto Networks

"Palo Alto Networks new security application development model represents an important milestone for the security industry, and holds huge potential for customers, entrepreneurs and developers. We are excited to team with Palo Alto Networks to help entrepreneurs accelerate development in cloud-based applications, to serve a rapidly growing customer base that includes tens of thousands of the world's most important customers."

 Asheem Chandna, partner, Greylock Partners

"Many early stage security start-ups have excellent ideas, but struggle to reach customers. By tapping into this fund and application framework, companies can get their technologies to market faster and into the hands of Palo Alto Networks customers."

 Jim Goetz , partner, Sequoia Capital

LEARN MORE

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Palo Alto Networks formation of a venture fund and its expectations regarding the benefits associated with the fund. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual benefits and expectations with respect to the fund to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including Palo Alto Networks inexperience making early stage capital investments and its ability to identify and manage investment opportunities.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Palo Alto Networks as of the date hereof, and the company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is the next-generation security company, leading a new era in cybersecurity by safely enabling applications and preventing cyber breaches for tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. Built with an innovative approach and highly differentiated cyberthreat prevention capabilities, our game-changing security platform delivers security far superior to legacy or point products, safely enables daily business operations, and protects an organization's most valuable assets. Find out more at www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.paloaltonetworks.com


"The new efficacy results show that previously reported meaningful improvements in arm, hand and finger function in the 10 million cell cohort treated with AST-OPC1 cells have been maintained and in some patients have been further enhanced even 9 months following dosing," stated Dr. Edward Wirth III, Chief Medical Officer. "Gains in motor function, such as the improvements observed in the SCiStar study to date, have been shown to increase a patient's ability to function independently following complete cervical spinal cord injuries. We are increasingly encouraged by these continued positive results, which are remarkable compared with spontaneous recovery rates observed in a closely matched untreated patient population."

Jane S. Lebkowski, Ph.D., Asterias' President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer, will present the 9-month efficacy and safety data on the AIS-A 10 million cell cohort later today during the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2017 Annual Meeting held in Boston, MA. The full slide presentation will be available at http://asteriasbiotherapeutics.com/inv_events_presentations.php.

9-Month Follow-up Results

Improvements in upper extremity motor function are being measured using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) scale, widely used to quantify functional status of patients with spinal cord injuries. Both subjects and physicians consistently report that improvements in upper extremity motor function are the most desirable functional improvement target in the quadriplegic population, as they can have a significant impact on functional independence, quality of life and cost of care from even relatively modest changes. The SCiStar study is monitoring two separate ISNCSCI measurements of upper extremity motor function. The upper extremity motor score (UEMS), is a linear scale used to quantify motor function at each of five upper extremity muscle groups driving arm and hand function; these scores are also used to determine "motor levels", which define the level within the cord above which a subject has normal function. As suggested by existing research, patients with severe spinal cord injuries that show two motor levels of improvement on at least one side may regain the ability to perform daily activities such as feeding, dressing and bathing, which significantly reduces the overall level of daily assistance needed for the patient and associated healthcare costs.

A total of six patients were enrolled and dosed in the AIS-A 10 million-cell cohort, with five of six patients completing a 9-month follow-up visit. The results include the following highlights:

Motor Level Improvement  Additional motor level improvement was seen in the AIS-A 10 million cell cohort at 9 months.

 Additional motor level improvement was seen in the AIS-A 10 million cell cohort at 9 months. Three of six patients (50%) achieved two motor levels of improvement over baseline on at least one side as of their latest follow-up visit through 9 months. This compares to two of six patients (33%) that had improved two motor levels on at least one side through 3- and 6-months of follow-up.



In addition, all six patients (100%) achieved at least one motor level of improvement on at least one side as of their latest follow-up through 9-months.

Upper Extremity Motor Score  Additional improvement in the average UEMS score for this cohort was observed at 9 months. The average UEMS improvement at 9 months was 11.2 points, compared to 9.7 points at 6 months.

 Additional improvement in the average UEMS score for this cohort was observed at 9 months. The average UEMS improvement at 9 months was 11.2 points, compared to 9.7 points at 6 months. Matched Historical Control Data - The 9 month results show a meaningful improvement in the motor function recovery in the AIS-A patients receiving 10 million AST-OPC1 cells compared to a historical control group of 62 closely matched patients from the EMSCI database. In the historical matched control 29% of patients recovered two motor levels on at least one side 12 months after baseline compared to the 50% of the AIS-A patients receiving AST-OPC1 that have recovered two motor levels on at least one side 9 months after baseline.

- The 9 month results show a meaningful improvement in the motor function recovery in the AIS-A patients receiving 10 million AST-OPC1 cells compared to a historical control group of 62 closely matched patients from the EMSCI database. In the historical matched control 29% of patients recovered two motor levels on at least one side 12 months after baseline compared to the 50% of the AIS-A patients receiving AST-OPC1 that have recovered two motor levels on at least one side 9 months after baseline. Safety - The trial results to date continue to indicate a positive safety profile for AST-OPC1. There have been no serious adverse events related to AST-OPC1 and data from the study indicate that AST-OPC1 can be safely administered to patients in the subacute period after severe cervical spinal cord injury.

As previously reported, Asterias will report 12-month efficacy and safety data from the AIS-A 10 million cell cohort sometime late in the third quarter 2017 after the 12-month results are collected for the entire cohort.

Each year in the U.S. more than 17,000 people suffer a severe, debilitating spinal cord injury. These injuries can be devastating to quality of life and ability to function independently. Lifetime healthcare costs for these patients can often approach $5 million. Improvements in arm, hand and finger functional capabilities in these patients can result in lower healthcare costs, significant improvements in quality of life, increased ability to engage in activities of daily living, and increased independence.

About the SCiStar Trial

The SCiStar trial is an open-label, single-arm trial testing three sequential escalating doses of AST-OPC1 administered at up to 20 million AST-OPC1 cells in as many as 35 patients with sub-acute, C-5 to C-7, motor complete (AIS-A or AIS-B) cervical SCI. These individuals have essentially lost all movement below their injury site and experience severe paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. AIS-A patients have lost all motor and sensory function below their injury site, while AIS-B patients have lost all motor function but may retain some minimal sensory function below their injury site. AST-OPC1 is being administered 14 to 30 days post-injury. Patients will be followed by neurological exams and imaging procedures to assess the safety and activity of the product.

The study is being conducted at six centers in the U.S. and the company plans to increase this to up to 12 sites to accommodate the expanded patient enrollment. Clinical sites involved in the study include the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Shepherd Medical Center in Atlanta, University of Southern California (USC) jointly with Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, Indiana University, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose jointly with Stanford University.

Asterias has received a Strategic Partnerships Award grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which provides $14.3 million of non-dilutive funding for the Phase 1/2a clinical trial and other product development activities for AST-OPC1.

Additional information on the Phase 1/2a trial, including trial sites, can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, using Identifier NCT02302157, and at the SCiStar Study Website (www.SCiStar-study.com).

About AST-OPC1

AST-OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor population derived from human embryonic stem cells, has been shown in animals and in vitro to have three potentially reparative functions that address the complex pathologies observed at the injury site of a spinal cord injury. These activities of AST-OPC1 include production of neurotrophic factors, stimulation of vascularization, and induction of remyelination of denuded axons, all of which are critical for survival, regrowth and conduction of nerve impulses through axons at the injury site. In preclinical animal testing, AST-OPC1 administration led to remyelination of axons, improved hindlimb and forelimb locomotor function, dramatic reductions in injury-related cavitation and significant preservation of myelinated axons traversing the injury site.

In a previous Phase 1 clinical trial, five patients with neurologically complete, thoracic spinal cord injury were administered two million AST-OPC1 cells at the spinal cord injury site 7-14 days post-injury. They also received low levels of immunosuppression for the next 60 days. Delivery of AST-OPC1 was successful in all five subjects with no serious adverse events associated with AST-OPC1. No evidence of rejection of AST-OPC1 was observed in detailed immune response monitoring of all patients. In four of the five patients, serial MRI scans indicated that reduced spinal cord cavitation may have occurred. Based on the results of this study, Asterias received clearance from FDA to progress testing of AST-OPC1 to patients with cervical spine injuries, which represents the first targeted population for registration trials.

About Asterias Biotherapeutics

Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering the field of regenerative medicine. The company's proprietary cell therapy programs are based on its pluripotent stem cell and immunotherapy platform technologies. Asterias is presently focused on advancing three clinical-stage programs which have the potential to address areas of very high unmet medical need in the fields of neurology and oncology. AST-OPC1 (oligodendrocyte progenitor cells) is currently in a Phase 1/2a dose escalation clinical trial in spinal cord injury. AST-VAC1 (antigen-presenting autologous dendritic cells) is undergoing continuing development by Asterias based on promising efficacy and safety data from a Phase 2 study in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), with current efforts focused on streamlining and modernizing the manufacturing process. AST-VAC2 (antigen-presenting allogeneic dendritic cells) represents a second generation, allogeneic cancer immunotherapy. The company's research partner, Cancer Research UK, plans to begin a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of AST-VAC2 in non-small cell lung cancer in 2017. Additional information about Asterias can be found at www.asteriasbiotherapeutics.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating and/or clinical research results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for Asterias, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the businesses of Asterias, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in Asterias' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Asterias disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.asteriasbiotherapeutics.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight hundred Kansas City families in need will receive enough food to supplement meals for a week plus daily essentials, thanks to a partnership between PepsiCo and Feed the Children. The event kicks off on Tuesday, June 13 at 11 a.m. CDT at Central High School, 3221 Indiana Ave., Kansas City, Mo.

This is the first year PepsiCo and Feed the Children have partnered to help feed families in Kansas City, where more than 22 percent of the population lives below the poverty line1. This distribution event is part of a larger initiative between the two organizations to help feed communities in cities throughout the United States.

The receiving families have been identified and preselected by Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City-based not-for-profit corporation working to provide a nurturing and safe environment for children of the working poor.

"We're excited to partner with Feed the Children, Operation Breakthrough and Price Chopper helping our friends and neighbors in the Kansas City community," said Nick Ebert, sales zone director, Midwest sales Kansas City zone, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "Frito-Lay and PepsiCo are committed to giving back to our communities where we live and work, and providing enough food to supplement meals for a week is a small way we can help make a difference."

Each qualifying recipient at today's event will be given:

One 25-pound box of nonperishable food items

One 15-pound box of personal-care items

One box of AVON products

Books from Disney Publishing Worldwide

One 20-count bag of Frito-Lay Baked & Popped Mix snacks

PepsiCo beverages

Life Original Cereal

Quaker Standard Oats

Chewy Granola Bars

Volunteers from PepsiCo, Price Chopper and Feed the Children will be onsite serving families and assisting with distribution during today's event.

About Feed the Children

Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to defeat hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education, essentials and disaster response. Domestically, it operates 5 distribution centers (located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania).

In fiscal year 2016, through its domestic and international programs, Feed the Children distributed 105 million pounds of food and essentials worldwide with a total value of $415 million, working with partner agencies to benefit 5.9 million people globally. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Visit www.feedthechildren.org for more information.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated approximately $63 billion in net revenue in 2016, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose  our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

1 http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Kansas-City-Missouri.html

SOURCE PepsiCo

Related Links

http://www.pepsico.com


PURCHASE, N.Y., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) today announced that it will issue its second quarter 2017 (ending June 17th) financial results on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) by posting the results on the company's website at www.pepsico.com/investors. The results will also be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on a Form 8-K, which will be available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

PepsiCo will issue an advisory release on July 11th over a news wire service to announce that the results have been posted and are available on the company's website at www.pepsico.com/investors. The earnings conference call for investors and financial analysts will be webcast at 7:45 a.m. EDT that morning. The webcast will be available at www.pepsico.com/investors under "Events and Presentations."

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated approximately $63 billion in net revenue in 2016, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose  our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.pepsico.com


STOUGHTON, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Primo Medical Group is pleased to announce the purchase of the Cleanroom Assembly and Packaging business from North American Sterilization and Packaging (NASP), Franklin, New Jersey.

The purchase allows Primo Medical Group to expand its Cleanroom Assembly operations by including NASP's customer portfolio, which encompasses a wide range of medical device manufacturers in the US and Europe. In addition, this acquisition enables Primo Medical Group to broaden its dynamic platform of Engineering, Manufacturing, Cleanroom Assembly and Packaging services.

Steven Tallarida, Primo Medical Group CEO said, "With this purchase Primo Medical Group continues to show its leadership in the Medical Device OEM space. We are very excited about the opportunity to create new partnerships while adding value to both our existing customers and new ones alike."

Dave Elich, Primo Medical Group VP of Operations said, "We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Wiebel family, owners of NASP, and look forward to working with them in the future."

Andrea Patisteas a Senior Executive VP at Primo added, "Primo is looking for continued growth both organically and by leveraging strategic acquisitions such as NASP." Over the past 17 years Primo Medical Group has incubated and invested in several new technologies including Angiolink Corporation (acquired by Medtronic), Arthrosurface Inc., Spirus Medical, Inc. (acquired by Olympus), Cardiosolutions, Inc., Saphena Medical Inc., and Versago Vascular, Inc.

About Primo Medical Group

Primo Medical Group is a leader in the development and manufacture of medical devices and precision machined components. Established in 1953, Primo Medical Group is a privately held company with 4 facilities in Massachusetts. Primo Medical Group is ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2008 certified, JPAL and FDA approved.

Contact:

Chris LaPlante

Vice President of Finance, CFO

Primo Medical Group

781.828-4400

SOURCE Primo Medical Group

Related Links

http://www.primomedicalgroup.com


BURLINGAME, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Proterra, the leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, announced that it has closed a $55 million Series 6 round, on the heels of an oversubscribed $140 million Series 5 in January. Generation Investment Management LLP, a long-term, sustainability focused investment firm led the round, which was joined by BMW i Ventures, the corporate venture capital team founded by BMW Group in 2011. As Proterra continues to build upon its 60 percent market share in the North American electric transit market, this investment will support the company's East and West coast production capabilities and its commitment to ongoing technology innovation.

Former U.S. Vice President and Generation Investment Management Chairman Al Gore said, "More than ever before, cities are looking for sustainable transportation solutions that can reduce pollution efficiently and effectively. Proterra is incredibly well positioned to help accelerate the growth of sustainable cities and continue our transition to a clean energy economy."

Proterra will utilize the $55 million to increase production at its manufacturing facilities in South Carolina and Los Angeles, while also bolstering research and development efforts at the company's headquarters in Silicon Valley. Currently, the company has sold more than 400 vehicles to some of the country's most innovative cities and communities, including Seattle, Dallas, Nashville, San Jose, Philadelphia and Reno. In addition to its commitment to nationwide growth, Proterra remains focused on attracting the best engineering, design and electric vehicle technology talent from across the country. This dedication to workforce development has helped the company achieve multiple innovation firsts, including its recent launch of the industry's first autonomous bus development program with the University of Nevada, Reno.

The investments from Generation Investment Management and BMW i Ventures represent important milestones for both groups. With a commitment to embedding sustainability into mainstream capital markets, Generation Growth Equity has a long history of investing in mobility, covering a range of sustainable solutions from electric vehicles to bike sharing to fleet management technology. With Generation establishing a presence in San Francisco this year, this is a critical investment to add to their growing portfolio on the West Coast. For BMW i Ventures, this represents its first investment in heavy-duty electric vehicle manufacturing underscoring the transition to electric mass transit. United by a shared belief in responsible citizenship and sustainable transportation technology, Proterra will work closely with Generation and BMW i Ventures to help communities transition to zero-emission mobility fleets.

"BMW i Ventures invests in companies that will transform mobility and transportation, and Proterra is pushing the mass transit industry forward with the most innovative heavy-duty electric bus," said Zach Barasz, partner at BMW i Ventures. "Due to Proterra's efforts, electric mass transit is overtaking fossil-fuel buses as the new standard."

"This is an extremely exciting time at Proterra as our customers, supporters and investorsnew and old alikerally behind our vision for a clean, electric transportation ecosystem," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. "We're incredibly grateful to our new investors, and are proud to call them partners as we strive to eliminate fossil fuel dependence throughout the transit industry."

Colin Le Duc, co-head of Generation Growth Equity, and based in San Francisco, said, "Our approach is to find innovative businesses that will help drive the transition to a sustainable, low carbon economy. Proterra is the perfect example of a successful, sustainable business with a long runway for future growth. We have known and admired Proterra for some time, and are delighted to be able to support a top-class management team, led by Ryan Popple."

About Proterra:

Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to local communities across the United States. With more than 400 vehicles sold to 39 different municipal, university, and commercial transit agencies in 20 states, Proterra is committed to providing state of the art, high performance vehicles to meet today's growing market demand. The company's configurable Catalyst platform is capable of serving the full daily mileage needs of nearly every U.S. transit route on a single charge. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit: http://www.proterra.com and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.

SOURCE Proterra

Related Links

http://www.proterra.com


WASHINGTON, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ralph Boyd, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross's Massachusetts region, has been named CEO for the Americas region of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global, multidisciplinary, member-driven real estate organization dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities.

Boyd, who will join ULI's staff as Americas CEO on July 1, 2017, has extensive experience as a non-profit CEO, including several years leading the Freddie Mac Foundation, which is the largest corporate philanthropy in the Washington, D.C. area. Prior to his distinguished career in organizational management, Boyd practiced law for 20 years, including service as an Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he focused on cases involving civil and human rights.

ULI's Americas region serves the Institute's 35,000-plus members in North and South America. As Americas CEO, Boyd will work with ULI's volunteer leadership, including Americas Chairman Patricia R. "Trish" Healy, and ULI's staff, headed by Global CEO Patrick L. Phillips, to ensure that ULI delivers an optimal member experience in the Americas region, including the delivery of networks, content, services and programs that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of the Americas members. Boyd will also ensure that the Americas work complements ULI's work in Asia Pacific and Europe, all with the goal of reinforcing ULI as the world's foremost authority on excellence in community building.

"We are delighted to have Ralph on board. He has an extraordinary skill set that makes him perfectly suited for this role, including expertise in managing complex organizations that serve constituents with a wide variety of interests and needs," said Healy, Principal at Hyde Street Holdings LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina. "In addition, he has demonstrated the ability to quickly and precisely identify what must be accomplished to deliver high value to constituents and maximize mission advancement. Ralph will be able to hit the ground running and keep ULI's momentum going strong."

Boyd will provide executive leadership and strategic direction in the areas of regional programs and services, member networks (including ULI's product councils and district councils), industry outreach, and new partnerships. This includes oversight of management, fiscal goals and long-range strategies for the Americas in accordance with ULI's worldwide mission, vision, and business plan.

"Ralph brings a great dedication to ULI's mission and methods, a creative and strategic mindset, and the ability to motivate talented people to do their best," Phillips said. "He is a proven leader who shares our commitment to improving people's lives though better communities."

"I am delighted to have the privilege and opportunity to serve ULI members and other stakeholders, and to work with such talented volunteer leaders and staff to advance ULI's mission of creating and sustaining thriving communities in the Americas and beyond," Boyd said.

At the American Red Cross, where Boyd has served since 2014, he was responsible for overseeing institutional advancement as well as diverse and recurring revenue channels and operations, including the training of volunteers to provide disaster preparation and recovery services to nearly 7 million people in more than 350 communities throughout the Massachusetts region.

From 2012 to 2013, Boyd was interim President and CEO of the Center City Public Charter Schools in Washington D.C., an organization he co-founded in 2008. There, he was responsible for the oversight of academic programs, finance, overall operations, and community outreach functions of a charter management organization operating six excellent inner-city public charter schools.

Prior to that, Boyd held several positions at Freddie Mac, including service as the Executive Vice President for Public Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from 2004 to 2012; and from 2005 to 2012, he served as Corporate EVP for Community Relations and Chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation. After 2006, his service at the Foundation was expanded to include the positions of President and CEO. At the Foundation, he was responsible for deploying and investing up to $30 million annually in charitable, educational and community-based organizations, and he was responsible for overseeing an additional $30 million in annual corporate expenditures in connection with payments to non-profit organizations as part of Freddie Mac's corporate philanthropy and business operations, particularly in the multifamily and community development sectors.

Boyd's legal career culminated with his service as an Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2001 through 2003. During that time, he twice presented the U.S. case before a Geneva-based United Nations human rights treaty compliance commission, a treaty compliance body on which he subsequently served as a U.S. representative from 2004 to 2007. Also while at the Justice Department, Boyd prosecuted hate crimes following 9-11; and he was the lead prosecutor on cases of alleged voting improprieties in Florida filed after the 2000 presidential election.

"Through his career depth, Ralph will provide a fresh perspective on how best to Iead the Americas region forward," Phillips said. "We look forward to Ralph helping us build the next generation of ULI, making the Institute even more productive and influential in the years ahead."

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

SOURCE Urban Land Institute

Related Links

http://www.uli.org


CHICAGO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

WHO:

Randstad Life Sciences, a staffing and recruiting partner to leading life sciences and biopharma companies throughout the United States.

WHAT:

Randstad Life Sciences will be exhibiting at the DIA 2017 Global Annual Meeting.

WHEN:

June 19-21, 2017. Exhibit hours:

Monday, June 19, 2017 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:

McCormick Place

2301 South King Drive

Chicago, IL 60616

Randstad Life Sciences will be exhibiting at Booth No. 1333.

DETAILS:

As exhibitors, Randstad Life Sciences will be on site to provide staffing and recruiting expertise to both companies and professionals in the field. Subject matter experts will be available to address notable trends within the pharmaceuticals and biotech industries and the impact they have on recruiting effectiveness, turnover and retention, as well as the workforce outlook.

"As the industry continues to evolve, Randstad Life Sciences prides itself on being at the forefront to help navigate the changes and its impact on the customers we serve and the candidates we place," said Jay VanHousen, managing director of Randstad Life Sciences. "As an exhibitor of DIA, we will be on hand to consult candidates and companies as to what we are seeing across the industry, such as an uptick in mergers and acquisitions, technology innovation and advance data sciences that help companies forecast and make decisions at all levels."

This event is intended to foster the international exchange of actionable insights to improve health globally through the advancement of lifesaving medicines and technologies. As recruiters for top talent in life sciences, Randstad Life Sciences assists organizations in achieving their business goals.

Jay VanHousen, managing director of Randstad Life Sciences, will be on site to meet with members of the media to discuss these trends. To arrange an interview, please contact Madison Southall at [email protected] or 954-308-6213.

About Randstad Life Sciences

Randstad Life Sciences serves as a staffing and recruiting partner to leading life sciences and biopharma companies throughout the United States. Randstad Life Sciences brings 20 years of experience impacting clients' businesses by finding top talent for roles in biopharma, chemical and cosmetics, food, manufacturing and testing, medical device, nutriceuticals and pharma. Through Randstad's focus on the life sciences, we have made thousands of employer/candidate matches in project and full-time jobs across the industry every year. Contact today to see how partnering with Randstad Life Science can benefit you or your organization.

Media Contact:

Madison Southall

(954) 308-6213

[email protected]

SOURCE Randstad Life Sciences

Related Links

http://lifesciences.randstadusa.com


BETHESDA, Md., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidAdvance, a leading online financial services company that offers flexible funding solutions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced a new partnership with iPayment, Inc., a trusted provider of payment and processing solutions. Under terms of the agreement, iPayment will offer RapidAdvance's business lending solutions and alternative financing programs to its more than 140,000 merchant customers.

"We are excited to partner with iPayment to provide fast and flexible business financing for its clients and help meet the demand for solutions that can be tailored to the specific needs and business goals of each client," said Will Tumulty, CEO of RapidAdvance. "iPayment understands that access to growth capital is an essential component to success for businesses."

"Small business lending is a critical offering for companies like ours," said O.B. Rawls IV, CEO and President, iPayment, Inc. "After a thorough search and pre-qualification process, we made the decision that RapidAdvance is the right partner for us, and more importantly for our customers. We are excited to bring their suite of offerings to our customers and our partners."

Providing working capital to business owners quickly, easily and seamlessly allows them to spend more time growing their business rather than searching for capital. iPayment will leverage RapidAdvance's technology-driven platform and personalized support to increase the availability of capital to merchant customers as an alternative or a complement to traditional avenues of business financing.

About RapidAdvance

RapidAdvance is a leading online financial services company that offers flexible funding solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. Having provided more than $1 billion in financing to businesses nationwide, RapidAdvance helps clients obtain working capital funds quickly and seamlessly. RapidAdvance is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, also has an office in Detroit, Michigan and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. In 2016, the company was named one of The Washington Post's Top Workplaces in DC; one of Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies; and ranked #1 in the small business category in the Detroit Free Press's annual survey of Top Workplaces in Michigan. RapidAdvance is a Rockbridge Growth Equity portfolio company. For more information visit www.rapidadvance.com and connect with us on Twitter @Rapid_Advance, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About iPayment, Inc.

iPayment is a trusted provider of payment processing solutions in the U.S. With over 18 years of experience and more than 140,000 SMB customers, the company is consistently recognized for its depth of payments experience, breadth of product offerings, and commitment to transparency and SMB support. From new product innovation to customer service satisfaction, iPayment is an organization focused on small business enablement and delivering relevant and impactful services and solutions that help partners and SMB customers grow their individual businesses. For more information on iPayment, please visit http://www.ipaymentinc.com.



Contact: Mark Cerminaro

Chief Revenue Officer

RapidAdvance

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 240.482.4685



Contact: Jenn Reichenbacher

VP, Marketing

iPayment, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 617.681.6422

SOURCE RapidAdvance

Related Links

http://www.rapidadvance.com


LAUPHEIM, Germany and RANKWEIL, Austria, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, and Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH, an independent specialist for aseptic fill and finish services, today announced a strategic partnership to provide new state-of-the-art fill and finish facilities and one-stop solutions for biopharmaceutical products to meet the needs of Rentschler Biotechnologie's clients. Under the terms of the agreement, Rentschler Fill Solutions will prospectively serve as the exclusive partner for the fill and finish services of Rentschler Biotechnologie's manufacturing projects. Rentschler Fill Solutions is owned by the Rentschler family and will begin operations in mid-2018. In addition to servicing Rentschler Biotechnologie's clients, Rentschler Fill Solutions will offer its fill and finish services on a clinical as well as commercial scale to its own client base.

"Based on the maturity of the biotech industry and demand for new drugs in growing international markets, we are also seeing more and more demand not only in terms of manufacturing for clinical studies but for commercial-scale manufacturing and market supply. In order to manage the expected growth and provide clients with new, scalable, state-of-the art technologies and facilities, this new partnership with Rentschler Fill Solutions, will allow us to meet todays and the future needs of our clients," Dr Frank Mathias, CEO of Rentschler Biotechnologie, commented. "Rentschler Biotechnologie is continually seeking and improving ways to help clients achieve their goals, all along the value chain - from cell line development through finished products. This partnership also supports our recent strategic alliance with Leukocare, as improved formulation strategies will contribute to the quality of the fill and finish process. Both partnerships will enable us to serve our clients as they grow."

At the Rentschler Fill Solutions facility in Austria, state-of-the-art advanced aseptic filling technology will be employed. Vials from DIN2R up to 50 mL can be used for the aseptic filling of liquid or lyophilized biopharmaceuticals in small to medium-sized batches. Up to 60,000 vials per batch can be filled. Timelines and batch sizes can be tailored and flexibly scaled. Standardized and aligned processes and packages enable fast-track services while single-use equipment guarantees maximum product safety. The Rentschler Fill Solutions facility complies with all required regulatory standards and is designed to enable future expansion without interrupting ongoing operations.

"Our state-of-the-art fill and finish facility has been designed to deliver high quality products and reliable services to our clients. As an independent specialist for the aseptic filling of liquid and lyophilized biopharmaceuticals, we aim to manage the specific filling requirements of a wide range of biopharmaceutical companies from clinical studies through market supply," added Reinhold Elsaesser, General Manager of Rentschler Fill Solutions. "We very much look forward to working with Rentschler Biotechnologie to address clinical and market needs in terms of capacity, scalability, time to market, purity and safety. The clients of both companies will benefit from reliable one-stop solutions and a fast time to market based on our common commitment to quality and aligned processes."

Rentschler Biotechnologie and Rentschler Fill Solutions will introduce their partnership and service offering at the BIO International Convention in hall C, booth 1929, taking place June 19-22 in San Diego, CA, USA. In addition, the LinkedIn page shows the latest news from Rankweil: http://www.linkedin.com/company/rentschler-fill-solutions-gmbh.

About Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH

Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH, located in Laupheim, Germany, is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for bioprocess development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals as well as for related consulting activities in terms of project management and regulatory support. The Company's clients include innovative biotech companies and major pharmaceutical companies around the world. Many years of experience and excellence in finding solutions as well as certified quality management and advanced technologies ensure Rentschler's high quality standards. Rentschler Biotechnologie is a family-owned company employing approximately 700 people. For further information, please visit http://www.rentschler.de.

About Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH

Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH, located in Rankweil, Austria, is an independent contract manufacturing organization (CMO) for the aseptic filling of liquid and lyophilized biopharmaceutical products. The Company provides state-of-the-art facilities which comply with the latest regulatory, quality and safety standards. Rentschler Fill Solutions focuses on delivering small to medium-sized batches (up to 60,000 vials per batch) to meet clinical as well as market needs through all stages with its highly scalable solutions. Rentschler Fill Solutions is a family-owned company with a highly skilled team offering extensive experience and reliable services in aseptic filling. Operations are planned to start in mid-2018. For further information, please visit http://www.rentschler-fill-solutions.com/en.

About the Rentschler Biotechnologie and Rentschler Fill Solutions partnership

The strategic partnership of Rentschler Biotechnologie and Rentschler Fill Solutions provides clients with one-stop solutions from gene to vial and unites two centers of excellence for the fast and efficient bioprocess development, manufacturing and filling of biopharmaceuticals with the Rentschler commitment to quality. Both companies are owned by the Rentschler family, which has been a trusted and successful partner in the pharmaceutical industry for five generations. While the Companies remain independent of one another, Rentschler Fill Solutions will serve as exclusive partner for the fill and finish of Rentschler Biotechnologie's full-service manufacturing projects.

Contact:



Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH

Dr. Marion Schrader

Senior Director Company Communication

[email protected]





Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH

Andrea Kitzelmann

Expert Marketing

[email protected]



Media Inquiries:



MC Services AG

[email protected]



SOURCE Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH
Data from this project expected to take RepliCel's products to next level of potential commercial viability

VANCOUVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: REPCF) (TSXV: RP) (FRA:P6P2) ("RepliCel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has signed a collaborative research project agreement with the University of British Columbia ("UBC"). The project will be co-lead by the UBC's Dr. Kevin McElwee and Professor Youwen Zhou.

The project is designed to deliver a gene and protein expression "map" of healthy hair follicle cells expected to be critically important to improving key components of the manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical profile of RepliCel's cell therapy products.

"We are very excited to be working with UBC on a project we've spent considerable time designing to mature our understanding of the cell populations we work with to improve our product manufacturing, clinical outcomes, and assays critical to regulatory approval and commercialization," stated RepliCel President and CEO, R. Lee Buckler.

This study will examine different cell groups from human hair follicles and look for differences, and similarities, in gene and protein expression. Additionally, the project will analyze array data from select subjects who participated in RepliCel's phase I/IIa clinical trial of its RCH-01 product in development for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia which completed earlier this year. This includes data from patients who had the best clinical hair growth response at six months and a sustained positive response at 24 months.

In the study with UBC, the gene expression profiles of the cultured cells from these clinical trial subjects who had a strong hair growth response will be compared to the gene expression profile of subjects who had a reduced hair growth response. The analysis is anticipated to allow RepliCel to better identify specific genes with high or low expression in the cultured cells that correspond to strong hair growth promotion.

About Professor Youwen Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Youwen Zhou is a physician scientist who is a Professor at UBC's Department of Dermatology and Skin Science. He received his BS degree from Nankai University, China, a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the State University of New York, and an MD degree from the University of Toronto. After completing dermatology specialty training at UBC, he joined UBC Faculty of Medicine as a physician scientist in dermatology in 2000, and was promoted to full professor in 2013. He founded the UBC Molecular Medicine Lab and Chieng Genomics Center at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) with infrastructure funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation in 2001. Dr Zhou's research is centered on biomarkers of skin diseases such as skin lymphoma, melanoma, and vitiligo, using a wide variety of methods and approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage analysis, next generational sequencing, transcriptional profiling, cellular and animal models, as well as genome editing.

Dr Zhou has published more than 100 articles in journals such as Nature, Cell, Nature Genetics, and Blood, and holds multiple patents in skin lymphoma diagnostic biomarkers. In 2013, Dr Zhou was awarded a Barney Usher Award for Outstanding Achievements in Dermatology Research from the Canadian Dermatology Association. Dr Zhou specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers and skin pigmentation disorders, and is a consultant dermatologist at Vancouver General Hospital and British Columbia Cancer Agency. He teaches graduate students, medical students, dermatology residents and postdoctoral fellows. Dr Zhou is the past president of the Canadian Society of Investigative Dermatology, and served as a board member for Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). He is also a grant reviewer for CIHR, the Canadian Dermatology Foundation, and the Natural Sciences Foundation of China.

About Dr. Kevin McElwee, Ph.D.

Dr. Kevin McElwee is an Associate Professor at the UBC's Department of Dermatology and Skin Sciences and Director of the Hair Research Laboratory at VCHRI. His research is funded by competitive grants awarded by multiple organizations including the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Dr. McElwee is one of only a small group of research scientists worldwide who studies hair biology and associated diseases. He has worked as a hair research scientist for 19 years and has published over 100 medical journal articles, as well as research abstracts and academic book chapters on hair loss research. Dr. McElwee received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and his PhD from the University of Dundee, Scotland. Postdoctoral training included three years at the Jackson Laboratory in Maine and four years at the University of Marburg, Germany, studying hair loss diseases and hair biology. Dr. McElwee is a co-discoverer and patent holder of RepliCel's technology and continues to serve as the Company's Chief Scientific Officer.

About RepliCel Life Sciences

RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing autologous cell therapies that address conditions caused by a deficit of healthy cells required for normal tissue healing and function. The Company's product pipeline is comprised of three clinical-stage products: RCT-01 for tendon repair, RCS-01 for skin rejuvenation and RCH-01 for hair restoration. RCH-01 is under exclusive license by Shiseido Company for certain Asian countries. All product candidates are based on RepliCel's innovative technology, utilizing cell populations isolated from a patient's healthy hair follicles.

RepliCel is also developing a proprietary injection device (RCI-02) optimized for the administration of its products and licensable for use with other dermatology applications. Please visit http://replicel.com/ for additional information.

Forward-looking information

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the results of the UBC project outlined in this release. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include: statements relating to the statements that (i) data from this project is expected to take RepliCel's products to next level of potential commercial viability; (ii) the gene and protein expression map will improve key components of the manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical profile of RepliCel's cell therapy products; and (iii) the results will improve our product manufacturing, clinical outcomes, and assays critical to regulatory approval and commercialization. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including: the risk that there will be delays enrolling clinical trial participants; the risk that the Company will receive negative results from the Company's clinical trials; the effects of government regulation on the Company's business; risks associated with future approvals for clinical trials; risks associated with the Company obtaining approval for its clinical trial in Germany; risks associated with the Company obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals for its various programs in Canada, the USA and Germany; risks associated with the Company's ability to obtain and protect rights to its intellectual property; risks and uncertainties in connection with the outstanding issues alleged by Shiseido in connection with the License and Co-development Agreement; risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's ability to raise additional capital; and other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of such factors on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Readers should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure outlined in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Edgar at www.sec.gov and with the British Columbia Securities Commission on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE RepliCel Life Sciences Inc.

Related Links

www.replicel.com


"Amazingly, at 24 public flagship universities out-of-state students represent at least 40% of freshmen enrollment," the study says. "At 11 public flagships, out-of-state students account for more than half of all freshmen. These so-called 'state' universities are misnamed and are increasingly not at all representative of their states." While data is only available for freshmen, it is believed there are similar differences in the percentages of out-of-state students in the later years of college as well.

The Cooke Foundation study, by UCLA Professor Ozan Jaquette, calls on states to increase funding for their public flagship universities in order to give top moderate- and low-income students equal access to the public universities in their home states. It is titled: "State University No More: Out-of-State Enrollment and the Growing Exclusion of High-Achieving, Low-Income Students at Public Flagship Universities."

Many out-of-state students have lower records of academic achievement, according to the study. However, the out-of-staters usually have higher family incomes and are generally charged two or three times as much for tuition. As a result, many flagships "have become crass moneymaking operations" with admissions offices that "prioritize rich kids from out of state" who don't need financial aid, the study found.

The flagship universities with a majority of out-of state freshmen in the fall of 2015 were: University of Vermont, University of Delaware, University of Alabama, North Dakota State University-Main Campus, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, University of Rhode Island, University of Mississippi, West Virginia University, University of Oregon, University of Iowa, and University of South Carolina-Columbia.

"This study exposes the unjust treatment very smart, hardworking students get when they're denied entry to their state flagship universities simply because they don't pay as much as out-of-state students," said Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy. "Students should be judged and admitted based on merit, not money."

State funding for public flagship universities was flat through much of the early 2000s and then dropped sharply when the Great Recession hit the U.S. economy at the end of 2007. While state funding has crept up in the past few years, it has not returned to pre-recession levels nationally. At the same time, the average net tuition at the flagships has risen sharply, and since the 2009-10 school year tuition has brought the flagship universities more revenue than state appropriations, the study says.

"Unfortunately, legislators in many states have gutted state appropriations, even as state economies recover," the study says. "State appropriations must increase and funding models should meet the enrollment needs of the states, help subsidize the costs of educating moderate- and low-income students, and continue to subsidize major research endeavors."

According to the study, when state funding for a university goes down, the need for replacement funding pushes up admissions of out-of-state students who pay higher tuition. It says a 10 percent cut in state funding for public research universities was associated with a 5 percent increase in the enrollment of out-of-state students.

The study also says that efforts of selective private colleges and universities to admit more low-income students will not accomplish as much as efforts of state flagship universities to achieve the same goal, because the private schools have much smaller enrollments.

Only 626,000 of the 23.6 million undergraduate college students in the nation attended selective private colleges in the 2014-15 academic year, including about 100,000 receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students. In contrast about 2.6 million undergraduates attended public flagship universities, including 710,000 Pell Grant recipients.

The study concludes with a warning of what could happen if nothing changes: "Public flagship universities have been the primary agents for social mobility since the GI Bill was enacted in 1944. The state public flagship universities have assured that students were able to rise above their family's economic class. We are now tottering on the edge of many state flagship universities becoming instruments of social stratification."

The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded $175 million in scholarships to more than 2,300 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The foundation has also provided over $97 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

Media Contact: Amber Styles

703-723-5647

[email protected]

SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Related Links

http://www.jkcf.org


MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Republic of Uruguay ("Uruguay") previously announced an offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") its outstanding notes set forth in the table below (the "Old Bonds"), subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, dated June 12, 2017 (the "Offer to Purchase"). Uruguay has instructed Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as the billing and delivering bank for the Tender Offer, to accept subject to proration and other terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, valid Preferred Tenders in aggregate principal amounts of Old Bonds as set forth below. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this communication have the respective meanings specified in the Offer to Purchase. The Tender Offer expired as scheduled at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on June 12, 2017.



The Old Bonds Maximum Purchase Amount is Ps. 1,231,243,000 principal amount.

The aggregate principal amount of Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders of Old Bonds and the aggregate principal amount of Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders of such Old Bonds that have been accepted are shown in the table below. Proration of Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders pursuant to the terms of the Offer has occurred. No Non-Preferred Tenders have been accepted. Appropriate adjustments will be made so that purchases are made in the minimum denominations set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Old Bonds Aggregate Principal

Amount of Preferred

Tenders Aggregate Principal

Amount of Preferred

Tenders Accepted Aggregate

Principal Amount

of Non-Preferred

Tenders Aggregate Principal

Amount of Non-

Preferred Tenders

Accepted 5.00% Global UI

Bonds due 2018 Ps. 3,831,407,451 Ps. 1,231,243,000 Ps. 350,769,002 Ps. 0

Holders of Old Bonds held through DTC which have been validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer, must deliver their accepted Old Bonds to the relevant Dealer Manager no later than 3:00 p.m., New York time, on the Settlement Date. Holders of Old Bonds held through Euroclear or Clearstream which have been validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer, must use to deliver their Old Bonds to the Billing and Delivering Bank, at the latest, the overnight process, one day prior to the Settlement Date and not the optional daylight process. The Settlement Date is expected to occur on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Failure to deliver Old Bonds on time by any holders may result (i) in the cancellation of such holders' Tender Order and in such holder becoming liable for any damages resulting from that failure, and/or (ii) in the delivery of a buy-in notice for the purchase of such Old Bonds, executed in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities, and/or (iii) in the case of Preferred Tender, in the cancellation of such holders' tender and in its remaining obligation to purchase the allocation of New Bonds in respect of its related order for New Bonds. Any holder whose tender is cancelled will not receive the Purchase Price or Accrued Interest.

All Old Bonds that are tendered pursuant to Tender Orders placed through a Dealer Manager and are accepted by Uruguay will be purchased by the Billing and Delivering Bank in such amounts as Uruguay shall determine and subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase. Only the Billing and Delivering Bank will be liable for the payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest for Old Bonds validly tendered and accepted by Uruguay. Uruguay will not be liable under any circumstances for the payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest for any Old Bonds tendered in the Offer by any holder. The Billing and Delivery Bank shall only have the obligation to sell to Uruguay the Old Bonds validly tendered and accepted for purchase that the Billing and Delivery Bank has actually purchased pursuant to the Tender Offer on the Tender Offer Settlement Date. Tender Orders that are not for Permitted Tender Amounts will not be accepted.

Subject to the conditions to settlement of the Tender Offer, Old Bonds accepted for purchase will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis solely with the Billing and Delivering Bank on the Settlement Date, in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities.

Uruguay has agreed to apply a portion of the net proceeds of its new bonds offering announced yesterday, Monday, June 12, 2017 (the " New Bonds Offering ") to purchase the Old Bonds accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer from the Billing and Delivering Bank at the applicable Purchase Price plus Accrued Interest. Accordingly, the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the closing of the New Bonds Offering, and subject to the Dealer Manager Agreement relating to this Offer not being terminated prior to or at the time of the settlement of the Offer. BBVA Securities Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is the information agent in connection with the Offer (" Information Agent "), and questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to the Information Agent or any of the Dealer Managers using the contact information below:



GLOBAL BONDHOLDER SERVICES

CORPORATION



65 Broadway  Suite 404



New York, New York, 10006



United States of America



Attention: Corporate Actions



Banks and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774



Toll free: +1 (866) 807-2200







BBVA SECURITIES INC. MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER &

SMITH INCORPORATED MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC. 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 44th Floor One Bryant Park 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10105 New York, New York 10036 New York, New York 10036 United States of America United States of America United States of America Attention: Liability Management Attention: Liability Management Attention: Liability Management Phone: +1 212 728-2446 In the United States, call toll free: +1 800-292-0070 In the United States, call toll free: +1 800-624-1808 [email protected] Outside the United States, call collect: +1 646-855-8988 Outside the United States, call collect: +1 212-761-1057

Important Notice

The New Bonds Offering was made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to that offering, and this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an order to buy any New Bonds. The New Bonds were offered only to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A and to non-U.S. persons outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act, and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction.

This announcement is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the Old Bonds.

The distribution of materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer, and the transactions contemplated by the New Bonds Offering and Tender Offer, may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Each of the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer is made only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. The New Bonds Offering and the Tender are void in all jurisdictions where they are prohibited. If materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Tender Offer in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders."

In any EEA Member State this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive.

The New Bonds are not authorized for public offering under the Austrian Capital Markets Act (Kapitalmarktgesetz) and no public offers or public sales or invitation to make such an offer may be made. No advertisements may be published and no marketing materials may be made available or distributed in Austria in respect of the New Bonds. A public offering of the securities in Austria without the prior publication of a prospectus in accordance with the Austrian Capital Market Act would constitute a criminal offense under Austrian law.

In the Bahamas, the New Bonds are being offered and sold only to Accredited Investors (as defined in the Securities Industry Regulations, 2012) and will be subject to the resale restrictions contained in Regulation 117. As a condition of the purchase of the New Bonds, each purchaser will be required to attest to the purchaser's status as an Accredited Investor acknowledging that the securities purchased are subject to restrictions on resale.

The New Bonds Offering does not constitute a public offering within the meaning of Article 3, 1 of the Belgian Law of June 16, 2006 on public offering of securities and admission of securities to trading on a regulated market (the " Prospectus Law "). The Tender Offer will not constitute a public offering within the meaning of Articles 3, 1, 1 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on takeover bids (the " Takeover Law "). The New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer will be exclusively conducted under applicable private placement exemptions and have therefore not been, and will not be, notified to, and any offer material relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer has not been, and will not be, approved by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorite des services et marches financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiele Diensten en Markten). The New Bonds Offering as well as the New Bonds Offering materials may only be advertised, offered or distributed in any way, directly or indirectly, to any persons located and/or resident in Belgium who qualify as " Qualified Investors " as defined in Article 10, 1 of the Prospectus Law and who are acting for their own account, or in other circumstances which do not constitute a public offering in Belgium pursuant to the Prospectus Law. The Tender Offer as well as the Tender Offer materials may only be advertised, offered or distributed in any way, directly or indirectly, to any persons located and/or resident in Belgium who qualify as "Qualified Investors" as defined in Article 10, 1 of the Prospectus Law and as referred to in Article 6, 3, 1 of the Takeover Law, and who are acting for their own account, or in other circumstances which do not constitute a public offering in Belgium pursuant to the Takeover Law.

The New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer have not been and will not be approved by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, as neither constitute a public offer in accordance with the Danish Securities Trading Act nor the Danish executive order on takeover bids.

No prospectus (including any amendment, supplement or replacement thereto) has been prepared in connection with the offering of the New Bonds that has been approved by the French Autorite des marches financiers or by the competent authority of another State that is a contracting party to the Agreement on the EEA and notified to the French Autorite des marches financiers and to Uruguay; neither the Tender Offer nor the New Notes have been offered or sold nor will be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France; the materials relating to the New Notes have not been distributed or caused to be distributed and will not be distributed or caused to be distributed to the public in France; such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), as defined in Articles L. 4112 and D. 4111, of the French Code monetaire et financier who are investing for their own account and are not individuals. The direct or indirect distribution to the public in France of any so acquired New Notes may be made only as provided by Articles L. 4111, L. 4112, L. 4121 and L. 6218 to L. 62183 of the French Code monetaire et financier and applicable regulations thereunder. The other legal entities referred to in Articles L. 3412 1 and D. 3411 of the French Code monetaire et financier are eligible to participate in the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer has not been and will not be submitted to the clearance procedures (visa) of nor approved by the Autorite des marches financier.

No action has been or will be taken in the Federal Republic of Germany that would permit a public offering of the securities, or distribution of a prospectus or any other offer materials and that, in particular, no securities prospectus (Wertpapierprospekt) within the meaning of the German Securities Prospectus Act (Wertpapierprospektgesetz) of June 22, 2005, as amended (the " German Securities Prospectus Act "), has been or will be published within the Federal Republic of Germany. In Germany, the New Bonds may not be offered or sold other than to qualified investors within the meaning of  2(6) of the German Securities Prospectus Act.

With respect to persons in Hong Kong, the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer are only made to, and are only capable of acceptance by, professional investors within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong (the "SFO") and any rules made thereunder ("professional investors"). No person or entity may issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, any advertisement, invitation or document relating to the New Bonds, Old Bonds or the Tender Offer, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong, including in circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Old Bonds which are or are intended to be tendered, or New Bonds which are intended to be purchased, only by persons outside Hong Kong or only by "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made under thereunder.

In Ireland, the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in Ireland and no offers or sales of any securities under or in connection with the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer may be effected except in conformity with the provisions of Irish law including, but not limited to, (i) the Irish Companies Act 2014, (ii) the Prospectus (Directive 2003/71/EC) Regulations 2012 of Ireland, (iii) the European Communities (Markets & Financial Instruments) Regulations 2007 (as amended) of Ireland; and (iv) the Market Abuse (Directive 2003/6/EC) Regulations of Ireland (as amended).

In Italy, this announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at, and the Tender Offer documents may only be distributed, directly or indirectly, to qualified investors.

In Luxembourg, this announcement has been prepared on the basis that the New Bond Offering and the Tender Offer will be made pursuant to an exemption under Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities.

In the Netherlands, the New Bonds may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, other than to qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of Article 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht).

Neither the communication of this announcement nor any other offer material relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer has been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (as so amended, the " Order ") or (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such other persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents.

* * *

ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR AFTER THIS MESSAGE ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.

SOURCE Republic of Uruguay
SINGAPORE, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE: CYD) ("China Yuchai" or the "Company"), wishes to announce that all the resolutions as set out in its Notice of Annual General Meeting dated May 12, 2017 were duly passed at its Annual General Meeting held today.

About China Yuchai International

China Yuchai International Limited, through its subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited ("GYMCL"), engages in the manufacture, assembly, and sale of a wide variety of light-, medium- and heavy-duty engines for trucks, buses, passenger vehicles, construction equipment, marine and agriculture applications in China. GYMCL also produces diesel power generators. The engines produced by GYMCL range from diesel to natural gas and hybrid engines. Through its regional sales offices and authorized customer service centers, the Company distributes its engines directly to auto OEMs and retailers and provides maintenance and retrofitting services throughout China. Founded in 1951, GYMCL has established a reputable brand name, strong research and development team and significant market share in China with high-quality products and reliable after-sales support. In 2016, GYMCL sold 320,424 engines and is recognized as a leading manufacturer and distributor of engines in China. For more information, please visit http://www.cyilimited.com.

For more information, please contact:

Kevin Theiss

Phone: +1 646-726-6511

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE China Yuchai International Limited

Related Links

http://www.cyilimited.com


DALLAS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan, a leading global tax services firm with the largest indirect and property tax practices in North America, announced that Ryan eExtract Version 3.0 for Oracle is available for deployment, enhancing Ryan's extensive data extraction application suite. This software tool updates the current application to provide additional user-friendly features, including an enhanced user interface and greater flexibility in utilizing custom queries for data extraction. The Ryan eExtract for Oracle tool is an application that provides a simple interface for extracting master and transactional data along with other information from the Oracle e-Business environment. The tool can be tailored to capture customer-specific elements, such as key flexfields and other unique data points.

The intuitive, enhanced eExtract tool has been updated to maintain the connection and upload details used to extract data and integration with Ryan's Client Data Portal, as well as extract data to delimited flat files for immediate upload. eExtract Version 3.0 also provides a history of completed extractions that have been successfully uploaded and highly detailed data sets useful for a variety of tax reviews and an enhanced user experience.

"These user-friendly enhancements to the eExtract for Oracle application will deliver improved value and greater capabilities for our clients," said Damon Chronis, Ryan President of U.S. Operations. "Ryan is committed to leveraging tax technology to drive greater tax performance and higher levels of value for our clients."

Ryan's future development plan for eExtract includes custom enhancements for integrating with other Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, including JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and the Microsoft Dynamics suite.

More information about Ryan's eExtract Version 3.0 for Oracle can be found here.

About Ryan

Ryan is an award-winning global tax services firm, with the largest indirect and property tax practices in North America and the seventh largest corporate tax practice in the United States. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides a comprehensive range of state, local, federal, and international tax advisory and consulting services on a multi-jurisdictional basis, including audit defense, tax recovery, credits and incentives, tax process improvement and automation, tax appeals, tax compliance, and strategic planning. Ryan is a five-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan's multi-disciplinary team of more than 2,100 professionals and associates serves over 12,000 clients in more than 40 countries, including many of the world's most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at ryan.com.

PRESS INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Aubele

SVP, Chief Marketing Officer

Ryan

972.934.0022

[email protected]

SOURCE Ryan

Related Links

http://www.ryan.com


SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shure has emerged as the winner in the highly competitive Company of the Year category at the 2017 Excellence in Best Practices Awards. Shure has blazed trails in the microphone market with its visionary strategy and execution excellence, capturing more than 40 percent of the share of the North American market. It has established strong brand equity by determinedly pursuing innovation for more than 90 years, addressing previously unmet customer needs, and developing a diversified portfolio that targets key trends.

Click here for the full multimedia experience of this release - http://bit.ly/2r20vLH

Among Shure's many notable audio industry triumphs since 1925, the most cited ones are:

The Unidyne Model 55 microphone, which became the most recognized microphone in the world

A contract to supply the U.S. armed forces with microphones during World War II; the T-17B became the most widely-used audio device by the U.S. Army and Navy

The 55S, a variant of the original Unidyne model that became known as the Elvis mic, due to Elvis Presley's preference for it

preference for it The M3D, the world's first stereo phonograph cartridge

The Vagabond System, one of the first wireless microphone systems for performers

The SM57, the main lectern microphone for all U.S. presidents since Lyndon B. Johnson

The iconic Shure SM58, the microphone of choice for music performance worldwide

The Axient Wireless System, the world's first with intelligent hardware and software to detect and avoid interference

Over the decades, Shure has launched numerous innovative wired and wireless microphone products, conferencing systems, audio processors, earphones, headphones and software systems, expanding its footprint both nationally and globally. Significantly, it is the most purchased brand among institutions, enterprises, houses of worship, and live events' sound contractors, as well as a leading brand in theatres, broadcast, and studios.

Shure has consistently demonstrated a keen understanding of customer and market trends. One of the key Mega Trends that it has been able to tap optimally is wireless connectivity. Its success in harnessing the power of this Mega Trend resulted in the industry transitioning to digital wireless technology. The company also offers alternatives in the unlicensed 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) spectrum.

The company's wireless microphones address user needs and environments across all price and performance tiers. Its premium lines, such as Axient and UHF-R, are used in live concert venues and television shows, as well as for special event broadcasts such as the Super Bowl, the GRAMMY Awards and U.S. political conventions.

The company received a special GRAMMY for its technical contribution to the music industry in 2003, and amassed unpaid endorsements from more than 500 artists, including A-listers. To ensure superior customer satisfaction and loyalty, Shure offers not only superior product support and expert advice, but also various product incentives and promotions.

"Recognizing the unique needs of millennial content creators and studio recorders following the social media explosion, Shure designed relevant microphone solutions and educational modules with a distinguished set of products and a variety of deployment methods and service levels," said Frost & Sullivan Industry Principal Alaa Saayed. "Due to this desire to keep pace with evolving trends, Shure continues to be perceived as a provider of superior audio technologies and solid customer support."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Shure Incorporated

Founded in 1925, Shure Incorporated (www.shure.com) is widely acknowledged as the world's leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics. Over the years, the Company has designed and produced many high-quality professional and consumer audio products that have become legendary for performance, reliability, and value. Shure's diverse product line includes world-class wired microphones, wireless microphone systems, in-ear personal monitoring systems, conferencing and discussion systems, networked audio systems, award-winning earphones and headphones, and top-rated phonograph cartridges. Today, Shure products are the first choice whenever audio performance is a top priority.

Shure Incorporated is headquartered in Niles, Illinois, in the United States. The Company also has regional sales and marketing headquarters in Eppingen, Germany, and Hong Kong, China, with more than 30 additional manufacturing facilities and regional sales offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Chiara Carella

P: +44 (0) 207.343.8314

F: 210.348.1003

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Related Links

http://www.frost.com


iFuse-3D leverages the clinically proven triangular titanium design of the iFuse Implant that is supported by more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and has been used in over 26,000 procedures since 2009.

The iFuse-3D Implant's surface and fenestrated structure were designed to provide enhanced osteointegration and promote intra-articular fusion. A study, published on June 1, 2017, in the International Journal of Spine Surgery (IJSS) titled: Fortifying the Bone-Implant Interface: An In Vivo Evaluation of 3D-Printed and TPS-Coated Triangular Implants1 shows significant bone growth on and into the implant's porous surface (Figure 1) as well as through its fenestrations (Figure 2).

Scott Yerby, Chief Technology Officer at SI-BONE, commented, "The design and development of the iFuse-3D implant was a multi-year effort. Our goal was to expand the iFuse family using 3D-printing technology to provide enhanced surface characteristics while retaining key performance features of the iFuse Implant, including superior rotational resistance, mechanical strength and ease of use with our existing instrumentation. iFuse-3D, with its trabecular-like surface, provides 250% greater surface area than our highly successful iFuse Implant. Additionally, the structural fenestrations allow complete bone through growth."

"The iFuse-3D Implant embodies our commitment to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of chronic SI joint disorders through innovative products, procedures and educational programs in order to help patients suffering from chronic SI joint pain," said Jeffrey Dunn, President and CEO of SI-BONE. "Our team of almost 200 employees is incredibly excited to support the more than 1,300 surgeons who have used the iFuse Implant, and we believe that expanding the iFuse family has the potential to help thousands more patients. What can be more exciting and rewarding than that?"

On May 30, 2017, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued patent no. 9,662,157 covering various structural design features of the iFuse-3D Implant that will extend intellectual property protection of the unique implant design for 17 years until September 2035.

About SI Joint Dysfunction

The SI joint has been attributed as a source of pain in 15-30 percent of patients with chronic low back pain2-5, and in up to 43 percent of patients with new onset or persistent low back pain after lumbar fusion.6 Patients with SI joint dysfunction may feel pain in the lower back, buttocks and/or legs. This can be especially true while transitioning from sitting to standing, stepping up or down, bending and lifting, walking, sleeping or even just sitting on the affected side.

SI joint dysfunction is often misdiagnosed or the pain misattributed to other causes, as not all healthcare providers evaluate the SI joint, and most patients do not ask about it. While not commonly diagnosed, SI joint disorders can be identified through a series of simple tests that include when a patient identifies their pain by pointing directly to the PSIS (the bony prominence overlying the SI joint), known as the Fortin Finger Test. The diagnosis is confirmed with physical examination and image-guided diagnostic injections directly in the SI joint.

About the iFuse Implant System

The iFuse Implant System provides a minimally invasive surgical solution to fuse the SI joint using patented triangular titanium implants that create an interference fit within the ilium and sacrum. The patented triangular implant shape and patented press fit insertion technique are designed to provide immediate fixation by minimizing the SI joint's unique motion called nutation. The implants have a porous surface that provides an environment conducive to ongrowth and ingrowth1, facilitating long-term fusion of the joint. The iFuse Implant, marketed since 2009, is the only commercially available SI joint fusion device in the United States with published prospective clinical evidence from multiple studies that demonstrate improvement in pain, patient function and quality of life.

The iFuse Implant System is intended for sacroiliac fusion for conditions including sacroiliac joint dysfunction that is a direct result of sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis. This includes conditions whose symptoms began during pregnancy or in the peripartum period and have persisted postpartum for more than 6 months. There are potential risks associated with the iFuse Implant System. It may not be appropriate for all patients and all patients may not benefit. For information about the risks, visit: www.si-bone.com/risks

About SI-BONE, Inc.

SI-BONE, Inc. (San Jose, California) is a leading innovative medical device company dedicated to the development, manufacture and commercialization of minimally invasive surgical devices for the treatment of patients with low back symptoms related to certain sacroiliac joint disorders. SI-BONE, Inc. first received 510(k) clearance to market its iFuse Implant System from the Food and Drug Administration in November 2008. The CE mark for European commercialization was obtained in November 2010.

SI-BONE and iFuse Implant System are registered trademarks of SI-BONE, Inc. 2017 SI-BONE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9848.061317

MacBarb, et al., "Fortifying the Bone-Implant Interface Part II: An In Vivo Evaluation of 3D-Printed and TPS-Coated Triangular Implants," Int J Spine Surg, 2017; 11. Bernard TN, Kirkaldy-Willis WH. Recognizing specific characteristics of nonspecific low back pain. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1987;217:26680. Schwarzer AC, Aprill CN, Bogduk N. The Sacroiliac Joint in Chronic Low Back Pain. Spine. 1995;20:317. Maigne JY, Aivaliklis A, Pfefer F. Results of Sacroiliac Joint Double Block and Value of Sacroiliac Pain Provocation Tests in 54 Patients with Low Back Pain. Spine. 1996;21:188992. Sembrano JN, Polly DW Jr. How Often is Low Back Pain Not Coming From The Back? Spine. 2009;34:E2732. DePalma M, Ketchum JM, Saullo TR. Etiology of Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Having Undergone Lumbar Fusion. Pain Med. 2011;12:7329.

SOURCE SI-BONE, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.si-bone.com


BOULDER, Colo., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR), a nonprofit network of entrepreneurs, investors and universities dedicated to solving international entrepreneurs' immigration problems, today announced that the company received a match donation from Silicon Valley Bank and Brad Feld (co-founder of Foundry Group and Techstars) through his Anchor Point Foundation totaling $200,000.

"There's nothing more frustrating than when a visa problem causes a promising startup to shut down. Global EIR offers a proven method for keeping a business in the United States," said Brad Feld, partner at Foundry Group and board co-chair of Global EIR. "And it's not just an ideaGlobal EIR has already helped a growing number of entrepreneurs gain access to the visas they need to grow their businesses and create American jobs. I'm excited about the potential of Global EIR as a valuable tool to build entrepreneurial communities around the country."

The donations from Feld and Silicon Valley Bank will continue to fund Global EIR's mission to help international entrepreneurs access U.S visas in order to build American businesses and create jobs. Global EIR matches highly-skilled foreign entrepreneurs with universities so that immigrant entrepreneurs can provide expert mentorship to entrepreneurial-minded students. In return, these entrepreneurs receive access to the visas they need to build their businesses inside the United States, ultimately contributing to the growth of the U.S. job market.

"Global EIR will unlock a new generation of entrepreneurs, and in turn, their successes will create new innovative economy jobs available to all Americans," said Craig Montuori, Executive Director of Global EIR. "These commitments from Brad Feld and Silicon Valley Bank challenge the startup community to sign on to our vision of helping great entrepreneursthe world's best and brightest, born in any country."

Currently, there are Global EIR programs in four states across 13 college and university campuses, including the University of Massachusetts, Boston; the University of Colorado, Boulder; the University of Alaska, Anchorage; and San Jose State University. Since the creation of Global EIR in 2014, the nonprofit has attained 42 visas for international entrepreneurs who have started their own companies, creating 123 new jobs and raising $29.9 million in capital in the process.

On top of the $100k donation from Silicon Valley Bank, the company's General Counsel, Michael Zuckert, will join Brad Feld on the Global EIR board. Zuckert will provide strategic guidance to the organization, drawing on his legal and government affairs experience.

"We were attracted to the Global EIR program since it is a targeted solution to an important issue in the innovation economy," said Michael Zuckert, General Counsel for Silicon Valley Bank. "Global EIR is bringing bright, entrepreneurial minds into the U.S. as a way to continue to foster job creation and opportunities for U.S. citizens."

Global EIR is a recent graduate from the Techstars' Boulder accelerator program and is the first nonprofit to go through the accelerator.

If you are interested in donating to Global EIR, please visit: https://www.globaleir.org/donate/. If you'd like to learn more about the Global EIR programs, please visit: https://www.globaleir.org

About Global EIR

Global EIR enables the world's most innovative entrepreneurs to continue to choose the US as the best place to do business. Global EIR partners with universities operating programs to connect entrepreneurs with visas, allowing them to grow their companies locally through a service commitment to the local community. Global EIR believes that immigrant entrepreneurs create American jobs.

Media Contact

Will McKenna

Barokas PR for Global EIR

(440) 665-0831

[email protected]

SOURCE Global EIR

Related Links

http://www.globaleir.org


NEW YORK, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc. (OTC: SMKG) & SmallCapVoice.com announced today that new interviews with AxePay and SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc. have been released in the SMKG Fintech Accelerator format to showcase ISV Partners. All of the interviews and information will be housed here http://smallcapvoice.com/blog/smallcapvoice-com-interviews-with-smkg-partner-companies/.

Massimo Barone CEO of SmartCard Marketing Systems, Inc. (OTC: SMKG), called in to SmallCapVoice.com, Inc. to go over all the of the companies that SMKG is working with as part of their Fintech Accelerator Program, the Generosity Platform, and much more. SMKG recently announced it has been named to the Top 10 Best Retail Mobility Solution Providers by Retail CIO Magazine for 2017. http://smallcapvoice.com/blog/6-9-17-smallcapvoice-interview-with-smartcard-marketing-systems-inc-smkg.

Gina Leslie with Axepay called in to SmallCapVoice.com to go over the business model and markets for the Company. Axepay is a simple, intuitive interface for Cross-border RMB in and out of China that allows payments to be made and funds to be transferred anywhere in the world. Axepay delivers seamless and cost-effective cross-border RMB payments to merchants internationally. Learn more at http://smallcapvoice.com/blog/6-6-17-smallcapvoice-com-interview-with-axepay/.

CEO Massimo Barone stated "We could not be happier with all of our partners and allowing the investing public to hear from each of them in this audio interview format. It is a convenient way to introduce them to the SMKG shareholders and the investing public. There are still more companies that we will be bring into our Fintech Accelerator and onto this audio interview platform to introduce them over the next few months."

About SmallCapVoice.com

SmallCapVoice.com is a recognized corporate investor relations firm, with clients nationwide, known for its ability to help emerging growth companies build a following among retail and institutional investors. SmallCapVoice.com utilizes its stock newsletter to feature its daily stock picks, audio interviews, as well as its clients' financial news releases. SmallCapVoice.com also offers individual investors all the tools they need to make informed decisions about the stocks they are interested in. Tools like stock charts, stock alerts, and Company Information Sheets can assist with investing in stocks that are traded on the OTC BB and Pink Sheets. To learn more about SmallCapVoice.com and their services, please visit http://smallcapvoice.com/blog/the-small-cap-daily-small-cap-newsletter/.

About SmartCard Marketing Systems, Inc.

SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc. (SMKG:OTC) is a Fintech advisory Co & solutions provider to the payments industry, delivering cloud-based EMV Host Acquiring & Issuing solutions to banks, telecoms and enterprise customers. In addition, the company's in-house lab offers customers proprietary software solutions including Genorocity.com, a coupon and incentive platform for the Retail & Events industry, Check21SAAS.com a Remote Deposit Check solution for X9 clearing and VelocityMWallet.com, a transaction payment ecosystem for alternative payment solutions & processing. For more information, go to www.smartcardmarketingsystems.com.

Forward-Looking Statements & Disclaimers:

The information in this Press Release includes certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws, as that term is defined in section 27a of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21e of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this document, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Investors are cautioned that such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.

Sign up for investor updates on our website and on the investor relations page.

We seek safe harbor

SOURCE SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc (SMKG)

Related Links

www.smartcardmarketingsystems.com


SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Health, a national behavioral health system, is proud to announce that Dr. Tonmoy Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Health, will be presenting at the 'Mental Health America 2017 Annual Conference: Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll' on Thursday, June 15, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EDT at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Other presenters include Patrick Kennedy, representing the Kennedy Forum, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

Approximately 8.9 million people in the United States have "dual diagnosis," a mental health condition coupled with an addiction disorder. Dr. Sharma, in a presentation titled "Slaying the Hydra: Is Treating Concurrent Drug and Mental Disorders a Herculean Task?" will discuss dual diagnosis in adolescents and adults; other speakers discuss mental health, mental illness and addiction.

"The occurrence of drug addiction in the mental health setting is not terribly surprising. Self-medicating makes a lot sense  marijuana numbs the pain of depression, Valium tames panic attacks and cocaine and crystal meth can break a pattern of apathy and social withdrawal. The stigma associated with mental illness in and of itself can be a driver of drug use," Dr. Sharma explains.

Despite the prevalence of co-occurring mental and drug disorders in this country, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that the majority, a staggering 55 percent, receive no treatment for either disorder and only 7 percent are treated for both issues.

Dr. Tonmoy Sharma has been recognized with numerous awards, honors and grants for his work in advancing mental health. He is a prolific researcher and scientist as well as the author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and five books on schizophrenia and mental illness. Dr. Sharma has served on numerous editorial boards, acted as peer reviewer for 14 international medical journals, and has been on various advisory boards governing the development of antipsychotics. He currently co-hosts "In Your Right Mind," a cutting-edge, weekly radio show that covers various topics in behavioral health.

Sovereign Health currently operates nine treatment facilities in five states: California, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Utah. The facilities are licensed in accordance with the regulations of the state where the facility is located. Sovereign facilities have been awarded Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission.

About Sovereign Health

Sovereign Health's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. Sovereign's facilities are licensed and have been awarded Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission, the highest level of accreditation available in the behavioral health field. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

SOURCE Sovereign Health

Related Links

http://www.sovhealth.com


CLEVELAND, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After a two and half week trial in Hamilton County, Ohio (Cincinnati), a jury returned a verdict on June 7, 2017 of nearly $28 million dollars in the wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of a Duke Energy Ohio lineman who died while climbing a utility pole that collapsed and fell due to hidden underground decay.

Keith Jester, age 43, was a senior lineman / trainer who climbed a utility pole with another utility worker when the pole broke below ground and fell on top of Keith, who was strapped to the pole. He survived for one hour and died of internal injuries. The Jester family, represented by Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP lawyers Stuart Scott, Jeremy Tor, and Peter Weinberger, brought this wrongful death lawsuit against Utilimap Corporation, a division of Quanta Services.

Utilimap was hired by Duke Energy to inspect 30,000 poles in Southwestern Ohio and as a utility wood pole inspection company, Utilimap was obligated by contract to perform inspections of the poles for the safety of the public and utility workers and for the reliability of the electricity system. The inspection program occurred approximately 28 months before this fatality.

Evidence developed in the case revealed that Utilimap inspectors skipped the pole that failed without notifying Duke Energy. In addition, Utilimap billed and was paid for the skipped pole. Utilimap denied all fault and blamed Keith for his own death. At the end of trial, the jury found Utilimap 100 % negligent in failing to inspect the pole and failing to notify Duke Energy. The jury found no negligence on the part of Keith. Keith is survived by his wife and three children.

The case is proceeding to a punitive damage phase on June 14th before the same jury in the courtroom of Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Timothy Hogan.

Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP is a nationally renowned personal injury and medical malpractice law firm that has been fighting on behalf of seriously injured victims and families throughout Ohio and the U.S. since 1946. Over the years, the firm's award-winning attorneys have leveraged decades of experience to secure more than $1 billion in compensation on behalf of clients. To learn more about the firm, visit www.spanglaw.com.

SOURCE Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP

Related Links

http://www.spanglaw.com


"The Paris Air Show is a great opportunity for us to conduct meetings, make connections, build relationships and formalize agreements with international partners," said Spirit President and CEO Tom Gentile. "We look forward to discussing the latest technological innovations and being at the heart of the global industry in Paris."

The International Paris Air Show launched in 1909 and is one of the oldest air shows in the world, drawing about 150,000 trade visitors and 200,000 public visitors from around the globe.

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures with design and build capabilities for both commercial and defense customers. Follow Spirit's Paris Air Show news and updates at www.spiritaero.com/airshow-blog.

On the web: www.spiritaero.com

On Twitter: @SpiritAero

About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe. More information is available at www.spiritaero.com.

SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Related Links

http://www.spiritaero.com


DENVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiftpage, the maker of Act! and a leading provider of software and services that help small and mid-sized businesses grow, announced it's partnership with CareerWise Colorado at the Youth Apprentice Signing Day event yesterday. This partnership will serve as part of Swiftpage's overall commitment to the youth and constantly evolving business community in the Denver area by helping to provide today's students with the skills they will need to effectively meet the needs of tomorrow's local businesses.

CareerWise is working to shape Colorado's workforce through innovative, business-led youth apprenticeships. The nonprofit coordinates apprenticeships among businesses, students and educators that create long-term impact. Students completing the program earn wages while gaining real-world skills, industry credentials and college credit that provide them with options to enter the workplace in high-paying jobs or continue their education. Participating local businesses benefit from the program as they take a more hands-on approach to building their own skilled and loyal workforces.

As a part of the partnership with CareerWise, Swiftpage will be hosting two apprentices in the pilot year of the program  one software QA tester and one computer technician  with plans to add more apprenticeships in the coming years.

"As a member of the Business Experiential-Learning (BEL) Commission and the leader of a technology company headquartered in Denver, I am extremely excited for the launch of this program," said H. John Oechsle. "There has been a need for something like this program for a long time  the world is changing, and it's changing fast  I am so honored to work with CareerWise to provide these types of opportunities to better prepare our next generation workforce."

To find more information or learn how you can get involved, visit www.careerwisecolorado.org.

About CareerWise Colorado

CareerWise Colorado is building a statewide system of youth apprenticeships that create pathways for students to access high-demand, high-paying careers at leading Colorado companies. Student apprentices also work toward high school graduation and earn postsecondary credit, industry credentials or both in their chosen career path. Established by the Business Experiential-Learning (BEL) Commission created by Gov. John Hickenlooper and chaired by Noel Ginsburg of Intertech Plastics, CareerWise Colorado will launch in school districts in metro Denver, Fort Collins and the Western Slope. 20,000 youth apprentices, or about 10 percent of Colorado students in their last two years of high school, are expected to participate by 2027. More information about CareerWise Colorado is available at http://www.careerwisecolorado.org/.

About Swiftpage

Swiftpage, the maker of Act!, is a leading provider of software and services that helps small and mid-sized businesses grow. Founded in 2001 and based in Denver, the company's growing network of partners, customers, end-users and employees collectively represent Swiftpage Nation, united across the globe as one team, on one journey. Learn more at http://www.swiftpage.com and join the conversation at act.com/blog.

2017 Swiftpage ACT! LLC. All rights reserved. Swiftpage, Act!, and the Swiftpage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Swiftpage ACT! LLC, or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Press Contacts

Mallory Bowers

Swiftpage

(303) 257-5051

[email protected]

Dave Feistel

LF|PR

(949) 502-6200 x 224

[email protected]

SOURCE Swiftpage

Related Links

http://www.swiftpage.com


BEAVERTON, Ore., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, has expanded its line-up of PAM4 test solutions to include comprehensive 400G electrical compliance testing for OIF-CEI-56G VSR/MR/LR PAM4 standards. The new 400G-TXE software package runs on high-performance Tektronix DPO70000SX Real-Time Oscilloscopes; a lineup of models which go up to 70 GHz in bandwidth. The automated turnkey solution performs PAM4 compliance test sweeps in a single pass for shorter test times, more reliable and repeatable results, and greater ease of use.

The TekExpress 400G-TXE solution panel contains sequentially ordered tabs that help guide through the test setup and execution process of the OIF-CEI-56G-VSR, OIF-CEI-56G-MR, and OIFCEI-56G-LR specific standardized tests.

The use of PAM4 encoding doubles the data rate of serial data channels compared to NRZ (non-return to zero). But as a complex modulation scheme it also presents a number of major test and measurement challenges. Many of the measurement specs for PAM4 are still in flux, making it difficult to stay current with the latest measurement techniques being formalized by the standards. The time required to complete complex test procedures can be a significant challenge along with the need for reliable results that can be correlated across test systems.

"By automating the PAM4 testing on our DPO70000SX Oscilloscopes, we are delivering easy-to-use turnkey test solutions our customers need to make the move to 400G," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. "This repeatable approach for 400G electrical PAM4 standards compliance testing is another addition to a rich set of PAM4 measurement tools from Tektronix for the growing Datacenter community."

The Tektronix 400G package allows users to evaluate electrical PAM4 signals to specification-mandated limits, and offers full OIF-CEI spec-level compliance tests. The solution includes digital clock recovery capabilities that provide trustworthy measurement results under all conditions, including signals impaired with ISI jitter or other impairments. Tektronix 400G-TXE compliance package performs standard required test sweeps with just one application, which results in shorter test times, more reliable and repeatable results and more ease of use.

Beyond compliance testing, Tektronix also provides PAM4 analysis & debug software solutions for both Real-Time and Equivalent-Time Oscilloscopes to support designers with insights needed to fully evaluate failing conditions such as BER and Eye Height & Width.

The 400G-TXE solution runs on high-performance DPO70000SX 70GHz, 59GHz and 50GHz real-time oscilloscope models that deliver unprecedented low noise and measurement accuracy. High-speed standards such as the OIF- CEI require oscilloscope bandwidths currently provided by the DPO70000SX Series.

Pricing & Availability

The Tektronix 400G-TXE solution is available now. Contact your local sales account manager for pricing details. For more information please visit our 400G-TXE Solution Datasheet.

Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog and stay up to date on the latest news from Tektronix on Twitter and Facebook.

About Tektronix

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM.

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tek.com


LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that the LE920A4-NA LTE Cat 4 module has received AT&T* certification for use on the carrier's North American LTE wireless networks. The smart module delivers voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) and 150 Mbps Cat 4 automotive-grade performance.

With advanced security features, the LE920A4 delivers OEMs and tier one automotive system integrators, flexibility to meet requirements of vehicle roadmaps for secure, high-speed mobile data with support for next gen applications such as advanced diagnostics, infotainment and remote software updates.

"Automobile manufacturers demand best-in-class solutions enabling world-class connected car innovation with robust security features that the LE920A4 delivers," said Yossi Moscovitz, CEO of Telit Automotive Solutions. "AT&T's approval for the North American module variant is a critical milestone that the auto industry can leverage for immediate deployment in U.S. car models. Telit remains committed to developing solutions aligned with progressive roadmaps that embrace advanced connected car and autonomous driving technologies."

Telit technology in the LE920A4 powers the entire connected car platform with a design that supports current connectivity needs with the flexibility to integrate value-add and other telematics services down the road as wireless communications continue to evolve. Complex in-vehicle applications are inside a secure processing environment with a built-in application processor, storage and memory. This flexible development environment allows customer application programs to run entirely and securely on the module itself using advanced anti-hacking capabilities.

LE920A4 Features

Global coverage: Series to include three multi-band, multi-mode, variants with integrated world-covering GNSS functionality, optimized for automobile manufacturers to deploy connected car solutions for the top automotive markets.

Advanced security addresses industry demands: Features include secure boot, secure storage, unique identifiers, random number generation and cryptographic algorithms.

Multi-radio access technology for exceptional coverage: LTE high-speed data secured with 3G/2G fallback delivers widest possible combination of voice and data connection technologies always-on communications, particularly in life-critical situations.

Safety-first: Supports regulatory and safety standards, and is VoLTE-ready (voice over LTE) with circuit-switch fallback (CSFB) to 3G or 2G aligned with regional requirements.

Design-once and select the module with the exact feature set for each market and vehicle line: The LE920A4 34x40 mm LGA form factor nests with the new LE940B6 Telit xE940 automotive module family, offering the OEM or tier one integrator, superior flexibility to address economic, feature and regional requirements with a single device design.

Automotive-grade: Ruggedized, mechanically robust package with excellent thermal characteristics for effective heat dissipation. With an operating temperature range of -40C to +85C, it is suitable for demanding applications and environments. Telit designs and manufactures automotive modules per ISO TS16949 processes to ensure quality and compliance with automotive OEM and tier-one supply chains requiring this certification.

Learn more about the LE920A4 series as well as the LE940B6-NA 300Mbps Cat 6 AT&T certified automotive module also ready for immediate application in North America.

*AT&T certification only relates to the technical compatibility of the device for use on the AT&T wireless network.

About Telit

Telit (AIM: TCM), is a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) enablement. The company offers the industry's broadest portfolio of integrated products and services for end-to-end IoT deployments  including cellular communication modules in all technologies, GNSS, Wi-Fi, short-to-long range wireless modules, IoT connectivity plans and IoT platform services. Through the IoT Portal, Telit makes IoT onboarding easy, reduces risk, time to market, complexity and costs for asset tracking, remote monitoring and control, telematics, industrial automation and others, across many industries and vertical markets worldwide.

Copyright  2017 Telit Communications PLC. All rights reserved. Telit and all associated logos are trademarks of Telit Communications PLC in the United States and other countries. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Telit Media Contact:

Leslie Hart

+1 919-415-1510

[email protected]

SOURCE Telit

Related Links

http://www.telit.com


"The true tequila aficionado is a growing group that is as informed as their counterparts in whiskey or wine these days," said Martin Williams, Senior Marketing Manager of Tequila Avion. "We have certainly witnessed an increase in the number of people sipping tequila either neat or on ice. You really understand the amazing aromas & complex flavors when you let high quality tequila stand-alone vs. mixing. In partnering with Waterford for the Avion Collection, we set out to provide consumers with a specially designed glass and decanter that allows one to fully appreciate the rich sensorial experience of Tequila Avion."

Drawing inspiration from Avion's single source Rare Blue Weber Agave the raw ingredient that's so critical to the quality and taste of Avion, the decanter and glasses were designed to resemble a freshly harvested agave "pina," the heart of the agave plant. The iconic wings of the Avion "flying agave" are also evident in the opulent cuts of the crystal. The Avion Collection is accompanied by a 750ml bottle of award-winning Avion Anejo tequila and enclosed in a striking custom black box.

"Waterford is renowned for craftsmanship and innovation and it has been a great pleasure to collaborate with Tequila Avion; as their philosophy of elevating tequila to an art and excellence in taste has cemented a natural partnership," said Howard Hyde Global Marketing Director, Waterford. "The Avion Collection decanter and glass has been thoughtfully designed with a slightly bulbous base, which tapers at the top, to allow for a more focused tasting experience; releasing the roasted agave aroma of the tequila as you sip. The ritual of pouring a glass of Avion neat or with the accompaniment of water or ice is further enhanced by the tactile cuts within the crystal creating the perfect grip to the luxurious weight of the Waterford decanter and glass."

The Avion Collection is available at ReserveBar.com for $399

ABOUT TEQUILA AVION

Avion is the ultra-premium tequila that has defined a new standard of quality and taste. Avion begins with single source rare Blue Weber agave coming only from Jesus Maria, Mexico ~elevation 7,000 ft. Avion is Tequila Elevated to an Art; created slowly in small batches using a meticulous time-consuming process. Avion was voted 'Best Tasting Tequila' at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For further information please visit TequilaAvion.com. Fans can also follow Tequila Avion on Facebook at Facebook.com/TequilaAvion or on Twitter and Instagram @TequilaAvion.

ABOUT WATERFORD

The company of Waterford was first established in 1783 on land adjacent to Merchants' Quay in the heart of the Irish harbor town of Waterford. Its founders were two brothers, William and George Penrose, who were important developers and principal exporters in the city. Their vision was to "create the finest quality crystal for drinking vessels and objects of beauty for the home." Today more than two hundred years later Waterford has the finest quality crystal sought after by collectors and connoisseurs around the world and the reputation for creating glass of unsurpassed beauty and quality has transcended the intervening centuries. To recognise an authentic piece of Waterford, each piece of Waterford is watermarked with the word "Waterford", a signature indicating the name of the finest crystal in the world. Waterford is making the everyday extraordinary by bringing people together through celebrations and social gatherings. Waterford was acquired by Fiskars Corporation in 2015 and is now part of Fiskars Living.

Waterford.com

For Media Inquiries Please Contact:

ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

[email protected]

SOURCE Tequila Avion
BOSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TFC Financial Management (TFC), an independent, majority employee-owned registered investment advisory and financial planning firm has announced the launch of its Sustainable and Responsible Investment Strategy (SRI). "Our clients, their families and prospective clients are increasingly expressing interest in SRI and their desire to have investment portfolios be more aligned with their personal values and social impact priorities," said TFC Chief Executive Officer Renee Kwok, CFP. "We are pleased to be able to offer this strategy, designed to provide long-term investment returns as well as positive social and environmental impact, as both dimensions are important to these clients."

TFC defines sustainable and responsible investing as an investment approach that considers environmental, social and governance factors to achieve competitive long-term investment results and positive social impact. Clients will typically have core holdings in sustainable mutual funds that offer broad diversification and a low carbon footprint. These core holdings will favor companies with positive environmental, social and governance attributes while minimizing holdings with less favorable attributes. The firm may also supplement core investments with investments in which there are fewer sustainable options, and will incorporate impact investments that focus on mission-related social or environmental priorities. "We tailor the impact investment portion of the portfolio based on the priorities of our clients, so environmentally-focused clients may have different impact investments than clients who are focused on issues such as affordable housing or diversity," said TFC Chief Investment Officer Daniel Kern, CFA, CFP.

TFC provides fee-only financial advisory and investment management services for high-net-worth individuals, couples and families, as well as strategic planning and endowment asset management services for boards of non-profit entities. The firm has been serving many of the same families since its inception in 1980.

TFC has been recognized as a leading independent registered investment advisor by both Financial Planning magazine (included among 2016 Top Registered Investment Advisors*) and by the Financial Times (included among 2015 Top 300 Registered Investment Advisors**). Kwok has been named by Boston Magazine as a Five Star Wealth Manager*** in four of the past six years. For more information on the firm's services, visit www.tfcfinancial.com or call 617-210-6700.

ABOUT TFC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

TFC Financial Management is an independent, fee-only, registered investment advisory firm in Boston, MA, that manages approximately $890 million in client assets and provides comprehensive personal financial advice. Founded in 1980 by a group of financial professionals including James Joslin, CFP, and Frederick Pryor, the firm serves high-net-worth individuals, couples and families, and also provides strategic consulting and asset management to nonprofit organizations.

Registration with the SEC should not be construed as an endorsement or an indicator of investment skill, acumen or experience. Investments in securities are not insured, protected or guaranteed and may result in loss of income and/or principal.

* The Financial Planning rankings are based upon the total discretionary and nondiscretionary assets under management listed on Form ADV. The rankings list comprises only independent, fee-only advisory firms, excluding firms with broker/dealer and insurance company affiliations as well as those with substantial outside ownership. In order to capture firms that provide financial advice to individuals, only advisory firms that maintain a client base that consists of at least 50 percent "individual clients" are included.

** The formula the FT uses to grade advisers is based on six broad factors and calculates a numeric score for each adviser. Areas of consideration include adviser AUM (based on SEC ADV reported assets greater than $300 million), asset growth, the company's age, industry certifications of key employees, SEC compliance record, and online accessibility.

*** Boston magazine and Five Star Professional partnered to find wealth managers who satisfy 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria, including: credentialed for at least 5 years; favorable regulatory record; one- and five-year client retention rates; non-institutional assets administered; number of clients served; and educational/professional designations.

Contact:

Leslie Swid

Impact Communications

913 649-5009

[email protected]

Related Images

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SOURCE TFC Financial Management

Related Links

http://www.tfcfinancial.com


PHILADELPHIA, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Tigers Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE: GRR), a closed-end equity fund, announced that Mr. J. Marc Hardy will resign as a Class III Director of the Fund effective June 21, 2017. The Board expects to reduce the size of the Board effective upon the resignation of Mr. Hardy.

The Board would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr. Hardy and acknowledge the many contributions he has made to the Fund during his tenure and wish him the best of success in all future endeavors.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact: [email protected]

aberdeengrr.com

SOURCE The Asia Tigers Fund, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aberdeengrr.com


SANTIAGO, Chile, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

New Notes Offerings

The Republic of Chile (" Chile ") announced today the commencement of a global offering (the " Notes Offering ") of a series of global notes due 2047 to be denominated in U.S. dollars (the " USD Notes "), as well as a concurrent offering (the " Euro Offering ") of Chile's 1.875% Notes due 2030, which will constitute a further issuance of, and will form a single series with, Chile's outstanding 1.875% Notes due 2030 initially issued on May 27, 2015 (the " Reopening Euro Notes " and, together with the USD Notes, the " New Notes "). Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC or their affiliates will serve as Joint Lead Managers and Bookrunners for those offerings (collectively, the " New Notes Offerings ").

The New Notes Offerings are being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus under Chile's registration statements (as amended) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC ") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Copies of the prospectus supplement and prospectus for the New Notes Offerings may be obtained by calling Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 1-800-831-9146, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC at 1-866-471-2526, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. at 1-866-811-8049 or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at 1-866-846-2874.

Chile intends to use the net proceeds of the sale of the USD Notes for general budgetary purposes and partially to pay the purchase price for certain outstanding debt securities of Chile that are validly tendered and accepted in the offer to purchase described below and the balance for general purposes of the government, and the net proceeds of the sale of the Euro Notes for general budgetary purposes of the government.

Application will be made to have the New Notes admitted to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and admitted to trading on the Euro MTF Market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Tender Offer

Chile also announced today the commencement of an offer to purchase for cash (the " Tender Offer ") debt securities of each series listed in the table below (the " Old Notes " and each Old Notes, a "series" of Old Notes) such that the aggregate Purchase Price (as defined below) to be paid for the Old Notes tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer is equal to a maximum purchase amount to be determined by Chile in its sole discretion (the " Maximum Purchase Amount "). The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated June 13, 2017 (the " Offer to Purchase ").

The Tender Offer is not conditioned upon any minimum participation of any series of Old Notes, but is conditioned on the pricing of the USD Notes in an amount, with pricing and on terms and conditions acceptable to Chile in its sole discretion.

The tender period (the " Tender Period ") will commence at 8:00 a.m., New York time, on Tuesday, June 13, 2016 and expire at 4:00 p.m, New York time, on the same day unless extended or earlier terminated. The settlement of the Tender Offer is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 (the " Tender Offer Settlement Date "). The purchase price to be paid for the Old Notes of each series tendered and accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer will be a purchase price to be determined in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Offer to Purchase using the fixed spread specified in the table below (the " Purchase Price "). Holders whose Old Notes are accepted in the Tender Offer will also receive any accrued and unpaid interest (the " Accrued Interest ") on their Old Notes up to (but excluding) the Tender Offer Settlement Date.



Old Notes Outstanding Principal Amount as of June 12, 2017 ISIN CUSIP Common Code Reference U.S. Treasury Security(1) Bloomberg Screen Fixed Spread (Basis Points) Hypothetical Purchase Price (per US$1,000 Principal Amount)(2) 3.125% Global Notes due 2025 ("2025 Notes") US$758,262,000 US168863BW77 168863BW7 115193795 2.375% due May 2027 PX1 T+42 bp US$1,035.00

3.625% Global Notes due 2042 ("2042 Notes") US$750,000,000 US168863BP27 168863BP2 085023837 3.00% due February 2047 PX1 T+65 bp US$1,017.50

(1)The Dealer Managers will establish the U.S. Treasury Rate using the bid-side price of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security on the applicable Bloomberg Screen (set forth above) or using the actual U.S. Treasury Rate used to calculate the yield for the New Notes, as applicable, at or around the pricing of the New Notes. (2)The Hypothetical Purchase Price for the Old Notes has been calculated using the bid-side price of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security on the Bloomberg Screen at 2:00 p.m., EST, on Monday, June 12, 2017.

During the Tender Period, a holder of Old Notes may place orders to tender Old Notes (" Tender Orders ") only through the Dealer Managers. Holders will NOT be able to submit tenders through the Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., Clearstream Banking, societe anonyme or The Depository Trust Company (" DTC ") systems. If a holder does not have an account with any Dealer Manager, such holder may place a tender offer through any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, other financial institution or other custodian that it customarily uses. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as the billing and delivering bank for the Tender Offer (in such capacity, the " Billing and Delivering Bank "), will consolidate all Tender Orders and, upon instruction of Chile, accept Old Notes for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer, subject to proration as described in the Offer to Purchase, prior to 8:00 a.m., New York time, on June 14, 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. Each of Chile and the Billing and Delivering Bank reserves the right, in the sole discretion of each of them, not to accept any or all Tender Orders and to terminate the Tender Offer for any reason. Tender Orders by a holder of each series of Old Notes must be in Permitted Tender Amounts as set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

There is no letter of transmittal for the Tender Offer. Old Notes held through DTC must be delivered to any of the Dealer Managers for settlement no later than 3:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tender Offer Settlement Date. Failure to deliver Old Notes on time may result in (i) the cancellation of your tender and in you becoming liable for any damages resulting from that failure, and/or (ii) in the case of Preferred Tenders (as defined below), cancellation of any allocation of New Notes in the New Notes Offerings in respect of your related Indication of Interest and/or (iii) in the case of Preferred Tenders, in the cancellation of your tender and in your remaining obligation to purchase your allocation of New Notes in respect of your related Indication of Interest and/or (iv) in the delivery of a buy-in notice for the purchase of such Old Notes, executed in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities. Holders will not have withdrawal rights with respect to any tenders of Old Notes in the Tender Offer. Old Notes accepted for purchase will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis with the Billing and Delivering Bank on the Tender Offer Settlement Date in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities (i.e., a "desk to desk" or "broker to broker" trade).

If the aggregate Purchase Price would exceed the aggregate Purchase Price payable for the Maximum Purchase Amount and proration occurs, preference will be given to Tender Orders submitted by holders who place firm orders for New Notes prior to the pricing of the New Notes Offerings (" Preferred Tenders "). Such priority will apply, for each Preferred Tender, with respect to an amount of Tender Orders having a Purchase Price equal to the amount of New Notes ordered by such holder, subject to certain limits.

All Old Notes that are tendered pursuant to Tender Orders placed through a Dealer Manager and accepted will be purchased by the Billing and Delivering Bank. Only the Billing and Delivering Bank will be liable for the payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest for Old Notes validly tendered and accepted. Chile will not be liable under any circumstances for any payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest to the holders of Old Notes tendered in the Tender Offer. The Billing and Delivering Bank shall not be liable for payments to any holder of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase if such holder fails to deliver such Old Notes on or prior to the settlement of the Tender Offer as described in the Offer to Purchase. The Billing and Delivering Bank shall only have the obligation to sell to Chile the Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase that the Billing and Delivering Bank has actually received pursuant to the Offer to Purchase on the Tender Offer Settlement Date. Tender Orders that are not for Permitted Tender Amounts will not be accepted.

The Tender Offer is subject to Chile's right, at its sole discretion and subject to applicable law, to instruct the Dealer Managers to extend, terminate, withdraw or amend the Tender Offer at any time. Each of Chile and the Billing and Delivering Bank and the Dealer Managers reserves the right, in the sole discretion of each of them, not to accept tenders for any reason.

The Offer to Purchase may be downloaded from the Information Agent's website at www.dfking.com/chile or obtained from the Information Agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc. in New York, 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10005, (Banks and Brokers call collect: +1 (212) 269-5550; all others call Toll-Free: +1 (866) 796-1271) Attention: Michael Horthman (email: [email protected]), in the United Kingdom, 125 Wood Street, London EC2V 7AN (Tel. +44 (0) 207-9200-9700), or from any of the Dealer Managers.

The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer are:

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 390 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Group 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Group 452 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10018

United States of America

Attention: Global Liability Management Group 383 Madison Ave New York, New York 10179 United States of America Attention: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Collect: (212) 723-6106 Toll-free: (800) 658-3745 Collect: (212) 902-6595

Toll-free: (800) 828-3182 Collect: (212) 525-5552

Toll-free: (888) HSBC-4LM

Collect: (212) 834-7279 Toll-free: (866) 846-2874

Questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the above contact.

Chile has filed registration statements (including the prospectus supplement and the prospectus) with the SEC for the New Notes Offerings and the issuance of New Notes. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in the registration statements and other documents that Chile has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Chile and such offerings. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Joint Lead Managers and Bookrunners, the Dealer Managers or the Information Agent, as the case may be, will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement and the prospectus if you request it by calling any one of them at the numbers specified above.

The following additional information of Chile is available from the SEC's website and also accompanies this free-writing prospectus:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19957/000110465917038709/0001104659-17-038709-index.htm

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19957/000090342315000718/rocsb.htm

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19957/000104746915004868/a2224832zs-bmef.htm

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19957/000114420412051547/v323686_sb.htm

Contact information: D.F. King & Co., Inc. 48 Wall Street, 24nd Floor New York, New York 10005 Banks and Brokers, Call Collect: (212) 269-5550 All Others Call Toll-Free: (866) 796-1271 Email: [email protected] www.dfking.com/chile





In the United Kingdom:

125 Wood Street London EC2V 7AN

Tel: +44 20 7920 9700

Important Notice

The distribution of materials relating to the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer and the transactions contemplated by the New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Each of the New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer come into your possession, you are required by Chile to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Tender Offer in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders."

In any EEA Member State this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive.

The New Notes are not authorized for public offering under the Austrian Capital Markets Act (Kapitalmarktgesetz) and no public offers or public sales or invitation to make such an offer may be made. No advertisements may be published and no marketing materials may be made available or distributed in Austria in respect of the New Notes. A public offering of the securities in Austria without the prior publication of a prospectus in accordance with the Austrian Capital Market Act would constitute a criminal offense under Austrian law.

In the Bahamas, the New Notes are being offered and sold only to Accredited Investors (as defined in the Securities Industry Regulations, 2012) and will be subject to the resale restrictions contained in Regulation 117. As a condition of the purchase of the New Notes, each purchaser will be required to attest to the purchaser's status as an Accredited Investor acknowledging that the securities purchased are subject to restrictions on resale.

The New Notes Offerings do not constitute a public offering within the meaning of Article 3, 1 of the Belgian Law of June 16, 2006 on public offering of securities and admission of securities to trading on a regulated market (the " Prospectus Law "). The Tender Offer will not constitute a public offering within the meaning of Articles 3, 1, 1 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on takeover bids (the " Takeover Law "). The New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer will be exclusively conducted under applicable private placement exemptions and have therefore not been, and will not be, notified to, and any offer material relating to the New Notes Offerings or the Tender Offer has not been, and will not be, approved by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorite des services et marches financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiele Diensten en Markten). The New Notes Offerings as well as the New Notes Offerings materials may only be advertised, offered or distributed in any way, directly or indirectly, to any persons located and/or resident in Belgium who qualify as " Qualified Investors " as defined in Article 10, 1 of the Prospectus Law and who are acting for their own account, or in other circumstances which do not constitute a public offering in Belgium pursuant to the Prospectus Law. The Tender Offer as well as the Tender Offer materials may only be advertised, offered or distributed in any way, directly or indirectly, to any persons located and/or resident in Belgium who qualify as "Qualified Investors" as defined in Article 10, 1 of the Prospectus Law and as referred to in Article 6, 3, 1 of the Takeover Law, and who are acting for their own account, or in other circumstances which do not constitute a public offering in Belgium pursuant to the Takeover Law.

The New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer have not been and will not be approved by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, as neither constitute a public offer in accordance with the Danish Securities Trading Act nor the Danish executive order on takeover bids.

No prospectus (including any amendment, supplement or replacement thereto) has been prepared in connection with the offering of the New Notes that has been approved by the French Autorite des marches financiers or by the competent authority of another State that is a contracting party to the Agreement on the EEA and notified to the French Autorite des marches financiers and to Chile; neither the Tender Offer nor the New Notes have been offered or sold nor will be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France; the materials relating to the New Notes have not been distributed or caused to be distributed and will not be distributed or caused to be distributed to the public in France; such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), as defined in Articles L. 4112 and D. 4111, of the French Code monetaire et financier who are investing for their own account and are not individuals. The direct or indirect distribution to the public in France of any so acquired New Notes may be made only as provided by Articles L. 4111, L. 4112, L. 4121 and L. 6218 to L. 62183 of the French Code monetaire et financier and applicable regulations thereunder. The other legal entities referred to in Articles L. 3412 1 and D. 3411 of the French Code monetaire et financier are eligible to participate in the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer has not been and will not be submitted to the clearance procedures (visa) of nor approved by the Autorite des marches financier.

With respect to persons in Hong Kong, the New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer are only made to, and are only capable of acceptance by, professional investors within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong (the "SFO") and any rules made thereunder ("professional investors"). No person or entity may issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, any advertisement, invitation or document relating to the New Notes, Old Notes or the Tender Offer, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong, including in circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Old Notes which are or are intended to be tendered, or New Notes which are intended to be purchased, only by persons outside Hong Kong or only by "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made under thereunder.

In Italy, this announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at, and the prospectus supplement and the Offer to Purchase documents may only be distributed, directly or indirectly, to qualified investors.

In Luxembourg, this announcement has been prepared on the basis that the New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer will be made pursuant to an exemption under Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities.

In the Netherlands, the New Notes may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, other than to qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of Article 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht).

Neither the communication of this announcement nor any other offer material relating to the New Notes Offerings and the Tender Offer has been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (as so amended, the " Order ") or (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such other persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents.

SOURCE The Republic of Chile
85 locations and growing

TORONTO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America's original blow dry bar, celebrates its 10-year anniversary this June! Over the past decade, Blo has grown from a mother-daughter venture in Vancouver, Canada to an international brand with over 85 locations in three countries. To celebrate, Blo participated in a fun and interactive scavenger hunt in 10 of their hottest markets. The hot pink campaign was designed to build brand awareness and consumer engagement by hiding certificates for free blow outs across North America.

In its 10th year, Blo is experiencing unprecedented growth, with an additional 15 locations scheduled to open in 2017 and record sales of new units. What brought Blo to this point of exciting growth?

2007  Two Canadian women have a revolutionary idea: provide women with red carpet-quality hair at affordable prices. Three Blo locations were opened in Vancouver, and a new category of blow-dry only hair salons were born.

2008  Blo was propelled to new heights when Toronto entrepreneur, Ari Yakobson, and a group of investors acquired Blo and combined their business expertise with this successful retail concept. They re-launched Blo as a franchise system with a mission to provide high-quality, affordable, convenient beauty services in a fun, modern store environment. Several successful Canadian franchise locations in Toronto and Vancouver opened shortly thereafter.

2010  The first US-based franchise opened in San Francisco. The blow dry bar concept continued to gain traction and demand fuelled Blo's expansion.

2016  Blo welcomed founding partner, Vanessa Melman Yakobson, as CEO of the growing brand.

2017  Blo started their 10th year by opening their 57th location, with 15 more opening by the end of the year.

Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar, summarized her excitement for making it to their diamond year, "It is such a point of pride that as North America's original blow dry bar, we revolutionized the beauty category 10 years ago. It is also so thrilling to have created a fulfilling opportunity for our franchise owners to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions, and for our talented staff to pursue their passion."

ABOUT BLO BLOW DRY BAR

Blo Blow Dry Bar's motto is: "You're not cheating on your hairdresser". No, seriously. Blo is North America's original blow dry bar. No cuts, no color: Just wash, blo, go. Guests choose from our signature styles featured in the Blo Hair Menu, from the razor-straight "Executive Sweet" to the runway-inspired "Pillow Talk". With over 85 locations worldwide, Blo Blow Dry Bar is the largest blow dry bar franchise in the world. To learn more, visit: www.blomedry.com or visit franchise.blomedry.com for more information on owning your own Blo!

blomedry.com

FOLLOW BLO BLOW DRY BAR ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER:

@bloheartsyou | #bloheartsyou

SOURCE Blo Blow Dry Bar
AUSTIN, Texas, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Rancha 2,200-acre master-planned community off Highway 71 and Paleface Ranch Roadand Baylor Scott & White Health officials today announced a partnership to bring needed access to medical services for residents in Western Travis County and Eastern Burnet County. This area is currently designated as a "Medically Underserved Area" by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The goal of the partnership is to work together to formulate a solution that brings comprehensive health care to Spicewood-area residents. A detailed review of the area's current and future medical requirements is now underway and may result in a Baylor Scott & White Health clinic in the Spicewood area during the 2018-19 timeframe. Upon completion of the review and agreements, additional details will be forthcoming.

"We are excited to partner with Baylor Scott & White Health, one of the highest quality and most trusted health care systems in Texas," Ralph Thomas, property owner, said. "I have been carefully formulating my thoughts for this property, and this partnership is an important step forward as Baylor Scott & White Health is also firmly committed to serving the area. As the development progresses, additional strategic partnerships will be announced that will help meet the needs of the growing Spicewood community."

Thomas Ranch, which is inspired by the rich history and natural character of the Texas Hill Country, will feature premier amenities and attractions for residents of all ages. With its prominent location on Highway 71 west of the Pedernales River, Thomas Ranch is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for high-quality Hill Country living west of Austin.

"We are honored to have been selected by Thomas Ranch as the medical provider of choice for residents in the Spicewood area," Tim Ols, president and CEO of Baylor Scott & White Marble Falls Specialty Clinic and Hospital, said. "Mr. Thomas recognized the needs of this community and has put the interests of Spicewood area residents at the forefront of his planning. This is an exciting opportunity for the community and for Baylor Scott & White."

Thomas is committed to maintaining the beauty of the area's natural landscape while also providing much-needed services to the area. He has deep roots in Texas and has owned portions of the ranch for more than two decades. The first Thomas Ranch parcel was purchased in 1993.

Thomas Ranch will maintain the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country, including rolling limestone hills, stream-carved bluffs with springs, caves, cliffs and waterfalls, among other scenic features. A hierarchy of trails will link neighborhoods, provide lake access and connect major amenities, such as Baylor Scott & White health care facility.

The Thomas Ranch Town Square will be the social and commercial hub of the community. In addition to the health care facility, it will include retail entities, restaurants and potential office buildings, as well as open space to accommodate informal recreation and community events.

About Thomas Ranch

Thomas Ranch is a proposed master-planned development that includes 2,200 acres of land in Western Travis County off of Highway 71. The property includes five ecosystems, extensive shoreline along the Pedernales River, direct access to Lake Travis, natural creeks and streams and miles of nature trails.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Thomas Ranch
WALTHAM, Mass., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Heartbeat, a leading provider of healthcare enterprise solutions that improve clinical workflow and team communication, today announced that Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California, has selected the MH-CURE (Clinical Urgent REsponse) secure smartphone application as its clinical communications platform. The platform provides Torrance Memorial a unified communications system delivering improved secure text and voice communication and integration with its Cerner electronic medical records (EMR) system, and West-Com nurse call system.

"We selected MH-CURE because we were looking for advanced functionality, such as integrated voice and text, the ability to upload patient photos and data to EMRs, and the opportunity to consolidate other technologies such as paging to create an enterprise-level communications platform," said Bernadette Reid, CIO at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. "We also required a highly reliable communications system with which we no longer experienced the dropped calls that were common with our previous system. With MH-CURE, we can communicate seamlessly from building to building, while experiencing tremendous ease of use, such as fast and easy logins."

Torrance Memorial is rolling out MH-CURE to over 2700 clinical staff members across all departments, particularly its rapid response teams. The hospital is replacing all old phones and most pagers with more than 1000 shared MH-CURE-enabled smartphones.

MH-CURE's real-time clinical team directory connects all members of a patient's care team enabling patient-specific workflows and enhanced caregiver collaboration. The Dynamic Care Team directory enables clinicians to quickly identify and contact team members directly, instead of having to search for an extension which is time consuming and inefficient.

"The clinical team directory is highly functional, providing the ability to easily locate specific team members and save contacts and phone numbers," said Reid. "You can assign clinical staff members to the role they serve on a patient's care team and easily contact the person in a particular role without having to first find out who they are and search for them. You can just look up the patient, find the care team and then call them immediately. Our clinicians love the directory because it helps expedite their calls and has streamlined communications significantly."



"We are pleased to partner with Torrance Medical and look forward to helping them improve workflow and communication among care teams across all departments in the hospital," said Ron Remy, CEO of Mobile Heartbeat. "With Mobile Heartbeat's MH-CURE mobile platform, clinicians at Torrance Medical will now have accelerated access to care team members and patient information, expediting communications, resulting in improved patient care."

About MH-CURE

MH-CURE provides unified Clinical Communication and Collaboration capabilities including secure texting, Voice over WiFi, paging, broadcasting, alert integration, and other clinical system integration in a single application, enabling care teams across the enterprise to use one device/one application for all their communications and collaboration needs. MH-CURE also incorporates patient information and real-time, patient-specific care team information, improving workflow.

Resources

White Paper  "Key Considerations for Implementing Smartphone Technology in a Hospital Environment"

Mobile Heartbeat CURE Overview Video

About Torrance Memorial Medical Center

Founded in 1925 by Jared Sydney and Helena Childs Torrance, Torrance Memorial Medical Center is a locally governed, 446-bed, nonprofit medical center established to provide quality healthcare services, predominantly to the residents of the South Bay, Peninsula and Harbor communities. Torrance Memorial seeks to offer the most current and effective medical technologies rendered in a compassionate, caring manner. In 2012, it joined the ranks of the top hospitals in the nation by earning coveted Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes nursing excellence. Torrance Memorial has also been ranked as one of the best hospitals for 2016-17 in California and the Los Angeles metro area for the fifth year straight by U.S. News & World Report, placing the hospital 21st in the state and 11th in the region. The report recognized Torrance Memorial for providing high performing and quality care in the following areas: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, congestive heart failure, colon, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung. For more information, please visit: www.TorranceMemorial.org.

About Mobile Heartbeat

Mobile Heartbeat is a leading provider of clinical communications and collaboration solutions that use smartphones to improve clinical workflow and provide secure team communications, delivering better patient care at a lower cost. Mobile Heartbeat integrates high-quality voice and secure messaging with patient-specific medical records, lab results, nurse call, notifications, and more in a single, intuitive application. Based upon its Clinical Urgent REsponse (CURE) technology, Mobile Heartbeat provides a real-time clinical team directory that efficiently connects all members of a patient's care team inside and outside the hospital as well as across multiple facilities. Eliminating the need for multiple devices, searching for caregivers and hunting for lab data, Mobile Heartbeat provides a highly efficient, patient-specific, clinical team communication and collaboration solution. For more information, visit www.mobileheartbeat.com.

Contact: Helen Shik

617-510-4373

[email protected]

SOURCE Mobile Heartbeat

Related Links

http://www.mobileheartbeat.com


ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TRACE, the internationally recognized anti-bribery organization, yesterday announced The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and freelance journalist, Dorothee Myriam Kellou, as the recipients of its 2017 Prize for Investigative Reporting. The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

The ICIJ was awarded for their groundbreaking investigation, The Panama Papers. "We are thrilled that the TRACE Prize this year recognizes the work of 376 reporters in 80 countries who courageously participated in the Panama Papers investigation, many of them at great personal risk," said Marina Walker Guevara, deputy director of the ICIJ. "Their reporting pierced the secrecy of tax havens and uncovered the many faces of corruption around the world  from bribery to money laundering to industrial-scale tax avoidance and evasion. By working together as one team, their reporting triggered change at a global level, including high-level resignations, law changes and public outcry."

The judges said, "In one of the most remarkable collaborations in modern journalism history, these illuminating projects tackled one of the most difficult topics the media faces  the hidden links and secret wealth of the world's most powerful people  and produced fascinating tales with worldwide impact."

Dorothee Myriam Kellou, freelance journalist, was recognized for her investigation published in Le Monde and as a video on France 24, into French cement giant Lafarge's operations in Syria, including payoffs to armed groups and indications of covert dealings with Islamic State (ISIS). Dorothee said, "It is an honor to be a recipient of 2017 TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting. Documenting multinationals' corporate corruption practices  especially in war zones  is an uneasy but necessary task. It helps to hold multinationals accountable in the context of weak anti-bribery laws and fragile enforcement  and reasserts, as TRACE does, that multinational companies should not sacrifice the rule of law in the pursuit of profit worldwide."

The judges said, "This powerful project captured, with nuance and intelligence, the moral crisis that faces businesses caught in the desperate situation in Syria, and by extension, every war-torn region."

Honorable mentions were awarded to Elias Mambo of The Zimbabwe Independent Newspaper, for an investigation chronicling how Zimbabwe's government circumvented tender procedures to corruptly award a power energy deal to a company that had not submitted its bid, and to Michael Kavanagh, Thomas Wilson and Franz Wild, reporters at Bloomberg, awarded for their work entitled "Congo's Secret Web of Power" exploring the network of businesses built up by President Joseph Kabila and his relatives that reach into every corner of the Congo's economy.

"We at TRACE are proud to continue supporting journalists worldwide in their efforts to unmask corruption and thereby increase commercial transparency," said TRACE President Alexandra Wrage. "The TRACE Prize recognizes the complex and often dangerous work being done by these reporters."

The TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting is one of many initiatives run by the TRACE Foundation in support of its mission of increasing commercial transparency worldwide. The 2018 Prize for Investigative Reporting will open in the autumn of 2017. For more information, visit www.traceinternational.org/investigative-reporting.

About TRACE

TRACE International, Inc. is a globally recognized anti-bribery business organization and leading provider of third party risk management solutions. Members and clients include hundreds of multinational companies headquartered in the U.S. and worldwide. For more information, visit www.TRACEinternational.org.

SOURCE TRACE

Related Links

http://www.traceinternational.org


LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Oh the places you'll go, and the things you'll see. Never have Dr. Seuss' rhymes made more sense to adults today than when you start to examine how influencer marketing has turned the travel industry upside down. Previously relegated to stuffy travel guides written by yesterday's travel wordsmiths, where we go around the globe used to be a matter of what most caught our eye from a Google search. Now, influencers ...social media stars on all manner of platforms are striking deals with destinations, and with brands, and bringing the places they go and things they see to their dream-filled followers. Digital influencer management firm, God & Beauty, discusses how Travel, is the new currency of influence and branded content.



Chanel brought Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk to Grasse, FR to experience and share the making of their iconic No. 5 fragrance.

Take Tommy Lei, the Hong Kong born / LA raised photographer behind MYBELONGING for example. In the last six months, Tommy has already traveled to Iceland, Punta Cana, Mexico City, New York, London, and Morocco. Talk about bucket list checks! Tommy partnered with sandal brand Teva on his last trip through Marrakech to the Sahara, where the goal was a ground-swell of destination specific content -- and believe us, Morocco is an instagram worthy destination right now. The program was a smashing success, whereby his branded content generated over 40% engagement from his fans, and he was able to use his talent in photography to deliver a robust package of digital content to the brand. These kinds of collaborations are becoming the new win-win for influence deals, and they will only increase in velocity.

Brands who work with influencers get to be part of aspirational journeys across the globe, capturing audiences in a very visual way. Partnering with influencers is turning out to be a better pay-off than other traditional forms of advertising because of how emotionally invested the community of followers are. Influencers are using wanderlust apps like Sherpa to share guides with their fans, bringing their trips full circle by establishing themselves as travel experts and brand ambassadors -- all rolled into one incredible package.

On the other side of the spectrum, destinations themselves are turning into the clients that want to partner and bring groups of influencers to build the buzz. As David Hoffmann, host for popular YouTube travel channel David's Been Here, noted,

"Influencer marketing has branched out beyond fashion into the travel sphere, giving audiences a taste of what it's like to quit their jobs, travel the world and create a personal brand doing something that was once considered a far-fetched luxury. Now that millennial influencers have taken Instagram by storm, places like the Maldives and Bali have become some of the hottest destinations, triggering flight deals and affordable hotel packages like never before."

This is a massive shift in marketing dollars for destinations, and brands are seeing the returns in the form of booked hotels, booked flights and exploding local business. Influencers make travel, that often seems like a far off luxury, real and accessible.

The shift is also changing how other related trades are checking off their own bucket lists. Photographer Champagne Victoria has gone from shooting fashion editorials around Los Angeles to spending a better part of her year across Europe and island chains, because of the global impact of influencer marketing. By bundling trips with several brands projects, Champagne has been able to fully fund these trips, allowing her creativity to expand through different settings, and giving brands -- many of which don't have the big budgets of major labels -- the opportunity to be shot in desirable destinations like the islands of Greece, Iceland, St. Lucia and so on.

Thanks to influencers' innate wanderlust, travel and a broad range of lifestyle industries, are having a global marketing field day. If you imagine yourself waking up in the south of France, exploring the provencal flower fields of CHANEL No. 5 -- well, follow Stephanie of Honey & Silk, and see the dream become a reality. If you wanted to take the best Americana road-trip of your life, say from New Orleans to Boston and back, follow Courtney of Pretty Little Fawn. Influencers + travel are creating an exciting new wave of exploration -- and thankfully with so many fashion influencers involved, you'll finally know what to really wear.

For Media Inquiries

Media Contact:

Kyle Hjelmeseth

Phone: 562-366-6460

Email: [email protected]

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

image4.jpeg

Related Links

God & Beauty Blog

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uqi6U5eazM

SOURCE God & Beauty
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TravelCar, the global innovator in airport parking and carsharing for travelers, announced today it has entered the U.S. market, selecting Los Angeles as its headquarters and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for its first U.S. operation. Founded in 2012 and currently operating in 30 countries in 200 locations, TravelCar's concept is simple: provide travelers free airport parking and help them earn money by renting out their car to other travelers while they are away.

To celebrate its American launch, TravelCar will host a "Passport to Paris" scavenger hunt in Santa Monica, CA on Saturday, July 15, where teams will race to find clues that lead the winning pair to a dream vacation in Paris. July 15 is the day after Bastille Day, also known as French National Day.

"The car culture in Los Angeles is unlike any city in the US and while a vehicle is critical to enjoying all of the unique neighborhoods and geographies of the area, many cars sit idle - especially while we're traveling," said Ahmed Mhiri, CEO of TravelCar. "LA was a natural choice for TravelCar to enter the U.S. market because we offer solutions to both car owners and travelers."

TravelCar is more than an online car listing marketplace  it's a mix of a traditional car rental company and carsharing where the best of each model is used with three kinds of services offered to travelers:

Car owners who agree their car can be rented by other travelers benefit from free airport parking. If their vehicle is rented, the car owner is paid for every mile driven. Owners can travel with ease knowing their car is protected with $1 million in liability insurance and is covered against theft and physical damage. If the car is not rented, they still benefit from free parking.

in liability insurance and is covered against theft and physical damage. If the car is not rented, they still benefit from free parking. Car owners who prefer not to share their car will receive the lowest airport parking rates guaranteed.

Travelers looking to rent a vehicle can have access to a private car for up to 70 percent less than traditional rental car companies.

"As consumers look for ways to save, owning a car becomes less important. That means carsharing will continue to grow as the preferred mobility option," continued Mhiri. "We understand that people have a big attachment to their car. The comfort of working with an international, customer-centric company with a successful track record of more than five years with high customer satisfactions ratings cannot be overstated."

TravelCar is now open at its LAX location at 9020 Bellanca Ave. It expects to bring 20 new jobs to the Los Angeles area in 2017. TravelCar has an aggressive expansion plan, with San Francisco opening in July followed by eight additional markets this year.

For more information, visit www.travelcar.com.

For additional details or to RSVP for the "Passport to Paris" scavenger hunt, please visit Facebook.com/TravelCarUSA.

About TravelCar

TravelCar is the world leader in airport based carsharing services. Founded in 2012, TravelCar currently operates in 30 countries and provides travelers free parking at airports, train stations and city centers in exchange for renting out their cars to other travelers. TravelCar is known for investing heavily on customer service with a best in industry call center available 24 hours a day. TravelCar also brokers parking spots at an extensive network of parking facilities through travel agencies and its website travelcar.com. TravelCar raised more than $20 million in funding through several rounds and French car maker Groupe PSA currently serves as a shareholder.

SOURCE TravelCar
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Truth Initiative, America's largest non-profit public health organization dedicated to making tobacco use a thing of the past, today announced the promotion of Dr. Donna Vallone to chief research officer for both its Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies and the organization's Evaluation Science and Research expertise center.

Dr. Donna Vallone, who has lead the Evaluation Science and Research expertise center since 2003, will take over leadership of the Schroeder Institute in a new position as chief research officer for both, effective July 1, 2017.

Prior to Dr. Vallone's appointment, the Schroeder Institute had been led by Dr. David Abrams, who helped to establish the institute in 2008 and has since served as its executive director. Dr. Abrams developed it into one of the preeminent centers for tobacco control research, informing federal, state and local tobacco control policy. This September, he will join the faculty of New York University as a professor of its College of Global Public Health, and embark on a new venture to apply his public health expertise on a global scale.

Dr. Vallone led the work that first established the behavior-changing impact of the truth campaign, and has been a close collaborator with the Schroeder Institute on many joint, peer-reviewed papers. Most recently, Dr. Vallone was the architect and driving force behind the Truth Longitudinal Cohort (TLC) research that further confirmed the effectiveness of truth.

"The Schroeder Institute is critical to Truth Initiative because it extends our mission through tobacco control research and policy studies," said Robin Koval, CEO and president of Truth Initiative. "I am very excited to have Donna lead all of our research and science efforts as we continue to make history, and get closer to achieving our goal to make this the first generation for whom tobacco is a thing of the past."

"We are so very thankful to David for his significant role and many contributions in advancing our vision to end the tobacco epidemic. We wish him all the best and look forward to continuing to collaborate with him in his new role in global public health at New York University," said Koval.

For more information on the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies, visit tobaccocontrolresearch.org. For more information on Truth Initiative, visit truthinitiative.org.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public-education campaign, our rigorous and scientific research and policy studies, and our innovative community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco. The Washington, D.C.-based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about our work speaking, seeking and spreading the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has hosted a series of high level meetings with leading researchers and influential policymakers to better tackle water security challenges.

Reflecting its growing international status as a rain enhancement leader, the Program visited the United States to strengthen its links with key U.S. experts and institutions in the country, a consistent number one contributor in terms of research projects submitted to the Program each year. In 2017, the Program more than doubled the number of projects received from the United States, with 36 pre-proposals, compared to 16 in 2016.

The team travelled on to Boulder, Colorado to meet with Dr. Paul Lawson, awardee of the Program's Second Cycle, currently working on an innovative new approach to rain enhancement intended to leverage ice production processes in cumulus clouds.

Alya Al Mazroui, Manager of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, said: "Our visit to our research colleagues in Washington and Boulder has given us an excellent opportunity to consolidate our already strong links with the weather research and forecasting innovation community in the United States. Our meetings demonstrated that our Program is both inspiring innovative research and helping position the UAE as an international hub for the next generation science and technology needed to ensure our common water security."

The Program team's visit to Washington, D.C. involved a series of productive meetings and discussions first with IBM, the World Bank, the National Academy of Sciences and NASA, and then with influential policymakers, notably from the U.S. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Together, they exchanged though-provoking ideas and perspectives to add value to the field, and intensify scientific collaborations, and solidify their links with institutional partners.

In Boulder, the team met with its Second Cycle awardee, Dr. Paul Lawson, who founded SPEC Incorporated in 1979 to manufacture state-of-the-art airborne cloud physics instruments. Dr. Lawson is a renowned participant in over 50 international research projects related to weather modification. His project for the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science will investigate a new approach to rain enhancement that leverages ice production processes in cumulus clouds. Employing sophisticated instrumented aircraft and radar technology, the project will study this process in cumulus clouds in the UAE with the aim of evaluating the potential for rain enhancement.

Dr. Lawson commented that: "The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is playing a major role in catalyzing the growth of the international networks needed to identify new frontiers in weather research. I am very grateful for the Program teams visit and have drawn much benefit from their ideas on how we could take my project forward. I am confident that a better understanding of how we might manipulate the ice production process in clouds could enhance the range of techniques we already have at our disposal to boost rainfall."

Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE in early 2015 and managed by the UAE National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has already attained a leading position in the common quest to address water security challenges through effective international cooperation. Offering a grant of 5 million U.S. dollars to be shared by up to five winning research proposals, the Program has already generated extensive interest among leading scientists and technologists around the world.

Aside from Dr. Lawson's ground-breaking work, other projects starting this year led by the Program's Second Cycle awardees are investigating the role of atmospheric aerosols in precipitation enhancement and the potential for modifying the electrical properties of clouds. The First Cycle's awardees have already made significant progress through their work on innovative algorithms to enhance knowledge of cloud characteristics, the use of nanotechnology to accelerate water condensation, and on the analysis of land cover modification on local precipitation patterns.

Reflecting the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science's outstanding success in building its international profile, this year's Third Cycle call for research proposals led to 201 submissions being received: these pre-proposals represented 710 scientists and researchers affiliated to 316 institutions across a truly global spread of 68 countries on five continents.

The success of the Program so far confirms the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as pioneers in this scientific field. By serving as a hub for an internationally recognized research network, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is facilitating active knowledge transfers needed to ensure sustainable development and economic growth in those regions of the world vulnerable to aridity and water shortages.

About the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs and overseen by the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), offers a grant of 5 million US dollars over a three-year period to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. The Program was launched with the aims of addressing water security challenges and placing the UAE at the international forefront of scientific research into rain enhancement. In the context of the UAE's Innovation Strategy, the Program is structured to develop human capital and stimulate investment in research in this field for the benefit of arid and semi-arid regions around the world.

For more information about the Program: www.uaerep.ae

SOURCE UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science

Related Links

http://www.uaerep.ae


COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bankers, regulators and working professionals from related industries will learn to detect fraud and stay on the right side of the law in a new 12-credit, four-course certificate program starting in fall 2017 at the University of Maryland.

Business and criminal justice faculty from the Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulation & Crime (C-BERC) will team up to present the Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Risk, Compliance, and Law. The center is a joint effort between the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

"Corporations and large organizations are being audited and investigated by regulators at a heightened pace, and organizations that fail to create ethical and compliant environments are being subject to fines and regulatory sanctions," says Smith School professor David Weber, a certified fraud examiner, attorney and registered private investigator who will lead courses on compliance and accounting.

Additional insights will come from white collar criminals, who will share cautionary tales from prison. "The program will include being exposed personally to criminal masterminds like Bernie Madoff, as well as being taught by some of the best minds in data analytics," says Weber, the former chief investigator for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence in North Carolina's Butner Prison Camp, exchanges occasional emails with Weber and responds to student questions. The felon says most accountants and attorneys lack understanding of the banking industry, which limits their ability to monitor and regulate behavior. "Quite frankly they are ill equipped to perform their obligations," he tells Weber.

If anything, the problem is getting worse. "The risks of fraud and compliance failures are increasing as technology and communication changes the very essence of the way business is conducted on a worldwide basis," Weber says.

The new certificate program, designed for post-baccalaureate students, will help close the knowledge gap between criminals and regulators. Besides Weber, instructors will include Sally Simpson and David Maimon from the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at UMD's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Courses will be taught online in 12-week terms, allowing students to complete the certificate requirements in one year. Some lectures will be synchronized in real time, allowing participants to interact with each other via the use of webcams and headsets with microphones. The program will also incorporate projects that will require participants to collaborate on teams, applying their skills to solve real-life business problems. Online lecture material will be video-archived for review.

"The program will allow students to tend to their jobs and families while learning deeply about the subjects of white-collar crime, compliance, accounting and data analysis," Weber says.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR BUSINESS ETHICS, REGULATION, & CRIME (C-BERC)

The Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulation, and Crime (C-BERC) embraces an interdisciplinary approach to the legal and ethical challenges of modern business operations by integrating and extending research in the fields of business ethics, regulation, and criminology.

ABOUT THE ROBERT H. SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is one of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty masters, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community.

ABOUT UMD'S COLLEGE OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park, addresses many of the world's great challenges. Departments and programs include African American Studies, Anthropology, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Geographical Sciences, Government & Politics, Hearing & Speech Sciences, Psychology and Sociology.

For more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/cnd.

CONTACT: Greg Muraski, 301-405-5283, [email protected]

SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

Related Links

https://go.umd.edu


SAN JOSE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Untangle Inc., a leader in comprehensive network security for small-to-medium business (SMB), today announced strategic distribution partnerships with Prologic, a provider of IT solutions and services in Israel, and Prodata, a provider of hardware and software solutions in South Africa serving sub-Saharan Africa, Indian Ocean islands and Europe, to bring Untangle's products and services to market via their thousands of channel partners serving EMEA, effectively meeting rising demand for next-generation, SMB-focused security solutionsa market Untangle uniquely serves.

"Untangle NG Firewall is redefining unified threat management with its next-generation security specifically designed for the below-enterprise segment," said Scott Devens, chief executive officer at Untangle. "Trusted by thousands of customers worldwide for its effectiveness and ease-of-use, NG Firewall is the solution of choice for organizations facing not only the challenges of network security, but also limited budgets, resources and in-house IT expertise. By selecting Untangle as their network security offering, Prodata and Prologic can provide the most cost-effective and simply powerful solution to their resellers and end customers."

NG Firewall delivers a comprehensive solution for content filtering, malware and threat protection, secure Wi-Fi, application control, bandwidth optimization, virtual private networks and more. Untangle combines Unified Threat Management (UTM)to address all of the key network threatswith policy management tools that enable administrators to monitor, manage and shape internet traffic. NG Firewall's fully customizable, industry-leading reports provide administrators an unprecedented level of insight into what's happening on their networks across all applications by user, group, time of day and more.

"Our mission is to offer a range of IT solutions and services to SMB and enterprise customers throughout Israel," said Lior Levi, chief executive officer at Prologic. "Our customers have grown increasingly concerned about the threats to their businesses posed by cyberattacks. We chose Untangle NG Firewall for its reputation as a trusted, software-based solution that is flexible enough to be deployed in a number of different scenarios, from hardware to virtual machines to the cloud, easily and quicklywithout a steep learning curve or costly client-side maintenance."

Recent threats like the WannaCry ransomware outbreak grabbed headlines worldwide, putting IT professionalas on high alert. Such attacks have highlighted the need for organizations to put sufficient perimeter security in place to safeguard networks from the ever-evolving threat landscape. These strategic distribution partnerships will enable greater reach for the Untangle NG Firewall solution, enabling organizations throughout EMEA to protect their networks, devices and bottom lines from the impact of new and emerging threats.

"We selected Untangle NG Firewall as the uncontested best choice for our customers based on its reputation in the IT community at large," said Jay Bradley, managing director at Prodata. "As a battle-tested, open source product, Untangle was the clear winner when it came to feature completeness, ease of use, and speed of deployment. We are excited to bring Untangle NG Firewall to market to meet the huge, unmet demand for cost-effective, flexible network security in sub-Saharan Africa."

Untangle Partner Program

As a global leader in network security solutions, Untangle is committed to helping distributors meet channel and customer needs by delivering a powerful, easy-to-use and affordable product portfolio designed to simplify the lives of IT professionals. Untangle provides complete solutions for total threat protection, stopping attacks before they ever reach users and devices. Our software-based approach means that the channel has complete flexibility when it comes to deployment. Untangle puts ease of use first, ensuring that its products work with real-world budgets, resources and IT expertise. Learn more about Untangle's Partner Program at www.untangle.com.

About Untangle

Untangle is an innovator in cybersecurity designed specifically for the below-enterprise market, safeguarding businesses, home offices, nonprofits, schools and governmental organizations. Untangle's integrated suite of software and appliances provides enterprise-grade capabilities and consumer-oriented simplicity to organizations with limited IT resources. Untangle's award-winning network security solutions are trusted by over 40,000 customers around the world. Untangle is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, www.untangle.com.

About Prologic

Prologic Ltd. provides advanced IT services, specializing in infrastructure solutions, application development, and database-oriented solutions. As experts in IT infrastructure, Prologic's Professional Services Division offers fully integrated solutions, including consulting, projects, training, implementation, and outsourcing. The company's long term experience is backed by a deep understanding of market needs and by acknowledging both local and international IT communities.

About Prodata

Founded in 1992, Prodata is a leading Value Added Distributor of specialised hardware and software solutions across the African Continent, Indian Ocean Islands and Europe. With sound management, a driven sales team and an excellent administrative support system, Prodata is a master in the distribution field.

SOURCE Untangle Inc.

Related Links

https://www.untangle.com


NAPLES, Fla., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The recently filed claim asserts that Summit Brokerage mistreated a disabled man from Cape Coral, Florida. The Summit Financial Advisor involved is Richard Brown, based in Ft. Myers, Florida. Brown has had three customer disputes in the last ten years and three additional customer disputes prior to that, according to FINRA records.

The Claim alleges that Summit and Brown recommended multiple high-risk, and illiquid Non-Traded Real Estate Investment Trusts, commonly referred to as Non-Traded REITs. The Claim also asserts improprieties related to Annuities. According to Chris Vernon of Vernon Litigation, the common threads between these types of REITs and Annuities, are they both typically motivate financial advisors to push them because of the high commissions. Unfortunately, these are or can become highly illiquid products, which is a dangerous thing for retirees according to Vernon. The Claim against Summit asserts, among other things, a failure to supervise Brown.

The types of REITs involved in this case are considered long term, non-conventional investments subject to the FINRA requirements that requires firms such as Summit to: (1) conduct adequate due diligence to understand the features of the product; (2) perform a reasonable-basis suitability analysis; (3) perform customer-specific suitability analysis in connection with any recommended transactions; (4) provide a balanced disclosure of both the risks and rewards associated with the particular product, especially when selling to retail investors; (5) implement appropriate internal controls; and (6) train registered persons regarding the features, risks, and suitability of these products. The Claim in this case asserts that Summit failed to conduct adequate due diligence, to perform proper suitability analyses, provide balanced disclosures, implement appropriate internal controls, and to properly train Mr. Brown to sell these high-risk, illiquid, high commission products.

Similarly, with respect to the types of annuities involved in this case, FINRA considers them to be long term investments and requires Summit and/or Summit Financial Advisors such as Brown to: (1) Discuss all relevant issues with the customer, including liquidity issues such as potential surrender charges, and IRS penalty, fees, including mortality and expense charges, administrative charges, and investment advisory fees; any applicable state and local government premium taxes and market risk; and (2) compare the information in the account application with other relevant information sources, e.g. an account information form, to check for apparent accuracy and consistency prior to approving the transaction. FINRA also requires that member firms such as Summit take steps to ensure that their Financial Advisors such as Brown have a thorough knowledge of the specifications of each variable annuity that is recommended, including the death benefit, fees and expenses, subaccount choices, special features, withdrawal privileges, and tax treatment. The Claim in this case asserts that Summit failed to follow these guidelines in connection with the annuities sold to Claimant.

ABOUT VERNON LITIGATION

Vernon Litigation Group is a financial litigation law firm with offices in Naples, Florida and Buckhead, Georgia that represents clients in courtroom litigation, arbitration, including FINRA arbitration, negotiation, and mediation throughout the United States. Our lawyers have collectively represented hundreds of investors in financial disputes in arbitration and litigation nationwide and recovered many millions of dollars from purported financial professionals and financial institutions, both large and small. Please contact us to discuss your rights if you believe a financial or investment professional has failed to act in your best interests or otherwise abused your trust with respect to insurance products or other investment products or services. For more information, visit our website or contact us by phone at 1-877-649-5394 or by e-mail at [email protected] to speak with a representative of Vernon Litigation Group.

SOURCE Vernon Litigation Group

Related Links

http://www.vernonlitigation.com


ATLANTA, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertera Spine, a developer of medical devices using advanced biomaterial technologies, today announced the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new ICD-10 code for a radiolucent porous interbody fusion device. The new classification will enable healthcare providers and payers to selectively track the utilization, outcomes and healthcare costs associated with this unique technology class. Vertera Spine's COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device is the first and only clinically-available porous fusion device manufactured out of the radiolucent plastic polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and is approved for use under the new code. The IDC-10 code is effective October 1, 2017 as an XRG code and listed as "Interbody Fusion Device, Radiolucent Porous."

Spinal interbody fusion devices have traditionally been classified by the implant material, either synthetic or tissue-derived alternative (e.g. autograft and allograft). However, as more advanced orthopedic biomaterials are developed, the use of a single coding identifier for all synthetic devices may no longer be appropriate for accurately describing fusion procedures. Five years of basic science, preclinical and clinical research1-3 have shown that porous PEEK possesses several performance characteristics that distinguish it from other fusion devices by combining the osseointegration capabilities of porous metallic devices with the favorable imaging properties of non-porous plastic devices. This valuable combination of device attributes was introduced with FDA clearance of the COHERE device, prompting the issuance of the new ICD-10 code by CMS.

In addition to serving as a tracking method for healthcare payers and providers, the ICD-10 code can also potentially benefit spine surgeons in clearly identifying the best options for patients.

"The issuance of this new code signifies the unique performance of porous PEEK devices compared with other fusion devices and the importance of monitoring how this technology impacts healthcare," said Richard Guyer, M.D., Texas Back Institute. "As a clinician, I am always looking for innovative technologies, such as Vertera Spine's porous PEEK COHERE device, that have the potential to improve patient outcomes."

As stated by Kevin Foley, M.D., Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute:

"The development of porous PEEK has allowed for the combination of radiolucency and porosity in an interbody implant that is completely plastic. In vivo studies have demonstrated that bone will grow into porous implants, improving their osseointegration. Until now, the only porous implants clinically available were made of metal or had a metallic coating, which can limit the surgeon's ability to assess fusion on imaging. This new code gives us the potential to better correlate bony tissue ingrowth into Vertera Spine's porous PEEK COHERE device with clinical outcomes."

Likewise, Erik Westerlund, M.D., St. Francis Spine Center, and an early adopter of Vertera Spine's COHERE device, shared similar sentiments:

"I began to see my one year follow-up COHERE device patients in May of this year and the results have shown a clear and consistent trend of rapid and readily visible progression to robust osseous union. Not only is there characteristic radiographically visible osseous incorporation at the interconnected porous margin of the COHERE PEEK spacers, there is also a notable continuity of bridging bone across the entire interspace. The grant of a new specific ICD-10 code for porous PEEK will provide myself and other spine surgeons greatly refined capacity to track clinical outcomes and cost savings with this genuinely transformational class of porous PEEK interbody spacers like Vertera Spine's COHERE."

With its first clinical use in Q2 of 2016, COHERE is the first device featuring Vertera Spine's patented porous PEEK biomaterial technology. Intended for use in anterior cervical fusion surgery, COHERE contains a three-dimensional porous architecture on its bone-contacting sides that is specifically designed and optimized to promote cellular bone formation and effectively form a strong interface with bone. Unlike some porous treatments that are coated onto the device, COHERE's porous architecture is grown directly from the solid PEEK implant using a proprietary processing method that allows for bone tissue ingrowth on the surface, while retaining strength and durability.

"We are excited that CMS has adopted a new code for radiolucent porous devices and are pleased that COHERE will fall under this designation," said Chris Lee. Ph.D., founder and CEO of Vertera Spine. "The availability of a radiolucent porous fusion device means that for the first time, bone tissue ingrowth can potentially be assessed into the device. This will allow us to further understand the role of implant integration with clinical outcomes."

1Smith KE, et al. Techniques in Orthopaedics, 2017 (accepted in press).

2Torstrick FB, et al. CORR, 2016; 474(11): 2373-2383.

3Evans NT, et al. Acta Biomaterialia, 2015; 13: 159-167.

About Vertera Spine:

Vertera Spine is a privately-held medical device company that develops, markets and sells implants that use or complement its patented porous technology to address critical clinical needs in spine surgery. The company has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Georgia Research Alliance and Duke Angel Network to translate its growing technology portfolio into commercial products. For more information, visit www.verteraspine.com or call 678.705.9039.

COHERE is a registered trademark of Vertera Spine. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective holders.

SOURCE Vertera Spine
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and DENVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Peak 10 Inc. ("Peak 10"), a portfolio company of GI Partners, and ViaWest, Inc. ("ViaWest"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX: SJR.B; NYSE: SJR), today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ViaWest will be acquired by Peak 10 for all-cash consideration of US$1.675 billion and the companies will combine. The transaction creates a leading provider of colocation, connectivity, cloud, and managed solutions. GI Partners, a former investor in ViaWest, acquired Peak 10 in 2014 and will remain the majority shareholder of the combined company.

This strategic move accelerates both companies' commitment to growth and reinforces their customer-first approach. The combined company's operations will span 20 domestic and international markets including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Minneapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Amsterdam, and Calgary. The increased scale and broad geographic coverage will enable the combined company to serve its customers across an enhanced platform of products and capabilities. Chris Downie, the Chief Executive Officer of Peak 10, will be the Chief Executive Officer of the combined company and Nancy Phillips, the Chief Executive Officer of ViaWest, will become the executive Chair of the Board of the combined company.

Peak 10 and ViaWest's 4,400 customers will benefit from the expanded value proposition of the combined entity, including enhanced cloud and interconnection capabilities, highly redundant data centers, and back office and operational support systems automation. The combined company will serve its customers' IT infrastructure needs across multiple dimensions:

Product portfolio : The combination diversifies and enhances the company's capability set, providing customers with broad choices across colocation, connectivity, private and public cloud utilities, as well as advanced managed solutions

: The combination diversifies and enhances the company's capability set, providing customers with broad choices across colocation, connectivity, private and public cloud utilities, as well as advanced managed solutions Innovation : Leveraging each company's investments in advanced hybrid IT solutions, the combination will scale resources to continue its commitment to extending product reach and functionality

: Leveraging each company's investments in advanced hybrid IT solutions, the combination will scale resources to continue its commitment to extending product reach and functionality Operational footprint : The new company will feature expansive capacity across 20 major domestic and international markets

: The new company will feature expansive capacity across 20 major domestic and international markets Management: The company's combined best-in-class management team will drive continued strong execution across existing and new markets

"By joining forces, Peak 10 and ViaWest will create a leading hybrid IT infrastructure and solutions provider well-positioned to deliver significant benefits to our customers," said Chris Downie, Chief Executive Officer of Peak 10. "This transformative transaction will expand our scale and geographic reach and we are excited to bring together two companies with cohesive operating philosophies and complementary strengths. Our goal is to deploy best practices across the combined company to provide exceptional solutions to our customer base, while driving best-in-class performance by taking advantage of new opportunities for growth."

Nancy Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of ViaWest, said, "As we contemplated strategic partnerships, we quickly concluded that Peak 10 offered a complementary footprint, shared focus on the customer, and talented team. I'm excited for our customers and employees because this combination will deliver an unparalleled customer experience and create dynamic growth opportunities."

"As an active investor in the IT infrastructure space for over 15 years, we are excited to bring these two growing companies together," said David Mace, a Managing Director at GI Partners. "Peak 10 and ViaWest will be a powerful combination to support customers' expanding data needs in domestic and international markets. We support the combined company's commitment to service excellence and look forward to partnering with the leadership team to help drive the next phase of growth."

The transaction is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. DH Capital acted as financial advisor and Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal counsel to Peak 10 and GI Partners.

About Peak 10 and ViaWest

Peak 10 and ViaWest empower today's enterprises to meet current and future business challenges through advanced hybrid IT infrastructure. The combined company's operations will span 20 domestic and international markets. Some of the world's largest businesses trust Peak 10 and ViaWest to deliver secure, compliant and flexible IT infrastructure through colocation, connectivity, cloud, and managed solutions that give enterprises the freedom to use just one provider to perform faster, manage risk, and stay competitive as their industries evolve. Both companies have nearly two decades of history and their committed technical support staff and 100% SLA underscore the steadfast reliability of their solutions. For more information on Peak 10, please visit www.peak10.com. For more information on ViaWest, please visit www.viawest.com.

About GI Partners

GI Partners is a leading private investment firm based in San Francisco. The firm has raised over $14 billion in capital through private equity and real estate strategies from recognized institutional investors across the globe. GI Partners' private equity team is active in a number of key sectors, including IT Infrastructure, Healthcare, Software, and Services. For more information on GI Partners and its entire portfolio, please visit www.gipartners.com.

For media inquiries, contact:

Peak 10

Lydia Fakhouri

[email protected]

(971) 246-7896

GI Partners

Chris Tofalli

(914) 834-4334

[email protected]

SOURCE Peak 10

Related Links

http://www.peak10.com


HOUSTON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Cold Solutions today announced a collaboration between Salt River Project (SRP) and Bashas' Family of Stores to install and evaluate the performance of Viking Cold Solutions' environmentally friendly Thermal Energy Storage (TES) System at the Bashas' distribution center in the Phoenix metro area. This low-impact, sustainable system is expected to offer significant energy savings, energy demand management, and heightened protection for frozen food products.

The TES system also reduces energy distribution and delivery challenges for SRP by shifting energy demand to night hours. The passive TES system stores energy at night for subsequent day use, enabling less refrigeration runtime and reduction of load during peak afternoon hours.

"We are very pleased to support this project with Bashas' and Viking Cold Solutions and to evaluate a technology that shows potential as an energy management tool for us and our customers," noted Nathan Morey, Manager of SRP Product Development. "SRP is excited to learn more about thermal storage technologies, which can provide energy savings for customers with industrial freezers like Bashas' and provide long-term benefits to all customers by reducing peak demand during summer months."

This project includes the installation of the Viking Cold Solutions Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system and 24/7 energy monitoring within the Bashas' ice-cream freezer at their distribution center. "We continuously evaluate energy efficiency opportunities, as refrigeration is one of our highest operating expenses. We support technologies that provide greater temperature stability, helping us to continually provide low product prices to our customers. SRP is an innovative power utility, and we are excited about this partnership and glad we were able to come together to fund this project," said Mike Basha, Vice President of Logistics at Bashas'.

SRP will also fund the third-party research analysis for the project, evaluating the TES system's Phase Change Material (PCM) for its efficiency improvements and effectiveness at shifting energy load from on-peak to off-peak hours. SRP collaborated with Arizona State University's School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, along with Nexant's Utility Services Group, to measure the results of the project and extrapolate the potential impact of this technology on additional low temperature refrigeration loads in the Phoenix area. "Our students are excited to learn more about the potential energy savings and demand reduction impact of this innovative technology, as well as how it can be deployed in more facilities to support reductions in the Phoenix area's peak load," commented Kristen Parrish, ASU Assistant Professor.

"Cost effectively managing growing power grid demand and providing reliable and reasonable power prices to customers requires innovative solutions and collaboration from all parties  utilities, academia, industrial customers and technology providers. We anticipate that this project will provide a roadmap for deploying high-impact demand reduction solutions to refrigeration loads that were not previously accessible. As part of our commitment to cold-chain sustainability and reducing environmental impact, we are honored to be the enabling technology," James Bell, CEO of Viking Cold Solutions stated.

About Viking Cold Solutions

Viking Cold Solutions is a thermal energy management company that makes the world's cold storage systems more efficient by using proprietary Phase Change Material (PCM) and intelligent controls. The company's passive Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems store energy, reduce demand, shift load, monitor customer facilities, and provide thermal back-up protection. The company's patented TES systems have saved over 8,100 MWh of energy, reduced carbon footprint by over 4,400 metric tons, and prevented more than $13M of product loss. Learn more at vikingcold.com.

About Bashas' Family of Stores

Bashas' Family of Stores  the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJ's Fine Foods, Eddie's Country Store, and both Bashas' and Bashas' Dine supermarkets  is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Bashas, Sr. With more than 100 grocery stores, it is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the company's inception in 1932, Bashas' has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.bashas.com.

About Salt River Project

SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers. More information about SRP is available on the company's website at www.srpnet.com.

About Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University include more than 20,300 students and more than 330 faculty members who conduct more than $100 million in research, spanning a broad range of engineering, construction, and technology fields. Our six schools offer 25 undergraduate and 39 graduate programs on ASU's Tempe and Polytechnic campuses and online. The Fulton Schools' programs emphasize problem solving, entrepreneurship, multidisciplinary interactions, social context, and connections.

SOURCE Viking Cold Solutions

Related Links

http://www.vikingcold.com


Finavia, the operator of Helsinki Airport, has decided to speed up its ambitious climate programme, which aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions caused by the operations of all of the company's 21 airports to zero by 2020. At Helsinki Airport, this goal will already be reached in 2017, when the largest airport solar power plant in the Nordic countries is opened at the airport, and when airport buses start using renewable fuels.

Through its airport network, Finavia is a key party to the commitment of European airport companies to have 100 carbon-neutral airports in Europe by 2030.

Renewable energy for airport terminals and buses

As the international climate policy has faced difficulties through the unexpected withdrawal of the United States, it is even more important that companies lead the way in reducing emissions. Finavia is committed to working hard to prevent our airports from increasing their carbon dioxide emissions in 2020. In addition to minimizing our own emissions, this means that we are committed to reducing emissions in countries struggling with environmental problems, such as in India, through compensation mechanisms, says Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia.

At airports, carbon dioxide emissions are mainly caused by the energy consumption of buildings, lighting systems and vehicles. Helsinki Airport plays a central part in reducing Finavia's emissions. Finavia is also determined to start reducing emissions at its other airports.

Finavia's climate programme consists of a range of different actions. Its essential parts are the significant increase in the use of renewable forms of energy, the origin of power and heat, the improvement of energy efficiency in all activities and the compensation of emissions in the markets.

International agreement on controlling aircraft emissions

Questions about the environment have more and more impact on the choices consumers make, also in terms of air traffic. That is why it is important to know that air traffic is the first industrial field that has a global emissions control system. Last year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) made a decision on a CORSIA mechanism which ensures that air traffic emissions do not increase after 2020, even though the number of passengers increases, Savolainen says, describing the emissions control system of the air traffic industry.

Construction of a solar power plant in progress at Helsinki Airport

Currently, Finavia is among the first European airports to invest in a solar power plant to be located at Helsinki Airport. The construction of the power plant is underway on the roof of terminal 2, and it is expected to produce energy starting from late summer 2017.

The entire system, with a total output of more than 500 kWp, will be completed in 2019, and it will be the largest airport solar power plant in the Nordic countries.

This project required thorough planning, as there is not much previous experience in the use of solar power plants in global airport environments. The power plant needs to be built in great detail to prevent, for example, solar panels from causing reflections to aircraft. Solar power will produce nearly ten per cent of the power required in the new energy-efficient terminal areas at Helsinki Airport, Savolainen says.

In addition to Helsinki Airport, Finavia will increase the use of renewable energy at its other Finnish airports, for example, using bioenergy and geothermal heat.

Vehicles fuelled by renewable diesel

Finavia will significantly increase the use of renewable fuels in ground vehicles at Helsinki Airport during 2017.

Buses travelling between the terminal and aircraft will be fuelled by a diesel product manufactured wholly from waste and residue. In addition, smaller airport vehicles are already mainly powered by electricity. Finavia's goal is to engage other companies operating at its airports to use renewable fuels.

Facts about the climate programme

The operations of Finavia's airports produced 32,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2016. The company has reduced its emissions by an average of three per cent per passenger per year over the past ten years.

Key activities under Finavia's climate programme by 2020:

Use of wind power

Construction of a solar power plant

Airport vehicles fuelled by renewable diesel

Purchase of eco-friendly vehicles

Significant increase in LED lights

Use of, for example, pellets and geothermal heat as heat sources

Compensation, emissions units from voluntary markets

Eco-efficient construction, e.g. BREEAM certification

Engaging other companies operating at airports to reduce their emissions

Read more about Finavia's work for the environment from our responsibility report.
SALT LAKE CITY, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Women Tech Council (WTC) today launched a technology internship program to provide high school girls the opportunity to interact with technology companies, meet and interact with women in technology and understand the impact they can have by pursuing STEM careers.

Participants will tour tech companies across Silicon Slopes, including Vivint, Ancestry, Instructure, Dell EMC, Domo, Adobe, HireVue and IM Flash to learn about working in tech, the types of jobs that exist in the technology industry and the employability skills they need for a successful career in STEM. During their internship, the girls will present at the state educator's CTE Conference to demonstrate and teach state educators about activities to engage students in STEM.

"The goal of every internship is to provide girls a vision of what it's like to work in technology and start them on the path to gain skills, pursue an education and ultimately succeed in their career," said Cydni Tetro, WTC president and founder. "Through partnering with industry to bring them real experiences in tech, we are creating actionable pathways for girls to be a successful part of the technology economy."

The internship program is an extension of WTC's SheTech, a program designed to activate, engage and inspire high school girls to pursue STEM fields and careers through hands-on experience and mentoring with industry experts. As the newest addition to SheTech, the internship program continues SheTech by providing another touch point to keep girls engaged with tech companies before they finish high school, increasing the likelihood they will choose to pursue a STEM degree. In the last year, more than 2,000 high school girls have participated in SheTech. Research shows 90% of these girls are more likely to pursue STEM fields.

For more information about the SheTech Internship Program go to www.shetechexplorer.com

About Women Tech Council

Founded in 2007, The Women Tech Council (WTC) is Utah's most visible trade organization focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for Utah's technology sector. WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology to create business environments focused on high performance, not diversity, where men and women can succeed. This propels individual careers and Utah's talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce. For more information on Women Tech Council, visit www.womentechcouncil.org.

Media Contact:

ABIGAIL SHAHA

[email protected]

801.481.9482

SOURCE Women Tech Council

Related Links

http://www.womentechcouncil.org


Built from the ground up as a cloud-native, VDI-as-a-service solution, Workspot VDI is transforming how healthcare providers securely access desktops, applications and data. Workspot is the only end user computing solution that simultaneously delivers virtual desktops and apps from Azure and on-premises, using a single management console for ultimate simplicity.

Workspot provides HEA with the IT infrastructure the organization needs to move into the future by addressing:

Unique workflow requirements: HEA needed a specialized client to support its established workflow. Because none of the HEA apps are single sign-on, the PCs and apps both use a service account. Staff members can now log into PCs in exam rooms with a service account based on the room.

Flexible delivery: HEA needed Workspot to deliver virtual Windows applications from its on-premises converged infrastructure. However, HEA also has a cloud strategy; with Workspot they can deliver apps and desktops from both on-premises and from Azure, thereby future-proofing the app delivery solution.

Connectivity issues: HEA staff discovered that all its problems with connecting to printers and external USB devices disappeared instantly once Workspot was implemented.

Tom Merkle, director of IT, Houston Eye Associates, said: "With Workspot, I don't have to worry about the complexity that other VDI providers create. I just set up a few servers to host the applications, and Workspot handles the rest. As a result, the speed of our systems increased dramatically, saving each doctor 30 to 60 minutes per day of wasted time. That's the difference between seeing patients on time and being an hour behind."

Jimmy Chang, vice president of products and alliances at Workspot, said: "Since deploying Workspot, Houston Eye's doctors now have more time to focus on patients. They also have time to see additional patients throughout the day. Apps should work for you, not the other way around. Our turnkey solutions for next-generation end user computing make VDI and DaaS insanely simple for healthcare customers."

About Workspot

Workspot has reinvented Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with its cloud-native VDI 2.0 and Desktop-as-a-Service 2.0 (DaaS 2.0) solutions. Workspot solves the corporate challenge of securely delivering apps, desktops and data to any device and helps organizations achieve unprecedented time-to-value for VDI implementations. With a focus on customer satisfaction, Workspot offers the shortest implementation times in the industry. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company received the Best of VMworld 2016 Gold Award for Desktop and Application Delivery solutions. For more information on Workspot's risk-free, turnkey solutions, visit: https://www.workspot.com/.

PR contact:

Shannon Shamoon

Nadel Phelan, Inc.

831-440-2408

[email protected]

SOURCE Workspot

Related Links

https://www.workspot.com


LARAMIE, Wyo., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WyoTech, a premier provider of technical training in the United States, with multiple Military Friendly designations, is currently seeking applicants for its new scholarship for members of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS).

The EANGUS WyoTech Scholarship is for new students who enroll at either the Laramie, Wyo., or Daytona Beach, Fla., WyoTech campuses on or after Jan. 1, 2017. Each of the seven EANGUS locations will have the opportunity to award five National Guard members a scholarship in the amount of $5,000 for a total of 35 awards nationwide. In addition, one candidate's award will be upgraded to a full scholarship to be applied to any complete program offered at either the Laramie, Wyo., or Daytona Beach, Fla., WyoTech campuses.

All currently serving or retired members of the Army or Air National Guard from any state are eligible to apply, provided that they have a currently paid membership in their state association and are members of the EANGUS.

For more information about the application requirements, visit https://eangus.org/2017-wyotech-scholarship.

WyoTech also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which gives institutions of higher learning the option of voluntarily entering into an agreement with the Veterans Affairs (VA) to help fund tuition. WyoTech has been given the designation of Military & Veteran Supportive Campus/Institution by the United States Military Educators Association (USMEA), and in 2017, WyoTech was named a Top 10 Gold Level Military Friendly School Award recipient in the category of private vocational schools by Victory Media.

About WyoTech

WyoTech was founded more than 50 years ago in Laramie, Wyo., and has since become one of the premier providers of technical training in the United States. WyoTech offers training for mechanical and technical occupations in automotive, diesel, collision/refinishing, motorcycle and marine technology. WyoTech has campuses in Blairsville, Pa.; Laramie, Wyo.; and Daytona Beach, Fla. Learn more at wyotech.edu.

Media Contact:

Chad Romiti

Reveille Inc.

949.293.7781

[email protected]

SOURCE WyoTech

Related Links

http://www.wyotech.edu


EDMONTON, Canada, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG, the multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company, has opened its first retail store and service center in Edmonton, Canada where it will offer local sales, spare part, service and customer service support for the company's world-class construction machinery products.

Set up in a key market in North America, the new XCMG complex covers an area of 14,500 square meters (3.58 acres) and operates eight maintenance shops, including two machining workshops, five repair shops and one cleaning shop that can provide repair, inspection and maintenance services for 10 machinery equipment at the same time. The facility also has warehouses for machinery products and spare parts as well as offices.

More than 300 clients from local government and the construction, mining, rental and infrastructure industries attended the service center's grand opening in Edmonton that showcased XCMG's latest products. Some clients placed intentional orders worth more than 15 million yuan (US$ 2.188 million) on site.

XCMG began selling excavators in Canada in 2015, and since then the company's advanced technologies and reliable performance have gained recognition among clients as well as winning orders from the local government.



"We purchased two XCMG excavators in 2016 and over six months of service there were zero problems or failures, so we decided to order two more right away," said local government.



The new XCMG complex in Edmonton has further improved the company's network in North America with a new ability to guarantee an ample supply of spare parts, boosting local clients' confidence in XCMG products and after-sale service.

"Expanding in the high-end North American market has always been a priority for XCMG. We've established a research and development center in the US that specializes in product design and adaptability improvement, which allows us to create products that meet North American standards, while further completing our sales and service networks on the ground to provide complete construction machinery solutions to our clients," said Wang Min, president of XCMG.

About XCMG:

XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 74 years. It currently ranks ninth in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 177 countries and regions around the world.

For more information, please visit:

www.xcmg.com

, or XCMG pages on

Facebook

,

Twitter

,

YouTube

,

LinkedIn

and

Instagram

.

SOURCE XCMG

Related Links

http://www.xcmg.com


If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Tehran, June 8 : Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday slammed US President Donald Trumps remarks on the Tehran terror attacks that killed 13 people.

"Repugnant WH (White House) statement and Senate sanctions as Iranians counter terror backed by US clients. Iranian people reject such US claims of friendship," Zarif tweeted on Thursday.

Trump condemned the twin attacks in Tehran on Wednesday which were claimed by the Islamic State terror group, but stressed that "states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote", Efe news reported.

The minister added that Washington's allies, including Saudi Arabia, with whom Trump signed a multi-billion dollar arms agreement, are the real sponsors of terrorism.

"Terror-sponsoring despots threaten to bring the fight to our homeland," he said in another tweet.

Zarif added the terrorists targeted "what their masters despise most: the seat of democracy".
Jerusalem, June 11 : Israeli academia has slammed a possible new ethical code to bar professors from speaking about politics in classrooms.

On Friday, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett announced the new guidelines for higher education institutions, reports Xinhua news agency.

Bennett said he expects the Higher Education Council, a body that oversees Israel's higher education system, would discuss and approve the code "soon".

The proposed code, was drafted by Asa Kasher, a professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University.

Under the code, professors would be forbidden from "promoting their political worldview in class". Each institution would be required "to establish a unit that would monitor political activity" on campus.

The code would also bar lecturers from calling for academic boycotts against Israel.

The academic community reacted angrily, denouncing the move as anti-democratic.

VERA, the umbrella organisation of the heads of Israel's universities, released a statement on Saturday saying they "vehemently object" the code.

It "undermines institutes of higher education's freedom to decide their own codes of conduct for their academic staffs, and thus infringes on academic freedom in the most serious and fundamental way," the statement added.
The highly anticipated Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) has unveiled the agenda for its 2017 conference, packed with contributions from industry leaders, that confirms its reputation as the leading event of its kind for investors and developers.

The seventh edition of AHIF takes place in Kigali, Rwanda between October 10  12, and, like last year, runs alongside AviaDev, bringing together some of the leading executives from the world of aviation and hotels, with top government officials and politicians.

Book your room in Kigali as early as possible before the prices rise.

AHIF attracts more than 500 high-calibre executives from 45 countries making it the premier hotel investment conference in Africa. With AviaDev, the forums have already seen many new deals made.

This year, the theme for AHIF has been set as Inspiring Fresh Perspectives,. The theme is inherent within all the sessions, giving attendees a fresh perspective on existing challenges and opportunities within the market.

AHIF gets underway the evening before the official opening with roundtable discussions that address topical issues. Thats followed by speed networking where delegates can make 20 new contacts even before the conference begins.

The opening day sees the impact of global economic trends on Africa high on the agenda. How to meet the current challenges within the sector will be discussed by leading figures including Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, as well as Daniel Silke, one of the worlds most renowned futurists, from the Political Futures Consultancy.

Investment, connectivity, and security will also be explored on the first day with key figures such as Filippo Sona, Colliers International, Nizar Mawani, Rahmyn Developments and Real Estate, Adefunke Adeyemi, IATA and Ian Clarke, Control Risks.

Further highlights include detailed analyses of hotel revenue performance from Thomas Emanuel, STR and hotel development activity from Trevor Ward, W Hospitality Group  both invaluable reports for any business investing in the region.

In addition, there will be an African market focus  region by region, with senior executives who have deep local knowledge, alongside breakout sessions tackling development, operating models, costs, gaps in the market, new projects looking for finance and much more.



The last day kicks off with innovations and trends in hospitality  from international to local; mainstream to boutique. Therell be a stakeholders roundtable  balancing the needs of owners and operators, plus a valuable closing session on finance, covering major transactions of the last year and new sources of funding and how to obtain it.



With an anticipated speaker line-up of over 90 senior industry professionals from leading hotel chains, consultancies, designers, local owners, AHIF provides a focused forum to meet the right decision makers and secure deals for investment projects within the region.



The event will take place at Radisson Blu and Kigali Convention Centre. Registration is now open at www.africa-conference.com
Srinagar, June 12 : Four security men were injured late on Sunday evening in a grenade explosion in old city area of Srinagar.

Police said militants hurled a grenade at a bunker of the security forces in Saraf Kadal in Srinagar around 10.30 p.m..

"Four security men, including a CRPF sub-inspector and three police constables were injured in the explosion.

"The injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment," a police spokesman said.
Kochi, June 12 : The Kerala High Court on Monday directed authorities to seize documents of the cargo ship bearing a Panama flag that hit a fishing boat here on Sunday. Two fishermen were killed and one went missing in the collision.

The court's intervention came on Monday evening after relatives of the two killed fishermen moved the court for justice.

The court asked the officials of the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to seize the voice data recorder and the original log book of the ship.

Earlier in the day, the DGS officials, accompanied by the Coast Guard, Coastal Police and Kerala Police officials, began their inspection of the ship.

The cargo ship carrying fertilisers is now berthed in the outer seas and after inspection, a decision would be taken on what needs to be done.

Speaking to IANS, Kochi Police Commissioner M.P. Dinesh said: "There are a lot of procedures to be followed in taking forward this case."

"Today's (Monday) probe will reveal what exactly happened and accordingly the process of law will take its course," added Dinesh.

The decision on taking into custody of the ship's captain, a Greek national, would also be known later in the day.

While the bodies of two fishermen were brought to the shore on Sunday, the search is still going on for the missing person.

One of the dead fishermen is from Tamil Nadu and the other from Assam. The missing fisherman is said to be from Uttar Pradesh. Eleven fishermen were rescued by another fishing boat.

According to the fishermen in the ill-fated fishing boat, "Carmel Matha", the accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday about 16 nautical miles from the Kerala coast.

According to the fishermen, there was no warning by the cargo ship and after hitting the fishing boat, it sailed away without stopping, which according to maritime laws, is a grave crime.
Ghaziabad, June 12 : Burglars broke open the lockers of a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Modinagar and escaped with valuables kept in them, police said on Monday.

The burglars first bored a hole in the concrete boundary wall of the bank located at the Modi Cloth Mills in Ghaziabad district to get inside and then forced access to the locker area.

The crime, a police officer said, may have occurred on Saturday or Sunday when the bank was shut. The bank manager became aware of the robbery on Monday morning.

Police blamed the bank's poor security system for the crime.

"The bank lacks security measures. If an attempt was made to get into the bank from any side, a siren should have sounded. But the siren did not work," said Superintendent of Police S.N. Singh.
London, June 12 : Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday began the process of forming a minority government from the hung Parliament after last week's general election and prepared to face questions from her Conservative Party lawmakers.

On Monday afternoon, Theresa May will meet with the 1922 Committee, a parliamentary group that comprises Conservative backbenchers -- a term which applies to any lawmaker who sits behind Cabinet ministers on the government's front bench in the House of Commons, Efe news reported.

The committee is widely expected to press May for an explanation as to why the party suffered such a blow in the June 8 snap election, a vote called for by her just two months earlier when she had a 20-point poll lead over the opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn.

The snap election backfired for May, who lost 13 seats and an overall Conservative majority while the centre-left Labour camp climbed by 30 parliamentary seats, completely contradicting early poll predictions.

At just eight seats shy of a majority, May turned to the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats in Westminster.

DUP leader Arlene Foster is due to meet May on Wednesday in order to thrash out the details of that deal, which will likely entail a series of concessions in exchange for DUP support in the Commons.

May on Sunday appointed an effective "Deputy Prime Minister" after her election disaster as long-time friend Damian Green was made First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office. He was shifted from work and pensions to the new role at the Prime Minister's side.

May is due to begin Brexit negotiations with Brussels on June 19 in a weaker position than before the June election.
Wahington, June 13 : A week after former FBI director James Comey's testimony, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is to testify publicly on Tuesday before Congress, which is expected to be focused on his contacts with Russian officials during last year's presidential campaign.

Sessions requested that the hearing at the Senate Intelligence Committee be public, Xinhua quoted a Justice Department spokesperson as saying.

"The Attorney General has requested that this hearing be public. He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions tomorrow," the statement read.

Comey told lawmakers at last Thursday's hearing that he knew details that made Sessions's involvement in the FBI Russia probe "problematic."

"We were aware of facts I can't discuss in an open setting that would make his (Sessions') continued involvement in a Russia investigation problematic," Comey said at the hearing.

Comey also reportedly told lawmakers behind closed doors that one of those details included another unreported meeting between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyac.

The attorney general was forced to recuse himself in March from the federal investigation into Russian interference in the US election after media reports that he twice met with Kislyak during the 2016 campaign and did not disclose that to the Senate during his confirmation hearing in January.

Moreover, Democrats are also thought to be keen to press Sessions on his role in Comey's abrupt firing.

Trump accepted a recommendation from Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to fire Comey in May, according to a White House statement issued at the time.
Madrid, June 13 : Twenty-seven thieves were arrested by police on Monday for stealing and robbing luxury watches from tourists in the city of Barcelona, Spain.

Mossos d'Esquadra, or the police force of Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, on Monday confirmed the arrest of the 27 thieves of French and Belgian nationals, who were based in either London or Paris, Xinhua news agency reported.

The thieves would travel to Barcelona to commit their crimes and usually operate in four or five groups, according to the police.

The total value of the goods they stole or robbed, including watches worth between 500 and up to 120,000 euros, was estimated at over 310,000 euros ($347,240).

These watches would then be sold on the black market in either the Middle East countries or in countries of the north of the Magreb.

The police confirmed that 14 of the thieves have been sent to prison to await trial, the remaining 13 have been released on charges.

The police explained that the thieves were usually able to steal watches without being detected, but if they were discovered, they would not hesitate to use violence in order to escape.

Tourists, who were either staying in luxury hotels or visiting bars, restaurants and nightclubs, were the main targets.

The thieves also looked for victims outside high-end establishments or jewelry stores in a bid to steal goods which were just purchased.
New Delhi : Twice in two weeks the US has taken steps that will have dire repercussions on a global scale.

First, it was the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the effects of which can only be catastrophic. More recently, the US House of Representatives passed an act to roll back the 2010 Dodd Frank Act that was introduced to plug the financial irregularities that led to the 2008 financial crisis. The Act took a holistic approach in regulating every aspect of financial markets from the trading of bonds and stocks to the way in which large banks operate.

The importance of regulation can be realised by gazing through a historical lens into the Great Depression of 1929. In the decade before the depression, the United States entered a period of economic prosperity famously known as the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of rapid innovation, accelerated industrial growth and high consumer demand. Corporate profits skyrocketed and stock markets boomed. Manipulation became rampant and even banks began offering securities backed by dubious assets. When the music stopped in 1929, the stock markets crashed, assets became worthless and households found themselves burdened with debt.

In 1933, the Congress passed the Glass-Steagall Act in response to the market manipulations. It effectively separated investment and commercial banking activities of banks. Banks were allowed only to take deposits and make loans while brokers were allowed only to underwrite and sell securities. This would prevent banks from taking too much risk with the depositors' money by investing in the stock market. From 1933 until it was repealed in 1999, there were no instances of large bank failures or a crisis comparable to the one that occurred in 2008.

Regulation played a vital role in curbing economic miseries across the world. There is a lot of debate around the veracity of that statement and the importance of Glass-Steagall, but there is no second opinion on the fact that the act had prevented the formation of "too big to fail" organisations.

Post-Glass-Steagall, the floodgates were opened for big ticket mergers like the one between J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan in 2000. The coming up of such firms creates incentive problems as the stakeholders know that they will be bailed out in times of crises. This was one of the major reasons for the financial crisis of 2008.

Dodd-Frank had three important aspects to prevent a repeat of 2008. First was the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is a regulatory agency charged with overseeing financial products and services offered by firms. It protects consumers from misleading or fraudulent financial sales pitches and predatory mortgage lending.

The second major component of the Dodd-Frank Act is the Volcker Rule, which brings back the most crucial feature of Glass-Steagall of separating the investment and commercial functions of banks. It restricts the way banks can invest, limits speculative trading and eliminates proprietary trading. The act also carried a provision to regulate derivatives like credit default swaps that were the major contributors of the 2008 financial crisis.

The third is the establishment of the Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA) that aimed to address the incentive issues with "too big to fail" institutions. The idea was that government would seize institutions that it bails out so that it can keep them running without rewarding stockholders out of turn.

In the 2008 crisis, it was unclear whether the Treasury Department had the legal authority to do so. The Dodd-Frank awarded that authority to OLA. Also, OLA is so designed that all costs are borne by private actors and not the taxpayers. It is limited to temporary funding of firms and does not hand out funds as permanent capital by having first claims on the firm's assets.

The recent act passed by the House aims to eliminate all the positives of the Dodd-Frank Act on the ground that it harms business activities in the US. It restructures the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by gutting its supervisory role and its ability to curb abusive financial practices. It also repeals the Volcker Rule, which would allow banks to reload on risks and does away with the OLA that would make managing big banks difficult.

Thus, the act is a regressive move away from financial regulation that would have repercussions beyond US borders and into future generations. Hopefully, the act will not pass the Senate as it will not get all the 60 votes needed, but some provisions that need only Senate reconciliation, that is 51 votes to pass, might get through.

Any move that dilutes the Dodd-Frank will strengthen the chances of an avoidable economic crisis and force billions around the globe to relive the miseries that they have just endured. It is in the best interests of both Americans and economies around the world that the country's legislators reconsider the act and move beyond narrow political aims.

(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. He can be contacted at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya. Chirag Yadav, researcher, Institute for Competitiveness, has contributed to the article.)
Mumbai, June 13 : The Reserve Bank of India has issued a new batch of Rs 500 denomination notes, an official said here on Tuesday.

"In continuation of issuing of Rs 500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (new) series from time to time which are currently legal tender, a new batch of banknotes with inset letter "A" in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India; with the year of printing '2017' on the reverse, are being issued," an official statement said.

The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the Rs 500 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, which were notified on November 8, 2016.

Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019
Berlin, June 13 : At least one person was injured in a shooting at a subway station in Munich on Tuesday, German police said.

The shooting occurred during a police check at the Unterfoehring subway station, police spokesman Michael Riehlein said.

He said a weapon was fired during the check but could not immediately say whether it was fired by police or by a suspect, KRMG radio station reported.

Police later tweeted that at least one person was injured.

Munich's Merkur newspaper reported that witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's pistol and then shot her, and also injured others at the scene.

Riehlein said the area had been secured and that there was no danger to the wider public.
New Delhi, June 13 : To enhance bilateral economic engagement and business co-operation between India and South Korea, FICCI's Senior Vice President Rashesh Shah will lead a high-powered business delegation which will accompany Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to Seoul on June 14-15.

As part of the visit, industry chamber FICCI, along with Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), is organising a seminar where Jaitley will address businessmen from leading companies as well as small and medium enterprises, and both corporate and institutional investors, a FICCI statement said here on Tuesday.

The seminar will focus on key achievements of the government and long-term investment opportunities in India.

"India remains an attractive investment destination in the world. This visit to South Korea will provide a good opportunity for CEOs to talk about the enabling policy environment available for corporates in India as well as to highlight the advantages that India offers to foreign investors," said Shah, who is also Chairman & CEO, Edelweiss Group.
Previously organized in Sharjah, UAE, The Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries will organize the 5th OIC Halal Expo in Istanbul under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Turkey Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The 3rd Helal Expo 2017 will be merged with the 5th OIC Halal Expo. The event will be held simultaneously with World Halal Summit Istanbul in which conferences to be attended by high level speakers.

Speakers will give speeches in the fields of Halal Food, Islamic Finance, Islamic Tourism, Islamic Textile, Halal Medicine, halal chemistry, and pharmacy.

Halal Expo Fair which is the only platform for Halal certified products in Turkey, taking into consideration the commercial expectations of the participating companies actively conducts marketing and promotional activities in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Far East and the USA. It is expected that more than 200 companies and brands will participate from various countries and many related sectors.

The international demand for halal products has witnessed rapid growth after reaching a value of more than $2.3 trillion in 2015, according to Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) reports. The food and beverage industry has the largest share of this industry, dominating with 67 per cent of total trade in halal products with a value of $1.4 trillion. This number is expected to rise to around $1.6 trillion at the beginning of 2020.

An estimated 121 million Muslims traveled internationally in 2016, up from 117 million in 2015, representing 10 percent of the entire travel economy. This is expected to grow to 156 million travelers in 2020, spending over US$220 billion. Meanwhile, Turkey is worlds 4th best Muslim travel destination in 2017 according to the most comprehensive research released on the global Muslim travel market by the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017.

The 5th OIC Halal Expo will be held between 23 and 25 November 2017 at the Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center. Book your hotel room in Istanbul near the center.
Darjeeling, June 13 : Amid the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) sponsored indefinite shutdown in the northern West Bengal hills, fresh unrest broke out here on Tuesday as GJM supporters clashed with police during a protest rally.

The protesters shouted slogans and pelted bricks at the security forces, prompting the police to resort to a massive baton charge to disperse the crowd near Chowk Bazar.

Dividing themselves into small units, the Morcha activists used the narrow lanes and bylanes of Darjeeling to take out the rally in order to bypass the tight security on the main roads but were stopped by the police near Chowk Bazar.

Senior police officers of the district, including the newly appointed Superintendant of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi were seen patrolling the streets, alongside the counter insurgency force and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

"The activists became violent and resorted to stone pelting at our forces near Chowk Bazaar. But the mob has been disbursed from the place. We have to check if any of the officers got injured," Chaturvedi said.

Meanwhile, police on Monday night arrested the GJM-run hill development body Gorkhaland Territorial Administration member Satish Pokhrial in connection with the violence in the area since last Thursday.

A massive force was posted outside the GJM party office in Darjeeling's Singmari.

The West Bengal hills have been on the boil for nearly a week over the GJM's demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

The GJM has also accused the state government of "high-handedness and committing atrocities" on the people of the hills.

Besides, the party is protesting against what it calls the state government's "attempt" to impose Bengali on the Nepali-speaking people of the region, even though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asserted there are no such plans for the hills.

A violent clash ensued between police and Morcha activists last Thursday during a protest rally, right after the state government's cabinet meeting in Darjeeling, that injured several activists and at least 50 police personnel.
Washington, June 13 : The US Senate has approved new economic sanctions on Russia and placed restrictions on President Donald Trump's ability to lift them without being assessed by the Congress.

The deal, sealed on Monday night, imposes new sanctions on those carrying out "malicious cyber activities" on behalf of Moscow, those supplying arms to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or people linked to Russian intelligence and defence, reports Efe news.

The measure also gives Congress 30 days to review or potentially block Trump in case he decides to lift or ease the sanctions.

Moreover, the deal also complicates the lifting of sanctions already imposed on Russia by the administration of former President Barack Obama, and allows the present administration to extend them to sectors of the Russian economy.

The senators presented the deal as a separate Iran sanctions bill, under debate by the Legislature.

Both proposals could be voted this week, a significant shift from last month, when the Republican leaders seemed reluctant to move forward on sanctions against Moscow.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the deal and urged the House of Representatives to pass it as soon as possible.

"By codifying existing sanctions and requiring Congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President (Vladimir) Putin for his reckless and destabilising actions," Schumer said.

"These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia," he added.

The Senate deal comes amid a crisis afflicting the Trump administration aver a possible attempt to obstruct justice in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Kathmandu, June 13 : Nepal and China have reaffirmed cooperation in the fields of literature, arts and culture under the Belt and Road Initiative to promote bilateral ties, a top official said here on Tuesday.

The development came after the Nepal Academy and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles last week renewed for another five years their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation, which was signed for the first time in 2011, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The two organisations aim to support each other to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in culture and art, and enhance the understanding and friendship between the two peoples within the Belt and Road framework," academy Chancellor Ganga Prasad Uprety said.

The MoU states that Nepali and Chinese literature experts will hold conferences in Beijing and Kathmandu to share ideas in the field of language and arts.

Similarly, important Chinese and Nepali literary books will be translated and distributed.

"This MoU will be helpful strengthening the cultural cooperation between Nepal and China," Uprety said.

Nepal and China signed a cooperation agreement on the Belt and Road Initiative last month and one of the key components of the agreement is to promote culture and people-to-people bonds.

The Nepal Academy is a state-owned institution established to promote languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences in the Himalayan nation.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative aims to build an infrastructure and trade network that spans the globe, linking Asia with Europe and Africa, along the ancient Silk Road trading routes.
Kolkata, June 13 : An elderly man committed suicide by jumping in front of a metro train in Kolkata on Tuesday morning, a Kolkata Metro Rail official said. The incident triggered partial disruption in train services for nearly half-an-hour.

The incident took place at Rabindra Sarobar metro station in South Kolkata.

"A senior citizen committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving metro rake on the down line of Rabindra Sarobar metro station around 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday. He has not been identified yet," Chief Public Relations Officer of Kolkata Metro Railway, Indrani Banerjee, told IANS.

"The accident caused temporary disruption in the train services for half-an-hour. However, the services between Dumdum and Maidan were on during that time," she said.

According to the Metro authority, the body was recovered from the track and taken to M.R. Bangur Hospital in Tollygunj.

"Train services resumed from 12 noon," Banerjee added.
Mumbai, June 13 : Automobile major Tata Motors on Tuesday said it has appointed Girish Wagh as head of its commercial vehicle business unit.

According to the company, Wagh will take charge of his new responsibilities with immediate effect.

"The replacement of Wagh as the 'Head of Product Line MHCV' will be announced in due course. In the meanwhile, he will continue to oversee the MHCV related scope of responsibilities," the automobile major said in a statement.

On June 5, the firm had informed that Director of its associated companies and Executive Director (Commercial Vehicles) Ravindra Pisharody has resigned due to personal reasons.
New Delhi, June 13 : Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will be taking a break from politics to visit his 93-year-old grandmother in Italy, he said on Twitter. He will most likely spend his 47th birthday next week with them.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother & family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," said Gandhi, who will be celebrating his 47th birthday on June 19.

His latest foreign visit comes in the midst of hectic politics over the coming Presidential election and other developments like the farm crisis.

He did not mention how many days he will be abroad.

Rahul's grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala defending Gandhi, said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture."

"Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers' agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights," he added.

Rahul Gandhi had in March visited the US, where his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi had gone for a health check-up.

Earlier, during the New Year Celebrations, Gandhi had gone to London for a short break.
Gurugram, June 13 : A 60-year-old quack was arrested by the district administration's Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) team on charges of selling medicine to "guarantee" the birth of a male child, police said on Tuesday.

Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Hardeep Singh said a team, headed by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), raided a clinic in Kherki Daula village on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway.

The team, including Deputy CMO Saryu Sharma, Drug Control officer Amandeep Singh and Red Cross Secretary Shyam Sunder, sent a dummy customer to the clinic of Baldevraj Bhardwaj, who gave "guarantee" that a woman would give birth only to a male child after having his medicine.

The dummy customer purchased the medicine for Rs 2,000.

Sunder told IANS that Bhardwaj claimed he was a Registered Medical Practitioner practitioner but failed to show his certificate.

Sharma said that a few ultrasound centres might be involved in Bhardwaj's gang.

An FIR was registered against the accused under Section 23 of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act and Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC at Kherki Daula police station.

The Deputy Commissioner said the PNDT team has conducted 22 successful such raids in the last two years and that 60 doctors and their agents besides others were arrested.
Mumbai, June 13 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday encouraged government employees to lead a healthy and good lifestyle.

At the Mantralaya here, Fadnavis, wife Amruta, film producer Smita Thackeray, actor Dino Morea and wellness expert Rekha Chaudhari were present for Global Wellness Week celebrations.

Thackeray said, "I think whether it is all the cabinet ministers or regular (government) employees, they are dealing with so much work pressure every day and not leading a well-disciplined life... It is important to take out some time from everyday life and take care of their body, mind and soul."

"Unless you are happy from within, you cannot perform well in your professional life."

Chaudhari told IANS: "Often we have observed how the urban life has given us such a stressful lifestyle that we are at times not connected to ourselves. So many meditation centres are opened, Ayurveda treatments are given, and people know that they should live a good and stress-free life, but it is not happening."

Global Wellness Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year.
New Delhi, June 13 : The government on Tuesday said the three state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) propose to formalise plans to set up the world's largest refinery-cum-petrochemicals complex located on the country's west coast.

The three state-owned OMCs -- Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- will sign a joint venture agreement for the creation of the proposed complex on Wednesday.

Last year, the government disclosed that the three OMCs will build a 60 million tonne per annum refinery along with a petrochemicals complex in Maharashtra.

In 2016, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted that the first phase of the complex will be built with an investment of more than Rs 1 lakh crore.

The minister said at that time that the refinery will produce petrol, diesel, LPG, ATF and feedstock for petrochemicals plants used in plastic, chemical and textiles industries.
New Delhi, June 13 : Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday signed an agreement for India's participation in ANUGA, an international exhibition for food industry in Germany in October.

"It gives us the opportunity to showcase our strengths and opportunities to an international audience," a release quoted her as saying.

"Food diplomacy will bridge many differences and transform the lives of the farmers."

She said development of food processing industries will help achieve the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022.

"We need to upgrade our farming techniques and need investment not only in food processing but also in farming technologies. We also need to learn from the West on how to control waste at harvest and transportation stages," the Minister said.

While ANUGA 2015 had 135 Indian exhibitors, more than 200 Indian companies are expected to participate in ANUGA 2017.

In ANUGA 2017, e-commerce in food industry will be focused for the first time.

ANUGA (General Food and Non-essential Provisions Exhibition) is the world's biggest and most important trade fair for food and beverage trade.
Kochi, June 13 : The Greek captain of a cargo ship which hit a fishing boat off Kerala coast on Sunday said he was not aware of the collision, a shipping official said on Tuesday. Two fishermen were killed and the third is missing.

"The captain of the ship claims that he was not aware of the collision. Now that the Kerala High Court has directed the seizure of the ship's documents, we will wait for directions from the court on the course of action to be adopted," Ajith K. Sukumar, an official with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), told media here.

He added that it will take a few more days for the procedures to be completed in the ongoing probe of the collision.

On Monday, top officials attached to the DGS -- accompanied by the Coast Guard, Coastal Police and Kerala Police officials -- finished a day-long inspection of the ship and took detailed statements from the 28-member crew of the ship.

They also took documents which include the voice data recorder and the original logs of the ship.

The authorities on Tuesday continued their search for the fisherman who went missing after the collision.

The cargo ship, bearing a Panama flag and carrying fertilisers, was on its way from China to Israel. It is now berthed in the outer seas.

According to the fishermen in the ill-fated fishing boat, "Carmel Matha", the accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday about 16 nautical miles from the Kerala coast.

According to the fishermen, there was no warning by the cargo ship and after hitting the fishing boat, it sailed away without stopping, which according to maritime laws is a grave crime.
Baghdad, June 13 : Two persons died and hundreds of displaced people fell ill due to a mass food poisoning at a camp for the displaced near the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Zahid al-Khatoni, an Iraqi Member of Parliament, said that at al-Khazir-2 refugee camp some 900 displaced people from Mosul fell ill on Monday after "eating their Ramadan meal which were presented by a Qatari humanitarian organisation".

People were said to be vomiting and suffering dehydration after an iftar meal, to break the daily Ramadan fast.

The authorities of the autonomous Kurdish region launched an investigation into the incident to determine the exact source of the poisoning, Xinhua news agency reported.

The food, containing beans, chicken and yoghurt, was prepared in a restaurant in Irbil and brought to the camp by the Qatari charity, Rudaw news agency reported.

Nowzad Hadi, the governor of the region's capital city Arbil, said on Tuesday that seven people of the Qatari charity were arrested.

Irbil health department sent medic teams and 30 ambulances to the camp.

The camp is one of 13 built by the UNHCR in the Mosul area to cope with people fleeing from the city and surrounding villages.
Agartala, June 13 : A Bangladeshi youth was arrested here on Tuesday for smuggling gold worth Rs 50 lakh, police said.

Mohammad Liton Ahmed, 29, on Monday came to Agartala and tried to go to Kolkata by a private airline. When the security at the airport checked him, he ran away leaving behind 15 gold biscuits and a gold chain, a police official said.

The youth was arrested while trying to return to Bangladesh.
Mumbai, June 13 : The RBI on Tuesday identified 12 accounts totaling 25 per cent of the non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, of the banking system for insolvency proceedings, a day after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said action was on the anvil shortly in this regard.

"The IAC (Internal Advisory Committee) noted that under the recommended criterion, 12 accounts totaling about 25 per cent of the current gross NPAs of the banking system would qualify for immediate reference under IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016)," the Reserve Bank of India said in a statement following the IAC's first meeting here on Monday.

"The IAC recommended for IBC reference all accounts with fund and non-fund based outstanding amount greater than Rs 5,000 crore, with 60 per cent or more classified as non-performing by banks as of March 31, 2016," it said.

The IAC has been constituted under the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, passed by the government last month, 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 IAC took up for consideration the accounts which were classified partly or wholly as non-performing from amongst the top 500 exposures in the banking system," the RBI said.

Following his annual review in New Delhi of the performance of public sector banks (PSBs) on Monday, Jaitley told reporters that he expects "precipitative action" to be taken after the recent ordinance on bad loans, and this could strengthen recovery efforts of PSBs.

He said the RBI is at a fairly advanced stage of preparing a list of debtors whose cases require resolution through the IBC process, and added that 81 cases have been filed under IBC, with 18 of them coming from financial creditors.

The NPAs 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.
Kolkata, June 13 : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal and Bihar were not utilising the central funds allotted under the micro irrigation scheme for the last three years.

"The Centre is committed to sending water to every farmland in the country. However, it is unfortunate that in states like West Bengal and Bihar, the money allotted for the purpose of micro irrigation is getting fully utilised," Singh said at an event here while talking about implementation of central-sponsored irrigation schemes.

He also urged the West Bengal government to accelerate the process of distributing the soil health card among the state's farmers.

"There are 72 lakhs farmers in Bengal. However, so far only 23 lakhs of them have received the soil health card. Certainly Bengal is lagging in this issue as well," he said.

"The government which talks about Maa-Maati-Manush (Mother-land-people) should take initiatives to accelerate the process. Till the time the land is not cured, its sons will not be happy," he added.
New Delhi, June 13 : Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not implementing central government-sponsored schemes for farmers.

Singh's remarks came after Nitish Kumar attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the agrarian crisis in most parts of the country.

Singh said the Bihar government had not been able to spend Rs 31.71 crore of Rs 45 crore allotted by the Centre to the state for implementing micro-irrigation scheme in two financial years -- 2014-15 (Rs 35 crore) and 2016-17 (Rs 10 crore).

"If the Chief Minister is really concerned about increasing the income of farmers, he should show his commitment towards the implementation of schemes approved by the Modi government in his state. Just talking would not do any good to the farmers," a release quoted Singh as saying.

Singh said Bihar was allotted Rs 101 crore under the National Food Security Mission to provide high-yielding food grain seeds to the farmers at subsidised rates, but even there it could not spend Rs 8 crore.
New Delhi, June 13 : Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will take a break from the rough and tumble of Indian politics to visit his 93-year-old maternal grandmother in Italy.

"Will be travelling to meet my grandmother and family for a few days. Looking forward to spending some time with them," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, whose maternal grandmother Paola Maino lives in Italy, did not mention how many days he will remain out of the country. He will celebrate his 47th birthday on June 19.

The Congress leader's latest foreign visit comes amid hectic politics over the July 17 presidential election and other developments like the farmers unrest and protests in various states across the country.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Rahul Gandhi is travelling abroad to meet his 93-year-old grandmother and family. To take care of the well-being of elders is part of our culture."

He said Rahul Gandhi will continue to lead and guide the ongoing farmers' agitation and every Congressman is committed to fight for the farmers rights.

Rahul Gandhi visited the US in March after his mother and congress chief Sonia Gandhi went there for a health check-up.

This is not the first time that Gandhi had announced his plans to go abroad on Twitter. He did the same when he earlier visited London in December 2016.

Moreover, it is not the first time Gandhi will go abroad when presidential election and farmers unrest looms large over the country, and six farmers have been killed in police firing on June 6 in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

He went abroad ahead of New Year celebrations in December 2016, when the country was in economic and political turmoil owing to the government's November 8 decision to demonetise currency notes and infighting in the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

He drew criticism from political opponents when he went abroad in 2016-end, leading to his absence from Parliament in the first few days of the Budget session.

He again drew flak when he attended the Aspen conference in September 2015 amid assembly election campaign in Bihar.
Jerusalem, June 14 : Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, along with a university professor, has initiated the establishment of a code of ethics that would prevent professors from expressing political opinions in universities.

The move has attracted criticism from politicians, including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and unions like the Committee of University Heads and the National Union of Israeli students, Times of Israel reported on Tuesday.

The Union had even threatened to have students go on strike if the code comes to pass, marking an escalation since the contents of the document were reported on last week.

In the wake of this threat, Bennett needs the support of Israel's Council for Higher Education and the national governing body for academic institutes.

According to Haaretz daily, it appears that Bennett will not have a majority of the votes to get the code implemented in colleges.
The ability to dictate into tasks and referrals has also made a significant impact and helped reduce the burden of administration

THE PRACTICE

The Saluja clinic based in Southall, Middlesex is a busy 9,500 patient list GP Practice operating from a modern, purpose built premises.

The practice is experiencing a growing list size and an increasing volume of appointment slot requests causing the GPs added pressure. Aware of this, the principle GP, Dr Rajinder Singh Saluja, concluded he needed to look to technology to increase efficiency during his clinics. Making the most of 10 minute consultations and recognising the importance of detailed patient notes were areas that Dr Saluja identified where improvements could be made.

THE PILOT

The Saluja Clinic uses SystmOne as its clinical system. After some research they contacted TPPs Premiere Integration Partner Crescendo Systems to investigate how Crescendos Medical Speech Recognition (SR) software could help in this area. Following a demonstration showing dictation direct into SystmOnes consultation screen and the navigation of the system using our own command pack voice instructions the practice decided to run a trial of the solution to measure the efficiency gains.

The software was installed and the profile and user training was conducted in around an hour and the system was live.

OUTPERFORMING EXPECTATIONS

On a follow up call to the practice Dr Saluja explained my consultation notes are now not only much quicker but considerably more comprehensive since the introduction of SR. The ability to dictate into tasks and referrals has also made a significant impact and helped reduce the burden of administration. Some of my patients have expressed how impressed they are that detailed notes are being taken during an appointment concluded Dr Saluja.

John Bendall, UK Director at Crescendo commented We are pleased we have been able to play a part in increasing efficiency at yet another of our fast expanding portfolio of GP Practices."
Systech Assembled in USA We are proud to be able to assemble our products in the USA

For the first time in almost two decades, Systech Corporation, headquartered in San Diego, is returning to the USA for the assembly of its high volume SysLINK modular IoT gateways. Since its founding in 1981, Systechs products have been designed, marketed, and supported in America, but for the last eighteen years they have been built offshore. Now the assembly operation is returning to the states. The transition of the manufacturing site for its most popular line of IoT gateways to the USA will be completed by the end of Q2 2017.

We are pleased to announce that most of our products will now be assembled here in the USA, says Mark Fowler, President of Systech. It is the right thing to do, and it meets a need that many of our customers have requested for many years.

This move will enable increased manufacturing nimbleness, which is critical to address the fast-paced growth of the IoT, or Internet of Things, market. The company can now take advantage of shorter manufacturing cycles to meet the needs of the rapidly shifting IoT market.

Systechs high product quality standards will not be affected by this shift of manufacturing location. The IoT gateway will retain its industry leading 5-year warranty.

Design and assembly in the USA are important, says Fowler. It reflects our commitment to surpassing customer expectations when they partner with Systech.

About Systech

Systech Corporation, established in 1981, is an industry leader in network conversion gateways, servers, and switches, supporting a wide variety of interfaces. Systech brings network connectivity to IP and non-IP based systems for a wide variety of applications including ATM, point-of-sale, vending, remote electronic signage, building automation and security, and remote monitoring. Systech has produced over a million electronic gateways. Additional information is available at http://www.systech.com.
Herpetologica Volume 73 Issue 2 June 2017 Agencies can use our analyses on relative frequency of this pathogen to develop strategies to maximize desert tortoise survival.

Herpetologica  The populations of many turtle species are currently in decline because their habitats are being altered. Conservationists are working tirelessly to help preserve natural areas and their indigenous populations while scientists further their understanding of the causes population decline. Among these causes that hinder the persistence of some species are disease-causing pathogens.

Researchers from the University of Nevada and Colorado State University recently published a study in the journal Herpetologica that investigated how an upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) was affecting Mojave Tortoises. Scientists had studied URTD as a threat to the species; however, this was the first range-wide study to focus on the presence of the pathogen Mycoplasma agassizii.

Between 2010 and 2012, 402 tortoises from 27 locations across California, Nevada and Utah were observed for clinical symptoms of URTD, and nasal lavage samples were collected. The appearance of clinical symptoms was analyzed individually from the nasal lavage.

The results of the study indicated that some areas had diseased tortoises, but little to no trace of the pathogen M. agassizii was detected. The study also determined that even in areas of high frequency for the pathogen, clinical symptoms did not readily appear. The researchers found this particularly important, because there is a clear lag time between disease contraction and disease onset.

Mycoplasma agassizii is believed to be present in most, or even all, tortoises, but the extent of the threat from the disease is undetermined. The researchers believe that gaining an understanding of how this pathogen relates to the development of URTD can be an important contributor towards a better understanding of how to increase the survival of Mojave Tortoises.

The ecological importance of this upper respiratory disease is contentious, yet management practices should account for the potential negative effects on local populations, said researcher Chava Wietzman. Agencies can use our analyses on relative frequency of this pathogen to develop strategies to maximize desert tortoise survival.

Full text of the article, Prevalence and Diversity of the Upper Respiratory Pathogen Mycoplasma agassizii in Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), Herpetologica, Vol. 73, No. 2, 2017, is now available at http://www.hljournals.org/doi/full/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-16-00079.1.

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About Herpetologica

Herpetologica is a quarterly journal of The Herpetologists League, containing original research articles on the biology of amphibians and reptiles. The journal serves herpetologists, biologists, ecologists, conservationists, researchers, and others interested in furthering knowledge of the biology of amphibians and reptiles. To learn more about the society, please visit http://www.herpetologistsleague.org.
Dr. Christian Oberdanner, product manager at Tecan Austria, and Dr. Cedric Muller, founder and CEO of SMALTIS

Cell-based assays are a core research tool, offering an informative and cost-effective counterpart or alternative to in vivo and animal tests. Although this area of research was once dominated by destructive methods involving cell lysis, live cell assays have now become commonplace, allowing measurements to be performed in real time, either at a single time (end-point assay) or repeatedly over the course of minutes, hours or even days (kinetic assays).

Advances in fluorescent reagents, detection equipment, automation and software have made it possible to run a wide selection of information-rich, real-time cell-based assays using affordable microplate readers. More recently, multimode microplate readers have begun to incorporate cell imaging capabilities, enabling researchers to study more complex applications, such as wound healing, cell migration or bacterial aggregation.

By participating in this webinar, attendees will learn in a first part how to set up automation of real-time cell viability, proliferation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays as well as how to optimize bottom reading fluorescence measurements for minimal signal variations. They will learn of the performance of cell migration and monoclonality verification experiments in an imaging microplate reader and how to normalize cell signals to cell mass, without performing additional assays

In a second part attendees will learn about the automation of monitoring bacterial aggregation, about the quantification of bacterial ability to adhere to and/or invade eukaryotic cells and about establishment of luminescence measurements in bacteria for deep mouse infection models.

The team at Tecan has arranged to have Dr. Christian Oberdanner, product manager at Tecan Austria, and Dr. Cedric Muller, founder and CEO of SMALTIS, as the speakers for this event.

Oberdanner earned a doctorate in molecular and cell biology from the University of Salzburg, with a focus on cell and tumor biology. He began working for Tecan in 2005 as external scientific consultant, and joined the company permanently in 2006 as an application specialist. In his current role as product manager, he focuses on the company's multimode microplate reader portfolio.

Muller received a doctorate in life sciences and health from the Besancon Bacteriology Laboratory directed by Professor Patrick Plesiat, where he studied the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Since 2014, his company, SMALTIS, has provided its expertise in microbiology and molecular biology to help its clients accelerate their research projects.

LabRoots will host the event June 22, 2017, beginning at 7 a.m. PDT, 10 a.m. EDT. To read more about this event, to learn of the continuing education credits offered, or to register for free, click here.

About Tecan

Tecan is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production and distribution of automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. Its clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments, forensic and diagnostic laboratories. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2016, Tecan generated sales of CHF 506 million (USD 511 million; EUR 464 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TECN; ISIN CH0012100191).

About LabRoots

LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website, which provides daily scientific trending news and science-themed apparel, as well as produces educational virtual events and webinars, on the latest discoveries and advancements in science. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning, and is a primary source for current scientific news, webinars, virtual conferences, and more. LabRoots has grown into the worlds largest series of virtual events within the Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics community.
Republic is proud to provide client focused solutions that bridge cash-flow gaps for growing companies.

When a large money center bank was unable to approve a sufficient line of credit, the lender tasked Republic Business Credit, to provide the necessary payroll funding for their Midwestern based client. Republic structured a larger, more affordable and shorter term facility for the nearly bankable client, with the ability to graduate back to the referring bank after six months.

The clients high growth rate required a scalable facility, that maximized their borrowing ability, to fulfill weekly payroll obligations and continued capital investments. Republics facility eliminated short term cash-flow fears, while allowing the owners to focus on people and growth.

Republic provided the entrepreneur with a $4,000,000 receivables purchase line of credit, without restrictive covenants of traditional senior debt, to enhance control over their cash-flow.

Thriving companies occasionally require a solution to assist their immediate growth orientated cash-flow shortfalls, prior to approval by commercial banks, said Robert Meyers, Chief Commercial Officer of Republic. Republic is proud to provide client focused solutions that bridge cash-flow gaps for growing companies, without long and punitive contracts, enabling entrepreneurs to create jobs across the country.

Republic Business Credit partners with banks to collaboratively support entrepreneurs across the United States, to create value, by enabling them to focus on growing successful businesses.
By monitoring how an applicant responds to risk based questions, our clients can see a new dimension of risk that was previously undetectable.

Neuro-ID, the leading provider of prescriptive analytics for the risk industry, today announced its partnership with Zoot Enterprises. Zoot, a global provider of advanced origination, acquisition and decision management solutions, accelerates the introduction of the newly released Neuro-ID Confidence Score (Neuro-CS) across a wide variety of risk-oriented industries.

Neuro-ID analyzes cognitive changes demonstrated by the applicant during the onboarding process that are indicative of future and risk-relevant actions. Neuro-IDs patent-pending neuroscience and prescriptive analytics solution assesses answers to online onboarding forms, questionnaires, and surveys in real-time to generate a risk confidence score, or Neuro-CS. This score provides organizations a valuable new dimension to assess, verify and segment applicants during the first part of the origination process thereby streamlining their operations and identifying applicants that align to the organization's risk tolerance.

Neuro-IDs technology allows our clients to immediately improve their insight for online credit and risk decisions. By monitoring how an applicant responds to risk based questions, our clients can see a new dimension of risk that was previously undetectable. said Tony Rosanova, COO and CTO at Zoot Enterprises. As we introduce Neuro-IDs technology, we are seeing very positive feedback from a variety of our largest enterprise clients. Neuro-IDs cutting-edge approach has the value proposition that our clients expect Zoot to deliver to make them more efficient and profitable.

Neuro-ID compliments existing risk solutions and delivers an understanding of how an individual responds to a question in real-time. For instance, Neuro-ID customers can ask future focused questions, such as Do you foresee a change in your income in the next 12 months? When Neuro-IDs prescriptive analytics are applied to these types of questions, applicants behavioral changes are captured in real-time and analyzed for indecision, cognitive conflict, and other indicators of confidence.

We are thrilled to partner with the incredible team at Zoot Enterprises, and to introduce our Neuro-CS to their growing list of enterprise customers worldwide, shared Jack Alton (@jackaltonmt), CEO of Neuro-ID. Zoot immediately recognized the value that Neuro-ID delivers through its use of prescriptive analytics for accurately balancing the risk and opportunity of each online applicant. Neuro-IDs technology is scalable to provide immediate value and can be efficiently customized to meet the risk tolerance of each individual customer.

Neuro-ID does not collect any Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and scientifically eliminates any biases during the application process. The Neuro-ID team provides deep expertise and the latest research required to craft the strongest questionnaires and garners the best insight possible for the organization. Neuro-ID is applicable for use across a wide range of industries, including mortgage lending, personal loans, auto loans, credit applications and insurance underwriting.

About Zoot Enterprises

For over 25 years, Zoot Enterprises has been a global provider of advanced origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions. Its customer-centric tools and services enable Zoots clients to add value and differentiation, while providing nimble, scalable solutions to specific business objectives. A leader in the fintech industry, Zoots cloud based secure processing environment delivers millisecond real time decisions accessing hundreds of cutting edge data sources to help reduce risk and increase conversions. The companys international client base includes major financial institutions, retailers and payment providers. Zoot can be found on social media on Twitter @ZootEnterprises and on Facebook. For more information, please visit http://www.zootsolutions.com

About Neuro-ID

Neuro-ID is the leading provider of prescriptive analytics for the risk industry. Uniquely leveraging patent-pending neuro science and prescriptive analytics to construct and analyze forward-looking, risk-relevant questions, Neuro-ID is quickly disrupting the FinTech software space. The technology shows that by understanding how an individual responds to a set of questions in real time, can reveal insights into a customers intent, creating an exciting new dimension of risk analysis that was previously undetectable. As a complimentary technology solution to a customers existing risk engine, Neuro-ID enables large and mid-sized customers to better understand their online applicants, mitigate risk and grow their businesses in real-time.

Neuro-ID is a privately held company headquartered in Whitefish, Montana. To learn more about Neuro-ID, please visit us at LinkedIn, via twitter @id_neuro, or Neuro-ID website at http://www.neuro-ID.com.
The Naples Hotel Group, a leading hotel Development and Management Company that manages a combination of Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham limited and select service hotels, announced today their efforts in donating furniture to Habitat for Humanity. The Wingate by Wyndham in Miramar, FL, operated by Naples Hotel Group, donated several pieces of furniture to Habitat for Humanity in Broward County.

The Wingate is currently under a major renovation that requires the replacement of several materials. As part of this donation, the Florida hotel was happy to donate chairs, bed sets, ottomans, mirrors, and pictures. This donation helps Habitat for Humanity in their mission to eliminate sub-standard housing in Broward County.

We are in the hospitality business, and that means being hospitable to not only our guests but also to our communities, commented Mike Bou-Sliman, Owner and Founder of the Naples Hotel Group. In addition to our existing philanthropic partnerships, our company looks for ways to help and improve our communities.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact Brittany Bou-Sliman at brittany(at)napleshotelgroup(dot)com or 239-206-4273.

About Naples Hotel Group

Naples Hotel Group is a hotel development and management company founded in 1999. NHG has achieved superior results and has a proven ability to enhance the performance of hotels through the use of their experience, responsiveness and extensive resources. NHG, based in Naples and Orlando, prides itself on building long-term relationships with quality people and organizations. To learn more visit,

http://www.napleshotelgroup.com.
Many of the small businesses we serve are seeking access to capital, and Lendios solution provides a curated set of qualified lenders that our customers can quickly access to get the funding they need to grow their business.

Lendio, the nations leading marketplace for small business loans, today announced a pilot agreement with Comcast Business designed to provide its small business customers with quick and easy access to capital. Through the collaboration, Comcast Business customers will have more streamlined access to Lendios marketplace and network of more than 75 lenders, where they can get matched with the financing they need to help them start, grow and thrive.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are more than 28 million small businesses in America, accounting for 48 percent of U.S. employees. Many of these businesses face obstacles getting a loan, like researching an overwhelming number of potential lenders, soliciting financing offers, and determining what loan is right for them. The collaboration between Lendio and Comcast Business will seek to resolve these challenges by providing more direct access to capital through an established set of lenders offering a wide range of loan offerings, and personal attention from small business loan experts.

Comcast consistently explores new ways to provide greater value to our business customers through technology that helps boost performance, said Denice Hasty, chief marketing officer, Comcast Business. Many of the small businesses we serve are seeking access to capital, and Lendios solution provides a curated set of qualified lenders that our customers can quickly access to get the funding they need to grow their business.

Comcast Business customers participating in the pilot will be able to choose from various loan products such as lines of credit, working capital loans, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, term loans, equipment loans, accounts receivable financing, and more.

Were extremely excited to collaborate with Comcast Business. Our teams share a similar passion for providing small business owners with the tools they need to succeed, said Brock Blake, CEO and founder of Lendio. Introducing Lendios marketplace to Comcast Businesss vast customer base can open up a new world of funding options they never knew they had before.

For more information about Lendio, visit http://www.lendio.com.

About Lendio

Lendio is a free online service that helps business owners find the right small business loans within minutes. The center of small business lending, our passion is fueling the American Dream by uniting the small business loan industry and bringing all options together in one place, from short-term specialty financing to long-term low-interest traditional loans. Lendios technology makes small business lending simple, decreasing the amount of time and effort it takes to secure funding. More information about Lendio is available at http://www.lendio.com.

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Watch OxBlue Construction Cameras exclusive video interview with the I-85 rebuild team at http://bit.ly/I85Interview The first few days were critical. The DOTs design was done so efficiently that we were able to order materials immediately. Dan Garcia, C.W. Matthews President

OxBlue, a global leader in construction webcam services, has released exclusive video interview footage with the Atlanta I-85 bridge rebuild project team. The interviews feature contractor C.W. Matthews leadership speaking to the urgency of the project and how they were able to achieve such tremendous success in an impressive six weeks. The video includes commentary from the following C.W. Matthews personnel: President Dan Garcia, Vice President of Structure Adam Grist, Project Manager Mark Dolan, General Manager Brad Nelson, and Superintendent Steve Aponik.

Watch OxBlue Construction Cameras exclusive video interview with the I-85 rebuild team at http://bit.ly/I85Interview

The fire that began on March 30 collapsed a 100-foot section of the roads north-bound lanes and caused extensive damage in both directions. This resulted in closing the interstate, and prompted Governor Nathan Deal to declare a state of emergency. The closure forced 240,000 daily commuters to find alternate routes in a city ranked 8th in the world for traffic congestion.

Within 30 minutes of the collapse, C.W. Matthews president, Dan Garcia, and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) were in communication. That same night, Garcia and Adam Grist, vice president of structures, were onsite to begin assessing the damage. Over the weekend, C.W. Matthews and GDOT strategized a plan for restoring the roadway.

We looked over the DOT engineers design for any issues that could be detrimental to the schedule and addressed them from a construction perspective. The criteria were that it had to work from a design standpoint and could be built as quickly as possible, says Grist, who led the project.

The first few days were critical, says Garcia. The DOTs design was done so quickly that we were able to order materials immediately.

In all, 700 feet of the six-lane bridge had to be demolished and rebuilt. C.W. Matthews won the praise and appreciation of local commuters and businesses when they completed the reconstruction a month ahead of the already aggressive June 15 deadline. The state awarded the company a $3.1 million bonus for early completion.

The construction webcams assisted the project stakeholders in meeting the aggressive six-week timeframe by providing constant remote visual access to the site. C.W. Matthews, the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT), and other involved stakeholders were able to monitor quality and progress from any location by viewing the cameras via computers and mobile devices. C.W. Matthews president, Dan Garcia, states, OxBlue has been a great advantage, not only for our company and for the DOT, but for the traveling public; theyre able to see the progress were making each day and what goes into a project like this. As weve moved along, its been a great way to be able to just click and see how our crews are performing, the progress of the job, and also to be able to communicate to others within or outside of the organization that cant be on the jobsite. Were able to conveniently view the project through the cameras from any location  whether it be at the jobsite, on another job, at the office, or while traveling.

During its more than 70 years in business, C.W. Matthews has worked on a multitude of notable projects, including the Hartfield Jackson

International Airports fifth runway and the bridge reconstruction of I-285 over S.R. 400, which, like the I-85 bridge, had been destroyed in a fire.

About OxBlue: OxBlue is a leading construction camera service provider, serving clients globally. OxBlues high-resolution images, high definition time-lapse videos, and intuitive technologies connect everyone to the jobsite, as well as make it easy to monitor, document, and market your project. OxBlue emphasizes client services and continuous improvement, holding multiple awards for technology, innovation, and workplace culture.
Entreda fully deserves its place among our finalists, and Ive every confidence it will make a significant impact in the tech world

Entreda has been selected as a finalist for Red Herrings Top 100 North America award, one of the technology industrys most prestigious prizes.

Finalists for the awards are among the continents brightest and most innovative private ventures. Their place among North Americas tech elite has been chosen by Red Herrings editorial team, during a months-long process that takes into account criteria including disruptive impact, proof of concept, financial performance, market footprint and quality of management.

For over two decades Red Herrings team has seen through the tech sectors hype to select brands that have become industry benchmarks. Previous Top 100 finalists have included Alibaba, Facebook, Google, Skype, SuperCell, Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube.

The Top 100 North America has become not only a springboard for some of techs biggest names, but a valued and trusted tool for venture capitalists, experts and analysts predicting trends at the industrys sharpest edge.

Selecting finalists for this years Top 100 has proved more difficult than ever, said Alex Vieux, publisher and chairman of Red Herring. North America has been techs beating heart for yearsbut never have I seen such an exciting, disruptive and innovative generation as we have in 2017.

Entreda fully deserves its place among our finalists, and Ive every confidence it will make a significant impact in the tech world, added Vieux.

Finalists are invited to present their winning strategies at the Red Herring Top 100 North America conference in Los Angeles, June 12-14 2017. The Top 100 winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on the evening of June 14 at the event.
Three newly formed companies have received $50,000 each from the University City Science Centers Phase 1 Ventures (P1V) program. PolyCeramX, Recensa Therapeutics and Regennera, all P1V participants, will apply the funds to a combination of technical development and commercialization activities.

Phase 1 Ventures is a startup accelerator that helps launch and grow companies that have specific technology and/or regulatory development needs, such as healthcare, materials, or energy. P1V participants include entrepreneurs that are matched to a technology at one of P1Vs participating universities or recently formed companies that have not yet raised financing. Since it was launched in 2015, P1V has committed more than $1.6 million to 19 startups, typically as the first investment. Collectively, these participants have raised close to $2 million in non-dilutive funding and $1 million in follow-on investment to date.

With intellectual property from Temple University, PolyCeramX is developing a new solid state electrolyte to increase the safety, efficacy and device incorporation of lithium batteries. These solid state electrolytes reduce flammability due to their composition. Because they are flexible and conforming, they can be fabricated into various sized and shaped devices and have higher conductivities than current competitors.

Recensa Therapeutics, also with IP from Temple, possesses a technology which screens for molecules that stimulate the bodys anti-oxidant response against inflammation. Recensa is using this technology to develop topical therapies for the treatment of psoriasis.

Regennera is developing a novel pre-vascularized, load-bearing synthetic bone graft with IP from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. This all-in-one fracture repair device is capable of developing new bone and vasculature simultaneously by combining a composite polymeric/hydroxyapatite structural element that mimics both trabeculae and cortical bone (which are both critical for proper bone regrowth) and cells from the patient's bone marrow.

Launched in 2015, P1Vs portfolio currently includes 19 newly formed companies leveraging intellectual property from 12 institutions, including The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia; Drexel University; Lehigh University; Penn State University; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Temple University; Thomas Jefferson University; University of Delaware; University of Iowa; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; and University of the Sciences.

About the Science Center

Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Centers incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a businesss lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO  and beyond.

For more information about the Science Center, go to http://www.sciencecenter.org
Photo: Nearshore Americas There is innovation, talent and many other positive aspects in Latin America that US companies really need to find out.

On May 24th and 25th, several companies from Latin America and the US got together at the Google Quad in San Francisco for the conference Nexus 2017. During the annual event organized by Nearshore Americas, the Illuminate Awards took place. It was an important moment for the software development boutique UruIT, whose team left the event with the most important award.

The Illuminate Awards aims to congratulate and recognize the companies and startups that are boosting the software outsourcing industry within the region. For Marcelo Lopez, UruITs CEO, receiving this award was a unique milestone after 10 years of hard work. "All these years we have dedicated ourselves to highlight Latin Americas advantages for US companies looking for software development providers."

During Nexus 2017, more than 150 executives embarked on a great journey of learning and networking at the famous Silicon Valley. It was the 7th edition of Nexus, a well-known conference for those willing to discuss trends and opportunities within the software outsourcing industry. This year, the event had a special focus on the disruption of Latin American entrepreneurship.

About UruIT: UruIT is a software development boutique that supports the digital transformation of US companies and startups. It has Development Centers in Uruguay and Colombia and offices in the US. During the last 10 years, UruIT has developed solutions for clients such as Coca-Cola, KIA, PwC and Microsoft. Its team is expert in the outsourcing development model of web and mobile applications.
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) today announced the project teams for its Forge 2017 event, a two-and-a-half day working meeting to accelerate the design of innovative business models that connect low-income households in New York to clean energy benefits.

Forge is a key component within RMIs larger e-Lab Leap initiative, which focuses on delivering more clean energy access to underserved communities. Forge is modeled on RMIs national e-Lab Accelerator program, a bootcamp for innovators in the electricity industry aimed at helping teams unlock opportunities to drive projects forward through deep engagement, collaboration and innovation across institutional boundaries. Forge will be held at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York, from June 1315, 2017.

RMI is welcoming the following teams to Forge:

Clean Energy for Affordable Multifamily BuildingsThe teams goal is to bring energy efficiency, solar and potentially storage capability to affordable multifamily buildings. Their business model aims to aggregate multiple properties with standard products and services and standardized financial packages. This approach would provide economies of scale that 1) incentivize participation by otherwise uninterested financiers, and 2) lower costs of delivery and provide more savings to the building owners and residents.

Paumanok EnergyLong Island Every Roof InitiativeWorking with Long Islands solar industry, financing partners, not-for-profit organizations, faith groups and Public Service Enterprise Groups Long Island unit, this team will build a network of rooftop community solar installations on predominantly commercial roofs. They are creating an energy service company-like business entity that will aggregate the electricity production from these systems and resell this power at lower rates to low- and moderate-income customers.

REVitalize: Harnessing REV for a Just TransitionAs a part of the REVitalize initiative, multiple low-income communities are developing plans for community solar projects, including private, public and nonprofit partners. Two New York teams will be at Forge through REVitalize, one from Buffalo and the other from Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The teams seek to create a viable business model that prioritizes community ownership of the solar arrays.

Community Solar Project Aggregation FundThe team seeks to create and manage a fund that aggregates and bundles many community-owned solar projects together in order to create an avenue for equity investment and debt financing of projects that have struggled to secure financing on a one-off basis. The fund aims to provide a streamlined, bankable investment opportunity for investors and lenders, as well as a reliable flow of financing for projects.

Through our social change lab methodology, we believe we can advance our mutual efforts to identify emerging opportunities and new partnerships to provide more clean energy benefits like better health, environmental resilience, and economic growth to New Yorkers who need them the most, Coreina Chan, a principal at RMI, said.

Forges social change lab architecture provides a structured working session designed to drive progress on team objectives; a safe space to test innovative ideas, tools and training to frame obstacles in a collaborative manner; and the opportunity to build new alliances and a broader support network with allied organizations. Expert e-Lab faculty will be on location throughout the meeting to offer training and insights to Forge teams on critical content areas.

More information on RMIs e-Lab Leap initiative can be found at: https://rmi.org/our-work/electricity/elab-electricity-innovation-lab/elab-leap/

###

About Rocky Mountain Institute

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)an independent nonprofit founded in 1982transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

CONTACT:

Todd Zeranski

Marketing Manager, Rocky Mountain Institute

Tel: 917-670-6568

Email: tzeranski(at)rmi(dot)org
Harold Clarke, president of Luxury Big Island by Harold Clarke, has been named to Hawaii Business Magazines Top 100 Realtors 2017, the ninth time he has appeared on the list.

Harold Clarke, Hawaiis foremost expert on luxury property and president of top real estate brokerage Luxury Big Island, has been named to Hawaii Business Magazines Top 100 Realtors 2017. This is the ninth time that he has appeared on the industry list, and he is also a part of the magazines Top 100 Realtors Hall of Fame.

Harold brokered 25 transactions of premium homes in Hawaii in 2016, the time period examined for the list. He has seen continued success throughout 2017, including having some of the top luxury real estate listings on the Big Island. In late April, Harold listed the largest parcel of land for sale in the state: 16,455 acres along the southwestern coast, including the beautiful Pohue Bay, with an asking price of $18 million.

I am truly honored to receive recognition from Hawaii Business Magazine simply for doing what I love, says Harold. It is a true testament to the power of hard work, dedication and the importance of client satisfaction. I take great pride in putting clients first and foremost, helping them buy and sell in the Hawaiian premium homes market.

Every January, Honolulu-based accounting firm Spire Hawaii LLP compiles the Top 100 Realtors list based on Hawaii real estate transactions from throughout the year. Realtors are ranked by total sales, using data from the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the Realtors Association of Maui and Hawaii Information Service, which collects the numbers for real estate boards on Hawaii Island and Kauai.

Recognized as one of the premier Hawaii real estate brokers, Harold has also been featured in Hawaii Business Magazines Whos Who in Hawaii Real Estate every year since 2010.

###

About Luxury Big Island

Luxury Big Island by Harold Clarke is the premier real estate brokerage on the Big Island. Harold Clarke and his team of dedicated real estate professionals offer clients access to the most exclusive listings on the Big Island. Their hands-on approach and closely working team ensures a tailored experience characterized by responsiveness throughout the entire buying and selling process. For more information, visit http://www.luxurybigisland.com.
RIA Valuations will provide a robust product and resource suite that includes 11 distinct, needs-based valuation solution packages, a dedicated industry web site, along with an extensive collection of valuation research reports.

ECHELON Partners, the leading investment bank for the wealth and investment management industry, announced today the launch of RIA Group LLC, a new entity designed to manage businesses focused specifically on the RIA industry, the first of which is RIA Valuations.

This new platform will provide a robust product and resource suite that includes 11 distinct, needs-based valuation solution packages, a repository of valuation research reports, and the online tools and technologies for larger institutions to offer these resources to the RIAs they serve.

As the RIA industry continues to mature, firms need clear, powerful, and easy-to-use valuation services for deal making such as mergers, acquisitions and succession transactions, as well as to manage the eight key drivers of valuation which are essential to maximizing enterprise value and achieving the vision of growth leading entrepreneurs have in this industry, said Dan Seivert, CEO of ECHELON Partners. Our 20+ years of experience in providing valuation solutions for thousands of advisors has provided us with powerful insights and essential expertise. The establishment of this new company and Valuations platform will yield even more industry-specific focus, bringing forth new solutions to the wealth managers and their affiliated institutions that count on us as the industrys go-to resource for all things valuation.

The flexibility of the RIA business model yields a high degree of variability in the types of businesses financial services entrepreneurs create. RIAs, therefore, can differ greatly based on revenue quality, service lines offered, and/or the use of employee versus independent contractor arrangements. With an increasing need for clear and accurate valuations for succession transactions and equity sharing programs, RIAs continue to struggle with the industrys folkloric, one-metric valuation paradigm of a simple multiple of revenue.

To address these needs and challenges, RIA Valuations developed 11 need-based solution packages to help wealth managers with selling, merging, equity sharing, continuity, succession, financing and more. Features of these packages include the following:



A Comprehensive Valuation Report  providing industry-leading empirics, rigor, and user friendliness

A Valuation Scorecard - a proprietary solution providing detailed analysis and ranking around the eight most important valuation drivers

An Historic Pro-Forma Financial Analysis  outlining key financial ratios and benchmarking metrics

A Financial Forecast  employing a control panel to facilitate what-if analysis for evaluation of various scenarios

An Equity Glide Path - outlining internal buying and selling and the value held by each owner in the capital table

Legal Documentation Templates easy to use instructions necessary for purchase agreements, buy/sell provisions, and protective covenants

Post-Valuation Improvement Opportunities  providing options and recommendations to enhance firm value

Additionally, RIA Valuations provides valuation-centric practice management resources via a new industry website (http://www.RIA-Valuations.com) offering proprietary research, quarterly valuation publications, as well as online valuation calculators. All of these resources draw upon the insights of the RIA Valuations team from conducting thousands of valuations in a diversity of situations for a wide variety of firms.

Entrepreneurial RIAs demand clear and accurate valuation solutions given the increased competitiveness in our industry, said Seivert. Regardless of the reason for the valuation, we have developed a customer experience that is educational and collaborative as our clients follow along with our work flow tool sharing in the discovery of the variables that drive the valuation of their most significant asset. Large and regional investment banks and accounting firms typically do not have the RIA-specific valuation databases resulting in non-optimal valuation techniques, such as using public comparables and transactions from adjacent industries that create inaccurate results. As a result, we believe it is critical to obtain valuations from a dedicated, wealth management industry resource that understands the unique variables and market environment RIAs operate in and is why we are very excited to launch this unique resource for the industry.

As part of the new business launch, the RIA Valuations team will be attending and exhibiting at the Pershing INSITE conference, June 14-16, 2017, in San Diego. ECHELON Partners CEO, Dan Seivert, will be presenting Is M&A a Healthy Choice for Your Advisory Firm? workshop, June 14, 2017, at 11 am at INSITE.

To learn more about ECHELON Partners RIA Valuations, visit http://www.RIA-Valuations.com. To learn more about ECHELON Partners total platform approach, visit http://www.echelon-partners.com.

About ECHELON Partners

Founded over 15 years ago, ECHELON Partners http://www.echelon-partners.com combines the high quality expected of a large investment bank with the high-touch expected of a personal boutique. ECHELON Partners is transforming succession planning and M&A for the wealth management industry through a total platform approach serving large producers, offices, Super OSJs and Enterprises and RIA firms through all their lifecycles. Our services include investment banking, management consulting, valuation and board advisory. Our resources include research reports, legal contracts, databases and financial models. Our team consists of credentialed and experienced professionals.

We believe the keys to successfully serving clients are a wealth and investment industry focus, a comprehensive approach, execution experience and excellence, recognition by industry leaders and an affinity toward entrepreneurship. ECHELON Partners is committed to bringing all of these qualities to every client assignment.
Grab the Gold - New Packaging "Grab The Gold is a delicious chocolate peanut butter snack bar that provides Energy You Can Depend On with a scrumptious combination of organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free ingredients." ~ CEO Danielle Ontiveros

Consuming over one million snack bars annually, Tennessee residents have given a thumbs up to Grab The Gold and spurred tremendous growth for the Nashville company. Sales continue to trend upward throughout the southeast as well as additional retail sales outlets across the US.

Grab The Gold is pleased to announce a fresh new look that is simple and bold, refining both its packaging and website for the crowd-pleasing snack bar. After more than 25 years in business, Danielle Ontiveros  founder and CEO  continues to create Grab The Gold in small hand-crafted batches. Gluten-free and full of protein, these irresistible snack bars use plant-based ingredients to energize consumers and satisfy snack attacks.

Ontiveros shares, I am excited to launch our updated logo, wrappers and packaging along with the new website design. This golden transformation focuses on clear messaging that promotes our simple and clean ingredients that you can pronounce. Grab The Gold is a delicious chocolate peanut butter snack bar that provides Energy You Can Depend On with a scrumptious combination of organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free ingredients. People crave the taste and rely on Grab The Gold for instant and sustained energy during the day.

The updated Grab The Gold website has a clean, bold look with meaningful graphics that connect with people looking for healthy alternatives. Customers also find the website easy to navigate with straightforward messaging about ingredients, as well as a Store Locator for quickly finding the snack bars in their area. Online ordering is also offered and allows customers to buy Grab The Gold as a one-time purchase, or subscribe and save by signing up for customized recurring shipment through the Gold Club Membership.

While the golden transformation is a significant change for the company after 27 years, the iconic red and gold wrapper is still quite recognizable. The new design is easy to read and clearly states the nutritional benefits with highly visible allergen-friendly icons that are important to health-conscious consumers. Grab The Gold customers can be confident that their favorite plant-based snack bar will continue to deliver its same irresistible taste and balanced energy.

Founded in 1990 by Danielle Ontiveros, Grab The Gold snack bars were originally developed in her mother's kitchen. This wholesome recipe that grew from humble beginnings is the tradition that continues today. For over 25 years, Grab The Gold has delivered hand-crafted simple, high-quality ingredients in small batches to create a snack bar so delicious that millions are consumed every year. Sold at select Kroger, Walgreens, Smoothie King and I Love Juice Bars, people often say that Grab The Gold is quite possibly the best snack bar on earth! Combining gratitude with good taste, each purchase of Grab The Gold helps to provide meals for Second Harvest Food Bank. Customers feel good knowing that when they buy  it helps those in need. Visit the website at http://www.grabthegold.com.

Follow Grab the Gold on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.
Todays dynamic marketing teams need a collaborative strategy and integrated workflows to effectively manage the countless digital assets that are required for marketing, advertising and branding campaigns , said Hassan Kotob, CEO of Northplains.

Building off its legacy digital asset management (DAM) expertise, Northplains, a leader in content lifecycle management solutions for marketers, today announced the general availability of NorthplainsNEXT. NorthplainsNEXT is a comprehensive, cloud-based content lifecycle management platform that goes beyond traditional DAM solutions and serves as the new enterprise-wide hub for digital asset creation, workflow design, collaboration, approvals, storage, distribution, compliance, security and measurement.

Todays dynamic marketing teams need a collaborative strategy and integrated workflows to effectively manage the countless digital assets that are required for marketing, advertising and branding campaigns , said Hassan Kotob, CEO of Northplains. We developed NorthplainsNEXT to reunite and empower siloed marketing stakeholders to align every content and campaign decision with their specific business goals.

With the introduction of NorthplainsNEXT, the company rolled its proven suite of existing solutions into one holistic platform that connects enterprises vast array of digital assets to their marketing stack. Utilizing a single dashboard, marketers have access to all assets and proper usage guidelines, enabling them to optimize and streamline overall workflows and drive improved operational and bottom line results, compliance and brand security.

NorthplainsNEXT delivers key benefits including:



Automating the full content lifecycle to deliver end-to-end content asset

governance and marketing stack integration



Simplifying and streamlining custom workflows into a single location for all brand, creative, search, social, content, video and marketing operations work

Connecting C-suite, brand, creative, marketing operations stakeholders for improved and quicker content collaboration and engagement

Optimizing engagement with target audiences via effective campaigns driven by proper content Rights Management and compliance

Real-time campaign and content effectiveness tracking to improve immediate and future campaign strategies

Quick uploading of raw assets with simplified metadata input

Easy access to all files within Adobe Creative Cloud for all users

About Northplains

Northplains is the leader in content lifecycle management solutions for marketers, offering an end-to-end, automated solution for creating and managing digital content assets. Streamlining asset production, workflow design, collaboration, governance, security and measurement, Northplains has extended beyond its digital asset management (DAM) legacy to help global organizations deliver unified brand campaigns and connect more effectively with their audiences. Headquartered in Toronto with offices in Europe and Asia, Northplains is committed to continuous innovation and support for its world-class clients.

# # #
This allows our customers even greater flexibility to offer complete and tailored offerings to their clients, giving them the competitive advantage they need to achieve exponential growth.

Today at PrismHR LIVE 2017, the largest technology conference for professional employer organizations (PEOs) and administrative service organizations (ASOs), PrismHR announced the addition of two new partners to the PrismHR Marketplace: JazzHR, a recruiting software provider, and FinFit, a financial wellness program provider.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of human resources, PrismHR provides comprehensive software solutions for PEOs and ASOs. PrismHR helps those HR service providers save time, improve productivity, mitigate risk, and attract, win, and retain business more effectively than any other available solution.

HR service providers that use PrismHR have told us they want to deliver additional technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses, said Mark Hausser, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, PrismHR. We are very excited to announce two new partnerships to make that possible. JazzHR provides advanced applicant tracking capabilities particularly well-suited for organizations that have more complex hiring needs. FinFit provides a great way for worksite employees to improve their financial health.

In order to maintain business growth, HROs need to continually offer a wider range of services to their clients. Were committed to doing that in a number of ways, including new partnerships, and we are excited to welcome JazzHR and FinFit to the PrismHR Marketplace, continued Hausser. This allows our customers even greater flexibility to offer complete and tailored offerings to their clients, giving them the competitive advantage they need to achieve exponential growth.

JazzHR has been helping HROs expand their services with its award winning applicant tracking system since 2009, designed to simplify and optimize hiring processes. "Were excited about this new partnership with PrismHR, said Kevin OBrien, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, JazzHR. HROs can now leverage PrismHR and JazzHR to provide their clients with world-class hiring solutions that generate more qualified candidates with collaborative recruiting features, simplify planning for new roles with JazzHR Crowd Insights, and ensure a compliant hiring process with a structured and integrated candidate experience."

FinFits Financial Wellness Program helps employees become better focused at work by providing emergency, short-term loans1 to employees at no cost2 to employers. Additionally, FinFit helps employees prevent future financial challenges by providing self-directed education and resources to improve financial fitness. FinFit has had a powerful impact on employers bottom line with up to 85% of employees being reported as being more productive after FinFit*. "We believe this new partnership between FinFit and PrismHR is a real win for HROs that use PrismHR. Now those HROs can offer their clients a way to improve employee focus and productivity by providing a way for them to get the financial help and education they need to reduce financial stress. This helps companies recruit and retain better talent, making FinFit a win for everyone." said Jennifer Creech, Senior Vice President, Partnerships, FinFit.

More details about both partners offerings can be found on PrismHRs Marketplace website at http://www.prismhr.com/partner-marketplace.

About PrismHR

PrismHR creates exceptional software and services, empowering human resource outsourcing service providers such as Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and Administrative Service Organizations (ASOs) to deliver world-class HR, benefits, and payroll to small and medium-sized businesses. PrismHR powers more than 80,000 organizations, delivering payroll, benefits, and HR to greater than 2 million worksite employees and processing over $55 billion in payroll each year.

About JazzHR

JazzHR is a powerful, user-friendly, and affordable recruiting software that is purpose-built to help growing SMBs exceed their recruiting goals. JazzHR's groundbreaking software replaces time-consuming, manual hiring processes with intuitive hiring tools that help recruiters and hiring managers build an effective recruiting process that results in great hires. To learn more about JazzHR, visit http://www.jazzhr.com or follow them at twitter.com/JazzDotCo.

About FinFit LLC

FinFit has grown to be the nations leading financial wellness benefit platform, providing a self-directed online experience that lets employees measure their financial fitness and provides fun, directed education and tools that drive real results. FinFit also provides affordable short-term loans that provide real-world help when it is needed most. FinFit has become a powerful way for employers to attract and retain talent by helping employees get their mind off their financial problems and back to work.

FinFit Loans are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC.

Media Contacts

PrismHR

Jonathan Wall, Vice President, Marketing

508.747.7261 x 285

jwall(at)prismhr(dot)com

JazzHR

Allie Kelly, Vice President, Marketing

888.353.0887 x719

allie.kelly(at)jazzhr(dot)com

Finfit

Joseph Judt, Director, Marketing

757-802-4498

jjudt(at)finfit(dot)com

FinFit Loans are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC

1 Loans are subject to credit approval.

2 FinFit's Financial Wellness Program which includes educational content, financial assessment. and financial dashboard, are free to registered members. Loans and other services offered may incur fees and/or interest. All fees will be disclosed prior to entering into any agreements.

*FinFit 2014 Survey
Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director of Proteomics International, at the Perth, Australia labs. PromarkerD is a breakthrough blood test that uses a protein fingerprint to measure kidney disease in patients with diabetes. This ground-breaking test can accurately diagnose and predict the disease saving lives and billions of healthcare dollars.

Presented at American Diabetes Association: Abstract #2017-LB-7091-Diabetes



PromarkerD test predicted 86% of previously disease-free patients who went on to develop chronic kidney disease within four years

Study is the largest prospective clinical study on diabetic kidney disease in the community and evaluated 792 patients over a four year period

Results presented at the American Diabetes Association's 77th Annual Scientific Sessions in the Late-breaking Abstracts section of the conference, 9-13th June 2017, San Diego

If unchecked, the International Diabetes Federation predicts the 'at risk' population will be 642 million by 2040, and the number of diabetics with chronic kidney disease will rise by 76 million to 214 million.

PromarkerD has the potential to save healthcare systems around the world billions of dollars in costs associated with treating diabetic kidney disease

San Diego, June 10th - Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (ASX: PIQ) (PILL) announced today results from its validation clinical study showing that the PromarkerD blood test can predict the onset of diabetic kidney disease better than any current measure. These findings will be presented by Professor Tim Davis, from The University of Western Australia Medical School, at the American Diabetes Association's 77th Annual Scientific Sessions (ADA), 9-13th June, in San Diego, California.

The study, undertaken as a joint collaboration between Proteomics International and The University of Western Australia, is the largest prospective clinical study on diabetic kidney disease in the community and evaluated the clinical utility of PromarkerD with 792 patients. In March, Frost & Sullivan identified PromarkerD as the world's leading test for diabetic kidney disease, and the new results confirm PromarkerD predicts rapid decline in kidney function in type 2 diabetes, across clinically significant definitions of disease, independently of recognized clinical risk factors.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, 415 million adults had diabetes in 2015. The US Center for Disease Control states that one in three adult diabetics have chronic kidney disease, or 138 million people today. Once detected, chronic kidney disease can be treated through medication and lifestyle changes to slow down the disease progression, and to prevent or delay the onset of kidney failure. The International Diabetes Federation further predicts the number of diabetics will rise to 642 million by 2040, which, if unchecked, will increase the number of adults with chronic kidney disease by 76 million to 214 million. The current cost of dialysis is estimated at $100,000 per person per year. The validation study (assessing the performance of the prediction model in an independent population) confirms results from the original development study, also completed in collaboration with Professor Davis. Initial findings on the diagnostic performance of PromarkerD were published in the European Journal of Proteomics in March 2017.

In the four-year prospective study, the three protein marker (biomarker) blood test (PromarkerD) predicted 86% of previously disease-free patients who went on to develop chronic kidney disease (Sensitivity 86%, Specificity 78%, AUC 0.88). In comparison to the development study the results from the larger validation study showed slightly lower levels of predictive ability (development 95%), however, achieved a 10% improvement in levels of false positives.

Professor Davis concluded, The data support the use of the protein biomarker panel in conjunction with eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) in patients with type 2 diabetes to monitor and predict their decline in kidney function.

This large clinical study validates the important role of the PromarkerD test to effectively monitor patients with diabetes, said Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director of Proteomics International. Although patients may appear to be adequately controlled for the complications of diabetes, current tests do not reveal early symptoms of kidney disease, which can result in the need for dialysis or kidney transplant.

The annual ADA Scientific Sessions are the worlds largest and most prominent meeting of diabetes experts, attracting more than 13,000 delegates. The results will be reported in the Late-breaking Abstracts section of the conference, titled, Novel Circulating Biomarkers Predicting Rapidly Declining Renal Function in Type 2 Diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study. PILLs head of business development Chuck Morrison will also attend the event.

PromarkerD - a predictive diagnostic test for diabetic kidney disease (http://www.PromarkerD.com) PromarkerD is a breakthrough blood test that uses a protein fingerprint to measure kidney disease in patients with diabetes. This ground-breaking test can both diagnose and predict disease.

A published study in a peer-reviewed journal has shown that for diabetic patients already suffering from chronic kidney disease PromarkerD can diagnose the presence of disease that was missed by the current gold standard tests (known as the ACR and eGFR tests).

Critically, PromarkerD can also predict the onset of disease before clinical symptoms appear. In the current study 792 patients were followed in dual, four-year longitudinal clinical studies. PromarkerD correctly predicted 86% of the previously kidney disease-free diabetic patients who went on to develop chronic kidney disease.

Links and more information:

The Frost & Sullivan report titled Biomarkers Enabling Diabetes and Obesity Management is available via PILLs website (http://www.proteomicsinternational.com).

(http://www.PromarkerD.com)

Watch HOW IT WORKS video here

The Fremantle Diabetes Study (FDS)

The Fremantle diabetes Study is a longitudinal observational study of a community-based, urban population in Fremantle, Western Australia. The study, which commenced in 1993 with a more recent phase II in 2008, contains over 3,000 recruits, and is headed by Professor Tim Davis of Fremantle Hospital and the Medical School at The University of Western Australia.

The strengths of the FDS are the inclusive and representative nature of the cohorts, the range and detail of data collection and linkage to well-established morbidity and mortality databases. The design and implementation of the FDS means that specific questions regarding the natural history of diabetes, its impact on the individual and its costs can be addressed with relative rigour.

The University of Western Australia

Ranked in the worlds top 100 universities, The University of Western Australia (UWA) is Western Australias first university and has an international reputation for excellence in education, research and community engagement. The University is located alongside the Swan River, five kilometres from the heart of Perth city. UWAs cutting-edge research attracts high levels of competitive research funding and researchers who are global leaders in their field.

Proteomics International Laboratories (PILL) (http://www.proteomicsinternational.com)

Proteomics International is a wholly owned subsidiary and trading name of PILL (ASX: PIQ), a medical technology company focused on proteomics  the industrial scale study of the structure and function of proteins. PILL is recognised as a global leader in the field of proteomics. It received the worlds first ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation for proteomics services, and operates from state-of-the art facilities located on the QEII Medical Campus in Perth, Western Australia. The Companys business model uses its proprietary technology platform across three integrated areas of diagnostics,
Thomas C. Dolan MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board I am delighted to join the MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board, said Dr. Dolan. Its bedside communication system improves quality and increases patient satisfaction. It is a real asset for both patients and staff.

MEDI+SIGN, a healthcare technology company that provides automated communication to the patients bedside, would like to officially welcome Thomas C. Dolan, Ph.D., FACHE, FASAE to the MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board.

Dr. Dolan is President Emeritus of the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1991 to 2013. He has also held a variety of teaching, research and administrative positions at St. Louis University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Washington and the University of Iowa.

Additionally, Dr. Dolan served as chair of the American Society of Association Executives, Association of University Programs in Health Administration, the Association Forum of Chicagoland, the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Institute for Diversity in Health Management. Also, he served as President of the International Hospital Federation and the Mental Health Association in Missouri and as a member of the board of trustees of Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis.

Dr. Dolan is board certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Society of Association Executives. He is also a Certified Association Executive and received his doctorate in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa and his bachelors degree from Loyola University Chicago.

I am delighted to join the MEDI+SIGN Advisory Board, said Dr. Dolan. Its bedside communication system improves quality and increases patient satisfaction. It is a real asset for both patients and staff.

As advisory board member, Dr. Dolan brings a unique range of expertise in this complex healthcare climate, says Andrew Hoffman, President of MEDI+SIGN. We are excited to have Dr. Dolans wisdom and experience to help steer our focus on bedside patient communication and safety.

For more information, contact MEDI+SIGN at our website: http://www.medisigndisplays.com, or by phone (301-790-0103).

About MEDI+SIGN

MEDI+SIGN provides hospital and healthcare organizations with a connected health platform that includes patient monitoring and digital whiteboard display solutions. MEDI+SIGN is an integrator of electronic health records and remote monitoring systems to collect and communicate updated and accurate patient health and status information to care teams and patients. MEDI+SIGN was established to leverage its proprietary visual communication technology to improve hospital and healthcare providers performance in patient safety and satisfaction, as well as the overall quality and delivery of healthcare. For more information, please contact us at http://www.medisigndisplays.com.

MEDI+SIGN is a registered trademark.
Weaver Nut team outside the International Expo Centre We were excited at the many customers interested in our delicious premium quality products. Our gourmet mixed nuts were the hit of our exhibition.

Weaver Nut Company, Inc. is excited to announce their exhibition at the SIAL China Innovate Food Business Exhibition held this year from May 17-19 in Shanghai. SIAL China is Asias largest food innovation exhibition boasting 2,942 exhibitors from 67 countries and more than 80,000 visitors. Each year, the annual event allows visitors and exhibitors to find new suppliers, discover the latest market trends, and uncover the hottest innovative products. This year, the exhibition was held in the new International Expo Centre in Shanghai.

At this years SIAL China Exhibition, Weaver Nut was a featured exhibitor in the USA Pavilion among the Sweets and Snacks providers  the perfect venue to highlight their exceptional offerings of delicious dried fruits and nuts. On May 16, the Weaver Nut team unloaded cases bursting with samples for the visitors who would arrive in the days ahead.

As the exhibition began, the Weaver Nut team greeted visitors from around the world, with the bulk of potential new customers from Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. A favorite among the visitors was the Weaver Gourmet Mixed Nuts  a delicious blend of peanuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans. This show, unlike others, was bustling with visitors all three days and the team from Weaver Nut found themselves busily meeting, greeting, and sharing samples and information about the company  even on the traditionally slow last day!

We were excited at the many customers interested in our delicious premium quality products. Our gourmet mixed nuts were the hit of our exhibition. Most customers were from the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong areas of China. These three cities alone have a combined population of around 50 million... that's a lot of nuts and dried fruits! On our return to Pennsylvania, we have had many customers follow-up for quotations and samples and we hope to build on this momentum and continue growing our export business.  Edward Weaver, COO Weaver Nut Company, Inc.

Weaver Nut Company, Inc., located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was founded in the 1975 and built on the foundation of quality, integrity, and enthusiasm. Those values continue today in every product offering from dried fruits to nuts, to chocolates, coffees, and teas, as well as their premium line of gourmet foods. A family business, Weaver Nut Companys goal remains the same, serving customers the way they want to be served.

Weaver Nut Company, Inc. promises the highest quality products to their customers around the globe from Nuts to Chocolates and everything in between, always delivered with exceptional customer service and competitive pricing.

Shop today at http://www.weavernut.com and choose your favorites from delightful offerings sourced from the best products around the globe.

On the heels of SIAL China, Weaver Nut Company will return to China for the ANUFOOD China Show later this summer.

Bio: From their home basement, the Weaver Family launched their business more than 40 years ago with the mission to serve customers as they want to be served with quality, integrity and enthusiasm. Since that time, the company has grown into Weaver Nut Company, Inc. thanks to a fully dedicated team and a vast array of satisfied customers. Today the company includes Food Brokers International, the Amish Maid private label, Weaver Chocolates, Land of the Gummies, and Weaver Nut Sweets and Snacks retail and online. Visit http://www.weavernut.com today, choose your favorites, and experience the delectable difference that is Weaver Nut Company, Inc.
PresenceLearning During the webinar, Weatherly will discuss a variety of special education-related legal topics, such as mental health services and student discipline, and present the latest cases and their implications for special education leaders.

PresenceLearning, the leading telehealth network of live, online special education related service providers, is delivering a free, two-hour webinar to provide special education leaders and related services providers with timely legal information and expert guidance to prepare them for the 2017-18 school year. Hosted by special education law expert Julie Weatherly, Esq., Come and Get It! A Legal Update on Discipline and Mental Health Issues for Special Ed Leaders, will take place on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 starting at 10 am Pacific time (1 pm Eastern time).

To register for the webinar, visit:

https://www.presencelearning.com/sped-ahead-webinar/come-and-get-it-a-legal-update-on-discipline-and-mental-health-issues-for-special-ed-leaders/

During the webinar, Weatherly will discuss a variety of special education-related legal topics, such as mental health services and student discipline, and present the latest cases and their implications for special education leaders. By attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

 Apply up-to-date legal strategies to ensure that students with mental health issues are not denied Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

 Describe the latest legal strategies and cases regarding disciplinary practices for students with special needs

 Summarize current legal issues, policy shifts and funding actions that are impacting special education regarding student mental health and discipline

All participants will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of attendance and/or ASHA, AOTA, or NASP continuing professional development/education credit.

About Julie Weatherly, Esq.

Julie J. Weatherly, Esq. is the owner of Resolutions in Special Education, Inc. with offices and attorneys in Alabama and Florida. Weatherly is a member of the State Bars of Alabama and Georgia, and for over 30 years, has provided legal representation and consultation to school agencies across the country in the area of educating students with disabilities. She has been a member of the faculty for many national and state legal institutes and is a frequent speaker at special education law conferences. Weatherly has developed a number of training programs that support special education legal compliance and has been published nationally as a part of her trainings, workshops and seminars. She is the author of the legal update article for the National CASE quarterly newsletter and is a member of LRPs Special Education Attorneys Advisory Council. In June of 1996, Weatherly appeared with Leslie Stahl on CBS news program 60 Minutes to discuss the cost of meeting the legal requirements of the IDEA. In 1998, she was honored by Georgias Council for Exceptional Children as the Individual who had Contributed Most to Students with Disabilities, and in April 2012, Weatherly received the Award for Outstanding Service from the National Council of Administrators of Special Education.

About PresenceLearning

PresenceLearning (http://www.presencelearning.com) is the leading telehealth network of providers of clinical services and assessments to educational organizations. The PresenceLearning care network has provided over one million sessions of live, online speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral interventions and mental health services, diagnostic services and assessments, and early childhood services for children with special needs.

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NEWSCYCLE Solutions announces the release of SalesLink 2017-1. The latest software includes a Google Maps widget, enabling sales representatives to identify unassigned leads and locate inactive customers in defined geographical areas. A new advertising package tool helps increase revenue and simplify the order process when booking ad bundles. Another new feature in SalesLink 2017-1 is support for business areas, which allows multiple sales reps to share a single account, with commissions split proportionally on booked orders.

We continually add tools to SalesLink to help increase revenue, efficiency and productivity for our customers, said Aubrey Medley, For example, in our new SalesLink release, we took the Google Maps technology integrated into SalesLink 2016-4 and put it into a standard widget. Now, sales reps can view and navigate to open leads or find inactive customers that might benefit from having a new sales rep. While out in the field, sales reps can quickly see the up for grabs businesses within a specified radius and work those leads to generate revenue.

Medley adds, We included an ad package option as an upsell feature for sales. Rather than offer and book one ad at a time, sales reps can book more ads on individual orders quickly by offering bundled ads -- its no longer a complicated or time-consuming process.

SalesLink 2017-1 features include:

Google Map Widget

The map widget identifies available leads and latent customers needing a new sales rep. The widget pulls information from the database and displays it directly on the map. Reps can use the data to revitalize sales pipelines by developing new relationships with advertisers and discovering new opportunities.

Print Packages

Enhancements to the user interface and a new Create Package feature allow sales reps to work with customers on-site more resourcefully. Upsell options are available and designed for reps to quickly book complicated advertising orders. Digital and multimedia packages are available in SalesLink 2017-2, scheduled to be released in June 2017.

Business Areas

Business areas are grouped by media type (print, digital, by product, etc.) to identify sales reps assigned to each account. Users can create, edit and delete business areas on a customer record and allow additional users on individual customer accounts.

About NEWSCYCLE Solutions

NEWSCYCLE develops and delivers software technology that empowers the global news media industry. Our editorial, advertising, circulation and mobile solutions enable publishers to drive profitability, accelerate digital business models and optimize core print operations. We help our clients create stronger, better-informed communities while safeguarding the integrity of news, advertising and customer information. NEWSCYCLE is a trusted partner serving over 1,200 media companies with 3,000 properties producing more than 8,000 titles in 30 countries. Our company is headquartered in Bloomington, MN and has U.S. offices in Florida, Michigan and Utah; with international offices in Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Canada and the United Kingdom. Please visit newscycle.com for more information or write to us at info(at)newscycle.com.

Media Contact:

Lisa Speth

NEWSCYCLE Solutions

Marketing Communications Manager

lisa.speth(at)newscycle.com
Maintaining a current NERC compliance program keeps us in compliance and audit ready. - Stated the client

Recently, a registered entity in the northeastern U.S. provided its regional entity with its guided self-certification. This registered entity is a Certrec client who maintains their NERC compliance current at all times as a living program. As a result, the time required to prepare the guided self-certification was minimal as RSAWs, procedures, and evidence were readily available and up-to-date. After reviewing the registered entitys submittal, the regulator communicated that the client was in full compliance.

Maintaining a current NERC compliance program keeps us in compliance and audit ready. Instead of the mad dash to prepare for an audit, data submittals, or self-certification; we are prepared with minimal effort, allowing our team to focus on our core business, stated the client. The additional benefit of a robust NERC compliance program is that management gains visibility of our team, programs, and compliance.

An unprepared registered entity may discover the need to self-report rather than easily and rapidly responding to the regulators request for self-certification.

Background - The registered entity, with Generator Owner and Generator Operator functions, recognized the importance and cost savings of an established, always current NERC compliance program. The registered entity recognized very early that they lacked sufficient resources to manage their NERC Compliance program. Certrec was chosen to support them by providing the necessary regulatory expertise to help the registered entity achieve their goal of continuous compliance.

Significant savings - Many registered entities, as well as regional entities, invest significant resources in the self-certification process and guided self-certifications. Initially, the registered entity organizes and reviews relevant procedures, policies, and evidence. Depending upon the current NERC compliance program, this process may be relatively simple or it could involve several people locating test results, training information, and other needed evidence. If a violation is discovered, the self-certification process may result in a self-report. Once the self-certification package is submitted to the regional entity, the review process begins. Depending upon the quality of the self-certification package and supporting evidence, the regional entity may request clarifications or additional information or not.

When all aspects are considered, the registered entity and the regional entity may each have invested thousands of dollars in resources to prepare for a guided self-certification effort.

Determine current state of regulatory program - Many registered entities may find preparation of a guided self-certification challenging due to the dynamic, and, sometimes, complex technical nature of the associated regulations. Often these regulations can be misunderstood, and, in some cases, may go unnoticed by the registered entity. A proven regulatory program can provide significant savings. NERC pays close attention to entities that historically experience challenges in compliance, adding more frequent audits, increased in-depth reviews, and, possibly, fines.

With Certrec your NERC work is done once and done right.

CERTREC

Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology based organization providing regulatory support

services in the electric power industry. With over 1,200 cumulative years of direct industry experience

(including nuclear, fossil, and renewables), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process.
Building a new home is a labor intensive task, and the last thing people want to worry about is a strenuous clean-up process... - Mike Esposito, Director of Marketing at O-Cedar - Freudenberg Household Products.

O-Cedar, the category leader in traditional floor care, has joined a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity with a commitment to donate products to help with on-site cleanup and post-construction deep cleans to get houses ready for Habitat homeowners.

Building a new home is a labor intensive task, and the last thing people want to worry about is a strenuous clean-up process. Our products are known for being easy-to-use and efficient so it is a natural fit for us to provide Habitat with our cleaning tools to use during and post build, said Mike Esposito, Director of Marketing at O-Cedar - Freudenberg Household Products. Joining with Habitat as one of their valued partners means we can help the organization continue to build affordable housing with more people, and play a role in the positive impact they have on families.

Local Habitat organizations will receive product bundles from O-Cedar, including: O-Cedars EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System, Power Corner XL Angle Broom with Dust Pan, Outdoor Power Corner Broom, Dual Action Flip Mop and Maxi Lock 24 Multi Surface Push Broom. A financial contribution from O-Cedar to Habitat will help families looking to build better lives for themselves through affordable homeownership.

To show unified support for this new partnership, O-Cedar employees will donate their time by participating in two Chicago-land home construction projects starting in August.

We are grateful to have O-Cedar on board as a new corporate partner this year. They are donating wonderful on-the-ground resources for our building crews, and with their products we will be able to get floors move-in ready for homeowners around the country, said Colleen Finn Ridenour, senior vice president of Development, Habitat for Humanity International.

##

About O-Cedar

O-Cedar, the category leader in traditional floor care, is part of Freudenberg Household Products, a division of the Freudenberg Group headquartered in Weinheim, Germany. For more information visit http://www.ocedar.com/.

About Freudenberg Household Products

FHP is a division of the Freudenberg Group headquartered in Weinheim, Germany. The company's Household Products Division is a leading international manufacturer of branded goods including household cloths, cleaning products and laundry care products, and is the leader in virtually all markets in which it competes. The Freudenberg Household Products division employs about 2,300 employees globally and is best known in America for its O-Cedar brand and signature tagline "O-Cedar Makes Your Life Easier!"

About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
Lucas Group If a hiring manager wants a dream candidate to say yes to their offer, that offer must be tailored to the candidates unique preferences and needs.

Lucas Group, North Americas premiere executive recruiting firm, announced the publication of its newest white paper, How to Make Smarter Job Offers: Taking an Individualized Approach.

The white paper, authored by Cincinnati-based Managing Partner Sara Luther, addresses one of the biggest challenges companies are facing in todays competitive job market: how to get top-choice candidates to say yes to the job offer.

The white paper breaks down the four primary job candidate motivators  culture, lifestyle, career growth and compensation  and provides an actionable roadmap for designing customized job offers that candidates are eager to accept.

In todays candidate-driven market, top talent is fielding counter-offers and competing offers left and right, says Luther. If a hiring manager wants a dream candidate to say yes to their offer, that offer must be tailored to the candidates unique preferences and needs. In order to gain this insight, hiring managers must structure the interview process accordingly. Dont wait until the offer is on the table to take action.

Luther has a 10-year track record of successful HR placements, from mid-sized businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. In 2015, she launched the HR division of Lucas Groups Cincinnati office.

Sara understands todays competitive talent market, says Aram Lulla, Lucas Groups General Manager for Human Resources. Her white paper reflects the consultative and candid approach she brings to recruitment and is essential reading for any company looking to improve its recruitment success rate.

In addition to Human Resource recruitment, Lucas Group specializes in executive recruitment for Accounting & Finance, Information Technology, Legal, Manufacturing, Military Transition, and Sales & Marketing. Taking pride in the professional growth and career advancement of its Associates, Lucas Group provides clear career path trajectories together with the industrys most sophisticated onboarding and ongoing educational programming. Working throughout 15 offices in the U.S., Lucas Group recruiters are able to source leading talent that no one else can.

About Lucas Group

Lucas Group is North Americas premier executive search firm. Since 1970, our culture and methodologies have driven superior results. We assist clients ranging in size from small to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies find transcendent, executive talent; candidates fully realize their ambitions; and associates find professional success. To learn more, please visit Lucas Group at http://www.lucasgroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
This event will help attendees navigate these changes and make a positive impact on their businesses. PCS is thrilled to offer this important educational opportunity to Westchester professionals and business owners.

Fordham Universitys School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) and the New York State Small Business Development Center will present 7 Practical Tips for Digital and Social Marketing Success on Wednesday, June 21 at 6 p.m. in room 228 at Fordhams Westchester campus in West Harrison.

The free event will be hosted by Robin Colner, founder and director of Fordhams Digital & Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate Program, which is housed in PCS.

Social media options and choices are changing rapidly with new entrants and new functionality hitting the market every week. 7 Practical Tips for Digital and Social Marketing Success will review the social media landscape and showcase best practices, critical trends and winning strategies for channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, messaging apps and live-streaming video platforms. During the event, Colner will also share her top digital marketing tips for small businesses.

Digital and social media marketing has dramatically changed the way businesses attract, reach and communicate with customers and clients, said Anthony R. Davidson, PhD., MBA, Dean of PCS. This event will help attendees navigate these changes and make a positive impact on their businesses. PCS is thrilled to offer this important educational opportunity to Westchester professionals and business owners

Each person in attendance will receive a free copy of the book Social Media Marketing for Small Business, by Simone Mullinax.

Space is limited and registration is required. To RSVP, call Fordham PCS at (914) 367-3303.

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ABOUT THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES

The Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) offers students a quality education in a small, personalized atmosphere that promotes individual growth and exploration. With three convenient campus locations  Lincoln Center in Manhattan, Rose Hill in the Bronx and West Harrison in Westchester, PCS is poised to meet students academic needs. Classes are offered evenings, weekends and online in areas including Business, Organizational Leadership, Economics, Legal and Policy Studies, Social Work. Certificates in Digital and Social Media Marketing and Human Resource Management are also available, as well as Post-Baccalaureate / Pre-Medical / Pre-Health. January 2017 marked the launch of PCS newest offerings in real estate through Fordhams Real Estate Institute at Lincoln Center. Visit http://www.pcs.fordham.edu for more information.
Ariba.com This is a fundamental step in digital transformation, being able to recognize how the website acts as the spine to all customer engagements.

As part of a digital transformation journey to bring to life their 2020 vision of creating an awesome customer experience, SAP Ariba has today announced the launch of their new corporate website. The digital agency Vertic was tasked with its strategy, concept and redesign. Positioning SAP Ariba as the most innovate B2B company by connecting all digital marketing touch points to deliver tangible business impact, the site is elevating the bar on B2B customer experience in the market.

Serving a best-in-class experience for every customer means moving beyond traditional website understanding, to address more complex business needs, says Sebastian Jespersen, CEO at Vertic. This is a fundamental step in digital transformation, being able to recognize how the website acts as the spine to all customer engagements. The new SAP Ariba.com will be the driving force for tailoring their customer experiences through the intelligent use of data and acting appropriately on its insights.

Vertic developed the strategy, concept and design of the experience in close collaboration with SAP Ariba stakeholders, going through an in-depth customer research and insights process to ensure that the site was founded on a solid understanding of customer needs. The result is the ability to offer customers what they need through a highly relevant and customized experience that uses an intelligent search function powered by AI and machine learning. Based on Sitecore, and connected to back-end internal databases, CRM and lead routing systems, the site serves to support users at every step of their decision journey while also increasing leads and conversion for SAP Ariba.

Were so delighted to have been on this journey with SAP Ariba, helping them achieve greater Share of Life within their stakeholder audiences says Jespersen. This Share of Life model infers that the brand has greater relevancy for their customer beyond the product alone, which is made possible through the intelligence of the site, creating a one-with-one communication with their audience. From this shift in customer experience, were not just making SAP Ariba the most innovative procurement company or software company, or even most innovative B2B company, but aiming to be on the cutting edge of innovative solutions for all companies. The new SAP Ariba.com will take stakeholder engagement to the next level of customization and ensure the most fluid user experience no matter what the visitors browsing prerequisite.

The site will have further updates during 2017. Over the next six months, ongoing search optimizations will be made, the site will be localized into eight languages, and campaigns will become integrated into the platform.

About Vertic

Since Vertic's launch in 2002, we've been fiercely dedicated to developing digital solutions that help our Fortune 500 clients build their brands, provide superior customer experiences and generate tangible business results. Our approach is interdisciplinary, combining strategy, storytelling, creativity and interactive design. We're independently owned with offices in New York, Seattle, Copenhagen, and Singapore.
With the ability to disburse funds regardless of card or bank status, Pin4 turns ATMs into mobile money terminals... combining 4.8 billion global mobile phone users with 3 million globally deployed ATMs.

HalCash North America (HCNA), referred to in the U.S. as its operating brand Pin4, announced the acquisition of a majority equity ownership stake in HalCash International (HCI). HalCash International is based in Madrid and is the developer and owner of the HalCash systema patented, mobile-phone-based technology enabling real-time cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs without the need for a credit card, debit card or bank account.

The HalCash system was developed in Spain by ABANCA, Bankinter, Banco Popular, Cajamar and Caja Laboral. The system currently provides access to more than 8,000 ATMs throughout Spain and is used by financial institutions, marketing companies, remittance companies and other businesses to deliver real-time cash payments to their customers. In 2016, HCI conducted more than 800,000 transactions and is expected to exceed 1,000,000 transactions in 2017.

In 2015, Pin4 was formed to bring the highly-successful HalCash system to the U.S under the brand Pin4. Pin4s controlling interest allows for an accelerated growth strategy that will aggressively expand the system into new countries to create a global cardless cash network. This expansion turns ATMs into mobile money terminals by combining the 4.8 billion global mobile phone users with the 3 million globally deployed ATMs, according to GSMA and ATMIA respectively.

This innovative system evolves the traditional consumer ATM experience, allowing for cardless disbursement of in-country and cross-border transactions such as person-to-person transfers, emergency cash, disaster relief, and consumer promotions and rewards. The system is secured by a patented dual-pin authorization process, which gives disbursing companies access to a complete consumer basethe banked, under-banked and unbanked communities.

Todays consumers are both mobile-centric and global, said Richard Witkowski, CEO of Pin4. The ability to disburse funds to this consumer base regardless of card and bank status is invaluable to our customersfrom retailers and marketing companies to banking institutions and remittance companies. Pin4 was built to meet this need. And, now, we are properly positioned to rapidly take this capability global.

The transaction was led by U.S. fintech private equity firm Ashby Point Capitalan early HCNA investor. Were excited about the prospects for cardless ATM technology, said Jim Leroux, new CEO of HCI and current Ashby Point Capital Partner. By exporting the highly-successful HalCash system from Spain to the U.S. and new countries globally, we will unlock the potential of the millions of ATMs around the world.

About Ashby Point Capital

Ashby Point Capital is a specialized private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in growth companies in the payments/financial services areas. Ashby Point was founded by Bill Westervelt and Jim Leroux, both of whom are payment industry veterans with 25+ years of experience advising, operating and investing in payments companies. Bill and Jim are active hands-on investors and provide significant support and guidance to their portfolio companies. To date, Ashby Point has made nine investments, including companies in the cardless ATM cash, gift/prepaid card, healthcare transaction processing, credit reporting, merchant acquiring, cross-border bill payment and debt collections areas. For more information, visit http://www.ashbypointcapital.com.

About Pin4

Launched in 2015, Pin4 is the first independent cardless cash network in the U.S. The network provides real-time cash delivery at enabled ATMs without the need for a debit/credit card or bank account. This capability enables next generation P2P transfers, consumer promotions and rewards delivery, and other use cases. Pin4 also creates new revenue streams for ATM owners. Pin4 continues to roll-out across the U.S. with major footprints in Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and New York City. For more information, please visit http://www.pin4.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Press Contact

Heather Ailara

Crimson Communicates for Pin4

Heather(at)crimsoncom.com

(845) 424-6341
Dayton Children's Hospital There are miracles happening here at Dayton Childrens - Javan Conley.

Dayton Childrens Hospital officially opens a new 260,000-square-foot, eight-story patient tower with a special event revealing the hospitals gift to the children of the Dayton area. "Each space inside the new patient care tower embodies Dayton Childrens unique patient care mission and facilitates the delivery of world-class pediatric care," says Deborah Feldman, president and CEO. "Patients, families, physicians and staff all gave input to create an operationally efficient, supportive environment that includes a flexible and innovative technology infrastructure."

The design theme of the tower is things that fly to honor Daytons rich aviation heritage and innovation in flight. Visitors notice the theme the moment they cross the family-friendly lobby into the three-story atrium called the Take Flight Gallery. Filled with light, color and whimsy, this space houses the Culinairy Kitchen full service cafeteria, the Up Cafe for grab-and-go snacks and the Altitude gift shop. The main design feature in the Take Flight Gallery is the Dragonflyer.

The Dragonflyer is a specially commissioned art piece from Roto in Columbus, Ohio, that is a play space for children as well as a place to imagine and dream. It is a mash-up of what is and what could be, combining the beauty of a dragonfly that skims over the green fields of Huffman Prairie and the daring spirit that launched two Daytonians on wings of canvas and wood from the very same spot. The Wright brothers created their flying machines in Dayton, making their first test flights on Huffman Prairie.

While Dayton Childrens serves children and their families, those children also provide the inspiration to soar higher, think bigger, dream fearlessly and hope that every heartbeat will bring an innovation to make life better. So the Dragonflyer is a gift to them for inspiring that vision.

The new building design also features a rooftop play space with a mosaic created in part by Dayton Childrens patients, staff and partners. In addition, to make it easy for families to find their way, each floor has a designated number, color and playful icon, selected from things that fly, both man-made and those found in nature  for example, a hummingbird for the NICU and a biplane for the critical care center. Former patients, known as the Kids Advisory Council, helped choose the colors and icons for the floors.

Key design elements of the new patient tower include:



Continuity of care - The new Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center combines inpatient and outpatient care and includes a pharmacy, infusion rooms for chemotherapy, dedicated child life specialists and multiple indoor/outdoor play spaces.

Better outcomes  The Newborn Intensive Care Unit enhances the commitment to family-centered and developmentally-sensitive care through single-family room design which has been proven to increase skin-to-skin contact, enhance success rates of breastfeeding, further reduce infection and noise, and increase privacy  ultimately creating better outcomes for the regions most fragile babies. The new NICU also has a dedicated milk lab.

Critical care technology  The critical care complex is a custom designed space to maximize efficiency and patient safety, while also providing more space for technology and family comfort for the most critically-ill and injured children in the pediatric intensive care unit and technology-dependent patients in our transitional care unit.

Optimal healing environment: Patients requiring an overnight stay will benefit from the enhanced specialty pediatrics inpatient unit featuring larger single-family rooms, improved technology and upgraded amenities.

There are miracles happening here at Dayton Childrens, said Javan Conley. Conleys son, Ethan, was treated at Dayton Childrens and is the only person in the world to have survived a severe rare muscle virus. I look at my son as a miracle because he should not be standing here today. But by the grace of God and the staff here at Dayton Childrens, he is. After seeing these new spaces, I look forward to the future miracles that I know will happen here  its truly beautiful.

This project would not be possible without the unwavering support of the community, which graciously donated more than $27 million to the effort. To support the community in return, Dayton Childrens kept 83 percent of the spend on the project local, hiring Dayton-based firms Danis Construction and Champlin Architecture to work with Houston-based architecture firm FKP, which specializes in building childrens hospitals. The project supplied 506 construction jobs and injected more than $101 million into the local economy.

Anything is possible, says Feldman. As we reach one ending, a new beginning takes shape. We will keep our hopes and aspirations for our children and their families, always above the clouds, always reaching for the stars to ensure that the kids of the Dayton region have world class pediatric health care close to home. We could not be more excited to share this wonderful new patient tower and demonstrate that this is a community that puts kids first.
Ideas That Evoke  a social media, digital and PR agency in Madison, Wisconsin  led two campaigns nominated as finalists for the first-annual Glossy Awards. A panel of industry leaders, from major fashion magazines to the c-suite of todays best in beauty, selected finalists for each category.

Ideas That Evoke led finalist campaigns for COTY Beautys My Wella Store and Sebastian WNA, both of which placed alongside Hugo Boss, Marc Jacobs and Hourglass Cosmetics in the category of Best Campaign by a Beauty Brand. The Glossy Awards honor the brands, media companies and technology firms that are transforming the fashion, luxury and beauty industries at a time of seismic change.

The finalists selected for Best Campaign by a Beauty Brand successfully increased awareness and revenue for the brand via e-commerce sites and traditional brick-and-mortar stores. The panel looked for campaigns that clearly demonstrated success, judging the competition based on creativity, innovative thinking, consumer value and metrics surrounding Key Performance Indicators.

Im so proud to see our clients campaigns alongside some of the worlds top recognized brands, said Kelly Ehlers, President and CEO of Ideas That Evoke. Our team at Evoke has worked to pioneer their social and digital strategies, finding new ways to tell brand stories and creatively connect with both brands and their audiences.

Glossy is a new media brand exploring the intersection of fashion and luxury through a digital lens. Launched in 2016 by Digiday Media, Glossys fashion-forward publication covers how luxury brands and media approach digital with sophistication, depth and honesty  and a bit of fun.

Industry leaders, brands and agencies will celebrate the finalists at the first-annual Glossy Awards Gala at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts on June 13, 2017 in New York City.

###

About Ideas That Evoke

Ideas That Evoke, a social media, digital and PR agency located in Madison, Wis., was recently named the #325th Fastest Growing Private Company in America by Inc. Magazines annual Inc. 5,000 List. The agency, founded by Kelly Ehlers in 2009, is rooted in solving business challenges through the innovative use of social media, influencer marketing and disruptive creative. To learn more about Ideas That Evoke, visit http://www.IdeasThatEvoke.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About Wella Professionals/ COTY Beauty

Coty is one of the worlds largest beauty companies with approximately $9 billion in revenue, with a purpose to celebrate and liberate the diversity of consumers beauty. Its strong entrepreneurial heritage has created an iconic portfolio of leading beauty brands. Coty is the global leader in fragrance, a strong number two in professional salon hair color & styling, and number three in color cosmetics. Coty operates three divisions  Coty Consumer Beauty, which is focused on color cosmetics, retail hair coloring and styling products, body care and mass fragrances sold primarily in the mass retail channels with brands such as COVERGIRL, Max Factor and Rimmel; Coty Luxury, which is focused on prestige fragrances and skincare with brands such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci and philosophy; and Coty Professional Beauty, which is focused on servicing salon owners and professionals in both hair and nail, with brands such as Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professional, OPI and ghd. Coty has approximately 20,000 colleagues globally and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Coty and its brands are committed to a range of social causes as well as seeking to minimize its impact on the environment. For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit http://www.coty.com.
Photo courtesy of Provincetown Portuguese Festival

Nothing says summer like the crack of a freshly steamed lobster, the chill of a locally brewed beer and the feel of the sand between your toes at the 70th annual Portuguese Festival in Provincetown, MA June 22-25. The resort fishing village is a true melting pot of people who are equally at home hauling in their catch from local waters as they are singing and dancing to the music of their heritage. Each year, the festival brings together the diverse population of residents and visitors as they engage in a weekend-long celebration of culture and community.

The festival features a Portuguese soup tasting for $7, fado and samba music, Portuguese writers, poets, and dancers, and a lively parade through town. On Sunday, catch the 70th annual Blessing of the Fleet, where crowds gather to watch the procession of elaborately decorated boats receive a blessing from the Bishop. Join the festivitieseat, play, and celebrate nearly 200 years of Provincetowns Portuguese heritage.

What excites me about the festival is an opportunity to share the wonderful heritage of the Portuguese in this community. Those who grow up here understand the values of the Portuguese fishermen and women who made this community wonderful and to be able to share that with everyone is so exciting, said Don Murphy, Portuguese Festival Producer.

In 1947, two local fishermen brought the Blessing of the Fleet to Provincetown, inspired by a ceremony in the neighboring port of Gloucester. The Blessing of the Fleet is believed to protect fishermen and ensure a prosperous season. The ceremony will cap off the four-day Festival on Sunday, June 25 at MacMillan Pier.

The festivities begin Thursday, June 22 and will run morning to night through Sunday, June 25. From the foodie to the dancer, there is something for everyone! The Seamens Bank Tent opens on Friday for the Lobster Bake (tickets $30). On Saturday, see the tent transform into a Portuguese food court, filled with traditional delicacies for the authenticity-seeking foodie. Then dance the night away to live samba music under the stars in Portuguese Square.

The festival is appreciated not only by the people in town but the families and generations who have left. Its an honor for me and for the 100 volunteers of the Portuguese Festival to serve them, said Murphy.

Keep the kids entertained with tons of kid-friendly festival events; from comedy shows to music, and games, its fun for the whole family! For the budget-minded, check out the festivals wide variety of free or cheap events, including readings from Portuguese writers and poets, Portuguese dancers performing traditional routines, and all you can eat affairs starting at $5.

Join the Provincetown Portuguese Festival in celebrating 70 years of the Blessing of the Fleet, June 22-25.

See the full festival schedule: https://provincetownportuguesefestival.com/

About Provincetown

Provincetown, Massachusetts is a true melting pot. Located on the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown boasts beautiful beaches, Zagat-rated restaurants, art galleries and charming shops. A top LGBTQ destination, this open-minded community celebrates individuality and freedom of expression. Provincetown has a rich creative history and is home to one of the oldest art colonies in the country. The diverse population of artists, sailors, fishermen, authors, and more, makes Provincetown unique. From Carnival in August to Womens Week in October, Provincetown is thriving 365 days of the year.
FoodLogiQ, the leading SaaS provider of food safety compliance, whole chain traceability, and supply chain transparency solutions, and 1WorldSync, the leading provider of product content solutions, have published a survey that reveals supply chain transparency by food companies is a critical driver in consumer purchasing decisions and brand loyalty. Commissioned by FoodLogiQ, A Food Companys Guide to What Consumers Care About in the Age of Transparency found that 54 percent of respondents want as much information as possible on the label, and nearly 40 percent want country of origin, allergen alerts and GMOs all identified on the label.

For food companies to provide this transparency and maintain their customers loyalty, they need full end-to-end supply chain traceability technology. This technology centralizes their data, creating a single source of truth to enable consumers to make informed decisions about food safety and compliance issues.

Food companies are aware that consumers are demanding transparency but it can still be a struggle to modernize their supply chain processes, said Ken Yontz, Global Vice President of Transformation Management of 1WorldSync. Starting with data synchronization through 1WorldSyncs product content exchange network coupled with FoodLogiQs traceability and supply chain management technology allows the food industry to meet this demand and empower consumers to make safer, more informed decisions about the food they eat.

Building a culture of transparency that is focused on safety and quality can be an incredible marketing advantage and give food companies an edge over competitors, said Dean Wiltse, CEO of FoodLogiQ. The 1WorldSync - FoodLogiQ partnership enables food companies to be as transparent as possible with the path their food takes from farm to table while meeting regulatory requirements.

Key findings from the FoodLogiQ survey include:



Over 50 percent of respondents expect food companies to fully address a recall or foodborne illness within one to two days.

If a brand/restaurant that consumers like experiences a recall leading to consumer sickness, nearly 25 percent of respondents admitted they would never use the brand or visit the restaurant again. Thirty-five percent of respondents will avoid this company for a few months and only maybe return after the issue has been fully resolved.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents across all demographics - from Millennials to Boomers - are willing to pay more for healthier foods including those that are GMO-free, have no artificial coloring/flavors and are deemed all natural.

FoodLogiQ co-founder, Andrew Kennedy will present a technology session at the annual GS1 Connect 2017 Conference on June 21 at 1:30pm PDT. "Manage Quality Issues Across the Supply Chain to Improve Traceability and Food Safety" will focus on establishing processes for capturing food quality data and centralizing your supplier communications so to improve quality across the supply chain - while saving significant amount of time and money.

Visit Booth # 17-18 and #35 during GS1 Connect at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, June 20-22, 2017 to learn more about how FoodLogiQ and 1WorldSync help customers with traceability, food safety, recall management and supply chain transparency.

To download the full study, click here.

About 1WorldSync

1WorldSync is the leading provider of product content solutions, enabling more than 25,000 global companies in over 60 countries to share authentic, trusted content with customers and consumers, empowering intelligent choices for purchases, wellness, and lifestyle decisions. Through its technology platform and expert services, 1WorldSync provides solutions that meet the diverse needs of the industry. 1WorldSync is the only product content network provider and GDSN Data Pool to achieve ISO Certification 27001. For more information, please visit http://www.1worldsync.com

About FoodLogiQ

FoodLogiQ LLC is a leading SaaS provider of food safety compliance, traceability, and supply chain transparency solutions. We help restaurant operators, food retailers and other food companies achieve end-to-end traceability while supporting safe and high quality food products across the supply chain. FoodLogiQ Connect is an online supplier community used by food companies to manage quality, safety, audit, regulatory compliance and traceability needs across their supply chains. To meet mounting regulatory requirements and consumer demands for transparency, food companies are leveraging FoodLogiQ Connect to validate supplier compliance with food safety and act with confidence in the event of a food safety or quality issue. For more information, please visit http://www.FoodLogiQ.com
Dr. Ann Clark, Founder and CEO of ACI Specialty Benefits, has been honored as a finalist for the 10th annual Most Admired CEO Awards by the San Diego Business Journal.

Dr. Ann Clark, Founder and CEO of ACI Specialty Benefits, has been honored as a finalist for the 10th annual Most Admired CEO Awards by the San Diego Business Journal.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized along such an esteemed group of leaders for another consecutive year," says Dr. Ann Clark. "This award would not be possible without the daily support of ACI's passionate, dedicated and inspiring staff."

In her 34th year as CEO, Dr. Ann Clark led ACI Specialty Benefits into a year of record-breaking growth. ACI's Top Ten EAP has expanded to cover an additional two million lives worldwide and counting with over 11,000 clients. ACI's Leverage Concierge is officially the fastest growing corporate concierge solution with a hugely popular errand running program that has helped its customers achieve Best Place to Work rankings in the Fortune 100 List and People Magazine.

Additionally, ACI continues to be on the forefront of benefits technology with artificial intelligence and voice-activation. Recently, ACI's Global Chief Information Officer Ryan Fay was featured in Employee Benefit News' Top 21 Innovators in Benefits Technology. While leading ACI into the future and supporting the local economy with job growth at ACI headquarters, Dr. Ann Clark also founded the non-profit International Chair Yoga Association (icya.yoga) this past year to make yoga accessible for all.

The San Diego Business Journal will host the 10th annual Most Admired CEO Awards on June 15, 2017 at the Hilton San Diego. The finalists and winners were selected by an independent panel of judges, and represent a wide variety of industry leaders with commendable achievements, leadership efforts, innovations, and contributions over the past year within their companies and the community.

About ACI Specialty Benefits

ACI Specialty Benefits offers best-in-class benefit solutions to engage the new workforce and drive business performance. A top-ranked global benefits provider of Employee Assistance Programs, Work-Life Benefits, Corporate Concierge and Student Assistance Programs, ACI consistently helps customers achieve Healthiest Workplace awards, Best Place to Work rankings, and improve engagement, retention, productivity and the bottom line. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in San Diego, ACI has grown to international prominence with a 95% customer retention rate and 12 million lives covered. For more information about innovative employee benefit solutions, visit http://www.acispecialtybenefits.com.
Over 100,000 alumni have already completed the program, finding a deeper love for the Bible through classroom community, exploring the original Scriptures and revealing new layers of meaning in the Biblical stories they love.

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies is announcing their expansion, offering Biblical Language and Jewish Studies courses to students in North America. Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, part of the eTeacher Group, provides live online instruction, flexible hours, accreditation through the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the convenience of studying the Bible at a deeply rewarding level from any location.

By learning the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic as well as courses in general Jewish Studies, students have the ability to read ancient texts as they were written, allowing for a new level of discovery and understanding of Scripture. Over 100,000 alumni have already completed the program, finding a deeper love for the Bible through classroom community, exploring the original Scriptures and revealing new layers of meaning in the Biblical stories they love.

One of the many unique elements of the program is the impressive roster of over 300 instructors. All of the staff in the Department for Biblical Languages and the Department for Jewish and Biblical Studies reside in Israel, are fluent in the languages, experts in the culture, and the majority even grew up in the region. Classes take place weekly in a small group online classroom setting. Students receive a deep immersion in the Biblical texts, cultural context, and language of the time in an agreeable format that unlocks the depths of Biblical wisdom in a turn-key way.

According to Jonathan Lipnick, Dean of Holy Land Studies, Our live teachers in a virtual classroom setting have engaged adult students at every level, across 108 countries and in 6 languages. The teacher's main role in the learning process has survived the revolution of the Internet. The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies is unique in paring advanced technology with amazing content and all the benefits of an engaged, live teacher.

A brief overview of what you can expect from a course can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/KStDwTM5ZX0

Our program quenches the thirst that so many people have for understanding the Bible based on the essence of meaning as found in the original languages, commented Boaz Binnun, eTeachers Co-Founder and Co-CEO. One hundred thousand students of all ages from around the world have discovered our courses, and now we look to fill the void in America for an authentic, in-depth Bible study program that is language-based.

About Israel Institute of Biblical Studies

The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies aims to make the Bible accessible to people around the world. Through Biblical study and language courses, students connect with teachers in the Holy Land to learn the original languages of the Old and New Testaments. This allows them to interpret the holy texts themselves, while discovering the ancient land of the Bible where the stories took place. The Israel Institute of Bible Studies has partnered with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the leading academic institute in Israel and one of the leading Biblical research institutes in the world with a long and proud history of scholarly excellence and leadership in Biblical languages and studies.

http://IsraelBiblicalStudies.com

About eTeacher

Established in 2000, eTeacher Group creates and operates leading virtual schools throughout the world. eTeacher specializes in large scale operation of online teacher-led classes. We work with leading professionals every step of the way, from recruiting teachers and developing content, to marketing, sales, and operations.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Jonathan Lipnick, Dean of Holy Land Studies, please contact:

Lori Heiselman  FrontGate Media

714-553-5181, Lori(at)FrontGateMedia(dot)com.

Student Testimonials: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX4jtlJBqtffbar0t005K6fa2KOsN-F_D

Introduction about Biblical Hebrew classes: https://youtu.be/KStDwTM5ZX0
Ecocor, a construction company that manufactures, delivers and assembles high performance Passive House buildings, will act as the industry partner for TeamMTL at Solar Decathlon China 2018 in Dezhou, China. TeamMTL is a collaborative endeavor between the School of Architecture and several other departments at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

Originally established by the United States Department of Energy in 2002, the Solar Decathlon is a biennial green energy building contest that challenges collegiate teams to design, construct and operate an architecturally sophisticated and energy efficient solar-powered house. The 2016 competition includes 21 teams representing 11 countries and 49 universities.

TeamMTLs goal is to employ socially, culturally and technologically advanced architecture that embodies energy efficiency, comfort, wellbeing, affordability, environmental sustainability and ecological awareness, said Ben Wareing, Architecture Lead of TeamMTL. Sustainable building starts with quality construction and design, and Ecocors 21st Century, prefab approach to building the most energy efficient homes on the market today helped us reach our objectives.

TeamMTL decided to use a home design strategy that dramatically reduces the demand for a substantial heating and cooling system. TeamMTLs entry, named Deep Performance Dwelling (DPD), is a net-zero energy capable home that combines Passive House-inspired design and a Building Integrated Photovoltaic Thermal (BIPV/T) system. Together, these systems ensure high-performance capability through passive and active systems, superior indoor air quality and up to a ninety percent reduction in energy demand for heating and cooling.

DPDs design is a combination of the proven Montreal Row House typology, fused with the Siheyuan Courtyard style, common in China. Conceived for maximum flexibility and adaptability, DPD will address contemporary living, allowing for various family compositions, live/work scenarios, sharing economy opportunities and inter-generational living in a dense urban setting. Because TeamMTL is committed to using affordable, sustainable materials that are sourced locally, North American timber is used for the frame and throughout the home.

Typically, Ecocor homes are assembled once, but for the Decathlon, the company worked closely with TeamMTL to engineer the prefabricated panels so the components can be assembled, shipped and disassembled multiple times.

The homes components will first be shipped to a site in Montreal and assembled in mid-June. Once assembled, DPD will be on display for the public through October, and TeamMTL will host open houses and other events that demonstrate its energy efficiency. Then the house will be disassembled, packed and shipped again, via train and boat, to Dezhou, China for the competition in the summer of 2018.

At Ecocor, we aimed to develop a platform to create high quality, energy efficient and affordable prefabricated homes, said Chris Corson, Founder and Technical Director of Ecocor. This competition, and the added challenge that the house components needed to be shipped, assembled, disassembled and shipped again before final assembly, is a testament to the flexibility and configurability of the Ecocor manufacturing platform.

After the competition, DPD will be sold to the city of Dezhou, where it will eventually be used as a residence. TeamMTL will use the proceeds from the sale, along with additional competition proceeds and partner contributions to build more versions of DPD in Montreal, to be given to families in need of affordable housing. Throughout their existence, the homes will be used in a long-term monitoring living lab research program.

About Ecocor

Ecocor is a construction firm that designs, manufactures, delivers and assembles high performance buildings throughout North America. Ecocors patent pending foundation and wall designs reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling buildings by 80-90%, which substantially reduces the cost of ownership and the buildings carbon footprint, while increasing the comfort of its owners. Using panelized building components as a construction platform, Ecocor has better control, higher quality and much shorter time-to-occupancy than any site-built construction. Learn more at http://www.ecocor.us/.
Heather Furnas, MD, is excited to announce that she has been named as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 2016. The annual list identifies the nations most notable physicians, ranging across a broad span of medical specialties. Recently a featured speaker at the 2017 ASAPS Aesthetic Meeting, Dr. Furnas is honored to be included in this elite group of practitioners.

Castle Connollys Top Doctor list was created in 1991, as a reliable tool of measurement, empowering prospective patients seeking exemplary healthcare in their local area. The award, given to those physicians who have demonstrated a strong commitment to exceptional patient care, promotes patient education and informed medical choices. Over the years, as the number of health care providers continually grows, the title is increasingly revered.

All board certified MDs and DOs in the United States are qualified for the Castle Connolly awards, with finalists nominated by their peers and associates. Winners are then selected by a physician-led team that carefully scrutinizes the each providers background for specified qualifications, training and performance ratings, while also reviewing any disciplinary records. Every year, thousands of doctors cast their nominations online, however only about 5% of the countrys physicians are selected as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in their region.

Dr. Furnas inclusion as a 2016 Castle Connolly Top Doctor reflects a illustrious cosmetic surgery career that spans close to 30 years. Her extensive experience is what sets her apart from the numerous other aesthetic professionals practicing across the state. Dr. Furnas explains, There are hundreds of qualified plastic surgeons available, (but) unfortunately, some doctors (do not have) the training. She continues, Our philosophy is simple: every patient is a VIP and safety is our biggest priority. As board-certified plastic surgeons, our goal is to treat each person with the utmost integrity and provide the highest level of care.

Dr. Furnas is alumnus of UCLA School of Medicine and Stanford University. Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, she is a member of the California Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 1991, she co-founded Sonoma Countys Plastic Surgery Associates, along with her partner, Francisco Canales, MD. Last year, in 2016, Plastic Surgery Associates opened the doors to a second location, in the Novato area of Marin County.

More information on Dr. Heather Furnas can be found by contacting Plastic Surgery Associates at 707.537.2111. Conveniently located in the heart of Marin County, Dr. Furnas offers consultations both at the Santa Rosa and Novato office locations. A full list of Castle Connollys 2016 Top Doctors can be found at http://www.castleconnolly.com.
Putting happiness center stage in business and governmental policy makes powerful sense.

Economists have long equated GDP growth and economic prosperity with social progress, which became the end-goal of public policy. But in recent years, a new science of happiness has been galvanized by global research studies like the UNs World Happiness Report and The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. This research takes a multidimensional approach to measuring total well-being for nations (yes, financial prosperity, but also crucial components like social/community connection, physical health, freedom, and shared purpose), and is fast proving a more accurate measure of national progress and true life satisfaction. Which is why the 2017 World Happiness Report, surveying 155 countries, found that the Northern European nations of Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland (all strong in social support, generosity, physical health and honest governance) ranked as the worlds five happiest nations, while growing economies like China and the U.S. (suffering from eroding social safety nets/support) fell in happiness in recent years. Overall, the world reports a mediocre 5.3/10 score for total happiness.

With a fast-growing interest in insights from happiness science, more governments are taking action. For example, Bhutan was the first nation to create a Gross National Happiness Index to drive policies around individual well-being, not GDP - and more recently, Dubai has made happiness a wide-ranging policy priority, appointing the first Minister of Happiness in 2016. Workplaces, grasping the high levels of employee unhappiness and their toll on productivity, are now executing on lessons learned from happiness science. The mental health industry, long focused on human failings/pathology, is embracing neuroscience to understand the mechanisms of happiness, hope, empathy, resilience and joy, along with approaches like positive psychology. We even see tourism destinations/programming starting to be designed around the pillars of happiness.

So, to immerse delegates in the findings and applications of this new field of research, the Global Wellness Summit today announced that its 2017 agenda will include a powerful roster of keynotes from happiness science leaders at its conference taking place at The Breakers Palm Beach, FL, from October 9-11.

THE KEYNOTES:

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, PhD, is Associate Professor of Economics and Strategy at SaId Business School, University of Oxford and associate editor of the massively influential World Happiness Report (downloaded a reported one million times a year) - as well as research adviser to the Gallup Organization. He is one of the worlds leading researchers on what constitutes human well-being, which has led to new insights on the relationship between happiness and income, economic growth and inequality. His research was selected as one of The Management Ideas that Mattered Most in 2016 by the Harvard Business Review. And his keynote will focus on the role of (and strategies for driving more) happiness in the workplace.

People spend the majority of their lives working, and its critical to understand the role that employment and unemployment play in shaping happiness, said Professor De Neve. Putting happiness center stage in business and governmental policy makes powerful sense: research shows that boosting peoples happiness makes them 7-12% more productive and that the top best-to-work-for companies outperform competitors. Yet employee happiness is often wildly undervalued by management and investors alike.

Mohamad (Mo) Gawdat is Chief Business Officer for Google [X], an elite team of engineers that comprise Googles futuristic dream factory. (Google, a $100 billion-plus company was named the 2nd most valuable brand in the world by Forbes in 2017.) Years ago, despite having achieved extraordinary success, Mo realized he was desperately unhappy. So, attacking the problem as a scientist would, he spent seven-plus years researching to formulate an equation for happiness, based on how the brain takes in and processes joy and sadness. Years later, that algorithm would be put to the ultimate test after the tragic death of his son, when his family turned to his solution to survive. And it sparked a mission: share the equation with the world  including the 500+ wellness leaders at the Global Wellness Summit - through his new book, Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy.

Silvia Garcia is founder of FeelLogic and a happiness science pioneer as the former global director of the innovative Happiness Institute at Coca-Cola. An expert on workforce well-being, at the Happiness Institute she sought to transform lives through the science of happiness applied to the economy, workplace, health, politics and education. Silvia will share with Summit delegates how organizations and cities thrive by fueling happiness  leading to significant increases in innovation, shareholder returns, talent retention and increased productivity.

Nancy Etcoff, PhD, is Assistant Clinical Professor at Harvard Medical School, where she teaches the Science of Happiness courses  and a psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry. Part of a new vanguard of cognitive researchers investigating what makes humans happy  and whether and how we evolved for happiness  her work on happiness exposes often surprising, counter-intuitive results. She has also given a popular TED talk entitled Happiness and Its Surprises.

For more information, contact Beth McGroarty: beth.mcgroarty(at)globalwellnesssummit(dot)com or (+1) 213-300-0107.

For info about attending the 2017 Summit: http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/2017-summit/

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the U.S., Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico and Austria. The next will be held at The Breakers Palm Beach, Florida from Oct. 9-11, 2017.
MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Company, an authentic Neapolitan restaurant brand with a mission to bring friends together, announces the June 29 opening of its newest location in Utah. Offering high quality, delicious Neapolitan pizzas, MidiCithe newest restaurant to open at University Placeis sure to become an Orem favorite.

To celebrate the opening, MidiCi will unite pizza lovers with a two-day grand-opening celebration from June 29 to July 1, complete with complimentary authentic Neapolitan fare the way Italians invented it 300 years ago and quality MidiCi merchandise.

Opening our first location in Orem marks a milestone in our national expansion, said Amit Kleinberger, CEO and co-founder of MidiCi. Were confident that managers Mike and Joanne Chapman will create a lasting bond with the Orem community for years to come.

From the moment we stepped foot in MidiCis flagship Sherman Oaks, California location, we fell in love with the concept  from the food, to the people and ambiance, to the very values of the brand, it was just the right fit, said franchisee Mike Chapman. We know that once residents of Orem get a chance to try it themselves, theyll want to return and create lasting memories with their friends.

MidiCi serves traditional Neapolitan cuisine with fresh, natural, non-GMO ingredients. Guests and friends can select from traditional and signature menu options or create personalized Neapolitan pizzas in the open, center-staged bustling kitchen  also known as the heart  all baked to perfection. Acclaimed Los Angeles-based restaurateurs and chefs Peppe Miele and Mario Vollera hand-crafted the menu with authentic Italian offerings  from gourmet appetizers, artisan burrate, non-GMO quality salads and authentic Neapolitan pizzas. MidiCi provides pizza lovers with an upscale dining atmosphere  designed by acclaimed hotel and restaurant architect and designer Sam Marshall  while maintaining the ease and affordability of a casual restaurant concept. The space beckons guests to visit and make memories over a gourmet meal next to a signature indoor tree. MidiCi invented and trademarked fast-fine: fine dining made faster.

MidiCi is growing all across the country and the world, with more than 450 locations established or slated to open within the next eight years. MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza in Los Angeles, a 4,300-square foot location, has amassed over 1,200 rave reviews of 4.5-star ratings since its opening in June 2015.

MidiCi Orem is located at 541 E. University Parkway, Suite B, Orem, UT 84097 and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. For more information, please visit http://www.myMidiCi.com, call (385) 352-3752 or visit our Facebook page.

The full schedule of the two-day grand opening celebration is as follows:

Day: June 29

Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Details: Come down for a free Margherita pizza, and bring your friends and family!

Day: July 1

Time: 11 a.m. to Midnight

Details: Come down for a free Margherita pizza, and bring your friends and family!

About MidiCi:

Inspired by his travels throughout Naples, MidiCi Co-founder Amit Kleinberger sought to bring authentic Neapolitan pizza to the U.S. as a means to share passion for people and food. The restaurant was designed to foster authentic human connections and reflect MidiCis philosophy: People are the best thing that can happen to anyone. Pronounced Mee-Dee-Chee, MidiCi means You tell me! in Italian, reflecting a double-entendre at the core of the concept: the value of people telling each other about their lives, fostering friendships and the personalization approach to the original, authentic Neapolitan pizza.

Honoring the tradition, passion and art of Neapolitan pizza-making, the way it was invented over 300 years ago in Naples, Italy, MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Company uses authentic wood-fired ovens, custom hand built in Naples, Italy, by generations of artisanal oven makers. The original MidiCi restaurant opened in Los Angeles, in early summer 2015. The brand projects opening 450 additional restaurants over the next eight years in markets such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, Denver, New York City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Dubai, Riyadh, Vancouver and more.
SAIFE I am very excited to be joining an innovative company thats tackling a major gap present in the security strategy of many enterprises.

Onapsis, the global experts in SAP and Oracle application cybersecurity and compliance, today announced that Ashish Larivee has joined as Chief Product Officer. Larivee most recently served as Vice President of Product at Cybereason where she played a pivotal role in establishing the market and building out the company and product strategy. Her experience in product management will help Onapsis continue to create the most innovative technology in the market for securing enterprise applications running on SAP and Oracle systems.

SAP is run by over 250,000 customers worldwide, including 87 percent of Global 2000 companies, and stores an organizations most valuable data and mission-critical business processes. As attacks targeted at these applications continue to increase, Onapsis customers depend on advanced solutions to protect their critical business data.

Onapsis is focused on solving a huge problem facing some of the largest companies around the world. Their business depends on these critical systems and Onapsis provides a real security solution by protecting business-critical applications such as SAP and Oracle. I am very excited to be joining an innovative company thats tackling a major gap present in the security strategy of many enterprises, said Larivee.

Ashish will be instrumental in helping Onapsis evolve our product offerings and further develop the business-critical application security market category. Her experience in launching security platforms paired with her precise ability to evolve products to expand the market will catapult our patented technologies to the next frontier. We are extremely thrilled to have her join the executive team, said Mariano Nunez, CEO and co-Founder, Onapsis.

As Onapsis Chief Product Officer, Larivee will be responsible for the companys product strategy and execution and contribute to the companys overall strategy.

About Onapsis

Onapsis cybersecurity solutions automate the monitoring and protection of your SAP applications, keeping them compliant and safe from insider and outsider threats. As the proven market leader, global enterprises trust Onapsis to protect the essential information and processes that run their businesses.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, Onapsis serves over 200 customers including many of the Global 2000. Onapsis' solutions are also the de-facto standard for leading consulting and audit firms such as Accenture, Deloitte, E&Y, IBM, KPMG and PwC.

Onapsis solutions include the Onapsis Security Platform, which is the most widely-used SAP-certified cyber-security solution in the market. Unlike generic security products, Onapsis' context-aware solutions deliver both preventative vulnerability and compliance controls, as well as real-time detection and incident response capabilities to reduce risks affecting critical business processes and data. Through open interfaces, the platform can be integrated with leading SIEM, GRC and network security products, seamlessly incorporating enterprise applications into existing vulnerability, risk and incident response management programs.

These solutions are powered by the Onapsis Research Labs which continuously provide leading intelligence on security threats affecting SAP and Oracle enterprise applications. Experts of the Onapsis Research Labs were the first to lecture on SAP cyber-attacks and have uncovered and helped fix hundreds of security vulnerabilities to-date affecting SAP Business Suite, SAP HANA, SAP Cloud and SAP Mobile applications, as well as Oracle JD Edwards and Oracle E-Business Suite platforms. Onapsis has been issued U.S. Patent No. 9,009,837 entitled Automated Security Assessment of Business-Critical Systems and Applications, which describes certain algorithms and capabilities behind the technology powering the Onapsis Security Platform and Onapsis X1 software platforms. This patented technology is recognized industry wide and has gained Onapsis the recognition as a 2015 SINET 16 Innovator.

For more information, please visit http://www.onapsis.com, or connect with us on Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Onapsis and Onapsis Research Labs are registered trademarks of Onapsis, Inc. All other company or product names may be the registered trademarks of their respective owners.
ContentIQ is a useful innovation to help analyze site performance, from a technical standpoint as well as overall content and page structure

BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise organic search and content performance, today announced that 90 percent of its customers have adopted its ContentIQ and HyperLocal products. The next-generation products, which addresses unmet needs of SEO professionals, helps BrightEdge customers stay ahead of changes in consumer behavior across the mobile, local and search experiences.

ContentIQ

ContentIQ helps brands resolve site errors before they impact business results. It places a priority on the resolution of issues and trends the impact of errors on organic traffic and conversion within a single platform.

As marketing organizations develop and publish digital content, content writers, editors, strategists, SEO managers, agencies, digital marketers, developers, administrators, and product managers all play a critical role in publishing and optimizing new content. But the involvement of more people increases the risk of errors such as these:



Page URLs are suddenly changed without setting proper redirects, leading to broken links.

Large, high-definition images are added, slowing page-load time.

Duplicate content is created, limiting the ability of search engines to serve content effectively.

ContentIQ prevents these problems. It enables brands to test content thoroughly via test servers before it is pushed to production environments.

ContentIQ is a useful innovation to help analyze site performance, from a technical standpoint as well as overall content and page structure, said Bobbi Tschumper, Internet SEO Specialist at Colony Brands. It provides a snapshot to quickly identify issues and then gives us the ability to do a deep dive into more complex elements. This allows us to make sound, data-driven decisions to fix errors and optimize sites.

Boaz Ronkin, Vice President of Product Marketing at BrightEdge, said the companys customers have used ContentIQ to conduct 15,000 individual audits that inspected more than 30 million pages in the past two months alone.

We are thrilled with the amazing 90 percent adoption of ContentIQ and even happier with the results that our customers achieved, Ronkin said.

He noted nearly 200 BrightEdge customers have adopted its HyperLocal search engines since its introduction in February.

HyperLocal

HyperLocal provides brands with a sharp picture of the performance of topics and content in more than 68,000 search engines in the United States and around the world. HyperLocal, which tracks organic demand and performance in over 1,400 locations around the world, delivers the results that brands demand as Google contextualizes its SERPs to smaller and smaller locations.

Ronkin said BrightEdge has also taken additional steps to support its global customers and the need for a single enterprise SEO platform for all of their international SEO needs. BrightEdge launched a new trending search engine for Google Australia as part of its highly popular Data Cube offering. An industry-leading organic research solution with billions of records of rich media, content, global, local and performance data, Data Cube enables sophisticated topic and content research, integrated research-to-action workflow, and competitive benchmarking.

About BrightEdge

BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise organic search and content performance, empowers marketers to transform online content into business results such as traffic, conversions and revenue. The BrightEdge S3 platform is powered by a sophisticated deep learning engine and is the only company capable of web-wide, real-time measurement of content engagement across all digital channels, including search, social and mobile. BrightEdges 1,500+ customers include global brands such as 3M, Microsoft and Nike, as well as 57 of the Fortune 100. The company has eight offices worldwide and is headquartered in Foster City, California.

Visit our website: http://www.brightedge.com

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/brightedge

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightedge

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seoplatform
UNA-USA advocates at the 2016 Leadership Summit This outpouring of activism reflects a reinvigorated desire among Americans for the U.S. to maintain its leadership and influence on the global stage, said UNA-USA Executive Director Chris Whatley.

With the future of Americas international engagement in the spotlight, a historic number of Americans are gathered in the nations capital today to collectively call on Congress for full U.S. funding for the United Nations. More than 300 Americans from across the country are taking part in this landmark advocacy mobilization, which occurs on the final day of the United Nations Association of the United States of Americas (UNA-USA) Leadership Summit in Washington, DC.

This outpouring of activism reflects a reinvigorated desire among Americans for the U.S. to maintain its leadership and influence on the global stage, said UNA-USA Executive Director Chris Whatley. Americans recognize that our worlds intractable challenges cannot be resolved by one country alone. Whether we aim to address the planets worst humanitarian and refugee crisis since World War II, terrorism, or threats from the effects of climate change, the United Nations is essential for advancing our national interests.

Americans from 40 states are attending the annual UNA-USA Leadership Summit in Washington for two days of presentations from high-ranking UN officials, policy workshops, skills building, and learning sessions on topics ranging from human rights and peacekeeping to the role of the UN in addressing global pandemics. On the third and final day of the Summit, attendees are on Capitol Hill to meet face-to-face with Members of Congress and their staff and petition for full U.S. funding and support for the UN.

Were bringing the voices of our communities to Capitol Hill during a pivotal moment for the U.S.-UN relationship, said UNA-USA National Council Advocacy Chair Mel Boynton. The new Administration has proposed vicious cuts to foreign affairs funding that would cripple U.S. influence at the UN, further destabilize the world, and cause untold suffering. On behalf of the majority of Americans who support strong U.S. engagement at the UN, weve come to Washington with the common cause of urging Congress to protect full U.S. funding for the UN in the final FY2018 budget.

Research shows that American voters registered in both major parties agree that sustained U.S. leadership at the UN is vital. A bipartisan nationwide poll conducted after the 2016 election by the Better World Campaign, UNA-USAs sister organization, found that a vast majority of Americans88 percentbelieve it is important for the U.S. to maintain an active role at the UN. More than 8 in 10 Americans agree that the U.S. is better positioned to achieve its foreign policy goals when it works with major allies to solve global challenges rather than acting alone. Additionally, 67 percent of voters expressed continued support for the U.S. to pay its dues to the UN on time and in full.

During the Summit, UNA-USA members and supporters heard from speakers including: His Excellency Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly; Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Office; Vitit Muntarbhorn, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, UNHCR; Samantha Ware, Actress, Hamilton at Broadway in Chicago and Glee on Fox; and Kathy Calvin, President & CEO, UN Foundation. The complete agenda with a list of all speakers and their biographies can be found online at: unausa.org/leadershipsummit.
Moran Family of Brands, one of the nations leading franchises of general automotive repair, transmission repair and auto accessories, is launching its inaugural Future Tech internship program on Tuesday, June 13 at its franchise locations nationwide.

Morans Future Auto Tech internship programs will give high school and vocational school students first-hand experience in learning about the automotive repair industry. This comes at a time in which fewer students are attending trade schools to prepare them for careers as automotive technicians.

There are two separate internships in Morans Future Auto Tech program. The Automotive Shop Internship is for students who are in their junior or senior years of high school or have just started vocational school. This internship is for a maximum of 25 hours per week over a three-month period, and the student can request to extend it an additional three months if desired. Participants will shadow and learn from shop managers and technicians and can assist in areas such as performing vehicle inspections, completing paperwork, assisting with vehicle maintenance work to pick-up and delivery of parts.

The Technician Internship is a more advanced program open to students who are finishing their degree or who have recently graduated from a vocational school. It is an entry-level, paid position for up to 30-40 hours per week depending on course schedules at a participating franchise location. The program is for a six-month period with the possibility of being hired for a full-time position at the facility once the internship is completed. This internship is designed to help students take what they have learned in their specific area of study in school and apply it in a business and auto shop environment.

As part of the program, participating Moran franchisees will have the opportunity to speak to local students at the middle school and high school levels. They will emphasize the skills gap in this county and discuss the available Moran internships, attending a vocational school, and going into a career in automotive repair. Moran franchisees will also share their experiences on how they became business owners through franchising.

We as a franchise system need to be a part of the solution in reducing the skills gap that is occurring in this country. That is why we have developed our Future Auto Tech internship program for our franchisees to participate in. We believe that this will be extremely beneficial for students who are not sure what their path will be beyond high school, said Barbara Moran-Goodrich, CEO & Co-founder of Moran Family of Brands. There are a lot of talented students out there who will soon become part of tomorrows workforce, and we want them to know that the skills gap in this country can bring financially rewarding jobs to them. Our internship programs will give them practical experience at our participating franchisee shops and prepare them for successful careers in the field.

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About Moran Family of Brands:

Moran Family of Brands is one of the nations leading franchisors of general automotive repair, transmission repair and automotive accessory centers. Based in Midlothian, Illinois, Moran Family of Brands provides specialty products and services in virtually every aspect of the automotive aftermarket through four individual brands and a total of more than 120 franchise locations nationwide including: Mr. Transmission, The Professionals; Alta Mere The Automotive Outfitters; and Milex Complete Auto Care centers and SmartView Window Solutions. For more information on Moran Family of Brands visit http://www.moranfamilyofbrands.com.
MultiTech is a leading global manufacturer of M2M and IoT devices

MultiTech will showcases extensive cellular & LoRa portfolio and services at LoRa Alliances 8th all-members meeting, open house and marketplace exhibition showcase. Intelligent and programmable cellular IoT gateway MultiConnect Conduit and Long Range LoRaWAN RF modules will work in conjunction with solutions from The Things Network/ARM, WaterBit, PNI Sensor Corporation, STMicroelectronics, HereLab, Sensoterra, and ITK. A sponsors panel showcasing cutting-edge use cases of IoT Solutions in agriculture will be included.

WHEN:



Event Date: June 12-14, 2017

Panel Date: June 13, 2:00-4:00 pm

WHERE: The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia

WHAT: 8th LoRa Alliance All Member Meeting

Demonstrations: Live product demonstrations of MultiTechs newest wireless industrial IoT technologies will model real-life scenarios across a wide range of industries.

ARM and The Things Network

Firmware updates are an essential requirement for devices that use LPWANs for connectivity to hit the market in volume. The demonstration of this firmware update process, highlights an ARM custom board containing a MultiConnect xDot LoRa radio, connected to a target MCU (NXP FRDM-K22F), to run the update client. This set up enables quick prototyping because the LoRaWAN stack and the update client run on separate MCUs. On the network side, an update server was built on top of The Things Networks distributed and decentralized LoRaWAN network server. The update server orchestrates device selection for update, sets up network security and the multicast groupings, schedules fragments and error correction packets, and verifies hashes and firmware integrity.

Gemalto

Demonstration highlights MultiTechs MultiConnect xDot featuring a Gemalto Secure Element for ultra-high security LoRa device key protection. MultiConnect xDot will leverage Senet LoRaWAN network through a MultiConnect Conduit gateway located at the booth and Gemalto Trusted Key Manager dynamic provisioning to deliver sensor data securely and only when authorized.

PNI Sensor Corporation

Demonstration highlights PNI Sensor Corporations PlacePod smart parking sensor, communicating with MultiTechs MultiConnect Conduit gateway and MultiTechs MultiConnect xDot long range RF module to provide accurate real-time parking data. PlacePod is the industrys most accurate magnetic sensing system for vehicle detection with the combination of PNIs high-performance magnetic sensor and vehicle detection algorithms that accurately detect the presence or absence of a car in a parking space.

MultiTechs MultiConnect Conduit is the industrys most configurable, manageable, and scalable IoT communications gateway able to connect wired and wireless assets and sensors.

MultiTechs MultiConnect xDot is a secure, CE/FCC & LoRa Alliance Certified, ARM mbed programmable, low-power LoRaWAN RF module, that provides long-range, low bit rate M2M data connectivity to sensors, industrial equipment and remote appliances.

Senet, Inc.

Senet will showcase a live LoRaWAN connectivity demonstration using MultiTechs MultiConnect Conduits and the MultiConnect Conduit AP Access Point for LoRa for improved indoor coverage. Data from several end device sensors connected to the Senet network will be visualized through myDevices Cayenne dashboards demonstrating how real-time soil moisture, leak detection, and crop growth data can be used for a variety of agriculture applications.

The MultiConnect Conduit AP Access Point for LoRa Technology

affordably provides deep in-building connectivity and improved service levels for network operators and enterprises connecting thousands of environmental sensors located in commercial facilities such as hotels, convention centers, retail outlets, commercial & residential buildings, by harnessing the power of the LoRaWAN protocol with the option of 4G-LTE or Ethernet IP backhaul.

STMicroelectronics

Demonstration of the STMicroelectronics sensor board connected to a LoRaWAN end point. Showcases the MultiTech MultiConnect Conduit gateway featuring LoRa technology and its unique ability to connect environmental sensors located in industrial facilities such as production facilities, precision agriculture and industrial kitchens.

WaterBit

WaterBit demonstration highlights IoT in agriculture, featuring MultiTechs MultiConnect Conduit IoT gateway in combination with LoRa technology, MultiConnect mDot and WaterBits sensors. Demonstration showcases how WaterBit can now access valuable data from numerous endpoints throughout its dense field site, without dependence on spotty, unpredictable cellular coverage.

The MultiConnect mDot (MTDOT Series) offers significantly longer range and improved radio performance compared to traditional wireless solutionsresulting in greater transmission range and reduced capital expense.

HereLab

HereLab has created an island-wide network for Internet-connected sensing to enables new access to valuable public data; life-long learning, and water, land, air and built environment measurement and management. Demonstration highlights MultiConnect mDot, LoRaWAN-certified, low-power wide area network (LPWAN) access RF modules, providing 2-way communication from all sensors in the field. MultiTech DeviceHQ allows HereLab to easily deploy and scale pre-developed applications onto their MultiConnect Conduit gateway, and connect numerous devices. Through DeviceHQ, HereLab can easily manage and provision gateways via a Web interface.

MultiTech DeviceHQ is a remotely hosted toolset for managing the latest generation of MultiTech devices.

Actility

Actilitys demonstration will showcase the emerging LoRaWAN technology of Firmware Update over the Air. An Actility FUOTA server will regularly update several devices connected via a MultiTech MultiConnect Conduit gateway, demonstrating the ability to manage the update of a fleet of devices over LoRaWAN using multicast, reconstructing missing packets and delivering a complete update package of around 110kb to all the devices in around five minutes.

Presentations:

James Brehm, Founder and Chief Technology Evangelist of James Brehm & Associates will lead a panel (June 13, 2:00-4:00 pm ) and Q&A on IoT and agriculture. Discussion will center on market size and project growth as well as use cases from panelists, leading MultiTech users. Panelists include:



Manu Pillai, Founder of Waterbit

Patrick Phillips, Founder and CEO of HereLab

Eric Jallas, President of ITK

Jurriaan Ruys, CEO of Sensoterra

About MultiTech

MultiTech has been expanding the connected world by delivering industry-leading communications technology platforms for over 40 years. Offering an extensive line of fully certified and carrier-approved gateways, routers, modems and embedded components, MultiTech works with thousands of customers worldwide to easily enable cellular, analog, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, GPS/GNSS, and other M2M communication capabilities for their IoT applications. For more information, please visit http://www.multitech.com.
The CODiE Award recognition is particularly meaningful because the products are judged by educators who understand what schools need to be heard in todays mobile and social world.

West Corporation, a global provider of communication and network infrastructure services, today announced two SchoolMessenger solutions are finalists in the 2017 Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) CODiE Awards. The CODiE Awards have been the premier awards for recognizing product excellence for over 30 years. Finalists represent applications, products, and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services and related technologies.

Wests SchoolMessenger Communicate is a CODiE finalist in the Best K-12 Enterprise Solution category. As a leading K-12 notification service, SchoolMessenger Communicate lets schools and school districts reach parents, guardians and students with school notifications and emergency alerts using SMS text, voice, email, social media, web and mobile app push notifications.

SchoolMessenger Presence is honored as a CODiE finalist in the Best Education Cloud-based Solution category. A website content management system built for K-12 education, SchoolMessenger Presence features original design options, built-in photo editing tools, unlimited calendars, forms and teacher websites.

SchoolMessenger Communicate and Presence, along with the entire line of SchoolMessenger products and services, help schools implement multichannel communications strategies that drive parent and community engagement in multiple languages and on any device, said Robert Iskander, executive vice president and general manager of Wests Education group. The CODiE Award recognition is particularly meaningful because the products are judged by educators who understand what schools need to be heard in todays mobile and social world.

The SIIA CODiE Awards are the industry's only peer-reviewed awards program. Educators and administrators serve as judges and conduct the first-round review of all education nominees. Their scores determine the SIIA CODiE Award finalists and SIIA members then vote on the finalist products. The scores from both rounds are tabulated to select the winners.

Winners will be announced during a CODiE Award Winner Ceremony in San Francisco on July 26 at the Education Impact Symposium, hosted by the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN), a division of SIIA.

About Wests SchoolMessenger Solutions

West Corporation is the trusted provider of SchoolMessenger solutions. Thousands of schools and other educational institutions in all 50 states and Canada depend on SchoolMessenger products and services from notifications and websites to custom mobile apps and social media. School leaders have relied on the SchoolMessenger platform since 1999 to engage with their communities in multiple languages and on any device. To learn more about SchoolMessenger products, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

About the SIIA CODiE Awards

The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technologys finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE.
John Flynn

Birko, a leader in providing food safety solutions for the protein, further processing, produce and brew industries, is excited to announce that John Flynn has joined the company as its new vice president of sales.

John has an exceptional sales background in premium protein products and the experience we need to support our companys continued growth, said Mark Swanson, Birkos chief executive officer. Hes devoted his career to the food industry and brings to Birko a passion for protecting the food supply and helping companies produce safe, quality products. His deep understanding and significant leadership providing customer solutions and value fits well with Birkos mission to be a partner in food safety for the industries we serve.

Flynn will lead the companys chemical sales division, driving strategy and performance, and will direct Birkos team of technical managers and technical sales representatives. Together, Flynn and the sales team will provide the quality and sanitation solutions to help solve the issues facing our protein, further processing, produce and brew customers.

Flynn joins Birko with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in sales and marketing for the protein and further processing industries. Most recently, he was vice president of beef sales and marketing at JBS where he successfully developed revenue-generating strategies and played a key role in helping the company navigate through challenging market conditions. Prior to JBS, he was vice president of beef sales at Cargill, and earlier, a regional sales manager at Johnsonville Sausage.

Flynn was a member of the Colorado Beef Councils board of directors, a role he held from 2012 through 2016, and sits on the board of the Luca John Foundation.

He has a bachelors degree in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and is a graduate of the MBA/MEP program from the University of Minnesotas Carlson School of Business. He will be based at Birkos Henderson, Colo., headquarters.

About Birko

Protecting the food chain for more than three generations. Saving lives. Reducing costs, liability and risk. At Birko, we take food safety seriously. Nothing is more important to us than making sure the food chain is secure, safe and pathogen free. Thats why were committed to turning great science into valuable new products, developing innovative custom equipment that saves time and resources, and providing excellent customer service. Its all part of The Birko Advantage - integrated food safety solutions provided by highly trained and experienced professionals. Visit birkocorp.com to learn more about how we can be your partner in food safety.

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In our third year of rating ISPs for use at the workplace, RCN continues to impress." - PCMag

RCN Business, a communications provider delivering network solutions for voice, data and video, has received PCMags 2017 Readers Choice Award for Best Internet Service Provider for the second year in a row. PCMag is the largest professional reviewer of consumer electronics and tech products worldwide.

In addition to being voted the best Internet Service Provider (ISP), RCN Business ranked highest in overall value and likelihood of being recommended to friends and colleagues.

According to PCMag, In our third year of rating ISPs for use at the workplace, RCN continues to impress. For the second year in a row, the business side of the cable-and-fiber-ISP in the northeastern United States has taken the top slot, this year adding a tenth of a point to its overall score, earning an 8.2 (on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 as the very best).

We focus on providing the best communications services for the nations small, medium and enterprise businesses, enhanced by award-winning customer service and technical support. said Mike Carrosquilla, SVP at RCN Business. Receiving this reader voted award for the second year in a row is a testament to our commitment to our customers and delivering the products and services they need to sustain and grow their businesses. We appreciate and sincerely thank our customers and PCMag readers for their confidence in us and our team.

Earning the top score over Verizon FiOS, AT&T, Spectrum and Comcast, the results from the 2017 Readers Choice Award for Best Internet Service Provider acknowledges RCN Business with the following accolades:



Ranked #1 for best ISP

Highest score in overall value

Highest likelihood to be recommended to colleagues

High scores in overall quality and reliability

High scores in tech support

RCN Business continually redefines the customer experience with the latest trends and newest technology, as evidenced by last years PCMag Reader's Choice awards for business. RCN Business provides industry-leading high-speed internet, voice, video and network solutions.

To learn more about RCN Business and its services, please visit: http://www.rcn.com/business/. For a free consultation on RCN Business solutions please fill out this form or contact us by calling 877-726-7000.

# # #

About RCN Business

RCN Business provides industry-leading high-speed internet, voice, video and network solutions to businesses of all sizes. Delivered through a wholly-owned, state-of-the-art fiber-rich network and supported by 100% U.S.-based customer service, RCN Business serves businesses in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia (Delaware County), Lehigh Valley (PA), Washington, D.C., and New York City. RCN Business received the Metro Ethernet Forums CE 2.0 certification in the E-Line, E-LAN and E-Access categories in 2014.

Media Contact

Jackie Fraser

Matter

rcn(at)matternow.com
Thor Equities is pleased to begin working with Avison Young, which we know to have an excellent understanding of the New York City office market.

Thor Equities, a global leader in urban real estate development, leasing and management, has selected Avison Young to oversee its New York City office market portfolio together with Thor.

We are pleased to begin working with Avison Young, which we know to have an excellent understanding of the New York City office market, said Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities. We were especially impressed by their dealmaking ability, direct leadership involvement, tenant relationships, and overall professionalism.

Arthur J. Mirante II, Principal and Tri-State President as well as John Ryan III, Principal, will lead Avison Youngs team of five brokers working together with Thor Equities on its New York City office portfolio.

We are excited to market this portfolio on behalf of this prominent owner, said Arthur Mirante, Principal and Tri-State President of Avison Young. Thor Equities owns a premier portfolio of office assets with great locations. Each of Thors buildings has its own unique offerings and individual leasing opportunities that will appeal to a diverse tenant base. We are confident that the expertise of our team, combined with the commitment and dedication of Avison Youngs resources, will translate into strong results and ensure the market recognizes everything these assets offer.

Securing this assignment is a testament to our track record of marketing knowledge, creating value and consistently generating exceptional results for our clients, said A. Mitti Liebersohn, President and Managing Director, NYC Operations for Avison Young. We look forward to once again applying the same efficiency, principal attention and sophisticated level of servicing to this portfolio as we do with every assignment we take on.

Thor Equities owns premier office properties throughout New York City including on Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and Broadway, as well as in Flatiron, SoHo and Downtown Brooklyn. The company also owns prime office, retail, residential, hotel and mixed-use properties in major urban locations throughout North America, Europe and Latin America, including prime corridors in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Tijuana.

###

About Thor Equities: Thor Equities is a leader in the development, leasing and management of commercial, residential, retail, hotel and mixed-use assets in premier urban locations worldwide. The company maximizes returns for investors by recognizing a propertys potential, reducing operating expenses, increasing tenant satisfaction, and leveraging market trends to maintain a long-term competitive edge. Thor Equities is also the exclusive representative of global retailers through Thor Retail Advisors, a premier leasing agent for marquee properties worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.thorequities.com.

About Avison Young: Avison Young is the worlds fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,400 real estate professionals in 80 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties. For more information, visit http://www.avisonyoung.com.
Dozens of Iraqi Christians in southeastern Michigan have been arrested by U.S. immigration officials. These arrests appears to be the first wave facing those who have long been concerned about deportation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have reportedly declined to say how many were taken into custody, but advocates say at least 40 people have been arrested since Sunday. On Sunday around 100 people protested at a Detroit detention center, many expressing their concern for the arrestees' safety.

IDC Executive Director Philippe Nassif stated, IDC calls for an immediate case-by-case review of all Iraqi deportee cases where the victims come from communities that have been recognized by the U.S. government as having suffered genocide. Deporting members of these communities may place these Christians in great danger.

In 2016, the U.S. government recognized that genocide had occurred against Iraq's Christian community. This recognition strongly suggests an additional layer of scrutiny is merited in the cases of genocide victim communities.

Nonviolent criminals who've paid their debt to society and who are certain to be targeted for persecution, or worse, should not be deported, Nassif added.

Some of these Christians have been living in Michigan for over 40 years and are reportedly facing deportation within 48 hours to Iraq.

The Detroit area has one of the largest Iraqi Christian communities in the U.S.
BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy (BioPlus), one of the nations leading innovative specialty pharmacies, is proud to announce that the charitable Pay It Forward program has donated a total of $250,000 to patient foundations since its inception. BioPlus partners with several non-profit patient foundations by making donations for each prescription referral received at our specialty pharmacy. In addition, BioPlus has connected patients in need with $27 million in patient financial assistance in the form of grants, co-pays, and donations.

By donating directly to patient foundations such as the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, The Assistance Fund, and the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation, we are able to support the non-profits that directly impact patients who might not have been able to afford their important medications, says Barbara Weller, Senior Vice President of Finance at BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy. Our Pay It Forward program links closely to BioPlus 2-Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee which ensures patients and their physicians a fast turn-around from patient referral to acceptance, adds Weller.

Non-profit patient foundations provide financial assistance to patients in financial need to help cover high co-pays and deductibles during treatment for complex diseases. Without this assistance, many patients might not be able to afford essential, life-saving medications. To further support patients seeking financial assistance, BioPlus helps process foundation paperwork and stays on top of grant renewals to help ensure that patients avoid treatment interruptions.

The dedication and hard work of BioPlus for patients earned kudos from the Zitter Health Insights Specialty Pharmacy Physician Office Staff Satisfaction Survey (second half of 2016, 10/24  12/5 2016), which surveyed 2,201 physician office personnel from physician offices nationwide which encompassed 14 medical specialties. This survey reported that, when it comes to financial assistance programs, we are doing an excellent job informing physician offices about the various programs. In fact, survey respondents shared that our education in this area exceeds even that done by manufacturer representatives, shared Weller.

The Zitter survey also determined that BioPlus earned the #1 ranking in the oncology space, with particular call outs from office staff for meeting the need for quick therapy starts for patients. BioPlus also earned top marks for customer service and supporting the prior authorization process.

About BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy is a leading independent, national specialty pharmacy and the first and only specialty pharmacy to offer a two-hour turnaround from referral to patient acceptance. Our company celebrates 28 years of innovative excellence in specialty pharmacy, working closely with payers and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as with prescribers to get prompt treatment for patients, and directly supporting our patients nationwide to achieve optimal health outcomes. We provide a complete range of specialty services, including for hepatitis C, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other complex, chronic conditions. BioPlus, a privately-held, pharmacist-owned company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is accredited by URAC, VIPPS, and ACHC with a Distinction in Oncology.

For information: http://www.bioplusrx.com or

Contact: info(at)bioplusrx.com

Phone: 1-888-292-0744

###
The Widower's Journey guidebook fills an important gap in the self-help genre by addressing how widowers can move through their grief and start over after the death of their wives. Upon the passing of my wife, Michelle, I was shocked when I couldnt find any books to help me deal with my grief, and to manage day-to-day challenges. I was devastated and searching for reasons and ways to want to go on living," said author Herb Knoll. Past News Releases RSS

The Widowers Journey: Helping Men Rebuild After Their Loss, addresses the needs of the 2.7 million widowers in the U.S., and even more worldwide. The guidebook fills an important gap in the self-help genre by addressing how widowers can move through their grief and start over after the death of their wives. Written by retired bank executive turned widowers' advocate, Herb Knoll, with contributor sociologist Deborah Carr, Ph.D., and Editor Robert L. Frick, the 226-page book is available in paperback, Kindle, tablet, smartphone and computer versions from Amazon.

Upon the passing of my wife, Michelle, I was shocked when I couldnt find any books to help me deal with my grief, and to manage day-to-day challenges, said Knoll. I wanted a guide on how I could survive, after losing my love to pancreatic cancer in 2008. I was devastated and searching for reasons and for ways to want to go on living. I set about creating that resource for others, and after nine years its aptly titled The Widowers Journey.

During his 30+ years as a bank executive, Knoll was known as a man who could get things done. Yet, the death of his wife stopped him in his tracks. The more Knoll learned about the plight of fellow widowers, from their high suicide rates to physical and emotional problems; the more he was driven to write a guidebook to serve them. With 420,000 new widowers in the U.S. each year, Knoll felt someone needed to write a book for them, and that person was him.

After nine years of research and writing, The Widowers Journey has evolved into THE resource for helping men transition after the death of their spouse. Knoll reached out to more than 40 widowers, a team of 15 subject matter experts, including Dr. Deborah Carr, former chair of Sociology department at Rutgers University and interim director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. All agreed the loss of a spouse is a life-changing event, one that deeply affects widowers until they heal and learn to adjust.

Its a fact, men tend to suffer alone. Early on they were told boys dont cry. As a result, widowers tend to hold everything in and thats how the trouble begins, says Dr. Carr, who joins the faculty of Boston University this summer. This important guidebook provides men with clear steps for tackling practical issues that theyll encounter as widowers, while also offering sound advice, support, and inspiration to help them manage their emotional pain and to ultimately find happiness again.

The Widowers Journey tackles tough questions and provides advice on topics including:



Processing grief and loneliness

Staying healthy during stressful times

Managing a career while coping with loss

Drawing strength from your faith

Reentering the dating world, sex, and remarriage

Solving financial and legal problems

Preserving your late partners memory for yourself, family, and friends

Examining how society contributes to the plight of widowers and how society needs to contribute to their healing

For more information or to purchase the book, visit http://www.widowerssupportnetwork.com

About the Widowers Support Network

The Widowers Support Network (WSN) was founded in 2014 by Herb Knoll. Comprised of widowers helping widowers, its mission is to comfort and aid widowers and those who love them. Its slogan is May all widowers honor the life of their deceased wife by living theirs. The Widowers Journey: Helping Men Rebuild After Their Loss is the networks primary guidebook of helpful information. WSNs Knoll and book have been featured in print and TV media. In addition, the book inspired playwright, Neal Radice, to pen the play Im Fine, which debuted on April 20, 2017 in Buffalo, New York at the Alleyway Theatre and was recently awarded the Emmanuel Fried Award for Outstanding New Play. WSN addresses the risks and challenges widowers face as well as the methods and best practices to use to deal with them on the WSN website, blog, email alerts, Facebook, and Twitter. For more information or to purchase the book, visit http://www.widowerssupportnetwork.com
Rosenstein made the remark at a hearing before the House and Senate Budget Appropriations Committees after being asked by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma if such a plan was being floated.

"There is no secret plan that involves me," Rosenstein said.

In a separate exchange with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Rosenstein said he found no good cause to fire Mueller.

Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller in mid-May as special counsel overseeing the the investigation into whether the President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russian officials during the 2016 election, noted that under the special counsel regulations, only the attorney general has the authority to fire such an appointee.

And with Attorney General Jeff Sessions having recused himself from all Russia-related matters, that responsibility would fall on Rosenstein, who said he is "confident" Mueller "has full independence" to conduct the investigation.

"And you have my assurance that we are going to faithfully follow that regulation and ... Mueller is going to have the full degree of independence he needs to conduct that investigation appropriately," Rosenstein said.

The questioning about whether the White House was seeking to oust Mueller came as top conservative boosters of Trump sought to delegitimize Mueller, a former FBI director who took the special counsel job after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

Additionally, Newsmax CEO and Trump confidant Chris Ruddy told PBS "NewsHour" Monday night that Trump was considering firing Mueller, which he said would be a "very significant mistake." Ruddy had visited the West Wing earlier Monday.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer responded to Ruddy in a statement, saying Ruddy "never spoke to the president regarding this issue."

"With respect to this subject, only the president or his attorneys are authorized to comment," he continued.

Ruddy fired back Tuesday morning to Politico, saying in an email that Spicer's statement "doesn't deny my claim the President is considering firing Mueller" and "says I didn't speak to the president about the matter  when I never claimed to have done so."

Speaking from the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was "frankly disturbed" by Trump's "hard right" supporters attempting to "discredit" Mueller and "sully his reputation."

"Their strategy is clear: they know or suspect the facts might not be good for the president, so theyre trying to vilify the man whos in charge of finding them," the New York Democrat said. "But theyve chosen the wrong man. Anyone who engages in these baseless attacks about Mr. Muellers character is only heaping dishonor upon themselves. Mueller his known for his service to America, for his integrity, hes a straight arrow. Hes a Republican."
LONDON  Theresa May will on Tuesday meet with the leader of the DUP Arlene Foster in order to agree a deal which will allow the prime minister to form a government.

So what will the deal look like and how long can it possibly last? Here's everything you need to know about the Hung Parliament dilemmas facing Theresa May.

The Conservatives won the election. Why do they need to make a deal?

The Conservatives did win the most seats in parliament but they didn't win a majority of all seats. Without that majority, May needs to secure the support of a smaller party, or parties, in order to get her manifesto promises through parliament. That's why she's meeting with the DUP.

Why didn't she just go into coalition with the Liberal Democrats again?

The Liberal Democrats ruled out any deals or coalitions with other parties in advance of the election. The view in the Lib Dem leadership, and among the bulk of the membership, is that the last coalition was deeply damaging to the party and they can't afford to enter another one again. With other smaller parties in parliament all having fundamental disagreements with the Conservatives, the DUP was the only viable option left for May.

But won't it threaten the peace process in Northern Ireland?

That's certainly the fear. The Good Friday Agreement, which secured the current peace process in Northern Ireland requires the UK government to show "

So will the DUP form part of the UK government?

What's that?

When's the Queen's Speech?

What's that?

Wait so Theresa May can't begin governing again because the Queen will be watching the horses?

So what's likely to be in the Queen's speech?

We don't yet know. A spokesperson for the prime minister refused to confirm reports that several key pledges in the Conservative manifesto are to be dropped. However, the signs are that Tory plans to introduce a new wave of grammar schools will no longer see the light of day, nor will controversial plans to reform social care. School funding cuts could also be for the chop.

Also likely to be missing are plans to afford Donald Trump a state visit later this year. Trump has reportedly told the prime minister he does not want to come while the British public still plan to stage large protests against him. He could have a long wait.

What about Brexit? Will May's plans remain the same?

Will the Queen's speech pass?

Probably. If May comes to an agreement with the DUP then she will have a clear majority for her Queen's speech. However, if she fails to secure a deal, or she suffers a rebellion within her own party then there is a slim possibility that it won't pass.

What would happen then? Would her government fall?

No. The Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) means that the only way to force another election is for a motion to be passed in parliament to hold one. Technically May could fail to pass a Queen's Speech and limp on. However, it would be incredibly politically difficult to do so and would probably lead to a vote of no confidence under the FTPA.

So the DUP could choose to force an election at any time?

Will they seek to use that influence?

Almost certainly. Wielding influence is what politicians and political parties are designed to do. In many ways, it would be more surprising if they choose not to use their influence than if they did.

So what do the DUP want?

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds suggested in a brief press conference on Monday that the party wants further devolution to Northern Ireland as part of any deal. They are also likely to push for an agreement that there should be no referendum on Irish unity and no hard border with the Republic of Ireland. They are also likely to call for greater economic aid to Northern Ireland

There will be other demands. In a 2015 document, the party set out 45 key demands for hung parliament negotiations. These included:
The 40,000 square foot space  based in an existing Google office at 123 Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria will be filled with Google products and Google staff who will aim to pass on their knowledge to the Academy's attendees.

Ronan Harris, Google UK MD, said in a statement: "The Academy has been created to educate and inspire everyone from schoolchildren to CEOs as part of Google's plans to help build digital capability across the country."

The Academy will run a range of tailored courses, a Google spokesperson said, adding that the first course will commence this week and that it'll be run in collaboration with youth charity Prince's Trust. It's unclear how much the courses cost.

The space has been designed with a "retro Brighton" theme in mind, which means there is an "Electric Cinema, Beach, and Funfair styled auditoriums."

"Schemes like this perfectly compliment the Mayor's Digital Talent Programme that will nurture the next generation of digital enthusiasts so we can continue to provide all businesses in London with much-needed home-grown digital talent."
 The company's attempt to shake up its management culture has not gone far enough to move consumers.

 Brand consultants are urging the ride-hailing firm to replace its CEO, Travis Kalanick.

It's been a rough couple of months for Uber, and there may be no respite in sight.

On Tuesday, Uber released to its employees the results of an intensive, monthslong investigation, including recommendations for how the company could fix its image problems. Uber also limited some of the responsibilities of CEO Travis Kalanick, who announced he would take a leave of absence.

But the company's response may be too little too late, branding experts said, and Uber's spate of crises over the past few months  including allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination, concerns about privacy and data, and a leadership overhaul  may have permanently dented its brand.

Uber hasn't responded to Business Insider's request for comment.

"Reporting is one thing, making real change is another  Uber really has to blow itself up and start over if it has any shot at being a respectable brand that consumers trust and feel good about using," said Chris Allieri, the founder and principal of the public-relations firm Mulberry & Astor. "Kalanick on an indefinite leave of absence is a start, but termination would've sent a stronger signal that they're truly serious about making real changes."

Ubers brand is sinking

An inflection point for the brand was former Uber employee Susan Fowler's blog post in February that alleged sexual harassment and discrimination at the company, said Matt Rizzetta, the CEO of the brand-communications agency North 6th Agency.

"After that point, it was either sink or swim, and unfortunately for Uber, it is sinking," he said.

"Their brand perception is absolutely terrible," said Cindy Gallop, the former chairwoman of the ad agency BBH and the founder and CEO of Make Love Not Porn. "Consumers today do not tolerate outrageously egregious behavior by brands just because the product delivers."

Since Fowler detailed her experience of a male supervisor soliciting her for sex, and human resources repeatedly shrugging off her concerns, Uber has continued on a downward spiral, making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Amid several other reports of a sexist culture at Uber, the company's business ethics have also been brought into question. Not only did Uber try to secretly deceive authorities with its "Greyball" target="_blank" tool in some cities, according to The New York Times, but a former executive reportedly obtained the medical records of a rape victim in India.

All this has taken a toll on the brand.

"Behind the download trends, American consumer favorability of Uber has hit a record low, according to Morning Consult Brand Intelligence, a brand survey firm," MarketWatch reported on Tuesday. "Using a national sample of close to 40,000 US adults, the firm found that just 40% of the respondents had a favorable impression of Uber as of this week, the lowest that number has dropped since the survey began in 2016."

"All these instances may seem like isolated incidents, but they all have one common denominator," he said. "And that is its flawed culture, which starts at the top."

Uber shook up its leadership before the release of the report. Emil Michael, its chief fundraiser, resigned on Monday, and the company fired more than 20 people last week after a separate investigation into 215 complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, and other bad behavior at the company. It also hired the Apple Music marketing executive Bozoma Saint John as its first chief brand officer.

But to tide over its brand crisis, observers said, it needs to show some serious commitment.

For Gallop, that means accepting moral responsibility and publicly apologizing to drivers, employees, board members, and consumers; being receptive to solutions and suggestions from staffers and customers on how to fix their culture; and, ultimately, pushing through a leadership overhaul.

"All of this needs to happen sequentially in order for them to demonstrate that they're seriously committed to change," she said. "They need to appoint a whole new leadership, which means firing and replacing Travis. But judging by the company meeting, the first step isn't happening, and we wait to see whether they make any request to the employees for the second step, which I'm willing to bet they won't."

Allieri echoed Gallop, calling for Kalanick to step down for good.

"Firing 20-plus senior employees is a start, but what about the CEO? He is a big part of the problem," he said. "He needs to go. He needs to go now. And not come back."

If Uber wants to pull a turnaround, it needs to treat its drivers better, Allieri said, as that would give it a first line of defense in that hundreds of thousands of brand loyalists could defend its moves. It would also help if it communicated to all its customers, via the app, the clear steps it's taking to overcome its problems. It should also launch a community-relations effort to help communities, not just market to them and do crisis communications.

"Above all, they need to grow up as a brand," Allieri said.

Addressing its organizational mess would help the company turn its attention to bigger issues, Joachimsthaler said. Competition is heating up in terms of both ride-hailing and autonomous technology, and Uber's scrambling to deal with structural and cultural issues detracts from these objectives.
Gone are the days when the only source of photography was the traditional point and shoot man. Nowadays, the business has evolved with more sophisticated cameras being introduced on the market.

The market can now boast of 3D cameras among others.

Not just has high or advanced cameras changed the face of photography in Ghana but has brought come exceptionally good touch to images.

Today, one of the biggest rivals of the traditional photographer in Ghana is a smartphone.

Some smart phones are can create miracles with just a simple click. Smart phones are handy and can perform at places cameras may not have a face.

Traditional photographers are the regular point and shoot people with not so sophisticated equipment.

Pulse Business spoke to Kwame Addo a traditional photographer at Opkonglo, Accra.

Addo is a 48 year old man who has been in the business for about 30 years. He tells me that he understudied his late uncle right when he left elementary school.

Addo appreciates the fact that the photography business has over the years evolved tremendously.

" Now there are equipment which used not to be in the system but now there are. There are softwares to enhance images. Smart phones are also a competition"

Business of photography is not all about pictures with no money. But how different is the patronage now?

Well before, I used to get alot of people who come here for family photos, passport pictures and what have you, but now the story is different.

Churches and weddings were my hotspot but now I barely make good returns from such places, he added.

Sometimes people even come here with their photos on their phones for me to print for them.

Addo says "I charge GHC 5 for an instant six passport pictures and with the full shots i charge 5 cedis for a photo".

I used to employ two people but now they are all gone because we do not make enough for me to pay them.
According to him, the eradication of all pests is crucial for the project which is expected to provide raw materials for factories that will be established.

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the country is seeking international consultation on how best to eradicate pests that attack farmlands.

We have been getting experts from America where diseases like army worms come from and they are advising the government on what we have to go through to ensure that we eliminate this and other outbreaks, we are also going to call a conference in Abuja and have a coordinated international effort, as I speak to you people have come from the Food and Agricultural Association of Rome to come and advise us, he said.

Elaborating further on what government is doing internally to curb the outbreak of pests, Mr. Afriyie Akoto said, We have now formed a national tax force and as I speak to you, we are testing the whole country to do on the spot assessment. In the mean time, we have distributed seven different types of chemicals for spraying so in terms of the infustructure and the distribution of chemicals we are quite happy.

Mr. Afriyie Akoto stated that government is happy with the moves it has taken so far to control pests and is hopeful of eradication of all pests by 2018.
Yes. The countdown has begun for the search for a lucky owner for the sleek Chevrolet Cruise. This may be a normal loyalty reward promo, but what makes it so exceptional and exciting is that, apart from the ultimate prize of a brand new car, everybody who shops here to the tune of just Ghc200 gets to win something valuable for themselves, says Mall Manager Jonathan Lotter.

Indeed, since the launch of the promo in April, several thousands of shoppers have carried home assorted prizes, including TV sets, blenders, cell phones, microwaves, flasks, water bottles, key rings, airtime and even ice cream!

Since April,2017 every customer at West Hills Mall who shopped to the tune of just Ghc200 or more has walked away with some kind of prize, but shoppers who are lucky enough to find the inscription Cruise on their cards qualify to participate in the final phase of the promo - a suspense-packed game of nerves - on Republic Day, April 1, 2017 to determine who wins the ultimate prize and drive away the brand new Chevrolet Cruise saloon car.

The level of enthusiasm here is simply incredible. Several thousands of prizes have already been given away. But in spite of all the fantastic items shoppers are winning just for being at the Mall and shopping up to Ghc200 or more, every customer seems to have an eye on driving home the Cruise saloon car. Thats what makes the final of this exciting loyalty promo on Republic Day so special, said Michael Oduro Konadu, Marketing Manager.

READ ALSO: Here are all the photos from the Keteke Arts Fair at the Accra Mall

West Hills Mall, Accras principal destination for family shopping and recreation, has notched up a reputation for adding value to the shopping experience of its patrons and especially for rewarding customer loyalty in a variety of ways through regular promotions. This would be the third time in just two years that the West hills Mall has put up a brand new car for grabs by loyal customers and shoppers.

It will be recalled that in May 2015, Kwame Oware, a 29 year old broadcast journalist with Pink FM, won a KIA Rio Saloon car after spending just Ghc230 on provisions for his mother in West Hills Malls Shop N Win Promo and just last November, Francis Mensah, an electronics dealer from Osu drove away a brand new Chevrolet Sparkle Light Saloon car after spending Ghc150 at the mall.

In the Cruise down to West Hills Mall promo, shoppers are issued with scratch cards once they shop to the tune of Ghc200 or more at any store in the mall; the scratch cards spell out exactly what the shopper has won and the prizes are redeemed instantly. On the other hand, if a card bears the inscription cruise, the shopper automatically qualifies to participate in the final game of the promo on Republic Day to determine who drives home the Chevrolet Cruise.
In three short weeks the American Dream hogs- built from one of Americas most iconic and visible brands - will be cruising the highways and byways of Accra delivering authentic New York City pizza, universally considered to be the best in the world.

The bikes are patterned after Americas most iconic motorcycle, the Captain America Chopper, featured in the classic movie, Easy Rider.

The bikes - fabricated in Brooklyn, New York - are believed to be the only Harley Davidson pizza delivery bikes in the world and, without question, the most beautiful. ---- Currently sailing the high seas and soon to join Famous Famiglia Ghanas arsenal of food delivery vehicles is the Slice of America pizza truck, believed to be the most technologically advanced food truck ever built. In addition to offering a mouth-watering menu of Italian fare and on-demand tap-fresh Star, the largest selling Ghanaian-brewed beer, and Heineken, one of the worlds most popular brands, the truck will offer satellite TV, mobile 4G Wi-Fi, video games, phone charging stations, and a state-of-the-art sound system.

It is no coincidence that Ghana - the Black Star of Africa - was chosen as the launch country for Famous Famiglias entry into Africa.  Driving the selection was the close relationship between Ghana and the United States, evidenced by the fact that America is home to the largest number of Ghanaians living outside Ghanas borders. Other nods to Ghana were its political stability, diversity, well-educated population, and a large number of colleges and universities, making it the true Gateway to Africa.

Not only will Famous Famiglia be creating hundreds if not thousands of jobs with its presence in the Ghanaian market, proceeds from pizza sales will also support, among other things, CleanAcwa, a major clean water initiative in Africa.

CleanAcwa is hugely excited about Famous Famiglias entry in the Ghanaian market and enormously grateful for the partnership we are forming to provide wells and boreholes to water-deprived communities, said Sangu Delle, co-founder of CleanAcwa. New Yorkers understand the value of great water, and Ghanaians have a great affinity for all things New York. We wish Famous Famiglia and the Isaacs brothers Godspeed in their African launch.

Famous Famiglias Africa entry is led by New York City natives Daniel W. Isaacs, an attorney, and his brother Douglas, an emergency room physician. Not only are we bringing New York Citys Favorite Pizza to Africa, Isaacs said, but well be delivering a real slice of New York City to the Ghanaian people - who deserve nothing less - while offering a unique experience through our menu offerings as well as in our commitment to customer service. This is part of our long-term strategy to bring the only authentic New York pizza to a thriving African market and to serve as good emissaries for America itself.
CEDAR RAPIDS  President Donald Trump will visit Cedar Rapids after all.

The president, who postponed a June 1 rally in Cedar Rapids, announced Monday hell visit June 21 for a 7 p.m. rally at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 First Ave. N.E.

Free general admission tickets are available at www.donaldjtrump.com/rallies/cedar-rapids-ia. Doors open at 4 p.m.

When Trump postponed his rally, his representatives said the mid-June rally would double as a farewell or send-off for former Gov. Terry Branstad, who has been confirmed as the presidents ambassador to China.

Trump last visited Iowa in December as part of his thank you tour following his victory in the 2016 presidential election. That rally in Des Moines drew about 6,000 people.

He last visited Cedar Rapids in October, shortly before that election. He also visited Cedar Rapids shortly after he was nominated at the Republican National Convention in July.

 James Q. Lynch, The Gazette
Ms. Victoria Amoah and an accountant Asamoah Richard were said to have used fake receipts and invoices to milk the government institution during every admission year, Kumasi-based Ultimate FM reports.

The practice was said to have started in 2011, with checks from the school indicating that at least about 50% of past and current students on campus did not pass through any interview panel as prescribed by the Health Ministry.

The Principal has also been accused of refusing to have students matriculate and undergo medical exams even though they are billed.

READ ALSO: CEO of Tamale Teaching Hospital sacked

One of the students told Ultimate FM on condition of anonymity that authorities extort huge amount of monies through various means.

In an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, the Deputy Health Minister, Tina Mensah said her outfit has ordered a full probe into the activities of the schools principal.

She said that the findings will be made public after investigations are concluded.
A press conference was held by a youth group to protest the announcement of Dr David Akobilla as the new CEO of the Hospital.

According to the group, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim would have been the best person to take over from the current CEO, Dr Prosper Akambon.

READ ALSO: CEO of Tamale Teaching Hospital sacked

But an NPP vigilante group, Kandahar boys who favoured another candidate, stormed the venue of the press conference and condemned the action of the youth group.

According to the Kandahar boys, the action of the youth group does not augur well for the image of President Nana Akufo-Addos nominee for the CEO position.

The presence of the Kandahar boys angered the youth group and this resulted in a confrontation between the two.

The PRO of the Health Ministry, Robert Cudjoe has since taken blame for the confusion, saying it should have served the current CEO, Dr Akambon a letter announcing his transfer and subsequent handing over to the newly appointed CEO.

READ ALSO: Principal of Tepa Nursing College cited in GHC10m fraud

Dr Akambon had earlier indicated that he will not handover to his successor until he receives a letter to that effect.

But the Health Ministry PRO has told Accra-based Joy FM that We will send his letter to him as soon as possible and whatever the Ministry wants him to do will be clearly stated in the letter.
Veteran Ghanaian broadcasters including Tommy Annan-Forson and James Kwasi Oberko have petitioned the National Media Commission (NMC) to take action against the television stations who broadcast pornography at night.

READ ALSO: NMC petitioned over pornography on television

According to the petitioners, from May 26 and June 7, 2017, after 'painstaking monitoring', they observed that three television stations, ICE TV, TV XYZ and Thunder TV have been showing pornography which is a breach of the Broadcasting Standard Guidelines against portrayal of sex...

However, many Ghanaians appear to appreciate that kind of programming. One of the television stations cited by the petitioners, ICE TV, put up a post on Facebook on Wednesday May 10, 2017 asking their viewers if they should cease showing what they called late night adult movies.

Thanks to all our cherished viewers across the world. Should we stop showing our late night adult movies?
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!
Narrating what led to the alleged fraud, Mr Barbieri said: On 12th November, 2016, our company and for that matter two managers and two additional representatives of Global Resources Limited, all United States of America (USA) citizens, experienced a very unfortunate incident of fraud and corruption while performing its legal business duties with one Courage Gegepe Kobby, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Union Investment Agencies.By way of background information, I would like to state that:1. Global Resources Ltd, USA, agreed to purchase 11 kilos of gold worth one million three hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHC1.3m) from Mr Courage Gegepe Kobby, the CEO of General Union Investment Agencies. In less than ten minutes just after the transaction was completed and the cash was taken away by Courage, a team of policemen suddenly appeared in the Conference room of the Tang Palace Hotel, arrested the buyers and took them to the East Legon Police station without any explanation or reason. They were later told that they were arrested for buying stolen gold. They were detained overnight in police cells after their Passports, cash on them and Mobile phones were collected. Most traumatic personal experience for these four law abiding USA citizens.2. In all, the buyers paid for eleven kilos of gold but were in possession of thirteen (13) kilos which they paid for since the quality of two (2) were tested and found to be below their standard. They used their own technical gold testing equipment and were very convinced of the quality before the payment was made.3. The buyers held onto the 13 kilos in a box on the way to the police station when one of the arresting Police officers hinted to them that they were being scammed. When they met the East Legon Police Commander, DSP Mr. Emmanuel Basintale in his office, they were required to hand all the 13 kilos in the box to him personally but he did not give them any receipt or any documentary proof; he rather pushed them into the police cells.4. A fellow foreign businessman friend to the victims who came in to the Police station to assist and if possible arrange their release was also arrested and detained in a similar manner by the Police.5. All their phones, passports and cash on them were collected from them immediately when they were arrested and only returned to them on Monday, 14th November 2016.6. The buyers were only released on bail in the afternoon of Sunday, the 13th November 2016 after Green Global business associate went and confronted Mr Basintale, the East Legon Police Commander in his office that afternoon before he granted them the bail.7. Whilst buyers were in detention about 04:00am, the dawn of Sunday, the driver of the buyers who was waiting outside and with some other persons allegedly saw Mr Basintale back to his office and they strongly suspected that he came and took the seized gold away.8. Shockingly, on 14/11/16, they were sent to Court by the East Legon Police and charged for buying stolen gold.9. On the release of the victims, they hired Attorneys who brought a petition to the CID Hqrs on their behalf on 15/11/2016 for Police assistance and were subsequently referred to the DVS unit of the CID Hqrs for investigation.10. The buyers were very hopeful that they were going to retrieve their gold since it was supposed to very safe in the custody of the East Legon Police.11. At the DVS, the victims showed some pictures they took of the business transaction to the DVS commander and he was surprised and told them that he knew the scammer and also brought out a picture of Mr Courage, wearing the same dress he wore whilst cheating them, they became very hopeful at this point that the Commander was honest and definitely going to help them apprehend the criminals.12. The DVS investigators also told them that the scammer, Mr Courage was already on Police bail involving previous Gold scam cases involving foreign investors at both the DVS of the CID Hqrs and the Accra Regional Police Hqrs.13. To their dismay, the case was suddenly withdrawn from the DVS unit and referred to a different Unit at the CID Hqrs.14. The investors got frightened of this police corruption and behaviour towards them and left the country when they realised that a lot of Senior Police officers at different levels were behind the scammers and were also repeatedly been warned by many local people that they should forget about their gold and money since Ghana was so corrupt and no one was going to help them.15. The victims lawyer also met the former IGP but he also could not assist them; heightening their fears.16. DSP/Mr Basintale surprisingly, had been at post without any disciplinary action taken against him until he was interdicted recently in March 2017 by the new IGP and the subsequent media coverage. Ref: Daily Guide Police Commander busted for GHc1.6m gold fraud, and was also subsequently published on www.myjoyonline.com on 17th -03-2017.17. It should be noted that the former Dp/Dir/CID, Mr. Denis was very much aware of all these unfortunate developments and was initially very instrumental in the calling of the case from East Legon Police to the CID Hqrs. Unfortunately, he was also aware of Mr Courage Kobbys cases at the CID Hqrs and the Regional CID but never arrested Mr. Courage Gegebe Courage till date and has also not helped the victims. He allegedly was involved in the withdrawing of the case from the DVS to the new investigating team which he has a strong hold over.18. A lot of top Senior Officers and some other junior ranks including some BNI officers are alleged to be protecting the scammers and Mr Courage is always allegedly bragging about his immunity from the whole Police Service and the Courts.19. Unfortunately, the country, Ghana in the long run is the loser since her Security Services are apparently corrupt by cheating and driving potential investors away instead of protecting them.20. What prevents DSP/Mr Basintale or the Ghana Police from producing the 13 kilos of gold he personally collected in his office back to the victims?21. It is also alleged that no entries were made in the Station diaries of the East Legon Police about the arrest, detention of the victims and seizure of the gold; no receipt given to the victims.22. DSP Basintale allegedly brought some gold to be tested by the new investigation team from the CID Hqrs but the victims were not even invited to be present or to identify the gold bars before testing which automatically ended in a negative result as fake gold.23. The new investigate team was alleged to be composed under the supervision of Mr. Denis and unsurprisingly they have not even tried to consult the initial investigators for any update till date.24. Mr Courage Kobby Gegebe is still a free man going around possibly defrauding other innocent victims and the CID allegedly are now pretending to be looking for him and the other fraud culprits.25. CCTV footages of the transactions and individuals are available and could have been collected from the Tang Palace where the transaction took place for further investigation; the collection of the CCTV footages was already put in motion officially by the DVS investigators but nothing has been done since the docket was collected from them.26. A senior CID Officer has some photographs of the transaction which were given him by the victims. Likewise, the DVS who have Mr. Courage on bail with a surety should also be in the position to make him available for questioning when needed.27. After the media reportage of the welcomed interdiction of DSP. Basintale and his fellow policemen, the investors were privileged to meet with the new IGP on March 24th 2017 but were disappointed with the outcome of their trip when they had to go back to the US apparently achieving nothing. They were verbally promised that they will be collecting their money for them and will at the same time be going to court with criminals28. Their fears became heightened again when after three months no progress has been made with this unbearable case of Police corruption and breach of public trust.Above all Global Resources Ltd. would like to ask these following questions:1. Who reported that the gold bought by Global Resources were stolen from them?2. When was it reported to the Police at East Legon?3. Why did the East Legon Police Commander take the gold from the buyers without giving them any receipts?4. How come the gold which was tested before buying as real gold then in the hands of DSP Basintale turned to be fake when, DSP Basintale sent them for testing without Green Golden Resources Ltd. representatives at the Police Headquarters after weeks in his possession?5. Why did they only arrest the buyers of the gold and leave the sellers?6. If according to the police, the gold were stolen, why was the money not returned to the buyers, (Golden Resources)?7. Why were the buyers processed for court the next day, Monday and charged for buying stolen gold but the sellers were not arrested?8. And lastly, we are also pleading with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director General of CID to change the Investigator handling the case, Inspector Lohdonu, for a new Investigator to take over because we have lost trust in the way he is handling it when we last met with him and the CID Boss a fortnight ago at the CID Headquarters.It must be stated categorically that the 13 boxes of gold that was confiscated have still not been returned to Green Global Resources Ltd. and we believe it is in the possession of the Police Service.
An eyewitness told Accra-based Joy FM that Const. Micheal Kporyi, riding a motorbike with registration number GP4350 with his AK47 rifle across the chest at about 9:30 pm.

Two armed men who were also riding on a motorbike followed him around the UBA filling station.

The two subsequently fired shots at the deceased after which they sped off. The Constable fell off and into a nearby gutter.

Later, some police officers who were also on duty at Tulaku Old Barrier checkpoint, called their colleagues at Tema to report the incident.

There were multiple gunshot wounds on the chest and eyebrow of the deceased when the body was inspected. One AK47 rifle, one pepper spray, a pair of handcuffs and a torch light were found with deceased.

READ ALSO: Postmortem shows Major Mahama was shot severally

The body has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Tony Adomako, a 78- year- old pensioner was murdered at the Coconut Guest House in Kumasi.

READ ALSO: Three suspects arrested over murdered chief

According to the family of the deceased, the incident occurred on Monday evening at the afore mentioned guest house.

Reports further reveals that Mr Adomako who owns the guest house was murdered during a power outage in the Kumasi metropolis.

Granddaughter of the deceased, Victoria Hayford in an interview with Ultimate FMs Isaac Bediako Justice said she received a call in the morning that her grandfather had been stabbed and was at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

READ ALSO:This photo of Barbara Mahama smiling in a recent photo will warm your heart

According to the granddaughter, she arrived at the hospital only to be told that her grandfather had died from the stab wounds
The Director General of the CID, DCOP Bright Oduro also added that some were seen in the video evidence rushing to buy petrol and later setting the body of the soldier on fire.

READ ALSO: This photo of Barbara Mahama smiling in a recent photo will warm your heart

DCOP Oduro explained that apart from the fractures on the head of Major Mahama, there were bullet wounds on his body, giving a clear indication that the suspects fired shots at the deceased before setting his body ablaze.

Their names were given as Yaw Amankwa, alias Bulla; Akwesi Asante; Nana Kwadjo, alias Nana Edjo; John Boakye, Unit Committee Member, and a trader whose name was given only as Sarah, married to Kwaku Brefo, a motorbike rider in the town.

The others, according to the State-owned Daily Graphic, are Kwaku Diesel, Kaya Rasta and the rest whose names were given only as Daddy, Boadu, Ahinkra, Tikwa and Attipar.

The police has so far arrested Fifty-two suspects. They have currently been remanded for their alleged roles in lynching the soldier.
Spokesperson for the CID, ASP Olivia Turkson, said the move forms part of on-going investigations into his gruesome killing by some residents of Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on Monday, May 29, 2017.

Over 50 suspects have so far been arrested over the murder, with some 12 others on the run.

Even though earlier reports indicated that the soldier was lynched on suspicion of being an armed robber, comments from some Ghanaians, including his wifes tribute suggest otherwise.

Mrs. Mahama in her tribute indicated that the husband had informed her he was going to take his bath around 6 am.

Yo, what was for breakfast was the last message I sent you on Monday at 9:12 am after we spoke at 6 am and you said you were going to have your bath. For the first time in my life, I experienced a ripping heart on Monday night, I woke up to throw up, I had tummy issues too, I just felt sick.

ASP Turkson has since indicated that the account by the wife provides useful information that will assist their investigation.

She, however, told Accra-based Asempa FM that her outfit is not in a hurry to speak to her at the moment, adding that What is important is that we know the situation she was in, what she was going through and we shall invite her.
MASON CITY | Cerro Gordo County supervisors on Tuesday banned the use of consumer fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county.

After a public hearing in which much opposition was voiced, the vote was unanimous to impose the ban.

The ordinance originally proposed allowed usage but set time limits and other restrictions.

Former State Fire Marshal Mike Keefe of Clear Lake spoke at a public hearing prior to the vote and urged defeat of the first proposal.

"I don't see how you can say, even for a few days, fireworks are more important than public safety," said Keefe. "What are you going to do with unexploded rounds that are found? And do you seriously think anyone is going to clean up their debris?

"I can guarantee you you're going to have fires and you're going to have people hurt."

Keefe said there have already been reports in other parts of the state of structures on fire as a result of fireworks.

Iowa fireworks lovers can now get a bigger bang MITCHELL | On Tuesday, May 8, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill legalizing the sale of 

Cliff Weatherwax of Rock Falls questioned whether the proposals were being too restrictive without giving the new state law a chance?

After much discussion, Supervisor Tim Latham made the motion to ban the use of the consumer fireworks but asked that it be on first reading. "That will give others who might have a different view a chance to be heard and we can take it up again next week," he said.

But Supervisors Casey Callanan and Chris Watts wanted to waive further readings so the law could take effect prior to the Fourth of July holiday and Latham went along with that.

Administrative Officer Tom Drzycimski said the ordinance would not be in effect until after it is published in the legal notices, which will be in a few days.

The supervisors' action is in reaction to a law passed by the Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Terry Branstad that legalizes the sale of bottle rockets, Roman candles and other consumer fireworks from licensed shops between June 1 and July 8 as well as from Dec. 10 to Jan. 3 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on most days, with later end times on July 4 and New Year's Eve.

But the new law gave local governments the discretion of setting limits on when the fireworks could be discharged.

In North Iowa, the Clear Lake City banned discharge of fireworks in the city at any time. Charles City, Forest City and Hampton also prohibit setting off fireworks in their cities.

Business is ka-booming at Forest City fireworks outlet FOREST CITY | Tim Petersen doesn't understand what all the fuss is about concerning the sale

Other cities in Iowa that have approved bans or voted to continue existing bans include Marshalltown, Urbandale, Ames, Clinton and Spirit Lake. West Des Moines will allow discharge of fireworks only on July 4.

Clear Lake, Clive and Coralville are among cities restricting sales to industrial districts.

The Mason City Council approved on first reading last week an ordinance allowing use of fireworks from July 2 to July 6 and on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. The proposed ordinance has restrictions such no fireworks can be set off on public property or within 200 yards of a hospital or nursing home.

The council is expected to waive a second reading and move to a third and final reading at its June 20 meeting.
Police say that he allegedly did that with the support of 11 other key suspects, who are all currently on the run.

The suspects are Akwesi Asante; Nana Kwadjo, alias Nana Edjo; John Boakye, Unit Committee Member, and a trader whose name was given only as Sarah, married to Kwaku Brefo, a motorbike rider in the town.

The others are Kwaku Diesel, Kaya Rasta and the rest whose names were given only as Daddy, Boadu, Ahinkra, Tikwa and Attipar.

Meanwhile, a postmortem report of the Ghana Police service has indicated that the suspects involved in the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama shot him severally before setting his body on fire.
According to Police report, a number of bullets were removed from his body.

The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Bright Oduro said, one of the attackers was heard saying that even though they had shot, the suspected "armed robber" [Major Mahama] severally, he was still running.

In one of the videos circulating on social media, Police investigations revealed that the late Major Mahama, jumped unto a moving vehicle in an attempt to flee from the attackers on two occasions, but they shot through all two vehicles forcing him to jump off.

The police have identified Yaw Amankwa, alias Bulla, as the key suspect said to have fired at Major Maxwell Mahama.

Amankwa, who is on the run is said to have used a double-barrelled gun he was wielding, while others rushed to buy petrol and set the body on fire.

He is said to have done that with the support of 11 other key suspects, all of whom played various roles in the gruesome murder of Major Mahama at Denkyira Obuasi.

READ MORE: Biography of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama

All 12 key suspects are however on the run and the police have mounted a search for them. They Akwesi Asante; Nana Kwadjo, alias Nana Edjo; John Boakye, Unit Committee Member, and a trader whose name was given only as Sarah, married to Kwaku Brefo, a motorbike rider in the town.
Although they admit they are in need of financial help, they are confident it will not address the issue which remains the biggest challenge in the industry.

Their assertion follows governments plan to set aside over one hundred million Ghana cedis under the stimulus package introduced in the 2017 budget to revive distressed companies.

The textile workers earlier threatened a demonstration but put it on hold after the Trade Ministry prompted them of its readiness to engage them in addressing their concerns.

The owners of these companies have been approached. They have been given questionnaires to complete. But as a union, we are advising government that for the problem that the sector faces, it can allocate the money for all the ministries captured in the budget for them, but the money will go waste if the proper measures are not taken, he assured.

READ ALSO: Textile workers threaten to picket Trade Ministry
In Asian and many of the Middle-East countries where visible social class system exists, marriages are usually between families with equal wealth, power and social class.

In Nigeria and many African countries, it is one practice of marriage which is not considered though happens scarcely.

In recent time, high-class weddings in Nigeria has been noted to be a specific class of people. Alhaji Muhammad Indimi, Founder and Chairman of Oriental Energy is noted to have had more of this.

The Northern aristocrat and his family has been notable for marrying into the first families of the country, starting with giving one of his daughters to Mohammed Abacha and the recent wedding between one of his sons and Zahra Buhari, the last daughter of the Nigerian sitting president.

Similarly, the wedding two daughters of late Umaru Musa Yar Adua to two sitting Governors  one during his reign and the other after his death, may lay credence to the practice of powerful wedding in the northern part of the country.

But, what would the wedding between the children of two powerful politicians in the South-West Nigeria be described? This is the question on everyones lips as the children of Senator Ibikunle Amosun  Governor of Ogun State and Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa- Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Relations and Diaspora, are set to tie the nuptial knot.

With the reputation of both families, the wedding is expected to be filled with political and business heavyweights in the country.

It is now a norm for the wealthy and influential to closely monitor and choose school, social gathering as well as professional which would serve their commercial or political interest. A recent discussion with a family member of one the influential families in Nigeria, pictured a deliberate strategy by families to ensure their children are friends of people within their social class.

A relatively middle income family also confirmed to me that one of the reasons they choose the school their child attends is mainly to meet and make friends with members of these influential families in Nigeria.
The tweets reflected the president's well-known opinions on the news media and the federal court system, each a repeat target of his online attacks.

At 6:35 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Trump accused the news media of publishing intentionally inaccurate stories about him and his administration in service of an "agenda of hate."

While not citing any specific articles or evidence of falsehoods, he followed up an hour later with an attack on the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which on Monday became the second federal appeals court to rule against his administration's blocked executive order seeking to limit travel to the US from several majority-Muslim countries.

The court rested its decision in part on a tweet that Trump posted on June 5 in which he argued that the US needed a "travel ban" targeting certain "dangerous countries" to protect national security. The appeals court ruled that the ban unlawfully discriminated against people on the basis of their nationality and that the government did not show that these people would harm US interests.

On Tuesday, Trump said the court's decision was expected, and he ended his tweet on the subject with "S.C.," presumably an abbreviation for the Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the administration appealed the 4th Circuit's May decision against the ban to the Supreme Court.

Trump moved on to his former presidential opponent Hillary Clinton in his next tweet, accusing former Attorney General Loretta Lynch of giving Clinton a "free pass and protection" during the investigation into her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

Moving back to the media, Trump called for an apology from the press for its "incorrect" stories and said fake news was at "an all time high," though he again did not cite examples. And in another tweet concerning his Tuesday trip to Wisconsin, he commended the "Real News" for covering his administration's job-creation efforts.

In another morning message, the president wrote that Obamacare, the healthcare law officially known as the Affordable Care Act, had entered a "death spiral." As evidence, Trump cited a misleading statistic that 2 million Americans "just dropped out" of the program and argued that "Obstructionist Democrats" were preventing Republicans from repealing and replacing the law.
President Donald Trump may consider firing Robert Mueller, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation.

"He's weighing that option," said Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax and a friend of Trump's, on "PBS NewsHour" on Monday evening. "I personally think it would be a very significant mistake  even though I don't think there's a justification ... for a special counsel in this case."

Ruddy was seen leaving the West Wing on Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether the subject of Mueller came up during his visit.

In the interview with PBS, Ruddy called out what he described as "conflicts" surrounding Mueller's law firm, WilmerHale, which has represented Trump's former campaign manager and members of the Trump family. Ruddy also said Trump had interviewed Mueller for the role of FBI director before Mueller was named special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation. Mueller previously served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013.

The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said in an email to Business Insider on Monday night: "Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment."

In the past 36 hours, people in Trump's orbit have floated conflicting narratives on the matter. A lawyer for Trump said on ABC News on Sunday that he was "not going to speculate" about whether Trump may fire Mueller. But Trump's conservative allies have begun to turn on the special counsel, despite initially praising his appointment.

Trump's allies now say the Mueller-led investigation into whether Trumps campaign colluded with Russian officials to meddle in the 2016 election will be tainted and biased, Business Insider's Allan Smith reported earlier Monday, in part because of former FBI Director James Comey's Senate testimony last week.

At his hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Comey said he gave a friend, a Columbia law professor, permission to share with news outlets the content of memos Comey wrote documenting private meetings he had with Trump.

Comey testified that he thought the revelations in his memos  including his concerns that Trump sought to influence the FBI's Russia investigation  would prompt the appointment of a special counsel.

While Trump as president would be within his right to order the Justice Department to fire Mueller, that move would surely be viewed as problematic for a president already plagued by suggestions he overstepped his boundaries in his interactions with Comey.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, attempted to knock down any suggestion of Trump firing Mueller.

"If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller," Schiff said. "Don't waste our time." It is unclear, however, exactly how the Republican-led Congress would react to Mueller's firing.

Richard Painter, who served as top White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, offered an unvarnished take on the rumblings Monday night.
And now it's all coming to a head.

On Tuesday, Uber is expected to release to employees the results of an intensive months-long study into its corporate culture. The report is expected to include recommendations for how the company should address its problems.

We don't know yet exactly what will be in the report. One of the biggest questions to be answered is what will happen to CEO Travis Kalanick; he's reportedly considering a leave of absence.

Even ahead of the report's release, Uber has already made some big changes. Emil Michael, Kalanick's right-hand man and chief fundraiser, resigned Monday. And last week Uber fired more than 20 people after a separate investigation looked into 215 complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, and other bad behavior at the company.

Uber's board has committed, unanimously, to following the recommendations of the report, whatever those turn out to be. Depending on those recommendations, the most valuable tech startup on Tuesday could have a totally new executive team or it could look like it's protecting the status quo. Either way, the company's response to the report could go a long way toward determining its future.

Here's how Uber got to this precarious point and what's at stake now:

The blog that started it all

It started with a story about "one very, very strange" year at Uber.

On February 19, Susan Fowler published a blog post about her time as an engineer at the ride-hailing company.

Fowler detailed what happened after a manager allegedly propositioned her for sex. Uber's HR department dismissed her complaints, because the manager was a high performer, she said. When she persisted with her complaints, Uber's HR ignored them, and then her manager threatened to fire her for reporting things to HR, she said.

She also wrote about the broader culture at Uber. One time, all the men on her team got leather jackets, she said, adding that the team's women didn't get any.

Fowler's post was hard to dismiss as just the rantings of a disgruntled employee. In response to it, Kalanick immediately called for an internal investigation into the company's work culture. In the last four months, Uber's HR department and two law firms have been interviewing employees, fielding complaints, and digging into what went wrong at the company.

Fowler's blog was just the beginning. Since then, the number of scandals at Uber has multiplied.

The New York Times published a bombshell story soon after Fowler's post reporting that her claims weren't unique.

Among those at the bar in Seoul was Eric Alexander, an Uber exec the company let go last week amid reports about a different scandal. Alexander, reportedly obtained the medical records of an Indian rape victim and carried them around in a briefcase for a year. According to Recode, senior Uber executives, including Kalanick and Michael, were paranoid the rape was being used by one of the company's competitors in India to sabotage Uber.

he New York Times revealed Uber secretly deceived authorities for years with a tool called "Greyball". The company used the tool to evade authorities, particularly in cities like Boston, Paris, and Las Vegas where regulators were trying to block the ride-hailing service.

What's next? Uber executives could be on the chopping block, depending on the results.

Uber's executive ranks have been decimated recently. The company lacks a chief financial officer, chief marketing officer, president, and a chief operating officer. And it now lacks a chief business officer, after Michael, Kalanick's right-hand man, announced he was leaving.

But because other executives still at the company have been linked to the scandals, even more heads could still roll.

Among them might be Ryan Graves, the Uber exec and board member who oversaw the HR department. Graves has been strangely absent during the crisis, and as early as February

Another executive on the hot seat: Uber's CTO, Thuan Pham, who was implicated in Fowler's blog post. Fowler said Pham did nothing after she notified him about her boss' threat to fire her.

Travis Kalanick is likely safe, but could still take a leave of absence.

Kalanick was recorded getting into a verbal fight with a driver. He also sent out crude emails spelling out the rules at a company party, including advising employees when they should or shouldn't have sex with their colleagues.

Those revelations and others about the company's broader culture have led some observers to call for Kalanick's head. Despite that, he's largely seen as untouchable.

Kalanick and many Uber board members have super-voting shares, which give them outsized control compared to typical stockholders. What's more, employees who sell a portion of their stock back to the company are required to vote all of their remaining shares in accordance with Kalanick's wishes, according to the New York Times.

Thanks to those provisions, it'd be hard to force Kalanick out. Backchannel's Jessi Hempel explains it best:

The Information

That means Kalanick's future is largely in his own hands. He could leave the company or take a few months off, especially as he deals with a family tragedy after the sudden death of his mother. But the decision would likely be up to him.

Uber has already taken some steps to fix its culture.

The company may get headlines by firing executives and employees. But a longer-term remaking of its culture will likely be determined by changes the company makes in how it operates.

Uber said it's already taken steps to turn things around, including:

It also added two powerful women to its c-suite to help lead its turnaround.

Frances Frei, a renowned leadership expert, joined the company to specifically fix its management mess as SVP of leadership and strategy. Uber also brought in one of Apple's top marketing leaders, Bozoma Saint John, to be the new public face of the company.

Still, the future of Uber is at stake.

The cascading series of crises will come to a point on Tuesday when employees will find out just how far the recommendations go and what changes the company will make.

Should Holder recommend that Pham, Graves, and Kalanick all go, Uber could face a leadership vacuum that's unparalleled for a $69 billion company. Even if Kalanick just takes a leave of absence for a few months, it could place Uber in a tough spot, given that it has few top leaders who could take his place.

Internally, the company will have to struggle with rebuilding its workplace culture to make it feel inclusive and welcoming. One Uber employee told Business Insider that company all-hands meetings now feel more like press conferences than company gatherings, because Uber officials are now much more guarded about what they say and how they say it. As a result, employees have lost some of their trust that they're getting the whole story from Uber's executives.

Whether or not Uber can navigate the changes brought on by the Holder report remains to be seen, but it's a pivotal time for the company.
Suddenly, my mind went blank. The words and numbers on the page blurred together and became meaningless. I froze with fear. My heart raced. What was happening to me?

With all the effort I could muster, I raised a shaky hand to ask for the bathroom pass. As soon as I got there, I started crying uncontrollably. Between the sobs, I vomited into the toilet.

Although I didn't know it then, what happened that day would be the beginning of a painful and confusing series of severe bouts  "episodes," in psychiatric parlance  of anxiety and depression that would land me in a handful of hospitals and treatment centers.

Eventually, I'd be prescribed antidepressants, the drugs that I'm now convinced saved my life. But the road to medication was rocky. If it weren't for a handful of truly caring doctors  and, of course, the health insurance that made the drugs affordable  I probably would never have found them.

This is one of the reasons I find articles that belittle the condition, like a recent New York Times story, irksome. The article, published in the Times' style section with the title " target="_blank"Prozac Nation is Now the United States of Xanax," describes anxiety as "a shared cultural experience" that is the result of external factors ranging from a recent election to increased social media use. While feelings of stress and tension may be more prevalent today, these feelings are not tantamount to mental illness.

In reality, some 18% of the US adult population may suffer from real anxiety disorders, and studies suggest many of them have a difficult time getting the support they need. I certainly did. Articles like these could make that even harder.

Panic

When my anxiety first started cropping up, my parents wanted me to go a "natural" route  in other words, they wanted me to stick to talk therapy with counselors and avoid medication.

At the time, their choice made sense. As many as one in 10 Americans was taking an antidepressant, but studies suggested as many as two-thirds of them were wrongly diagnosed.

But despite weekly sessions of therapy, my panic attacks got so bad that I couldn't sleep or go to school. I had nightmares. I thought of every worst-case scenario that might happen and lived as if they were imminent. I started obsessing about everything, from the tests I might fail, to the friends who might abandon me, to the food that might make me fat. I contemplated suicide. My weight dropped to 90 pounds.

Concerned, my parents took me to dozens of doctors, who tested me for everything. When no results turned up, my mom took me to see a psychiatrist. After two or three 45-minute sessions, I was diagnosed as anorexic "with panic" and given a prescription for Klonopin.

Klonopin is not an antidepressant  it's a benzodiazepine like Xanax, the drug the Times article says has replaced antidepressants like Prozac or Lexapro as America's trendy drug of choice.

But Klonopin didn't alleviate my symptoms; instead, I felt like it made me numb. Because many people who suffer from anxiety  which the NIMH says is more frequent in women  also suffer from co-occurring mental illnesses like depression, the medication that works best may not actually be an anti-anxiety drug.

Starting over

One day, I refused to go to my therapy appointment. I cried and told my mom that I was broken and there was nothing that could be done.

So we started over. I stopped seeing the psychiatrist and began seeing other doctors. An endocrinologist put me on my first antidepressant  a drug called Lexapro. Lexapro belongs to a group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which are thought to work by amplifying the activity of the chemical serotonin in the brain.

The way we'd know if the medication was working, my doctor told me, was if I didn't notice any big changes in my feelings or behavior. At some point (I can't say exactly when), I started to feel like the world seemed a little less dark. It was as if I'd been seeing everything in front of me with a dark-tinged, heavily vignetted filter, and someone had gently peeled it off. I didn't want to die, and I didn't feel numb. When my doctor asked how I was doing, all I could tell her was, "I feel ok." She smiled.

Studies suggest this can happen for many people with depression and anxiety who are prescribed the right medication.

I did absolutely none of it on my own.

Life goes on

I kept working with a therapist who was trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy that involves recognizing negative thought patterns and coming up with solutions to overcome them. I saw a psychiatrist who managed my medication, went to yoga classes several times each week, and stayed close to the friends and family that had helped me through the bad times.

Research suggests that each of these parts of my recovery can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. Exercise has been linked with a reduction in many depressive symptoms. So have antidepressants, therapy, and steady social support.

Antidepressants were a tool that helped me find normal. They lifted a heavy blanket of anxiety and depression that had previously made everything seem like an impossible chore.
The accused is charged with a three-count offence of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.

He, however, denied the charge.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Sylvester Azubuike of the Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, told the court that the accused committed the offences sometime in March 2013 at Abdul Oladejo Avenue, Mokore Town, Wawa off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

He alleged that the accused obtained the sum of 50,000 Dollars ( N8.5 million) from the complainant, Mr Ismail Abdul to offer special prayers for Allahs blessings on the money to enable the complainant to purchase two trucks and for his business to be free from all spiritual problems.

The accused bolted with the money after collecting it.

The offences contravened Sections 1(1), (a), and 8(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation, 2008 and Sections 390 (d) of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation 2004.

Justice Muslim Hassan granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum and that the surety must provide three years tax clearance.

He ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison pending when the bail conditions would be satisfied.
MASON CITY | The finance director of Mason City Schools has issued a statement regarding his administrative leave and likely end of employment with the district.

"I will not be discussing the reasoning provided but will state that I am disappointed with the decision," John Berg said via email Tuesday. "While I disagree with the board action, I acknowledge that they have the right to decide who they wish to hold the position of Director of Finance for the Mason City Community School District."

Berg has been in his position since 2015. Before that he was an accountant with the district for three years.

He was placed on paid administrative leave June 2 through June 30, the end of his current, one-year contract with the district.

Neither Berg or district officials will say why he was placed on leave.

Berg in the statement said he "would likely not be issued a contract for future employment" following a closed-session board meeting June 1.

The meeting involved "discussing strategy with council of a matter in litigation or where litigation is imminent," according to the agenda.

Iowa law allows boards to close meetings in certain instances, such as pending litigation or performance reviews.

Berg said in the statement he has appreciated and valued the support he has received after the board's decision was made public.

"I believe that Gods plans for my family and I now (are to) continue in a different direction, and with prayer and the support of friends and family, (we) will begin down that path," Berg's statement said.

Berg didn't return a phone message left by the Globe Gazette Tuesday.

Interim Superintendent Mike Penca wouldn't say via phone Tuesday whether Berg is accused of doing anything illegal or improper. Citing "personnel matters," Penca said he couldn't comment further on the issue.

"Everything that was able to be made public was made public," School Board member Jodi Draper said via phone Tuesday.

Board members Doug Campbell and Scott Warren declined to comment via phone Tuesday. Phone messages seeking comment Tuesday weren't returned by board members Paul DeRoy, Brent Seaton or board Vice President Lorrie Lala.

A message couldn't be left for board President Janna Arndt Tuesday, as her voicemail was full.

The Globe Gazette has filed an open records request with the district seeking more information on what may have prompted Berg's departure. The district by law is required to respond within 10 to 20 business days.

Globe Gazette reporter Courtney Fiorini contributed to this report.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had slammed a three-count charge of conspiracy, drug trafficking and willfully obstructing security agents from carrying out their official duties, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The prosecution alleged that the accused committed the offences alongside Voke David, still at large on May 25.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Aliyu Abubakar, the accused had conspired with another man to transport 49 large bags containing weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) of about 2.34 kg on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

He alleged that the accused, who was armed with a Jericho Pistol loaded with rounds of ammunition, willfully obstructed officers of the NDLEA in performing their duties.

The police inspector, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In her ruling, Justice Olatoregun, admitted the accused to a bail of N10 million with three sureties in like sum.

The judge said each of the sureties must be owners of landed property in Lagos with three years tax clearance.

She ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison pending when his bail condition would be met.
A statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja by Mr Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF Communication Specialist, said the leaders gave the assurance at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta.

The leaders included UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake; Dr Anne Schuchat, Acting Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan.

Others are Chris Elias, Global Development President; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Chair of the GPEI Polio Oversight Board.

He lauded the efforts of governments, health workers, donors and partners for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public private partnership dedicated to ending the disease.

The president, who described the virus as highly contagious, however said that it has been eliminated in almost all the countries left with Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, adding that there have been only five cases till date.

However emphasised that children remain at risk everywhere until polio is completely stopped, describing its elimination as perpetual gift to coming generation.

Elias noted that the convention, which was the gathering of government representatives and partners, was to renew their commitment in supporting crucial activities such as vaccination and disease monitoring.

This, he noted, would protect more than 450 million children from polio each year thereby resulting to ending the disease in the region.

He appreciated the laudable efforts of Rotarians, governments and health workers in assuring that there will be an end to the virus.

Also, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said that the funding commitments would enable the programme to continue to improve performance and overcome challenges to reach every child, including vaccinating children in conflict areas.

Lake said: We are, together, truly on the verge of eradicating polio from the planet but only if we work relentlessly to reach the children we have not yet reached.

We cannot fail to make this last effort. Because if we do not now make history, we will, and should be judged harshly by history.

On her part, Dr Margret Chan WHO Director-General while speaking on the progress so far noted that polio has been eliminated from some of the most remote and challenging areas in the world like India once considered as most difficult place in the world to stop the disease.

She said that no case has been reported in the past six years, adding that over 16 million children worldwide are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed by this disease.

According to her, polio resources in countries around the world are helping to advance other national health goals.

The key to ending polio will be to ensure that millions of health workers some of whom work in the most challenging environments in the world are able to reach every child, everywhere in the world, she said.

Mr John Germ, President of Rotary International, said global eradication of polio has been top priority of the club since 1985.

Rotary members have been the driving force behind the fight to end polio since its inception.
Abubakar, a member of the nurses association suffering from cancer of the liver, is due to undergo surgery in India.

Imam, in the statement said the association in a letter to Tambuwal, praised him for his `timely and invaluable support and assistance to save the life of Miss Abubakar.

ALSO READ:Aminu Tambuwal donates N169m to fire victims

Our association and some kind-hearted Nigerians did their best within their limited capacity.

The singular intervention of Sokoto State Government, under your able and altruistic leadership, earnestly made a crucial difference.

Doling out the money by the Sokoto State Government to assist her (Abubakar) at a time when hope was lost is an indelible gesture we shall forever remain grateful for.

This gesture has proven to us that the selfless work we nurses do in the care of humanity is highly appreciated.
Buhari made the call at the Public Presentation of a book titled; Re-Engineering the Reading Culture in our Society in Abuja on Tuesday.

She was represented at the occasion by Mrs Mairo Almakura, wife of Nasarawa state governor.

The dominance of electronic gadgets as a result of technological advancement has made us to deviate from our habit of reading.

We as citizens need to return to the old days of reading books and literature in spite of the advancement for enhanced knowledge and communication skills, Buhari said.

In her address, Mrs Winifred Otto-Ita, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, said that reading opens the door to new information.

It is not too late to return to the good old days as people can strive to balance between book and the internet.

Without reading, the entry of new information to the mind is closed, she said, adding that the major pathway to achieving efficient and incorruptible civil service was through reading.

The author of the book, Mrs Vivian Okpara, said that she put her wealth of experience as a librarian in writing the book.

She added that her experience as a seasoned librarian, had made her realise that there was decline in reading culture in Nigeria.

Okpara, Director of Library in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, said that her book would promote the revitalisation and boosting of reading culture in the country.

She urged Nigerians to identify with the book and appreciate the role of reading in advancing service delivery in Nigeria.
He said The workers are supposed to show some understanding because government has made their welfare a priority.

Our government has a human face; Nasarawa State was the first to implement the current minimum wage.

For four years, we paid the minimum wage without any problem before things became difficult. We expect some understanding.

Reacting, Ahmed Naibi, NLC Secretary, said that the strike was not just about salary.

A major concern of the workers is governments refusal to promote workers for more than six years.

Aside the non-promotion, workers have not been paid their traditional annual increments and other entitlements for years," he added.

He added that workers were being owed August 2016 salary, a percentage of October 2016 salary, and arrears of January and February 2017.

ALSO READ:Nasarawa Governor urges workers to call off strike

There is something more heinous  the strike is five weeks old, but government has not engaged the leaders of the union for dialogue, he said.
While speaking in Kano on Monday, June 13, 2017, the former Chairman of the electoral body advocated for a more independent process where the country's president has no say in who gets appointed as chairman.

Jega said, "Still the president nominates INECs chairman.

"It is important to legislate the appointment of the INEC chairman. Despite the fact that Nigeria had achieved a lot, there was need for more reforms.

"Ghana that we celebrate has the worst process of appointing chairman of its electoral body. Once the president nominates, the nominee will obviously emerge as chairman and will stay on that position until he reaches his retirement age, which is 70."
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Aliyu and Nasko are standing trial over alleged N4.568bn fraud and abuse office.

At the resumed hearing of the case, Mamman Osuman (SAN), counsel to Nasko, said he had filed preliminary objection, challenging the commencement of the charges against his client.

The procedure by which the initial charge was brought to the court was wrong.

Not only was the charge defective, they compounded it by filing a second amended charge which is inappropriate,he noted.

We were only served with EFCCs counter affidavit this morning and in accordance with the law, we can file a response on point of law.

That is why I need time to go back to my office and come up with an appropriate response,he said

NAN recalls that the EFCC through its counsel, Chile Okoroma, had filed an amended charge to include Niger PDP Chairman, Tanko Beji, as defendant in the case.

Beji, who was present in court, had been in EFCCs detention since Thursday, prompting Osuman to urge the court to grant him interim bail.

The judge, Aliyu Mayaki, however, noted that the court would determine the second defendants application before considering any other issue.

The court will determine the application before proceeding further in this case.

The reason is that once the process by which a proceeding commence is alleged to be incompetent, it then means that any order made by the court will also be null and void if the objection is upheld,he said.

Mayaki added that he could not grant Beji bail as he had not been formally arraigned before him, adding that the EFCC have the power to grant him administrative bail.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said this when the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director to Nigeria, Mr Dennis Zulu, visited him to commemorate the 2017 World Day Against Child Labour.

"We want to assure you that the Senate would stand against any form of child labour in the country.

"This is something that we all have agreed that we will reduce to the barest minimum.

"We are all aware of the challenges, which are lack of advocacy and better understanding of issues and we would not be deterred of our responsibilities.

"The Senate as part of the Children Day celebration, had a round table discussion with members of States Assembly across the country looking at where we are at the Child Right Act of 2003.

"Some states are yet to domesticate it, but we got some commitment and we are working very hard to see that before next year the act will be fully be domesticated in the states," according to him.

He noted that during the meeting, innovative observations were made in order for the States Assembly to implement taking into cognisance the peculiarity of the different environments to meet their own social culture issues.

Saraki said the federal government was confident that this would go a long way to promote the need for universal compulsory education and would play the role of reducing child labour.

He added that Nigeria would also ensure ratification of all existing conventions it signed and the Senate would work very closely in doing that.

"I want to assure you that the 8th Senate is very committed to the issues concerning the Child Rights Act, Violence Against Children and most importantly the issue of child labour as well.

"We will support UN, ILO plan on child labour and also policies that concern children, and we will see if we have legislations that would bring stability and dignity in their lives," he said.

The president of the senate also assured the ILO that the outdated labour laws (bill) before the National Assembly would be given speedy acceleration.

He pledged continuous support and partnership in improvement in areas that would be beneficial to the Nigerian government.

The ILO country director said the World Day Against Child Labour provides an opportunity to gain further support of governments, among others, in the campaign to tackle child labour.

Zulu said Nigeria as a country does not have recent statistics on the prevalence of child labour but that the rate was high.

"In 2003, a Child Labour Survey was conducted in Nigeria that estimated that more than 15 million children are engaged in economic activities in Nigeria while West Africa has 25 million.

"Nearly 60 per cent of these children going to school in parallel with work and about 6.1 million of these were classified as child labourers,

"Over the years, through the support of ILO, Nigeria as a country has implemented several programmes targeted at eliminating the worst forms of child labour but yet there are still gaps," he said.

He said the major gaps were poor implementation of the National Policy on child labour and its plan of action, low capacity of labour officers, poor advocacy and resource mobilisation strategies, among others.

Zulu also called on the National Assembly to increase the budget allocation of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to meet its obligation.
The Kogi State police command spokesman, ASP William Aya disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on Tuesday in Lokoja.

He said that the Deputy Commissioner of police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department who is in charge of investigation into the attack was still on the assignment.

Aya said that the situation in the state capital had become normal, adding that there was no cause for alarm.

A Correspondent of NAN who visited the scene of the attack today observed that armed soldiers were still in strategic points to maintain the peace.

Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, had on Monday stopped over in front of the gate of the Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja to address his supporters, party members , workers and students.

He was addressing them when unknown gunmen invaded the rally and started firing shots in different directions.

Two persons, including one of the gunmen, were killed while two operative of Department of State Security attached to Melaye sustained gunshot wounds.

The Rector of the polytechnic , Mr Mohammed Yisah, had claimed that one of the persons killed, Saka Seidu, was a student of the polytechnic but the police in a statement described him as a passerby.
Melaye, who came under Order 43 of Senate Standing Rule, prayed the senate to order the Inspector-General of Police to immediately undertake an audit of the police armoury in Kogi command.

He said he would move a motion for the upper chamber to prevail on the Federal Government to impose emergency rule in the state.

He claimed that before the Gov. Yahaya Bello assumed office, Kogi never experienced the high number of kidnappings, killings and anarchy as being recorded currently.

On Monday l left my village and arrived at Lokoja in the company of Directorate of State Services (DSS) operatives and Police.

When I arrived at Lokoja, I phoned the state Director of DSS that I had an intelligence report that the governor brought in assassins to kill me and the DSS director provided a truckload of DSS men to accompany me.

I also called the Commissioner of Police and we were halfway talking and the line went off and I put a call to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Department.

I told him that I was in town and that I had few places to go and I wanted to also go to the Federal Medical Centre to pay the bills of indigent civil servants," he added.

He alleged that the patients could not pay the medical bills because the state government had not paid their salaries for 15 months, adding that some of them needed surgery.

Melaye said that the Constitution empowered the President of Nigeria to issue proclamation of state of emergency in state, adding that there was breakdown of law and order and public safety in Kogi.

In his remark, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary said, Speaking on behalf of this Senate, I must condemn what happened in Kogi.

Section 14 (2) of the Constitution is very clear on the primary purpose of government which is the security and welfare of the people and government must not be seen abdicating that responsibility.

ALSO READ: Governor Yahaya Bello warns Senator Dino Melaye

So, I want to appeal to both State and Federal Government to ensure that the citizens are protected and also their property.

We cannot have a situation where this government will sit by and watch people taking laws into their hands and behaving as if there is no law and order in this land.

We need to be serious; we need to be firm. Government needs to ensure that people are not allowed to take laws into their hands and of course, the reckless statement that we are hearing from here and there.

Government needs to do something about it. The unity of this country cannot be compromised and the security of individuals must be assured.
The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche on Tuesday, noted in a statement that the committee was mandated to recommend appropriate sanction or sanctions to anyone or group found culpable.

Personnel of the navy and police clashed in Calabar in May during which two policemen and a naval rating were said to have died.

It was reported that trouble started when police traffic controllers attempted to stop some officers, who allegedly flouted the red light at a point near the Calabar Township.

ALSO READ:Naval officers reportedly burn down police station leaving over 3 dead in Calabar

This is aimed at checkmating and subsequently eliminating such incidents in the future, to enhance relationship between the military and other security and response agencies in Nigeria.
The youths, who were mainly from Kosubosu, the councils headquarters, had marched to the secretariat and chased away workers before locking up offices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the youths also lit a bonfire on the express way leading to the border with Benin Republic.

NAN learnt that the youths were dissatisfied with the reported substitution of one Umar Galadima who was in May appointed as a member of the TIC.

Galadima, a former Revenue Officer in the council, hails from Kosubosu.

NAN also reports that the youths displayed placards with various inscriptions such as Baruten will not know peace without Galadima, No to marginalisation of Kosubosu community  and  Reinstate Galadima for peace in Baruten.

Although the youths refused to address newsmen, one of them, however, told NAN that reports filtering into the community indicated that Galadimas name had been substituted.

He said the youths were angry as this was the first time an indigene of Kosubosu would be appointed a TIC member.

ALSO READ: Kwara Pilgrims Board fixes June 16 as deadline for hajj fare payment

But the Chairman of the TIC, Alhaji Danjuma Sabi, condemned the action of the youths, saying they were only reacting to rumours.

As far as I am concerned, there has not been any official announcement that Galadima has been changed.

The youths are only acting on rumours as there had not been any announcement that Galadimas name has been substituted, he said.

Sabi warned the youths against disruptions that could cause setback to the area in its quest for development.
Officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), led by the Unit Commander ACC Danladi Samari, were at the scene on Tuesday to assess the damage as movement on the bridge became impossible.

The FRSC has advised that motorists use an alternative route to continue their business while repairs commence on the bridge.

The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna road to the tune of N14.58 billion in November 2013.
He gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Umar, the crisis recorded after the annulment of the 1993 presidential election by the military government, which conducted it, would have been avoided if political stakeholders accorded priority to national interest.

The presidential election was adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria and was won by late Chief MKO Abiola, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist from the South-West of the country.

Umar said that the memory of the election would remain evergreen due to the positive impact it would have had on the nation.

He said that politicians and the electorate should always put national interest first, adding that politicians should draw lesson from the 1993 saga and understand how elections could be won without hate speeches.

Abiola did not engage in hate speech or campaign of calumny yet he was voted by majority of the electorate."

He had a landslide victory as people who did not share same ethnic and religious sentiments voted for him because the party had presented manifesto that was acceptable to them."

It is unlike what we have today where people engage in name-calling and hate speech instead of dwelling on issues, Umar said.

The analyst further stressed the need for unbiased electoral umpire in order to entrench good governance in the country.

For good governance to thrive there should be an unbiased electoral body to guarantee free and fair elections."

Also, there is need for the wishes of the people to be respected. People should be conscious of protecting the democracy and never allow a repeat of 1993 election annulment because it has taken us backward."
Mr Johnson Ojogbane, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency prosecuting Adoke, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

On the last adjourned date, the judge, Justice John Tsoho, fixed June 13, for arraignment of Adoke and the other co-defendants.

Ojogbane, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the matter could not proceed because the EFCC had been unable to get Adoke and other defendants.

"The matter was adjourned until today for arraignment of the defendants, but up till now, we have not been able to secure the attendance of most of the defendants, because they are outside jurisdiction, that is they are outside the country.

"The Federal Government is doing everything within its powers to bring them back to Nigeria so that they can face their trial.

"The government will take steps, in collaboration with the international police to locate them and bring them back to Nigeria through extradition, which is a very cumbersome process, but it will be done," Ojogbane said.

He said the court adjourned the matter until Oct. 26 after the courts vacation to enable the process of bringing Adoke and others back to Nigeria to be intensified.

NAN recalls that the EFCC had in December 2016, charged nine suspects, including Adoke, over the purchase of OPL 245.

Adoke was accused of illegally transferring more than $800 million purportedly meant for the purchase of the OPL 245 to Dan Etete, Malabu Oil.

The Federal Government had also on March 2, filed fresh charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and Agip Nigeria Exploration Limited for alleged complicity in the Malabu $1.1 billion scandal.
Mr Muhammed Rabiu, Comptroller of Immigration in the state, disclosed this to newsmen in Katsina.

He said the affected persons were apprehended while trying to cross Kongolon-Babban-Mutum border to Niger Republic on their way to Europe.

Rabiu said the victims, between 18 and 30 years, did not possessed valid travelling documents.

According to him, the victims were arrested at different border checkpoints.

Rabiu said female victims had disguised as villagers of the border communities while attempting to cross over.

These people dont know the implication of going to Europe, majority of them die on the way.

Traffickers are criminal minded persons, they devise different means to perpetuate their acts; we are also equal to the tasks and we will continue to prevent them from traveling to Europe illegally,"he added.

ALSO READ:23 Nigerians deported for immigration offences in UK

He advised traffickers and their collaborators to have a change of mind and stop the illegal business.

He said the victims had been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons for necessary action.
MASON CITY  At 38, Jake Peterson is serious about a career change. He hopes its a laughing matter.

The Plymouth man is doing all he can to establish a career as a comedian, and to make live comedy shows more popular in North Iowa.

Thats why youll see him and good friend Justin Paulsen, 32, of Mason City, acting as unofficial officials hosts of a live show every month at Fion Barra Ales and Spirits in Mason City.

On a recent Thursday they took their turns on stage with more than a half-dozen other comedians, some established, some novices, including some who had driven more than hour for a spot in the show for no pay.

The crowd was small but that was OK. They laughed at each others jokes. And they were obviously pleased to have another opportunity to hone their craft.

As he does so, Peterson will continue his regular job at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood. Paulsen has taken the plunge full-time; he has no other regular job.

Both got started in comedy in different ways.

Ive had just about every other job there is, Peterson said. I needed a creative outlet and it was something I always wanted to try. I knew it was now or never.

Peterson had worked on a routine and took the plunge two years ago at a competition at Mall of America called Funniest Person With a Day Job.

I signed up online, and did that because I knew I couldnt back out, he said.

He got five minutes.

I dont remember most of the day. It was definitely all nerves. If you survive your first time on stage you want to do it again.

He does remember getting laughs, pretty solid laughs.

Paulsen became friends with Peterson and decided hed like to give comedy a try, too. Peterson told him he was doing a show in Plymouth on Dec. 30 and could open for him. He did, and the comedy bug bit.

I did it in front of 50 people in Plymouth and in front of 170 people a month later at the Main Event, he said, in regards to the downtown Mason City multipurpose facility. "That was really cool.

Now theyre pretty much in a partnership. There are no legal papers but they work together to promote their craft with dreams of making the big-time.

I was going at it by myself because nobody was doing shows, Peterson said. I wanted somebody to perform with.

We bring out the worst in each other in the best possible way, Paulsen said.

He noted that in big cities, there are many more opportunities for comedians at open-mic nights.

People break in by going to open mics every night of the week at different bars, Paulsen said. We dont have that so we kind of have to create opportunities for ourselves to get the experience.

They found a home at Fion Barra, owned by John Carden, where they present a show called F-BOMB  Fion Barra Open Mic  the second Thursday of every month. There is no admission charge, and the comedians appreciate the opportunity to entertain anyone willing to listen during the shows, which last an hour and a half to two hours.

Its all about getting that precious experience and building routines. They have opened for national acts, and don't mind traveling, doing two or three other shows a month. Stops so far have been in places like Des Moines, Minneapolis and Davenport.

Peterson now has an hour of material and feels he can adjust to most crowds.

You see who you have in front of you and can cater your jokes, Peterson said. At the same time, you have what you have. You don't want to pander to the audience.

A lot of times, if its true life, if its from your life, itll be funny no matter what.

Now, they hope their lives are filled with comedy to share on more and bigger stages. They have videos on YouTube  which they often use to book shows  and are planning comedy albums.

The goal, Paulsen said, is to take it as far as we can.

Outside of family life, Ive never seen anything through, said Peterson. I want to make sure I see this thing through.

Eventually wed like to make it our profession. We still have a way to go, but were on the right track.
Ayuba, the acting Accountant General of Taraba, spoke during the continuation of cross examination by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

Nyame is facing trial on alleged misappropriation of state funds to the tune of N1.64 billion during his tenure from 1999 to 2007.

The witness was cross examined based on the exhibits he tendered on Monday, May 22.

These exhibits were the 2007-2009 Taraba Financial Report and Audited Accounts of the Office of the Accountant General of Taraba.

These exhibits were marked as NN1-NN3 and were admitted into evidence.

In the 2007 audited account, the prosecution established that a deficit of N16.8billion was recorded in the 2007 report.

The money budgeted for the governors office was N100million, but N2.1billion was spent.

The witness also identified approvals made by the ex-governor for the purchase of grains (rice, beans, maize and guinea-corn) to the tune of N24.3 million for the people of Taraba.

There was a directive by the ex-governor conveying the approval for the money to be released to Permanent Secretary, Abuja Liason office, for him to coordinate the purchases through direct labour.

He said that he was just an accountant in Taraba Government House in 2007,

He was asked to confirm from the unsigned payment voucher whether the money was actually utilised for the purpose.

I can only confirm that the money was made to the payee but cannot say anything about its utilisation, the witness replied.

In the N250million released for stationeries, the witness also admitted that the mere fact that the internal auditor signed the voucher did not mean that the money was utilised for the purpose.

In the memo approved by the ex-governor for vehicle maintenance and overhauling generating sets, the witness also admitted that he had never paid up to N7million for maintenance of generating sets.

I have never even paid up to N1million, I was a cashier then, I never paid large sums like that, Ayuba said.
He said that the party was conscious that Nigerians reserved the power to vote it out in 2019 if it failed to meet their expectations.

The chairman stated this when Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, presented his book to him at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.

The book titled All Progressives Congress: The Making of a Change Agent was reviewed by the Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and presented to the public in April.

Odigie-Oyegun commended the presidents aide for writing the book, and said that it was a great achievement that would help to enrich the country`s political history.

You were there and you saw it happen, but this is not to say you are the custodian of all the facts, because there were other players, he told the aide.

He encouraged all those who participated in the merger process that gave birth to the APC to document their findings from their perspectives for posterity and for the future generation.

I want to take this opportunity to call on all those who participated in the merger process to please take the pain and document their experiences for posterity, he said.

Odigie-Oyegun described the merger as very significant event that entrenched true democracy in the country.

He defined democracy as the power to hire and fire and said that such attribute was the beauty of democracy.

According to him, the merger made it possible for Nigerians to have the ability for the first time to fire an incumbent government.

This, the chairman said, had become internalised in the country`s political history.

He added that the APC would ensure that it lived up to the expectation of Nigerians and avoid the mistakes of its predecessor.

We know now that we can be fired by Nigerians and that is the beauty of democracy,  he said.
A statement by the Chairman of the Council, Mr Deji Elumoye, described the seal-up of the newspaper house as barbaric.

The union wondered why the EFCC would ransack the premises of the media outfit without any search warrant and subject innocent workers to undue stress.

According to the statement, the EFCC by the invasion had infringed on the fundamental human rights of the workers whose movement in and out of the company premises was curtailed by security operatives for over an hour

This is a great violation of the freedom of movement and association of the affected citizens, as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.

The Council, therefore, gave EFCC a 72-hour ultimatum to publicly apologise to the Management of The Sun and the affected staff, for the unwarranted siege, failure which we will not hesitate to ask our team of lawyers to seek redress in court, the union said.
Back in May, around 20 websites based in Qatar and in Egypt were made inaccessible, including the Qatar's Al-Jazeera and the independent Egyptian news site Mada Masr which has been critical of corruption.

By Monday the number of blocked sites had risen to 62, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression NGO said on its website.

They included 10 Egyptian news websites as well as several providers of virtual private networks (VPN) that can be used to get around state-imposed censorship, it said.

"Some of the sites had been temporarily unblocked but were blocked again," said Fatma Serag, a human rights lawyer who works for the NGO.

The latest Egyptian news websites made inaccessible include Al-Badil and Al-Bedaya, which has often published material critical of government policies.

Al-Bedaya's chief editor, Khaled Elbalshy, told AFP he had submitted a complaint to the Egyptian journalists' union, demanding to know why his website was blocked and by which state authority.

The government has yet to comment on the crackdown.

Elbashy also noted the measures coincide with a debate ongoing in parliament concerning Egypt's plans to hand over to Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands -- Tiran and Sanafir.

The deal, signed during an April 2016 visit by Saudi King Salman in which Riyadh showered Egypt with aid, provoked accusations in Egypt that Cairo had "sold" the strategic islands.

On April 10, parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal referred the agreement to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for deliberations and a vote.

Hatem Zakaria, secretary general of the journalists' union, told AFP that his and another media organisation were planning to lodge a formal request seeking an explanation as to why the sites were blocked.

Rights groups have repeatedly accused former army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of stifling dissent.

An anti-terrorism law, adopted in August 2015, lays down stiff penalties for publishing "false information" on attacks in Egypt that contradicts official reports from the defence ministry, stirring condemnation from rights groups.
According to a New York Times report, the Egyptian government made the request but Uber declined. The report also said the military intelligence arm of the Egyptian government made a similar request to an indigenous ride-hailing platform, Careem, which was also declined.

The report says Careem was offered some form of preferential treatment in exchange for access to the companys customer and driver software. The company also said it may soon not have a choice.

Reports out of Egypt suggest that the country may be considering a bill that would require companies like Uber to host the servers locally in the country and agree to give private data on request.

This is not the first time Egypt has attempted to disregard its citizens right to privacy. Egyptian president Abdeh Fattah El-Sisi is notorious for his government's constant interference with internet access to curb dissent amongst the population or shut down opposition.

Over the past decade or so, various African governments have tried some kind of antics or the other to control Internet access and monitor/track citizens.
The respondent (MTN) offers and provides a bulk SMS message service to customers and permits the sending of bulk messages by individuals, organisations and other bodies through their network upon certain specified conditions agreed between the respondent and the respective subscribers to the said bulk SMS service, read Eneyes suit against MTN Nigeria, according to a Punch Online report.

While a Federal High Court in Abuja had already ruled in favor of Eneye (and awarded him N5 million in damages) in an earlier verdict, an Abuja Court of Appeal sealed the deal when it ruled that MTN Nigeria did indeed violate Eneyes right to privacy by virtue of the innumerable text messages sent to him via MTN Nigerias bulk SMS service (which MTN offers to third-party entities).

Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the verdict, said, By giving those unknown persons and organisations access to the respondents MTN GSM phone number, to send text messages into it, the appellant violated the respondents fundamental right to privacy guaranteed by section 37 of the Constitution which includes the right to the privacy of a persons telephone line.

The said section 37 of the 1999 Constitution provides that, The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic conversations is hereby guaranteed and protected.

The innumerable text messages without his consent at all times is a violation of his fundamental right to the privacy of his telephone conversations, correspondence and his person and telephone line and telephone message inbox.

Eneye was also awarded N3 million in damages by the Appellate Court, down from the N5 million awarded by the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that the lower court did not give any reasons for awarding the initial sum.

MTN Nigeria has maintained that it did not disclosed Eneyes information to subscribers  a stance that did not sway the court on both occassions.

Will this instance serve as a deterrent to other telcos on unsolicited text messages? Are we about to see a wave of court judgements in favor of subscribers?
Jess Nakrayko not only allowed her friends proposal to happen at her wedding, she actually planned it!

Jess and her new husband, James, married in April 2017 in Jamaica and the ceremony included 45 of her nearest and dearest from across Canada.

Top of that list is her longtime best friend, Jessica Kieley and her boyfriend, Adam Brake.

"I had my two best friends and my sister as my bridesmaids," Nakrayko tells HuffPost Canada.

"Jess literally poured herself into my wedding. She planned a full trip to Montreal for my bachelorette, hosted an incredible shower and just did a lot leading up to the wedding."

As she was planning her best friends wedding, her own proposal was being planned by her boyfriend, Adam Brake and best friend whose wedding she was seriously working towards. [One good turn deserves another, of course!]

When Jess first introduced the idea of proposing at her Jamaican wedding to Adam, he was first skeptical.

"He told me, 'I don't want to take anything away from your wedding trip,'" recalls Jess.

But Jess didnt mind and told him so, and alongside the brides sister, they reached a plan to just pass the bouquet to Jessica, instead of doing the traditional toss to the waiting group of single ladies.

ALSO READ: Folorunsho Alakija's son ties the knot in elaborate UK ceremony

As the bouquet was being passed to Jessica, her boyfriend, Adam would be waiting on his knee just behind her, holding an engagement ring.

Speaking about the execution of the plan, Jess says, "so then we had the song change from 'Man I Feel Like A Woman' to 'Marry Me.'

I started walking to Jessica, and there was a moment where we locked eyes, and as I went to pass her the bouquet, she started hysterically sobbing, saying 'no, are you serious?'"

Photographer Ross Dance caught the emotional moments on camera, and you can see just how amazing everything turned out.

"The way my husband and I looked at it was sometimes the actual concept of a wedding gets lost.

It's to marry your best friend and spend the rest of your life with them and celebrating love and sharing your love with everyone else," Jess says.

"My best friend was starting her love story  I didn't even think about that being me giving up my day. I have love and I want people close to me to have that love too.

"I don't think that people need to be greedy about love," she adds.
Imprisoned in February, Yucel has been personally accused by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of working as a German agent.

The German embassy said in a statement that Erdmann met Yucel for over an hour. While consular officials regularly meet detained foreign nationals in jail, it is rare for the visit to be made by the ambassador.

"He is doing well. The support from Germany -- the readings, concerts, car rallies, is helping him. He knows that he is not alone and won't be forgotten," the embassy said.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel welcomed the visit but said "this does not change the fact... we demand a fair process and want to see him freed. We will continue working on this."

Chancellor Angela Merkel has closely followed Yucel's case, and brought up the issue on a number of occasions with Turkish authorities.

She has assured that Germany would do "everything in its power" to ensure Yucel's release.

The ambassador's visit came amid high tensions in bilateral ties between the two NATO allies.

Germany has voted to pull out its troops from Incirlik base in southern Turkey, used for raids against the Islamic State group in Syria, after Ankara blocked a visit by German lawmakers.

Turkey ranks 155 on the latest Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) world press freedom index, below Belarus and the Democratic Republic of Congo, after dropping four places from its 2016 ranking.

According to the P24 press freedom website, there are 167 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were detained as part of the state of emergency imposed after last year's coup attempt.
After decades of siding with Taiwan in the disagreement, Panama now "recognizes that there is only one China in the world" and that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.

The new relationship with Beijing was starting Monday, and the previous one with Taiwan ending, the note added.

The announcement comes after Beijing began construction last week of a container port, with natural gas facilities, in Panama's northern province of Colon.

Taiwan, considered a rebel province by Beijing, is recognized by around 20 countries worldwide and the issue of its status has risen again with the election of US President Donald Trump.

Panama long had stressed it had diplomatic ties with Taipei and commercial ones with Beijing.

Today, Chinese ships are the number two users of the Panama Canal, the Central American country's main source of budget revenue.

Panama over the years received generous aid, millions of dollars in cooperation funds from Taipei. But it was simultaneously pressed for decades by Beijing to adopt its stand.

The status of and the dispute rose in December after Trump, elected president a month earlier, spoke to Taiwan's president by telephone.

Trump became the first president or president-elect to speak to a Taiwanese leader since at least 1979, when the United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan as part of its recognition of the People's Republic of China.

In the statement, Trump's office said the two leaders had noted "the close economic, political, and security ties" between Taiwan and the United States, but the very contact threatened to upend almost four decades of US foreign policy.

After years of heavy rhetoric, relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification.

The offer was rejected, but Taiwan did relax rules on visits to and investment in China. There were also limited talks between the two sides' unofficial representatives.

But Chinese concern rose in 2000, when Taiwan elected as Chen Shui-bian, who had openly backed independence, as president.
However, after two years of a deep national recession, the city is looking for budget cuts and Crivella, a former bishop in the evangelical Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is known to be lukewarm about the carnival excesses.

This year, he broke with longstanding tradition by not attending the opening of the Sambodromo parades in what was widely seen as a snub to the event's wild party culture.

Now, Crivella is studying a plan to take about half of the approximately $7 million budget for the samba schools and use it for funding the approximately 15,000 children in municipal kindergartens.

"What we are doing is reflecting on how to spend in a better way -- whether to use these resources for a three-day party or spread out over 365 days," the mayor's office said.

The carnival contest is the high point in several weeks of festivities that bring in an estimated $1 billion in revenues to the city.

Jorge Luiz Castanheira, president of the Independent League of Samba Schools, said reducing aid would "be a step backwards" for the world-famous event.

"Raising the budget for kindergartens is definitely important, but it's also treating the carnival in a simplistic way," he told O Globo newspaper.

"Above all it's the economy surrounding the carnival -- the hotels, restaurants and activities -- that generate tax revenues."
She has accused him and his allies of acting unconstitutionally in their standoff against the opposition in recent months of deadly anti-government protests.

Last week, she filed a challenge against his effort to rewrite the constitution, branding it undemocratic.

The court dismissed the appeal on Monday.

Ortega said members of her family had received threatening telephone calls, and had been harassed and pursued.

"I hold the executive responsible for any injury or attack that my family might suffer," she said in an interview with Union Radio.

"This is a matter that must be resolved with me, not with my family," she said.

"They are being pursued by patrols that appear to be from SEBIN," the state intelligence service, she added.

"They are sending them messages directly from SEBIN, which answers to the government."

Ortega, 59, said she herself had not received threats -- but some government officials have said on television that she should be imprisoned.

Constitutional struggle

Maduro is accused of controlling the Supreme Court, which has fended off numerous legal and legislative moves against him over the past year and a half.

Clashes at daily protests by demonstrators calling for Maduro to quit have left 66 people dead since April 1, prosecutors say.

Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food and medicine in the oil-rich country.

Maduro says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy.

He has launched moves to set up an elected assembly to reform the constitution in response to the protests, but his opponents say that is a ploy to cling to power.

A survey by pollster Datanalisis indicated that 85 percent of Venezuelans opposed that plan.

The president retains the public backing of the military.

Legal battles

Analysts said last week that Ortega's suit could build bridges between the opposition and disgruntled officials and widen divisions in Maduro's camp, making it harder for him to stay in power.

But the court on Monday rejected her appeal as "incompetent."

That ruling "removes any doubt about the absence of judicial remedies" for the political crisis, said constitutional law expert Jose Ignacio Hernandez.

"It is a clear attempt to discredit the attorney general."

Ortega responded to the ruling by upping the ante -- and the political tension.

She presented a further legal challenge aiming to fire 13 of the court's judges, who she argued were named without her approval.

Her motion challenges a controversial decision in 2015 to name the judges, whom the opposition says are biased in favor of Maduro.

Scuffles outside court

The president is resisting calls for elections to replace him, vowing to continue the "socialist revolution" of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Opponents of Maduro had gone to the court earlier to try to add their names to the list of plaintiffs in Ortega's lawsuit, but were kept away by military police.

Anti- and pro-government activists exchanged blows outside the court in the latest in more than two months of street unrest.

"They do not want the people to demonstrate against the constitutional assembly. Look at how many people reject it," said one young demonstrator, Maria Rodriguez.

"Get away, the streets belong to the people, not to the bourgeoisie," yelled a rival supporter dressed in the traditional red of Chavez supporters and holding a copy of the constitution in his hand.
"Children of the caliphate in eastern Asia, we congratulate you for taking Marawi," IS spokesman Aboulhassan al-Mouhajer said, referring to the Philippine city seized by Islamist militants last month.

Thousands of Philippine troops are battling hundreds of insurgents who overran the southern city on May 23, flying black IS flags and using up to 2,000 civilians as human shields.

Fierce fighting in the city has left a total of 58 soldiers and police and more than 20 civilians dead, according to the military which estimates that almost 200 jihadists have been killed.

The IS spokesman also congratulated the perpetrators of last week's attacks in Iran.

Seventeen people were killed and dozens wounded when armed men and suicide bombers attacked Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on June 7, the first strikes claimed by the group in Iran.

The five attackers were killed.

Mouhajer urged "caliphate soldiers" to continue their actions during Ramadan in Iraq and Syria.
"Right now I believe the enemy is surging."

Lawmakers repeatedly asked Mattis for an update on Afghanistan and sought reassurance that America would be able to effectively help Afghan partners reverse a stalemate against the resurgent Taliban.

Mattis said he expected to present a revised strategy by mid-July. He is believed to be mulling sending an additional 3,000 to 5,000 US troops.

"We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. We will correct this as soon as possible," he said.

The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led NATO troops at war there since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime.

The ongoing security crisis has seen not just the Taliban gain ground, but also the emergence of other groups such as a local Islamic State affiliate.

On Saturday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an insider attack in which an Afghan commando turned his weapon on American troops, killing three and wounding another.
There are up to 1,000 people still trapped in the parts of Marawi city that the militants control, the government said, three weeks after fighting erupted with gunmen going on a rampage and flying black flags of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The militants have defied a US-backed military onslaught which has seen relentless bombing of the residential areas of Marawi where they are holed up. Authorities say 400 gunmen are estimated to be still there and using civilians as slaves.

"Based on the revelations of the trapped civilians we have recovered (rescued), they are being used as orderlies to cook their food, to carry their munitions," local military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told reporters.

At least 26 civilians, 58 police or soldiers and 202 militants have been killed, according to the government.

Five of the civilians were killed on Monday as they made a dash for safety when the militants discovered their hiding place, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters in Manila.

"They were going to the river but the militants ran after them and indiscriminately fired at them, killing five and taking the remaining eight as hostages," Abella said.

IS also released a video on Monday via its Amaq propaganda news agency which it said showed jihadists shooting six Christians in Marawi, according to the US-based SITE monitoring service.

A voiceover suggested further executions had taken place off-camera, SITE reported.

There were tearful scenes in Marawi on Tuesday morning after five Muslim policemen and five Christian construction workers sprinted about two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the militant-controlled areas to safety.

"As we were running, the ISIS fired at us," said Marawi police officer Lumna Lidasan, speaking to reporters in between sobs and using an acronym for an alternate IS name.

Lidasan said the policemen could have left earlier because they were Muslim but they feared for the safety of the construction workers.

"They did not speak Maranao (the local Muslim dialect), so I knew they would have been slaughtered," Lidasan said.

Abandoned city

Marawi is the main Islamic city in the predominantly Catholic Philippines.

It is largely abandoned now, with about 250,000 people having fled the city and nearby areas.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday it had for weeks been trying without success to persuade both sides to agree to a humanitarian corridor to let the remaining civilians leave safely.

"We're worried about these civilians. There are elderly and sick people among them," Martin Thalmann, the deputy ICRC country chief, told AFP.

President Rodrigo Duterte has said the attack on Marawi was part of a wider plot by IS to establish a base in the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people.

He declared martial law across Mindanao the day the fighting erupted.

A Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines began in the 1970s and killed more than 120,000 people.

The main Muslim rebel groups have signed peace accords with the government giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

But the militants involved in the Marawi fighting come from a number of small hardline groups that have rejected the peace process and united in recent years under IS.

The are being led by Isnilon Hapilon, who is on a US-government list of most-wanted terrorists and whom the Philippine military says is still in Marawi.

The United States, which is the Philippines' mutual defence partner, has been helping in the battle with American special forces acting as advisers. A US Orion surveillance aircraft has been seen flying over the battlefield.
During talks with a Catholic delegation from Nigeria, the pope demanded that priests and church members in the southern diocese of Ahiara write to him personally to "ask his forgiveness", the Holy See said in a statement at the weekend.

"In the letter, one must clearly manifest total obedience to the pope, and whoever writes must be willing to accept the bishop whom the pope sends and has appointed," said the statement.

It gave the faithful a 30-day deadline for sending such letters, which ends on July 9.

"Whoever does not do this will be ipso facto suspended a divinis and will lose his current office," it warned.

The dispute involves Monseigneur Peter Okpaleke who was named bishop of the Ahiara diocese in 2012 by Pope Benedict, Francis' predecessor.

But his appointment was rejected on ethnic grounds by the local priests, who protested over the fact the Vatican had not named someone from their own diocese.

As a result, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the archbishop of Abuja, was appointed the following year as the apostolic administrator of the diocese.
Turkey has prided itself on its good ties with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq's north, with its leader Massud Barzani a frequent visitor to Ankara.

But even as Turkish investment poured into the regional capital of Arbil, Turkey has always kept a wary eye on any moves towards full independence.

Ankara is still battling a more than three-decade insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for autonomy in southeast Turkey that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

It also strongly opposes any autonomous region for Syrian Kurds in the north of Syria that might result from more than six years of civil war in the country.

"Making a step towards independence in the north of Iraq is an error and a threat for the territorial integrity of Iraq," Erdogan said in a speech to his party in Ankara.

Barzani announced on June 7 that a referendum would be held in Kurdish areas of Iraq on September 25 to ask voters if they want a separate state.

The vote is nonbinding, but the move was greeted with irritation by Baghdad.

"We have always defended the territorial integrity of Iraq and we will continue to do so," said Erdogan, adding that such a referendum "was in the interest of no one".

Widely seen as the world's largest stateless people, most Kurds are spread between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. But it is only in Iraq where they have achieved a recognised autonomy.

Iraqi Kurdish oil is exported through Turkey, a key economic lifeline for the region.
Tensions began at a student forum held on June 1, when Conde ranted at a booing section of young attendees, accusing them of throwing a tantrum for jumping up and down while chanting "Tablets! Tablets!"

Conde made a "one student, one tablet" campaign promise during a 2015 presidential election that has yet to materialise, with youth groups saying it embodies another failure by his administration to address holes in education financing.

But what has really incensed Guineans is a widely shared video showing Conde's reaction to the students' cries, with both sides accusing the other of disrespect in a society where deference to elders is expected.

"I would like to offer my excuses for the rude behaviour of these people, who are not representative of Guinea's youth," Conde says to attending international dignitaries, before turning his wrath on the students.

"I was a student before you, we made Africa proud of us. You are like baby goats. 'Tablets', tablets'," he mocks. "Like baby goats!"

The expression he uses -- "sauter comme un cabri" (jump like a baby goat) -- is a nod to French president Charles De Gaulle, who used it to mean someone making a big fuss for nothing.

Conde goes to say the tablets are "not a right", even for students in the United States and France, calling his audience "unworthy" of the devices, before threatening to cancel the policy entirely.

"You can jump up and down and shout until tomorrow, it doesn't bother me," Conde declares, jabbing with his finger, his voice raised in anger.

Tensions were so high at the People's Palace in Conakry that the vice-rector of Lansana Conte University, an establishment close to the capital, had a heart attack on the spot and died.

A rector from another university was hospitalised following the incident.

'Family argument'

Although tensions have calmed and the government has attempted to make amends, students are not letting go easily.

"Nobody is asking him anything because now we have understood. He has not kept a promise since he took power," said Mamadou Soumare, a medical student.

On Facebook, commenters such as Guiramba Koikoi Kalivogui told Conde "a promise is a debt," urging him to "have the courage to pay for the tablets."

Others noted a lack of respect on the students' side, while nonetheless calling on Conde to do as he had promised.

The presidency announced last week that Conde had gathered his higher education minister and advisors for a comprehensive meeting on the distribution of tablets to universities.

Advisor Tibou Kamara described a "family argument" that had got out of hand, describing Conde as a "father" who had failed to hand over a "present".

"Some of them lacked restraint in his presence," Kamara told AFP.

According to the higher education ministry, Guinea counts 100,000 university students, with just 600 subsidised tablets distributed so far due to technical problems including the compiling of biometric data.
The conclusions of the study, conducted by Tanzanian economists and legal experts and seen by AFP, were approved by President John Magufuli.

The report attributed much of the loss to foreign companies, including mining giant Acacia Mining, also accused of operating for several years in the country without being registered.

The London-listed company immediately rejected the claims.

Magufuli, referring to Acacia Mining, said: "If they admit that they were stealing from us and if they reimburse what they stole, only then can negotiations over registration begin".

"Even the devil is making fun of us. God gave us these ores, these many natural riches and we remain poor while others enrich themselves at our expense. We cannot continue like this," he added, after receiving the report in a ceremony broadcast live.

Last month Magufuli dismissed the country's mines minister after receiving a report from geologists that said mining companies had underestimated their mineral exports in order to pay lower taxes.

The report had said that poor management of the sector meant officials were not able to tell how much or what kind of ores were being exported.

On Monday, Magufuli ordered a revamping of the laws governing mining contracts, telling the justice department to question and if necessary prosecute officials responsible for attributing operating contracts in recent years.

Acacia Mining Monday said in response to the report that the accusations were unfounded and that it has operated in Tanzania in full accordance with the law.

Tanzania is rich in minerals including gold, ranking fourth among gold producers on the continent.

Gold is the country's leading mineral export and one of its primary sources of revenue.

Tanzania also exports copper, nickel, silver, diamonds and other precious stones such as tanzanite.
MASON CITY | Mason City Schools has placed its finance director on paid administrative leave.

John Berg was placed on leave June 2, according to a statement from School Board President Janna Arndt. The leave is effective through June 30, the end of his current contract with the district.

It's unclear if his contract will be renewed past that date.

The district is unable to comment on matters related to personnel issues, according to Arndt's statement.

Arndt declined to comment if Berg is suspected of doing anything illegal or improper.

When contacted by the Globe Gazette via phone Monday, Berg declined to comment. However, he said he may release a statement sometime this week.

State audit may have followed concerns on Mason City schools vacation payouts MASON CITY  A pending state audit of Mason City School District finances may have begun aft

On Monday the school board appointed Cherie Yoder, a district accountant, to fill Berg's position temporarily until someone else is hired, Arndt said.

Berg had been serving as school board secretary and treasurer in addition to being the district's finance director.

Berg began working as finance director in July 2015. Before that he was an accountant with the district for three years.

A state audit is currently pending for the district's fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.

UPDATED: State auditor to review Mason City School finances MASON CITY  An audit request regarding Mason City Schools has been filed with the state, ac

The audit may have begun after a school board member questioned $68,178 in vacation pay that was given to two retiring administrators in 2015, according to an email obtained by the Globe Gazette in 2016.

According to the email, School Board member Jodi Draper contacted the state auditor's office with concerns then Superintendent Anita Micich approved those funds without board approval for former Assistant Superintendent Hal Minear and CFO Ramona Jeffrey.

The results of that audit haven't been announced. It's unknown if the audit is related to Berg being placed on administrative leave.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Members of Maine's agriculture industry and state government fear the possibility of losing blueberry growers due to a depression in prices that has made growing the beloved crop a less reliable way to make a living.

Wild blueberries are a Maine tradition on par with lobsters and lighthouses, but prices to farmers have plunged from nearly a dollar a pound (0.45 kilogram) in 2011 to around 25 to 30 cents per pound (0.45 kilogram) last year. The number of farmers and acreages is holding steady, but other measures show a decline in effort on farms, state officials said.

For example, bees are imported to Maine to pollinate blueberry fields, and the number of beehives coming into the state declined by about 20 percent from 2015 to 2016, said David Yarborough, a horticulture professor at the University of Maine.

Industry members said they are likely looking at another year of low prices, and some farmers are using less of their fields in anticipation of a tough summer.

"These are challenging times for the blueberry industry," said Homer Woodward, vice president of Jasper Wyman & Son, one of the Maine blueberry industry's major players. "Everyone is trying to rethink their farm management plan."

Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, has submitted a state budget proposal that would use $2.5 million in state money to market agricultural products such as blueberries. He and others have said the state needs to find new buyers for the blueberries to try to spur demand and buoy prices. State officials say wild blueberry growers in Washington and Hancock counties, the heart of blueberry country, are seeing annual losses of $70 million.

One of the reasons for the drop in prices and profits is a multi-year boom in harvest that has led to surplus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stepped in last year and allotted up to $13 million to buy surplus Maine blueberries and help stabilize prices. But excess supply remains.

Another problem is that Canada also produces wild blueberries and it's difficult for Maine companies to compete with the country economically because of the weak Canadian dollar.

Wild blueberries are not as common in stores as the fatter cultivated blueberries, but fans of the fruit tout its unique flavor profile and higher level of antioxidants. About 99 percent of the crop is frozen, and it is widely used as a food ingredient, such as in smoothies.

Canada and Maine, the U.S.'s sole significant wild blueberry state, have both churned out high levels of the crop in recent years, Yarborough said.

The two jurisdictions produced 400 million pounds (181.44 million kilograms) of wild blueberries last year, Yarborough said. The norm is around 250 million pounds (113.4 million kilograms), he said. Regardless of the size of this summer's crop, prices are unlikely to surge back to higher levels quickly, Yarborough added.

"This particular situation isn't going to resolve itself in a year or two, it might take longer," he said.

The drop in prices to farmers hasn't trickled down to retail customers yet, except in the form of occasional sales and coupons, Woodward said. He said growers and processors are hoping the state's push to more aggressively market the blueberries will attract new interest outside the state.

State Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb said the state hopes to market blueberries more aggressively overseas and increase efforts to get Maine blueberries into more U.S. schools. The school push has yielded some results, as more Maine blueberries were sold to schools in April than in all of 2016.

Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, said new consumers are what the Maine blueberry industry needs the most.

"There is a real possibility that some growers might exit the business entirely," she said, "which is a real tragedy because this is a 150-year-old industry in the state."
HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP)  The easiest way to commute into New York City exchanges asphalt and steel rails for a whiff of salt water and a soaring view of the Manhattan skyline, all in less time than it takes to finish a cup of joe.

It's also the most underused, primarily due to logistics and cost. That could change, though, beginning this summer when ferries will act as a safety valve for New Jersey rail commuters because of disruptions caused by major repair work at New York's Penn Station.

In the long term, while the New York region's tunnels, bridges and railways burst at the seams with no relief in sight for a decade at best, ferries may be the final frontier for commuters sick of clogged roads and a notoriously unreliable and aging rail system.

On the New Jersey side, where a new governor will succeed outgoing Republican Chris Christie in January, change may be in the winds.

"Should the state, particularly a new administration, take a fresh look at how we deal with expanding demand to get across Hudson?" said state Sen. Robert Gordon, vice-chair of a state transportation committee. "Maybe this is the time to think about a whole new approach to ferries."

Ferry service  historically the main mode of transportation for commuters to Manhattan island, now connected to other boroughs and suburbs by bridges and tunnels  has already been expanded for commuters inside New York City. Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched service that will eventually offer six routes between Manhattan and the other boroughs.

City transportation officials say the new ferry fleet will speed up travel time by as much as two-thirds, although plans to spend $180 million over six years subsidizing fares to keep them the same as a subway ride could be difficult to sustain.

This spring, two derailments at Penn Station, both at very low speed and neither involving serious injuries, sent delays rippling up and down the corridor between Boston and Washington. The second forced local rail lines to drastically cut back service, leaving angry commuters accustomed to regular 15- to 30-minute delays facing double or triple that.

Meanwhile, not far from where thousands of cars jockey to fit into three lanes of the Lincoln Tunnel each morning, ferries crisscross the Hudson with dozens of empty seats.

Only about 2 percent of the more than 1.4 million people who commute into Manhattan on weekdays take ferries, according to a 2015 study by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council that was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

New York Waterway can carry about 9,000 more people on its lines from Hoboken to lower Manhattan during the summer's rail disruption, company Chairman Armand Pohan told lawmakers last month. Tens of thousands more could be accommodated in the future if the company adds boats and builds another terminal, company founder Arthur Imperatore said.

But New York Waterway ferry service costs three or more times the PATH trains operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, while New Jersey transit offers commuter rail service directly into New York from points throughout New Jersey with discounts for monthly passes.

For some, the reliability is worth the extra cost.

"This is more predictable; it's every 15 minutes, and you don't have service disruptions like PATH has," said Joe Raconiello, who commutes from northern New Jersey via NJ Transit into Hoboken and then boards a ferry. "It's also more relaxing, and you always get a seat."

Dave Berge, a resident of New York's Rockland County, on New Jersey's northern border, straddles both transportation modes. He takes the ferry from Hoboken in the morning but the train at night.

"This is peace of mind," Berge said, gesturing on a recent Friday toward the glittering skyline from the rear deck of a New York Waterway. "It's an indulgence, but I don't mind paying more."

As a private company, New York Waterway can't compete pricewise with NJ Transit, which is subsidized by the state, or with PATH, which loses money but is subsidized by the Port Authority's moneymaking assets like airports, bridges and tunnels.

The ferries' cost "is the age-old question, and we've faced from the first time we ran a boat," Imperatore said.

A new terminal and additional boats would cost roughly $300 million  a lot, but a fraction of the cost of a new rail tunnel or new Manhattan bus terminal, estimated at $10 billion each. Interstate political squabbling and uncertainty over federal funding has made it doubtful either of those projects will be completed within the next 10 years.

President Trump's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan does not include specifics on projects, including whether it would involve ferries.

Imperatore said he has discussed ferry expansion recently with receptive New Jersey officials, but lamented a general inside-the-box approach to transportation issues.

"There's an unwillingness to deal with anything but the status quo," Imperatore said. "But when there's an emergency, you know who the first calls are made to? Us. We're the only game in town because we have a fleet just about at the ready, at very short notice."

___

Contact Porter at https://www.twitter.com/DavidPorter_AP
NEW YORK (AP)  The next Lyft car you book may soon be a Jaguar or a Land Rover.

The British company behind the two iconic car brands announced Monday that it was investing $25 million into Lyft to help the ride-hailing business expand and develop technologies. As part of the investment, Jaguar Land Rover agreed to supply a fleet of its vehicles.

The investment is from InMotion Ventures, a unit of Jaguar Land Rover that focuses on autonomous cars and other technology.

The collaboration will provide a "real-world platform helping us develop our connected and autonomous services," InMotion Managing Director Sebastian Peck said.

InMotion earlier invested in SPLT, a Detroit-based digital carpool business. SPLT works with Lyft to provide non-emergency medical transport.

Lyft announced earlier this month that it was forming a research partnership with self-driving startup nuTonomy. The companies plan to look at how passengers book and route a self-driving car and how they interact with it.

San Francisco-based Lyft operates in 300 cities. It has also partnered with General Motors to research autonomous ride-hailing.
A Delaware man has reached a settlement with the federal government that will return to him thousands of dollars confiscated at the Galesburg Amtrak station.

Police seized $15,400 from Scott D. Vickers, of Delaware, on Oct. 11, 2014, at the Galesburg Amtrak station, according to federal court records. Police alleged the money was related to drug trafficking and that a police dog identified traces of illegal drugs on the money. Federal authorities were attempting to keep the money through a civil forfeiture.

Mr. Vickers denied the money was related to drugs, according to records. He contended it was his savings and argued he was going to use it during a trip to visit a friend in Colorado and to gamble in Nevada.

In a settlement filed Friday in federal court it was stated Mr. Vickers would get $9,000 returned to him, while the rest would be forfeited to the federal government.

In an unrelated forfeiture case, federal authorities also were trying to keep $11,500 confiscated from Sergio R. Nino, of Moline, in 2015 as he also attempted to travel through the Galesburg station.

Police again alleged in this case that the money was related to drug trafficking, while Mr. Nino said the money was to be used to buy property in Colorado, according to records.

That case was pending, with a status hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
As temperatures heat up this week, cooling centers will open around the Quad-Cities to serve people who don't have air conditioning in their homes.

If you have information about a center to add to this list, email it to press@qconline.com.

CHRISTIAN CARE

Christian Care, 2209 3rd Ave., Rock Island, will open its doors as an emergency cooling center when temperatures are 90 degrees or higher. Visitors are welcome between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Christian Care provides safe shelter, food, clothing, personal hygiene items, counseling and community referrals to residents and other individuals in need. If you know of someone in need, call 309-788-2273.

SOUTH ROCK ISLAND TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL

The South Rock Island Township Town Hall at 1019 27th Ave., Rock Island, will open its doors as a cooling center from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on hot summer days.

Visitors may watch television, read, or play cards or a board game. Those who knit, crochet or need to catch up on their favorite hobby like scrapbooking or filling photo albums can do so in a relaxed atmosphere. Residents may bring snacks and drinks, and the township has a refrigerator and microwave available, along with coffee and tea.

ROCK ISLAND TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL

Rock Island Townships Town Hall Cooling Center will be open from 8 a.m. to about 6:15 p.m. weekdays at 2827 7th Ave., Rock Island.

Tables and chairs are available. Attendees also are invited to stay for the St. Joseph Evening Meal, a ministry of St. Pius X Catholic Church that begins at 5:30 p.m.

The Town Hall will be closed on weekends.

TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT

Each year in the United States, as many as 400 deaths are attributed to excessive natural heat. Many of the deaths are preventable.

Genesis Medical Center emergency physician David Dierks, D.O., offers these tips to avoid being a victim of the heat:

 Stay out of the heat when possible. The young and old are particularly vulnerable. People with other chronic conditions, such as heart disease, mental-health conditions, asthma and high blood pressure, are at higher risk for heat illnesses.

 Make certain you dont leave small children or pets in a vehicle. Temperatures can rise quickly to fatal ranges. One tip is to put something vital to your day in the back seat with a child, such as a phone, a shoe or work materials, to remind you of the child's presence.

 If you dont have air conditioning in your home, visit friends or relatives, or go to a cool public place. You are welcome to visit the Genesis Medical Center campuses for relief.

 Eat smaller meals, but eat more frequently.

 Check on elderly and sick friends, neighbors and relatives several times a day during a hot spell. Invite them to your home if you are concerned about their safety.

 Drink plenty of water, particularly when exercising or working outdoors. One guideline is 8 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of outdoor activity.

 When possible, complete outdoor work either early in the day or late in the day.

 If you go out to walk, jog or bike, take a "buddy" so that if you get into trouble, help is close by.

 Avoid alcohol and caffeine drinks. Both act as diuretics and speed up the loss of fluid.

 Make sure children take breaks from outdoor activity. Take a break from outside activity during the hottest part of the day to play games, or watch a movie together inside.

 Take care of your skin if you are outdoors. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and wear a wide-brimmed hat. Reapply sunscreen frequently, especially if you are swimming.

 Seek shade or air conditioning if you begin to feel dizzy or nauseous.

 Seek medical treatment immediately if you are disoriented, have a high body temperature, are vomiting, or have stopped perspiring.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature may be normal, or is likely to be rising.

Symptoms of heat stroke include hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be 105 degrees F or higher. If the person was sweating from heavy work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry.
CAF is leading a consortium including Thales, Isolux- Corsan and AZVI, which was awarded a 690m contract in December 2014 to equip the 57.7km standard-gauge line. CAF is supplying a fleet of 30 five-car trains, the first of which arrived in Mexico in January.

The six-station line, which is due to open next April, is forecast to carry around 230,000 passengers a day and will offer a 39-minute journey time between Zinacantepec and an interchange with the Mexico City metro at Observatorio.
The initial tranche is worth 56.3m and comprises 24 vehicles for the West Flanders coastal line linking Knokke, Ostend and De Panne, with deliveries due to begin in mid-2019. The total value of the order could reach 295m if all six remaining options are exercised, although this is subject to financing from the Flemish government.

According to the tender, which was issued in March 2014, De Lijn requires 62 LRVs for the West Flanders coastal line linking Knokke, Ostend and De Panne, including five vehicles for a proposed extension to Veurne. Antwerp will receive 66 LRVs and Ghent 18 units.

De Lijn says price was a crucial factor in its decision because of the qualitative similarity of the bids submitted by the two suppliers.

The decision not to award the contract to Bombardier was considered controversial due to the uncertainty over the future of the companys Bruges plant. CAF plans to build the vehicles in Spain while Bombardier proposed production at sites in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic with final assembly taking place at Bruges.

De Lijn says it has re-evaluated the bids and thoroughly vetted the total cost of ownership. This includes purchase price, maintenance and operating costs. Taking these factors into account, CAFs offer was 5% or 25m lower than its competitors bid.

In order to avoid taking any chances, we have completely redone our homework and asked for second opinions, says De Lijn director general Mr Roger Kesteloot. Postponing our decision has created opportunities for a possible collaboration between Bombardier and CAF.

De Lijn is seeking trade cooperation between the two suppliers and has also confirmed it will award Bombardier a 23m contract to rebuild 53 Antwerp Ermine LRVs for multiple operation. This work, which is due to be completed in 2020, will be carried out at Bruges with the support of Siemens Belgium and includes an option for the conversion of up to 31 additional vehicles.

The contract is due to be signed with CAF following a two-week standstill period.
As part of the Subway Library celebration, a specially wrapped Library Train is in operation running alternatively on Lines E and F through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The trains interior has been decorated with vinyls to replicate the New York Public Librarys main reading room.

MTA customers can access the Subway Library by connecting to the free TransitWirelessWiFi through their network settings, and clicking on the SubwayLibrary.com prompt to start reading from a large selection of titles.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) on June 12 hosted a briefing featuring U.S. public transit executives who expressed their deep concerns regarding the Trump Administrations FY18 budget proposal to phase out the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Improvement Grant (CIG) program.

Cuts to the CIG program would put public transit projects and the thousands of associated direct and indirect jobs at risk in more than 50 communities, APTA said. The Economic Implications of Proposed Public Transit Capital Funding Cuts (downloadable at the link below) stated that 800,000 jobs would be at risk, and there would be a possible loss of $90 billion in economic output nationally if this proposal was implemented.

I must emphasize that APTA and its 1,500 members are very concerned about the Trump Administrations FY18 budget proposal to phase out federal investment of public transit programs that are vital to our local communities and millions of Americans, said Doran J. Barnes, APTA Chair and Executive Director, Foothill Transit. The Administrations proposed cuts to public transit impact more than 50 projects in 23 states worth $38 billion in planned projects.

Those cuts, said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White, are wholly inconsistent with the Administrations [purported policy] to improve our nations infrastructure. [They are] contrary to the 35-year federal partnership that was created under the Reagan Administration, which has led to a rail renaissance that has transformed our nations communities.

Noting that Congress reaffirmed this federal responsibility when it authorized $2.3 billion annually, through 2020, for the CIG program in the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, White said, The federal government is an essential and critical funding partner for public transportation capital projects that help to create prosperous communities. Currently, the federal government covers 43% of all capital spending for public transit.

APTA points to a complete FTA list of the more than 50 CIG public transit projects in 23 states that could be at risk if they dont have Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs), and also noted that all projects without FFGA status are at risk. APTA also released an infographic of U.S. rail manufacturing jobs, downloadable at the link below.

In November 2016, when Trump was elected President, communities nationwide approved nearly $200 billion in local and state ballot measures for public transportation, White said. Voters approved these local funds with the expectation that they would be matched with federal funds for implementing capital projects. Now it is time for the federal government to step up and match the local and state funds for transit projects that have been approved by the voters. It takes investment from all levels of government and the private sector to improve our public transit systems and enhance the communities they serve.

APTA calls on the Trump Administration and Congress to reject these cuts and reaffirm its support for these programs as part of the FY18 budget process. In addition, APTA calls on Congress to include increased investments in public transportation as part of any new infrastructure initiative.

Six public transportation executives also issued statements:

 Peter Rogoff, CEO, Sound Transit, Seattle: Continued strong federal partnership will be instrumental to completing voter-approved projects, giving our commuters the choice to escape ever-worsening congestion. The voters of Puget Sound have already voted to tax themselves for the local share to make these projects happen. They now have the right to expect a reasonable return on their federal taxes.

 Nuria Fernandez, General Manager/CEO, Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose: The federal government has been an important partner for transportation infrastructure. The voters of Silicon Valley approved a new local tax on themselves with the expectation that the federal government will, once again, maintain the support it has always provided.

 John D. Porcari, Interim Executive Director, Gateway Program (New York-N.J. Northeast Corridor improvements): The Gateway Program is the most urgent infrastructure project in America. Ten percent of the nations gross domestic product relies upon single points of failure in a 106-year old bridge and tunnel. There is no time to waste in advancing this crucial project.

 Mark Fuhrmann, Deputy General Manager, Metro Transit, Minneapolis: Without the CIG program to match the nearly $1.6 billion in local funding already committed, the Green Line and Blue Line extension projects would not move forward. The CIG program must continue for a successful build-out of the Twin Cities METRO system to realize the regions transit vision, improve access to employment and activity centers, and provide jobs for the forecasted 14,000 construction workers who bring home paychecks to Main Street USA to support their families and local businesses.

 Gary Thomas, President/Executive Director, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas: Sustainable, predictable and substantial federal funding is essential if transit agencies like DART are going to be able to continue providing effective mobility choices for our customers. Our customers and stakeholders are ready for our projects to get going so they can begin taking full advantage in their investment in mobility.

 Sharon Greene, Senior Vice President and Global Head  Finance Practice, HDR: The impact of the Administration budget cuts would lead to a loss of jobs in small communities across the country. Additionally, while public/private partnerships are an important financing tool, they cannot replace the federal funding that is needed for Americas public transit infrastructure projects.
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Ukraine asks U.S. court to postpone execution of ruling in favor of Russias Tatneft

MOSCOW, June 13 (RAPSI)  Ukraine has filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to set aside the recognition and enforcement of the ruling issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the award of $112 million in favor of Russias Tatneft oil company.

According to the document obtained by RAPSI, lawyers of the Ukrainian authorities ask the U.S. court to postpone the ruling recognition until the completion of the setting aside proceeding at the seat of arbitration in Paris, France, expectedly in July 2018. Ukraine has turned to the French national courts trying to appeal the arbitration award.

Tatneft, based in Russias Republic of Tatarstan, claimed forcible takeover of Ukrtatnafta and seizure of its shares. In May 2008, the company took its case to a tribunal administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

In the summer of 2014, the tribunal ruled that Ukraine had broken the bilateral investment treaty with Russia and awarded compensation of $112 million plus interest over the Ukraine's Kremenchug oil refinery (Ukrtatnafta).

Ukraines authorities have challenged the ruling, but the Court of Appeal of Paris dismissed the appeal in November 2016.

In March 2017, the Russian company filed a motion with the U.S. court seeking to confirm arbitral award and enter the judgment in its favor. According to Tatneft, the amount of debt plus interest reached $144 million.

Later, Tatneft filed similar motions with the High Court in London and the Moscow Commercial Court.
MOSCOW, June 13 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - Yaroslav Belousov, who was convicted of participation in Moscow's 2012 Bolotnaya riots, has filed a motion with the Supreme Court seeking to revoke his sentence, his attorney Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI on Tuesday.

According to the lawyer, the petition was lodged based on the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

In March, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights dismissed an application filed by Russia seeking to review the case of Belousov. Therefore, the ECHR ruling on two Belousovs complaints has taken effect.

Belousov has a right to seek for vacation of his judgment in Russias Supreme Court, Agranovsky told RAPSI earlier.

In October 2016, ECHR awarded 12,500 in compensation to Belousov. The court held that four articles of the European Convention on Human Rights including Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association), had been violated by Russian authorities in his case.

Public protests erupted on Bolotnaya Square in May 2012. The rally culminated in clashes between protesters and the police. Over 400 people were arrested and scores were injured when protesters briefly broke through police lines.

Belousov, a student of the Moscow State University, was arrested in June 2012, charged with participation in mass disorder and using violence against officials and put in detention. He claimed that mass disorder had not taken place, insisting that there had only been isolated clashes between protestors and police. He also maintained that the object he had thrown struck nobody.

Belousov spent over 20 months in pretrial detention. His motions to vary the preventive measure have been repeatedly dismissed by court.

In February 2014, Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Court found Belousov guilty along with seven other opposition activists and sentenced him to 30 months in prison. Later, his prison term was reduced to 27 months. He was released on September 8, 2014.

In December 2012, Belousov lodged the first application with ECHR. The second complaint was brought into the court in September 2014.
U.S. court sentences Russian national to three years in prison for cyber fraud

MOSCOW, June 13 (RAPSI)  A U.S. court has sentenced Timur Safin, one of four defendants in cyber fraud case, to three years in prison and obliged him to pay victims $250,000 in compensation, the documents obtained by RAPSI read on Tuesday.

A prosecutor in the case asked the United States District Court for Central District of California to sentence the defendant to four years, while the defense asked for 2.5 years. Safins lawyers said that this is the first breach of the law by his client and that he may be deported to Russia after serving his time despite having a legally obtained permanent residence in the United States. Safin has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and use of unauthorized access device.

The criminal case reached the court in April 2016. Other defendants are Russian nationals Irina Fedoseyeva, Dmitry Fedoseyev, Christina Gerasimova and Belorussian national Sergey Patapau.

The indictment reads that Safin, Fedoseyev, Fedoseyeva and Patapau fraudulently got access credit cards with limit of up to $5,000,000 and used those to obtain luxurious products for later resale or exchange.

During the searches, law enforcement officers found hundreds of fake credit cards and equipment for their production as well as personal data of legal bank accounts owners used for production of credit cards. The U.S. Ministry of Justice estimates damage caused by fraud from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000.
Of course, Cerro Gordo County Republican Chairwoman Barb Hovland was going to give negative remarks about James Comey even though he was being honest. Sad to think that she would consider her boy Trump as being honest and perfect, but that's what Republicans do, lie.
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Former director of national intelligence James Clapper issued a blunt warning recently that President Trump is waging war on major U.S. institutions. Clapper is a top intelligence official and was Obama's director of national intelligence for six years. He has said that our institutions are under assault both externally, as with Russian interference in our elections, and internally from our own president, Donald Trump.

Trump has lashed out at a series of our national institutions and norms such as the free press and media ("fake news"), the electoral system, the intelligence community (FBI, CIA), longstanding rules of congress, the judiciary (barred his Muslim immigration ban), and has showed no qualms about attacking any thing that stands in his way.

It is clear that Trump would like to be a dictator, or consolidate power within the office of president, and he tries to damage the credibility and faith in these institutions. The press and intelligence community take the responsibility of seeking the truth and providing objective facts on which policy decisions are made. Trump argues they are too compromised, and the truth comes only from him. It is obvious that Trump has not said a disparaging word about Putin and other dictators and has even praised him, not to mention many of Trump's staff have had Russian contacts before and after the election.

And that brings us to the James Comey/FBI investigation of Trump and his associates and Russia. I watched the Senate hearing. There is more that we don't know than we know, but that will come out during the Senate and special prosecutor investigations. I had some issues with Comey over the presidential election, but I think he did what he thought was right. Trump is a proven liar, and you can never believe what he says. I'll believe Comey.

Steve Epperly, Mason City
'Somehow, I don't see the Modi government shutting down Air India.'

'So, Mallya may prove to be luckier than the government; at least his financial clock has stopped ticking,' says T N Ninan.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Which is the bigger scandal, Air India or Kingfisher?

In purely financial terms, that is a no-brainer.

Air India has sunk much more money, and will create a bigger hole in the books of lender banks than its erstwhile private sector competitor.

According to the airline's balance sheet of three years ago (the latest available), the government had pumped in Rs 14,345 crore (Rs 143.45 billion) as share capital, while the airline had borrowed Rs 49,869 crore (Rs 498.69 billion).

The total funds deployed: Rs 64,214 crore (Rs 642.14 billion) -- for a business with revenue then of Rs 19,000 crore (Rs 190 billion)!

The numbers have changed somewhat since, but not by much; the picture remains one of excessive debt and lack of viability.

More than half the debt is said to be on account of working capital, but what kind of business needs working capital that is more than its annual turnover?

In any case, much of the non-aircraft-related debt is not covered by assets as security (company real estate falls far short in value), and so cannot be recovered.

Meanwhile, the accumulated losses are more than Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion).

Kingfisher pales in comparison.

It was suggested to the banks that they convert some of the loans into equity.

Having burnt their fingers in a controversial conversion deal with Kingfisher, they have wisely nixed the idea.

Then the government embarked on one of its periodic 'rescue' packages, for Rs 30,000 crore.

Let's put these numbers in perspective.

The combined debt of IndiGo, Jet and SpiceJet (which between them fly five times as many domestic passengers as Air India) is barely half of Air India's.

Putting aside prosperous IndiGo, the enterprise value (equity plus debt) of Jet and SpiceJet taken together is about Rs 30,000 crores.

So what was the government thinking when it embarked on fresh financing for Air India of Rs 30,000 crore?

Did it really hope to get the money back, or was this the soft Socialist State at play with public money?

Three years into the rescue effort, the answer to that question has become blindingly obvious to even the government.

At long last it sees no percentage in throwing more good money after bad.

Privatisation has suddenly become an acceptable proposition.

But who will buy a bankrupt and unviable airline?

The government will have to pay someone to take the business off its hands -- pay the buyer something like Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion).

Unthinkable, what?

So the same idea has been dressed up differently, as a debt write-off before privatisation.

Banks, other lenders and/or the government will have to take a hit of about Rs 20,000 crore.

But, say the leftists and trade unions, if you are prepared to write off Rs 20,000 crore in order to privatise, why not write that off and keep Air India in the public sector?

With reduced debt, the airline may be a going proposition again!

But debt is not the airline's only problem.

The private airlines have employee cost that is about 10 per cent of revenue; Air India's figure is 15 per cent.

In a razor thin-margin aviation business, such a cost difference is a killer.

Anyone buying the airline will have to figure out a way to slash costs.

It won't be easy, given the near-certainty of employee resistance.

So the civil aviation minister recognises, sensibly, that in the end he may not find a buyer.

In other words, it may be too late in the day to privatise.

If you don't want to run Air India as a sarkari airline, and can't privatise, the only option is to shut it down.

Financially, that may make the most sense because the company can encash its landing and parking rights as well as its international route rights -- all of them valuable in a booming aviation market.

There will still be a net loss to write off, but less than otherwise.

Somehow, though, I don't see the Modi government shutting down Air India.

So, in the end, Mr Mallya may prove to be luckier than the government; at least his financial clock has stopped ticking.
The government will soon clear the US retail giant Amazon's proposed USD 500 million investment in retail of food products in India, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Tuesday.

"There was some delay due to abolition of the FIPB. It (Amazon's proposal) will soon be cleared," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi.

With the abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), Amazon's proposal will now be vetted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the commerce ministry.

Badal said that more investment in the food processing sector was the need of the hour to reduce the huge wastage during post harvesting and transportation.

Despite India being the world's largest producer of vegetables and fruits, the processing level is very low at 10 per cent, she said, adding that foreign investment will bring new technologies, products, processes and markets.

The government had received investment proposals from three companies -- Amazon, Grofers and Big Basket -- worth USD 695 million for retail of food products.

While US-based retail giant Amazon is one of the major e-commerce players in India, Grofers and Big Basket are into online grocery space. Amazon has proposed to invest around USD 500 million in retail of food products.

The government last year allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) through approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured and produced in India.

In 2016-17 (April-December), the food processing sector in the country received FDI of USD 663.23 million.

The Union Cabinet last month decided to wind up the 25-year-old FIPB, which had been vetting FDI proposals requiring government approval, to expedite the clearance process.

Under the new mechanism, the proposals will be approved by the ministries concerned as per the standard operating procedure approved by the Union Cabinet.

Image used for representational purpose only.
While TCS will gain from Intel's hardware know-how, the partnership will ensure that the latter company's chips sell better

India's largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will collaborate with chipmaker Intel to design a reference architecture that could be used for rolling out Internet of things (IoT), cloud, 5G and AI by its customers.

The partnership will also see both companies jointly investing in Centres of Excellences (CoEs) across India and the US to provide industry specific solutions for optimising cost and improving productivity.

"The collaboration allows us to offer advanced ready-to-use solutions and reference architectures across the network, cloud and client. The CoEs will also provide on-the-ground solution testing, verification and development support for customers in the US and India," said Intel Sales and Marketing VP Shannon Poulin.

While TCS will gain from Intel's hardware know-how, the partnership will ensure that the latter company's chips sell better in systems that are used by large enterprises.

They will also design cloud-ready network design to help businesses build agile and cost effective infrastructure through software-defined networking, software-defined infrastructure and NFV.

Intel had announced last month that it will collaborate with industries and academia across India to push AI and complementary technologies such as IoT and Big Data to the masses.

The announcement comes a week after Intel's long-time partner Microsoft announced that it will work with Qualcomm to build Snapdragon powered PCs.

TCS already has one centre for excellence for IoT research in its Hyderabad campus which was done in partnership with Intel.

Photograph: Reuters
Sydney, Australia, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heron Resources Limited (ASX:HRR TSX:HER, Heron or the Company) is pleased to provide an exploration update from the drilling program recently commenced at its wholly-owned Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project, located 250km south-west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

4,300m drilling program targets shallow resource expansion adjacent to the early decline route for the planned underground mine at Woodlawn

Multiple mineralised intercepts including (WNDD0114): 6.7m of massive zinc, copper and lead sulphides from 150.7m  main G2 Lens 3.1m of massive zinc, copper and lead sulphides from 109.0m  G2 Hanging Wall Lens

Drill holes have provided intercepts in both the hanging wall zone (G2HW) and the main G2 Lens

The drilling program of approximately 4,300m is targeting an expansion of the shallow resource at the newly identified G2 Lens. The program has progressed well returning a number of mineralised intercepts: the core from the initial holes is in the process of being cut and assayed.

Commenting on these latest results, Heron Resources Managing Director and CEO, Mr Wayne Taylor, said:

Whilst the G2 drilling program is continuing, the visual results from the holes to date reinforce the high quality nature of the Woodlawn mineralisation. The delineation of the G2 and G2 Hanging Wall Lenses demonstrate Herons continued success in identifying significant new positions with targeted drilling. This shallow location is expected to have a positive impact on early cash flows with this area being currently outside the existing mine plan and financial modelling.

G2 Lens Drilling

The G2 Lens is located to the south of the Kate Lens, and is adjacent to the planned route of the decline, 100-200m below the surface. Recent drilling has targeted this area for its ability to add to the early mine inventory. A program of approximately 4,300m of diamond core drilling commenced in early May to define and expand the shallow resource base. To date nine holes for 1,512m have been drilled with several holes intersecting both the hanging wall zone (G2HW) and the main G2 Lens which consists of high-grade zinc-sulphide stringers. Of particular note is drill hole WNDD0114, which intercepted:

6.7m of massive and semi massive sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena from 150.7m  main G2 Lens

3.1m of massive sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena from 109.0m  G2 Hanging Wall Lens

This rich massive sulphide zone (Figures 1 and 2) is interpreted as an annealing of the sulphide stringers within the lens, probably along a structural position, and improves the overall potential of the lens to provide a higher-grade production source of greater widths. In addition, the 3.1m wide intercept in the hanging wall position is currently outside the mine plan and provides an expansion of this zone. Note that the base-metal richness of this zone is based on visual estimations with some point source hand-held Niton XRF results, and assays are currently pending.

Drill holes located near and around WNDD0114 have intersected more typical G2 zinc stringer mineralisation which continues to help define the limits of this zone, including:

WNDD0112:

3.9m of zinc stringer sulphides from 117.6m (G2 Hanging Wall Lens (G2HW))

WNDD0113:

3.6m of zinc stringer sulphides from 155.4m (G2 Lens main)

8.8m of semi-massive pyrite and copper sulphides from 178.1m (G2 Lens main - footwall chlorite zone)

WNDD0118:

5.8m of stringer and massive zinc and other sulphides from 113.8m (G2 Lens main)

10.8m of stringers zinc and other sulphides from 124m (G2 Lens main  footwall chlorite zone)

WNDD0120

5.0m of zinc sulphide stringers from 105m (G2 Lens main)

11.0m of blebby and stringer zinc sulphides in chlorite alteration from 121m (G2 Lens main  footwall chlorite zone)

http://www.heronresources.com/tsximages/20170613/20170613_Fig1a.jpg



http://www.heronresources.com/tsximages/20170613/20170613_Fig1b.jpg

Figure 1: Part of the rich zone of mineralisation intersected in WNDD0114 within the main G2 Lens. Dark red and tan sulphides are sphalerite (SP), golden yellow is chalcopyrite (CP) and silver is galena (GN). Some pyrite is present (darker yellow); however, the visual estimation over this zone suggests it is some of the richest base-metal sulphides encountered in recent drilling at Woodlawn. The relatively coarse nature of the sulphide grains is also encouraging as it may allow for improved metallurgical recoveries. Upper photo shows detail of the sulphides in the second run of the core tray and lower photo shows full core tray. Blue numbers refer to metres down the hole. The high angle of core axis to the dominant foliation indicates this is close to a true width intersection. Up-hole direction is to the left in each tray.

Forward Program

The drilling program into the G2 Lens will continue over the coming weeks and a limited geotechnical program will commence in parallel in mid-June. Assay results for the initial drilling are expected in about 4 weeks.

Figure 2: G2 Lens cross-section showing location of WNDD0114 in relation to previous drilling. Refer to March 2017 quarterly report for additional information on the previous drilling.

http://www.heronresources.com/tsximages/20170613/20170613_Fig2.jpg

About Heron Resources Limited:

Herons primary focus is the development of its 100% owned, high grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In addition, the Company holds a significant high quality, gold and base metal tenement holding in central and eastern New South Wales.

Compliance Statement (JORC 2012 and NI43-101)

The technical information in this report relating to the exploration results is based on information compiled by Mr. David von Perger, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Chartered Professional  Geology). Mr. von Perger is a full time employee of Heron Resources Limited and has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results and qualified person as this term is defined in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. von Perger has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This report contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this report. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this report is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this report.



Appendix 1

Drill hole details for diamond drill holes completed as part of the Phase IV drill campaign.

Hole No. WMG

East (m) WMG

North (m) WMG

RL (m) Surface

Dip WMG Surface

Azimuth EOH

Depth (m) Target WNDD0112 9173 19204 2795 -77 88 180.7 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0113 9173 19204 2795 -69 92 203.2 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0114 9173 19204 2795 -65 108 182.7 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0115 9173 19204 2795 -77 116 161.1 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0116 9173 19204 2795 -70 122 167.7 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0117 9150 19222 2795 -75 95 185.8 G2HW and G2 Lenses WNDD0118 9212 19178 2795 -66 88 142.6 G2 Lens extension WNDD0119 9212 19178 2795 -56 92 146.6 G2 Lens extension WNDD0120 9212 19178 2795 -61 106 143.6 G2 Lens extension

Notes: WMG = Woodlawn Mine Grid

Assays results for diamond drill holes completed as part of the Phase IV drill campaign.

Assay results are currently pending

Zinc equivalent calculation

The zinc equivalent ZnEq calculation takes into account, mining costs, milling costs, recoveries, payability (including transport and refining charges) and metal prices in generating a Zinc equivalent value for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb and Zn. ZnEq = Zn%+Cu%*3.12+Pb%*0.81+*Au g/t*0.86+Ag g/t*0.03. Metal prices used in the calculation are: Zn US$2,300/t, Pb US$ 2,050/t, Cu US$6,600/t, Au US$1,250/oz and Ag US$18/oz. It is Herons view that all the metals within this formula are expected to be recovered and sold.

JORC 2012 Table 1

Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data

(Criteria in this section applies to all succeeding sections)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. Samples from the diamond-core holes are being taken from HQ3 sized core and sampled on a nominal 1 metre basis taking into account smaller sample intervals up to geological contacts. The core is cut in along the core orientation line (where available). Generally in massive sulphide zones one portion is quartered for assaying, half the core is preserved for metallurgical testing and the remaining quarter is retained as reference material in the core trays. In non-massive sulphide material half core is sampled. These sampling methods are standard industry methods and are believed to provide acceptably representative samples for the type of mineralisation encountered. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details. Diamond-core drilling is being undertaken by Sandvik DE710 rigs with mostly HQ3 sized core being drilled. Various techniques are employed to ensure the hole is kept within limits of the planned position. The core is laid out in standard plastic cores trays. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. The core is transported to an enclosed core logging area and recoveries are recorded. Recoveries to date have been better than 95%. The core is orientated where possible and marked with 1 metre downhole intervals for logging and sampling. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. The diamond core is geologically logged by qualified geologists. Geotechnical logging is also being undertaken on selected sections of the core. Samples for metallurgical testing are being kept in a freezer to reduce oxidation prior to being transported to the metallurgical laboratory. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. All core samples are crushed then pulverised in a ring pulveriser (LM5) to a nominal 90% passing 75 micron. An approximately 250g pulp sub-sample is taken from the large sample and residual material stored. A quartz flush (approximately 0.5 kilogram of white, medium-grained sand) is put through the LM5 pulveriser prior to each new batch of samples. A number of quartz flushes are also put through the pulveriser after each massive sulphide sample to ensure the bowl is clean prior to the next sample being processed. A selection of this pulverised quartz flush material is then analysed and reported by the lab to gauge the potential level of contamination that may be carried through from one sample to the next. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Sample preparation and assaying is being conducted through ALS Laboratories, Orange, NSW with certain final analysis of pulps being undertaken at the ALS Laboratory in Brisbane QLD. Gold is determined by 30g fire assay fusion with ICP-AES analysis to 1ppb LLD. Other elements by mixed acid digestion followed by ICP-AES analysis. Laboratory quality control standards (blanks, standards and duplicates) are inserted at a rate of 5 per 35 samples for ICP work. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. An internal review of results was undertaken by Company personnel. No independent verification was undertaken at this stage. All field and laboratory data has been entered into an industry standard database (DataShed) using a contract database administrator (DBA) in the Companys Perth office. Validation of both the field and laboratory data is undertaken prior to final acceptance and reporting of the data. Quality control samples from both the Company and the Laboratory are assessed by the DBA and reported to the Company geologists for verification. All assay data must pass this data verification and quality control process before being reported. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. The drill collars were initially located with a combination of handheld GPS and licenced surveyor using a DGPS system, with accuracy of about 1m. The final drill collars are picked up by a licenced surveyor with accuracy to 1 centimetre. While drilling is being undertaken, downhole surveys are conducted using a downhole survey tool that records the magnetic azimuth and dip of the hole. These recordings are taken approximately every 30 metres downhole. As a check, certain holes are also being surveyed with gyroscopic methods, with some 10 percent of holes drilled in the current program also surveyed by this method after drilling has been completed. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. The diamond drilling is mostly following-up in various directions from previous intercepts with a nominal spacing in the range 20-40m. This drill hole spacing will be sufficient to provide Mineral Resource estimates in the future. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. The drilling orientation is designed to intersect the mineralised lenses at a close to perpendicular angle. The mineralised lenses are dipping at approximately 50-70 degrees to the west and the drilling is approximately at 60 degrees to the east. This will vary from hole to hole. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. The cut core samples are secured in green plastic bags and are being transported to the ALS laboratory in Orange, NSW via a courier service or with Company personnel/contractors. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. A review and assessment of the laboratory procedures was under taken by Company personnel in late 2014 resulting in some changes to their sample pulverising procedure.

Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)
Under GST, the small and medium industries would have to handle things on their own, says V S Krishnan.

The series of GST Council meetings have demonstrated both pragmatism and flexibility of the government to solve problems as they come along. Continuing in the same spirit, the meeting of the GST Council on June 11, addressed a number of rate issues where representations were received from trade and industry.

The government was receptive in sectors with considerable employment potential. For example, the Centre reduced the GST rate from 18 per cent to 5 per cent on job work services relating to gems and jewellery, leather and textiles sector.

It was felt that a lot of the value addition in the sector is carried out by workers in their own homes or in small outsourced premises.

Similarly, rates fixed for processed foods such as ketchup, jam etc. have been brought down to give a fillip to the food processing industry. This is again an industry with considerable employment potential.

India processes only 5 per cent of its horticultural produce in comparison to 70 per cent by countries like Brazil. By reducing the duties, it is expected that the lower price points may help expand the market and create a favourable ecosystem for foreign investment in the food processing sector.

In the meeting, the Council also addressed the issue of the inverted duty structure in a number of sectors. For example, the tractor industry, subject to 28 per cent duty on the components against 12 per cent on tractors, would have faced accumulation of credit, creating a cost escalation in the manufacturing.

To address this problem, the Council has reduced the GST rate on clearly identifiable tractor components from 28 per cent to 12 per cent. Similarly, in the pharmaceutical industry, the duty rates for certain inputs have been brought down.

The government has also responded to wide clamour of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reduce their compliance burden in the GST regime.

In response, the government has expanded the turnover range for imposition of flat composition rate without input duty credit from a turnover between Rs 20 lakh-Rs 50 lakh to turnover range of Rs 20 lakh-Rs 75 lakh.

This will benefit a large number of SMEs. These will now have to file simple compounding return, without having to give details of invoices. The rate has been fixed at a flat rate of 1 per cent for the traders, 2 per cent for the manufacturers and 5 per cent for the restaurants.

The question really is whether the GSTN portal will be ready to receive all the returns. While the big firms have the opportunity to use the services of the GST Suvidha Providers and authorised Suvidha Providers, the SMEs would have to handle things on their own.

To help them, the GSTN has created an offline utility to which small and medium industries can upload their returns and from which the GSTN portal will convert the same into their standardised formats.

A large number of software accounting firms, such as Tally, Taxman etc., are developing software which will help small and medium firms to send their returns after filtering errors.

A large training exercise has been initiated by the GSTN to help the SMEs submit tax returns in the digital mode.

While the challenge is daunting, the past experience in implementing large projects like electronic voting and Aadhaar, offers hope.

Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters
Major Gogoi might well have saved protesters' lives by opting for a human shield to force his way through the mob. But he incalculably damaged the armys reputation, not just in Kashmir, but anywhere that video is seen, says Ajai Shukla.

It testifies to the resilience of Indian public debate that four weeks after Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi, an army officer in Kashmirs Budgam district, tied an innocent civilian to his jeep as a human shield against stone-throwing mobs, criticism continues despite official justifications.

This is an important debate.

In question here is not just an isolated incident of military misjudgment, which happens in moments of extreme stress in operations.

Instead, with the government and army establishments publicly justifying and condoning the actions of the officer, the question is more fundamental: Were Major Gogoi's actions in line with the ethos and principles that undergird the military?

From the start, government officials and the army chief himself solidly supported Major Gogoi's contention that he had no option but this extraordinary measure to safely evacuate polling officials from a voting station near Budgam.

Their lives, he argued, were threatened by a mob that had gathered to disrupt voting. To obtain clear passage through the stone-pelting mob, Major Gogoi picked up Farooq Ahmed Dar, ironically an innocent shawl-weaver who had just cast his vote in defiance of the separatist diktat.

With cellphone cameras rolling and capturing hte video of Major Gogoi's rescue convoy, which was also threatening through a loudspeaker that stone pelters would meet the same fate as Dar, the officer successfully extricated the polling officials. Dar was released, physically unhurt, after spending hours being driven around tied to the front of the jeep.

Predictably, videos of this spectacle went quickly viral on social media, painting the military as an army of occupation that cowered behind human shields.

For the army, which Kashmiri separatists routinely criticise but mostly respect as an impartial and restrained force, this was a humiliating blow to its public image.

The most compelling argument made by the diverse cast of characters that sprang to Major Gogois defence was that the officer had saved many lives. These included Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, who cut the ground out from under an army court of inquiry that is investigating Major Gogoi's conduct by summarily awarding him a commendation.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh argued in an article: 'When Major Nitin Gogoi decided (and, mind you, it could not have been anything other than a split-second decision) to use a civilian as a human shield to protect his men from a stone-pelting mob, he was simply reacting to a tough situation in a dangerous environment.'

This raises two fundamental issues.

Foremost is the worrying reality that the army is being permitted, even encouraged, by its chief to operate like a police force rather than as the military -- the last recourse of the State.

According to its own sacred regulations and operational procedures, the army shoots for effect when called in, rather than trying to save lives through measures such as firing over the heads of a crowd, far less taking hostages.

Major Gogois militarily correct course of action would have been to warn the crowd to disperse and, if it refused to obey, to open fire with due restraint. That is what is prescribed in the 'Regulations for the Army', the foundational document that every officer possesses and reads.

As it turned out, Major Gogoi might well have saved protesters' lives by opting for a human shield to force his way through the mob. But he incalculably damaged the armys reputation, not just in Kashmir, but anywhere that video is seen.

The army must introspect what constitutes greater damage: A blow to its institutional credibility and the dilution of its operational culture, or the admittedly tragic consequences of dispersing the mob with fire.

After all, where does the 'but he saved lives' argument lead to in a counter-insurgency environment? Would the army chief use the same logic if a military officer who has cornered a Kashmiri terrorist holds a gun to the head of his two-year-old daughter and orders the terrorists wife to bring her husband out to surrender? That might save lives too.

This mortifying scenario might not be so far-fetched, going by what the army chief said in an interview with PTI. General Rawat declared: "This [Kashmir] is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations."

Is this now government policy?

Does the armys counter-insurgency challenge in Kashmir require it to function less like an army and more like a police or intelligence organisation? Is that what was intended when the government chose General Rawat over two more senior officers from the mechanised forces to become chief?

In 'off the record' briefings, army spokespersons explained at that time that General Rawat had been made chief because of his longer experience in Kashmir. Does 'longer experience' translate into gaining tactical results through un-military ruses and devices, even if they incurred strategic, political and public perception costs that far outweighed the benefits obtained?

The army has successfully dealt with insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam and Manipur without sacrificing its fundamental character as a war-fighting army that abides by principles of honour and creed. It did this, too, in the first two decades of combating the Kashmir separatist insurgency, successfully creating a sanitised security environment in which New Delhi could have (but did not) initiated political processes to craft a settlement.

Since 2009, however, when the centre of gravity of the Kashmir agitation shifted from armed militancy to intifada-style unarmed public protests, the army has struggled to deal with a new and infinitely more challenging security environment. This was starkly clear from General Rawats interview with PTI, where he stated: "I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)."

This, however, is wishful thinking from a bygone era.

The army will increasingly have to do what it least wants to -- confronting unarmed, rock-throwing, violent public protests. Its key challenge will be to do so without diluting its foundational warrior ethos with self-serving, and eventually self-destructive rationales about the need to 'fight a dirty war with innovation'.

Complicating the army's task is the pressure it faces to compensate for political failure.

As Lieutenant General D S Hooda, one of the armys most thoughtful commanders in recent times, noted in the context of the Major Gogoi incident: "There will be political influences, it is in the nature of democracies, and pressure from public opinion. But the military ethic must stand on its principles and values. As the environment in Kashmir grows more vicious, this will require all our focus."
Why does Punjab's CM find it hard to fulfill poll promises?

Sahil Makkar finds out.

Captain Amarinder Singh has barely anything to showcase since he took over as Punjab chief minister on March 16.

He is finding it hard to fulfil the raft of poll promises his party had made before the state assembly elections.

This is mainly on account of burgeoning state debt, revenue deficit and promises made that are impossible to keep.

For instance, Singh's key promise of ending drug menace in the first four weeks has fallen flat.

Though the special task force, which was set up by Singh soon after forming the government, has arrested around 1,400 people in the state, it is yet to catch the big fish.

Worse, allegations have been labelled against certain members of the task force for allegedly running drug cartels in cahoots with the traffickers.

The chief minister's office, however, claims that their concerted campaign against the drug mafia has yielded positive results.

'A major achievement of the government is its success in breaking the backbone of the drug dealers and peddlers, who have been on the run since the government announced its anti-drugs crackdown within days of taking over the state's reins,' Singh's office said in an email statement.

'The spiralling prices of drugs are a clear indication of the scarcity of drugs triggered by the spate of arrests and seizures secured by the STF, with the support of other agencies,' the statement added.

Though it would be unfair to judge Singh's performance in the first eight weeks, his perception as chief minister has taken a beating when compared to his counterpart Yogi Adityanath, who was elected as Uttar Pradesh chief minister around the same time.

Adityanath's cabinet waived crop loans of up to Rs 1 lakh for about 21.5 million small and marginal farmers soon after coming to power.

The total waiver by the UP government amounted to Rs 36,359 crore (Rs 363.59 billion).

Singh had made a similar promise of waiving farm loans of small and marginal farmers in Punjab, but his government is learnt to be waiting for financial assistance from the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre.

'We will have to do it in phases. We have five years to go. We never said, ayundian saar aseen sab kucch khatam kar deyange (debts will be waived at the outset),' Singh told a newspaper in a recent interview.

Punjab's total farm debt is believed to be around Rs 80,000 crore (Rs 800 billion), which includes Rs 12,500 crore (Rs 125 billion) from the cooperative banks under the state government.

The problem with this government is that it does not have any fiscal cushion to write off the loans.

The previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government had left them a debt of Rs 1.24 lakh crore (Rs 1.24 trillion).

The budget estimates of 2016-2017 showed the Punjab government had a revenue deficit of Rs 7,983 crore (Rs 79.83 billion), which consistently exceeded Rs 6,500 crore (Rs 65 billion) since 2014-2015.

'The biggest challenge faced by the government is the critical health of the state's economy, which appears to be in a bigger mess than was envisaged,' the CM's office said.

'Acute funds scarcity has emerged as a major obstacle in the path of the government's efforts to put the state back on the path of growth and development. This is leading to some delays in implementing some of the poll promises in their entirety,' it said.

Stuck in such a tight fiscal spot, it is difficult to write off farm loans.

On its part the state government has prohibited the sale of properties of defaulting farmers and agricultural labourers.

'Waiver of the loans is also on track, with the expert group set up to work out the modalities expected to submit its report soon,' Singh said in his newspaper interview.

The state government is trying to meet its expenses by reducing expenditure and raising money through auctions.

It recorded a gain of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) from the auction of sand mines -- the previous SAD-BJP government had raised only Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) from a similar auction.

The Punjab chief minister is trying to invite fresh investments by holding meetings with industrialists.

The state government believes that revival of industry would help fulfil its promise of one job for every household.

Singh said his government was 'introducing 100,000 Uber taxis this year. That will adjust 200,000 people.'

'We are also going to give permits for mini buses and regular buses that the youth will collectively operate. We don't have any government jobs to offer. We need industry to boost the job market,' he said.

On the promise of ending the VIP culture, Singh has taken a significant step by asking his ministers and legislators to remove beacons from their vehicles and surrender their personal security.

Singh, however, is yet to initiate action against former ministers and officials whom he had charged with corruption and nepotism earlier.
Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik has been booked for allegedly inciting people to set ablaze a police station, amid violent protests by farmers in Madhya Pradesh.

A video, which recently went viral, purportedly showed Khatik inciting people to set a police station ablaze.

The video was shot on June 8 when Khatik, who represents Karera assembly segment in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, was staging a protest at Karera Police Station against the killing of farmers in Mandsaur.

Karera's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anurag Sujania said the FIR was registered against Khatik, block Congress president Venus Goyal and others.

The Congress MLA and others have been booked under IPC sections pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, punishment for obscene acts or words in public and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, he said.

On June 8, Khatik was leading a protest march during which an effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was burnt. The police poured water on the effigy in a bid to douse the flames, in which the woman legislator got partially drenched.

This irked Khatik, who later sat on a protest at the police station along with her supporters and the video was shot during the sit-in.

The video showed the MLA purportedly asking her supporters to set the police station on fire.

The farmers' protest in Madhya Pradesh, which began on June 1, took a violent turn on June 6 when five cultivators were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district.

Subsequently, the farmers' protests witnessed bandh and arson as the agitation spread to other western Madhya Pradesh districts, including Neemuch, Dhar, Ratlam and Jhabua.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday with an appeal for peace and met farmer leaders.

However, he ended his fast on Sunday saying peace has returned to the state. Before ending the fast, he assured people that those involved in the deaths of farmers in Mandsaur would be punished severely.
Several people have reportedly been wounded after an attacker opened fire on them at the Unterfoehring subway station in Munich.

A policewoman was also shot and seriously injured.

According to a report by German newspaper Merkur, the alleged perpetrator snatched the service weapon of the policewoman and shot around. He hit the cop on the head and injured four other people.

Munich Police also said on Twitter that several persons were wounded by gunshots in the attack and that the policewoman was seriously wounded.

It also confirmed the arrest of a person.

"The assailant was arrested. He was also injured. There are no indications of further perpetrators," according to another police tweet.

According to the report, the act probably preceded a verbal dispute brought on by a brawl and the policewoman was trying to control the culprit.

Representative image
United States President Donald Trump is looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 26, the White House said.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump "looks forward" to his meeting with Modi on June 26 and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral ties to "advance our common priorities: fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region."

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the US-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said.

He said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership "in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her annual press meet last week, however, said Modi would also raise the issues surrounding the US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers.

Almost 1.8 million H-1B visas have been distributed in fiscal years 2001 through 2015, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. From fiscal years 2001 to 2015, workers from India received the largest share (50.5 per cent) of all H-1B visas for first-time employment.

Despite the recent hiccups over the issue, US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, according to the White House. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has already made it clear that his country recognises India as a major defence "partner partly out of respect" for New Delhi's "indispensable role" in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.

The US was exploring "new ways" to address new challenges as well from maritime security to the growing threat posed by the spread of terrorism in Southeast Asia, Mattis has said.

Regional security situation including Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and other international issues are expected to figure prominently during the meeting of the two leaders.

Modi's visit also comes in the backdrop of Trump's announcement to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by over 190 other countries.

Trump had blamed India and China for the US withdrawal.

"India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries," he had said.

Strongly rejecting Trump's contention, India said it signed the Paris deal not under duress or for lure of money but due to its commitment to protect the environment.

During his visit to France this month, Modi even said that India would "go above and beyond" the Paris deal to protect climate for the future generations.
Amsterdam, 13 June 2017 - HEINEKEN N.V. (EURONEXT: HEIA; OTCQX: HEINY) notes today's decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (the 'CMA') to refer the proposed acquisition by Heineken UK Limited ('HEINEKEN') of Punch Securitisation A ('Punch A') for a Phase 2 investigation unless HEINEKEN offers acceptable undertakings to address points raised by the CMA.

HEINEKEN intends to offer acceptable undertakings and is confident that these will enable the transaction to be approved by the CMA without a Phase 2 referral.

David Forde, Managing Director for HEINEKEN UK said:

"We welcome this positive step towards completing our acquisition of Punch A. This decision by the CMA acknowledges that there are only a small number of local areas where competition may be diminished due to our acquisition of the pubs in Punch A. We are confident we can offer the CMA suitable undertakings to satisfy their concerns."

ENDS

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Tel: +31-20-5239-355

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E-mail: investors@heineken.com

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E-mail: investors@heineken.com

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Information relating to HEINEKEN UK and HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN UK

HEINEKEN UK is one of the UK's leading cider and beer producers and the company behind brands such as Strongbow, Bulmers, Heineken, Foster's, John Smith's and Desperados. HEINEKEN UK is the HEINEKEN Group's main operating entity in the UK and employs around 2,000 people across seven sites in the UK with offices, breweries and cider production facilities in Edinburgh, Tadcaster, Manchester, London, Hereford and Ledbury. HEINEKEN UK operates the Star Pubs & Bars business with a UK-wide estate of 1,049 pubs which has delivered an attractive profit margin and cash return to HEINEKEN UK.

HEINEKEN UK is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business and delivers value for all stakeholders. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 73,500 employees and operate more than 165 breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp.

Information relating to Patron Capital and Vine Acquisitions

Vine Acquisitions Limited is a newly incorporated company formed at the direction of Patron Capital. Established in 1999, Patron Capital has invested approximately 2.4 billion of capital across several funds and related co-investments, investing in property, corporate operating entities, credit-related businesses and debt-related instruments whose value is primarily supported by property assets. The investors in the Patron funds represent a variety of prominent universities, major institutions, private foundations and high net worth individuals located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since inception, the Patron funds have made more than 69 investments in 17 countries and together with its partners have owned and controlled over 10bn in gross assets. Patron is based in London with associated offices in Barcelona, Milan and Luxembourg and a team of over 75 people, with over 42 investment professionals.

Patron aims to combine an institutional approach to fund management and reporting, while continuing to embrace an entrepreneurial culture. Patron favours the backing of management teams and co-investing with its pan-European network of local partners who are familiar with the local market through joint venture structures. Many of Patron's private equity investments have backed existing management teams and achieved significant growth of the investee businesses and their employee bases.

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4769c57b-fa10-494b-b6ae-edd54f6911bc
French English

PRESS RELEASE

June 13, 2017 APPOINTMENT OF DOMINIQUE D'HINNIN

TO EDENRED'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS









At its meeting on June 8, 2017, Edenred's Board of Directors appointed Dominique D'Hinnin as a Director of Edenred. Shareholders will be asked to ratify this appointment at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting to be held to approve the 2017 financial statements.

Dominique D'Hinnin is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications SA, leading satellite operator in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, of Spanish media group PRISA, and of Belgian retail group Louis Delhaize SA.

His term as a Director of Edenred will expire at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting called to approve the financial statements for 2019. This corresponds to the period remaining for the term of Nadra Moussalem, who is resigning from his position as a Director of Edenred following Colony Capital's sale of its stake in the Group in January 2017.

Dominique D'Hinnin, 57, is a French citizen and a graduate of Ecole Normale Superieure and Ecole Nationale d'Administration. He began his career in 1986 with France's Inspection des Finances before joining Lagardere as Chief Internal Auditor in 1990. In 1993, he became Chief Financial Officer of Hachette Livre and went on to be named Executive Vice President of Grolier Inc (Connecticut, USA) in 1994. In 1998, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Lagardere group, where he also held the position of co-managing partner between 2009 and 2016.

By decision of Edenred's Board of Directors, Dominique D'Hinnin will also be a member of the Audit and Risks Committee.

Bertrand Dumazy, Chairman and CEO of Edenred, said: "I'm very pleased that the Board has decided to appoint Dominique D'Hinnin as a Director of Edenred. His financial experience and contribution to the Boards of other companies, both listed and unlisted, make Dominique the perfect candidate for this role as a Director of Edenred.

On the Board's behalf, I extend our heartfelt thanks to Nadra Moussalem for his contribution to the Board since the Company's initial public offering in 2010. His strategic vision and his role in the transition of our governance have been decisive factors in the Group's development".

The Board of Directors noted that Dominique D'Hinnin qualifies as an Independent Director according to the AFEP/MEDEF corporate governance code. Edenred now has 10 Directors, of which 90% are independent and 40% are women.

Edenred's Board of Directors now has the following 10 members, as well as Board observer Philippe Citerne:

Jean-Paul Bailly * , Honorary Chairman of Groupe La Poste

, Honorary Chairman of Groupe La Poste Anne Bouverot * , Chair of Safran Identity & Security

, Chair of Safran Identity & Security Sylvia Coutinho * , Chief Executive Officer of UBS Brazil

, Chief Executive Officer of UBS Brazil Dominique D ' Hinnin* , Director of companies

' , Director of companies Bertrand Dumazy , Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edenred

, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edenred Gabriele Galateri di Genola * , Chairman of Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.

, Chairman of Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. Maelle Gavet * , Chief Operating Officer of Compass

, Chief Operating Officer of Compass Francoise Gri * , Lead Independent Director and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors

, Lead Independent Director and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors Jean-Romain Lhomme* , Co-Founder of PJX10

, Co-Founder of PJX10 Bertrand Meheut*, Director of companies

* Independent Director

Membership of the three standing Board Committees is now as follows:

Audit and Risks Committee : Jean-Paul Bailly (Chairman), Dominique D'Hinnin and Jean-Romain Lhomme;

: Jean-Paul Bailly (Chairman), Dominique D'Hinnin and Jean-Romain Lhomme; Commitments Committee : Jean-Paul Bailly (Chairman), Anne Bouverot and Bertrand Meheut;

: Jean-Paul Bailly (Chairman), Anne Bouverot and Bertrand Meheut; Compensation and Appointments Committee: Francoise Gri (Chairman), Sylvia Coutinho and Gabriele Galateri di Genola.





___

Edenred, which invented the Ticket Restaurant meal voucher and is the world leader in prepaid corporate services, designs and manages solutions for companies and public institutions seeking to provide purchasing power, optimize their expenses and motivate their teams. The Group's solutions are used across a network of 1.4 million affiliated merchants by 43 million employees working for 750,000 client organizations. The portfolio is built around two main business lines:

Employee benefits (Ticket Restaurant  , Ticket Alimentacion, Ticket CESU, Childcare Vouchers, etc.)

Expense management (Ticket Log, Ticket Car, UTA, Ticket Clean Way, Repom, etc.)

Edenred also offers complementary solutions for managing transactional ecosystems, covering corporate payments (Edenred Corporate Payment), incentives and rewards (Ticket Compliments, Ticket Kadeos) and public social programs.

Listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, Edenred operates in 42 countries, with close to 8,000 employees. In 2016, the transaction volume managed by Edenred amounted to almost 20 billion.



Ticket Restaurant and all other tradenames of Edenred products and services are registered trademarks of Edenred SA.

Follow Edenred on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Edenred

___

CONTACTS



Media Relations



Anne-Sophie Sibout

+33 (0)1 74 31 86 11

anne-sophie.sibout@edenred.com







Anne-Sophie Sergent

+33 (0)1 74 31 86 27

anne-sophie.sergent@edenred.com













Investor and Shareholder Relations



Solene Zammito

+33 (0)1 74 31 88 68

solene.zammito@edenred.com







Aurelie Bozza

+33 (0)1 74 31 84 16

aurelie.bozza@edenred.com











Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0db2d0c6-22e3-4309-8997-1b767ec6c91a
Load-out marks first jacket delivered to Saudi Aramco from McDermotts recently opened Dammam fabrication yard

Jacket was completed on schedule and installed in Safaniya oil field

Dammam yard surpasses 600,000 man-hours lost time incident free

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) recently celebrated a major milestone with the load-out and installation of the first jacket fully fabricated by the Company at its recently opened Dammam fabrication yard in Saudi Arabia.

The Safaniya 264 Jacket is part of McDermotts Long Term Agreement II (LTA II) scope of work with Saudi Aramco. The current scope of work being done at the Dammam yard covers four jackets, eight bridges and more than 70 subsea pipeline spools, as well as onshore support work.

The Dammam facility was opened in 2016 to support McDermotts growing Middle East operations and expand the Companys regional capacity. It reflects McDermotts commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia and key client Saudi Aramco in their localization efforts.

Since inauguration in August 2016, the yard has completed more than 600,000 man-hours without a Lost Time Incident (LTI), further contributing to the 50 million man-hours LTI free McDermott recently achieved across the Middle East region.

The load-out of the first jacket from our Dammam fabrication facility marks another milestone in McDermotts long term commitment to Saudi Arabia and their Vision 2030, said Linh Austin, McDermotts Vice President of Middle East and Caspian. Not only have we delivered our first jacket from our new facility, weve done it to Saudi Aramcos schedule; all with no lost time incidents.

The jacket has been installed in the Safaniya oil field, located 125 miles (200 km) north of Dhahran in the Arabian Gulf, by McDermotts Derrick Barge 32 vessel.

McDermott has extensive experience offshore Saudi Arabia, having worked in the region for more than 50 years. In 2015, McDermott won a lump sum contract from Saudi Aramco for brownfield work, which was the largest single award for McDermotts Middle East Area operations in Company history. More recently, McDermott was awarded an EPCI contract for four jackets and three gas observation platforms, the third fast-track project awarded to McDermott by Saudi Aramco in the past 18 months.

This milestone follows McDermotts recent announcement that it had signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Aramco for a long-term land lease at the new maritime facility at Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia, currently being developed by Saudi Aramco.

ABOUT McDERMOTT

McDermott is a leading provider of integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services for upstream field developments worldwide. The Company delivers fixed and floating production facilities, pipelines and subsea systems from concept to commissioning for complex offshore and subsea oil and gas projects to help oil companies safely produce and transport hydrocarbons. Our customers include national and major energy companies. Operating in approximately 20 countries across the world, our locally focused and globally integrated resources include approximately 13,500 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels, fabrication facilities and engineering offices. We are renowned for our extensive knowledge and experience, technological advancements, performance records, superior safety and commitment to deliver. McDermott has served the energy industry since 1923. As used in this press release, McDermott includes McDermott International, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. To learn more, visit our website at www.mcdermott.com.



FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties that may impact McDermott's actual results of operations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope, execution and timing associated with the projects discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit markets, our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog, changes in project design or schedules, the availability of qualified personnel, changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties, changes in industry norms and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see McDermott's annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. This press release reflects management's views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.
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Russia: Mass arrests tighten authorities' stranglehold on freedom of expression

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Russia: Mass arrests tighten authorities' stranglehold on freedom of expression, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fe5ab4.html [accessed 11 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 crackdown on peaceful protests across Russia in which hundreds of people were arrested and numerous others beaten by police demonstrates the authorities' utter contempt for fundamental human rights, Amnesty International said today.

"The right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Russian Constitution, though you wouldn't know it from the alarming scenes today. After trying to intimidate protesters into abstaining from these demonstrations with blackmail and harassment, the authorities in Moscow, St Petersburg and elsewhere have punished hundreds of those who turned up with beatings and arrests," said Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International.

"The Russian authorities' stranglehold on freedom of expression grows tighter by the day. Peaceful protest is a fundamental human right, not a privilege to be bestowed or refused on a whim. We are calling for all peaceful protesters swept up in these arrests to be immediately freed, and the right to hold peaceful rallies fully and genuinely respected."

Public rallies protesting against corruption took place in cities and towns across Russia today. Amnesty International is able to confirm dozens of arrests in Moscow, and takes note of reports of numerous arrests by credible independent monitors in St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, Sochi, Tula, Lipetsk and Blagoveschensk.

Amnesty International spoke to an eyewitness who described scenes of mass beatings by police in Moscow, as well as police cordons obstructing people's movement and vehicles lined up ready to arrest protesters.

In Russia public assembly requires the authorities' express permission, which is often withheld on arbitrary grounds.

Protesters in Moscow were given permission to rally on Sakharov Prospect, a main street in the city. However, the organizers were unable to hire any stage or PA equipment for the protest. They blamed this on intimidation of equipment hire companies by the authorities.

The protest leader and anti-corruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny called on protesters to rally instead at an area in the centre of Moscow which had been designated for public holiday celebrations. The authorities characterized this move as a provocation and a call to unlawful assembly. Mass arrests followed on the day of the rally.

Aleksei Navalny was arrested in the morning, as he was leaving the block of flats where he lives, and charged with the administrative offence of repeatedly violating the rules of public assemblies, punishable by up to 30 days of detention. Amnesty International believes he was arrested in order to prevent him from joining the protesters.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Pakistan: Economic, social and cultural rights under attack

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Pakistan: Economic, social and cultural rights under attack, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fe6864.html [accessed 11 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.

Pakistan is failing on its international obligations to uphold people's economic, social and cultural rights, Amnesty International said today, in a submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 61st session.

"Pakistan is backsliding on its commitments to economic, social and cultural rights. From shrinking civic space, to the failure to bring laws in line with international standards, widespread discrimination, curtailed workers' rights and meagre social security, there is much that needs to be done to help some of the most disadvantaged people," said Nadia Rahman, Amnesty International's Pakistan Campaigner.

Restricting civil society

Amnesty International is concerned by the restrictions imposed on civil society, shrinking the space for NGOs and human rights defenders.

For example, in 2015, the Pakistani government announced a new policy, giving broad powers to the Ministry of the Interior to review the registration of INGOs based on their funding sources and the nature of their work. The vague and broad provisions in this policy risk undermining the ability of civil society groups to work independently, without fear of being shut down, and gives the government broad discretion to disrupt their human rights work.

Incorporation of Covenant Rights in Domestic Law

Pakistan's constitution protects many economic, social, and cultural rights, including prohibitions on "slavery", "forced labour", and the employment of "a child below the age of fourteen years". The constitution also guarantees the rights to "freedom of assembly", "freedom of association", and the "freedom of business, trade and profession", among others.

However, the Pakistani constitution does not include all internationally recognized economic, social and cultural rights. Those that are mentioned in the "Principles of Policy" section of the constitution are not justiciable.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to take all steps recommended to make all economic social and cultural rights justiciable and to implement them, to extend constitutional protections to FATA, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Non-discrimination and equality

Marginalized communities in Pakistan continue to face discrimination in both law and practice, on grounds of their gender, religion, nationality, and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Under Pakistani law, a woman's testimony is deemed "half" of that of a male witness. Reforms to raise the legal age of marriage of girls, from 16 years to 18 years, were blocked by the Council of Islamic Ideology. The Council also blocked a law passed by the Sindh Assembly to prevent the forced conversion of non-Muslim women.

Pakistan's national parliament did, however, pass legislation last October to close a loophole in criminal law that allowed the accused to escape punishment for committing a so-called "honour killing" if the victim's family pardoned them.

Amnesty International has recorded a number of cases where women have faced obstacles accessing justice for the violation of their rights.

Pakistan's blasphemy law, which carries a mandatory death penalty, violates the rights to freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion.

Christians in Pakistan suffer discrimination at the hands of employers, restricting their access to work.

Transgender persons in Pakistan won a historic right to be recognized as a "third gender" on national identity cards. However, they continue to face discrimination and barriers to seeking employment, healthcare and education.

Pakistan continues to criminalize same-sex consensual relationships.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to draw up a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy to protect all marginalized groups.

Right to Work and Trade Union Rights

Workers from Pashtun or Afghan backgrounds have been discriminated against by private employers and subject to surveillance and harassment by the authorities, making it harder for them to access or continue work.

Large numbers of people who work in the informal economy have no access to social security, health benefits, or occupational safety. Only 3% of workers in Pakistan are currently unionized. Businesses have increasingly resorted to hiring contract workers, which allows them to dilute the power of trade unions and escape paying pensions and employment benefits.

In recent years, several people have been killed or injured in numerous workplace accidents, especially in the garment and ship-breaking industries.

As noted by the committee, bonded labour continues to exist in Pakistan, despite the 1992 Bonded Labour Abolition Act. This Act is rarely implemented, or used to punish employers for the exploitation of workers.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to protect the rights of all workers, ensure that everyone has the right to form and join trade unions of their choice, safe and just working conditions, and enforce the ban on bonded labour.

Right to Social Security and Adequate Standard of Living

The Benazir Income Support Programme has had a discernible effect in reducing poverty, but the monthly cash transfers of a mere $15 are not enough.

The Pakistani government must invest in social protection programmes and health and education services.

Pakistan's agricultural economy is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, putting even more people at risk of being denied the right to food and the right to water.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to put in place policies to deal with the potentially negative impacts of climate change on human rights. The government should also ensure that social security systems cover all persons.

Right to health

Pakistan currently spends a meagre 0.45% of its GDP on health, lower than many other low and middle-income countries. The lack of access to public health facilities is the second largest contributor to multi-dimensional poverty in the country.

While maternal mortality has fallen, as many as 40% of pregnant women do not receive skilled prenatal care or full protection against tetanus.

Pakistan's domestic legal framework continues to criminalize abortion in some circumstances, with prison sentences of three years to ten years.

Sex workers continue to face discrimination in accessing health services in Pakistan.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to increase public spending on health, make public health services accessible to all, and decriminalize abortion in all circumstances.

Right to education

School enrolment for girls (53%) continues to significantly lag behind boys (60%). In Baluchistan, only 35% of girls go to school. In FATA and the three smaller provinces, there remain fewer schools for girls than boys.

Children living with disabilities, often experience discrimination, are out of school in large numbers and often do not have access to inclusive education. Few school buildings are accessible to people living with disabilities.

Of the schools that do exist, many of them lack drinking water and toilets. In recent years, schools have come under attack from armed groups.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistan government to take all necessary steps to improve the school enrolment of girls, recruit more female teachers, and identify and remove harmful gender stereotypes and stereotypes against minorities from educational materials.

Right to culture

Armed groups have attacked and killed members of religious minorities, including Shias, Ahmadi Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus.

Sectarian leaders promote the hatred of religious minorities on television, including denouncing them as "blasphemers" and "enemies of Pakistan", language that has the potential to incite violence.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani government to ensure the protection of all historical sites, including sites sacred to religious minorities, and investigate and prosecute all acts of incitement to violence against religious minorities.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paysa, the only platform that uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalized career and hiring recommendations plus real-world salary insights, today released new research that reveals the 100 highest ranking companies, which have experienced the greatest success in hiring and retaining top technical and engineering talent over the past year -- from April 2016 to April 2017.



In conducting the study, Paysa used its CompanyRank technology, a machine learning algorithm that aggregates and analyzes resumes, job postings and social activity -- nearly 8 million points of data -- across nearly 200,000 companies over the past 15+ years. Paysa CompanyRank is also available as a live interactive tool, ready for use on Paysas website. Employees, job seekers, investors and partners can use the tool to chart out how a company is performing against its competitors, and other companies in general -- over time, using it to gauge the health of that company.

Companies analyzed as part of this research included those with 100 employees or more, ranging from Silicon Valley tech standouts like Google, Snap, Lyft, Uber and Airbnb, to blue-chip businesses like Intel Corporation, Microsoft and Walmart.

The data, in its entirety, reflecting the complete set of findings, is now available for download at https://www.paysa.com/data-request#list

Key Findings Include:

The top 25 companies among the top 100 top ranking companies that have climbed the most, and their percentage year-over-year increase, are as follows.





Company 2017 CompanyRank % Increase,

Year-over-Year Slack Inc. 21 95% Twitch 20 84% Spotify 22 82% Magic Leap 68 81% Jet 100 79% Snap Inc. 4 78% Hulu 98 65% HomeAway.com 62 62% Credit Karma 36 61% Indeed 40 58% Proofpoint 71 51% Fanatics 86 45% Zillow Group 51 43% Oculus VR 39 42% Atlassian 27 39% Quintiles IMS 67 39% Lyft 9 36% Houzz 87 36% Stripe 25 34% AppDynamics 41 34% Cimpress 73 34% Airbnb 2 33% Wayfair 58 30% Cox Automotive 35 29% DocuSign 33 22%

The 10 companies that saw the greatest flight of technology and engineering professionals, overall, include Avant! Corp, Counsyl, Foursquare, Prosper Marketplace, NetSuite, Dimension Data, Couchbase, Broadcom, Lookout and General Assembly.

The top 25 biggest losers, within the top 100 ranking companies, according to Paysa CompanyRank, that saw the greatest demise of top tier tech talent (losing their best, most valuable tech and engineering professionals) include:





Company 2017 CompanyRank

% Decrease,

Year-over-Year Losing to: Coursera 201 175% Google Groupon 143 127% Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Uber, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Yelp, Salesforce, Expedia SolarCity 188 121% Sunrun Zenefits 210 114% Google Nest Labs 45 88% Google, Apple, Microsoft Dropbox 13 86% Google, Facebook, Uber, Lyft GoPro 84 79% NVIDIA, Apple, Facebook, Tesla Motors, Google, Adobe Wealthfront 122 77% Google, Uber, Salesforce FireEye 38 73% Palo Alto Networks, Apple, Cisco Systems, Google, Proofpoint, Endgame, Cylance, Baidu, Adobe Epsilon 141 72% Infogroup, Merkle, Fidelity Investments, Brierley+Partners, Tbwachiatday, Targetbase, Apple, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Wayfair, Self Employed Intel Corporation 108 66% Microsoft, Apple, Qualcomm, Google, NVIDIA, Amazon, AMD, Oracle, Cisco Systems, Broadcom Slalom Consulting 74 61% Microsoft, Amazon, Freelance.com, Apple Expedia 80 60% Microsoft, Amazon, Orbitz Worldwide, Hotwire, Zillow, Nordstrom, Google, Salesforce, AT&T, Visa Here 66 54% Amazon Optum 132 54% UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare, OptumInsight, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Google 3 50% Facebook, Uber, Microsoft, YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Twitter, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Airbnb Qualcomm 94 47% Apple, Intel Corporation, Google, Microsoft, Broadcom, Amazon, NVIDIA, Cisco Systems, Amazon Lab126, Oracle Square 16 45% Google, Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Lyft, Self Employed Bloomberg LP 88 44% Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Thomson Reuters, Apple, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Two Sigma, Palantir Technologies PayPal 85 44% eBay, Visa, Google, Amazon, Apple, LinkedIn, Intuit, Facebook, WalmartLabs, Uber New Relic 138 44% Palo Alto Networks 17 42% Juniper Networks, Cisco Systems, ForeScout Technologies, Inc. Veritas Technologies 43 38% Symantec, Amazon, Oracle Twitter 34 36% Google, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Snap Inc., Apple, LinkedIn, Stripe, Fitbit Lending Club 46 35% Salesforce

The top 10 companies that saw the biggest improvement in rank, overall, include Betterment, Qualtrics, ROBLOX Corporation, Tinder, Udacity, Flatiron Health, Blue Apron, WeWork, Code and Theory and Procore Technologies, Inc. While they didnt make the top 100 this time around, these companies gained the most positions overall, with a chance to become the next Snap, Google, Uber or Airbnb, making them ones to watch.

This latest Paysa CompanyRank report is an important resource, used by hundreds of thousands of employees and prospective employees in evaluating if they should stay at their current company or consider offers from new companies. The data also offers valuable insights for investors and venture capitalists, not available from any other source, arming them with the earliest outlook of a company and predict its future success based on the strength of their tech development workforce.

When you look at where the top companies are now, as compared to last year, its like owning the canary in a coal-mine  giving you the very first indicators of which companies offer the greatest opportunity for career advancement and financial performance, said Chris Bolte, CEO of Paysa. Understanding what separates the winners from the losers  how the stand-out companies are able to attract and keep talent -- translates not only into your pay on the job, but your ability as an individual or institutional investor to build wealth over the long term.

Companies need to pay attention to where their best employees are coming from and whether their compensation strategies, HR practices and treatment of employees, in general, are attracting the best people or driving them away, added Bolte. Money always follows talent. For example, a start-up like Slack, with $540M in total equity funding, has seen a dramatic shift  climbing 95 percent to #21 in 2017, making it a company to consider today. On the other hand, a company like FireEye has shown a decrease in CompanyRank by 73% -- though it might have had better than expected stock performance, financial experts say it is also still losing money -- that dip is also being validated by its plunge in CompanyRank.

More About Paysas CompanyRank Technology

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Paysa offers personalized career and hiring recommendations plus real-world salary insights for maximizing opportunity, earning potential and value at all stages of an individuals career. Using proprietary artificial intelligence technology and machine learning algorithms, Paysa analyzes millions of data points including jobs, resumes and compensation information, providing professionals with actionable tools, insights, and research. They can then see and understand their individual worth in the market today, and how to increase their value. Paysa also empowers enterprises with the knowledge they need to be competitive in todays fierce tech hiring market. Employers can learn which skills, real-world company experience and educational background offers the greatest predictor of a candidates or employees future success at their organization.
Malawi: Failing criminal justice system fuels a new wave of attacks on people with albinism

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Malawi: Failing criminal justice system fuels a new wave of attacks on people with albinism, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fe6cb4.html [accessed 11 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 new wave of killings and attacks targeting people with albinism over the past six months is being fueled by systemic failures in Malawi's criminal justice system which leave members of this vulnerable group at the mercy of criminal gangs, Amnesty International said today on International Albinism Awareness Day.

Since January 2017, at least two people with albinism have been killed while seven more have reported crimes such as attempted murder or abduction. This stands in stark contrast to the last six months of 2016, when no such incidents were reported.

"Despite stronger legislation, including reforms to the Penal Code and the Anatomy Act, to tackle attacks against people with albinism, we are seeing an alarming resurgence of killings and attacks against this vulnerable group in 2017," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Southern Africa.

"When the wheels of justice turn so painfully slowly, as they do in Malawi, and historic cases of attacks on people with albinism remain unresolved, it creates a climate of impunity and emboldens suspected perpetrators of these horrific crimes."

In its June 2016 report, Amnesty International exposed how people with albinism were 'hunted and killed like animals' for their body parts. Their bones are believed to be sold to practitioners of traditional medicine in Malawi and Mozambique for use in charms and magical potions associated with wealth and good luck.

Killings in 2017

A new wave of killings and attacks against people with albinism emerged in January 2017, after a six month reprieve between June and December 2016.

On 28 February 2017, Mercy Zainabu Banda, a 31-year-old woman with albinism was found murdered in Lilongwe with her hand, right breast and hair removed.

On 10 January 2017, 19-year-old Madalitso Pensulo was killed after he was invited for afternoon tea at his friend's house in Mlonda village in Thyolo District. A passer-by heard him scream, but he died before the police arrived at the scene.

Other attacks

The latest abduction took place on 28 May, when a nine-year-old boy, Mayeso Isaac, was taken by a gang of 10 men. The incident took place in neighbouring Mozambique where he had travelled at the invitation of relatives to visit. Both Malawian and Mozambican authorities have an obligation to ensure speedy and effective investigation into his disappearance.

On 9 March 2017, Gilbert Daire, survived an attack after four men attempted to drill through the wall of his home in Lilongwe as he slept. They fled the scene after his neighbours intervened. One of the suspected perpetrators was arrested after community members turned him over to the police, but he was later acquitted by the court.

In April, two-year-old Misheck Samson survived a kidnapping while he was sleeping next to his mother in Cholwe Village in Ntchisi. Three men were arrested for planning to abduct the toddler. They confessed to the police that they wanted to kidnap him because they needed money.

On 17 February, 36-year-old woman, Emily Kuliunde survived an attempted abduction in Dowa after her alleged abductors were apprehended by the community and handed to the police. Suspects remain in police custody.

Another case is that of Amos Jemus from Ntcheu district near the Mozambique border, whose father allegedly threatened to sell him on 1 February 2017.

Criminal Justice failures

In Malawi, police are empowered to prosecute and convict suspected perpetrators of crimes, however they are under resourced and receive little training. As a result, most cases are poorly handled and rarely result in a conviction. The vast majority of cases involving crimes against people with albinism, in particular murder, fail to go before a court due to a lack of funds and legal aid support for suspected perpetrators.

Even where cases have been brought to court, the perpetrators have often been released due to flawed investigations and a lack of relevant admissible evidence.

"The only way to stop these killings is by ensuring that existing laws are applied effectively and that there is efficient prosecution and coordination across the authorities," said Deprose Muchena.

"This rise in flagrant attacks against people with albinism shows that confidence is growing among criminal gangs that they will not get caught. They are taking advantage of Malawi's failing criminal justice system. The authorities must take decisive measures to end these attacks once and for all."

Background

At least 20 people with albinism have been killed in Malawi since November 2014.

Two killings have happened this year.

According to Malawi Police Service, at least 117cases involving crimes related to people with albinism have been reported since November 2014.

People are targeted for their body parts, due to the belief that they have magical powers that bring good luck.

Approximately 7,000 to 10,000 people with albinism live in Malawi.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Dozens of news sites blocked as Egypt ramps up digital censorship

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Dozens of news sites blocked as Egypt ramps up digital censorship, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fe7444.html [accessed 11 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 Egyptian authorities have shifted their onslaught against media freedom to the digital sphere, blocking access to more than 40 news sites without justification in recent weeks, in an attempt to eliminate the country's last remaining spaces for criticism and free expression, said Amnesty International.

At least 63 websites have been blocked in total since 24 May according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, including 48 news sites. Mada Masr, an independent news site which regularly published news and analysis deeply critical of the authorities was among the first to be blocked. Most recently on 11 June the Egyptian news sites Albedaiah, run by independent journalist Khaled al Balshy, Elbadil and Bawabit Yanair were blocked. Access to the global online publishing platform Medium was also cut off on 10 June.

"The latest clampdown on digital media is further evidence of Egypt's age-old police state tactics in motion. Even in the darkest days of the repressive Mubarak era the authorities didn't cut off access to all independent news sites," said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns director.

"With this move the Egyptian authorities seem to be targeting the few remaining spaces for free expression in the country. It shows just how determined the authorities are to prevent Egyptians from accessing independent reporting, analysis and opinion about Egypt. The authorities must immediately stop arbitrarily blocking news websites."

On 24 May, state media announced that Egyptian authorities had blocked a group of websitesincluding the prominent independent news platforms Mada Masr, Daily News Egypt, Elborsa and Masr Al Arabia. The authorities failed to provide any evidence of illegal activity or to clarify the legal basis for the decision. Instead officials made vague statements to the media saying this was in connection with "publishing false information" and "supporting terrorism".

On 25 May, Egyptian newspapers published reports citing a "sovereign agency" (a term usually used to refer to Egyptian intelligence agencies) justifying the move on the grounds of "combating terrorism" and accusing Qatar of supporting some of the blocked websites, again without providing evidence.

Amnesty International has reviewed the list of blocked websites. The majority are news sites but the list also includes sites where VPN and TOR, which can be used to access blocked sites, can be downloaded. Amnesty International was able to identify only one website connected to groups that use or advocate violence.

Many of the sites that have been blocked had served as a refuge for Egypt's remaining critical voices who no longer are allowed to appear on TV or in the print media, which have been firmly in the grip of the state since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power.

The independent news and analysis website Mada Masr is known for unflinchingly exposing human rights violations committed by the Egyptian authorities in recent years, including arbitrary detention, unfair trials, the crackdown on human rights NGOs, extrajudicial executions and the use of the death penalty.

The site's editor-in-chief, Lina Attallah, told Amnesty International that she believes the site was blocked because it publishes well-researched investigations based on verified information. "We publish what authorities don't want people to read," she said.

"The Egyptian government appears to be exploiting recent violent attacks by armed groups in the country to crack down on the remaining free space and silence critical voices. Once again the authorities are using national security grounds to justify outright repression," said Najia Bounaim.

"Instead of attacking critical and independent voices Egypt should respect the obligations enshrined in its own constitution and in international law not to impose arbitrary restrictions on freedom of expression and to protect the right of everyone to seek, receive and share information."

The government's decision to block these websites also flouts Egypt's constitution, which prohibits censorship of the media, except at times of war and military mobilization, and protects freedom of expression and press freedom both in print and digital formats. The constitution also upholds the right of all citizens to use telecommunication tools and methods.

The legal grounds and authority the government has used to block these sites is ambiguous and it remains unclear whether emergency law provisions were applied. There are, however, a number of Egyptian laws that can be used to censor the media and the internet, on the grounds of national security.

After the bombing of two churches in Tanta and Alexandria in April 2017, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency. An hour later, the authorities confiscated that day's edition of Albawaba newspaper, which demanded that the Minister of Interior be held accountable for failing to prevent the bombing.

Under emergency laws, the authorities have broad powers to impose surveillance and censorship on media. On 10 April, the head of the Egyptian parliament, Dr Ali Abdel'al announced that these laws will extend to social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. He added that these platforms were being used as means of communication between "terrorists" and warned that online offenders would face prosecution.

The vaguely worded articles of Egypt's counterterrorism law also allow punishments of up to 15 years in prison for establishing a website for the purpose of promoting "terrorist ideas" and grant the authorities the power to block websites suspected of promoting "terrorism".

Two of the blocked websites, Daily News Egypt and Elborsa, belong to the Business News Company, which is licensed by the government. In November 2016, the government froze the company's assets under the pretext that it belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, without providing evidence to support this claim. The paper's 230 staff have not received their salaries since.

Representatives of many of the websites affected have filed complaints with the Press Syndicate, the National Council for Media, the Ministry Communications and the Public Prosecutor, but so far received no response. Mada Masr has filed an appeal against the decision to block its website before an administrative court, but it has not yet heard the appeal.

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.
Bahrain: Halt the targeting of critic living abroad through the harassment of his family in Bahrain

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 12 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol MDE 11/6486/2017 Reference MDE 11/6486/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Bahrain: Halt the targeting of critic living abroad through the harassment of his family in Bahrain , 12 June 2017, MDE 11/6486/2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fea224.html [accessed 11 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 has today called on the Bahraini authorities to put an end to the continuous harassment and targeting of the family of human rights activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, who resides in the United Kingdom (UK), which Amnesty International believes is an attempt to force him to halt his peaceful activities and muzzle him from afar.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei is the Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD). His brother-in-law, Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, 18, his mother-in-law, Hajer Mansoor Hassan, 48, and a cousin, Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor, 29, are on trial in Bahrain accused of planting "fake bombs" which the police found in Sheikh Zayed Street and near the al-Mayoof roundabout, in al-Aali area, southwest of the capital, Manama, on 20 and 28 January 2017 respectively. All three were forced to "confess".

Amnesty International calls for the charges against Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, Hajer Mansoor Hassan and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor to be dropped as they are based solely on "confessions" extracted as a result of torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty International believes that these trials are part of the ongoing campaign waged by the Bahraini authorities to silence dissenting and critical voices, including those abroad.

The trial of Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, his mother Hajer Mansoor Hassan and his maternal cousin, Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor in relation to the 28 January "fake bomb" began on 7 May. They are charged with "planting and carrying with unknown others an object similar to an improvised explosive in a public place, for the purpose of terrorism". They appeared in court on 6 June for their third trial session. Three members of their families were denied entry to the court room. During the hearing, the testimony of one of the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) investigators was heard. He was cross-examined by the defence lawyers and asked the reason why Hajer Mansoor Hassan had been summoned for investigation. He said it was based on Sayed Nizar Alwadaei's "confession", in contradiction to the police report he had filled relating to the interrogation of Hajer Mansoor Hassan and in which he stated that he had investigated her prior to the summons. The court rejected the defence lawyers' request to release them on bail and adjourned the trial to 18 September.

Sayed Nizar Alwadaei has also been facing a separate trial since 25 April, on the same charge, in relation to the 20 January "fake bomb" case. His third trial session took place on 8 June but the judge adjourned to 5 October as the prosecution witness did not attend court.

Sayed Nizar Alwadaei and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor were arrested on 2 March by a group of masked security personnel at 3:40am following a raid on Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor's home in the village of Jidd Ali, south of the capital Manama, in connection with the two "fake bombs". Two hours later, Sayed Nizar Alwadaei was allowed to place a call to his family, informing them that he was being held at the CID.

Following this, on 5 March Hajer Mansoor Hassan was summoned for interrogation to the CID and was arrested. While waiting to be interrogated she received a call from Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, who told her that he had been tortured. Her interrogation without her lawyer present, lasted from 4.15pm to 2.30am, throughout which she was kept standing. This resulted in her collapsing and fainting and sustaining an injury to her hand and shoulder. She was transferred by ambulance to the hospital where she was given intravenous fluids.

During their interrogations, Hajer Mansoor Hassan, Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor were coerced into "confessing" their involvement in the "fake bombs" and they signed documents to this effect. They were also interrogated about Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei's activities in the UK.

On 8 March the Public Prosecution charged Hajer Mansoor Hassan, Sayed Nizar Alwadaei and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor, in the presence of their lawyers, with "planting and carrying with unknown others an object similar to an improvised explosive in a public place, for the purpose of terrorism". Hajer Mansoor Hassan and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor both denied the charges brought against them and retracted their confessions. Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor stated that he had signed the confession without being able to read them and Hajer Mansoor Hassan explained that she had been pressured and threatened into confessing. She told the Prosecutor: "If you send me back to the CID I will say anything you want me to say and will sign the [any] document". The Public Prosecution noted in her file that her "confession" had been taken under pressure and threats. Sayed Nizar Alwadaei told his lawyer after his questioning by the Prosecutor said that he had been deprived of sleep for two days, and forced to make statements accusing his mother of involvement in the planting of a "fake bomb".

According to forensic reports dated 9 March and seen by Amnesty International, no fingerprints or DNA traces which could be linked to Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, Hajer Mansoor Hassan or Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor were found on the "fake bombs". The organization also examined the reports of the medical examinations all three underwent on 9 March. Sayed Nizar Alwadaei showed marks on the top left of his back, on his right knee, on the centre of his right calf and his right ankle caused by abrasion and friction consistent with falls.

Background

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei is the Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD). He had participated in the 2011 demonstrations, and was arrested, tortured, tried by a Military Court and sentenced to six months in prison. He then fled to the UK where he has been living since then. The Bahraini authorities have since continued to harass him and his family.

On 26 October 2016, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei took part in a protest in London against the visit of the King of Bahrain to the British Prime Minister.

The same day, his wife, Duaa Alwadaei, 26, and their two year-old son, Youssef, were prevented from boarding their evening flight back to the UK after a family visit to Bahrain. Both have right of residence in the UK. They were detained by security officers at Manama International Airport. Duaa Alwadaei was interrogated for seven hours during which she says she was beaten by a policewoman and threatened with imprisonment if she spoke out about her ordeal. She was told that they were going after her husband and asked about her family members and whether she knew about Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei's plans to protest against the King's visit. She was also told that she was on a travel ban, despite having been cleared by the Bahraini border authorities prior to boarding. Duaa Alwadaei was released and was able to travel back to the UK on 1 November. The Bahrain Embassy in the UK sent an email to journalists on 29 October stating that her interrogation was "based on the Mr. Alwadaei's history of being involved in and supporting terrorist acts", adding that in view of "the visit of His Majesty the King to the United Kingdom last week, precautionary security measures were necessary". The Embassy then issued a statement on 1 November stating that she had "failed to cooperate with airport security" and "assaulted a female police officer".

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei has not been convicted in Bahrain in relation to involvement in and supporting terrorist acts and the organization is particularly concerned that the authorities have linked Duaa Alwadaei's arrest at the airport to the King's visit to the UK.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Cambodia: Commune Elections Not Free or Fair

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Commune Elections Not Free or Fair, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593feec24.html [accessed 11 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.

Local elections in Cambodia on June 4, 2017, took place in a threatening environment hostile to free speech and genuine political participation, leading to elections that were neither free nor fair, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Hun Sen publicly stated that he would be willing to "eliminate 100 to 200 people" if the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) did "not win elections at all stages," adding to a broader environment of threat and fear against media, political activists, and citizens.

The election took place as dozens of opposition party members and activists languish behind bars, including an elected member of parliament, a senator, and a National Election Committee (NEC) official, after politically motivated prosecutions by CPP-controlled courts. Many others face threats of prosecution. The opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Sam Rainsy remains in exile after being convicted on trumped-up charges.

"It is not a democratic election if the ruling party controls all election-related institutions, the media is a de facto organ of the ruling party, and opposition party members face death threats from the prime minister," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Under no standards anywhere can an election be deemed free or fair where these kinds of problems exist."

Although voting day was peaceful, the electoral process was fundamentally flawed, Human Rights Watch found. Problems included unequal media access for opposition parties, bias in favor of the ruling Cambodian People's Party within the national and local electoral apparatus, and the lack of an independent and impartial dispute resolution mechanism.

Threats and intimidation by the authorities against the opposition and its supporters were common. In a shocking admission, Interior Ministry Gen. Khieu Sopheak, acknowledged that pre-election threats against human rights non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society were part of an apparent plan to intimidate them from monitoring the election. "I just said the Interior Ministry started an investigation because we wanted to threaten those organizations to be scared," he said.

Senior CPP civilian and security forces repeatedly raised the specter of "war" if the CPP lost the election and senior members of the security forces campaigned vigorously for the CPP. Many parts of the CPP-controlled state bureaucracy joined leading CPP members who command the police and military to openly campaign in favor of the CPP.

Transparency International, which had hundreds of observers on the ground, reported 25 percent of polling places had unauthorized personnel present, including government-appointed village chiefs and government police, both overwhelmingly CPP-affiliated. Witnesses at several polling places around Phnom Penh told Human Rights Watch that soldiers reportedly from Brigades 911 and 70 lined up at stations that were dominated by these units' men, some of them still in military uniforms.

In violation of Cambodia's election campaign rules, the political parties competing in the election did not have equal access to radio and television, by far the most important sources of news and information for most Cambodians. The CPP has a near monopoly on broadcast media, giving it a huge unfair advantage over other parties and limiting access to information for voters, most of whom rely on television and radio for news and information. State-owned TVK and private stations broadcast pro-CPP news and propaganda while criticizing or ignoring the CNRP.

Despite credible allegations that the 2013 national elections were marred by ballot stuffing with surplus ballots, the National Election Committee printed 1.5 million ballots more than the number of registered voters. The NEC purchased a brand of ink used to mark fingers to prove that someone has already voted even after tests showed it could be removed by using hair care products, leaving open another avenue for electoral irregularities to occur. The same ink was similarly problematic in 2013.

According to the National Election Committee, Cambodians turned out in record numbers as 89.5 percent of 7.86 million registered voters cast votes for political parties vying for 11,572 seats in 1,646 communes across the country. The NEC introduced its recently-revamped computerized biometric voter registration system and implemented the 2015 Election of Commune Council law guiding polling procedures, both of which were put in place to address criticisms following the country's 2013 fundamentally flawed national elections.

The new voting registration procedures, although seemingly effective for registering voters within Cambodia, made no provisions to register large numbers of Cambodian migrant workers in countries like Thailand and Malaysia. Many garment workers, who have historically been sympathetic to the opposition and make up a large majority of voters in many communes, were not given time off from work to vote and had to choose between earning needed income and voting.

Despite the irregularities, the popular vote was very close between the two main parties. Preliminary figures gave 51.39 percent to the CPP and 44.22 percent to the CNRP. These tallies represent major losses for the ruling party and opposition gains compared with local elections in 2012.

Cambodia is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and as such is required to ensure that every citizen, without discrimination on the basis of political opinion, has the opportunity to take part and to vote in genuine free elections. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has underscored that while there can be reasonable rules, "persons entitled to vote must be free to vote for any candidate for election and free to support or to oppose government, without undue influence or coercion of any kind which may distort or inhibit the free expression of the elector's will. Voters should be able to form opinions independently, free of violence or threat of violence, compulsion, inducement or manipulative interference of any kind."

"The results of the commune elections make it clear that the upcoming 2018 national elections will again be tightly contested, making it more important than ever to carry out urgent fundamental reforms," Adams said. "The UN and Cambodia's donors, particularly Japan and the EU, which work directly with the National Election Committee, should make it clear to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling CPP that if national elections take place next year under the same conditions they will not be considered free and fair."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Central African Republic: UN mission determined to fulfil mandate despite attacks on peacekeepers

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Central African Republic: UN mission determined to fulfil mandate despite attacks on peacekeepers, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fefa54.html [accessed 11 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 envoy for the Central African Republic today warned against increasing attacks on civilians and peacekeeping personnel while stressing the need to reenergize the political process to achieve sustainable peace in the conflict-torn country.

The intensity of the attacks, their premeditated nature and the targeting of ethnic minorities, are a reminder of the darkest moments of the Central African political and security crisis, said the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, in his briefing to the Security Council.

The new and disturbing fact is the systematic and fierce aggression against the peacekeepers, he added.

The envoy provided an update on the situation in Bangassou, where political spoilers demonstrated their intention of carrying out a de facto ethnic cleansing of the town. He said that the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) has gradually regained control of the town, but anti-Balaka elements continue to pose a serious threat to civilians and peacekeepers.

Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian, plunged the country of 4.5 million people into civil conflict in 2013. According to the UN, more than half the population is in dire need of assistance. Despite significant progress and successful elections, CAR has remained in the grip of instability and sporadic unrest.

The situation in the southern-central prefectures of Ouaka and Mbomou remains complex as fighting continues between ex- Seleka factions the Popular Front for the Central African Renaissance (FPRC) and Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC).

He also expressed deep concern about the evolving situation in Bria, where some 80 per cent of the civilian population has been displaced.

Meanwhile, an outbreak of violence in the northwest prefectures of Ouham and Ouham Pende, was abated through a tripartite local mediation initiative at the end of May, with local and traditional authorities firmly in the lead and MINUSCA in a facilitation role.

The security situation in Bangui remains relatively calm thanks to continuous and integrated political and military efforts.

Despite harsh public criticism, Mission's resolve 'remains strong'

Mr. Onanga-Anyanga said that lately MINUSCA has been under harsh public criticism within CAR with each side expecting MINUSCA to fight its perceived enemy.

Even in the face of those cynics, MINUSCA's resolve remains stronger than ever, he said.

Each time MINUSCA exhibits strength against armed groups, it is a victory for stability [] Each time tensions are defused through dialogue, it is another gain for peace, and we close the distance to achieving the end-state of the mission a little bit more, he said.

In this context, he said, all constructive peace efforts need to be energized, noting that the National Consultative and Follow-up Committee can provide an essential forum where the Government and the armed groups would not only discuss the modalities of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme but also broader issues related to peace and stability in the country.

He said that he believes the African Peace and Reconciliation initiative remains an essential element to facilitate an inclusive national dialogue with the support of the sub-region and finds recent contacts between the Government and the African Union and other parties encouraging.

Also briefing the Security Council was the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, who provided an update on the human rights mapping report that covered major violations committed in the country from 2003 to 2015.

The report detailed 620 incidents, including horrific accounts of entire villages being burnt to the ground and multiple incidents of gang rapes of women and gifts, and extra-judicial killings. The vast majority of incidents were attributed to the Seleka /ex- Seleka and the anti-Balaka, and the Central African defence and security forces.

This long list and patterns of past violations and abuses is unfortunately resuming today, he said, adding that this is therefore a timely moment to send an unequivocal message to the perpetrators of violations that their actions are being watched and documented, and that they will be held accountable.
Angola: Funds urgently needed as Congolese refugee influx overwhelms services, warns UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Angola: Funds urgently needed as Congolese refugee influx overwhelms services, warns UN agency, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593fefe74.html [accessed 11 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 refugees fleeing violence and communal tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to arrive in neighbouring Angola, the United Nations refugee agency has appealed for more resources to cope with the influx and to provide those coming with the support they urgently need.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), some 30,000 people have arrived in Angola's Lunda Norte province since April and there are fears that the number could reach 50,000, with about 300-500 people arriving daily.

Angola is providing a warm welcome, but reception centres accommodating refugees, are full beyond their capacity and basic services cannot be maintained without immediate donor support, said Valentin Tapsoba, the UNHCR's Africa Bureau Director, in a news release today.

He added that the refugees are traumatized and humanitarian agencies require urgent support to ensure that life-saving assistance and protection can be provided to those in need.

The arrivals have mostly been from the Kasai provinces in the DRC, where they were at risk of serious human rights violations and abuses, including physical mutilation, killing, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention in inhumane conditions.

The Kasais were the location of the discovery of some 42 mass graves, in April by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The discoveries further underscored the gravity of the situation.

About 1.3 million people remain displaced internally in the DRC.

Those reaching Angola also expressed fear returning back unless the situation allows for safe and dignified return, noted UNHCR in the release.

Sustaining life-saving assistance not possible without more funding  UNHCR

In the news release, the UN refugee agency also said that Angola, a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, has historically hosted refugees from its neighbours  including DRC.

Prior to the recent influx, the country housed some 15,600 refugees  including more than 13,400 from the DRC.

However, with arrivals increasing and apprehensions that the situation could get much worse additional funding is urgently needed.

Sustaining life-saving assistance won't be possible without more funding, said UNHCR, noting that together with its partners, some $65 million are required  of which the UN agency needs $35 million (until the end of the year) to reach refugees in remote parts of Angola, who are the most vulnerable.

Current humanitarian efforts are supported with $10 million by the UN Central Emergency Fund, a limited pool of financial resources that provides funding to critical, life-saving humanitarian rapid response and underfunded operations around the globe.
Guterres expresses support for UN agency's work assisting Palestine refugees in Middle East

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 June 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Guterres expresses support for UN agency's work assisting Palestine refugees in Middle East, 12 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593ff03f4.html [accessed 11 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.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today expressed concerns over recent public criticism of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the integrity of its operations, and called on all Member States to continue to support the agency in discharging its important humanitarian mandate.

According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, the UN chief also expressed his support and admiration for UNRWA's role in delivering essential services and protecting the rights of millions of Palestine refugees across the Middle East.

UNRWA operates in the front lines of difficult conflict situations and provides education for half a million refugee girls and boys, teaching them human rights and tolerance. Its education and relief activities contribute critically to stability in the region, read the statement.

It added: The Secretary-General calls on all [UN] Member States to continue their support to the Agency in order for UNRWA to be in a position to fulfil impartially and efficiently its essential role and to implement its humanitarian mandate to serve Palestinian refugees until a just and durable solution to their situation is found.

The statement also noted that UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly whose Members have repeatedly acknowledged its unique contribution to peace and security in that region.

Meanwhile, the UN agency reported last Friday that it discovered part of a tunnel which passed under two adjacent UNRWA schools located in the same premises in the Maghazi camp in Gaza Strip.

The discovery was made during the summer vacations when the schools were closed and in the course of construction work in one of the school buildings.

Following a thorough inspection of the site, [we] can confirm that the tunnel has no entry or exit points on the premises nor is it connected to the schools or other buildings in any way, read a statement issued by UNRWA, in which it condemned such tunnels in the strongest possible terms.

It is unacceptable that students and staff are placed at risk in such a way, UNRWA added, noting that it has robustly intervened and protested to Hamas in Gaza and informed them that it intends to seal the tunnel under its premises, as an immediate priority.

It also noted that the presence of tunnels also violated international law, which provides that UN premises shall be inviolable and underscored that the sanctity and neutrality of UN premises must be preserved at all times.
Turkish court convicts IS member of Syrian journalist's murder in 2015

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Turkish court convicts IS member of Syrian journalist's murder in 2015, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593ff0c24.html [accessed 11 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) has learned that a court in Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey, has just convicted a member of Islamic State of murdering Syrian journalist Naji Jerf in Gaziantep in December 2015.

The court passed two life sentences on Yusef Hamed Al-Shefreihi on 9 June, one for Naji Jerf's murder and one for "trying to overthrow the constitutional order" by joining Islamic State. Three other suspects were acquitted of Jerf's murder for lack of evidence.





The trial, which began on 5 October 2016, was held behind closed doors. Jerf's family, who are refugees in France, were not represented by a lawyer, relative or representative of any Syrian organization. So the family had no direct access to the case and was only able to follow it through Turkish media reports.





"Although this verdict constitutes a first step in rendering justice for this murdered journalist, we condemn the failure to involve the family in the trial," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of RSF's Middle East desk.





"As a result of the trial being held behind closed doors, many questions have been left unanswered, including the motive for the murder, how it was carried out, the convicted murderer's profile and the possible involvement of other individuals."





A documentary filmmaker and editor of the monthly magazine Henta, Jerf was gunned down on a Gaziantep street on 27 December 2015, shortly before he and his family were due to have flown to France because of the threats he had received in Turkey.





Originally from Salamiyah, in the Syrian province of Hama, Jerf fled Syria in late 2012 after his office was ransacked but continued his journalistic activities after basing himself in Gaziantep.





The threats against Jerf resumed in Turkey and increased in the course of 2015 because of his coverage of atrocities by Islamic State. His film "IS in Aleppo," which documented Islamic State's execution of many Syrian activists, was released in November 2015.





Jerf was also in contact with Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), a citizen-journalist collective whose members were being pursued by Islamic State, which declared them to be "enemies of God."





RSF has registered other Islamic State attacks on Syrian journalists in southeastern Turkey. IS claimed responsibility for TV presenter Zaher al-Sherqat's murder in Gaziantep in April 2016 and citizen-journalist Ibrahim Abdelqader's murder in Sanliurfa in October 2015.





Abdelqader's brother Ahmed Abdelqader escaped several murder attempts in Sanliurfa, the last in June 2016. Four months later, he found refuge in France, where he is now working for the Ain Ala al Watan news website.





Turkey is ranked 155th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Pakistani reporter threatened, attacked for coverage of religious minorities

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Pakistani reporter threatened, attacked for coverage of religious minorities, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593ff10a4.html [accessed 11 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) urges Pakistan's government to take whatever measures are necessary to protect journalists after Rana Tanveer, a newspaper reporter who covers religious minorities, was first threatened and then, two days later, was deliberately knocked down by a car in Lahore.

Tanveer was riding his motorcycle to a meeting with family members in Lahore on 9 June when he was deliberately rammed from behind by a car - a common form of violence against journalists in Pakistan. He is still hospitalized with a broken leg.





Two days before the attack, he arrived home to find his front door vandalized and covered with graffiti accusing him of being an "unbeliever who deserves to be killed." He immediately moved to a different location and reported the threats to the police, who took no action.





Tanveer writes for Express Tribune, an English-language newspaper that has been physically attacked on several occasions over its coverage of the problems of religious minorities in Pakistan. Tanveer himself has covered violence against these minorities, who are often targeted by religious groups without any reaction from the authorities.





RSF calls on the authorities to implement concrete and effective policies to put a stop to the frequent reprisals against journalists who cover sensitive issues. The government must recognize that its lack of action encourages such acts of violence and that there is an urgent to need to take appropriate measures to combat the repeated attacks.





Pakistan continues to be one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. The government shows little interest in taking action to address this situation and in fact its latest measures seem to display hostility towards media freedom. Last month, the authorities announced plans for a "code of conduct" for the print media and disciplinary measures against two journalists with Dawn, Pakistan's oldest newspaper.





Four bloggers who had expressed liberal views and had commented on enforced disappearances were themselves abducted in January. They were released a few weeks later.





Pakistan is ranked 139th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
French English

Quebec City, June 13, 2017 - (TSXV: HEO) - H 2 O Innovation Inc. ("H 2 O Innovation" or the "Corporation") is proud to announce that it was awarded two (2) new wastewater projects in the United States. These new contracts bring the Corporation's project sales backlog to $58.9 M.

The Corporation's first contract consists of a wastewater treatment system using the Bio-WheelTM proprietary technology, an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) process. The system will treat an average flow of 3.2 MGD (12,000 m3/day) of a city's wastewater in California. This is the largest treatment project using the Bio-WheelTM technology that has been awarded to the Corporation to date.

The second project awarded to H 2 O Innovation consists of a retrofit of a conventional wastewater treatment system to a two-train membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. The Corporation will upgrade the system's capacity while maintaining the same footprint and increasing the effluent's quality. Located in New Jersey, the system will treat 80,000 gpd (302.8 m3/day) of wastewater.

"Fiscal year 2017 symbolizes, for H 2 O Innovation, the year where we have been awarded the most wastewater treatment projects. More than 15% of the backlog represents wastewater projects, compared to 1% in 2016 and 2% in 2015. This is a significant milestone in our strategic diversification of the project group. It's opening a world of opportunities that we didn't tap into in previous years", stated Frederic Dugre, CEO and President of H 2 O Innovation.

About H 2 O Innovation

H 2 O Innovation designs and provides state-of-the-art, custom-built and integrated water treatment solutions based on membrane filtration technology for municipal, industrial, energy and natural resources end-users. The Corporation's activities rely on three pillars which are i) water and wastewater projects; ii) specialty products and services, including a complete line of specialty chemicals, consumables, specialized products for the water treatment industry as well as control and monitoring systems; and iii) operation and maintenance services for water and wastewater treatment systems. For more information, visit www.h2oinnovation.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the Alternext Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

- 30 -

Source:

H 2 O Innovation Inc.

www.h2oinnovation.com





Contact:

Marc Blanchet

+1 418-688-0170

marc.blanchet@h2oinnovation.com

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c1ed678-49be-43da-98d6-2ee002880c2a
Ten years of deliberate impunity in radio journalist's murder

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Ten years of deliberate impunity in radio journalist's murder, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593ff1854.html [accessed 11 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) urges Pakistan's government to take whatever measures are necessary to protect journalists after Rana Tanveer, a newspaper reporter who covers religious minorities, was first threatened and then, two days later, was deliberately knocked down by a car in Lahore.

Tanveer was riding his motorcycle to a meeting with family members in Lahore on 9 June when he was deliberately rammed from behind by a car - a common form of violence against journalists in Pakistan. He is still hospitalized with a broken leg.





Two days before the attack, he arrived home to find his front door vandalized and covered with graffiti accusing him of being an "unbeliever who deserves to be killed." He immediately moved to a different location and reported the threats to the police, who took no action.





Tanveer writes for Express Tribune, an English-language newspaper that has been physically attacked on several occasions over its coverage of the problems of religious minorities in Pakistan. Tanveer himself has covered violence against these minorities, who are often targeted by religious groups without any reaction from the authorities.





RSF calls on the authorities to implement concrete and effective policies to put a stop to the frequent reprisals against journalists who cover sensitive issues. The government must recognize that its lack of action encourages such acts of violence and that there is an urgent to need to take appropriate measures to combat the repeated attacks.





Pakistan continues to be one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. The government shows little interest in taking action to address this situation and in fact its latest measures seem to display hostility towards media freedom. Last month, the authorities announced plans for a "code of conduct" for the print media and disciplinary measures against two journalists with Dawn, Pakistan's oldest newspaper.





Four bloggers who had expressed liberal views and had commented on enforced disappearances were themselves abducted in January. They were released a few weeks later.





Pakistan is ranked 139th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Kyrgyzstan censors leading news agency Ferghana

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 13 June 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Kyrgyzstan censors leading news agency Ferghana, 13 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593ff1cb4.html [accessed 11 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 appalled to learn that the Ferghana website, one of the leading sources of news about Central Asia, can no longer be accessed in Kyrgyzstan as a result of court-ordered blocking, which it condemns as an unwarranted act of censorship unworthy of Kyrgyz democracy.

It was Ferghana's Kyrgyz readers who told Daniil Kislov, the Moscow-based news agency's editor, that they could no longer access the site.





Without informing Ferghana, a court in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek ordered the blocking on 8 June and Internet Service Providers Mega-Line and Kyrgyzetelecom began implementing the order.





Kislov said he would challenge the decision, which was neither notified nor explained to him. It is the second time that this independent news agency specializing in Central Asia has been blocked in Kyrgyzstan. It was first blocked in 2012 and remained so for a year.





"The blocking of Ferghana is an act of censorship unworthy of Kyrgyzstan's democracy," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.





"This latest media freedom violation comes amid a disturbing number of judicial proceedings against opposition media outlets. We urge Kyrgyzstan's authorities to stop harassing critical media and to cherish and defend the 2010 revolution's democratic gains, instead of borrowing from the repressive policies widely used by its neighbours."





Kyrgyzstan was the only Central Asian country where Ferghana was still accessible until three days ago. It has long been blocked in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and in recent years in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as well. RSF invites Ferghana's readers to use the Ferghana mirror site that RSF created as part of its "Operation Collateral Freedom" (https://fg1.global.ssl.fastly.net/).





"In the 17 years that out news site has existed, we have become accustomed to the constant blocking, the cyber-attacks, the prosecutions and the threatening statements by government officials in many countries," Kislov told RSF.





"We just try to be professional journalists, whose job is to draw attention to the most sensitive and embarrassing aspects in a country's social and political life (...) to talk about the problems of society and ordinary people and to condemn crimes by the government."





On 9 June, the Kyrgyz Committee for National Security opened a criminal investigation into Ferghana's correspondent in Kyrgyzstan, Ulugbek Babakulov, for allegedly "inciting inter-ethnic hatred" in a 23 May article about social network hate messages targeting Kyrgyzstan's Uzbek minority.





Some of the messages are themselves also the subject of a criminal investigation. The subject of inter-ethnic relations have tended to be off-limits for the media since hundreds died in inter-ethnic violence in the southern city of Osh in 2010.





Ranked 89th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Kyrgyzstan enjoys a level of media pluralism that is exceptional in Central Asia but concerns are growing in the run-up to a presidential election in October.





President Almazbek Atambayev has brought defamation actions against the leading critical news sites. On the official website of the president's office, he accused "a small group of independent journalists, media and politicians" in March of trying to destabilize the country. And in a meeting with foreign ambassadors, he described certain journalists as "immoral idiots."
Over the next five years, marketing and PR agencies that can show that they deliver provable business impact will win significant market share. Those that just continue to sell marketing and PR services will begin to disappear.

NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the past two decades, Mark Hass has stood out in marketing and PR circles. He has served as CEO of some of the top agencies in the world, including Edelman. As a professor at both Arizona State University and Princeton University, he is well-known as a deep thinker about the ways in which marketing and communications must transform in order to deliver what clients are already demanding but not receiving.

As a senior advisor and evangelist for Proof, Hass will focus on helping agencies understand and integrate Proofs best-in-class attribution platform into their client work.

Right now is a pivotal moment for marketing and PR agencies, said Hass. Over the next five years, agencies that deliver provable business impact will win significant market share, and those that continue to sell marketing and PR services will recede and ultimately disappear. This transformation is already happening now on the client side, and the velocity of this change will continue to accelerate dramatically in the next several years.

The marketing and PR industries are under increasing pressure from boards of directors and CEOs to prove the impact of their programs, and the average tenure of Fortune 1000 CMOs has dipped below two years. Both of those issues are rooted in poor evaluation of the business value of marketing and communications spend, in contrast to the more robust evaluation techniques used by other key corporate departments.

Some agencies are already in transition to a hybrid model that combines traditional fee structures and new performance-based compensation. These agencies will continue to take substantial market share based on a compensation model that is economically aligned to their clients business interests and rooted in unprecedented access to data and new data analytics platforms. They will grow their top line aggressively and organically, and they will lead the industry by reinvigorating margin expansion by being able to charge more for business impact.

Hass has more than three decades of experience as a journalist, entrepreneur and strategic communications professional. He was President and CEO of Edelman, the worlds largest independent marketing agency, as well as global CEO of MS&L Group, a top-ten public relations firm. Today, he is a professor of practice at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, where he specializes in strategic communications and marketing. He also teaches at Princeton Universitys Center for Information Technology Policy, an interdisciplinary academic unit that addresses digital technologies as they interact with society.

Joe Paluska is a member of Proofs board of directors. The global technology chairman for many years at Edelman and Hill & Knowlton before founding brand-first venture group Heroes.Run, Paluska said: For years, marketers and PR pros have longed for the Holy Grail, the ability to prove business impact and business value. The problem for Mark Hass, and for the rest of us who have led agencies in our careers, was the absence of the sort of data analytics that could turn this aspiration into a workable business model. A significant obstacle was our inability to understand the time lag that existed between our programs and any business impact. A great marketing and communications program does not instantly impact sales and reputation, and understanding that time lag is crucial to any follow-on analytics. Thats where Proof comes in.

Using long-accepted advanced mathematics, the Proof algorithmic engine bridges that gap and automates the computation of the business impact delivered by corporate functions like marketing and communications.

Hass believes that Proof will accelerate the transformation of the marketing and PR agency business model and how those agencies are compensated. If you are an agency leader, now is the time to realize that you are no longer selling time and talent  you are selling provable audience influence and business impact, both of which are significantly more monetizable than your entire agencys hourly rates combined. A business model rooted in the proven delivery of business impact is the only fair and viable option for agencies and clients alike. The emergence of the Proof software platform means that the 'missing link' needed to calibrate this new agency model has been forged.

This fundamental question of impact and value goes to the heart of the past, present and future of marketing and PR. The great news is that the calculations show that most marketers and communicators are tremendously successful in delivering real business impact, said Mark Stouse, founder and CEO of Proof. The arrival of Proof means that these two extremely valuable but paradoxically under-valued professions can demonstrate their worth beyond all doubt.

Read what others have recently written about Proof:

About Proof

Proof is the first collective intelligence software platform in the world to allow networks of people and teams to collaborate securely across organizational lines in order to integrate their data and jointly validate their business impact. Learn more at proofanalytics.ai or @proofanalytics, or call or text Mike Atwood at 603-305-2165 to schedule a Proof demo. #ProveIt2017 #proCMO #proCCO #proCFO #proAgency
November 2022 is Subscriber Appreciation Month

We're launching a full month of surprises to say thank you to our most loyal subscribers!
New York, NY, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New York City Regional Center (NYCRC) is pleased to announce the first I-829 petition approvals issued to EB-5 investors participating in its Bronx Medical Office Campus project offering. I-829 petition approvals have now been issued in each of the NYCRCs first nine offerings. To date, 1,150 I-829 approvals have been issued in NYCRC offerings resulting in over 3,000 individuals (EB-5 investors and family members) achieving permanent residency in the United States.

The issuance of the I-829 petition approval removes the conditional status and deems the EB-5 investor to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residence permits EB-5 investors to live and work anywhere in the United States, and be protected by the laws of the United States. An EB-5 investors spouse and children are also authorized to live, work and attend school anywhere in the United States.

We congratulate our EB-5 investors on these recently issued I-829 petition approvals, said Paul Levinsohn, Managing Principal of the NYCRC. EB-5 investors have now received I-829 approvals in our first nine offerings.

Achieving over 1,100 I-829 petition approvals is a significant achievement for our company and our EB-5 investors and their families, added George L. Olsen, Managing Principal of the NYCRC. We extend our best wishes to them on their continued journey in the United States.

The issuance of these new I-829 petition approvals represents the latest round of approval milestones for the NYCRC. Other examples include helping secure conditional residency in the United States for 5,305 EB-5 investors and family members and I-526 petition approvals for 2,393 EB-5 investors.

About the NYCRC

The NYCRC was approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2008 to secure foreign investment for real estate and infrastructure projects under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The company was the first EB-5 regional center approved in New York City. To date, the NYCRC has secured over $1.4 billion of capital for 21 economic development projects in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Examples of projects utilizing loans provided by NYCRC-managed funds include the following:

redevelopment of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York Citys largest industrial park;

redevelopment of the George Washington Bridge Bus Station in Washington Heights;

construction of a wireless infrastructure network in New York Citys subway stations;

redevelopment of a new cargo facility at JFK International Airport;

construction of Fresh Directs new food processing and distribution facility in the South Bronx;

expansion of Steiner Studios, New York Citys largest film and television studio;

construction of the City Point development in Downtown Brooklyn;

construction of a hotel and medical office complex in Washington Heights;

construction of key components of the Atlantic Yards redevelopment in Brooklyn;

expansion of the Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx;

construction of LinkNYC, the public-private initiative that is bringing the nations largest and fastest public Wi-Fi infrastructure network to the streets of New York City.

In addition to fueling economic development, NYCRC offerings have enabled over 3,000 individuals to become permanent residents of the United States through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.

For more information about the NYCRC, please visit www.nycrc.com.
Former Cambodia National Rescue Party President Sam Rainsy, who has been forced to live in exile since 2015 in the face of questionable defamation charges, spoke with reporter Vuthy Huot of Radio Free Asias Khmer Service in Washington Tuesday to discuss the CNRP's performance in local elections on June 4 and the party's prospects for national elections in 2018.

RFA: You resigned from your position as CNRP President on February 11. At that time you said your resignation was in order to rescue the CNRP from any attempts to dissolve the party through the use of the amended law on political parties by Hun Sens government. Now the election is over, how effective is your resignation and how did it affect the commune council election results?

Sam Rainsy: My resignation was only made on paper. But my heart and my mind still rest with rescuing the nation 100 percent. I want to commend and thank our compatriots, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, who went to vote en masse for change. In 2017, we have changed most [officials] at the commune/sangkat levels. What is most important is that in 2018, our compatriots will go to vote for change at the national level through electing new lawmakers. Then we will have a new government and a new prime minister to lead new politics so as to serve the genuine interests of the nation and the people and bring about full happiness for Cambodian citizens.

RFA: Had you not resigned, how would the political situation have developed?

Sam Rainsy: It is clear that they created a new law aiming at me, Sam Rainsy, as their courts had unfairly prosecuted me. With such a pretext, they created a new law stipulating that any party whose leaders are convicted by the court shall be subject to dissolution. Had I not resigned, the CNRP would have been dissolved. In the name of one of the founders of the CNRP, like being a parent, we dare to withdraw ourselves so that our children can stay alive and grow up.

RFA: Now your party has not been dissolved and it has just won nearly 500 commune/sangkat chief posts although it has not won a majority. Are you satisfied with this result? Do you think that, had you taken other strategies, it would have increased the votes for your party? Or is this what your party can do to the best of its ability?

Sam Rainsy: I believe that this election was not free or fair. Had it been held in a free and fair environment, the CNRP would have received more votes than what it has now. How can you call it free, if there were always threats of war, arrests and jailing of the innocents? How can it be free with such an environment of fear? How can it be fair if the ruling party employed state means, materials, budget and personnel to serve its own interests? How can it be fair and equitable when I, who stands behind the CNRP and used to be its president, could not participate in this election or during the election campaign? I trust that had I had my freedom and the possibility to participate during the election campaign, the votes that CNRP would have received would be much higher than this. As for the other side, its leader could conduct his election campaign at will. But as for me, had I not resigned, and had I not been accused unfairly, I would have been present with Kem Sokha to conduct the election campaign together across the nation. And the CNRP would have won more than this time. Hence, I regret that this election was not free or fair. I will make all-out efforts to ensure that the upcoming election is freer and fairer. The CNRP will then achieve a victory greater than in 2017.

RFA: Having said that the election was not free and fair and that the party received greater pressure and oppression than in previous polls, why did your party accept the election results?

Sam Rainsy: We understand that the level of support for the CNRP was higher than ever before. Even though it was not free or fair, our votes keep increasing. Our commune/sangkat chief seats increased in 2017 to nearly 500 seats. I believe that in 2018, we will receive at least eight additional assembly seats than what we have now. Actually it should be more than this, but at least this is the minimum votes that we should gain when the citizens vote for the CNRP. Right now we have 55 seats in the national assembly. If we receive just eight additional seats then the CNRP will have 63 seats in the national assembly which is enough, equivalent to the absolute majority, for the party to form a new government and bring about the change the citizens have wished for. So for next year, I call on our citizens to come out to vote en masse so that the CNRP increases its seats by an additional eight seats so that we have enough lawmakers at the national assembly to form a new government.

RFA: The possibility that Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to dissolve the CNRP has not yet disappeared, even though you chose to resign earlier this year, especially at a time when support for the CNRP is increasing. What else do you have as a strategy for further rescuing the party? What if there is any case lodged against Kem Sokha, including the Anti-Corruption Unit plans to investigate him over his alleged human trafficking case? Will Kem Sokha dare to resign as president to rescue the party? Do you have other strategies should there be such attempts?

Sam Rainsy: Such attempts show that the other side is in a panic. They know that they are losing. Because the level of citizens support for the CNRP is increasing over time. In contrast, the support for the CPP is decreasing. In the past, the gap between the CPP and the CNRP was FAIRLY huge. But from one election to the next, the gap is shrinking. And in 2017, the line of support for both parties almost stayed at the same level. By 2018, the lines will be crossed, meaning that the CPP is dropping and the CNRP is rising. Then the support for the CNRP will be higher than that for the CPP. So they know that they are losing and that with a fair and proper election that allows our citizens to express their will genuinely, the CNRP will win a landslide. That is why they tried to find measures and devise plans that are of bad intention and not in compliance with democratic principles in order to cause trouble for the CNRP. This is not the first time that they used such tricks to cause trouble for the CNRP. Prior to the creation of the CNRP, the Human Rights Party and the Sam Rainsy Party were also being subject to harassment and trouble. But we still sustained and our votes kept increasing from one election mandate to the next. Their tricks could not outdo us. We as good people also have our strategies to protect ourselves from ill-intended persons. Just take a look at what we have done to sustain the life of the party. Not only for the sustainability of the party but also for the party to grow and increase votes from one year to the next. I trust that in the future as per in our past we are equipped with ideas and strategies to confront them to ensure that our party is strong and soon next year we can bring about victory. It is true that without Sam Rainsy, the party can still grow and that without Kem Sokha, the party can also grow. As a matter of fact, there is not just a single Sam Rainsy or Kem Sokha. There are millions of Sam Rainsys and Kem Sokhas in Cambodia. Those who love the nation, justice and those who yearn for positive change. These people are called Sam Rainsy or Kem Sokha. So no having me or Kem Sokha will not cause any problems so long as our conscience stays alive within the hearts of Cambodian people across the nation.

RFA: You had committed to return to Cambodia in time for the national election in 2018 and to stand as prime minister candidate for the CNRP to compete with the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen. But how will you return to Cambodia? By what means?

Sam Rainsy: Hun Sen has to suspend and drop the order that his government had given to airline companies worldwide not to board me on any of their planes to Cambodia. So no airline companies dare to board me due to Hun Sens threat that any airlines that fly me to Cambodia, will face a situation in which all passengers on board will not be allowed to leave the plane and the plane has to return to its place of origin. So I cannot return to Cambodia because now Im living in France. I have to board a plane that flies across several countries and the last country will be either Thailand or Korea. Yet all airliners have received the same order. If they want to have a free and fair election, as a contender and as a prime minister candidate to compete with Hun Sen, I request that Hun Sen be brave enough not to obstruct me from being able to compete with him. This does not mean through Hun Sens leniency. I ask Hun Sen to abide by the law and the constitution. No government in the world obstructs one of its citizens from being able to return to their own homeland. This is such a cruel and illegal act. Hun Sen should know that he should not act like this since it is shameful. Only his government dares to obstruct one of its citizens from being able to return to Cambodia.

Translated by Sovannarith Keo.


Authorities in the central province of Hunan have sacked three ruling Chinese Communist Party officials after accusing them of beating a former official to death.



Police in Hunan's Xinshao county, near Shaoyang city, are making further arrests after the death of Zhang Youping, 47, party secretary of Xinshao's Yanzhu New Village, they said in a statement posted on the Sina news portal on .



County authorities have also fired Daxin township party secretary Wang Hong, his deputy Yuan Aixiong and current Yanzhu New Village party chief Liu Shuguang, the report said.



"The county-level discipline inspection team will now investigate Wang Hong, Yuan Aixiong and three others in connection with the incident, it said.



It said Zhang Youping was beaten to death at 1.40 p.m. on , and that Liu Shuguang had gathered a group of people including Zhang Kaihua and a man surnamed Xiao to attack Zhang Youping.



"He died after being taken to hospital," the Sina report said, citing the Shaoyang municipal police department.



"That same afternoon, his body was taken by his relatives to the Daxin township government compound, attracting a large crowd."



Further arrests expected

Video of the scene sent to RFA showed several people carrying a covered body on a stretcher, and uniformed police clashing with a large crowd in the government compound.



The key suspects are all currently in the custody of the Xinshao county police, who are making further arrests, the police report said.



A Yanzhu resident surnamed Liang told RFA that the family had taken Zhang Youping's dead body to the government compound in Daxin township out of anger at his death.



"There were around two or three thousand local people there, who supported them," Liang said. "There were about 300-400 police, and some officials, who didn't handle it well, and called in the armed police."



"The police used very brutal tactics and let their dogs loose to bite the relatives and bystanders," he said. "There were huge clashes after that."



Liang said Zhang had been attacked because he opposed redevelopment plans for his village, and had been trying to prevent the corrupt use of village funds and assets.



"This wasn't about a personal grievance; it was a matter that affected the whole village," he said. "The current village officials wanted to demolish and rebuild the village committee building, which had only just been built."



"[Zhang] wouldn't allow it, so the current party secretary called in a gang of thugs and beat the former village party secretary to death."

Clean and honest official

A resident of a nearby village surnamed Qu said Zhang had been widely seen as a clean and honest officials, who had sold off his house and car to pay for a bridge to be used by local people.



"I am from the village next door, and [Zhang] really did do something good," Qu said. "He was a good official, but the new party secretary is more like a petty dictator. He wasn't elected, but was directly appointed by the local government."



Calls to the Daxin township government offices rang unanswered during office hours on .



An official who answered the phone at the Xinshao county government offices declined to comment, saying official statements have already been published online.



A local resident surnamed Wang said she had witnessed huge crowds outside the township government on .



"There were so many people there; more than 1,000 at the very least," she said. "The riot police also clashed with local people, and they let loose some police dogs, which bit people."



"The riot police took [the body] away at around 4.00 a.m. for an autopsy," Wang said.



Reported by Ding Wenqi for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Myanmar police arrive to demolish huts occupied by 'squatters' in Hlegu township about 30 miles northeast of the commercial center Yangon, June 12, 2017.

Four men and one women were charged on Tuesday with attacking police as they forcibly removed inhabited sheds from an illegal squatter settlement along a stretch of roadway in a township northeast of Myanmars commercial capital Yangon, a local police official said.

Authorities charged the five under the Highways Act for attacking police with slingshots on Monday during the shantytown's demolition in Hlegu township to make way for a high-rise residential project.

The Highways Act governs the regulation of traffic on public roads and in public places and the preservation of the surfaces of such roads and places.

Theyve been charged by the highway police for blocking the road and attacking them, said Maung Oo, deputy commander of the Hlegu police. No other charges have been made against them.

About 200 Myanmar police officers and 1,000 others hired by the Yangon government on Monday evicted hundreds of settlement residents and dismantled roughly 4,000 illegal homes in the township along the Yangon-Naypyidaw Expressway about 30 miles outside the commercial hub.

One policeman was injured in the melee, Reuters reported.

Residents have objected heavily to the destruction of their homes, accusing village officials and others of fraudulently selling them their plots of land, and complaining that they have not been compensated for the loss of their homes.

Most reported paying 300,000 to 1,300,000 kyats (U.S. $218-$947) for a 40-by-60 square-foot plot of land.

In August 2016, authorities notified the shantytown's residents that they were living in the area illegally, and issued them reminders almost every month thereafter.

The demolition operation marked the second time that squatters have been cleared out of Hlegu township following the leveling of the area in 2015.

This time, authorities, who are removing the structures without the use of bulldozers or heavy equipment, said they will make sure that the landowners do not return.

The destruction of the shantytown, which is still in progress, marks the first forced eviction under the civilian-led government of de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which has been in power since April 2016.

Forced evictions were common in the five decades Myanmar was under military rule.

Reported by Aung Theinkha for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A decision to strip French-Vietnamese professor and former political prisoner Pham Minh Hoang of his citizenship marks a new low for Vietnams government, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday, urging the international community to pressure Hanoi to reverse the ruling.



In a letter issued on May 17 and signed by President Tran Dai Quang, Vietnams government informed Hoang, 62, of its official decision to revoke his nationality, citing Articles 88 and 91 of the countrys Criminal Code, which prohibit conducting propaganda against the state and fleeing abroad or defecting to stay overseas with a view to opposing the people's administration, respectively.



After receiving the letter on June 10, Hoang called the decision invalid, saying it violates the Law on Vietnamese nationality, and pledged to fight for his right to live in his homeland. He has formally begun the process of renouncing his French citizenship in a bid to block the revocation.



On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said in a statement that the Vietnamese governments action to strip Hoang of his citizenship is nothing short of outrageous, and called for pressure on Hanoi to withdraw the decision.



This completely unjustified abuse of human rights marks a new low for Hanoi's treatment of political dissidents because it says that they cannot even be considered Vietnamese, stripping them of their identity and nationhood in one abrupt maneuver, Robertson said.



The international community, especially aid donors to Vietnam, must tell Hanoi that this abuse cannot be allowed to stand, the President's letter must be rescinded, and the action must be immediately reversed.



Robertson said that Hanoi must not be given the impression that the international community will condone such actions against dissidents in the future.



This should be a lesson that such extreme government retaliation against political activists cannot happen without Vietnam suffering a major loss of international prestige and respect, he said.



Hoang, who is the only dissident to have his citizenship revoked in recent history in Vietnam, has stated that he will not leave his home in Vietnams economic capital Ho Chi Minh City to avoid any risk of forced expulsion while his lawyers work on his case.



Desire to stay



Speaking to RFAs Vietnamese Service last week, the former mathematics professor and activist blogger, said his desire to live in his homeland near his family is too strong at this point in his life.



I'm not young anymore, nor do I want to move forward in my career, he said at the time, adding that he only hopes to live and serve in Vietnam.



I was already thinking about giving up my French citizenship, so there is nothing holding me back.



Hoang lived in France as an international student from 1973 until the late 1990s, when he returned to Ho Chi Minh City to teach at the Saigon University of Science and Technology.



He spent 17 months in prison for undermining national security and ruining the nations image through writings critical of Vietnams government, before being released in January 2012 and serving three years of probation.



Hoang told Agence France-Presse he had continued to publish "peaceful" articles on social media that were critical of the government since his release from prison.



Vietnam routinely jails bloggers, lawyers and activists authorities accuse of anti-government activity.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
SAN ANTONIO, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valero Energy Partners LP (NYSE:VLP) today announced that it will host a conference call on July 28, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. ET to discuss second quarter earnings results, which will be released earlier that day, and provide an update on partnership operations.



Persons interested in listening to the presentation live via the internet may log on to Valero Energy Partners web site at www.valeroenergypartners.com.



About Valero Energy Partners LP

Valero Energy Partners LP is a fee-based master limited partnership formed by Valero Energy Corporation to own, operate, develop and acquire crude oil and refined petroleum products pipelines, terminals, and other transportation and logistics assets. With headquarters in San Antonio, the Partnerships assets include crude oil and refined petroleum products pipeline and terminal systems in the Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent regions of the United States that are integral to the operations of 10 of Valeros refineries. Please visit www.valeroenergypartners.com for more information.
Prosecutors opened their case Monday against a Mechanicsville man accused of beating his wife to death with a hammer last year.

Harshadkumar Jadav, 34, faces a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Reena Jadav, who was found on a lawn in the quiet Honey Meadows subdivision on Labor Day last year.

The defendant, Harshadkumar Jadav, had a million reasons to kill his wife, Travis P. Hughes, an assistant Hanover commonwealths attorney, told jurors at the start of a three-day trial.

Hughes said the defendant was the beneficiary of his 30-year-old wifes life insurance policies that carried about $1 million in potential benefits.

Five weeks before the slaying, Harshadkumar Jadav started using a dating website, Hughes said.

The prosecutor also said that less than a week before the womans death, her husbands Google account had been used to query search terms like accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

Two residents in the Honey Meadows neighborhood said they heard a woman screaming about 11 p.m. on Sept. 4  the night before Reena Jadavs body was found.

Hughes told jurors that phone records show the defendants cellphone, meanwhile, was traveling around in the night before his wife was found.

Harshadkumar Jadavs attorney, Vaughan Jones, told jurors that the defense does not dispute that his client had been unfaithful to his wife.

But Jones told jurors there was a lack of physical evidence tying his client to his wifes death.

He did not commit this crime, Jones said.

The defense attorney also said Jadav was completely cooperative with police, adding that his client spoke with investigators every time they asked.

The defendant entered a plea of not guilty during an arraignment at the start of the proceedings.

Im innocent, Jadav told Hanover Circuit Court Judge Patricia Kelly.

Reena Jadav was found several hundred feet from the home she shared with her husband.

Miles away from where the victim was found, prosecutors said a neighbor came across the hammer and other items in a yard. In addition to the weapon used to kill Jadav, prosecutors said, the neighbor found jeans, underwear, cleaning wipes and a shirt.

The hammer tested positive for the womans blood, Hughes said.

Reena Jadavs mother, Sumitra Shrestha, testified that on the night before her daughter was found, she had been at the couples home and saw the defendant wearing the same shirt that was found in the yard  a striped, short-sleeved shirt.

Attorneys warned jurors that they could see graphic images during the trial. According to the victims autopsy report, she suffered at least 15 blows to her head.

Sgt. Matthew Gardner with the Hanover Sheriffs Office said he responded just before 6 a.m. to a call of the woman being found and arrived at the scene to find the defendant at a car speaking into a cellphone.

Gardner said the defendant told him that his wife had gone for a run the night before and that when she did not return, he went out to find her.
The two sets of teenagers were found lying on the ground on a Wednesday, 70 days and 4 miles apart.

In late March, Mikkaisha D. Smoot, 16, and Taliek K. Brown, 15, were slain in Mosby Court. Last week, Christian K. Singleton, 15, and Ketron R. Wells, 16, were shot to death in the citys South Side.

They are not alone among area teenagers who have been slain or shot by gunfire this year. Richmond has not absorbed a concentrated blast of violence the likes of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of children in Newtown, Conn. But each day, in some of our communities, youngsters receive a steady dose of trauma that erodes their life chances.

Too often, the deaths of children in challenged communities are met with apathy, or even hard hearts. But even our compassion is not enough.

I think we are robbing children of their childhoods by not getting more outraged, said Dr. Bela Sood, medical director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children at the Childrens Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

Your life narrative completely changes when you are exposed to these things.

We must stem the trauma that in some ways perpetuates the violence.

In the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings, Connecticut became a national leader in mandating expanded training for educators so that they might recognize trauma-informed behavior in students.

Virginia is playing catch-up among 26 states tracking Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, says Dr. Allison Jackson, CEO of Integration Solutions and a former employee of the Richmond Social Services Department who has worked with children in Creighton Court and at the East Ends Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue.

Last year was Virginias first in accumulating data on Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Jackson says ACEs include the following experiences that occur prior to age 18:

emotional, physical or sexual abuse;

feeling unloved or unwanted by your family;

fear that your basic needs might not be met;

the divorce or separation of your caregivers;

witnessing domestic violence;

substance abuse or mental health issues in your home; and

someone in the home who is incarcerated.

One out of six individuals has endured four or more of those events. When you experience more than four, you are 550 percent more likely to be an alcoholic and 1,500 percent more likely to attempt suicide, Jackson said. Once that number reaches six, you are more likely to die 20 years younger than your counterparts.

Childhood trauma adversely affects academic performance; it literally turns off the learning switch, Jackson said.

Kids have difficulty learning not because they are not smart but because they are traumatized, she said. And instead of education addressing the trauma, whats happening is they are getting in trouble and kicked out of school.

Trauma also fosters a sense of hopelessness, promotes negative self-identity and diminishes a childs capacity to build healthy relationships.

Sood said traumatized children become very depressed or very aggressive.

Theres always a sense of foreshortened future in many of these kids, she said. When you have that, all bets are off. What have you got to lose? The choices you make are impacted by that.

Childhood trauma can erode empathy; youngsters in fight, flight or freeze mode may see empathy as a luxury their environment does not permit.

A lot of these kids are feeling in survival mode, Jackson said.

Superintendent Dana Bedden was beginning to move Richmond Public Schools down this path, she said. ChildSavers won a $500,000 Robins Foundation grant to help students and teachers in Richmonds East End schools overcome the impact of childhood trauma, as part of the Richmond Public Schools Resiliency Partnership in collaboration with Stop Child Abuse Now, or SCAN.

And in July, the Virginia Health Department plans to release its findings on Adverse Childhood Experiences, she said. Jackson is hoping that the General Assembly will address the issue in its next session, but adds that there are no short-term remedies.

She comes to the ACEs issue with more than academic research and professional bona fides.

Eight of those things happened to me in my life, she said. She drifted from one residential placement to another, earning the nickname Alley Cat. As a young adult in college, she was raped and attempted suicide.

Through it all, a mental health tech with no letters behind his name never gave up on her, pushed her to reach her potential and challenged her to pay forward their connection.

Jackson grew up in North Side and attended Collegiate, proof that childhood trauma doesnt respect class or boundaries. But where you are born and the violence you see regularly is a significant contributor, as well as a legacy of historical oppression.

Every child deserves to be in a predictable, safe and secure environment, Sood said. They dont choose where they are born.

Toward that end, we must reduce disparities based on where they live, where they attend school, their proximity to health care and healthy foods and the violence around them. Mentors can play an important role, she said.

Its about lifting the standards we are willing to let our children live in, Sood said. Unless we raise those expectations, we are going to be in this morass. Its not going to get much better.
TANGIER  The mayor of the tiny Chesapeake Bay island community of Tangier says President Donald Trump called him after seeing a news report about the threat the Virginia village faces from sea-level rise.

Trump  who was overwhelmingly backed by Tangier residents in November  called Mayor James Ooker Eskridge after CNN reported on the island last week, according to The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md.

It was unreal, said Eskridge, who spoke with the president Monday afternoon.

According to the mayor, Trump introduced himself and told Eskridge: Youve got one heck of an island there.

Most of low-lying Tangier, with a population of about 450, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of the isolation, many residents have retained the linguistic traces of the islands primarily English settlers who first arrived in the 17th century.

The island is also sinking from erosion and rising sea levels, and scientists predict that residents may have to abandon it within 25 to 50 years.

But Eskridge said Trump reassured him.

He said not to worry about sea-level rise, Eskridge said. He said, Your island has been there for hundreds of years, and I believe your island will be there for hundreds more.

About 87 percent of Tangier residents who cast ballots in November voted for Trump, and Eskridge said during the CNN interview that he loved Trump like a family member.
The three Democrats vying to succeed Ralph S. Northam as lieutenant governor head into Tuesdays primary following a largely respectful campaign in which they made appearances together and varied little on policy.

But the styles and personalities of the three  Justin Fairfax, Susan Platt and Gene Rossi  are as diverse as the candidates.

Fairfax would be the states first black lieutenant governor since L. Douglas Wilder held the post from 1986 to 1990. Platt would be the first woman in the role. Rossi doesnt come from a political background but, inspired by Barack Obama and his own health problems, decided to give it a shot after a long career as a federal prosecutor.

Fairfax nearly won the Democratic nomination for attorney general in 2013. Mark Herring edged him for the nomination and then won the general election and is seeking re-election this year.

In Virginia, a lieutenant governor holds a part-time job presiding over the state Senate and breaks tie votes on most issues. But in a way, the vote for lieutenant governor can be seen as a party nominating a gubernatorial hopeful in waiting.

Fairfax, 38, spent two years in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Virginias Eastern District and now is a litigator at a Northern Virginia law firm. He leads Platt and Rossi in fundraising, raising more than $1 million. His biggest endorsements came from U.S. Reps. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, and Gerald E. Connolly, D-11th, and state Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax.

A quote from Fairfax on his website summarizes his platform: Our top priority must be creating higher-paying jobs and economic security and opportunity. Working together, well expand access to capital for small businesses, restructure student loan debt to lower the burden on families, reform our juvenile justice system, expand access to health care, and defend our constitutional rights.

Platt, 62, a veteran Democratic operative, served as a chief of staff to then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., and ran the 1994 re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb, in which he defeated Republican challenger Oliver North.

Platt was moved to run by the election of President Donald Trump. Her campaign received support from comedian and author Rosie ODonnell and locally from Mary Sue Terry, who was first elected attorney general in 1985 and remains the only woman elected to statewide office in Virginia.

With less money and a smaller staff headed by national Democratic consultants, Platt has used Twitter to take jabs at Trump, who she calls the Bully-in-Chief, and state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel  one of three Republicans running for lieutenant governor  who she calls Transvaginal Jill because of ultrasound legislation Vogel sponsored in 2012.

Platt supports the removal of every Confederate monument in Virginia. She has called on Congress to impeach Trump.

Just within the past few hours, the Bully-in-Chief doubled down on his unconstitutional plan to ban an entire religion, she said in a news release. He obstructed justice in the Russia investigation, profited from foreign governments, and even gave state secrets to foreign leaders. Its worse than Watergate, and weve seen enough.

Platt is vocal in opposing two controversial proposed natural gas pipelines in Virginia and embarked on a pipeline resistance tour. None of the three have taken money from Dominion Energy, which has been a lightning rod in Virginia politics in recent years over its influence with politicians.

Platt had a controversy on Friday. Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the Virginia ACLU, posted on Facebook that a Platt mailer using a picture of the two of them implied an endorsement  and Gastanaga wasnt endorsing anyone. She said Platt used the photo out of context in the campaign mailer.

Seth Bringman, a Platt campaign spokesman, said in an email the campaign apologized for the mistake.

Rossi, 60, like Fairfax, worked in the U.S. Attorneys Office but his career spanned nearly three decades and included high-level cases. He handled more than 110 federal trials.

Treating drug addiction and improving health care are among his priorities. As a prosecutor, Rossi handled the case of a doctor who was accused of prescription pill trafficking.

He decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2013 while hospitalized in Baltimore with amyloidosis, a rare disease. He had a 50 percent chance to live, and if he recovered, he decided, hed run. While in the hospital he was inspired by the inaugural address of President Barack Obama.

My daughter and I have something in common: we are both cancer survivors, Rossi says on his campaign website. Quite simply, were it not for my federal health insurance plan, we would not be alive. President Trumps and Speaker Ryans true health care objective is crystal clear: Repeal and Destroy. We must do whatever it takes to stop them.
QUEBEC CITY, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InnovMetric Software Inc., the leading provider of universal 3D metrology software solutions, launched PolyWorks 2017, the latest release of the companys universal 3D metrology software platform. PolyWorks 2017 delivers a new control-centric reviewing workflow  a key upgrade for all portable metrology and CNC CMM measurement specialists that need to share large metrology projects, containing hundreds of dimensional and GD&T controls, with colleagues, customers, and suppliers. It also provides a major technology upgrade for large-volume metrology applications, and a unique approach to real-time collision analysis for more efficient CNC CMM project setups.



Control-centric reviewing workflow

Because they provide invaluable feedback on manufactured parts and on the performance of the manufacturing process, 3D measurements must be efficiently planned and executed by measurement specialists. Then, the results have to be thoroughly reviewed by manufacturing specialists to make informed engineering decisions. With 3D inspection projects designed for planning and executing measurements, time-consuming manipulations are required when sharing measurement results using standard 2D reports. For reviewers, interpreting results found in static tables and snapshots within extensive reports can be challenging, frustrating, and inefficient. Oftentimes, this traditional approach requires back-and-forth communication with measurement specialists to extract additional information from the 3D inspection project, said Marc Soucy, President of InnovMetric. With the new dimensional-control-centric approach in PolyWorks 2017, the PolyWorks|Inspector 3D metrology project is the report! By enabling measurement specialists to communicate results directly in 3D, considerable productivity gains are guaranteed for our customers. PolyWorks 2017 also empowers reviewers to investigate measurement results contextually in 3D with dynamic navigation tools.

Using the new Control Reviewer in PolyWorks|Inspector or in the free PolyWorks|Viewer, measurement specialists and manufacturing specialists can now:

Access a global list of dimensional controls sorted by characteristic index, making it the ideal tool to prepare first-article inspection reports.

Add custom controls to the global list of controls; for example, those measured using manual gauges.

Easily split an inspection project into small and logical groups of controls called Control Views.

Tie individual controls to specific data alignments and coordinate systems, enabling multicontextual Control Views.

Search, sort, and filter controls to highlight critical results.

Display control views automatically in 3D with the right point of view.

Generate formatted reports automatically.

Major technology upgrade for large-volume metrology applications

InnovMetric is proud to release its most significant technology enhancements for customers who need to assemble and inspect large structures such as those found in the aerospace, shipyard, and energy industries. Users can now:

Predefine and configure a list of laser tracker devices, and connect to multiple trackers simultaneously. With PolyWorks 2017, to guide assembly building in real time, switch the active tracker instantaneously and feed measured reflector positions to digital readouts.

Align point-to-object using a powerful technique that aligns points to different geometrical characteristics of matched objects (such as center points, axes, or surfaces) and control the alignment direction, weight, and participation to the scaling factor computation for each pair of matched geometries.

Probe surface features before their nominal components are defined or the part is aligned to the CAD model.

Real-time collision analysis for more efficient CNC CMM project setups

Measurement specialists who define probing and laser scanning paths on CNC CMMs now have access to a collision analysis engine that detects potential tool collisions with the part or the fixtures, and provides visual feedback on problematic tool paths in the Sequence Editor and the 3D Scene.

Thanks to two major innovations, the PolyWorks collision analysis approach stands out from competing CMM software products:

PolyWorks collision analysis is carried out in real time while the measurement sequence is created or edited, such as when new measurement objects are added to a sequence. This allows operators to immediately fix problematic tool paths and avoid accumulating issues.

PolyWorks collision analysis is performed both offline and online, and warns users about potential collisions even when they launch a measurement operation outside of the Sequence Editor. Traditionally, this feature is offered solely as an offline functionality in other software.

For more information about PolyWorks 2017, including products, demonstrations, and upcoming PolyWorks Conference events, please visit: www.innovmetric.com.

About InnovMetric Software

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Quebec, QC, Canada, with subsidiaries worldwide, InnovMetric Software Inc. is the leading provider of universal 3D metrology software solutions. The worlds largest industrial manufacturing organizations (Toyota, GM, Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, Apple, and many more) trust InnovMetrics PolyWorks software solutions and associated technical services to maximize the benefits of 3D measurement technologies for their engineering and manufacturing applications.

With its subsidiaries and joint ventures, InnovMetric has more than 250 employees in 14 countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, India, Thailand, China, and Japan.
Two house cats have died as a result of a structure fire in Greene County.

According to the Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company, fire and rescue squads from the counties of Albemarle, Orange and Madison were deployed to assist with a fire at 15590 Spotswood Trail around 3 p.m. Sunday.

Ruckersville Fire Chief Sean Ryan said the fire resulted in the near total loss of the home, but that a great deal of property was salvaged and portions of the home [were] saved. Faulty electrical equipment is suspected to have caused the fire.

Property owner Rik Prentiss was unable to secure the two cats before evacuating the property. Authorities said Prentiss was able to safely leave the building before fire and rescue personnel arrived on the scene. The Red Cross is assisting Prentiss, Ryan said.

Multiple firefighters were treated for heat exposure on the scene. One firefighter was transported to the hospital for treatment.
PARIS  The newly elected French president is attempting a feat that the newly elected American president wouldnt dare: leadership.

Emmanuel Macron, the youngest French head of state since Napoleon, has stolen many American hearts thanks to his moving defense of the Paris climate accord, gutsy news conference with Vladimir Putin and, of course, the fact that he married a much older woman.

But here in France, his primary public contribution is expected to be on a different front: the economy.

For decades, France has struggled with stagnant labor markets and intractably high unemployment. The jobless rate stands at 9.6 percent, which  believe it or not  is a five-year low.

Also for decades, French politicians have tried to reform the system. Macrons predecessor, Francois Hollande, suffered record low approval ratings, partly due to the violent strikes and chaos that erupted when he worked to reform labor laws last year.

Rather than shying away from this hot-button issue  which Macron had overseen as Hollandes economy minister  Macron made it a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. And after this Sundays first-round parliamentary elections, which his brand-new political party is projected to win in a landslide, his government will likely claim a public mandate to finally fix the system.

So what exactly is wrong with the job market in France?

The problem isnt generous health care benefits or onerous environmental protections or the usual job-killing regulations that American politicians so often vilify  and that the French love.

Its that its virtually impossible, or at the very least prohibitively expensive, to fire employees. Which makes hiring employees unattractive, too.

In France, firings and layoffs can generally happen under very limited circumstances, including gross negligence and economic reasons. Laid-off employees can then challenge their dismissals in court, where judges are seen as somewhat hostile to employers.

Judges, for example, have wide latitude in deciding what counts as a justifiable economic reason for a layoff. They may decide that multinational firms that are losing money in France are not allowed to pare back their French workforce if they are collectively profitable in other countries, according to Jean-Charles Simon, an economist and former manager of the countrys main employer organization, Mouvement des Entreprises de France, or MEDEF.

A layoff in such a case could be deemed unfair. Furthermore, there is no cap on the damages that judges can award for unfair dismissal, meaning employers potential risks are essentially limitless. The whole process can take years to resolve, too.

Unsurprisingly, employers turn whenever possible to temporary, short-term contract workers, who enjoy fewer protections. This has led to a two-tier labor market with ironclad job security for some and virtually none for the rest.

In fact, about two-thirds of job contracts signed each year are fixed-term arrangements lasting less than a month, according to Francis Kramarz, director of CREST (the Center for Research in Economics and Statistics) and professor at Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE. Young workers often find themselves doomed to an endless series of short-term gigs, with no opportunities for upward mobility.

In addition to job protections, other rigid policies have made France a difficult place to run a business, particularly for smaller firms.

Only about 8 percent of French workers belong to unions, but thanks to French labor law, 98 percent of workers are covered by national, industry-wide union-negotiated contracts. These can set generous and inflexible pay scales, overtime rates and severance packages, regardless of firm size, resources or whether any of its employees actually belong to a union.

Arguably this is one reason larger firms have not pushed harder for market reforms. They know how to work the system, have lawyers on staff and can absorb many of the steep costs that smaller firms cannot.

This is a system for insiders, and insiders collude to keep it in place, complains Pierre Cahuc, an economics professor at CREST and Ecole Polytechnique.

Nor are trade unions terribly keen on revamping the broken system, because they fear that their hard-won worker protections will disappear.

Macron has framed his agenda  which includes making it easier to ax workers, capping damages in unfair-dismissal cases and decentralizing collective bargaining  as both pro-business and pro-worker, given that it would grant additional opportunities to job-seekers. In some ways he plans to expand worker protections by making entrepreneurs and those who voluntarily quit their jobs newly eligible for unemployment benefits. The goal would be to encourage risk-taking.

Macron plans to transform labor laws by summers end. That certainly seems ambitious, given that the unions that organized last years tumultuous strikes and protests have threatened a repeat performance.

Nonetheless, its hard not to admire, and perhaps even envy, Macrons political impulses here. In the face of divisive economic challenges, he is choosing not to pander and scapegoat but to restructure and reinvent.
WILMINGTON, Del., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews & Springer LLC, a boutique securities class action law firm focused on representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating potential breach of fiduciary duty claims against the Board of Directors of Fidelity & Guaranty Life (Fidelity & Guaranty or the Company) relating to the sale of the Company to CF Corporation (CF). On May 24, 2017, the two parties announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which CF will acquire Fidelity & Guaranty in a merger worth $1.835 billion. As a result of the merger, Fidelity & Guaranty shareholders are only anticipated to receive $31.10 per share in cash in exchange for each share of Fidelity & Guaranty.



Our investigation has so far revealed that the consideration Fidelity & Guarantys shareholders are expected to receive is inadequate. The $31.10 per share consideration is only an 8.36% premium to Fidelity & Guarantys May 23, 2017 closing stock price of $28.70 per share. The investigation is also examining whether Fidelity & Guarantys top executives were conflicted and acted in their own self-interest when approving the merger thus making the process and consideration unfair. According to the Companys May 24, 2017 announcement, Fidelity & Guarantys senior management will continue their employment post-merger: FGL will continue to be led by its current management team . . . .

If you own shares of Fidelity & Guaranty and want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit us at http://www.andrewsspringer.com/cases-investigations/fidelity-and-guaranty-life-class-action-investigation/ or contact Craig J. Springer, Esq. at cspringer@andrewsspringer.com, or call toll free at 1-800-423-6013. You may also follow us on LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/company/andrews-&-springer-llc, Twitter  www.twitter.com/AndrewsSpringer or Facebook - www.facebook.com/AndrewsSpringer for future updates.

Andrews & Springer is a boutique securities class action law firm representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty or corporate misconduct. Having formerly defended some of the largest financial institutions in the world, our founding members use their valuable knowledge, experience, and superior skill for the sole purpose of achieving positive results for investors. These traits are the hallmarks of our innovative approach to each case our Firm decides to prosecute. For more information please visit our website at www.andrewsspringer.com. This notice may constitute Attorney Advertising.




Greg Mobley hopped on his bike and left Roanoke last fall with the goal of going west. He wasnt fleeing anything. A minimalist lifestyle was his way of exploring the world and appreciating what it had to offer.

He went first to Florida, where the 29-year-old ended up spending most of the winter. Friends said he was recently on his way to Charlotte, North Carolina, to catch a train heading west.

He was very spontaneous, said Trish Perdue, who lives in Roanoke and met Mobley after hiring him to help with yardwork .

He was on his bike shortly before 1 a.m. Friday on Matheson Avenue near North Tryon Street in Charlotte when a car struck him, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The car, a 2010 Toyota Camry, fled the scene, but police located it quickly a short distance from where the crash happened. Tamara Gisell Juarez, 23, has been charged with felony death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, driving while license revoked, open container, felony hit and run and failure to reduce speed to avoid collision, police said.

Mobley lived each day to the fullest, which made his death at such a young age especially heartbreaking to his friends.

He seemed to approach each day and moment in life expecting the best, not as if he was entitled to it, but just that life would unroll before him and hed find the beauty in it, said Perdue. Being in his presence was like being in front of a water hose of energy and ideas, and I was so parched for that blast of good stuff.

He was thoughtful of others. When he would visit Perdue at her house, hed bring along food he thought shed like to try or a book he thought shed like to read. When he was in Florida, he texted her pictures and videos.

He was so genuine and caring and kind and silly and funny and wise, all these amazing adjectives you can think of, Perdue said. Hes one of a kind, and you dont come across people like him in life that often.

Daniel Edenburg met Mobley at a music festival in Okeechobee, Florida, in March.

I had never felt such a deep kinship so quickly, he said. He made us all laugh so much. His presence really brought such a pure joy to everyone and eliminated any tension that might brew around him.

They parted briefly before Mobley showed up in Miami and stayed with Edenburgs family for a few weeks. They spent their days going on bike rides, or Mobley would join Edenburg on his DJing gigs. Their last moment together was in the springs of the Suwannee River. Edenburg had a job in New Orleans, so they were forced to part ways.

The second he was gone, I missed him and that feeling of enjoying life together, he said.

Brittany Foster dated Mobley for more than a year and a half and had remained friends with him since then. She said his energy was absolutely contagious, and he could make people smile without trying. He changed her life, she said.

He taught me how to enjoy life to the fullest, which is something he did every single day, said Foster, of Roanoke. I am so thankful that I had the chance to get so close to him and have him share his magic with me. He will forever be young in spirit.
At the time of sentencing, Jones had two young daughters: one, a baby just a few months old. Now, attorneys discovered he had a doppelganger. Its a man who looked nearly identical to him and had a similar name. Witnesses presented with photos have not more identified him as the author of the robbery but at the moment of sentencing all was based on eyewitness testimony. Last week, Jones youngest daughter, now 17-year-old girl, saw him for the first time she can remember. Its an interesting fact how Jones acknowledged about his doppelganger existence: in 2015, other inmates at Lansing Correctional Facility told him this.



Jones is meeting with his family



The suite of the story is related to the involvement of attorneys at the Midwest Innocence Project and the Project for Innocence at the University of Kansas Law School. Some evidences linked the other man, Ricky Lee Amos, to the place were the robbery occurred time ago. For the instant, Amos, who is currently incarcerated in Sedgwick County, Kansas for another fact, is not charged with the robbery and has denied any involvement. Kansas has no law that stipulates compensation for people whose convictions are overturned. Some money for Jones was donated be people by an online fundraiser.
R.J. Corman

R. J. Corman Railroad Co. LLC is commemorating its 30th anniversary this year. The company that the late Rick Corman founded in January 1987 with the acquisition of a branch line has blossomed into a diverse organization with numerous divisions.

Richard J. Rick Corman (July 22, 1955  August 23, 2013) began the company with the acquisition of the Bardstown Line. In August of the same year, he purchased a second 100-mile short line, the Memphis Line, which operates from Clarksville, Tenn., to Bowling Green, Ky. These two acquisitions were the beginning of what has become a nationally recognized group of short line operating companies.

R. J. Corman Railroad Co. LLC, a holding company for short line railroads, is a subsidiary of R. J. Corman Railroad Group LLC, which altogether employs more than 1,500 people in 23 states. Railroad Group companies provide a myriad of services to the railroad industry, including industrial railcar switching, emergency response, track material distribution, track construction and rehabilitation, signal design and construction, railroad worker training, and building eco-friendly locomotives.

Today, R. J. Corman operates 11 short line companies in nine states totaling nearly 1,000 track-miles. The largest railroad in the R. J. Corman system is the Pennsylvania Lines, consisting of 243 miles of track that run through the ridges and valleys of north central Pennsylvania. R. J. Corman also operates the Tennessee Terminal Railroad, which interchanges with BNSF Railway in Memphis. R. J. Corman celebrated the 10th anniversary of this terminal in March 2016. R. J. Cormans Central Kentucky Lines consist of nearly 150 miles of track running from Lexington to Louisville. These lines service 31 customers and interchange with CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. In August 2015, R. J. Corman purchased a 78-mile railroad in North and South Carolina and leased 14 connecting miles from Horry County, S.C., for which they received all necessary Surface Transportation Board authority to begin operations on the lines. Last year, R. J. Corman was awarded a USDOT TIGER VIII grant to carry out an extensive rehabilitation project on this railroad.

R. J. Corman Railroad Co. moved more than 60,000 railcars in 2016. The company owns more than 100 locomotives and approximately 475 railcars. An in-house engineering department performs all required track inspections and maintenance on short line properties. An additional team of mechanics is responsible for all regular maintenance associated with the locomotive fleet. In the past six years, R. J. Corman completed more than $55 million in capital improvements to all 11 properties, including replacement of 310,000 ties.

R. J. Corman Railroad Co has received numerous awards since its establishment. Most recently, in 2015, it were selected for CSX Transportations Short Line Award. Two years earlier, it were recognized with the Argus Rail Win Win Award. The operating company has been awarded the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Jake Award with Distinction for nine consecutive years and received seven ASLRRA Marketing Awards.

I feel privileged to serve as the president of such a successful company, Brian Miller, President of R. J. Corman Railroad Co., LLC, said. Rick Cormans entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude have paved our road to success and continue to push us as an organization to think innovatively in order to meet the needs of our customers.

I extend my thanks to the countless employees that have played a vital role in the success our railroad company has seen over the last thirty years, R. J. Corman Railroad Group President and CEO Ed Quinn said. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to safety have allowed us to excel as a company and be recognized as a premiere short line operator. For information about the company, visit www.rjcorman.com or call 859-881-7521.
The following are some of the biotech stocks that made their way onto the Day's Gainers & Losers' list of June 12, 2017.

GAINERS

1. GTx Inc. (GTXI)

Gained 99.03% to close Monday's (June 12) trading at $6.15.

News: The Company reported positive preliminary results from its ongoing Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept trial of Enobosarm 3 mg (GTx-024) in postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence.

The clinical findings from the first seven patients enrolled in the study following their completion of treatment revealed that:

-- Each of the women treated with Enobosarm showed a clinically significant reduction in incontinence episodes per day

-- Reductions in incontinence episodes were sustained well beyond the stopping of study drug at Week 12

-- Women reported improved quality of life in the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) and Female Sexual Function Index and

-- Reported adverse events were minimal with none above Grade I

2. XBiotech Inc. (XBIT)

Gained 31.25% to close Monday's trading at $4.20, recovering some losses after plunging 66% on Friday.

News: No news

Recent event:

On Friday (June 9), an Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended termination of the Company's phase III study of Xilonix for the treatment of colorectal cancer, dubbed XCITE.

The Independent Data Monitoring Committee, which performed its second prospectively planned, unblinded analysis of the XCITE study, found that the findings were not sufficient to meet efficacy or the threshold for continuation of the study. The news had sent XBIT down 66.03% on Friday.

Last month, the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended against approving Xilonix in Europe.

3. EDAP TMS S.A. (EDAP)

Gained 15.94% to close Monday's trading at $3.71.

News: No news

Recent event:

On May 22, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved a new billing code for the Company's HIFU ablation of prostate tissue.

The Ablatherm HIFU device is indicated for non-invasive treatment for prostate cancer. Ablatherm-HIFU is approved for commercial distribution in Europe and some other countries including Mexico and Canada, and has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA.

The C-code is a significant achievement and opens the door to broader coverage from different payers, including private and commercial payers, according to the Company.

4. NeuroDerm Ltd. (NDRM)

Gained 14.94% to close Monday's trading at $25.00.

News: No news

Near term catalysts:

-- Initiation of two PK trials of ND0612 expected in the second half of 2017.

ND0612 is the company's continuous, subcutaneously delivered levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) proprietary liquid formulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Last December, the Company was allowed by the FDA to replace its two large, phase III efficacy trials of ND0612 with small pharmacokinetic trials.

-- Completion of phase III efficacy trial of ND0612, dubbed iNDiGO, in parallel with a long-term phase II safety trial of ND0612, dubbed BeyoND study, expected in 2018.

5. Omeros Corporation (OMER)

Gained 11.84% to close Monday's trading at $17.10.

News: No news

Recent event:

On May 17, 2017, the Company reported additional positive results from the first stage of its phase II clinical trial of OMS721 for the treatment of serious kidney disorders.

The Company is preparing for its Phase 3 clinical trial of OMS721 in IgA nephropathy, and is continuing to conduct the second stage of its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial in which OMS721 is evaluated in non-steroid-treated patients with IgA nephropathy.

6. Syros Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SYRS)

Gained 9.86% to close Monday's trading at $16.15.

News: The Company has appointed Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., to its board of directors.

Dr. Akkaraju currently serves as chairman of the board of Versartis and as a director of Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Seattle Genetics and aTyr Pharma.

Pipeline:

The Company has two lead product candidates - SY-1425 for genomically defined subsets of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) under phase II testing, and SY-1365 for certain solid tumors, under phase I testing.

Near-term catalyst:

-- Initial clinical data from the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of SY-1425 are anticipated in the fall of 2017.

LOSERS

1. Coherus Biosciences Inc. (CHRS)

Lost 23.73% to close Monday's trading at $15.75.

News: The FDA has issued a complete response letter for the Company's product candidate CHS-1701.

CHS-1701 is a proposed biosimilar to Amgen's (AMGN) blockbuster Neulasta that was approved in 2002. Neulasta is used to treat neutropenia, a lack of certain white blood cells caused by cancer chemotherapy. The drug generated sales of $4.65 billion in sales for Amgen last year.

In its complete response letter to Coherus, the FDA has requested for a reanalysis of a subset of subject samples with a revised immunogenicity assay, and has also sought certain additional manufacturing related process information.The regulatory agency has not made any request for a patient study.

2. Vital Therapies Inc. (VTL)

Lost 10.16% to close Monday's trading at $2.87.

News: No news

Near-term catalyst:

-- The top line data from a phase III study of ELAD System in subjects with severe alcoholic hepatitis, dubbed VTL-308, are anticipated around mid-2018.

3. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ZYNE)

Lost 8.74% to close Monday's trading at $16.61.

News: A SEC filing dated June 9, 2017, reveals that Zynebra has entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC as placement agent, pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, issue and sell shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share, in an aggregate offering price of up to $50.0 million.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Synaptics Inc's (SYNA) shares gained around 3 percent in the after hours trading on Monday after the developer of human interface solutions said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Conexant Systems, LLC as well as the Multimedia Solutions Business of Marvell Technology Group (MRVL).

The company will buy Conexant Systems, a privately held provider of voice and audio processing solutions for the smart home, for $300 million in cash and 726,666 shares of Synaptics common stock. For the year 2016, Conexant's net revenue was approximately $104 million.

For the Multimedia Solutions Business, the all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $95 million. The recorded annual revenues of approximately $94 million.

Synaptics expects both deals to be accretive to its adjusted earnings per share in the first year following the close, excluding transaction related expenses. The acquisitions are expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2017.

With the deals, Synaptics believes the combination will immediately jumpstart its presence in the smart home market.

The acquisitions are part of Synaptics' long term strategy to extend its human interface leadership into the consumer IoT era. With the acquisitions, Synaptics expects gross margins to be accretive immediately and to increase its total addressable market opportunity by 38 percent or $2.8 billion to $10.3 billion by 2020.

Synaptics shares closed Monday's regular trading at $58.79, down 1.46 percent. In the after hours trading, shares gained 2.5 percent to $60.25.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The Japanese yen slipped against its major rivals in the early European session on Tuesday, as sentiment lifted up ahead of a slew of central bank meetings this week, as well as a rise in oil prices on news that Saudi Arabia was making significant supply cuts to customers.

The Fed is widely expected to hike its fed funds rate by 25 basis points, but investors will parse the policy statement for any fresh hints on the pace of further tightening.

The Bank of England and the Bank of Japan will announce their monetary policy decisions on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify in public to the Senate Intelligence Committee later today to explain his role in the Russia investigation.

Oil prices lifted up, buoyed by statement from Saudi Arabia that the nation is making real cuts, including 300,000 barrels per day to Asia for July

Quarterly survey from the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet Office showed that Japanese large industries' sentiment deteriorated in the second quarter.

The Business Survey Index, or BSI, fell to -2 in the second quarter from 1.3 in the previous period.

The currency has been trading in a negative territory in the Asian session.

The yen slid to 4-day lows of 114.10 against the Swiss franc and 123.75 versus the euro, off its early highs of 113.28 and 123.01, respectively. If the yen extends decline, 116.00 and 126.00 are likely seen as its next support levels against the franc and the euro, respectively.

The Japanese yen slipped to 79.56 against the kiwi, after having advanced to 78.98 at 5:00 pm ET. The yen is poised to locate support around the 81.00 region.

The yen dropped to a 4-day low of 83.24 against aussie and near a 3-week low of 83.13 against the loonie, compared to Monday's closing values of 82.91 and 82.49,respectively. The next possible support levels for the yen are seen around 86.00 against the aussie and 85.00 against the loonie.

The yen weakened to 110.27 against the greenback and 140.09 against the pound, down from yesterday's closing quotes of 109.93 and 139.18,respectively. On the downside, the yen is likely to find support around 112.00 against the greenback and 142.00 against the pound.

Looking ahead, U.S. producer prices for May are due in the New York session.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Chile's President Michelle Bachelet sent to Congress today a bill proposing amendments to the General Banking Law. The bill aims to enable banks to finance their activities with a greater ratio of own resources and to increase the quality of capital.

The bill proposes a three-dimensioned modernization involving institutional supervision, solvency and crisis management.

Regarding banking stability, amendments proposed by the Chilean government aim to establish a framework convergent to the guidelines of the Basel III Agreement, which governs the international banking market.

Chile seeks to modernize banking legislation, once the current General Banking Law dated from the mid-1980s as a response to the early 1980s debt crisis. The only substantive amendment occurred in 1997.

"As a government, we have been working to strengthen different areas of the financial market, to make it more robust, clear, reliable and inclusive,"

Bachelet said while signing the bill proposing amendments.

Bachelet stressed that all changes contemplated in the bill would be gradually implemented so that financial institutions have sufficient time to adapt. She also explained that "the proposed standards were tailored to the national reality, so as not to generate impacts that could detract competitiveness from our banking system."

"Adopting these standards in Chile is essential to ensure the continuity of our financial integration to the rest of the world," said the country's central bank in a statement.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
China will on Wednesday release May figures for retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Retail sales are expected to hold steady at 10.7 percent, while industrial production is tipped to climb 6.4 percent on year - slowing from 6.5 percent in April. FAI is pegged at 8.8 percent on year, down from 8.9 percent a month earlier.

New Zealand will provide May data for food prices and Q1 numbers for current account. In April, food prices were down 0.8 percent on month, while the current account in Q4 showed a deficit of NZ$2.335 billion.

Australia will see June results for the consumer confidence index from Westpac; in May, the index sank 1.1 percent to a score of 98.0.

Japan will see final April numbers for industrial production, with the previous reading suggesting an increase of 4.0 percent on month and 5.7 percent on year.

South Korea will release May numbers for unemployment, with the jobless rate expected to hold steady at 4.0 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Zweli Mkhize: Premier of the province of KwaZulu-Natal



Dr Zweli Mkhize, Premier of the province of KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the signing of a deal between Transnet and the Airports Company of South Africa for the purchase of the old Durban International Airport for a whopping R1,8 billion.

Transnet clinched the deal to buy the old Durban International Airport site, which will be turned into a multibillion-rand dug-out port that is envisaged to create hundreds of direct jobs. The dug-out port is expected to be ready by 2019.

Mkhize said the port will give the province a competitive edge.

We have Durban as the busiest port on the continent and Richards Bay managing the biggest volumes of cargo in South Africa. With the addition of the dug-out port, we have an important strategic asset, said Mkhize.

He said their base of transportation and freight logistics facilities will also provide an effective platform for forging trade linkages between provinces within the country, with neighbouring states and the rest of the world, particularly the Asian and South American sub-continents, offering the province considerable investment spin-offs and opportunities.

KZNs competitive edge is thus greatly enhanced and the speed in the roll-out of these developments is encouraging, said Mkhize, adding that they are planning an Automobile Supplier Park around the dug-out port.

The park will be a strategic site for the production of vehicle components and will improve production and competitiveness of the automotive industry.

Mkhize said the dug-out port, together with the new Dube Trade Port, will greatly expand the capacity of KwaZulu-Natal to import and export goods.

The principal component of the Dube Trade Port is a new international passenger and cargo airport, but it is the new facilitys proximity to the harbours of Durban and Richards Bay that give it the edge as a transport and logistics hub.

Rail and road links up and down the coast to these two major seaports will make it easy to switch cargo between different modes of transport. Large quantities that arrive by sea can be dispersed in disaggregated volumes at speed by air.

Looking into the future, Mkhize said the main strategic goal was to ensure that the provinces automotive industry doubles its size in the next decade, and that it becomes a leading exporter of vehicles.
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
This dynamic helped Gov. Laura Kelly win reelection in Kansas

Gov. Laura Kelly won a second term in a historic win in the Kansas governor's race. Her performance in Johnson County helped deliver a narrow victory.
We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
Theft and outright dishonesty are among some of the most prevalent problems in Samoa today.

It is happening everywhere. Youll find it in the government; churches, villages and families  the pillars of this country. There is widespread and ever growing penchant to steal anything and everything  the moment no one is looking.

Indeed, were talking about the rise in petty crimes and the deteriorating state of our morals. Take the simple principle of honesty, for example.

Judging by the number of theft cases in this country today, there is no doubt we have a serious problem that needs to be addressed. It appears that theft has become part and parcel of life on these shores.

Its heart-breaking to say the least. In a country where we pride ourselves on our cultural and religious values, its a crying shame.

The question is: have we slipped so low, to the point that stealing has become an accepted part of life?

Have we become so immune to the stories of stealing we are told from left, right and centre every day that we no longer care?

This is not the first time we have asked these questions. Over the past few years, we have become extremely concerned about the prevalence of this issue, especially if the accounts from the Courts are anything to go by.

But the Court is only one forum.

Elsewhere, according to a number of business people this column has spoken with, theft has become one of their biggest problems. They say some employees would steal everything and anything, that in some work places, if they could steal the toilet bowl, they would.

Isnt that a sad indication of how low morality and the standard of life has become for many people?

Dont people care anymore about the Bible and its teachings?

Have we forgotten that God is watching no matter what? Are we becoming a nation that is no longer God-fearing? Do these people not care at all that Samoa has just officially become a Christian state?

We appreciate that these are tough and troubling times and that desperation knows no bounds. But that shouldnt be an excuse. Even if we are struggling, we can all make a decent living off the sweat of our brow. Not stealing.

The truth is that if the growing number of theft cases is anything to judge by, this country is surely heading for a future we do not want.

We believe honesty is the first victim of theft. You see, the moment someone decides to steal, honesty immediately disappears from their vocabulary. It doesnt matter whether its a pen, a phone, a lavalava or taking credit from someones mobile phone.

There is no such thing as a black and white crime. They are all the same.

Now, it was only a few years ago that this country experienced its first case of armed robbery. Since then, weve seen several cases of armed robberies.

Just recently, two young men broke into a store in town, stole goods from there and then burnt the place to the ground. This is absolutely astonishing for a place like Samoa.

Now let us ask you one more time to think about poverty, hardship and corruption.

Think about the general attitude towards these issues.

In Samoa, most of our leaders  especially the government - dont believe they exist.

Believe me they do.

Corruption breeds poverty. And poverty is responsible for a class of citizens who are so desperate they will do anything and everything  including unimaginable crime  to get by.

Did you know that there are people in Samoa who actually steal monies from purses and wallets inside church buildings?

Now if they say that Gods presence is in the church, imagine the horror then of God watching on while people commit absolute crime before his eyes? All this in Christian-state Samoa?

How awful and shameful!

Have a safe Tuesday Samoa, God bless!
Dear Editor,

Re: May we never forget the Mau movement

The Spirit of the Mau Movement which gave our country and people independence and freedom have been ignored by current leaders and H.R.P.P because of their penchant to indulge in dishonest behavior eg, OPC Report 2010.

Our forefathers fought and won against foreign invading forces with superior weapons but the current government and H.R.P.P are prepared and willing to bow to international financial institutions demands to steal our customary lands from the people.

Its not even a threat from another sovereign country but theyre willing to sellout because of money

Our forefathers must be turning in their graves because of the lack of manhood in the current leaders of Samoa.

Its less than 60 years since our forefathers freed us from bondage but H.R.P.P and its current leadership have already exercised their willingness to sell the country to the world again.

Im glad that the children of Samoa living overseas are not lost in the maze of modernity and the many distractions we can find in outside communities.

Wishing your niece Miracle good luck because the future of Samoa depends on a well-informed future generation.

Le Mafa P.
Outspoken Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, has blasted Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaois government for its failure to pay Virgin Australia US$4.02million (T$9.2m) in jet fuel excise rebates.

Virgin Australia has been "actively pursuing" the payment from the government since April 2015.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Olo said the governments failure is embarrassing. He said the government should honour its obligations because this failure will again end up being carried by taxpayers.

Now Virgin Australia is asking the government to fork out $9 million, who will pay for this?" he said.

We will, which is sad. And yet this is a government mistake and of course the low income people will have to fork out for the money.

The M.P. expressed his disappointment.

He said Prime Minister Tuilaepa should ensure this money is paid immediately.

The demand for payment was made in a letter to Prime Minister Tuilaepa leaked to the Samoa Observer. Dated 29 May 2017, the letter is written by John Borghetti, the Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Australia.

It is in response to the notification from Prime Minister Tuilaepa, dated 12 May 2017, that Cabinet had decided not to re-new the Joint Venture between the government, Virgin Australia and owning entity Grey Investment Group.

I would like to bring to your attention that Virgin Australia intends to continue to pursue the US$4m in jet fuel excise rebates, which is currently owed by the Samoan Government to the VSAM JV, Mr. Borghetti writes.

I understand that the Special Negotiating Team is aware of this issue. Virgin Australia has been actively pursuing the repayment of these monies since April 2015, as noted in the attached letter to the Ministry of Revenue.

The letter Mr. Borgetti is referring to was written by Geoff Smith, Virgin Australias Chief Financial Officer to the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Avalisa Viali-Fautua'alii on 22 February 2017.

We write to you in relation to Virgin Samoas entitlement to claim a refund for excise paid on jet fuel purchased from Petroleum Products Supplies Ltd (P.P.S.) - the agent appointed by the Government of Samoa to undertake jet fuel distribution at Faleolo International Airport, Mr. Smiths letter reads.

All payments made by Virgin Samoa to PPS for jet fuel until 30 June 2016 included an amount of excise at the rate of 0.28 Samoan Tala (SAT) per litre."

Article 24 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, to which Samoa is a signatory, provides that jet fuel for international air services shall be exempt from customs duty, inspection fees or similar national or local duties and charges."

This position is re-enforced in Article 13 of the Samoa-Australia Air Services Agreement, which provides that fuels shall be exempt from customs duties, excise duties, inspection fees and other national duties and charges.

According to Mr. Smith, Virgin Samoa initially contacted the Ministry of Revenue in April 2015 seeking advice regarding the process and requirements involved with claiming a refund of excise paid on jet fuel.

Despite numerous follow up communications we were provided with insufficient information and guidance to allow us to commence our claim, Mr. Smiths letter continues.

Back to olo, the furious M.P. told the Samoa Observer he will be looking into this.

I have to get to the bottom of this and I have said more than once that having the joint venture was a big mistake to begin with, now what?

The government didn't follow through with deals and signed agreements made with this Airline and this is the end result, we end up paying for the mistake.

Olo suggested for the government to reconsider other development projects but save the money to purchase Samoa their own airplane.

Hes referring to negotiations between Fiji Airways and Polynesian Airlines.

Why are even looking at working with another Airline, why cant Samoa consider purchasing their own Airplane? said Olo.

He said if the government is really keen on saving money they should invest in their own Airplane.

Efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Revenue, Avalisa Viali-Fautua'alii have been unsuccessful.

Emails sent to her last week have not been responded to.

The Samoa Observer visited her office twice.

The first time, the Samoa Observer was told the C.E.O was too busy.

Yesterday, according to her secretary shes out sick today [yesterday].
A 19-year-old victim of sexual violence wants to send a strong message to anyone who is sexually violated within their home that there is hope.

Calling herself an ambassador for victims, the young girl said boys and girls who are scared to come out for fear of repercussions should know there is help.

The young girl is a victim of two separate sexual cases. The incidents occurred within the comfort of her home.

The first case involved her stepfather while the second case was with a man her mother tried to hook her up with, in return for money.

In an exclusive interview with the young girl, she made it clear that she wants the public to know her story and why she wants to tell it.

Due to the suppression order her identity cannot be disclosed. Housed at the Samoa Victim Support Group since 2014 this young girl said a recent incident encouraged her to make this stand.

While staying here, I overheard another case similar to mine, and its eating me inside that this little girl did not know that there is help, she said.

In our homes, this is where we should feel safe, this is our comfort zone, this is where I can be me.

But certain families do not afford that, some families, kids are being violated and thats why I want to make it known there is hope.

The Police and S.V.S.G can help, said the young girl.

She said that she was raped twice at the age of 14 and telling her mother about the incident was another problem.

She never believed a word I said..... I was helpless. I felt that I was useless and a nobody, given that even my own mother did not believe what I said. And I was raped, not once but twice.

The girl went on to say the second incident involves a man whom they go to church with.

This man would give my mother money between $50-$100 so he can see me.

One night he came over to my house spoke with my mother. While in the kitchen he forced himself upon me.

"My mother was busy playing with her phone while he forced himself on me in a sexual manner. Another time he wanted to take me to his family in Savaii and my mother agreed. She got $100 out of that, but I didnt go.

The stepfather, the mother and the man in question have all been convicted and are serving time in jail.

She told Samoa Observer she knew about the helpline from her neighbour.

I called the S.V.S.G helpline and within hours the police arrived and picked me up and my sister and I never returned to our house since then.

The girl noted that a recent case inside S.V.S.G has led her to come forth and give some sort of hope to the young kids who are going through similar problems at home that there is help. She spelled out the free helpline 8007874.

The girl also took the chance to call out to mothers who continue to standby while men sexually violate their children.

"You need to stop and rethink. This is your child, and in your arms is where they should feel safe and loved, not being tormented by a man who claims to love you and turns around and does horrible things to the children.

Mothers need to know there are consequences of their actions.

The girl said in the end that despite how she was betrayed by what her mother did, I have forgiven her and I am slowly moving on.

But I wish I can say the same for her, its been hard but I am slowly moving on but I cannot say the same for my mother who continues to think of me every single day.
Two men accused of killing a 44-year-old man at Vaimea last year are going to jail. PJ Tupuola was convicted and sentenced to seven years and 10 months while Max Alofisio was convicted and sentenced to five years and seven months.

The decision was handed down by Supreme Court Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke yesterday.

Appearing for the prosecution was Leone SuaMailo. Diana Roma represented PJ Puni Tupuola while Leiataua Jerry Brunt represented Max Alefosio.

Initially the defendants faced murder charges. However, after a hearing before assessors they were found not guilty of murder but were both found guilty of manslaughter.

PJ Tupuola is a 25 year old male of Siumu, Taufusi and Vaimea.

According to Justice Leiataualesa, PJ is no stranger to the justice system as he has previous convictions.

He was convicted for burglary and theft in 2012. He was also convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm and being armed with a dangerous weapon for which he was imprisoned for two months in 2013.

In 2014, he was convicted of assault with intent to rob and sentenced to one year and ten months imprisonment and he was released from prison in January 2016 only five months prior to this incident. Tupuola has a history of violent offending.

Tupuolas offending in February 2014 was similar to this offending where he was intoxicated, again having drunk Russian Vodka.

Max Alefosio is 23 years of age. His father passed away during the course of this trial and he told Probation Service that his focus is now on looking after his mother.

The victim was the husband and father to four children aged 8, 6, 4 and 1.

He was the main financial provider for his wife and children as well as for his parents. His death has had a significant impact on his wife and their children.

They have moved back to Savaii and she now struggles to provide for the children. Read Courts full ruling in tomorrows Samoa Observer.
Yazaki Samoa plans to offer Phase 3 of their facilities at Vaitele to the government as a small token of appreciation for working with them for more than 20 years.

General Manager, Funefeai Oliva Vaai told the Samoa Observer that the plans for phase 3 are not yet finalised. It might not be final until November.

For your information, Yazaki facilities have three phases; so phase one and two belongs to the government, he said.

The phase 3 of Yazaki Samoa is us, and as Ive mentioned before we are looking at offering phase 3 to the government as a way of thanking them and for working with us.

Yazaki Samoa was established in 1991 at 1st phase factory construction, in 1992 phase 2 was completed which started a pre-assembly process.

In 1995, they finished phase 3.

The company is set to close completely by November.

During an interview with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi last month, he revealed that here have already been several off island companies showing interest in the facilities.

A Committee has been set up, tasked to review bids from companies interested in the facilities.

Last year, Yazaki the biggest employer in Samoa announced they are closing down, leaving 700 people jobless.

Tuilaepa said there is a company based out of Australia which manufactures electrical wires similar to what Yazaki was supplying, for the Australian automotive industry.

He said this new company uses the same type of machinery and equipment that is currently available at Yazaki, which is why they are keen to invest in Samoa.

Tuilaepa said that another bid has some from a well-known company, which manufactures bedding out of New Zealand.

It is owned by Samoans.

Well this company is well versed when it comes to building customized beds, he said.

If youre interested in buying a bed, they will take your height, your weight, and they will make a bed in accordance with your measurements.

Most of their beds are sold all over New Zealand, Australia and Vietnam. They are keen on opening a branch here and this would be an opportunity to employ more people, said Tuilaepa.

The third company which is also vying for the Yazaki compound runs a Call Centre and this company handles incoming or outgoing customer calls for a business.

I didnt know there were such businesses as these, but the most important part of this job is that you have to be fluent in English, said the Prime Minister.

He said the Call Centre company has branches all over the Pacific and they employ a lot of people who can handle a large volume of telephone calls, especially for taking orders and providing customer service.
Living inland of Nofoalii is a blessing but it becomes a challenge when there is no water.

This is something 65-year-old Salu Seuava of Nofoalii knows very well.

Speaking to the Village Voice team yesterday, he said their land is far inland and water pipes cannot reach there.

So there is no water connection at this area of our village, he tells the Village Voice.

If there is no water there is no life, but lucky we make it through life because of some good Samaritans who let us fetch water from their water tank.

The problem started when we moved here. I cant really remember how long but I know it has been far too long.

We fetch water from neighbors, and the rain helps us most of the time.

Salu said he requested a water tank with the Red Cross.

The Red Cross contacted a program back here in the village offering water tanks to people which water pipes cannot reach.

My name was on the list but we didnt get a water tank. We were the only family that had missed out.

We were told that by White Sunday we will have our water tank but up till now we have received nothing.

I went to the office again but were still waiting.

Salu said life is great but with the challenge of water, things can become quite difficult.

Thats the only problem here and we really need your help.

We need water because I have my mother at home and my two sisters who have special needs.

They cant walk around to look for water for bathing and all that.

As for money and their income, he said aside from his only son who works, he fishes for a living.

We are doing okay with food, and everything but thats the only problem is having no running tap at home.

If you want to help Salu and his family contact Village Voice team on 23078.
The former Director of the National Prosecution Office (N.P.O), Mauga Precious Chang, has now been convicted of negligent driving causing injury.

The decision was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Mata Tuatagaloa last Friday, overturning a previous District Court decision to acquit the former National Prosecution Director of the charge.

The appeal on the charge of negligent driving causing injury is upheld. Pursuant to section 154(b)(iii) of Criminal Procedure Act 2016, the respondent is convicted of the charge of negligent driving causing injury, Justice Tuatagaloa ruled.

The decision was appealed by independent prosecutor, hired by the Attorney Generals Office, Satiu Simativa Perese.

Mauga is represented New Zealand based Attorney, Aaron Perkins and former Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai.

The following is the continuation of Justice Tuatagaloas decision we started publishing on Sunday.

decision of tuatagaloa j

1. In reaching the conclusion the respondent was not negligent, the trial Judge observed that he found it difficult to accept that, at 5-10 metres away, the respondent could not have noticed the bus travelling in the opposite direction. The respondent did not give evidence but her passenger did. In his decision the trial Judge noted at [17] that she (passenger) could not see the vehicles coming from the opposite direction. The Judge appears to have accepted that evidence. In such circumstances, the inference he appears to have drawn was not available to him.

2. The trial Judge erred in fact in proceeding on the basis that the Tucson has completely cleared the inside lane given his findings as to the points of collision (on both the car and the road) and in law in concluding that the respondent was not negligent because she was entitled, in effect, to rely on the actions of the oncoming bus to slow down or in some other way avoid colliding with her.

3. This ground of appeal succeeds.

4. I now turn to the second limb of the appeal that:

(ii) The trial judge was wrong in law as to what amounts to injury.

5. The trial Judges found in relation to injury that (at paragraph [76]):

I accept that Ms Teueli was in severe pain. But in the absence of bruising or actual physical injury and applying Clements v Gill [1953] SASR 25 and R v McArthur [1975] 1 NZLR 486 referred to in paragraphs 45 and 46 above I am left in a reasonable doubt that, that pain amounted to bodily injury within the meaning of the charge.

The question on appeal is whether the trial Judge erred in fact and/or in law in concluding that, in the absence of visible bruising or actual injury, bodily injury was not proved.

6. What amounts to bodily injury whether grievous or actual is that established in the case of Police v Posala, upheld by the Court of Appeal in Posala v Attorney General and also adopted by the Chief Justice in Police v Papalii at paragraphs [61]- [63].

7. The trial Judge rightly referred to the decision of Police v Papalii and quoted what the Chief Justice adopted in that case as to bodily injury. That is the law or the approach accepted and applied by the Samoan courts:

Bodily harm has its ordinary meaning and includes any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim; such hurt or injury, need not be permanent but must be more than merely transient or trifling it may include a momentary loss of consciousness; where there is injurious, impairment to the victims sensory function; it is axiomatic that the bodily harm was actual.

8. The evidence of Ms Teueli was that she felt numb on her left side shortly after the collision; she had internal muscle bruising with pain which lasted for 1-2 weeks resulting in her remaining at home for that period.

9. In her report, Dr Agape Amituanai noted:

There were no abnormalities noted in spite of her severe pain and obvious emotional distress. There were no bruises nor were there any other external injuries. There were no signs indicative of any visual injuries. Radiographic investigations revealed neither fractured bones nor other significant abnormalities.

10. In her evidence in chief the Doctor said that Ms Teueli had soft tissue injuries which she described as injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, usually bruises or strains, not usually manifesting in external appearance.

1 [1994] WSSC 23

2 [1995] WSCA 4

3 [2011] WSSC 138

11. In cross-examination, some attempt was made to challenge the Doctors professional opinion of these soft tissue injuries but I do not find that diminishes her evidence in any significant way. She is a professional experienced doctor who expressed her professional opinion. In the absence of any professional evidence to the contrary, her evidence was available to the trial Judge who did not reject it. Instead, in reliance on two earlier decisions (1953 and 1945) he (trial Judge) concluded that there must be visual evidence of bruising or actual physical injury amount to bodily injury.

12. With respect to the trial Judge such a finding is contrary to the dicta of the Chief Justice in Papalii. To that extent he erred in law in concluding that the injury suffered by Ms Teueli, as described by the doctor, could not amount to bodily injury.

13. From the evidence of Ms Teueli and Dr Amituanai, Ms Teueli obviously suffered injury(ies) from the accident which may not be visual but have nevertheless caused Ms Teueli some amount of discomfort and interfered with her health because she took 1-2 weeks to recover. Doctor Amituanai also referred to obvious emotional distress.

14. The injuries sustained by Ms Teueli which may not be visual nevertheless amount to bodily injury.

15. The trial Judge has erred in the law he applied and in his finding that the injury suffered by Ms Loretta Teueli did not fall within the meaning of bodily injury.

16. This ground of appeal also succeeds.

The alternative charge of dangerous driving

17 Given my finding on the grounds of appeal for the negligent driving causing injury I do not need to consider the grounds of appeal for the alternative charge of dangerous driving.

4 Clements v Gill [1953] SASR 25; R v McArthur [1975] 1 NZLR 486

18. I now turn to consider the last charge.

Failure to stop and ascertain

(i) The trial Judge failed to apply or correctly apply the law with respect to sections 44(1) and (4) of the Road Traffic Ordinance 1960;

19. The appellant submitted that this is a statutory duty that the respondent had breached because she had failed to stop and ascertain whether any person other than her passenger Ms Loretta Teueli was injured.

20. Section 44 (1) says:

(1) If an accident arising directly or indirectly from the use of a motor vehicle occurs to a person or to any horse or vehicle in charge of any person, the driver of the motor vehicle shall stop, and shall also ascertain whether he or she has injured any person, in which event it shall be his or her duty to render all practicable assistance to the injured person including transportation of that person to hospital.

.....................................

(4) A driver who fails to comply with any obligation imposed on him or her by subsection (1) in any case where no other person is injured in the accident commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 2 penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.

21. I agree with the appellant that section 44(1) imposes 3 obligations on the driver as follows:

a. The driver shall stop;

b. The driver shall ascertain whether a person has been injured; and

c. To render all practical assistance to the injured person including transportation of that person to hospital.

22. The trial Judge decision at paragraphs [83] to [85] held:

a. That the Respondent could not have done more.

b. That Ms Teueli demanded the Respondent to immediately take her to the hospital, and she (the Respondent) could not have known the seriousness or otherwise of her condition. Therefore, the Respondent did what any reasonable person would do in the circumstances.

c. That it cannot be the intention of s44 that the accused (respondent) would delay taking Ms Teueli who was affected by the collision, to check on the passengers of the bus, taxi or any other persons, when there were other people around the vicinity who would inevitably make the inquiry.

23. I have found no local authorities regarding this particular law. The appellant has referred to (and provided) a number of New Zealand cases where there is a similar provision to section 44. I am mindful that Samoa (before becoming Independent) adopted New Zealand laws to become laws of this land. The Road Traffic Ordinance 1960 is one of those laws (with the exception of some amendments) has not been revoked. This then, would make the New Zealand cases referred to by the appellant more relevant.

24. The word stop was held to be capable of two meanings (a) ceasing to moveand (b) stopping and remaining stopped. Houten v Police was an appeal from the Magistrates Court. The respondent was charged under section 65(1) of Transport Act 1962 (similar to s.44(1) Road Traffic Ordinance 1960) for failure to stop and ascertain. It was held that, the Court should interpret the duty to stop in such a way as will enable to fulfil some useful purpose. Richmond J in Waddington v Boyd said the meaning to use depends on the context of s65 (1) and said:

I think that the actual purpose of subs (1) is to ensure that a driver must ascertain whether anyone is injured at a time when his own vehicle is stopped and not merely by observation from a moving vehicle. It follows that the duration of the stop which is required by the Act must be measured at least by the time reasonably necessary in all the prevailing circumstances to enable proper inquiry to be made. Possibly it may also have to be measured by reference to the duty to render assistance, but that question does not arise in the present case as nobody was in fact injured.

5 R v Bowden [1938] NZLR 247

6 Waddington v Boyd [1959] NZLR 1332, 1335

7 [1971] NZLR 903

8 Supra, n 14

25. As to ascertain the appellant referred to Osten v Police where that court held to mean to find out for a certainty, which section 44(1) requires, if someone has been injured and that all practical assistance be rendered to that person including transporting that person to hospital. The duty to stop and ascertain is imposed only on the driver.

26. I agree with Richmond J in Waddington that the meaning of stop to use depends on the context of section 65(1); The actual purpose of subs (1) is to ensure that a driver must ascertain whether anyone is injured at a time when his own vehicle is stopped.... The whole point of stopping is to ascertain whether anyone is injured. The duration to stop is the time reasonably necessary to ascertain whether any person is injured and to render assistance. In the circumstances, was there a need for the respondent to stop when her passenger Ms Teueli had suffered an injury and whatever that was, was sufficient to meet the ascertain injury test?

27. Section 44(1) imposes a duty to stop and a duty to ascertain whether anyone is injured. There is no dispute that the respondent failed to stop, that straight away after the accident reversed and drove off. Section 44(1) has to be given liberal interpretation applicable to the circumstances to give it practicality. The purpose of section 44(1) is about ascertaining whether any person is injured where there is a vehicle accident. The duty to stop is imposed in order to achieve this purpose.

28. In the present circumstances, the purpose behind s.44(1) has been achieved regardless that the respondent did not stop but the respondent did ascertain that her passenger (Ms Teueli) had suffered an injury. Ms Teueli insisted to the respondent to take her to the hospital straight away. Understandably, the respondent took her straight away to hospital. No one else was, in fact, injured in any event.

29. The words any person in s.44(1) is not defined to mean a person or persons other than the passenger(s) of your vehicle. Those words must be given ordinary meaning and would therefore, include Ms Teueli who was a passenger of the respondent.

30. As to section 44(4) I fail to see what relevance this section is as, it refers to where no one is injured.

31. This ground of appeal is dismissed.

Conclusion:

32. The appeal on the charge of negligent driving causing injury is upheld. Pursuant to section 154(b)(iii) of Criminal Procedure Act 2016, the respondent is convicted of the charge of negligent driving causing injury.

33. The appeal on the charge of failure to stop and ascertain is dismissed.

Justice Mata Keli Tuatagaloa




New Zealands donation to boost the cocoa industry in Samoa has come under fire from the Executive Director of the New Zealand Taxpayers Union, Jordan Williams.

The donation of NZ$4.8million was announced by New Zealand Prime Minister, Leuluaialiiotumua Bill English, during his recent visit to Samoa.

But Mr. Williams has queried the motives behind the donation, saying Leuluaialiiotumuas government is attempting to pick winners abroad with the handout.

This Governments corporate welfare largess is now going global, said Mr. Williams.

First there was the $25 million for the American rocket company, the millions to help Oracle racing, the Hollywood studios, and now even Samoan cocoa farmers are set to have New Zealand taxpayer cash raining down upon them.

Either New Zealand should be providing real aid to our South Pacific neighbours, or building infrastructure to assist in development.

Here, the Government is picking which international businesses should prosper from New Zealand taxpayer handouts.

According to a media release, the $4.8m donation is part of a five-year programme to support Samoas cocoa industry.

Samoa has ideal conditions to produce larger amounts of high value, chocolate-grade cocoa, Leuluaialiiotumua said.

Samoa exported about 5000 tonnes of cocoa annually during the 1960s, but exports have since declined to only 40 to 50 tonnes a year.

Now there is a cocoa renaissance taking place in Samoa and New Zealand is very pleased to be able to contribute to it.

The New Zealand investment is intended to help Samoa achieve its goal of developing a thriving, sustainable, resilient and inclusive agricultural sector, with a particular focus on local crops where smallholders have a comparative edge.

The funding will provide practical help for farmers by establishing grafting nurseries and providing training on grafting and growing cocoa plants, the New Zealand Prime Minister said.

Furthermore, it will provide on-farm training in plantation management, harvesting and processing. New processing facilities on Upolu and Savaii will be developed, and the industry will be helped to establish a national cocoa association and develop an industry strategy.

The five-year programme will complement various other small-scale initiatives currently under way within the Samoan cocoa industry.

New Zealand is already co-funding a targeted initiative in Samoa with J.H. Whittakers and Sons, to improve production and processing.

The programme has enabled Samoas largest cocoa exporter, Vaai Plantations to lift the quality and quantity of cocoa it supplies.

Vaai Plantation now supplies 30 tonnes of cocoa a year for Whittakers Single Origin Samoan Cacao block and intends to double exports by the end of 2018.
Leteleausasala Sala Parker is a strong woman.

And you have to if you are able to raise a humble young champion in the form her son Lupesoliai Laauli Joseph Parker.

But as strong as she is, she tells the Samoa Observer that unfair criticism of her son over the governments decision to help him financially hurts deeply  especially having it coming from his own Samoa people.

As a parent, the comments are hurtful, she said. We are thankful for teachings of the Bible which taught us the importance of having patience and faith in God. He knows everything.

Sala and her son are close.

Their relationship is evident everywhere they go. The woman who has been by his side since the start remains guarded and protective of her boy.

This week, she is in Apia with Lupesoliai.

My son is not a rugby player, hes not a weight lifter but hes a boxer, she said.

He is a boxer who represents Samoa.

As a mother I fully support any athlete or any son of Samoa who represents and carry our flag around the world. I am in full support of them.

For her Joseph, she said that although he was not born in Samoa, he is immensely proud of his roots at Faleula and Tapatapao.

Hes Samoan, she said.

Joseph is a son of Samoa. To me, our childrens success depends on our support.

As for the financial assistance from the government, Sala said her son was not the one who asked for the money.

It wasnt Joseph who came and asked for the money, it was his promoters, she said.

He can live off of bread and tap water but the assistance requested was to facilitate the fight and to allow for all of Samoa to watch the fight live.

Having said that, Sala said she is extremely grateful for Samoas support.

She thanked the Samoans in Samoa and all over the world for their well wishes and prayers.

As a proud Samoan woman, she also sought the nations forgiveness if Lupesoliai had faltered or fallen short of peoples expectations.

If his actions in the arena were not up to par with the standards you have set, please forgive my son, she said.

We should also give Lupesoliai our full support after all hes representing Samoa, not just my family.
Perhaps former Member of Parliament, Lefau Harry Schuster, really did have a point. A few years ago when he was a member of the Tautua Samoa Party when Parliament actually had an official opposition party, Lefau said the government had been in power long enough.

While he acknowledged that Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and the H.R.P.P. had done a lot to develop Samoa, after nearly 40 years at the helm, he said it was time they move on.

Lefau made the point that governments reckless attitude towards spending and other failed projects had driven the country to unimaginable debt, which will be shouldered by generations of Samoa to come.

The claim of course was rejected by Prime Minister Tuilaepa who called Lefau a fool among other colourful descriptive words. Keep in mind that the point was made a few years ago but it couldnt be more relevant today looking at whats unfolding before us. Lets just look at two recent examples of such glorious waste taxpayers money.

The decision to quash the National Prosecution Office, which had only been established after years of work and money spent on it is a classic example of waste of money.

For the uninitiated, the N.P.O.was one of Prime Minister Tuilaepas grand dreams. At the time, we were told the government wanted to improve the provision of prosecution services.

But the setting up of the N.P.O. required a lot of work. For example, in 2014 legal consultants from the Commonwealth Secretariat were deployed to formulate and structure the organisation. There were consultations held with all the relevant stakeholders costing a lot of money and time.

With the Office opened, from an outsiders perspective, all seemed to have been functioning well. If there were any internal divisions  including clashes with the Attorney Generals Office and the Police  they certainly werent visible publically.

But the calm didnt last long. In August last year, it all started to unravel when Mauga was arrested and charged by the Police. On the other side of town, the Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil, was also charged on the same day

Cabinet immediately decided to return the prosecutorial duties previously with N.P.O. to the Office of the Attorney General. But that wasnt all. Cabinet appointed a Tribunal to evaluate not just the performance of the former Director and Acting Director of N.P.O. but also the validity of the establishment of the N.P.O.

Today, the N.P.O. is no more. The facts are, years and years of work had gone into establishing the N.P.O. costing taxpayers thousands of tala and already it is gone. Just like that. Waste of public monies? Absolutely.

But this is just one example of the governments reckless attitude towards public monies. On yesterdays front page, outspoken Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, had blasted Prime Minister Tuilaepa government for its failure to pay Virgin Australia US$4.02million (T$9.2m) in jet fuel excise rebates. This is despite the fact Virgin Australia has been actively pursuing the payment from the government since April 2015.

Now Virgin Australia is asking the government to fork out $9 million, who will pay for this? Olo said. We will, which is sad. And yet this is a government mistake and of course the low income people will have to fork out for the money.

Olo said the governments attitude towards money owing to Virgin was typical.

The government didnt follow through with deals and signed agreements made with this Airline and this is the end result, we end up paying for the mistake, he said.

And how much are talking about?

Millions. Yes we are talking about millions of tala wasted by the government due to negligence, incompetence and corruption at worst.

Stop for a minute and think about this. If that was your money, would you do the same? Absolutely not.

So why has this government been so reckless with our taxpayers money? How many more millions do we need to lose before these government officials wake up? Is it not time for a law to hold these public servants to account for their poor decision making?

Ironically, isnt it downright cruel that there are families living on the very edge of absolute poverty in this country today and yet our government is continuing to dump millions of tala into projects that fail?

In Samoa today, there are people suffering from poverty and growing hardship. We see them everywhere. Theirs are stories of a perennial struggle to cope with todays crippling cost of living, where in doing so they know they must resort to austerity measures to get by; for them there is not a glimmer of hope in sight.

And here we have a government that seems content to just let these millions slip by the wayside as if its normal.

Now lets go back to Lefaus call made a few years ago. Maybe he did have a point.

What do you think?

Write and share your thoughts with us!
Who is who of the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Bank in the Pacific are gathering in Samoa this week.

Among them is Tessa Price, the Banks Regional Executive for Pacific Islands and the first woman to lead the Banks Pacific operations.

The ANZs Pacific Leadership Team is in Apia for their two-day leadership and strategy conference at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel on Beach Road.

There are country heads from 11 Pacific countries where ANZ has a presence in the region including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati, Tonga, American Samoa, Guam, Timor-Leste, Cook Islands and Samoa.

The conference is all about leadership, its all about bringing the team together from our country heads to the head of HR [Human Resources] and talking about what sort of organization we want for the future, Ms. Price told the Samoa Observer yesterday.

The ANZ Bank has existed for 136 years and the Apia conference, according to Ms. Price, is to determine the way forward.

ANZ has existed for a 136 years and we want to be here for the next 136 years," she said.

And so we have been talking a lot about our values, weve been talking a lot about our purpose and HR methodology which is part of ANZ global."

I think we want to do a lot more. Weve launched money minded businesses here as well and we want to get skill out into the market.

I think with our people in terms of training capabilities we need to lift that further. I think its an opportunity rather than a challenge but always looking to our people and development.

Thats the large part of the conference. It is about what more we can do as a leadership team to grow and develop local talent.

The Regional Executive also commented about statistics on women in top-level management with ANZ Bank.

I am really proud to read actually that 85% of our managers are locals and 92% of our managers are female. Thats really pleasing to see.

ANZs Country Head in Samoa, Bernie Poort, said he is proud to host the conference here in beautiful Samoa.

He used the opportunity to highlight the work of the bank at the moment.

ANZ has been in Samoa for 59 years and Mr. Poort is confident about the future.

Weve got a really well established business here and weve been in that market for many years in Samoa. We cater to the government and most of the big tourism operators around town, he said.

Its an exciting time for the country and were waiting for tourism to sort of burst through and theres a lot of work and discussion on how were going to make that happen.

The bank is here to stay and will continue that journey with Samoa.

Back to Ms. Price, she the projections for the Pacific region in terms of the economy are positive.

I take a lot of feedback when Im in the country, talking to a lot of people for growth projections, they are pretty healthy in the Pacific, especially if you look at the context of the Australian Market.

Most countries that I look after, there are good growth numbers given the global situations but quite slow.

She said the infrastructural developments in the Pacific are healthy.

I see road and ports, tourism, she said.

Referring to recently opened Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel, she said it is a great example of the work that is going on in the region.

We see in our commercial and our retail customer that its actually tracking well.

I look at the Fiji market, the Tonga, Cook Islands in terms of Tourism as they are doing very well and in Samoa.

Ms. Price also elaborated on the important aspects of each county she visits.

When I go to a country, I look at three different aspects. I look at what the actual report is telling us, the analysis, our clients and at our own bank data, our own growth and credit growth.

If were growing, that means the country is growing and as well because were lending money and its quite positive in the Pacific.
A woman was found naked and dead at Mulinuu on Monday morning.

While it was not possible to get an official comment from the Police last night, the Samoa Observer understands they have launched an investigation to determine how she died.

A man who spotted the woman floating on the water at Mulinuu told the Samoa Observer he was shocked.

I couldnt believe what I saw, he said.

He did not want his name published.

But he said the woman looked like she had been dead for at least a few days when her body was found.

I was walking on the seawall heading to the Court house at Mulinuu when I saw a body floating on the sea, he said.

When I went to take a closer look, I saw it was the body of a female.

The Police and emergency workers were contacted.

They arrived immediately.

The witness said he suspects the female could be in her 40s or 50s.

When the Police brought her body up, she had mucus coming out of her mouth, he said. She was all naked."

She had a tattoo on her right arm but I couldnt see clearly because the Police immediately wrapped up her body.

The eyewitness said he could not believe what he saw and up until now, he still has nightmares thinking about it.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has congratulated Seabreeze Resort for winning "Samoa's Leading Hotel" award for the fifth consecutive year at the 24th annual World Travel Awards.

The owners of the boutique resort at Aufaga, Chris and Wendy Booth, arrived with the award yesterday from China and were immediately congratulated during a special ceremony at the Samoa Tourism Authority compound.

We are all indeed very proud of Seabreezes achievement which we can put squarely on the shoulders of the management, owners of Seabreeze, Tuilaepa said.

Tourism will continue to be the mainstream of the economy of Samoa."

The government will continue to invest heavily on the facilities and infrastructure to ensure that we will continue to develop and grow our industry in Samoa for the benefit of getting more and more jobs for our young ones as well as ensuring the security of market for our fishermen and for our farmers who need to work hard to provide the food to feed the people that come to visit our shores.

So on behalf of the government I congratulate the management of Seabreeze and also the staff because it is their service that contributes immensely to the award and the reason why we are here to celebrate.

The Booths acknowledged the support of their staff members.

Its never easy and it is through hard work, Mr. Booth said.

Everyone thats here plays a role in tourism even the people from the paper to the people who are doing the catering everyone it is all part of tourism and it is a big picture."

It is something that everybody can take part in.

Wendy Booth spoke about how the resort is run and how they maintain it.

We have a philosophy at Seabreeze where we say Friends who play together stay together and thats how we run the resort, as one huge big family, Mrs. Booth told the gathering.

We have our ups and downs like any family but we get over them. We find the solution to the problem so for me sustaining tourism is far more than just serving guests.
Members of the California Coastal Commission are meeting in Malibu in August and one of the items on the agenda is a briefing about the controversial decision commissioners made in 2015 about storing tons of nuclear waste at the now-shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) has sent a letter to commissioners asking them to move the meeting from Malibu to San Diego or Orange County so that more people in the area of the plant can take part but the Coastal Commission said Monday the meeting cannot be moved.

Unfortunately, moving the August meeting at this late date is not feasible, Noaki Schwartz, public information officer for the commission said in an email. Schwartz said commission meetings are approved and planned one year in an advance.

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Those living in Orange and San Diego counties are the people who will be affected by any decision regarding spent fuel at the plant, Issa said. The Coastal Commission can choose to have a meeting anywhere it wants. It doesnt make it right.

Coastal Commission meetings typically run for three days each month in locations across the state.

The most recent meeting in San Diego was held in May and the next meeting in San Diego is scheduled for Oct. 11-13.

Originally, the discussion of the situation at SONGS  which the commission has described as informational briefing rather than a formal agenda item  was slated for the Coastal Commissions meeting near Monterey in July.

But commissioners decided to push the SONGS discussion to its August meeting at Pepperdine in an effort to better accommodate people living in Southern California.

We understand the communitys deep concerns, Schwartz said, adding that the meeting will give the public a chance to hear from commissioners and the plants operator, Southern California Edison. The commission is also trying to line up a representative of the federal governments Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speak. A public comment period will also be provided.

In October 2015, the Coastal Commission approved a 20-year permit for Edison to expand a storage system that will eventually see all of the estimated 3.55 million pounds of the plants spent nuclear fuel placed into heavy, dry casks within yards of the Pacific Ocean.

Issa has introduced a bill on Capitol Hill aimed at speeding up the approval of what is called consolidated interim storage, sites that could be built in isolated locations whose communities would consent to accept nuclear waste.

Issa said the bill has been referred to committee.

Supporters of a lawsuit filed by Citizens Oversight, an East County activist group, have lobbied for moving SONGS waste to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, located about 50 miles from Phoenix, saying its a logical place because Edison is a part-owner at Palo Verde, with a 15.8 percent stake.

Citizens Oversight and Edison are currently in negotiations to reach an agreement on the lawsuit.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

New Mexico group makes its pitch to store San Onofres nuclear waste

Demonstrators want nuclear waste moved out of San Onofre

San Onofres seismic risks reduced but residents still skeptical
Many San Diegans would like to own a home in the region they work in, but they often struggle with the large down payment.

Buyers are typically expected to put 20 percent down on a new home, about $105,000 based on the countys median home price.

Gearing up for a new generation of buyers, San Diego-based Guild Mortgage has launched a 1 percent down payment mortgage that has some of the easiest debt requirements on the market.

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Other lenders  Quicken Loans, Guaranteed Rate, United Wholesale Mortgage  have 1 percent down programs, but Guild Mortgage allows the borrower to have the most debt and allows for more sources of income, said an analysis by HousingWire.

Under Guilds program, a borrower could pay as little as $3,000 down for a $300,000 condo on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. The applicant would need to prove their debt-to-income ratio is 50 percent  much higher than that what most lenders typically approve  or lower.

Monthly home payments would start at $1,388, but would go higher with interest, taxes and private mortgage insurance.

A few caveats: The borrower must have a credit score of at least 680, be willing to take homeownership education classes and, if debt-to-income is more than 45 percent, prove they have additional sources of income.

So, hows it work?

The program combines a borrowers down payment with a 2 percent grant from Guild that does not need to be repaid, similar to grants offered in other 1 percent down programs. What Guild says makes its program unique is non-borrower income can be used to qualify, such as money from a parent, and boarder income, such as a renter who will live at the residence.

David Battany, Guilds vice president for capital markets, said it decided to offer the 1 percent down payment option because of the large number of people who could afford a home but struggle with the down payment.

This is mostly aimed at first-time homebuyers, definitely for people where this is their primary asset, he said. They have to live in the home. Its not an investment.

The programs debt-to-income of up to 50 percent is a division of all monthly debt payments by gross monthly income.

Lenders typically prefer no more than a 43 percent debt-to-income ratio because it increases the likelihood the loan will be paid back, said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

It is also the preferred rate for a qualified mortgage, one that shields lenders from lawsuits by borrowers claiming they were stuck with unaffordable loans.

But to some housing experts, 1 percent down loans and high debt-to-income ratios are reminiscent of tactics used in the lending industry before the housing crisis reached critical mass.

Norm Miller, real estate finance lecturer at the University of San Diego, said 1 percent down payment programs ignore a lesson from the housing crash: Not having a high amount of equity in a home can be asking for trouble.

He said a buyer who overpays for a property by 5 percent, but only pays 1 percent down, could quickly find themselves with negative equity.

Thats not an unrealistic scenario, he said, noting data from 2005 to 2008 that showed it happening frequently. Its deja vu all over again.

Miller also said the loans could inflate home prices, driving up costs for lower-priced areas.

Battany said Guilds program is different from mortgages that were prevalent before the housing crash because it only uses a fixed-rate, unlike many loans before the recession that had adjustable rates. Also, the 2 percent Guild gift means a homeowner moves in with 3 percent equity, not 1 percent.

Miller said that adjustable rate mortgages werent the only factor in the crash, but also dropping home values. Defaults dont typically happen if a borrowers home has positive equity, he said. When the value of a home drops, thats a big factor in defaulting  no matter what type of loan.

The system is not set up to stop people from overpaying, Miller said.

Guilds program limits loan amounts in California to $424,100. The conventional loans adhere to HomeReady guidelines created by Fannie Mae.

San Diego was ranked the fourth-worst region in the nation for a first-time homebuyer, said a May study from housing website Zillow. The reasons were the time for a buyer to get to the point where it makes more sense to buy than rent, low home inventory, lower price appreciation than places like Seattle and Las Vegas, as well as very few price reductions once a home is on the market.

Business

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

ALSO

The vanishing San Diego single-family home
A presidential election is coming next year in Mexico while a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is looming.

But any uncertainty in the country is not deterring an aggressive growth strategy adopted by IEnova, the energy infrastructure company based in Mexico that is a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy.

Our commitment in Mexico is very strong, said Sempra chief financial officer Jeffrey Martin, who joined IEnova executives in New York City Tuesday morning at a presentation before energy analysts from some of the biggest firms on Wall Street.

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Sempra owns 66 percent of IEnova, whose equity value has grown from $3.2 billion in 2013 to $7.3 billion today.

In the past four years, Mexico has undergone dramatic changes after its federal government passed reform measures to break up state-run energy monopolies.

Adopted to better serve the nations surging demand for electricity, transportation fuel and a hoped-for switch to cleaner sources, Mexicos energy reform has attracted private companies and investors, with IEnova taking on a high profile.

Yet energy reform has its political opponents, and the early leader in polls about the 2018 presidential election is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist and leftist who opposed opening Mexicos oil and gas markets to foreign investors.

On Monday, IEnova CEO Carlos Ruiz Sacristan said, It is too early to say something about next years elections, but he pointed out that energy reform has been enshrined in Mexicos constitution, which will make it very difficult for opponents to overturn.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, the energy reform is here to stay, Sacristan said.

In the meantime, U.S. President Donald Trump has dialed back his rhetoric about completely overturning NAFTA, even as the Trump administration last month sent a letter to Congress that sets the clock toward a renegotiation starting in mid-August.

Mexico sends a vast majority of its exports north to the U.S. and considers the agreement a linchpin of its economy.

At the same time, American energy companies have done a profitable business in Mexico, leading some analysts and policymakers to believe that any changes to the agreement are unlikely to touch the energy sectors.

Sacristan, who took part in the negotiations that created NAFTA some 20 years ago, said provisions protecting investments, assets and contracts are vital.

We will end up, I believe, with an enhanced North American trade agreement that will improve North American competitiveness with the rest of the world, Sacristan said.

IEnova  and by extension, Sempra  has a lot invested in a growing Mexican energy market.

In 2016, IEnova completed more than $5 billion in transactions, including a natural gas pipeline and infrastructure project worth about $1.1 billion.

Mexico recently passed a clean energy mandate that calls for 35 percent of its power generation from renewable sources by 2024. Last year, IEnova acquired a massive wind generation project for about $900 million.

More projects are on the horizon, including a bid from IEnova for a liquid fuels terminal at the Mexican Gulf coast port of Veracruz and construction of a 500-mile offshore pipeline that will carry natural gas from South Texas to northeastern Mexico, part of a partnership with the TransCanada corporation.

IEnova already operates the Costa Azul liquefied natural gas facility outside of Ensenada that accepts imports, and the company is considering expanding the site to take advantage of the growing global LNG export market.

Tania Ortiz Mena, IEnovas chief development officer, highlighted Mexicos need to grow its energy sector, pointing out that just 7 percent of the countrys households have access to natural gas.

In addition, the nation is one of the globes 10 largest consumers of gasoline but the countrys energy secretary recently reported Mexicos total inventory of gasoline can last just three days.

If we have bad weather in the Port of Tuxpan, Mexico City runs out of gasoline, Ortiz Mena said. Thats how bad it is.

Mexican officials want to build that inventory up to at least 11 days by 2025 and in a larger sense, dramatically shore up the interconnections between energy facilities and consumers across the country..

We think (IEnova is) very well positioned to capture these opportunities, Ortiz Mena said.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

Energy looks to be spared in any NAFTA reset

Sempra takes on bigger role in Mexicos energy landscape

The changing energy landscape in Latin America  and why it matters
National Lobster Day arrives but once a year (in 2017 it's this Thursday, June 15th) and in recognition of this date we've compiled a list of some special deals and our favorite ways to eat lobster in NYC. Stay tuned for next week, when we bring you the Best Lobster Roll content you've been waiting for.

THE ROLLS

Le District The Poissonnerie section of this giant French food hall in Brookfield Place will be selling their lobster rolls on a discount for this week's holiday. Stop by anytime on Thursday for a $15 basket that contains a lobster roll and potato chips, which they'll be offering for just $18 for the rest of the summer. The market also sells whole fresh lobsters ($14.95/pound) for you to try your hand at steaming or baking the crustaceans at home. 225 Liberty Street, Battery Park, 212-981-8588; ledistrict.com

Red Hook Lobster Pound Owners Susan Povich and Ralph Gorham debuted their Rockaway Clam Bar in Jacob Riis this summer, complete with a fried lobster roll. Now the Red Hook original is getting into the fried action with a beer-battered lobster roll that they created in conjunction with Sam Adams. You can only get this special roll ($22) on June 15th; otherwise, a trip out to the Rockaway peninsula awaits. 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, 718-858-7650; redhooklobster.com

Luke's Lobster There are Luke's all over the place these days, which makes it a lot easier to score one of their excellent lobster rolls if the mood strikes. Their rolls ($17) include both butter AND mayo, with flavors of lemon and their proprietary "secret seasoning" on top. They've also recently begun serving lobster tails, too, which they serve cold with lemon butter for dipping. Multiple Locations; lukeslobster.com

McCarren Hotel & Pool A quality lobster roll's enough reason to play hooky for an afternoon, but add a pool? Those "I'm feeling under the weather" emails just write themselves. Head to this Williamsburg hotel for their Maine Lobster Roll ($17)lobster, celery leaves and truffle aioli on a Balthazar bunand chillax poolside for the day. A pool day pass for a weekday is $55 for non-hotel guests. 160 North 12th Street, Williamsburg, 718-218-7500; mccarrenhotel.com

A post shared by Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. (@greenpointfish) on Dec 2, 2016 at 1:09pm PST

STEAMED LOBSTER

Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. This hybrid fish market and restaurant/raw bar makes sourcing sustainable seafood its main mission, even supplying other NYC restaurants with the freshest catch for their menus. That commitment means you're rewarded with great tasting steamed lobster (MP) that's ethically caught, too. They're serving 1 1/2 pound lobster simply with lemon and drawn butter. 114 Nassau Avenue, Greenpoint, 718-349-0400, greenpointfish.com

City Island Lobster House Don't be overwhelmed by the enormous menu: just head to the Lobsters section and keep things simple. Choose a sizestarting at 1 1/4 pounds for $24.95 up to 2 pounds for $39.95 (and they sometimes have 3-to-6 pound lobsters, too)and wait for the bright red beauty to show up at your table. Don a bib, as tradition dictates, and get crackin'. 691 Bridge Street, City Island, 718-885-1459; cilobsterhouse.com

North River Lobster Company Why be stationary while eating lobster when you can be motoring around the Hudson while eating lobster? Sails used to be free but now cost $10, sadly, but once aboard you can purchase the Captain's Special Maine Lobster ($38), which comes with 1 1/4 pound lobster, corn, roasted red potatoes, vegetables, lemon wedges and herbed butter on the side. They also offer 1/2 a north Atlantic lobster, chilled, for $20. Pier 81 on West 41st Street and the Hudson River, 212-630-8831; northriverlobsterco.com

Lobster House Joe's With two locations, this seafood-centric Staten Island restaurant is a go-to for big lobster dinners, whether that means whole lobsters steamed or boiled, lobster tails, and even stuffed lobsters. The Lobster Dinner (MP) is served simply with lemon and plenty of butter; get it stuffed with crab meat and bread crumbs for an extra $5.99. 1898 Hylan Boulevard, 718-667-0003 and 4707 Arthur Kill Road, 718-227-0003, both on Staten Island; lobsterhousesi.com

Just in case you need a refresher:

Video by Jessica Leibowitz

EVERYTHING ELSE

Lobster Bloody Mary: The exceptional bloody mary from The Lobster Joint wins points for its great flavor but also: lobster. The enormous Lobster Claw Bloody Mary ($12) comes topped with celery, olives, a pickle and, yes, a perfectly tender crustacean claw. The Greenpoint location also serves lobster in chowder, salad, roll, grilled cheese and steamed form, too. 1073 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, 718-389-8990, thelobsterjoint.com). (The location in Queens only serves lobster rolls.)

Lobster Ravioli: The big draw at East Harlem's Ricardo Steakhouse is, obviously, the steak. But don't sleep on the restaurant's Lobster Ravioli ($26), which comes bathed in a delicate vodka sauce. The plump pasta pockets are stuffed with a mixture of lobster meat, shrimp, and scallops, which gives the filling great texture. 2145 2nd Avenue, East Harlem, 212-289-5895; ricardosteakhouse.com

Lobster Poutine: There are more than a dozen poutines on the menu at The Gentry in Greenpoint, but for our purposes here we'll focus on the one made with lobster. The restaurant's "French & Maine" offering ($18) takes a page from the lobster bisque playbook by topping crisp fries with the seafood soup and adding shaved gruyere cheese to the proceedings. 592 Manhattan Avenue, 718-383-3490; gentrybistro.com

Lobster Tom Kha Toothsome noodles and tender chunks of lobster swim in a spicy and sour broth at Dale Talde's eponymous Talde eatery in Park Slope. The stew ($18), which has origins in Thailand and Laos, gets more richness courtesy of coconut milk, which bathes the rice noodles, seafood and vegetables in a velvety embrace. Pops of corn complement the natural sweetness of the lobster. 369 7th Avenue, Park Slope, 347-916-0031; taldebrooklyn.com

Lobster Mac & Cheese Pasta cups holding velvety cheese sauce. Toasted breadcrumbs, crunchy and salty. And lobster, chunks of it, perhaps even making a rude gesture. That's what awaits at Ed's Lobster Bar in SoHo, where they're serving lobster in pretty much every classic permutation you can imagine, including Mac N Cheese ($20). 222 Lafayette Street, 212-343-3236; lobsterbarnyc.com

Lobster Newberg A version of this unique lobster preparation has been on the menu at Delmonico's since 1876, so you'll be dining on a bit of NYC history as well as indulging in the decadently creamy dish. Split lobster comes doused in a cream, egg, butter, brandy and cayenne sauce, ready to be plucked from the shell and devoured with haste before the cream sauce cools. 56 Beaver Street, Financial District, 212-509-1144; delmonicosrestaurant.com

Lobster BLT Chef Rob McCue's Upper West Side gastropub The Fat Monk has added a Lobster BLT ($26) to its summer menu, timed to debut around National Lobster Day. Deep water Maine lobster seasoned with parsley and Pernod butter joins the usual suspects in a BLT. On the side: triple fried chips and a backyard brine pickle. 949 Columbus Avenue, Upper West Side, 212-837-2334; thefatmonknyc.com

Stir-Fried Lobster You have to be in-the-know to get the crowning jewel at Mandarin Court in Chinatown: the off-menu lobster. Order any other entree from the menuthere are dozens of shrimp applications, plus scallops in Szechuan style, fried squid with spicy salt, and clams with black bean sauceand you'll be able to order two lobsters for $30. Pick a sauce (scallion and garlic or ginger and scallion are a few options) and they'll deliver two lobsters, chopped up, stir-fried and doused in sauce to your table. 61 Mott Street in Chinatown, 212-608-3838; goldenmandarincourtny.com
Six San Diego County projects that focus on combating racial and economic injustice have been selected to receive grants of at least $100,000 to continue their work, according to a local philanthropy association.

San Diego Grantmakers announced Monday that more than $821,000 in funding would be distributed to groups working on a range of issues including criminal justice, education and food insecurity.

The recipients, representing 30 organizations and resident groups, were selected from among 66 applications to the Social Equity Collaborative Fund, which was created to increase opportunities for grass-roots organizations working to address societal problems.

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The fund is made up of contributions by the Satterberg Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation and The California Endowment.

Nancy Jamison, president and CEO of San Diego Grantmakers, which hosts the fund, said the relatively large number of applications highlights a need for active outreach to smaller groups that might be overlooked by other funding sources. The organizations arent in the nonprofit infrastructure because theyre just doing the work, she said.

The projects picked to receive grants are:

 Advancing Healthy Neighborhoods: $135,000 to help refugee and immigrant families participate in civic, environmental and economic life in El Cajon and City Heights.

 Asian Solidarity Collective: $152,000 to aid its work on issues related to social justice and building solidarity with other communities of color.

 Semillas de Libertad (Seeds of Freedom): $170,000 to help support formerly incarcerated people, particularly in North County.

 Southeastern San Diego Food Equity Project: $130,000 to educate residents about how to grow, cook and advocate for greater access to healthy food.

 The CommUnity Spot Collaborative: $104,000 for mentoring, educational and entrepreneurial support to residents and leaders working in southeastern San Diego.

 United for Justice: $130,000 to further its work with low-income immigrant taxi drivers.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Only a small percentage of people leave behind a legacy as polarizing as that of Sam Panopoulous, the man credited with making pineapple into a pizza topping, who passed away on Thursday, June 8, at the age of 83.

According to Panopoulous obituary, he was born in Greece, and when he was 20 years old he and his brothers moved to Canada and opened several successful restaurants. In 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, Panopoulous first had the idea of putting pineapple on a pizza. He said that at the time pizza was still new, and most toppings were just cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms. Putting fruit on a pizza was an unconventional idea, but Panopoulous said he and his brothers were trying to be creative and try all kinds of outside-the-box experiments to make their restaurant stand out. It worked, too. Panopoulous told the BBC that he started handing out the pineapple pizzas to guests as an experiment. When people started coming back and raving about it, they put it on the menu for real.

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Now Panopoulous legacy is enshrined on the menus of pizzerias all over the world. Most pizza places have pineapple on hand, but its as divisive a topping as there has ever been. Some people love it, and some people hate it, but it seems like everyone has a strong opinion.

The prime minister of New Zealand reportedly loves pineapple on his pizza, for example, while Icelands president said that if he had the power to ban people from doing things he didnt like, putting pineapple on pizza would be the first thing to go.

Canadas prime minister Justin Trudeau broke the tie by declaring himself to be Team Pineapple, Tweeting in February: I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation. #TeamPineapple @Canada

People will probably be arguing about pineapple on pizza for the next 50 years. Members of Team Pineapple should check out some of our best Hawaiian pizza recipes for more ways to celebrate Panopoulous legacy.
Even as a baby, Nancy Stanley was an animal person. Her first memory is of looking through the bars of her crib and seeing the familys German shepherd, Lady, standing guard. It was the beginning of a bond that would help turn a memory into a mission.

In 1982, Stanley founded Tender Loving Zoo, a San Diego-based nonprofit that brought dogs, rabbits and other animals into schools for children with physical and mental challenges. An early advocate of animal therapy, Stanley has always believed in the power of pets to comfort and heal, just by being their furry selves. And with the steadfast help of her chocolate-brown toy poodle, Truffles, this pet pioneer is still dedicated to bringing animal support to the humans who need it.

I dont know if I would be as stable as I am today without my animals, Stanley, 69, said during an interview in her Carlsbad home. I know what it feels like when you are anxious and sad and you need something. With a dog, you dont have to talk. You can just be with a dog. They dont critique you. There is nothing negative about them. It is all positive feedback, and you cant get enough of that.

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Stanley first found refuge in the animal world when her parents got divorced, and she and her two siblings had to leave their home in Florida and move back to their native New York. She was 6 years old, and she missed her friends and her dad and her old life. Her mother got her a dog, a precious, wonderful, loving mutt named Zindy. That is when Stanley discovered that making her way through the world was a lot easier when she had a pet by her side.

I think Zindy actually saved me, Stanley said, as Truffles snuggled next to her on the couch. My heart was so hurt, and he was always there. Id talk to him and sleep with him, and he would do funny things that would make me laugh. I had friends, but I wanted to be with the dog more than anybody else.

As a kid, she always had pets, including a hamster who required some expensive surgery that her mother OKd without a second thought. (I would do the same exact thing now, Stanley said.) After getting married at 20 and becoming the mother of three (one stepdaughter, one daughter and one son) by the time she turned 23, Stanley found time to volunteer at a veterinarians office.

When she and her husband divorced and Stanley moved to Los Angeles with daughter Audrey and son Scott (stepdaughter Jill stayed with her father), she worked at the Los Angeles Zoo. The family moved to Solana Beach in 1981, and once she got everyone settled in, Stanley got the animal itch again.

She remembered her days at the L.A. Zoo, and how much she loved watching children interacting with the residents of the petting zoo. She was particularly struck by the way children with Down syndrome opened up around the animals. With that in mind, Stanley started reaching out to schools for very challenged children, asking if she could bring animals to their campuses.

In the early 1980s, people were not bringing animals into schools, so the initial response was not enthusiastic. Ray Campbell, the principal from the former Revere Development Center in Linda Vista, was the exception. He invited Stanley in, and what she saw made her feel strangely at home.

When I got there, my jaw just dropped. These children were severely challenged, mentally and physically. Some of them were just lying on the floor and crying. I said, Im staying here. This is my school.

Every Friday, Stanley would bring her black toy poodle, Freeway, to the Revere campus. Then she started borrowing kittens and puppies from a local pet store and bringing them, too. Word spread about Stanley and the organization she began calling Tender Loving Zoo. Other schools started asking for Stanley and her animals, and she also began visiting nursing homes. There were newspaper reports and TV news stories, some more supportive than others. (Professionals Are Skeptical, one headline said.)

It didnt take long for Stanley to attract the attention of one very influential reader. In November 1983, Stanley received a letter from President Ronald Reagan telling her he had read about her in the Dallas Morning News and he and the first lady appreciated her work.

What a lovely way to show your concern for these youngsters, Reagan said in the letter, which is framed and hanging in Stanleys house. The simple act of placing a pet in their arms does more good than any one of us can imagine.

Stanley kept Tender Loving Zoo going for more than five years, as it grew to the point where Stanley needed a small office and a secretary. She handed over the reins to someone who promised to keep it going, but then he started charging for the pet therapy visits and Tender Loving Zoo eventually shut down.

But animal therapy just got bigger and bigger, with institutions ranging from schools and hospitals to nursing homes and jails bringing animals to their people. As for Stanley, she kept spreading the gospel, first with Freeway (who died more than 20 years ago) and then with Truffles, who has been by her side since 2004.

The jaunty, 5-pound poodle turns 13 in August. He can roll over, give a high five, walk on his back legs and sneeze on command. Kids love that one. But when Stanley hands Truffles to someone in a certain way, he knows it is time to snuggle. Hes good at that, too.

Truffles is just super calm. He was able to be passed from kid to kid, and he never blinked an eye, said Shane Hamilton, principal of TERI Inc.s Country School, a non-public school for children with special needs, where Stanley and Truffles made a recent visit. For our kids, a lot of language can be too overwhelming, and if they get to sit there and be with an animal, it is just calming to them. Truffles is super cute, and Nancy was just lovely.

In 2008, Stanley wrote and published Pillow with a Heartbeat, which tells the story of Truffles rise from being the runt of his litter to finding his calling as a therapy dog, thanks to Michelle Butler, a teenager with cancer who Stanley and Truffles met through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The book is written in Truffles voice, but the story of finding purpose and passion through pets and people is the story Stanley has been telling for her whole life. It means as much now as it ever did.

Im going to keep doing this as long as I can do it, said Stanley, who is retired after selling a bagel shop she owned in Solana Beach. She recently took Truffles to Riley Unified School, a special education school in Clairemont, and Casa de Amparo, a San Marcos-based nonprofit that treats and prevents child abuse and neglect. It means more than ever now because I know Im doing the right thing. My whole purpose is to keep getting the word out.

(For information about Nancy Stanley and Truffles, go to pillowwithaheartbeat.com.)

Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.com
Many of the surfers who tackled strong currents Saturday morning at La Jolla Shores in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most surfers riding a single wave shared a similar sentiment: It was crazy out there, but it was awesome.

It was nuts. It was controlled chaos, Pacific Beach resident Adam Bogy, 34, said.

The surfers ultimately came up short, but organizers and participants of the inaugural One Wave Challenge fundraiser were pleased to support and bring awareness to the nonprofit organization, Boys to Men Mentoring, which mentors boys  many who are fatherless.

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About 150 San Diego surfers rode 18 waves in unison for nearly two hours in an attempt to override the record 110 surfers set in Cape Town, Africa, in 2009. Organizers believed the 13th attempt seemed promising enough to break the record, but official results hours later showed 97 surfers stood up and rode that wave.

We knew it was going to be tough, and it was even tougher than that, said surfer Garek Hurt, 32, of Carlsbad.

Breaking the record, however, would have been a bonus feat, organizers said.

Craig McClain, Boys to Men co-founder and executive director, said the most important aspect was that the challenge helped people meet the boys, recruit potential members and generally spread the word about the organization.

Its inspiring to see a whole group of people  a big community  thats all rooting for us to be successful, McClain said.

Attila Tota, a mentor for the last six years, said it was heartwarming to see people support the work that needs to be done.

The organization cited data showing boys who grow up in a fatherless home are more likely to go to prison, do drugs and drop out of school than those who have a father figure.

Boys need help, Tota said. Theres a lot of groups and efforts for girls  I think for boys, when they support each other, the results are phenomenal. We see the changes and turnarounds in these young men.

ONaje Jones, 16, who surfed during the challenge Saturday, has been a member for a year and has already been impacted.

Its been a really life-changing experience, he said. Its really opened my eyes to know theres actually good people in the world.

He said he gives and receives; he benefits from guidance, but also mentors younger boys.

Surfers who participated in the event, which is slated to be held annually, paid $50 to participate. The registration fee included breakfast, a rash guard and T-shirt. Local beach-rock band Sandollar treated attendees to a performance.

The event was inspired by another fundraiser put on by Boys to Men Mentoring, the 100 Wave Challenge, in which surfers try to raise $1,000 for the organization and ride 100 waves in 12 hours.

I want to be involved in these kinds of events all the time, Tota said. People coming together with their hearts wide opened and all working together for one cause is what a lot of us all live for.

Eric Bird Huffman, the official judge of the inaugural event, acknowledged the difficulty of making history, but looked forward to next years event.

This was not easy, he said. World records are broken through hard work, passion and dedication. We will channel that energy as we spend the next 360 days preparing for next year.

david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com
Criminal investigations involving accused rapists, problems at SEAL headquarters and a sailor who allegedly stole womens panties and tried to grope sleeping shipmates are moving forward at Camp Pendleton and in San Diego and Coronado.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Irving, a member of the Coronado-based SEAL Team 5, faces court-martial  the equivalent of a civilian trial  for allegedly raping a civilian woman in San Diego in October 2015.

Court documents provided to The San Diego Union-Tribune show that hes accused of pinning the womans hands behind her head and pinning her wrists before sexually assaulting her. The court docket released on Monday doesnt indicate when Irving will next appear before a judge, but a trial scheduled for the previous week was canceled, according to Navy officials.

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In addition, a separate investigation into whether a senior Navy officer at Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado carried on an inappropriate relationship with a female worker is continuing, the Navy said.

The Union-Tribune sought the investigative report into both alleged incidents, but the commands acting chief of staff, Navy Capt. Tinsley, refused to surrender the documents on Monday, writing in a letter that they are part of an ongoing investigation into the improper relationship and allegations that reprisals harmed the junior sailor who blew the whistle on it.

At Camp Pendleton, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Luis Gonzalez-Salazar pleaded guilty on Friday to forcing sexual acts upon his wife in Okinawa between Oct. 12 and Dec. 13, 2015 after threatening to divorce her, take custody of the couples children and upload graphic images and videos of her to the internet.

He also broadcast recordings of his wifes private area without her consent, and he admitted that he engaged in adultery between 2013 and 2015.

Gonzalez-Salazar was reduced to the rank of private and sentenced to 17 years of confinement.

The Union-Tribune isnt identifying his wife or other victims of sexual crimes.

At Naval Base San Diego, Aviation Boatswains Mate Handling 3rd Class Oscar Hernandez underwent a motions hearing on June 7 tied to allegations that he repeatedly tried to touch the breasts and other bodily parts of female sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship America in 2014 and 2015.

In four incidents, the women were sleeping in their berths when Hernandez allegedly tried to grope them.

On numerous occasions, he also allegedly spied on nine sailors while they were sleeping and later wrote about sexual activity with them, according to the charge sheet issued against him on Sept. 20.

Between February and June of 2014, Hernandez allegedly stole 11 items of female underwear from the Snyder Hall laundry area at Naval Base San Diego.

When confronted by a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent on March 28, 2016 about the thefts, he allegedly wrote in an official statement that he never took the panties  statements which were totally false, according to court files.

He was referred to court-martial on April 15.

In the latest Pentagon analysis on sexual assault, the armed forces received 6,172 reports of alleged sexual assault involving service members as either victims or suspects during the federal fiscal year that ended in September. That was a 1.5 percent increase from the 2015 numbers.

A 2016 survey for active-duty troops said 4.3 percent of female service members and 0.6 percent of men reported being sexually assaulted during the prior year. The Pentagon estimated that about 14,900 troops experienced some sort of sexual assault, down from about 20,300 in 2014.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
In a salute to the military, the San Diego Symphony on Monday announced discounted prices for troops and their family members who want to attend the popular Bayside Summer Nights concert series.

The symphonys Friday night concerts at San Diegos Embarcadero Marina Park South stage will offer $10 off the cost of admission for military personnel and their loved ones. That pricing includes the June 30 kick-off to the Star Spangled Pops weekend.

It applies only to the concerts on June 30, July 7, Aug. 11, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1. Purchasers can order tickets online by typing the promotional code MILITARY into the appropriate box.

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In addition, troops and their families will continue to receive a $3 discount on tickets purchased for the symphonys events on other nights of the week, such as the July 4th celebration featuring country star Winona Judd and the Big Bay Boom fireworks show on San Diego Bay.

Regular ticket prices vary  from $24 each in the grandstands to $94 each near the front of the stage.

The symphony performs a wide range of tunes, from Broadway musicals to rousing classical pieces. Performers in this years summer series include jazz trumpeter Herb Alpert, Broadway star Leslie Odom Jr., crooner Tony Bennett and bossa-nova master Sergio Mendes.

Just so people know, we always have a $3 discount on tickets for service members, said Joan Cumming, the symphonys vice president of marketing and communications, except for a few exceptions.

Thats for the winter season downtown at Copley Symphony Hall and for the summer. So with a military I.D., you can always get $3 off.

But we thought it would be really fun this summer to offer $10 off for all the Bayside Summer Nights concerts, she added.

The Friday night events begin at 6 p.m. with stands that sell food, wine and microbrewery beers, plus a DJ spinning popular songs. Concerts typically start at 7:30 p.m.

We hope to see all of our military families at Bayside Summer Nights and if they have any questions or need more information, check out our website and let us know, Cumming said.

A San Diego institution for more than 100 years, the symphony is considered one of the best in America. It performs more than 140 concerts annually.

This story has been updated to reflect all the dates during which the military discount can be used.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
Navy SEAL candidates near the end of the obstacle course at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado.  Howard Lipin (Howard Lipin)

View the Video San Diego reacts to bin Laden's death

Navy SEAL candidates set out on a three-mile run in the sand after finishing the obstacle course.  Howard Lipin (Howard Lipin)

Related Fabled SEAL Team 6 ends hunt for bin Laden

Greg McPartlin, owner of McPs Irish Pub in Coronado, sits next to a banner that celebrates the killing of Osama Bin Laden by a team that included Navy SEALs. A former SEAL, McPartlin decorated his bar and grill with memorabilia from his days in the military.  James Gregg

The heroes of the day  the Navy SEALs who took down Osama bin Laden  are the very people who wont speak about themselves.

The famously closed-mouthed SEAL community, based and trained in Coronado, remained true to tradition Monday and wouldnt even confirm that their comrades performed the historic dark-of-night raid Sunday in Pakistan.

It was left to everyone else to discuss them  from the major news outlets to the mayor of San Diego, who issued a statement congratulating the SEALs on behalf of the city.

Former members of the elite Navy force allowed themselves to burst with pride, however. And they offered insight into why these do-it-all sea, air and land fighters  who get the military missions that require the most brains, skill and stamina  are so secretive.

Among us old guys and retired guys, its jubilation, said Greg McPartlin, a Vietnam War-era SEAL and owner of the Coronado watering hole McPs, which hoisted a Mission Accomplished banner Monday.

In fact, I just talked to some of my buddies that havent been to bed since last night, and theyre going down to the ocean to take a bath, he said. Because thats what SEALs do.

Former SEALs say there are two major reasons for the secrecy. The first is a concept dating to World War II: Loose lips sink ships. These fighters perform high-level missions that depend on accurate intelligence gathering, without leaks.

The second reason, said author Chuck Pfarrer: These tough guys do tough things. They dont have to talk tough.

The guys are doing stuff like this every night. This one was for all the marbles, but it was just as dangerous as what they are doing tonight and last Wednesday and the night before, said Pfarrer, who was a SEAL during the 1980s and wrote a memoir called The Warrior Soul.

Within our community, we have a very perverse pride in reverse publicity, Pfarrer said.

Wed be delighted if he had just disappeared from his bed, and they were just left to wonder at it for the rest of their miserable lives.

McPartlin agrees, saying if you catch somebody bragging about being a Navy SEAL, they probably arent one.

And, chances are they wont be in my bar very long, he added. You ask a SEAL whats he do, he says, Im a sailor. 

Special operations forces have taken a leading role in hunting terrorists during the post-Sept. 11 wars. As a result, theyve also endured a lot of the painful hits.

In June 2005, a four-man SEAL team was pinned down in the mountains of Afghanistan by reportedly more than 100 Taliban fighters.

At the end of combat, three of those SEALS were dead, in addition to eight SEALs and eight Army troops in the helicopter that came to save them. It was the SEALs biggest loss since Vietnam.

One SEAL survived and was rescued; another, Lt. Michael Murphy, received a posthumous Medal of Honor for exposing himself to fire in order to radio for help.

The Navy has named one of its newest destroyers, now under construction, the Michael Murphy.

Another storied SEAL from the post 9/11 era is Michael Monsoor. Serving in Iraq in April 2006, the 25-year-old enlisted SEAL jumped on a live grenade in order to save his squad.

Congress awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously and the Navy named a future destroyer for Monsoor, in addition to a mountain warfare training center in eastern San Diego County.

But SEALs dont like talking about medals either.

When four Coronado-based SEALs were awarded a passel of Silver and Bronze stars in February, only one sailor was willing to discuss it publicly  and he said it was all about the team.

Since 9/11, sailors attached to the Naval Special Warfare Command, headquartered in Coronado, have received two Medals of Honor, five Navy Crosses, 74 Silver Stars, more than 160 Purple Hearts, and more than 550 Bronze Stars, a SEAL public affairs officer said.

All SEALs are male, as its the last Navy category closed to women.

However, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus recently said he thinks females should be allowed to don the trident pin  if they can endure the grueling qualification process.

All SEALs are trained at the Coronado amphibious warfare base, which spans the Silver Strand. The physical and mental fitness required is legendary.

Historically, about 67 percent of hopefuls have dropped out somewhere along the 21-week training regimen known as Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, or BUD/S.

In recent years, with a mandate to increase the force by 15 percent, or 500 sailors, the SEALs have had to recruit for the first time.

Theyve been targeting young men who play water polo or wrestle, excel at chess and are medium height and weight. Statistics say those boys have a higher likelihood of graduating and pinning on the trident.

Now, with the bin Laden mission on the tally, wouldnt every little boy want to become a SEAL?

McPartlin guffaws at that idea.

Oh, yeah, its great advertising. You get to sit in the desert and freeze at night and get overheated during the day, he said.

In seriousness, Pfarrer says hes not sure he will advocate this career for his 12-year-old son.

It completely changes your life. Look, Ive been married four times, he said. I dont think Id change it, but it aint for everybody.
A bill in the Legislature would make it easier for U.S. military troops and veterans to get a break on misdemeanor DUI offenses by completing a diversion program designed to help people whose service has left them emotionally damaged.

Advocates said this update to a broader diversion program for active-duty service members and vets would provide treatment sooner for eligible individuals who had driven under the influence of alcohol, drugs and other substances.

Critics, including the San Diego County District Attorneys Office, said it could jeopardize safety by creating a revolving door for DUI violators.

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The legislation, Senate Bill 725, easily passed through the Assembly public safety committee on Tuesday morning after having gained unanimous support in the Senate. The full Assembly could vote on the legislation as early as this week.

The issue of DUI diversion has grown into a debate that includes a sitting San Diego judge, the states district attorneys and veterans advocates  people who usually run in the same circles.

The roots of this conflict go back to 2014. Thats when California officials created a diversion program that allows a select group of active-duty troops veterans to avoid conviction by agreeing to supervised treatment.

To qualify, veterans must have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma or other conditions on a short list of service-connected issues.

Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day

This diversion program is distinct from its older cousin, the veterans treatment court.

San Diego Countys Veterans Treatment Court started in 2011, when there were six others in the state. The concept has been increasingly adopted nationwide, in recognition that thousands of U.S. troops are coming home from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan with emotional wounds that might lead to bad decisions.

In veterans treatment court, qualified candidates are found guilty but their convictions are then dismissed if they complete a counseling program. That program often consists of two to three years of supervised care that includes some residential treatment. Basically, participants do their time in treatment instead of jail.

The San Diego County vet-court program had 21 graduates in the past 18 months. Roughly a third of its cases involved DUIs.

The recidivism rate is about 20 percent, said Harrison Kennedy, a deputy district attorney in this region who is attached to the program. Thats considered a success statistic because the recidivism rate in the general jail population is about 70 percent.

In 2014, legislators decided that battle-rattled veterans living in California deserve a break earlier in the judicial process. The lawmakers established the revamped diversion program, which enables qualifying participants to undergo treatment without entering a guilty plea.

This diversion program was intended to reduce court and jail costs and help enrollees avoid the consequences of a conviction. If the violators were still on active duty at the time of the incident in question, going through the diversion program could spare them military punishment that includes a less-than-honorable discharge.

At the time, DUI wasnt directly mentioned in the legislation. As a result, courts around the state have made different determinations as to whether a person charged with a DUI can be eligible for diversion treatment.

The issue is now before the California Supreme Court.

Between January 2015 and February of this year, 171 defendants in San Diego County applied for military diversion for a variety of crimes. Of those, 137 applicants were accepted. About a quarter were on active duty. And 16 participants completed the program during that time.

The San Diego diversion program initially included a few DUI cases until the DAs office appealed, an official said.

The question at hand is whether the revamped version of the program should explicitly cover DUI.

In the yes column are about 10 veterans organizations, including the California chapters of the American Legion and AMVETS, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

With regard to DUI, We want to get those people into treatment as early as possible. We dont want them going out jeopardizing future victims, said Jude Litzenberger, executive director of the California Veterans Legal Task Force in San Diego.

Everybody on both sides of this thing is pro public safety, said Litzenberger, a retired Navy officer.

An influential voice in this controversy is San Diego County Superior Court Judge Roger Krauel, who testified in support of SB 725 on Tuesday in Sacramento.

Krauel, a retired Army officer, helped launch the San Diego regions first veterans court. He now presides over the diversion program in El Cajon and testified on Tuesday that San Diego County has had no repeat offenders among its diversion graduates.

Military veterans can get into treatment as much as a year earlier in the no-conviction diversion program, compared to the post-conviction treatment court method, Krauel said in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune this week.

Diversion also can save a service members honorable duty status. If not, a veteran who had been kicked out of the military often loses financial and medical benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Then weve lost a warrior who protects us, Krauel said. And hed have trouble participating (in treatment) if he couldnt get into the VA, because not too many folks who just lost their military job are going to have the money for private counseling.

But the California District Attorneys Association, in addition to the San Diego County District Attorneys Office, opposes expansion of the diversion program to include DUI cases.

This creates potential for a dangerous cycle of diversion that jeopardizes the safety of our streets and highways, the state association said in a letter.

Critics of SB 725 said the safer remedy is the post-conviction veterans treatment court. They cite anecdotal evidence of at least one DUI offender getting repeat passes in Santa Barbara County.

With diversion, there is no guilty plea. Theres no conviction. Theres no limit to the amount of DUI offenses that one person can be diverted for, said Kennedy of the San Diego District Attorneys Office. And theres no statutory structure for treatment that guarantees well get some type of effective treatment.

Kennedy added that he has seen active-duty troops get convicted and go through the veterans court process, even with felony cases, and keep their military careers intact.

Meanwhile, Litzenberger and other backers of SB 725 said the diversion route contains safeguards against repeat DUI offenders.

A judge has to approve each application for diversion, they note. Also, the state Department of Motor Vehicles has a separate administrative process that can include revoking a drivers license after a DUI. The DMV record follows you and wouldnt be affected by the proposed bill, said backers of the measure.

There will be no endless diversions, said the bills author, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Democrat who represents Santa Barbara and Ventura.

The debate has ramifications for San Diego County, which is home to an estimated 38,000 veterans from the post-9/11 era. Of those, based on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs research cited in a recent military justice report, as many as 6,700 may end up charged with a crime.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

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jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

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With Tijuanas homicides mounting, Baja California Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid on Monday endorsed a series of crime-fighting measures  including expanding the militarys role in the fight against organized crime.

The multi-pronged plan, which Vega said was six months in the making, was presented as a statewide Crusade for Security that seeks to bring together all levels of government in the state with members of the private sector in battling crime.

We are living through difficult moments and facing complex challenges, the governor told hundreds gathered outside a police substation near the working-class neighborhood of Camino Verde, whose residents face some of the citys highest crime rates.

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A former mayor of Tijuana, the governor is a member of Mexicos National Action Party more than halfway through his six-year term. He has come under growing pressure from private sector leaders to take action to reduce crime statewide, but nowhere more so than in the states largest city, Tijuana.

With more than 1.8 million residents, the city has seen an unprecedented number of homicidesin recent months  crimes that state investigators largely attribute to in-fighting among neighborhood drug dealers. As of Monday, the state had registered 670 homicides in Tijuana since January; so far this month the tally has reached 69.

Up to a couple of months ago, there was still a certain state of denial  that the problem of insecurity did not exist, and that everything was under control, said Juan Manuel Hernandez Niebla, head of the Tijuana Citizens Council for Public Safety.

The effort spans three major categories  professionalization of police forces, the pursuit of justice and crime prevention, each with a series of more than a dozen specific measures, Hernandez Niebla said.

Among the measures is the endorsement of a proposed federal law of internal security that establishes legal norms outlining how members of Mexicos military can carry out civilian public safety roles.

The governor also cited another issue  the release of some suspects facing firearms charges under the rules of the new accusatory criminal justice system based on open oral trials, which went into effect a year ago.

The new system, which presumes innocence, allows the release of many suspects after they post bond. But police complain that they find themselves once again arresting the suspects of new crimes before they have been tried for the original one.

Private sector leaders said they endorsed the plan, but wanted to see concrete results. We told the governor, If youre going to bring us just to talk, dont invite us, said Federico Diaz, a Mexicali businessman who heads the statewide umbrella group Consejo Coordinador Empresarial.

We dont deserve what has been happening, Diaz said. There is still time to solve some of these issues together.

The anti-crime campaign comes nearly ten years after an unprecedented rise in violence in Baja California led to a similar effort to coordinate law enforcement activities and encourage citizen participation.

Jorge Ramos Hernandez, now a federal legislator, was mayor of Tijuana during that period. A key element of the new plan, he said, is the close scrutiny of the states municipal police officers  to ensure they are not in the grips of organized crime.

That will be the first step to gaining the support of the population, the cleansing of police forces, Ramos said.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
The city of Los Angeles is poised to settle a lawsuit accusing police of conspiring with private security officers to seize property that homeless people leave on skid row sidewalks, according to court documents.

The lawsuit, filed in 2014, alleged that police alerted public safety officers with the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District about where and when homeless peoples property was left unattended, stood guard as it was seized and threatened arrest if anyone tried to interfere. The city and the business improvement district denied the allegations in court documents.

The City Council is set to consider the settlement agreement Wednesday. The citys lawyers wrote the court on June 5 that the city would approve the agreement within the month, according to a document in the court file.

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The lawsuit was brought by four homeless people and two skid row groups  Los Angeles Catholic Worker and Los Angeles Community Action Network  against the city, the improvement district and Central City East Assn., the districts administrator.

The suit said that after courts barred the city from illegally destroying homeless peoples property, it turned to the private officers to confiscate belongings owners temporarily left behind while they used the restroom, got a meal or received medical care.

Under the proposed settlement, the Central City East Assn. agreed not to take or destroy property, including tents, shopping carts, bicycles and wheelchairs, from sidewalks or other public places unless it is near doorways or loading docks, or impeding disabled people.

Officers can remove abandoned belongings, trash, furniture, mattresses and other bulky items if they give written notice and store the belongings for 90 days for retrieval. The city has adopted similar protocols to comply with court rulings.

Central City East also agreed to pay $25,000 to the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, which led the homeless plaintiffs legal team. The agreement was signed in March by attorneys for Central City East, the Legal Aid Foundation and U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez.

This is going to make it so those previously subjected to unchecked property seizures by the [business association] will have a mechanism to turn to to enforce their rights, said attorney Fernando Gaytan of the legal aid group.

Rob Wilcox, spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer, said the city cannot comment until the settlement is final. Estela Lopez, executive director of Central City East Assn., did not return a phone message.

Since the lawsuit was filed, the city has stepped up skid row cleanups. Catherine Morris, a longtime member of Los Angeles Catholic Worker, said sanitation workers accompanied by police continue to confiscate shopping carts that her group provides homeless people to carry their possessions.

Morris also said workers at her groups skid row soup kitchen recently watched an LAPD officer stop a homeless person from interfering as sanitation workers, over the mans objections, hauled away his dirt bike.

The carts have not been returned for about four months, Morris said. We just paid $6,800 to have 100 new carts delivered.

,

gholland@latimes.com

Twitter: @geholland
A momentous event took place in the Julian backcountry on May 9 or 10. Six new members of the critically endangered Mexican wolf population were born on land occupied by the California Wolf Center.

In 1977, Mexican gray wolves had been hunted to fewer than 15 left in the United States, says Christina Souto, a wolf center spokeswoman. In the 40 years since, thanks to conservation efforts, the population in the wild has rebounded to 113 known wolves (all in Arizona and New Mexico), plus about 300 more in captivity.

The Julian miracle did not end at birth. On May 16, in a clandestine conservationist raid, two of the six newborn pups were removed at the request of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They were transported to Arizona where they were placed with a litter in a wild wolf pack den in the Panther Creek area. Two of the wild pups were removed and brought back to the Julian den.

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The exchange, called cross-fostering, is an effort to increase genetic diversity and bolster the Mexican wolfs resistance to disease.

The strategy works, Souto explains, because of the strong parenting instincts of wolves, known to adopt unrelated pups and raise them as their own.

Erin Hunt, the California Wolf Center operations director, described the exchange as a historic first for the California Wolf Center, which counts actor Leonardo DiCaprio among its supporters.

The Mexican wolf subspecies is slightly smaller than the gray wolf and has brown markings. Genetic variation is critical to the subspecies survival, so the wolf pup exchange marks a major step in ensuring a genetically diverse population for reintroduction into their natural habitat.

The California Wolf Center, located off Highway 79 between Lake Cuyamaca and Julian, conducts public tours by reservation, but visitors wont see the new litter. Theyll be protected from human contact because operators hope that, one day, they will be released into the wild.

From wolves to bears: Meanwhile, another comeback has made the newspaper front page in the San Jacinto Mountain community of Idyllwild, not far from Palm Springs  multiple sightings of a black bear.

Its been years since black bears, vigorously hunted by ranchers and farmers, have been seen in the area.

California Department of Fish & Wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan confirmed that the sighted bear was most likely a yearling male who wandered down from the Banning area.

Black bears live in the San Bernardino Mountains but rarely head south across the busy I-10 freeway. Most likely this young bear crossed through one of the culverts or wildlife passageways, Brennan theorized. In recent weeks, sightings of a bear resembling this one have come in from Garner Valley and Mountain Center near Idyllwild.

A second black bear, discovered at a Ford dealership in Indio on May 14, was tranquilized by wildlife officials and released in the nearby Santa Rosa Mountains away from the population center.

Brennan, who lives in Escondido, stresses that state wildlife officials dont relocate bears because its rarely successful considering they have a territorial range of about 186 miles. Occasionally, however, they are faced with having to move a bear if it doesnt have safe egress back into the wild.

diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.news
Bank of America has agreed to pay nearly $2 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of failing to properly warn members of the public that service calls were being recorded automatically.

The consumer protection lawsuit was filed by district attorneys in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Alameda and Ventura counties. They said Bank of America did not adequately disclose to its California customers that the calls were being recorded or do it in a timely fashion.

In California, each person involved in a confidential conversation must be told up front that a call is being recorded so that he or she can object or decide to end the call.

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At the beginning of any confidential call between the company and a customer, Bank of America is required to make a clear, conspicuous, and accurate disclosure about the recording, according to a news release from the San Diego County District Attorneys Office.

Once notified of the problem, the company and its lawyers worked to make changes in the banks policies nationwide, without admitting liability.

Bank of America has also agreed to start an internal compliance program to make sure the policy changes are implemented.

According to the judgment, which was approved in Los Angeles Superior Court, Bank of America will pay $1,635,000 in civil penalties and $240,000 to the prosecutors for investigative costs.

San Diego County will receive $327,000 in the money paid in civil penalties and $48,000 of investigative cost reimbursements. State law requires that the money from the civil penalties be used for future consumer protection work.

Bank of America also agreed to contribute $100,000 to a fund to support investigation and enforcement of consumer rights cases in California, according to the news release.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
The UC San Diego program that guarantees transfer admission to community college students who meet certain requirements will come to an end in 2014, campus officials have decided.

They said explosive growth in the number applications under the program, coupled with sharp cuts in state funding for the University of California, have threatened to swamp the campus.

Administrators and students at area community colleges said the decision will disproportionally harm disadvantaged students.

If this decision is final  that pathway, that gateway will be closed to many students from our local colleges. We think this decision is shortsighted, said Francisco Rodriguez, superintendent/president of MiraCosta Community College District.

Rodriguez, president of the organization that represents all six community college districts in San Diego and Imperial counties, has appealed to university officials to reconsider the decision.

UC San Diegos Transfer Admissions Guarantee, or TAG, program began in the early 1980s. Students from the six regional districts who took specific required courses and earned a 3.0 grade-point average were guaranteed admission to the La Jolla university.

TAG applications at UC San Diego 2008: 408 2009: 1,946 2010: 3,427 2011: 8,715 2012: 2,204* *UC policy change. Students can no longer seek TAG admittance to more than one campus.

Later, UC San Diego entered TAG agreements with 33 colleges around the state. And, since 2009, the program has been open to students from all 112 California community colleges, in accord with a UC policy that prohibits local preferences in such arrangements.

Just last spring, in response to the growth in applications, UC San Diego officials raised the minimum GPA for TAG students to 3.5 from 3.0 for students entering in fall of 2012 and beyond.

We are overwhelmed by the numbers, said Penny Rue, vice chancellor for student affairs.

TAG applications to UC San Diego grew from 408 in 2008 to 8,715 in 2011.

As a result of a new UC policy that limits students to making a TAG application to just one campus, that number has dropped to 2,204 for fall of this year. Still, officials said, assuming all of those applicants are in fact qualified, they would just about fill all of the approximately 2,300 transfer spots available.

Community college students not in TAG program can get passed over in favor of those in the program with lower academic standing.

There is a fundamental question of fairness to all qualified applicants, Rue said. Is it fair to guarantee admission to these students when were turning away transfer students with 3.7 GPAs?

The universitys reasoning is not persuasive to Michael Cash, president of the Associated Students at San Diego City College.

On top of the increase in the GPA requirement, this is a further kick in the face, he said. We have a lot of lower-income students, coming from urban challenges.

This has given a lot of students  your minorities and your socially and economically challenged  hope, said Cash, who has been accepted to transfer to San Diego State University. If you follow this checklist, if you keep your grades up, youre going to UCSD. Now theyre taking that hope away.

TAG minimum requirements by UC campus TAG minimum requirements by UC campus San Diego: 3.5 GPA, through fall 2014, when program is to end. Davis: 3.3 for majors in the College of Engineering. 3.2 for others. Irvine: 3.2. Santa Barbara: 3.2 Riverside: 3.0 Santa Cruz: 3.0 Merced: 3.0 for all majors in the School of Engineering and for psychology major. 2.9 for the School of Natural Sciences. 2.8 for all majors in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, except psychology. (Berkeley and UCLA do not offer the TAG program.)

Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, agreed.

We strongly believe that our local universities, even though they have world-class aspects, still have a commitment and responsibility to service the local community, Carroll said. Most of us believe the TAG program is the best way that can be honored  If the university moves this way, it will be marketing itself to and accepting only the highest. Qualified local students who have promise will be left behind. Of course, this will reduce diversity.

UC San Diego officials said the TAG proponents have it all wrong.

(TAG) was never a diversity issue, it was a recruiting issue, said Barbara Sawrey, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. In the 1980s, we had trouble attracting transfer students.

The UC San Diego administrators said they believe transfer students are an important element in the undergraduate student body.

We love having community college students; were still recruiting them, Sawrey said.

The administrators also disputed the notion that TAG students bring diversity not found among transfer students in general.

Of the non-TAG transfers admitted in fall 2011, Rue said, 21 percent were African American, Chicano/Latino or Native American.

Students from those groups made up 17 percent of TAG entrants.

Rue insisted that only real consequence of eliminating TAG is that the academic qualifications of transfer students will be higher.

This will in no way reduce the number of California community college transfer students, she said.
Researchers and health advocates have launched a website to provide real-time tracking of air quality in San Ysidro, where residents have long complained about emissions pollution from the steady stream of vehicles crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in that area.

Air monitoring at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the busiest land crossings in the Western Hemisphere, has been inconsistent and inconclusive over the years.

The federal government installed an air-monitoring system at that border checkpoint in 2015, but had to move it because of large-scale renovations at the port of entry. Officials are looking for a permanent place to install that monitoring device, which isnt currently operating.

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Leaders of the San Ysidro community  which suffers from high rates of asthma and is hemmed in by freeways  are trying to get a more precise understanding of the air pollutions depth and variability by using other means.

The recently launched website is funded by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and is spearheaded by Casa Familiar, a local social-services nonprofit, in collaboration with San Diego State University and the University of Washington. Those schools are offering their expertise on research, data analysis and device development.

We know that the closer somebody is to the border crossing, the higher levels of pollutants, said David Flores, the development officer for Casa Familiar. We have been trying to identify those neighborhoods that are most impacted, and were hoping that this kind of air-monitoring network will be an additional tool.

The two-year program features 12 new monitoring stations throughout the community, including at San Ysidro Middle School and Willow Elementary School.

A report analyzing the data is scheduled for public release sometime next year. At that point, Casa Familiar and others hope to find a permanent source of funding to continue the air-monitoring program.

Researchers at the University of Washington fashioned the monitors so they would be compact and inexpensive  about $2,500 each. The idea is that communities can use the technology to independently document pollution levels and then campaign for programs and strategies to address related public-health impacts.

Theres a lot of uncertainty of what the air quality is in this neighborhood, said Edmund Seto, a professors of environmental health with the university who is collaborating on the project. Theres a big data gap when you have the countrys largest land border and you dont have any data on the air quality there.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
A group of Republican women gathered at a resort on the shores of Mission Bay on Monday to plan action against proposed legislation that would make all of California a sanctuary state by limiting local government cooperation with federal immigration officials.

Oh my God, what is going on in Sacramento? Susan Tully of the Federation for American Immigration Reform asked the crowd. Are these people out of their mind?

Yes! the audience replied.

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Tully addressed about 70 members of the California Federation of Republican Women at the Bahia Resort Hotel, speaking about Senate Bill 54. The legislation passed the Senate in April and goes before the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday.

Tully said that the bill would violate federal law and warned that it would lead to anarchy. She called on the women to make telephone calls to Assembly offices. Tully said that if the bill becomes law, her organization will sue the state of California.

To choruses of Hear, hear! Tully praised President Donald Trumps immigration agenda and emphasized her belief that the U.S. cannot take in everyone who wants to immigrate here.

Tully cautioned that the U.S. population growth rate is too high for the countrys resources, and she attributed the growth to immigration. She said that the U.S. would have a population of one billion people within the next 80 years.

According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the nations population is expected to grow to 417 million from 319 million between 2014 and 2060. At that time, about one in five is expected to be foreign born, according to the report.

Tully used China as an example of what can happen to a country with a large population increase, referring to the one child policy that began to be phased out in 2015.

Forced abortion, infanticide, is that really where we want to go? Tully said.

She congratulated the few in the room who were themselves immigrants and who had come to the U.S. with permission.

How do you reconcile that its OK for other people that dont have to go by the same guidelines? Tully said. Why do we make excuses for some?

Laura Moreno, chair of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, an organization that supports SB 54, said by telephone that the bill will make California more safe. Unauthorized immigrants who believe local law enforcement will turn them over to federal immigration officials are less likely to report crimes and accidents, Moreno said.

To folks that would want to raise opposition, its about family, its about safety and its about community, Moreno said. If theyre against it, its because they dont believe in family, safety or community.

Moreno said unauthorized immigrants might be more frequently targeted as victims of crimes if the perpetrator knows that they are afraid to call local police.

We as a community have to be the ones to make sure that law enforcement is following through with what people need, not what they think people need, Moreno said.

At the luncheon, Nam-Yong Horn, vice-president of the federations southern division and herself an immigrant from South Korea who became a U.S. citizen, said she supported Tullys position.

We have a right to protect our country, Horn said. Building walls doesnt mean blocking everyone. They can come through the legal system like I did.

Agnes Gibboney, an immigrant from Hungary who is now a U.S. citizen, said Tullys speech resonated with her as well.

We dont owe illegal aliens anything, Gibboney said. We cant take everybody in.

Gibboney also addressed the room during the luncheon. Her story about her son, Ronald da Silva, being fatally shot by an unauthorized immigrant gang member moved many in the crowd.

I dont care where they come from, Gibboney said. Follow the law. We have laws to be followed and enforced.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter
City Attorney Mara Elliott says the state Supreme Court shouldnt overturn Aprils appellate court ruling upholding San Diegos 2012 pension cutbacks because citizens initiatives arent subject to collective bargaining rules.

Elliott makes the argument in a 25-page response to an appeal of the ruling filed last month by the citys labor unions. That appeal urges the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling based on contentions it threatens to disrupt labor-management relations across California.

RELATED: Appeals court vindicates San Diegos 2012 pension cutbacks

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The central issue is whether the city was obligated to negotiate with labor unions over the pension reform proposal, which voters approved in June 2012.

The city says it wasnt obligated because the proposal was a citizens initiative. The unions say the city was obligated because then-Mayor Jerry Sanders supported the proposal and helped negotiate it.

The unions have until next week to submit a rebuttal to the citys response. The Supreme Court will then have 60 days to decide whether to review the case and possibly overturn it.

If the ruling is overturned, San Diego could be forced to spend millions creating retroactive pensions for more than 3,000 workers hired since 2012. Proposition B 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 may conflict with many other rulings.

Elliott argues the appellate ruling should remain in place because it correctly declared that citizens initiatives arent subject to many otherwise applicable procedural requirements, such as a state law requiring leaders of a government agency to confer with labor groups about anything that would impact wages, hours or working conditions.

She praises the ruling for asserting that it was OK for Sanders to help craft the measure because it was the City Council that eventually voted to place it on the ballot, not Sanders.

The unions argue against that distinction and say it will create confusion for labor groups and governments across the state by contradicting many previous appellate rulings.

Elliott also argues that it was the appellate courts discretion to rule whether the participation of Sanders made the initiative impure.

The unions say that discretion should rest with the states Public Employment Relations Board, which previously ruled the city violated the law by not negotiating with the unions before the initiative went forward.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
San Diego police have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of a Navy pilot near a comedy club at Horton Plaza Saturday night.

Arrow Morris was arrested on suspicion of murder and other charges while driving in Serra Mesa Monday evening, San Diego police Lt. Mike Holden said Tuesday.

Holden said Morris was with a group of people who had attended a show at Mad House Comedy Club. The group left the club and was standing outside when Morris got into an argument with a woman he knew and grabbed her purse.

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He was walking away when he Morris encountered James Celani Jr., 43, and his cousin about 100 yards north of the club on the seventh floor of the outdoor mall in the Gaslamp Quarter. Without provocation, Morris shot the victims, Holden said.

Basically he storms off and happens to come across our victims as hes leaving, Holden said. We have no indication there is any provocation before the shooting It really is a senseless, horrible incident.

Celani was shot in the chest and died at a hospital. His 29-year-old cousin was shot in the leg.

The victims had attended a show at comedy club earlier and left. They were returning to the club when they were shot, Holden said.

Holden wouldnt say how detectives tracked down the suspect although he said there was surveillance video at the mall that was helpful for us.

Police said they have identified a man who was with Morris but he has not been arrested. Holden said investigators are trying to determine his involvement in the shooting.

Celani was a lieutenant commander in the Navy who had served since 1997. He had been assigned to the Naval Special Warfare command headquarters in Coronado since 2008.

Jim was a career Naval Aviator who devoted more than twenty years of selfless service to our nation, Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a statement. We grieve his sudden and senseless loss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

Morris is being held in county jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, robbery, dissuading a witness and violating parole. Court records show he had been previously convicted of drug and weapons charges and assault with a deadly weapon dating back to 1998.

karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com
A dogged detective and a forgotten glove helped investigators arrest the suspect in a Lemon Grove stabbing death  31 years later, a sheriffs official said Monday.

On Oct. 11, 1986, a passer-by walking through a Lemon Grove field about 7:05 a.m. stumbled on the bloodied body of 20-year-old Cyrus Jefferson.

Witnesses linked Stacy Littleton, a 20-year-old Encanto man, to the death, and he was arrested days later. But when detectives presented the case to District Attorneys Office officials, they didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Littleton with murder.

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They let him go and the case went cold.

A few months ago, Detective Troy DuGal with the sheriffs cold case team started looking into the killing. While poring over photographs of the crime scene and other evidence, he came across a black glove that had never been analyzed for traces of DNA.

The technology was not widely used at that time. The first conviction to hinge on DNA didnt occur in the United States until 1987.

The DNA from the glove was matched to the likeliest of suspects  Stacy Littleton.

Detectives combed over old witnesses statements and tracked them all down.

They gave very good statements, Lt. Kenn Nelson said.

Detectives again presented the case to the District Attorneys Office, which agreed to pursue a murder charge.

On Monday, investigators were prepared to search for Littleton, but they didnt have to look farther than their own jail. Hours earlier, officers had arrested the 52-year-old on several misdemeanor drug charges.

Now hes charged with murder.

Nelson said detectives are always satisfied when they can hold someone accountable for their actions and bring closure to families. But theres something special about cracking cold cases.

A person thought for 31 years that they got away with it, and for 31 years a family thought they wouldnt see this day, he said. Now we get to tell them that they do.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com


(Illustration by 92nd Street Y)

Voices of New York is an ongoing series with the 92nd Street Y that gives Gothamist access to previously unreleased recordings from 92Ys vast archive of talks, featuring the movers and shakers whove shaped the city. This is our second installment, featuring Irving Howe, prominent figure of the Democratic Socialists of America. Previously: Jimmy Breslin.



Irving Howe in 1967 (via Wikipedia)

In a 1968 essay in Dissent magazine, the magazine's founding editor Irving Howe coined the term "New York intellectuals" to describe the group of left-wing, mostly Jewish writers and thinkers living in the city around the middle of the 20th century. The group counted Susan Sontag, Hannah Arendt, and Norman Podhoretz among its illustrious membership, but it was the lesser-known Howe who both defined this group and perhaps best embodied its "loose cultural-political tendency." Following his death in 1993, the New Yorker described Howe as "the most energetic, the hardest-working, arguably the most independent and idealistic, certainly the most authentic" of the New York intellectuals.

Today, Howe is probably best remembered as one of the leading champions of the nascent democratic socialist movement, an anti-capitalist group that has gained national momentum since the election of President Trump. But he was also an eminent literary critic, an editor of Yiddish novels, and a historian of Jewish life. His National Book Award-winning World of Our Fathers is widely considered the best chronicle of the lives of Eastern European Jews who immigrated to New York in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1976, just a few months after the book came out, Howe read from and discussed the work at the 92nd Street Y. As part of our ongoing series with 92Y, we've included that previously unreleased recording below:

Howe begins the speech by examining the first wave of Jewish immigration in the 1880s. These were mostly unskilled adventurers and Russian military-dodgers, and according to Howe, "the most victimized of all the immigrants" whose "story has been virtually lost." The author references dozens of immigrant memoirs to retell the misery of life in the Jewish quarter of the Lower East Side, then the city's most densely packed area. As the new immigrants struggled to find work, prostitution flourished on Rivington and Allen Streets and Jewish gangs regularly attacked zealous missionariescontributing to the reputation of Jews as a major source of "crime and social pathology."

The makeup of this population changed at the turn of the century, Howe notes, with the arrival of a new Jewish intelligentsia. While the first wave of immigrants had sought to ditch their former lives and traditions, this second wave tended to be better off, and brought with them a different sort of relationship to the home countries. In the early 20th century, they were known to stroll down East Broadway, the main boulevard of the Jewish quarter, discussing radical politics and literature in Russian, considered a far more cultivated language than Yiddish.

Ultimately, Howe argues, this overlap between the two waves of immigrants helped create a cultural and political connection that underpinned Jewish life in New York for decades to come. His 92Y retellingdelivered with laryngitis, because he'd just been to California, "which [he] strongly recommend nobody do"is an eye-opening account of the immigrant tradition from which Howe, and so many other influential New Yorkers, sprung.


The notorious terror attraction known as McKamey Manor is trying to leave San Diego again  this time for locations near Huntsville, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee.

A previous attempt to move  to Illinois, in 2015  failed when nearby residents got wind of the proposed move and rose up against it.

Proprietor Russ McKamey told The San Diego Union-Tribune of his plans to move again, but would not identify locations more specific than metro area. Searches of property records and business licenses in the south did not turn up any documentation of his plans.

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McKamey, 57, still owns the Rancho Penasquitos home where his haunt has been housed for years, although he says he has moved out. He answered questions by email, although he would not say where he is living now.

Im more than ready to move on, McKamey said.

The personalized horror experience, much of which was carried out in a windowless van and McKameys Almazon Street back yard, scares patrons with simulated abductions, assaults and other terrors so intense it was named the most extreme haunted house in the world by Tech Times and The New York Daily News.

McKamey said his Alabama location will have a full-bore haunt similar to the experience he previously offered in San Diego  open to a small, hand-selected groups of participants who meet health requirements for the physically and psychologically dangerous tour of horrors.

In Tennessee, he plans something more tame. McKamey Manor Presents Caedis Silvis, he said, will be a larger, more traditional haunt in a 40,000-square-foot facility in Nashville.

Caedis silvis is Latin that translates roughly to murder in the woods.

The Nashville attraction will be the most toned-down version of McKamey Manor ever presented and will be open to members of the general public who are 18 and older, McKamey said. Hes also planning to include a childrens haunt and kid-friendly activities such as zombie laser tag.

McKamey said that both new versions of the haunt will be for-profit businesses and patrons will pay for admission. Thats a change from the approach in San Diego, where McKamey said the only payment he accepted was donated dog food or funds for animal welfare.

McKamey said he has not put his San Diego home up for sale because of a $252,000 tax lien the Internal Revenue Service has placed on his house for unpaid income taxes, interest and penalties for the 2012 tax year, reported last year by the Union-Tribune.

If McKamey were to sell his home without first resolving the lien, the IRS could collect the money owed. McKamey is still hoping to challenge the lien amount. McKamey said the lien appears to be the result of miscommunication between himself and his former domestic partner, Carol Schultz, regarding who was handling taxes and whether they had been paid.

In May, McKamey used his homes equity to secure a loan for $131,812, according to records on file with the San Diego County Recorder.

McKamey said he needed to money to cover the expense of starting up the two new haunts.

A review of city code enforcement and police records in San Diego show there have been few complaints. Code enforcement officials twice visited McKameys house, in December 2014 and August 2016, first because of room additions and structures in the back yard, then because of a complaint about an unpermitted business operating in a residential zone. No citations were issued.

Police received a handful of calls to the house in recent years, and none of them resulted in arrest.

For example, police responded on more than one occasion to a report of kidnapping, only to find that it was just one of the simulated abductions that typically kick off tours of McKamey Manor. Eventually, McKamey started notifying police when simulating abductions in public.

McKamey told the Union-Tribune that much of what appears on YouTube videos  vomiting, participants weeping and bruised, a young man crying out to be released as his head is shoved under water  is smoke and mirrors and that visitors are not held against their will.

At the same time, the haunt is meant to be an intense experience for people who arent scared by more traditional haunted houses, McKamey has said. And making sure hard-core adrenaline junkies leave whimpering and crying involves some risk.

McKamey said he thoroughly warns everyone about risks and requires them to sign a waiver acknowledging, among other things, that the experience is physically and mentally dangerous, and there is no safe word to immediately end the tour.

McKamey has long denied inflicting harm beyond cuts, bruises and other minor injuries on participants. He has said the experience is closely monitored, participants get breaks if they become too stressed and that he lets participants leave if they decide they really want to.

At least one person who took a tour last year told San Diego police she got more than she bargained for. A woman reported to the department that she had been assaulted with a deadly weapon while participating in the horror experience at McKameys home address on July 31. Detectives investigated and decided not to pursue criminal charges. Part of the reason was that she signed a waiver before taking the tour.

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 Critics such as Amy Milligan of East County say they were held captive after they begged to be let go, and that what happened to them left physical bruises and emotional scars.

morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
Donald Trumps presidential campaign and his presidency have defined down what is acceptable behavior for a national leader. His willingness to criticize entire ethnic groups, to be blatantly sexist, to mock family members of his opponents and to spread bogus, offensive conspiracy theories may not have slowed his rise to power, but that doesnt make his behavior acceptable.

Thats why then-first lady Michelle Obamas remarks to the Democratic convention last summer were so welcome. When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you dont stoop to their level, she said. No, our motto is: When they go low, we go high.

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Nearly a year later, this admonition carries little weight with Trumps fiercest opponents. They are joining the president in defining down what is acceptable in American public life.

Three weeks ago, outgoing California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton let delegates at a party convention in a raucous, gleeful chant of F--- Donald Trump. Two weeks ago, comedian Kathy Griffin used social media to show a photo of her holding a fake decapitated, bloody Trump head. (Griffin apologized, but still.)

This Monday, the New York City Public Theaters staging of William Shakespeares Julius Caesar began its official run after three weeks of previews. Artistic director Oskar Eustis chose to use a Trump look- and dress-alike as the title character, who is stabbed to death; to give him a Slavic wife and a golden bathtub from which to tweet; and to use American flags and other stage dressing so the audience sees Trump as a modern version of Caesar.

Unsurprisingly, this produced outrage from many conservatives  and a post in The Daily Caller, a right-wing site, about an assassination depiction of Donald Trump. The liberal site Vox countered that the right-wing media freaked out because the point of Julius Caesar is that political assassination has disastrous effects. Lost in Vox author Alissa Wilkinsons piece was that, to many people, the plays larger meaning would be overwhelmed by the transgressive sight of the bloody murder of a sitting American president.

This was the reaction of Laura Sheaffer, a media sales manager who saw a preview. In a radio interview, Sheaffer said that while she was no fan of Trump, she found the assassination to be shocking and distasteful.

Similarly discomfited, two corporate sponsors of the Julius Caesar production  Bank of America and Delta  have now withdrawn their financial support. Others may follow. But one prominent sponsor  The New York Times  defended the play as exercising free speech for the arts. And the Public Theater has dismissed criticism as not grasping Eustis point that Julius Caesar was staged as a warning parable to those who try to fight for democracy by undemocratic means. To fight the tyrant does not mean imitating him.

Whatever Eustis intentions, depicting President Trumps murder on a nightly basis in Americas largest city does amount to imitating him  behaving as if there are no bounds on discourse in going after someone or something you dont like.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board has expressed confidence that American institutions  the courts, the military and Congress  are strong enough to survive the worst excesses of the Trump presidency, writing last month that the sheer genius of the Constitution will impose boundaries on how far he can go. But we are less confident that civil discourse can recover from this venomous era  and we fear how low it can go.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
How do you take a long-standing tradition and make it controversial in 2017?

Reference President Donald Trump in it, of course.

With its lead character looking and acting like our nations president, the New York Public Theaters production of Julius Caesar in its annual Shakespeare in the Park series is suddenly under scrutiny by basically everyone. In the free production of at Central Parks Delacorte Theater, Caesar is clearly portrayed to look like Trump. The New York Times review says it took onstage Trump-trolling to a startling new level.

As students of history and lovers of theater well know, Caesar is brutally stabbed to death.

Outrage has been so strong that Delta Air Lines and Bank of America have pulled their sponsorship. Heres how they explained their actions on Twitter.

This comes just weeks after a photo of comedian Kathy Griffin holding a decapitated head of Trump went viral and led to an apology from Griffin, an investigation by the Secret Service and Griffin having at least one job contract  her New Years Eve hosting duties at CNN  terminated.

The theater defended itself in a statement to CNN on Monday.

"We recognize that our interpretation of the play has provoked heated discussion; audiences, sponsors and supporters have expressed varying viewpoints and opinions," the theater said. "Such discussion is exactly the goal of our civically-engaged theater; this discourse is the basis of a healthy democracy.

Here is a statement from director Oskar Eustis from Monday nights performance.

Many are defending the production. Rebecca Mead, a cultural critic for The New Yorker argues art is not life, and that to give Julius Caesar a contemporary resonance does not amount to an endorsement of the assassination it depicts.

Some were quick to point to a production at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2012 in which the role of Caesar was played by an unmistakably Obama-like figure, as the Twin Cities Daily Planet noted at the time. The Minneapolis Star Tribune points out that Delta Air Lines was also a sponsor of that production.

Heres a look at some of the support pouring in for the production, including a tweet from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

However the outrage on social media was just as strong.

Despite all this, the show will go on.

As a matter of fact, The New York Public Theater posted an update on its website on Monday afternoon saying there was a large demand for tickets.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
A driver was killed and two other people were injured in a Tuesday monring crash in Poway..

A Ford Focus driven by a 19-year-old Poway woman struck the rear of a disabled commercial water truck that was pulled over to the side of westbound Scripps Poway Parkway near state Route 67 around 8:15 a.m., according to the San Diego Sheriffs Department. The driver was killed and her passenger, a 19-year-old woman from Scripps Ranch, was extracted from the wreckage and flown to Palomar Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries, according to a department release. The 27-year-old driver of the truck was also injured and was taken by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center Poway, the release said.

Westbound Scripps Poway Parkway was shut down so a medical helicopter could land.

The crash was the latest in a series of apparently unrelated traffic fatalities around San Diego County.

Around 3:30 a.m Tuesday., a driver was killed when a vehicle crashed into a tree off eastbound Camino Del Norte near Camino San Bernardo in 4S Ranch. About three hours earlier, a fiery head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver on state Route 52 in the Clairemont area left both driver dead, according to the CHP.

The identities of the persons killed in the Poway and 4S accidents were not available.

--- City News Service and other sources

Email: news@pomeradonews.com

UPDATES:

Authorities on Thursday identified the woman killed as Samantha Nicole Bennett of Poway.
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/13/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Latvia's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.34% from its 2015 level of euro 21.364 billion and reach euro26.88 billion by 2022.



Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and by a maritime border to the west with Sweden. Latvia has over 2 million inhabitants and total land of 62249 sq. Latvia is a democratic parliamentary republic established in 1918. The capital city is Riga, the European Capital of Culture 2014. Latvian is the official language. Latvia is a unitary state. Latvia is a member of NATO, European Union, United Nations, Council of Europe, CBSS, IMF, NB8, NIB, OSCE, WTO and OECD. For 2013, Latvia is listed 44th on the Human Development Index and as a high income country. It used the Latvian lats as its currency until this was replaced by the euro on 1 January 2014



Latvia had estimated population of 1.969 million in the year 2016 and expected to decrease and reach 1.936 million by 2022. Latvia's around 0.893 million was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 9.64% of total labor force.



Latvia's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around Euro 21.781 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was Euro 25.018 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 114.86. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 14060.40 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 25709.81.



In 2016, Latvian government's revenue was Euro 9.07 billions whereas the expenditure was Euro 9.172 billions. This resulted Latvian government's net lending / borrowing negative at Euro 0.102 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Latvia was estimated to be at USD 0.409 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 13.74% and reach USD 0.517 by 2022. This negative current account balance indicates the Latvia is net borrower from the whole world.



Scope of the Latvia PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Risk Analysis Market Research Reports



- These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Latvia.



- These reports provide PESTELE (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis for Latvia.



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For more information and to purchase Latvia PESTEL Analysis Market Research Report please visit:

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For more information and to purchase LatviaRisk Analysis Market Research Report please visit:

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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/13/2017 -- This summer the Ghost Doctors will be taking groups of courageous amateur ghost hunters in training on actual ghostly explorations through Flushing Meadows Park -- the home of the two former World's Fairs. With equipment in hand, like something out of one of those ghost hunting television shows, they'll prowl Flushing Meadows for signs of paranormal activity.



The Ghost Doctors (aka Dr. Pete and Dr. Stew) noted paranormal investigators and licensed NYC tour guides say they have found some strange and ghostly goings-on within the 1255 acre wonderland located in the heart of Queens.



In fact, the Ghost Doctors after schooling their groups of amateur ghost hunters in the basics of ghost hunting 101 -- including the use of a whole doctors bag of ghost hunting equipment -- they'll lead their troops of adventurers through the park this summer in search of its paranormal essence especially in the vicinity of some of the old iconic structures that still remain standing from the old World's Fairs.



"We have explored this area for quite some time and have found signs of paranormal activity especially from the remaining remnants of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs," says Dr. Stew.



The Ghost Doctors say, Flushing Meadows Park is almost like being in an outdoor museum considering all the historic and timeless structures that are still standing. And maybe if the spirits are willing, their ghost hunting adventures will unearth some ghostly spirits still enjoying a sunny summer day at the fairs.



About Ghost Doctors

Ghost Doctors (http://www.ghostdoctors.com), based in New York City, is the premier ghost hunting tour in NYC that actually allows participants to experience "real" ghost hunts. Their ghosts hunts are available to the public as well as private and corporate events.
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/13/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) South Korea's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.94% from its 2015 level of KRW 1466788.20 billion and reach KRW 1796325.63 billion by 2022.



South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name Korea is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages. It shares land borders with North Korea to the north, and oversea borders with China to the west and Japan to the east. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It comprises an estimated 51 million residents distributed over 38,375 square miles.



The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 10 million. South Korea is a presidential republic consisting of 17 administrative divisions and is a developed country with the second highest standard of living in Asia, having an HDI of 0.909. It is Asia's fourth largest economy and the world's 15th (nominal) or 12th, purchasing power parity, largest economy. The economy is export-driven, with production focusing on electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics. South Korea is a member of the United Nations, Uniting for Consensus, G20, WTO, and OECD, and a founding member of APEC and the East Asia Summit.



Korea had estimated population of 51.246 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 52.509 million by 2022. Korea's 26.235 million population was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 3.708% of total labor force.



Korea's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around KRW 1508265 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was KRW 1637420.80 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 108.563. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 27538.81 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 1934.03.



The output gap for Korea in 2016 was negative at 1.4% of the potential GDP. A country's negative output gap indicates that actual economic output is below the economy's full potential.



In 2016, Korean government's revenue was KRW 361750.90 billions whereas the expenditure was KRW 356197 billions. This resulted Korean government's net lending / borrowing at KRW 5553.90 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Korea was estimated to be at USD 98.677 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 0.22% and reach USD 104.339 by 2022. Despite slight decline in the current account balance Korea will remain net lender to the whole world.



The newly launched market research reports featuring South Korea's PESTEL analysis, SWOT analysis and Risk analysis are aimed at providing insights about South Korean economy and market.



Scope of the South Korea PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Risk Analysis Market Research Reports



- These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for South Korea.



- These reports provide PESTELE (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis for South Korea.



- These reports provide SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis for South Korea.



- These reports provide risk analysis for South Korea.



For more information and to purchase South Korea PESTEL Analysis Market Research Report please visit:

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About Market Research Reports, Inc.

Market Research Reports Inc. is world's largest store offering quality market research, SWOT analysis, competitive intelligence and industry reports. We help Fortune 500 to Start-Ups with the latest market research reports on global ional markets which comprise key industries, leading market players, new products and latest industry analysis & trends.



Contact us for your market research requirements: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/contact
A new image of Saturns yin-yang moon, Iapetus, was recently captured by NASAs Cassini probe, currently in its Grand Finale phase.

Iapetus, also known as Saturn VIII, was discovered on October 25, 1671, by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini.

Saturns third largest moon, Iapetus is 914 miles (1,471 km) across and has a density only 1.2 times that of liquid water.

It orbits at 2.2 million miles (3.56 million km) from Saturn and is in resonance with Saturns largest moon, Titan, which orbits at 759,200 miles (1.22 million km).

Iapetus is a world of contrast, with light and dark regions fitting together like cosmic puzzle pieces.

Cassini Regio on Iapetus is covered in a layer of dark, dusty material creating a stark contrast to the much brighter region that surrounds it.

This leads to the moons distinctive, two-toned appearance.

This image was acquired with Cassinis narrow-angle camera on March 11, 2017, at a distance of about 1.6 million miles (2.6 million km) from Iapetus.

The view looks toward Saturn-facing hemisphere of Iapetus.

North on Iapetus is up and rotated 20 degrees to the right.
[LONDON] Fears that progress towards some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may undermine achievements in others are largely unfounded, a science-based analysis of their interactions has concluded.

The SDGs were designed with linkages between the health, environmental, and social-economic aspects of development in mind. But it is unclear whether they will reinforce or detract from each other in practice, particularly where overcoming poverty clashes with increasing sustainability. One study, for example, has found that environmental protection policies might get in the way of reducing food prices.

Now a report published by the International Council for Science (ICSU), which had previously raised concerns about trade-offs, suggests the targets mostly reinforce each other.

Climate-friendly strategies tend to give not only emissions reductions but also strong outcomes in agriculture, health and energy access. Mans Nilsson

It says that making these dynamics explicit, and understanding them, can help policymakers set priorities for implementing the SDGs to ensure that progress made in some areas is not made at the expense of progress in others.

The team assigned a score to each of over 300 interactions between targets for agriculture (SDG2), health (SDG3), energy (SDG3) and oceans (SDG7), using a combination of literature reviews and expert judgement. They found three-quarters of the interactions (238) were positive; just a fifth (66) were negative, and less than four per cent (12) were neutral.

Given the difficulty of reaching political agreement on advancing various goals, it is quite interesting that there is such a large dominance of positive interactions and relatively few negative ones, says Mans Nilsson, research director at the Stockholm Environment Institute in Sweden and lead author of the report, published by the International Council for Science (ICSU).

Taking note of the dynamics could save time and money, he says. For example, promoting gender equality turns out to be a cost-effective way to reach better health outcomes or better agricultural productivity amongst smallholder farmers.

And tackling climate change emerges as an area where benefits cut across goals.

Climate-friendly strategies applied in different sectors tend to give not only emissions reductions but also strong outcomes in agriculture, health, energy access or in urban development and access to mobility for citizens, he tells SciDev.Net.

On the other hand, there are areas that need coordinated policy. Protecting marine and coastal ecosystems could hit economic activity and limit job creation  a case that should prompt policymakers to coordinate and tackle the trade-offs, suggests the report.

But coordination entails a multidisciplinary approach that is hard for some poor countries to achieve, says Allam Ahmed, senior lecturer at the University of Sussex and founding president of the World Association for Sustainable Development.

They need ministries to work together: education, health, environment and so on. [But] ministers don't even know how to work with this multidisciplinary overlap.

He criticised the report for failing to include consultations with partners in developing countries and other research institutions  meaning that it could not capture the realities within poor countries and ended up generalising across nations.

He also says the report needs to be simpler if it is to reach policymakers responsible for implementing the goals.

No government is rejecting the idea of something that will help them to improve their well-being, he says. But they cannot understand the science, or the way it's being written: in the first place, they have not contributed to it.

He added that Nigeria has resorted to creating a special unit to translate such reports.

But Nilsson says that at this stage, the report is meant to show how the framework works  the next step is to develop it as a practical tool tailored to individual countries.
[BANGKOK] An emerging viral disease observed in both wild and farmed tilapia could impact global food security and nutrition if biosafety measures are not introduced, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other organisations warn.



The warning on the tilapia lake virus (TiLV) was contained in a special alert issued by FAO (May 26) which was first detected in Israel in 2009 but was only confirmed as a new disease in 2014. Cases have since been reported in other parts of the world.



In Sub-Saharan Africa, tilapia, in its various strains, is largely caught from traditional wild sources such as rivers, lakes and dams, according to FAO.

Tilapia, which is native to Africa, is the second most popular farmed fish globally and one of the most traded seafood commodities. It is an affordable source of protein in poor rural communities as well as in affluent urban centers.

All countries culturing tilapia and especially those translocating live tilapia should be vigilant about the disease and take appropriate risk management measures to reduce the likelihood of imported stocks being infected with TiLV, Melba Reantaso, aquaculture officer at the FAO, tells SciDev.Net.

All countries culturing tilapia and especially those translocating live tilapia should be vigilant about the disease. Melba Reantaso, UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Tilapia is a common name for hundreds of species of the tilapiine cichlid fish and is derived from the cichlid genus Tilapia. According to scientific publications, TiLV has been reported in five countries so far: Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel and Thailand.



Outbreaks in Thailand have wiped out 90 per cent of tilapia stocks. TiLV is part of the Orthomyxoviridae family of viruses, which is related to the infectious salmon anaemia virus that has heavily damaged the salmon farming industry. The virus is not known to infect humans.



Fish infected with TiLV often display sluggishness, dermal lesions, ocular abnormalities and lens opacity. However, there are still knowledge gaps around TiLV such as whether other passive carriers transmit the disease and whether infections through frozen tilapia products are possible.



Vishnumurthy Mohan Chadag, senior scientist at WorldFish, an international non-profit research organisation, tells SciDev.Net, that countries vulnerable to the TiLV virus need to put in place monitoring and surveillance strategies.



Awareness building of TiLV in all sectors of the value chain is also important with special attention given to small-scale farmers with limited access to knowledge and information, says Chadag.

At the international level, mobilisation is already underway between various stakeholders to assist affected countries and get them to adopt biosecurity measures that include requirements to report unusual fish mortality and restrictions on the movement of live fish. Efforts are on to develop a vaccine.

China, India and Indonesia are actively monitoring for TiLV. In Israel, an epidemiological survey is expected to determine factors influencing low survival rates and overall mortalities, including relative importance of TiLV.According to FAO, tilapia is among the topmost aquaculture species in volume terms providing food, jobs and domestic and export earnings for millions of people, including many smallholders. It is the most popular farmed fish in the world after carp and salmon.

China, Indonesia and Egypt are the three leading aquaculture producers of tilapia, a fish deemed to have great potential for expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, world tilapia production, from both aquaculture and capture, amounted to 6.4 million tonnes valued at US$9.8 billion.

This piece was originally produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk.
In an unprecedented cholera epidemic, Yemen is facing its biggest health concern yet, with one death nearly every hour. At this point, the country's main airport has been closed, preventing many reporters and human rights workers from entering the country.

However, local journalists show evidence that more help is still needed to fight the deadly disease. As of the last tally, according to Democracy Now, a total of 859 deaths have already been associated with cholera since April 27. However, the number of suspected cases has surpassed the 100,000 mark. The outbreak of the disease came upon the collapse of Yemen's health, water and sanitation systems due to the ongoing war between the government forces and the rebel Houthi movement.

Cholera, an acute infection caused by ingestion of food and water contaminated by bacteria, does not usually show symptoms in mild cases. However, more severe cases can kill within hours if left untreated.

Independent UK noted that children under the age of 15 already accounted for 46 percent of the cases, and the disease is making the situation in Yemen drastically worse. Dr. Meritxell Relano, a UNICEF representative in Yemen, said that many of the children who died from the disease were also acutely malnourished.

ABC News Australia pointed out that Yemen is the Middle East's poorest country. A multinational coalition led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the U.S. and the U.K. had been bombing the country for the past two years as Iranian-backed Houthis rebels took over its capital.

In fact, the United Nations said that Yemen is now the worst humanitarian disaster in the world. Its health system, according to Dr. Relano, is already about to collapse.

"With health workers who have not received a salary. With half of the facilities being closed and with very limited supplies coming into the country," he said.
Over 2 billion adults and children in the world are now said to suffer from health problems due to being overweight or obese, a new study showed. This roughly put the numbers to a third of the global population carrying excess weight.

The United States alone has the greatest percentage of overweight children and young adults, at 13 percent. Egypt, on the other hand, led the numbers in terms of adult obesity at almost 35 percent. Out of the 2.2 billion people noted to be obese or overweight in 2015, over 710 million were classified as obese, according to CNN.

This is especially concerning, considering that an increasing number of individuals are dying around the globe due to health problems linked to being overweight. Among such problems include cardiovascular diseases, as highlighted by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, expressed the dangers of shrugging off weight gain.

"People who shrug off weight gain do so at their own risk -- risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions," he said. He also said that half-serious New Year's resolutions regarding weight loss should be a year-round commitment, in order for people to prevent future weight gain.

According to The New York Times, some 1,800 data sets from around the world found that excess weight played a role in about 4 million deaths in 2015 alone. Besides cardiovascular diseases, it was also a cause of diabetes, kidney disease and others. However, people did not become obese overnight.

Dr. Ashkan Afshin, lead author of the study, noted that the change in physical activity in individuals also preceded the global weight increase. He noted that the "food environment" seemingly became the main driver of obesity, taking into account the sheer amount of processed food, energy-dense food and intense marketing of food products accessible to everyone nowadays.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The next few years are a concerning time for the South Carolina agribusiness, Hugh Weathers, the South Carolina commissioner of agriculture, told members of the Florence Rotary Club on Monday.

In discussing the status of farming and food production at both a state and local level, Weathers said both the devastating floods of 2015 and Hurricane Matthew last October caused significant harm to farmers and their crops. Weathers said the combined losses totaled approximately $382 million.

Now, South Carolina farmers and across the country are experience lower market prices, Weathers said. It is a concerning time for the next three to four years, especially for our young farmers that may not have had a chance to build up equity in their business.

The lack of young farmers also is a concern for Weathers, who said the average age of farmers in the state in 59 years old. However, Weathers said he and his fellow leaders within the Department of Agriculture are continuously discovering ways to help the industry grow.

As a part of an initiative that began in 2008, Weathers said the agribusiness has enhanced its branding and expanded its reach to consumers through technology. Weathers said the department has been labeling products with the Certified SC Grown stamp so consumers can identify which products have been grown by local farmers.

The department also has teamed up with restaurants through their Fresh on the Menu online program, which advertises for restaurants that use local farm products in at least 25 percent of their menu items.

No matter where you are in the state, you can a find a restaurant thats supporting the farmers by simply opening up your app, Weathers said. We try to stay up to date with technology and our marketplace and our target audience.

The department has also increased their economic development efforts around the state, according to Weathers. Agribusiness works closely with the Department of Commerce to bring industries that utilize farm products to the state. Weathers used Ruiz Foods and McCall Farms as examples.

Were working to bring food-related companies, not only bring them here, but grow from within, Weathers said. When a food company comes, the footprint is more than just jobs. Its acres of land.

Another part of the 2008 initiative is to create an entrepreneur center for agriculture and cultivate young, budding farmers into a career in the agribusiness. Weathers said he hopes to launch the center by the first of next year.

With nearly 26,000 farms in the state supporting more than 210,000 jobs, the agriculture business in South Carolina is essential to more than just a farmers livelihood, Weather said, but all who rely on their crops. He hopes the next generation can pick up where others left off and keep South Carolina land fertile and profitable for decades to come.

We are trying to get that next generation into this industry, because that is a concern, Weathers said. Its agriculture that ties our past to our present, to our future. Agriculture impacts us all.
The impact of the new policy, which came into effect on 1 June, is expected to mainly be felt by domestic lines in Sabah and Sarawak, which are already under pressure from the overall downturn in the shipping industry. These include small domestic-focussed players such as MTT Shipping, AML Shipping, MSC Shipping, Harbour-Link Marine Services and Shin Yang Shipping.

Others Malaysian shipping companies such as MISC, Hub Line, Swee Joo Coastal and Geniki Shipping have already exited the liner business due to unsustainable freight rates while PDZ Holdings is on the ropes battling several arrest orders on its ships.

Two Malaysian shipping bodies have come out to suggest various negative scenarios that could arise as a result of the new policy.

Shipping Association Malaysia (SAM) chairman Ooi Lean Hin was quoted as saying in local media that some local shipping companies had been considering moving their business to Singapore. The Sarawak Sabah Shipowners Association (SSSA) warned that Sarawak's maritime interests could be irreversibly harmed and might result in even higher costs in the long run.

SAM's Ooi cited positive factors in Singapore such as tax-exempt status and no national restrictions on crew if they were to move operations to the city state. "But the question is, how many of us can bring our businesses to Singapore and why should we?" he asked, likening it to allowing international carriers such as Singapore Airlines to compete with AirAsia on domestic Malaysian routes.

Ooi declined to forecast potential losses for local shipping companies, but claimed current margins on the trade are only between 8% to 10%.

The SSSA in turn produced figures to show that their rates are much lower on domestic routes compared to international carriers on similar routes. For example the protected Port Klang to Kuching route has average rates of $409 per teu while the rate from Singapore to Kuching averages $673 per teu for a slightly shorter voyage.

On the backhaul route from Kuching back to Peninsular Malaysia, the difference is even more stark, with the $131 per teu being charged by domestic lines on the cabotage route being about half the $259 per teu charged for Kuching to Singapore boxes.

SSSA warned that any rate reductions by international carriers after cabotage was lifted would only be temporary and used as a predatory move to eliminate the domestic players with much smaller pockets. Once competition is eliminated, the market would be at the mercy of the big players, the association said.

Sarawaks maritime interests should also be protected as 85% of Malaysian-flagged vessels belong to Sarawak companies or individuals. And out of 100 shipyards in Malaysia, 72 are in Sarawak," SSSA added.

Other potential issues would be gaps in national security, which the cabotage policy was also designed to address. "For instance, if there is a large Sulu invasion in Sabah, Malaysian-flagged ships cannot say no to the Government's call to supply necessities to the people there under the cabotage policy, but foreign vessels can decline," Ooi said.

"So what happens in such a situation, and when all local shipping companies have either moved to Singapore or gone bankrupt from this move?" he asked.

Former Port Klang Authority chairman Lee Hwa Beng was quoted criticising the cabotage removal for being a populist move made at a great financial cost to local shipping firms, shipyards and crew.

"This is just a political move to win the hearts of voters in Sabah and Sarawak, but what many don't see is this move will not actually make much difference to the price of goods there," he said.

Analysing the move in a briefing note, Clyde & Co partner Gerald Yee said: "The real consequences of the lift are yet to be seen. However, the Malaysian Shipowners' Association has warned that the increase in external competition will adversely affect Malaysian vessels operating on the previously cabotaged routes. It is anticipated that that domestic shipping companies will likely close shop or relocate their businesses elsewhere.

"It would be interesting to see if the lift will indeed lower the costs of goods and benefit trade in East Malaysia," Clyde & Co concluded.
In an atmosphere of some excitement, over 300 supporters and friends, celebrated along with Fotini P. Livanos, wife of the late George P. Livanos, the driving force behind the founding of Helmepa and string of Intermepas.

Hosted by Helmepa chairman, George A. Gratsos, the association's board, its dg, Dimitris Mitsatsos and the secretariat, attendees were treated to a look back into Helmepa's founding, the inspiration of Livanos in its early days and how it evolved into the force it is today among the protectors the marine environment through the cooperation between ship operators and seafarers working to achieve a common goal.

Shipowners and seafarers, inspired by George P. Livanos, in 1982 co-signed a joint declaration under which Helmepa operates and will continue to do so as long as Greek shipping exists, said Matthaios D. Los, a founding member and present Union of Greek Shipowners treasurer.

Gratsos referred to the associations voluntary contribution to the maritime training of Greek officers, arousing an environmental awareness of the wider public and students as well as the creation of similar Mepa associations in seven more countries.

In a statement read to the gathering, Basil Papachristidis, second Helempa chairman, said: The work and example of Helmepa, offers Greece a special distinction, comparable to the advantageous position of the Greek-owned fleet within global shipping. It took the vision, creativity and faith of a great Greek shipowner and patriot  George P. Livanos  for Greece to express the best its maritime tradition has to show.

In the presence of Intermepa chairman, Ausmepa's Warwick Norman and an array of reps from three other Mepas  Cymepa (Cyprus), Namepa (North America) and Turmepa (Turkey), tributes were paid and plaques presented to a number of personalities who played a part in promoting Helmepa's goals. These included Themistocles (Themis) Vokos, former chairman of Posidonia Exhibitions, founder of Seatrade and former publisher of Newsfront / Naftiliaki.

Helmepa was first exposed to international shipping in 1985, when it participated in the Seatrade exhibition in New York and since then has a presence at every Posidonia exhibition. Vokos spoke of Livanos vision and all the contributors to the successful evolution of the association, and what it offers to maritime training and environmental education.
Last week the Port of Fujairah banned all vessels that were either Qatari-flagged, owned, and all vessels that had or were going to call in Qatar from Fujairahs port or anchorages.

In a new circular issued on Monday the ban of Qatari-flagged or owned vessels remains, but other restrictions were reduced to not allowing ships to load or unload any cargo of Qatari origin or allowing ships to load UAE cargo destined for Qatar.

The new notice would appear to lift a ban on bunkering at the largest refueling port in the Middle East.

As Fujairah Port has now updated its circular, this should mean that Vessels which have loaded in Qatar and wish to bunker in Fujairah may be able to do so as long as they are not Qatari flagged or owned, commented Rania Tadros, managing partner, Ince & Co Dubai.

It is also notable that the measures are now being referred to as Qatar sanctions.

Get the full story on the shipping and the Qatar crisis
The Helena City Commission agreed on a split vote to endorse a resolution urging Congress to normalize relations with Cuba.

The resolution, proposed by Commissioner Robert Farris-Olsen, passed with Commissioner Dan Ellison dissenting and Commissioner Ed Noonan absent.

According to the three-page document, the U.S. embargo of Cuba has cost the American economy $1.2 billion annually. Prior to the embargo, nearly 70 percent of Cubas international trade and 84 percent of all food consumed in Cuba came from the U.S.

While normalizing trade with Cuba would enhance Cubans access to affordable food, the resolution also said American farms and businesses would benefit from new markets.

Of the two people who spoke in support of the resolution, Jorge Quintana, who said he is Cuban-American, said it would be a boon to not only the U.S. but to Montana and it is a beacon of hope to the people in Cuba.

Both of the states two U.S. senators have joined in support of the Freedom to Travel Act that is before Congress, Quintana said, noting that the Montana Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also support better relations with Cuba.

Support from these two groups isnt just because they see an opportunity for increased business exports, he explained,but because they understand that when you open up a country to trade, its not just trade that goes. Its our ideas that go. Its our people that go. And this expands our influence. And history has shown us that when you increase trade with countries like Cuba, freedom follows very often.

In February the first secretary of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C., visited Montana. During his stop in Helena, an event at the Holter was attended by more than 250 people, Quintana said.

Helena and Cuban-Americans have a long history, he continued and said that it spans generations.

Children from Cuba came here during the Peter Pan years of the 1960s, Quintana said.

The website pedropan.org said that more than 14,000 unaccompanied children were sent to the U.S. by their Cuban parents who feared their government would take away their parental authority.

Hundreds of these children were here for two years, Quintana said.

This resolution, which maybe you think isnt going to have that big of influence, I can tell you it will solidify and recognize this friendship between the people of Cuba and the people here in Helena, Montana.

He predicted the resolution, which would be recognized in Cuba and Washington, D.C., would lead to economic and cultural opportunities for Helena and all of Montana.

Montana has agricultural products, beef and timber that Cuba now purchases from Brazil and China, Quintana said and added that resolutions such as this encourage that trade.

Farris-Olsen asked for the commission's support for cultural and economic reasons, and also to help reunite families.

Mayor Jim Smith said he typically doesnt seek to involve the commission in international relations but was persuaded by Quintana, who also spoke of being denied the opportunity to ever meet his grandfather because of the political rift between the U.S. and Cuba.

Ellison said he too typically doesnt see the need for the city commission to involve itself in policy of this nature.

I really just have a hard time believing that its the city of Helenas commissions business to tell the administration something that theyre already doing, Ellison said.

He said he wished there were normalized relations of Cuba 60 or 70 years ago.

It just doesnt make sense to me that weve gone all this time without having normal relations with Cuba. But I dont think that us passing a resolution is going to make a difference one way or another.

And if the commission is going to pass this resolution, Ellison asked why stop there as the city could address school choice, shipping beef to Asian countries and sage grouse habitat.

Addressing these kinds of issues, he explained, would detract from the commissions attention to local concerns such as utility rates, services  such as police, fire and parks  and potholes, among others.

Commissioner Andres Haladay spoke last and in support of the resolution.

The commission is a legislative body and free to comment on and pass resolutions on anything that is seen as implicating Helenas interests, he said.

The voice of Helenas commission is small, he continued, but hopefully loud enough that it amounts to ripples in a pond that build to a wave.

City commissioners during his four years have not had many resolutions involving matters beyond Helenas borders, Haladay said, and the commission has had an articulated reason why Helena is impacted.

This call for normalizing relations with Cuba comes only days after a commission discussion during an administrative meeting on a draft resolution proposed by Haladay recognizing global climate change and the citys past support of the Conference of Mayors climate protection agreement.

While stating support for the Paris Climate Agreement, the proposal, slated for commission consideration on June 26, calls for the city to continue to support action to meet the agreement.

Included in the draft document is for an annual report to be prepared for the city on activities implemented by the city and tracking greenhouse gasses and energy use, among other resources.

The report is to also recommend future sustainability measures for the city.
If trudging up a steep, rocky mountain with a backpack isnt your idea of fun, but you like getting out, here are five options for woodsy walks that wont make your creaky knees cranky. Be warned, though, these are popular places  partly because the walking is easy  so dont expect to be alone.

Jewel Basin Hiking Area: Located in the Swan Mountains about 15 miles northeast of Bigfork, this was the first place I took my daughter backpacking when she was about 3 years old. Although the view from the trail back down the mountainside into the Flathead Valley made her legs feel like jelly, she was up to the short hike thats just over a mile long and gains minimal elevation. The beauty of this 15,000-acre hiking-only area  which includes several other lakes to hike in to  is that you gain most of the elevation driving up to the trailhead. Go as far or as little as you want, the views are great no matter what.

Island Lake trail: Thirty-eight miles southwest of Red Lodge in the Beartooth Mountains, this trail provides entry-level access to a tundra-like environment at 9,400 feet above sea level. Like Jewel Basin, all of the elevation gain comes from driving up and over the Beartooth Pass, which is a bucket-list beauty of a drive. A well-trod trail takes off from the shores of the lake and continues on to nearby Night Lake and smaller beauties farther down the trail with little elevation gain or loss. Views of Lonesome Mountain are spectacular on clear days. Theres a campground at the trailhead if you want to linger amidst the beauty of the high mountain plateau.

South Fork Sun River: Its about 30 miles west of Augusta to reach the trailhead for this hike, one of the most popular entry points for the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall wilderness areas. Thats because this trail provides a route to the famed rock massif the Chinese Wall. You dont have to limp in that far to see some fabulous country. Follow the river gently downstream to the perfect picnic spot. The water is so Bombay gin clear that you can see the bottom, even in deep holes.

Hyalite Lake: This popular recreation area 20 miles south of Bozeman features a great walking trail that follows Hyalite Creek upstream past a series of waterfalls. The first is Grotto, only a 1.5-mile handicap-accessible roundtrip up the trail. Those feeling their oats can continue the 5.5 miles to the peak for a spectacular view of the surrounding Paradise and Gallatin valleys. If that sounds like too much work, slip back down the road and follow the signs to Palisade Falls for a short walk, or drive back to Hyalite Reservoir and soak your toes or try your luck at fishing.

Lost Creek State Park: Its only a half-mile walk from the parking area to the overlook for the 50-foot high Lost Creek Falls in this 502-acre park located about 11 miles northwest of Anaconda. If that route doesnt sate your hiking bug, follow the creek upstream for as far as you want as it wanders through the trees and across meadows below thousand-foot cliffs that rise to the north. The cliffs are home to mountain goats, bighorn sheep and large raptors like golden eagles. Camping is available in the park if you want to hang out for a couple of days.
Beck Diefenbach/Special to The Chronicle

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox put domestic cannabis industry leaders on notice Tuesday at a marijuana business conference in Oakland that his nation and Canada intend to take the lead in the booming market for medical and recreational pot exports.

Fox told attendees at the National Cannabis Industry Associations convention that Mexico could one day produce 60 percent of the legal marijuana Americans consume, challenging domestic producers. Both Mexico and Canada have legalized medical marijuana nationally and intend to begin exporting the drug, a legal activity under international law.
Does America need another online grocer?

The field is already a clash of the titans. Internet giants like Amazon and Google, retail behemoths like Walmart, Safeway and Target, and scores of brick-and-mortar stores like Whole Foods (often partnered with delivery services like Instacart or Postmates) are pursuing Internet food sales, a market that could surge to $100 billion by 2025, according to the Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen Co.

Now a small San Francisco startup called Movebutter is jumping into the arena, offering direct-to-consumer delivery via FedEx with special boxes and dry ice to keep food fresh. It said its tested the concept for almost two years, initially in San Francisco (where it has a warehouse and uses couriers rather than FedEx). In recent months its added tests nationwide and now says it will deliver to all 50 states.

Movebutters proposition: Smaller is better. It offers a carefully selected lineup of organic produce, meats, dairy, packaged foods and other staples. It describes the approach as a mashup of Apple and Trader Joes.

We are building the supermarket of the future, said Chai Mishra, Movebutter CEO. We took a reverse approach from other online markets. Rather than offering the entire contents of a supermarket, some 40,000 to 50,000 items, Movebutter will launch with just 500. It carries just one brand of each: its own.

Will that fly with Americans accustomed to a plethora of choices? The average supermarket has dozens of peanut butter options, for instance, while Movebutter will offer three: creamy, chunky and honey roasted.

I dont think you can call this a grocery store with only 500 products, said Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist at Golden Gate University.

Still, she said, fewer choices can be a positive, as people are overwhelmed with options. Its exhausting to consumers to constantly research what theyre buying, she said. Trader Joes and Costco are beloved because they narrow options to what they know shoppers will love and shoppers trust their pricing to be fair. But Movebutter lacks the reputation those retailers have built up, she and others said, and offers far fewer products.

Mishra wants to make a virtue out of the minimalist vision.

Americans are also attuned to the concept of deserving the best items, he said. The majority of people want to know theyre buying the best item at the fairest price. At some point, youre just paying for a Super Bowl ad or bright packaging; that doesnt resonate with the audience.

Americans are also used to quick turnaround. Mishra said Movebutter orders will arrive within two days and the company will cover shipping costs, but many rivals already offer same-day delivery, and others are experimenting with it. Movebutter designed its own boxes using a material similar to Styrofoam, but as biodegradable as possible. Inside, dry ice and gel packs (also planned to be biodegradable by year end) keep meats and produce cold.

When people hear about it, they think its crazy: Ship fresh food across the country? Mishra said. But we can ship anywhere and be 100 percent certain the food will get there safe and sound. Weve tested in places like Georgia (to prove) the food can stay in the box for three to five days in the hot sun and be fine.

Experts said that consumers might not cotton to that approach. Over-packaging and waste is a huge problem both in terms of cost and push back for the shoppers who are concerned about sustainability of the planet  key drivers for Millennials and (Gen) Z, said Phil Lempert, the food trends editor for NBCs Today show whos known as the Supermarket Guru.

While Movebutters concept is interesting, it hasnt yet shown how well it can execute, Lempert said. They have a glitzy website with all the right words  but little to back it up, he said, noting that the companys Facebook and Twitter pages are relatively inactive, odd for a Bay Area consumer startup.

Movebutter controls its whole supply chain, buying directly from suppliers, largely mom-and-pop concerns, and packaging food as its own brand, Mishra said. Thats why it claims its prices are about 25 percent lower than other organic grocers, even though it springs for the delivery costs, because it cuts out the middleman.

The implication I take is that compared to a traditional quality grocer like Kroger, Wegmans (or) Publix, the price is pretty much the same, Lempert said.

The company wont disclose funding or staffing other than saying it has less than 100 headquarters employees. In this age of VCs throwing money at food delivery startups, that implies that the funding number must be small, Lempert said.

Movebutter has one warehouse in San Francisco and soon will open two more, one each in Texas and New York.

Of course, theres already been an Internet-only grocer: Webvan, one of the biggest flameouts of the dot-com era. Mishra said Webvans mistake was offering too many items.

The operational complexity goes up with the number of items, he said. We work with way fewer items than anyone else. Weve spent a lot of time finding the best suppliers and figuring out what customers are actually buying.

Mishra pitches Movebutter as a way to address the issue of food deserts  areas that lack stores carrying fresh food. While thats a commendable idea, experts said, again, the company hasnt explained how it will execute and hasnt detailed its pricing.

My hunch is that this will cater to a markedly upscale clientele, a la Silicon Valley, said April Rinne, an independent adviser focused on new business models. I would be much more excited about Movebutter if they could show how exactly they will reach middle and even lower classes, who are significantly more disadvantaged when it comes to accessing nutritious, affordable food.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Uber and Lyft vehicles rack up over half a million miles every day on San Francisco streets, according to a report being released Tuesday by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, which manages local congestion.

Ride-hailing cars make more than 170,000 trips within the city every weekday, while putting in some 570,000 vehicle miles, the report said. That figure is 6.5 percent of total weekday vehicle miles in the city. When only considering trips that start or end within the city  the focus of the authoritys study  ride-hail vehicles amount to a fifth of all vehicle miles.

The perception that there are a tremendous number of (Uber and Lyft) vehicles out on the streets today is, in fact, true, said Joe Castiglione, the authoritys deputy director for technology, data and analysis. We see huge numbers of trips across all days of the week, primarily concentrated in the most congested parts of the city and at the most congested times of day.

Some 5,700 Uber and Lyft cars roam the streets at the weekday peak of 6:30 to 7 p.m., the report said. The busiest time, Fridays from 7:30 to 8 p.m., sees more than 6,500 ride-hailing cars. The report did not distinguish between Uber and Lyft trips; the two companies account for virtually all ride-hailing in San Francisco.

The app-summoned vehicles are heavily concentrated in popular areas such as the downtown core, South of Market, the Mission and Van Ness corridors, Pacific Heights and the Marina. In SoMa and downtown, ride hailing accounts for a quarter of all in-city trips at peak commute periods (6 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.). In outer neighborhoods like the Sunset, their impact is far lower.

Still, Uber and Lyft cars provide broader service across the city than taxis, particularly in the western neighborhoods, the report said. But they provide fewer trips relative to the population in lower-income areas such as the southern and southeastern parts of the city.

Friday is the busiest day, with 222,500 trips, while Sundays saw only 129,000 trips.

San Francisco officials want to gauge Ubers and Lyfts impact on the city. Thats why the transportation authority, which is distinct from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, produced the report. It was based on data collected from the companies apps by Northeastern University researchers over a six-week period late last year.

Information is power, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who chairs the authority, describing the findings as shocking news. This information will be used by me and my colleagues, and hopefully members of the state Legislature to ... take policy steps to rationalize this new frontier.

Uber and Lyft are regulated at the state level by the California Public Utilities Commission, while taxis are regulated by cities or counties. (In San Francisco, the SFMTA regulates taxis.) Peskin hopes the Legislature will allow cities like San Francisco where the services impact is acute to create a certain amount of reasonable regulation. He pointed to Supervisor Jane Kims suggestion of a per-ride fee as an example.

Increasing ride-sharing is one of San Franciscos stated transportation priorities, and we stand ready to work with the city to update its infrastructure to reflect its transportation goals, Uber said in a statement, noting that it has not seen the report. Lyft declined to comment.

Both Uber and Lyft refuse to share usage information and have persuaded the California Public Utilities Commission to keep it private. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera last week subpoenaed Uber and Lyft for their data and asked the state commission to provide records as well. The commission on Monday said it will discuss whether it should make ride-hailing information available to the public and to government entities.

The transportation authoritys report underestimates ride-hailing because it only looks at trips that start and end in San Francisco, excluding San Francisco International Airport trips and other destinations and origins outside the city. According to SFO authorities, there were 615,851 Uber and Lyft trips to and from the airport in April, the most recent month for which data are available.

The county transportation authority plans to continue with reports that zero in on public-transit impacts, disability access and how many passengers are in the cars. Uber and Lyft often point to their shared-ride options, UberPool and Lyft Line, as a way they help ease congestion, with both saying that those account for almost half of local trips.

Peskin said the companies should be more forthcoming with hard numbers.

If Uber wants to break bread with the city of San Francisco, they should fork over the rest of the data we need: regional trips, accessibility, occupancy, he said. If they want to keep making UberPool claims, then prove it to us.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid

How many Ubers and Lyfts are there?

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

All numbers are for trips that start and end in San Francisco, excluding San Francisco International Airport trips and other destinations or origins outside the city.

170,000 Uber/Lyft local trips on typical weekday

570,000 vehicle miles driven by Uber/Lyft cars on typical weekdays

5,700 Uber/Lyft cars on city streets at peak (6:30-7 p.m.) on weekdays

6,500 Uber/Lyft cars on city streets at peak (7:30-8 p.m.) on Fridays

Source: San Francisco County Transportation Authority

How did they count them?

Researchers at Northeastern University divided the city into 200 sections and used software to activate the Uber and Lyft apps every five seconds, which returned information on where vehicles were located. By observing changes in the supply of vehicles, researchers determined when drivers dropped off or picked up passengers, and started or ended a shift. The researchers said the activity did not affect drivers or riders. The County Transportation Authority cleaned and analyzed the data.

Research took place from Nov. 12 to Dec. 20, excluding the Thanksgiving holiday week because it was unusually busy. The report only looks at trips that started and ended in San Francisco, so it may underestimate usage.
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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who was hired five years ago to turn around the Sunnyvale Internet pioneer but failed to restore it to the preeminence of rivals like Google, resigned Tuesday following the companys $4.5 billion sale of its Internet properties to Verizon.

Yahoo, founded in 1994, had struggled to find its place as more people shifted their Internet searches from desktop computers to mobile phones. Under Mayers leadership, Yahoo bought dozens of tech companies, partly to bring in their talent, and focused on adding revenue from mobile, video, social and native advertising. When the company named her CEO, Mayers face appeared on posters that said Hope in the Sunnyvale office.

But the ad dollars were not sufficient to impress investors. Yahoo spent $1.1 billion to buy blogging service Tumblr, but the division didnt meet a goal of $100 million in advertising revenue in 2015, and Yahoo wrote down most of the purchase. The company also experimented with paying for original scripted online shows, only to scrap that idea after they didnt attract enough viewers.

More for you Marissa Mayer Has Resigned Now That Verizon Purchased Yahoo....

CEOs had tried and failed to fix Yahoo before Mayer, a first-time chief executive who formerly ran Google Maps and its local advertising business.

She will get a pass, because Yahoo has been such a difficult organization to grow, said Jennifer Chatman, a UC Berkeley Haas School of Business professor.

Chatman said she believes Mayer could get another shot at being a senior executive at a large tech firm or as CEO of a medium-size business, but its unlikely she will be asked to be CEO of a large publicly traded tech firm.

The question I would have in my mind is, does she have the strategic acumen to lead and grow a large organization, Chatman said. We dont know the answer to that question.

One of Mayers most high-profile mistakes was hiring Henrique De Castro as chief operating officer and firing him 14 months later; Yahoo paid him $58 million in severance benefits.

She also was CEO during data breaches at Yahoo, including one that affected more than a billion user accounts  the largest in the nations history. Those breaches, which were not revealed until last year despite occurring in 2013 and 2014, caused Verizon to shave $350 million off the original cost of buying Yahoos Internet properties.

Still, Yahoos stock price more than tripled during Mayers tenure. But that was largely due to the companys stake, acquired in 2005, in Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba. When plans to package the Alibaba shares with Yahoos small business division in a tax-free spin-off did not come to fruition, investors began to push for Yahoo to sell its Internet properties. Last year, the sale seemed inevitable after hedge fund Starboard Value received seats on Yahoos board as part of a settlement.

Mayers future plans are unclear. She will receive an estimated $23 million golden parachute, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Equilar, a firm that tracks executive compensation, estimates that Mayer will walk away from the Verizon-Yahoo deal with $29.1 million, including severance benefits and accelerated equity.

In a Tumblr post Tuesday, Mayer outlined what she felt were Yahoos achievements under her leadership, but she did not state what she planned to do next. A Yahoo spokeswoman said Mayer was unavailable for an interview.

Given the inherent changes to my role, Ill be leaving the company, Mayer wrote. However, I want all of you to know that Im brimming with nostalgia, gratitude, and optimism.

Now that the deal has closed, Yahoo and Verizons AOL holdings will come together in a division called Oath that is led by Tim Armstrong, who until this week was AOLs CEO. Oath has more than 50 brands, including Yahoos photo service Flickr, Yahoo News and HuffPost. An AOL spokeswoman said that Yahoos Sunnyvale employees will remain in the area.

The close of this transaction represents a critical step in growing the global scale needed for our digital media company, said Marni Walden, Verizon president of media, in a press release.

Layoffs of roughly 2,100 workers at Yahoo and AOL are expected.

Analysts said that for Verizon to succeed with its purchase, it must show advertisers that what it offers is better than before.

They both have major challenges, and putting them together by themselves doesnt solve those challenges, said Larry Chiagouris, a professor of marketing at Pace Universitys Lubin School of Business. He said one way that Oath can differentiate itself from competitors is if it uses Verizons technology to offer faster or exclusive content.

The sale effectively ends Yahoo as a name of a publicly traded company. Yahoo shareholders now own stock in Altaba Inc., a new holding company that oversees investments in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, as well as a portfolio of patents called Excalibur.

Yahoo employed many of todays tech leaders, including Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield and WhatsApps founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum. But now, that role has been delegated to firms like Oracle, Google and Facebook, Chiagouris said.

The (Yahoo) training ground is no longer, he said.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee

Recent Yahoo time line

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

July 2012: Names Marissa Mayer CEO.

October 2012: Buys its first Internet startup, Stamped, as part of a strategy to acquire talent and technology. It goes on to buy more than 50 firms over three years.

May 2013: Announces plans to buy blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion.

November 2014: Announces plans to buy video ad network Brightroll for $640 million.

January 2015: Outlines plans for a tax-free spin-off of its Alibaba shares and its small-business division.

December 2015: Suspends the tax-free spin-off.

February 2016: Says it will explore potential deals.

April 2016: Settles with activist investor Starboard Value, offering seats on its board.

July 2016: A $4.8 billion deal with Verizon is announced for Yahoos Internet properties.

September 2016: Data breach in 2014, affecting 500 million accounts, is disclosed.

December 2016: Separate data breach in 2013 is revealed, this one affecting more than 1 billion accounts.

February 2017: $350 million shaved off deal price because of the data breaches.

June 2017: Verizon closes on deal to buy Yahoos Internet properties for $4.5 billion; Mayer resigns.
Ron Chapple/Getty Image

An Oakley man who was shot by police in Brentwood last week after officers saw him and another man driving recklessly and shooting guns out the windows had jumped out of the drivers seat with a firearm in his hand, officials said.

The name of the 21-year-old man who was driving and was shot is being withheld by police until he is formally charged, officials said.
A woman was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for pulling a knife, threatening and chasing down five patrons outside a San Francisco gay club, in a case that saw lawyers argue over whether the use of gay slurs proved a hate crime.

Pearly Martin, 30, was convicted of making criminal threats, burglary and vandalism in connection with the April 25, 2016, incident, which began after Drag Night at Club OMG on Sixth Street in the South of Market neighborhood.

The five victims had left the club at about 2 a.m. when they were confronted by Martin and several of her friends, who falsely believed the victims had been taking cell phone photos of her and humiliating her.

According to court documents, Martin swore at the the victims  one of whom was dressed in drag  shouting gay slurs and crude insults about their appearance, before pulling out a knife and threatening to kill them. The victims scattered, with two running to a car and locking the doors.

Martin kicked at the doors and banged on the windows before trying to slash the tires with her knife. She then ran after the other three, who fled to one of their apartments a block away. She and her friends cornered the victims in the buildings lobby as they tried to call the police, but they were able to escape.

When police arrived and placed Martin in a patrol car, she kicked the windows hard enough to cause damage to the glass and window frame, court documents state.

Martins sentence could have been longer. Prosecutors originally charged her with committing a hate crime, but jurors found her not guilty on that charge.

Defense attorney John Kaman argued that Martin was herself bisexual and that what were construed as homophobic threats that included a well-known slur were just part of her vernacular as an admitted drug dealer in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

That is the way she talks, Kaman said in his closing argument. It doesnt mean she hates members of the LGBT community. It doesnt mean anything at all.

Kaman told jurors that there is a different language that is spoken in parts of the city on the streets, and I dont want you to be confused by that.

Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Mains challenged this defense, writing in a sentencing brief that Martin engaged in a pattern of victim blaming, and shaming, and tried to excuse and minimize her extremely aggressive and scary behavior by claiming that her aggression and homophobic epithets are cultural.

The victims, Mains said, were celebrating in what they rightfully presumed was a safe and welcoming place. The sense of community that we foster in San Francisco is one of inclusion and acceptance. It is a fundamental tenet of this city that you can be open and proud regardless of who you are, or who you love.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
When it comes to peaches, it turns out size does matter.

This is a lesson that the Masumoto family has learned in the decade since they planted 250 Gold Dust peach trees on their farm in Del Rey, located just south of Fresno.

Masumoto Family Farm is one of the best-known farms in the state, if not the country, and is especially celebrated for its heirloom peach varieties. In 1995, third-generation owner David Mas Masumoto chronicled his attempt to revitalize the now famous Sun Crest peach in his award-winning book Epitaph for a Peach.

But even though the farms fruit is beloved and has been served by some of the countrys top-flight restaurants, from Berkeleys Chez Panisse to New Yorks Blue Hill, the family has struggled to find an audience for Gold Dust peaches.

Why is the Gold Dust such a hard sell? Apparently, its too small.

In America, we are such a visual-heavy culture. We are trained to eat with our eyes; that actually reinforces shopping with your eyes as opposed to flavor. We have a bias toward large things, that bigger is better, and that trickles down to produce, says Nikiko Masumoto, David Mas Masumotos daughter and a fourth-generation farmer who works the 80-acre farm with her parents and younger brother.

The Gold Dust peach is roughly the size of a large apricot, and produce buyers are convinced that consumers dont want to buy small peaches. To make things even trickier, the Gold Dust has an extremely short season  roughly one week around mid-June.

Yet despite the commercial challenge, the Masumotos forged ahead  because, they say, it tastes so good.

Its an enchanting peach, says Nikiko Masumoto, describing its wonderful balance between sweet and tart. When eaten straight from the tree, she says, the warm, sun-kissed fruit tastes like a peach cobbler fresh from the oven. Shes right; the diminutive fruit tastes heavenly.

Over the years, the family has employed outside-the-box strategies to bring greater consumer awareness to their various heirloom fruit varieties. There is the ugly fruit program called O, U Fab! (Organic, Ugly & Fabulous!), which helps find homes for imperfect fruit, as well as a program that allows anyone to adopt and harvest a peach or nectarine tree.

The seeds for the Eat Small Fruit program were planted about six years ago, during one of those abysmal years, as Nikiko Masumoto puts it, when the family calculated that it would be financially smarter to not pick the Gold Dust peaches and instead just let them turn to compost. They began to dream up ways to create their own market.

In 2015, Nikiko Masumoto met Pei-Ru Ko, director of Bay Area nonprofit Real Food Real Stories. Together, the pair began discussing ways to connect and engage eaters, inspiring them to not just consume but be an active part of remaking our food system.

Earlier this year, they reached out to their contacts in the food industry: Who would commit to paying $650 for roughly 250 pounds of the Gold Dust peaches? They found buyers among local chefs like Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza of State Bird Provisions and the Progress, and the culinary teams at Stanford University, Airbnb and Google.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

The pilot program came to full fruition this past week, when 15 volunteers, found via newsletters and social media, made the four-hour trek to the Central Valley farm to participate in an intensive crash-course in farming that included picking the Gold Dust peaches.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

However, the goal of the experimental program is more than just free labor. The hope, says Masumoto, is that the volunteers will also act as ambassadors  better connecting consumers with the farm, and vice versa.

Unfortunately, opportunities for the general public to taste the Gold Dust are slim. The kitchens at Airbnb and Google will feature them on their menus for employees. Stanford served the peaches to faculty, staff and students  going through 18 cases in an hour. Kitchentown will host a pickle and chutney workshop using the peaches on Saturday, June 17.

State Bird Provisions will serve the peaches with green coriander, chile powder and lime as a savory small plate; on the sweet side will be a roasted peach with a rye mochi crepe and blackberries. Next door at the Progress: a starter of peach and corn cream, plus a dessert of Prosecco rose geranium cake with macerated peaches.

Food delivery service Good Eggs also has a limited supply of the peaches ($4.99 per pound).

If Masumoto and Ko determine the program to be a success, the idea is to do it again next year  and possibly expand.

One of the trendiest things is to talk about farm-to-table, and I think so often we see eaters as the endpoint, says Ko. For me, I feel its so powerful when you can put eaters in the center of it, where they can be involved.

Recipe: Peach Mostarda
A 39-year-old counselor at a boys group home in Sonoma County was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenager years ago, authorities said Monday.

Kevin Scott Thorpe, a 39-year-old Rohnert Park resident, was booked in Sonoma County Jail on Saturday on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and sexual assault of a minor. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

Investigators started investigating Thorpe on June 1 when a 23-year-old man came forward and reported he had been sexually abused when he lived at the Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma between 2006 and 2011, officials said.

The victim told investigators that the sexual abuse started when he was 13 years old and that he was assaulted numerous times at Thorpes home and at the boys center over the five years, said Sgt. Spencer Crum with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office.

ALSO Homicide probe under way after man found dead on SF street

The victim, who was not identified, told detectives he didnt report the abuse earlier because he was afraid of getting kicked out of the group home, Crum said.

Thorpe has worked at Hanna Boys Center since 2003, and as the clinical director he handled treatment plans for students, and supervised staff therapists and interns.

He has since been placed on administrative leave, said Brian Farragher, executive director of Hanna Boys Center.

Were shocked and saddened this happened, Farragher said Monday. Our job here is to take care of these kids and keep them safe. Thats what were doing and will continue to do.

He added that he didnt know any details of the case, and staff were talking to the kids at the center and helping them process whats going on.

Detectives suspect there may be additional victims, either from the youth center or in the community where Thorpe works as a volunteer in a youth ministry program for teens, officials said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Sonoma County sheriffs detectives at (707) 565-4300.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Police responding to a report of a suspicious individual at Target in Helena arrested a California man on drug charges.

Ryan Anthony Harlacher, 36, was jailed on two felony charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Authorities say he had tramadol and clonazepam without a prescription.

Employees became concerned about Harlacher after he appeared to be intoxicated, court documents state. Harlacher also had a large amount of high-dollar items in his cart and workers worried he might try to shoplift.

After arriving at the store, police arrested Harlacher on an outstanding warrant. Once at the jail, officers found the pills in his pocket, the documents state.
Legal marijuana is in the air across California, but local and state law enforcement agencies say they wont retire their pot-sniffing narcotics dogs anytime soon.

At first, it might seem like Californias legalization of recreational pot would render canine units weed-sensitive noses obsolete. Indeed, some dogs are being pulled from routine patrols, and new ones are sometimes not trained on pot. But police agencies say their drug-trained dogs still have plenty of value, especially when it comes to taking down large-scale drug operations.

While laws regarding marijuana have changed, certain activities are still considered crimes, said Giselle Talkoff, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Police Department. Laws and regulations still govern sales, possession and transport, (and) there are times when the illegal possession of marijuana can coincide with other crimes.

Most of Californias drug-trained police dogs go through an intensive training program where they learn to bark or sit when they smell heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine or marijuana. The California Highway Patrol, which employs 42 drug-sniffing dogs, trains them for 440 hours before they go out into the field, according to CHP spokesman Mike Martis Jr.

When Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, police departments there began talking about what to do with their narcotics canines. Some agencies were worried that the dogs would wind up calling unnecessary attention to legal weed, but Denvers four police dogs have continued to be a key part of the force, said Denver Police Capt. James Henning.

Rather than retire expensive animals, we decided to keep them  and it was a good thing, because the illegal marijuana trade is booming in Colorado, Henning said. Legalization has almost made it more necessary to have good marijuana dogs, which is something nobody ever expected.

The San Francisco and San Jose police departments have no plans to retire or retrain their dogs. The Alameda County Sheriffs Office, which uses narcotics canines on patrol and at Oakland International Airport and lends pooches to Oakland on occasion, is also hanging onto its current contingent, said its spokesman and former dog trainer, Ray Kelly.

Those decisions could pose legal problems, both for police and for anyone these dogs call out, according to Lauren Mendelsohn, a criminal defense attorney who specializes in cannabis law.

Drug dogs are trained to smell four different drugs. Theyre not taught to differentiate between them, Mendelsohn said. Having a dog indicate they smell something gives an officer probable cause to obtain a warrant.

However, Prop. 64, which made it legal for individuals to use marijuana and grow it for personal use, specifically states that legal amounts of marijuana and cannabis products dont create the basis for a search, detention or arrest. A dog that alerts on marijuana could taint an otherwise lawful search that turns up illegal guns or other contraband. Theres a strong argument that if one of these four-odor dogs smells something, it violates the statute, she said. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in court.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

The Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a national group of current and former police officers who support an end to the War on Drugs, agrees that the use of drug-trained dogs can create legal problems. Rusty White, a spokesman for the partnership and a former canine trainer, said some police departments cut corners by training their own dogs, and those dogs noses might not meet legal standards.

If anyone is stopped, the first thing you ask is: Is the dog proven; is the handler proven in a court of law? White said.

The U.S. Police Canine Association  a national organization for police departments that work with these dogs  isnt offering guidance on what to do when states legalize pot. It will be up to those agencies to develop a policy thats best for their community, said David Ferland, the associations executive director.

Seattle Police Department spokesman Sean Whitcomb said it is possible to retrain drug-sensitive dogs to ignore marijuana. Thats what his agency did when Washington legalized pot in 2013. Officers have retrained the dogs by not rewarding them for finding pot. Imagine youre in an orchestra and you can play the violin, viola and cello. Now imagine you stop playing cello  youre going to lose your skill, Whitcomb said.

Most trainers agree that the dogs can be retrained, said Bill Lewis II, a spokesman for the California Narcotics Canine Association. However, many say its too expensive and time-consuming to bother, he said.

Local and state police agencies say theyll work around the legal issues by leaving behind narcotics dogs when out on patrol. Instead, theyll be brought out once a large-scale grow or trafficking operation is suspected.

Think of the dog as a specialized unit or investigator, Talkoff said.

And, even though canines cost plenty to train, Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriffs office says they save about 1,000 officer hours each year searching for drugs, weapons and other contraband, and good ones wind up paying for themselves many times over, because of asset forfeiture in drug cases. One retired canine found $70 million in drugs, he said.

The use of these dogs is evolving as drug laws change, but the dogs are irreplaceable, Kelly said. Theres no technology yet developed that can replace the nose and ability of a dog. The need for dogs is more and more every year, and the work they do is tremendous.

Beth Winegarner is a San Francisco freelance journalist and author. Subscribe to the Chronicles enhanced cannabis content at www.GreenState.com

Dog facts

Number of drug-sniffing canines certified in 2016: 400

Number of drug-sniffing canines in California: 800 (estimated)

Cost per dog: $30,000

Popular breeds: Belgian malinois, German shepherd

Length of training: Six weeks/440 hours

Average career span of canine unit: Six to 10 years

(Sources: California Narcotic Canine Association, Alameda County Sheriff's Dept, California Highway Patrol)
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions's appearance Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee will be a high-stakes test for a Trump official who has become a central figure in the scandal engulfing the White House over Russia and the firing of James B. Comey as FBI director but has so far kept a low profile.

Sessions, a former Republican senator from Alabama, will face tough questions from his former colleagues on a number of fronts that he has never had to publicly address in detail.

Democrats plan to ask about his contacts during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, which the attorney general failed to disclose fully during his confirmation hearing.

They also want him to explain his role in the firing of Comey, despite the attorney general's recusal in March from the Russia investigation following revelations of his meetings with Kislyak.

"If, as the president said, I was fired because of the Russia investigation, why was the attorney general involved in that chain?" Comey said in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week.

Sessions also is likely to face questions about Comey's cryptic assertion that the FBI knew of a "problematic" reason that Sessions should not oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Democratic lawmakers are skeptical that Sessions will divulge any explosive new details, especially since the attorney general could assert executive privilege regarding any questions about conversations with the president.

But they hope the hearing offers a chance to at least get Sessions on the record as either answering or dodging answers about pivotal events related to Comey and the FBI's investigation.

"There are many unanswered and troubling questions, so the attorney general needs to be forthcoming," said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "The Senate and the American people deserve to know exactly what involvement with the Russian investigation he had before his recusal, what safeguards are in place to prevent his meddling, and why he felt it was appropriate to recommend the firing of Director Comey when he was leading that investigation."

For the embattled attorney general, the hearing will be the first time he is questioned by senators since January, when he testified during his confirmation hearing that he did not communicate with any Russian officials during the presidential campaign, when Sessions acted as an adviser to Trump.

As the White House's political crisis over the Russia investigation has grown, the attorney general has laid low. While Sessions used to frequently answer questions from reporters after public appearances discussing his criminal justice initiatives, he stopped in late April, just before Comey was dismissed.

Sessions was originally scheduled to testify Tuesday about the Justice Department budget before the Senate and House appropriations subcommittees. On Saturday, he wrote the chairmen of both committees and said he was sending his deputy attorney general to testify in his place. He said that he would testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee instead, though it was unclear initially if the hearing would be open or closed to the public.

Late Monday morning, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) announced that the hearing would be public.

"The Attorney General has requested that this hearing be public," Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement. "He believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him and looks forward to answering the committee's questions tomorrow."

No time has been scheduled for Sessions to testify separately in a closed hearing to discuss classified matters, according to Senate aides, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Comey's testimony last week revealed new avenues of inquiry that lawmakers are likely to pursue on Tuesday.

The former FBI director said he contacted Sessions after a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office where Sessions and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, were asked to leave and Comey was alone with the president.

During that meeting, Comey said Trump asked him to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had been forced to resign the day before after failing to disclose meetings with the Russian ambassador.

"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go," Comey quoted Trump as saying. "He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

After the meeting, Comey told Sessions that he did not want to be alone anymore with Trump and "it can't happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks to me."

Comey said Sessions responded with, essentially, a shrug.

"I have a recollection of him just kind of looking at me," Comey testified. "I kind of got - his body language gave me the sense like, 'What am I going to do?' . . . He didn't say anything."

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.

Ian Prior, a Justice Department spokesman, disputed that account and said that Sessions replied to Comey and said he "wanted to ensure that he and his FBI staff were following proper communications protocol with the White House." Trump's personal lawyer also challenged Comey's account, saying the president never asked for the investigation to be dropped.

Sessions had a remarkable path to the attorney general post. He was an early and vocal supporter of Trump during the campaign, when most Republican lawmakers dismissed the candidate. He arrived in the job in February eager to launch ambitious efforts to combat violent crime and deport undocumented immigrants.

But officials said Sessions's relationship with Trump has been strained since the attorney general recused himself from the Russia probe in March. The president has also criticized the Justice Department's failed efforts to defend his travel ban in federal court. Officials said that Sessions at one point offered to resign as his relationship with the president became increasingly tense.

- - -

The Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe and Adam Entous contributed to this report.

---

VIDEO:

With Attorney General Jeff Sessions appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 13, there's a lot lawmakers want to straighten out. (Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/The Washington Post)

--http://wapo.st/2rbEBGt

--<iframe width='480' height='290' scrolling='no' src='//www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/04796328-4fbe-11e7-b74e-0d2785d3083d' frameborder='0' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
A Los Gatos woman was arrested over the weekend in the killing a 74-year-old woman, whom she did not know, in the victims Cupertino home, officials said Monday.

The woman, identified by police as 39-year-old Suzanne Hernandez, was arrested Saturday, said Sgt. Richard Glennon, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office.

Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office

Hernandez was booked into Santa Clara Countys Main Jail on suspicion of murder. She is being held without bail.

Police were alerted to the killing shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday when the victims friends found her dead inside her home on South Tantau Avenue, deputies said.

The victims name was not released, pending notification of her next of kin.

Investigators found visible injuries on the victim, but the motive and events of the killing are still under investigation, Glennon said.

The victim and suspect did not appear to know each other before the incident, authorities said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

There are no other suspects being sought in the killing.

Anyone with information on the case was asked to call the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office at (408) 808-4500 or (408) 808-4431.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

The arcane term emoluments, or compensation, wont do for a catchy protest slogan. But President Trumps potential conflicts with the Constitutions low-profile emoluments clauses, the focus of a new lawsuit, speak to a radical departure from precedent.

Filed Monday by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia, the suit argues that Trumps business with foreign regimes and the federal government runs afoul of constitutional provisions meant to combat corruption. The Foreign Emoluments Clause prohibits officeholders from accepting foreign gifts or other benefits without Congress consent; its domestic counterpart bars federal or state compensation of the president beyond his salary.
A push to crack down on deceptive landlords pit Supervisors Mark Farrell and Aaron Peskin against each other Monday, and their supporters faced off at City Hall.

Farrell, a political moderate, and Peskin, a progressive, have each crafted legislation to combat what they say is a new eviction epidemic  landlords who boot out tenants and say they plan to move in themselves, but instead rent the property to someone else.

Both supervisors ordinances would require owners to declare under penalty of perjury that they plan to occupy the property for three years and then to follow up with official verification, such as a utility bill.

But Peskins version, co-sponsored by Supervisor Jane Kim, goes one step further, dangling the threat of a misdemeanor  and the possibility of six months in jail  for landlords who pretend to move into a unit and then rent it out at a higher price. Also, tenants rights nonprofits would be able to sue the owner, even if the tenant didnt agreet.

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle

Peskin, Kim and the tenant advocates who back them say the misdemeanor charge is critical. They sent out press releases and held a rally outside City Hall to drum up support for their legislation on Monday, an hour before Farrells bill went before the boards Land Use and Transportation Committee.

A small army of housing organizers showed up to the meeting to plug the Kim/Peskin bill, which wasnt on the agenda. About a dozen landlords came to support Farrell, who chairs the committee.

Despite recent press releases and press conferences arguing otherwise, I look forward to working with everyone, Farrell said, grimacing.

He continued his bill until June 26 so that both measures could be heard together.

 Rachel Swan

Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @rachelswan
San Francisco officials are looking to increase the amount of funding available to programs serving the citys homeless youth and young adults.

On Monday at the San Francisco LGBT Center, Mayor Ed Lee and District Eight Supervisor Jeff Sheehy unveiled a proposal to commit an additional $1.54 million in funds to getting vulnerable young people off the streets and stabilizing their living conditions. The city estimates 20 percent of the citys homeless population is made up of young people.

The additional funding, earmarked as part of Lees proposed two-year budget plan released this month, was proposed by Sheehy, whose district encompasses the Castro neighborhood, which the supervisor said has nearly half of the citys contingent of homeless youth.

The proposal would allocate $289,000 for the San Francisco LGBT Center to extend its drop-in hours and provide additional meals. An additional $350,000 would be put toward funding a new outreach coordinator at Larkin Street Youth Services, which works with homeless youth.

The bulk of the funds  $906,000  would go to housing subsidies for young adults.

That combination, Lee said, would allow San Francisco to increase services at the time when youth need to be attracted to areas where they can be safe and get the services they need.

The proposed funding boost for at-risk youth follows a $2.9 million grant San Francisco received in January from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat youth homelessness.

 Dominic Fracassa

911 under stress: Population growth, complaints about homeless camps and accidental cell phone dials are all putting severe stress on San Franciscos 911 dispatchers, who now handle 37 percent more calls than they did in 2011.

But the demands of the job also lead to a high burnout rate, and the citys Department of Emergency Management is struggling to replace people who leave.

Its a perfect storm, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, promising to set aside more money in the next city budget for the beleaguered 911 employees who lined up to speak during a hearing Monday at the boards Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee.

Peskin called the hearing after a massive blackout in April exposed problems with San Franciscos 911 system. Only nine dispatchers were answering phones when the power went out and hundreds of calls poured in.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who chairs the committee, expressed shock over the working conditions for San Franciscos 123 dispatchers and 32 supervisors  they routinely work 16-hour shifts to deal with the call volume.

I couldnt imagine sitting there even for one day, handling crisis after crisis, she said.

To Burt Wilson, president of the dispatchers chapter of SEIU Local 1021, the increase in calls should have been easy to predict, given the tent cities that are popping up next to high-end real estate developments. He and others said that San Franciscos 911 employees are overwhelmed with low-level, quality-of -life complaints, in addition to medical emergencies.

No easy answers emerged, and the supervisors said they would hold another hearing to discuss possible improvements for the Department of Emergency Management, which currently answers about 75 percent of 911 calls within 10 seconds  still a far cry from its target rate of 90 percent.

Fixing that problem may take years, the departments Deputy Director Rob Smuts said, given the number of people quitting or retiring and the time it takes to train replacements.

Peskin suggested the city try to help in the meantime by starting a public education campaign about the misuse of 911.

If people understood that calling about a homeless encampment could lead to someone dying, then maybe they wouldnt call, he said.

 Rachel Swan

Its a showdown: A push to crack down on deceptive landlords pitted Supervisors Mark Farrell and Aaron Peskin against each other Monday, and their supporters faced off at City Hall.

Farrell, a political moderate, and Peskin, a progressive, have each crafted legislation to combat what they say is a new eviction epidemic  landlords who boot out tenants and say they plan to move in themselves, but instead rent the property to someone else.

Both supervisors ordinances would require owners to declare under penalty of perjury that they plan to occupy the property for three years and then to follow up with official verification, such as a utility bill.

But Peskins version, co-sponsored by Supervisor Jane Kim, goes one step further, dangling the threat of a misdemeanor  and the possibility of six months in jail  for landlords who pretend to move into a unit and then rent it out at a higher price. Also, tenants rights nonprofits would be able to sue the owner, even if the tenant didnt agree.

Peskin, Kim and the tenant advocates who back them say the misdemeanor charge is critical. They sent out press releases and held a rally outside City Hall to drum up support for their legislation on Monday, an hour before Farrells bill went before the boards Land Use and Transportation Committee.

A small army of housing organizers showed up to the meeting to plug the Kim-Peskin bill, which wasnt on the agenda. About a dozen landlords came to support Farrell, who chairs the committee.

Despite recent press releases and press conferences arguing otherwise, I look forward to working with everyone, Farrell said, grimacing.

He postponed action on his bill until June 26 so both measures could be heard together.

 Rachel Swan

Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider, @rachelswan, @dominicfracassa
Today, double-decker buses carry tourists around San Francisco. In the 1950s, they were the attraction.

While refiling negatives in The Chronicles basement archive, I found a pack of photo negatives of a 1952 tour of three double-decker buses from London. The shots of the long-forgotten cross-country tour havent been seen in decades and provide a glimpse into the Bay Area in the 1950s.

I dug a little deeper into the archive and found articles and more about the trip. Back then, most West Coast folks had never seen a double-decker bus, unless they were veterans who had been stationed in England during World War II.

The British Travel Association wanted to drum up tourism, so it shipped three of the behemoths to New York City, put them ashore, and sent them on an 8,000-mile round-trip journey across the U.S., to San Francisco and back.

Don Martin, a U.S. public relations officer for the association, was in San Francisco the week before the tours arrival, measuring the height of underpasses and setting up things with local officials to ensure the buses wouldnt get parking tickets. Its been quite a trip, he said of his work. Full of detours. The buses are 14 feet high, and that means there are a number of bridges, underpasses and low-hanging traffic lights they couldnt negotiate.

Chronicle writer Reni Di Rosa and photographer Ken McLaughlin joined the buses for the leg from Fresno to San Francisco. Di Rosa reported, A bus with its interior filled with pictures and maps featuring the tourist attractions of the British Isles leads the way. The second bus was a workshop, though repairs to the buses hadnt been needed so far. The third bus was equipped just as it was after its last run in London.

The buses picked up a passenger hitchhiking outside Fresno, and conductor Ed Hearne, in a cockney accent, said, Buckingham Palace, mister, by way of San Francisco, Chicago and New York.

Hearne, for his part, was impressed with the number of cars on California freeways. Everyone has a car. ... There are seven of us on this trip, and only one of us has his own private car. At 4 p.m. the bus drivers stopped for tea, as they had every day, no matter their location. Taking no chances, they had brought along a portable tea outfit.

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.

During the short visit to San Francisco, the buses brought out the crowds. One of the double-deckers was parked at Union Square, across from the St. Francis Hotel, while the other two were at Civic Center. When traffic cooperated, the double-deckers would give folks a ride around the neighborhood.

The buses left San Francisco on May 18, 1952, and headed back to the East Coast. They definitely took the scenic route, starting their next leg at the beach, then lumbering across the Golden Gate Bridge on their way to Sacramento; Carson City, Nev.; Salt Lake City; Cheyenne, Wyo.; and other points east.

By late August, the double-deckers were back on the streets of London hauling passengers along on their usual routes.

Bill Van Niekerken is the library director of The San Francisco Chronicle, where he has worked since 1985. In his weekly column, From the Archive, he explores the depths of The Chronicles vast photography archive in search of interesting historical tales related to the city by the bay.
Memorial: A memorial ceremony, hosted by Alameda for Black Lives, marking the anniversary of the June 17, 2015, mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., that resulted in nine deaths. Participants will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the southwest corner of Webster Street and Atlantic Avenue in Alameda. For information: www.alamedaforblacklives.org.

Saturday

Nuclear weapons march: Womens March to Ban the Bomb, in support of U.N. negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Demonstrators will meet at 11:30 a.m. at El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto. For information: wilpf.peninsula.paloalto@gmail.com. In San Francisco, marchers are planning to meet at noon at U.N. Plaza. For information: bln.sf.ca@gmail.com. In San Jose, marchers will meet at 11:30 a.m. at Winchester and Stevens Creek. For information: http://bit.ly/2s6WWpz.

Anti-Trump discussion: Hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party, a conversation on countering racism and fascism. The event begins at 2 p.m. A $3 to $5 donation is requested at the door. The event is at New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk St. in San Francisco. For information: (415) 864-1278 or www.socsialism.com.

Nuclear weapons film: A screening and discussion of The Nuclear Requiem, on the challenges of controlling nuclear weapons. The free, two-hour event starts at 3:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Public Librarys Orchard Room, 13 S. San Antonio Road. For information: wilpf.peninsula.paloalto@gmail.com.

June 21

Refugees event: A community briefing on Helping Refugees Today: What We Need to Know, What We Need to Do, presented by immigration and refugee resettlement professionals. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Marks Lutheran Church, 1111 OFarrell St. in San Francisco. Information: gracecathedral.org/refugees.

June 22

Coal film: A free screening of From the Ashes, a National Geographic documentary about coal, followed by a discussion on the environment and climate. The film begins at 7 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. For information: www.nocoalinoakland.info.

June 24

Climate change: Hosted by the Older Womens League of California, a discussion and postcard writing to elected representatives to push for climate change support. The event is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Northern Police Station Community Room, 1125 Fillmore St. in San Francisco. For information: info@owlsf.org.

July 2

Impeachment march: Nationwide marches will call for President Trumps impeachment. The march in San Francisco begins at 1 p.m. along the Embarcadero and will head to Powell and Market streets. For information: http://bit.ly/2sYoEER.
Shaking off a cool streak that included scattered showers, fog and rare thunderstorms, the Bay Area is expected to heat up this week with temperatures approaching the century mark in some inland areas, forecasters said Monday.

It should get downright hot in East Bay cities such as Livermore and Concord  with a high of 96 degrees forecast for Friday, said Steve Anderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey.
General Electric said Monday that its longtime chairman and chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt, will retire, ending a 16-year run in which he refocused the company on its industrial roots but also made notable acquisitions.

Immelt will be replaced by John Flannery, president and chief executive of GE Healthcare, in a shift that comes as the conglomerate struggles to increase profitability. GE has been under particular pressure since Trian Fund Management, run by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, took a big stake in it nearly two years ago.

The shift could augur bigger changes at the conglomerate, with Flannery saying in a video broadcast on Facebook that he would take a fresh look at the company with a sense of urgency before presenting recommendations this year.

He said that while no ones happy with the stock price now, the health care sector in particular offered so much long-term growth, adding that GE was just scratching the surface of what we can do in that business.

Flannery, 55, will become chief executive Aug. 1. Immelt, 61, will remain as chairman until he retires Dec. 31. Flannery will then add the role of chairman.

During this time of dynamic global markets and relentless focus on technology and operational excellence, there is no better person to lead GE than John Flannery, Jack Brennan, the companys lead independent director, said in a news release. He brings unique experience and a strong skill set to the job.

Theater

Delta, BofA not

praising Caesar

The knives are out for an edgy new production of Julius Caesar thats cutting a little too close to home for some fans of the White House.

Delta Air Lines and Bank of America have pulled their sponsorship of the New York Public Theaters version of Julius Caesar that portrays a Donald Trump-like dictator in a business suit with a long tie who gets knifed to death onstage.

The Public refused to back down on Monday, saying that it stands completely behind the production. It noted that its staging has provoked heated discussion but that such discussion is exactly the goal of our civically engaged theater; this discourse is the basis of a healthy democracy.

Other defenders included Scott Stringer, the New York City comptroller, who sarcastically tweeted to both Delta and Band of America: What a mistake. Actually reading Julius Caesar might help in the future. Your copy is in the mail.

This modern-day Caesars violent death at the hands of conspirators comes not long after comedian Kathy Griffin was widely condemned for posing for a photograph in which she gripped a bloodied rendering of Trumps head.

Though the Publics version of William Shakespeares classic play is unchanged from its 400-year-old original, the production portrays Caesar with a gold bathtub and a pouty Slavic wife. Trumps name is never mentioned but backlash was swift.

Retail

Gymboree files

for bankruptcy

San Francisco childrens clothing retailer Gymboree Corp. is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the latest sign of traditional retailers struggles as shoppers shun stores and buy online.

Gymboree says it is seeking to reduce its debt by $900 million. It expects to operate its business and majority of its 1,300 stores during the restructuring.

Gymboree is the latest retailer to file Chapter 11, close stores or go out of business in 2017. Payless ShoeSource filed for bankruptcy protection in April and the Limited closed all 250 of its remaining stores early this year. Teen retailer Wet Seal in January said it would close its 171 stores.

Accounting

Problems at

Fuji Xerox

Fuji Xerox, the joint venture between Xerox and Fujifilm Holdings, said Monday that its chairman and three other executives were stepping down over accounting problems discovered at its operations in Australia and New Zealand.

Kenji Sukeno, president and chief operating officer of Fujifilm Holdings, which owns 75 percent of Fuji Xerox, bowed and apologized at a Tokyo news conference along with other Fujifilm executives.

Chronicle News Services
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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who was hired five years ago to turn around the Sunnyvale Internet pioneer but failed to restore it to the preeminence of rivals like Google, resigned Tuesday following the companys $4.5 billion sale of its Internet properties to Verizon.

Yahoo, founded in 1994, had struggled to find its place as more people shifted their Internet searches from desktop computers to mobile phones. Under Mayers leadership, Yahoo bought dozens of tech companies, partly to bring in their talent, and focused on adding revenue from mobile, video, social and native advertising. When the company named her CEO, Mayers face appeared on posters that said Hope in the Sunnyvale office.

But the ad dollars were not sufficient to impress investors. Yahoo spent $1.1 billion to buy blogging service Tumblr, but the division didnt meet a goal of $100 million in advertising revenue in 2015, and Yahoo wrote down most of the purchase. The company also experimented with paying for original scripted online shows, only to scrap that idea after they didnt attract enough viewers.

CEOs had tried and failed to fix Yahoo before Mayer, a first-time chief executive who formerly ran Google Maps and its local advertising business.

She will get a pass, because Yahoo has been such a difficult organization to grow, said Jennifer Chatman, a UC Berkeley Haas School of Business professor.

Chatman said she believes Mayer could get another shot at being a senior executive at a large tech firm or as CEO of a medium-size business, but its unlikely she will be asked to be CEO of a large publicly traded tech firm.

The question I would have in my mind is, does she have the strategic acumen to lead and grow a large organization, Chatman said. We dont know the answer to that question.

One of Mayers most high-profile mistakes was hiring Henrique De Castro as chief operating officer and firing him 14 months later; Yahoo paid him $58 million in severance benefits.

She also was CEO during data breaches at Yahoo, including one that affected more than a billion user accounts  the largest in the nations history. Those breaches, which were not revealed until last year despite occurring in 2013 and 2014, caused Verizon to shave $350 million off the original cost of buying Yahoos Internet properties.

Still, Yahoos stock price more than tripled during Mayers tenure. But that was largely due to the companys stake, acquired in 2005, in Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba. When plans to package the Alibaba shares with Yahoos small business division in a tax-free spin-off did not come to fruition, investors began to push for Yahoo to sell its Internet properties. Last year, the sale seemed inevitable after hedge fund Starboard Value received seats on Yahoos board as part of a settlement.

Mayers future plans are unclear. She will receive an estimated $23 million golden parachute, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Equilar, a firm that tracks executive compensation, estimates that Mayer will walk away from the Verizon-Yahoo deal with $29.1 million, including severance benefits and accelerated equity.

In a Tumblr post Tuesday, Mayer outlined what she felt were Yahoos achievements under her leadership, but she did not state what she planned to do next. A Yahoo spokeswoman said Mayer was unavailable for an interview.

Given the inherent changes to my role, Ill be leaving the company, Mayer wrote. However, I want all of you to know that Im brimming with nostalgia, gratitude, and optimism.

Now that the deal has closed, Yahoo and Verizons AOL holdings will come together in a division called Oath that is led by Tim Armstrong, who until this week was AOLs CEO. Oath has more than 50 brands, including Yahoos photo service Flickr, Yahoo News and HuffPost. An AOL spokeswoman said that Yahoos Sunnyvale employees will remain in the area.

The close of this transaction represents a critical step in growing the global scale needed for our digital media company, said Marni Walden, Verizon president of media, in a press release.

Layoffs of roughly 2,100 workers at Yahoo and AOL are expected.

Analysts said that for Verizon to succeed with its purchase, it must show advertisers that what it offers is better than before.

They both have major challenges, and putting them together by themselves doesnt solve those challenges, said Larry Chiagouris, a professor of marketing at Pace Universitys Lubin School of Business. He said one way that Oath can differentiate itself from competitors is if it uses Verizons technology to offer faster or exclusive content.

The sale effectively ends Yahoo as a name of a publicly traded company. Yahoo shareholders now own stock in Altaba Inc., a new holding company that oversees investments in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, as well as a portfolio of patents called Excalibur.

Yahoo employed many of todays tech leaders, including Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield and WhatsApps founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum. But now, that role has been delegated to firms like Oracle, Google and Facebook, Chiagouris said.

The (Yahoo) training ground is no longer, he said.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee

Recent Yahoo time line

July 2012: Names Marissa Mayer CEO.

October 2012: Buys its first Internet startup, Stamped, as part of a strategy to acquire talent and technology. It goes on to buy more than 50 firms over three years.

May 2013: Announces plans to buy blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion.

November 2014: Announces plans to buy video ad network Brightroll for $640 million.

January 2015: Outlines plans for a tax-free spin-off of its Alibaba shares and its small-business division.

December 2015: Suspends the tax-free spin-off.

February 2016: Says it will explore potential deals.

April 2016: Settles with activist investor Starboard Value, offering seats on its board.

July 2016: A $4.8 billion deal with Verizon is announced for Yahoos Internet properties.

September 2016: Data breach in 2014, affecting 500 million accounts, is disclosed.

December 2016: Separate data breach in 2013 is revealed, this one affecting more than 1 billion accounts.

February 2017: $350 million shaved off deal price because of the data breaches.

June 2017: Verizon closes on deal to buy Yahoos Internet properties for $4.5 billion; Mayer resigns.
A man accused of strangling his girlfriend, cramming her body into a suitcase and throwing her into San Francisco Bay is a predator of women who needs to spend the rest of his days behind bars, a city prosecutor said Monday at the mans murder trial.

Lee Bell, 55, preyed on vulnerable women on the margins of society, and 52-year-old Pearla Louis, whose body washed up along the Embarcadero in May 2010, was no exception, Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart said in his closing argument.

It wasnt a matter of if with Lee Bell, Swart said. It was a matter of when. Sadly, Pearla was the when.

The case was sent to the jury for deliberations, marking the beginning of the end of a seven-year ordeal for Louis adult children, who sat in the front row of the Superior Court gallery for much of the trial. On Monday, one began to cry and another rushed out of the room at the image of their mothers crumpled corpse in the suitcase.

Louis was last seen alive May 16, 2010, by a desk clerk at the Harcourt Hotel on Larkin Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood. She had told a nurse at a respite center where she was receiving treatment that she was going to go see Bell, her estranged boyfriend, to get money he owed her.

Bell had a long history of domestic violence, dating to 1995, and the abuse allegedly continued after he began a relationship with Louis in 2008. In the last year of her life, Louis was in and out of the hospital for injuries caused by Bell  facial fractures, black eyes, fractured ribs  that were similar to newer injuries that the medical examiners office documented during Louis autopsy, Swart said.

In March 2010, prosecutors said, Bell had essentially told a social worker he was going to kill Louis, and in the weeks leading up to her death, he began obsessively calling the respite center asking for Louis, so much so that the centers staff made a note to never allow him into the facility.

The day after Louis was last seen alive, the calls stopped, Swart said, while surveillance video from another residential hotel showed Bell retrieving a suitcase that matched the one that held Louis body.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Malcolm Smith questioned whether the suitcases were the same or just similar. He accused investigators of bias, saying they decided Bell was guilty before collecting the evidence.

Smith said once jurors looked beyond Bells history of domestic violence, they would find that the charges were built on suspicion based on prior conduct. He said the case was almost entirely speculation.

Smith said Bell did not have any scratches on his hands even though the medical examiners office found that Louis had scratched up the back of her neck in an attempt to stop her attacker from strangling her. Bell was arrested two weeks after Louis body was found.

Swart argued that Bells history of domestic violence was necessary in understanding his pattern of abuse, saying, He knew what he was doing.

We cant cure the world of all the evil that we find, Swart told jurors. But by your verdict, you can cure our little corner of San Francisco of Lee Bell and all the evil he has inflicted.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
Carol Ann Crowley died unexpectedly on June 3rd, 2017. She was born on July 14, 1934 in Helena, Montana to James P. and Mary Ellen Klein. Carol attended Helena schools graduating from Helena High School. She attended and graduated from the Sisters of Charity School of Nursing. She spent most of her life in Helena and enjoyed a long career as a registered nurse at Saint Peters Hospital and at Fort Harrison Veterans Hospital. Friends and acquaintances will remember Carol as a leader in the nursing community.

Carol married Leo Stanley Crowley and they had three children before divorcing: Steven M. Crowley, Karen S. Midtlyng (Norman), and Barbara J. Batts. At the time of her death, Carol had four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Mary Ellen Smith. In addition to her immediate family, she is survived by her brother-in-law, Eugene Smith, and her dear friends Mary Simmons and Dawn and Scott Barnes. Carol always had dogs in her life and she loved and was dedicated to all of them.

Carol was a member of Our Redeemers Lutheran Church. She enjoyed aerobics, reading, volunteer work, travel with friends and grandchildren, and spending time with her family. She volunteered at the Lewis and Clark Library, the State Library for the Blind, and provided transportation for the blind. Carol also volunteered at the Humane Society, Food Share, the Myrna Loy, Central School, the Feed and Fun Program, and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies program. She was also a hostess at the Montana State Capitol Building, taught at Front Street Learning Center, and helped in fundraising activities for Carroll College.

Mom will be greatly missed. We will remember her determination to live her life as she wanted, her love of her family, and her fried chicken and Texas chocolate cake. A memorial will be held at a later date. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.aswfuneralhome.com.
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Mehfil Indian Cuisine and Bar (2301 Fillmore St.) in Pacific Heights has closed and will be turning into a new restaurant/bar called The Snug. The other Mehfil Indian at 28 Second Street remains open.

The Snug, which is slated for a fall opening, joins San Francisco's ever-growing category of "neighborhood" bars and restaurants. And it adds a cocktail stop on a stretch of Fillmore that doesn't have many options outside of Palmer's (2298 Fillmore St.) just across the street.
RICHMOND, Va.  Virginias establishment-favored lieutenant governor won the Democratic nomination in the closely watched race for governor Tuesday, defeating a more liberal insurgent challenger in a contest to be one of the partys standard-bearers against President Trump.

Ralph Northam defeated former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, who ran as an unapologetic liberal crusader supported by prominent national Democrats like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as the best candidate to take on Trump.

Northam will face Ed Gillespie in the general election. The former Republican National Committee chairman eked out an uncomfortably close victory against an outspoken Trump supporter who made preserving Virginias Confederate history a top issue.

The general election is expected to be an early referendum on the president and a preview of what the 2018 midterm elections will look like.

Northam, a low-key pediatric neurologist, won running as a pragmatist with the states Democratic establishments firm support. He has also vowed to fight Trump, but with pledges to work with state Republican lawmakers on issues like a tax overhaul.

Virginia is one of only two states electing new governors this year, and the swing-state contest is likely to draw intense national scrutiny for signs of how voters are reacting to Trumps first year in office.

Frank Von Richter said he voted for Northam because he likes that the lieutenant governor is more middle of the road than Perriello and thinks he will work better with a Republican-controlled General Assembly. The retired Richmond resident said Northam is strong on issues like education and health care and will continue Gov. Terry McAuliffes efforts to bring more jobs to Virginia.

I think he has the ability to move Virginia forward like McAuliffe has, the 80-year-old said.

McAuliffe, who, like U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, backed Northam, is barred from seeking a consecutive term.

Perriello made a surprise entrance into the race in January and faced an uphill climb from the beginning. He energized many new-to-politics voters who oppose Trump and promised to support a grab-bag of progressive policies.

Although he received a large amount of attention and praise from prominent national Democrats, Perriello was ultimately unable to expand the universe of Democratic primary voters enough to counter Northams advantages.

Northam had been essentially campaigning for years, making key contacts with influential power brokers like prominent African American politicians and religious leaders, and building up a large cash advantage that let him outspend Perriello on TV advertising in the closing weeks of the race.

Alan Suderman is an Associated Press writer.
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich.  Members of Army medic James McCloughans unit in Vietnam called him Doc.

Now, those soldiers, several of whom McCloughan saved during the ferocious, days-long Battle of Nui Yon Hill in 1969, will have a new name for him: Medal of Honor recipient.

Army spokeswoman Valerie Mongello said Tuesday that the 71-year-old from South Haven, Mich., will become the first person to be awarded the nations highest military honor by President Trump.

I feel honored to be able to accept this for the 89 men that fought that battle, McCloughan said, referencing the number of American combatants, dozens of whom were killed, wounded or went missing during the 48 hours of fighting against hundreds of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong.

Then a 23-year-old private first class, McCloughan repeatedly entered the kill zone to rescue wounded comrades, despite being pelted with shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade.

McCloughan voluntarily risked his life on nine separate occasions to rescue wounded and disoriented comrades, the White House said in an emailed statement Tuesday. He suffered wounds from shrapnel and small arms fire on three separate occasions, but refused medical evacuation to stay with his unit, and continued to brave enemy fire to rescue, treat, and defend wounded Americans.

In all, the Pentagon credits McCloughan with saving the lives of 10 members of his company.

The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while: engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

Mike Householder is an Associated Press writer.
California, 10 other states and New York City sued the Trump administration in San Francisco on Tuesday for halting action on new federal energy-efficiency standards for portable air conditioners, building heaters and other appliances, saying the delays are illegal and are harming consumers and the environment.

Environmental and consumer groups filed a similar suit in the same federal court.

The proposed rules were issued by the Obama administrations Energy Department in December after years of review and were supposed to take effect by mid-March, the states said in their lawsuit. They said Energy Secretary Rick Perrys failure to publish the rules, which would allow them to be enforced, violates federal environmental and regulatory laws.

The rules, if implemented, would reduce planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions by more than 26 million metric tons per year  the equivalent of taking nearly 5.5 million cars off the road  and would save U.S. energy users $24 billion over 30 years, the states said.

Every family and every business can be part of the climate-change solution by using more energy-efficient appliances, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. However, the Department of Energy is blocking common-sense energy efficiency standards. ... The Trump administration should stop stalling and start following the law.

The other suit, challenging the same delays, was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and the Consumer Federation of America.

The Energy Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The case may test the reach of President Trumps Jan. 30 executive order requiring federal agencies to repeal two existing regulations for every new rule they propose. Earlier, Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, had ordered most agencies to put a 60-day hold on regulations proposed by the Obama administration to allow new appointees to review them, a process hindered by Trumps slow pace in making appointments.

At issue are conservation standards for floor-standing portable air conditioners, commercial boilers that heat office and apartment buildings, walk-in coolers and freezers used by markets and restaurants, air compressors that power various tools, and battery chargers that provide backup power supplies for electronic products.

Laws passed by Congress between 1978 and 2007 require the Energy Department to set energy-saving standards for certain categories of appliances and to update them every six years, the lawsuits said. They said the department last updated its standards for commercial boilers in 2009 and for some types of walk-in coolers and freezers in 2014 but has no current standards for the other three products.

If the Energy Department wanted to change the rules proposed by the Obama administration, it could propose new rules and submit them for public comment, the suits said. The department has not done so.

The other states filing suit were Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

The advocacy groups and most of the same states sued the Trump administration last month for postponing action on new energy-saving standards for ceiling fans. The Energy Department later agreed to implement those standards in September.
BILLINGS  A number of Republicans are already weighing challenges to Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Several would-be GOP candidates turned up in Billings over the weekend, suggesting there could be a crowded Republican primary to select a Tester challenger. Montana Republican Party delegates met in Billings last Friday and Saturday to select new party leadership.

The would-be candidates include Troy Downing, of Big Sky; Scott Roy McLean, of Missoula; and Kalispell legislator Albert Olszewski; plus a couple other prospects who are sniffing around.

Yellowstone County District Judge Russell Fagg has only said hell consider a run for public office after retiring from the bench in October. Nonetheless, the former state Republican legislator took the opportunity to introduce himself to convention attendees last Friday.

Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale kept a close eye on Senate prospects. Rosendale hasnt said whether he will run for U.S. Senate. Asked by The Gazette on May 31 if he would run for federal office, Rosendale said he would first focus on any insurance changes brought about by the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and then decide.

Another Republican eyeing a run, Kurt Allen Cole, of Troy, missed the Billings event, but told The Gazette on Friday hes exploring a candidacy.

Debra Lamm, the newly elected chairwoman of the Republican Party, said conservatives haven't been happy with several Tester votes, including his opposition to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Tester's support for the Iran Nuclear weapons deal also rubbed Republicans the wrong way and stirred interest in political challengers.

Downing said the success of President Donald J. Trump and Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte, neither of whom had previously been elected, is a sign that voters are looking for an outsider.

I dont care how smart you are, how good you are, how well-intentioned you are. I think after a certain period you become so institutionalized, you no longer think like a normal American, Downing said.

Not by coincidence, Downing said politicians stop thinking like the electorate after about 12 years. Testers current tenure is 11 years. Downing, who lives in Big Sky, is the head of a California-based self-storage company. He been in the Big Sky area since 1998.

Cole, a former vermiculite miner who suffers from asbestosis after his years working for W.R. Grace in Libby, said there arent enough common men in federal politics. The 64-year-old Montana native has done ranch work, milled lumber and mined coal. Friends encouraged him to turn his practical experience to the Senate.

Scott is a Hamilton attorney specializing in estate and business law. He was previously a law clerk for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he worked closely with Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Olszewski was the first candidate to publicly show interest in challenging Tester. A state legislator, Olszewski is an orthopedic surgeon from Kalispell.

Interest in challenging Tester picked up after Montana Attorney General Tim Fox announced June 5 that he would not run for U.S. Senate. Fox had been considered the most likely Republican pick.
BILLINGS  A Plevna man accused of illegally killing a bald eagle and a hawk with a pesticide denied federal charges on Monday in Billings.

Dale Duwayne Buerkle, 66, pleaded not guilty to unlawful taking of a bald eagle, unlawful taking of a migratory bird and unlawful use of a registered pesticide, all misdemeanors, as charged in an information.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey stated in court records the animal deaths happened in February and March 2016 near Plevna after Buerkle used the pesticide carbamate carbofuran in an effort to kill coyotes.

An investigation led to Buerkle after a neighboring landowner found a bald eagle carcass, three coyote carcasses and a hawk carcass on property near Buerkles land and notified the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, according to court records.

An FWP investigator, who retrieved the bald eagle and coyote carcasses, noticed a calf carcass just across the property fence line on Buerkles land about 20 yards from where the first coyote carcass was found. FWP also recovered a hawk carcass from the same pasture in April 2016.

Toxicology test results showed the coyotes, bald eagle and hawk tested positive for carbamate carbofuran and that the eagle and hawk died from carbofuran poisoning.

In an interview with the FWP warden, Buerkle admitted he had injected carbofuran into the stomach of two dead calves to kill coyotes.

Buerkle admitted he knew that using the carbofuran was not legal but said he had no clue that it killed birds, an investigator stated in court records.

Buerkle, who gave his remaining carbofuran to the warden, said he put out the calf carcasses at the end of February or early March 2016.

Buerkles use of the pesticide was unlawful and he did not have permission to kill the bald eagle or hawk, the prosecution said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan, who will hear the case, continued Buerkles release pending trial. Buerkle faces a maximum one year in prison and a $100,000 fine if convicted on the bald eagle count.
Jacom Stephens/Getty Images

Cal Fire crews are working to contain a wildland blaze dubbed the Refuge Fire in the Knoxville area of unincorporated Napa County north of Lake Berryessa this afternoon.

The fire was reported at 10:05 a.m. in the 14500 block of Berryessa Knoxville Road. As of 1:20 p.m., it had grown to 21 acres and was 50 percent contained.
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CERRO GORDO  For nearly 65 years, the Piatt County Fair has been a popular destination in Central Illinois.

Piatt County Fair Board member Carol Kussart said the fair is able to attract a steady stream of visitors because of the variety of activities and affordability.

Entrance into the fair is free, she said. And so are the inflatables, antique tractor pulls and, of course, the fireworks.

The fair can draw nearly 5,000 visitors during the four-day event, according to the fair board. This year's fair will be Thursday through Sunday, June 15 to 18, at the fairground in Cerro Gordo.

Go-kart races will be featured Thursday night. One of the biggest draws to the fair is Friday evening's tractor and truck pulls, with five classes of tractors and trucks.

Friday's concert is the Concealed Carry Band and Saturday's will be Wreckless Whiskey, both in the Beer Barn, with no cover charge.

The fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Saturday.

A new attraction to this year's fair is the Knockerball Max games. Participants wear inflatable balls and move around an open field with other players. They can attempt to play a game or simply bounce into each other.

It uses your entire energy, Kussart said.  But they aren't' going to hurt themselves.

Junior exhibits will feature the artwork, collections and crafts by children throughout the county. Judging will take place Saturday.

Additional sponsorships have brought the dairy show back to the fair during Friday morning's exhibits. Other livestock shows include swine on Saturday and beef on Sunday.

Local children and families are highlighted at the fair during Celebrate Our Youth activities. Youngsters can participate in the adorable baby contests, toddler trot, parade of princess and mighty mister. The events begin on Saturday afternoon.

A popular feature of any fair is the food. Vendors at this year's Piatt County Fair will supply burgers, brisket, corn dogs, pork tenderloin, funnel cakes, lemon shakeup and homemade ice cream.

There is no carnival, but the inflatable bounce houses will be available Friday night and all day Saturday.

That's free to kids and kids at heart, Kussart said.
DECATUR  From the first sign of spring, Decatur businesses have been busy sprucing up their landscaping and maintaining property to improve their overall curb appeal.

Many of these local businesses have been participating in Let's Keep Decatur Bee-utiful, and on Tuesday at Millikin University, organizers honored many of them for their exceptional landscaping. The annual competition, which began in 2011, is organized by the Beautify Decatur Coalition.

The university was chosen as the backdrop for the ceremony because it received the Lowe's Best in Show award.

All of the businesses put in an extra effort to making their area beautiful, said competition co-chair Jill Davis.

Awards were given to businesses in three categories: small, medium and large, based on the number of employees. Each category awarded first, second and third place honors. Other awards included the the Speed Lube Continued Excellence, as well as Lowe's Best in Show.

To prepare for the contest, employees trimmed bushes, planted flowers, secured lids on the dumpsters, picked up litter everyday and maintained the building and signs.

That is the criteria for the judges when looking at the businesses and rating them, Davis said.

More than 90 businesses took part, with the winners giving the judges the "wow factor." When Davis and any of the other 10 judges entered the business grounds, their response should have been 'wow,' she said.

Millikin University grounds manager Verneil Phillips said he was surprised by the award. Phillips and his crew of nine create and maintain the landscape and grounds displays throughout the year.

We work hard to get this place beautiful for the students and for the staff so they can walk around and enjoy, he said. It helps the students feel like they are at home.

Phillips has worked at Millikin for 14 years. Although he was aware of the contest, he had never registered for the competition or been nominated by anyone else. Millikin was nominated by someone from the university's alumni office.

Millikin President Patrick White said he understands the connection between the college, the city and keeping it beautiful.

The people in this town care about how this place looks, he said. That is not lost on all of the visitors that come to Millikin University.

He said the families study all aspects of the campus in which they are sending their children. He sees Millikin University as Decatur's university.

We take great pride in being, for a many people, the front door to the city of Decatur, White said.

Next year, Phillips will try to create even better displays, he said. The University Commons will be open, along with other new grounds.

So that will be the new thing to maintain and build up next year, he said.
WASHINGTON  Attorney General Jeff Sessions forcefully told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that any allegation that he participated in collusion with the Russian government to help the Trump campaign win the presidency is an appalling and detestable lie.

Testifying at a packed Senate hearing, Sessions angrily asserted that he was being subjected to secret innuendo and vigorously denied any knowledge of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. He said he believed Russian meddling in the 2016 election was a serious attack on the nations democracy.

The suggestion that I participated in any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government, or hurt this country which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie, said Sessions, who served as a close adviser to candidate Donald Trump during the presidential campaign.

Sessions also vigorously defended his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey last month although he previously had recused himself from the investigation that Comey was leading into Russias role in the campaign and any ties with Trumps aides.

But his refusal to answer questions about his private conversations with President Trump and whether the two had discussed the FBIs investigation into Russian involvement in the election and Comeys role in it angered Democrats, who accused Sessions of stonewalling and impeding a congressional investigation.

In one testy exchange, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said he had had it with stonewalling, by administration officials claiming it is inappropriate to tell us what they know about an attack on our democratic institutions.

I am not stonewalling, Sessions insisted, his voice rising. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice regarding confidential communications with the White House.

Consistent with long-standing Department of Justice practice, I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect confidential communications with the president.

When Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked Sessions if he discussed Trumps firing of Comey, who was leading an investigation into Russian meddling in the election, Sessions said he was not able to discuss with you or confirm or deny the nature of private conversations I may have had with the president on this subject or others.

Sessions defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing when he said he hadnt met with Russian officials during the campaign. He argued that in the context of that hearing, my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it.

The attorney general recused himself from the Justice Department probe into Russian meddling in the campaign on March 2, the day after the Washington Post reported on two previously undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Days after that, Sessions corrected his confirmation hearing testimony to inform the committee about his two meetings with Kislyak.

Ahead of Tuesdays hearing there had been suggestions that Sessions might have had a third, unreported, encounter with Kislyak in April 2016 at Washingtons Mayflower Hotel, where candidate Trump was giving his first major foreign policy speech.

Sessions said he had no recollection of talking with Kislyak at the event, but said it was possible that he had encountered him in a reception that he said was attended by a couple dozen people.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., ridiculed the attention paid to the meeting, saying it suggested that Sessions colluded with the Russians in a public space where hundreds of others were present to pull off greatest caper in history. He injected the one note of levity in the hearing, eliciting Sessions interest in spy novels and forcing him to admit his admiration for Jason Bourne or James Bond movies.

No, Sessions at first replied, before correcting himself to say, Yes, I do.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., triggered a prickly exchange when she asked Sessions whether he had any contact with Russian businessmen or nationals during the campaign. Sessions said he didnt recall any but when he began to qualify his answer, Harris stopped him short, indicating she was permitted only limited time to get her questions in.

Will you let me qualify? Sessions said. If I don't qualify, youll accuse me of lying. So I need to be correct as best I can.

I'm not able to be rushed this fast, he added. It makes me nervous.

Chronicle news services contributed to this report.

Carolyn Lochhead is the San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
BRUSSELS  The European Union warned the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland on Tuesday that they have 24 hours to start taking in refugees under an EU migrant-sharing plan or face legal action.

But the three countries immediately rebuffed the threat and appeared ready to go to court.

The European Commission said in a statement that it has repeatedly urged them to relocate refugees or at least pledge to do so under the legally binding refugee plan agreed two years ago.

But it said they have failed to take action in breach of their legal obligations, and that it has decided to launch infringement procedures.

The plan to share 160,000 refugees in overwhelmed Italy and Greece among other European countries over two years was endorsed in September 2015 by a qualified majority vote.

It was seen as a major plank of the EUs migration policy, and was lauded as a pan-European show of solidarity in 2015 when more than 1 million people arrived in Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs.

But just three months before the September 2017 deadline, fewer than 21,000 people have been relocated. Its unlikely that even a quarter of the refugees originally foreseen under the plan will be moved by then.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against the scheme. Hungary and Slovakia had previously started their own legal action against it.

EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have until Wednesday to change their minds.

There is still time ahead. Lets hope that not only reason but also the European spirit will prevail, Avramopoulos told reporters, lamenting that the three have not done anything for more than one year.

But Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said his country is not ready to change its view of the migrant-sharing plan.

Sobotka said in a statement that the Czech Republic doesnt agree with the relocation system based on migrant quotas. And given the worsened security situation in Europe and also that the quota system is not functioning, it wont participate in it.

He said his government was ready to defend our view at the EU level and at the relevant court institutions.

The Czech Republic was supposed to accept about 2,600 refugees but so far has taken only 12, all of them from Greece.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski warned that the commissions action may deepen the divisions within the EU.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his government considers the infringement procedures to be blackmail and un-European behavior.

Speaking in parliament ahead of the warning, Szijjarto repeated the government position that even the European Commission cannot take away the member states right to decide who it wants to let into their country.

The executive commission is watchdog over the EUs treaties and enforces agreements made between the 28 member states.

Lorne Cook is an Associated Press writer.
HASSAN SHAM U2 CAMP, Iraq  Food poisoning at a camp for displaced residents of Mosul killed at least two people and sickened over 700, Iraqs health minister said Tuesday. Some officials accused a Qatar-based charity of providing tainted food  a claim that could not be confirmed.

A woman and a girl died, and at least 200 people were rushed from the desert tent camp to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil.

An Iraqi lawmaker who visited the camp overnight and Saudi state television quickly accused a charity from Qatar of providing the tainted food. Qatari officials did not immediately answer calls for comment.

In Baghdad, Health Minister Adila Hamoud said 752 people became ill after a meal the previous evening at the Hassan Sham U2 camp, about 13 miles east of Mosul.

The food was meant for an iftar, a meal with which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Hamoud said at least 300 people remain in serious condition. She refused to speculate whether the poisoning might have been intentional.

Amira Abdulhaliq, from the U.N. refugee agency, said it remains unclear at which point in preparing, packaging, transporting or distributing the meals, the food became contaminated.

So far, we have received around 800 cases, around 200 have been transported to the hospitals in Irbil, she said.

The Hassan Sham U2 camp houses thousands who have fled their homes in and around Mosul after a U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive was launched to dislodge the Islamic State from the city last October. According to the U.N. refugee agency, it is home to 6,235 people.

Iraqs second-largest city, Mosul, fell to the Islamic State group in the summer of 2014.

Balint Szlanko and Sinan Salaheddin are Associated Press writers.
1 Syria fighting: Government forces and rebels traded fire across Daraa on Monday as opposition activists warned the government was preparing to try and retake the remainder of the southern city in spite of a de-escalation agreement that came into force a month ago. Daraa is an important link on the highway connecting Damascus to Jordan and was once a key source of customs revenue for the capital. The governments attacks have been concentrated on Daraas Old City and its Palestinian refugee camp, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

2 Qatar rift: Government authorities said Monday that they have begun shipping cargo through Oman to bypass gulf countries that have cut off sea routes to the tiny, energy-rich nation, the latest move by Doha to show it can survive a diplomatic dispute with its neighbors. Qatars port authority published video showing a container ship loaded with cargo arriving from Omans port of Sohar. Typically, cargo for Qatar stops in Dubai or in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, then gets put on smaller boats heading to Doha. But since June 5, the United Arab Emirates has joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in cutting off sea traffic to Qatar as part of the nations severing diplomatic ties over Qatars alleged support of extremists groups and close ties to Iran.
BEIJING  Panama switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China on Tuesday, dealing a major victory to Beijing in its drive to isolate the self-governing island it claims as its own territory.

In Panama, President Juan Carlos Varela announced the change, which entails breaking off formal relations with Taiwan, saying in a televised address that it represents the correct path for our country.

A joint statement released on Monday evening in Panama said Panama and China were recognizing each other and establishing ambassadorial-level relations the same day.

The Government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, the statement read.

Panama had been among the largest economies to have maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The island now has just 20 formal diplomatic partners, 11 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean. The island is also excluded from the United Nations and many other multinational bodies at Chinas insistence.

At the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Panamanian Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo signed a joint communique establishing diplomatic relations, followed by a Champagne toast.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary.

While the sides had maintained an undeclared diplomatic truce for much of the past decade, relations have deteriorated under current Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who took office more than a year ago but has declined to endorse Chinas view that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.

Panama may be the first of several Taiwanese diplomatic allies to switch to China as Beijing steps up pressure on Tsai to recognize its one China principle, said Tang Yonghong, director of the Taiwan Economic Research Center at Xiamen University in southeastern China.

Louise Watt and Juan Zamorano are Associated Press writers.
WASHINGTON  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday the U.S. relationship with Russia is at an all-time low and deteriorating further, yet he cautioned against taking steps that might close off promising avenues of communication between the two former Cold War foes.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson stopped short of registering his opposition to a new package of Russia sanctions the GOP-led Senate is considering in retaliation for Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its aggression in other parts of the world, including Syria and Ukraine.

Tillerson told the committee that he is still reviewing the new sanctions that Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed upon late Monday after lengthy negotiations. He said it is important that President Trump have the flexibility to turn the heat up on Russia if necessary. He also said he doesnt want promising channels of communication preemptively shut down.

Talks with Moscow on stabilizing war-ravaged Syria are progressing, but it is too early to tell if the discussions will bear fruit, Tillerson said.

Top lawmakers on two Senate committees  banking and foreign relations  announced the sanctions deal amid the firestorm over Russias meddling in the presidential election and investigations into Moscows possible collusion with members of Trumps campaign.

The plan calls for strengthening current sanctions and imposing new ones on corrupt Russian actors, those involved in human rights abuses and those supplying weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The package also would require a congressional review if a president attempts to ease or end current penalties.

Penalties also would be slapped on those responsible for malicious cyberactivity on behalf of the Russian government.

The batch of sanctions would be added to a bill imposing penalties on Iran that the Senate is currently debating.

The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and substantially expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria, said Republicans and Democrats on the committees.

A procedural vote on the Russia sanctions is expected Wednesday, and the measure is expected to get strong bipartisan support. The legislation was worked out by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, of the Banking Committee, and Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The legislation also allows new penalties on key elements of the Russia economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.

Richard Lardner is an Associated Press writer.
Cautionary note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement Shell, Shell group and Royal Dutch Shell are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words we, us and our are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. Subsidiaries, Shell subsidiaries and Shell companies as used in this announcement refer to companies over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as joint ventures and joint operations respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as associates. The term Shell interest is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on managements current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing managements expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, goals, intend, may, objectives, outlook, plan, probably, project, risks, schedule, seek, should, target, will and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shells products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. There can be no assurance that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this announcement. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shells 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, June 13, 2017. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
For some time now, employees at the Metzamor Medical Center in Armenias Armavir Province have been allocating a part of their wages to pay the electric bills incurred by the hospital.

It appears that no one at the center has ever filed a complaint.

Every month, nurses and cleaners donate 5%,and doctors,10% of their wages. According to hospital director Mikayel Vanyan, these donations add up to about 1.1 million AMD ($2,280) per month.

The Metzamor Medical Center (MMC) serves around 21,000 residents, of which 11,000 are from surrounding villages.

Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), which produces 40% of the electricity used in the country, is in Metzamor. ANPP is the cheapest power generator in Armenia. It provides electricity to High Voltage Electric Networks for 12 drams, while the MMC pays 44.98 drams to the Electric Networks of Armenia.

"We use a huge amount of gas and electricity in the winter, that costs us around five million drams per month. Thats why we have accumulated debts to the Electric Networks of around 23 million drams," says Vanyan.

The MMC, which includes in-patient, outpatient, and one-shift ambulance services, is consolidated in one place, while most of the building is not renovated. The old wooden windows allow cold air in.

Mikayel Vanyan says that the poor condition of the building is also an obstacle to ensuring normal temperatures in winter and cutting costs.

"The in-patient part hasnt been renovated since the 1980s. The windows are from those days. Except for the resuscitation department, one part of the children's department and the operating room, where some repairs have been made, the rest is in bad condition," Vanyan says.

The polyclinic section was repaired two years ago with World Bank funding. It has also been furnished with modern equipment.

Traces of the 1980s are still to be seen in the corridors of the outpatient part of the hospital, wards and toilets. Walls are wet, covered with big cracks and fallen plaster. Management has found a partial solution. Holes and cracks have been covered with posters.

The director says that all the employees have written letters to the owner of the electric networks, asking to freeze the debt. Mikayel Vanyan says that this year's expenditure will somehow be covered by the funds donated to the medical center, but they cannot repay the entire debt.

"By saving, weve drastically reduced electricity, medicine, fuel costs and all our economic expenses over the years. But we still need to have a budget. The salary fund is 254 million drams, and the volume of state orders is 212 million. Of course, we put the main emphasis on paid services, " Vanyan says.

The centers paid services, through which it tries to alleviate its financial burden, comprise 30% of total services; a serious number.

Vanyan says they are very excited about the new government's policy that will liberalize the budget and pay medical facilities based on performance.

Optimization activities have also had a role in the efforts to save. The staff has been reduced from 237 to 191 in the last three years.

Vanyan says if the budget is liberalized, the Metzamor Medical Center will recover.

According to the governments decision, every other year, medical centers should be financed by an amount not less than for the current year's work.

Vanyan says that in 2014, without providing any justification, financial support for the services of the infectious and pediatric departments was reduced by 18 million drams. Since then, the amount of funding has decreased every year. Thats when the MMCs problems started.

The MMC director says that all the ministers have been contacted on this issue, but it hasnt been solved.

The medical center has other debts, too. For example, it owes 3 million drams for medications and water. Taxes go unpaid. In general, debts total 45 million drams. The center always pays salaries.

Not to accumulate new debt, medicines are now purchased in limited quantities, using the cash they have. This may be enough for one week.

As in other regional hospitals, some of the MMCs equipment is quite old. For example, the X-ray machine dates to the 1980s. Most of the equipment was produced in those years. Two years ago, a specialist was invited to repair most of the equipment so that it could be used. This is not a solution.

Only the equipment in surgical department, intensive care unit, and polyclinic is new. Paid services revenue allows them to update a bit, but at a rate that will take many years.

Mikayel Vanyan says that both conditions in the building and equipment cannot be compared with hospitals in Yerevan, and that's why the provincial patients continue to go to the capital for medical care.

"We have no shortage of patients - we lack finances. Our only problem is that our work is not being paid for, " Vanyan says.

In his opinion, the solution is the following. There are medical clinics in rural communities that have job positions of directors, accountants, operators. According to Vanyan's rough calculations, these staff members annually receive around 120 million drams in the rural communities of Armavir Province.

In his opinion, it would be better if these medical clinics operated under the administration of provincial hospitals and that the 120 million was distributed among those hospitals.

Mikayel Vanyan raised one more issue. There are unused buildings, like the polyclinic building in the city center, that belong to the Metzamor Medical Center. The government proposes to sell the unused buildings and repair the medical center with that amount.
Armenian Minister of Emergency Situations David Tonoyan in Yerevan today met with a NATO delegation led by James Appathuria, the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Tonoyan and Appathurai are said to have discussed expanding Armenia-NATO cooperation regarding decreasing the risk of disasters and increasing seismic resistance and civil infrastructure readiness as part of the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme.

Also discussed was the need for regional cooperation with the application of NATO mechanisms.

In the realm of regional cooperation, we are open to
ROME: Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Monday agreed to language on an array of environmental topics, while said that the US stood apart from the other six countries on confronting climate change.

A 15-page communique released at the end of the two-day ministerial summit made it clear there was a wide gap on the climate stance between US and the other six countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement is the latest indication of the growing gap between the US and other major world economies when it comes to the priority of confronting climate change and helping the world transition to cleaner forms of energy since US President Donald Trump said he planned to abandon the Paris Agreement on climate change on June 1.

At the G7 ministerial talks in Bologna, Trump's main envoy, Environmental Protection Agency director Scott Pruitt, left the talks to return to Washington only a few hours after his arrival.

In his remarks at the close of the talks, Minister of Economy Gian Luca Galletti from host Italy, said ministers "agreed on everything except for climate."

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Mark Intoccia didn't have to go very far to live his dream.

The 33-year-old -- who was born and raised in Richmond -- recently opened his own bakery, Mark's Bake Shoppe, a charming roadside sweet shop lined with white tile walls, in his home community.

"My first job was when I was 15 in David's Bake Shop in Prince's Bay," he said. "David was related to Andrew & Alan's Bakery in New Dorp. I learned German baking from them."

"With so many Italian bakeries, I thought an American bakery with German influence would work," Intoccia added.

The bakery -- located at 3479 Richmond Road -- carries a full selection of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, strudel and breads, some of which are vegan and contain no dairy or animal byproducts.

"Our shop is what we would like to call modern American -- like our Nutella pretzel/potato chip cookies with German influences, apple strudel and German chocolate cake," the young pastry maker said, stressing "simple is best."

"[We make] each item fresh, in small batches, from scratch, and often. We hope that when you eat our desserts, you say to yourself, 'That's what it's supposed to taste like.'"

Intoccia and his wife, Amanda, are have deep roots in the Richmond community: Both went to nearby St. Patrick's School.

And the business is a family affair. Intoccia has even tagged his confections with names like "Jo-Jo's Cookies" after one of his sons, Joseph.

While Mark's Bake Shoppe gets off the ground, Intoccia said he continues to work full time in Manhattan in market research sales.

"I go into the bakery before and after my city job, as well as spending the weekends there," he said.

But it's a sacrifice Intoccia said is well worth it.

"Anything in life you have a passion for, you should follow."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- FDNY/EMS Station 7 and the North Shore Animal League America are joining forces to organize an Adopt an Animal day on Saturday from 12-5 p.m. at the Manhattan station to honor the life of Lt. JoAnn Restko, a Staten Island resident who tragically died in a hiking accident in the Adirondack mountains one year ago.

"For JoAnn, something that was very dear to her was animals," said Lt. Bruce Hydock, who worked with Restko at Station 7, located on West 23rd Street in Chelsea, in a post on the FDNY Facebook page.

Restko, an Arden Heights resident, was especially fond of her beloved rescue dog, Beanie, who aided her during her dedicated service to the FDNY.

Hydock added, "She was a lover of animals and an animal activist who donated a lot of money and spent a lot of her time at different animal rescue agencies." Restko's love and dedication to animals profoundly exemplifies the selflessness that was so often described by those close to her.

Restko died June 18, 2016 in a fall while hiking at Roaring Brook Falls.

Denise Restko, JoAnn's sister, described her at the time as "adventurous" and "fun," adding that, "She loved life and she loved the world."

The memorial pet adoption event seeks to commemorate the life of Restko by preserving her caring spirit by helping animals find a loving home.

"For something that is so important to her, we feel that having an animal adoption day in honor of Lieutenant JoAnn Restko will help keep her memory alive," Hydock said.

The event will feature a mobile adoption unit which will have dogs, cats, puppies and kittens up for adoption to anyone who wishes to attend.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- He'll have company soon.

The first of three siblings, who authorities said ran a borough-wide cocaine ring along with his two brothers, was sentenced to prison Tuesday for his role in the operation.

Alamir Lewis was sentenced to 42 months behind bars, plus three years post-release supervision.

Alamir Lewis, then 34, and his brothers, Alphonso Lewis, then 31, and Toriano Lewis, then 28, were busted in February in the culmination of a five-month undercover operation dubbed "All in the Family," according to District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.

Authorities said the defendants peddled drugs in various neighborhoods throughout the borough, including Grasmere, Bulls Head, Castleton Corners, Oakwood and Dongan Hills.

Most of the deals were done in a car, prosecutors said.

A search warrant executed at one location yielded about 40 grams of cocaine, said authorities.

A fourth man, Eric Moore, then 21, who is unrelated to the siblings, was previously arrested and indicted in January on similar charges in connection with the undercover operation, authorities said.

Moore was found in possession of heroin and indicted on charges of criminal sale of cocaine, said officials.

In March, Moore pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to six months in jail and five years' probation, online state court records show.

Last month, Alphonso and Toriano Lewis each pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, the top count against them.

In exchange for their guilty pleas, Alphonso Lewis will be sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years' post-release supervision. Toriano Lewis will be sentenced to 42 months behind bars and two years' post-release supervision, said their lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci.

Those sentencings are scheduled for July 11.

Alamir Lewis pleaded guilty two weeks ago in state Supreme Court, St. George, to the same charge as his brothers.

Matthew Blum represented him.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Staten Island Community Partnership Program and Richmond University Medical Center's Trauma Program will be hosting mass casualty training at the West Brighton hospital's Sipp Auditorium Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon.

The free training, which is open to the public, will include an interactive, skill-based course entitled Bleeding Control Basic (B-CON), which is part of the Stop the Bleed Campaign initiated by the National Security Council Staff and members of the Hartford Consensus.

B-CON, which is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, is focused on providing credible and timely information on bleeding control.

The course was designed following the tragedy of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The mass casualty training program is intended to equip civilians with the knowledge and skills to stop bleeding in emergency situations. This training is considered especially useful for school staff, service providers, community leaders, childcare providers and caregivers.

The course will begin with a PowerPoint presentation, and then attendees will be able to demonstrate what they learned through a subsequent skill station.

At the conclusion of the program, each participant will receive a certificate for the Bleeding Control Basic v.1.0 program.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A repeat felon from Clifton, who attacked a female cop and tried to wrest away her gun during a struggle last year in Richmond University Medical Center, could spend the rest of his life behind bars under a plea agreement reached Tuesday.

Dante Martin, 36, pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to second-degree assault stemming from the harrowing Aug. 28, 2016 episode in the West Brighton hospital in which a patient interceded on the officer's behalf.

He also pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree criminal weapon possession with respect to an arrest three days earlier on Aug. 25.

Martin was initially busted after cops responded around 10:30 p.m. to a 911 call of a man with a gun menacing a woman near 55 Holland Ave., Mariners Harbor, said prosecutors.

Martin bolted when cops approached him, dropping a loaded black .40-caliber Glock, authorities said.

After he was nabbed, Martin requested medical attention and was admitted to Richmond University, where he was placed under police guard.

The defendant said he needed treatment for a seizure condition, according to a law enforcement source.

Subsequently at about 7:35 a.m. on Aug. 28, Martin told the officer guarding him he needed to use the bathroom, and she removed his handcuffs.

The defendant attacked her, wrapped his arms around her and took her to the ground, said prosecutors. He got on top of the cop, punched her and grabbed the top part of her holster in a bid to remove her gun, prosecutors said.

The officer screamed for help, and hospital security and another patient, Rafael Muniz, responded.

Muniz, then 42, told the Advance Martin was straddling the cop, and his hand was around the gun which was halfway out of the holster.

Muniz said he grabbed Martin's hand.

"I said, 'You don't have to do this. Just let it go, bro,'" Muniz said. "He looked at me and said, 'But my finger is on the trigger.'"

Then, according to Muniz, Martin had "a moment of clarity" and removed his finger from the trigger.

Other officers entered the room and arrested the defendant as he struggled with them, said prosecutors.

A tall, big-bodied man with a shaven head and eyeglasses, Martin was garbed Tuesday in a white T-shirt and orange scrub pants.

He made no statement beyond admitting guilt, responding, "Yes" and "No" to Justice William E. Garnett's questions.

In exchange for his pleas, Martin will be sentenced July 10 as a persistent violent felon to concurrent prison terms of 12 years to life.

As a persistent violent felon, Martin's sentence requires a lifetime component.

The defendant has three prior convictions, arising from two incidents.

He was convicted of assault in 1998 after being accused of shooting a woman in the face, and was sentenced to seven and a half to 15 years in prison, according to Advance reports and online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Martin was paroled in October 2007, and was convicted the following year of assault and attempted criminal weapon possession stemming from a January 2008 shooting in Mariners Harbor, the Advance reported.

As court officers escorted the defendant from the courtroom after Tuesday's proceeding, he turned to two women seated in the audience and said, "Love you."

"He feels very bad that the officer had gotten injured," defense lawyer Dawn Florio said outside court. "His heart goes out to her and her family."

In a statement, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon scorned Martin's attack on the cop, calling it "cowardly."

"The brave men and women of the NYPD risk their lives every day to protect us, which is why my office will continue to vigorously prosecute anyone who attempts to do them harm," said McMahon.

Assistant District Attorney Adam Silberlight is prosecuting the case.
A New York City Department of Education regulation regarding political candidates and campaigns is crystal clear: "While on duty or in contact with students, all school personnel shall maintain a posture of complete neutrality with respect to all candidates."

Political neutrality in public school settings is also a matter of both common sense and common decency. Students are a captive audience, a fact underscored by the state's compulsory education law. They come from diverse backgrounds and hold equally diverse beliefs, political and otherwise. Many of those beliefs are engendered by their parents at an early age and reiterated, often dogmatically, as they mature. Teachers, on the other hand, are authority figures in an inherently imposing academic milieu. This facilitates a presumption that what comes from their mouths merits due deference.

Teachers who gratuitously espouse their political preferences to students exploit the stark inequality of the relationship between them. Thus, instead of educating young minds, they prey on them. At the same time, the student-victims lack the wherewithal to do anything other than sit there and take it. Which, conceptually, makes these teachers no better than traditional bullies whom society condemns in a multitude of areas, including, ironically, school playgrounds.

Instigating discord

By using their classrooms as platforms for political indoctrination, teachers, especially those who are well-regarded, may also be igniting serious discord between impressionable students and parents with firmly-held, contrary beliefs. This is not to suggest, of course, that political differences between parents and their kids are bad per se. But if they are to arise in the home to the point of becoming seriously divisive, it should be because the children have formed judgments of their own free will, and not because they've been intellectually mugged in their classrooms.

As it turns out, however, neither the DOE's explicitly-mandated political neutrality nor the dictates of common sense and common decency were enough to deter two Staten Island teachers from promoting a partisan political message in front of their students.

According to a Feb. 17 Advance report, Adria Zawatsky, a sixth-grade English teacher at Paulo Intermediate School in Huguenot, gave her students a homework assignment that required them to fill in the blanks in various sentences with appropriate words from a given list. One of the sentences read: "President Trump speaks in a very superior and (blank) manner insulting many people. He needs to be more (blank) so that the American people respect and admire him." The appropriate answers were deemed to be "haughty" and "humble."'

A parent objects

In a calculated contrast, a second sentence offered this positive perspective of Trump's predecessor: "Barack Obama set a (blank) when he became the first African American president." The correct answer this time was "precedent." Vincent Ungro, whose 11-year-old daughter received the assignment, had the girl return the homework without filling in the blanks for the Trump and Obama sentences. Instead, he told Zawatsky in an handwritten note: "Please keep your political beliefs to yourself and do not try to influence my daughter." Unrepentant and undeterred, Zawatsky took 15 points off the girl's grade for not answering the questions, insisting in a reply note, that she wasn't expressing a political view but, rather, referring to Trump's "personality traits."

As Ungro told the Advance, however, there are countless sentences in which those words could have been used without forcing 11-year-old kids to disparage Trump. Thus, while Zawatsky may well be a good teacher generally, her behavior here was outrageous and her response to Ungro palpably stupid. A letter of reprimand has been placed in her file.

Last week, the New York Post reported that Alfred Teutonico, a teacher at Susan Wagner High School, has also received a letter of reprimand following a finding by the Special Commissioner of Investigation that he made "political comments" that "were unrelated to the topic of the class lesson."

A student complains

The disciplinary action followed a student complaint that Teutonico had repeatedly used the first two to three minutes of each class leading up to last November's election to severely criticize then-candidate Donald Trump, labeling him, among other things, a "rapist" and a "dictator." Teutonico also reportedly became furious over a student's wearing a Trump "Make America Great Again" hat, and proceeded to challenge the youngster about the policies behind the hat.

Calling Trump a "rapist" is something one would expect from radical leftists on a frenzied march, not a supposedly educated man, in a classroom, entrusted with young minds. Given the egregiousness of Teutonico's misconduct, and the brazenness with which it was repeatedly perpetrated, a letter of reprimand is hardly sufficient discipline, nor is it likely to deter other teachers seized by rabid partisanship and committed to indoctrinating their students. Finally, the fact that Teutonico apparently felt comfortable bashing Trump day after day supports troubling speculation that a lot more of this is, indeed, going on in the city's school system.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Great Kills man who stuck up a tanning salon in his community last year won't be lying in the sun very much for the next few years.

Jared Krysiak was sentenced Thursday to 42 months in prison and five years' post-release supervision.

Authorities said Krysiak, 27, entered the Tanning Loft at 4012 Hylan Blvd. just before 10:30 a.m. on June 28, 2016.

Brandishing a gun, the defendant demanded cash from a worker, said police.

The employee, police said, handed over about $107 before the defendant ran from the salon.

In early July, police sought the public's help identifying the suspect and released surveillance footage of the man wanted in the heist, taken from cameras along Hylan.

Police confirmed Krysiak is the man in the surveillance video.

Krysiak was arrested on July 21.

In March, the defendant pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted second-degree robbery to satisfy all charges against him.

Krysiak has previously spent time behind bars.

In January 2014, he was convicted of a drug-related offense in Ocean County, N.J., and sentenced to six months in jail and five years' probation, according to statements made in court.

Assistant District Attorney Kate Malloy prosecuted the Staten Island case.

Joshua Benjamin represented Krysiak.
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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Mid-week already Canberra!

After an overnight low of minus 2 degrees there's a bit of frost and fog around town this morning.

Temperatures will heat up to a sunny 15 degrees, that's the hottest we are tipped to get until the weekend.

On this day in 1900 Hawaii became a United States territory, it was also the day in 1946 Donald J Trump was born, making today his 71st birthday.

If you're curious (we were), this is the President's horoscope as per Alison Moroney in today's Canberra Times:
Tensions between the family of murdered Canberra mother-of-three Sabah Al-Mdwali and her convicted killer and husband erupted in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Family members of Ms Al-Mdwali read out victim impact statements detailing the horrific impact the killing has had on her children and the rest of the family since her murder in March 2015.

Maged Al-Harazi was sentenced to 30 years in Canberra's jail for killing his wife. He will likely be deported upon his release.

Her then-husband Maged Mohommed Ahmed Al-Harazi, 36, had previously been found guilty of the horrific murder of his then-wife, stabbing her 57 times as she tried to breastfeed her infant son.

But as Ms Al-Mdwali's brother read out a victim impact statement from her father in court today, Al-Harazi started yelling at the brother in Arabic, and saying in English he was "saying bad things" about him.
A deputy commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office has resigned on the same day he appeared in court for the first time following an investigation into a $130 million tax fraud scheme.

Michael Bede Cranston, 59, is charged with two Commonwealth offences of using information obtained in his capacity as a public official and exercising influence in his capacity as a public official.

The 35-year veteran of the ATO, who was considered to have an "illustrious" career until he was charged on May 17, had been suspended while the criminal matter was afoot.

He has since chosen to resign, effective from Tuesday.
Investors reacted positively to plans by CSL to make its first acquisition in China, pushing the shares to new all-time highs on its move which will give it on-the-ground access to its fastest-growing market for blood products.

CSL said it would pay $US352 million ($465.6 million) for an initial 80 per cent stake in Wuhan Zhong Yuan Rui De Biological Products Co from Humanwell Healthcare Group. The company operates a blood fractionation plant in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, as well as four plasma collection centres.

The company operates a blood fractionation plant in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, as well as four blood collection centres. Credit:James Davis

Optimism that the move will give CSL better access to China saw its shares pushed to a closing peak of $137.65, a gain of 1.9 per cent on the day with the shares one of the most actively traded on the day. Its shares have risen by more than a third so far this year.

Under the terms of the deal, CSL may buy out the remaining 20 per cent of Ruide under an agreed formula in future, although it is anticipated Humanwell will retain its holding in the venture for some time.
Corporate raider, Ariadne run by Dr Gary Weiss, has issued a notice of intention to call for an extraordinary general meeting in a bid to gain shareholder approval to appoint four directors to the Ardent Leisure board, and consequently gain control.

Ariadne owns 9.86 per cent, with Viburnum Funds, and has been seeking two seats at the table to push along changes within Ardent. Calling an EGM requires a stake in a company of at least 5 per cent.

But only a day after Ardent announced that the board had fast-tracked Simon Kelly as the new chief executive to replace Deborah Thomas, Dr Weiss has called for a shareholder meeting to boost it to four seats.

Aside from Dr Weiss, Ariadne is looking to add Kevin Seymour to the board, along with Brad Richmond and Andrew Hedges, and has been agitating for change at the embattled Ardent group.
Vile visual pollution I would like to express my extreme disappointment, sadness and disgust at the escalation of "tagging" in Canberra generally but particularly in the Woden, Weston Creek area. We moved to Canberra 13 years ago and apart from the odd scribble there was virtually no graffiti and tagging. In the past two years particularly it has become rampant and an abhorrent blight on our landscape. Visitors to Canberra are appalled at the way in which this vandalism has been allowed to get completely out of control. Major roads such as Hindmarsh Drive are an absolute disgrace and for a city that claims to pride itself on beautiful landscapes, dignity and as the nation's capital, the so called "jewel in the crown", the government should be utterly ashamed of itself. Surely there could be an allocation of funding to clean this mess up and prioritise ongoing maintenance to prevent what has been allowed to happen.

I understand that there will always be patches of graffiti in odd places, but to allow our major roads to be desecrated in this way is beyond comprehension. We visited Adelaide recently and I can assure you that all graffiti there is removed within 24 hours. Perhaps they treasure their city and its environment far more than we do ours. We have travelled extensively and apart from Rome, Canberra would be the worst graffiti vandalised city anywhere. Jenny Chapman, Fisher Mistakes disregarded

Darren Randal (Letters, June 13) points out the inability of the ACT government's planning agency to make the best of the amenity and scenery around Lake Tuggeranong. Unfortunately, he selected the Kingston foreshore as a positive example of what could be done. I am constantly bemused that I can eat at any restaurant along Trevillian Quay and look directly into the verandahs of the apartments opposite; likewise, the residents on the balconies can look down on diners. A view of the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin can only be glimpsed if I frequent the pub at the lake end of the Quay walkway. The ACT government has a long and sorry history of poor planning. For example, Belconnen residents have always appreciated the view of Lake Ginninderra that can be seen fleetingly as we park our cars at Belconnen Mall, rather than being able to enjoy the panorama of the lake over a leisurely repast. The genome of ACT planners seems to favour hiding our magnificent views from public appreciation. Seriously though, it would be a tremendous leap forward if our city planners could learn from past mistakes.

Surely, planning for future developments should provide better access to Canberra's magnificent scenery and improve the amenity of areas where people gather. J. Grant, Gowrie Clearing the air Paul E. Bowler (Letters, June 8) starts with two fundamental misconceptions about both Hare-Clark and Senate voting, and tries to finesse the inevitable difficulties inherent in any detailed variant of his incipient proposal. Although multiple vacancies are being filled in each electorate, we each have a single transferable vote, indicating the order in which candidates can be assisted by what remains unused of it.

That puts all elected candidates on the same footing once they achieve the quota, and limits the maximum level of wasted votes, namely those that fail to contribute to someone's election. While it makes sense for voters to mark as many preferences as possible in pursuit of their maximum available influence, under Hare-Clark just a single first preference is accepted as formal. Giving electors as many first preferences to allocate as there are vacancies would raise the prospect of some having all of these effective while others had just a few or none at all contributing to someone's election. This could mean a party with greatest support taking all the vacancies, well out of kilter with its actual public standing. Bogey Musidlak, Proportional Representation Society of Australia (ACT Branch) Some respect required for jungle sacrifices made on our behalf

On a recent visit to Canberra I came across the Kokoda Memorial located outside the Services Club site in Manuka. The statue depicts a wounded Australian soldier being helped by a Papua New Guinean, known as a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel, during the famous Kokoda Track campaign. I only noticed the statue by chance as it is completely dwarfed by a beer company sign and a large tank. Unless you look carefully you would not realise the statue was there. The statue commemorates possibly the most iconic event of Australia's World War II history.

Simpson and his donkey, displayed prominently outside the War Memorial, is the First World War equivalent. It has become a significant Canberra attraction. The Kokoda memorial statue ought to be given similar prominence and respect. Peter Kearney, Lanena, Tas True basis of strategy Nicholas Stuart makes some valid points in his article ("Changing nature of war may undo us", June 13, p17).

Not everything is as he portrays, however. In particular, his assertion that strategic thinking begins and ends with equipment capabilities is not correct, nor is his statement that "our Abrams tanks are ageneration too old to fight inIraq". Defence strategy starts with two fundamentals: the "warning time" for enemy intentions to become clear; and the "lead time" to acquire equipment and train personnel to operate and maintain it. Coupled with alliances, these considerations drive defence policy, from the size of the standing defence force and readiness levels, to industry participation and stockpiling requirements. It was General Cosgrove as Chief of the Defence Force who stated that our then Leopard tanks could not be deployed to Iraq because "they would be anageing orphan among our allies". This was not, of itself, reason to prevent them participating in that campaign (our Centurions were operated successfully as ageing orphans in Vietnam).

The nature of warfare more recently, however, means that interoperability is essential. All sea, land, and air platforms in a theatre of operations must be able to communicate with each other, as well as with command centres. It is the responsibility of the ADF to maintain this capability in accord with the relevant warning and lead times (both in terms of equipment interface and logistic support). Bruce Cameron, Campbell In explaining that there can never be long-term guarantees about the effectiveness of any new weapons system, no matter how top-of-the-market world-beating they may be in the contemporary world, Nicholas Stuart is spot on ("Changing nature of war may undo us", June 13, p17).

By the time the new submarines we have ordered have been built and are in service in 50 years' time, there will very probably exist technology capable of detecting them: they will no longer possess the invisibility that is their main asset. To reinforce his point, Stuart gives many other examples of new weapons that have been effective only until technology devises an answer to them. He could have chosen many more  the arms race started with a better kind of spear, andan improved shield to counter it. The modern nuclear weapon is an exception to this general rule. Ever since president Ronald Reagan announced his anti-missile project, dubbed Star Wars, back in the '80s, no reliable defensive shield to a fleet of intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with multiple hydrogen bomb warheads and travelling at six kilometres per second has been found, despite the best efforts of scientists over many decades and billions of dollars expended. At last we have come to a point where there is no military answer to a weapon, and security must be sought in politics. A political solution to the other weapons systems would also be wonderful, but it would involve a degree of international collaboration never yet achieved.

Harry Davis, Campbell Your columnist Nicholas Stuart is incorrect in asserting, in his article "Changing nature of war may undo us", that sonar was a World War II development. While the technology, originally known as ASDIC, was not operational by the end of World War I, it was well along the development path with thefirst patent for an echo sounding device issued in 1912. Work on a (British) naval prototype began in 1916 and both France and Britain had constructed working prototypes by the end of World WarI. Research continued during the interwar period and by 1939 several ships in the British fleet were ASDIC equipped.

Britain supplied the highly secret technology to the US at no cost long before that nation officially entered the war. M. Moore, Bonython Truly a wailing wall The Great Wall of Parliament House is appearing. It's ugly. It's as senseless as any wall (buy a drone!). Its symbolism is tragic. It's from a furtive parliamentary process taking advantage of a minor act of interruption that was a major act of democratic protest. Shame on our pusillanimous, deceptive politics. Deal with real issues, like climate, inequality, housing, NBN, even the budget: there's no shortage after years of political failure.

This wall will stand as a symbol of shame and utter despair for our demeaned politics. Eric Pozza, Red Hill Now that's a penalty Why is our federal government so intent on screwing over the little guy? There is no evidence that cutting people's penalty rates will increase jobs. There is, however, on the increased inequality that it will cause.

Our investment banker Prime Minister doesn't want tohear from you unless you'rerich. The most vulnerable members of our community seem to be slowly crippled with every new policy that is made. I am sick and tired of the men on the hill living in luxury while we are stressing over how to make it through the week. Cutting penalty rates has entirely cut my support for our government. Andrew McGregor, Isabella Plains

TO THE POINT DIRTY WEEKEND Fifty thousand fellow Canberrans will be affected by the reduction in weekend penalty rates, so grossly unfair it's not funny. Many of these people provide services that the well heeled (lots being pollies and their support crew) take advantage of every weekend. And now they will need to throw even less shekels their way. Gerard De Ruyter, Wanniassa THE WRONG MAN

I object to Thos Puckett (Letters, June 12) claiming that Boris Johnson is "Britain's answer to Donald Trump". Boris Johnson badly needs a comb, but he had a successful career as mayor of London, is highly intelligent, writes well and appears to be genuinely funny. None of those apply to Trump. Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW If Boris Johnson gets to be Britain's next Prime Minister, we'll have our two closest allies leaders with the worst hairstyles in the history of the Free World. Brian Bell, Isabella Plains No, no, no, Thos Puckett (Letters, June 13), no way is Boris Johnson Britain's answer to Donald Trump. Boris is well educated, intelligent, literate and articulate.

M. Jackson, Kambah SCHOOLS TO HELP I remember when Greek children went to government schools and attended Greek school run by the Greek community on Saturdays to learn Greek language and culture. Why can't Muslim immigrants do this? It would help them integrate into the wider community. M. Davis, Charnwood

UNCLE VLAD STRIKES The arbitrary arrest, detention and third degree treatment of those protesting corruption in Russia makes one wonder whether the Stalinist communist state has been resurrected by the Putin regime. It certainly does not resemble democracy. Rajend Naidu, Glenfield WATCH THIS SPACE

Ten-year-old Barron Trump has moved into the White House. Should we expect to see an improvement in Donald Trump's spelling on Twitter? Peter Moran, Watson DEITY IS LAUGHING Luca Biason (Letters, June 13) has not heeded the old saying: "God must have a sense of humour. Otherwise He would not have made us the way we are." Jack Monaghan, Lyneham
A paper published last week by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute underlined the powerful impact this perception can have on how we spend money. It found that since the global financial crisis, for every $100,000 increase in property values, middle-aged home owners were likely to increase their consumption by up to $1600 a year. This is known as a "wealth effect", where households change behaviour because they're feeling richer, thanks to gains in their paper wealth. The wealth effect of recent years was not as pronounced as before the global financial crisis, the paper said. But even so, the feeling of greater wealth among home owners has helped to support household consumption in recent years, economists say. It's also true that people who own a property purely for investment purposes are clearly better off when house prices rise.

But rising home prices aren't as beneficial to many owner-occupiers as they might appear to be. Why? Because housing is both something that we consume, and an asset. That means it is a large source of wealth, but at the same time, we all need to pay for some amount of housing, whether it's through renting or buying. When that cost increases it means we have less to spend on other things. In practice, exploiting the unrealised capital gain in a house that you also live in will probably involve some big trade-offs, as many readers would be aware.

Some of these trade-offs have become increasingly obvious during the more recent years of the boom. One way to tap into that extra value is to sell the house. But of course, you'll still need somewhere to live, and comparable properties will have become just as expensive. In other words, you'll have to trade down in some way to end up ahead financially. That's not always easy to do in a city like Sydney. Another way to access the wealth is by taking out a loan against your house. But Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe last month suggested households were "much less inclined" to withdraw equity from their homes today, perhaps because of their already sizeable debt loads.

"Many of us feel that we have enough debt and don't want to increase consumption using borrowed money," Lowe said. The last few years have also demonstrated just how powerful property booms are in redistributing wealth in favour of those who already own property. As many baby boomers are finding out, one of the simplest ways they can help their adult kids counter this trend is through the "bank of mum and dad"  tapping into their own superannuation or housing wealth to help their children afford a home. National Australia Bank and Westpac last year confirmed loans guaranteed by family members were growing more quickly than the broader home loan market, while this February the RBA said the proportion of first home buyers who received a loan from family or friends has climbed higher in recent decades, to more than 10 per cent. This trend is only likely to continue, and it has consequences for the parents' wealth, too.

As Lowe pointed out in a speech last year, if more parents choose to pass on their wealth to help their kids into the housing market, that leaves less wealth for the parents to spend on themselves. While the bank of mum and dad may seem like a modern phenomenon, we've been talking about these issues for more than two decades. In 1995, a future Reserve Bank governor named Ian Macfarlane pointed out the illusion of higher housing wealth. "The enhanced wealth is in a form which is unlikely to be realised  how many of us sell our house and live in something of lower quality in order to 'cash in' the higher wealth for use in some other form of expenditure? "Moreover, while periods of strong increase in house prices make the present owners of housing richer, they also make those next in the queue poorer," he was later quoted as saying.
I work hard and I am a proud Australian citizen with a great love for this country. We make sure our kids, born here, appreciate everything that is Australian and acknowledge it's history. It's in our blood. It's politicians that demean the hard work and Australian patriotism that migrants have taken on. Get a grip. Krish Patel Leichhardt Keeping Islamic terrorists in isolation in a "supermax" high-security prison is an effective way of stopping their evil propaganda in a general prison population. I find calls for rehabilitation both naive and dangerous. And yes, there is the risk that if these terrorists were released they could be even more extreme in their beliefs. So why release them? Phil Johnson Dee Why No need to give CSG project to be given approval

What is the case for approving Santos' proposed massive coal seam gas (CSG) project in northern NSW? (" 'Sitting ducks': Santos' CSG gaps highlighted by farmers", June 13). The people are against it (more than 23,000  a record number  of submissions from the public, an estimated 98 per cent against the project) and it clearly risks a lot of precious things: our water, food, soil, farmers' health and livelihoods, and climate (as CSG releases methane, which is up to 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas compared to CO), and even insurance companies refuse to insure farmers against the risk. The CSG project must be essential or overwhelmingly beneficial, in order for any go-ahead to make sense. But Australia already has plenty of gas, and globally we're estimated to face a gas glut as capacity increases at the same time as demand falls. I hope the NSW government does the right thing by us, as the only case for approving the Santos project is ideological. Danya Luo Marsfield Alan Finkell says that keeping electricity costs down, avoiding blackouts and keeping emissions below two per cent should all be given equal weighting. A risk analysis asks two questions; how likely is a thing to happen and how severe are the likely consequences. It is very likely all three will fail but the possible consequences of even half an extra degree of warming must far outweigh the other two. Maybe their equivalence computes in politics but not in the real world. Paul Hopmeier Lane Cove

Please! Crowdfunding urgently required to dispatch Tony Abbott to the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. The exercise is to allow a climate sceptic to discover and explain a large crack. The Australian public deserves some Abbott-free time. David Goldstein Balgowlah Frustrating NBN far less important than the landline Our family has also found the NBN to be a complete failure (Letters, June 12). Unfortunately for us, this came at a most difficult and distressing time. My husband was battling a brain tumour when we received a letter from Optus in February, telling us it was time to change over to the NBN, and implying our current service would be disconnected if we did not. After agreeing to the change, to occur on March 1, we have completely lost access to the internet  both our old service and the promised NBN. In addition, we lost our land line at this time. The disconnection of the land line was particularly traumatising, as it was the only form of communication my husband was able to use due to his brain tumour, as well as being a means for overseas and interstate family and friends to contact him. Obviously internet based communication was also impossible as we had no service. We remain without service now in June, over three months later. This, despite dozens of long phone calls to Optus  as well as 2 other telcos  which all included the usual frustrations of hour long customer service line waiting times, and the familiar polite but disinterested interactions with off-shore based service representatives. In the midst of this, my husband passed away. Dealing with end of life activities, such as communicating news of his death to loved ones near and far, organising a funeral, and the other minutiae involved after someone dieshas been exceptionally trying without internet or landline. This letter no doubt reflects some of the deep frustration experienced by many, many Australians around the country. Claude Bilinsky's widow, Bellevue Hill

Can somebody tell me what sort of lunacy Australia has come to in pursuit of "the clever country"when the frail, aged and disabled who rely on a fixed line home phone as an essential link with the outside world are mandated to move to NBN by July. I have not heard of one household where it has been a smooth transition. If the power fails, these vulnerable people will be without a phone, even if they have a life-threatening medical condition including a "Vital Call" service. Unbelievably there is no black up backup plan. My 90-year-old mother is daily bombarded with "threatening" letters from Telstra telling her to join up or her phone will be cut off. On her behalf I have been given confusing and contradictory information (yes she needs to change, no she doesn't as there will be lines kept open for years, and finally YES she must). What of people who do not have family to make arrangements for them? Sue Outram Hamilton East Strike fighter jet an expensive dud The Australian Department of Defence has a propensity for selecting duds when it comes to military procurement. Second-hand Abrams tanks, Sea King helicopters, Collins-class submarines to name a few ("Australia's next generation fighter jets grounded after starving pilots of oxygen"' SMH.com.au, June 13). Add to that the F35A strike fighter jet yet to be delivered. Pilots being able to breathe should be seen as a priority. This plane is an obvious expensive dud and should be dropped and replaced by a more reliable jet such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. Continuing with the F35A strike fighter could end up as the most costly mistake ever made by government. It's time for a rethink. Greg Thomas Annandale

People the problem If the headline read thousands we might be able to help ("Famine stalks millions as aid efforts fall short"' June 12). Just as the refugee issue would be manageable if the numbers were in the hundreds  not hundreds of thousands. Virtually every problem one can think of would be mitigated by a reduced population. Less demand is the solution, not more supply. Housing in Sydney will never be considered affordable until supply exceeds demand  and the simplest way to do that is to reduce our population. The ancillary benefits are many: fewer cars; less need for more toll roads; reduced need for more hospitals, prisons, schools, etc. Bill DunLany Hunters Hill Voice of the young The impact of the youth vote in Britain's election was quite stunning  and welcome  but unlikely to be replicated in Australia ("Why Albanese benefits from UK result", June 13). A generation ago progressive, concerned young people were a significant force for change, even though cynically ignored by their conservative elders. Where are they today, when they are most needed? They should realise that a relatively small number of them, well organised, could overwhelm the major parties' membership in each electorate, control preselection processes and unseat every sitting politician. It must have something to do with education, which would explain our governments' indifference to educational outcomes and our declining place in the world order of things.

Jim Ayling Kirrawe Health star travesty Kudos to Peter FitzSimons for calling out the Health Star System as a corrupt joke. And letting Big Food have a say in the advisory panel is as ridiculous as letting Big Tobacco run the smoking Quitlines. It has become a government-sanctioned marketing scheme to give healthy "halos" to expensive and unhealthy processed foods. But this travesty isn't just harming our fight on childhood obesity. It undermines the credibility and integrity of the Health Department at a time when it needs to build trust in public health advice. A corrupt and weak health authority is easy prey for the anti-vax lobby. Kate Serisier Dee Why

In response to Debra Tranter's editorial on puppy farm abuses in NSW, I support everything she says ("You wouldn't treat a dog the way we do in NSW", June 13). How is it legal for pet shops in NSW to continue to sell pets that are so obviously from these despicable breeding farms? We were lucky to adopt two Cavalier King Charles spaniels this year who at five and eight years of age had outlived their breeding usefulness and were no longer wanted. Our older girl came into care with a prolapsed uterus and significant tooth decay. The day before we picked them up I saw our local pet shop in Burwood selling Cavalier pups in their window for $1000 each and, upon inquiry, no verification of desexing or medical history. Until we outlaw the selling of live pets in tiny boxes in shop windows the trade will continue. Cutting off the demand for puppies at the retail-pet shop level would go a long way to weaken the puppy farm industry. Rebecca Semple Abbotsford Turning the tide Ken Boston is on the money ("Now or never for school reform, says architect", June 13). With Australia seemingly sliding down the international rankings, drastic measures need to be taken to turn the tide. Gonski funding will go a long way to help this happen. Peter Miniutti Ashbury

Fundamental insult The article on Alan Joyce ("Fair go notion takes off for CEO", June 12) asserts that "speaking out publicly in the heated debate over marriage equality has made the airline chief a target of traditional family model fundamentalists". The term fundamentalist is frequently used by the media and others as an insult. I believe in the truth of the Bible and the definition of marriage. This does not make me a fundamentalist. I am simply a Christian and my views are at least of equal value to the debate as Alan Joyce's. Rev David Lloyd Kincumber Films with power It is a shame that Garth Clarke yet again had a negative experience at the Sydney Film Festival (Letters, June 13). This is a wonderful event made even more so by seeing a range of films that have the power to change the way we think. If he is looking for something that encourages narrative, characterisation and emotional engagement he could start with our own Australian movie We Don't Need a Map. I hope it is headed for general release. Vicky Marquis Glebe

Uber taking too big a slice of income I have started driving part time for Uber in Sydney. After all the hours of driving, running and maintenance costs of my car, Uber takes 25 per cent of the total fare. This is compared to Airbnb which only charges the host or owners of properties for accommodation a service fee of around 3 per cent and around 6 per cent for the user. Where is the justice or fairness in the system or is Uber just rorting the new online service industry? George Bobos Willoughby Lone wolves really curs Since I was "king hit" many years ago I have wondered why such a cowardly act was so named. It was with satisfaction I witnessed the name change to "coward punch". Can we do the same with the term "lone wolf"? The term has a certain cachet and does not properly describe the actions of these cowardly, creeping curs.

Paul Keir Concord Joyce should rescind ban Alan Joyce says he is humbled to be honoured as a companion of the Order of Australia. In keeping with this sentiment, perhaps he could now rescind the Qantas ban on his lemon meringue pie assailant. Riley Brown Bondi Beach Call poll at your peril PM
The British Prime Minister also needs to consider whether the 40 million-a-year "prevent" program (to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism) is useful and/or needs more money.

However, the French security measures are only wallpapering over the large cracks in French society where Muslims are discriminated against and treated as second-class citizens. I recently took a cab in Toulouse from the airport and was deliberately taken to the wrong address by an ethnic French cab driver so he could get back to the airport quickly for another fare. He complained about Muslims in general and how they should be sent "home". I then needed to get another cab to take me to the right address. This time, the driver was a young ethnic Algerian man born in France. I found him far more congenial. He told me that, because he was of Algerian origin, he was regarded by French people as an Algerian and it was hard for young Muslims like him to get honest employment. He had only been to Algeria once and regarded himself as French; he was also regarded by Algerians as French. It is little wonder that, while it does not justify terrorism, young Muslims living in France become disenchanted by the society they live in.

Many young Muslim men in Britain are disenchanted too, but as far as I have experienced they are not discriminated against and can be voted to high office  like Sadiq Khan, the popular Mayor of London. Khan comes from a working-class British Pakistani family. In Britain, it is more a matter of young people being motivated and creating opportunities for a better life. Those who become radicalised generally lack purpose and are vulnerable to extremist ideology that persuades them they need to become terrorists to fulfil their destiny.

Australia seems to have a better balance of counterterrorism measures; perhaps we just need to improve around the margins. One way to reduce the scale of the problem is to ensure we do not have pockets of disenchanted young Muslims who do not mix with the rest of the population in their age group.
Children with early inheritance syndrome feel a sense of entitlement to their parents' assets. They are not prepared to wait until their parents die. These impatient children seek ways for their parents to give them money, or interfere in the management of their parents' assets to protect what they see as their entitlement.

Financial abuse is the most common, and fastest-growing, type of abuse of older people. It involves taking or misusing an older person's money, property or assets. It also includes persuading an older person to change their will through deception or undue influence.

As economic conditions worsen, older people are at a greater risk than ever of being financially abused. Credit:Virginia Star

As economic conditions worsen, older people are at a greater risk than ever of being financially abused. People who are locked out of the housing market may expect access to their parents' assets, even though their parents are still alive.

As the vulnerability of older people increases, their dependence on family members also increases. Often they do not want to say "No" to their children's requests for money or asset transfers for fear of upsetting these relationships.
Mr Zhou's resignation was announced by the ALP after it was sent questions by Fairfax Media about his connection to a long-running tax scam involving gold dealers. Fairfax Media and Four Corners first sought to question Mr Zhou several weeks ago. Simon Zhou (left) with former Chinese consul-general in Sydney, Li Huaxin (second from left) and two others. Mr Zhou said he had resigned to "focus on other priorities" and that he could not comment on his "ongoing dialogue with the ATO" because it involved "very complex" gold business dealings. Mr Zhou co-ordinated up to $140,000 in ALP donations from several gold dealers in May and June, 2016, and was given a job as the NSW ALP's multicultural officer, as well as a place on Labor's NSW Senate ticket for the July, 2016 federal election. Simon Zhou, left, with NSW Labor MP Ernest Wong.

Mr Zhou is a key figure in a gold-trading operation being investigated by the Australian Tax Office and which includes collapsed companies, massive tax debts and a shelf company in the British Virgin Islands. The ALP donations linked to Mr Zhou include a $29,000 donation declared by one of Mr Zhou's business associates, who was accused by Australia's tax commissioner of lying about trading gold bars in Sydney car parks at night as part of a scheme designed to avoid paying $13 million in tax. A second gold dealer linked to Mr Zhou has been accused by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of falsifying invoices linked to this same gold-trading scheme. This businessman, a Chinese national, declared a $35,000 donation to the NSW ALP via a gold-trading company owned by Mr Zhou. These donations, along with a further $56,000 in contributions from related gold businesses, were collected by the NSW ALP on May 15 and 16, 2016  seven weeks before the federal election. Five weeks later, Mr Zhou, whose former company contributed another $25,000 to the party in late June, was announced as an ALP senate candidate.

Mr Zhou, who worked at the NSW ALP's Sussex Street headquarters, is a close political ally of Mr Huang, a Chinese Communist Party aligned billionaire, who is a major donor to both the ALP and the Liberals. Mr Huang was a VIP guest at Mr Zhou's Senate ticket announcement and told China's state broadcaster at the event that it reflected the rising status of "overseas Chinese" and the desire "to safeguard Chinese interests and let Australian society pay more attention to the Chinese". Mr Huang also asked the NSW ALP to give Mr Zhou a job as an adviser, although the party insists he was appointed on merit. Mr Zhou and Mr Huang entertained China's consul-general in Sydney, Li Huaxin, on a boat cruise prior to Mr Li leaving Australia to take up a senior government post in China in April, 2016. ASIO has confidentially expressed its concern to the major parties about donations from some Chinese Communist Party-aligned sources, including Mr Huang. Meanwhile, in comments likely to infuriate some within the Labor Party, MP Anthony Byrne said public hearings by the joint parliamentary intelligence committee were needed to examine the past conduct of figures from both sides of politics.

"We have to have public hearings. I don't care if it is uncomfortable for any party," Mr Byrne said. His call raises the prospect that Senator Dastyari  who has regularly used parliamentary committees to grill business figures about alleged impropriety  may endure a hearing about his relationship with donors, including Mr Huang. Fairfax Media revealed last week that Mr Dastyari or his office called the immigration department four times to quiz it about the progress of Mr Huang's citizenship application, which has stalled while it is scrutinised by ASIO. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten last week wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull seeking his support for a joint parliamentary committee on intelligence to examine foreign interference on political campaigns. Mr Zhou could also likely face questioning in any parliamentary committee hearings.

The ATO suspects gold traders such as Mr Zhou and his associates have exploited a loophole by which GST is charged on gold ore, but not on higher-grade gold bullion. The loophole has created a sham industry in which circular or carousel-style arrangements "recycle" gold through syndicates of people, who keep the GST as well as claiming tax credits, leaving the ATO millions of dollars out of pocket. One of Mr Zhou's gold-trading companies, Australian Coin Exchange, collapsed this year owing the Australian tax office $2.54 million, with liquidators now examining the firm's operation. Mr Zhou is closely linked to several companies involved in suspected GST rorts. Two of these firms' directors or managers, Chinese national Chris Wang and his business associate Leo Yang, filled out Australian Electoral Commission forms last year to declare donations to the NSW ALP. A gold trading company owned by Leo Yang was declared insolvent by the Federal Court when it couldn't pay a tax bill of $8 million following an ATO audit. Chris Wang has been labelled a tax fraud by the ATO in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which in February ordered he pay the tax office more than $20 million. The AAT has labelled some of Chris Wang's evidence, which included a claim about buying $143 million worth of gold ore at night in Sydney car parks, as "fanciful ... inconsistent and unpersuasive".

The Tribunal said Chris Wang's evidence was "not reliable" about his "rather unusual business" as a "one-man company with no gold industry experience" which was "the sole customer of an unidentified entity able to supply tonnes of gold". Leo Yang was similarly criticised by the Tribunal for his "apparent role ... directly" facilitating Mr Wang's alleged fraud by providing allegedly doctored invoices. The donations declared by Leo Yang and Chris Wang, and the other funds raised by Mr Zhou, raise serious questions around whether the ALP has accepted tainted money and is trading political access for donations  a claim that Mr Zhou and Labor deny. When Leo Yang and Chris Wang were separately quizzed last week by Fairfax Media, they said they could not remember the date or size of the donations they declared. Mr Huang has no connection to the approximately $140,000 Mr Zhou raised for the ALP in May 2016.
Judges and magistrates have lashed out at "grossly improper and unfair" conduct by several Turnbull government MPs, who accused Victorian courts of being too soft on terror offenders.

The three ministers' criticisms of the courts have appalled the professional association of judges, which said the comments could be misconstrued as an attempt to interfere in a case before the courts.

Judicial Conference of Australia president Robert Beech-Jones said the "co-ordinated and direct attack" on the independence of the courts risked undermining public confidence in the judiciary.
"Whilst the State Election result was disappointing for the Party, I'm confident that the strength of our people and our beliefs will ensure that we will remain a strong, vibrant and relevant party in the years to come," he said.

He has only been in the job two years but described that period as busy, having presided over the Canning byelection in 2015, which saw the election of rising conservative star Andrew Hastie, a former SAS soldier. But Mr Cox also oversaw the party's less successful WA election campaign this year.

Mr Cox said in an email, seen by Fairfax Media, that he was leaving for "purely personal" reasons and would take up a Canberra-based position in the private sector.

The director of the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party Andrew Cox has quit after presiding over the party's loss of government in March.

"My reasons for leaving are purely personal. I will be taking up a Canberra-based position in the private sector," he added. He will stay in the job to usher in his successor. His announcement came just hours after the Senate was told Chris Back would be retiring from Parliament after seven years in the Senate. It also follows the departure of Tony Nutt as federal director, ahead of the scathing review into last year's federal campaign.

As state director Mr Cox signed off on the disastrous Liberal Party deal with Pauline Hanson's One Nation, with both parties suffering as a result and the Labor Party sweeping to power for the first time since 2008. However he was not personally responsible for the preference deal which was pushed by other figures, including the state president Norman Moore and the most influential West Australian in cabinet, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

Senior Liberals said Mr Cox, originally from the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, performed the best he could given the WA organisation's factional divisions and parochialism.

Described as "very good" at his job and a "safe pair of hands," Mr Cox had to deal with a severe collapse in party unity in the WA division following Barry Court's presidency. He also had to manage a series of damaging factional battles in the lead-up to state preselections. "A nice bloke with a tough job," was how one WA Liberal summed it up. The WA branch has also suffered a series of leaks exposing tensions between the grassroots in WA and the federal Coalition government.

Fairfax Media revealed that the WA division is being pressured to drop a motion to have the great white shark delisted as a vulnerable species, after the federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said this would violate international treaties and be impossible to implement.
I'm going to call it a day. What happened?

Coalition MPs are meeting to discuss energy policy following the release of the Finkel review ;

are meeting to discuss following the release of the ; at this stage it is unknown how fractious the meeting will be but there is a sense of unease in the air;

in the air; after offering bipartisan support for energy policy last week the opposition walked away from that in question time ;

for last week the walked away from that in ; Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on immigrants to be "Australian patriots" ; and

called on immigrants to be ; and challenged the opposition to support citizenship changes which have still not been released.

My thanks to Andrew Meares for his assistance today and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Andrew and I will be back in the morning. Until then, go well.
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While the rate of the increase in capacity on routes in and out of Australia has slowed in the past six months, return flights to London for as little as $1000 highlights how competition among airlines for bums on seats is still intense.

Best times to fly

On domestic routes, the rule of thumb for snaring a bargain is to avoid early mornings or late evenings on weekdays because that is when businesspeople fly.

Their need to fly then  especially on Monday mornings and Friday evenings  allows airlines to place a premium on seats. Demand for flights from leisure travellers for weekends away also spikes on Friday evenings and Sunday nights.

If you are flexible on times, travel in the middle of the day and avoid the start and end of the weekends, Flight Centres general manager of leisure travel, Tom Walley, says.

For long-haul travel overseas, flights are more expensive at the start and end of school breaks, as well as public holiday periods such as Christmas and Easter. They also rise during holidays in the northern hemisphere.

Airlines have more data than ever on travellers habits, and they will exploit that to turn a profit. So to squeeze a cheap deal out of them, be flexible and book early.

The best thing for keeping your fare down is flexibility, Walley says. And generally you get the best fares by booking early. There is no advantage in waiting late if you are travelling in the school holidays.

Status trumps points

To put it simply, status matters in the world of airline loyalty schemes. It might now take longer to rack up loyalty points through paying for items using a credit card, but it is more challenging for travellers to use those points to pay for seats.

For those without status credits, forget trying to use points to secure seats at busy times such as Christmas.

You typically do not get them at peak times when airlines can charge a premium for their seats, Walley says.

People can still find themselves with large amounts of points because of the plethora of ways to earn them nowadays. Yet someone with platinum status  earned from actually flying with an airline  will always trump those with large amounts of points in the rush to secure a reward seat. Airlines do value people who fly with them.
Acclaimed feminist author Roxane Gay has called out her "cruel and humiliating" treatment by Mia Freedman and Mamamia, after a podcast recorded when she was in Sydney last month was released on Sunday.

The podcast, in which Gay discusses her new memoir Hunger - about her challenges with size and a culture that demeans and refuses to accommodate fat people - was introduced by Freedman who aired sensitive claims about how the author was accommodated.

"A lot of planning has to go into a visit from best-selling author, [US] college professor and writer, Roxane Gay," the podcast intro reads.

"Will she fit into the office lift? How many steps will she have to take to get to the interview? Is there a comfortable chair that will accommodate her six-foot-three, 'super-morbidly-obese' frame?"
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for president? Maybe. Kanye West? Suuure, why not?

But one celebrity who is definitely, certainly not going to be on a ballot: Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey out ... the former TV host has ruled herself out of a presidential run. Credit:AP

The media mogul swatted down whatever talk there had ever been about her someday, possibly going into politics with the kind of definitive answer few people (paging Chelsea Clinton!) can manage. "I will never run for public office," she said on a Hollywood Reporter podcast, when asked if she'd face off against President Donald Trump in 2020 even if she was the only person who could beat him.

Winfrey had previously said "no way" to a political bid, but the Oprah-mentum machine started up again back in March, when the former talk show host got a little flirty with the idea. In an interview with billionaire/philanthropist David Rubenstein, she said she was rethinking her past stance. "I thought, 'Oh gee, I don't have the experience, I don't know enough,' " she said. "And now I'm thinking, 'Oh.'"
The national pesticides authority needs to be moved from Canberra to regional NSW to fix the agency's performance, according to the federal government.

Coalitions senators have called the majority Senate committee report into the controversial move "a political witch hunt" and said the move to New England was justified on the grounds it would help solve problems recruiting qualified scientists.

All guns blazing: Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Labor-Greens dominated Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee savaged the plan to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to the heart of Nationals' leader Barnaby Joyce's northern NSW electorate, saying it was driven by the narrow political self-interest of the Deputy Prime Minister.

But Mr Joyce's Coalition colleagues on the committee have hit back with their minority report, accusing their Senate colleagues of selectively quoting evidence and ignoring the many submissions the Nationals' solicited from country towns around Australia.
The NSW government is considering acquiring 60 hectares of the Royal National Park for the proposed F6 Extension between Sydney and the Illawarra.

The alternative, according to an internal government report, is the acquisition and bulldozing of about 460 houses and 40 commercial properties between between Loftus and Waterfall at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Roads and Maritime Authority believes it can acquire the 60 hectares of the Royal National Park for about $40 million.

Fairfax Media has seen the property acquisition and communications plans for F6 motorway, planning funds for which will be included in next week's budget.
The psychiatrist who advised NSW Police during the Lindt Cafe siege won't be working with the force in future, after he faced significant criticism from the state coroner.

Police are now assembling a new panel of experts, a spokesperson told AAP on Tuesday.

"In this increasingly dangerous environment it is clear we need to expand the expertise of those we call upon for advice," the spokesperson said.

Expanding the panel was a key recommendation from state Coroner Michael Barnes.
A diamond engagement ring and motorbike expenses for her son, visits to the hairdresser every 10 days, a fridge for home and even her dental work, Eman Sharobeem's snowballing expense claims from the taxpayer have led to the acting ICAC commissioner to suggest she was "plundering" resources for herself and her family.

And Ms Sharobeem, the former boss of two not-for-profit publicly funded community groups, has lashed out from the witness box, claiming she was underpaid, overworked and not given the prestige of other chief executives.

Eman Sharobeem, centre, arrives at the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Tuesday.

In evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Ms Sharobeem was told by acting commissioner Reginald Blanch, QC, that it was being suggested to her she was being accused of stealing.

"That word is like a knife in my heart," Ms Sharobeem, a former Australian of the Year awards finalist, responded.
A Logan man has been charged with the murder of his de facto partner's son, two years after the boy was found with "horrific injuries".

The 28-year-old Woodridge man was arrested on Tuesday morning at his home and hauled into the Logan Central Police Station.

A Woodridge man has been arrested over the 2015 death of a two-year-old boy found unconscious in a Logan home. Credit:Jorge Branco

After questioning, he was taken to the Beenleigh watchhouse where police charged him with murder and drug offences.

The man, originally said to be 29 years old, is expected to appear in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
A central Queensland police officer who died in hospital after being hit by a car last week has been remembered as a larrikin and family man who loved his job.

Sergeant Brendan Poustie, 44, was knocked down in the Mackay suburb of Glenella last Wednesday before being airlifted to Townsville Hospital in a critical condition with head injuries.

Sergeant Brendan Poustie died in hospital days after he was hit by a car. Credit:Facebook

Queensland Police confirmed on Tuesday that Sgt Poustie, who was jogging before work when he was hit, died overnight.

Mackay Police Superintendent Bruce McNab said Sgt Poustie was a father of two, who had been a police officer for 15 years after coming from a military background.
"In a world where people are becoming more and more inward, where there is a rise in populism, there is a lot of Islamophobia, a lot of xenophobia, there's a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment, Canada is uniquely positioned," said Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains on the program's launch at a tech startup accelerator.

The move comes at a critical time for Canadian technology companies, who are looking to lure top global talent who otherwise flock to Silicon Valley, a major employer of foreign workers.

Canada launched a fast-track visa program for highly-skilled workers on Monday, as it seeks to take advantage of a tougher immigration environment in the United States.

Bains and the other government officials at the launch were careful not to mention U.S. President Donald Trump by name, instead focusing on selling the positives of their new scheme, which aims to help domestic companies exhibiting growth of at least 10 percent.

But tech executives in attendance were less circumspect.

Roy Pereira, the founder of an artificial intelligence company called Zoom.ai, said Trump's policies had led to more interest in Canada from workers currently living in the United States than he had ever seen in his 20-year career.

Of the 150 total applications he received for three recent job postings, 50 came from U.S.-based applicants, he said, with most of the 10 he subsequently interviewed citing the political climate there as a factor in their decision to look north.

"They were concerned about some of the musings of the current administration down in the U.S.," he said.
Bones found more than a century ago in Queensland once thought to belong to a "giant ancestral pigeon" have been described as the remains of a kangaroo-sized flying turkey that roamed Australia more than two million years ago.

Researchers at Flinders University have carefully re-examined remains of avian megafauna from four states and have concluded that, rather than representing a single ancient bird species, they belong to five different species, one weighing up to eight kilograms and standing taller than a grey kangaroo.

Reconstruction of Progura gallinacea next to a grey kangaroo. Credit:Flinders University

"These discoveries are quite remarkable because they tell us that more than half of Australia's megapodes went extinct during the Pleistocene Epoch, and we didn't realise this until now," said Elen Shute, a Flinders University PhD candidate.

Megapodes are birds that incubate their eggs by burying them in warm compost mounds or underground. Modern Australian megapodes include the malleefowl and brush turkeys.
Controversial fire reforms will fail to pass parliament unless the legislation is changed to protect the role of volunteer firefighters and satisfy crossbench MPs.

Labor needs the five upper house votes of the Greens, plus two of the five crossbenchers to pass the legislation to create a paid urban firefighting force: Fire Rescue Victoria, and turn the CFA into a volunteer-only organisation.

The CFA will become a solely volunteer operation under the new arrangements. Credit:Craig Abraham

Senior government and Opposition MPs have been lobbying the crossbenchers in an urgent effort to secure their votes.

The Coalition remains opposed to the joint bill, which combines the fire services restructure with presumptive rights to compensation for firefighters who have fallen ill with particular kinds of cancer.
Tel Aviv: Israel has approved a request by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas to cut by roughly a third the electricity it provides to the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The move is aimed at undermining the Islamist movement Hamas, which has ruled over the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip since its victory in the January 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections, despite a failed attempt at an armed takeover by Mr Abbas' Fatah party in 2007.

But the decision, reached on Sunday by Israel's security cabinet, is stoking concern that it could trigger a humanitarian crisis among Gaza's 2 million people and a new round of fighting between Hamas and Israel.

In a statement on Monday afternoon responding to news of the Israeli decision, Hamas said that power cuts are "dangerous" and would lead to an "explosion".
Jerusalem: Israel said on Tuesday its ambassador to New Zealand will return to his post, ending a six-month rift in relations over a United Nations resolution against Israeli settlements on occupied territory which Palestinians seek for a state.

Israel recalled the ambassador in December after New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal sponsored a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement activity .

Israel withdrew its ambassador from New Zealand in December. Credit:Chris Hopkins

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders spoke on the phone earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michal Maayan said in a statement.

"I regret the damage done to Israel-New Zealand relations as a result of New Zealand proposing Resolution 2344 at the Security Council," Mr English wrote, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.
Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major Credit:Getty Images Another former prime minister, David Cameron, said there would now be pressure for a "softer Brexit" - which is usually code for staying within the common market and/or customs union. The latter would preclude Britain striking a free trade deal with Australia, as is currently being planned. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hasn't led the left out of the wilderness. Credit:Getty Images According to The Financial Times, Cameron also reminded a business conference in Poland that there was a "new player on the stage" - the Scottish Conservatives, whose leader Ruth Davidson has expressed a preference for an "open Brexit". He said the government would need to "talk more widely, listen to other parties" on Brexit.

British government sources briefed journalists that only minor details remained to be settled with the DUP, and the deal was as good as done  though one DUP member of parliament told Sky News that they were much further from agreement, and there might be no deal until the weekend. French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May. Credit:Thierry Chesnot This could put the already-delayed Queen's speech, in which the government is supposed to set out its agenda, back another week. May then had to face the first meeting of the new House of Commons as the head of a minority government. DUP leader Arlene Foster Credit:Charles McQuillan

It was a brief, formal sitting of the house whose only business was to re-elect Conservative John Bercow as the speaker and congratulate the new 'father of the house' Kenneth Clarke. But it was a revealing rehearsal for the resumption of hostilities in the now-hung parliament. While May was greeted by near-silence from her fellow MPs, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn entered the house to a standing ovation from his colleagues. Corbyn said he and May could agree that "democracy is a wondrous thing that throws up some very unexpected results". He taunted May with her own election slogans, saying "I'm sure we all look forward to welcoming a Queen's speech just as soon as a coalition of chaos has been negotiated  [and] if that is not possible Labour stands ready to offer strong and stable leadership".

He added: "We look forward to this parliament, however short it may be", referring to speculation that the government would have to call an election long before its five-year term is up. Mrs May made a short statement saying all MPs wanted a stronger, safe, secure nation and "shared values must bring us together in a spirit of national unity". Labour is likely to make its move on the Conservatives as soon as they try to put forward a Queen's speech, British political scientist Philip Cowley told Fairfax on Tuesday. Rather than attempt to trigger an election through a vote of no confidence  which they would lose if the Conservative-DUP alliance holds  Labour could try to amend the Queen's Speech with policies that could appeal to the majority of MPs, Professor Cowley, from Queen Mary University of London said. "I suspect that if Labour thought it could get a second election, it would go for one," he said.

A post-election poll published on Sunday suggested Labour would win a majority if an election were to be called straight away. "But they know they won't get (an election)," Professor Cowley said. "So their tactics will be more about embarrassing the government  highlighting issues with the DUP and Northern Ireland, for example." On Tuesday Sinn Fein's seven elected MPs set up their new office in London, from where they will lobby politicians without taking up their seats in parliament. At a briefing for journalists, the Sinn Fein MPs insisted they would stick to their commitment to abstain from the parliament, and were committed to re-establishing power-sharing devolved government in Belfast. Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew said the British government could not now be seen as an 'honest broker' in the negotiations between her party and the DUP.

The proposed confidence and supply deal was causing "a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear" among republicans, she said. And Sinn Fein warned that any Westminster deal would have to be acceptable to their side of politics, as it would be administered by the shared government once that was re-established in Stormont. Meanwhile, the UK has just one week until Brexit negotiations are supposed to begin. According to reports, British diplomats asked the EU if they could start technical talks led by civil servants while the new government settled in. But the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said they would not talk to a British counterpart unless they had a clear mandate from the new government.

May ended the day in France, where she had a pre-planned meeting with new president Emmanuel Macron. She said she had confirmed to him that the "timetable for Brexit negotiations remains on course and will begin next week". Macron said France desired negotiations to begin as soon as possible. Loading He also echoed comments made earlier in the day by German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble, that Britain could still choose to stay in the EU if it wanted.
London: Details of the frenzied knife attacks on unarmed victims in the London Bridge terror attack have been set out at the inquests into their deaths.

Australians Kirsty Boden, 28, and 21-year-old Sara Zelenak were among the eight people killed on June 3, when three attackers ploughed into pedestrians with a white van before stabbing revellers in Borough Market.

The mother and stepfather of Australian au pair Sara Zelenak were in attendance to hear how she was knifed in the throat on Borough High Street that night.

Julie Wallace, sitting beside her partner Mark Wallace, nodded silently to confirm the spelling of her daughter's name.
Phnom Penh: A Cambodian man who worked for Australian nurse Tammy Davis-Charles has testified he paid US$200 to a village official to obtain a birth certificate for a surrogate baby on behalf of Australian biological parents that police allege was falsified.

Penh Rithy told a Phnom Penh court that Ms Davis-Charles paid him US$600 to arrange birth certificates for single surrogate babies and US$800 for twins.

He also testified that Ms Davis-Charles paid him hundreds of dollars to arrange travel documents so that surrogate parents could take their babies home from the impoverished country.

Police have alleged that Ms Davis-Charles, a former Melbourne nurse and mother of six, was involved in the falsifying of documents, including birth certificates, before she was arrested in a crackdown on Cambodia's then booming commercial surrogacy industry last year.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The four partners organizing the Sint Maarten / Saint Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) are looking forward to a great trade event this week. Starting with an opening cocktail party at The Westin Dawn Beach Casino & Spa, followed by two days of events and incorporating a spectacular show at LAnse Marcel Beach.

The LAssociation des Hoteliers de St. Martin, Saint Martin Tourism Office in conjunction with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association are expecting tour operators, travel agents and travel writers to visit the island, as well as local hoteliers, activity providers, and vendors. This weeks events, to be held at Rainforest Adventure Park, Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa as well as L Anse Marcel Beach, already have over 350 subscribed visitors varying from international tourism buyers and agents, hotel and activity suppliers as well as island industry vendors or tourism officials. SMART has been an internationally renowned business event for over 15 years, as the yearly exhibition grew to be the largest tradeshow in the Northeastern Caribbean.

Next, to a reinforced binational character, new elements were added to the event. Apart from the spectacular opening and closing parties, hoteliers, operators, and agents are invited to take part in activities getting to know the island. Rainforest Adventure Park, to open this summer, will provide a sneak preview on its grounds. Secondly, a special activity Friday is installed to further get to experience Sent Maarten activities like Butterfly Farm, Aqua Mania Adventures Snorkel Tours, 12 Metre Regatta Sailing, Donut Dreams Barbecue Boats and Toppers Rum Distillery.

Another element the organizing parties focused on was further expanding the learning experience as the world of tourism changes rapidly. As the partners dont want to miss out on these developments, a special offer for Small Hotels was launched to be able to enter SMART. Amongst others, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), MasterCard, Expedia, TripAdvisor and AltaVista AG (official Google technology providers for hotels) and EPIC will share their newest insights within workshops at SMART.

A fourth change is the increased involvement of local business in the event. Various supplying industries to the hotel and tourism business have joined the event as a vendor. For that cause, the tradeshow venue Westin has doubled the area available for Sint Maarten / Saint Martin businesses portraying their products.

Registration and additional details can be obtained via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or by phone at 542-0108.
AIRPORT:--- A unique amphibian aircraft, the Cessna Caravan EX Seaplane, arrived on the island on Monday at the commencement of the 2nd Annual Caribbean Aviation Meetup. The seaplane will be used for demonstration rides around St. Maarten, and to Anguilla and Nevis, with the conference providing an opportunity to explore the feasibility of setting up operations in the region.

"Just arrived in St. Maarten aboard a Tropic Ocean Airways Caravan on floats. A great flight that set the stage for what's shaping up to be a great Caribbean Aviation Meetup 2017," said Rob Mark, an award-winning journalist who together with Tropic Ocean Airways Chief Executive Office Robert Ceravolo will host a presentation on Seaplanes in the Caribbean; potential for airlift and as a tourism product.

Mark arrived with two pilots, who flew the aircraft in from Miami, Florida, via San Juan Puerto Rico for the two-day trip.

Not only can the seaplane be used for inter-island transportation, it can also be used for aerial sight-seeing tours, an attractive and unique tourism product. The aircraft can access destinations regardless of runway access and is also capable of landing right at the beach.

Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tropic Ocean Airways already offers first-class, fun, and adventurous seaplane services throughout South Florida, the Bahamas, and New York. The airline also boasts experienced pilots used to tropical and sometimes harsh environments. CEO Ceravolo founded the company in 2009 and is himself a Navy Topgun fighter pilot.

The 2nd Annual Caribbean Aviation Meetup, hosted by Princess Juliana International Airport, differs from most other conferences because it puts the emphasis on experience exchange, interaction, and participation, rather than on listening to the achievements of speakers or companies.

It is the perfect opportunity for face-to-face business discussions and comprehensive group opinion exchanges on sector-specific topics.

The result is a proactive platform upon which successful networking can be built. It will provide impulses for new business developments and industry investments and will accommodate a new attitude towards positive development and impact of the airlift.

Some thirty speakers are contributing to the programme. Participants from 28 countries and territories will attend. The conference will be held June 13 through 15. For more information, visit www.caribavia.com.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) has started the first phase of a study to assess the economic value of St. Maartens remaining wetlands. Prior to the rapid urbanization in recent decades, St. Maarten possessed at least 19 healthy ponds, of which only five remain today: Salt Pond, Fresh Pond, Little Bay Pond, Red Pond and Mullet Pond. In addition, the island has one of the largest wetlands in the West Indies, Simpson Bay Lagoon.

When the Great Salt Pond was used to harvest salt, its value as an economic asset was very clear. However, in recent times, wetlands such as these ponds are seen more as an area that should be developed for immediate economic gains. Yet wetland conservation offers significant economic benefits. As development and pollution continue to threaten our remaining wetlands, EPIC aims to make clear the significant role which healthy wetlands contribute not just to our environment, but also to our economy.

Wetlands are special ecosystems where land is partially or fully covered in water, making it a wetland. Wetlands are among the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world, providing us with vital services such as climate control, water purification, and storm protection. Not to mention the more tangible services such as fishing, agriculture, and recreation. These are just a few of the ways in which wetlands improve our daily lives.

Without healthy wetland habitats, we would either forgo these benefits or create (often costly) infrastructure to replace them. A powerful example of the economic benefit of wetlands comes from New York. Studies revealed that they could avoid spending USD$3-8 billion on new waste water treatment plants by investing USD$1.5 billion in the purchase of land around the reservoirs upstate. These preserved lands will purify the water supply free of charge.

In 2010, the Nature Foundation found that St. Maartens coral reefs contribute US$58 million a year to the countrys economy through tourism and fisheries. This ultimately lead to the creation of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park which now protects these important natural and economic resources. In a similar fashion, this study ultimately aims to shed a light onto the overlooked value of our remaining wetlands.

The first phase of this project, led by Kippy Gilders, will last a total of three months. At the end of July, a community meeting will be held for the public to learn more about this study and the importance of wetlands as well as share their knowledge, concerns, and experience on the topic.

This project, Economic Valuation of St Maarten's Remaining Wetlands - Phase I, is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Prince Bernhard Cultural Funds Caribbean. For more information, contact Kippy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or surf over to www.epicislands.or
GREAT BAY (DCOMM)  Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be a temporary interruption in the traffic flow at the junction of the Keys Road and Chin Cactus Road.

This temporary disruption will be on Wednesday, June 14 from 7.00am to 12.00pm.

Motorists are advised to be observant of a detour and directional signs, especially at the Keys Road.

The aforementioned is related to the repair and cleaning of the drain box and grill on the Chin Cactus Road.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.
Netherlands/ PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten has been making the news as the most corrupt country within the Kingdom due to a number of politicians and civil servants that were arrested, however, the community of St. Maarten hardly hears about the widespread corruption in the Netherlands.

In 2013 E. J Bron wrote an article which was backed up with facts on how corruption is rampant in the Netherlands. The title of that article The scary corruption of politicians in the Netherlands.

E.J Bron said that in Dutch politics, there is a tendency to downplay the existence of corruption and fraud. That apparently naive response could sometimes be fed by the fact that a heavy taboo rests on the subject. So far, the government has failed to take measures to counter possible corruption, fraud, and corruption of power.

While the Dutch has labeled St. Maarten as a country with a corrupted system they failed to clean up their own backyards with a number of corrupt politicians that have committed fraud.

The article continues to state that as a result of the robbery committed by PvdA city councilor Bert van der Roest in Utrecht, of the Daklozenkrant, he found out that Bert van der Roest will most likely not be prosecuted! This is the most reprehensible theft because this concerns the financially most vulnerable! As always, corruption within the government is covered with the cloak of love. This kind of dirty cover up games has made the people sick to death.

E.J Bron did some research on Google and found several articles of criminal acts that involve governors, civil servants, and politicians in the Netherlands, he again stated that the amount is scary.

The tip of the iceberg!

The Netherlands is described as a country of fraud? After all reports about affairs and scandals around governors has made the description of the Netherlands correct. E.J Bron in is research showed that Researchers at the Free University of Amsterdam collected data on corruption and fraud investigations at municipalities. The results of the research show a remarkable picture and show that figures alone are not enough to draw conclusions.

Unique even for Banana fraud The Netherlands: The whole of College Vlissingen corrupted.

"None of the 10,000" bankers "or" drivers "in the bin.

The group of chairmen in the city council of Vlissingen met about the declaration of fraud by their municipal administrators. In short: the whole College is corrupted and that was even a shame for his editors. But not for Boublog, which has just posted an article about the accounting fraud in almost all municipalities in Banana-Fraud-The Netherlands. One of the things E.J Bron did was to include links that highlighted the fraud committed in the Netherlands

Civil servant Amsterdam committed fraud

The civil servant would, among other things, make contractors paid by the district for private purposes. The employee has been reported for official bribery. The links with the companies involved have been broken. Five other officials, who were also accused of fraud, were released by the Office Integrity. They are now working again.

As the article continues it shows that a civil servant Leerdam was arrested for fraud and corruption.

The official is suspected of having hired outside companies at the expense of the municipality to hire private lessons. He would also have ordered goods for years at the expense of the municipality.

Civil servant prosecuted for fraud construction project Sneek

An official of the municipality of Southwest-Friesland is prosecuted for falsity in writing. He falsified a contract around an expansion plan in Sneek. About five percent of governors in the elderly, disabled care and long-term mental health care deliberately commit fraud.

One in twenty-one-care managers- commit fraud.At the end of 2008, the Education Inspectorate established that at fifteen school boards (together 43 schools) for at least 4.6 million euros between 2004 and 2008 were eclipsed or "unlawfully spent", but so far none of the culprits were prosecuted.

Utrecht investigates fraud of governors and civil servants

The municipality received signals of fraud with a tendering procedure for work on four buildings in the city. What wrongs and to what amount could not be said by a spokesman for the municipality. Another case that was swept away as long as the investigation continues. This particular wrongdoing came to light when a contractor brought the crimes to light. All of the statements made in E. J Bron article was supported either by links or by statements made by the spokesperson of the municipalities.

Fraud and theft are the most common thing for politicians! 'The Netherlands is Stiff of Fraud'

The fraud problem in the Netherlands is getting worse and the chance of getting arrested is low because police and justice have no plan of action.

E.J Bron concluded that they are governed and manipulated by a set of criminals (thieves and robbers) of the worst kind! And now it is probably again said that not everyone is corrupt, but tolerating fraud as a rule and the "Cover-Up" of this by the Dutch government, making all governors an accomplice! In addition, the cost of the deceived state institutions is transferred to the people and pushed through down their throats as budget costs.

In light of all that has been said about St. Maarten, the insistence for an integrity chamber, the amount of arrests made on St. Maarten by Dutch detectives it is only fair that this information surface locally, while crime should not be supported at the expense of the people, one has to take the plank out of their own eyes before trying to take the dust out of eyes of others.
The Apcera Container Management Platform Achieves VMware Ready(TM) Status

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  06/13/17  Apcera, the leader in enterprise container management, today announced that its Apcera Platform has achieved VMware Ready status. This designation indicates that after a detailed validation process the Apcera Platform 2.6 has achieved VMwares highest level of endorsement and is supported on VMware vSphere 6 for production environments.

We are pleased that the Apcera Platform qualifies for the VMware Ready logo, signifying to customers that the product has met specific VMware interoperability standards and works effectively with VMware cloud infrastructure. This signifies to customers that the Apcera Platform can be deployed in production environments with confidence and can speed time to value within customer environments, said Kristen Edwards, director, Technology Alliance Partner Program, VMware.

By using the Apcera Platform with vSphere 6, organizations can modernize their legacy applications, said Eric Leach, vice president, product management, Apcera. Organizations can now also run Docker in production with security, stability, resilience and high availability, enabling their infrastructure to become a multi and/or hybrid cloud environment. This allows customers to take advantage of their VMware investments while leveraging containers to develop innovative new applications as well as modernize existing applications without code modifications. Our plan is to provide VMware customers with an easy to use platform for managing their applications across multi and hybrid cloud environments.

The VMware Ready program is a co-branding benefit of the that makes it easy for customers to identify partner products certified to work with VMware cloud infrastructure. Customers can use these products and solutions to lower project risks and realize cost savings over custom built solutions. With thousands of members worldwide, the VMware TAP program includes best-of-breed technology partners with the shared commitment to bring the best expertise and business solution for each unique customer need.

The Apcera Platform can be found within the online VMware Solution Exchange (VSX) at . The is an online marketplace where VMware partners and developers can publish rich marketing content and downloadable software for our customers.

Apcera is the market leading enterprise-grade container management platform  driven by security and policy  that gives IT leaders the confidence and control to drive innovation and move faster, securely. Built for cloud-native as well as legacy applications, Apcera lets IT teams containerize, deploy, orchestrate and govern a vast range of workloads across on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments. Fully integrated and completely turnkey, only Apcera offers industry-leading agility and time-to-value without sacrificing security or control.

Apcera enables key enterprise use cases including deploying Docker and other cloud-native workloads in production securely and at scale, legacy application modernization and hybrid cloud mobility. Global 2000 companies use Apcera to lower CapEx and OpEx, improve time to market and reduce risk.

Apcera is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit , read the companys blog or follow on Twitter:

VMware, vSphere and VMware Ready are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Media Contact:

Scott Samson

Head of Communications

Apcera

415.781.9005
SANUWAVE CEO Interview to Be Released by Uptick Network to Over 570,000 Unique Visitors

SUWANEE, GA  (Marketwired)  06/13/17  (OTCQB: SNWV) today announced that Uptick network will release an in-depth interview with CEO and Chairman, Kevin A. Richardson II. The interview details a discussion about the Companys pending FDA approval process, their rapid growth internationally, and the recently announced AI deal with eKARE, which pushes them to the forefront of wound management. The interview will be released on the following sites:

Uptick Newswires heavily trafficked website with over 20,000 daily visitors.

Audio Publication to the Audio Boom Channel, Audio Boom has 148,000+ unique visitors

Audio will be featured on the front page of Investors Hangout, Investors Hangout has over 30,000 Investors visiting the site daily

Audio Published on iHeartRadio Channel, iHeartRadios webpage alone has over 361,000 daily visitors

Placement on iTunes Website, iTunes has over 62,000,000 daily unique visitors trafficking the site. Uptick has its own iTunes Webpage that will feature the audio interview

Along with Audio Boom, Investors Hangout, iHeartRadio and iTunes, the Audio will be distributed and featured on: Stitcher, aCast.com, Spreaker, Player.fm, Google Play, FeedBurner.com, and Podcast Directory, Upticks YouTube Channel.

Mr. Richardson commented, Everett and his team at Uptick have developed a great niche to get the investment story out for many interesting companies. We are excited to be part of this unique distribution opportunity.

About SANUWAVE Health, Inc.

SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (OTCQB: SNWV) () is a shock wave technology company initially focused on the development and commercialization of patented noninvasive, biological response activating devices for the repair and regeneration of skin, musculoskeletal tissue and vascular structures. SANUWAVEs portfolio of regenerative medicine products and product candidates activate biologic signaling and angiogenic responses, producing new vascularization and microcirculatory improvement, which helps restore the bodys normal healing processes and regeneration. SANUWAVE applies its patented PACE technology in wound healing, orthopedic/spine, plastic/cosmetic and cardiac conditions. Its lead product candidate for the global wound care market, dermaPACE, is CE Marked throughout Europe and has device license approval for the treatment of the skin and subcutaneous soft tissue in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., dermaPACE is currently under the FDAs de novo petition review process for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. SANUWAVE researches, designs, manufactures, markets and services its products worldwide, and believes it has demonstrated that its technology is safe and effective in stimulating healing in chronic conditions of the foot (plantar fasciitis) and the elbow (lateral epicondylitis) through its U.S. Class III PMA approved OssaTron device, as well as stimulating bone and chronic tendonitis regeneration in the musculoskeletal environment through the utilization of its OssaTron, Evotron and orthoPACE devices in Europe, Asia and Asia/Pacific. In addition, there are license/partnership opportunities for SANUWAVEs shock wave technology for non-medical uses, including energy, water, food and industrial markets.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Companys ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the key risks, assumptions and factors that may affect operating results, performance and financial condition are risks associated with the regulatory approval and marketing of the Companys product candidates and products, unproven pre-clinical and clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, the Companys ability to manage its capital resource issues, competition, and the other factors discussed in detail in the Companys periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

For additional information about the Company, visit .

Contact:

Millennium Park Capital LLC

Christopher Wynne

312-724-7845

SANUWAVE Health, Inc.

Kevin Richardson II

CEO & Chairman of the Board

617-306-1350
CognitiveScale Crosses $50 Million in Venture Funding

Posted by Publisher Hardware

AUSTIN, TX  (Marketwired)  06/13/17  , a provider of industry-specific machine intelligence software, today announced it has received an additional $15 million in funding, bringing the companys total to $50 million raised to-date. This latest investment from , , , and , allows CognitiveScale to further develop its augmented intelligence products to deliver better business outcomes and customer engagement for leading global enterprises.

We are excited about the future AI-enabled enterprise, and believe no other company is better equipped to bring it to fruition than CognitiveScale, said Promod Haque, Senior Manager Partner, Norwest Venture Partners. Weve seen how CognitiveScales unique, industry-tailored AI software can create value more quickly by transforming customer engagement and augmenting employee decision making, allowing enterprises to perform at levels they never thought possible.

As artificial intelligence evolves, becoming a bigger part of businesses and consumers daily decision-making, the fear that machines will displace much of todays workforce has become more pronounced. CognitiveScale believes the real power and value of AI is not just automation of routine processes but in extending and enhancing human decision making and creative potential.

According to a from the (CEA), augmented intelligence has the potential to create new jobs in fields that require creativity, social interactions and intelligence and general knowledge. In addition, a that AI will increase labor productivity by up to 40 percent and double annual economic growth rates by 2035 by changing the nature of work and creating a new relationship between man and machine.

This round of funding demonstrates continued confidence in our strategy to help businesses augment and extend human creativity and capabilities, said CEO of CognitiveScale Akshay Sabhikhi. We have delivered real and measurable outcomes with some of the largest banks, healthcare and retail organizations, and are delighted to see the great client and investor demand for our enterprise AI products.

CognitiveScale will use the recent funding to further advance the state of its two flagship products, ENGAGE and AMPLIFY, which are built on its open and extensible Cortex OS. ENGAGE focuses on transforming customer experience at the edge of the business through any digital touch point. It interprets user goals, preferences, and context and delivers individualized insights by reasoning across billions of curated industry data points while learning continuously. While ENGAGE works at the edge, AMPLIFY works at the core of an organization, helping augment knowledge workers with contextual insights and deploy self-learning autonomous processes modeled after human cognitive architecture. Both products learn from new data and customer interactions, and deliver future insights and advice that account for dynamic changes in goals, preferences, and the business environment.

In a , CogntiveScale announced that in addition to USAAs recent investment, the financial services leader is also implementing CognitiveScales augmented intelligence solution so that USAA advisors can provide their more than 12 million members predictive, data-driven banking and insurance services.

To learn more about CognitiveScales underlying technology, which is backed by more than 100 patents covering deep cognition algorithms, computer vision, machine learning and cognitive system design, please see .

CognitiveScale builds augmented intelligence software for financial services, healthcare, and commerce markets. Built on its open and extensible Cortex OS, the companys AI products, ENGAGE and AMPLIFY, help large enterprises increase user engagement, improve decision-making, and deliver self-learning and self-assuring business processes. CognitiveScale has successfully deployed its enterprise-grade software with multiple Global 500 companies, and has formed strategic go-to-market and technology partnerships with IBM, Microsoft and Deloitte.

CognitiveScale has won numerous awards including Fortunes Top 50 companies leading the AI Revolution, Gartner Cool Vendor, and has been featured in prominent research and publications.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, CognitiveScale has offices in New York, London and Hyderabad, India. Investors include Norwest Venture Partners, Intel Capital, IBM Watson, Microsoft Ventures, USAA and The Westley Group. For more information on the company, please visit us at cognitivescale.com and follow @cognitivescale on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Image Available:

Greg Wise

Bhava Communications for CognitiveScale

512-213-9899

Leigh Ann Schmidt

CognitiveScale
AVST Advances the Skype for Business Enterprise Experience with Latest Release of CX-E

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA  (Marketwired)  06/13/17  The Skype for Business landscape continues to flourish, with approximately 75 percent of U.S. enterprises conducting Skype for Business trials.(1) Today, (AVST) announced the newest release of . An enterprise-class Unified Communications (UC) platform, CX-E enhances the Skype for Business user telephony experience with Click-to-Call functionality and the handling of complex call forwarding scenarios.

AVST is the only company that offers a UC platform that connects Skype for Business with all major PBX brands while enabling key enterprise-class UC applications including best-of-breed unified messaging, said Jim Burton, Founder and CEO of CT Link and Co-Founder of UCStrategies.com. We have found that customers who have deployed Skype for Business have a requirement to manage complex call processing flows across multiple PBX brands as well as deploy a highly flexible unified messaging solution. AVST addresses those needs. Its a perfect fit.

Many large enterprises currently:

1. Use Skype for Business for Instant Messaging and Presence;

2. Have Cisco, Avaya or other enterprise-class telephony switches (PBXs) for call control; and

3. Are considering Skype for Business as a full or partial PBX replacement in the future.

Enterprises are on a journey to Skype for Business, said Tom Minifie, AVSTs Chief Technology Officer. AVST helps them transition over time, with their desired feature set, at their chosen pace.

Skype for Business users can now easily and effectively have desktop telephony access across a mixed PBX landscape  Cisco, Avaya and more. The enhanced Click-to-Call functionality in this version of CX-E provides a telephony experience where calls can be initiated from the Skype for Business client through an existing PBX.

The latest version of CX-E addresses key enterprise security requirements including support for enhanced security via mobile devices. Security continues to be one of the most defensible areas of tech spending. According to Gartner, security risks far outpace business needs and industry changes as the primary spending driver, with over 50 percent of surveyed organizations pointing to risks such as breaches or other security incidents, and privacy concerns as leading issues.(2) Customers can be confident that data remains secure when retrieved from AVSTs on iOS and Android devices.

New features in this latest release of CX-E include:

Improved Skype for Business integration enabling forwarding of calls to CX-E in certain conditions such as Do Not Disturb and Presentation Mode;

Skype for Business Click-to-Call client with auto-dial mode;

VMware vSphere 6.5 support;

Mobile Client inactivity timeout; and

Android 7 support.

The latest version of CX-E is now available through AVSTs reseller channels worldwide. For more information about AVSTs products, visit the company website at .

(1) InfoTrack for Unified Communications: Impact of Microsoft Skype for Business on the Enterprise Voice Market, Sept 2016

(2) Gartner, Survey Analysis: Trends in End-User Security Spending 2017, Jan 2017, Analyst(s): Deborah Kish, Dale Gardner, Nandita Iyer

With more than 35 years of continuous innovation, Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) is a trusted developer of software-based, enterprise-class Unified Communications (UC) solutions.

Our mission is to design, deliver and support communications solutions that transform the productivity of individual workers, teams and enterprises while leveraging the value of their existing and evolving IT infrastructure.

Thousands of businesses worldwide rely on AVSTs advanced voice, mobility, team communications, and business process UC solutions to meet their mission-critical communications requirements. The world-class interoperability and flexibility of AVSTs UC platform provides a future-proofed bridge to their digital future.

Headquartered in Orange County, California, AVST maintains facilities in Seattle, Washington, Victoria B.C., Canada, the United Kingdom, and has remote sales offices throughout the United States. AVSTs UC solutions are sold and supported worldwide by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. To learn more about AVST, our products and partners, please visit or you can follow us at , or .

Stephanie Olsen

Lages & Associates

(949) 453-8080
On a trip to Britain before that country's recent election, Sen. Bernie Sanders noted the similarities between what he has done and what Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has done. Though Corbyn's party did not win, it gained 30 seats in Parliament and prevented the Conservative Party from winning a governing majority. PHOTO BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Four Eastpointe citizens filed a federal lawsuit against Mayor Monique Owens Wednesday alleging their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated when they were not allowed to speak during audience participation at a recent city council meeting.
What does a 'Strengthen Our Schools' win mean for Penn-Harris-Madison?

One of three candidates backed by a conservative-leaning group has flipped a seat on the Penn-Harris-Madison school board. Here's what we know.
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SPIEGEL: Which essentially just boils down to the question: Do I like him?

Prum: You name it. And this leads us to aspects of personality that we usually don't imagine as sexual ornaments like humor, empathy or the ability to conceive of someone else's mind.

SPIEGEL: You think it was intrinsic values rather than outward appearances that mattered?

Prum: Let me say one thing about outward appearance. One feature that I think was transformed by female mate choice is the reduction of male canines. It is very notable that the males of other primate species have deadly weapons in their faces that humans lack. And the question is: Under what conditions do males give up their weapons? Well, believe me, in the United States we know how difficult it is to solve this question. But evolutionarily, there is a simple answer: when wearing weapons becomes unsexy.

SPIEGEL: You are suggesting that women were attracted to small teeth?

Prum: Yeah, and I even think that this is where our smile comes from. It is a sexual symbol advertising one's state of de-weaponization.

SPIEGEL: Do you think that our ability to fall in love was another innovation of human evolution?

Prum: Yes, I do think that sexual love has evolved distinctly in humans and doesn't exist in other apes. But we probably share with them the emotion of maternal love for our offspring, and very similar hormonal mechanisms might be engaged there.

SPIEGEL: How about birds? Some pairs seem to engage in very deep, lifelong bonds.

Prum: Well, I can't say for sure. But I find it not unjustified to speculate that some long-term bonds among birds might be similar to what we experience as love. This is the problem with all current attempts to biologically describe love: In evolutionary biology textbooks, you'll see pair bonding analyzed in terms of game theory. Who's got most of the resources, who's cheating whom, what's the right strategy to maximize your benefit, and so on. Which means that, instead of falling in love, we should all go to a lawyer's office and draw up prenuptial agreements. But human mating isn't anything like that. What's missing from that analysis of human reproduction is the aesthetic. And it's clear that if love is anything, it's a deeply emotional and deeply aesthetic experience.

SPIEGEL: But are you sure that the aesthetic experience of birds and the aesthetic experience of humans are the same phenomenon? After all, a peacock hen's sense of beauty is exclusively directed towards the appeal of a peacock tail, whereas we find beauty not only in our partner but also in flowers or landscapes or art.

Prum: I agree, the richness of human aesthetic experience is unparalleled. But still it is amazing how complex and diverse the aesthetic interests of birds can be. Take bowerbirds, for example, which build seduction theaters where they present objects for females. (He pulls a photo out of a pile on his desk.) Here, on this photograph, you can see one of those arenas. Look, what he has exposed: Those are red flowers, that is a bunch of black charcoal. A pile of blueberries is over here and shiny black beetles over there. That green stuff is a rotten log permeated with a spongy green fungus. And you're are telling me that his sense of beauty is limited?

SPIEGEL: But this is an exception.

Prum: I'll give you another example: Many birds learn their song, and some birds even mimic the songs of other birds. There's one species in South America, the Lawrence's thrush, of which there are individuals with repertoires of over 170 species of birds. And they don't imitate the sound of water, they don't imitate insects. They imitate other birds, because their songs are of aesthetic value to them. Or here is another one: A researcher in Sweden discovered a marsh warbler singing a song of a bird from its wintering grounds in Uganda. This warbler introduced aesthetic content from another continent into the acoustic environment of Europe. I can't imagine anything that humans could do that is aesthetically as fascinating as that. And who knows, may be the female that listens to that song will experience nostalgia, remembering the winter holiday in Uganda?
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Keila Torres Ocasio / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Keila Torres Ocasio / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





130 Elm St., Bridgeport: Great Heart Yoga Studio opened last month in downtown Bridgeport. The studio is tucked away on the second floor of the brick building on Elm Street, next to the downtown staircase leading up toward Golden Hill Street and the City Hall building. The studio teachers can be reached at 203-522-5600.

Have a question about a business or property in the region? Email Keila Torres Ocasio at ktorres@hearstmediact.com or call 203-330-6227.
Celebrities hailing from Los Angeles to New York City flooded Radio City Music Hall for the 2017 Tony Awards hosted by Kevin Spacey.

During the red carpet runway, some celebs triumphed in statement-making frocks, but others fell flat or were trying to do too much.
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The colors of the rainbow should never trump the red, white and blue, says a retired Navy SEAL and unflagging defender of the president.

Frequent Fox News guest Carl Higbie ripped the Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS on Twitter Tuesday over a gay pride flag display outside the Americas headquarters of RBS in Stamford, which the financial services giants share.

The Greenwich native, who has attracted a national following with his pro vocative views and support of Donald Trump, posted a photo of the ubiquitous rainbow flag appearing to be flown slightly higher than the American flag for gay pride week.

Higbie said thats not proper flag etiquette.

Lower that flag below my American flag, Higbie told Hearst Connecticut Media. I would never fly a flag above the American flag. I think anybody who does is putting whatever that cause is above patriotism.

RBS, now part of NatWest Markets, acknowledged the flap and said it was inadvertent.

The height of the rainbow flag raised as the same height as the American flag was an oversight and in no way was it our intention to offend anyone in any way given the spirit of our message, said Kathleen Hanley, a spokeswoman for NatWest Markets. The height of all flags have now been rectified. At NatWest Markets we are committed to fostering an environment that celebrates our diversity and creates a culture of inclusion and respect. Raising the rainbow flag sends a strong message of support to our employees and the wider community which we care so much about.

UBS declined to comment.

Higbie took the photo from Interstate 95 from the opposite end of the 630,000-square-foot banking hub, prompting some critics to question the angle. Both flags appeared to be flying at the same height an hour later, in addition to the Connecticut state flag. All three flagpoles outside the 12-story complex are the same height.

Drew Marzullo, a Democratic selectman from Greenwich who is exploring a run for lieutenant governor and is gay, said it was a likely misunderstanding of flag etiquette.

The rainbow flag, which symbolizes support for the LBGT community, displayed is a beautiful thing and companies like RBS and UBS should be celebrated and not knocked or maligned for a probable unintentional oversight so easily corrected, Marzullo said, referring to reaction on social media to Higbies tweet. Happy Pride!

The United States Flag Code stipulates that the flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

Higbie, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, said he has nothing against gay pride.

Im not telling them to take it down, Higbie said. It doesnt bother me. If you want to be gay and proud of it, I dont care. Just lower it one flag length, and Ill be happy. That goes for the Connecticut flag, too, not just the gay pride flag.

The subject of a Washingtonian magazine report that he interviewed for White House Press Secretary Sean Spicers job, which was disputed by Trumps administration, Higbie has been a lightning rod.

Last month, he told Katy Perry to go to hell during a Fox News appearance in which he slammed the pop starlets call for tolerance after the Manchester, England, terrorist attack. Higbie made headlines last fall, when he suggested that a Muslim registry would be constitutional and compared it to Japanese internment camps during World War II.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; twitter.com/gettinviggy
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STAMFORD  Gricelda Mendez is concerned her two children might be targets of federal immigration agents while theyre in school.

Mendez, a Guatemalan immigrant, spoke through a translator to express her fear of deportation, saying she also worries her children may return from Springdale Elementary School to an empty house one day.

Mendezs anxiety is shared by a parent group at Building One Community, a local resource center for immigrants, where Stamford Superintendent Earl Kim discussed the districts policy for dealing with Immigration and Naturalization Service or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers that come to the schools to question or detain students.

Ever since the election, the whole issue of immigration has become a main preoccupation for the parent group, Building One Community Executive Director Catalina Horak said. Even documented parents feel uncomfortable. Theyre asking questions like is it safe to stand at the bus stop with my kids? While children with undocumented parents say, what do I do when I come home and youre being deported?

Kim says he has heard similar concerns from parents since President Donald Trump took office. Trump has taken a hard stance on immigration issues, promising extreme vetting and a wall along the Mexican border.

Weve heard stories of children feeling anxious  usually from kids who have had prior trauma in their lives, said Kim, who addressed about 80 parents Saturday at Building One Community. From a learning perspective, which is our perspective, we know that trauma interferes with learning in chemical ways it effects how the brain processes information.

He said he wanted to reassure parents that immigration status is not a concern for the public school system.

The role of school officials is to serve all students well  by law  whether theyre documented or undocumented, he said.

Hispanic students comprise the largest demographic  about 40 percent  of the citys public schools population.

Policy is nothing new

The policy Kim presented to parents is nothing new to people in the biz, he said. Still, the information was valuable to parents who say the schools policies are not well-publicized.

Teachers and administrators will never ask students their immigration status, nor will they disclose that status without a parents consent. Schools also have an extra level of protection from immigration investigations, since they are considered sensitive locations, Kim said.

If Immigration and Naturalization Service or ICE employees arrive at a school without first contacting Kim, they will be directed to the superintendents office or legal counsel.

If an ICE agent comes in with a judges order, its reviewed by me and legal staff to understand scope, Kim said. Then we comply with the order if its found to be legitimate.

The schools are not required to comply with anything below the level of a legitimate judges order, he said. Parents are usually notified by the district when a student is singled out by federal agents, except in extreme cases, such as when the investigation relates to abuse in the home.

Mendez was relieved to hear the district has an action plan, but said sharing it with the parents who attended Saturdays meeting isnt enough. Mendez said Kim and the Building One Community parent group should develop a strategy to reach the thousands of concerned immigrant parents in the district.

Kim said its troubling that these long-standing practices have recently become the focus for parent groups.

I hope that this anxiety passes quickly and the people who want to be part of this community ... feel they can engage with other parents in the community and leaders in school, he said. We want all of our parents, regardless of immigration status, to be active in the school community.

nnaughton@stamfordadvocate.com; @noranaughton
The fact that hes a famous actor is probably the least fascinating thing about Alan Alda these days. A likable and inquisitive guy, Alda spent 11 years interviewing scientists for the documentary show Scientific American Frontiers. The experience of trying to understand brilliant minds doing important work inspired him to partner with Stony Brook University to establish the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, which teaches scientists strategies for conveying their ideas to laypeople. It also inspired him to launch a deeper investigation into how people -- scientists, teachers, businesspeople, dentists and so on -- communicate. The fruit of that research is his surprisingly useful new book, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating.

Related: The 10 Communication Skills Every Entrepreneur Must Master

Back when you were interviewing scientists, you ditched your lists of questions and proceeded with a sense of what you call ignorance with curiosity. You felt that having a list of questions was actually hurting your ability to communicate with people.

I think thats true. My experience interviewing those hundreds of people was that if I asked them a question and they answered it, and then I asked the next question on my list, it was a sign to them that I wasnt listening.

Plus, it only got you answers to the questions you thought to ask. Not necessarily the questions you should have been asking.

And the questions that are most important are the ones you think to ask in response to the other person.

I was surprised to learn you used to work in sales.

Yeah. I had to do something as a young actor to support my family. And I didnt get it at first. I thought of selling as manipulating people, because thats how I had been sold, and I really resented that. But I eventually figured out that focusing on the other persons needs and not my own was the most effective way to make a sale. Later I came across this guy Daniel Goleman, who had written pretty much the same thing.

Your book was basically inspired by the opposite of that: a bad experience with your dentist. What happened?

There was this operation he had invented that involved cutting that thing inside your mouth that connects your gum to your upper lip. He was really more interested in doing it than in explaining to me what it was. And I was kind of shocked when I didnt have a smile after that. I was acting in a movie, and my lip was hanging down like a hoop skirt. He explained in a letter that there was a second step to the operation. But his letters tone showed me that he was much more interested in avoiding a lawsuit.

Which is funny, because you cite a study in the book that found that when doctors apologized to patients for mistakes, lawsuits went down by more than half. Thats amazing.

It is amazing. It shows respect. If you show defensiveness, you increase the chances of getting into a fight.

It reminds me of this friend of mine. He was saying the other day that his most loyal customers are the ones he screwed up with the worst and then made good with.

Thats a wonderful story. I wish I had that in the book.

Theres another bad customer service experience in here, too. You got in a cab, and the guy didnt know where to go. Instead of indulging in the age-old New York pastime of yelling at cabbies, you decided to try to connect with him. And he really lit up.

So much so that it became a pain in the ass and he wouldnt let me get out of the cab! But it was a remarkable demonstration, to me, about how empathy transforms you. It made my behavior different, and it changed his behavior.

Those moments are pretty rare. But when they do happen, I always feel like people are sort of relieved.

That sense of relief is such a palpable thing to me. It makes me wonder why relating to others isnt self-reinforcing. We dont just tend toward it naturally. On the contrary, we seem to have to concentrate on doing the things that bring about the connection. I do it myself now. If someone is doing something annoying, I think, What are they going through thats making that happen? The amazing thing is that I get more patience from it. I dont feel like I have to work at being patient. I just have more patience.

Related: A 6-Step Program for Improving Your Communication Skills

And its not just about managing conflict. Theres a fascinating story you tell about an Israeli scientist who banned shop talk from the beginnings of meetings.

Uri Alon. He has his graduate students get together every week to talk about their work, but for the first half hour, nobody talks about work. They talk about what happened to them that week, or something thats happening to a relative that bothers them. Then when they do talk about work, theyre warmed up to each other. Theyre more helpful to one another. Its like a creative group rather than a critical group.

I discovered that independently when we were doing M*A*S*H, too. Instead of going to our trailers, we would sit around in a circle and just make each other laugh. It turned out to be the best preparation we could do for the scenes, because we were really turned on to each other. Thats contributed to how I train scientists and even businesspeople to communicate better.

What are some of the strategies you use, besides actually listening to people?

Observing the other person is the first step. In my own life, poor communication has been preceded by not noticing the other person. I would even be able to remember, later, the expression on their face -- that was very confused, or forbidding, or hurt, or generally not being with me -- but I wouldnt act on it in the moment. After the fact, Id say, "What was going wrong there?," and Id realize I was disconnected from them and they were disconnected from me.

What else?

Anytime you can laugh together, you invite the other person in. Youre never more vulnerable than when youre laughing. Youre really open to the other person. Youre not telling jokes -- just having a sense of jovial community. That kind of thing opens up both people and makes it a little easier.

Theres an interesting point in the book about explaining things to people. You have to start with what they know. But how do you know what they know?

Youve got to figure that out partly from their faces, and partly if you can make it a conversation.

And then you have to avoid the tendency to get excited by how much they do know and dump heaps of information on them.

Right. [Laughs] I really have found that you cant start out too far in or too far back, too childishly simpleminded or too complicated. Youve got to find out where that spot is that counts for them.

Related: How Successful Leaders Communicate With Their Teams

This is applicable to business, too. People have a tendency to instinctively say no when overwhelmed with information they dont understand.

Its a self-protective response, to say, Im not going to put my money into this if I dont know what it is. Why would you? You know -- scientists talking to Congress to get money, when the members of Congress have no idea what theyre talking about. There isnt anybody among us who would fork over a fortune if we dont understand what its about.

So something like excessive jargon must be a killer.

Jargon is a big one. There are some good reasons for using jargon. Some of the bad reasons, though, are trying to look like a big deal, to look smarter, to show you know a lot. Well, I think you show all that a lot better by being clear.

Related:



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T he impact of Lehman Brothers implosion on the global financial system was chaotic enough.

But without the help of the global clearing houses, it would have been far worse.

The complexities of unwinding $500 billion of Lehmans derivatives trades around the world was part of the reason the financial system ground to a halt. So far and wide were Lehmans trades that banks panicked about where liability for its losses lay. If they couldnt work out which Lehmans counterparties had lost what, how could they tell who was safe to trade with?

But then the worlds two biggest clearing houses  LCH.Clearnet and New Yorks DTCC  stepped in, saying they would untangle the mess. These processors of the electronic paperwork between buyers and sellers proved good to their word, unwinding Lehmans positions in a month.

Clearing houses also hold the collateral put up by buyers and sellers to ensure theyre good for the money. The more risk a bank takes, the more collateral, or margin, it must put up. LCH and DTCC have such a wide purview of the global landscape that they can assess how much risk banks are taking across the world and adjust the margin accordingly, netting off where exposure on one trade is mirrored in another. That frees banks to lend more money to households and businesses.

Despite these merits, loud voices in Europe want clearing of trades in euros to be stripped from London and moved to the eurozone. Its our currency, we should control the risk, they say.

The last time they tried, the European courts turned them down: it was illegal to discriminate against a fellow EU state.

Brexit means that no longer applies, but common sense should.

Carving euro trades from the 20 other currencies cleared through London makes no sense.

Europe would lose the benefits of London and New Yorks helicopter view of banks financial risks. And, instead of Londons huge pool of liquidity, euro trades will be covered by a small EU pot. Thats riskier for EU taxpayers and would reduce the amount of margin netting for its banks, perhaps costing them $77 billion a year.

And if Europe wont let London have the business, it must also strip New York. Does it want to do that?

If the leaks are to be believed, the European Commission seems to have twigged to all this. Rather than order clearing of euro trades to be done in Europe, it will only insist overseas clearers stick to tough European Central Bank rules. That would include stipulations on capital requirements and other measures.

Compared with the previous plan, this seems fairly rational. A promising example of economics triumphing over politics?
L ets be honest, few adults find it easy to manage their money. There are lots of reasons, but a lack of basic budgeting knowledge is key to why so many of us struggle to get through the month until payday.

If only money skills had been taught at school, many more people might approach their finances with greater confidence.

Thats the thinking behind My Money Week, an annual event in its ninth year which runs until the weekend. Its a programme of events in schools developed by Young Enterprise. Its aim? To give young people the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to manage their money.

This week students have been handed a special financial education newspaper and can enter a competition to produce money melodies, songs, raps or jingles. Theres 500 up for grabs for the winners school.

That may sound fun, but its a serious issue, warns Russell Winnard of Young Enterprise.

Financial capability is an essential life skill and a lack of financial education can affect nearly every aspect of a young persons life, from their mental well-being to their performance at work and even their personal health, he points out.

The week is being backed by MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis, who says: In our increasingly complex consumer world, its important to get young people thinking about how money works, and whos trying to sell to them, as early as possible.

Parents can help by teaching children about money matters at home. Joe Green of Experian reckons the easiest way to do that is by getting kids talking about money.

Its vital that children are encouraged to discuss money matters from an early age to help them develop positive attitudes, values and behaviours, he says.

And start early. Research from the University of Cambridge suggests childrens money habits are set from as early as the age of seven.

A good tip is to encourage kids to earn their pocket money, rather than simply handing it over. Spending an hour or two earning cash can help children learn the value of money early on, and money worked for is less likely to be wasted. Parents can help further by introducing financial goals, such as saving for games.

It can be fun but its actually financial planning, which is a critical life skill that will serve people well throughout their life, says Green.

To find out more about My Money Week and financial education in schools go to pfeg.org/resources/mymoneyweek.
H ere's one possible side effect of the Jeremy Corbyn insurgency: workers get a taste for saying: screw you, we wont do what you tell us to.

There was more than a hint of that on Monday when BMW staff in the UK voted down a pension deal.

BMW wants to shut its final salary pension scheme, like many before it, and hoped to reach a compromise. Staff have already staged four walkouts on the issue and more seem likely.

There are similar rows either brewing or well under way at BT and the Royal Mail  a veritable summer of discontent. Both of those companies want to slash previously promised pension deals.

So far, staff are having none of it and good for them. As we must not tire of pointing out, pensions are wages deferred; they are a promise to pay. Companies should be held to those promises wherever possible, and if that means lower share prices or dividend payments, thats just too bad. The thing is, BMW is a good employer. BMW is a wealthy company that has done well from treating workers properly (also, the cars arent bad).

If it can find itself at war with its staff almost any big business can. On the face of it, BMWs offer for giving up admittedly very valuable rights doesnt look too shabby. The staff could take 22,000 in cash over three years, or have 25,000 paid into a new defined contribution pension scheme. You could see that as reasonable.

Chatting with union officials, you could get the idea that they might agree. Its certainly not as though the staff were under pressure from unions to be bolshy The statement from Unite notes: Unite shop stewards did not make a recommendation on the offer So the stewards didnt tell members they should vote against the deal. They left it to the members. And the members said: get stuffed.

This is interesting, both generally and specifically. If unions members feel empowered enough to slap management around a bit after years of stagnant wages, perhaps thats overdue.

BT might be about to find out that though pensions are complicated, employees are massively reluctant to agree to them being reduced. A pay cut is one thing, a pension cut quite another.

The BMW dispute is high stakes, however, for more than what it says about the state of industrial relations.

BMW is due to make a decision by the end of the month on where it will build the new electric Mini  they have alternative factories in Holland and Austria. If they dont bring the Mini E to Cowley in Oxford this would be a massive sentiment blow for post-Brexit Britain  and a decision BMW might be able to blame on an inflexible workforce. One to watch.
I t is often said that when it comes to elections, the British public always gets it right. And if you look back, its an argument that is hard to fault. We didnt entirely trust Neil Kinnock in 1992, were fed-up to the back teeth with the Tories in 1997 and couldnt bear to contemplate them again until 2010, when we werent quite convinced by David Cameron and so ended up with a coalition. By 2015, wed just about bought into the logic of the Tories economic project and found Cameron slightly more compelling than a potential coalition of Labour and the SNP. Much good, arguably, it has done us.

So how then do you explain this massive dogs breakfast of a result? Well, its not complicated. I think you can argue that, once again, the British public got exactly the result it wanted.

As I wrote in this paper a few weeks ago, Theresa May made mistakes from the start of this campaign. She called an election that no one wanted (we just gave you our answer  twice!) and stretched our credulity by attempting to claim it was in the countrys interest rather than her own.

She told us that she needed our support for her Brexit negotiating position but resolutely refused to say what that was. She avoided the debates and insisted she was doing so because she wanted to spend her time meeting actual voters, while mostly appearing to make semi-regal progress from one sterile photo opportunity to another.

There was the gloomy, downbeat manifesto, the worst executed U-turn in modern history on the dementia tax (who will ever forget nothing has changed, nothing has changed?) and, arguably the most aggravating of all, the persistent, robotic instruction that we needed to vote for a strong and stable government. Honestly, when will politicians stop doing this? If we wanted a parrot, wed head to the pet shop.

Theresa May: I've brought 'talent' to the cabinet from across the Conservative Party

So as the increasingly large group of non-aligned, floating voters headed for the polling booths last Thursday, they did so in a state of profound irritation. And probably not only about the self-indulgent and alienating nature of the Tory campaign. Many seemed alarmed by the behaviour of the Brexiteers, who appeared to have taken last years narrow win in the referendum as an excuse to interpret our exit from the European Union entirely as they wished. We voted to leave, yes, but we didnt cast our ballots to lose our jobs  and all the talk of a hard Brexit has made a lot of people very nervous.

So if all this is true of the Tory campaign, what does this result tell of us about Jeremy Corbyn? Is he the new Messiah, riding a wave that will one day soon deliver him to Downing Street, as his supporters seem fervently to believe? Hmm, I am not so sure.

There are undeniable positives for Corbyns growing group of fans. As the Tories and their friends in the press hurled ever more invective at him, most of us looked up to see a bloke who seemed basically all right. He potters about on his allotment at the weekend. He appears sincere and genuine. I even wondered halfway through the campaign if there wasnt a touch of the Harold Wilson or Jim Callaghan about him that everyone was missing  the kindly uncle to whom you would happily entrust your pocket money on the grounds that, even if he went out and spent it, it would be on something worthwhile.

His campaign was clever, too. There is not a single serious political observer who believed that a Labour government under Corbyn would only marginally increase spending on the NHS or keep many of the existing and future public service cuts in place, as the partys manifesto and accompanying figures appeared to imply. Corbyn didnt talk about this because he didnt need to; the party already has a massive inbuilt advantage on this subject in the minds of most voters.

Instead, he offered one of the greatest inducements ever seen in modern politics. If you were a current or future student and someone offered you the equivalent of nearly 30,000, wouldnt you make sure you got out of bed and voted? The increase in the youth vote (and the defection of many middle-class parents too, one suspects) is one of the least surprising aspects of this result  and the Tories are going to have to think hard about what it means for them. Of course they might have countered it in the campaign if they had bothered to make an argument on the economy. But from the party that built its modern political strength on the issue of the deficit we heard barely a whisper.

For all these positives for Labour, it is also true to say that elections are notoriously over-interpreted by both sides, and the basic truth is that many voters will have entered the polling booth on Thursday intent on punishing May but at the same time confident in the knowledge that they werent going to get Corbyn as Prime Minister. For Labour it poses an interesting question: does it double down on the radicalism or ease off in the hope of getting over the line next time?

What it means for the governing party is rather clearer: two or three  or, if they are very lucky, more  years of hard grind. It is now evident that there is no Commons majority for a hard Brexit and probably not for leaving the single market either. We look as if we are slipping towards some version of the Norway model, which would give us most of the advantages, costs and obligations of being in the EU without any say over how it is run.

If this turns out to be so, then someone will have to explain to the British people what the point of leaving the EU was in the first place. The Conservative Party might, in short, ending up clutching closely to its bosom the greatest political turkey of modern times. What happens after that is frankly anyones guess.

Tom Bradby is the anchor of ITVs News at Ten
Known for her devotion to the Knot on my Planet campaign, last night saw supermodel Doutzen Kroes pair up with Porter magazine's Editor-in-Chief Lucy Yeomans to host a star-studded dinner party in honour of Save the Elephants.

Held at The Orangery Kensington Palace in partnership with Tiffany & Co., guests including Naomi Campbell, Cara Delevinge, Samantha Cameron, Ruth Wilson, Anna Friel and Natalia Vodianova all stepped out in support of the event.

A number of iconic fashion designers also showed their support, with Peter Dundas, Roksanda Illincic, Emilia Wickstead and Alice Temperley all in attendance.

The party coincided with this month's launch of Porter's Summer Escape issue, which sees Kroes take to the magazine's cover in a portrait alongside elephants shot on location at the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.

Speaking of the magazine's support for the campaign, Porter Editor-in-Chief Lucy Yeomans said: "It is incredibly rare that a project comes along that ignites such passion in a team, but the Porter and Net-a-Porter campaign to raise awareness about the plight of the global elephant population has done exactly that."

"Elephants play a crucial role in our eco-system and their rapidly dwindling are a threat to the species."

"We are very honoured to be supporting this cause and bringing the story of the inspirational Douglas Hamiltons (the family behind Save The Elephants) as well as the Samburu people, to a global audience."

The dinner also comes just one week after the Yoox Net-a-Porter group - which includes global e-commerce platforms Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter, Yoox and The Outnet - announced its new policy to go entirely fur-free.

The decision is particularly significant given that it sells products by fur-heavy designers such as Fendi and Burberry.
T he first major retrospective of Turkish artist Fahrelnissa Zeid opens at Tate Modern today.

Her epic abstract paintings are breathtaking, and her life story is pretty incredible too, but Zeid has been largely forgotten about. The exhibition continues the Tates work to broaden the canon of art history, which is notoriously neglectful of women - but who was Zeid and why does she matter?

She was a princess

No, genuinely. She divorced her first husband, novelist Izzet Melih Devrim with whom she had three children, so that she could marry Prince Zeid Al-Hussein of Iraq.

Her earlier life wasnt without drama either. She saw her brother shoot her dad dead when she was just twelve.

She lived all over the world

After she married the prince, he became the first Iraqi Ambassador to Germany in 1935, so the couple moved to Berlin. (Its rumoured that she discussed painting with Adolf Hitler whilst living there.) They later moved back to Baghdad, where Zeid became depressed and was advised by a doctor to go to Paris, where she had first been to art school. She then spent much of life traveling between the French capital, London, Budapest and Istanbul.

She created epic abstract paintings

Zeids paintings were huge - her 1951 piece My Hell, which was exhibited at Londons ICA in 1954, is over 5 metres long. Her international lifestyle meant she was influenced by a broad range of styles, from European abstraction to Byzantine, Islamic and Persian influences. In later life she painted portraits, but these never reached the level of acclaim of her unique, vibrant abstract works.

Summer exhibitions in London 1 /12 Summer exhibitions in London RA Summer Exhibition 2017 Want an insight into what is making the contemporary art world tick? You cant go wrong with the Royal Academys annual summer exhibition, which features the worlds most internationally renowned artists, including Mark Wallinger, Gilbert and George and Yinka Shonibare. Most of the artworks are for sale too, so if something takes your fancy you could end up taking it home.



13 June - 20 August, Royal Academy; royalacademy.org.uk Fahrelnissa Zeid Fahrelnissa Zeids paintings are a vibrant burst of colour and abstraction, and Tate Modern is offering a chance to see these dazzling works up close. This major retrospective shows the synthesis of Islamic, Byzantine, Arab and Persian influences fused with European ideas - dont miss your chance to experience them.



June 13 - October 8, Tate Modern; tate.org.uk Perfume: A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent Perfume is a kind of art that you wear on your skin - or so this exhibition argues. This multi-sensory exhibition will features ten iconic perfumes and their creators, and how they have changed our perceptions of fragrance over the last 20 years.



June 21 - September 21, Somerset House; somersethouse.org.uk Into the Unknown: A Journey Through Science Fiction Science fiction isnt just aliens bursting out of stomachs and Darth Vaders heavy breathing, you know. This vast festival-style show explores the phenomenon through art, design, film and literature. It kicks off by placing visitors inside an episode of Black Mirror, and journeys through dystopian worlds, in what our critic Ben Luke described as a tribute to human imagination.



Until September 1, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk Franklin: Death in the Ice If it all gets a bit too hot (unlikely), head to Greenwich for an arctic journey as the National Maritime Museum explores the mysterious fate of Sir John Franklin and his crew on their final expedition. What happened - scurvy, starvation or cannibalism? This exhibition tries to get one step closer to finding the answer.



July 14 - January 7, National Maritime Museum; rmg.co.uk Matisse in the Studio Heres a perspective on Matisse that you wont have seen before: the Royal Academy offers an exclusive glimpse at objects from his private collection, showing the ways that they influenced his work. The diverse collection includes African masks and Chinese calligraphy, precious items that werent high in material value but allowed him to go beyond the limits of Western art.



5 August - 12 November, Royal Academy; royalacademy.org.uk Dreamers Awake This major exhibition on the enduring influence of surrealism spans work from the 1930s to the present day. Featuring over 100 works by women artists, it will include a vast spread of art from greats including Leonora Carrington, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Mona Hatoum and Gillian Wearing.



June 28 - September 17, White Cube; whitecube.com A Museum of Modern Nature Londoners dont often feel at one with nature, but we all are - and this summer show from the Wellcome Collection will tell us how. It will tell the individual stories of how people connect with nature by displaying items borrowed from the public, offering a big snapshot of how we tihnk about nature and our planet in the 21st century.



June 22 - October 8, Wellcome Collection; wellcomecollection.org Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power The Tate Modern will celebrate the work of Black artists in a vital time in Americas history, beginning in 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of the works are on display in the UK for the very first time, and visitors will be introduced to the work of more than 50 influential American artist.



July 12 - October 22, Tate Modern; tate.org.uk BP Portrait Award 2017 Its a classic, but a goodie. The National Portrait Gallery once again hosts the prize for the very best in contemporary portrait painting, which is now in its 38th year. Three artists have been shortlisted, and the winner will be commissioned to paint a portrait that will enter the gallerys permanent collection. The winner will be announced June 20.



June 22 - September 24, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains This audio-visual spectacular exploring the rise and times of the legendary Pink Floyd is bound to gather crowds all summer. Exploring their music, design and staging, it leaves no stone unturned and is a treat for superfans as well as the uninitiated.



Until October 1, Victoria and Albert Museum; vam.ac.uk Sargent: The Watercolours This rare opportunity to see John Singer Sargents watercolours offer the chance to reassess works that have often been dismissed as travel souvenirs. 80 paintings from private and public collections will show his impeccable technique and distinctive way of seeing the world. And you can pop to the lovely Dulwich Pavilion while youre there!



June 21 - October 8, Dulwich Picture Gallery; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

She saved her husband from a military coup

Zeid persuaded the prince that their family should not return to Baghdad in 1958 but instead to go to their holiday home in the Bay of Naples. Tragically, at the same time, a military coup detat in Iraq saw the entire Royal Family assassinated. If they had been there, its almost certain they would have met the same fate.

She didnt cook her first meal until she was 57

...but the experience inspired her art. After the military coup, the Zeids had to leave the London embassy where they were living at the time and find a modest flat. It was the first time they had lived without servants.

As a result, some of her later pieces featured painted chicken bones, or sculptures made from the bones.

She set up an art school for women

In 1975, after her husbands death, Zeid moved back to Jordan, where her son was living. She turned her home into an informal art school for young women artists, nurturing future talent.

One of paintings recently went for a big sum

Towards A Sky, painted in 1953, fetched just under 1 million at an auction in April this year - nearly twice its estimate. This painting was so big (six by two metres) that when it was exhibited at the ICA, a third of it had to be rolled up.

The Tates exhibition rescues her art from obscurity

Zeid was popular in her lifetime and exhibited all over the world in big cities like London and New York, but since then she has been all but forgotten. Its a sign of her obscurity in Europe that all but one of the pieces in the Tate show had to be loaned from abroad. The Tates new show offers a chance to reevaluate her artistic impact and legacy.

Fahrelnissa Zeid is at Tate Modern, SE1 until Oct 8; tate.org.uk
L ondoners torn between spending the afternoon in a hot tub or cruising down the Thames need fret no more as a new concept combining the two is setting sail for London.

HotTug  which sounds as though it were named after a few too many beers  bills itself as the worlds first wood-fired floating hot tubs and offers the capital the chance to spend 90 minutes floating their way down Regents Canal in the comfort of bubbly water.

Opening to the public from July 12, the experience has a permanent home at the Islington Boat Club, and has been bought to the city by Londoner Stuart "Tommo" Thomson, 31, and his business partner Jack Clegg, 32, from Preston.

Thomson, who first saw the hot tubs in Rotterdam five years ago, told the Standard: "I just thought, what a fantastic thing for London. It's taken a while for this crazy, mad experience to get it here  finding the right site and that  but we're almost there."

The pair hope to be open 365 days a year, with Thomson adding: "It's actually more fun in the winter. There's nothing better than being in the hot water when it's freezing out."

HotTug, in pictures 1 /9 HotTug, in pictures

Each 12ft hottug can hold up to seven and is fitted with an electric motor that can power the tubs about at speeds of up to 2.6 knots (3mph). Each each hold 1800 litres of water, which is heated to 38 celsius by a small wood-burning stove at the bow of the boat.

The tubs are approved by the River and Canal Trust, and are sturdy enough to have taken to the sea, as can be seen in the gallery and the group's promotional video, both above. Thompson said: "Because they're already full of water, they're basically impossible to sink."

The HotTug team are currently crowdfunding to raise 10,000 towards operating costs, offering a variety of rewards in return, from booking discounts to the chance to name a boat. To donate, visit this page.

Currently, Thomson and Clegg have raised around 6,000 in just one week, and still have until July 11 to meet their target. They say those who donate or book up using the crowd funding page will be offered the first trips out on the tubs. Sessions currently start at 160 for earlybirds.

Londoners should bring a swimsuit and towel, and there will be a shower on the docking site for guests to use before getting in. All guests apart from the driver can bring alcohol.

This isn't the first time a Hottug, all of which are hand built by their inventor Frank de Bruijn, have been in the UK. Since 2012, one has been available to guests at the Runnymede-on-Thames Hotel in Surrey for a splash on the Thames. However, Clegg and Thomson a have exclusive rights for all other boats in the UK and Ireland.

For more information, visit hottuguk.com
F or those who have heard of Trooping the Colour, they may refer to it as something to do with the Royals  but what does it mean and why do we celebrate it?

Trooping the Colour is a centuries-old event which marks the monarchs official birthday celebration. Since the 1950s, it has always fallen on the second Saturday of June  even if the sovereigns actual birthday does not fall on that day.

So, although Queen Elizabeths actual birthday is in April, a parade is held every June in her honour.

With the Queens birthday celebrations just around the corner, heres everything you need to know about Trooping the Colour:

What is Trooping the Colour?

Members of the Royal Family stand on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's official birthday celebrations. / Getty

Trooping the Colour is believed to have begun as a military tradition. In the British Army, colour often refers to the uniform worn by the soldiers of different units. It was thought necessary for troops to display their Regiments Colours regularly, which they did so through a practice called trooping  hence the name.

In June of 1748, King George II decided to combine the annual military parade with his own birthday celebration, despite his own birthday being in December.

Today, the Trooping of Colour is still used as a celebration of the sovereigns official birthday.

When is Trooping the Colour 2019?

This year, Trooping the Colour will be held on Saturday 8 June.

75th Anniversary D-Day Commemorations - In pictures 1 /66 75th Anniversary D-Day Commemorations - In pictures U.S. World War II paratrooper veteran Tom Rice, 97 years-old who served with the 101st Airbone, jumps during a commemorative parachute jump over Carentan on the Normandy coast ahead of the 75th D-Day anniversary, France Reuters A dog sits on the sidecar of a reenactor at the World War II Hillman Fortress camp in Colleville-Montgomery, north-western France AFP/Getty Images Sheridan Smith performing during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmout PA The Red Arrows flying over the commemorations at Southsea Common in Portsmouth for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings PA A history enthusiast looks on as C-47 Dakota airplanes drop parachutists in WW2 attire near the Normandy coast EPA Queen Elizabeth II and US President Donald Trump at the D-day 75 Commemorations Getty Images Dancers in period costume perform during an event to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth AP A single white rose lies in front of the Les Braves sculpture on Omaha beach during commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings PA Performers speak on stage during the D-Day Commemorations in Portsmouth Getty Images A woman dressed as WWII US paratrooper walks after taking part in a parachute drop in Carentan, Normandy, north-western France AFP/Getty Images PA A man dressed as a WW2 US paratrooper looks on as C-47 Dakota airplanes drop parachutists in WW2 attire near the Normandy coast ahead of the 75th D-Day anniversary, in Carentan, France EPA US soldiers and members of the public watch paratroopers taking part in a parachute drop over Carentan, Normandy, north-western France AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May and the Prince of Wales during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth PA Polish D-Day veteran Eugeniusz Nead during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth PA Members of the public watch an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, in Portsmouth AFP/Getty Images US WWII veteran Tom Rice (C) reacts after taking part in a parachute drop over Carentan, Normandy, north-western France, AFP/Getty Images D Day veteran Henry Cullen, with British Royal Navy Bethany Thomson of HMS Nelson attending the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Southsea Common, Portsmouth, EPA A RAF Spitfire which flew during the D-Day invasion is prepared at Le Havre Airport in France to take part in a commemorative parachute drop to mark the invasion 75 years ago PA Veteran D-Day switchboard operator Marie Scott, 92, poses for a portrait wearing her WWII service medal (R) and her French Legion of Honour (Legion d'honneur) during an interview at her home in southwest London AFP/Getty Images A man in US Airborne period dress during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth PA US WWII veterans Stan Friday from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania hold a bottle of sand from Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, north-western France AFP/Getty Images D-Day veterans arrive for a D-Day event at Portsmouth Historical Dockyard PA US veteran paratrooper veteran Vincent Speranza (R) sings with the band "Band of Brothers" during a parachute drop in Carentan, Normandy, north-western Franc AFP/Getty Images The Royal British Legion ship taking D-Day veterans to Normandy departs from the port in Dover Reuters Few days before the 75th anniversary of the allied landings on D-Day, history enthusiasts drive a vintage jeep during a re-enactment of D-Day landings on the beach, in Arromanches, on the Normandy coast, France Reuters A re-enactor wearing a U.S. World War II-era military uniform snaps a photo of an American flag planted at Omaha Beach in Normandy near Colleville-sur-Mer, France Getty Images Vera Hay, 96, who was a nursing sister in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service and landed on Gold Beach shortly after D-Day, talks to Lt Colonel Duane Fletcher MBE, as they attend a function at Southwick House, which in June 1944 was the headquarters of Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower in Portsmouth Getty Images Few days before the 75th anniversary of the allied landings on D-Day, history enthusiasts drive a vintage DUKW during a re-enactment of D-Day landings in Bayeux, on the Normandy coast, France Reuters D-Day veterans gather under the 'Embracing Peace' statue, during a D-Day event at Portsmouth Historical Dockyard PA Enthusiasts from France and Netherlands visit a supply souvenir shop as they take part of a camp re-enactment of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army next to Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie du Mont, Normandy, France AP Veteran John Roberts, 95, from Whitstable, sits in a jeep as he arrives at the cruise termianl to board the MV Boudicca (behind) ahead of its departure from the port of Dover in Kent, on day one of a trip arranged by the Royal British Legion for D-Day veterans to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day PA Enthusiasts from Italy ride a jeep and a U.S. Army DUKW, amphibious lorry, on Utah Beach, in Normandy, France AP US D-Day veteran Bert Chandler meets members of the Charlalas close harmony group during a D-Day event at Portsmouth Historical Dockyard PA A tracked military vehicle of the 326 Airborne medical Company is displayed as enthusiasts from France and Netherlands take part of a camp re-enactment of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army next to Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie du Mont, Normandy, France AP Enthusiasts from France and Netherlands take part of a camp re-enactment of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army next to Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie du Mont, Normandy, France AP D-Day veteran Ron Minton, aged 94, is greeted by a military policeman as he arrives at a function at Southwick House, which in June 1944 was the headquarters of Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower in Portsmouth, England Getty Images Few days before the 75th anniversary of the allied landings on D-Day, a young history enthusiast sits on a vintage jeep during a re-enactment of D-Day landings on the beach in Arromanches, on the Normandy coast, France Reuters Enthusiasts from France and Netherlands take part of a camp re-enactment of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army next to Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie du Mont, Normandy, Franc AP A D-Day veterans arrive to the cruise terminal to board the MV Boudicca ahead of its departure from the port of Dover in Kent, on day one of a trip arranged by the Royal British Legion for D-Day veterans to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day PA Soldiers of the U.S. Army pose for a photo with U.S. D-Day veteran Leonard Jindra, 98, following a small ceremony at Normandy American Cemetery Getty Images Veteran John Roberts, 95, from Whitstable, on a jeep as he arrives to the cruise termianl to board the MV Boudicca (behind) ahead of its departure from the port of Dover in Kent, on day one of a trip arranged by the Royal British Legion for D-Day veterans to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day PA Few days before the 75th anniversary of the allied landings on D-Day, a history enthusiast drives a vintage jeep during a re-enactment of D-Day landings in Arromanches, on the Normandy coast, Reuters U.S. Army Rangers dressed in the uniforms of U.S. Army Rangers from World War II stand together after they scaled the cliffs of La Pointe du Hoc in a re-enactment of the D-Day assault on June 05, 2019 near Cricqueville-en-Bessin, France Getty Images Soldiers from the U.S. 75th Ranger Regiment, in period dress stand on the overlook after climbing the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc in Cricqueville-en-Bessin, Normandy, France AP Two people dressed as local resident during the WWII sits on a wall along the beach in Arromanches-Les-Bains AFP/Getty Images 96 year-old US army WWII veteran Onofrio Zicari poses at The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, near Omaha Beach AFP/Getty Images A double of Winston Churchill attends at The Normandy American Cemetery, close to Omaha Beach, in Colleville-sur-Mer AFP/Getty Images WWII British veteran Mervyn Kresh holds a poppy on an inscribed wooden Star of David during a remembrance ceremony at The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer AFP/Getty Images Rangers from the U.S. 75th Ranger Regiment, in period dress, hold the American flag after scaling the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc in Cricqueville-en-Bessin, Normandy, France AP

What is the Trooping the Colour flypast route?

As is traditional, Trooping the Colour will see a fleet of fighter jets, helicopter and army aircraft fly over parts of the country as they make their way towards Buckingham Palace.

The Ministry of Defence is yet to confirm the route and timings of the flypast.

However, its likely that the air show will follow similar routes as to previous years, making its way over Suffolk and Essex before reaching London.

What is the Trooping the Colour 2019 schedule?

Members of the Irish Guards, a regiment of Household Division, march to Horseguards parade ahead of the Trooping the Colour parade / Getty

The Queen follows the same itinerary every year for the Trooping the Colour festivities.

At around 9.15am, Household Guards will begin to take their places. The Queen, however, doesnt tend to leave Buckingham Palace until over an hour later, at 10.45am.

She will then be escorted from the Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade by St James Park.

The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry then march past Her Majesty, and the Kings Troop, Royal House Artillery, rank past with their guns.

Finally, the Queen heads back to Buckingham Palace to the balcony for the Royal Air Force fly-past.

Trooping the Colour highlights: Harry and Meghan on royal balcony

How to get tickets for Trooping the Colour

Tickets are no longer available for the Trooping the Colour event this year.

Members of the public can watch the event for free, however, by standing by some of the designated viewing areas on The Mall or on the edge of St James Park, which overlooks Horse Guards.

The parade will also be broadcast live on the BBC.
P ippa Middletons 275,000 ceremony might have been dubbed the society wedding of the year, but a billionaire son and his model girlfriend may have just stolen her thunder.

Folarin Alakija, whose mum is Nigerian oil tycoon Folorunsho Alakija, tied the knot with Iranian model Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar in an opulent ceremony at Blenheim Palace this week, reportedly racking up a 5 million bill.

The lavish details included one million white roses, a 12ft cake with eight tiers and 200,000 worth of orchids.

Mr Alakija also splashed out on a surprise performance by Blurred Lines pop star Robin Thicke, who serenaded the pair during their first dance at Winston Churchills ancestral home.

Thicke reportedly costs around 150,000 to hire and would have been specially flown over from the US for the performance.

Guests were also treated to a spectacular firework display in the hotel grounds later in the evening.

The father-of-one, who lost his first wife to cancer, celebrated his nuptials with friends, family and celebrities, including Victoria's Secret Angel, Shanina Shaik.

Alakija, who is in his 30s, studied at Imperial College in London and is an entrepreneur and cinematographer.

His new wife, meanwhile, studied bioengineering at the University of Manchester and reportedly met her husband through friends in London.

The bride stunned in a simple strapless white gown with lace embellishment, accessorising with a diamond necklace and a pair of white Manolo Blahnik shoes.

The grooms mother, who is likely to have footed the astronomical bill, has an estimated fortune of 1.6 billion and has been ranked as the 14th richest person in Africa by Forbes.

She overtook Oprah Winfrey as the richest woman of African descent in the world in 2014.

Best UK wedding venues - in pictures 1 /25 Best UK wedding venues - in pictures The Old Vicarage Boutique Wedding Venue - Nottinghamshire The Garden Room in Syon Park - Greater London Shilstone House - Devon The Balmoral - Edinburgh Browns Hotel - London Kingston Estate - Devon Hinchingbrooke House - Cambridgeshire Fulham Palace - London Eynsham Hall - Oxfordshire Comlongon Castle - Scotland Chiswell Street Dining Rooms - London Assynt House - Inverness, Scotland The Pump Room - Bath Merchant Taylors Hall - London St Giles House, Wimborne - Dorset Hedsor House - Buckinghamshire Drapers Hall - London Minterne House - Dorset Kensington Palace - London

Wedding planners believe the venue hire alone would cost an impressive 150,000, with the huge glass marquee and bespoke marble floor with their initials etched in gold adding an extra 200,000 to the bill.

Bridebook.co.uk founder Hamish Shephard said: 'The preparations and construction of their custom clear marquee including a bespoke marble floor with their gold initials, would have required up to a week of exclusive hire of the palace, with the cost of the marquee on top.
N ever one to shy away from making a statement, British artist Banksy has opened the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, attracting visitors to one of the most closed off parts of the world.

Best known as the biblical birthplace of Jesus, the town has been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years. It is also in the West Bank, and surrounded by an eight-foot high concrete wall.

Having visited in 2004 to leave his mark on the wall, Banksy opened the hotel in secret with the aim of attracting a different tourist to the area and providing much needed local jobs. He has long been opposed to the decision of building the wall, and the hotel is his way of highlighting the current situation, as well as starting a conversation about what is going on.

Where is it?

To gain access to the hotel, tourists must cross the border from Jerusalem into the Occupied Territories, drive through the gates in the wall and into the town of Bethlehem. The hotel sits in the shadow of the wall, with the rooms just metres away, giving them the view dubbed the worst in the world.

Style

The Walled Off Hotel is trademark Banksy; eclectic, eerie, beautiful and politically charged. In the main dining room, angels with gas masks hang above a grand piano and a glowing fireplace is strewn with rubble. Its cool colonial with punchy pieces of art everywhere.

To gain access to the rooms, tap your wall-shaped key over the breasts of a classical bust and open a secret door hidden in a bookshelf. Each room has its own style, with stunning pieces of art and beautiful furniture throughout.

Which room

A bedroom

Room one for the 'worst view in the world'. Enter the plush pad, and walk into a lavish room with thick carpets, smart armchairs around a ruined fireplace and an antique writing desk in the corner. Fabulous art adorns the walls, and there are beautiful soft furnishings and accessories everywhere. Draw back the curtains to let in the light in and you are instantly hit with a view of the wall, towering above the building. Its a stark reminder why you are there and a snapshot of what life is like in this rather forgotten town.

If youre going to splash the cash, then the presidential suite is one of the most unique hotel rooms in the world. A leap of leopards (a Banksy original) glower across the room as they lounge on the wall above a zebra stripped sofa. In the corner, a bullet-ridden water tower acts as a fountain, gushing into a massive Jacuzzi. Theres a screening room, little bar and massive four poster bed.

Food and drink

The dining room

Breakfast is included in the room and you can chose from shakshuka, fruit salad and various breads. Lunch and dinner are served daily. The kitchen is open from 11am11pm, and non-guests are welcome. Munch on a meze platter, with creamy hummus, olives and cheese, or try the Walled Off Salad with bread shaped like sections of the wall.

Day-trippers popping in can tuck into a lush afternoon tea of victoria sponge, freshly baked scones, cucumber pittas and millionaires shortbread.

There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to try in town. Just around the corner from the hotel, Abu Eli serves decent enough BBQ, and slightly further away  you can walk or hop in a cab  Arabiesque is a bit more fancy. Try the lamb fukhara - incredibly moist lamb cooked with vegetables in an earthenware pot.

Facilities

This isn't a traditional hotel so don't expect a spa or activities for kids. There's a bright gallery space, which is home to a permanent collection of Palestinian art, as well as showcasing new work from up and coming artists. On the ground floor, a museum is dedicated to the history of the wall, starting from conception to present day. Next to the hotel (but part of it), you'll find Wallmart, a cool graffiti shop that has everything you need to release your inner Banksy. Chose a stencil from its selection  I went for 'Make hummus not war'  and trace it from a projection. Next, cut it out, decide the paint colour and then go and leave a burner on the wall.

Extra curricular

The hotel is all about getting guests to understand the situation of the people who live around it. It offers two tours. Firstly, a walking tour of Bethlehem to see the wall and how people live behind it. Its both fascinating and shocking, and I strongly advice you do this. The second tour is a drive around Jerusalem. You pass through various borders and get to see how the land is carved up. Again its intense and informative, and so interesting to help get your head around what is going on in our world today.

Best for

Political tourists, intrepid travellers and Banksy fans.

When to go

Whenever you can, try and go here.

Details

Rooms at The Walled Off Hotel start from $60 per night for a bunk and $965 per night for the Presidential Suite; walledoffhotel.com
A detectives testimony Tuesday morning did just enough to convince a Dane County judge to order a Madison man to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun multiple times at a passenger in a car making a U-turn on Raymond Road in May.

Anthony Glynn-Miles Jr., 25, will stand trial on charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide as well as first-degree recklessly endangering safety and discharging a firearm from a vehicle toward a building or vehicle stemming from a May 23 incident that police say sent another Madison man to a hospital for a graze wound to his back and other injuries.

Glynn-Miles attorney, Peter Middleton, told Judge William Hanrahan at Glynn-Miles preliminary hearing that the case shouldnt go to trial because the shooter was never positively identified by the victim. That followed testimony by Madison police Detective Norra Stachel that the victim initially was unclear during interviews with police about who was shooting at him because he said the man with the gun was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and his face was partially hidden.

Hanrahan disagreed, but said the minimum requirements needed for him to order the case to trial werent met until Stachel testified during cross examination by Middleton that the victim also told investigators that he saw enough of the shooters face to know it was Glynn-Miles.

Ongoing issues

According to a criminal complaint:

The victim told police that a woman had just driven him in her car to a PDQ convenience store at Raymond Road and McKenna Boulevard and was taking him to his girlfriends house in the 6200 block of Raymond Road when another car pulled up alongside it and he saw a handgun pointed at him from the drivers-side window.

Madison police officers said they found a Chevrolet Monte Carlo with seven bullet holes, a shattered passenger-side window and a flattened front passenger-side tire after the incident. Also, 10 fired cartridge cases were found in the road. The driver was not shot.

The victim told police he was having ongoing issues with Glynn-Miles.

The start of the hearing was delayed after Assistant District Attorney Tracy McMiller told Hanrahan that she wasnt prepared for the case and needed to interview Stachel before she could question her on the stand. McMiller said that Assistant District Attorney Andrea Raymond was assigned to the case, but was on vacation and hadnt found anybody to handle the preliminary hearing for her.
V ictims of serious or fatal knife attacks have usually attended local A&E units up to four or five times before with less serious injuries, a charity leader warned today.

John Poyton, chief executive of Redthread, called for earlier intervention by agencies to catch young people before they become involved in serious violence.

His charity deals with about 200 young people a month who are treated at Londons four major trauma centres for serious assault injuries, mostly from gun or knife violence.

Its youth workers meet victims, mostly aged 16 or 17, as they are brought in by ambulance or helicopter and, if the patient survives, try to help them turn their lives around.

Mr Poyton said: By the time a kid comes in as a major trauma patient having been stabbed they will have attended four or five times at their local A&E with a number of previous injuries and, anecdotally, those injuries will be rising in severity.

He said he feared that early stages of violence were being missed or ignored when young people walk into hospitals with more minor injuries. We should be asking have they had a beating or have they got involved as a perpetrator of violence, he said. We see lots of broken knuckles, for instance, there is an anecdotal spiral of violence.

Cordon: Police in Battersea after the teenager was stabbed to death / NIGEL HOWARD

The charity hopes to expand to more A&Es in London in an effort to intervene earlier.

Police have seen a 24 per cent rise in knife crime in the capital in the past 12 months, and nine youngsters have died in stabbings this year.

The scene of a stabbing outside Peckham Rye station / Craig Thomas

Redthread youth workers operate in shifts at the four trauma centres: St Marys in Paddington, St Georges in Tooting, Kings College in Denmark Hill, and with the St Giles Trust at the Royal London in Whitechapel.

Mr Poyton said the youth workers engage with victims and can also help the doctors and nurses who are treating them: This cohort of patient, adolescent men, are often quite a difficult group to treat because they are scared, worried, and that can come across as angry, possibly abusive.

But he said the youngsters are often in a teachable moment when they are seriously injured in a hospital.

We find young people who are known to services such as the Westminster Gangs Unit and have been offered support for years but have refused to engage. But when they are aware of their own vulnerability they are more open to how they can change their lives.

The charity has seen a rise in youngsters with knife injuries, many arriving at hospital in school uniform.

Mr Poyton welcomed police statistics showing that 75 per cent of young people carrying knives were not involved in gangs. These are children who are doing normal things but getting caught up in violence, he said.
T he grandson of a baronet accused of trashing his 1.1 million home compared himself to Theresa May as he suggested someone else was to blame for the destruction.

Desmond Fitzgerald, 63, allegedly flooded the terrace home in Medburn Street, Kings Cross, pulling radiators off the wall and taking a hammer to pictures and furniture.

It is claimed he caused the destruction at the climax of a bitter divorce battle with his wife, Catherine Akester, after being told by a judge to leave the former marital home.

However, Fitzgerald, whose grandfather was decorated war hero Major General Sir Allan Henry Shafto Adair, the 6th Baronet Adair, said in his closing speech at Blackfriars crown court, where he is representing himself: You may think theres a possibility that what really happened was somebody went in, we dont know who, and perhaps plaster was brought down in the kitchen  you could do that with a wrecking ball.

The court heard Fitzgerald and Ms Akester appeared at Central London county court on October 3 last year, when a judge ordered him to vacate the 1.175 million house so it could be sold.

The next day, Ms Akester, a solicitor, was told by the police that the house was flooded. Fitzgerald said he came home and discovered the damage and went straight to a hotel.

He told jurors a box of papers was apparently destroyed, which contained information about a legal claim involving his aunt Annabel Adair.

He said he was not allowed to go into the detail of the legal dispute other than saying it was over land in Northern Ireland, but claimed: I am in a position that is very much like Theresa May  I am entirely dependent on the DUP. The evidence of my aunt Annabels ownership of the heartlands of the DUP in Northern Ireland was in those cardboard boxes. If I had those cardboard boxes I wouldnt be here.

Fitzgerald contested an accusation from prosecutor Liz Lowe that he was a conspiracy theorist.

Fitzgerald, from Vauxhall, denies destroying property.

The trial continues.
T his is the moment bungling crooks attempted to hurl a 250kg safe from the balcony of a home in an affluent south London street.

The three thieves broke the railings on the balcony before launching the safe, which contained high-value jewellery and watches, to the ground below.

CCTV footage shows the brazen thugs struggle to summon the strength to shift the heavy item towards the edge of the balcony.

Police said the men eventually managed to throw the safe off the ledge before making their escape after ransacking the Kingston home on January 19.

Kingston: Police are trying to trace the three bungling thieves / Kingston Police

Officers have launched an appeal to trace the three suspects following the incident in Kingston Hill at about 5.30pm.

A Kingston Police spokesman said: Despite the weight the three suspects managed to move the safe to an upstairs balcony.

They then broke the railings and launched the safe off the balcony and made their escape. This must have made a significant noise, did you hear or see anything?

We are now appealing for your help, who are these males? They are wanted by Kingston Police for burglary.

Call Kingston Police on 101 and quote: 0400613/17 with information. Or you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to pass information to them anonymously.
A man has been stabbed to death in a knife attack on a south-east London street.

Police and paramedics fought to save the victim, aged in his 30s, after he was attacked in Woolwich Road, Charlton on Tuesday evening.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Images showed medics, doctors from Londons Air Ambulance and police officers treating the injured man and emergency services vehicles lining the street nearby.

Emergency services vehicles in Woolwich Road, Charlton (@Blick_Oyinbo ) / @Blick_Oyinbo

Police and paramedics were called to the stabbing at 5.50pm. The man was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.

Scotland Yard said murder detectives have been informed of the man's death.

A Met Police spokesman said: Next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

The Homicide and Major Crime Command has been informed. There have been no arrests. Enquiries continue.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.
G ood Samaritans have spoken of the terrifying moment they fought to help a mother as she was dragged 200 yards down a street by muggers who tried to snatch her handbag.

The woman in her 30s refused to let go when she was targeted by the gang who accelerated to 30mph as she clung on for dear life.

The pair eventually fled empty-handed after a van driver gave chase  flashing his headlights and blaring his horn to raise the alarm.

The victim was treated at the scene for cuts and bruising following the terrifying ordeal.

She told a neighbour that she had refused to let go of the leather bag because police would never have got it back.

The woman was walking to collect her son from Stanford Primary School in Norbury, south London, when she was targeted by two helmeted riders in Hassocks Road.

The woman was dragged while refusing to hand her bag over to thieves

Scotland Yard have released CCTV footage taken from a security camera at a nearby house in an effort to track down the thieves.

The 50-year-old van driver who gave chase to the riders told the Standard: One of them jumped off the bike and grabbed her handbag and dragged her into the road back to the bike.

The rider pulled his throttle back and tried to accelerate to get rid of her but she was holding tight to the other end.

She was spinning and rolling all over the place and got over 200 yards easily. I was chasing them blowing my horn, I wanted to knock them off to help her but she was in the way.

Eventually he let go and they sped off.

Neighbours ran to the womans aid as she lay in the road battered and bruised but still clutching her handbag and called police.

The builder added: She was shaken and very scared, her clothes were torn up but she was talking.

I asked her if she wanted me to call the police but she told me Whats the point? They wont do anything, I wouldnt have got it back so I had to hold on.

I dont know what was in it that was so precious to her but she was strong to hold on, and so was that bag to not rip.

It was absolutely ridiculous. It could have been my wife and daughter being dragged along. I hope they get caught.

They had helmets on so I couldnt get a good look at them.

Police are now appealing for information on the attempted theft, which took place on May 15 at around 4.40pm.

A spokesman said: A lone female was walking along Hassocks Road when a moped with two riders rode past her.

Circling back, the two attempted to steal the females purse by grabbing her bag. She refused to relinquish the bag and was unfortunately dragged along the road.

She received injuries as a result of the dragging and the suspects did not steal anything in this attempt.

Thieves on scooters and pedal cycles are committing up to 50,000 offences a year in an alarming new crimewave, police have revealed.

Gangs of youths are using stolen scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and bikes to commit tens of thousands of snatch offences across London, detectives say.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111.
P olice are hunting a cowardly thug who brutally robbed an 85-year-old partially blind woman in her own home.

The great-grandmother was alone in her family home in Southall, west London, when she answered the door to two men.

The men pushed past her, throwing her to the floor.

Shocking CCTV footage shows her helplessly lying in a hallway as the men rip the jewellery from her fingers and ears.

Police want to speak to this man / Met Police

They then drag her along the floor into the living room, where police said they told her they had a knife.

The men fled after stealing around 300 in cash and a quantity of jewellery.

The elderly woman was dragged along the ground by the men / Met Police

Detective Constable Nicholas Strachan, of Ealing police, said: This was a cowardly and wicked attack on a defenceless woman in the home she has lived in for more than 40 years.

"We ask anyone who recognises the man wanted in connection with this incident to contact us.

The thugs also ripped off her jewellery / Met Police

After the incident, which happened on October 7, 2015, 22-year-old Ashan Ali, of Commonwealth Avenue in Hayes, was arrested and is currently serving nine years in prison having plead guilty to this and a string of other robbery offences.

However, the other suspect has not been caught.

The suspect is described as an Asian male aged 18-25. He was a Punjabi speaker and wore a scarf that partially covered his face. He is around 6ft tall, of slim build with a large nose and sharp eyebrows.

Anyone with information should contact police via 101, or alternatively they can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or tweet @MetCC.
A former Met Police commander has called on Muslims to use social media to denounce the "menace" of extremism within British mosques.

Mak Chishty, who was the country's most senior Muslim officer before retiring last week, appealed to Muslims of all ages to use their Facebook or WhatsApp accounts to denounce fanatics.

He issued a "call to action" for a show of defiance against online rather than "skirting round the issue".

It comes after eight people were killed in the London Bridge terror attack on Saturday, June 3, which Mr Chishty described as a turning point in the fight against extremism.

London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack 1 /40 London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack Police and paramedics treat an injured person Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images A woman is helped to an ambulance at London Bridge Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Armed police at London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel tend to wounded on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Debris and abandoned cars remain on London Bridge Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images People walking down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officers on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People flee along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Shocked onlookers in Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A helicopter lands on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officer looks through his weapon on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police at the scene on Southwark Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images A paramedic rushes to the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A paramedic at the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People are lead to safety away from London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images

Outlining his blueprint for tackling extremism in the wake of three deadly terror attacks, the ex-Met Police commander also recommended a "mapping" exercise to identify areas of vulnerability and more leadership roles for women.

Mr Chishty appealed to Muslims of all ages to use their Facebook or WhatsApp accounts to "denounce extremism as not theirs".

He said: "All of a sudden you will find maybe these extremist voices begin to shrink.

"Remove their dominance, starve them of that oxygen, make sure they've got a powerful lobby against them.

Sadiq Khan: You do not commit these disgusting acts in my name

"We can do that now, we can do that today. Don't attack me for saying that dangers lie within mosques because they do. Instead, use your voice and maybe avert the next terrorist attack."

The former police officer painted a stark picture of the task facing authorities seeking to address Islamist extremism.

He warned that conspiracy theories suggesting terrorists were not behind recent attacks are going unchallenged while "quite extreme views" are present in a small minority of mosques.

He said a more "straight-talking" approach was needed, arguing that figures in positions of authority have "skirted round the issue".

Mr Chishty said: "Often, we've shied away from difficult issues or government programmes have simply not delivered what they were supposed to.

"The first thing that needs to change is we need to be comfortable with difficult conversations.

"We are not trying to defame Islam - that's the last thing that British people want to do. Let's stop being so sensitive about the language."

Mr Chishty outlined a three-month mapping project which would be carried out in order to improve understanding of which interventions should be focused where.

He said: "It's difficult to map extremism ... but you might be able to map areas of the country where (there is) vulnerability, amenability, propensity - the drivers, the factors that might lead people to becoming more radical, more fundamental, even more extreme and more violent with extremism."
A young woman who tricked a string of lonely hearts into sending her more than 100,000 in an online dating scam is facing jail.

Grace Akintaro, 24, posed as a woman called Amanda Jenson and chatted online to seven men who believed they may have found love.

She convinced her victims to send money for travel and expenses, but she then gave excuses for pulling out of face-to-face meetings.

At Woolwich crown court yesterday, Akintaro, from Greenwich, pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud by false representation on the first day of her trial.

She claimed the dating scam was masterminded by someone else, telling the court: I was naive and used by this person I was in love with.

Co-defendant Victoria Nwogu, 22, also from Greenwich, was cleared of the frauds but appeared in the dock with Akintaro where she admitted laundering 3,490 from the scam.

Judge Nicholas Heathcote Williams QC freed the women on bail until sentencing on June 20, but told Akintaro: These were romance frauds and the fact I am ordering a pre-sentence report is no indication as to the sentence. There is a real prospect she will go to prison.

Akintaro carried out the scam between August 2014 and December 2015, chatting extensively online to the victims and talked to at least two of the men by telephone.

The judge said the men had suffered psychologically and financially once they discovered they had been conned. They were expecting to get their money back, they thought they were loaning the money, he said.

Akintaro made at least 16 trips to the bank to withdraw money sent by the men, the court heard, raking in a total of 104,962.

However, the court heard she only had a 5,000 Renault Clio and a few hundred pounds left, claiming the rest of money was passed on to others in the scheme.

There would have to be a female involved and that was Miss Akintaro, said prosecutor Kevin Dent. She may not have been at the top of this, but played a role over a period of time.

The prosecution offered no evidence against Nwogu.
E xaminers at Cambridge University have been warned to avoid using words like genius and flair because they are associated with men, an academic has revealed.

Tutors have been told not to use the terms because they carry assumptions of gender inequality, Lecturer Lucy Delap said.

She also claimed that men got more first class degrees at Oxford and Cambridge because female students struggle with the male dominated environment of the universities.

Ms Delap told the Telegraph: Some of those words, in particular genius, have a very long intellectual history where it has long been associated with qualities culturally assumed to be male.

Some women are fine with that, but others might find it hard to see themselves in those categories.

The history lecturer pointed towards male-dominated reading lists and portraits hanging on college walls which are either of men or by men as contributing to the stigma.

The university aims to get rid of the very vague talk and is encouraging examiners to strictly stick to the marking criteria, Ms Delap said.

She added: We want to use language that is transparent.

Were rewriting our first two years of our History degree to create a wider set of paper choices, to make assessment criteria clearer, and to really try and root out the unhelpful and very vague talk of genius, of brilliance, of flair which carries assumptions of gender inequality and also of class and ethnicity."

The move comes after Oxford Universitys decision to allow students to take a history exam at home in the next academic year in a bid to help women get higher marks.

The university found itself embroiled in a sexism row after critics blasted the move as insulting to women.
J udges in the European Court of Human Rights have ruled that terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard should keep receiving life support treatment until next week.

Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard want their 10-month-old son, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, to undergo a therapy trial in America.

Doctors want to stop his life support and move him to a palliative care regime.

Charlies parents, who are in their 30s and come from Bedfont, west London, have asked European Court judges in Strasbourg, France, to examine issues after exhausting all legal options in the UK.

Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard with their 10-month-old son / PA

Strasbourg judges said on Tuesday that doctors should keep treating Charlie until midnight on Monday June 19.

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where Charlie is being cared for, say therapy proposed by a doctor in the US is experimental and will not help.

They say life support treatment should stop.

A High Court judge in April ruled against a trip to the US and in favour of Great Ormond Street doctors.

Mr Justice Francis concluded that life support treatment should end and said Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity.

Three Court of Appeal judges upheld that ruling in May and three Supreme Court justices on Thursday dismissed a further challenge by the couple after a hearing in London.
Media coverage of a suspected burglar, including a surveillance camera photo of the suspect, helped Madison police arrest the man who they feel is responsible for three break-ins in the city.

Michael Hilton was initially arrested Friday on State Street on a parole hold, with tentative charges of burglary and attempted burglary expected to be filed.

He was out on parole on a burglary charge when he was arrested.

Early in the morning on June 2, Hilton allegedly used a rock to smash out a drive-up window at Dunkin Donuts, 739 S. Gammon Road, but didn't gain access to the store. He then allegedly smashed a glass door at Kelley's Market, 901 S. Gammon Road, and stole cigarettes.

On June 9, he allegedly tried to break into a residence in the 600 block of Howard Place.

Police posted surveillance video images of Hilton on its website following the Kelleys' Market break-in. The images were seen by a resident once they appeared on Channel 3000's web site.

"A vigilant citizen who had a memorable interaction with Hilton at a Madison bar remember his distinctive tattoos and voice when a story was on local news station Channel 3000's website," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The same person who ran into Hilton in a bar pointed him out to police on Friday night on State Street.
T ransport for London plans to introduce new speed monitoring systems to tell drivers when to brake after seven people were killed when a tram derailed in Croydon last year.

TfL is in consultation to develop the systems, including an Automated Vehicle Speed Monitoring device, AVSM, to generate alerts when a tram is travelling too fast for a certain period of time.

It said in a call for developers that if the driver does not slow down, the devices - to be retroactively fitted into all of the capital's tram fleet - should be able then to apply brakes automatically.

TfL also wants to install driver vigilance devices, DVDs, that would generate alerts if the driver falls asleep and apply brakes if "no driver activity is detected" for a period.

Currently tram drivers are relied on to brake manually, whether on tracks sharing the road or on rail-like separate tracks. But questions were raised after November's tragedy, when a tram travelling between New Addington and Wimbledon came off the rails.

Victims: Dorota Rynkiewicz, Dane Chinnery, Phil Seary, and Mark Smith were among those killed in the crash

An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch found that the tram had gone into a tight left-bend at 74 kmph (46 mph), while the speed limit was 20 kmph (13mph).

Driver Alfred Dorris "lost awareness" as he approached the bend, according to the report, which also suggests that the single 20kmph (13mph) sign was too close to the bend to give the driver enough time to slow down.

The crash happened at 6.07am, during rain and darkness. One woman and six men were killed and 51 injured, including 16 seriously.

Concerns were also raised after Croydon tram drivers were filmed asleep in the cab by shocked commuters who feared for their safety.

Jonathan Fox, TfLs Director of London Rail, said: Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the tragic tram derailment and we continue to do all we can to offer our support, including through our Sarah Hope line that provides help with counselling and other assistance.

Since the tragic derailment we have been working on the development of an in-cab driver alert system for monitoring and managing tram speed.

We are now seeking interest from the wider industry to help support us in the development and introduction of that system.
G atwick is the second worst airport in the world, according to a damning new study.

A survey by ranked four British airports in the bottom 20 for punctuality and quality, for people flying into and out of the UK. Kuwait was rated the world's worst airport.

It comes after a year of chaotic incidents for travellers flying from the airport, including a British Airways IT crash that left thousands stranded in the capital last month.

Heathrow was rated the 20th best of the 76 airports studied.

A spokesman for Gatwick dismissed the survey, saying delays at the airport were often due to continental strikes and "outside its control".

Bags lined up at Gatwick after a fault with a conveyer belt system caused chaos earlier this year / @LanaBananaLana

In April, a Which survey found Gatwick to have the worst airport lounge in Britain, with customers complaining that the floor was grubby and the facilities were basic.

May Bank Holiday travellers were also left furious when they were told they would have to fly without luggage due a fault with the conveyer belt system that sorts suitcases before boarding flights.

Gatwick Airport's South Terminal last year unveiled a 186 million "state of the art" terminal link including a brand new baggage handling system, the airport's biggest single investment under its new ownership.

The top airport in the world, according to the rankings, was Singapore's Changi, followed by Munich and Hong Kong.

AirHelps UK manager Marius Fermi said: Its important - now more so than ever - that passenger service is a top priority of both airlines and airports, ensuring they receive the experience they deserve, so its fantastic to see that Singapore is setting the standard for customer-first service.

This research should hopefully give airlines and airports across the world, particularly in the UK, a nudge to improve their quality and punctuality urgently before the travel rush starts this summer.

Stranded travellers wait at Heathrow Airport after a global IT crash / AFP/Getty Images

The rankings also looked at airlines, with British Airways placed seventh worldwide out of 87 carriers, despite a worldwide computer outage that caused chaos in London last month.

Passengers at Heathrow and Gatwick were left stranded when computer systems went down, with travellers reporting being charged thousands to stay at nearby hotels.

Flybe came in 22nd, while Ryanair and Monarch featured in the bottom five of the rankings which measure on-time performance, quality of service and how well airlines process claims for compensation.

The top ranked carrier in the world was Singapore Airlines.

Sig Watkins, from Hampshire, flew from Gatwick with an under-12s rugby team to Lyon when the conveyer belt broke in May, describing being greeted by the "biggest queues I've ever seen" and confusion at the airport.

Airline staff assured her that their bags were on board, but when she arrived in Lyon they were nowhere to be found, she said.

"That's the frustration. If they'd said, then maybe we would have taken hand baggage," said Ms Watkins.

Nathan James called the airport a "nightmare" and described "chaos" after the incident.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said: Gatwick recognises the inconvenience that delays cause to our passengers and we will continue to do everything possible to prevent them from occurring.

However over recent years repeated strike action on the continent and heavily congested airspace above parts of Europe and London, have led to a significant increase in the number of delays caused by wider air traffic control issues outside Gatwicks control."

He added: "Surveys conducted amongst real passengers travelling through Gatwick currently show record levels of satisfaction and advocacy, with other third party passenger surveys also telling a different story and rating Gatwicks service levels highly.
T he inquests of five people who were stabbed to death in the London Bridge terrorist attack were formally opened today.

Coroner Andrew Harris heard details of how five of the eight victims died on June 3 when three terrorists rammed a van into pedestrians London Bridge before going on a stabbing rampage.

However he said he was suspending his investigations until after the police probe into the terror attack had concluded.

"I've considered how my investigation should proceed alongside the police investigation and concluded in light of the extensive police investigation, that I'm going to suspend my investigation into all these deaths to give primacy to the police to conduct theirs", he told Southwark coroner's court.

Borough Market after the attack / Jeremy Selwyn

"All of our thoughts and condolences are with you at this terrible time. It's a quite hard thing for a parent to be in court hearing the details of a death, particularly such a violent one when it is your child."

Julie Wallace, the mother of one of the victims, Sara Julie Zelenak, 21, was in court to hear the inquests being opened, as the coroner briefly outlined how each victim died.

Ms Zelenak, a nanny from Brisbane in Australia, was stabbed in the neck in Borough High Street, the court heard. She was formally identified thanks to her Australian dental records.

A woman at London Bridge in tears as a minutes silence was observed in the capital and across the country to remember victims / Jeremy Selwyn

James Alexander McMullan, 32, an entrepreneur who lived in Brent, died from a haemorrhage and a chest wound to the chest after being attacked close to the Post Office in Borough High Street.

A third victim from the Borough Market attack, Sebastian Michel Belanger, 36, from Anges in France, was also stabbed in the chest.

Armed police near the scene after the attack / Jeremy Selwyn

Kirsty Louise Boden, 28, a senior staff nurse from Loxton in Australia, was knifed in the chest in Montague Close, close to Southwark Cathedral, having reportedly run towards danger to help those already injured.

The fifth victim was Spanish HSBC banker Ignacio Echeverria Miralles de Imperial, 39, whose body was recovered from London Bridge.

Victims: Ignacio Echeverria Miralles de Imperial, Sara Zelenak and Sebastien Belanger

A representative from the Spanish consulate was in court to represent his family.

The court heard Mr Miralles de Imperial was stabbed in the back and died from multiple knife wounds.

The attackers, Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were all shot dead by armed police just eight minutes after the first emergency call was made.

However, they were not mentioned during today's hearing.

The inquests of the remaining three victims, Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, and Frenchmen Xavier Thomas, 45, and Alexandre Pigeard, will be formally opened and adjourned tomorrow morning.
A dog has been hailed a hero after she woke up a couple as a potentially deadly fire raged in their flat.

Alex Gibson, 22, and his pregnant girlfriend Charlotte Perren, 24, were sleeping in Princes Parade, Golders Green, when the blaze broke out in the kosher supermarket beneath their home just after 7.30am on Sunday.

As their bedroom filled with smoke they were awoken by three-year-old cockapoo Daisy leaping onto their bed, barking and pawing at them.

The couple fled to safety before flames engulfed their flat, destroying almost everything they owned and gutting the whole first floor of the block.

But they were unable to carry Daisy through the thick black fumes and the heroic hound died of smoke inhalation.

The dog was owned by Mr Gibson's mother and had been staying at the couple's flat overnight.

He told the Standard: "If the dog wasn't there we would be dead right now because the alarms didn't go off and it was really early in the morning. It was just a blessing.

"We were both asleep and if it wasn't for the dog jumping on my partner to wake her up, we wouldn't be here right now."

Fire in Golders Green

The DJ said Daisy "definitely" sensed the couple were in danger and acted to alert them, adding: "She was the most loyal dog ever, she was such a sweetheart."

Miss Perren, who is due to give birth to the couple's first child in November, picked up the cockapoo to carry her to safety as they fled the fire.

But her partner said: "The smoke was so thick that she had to put the dog down and basically run for her life."

Mr Gibson fall and broke his toe in the chaos as dozens of people fled the block of flats.

The couple were left homeless and lost "literally everything" in the fire, including clothes, a TV and his DJ equipment.

"We have basically got to start from scratch," he added.

Smoke can be seen billowing out over north west London / London Fire Brigade

Mr Gibson's mother, who asked not to be named, was "devastated" to lose Daisy but spoke of her pride at her pet's life-saving actions.

She said: Alex and his girlfriend woke up and she was clawing and barking and kept pawing at them. She jumped on top of Charlotte.

If the dog hadnt done that they would be dead as the fire alarm didnt go off.

Alex shouted fire and banged on doors and woke everyone else up.

He told Charlotte to carry to dog out but she dropped her and couldnt find her in the smoke.

He tried to go and find her but the smoke was too thick, and he fell over and broke his toe.

The fire brigade eventually found her and tried to resuscitate her but she died due to smoke inhalation.

Firefighters rescuing children from Golders Green / London 999

About 25 people fled the block before the fire took hold, while three people, including children, were evacuated from an upper floor window and led to safety by firefighters.

Just under 100 fire fighters battled the inferno, which caused extensive damage.

Mr Gibson's mother added: Alex and Charlotte and all these families, theyve got nothing now, absolutely nothing.

She paid tribute to the local Jewish community and Homeless Action In Barnet Ltd, who have rallied around the families to provide them clothes, bedding and other essential items.

Mr Gibson said the community's generosity had "given us a little bit more faith in humanity".

His best friend, Lorenzo Romero-Borrett, has set up a Gofundme page to help raise money for the affected families.

He wrote: My friend's home was destroyed and he lost all his possessions including all his clothes, all his furniture, and all the DJ equipment he uses to make money to provide for his family.

This fund is to help him to reclaim his lost possessions and to have a proper burial for the dog, the money shall be shared equally amongst those who were affected, many of which are currently in hospital due to the smoke, but thankfully no one died thanks to the actions of his heroic little dog Daisy.

"Luckily the local community have been donating what they can. It has given us a little bit more faith in humanity. It's a very difficult time for us right now."

Incident response officer Andy Brown said: "We were called a 7.34am to reports of a fire at Princes Parade, Golders green this morning.

"We have treated a total of 15 people for smoke inhalation. They have all been taken to local hospitals."
I nquests into the deaths of the eight people who were killed in the London Bridge terror attack will begin today.

Eight people were murdered during the horrific attack when three terrorists mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing rampage in Borough Market on Saturday, June 3.

The Inquests will open at Southwark Coroners Court on Tuesday, with the opening expected to last a couple of days.

All of the victims have since been named by authorities, including Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, who died in her fiance's arms after being struck by the speeding van.

Vigil for London Bridge terror attack 1 /16 Vigil for London Bridge terror attack Hundreds gather during a vigil in Potters Fields for the victims of the June 3rd terror attacks Getty Images People attend a vigil for victims of Saturday's attack in London Bridge, at Potter's Field Park AP Hundreds gather during a vigil in Potters Fields for the victims of the June 3rd terror attacks Getty Images Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Amber Rudd take part in a vigil for the victims of the London Bridge terror attacks Getty Images Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott with members of the public observing a minute's silence PA People gather in Potters Field Park during an event for the victims of the terror attack REUTERS People at a vigil in Potters Fields Park, central London in honour of the London Bridge terror attack victims PA People take part in a vigil for victims of the London Bridge terror attacks by the City Hall EPA Floral tributes were set down during a vigil outside City Hall EPA ople attend a vigil to remember the victims of the attack on London Bridge and Borough Market REUTERS Pupils from Eden Girls' School in Waltham Forest take part in a vigil in memory of those killed in the recent terror attacks in London Getty Images People lay flowers after a vigil for victims of Saturday's attack in London Bridge, AP

Xavier Thomas, 45, who was knocked into the River Thames, was one of three Frenchmen who died, along with Sebastien Belanger, 36, and restaurant worker Alexandre Pigeard.

James McMullan, 32, from Hackney, and Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, 39 and Australians Kristy Boden, 28, and Sara Zelenek were also killed in the attack.

The Inquests will open at Southwark Coroners Court on Tuesday, with the opening expected to last a couple of days.

Xavier Thomas, pictured with his partner, was killed in the atrocity / Facebook

It was revealed on Friday by the Standard that every victim of the attack who made it to hospital has survived their injuries.

Armed police shot dead terrorists Khuram Butt, 27, and his two accomplices Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, just eight minutes after the first emergency call was made.

Frenchmen Alexandre Pigeard was one of the eight vicims / www.doyoubuzz.com

Police are continuing to investigate the attack, with counter-terrorism police arresting a 19-year-old man in Barking yesterday.
T he family of a man killed in a car being chased by police that smashed into the side of a house today told of their heartache at his death.

Perry Doherty, 27, had to be cut from the wreckage of the mangled vehicle after the early-hours crash in Kensington. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three men in their 20s were also injured when their car became plunged into the lightwell for the basement flat in West Cromwell Road.

One was fighting for his life today in hospital.

Mr Doherty, a forklift driver who worked for a cargo firm serving nearby Heathrow, was in the speeding car when it failed to stop for police in nearby Talgarth Road at 3.10am on Saturday.

Perry Doherty, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash

Witnesses claimed it took two hours for passengers to be freed from the car.

The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the crash, Scotland Yard said.

Man dies after car crashes into basement in Kensington

Distraught relatives were today comforting his mother, Kim Doherty, at the family home in Feltham. One said: He was a wonderful boy, we just cant take this.

His brothers also told of their pain at his shocking death online.

Jay Doherty said: Worst feeling in the world growing up with four brothers and losing the one you grew up with, went to school with, and basically looked up to...love you so much Pel, I cant believe this is happening.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the crash, Scotland Yard said / PA

Another brother, Jordan Eldred, said: Woke up to the worst news ever, cannot believe my brother has gone. I still just wish it is a dream.

Perry Doherty you were special to me and my little boy, I will never forget you. I love you so much.

Cousin Cealeigh Nolan said: Rip to my beautiful cousin Perry Doherty. Such shocking news, still cant believe youre gone Pel, while Samantha Foley wrote: I still dont want to believe it, I wish it was all a dream.

A workman sweeps at the scene of the fatal car crash in Kensington / PA

You are going to be so deeply missed its untrue...Im so proud to call you my sons uncle I will make sure he grows up knowing about his uncle Pel.

Floral tributes have been laid at the scene in memory of the former Longford Community School pupil, alongside candles spelling out his initials PD.

A neighbour said: He was a nice cheeky lad who always had a smile on his face we are devastated for his mum and the family.

Bianca Simpson, 45, who lives in flat at the junction with Warwick Road, was in bed when the car smashed into her basement just after 3am.

She said it took two hours for the passengers to be cut free from the back seat.

One of them jumped out and was screaming my brothers in there, my brothers in there.

He was groaning hard in pain. Im still traumatised...hearing that guy screaming.

Another person living at the house told the Standard: I thought the tree had fallen down. I saw two guys leaving the car and the police were there. I saw them chasing them.

Listening to the guy screaming for hours - that was a bad experience. He was touching my kitchen window and I could see him next to me.

A Met spokesman said two men who had freed themselves from the car had been arrested and subsequently de-arrested after being taken to hospital with minor injuries.

He added: At this early stage it is understood that the car was seen by officers being driven at speed on Talgarth Road shortly before the collision.

The police car followed the vehicle and signalled for it to stop, but it sped away out of sight of the officers.

When next seen by the officers, it had been involved in the collision in West Cromwell Road. Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances.
O ne of Britains top police officers has warned the Metropolitan Police force will need more funding to keep London safe from further terror attacks.

Met deputy commissioner Craig Mackey said the recent Westminster and London Bridge atrocities had put a lot of stretch on the force  and added the whole of the Met, not just counter-terrorism policing, needs more funds.

His warning was reiterated by Londons deputy mayor for policing and crime, who said she was incredibly worried and concerned that the ongoing budget cuts will put Londons safety at risk.

The two policing experts were today quizzed by a London Assembly committee on whether the force has enough money to keep the capital safe.

It comes after the Met was forced to make 600 million of savings over the past four years and is set to make 400 million further savings by 2020-21

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick (right) and Deputy commissioner Craig Mackey / PA

Speaking to the London Assemblys Budget and Performance meeting on Tuesday, Mr Mackey said the recent terror attacks stretched the Met across the system and not just in the forces counter-terror command.

He explained in the recent terror attacks, the ability to mobilise lots of officers really, really quickly is what helped the Mets response.

Sophie Linden, Londons deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: We are incredibly worried and concerned that if we carry on with the level of budget cuts we are facing we wont have the level of resources we need to really keep London safe and secure.

Armed police on Borough High Street after the June 3 attack. / PA

She urged Prime Minister Theresa May to drop the funding formula for policing, which she said was damaging London.

Mr Mackey told the committee: If you don't understand how the system works, unfortunately then you end up with gaps along the way.

Its very challenging to see policing just as a group of discreet services. Counter terrorism is ring fenced and protected, but it requires the whole of the policing system to work.

Deputy commissioner Craig Mackey, left. / Hannah McKay/Reuters

"In the true spirit of the Met police and in the true spirit of London they are coping incredibly well, but they are working incredibly hard to keep us in that position.

The senior officer described the Mets response to Khalid Masoods terror attack in Westminster on March 22 and said for every 1 the force had spent on the counter-terrorism investigation, 2 had been spent in mobilising officers.

He added: If you say Its all right, Ive ring fenced this particular budget so that part of the service is fine those discreet capabilities probably are, but if you need to mobilise large numbers of officers, if you need to mobilise firearms officers, and other capabilities, you have to treat policing as a system.

Increased patrols: Extra armed police were stationed at Tube and train stations across London following the Westminster attack. / Getty Images

He emphasised the whole force needs extra funding, adding: You have to fund and support funding for the whole system. Its akin in my analogy to funding just one part of the health service.

The meeting came in the wake of the Westminster, Manchester Arena and London Bridge attacks which left 35 people dead and dozens more injured.

Last week Mayor of London Sadiq Khan voiced his concerns over the lack of police funding in the capital, slamming the plans to cut at least 400 million from the Mets budget which he said would reduce the force's strength by up to 40 per cent.

The Labour Mayor warned the funding cuts would translate to a reduction of around 12,800 constables.
T he boss of an IT firm told staff they would be made redundant first if they voted Labour in the General Election.

John Brooker, the owner IT firm Storm Technologies, sent an email to employees at the company warning them against voting for Jeremy Corbyn on polling day.

He claimed a Labour win could bring about a few changes in the company, but has since dismissed the remarks as internal banter.

The email said: If by any chance Labour win, well have to re-think a few things here at the company so if you value your job and want to hold onto your hard earned money vote Conservative.

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures 1 /41 General Election Night 2017 - In pictures Theresa May waiting in Maidenhead for the result to be announced Alastair Grant/AP Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn at the Election count in Islington Jeremy Selwyn Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey, Independent candidate Mr Fishfinger and Labour candidate Eli Aldridge following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Dave Thompson/Getty Images Armed police outside the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London Yui Mok/PA Vince Cable pictured with his wife Rachel, is elected once again in Twickenham after losing his seat in 2015 Alex Lentati Nick Clegg loses his Sheffield Hallam seat and is no longer an MP Sky News Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts as her party loses their seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Robert Parry/EPA Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, right, tries to high-five with Labour's Emily Thornberry after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London Frank Augstein/AP Ballot boxes are run in during the count at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre as the general election count begins Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Boris Johnson at the Brunel Indoor Athletic Centre for the declaration of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency which he retained Rex Features Zac Goldsmith with his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith Alex Lentati Close call for Zac Goldsmith as a recount is called for Richmond Park Alex Lentati Labour supporters react as Paul Sweeney (not pictured) is announced as the new MP for Glasgow North East for the British Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena EPA UKIP leader Paul Nuttall at the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston during the counting Joe Giddens/PA Labour's Rupa Huq celebrates with her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq, after increasing her majority from 274 to 13,807 in Ealing Central and Acton Matt Writtle Displays show the current rate of the British pound against the Japanese yen and a news program reporting on the British general election at a foreign money brokerage in Tokyo Roru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images Theresa May leaving CCHQ this morning Jeremy Selwyn Police watch as counting staff sort through ballots at a counting centre in Islington, London Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's speaks after retaining her seat in Hastings Kevin Coombs/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy and Joint-chief of staff Fiona Hill leave Conservative Party HQ in Westminster Rick Findler/PA Patrons watch the results for Britain's election in London. Alex Salmond loses his seat Peter Nicholls/Reuters Chuka Umunna kisses with his wife, Alice Sullivan at the London Borough of Lambeth UK Parliamentary Elections Lucy Young Prime Minister Theresa May waits with other candidates for the results to be declared at the count centre in Maidenhead Geoff Cadick/AFP/Getty Images Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh Jane Barlow/PA Vote counters wait for Ballot boxes to arrive at the Peter Paine Performance Centre where the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness Getty Images Kate Hoey who retained her Vauxhall seat at the London Borough of Lambeth Lucy Young Conservative's Gavin Barwell loses his seat to Labour at Croydon Central Chris Gorman Labour's Sarah Jones takes the Conservative seat of Croydon Chris Gorman DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds cheer as Emma Little Pengelly is elected to the South Belfast constituency at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast Niall Carson/PA Exit poll results from Britain's general election are projected on to the BBC's Broadcasting House, London Jeff Overs/BBC The front door of 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London, as votes are being counted in the 2017 General Election Rick Findler/PA

Labour voters will be made redundant first if Labour do win and things slow down.

Anyway, just sharing my personal thoughts with you.

Feel free to vote for whoever you want but I have said my piece.

The GMB union has said the email was sent to 109 members of staff at the Watford-based company before it was leaked.

Labour went on to win 30 seats in Thursdays election, defying early polls pointing to a landside Conservative victory, with the Tories losing its majority in the Commons.

Warren Kenny, from the GMB, said: "A boss should not be harassing employees or interfering with their right to vote for who they wish - it's Dickensian, workhouse nonsense.

"Any staff working for John Brooker should be have been able to vote for their candidate or party of choice without fear for their jobs and their livelihoods."

Emily Thornberry Says Labour Would Win Election Today

In a statement, Mr Booker said: The email was a tongue in cheek note sent immediately after a large group of my staff and I were having a joke in the company canteen on the day of the election and was totally meant in jest.

He added: This was nothing more than internal banter now completely taken out of context. Obviously in hindsight I regret any offence this has caused and have reiterated to all my staff the respect I have for their political views and opinions.
A rejuvenated Jeremy Corbyn was today garlanded as heir to Blair by Harriet Harman, the former deputy Labour leader and past critic of his leadership.

The unexpected tribute, from one of the stars of Tony Blairs 1997 modernisers, came hours before Mr Corbyn was set to be cheered at the first post-election meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party - where he has previously endured some of his most bruising encounters with MPs.

Today pressure was also growing on former Labour shadow cabinet members who had refused to serve under Mr Corbyn to take up duties again.

Ms Harman told the Evening Standard the Left-wing leader had proved he had Mr Blairs ability to reach out to new supporters.

I supported Tony Blair in the Nineties because he won for Labour, she said.

U-turn: Harriet Harman / Ian Forsyth/Getty

Now Jeremy Corbyn is winning for Labour. Tony Blair took us to victory in Lincoln, Stroud, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Warwick. Now Jeremy is doing the same.

Acknowledging that she had been a fierce doubter of his leadership in the past, she added: Who knew? It turns out that Jeremy is the right person for now.

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures 1 /41 General Election Night 2017 - In pictures Theresa May waiting in Maidenhead for the result to be announced Alastair Grant/AP Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn at the Election count in Islington Jeremy Selwyn Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey, Independent candidate Mr Fishfinger and Labour candidate Eli Aldridge following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Dave Thompson/Getty Images Armed police outside the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London Yui Mok/PA Vince Cable pictured with his wife Rachel, is elected once again in Twickenham after losing his seat in 2015 Alex Lentati Nick Clegg loses his Sheffield Hallam seat and is no longer an MP Sky News Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts as her party loses their seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Robert Parry/EPA Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, right, tries to high-five with Labour's Emily Thornberry after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London Frank Augstein/AP Ballot boxes are run in during the count at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre as the general election count begins Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Boris Johnson at the Brunel Indoor Athletic Centre for the declaration of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency which he retained Rex Features Zac Goldsmith with his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith Alex Lentati Close call for Zac Goldsmith as a recount is called for Richmond Park Alex Lentati Labour supporters react as Paul Sweeney (not pictured) is announced as the new MP for Glasgow North East for the British Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena EPA UKIP leader Paul Nuttall at the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston during the counting Joe Giddens/PA Labour's Rupa Huq celebrates with her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq, after increasing her majority from 274 to 13,807 in Ealing Central and Acton Matt Writtle Displays show the current rate of the British pound against the Japanese yen and a news program reporting on the British general election at a foreign money brokerage in Tokyo Roru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images Theresa May leaving CCHQ this morning Jeremy Selwyn Police watch as counting staff sort through ballots at a counting centre in Islington, London Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's speaks after retaining her seat in Hastings Kevin Coombs/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy and Joint-chief of staff Fiona Hill leave Conservative Party HQ in Westminster Rick Findler/PA Patrons watch the results for Britain's election in London. Alex Salmond loses his seat Peter Nicholls/Reuters Chuka Umunna kisses with his wife, Alice Sullivan at the London Borough of Lambeth UK Parliamentary Elections Lucy Young Prime Minister Theresa May waits with other candidates for the results to be declared at the count centre in Maidenhead Geoff Cadick/AFP/Getty Images Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh Jane Barlow/PA Vote counters wait for Ballot boxes to arrive at the Peter Paine Performance Centre where the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness Getty Images Kate Hoey who retained her Vauxhall seat at the London Borough of Lambeth Lucy Young Conservative's Gavin Barwell loses his seat to Labour at Croydon Central Chris Gorman Labour's Sarah Jones takes the Conservative seat of Croydon Chris Gorman DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds cheer as Emma Little Pengelly is elected to the South Belfast constituency at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast Niall Carson/PA Exit poll results from Britain's general election are projected on to the BBC's Broadcasting House, London Jeff Overs/BBC The front door of 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London, as votes are being counted in the 2017 General Election Rick Findler/PA

She predicted that Mr Corbyns fiercest critics would applaud him at the PLP, adding: You can be sure we would have made him take responsibility if we had lost seats. He deserves the credit for the fact that we won seats.

The first big test of Mr Corbyns new authority is whether he can persuade big beasts, such as former Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper and former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, to serve under him in the shadow cabinet.

Jeremy Corbyn and Emily Thornberry on election night / AP

Both Ms Cooper and Mr Umunna had been expected to launch leadership campaigns if Mr Corbyn had lost badly against Theresa May.

Former leader: Tony Blair / PA

Ms Harman said she would expect Labour MPs who were offered posts in the reshuffle to accept them: I think he can choose who he wants to have in his shadow cabinet and I would expect that anybody he asks in the PLP would be prepared to serve now, because what hes shown is that he can lead us forward at a time when the Conservatives were expecting to make gains.

Success: Jeremy Corbyn celebrates a good evening for Labour / Frank Augstein/AP

But she appeared to rule herself out, saying her 20 years on the front bench had been a very long stint.

Ms Harman was one of the most prominent faces of Mr Blairs push for power in 1997. In February she warned Mr Corbyn that if Labour was badly defeated the buck stops with you.

Dawn Butler, who quit as shadow diversity minister in protest at the partys stance on Brexit, confirmed she would return if asked.

'Ohhh Jeremy Corbyn' - chants ring out at Labour leader's home

She said: Ive spoken to a number of MPs and they are all really pleased and we are seeing the Labour party becoming stronger and more united.

On making a return to the shadow cabinet, she said: Im happy to serve.

A backbencher predicted: People like Chuka will go back. We have got to make it work. We have got to all work together and keep on board new supporters as well as win back those who have left. We didnt win this election and some people are taking their eye off the ball.

The backbencher warned against those close to Mr Corbyn who might be assuming the election result was a solid resurgence of the core vote, saying: Even on polling day there was still a major problem with white working-class voters.

We didnt get them back. Some of them just didnt turn out and some of them went Tory. Others told me they still voted Labour but, What are you doing with him as your leader?
J eremy Corbyn mocked Theresa May over her disastrous election gamble today as they returned to the House of Commons.

Wearing a huge red rose, the Labour leader was applauded by MPs as he arrived in the chamber following his partys gains in the General Election last Thursday.

He made light of Mrs Mays troubles and mocked her campaign slogans, saying Labour would offer strong and stable leadership if her coalition of chaos fails.

But a Tory MP heckled Mr Corbyn during his speech shouting: "You lost."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the House of Commons during its first sitting since the election / PA

It came as senior Tories continued talks with Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party in a bid to strike a deal to support the Conservatives minority Government

Theresa May cracks a joke as she speaks at the dispatch box in the House of Commons / AFP/Getty Images

The Prime Ministers rival Mr Corbyn was speaking in the Commons after the re-election of John Bercow as Speaker and joked: "We look forward to this Parliament however short it may be."

He told MPs: It is customary on these occasions to congratulate the returning Prime Minister - and I absolutely do so.

"I congratulate her on returning and I'm sure she'll agree with me that democracy is a wondrous thing, and can throw up some very unexpected results.

John Bercow is re-elected Commons Speaker / PA

"I'm sure we all look forward to welcoming the Queen's Speech just as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated.

"I must let the House know - and the rest of the nation know - that if that is not possible, the Labour Party stands ready to offer strong and stable leadership in the national interest."

Theresea May Makes Fun Of Herself in The Commons

The rival leaders both made speeches to mark the ceremonial re-election of the Commons Speaker.

Congratulating Mr Bercow on his re-appointment, Mrs May had quipped: At least someone got a landslide.

She called on MPs to come together in a spirit of national unity and urged them to recognise that we all want to see a Britain that is stronger, fairer, and safe and secure for our children and grandchildren.

Theresa May welcomes 'most diverse' parliament yet

Mrs May added that it was the first time the Commons has met since the terrorist attacks and that defeating extremism was one of the main challenges MPs face.

She welcomed the most diverse Parliament yet which saw a record number of MPs from black and minority backgrounds elected, plus the first ever female Sikh MP and more disabled and LGBT MPs.
T heresa May's weakness as Prime Minister was brutally exposed today as she was forced to listen to demands from her Cabinet, the DUP and EU leaders.

At the same time, she was warned that she should not rush ahead with Brexit before she can guarantee that she can get a Queens Speech through Parliament.

She was due to meet French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris tonight and hold talks with EU chiefs next week.

From across the Channel, Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, urged Britain not to delay Brexit talks.

He called for Mrs May to very quickly start the formal talks and appoint a negotiating team which is stable, accountable and with a mandate.

Mrs May chaired her first full Cabinet meeting this morning as Conservative party chiefs urged MPs to rally behind her to avoid a civil war over Brexit after her dismal election campaign left them short of an overall Commons majority.

Michael Gove, re-appointed to the Cabinet as Environment Secretary as Mrs May seeks to unite her Cabinet and party behind Brexit and a wider government programme, told BBC radio: We as Conservatives were not returned with a majority.

"That means we need to proceed with the maximum possible consensus and that we also need to make sure that the concerns of people who voted Remain, many of whom now actually want us to press ahead with leaving the EU as quickly and as in as orderly fashion as possible, but we need to make sure that their concerns are part of our conversation.

Tim Farron called Theresa May "a lame duck" / AFP/Getty Images

However, Mrs May is now vulnerable to the smallest of revolts from either wing of her party.

She was today seeking to cobble together a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party which will not jeopardise attempts to restore power-sharing at Stormont or cause further ruptions at Westminster.

But the talks are likely to be fraught including over more austerity measures to deal with the Budget deficit, which are opposed by the DUP.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has given little away ahead of discussions at No10. However, the party backs a softer Brexit than was being pursued by Mrs May before the election.

The DUP was also expected to demand a boost in investment in Northern Ireland, for the triple lock on pensions to be retained and for an end to the so-called bedroom tax.

Any DUP demands against gay marriage and abortion will almost certainly be rejected by Mrs May. But the Government risks angering Republicans in Northern Ireland, already bristling at the potential deal with the DUP and what it means for the Governments role as a mediator in power-sharing.

Sinn Fein said it would not work with the DUP in a power sharing arrangement if Ms Foster remained their leader, even if she secured a huge cash windfall for the province as part of her negotiations in Westminster.

Nobel-prize winner Lord Trimble, former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, said suggestions the DUP-Tory talks would jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement were silly and scaremongering.

Meanwhile, Mrs May was warned that she risks sparking a constitutional storm if she rushes ahead with Brexit in talks early next week before the Queens Speech, which may be delayed until Wednesday, is passed.

Two peers stressed that the Cabinet Manual made clear that she should consider restricting her actions until it was clear that she can command a Commons majority.

Former Cabinet Secretary Lord ODonnell, who led the work on drawing up the Cabinet Manual, said: The Prime Minister can go to the talks but as there will still be some doubt about whether she can get Parliaments support for her Queens Speech, she should observe discretion in initiating any new action of a continuing or long term character. (Cabinet Manual paragraph 2.27).

The talks are likely to be lengthy and little will be agreed in the first few days anyway so this does not constrain her very much.

Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer issued a stronger warning to Mrs May: She should treat herself as being a caretaker Prime Minister until she can prove that she has the support of Parliament. She would be acting unconstitutionally otherwise.

She can definitely not agree anything on Brexit until she has the support of Parliament.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: She is now a lame duck as she heads across the Channel to begin some of the most difficult and complex negotiations in our history.

However, a Whitehall source defended the Governments actions on Brexit. He said: These talks are at a very early stage and clearly they will take some time.

"But they are an inevitable consequence of triggering Article 50 which gave the Government a legal mandate to engage with officials in Brussels.
B rexit supporter Michael Gove today backed cross-party talks on leaving the EU, calling for the maximum possible consensus.

The new Environment Secretary, who has rejoined the Cabinet after being sacked by Theresa May last year, did not rule out calls for a commission into the deal that the Government should seek.

Growing support among ministers for discussions with Labour sparked anger among hardline Tory eurosceptics, who fear their hopes of a hard Brexit or even no deal at all with the EU are falling away.

But Mr Gove said it was really important that the exit package was in the interests of the whole country.

Pressed on reports of secret talks between Cabinet ministers and Labour MPs, Mr Gove said the hung parliament meant that the Government would have to work with everyone.

He added We need to ensure that those who voted Remain are part of the conversation about what the best deal for Britain is in the future.

We as Conservatives were not returned with a majority and that means that we need to proceed with the maximum possible consensus and that we also need to make sure that the concerns of people who voted Remain  are part of our conversation.

The Standard yesterday revealed that ministers opposed to a hard Brexit are reaching out to Labour MPs to get a Commons majority behind a softer stance towards the customs union and the single market.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson piled on pressure for a cross-party approach, saying we have to work with others.

Former foreign office minister Alistair Burt, a leading Remainer, said the election result meant talks with the EU were no longer the sole preserve of the Conservative Party.

It is not a matter that will be dictated between wings of the Conservative Party but it has to be, as the Prime Minister said, a national endeavour, he said. I agree with Ruth.

Another senior Cabinet minister told the Standard that he believed Mrs May should open up formal discussions across the Commons.

But the minister said: The real question is whether Labours front bench will allow it to happen. At the moment, they seem to have a real mood of lets bring the government down instead of wanting to negotiate.

Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell ruled out membership of the single market on Sunday, possibly fearing that Conservatives were seeking to blame them for any backtracking from the Tory manifesto, which also ruled out single market membership.

Former Conservative leader Lord Hague wrote in the Daily Telegraph that a change of style and substance was needed and suggested a commission included business leaders, trade union leaders and the leaders of all opposition parties  yes, even Corbyn.
M ichael Gove today said Donald Trump was "wrong" to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

The president's decision to pull the US out of the world's first comprehensive agreement on tackling climate change and seek renegotiated terms "fair" to America drew widespread international condemnation earlier this month.

Mr Gove, the new Environment Secretary, returned to the Cabinet over the weekend after being sacked by Prime Minister Theresa May as justice secretary last July.

Quizzed on Good Morning Britain about whether President Trump was wrong to withdraw from the accord, Mr Gove said: "Yes, I think he is wrong. I think that we need international co-operation in order to deal with climate change.

Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement / AP

"And I think the Paris Accord which my friend Amber Rudd had a huge role in helping to shape is a significant step forward.

"The only way in which you can deal with this challenge, the only way in which we can enhance the environment to pass on to our children in a better state is by working across borders."

The Paris accord commits countries to holding global temperature rises to "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels, which will require global emissions to be cut to net zero by the second half of the century.

Scientists have warned that failure to curb dangerous climate change will lead to sea level rises, more intense storms and flooding, more extreme droughts, water shortages and heatwaves as well as massive loss of wildlife and reduction in crop yields, potentially sparking conflict and mass migration.

Despite the decision by the US, the second biggest polluter after China, to pull out of the deal, many analysts suggest the shift to a low-carbon economy is now unstoppable, with renewable prices tumbling and new clean technology being developed and deployed.

Speaking of Mr Gove's appointment, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said he was "entirely unfit" to take on the position, adding: "It is hard to think of many politicians as ill-equipped for the role of Environment Secretary as Mr Gove."

In 2013, in his role as education secretary, Mr Gove was accused of trying to "airbrush" climate change from the national curriculum - but he told Good Morning Britain he "strengthened" the position of climate change on school syllabuses.
T heresa May and Democratic Unionist Party lead Arlene Foster will meet today to hold crucial talks over a deal to prop up a Tory minority Government.

The meeting comes a day after officials admitted the Queens Speech, planned for Monday, could be delayed if a deal is not reached quickly.

The Prime Minister will make a desperate scramble to get the Northern Irish party to prop up legislative programme or risk her government failing in the wake of a disastrous General Election result for the leader.

A failure to gain support from the Northern Irish party would risk the Queen's Speech being voted down next week, and Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will be pushing hard for that outcome.

Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street on the way to a meeting of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee / EPA

The Tories and the DUP are considering a "confidence and supply" arrangement which would see the Northern Irish party back the Government to get its Budget through and on confidence motions.

Mrs May was last night forced to tell Tory MPs: Im the person who got us into this mess, Im the one who will get us out of it.

Theresa May meets with her Cabinet / Leon Neal/Pool/Reuters

She assured the backbench 1922 Committee that a deal with the DUP would not affect power-sharing talks in Northern Ireland or LGBT rights.

Mrs Foster has also rejected suggestions that the mooted agreement could undermine a return to power-sharing arrangements at Stormont amid claims from political rivals that the Government's stated impartiality as a mediator would be fatally undermined.

The DUP leader declined to give details of what she termed a "positive engagement with the Conservative Party", but said she would be travelling to London late on Monday for discussions with her team of 10 MPs before a meeting with Mrs May at Downing Street on Tuesday.

Partnership: the DUP's leader Arlene Foster with Theresa May / PA

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams turned Mrs May's own slogan against her to brand it "a coalition of chaos", adding: "Any deal which undercuts in any way the process here or the Good Friday Agreement is one which has to be opposed."

It is thought Mrs Foster, despite being a Brexit supporter, could seek assurances from Mrs May that she will pursue a softer exit from the EU, given Northern Ireland's 56 per cent Remain vote and the DUP's desire not to see a return to a hard border with Ireland.

The DUP leader is almost certain to ask for greater investment in Northern Ireland as the price of a deal.

Any demands on maintaining the pensions triple-lock and the universal winter fuel allowance could see Mrs May drop manifesto pledges which appeared to be deeply unpopular with voters.

The unexpected snap election has already forced the Queen to cancel an Order of the Garter service and to accept a stripped-down State Opening of Parliament.

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures 1 /41 General Election Night 2017 - In pictures Theresa May waiting in Maidenhead for the result to be announced Alastair Grant/AP Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn at the Election count in Islington Jeremy Selwyn Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey, Independent candidate Mr Fishfinger and Labour candidate Eli Aldridge following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Dave Thompson/Getty Images Armed police outside the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London Yui Mok/PA Vince Cable pictured with his wife Rachel, is elected once again in Twickenham after losing his seat in 2015 Alex Lentati Nick Clegg loses his Sheffield Hallam seat and is no longer an MP Sky News Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts as her party loses their seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Robert Parry/EPA Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, right, tries to high-five with Labour's Emily Thornberry after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London Frank Augstein/AP Ballot boxes are run in during the count at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre as the general election count begins Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Boris Johnson at the Brunel Indoor Athletic Centre for the declaration of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency which he retained Rex Features Zac Goldsmith with his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith Alex Lentati Close call for Zac Goldsmith as a recount is called for Richmond Park Alex Lentati Labour supporters react as Paul Sweeney (not pictured) is announced as the new MP for Glasgow North East for the British Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena EPA UKIP leader Paul Nuttall at the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston during the counting Joe Giddens/PA Labour's Rupa Huq celebrates with her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq, after increasing her majority from 274 to 13,807 in Ealing Central and Acton Matt Writtle Displays show the current rate of the British pound against the Japanese yen and a news program reporting on the British general election at a foreign money brokerage in Tokyo Roru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images Theresa May leaving CCHQ this morning Jeremy Selwyn Police watch as counting staff sort through ballots at a counting centre in Islington, London Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's speaks after retaining her seat in Hastings Kevin Coombs/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy and Joint-chief of staff Fiona Hill leave Conservative Party HQ in Westminster Rick Findler/PA Patrons watch the results for Britain's election in London. Alex Salmond loses his seat Peter Nicholls/Reuters Chuka Umunna kisses with his wife, Alice Sullivan at the London Borough of Lambeth UK Parliamentary Elections Lucy Young Prime Minister Theresa May waits with other candidates for the results to be declared at the count centre in Maidenhead Geoff Cadick/AFP/Getty Images Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh Jane Barlow/PA Vote counters wait for Ballot boxes to arrive at the Peter Paine Performance Centre where the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness Getty Images Kate Hoey who retained her Vauxhall seat at the London Borough of Lambeth Lucy Young Conservative's Gavin Barwell loses his seat to Labour at Croydon Central Chris Gorman Labour's Sarah Jones takes the Conservative seat of Croydon Chris Gorman DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds cheer as Emma Little Pengelly is elected to the South Belfast constituency at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast Niall Carson/PA Exit poll results from Britain's general election are projected on to the BBC's Broadcasting House, London Jeff Overs/BBC The front door of 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London, as votes are being counted in the 2017 General Election Rick Findler/PA

Further delays could see the Monarch miss out on Royal Ascot.

The Queen's Speech is traditionally written on goatskin parchment paper, which requires several days for the ink to dry, sparking a long waiting period.

The paper does not contain any goatskin but is high-quality archival paper guaranteed to last for at least 500 years.

However, nothing can be written down until the exact contents of the speech are finalised, which appears to be dependent on the outcome of Tory talks with the DUP.

While Mrs May appears to have seen off the threat of an immediate leadership challenge, her weakened grip on power has put her under pressure on several fronts.

Gavin Barwell was appointed Theresa May's chief of staff after losing his seat in the General Election / Getty Images

Her new chief of staff Gavin Barwell has suggested she should take a different approach towards public spending after Labour unexpectedly denied the Tories a majority after running an anti-austerity election campaign.

The PM also faced calls from Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, whose influence has grown dramatically with the election of 13 Tories north of the border, to pursue a softer Brexit with greater focus on the economy and more cross-party input.

In another sign of Mrs May's weakening grip on power, MPs who attended the 1922 Committee revealed she was open to more backbench input on policy and a greater role for Chief Whip Gavin Williamson.
A jubilant Jeremy Corbyn told his Labour MPs we are now a government in waiting as he was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation after his shock election gains.

The Labour leader lambasted Theresa May, telling MPs and peers that she had no mandate or legitimacy to be Prime Minister and that he will continue to campaign across the country.

Mr Corbyn, buoyed by Labour winning 30 seats and the Prime Minister losing her Commons majority, met with the Parliamentary Labour Party for the first time today since last Thursdays vote.

MPs cheered as he arrived and held a 45-second ovation for the Opposition leader, who said Labour had turned the tables on Mrs May.

The tone of todays meeting was a far cry from the criticism Mr Corbyn had previously faced from members of his own party.

Thumbs up: A joyful Jeremy Corbyn. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images) / AFP/Getty Images

"We increased the Labour vote by the largest margin in any election since 1945 and gained seats as a party for the first time since 1997, Mr Corbyn told the Labour politicians.

"So now the election is over, the next phase of our campaign to win power for the majority has already begun.

"We must remain in permanent campaign mode on a general election footing.

"We achieved what we did last Thursday because we were a united party during the campaign and we need to maintain that unity and collective discipline in the weeks and months ahead.

Rivals: May and Corbyn exchange words as they leave the Commons after its first sitting since the election on Tuesday. / PA

"We will continue to take the fight to the Tories and I will be out campaigning around the country in Conservative marginals in those extra seats we need to gain to deliver the government for the many that almost 13 million people voted for last week.

"Now as Parliament returns, we have a Government in complete disarray still unable to reach an agreement, it seems, with the DUP and desperately delaying the Queen's Speech and Brexit negotiations.

"Far from being strong and stable, the Government Theresa May is putting together is weak, wobbly and out of control. This is a Government on notice from the voters.

He added: Theresa May has no mandate and no legitimacy for policies that do not have the support of the majority of the British people.

"We are now a government in waiting and we must think and act at all times with that in mind.

"That is our responsibility to the huge numbers who voted for our manifesto last week: a programme to transform Britain for the many that caught the imagination of millions.

"This was a remarkable result achieved because we stayed united and worked as a team and I have no doubt together we can win the next general election, whenever that may be."

Mr Corbyn is set to visit 65 Tory-held marginal seats over the coming months in a sign that he is maintaining the pace of his campaigning in the expectation that the Government will fall.

Macron greets Mrs May before a working dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris / REUTERS

A Labour source said some of Mr Corbyn's critics in Parliament were "gracious enough to point out that they hadn't always had confidence in his leadership but they did now and that they had underestimated him".

Todays meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party comes after Prime Minister Theresa May met members of the 1922 Committee  the Tories equivalent  on Monday.

After the first sitting of the Commons today, the Prime Minister then travelled to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron before watching England play France in a friendly football match.
A fter last week's shock General Election result, Theresa May is expected to postpone the date when Parliament officially gets back to work.

In a rare move for a Prime Minister, the State Opening of Parliament and the flagship Queen's Speech is likely to be delayed.

Here is all you need to know about the Queen's Speech and why it could be pushed back.

What is the State Opening of Parliament?

The State Opening of Parliament is the formal start of the parliamentary year.

When is the State Opening?

It happens on the first day of a new session of Parliament or shortly after a general election, usually in May or June.

This year, the State Opening for the coming year was scheduled to take place on Monday, June 19 but is now expected to be delayed.

During the State Opening, the monarch delivers the centrepiece  the Queens Speech - which is then debated by MPs before it goes to the vote.

What is the Queens Speech?

The Queens Speech is given at the start of the parliamentary year and sets out the governments agenda for the coming year.

Although it is read out by the Queen from her throne in the House of Lords, the words have been written by the government and her aides.

2016: The Queen wearing the magnificent Imperial Crown. / Getty Images

It is essentially a list of the proposed policies and laws that the government want to get passed and gives an indication of which plans will take priority.

It also includes a list of foreign visits the Queen is planning to make over the next 12 months as well as state visits to the UK.

The speech is rare in being the only regular occasion where the three parts of Parliament  the monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons - meet together.

Why has it been delayed?

Because last Thursdays snap election brought a shock result and hung Parliament, Theresa May and the Tories needed a few days to negotiate with the DUP to form a government together.

It was thought the DUP might make several demands from the Tories in exchange for their support.

Because the Tory and DUP coalition was unexpected, government sources suggested no Queens Speech has yet been finalised and thus it might be delayed.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been meeting with the DUP. / Dominic Lipinski/PA

But on top of this, the Queens Speech has to be written on traditional goatskin parchment paper, which takes several days to dry.

In the past real goat skin was used, but now it is paper which is high-quality and lasts for at least half a millennium.

The PMs spokesman has not yet confirmed whether the Queens Speech will be held on the planned date of June 19 or whether it will be postponed.

What happens during State Opening?

It begins with a procession of the Queen from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, escorted by the Household Cavalry.

The Queen arrives at Parliament and makes her way to the Robing Room. She then puts on the Imperial State Crown  called the most and the Robe of State and leads the procession past 600 guests to the House of Lords.

An official in the House of Lords called Black Rod is sent to summon the House of Commons but the doors to the Commons chamber are shut in his face. This is a ritual which dates back to the Civil War to symbolise the Commons independence from the monarchy.

Black Rod must then strike the door three times before it is opened. MPs then follow him and the Commons speaker, John Bercow, into the Lords chamber to listen to the Queens Speech.

What happens after the Queens Speech?

Once the Queen leaves Parliament, a new parliamentary session officially starts.

MPs and members of the House of Lords debate what is outlined in the speech and agree on an address in answer to the Queen.

Procession: Prince Philip and the Queen on the way to the Houses of Parliament for the Queen's Speech in 2016. / Getty Images

Both the House of Commons and Lords continue debating the speech for several days.

MPs in the Commons then vote on the contents of the debate.

What has happened with the Queens Speech in the past?

It is very unusual for the Queens Speech to be delayed.

But in the UKs last government coalition in 2010, the Queens Speech did not take place until 20 days after the General Election.

The speech also usually happens every year, but in 2011 the speech was cancelled after the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition (formed in 2010) said they would have enough policies on their speech to last two years.

What have politicians said about it?

The First Secretary of State Damian Green was asked whether the speech would be delayed and said: I can't confirm anything yet until we know the final details of the agreement," he said.

"We know those talks are going well and also we know that, at this very important time, we want to produce a substantial Queen's Speech."

Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, called it utter humiliation for Theresa May.

Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, told Sky News: Delaying the Queens speech does raise the question: is she really capable of putting together a credible functioning government?

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who made big gains in last weeks election, has said he will attempt to block Theresa Mays Queens Speech in the Commons.
S ocial media companies such as Facebook and Twitter could face fines if they fail to remove extremist propaganda and terrorist material under proposals agreed by the UK and French governments.

The two countries are to develop plans to create a new legal liability for tech firms which fail to take action against unacceptable content on their platforms.

They will lead also work with internet giants to explore the potential for new tools to identify and remove harmful material automatically.

Speaking ahead of a visit to French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday in the wake of atrocities in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge, Theresa May said the countries were determined to ensure the internet could not be used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals.

She said: "The counter-terrorism co-operation between British and French intelligence agencies is already strong, but President Macron and I agree that more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online.

"In the UK we are already working with social media companies to halt the spread of extremist material and poisonous propaganda that is warping young minds.

"And today I can announce that the UK and France will work together to encourage corporations to do more and abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks, including exploring the possibility of creating a new legal liability for tech companies if they fail to remove unacceptable content.

"We are united in our total condemnation of terrorism and our commitment to stamp out this evil."

Theresa May condemns 'perverted' ideology behind London Bridge terror attack

Mrs May's visit comes just days after legislative elections in France which appear to have delivered Mr Macron's En Marche party an overwhelming dominance in parliament, just as the UK General Election deprived the Prime Minister of her own Commons majority.

The leaders will press tech companies to move forward urgently with the establishment of an industry-led forum to develop shared technical and policy solutions to the problem, as agreed by leaders of the world's most advanced economies at last month's G7 summit in Italy.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd and French interior minister Gerard Collomb will meet in the coming days to drive the agenda forward.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chaired the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee in the last parliament, said: "Social media companies like YouTube have been getting away with a dangerous and irresponsible approach to extremism for too long.

"Still today YouTube is showing illegal propaganda videos for banned jihadi and neo-Nazi extremists. They have a disgraceful disregard for the law.

"The cross-party Home Affairs Select Committee called for a system of fines and stronger legislation.

"So if that is what the British and French governments are working on now, that is really welcome.

"They need to make rapid progress, because online radicalisation is a very serious threat, and this problem has been growing for a long time."

Facebook last week pledged to be a "hostile environment" for terrorists after Mrs May demanded action from internet firms following the London Bridge terror attack.

The social media website said it worked "aggressively" to remove extremist content and notify police of any threats, while Google and Twitter also defended themselves from claims web giants provide a "safe space" for terrorists.
T he sister of murdered MP Jo Cox has told of the struggle to keep going as she admitted she has not come to terms with her sibling's brutal murder.

As well-wishers across the country prepared for community events this weekend to mark the anniversary of the MP's death, Kim Leadbeater described the year since her older sister was shot and stabbed to death by right-wing loner Thomas Mair as a "constant rollercoaster".

Ms Leadbeater said she sometimes found herself sobbing in the middle of the night, but that she her family have been buoyed by an outpouring of support.

She said: "That doesn't mean we don't have days where it really can be a struggle to keep going, but so far we're managing.

Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox (PA)

"One thing that drives you is thinking what Jo would want you to do, and Jo wouldn't want this to take any more from us than it already has done. I keep trying to remember that."

Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed on June 16 last year as she arrived for a constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, just 13 months after being elected as Labour MP for Batley and Spen constituency.

Mair, who shouted "Britain first" as he attacked the mother of two, was given a whole life term after being convicted of her murder at the Old Bailey in November.

To mark the anniversary of her murder, thousands of people will take part in an event called the Great Get Together this weekend, gathering for small picnics and community events across the UK.

Jo Cox tributes - In pictures 1 /32 Jo Cox tributes - In pictures Tributes and candles left for murdered Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox are seen in Parliament Square, London Stefan Wermuth/Reuters A white and red rose lie on Jo Cox's empty seat in the House of Commons, London PA The parents of Jo Cox, Jean and Gordon Leadbeater look at the flowers laid in memory of their daughter in Parliament Square, Londo Hannah McKay/PA Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lead MPs including George Osborne and Tom Watson as they process from the Houses of Parliament to St Margaret's Church, London, for a service of prayer and remembrance to commemorate Jo Cox MP Hannah McKay/PA A woman and child leave a floral tribute for murdered Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Messages from well wishers for murdered Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox are seen on a board in Parliament Square Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Tributes are paid at the Wapping house boat of Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox Lucy Young Lucy Powell MP, Jeff Smith MP, Paula Sheriff MP and Karen Rawling arrive to leave floral tributes close to where Jo Cox MP was murdered Matt Cardy/Getty Images Hilary Benn MP for Leeds Central, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, Prime Minister David Cameron, Speaker's chaplain Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn arrive to pay their respects near to the scene of the murder Matt Cardy/Getty Images The flag above Buckingham Palace flies at half mast Yui Mok/PA Tribute messages at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster, central London, in respect of Labour MP Jo Cox Yui Mok/PA A young girl leaves flowers in Market Square, Birstall, for Jo Cox, 41, Labour MP for Batley and Spen Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Yvette Cooper (left) leaves St Peter's Church Birstall, West Yorkshire after a vigil following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox Peter Byrne/PA Floral tributes are left in Birstall, West Yorkshire, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot in the street outside her constituency advice surgery Danny Lawson/PA Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London Daniel Leal-Olvas/AFP/Getty Images The Union Jack flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House, London Yui Mok/PA People place tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster Yui Mok/PA A woman leaves a floral tribute next to a photograph of murdered Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London Stefan Wermuth/Reuters A message is seen on a floral tribute left near the scene of the murder of Labour member of Parliament Jo Cox in Birstal Phil Noble/Reuters A woman arrives to leave a floral tribute near the scene of the murder of Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Birstal near Leeds Craig Brough/Reuters A flag at half mast above the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh ane Barlow/PA People react as they look at tributes left for murdered Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, Londo Stefan Wermuth/Reuters People place floral tributes and candles to slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London Daniel Leal-Olvas/AFP/Getty Images Winston Churchill's statue stands in the foreground as Union Flags hang at half mast Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Miss Leadbeater, 41, said that throwing herself into the organisation had helped her get through the tragedy but that there was much painful work still to come.

She said: "I don't think I've grieved at all yet, if I'm quite honest.

"Since Jo was murdered, there has been no time because of the public nature of how it happened, because of Jo's position that she was in - it's been a constant rollercoaster

"I know all the facts, I know what happened, I sat through the trial - I've got all that information, but have I actually processed that and understood what that means for the rest of my life?

"No, I don't think I have, and I think that's going to take a long time, an awfully long time."

Jo Cox's widower Brendan / Neil Hall/Reuters

Organisers said the Great Get Together, to be held this weekend, will see thousands of people hold picnics or community gatherings to remember Mrs Cox but also to reflect her philosophy of unity.

"We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us," the MP told Parliament in her maiden speech after election in 2015.

When the event is over, Miss Leadbeater will allow herself more space to grieve, she said.

She said: "There's a lot of stuff that I still haven't dealt with, and I guess that's where maybe counselling or some advice on how to cope with that would come in.

"We have been so busy focusing on creating a legacy for Jo, which is exactly what we want to do, but that has to slow down at some point.

"I've had moments. I've broken down in tears at the traffic lights and I remember sitting on the steps at home at 4 o'clock in the morning just uncontrollably crying.

"But they have actually been quite sporadic and I think I need a bit more time to really understand what's happened."

Miss Leadbeater said that while the family had been "extremely, unbelievably unlucky", she added: "the reality is, the way that the world is at the moment, bad things do happen".

She said: "You couldn't have foreseen it. No one knew that was going to happen, but then that happens to people all the time, with the bombings and the terror attacks in recent years.

Thomas Mair, who shot and stabbed Jo Cox (West Yorkshire Police ) / West Yorkshire Police

"I think that will take a lot of understanding, but what you have to then do is think actually the majority of people are good people, and we have just been unbelievably unlucky that our life has been affected by somebody who wasn't a good person.

"But you have to try and move forward from that and focus on how most people are actually really good and really kind."

Miss Leadbeater said she does not waste time thinking about Mair or the trial, describing it as a "job" the family had to go through.

She said: "I haven't thought about it since and I don't intend to think about it.

"The energy that I've got will be channelled into creating a positive legacy for Jo, rather than thinking about how she died. We will really, really focus on how she lived."
R oaming charges for mobile phones will finally end across the EU this week.

The charges will be abolished from Thursday, which means UK mobile phone users can use their regular call allowance, texts and data across most of Europe for no extra cost.

However, customers are being warned to check their tariffs and remain aware of unexpected costs.

Watchdog Which? said bill-payers will still be charged for exceeding allowances, while people could be caught out because roaming territories vary between companies.

It is also unclear whether the benefit will continue after Brexit.

What are roaming charges?

These are extra charges for making calls, sending texts and using data when using a mobile phone overseas.

They apply the moment a mobile phone starts using a foreign network.

Why is the EU banning them?

The Roam Like Home legislation is aimed at preventing consumers being caught out by huge bills when downloading films or other data while on holiday in Europe.

This will hopefully help customers avoid so-called "bill shock", which affects millions of UK mobile users a year and in extreme cases can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds of charges, when they return home.

Consumers are especially vulnerable since the smartphone market exploded and mobile data consumption soared.

Which countries are included in the ban?

Different providers include different countries in their roaming territories, while country inclusion can also vary with the same mobile provider depending on if you are on a pay monthly or pay as you go tariff.

Countries such Switzerland and Andorra as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are not formally part of the EU or even the European Economic Area (EEA), may not be included.

Consumers should also be careful to check whether or not their mobile provider includes Turkey in the ban.

Which? found that Vodafone is the only one to include the popular non-EU tourist destination in its roaming bundle, while others are charging between 69p and 1.65 a minute to call home.

What is not included in the roaming charges?

Roaming charges only apply when customers are abroad, so calls from the UK to the EU will still be charged.

Which? warned consumers to remember that, even though the UK is still part of the EU, the regulations only apply to roaming, not to calling EU countries from the UK, and prices vary significantly.

It found calling Spain from the UK can cost between 9p with provider Giffgaff to 1.50 per minute on O2.

Exceeding agreed minutes, texts and data will still be charged in the EU as it would in the UK, with all providers charging different rates.

Will free roaming continue post-Brexit?

UK consumers will benefit from the agreement while the country remains a member of the EU, but there is uncertainty as to whether or not it will continue after Brexit.

The ban is expected to remain in place for British users for at least two years and phone operators say it is too soon to assess what the implications of Brexit will be.

uSwitch.com spokesman Ernest Doku said any attempt to re-introduce the charges if the UK lost participation in the policy post Brexit would "a bitter pill for consumers to swallow".

Meanwhile Vittorio Colao, chief executive of Vodafone, Europes biggest mobile operator, said in February that Britons were unlikely to face steep charges after Brexit.

We treat Switzerland, which is not part of the EU, as part of it so why would we not treat the UK that way? he said.
P rince Harry met with parents who care for their sick children at a glitzy Buckingham Palace reception.

The Royal praised the work of parent carers at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of charity WellChild, which helps seriously ill young people be cared for at home instead of hospital when possible.

Harry, who is patron of the charity, said the parents had become care professionals and told them: I imagine it's one hell of a decision to say I want my children at home."

Hayley Smallman, whose daughter Holly has cerebral palsy and other medical needs, said she had been "giddy with excitement" ahead of her visit to the reception.

The Royal speaks to guests at Buckingham Palace. / PA

"One of the best days of your life isn't it, when you get to have a one-on-one with Prince Harry, have a little chat with him," she said.

"Our normal routine is so far away from this world and to be invited to Buckingham Palace for the day - it's just elevated us completely. All week we have been giddy with excitement."

She said Prince Harry had praised the "valuable" contribution of parent carers and the way their expertise is feeding back into local services.

Prince Harry meets TV presenter Gaby Roslin. / Getty Images

After their conversation, she also recalled the moment Holly, who is visually impaired and in a wheelchair, met Harry at the WellChild awards and highlighted his empathetic approach.

"Before he actually spoke to Holly he said to me - how am I best to communicate with her?

"And I said it would be best if you held her hand and talked to her so she could feel you, use her other senses. So he gets down on his knee, and he holds her hand."

Schmoozing Prince Harry meets more members of the parents advisory group. / PA

The 40-year-old, from Liverpool, said her daughter was "life-limited" because of her health problems.

She said: "I know I won't have her for a very long time.

"So the time that I have for her, I know that we need to make that time count.

"And that's what we are doing every day with this campaign."

Among those at the reception were parents behind the notanurse-but campaign, which aims to give a voice to those juggling the demands of caring for a sick child.

Leanne Cooper launched the initiative in 2015 supported by WellChild to "lift the lid" on the number of families providing home care, using video diaries and social media.

Ms Cooper, whose young daughter Sophie has severe cerebral palsy, said: "Prince Harry actually asked me where to find the Not A Nurse videos so I pointed him in the direction of the WellChild website and the YouTube channel.

The Prince speaking to guests. / Getty Images

"He was asking really what the message was and it's that we want to highlight the amount of medical care families are doing at home and then to hopefully make positive change for families, to get them the right support, so they don't reach crisis point.

"All of our children want to be enjoying life, taking part, going to school, being part of society. But we have to help them to do that."

Additional reporting by Press Association.
A teacher at one of Britains most prestigious public schools had sex with a teenage pupil in his classroom, a misconduct panel heard.

Dr Dean Johnson, 52, a physics master at Charterhouse in Godalming, Surrey, revealed his fantasies in Facebook messages to the girl beforehand.

He also asked what her underwear size was before buying stockings and presenting them to her gift-wrapped.

The astronomy and astrophysics specialist, who joined the 36,000-a-year boarding school in 1997, is facing a teaching ban after the panel found the allegations proven.

It heard he resigned in 2013 when the relationship came to light, after the girl complained to police.

An investigation led to his conviction for possessing extreme pornography, which depicted a woman being hanged, in 2015. He has since taught abroad.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership panel heard the relationship became sexual weeks after the girl turned 18. She was still a sixth-form student and had been taught by Dr Johnson the year before.

Kayleigh Brooks, presenting the case, said: Mr Johnson accepts the Facebook contact was inappropriate since they discussed topics such as sex and previous relationships.

She said Charterhouse considered the conduct to be even more inappropriate because the girl had touched his leg under a table during a school meal in 2007, aged 17, to show she had a crush on him.

Ms Brooks said: The college say it was inappropriate to engage with this pupil given the context of what had happened.

The relationship continued for almost five years after the girl graduated, with Dr Johnson filming their sexual encounters.

After she reported him to police, this led to him being convicted at Guildford crown court in May 2015 for possessing 22 perverted films which enact scenes that would threaten a persons life.

Ms Brooks said one showed a woman being strangled half-naked, with a man with a cord around her neck ... and a woman being ... hanged while two men watched.

Dr Johnson was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

There is no suggestion pupils came into contact with the material, which was filmed by actors in the US.

This month the panel ruled that the conviction, and the relationship, meant that Dr Johnson had breached teaching standards and was guilty of unacceptable conduct which could bring the profession into disrepute.

It will shortly decide whether to recommend a ban to the Secretary of State for Education.

Ms Brooks told the panel it was Charterhouses belief that Dr Johnson, who was educated at Oxford and Cambridge, had shown the girl inappropriate special attention before the relationship started. She added: Ultimately, he was the one in a position of trust.

Dr Johnson, a now-divorced father of three, told the panel he is a fantastic teacher who can take subjects such as maths and physics and make them do it.

He said: There isnt a day or waking hour where I dont reflect on the consequences of this mistake.

He admitted the allegations but argued that his conviction was not relevant to his fitness to teach. The panel ruled that it was relevant.

Annie Railton, representing Dr Johnson, said the relationship with the teenager started because he was effectively living apart from his wife and felt alone and isolated.

She added: Is it right the profession should lose such a dedicated, gifted, charismatic teacher for one catastrophic mistake? Since his conviction, she said, he has been teaching abroad with considerable success.
T om Hardy has quashed rumours that he is in talks to play Jafar in a live action remake of Disney classic Aladdin.

The 39-year-old actor was reported to be in the running to play the fictional villain in Guy Ritchies upcoming production.

But Hardy shut down the rumours after facing a backlash online over whitewashing fears.

A spokesperson for Hardy told Standard Online: There is no truth to this rumour.

Villain: Jafar in the 1992 Disney animated classic / Disney

The Sun reported that the Peaky Blinders actor had had conversations about the role as he was one of Ritchies favoured choices.

The report sparked outrage with angry fans criticising the rumoured casting  months after Disney promised to avoid whitewashing.

Producer Dan Lin told fans that he and Ritchie will make a movie thats authentic to that world.

Tom Hardy - In pictures 1 /40 Tom Hardy - In pictures Tom Hardy in 'This Means War' (2012) 20th Century Fox Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Warner Bros Tom Hardy's Al Capone (2020) Tom Hardy in his roles as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in 'Legend' 92015) Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney in 'Taboo' FX Networks Tom Hardy as Charles Bronson in the new film 'Bronson' (2008) Tom Hardy as a troubled fighter in the 2011 film Warrior Jason Clarke, Tom Hardy, and Shia LaBeouf in Lawless (2012) Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney in 'Taboo' Robert Viglasky/FX Networks Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney in 'Taboo' Scott Free Prods/Robert Viglasky Tom Hardy as Ivan Locke in 'Locke' (2013) Tom Hardy as Bane with Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Tom Hardy and the dog Rocco from the film pose for photos at "The Drop" premiere in New York Charles Sykes/Invision/AP James Gandolfini and Tom Hardy in 'The Drop' (2014) 20th Century Fox Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy appear in 'Child 44' (2015) Lionsgate Tom Hardy attends the Global Triumph Bonneville launch in London Dave Benett Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015) Warner Bros Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015) Warner Bros Tom Hardy greets Mel Gibson at the premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road" in Hollywood, California Reuters Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015) Warner Bros Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders Robert Viglasky/Mandabach/Tiger Aspect/BBC Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015) Warner Bros The Revenant (2015) Tom Hardy takes part in the 12th BGC Annual Charity Day at Canary Wharf in London in 2016 PA Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards 2016 Jason Merritt/Getty Images #1in4 campaign, part of the BBC's Minds Matter season, of a selfie of Tom Hardy who has thrown his support behind a campaign encouraging people to talk about mental health in 2017 PA The actor shows a softer side joining CBeebies viewers for a bedtime story as he reads The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin BBC Venom (2018) Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel attend the Premiere Of Columbia Pictures' "Venom" at Regency Village Theatre Getty Images

Speaking to Variety he said: I mean, Im not a typical guy. Listen, Im very fortunate working in Hollywood; I am diverse. So when I came in to make the movie, I wanted to make a diverse version of the movie.

Luckily for me, [director] Guy Ritchie has the same vision and Disney has the same vision, so were not here to make Prince of Persia. We want to make a movie thats authentic to that world.

Will Smith is reportedly being lined up to play the Genie  a role made famous by the late Robin Williams.

Aladdin will be the latest in a series of planned live action Disney remakes, including The Lion King, which will reportedly star Donald Glover and Beyonce.
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said hes concerned that he hasnt seen details of a Senate GOP health care bill that reportedly is being drafted behind closed doors and could receive a vote within weeks.

Asked if hed seen details of the Senate GOP health care bill, Johnson said no. Asked if that concerned him, Johnson said it did.

This is incredibly complex and from my standpoint, I need a whole lot more information before I agree to vote yes on a bill, Johnson said in a statement.

The comments underscore the unusual secrecy with which Senate Republicans are crafting a health care bill to repeal and replace swaths of former President Barack Obamas health care law. Johnson almost certainly must be one of the 50 votes required to pass a GOP health care bill in the Senate.

Other Senate Republicans, including Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona, also told Bloomberg they dont know whats in the bill.

Johnson has made the case that Republicans should not rush efforts to roll back Obamas health care law.

Johnson has suggested the proper course may be to pass a short-term bill to stabilize individual health coverage markets, followed by a more sweeping measure in the long term.

His Senate Republican colleagues may not be listening. They are set to finish crafting a major health care bill soon, the online news outlet Axios reported Monday.

House Republicans passed their health care bill last month. It would remove the Obamacare mandate that everyone purchase health coverage, replace the laws subsidies to buy health coverage with tax credits, cut Medicaid by more than $800 billion over a decade, opt out of coverage requirements and roll back the laws taxes on the wealthy and parts of the health care industry.

The Congressional Budget Office found the bill would result in 23 million fewer Americans having health coverage by 2026.
BAYARD  Residents in a small western Nebraska town were clearing away tree and building debris Tuesday after a tornado tore through the town.

The storm struck Bayard around 7:10 p.m. Monday, tearing the roof off a city-owned nursing home and damaging several homes. No injuries were reported.

Utility crews were trying to restore power to an estimated 80 percent of Bayard, which has about 1,200 residents.

Bayard cleaning up after tornado BAYARD  A tornado going through Bayard ripped the roof off a nursing home in the community.

Neighbors were helping neighbors with the cleanup, said Mayor Michelle Coolidge.

"People are trying to make quick, light work of it," she said.

The storm felled trees and power lines all over town, and water supplies are low because city wells lacked the power to pump, Coolidge said.

The 45 residents at the nursing home, Chimney Rock Villa, were evacuated Monday to the high school, which was turned into a temporary shelter despite losing a portion of its roof over the wood shop. The mayor said the residents have since gone home with relatives or been temporarily housed at other area nursing homes.

The Bayard High School temporarily served as a shelter for the nursing home residents. The last residents left at about 1:30 a.m., transported to other facilities.

"We were very blessed that we had a strong response from our staff and volunteers," Bayard Superintendent Travis Miller said of those who responded to help with the nursing home residents. "We were very blessed that we only lost power to half of our high school, which allowed us to provide that service (housing nursing home residents). We are very grateful that we didn't have more extensive damage. I'm very grateful that we had the opportunity to help those members of our community."

Bayard High School was among the buildings in the community damaged.

Miller said, "There's also a real sense of tragedy, there's people in the community who have lost everything  livestock, crops, their houses, completely destroyed  so I think the recovery is going to extend far beyond the initial cleanup both financially and emotionally for the members of our community."

Damaged homes and agricultural buildings and dead livestock were reported north of Bayard. Coolidge said semi-trailers were blown over on nearby highways, but the drivers weren't hurt.

Like many Bayard residents, Nolene Lattin saw damage to her home, property and vehicle due to falling trees.

Lattin said the 60-year-old tree in front of her home was uprooted, taking cement and grass with it, and one felled tree "completely smashed" her car. Her home, where she has lived for 20 years, also sustained holes in the roof.

The home of Scot and Lisa Ouderkirk, located on 13th Street, was destroyed. The couple built the home 13 years ago. On Tuesday, windows were boarded up, gutters and shingles had been torn off the roof and siding and insulation lay on the ground.

"It hasn't hit us yet, we're still in shock mode," Scot Ouderkirk, who is a city councilman, said of the extensive damage.

Though his home was damaged, he and another councilman were involved in helping get the Chimney Rock nursing home people to shelter and Ouderkirk expressed concern about others.

Firefighter Ministry is acting as a donation point for supplies to Bayard responders cleaning up a tornado.

Carissa Smith, of Firefighter Ministry, said emergency management officials are advising no travel to Bayard, especially via Highway 26. Smith said there are downed powerlines along the highway.

"There are a lot of downed power lines and trees in town," Smith said. "Unless you are experienced or have a watchful eye, I would say to try and stay away. It's easy to get in the way."

Crews were out doing clean up work until late Monday night and were back at it starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The Firefighter Ministry responded, taking its disaster relief trailer and will again be in Bayard today.

Collections for donations are being taken at First Baptist Church, located on Avenue I near Home Depot. Donations being sought are water and snack items to be provided to emergency responders and volunteers, Smith said.

Dominos and Burger Works donated food for volunteers and residents at an area set up at Church of Christ, Becky Henkel said. A crisis center, set up by trained staff, had been set up Tuesday at the high school.

Storm chasers looking for action in Panhandle SCOTTSBLUFF  Gearing up for a massive storm, the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) sent out storm chasers to the Scottsbluff/Gering a

The scale of the Bayard tornado had not yet been determined, a National Weather Service official said. Teams were assessing the tornado Tuesday.

Heavy rain and hail also was reported in the area and earlier Monday in eastern Nebraska.
SCOTTSBLUFF  A retention pond used by Western Sugar Cooperative has been identified as the source of odors reported by residents in the vicinity east of Scottsbluff and Gering.

Odor complaints were reported before a slurry breakout from the pond in mid-April, according to Brian McManus, spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

The complaints have been longer term than April, McManus said. They have been the source of ongoing discussions with Western Sugar.

According to McManus, Western is restructuring its operations, and shutting down the pond is included in that plan.

We dont know when the pond will be shut down, but were working with them on that, McManus said Monday afternoon.

McManus said the agency had not received recent complaints on the odors, but other local agencies have had contacts regarding the odor.

Its been on our radar for some time, and we continue looking at it, McManus said, noting that Western has expressed plans to take the evaporation pond out of its system.

Heather Luther, spokesperson in Western Sugar Cooperatives Denver, Colorado, office, said the company does not have any comment at this time, but has been and will continue working with NDEQ on the problem.
SCOTTSBLUFF  Gearing up for a massive storm, the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) sent out storm chasers to the Scottsbluff/Gering area to learn more about the wind profile of tornadoes Monday.

Focusing on the lower portion of the tornado, the most destructive part, team members Karen Kosiba and Tim Marshall had hope that the storms going through the Panhandle Monday night would provide enough information to further their research.

Our mission is to deploy the instrumented pods, said Marshall. The CSWRs pods contain a computer with a 12-volt battery and can record wind speed, humidity, barometric pressure, and more. According to Marshall, the plan is to set the 70-pound pod on the side of the road and pray that the tornado hits it in order to record the proper data.

Hail, high winds and tornadoes possible this evening SCOTTSBLUFF  During a conference call Monday, meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Cheyenne discussed the severe weather headi

In conjunction with the pods, the storm chasers are also using a radar truck.

While the pod can record up to 3 feet above the ground, the radar truck can record up to 300 feet above the ground. Data will be collected from both the truck and the pod to find the correlation between the two. Researchers are hoping the data will give a good estimate of the data between the 3 feet mark and the 300 feet mark.

The ultimate goal is to find out what happens inside a tornado.

What happens inside the tornado is a question that a lot have asked but no one has figured out yet, and its our job to figure it out, Marshall said.

Marshall said that the team thought the storms would be high end storms. While the storms are supposed to encompass eastern Wyoming and the Panhandle, the storm chasers chose the Scottsbluff area due to the ripe conditions for a tornado to appear.

The storm chasers arrived in town three days ago in order to prepare for the storm.

The CSWR has been doing work with tornadoes and similar storms for 14 years, with both Kosiba and Marshall on board.

Over those 14 years, the team has began 20 to 30 different projects. The project regarding the tornados wind profile did not begin until five years ago.

Based out of Boulder, Colorado, the CSWR team is nomadic during tornado season and travels to follow the weather patterns.

According to Kosiba, tornado season for the team usually includes all of May and ends around June 15.
BAYARD  A tornado going through Bayard ripped the roof off a nursing home in the community.

Bayard Police Chief Zack Douglas told the Star-Herald that authorities are currently evacuating the Chimney Rock Villa, the local nursing home. Residents are being evacuated to the high school after the roof was torn off the building.

No injuries were reported. Douglas said sirens alerted residents of the approaching tornado at about 7 p.m. and the tornado came through the town about ten minutes later. He said that the tornado first touched down at the sugar factory, then struck the Chimney Rock Villa and "kept going from there" in a diagonal path.

School superintendent Travis Miller said that the high school is a storm shelter through the Red Cross. Fire officials contacted the school district and asked them to take residents from the Chimney Rock Villa. The school district has also provided a bus to aid in evacuating the residents.

"We were happy to help out and do whatever we can to help our community during this crisis," he said.

Miller was among the residents who took cover as the tornado traveled its path through the community. Miller, his wife, five children, niece and nephew and even the family dog were in a storage room under the stairs as the tornado went through the community. He said that the family prayed as they listened to the loud sounds of the tornado.

Afterward, Miller said, he checked his home and the neighbor's home before checking the school district buildings and providing assistance with the Villa residents.

School staff, principals, teachers and parents are at the high school volunteering to help as the Villa residents are being brought to the high school.

"Many of these people have had damages to their own houses, but are here, giving of themselves," Miller said.

Miller reports that a portion of the high school roof was lost over the part of the building containing the wood shop. He said they also lost some trees and the elementary school lost power.

Some homes and vehicles were damaged as the tornado came through the community. One family had to be assisted in getting out of their home after a tree fell on the home, Douglas said. Damages are to areas north of Eighth Street.

Meteorologist David Levin of the National Weather Service said that the damage occurred at the same time that radar indicated a tornado going over the community.

The scale of the tornado is not yet known. The National Weather Service will send a survey team to the area, likely on Tuesday, Levin said.

Cell phone communication in the community has been troublesome, but officials report that they have radio communications.

The tornado was part of a strong weather system that plowed through the area Monday night, June 12.

Just after 6 p.m. a tornado was reported on the ground southwest of Harrisburg in Banner County around Highways 71 and 88. Several other tornadoes touched down briefly in northern Kimball County, meteorologist Kate Cotsakis with the National Weather Service said.

As storms moved throughout Scotts Bluff County, Tim Newman, Region 22 Emergency Management director, said they were looking at several different tornadoes on the radar in Banner and Scotts Bluff counties. There was no reported tornado activity in the immediate Scottsbluff-Gering area at 7 p.m.

However, downed power poles were reported in Minatare, Gering and Scottsbluff. As of 9:30 p.m., the NPPD website was reporting that power outages affected more than 200 people and put restoration of services at 1 a.m.

Brief power outages throughout the area also resulted in fire crews checking alarms at businesses throughout Scottsbluff and Gering.
This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page

Published: 13 June 2017

One in six comprehensive school pupils received intensified or special support

Intensified or special support was received by 16.4 per cent of comprehensive school pupils in autumn 2016. Intensified support was received by 49,400, or 9.0 per cent of comprehensive school pupils and special support by 41,000, or 7.5 per cent of comprehensive school pupils. The number of pupils in intensified support grew from the previous year by 0.6 percentage points and in special support by 0.2 percentage points. These data derive from Statistics Finlands education statistics.

Share of comprehensive school pupils having received intensified or special support among all comprehensive school pupils 19952016, % 1)

1) Pupils accepted or transferred to special education before 2011 have been regarded as equal to pupils having received special support.

Among the recipients of intensified support, 65 per cent were boys and 35 per cent girls. Seventy per cent of the recipients of special support were boys and 30 per cent girls. In autumn 2016, a total of 550,200 comprehensive school pupils were in pre-primary, basic and post-basic education of the comprehensive school, 51 per cent of whom were boys and 49 per cent girls.

The statistics on special education in comprehensive schools contain data primarily on intensified and special support. The statistics also include data on general support as concerns part-time special education.

The database tables connected to the statistics on special education and the database tables related to statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive education allow examination of support received by pupils by area and place of implementation of teaching, for example. Data on special education in vocational education are collected at the end of the text section of this release and in Appendix table 9.

Intensified support increased in all Mainland Finland regions

In 2016, intensified support was arranged for more pupils than in the year before in all regions except Aland. In several Mainland regions, intensified support was received by over 10 per cent of pupils. In previous years, the number of pupils having received intensified support was not over 10 per cent in any Mainland Finland regions. In relative terms, the amount of intensified support increased most in South Karelia, Kymenlaakso and Varsinais-Suomi, in all of them the amount was over one percentage point higher than in the previous year. The share of pupils having received intensified support was highest in North Karelia and lowest in Kainuu. In Mainland Finland, the share of pupils having received intensified support in all pupils was 6 to 11 per cent in different regions.

Share of comprehensive school pupils having received intensified or special support by region 2016, %

In Mainland Finland regions, the share of pupils having received special support in all comprehensive school pupils was 5 to 12 per cent. The share of pupils having received special support was lowest in Central Ostrobothnia and highest in Kymenlaakso. In Aland, the share of pupils receiving special support was under three per cent.

The share of comprehensive school pupils receiving intensified or special support varies between regions. The combined share of those receiving intensified support was biggest in Kymenlaakso, where 22 per cent of pupils received intensified or special support. The combined shares of those receiving support were smallest in Kainuu, Lapland and North Ostrobothnia.

Three out of four pupils in intensified support received part-time special education

Seventy-five per cent of the pupils who received intensified support in autumn 2016 received part-time special education, 57 per cent remedial teaching, and 38 per cent special needs assistance and/or interpretation services. Thirty-eight per cent of the pupils who received special support received part-time special education, 35 per cent received remedial teaching, and 58 per cent special needs assistance and/or interpretation services.

Twenty-six per cent of the pupils receiving special support had extended duration of compulsory education.

Among the recipients of special support, 38 per cent received all education in a special education group and 20 per cent received all education in a general education group. The remaining 42 per cent received part of the education in a general education group and part in a special education group.

Over one-half of pupils having received special support studied fully according to the general syllabus

Fifty-one per cent of the pupils having received special support in basic and post-basic education of the comprehensive school studied general education syllabuses in all subjects in autumn 2016. The share of those studying according to the general syllabus has grown yearly; its share was 44 per cent in 2011, it was 46 per cent in 2013 and 49 per cent in 2015.

Thirteen per cent of the pupils having received special support in 2016 had individualised syllabuses for one subject, 12 per cent for two to three subjects, and 19 per cent for four or more subjects. Five per cent of the pupils receiving special support studied according to functional skill areas. The teaching can be arranged according to functional skill areas if it cannot be arranged by subject syllabuses due to the pupil's severe disability or illness.

Twenty-two per cent of comprehensive school pupils received part-time special education in the school year 2015 to 2016

In the school year 2015 to 2016, altogether 122,200 comprehensive school pupils received part-time special education, which was 22 per cent of comprehensive school pupils in autumn 2015. The share has fallen a little from the previous school year.

Share of comprehensive school pupils having received part-time special education among all comprehensive school pupils in academic years 2001/2002 to 2015/2016, %

In autumn 2015, part-time special education was included in intensified support for 34,400 pupils and in special support for 14,900 pupils. By subtracting we can conclude that around 73,000, or 60 per cent, of the 122,200 pupils having received part-time special education in the school year 2015 to 2016 received part-time special education as general support.

According to the available statistics, at least 29 per cent of the number of pupils in comprehensive school received some kind of support in the school year 2015 to 2016. The share has remained unchanged for the past three years. A total of 158,800 students received intensified support, special support or part-time special education as general support in the school year 2015 to 2016.

Number of vocational education students having received special education has continued growing

The number of students in vocational education leading to a qualification having received special education has grown at least from 2004 onwards, when the production of these statistics started: 12,500 pupils received special education in 2004, 18,300 in 2009, and 24,300 in 2015. The share of all students having received special education in all students in vocational education leading to a qualification was in the same years five, six and nine per cent.

In 2015, there were 124,220 students in vocational education for young people (curriculum-based basic vocational education provided by educational institutions), of whom 18 per cent were special education students. Nineteen per cent of male students and 17 per cent of female students were special education students. In all, 57 per cent of special education students were men.

Most special education students (86%) in vocational education for young people were studying in vocational education institutions. Thirteen per cent of special education students attended special vocational education institutions and around one per cent other educational institutions providing vocational education.

Eighty-three per cent of special education students in vocational education for young people were studying in the same groups (integrated) with other students.

Source: Education. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heli Hiltunen 029 551 3314, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (282.8 kB)

Updated 13.6.2017

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Support for learning [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-1617. 2016. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 11.11.2022].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/erop/2016/erop_2016_2017-06-13_tie_001_en.html
This set of statistics has been discontinued. Statistical data on this topic are published in connection with another set of statistics. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website.

This page is archived.

Published: 13 June 2017

Number of students in upper secondary general education decreased slightly

According to Statistics Finland's education statistics, a total of 103,600 students attended upper secondary general school education leading to a qualification in 2016. The number of students decreased by 0.5 per cent from the previous year. A total of 30,500 matriculation examinations were completed. The figure was 100 lower than one year before. Fifty-seven per cent of the students and fifty-eight per cent of passers of the matriculation examination were women.

Students in upper secondary general education and matriculation examinations 2006  2016

Upper secondary general education was provided in 389 educational institutions. There were 342 upper secondary general schools, eight fewer than one year earlier. Education in Swedish was offered in 36 upper secondary schools and six per cent of the students in upper secondary general school education studied at these schools.

Of all students, 1,800 studied for an international matriculation examination. The International Baccalaureate examination was passed by 423 students in 17 upper secondary schools, the European Baccalaureate examination by 8 students at the European School of Helsinki, and the Reifeprufung by 24 students in the Helsingin saksalainen koulu (the German School of Helsinki).

From 2006 to 2016, the number of educational institutions providing upper secondary general school education has fallen by 72. Over the same period, the number of students in upper secondary general school has diminished by 12 per cent. The number of matriculation examinations has gone down by seven per cent in ten years. Throughout the 2000s, over one-half of the students and passers of the matriculation examination have been women.

Source: Education, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Leena Halinen 029 551 3288, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (215.1 kB)

Updated 13.6.2017

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Upper secondary general school education [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-165X. 2016. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 11.11.2022].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/lop/2016/lop_2016_2017-06-13_tie_001_en.html
A white University of Kentucky student accused of physically assaulting a Black student worker while repeatedly using racial slurs says she will withdraw from the school. The decision announced Tuesday by a lawyer for 22-year-old Sophia Rosing came after hundreds of students rallied on campus the night before. News outlets report the students called for unity and for the university to quickly address the situation. Officials say Rosing has been charged with assault, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday afternoon. The altercation at Boyd Hall was captured on video and posted to multiple social media platforms.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  A hidden world of drugs, sex and gang violence thrives inside the state's prisons - and the officers who are paid to prevent such corruption are instead fueling it.

Prison officers frequently collude with inmates on crimes that endanger staff members, inmates and the public, a Charlotte Observer investigation found.

The newspaper found that prison employees have undermined the intent of incarceration - to punish inmates, rehabilitate them and separate them from society so that they can no longer harm innocent people.

North Carolina taxpayers, who pay more than $1 billion each year to fund the prisons, unwittingly bankroll the corruption. They pay even more when the state reaches legal settlements with inmates who have been abused or mistreated.

State leaders created the very conditions that allow corruption to flourish, the Observer found.

Lawmakers placed many of the state's 55 prisons in rural areas where it's hard to recruit employees. And they have failed to provide correctional officers competitive wages.

Prison officials, meanwhile, hire some employees with troubled pasts, and put new officers on the job with minimal training.

They also make it easy for officers to profit illegally - sneaking in drugs, cellphones and weapons. Unlike some states, North Carolina doesn't frisk officers when they report for duty and has been slow to use technology to find contraband.

The smuggled drugs and phones spur gang violence, allow prisoners to orchestrate crimes outside prison walls and cause many inmates to leave prison as addicted - and dangerous - as when they went in.

State prison leaders say they're cracking down on corruption. Most of the state's 8,000 correctional officers are ethical and hardworking, they say.

But leaders know they have a problem.

"Do I think I have corrupt staff in every prison, in every (maximum-security) prison?" said George Solomon, the state's recently retired director of prisons. "I would be naive to say I didn't."

WHAT THE OBSERVER FOUND

To investigate prison corruption, Observer reporters analyzed state data and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. They interviewed or corresponded with more than 65 current and former prison employees, more than 80 inmates, and dozens of prison experts, lawyers and law enforcement officials.

The Observer found:

Since 2012, at least 70 state employees have been criminally charged for offenses inside the prisons. More than 400 others have been fired for on-the-job misconduct. In some cases, when employees resign while under investigation, no charges are filed. Others are never caught.

Prison officials have hired officers with histories of crime, violence and unethical behavior, neglecting to follow the examples of states that more thoroughly vet job applicants. One correctional officer was fired from his post in Vermont after he pressed a gun to a man's head so hard that his ear bled. Four months later, North Carolina hired him to work as a prison officer.

Employees smuggle in most of the illicit drugs and cellphones to the state's maximum-security prisons. In the past five years, more than 50 North Carolina prison employees have been charged with bringing contraband into prisons. Some inmates and experts say it's easier to find drugs in prison than on the street.

Some officers are accused of torturing inmates. Former prisoner Jerome Peters says he was handcuffed from behind one day in 2012, when three officers assaulted him in a hallway that was not covered by video cameras. They fractured his arm and pelvic bone, leaving him in a wheelchair for a year. Peters and six other Central Prison inmates won settlements from the state after filing lawsuits alleging brutality.

Since 2012, more than 65 employees have been fired for getting too close to inmates. Some were simply too chatty with them. Others carried on blatant sexual affairs with the prisoners they were supposed to guard. And at the now-closed Wayne Correctional Center, in eastern North Carolina, a former prison substance abuse counselor was accused of carrying on a long-running sexual affair with inmate William Walker, a convicted murderer. Walker says they even had sex on the superintendent's desk - and that his lover smuggled in a poodle to keep him company on the weekends. The counselor was fired.

'SO MUCH CORRUPTION'

State prison leaders say they have no tolerance for officers who abuse or collude with inmates.

"Where there is misconduct at any level, it will be addressed," said Erik Hooks, the state's new Department of Public Safety secretary.

With plans to step up their battle against contraband, prison leaders hope to deploy four airport-style body scanners and four cellphone detection devices at problem prisons. They say they are quick to notify state or local law enforcement agencies when they find officers committing crimes.

State leaders say they're also working to improve the caliber of staff. They've increased pay for correctional officers, expanded their recruitment efforts, and introduced a new assessment tool to ensure candidates are psychologically suited for prison work.

But top prison officials and the state lawmakers who provide their funding have failed to adopt strategies that have proven successful in other states.

Prison officials rarely bring in drug-sniffing dogs, for instance, or even ask officers to turn out their pockets when they report for work each day, current and former employees say. They don't randomly drug test officers. And they don't check Facebook pages for signs of trouble in the backgrounds of would-be hires.

Employees said they wonder if some of their colleagues are on the wrong side of the bars.

"It's sad to say, a lot of times I would trust gang members before I would trust my co-workers," says Chesenna Ray, a former officer at Polk. "There's so much corruption. Nobody knows who to trust."

'A SETUP FOR PROBLEMS'

North Carolina built its largest maximum-security prisons in rural areas, at the direction of lawmakers who said those counties needed an economic boost.

But there was a downside to putting prisons in thinly populated counties: It's difficult to find enough qualified officers who are willing to live and work in those counties.

"It was a setup for problems from the beginning," said Jennie Lancaster, a former high-ranking state prison official.

The state fails to give new hires the training they need, many current and former officers say.

Some states require that officers get more than two months of training before they begin working. Not North Carolina. Here, after just one week of orientation, new hires are routinely put on the job guarding career criminals in situations that can turn violent.

Once every eight hours, on average, a North Carolina prison officer was assaulted last year. In April, Sgt. Meggan Callahan was killed as she rushed to put out a trash can fire at Bertie Correctional Institution. Authorities say an inmate beat her to death with the fire extinguisher she'd brought to douse the flames.

Jeffrey Scott Carter, who worked as an officer at Alexander Correctional Institution for eight months in 2015, remembers going through orientation, where he learned a lot about prison policies but almost nothing about the day-to-day requirements of the job.

Then he and another rookie were required to guard 120 inmates in one of the prison's toughest units. He recalls asking a sergeant on one of his first days what he should do.

"He said, 'The inmates have been here. They'll tell you what to do.' "

'THEM OFFICERS ARE BROKE'

North Carolina pays its prison officers an average of about $32,000 a year at minimum-security prisons and $35,000 at maximum-security prisons - less than most animal control officers. Nationally, most correctional officers and jailers are paid far more - an average of about $47,000.

The low pay can make officers susceptible to corruption, inmates and experts say. A pound of marijuana can sell for more than $9,000 inside a prison, and a single cellphone can fetch up to $750.

Troy Person, a former inmate at Scotland Correctional Institution, in Laurinburg, said he paid two officers to bring him cellphones, liquor, condoms, pornography and marijuana, which he resold to fellow prisoners.

"Them officers are broke," said Person, who served 24 years for multiple counts of forgery. "That's why there are so many cellphones in prison."

State funding cuts have also left abusive officers with less to fear.

Lawmakers in 2014 slashed the budget for Prisoner Legal Services, the state-funded agency that once filed lawsuits on behalf of inmates who alleged mistreatment. Now the office is so thinly staffed that inmates have to file their own lawsuits.

"These prisoners have no one to go to," says Elizabeth Forbes, who heads the criminal justice reform group NC CURE.

___

To read the Charlotte Observer's full series on corruption in the state prisons, go to http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article152332332.html

___

Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com
By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Westover and Smith roads, on the far western edge of the county, will get paving priority for 2023. Country commissioners and Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, decided at last Thursdays commission meeting to go ahead and seal up that corner of the county. That way, graders will not have
Former President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman and former head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Virgil Magureanu were sent to court by military prosecutors in the case of the June 13 - 15, 1990 violent events when miners crushed a sit-in anti-government protest.

The announcement was made in a press statement by a military prosecutor. Military prosecutors claim that in the period 11 - 15 June 1990, the defendants have decided, organized and coordinated "a generalized and systematic attack," launched against the civil population, against the manifestations in the University Square in Bucharest respectively, as well as against the population residing in Bucharest, an attack which involved the participation of armed forces of the Interior Ministry (MAI), National Defence Ministry (MApN), Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), as well as a number of over ten thousand miners and other workers from multiple areas of the country.

The alleged attack, prosecutors say, had the following consequences: the killing of four persons by shooting and the wounding of three others by the same means; harming the physical or psychical integrity of 1,269 persons; deprivation of freedom, for political reasons, of a total number of 1,242 persons.

Agerpres..
Updated at 9:21 a.m.

Billionaire Eddie Lampert-controlled Sears Canada Inc. flagged doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern and said it was exploring strategic options, including a sale of the company, following years of losses and falling sales.

Sears Canada's shares slumped as much as 56 percent to 50 Canadian cents in early trading, as investors fretted about whether the company would be able to weather this liquidity crisis before it found a buyer.

The company was valued at about C$51 million ($38.5 million)at its lowest stock price on Tuesday, a far cry from the C$1.18 billion valuation when it was partially spun off from Sears Holdings Corp. in November 2012.

Sears Canada, much like Sears Holdings  now its fourth-largest shareholder  has struggled for years to remain relevant to shoppers who have switched to stores that keep up with fast-changing fashion trends.

The company has also booked losses as Wal-Mart Canada and Amazon.com Inc. have stepped up competition.

Sears Canada's sales have fallen every quarter since it was spun off from Sears Holdings in 2012.

Sears Holdings, in March, also warned about its ability to continue as a going concern. The company said on Tuesday that it would cut 400 full-time jobs at its headquarters in Illinois as part of its plan to save more than $1 billion in costs annually.

Sears Canada said it would postpone its 2017 annual meeting scheduled for June 14 to a date it would determine later.

The company's cash and estimated cash flows from operations were not expected to be enough to meet obligations over the next 12 months, it said in a statement.

The company said it had expected to be able to borrow up to an additional $175 million, which was secured against its owned and leased real estate, as part an existing loan. Based on current talks with lenders, however, it expects that it will be able to borrow up to $109 million.

Sears Canada said it had recently begun a process to address its liquidity situation to continue to finance its business and had hired BMO Capital Markets to assist with the restructuring process.

($1 = 1.3239 Canadian dollars)
Will Ross knows the challenge before him.

A physician by trade, Ross is also associate dean and director of diversity for Washington University. Now he is one of three St. Louis area residents appointed to a new task force with a daunting charge: Come up with a plan  the plan  to remake government in St. Louis.

Momentum has built toward this day, ever since the nonprofit Better Together came on the scene in the fall of 2013 and started studying the inefficiencies of a government apparatus highlighted by its major city being separated from the county that bears the same name. Folks have called this amorphous concept all sorts of things: Merger. Reunification. Combination. Marriage. The time has come to figure out specifically what to call it and ask voters to approve it.

It wont be easy, Ross said. He has been at the center of such regional discussions before, from the creation of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission to the attempts to keep a regional hospital alive to serve north St. Louis residents. Getting people in St. Louis to think regionally, particularly when the beneficiary of such thought might be somebody other than you, has been a challenge since, well, since the Great Divorce of 1876 that created a divided St. Louis.

But Ross is optimistic.

Ive been talking on the streets for 30 years about finding a solution to our division, Ross said. Most of the people I talk to say: Why is it taking so long?

In St. Louis County, a government amalgam of 89 municipalities, 54 police departments and 23 fire districts, change is slow. And thats not even counting the city of St. Louis, which stands alone and apart from the county that shares its name and includes what once was the rest of the outline of one of Americas great cities.

Over the next several months, Ross and his fellow task force members, Spire CEO Suzanne Sitherwood and Bryan Cave attorney and partner Arindam Kar, will meet with residents of the St. Louis region and help craft the Great Reconciliation.

They will face many obstacles in a region that does division better than unity.

The biggest might be that even the politicians who on Monday stood in front of the Better Together banner and heaped praise on the new task force cant yet bring themselves to fully embrace the unity the task force is charged with defining.

Mayor Lyda Krewson comes closest, having endorsed a combination or a remarriage between the city and the county, which sounds an awful lot like a full city-county merger or unigov or combined metro government. County Executive Steve Stenger is mostly in the same place he has always been, though he says he has come to appreciate Better Together, which is funded primarily by political donor and activist Rex Sinquefield.

Im not really here to endorse a particular path forward until we see what options are available, Stenger said.

The options are obvious to anybody whos been paying attention. Theyre all laid out on another nonprofit website, called St. Louis Strong, run by Chesterfield native Jake Hollander:

 Theres the borough plan, which unites the city and county, disincorporates the countys municipalities, and creates one city government fed by nine boroughs, with individual mayors and councils. This is a model similar to New York.

 Theres Metro St. Louis, where the city re-enters the county and most municipalities are kept in place, but key services such as public safety and economic development are controlled at the county level. This model is similar to Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky.

 And theres unigov, where the city re-enters the county and one umbrella city-county government is formed, similar to the Indianapolis model.

The challenge for Ross and his colleagues will not be to reinvent the wheel, but to fill in the specifics, and get over the inherent fear of change that Ross says is a St. Louis staple. The task force will need to unite those in the city who dont trust Sinquefield, those in the county who disdain the city, and those who fear that the sudden close relationship between Krewson, Stenger and their mutual advisers is political cover for something yet unseen.

Its time to do something different, said Better Together Executive Director Nancy Rice on Monday.

Indeed it is. Fear and division have failed St. Louis for too long.

Unity awaits.
BELLEVILLE  Police are looking for a man they say invaded a home here Monday and shot two people, critically injuring both of them.

The victims, a white 57-year-old woman and a white 27-year-old man, were in critical but stable condition at a hospital Monday night, police said.

Arriving police officers found the shooting victims in the area of a home in the 100 block of Glenview Drive just after 1 p.m. Police had responded there to a call of shots fired.

Both victims gave detectives a statement before they were taken to a hospital, police said.

Police said the shooter confronted the woman in her driveway and then followed her into the house. The shooter then fought with the 27-year-old man inside the house, and several shots were fired, police said.

Police are looking for a suspect they describe as an African-American man in his 20s with a short hair cut. He was carrying a silver handgun and wearing a blue shirt and blue pants or shorts, police said.

The suspect may have bruising or other marks on his head after fighting with the man inside the home, police said. He fled the area in a white Chevy Impala.

Authorities ask anyone with information on the suspect's whereabouts to call Belleville Police at 618-234-1212 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
A court hearing in Las Vegas for a man whose daughter's decomposed body was found in a vacant Metro East home has been postponed until Friday.

The hearing was set to determine whether there is enough probable cause to hold Jason Quate on suspicion of possession of child pornography. A hearing will also be held Friday to determine whether there is probable cause to hold him on suspicion of child abuse.

Quate, 34, has already been charged in Las Vegas with sex trafficking and living off the earnings of a prostitute, both felonies, after police there say he forced his wife, Elizabeth Odell-Quate, 35, into prostitution.

Police in Las Vegas have said additional charges might be added to the case. Quate is being held without bail.

The investigation into the bizarre case began when Odell-Quate went to a domestic violence shelter in Las Vegas last week. She called police and told them her husband had forced her into prostitution and had abused their three daughters. She claimed he had killed one of them, Alysha, about four years ago when she was 6. Odell-Quate said the girl's body was hidden in the garage of an abandoned home in Centreville.

Authorities found the little girls skeletal remains there, but an autopsy was inconclusive as to the cause of her death.

In a jailhouse interview with the Post-Dispatch, Quate said the girl died in an accident, after choking on a piece of Salisbury steak as he spanked her, sometime in 2012 or 2013.

Police found Quate's other two daughters, ages 12 and 13, with him inside an apartment in Las Vegas.

Police seized Quate's cellphone during the raid on his apartment and found multiple images of child pornography on it involving prepubescent girls, according to police records.

Both Quate and the mother, Odell-Quate, face a charge in St. Clair County of concealing a homicidal death, a felony. In a hearing Monday, Odell-Quate said she would not fight her transfer to Illinois to face that charge. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department said it will take weeks before she returns to Illinois.

.
TROY, Mo.  A judge has denied a womans request for a new civil trial seeking damages against a Roman Catholic priest after a Lincoln County jury in April found insufficient evidence that he fondled her at her home.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer on Monday also ordered the woman to pay legal expenses of the St. Louis Archdiocese and the Rev. Xiu Hui Joseph Jiang totaling $48,516.84. Ohmers order requires she pay $19,316.51 to the archdiocese and $29,200.33 to Jiang.

The woman sought a new trial last month after a jury found in favor of Jiang following a two-week trial. She had accused him of molesting her as a 16-year-old in June 2012 while her relatives were in the same room. The jury also rejected her claims that the St. Louis Archdiocese failed to protect her and should have known Jiang was dangerous to children.

Jiang denied the womans claims at trial and told jurors the womans family was trying to steal his dreams of serving as a priest in the United States.

Jiang came to the United States from China in his 20s to pursue the priesthood and was sponsored by St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson. Jiang served as a deacon in Saginaw, Mich., while Carlson was bishop there and came with Carlson to St. Louis in 2009. Carlson was installed as archbishop that year; Jiang was ordained in St. Louis on May 29, 2010, and became an associate pastor at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End.

Criminal charges were filed against Jiang but were dropped in 2013.
ST. LOUIS  Lawyers for Reginald Clemons, whose double-murder retrial in the 1991 killings of two sisters on the Chain of Rocks Bridge is set for August, have been negotiating a plea agreement with the Missouri attorney generals office, according to a motion filed late Monday seeking to push off a trial date.

Over the course of the past several weeks, counsel for the defense has spent considerable time in discussions with Mr. Clemons and in negotiations with the state over a potential plea agreement, the filing says. Those efforts continue, but as of this date, they have not yet resulted in a resolution.

One of Clemons public defenders, Heather Vodnansky, declined to comment.

The motion for continuance filed by Clemons lawyers late Monday asks for a later trial date, arguing that prosecutors had not provided the defense with additional DNA testing and analysis that the state intends to present as evidence.

The DNA evidence is the only physical evidence that would allegedly place Mr. Clemons at the scene of the crime, the motion says. Mr. Clemons requires, and is entitled to, sufficient time to review, analyze and prepare rebuttal evidence to this entirely new DNA analysis.

The motion also says Clemons has waived his right to a speedy trial and that his defense team needs more time to review 3,822 pages of prison records and hours of recorded phone calls Clemons made to associates and relatives, and to review 71 potential witnesses the state has said may testify.

A spokesman for Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday.

The Missouri attorney generals office, which took over the case before St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner assumed office in January, did not oppose Clemons request for more time.

Sisters Julie Kerry, 20, and Robin Kerry, 19, were killed on the closed Chain of Rocks Bridge in April 1991. Authorities have said Clemons was among four men who encountered the Kerry sisters and their cousin on the bridge, attacked them and forced them to jump into the Mississippi River. The women died; their cousin lived.

Clemons was convicted in the killings in 1993 but the Missouri Supreme Court overturned that conviction in November 2015 and sent the matter back to circuit court.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri lawmakers reluctantly launched their second special session of the summer Monday, this one taking aim at the states abortion laws.

Ordered back to the statehouse by Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, the GOP-controlled House and Senate could take on a host of abortion-related legislation in the coming days, including overriding a St. Louis ordinance banning discrimination based on abortion, pregnancies and other reproductive health decisions.

They also are expected to debate a response to a recent federal court ruling that invalidated rules that doctors who perform abortions must have admitting privileges at hospitals and that abortion clinics meet more stringent standards for health care facilities.

But some senators groused that Greitens was abusing his power as governor to repeatedly call the part-time Legislature back into session.

I dont think we should be here, said Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City. Its certainly clear the governor doesnt have any respect for this process.

Are we lemmings? asked Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City. What we should be doing is telling this governor no.

Since issuing his call, Greitens has held three campaign-style rallies. His plan to appear at a fourth event on Wednesday afternoon in the Capitol was clearly grating to some lawmakers.

I do not like or appreciate the political shenanigans, said Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield.

On the House side, lawmakers quickly gaveled in and out Monday and said they would follow the lead of the Senate.

The special session is the second ordered by the rookie governor in his first six months in office. After lawmakers adjourned their regular session on May 12, Greitens called them back to help two potential industrial users in New Madrid County get cheaper electric rates.

Some lawmakers say the governor is wasting time and money in an attempt to burnish his anti-abortion record and score political points.

A frustrated Holsman introduced legislation that would allow voters to choose whether the part-time General Assembly should become a full-time group, given Greitens comments that more special sessions may be on the way.

The governors inability to work with the supermajority of his fellow Republicans to get things done on time has thrown our state into an unpredictable environment in which the governor can waste taxpayer dollars on a whim just to pass more laws and regulations for a never-ending campaign, Holsman said.

The last special session cost an estimated $67,000 based on what lawmakers get paid in food, lodging and mileage when they are in the Capitol.

Greitens says it is his responsibility to protect life and defend life.

Under an ordinance approved by St. Louis aldermen in February, employers and landlords are banned from discriminating against women who have had an abortion, use contraceptives or are pregnant.

Along with nullifying that law, Greitens is targeting a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs in a case involving Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri.

Sachs ruled that Missouris laws were similar to a Texas law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis that abortion services  legal since the 1970s under the landmark Roe v. Wade case  were being illegally denied to women.

After the ruling, Planned Parenthood announced it was expanding its services across the state. Currently, the only licensed center to provide abortions is in St. Louis, down from 29 facilities in 1982.

A number of other proposals could be considered, including a plan to give the attorney generals office the ability to prosecute local violations of abortion laws.

Unlike the first special session, which lasted one week, lawmakers are not expected to make quick work of the governors call. The House is not expected to take a final vote until next week at the earliest. The schedule shows the Senate also may be in next Wednesday, June 21.
WASHINGTON  St. Louis philanthropist, political megadonor and education reform advocate Rex Sinquefield met privately Tuesday with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Sinquefield was joined by his wife, Jeanne, and Travis Brown, chief executive officer of First Rule, Sinquefields media organization, according to a description of the meeting provided to the Post-Dispatch by the Department of Education.

The group discussed innovation grants, distance learning, school choice and digital programs in schools, said Education Press Secretary Liz Hill. The group also discussed innovative career and technical education programs in Missouri.

In her first four-plus months on the job, in which she has become a lightning rod of sorts in the presidents new Cabinet, DeVos has met with widely divergent charter school advocates, including the rapper Pitbull.

Sinquefield was the latest on Tuesday, and the meeting did not go unnoticed by his critics, and those of the secretary.

The liberal, David Brock-founded dark money group American Bridge, one of many that does not disclose its source of funding and is gearing up to try to influence the Missouri Senate race in 2018, issued a press release criticizing the meeting and calling Sinquefield and DeVos enemies of public schools.

DeVos has said that allowing parents more choice on where to send their children to school using public funds would better educate children, especially those in poor communities. Her supporters say shes running up against opposition because she is challenging the status quo and entrenched teachers unions.

DeVos has been a controversial figure as education secretary, having been booed at the Bethune-Cookman graduation and being blocked by protesters from entering a school for an event in Washington.
ST. LOUIS  Supporters of a buffer zone barring anti-abortion demonstrators from the front of the states only abortion clinic made their case to a panel of aldermen on Tuesday, sparking debate over the First Amendment.

The bill at hand would ban activists from within an 8-foot radius of a health care facilitys driveway. Violating the ordinance, or blocking entry or exit from a facility such as the Planned Parenthood clinic on Forest Park Avenue, would be punishable by up to $500 in fines or up to 90 days in jail.

The proposed ordinance is similar to those in cities such as Pittsburgh and Chicago. Backers of the plan say it offers a clearer avenue to charge protesters who impede the flow of traffic in and out of Planned Parenthood.

In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Colorado law laying out the same 8-foot radius. But in 2014, the court struck down a Massachusetts law keeping protesters outside of a 35-foot buffer zone, leading cities throughout the country to rethink such zones.

Proponents of the bill in St. Louis said an 8-foot bubble is small enough to pass constitutional muster, since it allows for protesters to talk to visitors without standing in their way. Opponents said they should have the right to peacefully approach cars and hand out literature laying out other options for women considering abortion.

Some who testified identified themselves as sidewalk counselors, saying theyve done little more than flag down incoming drivers and passengers, who only stop out of their own free will.

This bill would be a barrier to education, said Kristin Wilmes, director of operations at Coalition for Life St. Louis.

Sponsoring Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward, said she felt her proposal struck a careful balance between free speech rights and the rights of patients to access the health care of their choosing.

Its possible to have a vibrant, political speech occurring on our sidewalks while still protecting access to abortion, Ingrassia said. We dont need to sacrifice either fundamental freedom.

One St. Louis police officer who frequently responds to complaints at Planned Parenthood testified that even with surveillance camera footage, its difficult to enforce rules against blocking the facilitys driveway.

Because its a low-priority crime, officers often take a long time to respond, he said. Even if they do, the violation can be tough to prosecute, especially if the protesters have left the scene.

He estimated that the department received an annual average of 40 calls a year to Planned Parenthood, and that he personally receives more on his cellphone, usually regarding protesters disturbing the peace, he said. But writing tickets is rare.

Given the difficulty of enforcing the law as it stands now, some aldermen raised concerns as to how much an 8-foot buffer zone would help. Other opponents, like David Drury of Missouri Lawyers for Life, implored aldermen not to pass a broad law because of a few people who went too far.

(This law) is un-American, because it says, People, we dont want to hear your message. We want to keep our business going. We dont want you telling us the other side, Drury said.

Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said she believes the proposal would alleviate the problem of protesters lingering to talk to people in their cars, leading to backups on both sides of the facility.

I always am concerned about (safety), every day, Kogut said. I think what the buffer zone will help to provide more safety around pedestrian or car traffic. It will not stop some of the other concerns we may have, but it takes care of that particular issue.
FERGUSON  A special meeting of the Ferguson City Council held Monday night to discuss Ferguson Market & Liquor ended with confusion after a video that residents say they had requested be shown wasnt.

The market was where Michael Brown had a run-in with the owner just before the confrontation with a Ferguson police officer in August 2014 that ended with Browns fatal shooting. His death sparked outcry and protests.

The markets liquor permit is set to expire on June 30. Some residents say they not only want the license withheld but the store shut down because of alleged drug activity and other illegal dealings at and around the store.

A community petition calling for the stores closure with more than 1,000 signatures was presented to the council.

Joshura Davis, president of the Dellwood-Ferguson West Florissant Business Association, said he has witnessed dozens of people walking out of the store without bags and he questioned activity at the store.

Thats one business we dont need, Davis said.

He added later, My vote, our vote, the peoples vote is to get rid of Ferguson Market.

While Davis said he spoke for the business association, the group did not take an official vote on the matter.

Thomas Nellums is a leader at Family of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, located behind the market.

He said the churchs windows and van have been shot up because of activities coming from that parking lot that nobodys doing anything about.

He said he believes the church has lost members of its congregation because they are fearful of activities there.

Other residents told the council they have seen employees at the store sell minors single cigarettes. Others said they have witnessed drug transactions in front of the store, including the sales of the synthetic drug K2. Last month, some convenience stores in the St. Louis area were raided in K2 drug investigations.

Darnell Singleton said the video he wanted to show during the public hearing would prove to the council and the police chief that drug activity happens around the store.

Singleton said he shot footage outside the store one day in April. The video shows people loitering outside the market and a close-up of one man placing an item in another mans hand and receiving money.

The opening scenes of the roughly four-minute video are from the controversial documentary Stranger Fruit, which featured surveillance footage of Brown in the market and alleged that Brown had been involved in a drug transaction with workers there.

Council members said they believed the video wasnt shown during the meeting because of a miscommunication, though residents say their intention to show it was clear long before the meeting.

The markets lawyer, Jay Kanzler, says the business has been the focus of community anger since Browns death.

He denied drug sales take place at the store and said the market contributes to the community.

Ive been behind the counter in that store dozens and dozens of times and Ive never seen K2, Kanzler said.

He cautioned the council to be leery of misinformation.

Im telling you, if theyre selling drugs, shut em down. But if they arent breaking the law and they are doing whats best for the family and whats best for employees and whats best for a lot of people in the community ... , he said.

Residents bemoaned the lawyers statement, saying that they dont understand if community members see illicit activity why the council or police havent done anything to address the issue.

One resident called the council historically unresponsive to community needs.

Police Chief Delrish Moss called on residents to present evidence to the police to help them monitor the stores activity. We cant do it alone, he said.

He said the number of calls to police since 2015 related to the market have decreased significantly.

So far in 2017 there have been 23 calls to police. Last year, there were 57 calls. In 2015, however, there were 256 calls.

Most of the calls in 2016 and this year have been fraud calls reported by the market. Other calls included disturbance, stolen vehicles and police service calls. Moss said none of the calls involved shootings.

Police said no one connected to the market is being investigated or has been arrested.

Officials also said the market has complied with requests concerning lighting and security. The last store inspection was on May 4.

Councilwoman Laverne Mitchom called the presentations compelling, but the council members took no formal action. The council is slated to discuss the markets liquor license at the last meeting of the month, days before it is set to expire.
Qatar Airways has called on the UN's aviation body to declare "illegal" an ongoing boycott by some Arab counties of Persian Gulf region against the carrier.

In a televised interview on Monday, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker called the move an "illegal blockade".

Baker also urged the United Nations' civil aviation branch to intervene in the dispute.

The International Civil Aviation Organization "should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act", CNN Money quoted the Baker as saying.

He went onto say that the move was in violation of the 1944 convention on air transport, charged with overseeing and regulating international aviation.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates broke off relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. They also suspended all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, ejected its diplomats and ordered Qatari citizens to leave their countries.

The administration of Saudi-backed and resigned Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Libya, the Maldives, Djibouti, Senegal and the Comoros later joined the camp in ending diplomatic ties. Jordan downgraded its diplomatic ties as well.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani rejected those trying to impose their will on Qatar or intervene in its internal affairs.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry also announced that the decisions to cut diplomatic ties were unjustified and based on false claims and assumptions.

In an interview with Qatar's pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, Baker also came down hard on US President Donald Trump, whose country has been a longtime ally of Qatar.

"We expect our friends to stand up with us in this unfair, illegal blockade conducted by four countries," the CEO stressed.

"I want the American people to realize that they are trying to intimidate a small country which has the closest relation with the United States," Baker stated, adding, "I think that President Trump's comment about my country is ill-placed, ill-informed, and I can again repeat that I'm very disappointed in him."

On Sunday, Trump accused Qatar of bankrolling extremists, throwing his weight behind Saudi regime and its allies in the worst crisis to grip the region in years.

As part of the measures against Qatar, Saudi Arabia also shut the local office of Qatar's Al Jazeera news channel amid escalation of tensions between the two Persian Gulf states.
China has expressed a desire to take on a role as mediator between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office said in statement on Monday.

"Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Kabul soon where he will meet Afghan officials to discuss ways to improve Afghanistan-Pakistan relations," the statement said.

It added that the Chinese foreign minister would work to discuss the possibility of setting up a meeting between the four members of the Quadrilateral Coordination Committee  Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China.

The four-nation group was formed in January 2016 for reconciliation in Afghanistan through the direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

"It is the first time that China wants to be a mediator in Afghanistans peace process and soon the Chinese Foreign Minister will visit Kabul. Peace with Pakistan was our demand and this must be solved between government and government," Ghani said, according to the statement.

The development follows a spate of deadly attacks in the country.

Two weeks ago, a suicide truck bomber detonated his explosives in the Kabul city, killing over 150 people wounding hundreds other.

No group, including the Taliban, claimed responsibly for the attack.

Pakistan had closed the Pak-Afghan border in mid-February this year, following a string of militant attacks that Islamabad blamed on militants hiding in Afghanistan. The closure of the formal crossing points on the 2,600km porous border was ordered after the Sehwan shrine bombing that claimed around 100 innocent lives.

Existing tensions between the two countries further deepened last month when the Afghan border forces reportedly opened fire on security personnel and civilians on Pakistani side, killing at least nine people. Subsequently, Pakistan Army claimed to have killed 50 Afghan security personnel in a retaliatory move.

Several efforts, including visits of officials and jirga members, have been made since then to bring normalcy in the bilateral relations of the two countries but no major breakthrough has surfaced as yet.

Earlier this month, Ashraf Ghani lashed out at Pakistan at the Kabul Process, alleging that it is waging an "undeclared war of aggression" against Afghanistan. Last week, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Ashraf Ghani held a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit where both the leaders agreed to use the QCG mechanism as well as bilateral channels to undertake specific actions against terrorism.

They also agreed to use the QCG to promote peace and reconciliation within Afghanistan.
"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"If I hear not allowed much oftener, said Sam, Im going to get angry. -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings
Champagne celebrations for Emirates Team New Zealandthe Kiwis winning the Louis Vuitton challenger series for the fourth time and doing it in some style.

By beating Artemis 5-2, they now take on Oracle Team USA in the Americas Cup match starting next weekend.

In a seventh race against the Swedes, initially delayed by light winds, Peter Burling dominated his arch rival Nathan Outteridge in the start box, heading off to round mark one in the lead for the first time in the series final.

From then on Emirates Team New Zealand were untouchable, the Swedes with no answer to the Kiwi boats speed.

Upwind and downwind Aoteraoa had the measure of Artemis, with an average speed almost three knots faster than the Swedish boat.

And with slick boat-handling producing a fly-time on the foils of 99.7 per cent the Kiwis sailed close to a perfect race.

The boat was going seriously fast, says Burling. I think we are in great shape to take on Oracle.

Dedicating the Louis Vuitton win to the Emirates Team New Zealand shore crew, Burling praised the massive effort theyd made to repair and prepare the boat.

They gave us the tools we needed to win and this is a great way to be able to repay them today.
Tauranga Intermediate students are helping to eradicate New Zealands pests and raise money for a unique Kickstarter project.

Last week students participated in a coin trail to raise over $400 for two predator traps.

Squawk Squad is a New Zealand business, which has just finished their Kickstarter campaign.

Their aim is to connect people with sanctuaries via an app that gives them the ability to collectively invest in sensor-connected traps in aid of sanctuary projects.

Investors can see where their trap is deployed in the sanctuary and are notified in real-time when their trap activates.

Tauranga Intermediate Year 7 teacher Debi Mayhead shared the idea with her class, Room 44, who came up with the idea to make an investment on behalf of the school.

The kids were really interested, and the principal just embraced the idea totally, says Debi.

Its an awesome initiative that fits well with our school. Were working on a school production at the moment about the kokako, an endangered New Zealand bird. It will be written and performed by students, and is going to be on at Baycourt at the beginning of Term 3.

In keeping with the theme, students brought coins and notes to school to fill in the outline of a kokako, raising enough money to put the schools name on two traps.

The traps will be called Tauranga Intermediate School traps, and will be located in two sanctuaries, which we will hopefully be able to choose, adds Debi.

Squawk Squads Kickstarter campaign has now ended, with the business raising more than $70,000 from 643 backers.

Mr Matt Short (Head of Miro House) talks to a group of students about their coin trail fundraiser.
Ever since the courts declared that the plusvalia tax should not be charged if a property loses value, town halls have been searching for different ways to top up their revenue streams.

In both Fuengirola and Mijas, they look set to take advantage of a new bylaw, a proposal set out by the Ciudadanos party at the latest meeting of the full council in Fuengirola, which declares that town halls have the right to charge extra taxes on use of public land by private utility providers.

Both currently receive 1.5 per cent of the providers annual takings obtained within the municipalities, as declared in article 24.1 of the Law regulating Local Tax Authorities. However, in the same article, but in subsection a, local authorities are able to establish taxes for the private use of public land, including pylons, overhead cables, piping and transformers, among other things, on streets and other land in the public domain.

Applying the formula set out by the Spanish federation of municipalities and provinces (FEMP) in the case of the Galician town of Arteixo, the estimated earnings, based on the electricity pylons alone are around 80,000 euros. Adding the figures for gas, water and hydrocarbons, that could rise to 200,000 euros.

The final figure is expected to be much higher, though, given the relative cost of land in Fuengirola.

In the neighbouring municipality of Mijas, which has ten times as much land, the earnings will be much higher. Ciudadanos spokesman in Fuengirola, Javier Toro, assured that the local government team are in agreement and we are sure that this will go ahead.

Days after the proposal came to light, officials at Mijas town hall, led by the Cs, took note of the Fuengirola idea and will be launching the proposal at their own next council meeting.

As public authorities, we have a duty to ensure the public pays less while at the same time we bring in more income. So if the law allows us to tax the multinationals then its our obligation to do so, Toro concluded.
The brother of Ignacio Echeverria, the Spanish lawyer killed in the London Bridge terrorist attack earlier this month, has revealed that the 39-year-old lawyer had intervened to aid a police officer and not a woman, as was previously reported.

Joaquin Echeverria told the news agency Efe on Tuesday that the family had changed the story when they still didn't know what had happened to Ignacio to protect him from "future retaliation".

"We were worried that, if he was alive, the jihadists would go to his house or his work to look for him," he added

His brother explained that Ignacio's friends had told them what happened the next morning while they were looking for him in hospitals around London.

"They saw from a distance that the terrorists were stabbing a woman, when a police officer with a truncheon overtook them and fell immediately," he said.

According to his friends, at the same time as the officer went towards the terrorists Ignacio Echeverria got off his bike to help the police officer.

"We think that Ignacio saw the officer run and went to help him arrest the three terrorists so that they wouldn't keep attacking," said Joaquin Echeverria. "He wasn't exactly helping the woman, but he was trying to stop the attack," he said.

Echeverria's body was flown back to Spain in a Spanish air force plane on Sunday. Prime minister Mariano Rajoy met the aircraft at the Madrid air base and awarded Ignacio with a posthumous Gran Cruz del Merito Civil, a medal for civil merit.

He was buried in Las Rozas, Madrid, on Monday.
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A former prison officer has been jailed for four years after he encouraged an inmate to beat up a sex offender in prison.

James Cookson, 33, was found guilty at Guildford Crown Court on Monday, June 19 of two counts of willful neglect or misconduct in a public office while working as a prison officer at HMP High Down in Banstead.

Cookson, from South Coast Road in Peacehaven, was sentenced yesterday (August 4) but he failed to attend either court date as it emerged he had fled the country with his family to Cyprus on June 4.

While in the sunny island, prosecutor Jonathan Davies said Cookson had still been getting paid from High Down, despite not working there officially anymore.

Recorder Judge Robert Fraser said he found that "quite remarkable".

The former officer was jailed for encouraging inmates to beat up vulnerable members of the prison, such as sex offenders.

At the time of the offences, Cookson was working in the Vulnerable Prisoners Unit (VPU) at High Down, in High Down Lane, which houses inmates, such as sex offenders or ex-police officers, who are considered vulnerable to attack by other members of the prison population.

Cookson was found guilty by the jury, who deliberated their verdicts for less than three hours, of organising the assault of Jamie Fuller, a prisoner in the VPU, by another prisoner Peter Giles in October 2012 and of trying to incite Bradley Dobson to attack John Drury, a convicted child sex offender, between May 6 and 9 in 2015.

The jury were unable to reach a verdict on a third count of willful neglect or misconduct in a public office.

Judge Fraser said: "It was very clear from a number of messages on his [Cookson's] phone that he had a disdain and a dislike for certain prisoners, in particular sex offenders."

During Cookson's trial, Mr Fuller, who has since completed his sentence and been released, gave evidence.

He said he had been in prison for about a week at the time of the assault, and was waiting on the landing area to be locked in his cell for the night when he was approached by Giles and attacked.

Mr Fuller said: "[Giles] shouted at me that I had killed a baby and started to attack me.

"He hit me in the face a few times and I curled up to try and protect myself. I was very scared and was shouting loudly for him to get off me.

"The attack lasted for a minute or so and then he disappeared."

Mr Fuller, who was not convicted of killing a baby as alleged by Giles but had been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) to a baby boy, suffered a cut lip and bruising in the attack.

The jury was told that, following the attack, Cookson appeared at the door of Mr Fuller's cell and when he told him what had happened the prison officer said "never mind" before locking him in his cell for the night.

In his evidence to the jury Mr Fuller said Giles approached him on the day after the attack and apologised for what he did, saying it had been set up by Cookson and that he had been paid for the attack with a small amount of tobacco.



For Cookson's second offence, Mr Davies told the jury at the time of the trial that Bradley Dobson had to be taken to hospital in May 2015, and while there he was guarded at points by Cookson.

The jury was told that during this time Cookson showed Dobson an article on his phone, containing details of Drury's conviction - which is also an offence - and said that Drury was a "dirty pervert of the worst kind".

Mr Davies added that Dobson was offered tobacco and a 50 postal order to attack Drury but he did not want anything to do with the plan and reported the matter via a written complaint to prison authorities.

Drury also wrote a complaint after being told about the planned attack by Dobson.

During sentencing, Judge Fraser commended High Down for the way it allowed prisoners to confidentially report complaints.

He said: "I do pay tribute to the anonymous system of complaints in High Down, it has clearly worked in this case."

He added: "Cookson has undermined the prison and he has undermined the trust that is put in prison officers.

"What particularly concerns me is that he was targeting vulnerable prisoners and using other prisoners to target them."

Cookson denied the allegations in his first police interview, saying they were "absolute nonsense" and that the prisoners must "have a grudge against him" or want to see a prison officer in trouble.

He was ordered to serve four years imprisonment, with the chance of parole after two years. Cookson was also ordered to pay a 120 victim surcharge fee.

An arrest warrant for his immediate return to the UK was also put out.
As Russians seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine in the opening stages of the war, mayors, civilian administrators and others say they have been abducted, threatened or beaten to force their cooperation. In some instances, they have been killed. Human rights activists say these actions could constitute a war crime. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said he was abducted from his office and the bullying and threats did not stop for a minute." He said they tried to force him to continue in his role but he refused. After six days in detention and an intervention from Ukraine's president, he was exchanged for nine Russian prisoners of war and expelled from the occupied city.
Robb Farmer isnt stepping into the library directors position unaware. He knows the controversy that has swirled around the institution since last fall. His dad even asked him if he was sure he wanted to get involved with the library system now. But, it was the public outcry that made Farmer certain he wanted the job.

Farmer said he saw that citizens cared about the library system, that they respected it as an important community institution. That sold it for me, said the man who will become the first director of the newly established Smyth County Public Library on July 1.

Farmer is returning to the library that helped shape him as a child. While the location is different from the library he went to as a little boy and checked out his first books, which he remembers included The Biggest Bear, he calls the Marion branch my home library. He also remembers being dropped off at the library on summer days to sit and read. The Marion library, he said, impacted his worldview.

While he wasnt looking to leave his current position in Sitka, Alaska, when the job opened up, Farmer said, the idea appealed to him, especially because of the long distance that separates him and his wife, Kathy, from their families. Farmers parents are Ervin and Brenda Farmer, who live in Danville, Ky.

Farmer completed his last traditional workday as director of the Sitka Public Library yesterday. Farmer didnt know where Sitka was when he first saw the job posting, but the heading got his attention: Best Library Director Job Ever. Farmers description suggests it lived up to the help-wanted ad. He started there Oct. 1, 2014. He called Sitka, an island fishing community of about 9,000, a beautiful place and crazy pretty with a fantastic library.

Though his early love of libraries and reading might suggest his adult career path led directly to library sciences, Farmers path includes an array of experiences. Though a future in libraries seemed certain from the day he entered the University of Kentuckys law school, Farmer confessed that he hated law school. The best part happened his first week. He tagged along with a friend who was applying for a part-time job at the law library. Farmer got a job too and kept it throughout law school. It was, he declared, the best decision I made.

The research skills he learned and the connections he made with law librarians would prove invaluable throughout his career.

When he worked with a law firm that was filing suits against the big cigarette companies and again when he worked for a firm specializing in bankruptcy cases, he always called a librarian for assistance if I needed it.

His career path also included stints as a dean of students at a Kentucky college and a coordinator for HIV services to folks who had to be poor and sick to qualify. Farmer said he gained a different perspective helping people who really needed it. He added, Ill carry it all my life.

His work ultimately led to him working at a law firm that sent him back to school to earn a masters degree in library sciences. With hindsight, Farmer said he probably should have gone that route initially, but he reflected that all the side trips tied together and have helped him grow.

Along the way, he also earned a masters degree in criminal justice.

In about 400 hours of higher-education classes, he said, storytelling was one of the most useful courses. Farmer explained that storytelling helps you think on your feet and learn about communicating with people.

When getting his library degree, he also took every class oriented toward youth and childrens work he could. That area of service still appeals to him. The book on Farmers nightstand during this interview was The Hate You Give, a young-adult book recommended to him by Sitkas youth-services librarian. Farmer declared hell read anything, especially to understand how to serve patrons better. He noted hes read romance novels to learn more about the genre.

He also enjoys comic books and graphic novels and was delighted to see that the Marion branch has what he described as a fantastic collection of graphic novels.

Hes also pleased about the librarys focus on technology. Part of a librarys public service, he said, is to help bridge the technology divide. You gotta be tech friendly.

Farmer had checked out the Smyth librarys summer reading plans on the systems website and said they looked fantastic. From what hes learned so far, Farmer said, many positive things are happening at the libraries and he wants to keep that going.

Farmer said he doesnt plan to reinvent the wheel for Smyths libraries. He wants to learn about the libraries from the staff on the front lines, especially what the needs are. He also wants to learn from the Friends groups and the libraries patrons. Farmer says hell have an open-door policy and always be willing to talk to people about the library. The people of Smyth County, he said, are moving toward something positive.

Farmer views libraries as living, growing entities where ideas and information are freely exchanged. Part of their responsibility, he said, is to help share and preserve information for everyone to be a marketplace of ideas.

Hes firm in his belief that libraries can benefit everybody, and that needs to be trumpeted everywhere.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday that he had any undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador or conversations with Russian officials about the U.S. elections. He vowed to defend his honor "against scurrilous and false allegations."

Testifying at a Senate hearing, Sessions said it was a "detestable and appalling lie" to suggest that he participated in or was aware of any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

In his dramatic appearance before former colleagues, Sessions also contradicted a contention made by former FBI Director James Comey at a hearing before the same panel last week. Comey said that, after an encounter with President Donald Trump in which he said Trump pressured him to back off an investigation into the former national security adviser, Comey "implored" Sessions to make sure he was never left alone with the president again -- but that Sessions didn't respond.

"He didn't recall this, but I responded to his comment by agreeing that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful to follow department policy" regarding contacts with the White House, Sessions said.

The former Alabama senator defended himself against accusations that he misrepresented himself during his confirmation hearing by saying he hadn't met with Russian officials during the campaign. Sessions argued that in the context of the hearing, "my answer was a fair and correct response to the charge as I understood it."

Sessions said he recused himself from the Justice Department's Russia investigation only because of a regulation to require the step because of his involvement in the Trump campaign. He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russia probe or had any role in it.

While he had recused himself from the Russia probe, Sessions said, "I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations."
The "Bachelor in Paradise" scandal continues to unfold as Corinne Olympios says she was too drunk to consent to sex.

TMZ reports Corinne was in a "blackout state" and claims she doesn't remember getting naked with fellow cast member DeMario Jackson, or performing sex acts in the pool together. Witnesses say she was stumbling drunk with her eyes closed and slurring her words two hours after their encounter in Mexico.

According to the celebrity gossip site, she's blaming producers for allowing DeMario to allegedly sexually assault her -- all while filming the incident. She's hired a lawyer, though no charges have been filed.

DeMario reportedly claims the encounter was consensual and says Corinne was the instigator. TMZ sources who saw footage say she was clearly drunk, but appeared lucid.

An unnamed "Bachelor in Paradise" contestant told People magazine that two other cast members saw the encounter and were upset producers didn't do more to stop the incident.

"The Bachelor" spinoff has shut down production after a field producer filed a formal complaint about misconduct in the workplace. All cast members were sent home or told to stay home while the production company, Warner Bros., investigates.

"We have become aware of allegations of misconduct on the set of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico," WB said in a statement. "We have suspended production and we are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations. Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action."

Leah Block, who appeared on season 20 of "The Bachelor" and season 3 of "Bachelor in Paradise," blamed the ABC show in a series of tweets.

"Just shows everyone how trashy that show is & how trashy the producers are to think it's ok to film sexual activity on an ABC SHOW.

#

garbage," she wrote on Twitter. "All of these contestants (including myself) are supposed to trust these producers who we all think are our 'friends.' Yeah...definitely not."

Another former "BiP" contestant, Ryan Beckett, told People that contestants frequently get drunk and hook up on the show, but denied alcohol was ever "forced" on them by producers: "There's some leading the horse to water, but at the end of the day, it's always the cast that has to decide if they want to drink or hook up."

"In my experience, the producers definitely step in," Beckett added.

DeMario appeared on Rachel Lindsay's "The Bachelorette" and Corinne appeared on Nick Viall's "The Bachelor." DeMario and Corinne, both cast as villains, were reportedly scripted to hook up on "Bachelor in Paradise."

They were among 16 former "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" castoffs scheduled to begin filming the summer spinoff series in Sayulita, Mexico. The rest of the cast includes Raven Gates, Alexis Waters, Kristina Schulman, Danielle Maltby, Jasmine Goode, Lacey Mark, Taylor Nolan, Derek Peth, Nick "St. Nick" Benvenutti, Robby Hayes, Alex Woytkiw, Vinny Ventiera, Amanda Stanton and Ben Zorn.

According to Variety, "Bachelor in Paradise" will likely be canceled as season 4 had only recently begun filming and was scheduled to premiere Aug. 8.

People reports "BiP" may not film another season, either, because the majority of the production costs are covered by the Mexico Tourism Board.

"They pick up the tab for practically everything in exchange for all the free publicity the show gives them -- but is not a good look and is not likely to be something Mexico Tourism wants to welcome back," an insider told the magazine.
sandbags.JPG

Sodus Point resident Ann Hayslip is pictured earlier this spring in front of her house. The village is providing sand bags for those residents who request them, but it's their responsibility to put them in place.

(David Figura l NYup.com)

Editor's note: this story was updated.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo returned to two, flood-damaged shoreline communities on Lake Ontario today, promising local officials and residents more state help in dealing with their problems.

Were deploying temporary dam systems in Greece and Sodus Point to proactively mitigate any damage from flooding on Lake Ontario. pic.twitter.com/O7Z8lQ5cWL  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 13, 2017

The governor also continued his criticism of Plan 2014, the lake's water level management plan being handled by the International Joint Commission, a U.S.-Canadian panel.

"I think they pulled the trigger too late," on increasing water outflow, Cuomo said in the Rochester suburb of Greece, according to the Associated Press. "They got behind, and now we have a real problem."

When he visited Greece back on Memorial Day, he said the IJC "really blew it," in regard to managing Lake Ontario's water level this year. He said the commission committed a "series of blunders."

The IJC has repeatedly said that no one could have predicted the severe flooding throughout the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system caused by record rainfall throughout the area - and in the Great Lakes, which empty into Ontario. Officials from the commission say managing the lake's level is a balancing act, and that it has to consider the impact of water releases downstream from the dam -- particularly around Montreal, where thousands were evacuated earlier this spring because of flooding.

Meanwhile, the commission-directed board that makes decisions on the lake's outflow announced today it would increase water releases starting Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

As for helping out the flood-damaged communities Cuomo tweeted the following shortly after 12:30 p.m. today: "We're deploying temporary dam systems in Greece and Sodus Point to proactively mitigate any damage from flooding on Lake Ontario."

With Lake Ontario forecast to slowly decrease but remain at high levels through mid-summer, the water filled dams can be rolled quickly, effectively and at less cost than sandbags to protect property, Cuomo said.

State officials successfully tested these movable, emergency dam systems in several flood prone areas affected by rising Lake Ontario flood waters over the past few weeks to ensure this technology properly conforms to the terrain, withstands waves, and holds back water.

Dams have now been placed in two locations.

*In the Town of Greece, where approximately 140 feet have been placed on a private lot on Old Edgemere Dr. This open lot is a major contributor to the inflow of water that affects the roadway and sanitary sewers and the dam's placement will reduce the impact of flooding.

*In the Village of Sodus Point, the approximately 700 feet of dam has been placed through roadways at Arney's Marina, which is currently under water. The placement here will enable the land side to be pumped off regaining access to one of the Sodus Point waste water treatment lift stations.



Additionally, the governor announced $1 million in expedited funding--up to $500,000 for the Town of Greece and up to $500,000 for the Village of Sodus Point--to conduct emergency repairs and upgrades to flood-impacted wastewater treatment systems.

Cuomo also renewed his request for assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Advanced Measures program, to immediately deploy protective measures such as rocks and gabions to safeguard areas that remain at heightened risk of flooding.

He asked the Army Corps to assess the feasibility of more permanent onshore and offshore measures to protect communities in the long term.

Apart from statement's made during today's visit by the governor, the state at this point has provided $22 million in state funding to New Yorkers living along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River. That includes assistance to repair public infrastructure ($10 million) to repair roads, floodwalls and other public infrastructure); relief to residents whose homes have been damaged due to flooding ($7 million) and money for small businesses to support the repair or replacement of damaged property and other tangible assets ($5 million).

Cuomo noted members of the National Guard at his direction have been deployed to the region. "The state has also delivered more than one million sandbags to the area, as well as equipment from across New York, "including pumps, generators, boats and light towers."

Cuomo also tweeted today: "We will continue to do whatever it takes to help affected communities and homeowners return to normal."

Cuomo's visit comes as the National Weather Service has issued lakeside flooding watches for tonight into Wednesday afternoon from Wayne County west to the Niagara River due to wind-driven waves.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit said Monday that water levels for all of the Great Lakes are expected to be higher than average into the fall. The agency predicts Lake Ontario's level will start to lower this month, but will remain higher than average into November.
According to Wired, a power outage occurred a week before Christmas in Kiev, Ukraine. Hackers unleashed a particularly nasty malware that was able to take control of the SCADA systems that control the electrical equipment and substations. The damage was relatively weak only lasting about an hour, but compared to a similar attack on Ukraine two years ago, this December attack was drastically different.

Two cybersecurity firms, ESET and Dragos Inc., released a detailed analysis on the attack this week detailing how it works and why it remains a menace. The malware, dubbed "Crash Override" or "Industroyer" is able to nearly automate attacks on power infrastructure and includes swappable components that allow it to adapt to different utilities. The malware was able to utilize the specific protocols the subsystems use in order to control the flow of electricity. Once a machine is infected, the malware automatically maps out control network and locates critical equipment. It also sends logs back to the attackers for future attacks. Because this particular malware is automated, it allows attackers to quickly deploy to multiple sites with less manpower. In contrast, cybersecurity experts believe the attack two years ago required no less than 20 people and three separate regional energy companies in a coordinated strike. This attack also probably was facilitated by a targeted spear-phishing attack that allowed hackers to gain administrative credentials. According to Rob Lee of Dragos, "Those 20 people could target ten or fifteen sites or even more, depending on time."

The most infamous case of malware targeting infrastructure was the Stuxnet virus that took down Iranian nuclear power plants. However, while Stuxnet was focused on disrupting Iran's nuclear ambitions, this is only the second time that malware has targeted commercial power stations. This past January, The U.S. Department of Energy warned that the electric grid "faces imminent danger" from targeted infrastructure attacks. At the moment, Crash Override doesn't seem to use any zero day vulnerabilities and also seems to be limited to regional blackouts instead of being able to cause damage on the scale of the 2003 blackout of the northeast United States.
Verizon as anticipated on Tuesday sealed the deal with regard to its acquisition of Internet pioneer Yahoo. After gaining shareholder approval last week, the nation's largest wireless carrier today finalized the purchase which sent former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer packing.

As has been previously reported, Verizon intends to consolidate what's left of AOL and Yahoo and form a new entity called Oath. According to recent estimates, as many as 2,100 people could soon be out of a job.

It's been nearly five years since Yahoo took a gamble and hired former Google employee Marissa Mayer to lead the ship. Many will pin Yahoo's shortcomings on Mayer's leadership decisions but in reality, the task of turning around a company that had fallen so behind the times was incredibly daunting.

Despite being acquisition-happy, Mayer was willing to pull the cord on several products that were well past their prime, helped rebuild their advertising business, improved its website and mail systems and sent share values on a trip north in which they recently hit a 17-year high. Yet again, achievements like those will likely be forgotten as people focus on the negative such as the massive security breaches that took place under her watch

With Mayer now out of the picture, Oath will be led by former AOL CEO Tim Armstrong.
Researchers reveal that Mars may have hosted diverse environments in its ancient past. The scientists examined the rocks samples NASA's Curiosity rover gathered on Mars to arrive at this conclusion.

As part of the study, the researchers discovered a wide diversity in the minerals that were deposited in layers on the sedimentary rocks collected from the base of Mars' Mount Sharp.

The NASA Curiosity rover landed on the Red Planet's 96-mile-wide Gale Crater in 2012 and took another two years to reach Mount Sharp, which is located at the crater's center. Shortly upon its landing, the Curiosity rover found evidence that the Gale Crater was once home to a diverse environment and could have been a "lake-and-stream system" in Mars's ancient past.

"We went to Gale Crater to investigate these lower layers of Mount Sharp that have these minerals that precipitated from water and suggest different environments," the study's first author Elizabeth Rampe remarked.

Rampe also shared that these mineral layers were deposited roughly 3.5 billion years ago, at a time when the Earth was taking its first steps toward supporting life. The researchers posit that ancient Mars was possibly similar to the Earth in its initial days. The Red Planet's early environment was possibly even habitable.

Evidence Of Diverse Environment On Mars Found

The researchers note that the collection of minerals found in the four samples from Mars' Mount Sharp reveal that they precipitated into layers because of water presence. The diversity in the minerals layer deposits also reveal that the Gale Crater was home to not one, but multiple environments.

The sedimentary rock samples that contained the mineral deposits were drilled out from the base of Mount Sharp. The range of mineral deposits that were found in layers also hint at the presence of water around the rock base. This water had different pH levels and unpredictable oxidizing conditions. The rock samples also suggested that there could be more than one source region for the Marias Pass and Pahrump Hills regions' sedimentary rocks.

Different Minerals Indicate Different pH Levels

All the four rock samples examined revealed a wide diversity of minerals. Three of the rock samples were collected from the Pahrump Hills region, whereas the fourth was found in 2016 and named "Buckskin."

These rocks were then studied using the Chemistry and Mineralogy or CheMin instrument aboard the Curiosity rover. The researchers found that the base mineral's source was prehistoric magma, rich in magnesium and iron similar to the basalt rocks found in Hawaii. The scientists observed that more layers situated higher were composed of silica-rich minerals.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Court of Appeals of the National Court of Justice announced Thursday the annulment of the eight-year sentence against the former vice-president of Ecuador Jorge Glas and six others... | Read More
Comets may have delivered significant portions of Earth's xenon







Washington DC (SPX) Jun 12, 2017





A new study suggests that roughly 22% of the element xenon found in Earth's atmosphere may have come from comets. The finding - shedding light on a decades-long mystery about the source for some of this gas on Earth - could be important for understanding comets' contribution of other materials, such as water, to our planet, as well. Xenon is the heaviest stable noble gas. It has nine different isotopes (essentially "weights"), which scientists can trace through the cosmos and use to determine its ... read more
When East Baton Rouge received federal grant money to help poor people, the government instead spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building a bike path along the Mississippi River levee.

Now, the city-parish must repay the federal government $1.3 million after an audit discovered that and other cases of misspending by the city-parish's Office of Community Development.

HUD audit faults city-parishs accounting for use of $2.2 million in federal funds The city-parish could be forced to repay as much as $2.2 million in federal money because au

In addition to the money spent on the bike path, auditors called into question $388,000 the city-parish spent on a program to train low-income young people for construction jobs.

However, in some cases teens who were still living at home were incorrectly accepted based on their own lack of income without considering the income of others in their family, explained Monika Gerhart, the current head of the OCD and the fourth person to lead the office since the audit period that ended in 2015.

The city-parish is also going to have to pay back money it spent on contractors who authorities say were not hired according to federal standards.

In a June 2 letter from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, officials wrote that the city-parish was asked to submit paperwork for 64 low-income housing rehabilitation projects but that more than a third of the documents weren't there. And some of the paperwork they did turn over was incomplete, auditors found.

The city-parish also often failed to document cost estimates to determine a reasonable price for work, according to the letter.

The bike path was largest single project to compel a refund. The city-parish spent $397,000 as part of an unfinished effort to extend the trail from downtown south along the river to L'Auberge Casino. The city-parish defended the decision in a written response to HUD.

"The Mississippi River Bike Trail provides a transformative impact in the service area; while it is available to all residents, it especially improves the lives of those with low and moderate income levels," they wrote.

HUD officials didn't buy the response and ordered the city-parish to pay back the money they spent. All told, the city-parish will have to make up $1.3 million. On June 28, the Metro Council will be asked to sign off on a three-year repayment plan and to transfer money from the general fund to help cover the costs. Some funding may be available from other sources, like the Green Light Plan tax, officials said.

The Office of Community Development does not typically receive financial support from the city-parish. Some federal grants allow up to 20 percent of the amount to go toward salaries and overhead, but others require more funding to go toward programming, Gerhart said. In fact, the city-parish was penalized for using some grant funding to pay staff for hours they worked on other projects. Gerhart said the audit shows that the existing funding system needs to be addressed.

"I think that this is in part evidence ... that doesn't work," she said.

The OCD has shrunk considerably over the past decade. In 2008, there were 69 people on payroll. Last year, there were only 23, according to online city-parish records.

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome's transition team has advocated for merging the office with the Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Authority. However, Tuesday, assistant chief administrative officer Rowdy Gaudet said the administration is "not actively seeking to combine those three entities."

Gaudet was sympathetic with the federal auditors, whose findings related to actions taken during the tenure of Broome's predecessor, Kip Holden.

"HUD had every right here to say 'East Baton Rouge, you have to pay us back,'" he said.

Moreover, they could reduce the city-parish's funding in the future, he said. Local and state government are currently seeking HUD grants to pay for post-flood rebuilding projects.

Gaudet said the Broome administration is trying to "reset" East Baton Rouge's relationship with HUD and demonstrate a willingness to support its objectives.

While the city-parish will have to repay the money already spent on unqualified projects, Gaudet and Gerhart said, HUD has agreed in working with the administration to keep the funds available for the local government to use on approved work for future projects.

The OCD has not yet determined how to spend the outstanding $1.3 million. Recently, the city-parish has been working to direct HUD grant money toward various flood rehab programs, in particular one that helps landlords with small rental properties rebuild their tenants' units.
Leaders from Louisiana colleges and universities, the state Department of Health, prisons and social services programs got another chance Monday to plead for their budgets to be protected from dramatic cuts in the coming year.

The House Appropriations Committee has resumed efforts to build a budget after last week's regular session dramatically ended with no spending plan for the state budget that begins July 1.

And House Republican leaders are starting with a plan that mirrors their earlier push that the state spend about $200 million less than the state is expected to have available. The Senate and Gov. John Bel Edwards have said that they disagree and want the state to appropriate all of the money.

Both the House and Senate have Republican majorities, but the House is more conservative and the Senate is more closely aligned with Edwards, a Democrat.

The Appropriations Committee is expected to continue its budget hearing Tuesday, with the full House taking up the budget on Wednesday.

For several hours, department heads detailed what the cuts would mean on the ground.

The Department of Health would have to scale back mental health programs and abandon Zika virus prevention efforts. The state's food stamp program, which is federally funded but must be administered with some state dollars, could be at risk, and a money-saving technology consolidation won't take place, according to the Division of Children and Family Services.

LSU has become a prime "poaching ground" as lower-level professors eye opportunities for stability and growth in other states that could worsen without a commitment to funding higher education.

And hundreds of non-violent prisoners could be released from prisons early, as corrections faces cutbacks. "This is where we are, our backs are against the wall," Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc said.

But the central dispute that created the budget impasse on the final day of session Thursday dominated much of the narrative during Monday's hearing.

"To have a conversation about needs and wants is almost irrelevant," said Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington. "This is a conversation about what can we afford."

House Republican leaders maintain that the state has experienced 15 mid-year budget deficits in the past nine years. They say that they want to spend less money on the front end, leaving money on the table to serve as a "cushion" if revenues again don't meet expectations.

"Everybody would like more money than they were given last year; the fact is it doesn't exist," said House Appropriations Chair Cameron Henry, R-Metairie.

The special session is limited only to the state operational and construction budgets. Lawmakers cannot consider tax hikes or other ways to increase revenue.

"People in this state do not want to pay any more in taxes," said Rep. Steve Pylant, R-Winnsboro. "Maybe we need to give them the size of government they want."

During last week's negotiations, House leadership worked down to leaving about $100 million unspent in the coming year, while the Senate negotiators pushed for $50 million to come through the appropriations process but with an instruction for agency heads to not spend the money.

A separate House bill has been proposed by House Speaker Pro Tempore Walt Leger III that reflects the Senate version.

Another outstanding issue between the two chambers was again raised during the Appropriations hearing. The House wants to freeze some vacant positions in state government and target them for elimination to save money.

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said the state cannot control when there are openings in necessary jobs and that exceptions would be needed for that effort. "That's not the way that any business or government should be allowed to operate," he said.

The Administration has also called on legislators to be more direct about programs that they no longer want to fund.

"The agencies believe that everything they do is in statute," said Barry Dusse, director of the governor's Office of Planning and Budget.
Troubled dairy company Bellamy's has unveiled a $60.4 million capital raising as part of a major overhaul that will see it take control of a new canning facility and recast its supply arrangement with sector giant Fonterra.

Bellamy's shares were placed in a trading halt on Tuesday morning as the company announced a deal to buy a 90 per cent stake in the Camperdown Powder canning facility in Melbourne.

Bellamy's has announced a capital raising. Credit:Kate Geraghty

In a statement to the ASX, Bellamy's said the deal was one of "several key initiatives" that would "underpin the company's turnaround plan".

The transactions will deeply affect the bottom line, with the company saying it now expected to post a loss of between $9.5 million and $14 million before tax and interest (EBIT) in the second half of the financial year, having previously given guidance of a profit of between $9 million and $13 million.
Oliver Wendell Holmes jnr (1841-1935), an associate justice of the US Supreme Court, said: "I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilisation." Most Australians, it appears, agree with this enlightened, community sentiment.

The only comprehensive survey of attitudes to taxation in our nation shows most Australians feel they are not being overtaxed. The survey by Melbourne-based policy research organisation Per Capita also indicates most of our citizens reckon high income earners and companies do not pay their fair share of tax.

Fair suck of the icy pole: Billionaire US investor Warren Buffett discovered his secretary paid a higher tax rate than he did, so he is pushing for a tax on the richest 1 per cent. Credit:AP

That is of hefty political, economic and social significance. It reflects the rising importance of the notions of fairness and equality, particularly to younger generations, throughout the industrialised world. As we wrote in this space on Tuesday, the traditional "left" and "right" political cleavage has become all but meaningless.

As recent elections in Britain, the US and France show, people are rejecting the status quo, largely out of disenchantment over economic policies that are disproportionately beneficial to the rich.
It would be a "tragedy" for Australia if the Senate voted down the Turnbull government's new school funding model, according to Gonski Review member and leading education policymaker Ken Boston.

Dr Boston, a former head of the NSW and South Australian Education Departments, broke his silence on the school funding debate to say the country was on the "threshold of a new deal of historic national importance" and should not allow the opportunity to pass.

The Turnbull government will bring its school funding bill to a Senate vote in the next fortnight and is scrambling to secure the votes required.

"Five years after the release and subsequent emasculation of the Gonski Report, Australia has a rare second chance," Dr Boston told Fairfax Media.
The yawning gap between rich and poor in Australia should be formally tracked by the nation's prime economic review body, the Productivity Commission, according to a Labor senator who has drafted legislation to bring it about.

The proposal would ensure that any negative impacts on the poor arising from government policies are specifically measured and taken into account in program design.

Known for its market-oriented, pro-business disposition, the Productivity Commission is the government's prime, independent economic adviser.

A five-yearly inequality report would also be mandated to lay bare the scale, and map the location of wealth disparity in an Australia, where currently, the richest three people hold as much wealth as the poorest three million.
Elle Macpherson and her second husband, Jeff Soffer, have split according to a report in Page Six.

The tabloid quotes "sources in Miami" as saying: "Elle and Jeff are definitely over.

Elle Macpherson and husband Jeffrey Soffer in happier times in 2015. Credit:Getty Images

"She has left their house at Indian Creek in Miami with her kids, and is looking for her own house in Miami. He has been linked to some other women, but insists they are just friends."

The Australian supermodel and lingerie mogul, aka "The Body", 53, and the reclusive real estate billionaire, 48, were married in Fiji in 2013.
Or, if she can do something to minimise her concerns, she lets her worries prompt her to action. Now she has changed her behaviour, Alicia believes the amount she worries is "beneficial". Psychology professor Kate Sweeny, from the University of California, agrees worrying can be beneficial. "Despite its negative reputation, not all worry is destructive or even futile," Sweeny says in a paper published in Social and Personality Psychology Compass in April this year. She says people who report greater worry may perform better in school or at work, as they seek more information in response to stressful events and engage in more successful problem-solving. Worrying serves other purposes, too. It shows us that a situation is serious and keeps the stressor at the front of our mind.

Because such feelings are uncomfortable, we're often spurred to find ways to reduce our worries through action. That can be particularly helpful in areas such as health. For instance, research shows those who worry about skin cancer are more likely to use sunscreen. The same goes for breast cancer and breast self-examinations. That's not to say that worrying all the time is good for you. Rather, it's a spectrum, where the aim is to land plum in the middle. Sweeny explains that women who worry to a "moderate" level are more likely to get screened for cancer, compared with those who either worry a lot or relatively little. "It seems that both too much and too little worry can interfere with motivation, but the right amount of worry can motivate without paralysing."

When you worry excessively, you're not doing yourself any favours, says health psychologist Marny Lishman. She says excessive worrying can interfere with problem-solving abilities, along with negative health effects such as sleeping problems and anxiety. If your worries are consuming you, Lishman says the first step to overcoming the situation is acknowledging this. "If it's getting in the way of your normal life and it affects your enjoyment in what you do, or if you are unable to be in the moment, then it's probably a problem." Next, pay attention to what you're worrying about, and analyse why it's bothering you so much.

From there, you have two choices. You can either engage in a behaviour that will help reduce your worries (like getting a skin check if you're worried about skin cancer) or use a strategy to nip your worries in the bud. "If it is a 'what if?' [kind of worry], call it that, and then don't entertain the worry any more. Distract yourself with something else." If distraction doesn't work, Lishman recommends setting aside an allocated block of time in which to worry. When a worry crops up throughout the day, remind yourself you'll deal with it later. "That way you won't think about them all day and night." Once you hit that sweet spot of worrying  not too little, not too much  Sweeny says you're likely to reap the rewards.
As an honorary lifeguard at Reef Beach, Bob Reed used to hear a few things.

Like the story told to him by the "old gay couple" who watched through their telescope as one man pushed another over a rock ledge at Reef Beach, near the site of a mysterious death several years earlier.

The last family photo of Scott Johnson, who died in 1988. Credit:NSW Police

Mr Reed was giving evidence at an extraordinary third inquest into the death of American mathematician Scott Johnson on December 10, 1988.

He said the men told him they used to train their telescope on the bushes behind Reef Beach, where homosexual men met for sex.
The toddler allegedly murdered by his mother's partner was known to Queensland's under-pressure child safety department, provoking more criticism from the state opposition.

Joel Nicholas Kuskey, 28, is set to front court on Wednesday, charged with the murder of two-year-old Joshua Migala, more than two years after his death.

Joshua Migala was found unconscious in a home in Kingston on April 8, 2015. Joel Kuskey has been charged with murder.

Child protection officers ramped up a major operation when the toddler's mother found him in his bedroom in Logan, south of Brisbane, on April 8, 2015, unconscious and suffering what police described as "horrific injuries".

As many as two dozen officers worked for two years before arresting the Woodridge man on Tuesday morning.
Google has officially launched the Flights service today in Australia that lists available flights between global destinations.

Users can search for queries such as "flights to Hobart", or access the service directly via google.com.au/flights, delivering cached but current results at snappy speeds.

Details offered in search results include price, airline, duration and stopovers.

Details offered in results include price, airline, duration and stopovers, similar to existing web services such as Skyscanner and KAYAK.

A notification bar offers tips such as cheaper deals on nearby days or alternative airport options.
The Age first reported on the alleged fraud in 2015, when it was revealed that South West TAFE had asked police to examine a third-party contractor suspected of embarking on a shonky training operation.

The Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission said on Tuesday it would hold public hearings for Operation Lansdowne, which will probe alleged corruption involving training for rail workers at South West TAFE, which has campuses in western Victoria, and Bendigo Kangan TAFE.

The public examination will look into checks and balances at V/Line, Credit:Wayne Taylor

The alleged scam involving an educational contractor may have ripped off dozens of regional Victorian students and potentially cost the state millions.

Victoria's anti-corruption watchdog will investigate an alleged rort involving dodgy TAFE qualifications for workers at V/Line, the state's regional rail operator.

The contractor ran an engineering course on the institute's behalf for about 140 people. The program attracted subsidies believed to be worth $15,000 per student, but was later alleged to have failed to meet proper training standards in its course content.

An audit by the Victorian Auditor-General in 2014 uncovered a loss of $1.82 million at South West TAFE, in a case of suspected fraud. The alleged fraud was referred to Victoria Police and IBAC.

IBAC said on Tuesday that Operation Lansdowne would investigate allegations that people connected with V/Line and the two TAFEs had corruptly profited at the public's expense.

"The investigation is considering whether persons associated with these public bodies have engaged in corrupt conduct to improperly benefit themselves or others," the watchdog said.

In a statement it named Rebecca Taylor, director of Taytell, as a person of interest in relation to the investigation. It said it would investigate whether current or former TAFE officers misused their position to award or interfere in the awarding of qualifications to her.
A bomb scare that forced the evacuation of a Kmart store in Melbourne's east was sparked by a "broken toy".

Police confirmed a "malfunctioning toy" was found and dismantled by the bomb response unit after reports of a suspicious package at the department store in Burwood on Tuesday morning.

Police at the Kmart store in Burwood after a possible bomb scare. Credit:Twitter/@9NewsMelb

Staff and customers were evacuated about 9.30am as officers conducted a "safety check" at Burwood One Shopping Centre on the Burwood Highway.

The area was declared safe about 12pm after the bomb response unit confirmed the package was harmless.
A man who broke into a woman's flat late at night, hit her multiple times, then raped her while asking "feels good, doesn't it" could walk free in 2 years.

The reason? Paul Nicholas Sayer broke into a Caulfield flat and terrorised his victim In 1984, when rape carried a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Burglary, the other offence he was sentenced for, carried a longer sentence: 14 years.

On Tuesday, in the County Court in Melbourne, Sayer was sentenced for both offences, but Judge Sue Pullen was limited by the historical maximums.

Sayer, who has been jailed previously for two other rapes, received a 4 year jail term, with a non-parole period of 2 years.
A "gutter crawler" accused of attacking eight sex workers has uncontrollable urges to lash out at women, a court has heard.

Wei Feng, 45, is charged with 36 offences against nine women, including eight rapes, an attempted rape, an abduction and an attempted abduction.

Credit:Penny Stephens

The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard on Tuesday that Mr Feng had been charged on March 2 with offending against two women, one of whom was a sex worker.

After Mr Feng was arrested, nine other sex workers alleged he had assaulted them, and seven of these women had made statements, Victoria Police sexual crimes squad Detective Acting Sergeant Stephen Harvey said.
A young family was forced to move after their home was shot up in a drive-by that police allege was intended for a witness living next door.

The Melton West house, targeted at 2am on February 18, was home to a couple and their three children, including one with cancer, a detective told the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

"The occupants were so frightened, the very next day they vacated the premises," Detective Senior Constable Lisa Apollonio said.

They were not physically injured.

The intended victim, Senior Constable Apollonio alleged, was a grandmother living next door who, less than 12 hours earlier, had given a statement against a man facing drugs and weapons charges.
A proposal to detain suspected extremists as young as 14 would breach human rights while doing little to prevent attacks such as the deadly Brighton siege, civil liberty advocates say.

The state government proposal to replicate NSW laws allowing police to lock up people deemed a terrorist risk for up to two weeks has alarmed legal groups who fear some young people will feel further marginalised.

Premier Daniel Andrews: ''The safety of the Victorian community has got to be the No.1 priority.''

Criminal defence lawyer Rob Stary said federal laws were already in place to deal with people suspected of preparing a terrorist attack.

Mr Stary, who has represented high-profile terror suspects, said there was "no demonstrated need" for the proposed changes.
When AJ was discharged from the army in 1979, he began the process of covering himself from head-to-toe in intricate designs and colourful artwork.

His passion for body art meant he soon began his career as a tattoo artist, and he is well-known in WA for his attention to detail and love for his job.

The dragonfly done by AJ. Credit:King Tattoos

After nearly 40 years in the industry, AJ said he had experienced his own struggles with mental health, both personally and amongst his loved ones, and decided it was time he gave back.

His Camillo tattoo parlour, King Tattoos and Piercings by AJ, has become the first WA studio to get on board the Tattoo for Scars project, which encourages tattoo studios around Australia to offer one free tattoo a week for those who have experienced self harm, who wish to cover the scars resulting from their trauma.
The former chief of an organisation aimed at helping substance abusers has been spared a jail sentence for supplying heroin.

Louise Janette Grant, 51, was employed at the WA Substance Users Association in February 2015 when she supplied her partner with some heroin and also arranged for the supply to a friend, the WA District Court heard on Tuesday.

Four people employed by the WA Substance Users Association were charged with drug offences.

Grant, who quit WASUA in 2015 to save embarrassment to the organisation, was among a few employees charged with drug offences.

Judge Anthony Derrick said Grant, who also has a history of drug addiction, had not taken advantage of her position but had "demonstrated a degree of hypocrisy".
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Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...
Prairie View A&M University President George Wright announced Tuesday he will leave his position in the administration and return to teaching.

In a statement, Wright said he is proud of his 14 years of service but believes it is time to "lay down the responsibilities that go with a job like this one and focus on other things."

"I have decided that this is a good time because we have just put the last legislative session behind us and we are at a point where a transition in leadership will have the least disruption on our school," Wright said.

A&M System Chancellor John Sharp thanked Wright for his service in a statement, noting that he "touched a generation of students and faculty, and he changed lives for the better."

Wright said he intends to begin teaching history full-time once an interim president has been named.

A&M System officials said under Wright's leadership, university enrollment grew from 6,500 students to 9,000 and he oversaw the addition of a number of new programs including doctorates in education, engineering, nursing practice and juvenile justice.
A former Texas A&M University doctoral candidate found not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing of a nurse at College Station Medical Center in 2014 is back in court this week.

The first day of a civil commitment hearing related to the January 2014 stabbing began Monday.

Attorneys agreed in August that Yuchen Lei was not guilty by reason of insanity for the stabbing of James Rhinehart. With the criminal proceedings finished, Lei now faces a bench trial before 361st District Court Judge Steve Smith to determine if he should be committed to a state-run inpatient mental health facility for up to 180 days.

Rhinehart, who had been working a shift as a charge nurse at the time of the stabbing, testified Monday that Lei arrived at the hospital Jan. 7, 2014, seeking help for "cough, cold and congestion."

Rhinehart said Lei received medication that night. Shortly before Lei's discharge, the nurse noticed Lei standing on his bed and staring at an unlit light in the room. Rhinehart said that after he unsuccessfully asked Lei to sit down, he called a language line and asked for a Mandarin Chinese interpreter, thinking Lei had trouble comprehending his instructions.

Rhinehart said Lei then began pushing him. While attempting to restrain the patient, Rhinehart said he realized he had been stabbed in the right side of his chest. Rhinehart said he suffered a punctured lung and remained in the hospital for several days. He did not suffer permanent physical injury but still experiences panic attacks and anxiety.

While being questioned by Shane Phelps, Lei's attorney, Rhinehart said he'd had a "small inkling" that Lei had been suffering from symptoms of a mental illness at the time of the stabbing.

Ross Taylor, forensic psychiatrist and clinical director of operations at the Vernon campus of North Texas State Hospital, testified that Lei suffers from a delusional psychiatric disorder; Phelps said his client had believed at the time of the stabbing that the Chinese government had been targeting him because he had created a crypto-currency.

Taylor said that "most people with psychiatric disorders are not prone to violence," but that people suffering from delusions or paranoia are potentially more dangerous if they aren't medicated properly, especially if the triggers for dangerous behavior are unknown.

Ryan Calvert, an attorney from the Brazos County District Attorney's Office representing the state along with Jessica Escue, said Lei should be committed and undergo a Dangerousness Review Board before a panel of five mental health professionals.

Taylor said that most patients who pass their DRB are usually sent from Vernon to another, lower-security location before being released. During Phelps' cross-examination, Taylor also acknowledged he had not treated Lei for 3 1/2 years, and that he had not personally evaluated Lei since around the time of the stabbing.

Phelps noted during Monday's testimony that Lei had been voluntarily taking his medications to manage his mental illness symptoms since July, despite not being required to by the county jail. Taylor acknowledged that Lei had been an ideal patient and inmate, but "we know he's getting treatment, and we know he's in a controlled environment, so we really would not expect to see much in terms of violent behavior."

Lei came to the U.S. from China in 2013, when he was 22 years old, according to Yan Li, his mother, who testified Monday morning. Lei had been a gifted student in China and came to the U.S. after finishing his undergraduate studies in China to pursue a doctorate in mathematics at Texas A&M University. Li said through an interpreter that she had expected her son to be successful in the U.S. after he had graduated at the top of his class at a prestigious university in China, and that Lei is an "excellent, excellent person."

Li, who came to the U.S. on a visa shortly after her son's initial arrest, said that it has been difficult for her to come to terms with her son's mental illness, given the cultural stigma associated with mental illness in China. Standing to face Smith, Li told the judge she will do "everything, as a mother" to make sure Lei follows the court's rules and takes his medication.

"I will do my best. Everything in my power," she said.

Calvert said Lei had exhibited stalking behavior toward a female student at A&M during his time at the university, eventually purchasing a $10,000 Tiffany engagement ring and sending text messages to what he thought had been her phone. Authorities arrested Lei in March 2014 -- two months after the stabbing -- outside the student's class on the A&M campus.

"We are not quite at a place where he can be trusted," Calvert said of Lei, whom he said is "profoundly mentally ill."

According to public records, Lei had been released from jail on Jan. 18, about 10 days after the stabbing. On March 20, 2014, Lei was arrested after reappearing on A&M's campus. He has not been released from custody since then.

The hearing continues today at 8:30 a.m.
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is monitoring several cases of canine influenza across the state.

Veterinarians with the TVMDL had diagnosed five cases of the virus as of Monday. Officials said two were in Harris County, one was in Fort Bend County, one was in Travis County and one was in Hood County.

Officials at the state lab said in a news release that "virtually all dogs exposed become infected with the virus, but only 80 percent develop clinical signs."

Officials said symptoms include high fever, loss of appetite, coughing, nasal discharge and lethargy.

It is recommended that dogs in areas where the flu is active avoid places like dog parks, grooming salons, day cares and kennels. If exposed, the virus typically manifests itself within 2 to 5 days. Vaccines are available for some strains of the virus.

For more information, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu.
Privatizing air traffic control would be a disaster

I am a supporter of the president as are many in the Brazos Valley. But the proposal to privatize air traffic control and remove it from the FAA is a mistake. This change is backed by most all of the airlines, who would hold the majority of seats on the private board.

In Canada where privatization already took place, airline fares rose 33 percent. In Europe increases were higher. Under that system each time a pilot talks to a controller there is a fee, each time a flight plan is filed a fee results. To save money, pilots will limit talks to controllers and fail to file flight plans -- a serious safety issue.

Control towers, such as the one at Easterwood Airport in College Station are funded as 'contract' towers. Under privatization, those towers could be the first to be dismantled.

This is all about control, and the way some airlines are treating passengers recently, giving them control of the skies does not bode well for the flying public.

The United States has the finest air traffic control system in the world and it would be a serious error to give it up.

Call Rep. Bill Flores and tell him to keep our excellent system. He's a pilot.

GORDON B. RICHARDSON

Caldwell

Moderates on both sides need to speak up for America

Dylan Whitehead (Eagle, June 7) encourages "rejecting the extremes in both parties." I believe this man speaks for a majority of Americans and yet we are not being heard because of extremes in the media, the parties, and elected officials. What a disgrace!

I am also a centrist but voted for Donald Trump because he stands for the agenda that I support: following the law and Constitution, making America great again, not supporting ideologies that allow terrorism, bringing jobs back to Americans. I do not support his tweets and childish responses to criticism and am embarrassed by him and for him. But by the same token, there was and is little in the former administration's agenda that I could support. It felt like everything done was to demean, harm and destroy America while supporting those who want to destroy us with a Pollyanna attitude that if we play nice they will not want to harm us.

It is time for us as common sense, honest citizens, the media, and elected leaders to speak out against anything that wreaks of extremism, exaggeration or falsifying of the truth. This may require those of us as conservative moderates to speak out when Trump continues his juvenile communications and behavior, when the alternate right encourages white supremacy or when Sean Hannity steps over the line of courtesy and respect.

But it also requires liberal moderates to take a stand when the media continues to attack the minutiae of the day, send out fake news, use unidentified sources and innuendo, when the left does not get the decisions it wants to speak out against those who decide to riot and destroy property, when comedians step over the line in what is acceptable, when terrorism strikes and those who practice a faith in which extremists have hijacked their religion must stand up for honesty, morality, common sense and civil discourse.

PEGGY CALLIHAM

College Station
A restraining order requiring Kirbyville school district officials to preserve potential evidence involving high school principal Dennis Reeves will remain in effect following a hearing Tuesday, which marks three weeks since his suicide.

A lawyer for Kirbyville school district asked District Judge Baylor Wortham to lift a restraining order secured recently by the wife and family of Reeves, who argued that it's possible someone could destroy documents or video related to the May 23 incident.

In the request, the districts lawyers contradict what Superintendent Tommy Wallis and Assistant Superintendent Georgia Sayers told the police following Reeves death. In their witness statements, both said they confronted Reeves about accusations of an affair between Reeves and his former secretary. Wallis said in his statement that he told Reeves that he could resign, or face an investigation and be fired if it turned out he lied about the affair.

Sarah Leon, attorney for the district, however, said that Wallis and Sayers actually met with Reeves to address to accusations of harassment from two different employees, which is not mentioned in the witness statements. Leon said the first claim came May 13 from a teacher and the second, which was made by the principal's former secretary, came hours before Reeves death in the high school parking lot.

Former Superintendent Richard Hazelwood told Beaumont's KFDM-TV in late May that he and Sayers addressed those allegations the previous year, both denied a romantic relationship and she voluntarily switched schools.

Leon said the secretary told school officials on May 23 that she was seeking protection from harassment by Reeves wife, who recently had been told about the affair. Leon said Reeves wife texted the secretary on May 19 and posted an aggressive message on Pinterest on May 22 that included a meme reading you know you are alive because I cant afford a hit man.

I feel its disingenuous and slightly deceptive to the court for Mrs. Reeves to say she has no idea why her husband was [confronted by Wallis on May 23], Leon said.

The 11-page brief filed by the school district's attorney states that the May 13 complaint came from a teacher in an attempt to get Reeves to stop sending her text messages.

According to KFDM, the former Kirbyville High School secretary accused of having an affair with Reeves released a lengthy statement.

In the statement, Marcia Morgan details that she was "experiencing some very difficult issues" in her life in September 2015 and she and Reeves became close in October 2015. According to the statement, the two eventually began an affair.

Morgan says in her statement that Reeves' wife became suspicious in January 2016 and began making accusations via text message. Reeves said he would or should kill himself at least two times, and one time mentioned "blowing his brains out," according to the statement. Morgan says when former Kirbyville superintendent Richard Hazlewood confronted the two about an affair, the two denied it.

Morgan eventually moved to a position at the elementary school and said her relationship with Reeves ended in spring 2016. In April 2017, Morgan said Reeves called her three times saying that she led to the change in behavior of a teacher at the high school. Morgan wrote in her statement that she went to Wallis because she was afraid she'd be put in the middle. When Wallis asked about rumors of an affair, Morgan said she denied it again and was told she would be fired if Wallis found out she was lying.

According to Morgan's statement, Reeves' wife texted her on May 19, 2017, and said Reeves had confessed the affair. On May 22, Morgan said she received another text from Reeves' wife. Morgan also said Reeves' wife was posting comments about her on social media, so Morgan made an appointment with Wallis. At the May 23 meeting with Wallis and Sayers, Morgan said she told Wallis she and Reeves did have an affair and he said he knew and had seen the internet postings. Morgan was asked to write a statement and says she told them that Reeves threatened to kill himself if the affair was discovered. According to the statement released by Morgan, she was told the talk was "just bullying" and not to worry about it.

The petition for the restraining order filed by Reeves wife, two children and parents requires 10 district officials  Wallis, Sayers, other administrators and some trustees  to refrain from deleting, altering or destroying any emails, memos, text messages, photos or correspondence going back to Aug. 1, 2016. Most are required to also preserve information on their personal computers and cell phones. Personnel files for Wallis, Reeves, Sayers, counselor Amy Fountain, Marcia Morgan and Dustin Rutherford also were requested.

The Reeves family attorney said they will file a subsequent restraining order to reflect restrictions imposed by the court in subsequent days. Leon said her clients are relieved that the scope of the order may be limited, but the district still believes any restraining order is unnecessary.

Wallis has not responded to several requests for an interview, nor has the Reeves familys attorney, Chip Ferguson.
In the wake of the inconclusive general election result and bearing in mindthe forthcoming Brexit negotiations, we are writing to leaders of UKparliamentary parties to urge you to unite around a common cause - tackling climate change - as a way of helping to provide major economic, social and environmental benefits at this time of uncertainty.

Not only does there continue to be there very strong scientific evidence on the urgency of this global threat, but measures to tackle it offer major opportunities to exploit science and technology to create jobs, tackle fuel poverty, reduce local air pollution and provide many other co-benefits for British society.

The UK could now capitalise on the renewed international commitment to tackling climate change in the wake of the ill-informed decision of President Trump to withdraw the USA from the Paris Agreement.

We have noted the widespread commitment to tackling climate change in the party manifestos. While there is some diversity in the approaches, there are many common factors. Hence, as a priority, we urge strong support for:

Home energy conservation programmes. These will both reduce carbon emissions and help to tackle fuel poverty, which is estimated to be responsible for nearly 8,000 UK deaths a year. [1]

Renewable energy projects - especially wind, solar, marine and biogas technologies and community-led projects. With costs for many of these falling rapidly, the potential economic and employment benefits are very large [2] - and government opinion polling shows these technologies are especially popular. [3]

Energy storage technologies, including batteries, power-to-gas systems, and pumped hydro storage. Many of these technologies are already rapidly falling in cost, and they have enormous potential to complement the variable renewable energy sources. [4] Electric vehicles will play a key role here and their widespread adoption will help to reduce the number of UK deaths attributable to outdoor air pollution, currently estimated at 40,000 per year. [5] Additional Recommendations:

We further recommend the following additional actions, which we strongly

believe will complement those above:

End subsidies for fossil fuels, especially for unconventional sources like shale gas. The growth of a large-scale shale gas industry in this country is likely to seriously undermine Britain's climate targets, as the Committee on Climate Change has warned. [6] Furthermore, the technique of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking') is not popular with the British public, [7] partly as it creates significant risks for the local environment.
WACO gets a crack at the first state championship game in school history
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NORWALK  With its cascading sprays and overturned buckets of cold water dumped on grateful children, the splash pad at Calf Pasture Beach was the coolest place in town to beat Tuesdays heat.

As 6-year-old Brielle Arteaga ran through the cool bursts of water, she didnt mind that her teeth were chattering.

When youre under the water its cold. Its good, Brielle said. I went from hot to cold today.

Brielle, who graduated kindergarten from Tracey Elementary School on Tuesday, went to the beach with her mother Nicole Haynes to celebrate the milestone.

It turned so hot today after graduation, we came here for a treat, Haynes said. Im just sorry I didnt wear a bathing suit.

Anthony DiIorio of Norwalk, who brought his 5-year-old granddaughter Layla to the splash pad, appeared to be having almost as much fun as the children.

I dont want to take anything away from the kids, DiIorio said. But I am having a lot of fun.

For Layla, the splash pad was a pit stop that kicked off a full evening of cooling-off activities.

I have two different pools to go in after this, she said.

More Information Beating the heat Hit the city's cooling centers Dress for the warm weather Drink plenty of water Don't get too much sun Check on elderly neighbors Avoid strenous activity See More Collapse

Three consecutive days of 90 or higher temperatures brought Connecticuts second heat wave of the year.

Record temperatures included 94 degrees in Stamford, 93 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, 92 degrees at Westchester airport near Greenwich and 90 at Danbury airport.

The hot temperatures were more than 17 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Eleven elementary and middle schools canceled programming for the second day in a row due to summer-like heat in buildings without air conditioning.

The schools let children out two hours early on Monday ahead of a 90-plus degree forecast. On Tuesday, officials announced that after-school activities would be canceled as the National Weather Service forecasted a high of 92.

Children were also scheduled to leave class early on Tuesday and Wednesday, but that was planned in advance, according to officials, and merely coincides with the hot days.

There is a normal early dismissal today at all Norwalk Public Schools, as tomorrow is the last day of the 2016-17 school year, Brenda Williams, a spokeswoman for the school district, said. The cancellation of after-school activities today is for the same 11 schools impacted by the heat yesterday. These schools have limited to no air conditioning.

Those schools are Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, Roton, West Rocks, Cranbury, Kendall, Naramake, Rowayton, Silvermine, Tracey and Wolfpit.

With the first heat wave of the summer, the city of Norwalk is reminding people to protect themselves during the extreme heat and seek out options to cool down, such as cooling centers at the public libraries and City Hall.

Extreme hot weather can be very dangerous, especially for the elderly, young children, and those who work outdoors, said Mayor Harry Rilling. Remember to take frequent breaks if working outside and drink plenty of water to beat the heat.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions could be at the center of two controversies in the Trump administration: whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to help President Donald Trump win and whether the president obstructed justice.

That's why it's a big deal he'll testify Tuesday to the Senate Intelligence Committee, the main committee in Congress investigating Russian meddling in the election and potential Trump meddling in the fallout.

Here's why Sessions is at the center of so much, and here's how he can help us better understand the still-unraveling Trump-Russia-FBI investigation.

1) He met with Russians during the campaign, when the Russians were allegedly trying to help Trump win

Besides Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Sessions is the highest-profile member of Trump's campaign and administration who we know met with Russians during the 2016 campaign and didn't disclose it. Sessions didn't disclose those meetings when he was asked, under oath, in his confirmation hearing.

A day after The Washington Post reported that, Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation.

Why that's a big deal: It's normal for U.S. political campaigns and foreign officials to talk. But the former CIA director John Brennan recently told Congress that his "radar" went off anytime Russians met with the Trump campaign because he knew the Russians were trying to influence the election, and he knew they often did that by trying to recruit "either wittingly or unwittingly" U.S. officials to help.

What Congress will want to know: A lot. Are there more meetings Sessions had that he didn't disclose? Why isn't he forthcoming about these meetings? What did Russia want to talk about? Did he get the feeling Russians were trying to recruit him or others for anything?

2) He was James Comey's boss when Comey said Trump was trying to interfere in the FBI's Russia investigation

Sessions is a starring character in the fired FBI chief's testimony. Comey testified last week that Trump shooed Sessions out of the Oval Office to be alone with Comey, then asked Comey to back off the FBI's investigations into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn.

"My sense was the attorney general knew he shouldn't be leaving, which is why he was lingering," Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.

Comey later told Sessions he didn't want to be alone with the president. But Comey said he didn't tell Sessions why he was so concerned.

"We considered whether to tell the attorney general, decided that didn't make sense because we believed, rightly, that he was shortly going to recuse," Comey testified.

Why this is a big deal: A few reasons. Did Sessions suspect that Trump was trying to interfere in the FBI's various investigations into Flynn and Russia meddling? And what did he do about it? Also, why did Comey feel he couldn't trust Sessions?

What questions Congress will want to know: Pretty much everything above.

3) Sessions has technically recused himself from the Russia investigation

But Comey left open the possibility that Sessions had violated his recusal.

"If, as the president said, I was fired because of the Russia investigation," Comey testified, "why was the attorney general involved in that chain?"

The Washington Post reported that Trump called Sessions up to the White House to talk about firing Comey, then asked Sessions (and Sessions' No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein) to explain in writing the case against Comey.

The Washington Post also recently reported that Sessions offered to Trump to resign, in part over Trump's frustration that Sessions stepped aside from the Russia investigation.

Why this is a big deal: Sessions is a Trump ally, and he appears to be caught between the president and his promise to run the Justice Department in an apolitical way. In his confirmation hearing, Sessions promised:

"You simply have to help the president do things that he might desire in a lawful way and have to be able to say no, both for the country, for the legal system and for the president, to avoid situations that are not acceptable."

What Congress will want to know: Where does Sessions draw the line on recusal? Can he be trusted to not interfere in the department's independent Russia investigation, which is now being led by a special counsel? If it comes down to the Justice Department having to choose who to believe, special counsel Robert Mueller or the president, who will Sessions choose?

---

Sessions offered in recent months to resign as attorney general

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WOOD RIVER  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on Monday against Heritage Bank after it says the bank paid women and men unequally for jobs with the same required skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.

According to the EEOC, Christine Schwieger began working for Heritage Bank, which is based in Wood River, in 2010 as a relationship manager who sold insurance. From 2010 to 2013, Heritage Bank paid Schwieger and another woman in the same position as Schwieger the same base salary.

However, when that other woman quit and was replaced by a man in 2014, Heritage Bank paid him 33 percent more, according to the EEOC. After Schwieger learned of the pay inequity and complained, Heritage Bank allegedly did nothing. When Schwieger quit in December 2015, she was still being paid the same unlawfully discriminatory base salary that she earned when she was hired, even almost six years earlier, according to the EEOC.

The alleged conduct violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits companies from paying women and men unequally for doing a job with the same required skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary relief, an order requiring the company to implement policies and practices to prevent future discrimination and declaratory judgment.

The law requiring equal pay for men and women is the oldest law the EEOC enforces, James R. Neely Jr., director of the EEOCs St. Louis District Office, said in a press release. It is unconscionable that women are still paid less than men for equal work in the 21st century.

Andrea G. Baran, the EEOCs regional attorney in St. Louis, said, Heritage Banks failure to pay Ms. Schwieger fair and equal wages for equal work was manifestly unfair and illegal. The commission is dedicated to investigating claims of unequal pay and enforcing the law against employers who it finds have violated this important statute.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The St. Louis District Office oversees Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and a portion of southern Illinois.

Heritage Bank has locations in Grand Island, Wood River, St. Paul, Aurora, Hastings, Doniphan, Kearney, Loup City, Neligh, Orleans, Red Cloud, Broken Bow and Stromsburg, according to its website.

The Grand Island Independent has contacted Heritage Bank and is waiting for comment.
Alejandro Luna of Omaha pleaded not guilty to pandering on Tuesday in Hall County District Court.

Luna, 28, was arrested on March 7 by the Nebraska State Patrol with a woman who was initially charged with prostitution and possession of a controlled substance (cocaine).

Pandering is a Class 3 felony. The charge accuses Luna of procuring or attempting to procure another person to become a prostitute.

District Judge Mark Young scheduled Lunas pretrial conference for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7, with a jury trial set for 9 a.m. Sept. 11.

The woman in the case, Lateefah Williams, now faces only a charge of possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.

She will be arraigned in Hall County District Court at 9 a.m. July 11.
Uncertainty continues to surround the future of Chapman Schools enrollment and plans for alternative education, despite the discussions that took place at the Northwest Public Schools board of education meeting at the Northwest High School Monday.

Northwest Superintendent Matt Fisher defended the school districts plan for Chapman, saying the K-5 elementary and alternative education programs came out of a need to reduce district spending and to provide an alternative program for area schools.

Randy Stueven addressed the board to say he felt the district was turning its back on the Chapman community, which he said raised $300,000 in enrollment funds to keep the school open, under closure pressures. Stueven said the superintendent had sold the alternative education program as a million dollar idea, with 30 or 40 out-of-district alternative education students bringing in $30,000 to the district. Now, the program enrolls only four students from within the Northwest school district.

Fisher said the program was never intended as a source of revenue for the district, but rather was designed to provide a needed service to our students that could grow to become a service to students outside our district.

He said the new program brings together special education students and allows them increased, personalized time with paraprofessionals. The program also eliminates the distraction special education students may cause in a general classroom, and expands their learning opportunities.

The program has been successful with being structured to these students needs, Fisher said. And not just blending in.

Dan Lieser also addressed the board about the districts vision with Chapman.

Its not clear whats happening, Lieser said. Whats our plan for the next year, for the next two, three years?

Lieser talked about his concerns for the districts budget, considering that in Nebraska property taxes largely fund school spending.

He asked if preschools are legally required of public school districts and said that some may see preschools as district-funded babysitting.

But Matthew Hudnall warned the board against seeing preschools as superfluous to student education. Hudnall said preschools provide the foundation to education and allow students to enter kindergarten and hit the ground running.

Cutting preschool may help penny-pinching, but I hope the board sees its not good for a students education in the long run, he said.

As a Chapman and Northwest graduate, Hudnall also voiced his apprehension about spending cuts and the alternative education program at Chapman. He said the changes have caused legacy families to leave the school district, something that shouldnt be happening to mitigate the districts budget.

I will be here until something is figured out because this matters to me, Hudnall said. I want to make sure the community I was raised in is taken care of.

The board also heard about a recent septic system issue at 1-R School. The schools septic line runs underneath a public road and crosses into an adjacent owners property. Stueven commented to the board that this breeches several public policies, and procedures to repair the violation and damage would have immense monetary and time costs.

The board also began to review budget information for 2017-2018. The districts budget information and documents will be released on June 15.
U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., and U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., praised the Trump administration for finalizing an agreement to restore trade access for U.S. beef to China for the first time since 2003.

"We know opening more markets for Nebraska agriculture producers is crucial to their continued success in feeding the world, and restoring access to China is an incredible step forward," Smith said.

He said there is "no doubt consumers in China will be pleased with the quality of Nebraska beef."

Smith said he will continue to stress the importance of strong trade policy that benefits U.S. agriculture and consumers around the globe.

He recently introduced a resolution in the House calling on the Trump administration to negotiate a trade agreement with Japan.

Smith serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, and is founder and co-chairman of the Modern Agriculture Caucus.

Fischer said the agreement is "welcome news for families across our state who can now compete in a new market that is estimated at $2.6 billion."

Recently, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the Fischer family ranch in Cherry County, where he joined Fischer in hosting a rancher roundtable. Fischer said that, during the discussion, Perdue stated that opening U.S. beef exports to China is a top priority and would better enable American ranchers to sell their world-class product to a growing market.

Fischer said Nebraska exports beef products equivalent to 2,600 head of cattle worldwide every day. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, beef was Nebraskas No. 1 export item with a value of more than $1 billion last year. China was Nebraskas fourth-largest trade partner with a trade value of nearly $500 million.

Last year, Nebraska led the nation in commercial red meat production and commercial beef slaughter, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Nebraska slaughter plants produced 8 billion pounds of commercial red last year compared to 7.48 billion pounds in 2015. Iowa was second in the nation at 7 billion pounds.

According to the USDA, Nebraska retained its No. 1 position as the nations leading cattle slaughtering state. Last year, the USDA reported that Nebraska slaughterhouses killed 7.24 million head of cattle compared to 6.58 million head in 2015. The 7.24 million head equaled 10.27 billion pounds compared to 9.39 billion pounds in 2015. The average slaughter weight was 1,420 pounds in 2016.

Last year, the USDA reported that Nebraskas gross income from cattle and calves was $10.99 billion, which was down from $12.57 billion in 2015. Nebraska ranked No. 1 in the nation in gross income from cattle and calves.

Fischer worked with the USDA and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to export Nebraska beef to Israel. In February 2016, the USDA announced a new agreement with Israel to lift the ban on U.S. beef imports for the first time since 2003. The first shipments arrived from Nebraskas WR Reserve plant in Hastings.

U.S. Meat Export Federation President Philip Seng said his organization is "pleased to see these important steps completed that will soon allow U.S. beef shipments to China to resume, ending a suspension that has lasted more than 13 years."

He said it is important to note that the market-opening agreement includes requirements that will involve a period of adjustment for the U.S. industry.

"Meeting these requirements will add costs, and this will mean that U.S. beef is priced at a premium compared to other suppliers in the market," Seng said. "With that said, China holds exciting potential for the U.S. beef industry and for buyers in the market who have waited a very long time for the return of high-quality U.S. beef."

According to the United States Cattlemens Association, the USDA announcement will provide market access to China for chilled or frozen beef, processed under the age of 30 months.

The provisions of the agreement include specific mention to hormones, trace residue and overall herd health; and a mandate on origin information for any product entering the market. The association said U.S. producers and the industry "must work together to ensure these criteria are met, thereby securing this needed market access for years to come."
Police/Sheriff

Anyone with information about any crime in the state may call the Grand Island-Hall County Crime Stoppers, (308) 381-8822. Callers will remain anonymous.

A reward of up to $1,000 will be paid after law enforcement agencies have determined the seriousness of the crime and the usefulness of the information.

Inmate custody status can be obtained by calling the VINE hotline at (877) NE 4 VINE or by visiting www.vinelink.com. Information is available 24 hours a day.

If you see a crime happening, call the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Center  911.

Grand Island Police

The following felonies were reported:

 A Plus Construction, Norvell Plumbing, Middleton Electric, Nebraska Fire Sprinkler and Talon Apartments reported a burglary at a construction site Friday morning at 200 E. Highway 34.

 Carlos Estrada reported a burglary Friday night at 1304 W. Anna St.

 Jonah Chandler reported a domestic assault Sunday night at 1014 W. Fourth. Madison Hulse was arrested for second-degree domestic assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

 Daniela Sanchez and Manuel Barrios reported a burglary Sunday evening at 417 S. Vine.

Hall County Sheriff

Law enforcement arrested seven people on warrants in nine cases. There were 84 calls for service.

For more information visit www.hallcountyne.gov and click on the sheriff link.

 Tyson Juhl reported a burglary Sunday evening at 1314 Marshall St. in Wood River.

Court report

Hall County District Court

 Yovany Rosales-Garcia, 20, 922 N. Pine St., attempt of a Class 2A felony, four years probation, required to pay $1,680 probation fee, 30 days in jail with credit for 12 days served. Also guilty of Attempt of a Class 2 felony, four years probation.

Hall County Court

 Troy Pfeil, 38, 615 Ringload Road, Hastings, had his probation revoked (original offense enhanced DUI), 14 days in jail, license revoked one year).

 Madison A. Hulse, 25, 1014 W. Fourth St., was charged with second-degree domestic assault, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and committing child abuse negligently with no injury, all on Sunday. Preliminary hearing set for 10 a.m. Aug. 14.

Driving under the influence  Douglas F. Flaherty, 55, 517 N. Custer Ave., $500 fine, six months probation, drivers license revoked 60 days.
On Feb. 9, 2014, my husband, David Bush, passed away after a long battle with kidney cancer. His ashes are buried in an area of flat stones at the Grand Island Cemetery.

Prior to the first Memorial Day after his passing, I visited his grave as I was about to leave town for a week and wouldnt return until the Memorial Day weekend. Much to my surprise and dismay, the flowers I had placed in the vase attached to the stone were gone. I thought perhaps the wind had blown them away, but other flowers near his grave were still there.

Thinking I would replace the flowers when I arrived home, I was unsettled a bit, but went on my trip. When I returned, I was stunned to see new flowers in the vase at his grave! I was so very grateful and touched, so began quizzing many of our friends in an attempt to find my angel who had given our sons and me such a lovely gift. Not a single one would say that they had replaced the flowers.

Flash forward to 2017 and again, for the fourth year in a row, the flowers have been refreshed again! Last year, I left a note in a plastic bag, hoping that I would be able to at least thank this kind individual via a written note. I placed the note in the empty vase so that they would need to move it to replace the flowers. On Memorial Day weekend, the flowers had been replaced and the note was still there!

Consequently, I am turning to The Independent to thank the person who is gracing our family with such a lovely act of kindness. As Dave had been a judge in Hall County, a friend suggested that as he had touched many lives, perhaps one of these individuals could be our angel.

In any case, I want to most sincerely express our familys deep gratitude, and we want you to know how you have touched our lives by way of this gentle act. May your life be blessed in many ways!
It has been said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our Founding Fathers were well aware of this when they designed the Constitution. They agreed to a bundle of compromises which included both a separation of powers, and checks and balances. These were safeguards to protect against the frailties of human nature.

It is worth noting that the Constitution was conspicuously silent in reference to political parties. Today, many Americans blindly pledge their loyalty to a political party over the Constitution. Political parties use the power of the gerrymander to emphasize party power over that of the individual voter.

The strength of our political system lies with an informed public. Blind obedience to a political party is not what our Founding Fathers had in mind.

The 3rd Congressional District allowed Adrian Smith to run unopposed. He has amassed a very large campaign war chest. Mr. Smith has chosen to hold telephone conversations with constituents rather than town hall meetings. This makes it difficult for people to interact with Mr. Smith and each other.

Just as importantly, it makes it exceedingly difficult for the media to convey his positions to a wider public. Mr. Smith is the closest contact we have with the federal government.

Finally, very few people have the opportunity to ask questions about explosive issues such as Medicaid, the fiduciary rule regarding retirement protection, controlling the cost of prescription medication, the proposed tax reform bill and proposed cuts in the federal budget.

I would encourage Mr. Smith to hold town halls across the district. By hiding in the bushes, he doesnt have to explain how or why he voted for a particular piece of legislation. His lack of transparency is a strong justification for term limits.
Washington, June 13 (IBNS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will discuss common priorities like fighting terrorism when they meet in USA on June 26, a White House spokesperson said, even as the meeting is likely to see Modi raising the issue of H1B visa strictures imposed by Trump on Indians.

Prime Minister Modi will hold official talks with President Trump on June 26 at the invitation of the American President during his visit to USA.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said: "I am also pleased to announce that President Trump will welcome Indian Prime Minister Modi to the White House on June 26th.

"He looks forward to discussing the ways to strengthen our ties between the United States and India and advancing our common priorities -- fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. "

"The two leaders will look to outline a common vision for the U.S.-India partnership thats worthy of India's 1.6 billion citizens," he said.

Speaking on the meeting between Modi and Trump, India's foreign ministry earlier stated: "Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the U.S."




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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 07:59 1977 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4f5458 4 Editorial #Editorial,salt-import,salt,industrial-salt,health,corruption-case,#SaltScandal Free

A report by law enforcers unveiling corruption involving state officials is no longer news. But the abuse of power allegedly committed by the president director of stateowned salt company PT Garam, Achmad Boediono, may constitute a crime against humanity.

National Police detectives have arrested Boediono, who will be charged with changing a permit to import table salt into a license to bring in industrial salt, which allegedly helped him evade a 10-percent tax from the government. Boediono was alleged to receive Rp 71 billion (US$5,3 million) in kickbacks from private companies buying salt from PT Garam.

Investigators estimated state losses from the scandal at Rp 3.5 billion, but given the impact of industrial salt, which is now in the market, on the health of human beings who consume it, non-financial effects could be immeasurable.

There have been debates as to whether industrial salt endangers human health if consumed, but a case in Poland is a lesson Indonesia should learn from. In September 2012 Polish health authorities ordered the withdrawal of more than 230,000 kilograms of pickles, bread and other food from the market on suspicions that they contained industrial salt.

The decision followed media reports of the scandal, including from independent Polish television network TVN, which presented evidence of industrial salt, obtained as a waste by-product of calcium chloride production and containing dangerous carcinogens, as having been sold to the food industry as edible salt. Laboratory tests discovered insignificant amounts of dioxins and heavy metals in the salt, but the removal order stood as a precaution.

The bold measure the Polish government took was a show of responsibility for the public good. While it might have doubted industrial salt could harm peoples health, its withdrawal of the product at least guaranteed that citizens would remain safe and sound.

Human consumption of industrial salt in Indonesia would perhaps not cause immediate disease or health problems because first symptoms of illness typically appear after consumption for a long period. There is no justification for distributing industrial salt for human consumption as it is not intended for it in the first place. In Iceland, for example, industrial salt is used to deice roads or in chemical production.

The police therefore are right to investigate Boediono and if found guilty of violating the 1999 Consumer Protection Law, he could face a maximum of five years imprisonment. The sentence could be heavier if the distributed industrial salt is proven to have caused sickness or claimed lives.

Due to the potential effects of the alleged crime on public health, the ongoing investigation into Boediono should not focus solely on the corrupt practice he has allegedly committed, but the possibility that he has endangered lives. Many people convicted of producing or selling poisonous food have avoided the maximum penalty, simply because consumers were medically treated.

More than just allegedly stealing taxpayers money, Boediono may have put their health in peril.
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Linkedin I Made Andi Arsana (The Jakarta Post) New York  Tue, June 13, 2017

I was lucky enough to attend the celebration of World Oceans Day (WOD) 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. For the first time, WOD was celebrated as the main event of the UN General Assembly. The United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) managed to bring the celebration of WOD to the next level. Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was also at the event, accompanied by the Indonesian ambassador to the UN.

I was at the event in my capacity as an alumnus of the UNNippon Foundation Fellowship program. The program enables young people from developing countries to conduct research on DOALOS and learn from the best in the field. Out of more than 100 alumni, around 70 were invited to the celebration and most of them are now in a strategic position in their countries.

This reminds us all that capacity building is critical when it comes to ocean-related expertise. It has to be admitted that for such an important issue and given that oceans cover the majority of the planet, the world lacks experts.

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Linkedin Siauw Tiong Djin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 15:19 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a50d063 3 Opinion Pancasila,democracy,persecution,vigilantism,FPI,Islam-Defenders-Front,Rizieq-Shihab,minority-groups,FPI-disbandement,New-Order,history Free

Indonesians may feel relieved now for the government and police have acted swiftly and firmly on cases of vigilantism done by radical group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) towards people who commented on the pornographic case involving the groups leader Rizieq Shihab.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said that the vigilantism violated the laws and would be firmly dealt with. Two men directly involved in intimidating a 15 year old boy of Chinese descent in East Jakarta have been arrested. Solok Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Susmewalati Rosya was replaced over her inability to prevent the persecution of a physician at Solok Regional Hospital, Fiersa Lovita.

It is in our hope that other vigilantism cases will be handled justly by the national police.

So far, the Joko Jokowi Widodos administration shows commitment to uphold the rule of law and to punish those who violate the basic principles of the Unitary State of Indonesia, state principles Pancasila and state motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

The purpose of the radical group members are clear, they are committing a political terror to silence the people and to discourage positive reaction towards governments action. More specifically, they want to spread anti-Jokowi sentiment on the grassroots level.

The government had previously banned the anti-Pancasila and anti-diversity Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI). While FPI is not banned (yet), there are a lot of indications that FPI sponsors various anti-Pancasila and anti-diversity sentiments.

Rizieq has been repeatedly reported to the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) for his various public statements that contain elements of religious blasphemy, insults on the countrys first president Sukarno, Pancasila, and Sundanese people.

It was Sukmawati Sukarnoputri who reported Rizieq for his insult on Sukarno and Pancasila, which stated that, In Sukarnos Pancasila, belief in one and only god [the first principle] is on the butt, while the Jakarta Charters is in the mind.

The meaning is clear, Rizieq wishes to reinstate the Jakarta Charters version of the Pancasila, implying a more Islamic Indonesia that upholds sharia law. He aims to change the revolutionary spirit of our founding fathers, who did not want to see Indonesia become an Islamic country, due to the countrys diversity principle. Hence, it is obvious that Rizieq has violated the essence of the first Pancasila principle which has been recognized as the states foundation.

Rizieq has been named suspect in a pornography case, with other cases still in the investigation process. These cases can lead to the disbandment of FPI in Indonesia.

The last National Awakening Day commemoration on May 20 gave a ray of hope since the government and various political organization seized the moment to emphasize the importance of defending our unity, the pluralistic Indonesian nation that embraces various cultures and traditions including that of Chinese-descent.

Jokowi brings back a habit from Sukarnos regime in celebrating the birth of Pancasila every June 1. The celebration holds a significant meaning since on June 1 1945, Sukarno presented the basic principles of Pancasila as state foundation in the BPUPKI meeting, supported by the countrys founding fathers. Sukarno firmly stated that Pancasila reflects the main characteristics of the nation: upholding interreligious tolerance, pluralistic Indonesian nation, a just and civilized humanity, democracy, and law that guarantees social justice.

Our founding fathers clearly intended a nation that is against sharia, that upholds democracy, against racism, against vigilantism and other human right violations, and also against corruption that eats away peoples welfare. The motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika emphasizes this anti-racism view and shows that Indonesia is against the tyranny of majority and oppression towards minority.

Indonesian government under Jokowi administrations firm stance against vigilantism or intimidation has been a correct one. Vigilantism is an obvious crime that violates not only the law but also Pancasila.

To gather peoples support in defending the state, Pancasila, our diversity and the constitution, it is important for the government to spread awareness of the past. Under the New Order, there were a lot of violations of the basic principles of the nation.

From 1965 to 1967, Soehartos regime not only supported but also led the mass killings of millions of innocents, capturing and prisoning hundreds of thousands, and persecuting many others. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners of conscience and persecution of those seen as leftist continued for decades. All these violations of law and Pancasila happened without adequate legal process. Ironically, Soeharto justified these violations, saying that he was upholding Pancasila and implementing the constitution.

Now, several figures who rely on the support of Islamic radical organizations that wish to turn Indonesia to an Islamic state based on sharia law are a part of political force involved in those past violations.

They are also those who become opposition of the Jokowi administration, who want to continue the corrupted system that has disadvantaged the people. If the 2019 presidential election runs similarly with the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, with money politics and intimidation based on race and religion and other legal problems, these people can once again lead the nation.

Imagine yourselves what will happen.

---------------

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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 Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 09:02 1977 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4f7424 1 Art & Culture dance,tango,community,#dance,#community Free

Many Paciencia dance community members were already old friends when in 2012 they began to gather weekly on Mondays for a Milonga (social event for tango dancing) to practice sensual Argentine moves of tango-style dance.

Paciencia founder Fuchong "El Tanguero," a Spanish nickname he took on which translates to "the tango dancer," said the community for the past five years slowly grew after starting with an average of 25 people during each week's attendance.

"Now every week we can have have around 50 people coming. Although the number has doubled, it's arguably a bit slow since it took five years. But we're here and we're growing," Fuchong said during Paciencia's 5th anniversary celebration over the weekend.

Ina Utomo, a dancer of the community, said she had long been friends with would-be fellow dancers of the community before joining. Ina helped organized the anniversary's 17-hour Milonga on Saturday, saying the duration was a nod to 2017.

Read also: Purwakanthi seeks to preserve classic Surakartan Javanese dances in Jakarta

Looking back, she said the friendship was what inspired her to join the community, as it provided an opportunity to attend a social gathering that was in line with her interest in dancing.

Ina, who first began to dance the tango after joining Paciencia, said her husband would also sometimes come to dance with her.

"At the Milonga, we find our own dance partners and that's also how our friendship in the community grew," Ina said.

Friendship within the international community also supports the growth of tango popularity in Jakarta, Ina said, through exchange of experiences, lessons and mutual support.

Read also: Bedhaya Ketawang: A sacred dance from the sky

Colombian tango dancer Maicol Mira said he was first introduced to the Indonesian tango community by a student he taught in Japan. Mira, who splits time between Indonesia and Japan, has now been teaching the tango in Jakarta for two-and-a-half years.

"Actually, I think the community in Jakarta is a little bit smaller [compared to other countries] in Asia, because in other countries I think there's about 2000 to 3000 people, but in Jakarta it's very small. We're talking like 100 people. But it's growing with more people joining," Mira said.

Mira expressed enthusiasm for the positive outlook, saying that more people should join as it is a fun opportunity for people to stay active and socialize in an increasingly digitized world. (kes)
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 13:35 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a505ac2 1 Science & Tech Google,#Google,Android,Android-app,#Android,smartphone,google-pixel,google-pixel-xl,Nexus,Pixel,#smartphone Free

Tech giant Google has revealed its intention to stop supporting Nexus and Pixel smartphones.

On its updated support page, as quoted by Engadget, Google said it would launch the latest Android updates for Pixel and Pixel XL in October next year.

"After two years, we can't guarantee more updates," the statement said, referring to Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones that were launched last year.

Read also: Three new Google phones in the works

The company will only provide services for both devices' security updates and telephone or online support until October 2019.

Meanwhile, Nexus 6P and Nexus 5x will get the latest Android updates in September this year.

As for Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 devices, the latest Android updates were released in October last year. Therefore, supporting services for both devices will end by October this year. (kes)
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Linkedin Syofiardi Bachyul Jb (The Jakarta Post) Landak regency, West Kalimantan  Tue, June 13, 2017 09:52 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4f9c38 4 Lifestyle culture-and-tradition,Dayak,school,West-Kalimantan Free

Over 20 children and teenagers sat in a circle in a house with wooden floors, listening to a local legend recounted by 66-year-old Yohanes Natalius Siton.

Yohanes was telling the children about the origin story of the Kanayatn Dayak, the largest group within the Dayak tribe in West Kalimantan.

With the title of Timanggong, Yohanes is the tribal chief of Binua Lumut Tengah, where a Kanayatn Dayak group is based.

The story he told began with a local tale about Samabue Hill, which has a level plain on top and is considered sacred in the West Kalimantan village.

Formerly Samabue Hill was the highest in Kalimantan. For fear it would collapse onto the Dayak people, a man, Bujakng Nyangko, sliced it twice and the cut off layers formed other hills, making its surface flat like it is today, Yohanes said.

After Yohanes shared the story, We Lia, a 50-year-old woman commonly referred to as Nek Singara, jumped in and told a tale of a woman who loved her disabled husband.

Read also: A very sacred Dayak ritual

Nek Singara said the story, despite its adult-oriented topics, would make the children learn about loyalty to their families.

The story telling session led by Yohanes and Nek Singara was an activity at Samabue Traditional School (SAS) in Menjalin district, Landak regency, West Kalimantan.

After listening to the stories, the youngsters went to a grass field to play games, sing and dance.

On the field, Emi Goreti taught them the Kanayatn Dayak dance as traditional Bawangk music played in the background.

The children followed Emis graceful yet basic movements to gradually grasp the moves  and meaning  of the performance. The dancing session took around three hours from 2 p.m.

I learn a lot about our customs and traditions from SAS. We do not learn a lot about our culture from formal schooling. This traditional school brings us much closer to our own culture, Sherryl Christabell Agatha, also known as Ayank, said.

Ayank, a Menjalin state junior high school student, has been enrolled at SAS since it opened. A senior member of the school, she has been active in extracurricular activities and was the top student in her class.

Read also: A Dayak wedding: An affair to remember

Angela Nova, Ayanks junior schoolmate, said she enjoyed learning about Dayak culture at SAS.

There are many interesting things that we learn from cooking traditional food, weaving wickerwork, singing, dancing and playing games, Angela said.

Initiatives to preserve local culture through education has traditionally come from older generations but such was not the case in Menjalin. Here, a young woman, Modesta Wisa, spearheaded tradition-oriented education to preserve local culture for future generations.

Modesta, a 2012 graduate of the Health Polytechnic in Pontianak, became an activist of cultural preservation by joining the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) and the Archipelago Indigenous Youth Front (BPAN).

She proposed incorporating traditional school programs in youth education at a Next Gen Traditional Community leadership training program organized by AMAN, BPAN and Life Mosaic in 2015, along with 30 other Indonesian traditional youth leaders.

We were divided into groups to propose ideas. Nedine from North Sulawesi, Sritiawati from North Kalimantan and I came up with an idea of a traditional school project, Modesta told The Jakarta Post.

Read also: Lok Baintan floating market leads revival of river tourism

Modesta shared and presented the idea to her friends in Menjalin  Katharina Ria, Reni Baday, Yosita and Dwiana Sary. In February 2016, they launched SAS.

Two months later, Nedine launched her own traditional school called Koha in North Sulawesi, which complemented the Punen Semeriot traditional school launched by Sritiawati in North Kalimantan in December 2015.

Each of the traditional schools focuses on different aspects. With few formal education facilities in the area, the Semeriot school concentrates on childrens literacy, while Koha focuses on the revival of culture and Samabue on acquainting children with their local culture through formal education, Modesta said.

For Modesta, traditional schooling for the youth in Menjalin is important because formal education has estranged them from their local culture.

Many of the youth do not speak the Kanayatn Dayak traditional language. Those who go overseas to pursue a better education or career rarely return home.

Their village is deserted and those who have left generally lose their collective spirit. This leads to a loss of appreciation for the legacy of their tradition and culture, Modesta said.

After a year, the efforts from Modesta and her colleagues at SAS began to be recognized and appreciated.

During the first anniversary, we began to raise donations, Modesta said.

Modesta also said she was proud of the fact that neighboring regencies began to adopt the SAS concept to teach their youth about their respective cultures. The Mempawah and Kuburaja, for example, started their own traditional schools.

In Landak regency, local councilors and the Education Office also expressed interest in opening a traditional school like SAS in each district. They planned to involve Modesta and her colleagues as mentors.

Our big dream is to maintain SAS operations and to see many other regions starting similar schools so that the countrys traditional communities preserve their cultural heritage, Modesta said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 22:39 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a5188cf 1 National armed-robbery,teenagers,Lampung,South-Sumatra Free

Three teenagers have been arrested by the Lampung Police on suspicion of stabbing to death a resident of Ogan Komering Ilir in South Sumatra in a botched carjacking and fleeing in his car.

Lampung Police chief Sr. Comr. Rali Muskitta said the three boys attempted to drive the car after killing the driver, Abdurahman, but lost control and rammed into a wall in Mulyojati, West Metro, early on Sunday morning.

Rali said all suspects  identified only by their initials as IS, 17, HC, 18, and ES, 19  got panicky and fled the scene when some residents approached the car.

Our personnel found the victim inside the car, Rail said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Tuesday, adding that he had suffered 11 stab wounds in the neck, body and head.

Following up their the crime scene, police officers apprehended the three suspects waiting for a bus in front of Charly karaoke hall in Metro Lampung.

According to Rali, the perpetrators also stabbed Abdurahmans driver, Rudi Hartanto, 26, but the latter managed to escape. Rudi is currently being treated at a hospital in Bandar Lampung.

Police also seized the Toyota Avanza Veloz and sharp weapons used in the stabbing. (dmr)
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 20:09 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a51796d 1 City pretrial-motion,robbery,suspects Free

A judge at the South Jakarta District Court has ruled that police breached procedures in the arrest and investigation of three suspects in a motorcycle robbery case.

The court granted on Tuesday a pretrial petition filed by Herianto, 21, Aris, 33, and Bihin, 39, who demanded the annulment of their suspect status.

"[The court] declares that the suspect status of the three plaintiffs is illegitimate and not in accordance with the law," judge Martin Ponto said.

Martin said that the process of the arrest and the investigation carried out by the Jakarta Police had breached due procedures, including the absence of a letter authorizing raids on the plaintiffs' houses from the Bekasi District Court in West Java, where the robbery took place last year.

"The judge could not find a letter from the relevant court that approved and ordered the raid. The raid was also not witnessed by at least two residents so it was illegitimate," Martin added.

The three plaintiffs were arrested last month in their houses in Tangerang, Banten. Jakarta Legal Aid Institute lawyer Bunga Siagian, who represented the men in the case, said the three were tortured by police investigators prior to confessing to the crime.

Bunga had presented evidence of the alleged torture during a previous hearing, but Martin said the pretrial hearing could not touch on that matter because it should be handled by a criminal court.
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Linkedin Tama Salim and Muhammad Bilhaqi IB (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13 2017

Foreign ambassadors in Indonesia use the fasting month as an opportunity to enhance relations with Muslim figures in the worlds largest Muslim-majority country.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii hosted an iftar (breaking of-the-fast meal) gathering with Indonesian Muslim figures in Jakarta last Tuesday to deepen the friendship between Indonesia and Japan.

Several prominent Muslim leaders from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the countrys largest and second largest Muslim organizations, respectively, rectors of Islamic universities in Jakarta and leaders of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) attended the event.

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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 17:11 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a51346d 1 Business deficit,reduction,Sri-Mulyani,comments Free

The government is still struggling to reduce the deficit for the 2018 State Budget to below Rp 100 trillion (US$7.52 billion) from Rp 109 trillion in the 2017 State Budget.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government would reduce the deficit to between Rp 50 and 99 trillion in 2018.

"We will further reduce the primary deficit to zero, then we will have a surplus," she said during a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission XI, overseeing financial affairs, in Jakarta on Monday.

Since 2012, Indonesia has run a deficit, Sri Mulyani said, adding that this was caused by the ending of the commodities boom, which significantly reduced the government's revenue.

(Read also: Lower budget deficit seen in first two months)

In 2018, the government will still need to issue debt with a value of around 0.3 to 0.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

As spending increases to between Rp 2.2 quadrillion and 2.35 quadrillion in 2018, the budget deficit will amount to between 1.9 and 2.3 percent of GDP, a bit lower than the 2.41 percent of GDP in the 2017 budget.

Sri Mulyani said the government would diversify the source of debt to reduce costs. The government is aiming for the three-month debt paper (SBN) yield to be around 3.8 to 4.6 percent compared to 5.3 percent in 2017. (bbn)
Chandigarh, June 13 (IBNS) : A senior officer of Punjab police who became a star by carrying out successful operations against drug business in the state, was arrested on Monday after the shocking discovery of a massive haul of narcotics, arms and cash in his home, NDTV reports.

According to reports, large bundles were carried out of his home in Phagwara, around 100 km from Chandigarh. Around 3 kg of smack, 4 kg of heroin, an Italian-make pistol, an AK 47 rifle and around 400 live cartridges including those of AK 47s were found at his house in Jalandhar's police lines. Over 16 lakhs cash was also found, besides around 3,500 pounds.

He is the first big catch for the Special Task Force set up by the Amarinder Singh government that came to power in March this year promising, among other things, a war against the state's raging drug problem.

Special Task Force chief Harpreet Sidhu has been quoted as saying that Singh's service record showed a sudden spurt in contraband seizures wherever he was posted and there was 100 per cent success in his raids.

But in almost every case the accused were eventually freed by the court because of lacunae in the cases, which emerged as a pattern and gave rise to suspicion among a section of high police officials.

The suspicion was confirmed during raids that began early Monday morning.

Singh was charged and produced in a court around 10 pm. He has been sent to custody till June 19.
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 16:30 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a511068 1 Business coordination-meeting,preparation,IMF-WB-meeting,bali,2018,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,Sri-Mulyani Free

The government expects to complete preparation for the 2018 IMF-World Bank meeting in Bali in October 2018 during coordination meetings held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a coordination meeting was held at the Finance Ministry to discuss the event. It was attended by, among others, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Agus Martowardojo.

The preparation has been going well. On Wednesday, [we will complete] 95 percent of the concept and time table, Luhut said at a press conference after the meeting.

(Read also: Indonesia gears up for annual IMF-World Bank meeting)

Between 15,000 and 17,000 people from 189 countries are expected to participate in the annual event, including official country delegations, international observers, academics, journalists and NGO representatives.

At least 30,000 people are expected to travel to Bali in October, next year.

Sri Mulyani said the event was important for Indonesia as the country had recently regained its investment grade rating from global rating agency Standard & Poors (S&P) after 20 years amid various development programs, which should create a good impression among the worlds decision makers and investors.

The government also expects the event to attract more tourists to Bali and other tourist destinations across the country. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said previously that his ministry had prepared several tourist packages that would be promoted on travel website TripAdvisor. (bbn)
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Linkedin Muhammad Setiawan Kusmulyono (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, June 13 2017

The era of globalization is an inevitable reality. Technological advancements have accelerated the globalization process, propelling the growth of cross-national economies. If harnessed properly, globalization could propel a nation.



Globalization, however, is not without its weaknesses and limitations. Intense interactions among nations, which have been closely connected, pose challenges for each of the countries. The impact of globalization for developing countries has strongly been influenced by the degree in which law enforcement and democracy are implemented in these countries. Weak law enforcement hinders steps to implement democracy, while high levels of criminal behavior adversely impacts a nations effort to develop its human capital. Without responsive, corrective actions, globalization could in fact erode the Human Development Index (HDI) in such a nation.



The situation demonstrates the vital role of the readiness of a nations human capital to face globalization. One of the biggest obstacles hampering a nations human capital development is the equality factor, which has become a serious problem in Indonesia. Because of the uneven distribution of resources, many Indonesians suffer from low self-esteem and believe they are not equal to people from other countries. This sense of low self-esteem could inhibit Indonesians high potential as human resources, causing them to be defeated even before going into battle.



Overcoming an inequality of resources requires the exponential acceleration of a nations competitive advantage, which needs to be built at the same level as other nations. The primary element to fix in order to boost the competitive advantage of a nations human resources is the confidence to feel equal with people from other countries. A nations human resources must be courageous enough to run in the same trajectory with that of people from other countries.



Western mentality,

eastern heart



A nations competitive advantage should be framed with a tough fighting spirit. In order to get that fighting spirit, a nations human resources must continuously renew their sense of self-confidence. This can be accomplished with high levels of discipline and focus, accompanied by superior global knowledge.



In addition to a fighting spirit, tolerance of ambiguity should also be incorporated into ones daily habits in a global world where we deal with abundant diversity, where waves of change should be dealt with positively. Therefore, ones adaptability to differences must be optimized in order to process facts into useful knowledge.



As a comparison, the Western mentality has been put to the test in numerous fields. It is not rare for us to find people aged 25 or younger with doctorate degrees. We could also frequently discover, in various fields, achievements that have been crafted from a young age.



Despite their high competitive advantage, we still have our own competitive gap to fill. Even though the world has been made flat through communication, cultural characteristics have made each nation into its own unique entity. It is hard to compete with the uniqueness of a culture. Take a look at Bali. With its strong Hindu culture, it is able to attract tourists to enjoy the islands beauty while still respecting the islands traditional customs.



Therefore, despite the more intensified global economic competition, globalization still provides room for each nation to boost its global competitiveness. The competitiveness for human capital must be holistic instead of just relying upon technical skills. A world-class spirit must be developed while still deeply rooted in local wisdom, so that Indonesians can possess a Western mentality while still embodying the humility of Eastern people.





Collaborating to create

added value



Boosting ones competitiveness definitely requires real actions, like forming effective and efficient partnerships with parties that could boost the quality of human capital in a significant manner.



One such partnership can be done through a mutual learning processes, which can fill in gaps and complement the aspects that each party lacks, building knowledge upon other peoples experiences. These collective learning experiences could be done across different institutions, regions and countries. The existence of the internet has also ensured that the lifelong learning process to boost the quality of human capital can be done without being hampered by time and space constrains.



Collective learning could also stimulate cross-national innovations. For instance, if Indonesian and European students learn together, they could synchronize the technological advances of Europe with Indonesias village culture to create a village with a sovereign water source. This is how collaboration could create added value.



Building globally

competitive human capital



The creation of productive collaborations requires synchronized actions taking care of businesses, from upstream right down to downstream elements. Higher education as the final downstream portion of formal education must be able to be the holistic peak that equips students with practical concepts and a comprehensive understanding of real issues present in the field.



Complains about the weak competence of university graduates when they enter the workforce need to be overcome with a learning model that emphasizes practical experiences. That alone is not enough; curricula need to be designed in a dynamic manner to adjust with constant changes in the environment. Teaching staffs are also continuously demanded to be able to extract their intellectual capabilities through competitive research studies on a global level.



Forming alliances with other educational institutions is not a taboo. Global learning concepts now require new waves of knowledge contributed by developing countries. Therefore, it is not rare for prestigious universities in Western countries to form partnerships with highly reputable universities in developing countries to strengthen their global competitiveness.



This is actually the positive effect of globalization. With the spirit to strengthen a nations human capital, universities as spearheads of national education must serve as positive role models for the formation of value-added partnerships. Hopefully, through these international educational collaborations, we can create capable leaders who are spiritually mature, competent in their professional practices and competitive on a global level.



If these partnerships could be formed in a consistent manner, then we could put aside fears of the negative impacts of globalization on our human capital. The fear of losing ones job to foreign talents has become even more irrelevant than ever, when a nations human capital could be masters in their own country and highly competent guest on foreign soil.



Therefore, the courage to run in the same trajectory now means that Indonesia is ready to share the stage with other nations, even developed countries. We must be able to produce human capital with equal quality, capable of producing added value for the benefit of not just Indonesia, but the whole world.

______________________________



The writer is a faculty member of the Prasetiya Mulya University

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 06:55 1977 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4f3e3c 1 Business Indonesia,Freeport-Indonesia,negotiation,contracts-of-work-CoW,special-mining-license-IUPK Free

The government and Freeport Indonesia are still not in agreement over several aspects of the latters contract of work (CoW) conversion to a special mining permit (IUPK), an official has said.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys secretary-general, Teguh Parmudji, said for example, that Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of the United States-based mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, had demanded a separate financial agreement.

We have explained that under the IUPK scheme, it is unlikely, Teguh said as reported by kontan.co.id on Monday in response to documents submitted by Freeport.

Teguh said last week that Freeport had submitted a document to be negotiated with the government, covering fiscal policy, the conversion from the CoW to IUPK and the divestment of the companys stocks.

Under the document, the mining company also only agrees to 30 percent share divestment, instead of 51 percent, as demanded by the government.

The divestment of 51 shares is a presidential order, he stressed.

Teguh added that the government had offered Freeport an extension of its operational permit up to 2031 as long as the company agreed to the IUPK scheme, including the 51 percent stock divestment.

Freeport Indonesia spokesman Riza Pratama refused to comment on the governments offer. In the CoW, [the permit] could be extended for another 20 years, he said. (mrc/bbn)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 16:03 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a50e7a0 1 Business Google,tax,solution,Indonesia Free

The government has reached a tax settlement with United States-based tech giant Google for 2016 for an undisclosed figure following a long dispute over allegations that the firm had avoided paying adequate taxes.

We already have an agreement with them based on the 2016 annual tax return form [SPT], but we cant disclose the figure, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said after an event on Tuesday.

The deal ended months of probing by the Finance Ministrys Directorate General of Taxation into Googles local operations after the tax authorities calculated that the company owed about Rp 5 trillion (US$376.1 million) in back taxes and penalties.

The government, desperate for new tax sources and a boost in state revenue, began negotiations a few months ago to find middle ground with the tech giant, only to end in deadlock.

Google did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.

The government's short-lived battle against Google has thus undermined Indonesia's ability to squeeze more revenue from other tech giants, such as Facebook and Twitter, which have been practicing transfer-pricing mechanisms. (bbn)

Topics : Google tax solution Indonesia
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 12:09 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a500ccb 1 City armed-robbery,illegal-firearm,Tangerang,Jakarta-police Free

The Jakarta Police have vowed to hunt down the distributors of illegal firearms following two cases of armed robbery that have killed two people in Greater Jakarta in the past three days.

"We will look after it [...] We wont ignore this," Jakarta police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, Italia Chandra Kirana Putri, 22, was fatally shot in the chest after attacking two men with a broomstick when she caught them attempting to steal her motorcycle in Tangerang, Banten.

Three days prior, Davidson Tantono, 30, was shot in the head and died instantly in Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, while preventing two men from robbing his bag containing Rp 350 million ($26,327) in cash.

Separately, deputy Jakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Suntana said the department was carrying out "Sendak Operation" (raid of firearm and explosive materials) in a bid to track down illegal firearms and update its record of authorized firearm holders.

Read also: Another deadly robbery occurs in Greater Jakarta

Police are also monitoring some distributors of homemade guns, such as those in Cipacing, Sumedang, in West Java, and in Lampung.

Suntana urged residents to report armed robbers to the police instead of confronting them.

The police, with their "panic button," would handle the situation as soon as possible, he said. (dmr)
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Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Tue, June 13, 2017 21:58 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a51856a 1 National formaldehyde,formaldehyde-tainted-noodles,noodles,Jambi,BPOM,BPOM-Jambi Free

Personnel of the Jambi Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) raided on Monday a warehouse used as a location for the production of noodles preserved with formaldehyde in Simpang Rimbo, Kenali Besar sub-district, Alam Barajo district, Jambi.

During the raid, the officers found six sacks of formaldehyde-preserved noodles, which were ready for distribution, weighing 35 kilograms each.

The results of a laboratory examination on samples of the noodles show the processed noodles contain formaldehyde, BPOM Jambi head Ujang Supriatna said on Tuesday.

He further said that results of the sample examination were strengthened by findings during the raid, during which the officers saw many used formaldehyde bottles inside the factory.

We suspected the formaldehyde-tainted noodles were distributed in traditional markets across Jambi, said Ujang.

He said authorities were still investigating HD, a Jambi resident suspected to have produced the noodles. During the investigation, the perpetrator said the processed noodles were sold at Rp 7,000 [53 US cents] per kg, said Ujang.

The BPOM official further said formaldehyde-tainted noodles were dangerous for people who consumed them. If proven guilty, the perpetrator will be charged under Law No.8/1999 on consumer protection, said Ujang. The law carries a maximum punishment of five years prison time and Rp 2 billion in fines. (kuk/ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 16:14 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a51005c 1 City murder,shooting,shooting-incident,robbery,Tangerang,Banten Free

Italia Chandra Kirana Putri, 22, was a student at Trisakti Universitys medical school in Grogol, West Jakarta. She grew up and lived with her mother in Tangerang, Banten.

Until last week, she was busy pursuing a career in dentistry as she was enrolled in an internship program to become a dentists assistant.

However, on Monday Italias life and dreams were abruptly ended when she was shot in the chest after attacking two men with a broomstick when she caught them attempting to steal her motorcycle at her house.

Italias mother, Sugiharti, rushed outside from inside the house upon hearing the shot and hugged her daughter while screaming for help.

The two robbers fled on their motorcycle, leaving behind Italias bleeding body.

Italia was taken to Sari Asih Hospital in Tangerang but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Italias brother, 27-year-old Yugo Slavia Kirana, said their neighbors had warned his mother that a suspicious man had been watching their house for the last few nights.

My mother told me that the neighbors had warned her to be careful as a person had been observing the house. [The man] can be seen on CCTV, Yugo said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. (hol)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 17:15 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a513d33 1 Business PLN,EBA-asset-backed-securities,issuance Free

State-owned electricity firm PLN aims to raise between Rp 5 trillion (US$376 million) and Rp 10 trillion through the issuance of asset-backed securities (EBA) in August, using its future cash flow from subsidiary Indonesia Power as underlying assets.

The cash flow is expected from the off-take contract requiring PLN to buy electricity generated by the Suralaya coal-fired power plant (PLTU) in Cilegon, Banten, built by Indonesia Power. The securities will mature within five years.

The Suralaya plant has a capacity of 3,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity and contributes 12 percent to PLNs Java-Bali electricity system.

(Read also: PLN set to absorb Masela gas)

The Suralaya plants revenue is about Rp 12 trillion per year. So, if we take Rp 10 trillion from its future cash flow for the next five years, its relatively small compared to its total revenues during the period, PLN finance director Sarwono Sudarto said in Jakarta on Monday.

The book-building period for the asset-backed securities is slated for the May-to-July period.

PLN will use funds collected from the securities to develop four new coal-fired power plants, including the new facility at Suralaya with a capacity of 2 x 1,000 MW and another in Jambi with a capacity of 2 x 300 MW.

In 2017, PLN estimates it will need more than Rp 100 trillion to develop electricity infrastructure across the country, 50 percent of which will be used to develop various power plants, while the rest will be allocated for the companys power transmission and distribution projects. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 16:21 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a510865 1 City murder-case,West-Jakarta,Jakarta-police Free

West Jakarta Police have fatally shot a man suspected of raping and killing his own daughter in Tangerang, Banten.

The suspect, identified as W, had been on the run for more than a week when officers tracked him down on Monday.

When the police tried to arrest him, [the suspect] fired shots at officers, who shot back and hit the perpetrator twice in the chest, said West Jakarta Police chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Andi Adnan as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com on Tuesday.

Ws body was taken to the National Police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, for an autopsy.

His 13-year-old daughter, AF, was found dead in the attic of their home in West Jakarta on June 3. Her neck and hands had been tied and her body showed signs of sexual assault. (dra)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 10:51 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4fd035 1 National drug-lord,DrugKingpin,drug-abuse,drug-dealer,FreddyBudiman,money-laundering,BNN Free

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has confiscated assets and Rp 39 billion (US$2.93 million) in illicit funds from the alleged laundering of drug money belonging to four suspects believed to be connected to deceased drug lord Freddy Budiman.

One of the suspects is a drug inmate at Cipinang penitentiary. He has access to special facilities, such as an office-like cell, equipped with TV and CCTV, said BNN drug control head Insp.Gen. Arman Depari said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Tuesday.

At the prison, the suspect employed two people, one of whom was An Cal, a British citizen, who assigned to manage funds from the business, he further said.

To shut down a drug network, BNN will not only arrest drug suspects but also track down the results of their crimes, such as money laundering, Arman said.

Freddy was one of four death-row convicts executed at Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, last year.

Arrested in 2009, Freddy was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for possessing 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as sabu-sabu.

He was arrested again in 2011for possessing hundreds of grams of crystal meth and raw materials for manufacturing ecstasy pills.

The West Jakarta District Court declared Freddy guilty in a hearing in May 2012 of importing 1.4 million ecstasy pills from China.

He was sentenced to 18 years for a drug trafficking case in Sumatra and served his sentence at Cipinang penitentiary.

On July 29, 2016, Freddy was executed by firing squad, along with three other drug convicts, Seck Osmane, Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson, all Nigerians. (ebf)
Bhopal, Jun 13 (IBNS): Police in Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday, registered a criminal case against Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik and Vinay Goyal for inciting violence in Karera of Shivpuri, according to media reports.

According to media reports, Khatik was caught on camera repeatedly asking the mob to to set fire to a police station in Karera.

The leaders and the crowd had gathered to protest against the death of five farmers during the clash between protesting farmers and the police in Mandsaur.

According to Zee News, another Congress leader has been caught on camera threatening the police about setting an entire Mandi on fire in the Jabalpur district.

Image: AIRNews Twitter
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Tue, June 13, 2017 14:59 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a50a3b1 1 National Akpol,National-Police-Academy,National-Police,Polri,Semarang-police-academy,Semarang,Central-Java Free

Insp.Gen. Rycko Amelza Dhaniel has been inaugurated as governor of the National Police Academy (Akpol) in Semarang, Central Java, replacing his predecessor Insp. Gen. Anas Yusuf.

Akpol governor is a position that is important for the development of the National Police in the future. Akpol will be revitalized, said Police Education and Training Institute (Lemdiklatpol) head Comr. Gen. Moechgiyarto, who led the handover ceremony at Bhayangkara field in Semarang on Monday.

Rycko previously served as North Sumatra Police chief, while Anas is now serving as the principal policy analyst on police education and training management at Lemdiklatpol.

Anas was replaced following the death of second-year cadet Second Brig. Mohammad Adam after being beaten by his seniors on May 18. The police named 14 cadets suspects in the case.

As part of its overhaul, Moechgiyarto said, the academy will stamp out its long-preserved gang culture.

We have set up a revitalization team. Several things will be evaluated, one of which is the life of cadets. Improving the software is the first thing we need to do. In this regard, there will be no more cadet gangs here; its not a healthy tradition. We will ban it. We will impose sanctions to anyone who breaches this rule, said Moechgiyarto. (foy/ebf)
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 12:55 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a502c98 1 Business BTN,bonds,issuance Free

State-owned lender Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) is offering bonds worth Rp 5 trillion (US$376 million) as a part of its Rp 10 trillion shelf registration.

Shelf registration is a method in which certain issuers are allowed to offer and sell securities to the public without a separate prospectus for each offering.

The lender, widely known as a mortgage specialist, will issue the debt papers in four series, namely Series A with a tenure of three years and coupon ranging from 7.65 percent to 8.3 percent, Series B with a tenure of five years and coupon of between 7.95 percent and 8.5 percent, while Series C has a tenure of seven years and coupon from 8.2 percent to 8.7 percent.

Finally, Series D has a tenure of 10 years and coupon range between 8.3 percent and 8.9 percent.

"All proceed will be used to fund BTN's loan expansion that is still tentative, and at the same, time support the government's 1 million-houses program," BTN director Adi Setianto said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

BTN has set an aggressive loan growth target of more than 20 percent by the year-end. The bank has disbursed Rp 170.45 trillion in loan as of April, an 18 percent year-on-year (yoy) increase.

It collected Rp 157.52 trillion in public funds during the period, a growth of almost 22 percent yoy. (bbn)

Topics : BTN bonds issuance
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 16:54 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a511d97 1 City Liquor-demolition,raids Free

The Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) destroyed more than 12,400 bottles of illegal alcoholic beverages they seized in five municipalities across the city since January at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Tuesday morning.

Satpol PP head Jupan Royter hoped the destruction of such drink could help protect citizens from the deaths caused by consuming alcoholic beverages, especially miras oplosan local hard liquor mixed with harmful substances.

These are illegal drinks, many of which are even oplosan that can cause death, Jupan told reporters at Monas. About 5,000 of the bottles were seized in West Jakarta, 4,000 in East Jakarta, 1,500 in North Jakarta, 1,200 in Central Jakarta and 700 in South Jakarta.

Deaths caused by bootleg liquor have been increasing. At least 10 citizens died of consuming bootleg liquor late last year in Cakung, East Jakarta. In January, three residents of Bekasi in West Java also died of the same cause.
Tens of thousands of commuter journeys descended into chaos on Monday in Jakarta after Transjakarta bus staff went on strike, the first in 13 years of operation.

Dozens of buses were abandoned in long lines on the buses dedicated lanes as about 200 workers staged a rally at the companys head office in Cawang, East Jakarta.

Angry and frustrated passengers, meanwhile, were left queueing at bus shelters around the city.

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 19:21 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a516118 1 City fire,collision,Train Free

A fire broke out at the Pasar Senen railway crossing on Jl. Kembang Pancar, Central Jakarta, after a long-distance train hit a car at 5.03 p.m. on Tuesday, killing two people inside the car.

The Jakarta Fire Agency deployed 13 pumper trucks to extinguish the blaze that gutted a Walahar Ekspress carriage following the collision. The train serves a route running from Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta to Purwakarta in West Java.

The situation is now under control, but the officers are still trying to extinguish the fire, fire agency command center wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KJC) spokesperson Eva Chairunisa said services on the commuter line between Jatinegara and Kemayoran had been disrupted as the electricity had been shut down to allow for the evacuation of the train.

The Bogor-Jatinegara commuter line service was halted at Kampung Bandan station in North Jakarta.

The passengers who could not use their tickets because of the incident are able to ask for refunds, she said.

Topics : fire collision Train
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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, June 14 2017

During a judicial review at the Constitutional Court in August 2016, then-justice Patrialis Akbar used religious arguments to reject a demand by activists that consensual sex outside of marriage not be outlawed. Patrialis told the court that sex outside of marriage was immoral and the root of many social problems.

In the same month, according to an indictment read to the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, Patrialis, a former Law and Human Rights minister, allegedly began to seek bribes from businessmen in the meat industry in return for a favorable ruling in the judicial review of Law No. 41/2014 on husbandry and animal health.

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Linkedin Julia Suryakusuma (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, June 14 2017

Donald Trump famously said, I was elected to represent the people of Pittsburgh, not Paris, when he announced the withdrawal by the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA). Pittsburgh is a city in the Rust Belt, which suffered from economic decline due to deindustrialization. It was purportedly the Rust Belt that paved Trumps path to the presidency.

But what was the Pittsburgh mayors reaction? Were actually with Paris on this. In fact, the majority of Rust Belt states are also. It just goes to show, climate change and global warming goes beyond politics (although pssst! For your information, Pittsburgh did vote for Clinton!).

Well, thats the way it should be. If theres one thing that people have in common, it is that we all live on this one fragile, precious planet.

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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Magelang, Central Java  Tue, June 13, 2017 08:03 1977 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4f5a72 1 Destinations Al-Mahdi-Mosque,mosque,klenteng,Magelang,Central-Java Free

A unique mosque stands tall in the Armada Estate in Magelang, Central Java. Named Al-Mahdi Mosque, it resembles a Chinese temple, locally known as klenteng, instead of a mosque, because of the appearance of its overall structure, its red and yellow paint scheme and the dozens of lanterns that hang out front.

Inside, the 290-square-meter property also hosts several Chinese-inspired ornaments, such as more lanterns, lamps and pillar. The lanterns are uniquely adorned with Asmaul Husna (the 99 names of God) written in Arabic. Some calligraphy can also be found on the walls, the mimbar (pulpit) and the red carpet that serves as a prayer mat.

"This mosque attracts many people. Some want to pray; some simply seek to take selfies. We are open to the public," said Mahdi, the mosque's founder.

One visitor, 33-year-old Abdul Haris who came from Surakarta, said that the mosque was not only beautiful but also remarkable. "The Muslims [who live] around the mosque are also remarkable for accepting [each others'] differences," he added.

Built by Kwee Giok Yong, a man of Chinese descent who changed his name to Mahdi when he converted to Islam, the mosque can accommodate about 120 people.

Read also: Weekly 5: Interesting places of worship that are worth a visit

Built by Kwee Giok Yong, a man of Chinese descent who changed his name to Mahdi when he converted to Islam, the mosque can accommodate about 120 people.(JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

Mahdi's house use to stand on the land where the mosque was built, but he donated the property to be the site of the house of worship in August 2016. By April the following year the mosque's construction was complete and it was officially inaugurated.

"In China, all buildings are like this, either klenteng, mosques, or houses. China has many Muslims and their mosques look just like this. I want to show that Islam is everywhere, including in China," Mahdi said.

On weekdays, Al-Mahdi Mosque hosts various activities, from a regular pengajian (Islamic learning forum), shalawat (prayers to Prophet Muhammad), religious discussions and Quran learning classes.

During Ramadhan, the mosque gets busier with iftar (breaking the fast), tarawih (evening Ramadhan prayers), kuliah subuh (learning Islam in the predawn) and tadarus (reading the Quran).

"Alhamdulillah, many [Muslims] like to come here. This mosque is part of our syiar [spreading religious values] efforts. They first come to take pictures, but maybe later they will perform the shalat prayer or mengaji [recite the Quran]," said Mahdi. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, June 13, 2017 14:02 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a5060e2 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Natuna,sailing,Anambas-Islands,yacht Free

Natuna Islands will welcome 150 foreign tourists and 25 yachts for Wonderful Sail Natuna 2017, an international yacht rally supported by the Tourism Ministry that runs from June 13 to 15.

The three-day event is the result of a collaboration with Sail Malaysia Passage to the East, another yacht rally that departs from Langkawi to Sandakan in Sabah, the northern part of Kalimantan island.

The Sail to Natuna event has been conducted for three years, partnering with the regency administration. The goal is to promote Natuna regency as the worlds leading destination for cruise tourism as well as stimulating infrastructure development for marine tourism, said Esthy Reko Astuti from the Tourism Ministry, who oversees national tourism marketing.

Read also: Cruising Indonesian waters: Read nature, notice differences

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya added: "It's guaranteed that [this area] has interesting attractions, supported by Natuna and Anambas' natural beauty and marine tourism potentials.

"If these yachters are exposed to Indonesia, I want them to stay longer. Our marine tourism is world-class. Our sea zone, coastal zone and underwater tourism [] are among the best in the world.

On the first day, yachters were welcomed with a gala dinner, and arts and culture performances. They also received an introduction to the tourism potential of Natuna regency presented in English by elementary school students.

Yachters from Australia, New Zealand, the United States and England will get a chance to take part in diving, snorkeling and spearfishing activities on Senua island, tour a town located on Tanjung beach, discover Natunas traditional handicrafts and sample local dishes. (asw)
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Linkedin Sarah Wormald (The Jakarta Post) Manado  Tue, June 13, 2017 10:34 1976 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a4fca7c 4 News photography,festival,marine-tourism,Bunaken-National-Marine-Park,manado Free

Activists and underwater photographers will use the power of pictures to inspire conservation and the protection of the oceans during next years Celebrate the Sea Festival 2018, slated to be held in Manado in North Sulawesi starting on March 31.

The festival will also serve as a platform to call for a ban on shark fins in restaurants and to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags in the province  two initiatives supported by the provincial government that, if successful, will mark a breakthrough in Indonesia.

The incredible richness and marine biodiversity in the Bunaken Marine Park, Manado Bay, Bangka Island and in the Lembeh Strait will be in the spotlight as the festival tries to highlight threats to marine environments from climate change and pollution.

Launched in 2002 and in previous years staged in association with the World Festival of Underwater Pictures, Celebrate the Sea is now in its 13th year running.

It will be the second time for Manado to host the festival, after the first time in 2011. Previous festivals have been held in destinations around the globe, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

World of wonder: North Sulawesi and its vibrant marine life will be the center of attention at the 2018 Celebrate the Sea Festival.(Celebrate the Sea festival/File)

Past presenters include some of the worlds most prominent luminaries in underwater imaging and science, including festival founder and acclaimed underwater photographer Michael Aw, award-winning cinematographer and pioneer of underwater film and photography Stan Waterman and National Geographic photographer David Doubilet.

The 2018 event in Manado will take place in conjunction with the 5th annual Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year competition, and highlights of the festival weekend will include the screening of finalists images, an underwater photography shootout and a childrens art competition.

Michael Aw, who is also the founder of the Ocean Geographic Society and publisher of the Ocean Geographic Journal, said he had a strong reason to bring the festival back to Manado for a second time.

This is a very special place to me. I first came to Manado in 1992 on assignment for GAHAWISRI Indonesia, and I was so impressed that I returned in 1993 for a period of eight months to finish my photography book Beneath Bunaken, he said.

GAHAWISRI is an acronym for the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association, which comprises of business leaders in the marine tourism industry from throughout the archipelago. This industry is made up of vessel operators, diving and surfing operators, builders and all kinds of marine tourism businesses operating in the country.

Read also: Diving pioneer's legacy lives on

Aw said Hanny Batuna at Murex Dive Resorts was kind enough to host him, and as a conservationist, Hanny supported Aws vision to bring greater attention to the marine park. He said it was the graciousness of Hanny and his wife Ineke Batuna that enabled him able to launch his underwater photographic career.

I still return to Murex to dive now, he says.

One moment: Michael Aw takes pictures of a sea turtle while diving in Bunaken, North Sulawesi.(Celebrate the Sea festival/File)

Aw hopes to exceed the success of the 2011 Manado festival, which attracted more than 3,000 entries in the childrens art competition and almost 1,000 entries for international underwater imaging competitions. Back then, the festival saw over 80 children from Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and India compete in the finals.

The 2018 competitions will once again include a childrens art competition and several different competition categories for underwater imaging, which boast an array of prizes ranging from US$5,000 in cash to resort holidays in North Sulawesi and opportunities for winning images to make the cover of Ocean Geographic.

Cash prizes and funding for the event has been put forward by the provincial government under the direction of North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey and the head of the North Sulawesi Tourism Agency, Daniel Mewengkang.

Michael Aw went on to say that Bunaken Marine Park is small and easily accessible for everyone  it is a public aquarium in a natural environment located in the worlds richest biological province. If we are to take on issues to protect larger areas, then Bunaken should serve as a template.

Read also: Our Ocean view wins accord

I am looking forward to seeing the interpretation of the image makers of my favourite marine park and to seeing the younger generation involved in the art competition, he said.
New Delhi, June 13 (IBNS): Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday appeared in a British court in connection with the hearing on the extradition case against him.

Mallya denied all 'allegations' levelled against him.

Speaking to reporters, he said: "I deny all allegations."

The businessman said he did not elude any court in India.

"I have not eluded any court. I have no expectations, listen to what court says," Mallya said.

The UK court on Tuesday fixed the next hearing into the case on July 6.

The Supreme Court last month found liquor baron Vijay Mallya guilty of contempt of court and ordered him to appear before the court on July 10 to decide the quantum of punishment to be awarded to him, reports said.

We give him an opportunity to be present in court personally while deciding on quantum of punishment, justices A.K. Goel and U.U. Lalit said.

The order of the top court came following the contempt plea by the State Bank of India, which is leading a consortium of banks seeking to recover more than Rs 9,000 crore from Mallyas grounded Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. , moved a contempt plea against Mallya in July 2016.

The banks sought action against Mallya for allegedly diverting $40 million to his children's accounts in foreign banks in violation of the court order.

The banks argued that Mallya had wilfully disobeyed the orders of the apex court by making vague and unclear disclosure of his assets and appearing before the apex court.

Mallya fled to the UK in March 2016 and has been living there since then. The Indian Government has been putting in efforts for his extradition for investigation in connection with alleged money laundering by him.

The apex court had started proceeding against Mallya and had issued notice to him on Mar 8, 2016 on the plea by banks for recovery of the loan money taken by Mallyafor the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines that he owned.
Kolkata, Jun 13 (IBNS): Trinamool Congress (TMC) Councillor of Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC)'s Ward-29, Sailesh Rai was arrested on Tuesday morning in connection with a murder case, reports said.

According to reports, the ruling party Councillor was detained by local police on Monday night and after hour-long interrogation, he was booked on Tuesday morning.

Earlier on June 17 last year, a middle-aged security-guard of an apartment, Bijay Mallick, was shot dead by few miscreants at his workplace in central Howrah's Round Tank Lane area.

Based on CCTV footage and eyewitnesses' accounts, police identified his killers and booked five miscreants, including prime accused in the case- Sanjay Jadav.

A local police official told IBNS that the five accused confessed their involvement in the crime and also claimed that TMC Councillor Sailesh Rai had paid them money for murdering the security-guard.

Sailesh Rai was produced in a local court later in the afternoon and was remanded to seven-day police custody for further interrogation.

The arrested leader of state's ruling party, however, denied his involvement in the murder while no reaction has been received so far from the party leadership.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Image of held TMC Councillor Sailesh Rai from his Facebook profile)


This Article 19 production of Hamlet is produced and performed entirely by students from the University of Birmingham, but can easily be mistaken for a professional staging.

It locates the Shakespearean play in the modern day. Despite being nearly three hours long, Article 19 managed to effectively combine both drama and humour to ensure that the perfomance wasn't tiring or too intense throughout.





Performed in The Crescent Theatres studio theatre space in the centre of Birmingham, the room was small but this didn't hinder the performance - in fact it enhanced it. Promising an exciting stripped back performance, the group did exactly that. The stage was almost bare, with only two black tables and a few chairs placed on the stage, in such a small space the lack of any visable set was incredibly effective in forcing the focus throughout onto the actors.

Every part of the room was utilised, which is key to why this performance is so successful. By placing the actors around the corners of the room in the first scene, it meant that when they applauded the King it felt as if they were sat right with us, as if we were supposed to be applauding along with them.

From standing around the audience, to actually shining torches around the seating, it was hard not to feel exposed throughout the show. If performed in a bigger venue, this effect would have truly been lost, and the atmosphere of the produciton would have been completely different.

The sound was incredible and deserves recognition. It was key in creating the eerie, suspcious, and ghostly world of Hamlet. Appearences of the ghost and when Gertrude recieves the news of Ophelia's death are key moments where the sound is the most effective. It's almost cinematic in how the sound effected the overall perfomrance.

Whilst every cast member was exceptional, with some performing multile roles, Elliot McDowells as Hamlet was extraordinary. Theres a reason he received the biggest applause during the curtain call. Balancing both the serious and the playful, the delivering of Hamlets monologues were impactful and a true highlight of his performance. Intense and emotional, he engaged with the audience fully  something that the other actors sometimes lacked. If members of the audience didnt feel included in the performance before, direct eye contact with Hamlet definitely creates that effect.

Equally Katy Owens and Charlie Harris are also a credit to the performance. The relationship between Gertrude and Claudius slowly deteriorates through the performance, and Owens depiction of a woman trapped in a marriage was incredible, it was hard not to feel sympathy towards Hamlets mother. Meanwhile, Harris succeeded in portraying a cold and harsh King who could resort to murder to get what he wants.

With a strong cast and talented crew, this production of Hamlet gave a lot more than what was expected. Lighting, sound, and movement worked in harmony constantly throughout, making this adaption of the Shakespearean play unique and, honestly, increidble.

Hamlet ran at The Crescent Theatre last week. Visit their website here
The Conservative government has announced the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support them on a confidence and supply basis.

A Number 10 spokesman said: We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond.

Thursdays General Election saw the Conservatives win only 318 seats, eight shy of winning an overall majority. An agreement with the DUP would bring in an additional 10 seats, pushing the party over the 326-seat threshold.

So what is a confidence and supply agreement and how will it work in the UK?

What is a confidence and supply agreement?

Conservative Chief Whip Gavin Williamson travelled to Belfast to meet with the DUP (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

A supply and confidence arrangement is not a formal powersharing coalition. It is instead an agreement whereby smaller parties pledge to back the Governments budget and programme without actually taking up ministerial positions in the new administration.

The agreement should protect the government from being brought down by a vote of no confidence, but they will have to agree other issues on a vote-by-vote basis.

The development comes after May sent her Chief Whip Gavin Williamson to Belfast for talks with the DUP after the election.

What happens next?

Details of the agreement will be discussed and agreed by cabinet on Monday( Tim Ireland/PA)

A Downing Street spokesman said details will be discussed and agreed by cabinet on Monday, after which more information is likely to be released.

However, its not just the support of another party May needs to ensure.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who wields considerable influence after the Scottish Tories won 13 seats, said: I want to ensure that we can look again at issues like Brexit which we know we are now going to have to get cross-party support for.

And move to a consensus within the country about what it means and what we seek to achieve as we leave.
The recent general election has sparked a completely new debate of its own: are young people attacking freedom of speech? Are we really the generation snowflake that gets offended over any view that we don't agree with?

Freedom of speech is one of the most essential, valuable elements of a democracy, granted. It gives us the right to express our opinions and beliefs, and to have a voice in society. However, freedom of speech does not mean that we, as members of the British public, have to listen to it. This debate has partially been amplified by the recent snap election, but examples such as Liverpool banning the Sun newspaper, and LBC 'parting ways' with Katie Hopkins are often used.

While it is important to give platforms to people with different views, backgrounds, and circumstances, it can't be denied that both the Sun and Katie Hopkins do not shy away from spreading their vulgar, hateful messages to a huge following through their platform, and that is frankly unacceptable in this modern society.

Take the horrific attacks that occured in Manchester and London. Within hours of the incidents taking place Katie Hopkins took to Twitter to demand a number of hostile responses, as opposed to the humane course of action to simply offer support and condolences to the families of the victims.

Now we look at Liverpool banning the sale of The Sun. The newspaper published stories built on lies, punishing the people in their time of need, during one of the hardest-hitting incidents to ever happen to the city. Why should freedom of speech mean that lies should be listened to? What have The Sun ever done to deserve the respect of Liverpudlians? The city showed heroic strength in numbers to get the newspaper banned, and quite rightly too. It was not an attack on freedom of speech, it was the action of rejecting the lies and vile stories that were published.

Let's not forget the shocking article that was published by The Sun just before election day. An article aimed at parents, telling them ways to stop their children voting because 'you just know they'll do the wrong thing' - and yet we are the ones challenging freedom of speech? I could go as far as saying the ones claiming young people are the issue are as just at fault themselves.

I think the term 'Generation Snowflake' is laughable. It's a serious misunderstanding from those with outdated views, who can't handle the fact they are not relevant anymore. Young people shunning radical, obnoxious opinions isn't an attack on freedom of speech, it's a sign that the norms and values are changing and that there is no place for hatred.

The way in which young people use social media to connect, to educate, to inspire, and to campaign means we could be the most powerful generation to ever exist. We are driving the changes in Western society through the internet, and there is nothing wrong with that. The evidence is in the election results. It is completely okay to dismiss someone or something if it is counter productive to society.

As for being too emotional to cope with opposing views, that's not an issue either. Millennials aren't "too" emotional, I think we just can see the inequalities that exist, and the frailties of society, and we're passionate about changing them. We are passionate about saving our world, and changing our politics, and using strength to get ourselves heard against dominating right-wing media is completely different to attacking freedom of speech.

So my answer, to put it simply, is no. Young people are not attacking freedom of speech, and we are not weak, emotional, or vulnerable. We are challenging idealogies that we do not agree with, in some cases because they may be harmful, others just to engage in debate. Although the way in which young people combat other opinions may not always be appropriate, it is certainly different, and in most cases it is progressive. The historic campaign of the Labour party, and the record-breaking youth turnout in the election is just one example of changing times, just a thought... maybe this generation isn't so 'snowflake' after all?
For those who were as yet unfamiliar with the Ice Warriors, this episode has unmistakably shown the reptilian humanoids at their irreverent best. Due in no small part to the introduction of Iraxxa, the titular Empress of Mars.

Compared to Skaldak, the stranded Grand Marshall discovered by a Soviet submarine crew in Series Seven's Cold War, the character of the Empress takes a form that is far more true to that of the Ice Warriors of old. A figure that is not simply intent on blind revenge, but acts only out of respect and, at times, fear for the future of her species. As such, I think it's fair to say that she is one of Gatiss' finest creations for the show to date.

The story itself follows suit in doing its humble best to rise to those same lofty heights. The introductory sequence is done with and out of the way almost as snappily as the credits which it precedes and, having witnessed NASA's fictional Valkyrie probe uncovering a message that reads "God save the Queen" beneath the Martian icecaps, The Doctor and his companions head back in time to the year in which it was put there:1881.

Upon their arrival, the trio finds that a small group of soldiers from Victorian Britain have been inhabiting the peculiarly oxygen-rich caverns beneath the surface of Mars - and for quite some time it appears. How did they get there? Via a ship belonging to an Ice Warrior marooned on Earth, severely in need of help. They obliged, and this was their reward. Well... that and a massive mining laser fashioned from the ship's artillery.

After The Doctor ascertains from the group's Colonel that their reptilian friend, whom they all call 'Friday', was now, in fact, the last of his kind, alarm bells start to ring. Thus ensues a series of classic plot devices, leading to the eventual awakening of the Empress and many of the hibernated Ice Warriors that surround her 'tomb'.

In light of the seriousness into which the episode descends, as the story progresses, Gatiss makes a clear point of using various references as comic relief throughout its majority, par the point at which the title of his previous contribution to the show - Sleep No More - is used as an awakening battle cry by the Empress of Mars herself.

Bill mentions films such as The Terminator and The Thing, in addition to likening the nature of the Ice Warriors to that of the Vikings, as a segue into talking about Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, and The Doctor even manages to drop Frozen into the pot. While all this amicably serves to further endear the show's audience to the ever-playful friendship the two of them share, it also highlights Gatiss' meticulous attention to detail.

The name 'Friday' is a particularly nice touch. The group's Captain, Catchlove, explains when questioned by Bill, that it is in tribute to the otherwise nameless Robinson Crusoe character, to which she seems suitably bemused. However, when it comes to a writer such as Mark Gatiss, everything tends to have a reason or link. So, to expand; he has a character in an episode of Doctor Who set on Mars, who is named after a character in a book which has been retold on screen, as a sci-fi adaptation, also set on the red planet. But I digress...

When all is said and done, it really is the climactic scenes that Empress of Mars will be remembered for. A good old-fashioned dose of monsters, steeped in meaningful exchanges, that culminates in the posing of one increasingly intriguing question that concerns the rest of the series.

Doctor Who airs on Saturdays at 7:20pm on BBC One.
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Nine CRPF jawans injured in Kashmir grenade attack India Blooms News Service | | #Kashmir, #GrenadeAttack, #NineCRPFJawansInjured, #TralAttack

Srinagar, June 13 (IBNS): At least nine para-military troopers were wounded when militants lobbed grenade on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Lariyar Tral of South Kashmiras Pulwama district on Tuesday evening .
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A lawsuit continues in a battle over who should have won a seat on the Taylor Public Schools Board of Education last fall.

Ron Miller, who was an incumbent at the time, still says he should have retained his seat. David Meyers, who was declared the winner by Wayne County officials has been serving since January and maintains that he was declared the winner.

During a hearing June 9, Wayne Circuit Chief Judge Robert Colombo Jr. said that it was clear the ballots in Westland -where a single precinct is in the Taylor School District- were improperly stored over the last seven months.

Colombo also said that the only community involved that properly stored the ballots was Inkster, where they were still in the ballot boxes from election night.

The clerks from Taylor as well as Browntown Township and Dearborn Heights were ordered to appear in Columbos courtroom June 15 to discuss how they stored their ballots.

Taylor Clerk Cindy Bower said there is nothing illegal or even improper on how she stored her ballots.

Once they were released by the State they were transferred out of the ballot boxes into bags, she said. Thats how it has to be done. We dont have the money to buy extra ballot boxes for out next election.

Bower said her ballots, which have been under double lock and key since they were returned after a partial recount in the presidential election. Her ballot have been in sealed bags, locked in a storage room, inside a locked office at City Hall.

Thats the proper procedure since they were released, she said.

Columbo is expected to rule on if a recount is still feasible after speaking with the clerks in each of the cities and township in the school district.

The suit stems from an alleged miscounting of the ballots during the certification process.

The issue, according to Miller, is that there are several precincts that the county failed to count the write-in votes for. He said that if those votes were counted, he would have been the victor.

I was told (by county election workers) that there were no write-in votes in those precincts, he said.

Among the nine precincts that show zero votes was the precinct that Miller and his wife voted in.

Ive worked several elections over the years, he said. I had people at several precincts collecting the numbers. Several of those precincts were the ones that show no votes cast.

Meyers didnt question Millers assertion that the precincts werent counted, but pointed out that if they werent counted, he didnt get the votes he had earned in them either.

Hes saying the numbers are messed up for him, Meyers said. If the precincts reported zero numbers, I didnt get my votes either.

Since the suit was filed, county and state officials have all admitted to errors in the counting process, but they are all pointing fingers at others.

Bower said the numbers her workers sent to the county appear to be accurate, but the county certified lower numbers and the wrong winner. She said none of her elections workers did anything wrong, the numbers appeared to have changed once they reached the county level.
Mumbai, June 13 (IBNS): Off late, two big ticket releases are bound to clash at the box-office on the same day. What happens next is that one feels that they are almost watching a thriller film.

The movies are pitted against each other, day-to-day box-office numbers are taken into record and comparisons are made. Until the film reaches its D-Day on Friday, there is suspense built.



But well, we must say that not only the trade pundits but even the audience enjoys this thrill. While the trade analysts are only concerned about the numbers, the viewers are excited to watch both the films and experience different genres on the same day. And the audience is going to experience this soon.

Sridevi starrer Mom and Kartik Aaryan and Paresh Rawals Guest Iin London releases on the same day  July 7th, 2017.

What makes this clash interesting is the fact that both the releases are different genres. While Mom is a thriller and a dark film, Guest Iin London is a light comedy and both the genres have their own loyal audiences. Despite a great comeback with English Vinglish (2012), Sridevi didnt do any Hindi film for five years, so the Goddess second innings with Mom is surely most awaited. Also its Sridevis 300th film and she guarantees to blow your mind off.



On the other hand Guest Iin London is a family-film with loads of comedy. It has been a long time Paresh Rawal is back on the big screen and audiences love to watch him in a comic role. Seen with him in the film will be Gen Ys heartthrob Kartik Aaryan. The actor whos also known for his comic timing is all set to team up with Mr Rawal and entertain us like never before. Infact Kartiks chemistry with Paresh Rawal is being compared to the Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal duo. Now thats something we all want to look forward to.

So lets see if its Sridevis vengeful Mom act or Paresh-Kartiks comic timing that wins audiences hearts and gets the box-office excited.
Munich, June 13 (IBNS) : A policewoman was injured in a shooting at a railway station in a Munich suburb by an assailant who reportedly grabbed her gun.

The Telegraph quoted German police as having confirmed that several people were injured in the shooting during a morning police check at the Unterfoehring subway station. The suspect was also injured and is in custody.

Witnesses said the suspect took a police officer's handgun and then shot her, also injuring others at the S-Bahn station in the northeastern suburb of the Bavarian city.

Police later said there had been "no political or religious motive" in the shooting, saying the attacker acted out of "personal" reasons.

"The sole male perpetrator was motivated by personal reasons. There is no political or religious background here," police spokesman Marcus da Gloria Martins told reporters.

Force spokesman Michael Riehlein has been quoted as saying that the area has been "secured" and that there was no danger to the wider public.

Munich police said in a tweet: "Several people were injured by shots. A female police officer was badly wounded."



Image: Wikipedia Creative Commons
London, June 13 (IBNS): British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday held talks with leaders of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to form the minority Tory government, according to BBC News.

May-led Conservative Party failed to secure majority in the recently concluded snap election in UK, as they are short of eight seats to from the government.

Reports suggested, DUP which has 10 seats under their belt might lend their support to form the government.

DUP leaders, Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds, are currently in the Westminister to discuss the possibility of post election ties.

The Conservative party had won 318 seats while the opposition Labour Party bagged 261 seats.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) won 35 seats, the Liberal Democrats 12 and the Democratic Unionist Party 10 in the election.

May, who had inherited her government from former UK PM David Cameron in 2016, called for a snap election but failed to seal a clear victory.

Cameron resigned from his post after the defeat in the Brexit as 52% of people voted for an exit from the European Union (EU).

In the first cabinet meeting since election, May discussed several issues which include DUP deal as well as Brexit, that took place on Tuesday.

The PM even apologised to Tory MPs for calling a snap election but failing to win it. She took the responsibility for not getting a clear victory and also ensured that she would fix it.
London, June 13 (IBNS): An audio message purportedly released by militant group Islamic State, the group's spokesperson has directed followers to launch attacks in America, Australia, Europe, and Russia in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The holy month of Ramadan commenced in May.

The audio clip could not be independently verified.

The massage was given from ISIS spokesperson Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir.

As per the the SITE intelligence group website which read: "Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, the spokesman for the Islamic State (IS), called on lone wolves in America, Australia, Europe, and Russia to emulate those who came before them and attack, and rallied fighters to persevere amidst the trials of war and multitude of enemies in a speech issued for Ramadan."
New York, June 13(Just Earth News): Highlighting the importance of cooperation among countries to overcome the violence and discrimination faced by persons with albinism, a United Nations rights expert has urged African nations to fully implement a regional action plan on ending attacks on persons with albinism.

The plan sets out clearly what States can do  for example educating the public, collecting data and researching the root causes of the violence, said the UN Independent Expert on human rights of persons with albinism, Ikponwosa Ero, in her message for International Albinism Awareness Day.

The regional action plan to end attacks on persons with albinism in Africa  the first-ever such joint initiative  was recently endorsed by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. It includes 15 practical steps which are expected to go a long way in addressing the persisting and deadly challenge.

International cooperation will be a turning point in the long battle to end discrimination for people with albinism, some of whom continue to be murdered for their body parts, added Ero.

According to a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the action plan focuses on ensuring accountability as well as support for victims and uses legal and policy frameworks to deter practices of witchcraft and trafficking in body parts.

Further, Ero underscored that persons with albinism also face significant barriers restricting their equal participation in society, impacting their rights to enjoy physical and mental health and their ability to access adequate health care, education, social services, legal protection, and redress for abuses.

In particular, women and children face violence, suffer from discrimination, stigma and social exclusion, forced into becoming marginalized within their communities and face social exclusion caused by misunderstanding, deeply entrenched prejudices and stereotyping.

'We cannot underestimate the importance of joint action'  UN Independent Expert

We cannot rest until we have seen change in people's lives and tackled the root causes of the current situation, she said, calling everyone concerned to be bold and to persevere to ensure that all people with albinism enjoy their full human rights.

We cannot underestimate the importance of joint action [] we advance together, with renewed hope inspired by the principle of 'leaving no one behind' which is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ero's statement has been endorsed by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights; the UN Special Rapporteur on physical and mental health, Dainius Puras; the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Mutuma Ruteere; the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas Aguilar; and the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard.

Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

In December 2014, the UN General Assembly designated 13 June as the International Albinism Awareness Day to draw attention to the stigma and violence that persons with albinism everywhere in the world.

Photo: UNICEF/Pirozzi

Source: www.justearthnews.com
'That's madam governor to you': Record 12 women elected to serve in 2023

Politics
An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand.
New York, June 13(Just Earth News): As some 1.4 million people in Europe and Central Asia die prematurely each year from polluted environments, United Nations agency heads at high-level meeting call for regional leaders to scale up action to stem environmental deaths and diseases.

In the era of Sustainable Development, we can prevent the 1.4 million environment related deaths by making health a political choice across all government sectors, said Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, World Health Organization Regional Director for Europe (WHO/Europe), at the opening of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

European citizens annually lose 50 million years of healthy life due to environmental risks, corresponding to at least 15 per cent of Europe's total deaths  around half of which are due to outdoor and indoor air pollution.

We urge all European leaders to take this opportunity for more sustainable policies to address the health challenges of the 21st century, he underscored.

WHO/Europe, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), joined approximately 500 representatives from the 53 countries of the European Region together with international and non-governmental organizations, to commit to prioritizing action on environmental risks to health.

We have enough evidence. We have solutions at hand. What we need is action, agreed Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of UNECE. Examples of solutions developed over the past 20 years by UNECE and WHO/Europe with a proven track record include the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, the Protocol on Water and Health and the joint Programme on Transport, Health and Environment. But we must do more to fulfil their potential to clean the air and water and promote smart cities and clean transport systeAnd while doing more, we must build on the synergies embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Environment-related non-communicable diseases

Environmental risk factors are responsible for around 26 per cent of ischemic heart disease, 25 per cent of strokes and 17 per cent of cancers in Europe. Cardiovascular deaths and diseases from environmental exposures are three times higher in low and middle income countries than in high income ones.

Air pollution is Europe's leading environmental killer, responsible for 620,000 deaths every year from both outdoor and indoor exposure.

Successful cooperation among UNECE member States has led to significant reductions of air pollution in the region  thereby saving lives, stressed Algayerova. All recent studies show that this work needs to continue and be strengthened, and lessons learned should be shared with other regions, she added.

Other environmental factors, such as chemical pollution, occupational risks and unsafe water and sanitation account for more deaths and diseases and road traffic injuries kill 85,000 people per year.

Extreme weather events from climate change, rapid urbanization and unprecedented levels of migration further exacerbate Europeans' health.

Investing in cities

By 2030, eight out of 10 Europeans will be living in cities, making them one of the main priorities in Europe's agenda at the Ministerial Conference.

A new WHO report, Environment and health for European Cities in the 21st century: making a difference, developed jointly with UNECE and UNEP, makes the case for investing in cities to improve people's health and reduce inequalities.

The Environment and Health Ministerial Conference in Ostrava, organized by WHO/Europe, in partnership with UNECE and UNEP is hosted by the Czech Republic and runs until 15 June.

Photo: World Bank/Lundrim Aliu

Source: www.justearthnews.com
It's our annual Labour Weekend tradition ...The Sound 'Hall Of Fame' Countdown... Where we honor the greatest 500 songs of all time as voted by you.
Toronto, June 13 (IBNS) Canada's Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, has wrapped up the two-day G7 Environment Ministersa meeting in Bologna, Italy.

Minister McKenna led a Canadian delegation including representatives from academia and the private sector, and showcased Canadas climate plan, which brings together provinces, territories, cities, Indigenous peoples and businesses on the path to a clean growth future.

At the G7, Minister McKenna joined France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union in reaffirming Canadas steadfast commitment to the swift and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, which is the global instrument for effectively and urgently tackling climate change.

Canada expressed its deep disappointment in the decision by the United States Administration to walk away from the global consensus of the Paris Agreement.

Building on the leadership the Government of Canada has shown at home and abroad since the Paris climate talks, Minister McKenna promoted Canadas climate plan and indicated that the collaboration of the provinces, territories, cities, Indigenous peoples and businesses will ensure the success of the plan.

Minister McKennas G7 counterparts expressed their appreciation for Canadas leadership and concrete actions to implement the Paris Agreement, including our commitment to put a price on pollution across the country.

Canada takes on the G7 presidency next year, focused on strengthening the middle class, advancing gender equity, fighting climate change and promoting respect for diversity and inclusion

Minister McKenna held bilateral meetings with her American, European Union, Italian, British, French, Japanese and Maldivian counterparts to discuss climate change, clean growth and the path forward on the commitments made in the Paris Agreement.

The G7 partners made good progress in discussions on a wide range of global environmental issues, such as clean growth, carbon markets, innovation and trade as well as resource efficiency and marine litter, and financing for developing nations, including those in Africa.

The G7 Environment Ministers Communique outlines progress.

Image: Catherine McKenna Twitter page
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has reminisced about the times when he was working in Yash Chopra's Kaala Patthar, says being on the late filmmaker's set was like a picnic.

"Working with Yash-ji was always a picnic Informal, relaxed and filed with humour and eating delicious food. He encouraged the families of artists to accompany them at the shoot destination Whether it was Pune or Kashmir or Amsterdam or Delhi, it was always the same," Amitabh posted on his blog on Monday night.

He recounted how evenings were spent at a common place where everyone chatted, played games and enjoyed each others' company.

"Antakshari was the favourite, along with dumb charades Haha What wonderful moments shared," added the actor, who is currently in Malta to shoot Thugs of Hindostan.

Big B, 74, particularly mentioned how shootings in Kashmir, where he shot for Chopra's romantic drama Silsila, were a delight.

"After pack up, we would all migrate to the Dal Lake, where several dongas'  boat platforms  would be tied together to make one floating large boat and all of us would spend the evening, moving about in the lake, eating, singing Music by local folk musicians, until the late hours.

"Now all forgotten And in memories Sad. Time waits for no one And neither must we," he added on an emotional note.
History students at the University of Oxford will be required to sit at least one exam paper focusing on black, Asian and other non-European history, following long-held complaints about an overly white curriculum.

From the next academic year, all Oxford history undergraduate students will choose at least one from a range of papers covering non-British and non-European areas of interest during their three-year degree course. The move comes as universities across the UK face protests led by the student campaign, Why is my curriculum white?

The Times reported. Possible topics for students to choose from include the 1960s civil rights movement in the US, Indian independence, the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the development of modern Japan.

Figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi will feature prominently. The top ranking UK institution has been criticised in recent years for not recruiting enough black students, despite a growing number of British Black, Asian, and minority ethnic students applying.

The university has also been at the centre of controversy following the student-led Rhodes Must Fall campaign, which saw thousands of people across the UK and South Africa campaign for statues of Cecil Rhodes to be removed on the basis that he was a racist colonialist.

Oxford's Oriel College, which is home to one Cecil Rhodes figure, has since refused to take it down. An Oxford University spokesman said there was no link between the Rhodes Must Fall campaign and the updated history curriculum  the move was in fact four years in the making, he said.

In a statement, the university's History faculty said the department regularly reviews and updates its course curriculum to reflect the latest developments in the subject. After a number of years of discussion and consultation among ourselves and with students, we have decided to make a number of changes to the curriculum.

Among these is a requirement that students study one paper (from a wide range of such options) in non-British and non-European history, alongside two papers of British History and two papers of European History. Students take 11 papers in total during their history degree, the faculty added, and many members already opt to take at least one paper of non-European or British history.

We are pleased to be modernising and diversifying our curriculum in this way, the department said. The move has been welcomed by students and academics alike, but critics have argued the change does little to solve Oxford's underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities.

Niall Ferguson, a former Oxford professor who is now at the Hoover Institution in America, told The Times, By comparison with America, some history courses here do look a bit oldfashioned. I am not the kind of backwoodsman who thinks Oxford should only teach English history and general history, which is what it did when I was an undergraduate, but let us be careful not to stop teaching crucial subjects like the rise of the West or the world wars in the effort to make courses more diverse.

This year, the institution unveiled a series of new portraits of women and non-white scholars and alumni in a bid to redress diversity on show.

Other universities are also in the process of reviewing their history curriculums, it was reported, including Leeds, where a module in Black British History is said to be in development. Cambridge professor Sir Richard Evans also said the way the empire was being taught was changing. It is being studied in a more balanced way, he said.

The independent
Girls outshone boys yet again in the Maharashtra Board's class X examination results declared on Tuesday, by recording a better pass percentage.

The state Secondary School Certificate (SSC) class X examination results registered an overall pass percentage of 88.74.

A total of 91.46 per cent of girls passed the exams as compared to 86.51 per cent boys, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Chairman Gangadhar Mahmane said while announcing the results.

In the Maharashtra State Board class XII examinations also, the results of which were declared last month, girls had performed better with a pass percentage of 90.50, compared to 83.46 of boys.

In the class X exams, the Konkan division topped the list with 96.18 per cent pass percentage while Nagpur division was at the bottom with 83.67 per cent, Mahmane said.

Besides, the Kolhapur division registered a pass percentage 93.59, Pune  91.95, Mumbai 90.09, Aurangabad 88.15, Nashik 87.76, Latur 85.22, Amaravati 84.35.

Total 16,50,499 students registered for the class X exams and 16,44,016 appeared, out of whom 14,58,855 passed the exams, held in March this year.
Astudent of FIITJEE Kolkata Centres Udaya, Debaditya Pramanik secured State Topper, Zonal Topper and City Topper. He studied in Birla High School and stood AIR  38, scoring 315 out of 366 marks.

He is also NTSE Scholar and KVPY fellow (AIR 2) + Gold medallist in IAO (2015), IPhO (2016), IJSO (2013-14, both golds).

Apart from academics, he is a black belt in karate and plays synthesiser at his free time. His dream is to pursue physics and do research on the subject.

Sayak Chakraborty with an AI  181 has come second from FIITJEE.

Nilabjo Dey has come third with an AI  380 and is giving all credit to the time he has spent with FIITJEE while preparing for the exams. At a National level, FIITJEE students from All Programmes dominate in every range of All India Ranks of JEE Advanced 2017 with five in Top 10, 12 in Top 20, 23 in Top 50. This is not the first time that their students have excelled in JEE.

In fact, this is the only institute that consistently produces excellent results across all its centres countrywide. The topper Pramanik was understandably thrilled.

He said, Making it to IIT has been my dream since childhood and I am grateful to FIITJEE for helping me accomplish this dream. Their unique teaching methodology has helped me tremendously with the preparations in a pattern proof manner. Well trained faculty facilitated in strengthening my fundamental concepts of science and mathematics that helped me in creatively resolving complex and tricky problems.

At FIITJEE, their aim is to train serious aspiring students in such a way that they are ready to scale JEE successfully. The institute's edge programmes are designed for students to start early in their preparation and help them adapt to the quantum jump in level of difficulty and secure a Top Rank in JEE.
The government on 12 June clarified that Aadhaar number will be required to avail of the central co-contribution benefit under the Atal Pension Yojna (APY) scheme.

"An APY subscriber will have to get the Aadhaar number recorded in his or her APY pension account and also in his/her savings account where the periodic pension contribution instalments are debited and government co-contribution is to be credited," the Ministry of Finance said.

"In case a subscriber is not yet having an Aadhaar card, he/she should immediately get him/her enrolled for the Aadhaar card."

The ministry pointed out that PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) has identified nearly 12.35 lakh subscribers eligible for the central government's co-contribution for an amount up to Rs.1,000 for the financial year 2016-17 which will be released to the eligible subscribers' savings bank accounts seeded with Aadhaar.

"These subscribers are advised to approach their Bank or Postal Branch for seeding their Aadhar Number," the ministry said.

Currently, the scheme has more than 54 lakh subscribers with an asset base of more than Rs.2,200 crore.
A farmers' association has asked the government to roll back 5 per cent GST on raw tobacco and exempt it from the tax bracket like any other agricultural crop.

Fearing drop in prices of tobacco leaves and raw tobacco post GST, tobacco farmers across Andhra Pradesh have stalled auctions in all platforms, said the Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) in a statement.

Terming the tax rate on tobacco "unrealistic", farmers said it will severely endanger their livelihoods and asked the government to do away with it in the upcoming GST-Review meeting on 18 June.

"Farmers from different auction platforms in the Southern Black Soil (SBS) region decided not to bring our produce to the market to protest 5 per cent GST on tobacco leaves and 28 per cent on unmanufactured tobacco," said FAIFA Vice President Gadde Seshagiri Rao.

According to FAIFA, raw tobacco and unmanufactured tobacco were exempted from the central excise from the time of Charan Singh government considering their difficulties.

The association has requested to "maintain status quo" in this regard by treating tobacco "on par with other agricultural crops".

FAIFA claims to represent farmers of commercial crops from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat etc.
India has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of ceramic table and kitchenware items from China to protect domestic industry against goods being sold at below normal value.

The Department of Revenue in the finance ministry on 12 June issued a notification imposing the anti-dumping duty of $1.04 per kg on import of ceramic tableware and kitchenware, excluding knives and toilet items from China.

"The anti-dumping duty imposed shall be levied for a period not exceeding six months (unless revoked, amended or superseded earlier)," it said.

It cited investigation by the DGAD which concluded that ceramic tableware and kitchenware, excluding knives and toilet items, are being exported from China to India "below its normal value, resulting in dumping".

The domestic industry, it observed, has suffered material injury due to dumping.

The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) in its findings recommended imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty in order to remove the injury to the domestic industry.

Through a separate notification, the government also extended by one year till June 6, 2018 the anti-dumping duty on imports of 'plain gypsum plaster boards' from China, Indonesia, Thailand and the UAE.

The anti-dumping duty on import of plain gypsum plaster boards was first imposed in 2013 and the DGAD has recommended extension of the same.

The same will now "remain in force up to and inclusive of the 6 June, 2018", the notification read.
Hong Kong on Tuesday said that it has become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

In May, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the funding for subscription of 7,651 shares of the AIIB's capital, including 1,530 paid-in shares that amount to about 1.2 billion Hong Kong Dollars ($150 million) and payable over five years, and 6,121 callable shares, reports Xinhua news agency.

Having completed the subsequent legal procedures, Hong Kong was admitted as a new member of the AIIB.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that "the early completion of our accession process demonstrates Hong Kong's readiness to support the operation of the AIIB."

"As the leading international financial centre, Hong Kong has a sophisticated, robust and highly liquid financial market, and an abundance of top professionals with global experience, coupled with the unique advantage of 'one country, two systems'," Chan said, adding that the region is "well placed to help the AIIB to raise funds to finance various infrastructure projects."

The AIIB will hold the second annual meeting of its Board of Governors in Jeju, South Korea, from June 16-18.
With an aim to clean the Anganwadi system in the national capital, around 1,600 Anganwadi centres in Delhi will be inspected by IAS officers on Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.

Addressing the media, Sisodia said there were around 800 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) officers in Delhi and each officer would have to inspect at least two Anganwadi centres on Saturday.

"Under this campaign, officers will have to visit the houses of each child or women whose name is registered in an Anganwadi," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The officers would enquire from children whether they were getting proper food, what was taught in these centres and whether students were actually visiting the Anganwadi centres, Sisodia said.

He said there were about 10,000 Anganwadi centres in Delhi and after reviewing the first phase, the inspection would be extended to other centres.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that he has visited many centres over the past few days and noticed an insensititve attitude towards pregnant women and children at many places.

"The government is spending around Rs 400-500 crore and I won't allow it to be spent insensitively," he said.

"In many Anganwadis, the survey registers had been filled with pencil for many years," Sisodia said. "If we don't care about children or their education, then it will affect the future of the country."

The Deputy Chief Minister added that some Anganwadi centres were doing a good work and the government would reward workers who were running these centres.


The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will hold a national farmers' conference here on Saturday and will also announce the blue print of its nation-wide campaign for farmers, a Delhi minister announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters here, AAP leader and Delhi Rural Development Minister Gopal Rai said that farmers' representatives from more than 20 states would participate in the conference scheduled to be held from 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Constitution Club of India.

Rai also lashed out at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement that states would have to fund loan waivers for farmers.

"Wherever there is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, farmers are being cheated after being fed with big promises," Rai said.

Waving BJP's election manifesto in Madhya Pradesh, Rai said: "BJP promised loan waiver in case of an emergency, but famers were given bullets."

"There have been even no FIRs against policemen who fired at the farmers," he added.

Asked for a reaction on party leader Kumar Vishwas's remark that state leaders would raise funds and campaign for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, senior party leader Ashutosh told IANS that "he (Vishwas) is a senior party leader and he articulates for the party".

"It's a good thing that Vishwas said it," he added.

When asked whether it would be the party's policy for the Rajasthan elections, Ashutosh said that "every state is different from another and has it's own dynamics". He did not elaborate.
Members of the Delhi University Teachers Association on Monday took out a candlelight march in protest against the UGC's move to grant autonomy to varsities based on National Institutional Ranking Framework rankings and NAAC score.

"Autonomy to offer self-financing courses, establishing self-financing centers and freedom to increase fees can only be seen as a push towards commercialisation by the government," said DUTA president Nandita Narain.

Burden of sustaining central and state universities is being shifted to students and parents, she added.

Demand to implement and make public a report of the Pay Revision Committee, withdrawal of retrospective application of API in Delhi University were some of the other demands.

The DUTA also demands that the Judgement of the Double Bench, High Court which upheld pension as a basic right and granted pension to all categories of teachers employed as on 1987 should be implemented it toto, Narain said.

Some of the teachers were temporarily detained when they were marching towards Parliament Street.
Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu on 12 June assured the business community that their interests will be fully protected under the new GST regime, saying the government would not compromise the fiscal autonomy of the state under the regime.

"We have made changes in federal relations with the government of India. Other states draw powers to tax from the Constitution of India, while we draw our powers from our own Constitution. Those legislative powers have not been compromised, so there is no question of compromising fiscal autonomy," he said.

The state finance minister was speaking at a meeting attended by representatives of business chambers of Jammu and Kashmir regions, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association, Kashmir Restaurant Owners Federation, Hoteliers and other business leaders of the state.

Drabu said it is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that a constitutional amendment required to extend a central law to the state will be debated in the state assembly.

"People of J-K must understand what is at stake, which is why we are holding a special assembly session," he said.

He said the state government has set a precedent of discussing policy issues with stakeholders and in the assembly where people sent their leaders to take decisions which impact their lives.

"Article 370 is safe and modalities are safe. You should recognise that we are setting a precedent. If anything, it is my understanding that the union is sharing sovereignty with the states, in the taxation space," he said.

The finance minister said while the state can defer the GST implementation, "it will impact the business of Kashmir more than the government".

"In the absence of GST in J-K, no one would want to trade with us.

And if they do trade, the consumer will be penalised through double taxation. Let me assure you that no one will be put to a disadvantage under the GST regime. In fact, J-K will be the first state to do GST refund for shoppers on handicrafts," he said.

Drabu said the GST system is running successfully in 198 countries.

"Let me assure you that there can be no better system for traders than GST. Besides, the system of exemptions will also continue in J-K. Modalities will be worked out in coming days as there is uncertainty all across India and J-K is not unique to it over other operational issues which will have to be resolved," he said.

He said the implementation of GST is being discussed since 2002 and the law has evolved over the years.

"Earlier, the GST was supposed to be a single rate, single tax with no GST Council. Today, not one decision has been taken without the consultation of other states which is why I have repeatedly said that GST council is India's first truly federal institution," he said.

The finance minister said the GST will ease the businesses as inspection audits will fade away and assessments will be done by traders.

"States have huge power today. Our government has done nothing in the constitutional amendment which takes away the legislative powers of J-K," he said.
Two policemen were injured when militants attacked the guards at the residence of a former judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the state's Anantnag district on Tuesday, police said. The assailants also took away four rifles.

Police said militants attacked the guards post at the Anchidora residence of Justice (Retired) Muzaffar Attar.

"Two policemen posted at the residence were injured. Militants have decamped with four service rifles of the guards posted there," said a police officer, adding that a manhunt has been launched to trace the attackers.
Authorities on Tuesday put Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq along with his secretary advocate Shahid-ul-Islam under house arrest in Srinagar, police said.

Mirwaiz was scheduled to attend a commemoration meeting in the old city's Aali Kadal area.
Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel was arrested just as he entered Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday on his way to Mandsaur to meet families of the farmers killed in police firing. He was later released.

Hardik Patel and four aides, who were also arrested, were then taken to the Rajasthan side of the border.

"Hardik Patel was stopped at the Nayagaon barrier," Neemuch Superintendent of Police TK Vidyarthi said.

"His convoy included 20 vehicles and at least 150 people. Patel and four others were detained while the rest were turned away," Vidyarthi added.

According to Patidar Navnirman Sena General Secretary Akhilesh Katiyar, Hardik Patel left for Mandsaur from Udaipur in Rajasthan. He planned to meet the kin of the deceased farmers along with other farmer leaders.

"Hardik Patel neither sought permission to visit Mandsaur nor was he allowed by the administration. That's why, he was not allowed to go to Mandsaur," District Magistrate OP Shrivastava said.

Heavy deployment of police is in place at the Nayagaon barrier on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border.
Toronto, June 13 (IBNS): Hate crimes rose by 5% in Canada in 2015, largely due to an increase in incidents targeting certain religious and ethno-cultural groups, specifically the Muslim population and Arabs or West Asians, a new study has said.

For the year, police reported 1,362 criminal incidents that were motivated by hate in Canada, 67 more than the previous year.

These findings are included in the new Juristat article "Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2015" released on Tuesday.

Police-reported hate crimes refer to criminal incidents that, upon investigation by police, are found to have been motivated by hatred toward an identifiable group, as defined in subparagraph 718.2(a)(i) of the Criminal Code of Canada, as per the Statistics Canada website.

An incident may be against a person or property and may target race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, language, sex, age, mental or physical disability, among other factors.

In addition, there are four specific offences listed as hate propaganda offences or hate crimes in the Criminal Code of Canada: advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred, willful promotion of hatred, and mischief motivated by hate in relation to religious property.

Police determine whether or not a crime was motivated by hatred based on information gathered during the investigation and common national guidelines for record classification.

Overall, police reported 469 Criminal Code incidents in 2015 that were motivated by hatred of a religion, 40 more incidents than the previous year. These accounted for 35% of hate-motivated crimes reported in 2015.

Police-reported hate crimes targeting the Muslim population increased from 99 incidents in 2014 to 159 incidents in 2015, an increase of 61%.

At the same time, the number of police-reported crimes targeting the Jewish population declined from 213 in 2014 to 178 in 2015.

Hate crimes targeting the Jewish population accounted for 13% of all hate crimes, followed closely by hate crimes targeting the Muslim population (12%).

Approximately 10% of the population in Canada were part of a non-Christian religion in 2016.

According to recent projections by Statistics Canada, the number of people in Canada with a non-Christian religion could almost double by 2036.

Within this group, the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths would see the number of their followers grow more quickly, although still representing a small portion of the population overall.

In 2015, a number of police services increased outreach to ethnic groups, including Muslim communities. In addition, the National Council of Canadian Muslims made efforts to encourage reporting of hate crimes to police.

From 2014 to 2015, the number of police-reported crimes motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity increased 5%.

Much of this increase was a result of more hate crimes targeting Arab and West Asian populations (+33%). Although down in 2015, crimes targeting Black populations remained the most common type of hate crime related to race or ethnicity (17% of all hate crimes).

Overall, 48% of all police-reported hate crimes in 2015 were motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity.

In all, 8 of 10 provinces reported an increase in the number of police-reported hate crimes from 2014 to 2015.

The increase was most pronounced in Alberta, where police reported 193 hate crimes compared with 139 the year before (+39%).

This increase was primarily driven by a higher number of police-reported crimes motivated by hatred against the Muslim population (+12 incidents), Arab or West Asian populations (+10), Black populations (+9), and the Jewish population (+8). It should be noted that Alberta also reported an overall increase in their 2015 crime statistics.

In contrast, in Ontario, which historically records close to half the total number of hate crimes in Canada (46%), the number of police-reported hate crimes declined by 5% from 2014. The decrease in Ontario was primarily driven by fewer police-reported hate crimes motivated by hatred against the Jewish religion (-30 incidents) and against the Black population (-19).

From 2014 to 2015, police-reported crime motivated by hatred against the Muslim population increased in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where the totals remained virtually the same.

More than 80% of police-reported hate crimes in Canada occurred in census metropolitan areas (CMAs). The 10 largest CMAs in Canada, home to over half of Canada's population, accounted for 71% of hate crimes in 2015. The three most populous CMAs of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver together accounted for 43% of police-reported incidents in 2015.

Of the 10 largest CMAs in Canada, 4 reported more hate crimes in 2015 compared with the previous year, while 5 reported fewer such crimes. Vancouver reported the same number of incidents in 2015 as in 2014. The largest increases in hate crime incidents were reported in Edmonton (+45 incidents), Montreal (+39) and KitchenerWaterlooCambridge (+23).

The increase in the Edmonton CMA was driven by more reported hate crime incidents against a race or ethnicity (+25) and against a religion (+17), mainly targeting the Muslim (+8) and Jewish (+7) populations. The number of hate crimes in Montreal was attributable to 33 more reported incidents targeting a religion. Of the additional incidents, 20 of these targeted the Muslim population. In the CMA of KitchenerWaterlooCambridge, counts were primarily driven by more incidents targeting different races or ethnicities (+12) and religions (+10).

Females were more likely to be victims in incidents targeting a religion, and the presence of female victims in violent crimes motivated by hatred of a religion increased in 2015. That year, 53% of these victims were female, compared with 40% in 2014. The increase in female victims of religious hate crimes is attributed to an increase in female victims for Jewish and Muslim hate crimes from 2014 to 2015.

Police-reported hate crimes targeting sexual orientation declined 9% for the year, down from 155 incidents in 2014 to 141 incidents in 2015. They accounted for 11% of the hate crimes reported in 2015.

Unlike other types of hate crimes, almost 6 in 10 of reported crimes motivated by hatred of a sexual orientation were violent. This compares with 45% of anti-race or ethnicity offences, and 24% of anti-religion hate crimes. Just over 4 in 10 victims of hate crimes targeting a sexual orientation (42%) reported an injury, compared with victims of violent crimes motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity (29%) and of a religion (12%).

Victims of violent hate crimes targeting sexual orientation were more likely to list the relationship as acquaintance or family member (47%). This compares with victims of violent crimes motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity (36%) and of a religion (26%).

Violent offences accounted for 38% of police-reported hate crimes in 2015. Violent offences included such things as assault, uttering threats, and criminal harassment. Overall, the number of violent hate crimes increased 15% from the previous year, driven by increases in common assault and uttering threats.

From 2014 to 2015, the total number of non-violent hate crime incidents increased by 5%. Mischief, which includes vandalism and graffiti, was the most commonly reported offence among police-reported hate crimes, accounting for 44% of all hate crime incidents in 2015.




In a shocking incident, rats nibbled a four-day-old baby's fingers at a government-run hospital in Banswara in Rajasthan.

The incident occurred on Monday in MG Hospital, a doctor at the hospital, not willing to be named, said on Tuesday. Banswara is over 500 km from state capital Jaipur.

A woman, Priyanka, gave birth to a baby boy four days ago. Around 5 a.m. on Monday, the rats nibbled at the boy's fingers.

There was no light in the ward when the rats were nibbling the baby's fingers and the family members saw it only after the lights came on. They then lodged a complaint with the hospital authorities.

"A committee has been formed to look into the matter. The committee consists of doctors and nursing staff," O.P. Upadhaya, Acting Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the hospital, said.
Muhammad Yasin Malik, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), was arrested here on Friday when he tried to lead a protest march.

Police arrested Malik in Druggen area after the Friday prayers when Malik came out of a mosque to lead the march towards the headquarters of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Sonawar area.

Malik was whisked away by police along with some supporters.

Separatists had called for a protest sit-in outside the UNMOGIP in Srinagar on Friday to highlight the "repression and innocent killings in Kashmir".

Authorities had blocked all roads leading to the UNMOGIP Headquarters, preventing both pedestrian and vehicular movement in the area.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded for nearly three hours on Tuesday when Delhi Metro's Blue Line (Dwarka 21-Noida City Centre/Vaishali) service was disrupted following an electrical short circuit near Indraprastha station en route.

Due to electrical short-circuiting caused by an eagle that flew into overhead high-tension wires, an insulator of the Overhead Equipment (OHE) broke, causing the OHE to come in contact with passing trains, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement here.

While the snag was reported at 4.55 p.m. between Indraprastha and Yamuna Bank Metro stations, normal services on the route could be restored only at 7.43 p.m. after the broken OHE was repaired.

In the meantime, thousands of commuters had to wait for the service to resume for their onward journey on the route.

"I waited for the train at Dwarka station for 40 minutes. But when it didn't turn up, I took the Airport Line, which is still a fair bet to reach ITO," a commuter said.

It took another commuter more than an hour to reach Rajiv Chowk from Noida's Sector 16 Metro station.

"The train halted for almost 10 minutes at every station. At Yamuna Bank, it remained stationary for 15-16 minutes. Even the air conditioner stopped functioning several times," a student Ankita Sarkar said.
Two persons were killed due to incessant rains that sparked flash floods in Assam's Guwahati city on Tuesday, disrupting normal life and causing immense suffering to lakhs of people.

Kamrup Deputy Commissioner M Angamuthu said the dead included a school student and a man who were electrocuted on Zoo Road.

"We have ordered a probe into the incident," he said. He said rescue operations were on to help the marooned in different areas of the city.

The incessant rains that began on Tuesday morning blocked the two main arterial routes in the city, triggering traffic congestion and submerging several localities.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was to go to Karbi Anglong to address two public rallies regarding the forthcoming election to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

The programme was cancelled as the chopper he was supposed to take failed to take of due to heavy rains.

The Chief Minister even failed to reach his office at Janata Bhavan in Assam's Dispur area due to water logging on roads.

The administration ordered the closure of schools and other educational institutions on Wednesday.

There were reports of landslides from some areas in the city.
Actress Kritika Choudhary, who appeared in the daily soap Parichay, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her Andheri residence in Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.

Kritika's neighbours alerted police after a foul smell started emanating from her apartment on Monday. When police broke open the door which was locked from the outside, Kritika's decomposed body was found, sources said.

According to reports, the actress' dead body was lying in the apartment for the last three to four days.

Police have registered a case of 'accidental death' but are suspecting that the actress might have been murdered.

Kritika Choudhary starred in Ekta Kapoor's 'Parichay' in a supporting role and was also seen in Kangana Ranaut starrer film 'Rajjo'.
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra whose upcoming film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha which throws spotlight on the lack of toilets in rural India, is actually building hundreds of lavatories in the slums where he's busy shooting.

Mehra, who began filming his next, Mere Pyare Prime Minister, in a Ghatkopar slum in Mumbai, has now got a no-objection certificate from the city's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), to build 20 toilets there, including five separate toilets for men and women.

Known for making critically acclaimed films like 'Rang De Basanti' and 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', Rakeysh has been collaborating with an NGO, 'Yuva Unstoppable', for the last four years to transform slums by building toilets.

We don't just build toilets and walk away but we also make sure the locals maintain them. We've been having meetings with slum-dwellers and corporators of the area, urging them to put one rupee in the donation box so that the community workers can be given their dues"

"The new toilets are as good as the ones in private buildings, with proper pipelines and extensions with tips where they can get clean, drinking water, informs Mehra who after seeing Gandhi's model toilets at the Sabarmati Ashram was motivated to pick up this cause and has so far built over 800 toilets.

The slum dwellers have TV sets and mobile phones but no toilets and during the monsoons are forced to defecate on the railway tracks. I remember reading a Mirror story about a woman who got run over while defecating on the tracks and wondered, is a toilet worth losing your life over? he added.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is now shooting at a slum settlement behind the Powai lake, where the dwellers defecate in the open. New toilets will be built here too.

The area gets water for just 30-45 minutes a day. We are planning to build adequate toilets in this area too, he says, admitting that while the 'Maximum City' has been absorbing immigrants like a sponge, its infrastructure hasn't grown at the same pace.

Talking about his film, 'Mere Pyare Prime Minister', Mehra said it revolves around four kids living in a Mumbai slum. One of them wants to build a toilet for his single mother and makes an appeal to the Prime Minister.
Two persons of Indian origin were among 891 Australians recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list for 2017 for their contribution to the community.

Queensland-based Professor Rajiv Khanna received the Officer of the Order of Australia Medal for his work in medicine  specifically his contribution to the development of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancers, infectious complications and chronic disease.

Khanna said he and his team were honoured to be recognised by those outside the scientific community.

Khanna had been working on a new cancer treatment alternative  a treatment he said was safer.

He said his hard work shows how the Indian community values education.

"We tend to value education very highly in India. You go to any Indian parent, they all want their kids to become a doctor or an engineer or something," he was quoted as saying by SBS Television network.

"But in a terms of what it brings to the Australian community is that the highly educated Indian community whether they're in a medical area or an engineering area, they contribute hugely.

"And I'm part of that and I'm very proud of that heritage, to be from the Indian community," he said.

Unnikrishnan Velayudhan Pilla from Queensland was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia in the general division (OAM) for service to the Malayali community in the state.

Other notable mentions who received the award included Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce and the departing mining industry heavyweight Jacques Nasser.

The list was announced by Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove on Monday and the honours were awarded for service to the country to mark the Queen's official birthday in June each year.
The AAP on Monday attacked the Centre over the release of 11 Pakistani civilians, saying the government is following a dual policy towards Pakistan.

Senior party leader Ashutosh said on the one hand, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says there cannot be talks with Pakistan alongside terror and on the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

He was referring to the interaction between the two premiers at Astana in Kazakhstan.

"What was the pressing need that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to embrace Sharif. Pakistan is preparing to hang Kulbhushan Jadhav and India is releasing 11 of their citizens," Ashutosh said.

Jadhav was sentenced to death on April 10 by a Pakistan military court for alleged espionage.

India maintains that Jadhav, a forrmer naval officer, was kidnapped from Iran and brought to Pakistan by its security agencies.

Sharif and Modi had last week met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) meeting.
Civil society members and leaders of opposition parties on Tuesday dubbed the killing of five farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh "murder by state machinery" and demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge.

A delegation comprising social activists Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and politicians Kalpana Parulekar of the Congress, and Paras Saklecha of the Aam Adami Party was detained at Dhodhar in neighbouring Ratlam district when it tried to visit Mandsaur to meet the kin of the farmers killed in the June 6 police firing.

The Madhya Pradesh government had on Monday appointed a one-member judicial commission of Justice JK Jain (retd) to probe the police firing. The commission has been mandated to submit its report within three months.

"Independent persons and agencies are denied entry while the full might of the state appears to be influencing and torturing witnesses to the murder of farmers by police, causing disappearance of material evidence and running an extortion racket by intimidation," a statement issued by the delegation members said.

They demanded that all civil and police officials responsible for the firing should be booked and cases against protesting farmers withdrawn.

They said the government's failure in ensuring adequate remuneration for agricultural produce seemed to be the reason for the widespread discontent among Madhaya Pradesh farmers and the state government's inaction has further fuelled the unrest.

A 'Shaheed Kisan Mahapanchayat' will be held in Madhya Pradesh on July 6 to support the farmers' protests across the country, the delegation members said.

A plan is also afoot to set up a people's tribunal on police firing and alleged torture of farmers at Mandsaur.
he Centre has approved proposals for setting up of 100 Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) hospitals across the country, Minister of state for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik has said.

The minister said during the last three years the Union government had approved posting of 4000 AYUSH doctors in primary health centres across the country.

"The salary is being paid by the Union government," he told reporters here last night.

He also said an AYUSH hospital equivalent to AIIMS would be opened within a month at New Delhi.

The ministry has approved setting up of two 50-bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals at Theni and Tiruvannamalai districts in Tamil Nadu, he said.

A total of Rs 283.6 lakh has been released out of sanctioned amount of Rs 563 crore for conservation and development for medicinal plants across Tamil Nadu, the minister added.
Madhya Pradesh Congress on Tuesday said it would support the agitating farmers by holding a series of farmers' `Mahapanchayats' (mega-gathering) beginning with a 72-hour-long `satyagraha' in Bhopal from Wednesday.

"Congress will hold a series of farmers' Mahapanchayats beginning with 72-hour-long Satyagraha from tomorrow at TT Nagar Dussehra Maidan. Subsequently a Mahapanchayat will be held at Khategaon on June 17," state Congress chief Arun Yadav said.

Then there would be a Mahapanchayat at Sagar on June 19.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan makes "empty announcements" whenever farmers take to the streets, he said.

"Chouhan made several announcements in the past whenever farmers protested, but no action was taken on ground.

Chouhan is known for empty announcements. Three farmers have committed suicide in the last three days," Yadav said.

Asked about the allegation that Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik was seen asking her supporters to set a police station on fire, Yadav said it was only a half-truth.

"Police misbehaved with Khatik and drenched her with water. The dignity of a Dalit woman was violated. So she must have said it in a fit of anger," the state Congress chief said.
The EU delegation to India has announced its decision to release the final tranche of euro 25 million of its euro 80 million grant to the Indian government's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a statement said.

This brings to a conclusion the EU's sector support to school education in India, to which it has contributed over euro 520 million (currently valued at Rs.3,700 crore) in grant funding, a statement from the EU said.

The EU grants have contributed to setting up new schools, improving existing ones, bridging gender and social gaps, providing toilets especially for girls, training teachers, and enrolling nearly all children in the primary school years.

At an event held in Delhi to mark the occasion, Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union to India, recalled that the EU was the Indian government's first development partner in education through its participation in the 155 districts initially selected under District Primary Education Programme in 1994. The Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK and the World Bank joined subsequently as partners.

"As the number of children being enrolled in and completing primary school rose, we extended our support to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for elementary education up to Grade VIII in 2002, and the RMSA for secondary education in 2012" Kozlowski remarked. The EU has also provided euro 32 million to the Chhattisgarh from 2006-2015 for improving elementary education.

These programmes anticipated and then supported the implementation of the Right to Education Act of 2009, which made elementary education compulsory. The sector support programme has been a model of development cooperation, with Joint Review Missions taking stock of progress every six months and adjusting elements of the programme accordingly. This has contributed to rapid progress in setting up schools, training teachers and enrolling students, the Ambassador said while thanking the Ministry of Human Resource Development and all the partners for their cooperation, the statement said.

Speaking on the occasion Ajay Tirkey, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, thanked the European Union for its pioneering initiative and long-term commitment to education over the last 23 years and said that the development partnership had contributed both financially as well as in terms of new approaches and new ideas.

World Bank Country Director Junaid Ahmad said it was a proud moment to have partnered with the EU in the education sector in India.

India has more than 1.5 million schools in the public and private sectors, with over 227 million children enrolled. Around 1.29 million or 84.7 per cent are in the rural areas. The reduction of dropout rates and the improvement of education outcomes as measured by various surveys are the main challenge for school policy makers and public authorities, going forward.
BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday held discussions with senior ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley, who comprise the three-member team constituted by him to evolve consensus with other parties on the presidential candidate.

"We have today (Tuesday) begun the process by discussing within. We had a discussion with President Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. We also talked to (Home Minister) Rajnathji, who is in Mizoram. In the coming days, we will be talking among ourselves and then to other political parties. We will meet them and discuss with them and will try our best to garner their support," Naidu told a press conference later.

He said the government side will talk to all political parties and make all efforts to evolve a "broad consensus" on the candidate and sought the cooperation of the opposition parties in this regard.

Naidu was replying to a question whether the government would reach out to opposition parties to evolve a consensus on the presidential candidate.

"We have just started the process because we are the ruling party and we have the responsibility to take every one on board. So, we will make our efforts in the direction to evolve a broad consensus and then also try to seek support that is what we are going to do.

"It will be done in true spirit of democracy. Going by the mandate of the people  and the mandate of people is for the government  I appeal to all to understand that spirit and try to cooperate. We will be discussing with them to try to find out what their suggestions are," Naidu said.

The term of President Pranab Mukherjee gets over on July 24 and the process of electing a new President gets under way from Wednesday with the issue of notification in this regard.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia next week, avoiding a possible confrontation with the United States and its allies over his war in Ukraine.
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The last days of the Newfie Pride

There were many nights he didnt sleep. The numbers and scenarios turned over and over in his mind, making rest impossible. Id get up two, three oclock in the morning, night after night, come out to the kitchen table and work the numbers every ...
Central government employees, on several occasions, have expressed their disappointment over the long delay in rolling in out revised allowances.

By India Today Web Desk: The Narendra Modi-led cabinet is likely to meet tomorrow and is expected to take a decision on revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission.

According to reports, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to table the proposal for the revised allowance structure at the Cabinet meet--the move will benefit nearly 50 lakh Central government employees.

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The Union cabinet could not take the subject of allowances in its last meeting on June 7.

Central government employees, on several occasions, have expressed their disappointment over the long delay in rolling in out revised allowances.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION REPORT ON ALLOWANCES: If reports are to be believed, Central government employees are likely to start getting revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission from July. The Central government, however, may not be keen on giving arrears on allowances, a demand repeatedly raised by employees. According to some reports, employee unions have planned protests if the demand of arrears on allowances is not met. The Seventh Pay Commission recommended axing 53 of the 196 allowances that Central government employees get besides merging 36 smaller allowances into bigger ones. The pay commission also suggested bringing down the House Rent Allowance (HRA) rates for Central government employees by varying degrees depending on the type of city. For instance, the pay commission recommended reducing the HRA for Metros from 30 per cent to 24 per cent. The axing of allowances, and a slash in HRA rates by the Seventh Pay Commission did not go down well with Central government employees. A Committee on Allowances was formed under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa to review the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission in July last year. The Lavasa panel submitted its report to Arun Jaitley on April 27 after missing two deadlines. "Modifications have been suggested in some allowances which are applicable universally to all Central government employees as well as certain other allowances which apply to specific employee categories," a Finance Ministry statement said a day after Lavasa panel submitted its report. The Ashok Lavasa report was sent to the Department of Expenditure for a first round of review before being placed before the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) for another round of screening. Representatives of Central government employees wrote to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha and said that employees were clueless about the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa Committee on Allowances. They also expressed anguish over inordinate delay in implementation of the Lavasa panel's report. After screening the Ashok Lavasa report on allowances, the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) forwarded the report along with its suggestions to the government after a June 1 meeting. Central government employees are now waiting for the good news on allowances.

ALSO READ:

7th pay commission: RBI worried about price rise as employees wait for HRA

7th Pay Commission: A list of allowances Central government employees may not get after June 1

7th Pay Commission: No clue about recommendations of Ashok Lavasa panel, employees' forum tells Cabinet Secretary

ALSO WATCH: 7th Pay Commission: Allowance-revision to benefit over 50 lakh employees

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Small-time actress Kritika Choudhary (30) was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence in suburban Andheri today, police said.

By Press Trust of India: Small-time actress Kritika Choudhary (30) was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence in suburban Andheri today, police said.

Police suspect it to be a case of murder, an investigating official said.

The incident came to light at around 3:45 pm when Choudhary's neighbours complained of foul smell emanating from her flat and informed police.

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Choudhary was a resident of Bhairavnath Society in Char Bungalow area in Andheri West.

After getting the information, Amboli police rushed to the spot and broke open the door which was locked from outside for the last three-four days, an official said.

After entering her flat, police found a decomposed body of a woman, who was later identified as Choudhary, he said.

Initially, Amboli police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), the official said, adding that it came to fore during the investigation that Choudhary was murdered by unidentified person(s).

ALSO READ:Kolkata-based actor Sonika Chauhan dies in car accident, Vikram Chatterjee injured

Veteran actor Reema Lagoo dies of cardiac arrest at 58

WATCH VIDEO

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The air embargo imposed on Qatar only applies to airlines from Qatar or registered there, the United Arab Emirates Civil Aviation Authority said today.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain issued identical statements on the air embargo, which came into effect when Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting "terrorism".

Meanwhile, Qatar has asked the United Nations' aviation agency to intervene in an airspace rights' dispute with three Gulf states following an escalating diplomatic row and trade blockade, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Qatar has sent a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) governing council in an effort to resolve the dispute after Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain closed their airspace to Qatari flights.The Gulf state has indicated that it will ask the council to resolve the conflict, one of the sources said, using a dispute resolution mechanism under the 1944 Chicago Convention which is overseen by ICAO.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because council business is discussed in private.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar a week ago, accusing it of fomenting regional unrest, supporting terrorism and getting too close to Iran, all of which Doha denies.The biggest diplomatic rift in years among the rich states of the Gulf has disrupted Qatar's imports of food and other materials, although its finance minister has played down the economic toll of the confrontation.

It is not yet clear whether the ICAO council, which is holding regularly scheduled meetings in Montreal this week, would agree to intervene, and how long any efforts would take. The matter is expected to be discussed at council by Friday, said one of the sources. "I would not expect any overnight resolutions," he said. ICAO spokesman William Raillant-Clark said the agency could not make an immediate comment.

The UN aviation agency, which is headquartered in Montreal, does not impose binding rules, but wields clout through safety and security standards that are usually followed by its 191-member countries.
Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya will face extradition hearing in London's Westminster Magistrates Court today where the Crown Prosecution Service, the principal public prosecuting agency in England and Wales, will be arguing the case on behalf of India.

The absconding businessman was arrested by the Scotland Yard on fraud allegations, which triggered his extradition process in the British courts.

Mallya was, however, released on bail, within hours of his arrest, as he assured the court to abide by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, including surrendering his passport.

Despite the extradition treaty signed in 1992 between India and the UK, only one successful extradition has taken placeSamirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India in October 2016 to face trial over his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002, the report says.

In April this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that Mallya's extradition was stratified by the Secretary of State of the UK government and added a warrant would soon be released against him.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.

India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8.
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia was arrested on Tuesday under Section 151 near Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia, along with his supporters, were stopped from entering Mandsaur at Dhodar while en route to meet the kin of farmers' killed in police firing during an agitation.

Section 151 in The Indian Penal Code (IPC) refers to a situation wherein a person or persons knowingly join or continue in assembly of five or more persons after being commanded to disperse.

Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.

If the assembly is an unlawful assembly within the meaning of section 141, the offender will be punishable under section 145.

Speaking to the reporters, Scindia said, "144 laga hai to maine police ko kaha hai mai akele jaunga. Kaun rok sakta hai agar ek insaan akele jana chahta hai?" (I have told the police that if I am charged with 144 then I will go alone. Who can stop if a person wants to go alone?)

Meanwhile, curfew has been lifted from Mandsaur, but prohibitory orders remain.

The state government has issued a notification for the judicial probe into Mandsaur violence. Retired Justice J. K. Jain will head the one-member judicial commission.

The single member commission will probe under what circumstances the farmers were killed in the agitation.
Over a dozen firms engaged in cross-LoC trade since October 2008 are under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) scanner as part of its probe against separatist leaders allegedly receiving terror-funding by Pakistan-based organisations to stoke unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Top NIA sources said that "dubious transactions" of several traders, whose names have been withheld considering the gravity of the case, raised suspicions about their close connections with banned Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organisations.

NIA investigators also found inputs regarding channelling of money to Kashmiri separatist leaders through these "suspected" traders. The firms run by these traders are engaged in barter trade with some Pakistan-based individuals or companies and were found to be under-invoicing the import of goods, like leather articles, dry fruitsespecially dates and California almonds (badam giri)surgical instruments, zinc and oil seeds.

The NIA suspects that "crores of rupees" had been handed over to separatist leaders by the LeT, Hizb and Pakistan's spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) through these traders and other sources for fuelling the prolonged unrest in the Valley last year after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

The agency has seized several bank accounts and ledgers of these traders who are active in the cross-border trade with Pakistan-administered Kashmir that was allowed in October 2008 as a major confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan.

The NIA has alleged that since the cross-LoC trade began, some businessmen "under- or over-invoiced" their bills, and the difference in payment was later used for promoting subversive activities in the Valley.

The counter-terror agency is also investigating the inflow of money routed during the cross-border tradewhich is against the trade rules of the barter system under which only goods can be exchanged, an official said.

The trade is conducted at two points across the Line of Controlthe de facto boundary in Kashmir between India and Pakistan: Chakan-da-bagh-Rawalakote route in Jammu and Salamabad-Chokoti in Kashmir.

The NIA's move comes after the agency converted a May 19 preliminary enquiry against Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial President Nayeem Khan, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Farooq Ahmed Dar alias "Bitta Karate" and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Ghazi Javed Baba into a regular case.

The preliminary enquiry was converted into an FIR against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and other Pakistan-based terror agencies last week.

The FIR, which does not name any of the separatist leaders, was registered under legal provisions dealing with waging war or attempting to wage war against India, criminal conspiracy, and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ul Dawah, the front of the banned LeT, has been named in the NIA's FIR.

The NIA has so far questioned over half a dozen people, including Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, in connection with the case.

Last week, the NIA carried out raids at 26 places and the following day at seven places across Srinagar, Delhi and Haryana in connection with the terror-funding probe.

This is the first time since the rise of militancy in Kashmir in the early 1990s that a central probe agency has carried out raids in connection with funding of separatists.

The NIA investigation seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terrorist activities, including those who throw stones at security forces, burn down schools and damage government establishments.

(From IANS)
The European Union will shortly release the final tranche of 25 million euros of its promised 80 million euros for the India's school programmes. The money will be used for setting up new schools, improving existing ones, schooling the poor and girl students, training teachers, and enrolling children in primary classesall under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.

This will conclude the EU's commitment to support schooling in India, to which it has contributed over 520 million (current value Rs 3700 crore) as grants.

Announcing the fund release decision, Tomasz Kozlowski, the EU's ambassador to India, recalled that the EU was India's first development partner in education. The EU had aided the 1994 District Primary Education Programme, in which the UK's Department for International Development and the World Bank joined later as partners.

India has more than 1.5 million public and private schools, which have over 227 million children on the rolls. Around 1.29 million or 84.7% are in villages where dropout rates have been high.

"As the number of children being enrolled in and completing primary school rose, we extended our support to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for elementary education up to Grade VIII in 2002, and the RMSA for secondary education in 2012," said Kozlowski. The EU has also provided 32 million euros to Chhattisgarh between 2006 and 2015 for improving primary schooling.

Ajay Tirkey, joint secretary in the ministry of human resource development, pointed out that the EU not only funded the programmes, but also has given new ideas and approaches.
Discernible dalit anger is building against the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP governemnt in Uttar Pradesh. And not surprisingly, this is brewing thanks to the continuing upper caste high-handedness in a village near Saharanpur, described as the communal lab of the country.

Dalit experts believe this can be a uniting factor. They are quick to point out that Yogi Adityanath is a dalit himself. If the excesses do not stop, they warned the chances of a caste-conflict cannot be ruled out.

More than 120 organisations of dalit youth across the state have come together to challenge the attack on their community. They have also begun using the social media, taking strong exception to the increasing abuses against their icons, including B.R. Ambedkar and Mayawati.

It is argued that activists of the Hindutva lobby always had two enemiesMuslims and dalits. The minority community has been fearful of the BJP regime, which is now ruling both at the Centre as well as the crucial and most populous state.

Dalits have become an easy target. The Rajputs appear to be emboldened with Yogi Adityanath's chief ministership. Considering the caste complexities in UP, it is widely apprehended the tormentors of the dalits are back along with untouchability.

Many analysts believe Western UP could well become the nerve-centre of the country's dalit politics in the near future, with hindutva activists becoming more aggressively active in the region.

The disturbances are attributed to the upper castes that could not tolerate political empowerment of dalits.

The upper castes also resent the 'Jai Bheem' slogan, a symbol of empowerment for dalits. For a while in the wake of disunity among its ranks, the dalit movement had weakened. With the community votes divided in different parties, they are now realising their political blunder.

This is particularly so after BSP supremo Mayawati squandering Kanshi Ram's legacy, with caste attrocities against dalits increasing under her rule.

Dalit aggression can provoke Muslims to retaliate. All this is bound to affect Mayawati adversely who, as the flag-bearer of the dalits was soundly defeated in both the general elections in 2014 and the recent assembly elections.

Her stock is at an all-time low. Recovering from this situation appears bleak for Mayawati. Dalits are now realising the harsh ground realities.

The Bhim Sena has been afforded an opening to step in and make its presence felt. It is significantly linked to the declining representation of dalit interests and ideology in the state apparatus, first under the SP and now with the BJP at the helm of affairs. The Bhim Sena is viewed more as following the Ambedkar tradition of politics.

The Samajwadi party as the other regional heavyweight in UP also failed miserably having been in power on its own for five years from 2012. Their truck with the Congress backfired badly.

The BJP's strategy of wooing the OBCs among the Muslims as well as the dalits paid rich dividends. Their gambit of polarisation succeeded much the same way as it did in the general elections in 2014.

The BJP brass has impressed upon the chief minister to ensure that the clashes did not spread to other districts and there is even-handedness in administering the state. Any fresh dalit-thakur clashes can put the Yogi Adityanath-government under strain.

The dalits have alleged collusion between Yogi Adityanath and his thakur brethren. There is fear among the dalits that the dominant thakur community will continue to harass and force them to leave the village.

The clash happened last month on May 5, when the thakurs took out a Maharana Memorial procession in which sixty dwellings were burnt down.

With the BJP indulging in majoritarian politics and continuing attacks on Muslims by the self-styled 'gau rakshaks' in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryanaall ruled by the saffron brigadehas created fear and discrimination against the Muslims.

Dalits are reaching out to Muslims for mutual support and solidarity. The Bhim Army, spearheaded by a young lawyer, Chandrashekhar, seen as a replacement for Mayawati, is seeking cooperation from the yadavs, valmikis and other OBCs. With deprivation and discrimination binding them, they see a common adversary in the upper caste-led Lotus party.

Caste continues to be a central challenge for the BJP. If there exists any major contradiction in society that can be mobilised against the BJP, it remains the caste factor, dalit experts maintained.
In a fresh push for generic drugs, the Centre is planning to open Janaushadhi Kendras at railways stations across India. Currently, there are over 1,600 Janaushadhi Kendras in over 450 districts across the country, that have opened under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), said Anand Kumar, minister for chemicals and fertilizers at a press conference on Tuesday.

The decision to open the stores selling generic medicines at railways stations came after Kumar's detailed discussion with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. We will utilise the vast railway infrastructure to increase accessibility of cheap, quality generic drugs for the common man, said Kumar.

The emphasis on generic drugs, particularly by the union ministry of health and family welfare as well as Kumar's ministry, can be traced to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement in April on making generic drugs mandatory.

The move generated controversy, particularly by doctors, who insisted that they needed to retain the autonomy to write prescriptions based on their experience. Last week too, thousands of doctors affiliated to the Indian Medical Association protested in New Delhi, citing the generic drug decision as one of their concerns.

Doctors have also cited the issue of drug quality among generic drugs. Kumar, however, insisted that the drugs available at these stores meet the WHO GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) benchmarks.

At the press meet, it was announced that both Kumar and Prabhu had directed senior officers in their ministries to work out the modalities and the strategy for rolling out the plan to open these stores at railway stations.

Having these stores at major railway stations might help increase access to cheap, generic drugs, but for the plan to succeed, the government will have to address issues of quality, and also ensure that an adequate supply of essential drugs is maintained at these shops.
A Hami melon is so much like Xinjiang. A white filigree runs over its yellow rind. So much like a map, or like the pattern on a bottle of Old Monk rum. And, under the melons intriguing skin lies pale yellow bliss. The melon is a gift of the desert. So is Xinjiang, the province that hides much under its skin.

A string of high-altitude oases, this province lies at the heart of Chinas One Belt One Road initiative. Look out of the window before the aircraft descends into Urumqi, and see a land painted in varying shades of grey. The retiring sun smears gold on the snow-capped crags of the Tian Shan range. And, then, Urumqi. A flash of green. A blaze on the horizon.

Urumqi is more than a city on the ancient Silk Route. It is a conversation between cultures, between time. Uyghur Muslims make up close to 46 per cent of the province, but there are many more ethnicities in the mosaic. Just as Perth is the worlds most remote city, Urumqi is the city farthest from the sea. And, it is the heart of Asia. Twenty-five kilometres from Urumqi, stands an 18m tower to mark the geographical centre of the continent. Of course, such a marker does not go uncontested. The Russians say the heart of Asia lies in Kyzyl, in the Tyva Republic.

However, Urumqis remoteness does not put it too far from Beijing. Everything, from architecture to infrastructure and agriculture, has a Beijing touch. For example, here, the sunset is at around 9pm, Beijing Time. Beijing goes to work at around 8am, and, to compensate, Urumqi clocks in at 10am.

To begin with, Beijing has eight reasons to keep a firm hand on XinjiangRussia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Eight countries border this one province, making it a bridgehead in Eurasia. The province has identified reserves of 139 types of minerals. For example, 30 per cent of Chinas onshore oil reserves and 40 per cent of coal reserves lie here. Add to all these the fact that 54 countries have invested in Xinjiang.

So, Chinas core interest in Xinjiang is not simply hegemonic as made out to be. It is commercial. Beijings policies in the province should be seen in this perspective. The same applies to OBOR. It is an investment and China is committed to dealing with the risks appropriately.

In his keynote address at the Belt and Road Forum on May 14, President Xi Jinping dropped a broad hint: Finance is the lifeblood of modern economy. Only when the blood circulates smoothly can one grow. Even when Xi first broached the OBOR dream in 2013, market-watchers had speculated that it could be rooted in Chinas need to create new markets and improve its return on investment. Peter Wong Tung Shun, deputy chairman and chief executive, HSBC, said recently that OBOR could also be aimed at pushing the internationalisation of the yuan.

On May 24, 2017, Moodys Investors Service downgraded Chinas credit ratings for the first time in 30 years. Moodys said the downgrade reflected the expectation that Chinas financial strength will erode somewhat over the coming years, with economy-wide debt continuing to rise as potential growth slows.

The Chinese finance ministry said Moodys was exaggerating the difficulties and underestimating Chinas ability to deepen supply-side structural reform and appropriately expand aggregate demand. Thats true to an extent, considering that state control over major sectors is significant and, perhaps, without parallel.

OBOR factors greatly in Beijings plan to boost demand. And, Chinas strategy in Xinjiang could be seen as a model for OBOR. For example, Xis worry about circulation could be applied in Xinjiang. The landlocked province has not seen as much rapid development as provinces on the seaboard.

Ghayarat Salief, deputy director (Information), Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, told THE WEEK that geography was a major challenge in the province. We are an oasis economy, and it was tough to connect these isolated pockets. Also, the return on investment was slow. But, that has changed vastly with high-speed rail connectivity, airports and roads. OBOR will take this further. Salief said that the change was powered by a mix of favourable financial policy and infrastructure development.

Officials in Xinjiang said that one of the policy initiatives that has seen success is the pairing assistance programme, where provinces that were strong in certain areas were asked to help those that were not. This peer to peer assistance can go down to municipal level and it is not restricted to industries.

Xinjiangs Hotan prefecture, for example, has cotton and jujube farms owned by farmers who were originally from Gansu, Henan and Shandong provinces. China-watchers say the pairing assistance programme has the additional thrust of domestically managing the countrys excess capacity in certain sectors. Interestingly enough, managing excess capacity is also considered to be one of the core drivers of OBOR.

Another takeaway from Xinjiang could be security. The international community has been very critical of what is seen as Han domination of Muslim Uyghurs. But, the Uyghurs THE WEEK met had a different story to tell. Yes, Beijing is watchful. But, the scrutiny mostly does not impinge upon the way Islam has traditionally been practised here. For example, Uyghur women dont wear the burqa, names do not sound Muslim, their embroidery is exceptional and it is not restricted to geometric shapes. While the Taliban frowns on music and dance, Uyghurs celebrate with dances and with the magnificent muqam, a mix of music and theatre. And, in a land famous for dried fruits, tomatoes and the famed Turpan grapes, who says no to a glass of wine?

Tip of the spear: Chinese marines training in Xinjiang. Beijing has sanctioned a 400 per cent increase in the number of marines | Reuters

Beijing clearly does not want Islamic monoculture in Xinjiang. Terror attacks and the assassination of two progressive mullahs have raised the ire of the administration. China has always accused the west of double standards, when it comes to dealing with radical Islam. They can have boots on the ground in Afghanistan, but we cannot defend ourselves from terrorists? an official, who did not wish to be named, asked THE WEEK.

In his first message as the caliph of Islamic State, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi named China as a target. The threat did not come as a surprise, considering that China has had credible evidence of links between al-Qaeda and East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) since 1999. ETIMs stated agenda is the separation of Xinjiang from China. While China has dealt with its domestic terror concerns swiftly and unmercifully, it has not been part of international anti-terror missions. But, OBOR will change that.

In November 2015, IS executed a Chinese citizen for the first time. The next week, IS affiliates attacked the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, killing 22three were Chinese nationals working for the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation. Mathieu Duchatel, deputy director (Asia and China programme), European Council on Foreign Relations, observed: Chinas global footprint means that it has global exposure to terrorist risks. Meanwhile, Chinas ambitious plans for Eurasian integration, which involve a new wave of outward investment and a new wave of Chinese citizens settling overseas, mean those risks are likely to increase in the coming years.

The comprehensive anti-terror law passed in December 2015 is seen as part of its reaction to this risk. The law provides for China to seek international cooperation in its anti-terror efforts, and allows Chinese forces to participate in counter-terror ops abroad. Lu Kang, director-general (information), ministry of foreign affairs, said that the law is the answer to the latest situation and our objective needs.

In January 2016, the marines corps of the Chinese Navy held a field drill in the Gobi desert, in Xinjiang. It was the corpss first ever exercise in the region, which is around 2,000km from the nearest ocean. Defence analysts had observed then that Beijing had just taken a page out of Americas playbook.

The marines were being moved from their traditional amphibious assault role to that of an expeditionary force. This March, Beijing announced a 400 per cent increase in the number of its Marines, from 20,000 to one lakh. Main overseas stations of the force are expected to be Djibouti and Gwadar port, Pakistan. Both places figure in the larger OBOR map.

Now, the final question. Is OBOR merely a land and sea trade network? Of course, not. The most credible proof lies in Chinas exploration of the Northwest Passage, the fabled shortcut from the Pacific to the Atlantic, which offers Chinese merchant vessels a faster passage all the way to the US east coast, than through the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn. With global warming opening previously icebound shipping lanes, China COSCO Shipping has been sending vessels on this route.

OBOR is President Xis Great Wall, and, in it, he sees the possible extension of the Chinese philosophy, and the opportunity to step into a vacuum left behind by an increasingly insular America.

THE WEEK was hosted in China by the information office, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
At least 125 people have been killed in three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to rains induced massive landslides.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: At least 125 people have been killed in three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to heavy rains induced landslide.

The Bangladesh Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate said that 4 soldiers including 2 Army officers have died in the landslide.

News of several people missing in different places has been reported following the landslide.

The affected areas are known to be thickly populated. Sources said that the number of casualties is likely to be higher. The army, fire service and law enforcing agencies are conducting rescue operations.

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Chittagong, Rangamati Bandarban have been witnessing heavy rains since Sunday due to the depression caused in the Bay of Bengal. There have been reports of road blocks and power supply crisis in different areas.

The fire service official said that nearly 88 people have been killed in Rangamati city and several upazilas due to heavy rains.

The government has said that at least 4,000 people have been taken to 18 shelters where the hill collapse occurred.

ALSO READ : If Bangladesh wants, India will support during eleventh national election

ALSO READ :Indian Navy rescues 33 Bangladeshis as Cyclone Mora killed 9

ALSO WATCH: One soldier killed in unprovoked firing by India, claims Pakistan Army

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All men have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, wrote Thomas Jefferson in the American Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was an epicurean, but a pragmatist: He knew people will look for happiness, but he also knew that most people wouldnt find it. Hence the guarantee, in the American constitution, of the right to pursuit of happiness and not of happiness itself.

A sharp-witted polymath, Jefferson would have fitted in with the host of eminent persons who graced the Manorama News Conclave on Happiness, the first-of-its kind conclave in Kerala held at Le Meridian in Kochi on June 3. Across several sessions of stimulating discussions, on themes as varied as governance and spirituality, and economy and arts, they shared their views on how Malayalis ought to pursue happiness.

The timing was appropriate: A survey conducted in the weeks leading up to the conclave had revealed that the happiness index of Malayalis stood at a dismal 4.4 out of 10. Most people worried about corruption and social security of the elderly. Apparently, the fact that most of them were satisfied with their health and living standards was not reassuring enough.

In the session titled State of Happiness, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar suggested that people did not realise that happiness was within them. Someone asked me, in Los Angeles the other day, What makes you happy? I said, What do you mean? I am happiness.

While Ravi Shankars spiritual insights drew much appreciation from the audience, the man who succeeded him on stage, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant had material matters on mind. With the Gulf boom coming to a close, he said, Kerala was at the crossroads. It needed to discover growth engines, get rid of rules that kill businesses and tourism, and focus on sustainable development.

The Malayalis must get it into their minds that there is nothing wrong in creating wealth, said Kant. Even in Bhutan [which relies on gross national happiness index], the king has said that the people must have the freedom to create wealth.

Breaking News or Happiness had journalists Barkha Dutt, Vinod K. Jose and Dhanya Rajendran and writer N.S. Madhavan talking about the state of the Indian media. Dutt said people had been cribbing about what they watch keenly, while Jose said the rich and the powerful should not dictate journalism.

IPS officers K. Sethuraman and Merin Joseph and IAS officer Sriram Venkataraman discussed the role of bureaucrats. We think most people want to do their job in peace, said Venkataraman, whose moves to evict encroachers in Munnar ruffled many a political feather recently. But think of a sub-inspector of police. Would we be able to lead a peaceful life if he is bent on avoiding conflicts? For some people, peace is not synonymous with happiness. They derive happiness from doing their duty.

The session on Gender of Happiness had actor Manju Warrier as moderator and writer Anita Nair, Olympian Anju Bobby George and Divya S. Iyer, IAS, as participants. Anita Nair said that the pressure on women to exercise moderation had never waned in Kerala. The male scrutiny defines what a woman does, she said. Othukkam (modesty), which is religiously preached by our society, is a product of that.

In Happinomics, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, noted bureaucrat V.J. Kurian and entrepreneurs Azad Moopen and Navas Meeran roadmapped Keralas economic progress. Manifesto of Happiness, on the importance of credible politics, crackled with the witty banter among panellists: Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, Subramanian Swamy of the BJP and Nilotpal Basu of the CPI(M). Basu set the tone, saying that he was surprised that he was invited to the conclave, because the common refrain about us, the communists, is that we try to discover unhappiness.

The concluding session, Cinema: Happy with the Big?, explored whether blockbusters like Baahubali were boon or bane for the Malayalam film industry. A bane, no doubt. It will kill the ecosystem that fosters creativity and talent, two factors that make Malayalam films great, said award-winning filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Art director Sabu Cyril, who was part of the Baahubali crew, partly agreed, saying, Malayalis need not make big-budget films; we can watch the ones others make. It is all about setting your priorities and budget right.

In his valedictory address, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, Dont survive only on remittance economy. Keralites have a lot of potential. Keep it up with good governance and good politics.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had inaugurated the conclave. He said people in Kerala were reluctant to see others unhappy. Happiness, according to him, had become a basic right here. The government is duty-bound to provide maximum happiness to all, said Vijayan.

It was a happy coincidence that, an hour after he left the conclave venue, the chief minister boarded the Kochi Metro to inspect the operational aspects of the project. The metro will form the backbone of the proposed integrated public transport system, which is expected to significantly ease the traffic woes of Keralas commercial capital. Vijayan took a ride on phase-I of the metro, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 17. For most Malayalis, Kochi Metro is a dream come true, one that symbolises a giant leap in their pursuit of happiness.

Jefferson would surely have approved.
The Tourism Ministry and Hainan Airlines announced on Sunday morning 17 Sivan 5777 the signing of a marketing agreement to open a new route between Shanghai and Tel Aviv. This step makes Hainan Airlines the first airline to operate regular flights between the economic capital of China and Israel. Because of the signing of the agreement, tickets can be reserved from today on this route.

In the last year, there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists and business people visiting Israel from China. The new route is expected to increase these numbers further, while providing good news to the Israeli consumer who can now enjoy a new destination in the Far East. The entry of Hainan Airlines into Israels skies has brought a significant reduction in prices, and it is anticipated that this will happen on the new route as well.

Beginning September 12, Hainan Airlines will operate three direct weekly flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, using their new Dreamliner planes (787-900). The flights will depart from Ben-Gurion Airport at 13:55 local time and land in Shanghai at 05:30 the following day. The flights will leave Shanghai at 01:25, landing in Ben-Gurion at 08:30 the same day. According to Hainan Airlines, the ticket prices for a return journey will begin from $669 in economy class and from $2,749 in business class.

The company has also decided to add another flight to the current four weekly flights on the Tel Aviv-Beijing route due to increased demand, beginning September.

The entry of Hainan Airlines into the Israeli market in April 2016 changed the face of incoming tourism from China, leading to a significant drop in airfares. In its first year of operations in Israel, Hainan Airlines flew 76,649 passengers on its direct flights into Israel from Beijing. Today, the company accounts for 63% of the direct flights between China and Israel, with Chinese passengers accounting for about 70% of all flights and Israelis 30%. In the period January  April 2017, 35,800 tourist entries from China were recorded, 116% increase on the same period last year.

According to the company, Hainan Airlines, with its fleet of 177 airplanes, is the fourth largest airline in China and the largest private airline in the country.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin: I congratulate Hainan Airlines on opening a new route from Shanghai, another direct route that will bring record numbers of tourists from China. We set as our goal to encourage and assist airlines to open new direct routes from destinations that hold potential for incoming tourism to Israel and I am pleased that Hainan Airlines expresses a vote of confidence in us and continues its cooperation with us in its operations in Israel.

Li Liang, General Manager, Hainan Airlines: We are very excited to announce the opening of a new direct route from Shanghai. We thank Minister Levin and his ministry for the important support we received through this process. There is no precedent in the company for opening another route less than a year after opening the inaugural route from Beijing. This is an amazing vote of confidence from the airline in the Israeli market and our cooperation with the Israeli government. We have no doubt that the new route from Shanghai will continue to boost the number of tourists visiting Israel from China and will serve as another bridge in strengthening the commercial ties between China and Israel. Today, we operate four weekly flights from Beijing which exceeds our expectations and we are sure that the three weekly flights from Shanghai will enjoy remarkable success. Shanghai holds a unique place in the historical connection between China and the Jewish people, when the city absorbed 30,000 Jews fleeing Europe during the Second World War. We are proud to strengthen this connection today with the launch of the first direct route between the commercial capital of China and Israel. We will operate our new Dreamliner 787-900 on the route and we will soon see the launch of deals to serve the Israeli public.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
A female government employee was kicked by a man as she observed fast during Ramazan and came late to work. The man who assaulted the woman has also been in fights with others as well.

By India Today Web Desk: A female government employee was assaulted by her male colleague in Karnataka's Raichur district.

The footage caught on camera showed Sharanappa, a contractual employee, assaulting Nasreen who works at Sindhanur City Municipal Council (SCMC). He had kicked Nasreen after they got into an argument as she came late to work. Reportedly, Sharanappa, who is a computer operator, had been involved in fights with others as well.

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According to the police official, at the time of incident Nasreen was observing fast during Ramazan. After she filed a complaint against Sharanappa, he was arrested by the police.

#CAUGHTONCAM: Sindhanur City Municipal Council employee kicks a woman colleague, in Karnataka's Raichur. Accused arrested, case registered. pic.twitter.com/X2lYckClXI- ANI (@ANI_news) June 13, 2017

SCMC official told, "following the woman's complaint, her male colleague has been dismissed and handed over to police."

"Sharanappa is a contractual employee and the Council had no idea about the incident. We came to know about it only after police informed that Nasreen has complained against Sharanappa," he further added.

The incident occurred last Saturday which was a holiday but Sharanappa and Nasreen were asked to work to clear backlog.

FYI || Watch: Kerala man enters college bus, abuses driver, assaults female student and flees the spot ||

FYI || Radical Islamists troll, threaten, abuse Muslim woman for singing Hindu devotional song ||

--- ENDS ---
(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

14 years ago, on June 11th, 2003, Alan Beer HYD and 16 other people HYD were murdered by a terrorist who blew himself up on the 14a bus at Davidka Square. The family of Alan Beer sued for damages from Iran and other entities that support terror and were victorious in their lawsuit. From the penalties awarded, only a small amount ever reached the family and they decided to utilize this money and inaugurate a mobile intensive care ambulance that will save lives in the city in which the terror attack was carried out.

14 years to the day, in the very spot of the terror attack, Davidka Square, the relatives of slain Alan Beer stood together with family members of other victims, as well as EMS and hospital personnel who treated the victims from that heinous attack. In their presence, the ambulance was unveiled and a Sefer Torah was written in honor of the fallen.

Alan hailed from Cleveland, Ohio and was a new immigrant to Israel. He had been in the country for only a few months when his life was cut short by the tragic attack. In the words of his sister Cookie Maisel who spoke at the dedication, Alan loved Jerusalem. He loved it and he loved the people in it. He loved talking with them and hearing their stories. It is why he took the bus instead of driving his own car. What better way to pay tribute to him than by dedicating an ambulance that will save the lives of people in the city that he loved so much.

The ambulance was dedicated to United Hatzalah and will serve as the organizations first ICU ambulance.

Dov Maisel, Vice President of International Operations of United Hatzalah and the nephew of Alan, was one of the first responders at the scene of the attack. He was the EMS responder who found his uncle amid the rubble after the blast. Today, in this very spot, we are closing a circle. 14 years ago, my uncle, Alan was murdered together with 16 other people, while over 100 were injured amid the chaos of the 14a bus bombing. At this place, where friends and family members lost their lives we are inaugurating a new mobile intensive care unit that will save lives, he said.

President and Founder of United Hatzalah Eli Beer said following the event, This ICU ambulance will join the other 24 active ambulances across the country and will save lives of all citizens of Israel, regardless of race, religion or background. We are incredibly excited as an organization to honor the memory of our beloved Alan Beer, whose life was taken from us before his time. By helping us to save lives in Israel we hope that his memory may live on among the heroes of Israel. Alans family was generous enough to donate the mobile ICU to United Hatzalah so that this vehicle will be able to save lives without cost to the patients. Being able to inaugurate the vehicle in the very spot that Alans life was taken away together with 16 other victims of the heinous attack, has brought a small sense of relief to the family and to all of us as a nation.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: United Hatzalah)
Haaretz reports on Monday morning 18 Sivan that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, accompanied by opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog, secretly met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The report states the meeting took place in the Presidential Palace in April 2016 during the time period when Herzog was in contact with the prime minister about possibly entering the coalition government.

The traveled with a number of advisors on a private jet, late at night, from an airport in the center of the country directly to Cairo. From their they traveled directly to the presidential palace for the meeting, which surrounding political steps to advance a regional diplomatic policy. They were back in Israel before sunrise.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
In his words describing anger among chareidi elected officials pertaining to Chilul Shabbos on Ayalon Highway work, Transportation Minister (Likud) Yisrael Katz last week called it an artificial crisis, playing down chareidi anger. This was days before workers would once again be mechalel Shabbos working on the highway project.

The chareidim insist the work was not pikuach nefesh and therefore, it could have been done during the week.

The work in question was on the Ayalon in the southbound direction between Rokeach Interchange and Arlozoroff Interchange from Friday night at 11:00PM until 4:00PM on Shabbos day.

The chareidi elected officials are becoming increasingly audible in their protest, beginning to hint at a coalition crisis. The daily Hamodia reports that Health Minister Yaakov Litzman turned to Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz to point out the severity of the incident. He instructed him to intervene to prevent future Chilul Shabbos, which Litzman pointed out is not pikuach nefesh and therefore unjustifiable on Shabbos.

MK Moshe Gafne also commented, explaining he has been informed by the Minister of Labor the workers were non-Jews and only the minimum work was done however, he does not find this to be an acceptable situation. MK Uri Maklev added that the policy is such because Shabbos is not perceived as paramount but as secondary. Maklev feels that when repairs and maintenance is planned, kedushas Shabbos must be considered in advance.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The following is being reported, albeit without names, because such a scenario can happen in many homes and one must learn the painful lesson of this couple, whose entire life has been turned around by the events that have taken place.

Bnei Brak violence has led to the hospitalization of a seven-week-old baby, who has sustained a fractured skull RL. Police report the father, 37, attacked his wife and while the attack was taking place, the infant was injured too.

The father was arrested, telling police he had no intentions of harming their child. The court however was not sympathetic and he remains in jail.

According to a Yisrael Hayom report, police in the Dan District received a call last weekend, a complaint from a woman that she had been assaulted by her husband, who left and was living with his father. He arrived home on Thursday and an argument ensued. The wife told police she was holding their infant in her hands when he lost control and punched her with a closed fist, striking the child too. He left the home after the assault.

The infant is in Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital and has been diagnosed with a fractured skull.

The husbands attorney, Eyal Simchoni, stresses he never intended to harm or even strike the child but he tried to calm his wife who suffers from hysteria and postpartum depression.

Justice Amiad Roth extended the husbands remand for three days and ordered a preliminary psychiatric evaluation.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

On May 22, 2017, in a Bnei Brak post office, a man left his tallis and tefilin. A cleaner found them and placed them in a closet. The following day, after visiting the post office, a suspect stole the tallis and tefilin.

The person in question is 38 and has been using the tefilin since his bar mitzvah, which he explains cost NIS 7,000 but are far more valuable sentimentally.

A police report was filed and the stolen items were found in the Krayot. A Krayot resident, 60, was taken into custody. On Monday, 18 Sivan 5777, the tallis and tefilin finally arrived back in the police station and Frist Sgt. Shlomi Bahat returned them.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Police spokesman unit)
Former President George H.W. Bush is celebrating his 93rd birthday with family on the Maine coast.

Bush was planning a low-key celebration Monday with his wife, Barbara Bush, and other family members at their summer home in Kennebunkport. She turned 92 last week.

The former president was hospitalized in the spring with a case of bronchitis, but his staff says hes doing well. He arrived in Maine last month.

Bush is the oldest living ex-president and has celebrated previous birthdays by skydiving. His last jump came when he turned 90.

His chief of staff, Jean Becker, says hes going to remain firmly planted on the ground Monday. Becker joked that she hid his parachute.

(AP)
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis blamed the inability of Congress to deliver an annual defense budget for what he called a shockingly poor state of combat readiness as the United States faces fierce rivals, including what he described as an urgent and dangerous threat from North Korea.

Testifying Monday night before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis took aim at lawmakers for repeatedly approving short-term spending measures that provide too little money and lack the authority the service branches need to prepare their troops for the battlefield. He also faulted Capitol Hill for not repealing a law that strictly limits defense spending even though there is widespread support for doing away with the measure.

Congress has sidelined itself from its active constitutional oversight role, Mattis said. It has blocked new programs, prevented service growth, stalled industry initiative and placed troops at greater risk. Despite support from the committee, Mattis said Congress as a whole has met the present challenge with lassitude, not leadership.

Mattis, who appeared before the panel with Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said North Koreas continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope. He called Pyongyangs programs to build weapons of mass destruction a clear and present danger to all.

The defense secretary warned that a war with North Korea would be very, very serious and be unlike anything the world has seen since 1953 when the Korean war ended. Dunford said the U.S. and its allies would win, but the casualties would be unlike anything weve seen in decades.

The committee called Mattis and Dunford to field questions about President Donald Trumps proposed military budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Trump requested $639 billion for the Pentagon, including $65 billion for ongoing military operations. Yet Republican lawmakers are pressing for upward of $30 billion more to be added to the budget. They argue the extra money is needed to rebuild the military degraded by years of war and erratic budgets.

The world is not stopping and waiting on us to get our act together, said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the committee chairman. It moves on, and it is moving in a dangerous direction.

During the wide-ranging hearing, Mattis sought congressional approval to shutter excess military bases  a move the Pentagon concludes will save billions of dollars but one that lawmakers have previously rejected.

Mattis proposed a new round of base closings starting in 2021. He said the department currently has more infrastructure capacity than required for operations. That outlook wont change even if the service branches grow in size, he said. Closing the unneeded bases would save $10 billion over a five-year period, Mattis said, which could be used to acquire four nuclear submarines or dozens of jet fighters.

But military installations are prized possessions in congressional districts. The GOP-led Congress rebuffed the Obama administrations requests to reduce the number of military bases even though the Army and Air Force said they had vastly more space for training and basing troops than they need. But lawmakers have refused to go along, questioning the data and the analysis the Pentagon used to make its argument for fewer facilities.

Mattis also faced skepticism, particularly over the up-front cost required. Thornberry said it took 10 years to break even from the last time the Pentagons closed bases.

That has left a bitter taste in a lot of folks mouths, Thornberry said.

Mattis pledged to examine the data to avoid past pitfalls.

Mattis said the Trump administration continues to deliberate a new strategy for Afghanistan, telling the committee we need to do things differently.

The war in Afghanistan began in October 2001. The U.S. has about 9,800 troops there conducting counterterrorism operations against insurgents and training the Afghan army. Although they ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014, they are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield. The top commander there has told lawmakers he could use several thousand more U.S. troops to end the stalemate in the country.

But Mattis declined to tip his hand on the emerging blueprint, saying only that it would not rely solely on the military and a decision would be coming soon.

The bulk of the fighting will continued to be carried by the Afghan forces, he said. Mattis added that the plan would require additional money thats not in the current budget request.

(AP)
Authorities say at least 34 people were injured after elevated carbon monoxide readings were detected Tuesday morning in the basement of 60 Murray Street, a commercial building in the Tribeca section of Manhattan.

Only one person is believed to have a serious injury and was taken to New York Downtown Hospital.

An oil burner fire may have sparked the high carbon monoxide readings.

The FDNY responded to a defective oil burner in the basement at 8:28 a.m.

(Source: WABC)
ISIS is calling on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States and Europe during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that began two weeks ago.

In an audiotape circulated online Monday, spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajer praised last weeks attacks in Irans capital, saying the country is weaker than a spiders web and calling for more assaults.

Al-Muhajer also called for attacks in Russia and Australia, saying heaven is reached under the shadow of swords.

ISIS has called for attacks during Ramadan in the past. This year it has claimed responsibility for attacks in Britain, Egypt, Iran and the Philippines that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.

(AP)
A top U.S. military commander in Europe says American B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers currently taking part in exercises from a British air base should reassure allies about his countrys commitment to NATO.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, commander of the Germany-based 3rd Air Force, told reporters Monday the bombers are participating in exercises with NATO partners and other allies.

President Donald Trump has been critical of NATO but Clark says from a military standpoint theres been no change in guidance and this exercise underscores our commitment to NATO and our allies.

Speaking in a phone conference from the bombers temporary base in Fairford, England, Clark says the Russian intercept of a B-52 over the Baltic last week is no cause for concern, calling it standard practice.

(AP)
The story has expired.

By India Today Web Desk: The story has expired.

--- ENDS ---
The White House says President Donald Trump still looks forward to scheduling a trip to the United Kingdom.

Spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday that Queen Elizabeth II had invited the president and we look forward to scheduling that trip. He said they hope to find a mutually acceptable date.

The prime ministers office said Sunday the invitation was still good, after a newspaper reported Trump wanted to postpone the trip. The Guardian reported Sunday that Trump told Prime Minister Theresa May that he doesnt want to come if there will be protests. The newspaper cited an unnamed Downing St. aide.

The White House said Sunday the two leaders had not discussed the topic.

Spicer said Trump does not factor his popularity in the country when deciding on a foreign trip.

(AP)
While Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz confidently plays down the repeated Chilul Shabbos on Tel Avivs Ayalon Highway, chareidi parties in Knesset prefer to turn up the heat, insisting it could lead to a true coalition crisis.

Work on a section of the Ayalon has taken place on Friday night and Shabbos day in recent weeks, with Katz insisting there is no alternative, guaranteeing all of the construction workers are non-Jews.

According to a report in Hamodia, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman has spoken with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on the matter, threatening it could bring an end to the government coalition. Litzman is quoted telling the prime minister Maintaining the Shabbos status quo is among the first items mentioned in coalition agreements but it appears There are government offices that are turning Shabbos into a weekday, referring to the Ministry of Transportation.

Mr. Netanyahu reportedly told Litzman he noted the issues at hand and he will address them with the appropriate agencies and persons.

In addition, Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush on Monday, 18 Sivan, had demanded an explanation for the Chilul Shabbos seen over the past three Shabbatot. In his HaMevaser newspaper, Porush attacks Katz for the ongoing Chilul Shabbos in addition to the ministrys defiance of the Shabbos status quo elsewhere. He adds that beginning this Shabbos, the Ministry has permitted operating the 369 line from Tel Aviv to Beersheva. HaMevaser adds that this is in addition to the fact that this very same line has carried out 61 trips in both directions.

The chareidim are placing the blame on Katz, adding he along is responsible in his capacity as Minister of Transportation and he must act to prevent a coalition crisis or bear the outcome of his actions.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
While by any margin of judging his actions as a chareidi MK, Moshe Gafne is indeed a leading figure in Knesset working to protect the rights of chareidi citizens. However, from time-to-time he seems to put his foot in his mouth saying something to anger one tzibur or another. In the past, when angered at settlers, Gafne has been heard threatening he would support a future vote giving yishuvim away.

Some feel that the following comments, made by Gafne, are harmful to the cause and would have best not been said. Gafne told the Haaretz-sponsored Israel Peace Conference he supports an agreement with the Palestinians.

I do not like the legislation that this government brings on all kinds of right-wing issues, Gafne said.

Gafne explained why he joined a right-wing government: They always ask me in lectures of this kind  you are politically more inclined to the left, why do not you go with them, because they are sitting with the Reform?

In a conversation with Haaretz editor Aluf Benn, Gafne added: I will not sit with the Reform, the Reform being the biggest blow to the Jewish People. I do not have someone saying to me, In matters that are important to you, we are with you in fire and water. I speak my mind with Netanyahu in the Knesset plenum. I am not a leftist, I am acting wiser, and on the political issues I am close to the left.

Gafne adds The leftists are more intelligent than the right-wing, leading to a round of applause from the conference audience.

The first important thing is that the State of Israel be a Jewish state, otherwise we have no right to conduct negotiations with the Palestinians  they were here before us, we removed them from here, said the Finance Committee chairman.

He quickly explained: If we do not have the historical right that the Jewish people have here, we have no rights.

Regarding Peleg protests, Gafne claimed that the demonstrations were aimed at him and his party members.

Im part of the establishment, part of the system, they want us not to be there, Im the first in the Knesset plenum to condemn those who went to Iran, so what if they look like me? People must know how to make the distinction.

At the Likuds chareidi headquarters, MK Gafnes response to the Haaretz conference, in which he admitted that he was a leftist and that the Arabs had preceded the Jews in the Land of Israel did not go over well.

The man is totally cut off from the chareidi public. When we warned before elections that Gafne is left-wing, we meant it. The chareidi tzibur opposes the messianic fantasies of the left, and resolutely opposes the abandonment of parts of the land by the Palestinian murderers to put it mildly.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
REFRESH FOR UPDATES  OLDER UPDATES IN EXTENDED ARTICLE

5:07PM ET: Committee Chairman Sen. Burr thanks Sessions for participating in a continuing dialogue. Burr: You have helped us tremendously. The hearing has been adjourned.

5:05PM ET: Sessions: I do want to say that a change at the top of the FBI should have no impact on the Russian investigation.

5:01PM ET: Sessions says that its very disturbing that the Russians continue to push hostile actions in their foreign policy. McCain asks if theres a strategy to deal with the Russian threat. Sessions says there is not. Sessions: All of Congress is going to have to do better.

4:57PM ET:

Markets hit record high. Senate Dems continue their OBSTRUCTION. America is roaring back without them and despite them! #MAGA"  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 13, 2017

4:45PM ET: Senator John Cornyn (R-TX): Is it true that the Russian investigation didnt factor into your decision to fire Director Comey? Sessions: That is correct.

4:40PM ET: VIDEO: Im not able to be rushed this fast  it makes me nervous, AG Jeff Sessions says while answering questions from Sen. Kamala Harris.

"I'm not able to be rushed this fast  it makes me nervous," AG Jeff Sessions says while answering questions from Sen. Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/CG1nUYwh3M  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2017

4:29PM ET: VIDEO: AG Sessions lists a group of Trump officials he has no recollections of meeting with Russian officials

"I don't recall any of those individuals having any meeting with the Russian officials," AG Sessions says of Trump campaign associates. pic.twitter.com/VBmGy7JOaP  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2017

4:24PM ET: Senator James Lankford (R-OK) starts questioning, defending Sessions position that conversations with the president should remain private. Lankford says theres a long history of keeping such conversations confidential.

4:16PM ET: Trump Jr: Markets up again as dems messaging gets destroyed in these hearings

4:05PM ET: VIDEO: Sen Heinrich Goes OFF! You took an oathAnd now youre not answering questions. Youre impeding this investigation.

Sen Heinrich: You took an oathAnd now youre not answering questions. Youre impeding this investigation. pic.twitter.com/0khsPNZvM8  David Mack (@davidmackau) June 13, 2017

4:02PM ET: Sessions refuses to answer a question asking if President Trump has ever expressed concern over Sessions performance as Attorney General.

3:54PM ET: Wyden: Why did you sign the letter recommending the firing of Director Comey when it violated your recusal? Sessions say it didnt violate his recusal. Wyden says that Sessions answer doesnt pass the smell test.

3:52PM ET: Sessions: Theres a secret innuendo out there being leaked about me and I dont appreciate it.

3:49PM ET: Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) starts his questioning, says hes fed up with stonewalling. Sessions: I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic polices of the department of justice.

3:46PM ET: VIDEO: Rubio: Do you know if the president records conversations in the White House? Sessions says he does not.

Sessions says he does not know if the President records conversations in the White House https://t.co/ktSiFF7yGW https://t.co/eb3J8XDd7k  CNN (@CNN) June 13, 2017

3:35PM ET: Sessions: Comey did not tell me any details about anything that was said that was improper from his conversation with Trump.

3:34PM ET: JUST IN: Department of Justice releases Attorney General Jeff Sessions prepared remarks  (Full Text)

JUST IN: Department of Justice releases Attorney General Jeff Sessions prepared remarks  (Full Text)  https://t.co/mH3hROJOAf pic.twitter.com/3HFpFMMZMR  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 13, 2017

3:32PM ET: Sen. Warner: James Comey expressed concern about being left alone with the president, AG Sessions testifies. But that in itself is not problematic.

3:30PM ET: VIDEO: Q: Did Trump campaigns foreign policy team ever meet?

Sessions: (laughs) A couple of times, maybe We never functioned as a coherent team

Q: Did Trump campaigns foreign policy team ever meet?

Sessions: (laughs) A couple of times, maybe We never functioned as a coherent team pic.twitter.com/6CEU4hfyxx  David Mack (@davidmackau) June 13, 2017

3:27PM ET: AG Sessions just said he doesnt think its good policy for Trump cabinet members to keep testifying before Congress

3:24PM ET: AG says he has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller; says he has no idea whether Pres. Trump maintains confidence in Mueller.

3:22PM ET: Attorney General Jeff Sessions tells Senate Intelligence Committee he has no knowledge beyond what has been publicly reported of the federal investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, from which he has recused himself.

3:20PM ET: VIDEO: The suggestion I participated in or was aware of any collusion with Russian govt is an appalling and detestable lie, AG Sessions says

The suggestion I participated in or was aware of any collusion with Russian govt is an appalling and detestable lie, AG Sessions says pic.twitter.com/fZoEEcjHVl  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2017

3:17PM ET: Sessions defends his remarks to Franken during his confirmation hearing:

He asked me a rambling question that included dramatic, new allegations that the United States intelligence community had advised President-elect Trump that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trumps surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government,' he said. I was taken aback by these explosive allegations.

3:11PM ET: Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that he did not have a third undisclosed meeting with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak as he denied any notion that he colluded with Russian officials during President Donald Trumps campaign.

The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie, Sessions said before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Sessions had been forced to clarify remarks from his confirmation hearing in January that he did not have communications with Russian officials when two previous meetings with Kisylak surfaced earlier this year. But the Justice Department has repeatedly denied that a third meeting took place, reportedly at the Mayflower Hotel in April 2016.

I did not have any private meetings nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel, Sessions said on Tuesday.

2:50PM ET: Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr laid out what he hoped to address during Sessions testimony on Tuesday in his opening remarks.

Heres what he said:

Attorney General Sessions, this venue is your opportunity to separate fact from fiction and to set the record straight on a number of allegations reported in the press. For example, there are several issues that I am hopeful we will address today:

Did you have any meetings with Russian officials or their proxies on behalf of the Trump campaign or during your time as Attorney General?

What was your involvement with candidate-Trumps foreign policy team, and what were their possible interactions with Russians?

Why did you decide to recuse yourself from the Governments Russia investigation? And,

What role, if any, did you play in the removal of then-FBI Director Comey?
A former darling of Britain's tech scene is being snapped up by American buyers after losing a battle with Apple and Google.

Monitise pioneered mobile phone payments and was once a 2billion business which many expected to dominate the industry.

But its value collapsed after giants Apple and Google muscled in with rival software backed by all the wealth Silicon Valley could muster.

Rise and fall: Monitise's value collapsed after giants Apple and Google muscled in with rival software backed by all the wealth Silicon Valley could muster

Shares in the Soho-based firm have crashed 98 per cent since their peak in early 2014, and the business is now being bought by Fiserv for just 70million.

'The tech sector is a particularly savage place to be because it moves so fast,' said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laith Khalaf.

'The likes of Apple, Google's parent company Alphabet and Facebook are so big they can afford to throw resources at designing their own stuff and buying competitors.

'If they decide to enter the market then competitors should beware because they have such deep pockets  Monitise might have been a 2billion company but Google and Apple can draw on hundreds of billions.'

Founded in 2003, Monitise floated four years later and quickly became the toast of the City, winning backing from big hitters such as Visa, MasterCard and Telefonica.

The firm developed a star-studded list of clients, with payment systems for Santander and most other UK banks, and tie-ups with well-known names including Premier Inn.

But envious eyes were watching from across the Atlantic  and in 2013, Apple began top-secret talks with Visa, MasterCard and US lenders about its own service.

The proposals were deemed so sensitive that one firm involved, Wall Street giant JP Morgan, held all discussions in a windowless 'war room' to prevent details from leaking out.

Of the 300 people who the bank set to work on the project, only 100 were told that Apple was the partner.

Apple Pay is a sign of how the tech giants have their eyes on the lucrative finance world

The iPhone maker finally announced its plans to enter the market with Apple Pay on September 9, 2014.

Nine days later, Visa said it was looking to reduce its stake in Monitise  sending shares crashing around 35 per cent.

Google launched its Android Pay system the same year, hammering another nail into the company's coffin. Meanwhile, losses were stacking up and bosses were jumping ship.

Monitise issued three profit warnings in 12 months, co-founder Alastair Lukies  a former professional rugby player  quit, and his replacement Elizabeth Buse departed soon afterwards, quickly followed by chief finance officer Brad Petzer. Since midway through 2015, it has lost 528million.

The firm put itself up for sale two years ago.

Chief executive Lee Cameron, who earned 344,000 in the year to June 30, 2016, said Monitise clients would be 'served well' by Wisconsin-based Fiserv whose offer of 2.9p per share is 26 per centmore than the company's 2.3p closing price before the deal was announced.

Fiserv, whose boss Jeffery Yabuki was paid 7.8million in 2015, is the latest foreign firm to buy a UK company after the fall in the pound following the Brexit vote made British companies look cheap.

There are concerns the UK is bad at supporting tech companies once they get beyond being a start-up.

Many struggle to find the billions of pounds needed to reach the next level in the City, and are forced into the arms of the Silicon Valley giants so they can carry on growing.
The 403million takeover of 1,900 British pubs by global drinks giant Heineken could see punters paying more for their pint - but only in 33 areas across the UK.

The competition watchdog has examined the market and decided that it is only in certain areas that Heineken will have sufficient power in the market to risk raising pump prices.

Heineken now has to address the CMA's concerns over the 33 areas where competition could be reduced by June 20, or face an in-depth probe.

Concerns have been raised in the industry over the deal by Heineken to acquire nearly 1,900 Punch Taverns pubs, with the Scottish Licensed Trade Association calling for the CMA to launch a probe.

To the surprise of many in the industry, the Competition and Markets Authority said it did not believe the controversial tie-up would significantly cut the choice of drinks made available to customers.

This comes despite fears that Heineken would give preference to its own beers and ciders and close off an important route to market for brewers that compete with the Dutch giant, and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association has called for the CMA to launch a probe.

The SLTA has previously warned that Heineken would give preference to its own drinks, which it claimed would be 'simply not fair for brewers, publicans or consumers'.

In February, a microbrewery launched an 80million lawsuit against the brewing giant for allegedly bullying bars and rival brewers to sell its beer.

Macedonian Thrace Brewery accused the Dutch company of excluding smaller brewers from bars and supermarkets in Greece, and using exclusivity agreements to force publicans to stock Heineken brands.

The company had already been handed a 25million fine by the Greek competition regulator.

FACTFILE: HEINEKEN Heineken sells 17.5bn of beer and drinks annually

This includes around 200bn litres of beer  enough to fill Coniston Water in the Lake District

It has 250 brands in 178 countries

In Europe it sells roughly 165bn pints of its top brands including Heineken, Moretti and Strongbow

Amstel is sold in 100 countries and 1.1bn litres were shipped last year

The CMA said the 1,895 Punch Taverns pubs being snapped up by Heineken, which it will add to 1,100 leased pubs it already owns across the UK, only account for 4 per cent of the market and is therefore 'not a major route to market for brewers'.

It added Heineken was likely not to risk losing customers by reducing the range of beers and ciders on offer.

Andrea Coscelli, acting chief executive of the CMA and decision-maker in the case, said: 'We have listened very carefully to a range of concerns about this merger.

'The companies will own less than 10 per cent of all British pubs after any deal, but we are concerned about the loss of competition for pub goers in a number of local areas.

'Without sufficient competition from rivals, pubs in these areas might be able to raise prices or worsen the service they offer customers.'

The CMA said its investigation so far found evidence from brewers showing that the Punch pubs being bought typically account for only a small proportion of all of their sales to pubs.

It added that choice available was not set to be impacted badly, given the drinks currently stocked by Punch and the range available in Heineken-owned pubs.

Heineken said it was putting together proposals to address the CMA's concerns and was 'confident' these would allow the deal to go ahead as planned by the end of August without a full-scale probe.

David Forde, managing director for Heineken UK, said: 'This decision by the CMA acknowledges that there are only a small number of local areas where competition may be diminished due to our acquisition.

'We are confident we can offer the CMA suitable undertakings to satisfy their concerns,' he said.

Heineken sealed its deal last December to snap up Punch Taverns with private equity firm Patron Capital, having fought off a rival bid from the pub chain's co-founder Alan McIntosh with a 180p-per-share offer.

Under the deal, Heineken would buy 1,895 pubs, while Patron would acquire 1,329.

SLTA chief executive Paul Waterson said: 'We have consistently voiced our concerns over the negative impact of the deal since it was announced, believing it will create a monster pub co which will adversely affect operators, consumers and brewers.

'We would urge the CMA to dig deeper and launch a full investigation into the merger.

'This takeover will inevitably lead to decreased choice for consumers, price rises, pub closures and job losses UK-wide.'
Calling relatives who are on holiday abroad will be no cheaper despite a crackdown on mobile phone charges in Europe.

From Thursday, Britons travelling to EU nations will be able to use their phone as if they were at home  thanks to a ban on any surcharges for making calls, sending texts, surfing the web or downloading videos.

Advocates say this will end the bill shock suffered by millions who are left with costly charges following summer breaks.

However, the roam like home structure  brought in by EU legislation  has complexities that could still leave customers with higher bills, consumer group Which? says.

Advocates say this will end the bill shock suffered by millions who are left with costly charges following summer breaks

The regime caps the cost of calls only for citizens of one EU country who have travelled to another.

Which? said: Calls and texts sent from UK mobiles to the EU will still incur charges.

For example, we found that calling Spain from the UK can cost between 9p (Giffgaff) and 1.50 (O2) per minute.

Which? also said that when customers exceed the agreed minutes, texts and data for their package, they will still be charged in the EU as they would in the UK

The rules also apply only to EU nations, meaning those travelling to places in Europe that are not in the EU, such as Switzerland and even the Channel Islands, could still be hit with high bills.

Some firms voluntarily include these destinations in the new price-cap regime, but others do not.

Which? said: Mobile providers include different countries in their roaming territories and this can vary depending on whether consumers are a pay as you go or pay monthly customer.

For example, O2 pay as you go customers will continue to be hit with roaming charges in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Monaco and Switzerland whereas O2 pay monthly customers wont.

Vodafone is the only provider including Turkey, which is outside the EU, in its roaming bundle, meaning there are no surcharges. But calling the UK from Turkey on other networks can cost 1.65 a minute.

Which? also said that when customers exceed the agreed minutes, texts and data for their package, they will still be charged in the EU as they would in the UK.

All providers charge different rates, which can be very high.

The consumer watchdog is advising customers to check tariffs with their provider and shop around for the best deal at the end of their contract.

Advocates hoped the new EU legislation will end the bill shock suffered by millions who are left with costly charges following summer breaks

Alex Neill, of Which?, said: Many will reap the benefits of these changes and will no longer be put off from making calls abroad.

However, it is important that you take a close look at what is or isnt included in your current mobile deal. Not knowing whats included could lead to some surprising charges on your next bill.

Once Britain leaves the EU in two years time, mobile firms would be within their rights to re-introduce higher charges for Britons in an EU country.

But Ernest Doku, of comparison site uSwitch.com, warned that doing so would be a bitter pill for consumers to swallow.

He said: For those providers looking to step up and stand out, they would do well to look at how free EU roaming could be maintained.
Bangladesh's deputy consul general in New York was indicted on charges of labor trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation.

By Reuters: Bangladesh's deputy consul general in New York was indicted on Monday on charges of labor trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation, a New York City prosecutor said.

Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement.

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Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

THE INDICTMENT

According to the indictment, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed Amin, to New York between 2012 and 2013 to work as a household help for Islam and his family.

"Soon after Mr. Amin's arrival, the defendant allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day ... Even though Mr. Amin had a contract which outlines his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work," the statement said.

"If the victim disobeyed the defendant's orders, Mr. Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the defendant, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe," it said.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh embassy in Washington said it believed Amin had filed the case in bad faith and the allegations were "fabricated" and "baseless".

"It may be noted that Mr. Islam decided to cancel Mr. Amin's contract and was preparing to send him back to Bangladesh due to his irresponsible acts," Shamim Ahmad, the spokesman, said.

"We hope the court will give its verdict in the matter judiciously," he said.

Shameem Ahsan, the consul general of Bangladesh, told Reuters over the telephone from New York that Amin disappeared on May 17, 2016 and the very next day the consulate informed the US state department office in New York.

"It is surprising for us that after 13 months he has appeared with these allegations, why did he not raise this issue earlier," he said.

SERVANT HIT AND THREATENED

According to the charges, Amin's only form of income came from tips from guests at parties and a "miniscule" amount of money Islam sent to Amin's family in Bangladesh.

On several occasions when Amin sought to leave, Islam hit him and threatened to harm his mother and young son in Bangladesh, the statement said.

On occasion, Islam also stated that he would have Amin's college-age daughter "shamed" if he did not continue to work as his servant, the statement said. The statement did not make clear what Islam meant by shaming.

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INDIAN DIPLOMAT IN NEW YORK CHARGED WITH LABOR TRAFFICKING

The statement also said that in 2014, shortly after an Indian diplomat in New York was charged with labor trafficking, Islam wrote a check for Amin's cash-tip earnings that the latter then had to deposit in a bank account to create the appearance of a paycheck.

In late 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was India's deputy consul general in New York, was arrested and subsequently accused of visa fraud and forcing her housekeeper and nanny to work 100-hour weeks for just over $1 an hour.

Khobragade's arrest and strip search provoked outrage in India and caused a major diplomatic rift between the United States and India. The charges against her were dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity. After she left the United States, a New York grand jury later issued a new indictment for visa fraud.

Last year, a Manhattan federal judge declared the former Bangladeshi consul general in New York and his wife to be in default for ignoring a lawsuit by a former domestic worker who claimed they forced him to work without pay in slavery-like conditions.

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Also Read:

Ratlam: 6 women arrested for human trafficking

Human trafficking racket involving cops: Bombay High Court transfers case to CID

Also Watch:

CID arrests BJP women wing leader Juhi Chowdhury in child trafficking case

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating with fresh inputs)

From Yoshita Singh

New York, Jun 13 (PTI) A senior Bangladeshi diplomat here has been indicted on charges of forcing his domestic help to work long hours without pay, with prosecutors saying he tried to cover up his actions after an Indian diplomat faced visa fraud charges and accused of exploiting her maid in 2013.

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Md Shaheldul Islam, 45, is the Deputy Consul General of Bangladesh in New York and holds "limited immunity" which pertains specifically to official actions only, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Islam was indicted by a Queens County grand jury with 33 -counts of labour trafficking, assault and other charges. He was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, who set bail at USD 50,000 bond or USD 25,000 cash and ordered Islam to surrender his passport.

Islam?s next court date is June 28 and if convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Md Amin was brought to Queens from Bangladesh around 2012 to work as household help for Islam and his family. Soon after Amin?s arrival, Islam allegedly took his passport and required the man to work 18 hours a day in the family?s home.

Even though Amin had a contract which outlined his compensation, it is alleged he was never paid for his work and if he disobeyed Islam?s orders, Amin was allegedly physically assaulted by the diplomat, who either struck him with his hand or sometimes with a wooden shoe.

The Bangladeshi diplomat allegedly forced Amin to work for his family in their Queens home without financial compensation from approximately 2012 through May 2016, when the victim was able to escape.

According to the charges, the victim?s only source of income came from tips from guests when he was a server at parties and a minuscule amount of money that Islam sent to Amin?s family in Bangladesh.

However, Islam sought to "cover up" his own alleged illegal actions afterIndian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was then India?s Deputy Consul General in the city, wasindicted in January 2014 on visa fraud and making false statements regarding the visa application of her domestic worker, Brown said.

Khobragade too was accused of underpaying her domestic help while making her work long hours and of intimidating her and her family. Manhattan?s former top federal prosecutor Indian-American Preet Bharara had brought the charges against Khobragade, setting off a major diplomatic crisis between Washington and New Delhi.

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"However, in 2014, shortly after there was local news coverage of an Indian diplomat being charged with labour trafficking, the defendant allegedly sought to cover up his own alleged illegal actions by taking most of the victim?s cash tip money which he gave back in the form of a check," Brown said.

"It is alleged the victim then had to deposit the check into his bank account, thereby creating the appearance that the employee was receiving a paycheck,"the Queens District Attorney statement said, referring to theKhobragade incident without naming the Indian diplomat.

Finally, according to the criminal charges, when Amin asked to leave his job on several occasions, Islam in response, allegedly hit him or threatened to harm his family back home in Bangladesh. It is alleged that Islam specifically threatened to kill the man?s mother and young son and, on occasion, stated he would have Amin?s college-age daughter shamed if he did not continue to work as his servant.

In May 2016, Amin was able to escape from the residence and reported his experience to the police.

?The allegations in this case are very disturbing. A diplomat is accused of using both physical force and vile threats to control a person in his employment and whom he refused to pay," Brown said adding that Islam seized his domestic helps passport and, from the first day on the job, refused to pay wages due the employee. PTI YAS NSA

--- ENDS ---

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MANZINI  Judge Titus Mlangeni has given women, especially, something to talk about.



Some women who voiced out their opinions regarding the recent judgment that Makhwapheni cannot be sued for adultery said they were tired of being harassed and labelled as boMakhwapheni by the wives of the married men they date.



One such woman, who called this publication, said she had to endure threats of litigation and being cited in divorce papers by the wife of the man she was dating.



At least the spouse will know that there is nothing she can do to me now. From the judgment, I deduced that the judge put clearly that the spouse should deal with his/her better half and leave us (the so called bomakhwapheni or third parties) alone, said the female caller, who wished to remain anonymous.



Another female, through her Facebook page took it a step further by quoting part of the judgment and made an addition to it.



It is now accepted that primary responsibility to sustain marriage rests with spouses and that if they abandoned this responsibility, not much can be achieved through punishing their parties in the form of civil rights Niyeva kambe? (do you understand)? You can also add, In the form of whatsapp texts, SMS, calling with private numbers or kidnapping or calling the third party names (sic).



Some of the women noted that the judge had just given them ammunition against the wives of the men they date. However, others felt the judgment may have serious repercussions to many marriages.

Religious leaders, on the other hand, are of the view that a person cannot be judged twice, at least according to Christianity.
LOBAMBA  A motion on homosexuals was enough to turn Senate into a chaotic scene yesterday.



This is because the senators ended up losing the plot and moving away from what the motion actually focused on. The motion, which was moved by Senator Lindiwe Ngwenya, was that the Minister of Health should submit a report to Senate explaining, in light of the Constitution, the current government policy relating to access to health facilities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual people.



While the motion focused on access to health services for LGBTIs, most of the senators ended up debating the existence of people with certain sexual preferences, while some simply crushed it on the basis that it did not provide concrete evidence that LGBTIs were discriminated against in local hospitals.



As they made their submissions, the senators turned the House into a place of laughter as they would use examples to describe how LGBTIs engaged in sexual games, which they said was wrong and put them at risk of infections. The senators were also agitated by Ngwenyas submission that LGBTIs were a creation of God, which meant that even their sexual orientation was same.



The statement turned the debate away from its initial focus on access to health, with Ngwenyas colleagues demanding to know the Bible verse which talked about sexual orientation as Gods creation, while there was also a question on whether it was procedural to use the name of the Almighty when debating in Parliament. I heard the mover saying that these people were created by God, which means that even their sexual orientation is Gods creation, which according to me is a big mistake. Akasikhombise leli-verse (she must show us the verse), submitted Senator Prince Fipha.
MANZINI  Government operations could be brought to a standstill tomorrow as civil servants have vowed to join teachers in their march to demand the resumption of pending salary review talks.



The stance by the civil servants came after teachers, through their association, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), held an extra-ordinary meeting about a fortnight ago where they resolved to down tools and march to demand that government convenes the round table tomorrow.



During the meeting, the teachers agreed that last Wednesday, their National Executive Council (NEC) should ask the other Public Sector Associations (PSAs) to go and demand that the negotiations should resume, failing which they would march tomorrow to demand same.

Also last week, government sent a wrong communique to PSAs, which invited them to the round table only to apologise later and claim to have been directing the message to the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) because it (government) wanted to continue with their bilateral meeting over a recognition agreement.



Following this, the teachers union leaders said they would not stand in the way of their members when they were fighting injustice, but instead they would lead them to demand the resumption of the round table tomorrow. As events unfolded, the teachers association leaders formally notified the other public sector associations about their decision to march to the Ministry of Public Service and further welcomed their participation in tomorrows activity as the negotiation table affects all of them.




Pahlaj Nihalani may be the epitome of sanskaar in India now, but there was a time when his films were full of double entendres.

By India Today Web Desk: When Pahlaj Nihalani took on as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief, it marked the beginning of a 'reign of terror' of sorts, at least according to the filmmakers who have become victims of his snip-happy scissors. Sanskaari Nihalani, who has also become a self-appointed guardian of morality since he came on board the CBFC, is only too happy to trim anything that does not meet his ultra-conservative standards.

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Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi-starrer Bank Chor is in hot water with the CBFC for its expletive-like name. Apparently, the censor board has directed the makers of the film to re-dub the words 'Bank Chor' every single time they appear together in the film.

Incidentally, Nihalani himself took advantage of every loophole in the book, back in the days when he was a producer. In an interview, he even admitted that his standards were different as a producer and as the CBFC chief and that he has grown a sense of morality with age.

KHADA HAI KHADA HAI

Sample this: Khada hai khada hai khada hai...Dar pe tere aashiq khada hai. Pahlaj Nihalani-produced Andaz (1994) had this double entendre-filled song featuring a lungi-clad Anil Kapoor beckoning to Juhi Chawla to "khol khol khol" (darwaza khol, you filthy minds.) If the pun isn't obvious enough, the camera zooms into Anil's crotch, when he sings "khada hai khada hai" the first time.

Ironically, one of the first things Nihalani did when he came into power was introduce a list of banned words. Anything with a double entendre was in trouble, along with several other words. That the list was never passed, in the face of strong opposition, is a different story.

AKELI HOON GHAR MA, TU AAJA BALMA

This is the same man who had a song called Angna Mein Baba, Duare Pe Maa with lyrics like "Khet gaye baba, bazaar gayi maa. Akeli hoon ghar ma, tu aaja balma" in his production Aankhen (1993).

Nihalani has always been one to have double standards - his production Aag Ka Gola featured Sunny Deol and Archana Puran Singh in a sensuous liplock, but the same man decided that Daniel Craig's kiss with Monica Bellucci in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre was not fit to be seen in its original form by audiences, and trimmed it by 20 seconds.

In an interview with The Hindu in 2015, Nihalani had openly declared that he does not mind being conservative if his actions are in the "interests of the nation". "I will give the right kind of content. I will monitor the sensitive things that might harm the society," he had said, adding, "In the name of modern, we can't barter our country. We can't sell our culture."

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TUMHARE ZAKHMON PE BLOW KARNA MERA JOB HAI

In the interview, Nihalani self-appoints himself as a guardian of our culture, arguing that youngsters will get a wrong impression if they are exposed to films which do not have, as he calls it, "the right kind of content". One wonders if that was the rationale behind allowing lines like, "Tumhare zakhmon pe blow karna mera job hai" in films like Mastizaade.

ALSO READ: Bank Chor under fire from Pahlaj Nihalani's CBFC for expletive-like name

ALSO READ: What-the-Pahlaj! 10 outrageous double-meaning songs that survived the censor board

ALSO READ: How Pahlaj Nihalani is dragging India to a regressive ditch

ALSO WATCH: There is nothing dirty about sex or the word adult, says Anurag Kashyap

--- ENDS ---
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By Prem Calvin Prashad

The standoff between so-called sanctuary cities and the federal government crystalized for Queens residents recently, when rumors spread that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement visited PS 58 in Maspeth, allegedly to check on the immigration status of a fourth- grader there before being turned away by school security.

City and local officials rallied to defend the schools decision, affirming their opposition to ICE operating in the city. Subsequent reports have disputed whether or not the individual asking about the students status was affiliated with ICE, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or some other agency. Mayor Bill de Blasio later criticized the Department of Homeland Security for not reaching out for information, which he says the city was willing to provide.

However, the confusion and ambiguity over ICE operations is emblematic of problems facing large cities across the country.

Rumors of ICE agents operating in places such as Jackson Heights have rattled New Yorks estimated half million undocumented immigrants. While social services and medical providers report fewer levels of undocumented persons seeking services, law enforcement is also concerned that crimes against the undocumented will go unreported.

In response to these concerns, the city of Los Angeles called on ICE to stop identifying themselves as police. The federal government declined, noting that the word police was universally recognizable and therefore necessary to operations.

Sanctuary cities, at varying levels, determine to what degree they cooperate with federal mandates on immigration. At the core of this power struggle is the federal governments resolve to unilaterally pursue the broad application of immigration enforcement.

According to the Washington Post, detentions have surged under the Trump administration, with the arrest of 41,318 immigrants, roughly 400 a day. Its worth noting, however, that the ramp up of immigration enforcement is in fact reflective of a trend that began during the Obama administration.

The previous administrations officials alleged that only criminal aliens were being targeted for deportation, though the definition of a criminal record often included minor civil offenses. An estimated three-quarters of detentions this year are believed to be immigrants with criminal records or gang affiliation.

Unauthorized crossings at the U.S. southern border with Mexico have dropped to levels not seen since the late 80s. Overstayed visas are now the most common reason why a person is undocumented. Still, immigration played prominently during the 2016 election, and that has brought enforcement actions, particularly against parents, activists, or childhood arrivals to national prominence.

The mass deportation agenda occurs concurrently with the administrations initiatives to implement a Muslim ban, end temporary protected status for asylum and refugee seekers from Central America and Haiti, and speed up deportation proceedings. Large cities, such as New York, have responded with increases in legal aid for immigrants enduring deportation proceedings, as well as affirming protections from having immigrants disclose an undocumented status when interacting with city agencies or law enforcement. Protections such as the DREAM Act appear in place, with the federal government giving no indication of removing those protections.

For immigration advocates, the large increase in the deportation of non-criminals is alarming. The deportations represent many long-term residents who have thus far not been offered the possibility of legalizing their status, as was the case in previous decades.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has made sanctuary cities its primary target, aiming to cut federal funding, nominally for counter-terrorism efforts for cities that do not assist deportation efforts. Citing concerns over funding, Floridas Miami-Dade County was the first to rescind sanctuary status.

Currently, the executive order to withhold federal funding was blocked in federal court, with U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick noting that only Congress has the constitutional right to apply such conditions to funding. The decision drew a sharp rebuke from the president on social media.
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By Gina Martinez

Queens Memory, a project documenting life in the borough, will make it easier for residents to share materials with its new website and app.

The innovative project, supported by Queens Library and Queens College, is a time capsule designed to collect stories, images and other aspects of life in the borough of Queens. Submitted records get archived and are featured in the gallery where newly added materials connect with historic artifacts. Queens Memory also provides training and materials for anyone wishing to contribute interviews, photographs, or other records of their neighborhoods, families and communities. Queens Memory empowers residents from diverse backgrounds to document the personal histories that together tell a more complete story of life in the borough, according to the project.

The entity began in 2010 at Queens Library as part of a community oral history project by Natalie Milbrodt while she was conducting independent study and earning her masters degree in Library and Information Science at Queens College. The program was initially supported by a grant from the Metropolitan New York Library Council, the only project of its kind among the three New York City public library systems.

Milbrodt was hired by the Queens Library in 2012 to oversee Queens Memory as a permanent program. The project is encouraging immigrants, newer residents and Queens natives to participate. The new mobile app will make it more convenient for participants to send personal materials.

This community involvement leads to a heightened appreciation of shared experience and the value of history and preservation, Milbrodt said At the heart of this work is the idea of democratizing the process of history-making  empowering people to contribute to and define their local history.

The project has now collected more than 300 oral history interviews, from teens to residents in their 90s, hailing from 23 countries and now living in more than 50 Queens neighborhoods. 17,000 digitized items are available for viewing on the librarys digital archives website.

Jongbu Sherpa, Andy Yu and Aniqa Wahid, three interns from the NYC Tech Talent Pipelines TTP Residency at Queens College, helped to redesign the website and mobile app.

This internship was a great learning experience, Wahid said. Giving Queens Memory a portable aspect  the ability for patrons to send personal histories, photographs and other records from smart phones  allows them to conveniently contribute to the librarys permanent archival collection.

Anyone wanting to submit material through their phones, the Queens Memory app will be available for Android and iPhone through Google play and iTunes store. Queens Memory accepts any Queens-related materials, including scanned photos, along with printed materials, manuscripts and even audio files.

One example of a recent submission was a sound recording that was made during an entire Queens bus route. The different languages heard as passengers boarded along the way reflected the changing ethnicities of the neighborhoods through which the bus traveled.
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By Naeisha Rose

Our Lady of Lourdes, a Catholic church in Queens Village, will have a new pastor on June 18 when the Rev. Patrick Henry Longalong,38, is installed as the seventh religious leader.

Longalong is both ecstatic and anxious about being selected to take control of the more than 90-year-old church by the Archdiocese of Brooklyn. The diocese oversees 1.5 million parishioners in 250 Catholic churches, and schools in Brooklyn and Queens. It also helps run nine cemeteries in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Long Island, and the Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center in the Garment District, according to the dioceses website.

I have to admit that I am a little bit nervous because of the amount of responsibility, Longalong said.

As the new pastor he will be responsible for the diverse 2,700 families that belong to the parish at 92-96 220th Street,

We do have a large Filipino community. We do have a large Latino community from different countries in Latin America. We have a lot of Asian groups, like Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, we have Indians and we also have people from European descent  a Polish community. We also have people from the Haitian community, Longalong said.

Before becoming the new pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes, he served at St. Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor in the Rockaways for 2 1/2 years after Hurricane Sandy wrecked the peninsula as the Parochial Vicar and helped by meeting the communitys spiritual needs and aided in insurance claims with FEMA.

I was assisting with the community to help it get back on its feet post Sandy, said Longalong, who grew up Jamaica.

Longalong spent this past year working as an administrator at Lourdes to get the lay of the land of the Queens Village church before being promoted.

The transition was to check out what could be done [at Lourdes] and to get to know the community  the movers and the shakers within it, Longalong said.

Not only will he be in charge of the spiritual needs of members of the church, but he will have to take care of its facilities.

Right now we are doing some repairs [of the facade] and some restoration efforts and the parish because the church is old, Longaglong said. The church needs a little bit of a face-lift to make sure that it will last for the next generation.

The reverend wants to do an outreach program for teenagers and to create a young adult group.

Longalong knew he wanted to serve his community even when he was just a kid in the Philippines, but since 1993 he has called Queens home.

Ever since I was a child there was a calling to serve my community, which means for me my neighborhood, Queens, Longalong said. That is why I decided to become a diocesan priest.

Non-pastoral priests go on missions around the world, but for Longlalong being able to serve Queens Village is a privilege.

Vicar General Raymond Chappetto is scheduled to preside over the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass installation of Longalong June 18 at 3 p.m.
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By Naeisha Rose

York College held an emotional 47th commencement ceremony outside the universitys gymnasium Friday with 1,200 graduates collecting their hard-won degrees and Snapchatting the event for their followers to see.

Timothy Paglione, the chairman of the Earth and Science Department, was the master of ceremonies, while York College President Marcia Keizs congratulated the graduates and wished them luck in their endeavors. The commencement speaker was New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado.

You deserve to be proud, Rosada said. Your degree is a passport to success. It represents the great investment that you decided to make in yourself, and each of you will grow into leaders of tomorrow. You will be the voice of the next generation.

Zilefa Grace Rajendra, the valedictorian and married mother of four who came back from a yearlong maternity leave to get her degree, is one of those voices. Paglione introduced Rajendra, who was raised Muslim, Hindu, and Christian in Guyana.

Mrs. Rajendras goal in pursuing a math degree was quote to be eligible to teach in the New York Public School system, Paglione said. Rajendra started her masters degree in education to teach mathematics from grade 7 to 12 yesterday at Hunter College.

Rajendra highlighted the struggles and determination that she and many students faced to receive their diploma.

I want to thank God Almighty for bestowing his blessings on each of us, Rajendra said. College was always out of my reach because of financial restraints.

Rajendra came to New York in 2006 and applied to York College three times. She was admitted on a mathematics scholarship.

While it was not an easy journey for me, I believe it was a more difficult journey for you that worked two or three jobs to make ends meet, Rajendra said. Many of you are single parents or children helping your parents. I dont know how you did it, but I stand in awe of you.

Elected officials at the event included Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Schumer, who arrived during the procession, gave a short speech before the students with degrees in Arts & Sciences could receive their degrees.

My class gift, Schumer said is a law that says if you or your parents paid for college, you can take a full tax credit of $2,500 off of federal taxes for every year of college and every year of graduate school, provided that your family income is below $250,000 a year.

Despite the audience wanting to hear his longer commencement speech after he arrived during the ceremony, he decided to rip it up and let the remaining students walk the stage.

Accepting a degree on behalf of his sister was Michael Raghubar. Two months earlier, police officer Neville Smith alledgedly crashed his vehicle into the car of psychology student Vanessa Raghubar, 22. Smith was charged with negligent homicide and operating a vehicle under the influence, the DA said.

She was an amazing and caring person, said Michael Raghubar, wearing a white hoodie with his sisters face emblazoned on it. She would just be there for you and have your back at all times.

Closing out the ceremony was Randy Houston, a Theater Arts and Speech Communications graduate, who sang York Colleges school song:

Though the road was often rough, we worked hours late and long, when the going seemed too tough we strove harder to be strong.
By Tomislav Jakic

Once upon a time, this is how fairy tales usually begin. This is not a fairy tale, but once upon a time people used to talk about common sense and to think based on common sense. It was never an ideal time, but always when it seemed that the lack of common sense and the evil in us would draw the world in the abyss of self-destruction, common sense woke up and rebelled; most usually in combination with pragmatism. Mankind paid dearly in the ensuing battle, it went through unbelievable horrors, but eventually common sense would prevail. And so it went until the year 1990, when the cold war ended. It was an extremely dangerous confrontation between two, not only ideologically different blocks. The world peace was saved only due to the fragile, but at the same time efficient balance of fear, namely on the knowledge that an open armed confrontation would end without anybody being victorious. But, as from the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, when East  West confrontation ended, due to the fact that the Soviet block disintegrated, when the dawn of democracy begun shining on countries, previously ruled with iron hand from one centre and by one and only party and its repressive system, we are witnessing a constant and steady downgrading in all sectors of life. Because of this and despite democracy as a system, despite democratic forms and despite the multiparty system, it is unavoidable that we put to ourselves the question: does common sense belongs to the past, is t a relic of the past?

All indications point towards a positive answer.

In international relations we are experiencing the revival of the cold war, a new and with every day passing more dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Russian Federation. In fact it is nothing more than the almost desperate striving of neoliberal capitalism to rule the world. In order to be able to achieve this goal, to gain the support (of previously manipulated citizens, but  alas  in the best democratic form) for the policy of expansionism, regardless of anything, neoliberal capitalism needs an enemy. Because having an enemy is the best way to homogenize ones own flock. And the enemy was found, better to say it was projected in the picture of Russia, although  and this is ironic indeed  it is the democratic West that is today practicing the policy of hegemony, once a trade mark of the Soviet Union. All basic principles upon which the architecture of international relations was build, are abandoned. Nobody even thinks of speaking about the principle of equality, or the principle of not meddling in internal affairs of other states, not to mention the right of every country and nation to develop as they think it suits them best. In a globalised world, and we were made to believe that only such a world could exist, everything must be cooked following the same recipe. If this is not the case, with or without the blessing of the UN and under the disguise of the war for democracy and for human rights, bombers start their deadly missions, mercilessly killing those whose human rights they are supposed to protect. Whole states are pushed into chaos and internal fighting, whole regions are destabilized and heads of states are killed (just remember Hillary Clinton and her words, when she received the news that colonel Ghadafi was killed: We came, we saw and he is dead!). At the same time for billions of dollars modern arms are being sold to states whose record in the field of democracy and human rights is  to put it mildly  very poor. But they are ours. With growing speed the world is being divided between the ever smaller part of privileged and rich, those who are governing not because they were democratically elected to do so, but because they have the power to do so and the ever bigger part of oppressed  in every sense  and poor, those who are being governed. While thousands and thousands of people are dying from hunger in the undeveloped countries, Europeans waste in one year so much food that every hungry human being on this planet Earth could be fed. And the American President says that climate changes and their evident results are just a hoax. Is there any common sense in all this? No, there is none!

So, what can we expect, what is to be expected? Let us put forward just two scenarios. The first is the armed confrontation between East and West, be it direct, be it as a consequence of some action of the unpredictable US President  amateur (for example a missile attack on North Korea). In both cases the consequences would be disastrous, not to say suicidal. The second scenario is slightly milder. It is based on the presumption that the oppressed, the hungry and the poor would conclude that they have nothing to lose, but their lives, and a tornado of revolution would hit the whole world with a highly uncertain result. Indications that are pointing towards this scenario we can detect in attacks whose perpetrators are more and more often terrorizing the countries of the West. While it is true that these attacks are  at least  disguised as being religiously motivated, it is not less true that there is no religion that could motivate suicide attackers, were it not for the basic and deeply rooted feeling of being pushed to the margines of the society, of being deprived of some basic rights, such as the right to be educated, the right to be medically cared for, in short the right to live, as a human being, a decent life.

There too we confront the results of a policy without any common sense, a policy that recruited the oppressed, the poor, but pathological killers too, trying to use them as an instrument for achieving its goals, only to meet now the murderers it produced as its own enemies. There can be no doubt about it  they, the terrorists, were produced by the policy of the West, they were armed and supported thanks to this policy  either directly, or through smaller countries, satellites of the big Brother form the other side of the Atlantic. And now this same policy is being confronted by them  globally. Still it will not, or cannot accept the fact that the terrorists are the greatest danger for the world as we knew it and that the fight against them should be the prime  and common  target of our civilization. It will not, or cannot accept Russia as an ally in this war; on the contrary it is continuing to present Russia as an enemy (adversary), adding  if it seems to be suitable  Iran, North Korea and sometimes China. Is there any common sense in all this? None whatsoever!

And is there some common sense in the policy of the so called transition countries? Absolutely not! Former Soviet satellites only changed their master, they became champions in the battle against the (non existing) communism, because it suits the neoliberal capitalism for which the very idea of communism is the worst imaginable enemy. At the same time these countries are deeply engulfed in historic revisionism, writing the new history of WW 2 and the Antifascists struggle, while forgetting their collaboration with Nazi-fascism. Republic of Croatia, to name one example, invented the formula about all totalitarian regimes being equal evil, thus putting on the same level antifascism (labeled for this purpose as communism) and fascism, while Republic of Serbia  just another example  rehabilitates in court procedures the leaders of the Chetnik movement which collaborated with the occupying forces during WW2 and fought against Marshal Titos partisans.

The prevailing atmosphere in the world is one of fear for the future, of growing intolerance, of hate not only towards those who are in any way different, but towards those who dare to think differently and to voice their opinion. In the creation of such an atmosphere the once respected journalistic profession played a shameful role. Not only the mainstream media, but social networks too are transformed into a snakes pit of intrigues, lies and disinformation servicing the policy that forgot what common sense is.

The rest is silence.

The views expressed in this article are the author\s own and do not necessarily reflect The Times Of Earth\s editorial policy.
A US appeals court has upheld a decision to block President Donald Trump\s controversial travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations  the latest in a string of stinging judicial blows for the Republican billionaire.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday kept in place a lower court injunction on the ban, arguing the president had overstepped his authority and his executive order discriminated against travelers based on their nationality.

The matter was already headed for the Supreme Court, as another federal appeals court had already ruled against the Republican president, and the Justice Department had asked the high court to hear the case.

But the Ninth Circuit ruling certainly was another setback for Trump in his quest to see the measure put into effect.

"Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," the three justices  all appointed by former president Bill Clinton  said in their unanimous ruling.

"The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."

The judges said the government had failed to prove "any link between an individual\s nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism," and cited a June 5 tweet by Trump to back their argument.

"Indeed, the president recently confirmed his assessment that it is the \countries\ that are inherently dangerous, rather than the 180 million individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the president\s \travel ban,\" the judges wrote.

"National security is not a \talismanic incantation\ that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power," they added.

The judges ruled against Trump on both the effort to bar from US entry travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, and on the clause suspending the refugee program for 120 days.

That went one step farther than the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which only upheld the part of the measure naming the specific countries.

The judges did appear to back the administration in saying that the government was within its rights to review existing vetting procedures for travelers from the six countries concerned.

Douglas Chin, the attorney general for Hawaii, one of the states challenging the executive order, said the ruling was a clear message to the administration that it was not above the law.

"I stated from the beginning that the president must act in a way that follows the laws and constitution of the United States," Chin said in a statement.

"Our system of checks and balances, enshrined in the Constitution for more than 225 years, remains in place."

The ruling came just ahead of a deadline for states challenging the travel ban to submit briefs to the Supreme Court in response to the Trump administration\s request that the nine justices hear the case.

The US Justice Department filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court on June 1, urging it to undo the Fourth Circuit\s ruling.

Trump issued an initial travel ban by executive order in January, but that measure  which banned entry to nationals from seven countries for 90 days and suspended the nation\s refugee program for 120 days  was quickly halted by the courts.

A revised executive order announced in March  meant to address the issues raised by the federal judges  deleted Iraq from the list and removed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees. This is the measure affected by the Ninth Circuit ruling.

The Trump administration argues the measures are needed to ward off terror attacks in the country, but critics say the ban is discriminatory and violates the US constitution by specifically targeting Muslim-majority countries.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the latest ruling.

In refusing to reinstate the travel ban, the Ninth judges said there was no evidence presented by the Trump administration to back the measure  and pointed to a government report to support their decision.

The Department of Homeland Security report  issued just after Trump\s first executive order  concluded that citizenship of any given country "is unlikely to be a reliable indicator of potential terrorist activity" and that citizens from the countries targeted by Trump\s ban are "rarely implicated in US-based terrorism."

Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said Monday\s ruling was yet another signal that Trump\s executive order was on weak legal footing.

"At this point, it\s surprising if a court rules in favor of the travel ban," Levinson told AFP.

She said she did not expect the Supreme Court to consider the case before the fall, making it difficult for the administration to defend its argument that the travel ban was urgently needed.

"The longer it goes on, in a way the worse it is for the Trump administration because they claimed they needed this right away for national security," she said.

"It\s harder to argue that time is of the essence when so much time goes by."

SOURCE: AFP
The beef controversy exploded in Goa a couple of weeks back, when a central government notification banning animal markets, led to a temporary beef shortage here.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Even as rains lash Goa, the state's politics -- already embroiled in controversies surrounding red meat -- has come to resemble a piping hot bowl of beef stew, a popular comfort food for the local Catholic community in the monsoons.

Only, the "stew" brings no comfort to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance government, which faces questions from coalition and party MLAs, the influential Goa Catholic Church, beef traders and civil society, on purported moves to usher in the beef ban by the back door.

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As a result, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar appears caught between a frozen slab of beef and a very hard place vis-a-vis distancing himself from the aggressive anti-beef posturing of the BJP's central leadership and pacifying his MLAs, seven out 12 of whom are Catholics. The minority community accounts for more than 26 per cent of Goa's 1.5 million population.

The beef controversy exploded in Goa a couple of weeks back, when a central government notification banning animal markets, led to a temporary beef shortage here.

The Qureshi Meat Traders Association of Goa said that cow vigilante groups stopped legal consignments of cattle meant for slaughter in Goa from neighbouring Karnataka for several days after the central environment ministry notification.

"This harassment has been temporarily resolved. We are allowed to get our cattle for slaughter for now. But once the animal markets from where we source our cattle stops, where will we buy them from? This notification is nothing but a beef ban by the back door," Anwar Bepari, a spokesperson for the association, said.

The Goa Church also endorsed the concern, by backing a newly-formed civil society coalition.

"Why (has) the government failed to raise any issues or make any statement with respect to the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, which would affect the livelihoods of thousands of people in Goa, besides impinging on the food habits of a significant number of people in Goa," Fr. Savio Martins and Abdul Matin, co-convenors of "Goa for Beef-Beef for Goa", have said.

BEEF ONE OF THE CHEAPEST MEATS

Beef is consumed in the form of stew, curries, roasts, soups and is an essential protein, and one of the cheapest meats, in most Catholic homes in the state.

Cheaper than mutton, beef is also commonly consumed in the tourism-oriented coastal belt, which is visited by more than four million tourists every year.

Official statistics suggest that the state consumes more than 40 tonnes of beef every day.

Ruling political parties like Goa Forward, which had attacked the BJP over its alleged anti-minority policies only to subsequently join a BJP-led coalition, now wants the notification reviewed.

"I am not happy with the new rules. The new rules can lead farmers and meat traders to penury and affect the leather and hospitality industry," Goa Forward's Vijai Sardesai, a member of Parrikar's cabinet, told reporters.

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CATHOLIC MLAS PRESSURISING STATE UNIT

Closer home, BJP's Catholic MLAs are also pressurising the state unit to request the central government to amend the controversial notification, fearing alienation of their minority vote-base.

"We are alienating Catholics more and more with such decisions. Goa's demographic reality is different from the rest of the country and so are our eating habits," a minority BJP MLA said on condition of anonymity.

Union Minister of State for AYUSH and North Goa MP Shripad Naik has already acknowledged that there is "some concern" among Goans about the beef controversy.

Chief Minister Parrikar, who has in the past publicly warned media against asking him questions on the sensitive beef controversy, eventually relented and blamed the Congress government in Karnataka for the temporary beef shortage.

"Even if there is a problem, and it is being created by Karnataka, the Congress leadership here should give some comment on it. Karnataka is being ruled by Congress. What can I do if their officials are stopping the trucks," Parrikar said, even as the controversy continues to simmer.

ALSO READ:Beef ban: Plea challenges Centre order in SC, says it would lead to increase in cow vigilantism

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ALSO READ:Beef festival organised in Aizawl as Rajnath Singh visits Mizoram

ALSO WATCH: Beef ban: Plea challenges Centre order in SC, says it would lead to increase in cow vigilantism

--- ENDS ---
Bridgewater looks to become a regional nightlife hub in western PA

Bridgewater bars offer patrons a nightlife experience that is unique from any other in western Pennsylvania
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ALBANY - A package of 14 measures to address the heroin and opioid epidemic, expected to pass the Senate Tuesday and Wednesday, focuses on law enforcement efforts, following several years of legislation aimed more at prevention and treatment.

The package appears at odds with a competing set of 11 legislative proposals to address heroin and opioid abuse sent to the Senate and Assembly by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to a list supplied by a patient advocate. The governor's list advances issues that the state has tackled in recent years, including increasing insurance coverage for substance abuse treatment.

With just more than a week left to the legislative session, senators said their package was also different from measures supported in the state Assembly. An Assembly spokesman confirmed the two legislative bodies disagree over the right approach to the problem.

"Enhanced penalties are not a solution to addiction," said Assembly spokesman Michael Whyland. "Our position has always been to give people access to services and treatment so we can set them on a path to leading productive lives. That's the place we should be starting from."

At a Senate press briefing Tuesday morning, heads of the Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction said that it was time to bolster law enforcement officials' ability to arrest and prosecute drug dealers that put highly addictive heroin and even more dangerous opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl on the street, after years of legislation aimed at prevention, treatment and insurance coverage. The state budget this year includes $214 million to support such programs, senators noted.

"If we don't go after the perpetrators and punish them swiftly and severely, it doesn't matter," said Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan.

The Senate package includes Laree's Law, sponsored by Sen. George Amedore, R-Rotterdam and named for Colonie resident Patty Farrell's daughter who died of an overdose at age 18. It would allow police to charge a dealer who sells an opioid that results in someone's death with homicide.

The Senate and governor's proposals would both update the state's controlled substances schedule, including adding new derivatives of fentanyl to the list and prohibiting kickbacks to doctors, counselors or organizations that refer patients to a treatment center.

The Senate's list also includes proposals that would create drug-free zones around drug treatment centers, create new standards for determining the amount and weight of heroin in someone's possession to trigger a felony and establish new laws regulating non-controlled prescription medicine and devices, and prohibit kickbacks to doctors.

Cuomo's proposals include eliminating prior authorization for insurance coverage for all outpatient substance abuse counseling and rehabilitation services, including treatment with medications like methadone and buprenorphine (aka Suboxone). They would also limit co-pays for outpatient substance abuse services and add prevention programs to insurers' wellness programs.

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Stephanie Campbell, executive director of Friends of Recovery-New York, a patient advocacy group, said the group's members have heard support in both the Senate and Assembly for the governor's proposal.

"We certainly support the governor's legislative package," Campbell said. "We see it as an extension of prior efforts."

A representative for substance abuse treatment providers said he hoped lawmakers would not return to a former philosophy of addressing drug addiction by locking people up, after a shift in recent years toward treating the problem as a public health matter more than a criminal one. John Coppola, executive director of the New York State Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers, said legislators should aim penalties at what he called "big corporate dealers," who might best be blocked by federal law enforcement officials, not local ones.

"We don't want to go back to the days when we were punishing street-level drug users, but to direct those people to treatment," Coppola said.

Coppola said the state will need to invest more funds if it wants to address an epidemic that continues to get worse.
SCHENECTADY - The city is converting more park land, this time in the Mont Pleasant neighborhood.

On Wednesday, the City Council is set to hold a special meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m. to consider a resolution supporting the so called "park alienation" of about 1.35 acres of land in Quackenbush Park in Mont Pleasant.

The parcel would be used in the future to build a new Boys & Girls club that would house a teen center, technology center, gymnasium, DJ training and radio station booth, shared access to a commercial kitchen that will be used to serve snacks and lunches to the needy, according to city attorney Carl Falotico.

He said the city plans to increase the footprint of nearby Orchard Park to make up for the land being lost to the proposed Boys & Girls club project.

In New York, the parkland "alienation" designation occurs when a municipality wants to sell, lease, or discontinue municipal parkland, according to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

To convey parkland to a nonpublic entity or use it for a different reason, the municipality must receive prior authorization through the state Legislature and the governor's signature.

This is the second time the panel will be voting on the resolution related to Quackebush park.

The required authorization, introduced by Assemblyman Phil Steck, was passed by the governing body in Schenectady during a Jan. 5 special meeting, said Falotico.

After that, he said city officials learned that the park is located in the 111th Assembly district, which is represented by Angelo Santabarbara.

He introduced the measure Friday, but the assembly rules state that has to be done before the municipality takes action on the measure.

The Boys & Girls Club is in fund-raising mode now for the future construction on its new facility, added Falotico.

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Shane Bargy, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady did not immediately return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

Mont Pleasant Neighborhood Association President Pat Smith, who initially had some reservations about the proposed project, said Tuesday that she is pleased with the plans for the park.

"I'm happy as long as the park and the pool stay where they are," said Smith.

Earlier this week, the Schenectady officials approved a resolution to alienate no more than 30 feet in Riverside that will be used to build a new and larger pump station in the Stockade.
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Detroit

Uber must get rid of leaders who tolerate bad behavior and hire people who don't  including up to the chief executive  experts say, as the ride-hailing company gets ready to announce significant changes to its culture and management.

Uber's board has adopted the recommendations of former Attorney General Eric Holder, who investigated its toxic culture of harassment and bullying. Those will be revealed to employees and made public on Tuesday.

Experts interviewed by The Associated Press say CEO Travis Kalanick should step aside or at minimum change his behavior for the company to make progress. Uber's board is discussing a leave of absence for Kalanick. No decision has yet been made, according to a person briefed on the matter who didn't want to be identified because board discussions aren't normally made public.

A CEO's behavior sets the tone for the rest of the company, says Cindy Schipani, a business law professor at the University of Michigan who has taken part in investigations of corporate conduct. She says Kalanick should resign and save the board from having to oust him. "That's where the culture comes from. It has to change at the top and he has to recognize what he does, his actions, speak louder than anything put on paper," she says. It would be tough for the board to remove Kalanick because of Uber's stock ownership structure.

Jennifer Chatman, a business professor at the University of California Berkeley who also does corporate investigations, predicts that Kalanick will be granted a leave  but he won't return in the top spot.

"He lacks the ability to set an appropriate tone for this organization," she said. "He lacks the kind of presence that's needed for a larger organization."

It is common, Chatman says, for company founders to be ill-equipped to lead an organization as it matures. "This may be the moment for Uber where it needs to go to the next stage," she says.

She expects Kalanick to come back as a strategist under a new CEO or possibly a board member who runs the company.

Last week, based on a report from a different law firm that investigated employee harassment, bullying and retaliation complaints, Uber fired 20 people and sent another 31 into counseling. Experts say it's an unprecedented number of firings that shows a pervasive problem, but also is a strong step toward rehabilitation. Who the company hires as replacements will make or break the effort, they say.

Uber must hire people who "don't have the harassment state of mind," Schipani said.

On Monday, Uber said its chief business officer, Emil Michael, is leaving the company. No reason was given for his departure.

Uber Technologies Inc. has been rocked by accusations that it has fostered a workplace environment that condones harassment, discrimination and bullying. It's also facing a federal investigation into claims that it used a fake version of its app to thwart authorities.

Amid the turmoil at the world's largest ride-hailing company, competitors such as Lyft are trying to take advantage, growing ridership and inking technology deals and investments. On Monday, Lyft announced a $25 million investment from Jaguar-Land Rover.
Albany

Before they come to the negotiating table, Canadian officials are hoping to remind their American counterparts about the benefits of the two countries trade agreements.

Canada and the United States have a relationship that is the envy of all mankind, Jeff Leal, Ontarios minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, told the Times Union Tuesday. Weve been an example to the world of how two nations get along together and how we can work together.

In Albany as part of a six-state tour, Leal met with state Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball and Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul.

Such meetings have gained new importance in recent months, with disputes over dairy and lumber stoking concerns over the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement that pours billions of dollars into the New York economy each year, but which has become a punching bag for President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said its looking to renegotiate the landmark deal, with the president calling NAFTA the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere.''

Canadian officials, meanwhile, have said they would be open to new talks, but want to first remind American businesses and lawmakers of the deals importance to the two countries past and future.

Collectively weve built economies (and) created wealth, Leal said. ...Anything that would lead to the thickening of the border  would disadvantage both sides of the border.

All told, New York and Ontarios agricultural trade is worth about $2 billion a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and helps drive Ontarios agribusiness sector and its some-800,000 employees.

Leal also cited regulatory reform as one part of NAFTA that could be renegotiated to benefit both Canada and American farms and businesses, noting that consumer standards and habits on both sides of the border are very similar.

"Our countries are so similar. The standards that we demand for our consumers are so similar, he said. We see a modernization of regulatory reform on both sides of the border in terms of NAFTA would be very helpful to both countries.

RDownen@timesunion.com - 518-454-5018 - Follow @RobertDownenTU
Before Salman Khan-starrer Tubelight hits the silver screen on June 25, here are ten factoids you need to know about the original inspiration behind the film, the Hollywood movie Little Boy.

By India Today Web Desk: Tubelight, starring Salman Khan and Sohail Khan in the lead roles, is releasing across India this Eid. One of the most anticipated films of the year, Tubelight, is an official adaptation of the 2015 Hollywood film Little Boy.

Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, Little Boy is the story of an eight-year-old boy who shared a very special relationship with his father. He was devastated when his father left home to join the military to fight in Japan during World War II.

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Here are a few facts about the movie:

1. The code-name of the atomic bomb that the US dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II is the same as the film's title.

2. The film was set in a fictional town called O'Hare in California.

3. More than 1,000 kids were auditioned for the lead role of the film, Pepper Flynt Busbee, the little boy with supernatural powers. Jakob Salvati bragged the role when he was seven years old.

4. Jakob Salvati, who plays the titular role in the film is a young actor with an extensive work to his credit. The 13-year-old actor has appeared on episodes of Mad Men, Grimm and Red Widow. He has also acted in the independent dark fantasy horror film Escape From Tomorrow.

5. Salvati is also a singer and dancer.

6. Little Boy, the film, was panned by critics for displaying faith in a bad light. In the movie, the boy with special powers wished for his father to come back home from the war. Little Boy was criticised for showing a world where miracles happened by killing lakhs of people just to get rewards for the believer.

7. In the film, Pepper brought about an earthquake in Japan with his special powers in an effort to get his father home from a POW camp.

8. The famous Hollywood actor, Kevin James, who plays the character of Dr Fox in Little Boy, liked the script so much that he decided to do the film for free.

9. In the film, Pepper befriends a Japanese man because he wants to get over his hatred for the Japanese (America's World War II enemy), in order for his faith to work so that he can bring his father back home. In Tubelight, Salman's character Laxman is supposed to befriend a Chinese boy, played by Matin Rey Tangu. Tubelight is a set against the 1962 Indo-China war.

10. Emily Watson, who played the character of Emma Busbee in Little Boy, acted in three World War II dramas before the film. The other two were The Book Thief (2013) and The Water Horse (2007).

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Tubelight, helmed by Kabir Khan, is slated to release on Eid this year.

ALSO READ | Tubelight new song Tinka Tinka Dil Mera: Salman Khan will leave you in tears

ALSO READ | Will Salman Khan's Tubelight be able to break Baahubali 2 records? The actor responds

ALSO WATCH | Happy Birthday Salman Khan: A look at Bhaijaan's controversial life

--- ENDS ---
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QUEENSBURY  A dozen men were charged with soliciting sex with an underage girl online, police said Monday.

The men came to Queensbury planning to hook up with either a pimp or an underage girl, age 9 to 14, only to discover they were meeting with a cop who then arrested them.

"You would not believe the number of predators out there," Warren County Sheriff Bud York said at a press conference Monday afternoon. "It's sickening."

The arrests were the result of a six-week investigation, known as Spider Byte, by the sheriff's office, State Police and the FBI.

"It is an operation we do on occasion with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to arrest sexual predators and hopefully deter others from participating in this type of behavior," State Police Capt. Robert Patnaude said. "We want sexual deviants to know that the person they think is a 14-year-old girl online might just be a trooper."

Those arrested used social media, including Facebook, to communicate with what they thought were underage girls.

The sheriff said among those arrested are Frank Gunther, a Mechanicville City School District bus driver; Timothy Celeste, a Glens Falls radio personality; and Thomas Abrams, a captain from Westchester County Department of Correction.

York said he hoped that releasing the defendants' names will encourage victims to come forward.

"I don't think this is the first time for these men," the sheriff said. "If anyone recognizes these men, call us. We are expecting more charges. Really, this could be opening a Pandora's box."

Those arrested by the Warren County sheriff were charged with attempted rape. Those arrested by the State Police face attempted criminal sex act charges. If convicted of the felonies, the men would be required to register as sex offenders.

The sting involved an undercover officer posing as the girls' pimp who met with prospective johns Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Once a price was agreed upon, the men were arrested, the official said.

"One tried to get away," said State Police Senior. Investigator Karl Meybaum. "But with a SWAT team with guns drawn surrounding them, they cooperate."

York said some men brought drugs, alcohol and sexual paraphernalia with them.

"I'd like to see these guys gone longer than one or two years," York said. "We need to change the system. They need to be gone for life because when they come out, they abuse children again. Society needs to do something about this. It's sick."

The 12 men arrested are:

Jose Roberto Zapata-Cruz, 32, of 1017 Wendell Ave., Schenectady, charged with attempted rape.

Gerald F. Harrington III, 36, of 30 Lupine Lane, Queensbury, charged with attempted rape.

Thomas J. Clancy III, 21, of 2 Concord Drive, Saratoga Springs, charged with attempted rape.

Mark D. Hodges, 63, of 1112 New Loudon Road, Latham, charged with attempted rape, attempted aggravated sexual abuse and criminal possession of a weapon.

Roger P. Whiting III, 43, of 29 Mallory Ave., Queensbury, charged with attempted rape.

Paul R. Wilson, 31, of 36 Ethan Allen St., Fort Edward, charged with attempted rape.

Peter J. Fava, 41, of Halifax, Mass., charged with attempted criminal sex acts.

William K. O'Connell, 46, of Fort Edward, charged with attempted criminal sex acts and attempted rape.

Timothy Celeste, 49, Glens Falls, charged with attempted criminal sex acts.

Adam S. Hiedman, 32, of Schenectady, charged with attempted criminal sex acts.

Thomas G. Abrams, 52, of Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County, charged with attempted criminal sex acts.

Frank L. Gunther, 61, of Mechanicville, charged with attempted criminal sex acts.
Washington

A longtime friend to President Donald Trump said Monday that Trump was considering whether to fire Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating possible ties between the president's campaign and Russian officials.

The assertion comes as conservative allies of Trump have begun trying to attack Mueller's credibility.

Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media who was at the White House Monday, said on PBS' "NewsHour" that Trump "is considering, perhaps, terminating the special counsel  I think he's weighing that option."

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, said Monday that "Chris speaks for himself" but declined to comment further. Allies of the president cast doubt on the idea that Trump would take such a dramatic step, and White House officials said Ruddy did not meet directly with the president while he was there.

Firing Mueller would be a politically explosive move that would raise new questions about Trump, whose abrupt dismissal of James Comey, the former FBI director, generated accusations of obstruction of justice and led to Mueller's appointment.

Trump has been known, in moments of frustration and stress, to vent threats of action to members of his inner circle. In the past, some of those private expressions of anger have been made public by friends and associates, only to generate speculation about possibly imminent moves by Trump that never take place.

Under Justice Department rules, Trump seemingly would have to order Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein to first rescind department regulations protecting a special counsel from being fired for no good reason and then fire Mueller. If Rosenstein refused, Trump could fire him, too  a series of events that would recall the "Saturday Night Massacre" during Watergate, when President Richard M. Nixon sought to dismiss special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

White House officials referred questions to Trump's personal lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, as they have recently on all matters relating to the Russia investigation. A Kasowitz spokeman declined to comment.

Newt Gingrich, a supporter of Trump's, said in a tweet Monday that it is time to "rethink" Mueller's ability to be fair.

"Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair," Gingrich tweeted after in recent weeks praising Mueller's integrity. Apparently referring to Federal Election Commission reports, he added: "Look who he is hiring. check fec reports. Time to rethink."

The idea that the investigation is illegitimate and politically motivated is one that has been gaining currency on the political right for months. Conservative writers, radio hosts and cable personalities  emboldened by the president himself  have repeatedly sought to discredit the inquiry, its investigators, the mainstream news media accounts of it and lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are demanding answers.

Initially, Comey was the subject of much of their derision. Now they have moved onto Mueller, a man they are attacking as too compromised and conflicted to lead an independent inquiry.

In the PBS interview, Ruddy said Trump had considered replacing Comey with Mueller, a former FBI director during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. A senior White House official confirmed the president interviewed Mueller for the FBI post the day before he was tapped by the deputy attorney general to serve as special counsel in the Russia investigation.

Ruddy said the president was weighing whether to dismiss Mueller because of concerns about conflicts of interest. He said those concerns included the interview for the FBI post and connections between Mueller's law firm and other White House officials.

"There are some real conflicts. He comes from a law firm that represents members of the Trump family," Ruddy said. "I know for a fact that he was under consideration and that the president did talk with him in the days before he was named special counsel. I think there's a conflict."

Democrats Monday accused Republicans of beginning a campaign to smear Mueller's reputation as he engages in a investigation that could include whether Trump obstructed justice by first pressuring Comey to end parts of the inquiry, and then by firing him.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, scoffed at the idea that the president might fire Mueller. "If President fired Bob Mueller, Congress would immediately re-establish independent counsel and appoint Bob Mueller," Schiff said.
Washington

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, facing fresh questions about his Russian contacts during the election campaign and his role in the firing of James Comey, will be interrogated in a public hearing by former Senate colleagues on Tuesday.

The appearance before the Senate intelligence committee comes one week after former FBI Director Comey cryptically told lawmakers the bureau had expected Sessions to recuse himself weeks before he did from an investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 election.

Sessions, a key campaign adviser to Donald Trump, stepped aside from the investigation in early March after acknowledging he had spoken twice in the months before the election with the Russian ambassador to the United States. He said under oath at his January confirmation hearing that he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Since then, lawmakers have raised questions about a possible third meeting at a Washington hotel, though the Justice Department has said that did not happen.

There had been some question as to whether the hearing would be open, but the Justice Department said Monday Sessions requested it be because he "believes it is important for the American people to hear the truth directly from him."
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Schenectady

Union College's security officers will soon have a new home.

The college announced Tuesday that it has agreed to purchase the former Bank of America building on Nott Street for $135,000, with $25,000 coming from a Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority grant.

Union said it will renovate the 2,500-square-foot building to house its Campus Safety Department, moving its 26-member security force there. Some services, including vehicle registration and ID car processing, will remain in College Park Hall.

"This is a very strategic acquisition for us," Union President Stephen C. Ainlay said in a press release. "We wanted to do our part to help develop this critical corridor that borders our campus. By having the high visibility of the Campus Safety Department there, it not only brings them closer to campus, but benefits the neighborhood as well."

The building has been vacant since Ann Cort LLC bought the property at auction in 2013.
State Police

ARGYLE  A man working at the Washington Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare is accused of sexually assaulting a patient, troopers said Tuesday.

Richard Gonzalez Medina, 25, of Schenectady, allegedly had non-consensual oral sexual contact with a patient at the center, troopers said. The victim reported the assault to other staff members, who immediately called the State Police.
Acting under the Prevention of Benami Property Act, action has been initiated against Tejashwi Yadav and his siblings.

By Atir Khan: Trouble seems to be mounting for Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. The Income Tax Department has passed orders of attachment of their alleged 'benami' property in Delhi. The properties worth more than Rs 50 crores in Delhi have been attached.

Sources said the move had been initiated post searches by the unit dealing with alleged benami properties. Action has been initiated against Tejashwi Yadav and his siblings. The department has exercised its powers under the Prevention of Benami Property Act.

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Stepping up investigation against former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the IT had recently raided 22 premises in Delhi and Gurgaon in connection with benami land deals to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore. As per the procedure after the raids, a separate unit of IT Department investigates the suspicious benami deals. The searching team refers such cases to the benami unit. After the probe, if the benami unit finds any proxy transactions, then it has powers to initiate prosecution. Benami law also attracts criminal provisions and if convicted, there is a provision of imprisonment.

The department will now issue a notice under Benami law and give Lalu Yadav and his family members an opportunity to give their version on the ownership of the properties. If they fail to give an explanation, then the properties worth Rs 50 crores will be permanently attached. The IT Department gets 90 days to file its final report.

IT DEPARTMENT PROBE

The IT Department sources said it was probing several businessmen and real estate agents as well, in connection with the deals. Searching were conducted everywhere connected to Lalu Prasad with regard to the benami land deals and cases of tax evasion as well.

The raids had followed the BJP's allegations that Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti and his two sons were involved in benami land deals to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore, thereafter seeking a probe by the government in the matter.

Last month, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also demanded that the Centre probe the alleged land deals. He alleged that Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha MP, had failed to disclose these assets in her election affidavit and demanded the Election Commission to take action against her.

LALU ATTACKS BJP

Lalu Prasad Yadav, however, sounded a warning on Twitter, asking the BJP to "be careful". "Beware egoist and fascist BJP leaders! Before threatening Lalu, look at your face in the mirror. There are millions of thousands of Lalus in Bihar," he posted on Twitter, on Monday night.

Misa Bharti has been summoned by the IT Department twice earlier this month. But she failed to appear on both the dates. She was represented by her lawyer, who had expressed displeasure over the department making the summon dates public. Sources said he had told the IT officers that making the summoning date public compromised her security.

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Also read: Minister son Tej Pratap deputes 3 doctors, 2 nurses for ill father Lalu Prasad

Also read: Grand alliance at Centre is Lalu Prasad Yadav's birthday wish

WATCH VIDEO HERE

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Shades of Irish Light is the latest exhibition to show at the Tipperary Excel Gallery, and depicts scenes of the Irish Countryside. The exhibition of oil paintings by Deirdre Dunne will run until July 1st and the Gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm

Admission is free and All are welcome. Deirdre Dunne is an Irish born Artist who obtained her honours degrees in Fine Art, and Painting at Crawford College of Art in Cork. Since her studies she has bicycled through Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and Central America, as well as working as a tour guide in Australia and Africa. Throughout these experiences she has been continuously sketching and painting images from each of the countries she has passed through, including her native Ireland. She is now living near Kilbeheny, Mitchelstown surrounded by the beautiful Galty Mountains. This is where her studio is situated. She also teaches art to both children and adults. Artist Statement: My subject matter varies throughout my paintings. What attracts me to a certain subject is the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. I use intense colours and contrasts to achieve a strong impact on the viewer. From winter sunshine to stormy skies, I try to capture the moment in nature where everything is highlighted. Deirdres preferred medium is oil on canvas, and she works on a red ochre background to create rich tonal contrasts.
[June 13, 2017] Travelers Institute Teams Up with the Economic Club of Canada to Promote Cybersecurity for Businesses

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), today will host its Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore symposia series for small and midsize businesses and organizations. Co-hosted by the Economic Club of Canada, the event will convene thought leaders to share strategies for creating a cyber-smart workplace. "It is important for employers and employees to recognize potential cyber scams, which are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect," said Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers. "Small and midsize businesses are particularly vulnerable. By better understanding the risks, they can take the appropriate steps to protect their private information." Sophie LaPointe, Director of Operations at the Economic Club of Canada, said, "Today's cyber risk environment is very challenging for businesses. We are pleased to work with the Travelers Institute to help educate companies about creating a strategy to help prevent and recover from a cyber intrusion." The keynote address will be delivered by Michael Echols, CEO, International Association of Certified ISAOs (Information Sharing and Anlysis Organizations). He is also the former Director, Joint Program Management Office, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.



The event will feature a panel discussion, "Tackling Evolving Cyber Threats," moderated by Woodward. In addition to Echols, panelists will include Victor Beitner, Founder and CEO, Cyber Security Canada, and David Clark, Senior Claims Counsel, Major Case Unit, Specialty Insurance, Travelers Canada. The Travelers Institute has held its Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore educational initiative across the United States since 2016, and expanded the series to Canada this year with a launch event at the Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta's annual convention.

About the Travelers Institute

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers' senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers' underwriters, risk managers and other experts, to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005320/en/

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[June 12, 2017] Kabam Spin-Off Studio Phoenix One Launches Guardian Kingdoms to Challenge Supercell

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As Netmarble completes its acquisition of Marvel: Contest of Champions developer Kabam, Kabam spin-off studio Phoenix One launches Guardian Kingdoms - a next generation 3v3 mobile strategy game to challenge Supercell. Phoenix One Games is led by a veteran group from Kabam, Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Zynga. The studio has spent the last few years at Kabam quietly developing an ambitious mobile game, Guardian Kingdoms, and has its sights set on Supercell's unassailable dominance on strategy games. As Kabam began considering its own sale, the team spun off to launch Guardian Kingdoms under their new studio, Phoenix One Games. Guardian Kingdoms is built upon ground-breaking technology for competitive team battles, allowing for multiplayer experiences never before attempted at such large scale, on mobile devices. This breakthrough on mobile allows for a true strategy game experience reminiscent of Blizzard classics Warcraft or Starcraft, rather than rival Clash of Clans. Not satisfied with only revolutionizing the combat system for mobile, Guardian Kingdoms also caters to players who enjoy cooperative gameplay alongside a story-driven quests and massiv team raid challenges.



All this culminates in a fresh and uniquely bite-sized MMO RTS experience for mobile that is super accessible, yet with the complexity and depth for the most hardcore gamers. One player muses: "Given the saturation of mobile games that emphasize social interaction, Guardian Kingdoms is a rare gemstone that brings back the spirit of this old school gamer...The best thing about it is it's all real-time, I was able to play with a co-worker while assaulting another person's base." With Guardian Kingdoms, the base-building and strategic team gameplay of RTS games has been carefully crafted into a fresh twist on a classic genre, and makes a clear case for challenging Supercell's dominance on the charts.

Get Guardian Kingdoms on iOS for free: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1139986797 For more information about Guardian Kingdoms visit: http://www.guardiankingdoms.com/. Stay up to date on game developments by liking Guardian Kingdoms on Facebook and following on Twitter and Instagram. About Phoenix One Games Phoenix One Games is a San Francisco based mobile gaming startup founded in 2016 after spinning out of Kabam with significant veteran gaming and art talent from top publishers such as Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Kabam, and Zynga. Guardian Kingdoms is the company's flagship title and is an original fantasy genre base builder / strategy multiplayer mobile game. Media Contact:

[email protected] Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f11e7r31yI

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521188/Guardian_Kingdoms_3v3_Phoenix_One_Games.jpg SOURCE Phoenix One Games

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[June 12, 2017] Nobilis Therapeutics Receives a Notice of Allowance for a Patent Covering Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders With Noble Gases

PORTLAND, Ore., June 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nobilis Therapeutics announced today that the patent that it had exclusively licensed from Partners HealthCare/McLean Hospital (an affiliate of Harvard University) has received a notice of allowance. The patent is titled "XENON AND/OR ARGON TREATMENT AS AN ADJUNCT TO PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS" and covers a wide range of noble gas uses in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

"We are very pleased to receive this very exciting news," said Dr. Vlad Bogin, company's CEO. "This patent had laid the groundwork for our first therapeutic indication, which is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As Nobilis Therapeutics has selected the 505(b)(2) pathway to ND approval, having an issued patent becomes of paramount importance."



"The issue of a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office strongly supports the novelty of our safe approach to treating this debilitating and devastating condition - more than 20 Veterans a day commit suicide as they try to cope with their traumatic experiences. Sadly, current therapies and treatments are only moderately effective. We are very excited to have forged this relationship with Nobilis Therapeutics as we work to translate our research findings into a clinical trial and, hopefully, an effective treatment for PTSD," said Edward Meloni, Ph.D., one of inventors. About Nobilis Therapeutics, Inc.

Nobilis Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that is focused on development and commercialization of proprietary inhalation-based treatments using controlled device administration of inert gases that have an exceptional safety profile proven by decades of clinical use. The Company has filed multiple patents on the use of inert gases for treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases and leverages the experience of its international team that has successfully used this technology in the treatment of over 500 patients for conditions ranging from panic attacks to substance abuse. Vlad Bogin, MD, FACP 3042NW Monte Vista Terrace Portland, OR 97210 Tel: (971) 229-1679 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.nobilistx.com Twitter: @nobilistx

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[June 12, 2017] ROKT Finalizes US$26 Million Series 'B' Funding Round

NEW YORK and SYDNEY, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ROKT today announced the conclusion of a US$26 million Series "B" funding round, led by Moelis Australia Ltd. (ASX: MOE). John Ho, Lachlan Murdoch, Greg Roebuck, Square Peg Capital and Time Inc. (NYSE: TIME) also participated in this investment. ROKT's "B" round consisted of US$15 million, announced in February 2017, and a further US$11 million investment just made by existing investors. The investment process was structured this way to facilitate ROKT's acquisition of strategic assets to broaden its offering as well as accelerate the company's global growth. Reflective of that was ROKT's acquisition of CalReply, completed shortly as part of the February 2017 Installment of the "B" round. "All of us at ROKT are appreciative of this latest vote of confidence from our investors," said Bruce Buchanan, ROKT's Chairman and CEO. "It serves to further step up our efforts, sharpen our focus and continue to execute flawlessly at the intersection of digital marketing and e-commerce." Along with acquiring CalReply, the largest and fastest growing provider of calendar marketing solutions, ROKT has added depth to its management ranks, notably managing directors to spearhead expansion in the EMEA and APAC regions, increased headcount in all parts of the company, and advanced its technology platform to deliver mor and better results for advertisers and e-commerce partners in the company's global network.



"Working with the ROKT team continues to be an immensely positive experience," said Ben Wong, a Managing Director at Moelis Australia. "We are pleased to have added further support to ROKT as it brings more benefits to more advertisers and e-commerce businesses across the globe." ROKT helps to achieve better e-commerce results by improving customer engagements and delivering meaningful native monetization for such brands as eBay, Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Gumtree, AXS, Dominos and Kogan, among others. It also works with thousands of performance marketers focused on acquiring large numbers of new customers at the point of transaction.

"This US$26 million funding round is one of the biggest this year for an Australian company," said Tushar Roy, a Square Peg Partner. "It represents more than investor confidence in the company. It serves as a reaffirmation of our belief that ROKT will persist to gather speed along its path to becoming a company that profoundly changes the way brands acquire and convert customers worldwide." About ROKT

ROKT sits at the intersection of digital media and commerce. The company brings significant benefits to e-commerce operators by applying its algorithmic engine to optimize customers' journeys as well as monetize underutilized portions of their websites. ROKT uses its unique position in the customer journey and set of capabilities to help performance marketers engage with and acquire customers at scale when they're most receptive, just as they've made an online transaction from a trusted brand. ROKT has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore. For more information, please email [email protected] or visit ROKT.com. About Moelis Australia

Moelis Australia is a fully integrated financial services group that operates through its' two business segments: Corporate Advisory, Equities and Asset Management. Moelis Australia was established with a philosophy to offer unbiased advice of the highest quality to its clients. This philosophy is fostered through an exclusive global alliance with New York Stock Exchange listed global investment bank, Moelis & Company (NYSE: MC). Since its establishment in 2009, Moelis Australia has advised on corporate transactions with a value in excess of $72 billion, raised over $5.7 billion in capital for clients and now manages in excess of $1.9 billion in assets under management. For further information, please visit: https://moelisaustralia.com.au. About Square Peg

Square Peg Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in outstanding teams building tomorrow's technology leaders. Its investing activities focus on Australia and New Zealand, South East Asia and Israel. For more information please visit. www.squarepegcap.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rokt-finalizes-us26-million-series-b-funding-round-300472529.html SOURCE ROKT

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[June 12, 2017] TeamDynamix Named SIIA Education Technology CODiE Award Finalist for Best Higher Education Enterprise Solution

TeamDynamix, providers of cloud-based work management software, today announced that the solution was named a 2017 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in the Best Higher Education Enterprise Solution category. Finalists represent applications, products and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services and related technologies across the PreK-20 sector. Click to tweet TeamDynamix gives higher education service organizations the ability to align and simplify their work management processes. From IT to facilities, residential life to media services, marketing, library services and more - the platform offers a single portal to help students and faculty with all service requests and improved support through shared knowledge. The platform also offers an integrated Project Portfolio Management solution that helps to optimize resources working on both tickets and projects. The SIIA CODiE Awards are the premier awards for the software and information industries, and have been recognizing product excellence for over 30 years. The awards offer 93 categories that are organized by industry focus of education technology and business technology. TeamDynamix was honored as one of 160 finalists across the 34 education technology categories. "I am impressed by the level of innovation and creativity demonstrated by the 2017 CODiE award finalists. These products are opening doors for learners of all ages by combining new technologies with research about how people learn in order to respnd to student and educator needs," said Bridget Foster, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN), a division of SIIA.



"We are thrilled to be selected as finalists," stated C.J. Wimley, CEO for TeamDynamix. "We are dedicated to the Higher Ed community with a clear focus on helping institutions work smarter, faster and better. It's all about the student experience, and the industry experts who selected the finalists for the CODiEs recognize TeamDynamix' ability to improve that experience by helping colleges and universities better manage their time, resources, and support needs." The SIIA CODiE Awards are the industry's only peer-reviewed awards program. Educators and administrators serve as judges and conduct the first-round review of all education nominees. Their scores determine the SIIA CODiE Award finalists, and SIIA members then vote on the finalist products. The scores from both rounds are tabulated to select the winners. Winners will be announced during a CODiE Award Winner Ceremony in San Francisco on July 26 at the Education Impact Symposium, hosted by the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN), a division of SIIA.

Details about each finalist are listed at http://www.siia.net/codie/Finalists About the SIIA CODiE Awards The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technology's finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE. About TeamDynamix TeamDynamix cloud-based work management software gives service organizations in higher education the ability to align, work together, and simplify their work management processes. TeamDynamix transforms IT from order taker to strategic innovator. Colleges and universities use TeamDynamix project portfolio and service management to simplify, collaborate, and work. More at TeamDynamix.com, @TDXBuzz, LinkedIn. For the media: Additional details and images available in this online press kit. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006335/en/

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[June 12, 2017] Rimini Street Recognized by 2017 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards for Customer Service Innovation

Rimini Street, Inc., a global provider of enterprise software services, and the leading independent support provider for Oracle (News - Alert) and SAP products, today announced that it won a prestigious Stevie Award in the Innovation in Customer Service Management, Planning & Practice category from the 2017 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. This honour marks the Company's 10th Stevie Award win this year. Rimini Street recently earned Stevie Awards in several categories, including Most Innovative Tech Company of the Year from the 2017 American Business AwardsSM and Customer Service Department of the Year from the 2017 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006130/en/ Rimini Street continues to gain worldwide recognition for client service and industry leadership with its 10th Stevie Award win this year. (Photo: Business Wire) Global-Scale Customer Service Excellence Honored Once Again The Stevie Award recognized the achievements of Rimini Street's Global Support Department in customer service excellence and innovation for delivering its premium-level independent support model to clients running Oracle and SAP (News - Alert) enterprise software. The Company's model incorporates more comprehensive support services not offered through standard vendor maintenance, including support for customizations, interoperability and performance tuning, as well as access to a named, dedicated Primary Support Engineer (PSE) with an average of 15 years' experience, and 15-minute guaranteed response times for critical cases (P1) - all delivered at half the original vendor's annual maintenance fee. Rimini Street lient Also Wins Award After Switching to Independent Support



Organizations who have made the switch to independent support and are benefitting from the greater operational efficiencies and flexibility afforded by the ultra-responsive support model are able to reinvest these significant savings back into their business to drive more strategic initiatives that help lead to growth and competitive advantage. One such example of an organization that leveraged the savings from its switch to Rimini Street is Kumagai Gumi in Japan. One of the largest, most reputable contractors in Japan, Kumagai Gumi switched to Rimini Street and immediately reduced the IT costs associated with an upgrade of its ERP software by 100 million yen. The company was also able to lower its operations and maintenance expense by 40 million yen annually, while at the same time experiencing more responsive support. This enabled the company to reallocate savings into new projects, including the installation of 800 iPads to improve operational efficiencies across the organization. As a result, Kumagai Gumi earned the IT Special Award earlier this year given by the Japan Institute of Information Technology.

"We are honoured to be a recipient of the prominent Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards," said Rimini Street, Asia Pacific, managing director, Andrew Powell. "This recognition further cements Rimini Street's leadership position in customer service and our ability to help enable innovation in the organizations we support. For Rimini Street, it's not just about the cost savings we can enable for our clients, but the value we can bring clients with exceptional support of their systems and what each client can do with the reinvestment of saved funds - specifically to drive growth." The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards were open to organisations in the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region and focused on recognizing innovation in business. The judging panel consisted of more than 50 executives around the world acting as judges for more than 700 nominations submitted by organizations across the region. The award ceremony was held at the Hilton Hotel in Tokyo, Japan on 2 June. About Rimini Street, Inc. Rimini Street is the global leader in providing independent enterprise software support services. The company has redefined enterprise support services since 2005 with an innovative, award-winning program that enables licensees of Oracle, SAP, IBM (News - Alert), Microsoft and other enterprise software vendors to save up to 90 percent on total support costs. Clients can remain on their current software release without any required upgrades for a minimum of 15 years. Nearly 1,300 global Fortune 500, midmarket, public sector and other organizations from a broad range of industries currently rely on Rimini Street as their trusted, independent support provider. To learn more, please visit http://www.riministreet.com/, follow @riministreet on Twitter (News - Alert) and find Rimini Street on Facebook and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "plan," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and are based on various assumptions. If the risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Rimini Street assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak only as of the date of this press release.  2017 Rimini Street, Inc. All rights reserved. "Rimini Street" is a registered trademark of Rimini Street, Inc. in the United States and other countries, and Rimini Street, the Rimini Street logo, and combinations thereof, and other marks marked by TM are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, and unless otherwise specified, Rimini Street claims no affiliation, endorsement, or association with any such trademark holder or other companies referenced herein. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006130/en/

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The Bengaluru Police has again sought custody of four suspects to investigate how they managed to secure Aadhaar cards with fake papers.

By Nolan Pinto: After the Bengaluru Police nabbed three Pakistan nationals for staying in the country without valid documents and an Indian for aiding them on May 25, the force has tightened its vigil.

Even after 15 days of custody, the Bengaluru Police has sought their custody again to investigate how they managed to secure Aadhaar cards with fake papers.

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"Checking their antecedents and contacts requires a huge effort," and hence the police is taking the help of central intelligence agencies both within and outside the country.

The arrested are Sameera, Kiran Ghulam Ali and Kashif Shamshuddin all from Karachi and Mohammad Shihab from Kerala. They were arrested by the Central Crime Branch sleuths on charges of illegally staying in India for nine months and also getting Aadhaar cards.

All four have been charged under Sections of Foreigner's Act, Passport Act, conspiracy and creation of false documents and misrepresentation, said Praveen Sood, Police Commissioner of Bengaluru.

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[June 12, 2017] Global Mobile Robot Charging Station Market - Key Drivers and Forecast from Technavio

Technavio analysts forecast the global mobile robot charging station market to grow at a CAGR of close to 14% over the forecast period, according to their latest report. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006164/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global mobile robot charging station market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) The research study by Technavio on the global mobile robot charging station market for 2017-2021 provides a detailed industry analysis based on the type (stand-alone charger and multi-robot charger), application (industrial and commercial sector), and geography (the Americas, EMEA, and APAC).







Mobile robot charging station, or docking station, comprises transmitter and receiver, which helps the charging station and the autonomous mobile robots to communicate. The demand for autonomous mobile robots has increased due to the extended preference of factory automation and Industry 4.0, increasing the growth of the global mobile robot charging station market.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. Technavio analysts highlight the following three factors that are contributing to the growth of the global mobile robot charging station market: Reduced cost price of electronic components

Factory automation

Solar-energy fueled charging stations Reduced cost price of electronic components The extent of microelectronics, nanotechnology, and wireless communication technology has led to the rise in the use of autonomous mobile robots in multiple industrial and commercial applications. These robots are working in and around the shop floors and are enabled with autonomous charging facility. "The significant fall in the price of electronic components, such as the infrared sensors and cameras has elevated the growth of the global mobile robot charging station market. The availability of affordable raw material has enabled the development in the field of robotics, and thereby charging stations," says Sushmit Chakraborty, a lead analyst at Technavio for robotics research. Factory automation The automation of factory floors greatly improves the quality of work output, which has led to the automation of a plethora of end-user industries such as automotive manufacturing, food and beverages, and chemical manufacturing. Countries such as China, India, Japan, Singapore, Germany, and the UK, which are dependent on the manufacturing industry, are increasingly adopting robots in their factories. Most fully automated factories are dependent on autonomous mobile robots for various applications such as commercial equipment cleaning, transportation and material handling, garbage disposal, and inventory management. Mobile robot charging stations are employed in these industries to power the robots. Solar-energy fueled charging stations "Autonomous mobile robots are used in defense and police applications for outdoor operations such as border patrol, security, forest and agriculture, and material transfer. Such operations need robots and charging stations that can provide power supply whenever required," says Sushmit. The mobile robot chargers or docking stations used for outdoor operations cannot be assisted with wall mounted power boards connected to traditional grid power sources. Therefore, solar energy fueled charging stations are developed to enable charging these remote docking stations. These stations are equipped with a solar panel that helps to convert solar energy into a direct current, which can be supplied to robots. Browse Related Reports: Global Automatic Palletizer and Depalletizer Market 2017-2021

Global Agricultural Robots Market 2017-2021

Global Automated Truck Loading System Market 2017-2021 Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like automation. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, resellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170612006164/en/

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[June 12, 2017] FileRight.com and Community Organizations Stand With Immigrants at Nevada's Immigrant Heritage Month Event

LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds gathered Saturday, June 10, at the Asian Culture Center for Nevada's Immigrant Heritage Month Dedication Ceremony + Cultural Showcase to celebrate the fourth annual Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM), a nationwide effort to gather and share the inspirational stories of immigrants in America. Attendees were also encouraged to give back to the community by volunteering to help local immigrant-serving organizations. The evening included performances by Latin musicians, the Comparsa Fiesta Morelense dance troupe of Las Vegas and Korean and Polynesian dance groups. U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada's 4th congressional district was the event's keynote speaker and spoke of his family's journey to the U.S. and his pledge to stand with immigrants. "My family came here in pursuit of the American dream," Kihuen said. "And the simple fact that a former undocumented immigrant is serving in Congress is a testament of the greatness of this country." "We are overwhelmed by the turnout and support that was isplayed on behalf of Immigrant Heritage Month," said FileRight.com Founder and CEO Cesare Alessandrini. "So many great folks came out to help celebrate their immigrant heritage and take part in an event that celebrated cultural diversity. We were delighted to partner with IAmAnImmigrant.com and the team at FWD.us to help put together and sponsor such an incredible event. Additionally, we are excited to see support for IHM coming from more than 250 companies and nonprofit partners, including Facebook, Verizon, Snapchat, Refinery29, MTV, HBO and Airbnb."



For more information about the event and Immigrant Heritage Month, please visit fileright.com/IHM or facebook.com/fileright. About FileRight.com

FileRight.com is an online software company dedicated to setting immigrants on the path of success by focusing on one thing: getting immigration paperwork filed right. FileRight.com's software (available in English or Spanish) guides applicants through the process step-by-step and checks for errors or problematic entries along the way. Popular application filing packages also include an immigration lawyer consultation and a review of applications prior to filing. FileRight.com offers 24/7 support and a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Learn more at www.FileRight.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/filerightcom-and-community-organizations-stand-with-immigrants-at-nevadas-immigrant-heritage-month-event-300472713.html SOURCE FileRight.com

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[June 13, 2017] Credit Peers Secures 45 million Credit Line

LONDON, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Peers, one of the first peer-to-business (P2B) secured property lending platforms in the UK, announced today that it has secured a credit line of 45 million from a European investment management firm. The financing should allow Credit Peers to expand its growing business by providing fast-tracked debt funding to experienced property investors and developers on investment grade property transactions across the UK. Earlier this year Credit Peers launched its loan-based P2B platform offering property transactions to the public that were previously only available to institutions and banks. Credit Peers aims to significantly speed up the process of property financing compared to the traditional model. The Credit Peers team is passionately working to make property lending faster, more flexible and transparent. Romain Cohen, Chief Investment Officer at Credit Peers said: "We are thrilled to receive this credit line that should help us o accelerate the company into its next stage of growth." Torsten Hartmann, CEO, adds: "Being able to secure such a financing supports our ability to originate attractive opportunities for institutional investors and family offices."



Credit Peers is one of the latest businesses to launch in the exciting alternative finance market and is one of the first peer-to-business (P2B) property lending platforms in the UK. More specific information can be found on Credit Peers' website http://www.creditpeers.com. Risk warning

Although lending to real estate investors can be rewarding, it involves a number of risks. If you choose to lend through Credit Peers, you need to consider that you will not be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, that you should not lend more money than you can afford to lose, that the loans facilitated by Credit Peers are illiquid - i.e. can be difficult to sell -, and that lending should be done as part of a diversified portfolio. Capital is at risk. Credit Peers Limited is an Appointed Representative of Resolution Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 574048) Notes to editor The Credit Peers platform allows people to lend money in two different ways. Lenders can put their funds towards financing a specific property asset, selected from the loan opportunities on the Credit Peers website , or they can opt for the auto-match product . The auto-match product allows lenders to select the type of property transaction they want their funds to be allocated to, against a set of criteria. Funds are then assigned to the next available loan that meets these criteria. Every pound loaned is secured against a legal charge on the property, designed to set Credit Peers apart from most forms of peer-to-peer lending. For more information, please contact Credit Peers at [email protected].

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[June 13, 2017] Local Logic closes a first funding round of 1,15 M$ to change the way cities are being used and developed

MONTREAL, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Local Logic, a Montreal-based company specialized in urban data collection and analysis, has closed a funding round of 1,15 M$.

This first funding round, for the company created 2 years ago, was lead by Cycle Capital Management and supported par BDC, 500 Startups Canada and Yellow Pages. It will allow the team to grow and finance the expansion of the technology throughout the North-American market. With its team of urban planners and data scientists, the company uses sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence to map the city using big data. Local Logics mission is to help consumers, real estate companies, investors and urban planners to make better decisions by enriching their understanding of cities and citizens needs, as stated by Vincent-Charles Hodder, cofounder and CEO of the company. According to him, the use of urban data allows for a better understanding of cities, which contributes to their sustainable development. We are thrilled to count on the financial and strategic support of major investors. Their backing will allow us to expand Local Logic to the United States and develop new markets for our urban data, declared Vincent-Charles Hodder. We elieve that the analysis of urban big data is a key element in the management of smart cities and that this technology has a lot of potential for various applications, declared Andree-Lise Methot, founder and associate director of Cycle Capital Management. Investing in this sector is a first for us. We took the time to analyze different technologies and we are investing in Local Logic because the developed technology is accessible, very useful for a variety of markets and because the entrepreneurial team is solid, she added.



About Local Logic

Local Logic is a big data company which uses a combination of geospatial and user generated usage data to quantify the qualities of any given location within a city. The technology developed by Local Logic is used to guide the decisions of consumers when looking for real estate or travel accommodations. The company already counts Centris, Quebecs largest real estate website, as well as Sothebys International Realty Canada among its clients. About Cycle Capital Management

Cycle Capital Management is the most active cleantech venture capital firm in Canada. Cycle Capital invests in companies developing and commercializing clean technologies and striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing resource use, and improving process efficiency throughout a products life cycle.

With assets under management of $231M, Cycle Capital invests in Quebec and across North America. Cycle Capital Management, based in Montreal with an office in Toronto and points of presence in New York, Seattle and Qingdao in China, regroups seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. Cycle Capital Management has a special relationship with its strategic partners, notably Brookfield Renewable Energy, Rio Tinto Alcan, Cascades, Group M3, Lonza, Gaz Metro, Systemex Energies, Aluminerie Alouette, and Hydro-Quebec. For more information on Cycle Capital Management visit: cyclecapital.com. For additional information: Local Logic Gabriel Damant-Sirois Co-founder & CPO [email protected] +1 438-932-9236 Cycle Capital Management Catherine Berube Head of Communications and Public Relations [email protected] +1 514-629-1022

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[June 13, 2017] 5th Anniversary of "SMIC Liver Transplant Program" - Cumulative Donation Exceeding RMB 15 Million and 200 Children Saved

SHANGHAI, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 0981.HK), one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China, held the 5th Donation Ceremony of "SMIC Liver Transplant Program" at Shanghai Renji Hospital. At the ceremony, SMIC announced a further donation of RMB 2.56 million in 2017. In the past five years, the charity program has raised more than RMB 15 million and more than 200 children were successfully treated with liver transplant. Chairman of SMIC Dr. Zixue Zhou, Honorary Chairman of SMIC Mr. Wenyi Zhang, Vice Chairman of SMIC Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, CEO of SMIC Dr. Haijun Zhao, Deputy Chairman of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Mr. Dunquan Jing, and President of Renji Hospital Dr. Weiping Li, Secretary of Communist Party Committee of Renji Hospital Ms. Lian Guo, attended the donation ceremony. Since the start of the charity project "SMIC Liver Transplant Program" by SMIC in April 2013, this is the fifth time that SMIC has donated to China Soong Ching Ling Foundation for the purpose of funding the underprivileged children to receive liver transplant operations. So far, the total amount of donated by SMIC has reached RMB 11.1 million. At the same time, the "SMIC Liver Transplant Program" has attracted more and more caring enterprises and individuals, making it a common mission for the IC industry. This year, the number of participants from the industry reached 111 with a total donation amount of RMB 2.2 million and the cumulative amount exceeding RMB 4.4 million. Up to now "SMIC Liver Transplant Program" has successfully implemented liver transplants for more than 200 underprivileged children throughout the country, and the youngest one was only 6 months old. The Chairman of SMIC, Dr. Zixue Zhou, said: "Thanks to the caring and the excellent skills of the medical staff from Renji Hospital, the generous help from China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, and the sincere love from all SMIC staff and partners, we are proud to see more than 200 children are recovered, and their families once again resound with laugher in the past five years. That's the meaning and value of our commitment 'Care for people, care for the environment, and care for the society'. In the future SMIC will continue to carry out this valuable charity program and undertake the responsibility and commitment as a corporate citizen. " The Vice Chairman of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Dunquan Jing, said: "'The Belt and Road Initiative' connects people, 'SMIC Liver Transplant Program' converges benevolence. We are pleased to see the number of enterprise participants has doubled comparing to lastyear. With the steady development of China's economy and thanks to SMIC's inspiring call, we believe more enterprises will join us to fulfill their social responsibilities, promote the prosperity and development of China's public welfare work, and finally help more children to regain the right to live."



Secretary of Communist Party Committee of Renji Hospital, Ms. Lian Guo, said: "As the largest children's liver transplant center in China, Hepatic Surgery of Renji Hospital has achieved rapid development over the last ten years. The number of our pediatric liver transplant operations in the past 6 years has ranked first in China. Currently the center has finished 890 pediatric liver transplant operations, in which more than 70% patients are from underprivileged homes. Thanks to the great support from the caring organizations such as SMIC and China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, so many poor children have been successfully treated. Hereby I would like to express my sincere gratitude and highest respect to the foundations, enterprises and all individuals for your benevolence and support to social philanthropy. We hope more enterprises and individuals will join us to help the children with liver disease, and give them a light-hearted childhood." About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services on process nodes from 0.35 micron to 28 nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has an international manufacturing and service base. In China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm fab in Shanghai; a 300mm fab and a majority-owned 300mm fab for advanced nodes in Beijing; 200mm fabs in Tianjin and Shenzhen; and a majority-owned joint-venture 300mm bumping facility in Jiangyin; additionally, in Italy SMIC has a majority-owned 200mm fab. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.smics.com. Safe Harbor Statements (Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) This press release contains, in addition to historical information, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on SMIC's current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. SMIC uses words like "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," "target" and similar expressions to identify forward looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of SMIC's senior management and involve significant risks, both known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SMIC's actual performance, financial condition or results of operations to be materially different from those suggested by the forward-looking statements including, among others, risks associated with cyclicality and market conditions in the semiconductor industry, intense competition in the semiconductor industry, SMIC's reliance on a small number of customers, timely wafer acceptance by SMIC's customers, timely introduction of new technologies, SMIC's ability to ramp new products into volume, supply and demand for semiconductor foundry services, industry overcapacity, shortages in equipment, components and raw materials, availability of manufacturing capacity, financial stability in end markets, orders or judgments from pending litigation, intensive intellectual property litigation in semiconductor industry, general economic conditions and fluctuations in currency exchange rates. In addition to the information contained in this press release, you should also consider the information contained in our other filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on April 27, 2017, especially in the "Risk Factors" section and such other documents that we may file with the SEC or The Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited ("SEHK") from time to time, including current reports on Form 6-K. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated or, if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release. Except as may be required by law, SMIC undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SMIC Media Contact Terry Ding

+86-21-3861-0000 x16812

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5th-anniversary-of-smic-liver-transplant-program---cumulative-donation-exceeding-rmb-15-million-and-200-children-saved-300472860.html SOURCE Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation

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[June 13, 2017] Altair First With GNSS (GPS) Integrated in Narrowband Cat-M1 and NB1 Cellular IOT Chipset

HOD HASHARON, Israel, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair Semiconductor (altair-semi.com), a leading provider of LTE chipsets, today demonstrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) functionality integrated in its new ALT1250 narrowband CAT-M1 and NB1 (NB-IoT) chipset. The ALT1250 is the only narrowband cellular IoT chipset in the market today that incorporates GNSS/GPS functionality. "Location determination is essential in many IoT applications - including asset tracking, vehicle monitoring and wearable devices. Satellite positioning is the most accurate method for doing that," said Eran Eshed, Co-founder and VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Altair. "Integrating GNSS functionality in the ALT1250 significantly reduces the overall cost of IoT solutions while offering state of the art, low power satellite positioning capabilities in a miniature package. The market is responding well to it." In addition to GNSS functionality, the ALT1250's extreme level of integration eliminates the need for most external components required to design a cellular IoT module. Approximately the size of a shirt button and less than 100mm2 in size, an ALT1250 module features support for both Release 13 standards - CAT-M1 and NB1, and includes a wideband RF front-end supporting unlimited combinations of LTE bands within a single hardware design, a multi-layered and hardware-based security framework, an internal application MCU subsystem and packaging that enables standard, low-cost PCB manufacturing.



"Altair continues to lead the narrowband cellular IoT market with the most integrated, feature-rich and cost-efficient chipsets available," added Eshed. "We called the ALT1250 a game-changer when we announced it several months ago - integrated GNSS is one of a large set of groundbreaking innovations offered by this chip." For more details on the ALT1250, visit http://www.altair-semi.com/products/alt1250 .

The demonstration of the ALT1250 in action, including the GNSS capability, will be presented today at the Sierra Wireless Innovation Summit, being held at the Paris Novotel Tour Eiffel in Paris, France. About Altair Semiconductor

Altair Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation, is a leading provider of LTE chipsets. Altair's portfolio covers the complete spectrum of cellular 4G market needs, from supercharged video-centric applications all the way to ultra-low power, low cost IoT and M2M. Altair has shipped millions of LTE chipsets to date, commercially deployed on the world's most advanced LTE networks including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Softbank and KT (Korea Telecom). The company's customer roster includes some of the world's leading OEMs and ODMs, such as Hewlett-Packard, ASUS, D-Link and WNC, as well as the majority of Asian ODMs developing LTE products for global markets. For more information, visit http://www.altair-semi.com. Follow Altair on Twitter: @AltairSemi Media/Analyst Contact:

Finn Partners Israel for Altair Semiconductor

Ellie Hanson

[email protected]

@elliesheva

+1-929-222-8006



SOURCE Altair Semiconductor

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[June 13, 2017] Titan HST Deploys Augmented Reality, Real Time Translation, Crowdsourcing to Save Lives as Shootings and Terrorism Emergencies Increase

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vic A. Merjanian, Founder and CEO of Titan Health & Security Technologies, Inc., today announced the national launch of Titan HST its patented Next Gen 911 two way emergency communications platform for law enforcement, campus administrators and users to instantly communicate campus emergency alerts, broadcasts and lockdowns, survey users for their safety status and location and provide site-specific emergency materials. Leveraging next generation technologies including Augmented Reality (AR), Multi-Lingual and Crowd Sourced Data, Titan HST dramatically boosts emergency response capacity, and reduces administration response time by 50 percent, while integrating Privacy-by-Design. Medical personnel can also be connected to initiate lifesaving diagnostics in real time, and weather information warning people about impending tornados or other emergencies can be broadcast and continuously updated. School districts, corporations, police and city governments in California, where Titan HST is headquartered, have adopted the secure, reliable, multilingual emergency communication network to save lives. The Titan HST mobile system is a pillar to our nations school safety. It enables students, faculty, parents, teachers, and police to communicate instantly and in real time, according to Dave Long, Ph.D., former California Secretary of Education. Titan HST is a powerful, secure, reliable, mlti-lingual Next Gen 911. It can save lives with its comprehensive two way campus emergency communication network. The mobile app allows users and emergency personnel to communicate emergency information instantly  increasing information dissemination and reducing emergency response time. During an alert, users can communicate relevant emergency information, including their GPS coordinates, text, audio, pictures and videos, as well as classify the type of emergency. In addition, users have the ability to speak with administrators and emergency personnel. Administrators and emergency personnel receive emergency alerts via push notification, text message, web pop-up, email, and can communicate directly with users and send lockdown notifications and broadcast messages to the entire site.



The European Union/European Commission has completed the Titan HST pilot program with anticipated purchase and full-scale roll out per an executed Letter of Intent. Based on its early success with school districts in Orange County, rapid scalability and intense interest from public and private organizations, the corporation is gearing up for its nationwide U.S. launch. With the frequency of emergencies on the rise, the future of safety demands a unified, simple, immediate and reliable way to obtain help. Old emergency communications systems fail to timely notify necessary parties due to failure in adopted technology, reliance on a single outdated medium, or due to incorrect user data during an emergency. Survivors tell us that lives would have been saved if only they had the Titan HST system in place, added Vic A. Merjanian, Founder and CEO.

About Titan Health & Security Technologies, Inc.

Titan HST (www.titanhst.com) is a patented internationally accessible, multi-lingual, customizable, mobile two way emergency system. Titan HSTs interdisciplinary team includes industry leaders with deep relationships in target markets which include any public or private, government or non-governmental organization concerned about safety. The corporation is headquartered at 500 Newport Center Drive, Suite 950, Newport Beach, CA 92660. To interview Vic A. Merjanian, Esq., Founder and CEO, please contact Gary Douglas at 310.592.3049 or [email protected]. Media Contact: Gary Douglas [email protected] Direct: 310.592.3049

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[June 13, 2017] The World's Only Software Defined Access Platform brings NG-PON2 to North America's Most Widely Deployed Access System - the Calix E7-2

ORLANDO, Fla., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX), the world leader in Subscriber Driven Intelligent Access, today announced that North Americas most widely deployed access system has been AXOS enabled with the addition of NG-PON2 and XGS-PON support. This game-changing enhancement allows over 1000 service providers who have deployed the E7-2 to transform their systems into AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular Systems and take advantage of the fast, always on, simple, and secure capabilities of AXOS, the worlds only SDA platform. The addition of next generation PON support enables Calix customers to deliver a 10 gigabits per second (10 Gbps) symmetrical experience to their subscribers when deploying business, residential, and mobile backhaul services, with the flexibility to expand up to an astounding 40 Gbps with another recently announced AXOS enabled industry first  NG-PON2 wavelength channel bonding. The AXOS platform is the most powerful innovation engine in the industry, and for service providers who have yet to deploy the worlds only modular, non-blocking access system, the AXOS E7-2s ability to support anyPON and anyPHY, and to seamlessly integrate with anySDN makes this the perfect time to introduce the power of AXOS into their network and drive down operational costs, speed time-to-market, and ensure a future-proofed network.

With an embedded network of Calix E7-2 Modular Access Systems, the addition of AXOS and powerful new intelligence allows Pilot to seamlessly integrate NG-PON2 and deliver 10 gigabit services with our existing software defined network, said Joseph Fasone, founder and CEO of Pilot. In addition, because we serve commercial customers throughout New York City, 100 percent uptime is critical for our business to meet the strict SLAs of large enterprises with massive bandwidth needs. The addition of the AXOS platform to the E7-2, as well as the AXOS NG-PON2 line card, tansforms our existing E7-2s into AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular Systems and gives us the solution we need to eliminate maintenance windows as we update individual components without impacting service, keeping all customers up and running always. These features, combined with NG-PON2, allow us to future-proof our network and be ready for whatever our customers may need next.



A video showcasing Pilots AXOS and NG-PON2 deployment can be viewed here. The AXOS E7-2 now joins a rapidly expanding family of AXOS eSeries systems capable of supporting both centralized and decentralized network architectures  from the data center edge, central office, or headend, to the remote cabinet, or MDU. The unprecedented pace of Calix innovation that brings next generation PON to the E7-2 is made possible by the unique way that AXOS was engineered. While others in the access industry chose to hide the complexity of their outdated access boxes behind complex, functionally limited, slow-to-deploy, and difficult to maintain middleware platforms, Calix chose the strategic path, investing the last six years building AXOS from the ground up. AXOS, the worlds only SDA, is a software platform totally unencumbered by legacy thinking that has now set a new standard for rapid innovation, operational excellence, and puts service providers who deploy it on a new path to sustainable success. With AXOS the software is abstracted from the underlying hardware and silicon, componentized, and layered, as evidenced by the unique ability to run AXOS systems virtualized on x86 off-the-shelf servers with AXOS Sandbox. By re-using hundreds of existing components on the platform, each new feature, capability, and breakthrough technology addition to AXOS comes faster and easier.

The testament to this radical shift can be seen in the evolution of AXOS this year, including the recent additions of RPm (Routing Protocol Module with Layer 3 routing) and SMm (Service Management Module with access centric BNG capabilities), as well as the expansion of its anyPON capabilities with the addition of 10G EPON (in only 120 days) and now NG-PON2 on the E7-2. Furthermore, industry leading anySDN capabilities continue to expand with the recent addition of OFx and DPx, to a growing suite of AXOS connectors that can easily integrate AXOS into existing back office systems as service providers plan future migration to SDN architectures. Unlike middleware models, which mask the complexity of old access systems and must remain in place forever, AXOS connectors can be turned off once the service provider migrates to SDN thanks to the platforms native NETCONF/YANG architecture  further simplifying operations and speeding time-to-market. The E7-2 is the industrys benchmark for a modular, small form factor, environmentally hardened access solution for service providers that has never been matched, said Shane Eleniak, Calix vice president of systems products. Today, the over 1000 service providers who have embraced the E7-2 can take the next step in their transformation, positioning themselves as the preferred service providers of the future by leveraging AXOS to bring unprecedented intelligence and service velocity to their networks. And with the unparalleled pace of AXOS innovation, they are poised to stay at the forefront of their markets. Visit Calix this week at 2017 Fiber Connect in Orlando, Florida and see the AXOS E7-2, along with the other members of the Calix AXOS eSeries family in Booth #301 and 400. About Calix Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX) pioneered Software Defined Access and cloud products focused on access networks and the subscriber. Its portfolio of Intelligent Access systems and software combines AXOS, the revolutionary platform for access, with Calix Cloud, innovative cloud products for network data analytics and subscriber experience assurance. Together, they enable communications service providers to transform their businesses and be the winning service providers of tomorrow. For more information, visit the Calix website at www.calix.com. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calixs business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. Press Inquiries: Neila Matheny 707-766-3512 [email protected]

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[June 13, 2017] FISION to Present at the Marcum MicroCap Conference on June 15, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS and NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FISION Corporation (OTCQB:FSSN), a leading provider of cloud-based digital asset management and sales enablement technology, has been invited to present at the Marcum MicroCap Conference being held on June 15-16, 2017 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

FISION President and CEO Mike Brown is scheduled to present on Thursday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. He will be joined by the companys CFO Garry Lowenthal for one-on-one meetings with institutional analysts and investors on June 15-16. Management will discuss the companys unique cloud-based SaaS platform, which enables its enterprise customers to efficiently create, store, distribute and measure omni-channel marketing communications. The presentation will be webcast live and available for replay here and via the Investor Relations section of the companys website at www.fisiononline.com/ir/. The Marcum MicroCap Conference is an annual highlight on the investment community calendar. Since its launch in 2012, this event has become a nationally recognized forum for publicly traded companies with less than $500 million in market capitalization to network with fund managers and high net worth investors who focus on small cap equities. More than 2,000 participants from all segments of the microcap market participate each year, including senior management, finance and legal executives, venture and lower middle-market private equity investors, institutional investors, directors, investment bankers, bu- and sell-side analysts, and service providers to the microcap marketplace.



For more information about the conference or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with FISION, please contact your Marcum representative or visit www.marcummicrocap.com. About Marcum

Marcum LLP is one of the largest independent public accounting and advisory services firms in the nation, with offices in major business markets throughout the U.S., as well as Grand Cayman, China and Ireland. Headquartered in New York City, Marcum provides a full spectrum of traditional tax, accounting and assurance services; advisory, valuation and litigation support; and an extensive range of specialty and niche industry practices. The Firm serves both privately held and publicly traded companies, as well as high net worth individuals, private equity funds and hedge funds, with a focus on middle-market companies and closely held family businesses. Marcum is a member of the Marcum Group, an organization providing a comprehensive array of professional services. For more information, visit www.marcumllp.com.

About FISION Corporation

Founded in 2011, Minneapolis-based FISION is a cloud-based digital asset management, marketing automation, and sales enablement company. FISIONs advanced, patented technology specializes in managing a customers brand and marketing content enabling marketing and sales people to quickly and easily create compelling, personalized, on-brand communications, which increases revenue and profits. With more than 65,000 users in 21 countries, FISION services enterprise clients in the health care, hospitality, financial/insurance, software and technology industries. For more information, visit FisionOnline.com. Important Cautions Regarding Forward-looking Statements

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, plan, project, predict, should and will and similar expressions as they relate to FISION Corporation or (the Parties) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The Parties undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect future financial results are discussed more fully in the Parties respective filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the their most recent Annual Report on filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Company Contact: Garry Lowenthal, EVP & CFO FISION Corporation Tel (612) 927-3620 Investor Relations: Ron Both, CMA Tel (949) 432-7557 [email protected]

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Bihar Police on Monday compelled a man to tie the knot with a girl he initially refused to marry on their wedding day. The bride's angry family even held 100 guests hostage.

By India Today Web Desk: Bihar Police gave its fight against crime a break on Monday, to compel a man to tie the knot with a girl he initially refused to marry on their wedding day.

According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, Bihar resident Rajesh Shrivastava got cold feet on his wedding day and refused to marry his to-be bride, saying she was dark-skinned and elder to him.

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The groom's decision came right in the middle of a marriage ceremony called jaymala, infuriating the girl's family.

According to them, Rajesh and his family did not have any problem with the marriage initially, but the groom suddenly started having all kinds of issues 20 days after their wedding was fixed.

After Rajesh's initial denial, the bride's angry family held 100 guests hostage and demanded to get the cost they incurred on the marriage back. They also demanded a return of the dowry worth lakhs they had paid the groom and his family.

As tensions intensified, the bride's family finally called the police. Officials arrived at the scene and after diffusing the situation, they convinced the groom to marry the girl, finally ending the drama.

FYI || Bihar woman refuses to accept baby born with deformity, says he looks like an alien ||

FYI || Pyaar in Bihar: Woman ditches husband for son-in-law, daughter faints ||

FYI || Beating the heat: Driver in Bihar stops train midway, goes missing for about 2 hours to take cold shower ||

--- ENDS ---
[June 13, 2017] Cavirin Establishes Security Advisory Board with Industry Luminaries

Cavirin Systems, Inc., offering continuous security assessment and remediation for hybrid clouds, containers and data centers through correlated risk scoring, announced today a security advisory board consisting of luminaries from across the industry, coming together to solve customer challenges and educate organizations about cybersecurity risks. Initial members include Robert Rodriguez, the chairman and founder of SINET, and Izak Mutlu, the former CISO of Salesforce.com (News - Alert). Both bring to Cavirin a keen understanding of practical cloud security issues and solutions. Robert Rodriguez is the chairman and founder of SINET, whose mission is to advance innovation and enable global collaboration between the public and private sectors to defeat cybersecurity threats. Previously, Robert served 22 years as a special agent with the United States Secret Service where he held a number of executive leadership positions within the Presidential Protection, Protective Intelligence, Inspection and Criminal Investigation Divisions and the Counter Assault Team. His executive protection experience spanned 10 years at the White House serving Presidents Ronald W. Reagan, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton and numerous heads of state. Izak Mutlu most recently served as CISO at Salesforce.om, responsible for managing globally the information security activities, including architecture, design, implementation, and operations. He was instrumental in Salesforce's initial certifications across areas as diverse as ISO, PCI (News - Alert), and FedRamp. Izak was also chairman of the CSO Council in the Bay Area, promoting the sharing of best practices among peers made up of the top 30 Bay Area companies.



"Both Robert and Izak bring extensive industry expertise directly applicable to our customer base," said Dr. Rao Papolu, CEO of Cavirin. "Their credibility in solving challenging security issues will positively impact our customers' hybrid cloud deployments and pave the path for further growth." Cavirin will be showcasing its security solutions in Booth 966 at the upcoming Black Hat conference, July 26-27 in Las Vegas, Nev. Executive briefings and demos may be scheduled here.

The company recently received the 2017 IT World Awards in two categories: a gold award in the Hot Company category, and in the product category, an award for the Cavirin Continuous Security for Hybrid Clouds solution. About Cavirin Cavirin is the only company providing continuous security assessment and remediation across physical, public, and hybrid clouds, supporting AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform, VMware, KVM, and Docker. The company's solution helps organizations leverage the cost savings and agility of the cloud without increasing operational risk or reducing their security posture. Cavirin offers up-to-the-minute compliance assessments, supplying audit-ready evidence as measured by every major regulatory and security best practice framework including CIS, DISA, PCI and HIPAA. For more information, visit www.cavirin.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/cavirin. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005587/en/

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[June 13, 2017] Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Keynote UTC Gala

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (News - Alert) will keynote the Utah Technology Council's (UTC) 19th Annual Hall of Fame Gala event on Friday, November 10, 2017 in Salt Lake City. "The Hall of Fame is the premier event for Utah's 6,000 tech companies where we celebrate the vitality of our dynamic industry," said Richard R. Nelson, president and CEO of UTC. "Hosting Mr. Nadella is a major coup-he's a brilliant visionary." Nadella is known for transforming Microsoft (News - Alert) to be more driven with a strong sense of purpose. This can be seen in Microsoft's mission which is "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." The crucial need for corporate change and reinvention, as told in his own words, can be found in his new book Hit Refresh which is scheduled to be published on September 26, 2017. p> "I am pleased that Satya Nadella has accepted my invitation to keynote the Utah Technology Council's Hall of Fame event," said Senator Orrin Hatch. "He is a true innovator and is doing amazing things for Microsoft. Following a thrilling visit from Apple's (News - Alert) Tim Cook last year, Satya will continue our tradition of bringing the world's foremost tech leaders to Utah to provide unique insights and inspiring advice for our vibrant innovation community."



The annual Hall of Fame event is the state's largest gathering of technology executives who honor individuals with Utah ties who have made global contributions to the tech industry through innovation and leadership. Previous keynote speakers hosted by UTC include: Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Marc Benioff (News - Alert) of Salesforce, Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, Mark Hurd of Oracle, and Eric Schmidt of Google. For sponsorship information about the Hall of Fame or to become a UTC member, please contact [email protected] or call 801-568-3500.

About UTC Utah Technology Council gives an influential, unified voice to the state's 6,000 technology businesses and marshals support from government, education and community leaders. UTC's top priorities are: expanding the talent pipeline for high tech positions, enhancing the business climate in Utah, and fostering innovation within Utah technology companies. Visit www.utahtech.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005621/en/

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[June 13, 2017] Three New Studies Presented at ASCO Annual Meeting Demonstrate Benefits of MammaPrint in Aiding Individualized Treatment Management for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

Agendia, Inc., a world leader in personalized medicine and molecular cancer diagnostics, today announced further details on three studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago earlier this week. These studies further demonstrate the clinical utility of Agendia's MammaPrint 70-Gene Breast Cancer Risk-of-Recurrence Test. A scientific presentation by David Dabbs et al. compared breast cancer risk stratification using the MammaPrint 70-gene signature, and the 21-gene signature in a large multi-center analysis. The results demonstrated that the 70-gene signature identified 30% more Low Risk patients than the 21-gene signature with fewer distant metastases and deaths resulting in an excellent 5-year distant metastasis free interval (DMFI) of 98.5%. Furthermore, the MammaPrint 70-gene signature detected 30% more high risk patients. Among the patients who had a distant event or death, when the two tests provided discordant results, the 70-gene signature correctly predicted a High Risk classification in 72% of the cases compared to 0% (zero) correct for the 21-gene assay.1 "The decision to use chemotherapy for the treatment of early breast cancer is one of the most challenging decisions that we face as physicians," said Dr. William Audeh, Chief Medical Officer at Agendia. "We believe that it is important for patients to know what their options are and to work with their physician to make their treatment decision with confidence. For patients with early-stage breast cancer, MammaPrint is the only test with the highest level of evidence (Level 1A), to help physicians make the critical decision that chemotherapy might not be part of the treatment management plan." A second scientific presentation reported results from the I-SPY 2 multi-center trial. Rita Nanda et al. investigated how adding the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, to standard neoadjuvant treatment impacted pathological complete response (pCR) rate in a selected HR+ MammaPrint High Risk patient cohort. The results demonstrated that adding pembrozilimab to standard neoadjuvant therapy improved pCR rates in all HER2 negative breast cancers within the I-SPY 2 trial, and marks the first time that an agent has graduated to phase III in HR+/HER2- patients.2 The third scientific presentation reported follow-up results for the landmark prospective, controlled, randomized Microarray In Node-negative and 1 to 3 positive lymph node Disease may Avoid ChemoTherapy (MINDACT) trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2016. Fatima Cardoso et al. analyzed the patient cohort within the trial who received and were randomized to chemotherapy. The optional randomization compared standard athracycline-based regimens (AT) in the control arm to an experimental docetaxel + oral capecitabine (DC) regimen.



This study found that in all study endpoints, DC did not improve patient outcomes compared to AT, including those patients that were in the concordant clinical high risk/MammaPrint High Risk arm of trial.3 According to Dr. Audeh, "The breadth of data presented at ASCO this year is testament to the many valuable applications of the MammaPrint test in improving how patients with early-stage breast cancer are managed. Of particular interest is the new data from MINDACT which demonstrated that patients with MammaPrint High Risk results that were randomized to receive chemotherapy showed good survival at five years whether they had received a standard chemotherapy regimen, or an experimental regimen. These are higher rates of response than previously seen in immunotherapy trials in ER positive cancer, and may be due to the selection of only MammaPrint High Risk patients. It is also encouraging to see the efficacy data from the I-SPY 2 trial which explores MammaPrint's utility in aiding to tailor treatment in the neoadjuvant setting."

1 Multi-institutional comparison of breast cancer risk stratification by 70-gene signature and 21-gene assay. Poster presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago Illinois. 2 Pembrolizumab plus standard neoadjuvant therapy for high-risk breast cancer (BC): Results from I-SPY 2. Poster presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago, Illinois. 3 Cardoso F, et al. Standard anthracycline-based vs. docetaxel-capecitabine in early breast cancer: Results from the chemotherapy randomization (R-C) of EORTC 10041/ BIG 3-04 MINDACT phase III trial. Poster presented at ASCO Annual Meeting. June 2017; Chicago, Illinois. - Ends - About MammaPrint MammaPrint is a FDA-cleared in vitro diagnostic test, performed in a central laboratory, using the gene expression profile of breast cancer tissue samples to assess a patients' risk for distant metastasis within 5 years. MammaPrint also carries the CE Mark which certifies that the test complies with the quality standards set by the European In Vitro Diagnostic Directive, enabling the use of the test in the European Union. MammaPrint is indicated for use by physicians as a prognostic marker only, along with other clinical-pathological factors. The test is not intended to determine the outcome of disease, nor to suggest or infer an individual patient's response to therapy. About Agendia Agendia is a privately held, leading molecular diagnostics company that develops and markets genomic diagnostic products, which help support physicians with their complex treatment decisions. Agendia's breast cancer tests were developed using an unbiased gene selection by analyzing the complete human genome. Our offerings include MammaPrint, a 70-Gene Breast Cancer Risk-of-Recurrence test, and BluePrint, a Molecular Subtyping Assay that provides deeper insight leading to more clinically actionable breast cancer biology. In addition, Agendia has a pipeline of other genomic products in development. The company collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, leading cancer centers and academic groups to develop companion diagnostic tests in the area of oncology. For more information on Agendia or the MammaPrint and BluePrint tests, you can visit Agendia's patient site at www.KnowYourBreastCancer.com or the corporate site at www.agendia.com. Follow Agendia, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with the latest news. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005687/en/

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[June 13, 2017] SpotX Launches "Audience Lock" Feature to Protect Audience Data

DENVER, June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Video ad serving platform SpotX today introduced Audience Lock, a new solution that provides a secure environment to conduct data-driven transactions and allows buyers and sellers to maintain complete control of data ownership.

As both media owners and ad buyers activate more first- and third-party data to improve targeting, additional safeguards are required around data protection. Designed for broadcasters, TV networks, OTT platforms, telecommunications companies and other owners of high-value, unique data, Audience Lock allows targeting in a secure environment, helping media owners raise their overall yields, particularly in live or linear OTT content, while delivering higher ROIs for advertisers. The product will also help media owners manage the strict data privacy requirements they must operate under  regulations that vary country to country. It can be applied across both traditional direct and programmatic direct (private and Curated Marketplaces) transactions. Audience Lock is an extension of SpotXs commitment to enabling media owners to maximize the value of their inventory, Allen Klosowski, VP, Advanced Solutions Group at SpotX, explained. Effective transactions at scale are sometimes held back by legitimate privacy concerns shared by all parties, Klosowski said. Audience Lock alleviates these concerns by matching user IDs and audience segments in a controlled environment, and ensures proprietary data is only available for the campaign at hand and can be configured to expire upon campaign completion. With the ability to define boundaries around who can see what data, media owners are able to protect the vaue of their data and facilitate direct sales, without concerns of data leakage or limiting buyer access to inventory.



Audience Lock allows both buyers and sellers to activate data safely to fulfill their goals. For media owners, Audience Lock will allow them to activate their first-party data for an advertiser to target a campaign to reach viewers of specific shows, or that fit a specific profile. For ad buyers, SpotX will enable a secure data escrow environment to allow buyers to bring their own audience data to media owners, with similar assurances that their data is protected. An example of this would be an auto manufacturer who wants to target customers who are near a lease termination date.

In both scenarios, SpotX will allow the media owner to apply their, or the advertisers, audience data inside SpotX, agree to deal terms with the buyer, and send inventory to the buyer in a completely secure environment to their chosen DSP. This way media owners and buyers can use audience data to create unique deal opportunities to reach the right audience at the right time in a secure, double-blind environment. Additionally, SpotX will give media owners complete control on when to apply additional data protection measures, depending on the terms of the deal. SpotXs direct integration with media owners and DSPs enables verification and passing of audience information with every impression opportunity, uniquely positioning SpotX to solve data leakage issues. Audience Lock transactions are currently supported by Adobe Advertising Cloud, Amobee (formerly Turn), DataXu, MediaMath, The Trade Desk and other leading DSPs. SpotXs various data partnerships also enable first- and third-party data from leading DMPs or proprietary data providers to be activated within SpotXs platform. About SpotX

SpotX is a video ad serving platform providing media owners with monetization tools for desktop, mobile and connected devices. The platform features modern ad serving and programmatic infrastructure, and other monetization tools, like solutions for OTT and outstream video ad units. SpotX gives publishers the control, transparency and actionable insights needed to understand buyer behavior, manage access and pricing, and maximize revenue. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Sydney, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Hamburg, Belfast, and Singapore. In July 2014, RTL Group, a leader across broadcast, content and digital, acquired a 65% stake in SpotX. For updates, follow SpotX on Twitter and LinkedIn. Media contacts SpotX  Chris Byrne, [email protected], +1 646 683 9184

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[June 13, 2017] Swiftpage Partners with CareerWise Colorado to Offer Business-Led Youth Apprenticeships

DENVER, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiftpage, the maker of Act! and a leading provider of software and services that help small and mid-sized businesses grow, announced it's partnership with CareerWise Colorado at the Youth Apprentice Signing Day event yesterday. This partnership will serve as part of Swiftpage's overall commitment to the youth and constantly evolving business community in the Denver area by helping to provide today's students with the skills they will need to effectively meet the needs of tomorrow's local businesses. CareerWise is working to shape Colorado's workforce through innovative, business-led youth apprenticeships. The nonprofit coordinates apprenticeships among businesses, students and educators that create long-term impact. Students completing the program earn wages while gaining real-world skills, industry credentials and college credit that provide them with options to enter the workplace in high-paying jobs or continue their education. Participating local businesses benefit from the program as they take a more hands-on approach to building their own skilled and loyal workforces. As a part of the partnership with CareerWise, Swiftpage will be hosting two apprentices in the pilot year of the program  one software QA tester and one computer technician  with plans to add more apprenticeships in the coming years. "As a member of the Business Experiential-Learnig (BEL) Commission and the leader of a technology company headquartered in Denver, I am extremely excited for the launch of this program," said H. John Oechsle. "There has been a need for something like this program for a long time  the world is changing, and it's changing fast  I am so honored to work with CareerWise to provide these types of opportunities to better prepare our next generation workforce."



To find more information or learn how you can get involved, visit www.careerwisecolorado.org. About CareerWise Colorado

CareerWise Colorado is building a statewide system of youth apprenticeships that create pathways for students to access high-demand, high-paying careers at leading Colorado companies. Student apprentices also work toward high school graduation and earn postsecondary credit, industry credentials or both in their chosen career path. Established by the Business Experiential-Learning (BEL) Commission created by Gov. John Hickenlooper and chaired by Noel Ginsburg of Intertech Plastics, CareerWise Colorado will launch in school districts in metro Denver, Fort Collins and the Western Slope. 20,000 youth apprentices, or about 10 percent of Colorado students in their last two years of high school, are expected to participate by 2027. More information about CareerWise Colorado is available at http://www.careerwisecolorado.org/.

About Swiftpage

Swiftpage, the maker of Act!, is a leading provider of software and services that helps small and mid-sized businesses grow. Founded in 2001 and based in Denver, the company's growing network of partners, customers, end-users and employees collectively represent Swiftpage Nation, united across the globe as one team, on one journey. Learn more at http://www.swiftpage.com and join the conversation at act.com/blog. 2017 Swiftpage ACT! LLC. All rights reserved. Swiftpage, Act!, and the Swiftpage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Swiftpage ACT! LLC, or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Press Contacts

Mallory Bowers

Swiftpage

(303) 257-5051

[email protected] Dave Feistel

LF|PR

(949) 502-6200 x 224

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/swiftpage-partners-with-careerwise-colorado-to-offer-business-led-youth-apprenticeships-300472904.html SOURCE Swiftpage

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[June 13, 2017] Becoming the Answer: seoClarity Launches Voice Search Optimization to Further Brands' Opportunity

CHICAGO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The current battle in search is all about voice results; brands can no longer rely on the first page of Google to reach customers because of the single answer result. According to Google, as much as 20 percent of mobile queries are conducted by voice search. In just three years, that number will more than double thanks to the emergence of voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Home.1 To enable brands to capitalize on this emerging opportunity, seoClarity, the search insights and content optimization platform, today introduced new capabilities for Voice Search Optimization, the first and only technology in the industry that allows brands to improve their visibility for voice search. Using seoClarity, brands can: Understand what drives voice search.

Uncover the questions people ask instantly.

Identify the opportunities to connect at the right moment.

Win the single answer against their competitors. "Without question, voice search is the biggest opportunity for brands today," said Mitul Gandhi, Chief Architect and Co-Founder of seoClarity. "With voice search, there is only one answer presented to customers. Brands need to be there or risk being left out entirely from thei customer's buying cycle."



The adoption of voice search demonstrates the strategic importance for brands to be the single answer to their customers' queries. Voice search is the biggest shift in search behavior in decades and its growth is being driven by a number of factors: People perceive voice search to be faster. In fact, humans can speak 150 words per minute vs. type 40 words per minute. 2

Growth in mobile devices and mobile engagement will continue to drive voice search forward. Nearly 70 percent of queries to Google Assistant are done via voice. 3

Specialized devices and proliferation of personal voice-enabled assistants continue to grow. Amazon Alexa has shipped more 10 million units and Google Home and Apple products are both targeting this market.4 "At seoClarity, we help brands connect with their customers by helping improve their visibility in search," said Gandhi. "In voice search, just like in traditional search, brands that chase the search engine will come up short, but brands that create a great search experience for their customers will win."

About seoClarity

seoClarity is the natural search and content optimization platform that helps brands connect with customers in the moments that matter. The company's proprietary Clarity GridTM technology combines petabytes of data with machine-learning insights to help marketers develop proven content strategies, analyze competitive gaps, improve site health, and drive performance. The company's unique approach to understanding audience intent turns the focus from the search engines and algorithms to the customer. 1 - According to ComScore

2 - According to KPCB, Mary Meeker reports

3 - According to Google

4 - According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners survey Contact: Sammi Berrafato

[email protected]

(847) 830-5588 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/becoming-the-answer-seoclarity-launches-voice-search-optimization-to-further-brands-opportunity-300472978.html SOURCE seoClarity

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[June 13, 2017] Interson's Latest FDA 510(k) Clearance Just Made The Future Of Ultrasound Healthcare More Accessible

PLEASANTON, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Interson announced today they have received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market their SiMPLi Series ultrasound array probes for medical applications. Interson has been the market leader in open-architecture USB ultrasound imaging products since 2007. Interson's new linear and convex array probes enable medical professionals to use Windows tablets and laptops to display real-time ultrasound images at resolution and detail that were, until now, only available on high-end ultrasound systems. The new SiMPLi Series probes are lightweight, handheld and can easily be carried to any patient location. The SiMPLi Series probes provide such ease of use that now every medical professional can benefit. Simply connect the USB probe cable to a Windows computer to view real-tme, high-resolution ultrasound images.



"These new array probes continue on our company vision to bring affordable, high-quality ultrasound imaging to every medical professional. SiMPLi Series is truly a portable, bedside ultrasound solution. We are proud to keep pushing the market forward on performance and practicality while also driving the cost of healthcare lower." Roman Solek, President & CEO Interson's next-generation USB probes provide the image quality necessary for a wide variety of ultrasound diagnostic applications: (For image examples follow @simpliinterson on Twitter and @simpliultrasound on Facebook)

Primary Care

Emergency Medicine

Abdominal & Vascular

Musculoskeletal

Telemedicine Interson's open architecture solutions provide the capabilities and features that previously could only be addressed by more expensive, proprietary closed-architecture solutions. SiMPLi Series portable ultrasound imaging solutions can be quickly and easily brought to the patient, making point-of-care diagnostic medical imaging more timely and convenient. With a history of innovations recognized by the International Academy of Science, the new SiMPLi Series aims to follow by extending ultrasound diagnostic healthcare to the fingertips of all medical professionals. Interson Corporation, an ISO certified, privately held corporation located in Silicon Valley, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of ultrasound imaging solutions. Ultrasound systems using Interson products have been installed in offices, hospitals, and clinics around the world since 1989. Interson ultrasound imaging probes are designed and manufactured in the U.S.A. and have FDA 510(k) clearance, a CE mark, Japan PAL NINSHO approval, and a medical device license from Health Canada. Contact: Gregory DePaco Phone: 925-462-4948 Email: [email protected]

https://www.interson.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intersons-latest-fda-510k-clearance-just-made-the-future-of-ultrasound-healthcare-more-accessible-300471897.html SOURCE Interson

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[June 13, 2017] Bread for the World Members Lobby Congress to Oppose Harmful Budget Cuts

Nearly 500 Bread for the World members and activists will visit Capitol Hill today to personally ask their members of Congress to oppose any budget cuts or structural changes that would increase hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. "The budget cuts proposed by President Trump would be absolutely devastating to struggling families both in the U.S. and around the world," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. "Our members are here to voice their opposition to these cuts and urge their members of Congress to fully fund programs that help people living in hunger and poverty." Widespread opposition to these budget cuts resulted in one of Bread's largest Lobby Day turnouts in years. The activists' visits are supported by hundreds of Bread members personally calling their members of Congress. President Trump's budget proposes drastic cuts to progrms critical to helping people living in hunger and poverty in the U.S. It cuts billions from SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), refundable tax credits for low-income working families, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Medicaid would face hundreds of billions in additional cuts above the $834 billion that would already be taken from the program by the American Health Care Act.



The budget also makes severe cuts to international programs during a time of unprecedented need, when more than 20 million people are at risk of starvation in famine or near-famine conditions in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. The House of Representatives is expected to introduce a budget resolution that also includes significant cuts to domestic safety-net and international development programs.

"We believe the overwhelming turnout for today's Lobby Day proves that the American people oppose these kind of shameful, short-sighted cuts," Beckmann said. "Bread for the World members will work tirelessly to ensure Congress passes a responsible budget that adheres to the values of our Christian faith." Later today, Bread for the World will honor Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) for their outstanding leadership toward ending hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005923/en/

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[June 13, 2017] Top SANS Instructors Head to Virginia Beach for Two Week Information Security Training Event

BETHESDA, Md., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SANS Institute, the global leader in information security training, today announced the agenda for SANS Virginia Beach 2017 taking place August 21  September 1. This two week training event offers students the unique opportunity to take back-to-back courses or select a week of their choice. Included among the 16 hands-on immersion style courses offered is the newly updated SEC503 Intrusion Detection In-Depth Course. According to the CTO of SANS' Internet Storm Center and SEC503 instructor Dr. Johannes Ullrich, "Based on student feedback, we significantly increased the "hands-on" part of the Intrusion Detection In-Depth class. Using current threats like ransom ware, covert channels and spear phishing attacks, we created three scenarios that students analyze as part of a whole-day exercise. To provide students with even more keyboard time and to enable them to use the tools and techniques learned in class as soon as they return to their job, the class now uses SANS NetWars as a capstone exercise." To learn more about SANS SEC503: Intrusion Detection In-Depth, please visit: www.sans.org/u/sIO SANS Virginia Beach offers couses for those new to information security as well as highly seasoned professionals. Several new, and newly updated, courses will be offered at the event including SEC555: SIEM with Tactical Analytics; FOR610: Reverse-Engineering Malware: Malware Analysis Tools and Techniques and MGT517: Managing Security Operations: Detection, Response, and Intelligence. Many of the courses offered are designed to prepare students for GIAC Certification. Bonus evening sessions will round out the agenda offering insight into the latest cyber security topics.



For a complete list of courses, instructors and bonus evening discussions, or to register for SANS Virginia Beach 2017, please visit: www.sans.org/u/sJ3 About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cybersecurity training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates employee qualifications via 30 hands-on, technical certifications in information security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community. (www.SANS.org)

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/top-sans-instructors-head-to-virginia-beach-for-two-week-information-security-training-event-300473171.html SOURCE SANS Institute

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[June 13, 2017] Ixia Honors 2016 Asia Pacific Partner of the Year Recipients

Ixia, a leading provider of network testing, visibility, and security solutions, today announced the recipients of the company's 2016 Asia Pacific Partner of the Year Awards. Selected from Ixia (News - Alert) partners throughout the Asia Pacific region, these organizations were chosen based on year-over-year growth, solid success within a specific market, and maintaining a committed, innovative approach to supporting their customers. Ixia's award-winning partners were invited and recognized at the company's Asia Pacific Partner Summit held in Bali, an island and province of Indonesia. "Ixia is very proud of the world class network of partners we have in every region," says Lori Cornmesser, Vice President of Global Channel Sales at Ixia. "The strength and commitment of our partners in the Asia Pacific region is inspiring, and we look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship with each of them." Ixia recognized the following organizations for building strong professional relationships with their customers and other Ixia partners: 2016 ASIA PACIFIC AWARD RECIPIENTS Emerging Distributor of the Year: M.Tech was appointed an Ixia distributor in 2016 and has consistently recruited and supported a wide range of new reseller partners

was appointed an Ixia distributor in 2016 and has consistently recruited and supported a wide range of new reseller partners Test Partner of the Year: LeaderTech is a loyal Ixia partner that has demonstrated success in the network equipment manufacturer space selling Ixia's portfolio of test solutions

is a loyal Ixia partner that has demonstrated success in the network equipment manufacturer space selling Ixia's portfolio of test solutions Visibility Partner of the Year: Digital Networks Australia (DNA) supports partners in the sale and technical aspects of Ixia's visibility solutions

(DNA) supports partners in the sale and technical aspects of Ixia's visibility solutions New Logo Partner of the Year: SCSK Corporation offers a full range of IT-related services with emphasis on providing Ixia's visibility solutions to the manufacturing industry

offers a full range of IT-related services with emphasis on providing Ixia's visibility solutions to the manufacturing industry Growth Partner of the Year: B & Data Technology , Ixia's new distributor in Hong Kong and Macau, quickly achieved significant results in recruiting new partners and new customers

, Ixia's new distributor in Hong Kong and Macau, quickly achieved significant results in recruiting new partners and new customers Innovative Partner of the Year: SoftNet has shown innovation in positioning Ixia's security solutions, which has resulted in several new strategic customer wins

has shown innovation in positioning Ixia's security solutions, which has resulted in several new strategic customer wins Strategic Win of the Year: KPMG is a new Ixia partner with unique domain knowledge in Forensics, Auditing, Penetration Test, and Security

is a new Ixia partner with unique domain knowledge in Forensics, Auditing, Penetration Test, and Security Top Asia Pacific Partner of the Year: Itochu Techno Solutions (CTC (News - Alert)) is Ixia's overall Asia Pacific partner of the year, offering operation support services for enterprise customers throughout the IT lifecycle

(CTC (News - Alert)) is Ixia's overall Asia Pacific partner of the year, offering operation support services for enterprise customers throughout the IT lifecycle Speed & Focus Partner of the Year: Comint has worked with Ixia to effectively assist new service providers throughout India



About Ixia Ixia, recently acquired by Keysight Technologies, provides testing, visibility, and security solutions, strengthening networks and cloud environments for enterprises, service providers, and network equipment manufacturers. Ixia offers companies trusted environments in which to develop, deploy, and operate. Customers worldwide rely on Ixia to verify their designs, optimize their performance, and ensure protection of their networks and cloud environments to make their applications stronger. Learn more at www.ixiacom.com.

About Keysight Technologies Keysight Technologies is a leading technology company that helps its engineering, enterprise and service provider customers optimize networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost. Keysight's solutions go where the electronic signal goes, from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimization in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. Keysight generated revenues of $2.9B in fiscal year 2016. In April 2017, Keysight acquired Ixia, a leader in network test, visibility, and security. More information is available at www.keysight.com. Ixia, the Ixia logo, and Xcelerate are trademarks or registered trademarks of Ixia in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. Connect with Ixia LinkedIn

Twitter

Ixia Blog

YouTube View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613005962/en/

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Two months ago, the Bombay High Court had issued contempt notices to Mahim police station officers for allowing the use of loudspeakers during the Mahim Dargah's annual Urs.

By Vidya : Shilvan Dhavale, Assistant Commissioner of Police in Mahim and Milind Idekar, senior inspector of Mahim Police Station today tendered an unconditional apology for giving permission to use loudspeakers at Mahim dargah during the Urs. Senior advocate Rafiq Dada appearing before the Bombay High Court in the case said that the officers had recently joined the police station and that "the ACP had joined only two-three months ago."

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Two months ago, the Bombay High Court had issued contempt notices to Mahim police station officers for allowing the use of loudspeakers within the police station compound during the Mahim Dargah's annual Urs festivities.

Mahim Dargah is located near the police station and the Urs procession begins right from inside the police compound. There were loudspeakers put up across Mahim and inside the police station as well, for the festival. The permission for the usage of loudspeakers is given by police for the festival and Awaaz Foundation had measured the decible levels that went beyond permissible levels in a residential area.

The court was irked by the fact that law enforcers themselves were violating the laws so blatantly.

CONTEMPT PETITION

The division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Vibha Kankanwadi accepted the apology from the police officers. However, the court refused to immediately dismiss the contempt petition against them. "Unless we have an assurance from the Maharashtra government we will have to keep the contempt petition against the officers," said Justice Oka. The lawyer for petitioner Awaaz Foundation too supported this saying that they do not want to disrupt anyone's career.

An advocate representing the Maharashtra government told the court that subsequently the state government did issue a circular asking the police station oficers not to issue permission for use of loudspeakers for the festival.

The court went through the cicular and said, "You have tried to be as vague as possible in this circular. What is the dificulty in saying that henceforth the permission shouild not be granted?"

The court will further hear the case in few weeks from now.

Also read: Maharashtra: You are only interested in removing the mangroves, Bombay HC raps civic body in Thane

Also read: Polices only on paper, zero implementation: High Court slams Maharashtra over police modernisation

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[June 13, 2017] Artificial Intelligence Startup Biggerpan Welcomes World-Renowned Researcher Dr. Gregory Grefenstette as Chief Scientific Officer to Lead its Predictive Technology Works

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biggerpan, a startup company which develops a predictive artificial intelligence (AI) technology that anticipates people's needs on mobile, is pleased to welcome Dr. Gregory Grefenstette as Chief Scientific Officer. A world-renowned expert, Dr. Grefenstette brings more than 30 years of experience in the AI industry, and is considered a leading researcher in the field of natural language processing (NLP) and information retrieval. In his newly appointed role, he is responsible for driving the continued research and development of Biggerpan's breakthrough technology. Biggerpan's mission is to make the Internet smart on mobile by building the first AI that predicts what you want, so you don't have to search. "As we are shifting away from the traditional keyboard and mouse paradigm, people will need to rely more and more on predictive interfaces," said Eric Poindessault, co-founder and CEO at Biggerpan. "Today we target the mobile user experience, where 75% of the Internet use is happening right now, tomorrow think virtual and augmented reality." Derived from the latest research in natural language processing, a branch of AI which extracts meaning from text, Biggerpan's proprietary technology is able to analyze and understand any web page in real time in order to make the most relevant recommendations. For example, if you are reading an article about a movie, it instantly offers you to watch the trailer or to buy tickets online. Biggerpan's technology takes text comprehension to new heights, as it understands the meaning of each word based on the context of an entire page rather than just the surrounding words, which allows for a more effective disambiguation. It goes further thanks to a unique multi-class entity recognition approach which allows it to identify topics almost instantaneously. Dr. Grgory Grefenstette joins the team as an authority in natural language processing, as he has continuously been pioneering the fields of cross-language information retrieval and of distributional semantics, the induction and extraction of meaning from large quantities of text. Sought after as a keynote speaker, he is named inventor in 20 granted U.S. patents, has authored and edited four books, and published hundreds of research papers in the most prestigious scientific journals. Dr. Grefenstette previously held chief scientific officer positions at Xerox Research Centre Europe, search engine company Exalead, Clairvoyance Corporation and with the French CEA, and was a senior researcher at numerous top-tier institutions such as INRIA and the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC). A graduate from Stanford University, Dr. Grefenstette initially studied mathematical sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later received a PhD in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh.



"Today, the power and capacity of a computer is underused. We can leverage algorithms to provide powerful predictions, avoiding the frustrations of typing and searching on a small device," said Dr. Gregory Grefenstette. "I am excited to be part of a team that is at the forefront of such innovation and look forward to incorporate my years of research into a useful real-world application through the development of this technology." Dr. Grefenstette now brings an unrivaled level of expertise and experience to Biggerpan. His past work and interests acutely align with the company's forward-thinking vision, fostering ideal conditions for future enrichment of the technology, and overall company success.

"We are very happy to welcome Dr. Gregory Grefenstette to the team," said Eric Poindessault. "As a founding father of modern NLP, his extensive knowledge and experience will accelerate the development of our AI technology and propel us forward in achieving our mission." ABOUT Biggerpan is a French-American startup which develops a predictive artificial intelligence that leverages context to make real-time recommendations. The company's mission statement is to build a brain for the mobile web, to allow a better integration of the technology into our lives, without all the pain and frictions that are found in traditional mobile online activities. The first product released by Biggerpan is Ulli, a smart mobile web browser that simplifies the experience on a mobile device by recommending the most relevant content, services and purchases for people to navigate based on the context of their current browsing. The iOS app was nominated 2016 Mobile App of the Year by Product Hunt and featured on the Emerging Tech Tour at Mobile World Congress 2017. Visit www.biggerpan.com for more information including a video. CONTACT Luc Hancock

1-415-867-4031

[email protected]

facebook.com/biggerpan.inc

twitter.com/ulliapp To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artificial-intelligence-startup-biggerpan-welcomes-world-renowned-researcher-dr-gregory-grefenstette-as-chief-scientific-officer-to-lead-its-predictive-technology-works-300473204.html SOURCE Biggerpan, Inc.

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[June 13, 2017] INVESTOR ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Reminds Shareholders of Eco Science Solutions, Inc. of a Class Action Lawsuit and a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of July 24, 2017

The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: To: All persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired securities of Eco Science Solutions, Inc. ("Eco Science Solutions") (OTCMKTS: ESSI) between May 1, 2017 and May 19, 2017. You are hereby notified that a securities class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. To get more information go to: http://www.zlk.com/pslra-sb/eco-science-solutions-inc?wire=2



[email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you. The complaint alleges that throughout the class period Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's plan for strategic acquisitions lacked veracity; and (ii) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On May 19, 2017, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order of suspension of trading, halting trading of the Company's securities.

If you suffered a loss in Eco Science Solutions you have until July 24, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation, and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006224/en/

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[June 13, 2017] Palo Alto Networks Announces Formation of Venture Fund to Radically Change Future of Security Innovation

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW), the next-generation security company, today announced it is forming a $20 million security venture fund. The fund will provide early stage capital investments to fuel development of innovative security applications for the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform (see related press release: Palo Alto Networks Ushers in the Future of Security Innovation With New Cloud-Based Application Framework). The fund will be aimed at seed-, early- and growth-stage security companies with a cloud-based application approach. These companies can accelerate their routes to market for their respective technology by developing cloud-based applications built upon the Palo Alto Networks platform and the new Palo Alto Networks Application Framework, easily engaging the tens of thousands of Palo Alto Networks customer deployments. The fund expects to collaborate with Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital to identify and evaluate innovative security applications for potential co-investment. By providing capital, the fund will enable entrepreneurs and security vendors to focus on developing high-value functionality for customers, instead of developing the infrastructure and data stores necessary to effectively deliver their applications and establish a foothold in the market. The investments in entrepreneurial security companies are designed to accelerate the development of new security applications for the Palo Alto Networks platform. Such applications will help customer organizations more easily access, evaluate, and adopt new advanced security capabilities and activate cloud-delivered security applications from different providers as their securit needs change.



QUOTES "This new fund will build upon our reputation for developing innovative, next-generation security technologies and demonstrate the excellent momentum that we have achieved with our ecosystem of security partners. It represents an essential part of our mission to help organizations prevent cyber breaches by inspiring and accelerating a groundswell of security innovation in a model that can be easily accessed and deployed by customer organizations. "

 Chad Kinzelberg , senior vice president, Business and Corporate Development, Palo Alto Networks

"Palo Alto Networks new security application development model represents an important milestone for the security industry, and holds huge potential for customers, entrepreneurs and developers. We are excited to team with Palo Alto Networks to help entrepreneurs accelerate development in cloud-based applications, to serve a rapidly growing customer base that includes tens of thousands of the world's most important customers."

 Asheem Chandna, partner, Greylock Partners

"Many early stage security start-ups have excellent ideas, but struggle to reach customers. By tapping into this fund and application framework, companies can get their technologies to market faster and into the hands of Palo Alto Networks customers."

 Jim Goetz , partner, Sequoia Capital LEARN MORE

Palo Alto Networks Venture Fund

Palo Alto Networks A pplication F ramework

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Palo Alto Networks formation of a venture fund and its expectations regarding the benefits associated with the fund. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual benefits and expectations with respect to the fund to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including Palo Alto Networks inexperience making early stage capital investments and its ability to identify and manage investment opportunities. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Palo Alto Networks as of the date hereof, and the company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. About Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks is the next-generation security company, leading a new era in cybersecurity by safely enabling applications and preventing cyber breaches for tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. Built with an innovative approach and highly differentiated cyberthreat prevention capabilities, our game-changing security platform delivers security far superior to legacy or point products, safely enables daily business operations, and protects an organization's most valuable assets. Find out more at www.paloaltonetworks.com. Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/palo-alto-networks-announces-formation-of-venture-fund-to-radically-change-future-of-security-innovation-300473190.html SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

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[June 13, 2017] Chicago Virtual Charter School to Hold June 15th Graduation Ceremony

Chicago Virtual Charter School (CVCS), a full-time online public school, serving students in grades K-12, will honor the Class of 2017 at a graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 15th. Twenty-three high school seniors will graduate from the school, which leverages a blended learning model. Blended learning combines online with in-person instruction to ensure every student receives an exceptional, individualized educational experience. Importantly, eye-opening new findings in this newly-released whitepaper paint a compelling portrait of the academic success realized by CVCS students. Among the key findings: In the school year 2014-2015, full academic year CVCS students outperformed their peers in Chicago Public Schools in the majority of grades 3 through 8 in reading

In the school year 2015-2016, CVCS 11th graders outperformed 44 percent of schools nationally on the ACT exam "We congratulate the Class of 2017 on their accomplishments," said Head of School, Dr. Richard LeBron. "CVCS is a critical choice for local students, as the blended learning model facilitates a unique and successful school." Class of 2017 graduates report receiving $6,400 in scholarships and repot being accepted to the following colleges and universities: Northeastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois University and Western Illinois University, among others. Valedictorian Noha Bouqartacha plans to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago.



The media is welcome to attend the commencement. Teachers and students are available for interview. Details of the ceremony are as follows:

Chicago Virtual Charter School Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 15, 2017

12:30 p.m. (8th grade) and 6 p.m. (12th grade)

Chicago Virtual Charter School Learning Center, Gottlieb Hall

38 South Peoria

Chicago, IL 60607 About Chicago Virtual Charter School Chicago Virtual Charter School (CVCS) is a full-time, online public school available to Chicago students in grades K through 12. CVCS is a pioneer in blended learning - combining online learning with onsite instruction at the CVCS Learning Center. As part of Chicago Public Schools, CVCS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about CVCS, visit: http://cvcs.k12.com/. About K12 Inc. K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) is driving innovation and advancing the quality of education by delivering state-of-the-art, digital learning platforms and technology to students and school districts across the globe. K12's curriculum serves over 2,000 schools and school districts and has delivered more than four million courses over the past decade. K12 is a company consisting of thousands of online school educators providing instruction, academic services and learning solutions to public schools and districts, traditional classrooms, blended school programs and directly to families. The K12 program is offered through K12 partner public schools in 33 states and the District of Columbia, and through private schools serving students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. More information can be found at K12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006282/en/

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[June 13, 2017] First3Years Names Sadie Funk Chief Executive Officer

The First3Years Board of Directors today named Sadie Funk as First3Years CEO, a new role for the organization. Ms. Funk joined First3Years in April 2013 as Executive Director and, since then, has led the organization through significant growth and impact in achieving its mission to educate, advocate and collaborate to advance healthy development of infants and toddlers. Ms. Funk is credited with bringing the Safe Babies program to Texas, an approach that seeks to redesign foster care and child welfare by centering on the developmental and social needs of babies from birth to 36 months. This year, Ms. Funk's plan is to replicate the Safe Babies Tarrant County pilot program in Dallas County, which aims to impact more than 1,000 babies in foster care. Making life better for the vulnerable is on many Texan minds. In the recent legislative session, a number of bills were introduced-aimed at fixing a system that unfortunately is not working for thousands of children and families. Safe Babies Dallas has the potential to not only save young children from hard places and familial crisis from secondary trauma in foster care, but provide a model that can be replicated across the state. "Foster care right now for a baby is beyond traumatic. We believe that by making small tweaks to each step - case management, placement, parent visitations - we can significantly improve outcomes for that child. We welcome Gov. Abbott's intentional efforts to address longstanding issues that further traumatize children in the child welfare system. Texas needs more leadership to step forward and demonstrate their unwillingness toaccept the poor treatment of children in the system," shares Ms. Funk.



It was Ms. Funk's vision to establish Safe Babies in Texas, starting with a pilot in Tarrant County. Safe Babies educates parents, judges, placement agencies and case managers on the critical importance of the first three years of a child's life; and promotes coordination among agencies involved with cases of abuse and neglect. In its pilot year, Tarrant County trained 300 stakeholders, impacting 12,000 infants and toddlers in the community. Funders for Safe Babies Tarrant County include The Meadows Foundation, Rees-Jones Foundation, Sid W. Richardson (News - Alert) Foundation, Don and Barbara Kirk Endowment Fund, the Martin H. and Helen M. Wikierak Memorial Fund for Abused Children and WORTH Endowment Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation. "Sadie's approach to identifying promising best practices and innovations in reaching the most vulnerable among us - babies, toddlers and their families - is what makes her leadership distinctive," shares Mark Sinatra, First3Years Board President.

First3Years began in 1980 when early childhood professionals banded together to learn, share and connect in their goal to better serve their young clients. Recognizing that systemic change can multiply education efforts, First3Years in recent years has incubated promising approaches that are highly-collaborative and go beyond single-agency programs, like Safe Babies. With an advantage of learnings from the pilot in Tarrant County, Safe Babies Dallas has found good early momentum for the initiative, including funding from United Way's GroundFloor accelerator program for entrepreneurs. About First3Years First3Years educates, advocates, and collaborates to advance the healthy development of infants and toddlers. We have trained and mentored thousands of professionals across the state on brain development, attachment, separation, trauma, self-regulation, cross-cultural awareness, and other infant mental health related issues. We know that supporting the social emotional development of infants and toddlers is critical for helping the next generation be healthy, productive members of society. In 2016, the organization reached 2,396 professionals and 112,000 young children across the state of Texas through its signature education and professional development programs and community programs supporting young children in foster care, child welfare, and at-risk teen dads. For more about First3Years, visit: first3yearstx.org View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170613006297/en/

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[June 13, 2017] Automotive Software Company Announces Incubator Graduation and Launching of New Venture in Rock Hill's Knowledge Park

ROCK HILL, S.C., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The principal owners of Insignia Group LC, the industry leader in accessory sales process consulting and configurator software, in partnership with the Technology Incubator at Knowledge Park, are pleased to announce Insignia's graduation from the Incubator program and the launch of a new venture: YourConfigurator.com. "This is the realization of many years of effort; launching YourConfigurator.com to commercialize the technology Insignia patented in 2013." says David Stringer, president of Insignia. "Working in partnership with The Technology Incubator, we were able to focus our vision, develop our strategy for launch and gain access to audiences to make this a reality." Stringer explains that in 2010 the company began the process to patent its technology that dynamically visualizes the customizations of products. After receiving the patent in October of 2013, it entered the Technology Incubator in 2014. The Technology Incubator, a joint venture between the City of Rock Hill and the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation, is dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and advising emerging technology companies. According to Stringer, the purpose for entering the Incubator was to develop Insignia's innovation beyond the Automotive Industry. "YourConfigurator.com is launching to explore how our visualization process and software can be leveraged in more mass-market segments." "Insignia represents an exemplary entrepreneurial venture founded in Rock Hill." Says David Warner, director of the Technology Incubator. "We are proud to have assisted in Insignia's positioning to launch the new technology venture and to set the stage for future sustained growth." The next steps for YourConfigurator.com have already been set with the acceptance into the State's South Carolina Research Authority's (SCRA) SC Launch Program, which according to its web site, "provides a framework to grow South Carolina's innovation economy by providing mentoring, funding, commercialization assistance and the resources necessary to successfully launch start-upsin the state."



"We are excited to welcome YourConfigurator.com to SCRA's entrepreneurial program, SC Launch. We look forward to the impact they are going to make in our state," says Bob Quinn executive director of SCRA. Established in 2001, Insignia is a software and consulting company with 42 employees in the Knowledge Park district of Rock Hill. The company is a service provider for car dealerships, accessories distributors, and vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover.

The company's visualization technology and the progress toward commercialization received a big boost in 2015 from Eastman Chemical when Insignia launched a global window film configurator for Eastman's LLumar(c) window film. This configurator is used by installation centers for window film around the world. According to Stringer, the ownership team of Insignia will also be the ownership team for YourConfigurator.com. Although the two companies will support each other for the foreseeable future, Stringer explains that eventually each will be independent operations and directions. "It is our hope and drive to see both companies continually grow and expand within Knowledge Park." says Stringer. "The environment here, created by the partnership of the City of Rock Hill and the RHEDC, is one that fosters innovation and entrepreneurial growth. We also could not have done this without local partners like First Citizens Bank." About Insignia Group

Insignia Group is the innovator and industry leader in accessory sales process consulting and configurator software. Insignia drives exceptional Vehicle Personalization sales training, configurator software, continual leadership, and process improvement to the automotive industry. These core deliverables improve the customer experience, increase customer satisfaction, reduce sales staff turnover, and maximize profits. Insignia currently supports eighteen vehicle brands, and serves dealerships nationwide. Insignia's software solution manages the fulfillment of nearly $85,000,000 in accessory sales transactions annually. For more information, visit www.insigniagroup.com.

Media Contacts:

Insignia Group

888-579-4458 About the Technology Incubator The Technology Incubator @ Knowledge Park (or the TI Center) serves as Rock Hill's innovation and entrepreneurship hub. Its two pronged mission is to: 1) attract and assist promising technology startup and early stage businesses in a program to create new knowledge worker jobs; and 2) to build a community-based entrepreneurial ecosystem to support the development of local talent and new innovation ventures. Media Contact: David Warner, Director

803-329-8721

[email protected] About the SCRA Chartered by the state of South Carolina in 1983, South Carolina Research Authority, SCRA, is a public, non-profit corporation that fosters and enriches South Carolina's innovation economy. SCRA was created by the South Carolina Legislature and given a one-time founding grant of $500,000 and 1,400 acres of undeveloped land. In order to successfully execute its mission and remain self-sustaining, SCRA uses income from its government contracting affiliate and funds from the Industry Partnership Fund to further technology-based economic growth in the state. Our vision is to enhance and improve the development and growth of the state's Innovation Economy - creating jobs, furthering company growth and facilitating academic research and commercialization. Media Contact: Jessica Cokins

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/automotive-software-company-announces-incubator-graduation-and-launching-of-new-venture-in-rock-hills-knowledge-park-300473465.html SOURCE Insignia Group, LLC

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[June 13, 2017] Cloud Foundry Foundation Announces Microsoft Joins as Gold Member

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cloud Foundry Foundation, home of the industry-standard platform for cloud applications, today announced Microsoft has joined as a Gold Member. With a leading public cloud platform Microsoft Azure, and deep enterprise experience, Microsoft will bring valuable skills and technology to the open source software community and the Foundation. Over the past few years, Microsoft has increased its engagement with open source projects and communities, including joining the Linux Foundation in November 2016. The company is currently a leading open source contributor on GitHub and has released .NET Core in open source. Cloud Foundry is already a first-class citizen on Azure. In just the past six months, core usage of Cloud Foundry has increased 300 percent on Azure. "Microsoft is widely recognized as one of the most important enterprise technology and cloud providers in the world," said Abby Kearns, Executive Director, Cloud Foundry Foundation. "Cloud Foundry has the greatest number of deployments of any cloud application platform in the enterprise, and is used by most Fortune 500 organizations. We share both a tremendous number of users and a common approach to the enterprise cloud." Corey Sanders, artner Director, Microsoft Corp. said, "Microsoft and the Cloud Foundry community are deeply aligned around our mutual understanding of enterprise business and technical requirements, and our commitment to help organizations modernize their applications without vendor lock-in. By joining the Cloud Foundry Foundation, we will be able to work with members to contribute to Foundation initiatives and bring a wider range of solutions to Microsoft Azure for our customers and the community."



Cloud Foundry is an open source technology backed by the largest technology companies in the world, including Cisco, Dell/EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Pivotal, SAP and SUSE, and is being used by leaders in manufacturing, telecommunications and financial services. Only Cloud Foundry delivers the velocity needed to continuously deliver apps at the speed of business. Cloud Foundry's container-based architecture runs apps in any language on your choice of cloud  Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), OpenStack, VMware vSphere, SoftLayer and more. With a robust services ecosystem and simple integration with existing technologies, Cloud Foundry is the modern standard for mission critical apps for global organizations. About Cloud Foundry Foundation

The Cloud Foundry Foundation is an independent non-profit organization formed to sustain the development, promotion and adoption of Cloud Foundry as the industry standard platform for cloud applications. Cloud Foundry makes it faster and easier to build, test, deploy and scale applications. Cloud Foundry is an Apache 2.0 licensed project available on GitHub: https://github.com/cloudfoundry. To learn more, visit: https://www.cloudfoundry.org.

Jessica Rampen

Cloud Foundry Foundation

[email protected]

650-787-3548 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloud-foundry-foundation-announces-microsoft-joins-as-gold-member-300472815.html SOURCE Cloud Foundry Foundation

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Johnny Lever says that he is very proud of his daughter Jamie.

By India Today Web Desk: Sony TV's kids reality show Sabse Bada Kalakar will welcome comedian and actor Johnny Lever next week in the Father's Day special episode of the show.

The father-daughter duo of Johnny and Jamie Lever will appear together for the first time in the show and it will surely be a treat to watch the father and the daughter duo together on the stage.

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The episode was shot today and father and daughter went live on Facebook on the official page of Sony TV.

When Jamie asked her father how he felt to be on the show, he replied, "I am very happy to be on this show. I watch your show on TV. The kids on the show are so talented."

Johnny also expressed how proud he is of his daughter. He said "Which father will not feel proud to see his daughter do good. I really hope that you do very well in life."

The comedian also praised contestant Mahi Soni and said that Mahi is talent ki khayi (valley).

Also read: This is how Sunil Grover reacted when teased about the plane incident on Sabse Bada Kalakar

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, June 13 (PTI) West Bengal Tourism minister Gautam Deb today said that the present unrest in Darjeeling was against the interest of the people of the hills as the agitation was being staged during full tourist season.

"It is a movement against the people of the hills, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha resorted to this violent agitation during full tourist season," the tourism minister said.

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"Darjeeling registered a record footfall of domestic and foreign tourists this summer," he said.

Darjeeling town and other destinations in the hills, which were overflowing with tourists till last week, wore a deserted look today.

"We hope they will call off the agitation in the interest of the local people," Deb, also a Trinamool Congress leader in Siliguri, situated on the foothills of the Himalayas, said.

Deb, who inaugurated a daily Volvo bus service by the state tourism department from here to Siliguri to facilitate travellers, said, "This is the beginning of the end of unrest in Darjeeling."

"The general public in the hills are not supporting the agitation. Some elements are trying to disrupt normal life in Darjeeling in an attempt to fish in troubled waters," Deb said.

"Such attempts will not be successful. Ultimately the hills will become peaceful and it will be long term. The chief minister is dealing with the situation strongly," he said. PTI AMR MD

--- ENDS ---
Nintendo held its E3 2017 press event today (more on that here, here, and here), but the most exciting piece of Nintendo-related news didnt come from the company's own event. In fact, the most exciting news didnt even come from Nintendo itself. By far the wildest Nintendo-related news from today--in our humble opinion--is that Mario Kart exists in virtual reality form. Were equally excited for fans of the "Dragon Ball" anime series, too because there's also a Dragon Ball VR game.

A VR arcade called VR Zone Shinjuku opened its doors today in Shinjuku Japan, and its selection of VR titles is impressive. VR Zone Shinjuku offers thrilling experiences such as Height Fear Show, which tests your tolerance for extreme heights, and Despair Jungle, in which you must outrun dinosaurs in a jungle. VR Zone Shinjuku also offers licensed VR experiences of world famous properties, such as "Dragon Ball" and Mario Kart.

The VR attractions at VR Zone Shinjuku come equipped with Vive Business Edition VR headsets and custom-tailored accessories for each experience. Despair Jungle pairs with a VR treadmill system; Height Fear Show pairs with a harness system for safety, and to enhance the experience; and you can sit in a cockpit simulator to play a spaceship game called The Soul of the Soul. The Mario Kart Arcade VR and Dragon Ball VR experiences also include specialty peripherals.

The Mario Kart Arcade VR kiosks feature racing seats, steering wheels, and pedals inside a pod thats dressed up as a kart from the Mario Kart game series. VR Zone Shinjuku offers multiple Mario Kart pods which are connected for multiplayer races against other patrons.

The Dragon Ball VR experience is set up on large kiosk pods to give you room to safely move around and swing your arms. This experience also features wrist-mounted devices that track your wrist movement to allow you to fire Kamehame Waves. VR Zone Shinjuku said that Dragon Ball VR offers a multiplayer mode which allows you to battle others, and you can also play a single-player training mission.

Bandai Namco makes the VR experiences at VR Zone Shinjuku, but were not sure if they are available to other VR arcades. The Mario Kart Arcade VR game is an adaptation of Bandai Namcos Mario Kart license for arcade cabinets. Bandai also holds the distribution license for "Dragon Ball" video games. Its entirely possible that these games will see wider distribution in the future, but for now, you can only play them in Shinjuku.
Nilakshi Elizabeth Jorendal was adopted by a Swedish couple in 1976. She had been trying to trace her biological mother since 1990.

Nilakshi Elizabeth Jorendal was adopted by a Swedish couple in 1976. (Photo for representation/Reuters)

By Press Trust of India: It was an emotional moment for Nilakshi Elizabeth Jorendal, the India-born Swedish national, as she met her ailing biological mother in Yavatmal.

Nilakshi (44), who was adopted by a Swedish couple when she was a three-year-old, had managed to trace her biological mother through Anjali Pawar of Pune-based NGO - Against Child Trafficking.

"It was an emotional reunion on Saturday at the government hospital in Yavatmal. The mother-daughter duo broke into tears," Pawar told PTI.

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"Nilakshi, who was on a mission to trace her biological parents, had met her mother briefly earlier but this was a more elaborate, public reunion," she said.

Nilakshi's biological father, a farm labourer, had committed suicide in 1973, the year she was born at Pandita Ramabai Mukti Missions shelter-and-adoption home in Kedgaon near Pune.

Nilakshi's mother had left her there and later remarried and has a son and daughter from the second marriage. They too were present at the hospital on Saturday, Pawar said.

The centre gave Nilakshi in adoption to a Swedish couple in 1976.

"Nilakshi had been visiting India since 1990 to trace her biological mother. She visited India six times for this," Pawar said.

Both the mother and daughter suffer from thalassemia, she said, adding, "During the meeting on Saturday, she assured her biological mothers kin of all help in her treatment."

ALSO READ:

Indian origin stepmother charged with killing 9-year-old girl in New York City

Man booked for raping minor girl, stepmother for abetting crime

--- ENDS ---
A man is recovering at a metro hospital after being shot during a break-in early Tuesday morning. The shooting happened about 12:50 a.m. at a home in the 5500 block of Park Avenue. Police say he was shot by suspects as they broke into his home. The man was taken to an area hospital.
"Interim Police Chief David Zimmerman is allowing commanders to make the change in neighborhoods where dedicated officers may be needed.





"Former Chief Darryl Forte eliminated dedicated community interaction officers nearly a year ago, saying all cops on the beat should be reaching out to know their neighbors. Many community leaders said having dedicated officers working side-by-side with citizens on quality of life issues helped prevent crime and eliminate blight.





"With the recent surge in homicides in the urban core, some expect having community interaction officers plugged in to personal relationships can help resolve problems before they turn deadly . . ."

A welcomed break with the policies of the previous administration is now under way . . .Deets:Remember thatAnd so, the move beyond "business as usual" is welcomed by many in KCMO as this town continues to fight a homicide crisis.Developing . . .
OLATHE Kan. -- On Monday, the Johnson County District Attorney announced the office has dismissed the case against Richard Jones, the local man who found his Doppelganger, and in the process, his freedom. Jones spent 17 years in prison, convicted for a purse snatching in Roeland Park on Memorial Day, 1999.
Athens pupils invited locals of all ages to the local school to talk about sustainable fishing

The environmental protection lessons that can be learned from the small and remote Greek island of Fournoi were presented in the following article by Kathimerini newspaper:

How can a Greek border island whose economy relies heavily on fishing continue to depend on the sea for its survival without depleting its resources? And how much do the pupils at a senior high school on the tiny eastern Aegean island of Fournoi, whose parents still practice dynamite fishing, know about sustainable living?

The good news is their knowledge does not disappoint. And, interestingly, most of it comes from an initiative organized by a group of pupils in Athens who visit the island every year with the aim of reminding locals that they are not alone out there. So again last month a small group of teenagers from Athens made the trip across the Aegean to meet with their friends on Fournoi.

The project was led by 16-year-old Yiannis Dalakouras. Together with another two of his classmates in the International Baccalaureate program at Psychico College in Athens, he traveled to the remote island in a bid to raise awareness, to clean up beaches, and promote sustainable ways of living on Fournoi.

The group spent an entire morning cleaning the largest beach on the island, together with local pupils. They also met with parents who came to support the efforts of their children.

After that, the Athens pupils invited locals of all ages to the local school to talk about sustainable fishing and outline todays challenges and solutions based on international best practices.

All the children showed up, even the youngest. But their parents, mostly fishermen, didnt, Yiannis said.

When we asked them why they didnt come, the kids told us it would be like trying to persuade a wolf not to eat sheep, he said.

Sustainable fishing

The island children listened carefully as the visitors described sustainable fishing as the art of preserving your income from the sea without destroying the environment. They seemed to appreciate that the discussion was, in fact, about their future. The information that 65 percent of the fish stock in the countrys seas is already depleted shocked them.

On the same day, Yiannis and his classmate Metaxia Boudouraki conducted an informal survey. They asked people on Fournoi if they understood the effects of overfishing and, in particular, of illegal fishing.

Although people were aware of the problem that has not been adequately addressed by the authorities, it took a campaign by young Athenians, who spoke the language of their peers, to mobilize the younger generation on the island.

Maybe things will be a bit better next year, one of the youngsters said.

Over the winter the Fournoi pupils visited Athens to attend events including the Psychico College bazaar. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, the organizers were able to purchase computers for the school on Fournoi.

The project is remarkable not only because of the young age of the people behind it, but also its significance for the future of the young islanders.

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

Source: ekathimerini.com
Plastic bags will soon be a thing of the past for the Greek island of Skiathos, one of the most beautiful resorts in the country, which has voted to ban their use in line with European directives. The island is launching the ASAP programme (Active Skiathos Against Plastic bags) run by the MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network, which is to run until the end of June 2018, with a beach-cleaning activity on Friday.

Funded by BeMed (Beyond Plastic Med), the Thalassa Foundation, Skiathos municipality and MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network, the ASAP pilot programme will strive to increase public awareness and sensitise the public to this issue. It mirrors a similar programme successfully adopted by the island of Alonissos, another island in the Sporades group, using tried-and-tested methods and tools to get islanders on board, such as beach-cleaning, consultation processes, distribution of fabric shopping bags etc.

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
Almost ten years after the movie "Mamma mia" more and more visitors visit the island

An island full of "green", beaches with crystal clear waters, paths that await the traveler to explore, churches and sites with centuries of history. These are just some of the reasons why tourists choose Skopelos for their holidays.

Almost ten years after the movie "Mamma mia" more and more visitors visit the island to exchange wedding vows with their loved ones. "I have performed many wedding ceremonies of foreigners," the mayor of Skopelos Christos Vassiloudis said and added: "Our island is a beautiful place for a couple to begin their common life."

"Skopelos has about 10,000 beds," Mary Diamanti, president of Skopelos Hoteliers' Association, said. Apart from the Greeks, the island attracts a lot of tourists from Scandinavia, Britain, Germany and Italy.

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
Leading regional groups including some of Bahrain's top developers have been shortlisted for this years Gulf Property Show awards in the 'Best Stand Design' category, said the event organisers Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).



The nominees include Diyar Al Muharraq, Manara Development, Bahrain Marina Development, First Bahrain, Fontana Real Estate, Bin Faqeeh, Naseej, Eagle Hills, Dilmunia, Eskan Bank and Survey and Land Registration Bureau.



A boutique showcase for real estate and property, the Gulf Property Show was held from May 9 to 11 under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, in the capital Manama.



The three-day event took place alongside two other major exhibitions - Gulf Construction Expo and Gulf Interiors, continuing the success of the only integrated B2B and B2C platforms for the construction, interior and property sectors in the Northern Gulf, said HCE.



It provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, designers, architects and contractors to showcase a wide range of luxurious, designer and innovative products for house, home, or commercial spaces.



The increasing size of Gulf Property Show is recognised by the rising number of exhibitors on the shortlist," remarked exhibitions director Ahmed Suleiman.



"The criteria includes creativity, brand promotion, investor attraction and functionality for conducting business on the stand. The standard of Gulf Property Show 2017 stands was extremely high, which made the shortlisting task harder," he noted.



The nominated stand designs, he stated, are available for viewing online at the Gulf Property Show website - http://gulfpropertyshow.net/ - while votes can be cast via a Facebook poll.



The polling closes on September 19 and the winner will be announced in October at the HCE Events 2018 Launch.-TradeArabia News Service
SR Technics, a world leading MRO service provider, has signed an exclusive agreement to provide inspection and repair services for easyJets thrust reversers used in their Airbus fleet.



The work for the new three-year contract will be done at the SR Technics facility at Zurich Airport.



The quality, reliability and competitiveness that have made SR Technics an industry leader were all important factors in easyJets decision to further expand its collaboration with the company. SR Technics has extensive experience supporting CFM56-5B thrust reversers and in-house repair capabilities to provide the low-cost carrier with the best value.



Gary Smith, easyJets head of engineering said: The ability of SR Technics to meet easyJets growing fleet maintenance requirements has already been proven with their support of our line and base maintenance. The overhaul of our A320CEO family thrust reversers represents another significant step forward in our relationship with SR Technics. As easyJet grows, we are pleased to share the strength of our business with maintenance providers capable of meeting the highest quality and safety standards, and cost focus of easyJet.



SR Technics chief operating officer Jean-Marc Lenz said: We are very pleased to expand our cooperation with easyJet, building on our successful line and base maintenance agreements in the UK, Malta and Switzerland. easyJet is a highly valued customer of SR Technics, and we look forward to working closely together to strengthen our partnership.



Last year SR Technics signed a five-year extension on an existing maintenance cooperation agreement with easyJet in Malta, and the British airliner also extended several line maintenance agreements with SR Technics for a range of stations in the UK and Switzerland. - TradeArabia News Service
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) expects to conclude new contracts worth $15 billion with foreign countries to develop the country's energy fields, the company's managing director was quoted as saying in a media report.



The development of Phase 11 of South Pars, Azadegan oilfield and South Pars oil layer are in the final stage, Ali Kardor, who is also deputy oil minister, was quoted by Iran Daily, which cited Irna.



Iran has signed a range of deals with international firms over the past year since the easing of international sanctions on Tehran, the report said.



In November 2016, France's Total became the first oil major to sign a big deal with Tehran since the lifting of sanctions and agreed to help it develop the world's largest gas field, South Pars.



Shell signed a provisional deal in December to develop Iranian oil and gas fields South Azadegan, Yadavaran and Kish in December 2016.



Iran has named 29 companies from more than a dozen countries as being eligible to bid for oil and gas projects using the new, less restrictive contract model.



The firms include Shell, France's Total, Italy's Eni, Malaysia's Petronas and Russia's Gazprom and Lukoil, as well as companies from China, Austria, Japan and other countries.


Barclays, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley Invest and Obtain Equity Stake in KY3P

IHS Markit announced that Barclays, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley have joined together to take an equity stake in KY3P, IHS Markits Know Your Third Party risk management solution. Goldman Sachs will contribute intellectual property and join the other banks as a design partner of the platform.

Launched in October 2015, KY3P was created in partnership with global financial institutions, buyside firms and third parties. To date, it has gained significant traction with more than 75 signed customers and over 15,000 vendor profiles available on the platform. The patent-pending platform is the first, centralized cloud-based community for simplifying and standardizing third party risk management. It enables firms to communicate multilaterally, or on a one-to-many basis, to support vendor due diligence and ongoing monitoring.

At Barclays, we see our suppliers as an extension of our business and key in helping us become the bank of choice. Our aim is to develop world-class partnerships with our suppliers that support innovative solutions that put clients and customers at the heart of what we do. said Al Williams, Chief Procurement Officer at Barclays. The relationship with KY3P will help us maintain the necessary oversight required in a consistent and efficient manner. The further benefit of working with other financial institutions ensures an increasingly standardized approach for our suppliers.

At Goldman Sachs, we work with a wide range of partners to deliver the best solutions to our clients, said Richard Blore, head of the Vendor Management Office

News Release

at Goldman Sachs. We believe that KY3P will further enhance our third-party riskmanagement efforts, streamline our vendor onboarding process and support our global business operations.

At HSBC, our third parties work in close partnership with us to deliver the safe and reliable banking experience our customers expect, said Jan Fokke Van Den Bosch, Chief Procurement Officer at HSBC. KY3P will ensure those providers meet our high standards without creating an additional administrative burden for them.

Like many in the industry, we at Morgan Stanley are required to evidence a consistent, comprehensive and holistic approach to the evolving requirements over Third Party Oversight and risk management bound by our policy and procedure framework, said Julia Kubis, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. This begins with the due diligence process and extends across the life cycle of our relationship with our vendors. We are optimistic that investing in and the utilization of KY3P will make this a more efficient endeavor for our internal business partners, our risk managers, and our vendors alike.

When we launched KY3P, we were confident that our platform was truly a game changer for the industry by increasing efficiency and improving the accuracy of information, said Ellen Schubert, Chief Executive Officer of KY3P. With the adoption and support from these global financial institutions as well as our existing customer base, we have made this a reality by fundamentally revolutionizing the way organizations assess and manage third party risk.

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Director DJ Caruso confirmed on Twitter that Deepika Padukone will return as Serena Unger in the fourth installment of the xXx franchise.

By India Today Web Desk: Deepika Padukone is all set to return as Serena Unger in the fourth installment of the xXx franchise, director DJ Caruso confirmed on Twitter. When a fan asked him, "Serena Unger Aka Deepika is there in #xXx4?" he replied, "Oh yes." He also revealed that there will be meetings next week to zero in on the story and the dates.

Yes meetings next week. Honing in on story and start dates- D.j. Caruso (@Deejaycar) June 12, 2017

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Just last week, Deepika's co-star Vin Diesel had shared a throwback selfie from their xXx days and captioned it, "All love... #xXxThursdays."

All love... #xXxThursdays A post shared by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jun 8, 2017 at 12:05pm PDT

The two actors have been all praise for each other since they began working on xXx: Return Of Xander Cage, which was also Deepika's Hollywood debut.

Deepika had said that one of the biggest takeaways from the film was her bond with Vin, who she called a "friend for life" and "the most amazing person (she has) met."

When Vin came to India with Deepika for the premiere of their film, he had said that she was the "queen of the whole world." He also called her "an angel with a beautiful soul."

xXx: Return Of Xander Cage was largely panned by critics, but was a box-office success that went on to earn over USD 300 million worldwide.

MOVIE REVIEW: XXX RETURN OF XANDER CAGE

ALSO WATCH: xXx star Vin Diesel leaves India to shouts of 'takle'!

ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel have a new relationship now. It does not involve babies

ALSO WATCH: Deepika Padukone teaches xXx Return of Xander Cage co-star Vin Diesel Hindi

--- ENDS ---
ON THE MOVE: Citadel Makes Another Senior Hire; KeyBanc Grabs 6 for Equities

Fresh on the heels of landing Joe Mecane as its new Head of Execution and re-hiring James Yeh to lead its global quantitative strategies business, the firm has landed Tom Zychinski, the former head of fixed income trade execution at Bridgewater Associates. Zychinski onboards as head of portfolio analytics and monitoring within its equity quantitative research group in New York.

Kevin Byrne has named senior vice president of Macquarie Portfolio Solutions, the transition management business of Macquarie Group. Byrne's appointment comes after the departure of Lance Vegna, who had been director and co-head of portfolio solutions with Fogg. Previously, Byrne was senior vice president at Loop Capital Markets. He will report to Fred Fogg, director and head of Macquarie Portfolio Solutions.

Mizuho Americas announced the addition of Traci Creange to its fixed income team as Managing Director and Head of US Floating Rate Note (FRN) Credit Trading. In her new role, Creange will be responsible for trading all maturities and sectors across the floating rate note complex for Mizuhos growing US client base. A 15 year veteran, she most recently served as head FRN trader for Deutsche Bank. Prior to this, she was with Mizuho as an Executive Director in investment grade credit trading from 2011-2014. Creange comes to Mizuho with nearly fifteen years of senior credit trading experience at firms including Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies and Bear Stearns.

If you have a new job or promotion to report, let me know at jdantona@marketsmedia.com

State Street Corporation announced the appointment of David Pagliaro as head of State Street Global Exchange for Europe EMEA. Based in London, Pagliaro will report to John Plansky, global head of State Street Global ExchangeSM and Liz Nolan, co-head of Global Services for EMEA.

Goldman Sachs is relocating one of its top US equities traders to head up its European execution business, according to a report. Elizabeth Martin has been appointed Head of EMEA Equities Execution and Global Chief Operating Officer for Electronic Equities Execution Services. She will focus on developing global electronic execution products and client services across the trade lifecycle. Her promotion to the senior role follows the decision by Todd Hohman to retire after 24 years with the firm. Martin was previously co-head of Americans electronic trading products and head of systematic market making for US listed options. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2000 as a derivatives trader and has since worked her way up to become chief of staff for equities and global head of equities management. Martin will report to Raj Mahajan, global co-head of execution services, Philip Berlinski, co-head of global equities trading and execution services, and Konstantin Shakhnovich, global head of FICC electronic trading. [IMGCAP(2)]

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The Changing Face of Volatility

With the Chicago Board Options Exchange's Volatility Index not closing above 13.75 for the past year, many in the industry are left scratching their heads wondering whether low volatility is the new reality for the US equities market.

"Whenever something is the new norm, I know it is about to change," Chris Concannon, president and COO at the CBOE, told the audience at Sandler O'Neill's Global Exchange and Broker Conference in Midtown Manhattan last week. "I continue to hear that theme that this low level of volatility is the new norm. It's not, and it's going to change."

"I don't think we are out of the world of high volatility," agreed fellow speaker Rocky Fishman, equity derivatives strategist at Deutsche Bank Securities.

However, Fishman also noted that the nature of volatility has changed.

"We are not going to be in a world where you have a volatility regimes that last for a year or two anymore," he added. "The volatility cycle is compressed, and you are going to see high and low volatility more often than we did before the financial crisis."

Driving the change is how electronic markets distribute information to their participants quicker as well as the further adoption of machine learning, explained Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at Convergex.

"Think of the self-driving car market," he suggested. "A person can drive a car pretty well with fairly low error rates and a human-dominated market can do the same. As you infuse artificial intelligence and information into a bigger algorithm to drive market and asset prices, volatility should collapse over the next two, three, four, 10, or 20 years in the same way self-driving cars have fewer crashes than those driven by humans."

Daniel Coleman, CEO of Knight Holdings, thought it would be wrong to divorce human actors for the market and that the low-volatility environment is nothing new as he cited Nick Leeson.

"He pinned the Nikkei futures in 1994, and they didn't move and traded with a three volatility for nine months," he said. "Then the Kobe earthquake happened, volatility blew up, and it took down Barings Bank and a bunch of other people. There is an overarching human element to this: If I can take on risk and be compensated for it and not be penalized, I'm going to keep on doing that until I get hurt."

Speaking during the conference's lunch, Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, also attributed the current low-volatility environment to the interventionalist policies that central banks around the world have pursued for nearly a decade.

"That is the dominant effect on the markets, hands down," he said.

Griffin also sees stat-arb traders contributing to low volatility by continuing to chase stock reversals.

"This community is pushing stock prices back to where they recently were," he said

Eric Noll, former president and CEO of Convergex and who spoke earlier, sees active asset managers contributing to low-volatility as well since it is difficult for them not to participate in the markets.

"If you feel very strongly that the market is over-valued and you go to cash, you are going to show a massive amount of underperformance," he said. "If the market continues to bleed upward however slowly that happens, then you are going to get outflows. So what ends up happening is that active managers tend to stay invested either they become closet indexers or they just stay in their holdings and hope they can get out of the way when the bad stuff happens."

Most of the conference speakers agreed that volatility will return to the markets, but remain unsure when it will happen.

"It is very much a function of what the equities market looks like, which are a function what the economic conditions are," said Deutsche Bank Securities' Fishman. "Part of this exercise is figuring out when we are going to have a recession. That is something that is very difficult to figure out."

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The BJP's central leadership has pulled up Delhi unit's spokesperson for appearing on TV debates on national issues without having 'proper knowledge' of the topics.

By Rakesh Ranjan: Loudmouth spokespersons of Delhi BJP have drawn the ire of central BJP leaders for debating national issues like farmers' suicide and cow slaughter.

BJP's national media team has taken strong note of Delhi BJP leaders debating the sensitive issues and thus embarrassing the party.

After three BJP spokespersons appeared on various television channels discussing the farmers' agitation in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, BJP's national media in-charge Anil Baluni pulled up the leaders and categorically told them to avoid discussing such issues "without proper knowledge" of the subject.

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"Those debating the issues like cow slaughter and farmers' agitation are required to have adequate knowledge of the subject. It was found that the Delhi BJP leaders failed to put BJP's stand and thus brought embarrassment to the party," a senior BJP leader said, adding the BJP has a definite ideology and a political stand over these issues.

Party insiders told Mail Today that Baluni had a word with state leadership and conveyed his displeasure over participation of Delhi BJP's spokespersons on these issues. "Balooni also asked the state leadership to restrict these spokespersons from speaking on national issues."

Two Delhi BJP spokespersons appeared on TV channels debating protest in Madhya Pradesh in which five farmers were killed. Another spokesperson had spoken over the issue of cow slaughter, said sources.

The top leadership has also told BJP leaders, other than the spokespersons or those authorised by the state unit president, not to participate on TV debates. The idea is to avoid confusion or embarrassment as they tend to deviate from the party line on several issues and even put forward factually incorrect things, a BJP leader said.

"Apart from spokespersons, several state leaders regularly appear on TV debates on national issues. The central leadership wants the state unit leaders to abide by the rulebook and stick to the brief issued on national issues," they said.

ALSO READ | Harsh Vardhan in China: India will prove importance of cow through science

ALSO WATCH | Mandsaur violence: Is dealing with farmer fury the BJP's biggest challenge so far?

--- ENDS ---
After a recent visit to Arizona, riding holiday specialist, Ranch Rider has announced it will be adding the Rancho de la Osa to its collection. The new Classic Arizona Adventure, will also depart in November.



(TRAVPR.COM) UK - June 13th, 2017 - After a recent visit to Arizona, riding holiday specialist, Ranch Rider has announced it will be adding the Rancho de la Osa to its collection.

Over the last two weeks, the tour operators team of Western riding experts including, Managing Director, Tony Daly, have been blogging their way across the Grand Canyon state, the Rancho de la Osa one of four ranches visited in Arizona. One of the most historic properties in the west, the colourful guest ranch combines Native American, Spanish and Mexican influences with ranching, political and Hollywood celebrity narratives. Its scenic trails have been frequented by US Presidents and legends like Pancho Villa; the Marshall Plan and Margaret Mitchells classic Gone With the Wind were both drafted on the property and even American icon, John Wayne, fell in love with its 590 acres - his favourite room still available to book.

Tony Daly, Managing Director of Ranch Rider comments, We prefer to visit each individual property before adding a ranch to our collection. First hand knowledge really counts when it comes to making recommendations and booking the right dream riding holiday.

An upscale guest ranch, the Rancho de la Osa excels when it comes to outdoor activities; horseback rides across the unspoilt desert landscape, cattle drives along the Mexican border, fat tyre electric bike tours on the surrounding sandy tracks and guided hiking and climbing to 7,730 feet in the majestic Baboquivari Mountain range, just some of the many thrilling pursuits on offer to guests.

Ranch Rider is including the ranch in its new Classic Arizona Adventure, the itinerary scheduled to depart on 15 November. The riding holiday will feature stays at three of the ranches recently visited by the tour operator, including Tucsons White Stallion Guest Ranch, the Tombstone Monument Ranch and Sasabes historic Rancho de la Osa. Nine nights from 1,979pp (two sharing) and 2,169pp (no single supplement) including activities, meals (except one), lodging, all transfers, tax and service charge. Excludes return flight from 879pp.

Book now and snap up a great deal at Arizonas White Stallion Guest Ranch, Ranch Riders December offer saving you up 427pp! Test your mettle out on the trail with fast paced horseback adventures and challenging mountain rides across the saguaro filled desert landscape. The tour operators top tip: dont miss out on a fun game of team penning. Seven nights from only 1,275pp (two sharing) including accommodation, meals, ranch activities (including riding), taxes, transfers and gratuities. Excludes return flight from 890pp. Offer valid on departures from 26 November through 16 December. Full ranch stay price 1,702pp.

Spectacular horseback adventures, desert nature walks, mountain biking and more are on offer at Arizonas Tanque Verde Resort Ranch & Spa - the property still one of Ranch Riders favourite places to saddle up. Riding holidays here are also perfect for pint size, John Waynes and Calamity Janes - those aged six and above heading off on trail rides. The ranch's supervised childrens programme runs year round and is open to kids aged from four to 12 years. Seven nights from only 1,159pp (two sharing) and from 1,155pp (four to 17 years) including accommodation, meals, ranch activities (including riding), taxes, transfers and gratuities. Excludes return flight from 890pp and from 775pp (under 12 years) . Offer valid on departures from now through 31 October. Full ranch stay price 1,351pp (two sharing).

The tour operator ended their trip in the Western state of California. On their San Diego city break, they experienced the sand swept delights of Mission Bay, the Catamaran Resort Hotel located on Mission Boulevard. The hotel is only a 15 minute drive away from old historic downtown, where the trolley bus tour took the team to all the key sights, including the USS Midway Museum, Gas Lamp quarter (great for restaurants, cafes and bars), Horton Plaza, a shopping haven that doubles as an art gallery, and Coronado, its gentle surf and sparkling wide-sands consistently voted best beach in the U.S. by Dr. Beach.

Tony Daly, comments We had three nights in San Diego and we saw a good amount of the old town, but we would suggest five nights to allow more time to enjoy the beaches and water activities on offer.

Also we would definitely recommend a stay on Mission Boulevard if you are interested in spending your time relaxing on the sands, however, if you want access to night life, shopping and the wide range of restaurants and bars we would suggest opting for downtown accommodation.

The full ranch and city/beach based review and Rancho de la Osa online image gallery is available to view on the Ranch Rider website.

-ends-

Ranch Rider (01509 618 811) ATOL PROTECTED No 4660 ABTA 96395/V9150.

Notes to Editors:

Other ranches visited by Ranch Rider on their recent trip include the White Stallion Guest Ranch, Tombstone Monument Ranch and the Tanque Verde Resort Ranch.

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Suriname, while not a bastion of queer acceptance, is remarkably more open to the LGBTQ community than many Caribbean nations. The capital of Paramaribo is where youll find most of the LGBTQ locals living.

Theres not a gay club to speak of in Paramaribo, though Bardancing Airport reportedly holds a gay night every Friday at the Onyxstreet 17. Likewise, there are little to no establishments proudly declaring they are LGBTQ-owned or -friendly. The country doesnt currently allow gay marriage or domestic partnerships, but that doesnt mean queer individuals are persecuted.

In fact, the annual Pride Month is held in October when members of the community are encouraged to take to the streets for the parade. Life in Paramaribo is fairly easy-going for gay and lesbian men and women, with many openly holding hands in public.

Theres no reason LGBTQ travelers should feel uncomfortable in this fine city, as long as youre fine mingling with straight couples everywhere you go. While its generally illegal to discriminate against minorities in Suriname, that doesnt mean there arent still pockets where being LGBTQ wont get you some odd looks. In the capital of Paramaribo, though, you have nothing to worry about.